South Africa: Deputy Minister concludes Social Development Month in Mpumalanga

As part of her Social Development month activities, Social Development Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu is today conducting various community engagements at Mawewe Tribal Council in Mgobodzi village, Mpumalanga.

Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu in partnership with the MTN SA Foundation will handover a multimedia centre to the Mawewe Community Centre.

The twenty-seater media centre will have free connectivity for 24 months at MTNs cost.

The handover forms part of a longstanding Public Private Partnership (PPP) between the Department and the MTN SA Foundation. The centre will allow community members to have access to educational content and learning material to upgrade their computer skills, the Department of Social Development said.

On Saturday, the Deputy Minister will commemorate International Day for Older Persons at Mawewe Community Centre.

The International Day of Older Persons is commemorated on 1 October every year and is a key opportunity to celebrate the lives of our senior citizens, while highlighting both the opportunities and the challenges that ageing presents.

In African culture, the elderly have always been held in high esteem, and accorded special social status. They are a source of wisdom, influencing who we are, and who we aspire to be. According to Statistics South Africas Mid-year population estimates of 2021, about 9, 2 % (5, 51 million) of the population is 60 years or older, the department said.

This years commemorations will be held under the theme Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World.

In South Africa, families also rely on older relatives, from caring for grandchildren, to contributing much-needed income to households. Deputy Minister will host a luncheon for the older persons in Mgobodzi village, in observance of the day, the department said.

On Sunday, Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu will attend a church service at Mgobozi Holiness Church in Mgobodzi village.

The Deputy Minister will use the opportunity to remind and encourage the Faith Bases organisation about the importance of the NPOs being compliant by submitting their documents to the NPO registrar.

The department said that this engagement is informed by a webinar the Department held two years ago, to inform NPOs about the looming deregistration for non-compliant NPOs.

October has been declared Social Development Month and annually the Department highlights key government programs that are aimed at fighting poverty and building a caring society for all. - SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-10-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Central Military Commission holds executive meeting on studying Party congress guiding principles

Xinhua) 08:21, October 28, 2022

BEIJING, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Central Military Commission (CMC) on Thursday held an executive meeting on studying and implementing the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

It was noted at the meeting that all levels of the armed forces must align their thinking and actions with the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and CMC Chairman Xi Jinping.

The meeting also stressed strengthening the theoretical and political awareness of upholding the leadership core and obeying commands, adding that being able to fight and win should be the most pragmatic test of the learning and implementation.

Zhang Youxia, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice chairman of the CMC, presided over the meeting.

It was also attended by He Weidong, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice chairman of the CMC. Other attendees were Li Shangfu, Liu Zhenli, Miao Hua and Zhang Shengmin, who are all CMC members.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Two men have been arrested on charges accusing them of being involved in the Stor-N-Lock thefts in Piqua, Darke County, and surrounding areas.

>> Man booked into jail in connection with murders of 2 Delphi girls

Dylan L. Harrison, 31, and Randy J. Peters, 50, have been taken into custody by Miami County Sheriffs detectives and are in the county jail.

>> Woman killed, 5-year-old son injured after crash in Wayne County, Indiana

Harrison has been charged with aggravated burglary, breaking and entering, possessing criminal tools, and felonious assault.

The felonious assault stems from an incident on Oct. 3 where Harrison struck a female resident with his car as he was fleeing the residence after burglarizing it, in the 5000 block of Washington Road, just south of Piqua, Sheriff Dave Duchak said.

>> Area police department warns of recent increase in vehicle break-ins

Peters has been charged with receiving stolen property, a crime he was already on probation for, and possessing methamphetamine.

>> Coroner IDs 2 men killed in Butler Co. shooting

The sheriffs office alleges that the suspects would cut the locks off of storage units and replace them with their own, returning later to steal the property inside.

Detectives executed five search warrants in Miami, Shelby, and Darke counties in their investigation.

They recovered countless pieces of stolen property. Most of the property is believed to have been stolen from Stor-N-Lock units over the past three to four years, Duchak said.

The sheriffs office intends to publicize any recovered property they cannot trace to the original owner.

>> Police: 1 dead, officer injured after head-on crash near downtown Columbus

Duchak encourages residents who rent storage units to check on them to make sure they have not been broken into.

The investigation is ongoing, additional arrests and charges will be forthcoming, Duchak said.

If you have property in your storage unit that has been stolen, or if you any information that would help investigators, you are encouraged to contact Detective Lt. Jason Moore at (937) 440-6085, ext. 3991, or moore.jason@miamicountyso.com.

Story continues

You can also submit tips anonymously through the sheriffs office official website.








JERUSALEM (AP)  Two Palestinians were killed and a third was wounded by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank early Friday, Palestinian health officials said, as conflicting claims about the incident emerged.

The shooting near the city of Nablus, the West Bank's second largest, was the latest sign of escalation in recent months.

The Israeli military said troops at an army post south of Nablus opened fire after being shot at from a passing car. It said troops identified two suspicious vehicles and responded with live fire, reporting hits. The army did not specify whether this referred to people in the cars being killed or wounded.

An armed group, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, portrayed the incident as an attack and said its fighters were involved, but was short on specifics. The group is an offshoot of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party. The Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Ishtayyeh, claimed the two men were killed in cold blood, but did not provide evidence.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified those killed as two men from the Askar refugee camp near Nablus, ages 47 and 35. Ishtayyeh said they worked for the Civil Defense, a department in the Palestinian self-rule government that includes firefighters and other emergency services workers.

The shooting came three days after Israeli forces raided a stronghold of a small armed group in Nablus, blowing up a bomb lab and engaging in a firefight. Five Palestinians were killed at the time, including a leader of the militia, which calls itself Lions' Den.

Ongoing Israeli arrest raids in the West Bank pose a serious challenge to Abbas' Palestinian Authority. Abbas relies on security cooperation with Israel, particularly against his Islamic militant rivals, to remain in power. At the same time, this cooperation is deeply unpopular among Palestinians who chafe against Israels open-ended occupation, now in its 56th year.

Younger Palestinians are particularly disillusioned. Small bands of gunmen have formed in some areas, first in the Jenin refugee camp, a stronghold of militants, and now in Nablus. These groups challenge the Palestinian Authority and carry out attacks against Israeli targets.

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 in the spring. 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.
Josh and Fabi Powell (pictured) got married one month before Josh died of a rare cancer. Courtsey of Fabi Powell

Fabi Powell's late husband Josh was diagnosed with a rare cancer and died one month after they married.

Before his death, they decided to freeze his sperm so Powell could have a baby using IVF after he passed.

Powell is currently doing IVF. She shared her story with Andrea Syrtash on the podcast "Pregnantish."

Fabi Powell dreamed of being a mother since she was a little girl. When she met Josh at a Nashville bar in 2014, while visiting from California, she couldn't believe their connection. It felt like her goal to find love and start a family was coming true.

Two months into their relationship, Josh received a devastating diagnosis: He had the rare cancer synovial sarcoma and soon doctors said it would be untreatable. He died two years later.

But Powell refused to let Josh's cancer diagnosis end the plans she made with the man she loved. They got married in 2016. Now Powell plans to honor Josh posthumously, using his frozen sperm to have a baby through IVF.

Powell shared the details of her love story and how she plans to carry on Josh's memory during an October 20 episode of the podcast Pregnantish. Since Josh froze his sperm during chemotherapy and radiation treatments, which can affect a person's fertility, they decided Powell could use them to have a baby, even if he was physically gone.

Powell took 4 years after Josh died to decide if she wanted to use his sperm

A month after Josh proposed to Powell, they learned the cancer had spread to his lungs. They moved their wedding day from May 2017 to November 2016, knowing treatment options would be slim.

Right before their wedding, they talked about the fate of Josh's frozen sperm. He told Powell, who was 27 at the time, he thought she'd be an amazing mom, and that a little piece of him could live on their future child. In his will, Josh wrote that Powell would get his sperm should anything happen to him.

"He trusted me with that role and he gave me his blessing before he left this earth," Powell said. But after Josh died, she wanted to be sure she was making the right choice, so she took four years to decide to try IVF.

Story continues

The pandemic reminded Powell that family was everything to her, she said on the podcast.

After 5 egg retrievals, Powell says the fertility journey has been 'brutal'

Powell, now 33, said the first fertility specialist she worked with made her feel uncomfortable and gave her "this weird feeling that she just didn't want this for me."

She said it was overwhelming and "brutal" to navigate the fertility clinic system as a widow. After two failed egg retrievals at a Colorado clinic, Powell went to one in California where she had three successful ones, which resulted in one healthy and viable embryo she plans to implant in November or December.

Powell knew Josh and his mother had a gene mutation that increased the likelihood of cancer, so she had the embryos genetically tested so she could choose one without the mutation.

According to Powell, sharing her IVF journey on the podcast and her Instagram has helped her stay resilient throughout the process. She hopes sharing her experience gives others, who are going through IVF or supporting someone who is, hope too.

"Putting a face and a name to IVF and what the day in and day out of this journey looks like gives the average person so much more respect for their friends and family and coworkers who are facing this battle," Powell said.

Read the original article on Insider
GREEN BAY - A 70-year-old man was struck and killed by a vehicle at the intersection of Harrison and Mather streets Thursday night.

Green Bay police said the incident happened shortly after 7 p.m. in the 700 block of Mather Street.

"Initial reports indicate that the driver of the vehicle allegedly struck the pedestrian, while he was attempting to cross at Harrison Street," police said in a statement.

The driver remained on scene and has been cooperative, police said.

Police are asking that drivers avoid the area until approximately 11 p.m. due to the investigation.

"No additional details will be released, at this time," police said.

Contact Drake Bentley at (414) 391-5647 or DBentley1@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DrakeBentleyMJS.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: 70-year-old pedestrian struck by vehicle and dies in Green Bay
For the African diaspora, there are many things to celebrate; our hairstyles serve as a crowning glory rooted in culture. Around the world, Black hair is an expression of history and art. Colombias annual Tejiendo Esperanzas (Weaving Hopes) celebration takes the reverence for this aspect of the Black experience to another level.

Braiding has origins that stem well before the creation of the contest, both in Colombia and in its ties to Africa. Prior to the abolishment of slavery, braids were often used as cultural messages signaling ones intent to escape and were even used to keep gold and seeds to help them survive on the journey.

Weaving Hopes is an annual competition in Cali, CO commemorating the abolition of slavery in Colombia and the tradition of braiding. From colorful adornments to intricate patterns, the contest welcomes hairdressers of the region to participate in categories that celebrate natural, synthetic, mens, and childrens braid styles. A Hair Marathon is another element of the festivities, where members of the public, who are not in the competition, are able to have their hair braided as well, as documented by Daily Mail.

Honoring The Rich Cultural History of Afro-Colombians

The annual event is organized by the Association of Afro-Colombian Women, Amafracol with support for this years event from the CaliAfro program, of the Social Welfare Secretariat. Weaving Hopes serves as a component of strengthening organizational efforts toward the communities and organizations of the Afro base of the District.

Weaving Hopes is one of many efforts to rescue the customs, identity, and African culture of the country. In its 18th year, the festival is traditionally held on May 21st, the day slavery was abolished in Colombia in 1851.

Historic hair love

Weaving Hopes is already 18 years old, creating a space that has been a pioneer in the deconstruction of negative imaginaries about black aesthetics in Colombia; We want to continue with this tradition of hairstyles of African origin, which brings together hairdressers from all regions of the country, preserving an ancestral legacy and being part of Afro culture, said Emilia Eneyda Valencia Murrain, a representative of the Association of Afro-Colombian Women, Amafracol, in a statement on Cali.gov.

Story continues

Braid gang (and those that love us), are you adding Cali to your travel bucket list?

Related: 7 Festivals And Events Happening In Colombia In 2022 | 8 Of The Most Influential Black Women In Colombias History
The study found Chicagos OHare International Airport the biggest culprit for missing bags.

Thomas Banneyer/picture alliance via Getty Images

Theres nothing worse than losing your luggage, and depending on the airline or airport some bags will have a better  or worse chance of reuniting with their owners.

Overall, more than half of people recently surveyed said an airline has lost their luggage in the past, and just 34% of them have received their missing bags, according to a recent study by limo booking service Price4Limo, which was shared with Travel + Leisure. In fact, 78% of people surveyed said they get nervous about checking bags.

"Losing luggage is always a painful ordeal, regardless of the airport or airline you fly out of, Rachel Kirsch, a creative strategist for Price4Limo, told T+L. Regardless of where you travel, lost luggage can be a nightmare come true. Unfortunately, odds are if it hasnt happened to you already, itll likely happen at some point during your travels."

Of all national airlines, American Airlines lost the most bags in 2022, losing 850 bags per 100,000. That was followed by JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, and United Airlines.

A representative for American did not immediately respond to a request for comment from T+L.

When it came to airports losing luggage, Chicagos OHare International Airport had the most issues, followed by Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, and San Diego International Airport.

Of all travelers who lost their luggage, an overwhelming 72% of them said they lost an irreplaceable item.

Luggage issues came to a head over the summer as airlines and airports struggled to keep up with demand amid a combination of staffing shortages and air traffic control problems. But lost luggage is unfortunately nothing new: In 2021, for example, the number of delayed, damaged, lost, or stolen bags increased by 24%.

Travelers who do lose their bags should immediately notify their airline and make sure to hold onto their baggage claim check slip. It's also helpful if travelers take photos of their luggage to show airport staff as well as know the bag's brand, size, color, and condition (in case it gets damaged along the way).

For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
UKRAINSKA PRAVDA  FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2022, 14:31

Almost 320,000 Russian citizens fled to Uzbekistan during the first nine months of this year, 189,000 of them in the third quarter.

Source: Russian media outlet Interfax, quoting data provided by the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan

Quote: "In total, 318,156 Russian citizens entered Uzbekistan in the first nine months of 2022."

Details: The press service says the biggest wave of immigrants from Russia to Uzbekistan occurred within the period of July to September  189,175 people. Uzbekistans State Statistics Committee reports that the number of Russian tourists over the period of January to September - 395,100 people - was 2.1 times higher than in the same period of 2021.

Background:

On 21 September Russian President Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilisation in Russia, and it was reported that the Russian government was planning to draft 300,000 reservists.

Kazakhstans authorities reported in early October that over 200,000 Russian citizens had entered the country since 21 September.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Thousands of demonstrators gather in Washington, D.C., to support women's rights on Oct. 8, 2022. Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

Regardless of whether they live in a red state or a blue state, identify as Democrats or Republicans, or claim to be ideologically liberal or conservative, Americans have one thing in common.

They are angry  especially about this years midterm elections.

Americans anger is driven by contemporary political events.

Republicans are enraged by troubling economic indicators and perceived spikes in crime. Democrats, meanwhile, are angry about the U.S. Supreme Courts landmark decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which overturned abortion rights enshrined by Roe v. Wade.

Politicians on both the left and the right are eager to capitalize on this anger. In fact, Democratic and Republican politicians alike deliberately and repeatedly seek to elicit voters anger. And, predictably, this anger leaves voters in a sour mood.

Recent polls reflect this reality.

Whipped into an emotional frenzy, Americans are likely to believe that things in the country have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track. So, too, do Americans believe that their preferred political party loses more often than not in legislative disputes.

Why, then, do politicians provoke anger if this emotional state leads to such pessimism? As a scholar who studies American politics and the author of American Rage: How Anger Shapes Our Politics, I believe the reason for this is quite simple: Anger provides ample benefits to those politicians who are able to use it most skillfully.

Angry voters, loyal voters

To begin, anger encourages Americans to vote.

Across a range of political settings, angry people are more likely to participate than those who are not angry. With elections increasingly being determined by which side can best motivate its base into showing up to vote, anger has become a powerful tool in a politicians arsenal.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends a Save America rally on Oct. 22, 2022, in Robstown, Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

In addition to its propensity to boost participation, anger has been shown to play a role in shaping individuals decisions at the ballot box.

Story continues

The angrier voters are at the opposing political party, the more likely they are to vote for their own party. Guided by the mantra that an angry voter is a loyal voter, politicians have a strong incentive to agitate the American public  incumbents and challengers alike.

Anger and negativity, rather than adoration and optimism, drive contemporary American political behavior.

Political anger and social consequences

Though politicians strategy of appealing to the publics anger brings them electoral benefits, this anger is not without costs. In fact, anger can cause Americans to lose trust in the government and alter their views about the opposing political partys legitimacy.

Alarmingly, political anger has consequences that extend beyond how Americans view their governing institutions or the opposing political party.

When American voters are angry about politics, they are inclined to avoid social interactions or social events where they are likely to come into contact with those whose political leanings differ from their own.

I have found that anger leads Americans to avoid assisting neighbors with various chores, such as watering houseplants or watching over property when the neighbor is out of town, if the neighbor supports the opposing political party.

In this illustration, two angry politicians from opposing sides are screaming at each other. Alashi

Political anger also can lead Americans to refuse requests to go on a date with those whose political leanings are opposed to their own.

Most concerning, political anger has the ability to alter Americans friendships and familial ties.

When angry about politics, Americans are more likely to express a desire to end friendships with those who support the other political party. So, too, do angry individuals express a desire to reduce  or completely eliminate  contact with family members whose political preferences deviate from their own.

Wither democracy?

Angers ability to cause individuals to socially polarize has potentially drastic ramifications for the health of American democracy. Crucially, social polarization precludes opportunities to form ties and build relationships with people from diverse backgrounds.

In societies divided along many lines, these interactions and relationships are essential to a healthy and functioning democracy. Among other things, such relationships forge bonds of mutual understanding and facilitate a climate in which good-faith cooperation is possible.

As American politics becomes increasingly fragmented along racial, religious and ideological lines, the need to form these cross-partisan social ties will become more pressing.

Angers ability to induce social polarization, combined with politicians overwhelming incentives to appeal to our emotional fury, means that this will be no easy task.

This story incorporates material from a story originally published on Sept. 10, 2020.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Steven Webster, Indiana University. Like this article? subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Read more:



Steven Webster does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
By Sheila Dang

(Reuters) - Overspending on Twitter Inc for $44 billion was the easy part.

Now, Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk must prove why he believes that Twitter is worth 10 times that amount and turn around a social media platform that he has spent months ridiculing.

Earlier this month, the outspoken billionaire said: "Myself and the other investors are obviously overpaying for Twitter right now. The long term potential for Twitter in my view is an order of magnitude greater than its current value."

Musk has provided few concrete details about his plans, and what he has shared appears far-fetched or contradictory.

Here is what lies ahead for Musk, the self-proclaimed "Chief Twit", according to current and former Twitter employees, analysts and investors who considered funding the deal.

OBEYING THE LAWS

Musk has promised to preserve free speech of all kinds, but has also struck a more conciliatory tone with global leaders who aim to rein in Big Tech, worrying activists and former leaders of Twitter.

Just three hours after Musk declared victory by tweeting "The bird is freed," European Commissioner Thierry Breton shot back: "In Europe, the bird flies by our rules."

He reshared a video from May, in which he said in a Twitter video that he agreed with the European Union's new digital media regulation, which will force Big Tech to do more to tackle illegal content or risk fines of up to 6% of global revenue, in one of the world's most severe approaches to regulating content online.

In India, regulators also reminded Musk on Friday on the rule of law. "Our rules and laws for intermediaries remain the same regardless of who owns the platforms," said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Indias minister of state for electronics and information technology.

For years, Twitter has waged a "sophisticated battle" with the government to protect free speech online, and this battle would be at risk with Musk in charge, said Jason Goldman, a former Twitter board member.

Story continues

Tesla's expanding business in China, where it generated $14 billion last year, could also put Twitter at risk, Goldman said.

"The idea that hes going to be the one liaising with the Chinese government and potentially turning over information on users, thats very scary," he said.

Twitter is staffed with experts who review data requests from governments, but Musk has shown his contempt of these experts, he added.

"Whether or not (former U.S. President Donald) Trump is going to come back on, I think that's a parlor game," Goldman said. "But what's actually going to happen is a dissident's IP address will be dropped on the floor."

CUTTING CONTENT MODERATION

Current and former employees who spoke with Reuters said Musk's plans to lower the guard rails that are common across all social media platforms would lead to a deluge of hateful, harmful and potentially illegal content on Twitter. Already, it has struggled with identifying and removing child porn.

Members of Twitter's trust and safety team, which includes content moderators, are expected to be among Musk's deepest job cuts, employees fear.

"Imagine a world where all those people are gone," one employee said. "It's going to be a hellscape."

PREVENT ADVERTISERS FROM FLEEING

In 2019, Musk tweeted "I hate advertising."

On the eve of the deal's expected closing, he appealed directly to advertisers in an open-letter tweet: "Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!... Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise."

Advertisers are not buying it.

They point to Musk's plan to reinstate Trump's account as a major impediment to spending money on Twitter. Twitter permanently suspended Trump for risk of further incitement of violence after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Welcoming back Trump could alienate moderate and liberal-leaning users, and as a result push away major household brands who aim to market products and appeal to people across the political spectrum, said Mark DiMassimo, founder of ad agency DiMassimo Goldstein.

At a presentation for advertisers in May, some ad agencies and brands were already skeptical and concerned for Twitter's future.

Until Musk finds new sources of revenue, he can't afford to trigger a backlash from a group that contributes 90% of Twitters revenue.

X SUPER APP

Musk's biggest bet borrows from China's greatest hits of the 2010s. "Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app," Musk tweeted earlier this month.

The idea of an everything app, also referred to as a super app, originated in Asia with companies like WeChat, which lets users not only send messages but also make payments, shop online or hail a taxi. The all-in-one service appealed to users who had fewer choices in a region where Google, Facebook and others were blocked.

Musk has told investors he plans to build one that will sell premium subscriptions to reduce reliance on ads, allow content creators to make money and enable payments, according to a source briefed on the matter.

There are no super-apps in the United States because the barrier is high and there are app choices aplenty, said Scott Galloway, co-host of tech podcast Pivot and a professor of marketing at New York University.

Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google, which control the app stores on iPhones and Android phones, see themselves as super apps and would be unlikely to allow other super apps to develop, Galloway said. Consider Apple's recent rejection of Spotify's plan to sell audiobooks as one example of barriers to entry.

Adding payments, which generally require identity verification, could complicate a service which has allowed anonymity to flourish, making Twitter a powerful tool for political activism in hostile environments, Goldman said.

"(Super apps are) not possible at this point in the evolution of the mobile internet," he added.

(Reporting by Sheila Dang in Dallas, aditional reporting by Hyun Joo Jin in San Francisco; Editing by Kenneth Li, Matthew Lewis, Nick Zieminski and Deepa Babington)
PHOENIX (AP)  Arizona's attorney general has agreed not to enforce a near total ban on abortions at least until next year, a move that Planned Parenthood Arizona credited Thursday with allowing the group to restart abortion care across the state.

The state's largest provider of abortions restarted services at only their Tucson clinics after an appeals court blocked enforcement of the old law on Oct. 7. A lower court had allowed enforcement of that law on Sept. 23, halting all abortions statewide.

On Thursday, Planned Parenthood said services would resume statewide, including at clinics in metro Phoenix and in Flagstaff.

"While we are celebrating today, we cant ignore that we are still on a long an uncertain path to restoring the fundamental right to abortion in Arizona, and making this essential healthcare truly accessible and equitable for all people," Brittany Fonteno, who heads Planned Parenthood Arizona, said at a news conference. While abortion is currently legal in Arizona and we have resumed abortion care throughout the state, we know that this could very well be temporary.

The only exception to the law is if the mother's life is in jeopardy. The pre-statehood abortion ban law had been blocked since Roe was decided in 1973, but Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich asked a court in Tucson to allow it to be enforced this summer. The law dating to 1864 carries a prison sentence of two to five years.

After the judge in Tucson agreed with Brnovich, the court of appeals temporarily overrode her and set a schedule for Planned Parenthood and the Arizona attorney generals office lawyers to file their legal briefs in the appeal. Those document are due by a Nov. 17 deadline.

Meanwhile, a Phoenix physician who runs a clinic that provides abortions and the Arizona Medical Association filed a separate lawsuit that sought to block the territorial-era law, arguing that laws enacted by the Legislature after 1973s Roe v. Wade decision should take precedence and abortions should be allowed until 15 weeks into a pregnancy.

Story continues

The lawsuit filed by a Phoenix abortion doctor and the Arizona Medical Association repeated many of the arguments made by Planned Parenthood in their failed effort last month to persuade the Tucson judge to keep in place a 50-year-old injunction barring enforcement of the old law. The judge said it was not procedurally proper for her to try to reconcile 50 years of later law with the old law.

Brnovich sought to place that lawsuit on hold until the court of appeals rules on the Planned Parenthood case. In an agreement with the abortion doctor and the medical association, he agreed not to enforce the old law until at least 45 days after a final ruling in the original case.

Any decision by the court of appeals is certain to be appealed to the state Supreme Court, so any final decision could take well into 2023.

A law enacted by the Legislature this year limits abortions to 15 weeks into a pregnancy, well before the 24 weeks generally allowed under the Roe decision that was overruled by the U.S. Supreme Court in June.

Arizona women seeking abortions have been whipsawed by the states competing laws since the high courts decision. Also in play is a personhood law that raised fears by providers that they could face charges under that law before a federal judge blocked it in July.

Abortion providers halted all care in the state after Roe was struck down, restarted in mid-July after the personhood law was blocked, and stopped them again when the Tucson judge allowed the 1864 law to be enforced.
Buoyed by the expansion of by-mail voting and grassroots organizing, a record 4 million Asian American and Pacific Islanders voted in the 2020 presidential election and swung key races in contested states.

Yet over the past year, a slew of GOP-led state legislatures have passed restrictive voting laws that advocates say could drive down voter participation among Asian Americans, two-thirds of whom casted early or absentee ballots in 2020  the highest rate of by-mail voting of any racial or ethnic group.

These states are reducing all the great practices of 2020 that made voting more accessible, Christine Chen, executive director at the nonpartisan organization Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIA Vote), told NBC News.

The racial group is poised to grow in political power, as more than 13 million Asian Americans will be eligible to vote in the November midterms.

In Texas, for example, lawmakers last year passed a law requiring absentee voters to include on their ballot applications the identification number  a drivers license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number  they used on their voter registration forms. The provision triggered a record number of rejected ballots during the states March primary, with Asian Americans facing the highest rejection rate among all racial groups.

Lily Trieu, interim executive director of the advocacy group Asian Texans for Justice, said the finding isnt surprising because the state has conducted little voter education and outreach in Asian languages.

We have an increasingly diverse Asian population that speak more than 100 different languages, she said. When you add all these extremely restrictive laws youre going to create unnecessary barriers that are confusing for people. It truly is voter suppression.

Community organizers in swing states are investing millions of dollars to expand outreach efforts to combat voter suppression tactics.

In Georgia, where record turnout from Asian American voters helped Biden secure the presidency, lawmakers passed legislation last year that targeted by-mail voting. Senate Bill 202 tightened voter ID requirements, reduced access to drop boxes and added restrictions on mail-in ballots requests.

Story continues

Aisha Yaqoob, executive director of the civic engagement organization Asian American Advocacy Fund, said organizers have seen a higher number of rejected absentee ballot applications among Asian American voters during the states June primary.

Among the changes from 2020, voters can no longer request an absentee ballot online without signing a paper form, which makes the process cumbersome for those without access to printers.

And then you have the general spelling and numerical issues, Yaqoob said, like the name on your ballot not matching whats on the registration form, or people returning ballots in the wrong drop box.

Because of the new restrictions on absentee voting, she said, her organization has pivoted to getting people to vote early in person, particularly on weekends when most dont have work.

Andrew Isenhour, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemps deputy director of communications, said that the new law makes it easy to vote and hard to cheat in elections.

We are aware of no incidents where voters have been denied or not been able to cast their ballot, he wrote in an email. Any claim that SB 202 suppresses the vote for any group, including members of a minority community, is likely either misinformed or due to false perceptions caused by the misinformation promoted by Democrats looking to generate voter enthusiasm while having no quality message to share with the electorate.

In preparation for the midterms, the organization has recruited 100 volunteers to help translate and protect voters, and has doubled the number of counties in its election protection program. It also partnered with other nonprofits to expand face-to-face multilingual canvassing in remote AAPI communities in Southern Georgia. The Southern Poverty Law Center, through its Vote Your Voice initiative, awarded the group a $75,000 grant to boost its voter mobilization efforts.

Some groups have taken legal action to block measures targeting early and absentee voting.

Last year, Arizona lawmakers passed legislation requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration and allowing county recorders to remove infrequent mail voters from the states ballot list. The former provision also creates a path for criminal prosecution if a voter cannot provide proof of citizenship within 35 days.

The group Arizona Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander for Equity Coalition sued the state in August, arguing that the voter purge law discriminated against naturalized citizens and limited English-language speakers. A federal judge halted the policy before the midterm elections, but advocates say it has already inflicted substantial damage.

It has already created fear and confusion for our community members, May Tiwamangkala, the coalition's democracy defender director, said. They dont want to put themselves in a situation where they feel alienated and need to prove they belong here.

Should the law go into effect next year, Tiwamangkala said, it would almost certainly decrease the number of registered AAPI voters, many of whom lack the language skills to obtain documents for proof of citizenship. Groups like AANHPI for Equity Coalition, she continued, would need to devote a significant amount of resources to expanding translation services instead of boosting voter outreach efforts.

Other groups are ramping up community outreach in multiple languages.

Ricky Ly, the co-founder of Asian American Pacific Islanders Coming Together (ACT), a new grassroots initiative in Central Florida, said that mail voting has become significantly more complicated and burdensome since the last presidential election.

With a grant from APIA Vote, Ly said, the coalition has translated thousands of ballots from English and Spanish into Chinese and Vietnamese. Organizers in Orange County have also delivered election mailers to more than 10,000 households.

(Chen, APIA Votes executive director, said in total the group has delivered multilanguage election mailers, in English and two Asian languages, to more than a million households this past year, up from 700,000 households in 2020.)

A few percentage points of Asian American voters could swing the vote in state House and Senate districts, Ly said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
By Jakob Van Calster and Bart Biesemans

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - With Belgium's asylum system under severe pressure, some 200 asylum-seekers are squatting in a large empty building in the centre of Brussels that was originally being renovated for Ukrainian refugees.

The current residents, mainly Burundi and Afghan nationals, maintain the building with the help from NGOs, which say Belgium is not complying with their legal obligations.

People who request asylum in Belgium are entitled to shelter but Fedasil, the agency responsible for this, has been struggling with a shortage of staff as well as a shortage of accommodation, leaving some - including women and children - to sleep in the street.

"It's getting worse, and so the only solution that people have is to squat somewhere," lawyer Marie Doutrepont, who represents the squat residents, told Reuters.

Squat resident and Burundi national Gauthier Kwizera, 28, said he was homeless for weeks after being told that Fedasil had no accommodation for him.

"We didn't know where to go. We tried to live where we could. Charities gave us food but we had nowhere to sleep."

"(The Belgian Imigration Office's) institutions and procedures are made for 2,000, 2,500, maximum 3,000 persons," director general Freddy Roosemont said. But in September 4,009 people applied for asylum.

From January to September 2022, the agency received 26,636 applications, while in 2021 the total number was 25,971.

"Our reception facilities can't adapt that quickly," Roosemont said.

The government announced that it will provide additional shelter for 1,500 people in the towns of Jabbeke and Glons, but local authorities told Belgian media they were not properly informed of this and are not keen.

"When I arrived to Belgium, I said to myself that my future will be bright," Afghan squatter Abdul Haqsafie, 20, said. "(But) they left me on the street." (This story has been refiled to correct spelling to Roosemont from Roosemant in paragraph 7)

(Reporting by Jakob Van Calster, Bart Biesemans, writing by Charlotte Van Campenhout, editing by Angus MacSWan)
SEVHIL MUSAEVA, ROMAN PETRENKO  FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2022, 14:07

Turkish law enforcement officers detained Gulsum Halilova, a Crimean Tatar TV channel journalist, in Istanbul at the request of Russia.

Source: Halilova in a comment for Ukrainska Pravda, Ayder Muzhdabaev, Deputy Director General of Crimean Tatar ATR TV channel, on Facebook

Details: Halilova reported to Ukrainska Pravda that she was detained for 17 hours at the request of Russia, allegedly because of the entry ban.

At the moment, the decision is being made to ban the journalist from entering Turkey.

Quote from Muzhdabaev: "Shame on the law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Turkey!

Hulsum Halilova, a well-known Ukrainian Crimean Tatar journalist and TV presenter, was detained in Istanbul at the request of Russian special services."

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 28: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) takes measurements around Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's home after her husband Paul Pelosi was assaulted with hammer inside their Pacific Heights home early morning on October 28, 2022 in San Francisco, California, United States. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The attack on Paul Pelosi could be a sign of more violence to come, per an expert on authoritarianism.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an NYU history professor, said the attack could be a continuation of the January 6 insurrection.

"The attacker who injured Paul Pelosi was looking for Nancy Pelosi, likely wanting to finish the job," she said.

The attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband by a man who apparently subscribed to far-right conspiracy theories about everything from the war in Ukraine to the 2020 election is a likely harbinger of more violence against liberals, a leading expert on authoritarianism told Insider.

Paul Pelosi, the Democrat's 82-year-old husband, was attacked with a hammer early Friday morning in the couple's home. A man police have identified as David DePape is in custody and has been charged with attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, and burglary.

Police have not identified a motive. However, the attacker reportedly said, "Where is Nancy?" an echo of the rioters who breached the US Capitol. Their web history also suggests a partisan motive.

On social media and his personal blog, Depape promoted Holocaust denial, shared videos from right-wing thinkers such as Jordan Peterson, and suggested that former President Donald Trump pick ex-Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as his next running mate.

DePape, a 42-year-old, also shared videos attacking the congressional committee investigating the January 6 insurrection.

Speaking to Insider, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an expert on authoritarianism and a history professor at New York University, suggested that Friday's attack  which has left Mr. Pelosi in the hospital with a fractured skull and other injuries  was a continuation of the violence at the US Capitol last year that aimed to overturn the results of the presidential election.

"We know that Nancy Pelosi, as Speaker of the House and third in line for the Presidential succession, was a main target of insurgents on January 6," Ben-Ghiat said. "The attacker who injured Paul Pelosi was looking for Nancy Pelosi, likely wanting to finish the job."

Story continues

Ben-Ghiat, who specializes in Italian history  and the rise of fascism there  argued that the attack was a product of a right-wing ecosystem that depicts liberals, leftists, and Democrats as not just misguided by actually evil. In a recent broadcast, for example, Fox News personality Tucker Carlson said the Democratic Party was a "child sacrifice cult," an attack on the party's abortion rights stance that mirrors the rhetoric of QAnon conspiracy theorists  and antisemitic tropes  that Democrats literally drink the blood of children.

"Republicans and Fox News have long depicted Democrats as mortal enemies, and political violence happens in exactly these circumstances: when people feel that the political opposition poses an existential threat and must be eliminated through violence," Ben-Ghiat said. "Look for more such actions as the GOP continues to embrace violence and brings extremists from the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys into the ranks of the party."

That assessment is shared by Wendy Via, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, a group that seeks to reduce political violence it sees as generated by demagogues.

"The vitriol that demeans and dehumanizes people combined with the rampant lies that the 2020 election was stolen are inspiring violence and setting an already polarized nation more on edge," Via said in a statement following the attack. She argued that the incident is a warning of more to come.

"Election deniers, conspiracy theorists, and white supremacists  largely inspired and emboldened by Trump and his allies  are ready to take up arms if the midterm elections don't go their way," she said, "and are willing to threaten, harass, and commit violence ahead of the elections to intimidate voters who are simply trying to exercise their civil right to vote."

Read the original article on Business Insider
An intruder shouted, "Where is Nancy?" after breaking into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's home.

The intruder violently attacked Pelosi's husband, Paul, with a hammer in front of police officers.

Paul Pelosi was hospitalized; Speaker Pelosi was in Washington, DC, with a security detail.

It was a menacing question that rang through the Capitol on January 6, 2021: "Where is Nancy?"

In the months since a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol, versions of that question have appeared in court papers as federal prosecutors have accused rioters of threatening House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers. In one case, prosecutors noted someone in the crowd who could be heard yelling, "Nancy...Nancy...We're coming for you Nancy."

"Where's Nancy Pelosi?" asked another Capitol rioter, David Antonio Ticas, who was sentenced to two weeks in prison after admitting to entering the Capitol on January 6.

On Friday, an intruder brought that threat to Pelosi's home in San Francisco. Echoing the question of several Capitol rioters on January 6, the intruder shouted, "Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?" as he confronted the House speaker's husband, Paul, who was hospitalized following the violent attack.

In a statement, the House speaker's office said Paul Pelosi had suffered a fractured skull was receiving "excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery." The House speaker was in Washington, DC, under the protection of her security detail at the time of the assault, her office said.

In the wave of nearly 900 prosecutions stemming from the January 6 attack, prosecutors have underscored the threat Speaker Pelosi faced as one of the most prominent targets  along with then-Vice President Mike Pence  of the pro-Trump mob.

During the first jury trial in a January 6 case, prosecutors called to the stand a former member of the far-right Three Percenters militia, who recalled joking on the drive from Texas to Washington, DC, about dragging lawmakers out of the Capitol by their heels on January 6. Testifying against Capitol rioter Guy Reffitt, the witness specifically remembered joking about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's head hitting the stairs on the way out of the building.

Story continues

"I didn't think it was anything someone was going to act on," the witness, Rocky Hardie, told jurors. A jury found Reffitt guilty on all five charges he faced in connection with the January 6 attack, and a judge later sentenced him to more than 7 years in prison.

In another case, prosecutors said a St. Louis man, William Merry, roamed the Capitol on January 6 chanting, "Nancy, Nancy," and on multiple occasions called the House speaker a "c**t." Merry reached the speaker's suite, where he encouraged his niece to pick up a shard of Pelosi's office sign.

The sign had been smashed by another rioter, prosecutors said, "and then proudly displayed" on the grounds of the Capitol.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Englands bid to get their T20 World Cup campaign back on track might be doomed by the Melbourne rain (Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/AP) (AP)

Englands bid to get back to winning ways at the T20 World Cup against Ashes rivals Australia might be scuppered by persistent showers at a gloomy MCG.

Having suffered a shock defeat in a rain-affected match against Ireland at the same venue on Wednesday, England were looking to revive their hopes of a top-two finish in the Super 12s on Friday evening.

Defeat for either England or Australia, both of whom have won and lost once in their two tournament fixtures so far, would likely end their hopes of progressing to the semi-finals.

But the inclement Melbourne weather could offer both a reprieve for now, with Irelands game against Afghanistan abandoned without a ball bowled on Friday afternoon as the rain never abated.

By the time the England-Australia toss was supposed to take place at 6:30pm local time (8:30am UK), the covers remained on the outfield as a light drizzle continued to fall.

There will be a pitch inspection at 7:30pm (9:30am UK), with the ground believed to be heavily wet under foot, meaning a significant clear-up is needed before the players can take to the field.

Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie said: Id be very doubtful if theres a game played this evening, its so wet out there.

Tonights game will probably be abandoned unless theres a sun somewhere up there. It will be all to play for, for all the teams next week.
By Paul Sandle

LONDON (Reuters) - British Airways owner IAG said demand for its flights had not wavered after a strong summer that saw revenue exceed pre-pandemic levels despite a cap on capacity at its London Heathrow hub and lingering COVID restrictions in Asia.

Chief Executive Luis Gallego said all of IAG's carriers - which include Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling - were "significantly profitable" in the quarter and the recovery looked set to continue.

The group's capacity will increase to 87% percent of 2019 levels in the fourth quarter, up from 81% in the third quarter.

"We continue to see strong bookings," he said on Friday. "Leisure demand is particularly healthy while business travel continue to recover steadily."

He added that while demand was strong, the group was conscious of the uncertainties in the economic outlook and the ongoing pressures on households.

IAG reported third-quarter adjusted operating profit of 1.21 billion euros ($1.21 billion) in the busy third quarter on revenue of 7.33 billion euros, 0.9% higher than in 2019.

It expected adjusted operating profit for the year to be about 1.1 billion euros, including the 467 million-euro loss it made in the first half.

Shares in IAG, which have risen 19% since the group said on Oct. 13 that its third-quarter profit would be well ahead of market expectations, were trading down 1.3% in early deals on Friday.

IAG said premium leisure revenue had fully recovered by the end of the summer period, while the business channel was around 75% of 2019's level.

($1 = 1.0028 euros)

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by William Schomberg and Elaine Hardcastle)
The founder of the Proud Boys ends up not speaking in Pennsylvania. A judge considers whether to weigh in on organized voter intimidation in Arizona. A jury issues a guilty verdict for gang members who plotted to kidnap the governor of Michigan.

And then there's Twitter and Elon Musk.

Will Carless is out this week, but he and his colleagues are always keeping tabs on the news. It's the week in extremism:

First, Twitter turmoil

Elon Musk in February 2022. The tech billionaire has spent months in a high-profile bid to take over Twitter.

Elon Musk has finalized his purchase of Twitter, the culmination of the on- and then off- and then on-again deal that has roiled the social media company for months.

Musk has sent signals in recent days that he plans to go through with his takeover, including changing his bio to "Chief Twit" and posting a video clip of himself carrying a porcelain sink into Twitters headquarters.

But Twitter, as with so many other social media platforms, remains roiled not only by its own business travails but by a persistent struggle to handle extremism, disinformation and hate speech on its site.

We've looked at this issue across the Twitterscape:

Hate speech: Will free speech mean more hate speech on Twitter under Elon Musk?

Extremist groups: Twitter banned the Proud Boys, but they're still there

Whatever happens with Musk will be the news of the day. But the big news going forward will be which voices gain  or regain  access to one of the world's most powerful megaphones.

Our team at USA TODAY is updating Twitter news as it breaks. Follow the latest here.

McInnes in, then out, at Penn State

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 06: Gavin Mcinnes wears fake handcuffs backstage during a "Demand Free Speech" rally on Freedom Plaza on July 6, 2019 in Washington, DC. The demonstrators are calling for an end of censorship by social media companies. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775366099 ORIG FILE ID: 1154154864

For weeks, we've been watching the plans for a Penn State event with Gavin McInnes, the right-wing live-streamer, provocateur and founder of the extremist street gang the Proud Boys.

The event, hosted by the conservative student group Uncensored America, remained scheduled even as students launched a petition to stop it, blasting both McInnes' support of white nationalism and what they say was a track record of Proud Boys promoting violence at protests.

But on the night of the event, as a crowd of anti-McInnes protesters grew, the school canceled the appearance.

Story continues

#BREAKING: Campus police at #PennState have canceled tonight's speech by Proud Boy founder Gavin McInnes "in the interest of campus safety" after a large crowd of protestors showed up. https://t.co/OpiHTRP5uD  Will Carless (@willcarless) October 24, 2022

The cancelation didn't head off the clashing protests though. Police shut down the event amid reports of pepper-spraying by right-wing extremists, and at least one person was arrested.

What's next: These kinds of campus faceoffs  showcasing the tension between a push for "free speech" and a push for institutions to reject hate speech  are hardly new. But it's hard to imagine we won't see more of this between now and Election Day 2024.

Poll watchers in Arizona

Speaking of elections, the clash between democracy and extremism is already playing out as voters cast early ballots in states across the country, including in Arizona.

Groups with names like "Clean Elections USA" and "Lions of Liberty" have been directing their supporters to observe ballot drop-off locations across the state, and people have been seen monitoring and photographing voters for days.

The groups echo the false claims that the 2020 election was stolen and often repeat election-fraud claims spread by the widely debunked documentary "2000 Mules." And the election-watchers have been seen wearing tactical gear, a move voting-rights advocates say is a clear attempt to intimidate voters.

Some of those groups have filed a lawsuit asking a judge to block the poll-watchers' actions, and a ruling could come by Friday.

One group of poll watchers announced Thursday that they tell their volunteers to stand down.

This isn't happening only in Arizona. As our colleagues in Detroit reported this week, Michigan is one of several states targeted by the America Project, an organization led by allies of former President Donald Trump to recruit citizen election monitors who are encouraged to photograph license plates, challenge voter eligibility and more.

In Michigan: Election conspiracists have a checklist for poll watchers: Show up armed

Bottom line: For years, disinformation and false claims of election fraud have led to concerns that people may try to intimidate voters into not voting. Cases in Arizona and elsewhere suggest that effort is now fully under way.

Last week in extremism: Patriot Front sued; New Mexico Civil Guard shut down

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arizona poll watchers and Penn State protests: The week in extremism
In addition to ammunition, Lukashenko's regime transfers tanks and other equipment to Russia

According to the message, self-proclaimed President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, has sent 1,940 rail cars of ammo Russias way, from March through September.

Read also: Ukraine reinforces Belarus, Transnistria border sections amid new invasion fears

The maximum (amount of ammunition) was exported in April  22,534 tons, the message says.

Russian forces brought in their own ammunition from Yelsk, Kozenok, Rechitsa, Khoiniki and Kalinkovichi. Then there was a slight decline, and since July the export rates have gone up again.

Read also: Lukashenko turns Belarus into bridgehead for Russian army, says Ukrainian government agency

The monitoring group also reports that in addition to ammunition, Lukashenkos regime is transferring tanks and other equipment to Russia. According to them, only in the last few weeks, at least 94 T-72A tanks and 36 to 44 Urals trucks were transferred.

Read also: Lukashenko confirms Belarus participation in war against Ukraine

On Oct. 10, Lukashenko announced that Minsk and Moscow had agreed to deploy a regional joint force group. Lukashenko said that the armed forces of Belarus would form the core of the grouping. At the same time, he has ordered to receive and deploy more than 1,000 Russian troops on the territory of the republic.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Belarusian and Russian dictators Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin

NV: Brigadier General of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksiy Hromov said our General Staff doesnt rule out the possibility of another Russian attack on Kyiv from Belarus, namely through the Chornobyl zone or Chernihiv Oblast. How do you assess such dangers?

Motolko: Currently, we cant really say that the concentration of Russian troops in the south of Belarus is any different from what it was a month, or two or four months ago.

NV: I saw your analysis. You assumed that the Belarusian part of the Chornobyl zone is the only place in Belarus where drones could be secretly launched. What is your conclusion based on, and can we say that they are really launched from there?

Motolko: We still dont have any confirmation that these Iranian drones are located on the territory of Belarus. There is no report from people in Belarus, no photo or video evidence of the border crossing, no confirmation to say so.

We began to work by excluding possibilities. Where can they be launched from? They can be launched, perhaps, directly near the border or from those territories where people do not live and, perhaps, there is no mobile communication.

Read also: Iranian drone instructors spotted in Belarus, says Defense Ministry

I think that Polissia in Belarus, as well as in Ukraine, there are (places thagt are) almost completely deserted. In Belarus, these are the Olmany swamps in Brest Oblast and a section of the Polesie State Radioecological Reserve (this is the Chornobyl zone). Not the safest place as we know. But its only place from where they could theoretically be launched now.

Later, our team began analyzing satellite images. And they noticed exactly two points. They noticed paths near these resettled villages in the Chornobyl zone, as well as a trampled road  there was some activity in the last few months. We assumed: if the drones could really be launched from Belarus, this is the most likely launch site.

But at the same time, we dont have any confirmation yet. There is no satellite image showing (any) command post from where they could have done this. We assume (one should be there). For now, we still dont have direct confirmation that there are Iranian drones in Belarus. Were looking, but we cant find them yet, unfortunately.

Story continues

NV: Weve seen reports from Ukraines General Staff that Iranian drones were flying from Belarus. I think they know what theyre talking about.

Motolko: I want to note that weve seen reports from both the General Staff and the intelligence, but the same Pentagon says they have no information. There is still no unequivocal opinion here either.

Read also: Russian nuclear weapons expose Belarus to Western response, military expert says

We agree that the most logical way is to send them along the Pripyat and Dnipro rivers, to take them to infrastructure facilities somewhere closer to the points of attack. But for now, I repeat, we have no confirmation, were still looking into it.

NV: We saw a sharp public escalation in the Belarusian direction after Oct. 7, after a meeting between Belarusian and Russian dictators. First there was a diplomatic note that was handed to our ambassador in Belarus. Later the accusation that Ukraine intends to launch some kind of strike at Belarus. After that, the regional grouping of the Union State appeared, as they called it. Do you think this is some kind of smoke screen or are they really up to something serious?

Motolko: This could be a very long discussion. We fully agree that many events took place and are taking place after Lukashenkos visit to Putin. Its also necessary to pay attention to the fact that Lukashenko de jure subordinated the KGB (Committee for State Security) to himself. De facto, it was already under Lukashenko, but now theyve done it officially.

Read also: Ukraine replaced flag of Lukashenko regime with flag of Free Belarus

What happened? We assume that conditions were given to Lukashenko: either one thing is done, or there will be a threat, relatively speaking, either to him or to his younger son. Security guarantees have always been important to him.

Accordingly, after that we noticed this regional troop grouping, which existed de facto since 1996 or 1998. But it was from that week that they began to actively talk about it. And they began to take out Russians who were mobilized from Oct. 15  not quite a professional army and not quite contract soldiers, but those who have now been gathered all over Russia.

They are brought not to the south of Belarus. We identified that they are brought to two training grounds in Vitebsk Oblast (this is the north) and near Baranavichy  this is not exactly the Polish border, but the relative center of Belarus closer to Poland. Perhaps there are some military drills near Asipovichy, the Asipovichy training ground. Training is underway there these days. Its likely some artillery is being trained there.

What superficial conclusions can be drawn from this?

The first scenario. Direct participation of Belarusian troops in aggression against Ukraine is extremely unlikely. Because its not just that society is categorically against it, the military also doesnt understand why they should fight in Putins war. And its called Putins war in our country  these are his ambitions, his whims against the Ukrainians with whom weve never had any conflict or aggression. This is always a friendly southern neighbor with whom we always went to visit each other.

Read also: Russias mass missile attack damages culture, power supplies, Russia and Belarus team up

The second scenario is the use of the Belarusian army as part of these allied forces. Relatively speaking, 70% of the Russians and 30% of the Belarusian troops are being shuffled and sent to the war.

There are two points. First, who should give the order? If a Russian general or officer orders to attack Ukraine, then a Belarusian military should probably ask a question who is he for him? since they still obey the Belarusian army, the Belarusian commander-in-chief.

The second point. If we recall what happened in January-February 2022: a group of 15,000 to 30,000 professional, well-trained Russian soldiers moved to Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts, we believed then they were well equipped, with a sufficient amount of modern (at that time) equipment... Now, if we are talking about this allied group, which consists of professional Belarusian soldiers who have never had combat experience, and mobilized Russians, they need, probably, three, four, five times more people.

Of course, they can send 30,000 people who are also not yet on the territory of Belarus: they will be defeated within the first day, I believe, if not six hours. Accordingly, there is no one to send yet.

Read also: Dictator Lukashenko announces plans to create Belarus first drone

Therefore, the probability of the participation of Belarusian troops at this stage is quite low. And Lukashenko probably needs to find some scenario to please Putins whims. Because everyone sees the situation on both the eastern and southern fronts of Ukraine: The Russians havent had any successes for quite a long time.

The third very important point. Belarusian society doesnt accept war in any form. Lukashenko already provided the countrys territory: Belarus is already actually participating by providing airspace and land for launching missiles, in particular at civilian objects. But any direct participation and the first killed Belarusians will in some way cause chaos and instability. Neither Lukashenko nor the Kremlin has a strategy and plan to suppress street protests in the current situation. Yes, society is scared. The last time, people came out en masse to protest against the war on Feb. 27  the day Belarus held a referendum. A thousand people were arrested then, which is a lot for a country with a population of nine million.

Read also: Lukashenko confirms Belarus participation in war against Ukraine

Any mass demonstration will lead to quite serious changes, and, most likely, even the Kremlin understands this.

Putin may not understand this. Because, as we know, the Russian generals also tried to persuade him and recommended completely different actions. But Putin probably has roughly the same understanding of reality as Lukashenko  not always adequate.

To be honest, I dont want to guess what it will lead to now. Were monitoring. For example, no offensive or attack will take place this week.

One of the scenarios that can be considered (its not the most profitable, but it has at least some logic) is the use of artillery and some short-range missiles, projectiles, along the entire border to create tension. Then Ukraine will have to partially transfer troops to the northern border, the border with Belarus. But this is not a logical scenario. We continue to monitor.

NV: The General Staff also said that a combat group may be created in Belarus in the spring of 2023. That is, there are still four months ahead. And what do we know about those partially mobilized who arrived in Belarus? Is there a professional military there? Do we understand correctly that, in this way, Lukashenko also provides bridgeheads for their training on the territory of the country, whose president he declared himself?

Motolko: Yes, we discussed this very scenario even before his trip to St. Petersburg. One of the most realistic things that could happen is to bring these mobilized Russians in and train them. Accordingly, there should be Russian officers, professional military personnel who will train them.

Therefore, we now assume that this training is taking place on the territory of Belarus. We dont have any more information from the military units since its a rather closed structure, especially after 2020.

The only thing: we have seen the statement of the intelligence or the General Staff that 3,200 Russian mobilized soldiers were brought to Belarus. We assume its about 6,000 people. But thats not enough to cause concern.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Good Morning America

First lady Jill Biden on Monday unveiled this year's White House holiday decorations, announcing the theme as "We the People." More than 150 volunteers from across the country spent a week helping to decorate the inside and outside of the White House with 25 wreaths, 77 Christmas trees and over 83,615 holiday lights. There is also a gingerbread White House that was made out of 20 sheets of sugar cookie dough, 30sheets of gingerbread dough, 100 pounds of pastillage, 30 pounds of chocolate, and 40 pounds of royal icing, according to the office of the first lady.
President Biden will attend a global climate change summit taking place in Egypt, the White House confirmed on Friday evening.

On November 11th, President Biden will attend the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, said a statement from White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

At COP27, he will build on the significant work the United States has undertaken to advance the global climate fight and help the most vulnerable build resilience to climate impacts, and he will highlight the need for the world to act in this decisive decade, she wrote.

Every year, global leaders gather to discuss climate progress and negotiate further efforts to slow the planets warming. At 2015s climate summit, leaders negotiated the Paris Agreement.

The Washington Post previously reported that Biden would attend this years conference, but officials pushed back at the time, saying the plans hadnt yet been finalized.

The conference starts on Nov. 6, raising questions about whether Biden would attend this year, given the proximity to the Nov. 8 election. But it is slated to last through the 18th.

Biden previously attended last years conference. At that time, questions had been raised about whether the U.S. would be able to deliver significant progress amid tense negotiations over climate legislation.

This year, hell have the Inflation Reduction Act  the Democrats climate, tax and health care bill  to tout. The administration has indicated that it is seeking to rebuild U.S. credibility on the world stage after former President Trumps climate denial and environmental rollbacks.

Biden will also travel to Bali, Indonesia, from Nov. 13 through 16 for the G-20 Leaders Summit.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday after a home invasion attack in San Francisco put her 82-year-old husband, Paul Pelosi, in the hospital.

"The president is praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosis whole family. This morning he called Speaker Pelosi to express his support after this horrible attack. He is also very glad that a full recovery is expected," the White House said in a statement.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Susan Heavey)
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden will make a week-long, three country trip next month for a quartet of summitsincluding one that could potentially put him in the same room as China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced Friday that Biden will first travel to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on Nov. 11 for the COP 27 climate conference before heading to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to participate in the U.S.-ASEAN Summit of Southeast Asian leaders and the East Asia Summit. He'll then head to Bali, Indonesia for the Group of 20 summit, a gathering of leaders from most of the world's largest economies.

The president's overseas travel begins just days after the pivotal midterm elections in the United States, which will determine which party controls the House and Senate.

The G-20 summit could also offer Biden his first opportunity as president to meet face-to-face with his Chinese counterpart, Xi, and potentially puts him in the same room with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. The prince, who often is referred to by his initials MBS, is the de facto leader of the oil rich kingdom.

Putin, Xi and MBS have yet to announce their travel plans.

Biden and Xi travelled together in the U.S. and China when both were vice presidents and have held several calls since Biden became president in January 2021. But the U.S.-China relationship has become increasingly fraught.

The U.S. president has taken China to task for human rights abuses against the Uyghur and other ethnic minorities, squelching democracy activists' voices in Hong Kong, coercive trade practices, its military provocations against democratic, self-ruled Taiwan and differences over Russia's prosecution of its eight-month -old war against Ukraine

Xi's government, meanwhile, has criticized the Biden administration's posture toward Taiwanwhich Beijing looks to eventually unify with communist mainland China as undermining Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said earlier this week that U.S. and Chinese officials were working to arrange a meeting of the leaders but one has not yet been confirmed. Biden on Wednesday at the start of a meeting with Defense Department officials underscored the "responsibility to manage increasingly intense competition with China.

We must maintain, as I said, our military advantage, but were making it clear that we dont seek conflict, Biden said.

It's less likely that Biden would hold one-on-one meetings with Putin or MBS.

The Biden administration organized the international community to hit Moscow with a barrage of sanctions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has pledged more than $40 billion in economic and military assistance to assist Ukraine and its neighbors impacted by the war.

Biden and Putin held a face-to-face meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, in June 2021, months before Russia began massing troops along Ukraine's border. They last spoke by phone in February, with Biden warning Putin that Russia would face severe costs if he moved forward with the invasion.

Biden announced earlier this month that there would be consequences for Saudi Arabia after the Riyadh-led OPEC+ alliance moves to cut oil production. The White House also said it is reevaluating its relationship with the kingdom in light of the oil production cut that White House officials say will help Russia, another OPEC+ member, pad its coffers as it continues its nearly eight-month war in Ukraine.

Vice President Kamala Harris will travel separately to Bangkok, Thailand, to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders meeting Nov. 18-19, and then visit Manila, the Philippines, the White House said.
President Biden on Thursday predicted that a court fight over his student loan forgiveness program would be quickly resolved, and that borrowers would soon see their refunds materialize.

Were gonna win that case. I think in the next two weeks youre gonna see those checks going out, Biden told Nexstars Reshad Hudson in an exclusive interview in Syracuse, N.Y.

A federal appeals court ruling last Friday halted the loan forgiveness program and stopped the administration from disbursing relief while the court considers a challenge from six Republican-led states.

A federal district judge had dismissed the case a day before, ruling that the six attorneys general representing the states did not have standing to sue because they did not demonstrate that the policy directly harms their states.

The White House in August announced plans to forgive up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers earning under $125,000, and as much as $20,000 for borrowers who received Pell Grants. The initiative delivered on a campaign promise from Biden, even as it fell short of some progressives to forgive more debt. It also came after loan repayments had been paused since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Biden last Friday said 22 million Americans had applied for student loan forgiveness in the first week of the applications being available.

But the plan has faced myriad court challenges from conservatives who oppose the policy. Some of those lawsuits have already been dismissed because of lack of standing since the program is voluntary and its unclear who it directly harms.

Biden has used the challenges to argue Republicans are opposed to providing relief to middle- and low-income Americans who are buried under student loan debt.

At a time when people are dealing with a pandemic and at the time that hes  as you know, late this year, hes going to lift the pause, he wanted to make sure that the American people, as he says, has a little bit of a breathing room, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
If Vladimir Putin really does have no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in Ukraine, President Joe Biden asked Thursday, then "why does he keep talking about it?"

After weeks of threats from Moscow and fears of escalation in the conflict, the Russian leader had earlier in the day played down the idea of the Kremlin taking such a drastic step.

But Biden expressed skepticism and criticized Putin for what he called "dangerous" brinkmanship.

I think if he has no intention, why does he keep talking about it? Why does he talk about the ability to use a tactical nuclear weapon?" Biden told NewsNation in an interview late Thursday in Syracuse, New York.

"Hes been very dangerous with how hes approached this, and he should just get out  he could end this all, get out of Ukraine, Biden added.

The president was responding to comments made by the Russian leader in a typically grandiose speech Thursday that lasted more than three hours and covered topics ranging from culture wars to the Kremlin's invasion of its neighbor.

We do not need a nuclear strike on Ukraine, there is no point  neither political nor military, Putin said in the speech.

He instead sought to blame the United States and its allies, insisting Russia had only been responding to Western nuclear "blackmail."

TOPSHOT-RUSSIA-HISTORY-WWII-ANNIVERSARY (Kirill Kudryavtsev / AFP via Getty Images file)

The Kremlin has stoked growing nuclear fears as its military retreats on the battlefield and disquiet grows at home, with Russian officials repeatedly suggesting that it would be willing to use nuclear weapons to protect annexed territory where Ukrainian forces are making gains.

In an address to the nation last month, Putin said that if Russias territorial integrity was threatened, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal to retaliate  and added that its not a bluff.

Washington has made clear it has warned Russia there will be catastrophic consequences if it uses nuclear weapons, but U.S. officials and experts have downplayed any imminent threat.

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There was nothing new in Putins latest statements regarding nuclear weapons and how Russia intends to use them, said Andrey Baklitskiy, a senior researcher at the Geneva-based United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research.

What he means when he talks about nuclear weapons is nuclear deterrence against NATO and the United States, either attacking Russia with nuclear weapons or attacking Russia directly, which can escalate to the nuclear level, Baklitskiy said Friday by telephone.

Putin observed exercises by Russias strategic nuclear forces Wednesday, with two U.S. officials saying that Moscow had informed the U.S. about the annual drills, as it is obliged to do under the New START nuclear treaty. The officials said the U.S. has no indications Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon inside Ukraine but continues to watch the situation closely.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a Pentagon briefing Thursday that the U.S. has not seen anything to indicate Russia is using the exercise as a cover to launch a nuclear strike. He added that the U.S. is concerned about the conflict in Ukraine escalating but said there are still no indications Russia is planning to use a nuclear weapon.

In recent days the focus of international concern has been on Russian claims that Ukraine could detonate a "dirty bomb" to frame Moscow  an allegation dismissed by Kyiv and the West as baseless and a potential "false-flag" operation or effort to build a pretext for Russian escalation.

Putin repeated the accusation in his speech Thursday.

Kyiv is seeking some kind of nuclear incident to inflate a new round of struggle against Russia, he said.

Its not for nothing that we said about the dirty bomb that Kyiv is creating, we even know where it is being made," the Russian leader said. "I instructed Shoigu to call foreign colleagues and warn them about the threat of this provocation," he added, referring to the sudden flurry of calls from his defense minister that sparked alarm in Western capitals.

A dirty bomb, also known as a radiological dispersion device, is a conventional weapon that has been augmented with a radioactive material. Traditionally, security experts have warned of dirty bombs being used by terrorist groups, instead of militaries.

Asked about the Russian claims earlier this week, Biden said he had "spent a lot of time" talking about the subject Tuesday.

"Let me just say: Russia would be making an incredibly serious mistake for it to use a tactical nuclear weapon," he added. "Im not guaranteeing you that its a false-flag operation yet; I dont know. But it would be a serious, serious mistake."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  If a president's most precious commodity is time, there is no place more valuable politically for the White House this midterm year than Pennsylvania.

An energized President Joe Biden returned Friday to the Keystone State, his 15th visit since he took office, this time to attend a fundraiser with Vice President Kamala Harris and other leaders to boost Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman, gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro and other Pennsylvania Democrats.

The president laid out the stakes immediately, cautioning the Nov. 8 midterm elections were not a referendum, its a choice, a choice between two vastly different visions of America.

Democracy is on the ballot this year," he went on. "Along with your right to choose, and your right to privacy. And the amazing thing is theyre saying it out loud.

The Pennsylvania seat has for months been the most likely pick-up opportunity for Democrats in the evenly-divided Senate, but as prospects darken for Democratic incumbents elsewhere, a win here is becoming an even more urgent insurance policy for the party to cling to Senate control.

Its not hyperbole to suggest all eyes are on Pennsylvania," Biden said.

The White House has showered attention on the Keystone State  Biden's birthplace  in the final weeks before the election, and officials are preparing for another visit next week. Harris told the crowd the party needs to pick up just two more seats to pass major Democratic agendas on abortion rights and voting rights.

Two more seats, Harris said, putting up two fingers. Just two more seats. One of them, right here.

The Friday event came three days after Fetterman  recovering from a stroke earlier this year that he says nearly killed him  had a shaky showing in his sole debate against Republican Mehmet Oz. He spoke smoothly before the crowd in his trademark hoodie and jeans, saying he wanted to bring all Americans the same kind of quality health care that saved his life.

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So I may not say everything perfectly sometimes, but Ill always do the right thing if you send me to Washington, D.C., he said to a standing ovation.

The dinner at the Pennsylvania Convention Center is the state partys biggest fundraiser of the year, and party officials said the $1 million raised is the most ever for the dinner. Attendees included U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, and U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, for whom Biden headlined a virtual fundraiser earlier this week.

In his remarks, Biden focused his attacks against congressional Republicans, honing in on GOP plans to raise prescription drug costs, cut Medicare and Social Security, and pass a nationwide abortion ban. Republicans, if they win, will get rid of the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions, energy tax credits and the corporate minimum tax of 15%, he warned.

Thats their plan, among other things. Its reckless, its irresponsible, itll make inflation much worse. It will badly hurt middle class Americans, the president said.

In the Senate race, polls show a close race between Fetterman and Oz. The Democrat's debate performance shocked some viewers and sowed concerns among party leaders. A day later, he delivered a smooth 13-minute stump speech in Pittsburgh as his campaign tried to downplay Tuesday's performance, saying Fetterman has always been lousy at debates and that the closed-captioning system he used as an aid was faulty.

Ravi Balu, a dentist who is the partys vice chair in Westmoreland County, in western Pennsylvania, heard from a number of friends who were worried or surprised by Fettermans performance. He said he told them that, whatever Fettermans lingering issues from the stroke, that he will recover and will always be more relatable to regular people than Oz.

Its a thing he took a big risk on, Balu said. But I also think he got a lot of the sympathy from people.

The White House stressed again this week that Biden - through his personal conversations with the lieutenant governor - believes Fetterman is physically capable to serve in public office, and cited analyses from independent medical experts who have said his halting speech did not indicate an issue with his cognitive functions.

John IS Pennsylvania, Biden said Friday, adding: John leaves nobody behind.

Biden viewed parts of the Tuesday night debate and thought Lt. Governor John Fetterman did great, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in an e-mail Friday.

In the meantime, Fettermans campaign and national Democratic groups are directing attention elsewhere and pouring money into TV ads with a debate clip of Oz in which he says I want women, doctors, local political leaders to decide the fate of a womans right to an abortion.

The statement  which spread rapidly across social media immediately after the debate  was meant to frame Oz's opposition to a federal ban that would pare back abortion access in Pennsylvania, even though he opposes abortion. But Democrats say it's proof that Oz wants politicians in doctors offices and exam rooms with women.

Biden brought up the moment on Friday, and his puzzled look over the comments were greeted with a huge laugh from the crowd.

You heard it right: local political leaders, he said. Look the bottom line is this, if Republicans gain control of Congress and pass a national ban on abortion, I will veto it. But if we elect to the Senate two more Democrats and keep control of the house, we're going to codify Roe v. Wade in January so it's the law of the land."

Bidens approval ratings are sagging in Pennsylvania similarly to the rest of the nation, begging the question of whether his presence is good for Democrats in a year when Republicans have political winds at their back.

But Biden won heavily in 2020 in Philadelphia and its four suburban collar counties  including winning over Republican moderates  and that boosted him to victory over former President Donald Trump.

The Democratic president likely remains popular there.

Democratic political strategist Mark Nevins said that energizing voters in Philadelphia and its heavily populated suburbs  home to one in three registered Pennsylvania voters  is a cornerstone to a Democratic win in Pennsylvania in the Senate race and in the governors race, and frankly in some of these suburban races as well.

Even if there is some debate about whether Biden can help on the campaign trail, the one area thats a constant is his ability to help raise funds. Presidents can help there. Theres no debate that theyll take the help of a president in fundraising in these very costly races, said Christopher Borick, a political science professor and pollster at Muhlenberg College in Allentown.

Biden also has treated Pennsylvania as something of a home base.

Its where he spent part of his childhood, its where hes campaigned countless times for himself and other Democrats and its where Democrats called him Pennsylvanias third senator during his 36 years in the Senate from next door in Delaware.
President Biden on Thursday signed a treaty that aims to limit the use of potent planet-warming gases that are used in refrigeration.

The treaty, known as the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, aims to phase down the use of gases called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

Unlike many other climate actions, this ones was relatively bipartisan, passing the Senate 69-27. It also had support from many industry players.

While HFCs have been a major climate challenge, the U.S. was already on its way to limiting them  with or without the treaty.

In 2020, Congress passed and then-President Trump signed a bipartisan energy bill that required the phase down of HFCs by 85 percent over a 15-year period. Its a law that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has already taken steps to implement.

Therefore, on the climate front, the ratification is largely symbolic. However, it did have some trade ramifications for the few HFCs that remain.

Under the Kigali Amendment, parties to the treaty are forbidden from trading HFCs with countries that are not. Had the U.S. not signed on, it would struggle to trade the HFCs that are still on the market during the phase down.

Biden celebrated the treaty signing in a tweet  touting it as a win for both climate change and U.S. manufacturing.

Im proud to sign the Kigali Amendment  a historic, bipartisan win for American manufacturing and global climate action, he wrote.

My Administration is phasing down super-polluting chemicals so the U.S. can lead the clean technology markets of the future and unlock thousands of new jobs, he added.

HFCs are frequently used in appliances such as air conditioners and refrigerators and can be thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide in terms of warming the planet.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden will cast his midterm election ballot this weekend in his home state of Delaware, where in-person early voting begins Friday.

The White House said Biden will vote alongside his granddaughter Natalie, 18, who is a first-time voter. The Democratic president is casting his ballot as his party is facing an uphill battle to hold on to control of Congress and as Democrats have made a priority of encouraging their supporters to vote early in jurisdictions where it is available to maximize turnout.

Biden's trip to his polling place comes as he is spending a long weekend at his Wilmington home. He'll make a brief trip to nearby Philadelphia on Friday night to attend an event for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party with Vice President Kamala Harris. A Democratic official said the fundraiser will raise $1 million for the state party, with Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in a close race against GOP nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz for a critical U.S. Senate seat.

Last month, Biden made a quick last-minute trip to Wilmington to cast his ballot in the state's Democratic primary. At the time, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden's schedule required the brief Air Force One jaunt to Wilmington to vote.

He thought it was important to exercise his constitutional right to vote, as I just mentioned, and set an example by showing the importance of voting, she told reporters. He also had the opportunity to say hello to poll workers and thank them for their work. And we know how under attack poll workers have been these past several years."

___

Follow the APs coverage of the 2022 midterm 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 midterm.
With almost 550,000 employees and more than 5,000 facilities around the world, FedEx is certainly a major player in the global economy.

To demonstrate this, the Memphis-based logistics giant recently released an analysis of its direct and indirect impact on the global economy in Fiscal Year 2022 as a whole and broken down by region, conducted by business analytics company Dun & Bradstreet.

FedEx released a similar report of its economic impact on the U.S. in 2021, but this is the first time it has generated its own study with a global perspective.

FedEx workers load a Boeing 777 full of medical supplies for Ukraine on Saturday, March 26, 2022, at the FedEx World Hub in Memphis. The plane will land in Warsaw, Poland, where 76 tons of medical supplies will be distributed to residents of Ukraine as well as refugees.

"As previewed in last years economic impact study, this years report fulfills the promise we made to look beyond the U.S. economy and provide insights into the impact FedEx has in all the regions in which we operate," CEO Raj Subramaniam said in the report's introduction.

Among the main points of the report, FedEx estimated it delivered 16 million shipments per day and, outside its actual operations, supported $22 billion of economic activity.

Here are some other key takeaways from the study.

FedEx's global impact

FedEx represented 1.2% of the overall net economic output in the Transportation, Storage, and Communications sector of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and 0.1% of net output for all industries.

FedEx news:FedEx makes Fortune's list of World's 25 Best Workplaces

FedEx's Roxo:FedEx drops project developing Roxo, same-day delivery robot

The company brought a total of $700 billion in revenue to its direct suppliers. 88% of those were classified as small- or medium-sized businesses and encompassed roughly 810,000 jobs.

FedEx also brought in $22.6 billion in indirect contributions to net economic output, which includes activity at least one step removed from direct FedEx investment, such as contributions to the greater supply chain or increased activity around FedEx locations.

Through its FedEx Cares segment, the company also contributed $86 million in charitable donations to various nonprofit organizations around the world.

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FedEx's impact in the United States

FedEx represented 12% of net economic output in the transportation and logistics sectors and 0.3% of net economic output for all industries in the U.S. The company also contributed $8.5 billion in indirect net economic output to the country.

As its global base of operations, the majority of FedEx jobs are located in the U.S., employing 412,770 people. The company also supplied $17 million in tuition assistance to almost 11,000 of those employees.

FedEx also completed millions of dollars worth of capital investment projects this year, including opening the FedEx Logistics headquarters in Memphis and expanding the FedEx Express air cargo hub at Miami International Airport.

FedEx's impact in the Americas

FedEx represented nearly 7% of net economic output for the Transportation, Storage, and Communications sector (including above U.S. contributions) and contributed $12 billion in indirect net economic output to the region.

The company employed 22,930 people in Canada and 24,389 people in Latin America and the Caribbean. Mexico in particular experienced massive growth in the last year with the opening of 25 new FedEx shipping stations across the country.

FedEx Cares:Delivering joy: FedEx assembles more than 19,000 care packages for US troops

FedEx cuts:As FedEx looks to cut more than $2 billion, here's everything we know (and don't know yet)

FedEx's impact in Europe

With the acquisition of TNT Express and its full integration in the past year, FedEx is now serving more than 45 countries and territories across Europe. It represented 0.5% of net economic output for the Transportation, Storage, and Communications sector in the region and $3.3 billion in indirect net economic output.

As of May 31, FedEx employed roughly 50,000 people on the continent. These included jobs created by new facilities built in Poland, Latvia, Romania, Czech Republic and France as well as expansions at other locations.

FedEx's impact in Asia and the Pacific, the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa

FedEx represented 0.2% of net economic output for the Transportation, Storage, and Communications sector and $10 billion in revenue. It also contributed $3.8 billion in indirect net economic output in the region.

FedEx Express employed roughly 37,000 people across the region and contributed to other workforce development initiatives outside its own operations, such as opening an internship program in the United Arab Emirates and creating a youth leadership program in South Africa.

Niki Scheinberg is the FedEx and logistics reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at monika.scheinberg@commercialappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: FedEx's impact on the global economy: What a new report shows
The races are hyperpartisan. Political action committees are pouring money into campaigns. Candidates are seeking high-profile endorsements.

Some of the most charged elections this midterm aren't for national or even statewide offices but for local school boards.

"For much less than what it would cost them to influence a seat in the House or Senate, these PACs are putting thousands of dollars at a time  sometimes just hundreds  into races for local school boards and, as a result, changing education on a national scale," USA TODAY reporters Erin Mansfield and Kayla Jimenez wrote this week.

USA TODAY Network journalists explain what is happening and why:

Who is funding, supporting school board candidates?

On Nov. 8, voters in more than two dozen states will be choosing school board members. A sampling of the players working to influence them:

A super PAC called the 1776 Project PAC leads the way, spending more than $2.6 million, emphasizing opposition to lessons related to racial and social justice. It has candidates in Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Texas and Virginia.

Moms for Liberty has more than 200 chapters across 40 states. The local groups operate independently but share concerns over issues such as vaccine mandates and how districts should teach about race and sexuality. Moms for Liberty describes itself as nonpartisan, writes USA TODAY education reporter Chris Quintana , but its affiliates tend to endorse conservative candidates.

In Michigan, the Get Our Kids Back to School PAC says it supports only candidates who dont back any mandates or restrictions, like those in place during the pandemic, report Arpan Lobo and Dave Boucher of the Detroit Free Press . It also seeks candidates who will push back the tide of erosion on the traditional curriculum, listing "wokeness" as something damaging public education.

On the left, they report, Progressive Lakeshore typically stays away from local school board races. But the organization switched course this year, endorsing a trio of candidates running for school board seats.

Indianapolis Star reporter Caroline Beck detailed 13 PACs seeking to influence local school board elections. "Some of the PACs support things like more parental rights in schools," she wrote, "which has been a calling card for groups that are concerned that liberal ideologies and critical race theory are infiltrating schools."

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Why have school board races become so hyperpartisan?

School board races give regular people an outlet for their frustrations about the direction of their country, Mansfield says. "You can be a part of this larger movement of Republicans pushing back against broader themes involving racial and social justice that you hear national figures criticize."

Gov. Ron DeSantis took unprecedented steps to influence Florida's nonpartisan school board races this year and largely was successful, report Zac Anderson and Kathryn Varn of USA TODAY Network  Florida, with 25 of his 30 endorsed candidates winning or advancing to a runoff. He touts his efforts as a way to safeguard parental rights.

Florida Governor Ron Desantis, center, is presented "The Sword of Liberty" by Moms for Liberty co-founders Tiffany Justice, left, Tina Descovich, second from right and executive director of program outreach Marie Rogerson, far right, during the first Moms for Liberty National Summit on Thursday, July 15, 2022 in Tampa, Fla.

Ryan Girdusky is the head of the 1776 Project PAC. He told our reporters that education policy has always been political, with teachers unions ejecting communists in the 1940s and evangelicals attempting to take over school boards in the 1970s. Teachers unions today, he said, also spend money on local races and have endorsed candidates for years.

I am just following a very long trend, Girdusky said. Its intrinsically political, public education."

He added: "It always has been.

In Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis turns Florida into GOP education laboratory with focus on race, LGBTQ issues

In Kentucky: Big money is targeting school board races this election. Our reporters investigate why.

What is at stake in school board elections?

Many of the battles are over what is taught and said about race, history, sex or sexual orientation.

"At stake is the learning experience for millions of American students," Quintana says. "Students of colors may learn about their history based on policies set by school board members running against the conceptual threat of critical race theory. And transgender students may attend districts where board members are actively hostile to serving them."

And the battles go beyond culture wars.

"Some corners of the GOP have actively worked to make these a battleground or place for takeover, in part to motivate voters in general and in part to push specific policies, such as school choice," says USA TODAY education editor Nirvi Shah.

How might charged-up school board races influence other elections?

Former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon declared that the path to save the nation began at the school board level  and the GOP adopted this strategy, says USA TODAY White House editor Romina Ruiz.

"There's a spillover effect," she says. "This election cycle, school board races are focused on the most contentious issues in the culture wars. And, 'down-ballot voting' for one party or the other starts there."

More Backstory: This is our life. This is us. How our Florida journalists are covering Ian while living it

More Backstory: Goldie Hawn urges 'don't turn a blind eye' to our kids' anxiety, depression

Nicole Carroll is the editor-in-chief of USA TODAY and president of the Gannett news division. The Backstory offers insights into our biggest stories of the week. If you'd like to get The Backstory in your inbox, sign up here. Reach Carroll at EIC@usatoday.com or follow her on https://twitter.com/nicole_carroll.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: School board races dominate midterms, and super PACS are funding them
Even in death, Black Panther star Chadwick Bosemans impact holds fast.

On Wednesday, Oct. 26, at the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" premiere, the late actors co-star Letitia Wright gave a salute to his 2018 Oscars appearance with a dazzling look of her own.

Wright starred alongside Boseman for in the 2018 film Black Panther. Wright portrayed the tech-savvy younger sister to Bosemans character TChalla, King of Wakanda.

Dressed in Alexander McQueen, the 28-year-old actor wore a black crystal-embellished suit that channeled Bosemans look from the 2018 Oscars.

A post shared by the official Alexander McQueen Instagram page explained that she wore a #McQueenPreSS23 tailored jacket with a cutaway waist and back featuring crystal harness embriodery. Paired with elongated bootcut trousers in black sartorial wool with the Punk Chelsea Boot ... "

Letitia Wright honors the late Chadwick Boseman at the

In 2018, the same year the first Black Panther film made its debut, Boseman wore a black suit by Givenchy to the Academy Awards. Similar to the suit Wright wore this week, Bosemans outfit featured a couture topcoat with a crystal-embellished lapel.

Wright's bright display did not go unnoticed on social media.

Die-hards for the franchise were quick to spot the homage and point it out on Twitter with troves of teary-eyed emojis.

"OH MY GOD," one user wrote.

"Letitia Wright wearing the iconic Chadwick Boseman outfit on #WakandaForevers red carpet," another noted.

The purple-carpeted event had no shortage of homages to the late actor, who passed away in August 2020 from complications related to colon cancer.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" premiere director Ryan Coogler wore a white suit and a necklace with Bosemans image pressed into a dog. Throughout the night, the films cast posed with a Wakanda salute, which Boseman often did while appearing at events and on red carpets for the franchise.

Wright stopped by TODAY in September to promote her new film "Silent Twins," but she teased "Wakanda Forever" and what fans can expect from the highly-anticipated sequel.

"You can expect a beautiful jam-packed adventure that is 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,"' she said. "A love letter to Chadwick Boseman, definitely from myself as one of the the leads in the film. Just a dedication to what he left behind and for us to continue ..."

"It was a tremendous loss for us," she added. "Were still in the process of grieving. Our love and respect is always with his family. Hes my brother on and off screen and I miss him so much. I just want to make him proud of this film."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Oct. 27PULLMAN  Washington State University announced a $5 million investment from The Boeing Company to establish a new student success center in the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture on WSU's Pullman campus.

"The impact of this generous commitment from Boeing is incalculable, accelerating the Voiland College's ambitious plan to modernize its facilities to meet the current and future needs of WSU's engineering and design students," said WSU system president Kirk Schulz in the release. "We are grateful for Boeing's remarkable investment and look forward to the Boeing Center for Student Success having a lasting impact on the academic experience and careers for generations of Voiland College students."

The Boeing Center for Student Success will occupy an entire floor within the college's Schweitzer Engineering Hall, currently in design, from which it will provide access to mentoring, tutoring, advising, and career services to benefit the college's 4,600 students.

Fundraising continues for Schweitzer Engineering Hall with a goal to break ground on the first building in 2024.

The gift from Boeing represents the latest chapter in a long-standing partnership between Boeing and WSU that has spanned more than half a century. Boeing's cumulative investments of nearly $30 million have advanced a variety of academic, research, and service initiatives system-wide, making Boeing the largest corporate supporter of WSU over the years. Boeing is also consistently among the leading employers of Voiland College graduates.

"Washington State University has been a valued Boeing partner for more than 55 years," said Stan Deal, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the release. "We are excited about WSU's plans to develop an engineering facility for the 21st century, and are thrilled to contribute to the education of up-and-coming engineers in Washington for many years to come."
By Stephanie van den Berg

ROTTERDAM (Reuters) - When Ruslan Mykhalchenko leaves his family in the Netherlands to return home to Ukraine next week, one of the things he will miss most is reading his 5-year-old daughter Olivia a bedtime story.

It's a harsh reality for Mykhalchenko and countless Ukrainian fathers who have been separated from their families by the war with Russia, now entering a ninth month.

Martial law in Ukraine prevents men aged between 18 and 60 leaving the country. Mykhalchenko, who works with an NGO in Ukraine, was able to snatch some time with his refugee family this week in the Netherlands while collecting an aid delivery.

Now, an audiobook app, "Better Time Stories", makes it possible for Olivia to hear her dad's voice when she goes to sleep at night, even when they're apart.

The app, which is funded by donations, offers five titles selected to help children process the trauma of war and is aimed at kids from 3 to 7 years old.

Mykhalchenko, 41, recorded himself reading Olivia's new favourite book, "101 Lighthouses", about a father who counts lighthouses with his son to help him fall asleep.

"This book is very special to me, because (Olivia) is far from me, from my heart," Ruslan said, as he struggled to contain his emotion during a recent reunion in Rotterdam.

The interactive books come with a QRcode that, when scanned or tapped, opens an app with an audiobook version. The app also allows families to send a link so that fathers can record their own audio version, which then appears in the app.

Fathers can see the picture books online and record their audio page by page. If unwanted noises like air-raid alarms disturb their reading, they can re-record sections.

The story app was created by Andriy Shmyhelskyy, an Amsterdam-based social tech entrepreneur originally from Ukraine. Shmyhelskyy, who has lived in the Netherlands since 2014, wanted to help refugee families stay connected with men who stayed behind in Ukraine.

Story continues

"I wanted books that will help mother and child to work together and through this emotional distress (of) what is basically a separation," he told Reuters.

According to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, 90 percent of the more than 7 million refugees from Ukraine are women and children. In a recent UNHCR survey, more than three-quarters of all refugees questioned said they had suffered a family separation.

Packages with five bilingual books in Ukrainian and Dutch, or Ukrainian and German, can be requested by refugee families from the Better Time Stories website.

Using donations received since late September, around 1,000 orders have been accepted in the Netherlands, of which 200 have already been delivered. Shipments for the German language version have not started yet, Shmyhelskyy said.

The mailed package, which includes all five books to accompany the app, costs 15 euros.

Yulia Bilan, a mother of two sons, is eight months pregnant and has been living as a single parent in The Hague since the war broke out. Her husband remains in Bucha, near Kyiv.

Her boys Ilja, 10, and Pasha, 11, are a too old for picture books but were happy to receive their first Ukrainian books in months, which they are reading to their unborn sister.

The books are helping her family process difficult emotions, Bilan said, as her son Pasha showed visitors his favourite, a book called "The Day War Came To Rondo".

Mykhalchenko said he will savor reading to Olivia until he drives back to Ukraine next week, leaving behind his wife, 37-year-old Alla. He lives in Mykolaiv, a city near the Black Sea that is the target of frequent Russian missile attacks.

Alla said the audiobooks her husband recorded have helped her feel less alone.

"Before we fall asleep we listen to his voice and fall asleep more safe, more quiet," she said.

(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg; Editing by Anthony Deutsch and Daniel Flynn)
A Boston man is facing charges after he allegedly trafficked and kept hostage a minor he met on social media, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Jimall Dawn Brown, 33, was arrested Thursday morning after officials allege he preyed on a 17-year-old girl that he found through social media, and coerced her to travel to Boston, with promises of a better lifestyle.

Brown exploited the teen, who was living outside Massachusetts, for thousands of dollars of profit by forcing her to engage in sex acts in multiple states by inflicting violence and harm when she tried to break away and leave, according to the reports.

In March 2022, Brown allegedly coerced the teen, to fly to Georgia, where he arranged for her to have sex in exchange for money he collected. It is further alleged that in April 2022, Brown took the teen to Nevada, again arranging for her to have sex for money.

According to reports, Massachusetts law enforcement met with the teen at which time she alleged that Brown told her she would have a better life if she came to Boston to be with him, however once she moved to Boston, Brown prevented her from leaving, by hitting, choking and physically restraining her.

Brown was charged with one count of sex trafficking of a minor and faces up to life in prison if he is convicted.

We must begin to face the harsh reality that human trafficking is happening every single day in our Commonwealth and across our country, U.S. Attorney Rollins said. With my newly established Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit, the United States Attorneys Office remains steadfast in our fight to combat this growing threat, hold traffickers accountable and bring services, treatment, and some level of justice to victims and survivors of this awful crime.

Members of the public who believe they may be a victim of this alleged crime should contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov. If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please visit https://polarisproject.org/ for information and resources.

Story continues

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
CHICAGO  Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson will run for Chicago mayor, adding another progressive challenger to the field of 2023 candidates and raising the prospect of a rematch between the Chicago Teachers Union and Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Johnsons announcement early Thursday is not a surprise. At a recent forum in Logan Square for progressive contenders, Johnson repeatedly said when Im mayor in response to questions and he has long been considered a possible candidate for the post. Johnson, a longtime CTU leader, first won public office in 2018, when in the Democratic primary he defeated Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, who earned the ire of organized labor by voting against the countys soda tax.

In a release formally announcing Johnsons candidacy, he highlighted his background as a teacher and held a news conference later Thursday near Jenner School, where he started his career in education before Jenner merged with Ogden International School.

As a teacher, I experienced the painful impact of disinvestment on my students and their families, and this personal experience  seeing children endure inequity  is what fuels my commitment to building a stronger, safer and more equitable Chicago, Johnson said.

His entry into the race potentially complicates the political calculus for U.S. Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia, who is also considering a run for mayor. Garcia was the teachers unions chosen candidate in 2015 and helped push Mayor Rahm Emanuel into the citys first runoff. Although Garcia has much higher name recognition among Chicago voters, he would have to find backing elsewhere if he enters the race.

In an interview with The Chicago Tribune Thursday, Johnson said Garcia 40 years ago, laid some groundwork for the moment that were experiencing right now, but Johnson added that progressives in this city have aligned themselves with the progressive candidate, and they have decided that he best reflects their desires.

Story continues

Talks are ongoing with the local Service Employees International Union chapter, one of the citys other most powerful progressive unions, Johnson says. Both SEIU and CTU lined up behind Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkles mayoral bid in 2019.

These workers are my colleagues, I served alongside them in school buildings, Im one of them. These are family conversations, Johnson said.

In Johnsons time on the county board, hes pushed a measure making it illegal to refuse to show or rent property to people with certain criminal records. He also drafted a symbolic resolution that supported diverting money from policing in the wake of nationwide protests demanding police budgets be defunded.

Lightfoots campaign aimed to portray Johnson as a one-note candidate.

Theres no shortage of ambitious politicians trying to advance their own career right now, and well put up Mayor Lightfoots progressive achievements versus Brandon Johnsons thin resume any day of the week, the Lightfoot camp said in a statement following Johnsons announcement. In the case of Johnson, his campaign stands on one platform and one only: to defund the police department entirely. Its easy to talk about what you would do  its another thing to be in the arena, doing the work every day to keep our city moving forward.

Johnson said such comments are typical from the mayor. She has a very narrow view of the world, doesnt understand that my work predates the fact that Ive just been a Cook County commissioner. He cited his time as a teacher and an organizer with CTU, where he worked on the successful campaign to bring an elected school board to Chicago, to boost funding to CPS and the 2012 strike. Lightfoots response shows you how disconnected she is with working people ... (and) the fact that shes intimidated by the work. And its why her workdays going to end in a few months.

Johnson has long been a critic of the citys political establishment. At the recent forum, for instance, the candidates were asked about how to make Chicago a place where Black residents can thrive.

Can we just be honest? They dont want Black people here, Johnson said, before listing policies he says drove that population out, such as demolishing public housing and closing schools. And every administration has been willing to do that, whether its calling for shoot to kill or raising bridges. Its a wicked and unjust system.

Johnson enters a crowded field that includes Lightfoot, Ald. Sophia King, activist JaMal Green, Ald. Roderick Sawyer, former CPS chief Paul Vallas, state Rep. Kambium Kam Buckner, Ald. Raymond Lopez and businessowner Willie Wilson.

Earlier this fall, Johnson, a former social studies teacher, picked up the endorsement of the CTU, which contributed $59,900 to Johnsons political fund. The Illinois Federation of Teachers has said it would provide him with $1 million for his race.

Asked how he would balance the interests of the CTU with the citys, he told the Tribune that while he would bring all sectors together, there is no conflict of interest involving the union. How is it that if youre part of a labor movement that you miss the fact that were also taxpayers and that were parents?

Johnsons entry into the race presents a significant challenge for Lightfoot, who has long wrangled with CTU and other progressive heavyweights during her first term. She presided over an 11-day strike teachers strike in 2019 and multiple rounds of standoffs with the union during the COVID-19 pandemic over her plan to return to in-person schooling.

Lightfoot has also placed herself at odds with progressives over criminal justice, refusing to cater to the defund the police movement following the 2020 murder of George Floyd and often criticizing Cook County courts for what she said was a lack of consequences for violent offenders.

While many progressives will oppose her candidacy, Lightfoot will also try to argue that shes been a progressive mayor.

Although she abandoned some high-profile promises supported by progressives, such as the elected school board plan that passed in Springfield, she has quietly built a strong relationship with some labor leaders who appreciate her record on worker issues.

In her first few months as mayor in 2019, Lightfoot pushed through the fair workweek ordinance that requires large Chicago employers to give workers at least two weeks notice of their schedules and compensate them for last-minute changes. Later that year, Lightfoot passed her first budget, which set the stage for a $15 minimum wage long sought by local unions.

She reached a compromise with aldermen to create an elected civilian police oversight agency  albeit with far weaker powers than she campaigned on  and closed loopholes in Chicagos Welcoming City ordinance to prohibit police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities to deport immigrants living in the country without legal permission who have criminal backgrounds.
As Brazilians go to the polls for the second round of the presidential election on Sunday (Oct. 30), they arent only choosing a new leadertheyre making a decision that will influence the global fight against climate change.

Since incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro performed better than polls predicted in the Oct. 2 vote, his chances of retaining power have improved. Support has grown thanks to his administrations pro-business moves that have helped bring down consumer costs through tax cuts and reduce unemployment.

Read more

Bolsonaros record on tackling climate change is anything but positive. When the far-right leader was elected in 2018, Nature magazine warned that his stance promoting development at all costs would bode badly for the environment. On Oct. 25, the scientific journal once again rang alarm bells, citing that, in the Amazon alone, deforestation has nearly doubled since he came into power.

Its unsurprising that the so-called Trump of the Tropics, whom critics condemned for a badly botching the countrys covid-19 response and fanning a dangerous gun culture, isnt a poster child of climate action. But more than inaction, the Bolsonaro government played an active role in dismantling environmental protections, for instance slashing budgets and curbing the authority of federal agencies, and minimizing consequences for illegal logging. Under his watch, criminal agents have not only chopped down trees unlawfully but also threatened and killed forest defenders, including law enforcement agents and indigenous people.

In May, Bolsonaro finally took some steps towards tackling deforestation, by increasing fines for environmental crimes. Nonetheless, experts fear that another four years of Bolsonaros rule could irreparably damage the Amazon.

Why Brazils climate action matters to the world

Brazil is the largest economy, greenhouse gas emitter, and consumer of energy in South America, but the impact of its climate action reverberates across the world as the Amazon rainforest is one of the planets largest carbon sinks.



Story continues

Theres an urgent need to protect the Amazon from further deforestation, as noted in an October 2021 communication to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) by the NGO All Rise, which demanded a probe into the damage done by Bolsonaro.

In 2021, parts of the Amazon were found to be emitting more greenhouse gasses than it absorbed, largely due to fires ignited to clear land for agricultural use. Scientists estimate that around 17% of the forests area has been lost, and if destruction increases to 20-25%, the Amazon could reach a tipping point after which it would lose its ability to regenerate trees, and large areas would become savannah, affecting its ability to absorb carbon emissions.



If the destruction of the Amazon continues, the consequences include:

 worsening air quality;

 escalating risk of severe drought in Brazil and its neighboring countries (in 2021, Brazil has suffered its worst drought in 91 years);

 losing the exceptional biodiversity of the Brazilian Legal Amazons flora and fauna. Its Biomes are the last refuge of creatures such as the jaguar and the pink dolphin, and a vital source of medicinal products and research;

 an increase in serious respiratory disease, particularly for those living within the forest;

 an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events around the globe;

 a heightened risk of zoonotic spillover, leading to more and worse pandemics.

Quotable

What is at stake is the future of Brazil for the next generation of Brazilians and the planets climate stability, Ilona Szabo, co-founder of the Igarape Institute think tank, who now lives abroad because of threats she received from supporters of Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaros Amazon damage, by the digits

60%: how much of the Amazon rainforest lies in Brazil

30 million: people who live in the Amazon, including almost 350 indigenous and ethnic groups

2 billion: trees felled in the Amazon during Bolsonaros four years as president. Thats 15 per second

20: environmental activists killed in Brazil in 2020 (The president has called environmental NGOs cancers)

10%: reduction in environment-related staffing in Bolsonaros government

22.5-23%: estimated loss of Amazon rainforest surface in the next eight years if Bolsonaros policies continue unchanged

1,500: new pesticides approved under Bolsonaros rule; many with ingredients which are banned in the EU

Person of Interest: Lula

Unlike his opponent Bolsenaros opponent, left-wing leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (known as Lula) garnered immense goodwill for his welfare policies, leaving office with a 90% approval rating. He made strides in solving Brazils hunger crisis and redistributing wealth, lifting at least 20 million Brazilians out of poverty, when he was president between 2003 and 2010.

The septuagenarian couldnt run for office in 2018 because of corruption and money laundering convictions the year prior. However, these were voided by the Brazilian Supreme Court in 2021, and now hes back to finish what he started.



His win could be the respite Brazils ailing environment needs. During Lulas last tenure, Amazon deforestation was down 70%. If he wins, an environmental policy overhaulincluding tackling illegal logging, aiming for net-zero deforestation, and delivering on emissions targetsis on the table. He publicly committed to introducing carbon pricing and issuing new financial incentives for sustainable farming, among things.

Lula won more votes than Bolsonaro during the elections first round, but failed to cross the 50% majority that would have given him a downright victory.

Related stories

 The Nile Delta isnt ready for climate change

 Scientists have finally added world politics to their climate models

 Brazils Bolsonaro has his same old election fraud excuse ready if he loses

More from Quartz

Sign up for Quartz's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's Supreme Court is set to demand that the government reactivate a billion-dollar international fund aimed at protecting the Amazon rainforest as the nation faces rampant deforestation, according to a court statement on Thursday.

A majority of the top court's justices decided that the government must take steps within 60 days to reactivate the Amazon Fund, frozen in 2019 when the President Jair Bolsonaro's administration decided to change its governance structure.

Norway paid $1.2 billion into the fund between 2008 and 2018, resources that were intended to finance sustainability projects and help reduce deforestation in the world's largest rainforest. Germany also donated more than $68 million.

The fund was frozen after Bolsonaro took office in 2019 and weakened environmental protection measures in the Amazon, arguing that commercial farming and mining were needed in the region to reduce poverty. Deforestation has surged since then, driven by illegal logging and gold mining.

Seven of the judges on the 11-member court determined that changes made to the governance format of the fund were unconstitutional and they ruled that the previous model should be reinstated, according to a statement on the court's website.

The case will continue to be heard on Nov. 3, when a final ruling is expected.

The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
EUROPEAN PRAVDA  FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2022 18:19

Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, has said that Kyiv is currently preparing to host a visit by Rishi Sunak, the new British Prime Minister.

Source: European Pravda, quoting Prystaiko, who said this on the 24/7 news broadcast on Friday.

The ambassador recalled that the first world leader whom the British Prime Minister called after being appointed was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"I know that it was a very good conversation, during which, in particular, we agreed that Rishi Sunak will pay a visit to Ukraine. When exactly will this happen? We are already working on it with our colleagues from the UK government," Prystaiko said.

Note: During the telephone conversation, Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed Sunak's appointment as the head of the UK government and expressed his readiness to continue strengthening the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

As previously reported, King Charles III asked former Chancellor Rishi Sunak to form a government on 25 October.

Sunak replaced Liz Truss, who announced her resignation last week after six weeks in office.

Sunak has been in politics since 2015, and before being appointed prime minister, he was a member of the Environment Select Committee as well as working at the Ministry of Housing and the Treasury.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP)  Backup quarterback Bryson Barnes threw for 175 yards and a touchdown and No. 14 Utah beat Washington State 21-17 on Thursday night to stay in the hunt for the Pac-12 championship game.

Barnes, who started in place of injured Cam Rising, completed 17 of 27 passes for Utah (6-2, 4-1), which was off last week after edging Southern California in a 43-42 shootout Oct. 15.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said his team found a way to win despite injuries to some key players.

Im proud of Bryson, Whittingham said. "He obviously came into a tough situation and he played well. Had one turnover, but he did a pretty good job of moving the chains.

Rising made the decision not to play, Whittingham said.

If Cam says he cant play, he cant play. So there was no doubting him whatsoever," Whittingham said. "Bryson was not expecting to be the starter tonight. But thats the nature of the number two quarterback, you're only ever one snap away.

Barnes, a sophomore, said he was prepared when his time came.

You can always be ready for the moment, but until you get the chance to play you really dont know what its like, Barnes said. "Im thankful for the opportunity tonight.

Cameron Ward completed 27 of 31 passes for 222 yards for Washington State (4-4, 1-4), which has lost four of its past five games and was also off a week ago. The Cougars were without rushing leader Nakia Watson and top receiver Renard Bell because of injuries.

Hes (Ward) a good quarterback, he didnt really miss many throws at all, he was on the money," Whittingham said. "But I credit our pass rush. They did a fine job moving him off his spot.

Washington State coach Jake Dickert said his team is not executing well.

On offense we are not doing anything well, Dickert said. We are playing just good enough to get beat.

But Dickert is not giving up on the season.

Right now our record says we are a .500 football team, Dickert said. We are playing just good enough to get beat.

Story continues

The Cougars have four winnable games left, Dickert said.

All is not lost, he said.

After a scoreless first quarter, Washington State scored on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Ward to De'Zhaun Stribling early in the second quarter. Ward completed his first 12 passes.

Utah replied with a 65-yard drive that ended when Ja'Quinden Jackson plowed over from the 6.

Utah was forced to punt late in the second quarter, but the ball hit receiver Robert Ferrel in the leg and was recovered by the Utes at the Washington State 25. Jaylon Glover drove in from the 1 with 20 seconds left in the half to give Utah a 14-7 lead.

Dalton Kincaid caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Barnes late in the third quarter to lift Utah to a 21-7 lead.

Washington State replied immediately, with Ward running 7 yards up the middle early in the fourth to cut Utah's lead to 21-14.

Jackson fumbled midway through the fourth and the ball was recovered by Washington State's Tanner Moku deep in Utah territory. Dean Janikowski kicked a 42-yard field goal to cut Utah's lead to 21-17 with less than five minutes left in the game. But Utah was able to run out the clock.

GOOD DEFENSE

Despite four losses, Washington State has the best defense in the Pac-12, allowing just over 20 points per game. I'm proud of our defense, Dickert said.

WHERE'S THE RUSH

Washington State, which averages less than 90 rushing yards per game, was limited to 42 rushing yards Thursday night. The Cougars mustered only 264 yards of total offense, and Ward was sacked four times.

THE TAKEAWAY

Utah is the defending Pac-12 champion and needed a victory to stay in range of Oregon, UCLA and Southern California for a berth in the league title game. Washington State is seeking to qualify for a bowl game.

UP NEXT

Utah: Hosts Arizona on Nov. 5.

Washington State: At Stanford on Nov. 5.

___

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
Multiple insiders secured a larger position in Air New Zealand Limited (NZSE:AIR) shares over the last 12 months. This is reassuring as this suggests that insiders have increased optimism about the company's prospects.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

Check out our latest analysis for Air New Zealand

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Air New Zealand

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Chief Executive Officer Gregory Foran for NZ$1.5m worth of shares, at about NZ$0.57 per share. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of NZ$0.77. Because the shares were purchased at a lower price, this particular buy doesn't tell us much about how insiders feel about the current share price.

Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid NZ$3.7m for 5.92m shares. On the other hand they divested 88.64k shares, for NZ$112k. In the last twelve months there was more buying than selling by Air New Zealand insiders. Their average price was about NZ$0.63. To my mind it is good that insiders have invested their own money in the company. However, you should keep in mind that they bought when the share price was meaningfully below today's levels. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Air New Zealand is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Does Air New Zealand Boast High 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. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Our data indicates that Air New Zealand insiders own about NZ$16m worth of shares (which is 0.6% of the company). We do generally prefer see higher levels of insider ownership.

Story continues

So What Does This Data Suggest About Air New Zealand Insiders?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Insiders do have a stake in Air New Zealand and their transactions don't cause us concern. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. To assist with this, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Air New Zealand.

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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Over the last year, a good number of insiders have significantly increased their holdings in Doctor Care Anywhere Group PLC (ASX:DOC). This is encouraging because it indicates that insiders are more optimistic about the company's prospects.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

View our latest analysis for Doctor Care Anywhere Group

Doctor Care Anywhere Group Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when insider Alexander Waislitz bought AU$1.0m worth of shares at a price of AU$0.31 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of AU$0.07. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price.

While Doctor Care Anywhere Group insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

Doctor Care Anywhere Group is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Insider Ownership Of Doctor Care Anywhere Group

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Doctor Care Anywhere Group insiders own about AU$10m worth of shares. That equates to 39% of the company. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

Story continues

So What Do The Doctor Care Anywhere Group Insider Transactions Indicate?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Doctor Care Anywhere Group shares in the last quarter. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Insiders own shares in Doctor Care Anywhere Group and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. When we did our research, we found 5 warning signs for Doctor Care Anywhere Group (2 are significant!) that we believe deserve your full attention.

But note: Doctor Care Anywhere Group may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE 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.

Join A Paid User Research Session

Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here
Oct. 27CAVALIER, N.D.  The Cavalier football program is 44-3 through the last four seasons, unbeaten this year and a team that has been to the North Dakota 9-man state championship game three years in a row.

May-Port-C-G has won at least seven games per season for the last four years, and the Patriots' lone loss in 2022 is a four-point defeat to the undefeated defending state champion LaMoure-Litchville-Marion.

The No. 4-ranked Tornadoes have beat teams 398-54 this year. The No. 5 Patriots have beat teams 425-142.

These two dominant area 9-man programs will clash Saturday at 2 p.m. in the 9-man state quarterfinal in Cavalier.

"Their tradition and ability-level speaks for itself," May-Port-C-G coach Adam Sola said. "They didn't miss a beat when Sandy (Laxdal) retired and Mitch (Greenwood) took over."

Cavalier has been led by wide receiver Landon Carter, running back Jacob Steele and quarterback Sterling Enerson.

In a 60-0 win over North Star in the second round of the playoffs last weekend, Carter set a school-record with 214 receiving yards with three touchdowns. He broke Ken Lawonn's 1971 school record of 211 receiving yards in a game.

Carter, also a standout hockey player for Grafton-Park River, added five rushes for 84 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, he had five tackles and two interceptions.

"He has come in the backfield more for us," Cavalier coach Mitch Greenwood said. "We put him all over the field. We can hand him the ball at running back. He can line up at tight end. He can line up with trips (three wide-receiver sets)."

Against North Star, Enerson threw for 340 yards, four touchdowns and the first interception of the season.

It's the sixth-consecutive season the Tornadoes have started a different senior quarterback. Enerson played quarterback at the junior varsity level but was a tight end for Cavalier last year.

"Since I've been here the last four years, the quarterbacks we've plugged in have been wide receivers or tight ends before," Greenwood said. "Even though they weren't running at quarterback, they have run routes and the concepts. Everything isn't foreign to them."

Story continues

May-Port-C-G has been led by the balance of quarterback Landon Koenig and the running of Xyler Carlson.

In a 50-11 win over Wyndmere-Lidgerwood last weekend, Carlson had 147 rushing yards on 15 carries. He scored three touchdowns.

Carlson is in his first season with the Patriots as a former member of the Finley-Sharon-Hope-Page co-op that has split ways.

Carlson was the region's leading rusher with FSHP last season, then the co-op with the Patriots gave May-Port-C-G the region's top two backs in Carlson and May-Port-C-G's Ethan Bergstrom.

Last weekend, Koenig was 8-for-10 passing for 130 yards and a touchdown  all in the first half.

"I think our biggest advantage on offense is nobody can focus on one kid necessarily," Sola said. "Landon at quarterback has run it better lately and is better in the passing game. Xyler at running back has the ability to find open space and make moves. Noah Mehus has started to become more of a factor. He's maybe the fastest kid on our team, and we've been able to get him in space lately."

That May-Port-C-G speed  both offensively and defensively  is Cavalier's primary concern.

"From an offensive standpoint, I think they're going to be the fastest team we've played against," Greenwood said. "We have to do the little things right and have our blocking assignments figured out."

N.D. Class B 9-man playoffs

Saturday's quarterfinals, 2 p.m.

Surrey at LaMoure-Litchville-Marion

May-Port-C-G at Cavalier

Grant County at New Salem-Almont

Westhope-Newburg at North Prairie
The Wieners Circle has never been one to hold back an insult.

On Thursday, its marquee  a North Clark Street beacon that has taken aim at public figures ranging from Donald Trump to Vladimir Putin  called out hip-hop artist Kanye West, whose recent antisemitic comments have cost him partnerships totaling $2 billion in recent weeks, West said on Instagram.

The Lincoln Park hot dog stand declared Kanye can suck our kosher dogs on its marquee, jokingly adding in a post on Twitter that, Chicago has officially dropped Kanye.

West, who legally changed his name to Ye, has come under fire after recent appearances on Fox News and the podcast Drink Champs, where he questioned the cause of George Floyds death and recycled harmful rhetoric about Jewish money and influence. Combined with social media posts, the controversial statements have led Adidas, Gap, Balenciaga and his talent agency to drop partnerships with West. Floyds family has filed a $250 million lawsuit against Ye, and Twitter and Instagram restricted his accounts.

On Wednesday, a mural depicting West in the West Loop neighborhood was painted over, leaving a black silhouette where the artists likeness previously stood facing West Lake Street near Morgan Street.

The artist, Chicago-based photographer and creative director Jason M. Peterson, painted it over himself Wednesday, according to a Sun-Times interview with the buildings owner and main occupant, MINIMAL Design founder and CEO Scott Wilson.

Peterson said in a message to the Tribune on Thursday the buildings owner asked for something to be done, and declined to comment further.

In October 2021, his West Loop mural was tied to an auction of a non-fungible token of the monochromatic artwork. Auctioned on public blockchain Avalanche, the NFT sold for 1,512 AVAX, according to the auction site, the equivalent of approximately $95,000 at the time. (Many cryptocurrencies have plummeted in value in 2022, and the same amount of AVAX is now worth approximately $25,600.)

Story continues

Along with garnering a massive social media following for his dramatic black-and-white photography, Peterson has worked with major clients ranging from the Chicago Bulls, Adidas, Dos Equis and McDonalds to rappers such as Chance the Rapper, ASAP Rocky, Lupe Fiasco  as well as West and his fashion brand Yeezy.

As for The Wieners Circle, the Lincoln Park hot dog stand is no stranger to making commentary regarding the political climate.

When presidential candidate Donald Trump was scheduled to visit the University of Illinois at Chicago for a rally in 2016, The Wieners Circle made national headlines with its special of 3-inch Trump footlongs, poking fun at the future president.

Two years later, the marquee called out Trumps immigration policy of separating immigrant children from their parents when families cross into the United States with a message reading: Tiny hands. Tiny wiener. Tiny heart.

West is a Chicago native who became a revered figure in the hip-hop scene and helped launch the careers of rappers such as Chief Keef, Vic Mensa and Chance the Rapper. While some Chicagoans have condemned comments as damaging, some believe hell continue to have a hold on his hometown fans.

Kanye is not losing fans, at least it doesnt seem like that in my world, said The Triibe publisher Morgan Elise Johnson last week. For those Kanye disciples, theyre just kind of rolling with him no matter what he says or does at this point, and Ive learned that Im not going to convince these people.

Chicago Tribunes Will Lee contributed.

tatturner@chicagotribune.com
Historically low water levels on the Mississippi River have revealed a walkway to what is typically an island jutting out of the murky river waters to human remains that have been submerged for an unknown amount of time. Now, a treasure hunter has discovered valuable relics that have been hidden underwater since the 1800s.

Riley Bryant travels across the United States to unearth centuries-old artifacts, and he recently took advantage of the plunging water levels on the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tennessee, to search for rare items lost to time.

"I found all kinds of artifacts ranging from Civil War bullets to old bottles to old coins," Bryant told AccuWeather. "Pretty much every artifact you can think of from the time Memphis was founded to modern times."

One of the more intriguing objects that Bryant found was a Civil War-era box plate that he described on Instagram as one of the "coolest surface finds ever."

Bryant said that he has been searching for artifacts for over a decade and has been digging for historical objects in nearly every U.S. state. Like many treasure hunts, his Mississippi River discoveries were not just by happenstance.

"I wanted to search that specific spot because the river bank above was once the site of a fort during the Civil War that was occupied by Union soldiers," Bryant said. "I knew there had to be some artifacts washed out."

Sometimes his searches involve a metal detector, but his recent finds near the Mississippi were spotted simply by his keen eyes.

"There's far too much scrap metal and old ship pieces to use a metal detector," he added.

The Civil War-era artifacts that Bryant found were not the most startling discoveries that he has made. Of the most amazing artifacts that he has unearthed in recent years was a button from the 1700s commemorating the inauguration of George Washington.

"Though I've found a lot of valuable things, I've never sold any of them, as the history means too much to me," Bryant told AccuWeather. "I actually have my own private museum that I travel the country with attending public artifact shows and history events."

Story continues

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People who are thinking about combing the banks of the Mississippi River to look for artifacts similar to Bryant might want to start their search sooner rather than later.

No significant relief is on the way for the drought-stricken region, but some rain is forecast to fall across the Mississippi River watershed in the coming days.

According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Paul Pastelok, the upcoming storms forecast to move over the watershed into the first part of November will help to raise the water level slightly, but the water rise will be measured in inches, not feet. And the Mississippi River watershed needs to see a lot more rain to bring it closer to normal levels again.

Any rise in the water level will benefit the shipping along the river, which has been significantly impacted by the historically low water levels, but the increase in water could submerge hidden artifacts once again.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Offshore wind turbines

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is attending the COP27 climate conference in Egypt, having previously said he would be staying in the UK to focus on "domestic challenges".

Mr Sunak said he wanted to "continue the leadership that our country has shown in tackling climate change".

The UK has pledged to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions to net zero by 2050. Net zero means a country takes as much of these climate-changing gases out of the atmosphere as it puts in.

But the UK Committee on Climate Change (UKCCC), which advises the government, has criticised the UK's climate plans.

So, what progress is the government making?

Power generation cross-head

In 2021, Boris Johnson set a target for all of the UK's electricity to come from clean sources by 2035.

UK governments have been relatively successful in cutting emissions from energy. These fell by 73.4% between 1990 and 2021, largely as a result of closing coal-fired power stations, and by spending more money on solar, wind and nuclear energy.

However, the UKCCC says the lack of a clear strategy in this area means the government risks not reaching its 2035 target.

Mr Johnson's government gave planning consent to construct a new nuclear reactor - Sizewell C - and he expressed a wish to build eight more.

Chart showing source of UK electricity generation since 1990

The UK is already a world leader in offshore wind. It currently has capacity of about 10GW, which Mr Johnson's government promised to increase to 50GW by 2030. This would generate enough energy to power every home in the UK.

The UK has made significant progress in scaling up its offshore wind production. In March, the industry body Renewable UK announced there was capacity for 72.5GW of wind planned or under construction in the UK.

But the UKCCC warns the country needs more and better energy storage for times when the wind doesn't blow.

In April 2022, the government published its UK Energy Security Strategy, which aims to move away from "expensive fossil fuel prices set by global markets we cannot control".

Story continues

However, it included a promise to issue new licences in the North Sea for oil and gas, despite the UN warning against new fossil fuel projects. The North Sea Transition Authority is expected to issue 100 new licenses.

The ban on fracking was lifted by Liz Truss and then brought back by Rishi Sunak.

Heating and buildings cross-head

Housing accounts for about 14% of the UK's greenhouse-gas emissions, mostly because of gas-boiler heating systems and poor insulation, according to the UKCCC.

Mr Johnson's government committed to installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028 to replace gas boilers. These transfer heat from the ground, air or water around a property into its heating system, and use electricity rather than gas.

Grants of 5,000 are available to help homeowners install a heat pump. The government revealed that fewer than 6000 vouchers had been issued between April and September 2022.

Environmental groups have questioned how the government will meet its 600,000 heat pumps target: only 55,000 pumps were installed in 2021. By comparison, about 1.7 million gas boilers are sold in the UK each year.

Insulation is one of the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from housing. It prevents the loss of heat, meaning less energy is wasted trying to maintain the house's temperature.

The UK has some of the least energy-efficient homes in Europe, but in 2021 the government scrapped its grant scheme to help people with the cost of insulating their homes. A new scheme is targeting lower income households.

Overall installations of insulation "are too slow" and have "stalled", according to the latest UKCCC report.

Insulation installation rates in UK homes. . Installation insulation rates for three measures: lofts, cavity walls, solid walls from 2010 to 2020 Note: homes could have more than one insulation type.

Cars, buses, trains and bikes cross head

Transport accounted for 31.5% of UK emissions in 2021. In a bid to cut this, the government says no new petrol and diesel cars will be sold from 2030.

By 2028, it wants 52% of car sales to be electric. In 2021, 11.6% of car sales were electric, and the UKCCC says the market is "currently growing well".

Number of electric, petrol and diesel cars sold in Great Britain

But on 14 June, the government announced it was ending grants for electric cars, saying the payment was having "little effect on rapidly accelerating sales".

Instead the funding will be used to test and trial zero-carbon HGVs, taxis and motorcycles - and to boost public charging infrastructure.

The government wants 300,000 publicly-accessible charging points by 2030 - a ten-fold increase.

The government has also promised to double cycling rates from 2013 levels by 2025, and build a "world-class" cycling network by 2040.

It has spent 338m on walking and cycling infrastructure in England, but while the Covid pandemic increased cycling rates, it is not clear whether the effect will be permanent.

Flights and shipping cross-head

Before the pandemic, flying made up about 7% of overall emissions, and shipping about 3%.

The UK published its strategy for delivering net zero aviation by 2050 in July 2022.

It was criticised for relying too much on technologies such as sustainable fuels and zero emission aircraft that do not yet exist and also on the development of ways to remove CO2 from the atmosphere to make up for remaining emissions in 2050.

The UKCCC said that given the uncertainty about whether the new technology will be commercially available in time, the government should be looking at how to manage demand and not allow it to grow 70% from 2018 levels by 2050.

A legal challenge has now been launched by climate campaigners on the basis the strategy breaches the Climate Change Act of 2008.

In his 2021 Budget, then chancellor Rishi Sunak halved the taxes on domestic flights, which is expected to lead to an extra 400,000 passenger journeys a year.

He also increased taxes on flights of more than 5,500 miles (8,851km).

Food cross-head

The UKCCC says emissions from agriculture need to be cut by 30% between 2019 and 2035.

This would require:

eating 20% less meat and dairy on average, by 2030

land shifting from agricultural use to support trees and restoring peatland

less food waste

The government has yet to publish the part of its food strategy about the environmental impact of people's diets, or a clear, wider approach for agriculture and land use across the UK.

The UKCCC says current plans "largely rely on the willingness of farmers and landowners to undertake measures". It says there are signs consumers would be willing to change what they eat.

A study published by the National Food Strategy independent review shows daily meat consumption in the UK has fallen by 17% in the last decade.

A government research paper recommending people shift towards a more plant-based diet was deleted shortly after its publication.

Trees cross-head

Trees play an important role in removing carbon emissions from the atmosphere.

At the global climate summit COP26 in November 2021, the government agreed to end deforestation in the UK by 2030. It has an ambitious target to plant 30,000 hectares of trees a year by 2025 (a hectare is a bit bigger than a football pitch).

Chart showing the number of new trees being planted in the UK

However, annual tree planting has not risen above 15,000 hectares UK-wide since 2001, and current planting rates are lower than they need to be to meet the government's targets.

Tree-planting is a devolved issue, and Scotland has nearly twice as much coverage as England.

Hydrogen cross-head

Hydrogen is a low-carbon fuel that could be used for transport, heating, power generation or energy storage. The government wants to have a capacity of 5GW of hydrogen production by 2030.

But the industry is in its infancy, which makes this ambition hard to assess, although there is now a pilot project underway by British Gas to use hydrogen in an emergency gas-fired power station for the first time

The government admits the industry will need "rapid and significant scale-up" in the coming years.

It is also promising a decision on the role of hydrogen in heating by 2026.

But there seems to be some reservations about hydrogen in the UK from major energy providers. Shell has closed all its hydrogen fuelling stations in the UK

Carbon capture and storage cross-head

The ability to capture carbon before it is released - or take it out of the atmosphere and store it - is essential if the UK is to reach net zero.

The government is aiming to capture and store between 20 and 30 million tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030.

But this technology is still emerging and is very expensive.

There are some projects planned, including one in north-east Scotland that can extract as much CO2 from the air as 40 million trees.

Two areas have been chosen to have priority access to government funding for carbon capture projects: the Hynet Cluster covering the North West of England and north Wales, and the East Coast Cluster in the Humber and Teesside.

North-east Scotland is on the reserve list and is expected to be part of the second phase of the programme.

Climate Minister Graham Stuart pledged in October to accelerate the roll out of the second phase.

Industry cross-head

The government says it will cut emissions from manufacturing by about two-thirds from 2018 to 2035.

It hopes carbon capture and the switch to hydrogen will both play a big role but considerable progress is needed in these technologies.

The government also plans to cap the amount of emissions allowed by individual sectors each year, which will reduce over time.

But it is unclear how the scheme will prevent companies shifting production and emissions to other countries.
A Columbia man with a history of gun-possession convictions who led Richland County sheriffs deputies on a vehicle chase last year has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison, the South Carolina U.S. Attorneys Office announced Friday.

Thomas Lashort Bullock, 33, was sentenced to 145 months in prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, federal prosecutors said in a statement.

Bullock, who has prior state convictions for assault and battery and burglary, and a past federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, was arrested in September 2021 after fleeing a traffic stop, the U.S. Attorneys office said.

Bullock, who had been on supervised release for a prior federal gun conviction at the time, jumped the center curb into oncoming traffic to evade deputies and was seen during the pursuit tossing a pistol out of the vehicles driver-side window, according to prosecutors.

After eventually coming to a stop and surrendering to officers, Bullock was found in possession of a 12-gauge shotgun, a 9mm pistol and various quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and a mixture of cocaine and fentanyl, authorities said.

District Judge Cameron Currie sentenced Bullock to 135 months in federal prison on the gun and drug charges, and another 10 months for the violation of his supervised release. The sentences will run consecutively and will be followed by a three-year period of court-ordered supervision, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

Bullocks case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Richland County Sheriffs Department, and prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the centerpiece of the U.S. Department of Justices violent crime reduction efforts.
Protestors disrupt the Los Angeles City Council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday. Councilmember Kevin de Leon, who was caught on tape participating in a racist conversation, has defied widespread calls to resign. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

For what seemed like the 100th time in about 20 minutes, Kevin de Leon was speechless, his jaw slack, his eyes as wide and blank as a deer caught in headlights.

Tavis Smiley, the host and founder of KBLA Talk 1580 AM, had just asked the embattled Los Angeles City Council member the only question that matters: How did De Leon possibly think he could continue to serve in elected office?

How, when so many Angelenos now see the former activist as a "hypocrite" for participating in a racist, secretly recorded conversation with two other Latino council members and a labor leader? On Thursday, five of his own Eastside constituents filed paperwork to recall him.

"Because," De Leon said finally and unconvincingly, "I know what's in my heart. I know what my values are. I know what my principles are."

"Is Kevin de Leon being truthful with regards to his apology?" he continued, referring to himself in the third person, as politicians with egos the size of entire continents tend to do. "Is he being truthful with regards to his tone? ... I know what my moral compass is."

Welcome to the Kevin de Leon Apology Tour.

It's short on substance and sincerity. Not to mention self-awareness. But long on martyrdom, delusions of grandeur and self-serving spin, spoken in breathy tones fit for the funeral that is De Leon's political career.

It's quite the show, though. And for taxpayers still paying his $229,000 annual salary, quite the price of admission.

It all kicked off last week with back-to-back television interviews, featuring a somber and serious De Leon declaring that he would not resign. Despite widespread calls for him to do just that, including from the president of the United States, he insisted that the residents of the 14th Council District, which includes downtown, Boyle Heights and Eagle Rock, deserve representation.

Protesters march from Kevin de Leon's field office to his house in Eagle Rock on Monday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Besides, De Leon added, he wants to help the city "heal" from the pain he caused by scheming with fellow Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Nury Martinez, as well as Ron Herrera of the L.A. County Federation of Labor, about how to dilute the political power of Black Angelenos.

Story continues

Im so sorry. I am extremely sorry, and that is why I apologize to all my people, to my entire community, for the damage caused by the painful words that were carried out that day last year, De Leon told Noticiero Univision anchor Leon Krauze.

How noble.

As a Black Angeleno, I'm still not sure if I am included in "my people" and "my entire community," or if he just means Latinos. It's no wonder his Apology Tour has been such a flop.

De Leon either doesn't understand this or doesn't accept it yet, but what he's really on is a Farewell Tour. Interview after interview, he is talking himself into total irrelevancy.

His clumsy mea culpas certainly made it easier for the L.A. City Council to take the exceedingly rare and severe step of censuring De Leon, along with Cedillo and Martinez, the latter of whom wisely resigned shortly after the secretly recorded conversation she led was leaked online.





"Mr. De Leon, in particular, continues to go on a revisionist history tour in the public and continues to make a mockery of this council, and a mockery of the entire city for his own personal benefit," Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson said shortly before the vote on Wednesday.

By censuring the council members, he added, it sends the message that "these comments are unacceptable to us and that we disassociate ourselves from them as a body.

It's the same message that protesters tried to send to De Leon earlier this week, when they gathered to march through the streets of Eagle Rock and took over the normally quiet block near his home.

Neighbors walked into their frontyards and peeped out of their windows, nodding along with the chants of fuera as TV cameras rolled. Others put their fists in the air as they drove by.

"We are strong, we are dignified people. And we will not be divided," Alberto Retana, president and chief executive of Community Coalition, shouted to the crowd. "Kevin de Leon thinks he can wait us out!"

Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles has erected a small encampment along a sidewalk within sight of the council member's driveway, and the activists sleeping and eating there have vowed not to leave until he resigns.

But despite the five constituents who filed the initial paperwork in hopes of triggering a recall election, De Leon remains defiant.

"Yet another recall that distorts his record will not distract the councilmember or his office from continuing to serve the people of Council District 14, his spokesperson, Pete Brown, said in a statement.

And De Leon's Apology Tour continues.

Hundreds gather in the street near L.A. City Councilmember Kevin de Leon's home in Eagle Rock to demand his resignation. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Speaking to Smiley, live on the radio and streaming on video, he sounded and looked almost bewildered. Like a man trying to reconcile and explain his personal contradictions at the same time.

De Leon has often shared his  until now  inspiring life story.

How he was raised by a single mother who emigrated from Guatemala. How his family lived in poverty and in a basement. How his mother cleaned houses.

How he became an immigrant rights activist and how, in 1994, he helped organize a huge protest in downtown Los Angeles to push back on Proposition 187, designed to deny government services to immigrants without legal status.

How he became a labor organizer, a member of the state Assembly and, eventually, leader of the state Senate  the first time in more than a century that a Latino had led the upper chamber.

He told me this story when we met when I was an opinion writer in Sacramento and he was pushing an array of progressive priorities, including legislation to increase California's use of renewable energy.

And he told me this story again when he was making his long-shot bid for the U.S. Senate against Dianne Feinstein. And again when he was running for mayor of Los Angeles.

How did he go from that person to this person?

De Leon has always struck me as ambitious, determined, overconfident and stubborn  all necessary and, in controlled doses, appropriate personality traits for anyone successful who had to start from the bottom. And now hes here.

But unfortunately, by here I mean hunkered down in KBLA's studio in Leimert Park with protesters outside demanding that he resign. And on the air, meekly explaining that he didn't make a Black media outlet the first  or even the third  stop on his Apology Tour "because of my embarrassment, because my sense of shame."

"I know what was said," De Leon told Smiley. "Tone and tenor in the tape. And I know what the outcomes were. And I know what my history is. What my history is with regards to the shared struggles that I have been part of in moving, you know, policies on restorative justice, on moving issues to create more parks and open space in Black and brown communities."

He pointed to a recently awarded $46-million grant for skid row, the "poorest Black community" in L.A.

"Obviously, you know, the announcement gets drowned out by anything else given, you know, what is happening today. But those are real, genuine, by any objective measurement, driven by my sense of struggle, my sense of fighting for those who have had little or no voice."

Too bad Los Angeles no longer believes in you. The show is over. Now say goodbye.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Geng Quanrong, the Chinese national who made international headlines for allegedly killing his Nigerian ex-girlfriend because of heartbreak, pleaded not guilty to the crime during his re-arraignment on Thursday, according to local reports.

The 47-year-old textile businessman has been charged with culpable homicide for allegedly fatally stabbing his 22-year-old ex-lover, Ummukulsum Ummita Buhari, in her shared home in Janbulo quarters, Kano state, on Sept. 16. Earlier reports say he confessed to the crime, saying Buhari had broken her promise to marry him even after he had spent money on her.

Gengs arraignment has been moved multiple times for various reasons, most recently due to the lack of an interpreter. Under Nigerian law, an accused person has the right to communicate in a language they understand.

On Thursday, the Chinese embassy in Nigeria provided an interpreter, Guo Cumru, to translate English to Chinese for Geng. The suspect pleaded not guilty after the accusations were read to him, the Nigerian Tribune reported.

More from NextShark: How You Can Help India as the Country Faces COVID-19 Surge

Prosecutors asked to adjourn the hearing so they can present five witnesses. It is likely that one of them will be Buharis mother, who claimed to have witnessed her daughters murder.

He [Geng] always comes around wanting to see her and she has been refusing. This time around when he came, he kept knocking on the door. When I was fed up of him hitting the door loudly, I opened the door and he pushed me aside and got in and started stabbing her with a knife, Buharis mother told Daily Trust. I started shouting and people came running.

Judge Sanusi Ado Maaji adjourned the case to Nov. 16, Nov. 17 and Nov. 18, according to Vanguard.

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Japanese scientists want to make lab-grown wagyu affordable to the masses within five years
Honda

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R is here, and it's excellent. Honda announced pricing yesterday, and today, we just spotted that the configurator for the new hot-hatch is live. Normally car configurators are among our favorite time-wasters, but with the Civic Type R, there's only a handful of options you can select from.

You get a choice of five colors. The three pearl finishes add $395 to the sticker, optional forged wheels are also available, which seem steep at $3100, but aren't too bad relative to aftermarket forged wheels, and that's really it. Everything else is dealer-installed accessories, most notably a $2250 carbon-fiber wing. As before, Honda only offers the Civic Type R in one, very well-equipped trim, so there's really not much to configure here.

For myself, I'd have a hard time not ordering a Civic Type R in Championship white, the traditional Honda Type R color. The forged wheels are tempting too, as Honda claims they save a not-insignificant 5.29 pounds of unsprung weight at each corner, though I like the look of the standard wheels better. With the wheels, the MSRP is $47,485. A lot of money to be sure, but I think you'd be lucky to find one at that price. The old Civic Type R still routinely sells for at or above sticker, and demand for this one is going to be significant.

So, how would you get your Civic Type R?

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Elon Musk attends the 2022 Met Gala. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

An assortment of conservatives are lobbying Elon Musk to undo Twitter bans on prominent allies.

Mike Lindell, Alex Jones, and Jordan Peterson are among those gaining support.

Musk has said he opposes permanent bans and plans to roll back moderation on Twitter.

A swathe of high-profile conservatives, as well as anti-vaxxers, are clamoring for Elon Musk reinstate banned accounts now that he is in control of Twitter.

Elon Musk became Twitter's owner on Thursday after months of back-and-forth over his initial bid.

He's long suggested he'd take a lighter touch with moderation, saying in a May interview that he would "reverse the permaban" on former President Donald Trump.

In a tweet aimed at advertisers on Thursday, he said the platform wouldn't be a "free-for-all hellscape" but reiterated his belief in a "digital town square" where all views can be aired.

In one of numerous tweets on moderation issues, he said he was against "censorship that goes far beyond the law."

The question of whether Trump will return to Twitter soon  or at all  is still an open one, as Insider's Britney Nguyen and Grace Dean reported.

In the meantime, there are plenty of other demands. In a tweet congratulating Musk, Rep. Lauren Boebert asked for conservative satirical news site the Babylon Bee to be allowed to tweet again:

Twitter suspended the account in March after it made a transphobic post about Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine. The account hasn't tweeted since then, and as of August it remained locked as the site's CEO, Kyle Mann, said he won't delete the tweet as a matter of principle, according to Reason.

It's one of the instances that spurred Musk's interest in buying the platform, according to Bloomberg.

Writing "free them all," Newsmax pundit Benny Johnson posted a video to Twitter on Friday showing the accounts of dozens of rightwing and far-right figures including Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, the personal account of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Lindell, "Proud Boy" Gavin McInnes, and Alex Jones.

Story continues

Ben Shapiro called for the reinstatement of Jordan Peterson in a tweet that was endorsed by Piers Morgan:

Peterson was suspended in June after making a transphobic tweet, this time about the actor Elliott Page.

The head of Russia's state-controlled media outlets RT and Sputnik, Margarita Simonyan, also asked Musk to remove restrictions on their accounts.

RT and Sputnik are not, in fact, banned and continue to post.

But Twitter is enforcing legal sanctions on the networks in the EU and UK which prevents people seeing their content.

Simonyan and others also complained about "shadowbans"  a term that describes limiting a post's reach covertly while leaving it live.

Twitter has said it never shadowbans anybody, though Musk said Friday he was "digging in" to the allegations.

Musk may well have raised Simonyan's hopes when it court documents around the Twitter acquisition revealed in late September that he had praised the networks. Following the networks' ban across the EU, Musk wrote in text messages that Russian media has a "lot of bullshit, but some good points too."

An Australian far-right outlet's correspondent, Avi Yemini, called for the return of British extremist Tommy Robinson, tweeting a video in which Robinson claimed he had been banned for speaking "facts" about Muslims.

Twitter did not specify exactly which statement had prompted the permanent ban, in March.

On the side of vaccine misinformation, large numbers of users also tweeted at Musk to ask him to award blue-tick status, or to undo restrictions, on high-profile anti-vaxxers such as Dr Robert Malone, Dr Sherri Tenpenny, and Dr Pierre Kory.

Dr Simone Gold, the founder of vaccine disinformation group America's Frontline Doctors (AFLD), asked Musk to reinstate "Frontline News" on the platform, though it's unclear exactly which account she was referring to.

Evolutionary biologist and podcaster Bret Weinstein, who has long questioned COVID-19 vaccine efficacy, also called for Musk to reinstate anti-vaxxer Dr Robert Malone.

Read the original article on Business Insider
ZURICH (Reuters) - The Swiss National Bank endorses the measures Credit Suisse has taken to transform the embattled Swiss bank and shore up its capital, SNB Vice Chairman Martin Schlegel said.

"The SNB welcomes the steps recently announced for the strategic transformation of Credit Suisse," Schlegel told Swiss newspaper Finanz und Wirtschaft in an interview published online on Friday.

"The new focus of the business model will lead to a reduction in risks. At the same time, Credit Suisse is strengthening its capital base," added Schlegel, who oversees financial stability for the central bank.

Credit Suisse on Thursday unveiled plans to raise 4 billion Swiss francs ($4.01 billion) from investors, cut thousands of jobs and shift its focus from investment banking more towards rich clients.

The SNB has been following closely the situation at Credit Suisse, which it has designated as one of Switzerland's two globally systemic banks along with cross-town rival UBS.

UBS economists, meanwhile, expect the SNB to post a third-quarter loss of around 50 billion Swiss francs when it reports its results on Monday.

Such a loss would halve the SNB's equity which stood at 103 billion francs at the half-year stage, but this would have no effect on the bank's policy, Schlegel said.

"Directly, this would have no impact on the SNB. We can pursue our tasks and fulfill our mandate even with negative equity capital," he said.

"Nevertheless, it is important that we have enough equity. It helps the credibility of a central bank if it is well capitalized."

($1 = 0.9964 Swiss francs)

(Reporting by John Revill; Editing by Michael Shields)
Binance, the worlds largest crypto exchange, confirmed its participation as an equity investor in Elon Musks $44 billion deal to purchase Twitter.

We're excited to be able to help Elon realize a new vision for Twitter. We aim to play a role in bringing social media and Web3 together in order to broaden the use and adoption of crypto and blockchain technology, Binance CEO Changpeng CZ Zhao told in an emailed statement to Decrypt.

Earlier this week, CZ confirmed Binance would stick to its earlier promise to commit $500 million towards Musks bid to buy Twitter, emphasizing that the deal would present a chance to help bridge social media and news into Web3.

Zhao took to Twitter late on Thursday to say Binance had already wired the said amount as part of the deal.

Our intern says we wired the $500 million 2 days ago, probably just as I was being asked about Elon/Twitter. https://t.co/gM65GHUnZC  CZ  Binance (@cz_binance) October 28, 2022

Binance first revealed plans to back Musks acquisition of Twitter in an SEC filing in May this year, with the exchanges CEO describing the move as "a small contribution to the cause" at the time.

The primary financiers that helped the Tesla and SpaceX chief fund the deal include Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and Barclays, each committing at least $2.5 billion in debt financing for the deal, according to Forbes.

Other equity investors participating in the acquisition include Sequoia Capital, Qatar Investment Authority, and Fidelity Management & Research, among many others, per CNBC.

Musk completes Twitter takeover

After months of legal and public squabbling over the deal, Musk reportedly finalized his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter late on Thursday, triumphantly posting a 'The bird is freed' tweet and immediately ousting several top executives.

Story continues

the bird is freed  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022

Initial reporting indicates that the new owner has been quick to make cuts to Twitter's c-suit. Those departing reportedly include Twitter's CEO Parag Agrawal, the chief financial officer Ned Segal, and the top lawyer Vijaya Gadde, who played a key role in the decision to ban former president Donald Trumps Twitter account in January 2021.

Musk himself will take over as CEO, a source told Bloombergalthough it may only be an interim role.

His next move will reportedly be to restore Twitter users who have been handed lifetime bans from the platform, including Trump.

Beyond Dogecoin: Elon Musk Explains Why He Bought Twitter

Prior to completing the deal, Musk stated his primary motivation for acquiring Twitter is to ensure the future of civilization.

The goal, according to Musk, is to preserve a common digital town square, where people with wide-ranging beliefs can debate their views without resorting to violence, rather than splintering into far right-wing and far left-wing echo chambers.

Other goals include battling spam bots on Twitter, an issue that may be addressed by implementing blockchain-based solutions.

Bot spam is especially prevalent in the crypto community, where scammers often create fake identities of influencers and other prominent figures, including Musk himself, to lure in investors.
PRAGUE (AP)  Tens of thousands of Czechs used a national holiday Friday to rally in the capital against the pro-Western government and its support for Ukraines fight against the Russian invasion.

The rally follows two others at Pragues central Wenceslas Square and was smaller than the 70,000 who gathered for the same reasons on Sept. 3, according to police estimates.

Held under the slogan The Czech Republic first, a reference to former U.S. President Donald Trumps nationalist platform, the protest united the far right with the far left and various fringe groups. Its organizers are known for pro-Russian views and opposition to COVID-19 vaccines.

With soaring energy, food and housing prices hitting the country, the protesters were demanding the resignation of the coalition government led by conservative Prime Minister Petr Fiala.

Resign! they chanted while waving the national flags.

The protesters have repeatedly condemned the government for its support of Ukraine and the European Union sanctions against Russia, opposed Czech membership in the EU, NATO and other international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization, .

Russias not our enemy, the government of warmongers is the enemy, one speaker said.

A smaller rally was held in the country's second-largest city of Brno.

The government has dismissed those demands.

We know whos our friend and whos bleeding for our freedom, Interior Minister Vit Rakusan tweeted. And we also know whos our enemy.

Czechia has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine, donated heavy weapons to the Ukrainian army and given about 450,000 visas to Ukrainian refugees that give them access to health care, financial help, work permits and other benefits.

Fiala and several ministers were planning to travel to Kyiv on Monday for a joint meeting of the Czech and Ukrainian governments.

We intensively support the justified fight of the Ukrainian people against the Russian aggression, Fiala said Saturday.

Although the country's populist opposition made some gains in the municipal election last month, the five ruling coalition parties won big in the vote earlier this month for one-third of the seats in Parliaments upper house, the Senate.
Etienne Laurent/Pool via Reuters

A dancer in Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights got emotional on the stand Thursday as she recalled how Harvey Weinstein groped and masturbated on her inside a Puerto Rico hotel room in 2003while the disgraced producers female assistant stood on the other side of the door.

The woman, identified in court as Ashley M., told Los Angeles Superior Court jurors that one day on set filming the Dirty Dancing sequel, Weinstein told her to get in a car with his assistant, Bonnie. The trio then went to a hotel under the guise of discussing future career projects before eventually ending up in a room. Suddenly, she said, the assistant shut the door behind Weinstein and Ashley M.and Weinstein shoved her and began to take off her clothes.

Its not like were having sex, its just naked cuddling, Weinstein allegedly told the woman, she recounted to Los Angeles Superior Court jurors. I just remember in my head thinking, what do I do? Should I make a run for it? But I knew that he was just really big and I knew Bonnie was most likely out there so I didnt know what to do.

Just 22 years old at the time, the dancer said Weinstein began to masturbate while groping her breasts before he ejaculated on her breasts and face.

I was just really thankful that I wasnt raped. I remember thinking and I remember wiping off, just getting dressed really fast and leaving really fast, she said.

As she opened the hotel room, still hysterical, she said she found the assistant right at the front of the door with her clipboard. The trio then got back into a car and back to the set.

Harvey Weinsteins Chair Moved After Hes Accused of Staring Down Jury in Rape Trial

Ashley M. is the second woman to testify against Weinstein in his sex-crimes trial in Los Angeles. She is among eight women who are set to take the stand against the toppled titan, who has pleaded not guilty to almost a dozen charges against him, including rape. The 70-year-old former producer is already serving a 23-year prison sentence after being convicted of similar crimes in New Yorkthough that case is on appeal.

Story continues

Prosecutors allege that for years, Weinstein used his power to sexually assault five Los Angeles women between 2003 and 2013and ensure their silence. Several other women, including Ashley M., will be bad acts witnesses to support the prosecutions allegations of Wensteins pattern of predatory behavior. The dancers allegations, however, are not part of the criminal charges against Weinstein.

Weinsteins legal team has maintained that these women are fabricating their harrowing allegations and that they engaged in sex acts with Weinstein to help their career.

Ashley M. was repeatedly emotional on the stand as she recounted her 2003 allegations to jurors. She described how she grew up dancing and was thrilled when she landed the Dirty Dancing role dancing as a body double for the lead character in the Miramax movie filmed in Puerto Rico.

The dancer described how she first met Weinstein when he walked up to her as she was waiting to film a scene on setand how he suggested they walk outside together. She said Weinstein soon mentioned something about a naked massage, which she tried to shut down after insisting that she was engaged.

He said he did it with Gwyneth Paltrow, Look what I did to her career, she recalled.

Ashley M. said the alleged assault happened days later, when she had been in Puerto Rico for about a week. She said that while she was initially freaked out to see Weinstein on set that day, she immediately felt better when she said that his assistant was also present.

The comfort of having another woman nearby, she said, allowed her to get in the car with Weinstein, who had been very aggressive.

I gave her a look like, Can you help me? with my eyes, and she looked me in the eyes and said, Dont worry, Ill be with you the entire time, he just wants to talk about future projects, Ashley M. said. This girl is looking me right in the eye and Im not alone, and I felt more at ease.

If Bonnie hadnt been there I would have been freaking out, but I felt more at ease because Bonnie was there, she added, noting that at first, she didnt know they were going to a hotel.

But she said that ease immediately vanished once they got to a hotel room, when Bonnie shut the door behind us. When asked why she never reported the alleged assault on set, Ashley M. said she felt like nobody would help her because of Weinsteins power in Hollywood.

I felt that at that time everyone was afraid [for] their career and stuff, she added.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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I have to say I was getting a bit tired of playing the good guy all the time, says Daniel Bruhl (Getty Images)

Daniel Bruhl will always stop for a photo with a fan. What he is recognised for largely depends on where in the world he is at the time. If he is in Italy, chances are people know him for playing Formula One ace Niki Lauda in Rush. In Germany, he is still approached by admirers of his early indie drama Good Bye Lenin! and outside of Europe, it will almost always be for Quentin Tarantinos Inglourious Basterds. Whichever role it is, the 44-year-old Bruhl is happy to oblige. Other actors ask how he remains so patient. Ive always had this urge to be liked, he confesses bashfully. Even up until now.

Its funny because over the past two decades, the Spanish-German actor has cultivated a reputation for the opposite. On screen, he is often found scowling, if not moustache-twirling. First, there was his star-making turn as Tarantinos unctuous, lovelorn Nazi, Fredrick Zoller. (Incidentally, Bruhl has been cast as a Nazi or Nazi adjacent in at least five films.) Even as Lauda in Rush, Bruhl played the racing driver as curt and superior: the antithesis of Chris Hemsworths freewheeling sweet-talker James Hunt. You could say a Marvel supervillain  such as the one he plays in Captain America: Civil War  was always on the cards for Bruhl. He is very good at being bad.

His latest film, the newly released Netflix adaptation of Erich Maria Remarques 1928 novel All Quiet on the Western Front (in German: Im Westen Nichts Neues, or Nothing New in the West), is something of a switch-up. The book and its film version depict the horror of war as a young German soldier sees it. Newcomer Felix Kammerer plays the young trooper. Bruhl is the real-life liberal politician Matthias Erzberger, who in 1918 persuaded the German higher-ups to finally admit defeat and negotiate a ceasefire with the French. Less than three years later, he was assassinated by right-wing nationalists.

All Quiet on the Western Front paints a realistically bloody picture of warfare. There is not a whiff of heroism to be found in the trenches, as some war movies that Bruhl grew up watching suggested. To have a very bleak and neutral point of view was paramount, he says. Valour was out of the question in German films about war. We cannot take the position, in telling a story like this, of heroism or glorification. While the book has received multiple adaptations since 1918, including the 1930 Oscar-winning film by Lewis Milestone, this is the first time it has been shot in German. Asked why it has taken so long, Bruhl considers the question carefully, Maybe because we have restraints and fears in dealing with our own history.

Story continues

There is nothing glorious about war. The film is very clear about that. Its message is universal and timeless. Right now, Bruhl adds, it is also scarily pertinent. I wish that we were in a situation in which the film was less relevant. When we started, there was a rise in nationalism, populism everywhere so that was enough reason to tell this story but what we could not foresee is that war would erupt in the middle of Europe. Bruhl hopes that young people especially will go to see the film. I want to remind the people and the youth that war is not cool. War is not an adventure; war is horror  and the supposed winners are going to suffer for the rest of their lives.

Conversation with Bruhl roams freely. He is erudite and engaged, almost always leaning forward in his chair, elbows on his knees. The actor may be in his mid-forties but could pass for much younger. The stylish suit he is wearing no doubt helps: Bruhl looks at home in this five-star hotel room dressed in a slick navy corduroy number with a black turtleneck underneath. But mostly it is down to his face, which is youthful even in middle-age. Bruhls grin is by far his most distinctive feature. In fact, it is hardly a grin at all, only the slightest upturn of his lips. The minute movement gives his smile an impish quality that can appear sinister, like when it flickers across the face of Lutz Heck, the cajoling Nazi zoologist Bruhl plays opposite Jessica Chastain in The Zookeepers Wife (2017). Today, it is only ever shown in good humour.

For a long time, Bruhl resented his boyish mien. From my late twenties up until 35, whenever I shaved, Id think, S***, I look like a 15 year-old! He was often offered parts 10 years younger than his real age. I thought, Ive gone through this. It doesnt interest me any more! But nobody would believe that Im a father or a teacher. It is, of course, ironic that he now misses those days. Now when I say to my wife I look 15 when I shave, she says, You wish! We compare it to getting IDd when buying alcohol. What was once an inconvenience has become a flattery of the highest order. Just now I was renewing my credit card and had to scroll for so long before I found my birth year, Bruhl laughs, rolling his rs to mimic the sound of his computers mouse.

Marvel helps keep him young. My nephew is 19 years old and finally now he takes me seriously. Bruhl first entered the MCU in 2016s Captain America: Civil War as the ski-masked Baron Helmut Zemo, a role he reprised in the Disney Plus series Falcon and the Winter Soldier. While other actors such as Elizabeth Olsen and Christian Bale have been lightly critical of green screen acting, Bruhl speaks about it with wonder. Its the most mind-boggling experience when you see the result and its actually believable. He recalls one of the first ever scenes he shot for Marvel. He was in Atlanta where it was 40 plus degrees Celsius. It was supposed to be Siberia, 40 minus. I was in a North Face jacket, and I was just dying. And the wonderful Chadwick [Boseman] was so brilliant, sweating in his full Black Panther gear. I was talking in that East European accent; Chadwick was speaking in an African accent, and we were both imagining some isolated snowy valley. It all felt so incredibly weird  but it worked! Marvel has been welcoming of both Bruhl and perhaps more surprisingly his ideas. Its like going to a Luna park. Its a massive playground and they invite you to explore things. Youre not in a corset where they tell you what to do. Bruhl wanted to imbue his character with some humour for Falcon and the Winter Soldier; They said bring it on.

Daniel Bruhl as Matthias Erzberger in the Netflix adaptation of Erich Maria Remarques 1928 novel All Quiet on the Western Front (Reiner Bajo)

It wasnt until Bruhl, then 31, was cast in Quentin Tarantinos 2009 revenge film Inglourious Basterds that he became an international star. Famously, Tarantino offered him the part after watching Good Bye Lenin!  the 2003 film that made Bruhl a name to know in Germany. The big-hearted comedy drama starred Bruhl as Alex, a doting son whose mother wakes up from a coma right after the fall of the Berlin Wall. When doctors inform him that any jarring event may give her a heart attack, Alex works tirelessly to conjure a world in which the revolution never happened. Good Bye Lenin! was a brilliant but limiting showcase for Bruhl. He was, at least according to scripts he was sent, always going to play the perfect son, the guy who helps elderly people across the street and waters your plants when youre away. Bruhl was doomed to play the nice guy forever  and then came Tarantino. It was refreshing to have that outside perspective, because I have to say I was getting a bit tired of playing the good guy all the time.

The happily violent, history-inspired, cinema-centric Inglourious Basterds was classic Tarantino. As Zoller, Bruhl was a Nazi soldier unwittingly wooing the woman plotting his grisly demise and that of his fascist regime. Its a coup of casting. In the role, Bruhl visibly toys with his boy-next-door image and proves that sweetness is sometimes best when it belies something sour. Bruhl finally sloughed off the nice guy veneer. I thought, how brilliant of Tarantino to play with that image of me as a nice guy, and the timing of it coincided with my need to break out of that, he recalls. And it would have been very limiting to stay in Germany and work out of Germany. It had become a bit boring.

Quentin Tarantino cast Daniel Bruhl against type in 2009s Inglourious Basterds (Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock)

Tarantino or no Tarantino, its unlikely Bruhl would have stayed in Germany. He was born in Barcelona to a Spanish mother and a German father but raised in Cologne. He spent summers in France with his cousins. It makes sense then that his first point of entry into a role is language. For me, it all starts with the voice. Accent, intonation, register provide an appealing and useful foothold into a characters social and psychological universe  one easily grasped by a polyglot such as Bruhl who is fluent in Spanish, German, French, English, and Portuguese. He has also been entirely convincing as a Polish stranger (Ladies in Lavender). Personally, he has always loved the English language. As a teen he used to sing in two very horrible bands. He corrects himself. The bands werent horrible. I was horrible. I always tried to sound very British because I wanted to be like the Manchester bands of the time, like The Stone Roses. He cringes and shudders in his seat, as if trying to shake off the memory itself. Eurgh  Gott! Anyway, it became clear very quickly that I wouldnt have a career as a rock star.

If my father had been a butcher, then probably I wouldnt be sitting here

Language still interested him, even if a future in Britpop was off the table. I find it so interesting how you can express certain things better in one language or the other. Its the first thing I hold on to as an actor. In most cases, I want to know how someone speaks and then I find the rest of it. You can find Bruhl talking to himself a lot during pre-production. He is nervous about the release of All Quiet on the Western Front; his character is from the same region as his in-laws and his accent is sure to attract some friendly flak. Im going to get some text about it from them, he rolls his eyes. But I tried my best. Phonetically, its really difficult.

Bruhl seems almost to have been predestined for life in the arts. He credits his family for his current profession, reeling off relatives and their various occupations. His father was Hanno Bruhl, a documentary filmmaker who also dabbled in theatre and directed some TV movies. His uncle worked in radio. His other uncle was a journalist. His cousin was a theatre and opera director. His other cousin also worked in radio. If my father had been a butcher, then probably I wouldnt be sitting here, Bruhl says matter-of-factly.

Daniel Bruhl at 25 years old in Good Bye Lenin! (2003) (Conny Klein/Wdr/X-Filme/Kobal/Shutterstock)

But theres another reason he is an actor. Its the same reason that he will always stop for a photo with a fan. As a little boy in kindergarten, I learned very quickly to ask myself: what is my position here? How can I position myself? Most archetypes were out of reach for him. Young Daniel wasnt good enough at sport to be a jock but he did have something else to offer. I soon realised that Im a bit funny and Im a good storyteller, so I got attention, and I got respect and I got my circle of friends through that. His peripatetic upbringing and even his current life travelling to and from movie sets preclude him from a feeling of belonging. It would be very coquettish and wrong to say it was a disadvantage growing up in a family that was so mixed up, he clarifies. The only negative effect is that very often I have the impression Im not from any one place. Even in Cologne, where he grew up, the locals will look at him like a traitor. Bruhl puts on an accent to mimic them: You went to the capital like so many others. Dont pretend you are from here. He sighs.

That relatable but unenviable need to be liked is what it comes down to then. I guess thats still such a motor for me. When youre an actor, you have that stage and you enjoy when you tell a joke or play a part that reaches people, that makes them curious and makes them listen to what you have to say, he pauses. I think this started with being a child and desperately trying to get some attention.

All Quiet on the Western Front is available to watch on Netflix on 28 October
File photo: A Lufthansa plane touches down at an airport (Getty Images)

Workers at an airport in Germany discovered a body in the undercarriage of a plane from Iran, it has been reported.

Airports staff found the body in a Lufthansa aircraft that arrived in Frankfurt airport form, the Iran capital.

The body was discovered by workers after the passengers of flight LH 601 had left the aircraft and the A340 had been moved to a hangar for maintenance, German newspaper Bild reports.

The same flight scheduled for Friday has been cancelled, according to Lufthansas website.

File photo: Body was discovered on Lufthansa flight LH 601 from Tehran to Frankfurt (Getty Images)

Lufthansa and federal police declined to comment. Frankfurt police was not immediately available for comment.

The incident comes amid widespread unrest in Iran, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman who was detained by the Islamic Republics morality police for "improper attire" and died in police custody.

Tensions in the country are at boiling point and protests against the death enetered their forty-second day on Friday.

Demonstrators attempted to break into government offices in Mahabad on Thursday after the death of 35-year-old protester Ismaeil Mauludi.

According to human rights group Hengaw, at least 3 citizens  identified as Keyvan Darvishi, Mohammad Lotfolahi, and Mohammad Shariati  were killed.

The UN human rights office on Friday voiced concern about Irans treatment of detained protesters and said that authorities were refusing to release some of the bodies of those killed.

Weve seen a lot of ill treatment...but also harassment of the families of protesters, Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, told a Geneva press briefing, citing multiple sources.

She added that in some cases, authorities were withholding the bodies of dead protesters from families or only releasing them on condition that they do not hold a funeral or speak to the media.
The Pentagon on Thursday released a new set of documents outlining a sweeping strategy for U.S. security, seeking more deterrence for a list of threats topped by Russia and China.

Well share whats in the strategy and what weapons the U.S. military is looking to cut from its arsenal, plus Russias new assurances it wont use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine and the White Houses response.

This is Defense & National Security, your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. For The Hill, Im Ellen Mitchell. A friend forward this newsletter to you? Subscribe here.

2022 NDS says China, Russia pose biggest threats

The 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS), released alongside the Nuclear Posture Review and Missile Defense Review, comes eight months after Russia invaded Ukraine and follows recent threats from China to bring Taiwan under its control.

First given to Congress in classified form in March, the document is the first in nearly five years  since early 2018, when the Trump administration released its version. That national defense strategy was the first in decades to focus U.S. defenses on China and Russia instead of violent extremist organizations.

The biggest threats: President Bidens version continues with that line of thinking, though it labels China as a consequential strategic competitor for the coming decades, while calling Russia an acute threat, demonstrated most recently by its unprovoked attack on Ukraine.

[China] and Russia now pose more dangerous challenges to safety and security at home, even as terrorist threats persist, the document states, noting that both countries have deployed space capabilities that could target Americas GPS and other space-based capabilities that support military power and daily civilian life.

Why so dangerous?: Both Moscow and Beijing could use a wide array of tools in an attempt to hinder U.S. military preparation and response in a conflict, including actions aimed at undermining the will of the U.S. public, and to target our critical infrastructure and other systems, according to the strategy.

Story continues

Speaking to reporters after the strategys release, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that while Russia cant systemically challenge the United States over the long term, unlike China, it does pose an immediate and sharp threat to our interest and values.

Other areas of focus: The strategy also focuses on North Koreas growing nuclear and missile capabilities, Irans nuclear program, violent extremist organizations including the Islamic State, al Qaeda and al-Shabaab, and transboundary challenges such as climate change and pandemics.

Whats in the strategy: The document does not include specifics as to how the Pentagon will work with allies and partners or how it will alter its procedures, weapons procurements or personnel to tackle the stated threats, though Austin described the strategy as the Pentagons north star.

Instead, the NDS ranks the biggest threats to the United States, broadly outlines how the military would respond and drives future defense spending requests and Pentagon policy, including what weapons to put money toward and how to spread its service members around the globe.

Read the rest here

BIDEN MOVES TO SCRAP TRUMP-ERA MISSILE PROGRAM

The Biden administration is seeking to scrap the U.S. militarys development of nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles, despite recommendations to the contrary from top officials, according to the Pentagons new National Defense Strategy.

The decision, which comes over top Defense Department officials public recommendations to keep the weapon, is part of a sweeping new strategy calling for better military deterrence in the face of threats from Russia and China.

A reversal: The document looks to reverse the Trump administrations 2018 move to develop a new nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N), a weapon meant to focus specifically on a Russian threat.

The U.S. will still maintain a submarine-launched nuclear arsenal.

The Biden administration said the Trump-era program was no longer necessary, as the United States already has the means to deter limited nuclear use.

Read that story here

Biden: Putin nuclear weapons talk very dangerous

President Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putins frequent references to nuclear weapons very dangerous, hours after Putin claimed he had no intention of using such a weapon.

If he has no intention, why does he keep talking about it? Biden told Nexstars Reshad Hudson in an exclusive interview. Why does he talk about the ability to use a tactical nuclear weapon? Hes been very dangerous in how hes approached this. He can end this all, get out of Ukraine.

Scrutinized assurances: Putin earlier Thursday said at a gathering of foreign policy experts that it was not in Russias interests to use a tactical nuclear weapon.

We see no need for that, Putin said. There is no point in that, neither political, nor military.

Putin has repeatedly raised the specter of using nuclear weapons, highlighting Russias nuclear capabilities in response to any potential threats from the West.

No movement seen, yet: Still, Biden administration officials have said the U.S. sees no evidence Russia is imminently going to use a chemical or tactical nuclear weapon, nor does it see any reason to change its nuclear posture.

Read that here

ON TAP FOR TOMORROW

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace will hold the second and final day of its International Nuclear Policy Conference at 9 a.m.

The Atlantic Council will host a talk on Will Putins Invasion Go Nuclear? with Gen. (Ret.) Philip Breedlove , former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, at 10 a.m.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies will hold a discussion on Department of Homeland Security cyber priorities with DHS Under Secretary for Policy Rob Silvers at 11 a.m.

WHAT WERE READING

Thats it for today! Check out The Hills Defense and National Security pages for the latest coverage. See you tomorrow!

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Riverside Preparatory School in Oro Grande.

Sheriffs officials are requesting the publics help in identifying the suspects responsible for theft and vandalism at Riverside Preparatory School in Oro Grande.

The Victor Valley Sheriffs Station reported that sometime between Oct. 1 and 2, one or more suspects entered the school at 19900 National Trails Highway and stole tools valued at more than $1,000 from a school-owned Ford F150 truck.

They also used one of the stolen tools, a cordless grinder, to cut and remove the catalytic converter from another school-owned truck parked on the property.

Deputies are hoping that someone with information about the incident will come forward.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident is asked by the Sheriffs Department to contact Deputy W. Fifita at the Victor Valley Sheriffs Station at 760-552-6800.

Callers can remain anonymous by contacting We-Tip at 800-78-CRIME (27463) or online at wetip.com.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Deputies seek public's help to ID vandals who hit Oro Grande school
A Beaufort County deputys 2017 dashcam recording of a dispute in an upscale Hilton Head community has drawn fresh attention to a South Carolina judge at the heart of the Alex Murdaugh saga.

But lawmakers and attorneys have suggested that the judge is unlikely to face consequences for the recording and any judicial investigation would be shielded from the public.

Theyre going to take him to the jail, then I am going to tell the magistrate not to give him a bond, then I am going to have to hold him there, Judge Carmen Mullen said on a dashcam recording captured from a sheriffs deputys car, released to media outlets through a public records request

On the recording, the 14th Circuit Court judge can be heard musing about ways she can expedite the arrest of Ernest Ernie Lotito.

Mullen has maintained that her actions on the night of Dec. 12, 2017, were motivated by concern for Lotito, a former attorney accused of harassing the homeowner he was staying with during a mental health crisis.

But the half hour-long recording has undercut Mullens previous claims that a law enforcement incident report released to the public did not accurately portray the events in 2017.

SC Judge Carmen Mullen

It has also raised questions about whether Mullen, who presided over the settlement case involving the estate of Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaughs longtime housekeeper who died after a fall in 2018, will face scrutiny by either the state Legislature when she is up for reelection in 2027 or the judiciarys Office of Disciplinary Counsel.

In a statement emailed to news outlets on Oct. 19, 2022, Mullen denied the incident reports assertion that she tried to use her position to get a Lotito arrested on the night of Dec. 12, 2017.

The existence of the report documenting the incident was first reported by reporter Liz Farrell on the podcast Cup of Justice, which she co-hosts with Columbia attorney Eric Bland.

At the time, Lotito was staying at a home belonging to Regan Renaud in the Port Royal Plantation community on Hillton Head. Mullen became involved in the situation after Letito, who had been briefly employed by her husband, refused to leave Renauds home.

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Im about to cry, you have no idea, Regan could be heard telling deputies as she described Letitos erratic behavior, including discussing her daughters underwear and running up her energy bill by leaving the doors to her home wide open and turning on fans.

Mullen was passing by but stopped. Approaching a sheriffs deputy, Mullen can be heard saying that the officers would have to take him in.

I dont think you have a choice, she said. I am not sure what you can charge him with right now, but youve got to get rid of him. He cant keep harassing her.

Mullen can be heard explaining that Letito was a really bright lawyer with a serious mental illness that could best be managed in jail.

Hes a sweetheart at the jail, Mullen said. The funny thing is, they love him. All the jailers, they laugh. I say any problems? They say, No, no, no, no, because they medicate him while hes there. They force medicate him.

The judge went on to brainstorm ways that Letito could be legally arrested.

Mullen said that Lotito had been arrested in the past when he was purposefully driven to the Kangaroo Express, a gas station on Robert Smalls Parkway, where he had a no-trespass notice.

When deputies said there was nothing they could do that night to get Lotito off the property since he did not have a no-trespass notice at the home, Mullen asked whether they could draw up a warrant for breach of contract after claiming he had used Renauds credit cards without her consent. Deputies said they would have to get a judge to sign off on it.

I mean, I could sign a warrant, Mullen said. I sign them all the time.

As the conversation continued, deputies could be heard on the recording growing uncomfortable at Mullens persistence.

This is getting to the point where a supervisor needs to be out here, a deputy could be heard saying. Mullen is wanting to make stuff up to get him arrested.

In reference to those allegations, Mullen said in her Oct. 19 statement that she only got involved in the situation to make sure police were aware that Lotito was mentally ill so that they would not hurt him.

The allegation that I was somehow abusing my power as a judge, trying to have Ernie arrested for no reason, is ridiculous, Mullen said in her statement. We were simply trying to help him.

Scrutiny limited for SC judges

The incident has once again put Mullens conduct under the spotlight.

Questions about her fitness have been raised ever since it was revealed that Mullen made unusual rulings favoring disgraced ex-attorney Murdaugh, who currently sits in the Richland County jail facing numerous financial-related charges and murder charges in the shooting deaths of his wife and youngest son.

But despite the scrutiny, there are few mechanisms for sanctioning a sitting judge in South Carolina.

Circuit court judges like Mullen are elected by the General Assembly  along with Virginia, South Carolina is just one of two states where legislators, not voters, elect judges  after being reviewed by the Judicial Merit Selection Committee, which includes state legislators. The judges then serve for six years.

Mullen was first elected to the court in 2006. She was most recently reelected by the legislature in 2021.

We dont have any authority unless (the judge is) in front of us, said House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Richland, who sits on the judicial vetting committee.

The selection committee doesnt even have the power to call a judge before them except when they are running for office, Rutherford said.

Other members of the judicial merit selection committee did not respond to The States request for comment.

In February 2022, South Carolina 1st Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe filed a complaint with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel alleging that Mullen signed off on a settlement in a case where the heirs of deceased Murdaugh housekeeper Satterfield were due to get millions of dollars, knowing the settlement would be hidden from public view.

As a circuit court judge, Mullens conduct is governed by the South Carolina code of judicial conduct, which charges judges with upholding high standards of independence, impartiality and faithfulness to the law. Under South Carolina law, it is considered misconduct for a lawyer or judge to perform acts prejudicial to the administration of justice.

The Office of Disciplinary Counsel investigates complaints against judges and lawyers in South Carolina, but a 2019 investigation by ProPublica and the Post and Courier revealed that no judges in South Carolina had ever been publicly punished following an investigation.

There is now sworn testimony establishing that Judge Mullen signed the Satterfield order on May 13, 2019, knowing it would not be filed (in the public record) to prevent the litigants in the Mallory Beach matter from learning about Mr. Murdaughs insurance coverage and his settlement with the Satterfield estate, Pascoes letter states

Mallory Beachs death in 2019 in a boat crash, allegedly caused by Murdaughs son Paul, led to scrutiny of the Murdaugh legal empire and accusations that he stole settlement money from clients, including Satterfields family.

However, the disciplinary counsel has been active in sanctioning attorneys who break the rules.

In July, former Greenville Assistant Solicitor Jeffrey Phillips was suspended from the practice of law after he was found to have texted with a juror. Phillips self-reported his communications, according to Upstate-based television station WSPA.

Its necessary for public official to be held to a higher standard, Pascoe said. That was appropriate and Im glad they did it.

When asked whether Mullen should have to answer to the disciplinary counsel, Pascoe said that he had no comment about the judge.

Thats the South Carolina Supreme Courts job, not David Pascoes, he said.
The California security company cited for a serious safety violation in connection with the Boise Towne Square mall shooting last year is appealing the decision.

A year after the October 2021 shooting, an extensive report on the shooting sheds light on three previous interactions the mall security staff had with the armed shooter, as well as the shooters conduct at other locations in the Treasure Valley and with a state legislator.

Professional Security Consultants Inc., a Los Angeles company, provided security for the mall during the Oct. 25, 2021, shooting that left two people dead, including a security employee who was shot to death after approaching the armed gunman, Jacob Bergquist.

Bergquist later died by suicide behind a dumpster close to the mall, after shooting at police.

A gun clip found at the scene of the Boise Towne Square Mall shooting in October 2021.

Citation appealed on grounds standards were vague

In April, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Labor that handles worker safety, cited the security company for a serious violation and fined it $14,502.

In a July 26 document, a lawyer for the security company said it denies the allegations that it violated federal worker safety rules, noting that the standards the company allegedly violated are unenforceable due to vagueness.

In a list of defenses, the company said it had been expected to comply with standards it had not been given adequate notice to comply with, and that the rules it violated were de minimis, or trivial.

The company also said any potential violations were caused by unforseeable employee and/or supervisory misconduct, and that there was no substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from the alleged condition.

The citation indicated that OSHA took issue with the companys policy of asking security workers to approach armed people rather than considering a no-approach policy for high-risk situations and instead calling law enforcement.

OSHA also said the company should better identify and track high-risk people, require security to immediately contact law enforcement in such instances, and conduct regular active shooter drills.

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Professional Security Consultants policies and procedures did not effectively address the risk of gun violence, a recognized hazard in the security services industry, OSHA Area Director David Kearns said in a news release at the time.

A trial to resolve the matter is scheduled for next May before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, a federal agency that adjudicates OSHA cases.

A lawyer representing the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Shattered glass escalators at the scene of an October 2021 shooting at the Boise Towne Square Mall. One of the shootings victims, Roberto Padilla Arguelles, was shot on an escalator.

Bergquist visited mall 3 times before shooting

In an interview with Boise police, the malls security manager recognized Bergquist from a photograph and said the 27-year-old Boise resident had visited the mall on three prior occasions, each time with a gun.

The first incident was several months before the shooting, when he entered the mall and was approached by a security employee, who advised him that firearms were prohibited.

In response, Bergquist said it was a free country, noted his Second Amendment right and called the rule a joke before leaving without incident, according to the interview.

In a second encounter, Bergquist again came in with a gun, complained after being approached by security, and left.

In a third encounter, which happened in April 2021  six months before the shooting  Bergquist disparaged the malls policy with a profanity and told the employee he was on the city council and working with Boise police to change their policy, according to the report. After being told that the mall was private property, he said that was a big excuse and left.

Each time Bergquist came in, he was carrying a pistol with extra magazines, the report said. He would enter on the east side by Dillards and leave on the west side of Macys.

Mall security is not allowed to enter into the Macys store unless there is an emergency so security did not follow Bergquist out of Macys when he left, according to the report. He never made any threats and left without incident each time.

The security manager also said that the names of people who brought guns to the mall were not documented.

On the day of the shooting, Bergquist killed a security guard, Jo Acker, who approached him outside of the entrance to Macys. He then shot Roberto Padilla Arguelles on a nearby escalator, and fired more rounds inside Macys before exiting through the west entrance, according to the report.

Acker, 26, was a U.S. Army veteran from Caldwell. She had a 3-year-old daughter. Padilla Arguelles, 49, was a Mexican man on a work program in Rupert, which is east of Twin Falls. He was shopping for gifts at the mall and was planning to return home to family in two weeks when he died, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting. He had three children and a grandson.

A hole in glass found at the scene of the Boise Towne Square Mall shooting in October 2021.

Bergquists search for work, conduct with neighbors

The Boise police investigation into Bergquist uncovered that he had worked or looked for employment at multiple locations in the Boise area, including Walmart, Fred Meyer, a dry cleaner and a gun range.

He had been fired from a job at a Walmart in Meridian because he brought a gun to work and was confrontational with management when asked about it. At a local gym on State Street, Idaho Fitness Factory, he had repeatedly carried a firearm while working out, and had once inadvertently pointed it (at) a members head while he was on a bench.

At a gun shop and range in Boise called Impact Guns, he frequently came in to look around the store, and came in almost every day in the two or three weeks before the shooting, according to the report.

Bergquist had lived at a mobile home park in the Boise area for about six months and rarely had visitors, according to the report. Police said he moved to Idaho at the end of 2020.

A neighbor said he heard Bergquist talking to a camera as if he were making videos. Bergquist had a YouTube channel that no longer exists.

Another neighbor said she always saw him with a gun, and sometimes with an AR-15 rifle. Two days before the shooting, she saw him pacing back and forth in the road, talking loudly and angrily.

In a search of his residence, police found numerous bullet casings in a side yard and inside the home, along with bullet holes in the corner of the living room wall. A plywood board in the hallway had a large number of bullet strikes/impacts, the report said.

Based on the location of the couch, the bullet strikes to the living room wall corner ... are consistent with someone (Bergquist) sitting on the couch and target practice shooting, the report said.

Prior interaction with governor, legislator

As previously reported, Idaho State Police had reported Bergquist at the Idaho Statehouse, where he told the governors receptionist that he wanted to interview the governor about the rights of felons to carry guns.

In 2011, Bergquist had been charged with felony possession of marijuana with intent to sell in Wisconsin, according to previous Statesman reporting. The charges were pleaded down to a misdemeanor. Had he been convicted of the felony charge, Idaho law would have prevented him from carrying a gun in the state.

In April 2021, Bergquist approached Rep. Chris Mathias, a Boise Democratic state legislator, on the steps of the Idaho Capitol, according to the report.

Mathias said Bergquist was not close enough to him to have seen his name tag, so he believed he would have had to have researched him to recognize him, the report said.

Bergquist was wearing all black and carrying a pistol, and after he called Mathiass name, he asked Mathias what he was going to do to restore his gun rights.

Mathias told him to contact the Judiciary and Rules Committee at the Legislature, and Mathias kept walking to his appointment, the report said.

Statesman reporter Nicole Blanchard contributed.
Corrections & clarifications: A previous version of this story included a photo and video of a house that was incorrectly identified by a law enforcement official as the past residence of Donald Studey.

THURMAN, Iowa  In a corner of southwest Iowa where locals have long avoided venturing too far up into the wooded hollow north of town, the news that a possible serial killer had lived there for decades made some shudder.

But longtime residents of this tiny hamlet nestled at the base of the Loess Hills also said they were not surprised to hear that the local recluse, who died almost a decade ago, has been accused by his own daughter of killing scores of people.

Rumors of bodies being dumped in a well near Donald Don Dean Studey's trailer had preceded the most recent claims by his daughter, Lucy Studey McKiddy, 53, for decades. And in a place that no longer has a single cafe, tavern or local cop, some said, a cantankerous and sometimes violent man was largely free to do as he pleased.

A photo of Anna Studey with her husband Donald Studey on her grave stone near Thurman Iowa, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. According to his daughter, Donald Dean Studey murdered "five or six" women a year and buried them in and around an abandoned well on his property.

Guns up in these parts are mandatory; knives are optional, said Max Johnson, a former rodeo clown and cowboy who lives in town.

Chief Deputy Timothy Bothwell of the Fremont County Sheriff's Office said law enforcement officials learned long ago not to go alone up Green Hollow Road, a sparsely populated area subject to occasional reports of gunshots at night, domestic violence, fires and other incidents involving an erratic and occasionally suicidal Studey.

Even in 1996, when I first got here, a call to Green Hollow was a two-car call, Bothwell said.

But when McKiddy shared her story in a Newsweek article published online Oct. 22, the horrible scope of her allegations triggered international media attention. McKiddy told Newsweek reporters her father could have been responsible for 50 to 70 deaths over 45 years before he died in 2013 at age 75. If her claims were to prove true, the article said, Studey would rank as one of Americas most prolific serial killers.

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Daughter said her allegations about killings were long ignored

McKiddy, who has not responded to interview requests by the Des Moines Register, told Newsweek her previous attempts to report her fathers killings over the years had been ignored by teachers, counselors, clergy and law enforcement officials in both Iowa and nearby Nebraska.

Interviewed this week, Bothwell said the sheriffs office's first heard the allegations in 2007, when McKiddy's father claimed she had stolen $16,000 from him. McKiddy, Bothwell said, denied she took the money but alleged her father had buried bodies in a disused well behind the familys property, on the former site of a county-run home for the poor.

Bothwell said he was unable to find the well she described, and the investigation stalled.

Speaking in 2021 with another deputy, McKiddy claimed a second time that her father had killed several people and that she believed he disposed of their bodies in the well. Last week, she went to the site with Newsweek and pointed out the well. Two cadaver dogs, on the site with deputies, zeroed in on specific areas, including the well, suggesting human remains may be nearby.

Another of Studeys four children, Susan Studey, has since told Newsweek that McKiddy was not telling the truth. Susan Studey said her father was strict but not a serial killer, and she wants to restore his name. A brother, Gary Studey, died in 2004. The Register, a part of the USA TODAY Network, could not immediately locate a third Studey daughter.

Southwestern Iowa sheriff: 'Im not going to let it die'

Kevin Aistrope, sheriff for 14 years in Fremont County, said this week that the FBI also had talked to McKiddy in 2021 and looked into the case more than a year ago.

He said the FBI had backed away in the last couple of weeks for reasons he would not elaborate.

So we stepped forward again, he said. Im not going to let it die. Im just not gonna let that happen.

Aistrope said he has no choice, especially after the reactions of the cadaver dogs supported McKiddy's claims.

The FBI declined to comment on the case.

"We have no information to provide at this time," Wade Greening, a spokesperson for the FBI's Omaha, Nebraska, office, said in an email.

Bothwell said Studey also approached a neighbor years ago who had been covering old wells at the former poor farm, about a quarter mile behind the Studey property. At the time, Studey reportedly told the neighbor he wanted a pipe from one of the wells. Studey also suggested to the neighbor that he might see bones in the well, but he insisted they were from cows, Bothwell said.

Both Bothwell and Aistrope said some parts of McKiddys story have changed, but others have remained consistent. Last week, she also walked right to the site of the well in question, one of the places the cadaver dogs "hit" for human remains.

Weve got to go with Lucy, Aistrope said. "No matter if they say its not true, or say shes crazy or whatever they can say, we have to look into it. We have no other choice.

Donald Dean Studey's grave near Thurman Iowa, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. According to his daughter, Donald Dean Studey murdered "five or six" women a year and buried them in and around an abandoned well on his property.

He said representatives of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, plan to sit down in person within the next two weeks to decide how to move forward. That could include taking soil samples, using radar or drilling for core samples with the help of forensic experts. Excavating the now-covered well where McKiddy said her father dumped bodies would be difficult before winter, and Bothwell said archaeologists are needed to collect and identify any bones.

Though Aistrope said he wants to work as quickly as feasible on behalf of families of any potential victims, there is no immediate pressure to harness all available law enforcement personnel since Studey died in March 2013. Uncovering evidence from the now-private land near Studeys former home will take considerable planning, he said.

Itd be different if we had him out there today, but we dont, Aistrope said. Right now, all we have is her story. We dont even have a bone. I just want to figure it out.

Aistrope acknowledged that the last murder case he handled in the county took five years to prosecute, so the Studey investigation could continue long after he retires.

Bothwell said Wednesday the FBI would take the lead in any criminal probe.

Sheriff's office incident reports show Donald Studey was troubled

Nearly 20 incident reports the Register obtained this week from the sheriffs office, dating to the late 1990s, show Studey was a source of concern for his family and could be violent.

One from 2005 said he threatened to kill the son of his last wife, Anna Tordoff Studey, and another, from 2012, said he shot himself in one of several reported suicidal episodes. Aistrope said deputies were on the scene when Donald Studey shot himself in the arm.

Dan Tordoff, Anna Tordoff Studeys son, told the Register he called deputies in 2005 after Studey threatened both his life and hers. Tordoff said his mother was afraid of Studey, and he often was afraid for her safety before she died in 2006.

While Studey's behavior could be erratic, so have been some of McKiddy's assertions about the killings. A McKiddy account in an incident report obtained by the Register, written by Deputy Mike Wake after a 2021 phone interview, was sharply different in some ways from the story portrayed in the interview with Newsweek.

For example, McKiddy told Newsweek her father killed up to 70 people, including prostitutes and transients from the Omaha area. The article also quoted her as saying Studey sometimes forced his children to help with burials.

But in the 2021 interview with Wake, McKiddy said she knew of only five bodies in the well by her fathers home, but shed heard stories that there could be up to 15 bodies. She also alleged to the deputy that she was sometimes with her father before and after hed killed people.

Specifics in the 2021 account were horrific. She told Wake that in 1976 or 1977, she saw her father go outside with a .22 rifle and come back in the house and put the rifle up. Later, she said, she saw her dad and two other men take a body out of the trunk of a car and haul it by wheelbarrow to the 90-foot-deep well.

Not long after, in the late 1970s or 1980, McKiddy said, she was with her father in his car when he picked up a 15-year-old girl on an interstate exit, the incident report states. She said her father convinced the girl it was safe to go with them because he was a single dad with four kids, but McKiddy said she believed he raped and murdered her. The girl was gone the next morning, the incident report says.

McKiddy also said she awoke one night to the screaming of a homeless woman; her father was beating the woman and dragging her by her hair in the living room. The next morning, she said, her father told her the woman had left, but she figured she was in the well.

McKiddy said she saw a dead body by an old cellar on the family property one day around 1979, and her dad loaded it onto the wheelbarrow and took it to the well. Around the same time, she said, her father took two bags of lye to the well, where she saw that body and another of a man in his 20s lying facedown.

She said that her dad told her they were putting the lye on the bodies to help deteriorate them faster, Wake wrote in the incident report.

Afterward, McKiddy said, they went mushroom hunting.

In the report, Wake mentions that he had heard that Studey killed a man named Doug Semore and put his body in a well but we could never get any information on when or where. I believe the last time I saw Doug was in 1988.

He wrote that McKiddy thought Semore had been a witness to a local stabbing in which her dad was involved.

Whispers about Green Hollow, but no answers

In Thurman, a shrinking wisp of a town where a few families, including the Studeys, go back to the 1800s, many adults, including the mayor, still recall being told as children never to go to Green Hollow.

There were always stories about Green Hollow, said Bill Reeves, who was elected mayor in the town of fewer than 170 years ago. You just didnt go up there. Even when my dad was a boy.

Some, like Johnson, remember children teasing each other about the Green Holler Mauler, a fabled monster that roamed the woods near where Studey lived with one wife and later another, both long dead.

Now, everybody wonders if the truth will turn out to be stranger than fiction  and that there really was a monster up there to be feared.

Who knows what could happen up in them woods? asked Johnson, the former rodeo performer. Im not surprised.

Lee Rood staff photo, Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021.

Contributing: Daniel Lathrop

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Sheriffs vow to get to truth about Iowa serial killer Donald Studey
Michael Gonzalez/Getty

Good luck, Tweeps: Elon Musk is officially in charge.

The provocative billionaire completed his much-debated purchase agreement on Thursday, six months after he initially announced he was buying the company.

Multiple outlets confirmed the news on Thursday evening, though two Twitter employees told The Daily Beast they had not yet received confirmation from their bosses.

As usual were the last to know, one of them said.

Musk tweeted late Thursday night: The bird is freed.

the bird is freed  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022

According to The Washington Post, Musk immediately fired multiple executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal. At least some of those execs were set to receive massive golden parachutes upon termination.

Musk originally signed the agreement in April, but he attempted to renege on the deal by claiming the company lied about the number of fake accounts on its platform. Twitter sued Musk in Delaware court in July, hoping a judge would force him to uphold the $44 billion deal. (Musk filed a suit countersuit of his own.) The case was headed to trial this month, until Musk abruptly agreed to go through with the agreement at the original purchase price of $54.20 per share.

But the drama did not end there. Last week, The Washington Post reported that Musk had floated plans to lay off as much as 75 percent of Twitters workforce when he took the reinsa drastic cut that experts said could threaten the core of the companys work. (Musk reportedly walked back the plan this week.)

Employees reacted to the report with nervous humor, posting tweets about whether the companys headquarters in San Francisco might be converted into a Spirit Halloween store and quipping about its future with a minuscule staff.

Offline, one current employee was less inclined to joke. Its kind of insane to buy something just to burn it down, she told The Daily Beast, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Thats not sustainable, it cant run on 25 percent capacity.

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The employee added that she and her coworkers were nervous about Musks impending ownership, because they heard terrible stories about Tesla.

A former staffer who recently left Twitter after growing alarmed about the prospective merger said that none of her coworkers had been happy about the buyout. It was a mix of I want to leave in protest, and just, Let me find another job, she told The Daily Beast.

Ever the jokester, Musk stopped by Twitters offices on Wednesday carryingfor unclear reasonsa sink; he posted a video of his entrance with the caption, Entering Twitter HQ  let that sink in! The billionaire also changed his profile description to Chief Twit.

According to an email to staffers obtained by CNN Business, the firms chief marketing officer, Leslie Berland, explained Musks presence as just the beginning of many meetings and conversations.

If youre in SF and see him around, say hi! she wrote, adding that their soon-to-be boss would address staff later in the week.

Its not clear what immediate changes Musk has in store for the company. He has previously pledged to restore Donald Trumps account (which was suspended following the Jan. 6 insurrection), otherwise reduce censorship, and expand the platforms revenue streams. Just last week, he tweeted and then deleted a photo of himself, Trump, and the scandal-plagued rapper Kanye West dressed as the Three Musketeers and pointing to the names of their respective social media companies. In retrospect, it was inevitable, he wrote, of the trio.

Musk previously claimed the Twitter purchase was a stepping stone to creating an app he referred to as X, or the everything appan analog to WeChat, which dominates much of online life in China. The purpose of the app would be to serve as a global town square that could also process payments, he said on a podcast in May. He later suggested the apps user base could reach at least one billion people.

Musk is also inheriting a platform whose positioning appears weak. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Twitters own internal research reveals that so-called heavy tweetersa small fraction of users that generate 90% of all tweets and half of global revenueare in absolute decline.

In a research note on Thursday, Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives pegged the firms value at $25 billion, barely more than half of what Musk is shelling out. The $44 billion price tag for Twitter will go down as one of the most overpaid tech acquisitions in the history of [mergers and acquisitions] deals on the Street, he wrote.

Even Musk has admitted to overpaying for the struggling company, saying in a recent Tesla earnings call: Although, obviously, myself and the other investors are obviously overpaying for Twitter right now, the long-term potential for Twitter in my view is an order of magnitude greater than its current value.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuador's energy minister Xavier Vera resigned on Friday amid an investigation into accusations he arranged jobs at state oil company Petroecuador in exchange for bribes.

"I'm taking a step to the side with the sole purpose of being able to concentrate entirely on defending the slander leveled against me," said Vera, who has denied wrongdoing, in a message published on the energy ministry's Twitter profile.

The former minister thanked President Guillermo Lasso for his support and said his resignation would avoid the government being bogged down by the accusations.

Vera was the vice minister of mining for 10 months and later appointed the minister for mines and energy, which he held for six months.

Late on Thursday the attorney general's office, which said this week it was launching a probe, searched Vera's homes in Quito and Guayaquil and his office in the ministry of energy, as well as a hotel in the capital where someone else involved in the case had stayed.

Items like telephones and computers which were seized in the searches "will be entered into the chain of custody, amid the investigation for an alleged crime of bribery," the office said on Twitter.

The investigation was sparked by allegations in a digital media outlet that Vera, who began his ministerial post in April, had arranged jobs at state oil company Petroecuador in exchange for payments, among other corruption accusations.

He told local media on Thursday there was no proof against him and that the accusations were a systematic effort by criminals to discredit the government.

"This is something orchestrated by the mafias which have always prowled around my sector, which drives 30% of GDP, and I'm a rock in their shoe," Vera told Sonorama radio. "This is not a coincidence, this is a systematic effort to affect the image of the government."

"There is no concrete case, there is no recording of me, there is no photo of me, there is no audio of me, there is no video of me," he added.

(Reporting by Yury Garcia and Alexandra Valencia; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb and Oliver Griffin; Editing by Chris Reese and Josie Kao)
Venezuelan migrants walk across the Rio Bravo from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, towards the United States border to surrender to the border patrol on Oct. 13. (Christian Chavez / Associated Press)

For the record:

6:47 p.m. Nov. 3, 2022: An earlier version of this editorial incorrectly stated that the Biden administration ended Title 42 in May. A federal judge prevented the administration from ending it.



More than 25% of Venezuelas population has fled the country since the authoritarian policies of Nicolas Maduro plunged the South American country into economic free fall and social unrest. The humanitarian emergency is believed to be the largest mass displacement of people in recent Latin American history, with most of the approximately 6 million migrants relocating to 17 countries, according to the United Nations' International Organization for Migration.

But those who come to the United States seeking asylum are being turned away using the deceptive cover of a Trump-era COVID-19 pandemic provision known as Title 42. This new "migration enforcement process was unveiled two weeks ago to ease the crush at the southern U.S. border, leaving thousands of desperate Venezuelan migrants stuck in Mexico. The program relies on cooperation from Mexican government officials, who have agreed to allow the Venezuelans to remain in Mexico, for now.

The number of Venezuelan migrants arriving in the U.S. has risen the past two years, particularly during the past few months. Border authorities reported that about 33,000 Venezuelans seeking asylum arrived in September alone.

Title 42 has been used since early 2020 by U.S. authorities to bar entry by individuals from countries where a quarantinable communicable disease exists. The provision was cruelly employed by the Trump administration to bar migrants lawfully seeking asylum, and the Biden administration continued using it with plans to end it in May. But officials were unable to overcome legal challenges and a judge denied a request to end it. The Department of Homeland Security expanded the program to Venezuelans in October.

This policy, rooted in the lie that migrants are a serious health threat, is cowardly policymaking. It's also disingenuous. In recent months, the Biden administration has sent mixed messages about COVID, downplaying its seriousness or issuing warnings depending on the situation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its indoor masking recommendation for fully vaccinated people in May, though more than 2,500 people are still dying of the coronavirus every week. President Biden said in a nationally televised interview in September that the pandemic is over, yet his administration renewed the public health emergency orders weeks later.

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Administration officials cant have it both ways. And if they are trying to fend off criticisms by Republicans about immigration controls in the hotly contested midterm elections, such a ham-handed policy shift in the weeks before election day isn't likely to change many minds.

Of course, the U.S. must enforce its borders to ensure the safety of the country and citizens, but the Biden administration should also be mindful of the global refugee crisis thats displaced a record number of people. Its not as if Venezuelan migrants arriving on the U.S. doorstep comes as a surprise. That country's economy and society have been unraveling for years, with a United Nations fact-finding mission in late 2021 uncovering evidence of extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances and other potential crimes against humanity.

To mollify criticism, Homeland Security is including in the new program a chance for some Venezuelans to legally migrate to the U.S. under an advance parole system modeled after one used to help Ukrainian refugees. However, admission is capped at an abysmally small 24,000 people and the program for Ukrainians specifically excluded Title 42 from being used to bar them entry. Further, the advance parole program requires Venezuelans to have a U.S. sponsor.

Politicians on both sides of the aisle are treating migrants as objects to be ferried around  and dropped at the doorstep of political rivals  or demonized as health risks instead of treating them as human beings. Venezuelan migrants are traveling dangerous paths rife with smugglers, traffickers and other bandits, only to reach the U.S. border to become fodder in partisan power plays.

Republican and Democratic policymakers alike have failed miserably year after year to address even the smallest of immigration issues. Millions of young immigrants known as "Dreamers" are in suspended legal status due to the failure of legislators to pass or negotiate a permanent legal solution.

Homeland Security officials say this new program for Venezuelan migrants enables the United States to lead by example. An example of what? The U.S. is simply handing off migrants to another country not any better equipped to handle the crisis. A better example would be for the U.S.to create a program that doesnt violate the human rights of Venezuelans.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Photo: Michael Gonzalez (Getty Images)

On Thursday night, billionaire and incredibly unfunny shitposter Elon Musk finally completed his acquisition of Twitter, and he immediately fired four top executives, including the CEO, chief financial officer, general counsel, and the head of legal policy, trust, and safety. That last (now former) executive is Vijaya Gadde, who was central to permanently banning President Donald Trump after he incited violence before and during the January 6 insurrection. Twitter was the first platform to ban Trump; Facebook and Instagram suspended his accounts for two years and will only reinstate him in January 2023 if the risk to public safety has receded.

Musk, a self-described free speech absolutist, said in May that he would allow Trump back on the platform, calling the ban a morally bad decision and foolish in the extreme. The comments came at an event hosted by The Financial Times, where Musk said: I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump. I think that was a mistake...It alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice.

Read more

It feels like its only a matter of time before Musks Twitter reverses Trumps ban. The real question is whether the former president returns before or after the midterm elections on November 8. It wouldnt just be an annoyance for Trump to be back for those who will be subjected again to his unhinged and blatantly false rantsit could actually undermine democracy. Rolling Stone recently reported that Trump is planning to challenge the midterm elections if Republicans lose, especially the Pennsylvania Senate race where Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) faces Mehmet Oz (R). He can better rally his troops and influence media narratives if hes talking to people on Twitter versus the flaccid Truth Social.

Story continues

Already some of the worst people in US politics are egging Musk on, including Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO).

The bird is free, now free the GOAT.@realDonaldTrump  Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) October 28, 2022

Needless to say, Twitter has been far improved by the lack of Trump. Just let us laugh at his old bangers, and let a sleeping dog lie.

Trump only ever had one good tweet. Just let this be his legacy and leave him to Truth Social pic.twitter.com/MZ78yiu6lH  Laura Bassett (@LEBassett) October 28, 2022

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Elon Musk has closed a $44bn deal to take Twitter private (Getty/AFP)

Elon Musks $44bn Twitter takeover has finally gone through, and is likely to bring the biggest changes to the social media company since its launch in 2006.

After six months of legal sparring, Musk closed the deal before a Friday 5pm deadline and avoided a high-stakes showdown in the Delaware Chancery Court.

Late on Thursday it was reported that he had fired top executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal.

The 51-year-old has promised profound and immediate changes to the way Twitter is run, as part of his grand ambitions of quadrupling the number of active users on the platform to one billion and turn a niche platform favoured by journalists and politicians into a global digital town square.

More of his plans include loosening content moderation controls, eliminating bots, restoring banned accounts and removing what he describes as Twitters far left bias.

And thats just for starters. In tweets and text messages to investors, Musk has said he wants Twitter to become an everything app, where users go to complete daily tasks from encrypted messaging to peer-to-peer payments, e-commerce purchases to social networking.

The acquisition is likely to usher in dramatic changes to the user experience that will likely please some and infuriate others, Jason Mozer, a senior analyst at The Motley Fool who closely follows the tech sector, tells The Independent.

Hes buying this in order to inflict a lot of change and that requires a lot of work. Hopefully its something hes committed to, he can be a bit mercurial, Mr Mozer said in an interview this week. He may be biting off more than he can chew in the near term, its not like everything is humming along nicely at Twitter.

By some estimates , the true market value of Twitter stock is be around half the $54.20-per-share Mr Musk and his fellow investors are handing over.

He has already sold billions of dollars worth of Tesla shares, and waived due diligence before agreeing to the deal.

Story continues

Given the price hes paying, he is going to need to figure out how to monetise the platform more effectively, says Mr Mozer. Sometimes he shoots first and aims second, and that might have got himself into a little bit of trouble here.

A toxic place

Musk has said hes a free speech absolutist, (despite blocking many of his detractors on the platform), and has suggested that Twitter should allow any content that doesnt break local speech laws.

My preference is to hew close to the laws of countries in which Twitter operates, he tweeted on 9 May . If the citizens want something banned, then pass a law to do so, otherwise it should be allowed.

Expanding on what he meant by this at an event in May, Musk said any speech that is destructive to the world or wrong and bad could be subject to penalties.

Content moderators have tried to rein in racism, disinformation and vitriol on the site. By opening the floodgates, experts warn Mr Musk could risk alienating newcomers.

Elon Musk had to complete his deal to buy Twitter by 28 October to avoid a trial (Getty Images)

Mr Mozer says that Musk will likely follow the lead of companies like Google and Facebook by using artificial intelligence to moderate harmful content.

Everybody just loves to say free speech, but it must come with consequences, he says. I think Twitter has a bad reputation right now as being a fairly toxic place, if you go against the grain, people will come down on you.

Musk complained about the number of bots, or spam accounts, on Twitter while attempting to derail the acquisition, and has promised to cleanse the site of fakes.

I think that Twitter unfortunately is riddled with that stuff, Mr Mozer says.

Eliminating the fake accounts would go a long way to making it a more engaging platform, he believes.

Mr Musk has also suggested he would make the algorithm publicly available for users to view and suggest changes to.

Trumps return

Along with relaxing whats said on the platform, Musk has also said he will move to reinstate former president Donald Trump and others who have been permanently banned from Twitter.

During his presidency, Mr Trump frequently used the app to fire political appointees, taunt world leaders, and spread misinformation.

After he used Twitter to incite rioters on January 6, Mr Trump was suspended and ultimately banned for breaching the guidelines.

Donald Trump has said hes not interested in getting back on Twitter (Ty Wright/Getty Images)

Banning Trump from Twitter didnt end Trumps voice, it will amplify it among the right and this is why its morally wrong and flat out stupid, Musk said at the Financial Times Future of the Car conference in May.

For his part, Mr Trump has said he wouldnt return to Twitter even if he was allowed back on.

I was disappointed by the way I was treated by Twitter. I wont be going back on Twitter, he told CNBC in April.

Under Twitters previous guidelines, it prohibited threats and glorification of violence, targeted abuse and harassment, and hateful conduct based on race, ethnicity, religion and gender.

Mr Mozer says the rules have not been consistently enforced. Letting the former president back on could work out favourably, but only if Twitter spells out exactly where it will draw the line.

If you let them back on with a very clear and concise policy, then you can act from there on, he says.

Others to have been permanently banned from the platform include far right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos, Roger Stone (twice in 2017 and again after Mr Musk announced his purchase in 2022), Infowars hate monger Alex Jones, white supremacist David Duke, and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

The everything app

Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app, Musk tweeted in early October.

Everything apps are a way of life in Asia, and tech developers have been trying to emulate them in other parts of the world.

WeChat, which has more than one billion users according to some estimates, is considered the benchmark.

You basically live on WeChat in China, Mr Musk said during a Q and A session with Twitter employees in June.

He told employees the move into encrypted messaging, ride hailing and payments was part of a strategy to increase Twitters users numbers from around 237 million to at least a billion.

The Motley Fools tech expert Jason Mozer says he remains highly sceptical that Musk will be able to pull this off.

We know that China has WeChat and that works for them. But in the western world, people dont want all of that stuff under one roof, he said. On the consumer side, youre putting all of our eggs in one basket. If Twitter goes down, you dont have any way of getting my stuff done.

He said Facebook had tried to turn itself into an everything app, but ended up spreading itself too thin: I dont think thats what most people want out of Twitter.

Mere pawns in a game played by billionaires

The Washington Post recently revealed that Musk planned to axe 75 per cent of Twitters employees, reducing the San Francisco-headquartered companys headcount from 7,500 to just 2,000.

In response, Twitter employees wrote to their new overlord in a letter obtained by Time of their concerns about his negligent layoff threats.

The plan would hurt Twitters ability to serve the public conversation, employees wrote.

Twitter employees have warned Musk that by slashing the workforce he will fundamentally harm the user experience (AFP/Getty)

A threat of this magnitude is reckless, undermines our users and customers trust in our platform, and is a transparent act of worker intimidation.

The letter signed off by demanding respect and protection and not to not be treated as mere pawns in a game played by billionaires.

The threat will likely cause an exodus of talent from Twitter, Jason Mozer says, and retaining the best and brightest employees and attracting new talent would be crucial to improving the platform.

Consolidation of power

Musk has added the social media platform to a burgeoning portfolio of assets under his control.

These include electronic car maker Tesla, spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX, satellite internet provider Starlink, brain-chip pioneer Neuralink and tunnel venture The Boring Company.

In recent months, Mr Musk has used his platform to personally attack US president Joe Biden, pledge allegiance to the Republican Party, make unsolicited suggestions on how to end the war in Ukraine, and suggest allowing China to take control of parts of Taiwan.

A recent Bloomberg report claimed that the Biden administration was weighing subjecting Mr Musks business ventures to national security reviews - a charge flatly denied by the White House.

Given his efforts at freelance diplomacy, ability to turn off internet access in conflict zones, and dictate the political conversation, concerns remain about having so much power, money and geopolitical influence concentrated in the hands of one person.

Elon Musk (Getty Images)

When you have someone who is running so many things that are so geared toward the future, the consolidation of power is extremely dangerous, Mr Mozer says. Elon is a fascinating personality, some people are just fully bought in on him and everything that he does, and dont even question a thing. It is almost cult-like to an extent. I wish him all the best and man-oh-man his plate is full.
Elon Musk Reportedly Nears Completion Of Twitter Deal

The Twitter logo is displayed on the exterior of Twitter headquarters on October 26, 2022 in San Francisco, California. Credit - Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Elon Musks takeover of Twitter elicited celebration from conservatives on Friday, particularly among those who felt the companys former leadership unfairly censored conservative viewpoints. I feel like a kid in a candy store, tweeted Libs of TikTok, a popular right-wing Twitter account that has been suspended multiple times for violating the platforms code of conduct.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) tweeted FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!!! from her professional Twitter account on Thursday evening, followed by We are winning on Friday morning.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) delivered a similar message, calling Musks acquisition of Twitter one of the most significant developments for free speech in modern times during a Fox News television appearance on Thursday. Im glad he bought Twitter, Cruz said. I think that is tremendous that he fired the top executives. Referring to Musk reportedly firing executives including Twitters CEO Parag Agrawal, Cruz added: He needed to clean house at the top level, and simply allowing free speech is incredibly important.

Musk, a self-proclaimed free speech absolutist, has suggested that he would loosen standards for the policing of harmful content such as misinformation and hate speech once he takes over. He has also voiced support for restoring access to former President Donald Trump, whose account was permanently suspended last year after the deadly Jan. 6 attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Speaking during a live interview with the Financial Times in May, he said he would reverse the permaban on Trump, calling the lifetime ban a morally bad decision.

I think its very important for there to be an inclusive arena for free speech, Musk said at a TED Talk in April. Twitter has become kind of the de facto town square, so its just really important that people have  both the reality and the perception that they are able to speak freely within the bounds of the law.

Story continues

However, an immediate restoration of the former presidents account appeared less likely after Musk announced on Friday afternoon that Twitter will form a content moderation council to make decisions about removing posts and reinstating accounts. He did not say when the council will convene. Its unclear whether Twitter has changed any of its content moderation policies in the hours since Musk took ownership. Musk tweeted that the Twitter account of Kanye Westnow legally known as Yehad been restored before the acquisition closed and that he had not been consulted on the decision.

Yes account was restored by Twitter before the acquisition. They did not consult with or inform me.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022

To media analysts, it comes as little surprise that right-wing influencers and politicians celebrated Musks acquisition of the platform. Polling from the Pew Research Center in 2021 showed that 6 in 10 Republican Twitter users felt that limiting the visibility of certain postslike obscuring election misinformationwas a major problem. The polling also found that Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say Twitter is bad for democracy.

Read More: How Twitter Could Change Under Elon Musk

The platform has instituted a number of permanent suspensions in recent years to prominent accounts, including Greenes personal account, which was suspended for repeatedly sharing misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. The Babylon Bee, a conservative satire site, also lost access after it published a transphobic humor piece. Media analysts say both accounts could return under Musk.

Musk acknowledged in a note to advertisers on Thursday before the deal was completed that Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences! But as news of the deal closing spread on Friday, a number of Twitter accounts had posted racist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic slurs, prompting concerns that a Musk-controlled platform would be littered with hateful content designed to offend and cause outrage.

Meanwhile, conservative media pundits claimed Musks takeover as a victory for their cause, particularly just weeks ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. Ben Shapiro, founder of The Daily Wire, retweeted Musk with a meme of popping champagne, and tweeted, We can only hope that other social media bosses (cc: Mark Zuckerberg) follow Musks lead.

Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters, says that Facebook will almost certainly reverse its ban on Trump if Twitter also makes the move. He adds that it could have major implications for the digital town square. Its basically giving Republicans a megaphone for the worst forms of election lies, which can inspire further doubt about democracy and even threats, Carusone says. And if they can target some of these local election races, they can be very disruptive.

Read More: What to Know About Trumps Twitter Ban, Now That Elon Musk Owns the Platform

Trump himself applauded Twitters new ownership in a statement posted to TRUTH Social, his own social media platform, on Friday. I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands, and will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs that truly hate our country, Trump wrote. He began his message by touting TRUTH Social and claiming without any supporting evidence that it had bigger numbers last week than all other platforms, including TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and the rest.

Although Trump has said he would not rejoin Twitter even if his lifetime ban were to be lifted, that didnt stop some conservative politicians from celebrating the idea on Friday. The bird is free, now free the GOAT, tweeted Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), tagging @realdonaldtrump. The acronym stands for greatest of all time.
Good morning, Elon Musk owns Twitter. We knew it was going to happen (except for the part where Elon fought it tooth and nail), but it's real now, so let's catch you up on the whirlwind that was the new "Chief Twit's" ascension.

The week's festivities kicked off with Elon Musk paying a visit to Twitter HQ, on what we now know was the eve of the official deal close. He used the occasion to make an admittedly kinda funny visual pun about the phrase "let that sink in," by carrying a sink and literally having Twitter let him and that sink in.

Whimsical chaotic energy is definitely Musk's strong suit, so this is expected behavior, even if you can't imagine any other execs  like, say, Tim Cook, for example  carrying large porcelain objects into office lobbies to announce an acquisition close.

Elon Musk carries a sink into Twitter HQ

Elon Musk carries a sink into Twitter HQ. Image Credits: Elon Musk / Twitter

On the heels of a report that some advertisers might boycott Twitter should Elon lift Donald Trump's permanent ban, the Muskie posts an extended missive to advertisers trying to explain his logic ("I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love" is exquisite) and ends by assuring them it won't "become a free-for-all hellscape" under his rule.

Bucking the odds-makers, Elon does not reveal the deal close at 4:20 PM PT, but instead the news first trickles out then hits like a wave with near-simultaneous reports across all major outlets on Thursday at around 6 PM PT.

That means he beat the deadline set upon him by Delaware Chancery Court Judge Kathaleen McCormick, which was today, October 28. The deadline resulted from the court case that resulted from Elon trying to wriggle out of the deal  in which he floated multiple defenses as an attempt to get out of his $44 billion commitment.

Elon Musk collaged with Twitter logos

Image Credits: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images (collage by TechCrunch) / Getty Images

Musk wasted no time clearing house when he got in: He fired CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, General Counsel Sean Edgett and Head of Legal, Trust and Safety Vijaya Gadde basically at the same time he was officially handed the keys.

Story continues

Clearly, there was no love lost between Musk and Agrawal. And he'd previously been criticized for posting criticism of Gadde that essentially got her targeted by his sycophantic troll army. Plus, for the Twitter top legal brass, I bet he wasn't feeling too great about that bit of litigation the deal closing helped him escape.

Reports early in this process indicated Elon might want to set himself up as Twitter's next chief executive  adding a third (fourth? who knows) CEO title to his current LinkedIn profile. That seems to be the case, as reports just following the deal say he'll put himself in the power spot.

It does look like he's going to be doing that as a temporary measure until he figures out who should occupy the seat long-term. Maybe one of the cronies who were cozying up to him in the message history revealed during the Twitter litigation's discovery process will get the nod.

It's official: Twitter will delist from the New York Stock Exchange on November 8. That will officially end its tenure as a public company, which began with its IPO in November 2013.

Musk is taking it private via his financing vehicle X Holdings I, Inc. which is now sole owner of the company in its entirety.

Elon's first official acknowledgement on Twitter of his new toy post-deal close was a tweet reading simply "the bird is freed." This was quickly rejoined by European Commission Internet Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, who responded with a reminder that freedom isn't free.

Notably, Breton has previously met with Musk in person and even recorded a video in which he says that he explained to Musk the EU's Digital Services Act, and in which Musk basically says he's aligned to everything it contains.

Today @elonmusk and I wanted to share a quick message with you on platform regulation #DSA pic.twitter.com/nvP5FEXECY  Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) May 9, 2022

8. Elon discourses with some trolls

Musk hasn't said all that much since the takeover on Twitter, but he has replied to a couple of users who have complained about platform censorship in the past. One is a user called "catturd2" who claims he's shadowbanned and who tweets COVID misinformation among other things. The other is Canada Proud, a right-wing propagandist group that focuses on attacking Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.

One of Musk's first big leadership decisions appears to be to install a content moderation council that will help decide matters like who gets banned on the platform and for what  similar to Facebook's Oversight Board.

Twitter does already have a trust and safety council that acts in an advisory capacity, but that's a large group that seems to act more behind the scenes to inform product decisions, whereas this would be a 'Supreme Court' of sorts for decisions on who gets to tweet and what in cases of controversy.

That's the story so far, but there's going to be plenty more, so stay tuned. We'll update this post as more develops throughout the day and beyond.

Elon is in product development mode, reworking the details of the current Blue subscription and floating a number of perks including verification, fewer ads and more for $8 per month.

This is after he received feedback from Stephen King that a $20 per month service the company was working on previously that included verified status just wouldn't fly.
Elon Musk took over Twitter late Thursday and fired company CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, senior legal representative Vijaya Gadde, and general counsel Sean Edgett, the Washington Post reported.

Musk, the worlds richest man, acquired the social media giant through a $44 billion purchase. He reportedly had until Friday to complete the deal.

In a video tweet that went viral, Musk appeared at Twitters corporate offices Wednesday carrying a sink, implying that employees would need to accept that he was now in charge.

Before completing his purchase of Twitter, Musk had earlier considered backing out of the deal and paying a hefty fine. Throughout the saga, Musk has publicly criticized Twitters leadership.

One of Musks major criticism was that Twitters user base was saturated with fake bots. According to Musks team, one-third of Twitter users were either spam or fake accounts, although other techies have cast doubt on this finding.

In a tweet earlier Thursday, Musk outlined his motivations for purchasing Twitter and his vision of how he would like to improve the platform. The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence, Musk wrote.

In particular, Musk said he wishes to remake Twitters advertising model. I also very much believe that advertising, when done right, can delight, entertain and inform you. . . . For this to be true, it is essential to show Twitter users advertising that is as relevant as possible to their needs. Low relevancy ads are spam, but highly relevant ads are actually content!

Musk has considered slashing as many as 75 percent of the workforce due to bloat as well as its strong left-wing bias. Twitter employees circulated an open letter this week condemning the plan. A threat of this magnitude is reckless, undermines our users and customers trust in our platform, and is a transparent act of worker intimidation, the letter read in a copy obtained by Time.

Story continues

Musk is set to hold a companywide town hall meeting Friday to update employees on the recent developments.

More from National Review
By Sheila Dang

(Reuters) -Mere hours after Elon Musk kicked off a new era at Twitter Inc, the billionaire owner was deluged with pleas and demands from banned account holders and world leaders.

The flood of requests underscore the challenge the CEO of electric car maker Tesla Inc faces, balancing a promise to restore free speech while preventing the platform from descending into a "hellscape," as he had vowed in an open letter to advertisers on Thursday.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who was permanently banned from Twitter over accusations of inciting violence after the Jan. 6, 2021 capitol riots, welcomed the takeover, but said little about a return to Twitter. "I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands, and will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs who truly hate our country."

Dmitry Medvedev, former Russia president and current deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, tweeted his congratulations: "Good luck @elonmusk in overcoming political bias and ideological dictatorship on Twitter. And quit that Starlink in Ukraine business."

Others asked Musk to reverse penalties inflicted by the social media platform. In response to @catturd2, an anonymous account with 852,000 followers, known for being a big supporter of Trump's election fraud claims, and who said it was "shadowbanned," Musk tweeted "I will be digging in more today."

The editor-in-chief of Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT, Margarita Simonyan, asked Musk to "unban RT and Sputnik accounts and take the shadow ban off mine as well?"

The pressure is mounting on Musk and Twitter as he is set to address the Twitter staff on Friday after closing the deal.

"Hey @ElonMusk, now that you own Twitter, will you help fight back against Trudeau's online censorship bill C-11?" tweeted Canada Proud, an organization working to vote out Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Story continues

"First I've heard," Musk responded in a tweet on Friday.

DAY ONE

Several employees who spoke with Reuters on Friday said there had been no communication from management about what happens next.

Musk was expected to address employees on Friday, but the employees said they had not received any notice by the late afternoon.

Two sources familiar with the matter said Musk's teams were investigating Twitter's code and asking questions about how aspects of the platform work.

Musk appeared to have joined the company's Slack channel by Friday, according to a screenshot seen by Reuters.

Musk also tweeted on Friday that Twitter will form a "content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints," and that no major decisions on moderation or account reinstatements will be made before it convenes.

Despite an appeal to advertisers on Thursday that he hoped to make Twitter "the most respected advertising platform in the world," at least one major automaker - GM - said it temporarily paused its advertising and was working to "understand the direction of the platform under their new ownership."

Employees also continued to fret about the future of their jobs. Fewer than 10% of 266 Twitter employees who participated in a poll on messaging app Blind expected to still have their jobs in three months. Blind allows employees to air grievances anonymously after they sign up with corporate emails.

Musk fired Twitter Chief Executive Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and legal affairs and policy chief Vijaya Gadde, according to people familiar with the matter. He had accused them of misleading him and Twitter investors over the number of fake accounts on the platform.

Agrawal and Segal were in Twitter's San Francisco headquarters when the deal closed and were escorted out, the sources added.

Musk, who also runs rocket company SpaceX, plans to become Twitter's interim CEO, according to a person familiar with the matter and following an earlier report by Reuters. Musk also plans to scrap permanent bans on users, Bloomberg said, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Twitter, Musk and the executives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

'CHIEF TWIT'

Before closing the deal, Musk walked into Twitter's headquarters on Wednesday with a big grin and a porcelain sink, subsequently tweeting "let that sink in." He changed his Twitter profile description to "Chief Twit."

European regulators also reiterated past warnings that, under Musk's leadership, Twitter must still abide by the region's Digital Services Act, which levies hefty fines on companies if they do not control illegal content.

"In Europe, the bird will fly by our EU rules," EU industry chief Thierry Breton tweeted on Friday morning.

European Parliament lawmaker and civil rights proponent Patrick Breyer suggested people look for alternatives where privacy is a priority.

"Twitter already knows our personalities dangerously well due to its pervasive surveillance of our every click. Now this knowledge will be falling into Musk's hands."

Musk has indicated he sees Twitter as a foundation for creating a "super app" that offers everything from money transfers to shopping and ride-hailing.

But Twitter is struggling to engage its most active users who are vital to the business. These "heavy tweeters" account for less than 10% of monthly overall users but generate 90% of all tweets and half of global revenue.

Musk will face a challenge building revenue "given that the controversial opinions he appears to want to give more of a free rein to are often unpalatable to advertisers," said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Susannah Streeter.

As news of the deal spread, some Twitter users were quick to flag their willingness to walk away.

"I will be happy to leave in a heartbeat if Musk, well, acts as we all expect him to," said a user with the @mustlovedogsxo account.

(Reporting by Sheila Dang in Dallas; additional reporting by David Shepardson and Katie Paul; Editing by Kenneth Li, Nick Zieminski, Deepa Babington and Jacqueline Wong)
Elon Musks Twitter account is displayed on the screen of an iPhone on April 26, 2022 in Paris, France. Chesnot/Getty Images

Elon Musk fired at least four top Twitter executives after becoming the platform's new owner.

The execs include CEO Parag Agrawal, COO Ned Segal, legal and policy head Vijaya Gadde, and general counsel Sean Edgett.

Twitter and Musk fought for months over his attempt to back out of the acquisition.

Elon Musk fired at least four top Twitter executives on Thursday as part of his first move after officially becoming Twitter's owner, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The executives fired include CEO Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer Ned Segal, top legal and policy executive Vijaya Gadde, and general counsel Sean Edgett.

At least one of the fired executives was seen escorted out of Twitter's San Francisco headquarters, per the sources.

Insider reached out to Musk, Agrawal, Segal, Gadde, Edgett, and Twitter for comment.

Musk, who wanted to walk away from his initial offer to purchase Twitter for $44 billion, made a U-turn on the offer in October.

Musk shared a video of his entrance at the headquarters this week and met with workers while having impromptu conversations with them, Insider reported.

His acquisition of the social media platform sparked concerns among employees. One shared with Insider what it was like before Musk reached the deadline to close the deal.

Read the original article on Business Insider
According to Musk, the Twitter acquisition can play a part in the creation of a super app called X. Patrick Pleul/picture alliance via Getty Images

Elon Musk is now the owner of Twitter after closing a $44 billion deal to buy the company.

According to Musk, the Twitter acquisition will play a part in the creation of a super app called X.

If Musk plans to turn Twitter into X, it will likely mean bringing in many new features.

Elon Musk has finally closed his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter, leaving employees and users wondering what he plans to do with the social-media platform.

Although reports vary about Musk's full intentions, the billionaire has made repeated claims that the acquisition would play a part in the creation of a super app, or what he has also referred to as an "everything app."

He plans for the app to be named X, as discussed in a tweet earlier this month, which said: "Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app."

X wouldn't be the first app trying to cover a bit of everything. In fact, Musk indicated in May that he might look for inspiration from Tencent's WeChat, a Chinese social-media juggernaut that's one of the world's biggest super apps.

WeChat acts as an all-encompassing service, which provides video chatting, games, photo sharing, ride sharing, food delivery, banking, and shopping, among other things.

Super apps of this kind have yet to catch on in the US but Musk has hinted that he may be planning to create the first one.

Earlier this month, Matt Navarra, a social media consultant, told Insider's Grace Kay that gutting Twitter to build a super app in its place wouldn't make sense, however. Instead, he suggested the platform could become a "mini-app" within Musk's larger network.

Navarra added that companies were unlikely to want to advertise next to posts that could be labeled as unsavory, but noted it could be a good move for Twitter to diversify its revenue sources.

A WeChat rival?

Musk envisions his app as being similar to China's WeChat, which incorporates multiple features such as messaging, financial payments, and food delivery to keep users engaged and returning throughout the day.

Story continues

Back in June of this year, Musk made reference to WeChat during an all-hands meeting with Twitter employees.

He told employees that there was "no WeChat equivalent outside of China" and there was a real opportunity to create that with Twitter.

He said: "You basically live on WeChat in China because it's so helpful, so useful to daily life. I think if we achieve that or come even close to that with Twitter, that would be a success."

WeChat has more than 1 billion daily active users and roughly 3,000 people working for the app, a person with knowledge of WeChat's business told Insider earlier this month.

If Musk plans to create his everything app with Twitter it will mean bringing in many new features. In May, Musk described WeChat as "Twitter, plus PayPal, plus a whole bunch of things, and all rolled into one, with a great interface."

'Grand vision'

Musk has stated that the Twitter acquisition may speed up the creation of his super app by three to five years.

In August, Musk teased X.com, a domain name he bought back in 2017, as a potential competitor to Twitter.

At Tesla's annual shareholder meeting in the same month, Musk told shareholders that he had a "grander vision for what I thought X Corporation could have been back in the day."

"It's a pretty grand vision and of course, that could be started from scratch but I think Twitter would accelerate that by three to five years," he said. In October, Musk followed up with a more cautious tweet, saying: "Twitter probably accelerates X by 3 to 5 years, but I could be wrong."

Fintech executive Larry Lee, who serves as Rapyd's global head of financial networks, said at a conference on Tuesday that Elon Musk was the "best chance" the US had to create a super app from scratch, Insider reported.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Devin Allen admits that he occasionally behaved like a knucklehead, growing up in Baltimore. But he was not so irreverent as a tenth grader that he could see an image of Emmett Tills open casket and not find it arresting.

The story of the 14-year-old Black boy who was lynched in Mississippi became widely known because his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, asked a press photographer to document Emmett's funeral. The horrifying 1955 photographs depicted tangible evidence of how violent racial hatred was plaguing the U.S., catalyzing the civil rights movement.

Back then, I was like, Wow, that happened so long ago. It would never happen now, Allen said, recalling the first time a high school history teacher showed him the images.

Yet, roughly 10 years later, Allen himself would capture searing images of protests and civil unrest in Baltimore after the 2015 death of Freddie Gray, a Black man who died in police custody. Allen's reverberant black-and-white image depicting a protester running from a line of charging police officers made the cover of Time magazine that year and is in the Smithsonian collection.

Allens photographs highlighting the effects of police brutality on Baltimores Black community are part of the new Impact of Images campaign, inspired by the power of photographs like the ones of Emmett printed nearly 70 years ago in Jet magazine. The exhibit, curated by Lead With Love, is in collaboration with the studio and production company behind the biopic Till, which goes into wide release Friday.

The collection includes the celebrated work of Black photographers and photojournalists from the civil rights and post-civil rights era, such as Gordon Parks, Kwame Brathwaite and Ernest Withers, alongside work from photographers of the Black Lives Matter generation. It will open to the public Saturday at Atlantas ZuCot Gallery, a Black-owned gallery.

When I became a photographer, I started understanding, Allen said. Im nothing but a conduit, doing something that has been passed down from generation to generation. We are truthful revealers. We are storytellers. We are light bringers.

Story continues

Another featured photographer, Noemie Tshinanga, took up photography as a young teenager. Much of her professional work is about showing Black people when they are not in pain, grief or anguish.

It doesnt matter who you are, whether youre a notable figure or someone walking down the street like, your existence is enough, the Brooklyn-based photographer said. That is the importance of showing that flip side of just us being.

The collection includes Tshinangas regal portrait of the late, pioneering Black actress Cicely Tyson. Theres also a photograph of a Black man on a beach, eyes shut and head tilted as though he is taking in a healing breath of sea breeze.

Tshinanga first saw the image of Emmett's open casket as a teenager. Like Allen, she didnt fully grasp its continued relevance until one of her generations versions was splashed across social media in 2014.

I remember Mike Browns photo and just like everyone trying to figure out what was happening and just kind of processing that, she said, referring to an image of the lifeless body of Michael Brown, left for hours in the middle of the street after the Black 18-year-old was fatally shot by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.

And so once that image was ingrained in my head, it made me understand Emmett Tills image, she said.

In the late summer of 1955, Till-Mobley put her son on a train from Chicago to visit family in her native Mississippi. She warned Emmett he was bound for a place where his safety depended on his ability to mute his outgoing, uncompromising nature around white people.

In the overnight hours of Aug. 28, Emmett was taken from his uncles home at gunpoint by two vengeful white men. Emmetts alleged crime? Flirting with the wife of one of his killers.

Three days later, a fisherman on the Tallahatchie River discovered the teenagers bloated corpse. An eye was detached, an ear was missing and his head was shot and bashed in.

They would not be able to visualize what had happened, unless they were allowed to see the result of what had happened. They had to see what I had seen, Till-Mobley said in a 2003 memoir. The whole nation had to bear witness.

Till-Mobley handpicked Jet photographer David Jackson, a Black man who had spent much of his career documenting the horrors of Jim Crow segregation in the South, to take the controversial images of her sons body at a funeral home in Chicago.

The vast majority of U.S. news outlets worried that they would drive away readers and advertisers if they printed graphic images of the teenagers body  but not publishers in the Black press. John H. Johnson, the late founder of Jet and Ebony, dared to show what happened to Emmett.

(Johnson) said, If his mother asked me to do it, I was gonna do it no matter what, said Margena Christian, a senior lecturer at the University of Illinois at Chicago and former editor and writer at Jet and Ebony. She worked for a decade with Johnson, who would occasionally recount the thought process behind Jet's coverage.

Jet discontinued its print edition in 2014, but president Daylon Goff said the now-digital brand continues to promote its legacy as the outlet that fearlessly told Emmetts story.

The images of the teenagers open casket are a turning point in the plot of Till, the first-ever feature-length retelling of the atrocity and Till-Mobleys pursuit of justice. In her research for the film, director Chinonye Chukwu learned that Till-Mobley was very intentional in how she shared the story of her sons murder with the world.

It was no accident that she chose a Black photographer for the photo, Chukwu told The Associated Press. She knew what she was doing and she knew the importance of us telling our own story.

Reggie Cunningham, another featured Impact of Images photographer, began taking photos during the Ferguson uprising over Browns death. While many photos showed pain and confrontations between residents and police, his images included depictions of joy and a sense of community in the predominantly Black suburb of St. Louis.

Years later, after his wife and another prominent voice from the Ferguson protests, Brittany Packnett-Cunningham, gave birth prematurely to their son, he documented their bond. Those black-and-white photos are part of the image collection.

It was about how much she loves him and the joy that she brings him in her motherhood, Cunningham said. That is the story that I really wanted to tell.

These are the images he wants his son accustomed to seeing as he grows up, Cunningham said: In my work, I seek to tell these stories and spread awareness of the full expanse of Blackness, in an effort to create an affinity for our experience.

Brothers and ZuCot Gallery managing partners Onaje and Omari Henderson said people coming to see the exhibit wont feel like they are going into a repast after a funeral. Instead, they said, visitors will see a showcase of resiliency.

The collection  which can be viewed every Saturday and by appointment on weekdays until Nov. 13  also includes personal photos from the Till family, stills from the movie, and images from Ebony and Jet.

In addition to the exhibit in Atlanta, a mural bearing the likenesses of Emmett and Mamie Till-Mobley is up at The Beehive, a Black-owned space in South Los Angeles. New Orleans-based artist Brandan BMike Odums, whose artwork was recently featured on the cover of actor Will Smiths autobiography, dedicated the mural alongside artist Whitney Alix last weekend.

Before completing the mural, Odums told the AP Till-Mobleys courage in telling her sons story through arresting photographs anchors him in his mission as an artist.

Thats what the power of our images, the power of our voice does, he said. It ripples into spaces and rooms where people might not be ready to have the conversation. But the ripples go far and wide.

___

Aaron Morrison is a New York City-based member of the APs Race and Ethnicity team. Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/aaronlmorrison.
A student at Enumclaw Middle School was arrested Thursday after allegedly threatening to carry out a shooting at the school on Halloween, according to the Enumclaw Police Department.

The school contacted the EPD school resource officer at about 9 a.m. after other students at the school reported the threats to administrators.

The school resource officer and a detective from EPD investigated the threats and found them to be credible.

According to police, the student who allegedly made the threats was not in the building at the time and there was no immediate threat.

After identifying the suspect and his current address, police made contact with him and he was taken into custody.

We are incredibly proud of the students who reported the threat that was made to their principal and local law enforcement, said the Enumclaw School District in a statement posted to its Facebook page. These reports are evidence that students and families care deeply about fostering a safe learning environment for all students and staff at our schools. The safety of students and staff remains our priority, and we encourage our families to continue to have conversations with students about reporting any concerns.
Several groups have opposed President Joe BIden's plan to forgive $10,000 to $20,000 of student debt. Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for We the 45m

President Joe Bidens plan to forgive US$10,000 to $20,000 of student debt for up to 40 million eligible borrowers was recently put on hold when a federal appeals court temporarily paused the program.

Six states had asked the court to block implementation of loan forgiveness until their lawsuits against the program were resolved. The states allege that they would be financially harmed if borrowers receive loan forgiveness.

As an ethicist who studies the morality of debt, my work explores the question at the heart of opposition to student loan forgiveness: Is student debt cancellation unfair?

The moral case against canceling

Educational debt is often regarded as an investment in ones future. Millennials with a Bachelor of Arts degree, for instance, typically earn $25,000 more per year than those with just a high school diploma. College education is also generally correlated with a variety of positive life outcomes, including physical and mental health, family stability and career satisfaction.

Given the benefits of college education, canceling student debt appears to some as a giveaway for those who are already on their way to becoming well-off.

Canceling debt also seems to violate the moral principle of following through on ones promises. Borrowers have a moral duty to fulfill their loan agreements, the philosopher Immanuel Kant argued, because reneging on promises is disrespectful to oneself and others. Once people have promised to do something, he noted, others rely upon that promise and expect them to follow through.

In the case of federal student loans, a borrower signs a promissory note agreeing to pay back the government and, ultimately, the taxpayers. And so student borrowers seem to have a moral duty to pay their debts unless mitigating circumstances like injury or illness arise.

The moral case for canceling

Fairness and respect, however, also demand that society address the magnitude of student debt today, and especially the burden it imposes on low-income, first-generation and Black borrowers.

Story continues

Students hold a demonstration in New York to protest against ballooning student loan debt. Photo by Cem Ozdel/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Young people today start their adult lives burdened with much more student debt than previous generations. Almost 70% of college students now borrow to attend college, and the average size of their debt has risen since the mid-1990s from less than $13,000 to about $30,000 today.

As a result, total outstanding student debt has jumped to over $1.5 trillion, making it the second-largest form of debt in the U.S., after mortgages.

This explosion in student debt raises two significant moral concerns, as my student Justin Lewiston and I argue in an article published in 2020 by The Journal of Value Inquiry.

The first concern is that the distribution of costs and benefits is highly unequal. Fairness requires equal opportunity, as the philosopher John Rawls argued. Yet, while borrowing for education is supposed to create opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, those opportunities often fail to materialize due to educational challenges and wage gaps in the labor market.

Data shows that low-income students, first-generation students and Black students face much greater struggles in repaying their loans. About 70% of those in default are first-generation students, and 40% come from low-income backgrounds. Twenty years after college, when white borrowers have repaid 94% of their loans, the typical Black student has been able to repay only 5%.

These repayment and default rates reflect significantly lower graduation rates for students in those groups, who typically need to work long hours while also in school and hence engage less with both the academic and nonacademic aspects of college.

But they also reflect significantly lower post-graduation incomes for such students, due in no small part to continuing social and racial wage gaps in the labor market. Black men with a bachelors degree make, on average, more than 20% less than white men with the same education and experience, though that wage gap is smaller for women. And first-generation graduates typically make 10% less than students whose parents graduated from college.

A second moral concern is that student debt is increasingly causing widespread distress and constraining the lives of borrowers in significant ways. Consider that even before the pandemic, 20% of student borrowers were behind on their payments, and first-generation borrowers and borrowers of color are struggling even more.

The financial distress indicated by this high rate of delinquency is undermining both the physical and mental health of young adults. It prevents young adults from starting families, purchasing cars, renting or buying their own homes and even starting new businesses.

Unsurprisingly, these negative effects are disproportionately experienced by first-generation, low-income and Black student borrowers, whose life choices are especially restricted by the need to make loan payments.

Avoiding moral hazard

Some analysts have argued, however, that canceling student debt will create a problem of moral hazard. A moral hazard arises when people no longer feel the need to make careful choices because they expect others to cover the risk for them.

For example, a bank that expects to be bailed out by the government in the event of a financial crisis thereby has an incentive to engage in riskier behavior.

Moral hazard can be avoided by combining student debt cancellation with programs that reduce the need for future borrowing, especially for first-generation students, low-income students and students of color.

One success story is the Tennessee Promise, a program enacted in 2015 to make tuition and fees at community and technical colleges free to state residents. This program has increased enrollment and retention and completion rates, while reducing borrowing by over 25%.

New Mexico has recently gone a step further, offering free tuition scholarships at all public colleges and universities, including some trade programs. The scholarships are offered to all state residents who maintain a 2.5 GPA while in college and enroll in at least 6 credit hours per semester.

Ultimately, morality requires a forward-looking as well as a backward-looking approach to debt cancellation. The way forward, I would argue, is to create a fairer society by canceling some student debt and reversing the trend of funding higher education with student borrowing.

This is an updated version of a piece first published on Dec. 2, 2020.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Kate Padgett Walsh, Iowa State University. Like this article? subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Read more:



Kate Padgett Walsh receives funding from the National Science Foundation.
European lawmakers have gotten the EU's 27 member states to agree to a plan that effectively bans the sale of gas-powered cars and vans by 2035. They've come to an agreement to approve the Commission's revised reduction targets for passenger cars' and light vehicles' carbon dioxide emissions. The Commission's proposal, which European lawmakers had voted in favor of back in June, aims to reduce the emissions produced by new vehicles in those categories by 100 percent in 13 years' time. That wouldn't be achievable without stopping the sale of gas-powered vehicles and selling zero-emission models only.

European Parliament's lead negotiator Jan Huitema said:

"[P]urchasing and driving zero-emission cars will become cheaper for consumers. I am pleased that today we reached an agreement with the Council on an ambitious revision of the targets for 2030 and supported a 100% target for 2035. This is crucial to reach climate neutrality by 2050 and make clean driving more affordable."

Under the deal, new cars from 2030 must also comply with a 55 percent cut on carbon dioxide emissions compared to 2021 levels. Vans must comply with a 50 percent cut. In addition, the agreement states that existing EU funding should be spent on transitioning to zero-emission vehicles and related technologies going forward. The Commission also vows to publish a report every two years detailing the region's progress towards zero-emission road mobility starting in 2025.

The European Parliament and Council will still have to approve the agreement before it becomes official, and changes could be introduced before then. According to Reuters, the EU intends to draft a proposal on how to sell cars running on carbon dioxide-neutral fuels after 2035. That said, automakers have been preparing for the shift to zero-emission vehicles for a while now, as governments around the world adopt laws to combat climate change. The list of carmakers pledging to go fully electric over the coming years continue to grow: Ford, for instance, announced last year that its consumer vehicles will be fully electric by 2030, while GM aims to eliminate emissions from all its new "light-duty vehicles" by 2035.
Nancy Pelosis husband Paul was violently assaulted during a break-in at his San Francisco home early on Friday, authorities say.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott named the suspect as David Depape at a press conference on Friday afternoon.

He will be charged with attempted homicide, elder abuse and burglary, Mr Scott said.

He said police officers were called to the house and allegedly witnessed the intruder assault Mr Pelosi with a hammer.

Mr Pelosi has been taken to hospital where he is expected to make a full recovery, the House Speakers spokesperson Drew Hammill said in a statement.

Ms Pelosi was not home at the time, the spokesman said.

The Associated Press reported that the couples home was specifically targeted.

Before the assault occurred, the intruder reportedly confronted Mr Pelosi shouting: Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?

The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time, Mr Hammill added.

While its unclear what the assailants motive is, national security officials and law enforcement have been warning for some time about an increased threat of political violence leading into the midterm elections.

In the wake of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade, Nicholas John Roske was arrested near the home of Brett Kavanaugh in June armed with a handgun, a knife, pepper spray and burglary tools.

Mr Roske later told police he wanted to kill the conservative justice, and has been charged with attempted murder.

In July, a man armed with a pistol was arrested near Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapals home in Seattle after he allegedly yelled racist death threats at the congresswoman, who was home with her husband at the time.

Paul and Nancy Pelosi celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year (Getty)

The Department of Justice is also investigating a string of violent threats towards election workers ahead of the 8 November poll.

During her 35-year career in the House of Representatives, Ms Pelosi has been a lightning rod for attacks from her political opponents.

Story continues

Attack ads by Republican candidates often seek to demonise the 82-year-old, who is second in line to the presidency after the vice president.

Security issues at Pelosis home

Ms Pelosis $6m home in an exclusive neighbourhood of San Francisco has been a frequent target of protests and vandalism in recent years.

In September 2020, a man filmed himself defecating on the driveway of Ms Pelosis home before posting it to YouTube, the New York Post reported.

That was for President Trump, he said after walking off camera.

The man, described in some reports as a homeless YouTube star, was detained by Bay Area Rapid Transit Police, after a request from the Capitol Police department.

On New Years Day 2021, the Pelosis awoke to find a severed pigs head and red paint spilled over her driveway, according to TMZ .

Unknown assailants had spraypainted 2K in an apparent reference to stimulus checks, along with the words cancel rent and we want everything.

Police are seen outside Nancy Pelosis home in San Francisco after her husband Paul Pelosi was violently assaulted (KTVU)

In May, pro-choice activists from the group Ruth Sent Us targeted the Speakers home, demanding action on abortion rights after the leak of a draft Supreme Court decision on Roe v Wade.

They accused Ms Pelosi of careless and cowardly leadership in the face of the Republican Partys scorched earth strategy.

The couple have lived at the address, situated in Ms Pelosis 12th Congressional district of California, since 2007.

Hate from the right

Footage released by the January 6 committee at their final hearing in October showed Ms Pelosi huddled with lawmakers inside the Capitol as rioters breached the building.

At one point, a visibly angered Ms Pelosi says of President Donald Trump: Im gonna punch him out.

Never one to waver from a fight, Ms Pelosi is Republicans favourite election year villain.

During her first term as House Speaker from 2007 to 2011, Republicans spent $65m on ads targeting the California Congresswoman in the lead up to the 2010 midterms, according to an analysis from the Campaign Media Analysis Group.

Since she regained the Speakers gavel in 2019, Republicans have sought to tie their Democratic opponents closely to the Ms Pelosi due to the toxicity of her brand on the right in House and Senate races across the country.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks during a campaign rally in October (Getty Images)

In 2019, Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed support for Ms Pelosis execution in a Facebook Live video, according to CNN.

Shes a traitor to our country, shes guilty of treason, Ms Greene said of Pelosi.

She took an oath to protect American citizens and uphold our laws. And she gives aid and comfort to our enemies who illegally invade our land. Thats what treason is. And by our law representatives and senators can be kicked out and no longer serve in our government.

And its, uh, its a crime punishable by death is what treason is. Nancy Pelosi is guilty of treason.

When called to testify about the remarks during a hearing challenging her candidacy for re-election, Ms Greene said she couldnt recall making the statements.

Amid heightened security fears after the Capitol riots, Ms Pelosi insisted on installing metal detectors to screen members entering the House chamber.

When Ms Pelosi made a controversial trip to Taiwan in August, House Republican Matt Gaetz said he didnt believe in photo op foreign policy.

Nancy Pelosis net wealth is estimated to be $110m, mostly derived from stock trades made by her husband.

Paul Pelosis DUI

In May, Paul Pelosi, 82, was arrested for drunk-driving after his Porsche was hit by a Jeep in a late-night collision in Napa.

A criminal complaint stated that Mr Pelosi was operating his vehicle while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and a drug and under their combined influence.

Both vehicles sustained serious damage in the crash.

Booking photo shows Paul Pelosi after he was booked for DUI on 29 May 2022 (Napa County Department of Corrections)

Mr Pelosi spent two nights in jail. In July, he was sentenced to five days in jail and he will receive credit for two days already served and two days for good behaviour.

He was ordered to serve a one-day court work programme, pay $1,700 in fines and serve three years probation.

The court also ordered an interlock ignition device to be installed on his vehicle for one year, restitution to remain in the courts jurisdiction and his attendance in a three-month drinking-driver class.

What does it mean for the midterms?

Republicans have used fear of crime in Democratic-led cities as a successful wedge issue in the lead up to the 8 November midterms.

In competitive races in Wisconsin, Georgia, New York and Pennsylvania, Republicans have plunged tens of millions of dollars into branding their rivals as part of a defund the police Democrats.

NPR reported that Republicans spent $40m on crime-related political messaging in September alone.

Fox News wasted no time tying the attack on Mr Pelosi to the GOP talking points on crime.

In a clip shared by Matthew Gertz of Media Matters, anchor Bill Hemmer said the hammer attack showed that crime hits everybody.

This can happen anywhere, crime is random and thats why its such a significant part of this election story, he said.

According to a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll, 35 per cent of respondents said they trusted Republicans to do a better job on crime, compared to 22 per cent who favoured Democrats.

In San Francisco, voters overwhelmingly voted to recall the citys liberal District Attorney Chesa Boudin in June.
China, Saudi Arabia to further strengthen communication, coordination

Xinhua) 08:27, October 28, 2022

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud preside over the fourth meeting of the political and diplomatic sub-committee under the China-Saudi Arabia high-level joint committee, Oct. 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

BEIJING, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud presided over the fourth meeting of the political and diplomatic sub-committee under the China-Saudi Arabia high-level joint committee, on Thursday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, highlighted the significance of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, noting that the most important achievement of the congress was the election of a new central leadership with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core.

With General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping continuing to steer the course, China will firmly brave all difficulties in the right direction and surely achieve the development strategy and goals set by the 20th National Congress of the CPC, he said.

Wang said that China attaches great importance to the development of China-Saudi Arabia relations and puts Saudi Arabia at a priority position in China's overall diplomacy, its diplomacy with the Middle East region in particular.

China appreciates Saudi Arabia's adherence to the one-China principle and the country's long-term and firm support on issues concerning China's core interests, including those related to Xinjiang, Taiwan, Hong Kong and human rights, Wang said.

China appreciates Saudi Arabia's support for China's Global Development Initiative and welcomes Saudi Arabia's active participation in its implementation, said Wang, adding that China also appreciates Saudi Arabia's pursuing of an independent energy policy and making active efforts to maintain the stability of the international energy market.

Wang said China supports Saudi Arabia in playing a bigger role in international and regional affairs. China stands ready to step up communication and coordination with Saudi Arabia on hotspot issues in the Middle East, jointly safeguard regional peace and stability, and strengthen coordination with Saudi Arabia on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the G20.

Faisal offered congratulations on the success of the 20th National Congress of the CPC. He said Saudi Arabia always puts its relations with China at a priority position among its relations with countries around the world, adheres to the one-China principle, firmly opposes interference in China's internal affairs and firmly resists politicizing the human rights issue.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
A former Army sergeant admitted to the brutal 2020 stabbing of a fellow soldier in his Georgia barracks, a killing federal prosecutors said was retaliation "in cold blood" for the soldiers reporting marijuana use.

Byron Booker, 29, of Ludowici, Georgia, pleaded guilty to premeditated murder. Under the plea agreement, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life in federal prison, the Justice Department said in a news release Thursday.

Prosecutors said Booker sneaked into Spc. Austin J. Hawk's barracks room at Fort Stewart Military Reservation on June 17, 2020, and "slashed and stabbed Hawk repeatedly with a sharp-edged weapon," the release says.

Hawk, 21, was found dead in his room the next day. A medical examiner said he had 40 slash and stab wounds.

Authorities said the killing was retaliation for Hawks reporting to a supervisor the marijuana use of another soldier, Jordan Brown, 21, who is Booker's friend.

A plea agreement says that because of Hawk's role as a squad leader, he was required to report drug use, which is considered a criminal offense.

"Byron Booker murdered a former fellow soldier in cold blood in retaliation for that soldier performing his duties as a service member," David Estes, the U.S. attorney for Southern Georgia, said in a statement. "The FBI and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigative Division did outstanding work in solving this despicable crime and bringing Booker to justice."

The plea agreement says Brown was ordered to complete a urine test stemming from Hawks and another soldiers filing reports about his alleged marijuana use. When Brown's test came back positive for THC  a substance found in marijuana  he was informed that the Army was "initiating involuntary separation proceedings."

Brown and Booker said in phone calls that Hawk was a "snitch" and talked about "silencing" him, according to prosecutors.

Story continues

"The pair discussed beating Hawk up, damaging his car, or breaking things in Hawks barracks room," the plea agreement says. "Booker suggested a plan to silence Hawk for reporting Browns drug use."

Booker, according to the document, instructed Brown to obtain a master key for the barracks and give it to him, but Brown was not able to get the key.

At one point, Brown began to express concerns about getting caught and suggested that Booker beat up Hawk or break his jaw. Booker, however, said Hawk needed to be "silenced," the court filing says.

Brown's separation process from the Army began on June 16, 2020. The next day, around 12:20 a.m., Booker parked his vehicle outside a gate on the base and "unlawfully" entered before he walked to Hawk's barracks room. The plea agreement says Booker knew Hawk would be alone in the room because Brown told him Hawk's roommate had moved out.

The document does not specify how Booker was able to enter Hawk's barracks. It says that "based upon electronic lock records for Hawks room, it appears Defendant Booker somehow caused Hawk to open his door from the inside."

The two men got into a struggle that lasted about 40 minutes, according to the document. The fight made so much noise that Brown, in a room below, could hear furniture moving, the plea agreement says.

The FBI and local police took Booker into custody a day after the murder.

Brown was arrested on April 12, 2021, after he was indicted by a grand jury. He awaits further proceedings on charges of conspiracy, assault on a U.S. service member, retaliation, murder of a member of the U.S. military and premeditated murder.

Attorneys for Booker and Brown could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
A former Philadelphia Sheriff's deputy has been arrested on allegations he sold two semi-automatic pistols to a confidential FBI informant, federal prosecutors announced Thursday. The guns were sold to the informant after they had been used in the fatal shooting of a high school student last month, according to court documents.

Samir Ahmad, 29, was charged with firearms trafficking and selling firearms to a person unlawfully in the U.S., the Eastern District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release.

Photos of the two weapons prosecutors say Samir Ahmad sold to the confidential FBI informant on Oct. 13, 2022. / Credit: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

The sale took place on Oct. 13, while Ahmad was on duty as a deputy sheriff, according to court documents. Prosecutors allege that Ahmad sold two semi-automatic pistols and ammunition to a confidential informant during a sting operation in which the the sale was recorded using audio and visual equipment.

During the exchange, the informant told Ahmad that he was in the U.S. illegally and could "get deported" if he was caught in possession of a gun, to which Ahmed responded: "You don't got to worry about none of that," the criminal complaint reads.

The two semi-automatic weapons Ahmed sold the informant were used in a Sept. 27 shooting outside Roxborough High School in Philadelphia, according to court documents, in which a 14-year-old boy was killed, and four more teens injured, while they leaving a football scrimmage.

According to prosecutors, Ahmad made $3,000 from the sale of the firearms.

Footage shows former Philadelphia Sheriff's deputy Samir Ahmad counting cash following the sale of two guns to a confidential FBI informant on Oct. 13, 2022, according to prosecutors. / Credit: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Ahmad, who had been employed with the department as a deputy sheriff since February of 2018, was fired on Oct. 19, the same day he was arrested by federal agents, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Jacqueline Maguire, special agent in charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division, called Ahmad's actions "reprehensible."

"The idea of a sworn public servant so blatantly undermining public safety is reprehensible," Maguire said in a statement."Philadelphia is awash in illegal guns, which are being used to commit violent crimes, so every weapon we can take off the street and every trafficker we can lock up makes a difference."

Story continues

If convicted as charged, Ahmad faces a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

Video shows former Philadelphia Sheriff's deputy Samir Ahmad holding one of two guns that he sold to a confidential FBI informant on Oct. 13, 2022, according to federal prosecutors. / Credit: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

North Korea could test tactical nuclear weapon before midterm elections, U.S. official says

Israel and Lebanon finalize maritime border deal

U.S. economy returned to growth in third quarter despite surging inflation
With Florida A&M University (FAMU) recently catching heat for switching up its homecoming concert and Set Friday events, the institution is now ushering in a more palatable change by establishing a Disney Storytellers Fund.

The news was freshly announced on Friday morning, and it was made possible thanks to a $1M grant that The Walt Disney Company will provide FAMUs School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (SJGC) over the next 5 years.

Across Disneys iconic brands, we are committed to increasing representation, inclusive storytelling and opportunity, Jennifer Cohen, Executive VP of Corporate Social Responsibility for The Walt Disney Company, shared in a press release.

The Disney Storytellers Fund at Florida A&M Universitys School of Journalism and Communication will help empower the next generation of Black journalists, news and media executives while also building on the rich legacy of creativity and innovation that the university has cultivated for decades, she further explained.

We should add that the Disney Storytellers Funs is dedicated to increasing access to careers in storytelling and innovation for those who have been historically underrepresented, according to a Disney statement on the initiative.

Photo credit: DGE/Michael Le Brecht II (Courtesy of Denise Horn)

FAMU alumna and ABC News President Kim Godwin announced the news on behalf of The Walt Disney Company at the 2022 Homecoming Convocation on Friday.

Florida A&M University changed my life. I first set foot on campus as a shy 16-year-old girl but graduated as a confident journalist prepared to tackle the biggest news stories, Godwin expressed. FAMU gave me the tools I needed to get to where I am today, and I am truly grateful. I hope that this donation from The Walt Disney Company will allow the next generation of bold, straightforward journalists to uncover their potential and achieve their dreams too.

Photo credit: DGE/Michael Le Brecht II (Courtesy of Denise Horn)

Dr. Larry Robinson, the universitys president, spoke fondly of the initiative, too.

Establishing partnerships that provide support for our students and expose them to the world through internships and employment will ensure that our tradition of Excellence with Caring extends well into the future, Robinson shared in the statement. I am tremendously grateful for this generous gift from the Disney Company and to have them as a key partner with us in changing lives, creating new opportunities, and producing tomorrows leaders.

This news comes about 4 months after The Walt Disney Company unveiled a similar project at Howard University to help the next generation of Black storytellers bring their ideas to life, as Blavity previously reported.

Shoutout to FAMU and the Disney Storytellers Fund, and we cant wait to see the amazing things that students accomplish with this opportunity.
A federal appeals court on Thursday denied former President Donald Trump's latest attempt to prevent a congressional committee from accessing his tax records.

The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for Washington, D.C., denied the effort after a three-judge panel of the court unanimously ruled in August that the House Ways and Means Committee is allowed to obtain Trumps tax records after years of effort to secure them.

Trump can appeal Thursday's ruling to the Supreme Court. His lawyers have indicated in previous filings that they would appeal to the high court if the appeals court denied his request for a hearing.

NBC News has asked a Trump attorney for comment.

Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., the Ways and Means chairman, said in a statement Thursday that the committee had waited long enough for the documents. Neal first filed a formal request with the Treasury Department for the tax records in April 2019.

The law has always been on our side. Former President Trump has tried to delay the inevitable, but once again, the Court has affirmed the strength of our position, Neal said. Weve waited long enough  we must begin our oversight of the IRSs mandatory presidential audit program as soon as possible.

The three-judge panel said in August that the House committee had the authority to obtain Trump's tax records from the Treasury Department, upholding a district court ruling from late last year.

Democrats have been calling for Trump to release his tax returns ever since the 2016 presidential campaign. While no law requires presidential candidates to release their tax returns, almost every Republican and Democratic nominee in the modern era has disclosed their filings. Trump, however, has refused.

Thursday's court ruling adds to Trump's legal woes. Wednesday, his lawyers accepted service of the subpoena issued by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot.

Separately, the Trump Organization's criminal tax fraud trial began this week. Prosecutors allege the company was involved in a 15-year scheme to compensate top executives off the books to help them evade taxes.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Water flows down the Colorado River at the Glen Canyon Dam near Page, Ariz. White surfaces along the banks of the river and lake show previous water levels in the second-largest reservoir in the U.S. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

With the nation's two largest reservoirs continuing to decline, federal officials announced plans Friday to revise their current rules for dealing with Colorado River shortages and pursue a new agreement to achieve larger reductions in water use throughout the Southwest.

The Biden administration announcement represents a renewed push to scale back water use along a river that has shrunk significantly in the face of a 23-year megadrought worsened by global warming.

With water levels dropping at Lake Powell, the Interior Department said operators of Glen Canyon Dam may need to release less water, which would affect flows in the Grand Canyon and accelerate the decline of Lake Mead. In order to protect public health and safety and the integrity of the system, the department said releases from Hoover Dam may also need to be reduced  which would shrink the amounts of water flowing to California, Arizona and Mexico.

Federal officials in June called for the seven states that rely on the Colorado River to come up with plans to drastically reduce annual water diversions by about 15% to 25% regionwide. But negotiations among the states grew tense and acrimonious and didnt produce a deal.

The Interior Department has the authority to step in and unilaterally impose larger cuts. But federal officials appear to be pushing for a consensus on shrinking the water take from the river rather than dictating reductions in ways that could further inflame tensions or lead to legal fights. This approach increases the pressure on the states to come up with a deal in the coming months or face federal intervention.

The Interior Department continues to pursue a collaborative and consensus-based approach to addressing the drought crisis afflicting the West, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a news release. At the same time, we are committed to taking prompt and decisive action necessary to protect the Colorado River System and all those who depend on it.

Story continues

Water from the Colorado River is used by about 40 million people, flowing to cities, farmlands and tribal nations from the Rocky Mountains to Southern California. The river has long been overallocated. So much water is diverted that the rivers delta in Mexico largely dried up decades ago.

Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the rivers two largest reservoirs, now sit nearly three-fourths empty. Declining water levels are putting the dams ability to generate hydropower at risk.

Without major cuts in water use, the latest projections show growing risks of the reservoirs approaching dead pool levels, where water would no longer pass downstream.

The current system for dealing with shortages was established in operating rules dating to 2007, and a 2019 deal laid out a series of additional cutbacks as Lake Meads level declines.

The federal Bureau of Reclamation said it will publish a notice to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement, which will include proposed alternatives for revising the 2007 rules. Those rules, called the interim guidelines, are set to expire after 2026, and negotiations on the next round of shortage-sharing rules have yet to begin.

The Interior Department said in this expedited review process, officials will consider revising the current rules to provide additional alternatives and measures needed to address the likelihood of continued low-runoff conditions.

The Bureau of Reclamation plans to analyze options including what it calls a possible consensus-based framework agreement that would build on water reductions that the states and tribes have previously agreed to.

Another alternative would be for the Interior secretary to exercise federal authority to change reservoir operations. The Interior Department said this alternative would also consider how the secretarys authority could complement a consensus-based alternative that may not sufficiently mitigate current and projected risks.

The department said the review will also consider the no action option of staying with the current rules and agreements. The agency will accept public input through Dec. 20.

Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said these steps are necessary to protect the Colorado River System and stabilize rapidly declining reservoir storage elevations.

Touton said these measures will better protect reservoir levels and water supplies while long-term plans are developed to address the climate-driven realities facing the Colorado River Basin.

Scientists have estimated that about half the decrease in the rivers flow since 2000 has been caused by unprecedented warming. This heat-driven contraction of the water supply is projected to worsen as temperatures continue to climb.

Scientists have warned that the West is undergoing climate-driven aridification and will have to adapt to hotter, drier conditions.

The Bureau of Reclamation is sending a signal to the states that this is kind of their last opportunity for consensus-building, for voluntary action, said Jaime Garcia, a water fellow at the University of Colorado Law Schools Getches-Wilkinson Center.

Garcia said federal officials seem to be covering their bases, building the paper trail for what I think is inevitable litigation  touting their ability to act unilaterally to protect the system while also giving states, water agencies and others an opportunity to try to reach a deal.

The fundamental issue is, whatever solution people come up with is going to hurt, Garcia said. The river is overallocated. It's drying up. And we have to find a way to sort of spread out the pain evenly.

Negotiations among the states over additional cutbacks have been rife with tension and finger-pointing. In one of the latest barbs, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly urged the federal government to withhold money for environmental projects at the Salton Sea until California, which uses the largest share of the river, commits to larger reductions.

Nevada and other states have urged the federal government to start including evaporation losses in the water accounting for states in the rivers Lower Basin, which would translate into large water reductions for California and Arizona.

Tribes, which have rights to roughly one-fourth of the rivers average supply, have also been pushing to have more of a say in talks among states and the federal government where they have long been largely excluded.

The Interior Department has $4 billion available in drought mitigation funding from the newly passed Inflation Reduction Act. Some of that money is expected to go toward paying farmers and others to forgo some of their water to boost reservoir levels.

As the reservoirs continue to decline, federal water managers realize that the 2026 deadline for negotiating new rules is too far ahead and that action is needed now, said Kyle Roerink, executive director of the Great Basin Water Network.

This is a way to nicely, and within the confines of the law, spell out how painful of a process the federal government can impose on the states  rather than issuing an emergency declaration, Roerink said.

He said this sets up a framework for all parties to participate, while potential litigation remains in the background.

Theyre putting all their cards on the table, Roerink said, and sending a clear message to the states: Either get on board or sue us.

He added that its a way to deal with the antiquated plumbing issues at Glen Canyon Dam, where federal water managers have acknowledged that if Lake Powell drops below its minimum level for producing power, they are unsure how the dams infrastructure  in particular its four 8-foot-wide outlet pipes  would fare at those levels.

This will likely be an effort to legitimize storing more water in the Upper Basin to prop up a dam that should have never been built in the first place, Roerink said. Time is of the essence. This is better late than never. But it might be too little too late.

The latest forecast indicates La Nina patterns will most likely persist this winter, bringing conditions that often produce dry weather in the Southwest.

We are in a dire situation, said Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources. I think regionwide every water user, every water use sector, every state has to reduce their water use.

Arizona is already preparing for a 21% reduction in its Colorado River supplies next year, and farmers in parts of the state have been forced to leave fields dry and unplanted.

Buschatzke pointed out that the latest federal projections show a slight risk of Lake Powell falling to dead pool levels in 2024, which would stop the flow of water from Glen Canyon Dam into the Grand Canyon.

Buschatzke said hes pleased to see the federal government taking this step. He said pressure from the federal government was key in securing previous deals in 2007 and 2019.

We need a little bit of a stick, Buschatzke said. I actually wish they had started sooner.

Earlier this month, four Southern California water districts sent the federal government a proposal offering to reduce water use by up to 400,000 acre-feet per year for the next four years, amounting to about 9% of their total allotment. While substantial, that offer remains far from the regionwide goal of 2 million to 4 million acre-feet that federal officials announced in June.

Mangers of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California have been discussing plans for mandatory conservation measures next year to begin rationing water for cities and local agencies that supply 19 million people.

Talks between the states have grown pretty acrimonious, but the Interior Departments stance could help kick-start the negotiations, said Bill Hasencamp, Metropolitans manager of Colorado River resources.

Federal officials have said they expect to issue a decision in July, meaning there is now a firm deadline with real consequences, Hasencamp said. If we're going to have a consensus plan, it's got to be done by February or March.

Hasencamp said he thinks the latest step by federal officials is whats needed.

They're stepping up and showing leadership, he said. We're willing to sit down and have those tough discussions. I think the other states are, too. We're a lot better off if we can develop a plan rather than having it imposed on us.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Courtesy of Southeastern University



"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below."

Eight years ago, in April 2014, Joy Bishara and Lydia Pogu were fleeing for their lives. They had just escaped a mass kidnapping of 276 teenage girls from their boarding school in Chibok, Nigeria, by the terrorist group Boko Harama crime that ignited the global social media campaign #BringBackOurGirls. The terrorists wanted to prevent the girls from getting educated. But these two would not be stopped.



This year in April, Bishara and Pogu received masters degrees from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Floridaa dream neither could imagine in the weeks following their harrowing escape. After what happened, I thought I would never get to finish school, Pogu says. Amid the trauma of the abduction and fear of being captured again, school wasnt even on her mind at the time. I just wanted to be safe and have my family be safe.

Since their escape, the two have become close friends, helping each other move forward, finish school, and achieve their dreams. Its a friendship that evolved in America, as they didnt know each other well at school in Chibok. Something we both love is being able to look at each other and understand exactly what we need without saying a word, says Bishara. Lydia will always be my closest friend no matter where life takes us.

On the night Boko Haram stormed the boarding school in April 2014, forcing the girls at gunpoint into trucks, Pogu and Bishara escaped by jumping from a truck as it hurtled through the darkness, each deciding it would be better to risk their lives than to remain in the grips of the terrorists. After the bold leap, they made their way through the dense, tangled bush, their skin getting shredded from thorns, before managing to get a ride home with strangers.

They were among several dozen girls who got away that night. More than 100 girls were later released as a result of government negotiations with Boko Haram, but more than 100 are still missing today.

Story continues

Bishara and Pogu came to America to continue their education in August 2014, with help from human rights advocates including the nonprofit Jubilee Campaign. There were a lot of culture shocks at first, Bishara says with a laugh. She was surprised by how many kids had their own cellphones and computers. She and Pogu had grown up in modest homes in Nigeria with no running water. Pogu was struck by how many women wore pants; she was accustomed to traditional dresses. Both had to learn Englishand adjust to wintry weather. Neither cared for popular American fare like cheeseburgers or pizza; they preferred noodles and rice. There was a lot that was a surprise, but the food and cold did it for us, says Bishara. We didnt eat much, and for me, I ate noodles for a whole week until a Nigerian lady came and took us to the African store.



Courtesy of Lydia Pogu

In 2017, they graduated from high school at the Canyonville Academy in the mountains of Oregon, having encouraged each other along the way as they navigated a new school in a new country. School in America differs a lot; teachers are more invested in educating the students, their well-being and personal lives, says Bishara, adding that teachers in Chibok were not getting paid enough to be able to invest personally in their students. Pogu agrees, noting that she liked being able to wear her own clothes to school instead of having to wear a uniform, as she did back home. Another difference, she says: Punishments in American schools are basically detentions and suspensions, but in Nigeria, it is a whole different level; it is common for teachers to inflict injuries on students.



The biggest hurdle was living a world away from their families. It was so difficult being so far from them. My mom, we are best friends, says Bishara. My emotions were all over the place when I moved here. I had nightmares that Boko Haram was coming for my family. Its difficult to heal when what youre trying to heal from is still happening every single day, she says, referring to the ongoing terror by the terrorist organization. For more than a decade, the group has reportedly killed hundreds of thousands of people in an attempt to create an Islamic state and wipe out Western influence from schools. The girls kidnapped from the school in Chibok were mostly Christian.

Bishara and Pogu helped each other through the tough moments, telling jokes and making each other laugh about silly things we used to do back home, Bishara says. In fact, the pair discovered while talking to their relatives back home that they are cousins. Having Joy by my side since the beginning of us coming to America, and after we both found out that we are cousins, has helped make me feel more safe, says Pogu. Having her here has always and is still helping me feel a little better, knowing that I have someone I call family here.

Both cite their faith as a stabilizing force as well. God has opened doors and made sure that we were well taken care of, says Bishara. He has used so many people to impact my life in a manner I would have never imagined eight years ago. Pogu feels the same, saying, God has put a lot of wonderful people in my life that have helped me overcome the trauma I experienced. Even though its something I still struggle with, I will say I am better because of God and the wonderful people he put in my life.

After high school in 2017, the two headed to college on scholarship at Southeastern University, thanks to a recommendation from the former president of the Canyonville Academy, Doug Wead. They decided not to room together so they could interact more with other students and improve their English skills, but they talked and texted every day, and traveled the country on occasion to give presentations, including one at the United Nations Security Council. When we came to college, we started sharing our story a lot more together, says Bishara. We traveled to new places and supported each other when we cried after sharing, or when one of us was shaking after the presentation.

They graduated from the university in 2021, an experience Bishara calls a wonderful journey, despite an unexpected challengea pandemic that sent the world into lockdown. Pogu had a rough battle with Covid, suffering from body aches and fever and losing her sense of taste and smell. It was very stressful. I told my parents, and they were freaking out, she says. Talking and texting with Bishara helped her feel less isolated.

Both are haunted by the memory of their classmates who have not returned home. Bishara wonders what became of her roommate Rifkatu Galang. Bishara had comforted her the night the terrorists forced the students into trucks, bound for a forest hideaway. She was crying so bitterly, so bad, she recalls. She had been through surgery and was in a lot of pain. I held her; I was crying for her. Boko Haram members came and told her to shut up or they would just kill her right there. Thats still in my mind. Shes one of those who did not come back. Its just so sad, thinking about all my classmates, not knowing how they are, where they are, who has died.

Pogu expresses sorrow that the world seems to have moved on while the young women remain missing. The eight-year anniversary came and went [last] spring and nobody was talking about it, she says.

The tragedy motivated Pogu, 24, and Bishara, 26, to want to use their education to help people escape abuse and injustice, especially in their homeland. Pogu, who got her masters degree in human services administration, is now doing fieldwork for One More Child, a nonprofit that supports vulnerable children, and is planning to study for the LSATs and apply to law school. I want to bring justice to people in a legal way; for example, people suffering from domestic violence, sex trafficking, she says. Ultimately she wants to start her own law firm focusing on human rights.

Bishara, who got her masters in social work, is working at a hospice center and wants to eventually start an organization to help women in Chibok break free from abuse and lead independent lives. Women are staying with abusive partners there because they have nowhere else to go, she says. If they go to their parents house, their parents send them back. Its seen as a bad thing when you leave your husband. But theres a major barrier to building a shelter in Chibok: Boko Haram can just walk in anytime and burn it down, she says. Im trying to find some loops around thatmaybe an online organization where people can donate money for people in need. Boko Haram cannot burn down a website.

Indeed, while Boko Haram has reportedly been weakened to some extent in recent years, the insurgents continue to terrorize the country; Chibok, a town of around 66,000 people, remains under attack. They just attack, kill, kidnap, and leave, Bishara says. They want to attack people when everyone least expects.

Bishara says that sharing her story helps her heal: Trying to make a difference, thats how I find my joy.

It really has been hard and challenging, trying to push through it, says Pogu, noting that news of violence in her homeland is always a trigger. She cites recent reports of a girl stoned to death and set on fire in Nigeria by fellow students who accused her of blasphemy. It brings you back to the people who kidnapped us, she says. Sometimes I have nightmares of people attacking me. But as time goes by and Im starting to get used to it here, Im okay; Im way better than in the beginning. The Bible tells us we should forgive our enemies and pray for them. I believe in that; it has been helping me. Although I do forgive them, its still painful. Both she and Bishara talk to their families several times a week.



Courtesy of Southeastern University

Over the years, Pogu has been home to see her family once, and Bishara, four timesa dangerous journey for the young women who defied Boko Haram. Its super scary, says Bishara. Its not safe. But I miss home and I want to see my family. Im careful when I go home. I dont announce that Im going there. By the time people know Im home, Ive already left. Pogu applied for asylum in America in 2018 and was recently approved for a green card, while Bishara hopes to get U.S. citizenship through the help of an employer or local congressperson.

Both say they are grateful for the opportunities theyve had in America. Pogu served as the student speaker at the Southeastern University commencement in Aprila bittersweet experience, she says, as she thought of her missing classmates, but also a huge, great honor to be able to stand in front of these amazing students. I was nervous, but it turned out great, and I was grateful I could share my journey. Afterward people said, Your story is inspiring. I feel like Im making a difference, and thats my goal.

They are also deeply thankful for their friendship. Joy is genuine, brutally honest, caring, funny, interesting, patient with me, and the list goes on. I can tell her anything, and she is someone I can count on anytime, says Pogu. I know we will always be there for each other, and our friendship will last a lifetime, wherever we both end up in life.



Abigail Pesta is an award-winning journalist who writes for major publications around the world. She is the author of The Girls: An All-American Town, a Predatory Doctor, and the Untold Story of the Gymnasts Who Brought Him Down and the coauthor with Sandra Uwiringiyimana of How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child.

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HELSINKI (Reuters) -Finland and Sweden will joint NATO at the same time, their prime ministers said on Friday, presenting a united front to Turkey which has raised questions about both their applications.

The Nordic neighbours asked to join the alliance in May in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but ran into objections from Turkey which accused the two of harbouring groups it deems terrorists.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Friday Turkey's president had told her he had more questions for Sweden than for her country. But she said she would not leave Sweden behind in the process.

"It is very important for us, of course, that Finland and Sweden would join NATO hand in hand," Marin told reporters at a joint press conference in Helsinki with her Swedish counterpart.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said as recently as Oct. 6 that his country still opposed Sweden's bid.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who took office last week, said: "We have been taking every step, so far, hand in hand and none of us have any other ambition."

He said he would meet Erdogan soon. "It's completely legitimate that Turkey gets confirmation that Sweden is doing what Sweden has committed to do within the framework of the agreement," he added.

Swedish daily Aftonbladet on Friday cited sources saying that Turkey had invited Kristersson to a bilateral meeting in Ankara, probably on Nov. 8.

Kristersson's spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for a comment.

(Reporting by Anne Kauranen in Helsinki and Simon Johnson in Stockholm editing by Anna Ringstrom and Andrew Heavens)
Financial and payments technology provider Fiserv Inc. will move its headquarters from Brookfield to downtown Milwaukee, eventually totaling nearly 800 jobs for the city, the company announced Thursday.

Fiserv will lease around 160,000 square feet at HUB640, the redeveloped former Boston Store building, 640 N. Phillips Ave.

Fiserv expects to begin moving its operations from Brookfield to Milwaukee in 2023, said Britt Zarling, senior vice president of corporate communications.

The large but low-key company has been based at 255 Fiserv Drive, in Brookfield Lakes Corporate Center office park, since 1992.

The global headquarters project, which will include the addition of 250 jobs over five years and a roughly $40 million investment, is contingent on receiving financing assistance currently being considered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and the City of Milwaukee, according to a company statement.

The headquarters will total around 780 jobs, according to a source familiar with the plans.

In return, the Common Council is to create a tax incremental financing district to provide $7 million for the project. Annual payments would be made over 20 years from HUB640's enhanced property tax revenue tied to Fiserv's renovated headquarters space.

The amount of WEDC's planned public financing help isn't yet available, said a spokesman for the state agency. WEDC typically provides tax credits if relocating and expanding employers hit specific job targets.

The Legislature in 2017 approved plans to provide up to $12.5 million to Fiserv if it built its new headquarters in Wisconsin and retained 93% of its jobs. WEDC officials at that time said other states were seeking to lure the company's headquarters.

Fiserv has recently reduced its overall workforce, trade publication PaymentsDive.com reported on Oct. 11.

Fiserv recently made staffing adjustments that impact a small percentage of the companys employees, company spokesperson Ann Cave told the publication. She declined to say how many employees were affected, or provide their locations.

Story continues

Thursday's announcement included statements of praise from Gov. Tony Evers and Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

Milwaukee is an ideal location for Fiservs global headquarters, which will be a prominent showcase and physical manifestation of the companys brand experience, and Fiserv will add significantly to the positive energy in the center of our city, Johnson said.

This is what the power of partnerships is all about. I welcome Fiserv and the hundreds of employees coming to Westown," Johnson said.

The new headquarters is part of "the companys strategy to bring people together in strategic hub locations to inspire innovation and collaboration, and to attract the best talent to best serve clients," Fiserv's statement said.

HUB640 is adjacent to The Avenue, a separately owned mixed-use development which replaced the former Grand Avenue mall.

HUB640 might be best known as the future home of a small format Kohl's department store that is to open on its ground floor in fall 2023.

The building, operated by Chicago-based North Wells Capital LLC, has three other office tenants: nursing home and assisted living center operator North Shore Healthcare; Eight Eleven Group, which provides technology and business staffing and consulting services, and Abacus Architects.

Fiserv executives in 2017 announced they were evaluating a possible move of the Brookfield headquarters.

That process looked at sites in Brookfield, Wauwatosa and Milwaukee.

Also, commercial real estate industry sources said potential locations could include a vacant lot in downtown's Deer District east of Fiserv Forum's parking structure.

That speculation came after the company in 2018 announced it had signed a 25-year naming rights contract for Fiserv Forum, home to the Milwaukee Bucks, which opened that year.

But Fiserv suspended that search in 2019 to focus on its $22 billion acquisition of First Data Corp.  which has helped fuel the company's continuing growth.

What does the company Fiserv do?

The company sells financial technology for such areas as account processing and digital banking, card issuer processing and network services, e-commerce, merchant acquiring and processing, and cloud-based point-of-sale.

The headquarters announcement came as Fiserv reported its third quarter net income of $481 million, a 12.4% increase, on revenue of $4.5 billion. The company posted revenue of $13.1 billion and net income of $1.75 billion through the first three quarters of 2022.

The new Milwaukee new world headquarters "will be a dynamic hub of collaboration and innovation, bringing our people together in an inspiring workplace to create opportunity for energizing and career growth experiences, as we lead the industry forward on behalf of our clients, said Frank Bisignano, president, chairman and chief executive officer.

As part of our investment in this new Fiserv global headquarters, we look forward to being a force for good, as we create positive and meaningful impact and grow our presence in the increasingly vibrant downtown Milwaukee community," Bisignano said, in a statement.

HUB640, 640 N. Phillips Ave., will be the new home of Fiserv Inc.'s global headquarters.

Suburban Milwaukee companies have made the move to downtown offices in recent years

Fiserv becomes the latest in a series of suburban Milwaukee companies that have been opening large downtown area offices in recent years. Companies have made those moves to better attract and retain employees, including younger workers.

Milwaukee Tool has its new downtown office under construction at 501 W. Michigan St.

While its headquarters is still in Brookfield, Milwaukee Tool will receive $12.1 million in city funds in return for having at least 1,210 employees at the redeveloped downtown office building by the end of 2026, according to its agreement with the city.

Komatsu Mining Corp. in December started opening its new corporate campus, including an office building and manufacturing facility, at 401 E. Greenfield Ave., in the Harbor District. About 1,000 employees moved from an office building on Milwaukee's far west side and from manufacturing operations in West Milwaukee.

Dock equipment maker Rite-Hite Holding Corp. in July started moving employees from Brown Deer to its new Freshwater Way corporate campus at Reed Street Yards business park, in Walker's Point. Roughly 300 Rite-Hite employees will be based there by March.

Industrial equipment maker Regal Rexnord Corp. in 2020 moved around 120 employees from West Milwaukee and a Milwaukee building into renovated downtown corporate offices at 105-111 W. Michigan St.

Fiserv was formed in 1984.

Fiserv had 44,000 employees worldwide at the end of 2021, according to its latest annual report.

In addition its headquarters, Fiserv operates "centralized campus environments in strategic locations across the U.S.," including in Florida, Georgia, Nebraska and New Jersey, the annual report said.

The company's move to HUB640 joins other large developments on downtown's west side, including the expansion of the Wisconsin Center convention facility, the redevelopment of The Avenue to include offices, apartments and 3rd Street Market Hall and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's Bradley Symphony Center.

Fiserv was represented by Bill Bonifas, Matt Cariello and Kenzie Kiefer with CBRE on the downtown lease, with John Davis and Ned Purtell, of Founders 3, representing building owner North Wells.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Fiserv Inc. moving headquarters with 800 jobs to downtown Milwaukee
In early 2020, a state senator filed a bill that received no attention, no committee hearing and no chance of passage, but could have given thousands of Floridians a chance to avoid the damage brought by Hurricane Ian.

SB 1474 would have required people selling homes to disclose whether the property had ever flooded before, experienced standing water for more than 48 hours or if any part of the property was on or near a FEMA flood zone.

READ: Early morning storms flood streets in Orange County

Two years later, the author of the bill, Annette Taddeo (D), is still being asked about its failure to gain traction.

The problem, as with everything in Florida, is that for certain powerful interests, this is something theyd rather not have to do, Taddeo told the Florida Phoenix earlier this month.

Its unclear exactly how many properties in Central Florida would have fallen under Taddeos bill, should it have passed. Leading up to the storm, meteorologists warned newly constructed neighborhoods that had never experienced flooding would suddenly be under water. FEMA flood maps covered several in Osceola County alone.

Florida law also has no protections for tenants, like the ones in Good Samaritan. A landlord does not have to disclose if the unit is at risk of flooding or has a history of it, and renter's insurance doesn't cover water damage.  Nick Papantonis WFTV (@NPapantonisWFTV) October 28, 2022

However, the bills failure to pass left Florida among the roughly 20 states that do not require a flood disclosure. The groupings dont fall under regional or political boundaries  Florida is joined by states like Massachusetts, Arkansas and Montana, according to FEMA  but few states without disclosure laws are more prone to disaster than the low-lying Sunshine State.

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States that do have laws often enact them because homes that flood once tend to flood again. A 2017 study illustrated the damage flood-prone homes can cause a region. In Floridas most populous 12 counties, researchers found, 15,000 homes were responsible for almost 40,000 flood insurance claims.

READ: Good Samaritan tells residents to start paying rent as safety concerns are raised

Hurricane Ian also exposed the weaknesses in Taddeos bill, chiefly the fact that it did not make any requirements for landlords negotiating with prospective tenants.

Unlike homeowners, who can be required to get flood insurance by their mortgage company and who may get lucky with a home inspector that picks up on any flood damage, renters have to take the word of their landlord  and renters insurance normally doesnt cover flooding.

Thats what ultimately proved to be devastating to residents of Good Samaritan Village, who reported moving in unaware that their units were a severe storm away from ruining them.

I was not advised to get flood insurance, one resident said, confirming she never asked the complex about its location in a FEMA flood zone.

As the cleanup effort continues in Good Samaritan and beyond, some are asking if its time to give Taddeos bill another try.

I think this is the type of discussion that should be in that special session, Sen. Linda Stewart (D) said, referring to a special session called for Dec. 12 that will address property taxes and property insurance post-Ian.

Stewart sits on the very committee that SB 1474 met its quick death in but had no part in its fate. However, she lowered expectations for what could be accomplished. Pitting sellers, who stand to lose property value if they were required to disclose flooding history, against buyers is a tough sell in Tallahassee, she explained.

She appeared to be more optimistic about landlord-tenant protections as she theorized disclosures could be easily written into a lease, encouraging a tenant to get flood insurance.

READ: These conditions are not OK: Parents say there are mold, air quality issues at Oviedo school

One possible solution for buyers and sellers could be putting more restrictions on new construction, such as placing houses on stilts, she said, recommending a solution some coastal and riverfront communities have done elsewhere.

I think that were going to see legislation thats going to say, OK, this is what happened to you in 10 years, it could happen again. So youre going to have to build yourself into a reliable anti-flood program, she predicted.

WFTV reached out to other representatives on both sides of the aisle for their thoughts, but did not get a response. Taddeo is running for Congress and will vacate her seat after the November election.

Any legislation would need support in both chambers of the state legislature. The Republican chairman for the committee overseeing SB 1474 told the Phoenix the lack of support among House representatives was one of the factors in his decision to not give the bill a hearing back in the day.

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.
Flu-related hospitalizations nationwide have risen dramatically in recent weeks, reaching levels historically not seen until much later in flu season, according to data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We haven't seen this level of activity this early before," said Lynnette Brammer, team lead of the domestic influenza surveillance team at the CDC. Typical flu seasons usually don't pick up steam until December.

Flu hospitalizations are rising across all age groups, especially children. The increase comes as other respiratory viruses, including RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, are also spiking in kids. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 76% of pediatric hospital beds nationwide are full.

"We realize the potential implications of the co-circulating viruses all at once," Brammer said. "We're taking it very seriously."

Doctors are not required to report each positive flu test to public health officials, so the CDC and others monitor likely flu activity by looking at "influenza-like illnesses": a fever of at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit and a cough and/or sore throat without any other known cause.

Also Friday, the CDC reported the first flu-related death in a child so far this season. The CDC did not provide any details about the child, however KVEO, the NBC affiliate in Brownsville, Texas, recently reported that a 3-year-old girl had died after testing positive for the flu.

While the flu and similar viral illnesses are rising nationwide, they're notably high across the Southeast and Eastern Seaboard  from Texas to Georgia, and South Carolina up to Virginia and New Jersey, according to the new report.

CDC (CDC)

Doctors also warn that other infections can follow severe cases of the flu, including bacterial infections like pneumococcal pneumonia. Dr. Greg Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group in Rochester, Minnesota, worries that this season could be bad for these post-viral infections.

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Dr. Shannon Martinello, a pediatrician in private practice in New Haven, Connecticut, is already seeing an uptick in post-viral bacterial illness. "The more mucus they have, and the more congested they are, it increases their risk of ear infections," she said.

"I always tell parents when their kids have flu, it's going to be a rough week, and they're going to get better," Martinello said. But if a child who has recovered from the flu starts to feel sick again a week or 10 days later, she advises parents to take the child back to the doctor. "I want to re-listen to his lungs and re-check his ears and make sure that something else hasn't happened as a secondary issue."

There are early signs that this year's flu shot appears to work well at keeping people out of the hospital. A report on Chile's flu season, released Thursday by the CDC, found the vaccine was 49% protective against flu-related hospitalizations.

That might seem low, but from 2015 to 2020, flu shot effectiveness in the U.S. ranged from 29% to 48%.

A patients is moved between wings at the Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital on Feb. 25, 2022, in New York. (Luiz C. Ribeiro / TNS via Getty Images)

It's unclear whether this year's flu shots in the U.S. will be as effective as was found during Chile's flu season. But the shots used in both countries have one of the same targets: the H3N2 flu strain, which accounts for a majority of flu cases currently detected in the U.S.

H3N2 is an influenza A virus and is often associated with increased hospitalizations. Kids under age 5 may be at particular risk.

The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get an annual flu shot. Children up through 8 years old may need two shots this year, the agency said, especially if they've never had the flu vaccine. The American Academy of Pediatrics has the same recommendation, adding that kids should get their flu shots by the end of October.

But the early start to the flu season has left many Americans vulnerable. Only about half of the population gets an annual flu shot, typically. Many who do often wait until October to get it.

"I cannot stress enough how important it is to go ahead and get that vaccine now," Brammer said.

Follow NBC HEALTH on Twitter & Facebook.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Former Vice President Mike Pence will join Brian Kemp next week to campaign in Kemps re-election bid for Georgia governor.

Kemps campaign confirmed that Pence will be in north Georgia on Tuesday afternoon. Kemp and Pence will speak at the Cumming Cigar Company and Carroll Daniel Construction Company in Gainesville.

Pence is the latest in a long list of names that have come to the Peach state to campaign this election cycle.

On Friday, former President Barack Obama will speak at a rally for Kemps Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams and Sen. Raphael Warnock.

Earlier this week, Sen. Lindsey Graham made stops for Warnocks Republican challenger Herschel Walker.

ELECTION 2022

Hamilton creator Lin Manuel-Miranda was also in town for Abrams and Warnock this month while Orpah Winfrey held a virtual rally for Abrams.

Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie campaigned for Kemp last month. Christie will make a few more stops for Kemp.

Georgia is ground zero when you talk about the political future of the United States, veteran political consultant Fred Hicks told Channel 2s Richard Elliot.

Hicks has worked on Republican and Democratic campaigns. He said these big names are not in Georgia to change voters minds, but to make sure those voters actually go vote.

National surrogates serve one purpose and thats to increase turnout with your base. And thats what youre seeing both parties do right now, whether youre talking about the Senate race or the governors race, Hicks said.
Fox News/Screenshot

In the immediate hours following news that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosis 82-year-old husband was assaulted by a hammer-wielding assailant in their San Francisco home, Fox News hosts and commentators quickly moved to spin the attack as anything but politically motivated.

Even after reporting on the suspects reported embrace of right-wing conspiracy theories about COVID and 2020 election denialism, the networks anchors wondered how to connect all of that to Pelosi as theres a missing trail of dots here.

David DePape, 42, was taken into police custody early Friday morning after allegedly breaking into the speakers house and attacking Paul Pelosi. The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said on Friday. Our officers immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup and rendered medical aid.

While the motivation of the attack is still under investigation, CNN reported on Friday morning that DePape shouted Where is Nancy, where is Nancy? upon entering the home and allegedly attempted to tie up Paul Pelosi until the speaker returned.

Additionally, a review of DePapes social-media activity showed a voracious consumption of far-right conspiracies, including posting videos from MAGA pillow salesman Mike Lindell baselessly claiming the 2020 presidential elections was stolen from former President Donald Trump.

Suspect in Pelosi Attack Pushed Conspiracy Theories Online

Besides sharing links to crank websites falsely claiming the COVID-19 vaccines are deadly and that George Floyd was killed by a drug overdose, he also regularly shared transphobic memes and images. On top of that, DePape also reportedly kept a blog that groused about the ruling class and further delved into far-right conspiracies, such as Pizzagate, QAnon, and concerns that pedo schools are normalizing pedophilia.

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As reporters dug into the suspects past and potential motivations, Fox News personalities and guests pivoted to suggesting the attack on Pelosis home was a random incident among a nationwide surge in violent crime, which theyve long blamed on supposedly lax policies in Democrat-led cities.

So obviously we dont know what happened with this assault on Mr. Pelosi and it's reprehensible no matter what the circumstances, but I so also think its worth keeping in mind we are in a crime crisis in our country because we demoralize the police, independent California gubernatorial candidate Michael Shellenberger said on Fox News. We have basically said to the police they are the enemy in a variety of ways. And I think this is a wake-up call that these are problems that affect everybody. This isnt just a problem that affects people in poor neighborhoods that we all should be concerned about restoring public safety, both to cities like San Francisco and cities around the country.

At the same time, while tying the attack to rising crime rates, some Fox hosts took aim at former President Joe Biden for some reason.

Fox: It's either "a crime situation" that "shines a light on what's happening in San Fran and all these other cities" or "politically-motivated" in which case "Why is our country so divided? Prez Biden, you got up to the podium and said you were gonna bring us together." pic.twitter.com/RcERicZycw  Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) October 28, 2022

There are two things we could have on our hands here. You know, a crime situation that just happened more randomly or with some motivation but wasnt really targeted at Pelosi per se, Fox Business host Jackie DeAngelis declared on Fox News daytime chat show Outnumbered.

That shines a light on whats happening not only in San Francisco but all these other cities, she continued. If we have a situation where this is politically motivated, you have to step back and say: Why is our country so divided? President Biden, you got up to the podium and said you were gonna bring us together!

Another Outnumbered host, however, was actually upset that Biden even condemned the attack on Pelosis husbandwondering why the president hasnt done the same condemnation for other hammer attacks.

Fox attacks the White House for condemning the attack against Paul Pelosi and not every other hammer attack. pic.twitter.com/FatTi3orLV  nikki mccann ramirez (@NikkiMcR) October 28, 2022

I dont remember them doing that when we watched an elderly Asian-American get stomped in the face multiple times. Or attacks with hammers here in the city that has affected thousands of Americans who are victims, Emily Compagno fumed at one point.

While CNN and other media outlets reported some of the suspects unhinged social-media posts, Fox News straight news division cautiously suggested the violence way have been a random criminal act.

We just dont know at this point, that this person could have been motivated by just about anything. We dont know, Fox News anchor John Roberts proclaimed.

Fox anchor John Roberts: "We just dont know at this point, that this person could have been motivated by just about anything. We dont know."



Bret Baier: "Yeah. The only indication we have is 'Where's Nancy?' That he was waiting for Nancy. But we don't know his point of view." pic.twitter.com/Q8IAIbm5DU  Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) October 28, 2022

Yeah, the only indication we have is Wheres Nancy? That he was waiting for Nancy, chief political anchor Bret Baier responded. But we dont know his point of view.

Eventually, though, the Fox anchors and reporters began reporting on DePapes social-media activity. However, they did so while whistling past the fact that the conspiracy theories he espoused often echoed much of the networks opinion programming.

Social media posts included transphobic images, links to websites claiming COVID vaccines were deadly. The [COVID] death rates being promoted are whatever they want to be promoted as the death rate, one post said, Roberts reported. Also posted links to YouTube videos with titles like Democrat FARCE Commission to Investigate January 6th Capitol Riot COLLAPSES in Congress!!! and Global Elites Plan To Take Control Of YOUR Money! Roberts then added: So, it looks like we potentially have somebody here who embraces conspiracy theories?

The Fox anchor left something out, however, while describing DePapes posts, as Mediaite editor-in-chief Aidan McLaughlin noted on Twitter.

Roberts calls them conspiracy theories but all of these theories appear nightly on Tucker Carlsons show, he wrote. Indeed, the primetime Fox News host regularly traffics in anti-trans commentary, vaccine skepticism, anger over the global elite ruling class, and disdain for the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.

After reporting that a former associate of DePape distanced herself from him after he began using Biblical justification to do harm, Roberts wondered how this could possibly have led to him violently lashing out at Pelosi. Again, how do you connect all of that with Nancy Pelosi? Thats the missing trail of dots here, he wondered.

Baier, though, pointed out that there were posts on DePapes Facebook page that did mention the speaker.

You also have to be careful scouring the social media stuff because people can go out there and spoof some of these social media sites, Roberts reacted. So youve got to be very careful that you know exactly what it is were looking at before we report on it.

Caitlyn Jenner: "Its imperative, also, that we dont make this a partisan issue."



[literally 35 seconds later]



"Soft on crime liberals, politicians running to actually defund the police... We have to get these people out of office." pic.twitter.com/UE8vqiNnOJ  Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) October 28, 2022

Fox News contributor and former California gubernatorial candidate Caitlyn Jenner, in her appearance Friday afternoon, rather openly exposed the main goal here: Blame the libs, no matter what.

Its imperative, also, that we dont make this a partisan issue, she told anchor Martha MacCallum. Thirty seconds later, however, she exclaimed: Soft on crime liberals, politicians running to actually defund the police... We have to get these people out of office!

And, of course, she also managed to get in a shot at Biden with the midterm elections only 11 days away.

Another major takeaway is Biden, she said. Hes done nothing to tone down the rhetoric and unite this nation.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

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BEIJING (Reuters) -German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will press China to open up its markets and will raise human rights concerns next week in what will be the first visit by a European Union leader to China since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Berlin said on Friday.

Scholz will visit on Nov. 4 at a time of growing concern in the West about China's trade practices and human rights record, as well as anxiety over Germany's reliance on the world's second-largest economy.

It also comes amid a festering row within Scholz's three-way coalition over whether to approve Chinese investment in a terminal at Hamburg, Germany's largest port, which Scholz is pushing through despite the security concerns of his ministers.

The German government's spokesperson told a briefing on Friday that Berlin's view of Beijing had changed but it was against "decoupling" from the Chinese economy and wanted Beijing to show reciprocity in trade relations.

Germany would discuss "autocratic" tendencies in China, and human rights, "but also a whole range of other questions, about reciprocity, as in the opening of Chinese markets for European and other companies", the spokesperson said.

The German government wanted to meet non-governmental organisations during the visit but it was not clear if that will be possible, the spokesperson added.

Scholz is visiting China at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, China's foreign ministry said in a brief statement confirming the trip.

China has been Germany's biggest trading partner for the past six years, with volumes reaching more than 245 billion euros ($244 billion) in 2021.

Scholz will be accompanied on his one-day visit by a delegation of business leaders. The chief executives of Volkswagen and BASF have confirmed that they will be among those joining the chancellor.

The German leader has faced criticism ahead of the trip for pushing through a cabinet decision to allow China's Cosco to invest in a terminal at Hamburg. This came despite strong pushback from his coalition partners amid concerns over Chinese influence over critical infrastructure.

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Berlin is also still examining the potential Chinese takeover of the chip production of Dortmund-based company Elmos, the German spokesperson said.

The spokesperson declined to confirm a German media report that Germany's domestic intelligence agency had warned against approving the investment.

($1 = 1.0054 euros)

(Reporting by Beijing newsroom, with Matthias Williams and Andreas Rinke; Writing by Rachel More and Matthias Williams; Editing by Alex Richardson and David Holmes)
Though many claim the title reverend, few are genuinely revered by the flocks of parishioners they lead and the wider city they shape. Calvin O. Butts III, who died Friday after commanding the pulpit at Abyssinian Baptist Church for a generation, was among them.

Abyssinian was born in 1808 when a group of African-American parishioners left the citys First Baptist Church to protest its segregated seating, christening it with Ethiopias ancient name. Sitting in the heart of Harlem, it became one of Americas most influential Black churches, which is to say one of its most influential churches. Adam Clayton Powell Sr., served as minister, and then his son did, the two heading the mighty congregation from 1908 to 1971.

Though he led Abyssinian in less tumultuous times, Butts was the equal of those giants. Week after week, he delivered powerful sermons; year after year, pointed crusades. In the 1990s, he decried violent and misogynistic rap lyrics, saying, Were not against rap. Were not against rappers...But we are against those thugs who disgrace our community, our women, who disgrace our culture, and who have absolutely nothing of redemptive value to offer except the legacy of violence and sexual assault and foul language. In 1993, he debated Ice T in what remains essential viewing.

Butts didnt just build spirits. The Abyssinian Development Corp. he founded seeded a half-billion dollars in projects that transformed lives, from affordable housing to schools to services for the elderly and homeless. And, not busy enough, he was president of SUNYs Old Westbury for more than 20 years.

Some of our small-minded countrymen see New York as a place apart, where people are self-interested and morally adrift, where a snarky secular populace scoffs at religion. They miss that our faith congregations, led by great pastors like Butts, sustain us. They aid the weak and weary. They remind political leaders of the principles they claim to uphold. They bind families and communities together. They are our neighborhoods beating hearts. Rest in peace, the beloved Rev. Butts.
By Aditya Kalra and Arpan Chaturvedi

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Google is planning a legal challenge to block a ruling by India's antitrust watchdog to change its approach to its Android operating system, concerned that it will restrict how it promotes the platform, sources with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters.

The Alphabet Inc unit has been fined $275 million in two Indian antitrust decisions since last week - one for its policies of charging in-app commissions and another for abusing its position in the market for Android operating system.

The rulings come as Google faces increased antitrust scrutiny across the world. Last month, it suffered a major setback when a European court upheld a 2018 ruling saying it was largely confirming a decision that the company imposed "unlawful restrictions on manufacturers of Android mobile devices." Google plans to appeal the decision, where it faces a record $4.1 billion fine.

The Competition Commission of India's (CCI) Android ruling, despite involving a smaller $162 million fine, has worried Google since it seeks wider ranging remedial measures, three sources aware of company's thinking said.

One of the sources said that Google was concerned that the CCI's decision could increase regulatory pressures in other jurisdictions and a legal appeal to block implementation of the antitrust directive was being planned within weeks.

Google declined to comment on its legal plans, reiterating its statement from last week that the CCI order was "a major setback for Indian consumers and businesses, opening serious security risks ... and raising the cost of mobile devices for Indians."

Abhishek Manu Singhvi, lead counsel for Google in its arguments before the CCI, tweeted on Wednesday that "inherent & patent infirmities" in the order make a challenge inevitable and likely to succeed.

Google has faced criticism globally that it licenses its Android operating system to smartphones players but signs restrictive agreements that are anti-competitive. The U.S. firm maintains that Android has created more choice for everyone and such agreements help keep the operating system free.

Story continues

In the European Commission case, for example, its antitrust authority in 2018 ruled Google abused its dominant position by forcing manufacturers to pre-install two of its apps - Google Search and its Chrome browser - together with its Google Play store on Android devices.

The Indian order, one of the sources said, is concerning as it goes further and imposes restrictions on a wider array of Google apps - "Licensing of Play Store ... shall not be linked with the requirement of pre-installing" Google search services, Chrome browser, YouTube, Google Maps, Gmail or any other application of Google," the CCI noted.

Faisal Kawoosa, founder of Indian research firm Techarc, said such pre-installation restrictions could force Google to think of different revenue models such as charging device makers a licence fee for Android in India, as they did in Europe.

"The CCI directions strike at the heart of Google's revenue model for Android - which relies on a volume game where larger the user base is, multiple the avenues to monetize," Kawoosa said.

In Europe, 75% of 550 million smartphones run on Android, compared with 97% of 600 million devices in India, Counterpoint Research estimates.

Google is also concerned that the CCI has ordered it not to impose any restrictions in India on so-called "sideloading", a practice of downloading apps without using an app store, and to allow other app stores to be available within its Play Store, two of the sources said.

These are, however, expected to lift the prospects of domestic rivals, such as Indus App Bazaar, which offer thousands of apps in English and local languages. The order "will give rise to more choice and innovation for Indian developers," Indus said this week.

(Reporting by Aditya Kalra, Arpan Chatruvedi, Munsif Vengatill in New Delhi; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Louise Heavens)
A GOP super PAC is putting a seven-figure investment into the New Hampshire Senate race, providing a new source of outside funding for Republican Don Bolduc as polling shows him surging in the final stretch  but in need of more resources.

Sentinel Action Fund, a super PAC associated with the conservative advocacy organization Heritage Action for America, confirmed the new $1 million ad buy exclusively with POLITICO. A spokesperson for the group said the ad  a negative spot against Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan  is set to hit airwaves on Wednesday, and Sentinel may add to its buy.

Jessica Anderson, president of the super PAC, called the Army brigadier general a political outsider whose vote was needed to reverse Democratic economic policies. The group endorsed Bolduc earlier this month, and prior to the Senate primary spent $300,000 on a July ad attacking Hassan on gas prices.

General Don Bolduc will be the senator New Hampshirites need in Washington, Anderson said in a statement to POLITICO. His campaign is showing tremendous momentum in the Granite State, and it is time for the whole of the conservative movement to come together and support his bid to unseat Sen. Hassan.



Bolducs rise in the polls  which now show him tied or within the margin of error against Hassan  comes as Senate Leadership Fund, the super PAC aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced a week ago it was slashing more than $5 million in remaining ad buys in the state in order to spend the funds in Pennsylvania.

Sentinel Action Funds venture into New Hampshire mirrors its involvement in Arizona. In both cases, the new super PAC sought to fill a void left by SLFs departure. In the case of Arizona, Republican Blake Masters began catching up with Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly after Sentinel Action Fund and a series of other GOP outside spending groups rushed in to buy up advertising time that SLF had canceled.

SLFs announcement last week to cancel its remaining investment in New Hampshire came two days after Bolduc reiterated he would still not support McConnell as Senate majority leader, a position he held during the primary.

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In the story, first reported by POLITICO, Bolduc said he was not backing off his past comments about the need for new leadership in the Senate. Masters earlier this year had also suggested a change in Republican Senate leadership.

In the days since, two new Republican senators have endorsed Bolduc: Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. Early next week, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, will travel to New Hampshire to campaign with him.

Bolduc, an Army brigadier general who ran further to the right than his Republican primary opponents, has attempted to temper some of his positions after winning the partys nomination. That includes reversing his past stance that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump, who ultimately did not endorse in the New Hampshire Senate primary.



An internal poll released last week by Bolducs campaign, conducted by Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio, found Bolduc just two points behind Hassan, 49 to 47 percent. An Emerson College poll also conducted in mid-October showed a three-point race, while a Co/Efficient poll this week had the race tied.

The recent surveys show Bolduc has pulled closer to Hassan since just after the Sept. 13 primary, when he was polling 7 to 9 percentage points behind the incumbent Democrat.

Coupled with a lingering poor midterm environment for Democrats  Bidens approval stands at just 40 percent in the state, Emerson and Co/Efficient found  the recent polling has urged Republican groups to step in and keep irons in the fire in New Hampshire.

The NRSC, which canceled millions of dollars in scheduled advertisements in New Hampshire earlier this month, citing SLFs presence in the state, this week said it would put $1 million back in. Other GOP super PACs, including Our American Century and Restoration PAC, have placed buys in the last week totaling $1 million.

But Democrats continue to have a spending advantage in the final days of the race. Through Election Day, Democrats have another $6.5 million worth of ads scheduled, according to AdImpact, compared to $1.3 million from Republicans  not including Sentinel Action Funds new investment.

The candidates are set to face off in their final of three debates on Thursday, an event hosted by WMUR, the main local television news station for New Hampshire viewers.



A field operation funded by Sentinel Action Fund has knocked more than 32,000 doors in New Hampshire this month, according to the organization. The $600,000 door-knocking operation was also designed to boost GOP congressional candidates Karoline Leavitt and Robert Burns.


CHICAGO  Good Kids Mad City filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the city of Chicago to seek relief from the citys curfew on Halloween so young people with the organization can cop watch and peacekeep in the city's Hyde Park neighborhood on the holiday.

The citys curfew prohibits those under the age of 18 from being on the streets after 10 p.m. Every year on Halloween, Good Kids Mad City holds an event in Hyde Park where members cop watch  observe police activity with the goal of deescalating and discouraging police misconduct  and conduct outreach to young people. According to the lawsuit, members are concerned officers will arrest and harass them during their event.

The suit seeks a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that would prevent police from enforcing the curfew against activists who engage in nontraditional First Amendment activities.

When asked about the lawsuit at a news conference Thursday afternoon, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she doesnt typically comment on pending litigation and shell let the court decide what is correct.

But if you read the ordinance, theres plenty of opportunity in the ordinance itself for them to do exactly what theyre saying they want to do ... but theres nothing that prevents people who are active and engaged, going to events, staffing events, from being out in the city, she said. The curfew ordinance doesnt stop that.

The ordinance notes that the curfew does not apply for youth who are participating in or returning home immediately after a ticketed or sponsored event, but that the youth should have evidence of their attendance at the event such as a ticket stub or wristband.

Since the City Council amended the curfew in May, the Police Department has increased enforcement by at least 57% compared with enforcement last year, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also argues that enforcement focuses on Black and brown neighborhoods, which is the base of Good Kids Mad Citys operations.

Story continues

The lawsuit also asks that the Police Department inform all officers during roll call that they are prohibited from enforcing the curfew against the youth participating in these actions.

Good Kids Mad Citys peacekeeping and police watching activities often occur during curfew hours because that is when members believe it has the most impact, according to the lawsuit.

This is particularly true on Halloween, when both young people and police are particularly active after the curfew hours. Because GKMCs cop watching and peacekeeping activities must occur during curfew hours, there are no alternative channels for this expression, according to the lawsuit.

Kristen Cabanban, a spokesperson for the citys Law Department, declined to comment.

This matter is now pending litigation and the city has no comment, she said in an email.

Superintendent David Brown said at the news conference Thursday that the Police Department is collaborating with more groups and city departments this year during the holiday, and it plans to deploy more officers in all neighborhoods and on the CTA system during the Halloween weekend compared to previous years.

The youth curfew should not change how police patrol this years Halloween given the curfews exceptions, Brown said.

We want everyone to have fun. We want you to enjoy being out, but we also want you to be safe, he said.

____
Former Capitol police officer Michael Riley was indicted in October 2021 on charges he obstructed the January 6 investigation. Tom Williams/Roll Call

A jury found former Capitol police officer Michael Riley guilty Friday of obstructing the investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack.

The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on the charge related to his urging the rioter to remove posts.

The verdict followed the longest jury deliberation to date in a trial stemming from the January 6 attack.

A jury found former Capitol police officer Michael Riley guilty Friday of obstructing the investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the building he was once sworn to protect, handing the Justice Department a victory in a unique and high-profile prosecution stemming from the insurrection.

The verdict came a year after Riley's indictment on charges he advised a Capitol rioter to delete social media posts placing him within the pro-Trump mob that besieged the Capitol to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. In their case against Riley, prosecutors also alleged that he later deleted his messages with the n0w-convicted Capitol rioter, Jacob Hiles, to destroy evidence of his obstruction.

The jury found Riley guilty on the obstruction charge linked to the deletion of Facebook messages with Hiles but could not reach a unanimous verdict on the charge related to his urging the rioter to remove posts. Judge Amy Berman Jackson declared a mistrial on that second obstruction charge.

Jurors told Insider upon leaving the courthouse that a single member of the panel objected to finding Riley guilty on the other obstruction charge. The jury's deliberation, which stretched from Tuesday afternoon to Friday, was the longest to date in a trial stemming from the January 6 attack.

Riley's defense lawyer, Christopher Macchiaroli, declined to comment on the verdict, noting his legal arguments for throwing out the charges were still pending before Jackson.

A 25-year veteran of the police force, Riley responded on January 6 to one of the pipe bombs found near the Capitol. He resigned from the Capitol police following his October 2021 indictment on two obstruction charges.

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During the weeklong trial, his defense lawyer argued that Riley had been "duped" into believing that Hiles had only gone to the Capitol to document the events of January 6. In a risky move that has backfired against other January 6 defendants, Riley took the stand to testify in his own defense.

Riley told jurors that he was "embarrassed" about his communications with Hiles, who he claimed had misled him about the extent of his involvement in the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

But, in her closing argument Monday, federal prosecutor Anne McNamara dismissed Riley's explanation as little more than a "cover story."

"This defendant was not duped," McNamara said.

"Ladies and gentlemen, use your logic and common sense," she added. "That's absurd."

During the weeklong trial, prosecutors presented multiple messages Riley exchanged with Hiles beginning on January 7. 2021  the day after the Capitol attack. In the first message, Riley introduced himself as a Capitol police officer and warned Hiles to delete social media posts placing him inside the Capitol on January 6.

"Hey Jake, im a capitol police officer who agrees with your political stance," Riley wrote to Hiles.

"Take down the part about being in the building they are currently investigating and everyone who was in the building is going to be charged," Riley added. "Just looking out!"

Hiles did not delete his social posts and received credit for preserving that evidence. Under a plea deal with prosecutors, Hiles admitted to a misdemeanor charge and was later sentenced to two years of probation.

In her closing argument, McNamara stressed that it didn't matter that Hiles never acted on Riley's advice to delete the Facebook posts. "The only thing that matters," she said, is that Riley tried to persuade Hiles to remove those posts.

"He did this in private because he didn't want anyone to know," she said.

Within weeks of striking up the Facebook correspondence, Riley learned that Hiles had been charged in connection with January 6 and questioned by the FBI. Hiles notified Riley in one message that the FBI was "very curious that I had been speaking to you."

Upon realizing he was "smack in the middle of the crosshairs" of the January 6 investigation, Riley then created a "cover story," McNamara said, and deleted his private messages with Hiles.

"He acted immediately to avoid being caught," she said.

Riley deleted the first message he sent Hiles, in which the then-Capitol police officer said he was "just looking out."

He also deleted another message sent in the weeks after the Capitol attack: "Federal court is no joke."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Citizens of Guyana can now travel to the United Kingdom without the need to acquire a tourist visa.

Guyanese Will No Longer Need Visa To UK Nov 9th

Jane Miller, the British High Commissioner to Guyana announced in a press conference at her home. President of Guyana Irfaan Ali was also in attendance. With this new policy, Guyanese citizens can stay in the UK for up to six months without a visa. The new policy will come into effect on November 9th.

Pros To The Visa Lift

Today is a historic day for the Guyana-UK relation, and I am delighted to inform you that those with a valid Guyanese passport can visit the UK visa-free, Ms. Miller said.

Citizens of Guyana that wish to stay beyond 180 days will need a visa. As well as citizens who go to the UK to work or study, should apply for their respective visas as normal.

Photo Credit: Adam Gethin

According to Miller, the new initiative will cultivate a better relationship between the two countries.

This visa lift is a real sign of the confidence the UK has in the growth of our relationship, and together with the direct flight that will be happening at the end of March with British Airways, we believe this change is going to be transformative to our already strong relationship, she added.

Guyana & UK Relations

Back in June, Guyana became the UKs top trading partner in the Caribbean. In 2021trade relations between Guyana and UK were valued at close to 560 million pounds. Which in turn was 21.6% off all the UKs trade with the Caribbean.

President Irfaan Ali also asked citizens to not abuse the new visa lift.

President Ali stated: Today, I am very pleased that Guyanese can travel with greater ease to the UK. However, I want to say to all Guyanese that with these waivers comes an important responsibility for all of us. We are responsible for safeguarding these important decisions because it comes with hard work. It takes a long time, and we will be working very closely with the UK in strengthening our systems to ensure that there is proper monitoring and to ensure there is no abuse of the system.
OTTAWA, Ont.  Haiti will have to wait.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly met in Ottawa Thursday where they hemmed and hawed on sending forces to clear gangs from Port-au-Princes streets, a security issue both leaders say must be addressed before drawing up plans for a humanitarian corridor.

Our countries have been working very closely together to do a few things to try to cut this insecurity knot and deal with a gang problem, Blinken said of the worsening security situation.

During an afternoon press conference, the leaders rallied international support for Haiti and the countys national police, but neither signaled interest in leading a foreign intervention in the deteriorating country.

Joly was direct, Haiti needs us.

Blinken is in the Canadian capital on his first in-person visit to the country as Secretary of State. He told reporters its technically his second visit because his first was virtual back in February 2021.

Canada is the last G-7 country Blinken has stepped foot in, despite it being the closest.

Canada announced ahead of Blinkens arrival on Thursday that a fact-finding team has arrived in the country as part of an assessment mission to evaluate the countrys security and humanitarian needs.

A senior Canadian government official not authorized to speak publicly on the mission told POLITICO the team has no hard deadline but will be on a short-term expedition.

The news comes nearly two weeks after the U.S. and Canada sent a shipment of armored vehicles and supplies to the country to help police forces fight armed gangs.

Haitis Prime Minister Ariel Henry had requested help from members of the United Nations earlier this month for specialized armed forces to intervene.

Henrys government is unpopular  and his requests for help have been met with wariness from the international community, including President Joe Biden.

Biden has been reluctant to commit U.S. troops to Haiti, a country with a long and fraught history with foreign intervention.

Story continues

Armed gangs have blocked access to Haiti's main fuel terminal, causing shortages. Food prices have also skyrocketed with nearly five million people facing hunger, according to the United Nations, including 1.8 million people at a catastrophic level.

The country is also facing a cholera outbreak after going three years without any reported cases.

Joly and Blinken discussed sanctions as an avenue to alleviate the security situation in Haiti.

I think one of the things that we haven't done when it comes to Haiti in the past, over the decades of Canada being involved in Haiti, is really sanctioning the people that are at the core of the financing of these gangs, said Joly.

The United Nations approved a sanctions package last week targeting the criminal gangs that have taken control of the main fuel terminal in Haitis capital and have blocked access.

Jolys endorsement of additional sanctions raises questions about Canadas ability to enforce them.

Ottawa has added at least 1,800 individuals and entities related to Russian President Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine since February.

The killing of Mahsa Amini in Iran prompted Canada to expand its sanctions against the Iranian government, and subsequently create a dedicated team in Jolys department, with help from a C$76-million injection, tasked with enforcing them.

The sanctions team funding is less than the C$40 million that Canada has given to Haiti's National Police Academy since the beginning of the year.

The topic is expected to follow Blinken to Montreal, the second and last stop of his two-day trip to Canada. Quebec is home to the countrys largest Haitian population.
Jerry Lee Lewis, left, poses with Myra Gale Brown at a London press conference on May 24, 1958. (AP Photo)

Myra Lewis Williams, also known as Myra Gale Brown, was the third wife of late rock n' roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis and  more infamously  his 13-year-old cousin at the time they got married.

So whatever happened to her? Williams, 78, said in 2016 that she's been "right here" the whole time  but she apparently no longer had a relationship with her notorious ex-husband after 2015.

Lewis, who died Friday at age 87, weathered professional exile in 1958 after a reporter covering his arrival in London inquired about the young girl in his entourage who ultimately introduced herself as "Jerry's wife."

The "Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On and Great Balls of Fire" hitmaker had eloped with Myra Gale Brown in December 1957, the result of a romance that developed when he moved into the Memphis home of Myras father, JW Brown, who was Lewis cousin and bass player, according to Lewis' obituary in The Times.

Lewis was 22 and Williams was 13, and the press came down hard on him when it was revealed that she was also his second cousin and that Lewis was still married to his second wife, Jane Mitchum, when they wed.

The revelation resulted in the abrupt cancellation of Lewis' tour; he was blacklisted by radio and his earnings dropped overnight. (Couples married young in his Louisiana hometown of Ferriday, and he wed for the first time when he was 16 and had seven wives over the course of his life.)

He continued to record music and perform in theater during that time and mounted a comeback about a decade later.

"When Jerry Lee and I went to England there was a whole lotta trouble going on... The press made me out to be a seductive Lolita, which was as far from the truth as it gets. Remember, gossip is not gospel," Williams wrote on Instagram in 2015.

It was really the first scandal of rock n roll, Williams told Georgia's Gwinnett Daily Post in 2016. What was happening back then, rock n roll was coming on very, very strong. The preachers hated it. The radio stations that didnt play it hated it. They called it the devils music. It was crude and rude and ridiculous what it was doing to the teenagers. Little did they know what it was going to turn into."

Story continues

The 1989 biopic "Great Balls of Fire," which starred Dennis Quaid as Lewis and a 17-year-old Winona Ryder as Myra, was based on Williams' first book of the same name. But it didn't delve deep enough into exploring Lewis' indomitable character. Instead director Jim McBride, who co-wrote the script with Jack Baran, "ends up simply satirizing the argyle innocence and daffy exuberance of the 50s," according to The Times' review.

"'Great Balls of Fire' is the toon of rock movies, with Jerry Lee Lewis reduced on screen to Roger Rabbit," Times music critic Robert Hilburn wrote at the time. "Jerry Lee Lewis may be a lot of things, but hes not a simple cartoon."

Williams again addressed their scandalous relationship in her 2016 memoir, "The Spark That Survived." While promoting the book, she took to Instagram to air some of the sordid details. She described the memoir as her story "of how to overcome life's worst tragedies and your own dumbass decisions."

"I'm right here! With a new memoir, The Spark That Survived," she wrote at the time, sharing an image emblazoned with "Whatever happened to Myra?" over an old photo of her and Lewis.

"If you think you know [my] story of being the 13 year old bride of my second cousin, you're in for a surprise," she teased. "My 1988 book and the resulting movie, Great Balls of Fire, were just the beginning. Now I'm older and wiser, and [not] malleable in the hands of others. This time there are no holds barred. I think this book will warm your heart, tickle your funny bone, and touch your soul. I hope my story helps you handle your own ups and downs. If I can survive life's worst tragedies and my own dumb-ass decisions, you can, too."

For her part, Williams said that she wasn't a fan of her first book and its movie adaptation because they were someone elses idea about how that part of her life story should be told, the Post said. She also described herself as "the adult in the relationship" with Lewis. (She filed for divorce in 1970, citing allegations of abuse and adultery.)

Her second book chronicled her experiences becoming a mother at age 14 and then again at 17 and losing their son Steve by accidental drowning in 1962. She also described Lewis drug addiction, being the victim of abuse, divorcing and jumping into a rebound marriage, the Gwinnett Daily Post said.

Thats what this book basically is, this is what happened, this is how I handled it and here I am today, she said. I not only survived it, Im better for it, having gone through it. Im stronger and appreciate different things in life that a lot of people take for granted.  I guess I went through like a trial by fire. You come out of the fire you make it.

This is the book I wanted to write then. Im really glad I didnt though because its gotten better as Ive gotten older.

In a separate Instagram post from 2015, Williams elaborated on her later relationship with the rocker, sharing a photo of them with their daughter, Phoebe.

"Because we have a daughter, Jerry and I remained in contact for many years," she wrote. "Phoebe worked for him and when I visited her I would still see him, too. However, since his marriage a few years ago to my ex-sister-in-law, who wasnt an ex yet when they got together (yes, you read that correctly), Phoebe quit working for him and I havent seen him since. Hes no longer part of my life. I find living is nice and calm this way."

As of Friday afternoon, Williams had not released a public statement about Lewis' death. Her Instagram account has been dormant since early 2016.

Lewis went on to marry four more times. Two of those unions ended in untimely deaths for the brides, and his fourth and final marriage came in 2012. It was to Judith Brown, who was the ex-wife of his cousin Rusty Brown, Myra's younger brother.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Lava flow from the Mauna Loa eruption in 1984. Corbis via Getty Images

On Hawaii's Big Island, officials are paying close attention to the Mauna Loa volcano, saying it's been in a state of "heightened unrest" since the middle of September.

Mauna Loa is the world's largest active volcano, and the number of summit earthquakes has gone up from 10 to 20 per day to 40 to 50 per day, The Associated Press reports. It's believed that more earthquakes are happening because of an increase in magma flowing into the volcano's summit reservoir system.

An eruption is not imminent, but officials are asking residents to prepare for a possible event, as lava could reach the houses closest to to the volcano's vents in just a few hours. Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984, and the Big Island's population has doubled since then. Frank Trusdell, research geologist at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, told AP that residents should look at his agency's maps that show how fast lava may get to their neighborhood.

"All you got to do is look up there and see the glow," Trusdell said. "You grab your stuff, throw it in the car, and drive. Go!"

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Leni Klum and Heidi Klum at a Harpers Bazaar event on September 9, 2022. Angela Weiss/Getty Images

Leni Klum spoke about the Intimissimi lingerie shoot she did with her mother, Heidi Klum.

Leni said that she and her mother are "completely comfortable" with each other.

Leni launched her modeling career with a 2021 Vogue Germany cover alongside her mother.

Leni Klum spoke about the lingerie photoshoot that she and her mother, model Heidi Klum, did for the Italian lingerie brand Intimissimi, saying that they were "comfortable" together.

The shoot shows Leni, 18, and Heidi, 49, posing together in the brand's lingerie sets, dancing on set and sitting together on a stool. Both models posted about it on October 10 on Instagram, sharing photos and videos of the shoot.

In an interview with People published Thursday, Leni spoke about the shoot, highlighting how "fun" it was to work with her mother.

"My mom and I are just completely comfortable around each other and we were dancing around the whole day," she told the publication. "That was what we had to do, and we do that anyway, so it just fit right."

The pair faced some backlash for their participation in the campaign, the New York Post reported, with some people online calling it "disturbing." Others, in turn, voiced their support for the shoot.

Leni made her modeling debut at age 16 along with her mother on the cover of Vogue Germany's January/February 2021 issue. Recently, she moved to New York City to attend college and continue pursuing modeling.

Heidi previously told People that she was "very involved" in her daughter's modeling career, telling her that she shouldn't "do anything you don't want to do" when it comes to work. While the pair sometimes disagree when it comes to fashion trends, Heidi told Insider in September that it was "fun" that her daughter had "her own point of view on fashion.

Read the original article on Insider
Sand Martin Wood in Faugh near Carlisle, Cumbria, UK, was acquired by the carbon offset company co2balance in September 2006. It has been planted with a broad mix of native trees over 6 hectares and is managed for wildlife as well as the companies offset

Sand Martin Wood in Faugh near Carlisle, Cumbria, UK, was acquired by the carbon offset company co2balance in September 2006/ Though seen as controversial by some carbon offsetting is one way of a company or individual to reduce their emissions, as the trees absorb and sequestrate carbon as they grow. Credit - Ashley Cooper/Construction Photography/AvalonGetty Images

As climate change threatens to reshape the planet forever, more and more companies are promising to improve their carbon footprint. But reducing greenhouse gas emissions doesnt just happen overnight. Thats why many big corporations have turned to carbon offsets to bridge the gap.

Its a transitional tool, says Sarah Leugers, chief strategy officer for Gold Standard, a voluntary carbon offset program based in Switzerland. A company should be on a science-based decarbonization journey and use carbon offsets to take responsibility for emissions along the way.

A carbon offset is a mechanism through which an individual or organization with an emissions reduction goal pays someone else to reduce emissions. Scientists think about climate mitigation and the greenhouse effect in terms of the whole earth; this means that atmospheric damage from carbon dioxide emitted by a factory in Chicago can be made up by the reduction in CO2 from a project introducing electric stoves to villages in rural India. Carbon offset projects often take place in developing countries in the Global South because the costs to take actions such as planting trees (or paying people to avoid cutting them down) or installing wind farms are significantly cheaper than in industrialized countries.

Even the biggest proponents of carbon offsets agree theyre not a silver bulletand there are some with an even harsher critique. In many cases, [carbon offsets] take the place of someone reducing their own emissions, and they can justify or alleviate the guilt of continued emissions, says Barbara Haya, director of the Berkeley Carbon Trading Project at the University of California, Berkeley.

Story continues

The system has come under scrutiny for not delivering on the emissions reductions promised. Both Haya and Danny Cullenward, policy director at the California-based climate research firm CarbonPlan, call the system broken, relying on flawed methodologies and incentives with little oversight. Both recommend that businesses focus on reducing emissions in their own operationssuch as reducing business travel, using electric vehicle fleets, and switching to renewable energyover a heavy investment in offsets.

The carbon offset market has grown dramatically in recent years, with major companies like Google and Amazon promising to go net-zero on emissions, in part through buying offsets, and airlines like United and American letting consumers purchase offsets equivalent to the tons of carbon emitted from their flights. In 2021, the total market value of voluntary carbon markets (VCM) reached nearly $2 billion, according to Ecosystem Marketplace, an initiative of Forest Trends, a nonprofit environmental finance organization in Washington, D.C. That figure is nearly four times higher than the value of VCMs the previous year at $520 million.

As the industry goes mainstream, there are hundreds of new carbon offset projects making big environmental promises and few resources to decipher whats real and whats bunk. Heres how the process works and what a business should evaluate if it decides to use carbon offsets.

Certification is a Critical Part of the System

Carbon offset programs encompass many types of projects, although the most common ones include renewable energy projects (such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric), methane capture and combustion (burning methane turns it into a less harmful compound that can be used as fuel), energy efficiency (such as electrification), and forestry-related (like reforestation), according to the Las Vegas-based carbon offset company 8 Billion Trees, which runs big planting operations in the Amazon Rainforest.

One carbon offset credit represents one metric ton of carbon dioxide reduced in the atmosphere, whether through avoidance or capture of CO2. The prices vary depending on the project type, timeline, region, labor and material costs, and other factors. Projects must estimate the metric tons of CO2 avoided and then submit this information to a carbon offset registry, which then translates that climate impact into individual credits that can be bought and sold in a decentralized marketplace.

To receive internationally recognized credits for funding, projects are certified by one of the four major carbon offset registries that set the industry standards. The big four, according to experts, are the American Carbon Registry (ACR), Climate Action Reserve (CAR), and Verra (Verified Carbon Standard)all three of which are based in the U.S. and the Switzerland-based Gold Standard.

This certification involves an audit by a third-party verifier, commissioned by the project developer. Project protocols or methodologies approved by Verra, for example, must be scientifically sound, with permanent, measurable emissions that are conservatively estimatedmeaning the methodology doesnt overestimate the climate benefits of the project.

Make sure [a carbon credit] is issued from an internationally recognized standard, because there are a lot of new organizations emerging that are claiming to issue carbon credits but dont have the fundamental attributes, says Leugers, of Gold Standard. Many projects, for example, do not have conservative baseline settings for calculating emissions reductions, or they would have happened even without the intervention of the program. Going with internationally verified projects can help alleviate this issue.

Nonetheless, Haya is skeptical of the methodologies used by carbon offset projects. Were in a poor-quality loop, she says. Because there are so many credits generated that exaggerate project impact, the prices are too low. At current prices, theyre not high enough to really drive emissions reductions.

She says that registries should enforce stricter rules on what counts as a carbon offset credit within a project. A project that is liberal with its methodology will ultimately over-exaggerate credits generated and the benefit to the planet. But when registries do crack down on guidelines, project developers will often find another registry willing to accept their lenient protocols.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification

In any protocol, a project must include a plan for how progress is reported, emissions are calculated, and credits are issued. Once the plan is implemented, the project enters the monitoring, reporting, and verification, or MRV, phase.

Jodi Manning, vice president and director of marketing and partnerships for California-based Cool Effect, a nonprofit carbon offset provider, says the reporting timelines for their projects vary. Cookstove projects may be evaluated yearly, while forestry projects may be every three years. Nonetheless, Cool Effect says it requires updates every six to 12 months and performs regular site visits with photos and interviews.

At Gold Standard, most projects are required to report back about once a year, Leugers says. She points to Gold Standards membership with the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labeling Alliance (ISEAL) and its grievance processto lodge complaints against projects or Gold Standardas mechanisms for transparency and accountability.

Cullenward of CarbonPlan believes strict compliance with protocols can still be flawed. We have a system for saying we followed the rules, Cullenward says. We dont really have a system for checking whether or not the rules make any sense.

Much of the uncertainty is inherent to carbon offsets as a whole, says Haya. We know how to measure emissions. For offsets, youre measuring emissions reductions and you have to measure against a counterfactual scenario of what would likely have happened without your program. Its immeasurable, [and] the uncertainty is being deliberated by a set of actors that all benefit from more credits at poor quality.

Assessing the Quality of the Carbon Credit

To assess a carbon offset credits quality, there are four major terms to know: additionality, permanence/durability, buffer pool, and leakage.

Many experts say the long-term climate benefits of carbon offsets rely on the concept of additionality, which means credits should only be generated for projects that would not happen without funding from carbon offset programs. If the funds go to pay for trees that wouldve been planted anyway, then no offset should be generated for those trees, Haya says. Youre not reducing emissions, youre just paying someone to do what they wouldve done anyway.

Cullenward says many carbon offset companies exaggerate the additionality of projects. A recent study looking at wind farms in India found that at least 52% of carbon offsets were for projects that would likely have been built regardless of help from the United Nations-run Clean Development Mechanism, an international offset program established under the Kyoto Protocol in 1997.

Time and time again, he says, when academics and financially disinterested parties do research projects to try and carefully assess the plausibility of those baseline claims, they find smoldering dumpster fires.

Permanence is the idea that the projects benefit to the atmosphere is irreversible, while durability is the expected measurement of how long that benefit will last. Some reduction endeavors are permanent; for example, driving less and switching to an electric stove prevents greenhouse emissions from happening in the first place.

When we put CO2 in the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, it has permanent consequences, Cullenward says. The effect on the atmosphere and the oceans extends quite literally into geologic time. So if you want to use an offset credit to say, Its OK I put CO2 in the atmosphere [from driving or flying], the duration of the claim thats being made needs to match the duration of the impact of CO2 emissions.

Other projects cannot be guaranteed to be permanent. To reap the long-term environmental benefits of forestry projects, a tree would need to live for 100 years to store a metric ton of carbon. But droughts, fires, and diseases happen, and when a tree dies, the carbon dioxide is released. Therefore, project developers must take these risks into account when creating their protocols.

To mitigate natural disasters that could reverse the environmental benefits of a project and any other setbacks, carbon offset providers create a buffer pool as insurance. In any given project, between 10% and 25% of credits are held in a companywide pool, which ensures the project over-delivers on its goals.

And if there is a fire, Cullenward says, the people who bought and sold credits on the market are kept whole, so long as their credits in the buffer pool are retired to account for those losses. If a million tons of CO2 goes up in flames in a forest, a million credits can be retired from the buffer pool. So as long as that system is solvent, the program is on track to meet its durability claim.

But buffer pools are not foolproof. In a recent study of Californias forestry offset program, Cullenward and fellow researchers found that wildfires have diminished 95% of the carbon credits in the buffer pool during the programs first 10 years. In other words, the carbon loss from wildfires is drastically outpacing the climate benefits of preserving trees through this state-mandated offset program.

Protocols need to account for leakage, which is the idea that projects can cause emissions to increase outside the areas generating offset credits. Haya says this occurs in some forest conservation projects. If a landowner commits to reducing emissions by reducing the amount of timber theyre harvesting [without changing] the demand for timber products, someones conservation on one side of land just displaces timber harvesting somewhere else, she says.

When evaluating a carbon offset scheme, many companies focus on the co-benefits of projects, such as sustainable development, jobs for locals in the region, community empowerment, health improvements, and biodiversity.

Dee Lawrence, founder of Cool Effect, says she always looks for projects with an environmental justice point-of-view that goes beyond the carbon benefits. She points to recent projects from the company, which include restoring mangrove trees in Myanmar that helps improve livelihoods in poverty-stricken communities by providing jobs, and a biogas digester project in China that transforms methane gas from waste into renewable energy and improves human health by providing cleaner air. If a carbon offset is done correctly, it can be transformational, Lawrence says.

As for Haya, she recommends thinking about carbon offsets as one tool of many in the toolboxbut ultimately, she says, cleaning up ones own operations will truly have the biggest impact.

This article is part of a series on key topics in the climate crisis for time.com and CO2.com, a division of TIME that helps companies reduce their impact on the planet. For more information, go to co2.com
Adarus Black has been found guilty of murder in the drive-by shooting death of NaKia Crawford, 18, who was shot multiple times while running errands with her grandmother in June 2020.

Jurors deliberated for about four hours before announcing they had convicted Black of the lone count he faced  murder with a gun specification.

Summit County Common Pleas Judge Kelly McLaughlin will sentence Black on Nov. 30. He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison with possible parole after 18 years.

Black plans to appeal, his attorneys said.

The Akron shooting gained national attention, with initial reports indicating the slaying may have been racially motivated, but police later saying it was a case of mistaken identity.

Nearly two years later, Black was arrested in Georgia by a fugitive task force.

Black, who was 17 at the time of the shooting and is now 19, went on trial last week.

Here are key points about the case, as well as highlights from the trial.

Grandmother recalls drive-by shooting

Lynn Williams, Crawford's grandmother who was the first witness in the trial, shared her recollections about the drive-by shooting that claimed her granddaughter's life.

More:'I think I got shot:' Grandmother recalls Akron teen Na'Kia Crawford's final words

Williams said she and Crawford were chatting at a red light when she heard a noise, then looked over and realized Crawford had a mark on her neck. She said Crawford told her she'd been shot, which were her final words.

Williams said she didn't see who shot Crawford or what type of vehicle the shooter was driving.

Openings: Attorneys dispute merits of evidence

Assistant Prosecutor Brian Stano said in his opening statement that Jaion Bivins and Black were the two people in the car used in the shooting. He said jurors won't be able to hear from Bivins because he is dead.

Stano said which of the two did the shooting doesn't matter. He said both are "guilty of murder."

John Alexander, one of Black's attorneys, though, emphasized the evidence prosecutors lack to tie his client to the slaying, including his image on surveillance video, DNA or fingerprints.

Story continues

"He didn't do it," Alexander said.

Two men testify about seeing Black, Bivins at party on day of shooting

Two men testified Thursday about seeing Black and Bivins at a party on the day of Crawfords shooting.

Brian Dickerson said the party at a house on Merton Street in Akron was to celebrate the birthday of Martel Spragling, a friend of his. He said Bivins came to the party in his black Camaro.

Dickerson said Bivins was with someone else, but he didnt know who. He said he later found out it was Black.

Dickerson, though, said he didnt see Bivins and Black get in or out of the car together.

Support local journalism:6 reasons why you should subscribe to the Akron Beacon Journal

Spragling, who had an attorney in court with him, said he sold the Camaro to Bivins for $5,000 and Bivins was going to take over the payments. When Spragling owned the car, he said, he put a memorial on the hood in honor of his cousin who was shot and killed.

When Spragling saw the car on the news as being sought in connection with Crawfords shooting, he said he told Bivins he needed to turn himself in with an attorney, which Bivins then did.

Spragling said he saw Black and Bivins at his party but didnt see if they came or left together.

Assistant Prosecutor Brian LoPrinzi, though, asked Spragling about a statement he made to Akron police Lt. Dave Whiddon shortly after Crawfords shooting in which he said Bivins and Black left and returned to the party together. Crawfords shooting happened during this time period.

Spragling said he said this because he was trying to end the interrogation and go home.

Alexander pressed Spragling about whether he saw if Black left or came back to the party with Bivins.

Spragling said he did not.

Closings: Prosecutors tout tech evidence, while defense highlights lack of scientific evidence

Black's trial concluded Monday afternoon with closing arguments from the attorneys.

Prosecutors emphasized evidence presented in the case they say showed Black was in the car involved in the drive-by shooting, including from CyberCheck, a new technology tool that found Black's cyber profile was at Howard and North streets at the time of the shooting.

Alexander, though, highlighted the evidence that wasn't found, including any DNA or eyewitnesses, that could tie Black to the shooting or place him in the car.

Na'Kia Crawfords shooting draws national attention

Na'Kia Crawford

Crawfords shooting drew national attention when it initially appeared to be motivated by race.

Crawford was shot June 14, 2020, while she was stopped at a traffic signal at Howard and North streets. She was taken to the hospital where she later died.

Memorial to victim:Car used in shooting of NaKia Crawford apparently features memorial to man killed in Akron

Witnesses reported that the shooter was white, with concerns then raised that Crawford, who was Black, may have been targeted because of her race.

Ben Crump, a nationally known civil rights attorney, agreed to assist Crawfords family. He has represented families in numerous high-profile cases, including the family of George Floyd, the Minneapolis man who was killed when an officer kneeled on his neck and whose death sparked protests in Akron and across the country.

Akron police and the FBI, however, dispelled the racial component when they said the main suspect in the shooting was Adarus Black, who is African American. Investigators said Black mistakenly shot Crawford because he thought the car she was driving belonged to a rival.

Mistaken identity:NaKia Crawford shooting was mistaken identity, not racially motivated, Akron police say

Crump withdrew from representing the Crawford family.

Adarus Black wasnt the only one charged in Na'Kia Crawfords shooting

Black was one of three people who were originally charged in Crawfords shooting.

Bivins, 20, of Akron, was charged with obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence. Janisha George, 25, of Tallmadge, was charged with obstruction.

Prosecutors dropped the charges against Bivins and George in March 2021 without prejudice, which means they can refile the charges.

Gunman at large:Charges dismissed in Na'Kia Crawford killing as suspected shooter remains at large

That wont happen with at least Bivins, though, because he was killed in Kentucky.

George testified in Blacks trial. She wasn't in the car at the time of the shooting.

Adarus Black is arrested in February in another state

After Crawfords shooting, a national manhunt began to find Black.

Police tracked down leads around Ohio and into Michigan, Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee.

Adarus Black was arrested Feb. 8, 2022, in Georgia.

Black eluded police, though, until February when the Northern Ohio Fugitive Task Force got a report that he was living in Atlanta, Georgia, under a fake name. The task force, along with local law enforcement, arrested him and he was returned to Summit County.

Video of arrest:Footage shows Adarus Black, suspect in Na'Kia Crawford shooting, being arrested in Georgia

Black, because of his age and the severity of the charge, was automatically bound over from Summit County Juvenile Court to common pleas court to be tried as an adult.

Adarus Black didn't waive his speedy trial rights

If it seemed like Blacks trial happened quickly, thats because it did.

Black and his attorneys refused to waive his speedy trial rights, which required that his trial happen much faster than normal for a murder trial.

People charged with felonies in Ohio who are in custody must be tried within 90 days, but attorneys often waive this right to have longer to prepare for the trial and to have the chance to address issues like competency and suppression questions.

Alexander, who is representing Black with Ed Smith, declined to discuss why they did not waive his speedy trial rights.

Murder trials in Summit County often take at least a year to go to trial and with the pandemic, some of have been delayed for up to two years.

Na'Kia Crawfords slaying resonates in Akron community

Crawfords shooting struck a chord in the Akron area, especially because it happened at a time of heightened concern about both gun violence and racial issues.

Protesters gathered June 15, 2020, on North Howard Street in Akron after the death of Na'Kia Crawford.

Vigils and protests were held and a large Black Lives Matter mural was done nearby by volunteers. A $50,000 reward was offered for information in the case.

Many referred to the shooting as senseless, especially because Crawford appeared to not be the intended target.

NaKia Crawford was in the wrong place at the wrong time, Deputy Chief Jesse Lesser said in a news conference in June 2020.

Crawford was a recent North High School graduate and planned to attend Central State University to study computer science. Her family said she was a kind, loving person. They said she stayed out of trouble and made no enemies, making her death even harder to believe.

Family speaks:Na'Kia Crawford's family thankful for arrest, ask who helped suspect hide for 20 months

Her family members were pleased by Blacks arrest and had said they wanted to see Black locked up for the rest of his life.

To me, hes an animal, Saria Crawford, NaKias grandmother, recently told the Beacon Journal. They put animals in cages.

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com, 330-996-3705 and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Adarus Black convicted of killing Na'Kia Crawford in drive-by shooting
Camping alone in the woods can be frightening no matter your level of outdoor expertise. One Vancouver man found this out the hard way after he went missing while on a solo camping trip.

Henry Hank Kitchell, 61, went missing after he left out for a camping trip on Tuesday, October 18. His family was expecting him to return on October 21 but he never came home. Vancouver police reported Kitchell had been located on October 25. However, his short disappearance strikes up a bigger conversation about the importance of camping safety.

Although Kitchell was found safe, many reports of campers going missing havent had such happy endings. There are a plethora of precautions travelers can take when camping along to ensure they make it come safe at the end of their adventure. While traveling and exploring the world alone can be thrilling, safety should always be the main priority.

Lost & Found

Photo Courtesy of Ivan Samkov.

Kitchells family reported him missing a few days after he didnt make it back home. He was expected to be camping at Fairy Lake near Port Renew. Police were unable to confirm if he ever made it to the lakefront.

The travelers family told authorities that it was unlike Kitchell to not be in the location he stated hed be camping at. Worry set in as days passed by with no word or updates. Finally, a week after he left for his trip, Kitchell was found safe.

No information was released on where the camper was located.

The Dangers Of Camping

While the joys of camping alone can be exciting, there are many horror stories of campers going missing or worse. The Kalalau Trail in Hawaii has claimed many victims over the years. A sign memorializing its camping victims stands at the trail entrance.

Hiker Jesse Glen Pinegar went missing on the trail in 2008. Another hiker located his abandoned campsite. Although Pinegars iPod, wallet, and other belongings were at the campsite, he was never found.

On September 30, 2022, camper Jeffrey Gordon Stambaugh went missing from his campsite in Arizona. He was last seen near Prescott National Forest and has yet to be found.

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With all the fun associated with solo camping expeditions, travelers can easily get lost in the sauce and forget basic safety techniques. However, things can be done to keep you out of harms way the next time you go out on a solo camping trip.

How To Stay Safe When Camping Solo

There are many things you can do to stay safe while camping alone. Solo camping trips give you an opportunity to commune one on one with nature, bask in solitude, and be alone with your thoughts. But its important that your experience be rooted in safety.

One of the most important things to do before going camping solo is to notify someone where youll be setting up your tent. Many people share their location with family and friends before heading out. However, depending on where youre camping, a lack of cell signal can cause your location to go in and out. Provide a trusted person with your exact camping location before heading out in case of an emergency.

Another tip when camping alone is to prepare before you leave home. If you have new camping equipment, test everything out before your trip. The last thing you want is to be in the middle of the woods and realize youre unable to pitch your tent. If you plan to start a fire while camping, practice beforehand.

Make sure you arrive at your campsite early. This will ensure you have enough daylight to get your tent set up, prepare any food, and even find firewood if necessary.

Being alone in the woods can create panic and fright. So its important that you stay calm in an emergency or if fear sets in. Panicking will get you nowhere so keep a clear head once the dark sets in and youre surrounded by nothing but the outdoors.
Home Depot skeleton. Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Owners of 12-foot skeletons from Home Depot are reporting thefts across the US.

The decorations regularly sell out long before Halloween and resell for well over regular price.

Home Depot advises victims of skeleton thefts to contact local police.

Home Depot's famous 12-foot skeletons have been hot Halloween decor for several years now, and now they're the victims of thefts across the US.

In August, one of the skeletons was stolen from a New Jersey home in the middle of the night, Fox29 reported. Shannon McKibban, the skeleton's owner, told the station that she heard it being dragged down her street after thieves removed the cinder blocks used to keep it in place.

Mount Ephraim police made an arrest in the case, and removed "parts" of the skeleton that were in the suspect's trunk, they said.

A skeleton Halloween decoration was reported stolen from a Chicago front lawn on October 13, The Chicago Tribune reported, amounting to $600 in losses.

On October 15, a bolder thief grabbed another giant skeleton from a North Austin home around 5 pm, in broad daylight, KXAN first reported. "But somebody invaded our space and they took [her] property, and that's not okay with me," Grazia Ruskin, president of the neighborhood's homeowners association, told KXAN, noting that crime is unusual in the neighborhood.

The decoration has not been recovered, but the HOA is offering a $50 reward for its return. Similar thefts have been reported in Boston and Chico, Texas.

Home Depot declined to share specific sales figures, told Insider that "the gigantic decor item has sold out each year and has found a place in multiple advertisements for companies like Dunkin'."

Home Depot's skeletons have been popular since they first launched, leading to record Halloween sales for the home improvement chain in 2020. The $300 skeletons sold out by the end of September, ahead of Halloween. It was just as much of a sensation the following year, once again selling out at many stores after viral videos on social media.

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"His (the skeleton's) social media presence has taken him to a whole other level, he really has taken on a whole life of his own," Lance Allen, Home Depot's decorative holiday merchant, who is responsible for the skeleton, told Insider in 2021.

In October of 2022, the skeletons remain sold out at Home Depot and getting one isn't easy. Some are listed on second-hand websites for two or even three times their original prices, and a Facebook group where fans discuss how they buy and decorate with skeletons has over 40,000 members.

For lucky customers who do manage to get their hands on skeletons, there's still the potential to lose them to thieves.

"We encourage all our customers that experience this to reach out to local law enforcement," Home Depot told Insider in a statement.

Do you have a story to share about a retail or restaurant chain? Email this reporter at mmeisenzahl@businessinsider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A hot microphone caught U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer share his thoughts on the Georgia race with President Joe Biden on Thursday.

In video of President Biden arriving in Syracuse, New York, which is Schumers home state, the senator can be heard updating the president on senatorial elections that are crucial for Democrats.

One of the elections he discusses is the Georgia race between Senator Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker.

The state where were [inaudible] downhill is Georgia. Its hard to believe that they will go for Herschel Walker, Sen. Schumer appears to say in a barely audible clip.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The senator also makes note of Georgias record-breaking early voting numbers.

Our early turnout in Georgia is huge, huge, the senator appears to say.

Earlier this week, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffenspergers office announced that more than 1,000,000 Georgians have already cast their votes, which is more than any non-presidential election in Georgias history.

Walker addressed the comments at a campaign event in Dublin, Ga.

You may have heard that Chuck Schumer got caught on a hot mic telling Joe Biden that Raphael Warnock is going down in Georgia. Even the AJC wrote about it. Can someone check on those reporters? Make sure theyre okay? The Democrats finally tell the truth when they think no one is listening. Chuck Schumer is giving Warnock his eviction notice. Poor Raphael Warnockhes been voting with Joe Biden for 2 years and now his buddies are calling him a loser behind his back! But we already knew that Warnock is going down in Georgia. He got crushed in the debate because voters got to see the real Raphael Warnock. Herschel Walker

RELATED STORIES:

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The senator also appeared to update the president on other key races in Pennsylvania and Nevada, saying It looks like the debate didnt hurt us too much in Pennsylvania [inaud] so thats good... were picking up steam in Nevada.

Channel 2 has also reached out to Sen. Warnocks office for a comment, but has not yet heard back.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Hundreds of Iowa public schools now qualify for federal assistance to help boost their student achievement, new school performance results show.

Of Iowa's 1,293 schools, 337 have been identified by the state as part of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act as having targeted groups of students who are underachieving, according to the Iowa Department of Education's school performance results.

Additionally, 33 of Iowa's lowest-performing Title I schools and schools with graduation rates lower than 66% have been identified as needing comprehensive assistance for all students. Title I schools typically have higher percentages of students from low-income families.

The performance results are based on student test scores from the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress or the Dynamic Learning Maps test in the areas of math, English language arts and graduation rates. Iowa, like other states, is struggling with pandemic learning loss, particularly in mathematics.

During the 2018-19 school year  the last pre-pandemic school year  Iowa students were 70% proficient in math. Scores have held steady the last two years, when 65% of students were proficient.

This month marked the first time in three years that Iowa and schools across the country have seen a change in federal designations. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Department of Education officials gave states flexibility when it came to data reporting for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years. The data was released just days before the National Center for Education Statistics or NAEP results, the country's report card, was published.

See where your school compares: Graduation rates and proficiency rates for Iowa public schools, 2017-18 to present

Number of Iowa schools needing assistance about the same as pre-pandemic

The number of Iowa schools identified as needing assistance has stayed around 25%, said Jay Pennington, the Iowa Department of Education bureau chief for information and analysis services.

Story continues

I'm pleasantly surprised, happy that we're identifying about the same number of schools," Pennington said. "I think another positive is we did see a number of cases where folks that were comprehensive in the original 2018 (numbers) exited their comprehensive status.  We also did see a number of those that exited targeted status, so they're no longer identified for anything."

Those qualifying as a comprehensive school receive three years of support from the department and the school's area education agency, said Heather Doe, the department of education spokesperson.

"This includes help identifying the causes of performance issues, strategies and interventions to put in place, and evaluation of what is working," Doe said. "Regional training sessions, district site visits, data reviews, action planning and monthly or quarterly check-ins are also provided to ensure they are on track."

Targeted schools are also eligible to receive assistance, she said.

"There's additional (federal) funding that will also be disbursed based on these designations," Pennington said. "Comprehensive schools get the most amount of money and then targeted schools -because it's not the whole school that needs improvement  gets money as well."

Black students in Iowa nearly 8x more likely to be arrested than their white peers, report says

Des Moines Public Schools is seeing 'good improvement'

The comprehensive and targeted designations give schools the opportunity to look at what can be changed to help students succeed.

Des Moines Public Schools officials saw the number of schools that were deemed as comprehensive go from five to seven this year. Its targeted schools dropped by four for a total of 33 for the 2022-23 school year, said Mary Grinstead, Des Moines schools' director of assessment, data and evaluation.

Additionally, the number of schools that no longer require support went from 13 to 15.

I think we're seeing some good improvement, Grinstead said of Iowa's largest and most diverse school district. Our area of needed improvement is really our secondary schools. That's where we've seen the increase in number of comprehensive supports.

District officials are planning quarterly check-ins with Iowa Department of Education officials, conducting self-assessments at all schools, and continuing to use "high-quality curriculum" across the district, Grinstead said.

"We're gonna use those practices and tools with all of our schools regardless of their ESSA status because we believe those tools are actually best practice tools," Grinstead said.

Des Moines schools is not alone when it comes to schools qualifying for state and federal assistance.

Neighboring West Des Moines Community School District saw a slight increase in the number of targeted schools, according to state data.

In 2019, the district had five targeted schools and that number went up by two this year. Additionally, the district now has one comprehensive school, but state records indicate it is not in need of additional support.

Ankeny Community School District, which has 16 schools, saw the number of targeted schools fall from three to two.

To see your school's performance profile go to www.iaschoolperformance.gov.

Two Southeast Polk school board members vote against new set of operating principles

Samantha Hernandez covers education for the Register. Reach her at (515) 851-0982 or svhernandez@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @svhernandez or Facebook at facebook.com/svhernandezreporter.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Over 300 Iowa public schools qualify for funds to help student success
Oct. 28Seemingly every website, source or Twitter feed that's given a Football Championship Subdivision playoff prediction has Sacramento State earning the automtic bid out of the Big Sky Conference.

It could be because "the experts" are going off the information they currently have or just playing it safe. But it seems like no one is giving Idaho (5-2, 4-0) a chance at 6 p.m. Pacific on Saturday against the Hornets (7-0, 4-0) at Hornet Stadium.

The dismissal of the Vandals can be taken a step further by looking at the FCS coaches and media polls. Montana State and Sacramento State, who like the Vandals are unbeaten in the conference, are ranked Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, in both polls.

Where does Idaho rank? The Vandals are No. 14 in the STATS Perform media poll and No. 23 in the coaches poll. Idaho is multiple spots lower despite the fact it allows fewer points than Montana State, has more sacks than Sacramento State and has forced more turnovers than either of those teams.

But it seems almost par for the course for people to count out the Vandals. Who hasn't? But if Idaho has taught the college football world anything this season, it's that you can't count it out until the clock hits triple zeros.

On paper, the Vandals match up well with Sacramento State. A victory will mean a lot for the rising program.

What a win means

Not only will a win mark Idaho's first 5-0 start to conference play since 1989, but it might finally force people to take this team seriously.

It would be the second time in three weeks the Vandals would beat a top-3 team in the FCS, after a 30-23 victory Oct. 15 against then-No. 2 Montana.

What made that win more impressive was that it was on the road. In arguably Sacramento State's biggest game of the year last week against those same Grizzlies, it only had 7,000 people in the stands. Idaho is 2-2 on the road, with its only losses coming against Power Five teams in Washington State and Indiana.

Story continues

While bringing the Little Brown Stein back to Moscow for the first time since 1999 was huge, this game against Sacramento State will mean more. The Vandals would, at the least, have to be considered for inclusion in the top 10.

Obviously, that's up to others to decide.

How can they get it done?

While talking about all the reasons Idaho deserves more respect is fun, and in a way true, it doesn't matter if the Vandals don't show up.

With how well Idaho has executed game plans all season, it matches up really well with the Hornets. An explainer:

A big reason the Vandals were able to win at Montana was because they forced mobile quarterback Lucas Johnson to stay in the pocket. Sacramento State's two quarterbacks, Jake Dunniway and Asher O'Hara, have the ability to run, but the Hornets are more likely to design run plays for O'Hara.

If Idaho can effectively use a spy to keep either quarterback, honest like it did against Montana, then the secondary has chances to make plays.

Stopping Sacramento State's rushing attack is another key. The Hornets rank second in the Big Sky with 261 rushing yards per game. The Vandals' run defense has been stout, allowing 107 yards per outing, the third-best in the conference. Against the Grizzlies, Idaho allowed 52 rushing yards on 44 carries. Against Portland State, it allowed 128 yards on 40 carries.

Offensively, Idaho has to continue to chug along. It's the best in the conference in offensive efficiency. The Vandals also have turned the ball over just three percent of time, No. 1 in the FCS.

The gist is, if Idaho shows up and play like it has all year, there's no reason the Vandals should lose. Why so simple? They don't turn the ball over and they shut down the run game, the two biggest keys to winning at any level.

Pixley may be contacted at (208) 848-2290, tpixley@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @TreebTalks.
CHISINAU (Reuters) - A mission of the International Monetary Fund will visit Moldova from Oct. 31 to Nov. 11 to discuss the country's 2023 budget, its implementation of existing pledges, and the economic risks it faces, the fund said on Friday.

The IMF announced last month a loan of $27 million to help the small former Soviet republic with the impact of the war in neighbouring Ukraine and rising food and energy prices.

That sum is part of a larger $800 million package agreed in May tied to improvements in Moldova's fiscal governance, implementation of anti-corruption reforms and other measures.

The IMF said in September that despite the impact from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the surging costs that will continue to see its Moldovan economy stagnate in the near term, the pro-Western government has made progress in reforms.

Moldova expects zero economic growth this year and inflation of nearly 30%. Last year the economy grew by almost 14%.

The country of 2.6 million lies between Ukraine and Romania and has seen thousands of Ukrainian refugees make it their home since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

In June, Moldova was granted candidate status for European Union membership.

(Reporting by Alexander Tanas; Writing by Gareth Jones; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
Assistant Secretary of the Interior - Indian Affairs Bryan Newland speaking at Grand Valley State University on Thursday. (Photo/Levi Rickert for Native News Online)

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.  Speaking in his home state of Michigan on Thursday, U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Interior - Indian Affairs Bryan Newland (Bay Mills Indian Community) spoke before students, university officials and others at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Newland, who grew up and led the Bay Mills Indian Community in Brimley, was among friends and family. A sister and her husband, who live in the Grand Rapids area, and a college roommate from Newland's alma mater, Michigan State University, also attended the event.

"It's always great to come home  'homeish,'" Newland said. "I come from a community five hours north of here, but it is really good to be back here in Michigan. I really enjoy my job, and it's a privilege to serve in this position. A part of my job is to meet with students and community members across Indian Country."

Newland, who is on his second tour of duty working in Indian Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior, spoke about his work under the leadership of Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo). Upon establishing the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative soon after the disclosure of the discovery of 215 unmarked graves at the closed-down Kamloops Residential School in British Columbia, Haaland appointed Newland to lead the initiative that was tasked with providing her with a report on Indian boarding schools in the United States.

The 106-page report penned by Newland and released on May 11, 2022, details for the first time that the federal government operated or supported 408 boarding schools across 37 states, including Alaska and Hawai'i, between 1819 and 1969. About half of the boarding schools were staffed or paid for by a religious institution. The investigation identified marked and unmarked burial sites at 53 of those schools. However, the DOI expects to find the number of children buried at boarding schools across the nation to be in the "thousands or tens of thousands" as the investigation continues.

Story continues

"This is the first time the United States federal government has held itself to account with honesty about what the schools were and why they were put into place," Newland said on Thursday. "This report made a number of findings. First, based on research, we confirmed the purpose of these boarding schools was to take our land and to forcibly assimilate Indian children," Newland continued.

He spoke about the sexual, physical and emotion abuse Indian children endured while attending the boarding schools.

He later talked about the Biden administration's commitment to Indian Country by taking the trust responsibility to tribes seriously.

"Our view is that the trust responsibility means that we have to work in partnership with tribes, not to destroy the tribal way of life, but to revitalize it," Newland said.

Part of the revitalization of Indian Country means investing in tribes and urban Indian health centers in the country, according to Newland.

"The administration has invested in the span of 18 months more than $45 billion in Indian Country at record levels," Newland. "The total annual budget is $4 billion. So in the span of 18 months, this administration has infused about ten years worth in Indian Country."

The investment funding is meant to modernize health centers and tribal communities, provide Internet access, and to assist those tribes that lack running water to their homes on tribal lands.

Prior to speaking, Newland spent time with GVSU administrators and students who had an opportunity to learn more about his role within the Biden administration leading Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior.

"It was a treat for Grand Valley State University to host Assistant Secretary Newland," Lin Bardwell (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians), Native American Student Initiative Coordinator at Grand Valley State University, said. "Particularly, for our students who normally would not have such an opportunity to converse with someone in such a high level at the Interior Department. Given he is a "home-grown" Michigan rez kid who grew up to work in Washington sends a strong message to stay in school to complete the education to achieve their dreams."

About the Author: "Levi Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net."

Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
Credit - Illustration by Richard Mia for TIME

Every week for just over an hour, a small group of people in Miensk, the capital of Biearus, dial into a secret meeting to keep the spirit of their countrys language alive. The meeting point used to be a public park, a private home, or even a cafebut the risks of being found by the KGB, Biearus notorious intelligence agency, pushed them to move online in late September. Their transgression: Speaking the countrys native tongue, Biearusian, an East Slavic language that is closer to Ukrainian than Russian. I dont always know who is signing up, they could be [KGB] spies, says Anna, a teacher who has run these Belarusian language classes for the last two years. (TIME has granted Anna a pseudonym due to security concerns.)

Her efforts are part of an underground movement across Biearus to reverse the ever-growing Russification of the eastern European nation, which is home to 9 million people. Until the 20th century, the majority of people inhabiting the current territory of Biearus spoke Belarusian, with Russian, Polish, German, and Yiddish also playing a role among different communities. It was following the Second World War that Russian truly became dominant in public lifewith its speakers seen as educated and more loyal to Moscow. When Biearus declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Belarusian was announced as the countrys official language as part of a series of changes to mark a new post-Moscow era. But under the rule of pro-Russian authoritarian leader Aljaksandar ukasenka, who has presided over the country since 1994, Russian dominance has grown and Belarusian has been increasingly sidelined. According to a 2019 census, about 60% of the population recognize Belarusian as the countrys native language but just over a quarter use it in everyday life.

Although Russian was introduced as a second state language in a 1995 referendum, Belarusian was still largely tolerated by the authorities in the years after Biearus gained independence. But their attitude toward the language became more hostile after the presidential election in August 2020, when ukasenka declared victory against his pro-democracy opponent Sviatana Cichanouskaja in a vote that was widely considered rigged. The European Union condemned the election and refused to recognize ukasenka as President, a move that emboldened the hundreds of thousands of people who had taken to the streets to call for justice. Soon after, ukasenka dispatched his security forces to disperse the crowds, amid threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would send support if the situation escalated.

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These events helped cement Belarusians status as a language of resistance against both ukasenka and Russia. Our language became a symbol of the protests and the phrase Daucajsia! or unite with us! became the chant of the movement, Vincuk Viacorka, a prominent Belarusian linguist, told TIME via video call. (He declined to reveal his location due to security concerns.) Young people quickly came to understand that a democratic Biearus is possible if we revive the nation with its own identity, so today it has a new meaning to them.

Ever since the 2020 protests, the ukasenka government has targeted many shows of support for the Belarusian language, who link its use to support for the democratic opposition. Though the language is still taught in schools, and books are still produced in Belarusian, authorities have clamped down on its use in other areaseither directly or indirectly. In May, Knihauka, a general bookshop run by the independent publishing house Janushkevich, which produces many Belarusian-language titles, was shuttered after the authorities searched the premises and seized 200 books (the founder Andrej Januskievic was also arrested for 10 days on petty hooliganism charges). Months earlier, the Belarusian-language newspaper Nasa Niva was labeled an extremist formation, and members of its leadership charged with causing property damage without signs of theft after they established their office in a private apartment, a move human rights groups say was politically motivated. Following the arrest of tour guide Ihar Khmara in August for allegedly speaking Belarusian on the street, opponents of the government have expressed concern for the safety of people who wish to use it in public spaces.

Its in this environment that Anna, the teacher, trudges on. She says that teaching Belarusian is the one thing she can do to keep the spirit of her country alive. Her first class met soon after the 2020 election in central Miensk. Her second class, which lasted for six months in 2021, was held online and included members of the Belarusian diaspora. Her third, and current class, was a hybrid before going fully virtual last month. On average, about a dozen people attend each class. Its completely free and I volunteer to do this, she says. So many people want to learn our language and its my mission to change something for the better in my country.

For Tatiana, one of Annas students since 2021, the classes are a chance to reconnect with her Belarusian identity in a meaningful way. They have helped me learn more about my country and I hope that one day Belarusian will be restored as the main language of my country, she says.

Read More: The West Cant Afford To Forget About Belarus

The 2020 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters was what first inspired Anna, who was among the demonstrators, to teach Belarusian. But Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in Februaryand the Kremlins arguments about the so-called protection of Russian speakers therehas lent a new urgency to her efforts. Since then, many have grown more afraid of further crackdowns on Belarusian. Many of us are afraid of Russia, especially now. The Russian language, the Russian culture, the Russian soldier, and the Russian tank, says Anna.

The 68-year-old ukasenka has a more complex relationship to Belarusian and Russian. On the one hand, he has squeezed Belarusians existence and subjected it to ridicule. In 2006, he said that nothing great can be expressed in Belarusian before going on to summarize that there are only two great languages in the worldRussian and English. On the other hand, in January he boldly declared that every citizen should learn Belarusian: You must understand that something distinguishes us from othersthis is the Belarusian language. We dont need to leave this.

Critics argue his occasional praise of Belarusian runs hollow. When ukasenka has tried to make expressions about the Belarusian language, its mostly tactical, its to try and show some independence from Moscow, but the nature of his regime is he cannot really promote the Belarusian language, Viacorka says.

Some Belarusian officials dispute the notion that ukasenka or his government is suppressing the language. Ivan Vasilyevich Saverchenko, a director at the Centre for Studies of Belarusian Culture, Language, and Literature at the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, a state-run organization, says his country is making a great effort to support and develop the Belarusian language. In a written response to questions sent by TIME, he said that starting from the next 2022/2023 academic year, the Ministry of Education has decided to increase the number of hourshe didnt specify by how muchfor teaching the Belarusian language and Belarusian literature in schools. He also dismissed allegations that people are being prevented from learning the language freely.

Viacorka disagrees with claims from Belarusian authorities that the language is being protected. ukasenka has been consistent with the Russification of Biearus, and Moscow has been happy about this because it keeps the Belarusian population in the Russian information sphere and it ensures the manipulation of public opinion, he says.

To this day, Biearus is the only former Soviet republic without a university in its native language, and according to the UNESCO Atlas of the Worlds Languages in Danger, Belarusian is considered to be vulnerable due to the continued widespread use of Russian.

Anna, the Belarusian teacher in Miensk, says her passion for her countrys native language has only grown since 2020. She says she plans to continue teaching even if it risks arrest. I grew up speaking Russian, but after the fall of the Soviet Union, Belarusian came into my life and never left. For two-thirds of my life Ive spoken it. The language has given me the power to say: I am not Russian, I am Belarusian.

TIME has used the Belarusian Latin alphabet, acinka, for this story. acinka has been sidelined from official use in Biearus in favor of Belarusian Cyrillic.
Netflix

My Encounter with Evil concerns three Mexican tales of demonic possession and exorcism, although viewers may find that its title also doubles as a description of their own experiences with this docuseries, which is overcooked, preposterous, and wall-to-wall ridiculous. Premiering Oct. 28 on Netflix, its the least scary thing you can watch for Halloweenif, arguably, the funniest.

Netflix wants to be a one-stop shop for television programming, and My Encounter with Evil is another stab at providing subscribers with a Travel Channel-style show that investigates authentic paranormal insanity. As with those cable efforts, however, its about as believable as a three-dollar bill and just as subtle, employing dramatic recreations that are crafted in the manner of a B-moviefull of dark shadows, monstrous visages, and creepy sound effects designed to maximize jump scaresand which are accompanied by interviews with the men and women who came face to face with the unholy. In one of many absurd twists, those staged sequences are ostensibly based on their subjects recollections and yet depict wild supernatural incidents that no one actually details, thereby suggesting that producers, for cheap and disingenuous effect, have embellished the truth by making it seem more monstrous than it was.

Netflix Just Dropped a Horror Anthology Series That Is to Die For

This is a familiar tactic with such ventures, and it would be more insulting if My Encounter with Evil were plausible from the start. That, alas, is not the case; its narratives are just a nonsensical mishmash of cliches strung together with pronouncements from experts who state, in no uncertain terms, that there is a war between good and evil. Florencia Macias (along with her former fiance Pablo and mother Roxana) relays her battle with a demon that terrorized her young daughters and supposedly caused her to have a miscarriage. Sully Urbina and her daughter Jessy discuss the girls possession at the hands of a demon known as Asmodeus, and their novel means of coming to grips with that beast. And Andrea Viridiana Rostro Olvera, her sister Esther, and her mother Concepcion recount the latters possession by none other than Beelzebub himself, who apparently took time out of his busy day running the underworld to habitually toy with a random single mother.

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Its clear from all three stories that these individuals claim demonic possession as a means of feeling special, the irony being that the specifics of their ordeals are brutally hackneyed. Theres no genuine catalyst for any of their run-ins with malevolent forces; instead, histories of abuse, domestic turmoil, and social alienation and bullying at school are posited as the reasons why their spirits were in a weakened state, therefore making them vulnerable to the Devil. Before long, Jessy is thrashing about in her bed in real footage shot on a cell phonewhich, unsurprisingly, looks a lot less otherworldly than the proceedings dramatic recreationsand Florencia and Pablo are video chatting with Antonio Zamudio, the director of the Mexican Agency for Paranormal Investigation, who delivers prayers to combat the demon as the duo place salt around their home. Evidently, you can now combat Satan via Zoom!

Theres no way to take My Encounter with Evil seriously, and its even more difficult to excuse its formal clunkiness. Rather than giving each story its own episode, the series jumbles them together, only occasionally bothering with transitional devices (here, spooky title cards dripping in red) to differentiate its tales. The rest of the time, it haphazardly crosscuts between them, lending the material a sloppiness thats enhanced by its clownish recreations. Bodies levitate off beds, priests scream at demons while thrusting tightly held crucifixes at pale and scarred faces, possessed women vomit up black bile, little girls say and do unnerving things, and female specters with long, stringy hair appear and disappear in front of (and behind) their prey. If youve ever seen a horror film, youll be well acquainted with such hoary techniquesall of which further underline the phoniness of everything being presented.

Perhaps the most laughable element of My Encounter with Evil is that it gives space to both sides of the possession debate via juxtaposed testimony from exorcism-performing men of the cloth and professional psychiatrists. Yet because the series cant truly challenge the idea that these women were persecuted by Satan (lest it undermine itself), the doctors articulate nothing but vague, meaningless sentiments. Meanwhile, their pious counterpartsin particular, Archbishop Andres Tiradodeclare that demons are real, that the only way to fight them is through religious means, and that there are all sorts of rules and regulations governing these spiteful creatures behavior. Tirado repeatedly itemizes facets of demonic conduct and successful anti-demonic tactics in an effort to make exorcisms sound like a rational, methodical practice. Resembling a man fit for a direct-to-streaming rip-off of The Exorcist, he is not convincing.

Netflix

My Encounter with Evil is chockablock with ominous messages from the great beyond, mysteriously moving chairs and doors, and an endless barrage of screaming and freaking out. The shows interviewees revisit their suffering in grave tones and through intermittent tears, but theyre a decidedly wooden bunch and their accounts are unoriginal. Theres no logic to their reports, nor to the way in which theyre presented by the showfor example, since Andrea and Esther appear on-screen, why does their mother Concepcion (the protagonist of their entire story) choose to shroud herself in darkness to conceal her identity? Its inanity on a supremely high level, and it ends on a hilariously diverse note, with Concepcion escaping her hellish tormentor by staying true to God, Florencia banishing her homes malicious resident courtesy of a Wiccan ritual, and Jessy choosing to deal with her affliction by becoming a theistic Satanist and signing a contract with Asmodeus that allows them to be permanent bosom buddies.

Also depicting Hell as two old men sitting on opposite sides of a doorway that opens onto a room with a burning fireplace, My Encounter with Evil never stops peddling horror movie-style madness in a vain attempt to unnerve. Any chance of that happening, however, dies early on, when Sully states, The day I made contact and could just feel the energy of a demon, I shit myself.

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(Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. was alone among the worlds top five smartphone vendors to register growth in the third quarter this year as the mobile market suffered a double-digit decline.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Global leader Samsung Electronics Co. slumped 8% to 64 million units in the three months ended September, while Chinese vendors Oppo and Vivo were each down at least 20%, according to the latest data from Canalys and Counterpoint researchers. Weak demand in China, which Samsung called out as a major drag on its sales of phone components this week, has weighed on the industry this year.

Xiaomi Corp. weathered the hit better than its compatriots because of its wider international presence, the researchers said. Shipments of iPhones, whose latest generation was released earlier this year than last, were up slightly.

The premium tier is the only segment of the mobile market thats shown resilience, and Apples strength in that category helped it reach its best third-quarter share to date, according to Canalys. It further closed the gap on Samsung, whose highlight in the period was the launch of new foldable handsets that improved its product mix with more high-end offerings. The South Korean electronics giant, which appointed Jay Y. Lee as its executive chairman this week, is betting on foldables as the key to unlocking growth in the largely stagnant smartphone business.

Slow inventory turnover and poor economic figures have affected the channels confidence, falling back to major brands with iconic devices to generate traffic, said Canalys analyst Toby Zhu. Managing the gloomiest Q4 outlook in over a decade will show which vendors are well-positioned for the long-term.

Story continues

--With assistance from Sam Kim.

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COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  The ambassador of Iran also been excluded from this years Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm because of the serious and escalating situation in the country, the private foundation that administers the prestigious awards said Friday.

Earlier this week, the envoys of Russia and Belarus were barred from attending the glittery event because of the war in Ukraine.

We believe that given the serious and escalating situation, Irans ambassador should not be invited to the Nobel Prize award ceremony, the Nobel Foundation said in a statement. Normally, ambassadors stationed in Sweden are invited to the annual event on Dec. 10.

With the slogan #WomanLifeFreedom, the demonstrations in Iran first focused on womens rights and the state-mandated hijab, or headscarf for women. But they quickly evolved into calls to oust the Shiite clerics that have ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The protests have also galvanized university students, labor unions, prisoners and ethnic minorities like the Kurds along Irans border with Iraq. Since the protests erupted, security forces have fired live ammunition and tear gas to disperse demonstrations, killing over 200 people, according to rights groups.

Earlier this week, the foundation also said it would continue its practice of inviting the leaders of all parties in the Swedish Parliament except the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats. Following the country's Sept. 11, the party is the second-largest in Parliament and a close partner of the new center-right government. The party has sought to distance itself from its far-right roots.

The Nobel Prizes are always handed out on Dec. 10, the anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobels death in 1896.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Polls on Friday predicted Israel's former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would come within a single seat of an outright majority in his quest to return to power in next week's election, the fifth in less than four years.

Netanyahu, on trial for corruption charges he denies, has been vying for a comeback, aided by an alliance between his Likud party and far-right party Religious Zionism - a pact that could test Israel's foreign relations if it wins the ballot.

Two polls - one released late Thursday by Israel's Kan public broadcaster and another published on Friday by the Maariv newspaper - both showed the Netanyahu bloc of four parties winning 60 of parliament's 120 seats in Tuesday's vote.

"Netanyahu arrives at election day in good shape, but the battle has not been decided," wrote Haaretz newspaper's political analyst Yossi Verter.

A deadlocked election could mean Israel would go to the polls again within months, with Prime Minister Yair Lapid remaining in office as caretaker.

Israel has been caught in an election cycle since 2019, the year Netanyahu, now 73, was charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three cases which he describes as a "rigged" political witch-hunt meant to keep him out of office.

After four inconclusive votes, Israel's longest-serving leader was ousted in June 2021 by a fragile coalition of liberal, rightist and Arab parties, which included Lapid's centrists.

In Netanyahu's bid for a record sixth term, he has allied with ultranationalist lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose inclusion in a Netanyahu cabinet could upset Israel's Western allies, as well as the Palestinians and Arab countries with which Israel has diplomatic relations.

The campaign has largely centred around Netanyahu with security and diplomacy issues, including conflicts with the Palestinians and Iran, taking a back seat.

Netanyahu's rivals, left right and centre, have vowed to keep him out of office, fearing that if Netanyahu's bloc wins, it will bend Israel's legal system to avoid a conviction.

The polls predicted the anti-Netanyahu bloc winning 56 seats and the Arab-led Hadash-Ta'al list, which has said it will not join a coalition, getting four seats.

(Reporting by Henriette Chacar; Writing by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Peter Graff)
James Corden has praised his wife Julia Carey as his family prepares to leave the states and return to the United Kingdom for good.

The Late Late Show host recently described the moment that he met his television producer wife as a miracle, but wondered what she must think of him now after ten years of marriage.

I absolutely knew minute one that I couldnt do any better than this. When I met JulesIts a miracle, Corden told Good Morning Britain host Richard Arnold on Friday (28 October).

He added: Every day she must just look at meWhat did I do? Its a huge mistake!

Corden, 44, also revealed his plans to relocate his family to the UK once his talk show ends in summer 2023. I love where we live. I love being in Los Angeles, but we always knew it was an adventure and not the final destination, he explained. This is amazing, this little island. The stuff its created and has given the world  Ive always been very very proud to call it home.

In April 2022, the actor announced he will be stepping down as host of The Late Late Show after eight years.

The Carpool Karaoke star was first introduced to his wife back in 2009 by actor Dominic Cooper. Three years later, the couple were married during a wedding ceremony at Babington House in Somerset, England. Since then, Corden and Carey have become parents to son Max, 11, and daughters Carey, eight, and Charlotte, four.

After announcing his departure from The Late Late Show, Corden explained how his family impacted his decision to leave the late night talk show. "My kids are getting older, their grandparents are getting older, and it perhaps just felt like the right time for us as a family to be freer in our decisions," he told Extra in April.

James Corden has recently made headlines after the owner of New York City restaurant Balthazar temporarily banned the actor from dining in his establishment. Restaurateur Keith McNally described Corden as a tiny cretin of a man for his alleged rude comments and demands towards Balthazar staff on two occasions. In an Instagram post, McNally 86d the comedian from his restaurant, only to rescind the ban shortly after.

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The Into The Woods actor later addressed the allegations during an episode of The Late Late Show, where he explained that the reason for his alleged outburst was due to his wifes food allergy. McNally had claimed that Corden sent back an egg yolk omelette that his wife ordered, but Corden explained that his wife was given food "she was allergic to" and detailed the alleged event.

When everybodys meals came, my wife was given the food that she was allergic to, he said. She hadnt taken a bite of it or anything. No worries, we sent it back, all was good.

As her meal came wrong to the table the third time, in the heat of the moment, I made a sarcastic, rude comment about cooking it myself and it is a comment I deeply regret, he continued. I understand the difficulties of being a server. I worked shifts at restaurants for years. I have such respect and I value anyone that does such a job. And the team at that restaurant are so great. Thats why I love it there.
The Houses Jan. 6 select committee is urging the Supreme Court to reject efforts by Arizona GOP Chair Kelli Ward to shield her phone records from congressional investigators.

House Counsel Douglas Letter said in a 38-page filing Friday evening that Wards records are necessary to paint a complete picture of machinations by former President Donald Trump and his allies to subvert the 2020 election. Any action by the high court to prevent the committee from obtaining them quickly would likely doom the panels 10-month effort to review Wards contacts in the weeks following the 2020 election.

Dr. Ward aided a coup attempt, Letter wrote in the brief. She tried to stop the vote count in Maricopa County, tried to arrange contact between President Trump and a top county official, promoted inaccurate allegations of election interference by Dominion Voting Systems, and served as a fake elector as part of Trumps scheme to overturn the election on January 6th by sending Congress spurious electoral slates in contravention of the actual electoral outcome in several states.

The select panel argued there was no basis to separate the alternate slates of electors from the Jan. 6 attack.

The panel subpoenaed T-Mobile for Wards records in February, and Ward quickly sued to prevent T-Mobile from complying. A federal district court judge in Arizona rejected Wards effort to block the subpoena earlier this month. On Saturday, a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted, 2-1, to turn down Wards request to set the district court ruling aside while litigation continues.

Letter cited the panels impending sunset at the end of this Congress as increasing the urgency for Wards records.

Far from preserving the status quo, any further delay would practically speaking, make it extremely difficult for the Select Committee to obtain and effectively utilize the subpoenaed records before that date, Letter said.

Ward asked for emergency relief from the Supreme Court earlier this week, making her appeal the latest 2020 election-related matter to land before the justices in recent days. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) appealed to the Supreme Court to block a subpoena to testify from an Atlanta-area prosecutor investigating Trumps effort to overturn the election in Georgia. Like the select committee, Fulton County also warned that any move by the justices to slow the investigation would likely close off avenues of inquiry.

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Justice Clarence Thomas put the subpoena to Graham on hold temporarily, shortly before Justice Elena Kagan took similar action to freeze the ruling against Ward. Those orders are likely to be precursors to action by the full court in each case.

Ward contends that the Jan. 6 select committee subpoena would chill her First Amendment rights and serve as a back door for the panel to explore her political contacts as head of the Arizona GOP. Ward, a medical doctor, also raised concerns about patient privacy.

The lower courts rejected those positions, noting that the select committee had demonstrated a need for her testimony on a matter of grave importance to the country and had sought only a limited set of her phone records  covering the period from Election Day 2020 to the end of Trumps term. The phone records also dont include the content of any texts or other details about the substance of any calls, judges noted.

Ward served as one of the pro-Trump electors who signed certificates claiming to be qualified electors despite Bidens victory in their states. She also joined a lawsuit intended to force then-Vice President Mike Pences hand as he resisted pressure from Trump to single-handedly derail Joe Bidens election.

Ward and others on the pro-Trump elector slate were among those who received grand jury subpoenas from federal prosecutors investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election. Ward indicated in a recent court filing that the Justice Department has not taken any steps to enforce those subpoenas in recent months.

Ward also asserted her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in an appearance before the Jan. 6 select committee, a fact that the appeals court panel majority noted could be held against her in the civil lawsuit she brought to block the subpoena.
Michael Fanone Oliver Contreras-Pool/Getty Images

Albuquerque Head offered to help D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone to safety as rioters besieged the Lower West Terrace tunnel entrance on Jan. 6, 2021, but instead he grabbed Fanone by the neck and dragged him out into the crowd, yelling "Hey! I got one," Fanone's body-camera recorded. The mob beat Fanone and repeatedly shocked him with his own taser, triggering a heart attack and causing a traumatic brain injury that forced Fanone into retirement.

Head, 43, pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer in May, and U.S. District Judge Amy Berman sentenced him to 90 months  7 1/2 years  in prison on Thursday. Prosecutors and Fanone had asked that Head get eight years while Head's lawyers had requested a five-year sentence. The only other Jan. 6 defendant given a longer sentence so far is former New York City police officer Thomas Webster, who got 10 years for assaulting police. Webster did not take a plea deal and was convicted by a jury.

"These were some of the darkest acts committed on one of our nation's darkest days," Jackson told Head after watching video from Fanone's body camera. "He was your prey. He was your trophy."

"Nearly 900 people have been charged for their actions at the Capitol on Jan. 6, and more than 400 have pleaded or been found guilty, primarily to misdemeanor offenses," Politico reports. "But the number of defendants facing sentences for more serious crimes, like assaulting police officers or seeking to disrupt Congress' session to count electoral votes and affirm Joe Biden's presidency, has begun to climb as those slower and more complicated cases near their conclusions."

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TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan is in the final stages of negotiations with the United States to buy U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles, the Yomiuri daily reported on Friday, citing multiple unnamed Japanese government sources.

Tomahawks can hit targets from more than 1,000 km (620 miles) away, putting parts of China and the Russian Far East within range.

Tokyo is seeking its biggest arms buildup since World War Two in the face of Beijing's rapid military modernisation and increased activity in nearby waters.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said he was aware of the media report but refrained from commenting.

The government was weighing counterattack capabilities but no specifics have been decided, he added.

Concern about Chinese military activity in the seas and skies around Taiwan and Japan has intensified since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, because Japan worries it provides China with a precedent for the use of force against Taiwan.

China in August fired missiles into waters less than 160 km from Japan in a display of might, angered by U.S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

At the 20th Communist Party Congress last week, Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for accelerating plans to build a world-class military. He said his country would never renounce the right to use force to resolve the Taiwan issue.

Separately on Friday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a news conference that there were no concrete plans for a summit meeting between the two countries.

While this year marks the 50th anniversary of normalisation between the two nations, Kishida said, without elaborating, that there were still "pending issues".

(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Stephen Coates and Tomasz Janowski)
Jesse Marsch is under severe pressure at Leeds (Reuters)

It is Liverpool on Saturday and Liverpool, for Leeds, can mean beginnings and endings. Brian Cloughs reign kicked off with a Community Shield against Bob Paisleys team. Billy Bremner was sent off for fighting and it didnt get much better than that for Clough in a 44-day stay. Leeds current spell in the Premier League started at Anfield, a 16-year exile ended in spectacular style as Marcelo Bielsas cavaliers went down 4-3, the high-speed excitement enough to put Leeds in the unfamiliar position of being the neutrals favourites.

Some 17 months later they returned to Anfield. The excitement was of a different kind, the six goals all scored by Liverpool. Bielsas man-marking system was falling apart; it transpired there was a reason no one else played like that. It was not quite the end for the Argentinian, who limped on for one more game, but there was no way back.

Perhaps just a third top-flight trip since 2003 will have a finality for Jesse Marsch. The Leeds board, he said, have been very supportive, but of course Im not dumb, I understand exactly that if we dont win games I put them in a very difficult situation to continue to support me. Others have already changed their tune, the Leeds supporters turning on Marsch the same night the Aston Villa fans told Steven Gerrard to get out of their club; Villas executives granted their wish some 90 minutes after the final whistle.

Marschs last Premier League point came against Gerrard; indeed, seven of his nine points this season have come against sacked managers, with his wins perhaps factors in the fall of Bruno Lage and Thomas Tuchel. Rewind to the heady August day when the Germans Chelsea were demolished at Elland Road and Leeds surged into third. Elland Road briefly echoed to the sound of the Americans name, and without a suffix of out.

It was the high point of his reign, and it may remain so. Afterwards, Marsch was in reflective mood. There are people that like me and people that hate me, he said. Those in the latter category outnumber those in the former group now. There were plenty who loved Bielsa and maybe Marschs probable demise will be attributed to the simple fact he isnt Bielsa, though no one else is.

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The reality may be more complicated. The speed with which some have turned is nevertheless notable, though a run of four straight defeats is why Leeds, in the top three in August, are in the bottom three now. For him, it represents uncharted territory. I was 14 years a player and now 13 years a coach and Ive never lost this much in my career, Marsch said. Im sick of it. Im kind of angry right now.

His argument is that his side have not been outclassed. Im tired of playing matches where we are in the match and in many cases better than our opponents and walking away with nothing, he added. Im tired of not capitalising on moments when we are the better team in matches and Im tired of giving away goals too cheaply. And Im tired of not getting results we should be getting.

But a self-destructive streak has been apparent, with leads lost against both Crystal Palace and Fulham. If there is a question if pressing teams can run out of steam  and, 2-0 up at Southampton in August, Leeds were pegged back in the last 20 minutes  they have squandered advantages in the first half-hour against the two London teams.

The 5-2 evisceration at Brentford was a horror show, a chaotic farce. The 0-0 draw with Gerrards Villa had a certain respectability, with Leeds playing almost all of the second half with 10 men, but Luis Sinisterras red card was senselessly stupid. Marschs attempts to gee up the crowd may have backfired if one of his players was overhyped, just as he was when he was sent to the stands at Brentford.

His persona on the touchline may have made him few friends, and could be a case of Marsch trying too hard to generate a bond with the crowd, whereas Bielsa had an enigmatic allure while he remained sat on a bucket.

Jesse Marsch is under pressure at Leeds (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Wire)

But there are footballing factors. Patrick Bamfords litany of misses have come at a cost; Leeds were a top-10 side in the season he was prolific and relegation strugglers since. Rodrigos brilliant August form now looks a mirage. Marsch was handed the hospital pass of losing the two best players from a team who barely stayed up, in Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips. In Sinisterra, Brenden Aaronsen, Marc Roca and Tyler Adams, there have been signs of encouragement amid a rebuild. That the two Americans, like Rasmus Kristensen, had played for Marsch before shows the extent to which Leeds backed him and bought into his ideas. Director of football Victor Orta had long eyed him as Bielsas successor and their conversations began years ago. Sack him and Leeds next manager might have to be suited to Marsch-style players.

As it is, the incumbents task is complicated by the reality that no one is a like-for-like replacement for the idiosyncratic Argentinian. Marsch has a similar fondness for high energy but he may be running out of time. He can argue that individual errors are the cause of recent defeats, whereas Bielsas entire system was malfunctioning by the end, but in the eyes of his critics, that could be academic.

Marsch may have some credit in the bank for keeping Leeds up, though some may deem that a fine salvage job and others a fortunate reprieve, but the fixture list now comes with a hint of respite but a chance of cruelty. Survive Liverpool and he has Bournemouth at home, then Tottenham away. If we continue losing then everything is in jeopardy, Marsch said, and the World Cup break could yet be a permanent fissure for the globe-trotting American.
OKMULGEE  An Oklahoma man named as a person of interest after four men were violently killed earlier this month has waived extradition from Florida where he has been jailed since Oct. 18, according to court documents.

Joseph Lloyd Kennedy II's decision on Tuesday to waive extradition clears the way for him to be returned to Oklahoma as police continue to gather and analyze evidence in the shooting deaths and dismemberments of Mark Chastain, Brian Chastain, Mike Sparks and Alex Stevens.

Kennedy was still being held in the Volusia County Branch jail near Daytona Beach, Florida, as of Thursday afternoon.

The bodies of the four men were found in the Deep Fork River southwest of Okmulgee on Oct. 14, less than a week after Okmulgee's police department was notified the men were missing.

Kennedy, who owns a salvage yard in the area, was questioned by authorities the same day the bodies were discovered. But police were told he went missing the following day.

Joseph Kennedy II, of Okmulgee, a person of interest in a quadruple homicide in Oklahoma, appears before a judge on Oct. 19 at the Volusia County Branch Jail near Daytona Beach, Florida.

He has not been charged in connection with the men's deaths.

On Oct. 17, as authorities confirmed the victims' identities, they noted Kennedy's disappearance and told the media he might be suicidal. Kennedy, 67, was arrested the following morning in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida, after being caught driving a vehicle reported stolen to the Okmulgee County Sheriff's Office.

Once in custody, Florida authorities placed him under a suicide watch because he told arresting officers there he intended to jump off a hotel balcony, a charging affidavit showed.

Kennedy faces a felony grand theft charge in Florida. Back in Oklahoma, his wife, Sandra Jean Kennedy, filed for divorce from him on Oct. 19.

On Tuesday, an attorney representing relatives of three of the four victims convinced a judge to bar Kennedy and his estranged wife from disposing of any of their properties until circumstances surrounding the men's deaths become more clear.

Investigation into the men's deaths continues, police say

Family members told authorities the last time they saw the four men was when they left a residence on W Sixth Street in Okmulgee on Sunday, Oct. 9.

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The two Chastains and Sparks were reported missing by Mark Chastain's wife. Alex Stevens was reported missing by his mother.

Investigators described the four men as being close friends and said it appeared they were planning to commit some type of criminal act when they left the Okmulgee residence. However, authorities did not reveal if they had learned what the men were planning to do or where they were planning to do it.

On Thursday, Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice said his department continues to work the case.

"We continue to analyze data that we have received in many different forms  that is a very long and tedious process. I am not releasing any information about the investigation. We are very protective of that information, once the investigation turns criminal."

As for how much longer his department's investigation might continue, Prentice couldn't say.

"I don't know how the investigation is going to proceed, as far as developments and when they will happen. Obviously, everything will be turned over to the district attorney's office at some point, and then it has to have time to review things, so I have no idea on a timeline."

Efforts to reach the Okmulgee County sheriff Thursday to inquire when a deputy might be dispatched to bring Kennedy back to Oklahoma were not successful.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Joseph Kennedy waives extradition in Okmulgee, Oklahoma case
A man accused of killing a Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) bus driver in a road rage shooting in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, was denied bond on Thursday.

Darian Dru Thavychith, 22, has been held without bond at the Mecklenburg County Jail in Charlotte since he was arrested in March for the shooting death of Ethan Rivera on Feb. 11.

The judge sided with the prosecutor, who made the case that Thavychith is a flight risk and remains a danger to the community.

During the hearing, the prosecutor highlighted details of the day Rivera was shot and killed while driving a CATS bus in uptown Charlotte.

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Riveras mother and fiance also made a plea to the judge to keep Thavychith in jail and deny him bond.

All we want is for him to be kept in prison where he belongs because his actions speak louder than anything else in regards to the person that he is, his mother said. If he did that to my son, what are the chances of him doing it again to anybody else.

Thavychiths lawyer argued that his client was not a flight risk due to the fact he was the one who called the authorities to turn himself in. The attorney also questioned whether it was actually Thavychith caught in the surveillance video on the night of the shooting.

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Two rows of family and friends supporting Thavychith attended the hearing, many of whom sent the judge letters vouching for his character.

Among them was family friend Tai Little, who left the court disappointed after the hearing.

We stand firm in the fact that Darian has not been convicted, and until that day happens we believe in his innocence and his right to return, Little told WBTV.

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Little shared that Thavychith used to volunteer at the Southeast Asian Coalition in Charlotte.

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According to authorities, Thavychith got into an argument with Rivera the night of the incident and later fired a shot into Riveras bus.

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The Lawsuit that claimed TikTok was responsible for the death of 10-year-old Nylah Anderson has been dismissed by a federal Pennsylvania judge.

On Wednesday, Judge Paul Diamond determined that the social media platform where the Blackout Challenge was published by various users and its parent company, ByteDance, were shielded from liability.

According to the ruling documents acquired by Bloomberg Law, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, shows that TikTok is protected from publishing third-party content.

Nylah Andersons death was caused by her attempt to take up the Blackout Challenge, Judge Paul S. Diamond wrote in a memorandum on Tuesday.

Defendants did not create the Challenge; rather, they made it readily available on their site. Defendants algorithm was a way to bring the Challenge to the attention of those likely to be most interested in it. In thus promoting the work of others, Defendants published that workexactly the activity Section 230 shields from liability. The wisdom of conferring such immunity is something properly taken up with Congress, not the courts. I will thus grant Defendants Motion on immunity grounds. In light of my decision, I need not address Defendants contentions respecting jurisdiction and failure to state a claim, Diamond concluded.

As reported by Law & Crime, the complaint stated that 10-yr-old Nylah took part in the Blackout Challenge on Dec. 7, 2021, in her home. Regrettably, the child asphyxiated herself, and her mother, Tawainna Anderson, discovered her hanging from a purse strap in a bedroom. Her mother then rushed her to the hospital where Nylah succumbed to her injuries, days later, on Dec. 12 after fighting for her life in the pediatric intensive care unit.

Reuters reported that Jeffrey Goodman, the attorney for the childs mother would continue to fight, along with her family to make social media safe so that no other child is killed or hurt by the reckless behavior of the social media industry.

Story continues

No mother should have to bury her child and now, while having to grieve her own, Mrs. Anderson is determined to make a change.

The Blackout Challenge is also known as the Choking Challenge, or Pass-Out Challenge. These are all incredibly dangerous and according to the CDC the craze goes back as far as 2008 when at least 82 children died as a result.

NBC News reported that searching for Blackout Challenge on TikTok now sends users to a page that stresses the danger of some of these online challenges.

PEOPLE stated that a spokesperson for TikTok affirmed that the organization will remain vigilant towards anything unsafe that users come across.

Back in a December report, Tawainna spoke with WPVI and shared that Nylah was a happy child.

She was a butterfly, she said. She was everything. She was a happy child, added the grieving mother.

We send our deepest condolences to the Anderson family and the friends of Nylah.
A Columbus man who pleaded guilty to stabbing his wife nearly 60 times and slashing her sister in a bloody 2019 frenzy was sentenced to life in prison Friday.

Marcus Dewayne King killed 34-year-old De Ann King around noon on May 25 at her 6518 Dorsey Drive home, where he also cut the sister who came to her aid, investigators said.

Besides murder, he initially was charged with possession of a knife during the commission of a crime, aggravated assault and third-degree cruelty to children.

But prosecutors previously assigned to the case did not pursue an indictment on all of those counts. Standing before visiting Judge Joe Bishop, he agreed to a negotiated deal in which he pleaded guilty only to malice or intentional murder. Bishop sentenced him to life with the possibility of parole.

That means he likely will serve 30 years, before hes eligible for release. He is 42 years old.

The family

In court De Ann Kings family tearfully testified to the effect of losing her to such violence, and told the defendant how much she loved him, despite his abusive conduct.

Marcus, you took her away from all of us, said sister Chavala Robinson, who was not the one he attacked. Theres nothing you can say that will justify that.... I dont believe you ever loved her. We will never forgive you for what you did to her.

She should have left you, said the victims mother, Gloria Champion.

With their family at their side, the mother and sister spoke to reporters outside the courtroom, after the sentencing.

I hope he understands what he has done, the mother said. I know my daughter loved him. She left him a lot of times because of the way he treated her, but she didnt leave him..... She wouldnt come home. She stayed with him trying to make their marriage work. She did everything in her marriage. It was just like he was her child instead of her husband, in some ways.

De Anns father, Leaurenza Champion, saw the danger his daughter faced, she said: My husband said to me, he said, Hes going to kill her, and there was no way that we could change that.

Story continues

Robinson said the father died Saturday, after waiting more than three years to see justice for his daughter. We know theyre together in heaven, she said.

The family will remember De Anns smile, voice and loving demeanor, she said.

Out of all of us, she was the sweetest, full of life, full of spirit, always laughing, smiling, dancing, said the sister. Everyone said her smile lights up a room. She had a beautiful voice. She was loving to her kids, all of our kids.

The children loved her, too, she added: She was the favorite auntie. All of the kids wanted to be with Auntie Dee Dee, so he took the part away from us that gave us joy, and we dont have that anymore.

What happened?

The family of De Ann King speaks with the media Friday morning after Marcus Dewayne King pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing De Ann King in 2019. Marcus Dewayne King was sentenced to life in prison after his guilty plea. 10/28/2022

The day of the murder, De Ann, another sister and the sisters 9-year-old daughter had dropped by the Dorsey Drive residence en route to the Shaw High School graduation at the Columbus Civic Center, on the Saturday before Memorial Day. Another relative was to graduate, and Robinson was already there, waiting for them to arrive.

De Ann went inside with the niece, who saw De Ann go into a bedroom with Marcus, and then heard her screaming for help, police said.

The child ran outside to get her mother, whom Marcus attacked when she came to her sisters defense. She ran back outside to her daughter, calling 911 at 12:14 p.m.

During the attack, the pocketknife slipped, cutting Marcus across the palm. Dripping blood, he went out the door and walked away, telling neighbors at four houses what hed done, witnesses said.

Eventually he stopped outside a residence to wash his hand with a hose and wrap his wound, police said. Then he saw some in-laws looking for him, and assumed that they would shoot him, detectives said, so he went into a neighbors house and barricaded himself in a bathroom.

Then he jumped out a window, losing his shoes and cell phone, and fled until officers saw him on Mazor Drive, where he told them, Just shoot me, they reported. They were able to arrest him without further violence.

He was represented Friday by public defender Jose Guzman. The prosecutor was Assistant District Attorney Victoria Novak, whom Robinson credited with finally treating the family like victims, and bringing their wait for justice to an end. Previous authorities behaved as if Marcus were the one wronged, she said: Hes actually been treated like the victim.

De Anns mother said she hopes other abusive men will learn from what happened to her daughter.

It would be nice if someone would think, you just cant give somebody their life back, once you take it, she said.
NEW YORK (Reuters) -A federal jury in Manhattan on Friday convicted a Colorado man who was charged along with former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon with defrauding donors to an online campaign to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Timothy Shea, of Castle Rock, Colorado, was convicted on two conspiracy counts and one count of obstruction of justice after a one-week trial. An earlier trial ended in June in a hung jury.

Shea and Bannon were charged in August 2020 over their alleged roles in the "We Build the Wall" campaign, which prosecutors said raised more than $25 million from hundreds of thousands of donors to help Trump build his signature wall.

Two other defendants, the campaign's leader Brian Kolfage and Andrew Badolato, pleaded guilty and have yet to be sentenced.

"Months ago, this office stated our belief in the powerful and compelling evidence that showed Shea's guilt," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in Manhattan said in a statement. "Today, a unanimous jury has convicted Shea on all counts."

John Meringolo, a lawyer for Shea, said in an email: "We respect the jury's verdict."

Trump pardoned Bannon in the final hours of his presidency, but Bannon was criminally charged last month by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg with state law violations arising from the wall campaign.

Bannon has pleaded not guilty in that case. Presidential pardons do not cover state prosecutions.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
On Marjorie Street in South Memphis, the entire front-facing wall of a home has split from an unstable foundation, slumping forward into the front yard.

The roof was leaking and it caved in, said Clarence Jones who has lived in the neighborhood since 1960. I wish we could do something about it. Its an eyesore.

RELATED: Grahamwood neighbors tired of massive trash pile, homeless camp

On the front door of the home, there are three posted notices from the City of Memphis Code Enforcement condemning the property. Surrounding the dilapidated home, there are fresh wasp nests and exposed electrical wiring.

This is a nice neighborhood, said Jones, who has also attempted to get the city to cut the seven-foot-tall grass on another lot.

Eight miles north in Hyde Park, Anthony McDuffie is tired of watching large birds enter in and out of a hole in the roof of an abandoned home across the street.

I dont want to be living around filth, said McDuffie, who lives on Harrison Street. Its just really a nuisance, man. I would really prefer (the city) just tear them down.

A home on Marjorie Street in South Memphis is falling apart and neighbors are calling for it to be torn down.

However, a city spokeswoman said demolishing an abandoned home can be a lengthy process that first begins with a title search, then a notice to property owners that the structure must be repaired or demolished. After that, all appropriate parties must attend a condemnation hearing.

Its not a quick turnaround, she explained. Legal procedures regarding property rights and environmental evaluations are legal requirements of the condemnation process that we must follow and often results in delayed commencement of demolition.

She said the city has no specific list of blighted properties but recommends that residents use the citys data hub.

Another eight miles away in East Memphis, neighbors worry the delays in demolition have led to a growing hazard in their neighborhood. Theyre fearful of rats and snakes at an abandoned construction project on Marion Avenue  a home condemned in April.

Story continues

Its just a nuisance to the neighborhood, said Ruth Cooper, who lives across the street. We take pride in our property here.

Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood.

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Keke Palmer has an idea for a comedy film  and shes looking to team up with Will Smith.

In a conversation with Variety at the Time 100 Next gala on Tuesday, the Nope actor dished out a list of co-stars she would love to headline her original studio comedy with, including Melissa McCarthy, Adam Sandler and Smith.

If Will Smiths ready to go back to do some comedies, Im ready, the 29-year-old told the outlet.

Palmer even revealed that she would like to do an action-comedy of some sort with the Oscar winner. She added that her pitch would be kinda like a haphazard duo that shouldnt be together, but we are together.

Maybe Im like a know-it-all punk, and he kind of shows me the ropes, she continued. Im good for  not a reboot, an original but conceptual similarity to Look Whos Talking. You remember the baby talking movies? Im ready to be Kirstie Alley. Lets go! she said, referring to the 1989 comedy starring Alley and Bruce Willis.

Palmer has had a massively successful year starring in Jordan Peeles Nope alongside Daniel Kaluuya. She also voiced the character Izzy Hawthorne in Disney and Pixars highly-anticipated Lightyear.

Last month, UGG announced the Emmy-winning actor as the face of the shoe companys latest #UGGSEASON campaign and social media initiative.

Theyre just the perfect shoe for me, Palmer, who revealed shes owned over 50 pairs of UGG shoes over the years, told People at the time. I think theyre exemplary of luxury and leisure.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
Kerry Washington doesnt think her Hollywood status should interfere with her passion for politics.

The actor discussed her choice to speak out on political issues during Wednesdays episode of The View. I dont talk about politics because Im an actor, I talk about politics because Im an American, she said.

I live here. And I care about the things that happen here, she continued. So I never want to give up my right to be politically engaged because thats what a democracy is, is when we engage.

Washington joined Georgias Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams at a rally in the state last weekend. She told the daytime shows co-hosts that she plans to visit more states ahead of the midterm elections, such as Michigan and Arizona.

Im calling it my SOS tour, she said. SOS for secretary of state, because the secretary of state  thats who really makes decisions about free and fair elections.

 @kerrywashington: "I don't talk about politics because I'm an actor, I talk about politics because I'm an American. I live here, and I care about the things that happen here, and so I never want to give up my right to be politically engaged." https://t.co/cVclFZQmjApic.twitter.com/3qjo5lddmN  The View (@TheView) October 26, 2022

The Scandal actor told Time magazine in March that her form of activism often involves using her star power to help support local organizations.

She collaborated with the organization Movement Voter Fund to help form Vision Into Power Cohort, which aims to invest in grassroots organizations with a shared vision for an equitable democracy, according to Movement Voter Funds website.

The most effective use of my microphone is handing it to women and marginalized people, instead of the old model of a surrogate dropping into an organization, costing them a lot of time and money, and not really serving the real heroes, she told Time.

Story continues

Washington also explained that one of the ways she aids local leaders and groups is to help get elected officials on the phone.

On Friday, she tweeted a photo of herself wearing a hat with BETO printed on it in support of Beto ORourke, the Democratic candidate for governor of Texas.

Texas, you deserve better, she wrote. You deserve BETO.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
Kieran Hardy (PA) (PA Archive)

Kieran Hardy says Wales will need to be switched on at all times in their Autumn Nations Series opener against New Zealand.

The All Blacks arrive in Cardiff seeking a 33rd successive victory over their hosts.

Wales have not toppled New Zealand since 1953 and the All Blacks again carry a tag of overwhelming favourites to continue that one-sided sequence.

The November 5 clash will be Wales first home game since they were left stunned by annual Six Nations strugglers Italy in March.

Just a few months after that shock defeat, though, Hardy and company were part of an historic Wales victory over South Africa in Bloemfontein during a 2-1 Test series loss.

The way they play the game is completely different, Wales scrum-half Hardy said. You have to expect anything from them.

They are not afraid to take risks, and they play a bit more of an expansive game than the Springboks maybe did in the summer.

We will be prepared for that and weve got to be switched on at all times.

New Zealand began the recent Rugby Championship by losing in South Africa and then coming unstuck at home to Argentina.

But they recovered impressively to finish the campaign strongly and claim another title in the annual showcase southern hemisphere competition.

Hardy added: I think they looked a bit more like themselves towards the end of the Rugby Championship and the way they wanted to play the game.

Its always a test playing against the best team in the world. It will be a big challenge for us.

We havent mentioned it (All Blacks history) too much, to be honest.

A lot of the boys have played against the All Blacks before and have said how big a test it is, and we know how big a challenge it is first game up.

Personally, it would be great to play against the All Blacks  a team Ive always wanted to play against, with the best players, particularly (New Zealand scrum-half) Aaron Smith.

Ive been lucky enough to play against (Antoine) Dupont and Faf (de Klerk) in the last few months, who I have always thought are up there, so it would be a great challenge.

Story continues

New Zealand are a team I have always watched, and the way they play the game. They were quite successful in their last campaign towards the end and they will be coming over here looking for big results.

Hardy, meanwhile, has underlined the importance of Wales building on their summer tour to South Africa, even if the Test series ultimately went against them.

We gave a good account of ourselves out there  we probably should have won the first Test, which would have made it a bit different again, he said.

We made a bit of history in the summer, winning in South Africa for the first time.

And nothing really changes for us. We are here to build week on week, get the performances and the results we are after.
Twitter Permanently Suspends President Donald Trump's Twitter Account

SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 08: The suspended Twitter account of U.S. President Donald Trump appears on an iPhone screen on January 08, 2021 in San Anselmo, California. Citing the risk of further incitement of violence following an attempted insurrection on Wednesday, Twitter permanently suspended President Donald Trumps account. (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Credit - Getty Images2021 Getty Images

Elon Musk is officially in charge of Twitter. Now, the biggest question on some peoples minds is whether Donald Trump will be allowed back on the platform. One clue that the ban wont be imminently lifted: On Friday afternoon, Musk tweeted that he would be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.

For his part, Trump has said that he would not return to Twitter even if the ban were lifted in favor of building up his own social media platform, TRUTH Social. On Friday, Trump reiterated his support for TRUTH Social in a post on the site in which he also expressed his satisfaction that Twitter is now in sane hands.

Heres what to know about the chances of Trump making his way back to Twitter.

Why Trump was banned from Twitter

Twitter permanently banned Trump from the platform on Jan. 8, 2021 due to the risk of further incitement of violence following the deadly Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. It acted after Facebook, Snapchat, Twitch and other platforms had also placed limits on the former president.

At the time of the ban, Trump had over 88 million followers on Twitter, which had served as his preferred social media megaphone throughout his presidency. Twitter said in a blog post that two tweets Trump posted on Jan. 8, 2021one in which he described his supporters as American Patriots and another in which he said he would not go to the forthcoming Jan. 20 inauguration of President Joe Bidenviolated its glorification of violence policy.

Story continues

Our determination is that the two Tweets above are likely to inspire others to replicate the violent acts that took place on January 6, 2021, and that there are multiple indicators that they are being received and understood as encouragement to do so, Twitter said.

What Elon Musk has said about letting Trump return

Musk suggested earlier this year that he would allow Trump back on Twitter once he took ownership of the company.

While speaking virtually at a conference in May, Musk said that he viewed Trumps ban as a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice.

He went on to say that hes broadly against permanent bans and favors more tailored punishments for content that is illegal or otherwise destructive to the world, echoing an opinion he had previously expressed in an April text message to then-Twitter CEO Agrawal.

Would be great to unwind permanent bans, except for spam accounts and those that explicitly advocate violence, Musk wrote in the text, according to court filings.

Musk tweeted Friday that he would be digging in on lifting shadow bans and reducing restrictions on users. However, in the letter he posted to Twitter on Thursday, he indicated that he understood he could be at risk of alienating advertisers by allowing things to go too far.

The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence, he wrote.

Some advertisers plan to pause their spending on Twitter if Trumps account is reinstated, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

What Trump has said about Musks takeover

Trump told Fox News in April that, regardless of Musks takeover, he would not return to Twitter after being permanently banned.

He said that he intended instead to remain on TRUTH Social, the alternative right-wing social platform he created under the umbrella of his media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, last year to stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech.

I am not going on Twitter, I am going to stay on TRUTH, Trump said the day Musks deal was announced. I hope Elon buys Twitter because hell make improvements to it and he is a good man, but I am going to be staying on TRUTH.

Trump has since maintained that he has no intention of rejoining Twitter. On Friday, Trump sung the praises of TRUTH Social in a post on the site in which he also addressed the news of Musks deal.

Twitter must now work hard to rid itself of all of the bots and fake accounts that have hurt it so badly. It will be much smaller, but better, he wrote. I LOVE TRUTH!

Trumps following of 4.38 million on TRUTH Social remains a fraction of the size of the audience of nearly 90 million he had on Twitter before being banned.

What this means for the future of Trumps TRUTH Social

Despite Trumps posturing, TRUTH Socials business prospects are in a precarious position.

The fate of the platform is hanging in the balance as delays continue to plague the $1.3-billion merger between Trump Media and blank-check company Digital World Acquisition Corp that would potentially secure its future. At the same time, Trump himself is facing a host of legal, financial, and political woes.

TRUTH Social has thus far struggled to lure subscribers despite advertising itself as a refuge for free speech. And a Musk-owned Twitter with fewer speech restraints and less content moderation isnt likely to do TRUTH Social any favorsespecially if Musk reverses bans on prominent conservatives like Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, whose personal Twitter account was permanently suspended earlier this year for spreading COVID-19 misinformation.

It would likely be difficult for Trump to resist rejoining Twitter if he were allowed back, Jonathan Nagler, co-director of NYUs Center for Social Media and Politics, told TIME earlier this year.

Twitter gives him a megaphone that he otherwise doesnt have, Nagler said. And hes shown that social media is a very, very important way that he communicates with the public.
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP)  Kosovos authorities have apparently bowed to international pressure and softened their decision to ban illegal vehicle license plates, a move that could avoid riots by minority Serbs over the issue.

Following a meeting Friday with ambassadors from the U.S. and four European countries  France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom  before the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said authorities decided it was better to offer other facilitating opportunities.

For the first three weeks in November, those owing vehicles with illegal number plates will only be rebuked or warned. For the next two months they will be fined, and for three other months until April 21, they will drive only with replaced local plates, the prime minister said.

U.S. Department of State spokesman Ned Price said that an extension of the (license plates) timeline is in the interest of making progress on the EU-facilitated dialogue to normalize Kosovo-Serbia relations.

In August, the government in Pristina decided to postpone to Nov. 1 the decision to require vehicles holding old or Serbian number plates to replace them with Kosovar ones. That also meant that vehicles entering from Serbia had to replace Serbian license plates with Kosovo ones.

For the past 11 years, the reverse was required by Serbia for vehicles coming in from Kosovo.

Trouble brewed this summer over Serbias and Kosovos refusal to recognize each others identity documents and vehicle license plates. Kosovo Serbs in the north put up roadblocks, sounded air raid sirens and fired guns into the air.

In August, EU and U.S. envoys negotiated a solution to the travel documents problem, allowing the situation to calm down.

The European Union has told Kosovo and Serbia that they must normalize ties if they want to advance toward membership in the 27-nation bloc. Brussels and Washington recently have stepped up mediation efforts, fearing uncertainties over the war in Ukraine and Serbias close ties with Russia could aggravate matters.

Kosovos 2008 independence has been recognized by Washington and most EU countries, while Serbia has relied on support from Moscow and China for its bid to retain the former province. Belgrade lost control over Kosovo in 1999 after NATO bombed the country to stop its brutal crackdown against ethnic Albanian separatist rebels.

NATO peacekeepers say they are ready to keep the countrys situation calm, especially in northern Kosovo where most ethnic Serbs live.
EUROPEAN PRAVDA  FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2022 18:36

In a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Ukraines Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, has demanded the immediate cessation of the supply of Iranian weapons to Russia.

Kuleba announced this on Twitter, reports European Pravda.

Today, I received a call from Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, during which I demanded Iran to immediately cease the flow of weapons to Russia used to kill civilians and destroy critical infrastructure in Ukraine.  Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) October 28, 2022

"Today, I received a call from Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, during which I demanded that Iran immediately stop supplying Russia with weapons that are used to kill civilians and destroy critical infrastructure in Ukraine," the Ukrainian foreign minister said.

As has been widely reported, Russia has recently been making extensive use of kamikaze drones to attack Ukraine, which experts have identified as Iranian-made Shahed-136s, although Russian forces use them under the name Geran ("Geranium"). Tehran has repeatedly denied transferring drones to Russia. The White House considers Irans denials to be untrue.

Kuleba has submitted for the Presidents consideration a proposal to terminate diplomatic relations with Iran over Russias use of Iranian-made drones.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Victoria Silva was set to celebrate her quinceanera in March 2020, but then tragedy hit. She lost her father, Manuel Silva Jr., to heart and kidney failure. Then came Covid-19 and the pandemic's repercussions.

It didnt feel right to have it, said Silva.

But Silva is getting a second chance to celebrate her quinceanera or 15th birthday in a different, more empowering way.

Silva is part of Quince to the Polls, a campaign by Poder Quince geared to mobilize young women to become civic and community leaders. Poder Quince is a program run by Jolt Initiative, a progressive nonprofit organization focused on increasing the civic participation of Latinos, especially young Latinos.

This year, Jolt's Quince to the Polls is partnering with Harness, an organization co-founded by actress America Ferrera and actor Wilmer Valderrama that uses storytelling to promote social justice issues.

The two groups are hosting a Get Out the Vote Parade Festival on Saturday, the first day of early voting in Texas, at Collins Park in San Antonio. Fifteen young Latinas between the ages of 14 and 16 in their quince dresses will be walking around and engaging with community members, encouraging them to go out and vote. Young women who are over 18 will also travel to voting sites and cast their ballots.

Even though I cant vote yet," Silva said, "I want to motivate others."

Quince to the Polls spokesgirl Victoria Silva on the San Antonio Riverwalk. (Samanta Helou Hernandez for Harness)

The quinceanera is such a pinnacle of the Latino community, especially in Texas, said Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez, who founded Jolt and created Quince to the Polls in 2019. Thats why its so powerful. Its using all of the ways through music, dance, and our rich traditions that make up who this country is in putting that front and center in the voting process.

Apart from the quinceaneras, the event will have guest speakers including Ferrera and civil rights organizer Rosie Castro  the mother of Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, and his twin brother, former Housing Secretary Julian Castro.

Story continues

With almost 200,000 Latinos turning 18 in Texas each year and tens of thousands of quinceaneras taking place annually in the state, Quince to the Polls is a way to uplift the Latino community to foster civic engagement and voting and "make real change," Tzintzun said.

Youth leader Mirella Arianna Lupe Mena in a pickup truck that will ride to the polls. (Samanta Helou Hernandez for Harness)

Mirella Arianna, 15, celebrated her quinceanera in August. She said she feels excited to continue her coming-of-age celebration through this kind of civic engagement.

Ive already worn it like six times, Arianna said about her bright red dress that comes with flowers and a cape with lights. Us getting out there and being our age, I do think that people will start to listen a little more, even though we are younger."

Organizers on the ground will be speaking with community members, many of who are first-time voters, said Christine Bolanos, director of communications at Jolt Action, Jolt Initiative's political arm.

"What we're finding [is] that it's not for a lack of caring, it's not apathy, or even distrust  so much as just lack of connection," Bolanos said about eligible voters, especially young people, who don't participate in elections. "Current democratic processes [are] really failing this demographic because we're not reaching to them in the right places or in the right way."

Maria Belen Cervera, 21, a youth activist with Jolt Initiative, convinced her mom to vote by taking her when she cast her own ballot for the first time after turning 18.

When I cast my vote, I think about my family, said Cervera.

The Quince to the Polls campaign was founded in 2019 by Tzintzun Ramirez and was inspired by a protest the organization launched at the Texas State Capitol in July 2017.

Fifteen girls in quinceanera dresses danced to the Hamilton song Immigrants Get the Job Done" and to the Mexican band Tigres Del Nortes Somos mas Americanos in reference to Jolt's and other groups' opposition to Texas law SB4, which gives local law enforcement officers the right to question anyone they detain or arrest about their immigration status, among other measures.

The story of the quinceaneras at the State Capitol managed to reach 50 million Americans online, said Tzintzun, currently the executive director of the youth voter organization, NextGen America.

It was just a ray of light  in a time when there was a lot of darkness in the Latino and immigrant community," she said.

Follow NBC Latino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Friday morning, researchers at both Stanford University and Harvard University published the Education Recovery Scoreboard, a new national interactive map that offers parents a district level snapshot of how much learning was lost at their schools during the pandemic. Powered by district proficiency rates and this months NAEP scores, which revealed historic academic declines when compared with those of 2019, experts have translated their findings into lost or gained grade level scores. Across 29 states and the District of Columbia, the new data show the average public school student in grades 3-8 has lost half a year of learning in math and a quarter of a year in reading. Below is the full announcement of todays Scorecard launch:

Today, The Education Recovery Scorecard, a collaboration with researchers at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University (CEPR) and Stanford Universitys Educational Opportunity Project, released the first comparable view of district level learning loss during the pandemic utilizing the recently released 2022 NAEP data, and states who have publicly reported their district proficiency rates on their spring 2022 assessments. These interactive district level maps include data from 29 states (plus DC)  where the necessary data was available.

CEPR Faculty Director Thomas J. Kane and Sean Reardon, Professor of Poverty and Inequality in Education at Stanford University and director of the Educational Opportunity Project have used the 2022 NAEP scores to make state assessment results comparable. The new research, found on educationrecoveryscorecard.org, also incorporates data on weeks remote and the federal recovery dollars (ESSER) received per district, equipping state and local leaders with the information they need to re-calibrate their current recovery plans.

Support The 74's year-end campaign. Every gift will be matched dollar for dollar.

The pandemic was like a band of tornadoes that swept across the country, said CEPR Faculty Director Thomas J. Kane. Some communities were left relatively untouched, while neighboring schools were devastated. The Education Recovery Scorecard is the first high-resolution map of the tornadoes path to help local leaders see the magnitude of the damage and guide local recovery efforts.

Story continues

One of the things we found is that even within a district, there is variability. School districts are the first line of action to help children catch up. The better they know about the patterns of learning loss, the more theyre going to be able to target their resources effectively to reduce educational inequality of opportunity and help children and communities thrive, said Reardon, Professor of Poverty and Inequality, Stanford Graduate School of Education.

In response to the findings, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said, We must muster the political will at the state and local level to match the urgency and federal investment in our students through the historic $122 billion in the American Rescue Plan. The latest Nations Report Card results must serve as a call to action to revisit our existing plans and scale up proven academic recovery strategies such as ensuring a robust and qualified teacher and leader workforce, intense and frequent tutoring aligned to high quality curriculum, and after-school and summer enrichment programming. While the recent data is alarming, catching our students up to the 2019 achievement levels is a low bar. We must aim higher. Our students should be leading the world.

The average U.S. public school student in grades 3-8 lost the equivalent of a half year of learning in math and a quarter of a year in reading.

Rather than rely on headlines about state achievement, parents and local officials need to understand how their local schools were affected. Six (6) percent of students were in districts that lost more than a year of learning in math, while 3 percent were in districts where math achievement actually rose.

The pandemic widened disparities in achievement between high and low poverty schools. The quarter of schools with highest shares of students receiving federal lunch subsides missed two-thirds of a year of math learning, while the quarter of schools with the fewest low-income students lost two-fifths of a year.

While many states and districts are using their portion of the $190B in federal aid to add tutoring and summer school and extended days, many of those efforts are not yet large enough to fully address the learning loss that has occurred. Using these estimates of achievement losses along with expected effect sizes for catch-up efforts and the share of students being served by each, districts now have an opportunity to make sure their plans are commensurate with their students losses.

We now see how much ground districts have to make up to get their students back on track. More than ever, we need district leaders to communicate with their communities on how they are using recovery funds to address those gaps, said Marguerite Roza, Director of the Edunomics Lab.

Civil rights leaders see this new research as a call to action for state leaders to rise up a much bolder, aggressive response.

Learning losses among minority students over the last two years have put the long-term vitality of the nation at risk. Latino and African American students make up nearly half of all students, making it a national imperative to invest in their academic recovery, said Janet Murguia, the President and CEO of UnidosUS.

If there is a sparkle of light during these dark times, its our nations historic infusion of funds through ARP and ESSER, said John B. King, president of The Education Trust. To address unfinished learning, we implore district leaders to invest in evidence-based strategies, including increased access to strong, diverse teachers, targeted intensive tutoring, expanded learning time, and strengthening socioemotional supports and relationships weakened during the pandemic.

Kane said, The whole village needs to hear the bell ringing, not just schools. Mayors should organize tutoring efforts at local libraries. Community organizations should plan school vacation academies and summer learning opportunities. Governors should be funding and evaluating innovative pilots to provide models that everyone could use. We cannot wait for the Spring 2023 state test results next fall to tell us that we underinvested in recovery efforts. Many are happy just to get back to normal, but normal wont help kids catch up.

The Education Recovery Scorecard is supported by funds from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Kenneth C. Griffin and the Walton Family Foundation. The Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA) is based on research funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Disclosure: Carnegie Corporation of New York and Walton Family Foundation provide financial support to both the Education Recovery Scorecard and The 74. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provides financial support to both the Stanford Education Data Archive and The 74.
Elon Musk

Elon Musk is now the owner of Twitter, and LGBTQ+ and other civil rights groups are worried this means more hate speech on the platform.

The $44 billion deal closed Thursday night, and Musk, the worlds richest man, has assumed the title of chief twit. He has said he will reverse Twitters permanent ban of former President Donald Trump, and he wants to allow a variety of viewpoints on the platform  but progressive advocates say he will likely allow hateful content.

Despite his claim that he wanted to buy Twitter to help humanity, Elon Musk has a record of posting and defending harmful anti-LGBTQ content as well as content that harms other marginalized communities, said a statement released Friday by GLAAD. GLAAD remains deeply concerned about the safety of LGBTQ people on Twitter and we join other organizations that are now questioning Twitters future policies and actions against extremist content.

Twitters moderation wasnt great under the previous ownership, and it undoubtedly will be looser under Musk, Cathy Renna, communications director for the National LGBTQ Task Force, told The Advocate. He has made it clear that he doesnt have a problem bringing back the more extreme, the hatemongering viewpoints, she said.

Indeed, Twitter has apparently undone its ban on the term groomer as a slur against LGBTQ+ people. Gays Against Groomers is using that name on its Twitter account again, and Libs of TikTok has tweeted the slur in capital letters. The Task Force and other organizations had signed on to a letter led by Jenni Olson of GLAAD to point out the dangers in statements made especially by Libs of TikTok, saying these statements encourage violence.

Some far-right figures who had been banned from the platform have voiced excitement over the new Twitter era, according to the group Media Matters.

Ben Decker, chief executive of Memetica, a digital monitoring company, tweeted that over the last few days there has been a marked increase in right-wing accounts.

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"The rapid follower growth of influential right-wing accounts is a clear canary in the coal mine of whats likely to come next," Decker wrote.

He also noted research from his company that found that new accounts were following right-wing users such as Congresswoman Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, and commentator Candace Owens.

Musk tweeted Friday that he would form a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints and that no major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.

He calls himself a free-speech absolutist, but a corporations monitoring of speech doesnt violate the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech  its government censorship that runs afoul of that.

We are very concerned about Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, said a statement from Jay Brown, senior vice president of programs, research, and training at the Human Rights Campaign. Musk has pledged to restore the accounts of dangerous people who push extremism and disinformation. When this happens, Twitter  a place where many marginalized people, including LGBTQ+ people, find both community and face an onslaught of hate  will quickly become even more hostile. Adding insult to injury, Musks reported plans to cut staff levels  including employees who provide moderation  are deeply troubling.

As a company, Twitter has a right, and a responsibility, to keep its platform from being exploited to fuel a dangerous media environment. This isnt about censorship or discrimination of ideas  it is about what kind of company they want to be and what kind of world they want to shape.

Activists have been voicing concern about Musks purchase of Twitter for several months. GLAAD is one of the founding members of the Stop the Deal coalition, launched in June with Accountable Tech, Media Matters for America, MoveOn, UltraViolet, and others. The coalition released a statement Friday, saying, Elon Musks plans for Twitter will make it an even more hate-filled cesspool, leading to irreparable real-world harm. Musks plans will leave the platform more vulnerable to security threats, rampant disinformation, and extremism just ahead of the midterm elections. Elon Musk has a thirst for chaos and utter disregard for anyone other than himself and should not own Twitter.

The group added, In the last few weeks Musk has waded into foreign diplomacy  including parroting Kremlin talking points about their invasion into Ukraine. He is accepting financing from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud and the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar  two countries run by repressive regimes. Elon Musk owning one of the worlds most powerful communication platforms is dangerous for us all. As Musk runs Twitter to the ground, let this serve as a warning to other platforms that they will be held accountable for ignoring public safety and dismantling the guardrails designed to protect our information ecosystem.

Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc. and SpaceX, recently said communism is being taught in elite colleges and universities and blamed it for his estrangement from his transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson. And workers at Tesla have accused the company of racial and anti-LGBTQ+ harassment.

What should those who oppose hate speech do now? Not simply monitor Twitter but use their own platforms to speak out and hold Musk accountable, Renna said.

This is a matter of not just moderating and watching but being engaged, she said.
Oct. 27LIMA  The Lima Fire Department men and women were honored for their response to a collision at the Mayor's Press Conference Wednesday afternoon. The nine-vehicle crash took place near Exit 125 on Interstate 75 on Sept. 4. The accident resulted in one fatality and several injuries.

The first responders were able to treat individuals on the scene and quickly transport others to the hospital that were injured. Mayor Sharetta Smith, Chief Andy Heffner, and Captain Lee Short thanked the firefighters for all they do.

"One retired firefighter said something I will never forget," said Chief Andy Heffner. "It was on an EMS call for a young lady and her child was sick. He said 'the emergency is over. We are here.' That is what they do. When they show up they relieve the burden of those who are injured."
Zaporizhzhya NPP was seized by Russian occupants after fighting in Enerhodar on March 4

During a Carnegie Endowment event in Washington, D.C., Grossi said the process of creating a safety zone around Ukraines ZNPP was too slow, leaving him very disappointed.

Read also: ZNPP employees pressured to sign contracts with Russias Rosatom

For me, (the need for) establishing a protection zone around a nuclear power plant is as self-evident as anything can be, Grossi said.

How can you shell a nuclear power plant, for Gods sake?

Read also: Russia kidnaps ZNPP deputy director, Energoatom says

Zaporizhzhia NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, and has been occupied by Russian forces since March 4. Several ZNPP facilities have been damaged by Russian shelling, and the station's employees are captives of the occupying troops.

Read also: Energoatom head gives his verdict on IAEA mission to Zaporizhzhya NPP

Russian troops have set up firing positions at the territory of the ZNPP and are shelling Ukrainian cities from there. Energoatom reported that the Russian military placed at least 14 units of heavy military vehicles, loaded with ammunition, weapons and explosives in one of the turbine halls at ZNPP.

Read also: IAEA inspectors to examine two nuclear facilities in Ukraine

IAEA has since established a permanent monitoring presence at the facility, and called for a demilitarized safety zone to be established around the plant.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The man who Fresno Police believe to be responsible for stabbing an employee inside the Fresno Lithia Ford Dealership this week was arrested three years ago for nearly killing another person also with a knife.

Manuel Bracker, 36, was identified by Fresno Police as the suspect who stabbed a Lithia Ford Dealership employee. The Fresno County District Attorneys Office has filed charges against Bracker for attempted murder.

In March 2019, Bracker also repeatedly stabbed a 63-year-old homeless woman because he believed that she was a cannibal, former Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said then.

Lt. Bill Dooley confirmed Friday morning that Bracker was arrested for the stabbing in 2019 and again this week.

Bracker was sentenced to two years at Wasco State Prison following the 2019 stabbing after pleading no contest to assault with a deadly weapon other than a gun, according to online court records.

He was still in custody until at least Sept. 15, 2021, records say.

The Fresno County District Attorneys Office is organizing a news conference next week, according to spokesperson Taylor Long.

In a news release sent Friday afternoon, the DAs office confirmed it would go after Bracker for attempted murder of the Lithia Dealership employee as well as for:

One enhancement of great bodily injury

One enhancement of use of a deadly weapon

One count of assault with a deadly weapon

Brackers arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Monday in front of the Honorable William Terrence at the Fresno County Superior Court (Department 20).

The DAs office also said that Bracker has one prior strike conviction for assault with a deadly weapon from 2020.

If convicted of all charges and allegations, Bracker faces life in prison.

In Brackers alleged attack against the Lithia employee, Fresno Police said he walked inside the car dealership on Wednesday morning then repeatedly stabbed a 56-year-old man.

That victim was rushed to Fresno Community Regional Medical Center and was listed in stable but critical condition.

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Bracker, who police said is homeless, initially fled the scene toward Highway 41 and down an embankment near Barstow Avenue, but was eventually detained by police after he surrendered.

Police determined there was not a previous connection between Bracker and the Lithia Ford victim.

In Brackers 2019 attack, his victim bled out from her neck on the floor of a Fresno grocery store but managed to survive.
A man armed with a gun made a midnight visit to the Miami home of his exs new boyfriend, prompting a 911 call that led to police, K-9 and SWAT officers swarming the neighborhood for several hours, Miami police said Friday morning.

Miami police said the call initially came in around 12:01 a.m. Friday as a man pointing a gun at a childs head, leading to a heavy police presence in the area of Northwest 55th Street and 17th Avenue, with police dogs and special tactical officers helping to set up a perimeter. SWAT was called as a precaution, police said.

Based on what detectives know so far, while there was a baby at the home, the child is not hurt and was not the victim, said Miami police spokeswoman Kenia Fallat, noting that the information is preliminary and that the investigation is still in its early stages. Miami Fire Rescue said it didnt take anyone to the hospital.

The gunman, who police say is in his 30s, left the home before officers arrived. Police dont know if he still has the gun and said he might have lost it.

Anyone with information that can help with the investigation should call police.

This article will be updated.
A 41-year-old man was shot and killed by Tempe police officers after fleeing the scene of a domestic violence incident, according to the Mesa Police Department.

The Mesa Police Department is investigating a fatal Thursday afternoon shooting in a Mesa neighborhood between a fleeing suspect and Tempe police officers.

Around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, the Tempe Police Department asked the Mesa Police Department Air Unit for help in finding a suspect's vehicle. The car fled the scene of a domestic violence incident, according to Mesa police.

Mesa police found the car had traveled from Tempe into Mesa, stopping in a neighborhood located off Broadway and Alma School roads. Mesa informed Tempe police of the location.

The unidentified man got out of the car and started walking west until police arrived. Police met up with the man near Vine Avenue and Rogers.

When officers attempted to take the man into custody, he fired a handgun at officers, prompting the Tempe police force to return fire, according to Mesa police.

Officers attempted life-saving measures until fire and medical personnel took over.

The suspect, a 41-year-old man identified as Breen Reiss, was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no reported injuries to the officers.

A handgun was located at the scene, lying next to the suspect, according to Mesa police.

Reach breaking news reporter Ellie Willard at ellie.willard@gannett.com or on Twitter @EllieWillardAZ.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man in domestic violence incident shot, killed by Tempe police in Mesa
Camila Behrensen (left) and Pablo Guzman-Palma were found dead in a Kansas City apartment by firefighters. Police said the pair had been shot and their apartment set on fire (Stowers Institute)

When police arrived at the scene of a murder-suicide in the woods near Kansas City, Missouri, they found among the dead the suspect in a pair of killings two weeks prior.

Prosecutors announced that they believe Kevin Ray Moore, 42, was the culprit behind both the murder-suicide as well as the double murder that took place at a Kansas City apartment on 1 October.

Camila Behrensen, 24, and Pablo Guzman-Palma, 25, were both found dead at their apartment in Kansas City after it had been set on fire. KSHB reported that fire investigators determined the fire was likely set to cover up the crimes.

Police reported that the pair had suffered other injuries not related to the fire.

Law enforcement was able to recover an Alexa device they hopes would reveal conversations that could help them determine who might have killed the couple. Its unclear if any evidence taken from the device aided in the polices determination that Mr Moore was the culprit.

Both of the victims were medical researchers at Stowers Institute for Medical Research, and both were born in South American countries.

Misty Brockman, 40, was found killed in a murder-suicide along Kevin Ray Moore, 42, by Kansas City Police. Prosecutors announced that they believe Mr Moore committed the murder as well as the double-murder of medical researchers on 1 October (Screengrab/GoFundMe)

Their murders remained unsolved until this week, when Kansas City police announced their belief that Mr Moore killed the pair.

A Kansas City Police Department investigation has established that on or about Oct. 1, 2022, Kevin Ray Moore, dob: 5/25/1980 (now deceased), caused the deaths of Behrensen and Guzman-Palma and intentionally set their apartment on fire, the prosecutor said in a statement.

Due to the efforts of KCPD and, in particular, the Crime Lab, KCPD used phone and computer data, surveillance videos, ballistic testing as well as DNA tests to determine the cause of the deaths of Behrensen and Guzman-Palma and to determine that Moore was the suspect.

Mr Moores body was found alongside that of Misty Brockman, 40, who was described in a GoFundMe as the mother of five young boys. Its unclear if Mr Moore knew Ms Brockman or the researchers, and police have not released a motive in the killings.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes speaks to the press at an event on Oct. 19 in Milwaukee. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Angela Lang has seen the ads attempting to paint Senate candidate Mandela Barnes as soft on crime. The one she takes issue with most features clips of real Wisconsin shootings. As a blurry figure fires into a crowd of people, the shooter is circled in red and Barnes' name appears on the screen, implying almost that he was the shooter, she said.

For Lang, the founder of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, an organization focused on mobilizing Black voters, the attack ads are both infuriating and a challenge to overcome.

"There is definitely a path," Lang said, whose group has endorsed Barnes. "One thing that I mention to folks is that whether you're from the north side of Milwaukee or you're in the North Woods of Wisconsin, people see themselves in him and his campaign."

Mandela Barnes greets attendees at an event on Oct. 19 in Milwaukee. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

The Wisconsin U.S. Senate race between Barnes, the state's Democratic lieutenant governor, and two-term incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson has become one of the closest and most contentious in the country. Johnson and his allies have sought to tie Barnes and his policies to high-profile crimes in the state, characterizing his campaign as "radical" or "dangerous." Though election prognosticators rate the race a toss-up, polling suggests Barnes' early lead has evaporated, particularly with independents and suburban voters.

The race may come down to whether Barnes, a longtime progressive, can appeal to a broad enough group of voters. In ads, he's described his path in life as a "Wisconsin story"  union jobs paved the way for his family to enter the middle class  and focused on manufacturing jobs, protecting family farms, public schools and healthcare.

While that story has universal appeal, the specifics resonate most with Black Milwaukee residents, whose support could make the difference in electing the state's first Black senator.

His grandfather was part of the Great Migration, one of 6 million Black Americans who left the South in the early 20th century in search of better job opportunities in the North and out West. Racist housing covenants restricted Black residents to the north side of the city, and the legacy of segregation is still evident today. The factories closed and the jobs disappeared. Milwaukee's 53206 ZIP Code, where Barnes grew up, has one of the highest incarceration rates in the country.

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A member of the security detail for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes is cast in silhouette at a Black maternal health round table hosted by Barnes' campaign on Oct. 19 in Milwaukee. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

"He's not just talking to Black and brown folks," Lang said. "He's building a strong coalition of working-class folks, of farmers, of teachers, of grassroots organizers. And I haven't really seen an intentional, broad coalition like that basically since [former President] Obama."

For years Democrats have attempted to bring together the voting blocs  including young people, people of color, white college-educated and suburban voters  that propelled Obama to the White House in 2008 and 2012.

Even now, nearly six years after he left office, Obama is a popular surrogate for candidates seeking to win tough races in states he won. Barnes is one of a handful of Democratic Senate candidates Obama is headlining campaign events for in the coming days  the former president will be in Milwaukee on Saturday  along with John Fetterman in Pennsylvania and incumbent Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Raphael Warnock of Georgia. Democrats are hoping to maintain or expand their 50-seat majority in the Senate, where Vice President Kamala Harris often casts the tiebreaking vote.

Though Joe Biden narrowly won Wisconsin in 2020, Black voter turnout did not reach the levels of the Obama era. Democratic strategists say the key is increasing those numbers this election cycle.

Makoria Morrow, 23, holds her 2-month-old daughter Majoi Morrow-Gordon, as Joe Louis Gordon, 32, right, shakes hands with Mandela Barnes at an event in Milwaukee last week. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

"In a 50-50 state where everything matters, if the Black vote materializes for Barnes in a way that it hasn't for other candidates, that could be the ballgame," said Joe Zepecki, a Democratic strategist who supports Barnes but isn't working with his campaign.

Voter outreach groups note the systemic hurdles Black voters face, including being disproportionately affected by restrictive voter ID laws. Wisconsin also has the highest incarceration rate for Black people in the country, and people on parole or supervised release for felonies aren't allowed to vote in the state.

Outside groups have spent more than $46 million against Barnes, according to Open Secrets, most of which has gone toward ads tying Barnes to crime. The largest spenders in the race have been the Wisconsin Truth PAC, which has spent $26 million in the race and $17 million against Barnes, and the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that has spent $23 million opposing Barnes. Democratic groups have spent $33 million opposing Johnson, including $21 million from the Senate Majority PAC, a super PAC tied to Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer. (D-N.Y.)

Democrats across the country are facing a familiar challenge ahead of the November midterm elections, as Republicans attempt to cast their opponents as anti-law enforcement. Those attacks often feature comments Democrats made in the spring and summer of 2020, when the protest movement sparked by George Floyds murder by a police officer led to conversations around reallocating some law enforcement funding toward social services.

In response, Democrats have sought to distance themselves from the defund the police movement and tout their efforts to invest more in policing.

That dynamic has been at play in Wisconsin, where Republicans have focused on an unsuccessful 2016 bill Barnes sponsored to end cash bail while he was in the state legislature, his past support for a proposal to reduce the states prison population and past comments hes made criticizing police and noting that he's open to redirecting police funding.

Barnes and his staff have emphasized throughout the campaign that he doesn't support defunding the police, including in an ad where he says he would "make sure our police have the resources and training they need to keep our communities safe."

Though the "defund the police" slogan has for some come to mean eliminating law enforcement, many advocates use the term to describe shifting funds from police budgets to social services to help prevent the factors that lead to crime. Republican groups and media outlets have unearthed old interview segments in which Barnes has said police funding could go toward community services.

On cash bail, Republican ads have zeroed in on the 2021 Waukesha Christmas parade attack, when Darrell Brooks drove an SUV into a crowd  killing six people and injuring scores more  while out on bail set at $1,000. Brooks was found guilty of all charges, including homicide, this week. The attack sparked debate over cash bail in the state, where under state law bail is primarily used to make sure people show up to court, not to prevent the release of people who could harm members of the public.

Between the Waukesha Christmas Parade Massacre and the soaring murder rates in Milwaukee, Wisconsin voters are seeing the firsthand effects of a soft-on-crime liberal agenda," Alec Zimmerman, Johnson's communications director, said in a statement to The Times. "Barnes and his allies in the media cant defend the dangerous impact these policies are having on Wisconsin communities.

The bill Barnes co-sponsored would have ended cash bail but allowed judges to block a person's release if there was clear evidence of a risk to the public. Barnes has claimed his bill would have prevented Brooks from being released, which independent fact-checker PolitiFact rated "mostly true."

Critics, including groups that support Barnes, say several of the ads against him have used racist tactics, such as darkening Barnes' skin tone in images or highlighting crime in Milwaukee, which has a 40% Black population, to drive up safety concerns statewide.

Some of us are furious about it, said Calena Roberts, a field director for the SEIU Wisconsin state council based in Milwaukee, which has held protests denouncing the ads. It may be hurting [Barnes] from the suburban standpoint, but its not hurting him in our communities.

Barnes and Democratic groups have gone on the offensive, attacking Johnson over his proposal to change Social Security funding from guaranteed to discretionary, his "A" rating from the NRA and his opposition to gun control legislation, and his past support for restrictions to abortion access. As a senator, Johnson has co-sponsored legislation that would grant a constitutional right to life to embryos and a bill to ban abortion nationwide at 20 weeks.

Senate candidate Mandela Barnes hugs Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) after speaking at an event last week in Milwaukee. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

More recently, Barnes has countered Johnson's claims about his record on crime by arguing that Johnson, who has supported former President Trump, isn't supportive of law enforcement because of his attempt to pass along a list of fake Wisconsin electors ahead of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and his comments in the wake of the attack. Johnson told a conservative radio show in March 2021 that he wasn't afraid of the group that stormed the Capitol because they were people who "love this country" and "truly respect law enforcement."

A recent Marquette University poll that asked voters if they were "very concerned" about various issues found that 74% of Republicans said they were concerned about crime, compared to 55% of independents and 38% of Democrats. Independents were more likely to say they were concerned about public schools, a top concern for 71% of them, while 81% of Democrats said they were concerned about abortion policy.

The same poll, however, found that support for Barnes has plummeted since he won the Democratic nomination this summer, from a seven-percentage-point lead in August to trailing by six points this month. Data compiled by FiveThirtyEight found that Johnson is now leading in polls by an average of 3.4 points.

Mandela Barnes campaign buttons on a table at an event in Milwaukee last week. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), a longtime Barnes supporter who has represented the Milwaukee area since 2005, said the lieutenant governor's allies are trying to disarm the crime attacks by reminding voters that Barnes has lived in those neighborhoods and has a better grasp of what voters there want.

One of the things that were trying to do, these last closing arguments, is go out to our community and say, You know, Mandela,'" Moore said. "He knows that everybody wants security and protection. He also knows that we want accountability, for our institutions to serve us as a community and not work against us.

Kisha Shanks, a policy director at Milwaukee's Black Child Development Institute who attended a Black maternal health round table hosted by the lieutenant governor's campaign, said Barnes' ties to the north side of Milwaukee are part of his appeal. She grew up in the east and north parts of Milwaukee when the area's major manufacturing plants were still open and providing jobs. Like Barnes, she witnessed the loss of those jobs and the effect that had on Milwaukee's Black middle class.

Mandela Barnes poses with attendees at an event in Milwaukee last week. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

"The community violence, as bad as it is, it's not because we're just inherently that way," Shanks said. "The city of Milwaukee is a petri dish for every social issue you can think of."

People who aren't from Milwaukee or familiar with the city beyond its negative portrayal on the news tend to say the solution is to increase policing, she said. But the actual solution is to reinvest in the community, she said.

"We need representation on the Senate floor that understands that," she said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
More than 14,000 parents are expected to campaign for better rights during the March Of The Mummies protest this weekend. The October 2017 march. (Getty Images)

Thousands of mothers are expected to join the March of the Mummies protest this weekend to demand reform to childcare, parental leave and flexible working.

This Saturday October 29 around 14,000 parents (and counting) will be donning Halloween costumes to join the march, which is taking place across various cities in the UK, to campaign for an improvement to parenting policies including childcare.

Recent statistics have revealed parents are being forced to spend more than two-thirds of their salaries on childcare, leaving little left over to cope with other rising living expenses during the cost of living crisis.

The financial burden of childcare also means 17% of parents have left their jobs while 62% work less hours, and it is mostly women who bear the brunt of childcare, according to research from Pregnant then Screwed, the organisation behind the protest.

The day will see protesters march across 11 regions bringing parents together as part of a call to arms for urgent government reforms.

March Of The Mummies: What you need to know in nine points

What is March Of The Mummies? March Of The Mummies is a national protest to demand government reform on: childcare, parental leave and flexible working. In what is expected to be the biggest protest of mothers ever staged, more than 14,000 parents will march across the country in 11 locations at 11am on Saturday 29th October 2022. As it is Halloween, fancy dress is encouraged, hence the name  March of the Mummies!

Read more: Jane Garvey says being a working mum made her a better parent: I was more patient

In October 2017 hundreds of women took part in a march organised by Pregnant Then Screwed to demand better rights for working mothers. (Getty Images)

Why are parents protesting? The statistics surrounding working parents speak for themselves. Pregnant Then Screwed says 54,000 women a year lose their job simply for getting pregnant. In addition, 390,000 working mums experience negative and potentially discriminatory treatment at work each year.

Meanwhile the UK has the second most expensive childcare system in the world, the third worst ranking maternity pay and the least generous paternity leave in Europe, while mothers face 45% lower earnings in the six years after giving birth.

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The protest therefore aims to shine a light on the frustration, fear and fury of families navigating the childcare and parental leave landscape.

What are the protest demands? Protest organisers believe there are three key issues that need tackling including the provision of good quality, affordable childcare for all children, a wider acceptance of the premise of flexible working and for this to be the default for all employees and the provision of properly paid parental leave.

Protesters are campaigning for the government to acknowledge the problems and set out a plan of action to improve things.

Read more: Cost of living crisis: 77% of women are seeking jobs with a higher salary, compared to 59% of men

Anna Whitehouse AKA Mother Pukka and Candice Braithwaite took part in the 2017 march. (Getty Images)

Who's leading the protest? Organised by Pregnant Then Screwed, the charity Joeli Brearley founded in 2015 after she was fired via voicemail two days after she informed her employers she was pregnant with her first child.

Mothers from all over the UK have come together because enough is enough, Brearley said of the protest.

We want urgent progress on womens rights. Its the 21st Century, yet 54,000 mothers are being pushed out of the workforce every year for simply daring to procreate. We have the second most expensive childcare in the OECD, the third worst ranking maternity benefit and the worst ranking paternity benefit in Europe. Data from the ONS shows that women of childbearing age are dropping like flies from the workforce. The childcare sector is in a mess; thousands of nurseries have collapsed this year alone. We have had enough.

The protest is attracting support from afar. Celebrities joining the march include; Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, actor Bronagh Waugh, and TV presenters Ashley James and Kate Quilton. MPs will also be attending the march, including Stella Creasy and Munira Wilson.

Watch: Duchess of Sussex has insisted that helping working mothers with childcare is "imperative" for business

What is the government saying? During new PM Rishi Sunak's 2022 campaign, according to Vogue sources said he recognises that women are still shouldering a disproportionate burden of family life, so will look again at childcare and make sure public services are family friendly.

The government does already provide some childcare funding for eligible families, for instance, up to 30 hours per week of free childcare for three and four-year-olds in England during term time, though many parents are only entitled to 15 hours per week, due to the salary threshold.

Read more: Childcare is costing UK parents over two-thirds of their salaries

Presenter Helen Skelton also took part in the 2017 March. (Getty Images)

What is The Motherhood Penalty? The term motherhood penalty refers to the disadvantages women face in their careers after having children.

Pregnant Then Screwed data has revealed the harsh reality that mothers are currently facing including extortionate childcare costs, poor financial support for new parents, and a lack of good quality part time and flexible work. A recent survey revealed that 31% of new parents will not be able to afford to have any more children, and 48% of pregnant mothers will have to cut their maternity leave short due to financial hardship.

Has March Of The Mummies Happened Before? It has. The first March of the Mummies took place on Tuesday October 31 2017 at midday in six cities across the UK and one city in California.

The demonstration demanded recognition, respect and action for working mums and dads and included attendees Helen Skelton (TV presenter), Jess Phillips MP, Anna Whitehouse aka Mother Pukka, Susie Verrill, and Candice Braithwaite.

The protest also saw support from Keira Knightley, Stacey Solomon, Angela Raynor MP, Clive Lewis MP, and Beverly Turner.

How can I get involved this year? The marches will take place simultaneously in London, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, Belfast, Cardiff, Exeter, Norwich, Bristol, Newcastle and Birmingham.

March Of The Mummies takes place at 11am on October 29. Register your interest at pregnantthenscrewed.com
Before he was sentenced on Friday, Steven Timothy Cano told the court that the crash that claimed the life of Elizabeth Anne Trube was a "complete blur" to him. He said the next day, he called to report that he had been involved in the crash.

Also during Friday's sentencing hearing, Circuit Judge Pete Brigham was told the body of the 57-year-old Fort McCoy woman wasn't discovered until several hours after the crash.

A witness told Florida Highway Patrol troopers he was driving by when he noticed what appeared to be garbage on the side of the roadway. The witness said when he returned to the area, he noticed it wasn't garbage, but a body and a motorcycle.

Searching for answers: Mom of Ocala man killed in hit-and-run crash: 'He didn't deserve to be taken like that.'

Boy's death: 15-year prison term for hit-and-run traffic death of 7-year-old bicyclist

Grieving: Ocala mom wants justice in hit-and-run crash that killed her grown son

A 15-year prison term

Hearing what Cano had to say, the judge told him that while he appreciated him taking responsibility for what happened, he cannot help but think what Trube was going through before she died. The judge said no one came to the woman's rescue.

Circuit Judge Peter Brigham

The judge sentenced Cano, of Fort McCoy, to a 15-year prison term for leaving the scene of a crash with death. He was sentenced to a 60-day term for not having a valid driver's license.

Cano entered an open plea of no contest. That means the judge alone decided on Cano's sentence, and there was no negotiated plea deal between the state and defense. Cano faced up to 30 years behind bars.

Steven Timothy Cano in a Marion County Jail uniform after his sentencing

At the time of the May 2021 crash, Cano was on probation for battery/prior offense and false imprisonment. He was sentenced to five years in prison for violating his probation.

Brigham ruled that all of the sentences are to run concurrently.

This is how the crash happened

Troopers said Trube was a passenger on Cano's Yamaha motorcycle, and the two were riding along Northeast 127th Street Road in Fort McCoy when the bike veered off the road at a curve at Northeast 230th Avenue.

Story continues

Lawyers H. Derek Saltsman and Yaveth Parodi have a discussion during Steven Timothy Cano's hearing on Friday.

The bike overturned, ejecting Trube.

FHP officials said Cano left the scene and didn't report the crash.

Assistant State Attorney Yaveth Parodi told the judge that Cano lied about the crash when troopers eventually found him. The prosecutor said troopers had received information that Trube and Cano were at a bar and Cano was drinking. The pair left the bar on the motorcycle, Parodi said.

The prosecutor said Cano continued to deny any involvement with the crash during troopers' investigation. At one point, Cano told troopers that his bike must have been stolen, according to the man's arrest report.

Steven Cano's lawyer read aloud a letter from his client

Cano admitted he had violated his probation and entered a no contest plea to the charges of leaving the scene of a crash with death and no valid driver's license, Cano's lawyer H. Derek Saltsman, read aloud a letter from his client.

Cano said he had known Trube for nearly 20 years and misses her. He said he was sorry and regrets what happened. He called the crash a "tragic accident" and asked the woman's family for forgiveness. He said he doesn't think he can forgive himself.

Elizabeth Anne Trube

Saltsman told the court that when Cano saw pictures of the crash, he cried and was emotional. The lawyer said he doesn't think Cano meant to kill Trube and was "shocked, dazed and confused" after the wreck.

Saltsman asked for the minimum sentence of four years behind bars.

A woman and Cano's son were in the audience, but neither wanted to speak.

Elizabeth Anne Trube was an artist

In an earlier interview with Trube's daughter, Anastasia, the woman said her mother was raised in Illinois and had moved from Michigan to Florida when she was a toddler. The younger Trube said her mother lived in Salt Springs and Lynne.

Mother, Elizabeth Anne Trube and daughter Anastasia Trube posed for a picture

A painter and artist, Trube created murals and painted pictures of people, her daughter said.

"She loves to talk, tell stories and was outgoing," the woman said about her mother in the interview. "If you were down, she would encourage you and would do anything to see you smile."

The younger Trube said her mother was afraid of moving vehicles because she was scared of being in a crash. The woman said if her mother accepted a ride, it would only have been from someone she trusted.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Florida man gets 15-year prison term for leaving scene of fatal crash
By Isla Binnie and Ross Kerber

NEW YORK/BOSTON (Reuters) - A coalition of financial firms led by former Bank of England governor Mark Carney that aims to tackle climate change said on Thursday it has dropped a requirement for its members to sign up to a United Nations emissions reduction campaign.

The move drew criticism from climate activists worried it would ease pressure to act on the banks, insurers and asset managers signed up to the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), a group which in total accounts for assets worth some $153 trillion.

GFANZ includes groups of companies organised by sector, each previously required to partner with Race to Zero, a U.N.-backed campaign aimed at securing bigger commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Race to Zero members agree to "phase out development, financing and facilitation of new unabated fossil fuel assets, including coal," in line with science-based scenarios. Environmental advocates are concerned that GFANZ members won't be held to that standard or others without their commitment to Race to Zero.

The change comes amid tensions between GFANZ and Wall Street firms over how far they should go in their climate commitments.

"Clearly they are giving in to their Wall Street members who have been reported as threatening to quit the alliance if they are expected to actually pull back on their finance for fossil fuels," said Paddy McCully, senior analyst at non-governmental organization Reclaim Finance.

GFANZ said in a statement that from now, "member alliances are encouraged, but not required, to partner with the Race to Zero".

The decision was driven by a need to be more flexible in highly-regulated financial industries in 50 jurisdictions, it said.

GFANZ said its affiliation with the United Nations will continue. United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell will join a group responsible for setting its strategy and priorities, and monitoring progress, GFANZ added.

(Reporting by Isla Binnie in New York and Ross Kerber in Boston; editing by Richard Pullin)
Elon Musk / Mark Cuban Getty Images

Mark Cuban celebrated Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter on Friday.

Cuban called Musk a "ready, fire, aim entrepreneur."

Musk will "will flex his independence to show everyone who's in charge," Cuban tweeted.

Mark Cuban is a fan of Elon Musk's Twitter acquisition.

The world's richest man completed his $44 billion purchase of the social-media platform on Thursday after a months-long back-and-forth.

Cuban, a billionaire entrepreneur, celebrated on Twitter, tweeting that he was "looking forward" to the Elon Musk era.

"He is a ready, fire, aim entrepreneur who will truly enjoy fucking with everyone who has an expectation of him," Cuban said. "The only expectation you can have of @elonmusk is that he will flex his independence to show everyone who's in charge."

Cuban said in 2020 that he had bought more stake in Twitter, saying that he is a "long-term holder there."

"I owned shares going into this decline," Cuban said, regarding the stock market's tumble amid the pandemic. "I don't know what's going to happen or when, but I think long-term we'll be okay."

Cuban said in a since-deleted tweet in April, when Musk first announced he was looking to buy Twitter, that he was "very surprised" by the move and that Musk was "on the clock."

He also tweeted in April, in response to Musk's initial offer, that "every major tech company" was "on the phone with their anti trust lawyers asking if they can buy Twitter and get it approved."

"And Twitter is on the phone with their lawyers asking which can be their white knight," he added. "Gonna be interesting."

Musk didn't take long to put his stamp on Twitter, firing several executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Mykhailo Podolyak

"It's fantastic! through the mouth of Medvedev, the Kremlin has frankly said they are going to destroy energy system of Ukraine and terrorize millions of people until Ukraine surrenders, Podolyak wrote on Twitter on Oct. 28.

Read also: Ukraines daring counteroffensive, war reparations, and negotiations  an interview with Mykhailo Podolyak

It's the (Russian) government's confession of terrorism. What negotiations are possible? With whom?"

According to Podolyak, Medvedev was trying to blackmail Ukraine, claiming the stable work of energy infrastructure would be possible only if Ukraine "agrees to confirm the legitimacy of Russia's demands.

Electricity transmission system operator Ukrenergo reported on Oct. 27 that it was introducing longer emergency blackouts in Kyiv after the latest Russian attack on the countrys energy infrastructure.

Due to the Russian strikes, a number of critical facilities were put out of operation. As a result, there is a power shortage amounting to about 30% of consumption in the city of Kyiv and the surrounding region.

The schedules of stabilization outages, which were drawn up earlier, are no longer relevant. Stricter and longer power cuts will be introduced in the coming days.

Read also: Podolyak rebukes Medvedev for his prediction of Ukraines demise

Russia has targeted crucial and energy infrastructure across the country since Oct. 10.

On Oct. 18, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the aggressor state had damaged more than 30% of the power plants in Ukraine. He called the Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy and critical infrastructure a new type of terror attack.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A second chance at life.

A teenager in Arizona says she is alive today because of a selfless act from a nursing student in Memphis.

When Olivia Kink turned 18, she registered with DMKS, a blood cell donation center, through a simple cheek swab.

A few years later, she found out that she was the perfect match for a teen who was battling a rare condition.

Last week, they had the chance to meet for the first time at a conference in Orlando.

Ive been trying to find the words. But I dont think there are words unless youve been able to meet the recipient and know that you saved their life, Kink said.

As a nursing student in Memphis, Kink always knew she wanted to help people.

In February 2020, she got a call from a DMKS representative that would change her life.

He introduces himself and he said, I just want to let you know you are a match for a girl that has HLH, and she is 15.

That girl was Katie Amdal.

Amdal is battling HLH, a rare blood condition where a persons immune system attacks their organs.

Doctors told Amdal she needed a bone marrow transplant to survive.

It was kind of scary at first because I never really had any health problems so when it showed up, I didnt know what I was going to do, Amdal said.

Without hesitation, Kink went through the process and donated her stem cells, ultimately saving Amdals life.

The two had a special opportunity to meet at a conference in Orlando last week, where Amdal gave kink a special gift.

The back of one has my name and on the back of the other has her name and it has the date of my transplant, Amdal said.

Matching necklaces, connecting their hearts forever.

The transplant may have saved Amdals life. But for Kink, it gave her life purpose.

Just knowing it was me and my body, my cells, its just a feeling that you can look back on yourself for the rest of your life, Kink said. If this is the greatest thing, the biggest thing Ive ever done, I am so happy with that.

Registering to becoming a stem cell donor is easy.

Story continues

You can request a swab kit online and send it to a registry like DKMS here.

Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Trending stories:
(Reuters) - Meta Platforms Inc's independent oversight board said on Friday it would "welcome the opportunity" to discuss Twitter's plans on content moderation in more detail with the company.

"Independent oversight of content moderation has a vital role to play in building trust in platforms and ensuring users are treated fairly," the oversight board said in a tweet.

Elon Musk, who recently acquired Twitter, said on Friday the company will be forming a content moderation council with "widely diverse viewpoints".

(Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
A New Mexico affiliate of the League of Conservation Voters, an environmental advocacy group, was targeted with mail containing a potentially dangerous chemical substance and threatening and antisemitic messages, the group said in a release Friday.

Conservation Voters New Mexico (CVNM) said in the release that it received an anonymous letter on Wednesday with a variety of threatening messages, antisemitic symbols and the chemical substance. The language was directed at the CVNM, the New Mexico Democratic Party and state Rep. Nathan Small (D).

The affiliate said it immediately notified authorities, and their office was evacuated. No one was harmed by the substance.

The FBI conducted testing on the chemical substance, and an initial analysis indicated that the sample contained ingredients of a potential toxin used in terrorist attacks. The substance was found to be inactive in the letter.

Demis Foster, CVNMs executive director, said in the release that she is relieved that no one was harmed, but whoever is responsible clearly intended harm.

There is no place in a functioning democracy for anyone to resort to the use of terror because they disapprove of a candidate for public office, Foster said. Its shocking and terrifying that we have to experience such a malice-filled attack on our democracy.

She said CVNM calls on all political parties to condemn the attack in the strongest terms possible.

Small said CVNMs work to advocate for the states people, land, air and water will not be deterred from threats and intimidation, but we cannot allow the dangerous and inflammatory political rhetoric that leads to this kind of attack to continue.

A top U.S. security official warned in September that threats to poll workers have caused many to quit their jobs as the midterm elections approach.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Editor's note: The following article includes offensive language and views that could be disturbing to some readers.

Michigan running back Donovan Edwards apologized multiple times on Thursday after he accidentally retweeted an antisemitic video featuring rapper Kanye West.

Edwards has since deleted the retweet, which he said was the result of a glitch.

The retweet was a glitch. I speak for myself. I know whats in my heart. I am unequivocally against racism, exploitation & oppression in all forms, including stereotyping and trafficking in hate. I have nothing but love for others & I never judge anyone based on race or religion.  Donovan Edwards  (@DEdwards__) October 27, 2022

This has been a learning experience for me. I wish and hope that we are able as a society to rise from oppression and not discriminate off race, religion or ethnicity but look beyond into each person's heart and see who they truly are as a human being. One Love. pic.twitter.com/VRAhyC1rry  Donovan Edwards  (@DEdwards__) October 27, 2022

I would like to make it clear: I apologize for mistakenly retweeting a message that was so hurtful to so many, especially those in the Jewish community, he wrote. As I stated earlier, I am unequivocally against racism, exploitation and oppression in all forms, including stereotyping and trafficking in hate. I have nothing but love for others and I never judge anyone based on race or religion.

Edwards retweeted a video that showed a clip of West making several antisemitic comments on a podcast. He had deleted the post by Thursday morning.

Michigan regent Jordan Acker, who is Jewish, tweeted his support for Edwards on Thursday, too. He said he spoke with him, coach Jim Harbaugh and running backs coach Mike Hart, and confirmed that the Wolverines will attend the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Michigan after the season as a team.

Story continues

Donovan is a good kid who made a mistake. After this incident, I spoke to @CoachJim4UM and @MHart2032 and I'm thrilled that Donovan and the team are going to join me by visiting the @HolocaustMI after the season--and learn first hand where hate speech leads. https://t.co/qvdVzeMEkf  Jordan Acker (@JordanAckerMI) October 27, 2022

Edwards is the latest athlete to distance himself from West, who now goes by Ye, over his antisemitic comments. Wests Twitter account was locked earlier this month after he said he would go death con 3 on Jewish people. He was banned from Instagram for a similar comment. A group gathered in Los Angeles last weekend and hung banners over the 405 freeway that read, Kanye is right about the Jews while giving Nazi salutes, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Several companies  including Creative Artists Agency, Vogue, Balenciaga and Adidas  have dropped or parted ways with him. Both Los Angeles Rams star and Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown announced they were leaving with Donda Sports, Wests sports agency, on Tuesday, too.

Edwards has 307 rushing yards and five total touchdowns so far this season for the Wolverines. The sophomore had a season-high 173 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries in their 41-17 win over No. 13 Penn State earlier this month.

No. 4 Michigan will take on Michigan State on Saturday.
The Milwaukee mayors office is criticizing Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) after he appeared to cast doubt on the ability of Republicans to vote early in the city.

During a tele-town hall on Monday, Johnson, who is facing a tough reelection battle, encouraged voters in other parts of the state to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day on Nov. 8.

I would recommend early voting if you have a Republican election clerk, he said.

Im not sure I would recommend a Republican go vote in Milwaukee, he continued. I dont know about the bipartisan observation of those early votes. It might be possible.

The remark drew a rebuke from Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnsons (D) office.

Milwaukee welcomes election observers  people who will see, first hand, that elections here are conducted with the highest integrity, Jeff Fleming, a spokesman for the mayor, said in a statement.

Innuendos and baseless allegations of election impropriety undermine the publics confidence in our elections. They harm the most important foundation of our democracy. Lets stick to the facts. There is no basis to suggest impropriety by Milwaukees election officials, Fleming added.

Alexa Henning, a Johnson spokeswoman, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the two-term incumbent obviously meant his remarks to be tongue-in-cheek.

The senator was just in Waukesha Tuesday where he encouraged early voting. We are confident we have Republican observers and poll workers in place, Wisconsinites should turn out and vote everywhere, including Milwaukee, Henning added.

The back-and-forth comes in the final stretch of Johnsons high stakes battle with Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D). According to the latest RealClearPolitics average, Johnson holds a 3.3 percentage point lead over the Democratic challenger.

Desperate to take down Johnson, Democrats have flooded the state with big dollars to boost Barnes. Between Oct. 1 and Oct. 19, Barnes raised $8.5 million and had $2.5 million in cash on hand.

Story continues

As for the sitting Republican, Johnson raised $2.6 million during that stretch and has $3.5 million in the bank.

Early voting in the state runs until Nov. 5.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The FBI is working with local police to find a 16-year-old girl who disappeared more than a week ago, Raynham Police Chief James Donovan said.

Colleen Weaver was last seen at home in the early morning hours of Oct. 18. Investigators do not believe Weaver is alone and could be as far away as New Hampshire or Connecticut.

We believe she left with someone, Donovan said. She has no resources that we know of. We dont think she has any money. She doesnt have any way to pay for anything. She has no means of communication. Its now been nine days and as far as we know she doesnt even have anything to dress for the weather.

Hundreds gathered outside the First Congregational Church in Raynham Thursday night to pray for Colleens safe return. Her mother, Kristen Weaver, broke down in tears after thanking supporters.

I just want her home. Enough is enough. I want to wake up from this nightmare, Kristen said.

Kristen said her daughter has special needs from a neurological disorder that impacts her decision making. Colleen has never runaway from home and can be very trusting of strangers, she said.

Police continue search for missing Raynham teen

Theres just something missing that connects the dots of action and consequence. She doesnt sense danger very well, so she is very trusting, Kristin said. Her decision making skills are not great. Her impulsivity is pretty high.

Donovan said his department has received around 75 tips but there are no persons of interest. Kristen had a simple message for her daughter.

I keep saying it: Just come home. Find someone to help you come home, she said.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Oct. 28A woman doing time in the Montana Women's Prison on unrelated charges recently pleaded guilty to stealing a local man's truck in 2019.

Jessie Louise Burns, 34, struck a deal with Lincoln County Attorney Marcia Boris in which she agreed to plead to felony theft in exchange for dismissal of a felony burglary charge.

On Oct. 17, Burns, appearing on video from the prison in Billings, entered her plea while defense attorney Scott B. Johnson appeared on her behalf in Lincoln County District Court.

The plea agreement calls for a 3-year sentence to a state Department of Corrections facility. No time would be suspended, but it would run concurrent with a 3-year term Burns received in 2016 in Yellowstone County for escape. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 5.

Burns, a Florida native, has a long criminal history with five convictions in Yellowstone County between 2015 and 2016, according to state prison records. Two are for criminal possession of dangerous drugs as well as bail jumping, criminal child endangerment and the previously mentioned escape charge.

Burns and a local man, 37-year-old Jeremy Charles Thorstenson, were accused of breaking into a cabin on Lakeshore Drive in November 2019, stealing some cash and other items, then stealing a pickup truck in an ill-fated attempt to travel to Mexico.

Thorstenson pleaded guilty to a single count of burglary in 2020 for his role in the crime and is currently doing time at the Crossroads Correctional Center in Shelby. He also has a 2008 conviction for criminal endangerment in Yellowstone County and a 2017 conviction in Lincoln County for assault with a weapon, according to state prison records.

According to a previous story in The Western News, authorities in Missoula County arrested Thorstenson on Nov. 15, 2019. According to court documents, Thorstenson admitted to entering the cabin earlier in the year and to stealing the owner's truck with a female companion, later identified as Burns.

Story continues

Authorities learned of the break-in after a state game warden came across the abandoned stolen truck near Clinton in Missoula County. The truck was stuck on a mountain road after being high-centered on a tree stump. The warden saw two sets of footprints in the snow leaving the truck and he also reported finding syringes along the path.

Tracking down the owner in Lincoln County, they then discovered the burglary. A bag containing a Montana state ID with Thorstenson's identifying information was found inside a black backpack left with the abandoned truck along with other evidence, court documents said.

Law officers also learned from canvassing local businesses that a couple living out of a truck was frequenting the area. Using surveillance footage, deputies identified Thorstenson and another woman wearing a coat taken from the Lakeshore Drive home, court documents said.

Passing along his finding to authorities here, Missoula County Sheriff's Office Capt. Bill Burt recalled Lincoln County Sheriff's Office Detective Kirk Kraft telling him that Thorstenson was well known among law enforcement locally.

Burt later came across Thorstenson while on patrol, though he did not know it at first. At about 7:53 p.m., an adult male walked out in front of his vehicle, forcing him to stop, Burt wrote in his affidavit. Thinking the man needed help, Burt offered assistance. But the man said his car had just run out of gas, and then he pointed to an area the captain knew was devoid of roadways. Suspicions raised, Burt asked for an ID, he wrote in his affidavit.

The man identified himself as "Jacob" Thorstenson. Burt, though, had recognized him as the suspect in the stolen truck and Lakeshore Drive burglary case. Burt then arrested Thorstenson.

Authorities were unable to track down Burns at the time and believed she fled the area after Thorstenson's arrest.

Burns' criminal history includes a 2013 conviction for criminal child endangerment. According to a 2013 story in the Billings Gazette, Burns pleaded no contest to the charge after she waa arrested for driving drunk with her infant son in the vehicle. The child wasn't injured.

The account also reported Burns had a blood alcohol content of 0.24 when she crashed her vehicle near Lockwood. A woman said Burns was drinking alcohol at the scene. The woman said she checked a diaper bag for baby formula or diapers and found only a glass pipe, court records state.

Then, in late October 2019, according to a story on https://www.montanarightnow.com/, Burns was reported as a walkaway from the Great Falls Pre Release Center after leaving it for work. She never arrived at work and didn't return to the center.

Less than a month later, Burns and Thorstenson were in Lincoln County and accused of burglary and theft.
AleksandarNakic / Getty Images

Though many borrowers are still rejoicing over Bidens student loan forgiveness initiative, federal student loan debt is far from wiped out, and millions of Americans are still facing down hefty monthly payments. Additionally, the student loan moratorium ends on December 31.

See: 30% of Americans Say This Is How Theyll Use Student Loan Forgiveness Payments

Find: What is the Monthly Payment on a $20,000 Student Loan?

These details all lead to one burning question, which is particularly hot for those that are new to the workforce or just out of college: How much will my student loan be based on my income?

Know Your Loan Inside and Out

It is imperative that borrowers comprehend exactly how much their loan weighs in at every month. Its pretty simple if you have just a single loan, but if you have numerous loans out, youll have to break out the calculator (most likely) to figure out how much you owe in total.

Figure Out Your Budget (With Debt Factored In)

To determine what your student loan payment should be based on your income, you first need to sit down and sort out your budget. To do this, list your total monthly net income (meaning after federal and  if applicable  state taxes) and then use a budgeting method such as the 50/30/20 rule. With this particular rule, youll divvy your monthly net income into three spending categories: 50% for essentials, 30% for wants and 20% for savings and paying down debt.

Consider Income-Driven Repayment for Ease of Mind

Income-driven repayment is a solid option for borrowers who are having trouble (even with fierce budgeting) making payments on the typical student loan repayment plan. Once you have your allotted budget for debt, choose either a 20 or 25 year-repayment. This makes the process or repayment easier and more effective.

Take Our Poll: Do You Think Student Loan Debt Should Be Forgiven?

Use a Student Loan Repayment Calculator

Remember that there are plenty of online resources to help you strategize ways of tackling down your student debt. Its worthwhile to check out a student loan debt calculator like the one offered by Student Loan Hero.

Story continues

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much Should I Budget Toward Student Loan Payment Based on Income?
 Read the full article on Motorious

What is it?

For decades, one of Americas most attractive muscle cars has been the Ford mustang. Originally designed in 1964, the incredible automobiles stunned the world with their style which combined the rugged American muscle car look with a bit of a European twist to combat its foreign opponents. Essentially the goal was to stuff as big an engine as possible into the smallest frame and body that you could find in the result or something astonishing to say the least. Of course, this eventually led enthusiast builders to make their own additions to Fords original design and this guy shows us exactly why.

Starting off with a pretty sharp looking 1967 Ford Mustang, the owner of this car clearly has big plans for his beloved muscle car. Thats because, if you know about B Is For Build, then youll know that this is not an original Ford. Rather it is a Bugatti straight off the set of Fast And Furious which was converted into a 1967 Mustang. After that, the team was ready to wrap this build up and call it a day on the project. However, one designer really inspired the team to get back to it and make some more body modifications.

This recreation had a heavy focus on extremely wide fenders, vents plastered everywhere, and aerodynamics to match. Basically, this car will soon be the dream of every F&F fan across the nation. You might be wondering why the whole process seems a bit spontaneous, due to the seemingly constant changing of plans. Simply put, SEMA is coming up and as of filming the team only had about 12 days to turn this car into a show stopper. Until then, it is a question of if theyll be able to finish in time but if they do itll be one of the best classics there.

Sign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
GADSDEN, Ala.  With the help of FBI dive teams, police in Alabama believe a 39-year-old missing persons case has been resolved.

Gadsden Police Chief Lamar Jaggears said authorities hope to get DNA from the sibling of a man reported missing in Rainbow City, Alabama on April 16, 1983  to confirm the identity of human remains found in an SUV submerged in the Coosa River behind an apartment complex.

Even without the DNA identification, they have a lot to prove the identify: the brown 1983 Ford Bronco matches the description of Alan D. Livingston's vehicle, and a driver's license, Goodyear ID and Social Security card found in the vehicle bear his name.

In January, Chris Overstreet, a scuba diver and EMT from Virginia, who travels around looking into missing persons cases, was conducting a water search on the Coosa River using sonar when he discovered a vehicle in about 18 feet of water, 30 feet from the shoreline behind the apartment complex.

Overstreet dove and found the vehicle, a 1980s model, resting to the hood in silt. He called Gadsden police.

The orange buoy marks the approximate spot where a vehicle was found in the Coosa River. A Virginia man who travels and conducts searches related to missing persons cases using sonar found the vehicle.

Karen Stitt: Cops chased dead ends for 40 years in a California teen's cold case. Then a suspect's relative emerged.

For subscribers: How a single strand of rootless hair helped crack the 1982 murder of a 5-year-old girl

The Gadsden Police Department and the Etowah County Dive Team launched an investigation. Capt. Bobby Jackson said they determined they had no means to raise the vehicle, filled with silt up the windshield, from the water. "It would have come apart in their hands," he said, after decades underwater.

After research, it was discovered that Livingston, 25 at the time, went missing in April 1983. He was last seen at what used to be Forest River Apartments (now Summer Waters).

He owned a 1980 brown Ford Bronco at that time. Livingston was reported missing by a co-worker who had not seen him for several days.

About two months after Livingston was reported missing, William Roth Jr. was arrested in Arkansas for a murder that occurred in Clarksville, Texas. During an interview with Texas/Arkansas authorities, Roth admitted to hitting Livingston in the head with a board after an argument. He said the crime occurred in Gadsden, Alabama, where he was staying at the time.

Story continues

Livingston lived in Rainbow City at the time and was reported missing to their jurisdiction. After Roth's statement to authorities, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation Gadsden, Rainbow City investigators went to Texas to interview Roth.

Vermont: A man was accused of killing his in-laws in 1989. A drop of blood led to his arrest decades later

Roth consistently told investigators that he hit Livingston with a board in Gadsden. He was inconsistent, however, about what he did with the body and Livingston's Bronco afterward. Authorities searched in several different locations, but came up short.

Because of the condition of the vehicle, which had disintegrated to the point it might fall apart, and the fact it was encased in mud and silt up to the windshield, Gadsden detectives and Gadsden Police Certified Public Safety Diver Lieutenant Jon Alred consulted with Police Chief Lamar Jaggears, who asked for the FBIs assistance.

FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Will Strunk coordinated with FBI Headquarters in Virginia, who sent divers from Virginia, Los Angeles and Miami to conduct the search.

What's everyone talking about?:Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day

The FBI Dive Team on Tuesday and Wednesday used a dredge to remove silt and other objects from inside the Bronco that was still submerged in the Coosa River. The silt was sifted and what was left was analyzed by the FBI Evidence Response Team.

At the conclusion of the search, skeletal remains and the identification belonging to Livingston were located. The remains are being sent off to forensics for further analysis.

Roth, 61, is serving a life sentence in Texas, and is currently in the care of a nursing facility because of deteriorating health.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Cold case: Remains in Alabama car may be man missing for 39 years
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 07: Nancy Pelosi and Paul Pelosi walk the red carpet during the 27th Annual Kennedy Center Honors at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 7, 2014 in Washington, DC. Kris Connor/Getty Images

Nancy Pelosi's husband is expected to make a full recovery after he was attacked during a home invasion.

Early Friday morning, an attacker broke into the Pelosis' California home and assaulted Paul Pelosi with a hammer.

Paul Pelosi underwent a successful surgery to repair a skull fracture he sustained in the violent assault.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul Pelosi is expected to make a "full recovery" after he was attacked in their California home early Friday morning, the speaker's office said.

Just before 2:30 a.m. local time Friday morning, an attacker broke into Pelosi's San Francisco home reportedly searching for the House Speaker before the assailant "violently assaulted" her 82-year-old husband Paul Pelosi with a hammer.

Paul Pelosi was hospitalized at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital with blunt-force trauma to his head and body. The House Speaker was in Washington, DC, with her protective detail at the time of the attack, according to authorities.

Nancy Pelosi's office released a statement about Paul Pelosi's condition later Friday afternoon, saying he underwent a successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and was also treated for "serious injuries to his right arm and hands," per the release. His doctors said he is expected to make a full recovery.

"The Speaker and her family are thankful for the outpouring of support and prayers from friends, constituents, and people around the country," Pelosi's office said in the statement. "The Pelosi family is immensely grateful to Mr. Pelosi's entire medical team and the law enforcement officers who responded to the assault. The family appreciates respect for their privacy during this time."

Police identified the suspect as 42-year-old David DePape, who is currently in police custody following the incident.

Read the original article on Business Insider
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (right) and her husband, Paul Pelosi, attend a Holy Mass for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul led by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica. Sopa Images / SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, has been hospitalized after being "violently assaulted" by a person who reportedly broke into their home in San Francisco to look for her.

The suspect broke into the couple's home early on Friday and called out for the speaker, shouting "Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?" while confronting Paul Pelosi, the AP and CNN separately reported, citing a source briefed on the attack.

The speaker, one of the most powerful Democrats in the country, was not at home at the time. She was in Washington, DC, with her security detail, US Capitol Police said.

Authorities responded to a report of a home break-in at 2:27 a.m. Officers saw Paul Pelosi and the suspect in the entryway holding onto a hammer before the suspect pulled it away and attacked him, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said at a news conference Friday.

Paul Pelosi, 82, was "severely beaten" with the hammer, suffering trauma to his head and body, according to two people with knowledge of the investigation, the AP reported.

Drew Hammill, a spokesperson for the speaker's office, said in a statement that her husband "is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery."

Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital told BuzzFeed News that he was admitted on Friday morning. In a statement, Hammill said Paul Pelosi underwent surgery to repair a skull fracture and "serious injuries" to his right arm and hands. The surgery was successful, he added.

"The Speaker and her family are thankful for the outpouring of support and prayers from friends, constituents and people around the country," Hammill said. "The Pelosi family is immensely grateful to Mr. Pelosis entire medical team and the law enforcement officers who responded to the assault."

The suspect, identified as 42-year-old David Depape, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary, and other felonies, according to online booking records.

Story continues

A pair of FBI agents work outside the home of Paul Pelosi in San Francisco on Oct. 28, 2022. Eric Risberg / AP

Police have not yet confirmed a motive for the attack. CNN reported that Depape previously shared posts on social media supporting debunked conspiracy theories, including claims that the 2020 election was stolen, that COVID vaccines are deadly, and that George Floyd was not murdered by police. Family members told CNN that he is estranged from his family.

Two blogs apparently maintained by a person named David Depape also espoused conspiracies about how "the elites/ruling class" censor information and were filled with racist, antisemitic, and other bigoted statements. A spokesperson for the SFPD would not confirm to BuzzFeed News whether police believe the suspect authored the blogs.

One of the sites, godisloving.wordpress.com, has since been taken down for violating the platform's terms of service, Automattic, which operates WordPress, told BuzzFeed News.

Depape was also mentioned in a 2013 SFGate article as a hemp jewelry maker and best man in the upcoming wedding of an activist campaigning against the city's ban on public nudity.

Capitol Police said it is assisting the FBI and San Francisco police in their investigation. Police believe Depape forced entry into the Pelosis' home through a rear door, Scott said. He referred any questions about security at the house to Capitol police, saying it was their responsibility.

Scott commended the dispatcher who received the initial 911 call from Paul Pelosi, saying she "figured out that there was something more to this incident than what she was being told." As a result of her work, the call received a higher priority dispatch and faster police response that Scott said he believed was "lifesaving."

The police chief said that while law enforcement could not yet say whether the attack was politically motivated, it is clear that the attack was intentional.

"Our elected officials are here to do the business of their cities, their counties, their states, and this nation. Their families don't sign up for this," Scott said, getting visibly emotional as he spoke. "Everybody should be disgusted about what happened this morning."

President Joe Biden spoke to the speaker on Friday about the attack, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, adding that he is praying for their family.

The Pelosis have been married for 59 years. They have five children and many grandchildren.

The couple's three-story red brick house in San Francisco has been targeted by protesters in the past. In January last year, the home was vandalized with fake blood and what appeared to be a pig's head, as well as messages on the garage door.

BuzzFeed News
Why foreign enterprises double down on investment in China

08:32, October 28, 2022 By Shao Xiangyun, Li Kun, Zhang Yuqi, Liu Weizhen, Liu Runzhi, Li Shuai, Yang Zichun, Li Baojie ( Xinhua

* Eyeing China's huge and more open market, comprehensive industrial system, and improved business environment, many foreign-funded businesses are doubling down on their investments in the world's second-largest economy.

* China's green drive and ensuing enormous investments in clean energy are offering huge business opportunities for Flender, a leading global supplier of mechanical drive systems.

* Over the years, China has been striving to open its doors wider to the rest of the world with an ever-improving business environment.

TIANJIN, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Foreign-funded enterprises remain upbeat about investment prospects in China despite uncertainties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and battered global economy.

China remains a hot investment destination. In U.S. dollar terms, foreign direct investment in the Chinese mainland, in actual use, expanded 18.9 percent year on year to 155.3 billion U.S. dollars in the first three quarters of 2022, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday.

Eyeing China's huge and more open market, comprehensive industrial system, and improved business environment, many foreign-funded businesses are doubling down on their investments in the world's second-largest economy.

HUGE OPPORTUNITIES

Achieving carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 is a requirement for China's high-quality development and its solemn commitment to the world.

China's green drive and ensuing enormous investments in clean energy are offering huge business opportunities for Flender, a leading global supplier of mechanical drive systems.

"We know that half of the world's wind turbine market is here in China. That requires even more investment," said Martin Kaufung, director and CFO of Flender Ltd., China, adding that the China subsidiary has become Flender's largest gearbox manufacturing base outside Germany.

"We are quite confident that we are in the right market at the right place," said Joerg Sieber, general manager of the Wind Turbine Gearbox Division, Flender Ltd., China.

A staff member works at a workshop of Flender Ltd., China, in north China's Tianjin, July 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Zichun)

The German firm recently launched the 10th phase of its capital increase and expansion project in its Tianjin subsidiary. The latest investment of 300 million yuan (41.9 million U.S. dollars) came after an over-400-million-yuan capital increase in 2021.

"Flender has never wavered its confidence in the Chinese market or its resolve to take root in China," said Gou Jianhui, chairman and CEO of Flender Ltd., China.

Airbus is also upbeat about the Chinese market. "Driven by Chinese people's consumption upgrades, the Chinese aviation market has huge potential," said George Xu, CEO of Airbus China.

"We believe that China will continue to be the world's largest market for new aircraft over the next two decades, and that gives us assurance," Xu said.

China remains Airbus' largest single-country market globally. Commercial aircraft deliveries in the country accounted for more than 23 percent of Airbus' total global deliveries in 2021, according to Airbus China.

Earlier in July, Airbus confirmed the signature of orders with Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines for 292 A320 family aircraft.

Airbus delivered the 600th A320 family aircraft assembled at its Asia final assembly line in Tianjin on Sept. 23. The company inaugurated the final assembly line in Tianjin in 2008.

Staff members work at Airbus' Tianjin final assembly line for the A320-family of jets in north China's Tianjin, Feb. 24, 2022. (Airbus China/Handout via Xinhua)

In a few months, Airbus is expected to deliver the first A321 aircraft assembled at its Asia final assembly line in Tianjin. "This is our latest step in China, showing our unwavering support for the Chinese market," said Xu.

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND MORE

Over the years, China has been striving to open its doors wider to the rest of the world with an ever-improving business environment.

China will optimize the investment environment and deepen the implementation of the negative list for foreign investment to transform opening-up policies into concrete projects, according to a document jointly released by the National Development and Reform Commission and five other government organs earlier this week.

The document urged facilitating the entry and exit of executives and technicians of multinationals and foreign-invested firms and their families to the country, under the premise of sound COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control.

"China has been firmly committed to its reform and opening up policy. It's significant. We prefer to invest in a market that is safe, stable, and with bright prospects, which China can provide," said George Xu, CEO of Airbus China.

Besides, China has world-leading infrastructure, a complete set of supply chain and production systems, and a labor force with comparative advantages. "I think all of these factors attract many foreign enterprises to invest in China," Xu added.

"You cannot call yourself a global enterprise without investing in the Chinese market," said Gou Jianhui, chairman and CEO of Flender Ltd., China. "Over the years, Flender has gained a firmer footing in China, especially in Tianjin, so we are more and more confident. A stable and predictable business environment is the most important factor for investors," Gou said.

Global healthcare giant Novo Nordisk currently has seven new investments ongoing at its Tianjin plant, according to Niels Laurbjerg Nielsen, corporate vice president of Novo Nordisk Site Tianjin.

A staff member works at a workshop of Novo Nordisk (China) Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in north China's Tianjin, Sept. 22, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Since 1995, Novo Nordisk has expanded its investment in its facility in Tianjin eight times to boost its local presence. The Tianjin facility is not only one of its strategic manufacturing sites but also its only provider of durable insulin injection devices and its largest insulin production site.

"We will continue to relax market access and improve the system for promoting foreign investment to cultivate an environment that attracts, facilitates and stabilizes businesses," said He Zhineng, deputy director of the Tianjin Commission of Commerce.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Oct. 27CONCORD  Gov. Chris Sununu announced New Hampshire would join the state of Maine in federal court to appeal a Biden administration regulation to protect the endangered north Atlantic right whales that he said would cripple the region's lobster industry.

A U.S. District Court judge last month upheld a National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) regulation environmental groups sought in response to the whale population, estimated to be around 340 animals in the Atlantic waters of the U.S. and Canada.

"This ruling, if upheld, would devastate New England's lobster industry with restrictive regulations brought on by the federal government," Sununu said in a statement. "This is a bipartisan issue New Hampshire and Maine are aligned on, and we as state officials have an obligation to stand up and provide the leadership necessary to fight Washington and to preserve the lobster and fishing industry in our states."

U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, have led efforts on Capitol Hill since last spring to assist lobstermen in dealing with higher costs for gear needed to comply with these restrictions that have been years in the making.

Shaheen chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee working with control over the budget of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that includes the marine fisheries service.

She vowed to keep working to help the lobster industry to deal with this "challenging situation" while balancing the environmental threats to the whale population.

"The potential impact of this ruling to our lobstermen and fishermen is very concerning. I've always said that it is crucial that good science, with input from the fishing industry, guides these kinds of management decisions," Shaheen said in a statement.

Sununu said the industry has made significant changes to operations such as using weaker rope and affixing more traps on a single line in the water.

Story continues

Fishing industry leaders insist there has not been a single, documented case of lobster gear entangling a right whale off the coasts of both states.

The Conservation Law Foundation led an environmental coalition that had already convinced the federal judge to order the NMFS to go even further than it intended to protect these whales.

"This decision rejects the lobster industry's attempts to distract from the overwhelming scientific evidence that entanglements have killed far too many right whales for far too long," Erica Fuller, a senior attorney at the Conservation Law Foundation, said last month.

"It took the fisheries service five years to finalize a rule that only reduced lethal entanglement risk by 50 percent when the science shows 90 percent is needed. This species doesn't have another five years to wait for the agency to comply with the law."

klandrigan@unionleader.com
Officials in North Carolina announced first degree murder charges against a registered nurse accused of administering lethal doses of insulin to two patients.

Johnathan Hayes, 47, was arrested on two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, Forsyth Country District Attorney Jim ONeill said at a press conference Tuesday.

Hayes is accused of administering a deadly dose of insulin to Gwen Crawford on Jan. 5 at the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Crawford died three days later. Officials said he gave another lethal insulin dose to another patient, Vickie Lingerfelt, on Jan. 22, who died five days later.

Hayes also gave a near-fatal insulin dose to patient Pamela Little on Dec. 1, 2021, ONeill said.

Hospital staff first tipped investigators with the Winston-Salem Police Department off to Hayes alleged wrongdoings in March following an internal investigation. On March 18, the hospital fired Hayes, who had worked there at various times over the last 15 years, according to hospital spokesperson Joe McCloskey.

Theft ring: Florida men charged for stealing nearly $10 million in meat across Midwest, authorities say

Governor candidate burglarized: Arizona governor candidate Katie Hobbs' campaign office burglarized, with several items taken

ONeill did not offer many details describing how Hayes carried out the alleged murders, but described him as a rogue nurse, who he believes acted alone. Officials said a motive was unclear, and it didn't appear Hayes knew the victims.

What is alleged to have taken place certainly does not represent the high standards of safety and integrity that we always expect from each and every one of our dedicated teammates, hospital spokesperson Denise Potter said at Tuesdays news conference. We have conducted an in-depth analysis to ensure we have done everything possible so an event like this can never happen again.

All options are on the table for punishment, ONeill said, adding that he would wait to speak to the victims families before deciding whether he would seek the death penalty, which is legal North Carolina.

Story continues

Last year, Hayes wife, Misty, nominated Johnathan Hayes as a nurse of distinction for the Celebrating Nurses of the Triad special section coordinated by the Winston-Salem Journal, News & Record and the N.C. Nurses Association. In her nomination, Misty Hayes said her husband would make sure patients had everything they needed and knew that they will be taken good care of, the Winston-Salem Journal reported.

Johnathan Hayes was booked into the Forsyth County Jail on Oct. 25.

Hayes had been in nursing for 21 years and worked during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the article.

County jail records showed that a bond had yet to be set for Hayes. Information on his legal representation was not immediately available.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, nurse charged with killing patients
By Josh Smith and Soo-hyang Choi

SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) off its east coast on Friday, South Korea's military said, while South Korean forces were wrapping up nearly two weeks of exercises aimed at deterring their northern neighbour.

The missile launches, at a time of growing fears that North Korea is preparing its first nuclear test since 2017, were the latest in a year in which North Korea has tested a record number of missiles, whether short-range missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or others.

The SRBMs were fired from the Tongcheon area in the North's Gangwon province, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, four days after the neighbours exchanged warning shots off the west coast of the divided peninsula.

"Our military is maintaining full readiness posture," the JCS said in a statement, adding it had stepped up monitoring and security while co-ordinating closely with the United States.

The launches did not pose an immediate threat to the United States or its allies, the U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement.

However they "highlight the destabilising impact" of North Korea's unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes, it added.

The Pentagon said North Korea launched two ballistic missiles from the central part of the country.

The nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan spoke by telephone and condemned the launches as a provocation and violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, South Korea's foreign ministry said.

"North Korea's nuclear and missile development will only lead to strengthening security cooperation in the region and abroad," the ministry said in a statement, urging North Korea to return to talks.

South Korean troops were set on Friday to finish the 12-day Hoguk 22 field exercises, which have included some drills with U.S. troops.

Story continues

About 240 South Korean and U.S. warplanes are due to begin the Vigilant Storm drills on Monday, flying 1,600 sorties in the largest number of missions ever staged for such exercises, the U.S. Air Force said.

'INCREDIBLY CONCERNING'

The allied aircraft will perform "major air missions such as close air support, defensive counter air, and emergency air operations 24 hours a day during the training period," the air force said.

Ground forces will also practice base defence procedures and survivability in case of attack.

North Korea has said its recent missile launches were in protest against the joint exercises, which it says are provocative and a rehearsal for an invasion.

South Korea and the United States say the exercises are defensive and needed to counter the North's threats.

The United States and its allies believe the North could be about to resume nuclear bomb testing for the first time since 2017.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has said the North has completed all the technical preparations needed for an underground blast at its Punggye-ri test site, which has been officially shuttered since 2018.

North Korea held six nuclear tests there from 2006 to 2017.

A seventh North Korean nuclear test would be further "confirmation of a programme which is moving full steam ahead in a way that is incredibly concerning," the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Thursday.

South Korea has warned that a resumption of the North's nuclear testing would have to be met with an "unparalleled" response from the allies, but neither it nor the United States has given details.

(Reporting by Josh Smith and Soo-hyang Choi. Additional reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Robert Birse, Clarence Fernandez and Josie Kao)
North Korea has fired two short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea, South Koreas military has said.

In a statement it said two launches had been detected from the Norths eastern coastal Tongchon area around mid-day on Friday.

Tongchon is about 60km (37 miles) away from the inter-Korean border.

The area was apparently closer to South Korea than any other missile launch site North Korea has used so far this year.

South Koreas military said it had boosted its surveillance posture accordingly and added that it maintains readiness amid close coordination with the US.

The US has issued yet another stern warning to North Korea and said any nuclear attack by North Korea against the US or its allies and partners will result in the end of that regime.

There is no scenario in which the Kim regime could employ nuclear weapons and survive, said Pentagons National Defense Strategy report issued on Thursday.

It added that the Pentagon will continue to deter North Korean attacks through forward posture, including nuclear deterrence, integrated air and missile defenses and close coordination and interoperability with South Korea.

The two launches are the Norths first ballistic missile tests since 14 October.

The launches come on the final day of South Koreas annual 12-day Hoguk field exercises, which also involved an unspecified number of US troops this year.

Large-scale training between South Korea and the USs air force is also planned for next week.

The training, known as Vigilant Storm aerial drills, are slated to run from Monday to Friday.

It will involve about 140 South Korean warplanes and 100 US aircraft.

In a statement on Friday, South Koreas defense ministry said the planes included sophisticated fighter jets like F-35 from both countries.

Concerns have been growing that North Korea may conduct its first nuclear test since 2017 in the coming weeks.

This year, the North has conducted a record run of weapons tests, which are being seen as leader Kim Jong-uns efforts to intimidate the South and the US to accept the North as a legitimate nuclear state and lift economic sanctions on them.

On Thursday, UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi said a new nuclear test explosion by North Korea would be yet another confirmation of a program which is moving full steam ahead in a way that is incredibly concerning.

Additional reporting by agencies
Its been a busy year for Nothing. After debuting its Ear 1 wireless headphones last year, it followed up with its first smartphone, the Phone 1, daring to compete in an arena thats actually shed some more established competitors. Now, its tackling wireless buds again with the $99 Ear Stick. Its not a great name, but its at least descriptive. Instead of the slim, squarish case of the Ear 1, Nothing has pulled inspiration from cosmetic product design, creating a charging case for the buds inspired by tubes of lipstick. Its not the first set of wireless headphones to feature a twisting cylinder, but it ensures the Ear Stick wont be confused with rival earbuds.

At $99, the Ear Stick is reasonably priced but lacks some of the significant features of Nothings first wireless buds  most crucially, active noise cancellation (ANC). There are plenty of improvements here, though, especially concerning connectivity.

The hardware

Nothing Ear Sticks hands-on

Its hard to stop twisting and pawing at the Ear Sticks eye-catching case. The micro-dotted surface of the charger, exposed when the buds are locked in and charging, feels nice. At the top of the charger, theres a USB-C charging port and a chrome button for pairing the buds to devices. Given the form factor, theres no wireless charging this time around, but it also ensures the Ear Stick is cheaper to make. (As it is, Nothing recently raised the price on its Ear One buds.) There is a sliver of space on the case, though, so pocket lint can easily get trapped and rolled into the crevice, which is annoying. Judging by my other transparent gadgets, this might only get worse.

The Ear Stick buds themselves continue that Nothing design language, with transparent casing around the tips and a dot-matrix font labeling each stem. Theres a red dot on the right bud to help users ensure they go in the right ears. However, compared to the Ear 1, they dont have silicone tips, so they rest loosely inside the ear. This means that, regardless of any noise cancellation technology, a good amount of noise will seep in.

Story continues

Nothing says the buds went through over 200 rounds of modifications, and I think it was worth it: Theyre comfortable. Weighing in at 4.4 grams (0.15 ounces) each, theyre also lighter than the Ear 1 buds. I know that many people (and several Engadget editors) prefer this kind of looser fit, as AirPods Pro, Galaxy Buds and many others put a little too much pressure on their ear canals. The Ear Stick is aimed at those people  but are there enough of them?

Nothing Ear Sticks hands-on Nothing Ear Sticks hands-on

In noisy environments  say, when traveling on public transport or working out  Im forced to crank the volume up to max to compete with all the ambient noise. That said, they are comfortable and, for buds without removable tips, snug enough not to fear losing them when on the move. I still wasnt completely at ease running or jumping in them, but they didnt fall out during regular use.

I havent extensively tested the battery life yet, but Nothings seven-hour rating seems roughly accurate. Expect to get 29 hours of total playback with the case, which is almost a week of intermittent listening for me. Theres a fast-charge function that can juice the buds with two hours of playback with only 10 minutes of charge time, which has already been convenient during long trips across London, where Im based.

Nothing also made a new custom-designed dynamic driver in this generation of buds. The company claims its the most sensitive one found on wireless buds in the market, and while I cant vouch for that, I did find that the Ear Stick performs best when Im listening to spoken word or on phone calls; theyre notably clearer and crisper sounding than the Ear 1. Additionally, Nothing says its packed in a Bass Lock feature that tries to gauge sound leaking from the half-open design, but I struggle to hear it make enough for all of the sound loss.

However, theres not much Nothing can do with a half-ear design like this to maintain bass levels in comparison to the competition. Theres a tinniness to music and sounds that I dont think any algorithm can fix, given the half-open bud design.

The software

You can ameliorate this a little with the customizable equalizer from the companion app, and if youre already a Nothing Phone 1 user, youll get handy shortcuts from the Android drop-down menu. Its a nice touch, matching the slickness you get when using Samsung buds with a Galaxy phone, etc.

Nothing Ear Sticks hands-on

Nothing has also addressed some of the connectivity issues that marred the Ear 1. Its moved the antenna further down the buds, which it says minimizes signal blockage. In use, the Ear Stick connects and pairs more consistently than Nothings other headphones. Theyre less likely to drop connection when I move around my apartment and get farther away from my phone. The Stick is also much less fussy about pairing with phones, laptops and other devices. While I was initially impressed with the Ear 1, its inconsistency pairing to iPhones, laptops and even Android phones meant I eventually changed back to my AirPods Pro. Nothing has fortunately learned that lesson with its second pair of wireless buds.

Id happily take the audio and signal improvements of the Stick, but unfortunately, Im just not as enamored with the Ear Stick as I was with the Ear 1. I need my noise cancellation and silicone tips. However, I am looking forward to Ear 2, or whatever Nothing decides to call its third attempt, when it hopefully combines the best of both buds.
PHILMONT, N.Y.  Sherry Salvatore is the kind of voter causing grief for both Republicans and Democrats.

She thinks Republican Marc Molinaro should win his congressional race in a wide swath of upstate New York because the Dutchess County executive  who has been running for various elected offices since he was 18 years old  has paid his dues. Hes a good man, and its his turn.

But the 76-year-old Republican isnt sold on any one party line. She only registered with the GOP because 50 years ago she was trying to get a job with the county, she said. Abortion rights are important to her, too.

Listen, Im not a big pro-abortion person, but heres the thing: Its my body, if it [a pregnancy] affected my life  its my choice," she added.

A good share of New Yorks new 19th Congressional District is filled with voters like Salvatore, open to ticket splitting and turned off by politicians sitting too far on either end of the political spectrum.

The race is one of the biggest battleground races in the nation as control of the House hangs in the balance. Republicans are hoping for a red wave that can carry moderate candidates like Molinaro to victory after he lost a special election in August.

POLITICOs forecast lists it as one of the two toss-up races in New York  of the 28 toss-up races nationwide  in a district that President Joe Biden would have won in 2020 by 5 percentage points.

So both Molinaro and his Democratic opponent Josh Riley are working to convince voters they are affable moderates while trying to paint their opponents as wild zealots.

And the airwaves are fueling the vitriol. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, bolstered by Molinaro's lose to Democrat Pat Ryan in late August, has spent $2.2 million so far, part of nearly $8 million that outside groups have spent on the race.

One Democratic ad suggests Molinaro is trying to ban abortion with no exceptions. POLITICIANS BANNING ABORTION NATIONWIDE, EVEN FOR VICTIMS OF RAPE AND INCEST TOO EXTREME, flashes across the 30-second spot.

Story continues

Molinaro said in an interview with POLITICO that the ad is simply not true: The only thing extreme about me is Im extremely dedicated to trying to represent people," referencing his multiple campaigns over the years, including an unsuccessful run for governor in 2018. Theyre just truly lying.

While he opposes abortion personally, Molinaro said he would not support a national abortion ban nor would he try to roll back any of New Yorks abortion laws. And he said understands the challenge of the choice that women have to deal with when considering an abortion, calling it a decision more difficult than he could imagine.

Molinaro does not agree with New York's laws that allow abortions up to and including 24 weeks of pregnancy, and he would want to at least talk about restricting late-term abortions  which he views as those after 17 weeks  to cases of rape, incest or endangering the life of a mother. But he acknowledges the whole issue would probably be outside the role hes running for.

Congress, in my opinion, has no ability to limit New York's law, he said. The Supreme Court said it is not a federal responsibility. It is now states responsibility. Therefore New York's rule of law  despite the fact that I wish it did restrict late-term abortion just to those to those cases  New York's law remains. 



Roughly 40 miles south and west across the Hudson River, Riley had his own grievance to set straight with the bevy of negative ads against him.

He told a mountainside gathering hosted by the Woodstock Democratic Committee that ads they may have seen about him from the Republican Congressional Leadership Fund Super PAC, the Republican group that has spent $3.6 million on the race, are categorically false."

The ads suggest he is part of a far-left movement to defund the police based on donations hes received from groups that have supported the movement. His mother and cousin have both worked in the state corrections systems and he believes public safety requires more resources, not fewer.

Its this grainy image of me and it says something like Josh Riley is extreme and dangerous. Riley said during a brief forum where candidates for Congress, the state Legislature and state Supreme Court hyped up the local Democratic base.

Riley, who lives in Ithaca, joked that his wifes reaction to the ad was that he isnt capable of being that scary: [She said] If they just knew how big of a dork you are; how much money theyre wasting.'"

A poll from late September showed Riley was up by 5 percentage points over Molinaro in the district, which stretches across 11 counties through the Hudson Valley, Southern Tier and into the Finger Lakes.

Its a new seat after redistricting this year and an open one after Rep. Antonio Delgado resigned in August to serve as lieutenant governor. It's slightly more Democratic leaning than the previous district.

Riley  who pulled in more than $1 million in the most recent quarter  has raised about $2.9 million and still had $1.2 million in cash on hand earlier this month compared to Molinaros $2 million raised with about $405,000 in cash on hand.

Both say theyve been aggressively traversing the district, though Molinaro, 47, who's been campaigning throughout the region and state since he became the countrys youngest mayor at age 19, says he doesnt know Riley, nor has he seen him out on the campaign trail.

Riley, 41, moved back to Ithaca earlier this year to run in the district after spending his post-law school years outside the state, including as general counsel on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington.

I have not run into Josh once, and that is categorically impossible unless you're not showing up with things, Molinaro said from the Philmont firehouse, where he arrived up with little fanfare and walked around chatting with residents  some of whom hes known for years  who were walking along folding tables filled with second-hand housewares.

He rented an apartment in Ithaca for the last seven months. He's been living in Washington D.C. for the last several years. And not to begrudge that guy  we all have a right to run  and redistricting has caused a lot of headaches, but no, I know he's a lawyer from Washington, DC and that's it.



Riley, on the other hand, is calling Molinaros long record of elected office that of a career politician.

Riley is focusing on his roots as a fifth-generation upstater whose ancestors have supported themselves through the regions now hollowed-out industries  making shoes at the Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company and then circuit boards at the IBM factories. Hes got a host of ideas to revitalize the beleaguered upstate economy.

While abortion has emerged the marquee issue in several competitive districts, neither candidate is convinced that abortion is the primary issue voters in New Yorks 19th are considering in the final weeks before until Election Day.

I will never tell a voter what's important to them is not important, Molinaro said. To some voters, abortion is the issue and I respect that. But most people I interact with are really concerned about two things: It is being able to pay their bills and for their own safety.

Last month, polling showed more than half of voters in the region (52 percent) said that economic issues were one of their top two issues in choosing a candidate. Riley said that as a first time candidate, his pitch to voters, regardless of party affiliation, is that hes a necessary new voice, new vision, new leadership.

I was having a conversation with one of my own neighbors and he said something like, we're not really Democrat here or Republican here. We just are angry with everybody, equally, Riley said. And I don't think that's wrong. The way this has been working for a long time; it just hasn't been working for working folks here.
OFallon police have arrested a student in connection with a false threat of a weapon at OFallon Township High School in the latest case in a series of threat investigations in the metro-east this week.

Those investigations arose in the wake of the shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis Monday in which one student and a health teacher were killed by a 19-year-old gunman. The day after, two students were arrested at Belleville East High School in connection with the seizure of a gun and ammunition on Tuesday.

In the OFallon case, the police department said a student was arrested for falsely reported on social media that another student was seen with a weapon at the high schools Smiley Campus on Thursday.

Our school resource officer and OTHS administrative staff immediately investigated and located the source of the social media post, a 16-year-old student of OTHS, the police department said in a news release. It was quickly learned that this post was fabricated and there was no threat to any students on campus.

It is important to note the student who initiated this post did not threaten anyone with a weapon and is not suspected of possessing any weapons. This student was arrested and removed from campus.

OFallon officers were continuing to gather information and will present this case to the St. Clair County States Attorneys Office for review for potential criminal charges, the news release stated.

OFallon did not release other information about the suspect since the student is a juvenile. Also, the department did not release details about the social media post.

Before the OFallon Police Department announced the arrest of the student on Thursday, the department had issued a news release stating that officers had investigated social media posts concerning threats at OFallon Township High School and concluded that they were not credible.

Similar claims about supposed threats at other area high schools have circulated social media since Mondays fatal shooting in St. Louis.

Story continues

Back in Belleville, the police department reported on Wednesday that There is inaccurate information circulating on social media that a gun and drum was found on the campus of Belleville West. This is not true and should be disregarded.

Police believe drum is slang for a type of ammunition magazine, according to Assistant Police Chief Mark Heffernan.

The Fairview Heights Police Department announced on Tuesday that patrol officers have been ordered to step up their visits to our local schools in wake of the killings in St. Louis and the arrests at Belleville East. A representative of the Fairview Heights Police Department could not be reached for additional comment.

As far as the two students arrested at Belleville East on Tuesday, Heffernan said in a statement that the students have been referred to the juvenile court system in St. Clair County and that the department has no further comment.

The gun and ammunition was discovered after a parent alerted a school resource officer and Belleville police of a social media post showing a student handling the weapon before class. The students were arrested without incident, Heffernan said Tuesday.

Chris Allen, spokesman for the St. Clair County States Attorneys Office, said Friday that the states juvenile code dating to 1978 prohibits prosecutors from releasing any information about whether a person is being prosecuted in juvenile court.

The St. Louis shooting occurred in the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, which was previously known as Southwest High School.

The gunman, Orlando Harris, a former student at the school, was shot and killed by police officers after he had fatally shot sophomore Alexzandria Bell and health teacher Jean Kuczka.
Obama and Biden Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

With Election Day right around the corner, Democrats have sent former President Barack Obama on the campaign trail to battleground states, The Washington Post reports. He plans to support Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (D) and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) on Friday and then travel to Michigan and Wisconsin, reports the Washington Examiner.

The move by Democrats comes as many races become closer than anticipated, with some pundits even anticipating a "red wave." Obama continues to be a popular figure among Democrats, and there is hope that his endorsement give candidates an important boost.

Georgia has been a state of concern for Dems for a while, since Herschel Walker (R) is still garnering support despite allegations the anti-abortion candidate once paid for a girlfriend's abortion. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was caught vocalizing his concern for the races in Georgia to President Biden.

Obama is no stranger to bad midterm elections. CNN reports that his midterm campaigns in 2010 and 2014 were some of the lowest points in his presidency. After losing 63 House seats in his first term Obama remarked that he's "not recommending for every future president that they take a shellacking" as he did. He has appeared in a number of commercials for Democratic candidates all over the country.

In his interview with Pod Save America, he emphasized, "Democracy is fragile. You have to tend to it, you have to fight for it."

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FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2022, 13:17

The organised evacuation of civilians from the right-bank part of Kherson Oblast, specifically from the city of Kherson, has been completed.

Source: Kremlin-aligned media outlet TASS referring to Kiril Stremousov, a collaborator

Quote: "The evacuation has indeed ended.

It was not forcible, we gave people the opportunity to leave the line of fire, from the area of Kherson Oblast attacked by the Nazis."

Details: However, neither the occupiers nor Russian propaganda give the exact number of the residents of Kherson Oblast who evacuated.

Background:

Earlier, Stremousov reported that Ukrainian troops were preparing for an offensive on Kherson.

Volodymyr Saldo, the Russian-appointed puppet governor of Kherson Oblast, even turned to the Russian government with a request to help the occupying administration to evacuate the local population from the region. Russian authorities claimed that everyone who evacuates from the Kherson region to Russia will be provided with "free accommodation". Saldo also claimed that the occupying administration of Kherson Oblast had decided to move to the left bank of the Dnipro river.

Additionally, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russians had begun to evacuate the so-called "state institutions" from the occupied part of Kherson Oblast to occupied Crimea.

It also became known that the occupiers were evacuating collaborators and their families from occupied Kherson to occupied Crimea.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Warning: this article contains information that some may find upsetting.

A Pittsburg County man has been arrested after deputies found child pornography inside his home.

Nathan Upton faces three charges, including aggravated possession of child pornography, manufacturing child pornography, and possession of a controlled, dangerous substance.

According to the affidavit, the Pittsburg County Sheriffs Office received a tip about Upton from the U.S. Secret Service. Deputies obtained a search warrant based on information from the Secret Service, who said Upton was selling child pornography.

Deputies with the Pittsburg County Sheriffs Office and special agents with the Department of Homeland Security executed the warrant at Uptons McAlester home on Oct. 20.

When officers grabbed Upton, he allegedly yelled, momma, go unplug my equipment. His mother, Cathy Upton, was in the home.

Officers found anime books in Uptons room, which showed juveniles having sex with adults. Sex toys and bondage restraints were also found in the room.

A computer and other electronic devices were taken from the home.

There were also boxes filled with books containing the content in Uptons home. Some of the boxes had prepaid shipping labels on them.

Upton is being held on a $5,000,000 bond.
BROKEN ARROW, Okla.  The deaths of eight people found in a burning Oklahoma home  including six children ranging in age from 1 to 13 years old  are being investigated as a murder-suicide, with both adults considered suspects, authorities say.

At a Friday news conference, Broken Arrow Police Chief Brandon Berryhill said first responders found two adults in the front of the house before finding the six juvenile victims. The children were found in one room in the back of the house "where the majority of the fire was contained," Fire Chief Jeremy Moore said.

To arrive on scene yesterday and to see the looks on our first responders and firefighters faces just absolutely broke my heart, Moore said.

Both adults are suspects and the deaths are being investigated as a murder-suicide, Berryhill said.

Broken Arrow Police investigate Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, at the scene of a possible murder-suicide that happened on Thursday night in Broken Arrow.

Moore said it is not believed any of the victims died from the fire.

"Those injuries did appear to our fire crews at that time immediately to be criminal in nature," Moore said. "And so we immediately called for the police department to come and intervene on the fire scene."

Berryhill said firearms were recovered from the home. Sara Abel, a spokeswoman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the agency is assisting local police in tracing guns found in the home but she did not have any details about the type or number of firearms.

The fire was reported about 4 p.m. Thursday in a quiet residential area of Broken Arrow, the largest suburb of Tulsa, with about 115,000 residents.

WHAT WE KNOW: 2 adults, 6 children found dead in alleged murder-suicide

Broken Arrow police and fire officials investigate the scene of a house fire with multiple fatalities on Thursday.

The owner of the house said it was being rented by a couple and their six kids, a family neighbors described as mostly secluded, though they would play basketball in the driveway. Police have not yet identified the victims.

The landlord, Kris Welch, said the family had rented the home for eight years.

Crime scene investigators were working Friday morning inside the house, which appeared to have blood stains on the front porch and parts of the front door.

Story continues

Dusty Creecy lived directly behind the family for over a year and said she would see children playing on the trampoline in the backyard.

It is very sad because I would see young kids, Creecy said. One in diapers for sure.

The home on the 400 block of South Hickory is in a community with a mix of longtime residents and short-term renters.

Bob Stewart has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years and said the man who lived in the house was known by neighbors to have a gun.

The guy, he used to walk around with a gun attached to him, even when he was mowing the lawn, Stewart said.

Contributing: Claire Thornton, USA TODAY; Jana Hayes, Ben Felder and Jessie Christopher Smith, The Oklahoman; The Associated Press.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma police suspect murder-suicide in house fire with 8 deaths
Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva and Jair Bolsonaro speak to each other during the presidential debate ahead of the runoff, on October 16, 2022 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro faces former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff election on October 30.

Forest clearing in the Amazon surged under Bolsonaro. Lula promises to crack down on deforestation.

The outcome of the election may determine the fate of the Amazon rainforest.

Brazilians will head back to the polls on Sunday to vote for a new president. They'll choose between right-wing incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, two-time former president on the left, popularly known as Lula. It's a tight race. Tensions are high before the runoff vote, which follows Bolsonaro's unexpectedly strong showing in the first round of voting earlier this month.

It's not just the candidates that are up for election. The fate of the Amazon rainforest  the planet's largest  is on the ballot.

"Brazil was almost an environmental hero 10 years ago, when deforestation reached the lowest ever since 1970s," Carlos Nobre, a leading Amazon scientist at the University of Sao Paolo, told Insider. Since then, he added, the country has become "one of the villains."

One big difference during that decade: the environmental policies of the man holding the country's highest office.

As seen in the graph below, during Lula's years in office, between 2004 and 2012, Amazon deforestation  which refers to cutting down or clearing trees, often replacing them with farms or cattle ranches  fell by more than 80%. In addition to cutting down fewer trees, the government carved out roughly 150 million acres of forest for conservation.

Under Bolsonaro, Brazil has cleared large swaths of the Amazon rainforest for farmland, accelerating deforestation there.

In 2019 alone, the first year of the Bolsonaro administration, 2.4 million acres  a section of the forest about the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined  was cleared, according to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE). That is a 30% increase from the previous year.

Story continues

Overall, deforestation rose more than 50% during his presidency, according to INPE. A victory for Bolsonaro could continue that catastrophic trend.

Lula, meanwhile, has pledged to crack down on deforestation. One recent analysis by Carbon Brief, a website that covers climate science and policy, suggests that if Lula were to win the upcoming election, annual deforestation in the Amazon could fall by nearly 90% by the end of the decade.

Destroying the Amazon will change the climate worldwide

Aerial view of a burning area in Humaita, southern Amazonas State, Brazil, on September 17, 2022. MICHAEL DANTAS/AFP via Getty Images

About 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest is located in Brazil. And it's teetering on the edge of a tipping point. If enough of the forest gets burned or clear-cut, it will change the local climate and water cycle enough to cause massive tree die-off, starting an irreversible process that would eventually convert the forest into a savanna. That would release up to 140 billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere, where the gas would trap heat and accelerate global warming, with catastrophic impacts worldwide.

"This is a very bad, terrible scenario if we exceed this tipping point," Nobre said.

Nobre's research shows the Amazon could reach that point in just 10 to 20 years if deforestation continues at the current rate.

View of a burned area of the Amazonia rainforest in Apui, southern Amazonas State, Brazil, on September 21, 2022. MICHAEL DANTAS/AFP via Getty Images

Even before reaching the dangerous tipping point, cutting down the Amazon has global implications. The rainforest plays an essential role in the planet's oxygen and carbon dioxide cycles, absorbing vast amounts of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

"The scenario that the current president is reelected is very serious," Nobre said.

Correction: October 31, 2022  An earlier version of this story misstated an estimation of emissions in a dieback scenario. Researchers estimate the Amazon rainforest could release up to 140 billion tons of carbon, not carbon dioxide.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Alex Lawler

LONDON (Reuters) - OPEC is likely to maintain its view world oil demand will rise for another decade, longer than many other forecasters predict, in a forthcoming major report, despite the growing role of renewables and electric cars, two OPEC sources said.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is scheduled to update its long-term oil demand forecasts in its 2022 World Oil Outlook on Oct. 31. The 2021 version sees oil demand reaching a plateau after 2035.

Another decade or more of oil demand growth would be a boost for producers and OPEC, whose 13 members depend on oil income, and would justify continued investment in new supplies. Consumers and governments urging efforts to curb oil use to combat climate change would be less happy.

OPEC made a shift in 2020 when the pandemic hit demand, saying it would eventually slow after years of predicting ever-increasing consumption. The latest update is likely to keep OPEC among the more bullish forecasters of oil demand.

"It is similar to last year in terms of the demand outlook," one of the OPEC sources said on condition of anonymity. The second source said OPEC has not brought forward its timeline for when plateau demand is forecast.

Other predictions see oil demand peaking earlier. TotalEngergies has forecast this will take place before 2030.

The International Energy Agency on Thursday for the first time in its history of modelling said demand for all fossil fuels was set to peak, with oil demand levelling off in the middle of the next decade.

OPEC's Vienna headquarters declined to answer questions ahead of the publication's launch on Monday in Abu Dhabi that will be attended by OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais and other OPEC officials.

Another OPEC source said Russia's invasion of Ukraine - which has sent oil and gas prices soaring and led to an energy crisis - could boost oil demand in the near term due to fuel switching, as could the ongoing recovery from the pandemic.

Story continues

"It is expected that oil and gas will remain as the dominant fuels in the world's energy mix until the middle of the century," this source said.

INCREASED PROJECTION?

Last year, OPEC saw oil demand reaching 108.2 million barrels per day in 2045, up from 90.6 million bpd in 2020.

The group steadily lowered the 2045 projection over the last few years, citing changes to consumer behaviour brought about by the pandemic and competition from electric cars.

By contrast, this year OPEC is expected to increase the 2045 demand forecast, two sources said.

Two former OPEC officials, however, cited longer-term trends that will weigh on demand.

"Even oil-producing countries are interested in electrification because of pollution," said Hasan Qabazard, OPEC's head of research from 2006 to 2013, and a Kuwaiti. "In Kuwait, people are starting to buy electric cars."

Qabazard last year said demand could peak within a decade but maybe later and maintains that view.

A former OPEC minister said the longer-term implications of the Ukraine war could encourage the shift towards renewables.

"The war in Ukraine has changed Europe and the United States' reliance on Russia's oil and gas," said Chakib Khelil, a former Algerian oil minister and OPEC president. "Europe will rely more and more on renewable energy in the future and less on oil and gas from Russia."

He added that it was "highly probable" demand could plateau earlier than expected in the current OPEC forecast.

(Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Barbara Lewis)
The owner of a Raleigh daycare and preschool has been charged with sexually assaulting a child.

Malay Jindal, 58, was accused this week of committing a statutory sex offense with a child in late July. He is one of the owners of The Goddard School of Raleigh (North).

Although authorities have not specified the exact details of the alleged crime, statutory sex offenses in North Carolina mean a person over the age of 18 engages in a sexual act with a child under the age of 13.

The child who was assaulted was 5 years old, according to the N&Os newsgathering partners at ABC11.

Goddard Systems, the parent company of The Goddard School, said it was first alerted of an investigation into this crime over the summer and immediately alerted parents.

The owners of The Goddard School of Raleigh (North) have taken this matter very seriously and have been fully cooperating with local authorities, the North Carolina state licensor and Goddard Systems throughout the investigation, Goddard Systems said in a statement to The News & Observer.

Goddard Systems also said it has strict guidelines regarding employee background checks, and there are no exceptions to their policy.

Jindal is not currently listed on the North Carolina sex offender registry.

The accused owner denies the allegations and will make every effort to refute them, the statement said.
PANAMA CITY  Local law enforcement officials are searching for a 69-year-old man who went missing Thursday evening.

According to the Panama City Police Department, officers were called to Gulf Coast Medical Center on Thursday after John Conner left the facility without receiving medical care or being properly discharged.

Conner, who has been missing since then, "has multiple medical issues, including dementia," a press release notes.

Conner was temporarily living at a local nursing facility. He was taken to the hospital after suffering a fall.

The Panama City Police Department is searching for John Conner, 69, who has been missing since Thursday.

Other Police News: Lynn Haven man killed in hit-and-run crash. Police still looking for driver

More: Panama City to undergo forensic audit after ex-employee's arrest on embezzlement charges

Standing about 6 feet tall and weighting 170 pounds, Conner has gray hair and green eyes. He was last seen wearing a dark-colored shirt and blue jeans.

"Anyone with information in the case is asked to call the Panama City Police Department at 850-872-3100, or they can report tips anonymously via smartphone by downloading the Panama City PD Tip411 app," the release reads.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City police searching for John Conner, missing 69-year-old
Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday condemned the attack on Speaker Nancy Pelosis (D-Calif.) husband at the couples San Francisco home.

This is an outrage and our hearts are with the entire Pelosi family. We pray Paul will make a full recovery, Pence tweeted. There can be no tolerance for violence against public officials or their families. This man should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Police said David DePape violently assaulted Paul Pelosi around 2:30 a.m. Friday. Authorities arrived at the home for a priority well-being check and found the two men tussling over a hammer. DePape then grabbed control of the hammer and used it to attack Pelosi.

Before the assault occurred, the man confronted Pelosi, 82, and shouted, Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy? according to a source briefed on the attack.

The Speaker was not in San Francisco at the time, according to her spokesman Drew Hammill. U.S. Capitol Police said she was in Washington, D.C., with her protective detail.

Paul Pelosi was taken to a hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, according to Hammill.

A number of other Republicans have weighed in to condemn the attack and send well wishes to Pelosi and her husband, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Former President Trump has yet to comment on the attack.

Pence, who served in the House with Pelosi from 2003-2013, gave a speech at Georgetown University last week in which he lamented the toxic tone of political discourse.

I really do believe you can say to somebody theyve got bad ideas without saying theyre a bad person, Pence said. I hold the view, and have for many years, that democracy depends on heavy doses of civility.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
PennyMac Mortgage (PMT) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.01 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.41 per share. This compares to loss of $0.45 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -97.56%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this specialty finance company would post earnings of $0.40 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.88, delivering a surprise of -320%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has not been able to surpass consensus EPS estimates.

PennyMac Mortgage , which belongs to the Zacks Real Estate - Operations industry, posted revenues of $151.07 million for the quarter ended September 2022, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 16.45%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $47.85 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

PennyMac Mortgage shares have lost about 27.3% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's decline of -19.6%.

What's Next for PennyMac Mortgage?

While PennyMac Mortgage has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Story continues

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for PennyMac Mortgage: unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.47 on $117.25 million in revenues for the coming quarter and -$0.42 on $316.4 million in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Real Estate - Operations is currently in the bottom 12% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

One other stock from the same industry, Colliers International (CIGI), is yet to report results for the quarter ended September 2022. The results are expected to be released on November 1.

This commercial real estate services provider is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.68 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +32.3%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

Colliers International's revenues are expected to be $1.08 billion, up 6% from the year-ago quarter.



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



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Pete Buttigieg

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg spoke to a group of Democratic supporters at a campaign stop in Wisconsin Friday in the final days of this election cycle.

"When it comes to the actual issues, most Americans are already with us," Buttigieg said to an animated crowd.

Buttigieg campaigned on behalf of Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, the Democratic challenger to the state's anti-LGBTQ+ Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson.

Barnes trails slightly in the polls but remains within the margin of error in a race categorized as a toss-up.

"There's a reason people all over the country are watching Wisconsin to see what's going to happen in this state that's been the tipping point again and again because it is so close," Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg addressed the intense anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment of Republican lawmakers and political candidates across the country.

The American public, Buttigieg said, is not on board with those sentiments.

"Most Americans understand that the most important thing when it comes to our children at school is not whether they're going home to two moms or two dads. It's whether they're going home safe every single day," the father of twins said.

Buttigieg earned hefty applause with his subsequent statement.

Watch Pete Buttigieg Prove Why He's a TV Mainstay

Most people, he said, agree that "my marriage counts just as much as anybody else's marriage. Most Americans agree that God doesn't belong to a political party."

He added, "I'm excited to send a message that [Americans] prefer those who build bridges over those who ban books."

Buttigieg acknowledged that voters have been inundated with TV commercials, mailers, text messages, and "TikTok after TikTok."

However, he promised that the end to those messages was near.

"[If] everyone who might vote, votes  we're going to have a lot to celebrate a week from Wednesday," Buttigieg said.

He closed his remarks by imploring everybody to vote for Democrats November 8 and encouraging them to imagine an America of the future, where the turning point began with this election.

Story continues

"We will have seen something the world has never seen, which is a fully inclusive, fully diverse, fully representative large-scale democracy," he said.

Buttigieg has been a popular surrogate on the campaign trail with the kind of star power akin to that of former President Barack Obama, who will be campaigning in Wisconsin Saturday.
Peter Capaldi has said that his Catholic upbringing meant he saw something familiar in horror films.

The Scottish actor was discussing his latest role in Amazon Prime horror series The Devils Hour when he said that he found watching horrors comforting.

Ive always liked a good horror film, Capaldi told The Telegraph in a recent interview. I find them comforting, rather than disturbing, he said.

Capaldi explained that he watched the films to relax, turning to classics like Dracula: Those films remind me of my childhood, he said. I was brought up Catholic, so when I watched horror I think I saw something familiar  gore.

Elsewhere in the interview Capaldi discussed his disillusionment with British politics, saying that if given the opportunity again, he would vote for Scottish independence.

The ex Doctor Who actor also said he would not be interested in appearing as a Doctor again.

In a story with all the Doctors in it, I dont know how you could get a fair crack at the whip, Capaldi said.

Theres also this idea that when somethings a successful brand you have to keep going back to it. I loved playing Doctor Who, but Id rather leave it, he added.

Earlier this week, Doctor Who fans were shocked by the return of David Tennant as the Doctor  the first time he has played the role in 12 years.

Last week, former Doctor Jodie Whittaker appeared in her last episode as the doctor: The Power of the Doctor.

The episode ended with Whittaker regenerating, with fans assuming that she would be turning into the new Doctor Ncuti Gatwa, but it was revealed to be Tennant.

You can read The Independents review of the episode here.

The show will feature three special episodes as part of the 60th Anniversary in November 2023.
NEW PHILADELPHIA  Charges are pending against a 33-year-old man who police said stabbed his neighbor in the head and neck Friday morning after breaking into his apartment on First Drive NE.

Detective Chaz Willett said the suspect ran away after stabbing the 44-year-old man several times. The weapon is believed to be a pocket knife.

The victim was taken flown to Cleveland Clinic Akron General, where he was in stable condition Friday morning, investigators said.

More:Landon S. Parrott, 19, charged with murder in death of son, 1, in New Philadelphia

Willett said the suspect and victim are neighbors but not acquainted with each other. They had no previous conflicts, to his knowledge.

A woman inside the apartment called police at 3:53 a.m. Friday to the scene, where was taken into custody. He was booked into the county jail at 9:24 a.m. Friday.

Dover police assisted with the arrest.

The suspect was being held by request of the Ohio Adult Parole Authority. He was sentenced in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court in 2018 for robbery and grand theft.

More:Thomas E. Haughawout identified as New Philadelphia murder victim

Reach Nancy at 330-364-8402 or nancy.molnar@timesreporter.com.

On Twitter: @nmolnarTR

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Charges pending against New Philadelphia man in stabbing of neighbor
Sheriffs Deputy Samir Ahmad was captured on tape allegedly receiving money after selling firearms to a federal informant.

A pair of guns used in a deadly school shooting incident in Philly last month reportedly have a connection to a case of police corruption in the city. Now-former Philadelphia Sheriffs Deputy Samir Ahmad was arrested in a sting operation after he sold the weapons used in the shooting to a federal informant.

Ahmad, 29, was the focus of an investigation sparked by a larger FBI gun-trafficking operation. The sheriffs deputys first known foray into his illegal gun trade allegedly took place this past April, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

As noted in documents formulated by the authorities, Ahmad sold a Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver and bullets for $1,150 to an informant six months ago. Court filings claim Ahmad also attempted to sell Percocet pills to the unnamed person.

This image in a federal court filing from an undercover video captures now-former Philadelphia Sheriffs Deputy Samir Ahmad allegedly receiving money for selling guns to an informant just weeks ago. (Photo: Screenshot/YouTube.com/6abc Philadelphia)

On Tuesday, Sept. 27, a shooting incident at Roxborough High School  which left one teen dead and four others injured  led to the seizure of two guns that somehow fell into Ahmads hands.

The initial gun sale back in April landed Ahmad on the FBIs investigative radar, and authorities trailed his actions throughout the year. On Thursday, Oct. 13, the informant met with Ahmad in North Philadelphia aiming to purchase $3,000 worth of guns in the controlled sting.

The informant was wearing video and audio surveillance equipment that captured Ahmad and the exchange of cash for the illegal weapons. The informant told the deputy that he was fearful of deportation while making the buy, claiming he was not a U.S. citizen.

You dont got to worry about none of that, Ahmad assured, according to records.

Ahmad was allegedly working with another individual, who held the guns and drove up to deliver a pair of Glock pistols while Ahmad offered to sell a third weapon.

Prior to his arrest on Wednesday, Oct. 19, Ahmad sold a semi-automatic weapon and several grams of methamphetamine to the same informant. The FBI later learned that the Glocks he sold to the informant were used in the Roxborough shooting.

Story continues

United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero issued a statement Thursday decrying the actions of Ahmad and hammered home her offices attempt to quell gun violence in Philadelphia.

As alleged, Samir Ahmad abused his authority  to the greatest extent possible  as a sworn law enforcement officer, Romero said. The defendant was allegedly illegally selling firearms on the street to at least one person who was not permitted to possess them, adding fuel to the already-incendiary fire of deadly gun violence in the City of Philadelphia. Working with our law enforcement partners, we are doing all that we can to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the violence.

The Inquirer reports that the Philadelphia Sheriffs Office, through a spokesperson, asserted that Ahmad was served a 30-day notice of intent to dismiss for repeated violations of the Philadelphia Sheriff Office directives, policies and procedures.

During a federal court hearing held Thursday, Ahmad was charged with firearms trafficking and selling and transferring a firearm to a non-U.S. national or citizen. He will remain imprisoned until his trial.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post Philadelphia sheriffs deputy arrested after illegally selling guns appeared first on TheGrio.
For half the population, Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October means being bombarded with pictures of breast cancer lumps, and messages encouraging them to "be familiar" with their breasts and know the warning signs of breast cancer. However, what's normal for one pair of breasts may not be for another, so it can be tricky to determine what's just typical variation and what's a warning sign.

TODAY spoke to several experts who explained what to be aware of and when you should see a doctor.

What does it mean to "be familiar" with your breasts?

While most medical organizations don't recommend breast self-exams as part of a cancer detection screening, experts told TODAY that women can still benefit from knowing what their breasts typically look and feel like.

To do that, Dr. Amy Kerger, a radiologist who specializes in breast cancer imaging at the Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center, part of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, recommends picking one day a month and doing a brief examination.

breast lump pictures (National Cancer Institute)

"Pick a date, because your breasts change with your hormones," Kerger said. "And you should do it in the same manner, whether you're in the shower, lying in bed, sitting up. ... All of that changes what you're feeling and where things are in your breasts, because breasts are mobile. It's really important that, if you're going to do something like that, to do it consistently."

Dr. Judy Song, chief of breast imaging at MedStar Health, added that at different points in your menstrual cycle, you may have more lumps and bumps, so being familiar with those changes can help you understand what's normal on your chest.

By regularly examining your breasts and the area around them  Kerger said to make sure your examination includes the area around your armpit and the sides of your breasts  you'll be more likely to notice alarming lumps or other changes quicker.

"I would more encourage women to say if something just doesn't feel right. If a woman is at all concerned, even if it may be nothing ... she should always err on the side of caution," said Dr. Jessica Jones, a breast oncologist at UTHealth Houston and Memorial Hermann in Houston, Texas. "It is easier to do a test than find out later."

Story continues

What does a lump really look like?

Kerger said that any new lump "is a problem" that you should bring to a doctor.

According to Know Your Lemons, a nonprofit global organization that focuses on making information about breast cancer warning signs and detection methods accessible, a hard lump is a common sign of cancer.

breast cancer lump picture (TODAY Illustrations)

"The most common sign of breast cancer is a lump, deep in the breast. It often feels hard, like a lemon seed, and usually immovable. It can be any shape or size," said the site. You might also see a bump, according to the site, on the surface of your breast.

Kerger said that doctors are especially concerned if a lump is hard and "not mobile."

breast cancer lump picture (TODAY Illustrations)

"When something is hard and doesn't move around, like you're rolling a marble on a table under your hand, (that) is more concerning," she said. However, it can be hard for people to diagnose this on themselves, so she recommends going to your doctor with concerns like these.

For men, who can be diagnosed with breast cancer, hard lumps right near the nipple are a warning sign.

breast cancer lump picture (TODAY Illustration)

"Because (men) normally do not have breasts in the way women do, they may notice a lump or a dimple or a change in skin color on their breast that would indicate the presence of a breast cancer," said Jones. "If (a man) has a change on his breast, he should absolutely let his doctor know."

breast cancer lump picture ( TODAY Illustrations)

However, there are also a lot of innocent reasons behind the lumps and bumps on your breast. Some can be cysts, which are collections of fluid, or fibroadenomas, which are benign and made up of tissue. Your breasts also contain lymph nodes, which Know Your Lemons says can "feel like soft beans," and milk lobes, which "feel like soft peas."

Being familiar with your breasts can help you tell the difference between whats normal and whats new.

What are other breast cancer warning signs?

Lumps and bumps may be the first signs people think of when they think of breast cancer detection, but there are several more signs that people should be on the lookout for.

Kerger said that many changes can occur near the nipple and areola: Any change in that area, including color or inversion of the nipple, should be mentioned to your doctor.

breast cancer lump picture ( TODAY Illustrations)

Discharge from the breast, which can be clear fluid or contain blood, should also be mentioned.

breast cancer lump picture (TODAY Illustration)

Jones also said that dimpling, which usually looks like an indentation, is a warning sign. Another symptom can be breasts beginning to change shape - such as becoming lopsided or one becoming swollen.

breast cancer lump picture (TODAY Illustration)

Another less common symptom, Kerger said, is breast pain. While some breast pain is normal, especially when in tune with your menstrual cycle, breast pain in a specific area is less common.

"If you have breast pain you can point to with one finger or is ... in one quadrant of your breasts ... then that can be a little more concerning," Kerger said.

breast cancer lump picture (TODAY Illustrations)

If you have any of these signs or symptoms, tell your primary care physician. If you are 40 years or older, you should be receiving regular mammograms, but if you are younger and having these symptoms, you can still get a mammogram. Some people with dense breasts may need an ultrasound, which can give a more thorough look at the breast and surrounding area. Song said that if you do have these tests done, there's nothing wrong with asking your doctor for as much information as possible.

"Don't be shy to ask to see the images and get an understanding of what your breast makeup is," she said. "A picture's worth a thousand words."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
BERLIN (AP)  A former hotel in eastern Germany that was supposed to be used as accommodation for refugee families starting next week was targeted Friday in what authorities believe was an anti-foreigner arson attack.

Police said windows were broken and a fire broke out shortly after 5 a.m. at the building on the outskirts of Bautzen, east of the city of Dresden. Four employees of the owner who were staying in the building were unharmed. The fire was extinguished.

An initial group of 30 refugees, from countries including Syria, Afghanistan and Russia, was due to move into the building next Thursday. It wasn't immediately clear what would happen to that plan.

The former hotel already was used as accommodation for refugees between 2015 and 2017, and was the target of an attempted arson attack in 2016 when three young men threw Molotov cocktails over a fence toward the building, the German news agency dpa reported.

The interior minister of Saxony state, Armin Schuster, said it's not yet clear who threw incendiary devices into the hotel on Friday but authorities believe it was a xenophobic arson attack.

Setting fire to buildings out of hatred because you don't want to have refugees near you is deeply primitive and inhuman, Schuster said. Saxony's governor, Michael Kretschmer, tweeted that finding out who was responsible has the highest priority.

Last week, a fire destroyed a shelter for Ukrainian refugees on Germany's Baltic coast in what authorities say could have been arson.

___

Follow all AP stories on migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
A man is on the run after he withdrew between $10,000-$60,000 from a Memphis bank while posing as an out-of-state customer, according to the Memphis Police Department.

Police said that the man stole the money from a bank in Memphis on Aug. 29.

Police need the publics help in identifying the man who is accused of identity theft and other theft crimes.

If you know the mans identity and his whereabouts, call CrimeStoppers at 528-CASH.

Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Trending stories:
A lighter-wielding suspect was arrested after police say they sprayed customers at a Boston supermarket with aerosol cleaning products and attempted to set them ablaze with a lighter, law enforcement officials said.

Syretta Copeland, 42, is slated to be arraigned Friday in Boston Municipal Court on charges of assault by means of a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, and possession of an incendiary device, according to the Boston Police Department.

Officers responding to a report of a disturbance at Roche Brothers on Summer Street in Downtown Crossing just before 4:30 p.m. Thursday observed an individual who was terrorizing shoppers, police said.

Copeland was taken into custody following a brief foot chase. He was said to be in possession of a handheld lighter at the time of his arrest.

There were no reported injuries during the incident.

An investigation remains ongoing.

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 17-year-old boy was in court Friday on a murder charge in connection with the death of an infant in East Price Hill last month, according to Cincinnati police.

Officers responded just before 11 p.m. on Sept. 17 to the 700 block of Elberon Avenue for a report of an unresponsive infant, police said in a news release.

The infant, 8-week-old Ukhani Bridges, was taken to the Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead, police said.

The teen is also charged with felonious assault. In court, prosecutors said the teen harmed the infant with a deadly weapon, but no information has been released about the circumstances of the alleged attack or the relationship between the child and teen.

The teen is being held at the Hamilton County Juvenile Court Youth Center, according to police. The Enquirer is not naming the teen.

Prosecutors are seeking to try the teen as an adult. Several members of his family including his parents attended a court hearing in the case Friday via Zoom.

His next court date is scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 9 before Judge Melissa Powers.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Cincinnati Police Department's homicide unit at 513-352-3542.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Prosecutors: Teen charged with murder harmed infant with deadly weapon
By David Shepardson

(Reuters) -Polish national airline PLL LOT on Friday asked a U.S. judge to declare it was a crime victim in the Boeing 737 MAX criminal case, a move that could make the airline eligible for significant compensation.

U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Texas ruled last week that people killed in two Boeing 737 MAX crashes are legally crime victims. He will determine what remedies should be imposed.

LOT argued it should have the same rights in the case as victims' families. LOT said it had at least $250 million in damages related to the 14 737 MAX aircraft it owned and leased at the time of the grounding.

The U.S. Justice Department on Friday asked O'Connor to give the government until Nov. 11 to file a memo about remedies.

Boeing's best-selling 737 MAX was grounded worldwide in March 2019 for 20 months after two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people.

The Justice Department in 2021 reached a deferred prosecution agreement with Boeing over a fraud conspiracy charge related to the planes flawed design, The settlement included a fine of $243.6 million, compensation to airlines of $1.77 billion and a $500 million fund for crash victims.

In December, some victims' relatives argued the Justice Department violated their rights when it struck that agreement with Boeing and asked OConnor to rescind Boeings immunity from criminal prosecution.

LOT also asked the court to require that the Justice deferred prosecution agreement with Boeing be reopened to "increase the amount that Boeing is required to pay its customers."

Boeing did not immediately comment.

LOT previously sought compensation from Boeing, but Boeing declined. LOT sued Boeing in late 2021 and the case is pending. LOT said the settlement's funds for airline compensation were not available to foreign airlines.

The crashes cost Boeing more than $20 billion and prompted reforms to airplane certification.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese and Cynthia Osterman)
WARSAW (Reuters) - Polish General Piotr Trytek has been appointed to lead a European Union mission to train Ukrainian troops, the Polish defence minister said late on Thursday, as western countries seek to step up support for Kyiv following Russia's invasion.

The bloc agreed earlier this month to set up the Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine), which aims to boost the country's military capability.

"Polish officer, Gen. Piotr Trytek ... will lead the international military training mission for the Ukrainian army," Mariusz Blaszczak wrote on Twitter.

"It is a huge responsibility, but also recognition of Poland's position in the international arena."

Commander of Poland's 11th Armoured Cavalry Division, Trytek, 51, has served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

EUMAM Ukraine will be headquartered in Brussels with operational command centres in Poland and Germany. Most training will take place in Poland.

(Reporting by Alan Charlish; Editing by Alex Richardson)
King Charles III (PA)

The King was told by Liz Truss not to attend the COP27 climate summit in Egypt, Downing Street confirmed on Friday.

No10 said the advice had not changed under new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

King Charles, a passionate environmentalist, asked advice about whether he could attend the global conference being held in Sharm El-Sheikh from November 6 to 18.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said: As is standard practice, Government advice was sought and provided under a previous PM and it was unanimously agreed that this would not be the right occasion for the King to visit in person.

Im not aware that advice has changed.

The annual UN climate meetings are designed to help governments agree steps to limit world temperature rises.

Mr Sunak has faced criticism for demoting two climate ministers when he took office and refusing to attend this year's summit because of domestic commitments, including the Autumn budget on November 17.

The UK hosted last years COP26 in Glasgow, with then-PM Boris Johnson stressing the need to act by warning it was a one minute to midnight moment.

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said she and several senior government ministers will be attending.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  A Puerto Rico police officer was accused Friday of running over a municipal legislator with his car and abandoning the scene.

The officer faces three charges, including destruction of evidence, and is being held on $300,000 bond.

The incident occurred the night of Oct. 11 in the eastern mountain town of Las Piedras. The female legislator, Norma Casanova Delgado, remains hospitalized.

Puerto Rico Police Chief Antonio Lopez announced that he had expelled the officer from the U.S. territorys department.
Pulp are finally back! The band have announced the dates for their first UK and Ireland tour in 10 years, ending in a headline slot at Latitude festival next summer.

The Sheffield band will visit venues across London, Dublin and Glasgow, as well as performing two shows in their hometown.

Frontman Jarvis Cocker announced the news via Instagram this morning five minutes before the rest of the world.

Three months ago, we asked, what exactly do you do for an encore? frontman Cocker said in the announcement.

Well An encore happens when the crowd makes enough noise to bring the band back to the stage, so We are playing in the UK & Ireland in 2023.

Come along & make some noise, he added.

As well as announcing their tour, the band have shared the news that they will headline Latitude 2023 alongside Paolo Nutini and George Ezra.

How to get tickets:

Tickets will go on sale on Friday 4 November at 9am. They will be available here.

You can find the full list of tour dates below.

FRIDAY 26 MAY 2023  Bridlington Spa

SUNDAY 28 MAY 2023  Warrington Neighbourhood Weekender

FRIDAY 9 JUNE 2023  Dublin St Annes Park

SATURDAY 1 JULY 2023  London Finsbury Park

FRIDAY 7JULY 2023  Glasgow TRNSMT Festival

SUNDAY 9 JULY 2023  Scarborough Open Air Theatre

WEDNESDAY 12 JULY 2023  Cardiff International Arena

FRIDAY 14 JULY 2023  Sheffield Utilita Arena

SATURDAY 15JULY 2023  Sheffield Utilita Arena

FRIDAY 21 JULY 2023  Suffolk Latitude Festival
ALONA MAZURENKO THURSDAY, 27 OCTOBER 2022, 20:16

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has stated that Russian losses on the battlefield are ten times less than Ukrainian losses.

Source: Putin in his speech at a plenary meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club [a Moscow-based think tank and discussion forum - ed.], 27 October

Quote: "There are losses in certain places, and I am sad to tell you this, it can be 1 to 10 or 1 to 8 soldiers [Russian soldiers to Ukrainian soldiers, respectively]. Recently, it is almost always 1 to 6, 1 to 8. They are not spared at all. Can true patriots of their country allow this?"

Details: Putin sought to impose the notion on propagandists that there are no nationalists in Ukraine; he has also backtracked on his statements regarding illusory "nazis" in Ukraine.

Now, Putin claims that Ukrainians are defending the looted billions that they have saved in European banks.

The dictator stated that Ukrainian troops are motivated by "economic" considerations rather than the sovereignty or territorial integrity of Ukraine, the protection of their people from the Russian occupation, or resistance to the genocide of Ukrainians.

In Putins opinion, thousands of people with torches and swastikas are walking around Kyiv.

How Putins evaluation of Russian losses in the war with Ukraine correlates to the conscription of 300,000 Russians remains unexplained.

Background:

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that 69,220 Russian occupiers have been killed as of 27 October.

At the end of August, Ben Wallace, the United Kingdoms Secretary of State for Defence, stated that the general losses of Russia in the war with Ukraine were more than 80,000 people.

On 16 October, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine reported that the ratio between the Ukrainian losses and the Russian ones was approximately 1 to 6.5 soldiers in the south of Ukraine.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Ideally, your overall portfolio should beat the market average. But in any portfolio, there will be mixed results between individual stocks. At this point some shareholders may be questioning their investment in QANTM Intellectual Property Limited (ASX:QIP), since the last five years saw the share price fall 38%.

So let's have a look and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress.

See our latest analysis for QANTM Intellectual Property

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

During the five years over which the share price declined, QANTM Intellectual Property's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 0.4% each year. This reduction in EPS is less than the 9% annual reduction in the share price. So it seems the market was too confident about the business, in the past.

You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

This free interactive report on QANTM Intellectual Property's earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of QANTM Intellectual Property, it has a TSR of -16% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

Story continues

A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 4.8% in the twelve months, QANTM Intellectual Property shareholders did even worse, losing 16% (even including dividends). Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 3% over the last half decade. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Even so, be aware that QANTM Intellectual Property is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those is significant...

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on AU exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Rainbow-colored fentanyl has made its way to the Tri-Cities for the first time  and police are concerned with Halloween so close.

While some harm reduction experts and toxicologists are skeptical that it targets kids and that it could end up in Halloween candy bags, police agencies in the Tri-Cities are nervous about the drugs.

We want the public to be aware these new multi-colored pills are in our area and pose a significant risk to children who may find them attractive, Kennewick police said a news release.

A recent Tri-City Metro Drug Task Force bust in Kennewick turned up over 14,000 fentanyl pills and about half are multi-colored pills, known as rainbow fentanyl.

The deadly opioid is well-known to be adaptable. People have used it to replace heroin and other opioids because its potency means using less of it to create the same effect. But that also makes it more deadly, causing some fatal overdoses with just one pill.

One way it has been sold is as small blue pills that resemble oxycodone and are often referred to as Mexis.

But that has changed in recent months. Drug Enforcement Administration agents first noticed brightly-colored pills, powders and blocks of the drug being sold in 26 states in August.

The Tri-Cities Metro Drug Task Force recently seized 14,300 doses of fentanyl. Many of the pills are the multi-colored rainbow fentanyl.

DEA Administrator Anne Millgram has called it a direct attempt to market the drug to children and young adults nationwide.

The deadly opioid is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rates of overdose deaths from the drug have been on the rise in recent years.

The CDC reported that 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses and two-thirds of those have been linked to synthetic opioids including fentanyl.

And fentanyl has surpassed methamphetamine for accidental overdose deaths in Benton County.

Of the 35 overdoses last year, fentanyl was responsible for 19. That is more than double the number caused by methamphetamine.

Fentanyl has become the drug of choice among many users, according to the Kennewick police release.

Story continues

The Metro Drug Task Force includes detectives from Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland police departments and the Benton and Franklin sheriffs offices.

The task force investigates mid-level criminal organizations linked to narcotics and weapon trafficking.

The most recent information available is from 2020 when the task force found 93,000 fentanyl pills, which was up from about 13,000 the year before.

If people know anyone suffering from a substance abuse disorder, they can reach out to the Washington Recovery Help Line by calling 866-789-1511.

Tri-Cities fentanyl bust

The Tri-City Metro Drug Task Force received a tip Oct. 20 that Amy Lynn Loza had a large amount of fentanyl, according to an affidavit of probable cause from police.

Police got a warrant to search her Richland home on Hood Avenue.

While its unclear what officers found at that house, they talked with Loza and she reportedly admitted to recently buying thousands of fentanyl pills and dividing them up to into smaller amounts, said court documents.

She allegedly said there were about 8,000 pills stashed in her bedroom on the 1800 block of West 31st Avenue in Kennewick. Benton County Assessor online records show Loza owns the home in Richland, but not the one in Kennewick.

Benton County Deputy Prosecutor Julie Long said in court last week that investigators eventually found 14,300 fentanyl pills  and at least half of them were the multi-colored rainbow fentanyl.

They also seized 1.5 pounds of meth and a gun, show court documents.

Loza was also charged in February with distributing fentanyl after she allegedly sold the drug to a police informant.
At a speech last week before prospective GOP poll workers and challengers in New Mexico, former Trump attorney John Eastman urged his allies to file complaints that could form the basis for court challenges to the upcoming midterm and presidential elections.

The comments, outlined in a new audio recording obtained by POLITICO, suggest that Eastman and some other conservative activists see aggressive challenges to the legitimacy of individual votes as part of a larger strategy to build evidence that can be used to invalidate a county or state election.

Document what you've seen, raise the challenge. And [note] which of the judges on that election board decline to accept your challenge. Get it all written down, said Eastman, a New Mexico resident. That then becomes the basis for an affidavit in a court challenge after the fact, he said.

Speaking to an Oct. 19 Election Integrity Network summit in Albuquerque, Eastman  a target of the House Jan. 6 committee for his role in advising the former president on ways to overturn the 2020 election in Congress  repeatedly said he personally wants to play a role in assisting those who challenge voters, including by connecting party poll challengers to local prosecutors.

Eastman was the keynote speaker at a meeting with dozens of attendees advertised as for election challengers, watchers and officials, among many such events being organized nationwide by conservative elections attorney Cleta Mitchell, also a central figure behind Trumps 2020 legal strategy.

Eastmans remarks are significant because the chief concern expressed by many nonpartisan elections experts about a new army of thousands of first-time workers and challengers  many of them inspired by the false belief that the last election was stolen from Trump has been that they will disrupt voting and even provoke open confrontations.



Yet Eastman advised his audience to politely and gingerly, and even with a smile create paper trails, suggesting altogether different end goals. These include giving losing GOP candidates ammunition to argue in court  and to the public  against the integrity of the voting and to pressure local commissions not to certify elections.

Story continues

You are allowed to make a written record of anything you see not going on correctly. Thats called creating evidence, said Eastman in the audio recording provided by Documented, a non-partisan investigative watchdog that says it believes democracy itself is under attack. Documented said it got the tapes from attendees.

Eastman repeatedly made clear that poll challengers should create paper trails. He also urged poll workers and challengers to enforce highly technical interpretations of the law, even going so far as questioning the votes of people who dont speak loudly enough when giving their name or address or who refuse to allow a poll worker or challenger to review their signature or birth year.

Such a situation could easily spark confrontations, election-law experts say, which in themselves could threaten a persons right to vote. Eastman, in his speech, maintained that failing to allow a challenger to review specific materials is a crime that should be enforced. Every judicial district has to have designated by now an elections prosecutor, said Eastman.

Create those notes because that becomes the evidence in these legal challenges if we need them, said Eastman, who also warned against attempting to handle or count actual ballots, which could get challengers kicked out by local clerks.



Eastman, through his attorney, declined to comment. Mitchell, whose Election Integrity Network is part of the Conservative Partnership Institute, issued a statement characterizing the summits as a normal part of the nations culture of citizen volunteering and participation in the democratic process.

Mitchell, who is chairing the initiative, said Eastmans presentation was to train attendees as to a statutory role in New Mexico: The poll challenger.

He merely presented the New Mexico law as volunteers are being recruited and trained as both poll observers and poll challengers, she said. Poll challengers, often represented by both political parties, are unpaid volunteers permitted to observe election activities in polling places.

The media continues to discredit itself when they relentlessly demonize only conservatives when they volunteer for basic democratic election transparency efforts in an obvious attempt to discourage one side from getting involved in the election process, Mitchell said in the statement.

Indeed, Eastman urged his audience to look for vacancies to serve on three-person election boards responsible for ruling on ballot challenges, panels that are required to rule strictly on a nonpartisan basis. Then youre the ones making the decisions, not just raising questions about the decisions, he said.

This advice could cause a potential nightmare weve never had to deal with before in U.S. elections, said Nick Penniman, founder and CEO of Issue One, a bipartisan election watchdog group.

You got a bunch of poll watchers who are preconditioned to believe there is wrongdoing. Theyre going to start documenting stuff that is not wrongdoing and they might also intentionally misdocument something just for the sake of being able to hold up or not certify an election, which is terrifying, said Penniman.



Mario Jimenez, a former chief deputy clerk who administered elections for 10 years in Dona Ana County, the states second-largest county, called Eastmans speech very much concerning, likening it to encouraging poll workers to become double agents. Poll workers are supposed to take an oath to be nonpartisan, said Jimenez. You cant be both, he said.

Documented, the group that obtained the tape from an attendee, said Eastmans comments about building a paper trail seemed to be aimed at giving county officials reasons to decline to certify the election.

This is less about causing chaos at the polls on Election Day and more about setting the stage for challenging the results, said Brendan Fischer, Documented deputy executive director. If Republicans lose in New Mexico, he is laying the groundwork for legal challenges and to give MAGA-aligned county officials a pretext to reject the results.

Several races are on the ballot in New Mexico, including governor, U.S. House and state executive positions including secretary of state and attorney general.

Several times during his remarks, Eastman urged the audience to contact him if they experience any issues filing challenges and left his business cards so he could help connect them to local prosecutors on or before election day, vowing to be more engaged in New Mexico politics. He also urged them to try to serve as challengers during early voting periods because it is as important to catch the fraud in the early voting as it is to catch the fraud on election day.

The marching orders given by Eastman raise the specter of a repeat of 2020s flurry of baseless lawsuits flooding state courts sowing doubts about the integrity of elections, some of which were cited by members of local elections boards or state legislatures as reasons to refuse to certify the election. Election administration officials are already bracing for a potential delugeof poll challengers and workers inspired by a false narrative being sustained by far-right social media influencers.



This has really been my main concern for a while now, said Jimenez. The lawsuits across multiple 2020 battleground states, often alleging baseless conspiracies that were quickly dismissed by judges of both parties, have nonetheless increased pressure on local officials to overturn elections that go against their party.

This summer, New Mexicos rural conservative Otero County initially refused to certify the results of its primary election, despite no evidence of fraud or voting machine irregularities, until the state Supreme Court intervened. That was nothing more than a test pilot for what they hope to do in the general election, said Jimenez.

Challenging Conditions

Eastmans instructions included extremely narrow, technical and sometimes simply incorrect interpretations of voting rules, according to Jimenez, who helped draft the states voting laws.

For instance, Eastman said individual ballots and voters should be challenged when there is a clear violation of the law  including if a voter does not affirm name and address in an audible voice. While it is true that voters must speak audibly, repeatedly challenging voters to speak louder and attempting to file formal challenges as a result could constitute a form of harassment, said Jimenez.

Eastman also said voters cannot register and vote on the same day unless their photo ID matches the mailing address printed on a current piece of mail. That is false, said Jimenez, after reviewing the recording. There is no requirement that addresses on the photo ID be the same as the utility bill, he said. People change apartments and houses and move around the state all the time, and it would be an [unnecessary] cost for the voter to have to obtain a new ID with every move, he said.

The misleading instructions could create altercations at polling locations by new workers and challengers who, to their core, believe theyre policing fraudulent voting and it is their right to act as independent enforcers and physically monitor the ballots, said Jimenez.

While its unclear whether the efforts of Mitchell, Eastman and others to recruit partisan poll workers will impact the orderly administration of elections, concerns in multiple battleground states have been so significant that, in Michigan for instance, officials issued a new code of conduct for poll workers.

Eastman also urged his audience not to accept the decisions of three-judge panels, the states official mechanism for settling ballot disputes, if those panels reject GOP challenges. Panels with a Democrat as presiding judge are particularly not to be trusted, he said, to audience laughter.

Eastman and Jan. 6

A former law professor and dean at Chapman University law school, Eastman is responsible for conceiving Trumps failed strategy to defy the Electoral Count Act by having states where Trump was disputing the vote send alternative slates of electors that could then be recognized by the vice president. Eastman is considered such a primary figure in the effort to disrupt congressional certification of the election that the Justice Department seized his cell phone in late June.



In normal times, Eastman would be sidelined, said Fischer. Instead this audio shows that he is embraced by powerful figures in the conservative movement and remains deeply involved in elections.

Eastman recently filed a brief in a North Carolina case before the Supreme Court arguing in favor of the independent state legislature theory, which contends that state legislatures, not federal and state judges or state officials, have the primary say in determining federal election matters.

CPIS efforts are a direct outgrowth of Trumps failed attempts to overturn the 2020 election, according to Marshall Yates, the executive director of CPI's Election Integrity Network who also spoke at the New Mexico event. Neither CPI nor Yates responded to POLITICO about Yatess specific remarks.

The election objection did not go as we wanted to in 2020 on January 6, but we built up and this movement is here today partly because we didnt get to have the debate we needed in Congress, said Yates, a former chief of staff to Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.). As a leading advocate in Congress for Trumps plan to have battleground state legislatures overturn President Joe Bidens victory, Brooks came under scrutiny by a select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

We were shut out for whatever reason that was, whatever happened, whoever planned it, but we didn't get to have that happen. But luckily it sparked a grassroots movement across the country for election integrity, said Yates.

We're all here because of what happened in 2020, he added. What happened in 2020 can never happen again. We have been awakened to the election, the systematic weaknesses in our election laws.
Sen. Rand Paul in Washington, DC, on July 20, 2021. Stefani Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images

Pelosi's husband was "violently assaulted" by someone who broke into their home, her office said.

Sen. Rand Paul said in response that he wishes the House speaker's husband a "speedy recovery."

The Kentucky lawmaker also called out Pelosi's daughter in his remarks.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul called out Nancy Pelosi's daughter and wished the House speaker's husband a "speedy recovery" after an early morning assault at their San Francisco home left him hospitalized.

"No one deserves to be assaulted," the Republican lawmaker wrote on Twitter Friday morning. "Unlike Nancy Pelosi's daughter who celebrated my assault, I condemn this attack and wish Mr. Pelosi a speedy recovery."

His comments were in response to a March 2020 tweet that said Twitter removed comments made by Nancy Pelosi's daughter, who appeared to endorse a 2017 assault on Paul, in which he was attacked by his next-door neighbor and sustained broken ribs and bruises to his lungs.

The March 2020 tweet included a screenshot of a tweet from a Christine Pelosi tweet, which said "Rand Paul's neighbor was right."

Early Friday morning, someone broke into Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home and "violently assaulted" her husband.

The House speaker was not home at the time of the incident, and her husband, Paul, is expected to make a full recovery after he was taken to a local hospital.

"The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time," Nancy Pelosi's office said in a statement Friday morning.

The US Capitol Police said it was helping the FBI and the San Francisco Police Department to investigate the incident.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Brandon Bell/Getty

At times the pursuit of former President Donald Trumps tax returns feels like King Arthurs search for the Holy Grailin the belief that it might heal all wounds, deliver eternal youth and grant everlasting happiness to our embattled democracy. The thing is, it just might.

The refusal of a federal appeals court to block the release of Trumps tax returnsdespite Trumps standard histrionics over potential separation-of-powers issuesmeans the near culmination of litigation that commenced in 2019.

Recall that the House Ways and Means Committee requested Trumps tax returns from 2015 to 2020 under a federal law that requires information on any taxpayer to be disclosed to the House Ways and Means Committee upon their request. A lawsuit was filed after Trumps Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin defied this law28 U.S.C. Section 6103 (f)(Disclosure to Committees of Congress) by refusing to comply with the request. Judge Trevor McFadden (a Trump appointee) was assigned to the case and sat on it for nearly two and a half years before ruling in favor of Congressafter Trump had left office.

A panel of the D.C. Circuit Court upheld McFaddens ruling, and the full D.C. Circuit declined to hear the case as a full panel en banc.

Trump Is Going to Create Yet Another Constitutional Crisis

Yes, Trump canand willstill go to the Supreme Court. But SCOTUS does not have to take the case, and they should follow the lead of the D.C. Circuit by sitting this one out and letting Congress do its job without interference. Such judicial restraint would be a significant first step in restoring the balance to our supposedly three equal co-branches of government.

In reality, this balance has been deteriorating for quite some time but exponentially so since Trump took over the Republican Party. Trump is, of course, not the first executive to abuse power. The numerous legislative reforms passed in reaction to Richard Nixons abuses of power were broad, but they have long faded from memory and, in many cases, have been rolled back and undermined by an increasingly Federalist Society-stacked Supreme Courtparticularly in the areas of campaign finance.

Story continues

The Justice Department Needs to Get Out of Its Own Way in the Trump Investigations

More importantly, those reforms were enacted in reaction to Nixons particular misdeeds, but the reform needed now runs far deeper than laws. Much of the concern over the so-called imperial presidency has centered around the executives ability to wield war-making powers. But even as important as that single issue is, the problem goes beyond whether Congress has abdicated its role in deciding when we go to war.

No single law nor combination of laws can counter Trump and the Republican Partys efforts to create a strong-man authoritarian governmentin which the presidency is a no-fly zone where chief executives cannot be scrutinized by Congress nor investigated for potential criminal wrongdoing. A government in which the president controls the judiciary through appointments, and controls Congress through fear of political reprisalbeing primaried.

The only solution to this dangerous situation is for our three co-equal branches of government to return to their basic missions by having the political courage to both do their jobs and to stay in their lanes.

President Joe Bidens executive branch needs to root out the corruption ingrained in the Justice Departmentafter former Attorney General Bill Barr used DOJ as a political weapon for Trumpand encourage bold action by its agencies.

The current Congress, with its slim Democratic majority, needs to use its oversight and investigative powers as the Jan. 6 Committee has already done. Congress also must be unafraid to pass critical reformslike term limits for Supreme Court justices.

Trump Needed (and Got) a Lot of Help to Be This Corrupt

The current Supreme Court is perhaps the most damaging example of the unbalanced nature of our co-equal branches, wielding as it does nearly complete power over both congressional action and executive decision. This has happened, in part, thanks to Congress abdication of power, but also as the Court has taken aggressive exercises of jurisdiction over actions within the executive branchs purviewranging from CDC expertise, womens reproductive rights, religious rights, and campaign financeto name but a few of the issues that common sense says should not be decided by nine judges appointed for life.

Releasing Trumps tax returns to Congress wont solve all the problems in our country right now, but letting Congress do its job by both the executive branch and judicial branch staying out the way offers a glimpse of how things should work.

Thats a sight weve been missing for a while.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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GOMA, Congo (AP)  Renewed clashes between government soldiers and M23 rebels in eastern Congo forced more people from their homes Friday, deepening a crisis that the U.N. says already displaced 40,000 in a week's time.

The clashes that started at around 5 a.m. sent panic-stricken residents fleeing the towns of Rugari, Kalengera and Kabaya. Some headed for Kanyaruchinya near Goma, where many displaced people have gone since fighting between the two sides resumed on Oct. 20.

We ask the authorities to find out where we are going to live, Faida Chantal Nsumba, one of the people who left to get away from the fighting, said Friday.

Aline Semasanga and her family fled to Rumangabo without taking anything with them.

We waited for bullets fired by the military, she told The Associated Press. We were very worried and afraid. Some died and others ended up with us here because God protected us. We ask our government to bring us peace so that we can return home.

The M23 rebels had been largely inactive for nearly a decade before they reemerged in November 2020. Hundreds were killed and nearly 200,000 people displaced before the surge in violence over the last week.

Congo's government has accused neighboring Rwanda of supporting the M23, an allegation Rwanda's government has repeatedly denied.

Residents who fled described chaos and violence in the towns where the most recent fighting took place.

There were many shots in our area, and it created a total panic, Nshiyimana Kwako said. Now we are suffering, we are hungry. We have nothing to eat and we have left other children there.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  The first group of Australian women and children held in a Syrian camp since the Islamic State group fell in 2019 was bound for Sydney despite government opponents arguing they pose an unacceptable extremist threat, a media organization reported on Friday.

The four women and 13 children had left the Roj detention camp in northeast Syria on Thursday and were taken to Iraq before boarding a flight to Australia, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

They would be the only Australians involved in the Islamic State campaign in the Middle East to be officially repatriated apart from the eight offspring of two slain combatants. The fighters' children and grandchildren were returned by the previous Australian government in 2019.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did not comment on the details of the ABC report. He also would not say what would happen once the group reached Australia or whether they would be monitored.

My government will always act to keep Australians safe and will always act on the advice of the national security agencies, Albanese told reporters.

Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil also declined to comment.

Given the sensitive nature of the matters involved, it would be inappropriate to comment further, her office said in a statement.

Australian officials had assessed the returning group as the most vulnerable among 60 Australian women and children held in Roj, the ABC said. Most of the children were born in Syria.

Their return would likely be the first step in repatriating all Australians detained in Syria, the ABC reported.

Senior lawmakers in the previous conservative government that was voted out of office in May elections after nine years in power say their administration did not repatriate more Australians from Syria because of the domestic risk they would pose if they had been radicalized.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said that view firmed after a confidential briefing from Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, the nations domestic spy agency known as ASIO.

Story continues

I must say that I am more strongly of the view now that there is a very significant risk in bringing some of these people to our country that cant be mitigated, frankly. Not to the level we would require to keep Australians safe, Dutton said earlier this month.

We need to understand how it is with limited resources ASIO and the Australian Federal Police can provide the guarantees to keep the Australian public safe, Dutton added.

Albanese said on Friday his government had acted on national security advice just as his predecessors had done when the eight children were repatriated.

Australian allies in the Middle East conflict including the United States, Germany and France have already repatriated dozens of their citizens in similar circumstances in Syria.

A British woman who repatriated with her child this month became the first adult to be allowed back into Britain from a Syrian camp since Islamic State fell.
An elephant. Illustrated | Getty Images

Would a Republican Congress continue America's support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia's invasion? Maybe not. War is expensive, after all.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) suggested last week that Republicans might take a tougher line on that support if they win back the chamber  as expected  in next month's midterm elections. "I think people are going to be sitting in a recession, and they're not going to write a blank check to Ukraine," he said in an interview with Punchbowl News. "Ukraine is important, but at the same time, it can't be the only thing they do, and it can't be a blank check." A day later he repeated in an interview with MSNBC that "Ukraine is very important," but added: "We are $31 trillion in debt." What factors are shaping the GOP's stance on Ukraine? Here's everything you need to know:

How much money has the U.S. spent on Ukraine's defense?

Let's start with the "blank check" charge from McCarthy. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) pushed back against the idea that Congress had been too loose with the pursestrings on Ukraine's behalf. "I believe the support for Ukraine and their courage  will not stop," she said Monday, but added: "We have never given a blank check to Ukraine."

But "keeping track of the numbers is challenging," Alice Speri wrote for The Intercept in September. The Defense Department this month said that the U.S. had provided more than $18.2 billion in "security assistance" to Ukraine since January 2021. But that might not capture the full range of American expenses, Speri reported, because the official statements don't always distinguish between what money has been pledged and what has actually been delivered. That leads some analysts to suggest that America has spent up to $40 billion  $110 million a day  over the last year. "What is clear is that the volume and speed of the assistance headed to Ukraine is unprecedented," wrote Speri, "and that legislators and observers are struggling to keep up."

Story continues

Are there any hawks left in the Republican Party?

McCarthy's comments might surprise Americans old enough to remember the die-hard anti-Soviet hawkishness of Reagan Republicans during the Cold War. But those days are apparently gone in the Trump Era: A Morning Consult poll released this week revealed that just 29 percent of GOP voters think the U.S. has an obligation to help Ukraine. Just 38 percent of independents agreed with the question, but 56 percent of Democrats did  suggesting that Dems might be the real hawks now. As for Republicans: 57 of them in the House voted against a Ukraine aid package in May.

Old habits still live among some older Republicans, though: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) reportedly remains committed to Ukraine's defense. If McCarthy and House GOP members try to shortchange that defense, they will meet some resistance from their Senate colleagues. "I would imagine that there would be significant tension because McConnell certainly is not going to shy away from continuing to support Ukraine," a Senate Republican aide told The Hill.

Is this just a Republican thing?

Not entirely. The Congressional Progressive Caucus released a letter on Monday asking President Bident to seek a diplomatic solution to the war  the better to avoid a worldwide nuclear conflagration  but also took pains to emphasize that they don't want to abandon Ukraine to Russian depredations. "We are united as Democrats in our unequivocal commitment to supporting Ukraine in their fight for their democracy and freedom in the face of the illegal and outrageous Russian invasion, and nothing in the letter advocates for a change in that support," Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said in a statement.

Despite Pelosi's pushback on the "blank check" comment, though, there appears to be bipartisan concern about the American spending on Ukraine. "Republicans and Democrats writ large want to see additional oversight and accountability when it comes to weapons and equipment the U.S. is sending to Ukraine," Politico reports, adding that both parties would really like to see Europeans step up with additional military spending in the conflict.

What do Ukrainians think of all this?

They're not thrilled, understandably, given that they've consistently asked for more weapons, not fewer. "We were shocked to hear these comments of Mr. McCarthy, honestly," David Arakhamia, a Ukrainian parliamentary leader, told the Financial Times. He said a Ukrainian delegation to the U.S. recently received assurance from McCarthy "that bipartisan support of Ukraine in its war with Russia will remain a top priority even if they win in the elections."

So what's going to happen?

That depends on if Republicans win the House  which seems likely  and how big their majority is. But the Biden Administration seems to be hopeful it will be able to continue its efforts to support Ukraine. "Privately, Biden aides believe that McCarthy will blink and keep the funnel open to Ukraine, at least for a while, though he may insist on smaller numbers," Politico reports.

A compromise might be in the offing. "McConnell and McCarthy could work out a deal next year on Ukraine money by demanding that Democrats agree to more oversight on military and economic aid to Kyiv," says The Hill. If Democrats do lose the House, though, they might act preemptively and use the "lame duck" session in December to pass one last big package to support Ukraine.

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Substantial evidence supported the jurys finding in 2000 that Adnan Syed was guilty of murdering Hae Min Lee, according to an affidavit from the retired judge who presided over the trial.

Wanda Keyes Heard, Baltimores former top circuit court judge who retired from the bench in 2019, submitted the affidavit Thursday on behalf of the Lee family, who claim their rights as crime victims under Maryland law were violated last month when a different judge overturned Syeds conviction and freed him from prison.

A reading of the trial transcript will show that the jury verdict was supported by substantial direct and circumstantial evidence, Heard wrote in her affidavit.

Heard kept 100 pages of typed notes from the trial and wrote that she was submitting the sworn affidavit at the Lee familys request and in the interest of justice.

I heard the evidence and all the testimony, she wrote. The verdict and the swift manner of the verdict being reached made it clear to the court that the jury weighed the credibility of the witnesses who testified and were subject to cross examination.

Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa Phinn freed Syed from prison Sept. 19 after prosecutors in Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosbys office claimed to have discovered evidence suggesting Syeds innocence that was never disclosed to his original defense attorney. Syed was convicted of killing Lee, his ex-girlfriend and Woodlawn High School classmate.

Specifically, Mosbys office claimed in its motion to vacate Syeds conviction that it found two handwritten notes from Kevin Urick, the original prosecutor in the case, that suggest someone close to Syed had threatened to kill Lee.

Prosecutors identified one other alternative suspect during their reinvestigation with Syeds defense counsel  a man who was improperly cleared during the original investigation, according to the motion to overturn Syeds conviction.

Young Lee, Hae Min Lees brother, is appealing the decision that freed Syed because he said he was not given proper notice about the Sept. 19 court hearing in order to attend in person and to properly prepare. Young Lee gave a brief statement via video-conference to the court after his lawyer, Steve Kelly, unsuccessfully asked Phinn for a seven-day postponement so that Young Lee could travel from the West Coast, where he lives.

Story continues

Here, the voices of the Lee family were silenced. Prosecutors went out of their way to evade the [Maryland] Constitutions absolute requirements, Kelly wrote in an appellate filing submitted to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.

They provided the Lee family with barely any notice and no meaningful opportunity to appear and comment on the evidence.

Mosby, who lost her bid for reelection and will leave office in January as she waits for her federal perjury and mortgage fraud trial to begin, has said her office followed the proper procedures for notifying victims.

Young Lee was told about the Monday, Sept. 19 hearing the Friday before, giving him less than one full business day to make arrangements. In an email, Assistant States Attorney Becky Feldman told Young Lee he and his family could watch the hearing, but did not say he had a right to speak.

In the days following Young Lees appeal, Mosby said her office received new DNA test results from Hae Min Lees shoes that excluded Syed. Her office decided to drop the pending murder charge against Syed, and Mosby said she believes there is no evidence linking Syed to Hae Min Lees murder.

Because Syeds criminal case no longer exists, a three-judge panel in the Maryland Court of Special Appeals ordered the Lees to explain why their appeal should continue.

The Lee family is arguing it should continue because future hearings to overturn convictions will likely run into the same victims rights issues.

Even if the appellate judges decide to allow the case to continue, the Lee family is not seeking to have Syed sent back to prison, according to a statement Kelly issued late Thursday.

Instead, the family is seeking an evidentiary hearing in the case, which Kelly claims was not done earlier, so they can better understand the evidence that led to Syed being freed.

Heard, the judge who presided over Syeds trial, wrote in her affidavit that she is not sure how DNA evidence from Hae Min Lees shoes was sufficient to exonerate Syed, because she cannot recall any evidence then that suggested Syed ever touched the shoes. Heard campaigned for incoming Baltimore States Attorney Ivan Bates, who is expected to take office when Mosby leaves.

The absence of touch DNA on her shoes would seem to be an unusual basis to eliminate Mr. Syed as Ms. Lees killer in the face of other overwhelming and riveting testimony of the eyewitness of Jay Wilds, who testified that he assisted Mr. Syed in the burial of her body, Heard wrote.

Mosbys office has since said Wilds testimony is no longer credible because of inconsistent statements about what happened that he made in the years after the trial.

Joining the Lee familys side is Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, whose office filed its own papers in the case earlier this week.

Mosby has repeatedly accused Frosh and members of his office of intentionally withholding the original prosecutors handwritten notes in order to keep Syed in prison. Frosh denies the claim, calling it unfounded.

Froshs office said Uricks handwritten note, which supposedly states that an alternative suspect made a threat against Lees life, is difficult to read and subject to multiple interpretations. Mosbys office never contacted Urick during its investigation, and has not spoken to him about the note, according to the attorney generals filing.

The threat does not specifically mention Lee by name, and the person who relayed the threat to Urick did not take it seriously, according to the attorney generals office. The remainder of the note also includes statements that suggest Syeds guilt.

Froshs office declined to share the full contents of the note, citing Mosbys ongoing investigation into the two alternative suspects.
New UK prime minister Sishi Sunak is African. Not by birth but through his roots which historians trace to east Africa.

Sunaks father, Yashvir Sunak, was born and raised in colonial Kenya while his mother, Usha Sunak, was born in mainland Tanzania, then called Tanganyika. They migrated from east Africa with their families to the UK in the 1960s. His grandparents were born in Punjab, India.

Read more

According to London-based historian Levin Opiyo, Sunaks grandfather Ram Dass married Suhag Rani in the 1930s and began making plans to migrate to Kenya at a time when the colonial government needed skilled workers in a country where most Africans lacked formal education to be hired.



As the government strived to address the situation by encouraging Africans to attend mission schools, it sought a temporary solutionencouraging skilled Indians to migrate to Kenya to fill the gap, Opiyo writes. Indians would later dominate Kenyas middle class, with their number rising to 150,000 by the end of World War l.

Sunaks grandfather sailed to east Africa in search of new opportunities

Dass, Opiyo writes, bought a one way ticket to Kenya, boarded a ship which set sail for Mombasa. He then took a train to Nairobi, over 400 kms away, where he began working as a casual laborer while studying accounting.

Soon he got a job in the office of chief secretary in Nairobi as a clerk. Two years later, in 1937, as soon as he was settled, Dass invited his wife to join him in Nairobi. They were blessed with six children three girls and three boys. One of the boys was Yashvir (Sunaks father), Opiyo writes.

While Yashvirs sisters went to advance their education in India, he and his male siblings were sent to study in the UK. Yashvir started his O-level studies in 1966 in Liverpool before proceeding to do medicine and graduating in 1974 and becoming a general practitioner.

Story continues

In 1972, Sunaks mother Usha, who was born in Tanzania to a tax official from Punjab graduated with a degree in pharmacy from Aston University. The two were introduced to each other by friends and married in 1977 in Leicester. They were blessed with three children among them Sunak, the new British prime minister, Opiyo writes. Sunak was born in Southampton in 1980.

Another Obama moment

When he became prime minister on Oct. 25, some citizens in Kenya and Tanzania, especially those of Indian descent were proud to see a man whose parents were born and raised in their territory take over UKs top political office. Their hope is that he will strengthen diplomatic ties and advocate for minorities, but this optimism should be tempered by the fact that he is part of the conservative party whose policies have not always favored these groups. Enthusiasm remains nonetheless.

Its another Obama moment for us. We pride ourselves in seeing him steering UKs rocky boat back to stability, Julia Onyango, a fishmonger based in Kisumu, a city located 58 kms from former US president Barack Obamas KOgalo village where his father was born, tells Quartz. However, none of Sunaks relatives live in Kenya currently.

Facebook user Abdi Yufuf wondered, So Kenya is the River Jordan where world leaders should cross to reach the promised land?

Patel Suri, a Tanzanian investor of Indian descent based in Dar es Salaam tells Quartz, Indians are smart people. You will find them playing the role of CEO in many Big Tech companies across the world. Rishi Sunak is no different. He is intelligent and the right choice for prime minister at this point of the political and economic challenges.



More from Quartz

Sign up for Quartz's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
A potential robbery was thwarted in Indiana by three apartment residents who fought back against the intruder, Indiana police say.

Police in Kokomo said officers found the 18-year-old suspect being held at gunpoint by three residents of the apartment around 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27.

The suspect, the residents told officers, was wearing a ski mask when he entered their apartment and pulled a gun on them. But the residents grabbed the suspect and fought him until the gun was knocked out of his hand, police said.

As the residents were fighting with the suspect, he managed to pull a second gun out, according to a news release. The gun went off during the struggle, but it did not strike anyone, police said.

One of the apartment residents got his own gun and held the 18-year-old at gunpoint until officers arrived, police said in the news release.

The suspect, who suffered multiple facial injuries from the residents fighting back, was arrested and charged with burglary, according to police.

After being hospitalized for his injuries, he was taken to the Howard County Criminal Justice Center.

Kokomo is about 60 miles north of Indianapolis.

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Jerry Lee Lewis, the last originator of rock n roll, has died in his home Desoto County, Miss., at age 87. His death was erroneously reported by TMZ on Oct. 26, but the outlet quickly retracted that story, apologizing and explaining that it had been misled by someone claiming to represent the musician. On the morning of Oct. 28, news of Lewiss passing was confirmed by his publicist, Zach Farnum of 117 Group.

According to Farnum and Lewis biographer Rick Bragg, Lewiss seventh wife, Judith, who was by Lewiss side as he passed, said, He is ready to leave.  He said he was ready to be with Jesus. Lewis had been reportedly battling the flu and had been unable to attend his Oct. 19 Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony, as stated in a Facebook post on his official page that day. Lewiss longtime friend Kris Kristofferson accepted the honor on Lewiss behalf and brought the award to Lewiss bedside.

Jerry Lee Lewis, who went by the nickname The Killer, was born Sept. 29, 1935, in Ferriday, La. He began playing music at age 10, after his parents Elmo and Mamie mortgaged their farm to buy him a piano, and attended piano lessons with two of his cousins, fellow future stars Mickey Gilley and Jimmy Swaggart. After gigging around Louisiana and Mississippi during the dawning era of rock n roll, he got his big break in 1955 when he traveled to Memphis to audition for Sun Records. (Sun Records founder Sam Phillips would later declare Lewis the most talented person he had ever seen.) With that seminal label, Lewis began not only recording as a solo artist but also working as a session musician for other artists on the Sun roster like Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins. Lewis was the last surviving member of Sun Records' Million Dollar Quartet and the album Class of '55, which also included Cash, Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Elvis Presley.

Lewiss dynamic, boogie-woogie playing style (which often involved him pounding the keys with his fists, elbows, feet, and backside and kicking over his piano bench) and wild-eyed, bad-boy persona established the Killer as an architect of early rock n roll, alongside the likes of Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Presley, and he influenced countless rock pianists who followed him. In a 2013 interview, Elton John said that before he discovered Lewis, the piano playing that I had heard had been more sedate. My dad collected George Shearing records, but this was the first time I heard someone beat the shit out of a piano. When I saw Little Richard at the Harrow Granada, he played it standing up, but Jerry Lee Lewis actually jumped on the piano! This was astonishing to me, that people could do that. Those records had such a huge effect on me, and they were just so great. I learned to play like that.

Story continues

Lewiss first big solo success for Sun Records came in 1957 with the top three Billboard hits Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (which was selected for permanent preservation in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in 2005) and Great Balls of Fire (which later inspired the title of his 1989 biopic starring Dennis Quaid and Winona Ryder). However, his career was derailed just a year later, during his first tour of the U.K., when journalist Ray Berry reported that Lewiss third wife, Myra Gale Brown (the daughter of Lewiss bassist uncle, J.W. Brown), who was accompanying Lewis on the trip, was 13 years old and his first cousin once removed. Lewis was 22 at the time. The scandalous news generated an immediate backlash: The U.K. tour was canceled after only three shows, and back in America, Lewiss records were widely banned from the radio. Myra, who was portrayed by Ryder in Great Balls of Fire, remained married to Lewis until 1970, when she filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery and abuse.

Despite these setbacks, Lewis kept trying to reboot this career and gain a new audience in the 60s and 70s. He stayed with Sun Records until 1963 and then signed to Smash Records that year, returning to the U.K. for the first time since the scandal. His live album from that period, 1964s Live at the Star Club (recorded at the famed nightclub Hamburg, Germany), is considered one of the greatest concert albums of all time. However, Lewiss Smash recordings were largely unsuccessful, so he leaned into his country roots and surprisingly reinvented himself.

Lewis scored a No. 4 country hit in 1968 with the Jerry Chesnut cover Another Place, Another Time, and between 1968 and 1977, he racked up 17 top 10 hit singles on the Billboard country chart, including four No. 1s. In 1969, Sun Records reissued many of Lewis's old country recordings to capitalize on the musicians unexpected newfound success, with one of his unreleased Sun tracks, One Minute Past Eternity, going to No. 2 on the country chart. Lewis played the Grand Ole Opry, which had turned him away in his pre-Sun Records days, for the first and only time in January 1973.

Lewis also scored two pop hits in the early 70s, Me and Bobby McGee and Chantilly Lace, the result of the publics growing nostalgia for vintage rock n roll. In 1986, he was one of the very first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; other members of the Halls inaugural Class of 86 included Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Robert Johnson, disc jockey Alan Freed, Presley and Phillips. In 2005, Lewis was also awarded a Lifetime Achievement Grammy.

Lewis continued to enjoy success and acclaim late in life. His 2006 duets album Last Man Standing  which featured collaborations with admirers and disciples like Jimmy Page, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Robbie Robertson, John Fogerty, Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Don Henley, and the Rolling Stones Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ron Wood  was his most successful full-length release, with more than 1 million copies sold worldwide. In 2013, he opened his own club on Beale Street in Memphis, and in 2014, he released his autobiography Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story, written with Bragg. Lewiss last studio album was 2014s Rock & Roll Time, although in March 2020 it was announced that he was working with renowned producer T Bone Burnett on album of gospel covers  his first time in a recording studio following a 2019 stroke. Burnett co-produced the 2022 documentary Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind, which was directed by Ethan Coen.

Jerry Lee Lewis performs onstage at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts on Nov. 17, 2018 in Cerritos, Calif. (Photo: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

Jerry Lee Lewis is survived by his wife, Judith Coghlan Lewis; his children, Jerry Lee Lewis III, Ronnie Lewis, Phoebe Lewis, and Lori Lancaster; his sister ,Linda Gail Lewis; his cousin, Jimmy Swaggart; and many grandchildren, nieces ,and nephews. Services and more information will be announced in the following days. In lieu of flowers, the Lewis family requests donations be made in his honor to the Arthritis Foundation or MusiCares.

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Former President Donald Trumps longtime ally and dirty trickster political operative Roger Stone warned Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that it would be treachery to run against Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Stone insisted in his post on the right-wing Telegram social media platform that Trump has made every indication that hes running for president in 2024  even though hes made no such announcement.

If DeSantis launches a bid against Trump to be the Republican candidate, it would be the most stunning act of ingratitude and treachery in the history of American politics, Stone said in his post.

He insisted Trumps endorsement of DeSantis in his race to become Florida governor in 2019 MADE Ron DeSanctimonius Governor. Stone ended his message with the hashtag ingrate.

Roger Stone puts Florida Gov. Rob DeSantis on notice. (Photo: Screen Shot/Telegram/Roger Stone)

Roger Stone puts Florida Gov. Rob DeSantis on notice. (Photo: Screen Shot/Telegram/Roger Stone)

Stone threatened DeSantis late last year that if he refused to promise to serve out another term as governor and not run for president in 2024, Stone would challenge him in a gubernatorial campaign.

DeSantis refused on Monday to commit to serving a full four-year term if reelected when he was pressed in a debate by Democratic rival Charlie Crist. Its too late now for Stone to launch a gubernatorial campaign; the race will be decided Nov. 8.

Despite his invective about DeSantis, it can be difficult to track Stones loyalties from moment to moment. He has been captured on videotape viciously attacking Trump on Joe Bidens Inauguration Day after Stone failed to win a preemptive pardon from the former president for his activities linked to last years U.S. Capitol riot. (He also blasted daughter Ivanka Trump as an abortionist bitch.)

He also called Trump the greatest single mistake in American history for betraying insurrectionists in footage released by a Danish documentary, A Storm Foretold. He said in a conversation to an unknown person on his cellphone that Trump has to go. Run again! Youll get your fucking brains beat in, Stone added on tape, imagining what he would say to Trump.

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Footage from Jan 20 2021. Stone supports impeaching Trump:Run again youll get your fucking brains beat in. pic.twitter.com/HDiCaehRg7  Christoffer Guldbrandsen (@cguld) October 15, 2022

For now, however, Stone is trying to clear the field of potential rivals in the event Trump announces a run for the presidency. Trump is doing the same, also using a disloyalty attack. He said in a Fox radio interview last week that a race against him by former Vice President Mike Pence  or any other member of his Cabinet  would be very disloyal.

Trump is holding a rally in Miami two days before the midterm elections next month and so far hasnt invited DeSantis.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
NEW YORK 

It was an inside job.

A hacker who hammered the New York Post with at least a half-dozen racist, misogynist and extremist headlines under the papers red banner on Thursday actually worked at the tabloid.

The New York Posts investigation indicates the unauthorized conduct was committed by an employee, and we are taking appropriate action, the paper said in a statement. We immediately removed the vile and reprehensible content from our website and social media accounts.

The hacker was fired, according to the Post.

The bogus articles claimed GOP gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin was going to commit a horrid sex act on Democratic Gov. Hochul, and that Republican governor of Texas Greg Abbott was authorizing the slaughter of undocumented immigrants. They were quickly taken down from the tabloids website.

The hacker also infiltrated the Posts Twitter feed, linking to fake Post articles about Zeldin making racist statements targeting Mayor Eric Adams and an unhinged opinion piece calling for the assassination of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, another Democrat.

The fake headlines and tweets shocked readers of the right-leaning Post and brought immediate denunciations from Adams and Gov. Hochul.

These vile, racist and sexist comments have no place in public discourse, even by those unlawfully hacking a Twitter account, said mayoral spokesman Fabien Levy.

Hochul campaign spokesman Jerrel Harvey demanded an immediate explanation into how this reprehensible content was made public.

The New York Post has long fostered an ugly, toxic conversation on their front pages and social accounts, but these posts are more disgusting and vile than usual, Harvey said. While the Post has made its preferences very clear in the New York governors race, there is no room for this violent, sexist rhetoric in our politics. We demand answers.

Local elected officials called for a probe into what occurred.

Violence against women and female politicians is a global issue, tweeted Rep. Adriano Espaillat, a Manhattan Democrat. It is dangerous and reckless to promote femicide. I am calling for an investigation into this series of social media posts targeting @KathyHochul @AOC from your account. Now!


Port Hueneme police said an illegal gambling machine was recently seized during a warrant search at a smoke shop.

Here's a roundup of recent incidents and announcements from Ventura County agencies:

Alleged gambling at smoke shop under investigation

PORT HUENEME  Authorities in Port Hueneme seized an alleged illegal gambling machine during a warrant search at a smoke shop this month.

Detectives with the Port Hueneme Police Department learned of possible illicit gambling at the Cali Cloud Smoke Shop in early September, the agency said. The business is at 261 E. Hueneme Road.

Authorities saw an illegal gambling room inside the shop, including a so-called "machina." The standalone machines with playing stations are not that same as a typical six-button arcade game, which has a different physical layout, according to police.

The machine at the shop was an illegal video gaming device with stations for two players, said Scott Matalon, spokesman for the police department.

On Oct. 14, police detectives and officers served a search warrant at the business.

They reportedly found two people in a back room using the gambling machine.

Port Hueneme police said they are investigating alleged illegal gambling involving a video gaming machine in a local smoke shop.

Detectives seized the large machine as well as illegal tobacco products and about $2,500 cash related to illegal gambling, officials said.

As of Thursday, no arrests had been made, Matalon said. The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Baltazar Tapia at 805-986-6619 or btapia@cityofporthueneme.org.

Medical fatality on hiking trail

VENTURA COUNTY  A Malibu man reportedly died of a medical emergency while hiking with a group in open space around Newbury Park on Wednesday.

Ventura County firefighters responded around 4:42 p.m. to a trail area near Angel Vista. The hilly area is generally south of Lynn Road, with some terrain in Thousand Oaks city limits and some in the unincorporated county.

A Ventura County Sheriff's helicopter crew responded to transport the hiker, said sheriff's Capt. Trina Newman

But the hiker, later identified as a 62-year-old Malibu resident, died at the scene.

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The cause appeared to be medical and there was no indication of suspicious activity, Newman said.

On Thursday evening, the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office said the cause of death was atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. The manner was determined to be natural.

Bank robbery suspect photos released

A surveillance image shows the female suspect in a robbery Wednesday at a U.S. Bank branch in Simi Valley.

SIMI VALLEY  The Simi Valley Police Department released surveillance images Thursday showing a woman suspected of a bank robbery on Wednesday.

One photo shows the suspect wearing a gray hoodie, dark face mask and black gloves as she walks into the U.S. Bank branch at 1445 E. Los Angeles Ave. shortly before 11 a.m. A second image shows her standing at a teller's window.

No one was injured and no weapons were seen during the incident.

Police say the woman fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Chris Lam at 805-583-6959.

Simi Valley police have released surveillance images of a woman suspected of robbing a U.S. Bank branch on Wednesday.

Couple arrested for alleged theft of relief funds

FILLMORE  A married couple in Fillmore has been charged in connection with an alleged fraud scheme that resulted in nearly $100,000 being stolen from COVID-19 relief grant funding, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, which is contracted to provide police services in Fillmore.

One suspect, a 49-year-old Fillmore woman, faces felony charges for grand theft, fraudulent claims, false personation of another and conspiracy. Her husband, a 52-year-old Fillmore man, was charged with one count of felony conspiracy.

The charges stem from a purported scheme developed for their business, Fillmore General Services, which informed clients they qualified for COVID-19 relief grants at both the county and state level.

Authorities allege the company doctored tax documents to increase gross income and submitted fraudulent business certificates in order to receive grant funding for businesses that would not have normally qualified. The company also received a fee for each client that applied for funding using fraudulent documents.

Sheriff's investigators say the business got about $95,000 using the scheme. The fraudulent documents were submitted between June 2020 and November 2021, officials allege.

On Oct. 20, both suspects were arrested and booked into county jail with bail set at $50,000 each. The Ventura County District Attorney's Office filed charges the same day. Both suspects have since been released on bond and are due to be arraigned on Nov. 3.

Anyone who may be a victim or has additional information is asked to call Detective Sgt. Jason Cantrall at 805-384-4744.

Rx takeback Saturday in Simi Valley

SIMI VALLEY  The Simi Valley Police Department will host a prescription drug take-back day on Saturday so residents can dispose of expired, unused and unwanted medication.

The event will be held at the Simi Valley police station, 3901 Alamo St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The department is collaborating with the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Residents can drop off prescription medication, chemotherapy drugs, over-the-counter pills, liquids, creams and pet medications.

All solid medications should be emptied into a clear plastic bag that can be sealed shut. Pill bottles and containers should have personal information removed and can be recycled at home. Liquid, gel and cream medications can be left in their original containers.

Not all medical items will be taken. Officials won't accept intravenous bags or solutions, oxygen tanks, inhalers, thermometers, nebulizer machines and sharp objects.

For more information, call 805-583-6917. Messages will be returned.

Jeremy Childs is a general assignment reporter covering courts, crime and breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at 805-437-0208, jeremy.childs@vcstar.com, and on Twitter @Jeremy_Childs.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Port Hueneme authorities seize alleged illegal gambling machine
Simi Valley police say a fatality on Yosemite Avenue Tuesday morning likely resulted from a medical condition rather than a crash.

Here's a roundup of recent incidents and announcements from Ventura County agencies:

Victim in Simi fatality identified

SIMI VALLEY  Authorities have identified a Simi Valley man who was found dead after his car hit a tree Tuesday morning in what police believe was a medical incident.

The driver was identified as Brian McDowell, 65, of Simi Valley, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office. The cause and manner of death remained pending Friday, but Simi Valley police said it was likely he died from a medical event rather than the crash.

The accident took place shortly after 7:40 a.m. along northbound Yosemite Avenue near Cottonwood Drive, according to police.

McDowell was driving a silver Volkswagen sedan when he got into a low-speed crash and hit a tree in the center divider. He was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no other occupants in the car.

The incident closed Yosemite Avenue for hours as police investigated.

Man convicted in Ventura stabbing

VENTURA  A Ventura man was convicted Thursday of stabbing another man in a convenience store last year, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

Tyler James Clark

Jurors found Tyler James Clark, 34, guilty of felony assault with a deadly weapon, a misdemeanor hate crime threat and misdemeanor resisting a police officer. The jury also found true the special allegation that the assault caused great bodily injury.

Clark had also been charged with felony criminal threats and the special allegation that the incident was a hate crime, but he was found not guilty of the charge and the jury hung on the special allegation.

The stabbing took place around 10:30 p.m. on May 5, 2021, at a Circle K store at 1001 S. Petit Ave. in east Ventura.

The victim had been shopping inside with his girlfriend when he was approached by Clark, who yelled at him to leave the store and used a racial slur. A store clerk broke up the confrontation and the victim left the business.

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Outside, Clark approached the victim while holding a knife. He stabbed the victim and hit him with a skateboard before fleeing. The victim was hospitalized and Clark was arrested later that night.

Clark is due to be sentenced at 9 a.m. on Dec. 14 in room 46 of Ventura County Superior Court. He faces a maximum sentence of 16 years in state prison, prosecutors said.

Moorpark burglary suspects arrested

VENTURA COUNTY  Two men who were recently arrested in Orange County are suspected of attempting a burglary in Moorpark earlier this year, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

The burglary attempt occurred on Aug. 5 in the 15500 block of Doris Court. The two suspects fled the home without taking any property when they learned the owner was still inside, authorities said. The men were believed to be part of a so-called South American Theft Group.

Over the following weeks, detectives identified both suspects as Chilean nationals. On Oct. 21, authorities learned the suspects were involved in an alleged vehicle burglary in Mission Viejo.

Deputies with the Orange County Sheriff's Office arrested the two men along with two other associates, also from Chile, who are suspected of belonging to the same theft group. All four were booked into custody.

The two accused of the Moorpark crime are expected to be transported to Ventura County to face charges, authorities said.

Oxnard police make two drug sales arrests

Items seized during a drug sales investigation in Oxnard on Thursday.

OXNARD  The Oxnard Police Department arrested two men Thursday after they were suspected of selling drugs, with one accused of doing so near an elementary school.

Police began investigating reports of the suspect, a 40-year-old Oxnard man, of selling drugs near a school in the Cal-Gisler neighborhood.

On Thursday, detectives detained the man during a traffic stop and reportedly found him to be in possession of methamphetamine, cash and other evidence of drug sales.

The passenger, a 30-year-old Oxnard man, had an outstanding felony warrant for drug sales. Both suspects were arrested on suspicion of narcotics violations and booked into county jail.

Items may be updated.

Jeremy Childs is a general assignment reporter covering courts, crime and breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at 805-437-0208, jeremy.childs@vcstar.com, and on Twitter @Jeremy_Childs.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: Simi crash victim named, 2021 Ventura stabbing conviction
The experience of COVID lockdowns and border closures over the past couple of years has given many Americans a newfound appreciation for the privilege of international travel. This summer, the tourism industry saw a huge rebound in the form of revenge travel to far-off places.

Unfortunately, Americans dont have the best reputation as tourists abroad. But that doesnt mean you have to add to the ugly American stereotype as you reenter the international travel game.

It is imperative to avoid an egocentric view of the world while traveling, travel blogger Rocky Trifari told HuffPost. You should always mind your manners abroad because etiquette can differ from one country to the next.

Though the intricacies and nuances of every culture may feel intimidating, there are some fundamental etiquette principles that can guide each trip. An easy way to approach etiquette abroad is to think about what not to do.

With that in mind, we asked etiquette experts and travel professionals to share some common rude behaviors theyve observed from tourists in foreign countries and lend their advice for avoiding these faux pas.

While specific etiquette rules may differ around the world, good manners is universal, said Nick Leighton, an etiquette expert and co-host of the Were You Raised by Wolves? podcast. Treating people with kindness and respect translates into every language.

Assuming Everyone Will Speak English

Do not presume that everyone you encounter will speak English, said Jodi R.R. Smith, president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting. Know a few phrases in the local language. Do not speak louder hoping that the other person will suddenly understand you.

Before your trip, try to learn a bit of the local language and customs to ensure a more pleasant experience.

Whether youre in a restaurant or shop, saying thank you and please in the local language can go a long way, said Jessica van Dop DeJesus, founder and editor at The Dining Traveler. I also love using Google Translate to communicate while traveling. Its a great tool to bridge communication in a foreign country. I recently traveled to Japan, and being able to write what I needed in Japanese at restaurants helped me get around much better.

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Not Doing Your Research

Youll have a better time if you know what to expect, so best to brush up on the local etiquette rules before you set sail, Leighton said. These etiquette rules are definitely not a secret, and theres virtually no corner of the globe that hasnt been covered online somewhere. Just look it up!

You can avoid awkward or frustrating situations by just doing a little research before your trip.

Learning about a cultures etiquette is part of the fun of travel, and youll have a richer travel experience if you fully participate, Leighton added. A few fun international tips: Dont cheers with beer in Hungary, be sure to say bonjour when entering a shop in France and always hand out your business card with two hands in Japan.

Being Loud And Rowdy

One of the things I see a lot, especially living in Europe, is U.S. citizens speaking loudly on the phone, and the whole restaurant or bar can hear the conversation, van Dop DeJesus noted.

Avoid adding to negative stereotypes about Americans by taking phone calls outside or being mindful of your volume, especially while youre speaking English. Try to avoid making noise in other ways, like slamming car doors or stomping around.

Practice vocal level control, Abbott echoed. It doesnt matter your age, be it youth to well-seasoned, thou shalt not yell or be obnoxious in any way no matter how tired you are, no matter what everybody else is doing, no matter how much alcohol youve had.

She also urged against drinking too much alcohol in a foreign country.

This isnt just about turning into that proverbial ugly American but also about the increased risk of turning into just another visiting foreigner victim, Abbott said, noting that drunk tourists are often targets for petty crime. You would do well both in proper etiquette and keeping yourself out of bad situations to dial it back a bit on the alcohol if youre so inclined.

Different cultures have different standards for tipping at restaurants, so do your research ahead of time.

Different cultures have different standards for tipping at restaurants, so do your research ahead of time.

Ignoring Local Tipping Culture

Know that tipping varies greatly around the world, Smith said. Some countries thrive on tips while others will find a tip insulting.

If you dont know the tipping protocol in another country, do your research or ask a trusted source to find out the cultural norms before ordering a meal at a restaurant there. Although tipping is standard practice in the U.S., that isnt the case everywhere.

Under most circumstances, it would be considered rude to pay for a meal without leaving a supplemental tip in the U.S., Trifari said. In some countries, a tip is only left for exceptional service. It can be a token amount, perhaps one or two dollars in the local currency, if the service is outstanding. In other places, leaving a tip may even be perceived as offensive.

Forgetting Youre A Visitor

Perhaps the best way to make sure you are a respectful traveler is by having the mindset that youre just a visitor in a foreign land, Lau said. Youre not there to change things or to do things the way you would do them at home. Youre there to experience the local culture and learn about new customs.

Rather than insisting things be done your preferred way or complaining about unfamiliar experiences, be polite and humble.

Dont expect that a whole country is going to adapt to you, said Claire Summers, the travel blogger behind Claires Itchy Feet. Ive seen so many tourists with an extreme sense of entitlement, and its so uncomfortable to witness. So rather than getting frustrated and demanding, try taking a breath and adapting to a slower pace for a while. Who knows, you may like it!

Think of yourself as a guest in a strangers home. And remember that your behavior reflects on yourself and the U.S. as a whole.

The beginning and end of proper behavior, be it in the U.S. or most other countries popularly visited by U.S. citizens, be respectful, be gracious and keep in mind that you are ambassadors of this fine country, Abbott said.

Failing To Adhere To Facial And Spatial Norms

Smith emphasized that cultural differences often manifest in faces and spaces, so do your best to understand the norms around things like eye contact and personal bubbles.

Some countries have smiles at the ready while others only smile with their nearest and dearest, she explained. Eye contact is also culturally specific. The more egalitarian cultures tend to have more eye contact. The more rigid cultures tend to have less eye contact.

Trifari recommended thinking about common gestures or movements like nodding as well.

In Athens, I learned that Greeks typically do not nod or shake their heads to communicate the same way Americans are accustomed to, he said. In Greece, this gesture can be considered impolite. To indicate no, Greeks tilt the head backward once; nodding the head forward to signal yes. If you find yourself uncertain, using the local language to communicate yes or no can help avoid any confusion or fears of sending the wrong message.

Don't forget you're a visitor in a foreign land, so there might be different norms around things like greetings, personal space and more.

Don't forget you're a visitor in a foreign land, so there might be different norms around things like greetings, personal space and more.

The typical amount of touch and distance between people in public places can also vary.

Many cooler climates tend to have larger body-space bubbles, whereas many warmer climates tend to have smaller body-space bubbles, Smith explained. Even standing in line is culturally specific. Pay careful attention to how others queue before taking your place.

Dressing Disrespectfully

Travelers need to make sure they wear something appropriate for the religious sites, Lauderdale noted. We all want to look our best on vacation, but something revealing might not be welcomed in a religious place of worship.

In addition to preparing for different temperatures, take respect for local culture into account when you pack for your trip. Your favorite sneakers, fanny packs and sleeveless shirts might not be the right attire every step of the way. And even if youre going somewhere very hot, try to pack at least one outfit that provides more cover (in a lightweight, breathable fabric).

Know what to wear. There are places, from religious sites to entire countries, where modesty is required, Smith said. Some locations also dress for dinner. This may require formal or semi-formal attire as well as the requisite footwear.

And on the subject of clothing, make sure you familiarize yourself with the rules around shoes when you enter someones home or certain establishments. In many cultures, theres an expectation that guests will remove their shoes at the door.

Behaving Improperly At Sacred Sites

In addition to dressing respectfully while visiting religious sites and other places of deep significance to locals, youll want to show reverence in your behavior. You may not be familiar with the traditions and culture surrounding the religion in question, but always err on the side of being quiet and courteous of others.

Temples, churches and other places of worship are usually very beautiful and grandiose, which leads to many travelers wanting to capture the perfect photo, Lauderdale said. However, when doing so, you could be interfering with people praying or other religious ceremonies.

Bargaining Incorrectly

Because you are in a foreign country, you might exhibit rude behaviors or faux pas without knowing. One of the most common ones is actually bargaining, Lau said.

Of course, many countries and cities have marketplaces where negotiating over prices is the norm, but that isnt true everywhere. And even if it is, the rules can vary. As always, do your research.

Bargaining can be disrespectful, especially if you are in a place where bargaining is not acceptable, Lau explained. But even in places where bargaining is acceptable, you can still anger the locals by bargaining incorrectly. If the vendor tells you a price and you respond by low-balling him, he might be insulted and kick you out of his shop.

Not Following Time Norms

Different cultures carry different expectations for timing and scheduling. Smith explained that some places follow more linear notions of time, while others are more circular or cyclical, for instance.

Linear cultures tend to keep careful time, Smith said. It is important that you are right on time  or early  for reservations or gatherings. Circular cultures tend to be time fluid. When making plans, the timing is more of a suggestion than the rule.

Greeting People Rudely

Greeting a friend can look very different depending on which part of the world you are in, Trifari said. Cultural differences can result in a warm welcome being perceived as cold, rigid or otherwise inappropriate.

Indeed, certain gestures or movements that indicate one thing in the U.S. might have a very different meaning in other countries.

In the Netherlands, it is considered rude to shout a greeting from afar, Trifari explained. The Dutch are modest people, and ostentatious behavior is frowned upon. When greeting someone from a distance, it is better to wave.

In some places, friends and acquaintances might greet one another with a smile or friendly nod, while in others, people might greet with a kiss or two on the cheek.

As Trifari noted, knowing what to do  whether you shake their hand, bow, offer them a hug or walk together holding hands  can help to avoid an awkward situation for both parties by knowing what the other person may expect.

Related...
Russia short of troops, mobilized badly trained, equipped, incapable of offensive moves

Read also: Russia losing, trying to freeze war at any cost, says Polands Duda

Because of an extremely low level of manning, Russia has likely augmented its units in Kherson Oblast with mobilised reservists, the message reads.

Read also: Putin's speech at Valdai further proves Russias war as genocide against Ukrainians  ISW

UK intelligence noted a Russian unit that was supposed to have 100 people had only from six to eight people in Kherson Oblast in September.

"In the last six weeks there has been a clear move from Russian ground forces to transition to a long-term, defensive posture on most areas of the front line in Ukraine. This is likely due to a more realistic assessment that the severely undermanned, poorly trained force in Ukraine is currently only capable of defensive operations," the report reads.

Read also: Russia recruiting murder and rape convicts for war against Ukraine, says General Staff

According to the UK's intelligence report, even if Russia's defensive plan succeeds, its operational design will remain weak. "To regain the initiative, it will need to regenerate higher quality, mobile forces which are capable of dynamically countering Ukrainian breakthroughs and conducting their own large-scale offensive operations," the intelligence added.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskyy

According to Zelenskyy, Russia is destroying the healthcare system in occupied Ukrainian territories, as Russian troops are looting medical equipment and ambulances, and forcing doctors to relocate to Russia.

Read also: Russia mobilizes convicted murderers, withdraws occupation administration from Kherson

Russia makes Kherson a zone without civilization, without basic amenities, available in most countries of the world, said Zelenskyy.

Before Russia came here, this region, like all other oblasts of Ukraine, was nice and safe, people had access to social services there... life itself was a guaranteed right. And now Russia is literally trying to turn Kherson Oblast into an exclusion zone.

Read also: Russia moves Kherson administration to Dnipros east bank

Zelenskyy asked residents of temporarily occupied territories to do everything to help one another. The president added that Ukraine will liberate its territories, but it is necessary to endure while even the invaders themselves confirm they cannot hold this Ukrainian territory, and so they are trying to steal medical equipment and relocate medical personnel.

Read also: Russian invaders leaving grocery store shelves in occupied Kherson empty, reports local media

According to an earlier report from Ukraines Operational Command South, Moscow is working on several options as to their strategy in southern Ukraine.

They could leave some forces to try and hold the right bank (of Dnipro River), Operational Command South spokesperson Nataliya Humeniuk said.

Read also: Russia moves Kherson administration to Dnipros east bank

But the fact that they are preparing to defend at the left bank is also quite telling.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A church in Kherson contained a grave to Potemkin (Public Domain)

Russian forces have removed the remains of Grigory Potemkin, a Russian statesman, from his grave in Ukraine.

A Moscow-backed governor claimed the move was to protect one of their national icons during a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the city of Kherson, where he was buried.

Ukraines troops have been pushing ahead with efforts to reclaim the southern Kherson region and its capital, captured by Russian troops in the first days of the invasion.

More than 70,000 residents around the city have evacuated in recent days, the regions Kremlin-installed governor, Vladimir Saldo, said on Thursday.

Members of the Russia-backed regional administration also fled, deputy governor Kirill Stremousov said.

In recent days, monuments to Russian heroes have been moved. This includes the remains of Potemkin, the general who founded Kherson and led the annexation of Crimea in the 18th century by the Russian Empire.

The princes remains were kept in the citys St. Catherines Church.

Monuments to Russias 18th-century military chiefs Alexander Suvorov and Fyodor Ushakov have also been removed from Kherson.

Ukrainian and Russian troops have been fighting for control of Kherson (Getty Images)

Both Ukraine and Russia have been preparing for what could be a key battle for control for the area in the south.

Ukrainian forces have been surrounding the city from the west. They attacked Russias foothold on the west of the Dnieper River, which divides the region and the country, on Thursday.

Its military claimed its forces in Kherson had killed 44 Russian servicemen in 24 hours, and destroyed an ammunition depot and a hangar with equipment.

Ukrainian troops have been preparing for a counter-offensive to capture Kherson (EPA)

However, Ukrainian officials have said tough terrain and bad weather had held up their main advance in Kherson.

Russian forces shelled Ukrainian positions along the line of contact and built fortifications, particularly on the east bank of the Dnipro, the Ukrainian military said on Thursday.

Kherson is one of four regions in Ukraine that Russia declared part of its territory last month.

Both Ukraine and world leaders have refused to recognise the annexation, claiming it followed sham elections.

Additional reporting by agencies
UKRAINSKA PRAVDA  FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2022, 12:23

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev has apologised to readers for an article by his assistant Alexey Pavlov in "Argumenty i Fakty", where he called one of the Hasidic movements, Chabad-Lubavitch, a sect [Argumenty i Fakty is a Russian weekly newspaper, owned by the Government of Moscow - ed.].

Source: Russian Kremlin-aligned TV news outlet RBC, citing Patrushev's letter

Quote from Patrushev: "I apologise to the readers of the publication and would like to point out that this interpretation reflects Pavlovs personal point of view and is by no means the official position of the Security Council of the Russian Federation."

Details: Patrushev said that Pavlov's words about members of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in the article about religion in Ukraine were false. He added that "appropriate measures have been taken" regarding the author of the article.

Earlier, Chief Rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar, commenting on the article by the assistant secretary of the Security Council, noted that Lubavitch Hasidim and the Chabad religious movement are not a sect, but a legitimate School of Judaism. He also said that Pavlov's arguments offend "millions of Jewish believers, including the vast majority of Russian Jews."

Background: In the same article in "Argumenty i Fakty", Pavlov said that Ukraine should be "desatanised" because it has turned into a "totalitarian hypersect", where citizens have abandoned Orthodox values.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Russians

Russian men are looking to potential scammers on the application Telegram to purchase fake HIV diagnoses to avoid the Russian draft.

LGBTQ Nation reported that the groups contain tens of thousands of users and offer transportation to bordering countries in addition to work and housing. The falsified HIV and hepatitis diagnoses can be paid via Bitcoin and come alongside forged government documents and currency exchanges.

The fake diagnoses come in the wake of the September 21 announcement from Russias anti-LGBTQ president Vladimir Putin ordering 300,000 male citizens to aid in his ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

An anonymous seller told the global tech website Rest of World, At the moment, the most effective way [to avoid being drafted into the Russian military] is to get a certificate that you have HIV or hepatitis.

He added, Vendors offered HIV diagnoses that would be added to the Ministry of Healths database, rendering someone as unfit for military service, for $620. A diagnosis of hepatitis goes for $820. The difference in price comes from the higher risk for buyers to be deceived or confirm whether any of the offered services are genuine.

Reports also indicate private military companies working for Russia are conscripting HIV-positive prisoners and imprisoned individuals with hepatitis C to fight in their war.

A recently passed law reported by The Guardian shows that dodging the Russian draft is punishable by up to 10 years in prison among other penalties. On the heels of that, Putin issued a speech in October stating the war was necessary to stop Western countries from forcing LGBTQ perversions on Russian children.

During the attacks on Ukraine, Putins soldiers have also reportedly been attacking and torturing civilians with especially cruel treatment being placed upon LGBTQ+ Ukrainians.

U.S. President Joe Biden has supported Ukraine with weaponry and billions in financial aid, but political observers worry that such contributions may end if Republicans take Congress following the November 2022 midterm elections.
BAKHMUT, Ukraine (AP)  Russian soldiers pummeling a city in eastern Ukraine with artillery are slowly edging closer in their attempt to seize Bakhmut, which has remained in Ukrainian hands during the eight-month war despite Moscow's goal of capturing the entire Donbas region bordering Russia.

While much of the fighting in the last month has unfolded in southern Ukraine's Kherson region, the battle heating up around Bakhmut demonstrates Russian President Vladimir Putin's desire for visible gains following weeks of clear setbacks in Ukraine.

Taking Bakhmut would rupture Ukraine's supply lines and open a route for Russian forces to press on toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, key Ukrainian strongholds in Donetsk province. Pro-Moscow separatists have controlled part of Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk province since 2014.

Before invading Ukraine, Putin recognized the independence of the Russian-backed separatists' self-proclaimed republics. Last month, he illegally annexed Donetsk, Luhansk and two other provinces that Russian forces occupied or mostly occupied.

Russia has battered Bakhmut with rockets for more than five months. The ground assault accelerated after its troops forced the Ukrainians to withdraw from Luhansk in July. The line of contact is now on the city's outskirts. Mercenaries from the Wagner Group, a shadowy Russian military company, are reported to be leading the charge.

Russias prolonged drive for Bakhmut exposes Moscows craziness, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a nightly address to the nation this week.

Day after day, for months, they have been driving people there to their deaths, concentrating the maximum power of artillery strikes there, Zelenskyy said.

The shelling killed at least three people between Wednesday and Thursday, according to local authorities. Four more died between Thursday and Friday in the Donetsk region, the province's Ukrainian governor reported as Russian troops press their attacks on Bakhmut and Avdiivka, a small city about 90 kilometers (55 miles) to the south that also remains under Ukrainian control

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Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said the civilian population was suffering in more ways with the region becoming an active war zone.

Civilians who remain in the region live in constant fear without heating and electricity, Kyrylenko said in televised remarks. Their enemy is not only Russian cannons but also the cold.

Russia needs a victory in Bakhmut given it is losing control over large swaths of the northeastern region of Kharkiv to a Ukrainian counteroffensive last month and its deteriorating position in Kherson. The areas were among the first the Russian military captured after the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Russias suffering defeats across the board. ... They need the optics of some kind of an offensive victory to assuage critics at home and to show the Russian public that this war is still going to plan, said Samuel Ramani, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a defense and security think tank based in London.

The Wagner Group has played a prominent role in the war, and human rights organizations have accused its soldiers for hire of committing atrocities. Their deployment around Bakhmut reflects the city's strategic important to Moscow. However, its unclear if the mercenaries have made many tangible gains, according to Ramani.

Were seeing a situation where the Wagner Group is quite effective at creating terror amongst the local residents but much less effective at actually capturing and holding territory, he said. At the very best theyre gaining 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) a week toward Bakhmut, he said.

While in the city this week, journalists from The Associated Press saw burned-out cars, destroyed buildings and people struggling to survive amid a cacophony of constant shelling. Bakhmut has been without electricity or water for a month, and residents worry about heating their homes as temperatures drop.

We hoped that this (war) would end or that we would have conditions that allow us to live. But since last month, conditions have been terrible," resident Leonid Tarasov said.

Few shops are open. The AP saw people using firewood to cook on the streets and drawing water from wells.

Bakhmut had a population of about 73,000 people before the war, but approximately 90% have left the city, according to Kyrylenko, the Donetsk region's governor.

Some of those who remained asked in recent days to be evacuated from areas that are now too dangerous for volunteers or soldiers to get to because of the fighting, Roman Zhylenkov a volunteer with the local aid group Vostok-SOS, said.

Others feel trapped.

People who left moved to stay with their children or brothers and sisters. They had places to go, Ilona Ierhilieieva said as she mixed soup on an open fire by the side of the road. But as for us, we dont have a place to go. Thats why we are here.

___

Mednick reported from Kyiv, Ukraine

___

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Sacheen Littlefeather speaks at the 45th Academy Awards. Bettmann/Getty Images

When Sacheen Littlefeather died on Oct. 2, 2022, obituaries reflecting on the actress and activists life held her up as a Native American trailblazer.

But there is serious issue with this assessment: A suspicion among those who knew her  myself included  that her claims to American Indian heritage were not what they seemed has developed into outright claims of falsehood. A report in the San Francisco Chronicle on Oct. 22 claims that Littlefeather was a fraud.

Written by author Jacqueline Keeler, whose running Alleged Pretendians list documents cases of Native American ethnic fraud, the article cites two of Littlefeathers sisters who say that their sibling lied about her heritage. Contrary to Littlefeathers half-century long claims, she has no White Mountain Apache or Yaqui heritage, according to the report.

The article has unleashed bitter online arguments, counter-articles and intense criticism of Keeler. In part, the reaction stems from calling out Littlefeathers alleged deception so soon after her death.

It also reflects the esteem many held Littlefeather in. Littlefeather skyrocketed to fame in 1973 when, based on her supposed Native American heritage, she rejected an Oscar for Marlon Brando in protest over the film industrys deplorable treatment of Native people. It cemented her position as persona non grata in Hollywood but made her a heroine to a new generation of American Indian people.

As a scholar who writes and teaches about American Indian cultural appropriation, I believe that scrutinizing Littlefeathers claim to Native identity is necessary. Pretendianism  the act of falsely claiming American Indian heritage  does real harm, and the case of Littlefeather may shed light on why people make such claims, and how they get away with it.

A narrative, unquestioned

I reviewed Keelers documentation before it was published, and in my opinion it is solid research. Keelers work also revealed numerous other apparent falsehoods by Littlefeather over the years, including her claims that she was at the 1969 to 1971 Alcatraz Island Occupation.

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The allegations of falsehood also resonate with my own experience of working with Littlefeather. In 2015, she asked me to ghostwrite a memoir with her on the back of the #OscarsSoWhite movement. I spent several days interviewing Littlefeather at her home in San Rafael, California, but was later informed that Littlefeather had decided to go in a different direction. During our conversations, Littlefeather offered no information about any family connections to the White Mountain Apache or Yaqui tribes.

I later warned the makers of a documentary film about my concerns about Littlefeathers claims to American Indian heritage but otherwise kept my suspicions largely to myself. The truth is, it never seemed acceptable to question Sacheen Littlefeathers identity  not now or not when she was alive. For generations, activists, writers and filmmakers who worked with her reflexively believed her assertions.

But here is the thing: The issue of Littlefeathers heritage has never been about questioning whatever good work she has done as an activist. It wasnt even about whether or not she had any Indigenous heritage at all. Given that her fathers family was from Mexico, there is a good chance that she had Indigenous ancestry from that country.

Rather, it raises questions about why she would invent a fictitious narrative, and why no one questioned it, at least publicly, during her lifetime.

The harm of pretendians

Littlefeather became a cultural icon in large part because she made a life playing to the Indian Princess stereotype, and she certainly looked the part. This was especially true during the Oscars incident, in which she adorned herself in full Native dress, for example, because it sent an unmistakable message about the image she was trying to portray. It should be noted that the outfit was not of traditional Apache or Yaqui design, nor was her hairstyle.

The stereotype Littlefeather embodied depended on non-Native people not knowing what they were looking at, or knowing what constitutes legitimate American Indian identity. There is a pattern that pretendians follow: They exploit peoples lack of knowledge about who American Indian people are by perpetuating ambiguity in a number of ways. Self-identification, or even DNA tests, for instance, obscure the fact that American Indians have not only a cultural relationship to a specific tribe and the United States but a legal one. Pretendians rarely can name any people they are related to in a Native community or in their family tree.

They also just blatantly lie. Pretendianism is particularly prevalent in entertainment, publishing and academia.

Littlefeather lived with a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, as she publicly disclosed shortly before she passed and as she had spoken in depth with me about. We cant say what role, if any, her condition may have played in her apparently false appropriation of Native heritage. But according to the Mayo Clinic, one of the hallmarks of the disorder is delusional thinking characterized by false fixed beliefs despite evidence to the contrary.

Its one thing when people indulge their fantasies about their supposed Indian heritage to make them sound more interesting at cocktail parties or to convince actual Native people that they are one of them. But its quite another when there are lucrative movie deals, publishing contracts, high-paying teaching jobs, big grants and business deals at stake based on advancing an American Indian image.

After all, it is illegal to ask job candidates about their ethnicity in public realms like universities, which helps explain why American Indian ethnic fraud appears to be so pervasive in academic institutions in the hiring of tenure track faculty and postdocs in American Indian studies departments and related fields. There is no way to properly vet peoples claims legally.

Harm is caused when resources and even jobs go to fakes instead of the people they were intended for.

The need for truth

To my knowledge, Sacheen Littlefeather did not make a lot of money perpetuating an Indian identity. And it is only fair to note that Littlefeather is no longer around to offer a defense or provide documentation, should she have it, that would disprove the claims of ethnic fraud.

But if we are to accept the words of her sisters  and based on my own experience with her, including photocopies of five years of a handwritten journal she gave me in which there is no indication of familial ties to any Apache, Yaqui or other tribal community  I can only conclude that she benefited from this fraud by achieving something she desperately desired, fame, and that a lot of people were duped in the process.

Deception cripples peoples ability to discern truth. And what is that if not a form of harm?

We may never know the reasons for Sacheen Littlefeathers fraud, if indeed it as that. What I do know is that I prefer the truth, even if it means I lose a hero.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Dina Gilio Whitaker, California State University San Marcos. Like this article? subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Dina Gilio Whitaker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Disingenuous is not a word normally associated with a South Dakota governor, but Kristi Noems sudden interest in repealing the sales tax on food fits the definition.

It shocked legislators and her onslaught of advertising saying she will repeal the sales tax belittles a legislature responsible for funding state government.

One has to wonder why Noem needed to make the nearly impossible promise to cut $106 million in ongoing revenue from the budget.

Is the election going that badly?

The first time I heard of it was from news reports of the (Sept. 28) news conference she held, said South Dakota Senate Pro Tempore Lee Schoenbeck. If you cut $106 million out of the budget you are going to close the nursing homes in our state, he explained.

Johnson

It is fiscally irresponsible and something people do when they are trying to set us up for an income tax, Schoenbeck said. She said as much in a videotaped interview back in March, and I agree with her about that.

It is perplexing. Noem should be coasting to re-election.

After all, registered Republicans are nearly half of South Dakotas voters while Democrats are about 25.7% and independents (which tend to vote more Republican) about 24%. Frugal Gov. Dennis Daugaard won his re-election with more than 70% of the vote.

A victory in excess of 60% should be assured. But that outcome is unlikely because Democrat Jamie Smith is performing much better than expected, largely because of Noems own missteps.

Those missteps began back in 2018 when she shattered South Dakota norms by running an extremely negative last-minute primary campaign against fellow Republican Marty Jackley. She never made any effort to heal her own party.

Instead, she surrounded herself with out-of-state consultants who see this election as a detour to the national stage.

Their strategy is to hammer Smith with negative, dishonest advertisements and deflect attention with promises of sales tax cuts. If she wins, she can blame the legislature for failing to fulfill her promise.

Story continues

Meanwhile, shell be on the lucrative fundraising trail.

Her election report shows how lucrative it is. She has raked in well over $12 million in donations between her various funds.

Her Kristi for Governor campaign general election report showed over $10.9 million in donations, while spending about $4.71 million on her campaign. About 80% of the approximately 19,375 smaller donors listed in her latest campaign report are from out of state.

She spent freely dropping about $362,500 on postage and another $934,000 for printing. Consultants cost about $322,000 on top of nearly $385,000 in salaries. Advertising was about $1.83 million.

Sleazy ads targeting Smith account for a good portion of the spending.

She has about $6.2 million remaining in her campaign account, which is one of many. At the federal level, she also has the Noem Victory Fund, which is where the big donors contribute.

That Victory Fund took in about $2.93 million during the last reporting period with South Dakotans contributing only about 20% with donors around the country providing the rest.

That fund spent about $2.25 million including about $383,000 in operating fees for more consultants, travel and credit card fees, plus about $61,000 on Sept. 1 to pay for a fundraising event at Scattergun Lodge near Pierre.

Large amounts also were transferred to other Noem funds, including the SD Strong Leadership PAC with $188,000 in available cash and the Keeping Republican Ideas Strong, Timely and Inventive PAC, which has about $208,000 cash on hand.

One can understand why she spends so much time at out-of-state fundraisers. Who needs South Dakotans?

But Noems consultants apparently believe she needed the last-minute, attention-grabbing headline of championing the grocery tax repeal.

It is unusual for her to say that, Schoenbeck said. That is what the Democrats have always said. We Republicans have always paid attention to fiscal responsibility.

Until late September, Noem had taken that position as well, but something changed.

Now she is throwing out disingenuous, cynical and ill-conceived ideas.

Brad Johnson is a Watertown businessman and journalist who is active in state and local affairs.

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Sales tax repeal is just politics
The Mississippi River has faced historically low water levels all summer, revealing all sorts of hidden relics. However, with the river bed now lower than the Gulf of Mexico, saltwater woes have arisen.

"Once the river flow falls below 300,000 cubic feet per second in the Mississippi River, we start to see saltwater creep up the river," Matt Roe, public affairs specialist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in New Orleans, told AccuWeather.

The main concern is the impact the saltwater could have on the drinking water of several southern Louisiana communities. Plaquemines Parish has freshwater intakes right on the river.

Roe said the saltwater can affect their processing capabilities for municipal drinking water.

This is the fourth time the Corps has seen this issue. Roe said the group's experiences from 1988, 1999 and 2012 allowed them to start working earlier this time around. They had been tracking the saltwater since mid-September.

Matt Roe, public affairs specialist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in New Orleans, told AccuWeather the Mississippi River has reached a lower level than the Gulf of Mexico this summer. (AccuWeather/ Bill Wadell)

"We built basically an underwater lobby," Roe said. "Saltwater is denser than freshwater and so it does sink to the bottom, and so we try to stop it there."

The construction of the roughly 35-feet-high barrier, which was done with sediment drenched from upriver, is expected to be completed by this week. However, Roe cautioned the effectiveness of the solution isn't fully guaranteed, and they will continue to monitor the saltwater levels to assess if more construction needs to be done.

The naturally occurring phenomenon, according to Roe, has caused Plaquemines Parish to issue a state of emergency and a drinking water advisory due to high sodium levels.

The parish has also ordered reverse osmosis units to help treat and desalinate their drinking water while the underwater sill is expected to prevent more problems upriver.

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Underwater Sill The underwater mound, or "sill," built by the Army Corps to keep saltwater from running up the Mississippi River.

"As soon as the flow rates return to above 300,000 cubic feet per second, it'll naturally wash away the sill," Roe said. "Right now, the river doesn't have the velocity or force to move the sill out of the way."

"It takes a while for runoff to work its way down through the main tributaries and then into the main stem of the Mississippi," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. "When the ground is dry, a lot of that rain gets absorbed by the landscape, rather than reaching the rivers as runoff."

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The storm from earlier this week in the Midwest and South Central States, and more recently the storm into this weekend, will do little to raise water levels on the Mississippi and its major tributaries. As AccuWeather meteorologists have been saying, any increase in water levels from the storms will be delayed, slight and temporary.

Meanwhile, Roe said the communities are just waiting for some rain or snow to help the river rebound.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Employees of San Francisco tea chain Boba Guys are accusing management of recording audio of both employees and customers without consent at its store in the Mission district.

The allegation comes weeks after the popular chain fired employee Madeline Urso, who was documented in video at the store making an inappropriate comment about co-founder Andrew Chau.

Issues within the Mission location emerged last month after Boba Guys management decided to cut down shifts for the store employees, who were mostly making less than $20 per hour with less than 30 hours a week.

On Oct. 16, over half of the staff at the Mission store expressed their frustrations regarding the cuts in a meeting with management. Urso was among those who spoke up in the meeting, saying the hours offered will no longer be enough to cover rent.

More from NextShark: Chinese clothing brand accused of using blackface on their models in runway show

Urso told the San Francisco Chronicle that her managers informed her about a security camera inside the store that records muffled audio, but she did not know it was regularly checked. Urso said she was fired in retaliation for sharing information about unionization on the companys Slack channel and pushing back against Chau during a meeting on Oct. 16.

While Ursos firing resulted in online backlash due to Boba Guys alleged illegal union busting, the fact that the company was listening to employee conversations went mostly under the radar.

Four current and former Boba Guys employees, including Urso, told SFGate that they could not recall the company telling them that in-store conversations would be recorded. None of them ever saw signs that informed them of such a possibility.

More from NextShark: Avalanche of hacked Xinjiang Police documents, images expose Chinese government abuse of Uyghurs

Any indication of audio surveillance also does not appear in the Boba Guys employee handbook supplied by an employee to the publication.

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According to Urso, she cant recall exactly where she was when the camera picked up her statement, but the small size of the location in the Mission District meant employees and customers have always been just a short distance from where the camera is situated.

Chau and co-founder Bin Chen did not respond to SFGates multiple requests for comment about the audio surveillance, but instead sent out an email to their employees that same day.

More from NextShark: SF DA Jenkins to Asian Americans at town hall: 'You are now seen and heard'

A part of our security measures include audio/video recording within our retail stores, the email read. This is a well-established and commonplace practice within the retail and hospitality industries.

Jim Wagstaffe, an attorney who specializes in First Amendment cases, told SFGate that while cameras are commonplace, audio recording is not.

Do you expect that someones going to use a surveillance camera not just to see you walk in, but actually listen to your conversations? Wagstaffe was quoted as saying.

More from NextShark: Woman Exposes NYC Man Coughing on Asians for 'Being Racist as a Minority Himself'

As California is a two-party consent state, the consent of all parties involved is required before a private or confidential conversation can be recorded, including conversations held in public spaces if no notice is posted.

Those found guilty of illegal audio recording face a fine of up to $2,500 or imprisonment for up to one year, with subsequent offenses carrying a maximum fine of $10,000 and a jail sentence of up to one year.

Featured Image via Giant Robot Media
New Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie (Malcolm Mackenzie/PA) (PA Archive)

New Scotland skipper Jamie Ritchie admits it means a lot to have the backing of predecessor Stuart Hogg as he prepares to begin his captaincy against Australia this weekend.

The 26-year-old Edinburgh flanker was appointed to the leadership role last week after head coach Gregor Townsend chose to relieve the burden from Hogg in an effort to help the Exeter full-back rediscover top form on the international stage.

After the change of captaincy was announced, Hogg  who is unavailable for the Australia game as it falls outside the international window  posted a congratulatory message to Ritchie on Instagram declaring that, despite his own disappointment, his successor would have his full support.

It means a lot, Ritchie said when asked about Hoggs endorsement. I have a huge amount of respect for Hoggy as a man and a rugby player and its been a privilege to support him over the last three years as part of his leadership group.

He was one of the first guys to congratulate me. Gregor told him I was going to be captain before he told me. When Gregor told me, Hoggy sent me a nice message saying that he backed me and stuff like that, and that meant a lot.

Ritchie admits he will draw on aspects of Hoggs captaincy.

The things Ill take from Hoggy are his passion  hes a very passionate Scotsman  and the way he used the group around him, he said. There would be days when you wouldnt necessarily hear him speak a lot because hed use the leaders around him, and thats something Ill look to take on as well.

Ritchie was informed by Townsend on the first day in camp last week that he had been appointed captain.

Wed had a meeting a couple of weeks prior about some leadership stuff and he let me know I was in the mix, then he dropped the news last week, said the Edinburgh co-captain.

Its quite surreal. Its hard to put into words how it feels. Its a huge honour for me and my family, theyre really proud of me. Im really excited about the opportunity to take it forward.

Story continues

For me, as a kid, you dont dream about being captain. You dream about playing for Scotland, you dream about running out at Murrayfield.

But since my career has progressed and leadership has become a bigger part of it, its been something thats been in the back of my head in that if I was given the opportunity, Id love to do it.

In addition to kicking off his stint as captain, Saturdays match against Australia also represents Ritchies first appearance for Scotland since early February after he spent six months out with a hamstring injury sustained in the Six Nations opener against England.

Its been a while, so Im excited to get back out there at BT Murrayfield, he said. It was tough having to watch the boys from the sidelines (in the Six Nations and summer tour) but I knew with the injury I had I couldnt offer anything so I was excited to see some of the other guys get opportunities.

I was watching all the games and I was lucky to go with the guys to Rome and enjoyed the win over there.
Mayor Bruce Harrell says Seattle has seen a surge of graffiti since the pandemic, and he wants to devote more resources to cleaning it up. Thursday in the Central District, he announced a six-point plan that expands removal efforts while redirecting vandalism.

According to the mayors office, since 2019, reports of graffiti have grown by over 50%. In 2021, they received 20,000 reports of tagging and vandalism.

Quite frankly, you dont need statistics to see whats happening in Seattle with respect to graffiti, said Harrell. The truth is the negative impacts are tangible, theyre not theoretical.

WSDOT crews report it has been exhausting to keep up with the constant cleanup along the interstate.

Weve painted the same locations up to seven times this summer, said James Poling, WSDOT Northwest Region Maintenance.

Currently, there are eight members of the Public Works Departments graffiti ranger cleanup team. The mayors office wants to expand that. He also wants to invest more in filling spaces with street art as an alternative avenue of creative expression.

Another goal of his is to make cleanup services more affordable. The mayor plans to offer 1,000 abatement kits to local businesses and community organizations.

More news from KIRO 7

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BEIJING (AP)  Chinas largest city of Shanghai is ordering mass testing Friday of all 1.3 million residents of its downtown Yangpu district and confining them to their homes at least until results are known.

The demand is an echo of measures ordered over the summer that led to a two-month lockdown of the entire city of 25 million that devastated its economy, prompting food shortages and rare confrontations between residents and the authorities.

At the start of the lockdown, authorities said it would last just days but then kept extending the deadline.

China has shown no sign of backing away from its hardline zero-COVID policy since a major congress of the ruling Communist Party concluded this week by awarding authoritarian leader Xi Jinping a third five-year term in power and packed top bodies with his loyalists.

Strict measures have been imposed across the country, from Shanghai in the east to Tibet far to the west, where anti-lockdown protests have also been reported.

Cellphone video said to have been smuggled out of the region showed crowds of both native Tibetans and Han Chinese migrants milling in the streets of Lhasa to protest a lockdown that has lasted as long as 74 days. The video was reportedly shot on Wednesday. There was no sign of violence.

Lhasa has been under tight surveillance since bloody anti-government protests broke out in the city in 2008 before spreading across Tibetan areas.

Despite public anger, the former chairman of Shanghai's Communist Party Committee, the city's top official who was ultimately responsible for the lockdown measures, was given the No. 2 spot in the party's all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee  an indication of Xi's elevation of political loyalists above those capable of gaining public support through competent administration.

Li Qiang, who had been Xi's virtual chief of staff when he headed the eastern province of Zhejiang, has been replaced by Beijing Mayor Chen Jining, a former president of Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University and minister of environmental protection.

Story continues

Chen, 58, was educated at Brunel University London and worked at Imperial College London, where he earned a doctorate in civil and environmental engineering in 1993.

Many Chinese had hoped for a relaxation of the strict anti-COVID-19 protocols, which remain in place even while much of the rest of the world has opened up. China's borders remain largely closed and arrivals must undergo a 10-day quarantine at a designated place.

Despite its costs, and the World Health Organization calling it unsustainable, China credits the strategy with keeping case numbers and deaths at a fraction of those in other countries, although Beijing's figures have frequently been questioned.

China on Friday reported a 1,337 new cases  most of them asymptomatic  and no new deaths. Shanghai reported 11 asymptomatic cases and Tibet had one confirmed case with symptoms and five asymptomatic cases. China says it has recorded a total of 258,660 cases and 5,226 deaths since the disease was first detected in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019.

In a sign China's tough measures will be maintained in the long term, Shanghai plans to build a permanent quarantine center on an island in the Huangpu River that divides the financial hub, according to the business magazine Caixin.

The 1.6 billion yuan ($221 million) project on Fuxing Island will expand existing facilities to create 3,009 isolation rooms and 3,250 beds, with construction expected to be completed in six months, Caixin said.

China's domestically developed vaccines are considered relatively ineffective and it has refused to approve foreign brands such as Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and J&J.

Still, China wants more people to get booster shots before it relaxes its restrictions. As of mid-October, 90% of Chinese were fully vaccinated and 57% had received a booster shot.

China has relied on domestically developed vaccines, primarily two inactivated vaccines that have proven effective in preventing death and serious disease but less so than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at stopping the spread of the disease.

Chinese authorities also have not mandated vaccination  entering an office building or other public places requires a negative COVID-19 test, not proof of vaccination. And the countrys zero-COVID approach means that only a small proportion of the population has been infected and built immunity that way, compared to other places.

As a result, its unclear how widely COVID-19 would spread if travel warnings and quarantine mandates were lifted. Until then, a hodgepodge of regulations and restrictions will remain in place across the country of 1.4 billion.

In Tibet's second-largest city of Shigatse, authorities announced that normal living and production order" would resume on Friday.

Meanwhile, authorities on Wednesday ordered the lockdown of 900,000 people in Wuhan for at least five days. In remote Qinghai province, the urban districts of Xining city have been locked down since last Friday.

In Beijing, Universal Studios has closed its hotels and attractions to comply with pandemic prevention and control.
Khloe Kardashian has said being a control freak made her experience of surrogacy more difficult as she reveals that she doesnt plan on having any more children.

The reality TV star welcomed her second child, a son, with her ex-boyfriend, Tristan Thompson in August. The pair, who have had a tumultuous on-off relationship since 2016, also share a daughter named True, four.

In an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Thursday (27 October), Kardashian said she is ecstatic about having both a daughter and a son, and that the [baby] shop is closed.

While Kardashian carried True, it was revealed in July that the parents were expecting their second child via surrogate.

Opening up about the experience, Kardashian said it was such a blessing.

I had reasons why I couldnt carry my second, the Good American founder explained.

She said her older sister Kims surrogacy pregnancies meant she had a greater understanding and awareness of the process. Kims youngest children, Chicago, four, and Psalm, three, were both born via surrogate.

If it wasnt for Kimberly I wouldnt have been as comfortable and aware, so Im grateful for how open shes always been about her journey, Kardashian said.

However, she noted that Kims experiences were more comfortable.

For me, Im such a control freak. Youre a stranger and I just have to trust you. But I need to know: What are you doing? What are you eating?

Neither Kardashian nor Thompson have disclosed their sons name. Some fans speculated that he might be called Snowy after True was heard saying the name in a video shared on social media.

My daughter says his name is snowy, and its not snowy, Kardashian clarified.

Elsewhere in the interview, Clarkson and Kardashian discussed her relationship with Thompson following his repeated infidelities, some of which have been documented on TV.

Kardashian said she is learning to unlove her ex. She said: Its not that easy [because of] the habits that you built. When something good happened, I would call Tristan. I would share my life with him

[Im] learning to just reprogramme myself. Even if someone did something bad to me, it does not just mean theres a wall, and Ive built It up.

I know that this isnt the right thing for me and I need to slowly heal and move on, but it doesnt happen over night.
A Sioux Falls priest indicted on charges he embezzled thousands of dollars from a local parish had the charges dropped after a plea agreement was reached.

David Anthony Desmond was initially charged in 2020 by a Minnehaha County grand jury on one count of grand theft embezzlement for an unspecified amount between $5,000 to $100,000, a Class 4 felony, according to court documents.

On Oct. 17, he reached a plea agreement with the state where the grand theft charge was dismissed after he pled no contest to a new lesser charge of petty theft, according to court documents.

Desmond is currently listed as a reverend on the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls website.

A statement from the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls sent to parishioners after Desmond's initial charges stated he resigned his pastorate after being confronted over his inattentiveness to pastoral responsibilities," according to prior reporting by the Argus Leader.

Desmond was placed on leave in July 2019. He has been supported financially by the diocese since, "in accord with Diocesan policy."

The diocese finance office conducted a review of financial records and discovered about $95,400 in questionable parish disbursements, according to prior reporting by the Argus Leader.

The irregularities included questionable bank disbursements and altered or duplicated receipts when submitting for reimbursements, according to the statement.

Notice sent to parishioners regarding Desmond

On Monday, parishioners of Saint Mary were sent a notice regarding Desmond's plea agreement. He entered a no contest plea to the court in response to the states amended complaint that he had committed theft by deception, a Class 1 Misdemeanor.

As part of the agreement, in exchange for the no contest plea, the court found a factual basis to declare Desmond guilty and required him to pay $8,414 in restitution and court costs, according to the notice.

Desmonds misdemeanor criminal record that the court imposed in response to his plea will become sealed after 360 days, according to the notice.

Story continues

St. Mary Parish has had $78,374.87 paid to it by Catholic Mutual, the insurer who provided the employee theft coverage. This payment is the result of the parishs claim and after the insurer deemed there to have been fraudulent payments provided either to Desmond or for his benefit, according to the notice.

Desmond remains a priest on leave as established by his voluntary decision to take leave from public ministry, according to the notice.

Bishop Donald DeGrood will work with Desmond to clarify his status in the diocese. A discernment process over Desmond's possible future ministry as a priest will start now that his legal matters have been finalized, according to the notice.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Priest in Sioux Falls charged with embezzlement settles case
A pilot hit such severe turbulence in the skies over Ohio that the small plane he was flying almost flipped over, according to authorities.

The National Weather Service said that the pilot in the Aero Commander plane encountered extremely bumpy conditions over the southeast part of the state on Wednesday morning.

The severe rating is the third of four levels of turbulence severity and can cause pilots to lose control of the aircraft, says the NWS Aviation Weather Center.

We dont see pilot reports like this every day: PILOT SAID ALMOST FLIPPED OVER, the NWS AWC tweeted.

The post also included a map of the Midwest region where the turbulence took place. The plane was at around 3,000ft near the eastern Indiana border when the incident happened.

When pilots encounter bad flying conditions, they often send out reports to let other pilots know what to expect, the NWS AWC said in response to one response.

This pilot reported severe turbulence and added a remark to describe how bad it was. It caught our attention because it was very unusual.

Jonathan Leffler, AWC Chief of Domestic Operations Branch, told Newsweek that the plane in question was a small private aircraft.

Small aircraft are more susceptible to changes in windspeed versus industry-type aircraft, he said.

They will feel turbulence more when flying than in larger aircraft like a Boeing 737 or even a regional jet.

There have been a string of crashes involving small aircraft this month.

A single-engine Beechcraft Sierra aircraft crashed into a building north of Keene Dillant-Hopkins Airport in Keene, New Hampshire, killing both people on board.

A small plane also crashed into a car dealership parking lot near the border of Ohio and West Virginia early Tuesday, killing two people on board and starting a large fire.

Turbulence is a sudden shift in airflow. Those irregular motions in the atmosphere create air currents that create the bumps felt by pilots and passengers during flight.
Oct. 27AUSTIN  A Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man was sentenced to 180 months in Mower County District Court for killing a man during a 2021 botched drug deal in Austin.

Miguel Nunez Jr., 19, pleaded

guilty to a second-degree murder

charge in June 2022 as part of a plea deal that dismissed two other second-degree murder charges against him.

District Judge Kevin Siefken credited Nunez with 477 days for time served. Nunez had been in custody since July 2021.

Nunez pleaded guilty to fatally shooting David Harris, 45, of Austin.

A juvenile who spoke to the police reported that he and Nunez went to Harris' Austin home on June 5, 2021, under the guise of buying marijuana, but intended to rob the home's residents. Nunez dropped his weapon on the way out of the house, according to the criminal complaint.

Law enforcement investigating a shooting complaint

found Harris in his home with three gunshot wounds to the chest

. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A second person, whose identity was not released, was injured, Austin Police Capt. Todd Clennon said shortly after the incident.

Following the shooting, Nunez fled the state before being apprehended July 8, 2021, in the attic of a Sioux Falls home.
A burger chain has jumped on the mint chocolate craze in South Korea by launching a mint chocolate burger.

Biotech food company Himnanda, which operates Himnanda Burger, first announced the unique menu item on Oct. 12 in an Instagram post.

In the post's caption, the food company mentions the "mint chocolate controversy."

Mint chocolate tastes like toothpaste?! Mint chocolate doesnt taste good?!  [this burger] makes history to settle the controversy, Himnanda wrote in part.

More from NextShark: Actor Lee Jihan among dead in Seoul Halloween tragedy

The new burger, which is available in Himnanda Burger stores across South Korea, features a beef patty, cheese, onions, mint chocolate sauce and pieces of mint Oreo cookies.

It reportedly costs 10,800 South Korean won (approximately $7.60) as part of a combo meal and is a collaboration with South Korean content creator Yori Yongd, who is known for his popular cooking channel.

More from NextShark: Wisconsin Sandwich Shop's 'Veggie Sub Banh Mi' Sparks Widespread Disgust

In other burger-related news, Burger King Japan launched a new lineup of peanut butter burgers inspired by the hit manga and anime series Spy  Family.

Featured Image via Johnny Kyunghwo

More from NextShark: Ice Cream Shop Releases Delicious Asian-Inspired Flavors to Fight Hate Against Asians
Oct. 27A man and a woman from Pueblo were identified as the two people killed in a late Tuesday-night shootout with Douglas County sheriff's deputies at RTD's light rail station in Lone Tree.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office announced the deaths of David Strain, 31, and Clarissa Daws, 29, in a Facebook post Thursday after positive identifications were made by the coroner's office.

Strain and Daws had warrants for their arrests related to auto theft and one was wanted for questioning in another Denver metro-area shooting, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said Wednesday at a press conference.

On Thursday, the sheriff's office released an edited video of the shooting that resulted in the pair's deaths.

Officials reported deputies were patrolling the rail station's parking lot, 10203 Station Way, late Tuesday when they noticed a "suspicious Black Kia with no license plates and the locks punched out." The vehicle was tucked in a hidden spot in the garage and its front window was covered by a shade visor, Spurlock said.

A deputy called for backup and six officers responded. Deputies announced themselves and knocked on both side windows, but did not get a response, Spurlock said.

The suspects opened fire on the deputies through both side windows. All six deputies fired back. Spurlock said the deputies exchanged three separate volleys of gunfire about 7-9 minutes apart and said each volley was initiated by the suspects.

One deputy was hit in the face with car window glass and went to the hospital with minor injuries. All the involved deputies are on leave, which is standard operating procedure for any officer-involved shootings.

The Kia was confirmed stolen from Pueblo. Officials found two weapons in the car, but did not say what type of weapons they were. Spurlock said the garage is a popular area for auto thieves to hide out, which is why officers were patrolling.

After, hearing a lot of gunshots, Gorsline and Tejada heard sirens and watched the emergency vehicles arrive.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office released an edited video of a shooting that resulted in the deaths of two suspects from Pueblo.

https://www.facebook.com/DouglasCountySheriff
BARCELONA, Spain (AP)  Spain's state prosecutor dropped its charges against Neymar on Friday, but a Brazilian company involved in the case will continue to fight the soccer player in court.

The case stems from Neymar's transfer in 2013 from Santos to Barcelona.

The state prosecutor withdrew all charges against Neymar, his father and the former executives of the Brazilian and Spanish clubs. However, the trial will continue because Brazilian company DIS, which brought the case, maintained its accusation that the parties involved committed fraud and corruption.

DIS claims that it was paid far less than the 40% it says it was due as part owners of Neymars player rights.

The state prosecutor announced the decision to drop the case after hearing testimony from former Barcelona executives Sandro Rosell and Josep Bartomeu on Friday. State prosecutor Luis Garcia told the court he did not see any evidence that a crime was committed.

All the defendants deny any wrongdoing.

State prosecutors had been seeking a two-year prison sentence and a fine of 10 million euros ($10 million) for Neymar. They had also wanted five years for Rosell and three years for the former president of Santos, Odilio Rodrigues.

Neymar, who now plays for Paris Saint-Germain, told the court last week that he had "followed my heart and chose Barca.

DIS is seeking five-year jail terms for the 30-year-old Neymar, his father, Rosell and Bartomeu. DIS also wants compensation of 34 million euros ($34 million) and a fine of 195 million euros ($194 million) that would be paid by the accused to the Spanish state.

In the opinion of DIS, no new evidence has appeared in the five days of this trial to justify changing our stance regarding what took place, DIS said in a statement shared with The Associated Press.

DIS, which owns a chain of supermarkets in Brazil's Sao Paulo region, said it acquired rights to receive 40% of a future Neymar transfer in 2009 when it paid Neymars family 5 million Brazilian reals (then $2 million).

Story continues

DIS says it only received its due percentage from the 17 million euros ($17 million) that Barcelona and Santos initially announced as the transfer fee between the clubs, while the real cost was about 82 million euros ($82 million).

The trial is expected to conclude on Monday.

___

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Oct. 28A 12-year-old student has been charged in connection with Tuesday's hoax call of an active shooter at Catholic Central School, according to the Springfield Police Division.

Police arrested the girl on a charge of inducing panic, according to a city statement.

Catholic Central President Mike Raiff issued a statement to parents in regard to the hoax call that shut down the school for the day earlier this week.

"While this investigation is in the hands of the local authorities, an individual has come forward and admitted to making the 911 call," he said.

Investigators believe she placed the call in which a false report of an active shooter at the school was issued.

Following the girl's arrest, she was placed in the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center, according to the city.

Raiff said that in regard to "handling the situation at a local level," school leaders will follow the Catholic Central handbook.

"Although I am thankful that this had a quick resolution, I am truly saddened by the choice this young person made, as well as the torment and concern the entire community was put through with these actions over the last 24 hours," Raiff said.

The Springfield Police Division responded to the school Tuesday after receiving a call just before 10 a.m. about a possible shooter at the school.

"Help, help, there's an active shooter at Catholic Central, help," the caller told dispatchers before ending the call after being asked what their name was.

Following the call, the school was put on lockdown as Springfield police conducted a search of the building. School closed for the day, and the reunification process for parents and students took place at St. Bernard's Church.

Police determined that no actual threat existed, no one had been injured and that the report had been a hoax.

Tuesday's lockdown came a month after the school was on lockdown following the Sept. 23 false report of an active shooter being at Catholic Central.

Story continues

Capt. Michael Kranz said during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that investigators did not believe the call made Tuesday was connected to the September call.

Other Ohio schools, including Belmont High School in Dayton, Princeton High School in suburban Cincinnati and Licking Valley Local Schools in Newark, saw similar false calls that September day.

NPR has found local reports indicating 182 schools in 28 states received false calls about threats between Sept. 13 and Oct. 21. These have prompted a response known as "swatting."

Swatting is a form of weaponizing fear and involves making a claim that draws first responders and law enforcement to the location of the said incident, straining their resources. It sparks concern throughout communities, especially those that have previously endured actual active shooter and mass casualty incidents.

Catholic Central is home to more than 400 students in kindergarten through the 12th grade.
A 33-year-old St. Augustine man was sentenced to 41 years in prison on Friday for driving under the influence in a 2020 crash that killed unborn twins and their uncle.

Michael Rhein will get credit for 422 days time served, according to St. Johns County court records.

Rhein was arrested in September 2021 on three charges of vehicular manslaughter for the head-on crash that happened Dec. 26, 2020.

Rhein was intoxicated, according to Florida Highway Patrol, when he got behind the wheel on the evening of the crash.

FHP said Rhein was driving his 2018 Toyota Tacoma in the wrong direction on State Road 207 in St. Johns County when he collided into a Toyota Tundra with 6 people inside.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Passenger James Jimmy Knippenberg, 29, of Akron, Ohio, was killed. His sister, Raquel Haralambou, who was pregnant with twins, was critically injured.

The twins did not survive. Three other adults and a 2-year-old girl were also hurt in the crash.

Raquel and Jimmys parents, Elizabeth and Dave Beachy, spoke to Action News Jax in January 2021 just weeks after the crash.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

She was eight months pregnant with twins, we lost both twins, Dave Beachy said.

The Beachys, facing the unimaginable task of having to bury a son and two unborn grandchildren, had a message for Rhein:

Youve taken so much from us ... call somebody to pick you up if youre drinking and driving...because you do change peoples lives, Elizabeth Beachy said.

Faith Moving Forward: Family of two couples involved in a fatal crash after Christmas 2020 speaking out

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.
Property located directly across from St. James is currently governed by Brunswick Countys zoning regulations, but that could change.

Brunswick County officials will soon consider a request from the town for the creation of an extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). The resolution, passed by the St. James Town Council on August 3, states the properties in the proposed ETJ have a unique impact on the future environmental and economic development of the town and its residents.

Here is what you need to know about the towns request.

The entrance to St. James off N.C. 211.

Brunswick County must grant approval for all ETJs.

Before an extra-territorial jurisdiction can be granted, the formal request must be submitted to Brunswick County. The county received the request from St. James on August 8, 2022, and it is currently under review.

More:A new district could doom massive development project near 1 Brunswick town

The power to grant an ETJ is governed by both state statute and county policy. North Carolina General Statute 160D-202 addresses Municipal ETJs and provides basic guidelines. It also requires county approval if the county enforces zoning and subdivision regulations.

More:Southport debates possible bidding war for once unwanted land

Under the state statute, for municipalities with a population less than 10,000  such as St. James  an ETJ may extend up to one mile from its corporate limits.

The county also has an ETJ Extension Policy, established in 1995. It gives Brunswick County the authority to evaluate and approve all ETJ expansions.

The area included in the proposed ETJ includes 60 parcels.

The majority of the parcels are zoned for commercial use, and currently only five parcels are zoned residential. The area totals approximately 1,008 acres. The majority of that land is located across from St. James Plantation with a small section located along Middleton Drive.

If approved, the Town of St. James would have the countys eighth ETJ.

Currently, they are seven existing extra-territorial jurisdictions within the county. They are for the following towns: Southport, Bolivia, Oak Island, Shallotte, Sunset Beach, Calabash, and Carolina Shores.

Story continues

Residents will have the opportunity to weigh in on the proposed district.

According to Brunswick County Planning Director Kirstie Dixon, there will be multiple opportunities for residents to share their thoughts and concerns about the proposed district. The first of these will be a public hearing hosted by St. James on Nov. 2.

The Brunswick County Planning Board will hold a public hearing during its meeting on Nov. 14, and the board is expected to consider a recommendation on the proposed district at that time.

Dixon said she anticipates the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the district during its meeting on Dec. 5, and the board may consider the request immediately following the hearing.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: St. James aims for more control near town limits. Here's what to know.
David Burns' defense attorneys spent Thursday trying to show jurors how the person who killed 19-year-old Courtney Coco in October 2004 could have been any of the multiple men she was seeing, while the state's first witness said his longtime friend, Burns, told him he'd smothered the Alexandria resident.

Coco's body was found in a Winnie, Texas, building on Oct. 4, 2004. The case grew cold, and it wasn't until April 13, 2021, that Burns was indicted and arrested.

On Thursday morning, testimony began after opening statements. Rapides Parish Assistant District Attorney Hugo Holland told jurors Waylon Durison had been tracked to Joplin, Missouri, where he was arrested at a homeless shelter and brought back to testify.

The body of Courtney Coco, 19, was found in an abandoned building in Winnie, Texas, in October 2004. The Alexandria Police Department arrested a Boyce man, 45-year-old David Anthony Burns, after he was indicted on a second-degree murder charge in her death.

Detective:David Burns told 5 people he killed Courtney Coco

David Burns:Arrest made in Courtney Coco cold-case homicide

Durison testified he's known Burns for 20 or 25 years and said once, years ago, the two were talking when he casually told Burns he didn't believe he ever could kill someone.

Burns told him it wasn't as hard as one would think, he said under questioning from Holland. He testified that Burns said he'd smothered her with a pillow and then wrapped her body in a blanket.

Holland asked if Burns mentioned Coco by name, and he said yes and described her as his girlfriend's sister.

"Is it every day you hear someone confess to murder?" Holland asked.

"Not every day, no sir," he replied.

As Holland told jurors during his opening statement, Burns was engaged to Coco's sister in 2004. But he said Coco and Burns were having an affair and that Burns bought a set of heart-shaped rings to give one to her sister as a promise ring.

The family discovered Coco had the matching ring, worn on the third finger of her right hand, after she died when her personal items were returned to them, he told jurors.

The indictment against Burns alleges he killed Coco during a robbery, and testimony from Skylor Hearne, a former Texas Ranger who responded to the crime scene and processed it, revealed that Coco was the beneficiary of a large amount of money.

Story continues

The first lead detective on the case from the Alexandria Police Department, Cedric Green, testified Thursday afternoon that Coco's father suffered a work injury and received a "substantial" settlement. He died when Coco was around 9, and she was his beneficiary.

She received monthly payments once she turned 18, he said.

In his opening statement, Holland mentioned others to whom Burns allegedly confessed. Durison was the only one to testify Thursday, and one of Burns' defense attorneys repeatedly challenged him on statements he made about it in the past.

The comforter off Coco's bed was reported missing by her family, and speculation is that it was what was used to wrap her. It's never been recovered.

In one of his statements, Durison referred to it as "his blanket." LaCour repeatedly asked him to clarify whether he meant Burns' blanket or Coco's, flustering him at times.

"He's trying to say I'm lying. I ain't got no damn reason to be lying," he said as LaCour and Holland conferred on one of the statements.

The day was emotional for Coco's family and supporters who filled at least three rows on one side of 9th Judicial District Court Judge Mary Lauve Doggett's courtroom.

The Texas forensic pathologist who performed Coco's autopsy, now 88 and retired, testified about his findings. He said he ruled her death a homicide by undetermined means, but judged that she had been asphyxiated.

It was estimated that 52 hours passed between when Coco last had been heard from and when her body was found by a man driving a slow-moving, open-air tractor past the building where she was found. The man saw her body because he looked around after he "got a smell, like a dead animal."

When the pathologist, Dr. Tommy Brown, learned about the time frame, he said something wasn't right, he testified. Coco's body was in a state of decomposition that normally would be seen a week or more after death, he said.

"She was severely decomposed, and the stench was terrible," he said.

But, under questioning from Holland, Brown said Coco's body "absolutely" would decompose faster if it had been left in the trunk of her car. He and Tommy Henry, formerly with the Chambers County, Texas, Sheriff's Office, said the temperature in Coco's trunk would have been well over 100 degrees at the time she was missing.

Henry was the first officer on the scene in Winnie, Texas.

Brown said he found no external injuries on Coco. Because of the condition of her body, he squeezed blood from her spleen to send off for a toxicology report.

But after extensive questioning by both Holland and LaCour on why and what they showed, Brown testified he did it so he could know what Coco might have had in her blood. The report did show she had been drinking alcohol, but Brown testified the result could not be used to make any solid conclusions.

He said alcohol would have been concentrated in her spleen after death. In addition, the body naturally produces alcohol as it decomposes.

And as Hearne testified, Holland presented crime scene photos that included graphic photos of Coco's body. Coco's mother, Stephanie Belgard, left before they were displayed, as did others.

Those who remained huddled together, some crying, as jurors viewed the photos on a large-screen television. One woman held her hands over another woman's eyes.

Testimony will continue Friday morning. LaCour's co-counsel is Willie Stephens, while Holland's is Rapides Parish Assistant District Attorney Johnny Giordano.

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Witness says David Burns killed Courtney Coco, but defense hammers him
A methane gas bubble breaks the surface of a pool of asphalt at the La Brea Tar Pits in Hancock Park. The tar pits were recognized as one of the world's First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites for their stunning Ice Age fossil record. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

For the record:

4:22 p.m. Oct. 28, 2022: An earlier version of this story said the dragonfly that got stuck in the asphalt was observed near Pit 23 of the La Brea Tar Pits. It was near Pit 91.



On a recent fall day, a dragonfly came to rest in Hancock Park, most likely searching for a place to lay her eggs. She landed on a slick of accumulated rainwater no more than a few millimeters deep.

But something was wrong. Her body held fast to the water, or to something just beneath it. She beat her wings furiously for several minutes before the flapping slowed, then stopped. A process that had taken place innumerable times in the last 40,000 years was over.

Active entrapment, there, Emily Lindsey, a curator at the La Brea Tar Pits, said as she observed the proceedings near Pit 91. The ill-fated insect had followed dire wolves, a Harlans ground sloth, a Western horse and a retinue of other creatures into that particular patch of unforgiving asphalt.

Volunteer Barbara Hill, left, and senior preparator Sean Campbell excavate fossils at the La Brea Tar Pits. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

When one thinks of natural wonders, the Mid-Wilshire area is not what comes to mind. But no other spot on Earth has such a complete fossil record of the late Quaternary Period. Its one of the planets best-kept records of the stretch of time that ended roughly 15,000 years ago in an extinction event featuring global warming, wildfires and human activity.

Intriguing as that past may be, what it tells us about the future may be even more important. The muck in Hancock Park holds valuable clues about where were heading now.

On Friday, the La Brea Tar Pits were recognized as one of the worlds First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites. The designation is akin to a lifetime achievement award bestowed by the International Union of Geological Sciences, with the lifetime in question being that of this planet.

If UNESCOs World Heritage sites are places that collectively tell humanitys story, the IUGS sites are the story of our home, and of humanitys efforts to understand it. (UNESCO is in fact one of the organizations supporting the IUGS project.) More sites will be named in coming years.

Story continues

Many of the designees unveiled in an exuberantly nerdy weeklong conference here in northern Spain are sweeping natural spectaculars where nature really shows off: the Grand Canyon, Iguazu Falls straddling the border of Brazil and Argentina, the top of Mt. Everest.

Nearly all are ensconced in forests, deserts or protected areas; some remain well-preserved simply because they are far from modern human settlements. (Its quite remote to get to, a British geologist said mildly of Sirius Passet, an exquisite collection of Cambrian fossils in the far reaches of north Greenland that is on the list.)

Of the 100 inaugural sites, exactly one is located in the middle of a city.

::

Los Angeles knows about the Tar Pits, obviously. Before the pandemic, nearly half a million people visited each year. It rarely takes more than one sighting of a fiberglass mammoth family watching its mother sink into tar for the image to sear into ones brain. (Nearly everything about the sculptures is scientifically inaccurate, by the way, but the emotional impact is real.)

Visitors view the life-size Columbian mammoths from the Ice Age as tall cranes work on the construction of a new LACMA facility at the La Brea Tar Pits. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Still, the Tar Pits are not the citys signature attraction, and they lack the kind of gravitas that other sites on the IUGS list command. No one abandons a Lime scooter on the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina or builds an Equinox gym right next to the Zambezi Rivers Victoria Falls.

What may not have fully sunk in for Angelenos on those field trips and family outings is how crucially important the Tar Pits are for understanding life on this planet.

The Tar Pits dont really contain tar, which is a byproduct of various types of fossil fuel production. Theyre actually what are known as asphalt seeps.

The sticky stuff captured mammoths, saber-toothed cats, giant sloths and other iconic Ice Age mammals along with a near-perfect cross-section of the world they inhabited: birds, insects, plants, seeds, pollens. The fossils in the pits can tell scientists what the animals ate, what their environment looked like and what made them sicken or die.

There is just nothing else like it, said Lori Bettison-Varga, president of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, which oversees the site in Hancock Park.

::

At the other end of the flashiness scale are the towering rock formations along the beach in Zumaia, a small town in Spains Basque Country where the IUGS kicked off its celebration of geological heritage sites. Game of Thrones filmed scenes on the shore, and the CGI dragons added later in production are less impressive than what nature put here first.

The flysch rock formations at the beach in Zumaia, Spain. (Corinne Purtill / Los Angeles Times)

The sheets of striated rock reach up to 700 feet high and line more than six miles of coastline. Once part of an ancient seafloor, each layer contains roughly 100,000 years worth of accumulated sediment, marking the passage of time like rings in a tree.

The rock built up at the bottom of the ocean for more than 50 million years, until the titanic force of the Iberian Peninsula smashing into Europe forced it all upward, like a waking giant tossing off his blankets.

Zumaias flysch  the geologic term for this kind of rock formation  is not the only flysch on Earth. But it is by wide agreement the very best flysch of all.

So, of course, dozens of scientists boarded a tour boat to admire it from the water.

There, said Regan Dunn, a paleobotanist at the La Brea Tar Pits, as she pointed at a fold in the rock. Thats the K-Pg boundary  the visible line of iridium deposits left by the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs and roughly 75% of other living things on Earth.

The vessel listed to one side as passengers rushed to take photos the way some Los Angeles tourists do on bus tours of movie star homes.

Later, Dunn and Luis Chiappe, the Natural History Museums head of research and collections, hiked down the flysch to get a closer look. The strip was about 2 to 3 inches wide, with a mineral-like texture and cookies-and-cream color completely different from the miles of rock on either side of it.





La Brea Tar Pits curator Regan Dunn places her hand on the K-Pg boundary of the geological formation known as Zumaia's flysch in Zumaia, Spain. (Corinne Purtill / Los Angeles Times)

The K-Pg boundary marks the end of one version of the planet. Dunn placed her hands on the rock ballooning above it, which represents the resurgence of life in the millions of years after the asteroid struck.

A world without dinosaurs, she said, running her hands along the outcrop. Can you feel it?

::

It is fair to say that paleontology is not L.A.s best-known industry. The Tar Pits site is small enough that even many of the experts attending the IUGS summit werent familiar with it.

When I saw the photos, and saw the indication of Quaternary, tar and the fossils, I said, Wow, said Marie-Luise Frey, a geologist who manages the nonprofit organization that oversees the Messel Pit Fossil Site, an Eocene-era fossil bed in a forest outside Frankfurt, Germany, that also made the IUGS list.

Its absolutely amazing, Frey said of the Tar Pits. I dont know any other site where it is like that.

In a way, the Tar Pits are a big part of what built Los Angeles into the city it is today.

Chumash and Tongva people used the local asphalt to waterproof boats and baskets. The first oil field in Los Angeles was discovered in 1892 after two unsuccessful gold prospectors dug into an asphalt seep near what is now Dodger Stadium. By the early 1900s, L.A.s oil boom was officially underway, and the most productive field in the state covered the area that is now called Hancock Park.

George Hancock, owner of the Rancho La Brea Oil Co., was intrigued by the unusual bones his workers unearthed. He donated 23 acres of land to Los Angeles County specifically for the fossils preservation and display. The La Brea Tar Pits now occupies 13 of those; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and a public park make up the rest.

Fossilized jaws of saber-toothed cats, left, and ancient coyotes lie in trays at Rancho La Brea. The fossils were recovered from the La Brea Tar Pits. (Stephanie DeMarco / Los Angeles Times)

L.A.s Quaternary fossils stretch far beyond the boundaries of the one place in the city set up to deal with them. When virtually anything is built near Mid-Wilshire, the Natural History Museum receives crateloads of fossils unearthed during construction.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures: fossils. That Equinox gym: fossils. The underground parking structure at LACMA revealed 16 new pits  essentially 16 giant, jumbled knots of ancient tar, bone, plants and pollen. Each was carefully excavated by a landscaping company, boxed up and carted to the Tar Pits.

Sometimes its hard for visitors to think of the Tar Pits as real, said Lindsey, the curator.

People come to Los Angeles expecting to see experiences that are imagined, that are created, she said, noting the proximity of Hollywood and Disneyland. Our excavation staff, the paleontologists who are digging up fossils  they think theyre actors. And they think the people working in the fossil lab are actors. Theyve even thought that they were holograms, or animatronic.

Visitors to the La Brea Tar Pits watch a demonstration at the museum's fossil lab. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Its also hard for people to understand that the events captured in the asphalt took place relatively recently. Dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago. The Columbian mammoths featured in that faux family drama were last on this planet 10,000 years ago. In geologic terms, that is nothing at all.

Squirrels, birds and bugs still get stuck in the exposed pits at Hancock Park. Paleontologists dont have to imagine what the process looked like, the way they do with dinosaurs  they can watch it happen, in the same place it did 35,000 years ago. They can see how water covers the asphalt the morning after a rain, and that the deadly traps would have looked like enticing drinking holes to the many creatures who have died there.

Thats why the Tar Pits matter. They show us what the last major extinction event looked like as we appear to enter another one largely fueled by consumption of the petroleum that trapped all those earlier animals.

Its a record of what died, of course, but it also tells us what lived, and possibly even why.

Its not just a story of extinction, said Bettison-Varga, the Natural History Museums president. Its a story of survival.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
JACKSON, Miss (AP)  A Mississippi legal organization is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review the states provision permanently banning people convicted of certain felonies from voting.

The Mississippi Center for Justice is petitioning the Supreme Court two months after the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down its lawsuit challenging voting restrictions set forth in Mississippis 1890 state constitution. If successful, the lawsuit could grant voting rights to thousands of people permanently banned from casting ballots as a result of felony convictions.

At a time when our state and nation are struggling with the vestiges of a history of racism, it is important that the United States Supreme Court step in to address this remaining vestige of the malicious 1890 plan to prevent an entire race of people from voting in Mississippi, said Rob McDuff, the attorney who brought the lawsuit for the Mississippi Center for Justice.

Section 241 of the Mississippi Constitution strips voting rights from people convicted of 10 felonies, including forgery, arson and bigamy. The state attorney general issued an opinion in 2009 that expanded the list to 22 crimes, including timber larceny, carjacking, felony-level shoplifting and felony-level bad check writing.

Attorneys who challenged the provision had argued the authors of the states Jim Crow-era constitution showed racist intent when they chose which felonies would cause people to lose the right to vote, picking crimes they thought were more likely to be committed by Black people.

The lawsuit dates back to 2017. In a news release, MCJ said it filed the suit on behalf of two Black men  Roy Harness and Kamal Karriem. Harness is a military veteran who was convicted of forgery in 1986 and Karriem is a former Columbus city council member who was convicted of embezzlement in 2005, the organization said. Both men served their sentences but still cannot vote.

In their August ruling, a majority of 5th circuit judges said the plaintiffs "failed to meet their burden of showing that the current version of Section 241 was motivated by discriminatory intent.

Story continues

In addition, Mississippi has conclusively shown that any taint associated with Section 241 has been cured, the majority wrote.

Seven judges of the 17-member panel dissented. Judge James Graves  who is Black and from Mississippi  wrote that the majority of the appeals court had upheld a provision enacted in 1890 that was expressly aimed at preventing Black Mississippians from voting and that the court had done so by concluding that a virtually all-white electorate and legislature, otherwise engaged in massive and violent resistance to the Civil Rights Movement, cleansed that provision in 1968 by adding crimes that were considered to be race-neutral.

In 1950, burglary was removed from the list of crimes that would strip people of voting rights. Murder and rape were added to the list in 1968. Attorneys representing Mississippi argued those changes cured any discriminatory taint on the original provision.

Under the state constitution's original provision, lesser crimes the authors thought were more likely to be committed by Black people stripped people of voting rights, while murder and rape did not.

To regain voting rights in Mississippi now, a person convicted of a disenfranchising crime must receive a governors pardon or must win permission from two-thirds of the state House and Senate. Legislators in recent years have passed a small number of bills to restore voting rights.

___

Michael Goldberg is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/mikergoldberg.
Michael Short/San Francisco Chronicle via AP

David DePape, 42, was arrested in the early hours of Friday morning at the Pelosis San Francisco residence. He violently assaulted Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosis 82-year-old husband, with a hammer, according to police.

Police said they are still investigating DePapes motive for attacking Mr. Pelosi. But online screeds published on a personal blog may offer some insight into DePapes mindset.

DePapes blog posts are filled with a grab-bag of memes and videos advocating for right-wing causes. The blogwhich took its name from a slang term for the word friends popular on the anarchic anonymous website 4chanfeatured DePapes thoughts on conspiracy theories about a global cabal.

DePape posted memes about the Great Reset, a belief popular with pro-Trump media figures that holds that world elites plan to destroy the economy and enslave humanity.

In another post, DePape advocated for the ridiculous belief, popular among supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory, that Hillary Clinton sexually abuses children in Satanic rituals and murders her political foes. DePape filled his blog with antisemitic and racist references, including a post denying the Holocaust took place.

Intruder Reportedly Yelled Wheres Nancy? During Attack on Paul Pelosi

Elsewhere, the blog reads like a jumble of ideas popular on the broader right-wing internet in 2022. The blog features posts claiming that teachers who discuss LGBT issues in classrooms are sexual-predator groomers. DePape posted links to videos made by right-wing internet personality James Lindsay attacking drag queen events and other supposed groomers. DePape appears to have believed that progressive wokism was ruining the comic-book movies, complaining in a recent review of the movie Black Adam that wokism destroys movies.

David has always had an opinion, Teresa DePape, Davids step-mother, told The Daily Beast on Friday.

Im one of these people who thinks everybody has an opinion, and I was raised when sticks and stones would break your bones, but words will never hurt you, she said. But hammers are not words.

Story continues

On the blog, which was started in August 2022, DePape weighed in on popular right-wing talking points from the last year. He authored a post claiming George Floyd was a deadbeat who died of an overdose, and arguing that police officer Derek Chauvin was owed damages.

In several posts, he accused Amber Heard of fabricating evidence against Johnny Depp in their highly publicized trial. He shared a video arguing that Ukraine had provoked Russia into going to war, and rejected offers of peace. DePape repeatedly shared COVID disinformation, including links to stories about vaccine injury cover-ups, and mocking people who bought into covid as mask tards.

DePapes blog makes no mention of Nancy Pelosi. In one post he describes Tulsi Gabbard as only democrat candidate who WASN'T running on a platform of being an insane mentally unwell demagogue, and encouraged Donald Trump to run with Gabbard as his vice-president in 2024.

Elsewhere, his views strayed in extreme misogyny. In one post DePape wrote, woman [sic] are very problematic and should probably be banned from society, and in another argued that, Children should be take [sic] away from mothers given to fathers and the mothers should be forced to pay child support.

Alongside these political screeds, DePape also shared intimate details of his personal life. He railed against his former partner, Gypsy Taub, who he accused of being psychotic. He also linked to YouTube videos he had filmed of birds and squirrels he described on his blog as spirit animals.

Taub is a well-known Bay Area nudist activist, who made headlines in 2017 when she stripped naked at a Berkeley City Council meeting. DePape and Taub lived together for some time in a house in Berkeley along with Taubs three children, according to reports in the Oakland Tribune and SFGate. Taub is currently serving time at California Institution for Women, a jail in Chino, California, according to inmate records.

DePape was charged late Friday with attempted murder, burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting injury on an elder, and threatening the family member of a public official, among other charges, according to San Francisco jail records.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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OSLO (Reuters) - Sweden has ordered additional investigations to be carried out of the damage done last month to the two Nord Stream pipelines, the prosecutor in charge of the case said in a statement on Friday.

Sweden and Denmark have both concluded that four leaks on Nord Stream 1 and 2 were caused by explosions, but have not said who might be responsible. World leaders have called it an act of sabotage.

"I've decided together with the security police to carry out a number of additional investigations at the scene of the crime," lead prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said.

"The Armed Forces have upon request decided to assist in the investigation," he added.

The prosecutor said the armed forces had the resources and expertise to investigate the crime scene "in the way we wish" but declined further comment.

Sweden's armed forces said this week that they were carrying out an independent investigation of the seabed around the leaks with minesweepers.

"I can confirm that we are supporting the prosecutor with underwater surveys carried out by the ship HMS Belos," Swedish navy spokesperson Jimmie Adamsson said in a mail.

"There is no link between the surveys that the Swedish Armed Forces is doing itself in the area and the request for support from the prosecutor."

Adamsson gave no further information.

(Reporting by Terje Solsvik and Simon Johnson, editing by Stine Jacobsen and Tomasz Janowski)
(Bloomberg) -- Sweden faces a challenge in persuading Turkey to approve its membership in NATO, according to the Nordic countrys new prime minister Ulf Kristersson.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Turkey has objected to Finland and Sweden joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanding that they extradite suspects Turkey sees as terrorists. While an agreement in June nudged the process forward, allowing 28 of the alliances 30 members to ratify the Nordic nations entry, Turkey and Hungary remain the holdouts.

Sweden and Finland have been seeking to show Erdogan that they cooperate in fighting terrorism.

I do not think that this is an easy task, Kristersson told reporters at a news conference with his Finnish counterpart, Sanna Marin, in Helsinki on Friday. I am very prepared to go to Ankara for talks with Erdogan, he said, without confirming a date for their meeting.

Their bids, which were triggered by security concerns arising from Russias invasion of Ukraine, require unanimous consent and so need approval from Turkeys parliament.

The meeting with Kristersson will test how sincere Sweden is about its counter-terrorism efforts, Erdogan said Oct. 21.

Sweden is wholeheartedly engaged in honoring the agreement struck with Turkey, Kristersson said on Friday. The fight against terrorism is legitimate.

--With assistance from Leo Laikola.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
This article originally appeared on Velo News

The mouthwatering prospect of Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), and Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) challenging each other at the Tour de France might have to wait until 2024 but until the Belgian rider confirms his aspirations of racing the Giro dItalia the scenario of all three lining up for the Grand Depart remains a possibility.

On Thursday, at the unveiling of the 2023 Tour de France route, only Pogacar was present from the trio of potential winning Tour candidates with Evenepoel still enjoying his honeymoon and Vingegaard resting after a Tour-winning season.

Evenepoels team has been tight-lipped on the riders program for next year, although the Giro dItalia seems the most likely target. Quick-Step boss Patrick Lefevere told VeloNews last month that his preference would be for his young leader to add a Giro title to his palmares before turning his attention to the Tour 12 months later. Meanwhile, the Giro has done its utmost to attract the world champions gaze with a whopping 70-plus kilometers of time trialing within the 2023 route.

Also read: 2023 Tour de France Hommes route revealed: A ready-made race for climbers

At the route presentation, Pogacar was asked about the possibility of facing Evenepoel for the first time in a grand tour at next years Tour.

Remco has to write its own story and put together its own program," the Slovenian said. "I cant tell him to come to the Tour. Its his decision. He is world champion and one of the best riders. But if I was world champion, I would go to the Tour."

Meanwhile Pogacars UAE boss Mauro Gianetti gave his opinion on ASOs route for next year.

In my opinion, it will be a very open Tour de France. This year we learned that the Tour de France is serious and that we need to take it day by day. In one day you can lose the Tour de France, so its important to have a good concentration, never lose your calm and always try and manage the race, he said according to Het Nieuwsblad.

Story continues

Were not the only team in the race. There are big strong squads like Jumbo-Visma, Ineos, and other big riders.

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.
TAIPEI (Reuters) - China should stop its sabre-rattling against Taiwan and maintain peace and stability, the head of Taiwan's China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council said on Friday, as Beijing ramped up political and military pressure on the island it claimed as its own.

China has stepped up military activities near democratically governed Taiwan since August, when it conductd to blockade drills around the island following a visit to Taipei by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

"Beijing should stop its sabrer-rattling as it only deepens the gap between the two sides and raises tensions in the region," Mainland Affairs Council minister Chiu Tai-san told a forum in Taipei.

"We urge mainland China to lay down arms and maintain peace and stability. The key to peace is to reverse the mindset of handling problems with force," Chiu said, adding Beijing should resolve disagreements with Taipei via "a constructive dialogue without preconditions."

Chiu said he hoped China could gradually relax its travel restrictions to control the COVID-19 pandemic so that the two sides could resume "healthy and orderly exchanges and create room for positive interaction."

China has repeatedly rebuffed offers for talks on the basis of equality with mutual respect by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who Beijing views as a separatist.

China considers Taiwan its own territory. Earlier this month, President Xi Jinping said in a speech at the opening of a the Communist Party Congress in Beijing that it is up to the Chinese people to resolve the Taiwan issue and that China will never renounce the use of force over Taiwan.

Taipei says only the island's 23 million people can decide their future, and that as Taiwan has never been ruled by the People's Republic of China its sovereignty claims are void.

(Reporting By Yimou Lee; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
A man who prosecutors alleged shot to death a 17-year-old girl to win notoriety and respect within his Fort Worth gang was found guilty on Thursday of engaging in gang-murder and gang-deadly conduct, but a jury could not reach a verdict on two other offenses on which he was indicted.

After about five hours of deliberation, the panel in 396th District Court in Tarrant County returned the partial verdict in the case of Adrian Robinson, who was indicted in the rifle killing of Cheyenne Moore.

The presiding juror said that further discussion would not be fruitful and break a deadlock. Judge George Gallagher granted a defense motion for a mistrial on murder and deadly conduct counts.

Beyond Moore, Robinson was accused in the shootings of three other strangers who were fired upon in a Jan. 12, 2020, spasm of violence in east Fort Worth. None of the surviving victims saw the assailant.

Because of the absence of a victim identifying a suspect or another eyewitness, prosecutors told jurors they cut a deal with Christopher Williams, another defendant indicted in the case. Williams testified that he was driving the vehicle from which Robinson and a third man stepped before shooting the victims.

Under the agreement, Williams will receive five years in prison, the minimum sentence for murder in Texas, in exchange for his testimony in the Robinson case.

Tarrant County Assistant Criminal District Attorney Sarah Bruner told jurors that in the course of pursuing violent crime cases, prosecutors must sometimes flip one bad guy, to get a worse one.

Williams assumes the burden of being a target of retaliatory violence. He testified that, about two months ago, he received a letter from Robinson that contained a threat. In it, Robinson suggested that his codefendant was safe in jail but not out there, Williams testified.

Beyond Williams testimony, the case was built on corroboration from a police crime lab firearms examiner who reviewed shell casings from the three scenes and determined that they were likely fired from the same guns. Investigators also reviewed video from city cameras attached to poles that showed what police said was the suspects vehicle, a Hyundai Sonata, near the scenes.

Story continues

Tarrant County Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Katie Owens in a closing argument suggested to jurors that they could have an impact on gun violence by returning a guilty verdict.

How pathetic, Owens said of Robinson.

In her closing argument, defense attorney Randy Bowers urged jurors to recall the ways in which the defense had demonstrated that Williams had lied. Bowers said Williams has a significant motive to lie in the desire to protect himself and another codefendant, Braylin Brown, his half brother.

There is doubt all over his testimony, ladies and gentleman, said Bowers, who represents Robinson with attorney Edwin Youngblood.

Judge Gallagher will on Friday hear testimony in the trials punishment phase and will sentence Robinson, who is 21. Robinson did not testify.

Under the law enforcement theory, Robinson was a passenger in a Hyundai Sonata when he shot a man who pulled to the side of a street to fiddle with the unsecured hood of his red Mustang and Moore, who, when her back was struck by a tumbling round from a rifle while she rode in a car, slumped to her brother-in-law in the drivers seat as he made a turn. Moores brother-in-law was also shot.

Late on Jan. 12, 2020, Brown, Williams and Robinson were inside the Sonata, law enforcement authorities alleged.

Robinson shot Moore, an Arlington Martin High School student, in the 5700 block of East Rosedale Street, prosecutors alleged.

Robinson has also been indicted on murder in connection with the shooting death of Anjonae Eubanks, which occurred three days before Moore was slain.

Beyond Robinson and Williams, Brown has also been indicted on murder in Moores killing.

Williams testified that he, Brown and Robinson were in a vehicle and looking for Javien Wright, a Fort Worth rapper known as J Dub with whom Brown had a dispute. Wright, 17, would be shot to death in February 2020 in the front yard of a house in the 1500 block of East Mulkey Street. Wright was documented by police as a member of a Blood gang set in Stop Six.

Christopher Wells, a Fort Worth police gang intelligence section officer, testified that, via self-admission and other evidence, Robinson is a documented Lake Como Crips member and a founder, with Brown, of a subset of that street gang, Brothers Over Everything.

Near his collarbone, Robinson has a tattoo that reads, Murder Worth.

With the plan to find Wright abandoned, and for reasons not clear to Williams, Robinson focused on new targets along East Rosedale Street, the codefendant testified.

At a stop sign at Andrew Avenue, Robinson hopped out and used a rifle to shoot a man near a Mustang, Williams told jurors. The group continued on Rosedale, and a white Chevrolet Tahoe pulled next to them. Robinson again left the back seat and opened fire on the sport utility vehicle in which Moore was a passenger, Williams testified.

In his time on the witness stand, Williams was not asked about another shooting that night at the Buttercup Apartments. Fort Worth Police Homicide Unit Detective Ernie Pate later testified that it was his speculation that Williams was the shooter at that scene.

In his first testimony at trial in Tarrant County since he was appointed in November 2021, Dr. Kendall Crowns, the chief medical examiner in Tarrant County, described Moores injury.

His predecessor at the office, Dr. Nizam Peerwani, performed the autopsy. Crowns said he reviewed the case and concluded, as Peerwani did, that the bullet that killed Moore cut a path from her back, perforating her liver, kidney, adrenal gland and aorta.

She died of blood loss.
Ministry works to solve job market challenges

By CHENG SI (China Daily) 08:44, October 28, 2022

Job seekers ask for information at a career fair for college graduates in Changchun, Jilin province, on Sept 25. CHI XIAOWEI/FOR CHINA DAILY

Continuous efforts have been made to stabilize the job market, and address discrimination and unreasonable requirements placed by employers on potential employees, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

Latest figures from the ministry show that about 10 million people successfully gained employment in urban areas in the past nine months.

According to the ministry, the government has expanded the coverage of unemployment benefits to include college graduates who haven't landed jobs two years after graduating and those unemployed aged from 16 to 24.

Included in the policy, companies will receive a one-time payment of a maximum of 1,500 yuan ($208) per person when they offer jobs to job seekers on benefits.

To help the unemployed, especially college graduates, migrant workers and retired military members, the government has organized nearly 120,000 job fairs both online and offline across the nation in the past three quarters. Over 100 million vacancies were offered at these job fairs.

The ministry said college graduates remain one of the priorities of the government's employment drive, and students in poor financial situations are getting assistance.

As of September, the government had posted 1.02 million internships and 43,000 grassroots vacancies for this year's college graduates.

In addition to channeling job information to the labor force, the government has also carried out actions to protect people's working rights by improving the labor arbitration system and regulating illegal behaviors such as discrimination and defaulting on salaries.

A recent action plan by the State Council, China's Cabinet, said that it's necessary to explore ways to secure flexible workers' rights when they get work-related injuries.

The plan said the government will strictly handle discrimination against recovered COVID-19 patients to ensure people are treated fairly when applying for jobs.

According to the human resources ministry, it is undertaking a five-month campaign from Aug 20 to late January to tackle issues around pay defaults faced by migrant workers.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Photo: The Canadian Press

UPDATE 7:10 p.m.

Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter and ousted the CEO, chief financial officer and the companys general counsel, two people familiar with the deal said Thursday night.

The people wouldnt say if all the paperwork for the deal, originally valued at $44 billion, had been signed or if the deal has closed. But they said Musk is in charge of the social media platform and has fired CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal and General Counsel Vijaya Gadde. Neither person wanted to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the personnel moves.

The departures come just hours before a deadline set by a Delaware judge to finalize the deal on Friday. She threatened to schedule a trial if no agreement was reached.

ORIGINAL 9 a.m.

Elon Musk is telling Twitter advertisers he is buying the platform to help humanity and doesnt want it to become a free-for-all hellscape where anything can be said with no consequences.

The message to advertisers posted Thursday on Twitter came a day before Musks deadline for closing his $44 billion deal to buy the social-media company and take it private.

The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence, Musk wrote, in an unusually-long message for the billionaire Tesla CEO who typically projects his thoughts in one-line tweets.

He continued: There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.

The message reflects concerns among advertisers -- Twitters chief source of revenue -- that Musks plans to promote free speech by cutting back on moderating content will open the floodgates to more online toxicity and drive away users.

Musk told advertisers Thursday he wants Twitter to be the most respected advertising platform in the world. He said it should be warm and welcoming to all and enable users to choose the experience they want to have.

I didnt do it to make money, he said of the pending acquisition. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love. And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility.

Fridays deadline to close the deal was ordered by the Delaware Chancery Court in early October. It is the latest step in an epic battle during which Musk signed an April deal to acquire Twitter, then tried to back out of it, leading Twitter to sue the Tesla CEO to force him to conclude the deal. If the two sides dont meet the Friday deadline, the next step could be a November trial that would likely lead to a judge forcing Musk to complete the deal.

But Musk has been signaling that the deal is going through by Friday, paying a visit to Twitters San Francisco headquarters Wednesday and changing his Twitter profile to Chief Twit.

And overnight the New York Stock Exchange notified investors that it will suspend trading in shares of Twitter before the opening bell Friday in anticipation of the company going private under Musk.
A New Jersey elementary school teacher is suing Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad for viral social media posts. The teacher, Tamar Herman, alleges that Muhammads post accused her of forcibly removing a students hijab. Hijabs are traditional headscarves worn by some Muslim women and girls.

Previously, Blavity reported a second-grade student at Seth Boyden Elementary School told her mother that Herman had pulled her hijab off her head, exposing her hair. The 7-year-olds family complained to the school principal. The young student is Black, and Herman is Jewish and white.

The Philidelphia Inquirer reported that Herman informed school administrators that the situation was a misunderstanding. She claimed she thought the student was wearing a hood that went past her eyes. She didnt realize it was her hijab. Herman said she made an attempt to lift the fabric. However, the students hair was uncovered underneath. The teacher stated she quickly apologized. She added that the student usually wore a tighter-fitting hijab that she could easily recognize as the traditional head covering.

Because of the incident, Herman is on administrative leave.

Herman alleges the spread of misinformation caused her to be a target of attack across social media. She said the hateful posts forced her to move out of her home and hire security to protect her.

Due to the allegations, Herman has begun a lawsuit against those who took part in spreading the accusations. One of the most notable people involved was Muhammad.

Herman filed the defamation lawsuit on Oct. 5. According to CNN, she accused Muhammad and other defendants of making categorically false allegations of bigotry, child abuse, and gross pedagogical misconduct.

Her actions were portrayed as antisemitic and Islamophobic.

CNN obtained court documents in which Herman alleges that her life and reputation were irreparably harmed by the flood of interest and outrage caused by Muhammads Instagram and Facebook posts.

Story continues

In the post, Muhammad included the alleged details of the incident and discussed her childrens book, The Proudest Blue.

The October 2021 Facebook post reads, I wrote this book with the intention that moments like this would never happen again. When will it stop? Yesterday, Tamar Herman, a teacher at Seth Boyden Elementary in Maplewood, NJ, forcibly removed the hijab of a second-grade student.

Muhammad continued by describing what allegedly seemed to be a tug-of-war scenario between the student and Herman.

The young student resisted by trying to hold onto her hijab, but the teacher pulled the hijab off, exposing her hair to the class, she wrote. Herman told the student that her hair was beautiful and she did not have to wear hijab to school anymore.

Imagine being a child and stripped of your clothing in front of your classmates, she continued. Imagine the humiliation and trauma this experience has caused her.

This is abuse. Schools should be a haven for all of our kids to feel safe, welcome and protected  no matter their faith, she said. We cannot move toward a post-racial America until we weed out the racism and bigotry that still exist in all layers of our society.

By protecting Muslim girls who wear hijab, we are protecting the rights of all of us to have a choice in the way we dress, she added.

She ended the post by providing information for her followers to contact the school where Herman worked.

Other notable figures, such as New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, posted comments about the incident. Murphy tweeted that he was deeply disturbed by the accusations.

Deeply disturbed by these accusations. Our diversity is our greatest strength and every child should feel safe and welcome in school, regardless of their race, religion, or culture. We fully support @SOMSDK12s investigation into the matter.https://t.co/CetCQz6GMB  Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) October 8, 2021

The lawsuit lists Muhammad, CAIR New Jersey and CAIR New Jersey Executive Director Selaedin Maksut as those whose posts ostracized Herman.

According to CNN, Hermans lawsuit comes just weeks after the Superior Court of New Jersey dismissed the students parents religious discrimination lawsuit against her and the South Orange Maplewood School District Board of Education.

The students mother stated that the young girl was traumatized by the incident and no longer wanted to wear her hijab.

Muhammad has not commented in regard to her being named in the lawsuit.
OSLO (Reuters) -Norway's Telenor said on Friday it is exploring ways to provide support to Myanmar telecom users facing digital security risks after its exit from the Southeast Asian nation this year.

Following a military coup in Myanmar in 2021, Telenor announced the sale of its business there to avoid European Union sanctions after pressure from the junta to activate intercept surveillance technology.

Telenor completed the exit despite criticism from employees and activists who said the handover could put the data of 18 million people within reach of the ruling military.

The company on Friday said it had agreed with 474 civil society groups, under an OECD complaint procedure, to jointly select an independent researcher to conduct a risk study and support actions recommended.

This will include an exploration "of providing support to Myanmar citizens who are facing risks and impacts associated with their digital footprint", it said in a statement.

Both parties accepted there were "serious risks" to users in Myanmar as well as to former employees for association with the military.

The goal is to reach full agreement by the end of 2022, said Telenor and the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, which represents the civil society organisations.

Telenor sold the business for $105 million to Lebanese investment firm M1 and Shwe Byain Phyu, a local firm whose chairman had a history of business ties to the military. They rebranded the company as Atom.

A former Telenor Myanmar employee said workers faced risks from both the military and armed pro-democracy opposition groups.

The former employee and another person with knowledge of the matter said the military regularly made demands for customer data, including members of the pro-democracy movement.

The sale put "everybody's lives at risk," they said. "We want Telenor to take some responsibility," they added, asking for security and support for employees, including offers of relocation or compensation.

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Atom did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for the Myanmar military did not answer phone calls seeking comment.

Telenor told Reuters it shared a "deep concern for the people of Myanmar" and intended to listen to all concerns as it moves forward in the mediation process.

(Reporting by Terje Solsvik, Gwladys Fouche and Poppy McPherson; Editing by Robert Birsel and Elaine Hardcastle)
Portraying herself as an underdog who has crashed through a glass ceiling, Italys new right-wing prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, who heads the neo-fascist Brothers of Italy party, sought to calm critics in her first public address since taking office, decrying fascism, voicing support for the European Union and NATO, and vowing continued backing of Ukraine in its war with Russia.

I have never felt sympathy or closeness towards antidemocratic regimes ... including fascism, she said, adding that she considered Benito Mussolinis racial laws of 1938  which declared that Italians were Aryans while segregating and ultimately imprisoning Italian Jews, Ethiopians and Eritreans  to be the lowest point in Italian history, a shame that will mark our people forever.

But the ascension of Italys first hard-right leader since the end of World War II continues to have many in Europe on edge.

The jurys still out about her, Brussels-based Roland Freudenstein, vice president of independent think tank GLOBSEC, told Yahoo News. One strain of the argument [focuses on] the partys fascist past  the symbolism, the Roman salute that they still use in their speeches  and her appointments of questionable people. Some in Brussels, he said, regard her as a right-wing extremist, who we should not only watch out for, but confront.

French European Affairs Minister Laurence Boone underscored that concern, telling Italian newspaper La Repubblica that France will be keeping an eye on Melonis government. We want to work with Rome but we will monitor respect for rights and freedoms and pay close attention to respect of values and the rule of law.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne echoed his sentiments, saying her country would pay heed to human rights and the right to abortion in Italy.

Newly elected Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni rings the Cabinet minister bell during her first Cabinet meeting in Rome, Oct. 23. (Andrew Medichini/AP)

Theres a lot of concern, especially outside Italy, Arturo Varvelli, director of the Rome office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, told Yahoo News. Hes been besieged with calls from political analysts across Europe asking, Wow, so now you have a new fascist government?  an assessment he disputes. Meloni is not a fascist, he added.

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While Meloni, the 45-year-old single mother from working-class origins, ran on a God, Homeland, Family platform, has vowed to clamp down on African migrants and has taken aim at gay rights, Varvelli believes she is far less worrisome than two other Italian politicians, Matteo Salvini of La Lega and Silvio Berlusconi of Forza Italia, in the conservative ruling coalition she led into power in a right-wing alliance that won 44% of the vote in Septembers election. Some critics of the two men, however, say their inclusion in Melonis government casts further doubt about her, especially regarding her stated support for Ukraine.

Last week was supposed to be dominated by Meloni and her governmental nominations, conservative commentator Benjamin Harnwell, host of Steve Bannons podcast WarRoom: Rome, told Yahoo News. In fact, the news cycle was totally hijacked by leaked recordings of Berlusconi.

In the recordings, taped during a party meeting, Berlosconi admits to rekindling his friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and blames Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for forcing Putin to launch his invasion of Ukraine. Berlusconi went on to personally attack Meloni, writing to party members that shes self-important, bossy, arrogant and ridiculous. Salvini, too, has expressed disagreement with Meloni, recently speaking out against continuing sanctions on Russia, which Meloni supports, saying they were bringing Europe and Italy to their knees.

The behavior and leaked statements of Berlusconi and Salvini, Rome-based left-wing political writer David Broder told Yahoo News are not only aimed at throwing her off, but are just as much about the two party leaders not wanting to appear only as her supporters, to their own bases. So they have to pull stunts in order to capture the limelight, Broder said.

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, center, after addressing Parliament ahead of a confidence vote for her Cabinet, Oct. 25. (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)

Theres a problem of personality between Berlusconi and Salvini on one side and Giorgia Meloni on the other, because shes a woman  and they cant tolerate [the coalition] being headed by a young woman, Varvelli told Yahoo News. He regards personal relations between Meloni and her two allies  as well as their positions on Russia  as the big problems of this government.

Although Meloni has underscored that shes an Atlanticist  allied with the U.S. and NATO  some in Russia apparently dont believe her.

Meloni's Atlanticist convictions should not be overestimated, Yelena Panina, a pro-Kremlin foreign policy analyst told Russian newspaper Izvestia. They could change at any time if the geopolitical situation changes. It is, Panina added, quite reasonable to assume that after some time and under certain circumstances she could become an adequate partner for Russia in Europe.

Melonis foreign policy isnt the only thing being scrutinized. She has previously called for using the Italian navy to block African refugees from heading to the country, but that has yet to solidify into an actual policy announcement. We must stop illegal departures and human trafficking, she said in her speech on Tuesday, and her newly appointed Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi is already taking provisional steps to block two NGO ships under distress carrying 326 rescued refugees from entering Italian territory, saying theyre not following proper procedures.

While Meloni rebuffed Salvinis entreaties to appoint him as minister of the interior  a post he controversially held in 2019 when he too famously sent back rescue boats filled with African refugees  last week she made him minister of infrastructure, a position that puts him in control of the ports. It does actually give him a certain influence over immigration policy, said Broder. And hes been very much exploiting that. Broder said Salvini is already posting photos of himself on social media standing with the head of the Italian coast guard and tweeting that the battle against illegal immigration is back.

Meloni flanked by Berlusconi (left) and Salvini (right). (Ettore Ferrari/ANSA/AFP via Getty Images)

Another appointment that Broder is following closely is that of Guido Crosetto, a former defense industry lobbyist who Meloni tapped as defense minister. Even though Crosetto gave up his lobbying position, Broder finds it problematic to have these kinds of revolving doors between the private and public sectors. He was even more troubled by Crosettos response to an article in the Italian paper Domani questioning his role. Corsetto threatened to sue everybody who accuses him of any potential conflict of interest, said Broder.

Melonis also being carefully watched regarding her policy initiatives on abortion, which has been legal in Italy since 1978. Its a thorny topic, Gianfranco Pasquino, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Bologna, told Yahoo News. She said that shes not going to change the existing law, which allows abortion up to 90 days. However, shes also said that she will try to provide advice to the women looking for an abortion. So she will try to limit and prevent abortions, but in legal ways. Abortions are already difficult to obtain in Italy since 80% of doctors are conscientious objectors who refuse to perform them, he added. So they make it very difficult for the woman to find the right hospital at the right time. Obviously, shes not going to do anything about that.

In her speech before the Parliament on Tuesday, Meloni announced that Italy needs an economic and cultural plan to rediscover the beauty of parenthood and put the family back at the center of society, adding that municipalities should provide free day care centers.

Meloni fears that, due to having one of the lowest birthrates in Europe, Italy faces the prospect of extinction, Broder said, adding that she has previously expressed wariness about same-sex parenting.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto greets Meloni during the swearing-in ceremony at the presidential palace in Rome, Oct. 22. (Italian Presidency/Handout via Reuters)

But ECFRs Varvelli doesnt expect that shell strip away existing LGBTQ rights. I dont think they want to start that kind of battle, he said, though he does expect pro-family incentives to try to boost the population.

While some analysts have predicted that due to friction within her coalition, Melonis government could crumble within months, Harnwell believes her top challenge will be keeping the alliance together and that shell definitely last longer than a head of lettuce  a reference to Liz Trusss short reign as prime minister of the U.K.

He does worry, however, that her support for sanctions on Russia, and her Atlanticist views, do leave her right flank wide open, since many conservatives question those positions. He believes that Silvio Berlusconi is maneuvering Forza Italia to swoop in from the populist right and is already preparing an exodus from the coalition that would cause the government to collapse.

Pasquino, however, believes that Meloni will keep the alliance intact and serve her entire five-year term. In all likelihood, he said, if the left does not reorganize itself, she could win again in the elections five years from now.

Do not underestimate Meloni, he added. Shes really ambitious and determined. And she wants to leave her mark on Italian history.
After a months-long legal battle that has engulfed Twitter since Elon Musk first offered to buy the company for $44 billion in April, the deal is done, and Musk is already ringing in the changes. Musk, who has criticized Twitter's leadership, fired CEO Parag Agrawal and Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal, as well as several more top executives. Hes also likely to let more staff go, though he has told employees the cuts won't be as high as 75 percent.

Musk spent time in Twitter's San Francisco headquarters this week, where he met with employees. Bloomberg reported that he brought in some Tesla engineers to help "assess" Twitter's code. The new owner wants to loosen moderation rules and even make the social network open source so users can better understand what Twitter is recommending. Longer term, Musk has mentioned turning Twitter into the everything app akin to WeChat in China, and even the possibility of charging companies for tweet embeds.

 Mat Smith

The Morning After isnt just a newsletter  its also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

The biggest stories you might have missed

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TMA

The Surface Pro 9 with 5G makes it clear that Microsoft has learned some lessons since its first tablets  the original Surface launched ten years ago. The companys latest hybrid is impeccably designed and can tap into speedy 5G networks. Unfortunately, it also retreads some errors of the past. These boil down to the custom SQ3 ARM system-on-a-chip, which isnt as good as the Intel silicon found in the other Surface Pro 9. According to Engadgets Devindra Hardawar, this custom chip leads to generally slow performance, compatibility issues and disappointment. Its also more expensive than the faster Intel model.

Story continues

Continue reading.

But its mobile business still had a stellar third quarter.

Samsung has reported a record consolidated revenue of 76.78 trillion Korean won ($54 billion) for the third quarter of 2022, but this included a decline in profit from the previous quarter and year-over-year. The tech giant's operating profit (KRW 10.85 trillion or $7.6 billion) has declined 23 percent from the second quarter. This was due to less demand for its component business, but the companys phone and networks arm had a great quarter, attributed to sales of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4, both of which showed stronger growth than their foldable predecessors.

Continue reading.

Its paused the ads for now.

On October 25th, Apple started displaying more ads in the App Store, particularly in the "Today" tab and at the bottom of app listings. Since then, multiple developers have complained about seeingads for gambling under their listings' "You Might Also Like" section, when they have nothing to do with their applications. Apple told MacRumors that it has "paused ads related to gambling and a few other categories on App Store product pages."

Continue reading.

This may be InSight's last big accomplishment before it shuts down.

Researchers learned that a quake detected by the lander in Mars' Amazonis Planitia region on December 24th, 2021 was actually a meteoroid impact  the first time any mission has witnessed a crater forming on the planet. The meteoroid is believed to have been somewhere between 16 and 39 feet long. It would have burned up in Earth's skies, but it was large enough to survive Mars' extra-thin atmosphere.

Continue reading.

And our first look at 'Sonic Prime'.

TMA

Almost two years after Netflix tweeted (and deleted) about an animated Sonic the Hedgehog series that's coming to the streaming service, the show has a release date. Season one of Sonic Prime will hit the platform on December 15th. The first season will have 24 episodes. Netflix has also tweeted a teaser for the series.

Continue reading.

It says societal and infrastructure overhauls are needed.

The United Nations has issued another stark warning that, under current policies, the planet is falling far short of the Paris Agreement goal of keeping the rise in global temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius. That's the threshold scientists say we have to remain under in order to mitigate extreme, life-threatening weather events, such as heatwaves, droughts and tropical storms. The statement added there was "no credible pathway to 1.5C in place." The 13th edition of the Emissions Gap Report reiterates that major changes are required. It laid out the necessary actions across electricity supply, industry, transport and buildings, along with food and financial systems. The report noted that we'd need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a further 45 percent by 2030.

Continue reading.
County Supervisor District candidates, Lindsey Horvath and Bob Hertzberg.

The District 3 race between state Sen. Bob Hertzberg and West Hollywood Councilmember Lindsey Horvath so far has attracted $7.2 million in campaign donations. As of the latest filing deadline, Hertzberg leads the money race by nearly $5 million, raising more money than all other countywide races this election cycle, including outraising both sheriffs candidates combined. Full reporting of donations less than $1,000 are expected just days before the Nov. 8 election.

The winner of this race will replace outgoing third district representative Sheila Kuehl on the countys Board of Supervisors. This five-person board makes decisions for the nation's largest county, including how the $44.6-billion budget is allocated for all county services including the Sheriff's Department, road repairs, and the county library system.

The supervisors serve four-year terms, with half the board up for election every two years. District 1 Supervisor Hilda Solis, won her reelection outright during the 2022 primary  meaning District 3 is the only vacancy voted on this November.

The third district represents liberal enclaves such as West Hollywood and the more conservative San Fernando Valley. Hertzberg recently retired from representing the San Fernando Valley in the state Legislature. Horvath previously served as West Hollywood mayor and currently serves as a West Hollywood City Council member.

Horvath leads in donations from District 3 residents, with nearly 63% of her money from within the district. Seventy percent of her donations are from individuals instead of businesses or committees. One of her largest donors is the Mani Bros., West Hollywood developers that own five luxury office buildings in the neighborhood.

In addition to donations from the neighborhood, she has accepted funds from other local elected representatives, including Supervisors Solis and Holly Mitchell and Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffery Prang. Horvath has received some endorsements from Sacramento , including that of Sen. Sydney Kamlager (D-Los Angeles).

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In contrast, Hertzberg has raised less than 5% of his funds from District 3, and only a quarter of his donations are from individuals. Most of his funds have come from elsewhere in the county and Sacramento. At least $72,000 has come from his colleagues in Sacramento.

In addition to monetary support from Sacramento, Hertzberg has received endorsements from high-ranking federal and state officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and at least 33 of his colleagues in the state Senate and Assembly. At the local level, he has received endorsements from West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister, a colleague of Horvath on the City Council, and county Supervisor Kathryn Barger among others.

The Board of Supervisors controls how much funding the sheriff gets and who is appointed to the Citizens Oversight Committee, which oversees and investigates the Sheriffs Department. One of the starkest ways the candidates differ is how each views the role of policing.

Hertzberg has made a priority of his campaign increasing the number of officers and police funding. He states on his website we cant play political games with the safety of our communities. We need more police on our streets and while prioritizing community policing, greater collaboration between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

During a panel hosted by Radio KBLA on Sept. 12, L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said that he thinks two members of the incoming board will work with him and that he was waiting to see who would come out of the third district.

At the time of writing, 10 police unions have endorsed Hertzberg and at least eight have donated at least a combined $1.4 million to his campaign for supervisor.

Horvath voted to cut sheriff's deputy positions in West Hollywood and introduced a resolution in 2021 that denounced the sheriffs investigation into Kuehl and Peace Over Violence executive director Patti Giggans.

Horvath has received campaign donations from Kuehl, Giggans, and the union representing Metropolitan Transportation Authority employees. She has not received additional donations from other members of the Peace Over Violence executive board. When asked about her endorsements from Kuehl and the MTA employees union, she said that she has received many endorsements, including from Supervisors Mitchell and Solis.

In addition to police support and funding, the candidates differ on ballot Measure A, which asks voters to decide if the Board of Supervisors can fire the sheriff if four out of five board members vote to do so. A spokesperson for Hertzberg said that the candidate supports criminal justice reform but opposes Measure A. Horvath said that she supports the measure.

Police unions are not the only large spenders in this race, other unions and pro-developer groups are also donating significant sums of money to elect Hertzberg. He has not only received the L.A. Labor Fed endorsement he has also received over $1.3 million in donations from organized labor groups. Horvath has raised just $42,800.

Both candidates have passed union friendly and pro-worker legislation during their time in office. Hertzberg introduced labor-friendly bills such as workplace protections for whistleblowers and victims of workplace discrimination. Horvath passed legislation giving a $17.64 minimum wage to hotel employees.

Over $200,000 has been spent by Planned Parenthood and other women's political groups to elect Horvath to the board. Horvath has a background in organizing around womens rights issues. She founded the Hollywood chapter of the National Organization of Women. She has also been endorsed by the California Womens list, Planned Parenthood, and other womens groups. However, special interest campaign mailers, funded by a housing PAC with major funding from the California realtors association and the California Apartment association have produced a flyer showing the candidate with antiabortion comments. Horvath, a Catholic, has gone on the record in the past saying that she believes life begins at conception but that she believes that women should have access to legal and safe abortions. She said, being pro choice means every person gets to make that very personal, very private decision for themselves. She added the flyer was a personal and untrue attack on her religious faith by special interest groups.

The flyer was put out by a real estate PAC not associated with Hertzbergs candidate committee or primarily formed committee.

Times staff writer Alene Tchekmedyian contributed to this report.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
In a Boston suburb, a once on-the-go couple keeps Christmas rooted.

Sarah Winchester

Many traditions of the Christmas season never change for Cynthia and Bill Sibold: church choir music, the scent of a fresh Christmas tree, and the comforting aromas of gingerbread baking in the kitchen. What has changed often, though, is the location of the Sibolds celebrations.

As a young married couple, the Sibolds, both originally from Canada, lived in various spots in the United States from New England to California. A career opportunity moved them to Australia. After that, they came back to New England, this time to a home in the Boston suburb of Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Sarah Winchester

When they first moved into their Wellesley house, Cynthia and Bills interior design priorities focused on the music room and playroom to accommodate their three young childrens leisure time and interests. But as the children grew older, Cynthia knew an update was in order. She called Boston interior designer Gerald Pomeroy for new dining room curtains. Just dining room curtains. Then they asked Pomeroy to redesign the living room. Just the living room. But like those Christmas treats where one bite leads to another, the craving for decorating grew.

Gerald knew that we were ready for our home to be more sophisticated, Cynthia says. So he gently nudged us to finish it all. He envisioned a way to decorate our interiors so that they reflected how important home is to us. Before then, we didnt have the time or werent committed to being in one place, so we pulled together what we had and it all worked. But with our intentions to stay put, we welcomed a design that was more thorough.

Sarah Winchester

Even before the Sibolds gave Pomeroy the green light to proceed, his creativity had already kicked in. He thought of many ways that this house, built in 1916, could be updated. But while many clients are interested in making a house larger with additions, the Sibolds were determined to respect the original architecture of the house. That meant keeping the existing footprint and focusing on a new decorative complexion thats classic but with a fresh attitude.

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Sarah Winchester

Theres a fine line when you are trying to achieve timeless design, Pomeroy says. You cant only stick with the classics in their original states because they, too, are meant to be adapted and made current. Theres always a new approach to design, so it doesnt become too expected.

Two statement patternsa zebra stripe on a barrel chair and a bird print on linen drapery panelskeep the living room design active. Patterned pillows provide extra movement on the armless sofa and chaise.

Sarah Winchester

Color is one way Pomeroy addresses a facelift. A tour through the house unfolds both bolds and neutrals that provide a foil for extra colorful holiday decorations. Take the foyer, for instance. A butternut squash hue warms the wall on a textured grass-cloth damask. Because the foyer stretches from the front of the house to the back, Pomeroy saw opportunity for both a surface and seating. Instead of a round skirted table, he selected a hexagonal one that softly introduces a modern geometric spin. The white frame of a new settee contrasts velvet upholstery in the same butternut color.

A garland of winter greens, oranges, and kumquats drapes the stairway and enhances the color of the walls. Each room has a unique feel to it, Bill says. [Designer] Gerald [Pomeroy] was successful at making each space capture and carry our journeys from the cultural tones that were used to pieces that are special to our familys history.

Sarah Winchester

In the living room, which heightens the toasty palette, a vibrant apricot splashes over the rooms walls, linking the various seating areas created throughout the long space.

Sarah Winchester

The guiding palette design principle of taking an accent color from one room and making it the main color in the next shines in the space the Sibolds refer to as the blue room. Throw pillows in the living room informed the scheme of the blue room, which serves as a library and den.

This relaxation space shows off a bevy of beautiful fittings. A pair of striped armchairs and a heavily patterned sofa sit atop a rug with an organic pattern. I spend a lot of time in this room, and I like its proportions, Bill says. Our home is not grand with vaulted ceilings and large additions. We never wanted to make the house big just for the sake of getting bigger. It is an old house, and it was important to us that we respect its original plan.

Sarah Winchester

Its perimeter is bathed in a medium blue that lays a dynamic foundation for textiles, including a dramatic sofa fabric that depicts lush tree branches and leaves. A second Christmas tree in cooler tones dazzles in a corner near the window seat.

Sarah Winchester

Subsequent rooms depart from bold colors and embrace quieter tones, but they continue to charm with mixes of intentionally mismatched furnishings that show the symphonic capabilities of timeless forms.

Cynthia's office is a treasure trove of objects that are meaningful to her. When you move a lot, you curate a collection of the things that are the most special, she says.

Sarah Winchester

In the dining room, a modern glass chandelier flickers over reproduction furniture. Pomeroy rolled out a cheetah-print rug to anchor reproduction Gustavian chairs and a Sheratonstyle table.

Sarah Winchester

Both the kitchen and Cynthias office operate in creamy neutrals that offer a serene vibe ideal for uninterrupted work. The kitchen plays host to Christmas baking, which means time together with the Sibolds three college-age children.

Sarah Winchester

The primary bedroom glows in luscious warm tones showcasing ecru velvet on the bed and tan paint applied to the ceiling. At the end of the four-poster, a French-inspired settee provides seating.

Sarah Winchester

A collection of paintings by mostly Canadian artists pays tribute to Bill and Cynthias origins in Canada. Laya, their Cavapoo, basks on the window seat thats given extra pizzazz by Florentine-pattern toss pillows.

The Sibolds tenure in this house has been significant nowand the design that it bears makes it easy for them to enjoy staying in place.

Bill notes they never wanted a look that was good for the next year. Cynthia agrees. When we come home from our travels, its like walking into a hug, she says. Since weve lived far from our extended families for so long, weve had to develop our own traditions. And in this house, that feels so special.

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Alina Ioana Caldarariu and Chris Caldarariu are natives of Transilvania, in central Romania. They opened Transilvania Restaurant & Bar in East Haven on Oct. 15. Since then, it has become a social hub for the states Romanian immigrant community, and has attracted many patrons who are not Romanian.

Many of those patrons have had some funny questions for the Caldarirus about their homeland, which they spell in the traditional Romanian way.

Is Transilvania a real place?

Does the sun shine in Transilvania, or is it always night?

Do people in Transilvania drive cars, or does everyone use carriages?

Is there electricity in Transilvania?

Does everyone in Transilvania live in castles?

If I had a castle, I wouldnt have left home, Alina Caldarariu said, laughing.

Transilvania is legendary in vampire myth. Since vampires dont exist, many people believe Transilvania doesnt either. The Caldararius want people to introduce the real Transilvania. Their menu has Romanian dishes. The lounge has books about Romania. Romanian linens decorate tables and walls. The sound system plays Romanian folk and pop music. As the owners of the states only dedicated Romanian restaurant, the Caldararius feel a responsibility.

Still, there is the elephant  well, the vampire  in the room. So the Caldararius have fun with it. Vampire pictures and dolls are scattered around. Waitstaff wear a vampires favorite colors: black and red. The phone number is 203-BITE-YOU. Silly signs say Welcome, Foolish Mortals, No Trespassing: Were Tired of Hiding the Bodies, The Bat Room.

But to bring the Romanian angle home, wall panels and decor tell the tale of the man who inspired Count Dracula: 15th-century Transilvanian nobleman Vlad Tepes, called The Impaler after his favorite form of execution.

In Romania, Vlad the Impaler is revered as a national hero.

Mostly, Romania exists because of him. If he hadnt fought the Turks, Romania would be part of Turkey, Alina Caldarariu said. He was captured by the Turks when he was very small. All he knew, bad things and good things, he learned from the Turks. Then they killed his father and he swore revenge. When they invaded Romania, he killed every one of them.

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They chose this theme to please both their Romanian and non-Romanian clientele. I dont want to open the restaurant just for Romanians. I want everyone to come here, Alina Caldarariu said.

Transilvania to East Haven

Alina Ioana Caldarariu is from the city of Oradea. Chris Caldarariu is from Brasov, the home of Bran Castle, which foreign tourists visit to get the Count Dracula experience. Its not Vlad the Impalers castle, though.

People go to Bran Castle because its closer to the airport. The real castle where Vlad lived, Poenari, is farther away, and you have to climb [1,480] steps to get into it. Thats why people go to Bran, she said.

The Caldararius met not in Romania but in Bermuda. Alina moved there after the 2008 economic meltdown, when her wedding-planning business hit hard times. The two married and moved to Connecticut when Alina got work as a nanny. They now have three children and live in Monroe.

In December 2020, the couple  whose mothers both were in the restaurant business  opened Transilvania restaurant in Fairfield. It was a small location, takeout-focused, and not really what they wanted, because they already had found the place in East Haven. They wanted it but the pandemic slowed down their progress getting there.

My mind and my heart were set on it, she said. [The landlord] finally said yes. I was so happy. We want people to drink and to dance. Nobody wants to do takeout anymore.

The couple moved their business to the larger, more gathering-friendly spot at 23 Main St. The building was built in 1706 as a mill on the Farm River.

When you come in you feel like you are in Romania, the low ceilings, the color of the wood. It feels like home, she said. We had a Romanian party and 140 people came. I had to push them out the door at 1 a.m.

Dana Bucin, honorary counsel of Romania to Connecticut, said about 7,000 Romanian natives live in the state. Claudia and Adrian Bente of Easton are two of them. They dined at Transilvania recently, on pork steak and pickled salad. It tastes just like mom cooked at home, said Claudia Bente.

The menu

Although the menu has many American dishes  sliders, wings, burgers, Reubens the heart of the offerings are Romanian foods. Starters include Romanian-style meatballs ($10.50), a polenta-cheese-egg combination with traditional Romanian thick bacon ($12.50), baked cascaval cheese ($9.99), Romanian chicharrons with red onions and grilled bread ($10.50), a salad of meat, potatoes, carrots and pickled vegetables ($12.50), tripe soup ($9.50) and a soup of beans and smoked pork ($8).

Romanian entrees include skinless sausages (mici) with pickled salad and Dijon mustard ($21), cabbage rolls stuffed with pork and rice and served on a bed of polenta, with thick-cut bacon and sour cream dipping sauce ($21), wiener schnitzel with potatoes and cucumber mint salad ($28.99), a stew of sausage, pork, chicken, bacon polenta and an egg ($24), cornflower-encrusted trout ($23.50), a pork steak with fries ($24.99) and pan-fried chicken liver with mashed potatoes ($21.99).

Goulash ($25) and paprikash ($23.99) are borrowed from neighboring Hungary. International-style entrees include a New York strip ($29), braised brisket ($30.99) and roasted Cajun salmon or a baked chicken (23.50).

The bar includes a wide variety of beer, wine and spirits including Romanian beer and Romanian-style liqueurs made from sour cherries and prunes.

Community

Transilvania hosts a variety of Romanian cultural events.

Nov. 19 starting at 7 p.m., Romanian entertainers will perform, including Miruna Lazea, Simina Stanciu, Mihaela Stan and Irina and Garofas Milici. Details at romanianculturalheritage.org. Admission is $49.

Dec. 3 will mark National Day of Romania, which annually celebrates the union, in 1918, of Romanian Kingdom, Transilvania, Bessarabia and Bukovina. Cost is $65 and includes food and music. Details at romanulonline.org.

A New Years party on Dec. 31 will feature live performances.

At the restaurants grand opening, which was on Oct. 22, many Ukrainian refugees attended, who had been helped to come to the United States through the Connecticut For Ukraine Refugee Matching Program. The refugees had been brought here by the program, spearheaded by Bucin, after they fled their home country into neighboring Romania. One Ukrainian refugee was given a job in Transilvanias kitchen. The others were helped by other families and organizations in the state.

Transilvania Restaurant & Bar, 23 Main St. in East Haven, is open Tuesday and Wednesday 4 to 9 p.m., Thursday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Mondays. transilvaniact.com.

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.
Elon Musk has fired the Twitter executive who banned Donald Trump as speculation mounts that the former president could return to the platform.

The one-term president was banned by Twitters previous board in the wake of the pro-Trump insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6 202 and was forced to set up his own social media site, Truth Social.

Vijaya Gadde, the head of legal, policy and trust at the company was one of the senior executives fired by Mr Musk on Thursday night as he completed his $44bn.

It has been reported that Ms Gadde played a central role in Twitters decision to ban Mr Trump with CEO Jack Dorsey vacationing on a private island at the time.

In addition to his Twitter ban, Mr Trump was also barred from using Instagram and Facebook for his repeated election denials and pushing of misinformation.

The deadly riot at the US Capitol has been blamed for the deaths of several police officers and resulted in charges of seditious conspiracy for some of Mr Trumps hardline supporters.

Mr Musk has publicly criticised the Twitter decision to ban Mr Trump from the platform.

He called the move a mistake earlier this year at a financial conference, while not directly saying whether hed reverse it should he take over the company.

I do think that it was not correct to ban Donald Trump, said Mr Musk in May. I think that was a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice.

Following his Twitter ban, Mr Trump has repeatedly said that he would not leave Truth Social to return to Twitter.

Speculation about Mr Trumps potential return was rife on Twitter on Thursday night, with a fake statement by the former president widely circulating on the site.

LOL! Left wing desperation for (Donald Trump) to go back to Twitter. #deepfakes #FakeNews, posted Truth Social CEO Devin Nunes.

In a May SEC filing from the blank-check company that was planning to take Truth Social public, it was stated that Mr Trump would have to restrict himself from using other social media platforms.

This included Mr Trump not being obligated to post on Truth Social and not being allowed to make the same post on another social media platform for six hours.

However, it stated that he would be free to post at any time from a personal account on any platform about political messaging, political fundraising or get-out-the-vote efforts.
Photo: Contributed Kelowna-Lake Country MP Tracy Gray.

Ever since I was first elected to serve as an MP, I knew I wanted to use my position to help those suffering from mental health and addiction problems.

While federal legislation can only address federal jurisdiction, I was looking for opportunities to help those struggling with mental health and addiction issues, as well as issues involving with what some people frequently refer to as the "revolving door" in our criminal justice system.

While it took some time and research, I'm proud that this week the House of Commons debated my first Private Member's Bill, Bill C-283, the End the Revolving Door Act. It is scheduled to come up for debate again in December.

A 2015 study by Correctional Service Canada showed at admission to federal custody, 70% of men and 77% of women offenders had a substance use issue. Similarly, a review of the National Parole Board files revealed about 73% of the offenders who were returned to custody abused substances while on release and substance use contributed to the termination of their release.

The effects of the revolving door in our justice system for those with mental health and addiction issues are felt in communities across Canada.

In Kelowna-Lake Country, desperate people suffering from severe addictions and mental health issues are entering and exiting our justice system without the proper treatment they need. As a result, they return to our community, only to repeat the same cycle of behaviour that, for many, will see them re-entering the justice system and those same penitentiaries again and again and again.

The effects of this spread widely. Crime numbers show law enforcement spend a lot of its time focusing resources on those with mental health and addiction. Courts are backlogged with re-offender cases. Small businesses have to foot the bill for damages. People are injured. Families are torn apart. Lives are tragically lost.

Theres no single piece of legislation that will solve all the challenges facing those with mental health and/or addiction issues who enter the criminal justice system. However, experts who work to help those with addiction and work within the criminal justice system believe my legislation can offer an important tool to help reduce recidivism, address our mental health and addiction crisis, and improve public safety in our communities.

In that effort, if made law, the act would first empower the commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada to designate all, or a part, of a facility as an addiction treatment facility. Such a facility could help focus the work of addiction professionals already hard at work within our federal prisons.

Second, this legislation would amend the Criminal Code of Canada to support a two-stream sentencing process. While both would have the same sentence time, for certain convicted individuals who demonstrate a pattern of problematic substance use, at the time of sentencing a judge could offer the choice to be sentenced directly to participate in a mental health assessment and addictions treatment inside a federal prison while they serve their sentence.

Through this sentencing process, offenders would still receive meaningful consequences for their actions while also receiving curative treatment, leading to a path of reducing the risk of reoffending, in other words, ending the revolving door.

I'm thrilled to have the support from so many, locally and across the country who are in favour of seeing this bill go forward. Convincing my colleagues across party lines in Parliament to support it will be the next challenge.

With a vote likely to be held in December, I'll continue to reach out to my Liberal, Bloc, NDP and Green colleagues to support this vital legislation, which could help improve Canada's complex mental health and addiction crisis, as well as help address crime in our communities.

If you need assistance with programs or have any thoughts to share, feel free to reach out, at 250-470-5075 or at [email protected]

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Then-President Donald Trump in a meeting with then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi at the White House on December 11, 2018 in Washington, DC. Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

Politicians on both sides of the aisle rushed to condemn the attack on Pelosi's husband.

But Trump spent the day posting on social media, including complaints about his legal woes.

The suspect reportedly posted conspiracy theories online, including about the 2020 election.

As top politicians on both sides of the aisle came forward to condemn the violent assault on Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former President Donald Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social to post about an array of topics. Over the course of the day, he complained about his legal issues, attacked a judge, and endorsed Brazil's authoritarian president  without a word about Pelosi or her husband who has been hospitalized.

Trump's silence was in stark contrast to other leading Republicans who denounced the assault, which reports suggest may have been politically motivated. The attacker was reportedly looking for the House Speaker, who is one of the most vilified lawmakers by the far right in the US.

The former president also took time to celebrate Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter, which the former president was booted from in January 2021 following the fatal attack on the US Capitol. Trump used Twitter to spread baseless conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, among other topics, which the suspect had apparently parroted to some degree on their social media.

Police identified the suspect in the assault on Pelosi as David DePape. He posted conspiracy theories on social media, according to CNN, including on COVID-19 vaccines, the 2020 election, and the January 6 attack. In 2021, DePape posted multiple videos on Facebook produced by My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell that echoed Trump's false claim the election was stolen, CNN said.

The assault against Pelosi, 82, occurred at the couple's home in San Francisco. Pelosi was attacked with a hammer and has been hospitalized, but is expected to make a full recovery, according to comments from law enforcement and the Speaker's office. The suspect was overheard shouting, "Where is Nancy?" according to multiple reports.

Story continues

President Biden is "praying" for Paul and their family, the White House press secretary said in an Friday morning statement. Prominent Republicans like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell were quick to decry the attack.

A spokesperson for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in a statement said, "Leader McCarthy reached out to the Speaker to check in on Paul and said he's praying for a full recovery and is thankful they caught the assailant."

A spokesperson for the former president did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider on Friday.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- Some prosecution witnesses in the Trump Organization criminal fraud case wont meet with the district attorneys office, prosecutors said in court during jury selection.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass made the statement in front of prospective jurors on Friday, prompting the defense to object and the judge to excuse potential jurors from the courtroom for a hearing outside their presence.

Many of these witnesses still work for the Trump Organization, and their loyalties lie on that side of the courtroom, Steinglass told jurors, pointing to the defense table. Some of them wont even talk to us. He said prosecutors may have to push them toward the truth and asked potential jurors if theyd have difficulty accepting testimony from such witnesses.

Defense lawyers complained that Steinglass had gone too far in telling the jury prospects that Trump employees could be reluctant witnesses. Trump Organizations longtime Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg is expected to be the prosecutors star witness at the trial. Steinglass wasnt referring to him in the statement about the reluctant witnesses.

William Brennan, a lawyer for the Trump Payroll Corp., accused prosecutors of assailing Weisselbergs honesty and of throwing him under the credibility bus by generally referring to employees.

Weisselbergs lawyer Nicholas Gravante said his client had been consistently meeting with both prosecutors and defense lawyers ahead of the trial. Gravante said Friday that Weisselberg last met with prosecutors as recently as 11 days ago.

He is amenable to meeting with them by Zoom with my team any evening theyd like, he said.

Story continues

For the second time during jury selection this week, Steinglass asked the prospective jurors Friday whether they would have trouble weighing the credibility of witnesses who were still on the firms payroll.

New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan ruled Friday that prosecutors could ask potential jurors if theyd have difficulty accepting testimony from Trump employees.

It calls into question their credibility, he said. Its really close.

The dozen jurors and six alternates chosen this week were directed to return to court Monday to hear opening arguments and the beginning of testimony.

The case is People v. Trump Organization, 01473-2021, New York State Supreme Court (Manhattan).

(Updates with lawyers comment in sixth paragraph. An earlier version of this story was corrected for inaccurate references to Weisselberg.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
(iStock)

Each year, at 2am on the last Sunday of October, the clocks go back which signals that winter is drawing closer and the days growing shorter.

Although the day that the clocks go back is sometimes considered the good one as people get an extra hour in bed, the system of changing the clocks twice a year can be controversial.

In 2019, the European parliament voted to get rid of the change of clocks after a study found that 84 per cent of people in countries that took part in daylight saving time would like it to discontinue.

However, a YouGov poll found that majority of Britons were marginally in favour of keeping it, with 44 per cent voting to keep the current system and 39 per cent voting to scrap it.

There are also some health concerns linked to the time change, as some studies have shown it disrupts the bodys natural sleep cycles, which can affect both physical and mental health.

So what is the impact of turning back the clocks on our health?

How does changing the clock impact physical health?

According to the Mayo Clinic, the human brain has a biological clock, also known as a circadian rhythm, that runs on a 24-hour cycle.

Whether it is gaining an extra hour or losing an hour of sleep, this causes disruption to the sleep cycle and can be difficult for some people to adjust back to a normal schedule. Disturbed sleep could also potentially lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

A 2019 study by researchers at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital examined the impact of sleep deficiency on heart disease in mice. It found that, after 16 weeks, mice who had their sleep cycles disrupted developed larger arterial plaques compared to the mice with normal sleep patterns.

The sleep-deficient mice also had twice the level of certain white blood cells in their circulation, and lower amounts of hypocretin, a hormone that plays a key role in regulating sleep and wake states.

This appears to be the most direct demonstration yet of the molecular connections linking blood and cardiovascular risk factors to sleep health, said Dr Michael Twery, director of the National Heart, Lunch and Blood Institutes National Centre on Sleep Disorders Research in the US.

Story continues

Losing an hour of sleep during the time change in the spring has been linked to a surge in heart attacks and strokes. In the US, hospitals report a 24 per cent spike in heart attack visits every year on the Monday after the clocks go forward.

Turning the clocks back means an extra hour in bed (Getty Images)

Research has also shown an increase in car accidents when the cars go back in the colder months as drivers adapt to the time change.

According to data by Zurich Insurance, drivers are more likely to have an accident between 4pm and 7pm in November, as the evenings get darker earlier. After the clocks change, the company noted a 10 to 15 per cent increase in accident volumes during that time compared to the rest of the day.

How does changing the clock impact mental health?

When the clocks go back in the autumn, we get an extra hour of daylight in the morning  however, this only lasts a couple of weeks before the days shorten and the sunrise gets later and later.

On the shortest day of the year, 21 December, the UK enjoys less than eight hours sunlight.

The increased hours of darkness can result in low mood and depression in some people, as well as fatigue, muscle pain and weakened bones due to a lack of vitamin D from exposure to sunlight.

Some people also experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD) as a result of the shorter days. According to the NHS, SAD symptoms include a persistent low mood, loss of pleasure or interest in normal everyday activities, irritability, feelings of despair or guilt, and sleeping for longer than normal.

The health service says that the lack of sunlight may stop a part of the brain called the hypothalamus from working properly, which may affect the production of melatonin (a sleep hormone) and serotonin (a mood hormone), as well as the bodys circadian rhythm.

How do I adjust to the clocks going back?

The clocks have already gone back, but there are some practical things you can do to help adjust if you are sensitive to the change in time.

In a blog post, Dave Gibson, founder of The Sleep Site, emphasises the importance of practicing good sleep hygiene.

Sleep hygiene refers to daily routines and a bedroom environment that promotes consistent, uninterrupted sleep.

Gibson writes that exercising in the morning can help people get to sleep more easily in the evening, and doing things that help you relax in the evening are also beneficial.

Perhaps get your body to relax by having a bath with lavender, or do some stretching or yoga, he says. Finally, in order to help your brain wind down, dimming the lights and reading a book, rather than watching TV, are tried and tested relaxation methods.
As long as Elon doesnt buy Getty, were in the clear.

In case you somehow missed the news: Its official, Elon Musk has bought Twitter. Its been months of tedious back and forth, lawsuits, whistleblowing, and inanitybut finally, that headline I wrote back in April is accurate.



And, as the cogs of Musks Twitter takeover begin to turn, chaos abounds. It is, so far, unclear which of the billionaires promises to unleash free speech upon the platform will actually come to fruition.

Read more

How, for instance, will Elon Musk manage the various authoritarian world leaders congratulating him on his new role of Twitter owner? What will Musk do with the Twitter employees who are/were days away from vesting in the companys compensation program? Will formerly banned accounts actually resurface? Will hate speech thrive (even more than it already does) on the platform?



None of these questions actually have answers yet, but the ways that people with vested interests in Twitter and Musk are responding online can provide a hint of what might come next.

So, lets start with the world powers. Russian politician, Dmitry Medvedev, wished Musk luck in overcoming political bias and ideological dictatorship on Twitter. The former president and prime minister of Russia, and current security council deputy chair, also playfully(?) scolded the worlds richest man for his support of Starlink satellite internet in Ukraine. And yes, unfortunately Musk has held onto his title even after the $44 billion Twitter purchase.

Screenshot of tweet

Saudi Arabian prince and billionaire businessman, Al Walheed bin Talal Al Saud, called Musk his dear friend in a tweet alongside a press release announcing the rollover of his Twitter share ownership to the Tesla CEO. Together all the way, he addedalong with a handshake emoji.

Screenshot of tweet

Meanwhile, the EUs commissioner for internal market Thierry Breton pointed out that Elons freed bird will still have to fly by our rules.

Story continues

Screenshot of tweet

Although Musk has previously promised to welcome back prominent banned figures (i.e. Donald Trump) to the platform, as of writing, Trump has yet to re-appear on Twitter. In his place, Trumps sycophants have been quick to congratulate the SpaceX founder for his new position. Congressional Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) posted Congratulations @elonmusk! Now please bring back Americas most trusted news source. @TheBabylonBee.

And Virginia Senator Dick Black erroneously claimed that he was already experiencing a free-er Twitter. Ive been locked out of my Twitter account leading up to the midterm elections. Suddenly, I have access today. Congratulations, Elon Musk, Black posted. However, his account tweeted two days ago (and two days before that). Based on the Senators online activity, it doesnt seem like he was meaningfully locked out of anything.

Musk has vowed lots of changes to come on the platform. Just yesterday, he insinuated there would be some sort of opt-in option to access an unmoderated version of the site, while claiming it wouldnt become a hellscape. Yet those celebrating instant shifts in Twitters moderation are likely doing so prematurely. Musk himself tweeted on Friday that, No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen, until a new content moderation council is formed and convenes.

But that didnt stop many from trying to flout current bans. For example, the far-right conspiracy theorist Stew Peters who has been blocked from the platform for months, created a new account on Thursday. Peters tweeted out Im BAAAAAAAAAAACK, yet was banned again by Friday morning, according to a report from The Washington Post.

Undoubtedly, some people feel that they are more free on Twitter, now than beforeemboldened in part by the sacking of Vijaya Gadde, Twitters former head of legal, policy, and trust. And so, thereve been lots of round-ups highlighting a seeming instant-rise in profanity and racist language. However, its important to note that hate speech has thrived on the platform for years, and moderation has perennially struggled to manage it.

Aside from authoritarians and gleeful racists, many of the people responding to the Twitter news are Twitter staff. Although not directly responsible for the fate of the free world, or whatever, a lot hangs in the balance for these company employees. The platforms 7,500 workers were slated to vest in Twitters compensation program on Tuesday. Now, whether or not theyll be receive their promised payouts remains a mystery, according to a report from The New York Times.

Its also unknown who at Twitter will retain their jobs. Earlier this week, Musk threatened to cut 75% of the staff. Although he since recanted that statement, the vibe among employees is certainly unsettled.

The man brought a sink, I am fully expecting him to fire 69% of us on Friday at 4:20pm, Hugo Striedinger, a software engineer at the social media company, tweeted.

Screenshot of tweet

Other employees also posted messages of anger, critique and/or solidarity, many under the hashtag #OneTeam.

Finally, a couple of the supporting characters behind Musks Twitter acquisition celebrated. Tech investor Jason Calacanis, who was featured in many of Musks private texts filed in Delaware Chancery Court, posted that he would happily accept a position as Twitters Chief Meme Officer.

Screenshot of tweet

Joe Rogan (another of Musks text confidants), retweeted a Libs of TikTok post that implied 75% of Twitter employees deserve to be fired because of the benefits the company provides to them.

In the coming days and weeks, Twitters future will become more certain. But until then, at least we can look to the stars and the tweets for a taste of whats to come.

More from Gizmodo

Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Mike Doyle, a Republican, is running to represent the Pittsburgh area in Congress.

Mike Doyle, a Democrat, is also retiring after representing the Pittsburgh area in Congress for 27 years.

Oddly, a first-time Republican congressional candidate shares his name with a long-serving Democratic congressman, and the potential for confusion at the ballot box has Summer Lees campaign on the offensive.

Lee, a progressive Democrat, is running against the Republican Doyle for control of Pennsylvanias 12th, which was redrawn along with districts across the country after the 2020 Census. The problem is that many people in the new 12th district were part of the old 18th district, which was repped by the Democratic Doyle.

Republican Mike Doyle (left) and outgoing Democratic congressman Mike Doyle (right). (Photo: via Associated Press)

Republican Mike Doyle (left) and outgoing Democratic congressman Mike Doyle (right). (Photo: via Associated Press)

Lees campaign released a short video Wednesday to try to set the record straight.

Im running against an extreme anti-choice, pro-NRA Republican who wants to cut Social Security & Medicare, she tweeted. Your vote in #PA12 is a vote for a far-right GOP majority or against it.

We always knew it was going to be an issue, Lees campaign manager, Abby Gardner, told HuffPost.

Campaign staffers saw an uptick in confusion among residents in the area after mail-in-ballots went out to voters in early October, she said.

Let's clear up the confusion.



I'm running against an extreme anti-choice, pro-NRA Republican who wants to cut Social Security & Medicare.



He also shares a name with retiring Congressman, @USRepMikeDoyle.



Your vote in #PA12 is a vote for a far-right GOP majority or against it. pic.twitter.com/6bIcSlcdyd  Summer Lee (@SummerForPA) October 26, 2022

I wouldnt say it was the majority of conversations by any means. But it happened enough, Gardner said.

Story continues

A voter who notices theyve selected the wrong candidate before turning in their ballot has the option of spoiling their ballot to vote in person, but once a ballot has been mailed, its too late to change.

West Pennsylvania resident Anita Gordon, 79, told HuffPost she filled in the oval for the Republican Mike Doyle on her mail-in ballot by accident. She only realized her error when checking Nextdoor, the neighborhood social media app.

I liked the Democratic Mike Doyle. I mean, he had been in Congress for quite some time, Gordon said. I had no idea. To think that there would be a Republican with that name  that was unbelievable.

Asked whether she thought the Republican candidates campaign had been clear about his political position in its messaging, Gordon replied, I cant say yes.

Gardner told HuffPost that she believes the Doyle campaign is not going out of its way to make a clear distinction between the Democratic veteran and the Republican newbie. She said that some voters told her they just werent thinking when they saw Doyle listed as a Republican, because Pennsylvania allows candidates to cross-file to multiple parties in certain other elections, including school board and judicial seats.

I think the entire purpose of his campaign is to confuse people. I think theyre not interested in clarifying, because his website does not identify that hes a Republican. His literature doesnt identify that hes a Republican. His yard signs say, Democrats for Doyle.

The Doyle campaign pushed back on the accusations in a statement.

This race isnt about Mike Doyles name, its about Summer Lees radical stances on defunding the police and abolishing prisons. If the democrats had nominated a rational candidate, this race wouldnt be as close as it is, a spokesman said in a written statement. (Lees website lists several ways in which she supports law enforcement reform.)

Back in May, Doyle told an opinion columnist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that it felt too much like a gimmick to run against the current congressman  also named Mike Doyle  in a head-to-head race. He said he decided to throw his hat in the race after the incumbent announced his retirement and the borders of the district shifted to be less favorable to a Democratic candidate.

Rep. Mike Doyle commented on the confusion in the same newspaper.

My name is on the ballot, he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette two weeks ago. But its not me. There is a gentleman with the same name as me who is running in the new 12th District, which is part of the old 18th District. Thats about the only thing we share in common is the same name.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
By Ali Sawafta

NABLUS, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed two Palestinian militants on Friday, Palestinian sources said, in what the Israeli military said was a response to a shooting at soldiers in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli military said its forces shot at "two suspicious vehicles" after a passing car fired at one of its posts near the city of Nablus, which has been at the heart of a surge in violence in the West Bank over recent months.

No soldiers were injured and troops were searching for additional suspects, it said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the dead men as Emad Abu Rasheed, 47, and Ramzi Zabara, 35, both from Askar refugee camp near Nablus. It said a third man was wounded.

The militant al-Aqsa Brigades, an offshoot of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement, claimed the two killed men as members.

According to Facebook posts by the Palestinian Civil Guard, the Palestinian Authority's emergency and rescue service, the two men were also among its ranks.

The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, coordinates security with Israel. The Israeli military did not respond to a question on the men's affiliation with the Palestinian Civil Guard.

BLOCKADE

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the killing, and said Israel was fully responsible.

Violence has been on the rise in the West Bank ahead of Tuesday's election in Israel.

Friday's incident occurred about an hour after the military said it was removing some of the barriers blocking entry to Nablus, which has been under blockade for days.

Earlier this week, the Israeli military cracked down on the "Den of Lions", a loosely affiliated militant group comprised mainly of young Nablus men with the goal of fighting Israel's occupation, killing three of its leaders.

On Friday, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights told reporters she was concerned Israel's "unlawful targeted killings" in the occupied West Bank could lead to escalation.

Story continues

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has said Israel "will not relent" and will continue to hit militant targets to ensure its citzens are safe.

More than 100 Palestinians from the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces this year while a string of fatal street attacks by Palestinians have killed 20 people in Israel and Israeli settlements.

Four members of Israel's security forces have also been killed, including at least one by the Den of Lions, which Israel describes as a terrorist group.

(Reporting by Ali Sawafta, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Henriette Chacar; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Angus MacSwan)
By Jody Godoy

(Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge in New York on Friday called it "troubling" that a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) policy makes people who settle charges of fraud, insider trading or other allegations agree not to deny them later.

Under the decades-old policy, defendants who settle without admitting to allegations must agree not to publicly deny them. The practice, a standard in SEC settlements, has been upheld in courts despite drawing ire from critics including former defendants, the libertarian Cato Institute and other groups that favor limiting government power.

U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams took said in a ruling that requiring "gag orders" clashes with the constitutional protection of free speech.

"What is the SEC so afraid of? Any criticism, apparentlyor, rather, anything that may even 'create the impression' of criticismof that governmental agency," Abrams wrote.

The judge nevertheless approved a settlement with a no-deny clause, following a ruling last year by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals which said the practice was not unconstitutional.

Critics say the rule, dating back to the 1970s, violates defendants' rights to free speech. They have sought unsuccessfully to invalidate it in court in recent years.

The SEC has defended the policy, saying that defendants are free to challenge allegations in court instead of settle.

While two judges on the conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals have criticized the policy, no court has ruled against the SEC.

The U.S. Supreme Court in June rejected a petition on the issue that had received support from Elon Musk.

That case was brought by former Xerox executive Barry Romeril. The 2nd Circuit ruled last year that Romeril freely waived his right to deny accounting fraud allegations when he settled with the SEC.

One of the attorneys who represented Romeril in the appeal was Abrams' father, she disclosed in her opinion.

Story continues

"Rare though it may be, occasionally we must acknowledge when our parents happen to get it right," Abrams wrote.

The case is SEC v, Moraes, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 22-cv-08343.

(Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)
By Moira Warburton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A U.S. judge has rejected a request for a temporary restraining order against a group accused of alleged voter intimidation, according to a ruling released on Friday.

Judge Michael Liburdi, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump to the federal court in Arizona, rejected the request against Clean Elections USA and its founder, Melody Jennings.

The lawsuit was filed on Monday by the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans (AARA) and Voto Latino, an organization that educates Latinos on voting, alleging that Clean Elections USA is purposely trying to intimidate voters with its campaign for "dropbox watches," which encourages individuals to monitor drop boxes for alleged suspicious behavior.

A lawyer who represented Clean Elections USA and Jennings in a hearing earlier this week did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The suit was filed after two individuals were seen wearing tactical military gear and allegedly carrying weapons while monitoring a drop box in Maricopa County, Arizona. Jennings called the pair "our people" in a now-deleted post on Truth Social, the social media platform launched by Trump.

Liburdi said in his ruling Voto Latino and the AARA did not present evidence that Clean Elections USA represented "a true threat," adding that he could not "craft an injunction without violating the First Amendment" rights of the defendants.

He also dismissed Voto Latino from the case, stating he did not think the organization proved it would be harmed financially by Clean Election USA's actions.

"Todays decision is truly disappointing for our members and all older Arizonans," Saundra Cole, president of the AARA, said in a statement. "We continue to believe that Clean Elections USA's intimidation and harassment is unlawful."

A notice of appeal has been filed, with a request for emergency relief.

(Reporting by Moira Warburton in Washington; Editing by Josie Kao)
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -The United Nations on Friday urged parties to a U.N.-brokered deal that allowed a resumption of Ukraine's Black Sea grain exports to renew the pact beyond mid-November, saying it was needed to contribute to global food security.

It also called for the full implementation of a related agreement to ensure grain and fertilizer from Russia also reaches global markets.

"We underline the urgency of doing so to contribute to food security across the world, and to cushion the suffering that this global cost-of-living crisis is inflicting on billions of people," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Under the July 22 agreement, Ukraine was able to restart its Black Sea grain and fertilizer exports, which had stalled when Russia invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24. The Ukraine export deal was initially agreed for 120 days.

The United Nations is working to extend the deal for up to a year and smooth the joint inspections of ships by U.N., Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian officials. The United Nations recently warned there was a backlog of more than 150 ships.

Russia has criticized the deal, complaining that its own exports were still hindered and not enough Ukraine grain was reaching countries in need. Moscow could object to extending the pact on Ukraine's exports beyond November.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; writing by Tim Ahmann; editing by Rami Ayyub and Cynthia Osterman)
Ukrainian servicemen

Hayday did not specify which settlements Ukraine taken to reach the highway, urging people to wait for official confirmation from the General Staff.

Read also: Ukrainian armed forces may be forced to withdraw from Severodonetsk, says Hayday

For the time being, we will not name the settlements specifically, he said.

Its better to let the General Staff do it, but we can say that the Svatove  Kreminna highway is practically under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Read also: Ukrainian forces gradually advancing in Luhansk Oblast, governor says

Hayday added that bad weather slows down the advance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but evidently does not halt it completely.

Despite the bad weather and days of heavy downpours, we still managed to advance  a little bit, but nonetheless. he said.

Read also: Newly mobilized Russians detained in occupied Luhansk Oblast, reveals Ukrainian official

He said hopes next week the Ukrainian military will allow to share some footage from recently liberated areas of Luhansk Oblast.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Photo: The Canadian Press Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence Lawrence MacAulay rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Friday, March 25, 2022. A union representing thousands of Veterans Affairs Canada employees is asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to replace MacAulay.THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

A simmering battle between Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay and a union representing thousands of Veterans Affairs Canada employees has led to the union asking for MacAulay to be fired.

The request is contained in a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from the Union of Veterans Affairs Employees, whose national president says her members have lost faith in MacAulay for repeatedly refusing to meet them to discuss their concerns.

Those include a $570-million contract the department recently awarded to an outside company to provide rehabilitation services for veterans, as well as the departments continued reliance on hundreds of temporary staff to address backlogs.

We have lost confidence in this minister and urge you to appoint a new minister who will work with the employees and their union for the betterment of veterans and their families, UVAE national president Virginia Vaillancourt wrote to Trudeau.

In a statement, MacAulays spokeswoman Erika Lashbrook Knutson disputed Vaillancourts version of events, saying the minister has met with Veterans Affairs employees, the union and its senior leadership on numerous occasions.

That includes a meeting last week with case managers to discuss the contract.

The union should be meeting with senior officials on contracting issues such as this one, as that is most appropriate in dealings between the department and its employee union, Lashbrook Knutson added.

The call for MacAulays resignation represents a significant escalation in a dispute between the minister and union that has been building for months, as Veterans Affairs has struggled to make good on repeated promises to better assist former service members.

Much of the unions current frustration can be traced to the departments contract with Partners in Canadian Veterans Rehabilitation Services, which was awarded in June 2021 and will start to come into effect next month.

Veterans Affairs says the contract will help overworked case managers while ensuring veterans have access to a national network of psychologists, physiotherapists, social workers and other help across the country.

The new contract will cut the administrative burden on case managers, allowing them to spend more time with their veteran clients and less time on the paperwork, Veterans Affairs spokesman Marc Lescoutre added in an email.

This will mean fewer steps for veterans and the case managers that serve them, allowing for more time to focus on the rehabilitation itself.

Veterans and their advocates have long complained that case managers across the country are overwhelmed. The Liberals promised to reduce the caseloads to an average of 25 veterans for every case manager, but that promise remains unfulfilled.

The union alleges the contract will have the opposite effect by adding another layer of bureaucracy with which veterans will have to contend, while dramatically changing the role of case managers without proper consultation.

The big fear at this point for us is the fact that we don't know what the case managers role is going to look like after this contract, Vaillancourt said in an interview. And this adds another layer another level of burden, if you will, to the clients.

Vaillancourt said the union wrote to MacAulay three times since June to request a meeting to discuss the various issues, but that those requests were largely ignored.

Veterans deserve better, and if we want better for veterans, then they need a minister that's actually going to work for them, Vaillancourt said. We are just done.

Vaillancourt also took issue with the departments continued reliance on temporary staff as it struggles with a massive backlog of disability claims. Most case managers also have an overwhelming number of veterans in their caseloads.

MacAulay last week announced $43 million in new funding over three years to extend the contracts of 50 temporary case managers along with a number of other non-permanent staff.

The announcement came despite auditor general Karen Hogans call earlier this year for a long-term, permanent staffing plan for the department, where about half of those processing disability claims are also temporary employees.

Lashbrook Knutson suggested the unions main concern is that case managers will lose work, adding that wont be the case.

Case workers have told us that they feel overworked, so we are reducing their administrative burden and increasing the quality time they have with their veteran clients, she said.

No work that is within case management will be usurped by this contract. Case managers are not clinical experts in physiotherapy, psychiatry, or vocational training, and they have never directly provided these services to veterans.
Russia has expanded some of its units with mobilised reservists west of the Dnipro River due to an extremely low level of manning, the UKs Ministry of Defence said.

The river runs through much of Kherson, a strategically important Russian-held city where Ukrainian Armed Forces have made advancement along the west bank of the river.

In September, Russian companies in the Kherson sector consisted of between six and eight men  but should deploy with around 100 personnel.

In recent weeks, Russia has transitioned to a long-term, defensive posture on the frontline in Ukraine, most likely due to being severely undermanned and poorly trained, the defence ministry said in an intelligence update.

It added that even if Russia consolidates long-term defensive lines in Ukraine, its operational design will remain vulnerable.

Russia will need to regenerate higher quality and mobile forces capable of dynamically countering Ukraines offensive to regain the initiative, the update concluded.

Key Points

Putin says world facing most dangerous and unpredictable time

Zelensky says Russia has carried out nearly 4,500 missile strikes

UN to probe Russias dirty bomb claim

South Korea denies sending lethal weapons to Ukraine

Russian official hints Starlink satellites could become targets in war

09:46 , Aisha Rimi

At least one Russian official has hinted that commercial satellites used to aid Ukraine in the latters fight against Russias invasion could be targeted for retaliation.

At a Wednesday meeting of the United Nations First Committee, Russian deputy director for nonproliferation and arms control at the Russian Foreign Ministry Konstantin Vorontsov said the use of commercial satellites in the war in Ukraine was an extremely dangerous tendency.

The Wests actions unreasonably jeopardize the stability of the civil space activities, he said, according to reporting by Russian news agency Tass. Quasi-civil infrastructure may be a legitimate target for a retaliation strike.

Story continues

Jon Kelvey has more:

Russian official hints Starlink satellites could become targets in war over Ukraine

Russia has lost almost 70,000 troops, says Ukraines Armed Forces

08:52 , Aisha Rimi

Latest figures from Ukraines Armed Forces estimate around 69,700 Russian troops have died since Russias invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.

These are the indicative estimates of Russias combat losses as of Oct. 28, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/g4hkS8oBxi  The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) October 28, 2022

Top Putin aide visits Kherson

08:22 , Aisha Rimi

Vladimir Putins first deputy chief of staff, Sergei Kiriyenko, has visited the Russian-controlled Ukrainian city of Kherson, the Russian-installed governor of Crimea said.

He visited the ferry port which is evacuating people from the right back of the Dnipro ahead of an expected Ukrainian offensive, said Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed head of Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.

"The work on organising the departure of residents has been completed," Mr Aksyonov said.

Mr Kiriyenko also visited the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and spoke to staff at the station.

Inside Bakhmut, the city being bombed to ruins by Russias forces

08:07 , Aisha Rimi

Shelling and missile strikes are so constant and intense that a lull seems unnatural. But it is in these brief periods of relative calm that residents left in this broken city emerge from underground refuges to seek sustenance.

Time is short for those who come to get food and water, as well as for volunteers handing out supplies. Russian drones fly overhead and gatherings of people have frequently been targeted for strikes. There is anxiety among those in the queue, and relief when they get to leave with their ration.

Kim Sengupta has more:

Life can end suddenly here: Inside Bakhmut, the city being bombed to ruins

ICYMI: Zelensky accuses Putins commanders of crazy tactics to escalate war

07:57 , Aisha Rimi

Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Vladimir Putins commanders of using crazy tactics to escalate the war in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president was referring to Bakhmut, which lies on a main road leading to the Ukrainian-held cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

Russian forces have repeatedly tried to seize the city, and are now attempting to accelerate the invasion through drastic measures, he said.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain has more:

Zelensky accuses Russian commanders of crazy tactics to escalate war in Ukraine

Russian forces shell Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

07:02 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russian troops shelled areas of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast using Grad missile launchers and heavy artillery, governor Valentyn Reznichenko said.

In Nikopol city, dozen high-rises and private residences along with several power lines were damaged in the attack.

US to send additional $275m in military aid to Ukraine

06:43 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The US is sending Ukraine a new $275m package of weapons and other aid, in a move to bolster the effort to drive Russian forces out of key.

Officials said there are no major new weapons in the package, which is expected to be announced on Friday, according to the Associated Press.

Instead, the US aid is largely aimed at restocking thousands of rounds of ammunition for weapons systems already in use, including for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.

Putin hits out at Liz Truss over comments on nuclear weapons

06:29 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Vladimir Putin accused Liz Truss of being a bit out of it over comments she made about nuclear weapons.

The Russian president hit out at the former prime minister as he sought to defend his country from the criticism of Western leaders since the invasion of Ukraine.

It comes amid concerns that with Russia struggling to make ground in Ukraine, Mr Putin could turn to nuclear weapons.

Weve never said anything proactively about possible use of nuclear weapons by Russia. We have only hinted in response to those statements that the Western leaders have made, he said, according to a live translation on Sky News.

Dominic McGrath has more.

Putin accuses Liz Truss of being out of it over comments on nuclear weapons

South Korea denies sending lethal weapons to Ukraine

06:12 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol said that Seoul has not provided any lethal weapons to Ukraine, after Russian president Vladimir Putin said such a decision would destroy their bilateral relations.

We have been in solidarity with the international community for peaceful, humanitarian aid to Ukraine and have not provided any lethal weapons, but thats in any regard a matter of our sovereignty, Mr Yoon told reporters.

The US ally has maintained that it would not provide Ukraine with lethal aid and has sought to avoid antagonizing Russia due to Moscows influence over North Korea.

We are putting efforts to maintain peaceful, good relations with every country in the world, including Russia, Mr Yoon added.

Russia deployed over 30 drones in two days, says Zelensky

06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia has launched more than 30 drone attacks on the war-torn country in just two days.

Since February, Moscow has carried out nearly 4,500 missile strikes and over 8,000 air raids, the president said in his nighttime address.

Standing beside what appeared to be a downed Iranian Shahed drone, Mr Zelensky pledged to clip the wings of Moscows air power.

He said: Enemy planes will fall. Enemy helicopters will fall. Shaheds will fall.

UN to probe Russias dirty bomb claim

05:56 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi said he is sending inspectors to two locations in Ukraine where Russia alleged that activities related to the possible production of dirty bombs was taking place.

He said the inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency would be traveling this week to the two sites, following a written request from the Ukrainian government.

Russias UN ambassador alleged in a letter to Security Council members this week that Ukraines Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences in Kyiv and Vostochniy Mining and Processing Plant have received direct orders from (Volodymyr) Zelenskys regime to develop such a dirty bomb.

World faces most dangerous and unpredictable time, says Putin

05:55 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russian president Vladimir Putin said the world is facing the most dangerous decade since World War II as Western powers power struggle to prevent their crumbling of global dominance.

The historical period of the Wests undivided dominance over world affairs is coming to an end, Mr Putin said at the Valdai Discussion Club, a conference of international policy experts.

We are standing at a historical frontier - Ahead is probably the most dangerous, unpredictable and, at the same time, important decade since the end of World War II.

He accused the West of playing a dangerous and dirty game and seeking to escalate the war in Ukraine.

05:17 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Good morning and welcome to The Independents live coverage of Russias war on Ukraine.
KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine has shot down more than 300 Iranian Shahed-136 'kamikaze' drones so far, air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat told a briefing on Friday.

The drones have become a key weapon in Russia's arsenal during its war in Ukraine and have often been used in the past month to target crucial energy infrastructure.

Iran has denied Ukrainian and Western accusations that it is supplying drones to Russia.

(Reporting by Max Hunder; Writing by Gareth Jones)
OLHA HLUSHCHENKO  FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2022, 07:18

Ukraines defence forces have repelled Russian attacks in the vicinity of 13 cities, towns and villages in Luhansk and Donetsk Oblast over the course of the past 24 hours.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 28 October

Details: Over the course of the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have repelled Russian attacks in the vicinity of Andriivka and Bilohorivka (Luhansk Oblast) and Bakhmut, Bakhmutske, Vremivka, Zelenopillia, Maiorsk, Soledar, Marinka, Nevelske, Novobakhmutivka, Pervomaiske and Yakovlivka (Donetsk Oblast).

Russian forces are continuing to fire on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces along the line of contact and to reinforce their defence positions on the left bank of the River Dnipro. They are also conducting extensive aerial reconnaissance.

Russian forces carried out 15 airstrikes and one missile strike, as well as over 40 attacks using multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) over the course of the past 24 hours. Bilohirka, Nova Kamianka and Novohrednieve (Kherson Oblast), Stepove (Zaporizhzhia Oblast) and Marinka and Pavlivka (Donetsk Oblast) came under Russian fire.

There were no significant changes on the Volyn and Polissia fronts. The Republic of Belarus is continuing to aid and support Russias military aggression against Ukraine by allowing Russian forces to use its territory, airspace and infrastructure. There is an ongoing threat of missile and air strikes from the territory of Belarus, including with the use of attack UAVs.

On other fronts, the Russians continued to fire on military and civilian targets:

On the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna fronts : Russian forces deployed various types of artillery to fire on areas in and around Boiaro-Lezhachi, Vodolahy, Hirky, Pysarivka and Ryzhivka (Sumy Oblast) and Vilkhuvatka, Vovchansk, Okhrimivka and Starytsia (Kharkiv Oblast) from the territory of the Russian Federation;

On the Kupiansk and Lyman fronts: Russian forces deployed tank guns, mortars and tubed and rocket artillery to fire on areas in and around Druzheliubivka and Petro-Ivanivka (Kharkiv Oblast), Zarichne and Yampolivka (Donetsk Oblast) and Makiivka and Nevske (Luhansk Oblast);

Story continues

On the Bakhmut front: the Russians deployed tank and artillery of various calibres to fire on areas in and around Bakhmut, Bakhmutske, Verkhnokamianske, Opytne, Rozdolivka, Soledar, Maiorsk and Yakovlivka;

On the Avdiivka front: the Russians deployed mortars and tubed and rocket artillery to fire on areas in the vicinity of Avdiivka, Krasnohorivka, Marinka, Nevelske, Novomykhailivka and Pervomaiske (Donetsk Oblast);

On the Novopavlivka and Zaporizhzhia fronts the Russians fired artillery on areas in and around 15 cities, towns and villages, including Bilohiria, Huliaipole and Dorozhnianka (Zaporizhzhia Oblast) and Vuhledar, Novosilka, Pavlivka and Prechystivka (Donetsk Oblast);

On the Pivdennyi Buh front, 20 cities, towns and villages situated along the line of contact came under Russian fire.

The General Staff has confirmed information on Russias losses over the past several days. The Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed eight pieces of military equipment and injured up to 120 military personnel in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Around 100 wounded Russian soldiers have been hospitalised on the temporarily occupied territories in Kherson Oblast.

The commanders of Russian occupation forces are doing everything they can to conceal Russias real losses from their military personnel in order to avoid widespread panic.

The so-called "evacuation" initiated by the Russian occupation regime continues apace on the temporarily occupied territory of Kherson Oblast. The Russians are taking medical equipment and property confiscated from what they call "nationalised" businesses with them.

For example, equipment from a local hospital in Bilozerka has been taken to the cities of Skadovsk and Henichesk. Meanwhile, Russia has deployed up to 1,000 additional conscripts in order to reinforce its forces on the right bank of the River Dnipro on the temporarily occupied territory of Kherson Oblast. The newly arrived soldiers have been housed in the homes of those local residents who had fled the area.

Ukrainian aircraft carried out 29 airstrikes on 27 October, striking 21 clusters of Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment, 3 strong points and 5 anti-aircraft defence systems. In addition, Ukrainian air defence forces struck down 2 Russian Ka-52 helicopters and a Su-25 attack jet.

Ukraines Rocket Forces and Artillery struck 4 areas where Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment were concentrated and 1 ammunition storage point.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The authorities warned that the occupiers may soon try to launch a

Risks (of enemy counteroffensives) were immediately taken into account, after Lyman was liberated and stabilization measures began, Kyrylenko said.

Read also: Commander of Georgian Legion describes liberation of key Donetsk town of Lyman

He noted that defensive structures in the region as a whole were being erected since the very beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion.

Recently liberated territories are no exception; under clear coordination with our military command, we are taking additional measures to build defensive fortifications there, said Kyrylenko.

On Oct. 2, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have completely cleared Lyman, Donetsk Oblast, from Russian troops.

Read also: Zelenskyy presents photos of war-torn Lyman after Russian occupation

On Oct. 19, Luhansk governor Serhiy Hayday said Russians might soon try to launch a counteroffensive towards Lyman.

Read also: Ukrainian armed forces may be forced to withdraw from Severodonetsk, says Hayday

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) received a vote of no confidence from the University of Floridas faculty over growing controversy that he was chosen to serve as the institutions next president.

The next President should come already equipped to lead an institution of this caliber rather than aiming to learn on the job, the Faculty Senate resolution reads. Anything less will result in a lack of faith in leadership.

Sasse, who has been in the U.S. Senate since 2015, emerged as the lone finalist after a secretive search for the universitys next leader. The University of Florida board of trustees is set to take up Sasses appointment on Tuesday.

In their resolution, Faculty Senate members argued that the confidential process that left just one candidate for the position was politically motivated, after the state adopted a new law backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and GOP lawmakers that led to more privacy in college and university leadership searches.

The process of the thirteenth Presidential search, conducted in accordance with the updated Florida State Bill 520, has undermined the trust and confidence of the University of Florida Faculty Senate in the selection of the sole finalist Dr. Ben Sasse, they wrote in the resolution, which passed in a 67-15 vote.

Sasse, who worked at Midland Lutheran College in Nebraska for four years before running for Senate, has generally received mixed reviews as far as his potential as university president. Students have protested his candidacy largely due to his past remarks opposing same-sex marriage.

Sasse reportedly told attendees of a campus Q&A session earlier this month that he took positions as senator that represent the views of Nebraskans and being the universitys president would be a completely different job.

In a news release announcing his selection, Sasse called Florida the most interesting university in America right now.

Story continues

Its the most important institution in the nations most economically dynamic state  and its board, faculty and graduates are uniquely positioned to lead this country through an era of disruption, Sasse said in the statement.

The caliber of teaching and research at UF is unmistakable, carried out through the core principles of shared governance and academic freedom. Im thrilled about the opportunity to work alongside one of the nations most outstanding faculties.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Urban Native Eras founder and designer, Joey Montoya, outside of Urban Native Era's NYC Pop Up Shop. (photo by Jenna Kunze)

NEW YORKThe all-caps message reads like Los Angeles' iconic Hollywood sign from a distance. Its the same white font, with lettering set slightly askew, as if the words are printed on one of those advertisement banners pulled behind an airplane, sending a wave of air ripping through them.

The messageYOU ARE ON NATIVE LAND has become so recognizable throughout Indian Country and beyond, it could be mistaken for the brand itself. Which is why Urban Native Eras founder and designer, Joey Montoya, (Lipan Apache Band of Texas), chose to feature it on a large decal directly on the window of his SoHo-based pop up store in downtown Manhattan.

I think it is a special thing to see a Native brand here, Montoya told Native News Online. The people who come in, they're really overwhelmed with joy and excitement, and [they] feel seen, especially in a big city like New York.

The storefrontlocated at 91 Crosby Streetopened on Indigenous Peoples Day, and will remain open until just before Thanksgiving.

During that time window, visitors can purchase Urban Native Era apparel ranging from the famous YOU ARE ON NATIVE LAND Dad cap made popular by Reservation Dogs Willie Jack to graphic tees that say the same, to upscale streetwear part of Montoyas newly released fall collection. Also for sale are smaller accessories, including tote bags, patches and pins, and even beaded earrings made by Montoyas girlfriend.

Although the 28-year-old fashion designer created his brand a decade ago, he said its grown in fits and spurts, but especially over the last few years.

Urban Native Era began as a result of Montoyas activism. When he was a college student at San Jose State University, Montoya began attending high-profile land and water rights protests and rallies across Indian Countryfrom Standing Rock in the Dakotas to Idle No More in Canada and posting about them on social media. As his posts gained traction, he realized there was a real public interest in learning more, and an awareness campaign afoot led by young Indigenous people.

Story continues

I was like, How can I really spread the message a little bit more? Montoya said. And then the brand really fell into that.

What started as a graphic tee brand that operated mostly out of Montoyas car has since turned into a well-known brand with more than 170,000 Instagram followers, with products featured in film and TV and sold across the United States at the massive outdoor retailer, REI. In May, the Field Museum in Chicago asked Montoya for permission to install his sign as a permanent exhibit in the museums atrium, where it remains today.

It's cool just to have more representation in fashion and in film and TV, Montoya said. He was contacted by Reservation Dogs costume designer last year to feature some of his products in the show. He didnt know how the products would be styled, or which characters would end up sporting them.

Weve gotten new customers through the show, he said. Someone actually came in earlier and said, Oh well take the Willie Jack hat. He said the design idea came to him in 2018, and was intended as a statement for where he grew up, in San Francisco.

My idea with You are on Native land was: I grew up in San Francisco and usually, being in a city, people don't know the land that they're on, Montoya said. I wanted that to be really [geared] towards the cities, but it's a message that goes across. We need to start remembering, acknowledging, and doing more to really upkeep and push that narrative.

As his California-based company grows, Montoya is making a concentrated effort to keep the company rooted in intention from its messaging down to its production. Urban Native Era is embracing slow fashion with sustainable packaging, integrating recycled materials into some of its wares, and sourcing some of its production in the United States.

Moving forward, Montoya and his small team of two want to focus on what comes after awareness. Hes focused on creating a gathering space to create community, and also restructuring his companys operationpossibly through the creation of an Indigenous calendarto prioritize family and community.

In the future of Urban Native Era, Im always thinking about how we can bring more people together, he said. So we can continue further discussing what we need, what we want, and how we can help each other.

About the Author: "Jenna Kunze is a staff reporter covering Indian health, the environment and breaking news for Native News Online. She is also the publication's lead reporter on stories related to Indian boarding schools and repatriation. Her bylines have appeared in The Arctic Sounder, High Country News, Indian Country Today, Tribal Business News, Smithsonian Magazine, Elle and Anchorage Daily News. Kunze is based in New York."

Contact: jkunze@indiancountrymedia.com
A sheriffs deputy in Grand County, Utah, was caught on body camera wielding a lasso during the search for a Black shoplifting suspect, giving rise to calls for accountability and training of police officers.

The Black community in Utah is also aghast at the footage, which they say evoked a time of enslavement and lynching.

The incident took place in July this year. In bodycam footage, Sheriffs Deputy Amanda Edwards can be seen wielding a lasso along with a few other officers looking for a Black homeless man who was accused of stealing a pair of sunglasses from a gift shop.

In the video, one fellow deputy can be heard saying: Thats going to look really bad, if you use that.

Ms Edwards responds: Better than a taser.

One bystander asked, Are you going to lasso him?

That was my plan, man. I mean, its better than running, right? Ms Edwards added.

During the search when she chances upon a Utah Highway Patrol trooper, she said: Ive been waiting for this moment for quite some time.

The officer then realises bystanders are filming her and said: Dude, so many people took pictures of me with my rope. What are they going to say?

Ms Edwards later claimed she replied to each individual in a joking manner.

The incident has caused outrage in Utahs Black community, with calls emerging for more accountability and sensitivity training for the police.

Utah Deputy Tries to Catch Black Suspect While Wielding a Lasso https://t.co/cPERLx4CLT Amanda Edwards thought she was Wonder Woman #UT  Adrian Holman (@ahol888) October 28, 2022

They never caught up to him, and thats fortunate, Jeanetta Williams, president of the NAACPs Salt Lake branch said.

She added that any Black visitors or residents who came across the deputy could literally have a heart attack because they would flash back to the lynchings that went on. This isnt a rodeo, and this is no way to apprehend a human being.

Story continues

I cant see anybody watching it and saying they dont see a problem with it, especially when they know the history of, you know, the rope, the lynching of African Americans, all of that, she continued.

Others have said the footage triggered inter-generational trauma.

Mario Mathis, from the Utah Chapter of Black Lives Matter, told KSL TV News that this is post-George Floyd.

Thats when white people in America seemingly woke up and realised that there was a disconnect in the way that police officers treat Black people and people of colour, versus white people, he explained.
Photo: The Canadian Press The Peace Tower is seen through the front gates of Parliament Hill in Ottawa in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. Public Services and Procurement Canada says it's investigating what led to a Parliament Hill language interpreter needing an ambulance ride last week, adding that it's the third hospitalization in recent years.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Public Services and Procurement Canada says it's investigating what led to a Parliament Hill language interpreter needing an ambulance ride last week, adding that it's the third hospitalization in recent years.

"The translation bureau is extremely concerned by this accident," wrote departmental spokeswoman Katherine Proulx.

At the Senate environment committee on Oct. 20, two witnesses testified over video conference with poor sound quality and did not wear the recommended headphones with a microphone wand.

During questions from senators, a buzz could be heard as the first witness spoke, similar to a smartphone vibrating on a table. As the second witness answered questions from senators, there was a sudden moment of loud feedback.

"Feedback occurred in the sound system and an interpreter suffered an acoustic shock. The interpreter subsequently received emergency care," Proulx wrote.

The department added that interpreters have needed emergency care two other times in the last five years, both before the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020.

Acoustic shocks are when inner ear muscles are startled by sudden noises, such as someone tapping a microphone or suddenly speaking much louder when an interpreter has been straining to hear them.

Experts have testified to Parliament of multiple staff on leave with concussion-like symptoms, loud ringing in the ears or vertigo. With so many absences, officials have started hiring contractors with lower accreditations to fill gaps.

The Canadian Association of Professional Employees argues last week's meeting should have been halted at the time of the injury.

Instead, a translation bureau supervisor took over as the freelancer was escorted out of the room, where she collapsed.

In advance of virtual appearances, the Senate asks witnesses to use a proper headset, offering to reimburse up to $100 in pre-tax value to buy one. The House of Commons caps this at $175.

"Each participant is required to use a wired headset with an attached boom microphone to ensure optimal sound quality for simultaneous interpretation," reads the Senate's January 2021 instruction sheet, which specifically says not to use earbuds.

And yet, the injury occurred at a sitting where one witness wore earbuds, and the other had headphones with no microphone wand.

"Senate Administration staff and committee chairs make decisions regarding committee functioning, including witness participation," wrote House of Commons spokeswoman Amelie Crosson.

The office of Sen. Paul Massicotte, who chaired the meeting, diverted questions to the Senate administration.

"When interpreters indicate that sound quality is preventing them from interpreting, witnesses are told that they are unable to continue," wrote Senate spokeswoman Alison Korn.

She said that was the case at last Thursday's meeting, yet the official recording shows the testimony continued in full.

The House of Commons audiovisual team maintains some Senate equipment, including in the room where the incident occurred.

They inspected the room after the incident, and "concluded that the consoles are performing normally and offer interpreters hearing protection," House spokeswoman Amelie Crosson wrote.

Proulx said the translation bureau "will also conduct an internal investigation, and will share its findings with key stakeholders when they are available."

Crosson added that the House audiovisual team does recurring checks to make sure all systems meet international safety regulations.

"The House of Commons, working with its partners, has taken efforts to ensure that any sound issues are addressed proactively or as they are identified, to enhance the remote participant experience, improve the quality of hybrid proceedings, and protect interpreters."

Sen. Michele Audette, who was in the Oct. 20 committee meeting, recalled hearing a loud sound through her earpiece and in the room.

She said she was startled and then noticed the woman who was doing the translation had jumped too. She went to check on her and eventually accompanied her out of the room, where Audette said the interpreter said she was in pain.

In an interview Thursday, Audette described how translators are needed to help senators understand complex testimony and legislation, but also more generally, to bridge the divide.

She described the role they can play when it comes to relations between different Indigenous Peoples in Quebec where, along with their Indigenous languages, the Mohawk population speaks English and her own Innu community speaks French.

They allow us to communicate and it doesn't become a gulf between two nations, she said in French.

They are the ones who do the magic.

Audette said she believes in hybrid Senate proceedings to make them accessible, but that the interpreters needed to make that happen must be well equipped.

These are human beings, she said.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks during his inaugural speech at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on January 15, 2022. AP Photo/Julio Cortez

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin made light of a violent break-in to Nancy Pelosi's home.

Early Friday morning, an attacker broke into her home and violently assaulted her husband Paul.

"We're gonna send her back to be with him in California," Youngkin said.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin made light of the violent assault on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, who was attacked in an early-morning break-in at their California home on Friday.

Just before 2:30 a.m. Friday morning, an attacker broke into Pelosi's San Francisco home reportedly searching for the House Speaker before the assailant "violently assaulted" her 82-year-old husband Paul Pelosi with a hammer. Paul Pelosi was left hospitalized with blunt-force trauma to his head and body.

Pelosi was in Washington, DC, with her protective detail at the time of the attack, authorities said.

While speaking at a rally with 7th District GOP candidate Yesli Vega Friday afternoon, Youngkin said he had "enough" of political opponents like Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who currently serves in Congress representing the state's 7th District and President Joe Biden.

Youngkin went on to invoke Nancy Pelosi, mentioning the break-in and subsequent assault of her husband before saying he and his supporters were going to oust the House Speaker at the polls.

"There's no room for violence anywhere, but we're gonna send her [Nancy Pelosi] back to be with him in California," Youngkin said. "That's what we're going to go do."

In a statement to Insider, a spokeswoman for Youngkin said: "As the governor clearly said, the assault on Paul Pelosi was wrong and there is no place for violence. He wishes him a full recovery and is keeping the Pelosi family in his prayers."

Police identified the suspect as 42-year-old David Depape.

"The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time," Nancy Pelosi's office said in response to the attack.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated Taiwan is an inherent part of China and accused U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of provoking the Taiwan-China conflict on Thursday.

At the 19th annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow, Putin was asked about his position on Taiwan. The Russian president responded, Taiwan indubitably is an inherent part of the Peoples Republic of China and this is the position weve always adhered to. It remains unchanged.

The provocative gestures, such as the visits to Taiwan by the U.S. highest dignitaries, are seen in Russia as nothing but a provocation. Why do that? Honestly, I cannot answer that, the Russian president said.

More from NextShark: Couple Killed in Shocking Public Murder-Suicide in NYC

His statement points to the recent string of U.S. delegation visits to Taiwan, of which U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis (D, CA-12) visit in August was the most prominent. As the highest-ranking official to visit Taiwan thus far, her visit to the island has heightened U.S. tensions with China and is expected to have long-standing impacts.

The 70-year-old Russian president expressed his inability to understand the actions of granny Pelosi as it goes against all common sense and provokes China. Amidst opposing Russia regarding the invasion of Ukraine, Putin questioned why the U.S. would sour their relations with China at the same time.

Characterizing the U.S. as mad, arrogant and having a sense of impunity, Putin explained that he viewed the Western superpower as irrational for stoking tensions with China while being unable to resolve the issue around Ukraine and Russia.

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This is not the first time Putin has spoken on the topic of Taiwan. In an August international security summit, the Russian president critiqued Pelosis visit to Taiwan and blamed the U.S. for the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

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However, House Speaker Pelosi and her fellow U.S. lawmakers are not the only prominent figures who have spoken in favor of Taiwanese independence. In a September 60 Minutes interview, U.S. President Joe Biden also clarified his unwavering determination to defend Taiwan in the case of a Chinese invasion.

In the same Valdai discussion, Putin also presented a scathing take on the West, predicting that the historical period of the Wests undivided dominance over world affairs is coming to an end.

More from NextShark: UPDATED: NYC Man Who Lost Teeth, Suffered Brain Hemorrhage After 'Beating' was Actually Injured After Drinking

Featured Image via The Indian Express

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Any political figure, or their partner, or a member of their staff will feel frightened and shaken by the early morning attack at the San Francisco home of speaker Nancy Pelosi, barely a fortnight before the nation votes in elections that are of great importance. The intruder is reported to have shouted, Where is Nancy? while wielding a hammer when he broke into the Pelosi residence in the early hours of the morning. In a press conference on Friday, police identified the suspect as 42-year-old David Depape and said that he would face charges of attempted homicide, elder abuse, burglary, and several other additional felonies.

The nation is shocked, for sure. Sickened, too. And sympathy has been extended without caveat for Paul Pelosi, an 82-year-old man now battling for his health in a California hospital. But can anyone say they were truly surprised by this? If so, where have you been?

Police outside the Pelosiss home in San Francisco, where the attack took place (Getty)

America has a long, twisting history of political violence that includes the assassinations of four US presidents. The National Archives points out that attempts were also made on the lives of two other presidents, one president-elect, and one ex-president.

The most recent of those was on Ronald Reagan in March 1981, who was shot and nearly killed as he walked back to his limousine after speaking at the Washington DC Hilton. The colours and suit styles of those caught on camera that day can make it feel like old, old history, but it was barely a generation ago.

How much more toxic Americas politics have come since then. How much more abrasive. Even 20 years ago, when George W Bush was a highly controversial figure because of his invasion of Iraq, Democratic and Republican voters could still agree to disagree about politics, and have a drink or dinner together. Just two decades later, families are split and friendships irrevocably ended because of an inability to put aside party politics for the non-political aspects of their relationships.

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Americans cannot even agree if the people who attacked the Capitol on 6 January are heroes or seditionists.

Things have become worse, and appear to be escalating further. The Associated Press said that in 2021, Capitol Police investigated around 9,600 threats made against members of Congress.

It feels like an age since that moment in the 2008 presidential election campaign when John McCain politely but firmly rebuked a supporter who shouted out lies about Barack Obama. No maam, McCain said in response. Hes a decent family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues.

Social media and the internet in general are certainly responsible for part of this escalation. We are now all familiar with those kinds of young men  and it appears invariably to be men who carry out these acts of political violence  who head down some conspirator rabbithole that results in them driving hundreds of miles and opening fire with a semi-automatic rifle in a pizza restaurant in Washington DC that theyve come believe is the center of a child abuse scandal overseen by powerful Democrats.

There have been other more serious attacks. In 2011, the Democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head at an event outside a Tucson grocery store. And in 2017, there was a near-fatal attack on Republican congressman Steve Scalise, by someone who allegedly was a supporter of Bernie Sanders. Other, more recent incidents have been perpetrated by alleged supporters of Donald Trump.

Right now, we do not know too much about the precise motives or background of the man who attacked Paul Pelosi. However, David Depaps social media postings in recent years would suggest that he, too, had been taken up with conspiracies. Reports of him calling out, Where is Nancy? on entering the Pelosi home echo the haunting audio recordings made during the 6 January attack on the US Capitol where rioters chanted, Where are you, Nancy? and, Hang Mike Pence.

Police chief William Scott and district attorney Brooke Jenkins at a press conference to discuss the attack on Paul Pelosi (Getty Images)

Coming on the eve of the midterms, the incident in San Francisco has added more aniexty at a time when the entire nation is on edge about whether there will be threats to poll workers, or efforts in some districts to intimate people not to vote. Theres no easy way to step back from all of this, to cool peoples heads. But responsibility must lie with political leaders.

America is not the only place where political violence happens  just look to the fatal attacks on two British members of parliament in the past decade  but it is in America where politicians encourage their supporters to chant and boo, and to call Lock her up! every time Hillary Clintons name is mentioned. It is in America where Republican candidates repeatedly denounce Pelosi as an embodiment of socialism  overlooking the reality of a woman who is a multi-millionaire courtesy of American capitalism.

It is true, also, that the likes of Trump and Ted Cruz get their own fair amount of booing and hissing from Democrats. (On Friday, in the aftermath of the attack on Paul Pelosi, many conservatives on social media claimed that when a death threat was made against conservative Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh, parts of the liberal media played it down.)

But its hard not to see that the demonisation of the likes of Pelosi  whose name is ironically a major fundraising tactic for Republicans  ensures the intensity reaches a new level.

How can we stop this?

Well, we need our leaders to speak out. We need them to denounce all political violence. But it is not enough to have Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell issue statements of concern. We need politicians from across the spectrum to speak out with their hearts  not least because if this tide of political violence isnt stemmed, any of them could be next.

And we should stop obsessing about which side of the political aisle one any individual attacker was on. Theres more than enough evidence that this toxicity spills everywhere.

The other person  the most crucial person, if were honest  who is vital to any potential healing is Donald Trump. We need the former president to denounce what happened. It does not matter if Trump and Pelosi despise each other  and they very well do  but for the sake of the nation, Trump needs to join those other important voices urging people to cool it. An awful lot depends on it.
SARAJEVO (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged Bosnian leaders on Friday to work together to bring the country closer to membership of the European Union, after the bloc's executive arm recommended it be granted EU candidate status.

Bosnia applied to join the wealthy bloc in 2016 but its rival ethnic leaders have done nearly nothing to kick-off reforms that were set out as necessary for progress on the path to the EU.

Von der Leyen asked the leaders to come together to turn Bosnia, where nearly three quarters of the population support EU membership, "into a country of young people's dreams".

"The door of the European Union is open, please seize the opportunity and use this invitation, and it is up to you now," she told politicians and civil society activists during a visit to Sarajevo, a part of a tour of Western Balkan countries.

The commission this month recommended Bosnia be granted candidate status on the understanding that it reinforces democracy and takes other steps.

Over the past year, the Balkan country has been enduring its gravest political crisis since the end of the war in the 1990s, torn between secessionist policies of its Serb leader Milorad Dodik and quarrels between Bosniaks and Croats over election rules.

The EU Council of Ministers is due to vote on its candidacy status in December even though analysts doubt Bosnia will be able to tackle necessary reforms by then, especially as new governments have yet to be formed after an Oct. 2 election.

Von der Leyen said Bosnia would get 70 million euros ($69.5 million) from the EU's 500 million euro energy security package for the Western Balkans as immediate support for vulnerable families and firms.

She opened a tunnel on a pan-European highway that EU has helped to be built with 542 million euros in grants.

($1 = 1.0064 euros)

(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Alison Williams)
Editor's note: The deadline for letters to the editor for the Nov. 8 general election is 6 p.m. Sunday without exception. The American News will print as many as space allows with preference given to local writers.

Time for new faces in Pierre, Washington

You are asked to vote for governor, state legislators, U.S. Senator and U.S. House of Representatives candidates this year. But, Its the same old faces, the same old song and dance.

Lets vote in some new faces. A new governor, some new legislators in Pierre and in Washington, DC.

You know Kristi Noem passed a law forcing every pregnant woman to give birth, even a raped grade school girl. Absolutely no exceptions, no medical exceptions, none! It is now state law. We need a new governor.

When reading the list of names up for election, lets put our mark by the new names. Lets vote for new faces in Pierre, and in Washington, DC. Its time.

Vote. Vote. Vote your thoughts, its your voice. Its your vote.

Dale Roth, Astoria

Clean or cloudy water for your coffee?

South Dakota is a heavily Republican state. That means most of you reading this are Republicans. That also means some of you would vote for an ear of corn before you would vote for a Democrat. If that applies to you, don't feel badly. Clearly, many Democrats in California would rather vote for a nut before they'd vote for a Republican.

But let's not go down these old and divisive partisan roads. Instead, let's consider something we all have in common and use every day: drinking water. Now, let's use our imaginations and pretend Gov. Kristi Noem and her opponent, State Rep. Jamie Smith, have been transformed into pitchers of water sitting on your kitchen counter. What would each look like?

After four years of one scandal after another and multiple allegations of impropriety, Noem would appear dirty, cloudy and dark. That is, if she were still on your counter. Considering the many trips out of state she made during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to glad-hand for her own future presidential run by sucking up to an even cloudier Donald Trump, she'd more likely be found in Washington or Mar-a-Lago than in your kitchen.

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With no scandals on his resume, Smith would appear that he is, in his public life, clean, clear and beyond reproach.

Which pitcher of water would you use to make your hot tea or coffee? Exactly. Since you are particular about your breakfast beverage, it stands to reason you'd be even more particular about who is your governor and their character or the lack thereof.

Kristi Noem has become an unfit and ugly embarrassment to beautiful South Dakota. Consider voting for Jamie Smith, even if he is a, you know

Douglass Carter, Aberdeen

South Dakota well-positioned to help meet increasing demand for electricity

I am pleased to see Gov. Kristi Noem sign a proclamation recognizing National Clean Energy Week, and I am proud that South Dakota is a national leader in producing renewable energy.

Over 82% of electricity in our state is generated from renewable sources, and we have the opportunity to produce even more. South Dakota is leading the nation in processing biofuels, and the governor recently announced support for a project that will use ethanol to produce jet fuel. It is the first billion-dollar-plus project in the history of the Governors Office of Economic Development.

Renewable energy is a major driver for economic development in our state, supporting thousands of jobs and providing millions in tax revenue. As our nations energy needs continue to increase South Dakota is well-positioned to help meet the demand.

Kendra Hinz, Aberdeen

Election deniers are a threat to democracy

I keep hearing Republicans talk about the economy, border and defunding police as their campaign issues. If l am not mistaken, Republican legislators have been calling for defunding the FBl, the CIA, and the National Archives becauseof their investigation of Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago. This seems hypocritical after what they have said about defunding the police.

I believe that for the first two years of Trump's presidency the Republicans had control of of both houses of Congress, yet nothing was done to address immigration other than building a few miles of wall on the border. Trump said Mexico would pay for it. We all know who has paid for the walls built and repaired. It was not Mexico.

The main thing Republicans did during Trump's term was to reduce taxes for the wealthy and put more burden on the middle class. The four-year debt under Trump went up nearly $8 trillion. Not bad for a guy who campaigned on eliminating the national debt.

It always amazes me that the party of less government seems to the first in line to ask for help from the government when a disaster arises.

I believe the people of this country should remember that the economy will correct itself, but if our democracy is takenaway, it is forever gone. We will end up with autocracy or a dictator form of government. This is what the election deniers are working toward.

Gov. Kristi Noem brags about keeping the state open during COVID-19. Maybe that is the reason we are one of the top states in deaths per capita from COVID.

Charlie Flowers, Iroquois

There's a lack of partisan compromise, which produces the best legislation

Yes, your vote counts, for now. This election cycle is extremely important. It will determine the direction of our state and nation for generations to come. If you believe the 2020 election was stolen and those elected officials who push this notion are right, then vote for them. Keep in mind that if you do, your future rights and freedoms are in jeopardy. This is the group that wants to ban abortions completely, make gay and interracial marriages illegal again and give money precedence over citizens. Who knows what rights and freedoms theyll repeal in the future?

There are efforts that would allow the state legislature to overturn popular votes of elections and install their candidate. This is alarming and needs to be addressed by our votes. Our government and how it is run matters. We are the land of the free and the home of the brave. Our rights should be inclusive and protected, not partisan and divisive. We need representatives working for our best interest as a nation, not for politics. Partisan compromise generally produces the best legislation. We havent seen much compromise lately and need to get back to that through, open debate and discussion, not closed sessions and back room deals.

Watch The U.S. and the Holocaust now running on PBS. This documentary shows how our anti-Semitic views and Jim Crow laws were guidelines for Hitlers rise to power. Hitler used our Jim Crow laws as outlines for laws against Jews. The current rise of the anti-immigrant and anti-Semitic views is alarming. Our government should be addressing these issues instead of using them as political fodder. The violence around these issues needs to be denounced and those responsible held to account. This will not happen until we change whos representing us. Go vote.

Rick Young, Aberdeen

Proud to support District 3 candidates

All voters in District 3 have the opportunity to vote for very outstanding legislative candidates in the November general election. Al Novstrup, Carl Perry and Brandei Schaefbauer will represent the district and our entire state with knowledge, integrity and common sense.

They will work for the betterment of our schools, health care systems and rural South Dakota while fighting to preserve a wholesome way of life for current and future generations. These people are visible and accessible to answer questions or to discuss the options of possible bills on your behalf.

I am proud to recommend Al, Carl and Brandei as District. 3 legislators. They are "South Dakota Strong." Please cast your votes for them either absentee or in person on Tuesday, Nov.8.

Lana Greenfield, Donald

Time for a U.S. senator who supports increased access to affordable health care

As an registered nurse and health educator, I believe access to affordable health care is a right. South Dakota's current U.S. senators representative do not. They consistently vote against health-related bills such as the Affordable Care Act, the PAC Act for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, the Right to Contraceptives Act, the Womens Health Protection Act, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Heath Care and Social Service Workers Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, to name a few.

John Thune voted against capping insulin prices. Thune voted yes on three separate bills to end the Affordable Care Act, potentially terminating health insurance for 30 million Americans and 150 million Americans with preexisting conditions. Thune voted to end Medicare as we know it and replace it with a voucher system. We deserve better than this.

Brian Bengs, candidate for U.S. Senate, has made a covenant with the people of South Dakota to expand access to affordable health care, reduce prescription drug prices and champion increased funding for Native American treaty obligations regarding health care. Bengs supports Medicaid expansion in South Dakota, which would provide coverage for more than 42,000 lower-wage workers who do not have health insurance through their jobs. Bengs would vote to protect and strengthen Medicare and Social Security, not weaken them as Thune has tried to do. Bengs will work to protect the Affordable Care Act which, has improved our health care system and ensured that South Dakotans with preexisting conditions have access to coverage.

If you care about your access to affordable health care, vote for Brian Bengs for senate, the right choice for South Dakotans.

Julia Natvig, Sioux Falls

Legalizing recreational marijuana would create concerning problems

Proposed legalization of recreational marijuana is not a political or libertarian issue, but a moral issue. Documented results, from states like Colorado, which legalized it in 2013, must be considered.

Suicides associated with marijuana more than doubled as found in 51% of cases involving ages 10-19 in 2019, higher than alcohol. (2021 Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area report) Increased addiction since THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana, has been developed from 1 to 3% in the plant in 1970 to 18 to 23%. People who begin using marijuana before the age of 18 are four to seven times more likely to develop a marijuana use disorder than adults. (National Institute on Drug Abuse).

Also, many marijuana retailers promote and profit from products such as vapes and edibles containing up to 95 to 99% THC  A landmark 2019 study published in the Lancet (medical journal) concluded that the risk of psychosis triples when using products with 15% THC potency or higher, (Smart Approaches to Marijuana).

Increased accidental poisoning in children. This is seen by many emergency room physicians. (Dr. Sam Wang, Childrens Hospital Colorado). More traffic deaths from drivers who test positive for marijuana, increasing 138% within a 29% overall increase. (2021 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas report.)

Many more results include workplace accidents, black market and cartels increasing, homeless users and increased taxes ($4.5 spent on social costs per $1 taken in).

Also, see facebook.com/sd.against.pot/ for testimonials of parents who lost their children to marijuana.

Please join the request to vote no from these South Dakota organizations: the state medical association, the Academy of Family Physicians, the state chamber of commerce, the police chiefs' association, 63 of 65 South Dakota sheriffs and many others across our state. Please Vote no on Initiated Measure 27.

The Rev. Harvey Opp, Protecting South Dakota Kids, Vermillion

Noem's support of cutting food tax is a political ploy

Why does Gov. Kristi Noem continue to govern by error and trial by continually showing a personal, self-serving lust for political power?

I submitted a bill idea to eliminate this states sales tax on food shortly after the 2022 deadline for it to be considered by the legislature. This bill is desperately needed to help with the increased cost of food for the consumers of South Dakota that's caused by shelve shortages created by the health pandemic and worldwide climate change.

The voters of South Dakota are beginning to realize that Noem is selfish person. Her mentors include Donald Trump, a known sexual predator with four wives who paid prostitutes. He claimed that he has right to grope women because he has money.

I had the help of a former longtime state legislator Frank Kloucek, who expedited my food tax elimination proposal so it might be "hog-housed" during a committee hearing. Gov. Noem was informed of this late-filed bill and contacted Sen. Lee Schoenbeck, R-Watertown, after the Senate Bill 117 passed the House by a two-thirds vote. Then, she contacted Schoenbeck to let SB 117 die with no intention of ever signing it.

Noem's campaign promise to sign the exact food tax bill she opposed earlier this year is a desperate way to entice voters to win re-election.

Robert Thullner, Herreid

Bengs will fight for a government that works for South Dakota

In 1996, John Thune was elected on the premise that he supported term limits. Back then, our children took piano lessons from the same teacher, so we often crossed paths. Back then, Thune seemed sincere and believable. Now, I know better.

Now, 26 years later, John Thune is still in Washington, running again in hopes of bringing his tenure in Washington to over 30 years. He is no longer the believable man he was in 1996. Hes been in Washington so long that hes forgotten the people who put him there in the first place. Most of us are not happy with how Washington is currently operating  and John Thune has been right in the middle of all of it. Its time for a change.

Brian Bengs is a proud military veteran. Throughout his military career as a federal advisor and prosecutor, he dedicated himself to preventing and addressing corruption. Bengs ensured that decisionmakers complied with the law and upheld the high standards expected of military leaders.

Brian Bengs is a man who will keep his promises and will fight in Washington for a government that works for the people of South Dakota. Thune has had his chance. Lets elect Brian Bengs!

Kaay Bowm, Sioux Falls

Commercials against legalizing marijuana are misleading

There are shades of 1930s Reefer Madness, the first movie to condemn marijuana. This fictional movie showed teens becoming raving idiots and doing harm to one and all, all of which has been disproven in todays world of research.

Contrary to the television commercial being pushed by Protecting South Dakota Kids, marijuana is probably less harmful than alcohol. If you Google effects of marijuana, you will have about 4.8 billion results. You can find just as many positives as negatives. Several things stand out about the commercial and website from Protecting South Dakota Kids. First, everything that is mentioned in the commercial is also a result of alcohol usage, but they never mention that. Also, if you look at their website, they give you a list of stories and the terrible things that happened and indicate they are all due to marijuana. If you read the stories, most have other drugs involved (heroin, cocaine, molly and alcohol, to name a few). We already know that marijuana has positive results in the medical field. If you abuse any drug, even aspirin or alcohol, there are negative effects.

We passed this once and should do it again. First, we can tax it. We could drop the tax on food, tax the legal marijuana and make up for what is lost. Secondly, if we legalize it, it will stop the illegal sales of marijuana. My thing is we have criminalized something that I believe is not as bad as alcohol. We should allow adults to use a natural drug if they so choose. Im voting yes on Initiated Measure 27.

Paul A Harens, Yankton

Republicans seem to be spending lots of money, but what are they worried about?

Via fliers in the mailbox and ads on TV, local Republicans seem to be spending more on upcoming elections than in the recent past. What are they worried about? Do they think South Dakotans have developed a sudden interest in honesty, integrity and democracy and are about to vote them out of office? That would be a delightful prospect, but highly unlikely.

Perhaps they just have too much money and don't know where to spend it.

Terry Painter, Rapid City

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: American News letters to the editor for Oct. 29, 2022, in Aberdeen, SD
Oct. 28Respiratory virus season is here, and it's a triple-whammy.

Unlike normal respiratory virus seasons, this year brings three viruses to watch out for: influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV, and COVID-19.

Influenza cases are on the rise across the country earlier than normal, RSV rates are spiking and COVID-19 continues to spread.

Health officials encourage everyone to stay up to date with flu shots and COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.

Despite the trifecta of diseases, there are fewer COVID hospitalizations than last year at this time.

"While we are all concerned about what may lie ahead, we are nowhere near where we were two years ago or even last year," Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah told reporters Thursday.

But Shah warned that there are still "uncertainties about what lies ahead."

Chief Science Officer Dr. Tao Kwan-Gett said though cases have been trending down since the summer, there is no way of predicting COVID-19 activity.

"Nobody has a crystal ball, and we can't predict the future and we can't predict the course that the COVID-19 pandemic will take," Kwan-Gett said. "But I think it is important to prepared for the possibility of another surge, another wave."

Locally, it's hard to tell exactly how many RSV cases there are, but Spokane County Health Officer Dr. Francisco Velazquez said anecdotally, there has been an increase in the number of RSV cases in Washington and Spokane, though the state doesn't have concrete data.

Hospitals in Spokane don't have exact numbers on how many RSV cases there have been this year, but Providence spokesperson Ariana Lake said there has been a rise in cases, though "not at alarming or unusual rates for this time of year."

Health officials encouraged everyone to continue to wear masks in crowded indoor settings and get vaccinated against COVID-19. Though Gov. Jay Inslee's state of emergency is ending Monday, masks will remain required in health care settings and correctional facilities, given the current Secretary of Health order.

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Shah said the state is looking at current mask requirements in those areas and will likely have updated guidance in mid-November.

Receiving an updated COVID-19 booster is the best way to protect yourself from COVID-19, but only about 15% of eligible Washington residents have received one, said Lacy Fehrenbach, deputy secretary for prevention, safety and health.

Receiving the updated booster is "crucial" to protect yourself from current COVID-19 strains, she said.

It also protects already-stressed hospital systems from becoming further overwhelmed, she said.

In addition to updated COVID-19 boosters, health officials recommend getting an annual flu shot.

Flu season is officially here, and Washington already has had two flu-related deaths, Shah said.

One of those was local. The Spokane Regional Health District last week reported its first flu-related death of a patient in their 60s with underlying health conditions.

As of Tuesday, Spokane County had two confirmed influenza hospitalizations, according to the health district. This time last season, there were zero hospitalizations and zero deaths.

"This is a reminder that flu remains deadly," Shah said.

Along with an early flu season, RSV is also on the rise nationally and in Washington with a number of children's hospitals seeing record emergency volumes.

Symptoms of RSV are similar to a cold, and patients often recover in a week, Kwan-Gett said, but infants and children can be affected for much longer.

There's no vaccine for RSV, but there is a monoclonal antibody treatment for it, he said.

Another virus health officials are watching: monkeypox, or MPV.

As of Wednesday, Washington has seen 621 cases and 18 hospitalizations. There have only been five new cases in the last week, Kwan-Gett said.

"The outbreak is continuing to wane, though it is too early to be confident that it is ending," he said.

Laurel Demkovich's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is funded in part by Report for America and by members of the Spokane community. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
Oct. 27PULLMAN  The Utah Utes went into their bye week on a high note after rallying past a Southern California team ranked in the top 10.

The Washington State Cougars trudged into their bye week at a low point of the season after dropping back-to-back games.

"I feel like that bye week, it was very needed for us," Cougars receiver Donovan Ollie said. "We needed to regroup, come back together and get it going again."

The 14th-ranked Utes (5-2, 3-1 Pac-12) are stocked with midseason momentum and gaining ground in the Pac-12 race.

The Cougars (4-3, 1-3) have slipped off pace after a hot start to their season.

Coming off a week of rest, will the Utes build upon their most impressive performance of the season and stay in contention for another conference title?

Can the Cougars catch Utah in a trap game and pull off a revitalizing upset win on a bitter Thursday night in Pullman?

WSU and Utah meet in cold conditions at 7 p.m. on Gesa Field for a promising edition of "Pac-12 After Dark."

Utah, the reigning Pac-12 champion, is a 7.5-point favorite over WSU. In their most recent game, the Utes rolled up 562 yards in a 43-42 comeback win over the previously unbeaten USC Trojans.

"Utah is the king of the conference until someone knocks them off," Cougars coach Jake Dickert said. "That's how we're approaching it. That's how everyone on the team should approach it. They have earned that through hard work, development and how physical they are at the point of attack."

Under longtime coach Kyle Whittingham, the Utes have typically been a defensive-minded outfit with a run-heavy offense. To be sure, Utah is still an effective rushing team and its defense shouldn't be overlooked. But the program's identity seems to have changed somewhat.

Utah is headlined by a star quarterback in Cameron Rising, an all-conference first-teamer who has been productive through the air and on the ground.

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"I think Utah is known for running the ball. I think they want to run the ball. That's where it starts," Dickert said. "They are very capable, as they have proven in the last game, beating USC (Rising passed for 424 yards), that they can throw the ball with the best of them.

"If they need to throw it 40-plus times, I think they have the personnel and ability to do that."

The Cougars' defense is keying in on Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid, an All-American candidate who owns the top receiving grade among all receivers and TEs in the nation, according to Pro Football Focus.

"The guy just caught 16 passes for 200-plus yards (versus USC)," Dickert said. "The skill set is obviously next-level. I don't think you shut down a guy like that, but we gotta know where he's at."

Starting Utah running back Tavion Thomas' status for Thursday is unknown for reasons that remain unclear. That's welcome news for a WSU rushing defense that is coming off its two worst games, allowing 181 yards in a 30-14 loss to USC and yielding 203 yards in a 24-10 defeat at Oregon State.

"We all have to be better than we were," Cougars linebacker Daiyan Henley said. "We know that.

"We have to shake off that loss (to OSU). ... We're going to make sure we don't dwell on that loss and we come back harder this week."

The Utes' ground game doesn't feature the depth and consistency of years past, but Utah is putting points on the board at a high clip. The Utes are one of the Pac-12's top scoring teams, averaging over 40.7 points per game  16th nationally. WSU's defense should offer a challenge.

"They're playing very well on defense," Whittingham said of the Cougars. "In fact, they are No. 1 in the conference in points allowed (20.7 ppg), which is really the bottom line, the most important stat defensively."

Utah's defense has given up 42 points and over 500 yards of offense in each of its past two games. But WSU's offense is coming off its two most disappointing showings of the season. The Cougars managed only seven second-half points combined against USC and OSU.

"We're not built as an offense yet to say, 'We're down 14 points in the fourth quarter and we just need to throw it every time,' " Dickert said. "There is an energy and life that we need to play with and I've talked about how we fell short."

Stopping the run has been an issue for the Utes. Their passing defense has been much more reliable. Utah leads the Pac-12 at just 208.1 passing yards allowed per game.

The Cougars' ground game has been largely ineffective this season. WSU is often forced to lean on QB Cameron Ward.

"It'll be a test for our secondary," Whittingham said. "They're primarily a throwing team. They're not getting a whole bunch done in the run game (89.4 yards per game) ... but they're getting quite a bit of production throwing the football (280.3 yards per game)."

That is, when Ward has time to throw. The sophomore transfer has taken a conference-most 26 sacks behind a embattled offensive line. He felt steady pressure during the past two games, absorbing 11 sacks.

"We gotta give Cam some time and we gotta have the ability to take the ball down the field," Dickert said. "I think that will be an emphasis for our success (versus Utah). ... We just can't have guys running free through the line of scrimmage."

Shoring up the offensive line was a priority for WSU in its bye week. The Cougars shifted some pieces around, moving Ma'ake Fifita from right tackle to right guard and testing guard Grant Stephens at the tackle position.

Negative plays have plagued the Cougars in recent weeks. WSU's offense will need a major turnaround if it hopes to sustain drives against an aggressive Utah defense and keep pace with the Utes' high-powered offense.
Western & Southern Open - Day 3

BASEL, Switzerland  Stan Wawrinka delighted home fans again at the Swiss Indoors, digging deep to beat Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 in the second round after failing to serve out the match in the second set.

Two days after a straight-set win over No. 3-ranked Casper Ruud, the 37-year-old Wawrinka wasted a chance for another efficient victory when he let slip a 5-3 lead and Nakashima took four straight games to level the match.

Wawrinka hung with the 21-year-old American in the decider then converted the only break point of the set to take a 5-4 lead.

The three-time Grand Slam winner, now ranked No. 194 after injury-hit seasons, clinched the victory with a backhand winner.

Wawrinka will face Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarterfinals on Friday after the sixth-seeded Spaniard eased to a 6-3, 6-2 win over another three-time Grand Slam champion, Andy Murray.

Third-seeded Felix Augur-Aliassime cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 win over Miomir Kecmanovic as he searches for his third straight title. The No. 9-ranked Canadian won tournaments in Florence, Italy, and Antwerp, Belgium over the last two weeks.

Augur-Aliassimes quarterfinal opponent is Alexander Bublik, who won 6-3, 6-3 against Alberto Ramos-Vinolas.

Stan Wawrinka advances with crowd-pleasing win at Swiss Indoors originally appeared on NBCSports.com
Many AI algorithms, like facial recognition software, have been shown to be discriminatory to people of color. Prostock-Studio/iStock via Getty Images

Despite the important and ever-increasing role of artificial intelligence in many parts of modern society, there is very little policy or regulation governing the development and use of AI systems in the U.S. Tech companies have largely been left to regulate themselves in this arena, potentially leading to decisions and situations that have garnered criticism.

Google fired an employee who publicly raised concerns over how a certain type of AI can contribute to environmental and social problems. Other AI companies have developed products that are used by organizations like the Los Angeles Police Department where they have been shown to bolster existing racially biased policies.

There are some government recommendations and guidance regarding AI use. But in early October 2022, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy added to federal guidance in a big way by releasing the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights.

The Office of Science and Technology says that the protections outlined in the document should be applied to all automated systems. The blueprint spells out five principles that should guide the design, use, and deployment of automated systems to protect the American public in the age of artificial intelligence. The hope is that this document can act as a guide to help prevent AI systems from limiting the rights of U.S. residents.

As a computer scientist who studies the ways people interact with AI systems  and in particular how anti-Blackness mediates those interactions  I find this guide a step in the right direction, even though it has some holes and is not enforceable.

It is critically important to include feedback from the people who are going to to be most affected by an AI system  especially marginalized communities  during development. FilippoBacci/E+ via Getty Images

Improving systems for all

The first two principles aim to address the safety and effectiveness of AI systems as well as the major risk of AI furthering discrimination.

To improve the safety and effectiveness of AI, the first principle suggests that AI systems should be developed not only by experts, but also with direct input from the people and communities who will use and be affected by the systems. Exploited and marginalized communities are often left to deal with the consequences of AI systems without having much say in their development. Research has shown that direct and genuine community involvement in the development process is important for deploying technologies that have a positive and lasting impact on those communities.

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The second principle focuses on the known problem of algorithmic discrimination within AI systems. A well-known example of this problem is how mortgage approval algorithms discriminate against minorities. The document asks for companies to develop AI systems that do not treat people differently based on their race, sex or other protected class status. It suggests companies employ tools such as equity assessments that can help assess how an AI system may impact members of exploited and marginalized communities.

These first two principles address big issues of bias and fairness found in AI development and use.

Privacy, transparency and control

The final three principles outline ways to give people more control when interacting with AI systems.

The third principle is on data privacy. It seeks to ensure that people have more say about how their data is used and are protected from abusive data practices. This section aims to address situations where, for example, companies use deceptive design to manipulate users into giving away their data. The blueprint calls for practices like not taking a persons data unless they consent to it and asking in a way that is understandable to that person.

Smart speakers have been caught collecting and storing conversations without users knowledge. Olemedia/E+ via Getty Images

The next principle focuses on notice and explanation. It highlights the importance of transparency  people should know how an AI system is being used as well as the ways in which an AI contributes to outcomes that might affect them. Take, for example the New York City Administration for Child Services. Research has shown that the agency uses outsourced AI systems to predict child maltreatment, systems that most people dont realize are being used, even when they are being investigated.

The AI Bill of Rights provides a guideline that people in New York in this example who are affected by the AI systems in use should be notified that an AI was involved and have access to an explanation of what the AI did. Research has shown that building transparency into AI systems can reduce the risk of errors or misuse.

The last principle of the AI Bill of Rights outlines a framework for human alternatives, consideration and feedback. The section specifies that people should be able to opt out of the use of AI or other automated systems in favor of a human alternative where reasonable.

As an example of how these last two principles might work together, take the case of someone applying for a mortgage. They would be informed if an AI algorithm was used to consider their application and would have the option of opting out of that AI use in favor of an actual person.

Smart guidelines, no enforceability

The five principles laid out in the AI Bill of Rights address many of the issues scholars have raised over the design and use of AI. Nonetheless, this is a nonbinding document and not currently enforceable.

It may be too much to hope that industry and government agencies will put these ideas to use in the exact ways the White House urges. If the ongoing regulatory battle over data privacy offers any guidance, tech companies will continue to push for self-regulation.

One other issue that I see within the AI Bill of Rights is that it fails to directly call out systems of oppression  like racism or sexism  and how they can influence the use and development of AI. For example, studies have shown that inaccurate assumptions built into AI algorithms used in health care have led to worse care for Black patients. I have argued that anti-Black racism should be directly addressed when developing AI systems. While the AI Bill of Rights addresses ideas of bias and fairness, the lack of focus on systems of oppression is a notable hole and a known issue within AI development.

Despite these shortcomings, this blueprint could be a positive step toward better AI systems, and maybe the first step toward regulation. A document such as this one, even if not policy, can be a powerful reference for people advocating for changes in the way an organization develops and uses AI systems.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Christopher Dancy, Penn State. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters.

Read more:



Christopher Dancy receives funding from the National Science Foundation for his work on AI.
Bellingham Police are looking for a Ferndale man after he rammed two patrol cars with his RV, tried to hit two other officers, and led police units on a reckless chase from the Bellis Fair mall area toward downtown.

No one was injured, Lt. Claudia Murphy said in an email to The Bellingham Herald.

But police are seeking Marco M. Salinas, 37, on suspicion of first-degree assault, attempted first-degree assault and second-degree malicious mischief, in addition to other charges.

We are asking Mr. Salinas to peacefully turn himself in, Murphy said in her email.

Salinas was last seen driving a 20-foot 1986 Ford motor home painted beige or cream with two dark stripes along the side and back and a Washington license plate of ADD6289. It has a passenger-side door on the RV part of the rig.

During the approximately five-mile pursuit, Salinas intentionally drove directly toward two more police officers, ran multiple red lights and nearly struck an officer who was out of his car. The pursuit was terminated once Salinas drove toward the downtown core, where there was likely to be significant pedestrian traffic, greatly increasing the chance of danger to the public, Murphy said.

Murphy said the chase began as an officer saw Salinas RV at a gas station on Meridian Street south of Kellogg Road, where officers tried to arrest Salinas because he has several outstanding warrants.

But he got into the drivers seat and started the engine, backed the RV into a wall, and then drove forward  ramming two Bellingham Police SUVs head-on and driving away, Murphy said.

Anyone who sees Salinas or knows where he is should call 911, the police tip line at 360-778-8611, or online at cob.org/tips.
Many Haitians are wary of International forces. Jaime Razuri/AFP via Getty Images)

Haiti appears to be on the precipice of foreign intervention yet again.

Gangs have been blockading the countrys biggest fuel terminal since mid-September 2022, strangling Haitis food and energy supplies. The World Food Program says that Haitis need for humanitarian aid is urgent.

The government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry began in early October to call for foreign troops to come help it gain the upper hand against the gangs. The first international response has been a U.N. resolution placing sanctions on the primary gang leader, former police officer Jimmy Barbecue Cherizier.

More direct involvement may be on the horizon. The Biden administration has indicated that the U.S. and Mexico plan to submit another proposal for the U.N. Security Councils consideration that would authorize a non-UN international security assistance mission to quell violence and facilitate the distribution of aid.

Conditions in Haiti today are alarming, but as a scholar of 20th-century Haitian history, I am concerned that foreign intervention runs the risk of making a bad situation worse  as has happened repeatedly there for more than 100 years. I believe any response should carefully consider how past aid and military interventions have shaped the dire situation Haitians face today.

US occupation

Foreign influences have long exerted power over Haitian internal affairs.

Initially enslaved in a brutal French sugar colony, Haitians won their freedom and independence in 1804 after 13 years of war and revolution.

But a state of free Black people was viewed suspiciously by the surrounding slave-holding empires in North and South America. There were many efforts to weaken, control or contain the young country.

The most expansive of these efforts was the U.S. occupation of Haiti.

In 1915, the U.S. occupied Haiti and ruled it as a client state for 19 years. The pretext for the invasion was to calm political turmoil in Haiti, but scholarship has shown how the U.S. was primarily interested in protecting and expanding its economic interests in the region.

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Many white Americans justified the occupation because of their paternalistic ideas about Black people. And many U.S. Marines in Haiti shared a Jim Crow mentality about race, which shaped governing styles and exacerbated tensions between light-skinned and dark-skinned Haitians.

The U.S. military claimed to be a modernizing force in Haiti, but the changes it made weakened the countrys institutions. It undermined Haitian political autonomy by establishing a puppet government that rubber-stamped legislation drafted by U.S. officials.

The U.S. invested heavily in the capital city of Port-au-Prince while letting the rest of the country fall into decline. When U.S. troops departed in 1934, power had been concentrated in the central government, leaving Haitis provinces weak and the country with few counterweights to executive authority.

U.S. Marines marched in Philadelphia before sailing for Port-Au-Prince in 1915. Bettmann/Getty Images

The Duvaliers

This centralized system became a major liability when, in 1957, Francois Duvalier was elected president of Haiti.

Duvalier, a Black nationalist, found support by mobilizing racial animosities that had been heightened by the U.S. occupation. He had little respect for democratic norms and leaned on a violent paramilitary to crush his opponents.

Within a few years, Duvalier had established a kleptocratic dictatorship that ruled over a major decline of Haitis economic and political life. After his death in 1971, his son, Jean-Claude Duvalier, took over as president-for-life.

The younger Duvalier, who portrayed himself as a modernizer, enjoyed ever-increasing amounts of support from the international community, especially the United States. But reforms remained superficial and Haitis government was still a dictatorship.

In 1986, a popular uprising fueled by grassroots organizing, spiraling economic crises and social discontent pushed the Duvalier family into exile.

Dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, known as Baby Doc, ruled Haiti after his fathers death in 1971. Alain Mingam/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Struggles with democracy after dictatorship

Since then, Haitian political life has been a push-and-pull of democratic aspiration and authoritarian repression. In the wake of the dictatorship, Haiti reinvented itself as a constitutional democracy, but the political transition remains incomplete to this day.

Duvalier loyalists and allies in the military violently disrupted the first attempt at an election in 1987. When voting finally took place in 1990, the people elected a left-leaning populist and former Catholic priest, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, in a landslide victory that saw historic levels of voter participation.

But once again, anti-democratic elements in the elite and the military intervened, overthrowing Aristide after just a few months in office and establishing a violent military junta.

President Bill Clinton sent troops back to Haiti in 1994 to push out the junta and reinstall Aristide.

Aristide was overthrown again in 2004, launching new waves of sweeping political violence. A U.S., French and Canadian coalition sent an interim international force of troops to restore order and help organize new elections.

They were soon were replaced by a blue-helmeted U.N. peacekeeping mission led by Brazil, known as MINUSTAH. Initially planned as a six-month intervention, those forces remained in Haiti until 2017.

When Port-au-Prince was struck by a devastating earthquake in 2010, MINUSTAH forces were already on the ground. The international community launched a massive, ill-coordinated relief and recovery effort, but, much like the American occupation a century earlier, the primary benefactor was the private sector in the U.S. and other major donor countries.

MINUSTAHs most enduring legacy was a cholera epidemic caused by poor sanitation practices at a U.N. base in Haitis countryside.

A supporter of former Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide displays posters of him in 2014. Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images

The current crisis

MINUSTAH and the Obama State Department oversaw Haitis 2010 presidential elections and had a major hand in securing the victory of President Michel Martelly, a pop star-turned-politician who quickly gained a reputation for corruption.

He was succeeded by his chosen successor, Jovenel Moise, who dissolved parliament in 2020. According to human rights agencies, he worked with local gangs to terrorize his opponents.

Moise was assassinated in July 2021  a murder that has yet to be solved. Without a parliament, there is no constitutional line of succession.

Haitis government has since lurched forward under the leadership of Henry, an unelected and unpopular official who has been linked to Moises alleged assassins.

Officials attend a ceremony in honor of slain Haitian leader Jovenel Moise in July 2021. Valerie Baeriswyl/AFP via Getty Images

Despite these concerns, Henry has enjoyed the backing of the U.S. over his rivals. A coalition of Haitian civil society groups drafted a proposal for a new interim government to take power and organize elections.

But negotiations with Henrys government have gone nowhere. Given the vacuum of legitimate authority, the gangs Moise empowered have begun asserting themselves as independent political actors. Cherizier has joined many local leaders in demanding Henry either resign or share power.

Critics are worried that Henry, unrestrained by a democratic mandate or a functioning parliament, plans to use foreign troops to reinforce his political position.

And while past foreign interventions in Haiti have often been launched in the name of stability and democracy, they have not proved capable of providing either.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Claire Antone Payton, University of Virginia. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters.

Read more:



Claire Antone Payton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A woman died in a fatal shooting early Friday in Athens that also caused "serious injuries" to a teen, according to Athens-Clarke County police.

A 20-year-old woman died from gunshot wounds in a shooting that took place at about 12:30 a.m. on the 100 block of Rolling Ridge Drive off Kathwood Drive, noted police. Rolling Ridge Drive serves the Rolling Ridge apartment complex.

When officers arrived at the scene, they tried to save the victim. Police noted she later was pronounced dead at a hospital. Authorities did not immediately identify the victim on Friday.

More crime news: Athens-Clarke seek motive for deadly gunfight in east Athens

A 17-year-old also was shot and taken to the hospital for treatment, noted police. A news release from police called the injury serious, but offered no further details.

Anyone with information that can help the ongoing investigation is asked to contact police by calling 762-400-7058 or 762-400-7333, or emailing scott.black@accgov.com or hovie.lister@accgov.com.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens fatal shooting reported Friday at Rolling Ridge
A woman was flown by medical helicopter to an area hospital after her vehicle hit a tree then ended up wedged against a house before catching fire in Brighton Township, Beaver County.

The incident happened after 4 a.m. Friday in the area of Tuscarawas and Sebring roads. First responders were working to clear the scene until about 5:30 a.m.

Officials believe the house was occupied. There is exterior damage to the house but officials dont believe the interior was damaged.

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In a speech Thursday justifying Russias invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin warned audience members at an international policy conference in Moscow that were at a historical frontier.

Ahead that is probably the most dangerous, unpredictable and at the same time important decade since the end of World War II, Putin said just one day after Russian forces engaged in a large-scale military exercise simulating a retaliatory nuclear strike, according to CNN.

Putins speech touched on the casualties of the war in Ukraine, Western ambitions in Russia, and Ukrainian stubbornness.

Power over the world is what the so-called West is banking on in its own game. But this is a dangerous game. Its a bloody game, and its a dirty game, Putin told the Valdai Discussion Club, according to CNN.

Tensions have continued to escalate this week, as Russian leaders accused Ukraine of developing a dirty bomb to potentially deploy in the war. A dirty bomb is a conventional weapon that has been augmented with radioactive material. In response, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)  a U.N.-affiliated nuclear watchdog  announced in Vienna on Thursday that it will work to verify or disprove the Russian allegations.

Putins warnings about a Ukrainian dirty bomb have been paired with repeated statements that all means [are] available when defending Russia, including nuclear weapons.

However, on Thursday, Putin appeared to walk back that earlier rhetoric about the use of nuclear weapons. Weve never proactively said anything about Russias possible use of nuclear weapons. Weve only responded with hints to comments voiced by the leaders of Western countries, he said.

Putin has stated that he remains willing to enter negotiations but that Ukraines government remains unresponsive.

More from National Review
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv two months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine

A few days before the full-scale Russian invasion, international airlines canceled flights to Ukraine and withdrew their planes. And since Feb. 24, due to the fighting and missile threat from Russia, air travel in Ukraine has completely stopped.

Read also: Ukrzaliznytsia tests Starlink Internet service on passenger trains

Since then, the war-torn country has relied entirely on its land transport system, in particular the railways, to transport IDPs, humanitarian aid, and weapons. Therefore, it was the national carrier Ukrzaliznytsia that was tasked with evacuating almost 4 million people from dangerous areas of the country, including 1 million children and 112,000 pets.

At the same time, Kyiv needed strong support from foreign allies. So then Ukrzaliznytsia also began to transport Western presidents and prime ministers to the Ukrainian capital. Railway charters with foreign delegations were labeled Iron Diplomacy.

The first visit of foreign leaders since the beginning of the all-out war took place on March 15. The Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, and the then head of the Slovenian government Janez Jansa came to Kyiv.

Read also: Steinmeier visit to Ukraine being prepared, says Zelenskyy

Since then, Ukrzaliznytsia has organized about 200 journeys with foreign dignitaries, and its passengers have included Antony Blinken, Boris Johnson, Emmanuel Macron, as well as successful businessmen and celebrities such as Richard Branson, Angelina Jolie, and the legendary Bono and Edge from U2.

NV asked Dmytro Bezruchko, head of the transport planning department of Ukrzaliznytsia, about how exactly western VIPs travel to Kyiv during wartime.

- Whose visit was the most difficult for Ukrzaliznytsia?

- I would call the first visit the most difficult one, because then the whole concept of Iron Diplomacy was still being formed  we had to arrange a charter, prepare cars, organize boarding and disembarking in a restricted area in a few hours. Some things were discussed with the special services directly on board. If you remember, the first haul brought the prime ministers of three countries at once, that is, it was necessary to ensure coordination of Polish, Slovenian and Czech special services with Ukrainian ones on board. This charter, as well as the majority of diplomatic visits during the war period, was top secret, there were still hostilities around Kyiv, so we did not disclose a word until the delegations were already in front of the cameras next to the president. In the rail company itself, a maximum of ten people always know about the charter and the actors on board.

Story continues

A clear schedule and safety of such hauls is a priority: the dispatcher "leads" diplomatic trains from point A to point B, the route and speed can be quickly adjusted depending on the circumstances, there is usually full camouflage and a clearly defined order of personnel on board.

- Do the offices of world leaders send their riders to UZ, what are the requirements there? What was the most exotic request?

- We quickly realized that we spend on board with distinguished guests sometimes ten times more time than even the president. Moreover, we have a task to form the first impression of the guest about Ukraine and to be the last to shake his hand when he leaves our borders. Therefore, the railway has become more than a transport: it is the first echelon of interstate diplomacy.

Therefore, the first thing we focused on is service and care. Our guests are greeted by English-speaking railway workers, personalized postcards, a collection of free books of Ukrainian and international publishers, press and cinema on request.

We are rarely provided food, but there has never been anything extraordinary there. In fact, we took the initiative in this and established cooperation with (gastronomic expert, co-founder and brand chef of the restaurant 100 Years Back in Future) Yevhen Klopotenko and with his help we are trying to present our country through Ukrainian cuisine. For example, (former British Prime Minister) Boris Johnson absolutely sincerely appreciated both smoked borsch and Galician lard. But the most popular dish among all delegations is still hands down syrnyky (cheese cakes). Almost without exception.

Cooks of diplomatic special flights of Ukrzaliznytsia introduce VIP guests to Ukraine through national cuisine Tetyana Dovgan / Ukrzaliznytsia

In addition to food, we have now begun work on the aromatization of our executive cars with Ol Factory perfumers, who have chosen a scent that successfully integrates into the ventilation system of the car and neutralizes everything unnecessary.

The publisher Anton Martynov and his publishing house Laboratoria help us with the onboard library. Our guests often take these books with them. We already know who prefers which genres.

Books, movies, food, and fragrances are now the subjects of our non-commercial agreements with friends of the railway, who also appreciate that you can't make a first impression twice, and the support of the world's top leaders during the war is worth ensuring top quality by joint efforts.

- In this case, are world leaders accompanied by their chefs, stylists? What do they bring with them? Who had the biggest "retinue"? How many people accompany each of them on average?

- As a rule, delegations arrive in small numbers: ministers, ambassadors, press officers, guards. For example, the Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa was accompanied by one person. The largest delegations are usually from the Polish side. But it is definitely not about chefs or stylists  there is no time for this during the war, all diplomats are well aware of this and do not come to Kyiv to walk along Andriyivskiy Uzviz.

The head of the transport planning department of Ukrzaliznytsia Dmytro Bezruchko considers the first special flight on March 15, when the heads of the governments of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia came to Kyiv, among the most difficult Ukrzaliznytsia

- What emergencies happened during the visits of world leaders to Ukraine?

- Everything is always thought through minute by minute, so in fact there are not so many emergencies, but there were some incidents. For example, on the first haul of the British delegation, we did not take into account that all the guests would drink tea with milk, and therefore the milk on board ran out before crossing the border between Poland and Ukraine. We had to wake up the manager of one of the border stations at 4 a.m. to provide morning milk for the prime minister of the United Kingdom.

An interesting story occurred with the band U2, which on the way back from Ukraine asked to hold the train at one of the stations, where the national anthem of Ukraine was played at 9 a.m. At the end of the anthem, Edge, the legendary guitarist of the band, approached one of the Ukrainian soldiers on the platform and after a brief conversation gave him his guitar.

Members of the legendary band U2 Bono (left) and Edge (right) willingly take pictures with Ukrainians Ukrzaliznytsia

U.S. actor and film director Sean Penn has completely redesigned his entire route and program of events to spend a day in Lviv.

Our Lviv station manager has already compiled a considerable collection of photos with celebrities, starting with Angelina Jolie and ending with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

- Do world leaders communicate with UZ staff: conductors and others. What do they say?

- Naturally, all the leaders we transport have different personalities and degree of sociability. For example, Boris Johnson, [European Commission President] Ursula von der Leyen, [Canadian Prime Minister] Justin Trudeau, [Finnish Prime Minister] Sanna Marin, and [Swedish Prime Minister] Magdalena Andersson shook hands with everyone on board, took pictures and recorded videos for the railway workers, and in August we traveled together with the mayors of eight European cities on Kyiv City Express to Irpin and involved them in the Advisory Board of the project.

In general, we have something from every guest of more than 150 diplomatic charter: a T-shirt from the Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese, a cup holder from Boris Johnson, a pillow from Bono, a book signed by Richard Branson, a signed photo album by Annie Leibovitz, a ball from Andriy Shevchenko and a Eurovision victory flag from Kalush Orchestra. We are already seriously considering opening an Iron Diplomacy Museum.

Boris Johnson received his own loyalty card from the Ukrainian carrier during his third railway trip to Kyiv Ukrzaliznytsia

In addition, we always invite top officials to the exhibition Saving the Future between the Central and Southern Railway Stations (in Kyiv), where artifacts from the evacuation of a million Ukrainian (and not only!) children by rail are displayed. This is not a mere formality on the program: railway workers risk their lives every day to evacuate children, the sick, the wounded, and our guests, as a rule, represent countries where these children are now safe, the sick are being treated, and the wounded are recovering. Therefore, this is also an opportunity for the railway workers to thank them for the support and shelter of those whom we have rescued.

By the way, the reaction of world leaders to the scenes of evacuation at our exhibition is also usually very telling: for example, the Prime Minister of Ireland, Micheal Martin, a week after the visit, gave Ukrzaliznytsia a pair of collectible candlesticks made of Galway crystal as a gift for the trip. Micheal Martin is a father of five children who lost two of them, so it was a very sensitive moment for him personally.

- If you compare the trip of Ukrainian and foreign officials, who is easier to transport?

- It is much more difficult to transport the wounded or evacuate children from the frontline cities. And it is equally pleasant and honorable to carry all those who work for the victory of Ukraine. Railroaders just do their job  no more, no less.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
CLEVELAND (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Thursday that both she and President Joe Biden agree that the federal debt ceiling should not be held hostage by Congress and a default on U.S. debt would be "calamitous."

Yellen, asked in a CNN interview in Cleveland about threats by some Republicans to use the next debt ceiling deadline as leverage for concessions from Biden if they win control of Congress in Nov. 8 elections, said a U.S. debt default "simply cannot be contemplated."

"The president and I agree that America should not be held hostage by members of Congress who think it's alright to compromise the credit rating of the United States and to threaten default on U.S. Treasuries, which are the bedrock of global financial markets," Yellen told CNN. "Defaulting on our debt...would be simply calamitous for the U.S."

(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Sam Holmes)
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO  FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2022, 21:35

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russian occupation authorities in Kherson Oblast are shuttering hospitals, looting and taking away hospital equipment, and forcing local doctors to move to Russia.

Source: President Zelenskyys video address

Quote from Zelenskyy: "The occupiers have thrown down a new challenge on the occupied territory. They are dismantling all local healthcare facilities. The occupiers have decided to shutter municipal hospitals and take away hospital equipment, ambulances, and anything else they can lay their hands onto They put pressure on the remaining doctors to move to Russia.

This is happening, first and foremost, in Kherson Oblast. Russia is stripping away all civilisation, all basic necessities available in most civilised countries around the world in Kherson Oblast."

Details: Zelenskyy said that Russia is trying to turn Kherson Oblast into an "exclusion zone".

"The world must respond to this. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all representatives of our state are informing international organisations and partners about this new escalation carried out by the occupiers," Zelenskyy said.

He urged the residents of the territories temporarily occupied by Russian forces to help one another and stick together regardless of what the Russian occupation forces are doing.

"The Ukrainian flag will return. We will bring back normal life. But you need to survive this period when even the occupiers themselves are confirming that they cannot hold on to the territory of Ukraine. That is why they are trying to steal medical equipment and to hold medical personnel captive," Zelenskyy concluded.

Background:

On 20 October, investigative journalists reported that Russian occupation forces were transferring their military equipment and personnel from the right bank of the River Dnipro to the left bank in Kherson Oblast following recent successes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in liberating the oblast.

On 19 October, Volodymyr Saldo, the Russian-appointed puppet governor of Kherson Oblast, announced that the so-called leadership of Kherson Oblast has decided to move their headquarters to the left bank of the River Dnipro due to the allegedly impending counteroffensive by Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The Russian occupiers dismantled monuments to Russian generals Aleksandr Suvorov and Fedor Ushakov in Kherson and took them with them as they fled the city. They also stole a monument to Prince Grigory Potemkin and his remains from St Catherine's Cathedral in Kherson.

Ukraines National Resistance Center has reported that the occupation administration of Kherson Oblast has already relocated to Dnipros left bank.

At the same time, however, President Zelenskyy has stated that the Russian troops are not ready to leave Kherson, and their alleged preparation to retreat is an informational operation.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO  THURSDAY, 27 OCTOBER 2022, 18:40

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he cannot blame former US President Donald Trump for not supporting Ukraine enough because Russia has not yet carried out a full-scale invasion in Ukraine during his presidency.

Source: President Zelenskyy in an interview with Corriere della Sera, an Italian media outlet

Quote from Zelenskyy: "Biden is helping us more than the previous administration. However, I cannot blame Trump, because there was no full-scale invasion during his presidency and so I dont know how he would have responded."

Details: When asked whether he is concerned about Trumps possible return to power Zelenskyy said that this is a matter for the American people, and he has no influence on it.

However, he also said that Ukraine was alarmed by some of the messages expressed during the electoral campaign in the US.

Quote from Zelenskyy: "Some messages worry us. I think these messages about cutting support for Ukraine and so on are political because they are being expressed as part of the electoral process in the US. I believe that these are part of the election efforts. At least thats what we hope for.

Regarding the US support for Ukraine, we have bilateral support so far, and its ongoing. We have the full support of the US Congress. Though if the political atmosphere becomes more charged, this may change. Well see."

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Zaporizhzhya NPP seized by Russian occupants since March 4

They (Kiriyenko and Aksyonov) are looking to be able to report any kind of success by convincing ZNPP employees to sign contracts with a subsidiary of Rosatom, the message said.

Read also: ZNPP head to leave his post after release from Russian captivity, says IAEA

Out of 6,700 employees, only about 100 have agreed to sign with Rosatom  most of them under pressure from Russian officials  while 4,300 ZNPP workers left for Ukraine-controlled territory.

Earlier media reports said Kiriyenko and Aksyonov arrived in Russia-occupied Kherson.

Read also: Russia kidnaps ZNPP deputy director, Energoatom says

Zaporizhzhia NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, and has been occupied by Russian forces since March 4. Several ZNPP facilities have been damaged by Russian shelling, and the station's employees are captives of the occupying troops.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Photo: The Canadian Press

Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter after a protracted legal battle and months of uncertainty. The question now is what the billionaire Tesla CEO will actually do with the social media platform.

The New York Stock Exchange began the process Friday to delist Twitter. That means everyday investors will no longer be able to buy and sell stock in the company and Twitter would no longer be required to publicly reveal details of its quarterly or annual financial performance with U.S. regulators.

Musk ousted three top Twitter executives on Thursday, according to two people familiar with the deal. Such a shakeup was widely expected, but Musk has otherwise made contradictory statements about his vision for the company  and shared few concrete plans for how he will run it.

That has left Twitter's users, advertisers and employees to parse his every move in an effort to guess where he might take the company. Many are looking to see if he will welcome back a number of influential conservative figures banned for violating Twitters rules  speculation that is only heightened by upcoming elections in Brazil, the U.S. and elsewhere.

I will be digging in more today, he tweeted early Friday, in response to a conservative political podcaster who has complained that the platform favors liberals and secretively downgrades conservative voices. Former President Donald Trump is among those who have been banned. As is his ally Roger Stone, who wrote on Telegram that he was waiting patiently to regain my voice.

The mercurial Musk has not made it easy to anticipate his moves.

Musk has criticized Twitters dependence on advertisers, but made a statement Thursday that seemed aimed at soothing their fears. He has complained about restrictions on speech on the platform  but then vowed he wouldnt let it become a hellscape. And for months it wasnt even clear if he wanted to control the company at all.

After Musk signed a deal to acquire Twitter in April, he tried to back out of it, leading the company to sue him to force him to go through with the acquisition. A Delaware judge had ordered that the deal, originally valued at $44 billion, be finalized by Friday.

Late Thursday, Musk tweeted, the bird is freed, a reference to Twitters logo.

Earlier in the week, he strolled into the companys San Francisco headquarters carrying a porcelain sink, changed his Twitter profile to Chief Twit, and tweeted Entering Twitter HQ  let that sink in!

The people familiar with the deal said Musk has fired CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal and Chief Legal Counsel Vijaya Gadde. Both people insisted on anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the deal. Segal confirmed his departure in a series of tweets Friday.

Musk privately clashed with Agrawal in April, immediately before deciding to make a bid for the company, according to text messages later revealed in court filings.

Around the same time, he publicly criticized Gadde, the company's top lawyer, in a series of tweets. A wave of harassment of Gadde from other Twitter accounts followed, including racist and misogynistic attacks, in addition to calls for Musk to get rid of her. After she was fired, the harassment on the platform began again.

In his first big move earlier on Thursday, Musk said that he is buying the platform to help humanity and doesnt want it to become a free-for-all hellscape.

The message appeared to be aimed at addressing concerns among advertisers  Twitters chief source of revenue  that Musks plans to promote free speech by cutting back on moderating content will open the floodgates to more online toxicity and drive away users.

The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence, Musk wrote in an uncharacteristically long message for the Tesla CEO, who typically projects his thoughts in one-line tweets.

He continued: There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.

Musk has previously expressed distaste for advertising and Twitters dependence on it, suggesting more emphasis on other business models such as paid subscriptions that wont allow big corporations to dictate policy on how social media operates. But on Thursday, he assured advertisers he wants Twitter to be the most respected advertising platform in the world.

The note is a shift from Musk's position that Twitter is unfairly infringing on free speech rights by blocking misinformation or graphic content, said Pinar Yildirim, associate professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School.

But its also a realization that having no content moderation is bad for business, putting Twitter at risk of losing advertisers and subscribers, she said.

You do not want a place where consumers just simply are bombarded with things they do not want to hear about, and the platform takes no responsibility, Yildirim said.

As concerns rise about the direction of Twitters content moderation, European Union Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton tweeted to Musk on Friday that In Europe, the bird will fly by our rules.

Breton and Musk met in May and appeared in a video together in which Musk said he agreed with the 27-nation blocs strict new online regulations. Its Digital Services Act threatens big tech companies with billions in fines if they dont police their platforms more strictly for illegal or harmful content such as hate speech and disinformation.

Musk is expected to speak to Twitter employees directly Friday, according to an internal memo cited in several media outlets. There is internal confusion and low morale tied to fears of layoffs or a dismantling of the company's culture and operations.

The Washington Post reported last week that Musk told prospective investors that he plans to cut three quarters of Twitters 7,500 workers when he becomes owner of the company. The newspaper cited documents and unnamed sources familiar with the deliberation.

Musk has spent months deriding Twitter's spam bots" and making sometimes conflicting pronouncements about Twitter's problems and how to fix them.

Thursday's note to advertisers shows a newfound emphasis on advertising revenue, especially a need for Twitter to provide more relevant ads  which typically means targeted ads that rely on collecting and analyzing users' personal information.

Yildirim said that, unlike Facebook, Twitter has not been good at targeting advertising to what users want to see. Musks message suggests he wants to fix that, she said.
Elaine Larsson was busy Thursday afternoon prepping the newly opened Rockfish Gallery & Gift Shop for its grand opening celebration this Sunday.

Larsson is the new outreach coordinator at Rockfish Valley Community Center (RVCC) and de facto manager of the gallery, located inside the community center building at 190 Rockfish School Lane in Afton. She said the grand opening Sunday will be an opportunity to take home a little bit of Nelson.

With art and crafts from more than 50 Nelson artists for sale in the gallery, there are a lot of options: ceramic ornaments stamped with the shape of the county, home goods made from Virginia soapstone, botanical paintings, textiles, sculpture, stained glass, jewelry and much more.

Larsson explained all the artists either live in or hail from Nelson County, and more than 18 will be at the grand opening, from 1 to 3 p.m., to share their stories and inspiration.

Rockfish Gallery & Gifts first opened in July, after the RVCC board of directors decided to purchase it from its previous owner.

Art and culture are part of the mission of RVCC, Executive Director of RVCC Stu Mills said in a news release.

The gallery provides a place for the community to connect with the art and the culture of Nelson County, Mills said.

Larsson added, Were feeling successful, we feel like were moving in the right direction. Weve had a nice response from the community.

Its an important part of the community, especially in a rural area  we need a place where we know we can gather and its safe and its welcoming and we want Rockfish Community Center to be that.

RVCC houses other businesses, offices and studios in the classrooms of the former Rockfish Elementary School, including Trager Brothers Coffee, the Virginia Rock Shop and the Treasure Chest Thrift Store. The Rockfish Valley Gallery & Gifts is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the event Sunday is open to the public.
A statewide effort to repeal breed bans across Iowa is partnering to provide funds to Midlands Humane Society.

A grassroots effort, Iowans Against BSL is a group aiming to repeal breed-specific legislation, often directed at dogs that are labeled as pit bulls. The group is selling merchandise to support its cause, with a portion of the proceeds being donated back to Iowa shelters that help dogs in need each day.

Stephanie Sanders of Dubuque is leading the effort.

A Keystone resident affected by their local breed ban had posted on Facebook that she was looking for someone to design T-shirts, Sanders said.

I hopped on the opportunity since I own a small apparel business focused on designs for dog lovers, said Sanders, who owns Pupper Mom Apparel.

The design features an Iowans Against Breed Bans logo, and is offered in T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and even as a bandana or bumper sticker.

I specifically started my brand to raise money for Iowa rescues and nonprofits, Sanders said. Adopting from the Cedar Valley Pit Bull Rescue in 2018 was my inspiration to get involved on a deeper level. As far as the Iowans Against Breed Bans merchandise, I feel its only right to give back to the organizations that are helping dogs displaced by the bans and/or those that advocate for the breeds that are often banned.

Over the past couple of months, the campaign has moved around the state, donating to Iowa rescues and shelters, with the goal of spreading the word about ending breed specific legislation in Iowa.

The project began in August, with the first check  totaling nearly $2,000  going to the Cedar Valley Pit Bull Rescue in Waterloo; 42 shirts were also donated. A portion of sales from the month of September  over $600  went to PAW Fort Madison.

Now, its Council Bluffs turn.

Its very exciting to be part of the conversation of appealing the breed specific legislation in Iowa, said Mariah Garcia, director of operations and events at MHS. It is really a community driven movement thats needed to make these changes in Council Bluffs and other cities in Iowa with BSL, so bringing it to the attention of those who may be passionate about the cause but dont know where to start is so beneficial in making a real impact.

Council Bluffs is one of many Iowa cities with breed-specific legislation. Pit bulls have been banned in Council Bluffs since the beginning of 2005.

The ordinance does allow the local animal shelter to temporarily harbor and transport pit bulls, and Garcia said they see a large number of pit bulls even with the local breed ban.

We are very grateful that we are allowed to house them in Council Bluffs at MHS temporarily until we can find them their forever homes outside of city limits to an area without a breed ban, Garcia said. Their length of stay at the shelter is typically longer due to the requirements involved in adopting pit bulls, which limits available kennel space for incoming dogs and ultimately uses more resources.

The fundraiser for MHS runs through Nov. 2. The merchandise is available at iowans-against-bsl.square.site. MHS also has the bumper stickers available onsite for $2 at the front desk, 1020 Railroad Ave.

The citizens of Council Bluffs have been fighting this ban for a long time, Sanders said. Partnering with MHS is a great way to reach the residents that want to be part of the change. In addition, the Humane Society of the United States is a big proponent for breed-neutral laws.

Oftentimes, city councils do not want to lift their breed bans. Instead of letting residents fight BSL alone, we believe in uniting to repeal this at a state level. We will not stop until we do.
Iowa House Rep. Brent Siegrist (R) is no stranger to Iowa politics, having served as Council Bluffs representative in Des Moines from 1984 to 2002 before returning to the Statehouse in 2020.

In returning to the Statehouse after 18 years away, Siegrist has noticed a different tone when hes on the floor.

Its much more sharply partisan, Siegrist said in an interview with The Daily Nonpareil.

He places much of the blame on the rise of social media and the 24-hour news cycle.

Now everybodys got an opinion on everything, and the (extremists) have raised up on both sides, both the Democrat and Republican sides, and thats made it more partisan, Siegrist said.

Siegrist was quick to add that, while debates on the chamber floor are a little more heated, his fellow legislators are good people.

That doesnt mean I agree with them or love all of them, but theyre good people, he said. Theyre easy to work with, and we get along very well.

Siegrist prides himself on being able to get along with everybody. He even thinks some Democrats in the House would speak more kindly of him than some of his Republican colleagues.

Other than that, its still the same, Siegrist said. Youre trying to move Iowa ahead, and you have different opinions on how to do that. One thing Ive said is, about 80% of the bills we pass are pretty much unanimous, and about 12%, you gotta work and get everybody together and compromise and pass it.

The remaining approximately 8% are really difficult, and thats why you have two parties, he said. We have differences between parties, but generally speaking we get along pretty well and try to do things to help improve the state.

While currently serving House District 16, redistricting has slightly shifted the borders, and so Siegrist is running for reelection in District 19, which covers much of the same area. Carter Lake and Council Bluffs swapped a couple of precincts, but its 90% the same.

An educator at heart, Siegrist values the states public education system. Before becoming a member of the state legislature, he was a public school teacher, and after his first tenure in office, he worked as the executive director of Iowas Area Education Agencies, which provide support for special needs students across the state.

Siegrist will always support more funding for public education, but he takes umbrage at the notion that Iowas schools are underfunded.

This is just not the case, Siegrist said. The facts dont bear it up.

The public education budget for 2021 was about $3.6 billion, Siegrist said, nearly $1 billion more than the budget in 2011.

Im not saying that K-12 cant use more money, obviously it can always use more money, but when people say its just terribly underfunded and its just not the case, he said. It gets funded at two-and-a-half, 3%, something like that. It could be better, but its not woefully underfunded.

In addition to education funding, Siegrist has also been focused on workforce development and retention. The lack of affordable housing and affordable childcare are a detriment to the Council Bluffs area, and he pointed to recent legislation that could help.

We did several good things last time, including increasing the income eligibility for childcare subsidies from the government, Siegrist said. Businesses, if they want to rehab or open a childcare center, which is a huge benefit for their employees, they get some tax credits for that.

Siegrist also wants to help improve Iowans quality of life, putting more funding into things like parks and bike trails, which I think are incredibly important, he said.

Siegrist looks at his time in the legislature with pride, and he hopes to continue being able to work on behalf of the residents of Council Bluffs.

Its an honor to serve the people, Siegrist said. Its fun, and quite a bit of responsibility. I think, because of my previous service, I am pretty well recognized and have more than a little bit of influence in Des Moines, and I use that the best I can for Council Bluffs.
King Mohammed VI has hailed the solid friendship and fruitful cooperation binding Morocco and the United Kingdom in a message of congratulations he addressed to Rishi Sunak on his appointment as Prime Minister, following his election as head of the Conservative Party.

In his message, the Sovereign expressed to Rishi Sunak his best wishes for the fulfillment of his high office, with a view to meeting the aspirations of the friendly British people for greater progress and prosperity.

The King took this opportunity to hail the quality of the ties uniting the two Kingdoms, which are marked with the seal of solid friendship and fruitful cooperation.

He also expressed his determination to work, together with the British Prime Minister, to consolidate further the partnership between Morocco and the United Kingdom, in the service of the common interests of the two peoples.
Morocco welcomed the adoption by the UN Security Council of resolution 2654 extending the UN mission in the Sahara (MINURSO) for another year and urging the real parties to the conflict including Algeria to act in good faith towards a realistic solution based on compromise.

The position was expressed by the Moroccan foreign ministry in a statement following the adoption of the resolution by all the Security Council members, save the abstention of Russia and Kenya.

The resolution falls at a context wherein Morocco has gathered momentum and growing international support for its territorial integrity with 30 countries already operating consulates in the Sahara and over 84% UN member countries that do not recognize the Algeria-backed separatist entity.

The resolution also stresses the need to continue the round table format for talks to reach a peaceful solution based on compromise with the participation of Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario.

A realistic solution based on compromise can only be materialized within the framework of Moroccos autonomy plan, the foreign ministry said, voicing satisfaction at the continuous appreciation of the UN Security Council of the autonomy plan since its release in 2007.

The Council also urged Algeria to uphold its responsibility and allow a census of the population held by the Polisario in the Tindouf camps in South Western Algeria.

The new resolution also lambasts the Polisario for hindering MINURSO work and urges the separatist to enable the UN mission to conduct safe and regular resupply of its teams, while welcoming Moroccos full cooperation with the MINURSO.

The Council has also implicitly voiced concerns over Algerias embezzlement of humanitarian aid targeting Tindouf camps population and urged Algiers and its Polisario proxies to implement best practices in aid distribution while ensuring registration of the camps dwellers.
A terrorist attacking involving an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting a security patrol in the city of Sousse, has been foiled, Tunisias Interior ministry said in a statement Thursday.

Police officers of services of the National Research Unit in Terrorist Crimes foiled attack attempt with IED, the statement said.

An arrested a suspect admitted to have pledged allegiance to the Islamic state group.

Search of his residence led to the seizure of inputs used in IED manufacturing, in addition to ammunition and hunting rifles.

Sousse, 140 km south of the capital Tunis, was the scene of a bloody attack that cost the lives of dozens of foreign tourists most of whom were Britons, in 2015.

The Islamic state group claimed the attack that was carried out by a lone wolf reportedly trained in neighboring Libya.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Public Health Ontario says the proportion of the new BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 Omicron subvariants in the province is growing twice as quickly as the dominant BA.5 strain.

The health agency says that while not a lot is known yet about the BQ subvariants, there is a high risk of increased transmissibility, reinfection and lowered vaccine effectiveness.

Dr. Gerald Evans, an infectious disease expert at Queen's University, says Ontarians should not be "overly worried" at this point about the BQ subvariants, though the growth rate is a cause for some concern.

Public Health Ontario says COVID-19 activity in the province is generally stable, though it has been gradually increasing since early September.

A report today comparing the week ending Oct. 22 to the week prior says the percentage of positive tests is roughly the same  15.8 per cent, down slightly from 16.1 per cent  though that's higher than the July peak of 14.8 per cent.

Hospital admissions and deaths were down, though the health agency notes those are lagging indicators, so they may well start to increase soon.
Nigerien authorities have shut down the gold mining site of Tamou in the department of Say in reaction to a string of attacks that targeted the site, anadolu news agency reports.

Barmini Kaboye, the Prefet of the department in a decree issued Thursday the site is shut down until further notice.

The decree also indicated that the decision aims at protecting the local population of Say living around the site located in natural revered park, against dangers they are exposed to.

Two armed attacks, one on Saturday and other on Monday, targeted the site.

Following the terrorist attack on Saturday, October 22, on the mixed Water and Forests and Police station in Tamou, and on Monday, October 24, on the second police station, which resulted in the death of two police officers, ground sweeps and aerial searches led to the discovery of enemy elements who had escaped to a clandestine gold-mining site in the Tamou locality, Defense Minister Alkassoum Indattou said in a statement Tuesday this week.

Tamou is located in the Tillaberi region, some 100 km South-West of capital Niamey and close to Parc du W, a forest reserve protected by Niger, Burkina Faso and Benin.

The area has been the target of repeated armed attacks recently. Early this week, two police officers were killed at a checkpoint by unidentified armed men who assaulted the security personnel.
The Biden Administration reaffirmed, on Thursday, at the UN Security Council, strong backing to Moroccos autonomy plan offered for the Sahara, describing the plan as a serious, credible and realistic solution to the Sahara regional dispute.

We continue to view Moroccos autonomy plan as serious, credible and realistic solution said U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis following the adoption by the Security Council of resolution 2654 extending the mandate of MINURSO until 31 October 2023.

The United States, penholder of the resolutions on the Sahara, is pleased to see the Council reaffirms its support for the Secretary-Generals Personal Envoy Staffan de Mistura and MINURSO, he said.

The US diplomat also underlined the Councils support for the UN Sahara envoy in his efforts to facilitate a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to the Sahara conflict.

In this vein, he urged all parties to the Sahara conflict to engage in good faith with Staffan de Mistura to advance towards a lasting and peaceful solution and prosperous future in the region.

He called for the restoration of freedom of movement of MINURSO peacekeepers, making reference to the Polisario militias obstructions and provocative acts.

Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis also called for the resumption of safe and regular re-supply of MINURSO team sites, voicing concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Polisario-controlled camps, in Southern Algeria.

Moroccan Foreign ministry welcomed the adoption by the UN Security Council of resolution 2654, urging the real parties to the conflict, including Algeria, to act in good faith towards a realistic solution based on compromise which can be reached only through the autonomy plan.

The new resolution comes amid a growing international support for Moroccos territorial integrity with 30 countries having consulates in the Sahara and over 84% UN member countries do not recognize the Algeria-backed separatist entity.

The resolution also stresses the need to continue the UN-led round table process, renews supports for Moroccos autonomy plan proposed for the Sahara, urges Algeria to allow a census of the population held by Polisario in the Tindouf camps and warns the separatist group for hindering MINURSO mission.
The Algerian regime and its protege, the Polisario front, were dealt a blow this Thursday at the UN headquarters in New York, when the Security Council adopted a new resolution on the Sahara which shattered the expectations of the opponents of Moroccos territorial integrity.

In its resolution 2654 on the Sahara issue, adopted by 13 votes and two abstentions, those of Russia and Kenya, the Security Council not only extended the mandate of MINURSO for an additional year, but it cornered the Polisario and its Algerian mentor, calling on them, firstly to respect the ceasefire of 1991 and to facilitate the task of MINURSO, and secondly to sit down alongside Morocco and Mauritania, at the round tables led by the UN mediator as part of the political process meant to lead to a realistic, pragmatic and lasting solution, based on compromise as stipulated in the resolution.

Although Algeria and the Polisario had rejected last year participation in the round tables process, the Security Council insisted again on the need to resume the process, calling on all the parties concerned (Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario) to continue on the path initiated by the former UN Secretary Generals Personal Envoy for the Sahara, Horst Kohler, in December 2018 and March 2019.

After this call to order, Algeria, which has always pretended its neutrality in this territorial dispute, and claimed its role was limited to an observer status, can no longer hide the label of stakeholder in this conflict which inexorably sticks to its back.

On the other hand, Morocco continues to glean votes in favor of its Autonomy Plan for the Sahara and growing support for this solution within the international community.

With regard to the vote on the new resolution, it is needless to recall that Russia has opted for years for abstention as a sign of positive neutrality in order to preserve its geopolitical and economic interests both with Morocco and with Algeria, which is absolutely not the case for Kenya, a non-permanent member of the Security Council.

Last year, Kenya, then led by ex-president Uhuru Kenyatta, a fervent defender of the separatist theses of the Polisario, had nevertheless voted in favor of resolution 2602, shattering the whims of Algeria and the Polisario. Anyways, this year, the Security Council completely ignored the plea of the Kenyan ambassador in favor of the Polisarios theses.

In the end, Morocco has won a new round in the diplomatic battle waged against it for ages by its adversaries, headed by the Algerian military junta, who are determined to balkanize the region.
Several Members of the European Parliament from the European Peoples Party have expressed concern over the joint military maneuvers conducted by Russia and Algeria in the Mediterranean.

The MEPs deem this collaboration extremely worrying not only for peace and security, but also for the interests of the West and the European Union.

The European Peoples Party members expressed their concern in a written question to the European Commission, according to the Spanish website servimedia, which published an article entitled the joint military maneuvers between Russia and Algeria are triggering concern in Brussels.

The joint naval maneuvers between the Russian and Algerian armies were carried out with warships in the Mediterranean, stated Servimedia, specifying that other maneuvers of the Algerian army with the Russian army are planned in Bechar, in Southwestern Algeria.

This military collaboration, intervening in a context of increased insecurity in the Sahel-Sahara regions, is extremely worrying for the European Union, the MEPs said in their question.

Some MEPs even urged the European Commission, in the framework of the EU-Algeria Association Agreement, to summon the Algerian ambassador to the EU for consultations over the very serious and worrying joint military maneuvers.
ELWOOD  The body of a Holdrege man who drowned Sunday in Elwood Reservoir after his boat capsized was recovered Monday.

At 1:42 p.m. Sunday, Elwood Fire and Rescue and the Gosper County Sheriffs Office were dispatched to Elwood Reservoir to respond to a call for assistance after a boating accident, according to Sheriff Jesse Naputi.

Two men had been in a fishing boat that capsized due to high winds. One was treated at the scene, but the second man was unaccounted for.

Winds were gusting around 40 mph out of the south-southwest in the Elwood area around 1:35 p.m., according to the National Weather Service at Hastings.

Nebraska Game and Parks, the Lexington Volunteer Fire Department, Elwood Fire and Rescue, and the Gosper County Sheriffs Office began a search-and-rescue operation.

However, the missing male was not located, and for the safety of the rescue crews, the operation was temporarily suspended at 8 p.m.

The search resumed the next day at 8 a.m. About 2:41 p.m., Nebraska Game and Parks and the Lincoln County Dive Team located the body of Ronald G. Mayo, 57, of Holdrege.
SOUTH SIOUX CITY  Two people with west central Nebraska roots, as well as a Big Springs-based business, won 2022 Nebraska Tourism Industry Awards at the annual Celebrate Nebraska Awards Banquet.

Terri Licking of Thedford won the Friend of Tourism Award, while Ogallala native Andy Pollock received the Crystal Compass Award from the Nebraska Travel Association.

The Passport Champions Choice Award, voted on by 2022 Nebraska Passport participants who visited all 70 stops, went to Our Lavender Co. of rural Big Springs.

Nine tourism awards in all were given during the banquet, which closed the annual Nebraska Tourism Conference held this year at the Marriott Riverfront in South Sioux City.

Licking, a longtime leader in Nebraskas Scenic Byway program, was honored as a pillar of Thomas Countys tourism, economic development and agriculture, Nebraska Tourism said in a press release.

She was a charter member of the Nine Byways in Nebraska and helped the Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway on Nebraska Highway 2 receive a National Scenic Byway designation in 2021.

Pollock, a Lincoln lawyer, has represented the Nebraska Travel Association before the Legislature as a registered lobbyist since 2012.

He is the son of Bev Pollock and the late Jack Pollock of Ogallala, both fervent promoters of tourism as co-owners and publishers of the Keith County News from the mid-1960s through the 1990s.

As a Keith County native, Pollock has a deep appreciation for western Nebraska and spends a considerable amount of time there, Nebraska Tourism said in the press release.

The Crystal Compass Award recognizes the leadership role that he plays in backing and sometimes blocking legislation for the benefit and protection of the (tourism) industry.

Our Lavender, located a farm 3 miles southwest of Big Springs, grows organic lavender on site and sells lavender goods at its shop.

The press release said Nebraska Passport visitors enjoyed touring the farm, learning about the growing process and taking home quality lavender products.

A nearby neighbor of west central Nebraska also was honored Thursday when Marah Sandoz of Taylor won Nebraska Tourisms Visionary Award.

Sandoz, active for decades in Loup County economic and tourism development, helped create the Taylor Villagers display of fashion plywood cutouts of villagers throughout the town.

Other statewide award winners were:

Henry Fonda Award: John Chapo, president emeritus of the Lincoln Childrens Zoo. The Fonda Award is Nebraskas highest tourism award.

Outstanding Event Award, population 9,999 or less: Sewards Fourth of July Celebration.

Outstanding Event Award, population 10,000 or more: Kearney Cruise Nite.

Outstanding Marketing Campaign Award: Grand Life Campaign, Grand Island Tourism.

Outstanding Tourism Attraction Award: Robbers Cave Tours, Lincoln.
SATO Oyj

SATO Corporation, Press release, 28 October 2022 at 12:00



SATO participated for the eighth time in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) assessment providing an internationally comparable score. SATO scored two stars in the GRESB assessment. SATOs ranking is at the average level in its peer group, Northern European housing investment companies.



One of Finlands largest rental housing providers, SATO owns around 25,000 rental apartments that are home to around 50,000 people. SATO has been making long-term sustainability efforts for many years, and sustainability was assigned one of the cornerstones of the companys strategy last year. Sustainability is one of the key components of SATOs long-term value generation for its various stakeholders and can be seen as concrete actions in everything the company does. SATO is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2030 as regards carbon dioxide emissions from property energy usage. Lifecycle thinking guides SATOs activities from housing construction to repairs, and the company encourages and guides its residents to make sustainable everyday choices. SATO aims to be a forerunner in sustainable rental housing.

This was already the eighth time that SATO participated in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) assessment providing an internationally comparable score. SATOs point score dropped by one point from last year in the Standing Investments Benchmark (this years points 73) and increased to 75 from last years 71 in the Development Benchmark. In addition, SATO received the Green Star for both components. This is a recognition for entities with a score higher than 50% of the points available.



SATO performed well in social sustainability. SATOs strengths include diverse stakeholder relations, comprehensive employee health and wellbeing programme and measures, risk management, and health and safety of tenants.



SATO scored the lowest points in environmental certificates of buildings, as SATO-owned buildings have not been systematically certified. Certificates for residential buildings are, however, gradually becoming more common in Finland, and SATO is looking into potentially using them in new construction and renovation projects. Other areas in need of development for SATO brought up by GRESB are processes relating to materials selection and monitoring in construction projects, and monitoring of water consumption, with measures relating to these already being planned in accordance with SATOs Sustainability Programme for 20232026.

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GRESB assesses the sustainability performance of real estate portfolios. The GRESB assessments have introduced a uniform and comparable reporting model for the real estate sector that increases and supports investment decisions. The aspects measured are Management, Policy & Disclosure, Risks & Opportunities, Monitoring & EMS, Performance Indicators, Building Certifications, and Stakeholder Engagement. GRESB has been conducting an international benchmark since 2009, and the results of the participating enterprises form a comparative matrix. In 2022, a total of 1,820 companies and funds from 74 different countries took part in the assessment.



For more information about SATOs sustainability please contact:

Markku Honkasalo, Chief Financial Officer, SATO Corporation, markku.honkasalo@sato.fi, phone: +358 20 134 4226

Susanna Kari Gonzalez, Sustainability Manager, SATO Corporation, susanna.kari.gonzalez@sato.fi, phone +358 201 34 4194





SATO Corporation is an expert in sustainable rental housing and one of Finlands largest rental housing providers. SATO owns around 25,000 rental homes in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Tampere and Turku.



SATO aims to provide an excellent customer experience and a comprehensive range of urban rental housing alternatives with good access to public transport and services. We promote sustainable development and work in open interaction with our stakeholders. SATO invests profitably, sustainably and with a long-term view. We increase the value of our assets through investments, divestments and repairs.



In 2021, SATO Groups net sales totalled EUR 298.3 million, operating profit EUR 304.5 million and profit before taxes EUR 259.4 million. The value of SATOs investment properties is around EUR 5 billion. www.sato.fi




Sunwing Vacations Inc.

The tour operators anticipated return offers customers easy access to more destinations and more vacation packages

Sunwing returns to Canada's capital city this winter

Ottawa residents can escape to more sun destinations with more flights and more direct routes

TORONTO, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sunwing returns to Canadas capital city this winter bringing Ottawa residents more opportunities to trade the snow for some of the most popular sun destinations in the tropics. Starting early November, Sunwing will be offering weekly direct flights from Ottawa to sought-after beachfront paradises in Mexico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, including the reimagined boutique destination of Cayo Largo, opening its doors this November.



Facing some of the harshest winters in Canada, were thrilled to return to our beloved capital this season offering our customers more flights, more direct routes and more sunny destinations they can escape to from Ottawa, said Andrew Dawson, President of Tour Operations for Sunwing. With the rapid surge for all inclusive travel coupled with Sunwings wide variety of affordable vacation packages suited to every vacation style, whether last minute or a quick long weekend getaway, we anticipate the winter season to sell fast, so now is the time for our customers to book.

Each year, Ottawa-Gatineau vacation planners look forward to Sunwing's highly anticipated Ottawa winter schedule, said Mark Laroche, Ottawa International Airport Authority President and CEO. Sunwings exciting list of vacation destinations in Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic is sure to please sun-seekers in Canadas capital region.

The flight schedule for Ottawa will be as follows:

Destination Peak Frequency From To Cancun 4x weekly 05-Nov-2022 10-Apr-2023 Cayo Coco 2x weekly 15-Nov-2022 11-Apr-2023 Cayo Largo 1x weekly 17-Dec-2022 25-Mar-2023 Holguin 1x weekly 13-Dec-2022 21-Mar-2023 Los Cabos 1x weekly 15-Dec-2022 06-Apr-2023 Montego Bay 1x weekly 11-Dec-2022 09-Apr-2023 Puerto Plata 1x weekly 06-Dec-2022 11-Apr-2023 Puerto Vallarta 1x weekly 16-Dec-2022 07-Apr-2023 Punta Cana 4x weekly 05-Nov-2022 10-Apr-2023 Santa Clara 2x weekly 13-Dec-2022 31-Mar-2023 Varadero 2x weekly 06-Nov-2022 09-Apr-2023



Ottawa residents can get more out of their getaways with Sunwing this winter season, and enjoy up to 40% in savings on vacation packages plus room upgrades at select properties during Sunwings Save More Event*, on now until November 6, 2022. The tour operator is also offering a limited time BOGO Seat Sale, where customers can buy one seat and the get second 40% off on new air only bookings* made by November 13, 2022, for winter departures between October 26, 2022 and April 30, 2023.

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For even more value and added peace of mind, customers can purchase one of Sunwings comprehensive travel insurance options when booking their winter vacations.

*Terms and conditions apply.

About Sunwing

The largest integrated travel company in North America, Sunwing has more flights to the south than any other leisure carrier with convenient direct service from airports across Canada to popular sun destinations across the U.S.A., Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. This scale enables Sunwing to offer customers exclusive deals at top-rated resorts in the most popular vacation destinations as well as cruise packages and seasonal domestic flight service. Sunwing customers benefit from the assistance of the companys own knowledgeable destination representatives, who greet them upon arrival and support them throughout their vacation journey. The company supports the communities where it operates through the Sunwing Foundation, a charitable initiative focused on the support and development of youth and humanitarian aid.

For more information:

Melanie Anne Filipp

Senior Director, Corporate Communications & Media Relations

Sunwing Travel Group

1-800-387-5602 | media@sunwing.ca




Photo: pixabay

The BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) has fined a mortgage brokerage firm $12,500.

An investigation found lnvis breached the Mortgage Brokers Act. Investigators found the company failed to ensure a broker did not meet with female assistants in the course of business activities except in the company of a supervisor. It also failed to directly supervise the broker starting in November 2019 when he ceased working out of the lnvis office.

The order from Jonathan Vandall, B.C.s acting registrar of mortgage brokers, said the broker was charged in August 2000 with nine counts of sexual assault and convicted of three, resulting in a one-year suspended sentence and one year of probation.

The order said the broker applied for registration in December 2002 and a suitability hearing was held.

The registrar determined that he was unsuitable for registration and barred him from applying for five years, the order said.

On March 1, 2018, he was registered as a submortgage broker with lnvis, but the registration came with conditions.

Those included that he be prohibited from meeting in-person with any female individuals in the course of any business activities related to mortgage brokering and the mortgage broker industry for two years. That included consumers and industry participants except in the company of the supervisor appointed by a designated person in the company.

The supervisor also had to agree to conduct oversight of all conditions. Both the supervisor and the designated person had reviewed the conditions, the order said.

However, from December 2018 to February 2019, the investigation found the broker employed a female assistant and from July to September 2019, employed another female assistant.

One of those women was aware of the conditions but the other was not.

During the course of their employment, there were occasions on which (the broker) was alone in the lnvis office with the female assistants while not in the direct company of the supervisor, said the BCFSA document.

Moreover, at times, the supervisor was in the lnvis office, but not directly supervising the interactions between the broker and the female assistants.

Neither female assistant reported any inappropriate behaviour, the order said.

In November 2019, the broker stopped working out of the lnvis office and began working out of an office in a commercial building he had purchased. As a result, the supervisor could not supervise on a day-to-day basis.

In February 2020, the broker applied to renew his registration; however, it was found he had not completed the mortgage brokerage in B.C. course and an investigation was commenced.

On June 29, 2020, his registration was renewed with the same conditions pending the results of the investigation.

As of Aug. 25, 2021, he was still working out of his own office and not the lnvis office. As a result, a notice of hearing was issued to lnvis and the broker on March 2, 2022. That same day, lnvis's designated individual informed the registrar that lnvis would not be renewing the broker's registration.

To date, the broker has not applied to renew his registration.

The order said lnvis was aware of the registration conditions and agreed to them.

The misconduct with respect to not properly supervising (the broker) occurred over the period of several years as (the broker) stopped working out of the lnvis office in November 2019, the order said. While there was no specific public harm as there is no evidence that (the broker) dealt with any females in an inappropriate manner, there was some risk of harm.

lnvis was also ordered to pay $3,591 in investigation costs.

The company did not respond to Glacier Media's requests for comment.

Invis's corporate office is in Mississauga, Ont. It has offices in Kelowna, Port Moody, Victoria and Vancouver.
Ryan Murphy Says He Reached Out to 20 of the Victims Family and Friends For Dahmer Series: Not a Single Person Responded to Us https://t.co/GTRMbnDYSo  The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 28, 2022

Ryan Murphy is claiming he and his team reached out to 20 victims families and friends during the three and a half years it took to prepare for the Netflix series about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.Its something that we researched for a very long time, Murphy said. And we, over the course of the three, three and a half years when we were really writing it, working on it, we reached out to 20, around 20 of the victims families and friends trying to get input, trying to talk to people and not a single person responded to us in that process. So we relied very, very heavily on our incredible group of researchers whoI dont even know how they found a lot of this stuff. But it was just like a night and day effort to us trying to uncover the truth of these people. Instead of taking the lack of response as a sign to not go through with the show Murphy powered on, and 'Dahmer' is now a big hit. Relatives have criticized it though, while also saying Murphy's team did in fact not reach out to them. Rita Isbell, whose brother Errol Lindsey was murdered by Dahmer at age 19, slammed Netflix for profiting off the tragic story.Something that we talked a lot in the making of it is we werent so much interested in Jeffrey Dahmer, the person, but what made him the monster that he became, Murphy said. We talked a lot about thatand we talked about it all the time. Its really about white privilege. Its about systemic racism. Its about homophobia.We really want it to be about celebrating these victims, director Paris Barclay added. They werent just numbers. They werent just pictures on billboards and telephone poles. They were real people with loving families, breathing, living, hoping. Thats what we wanted it to be about.Niecy Nash, who plays Dahmers neighbor Glenda Cleveland who tried to alert police but was always ignored, questioned why no memorial had been set up for the victims.Anything that we could do to get that to happen, you know, I would even be happy to pay for it myself, Murphy said. I do think there should be something. And were trying to get a hold of people to talk about that. I think theres some resistance because they think the park would attract people who are interested in paying homage to the macabrebut I think something should be done.
Putin also said that he didnt attack Ukraine. Its just a military operation.



Btw my family from Ukraine told me that all children from my hometown should do a school trip in the south of Ukraine. But for that they should take their original birth certificate with them. I dont know any school trips where you would need that!

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When is the Republican party going to admit that their rhetoric is directly responsible for the kind of violence that led to Paul Pelosi being attacked with a hammer?

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I hope the democrats finally say something after this, the rhetoric is ridiculous and so are the people who are participating in voter intimidation. ENOUGH.

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Those scum wouldn't even turn down the rhetoric when they were the ones under attack. They are fucking useless idiots who have learned nothing even after they almost died.

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not to mention that many were egging them on.



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Blog of the suspect in the Paul Pelosi assault reads like a standard case of right-wing online radicalization. QAnon, Great Reset, Pizzagate, Gamergate are all there, along with MRA/misogyny, hatred of Blacks/Jews/trans people/"groomers," and anti-vax conspiracy theories.  Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) October 28, 2022



Literally the least surprising thing I've ever read. The organizations spreading these batshit conspiracy theories need to be sued, because money is the only language they understand. Literally the least surprising thing I've ever read. The organizations spreading these batshit conspiracy theories need to be sued, because money is the only language they understand.

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Yup. Or dozens of mass shootings at this point. The GOP apparatus (which includes FOX News) is responsible for breeding more terrorists in the US than Al-Qaeda could ever send over. And these people call themselves "patriots." Disgusting.

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Never. Deflection is the name of their game. The only thing they know about responsibility is how to foist it on someone else.

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Right after media apologizes for acting like Glenn Youngkin is a warm, fuzzy moderate

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Never. They are fucking scum that will never admit they were wrong, lost, and litany of other shit.

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Never. They know it's true and they're using the chaos for political gain.



Also there's a significant part of the Republican party that wants this violence n

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i dream for it every day, but it's doubtful tbh. there are already alt-right talking heads claiming it was a false flag done to make MAGA GOP-ers look bad. like REALLY? the attacker was spewing the same shit as those who were hunting her during the insurrection.



and everyone else is claiming that she brought it on herself for "making herself a target." they're truly unbelievable.

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The republicans must be stopped. Vote and tell all your friends. It does fucking matter because if they get back power it's game over.



Edited at 2022-10-28 06:41 pm (UTC)

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I like that Fox News has had to lock comments on multiple social media posts about the Pelosi attack because their people were going buck wild in the comments with violence and the condoning of the attack.



This is fine. This is all fine. We're a perfectly normal country.

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I wish someone would sue them. ugh.

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People are being shadowbanned on Instagram for talking about Iran, it's crazy.

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What does shadowbanned mean?

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It means that Instagram (or any platform) is hiding your posts/profile so no one sees it/engages with it. Even people who follow you won't see your posts bc the algorithm will bury it. A lot of sex works/porn stars are shadowbanned on IG for example. You have to search their page to find them.

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Putin can say whatever, it doesn't make me feel any better. Who the fuck trusts him?

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for what it's worth, ppl online are twisting themselves into a conspiracy mindset with the idea that the Pelosis live in a gated community. they definitely do not, I've driven right past their house before. I am surprised there wasn't more (any?) security though, I guess that's only for when she's actually there herself

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Even if she did a gated community is not infallible. Its one dude who could hop a fence and probably wasnt concerned about leaving afterward.

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Putin does not understand the West at all if he thinks us "cosmopolitan"/pluralist people want ANYTHING to do with Neoliberals.



I am not worried about him using a nuke, I highly doubt he's THAT stupid. I do believe Russia is planning to use a dirty bomb in Ukraine though. They're accusing Ukraine of planning to use one but I think that's projection and basically an easy frame job/a "we told you so" after they employ it themselves.

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90% of the most incomprehensible stuff Putin says about the West is meant for the internal (Russian) audience which often believes random word salad.

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And an international audience in Asia but especially Africa and Latin America. He gave the speech at the Valdai Discussion Club which is basically Russian propaganda in summit form.

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Yep. Sadly. And fuck people like that man in Austin who now owns Twitter for being feckless cunts and wanting Ukraine to just lay down and let Putins thugs run roughshod over their people, country, land, and independence. I hate them all.

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-doesn't mention "neo-nazi cleansing" as a reason for invading Ukraine like he had in the past



-declared China an ally, said Xi Jingping is a close friend (lol birds of a feather...)



They dropped denazification a while ago when Russian citizens had a hard time understanding the concept. They've moved on to desatanization now.



China just said they're friends until nukes are involved and, apparently, there is some document from when Ukraine gave up their nukes that says China should side with / protect Ukraine in case of nuclear attacks from third parties? Not saying it'd actually be enforced, but that's interesting.

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There's also a document that said in exchange for giving up it's nukes, Ukraine would never be invaded by Russia and yet here we all are.



Between Russia (nukes) and Ukraine (no nukes), I think China would do whatever it took to not have those nukes aimed at them.

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Any promises by Russia are worthless, historically speaking. Their last promise to "never" invade my own country lasted just a couple of years. Glad we're in NATO now.



I don't think it's likely that Russia would threaten China though.

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I read an interesting article about how China is wasting time with Taiwan and should look to the ethnically Asian-Russian and resource rich territories in Russia to invade and grab while Russia is weak, because it would be an easy and long term victory that would cause not even a fraction of the international fuss that Taiwan would.



I say interesting because it was the first and only time Id come across this perspective; Im firmly in the camp of no invasions

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Breaking on @MSNBC:



Paul Pelosi is still in surgery. Speaker Pelosi is en route to San Francisco.  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 28, 2022



Damn I hope Pelosi's husband is okay, every time we turn around it seems like there's a worse update. Damn I hope Pelosi's husband is okay, every time we turn around it seems like there's a worse update.

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I hope he pulls through and fully recovers. At that age, seemingly minor medical issues can escalate quickly. :(

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Sigh. I'm just so tired.

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Thank you OP for bringing this to us. It is hard to read, but consumable the way you do it.

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Holy fuck at that attack on Pelosi. No surprise its a MAGA fueled attack. Cant wait for Mitch and Lindsey to give thoughts and prayers.

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MAGAs on twitter are like "the attack on paul pelosi can't be real because jussie smollett"

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Blows my mind that ANYONE lives in the city. San Francisco is fucking lawless now. Lawless. Randoms on twitter love to pretend like we're just the city of happy and gay and anyone speaking otherwise is a right-wing nutjob but that is just not reality. It USED to be somewhat, but not now. I think anyone with money...take your money somewhere else lol. Don't come try to stay in San Francisco. You will be robbed if any thief notices you (and potentially follows you even out to the suburbs to steal your watch/jewelry), you will have your car windows smashed (even while youre still in it for them to take your shit), you will see human piss and shit on sidewalks, you will see addicts slumped over and their dealers staring you down like theyre about to follow you and attack you or something...SF is just not a fun happy place anymore. It's not. And I dont care which side blames who-doesnt matter to me. Its just not a safe city right now. It's stresesful. I hope they move to somewhere safer and I hope at some point we calm all this shit down. I miss enjoying the city man. and I'm tired of hippies that don't even live here spreading lies about how it's safe here and xyz is making it all up-our crime here is insane. Oakland is even worse. The crime here is insane and we need help, not activists arguing over shit that ultimately has nothing to do with them for the sake of some political party.

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I mean, this does not surprise me one bit about a city going this way and resorting to this when you have skyrocketing costs of living and no help to battle that. Every city in the US is like this right now with the rise of crime (exponentially so since the pandemic has destroyed livelihoods in large proportions) and the people in charge/have power refuse to address the root causes and actually help prevent people from resorting to this or become victims of. It fucking sucks and I feel you because my city is going through the same thing (i dont think as bad as san fran but still).



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The state of Democrat led cities is a national issue. We need better municipal leaders.



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Hmmm. As someone who lives in downtown SF I have a lot of complicated feelings about the way ppl describe the problems here. Theres a lot of hyperbolic rhetoric that unnecessarily demonizes those in crisis or extreme poverty (and acts like the former DA is the bogeyman for everything) but Ill admit I have to roll my eyes at some on the left who insist that because recorded crime isnt increasing, your perception of things must be completely wrong and actually if youre not completely comfortable on BART at all hours then you actually hate poor/nonwhite/mentally ill ppl and must be a bootlicker who loves the police etc



My take: if nothing else, the abject poverty and neglect one witnesses on a daily basis around here is on another level compared to most other major cities. Ive been here for a long time and I have yet to be desensitized to it. I try to not let it change my habits when it comes to walking around by myself or taking public transit but man. I can intellectualize to myself ok, the fact that Ive walked 10 minutes through the Tenderloin and nearly as many men have said lewd or uncomfy shit to me in that time doesnt mean theyll actually do anything but that doesnt change the fact that it makes me extremely uneasy. Same with lesser things, like being nearly knocked over by the sheer smell on certain stretches of Market. Taking the bus and not knowing if this time youll yet again be trapped on board with someone belligerently drunk who takes it personally when you dont sit next to them. And sometimes shit does happen. Im angry at a society that allows this to happen, that lets capitalism run rampant and force all but the upper class to the margins and acts shocked when people who have no resources to do anything but marginally assuage their misery decide to do just that. But that doesnt mean Im just peace and love and forgiveness when I get punched at the bus stop for accidentally making eye contact with someone, you know?

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The formation of Iraqs new government led by Prime Minister-designate Muhammad Al-Sudani was originally met with protests and a delayed parliamentary session Thursday to vote on granting the new government confidence. Late on Thursday, the new government was approved, ending a year-long deadlock. A majority of the 253 lawmakers voted to appoint 21 ministers, leaving only two posts undecided.

In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Iraqi Kurdistan), those remaining oil companies who have unilateral E&P deals with the Kurdistan Regional Government should be very concerned after Baghdad moved this week to invalidate three contracts between the KRG authorities and Gulf Keystone (UK-based), ShaMaran (Canadian), and Addax Petroleum (owned by Chinese Sinopec). As for UAE-based Dana Gas, the jury is still out. While Iraqi media initially reported that Dana Gas contract had also been invalidated by Baghdad, corrections soon emerged, noting that no decision had been rendered in Danas case. No sooner did the correction appear than Dana Gas was all over local media broadcasting ambitious plans to double natural gas production in the KRG. Gazprom Neft is also awaiting a decision. While an ongoing cause for concern among investors in this venue, so far, the KRG has simply ignored Baghdads court rulings and continued with business as usual.

Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict

In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Iraqi Kurdistan), those remaining oil companies who have unilateral E&P deals with the Kurdistan Regional Government should be very concerned after Baghdad moved this week to invalidate three contracts between the KRG authorities and Gulf Keystone (UK-based), ShaMaran (Canadian), and Addax Petroleum (owned by Chinese Sinopec). As for UAE-based Dana Gas, the jury is still out. While Iraqi media initially reported that Dana Gas contract had also been invalidated by Baghdad, corrections soon emerged, noting that no decision had been rendered in Danas case. No sooner did the correction appear than Dana Gas was all over local media broadcasting ambitious plans to double natural gas production in the KRG. Gazprom Neft is also awaiting a decision. While an ongoing cause for concern among investors in this venue, so far, the KRG has simply ignored Baghdads court rulings and continued with business as usual.

The formation of Iraqs new government led by Prime Minister-designate Muhammad Al-Sudani was originally met with protests and a delayed parliamentary session Thursday to vote on granting the new government confidence. Late on Thursday, the new government was approved, ending a year-long deadlock. A majority of the 253 lawmakers voted to appoint 21 ministers, leaving only two posts undecided.

Chaos has continued to spread in Iran this week, with two Revolutionary Guards forces killed in the city of Zahedan in the Sistan-Baluchistan province as hundreds had taken to the streets in anti-regime protests that have consumed Iran since the death of a young woman killed in police custody after having been arrested for a headscarf violation. Also this week, a massacre at a Shiite shrine that killed at least 15 people has been claimed by ISIS, which said it was targeting Sunni refusal infidels inside the shrine. Iranian security officials claim the suspects in the attack are foreign nationals. Clashes broke out this week across Iran, marking the 40-day period since Mahsa Aminis death in custody. Late on Thursday, Iranian security forces opened fire on Kurdish protesters in Mahabad.

Energy Earnings Beat

Saudi Arabias shipping company, Bahri, booked a 360% increase in profits in the first nine months of the year, while revenues increased to $1.5 billion, mainly on the back of higher revenue from its oil transportation segment as global shipping rates soared.

The first of the major refiners reported this week, with Valeros Q3 net profit exceeding expectations, reaching $2.8 billion ($7.14 per share). That figure is up drastically from $545 million in Q3 2021. Valeros refining utilization was 95% for the quarter, averaging 3 million bpd.

Halliburton booked higher profits in the quarter that beat analysts' estimates. Halliburtons net income increased to $544 million, or 60 cents per share, which is more than double its income from a year ago. Revenue from North America was $2.6 billion, while international revenue reached $2.7 billion. Halliburton took $366 million in charges and impairments as it sold off its Russian assets and impaired assets in Ukraine.

South Korean battery firm and Tesla supplier LG Energy Solution swung to an operating profit of 522 won ($370 million) in the quarter after going public at the start of the year. Its battery backlog increased to $260 billion by the end of the quarterabout 15 times its projected revenue for the full year. 70% of this backlog is from the United States.

PetroChinas net profit for the first nine months of the year hit 16.66 billion, with domestic crude oil output increasing 2.7% during that time compared to a year ago, reaching 577 million barrels. Gas output was up 5.1% at 3,296 billion cubic feet. Refinery production was down by 1.8% compared to a year ago, at 896 million barrels, or 3.28 million bpd. Gasoline output fell 12% on weakened fuel demand during the nine months, while aviation fuel fell 33%. Nat gas sales grew 6.6% to 147 billion cubic meters.

The LNG giants TotalEnergies and Shell - the worlds two largest LNG traders - reported robust earnings for the quarter, although TotalEnergies seemed to benefit the most from the LNG boom in Europe. As Shell put it, trading and optimization results were impacted by seasonality and supply constraints, coupled with substantial differences between paper and physical realization in a volatile and dislocated market. Total reported adjusted net income of $9.9 billion for the quartermore than doubling its earnings from the year-ago period. Net income stood at $6.6 billion after a $3.1 billion Russian-related impairment charge, with cash flow from operations tripling to $17.8 billion. Shell reported a profit of $9.45 billion, easing from its record-setting Q2 results on the back of weaker refining and gas trading figures. Shell announced a $4 billion buyback program over the next three months and will increase its dividend by 15% in Q4, to be paid in March.

Chinas CNOOC saw its net profit nearly double from Q3 2021, at $5.1 billion, on the back of revenues that saw a 53.7% increase. The average realized price for crude and liquids increased by 36% to $95.80 per barrel in the quarter, while average realized gas prices increased by 15.1%. CNOOCs net production came in at 461.5 million boe for the first nine months of the yearup 9.3% y/y. Net production increased by 8.8% for Q3 specifically, coming in at 156.8 million boe. Net production from its overseas operationsmainly from its Guyana Liza Phase II and Brazilian Buzios projectswas up by 13.5%.

Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions

Saudi Arabia is moving ahead with its IPO of its energy trading business, Aramco Trading, in Riyadh by the end of this year or early next year. The trading unit could be valued at as much as $30 billion.

Shell has signed onto Qatars major North Field South LNG project, following in the footsteps of Total. Shell will take a 9.375% participating interest in the 16 million tonnes per annum project, with Qatar offering a total of 25% of the project to foreign parties. There is 6.25% of the project left for another co-venturer. The project is the industrys largest-ever LNG project and is set to add 48 million tpa of gas into global supplies by 2027.

Discovery & Development

Exxon has made two more oil finds in Guyana at the Sailfin-1 and Yarrow-1 wells in the now-famous Stabroek block. Exxon did not provide estimates for the amount of oil or gas contained in the latest discovery.

Phillips 66 is cutting staff at multiple refineries and terminals as it restructures to optimize its cost structure. Some staff are being repurposed, while others are being let go. Phillips is looking to cut $700 million in expenses to remain competitive in any market environment and to prepare for the transition away from fossil fuels.

The EU reached a deal to effectively ban the sale of all new gasoline and diesel cars from 2035. Carmakers must reach a 100% cut in CO2 emissions by 2035, rendering it impossible to continue sales of ICE vehicles. The deal also includes a 55% cut by 2030 vs. 2021 levelsthis is a significant increase to the current target that calls for a 37.5% reduction by that time. Smaller car makers that produce fewer than 10,000 cars per year and negotiate weaker targets through 2036.
Saxo Bank: Diesel inventories in the US are at lowest seasonal level ever heading into winter while the situation in Europe looks similar.

Chinas diesel exports more than doubled in September from the same month last year, to stand at 1.73 million tons.

Chinese refiners have recently ramped up crude processing rates and fuel exports in a sign that more refined products could leave China and head to the Asian market at the end of this year and early next year. Although most Chinese exports, especially diesel exports, are largely expected to stay within the Asian region, higher fuel exports out of China could ease part of the fuel crunch, which is most evident in Europe and the United States. While higher exports to the Asian market could reduce regional refining margins, they could prompt more product flows from other Asian refiners to Europe.

Chinese Refining Output And Fuel Exports Hit Multi-Month Highs

Increased fuel export quotas and robust export demand pushed Chinas overseas shipments of refined products surging by 36% annually in September to the highest level since June last year, official Chinese data showed this week.

Chinas diesel exports more than doubled in September from the same month last year, to stand at 1.73 million tons, and were also significantly higher than the August exports, according to data from the Chinese General Administration of Customs. The volume of diesel exports in September was the highest monthly figure since July 2021, per Reuters estimates. To compare, China exported 830,000 tons of diesel in August 2022 and 780,000 tons in September 2021.

Related: Russian Oil Is Amassing In Asian Ports

Between January and September, Chinas fuel exports were still down, by 27.6%, per data from the General Administration of Customs cited by Reuters. The drop was due to the Chinese policy from 2021 to curb excess exports and lower processing rates at refiners due to slack demand amid the snap Covid lockdowns in China.

Tepid domestic demand and weakening margins have prompted independent refiners, the so-called teapots, to keep fuel processing rates reduced.

However, thanks to large state refiners back online after planned maintenance, refinery output in China saw its first year-on-year increase since November last year. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, cited by Reuters on Monday, refinery output in China was up by 1.9% in September compared to the same month of 2021 and stood at around 13.82 million bpd. That was much higher than the refinery production of 12.64 million bpd in August 2022.

Rising Fuel Export Trend Could Continue

So, signs emerged in September that China could begin to ramp up its fuel exports in the coming months.

The highest exports of fuels in September in 15 months come just as China issued its biggest fuel export quotas to its refiners for this year at the end of September. Chinese authorities have allocated 15 million tons of new fuel export quotas to its major refiners, and the quota could be rolled over into early next year.

The fresh batch of fuel export quotas was widely expected in a move seen as an attempt from China to revive its economic activity, which has suffered from COVID lockdowns and a real estate crisis since the spring.

At the same time, Asian fuel sellers are said to be increasing their shipments of diesel to energy-starved Europe, benefiting from the premium European buyers are willing to pay for the fuel amid a deepening global and regional deficit.

Fuel Markets Are Very Tight

Europe is four months away from banning imports by sea of Russian refined oil products and its still importing diesel from Russia ahead of the embargo. The ban could be yet another shock to the already tight fuel supply in Europe.

Diesel refinery margins in Europe and in New York and the prompt month spreads continue to rise, due to concerns about tighter fuel markets this winter, Ole Hansen, Head of Commodity Strategy at Saxo Bank, said on Wednesday.

Diesel inventories in the US are at lowest seasonal level ever heading into winter while the situation in Europe looks similar, Saxo Bank said.

Despite a small 200,000 barrels increase last week in U.S. distillate fuel inventories, which include diesel, those inventories are still around 20% below the five-year average for this time of year, the EIA said in its weekly report on Wednesday.

Its unlikely that Chinas higher fuel exports will impact directly the European and U.S. diesel supply, but other refiners in Asia could boost exports to Europe in the coming months as the EU would be looking to replace its diesel imports from Russia.

I think our traders believe most of the Chinese exports are going to stay in the region. And then, even if you kind of assume some of it comes into the North Atlantic Basin, in the short term, the French refinery strikes are really offsetting any of that, Gary Simmons, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at U.S. refiner Valero Energy, said on the companys earnings calls earlier this week.

And longer term, it looks like, to us, any incremental volume coming out of China will be offset by further reductions in exports from Russia as the sanctions are ramped up, Simmons added.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
- For gas-fired plants to become competitive against renewables by 2030, spot prices would need to fall to at least 17/MWh

- According to Rystad, with recent gas prices it would be 10 times more expensive to operate gas-fired power plants in the long term than to build new solar PV capacity in Europe.

- As Europes TTF spot natural gas prices have tripled this year from an average of 46 per MWh in 2021 to 134/MWh this year so far, the long-term sustainability of gas demand is called into question.

- All this is increasing the likelihood of a US product exports ban  a measure that could save US consumers some $5 billion and erase $30 billion in earnings from US refiners, according to Wood Mackenzie forecasts.

- Even though average refinery utilization has been trending at 94-95%, the US supply of petroleum products has been a solid 1 million b/d lower than October 2019 levels, primarily a consequence of lacking capacity.

- Despite all the talk of demand destruction taking place amidst still-elevated gasoline prices, stocks continue to falter as the US finally confronts its lack of refining capacity.

- When Valero (NYSE:VLO) kicked off US refiners Q3 earnings call with a $2.82 billion net income, it said margins were boosted by gasoline and diesel demand levels being higher than pre-pandemic levels.

1. Theres No Good Way to Solve US Fuel Shortage

1. Theres No Good Way to Solve US Fuel Shortage

- When Valero (NYSE:VLO) kicked off US refiners Q3 earnings call with a $2.82 billion net income, it said margins were boosted by gasoline and diesel demand levels being higher than pre-pandemic levels.

- Despite all the talk of demand destruction taking place amidst still-elevated gasoline prices, stocks continue to falter as the US finally confronts its lack of refining capacity.

- Even though average refinery utilization has been trending at 94-95%, the US supply of petroleum products has been a solid 1 million b/d lower than October 2019 levels, primarily a consequence of lacking capacity.

- All this is increasing the likelihood of a US product exports ban  a measure that could save US consumers some $5 billion and erase $30 billion in earnings from US refiners, according to Wood Mackenzie forecasts.

2. Europe May Drop Natural Gas as Bridge Fuel

- As Europes TTF spot natural gas prices have tripled this year from an average of 46 per MWh in 2021 to 134/MWh this year so far, the long-term sustainability of gas demand is called into question.

- According to Rystad, with recent gas prices it would be 10 times more expensive to operate gas-fired power plants in the long term than to build new solar PV capacity in Europe.

- For gas-fired plants to become competitive against renewables by 2030, spot prices would need to fall to at least 17/MWh and carbon prices should plummet to 10/mtCO2, a highly unrealistic outlook.

- Consequently, Rystad expects that the share of natural gas in Europes power generation will decline to 3% by 2045, down from the 19% it accounts for currently.

3. Russian Diesel Still Flowing to Europe

- Even though the European Unions ban on Russian products is set to kick in on February 5, diesel deliveries from Russia have actually started to rise this month again, at some 500,000 b/d.

- With European production of diesel fuel curbed by strikes in France and Germanys takeover of the Schwedt refinery, cutting the import dependence on Russia will not be easy.

- According to Euroilstock figures, distillate inventories in the 16 major European countries are 11% lower than last year this time around, with storage builds impossible with this level of backwardation.

- The EU was widely expected to replace Russian diesel with deliveries from the Middle East, although delays in refinery commissioning in both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait might complicate those plans.

4. As Banks Pull Away from Oil, Industry Finds New Ways of Funding

- As leading banks are increasingly reticent to fund fossil fuel extraction, the industry is turning towards more creative and innovative ways of funding, offering their reserves as security.

- So-called proved developing producing (PDP) securitizations have seen swift growth this year, with some $4 billion in funds already raised, mostly from small-to-mid-sized corporations.

- These bonds are backed by the companies oil and gas reserves, meaning producers pledge a part of their future income in return for up-front cash, at a smaller cost than banks.

- PDP securitizations have an additional benefit  collateral doesnt get re-valued in times when prices are rising, as could be seen this year when borrowing bases remained stagnant.

5. When Will the Lithium Bull Run End?

- Lithium prices continue to soar to unprecedented heights, with battery-grade lithium carbonate and hydroxide increasing by 180% this year alone, with Chinese DDP prices around 550,000/mt ($76,000 /mt).

- Lithium mines have project lead times of at least 5 years and with lithium demand expected to increase sixfold by 2030, the market has been caught in a supply trap.

- Lithium mining from salt lake producers is expected to slow down when winter arrives, but production of battery-grade metal will continue firing on all cylinders.

- This creates another loop of inadequate supply, implying that lithium prices could move even higher than they are now, potentially reaching the 600,000/mt threshold by the end of 2022.

6. Base Metals Suffer Even As Stocks Run Down

- With Europes manufacturing sector contracting and facing deindustrialization, the US expected to follow soon, things do not look very rosy for industrial metals right now.

- Industry groups unleashed a wave of demand cuts, with zinc usage in 2022 set to see a 2% drop year-on-year instead of previously assumed growth, whilst growth in nickel demand will be only 4%, half of what was forecast back in May 2022.

- The future of Russian metals supply might tilt the market balance even further out  aluminum producers such as Alcoa (NYSE:AA) openly advocate a ban, whilst Europes consumers warn of destruction if that happens.

- The current pricing downturn is all the more peculiar as it combines a low-price environment, aggravated by 2023 recession risks, with extremely low inventories that would become even more acute were the LME to ban the delivery of Russian metal.

7. Extremely Warm October Eases Coal Utilization, Lifting Gas

- Europes power generators have returned to burning natural gas as its spot prices continue to plummet amidst a continent-wide gas glut, a product of steady LNG deliveries and warm weather.

- Gas-powered generation in the Netherlands this week was up by 45% compared to the monthly average, seeing coal utilization drop, whilst in Germany, the same metric stood at 33%.

- At the same time, gas futures in Europe are in steep contango, with February futures trading at a 45% premium to November at almost 150/MWh, meaning the market still expects a tough winter.

- Throughout October, European coal prices have been stable and traded around $250/mt, incentivizing a return to gas-fired generation.
The global semiconductor shortage appears to have officially "bullwhipped" its way the other direction and, as such, as become a glut. Yes, you read that right, there is now reportedly a glut of semiconductors at top manufacturers, according to a new report by Caixin.

Names like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) and Nvidia are now dealing with "unsold stockpiles" of inventory as a result of shrinking demand and cancelled orders, the report says.

This means that the years-long hold up for chips looks like it has officially come to an end.

Xie Ruifeng from semiconductor industry market research institute ICwise told Caixin: This round of business sentiment is reversing so fast that chip designers were struggling to find production capacity only last year, but now they find chips wont sell.

Meanwhile, smartphone and PC demand is shrinking, with global 5G smartphone shipments expected to fall by 150 million units in 2022, the report says. Demand for 5G chips will also plunge by 100 million units, to 120 million units, the report says.

Caixin noted that TSMC is facing significantly reduced orders:

TSMC, the worlds largest contract chipmaker, faces reduced orders from four of its largest customers, reflecting slowing global demand. JPMorgan Chase said in a report in early September that AMD, Nvidia, Qualcomm and MediaTek slashed chip orders with TSMC.

And names like AMD and Intel are also suffering the demand slowdown:

Other semiconductor companies are also facing tough conditions. AMD lowered its revenue forecast for the third quarter, citing significant weakening in the PC market. Intel, Nvidia and Micron Technology all issued subdued outlooks.

In the first half of 2022, macroeconomic headwinds and a number of black swan factors combined to cause consumer electronics demand to plummet, with smartphones and PCs bearing the brunt. Micron predicted that global PC shipments will decline by 10 per cent to 20 per cent in 2022, while the global smartphone market will decline by less than 10 per cent.

And manufacturers are dealing with "six months of stockpiles" that they built up as a result of 2021's shortage...and once-optimistic demand forecasts. That was, of course, at a time when free money was being handed out to "combat" the pandemic. Now, with tighter monetary policy globally, it should be no surprise that demand is falling off.

Mr Sravan Kundojjala, associate director of smartphone component technology services at Strategy Analytics confirmed that current supplies kept in inventory by companies could last until mid-2023 at current demand levels.

Still, it appears that all of the massive new infrastructure projects being taken on by companies like Intel and TSMC as a result of last years' shortage are going to forge forward. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) co-chief executive Zhao Haijun told Caixin: We will not change o

By Zerohedge.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The real question here is how much control is Iran exercising over Yemens Houthis, considering that Yemen has long been a proxy battleground between the Saudis and Iran. Back in 2019,

We also saw a Houthi drone attack on Yemens Al-Dhabba oil port in Hadramout last Friday, which the Saudis have described as an escalation of violence after the truce expired. The attack saw two drones launched at the port, timed for the entrance of an oil tanker and clearly meant as a warning.

Already, violence has returned. Last weekend saw what has been described by Yemeni media as a massive explosion near a Canadian oil companys operations in Yemen, though the cause of the explosion remains unknown, including whether the Houthis were behind it or it was the result of some other dispute. Regardless, the factions fighting in Yemen are all on edge now, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Now we see the specter of a Houthi threat to Saudi oil re-emerge with the failure to renew a ceasefire in Yemen last week. The truce expired on October 2nd after having been extended twice in the past.

The oil markets certainly remember September 14, 2019, when Yemens Iran-backed Houthis launched a drone attack on Aramco oil facilities in Eastern Saudi Arabia, cutting Saudi oil production in half - or taking some 5% of global supply off the market. The attack destabilized global financial markets, even if only briefly.

The oil markets certainly remember September 14, 2019, when Yemens Iran-backed Houthis launched a drone attack on Aramco oil facilities in Eastern Saudi Arabia, cutting Saudi oil production in half - or taking some 5% of global supply off the market. The attack destabilized global financial markets, even if only briefly.

Now we see the specter of a Houthi threat to Saudi oil re-emerge with the failure to renew a ceasefire in Yemen last week. The truce expired on October 2nd after having been extended twice in the past.

Already, violence has returned. Last weekend saw what has been described by Yemeni media as a massive explosion near a Canadian oil companys operations in Yemen, though the cause of the explosion remains unknown, including whether the Houthis were behind it or it was the result of some other dispute. Regardless, the factions fighting in Yemen are all on edge now, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

We also saw a Houthi drone attack on Yemens Al-Dhabba oil port in Hadramout last Friday, which the Saudis have described as an escalation of violence after the truce expired. The attack saw two drones launched at the port, timed for the entrance of an oil tanker and clearly meant as a warning.

The real question here is how much control is Iran exercising over Yemens Houthis, considering that Yemen has long been a proxy battleground between the Saudis and Iran. Back in 2019, there was some disagreement among Western powers as to the extent of Irans backing of the Houthis, with Washington squarely blaming Iran and suggesting this was an Iranian attack on Saudi Arabia, while Western European capitals suggested Iranian responsibility on a lower level - not as the orchestrators of the attack.

While Iran may not fully control the Houthis, and not every action on the ground in Yemen is directed by Tehran, the Houthis certainly owe much of their weaponization to Iran - as well as their training. When geopolitically convenient, Iran will use the Houthis to demonstrate its ability to destabilize the Gulf, and when the Houthis suddenly step up their rhetoric beyond their borders the likelihood is that they are being prompted by Tehran.

The failure to renew the truce in Yemen suggests to us that Iran wanted to have this threat at the ready at a time when it is not only fighting ongoing protests and violent unrest at home but is very concerned about shifting alliances in the region - and with the United States.

Geopolitics, not events on the ground in Yemen, will determine whether the Houthis launch new attacks on Saudi oil installations. It would be a tricky hedge for Tehran at this moment. Saudi Arabia and Iran have been holding talks brokered by Iraq, and the outcome so far has been mixed at best. The Saudis have recently seemed to draw closer to normalizing relations with Israel, talks with Iran may scupper that development and worsen relations between Riyadh and Washington. And now we see the UAE reinstating its ambassador in Iran (as of September), and Kuwait following in its footsteps. Peace, as such, between archrivals Saudi Arabia and Iran will have much to do with any overtures to Israel. This is the biggest balancing act in the geopolitical world (outside of dealing with China). Global markets cannot deal with another attack on Saudi oil, but the path to ensuring that doesnt happen is an uncomfortably improved relationship between Riyadh and Washington and a sidelining of normalization with Israel. And right now, protecting Saudi oil from threats is not squarely on Washingtons agenda. In fact, the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is threatening to block defense cooperation with Riyadh over the OPEC+ decision to cut oil production in November.
Europe cannot rely solely on imports of U.S. LNG to offset the pipeline gas supply it will have lost from Russia when it starts rebuilding inventories after the end of this winter, according to BloombergNEF.

So far this year, American LNG has been crucial in meeting demand in Europe, which is scrambling for gas supply and willing to pay up for spot deliveries, outbidding most of Asia.

The United States is shipping record volumes of LNG to Europe to help EU allies and nearly 70% of all American LNG exports were headed to Europe in September, according to Refinitiv Eikon data cited by Reuters.

However, the significant drop in Russian gas supply this year occurred only in June, meaning that Europe could still stock up on some Russian gas earlier this year.

Ahead of the 2023/2024 winter, however, the gap in gas supply in Europe will be much wider without Russian gas. Europe will not be importing much Russian gasor none at all if Russia cuts off deliveries via the one link left operational via Ukraine and via TurkStreamcompared to relatively stable imports from Russia in the first half of this year, before Moscow started gradually cutting volumes via Nord Stream in June until shutting down the pipeline in early September.

The year-on-year increase is not sufficient to offset a total cut in Russian piped supply with under half of these volumes met by LNG increases, BNEF analyst Arun Toora said.

The good news is that Russia looks close to having played its last card in terms of gas leverage over Europe. However Europes challenges will not disappear with the daffodils next spring, London-based consultancy Timera Energy said in a winter gas market outlook at the beginning of October.

Without most of the Russian gas supply, Europe will likely need to offset around 40 bcm of additional lost Russian flows next year. LNG alone cannot meet this volume, considering a lack of new global liquefaction capacity in the short-term, including in the U.S., limited further demand elasticity in Asia, and European regasification capacity constraints. Therefore, European demand will need to fall, Timera Energy said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Russia's use of Iranian drones in Ukraine is "appalling," and the United States and allies will seek to block such shipments.

Russia has used the drones to "kill Ukrainian civilians and destroy the infrastructure they rely on for electricity, for water, for heat. It's appalling," Blinken said on October 27 during a visit to Ottawa, Canada.

"Canada and the United States will keep working with our allies and partners to expose, to deter, and to counter Iran's provision of these weapons," he said.

If it becomes clear that Russia has used Iranian drones in the war against Ukraine, "we will definitely not be indifferent about this issue," Blinken added.

Kyiv and its Western allies have accused Moscow of using Iranian-made drones in attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, saying attacks on electrical power stations are designed to deprive Ukrainians of heat for their homes in the coming winter. Moscow and Tehran have denied the accusations.

"We have not supplied Russia with any weapons or drones for use in the war against Ukraine," Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said earlier this week.

The United States, alongside Britain and the European Union, has already imposed sanctions on Iran over the issue of drones.

The United States and its allies and partners have sent modern weapons worth tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine to help it defend its territory.

As a followup to these transfers, the United States on October 27 announced a plan to prevent them from falling into the hands of criminals or the Russian military.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States remained "vigilant" to the possibility that criminals and nonstate actors may attempt to illicitly acquire weapons from sources in Ukraine.

Price said the plan aims to account for arms and munitions when they are transferred, enhance regional border management and security, and build the capacity of security forces to detect illicit arms trafficking.

By RFE/RL

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U.S. oil major Chevron (NYSE:CVX) has joined the oil and gas industrys robust earnings crowd for the quarter by easily beating analyst profit estimates.

For Q3, Chevron Corp recorded its second-highest quarterly profit ever on the back of increased oil and gas demand and increased U.S. production.

Chevrons net profit for the quarter soared to $11.2 billion, or $5.78 per share, nearly double the net profit recorded in Q3 2021 and easily beating analyst estimates that saw it at $4.86.

Chevrons cash flow from operations increased to $15.3 billion for the quarter, and oil and gas production in the Permian for the quarter hit a quarterly record at 700,000 boepd. This is an increase of 12% from Q3 2021 and an increase of 8,000 boepd from the previous quarter.

Still, Chevrons global production for the first nine months of the year fell to 2.993 million boepd, from 3.093 million boepd in the first nine months of 2021.

Chevrons operating profit for its oil and gas business saw a huge 81% increase, reaching $9.3 billion for the quarter. Its refining segment saw its operating profits almost double to $2.5 billion, with refined product sales increasing 5% from a year ago, reaching 1.25 million bpd.

Chevron posted its highest-ever quarterly profits in the second quarter, thanks to high oil and gas prices and tight fuel markets driving multi-year high refining margins.

Chevrons Q3 performance is similar to other oil and gas majors that benefited from the tight markets throughout the quarter, fueled in part by Russias invasion of Ukraine and plans to ban Russian oil and gas at a time when Europe was already dangerously low on inventories.

Chevrons U.S. peer Exxon also reported its Q3 profits on Friday, boasting its highest-ever profits.

The U.S. oil and gas majors have been under pressure from the Biden Administration to pass on some of their robust profits to end users to alleviate high prices at the pump.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - The symbol for Twitter appears above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. The New York Stock Exchange began the process Friday, Oct. 28, to delist Twitter. That means everyday investors will no longer be able to buy and sell stock in the company and Twitter would no longer be required to publicly reveal details of its quarterly or annual financial performance with U.S. regulators. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Confusion, concern, conspiracies, celebration.

In the hours after Elon Musk took control of Twitter, reaction on the platform ranged from triumph to despair.

While no immediate policy changes had been announced by Friday afternoon, that didnt stop users from cheering  or criticizing  what they expected to be a quick embrace of Musks pledges to cut back on moderation in what he has said is an effort to promote free speech.

Conservative personalities on the site began recirculating long-debunked conspiracy theories, including about COVID-19 and the 2020 election, in a tongue-in-cheek attempt to test whether Twitters policies on misinformation were still being enforced.

Popular right-wing pundits tweeted buzzwords such as ivermectin, and Trump won to see whether theyd be penalized for content they suggested would previously have been flagged. Ivermectin, a cheap drug that kills parasites in humans and animals, has been promoted by some Republican lawmakers and conservative talk show hosts as an effective way to treat COVID-19. But health experts have been pushing back, warning theres scant evidence to support the belief that it works.

Ok, @elonmusk, is this thing on..? Steve Cortes, a former commentator for the conservative TV network Newsmax and adviser to former President Donald Trump wrote in a tweet, where he included a microphone emoji. THERE ARE TWO SEXES TRUMP WON IVERMECTIN ROCKS.

In a letter aimed to soothe the fears of advertisers, Musk vowed Thursday that Twitter wont be a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences.

But the jury is still out on what will become of the social media platform  and what it will tolerate. Observers are eyeing who stays, who goes and who might potentially come back from the list of people the platform has banned over the years. They range from former President Donald Trump, to conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke  none of whom have returned to the platform so far.

The Associated Press checked at least a dozen other Twitter accounts that were suspended by the platform  including those used by right-wing activist James OKeefe and MyPillow chief executive Mike Lindell  and each turned up an account suspended message as of Thursday afternoon.

At least one still found a way to get his message out.

I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands, and will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs that truly hate our country, Trump said Friday morning in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, indicating he might not return to the platform even though Musk has said he would allow Trump back.

I LOVE TRUTH!, Trump said, adding Twitter will be better if it works to get rid of bots and fake accounts that have hurt it so badly.

In a Tweet posted on Friday afternoon, Musk said Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints," and no major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes."

Earlier in the day, news outlets reported Kanye West, the rapper legally known as Ye, appeared to be back on Twitter after being locked out of his account earlier this month over his antisemitic posts on the social media platform.

But there was no evidence to suggest the status of his account had changed or that Musk played a role, and there was no sign of recent activity. Twitter did not immediately reply to a request for comment on whether Ye was back on the platform. The rapper and fashion designer had also been suspended from Instagram, where his account there was recently reinstated.

Meanwhile, dozens of extremist profiles  some newly created  circulated racial slurs and Nazi imagery while expressing gratitude to Musk for his new leadership. One such post shared a breaking news update about Musk taking over the company, tweeting a racial slur and the message, thank you Elon. Another anonymous account tweeted, Elon now controls Twitter, unleash the racial slurs, along with several derogatory comments.

His acquisition of Twitter has opened Pandoras box, the advocacy group Ultraviolet said in a prepared statement on Friday, while also urging Musk, Twitter executives and the company's board of directors to continue to enforce the ban on Trump "as well as violent right-wing extremists and white supremacists.

Some users reacted to the news by threatening to quit, and others made fun of them for doing so. The terms Elon, and deleting, appeared in Twitters top trends on Friday morning as users discussed the fallout. Speculation also permeated the platform. Some worried the number of their Twitter followers was plunging, theorizing that Twitter may be cleaning up bots. Other users posted unverified reports that their like counts were dwindling.

Elon Musk bought a platform, he didnt buy people, said Jennifer Grygiel, a social media expert and professor at Syracuse University. And we still have a choice in how we get our news, our information and how we communicate.

Grygiel said there will be a flight to quality if Twitter descends into further chaos under Musk and maybe that isnt a bad thing as the platform has increasingly come to serve corporate and state media interests.

And as always, users were quick to crack jokes  aiming to cut through the disorder in more comical ways.

In honor of Elon now owning this site, Id like to start utter chaos, CNN commentator Bakari Sellers wrote in a Tweet on Friday morning. Which is better Popeyes or Bojangles and why?
The European Union has finalized an agreement to phase out internal combustion engine cars by 2035 by enforcing a zero-emission regulation on carmakers in the bloc.

National government negotiators, the European Parliament, and the European Commission all agreed to make carmakers reduce their emissions to zero by 2035, which is an effective ban on the sales of fossil-fuel-powered vehicles after that year.

"This deal is good news for car drivers... new zero-emission cars will become cheaper, making them more affordable and more accessible to everyone," Jan Huitema, chief negotiator for the European Parliament said.

The EUs lead on the Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, also welcomed the news, saying "Europe is embracing the shift to zero-emission mobility," as quoted by Reuters.

The proposal for the ban of internal combustion engine vehicles across the European Union was made earlier this year and drew criticism from the car manufacturing industry.

The head of the German car industry association, Hildegard Mueller, said in June, when the proposal was first made, that Europes charging infrastructure is insufficiently developed for the EV targets the shift would entail. She also warned that the Commission, which made the proposal, was acting prematurely.

Besides such concerns, however, there are even more direct ones that will in all likelihood interfere with the zero-emission plans of the EU. Chief among them is an expected shortage of copper, which is used heavily in electric vehicles.

The world is already short on the basic metal and the deficit is only set to widen in the coming years as there is no new supply coming on stream soon, aside from a few mine expansions.

Battery technology is also a potential challengewith raw materials getting costlier due to strong demand and catching up supply, battery costs continue keeping total EV costs higher than ICE car costs, too, discouraging drivers from making the switch.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Pioneer Natural Resources became the latest oil major to report bumper profits for the third quarter, exceeding analyst expectations.

The result was made possible by stronger oil prices, with Pioneer enjoying an average price per barrel of $94.23 during the reporting period, the company said in a news release. The average price for gas was $7.57 per thousand cubic feet.

The results will help Pioneer implement its plan to return a total of $7.5 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and stock repurchases.

Earlier this week, supermajors Shell and TotalEnergies also reported strong third-quarter results, with the French supermajors result at the highest ever, thanks to oil prices.

This strong financial performance by the oil industry earlier this year prompted governments in Europe and the Biden administration to call forand nearly everywhere approvewindfall taxes.

The basis for the levies was the argument that oil and gas companies were benefiting from a crisis that was hurting everyone else and they had to be forced to contribute to aid measures.

Its definitely awkward, Abhi Rajendran, a research scholar at Columbia Universitys Center on Global Energy Policy, told Bloomberg earlier this week in comments on the expected third-quarter performance of Big Oil.

These companies wont want to be beating their chest over strong business results that are coming at the expense of consumers and a difficult economic environment.

Instead of beating their chest, companies seem to be making plans for more cash returns to shareholders.

To further enhance our top-tier free cash flow generation and return of capital, we have increased the return thresholds for wells to be included in our future development programs, which is expected to improve our program well productivity in 2023 and subsequent years, surpassing 2021 productivity levels, Pioneer chief executive Scott Sheffield said in the news release on the companys third-quarter results.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
This advertorial is sponsored content provided by the advertiser and printed as is. Any claims, recommendations or errors are the advertisers own and the reader is responsible for evaluating all information contained herein and complying with state and federal laws.

After a long day at school or work, nothing compares to coming home to be with your pet to melt your stress away. There is no doubt that these furry friends provide companionship and comfort. They can even play a significant role in improving symptoms of their owners mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. Emotional support animals (ESAs) are essential to many peoples mental wellness journeys. Several services are available to connect you to a licensed mental health professional to evaluate your need for an emotional support animal and vouch for it by providing an ESA letter.

You deserve quick service and compassionate support when trying to secure help for an invisible disability. Acquiring an ESA letter online is fast, convenient, and cost-effective. Whether you want to document your current pet as an emotional support animal or adopt one, there is a lot of information you should know first. This guide provides you with everything you need to know and three of the best online emotional support animal letter providers, according to a review team.

Top Ranking ESA Letter Services

Pettable - Top Choice - Best Money-Back Guarantee Certapet - Close Second - Standout Customer Service Emotional Pet Support - Honorable Mention

In Depth Reviews of Top ESA Letter Services

1. Pettable - Top Choice - Best Money-Back Guarantee

Pros:

Free pre-screening

Legal support available

Fast, simple process

Full refund if your ESA letter does not work

Cons:

If you live in California, two consultations are required before you can be qualified for an ESA letter

The team at Pettable has direct experience with the therapeutic benefits of having an emotional support animal. They started their business to deliver these benefits to anyone who needs it. Through Pettable, youll connect to licensed mental health professionals who have experience in prescribing ESA letters, even for travel and housing. Youll feel understood by their therapists and customer service team. Pettable intends to educate their customers and remain transparent by providing helpful information on their website.

Pettable will guide you along the way during their simple three-step process. Three minutes is all you need to get started with obtaining an emotional support animal letter from Pettable. You will complete a simple questionnaire to determine if you are a good candidate for an emotional support animal. Once approved, they match you with a mental health professional in your state. You can expect to receive your ESA letter just 24 hours after a consultation and examination with your therapist.

What really sets Pettable apart from other emotional support animal letter services, and why they topped this list, is that they are the only provider with a full money-back guarantee - 100%! They also offer legal support to help with any challenges from property owners, airlines, or other accommodation requests.

2. Certapet - Close Second - Standout Customer Service

Pros:

Free pre-screening

HIPAA precautions

Simple 3-step process

Over 7,500 5-star reviews

Cons:

The consultation fee for the telehealth appointment is non-refundable

Certapets impeccable customer service and solid reputation put them nearly at the top of this list of best ESA letter providers. This telemedicine platform was awarded the Better Business Bureaus Gold Star Certificate Award in 2020. Several major magazines and news sites have featured Certapet. When all you need is your emotional support animal by your side to help relieve stress and anxiety, Certapet is ready to provide you with accessible care. Their services are available in all 50 states and Canada.

Certapet provides ESA letters through a fast and secure 3-step process. You begin by taking a quick preliminary assessment to see if you are suitable to receive an ESA letter; youll know if you qualify within 5 minutes. If you are a good candidate, Certapet will pair you with a mental health professional in your state. This certified expert will meet with you promptly via a telehealth session to address your needs. The last step is to receive your ESA letter. For your convenience, you can print the letter from the comfort of your home or have it shipped to you in the mail.

3. Emotional Pet Support - Runner Up

Pros:

Same-day ESA letter approval options

Fully refundable within 30 days of purchase

Many good reviews

ESA documentation available to download as a PDF

Cons:

The telehealth appointment may need to be paid for out-of-pocket, even if you have health insurance

Emotional Pet Support recognizes that pets can provide vital relief to people living with mental or emotional difficulties. Emotional support animals have the power to change a persons life, and this organization is dedicated to facilitating the process to help you get the support you need. They connect their clients to qualified mental health professionals that work to meet their individual needs. This service won the runner-up spot due to their same-day approval option.

Emotional Pet Support displays a slew of important information on the front page of their website. Emotional Pet Support provides everything you need to know about their service, from easy-to-understand graphics to informative videos. You can start their fast application process by submitting an online exam. Qualified doctors will then analyze your test to determine your eligibility for an ESA letter. The final step is to receive an email with a secure link to your ESA documentation in PDF format. They also provide options for ESA letters specifically for securing housing. If unsatisfied with their service, you can request a full refund within 30 days of purchase.

Choosing the Top ESA Letter Services

Unfortunately, some online ESA letter providers could defraud you. Thats why extensive research was completed by the review team to ensure the recommended services are high quality and reliable. This list contains the three best services by looking at customer reviews, the application process, and affordability.

Customer reviews helped the reviewers determine the reliability of different providers. Reviews are a great source of information to find out what real people think about a service before committing to it. Consumer feedback revealed that these companies provide fast results, excellent customer service, and secure ESA letters. Youll meet with compassionate therapists whose top priority is providing the best care. Its clear that these top services value your privacy and have your best interests in mind.

The process of acquiring an ESA letter may be daunting. The reviewers wanted to verify that the screening process could be fast, simple and secure. Funds should never be an obstacle to getting the help you need. Affordability was another aspect kept in mind when choosing the best services.

What is an Emotional Support Animal-ESA?

An emotional support animal is a type of assistance animal that provides a therapeutic benefit to a person with a mental health disability. ESAs do not perform specific tasks; thats called a service animal. The hope is that the animals presence can provide comfort and help relieve at least one symptom associated with the persons condition. Many people use ESAs in combination with therapy, medication, and other treatments that help alleviate their symptoms.

Types of Emotional Support Animals

Different types of animals can become documented emotional support animals. There are federal laws and state laws that restrict people from keeping certain exotic animals as pets and as emotional support animals. ESAs are typically dogs and cats but can be other domesticated animals like ferrets or guinea pigs. Most domesticated animals can be regarded as an ESA, and there is no restriction on its age.

What are the Benefits of Having an Emotional Support Animal?

Emotional support animals provide emotional support and companionship to their owners. They may help to relieve symptoms associated with their mental health condition. Positive social interaction with a pet can yield positive results for people with disabilities. These benefits may include decreasing anxiety, normalizing blood pressure, reducing stress, and enhancing social interaction. ESAs can be used in conjunction with treatments, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Adding an emotional support animal to ones treatment plan may help control symptoms of mental health problems.

Traveling can be anxiety inducing, especially for those who have aerophobia, the fear of flying. ESAs may provide the comfort that their owner needs to stay calm. Similar to humans, animals can feel affection and provide affection to individuals struggling with depression or grief. Feeling loved can substantially improve a persons mental health. ESAs can provide social support to make a person feel less lonely if they live alone.

What is an ESA Letter Used for?

An emotional support animal letter is similar to a prescription, in that a licensed mental health professional needs to write it. It serves to authenticate the need for support to treat an emotional disability. Documenting your furry friend as an emotional support animal has many advantages.

An emotional support animal is not considered a normal pet and therefore may be exempt from some restrictions and allowed in spaces where pets are not allowed. Some airline carriers allow you to travel with your ESA without additional cost.

Your ESA may save you money by eliminating pet fees in places like hotels. Certain buildings ban some breeds of dogs, such as Pit Bulls and Rottweilers. With an ESA letter, this restriction may no longer be applicable to you. You should be able to avoid pet application fees and bring your new furry friend with you if you move into a new place. ESA letters are valid in all 50 states.

How Do You Qualify for an ESA Letter?

To be eligible for an ESA letter, you need to have a qualifying mental health condition or psychiatric disability diagnosed by a licensed mental health professional. Licensed therapists, psychiatrists, and psychologists have the specialized training to diagnose you. It is also required that your disability limits at least one significant life activity. Expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $150 for a legitimate ESA letter.

What Types of Disabilities Qualify for an ESA Letter?

To qualify for an ESA letter, the owner must have a mental health disability or psychiatric disability. The therapist who meets with you will make assessments based on their expertise. They utilize screening tools to ensure you meet the criteria enabled by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Any disabilities listed in the DSM 5 qualify for an ESA letter. These include depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to name a few.

Do ESA Letters Expire?

A legitimate ESA letter is similar to a prescription for medication, except its for your companion animal. These prescriptions typically have an expiration date. ESA letters are generally functional for one year from their issue date. However, an ESA housing letter that complies with the Fair Housing Act is slightly different. If you do not move before the year is up, you do not technically have to renew your emotional support animal letter. Although, some property owners may request a recent letter to ensure that you still need an ESA. Having a current ESA letter may be a good idea.

Renewing your documentation will be much easier since youre familiar with the process. It will be the same as the initial process: complete a brief questionnaire, meet with a professional, and wait for your ESA letter. You have the option to renew through the same service, or you can choose a different one. Be sure to finish this process before your current ESA letter expires to avoid any gaps in having coverage for you and your animal companion.

FAQ:

How Do I Get an ESA Letter for My Animal?

You first need to be professionally diagnosed with a mental health disability that can benefit from the assistance of an animal. To be accurately diagnosed, consult with a therapist about your symptoms. A pre-screening exam is often completed through ESA letter providers online before being connected to a therapist. A professional will review your test to determine your eligibility for an ESA letter. Then youll meet with a licensed mental health professional to diagnose your condition and assess your need for an ESA. Before issuing your ESA letter, the professional might advise on other ways to cope with your symptoms. After your telehealth appointment, the service will securely deliver the ESA letter via email or mail. You can document your animal as an ESA or adopt your ESA after you obtain the letter. Both situations are common and allowed.

Can I Write Myself an ESA Letter?

The only person that can issue you a legitimate ESA letter is a licensed mental health professional. Trying to use a forged ESA letter is not a good idea; this makes it more difficult for other people in need to obtain them. Laws about misrepresenting pets as service animals vary from state to state. Using a fake emotional support animal letter may be fraudulent and could result in fines, jail time, or other consequences. Authentic documentation from a proper licensed mental health professional is not unreasonably expensive or difficult to obtain if you are eligible and use a reliable service.

Will the ESA Letter Reveal Details About My Condition?

While the document will not reveal details about a specific mental or emotional disability, it might mention that your condition(s) is in the DSM 5. Your medical history is private information that does not have to be shared with anyone. Under the Fair Housing Act, when applying for housing with an ESA you do not need to disclose information about your disability to the property owner.

What Does an Emotional Support Animal Letter Need to Include?

Legitimate ESA letters will include specific important information. Your mental health professional will provide their signature and license details in the letter. The ESA letter will state that you are currently their patient who has been prescribed an ESA as a part of the treatment for your mental health. It will also confirm that an ESA is a vital part of your life because your disability limits daily activity. Details about your pet, such as its breed and name, may be included, but it is not required.

What is the Difference Between an Emotional Support Animal and a Service Animal?

Service animals (SAs) require special training for about 1-2 years to provide their owner with specialized care. This extensive training costs thousands of dollars. Unlike ESAs, service animals perform specific tasks unique to their owners disability. For example, allergy detection dogs are trained to smell and alert to the odor of particular allergens. Along with mitigating symptoms of their owners condition, they are prepared to behave appropriately in public. There are also more species and breed restrictions on service animals than ESAs, and they are usually dogs.

How Do ESAs Differ From PSDs?

PSDs are psychiatric service dogs. As the name suggests, only dogs can be PSDs, while ESAs can be various animals. PSDs are similar to ESAs since they can help relieve the symptoms of mental health disorders. PSDs are a type of service animal and require special training. They assist their owners by performing tasks that help alleviate the persons mental or emotional disability.

Psychiatric service dogs read signals from their handler to evaluate what type of physical assistance they need. From assessing threats to retrieving medication, these dogs supply specialized care for their owners needs. PSDs have the same public access and legal protection as other service animals.

Are ESAs Required to Wear Identifying Clothing?

Like service animals, it is recommended that emotional support animals wear identification that indicates they are working. Many ESA owners dress their pets in identifying gear, such as a vest, collar, or harness. Laws generally do not require this apparel, but it is a visible indication that an animal has therapeutic value and should not be distracted.

Do ESAs Need Special Training?

Emotional support animals do not need to be raised or trained in a certain way. They do not need training since the animals presence provides comfort and security to their owner. Your four-legged companion can be adopted from a shelter or bought from a breeder or pet store. ESAs can be your current pet. An ESA letter is the only thing you need for your furry friend to be officially considered an emotional support animal.

How Do I Know if an ESA is Right for Me?

It may be worth discussing with your doctor whether an ESA is right for you. If you already find that your current pet provides emotional relief, you can easily apply for an ESA letter for them.

If other treatment options have not been successful, an ESA companion may provide you with the support you are looking for. You can adopt a pet or try a therapy animal program to find out if animals can alleviate your symptoms. An ESA is also helpful with other treatment methods, such as therapy, if you seek additional options. If you think an ESA would help you, speak to your mental health professional or pursue one of the above services.

What Laws Protect Emotional Support Animals?

Fortunately, a few laws in the U.S. provide legal protection for emotional support animals. The Americans with Disabilities Act states that individuals who suffer from mental and emotional conditions are eligible for an ESA. The law prohibits discrimination against people with ESAs.

The Fair Housing Act prohibits bias during the sale or renting of housing. This law covers any animal approved by a licensed medical professional that provides a health benefit. Under the Fair Housing Act, property owners are generally not allowed to deny your ESA, ask extensive questions about your condition, or request pet fees. Condominium homeowners associations (HOAs) and co-ops are also subject to Fair Housing rules regarding ESAs.

Air travel with service animals and emotional support animals continues to be a concern that many people experience. Under the Air Carrier Access Act, airlines are prohibited from discriminating against passengers with disabilities. Individuals with service animals, including PSDs, can board flights with their companions and avoid fees.

For many years, the Air Carrier Access Act protected SAs and ESAs. Unfortunately, the Department of Transportation implemented new rules that allow airlines (as well as buses and trains) to stop recognizing emotional support animals. This new rule means ESAs are treated as normal pets and may not be allowed on board. Policies about ESAs will vary by airline. If ESAs are permitted on board, they will often be subject to pet fees based on size and breed.

Are ESAs Allowed in Public Spaces?

While some laws protect ESAs, their ability to be in public spaces may depend on the specific establishment or company. College or university housing is required to allow ESAs. Housing with no-pet policies is obligated to allow ESAs. You can bring your animal to a restaurant only if the establishment allows pets.

Communicate before bringing your ESA into a new place to avoid delays or conflicts. You may be permitted to take your ESA into these places, but you must provide documentation. In addition, you may be asked to remove your pet if it does not follow the rules of the space or poses safety or health risks to others. You can bring ESAs on some airplanes; this depends on the airlines policies about animals on board. Be sure to contact the airline directly to find out about their ESA and pet policies.

What Can I Expect After I Submit an ESA Request for Housing?

Before bringing your animal companion into your building, you must request an accommodation from your property owner verbally or in writing. You can submit a digital or physical copy of your ESA letter to your property owner when requesting to live with an ESA. The only documentation you need to provide them with is a legitimate ESA letter. They are required to respond to your request within ten days. Some property owners may not have experience with ESAs, which makes the process more complicated.

If the property owner initially denies your request, they may be unaware that it violates the Fair Housing Act. It may be helpful to point out the appropriate housing rules and have a friendly, constructive dialogue with them. After presenting your ESA letter and being accepted, your ESA can reside in your home and generally accompany you in any common area of the building.

The housing provider does have, however, the right to deny your request to live with an ESA under certain circumstances. They must individually assess the animal before reasonably denying the request. While it is uncommon, the property owner can reject an ESA if they determine that the animal could pose health risks to others or cause damage to the property of others. If you have a valid ESA letter and they unreasonably reject and refuse to reconsider, tenants can file a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Can I Take My ESA to Work with Me?

When interviewing for a job, employers are not allowed to ask if you have a service animal or ESA. Most employers do not allow pets at work, but you may be able to receive special access to bring your ESA to work. Ask if your employer would be accepting of an emotional support animal in the office. Animal companions can reduce stress and improve peoples ability to focus while working.

Who Would Benefit From an ESA?

Anyone with a qualifying mental health disability and a love for animals might benefit from an ESA. Obtaining an ESA letter is especially useful for those who are moving into new housing or need to travel with their furry friend. Although nearly anyone can benefit from having an emotional support animal, certain groups may benefit the most from this type of support.

Children and teens who are at risk for depression and other conditions may benefit from having pets in their homes. Research shows that animals can provide them with companionship and teach them responsibility. War veterans and active-duty soldiers with ESAs have shown improved sleeping patterns and lower startle rates caused by post-traumatic stress disorder. Stressed college students may benefit significantly from ESAs by helping lessen symptoms of anxiety, depression and loneliness.

Is There Scientific Research That Supports ESAs?

In case you are doubtful of the therapeutic benefits of emotional support animals, there are scientific studies that prove it. For example, a study on psychiatric patients showed how much they benefit from utilizing ESAs. After ten weeks of CBT sessions and having an ESA, patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia showed better motivation, quality of life, and productivity. Another study involved observing the increase in oxytocin, the love hormone, in clients with mental health conditions who had positive interactions with animals.

Conclusion

Documentation is vital to keeping your ESA with you when you need it the most, like traveling and navigating new housing. An ESA letter is a helpful document that provides legal support and safety for you and your furry friend. From cats to ferrets, emotional support animals may help improve the mental well-being of their owners. You can get your ESA recognized with an ESA letter if youre struggling with a mental health disability or psychiatric condition.

An online service might seem reliable, but it may be challenging to determine whether they will try to scam you. Each of the services listed above offers trustworthy licensed mental health professionals and legal documentation. You can trust these providers to deliver the specialized care you need with excellent customer support, fast application processes, qualified and caring mental health professionals as well as affordable prices. If you think an ESA is right for you, getting started through one of these dependable online ESA letter services is easy. Youre now better equipped to own an emotional support animal and select the best service for your needs.

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This content was produced by Brand Ave. Studios. The news and editorial departments had no role in its creation or display. Brand Ave. Studios connects advertisers with a targeted audience through compelling content programs, from concept to production and distribution. For more information contact sales@brandavestudios.com.
An Omaha man charged with the killings of his grandmother and great-grandmother appeared in court for the first time on Friday after being extradited from Iowa.

As family members cried in the courtroom, a judge ordered 27-year-old Gage Walter to be held without bail. Throughout the short proceeding, Walter repeatedly interrupted the judge and prosecutors with comments about baby snatchers, nanobots and the Cold War.

A prosecutor said that, on Aug. 12, Walter knocked on the door of his familys home near 16th and Frederick Streets. When his grandmother, 70-year-old Linda Walter, opened the door, he hit her multiple times with a hammer, the prosecutor said.

Walter then went to the bedroom of his bedridden great-grandmother, 93-year-old Marceline Teeters, and attacked her with the hammer, the prosecutor said. Both women were killed.

Stephen Regnier, who is not related to the family, also was attacked by Gage Walter with a hammer inside the house, the prosecutor said. Regnier was injured.

Officials say Gage Walter washed the hammer before stealing a PT Cruiser from the scene and driving to Winterset, Iowa. He barricaded himself inside a church and surrendered to police after a brief standoff.

Prosecutors in Iowa brought charges of eluding and burglary against Walter related to the church standoff, but those charges were dismissed to allow for his extradition. In Nebraska, he faces six felonies: two counts of premediated murder, one count of attempted murder and three counts of use of a weapon to commit a felony.

Linda Walters son said the family is satisfied with the decision to deny bail.

He should never get out, Scott Walter said.

Gage Walters father, Chris Walter, told The World-Herald in August that his son had a long history of mental illness and drug use. He had been released from the Sarpy County Jail just three weeks before the slayings.
Terrorists and extremists are evolving, finding new and ingenious ways to attack our nation and its infrastructure.

Academics  including some here in Omaha  are evolving their own new ways to keep up and stop them.

That was one theme of Envision 22, the annual conference of the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center this week in Omaha.

About 150 experts and students from 13 states plus Washington, D.C., and Great Britain are attending the two-day event, which will wrap up Friday at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. It is the first in-person conference for the counterterrorism center, which is primarily funded by the Department of Homeland Security and is now in its third year.

The world has become a more dangerous place, said UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, welcoming the visitors. You are here to help us stay ahead of the curve, ahead of danger.

The centers director, Gina Ligon, said UNO beat out high-profile universities on both coasts to land NCITE.

Were trying to establish ourselves out of the Beltway, she said. We have people here who arent necessarily the usual players, working together to solve these problems.

It wont be easy.

In earlier eras, terrorism typically involved organized groups with defined ideologies, said Seamus Hughes, deputy director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University.

In the 1970s, violent extremism was typically associated with the far left, while in the 1980s and 90s, the far right rose up. In the 2000s, the focus shifted to international jihadist groups, Hughes noted. Today the far right is back.

When groups are driving terrorism, police agencies can monitor and infiltrate them.

(Law enforcement) is inherently drawn to take these groups down, Hughes said.

But in the internet era, the groups are loosely organized and decentralized  even ephemeral, said Martha Crenshaw, director of the Mapping Militants Program at Stanford University.

You can belong to a group simply by following it online, she said.

Some operate in concert, but with no formal leadership.

These groups are very fluid. Its often difficult to discern the borders between them. We read about them, they have a name, and then they disappear.

Some terrorists are self-radicalized loners, borrowing bits and pieces from various extremist ideologies.

Others are drawn by the lure of something like celebrity. Hughes called it the Joker effect.

They dont subscribe to ideologies, he said. They just want to rack up a count.

And as ideologies mutate and proliferate, terrorists have new tools and new targets to choose from, said Austin Doctor, a UNO assistant professor of political science who leads NCITEs counterterrorism research initiatives.

These include cyberattacks on government facilities and hospitals. Agriculture is vulnerable because of its new reliance on satellite technology, Doctor said. So is the cutting-edge metaverse, which unites elements of the internet in a new immersive world of virtual reality.

The violent extremists of all stripes have a growing number of tools at their disposal, Doctor said. Terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure have taken a front-row seat.

Joshua Geltzer, President Joe Bidens deputy Homeland Security adviser, praised the NCITE researchers during a video appearance from the White House for developing new methods to counter violent extremists.

Our government is trying to adapt, and be nimble, he said. We in government depend on research to inform our efforts.
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Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles W. Herbster and State Sen. Julie Slama are dropping their lawsuits against each other.

In a filing Wednesday, both sides asked that the case be dismissed with prejudice. Gage County District Judge Rick Schreiner signed an order granting that request Thursday.

Herbster filed a defamation lawsuit against Slama in April after the Nebraska Examiner reported allegations from eight women who said Herbster  a Republican mega-donor and then-candidate for governor  had groped them in recent years. Slama, of Dunbar, was the only named accuser in that initial report.

She answered Herbsters lawsuit quickly, filing a counterclaim alleging sexual battery.

The first hearing in the case was held in June. Schreiner considered five motions but made decisions on only two of them.

Slama had given notice to depose Herbster on May 6, but Herbster did not attend. At the hearing, Herbsters lawyers filed a motion to quash the deposition notice and seek a protective order that would limit his deposition to scheduling at a mutually convenient time.

Schreiner overruled that motion, but a new deposition was not scheduled at the hearing.

Schreiner ruled that Herbster could add more evidence to his defamation complaint against Slama, and that the deposition could wait until the amended complaints were filed.

However, Schreiner quashed Herbsters request for a protective order against Slamas attorneys for, in the words of Herbsters attorney, attempting to try the case in the press.

Herbsters team filed its amended complaint on July 28, but Slamas lawyers requested an extension to answer the complaint.

A second hearing in the case was postponed multiple times and had been scheduled for later this month.

The order dismissing the suits with prejudice means the parties cannot refile the same claim again in that court.

An attorney for Slama noted in an email to The World-Herald that the parties had dismissed their litigation and will make no further statement on the matter. A spokesman for Herbster said the comment from Slamas attorney was a joint statement that spoke for both parties. Asked if there was a settlement reached out of court, the spokesman referred to the statement.
BLOOMINGTON  The YWCA McLean County recognized community leaders Thursday night during the 33rd Women of Distinction awards ceremony at Illinois State University's Bone Student Center.

A panel of judges from YWCAs across the country reviewed 23 Women of Distinction nominations and selected a winner in each of seven categories, a news release from the organization explained. Selection was based on qualities of leadership, areas of achievement, demonstrated alignment to the YWCA mission, and improving McLean County through work and/or volunteer activities.

The 2022 Women of Distinction include the following:

 Business/Education  Messina Lambert, Bloomington Public Schools District 87: For 20 years, Lambert has brought spirit and positivity to McLean County through teaching and administration. In 2018, she became principal of Irving Elementary School, where she creates a welcoming, supportive atmosphere and fiercely advocates for her school, making sure each child has the resources, supplies and food necessary to grow and succeed.

 Community Leadership  Karen Irvin, McLean County Moms Demand Action: Longtime educator Irvin co-organized the first meeting of McLean County Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America in 2018 after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The group's goal is to shift the tides of gun violence and create a safer future for generations to come.

 Human Services  Joan Hartman, McLean County Center for Human Services: As CEO of the McLean County Center for Human Services, Hartman works to provide exceptional and inclusive mental health services for all. At Heartland Community College, she established a certificate program for peer counselors to assist local nonprofit and community organizations with client care.

 Mission Impact  Kris Williams, City of Bloomington retiree/community volunteer: In her 31-year career with the city, Williams was the first woman to hold the position of meter service crew leader. Today, she remains active with The Immigration Project, Habitat for Humanity Women Build, McLean County Museum of History, Center for Hope Outreach food pantry, Dreams Are Possible, First United Methodist Church of Normal and more.

 STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math)  Erin Barnard, Photography by Erin B.: For 14 years, Photography By Erin B has substantiated a safe space built on the foundations of inclusivity, self-healing and confidence for all clients, including women who have experienced sexual assault and domestic violence. Barnard initiated the #MyNameIs campaign to end discrimination against transgendered adults. She continues to inspire the community through photography classes and showcases of her work at local galleries.

 Promise  Emily McCusker, McLean County Museum of History: McCuskers fervor for art history and social justice has fueled her passion to make the museums programming and events an equitable experience for all families. As director of youth and adult education, she has initiated plans that include accessible transportation options and membership for lower-income families.

 Community Key  Michelle Cope, Bloomington Public Library: As outreach community engagement associate at the library, Cope strives to break down barriers and uplift marginalized voices by listening and responding with sources of action. She is president of the Bloomington-Normal PEO Round Table, treasurer for the McLean County Reentry Council Board, leader of the Fatherhood Coalition Leadership Team for Dads and Father Figures, and serves on the Leadership McLean County Steering Committee.

Other nominees honored Thursday were Cathy Beck, Carolyn Moon, Rocio Rivadeneyra, Stephanie Mezanowski, Diane Zosky, Mollie Ward, Victoria Harris, Kari Sandhaas, Angell Howard, Debra T. Thomas, Kate Greene, Rhonda Flegel, Aimee Beam, Elisabeth Reed, Hannah Johnson and Lynda Straw.

The YWCA also celebrated recipients of the Kaitlyn M. Erdman Memorial WINGS Award, a scholarship funded by Women of Distinction winners. This years WINGS Award winners include Tenesha Brown, Cathleen Hays, Lakeesha James Smith, Zeina Soued and Irene Vincy.

For more information about YWCA programs and the Women of Distinction awards, go to www.ywcamclean.org.
Photo: The Canadian Press Afghan refugees look for donated clothing and shoes at the donation center at the Fort McCoy U.S. Army base in Fort McCoy, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021. A group of advocates is urging the federal government to remove the limit on applications to sponsor certain Afghan refugees in Canada  or at least stop counting rejected applications towards it. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-POOL, Barbara Davidson

A group of advocates is urging the federal government to remove the limit on applications to sponsor certain Afghan refugees in Canada  or at least stop counting rejected applications towards it.

The government introduced a new program last month to allow Canadian individuals and organizations to privately sponsor up to 3,000 Afghan refugees who don't have refugee status from the United Nations refugee agency or a foreign state.

It said it will accept sponsorship applications under the new program until Oct. 17, 2023, or once it has received applications for 3,000 refugees  whichever comes first.

In a letter sent to Immigration Minister Sean Fraser last week, a volunteer with Northern Lights Canada, a non-profit thats been helping Afghan refugees in Toronto, said the new programs cap is "highly prejudicial," compared to the accommodations made for Ukrainians who want to come to Canada.

"Minister Fraser, I urge you to reconsider the design of the Afghan special program," Heather Finley wrote in her letter dated Oct. 22.

"By raising the applicant quota and removing rejected applications from it, you will allow a more fair and equitable opportunity for Afghans in Canada to sponsor their families to join them here."

Stephen Watt, co-founder of Northern Lights Canada, said the new program doesn't come close to meeting the needs of Afghan refugees and their families and friends in Canada.

"Just having 3,000 spots in a crisis where millions of people are very recently displaced. It is insulting," he said in an interview.

Almost 109,000 Ukrainians arrived to Canada between Jan. 1 and Oct. 23 under special programs the government introduced to help unlimited numbers of Ukrainians and their family members flee the war in Ukraine to safety.

Meanwhile, Ottawa has committed to resettling a total of 40,000 Afghan refugees after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August of last year, with fewer than 23,000 having arrived in Canada so far.

Immigration Department spokeswoman Isabelle Dubois said the program that has allowed Ukrainians to come to Canada is using the department's existing temporary resident visa processes, networks and infrastructure to bring as many of them as quickly as possible.

"This is not a refugee program, as compared to our Afghanistan refugee resettlement program, since Ukrainians have indicated that they need temporary safe harbour," she said.

"Many of them intend to return to their home country when it will be safe to do so."

Dubois said the government provided 3,000 additional spaces for organizations wanting to sponsor Afghan refugees in addition to the 3,000 spaces under the new special program.

"We are also processing existing and new private sponsorship applications for up to 7,000 Afghan refugees," she said.

Watt said the new program's application system crashed shortly after the government opened it at midnight on Oct. 17 due to many people rushing to submit applications.

He said many will likely end up rejected on a technicality because the government said it will process only the first 3,000 applicants and thus sponsors had to raise funds and write their sponsorship applications quickly.

"It's so disappointing," he said.

"This announcement that whether (the applications) are good or bad, we're still going to count them towards the total. So, what that did was create this condition where people were frantically rushing to put together applications."

Dubois confirmed the government will count all completed applications towards the new program's 3,000 limit and said the department is currently reviewing the received applications to determine whether it reached that cap.

"We understand some clients experienced issues when submitting an application. No applications were lost as files were automatically backed up," Dubois said.

"Applications are reviewed on a first-in, first-out basis to determine their completeness. We will continue to send out acknowledgments of receipt for applications that are determined to be complete and accepted into processing."

Watt said the government should remove the cap on how many Afghan refugees can be privately sponsored for one year to allow people to work on the sponsorship applications -- which he said can take months to put together because the requirements are so stringent and excessive.

"If you had a family of seven that may be $70,000 you have to get together. You have to get all the sponsorship documents lined up. You have to write the application," he said.

"Filling out PDFs perfectly in perfect English when you'reanew Canadian, and having to having to rise to the challenge of these applications which are very demanding even for people who are completely fluent in English and have great use of computer skills."

Andrew Griffith, a former director at the federal Immigration Department, said he is not aware of any government immigration or refugee program that counted rejected application towards the target other than the new special program for Afghan refugees.

He said many have been criticizing the government for apparently prioritizing Ukrainian refugees over Afghan refugees.

"The situations for both sets of refugees are dire in many cases," he said. "I'm not (trying to) apply any value statements on that, but it does highlight another discrepancy between the the two groups of refugees in my view."

Griffith said it's true that the Ukrainians are formally coming to Canada on temporary visas, but many of them may end up staying here.

"Realistically, how many of the people accepted from Ukraine will go back?" he said. "I think most of them would probably like to go. I don't deny that. But it depends on the situation."
When Emerson College unveiled its latest Illinois poll last week, its press release included three Key Takeaways. At the very top of its list was this: Fifty-two percent (52%) majority of voters think things in Illinois are on the wrong track, while 48% think things are headed in the right direction.

The college is based in Massachusetts, a liberal state with a popular Republican governor. A recent poll taken in Massachusetts by Suffolk University found that 59% believed their state was on the right track while 33% said it was on the wrong track.

So, while I can easily see why residents of Massachusetts would highlight an inverse opinion in Illinois as bad news, that poll result was actually pretty darned good news.

Way back in 2008, when Rod Blagojevich was nearing his fateful end, the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute found that 75% of Illinoisans believed Illinois was heading in the wrong direction, while 12.4% believed it was going in the right direction. In 2010, the Simon Institute had the wrong/right track result at 81%-11%. In 2011, the Institute poll pegged the numbers at 75-15 wrong/right and it stayed there for a while. The Simon Polls 2012 wrong/right results were 70-20. The 2013 Simon Poll had it at 75-16.

In early 2015, shortly after Republican Bruce Rauner was sworn in as governor, Illinoisans mood improved a little. Only 63% said the state was headed in the wrong direction, while 22% said it was moving in the right direction.

By 2016, after all heck had broken loose in Springfield amid Rauners refusal to negotiate a budget until he won his war with organized labor, things got even worse. The Simon Poll found that a whopping 84% of the states voters believed Illinois was off on the wrong track, while only 10% thought it was following the right path. The Simon Poll numbers were essentially unchanged two years later (84-9) as Rauner was finishing up his first and only term.

Illinoisans have overwhelmingly agreed on one thing over the years: Illinois sucks. Its quite a remarkable consensus.

And it isnt like people were totally wrong. We have more than our share of crooked politicians. We had three governors in a row who made a complete mess of things. Our former House Speaker had more concentrated power than anyone in our states history, and he often used his office to play other people and institutions for sport. Issues were ignored, everything seemed to be in decay, there was never enough money to achieve basic goals.

Entire cottage industries sprang up to take advantage of Illinoisans collective hatred of their state by giving them often-massaged data to feed their rage. Everything is bad all the time to these groups. Death spiral was one of their favorite phrases to describe Illinois predicament. People have been paid quite well to live in nice homes and tell everyone else that their lives were miserable because of state employee pensions, or whatever the current bogeyman was.

Then something happened which upset a lot of people at the time, but turned everything around. A super-majority of Republicans and Democrats overrode Gov. Rauners veto of an income tax hike. Oh, there was such blinding, white-hot rage from the well-paid doomsayers at the time. But I think they knew the gig was up.

It took some years to pay off the crushing short-term debts incurred under Rauner and his predecessors, but the state started to right itself again thanks to that extra revenue. After some decent governance, the death spiral people have mostly moved on to opposing COVID-19 mitigations, or complaining about Critical Race Theory, or whatever.

Because of that increased tax revenue, our pension debt, while high, has become far more manageable. Businesses and not-for-profit organizations which do much of the actual physical work of government dont have to worry about not being paid in a timely manner. Subsequent tax hikes on motor fuel and gaming expansion and legalizing cannabis have provided needed funds to fix our decrepit roads and bridges, repair our dilapidated public buildings and invest in neglected communities.

Again, I dont strongly disagree with popular sentiment over the years. Illinois has often been a basket case, even without the deliberately provocative exaggerations from the doom and gloom types. And I also agree with what appears to be current sentiment that Illinois is slightly more negative than positive. We still have a ways to go. But, at least now, the destination might possibly be in sight.

It sure would be nice to live in a more normal state.
I am a member of UFCW Local 536/Marquette Heights, IL and I am writing in support of Amendment 1, the Workers' Rights Amendment.

This amendment will help protect workers' rights to organize and collectively bargain to negotiate for higher wages, better hours, working conditions and to improve economic welfare and safety at work. This is through a workers' rights section to the Illinois Bill of Rights.

This amendment could make it difficult for Illinois to become a right to work (for less) state in the future. Our neighboring states of Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Iowa have all gone RTW. Right to work states have lower wages, pensions, health benefits and safety protections as confirmed by numerous studies.

Also, there is a fallacy being propagated by right think tanks like the Illinois Policy Institute stating property taxes could go up thousands if the amendment passes. Im sorry, is the sky falling? Union organizations rights and local property taxes are mutually exclusive items, meaning they are unrelated.

I encourage a yes vote for Amendment 1 on November 8. Lets keep Illinois a right to work (for more) state. Your paycheck is on the line.

Mike Profilet, Normal
As a life-long educator with a great-granddaughter enrolled in Unit 5 schools, I urge voters on or before November 8 to vote yes on the Unit 5 school referendum. One of the great attractions to living in McLean County is its range of excellent school choices. It is essential that our public schools are funded adequately and equitably to assure the continuation of providing high quality education for our children and youth and enhancing our community. These early investments are directly related to future economic productivity of our workforce.

Unit 5's limited funding has the lowest education fund tax rate and combined operating fund tax rate of all neighboring districts. The quality of education services should not be a function of our children's zip codes.

Today's headlines in local and national newspapers reveal what parents and teachers have feared: because of the COVID pandemic, home-based schooling, and use of unfamiliar and different learning devices, student earning performance plummeted across all states, particularly in reading and mathematics. Further, because of the vagaries of the Illinois School funding formula with its strong reliance on property taxes, resources for one district can and do vary significantly from adjacent districts.

Unit 5's new administration and its excellent teaching force need a resounding show of support from voters for their vigilance in proposing adequate and equitable solutions to past financial challenges and current learning needs due to the pandemic.

Cutting programs, increasing class sizes, and rifting teachers are not solutions. These negative actions exacerbate inequities in opportunities to learn and achieve and perpetuate educational inadequacies. The referendum plan will responsibly and reasonably reset the financial status for Unit 5 schools on a good course and provide improved learning environments and outcomes for all children and youth. Vote yes for Unit 5.

Sally Bulkley Pancrazio, Bloomington
In the gubernatorial debate J.B. Pritzker kept telling us how much better off we were because of him. Not many people believed him. For every question he was asked Pritzker threw out statistics. It makes you recall the saying about Lies, damned lies and statistics.

While he was citing all these statistics, Darren Bailey was right there reminding him of reality. Because of Pritzkers executive orders, the state lost jobs: there are still 45,000 jobs that have never come back. And this is not to mention all the businesses that have closed never to open again.

On the SAFE-T Act the governor waffled and said it needs to be modified. Bailey said he agreed with 99% of the Illinois states attorneys who say it needs to be repealed.

Throughout the debate Darren Bailey was alert and gave answers that were straightforward and sincere. Pritzker had a well-rehearsed narrative that was not compelling.

The governor said he had balanced the budget but Bailey pointed out that he did so with federal funds. Baileys plan to economize is the most logical since if spending is not curtailed then taxes must go up, no matter what they tell you. At some point your common sense must overcome the rhetoric and you realize that things have to change if Illinois is to remain viable.

Id say you can trust Darren Bailey.

Glen Mitan, Schaumburg
After weeks of scrutiny and review of applications, Globe Productions Limited, organizers of the Ghana Business Summit, Exhibition and Awards have shortlisted 60 individuals and organisations for this year's awards.



The event which marks the fifth-anniversary celebration of the awards comes off this Friday, October 28, 2022, at the Kempinski Gold Coast City Hotel in Accra.



Considered a benchmark of excellence, the event has arguably been the biggest and most prestigious gathering of businesses and business owners in Ghana.



Theme



Themed "Promoting Investment in Ghana and Africa," the award is supervised by a team of technical experts (Awarding Board) and independent consultants.



The criteria for shortlisting successful nominees' were based on some key performance indicators (KPIs) in the standards of excellence, including information technology, innovation, competitive pricing and healthy practices.



Categories



The award categories are modelled to recognise industry players and businesses that have stood out, and made significant contributions to the business sector and the economy at large.



Some of the award categories that promise to be the toast of the night are the awards for Company of the Year, Personality of the Year, CEO of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year, with the honorary Life Time Achievement and Woman of Excellence awards going to Mr Ishmael Yamson and Prof Elsie Kaufman respectively.



The ceremony which is being organised in partnership with the World Leader Summit, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and the Institute of Directors (IoD), with support from the Graphic Communications Group Limited and Media General seeks to promote business excellence nationally and internationally, and as well as provide an unparalleled opportunity for networking among industry players.



It would recognise and reward excellence across all sectors of industry in Ghana and provide a platform for individuals and companies that played significant roles in the growth and development of the business sector.



The event which is being chaired by Madam Samia Nkrumah and Rev Dr Joyce Aryee would have the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr Awal Mohammed as the guest speaker.



In attendance are the Spanish and United States Ambassadors to Ghana, Mr Javier Gutierrez and Madam Virginia E. Palmer, as well as Mr Charles Abani, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, and Mr Sugandh Rajaram, the Indian High Commissioner to Ghana.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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B5 Plus Limited, the largest steel manufacturing company in Ghana has bagged eleven awards so far this year for its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and investments.



At the recent GIPC awards, the company was ranked among the top hundred companies in the country and scooped the national brand's innovation and manufacturing brand of the year awards at the National Top Brands Awards.



It was named the best accounts and finance company of the year at the GAF Awards as well as the outstanding business in manufacturing and fabrication award at the just-ended ARCE Awards and the metal manufacturing company of the year at the Ghana international products awards.



At the ninth edition of the Iconic Iron and Steel Brand Awards, B5 Plus Limited was named one of the top made-in-Ghana iconic brands and the best manufacturing brand of the year in steel at the Ghana Corporate Brand Awards.



The Chief Executive officer of the company, Mukesh Thakwani was adjudged the winner in the category of Entrepreneurship and Nation Building Honour Award at the second edition of the National Governance and Business Leadership awards.



During this years Ghana Business Standard Awards, B5 Plus Limited came to the best steel manufacturing company of the year and clinched the company of the decade at the Governance and Business Leadership Awards.



Speaking to the media after winning all these awards, Mukesh Thakwani said, B5 Plus keeps striving for the best and we very thankful to our client base and without them it will not be possible, B5 Plus believes in giving quality services of all the steel products to every Ghanaian and to the whole West Africa market.



At B5 Plus, we have expanded our production facility, we are looking forward to having our products across all African markets.



 We are very glad to receive different awards, its about our products award, National top brands, Corporate awards and we have received GIPC Club 100 award as well.



He believes the awards will encourage them to work harder as the company target to take over the West African market as soon as possible.



 We are really thankful to GIPC, like I always say every award keeps you on your toes and especially coming from the government authorities, it is very important to say that we are bringing progress to the economy in our little way and at the same time being a tax compliant making sure that we are here to deliver the best quality goods at a competitive rate to the whole Ghanaian market and to the west African market and to the west African market and to the west African market and with that after we are sure of making a huge impact in the other African market as well.



On what the B5 Plus brand stands for, the astute businessman said, I think the B5 Plus Brand itself has made a name in the steel industry of Ghana across all the sectors whether you talk about fabricators, projects, mining industry or oil and gas, anyone related to steel, we are very proud to say that B5 Plus has become the brand name in every household related steel.



 We want to take this name to the whole of Africa, we are very proud to say that today B5 Plus has produced a state-of-the-art engineering facility, so you get all your product right here delivered to your doorstep whether you want factory, tanks or the Mall, we can build it right here in the required time with the quality with a competitive rate.



He seized the opportunity to plead with Ghanaians to continue purchasing locally made products, especially now that the cedi is rapidly falling against other major foreign currencies.



Support made in Ghana, this is the time we are seeing that the foreign currency is really more important so how we can save the currency, so this is the best way that we all should support made in Ghana initiatives and believe in Ghana products, today we are ISO certified, CUC Net from Germany and a host of others which shows that as for quality we dont compliance and we deliver the best, he added





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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The founder of a steel manufacturing company -B5 Plus Limited, Mukesh Thakwani has said Ghana is the best destination for doing business in West Africa.



According to the astute Indian businessman, even though Ghana is a perfect location in doing business, the sudden fall of the Ghanaian cedi is affecting businesses greatly, especially the manufacturing sector.



He believes the rapid fall of the Ghanaian cedi against other major foreign currencies can kick investors out of the country which could affect the countrys economy.



In an interview, the multiple award-winning business leaders pleaded with the government to as soon as possible roll out measures to stabilize the cedi to revitalize the countrys falling economy.



Ghana is a great place to do Business and we are very optimistic about it , yes we are going through alot of challenging times but am sure that with time government will be able to solve the current exchange issues and we will be moving forward positively, so we believe in Ghana and we are sure that we will be able to come out of it and come as better Ghana.



The Ghana cedi continued its free fall, losing value twice within a day to sell at 14.50 to one US dollar. This translated to 5.45% depreciation in a day and 17.5% in four days of the week.



Meanwhile, as part of moves to stabilize the depreciating Ghanaian cedi against major foreign currencies, the Bank of Ghana On Tuesday, October 25 held a meeting with the Managing Directors of banks and some forex bureaux in Accra.



The meeting was also part of efforts by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to halt the overpricing taking place in Accra.

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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. . . .To Educate 50,000 Youths And Provide Tech Training/Scholarships To Over 1,000 Youth Across Africa





Binance Charity, the philanthropic arm of Binance, the worlds leading cryptocurrency and blockchain infrastructure provider has partnered with Utiva, a technology education company in Africa that helps young people learn tech skills. The new partnership is set to educate 50,000 young people in technology and provide scholarships for 1,000 Africans in a 1-year intensive skill training program.



The education program is aimed at young people (18 - 35) from over 19 countries across Africa. It consists of virtual workshops, which will run every weekend over the next 12 months, where students will learn tech skills and access virtual mentoring as a part of the project design.



Additionally, students who partake in the training will have access to fully funded year-long scholarships, which will provide access to Utivas top technology skill training for free. The collaboration aims to build a path for economic prosperity for the continent through skill training and access to vast job opportunities in the technology and Web3 sectors.



We believe the benefits and vast opportunities of Web3 must be accessible to all. Advancing tech education and professional training are critical to making this happen. Were proud to be partnering with Utiva, to engage the youth across Africa as we support the continent's next generation of industry shapers, said Helen Hai, Head of Binance Charity.



Launched at the Utiva office in Lagos Nigeria on Thursday, October 20, 2022, the workshop hosted about 50 young people who will be a part of the first cohort of people that will access the fully-funded training and sponsorship.



Africans are talented and hardworking but most times, the constraints of resources can be a major limiting factor when pursuing a laudable aspiration like moving into technology. We are super excited that Binance Charity understands the African pain point and has partnered with us at Utiva to help thousands of Africans and break the barrier to entry for many, said Eyitayo Ogunmola, CEO of Utiva.



At the launch workshop, students took part in a 4-hour training on Blockchain Technology and Software Development. This is the beginning of a 12-month commitment to the educational program.



Maxwell Maxwell, one of the students said, It was my aspiration to learn Data Science but I have always been limited by financial constraints. Now, my dreams are close to being fulfilled.



This initiative is part of the wider Binance Scholar Program launched earlier this year and now has active projects in Ukraine, South Africa, France, and Brazil. The initiative is enabling the next generation of digital leaders to develop their skills, knowledge, and experience without financial barriers.

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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Blessed Clementina R/C Basic School, Ashiaman, has commemorated its 30th anniversary with a series of events which saw the active participation of past and present staff and students.



Speaking at a grand durbar to mark the milestone, the Headmistress of the school, Agnes Abigail Tweneboah Kodua, expressed joy at the successes the school has attained. As an institution, we have worked extremely hard, since our founding, to educate the whole child, taking into account their cognitive, spiritual, and physical development, she stated.



The Headmistress reserved special commendation for the Parent and Teachers Association (PTA, which she says has been crucial in providing needed infrastructure. The infrastructure includes a well-equipped Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) lab, equipped wiith about 15 desktop computers and other accessories.



When I took over as headmistress, we lacked some of these facilities but thanks to the PTA team, we now have one that has been renovated and is well-equipped. Additionally, we now have whiteboards in the classroom. We have given thousands of kids a foundation for academic and social success as a school, and we still do so today, the educationist said.



She added that the founder's dedication and hard work as well as that of its current and former teachers has ensured that the school has become one of the top elementary schools in the Ashaiman area, topping its peers in academics, sports, and discipline.



The school was established with the aim of giving holistic training and development to the children of the parishioners and now to the whole Ashaiman community. Since the schools inception, we have been the eye of basic schools in Ashaiman be it in academics, sports, and all around. Every year as a public school we excel in BECE, we get at least more than four pupils come out with flying colours every year, Mrs. Tweneboah Kodua noted.



As part of the festivities, former students made charitable donations to the school, in a bid to enhance teaching and learning. Other activities included repainting the entire school block to give it a facelift, as well as distributing sanitation supplies like veronica buckets, tissues, and sanitisers to the schools to improve general sanitation.



Located in Ashaiman, a suburb of Accra, Blessed Clementina was established as a private catholic school in September 1989 with the goal of educating children of the parishioners. To meet the educational needs of wards in the township and beyond, the school was later integrated into the general public mainstream in September 1992.

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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The world faces "probably the most dangerous" decade since the end of World War Two, Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned.



In a wide-ranging speech on Thursday, he sought to justify Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a move that has left his country internationally isolated.



Mr Putin also accused the West of nuclear blackmail against Russia to force allies to turn away from Moscow.



The West has denounced recent veiled nuclear threats by the Kremlin.



Earlier this week, the Nato military alliance condemned unsubstantiated claims by Russia that Ukraine might use a "dirty bomb" - conventional explosives laced with radioactive material.



Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said alliance members "reject this allegation" and "Russia must not use it as a pretext for escalation".



President Putin was speaking to the annual Valdai forum after a series of recent military defeats in Ukraine and growing public anger at home over a drive to mobilise some 300,000 Russians for the war effort.



The day before his address in Moscow, he had overseen routine nuclear exercises that involved a supposed nuclear strike in retaliation for an enemy's massive nuclear attack. "We've never proactively said anything about Russia's possible use of nuclear weapons. We've only responded with hints to comments voiced by the leaders of Western countries," he told his audience.



President Putin singled out former UK prime minister Liz Truss for suggesting during an August campaign event that she would be ready to press the nuclear button if circumstances required her to do so. He said he was surprised the UK's allies did not object: "What were we supposed to do? Keep silent? Pretend that we didn't hear it?"



However, he has himself repeatedly warned that Russia would use "all available means" to protect itself, in what has been widely seen as a clear nuclear threat.



US President Joe Biden accused the Russian leader of engaging in "very dangerous" rhetoric around the potential use of nuclear weapons.



"Why is he talking about the ability to use a tactical nuclear weapon?" Mr Biden asked during an interview with US media. "If he has no intention, why does he keep talking about it?"



He repeated his recent attacks on the West, and what he called its "dangerous, bloody and dirty game" of denying countries their sovereignty and uniqueness. The West's "undivided dominance" over world affairs was now coming to an end, he asserted.



"We're at a historical frontier. Ahead is probably the most dangerous, unpredictable and at the same time important decade since the end of World War Two."



The West was no more able to be in charge - but was "desperately trying" to do so. He said a "future world order is being formed before our eyes", and accused the West, led by the US, of trying to destroy Russia. No evidence was provided to back up his claims.









Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Boeing forecasts demand for 8,485 new commercial airplanes in China over 20 years

Xinhua) 08:55, October 28, 2022

A plane of SF Airlines Co., Ltd. takes off at Bao'an International Airport in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

BEIJING, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's growing economy will fuel the growth of its civil air transport and boost demand for 8,485 new commercial airplanes over the next 20 years, said Boeing's latest market forecast released in Beijing on Thursday.

This new commercial airplane demand from China's market is valued at around 1.5 trillion U.S. dollars, said the Boeing 2022 Commercial Market Outlook for China.

These new commercial airplanes will include both passenger aircraft and freighters.

Over the next two decades, more than one fifth of new commercial airplane deliveries globally will serve China's civil aviation market, said the forecast.

Boeing forecasts that China's commercial airplane fleet will more than double over 20 years as the demand for air travel and air freight will continue to trend upwards.

China's booming air cargo market, sustained by the ever-increasing e-commerce sector, is expected to see its freighter fleet reach more than 800 airplanes through 2041, said the forecast.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Photo: The Canadian Press Investigators work outside the home of Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Paul Pelosi, was attacked and severely beaten by an assailant with a hammer who broke into their San Francisco home early Friday, according to people familiar with the investigation

UPDATE 5:50 p.m.

The man accused of breaking into U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's California home and attacking her husband with a hammer graduated from Pleasant Valley Senior Secondary School in Armstrong.

The Globe and Mail reports David dePape split his adolescence between the Sunshine Coast in Powell River and in Armstrong, B.C.

The accused attackers stepfather Gene dePape told the Globe and Mail David was an antisocial teen who preferred video games over the outdoors.

He ended up in the North Okanagan when Gene and Davids mother split, and the mother moved with the children to Armstrong. While David returned to Powell River for most of his high school years, he ended up graduating from Pleasant Valley Senior Secondary School in Armstrong in 1998.

UPDATE 5 p.m.

The man accused of breaking into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's California home and severely beating her husband with a hammer appears to have made racist and often rambling posts online, including some that questioned the results of the 2020 election, defended former President Donald Trump and echoed QAnon conspiracy theories.

David DePape, 42, grew up in Powell River, British Columbia, before leaving about 20 years ago to follow an older girlfriend to San Francisco. A street address listed for DePape in the Bay Area college town of Berkeley led to a post office box at a UPS Store.

DePape was arrested at the Pelosi home early Friday. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said she expected to file multiple felony charges, including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and elder abuse.

Stepfather Gene DePape said the suspect had lived with him in Canada until he was 14 and had been a quiet boy.

David was never violent that I seen and was never in any trouble although he was very reclusive and played too much video games," Gene DePape said.

He said he hasnt seen his stepson since 2003 and tried to get in touch with him several times over the years without success.

In 2007, I tried to get in touch but his girlfriend hung up on me when I asked to talk to him, Gene DePape said.

David DePape was known in Berkeley as a pro-nudity activist who had picketed naked at protests against local ordinances requiring people to be clothed in public.

Gene DePape said the girlfriend whom his son followed to California was named Gypsy and they had two children together. DePape also has a child with a different woman, his stepfather said.

Photographs published by The San Francisco Chronicle on Friday identified DePape frolicking nude outside city hall with dozens of others at the 2013 wedding of pro-nudity activist Gypsy Taub, who was marrying another man. Taub did not respond Friday to calls or emails.

A 2013 article in The Chronicle described David DePape as a hemp jewelry maker who lived in a Victorian flat in Berkeley with Taub, who hosted a talk show on local public-access TV called Uncensored 9/11, in which she appeared naked and pushed conspiracy theories that the 2001 terrorist attacks were an inside job.

A pair of web blogs posted in recent months online under the name David DePape contained rants about technology, aliens, communists, religious minorities, transexuals and global elites.

An Aug. 24 entry titled Q, displayed a scatological collection of memes that included photos of the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and made reference to QAnon, the baseless pro-Trump conspiracy theory that espouses the belief that the country is run by a deep state cabal of child sex traffickers, satanic pedophiles and baby-eating cannibals.

Big Brother has deemed doing your own research as a thought crime, read a post that appeared to blend references to QAnon with George Orwells dystopian novel 1984.

In an Aug. 25 entry titled Gun Rights, the poster wrote: You no longer have rights. Your basic human rights hinder Big Brothers ability to enslave and control you in a complete and totalizing way.

The Associated Press

ORIGINAL 2:30 p.m.

A man with a B.C. connection is alleged to have attacked US house speaker Nancy Pelosis husband Paul.

According to an online account from CNN, David DePape, 42, was identified by police on October 28 as the suspect in the assault on Pelosi at the familys San Francisco home.

A call was placed by Glacier Media to Gene DePape, Davids stepfather, who lives and works in Powell River region. Gene was not reached directly, but an unidentified woman on the phone indicated that Gene was trying to make contact with police in San Francisco and would not be commenting until hed had a conversation regarding the arrest.

According to the CNN account, Gene stated that David grew up in Powell River and left Canada about 20 years ago to pursue a relationship that brought him to California.

Glacier Media has also reached out to the suspects uncle, Mark DePape, but has not heard back.

David, according to CNN, had extensive social media posts, including Facebook, which has taken down the account. The Facebook account apparently had links that David had posted with links to videos about the 2020 US election, and websites claiming COVID-19 vaccines were deadly., according to CNN.

CNN also stated that David had posted links to YouTube videos regarding the January 6, 2021 riot on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

DePape is in custody in San Francisco.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has taken an exception to a Supreme Court ruling that struck out as unconstitutional a law on the licence to grow cannabis in Ghana.



He said the apex court, in the case of Ezuame Mannan vs Attorney-General, struck out Section 43 of the Narcotic Control Commission Act 2020 (Act 1019) without hearing from us.



In his view, he as the Speaker of Parliament had no knowledge of that suit yet the Supreme Court delivered a judgement on the case.



If the Speaker is a party to a suit, at least the Speaker should be served but there was no service on us, he said.



The Supreme Court in July 2022 declared as unconstitutional a section of the Narcotic Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019) which allows licence to be granted to an entity to cultivate a small quantity of cannabis, popularly referred to as "wee" in Ghana for industrial and medicinal purposes.



In a 4-3 majority decision on Wednesday (July 28, 2022), a seven-member panel of the apex court held that Section 43 of Act 1019 violated Article 106 of the 1992 Constitution, which details the processes a bill must go through before it is passed into law by Parliament, and was therefore null and void.



The plaintiff's action succeeds. Accordingly, Section 43 of the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019) is thereby declared null and void and struck out as unconstitutional as it contravenes the letter and spirit of the Constitution, 1992, particularly Article 106 (2) (a) (b), (5) and (6) thereof, the court held.



The case which culminated in the judgment was filed by one Ezuame Mannan against the Attorney-General.



Justices on the majority side were Justices Jones Dotse, Clemence Jackson Honyenuga, Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu and Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi.



Justices Nene Amegatcher, Prof Nii Ashie Kotey and Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu dissented.



What the law says



Section 43 of Act 1019 stipulates that the Minister on the recommendation of the Commission, may grant a licence for the cultivation of cannabis popularly referred to as "wee" in Ghana, which is not more than 0.3 % THC content on a dry weight basis for industrial purposes for obtaining fibre or seed for medicinal purposes.



Article 106 of the 1992 Constitution which is titled Mode of Exercising Legislative Powers deals with the processes a bill must go through before it can be passed into law by Parliament.



Article 106 (2) states that No bill, other than such a bill as is referred to in paragraph (a) of Article 108 of this constitution, shall be introduced in parliament unless -



(a) it is accompanied by an explanatory memorandum setting out in detail the policy and principles of the bill, the defects of the existing law, the remedies proposed to deal with those defects and the necessity for its introduction,



(b) it has been published in the Gazette at least fourteen days before the date of its introduction in Parliament



Article 106(5) of the 1992 Constitution states that where a bill has been deliberated upon by the appropriate committee, it shall be reported to Parliament, while Article 106 (6) stipulates that the report of the committee, together with the explanatory memorandum to the bill, shall form the basis for a full debate on the bill for its passage, with or without amendments, or its rejection, by Parliament.



Speaker Bagbin's concern about not being served



No service



Addressing Parliament on the floor Thursday, October 27, 2022, Mr Bagbin said There was no service on us [Parliament] and maybe the Attorney-General assumed that responsibility without consulting us and the Supreme Court proceeded to give some judgement.



I think something is amiss and we have to rectify it, the Speaker stated.



"We should be heard"



The Speaker said it must be known that it was not in all cases that the Attorney-General was sufficiently empowered to represent Parliament in the court.



To avert such development, he said the Parliamentary Service Board had engaged two law firms to assist Parliament in legal matters.



Mr Bagbin, however, directed the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and the Leader of the House, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, to inform the Attorney-General about the matter.



If there are any further need for further discussion, we are available to do so but we must do something to close this gap of miscommunication and get inputs from Parliament



When there are matters before the court having some impact or effect on what we do here, we should be heard, the Speaker added.



Reasons for judgement



On August 12, 2022, the Supreme Court held that it struck out the law on licence to grow cannabis because Parliament was not transparent in its passage.



The court held there was no debate in Parliament on it before its passage into law as stipulated by Articles 106 (5) (6) of the 1992 Constitution.



Again, the apex court considered that the explanatory memorandum attached to the bill placed before Parliament did not set out in details the policy change, the defects in the existing law, and the necessity to introduce a law to licence the cultivation of cannabis.



Such an omission, the court held, was a violation of Article 106 (2) of the 1992 Constitution.



In view of the said violations, the court held that Section 43 of the Narcotic Control Commission Act 2020 (Act 1019) was unconstitutional.



The mode of introduction of Section 43 of Act 1019 violates the letter and spirit of the Constitution. Accordingly, Section 43 is hereby struck out as unconstitutional.



The lack of debate on Section 43 of Act 1019 amounts to not only a direct violation of the letter of Article 106 of the Constitution, but also a violation of the spirit of the law.



There was conspicuously, no debate over such a critical shift in policy by Parliament. Needless to say, this conduct and mode of law-making defeats the transparency and accountability enjoined by the Constitution, the court held.



Section 43 of Act 1019 allows the Minister of Interior, upon the recommendation of the Narcotics Control Commission, to grant an entity the licence to cultivate cannabis of not more than 0.3 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content for industrial and medicinal purposes.



Background



Ghana initiated processes to permit the farming or cultivation of cannabis or Indian hemp "wee" under license.



In 2020, some countries in Africa through their national legislations decided to permit the cultivation and export of cannabis for medical and scientific purposes, with some other countries authorizing the use of cannabis for medical purposes.



Ghana, having passed the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019) joined these African countries in exploring the purported prospects in cannabis.



The Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019), which was passed by Parliament on March 20, 2020 and assented to by the President on May 11, 2020, have enshrined special provision relating to cannabis.



Section 43 of Act 1019 states that, the Minister, on the recommendation of the Commission, may grant a licence for the cultivation of cannabis which has not more than 0.3% THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) content on a dry weight basis for industrial purposes for obtaining fibre or seed or for medicinal purposes.







Source: Graphiconline









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Senior Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Kwame Asah Asante, has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to consider the demand of the Majority Caucus regarding the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu Boahen, Minister of State at the Finance Ministry.



Over 80 Members of Parliament of the New Patriotic Party have asked the President to dismiss the two Ministers.



According to Subin MP, Eugene Boakye Antwi, the Finance Minister is "experimenting with this country and we've had enough".



He fumed that if the President refuses to "let Ken Ofori-Atta go, we are going to boycott all government business in Parliament".



Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the MPs stressed "if our request is not responded to positively, we will not be present for the budget hearing, neither will we participate in the debate".



Giving his political insight on the matter during Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", Dr. Asah Asante stated that the President not paying attention to the MPs will have serious consequences.



He noted that if the President fails to listen to the aggrieved MPs, he will jeopardize the fortunes of his party.



He elucidated it will create a situation where the constituents in NPP strongholds will vote "skirt and blouse" which will adversely affect the party's representation in Parliament and also a situation that will badly affect the NPP in the 2024 elections.



Furthermore, the party will lose its credibility and integrity.



"This is the time for the President to listen to what the party members are saying, those 80 people. It will help him," he said.



He added it may also lead to a situation where "they (NPP MPs) will demonstrate" against President Nana Akufo-Addo by "uniting with the Minority to pass a vote of censure to remove the Finance Minister. This will bring disgrace to the party and also weaken it".







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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District Chief Executive (DCE) for Amansie South District, Clement Opoku Gyamfi says the calls by some NPP Members of Parliament for the head of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, is a show of democratic maturity.



Over eighty (80) members of the Majority Caucus have signed a petition to the President to relieve of Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu Boahen, Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, of their positions.



They have threatened to boycott government business in Parliament should the President fail to honour their request.



Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the MPs said; if our request is not responded to positively, we will not be present for the budget hearing, neither will we participate in the debate.



Eugene Boakye Antwi, the Member of Parliament for Subin MP and a leading member of the proponents for Mr. Ofori-Atta and Adu Boahen's dismissal, in an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme also says if the President refuses to "remove Ken, he should add Parliament to the Execuitve and rule Ghana with Ken Ofori-Atta".



Touching on the conduct of the MPs, the Amansie South DCE was happy that there can be a situation where Members of Parliament on the ticket of a ruling party can freely express their minds.



"This shows that our democracy is growing. For a majority group in Parliament, forming government, and if from within the government emerges its Members of Parliament coming out to hold a press conference" against it, then it means "we are indeed practicing democracy," he stated.







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.
Former President John Mahama is wondering why the ruling government is centering the IMF talks and the 2023 budget presentation on 'one person' when it claims to "have the men".



His comment comes on the back of a meeting held between President Akufo-Addo and the majority caucus after their demand for Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to be axed.



It may be recalled that over 80 NPP MPs demanded that the Finance Minister and the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen be sacked for their inability to deal with current economic woes.



But in a meeting on Tuesday, the President asked that Ofori Atta be allowed to conclude talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and also present the 2023 Budget Statement of government in November.



Speaking to this at a lecture on the economy on Thursday, Mr Mahama described this as "untenable".



"Budget preparation and IMF negotiations are the result of teamwork, not the work of one individual. I fail to see how the absence of the Minister will affect the preparation of the budget or the negotiations with the Fund".



He continued: "There surely must be persons with the requisite experience to carry on this work. After all, what happened to the We have the men mantra?"







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 Progressive Peoples Party(PPP) has watched, listened and analysed the recent events in the Country as it relates to the present impasse in Government and have the following to contribute.



The Progressive Peoples Party have argued that Members of Parliament should not become appointees of the Executive as Ministers of State, Members of Government Boards or holders of any other public office. We should amend article 78 and prevent Ministers from becoming MPs and vice versa. Strict separation of the Executive from the Legislature will improve our Governance system. We are of the view that this will strengthen Parliaments ability to check the excessive powers of the Executive as exist in the current Constitution. People contest to become Members of Parliament only to catch the eye of the Executive to gain an appointment to hold offices. The real work of Parliament then becomes a secondary matter.



This view has been shared by many including the Present Speaker of Parliament Rt. Honorable Albin Bagbin, Immediate past Speaker, Honorable Professor Mike Ocquaye, present Majority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah and Minority Leader, Honorable Haruna Iddrisu, & Honorable Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom.



There is a general acceptance that the system in its present form does not work. It would be routine for the Executive to respect the Legislature in decision making and ensure good governance for the people when article 78 is amended. This has not been the case as the Executive continues to have its way without any meaningful opposition from Parliament as a whole with particular reference to the Majority. The Majority leader is appointed by the President as a Minister for Parliamentary affairs. How can he pose as a real independent leader against Government affairs for which he is a part of and sits in cabinet. This is an anomaly.



It takes extraordinary moments in time for Parliamentarians (as a collective) to become awaken to their responsibilities of checking the excesses of the Executive.



Case in point is a recent pronouncement by 80 majority members giving ultimatum to President Nana Akuffo Addo to sack the Finance Minister and Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance. They state that the President must sack his cousin the Finance Minister for mismanaging the economy of Ghana among other charges. Failure to do so, the group claim they will not approve matters relating to Government business and therefore the budget. Is it because the executive has not listened nor accepted an earlier call from same majority side of Parliament for the President to reshuffle his Ministerial team including the Finance Minister?



The PPP wish to remind Ghanaians that such a situation happened during the Third Republican Parliament of Ghana in 1980. The then Parliament refused to pass a budget presented by Professor George Benneh, the then Minister for Finance under Hilla Limanns PNP Administration. Parliament was made up of 140 members. The PNP had 71 seats, PFP 42 seats, UNC 13 seats, ACP 10 seats, SDF 3 seats and 1 Independent candidate. (Notice how Ghanaians were more tolerate of other political parties. To be revisited at another time). The total seats in opposition were 69 seats. Clearly, the majority had the numbers to pass the budget. However, the budget presented was rejected by Parliament.



The rejection of that budget set sail a series of negative activities which brought further hardship on Ghanaians until we entered into the 4th Republican Constitution.



The PPP wish to remind Ghanaians that the Constitution needs to be reviewed to limit the unbridled power of the Executive. It will also allow Leaders to take decisions early enough as to not put us at dangerous crossroads.



Failure to deal with the present impasse in a timely manner can take Ghana down a very dark and dangerous road. Ghana does not need a 5th Republican Constitution.

Source: Progressive Peoples Party









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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Former Head of Monitoring Unit at the Forestry Commission, Charles Owusu, has expressed his dissatisfication with President Nana Akufo-Addo's response to the Majority Caucus over their request for the removal of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.



Over eighty (80) Members of Parliament of the New Patriotic Party have petitioned the President to dismiss the Finance Minister and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen.



But the President, in a meeting with the aggrieved MPs, has asked them to wait till Mr. Ofori-Atta seals Ghana's deal for financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).



Tackling the issue during Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, Charles Owusu took the President's assurance to the MPs with a pinch of salt.



According to him, the President's statement is just "a nice way to tell the Parliamentarians that I have listened to you but I won't do it".



He wondered what Mr. Ofori-Atta can do in three weeks if he couldn't do it in six years to transform the economy.



"If the 2024 elections are held and the NPP wins, will Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta continue to be the Finance Minister of Ghana?...Someone who has been in government for six (6) good years, if he couldn't do everything he must do in 6 years, what can he do in three (3) weeks?...What change will three weeks bring?", he asked.



Charles Owusu couldn't "understand why it should be difficult" for the President to remove Ken Ofori-Atta "when Ghanaians and members of his party are calling for the removal of this man" as he stressed "this country will still be governed should Akufo-Addo die today".



Making reference to a biblical account on the freedom of the people of Israel from Egypt, he cautioned President Akufo-Addo not to harden his heart concerning the calls for removing the Finance Minister.



"Pharoah hardened his heart not to let the people of God go and his end resulted in death", he warned the President.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Bar-tailed godwits stand on the beach at Marion Bay in Australia's Tasmania state on Feb. 17, 2018. A young bar-tailed godwit appears to have set a non-stop distance record for migratory birds by flying at least 13,560 kilometers (8,435 miles) from Alaska to the Australian state of Tasmania, a bird expert said Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Credit: Eric Woehler via AP

A young bar-tailed godwit appears to have set a non-stop distance record for migratory birds by flying at least 13,560 kilometers (8,435 miles) from Alaska to the Australian state of Tasmania, a bird expert said Friday.

The bird was tagged as a hatchling in Alaska during the Northern Hemisphere summer with a tracking GPS chip and tiny solar panel that enabled an international research team to follow its first annual migration across the Pacific Ocean, BirdLife Tasmania convenor Eric Woehler said. Because the bird was so young, its gender wasn't known.

Aged about five months, it left southwest Alaska at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta on Oct. 13 and touched down 11 days later at Ansons Bay on the island of Tasmania's northeastern tip on Oct. 24, according to data from Germany's Max Planck Institute for Ornithology. The research has yet to be published or peer reviewed.

The bird started on a southwestern course toward Japan then turned southeast over Alaska's Aleutian Islands, a map published by New Zealand's Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre shows.

The bird was again tracking southwest when it flew over or near Kiribati and New Caledonia, then past the Australian mainland before turning directly west for Tasmania, Australia's most southerly state. The satellite trail showed it covered 13,560 kilometers (8,435 miles) without stopping.

"Whether this is an accident, whether this bird got lost or whether this is part of a normal pattern of migration for the species, we still don't know," said Woehler, who is part of the research project.

Guinness World Records lists the longest recorded migration by a bird without stopping for food or rest as 12,200 kilometers (7,580 miles) by a satellite-tagged male bar-tailed godwit flying from Alaska to New Zealand.

Bar-tailed godwits fly over Marion Bay in Australia's Tasmania state on Dec. 27, 2013. A young bar-tailed godwit appears to have set a non-stop distance record for migratory birds by flying at least 13,560 kilometers (8,435 miles) from Alaska to the Australian state of Tasmania, a bird expert said Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Credit: Eric Woehler via AP

That flight was recorded in 2020 as part of the same decade-old research project, which also involves China's Fudan University, New Zealand's Massey University and the Global Flyway Network.

The same bird broke its own record with a 13,000-kilometer (8,100-mile) flight on its next migration last year, researchers say. But Guinness has yet to acknowledge that feat.

Woehler said researchers did not know whether the latest bird, known by its satellite tag 234684, flew alone or as part of a flock.

"There are so few birds that have been tagged, we don't know how representative or otherwise this event is," Woehler said.

"It may be that half the birds that do the migration from Alaska come to Tasmania directly rather than through New Zealand or it might be 1%, or it might be that this is the first it's ever happened," he added.

Adult birds depart Alaska earlier than juveniles, so the tagged bird was unlikely to have followed more experienced travelers south, Woehler said.

Woehler hopes to see the bird once wet weather clears in the remote corner of Tasmania, where it will fatten up having lost half its body weight on its journey.

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Illinois researchers led an international team that combined powerful AI and a molecule-making machine to find the best conditions for automated complex chemistry. Pictured, from left: University of Illinois chemistry professor Martin D. Burke, materials science and engineering professor Charles M. Schroeder, graduate student Nicholas Angello and postdoctoral researcher Vandana Rathore. Pictured on the screen behind them are international collaborators, led by professors Bartosz A. Grzybowski and Alan Aspuru-Guzik. Credit: Fred Zwicky, University of Illinois

Artificial intelligence, "building-block" chemistry and a molecule-making machine teamed up to find the best general reaction conditions for synthesizing chemicals important to biomedical and materials researcha finding that could speed innovation and drug discovery as well as make complex chemistry automated and accessible.

With the machine-generated optimized conditions, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and collaborators in Poland and Canada doubled the average yield of a special, hard-to-optimize type of reaction linking carbon atoms together in pharmaceutically important molecules. The researchers say their system provides a platform that also could be used to find general conditions for other classes of reactions and solutions for similarly complex problems. They reported their findings in the journal Science.

"Generality is critical for automation, and thus making molecular innovation accessible even to nonchemists," said study co-leader Dr. Martin D. Burke, an Illinois professor of chemistry and of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, as well as a medical doctor. "The challenge is the haystack of possible reaction conditions is astronomical, and the needle is hidden somewhere inside. By leveraging the power of artificial intelligence and building-block chemistry to create a feedback loop, we were able to shrink the haystack. And we found the needle."

Automated synthesis machines for proteins and nucleic acids such as DNA have revolutionized research and chemical manufacturing in those fields, but many chemicals of importance for pharmaceutical, clinical, manufacturing and materials applications are small molecules with complex structures, the researchers say.

Burke's group has pioneered the development of simple chemical building blocks for small molecules. His lab also developed an automated molecule-making machine that snaps together the buildings blocks to create a wide range of possible structures.

However, general reaction conditions to make the automated process broadly applicable have remained elusive.

"Traditionally, chemists customize the reaction conditions for each product they are trying to make," Burke said. "The problem is that this is a slow and very specialist-dependent process, and very hard to automate because the machine would have to be optimized every time. What we really want are conditions that work almost every time, no matter what two things you're trying to snap together."

An automated approach with generalized conditions could help standardize how some products are made, addressing the problem of reproducibility, said Illinois postdoctoral researcher Vandana Rathore, a co-first author of the study.

Burke's group teamed up with a group led by Bartosz A. Grzybowski at the Polish Academy of Sciences' Institute for Organic Chemistry, as well as the group of Alan Aspuru-Guzik at the University of Toronto, both leaders in using artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve chemical synthesis. The team integrated AI with the molecule machine to provide real-time feedback to the machine-learning system.

"To distinguish good and bad you need to know something about the bad, but people only publish the successes," Grzybowski said. Published studies reflect conditions that are popular or convenient, rather than the best, so a systematic approach that included diverse data and negative results was necessary, he said.

First, the team ran the entire matrix of possible combinations using the building-block chemistry through an algorithm to group together similar reactions. Then, the AI sent instructions, inputted to a machine in the Molecule Maker Lab located in the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at Illinois, to produce representative reactions from each cluster. The information from those reactions fed back into the model; the AI learned from the data and ordered more experiments from the molecule machine.

"We were looking to see two things: an increase in yield and a decrease in uncertainty, for a broad spectrum of reactions," said Grzybowski, who now is at Ulsan Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea. "This loop continued without us having to intervene until the problem was solved. Figuring out the generalized conditions for protein-synthesis machines took 30 years. This took us two months."

The process identified conditions that doubled the average yield of a challenging class of reactions, called heteroaryl Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, crucial for many biological and materials-relevant compounds.

"There are all kinds of building block combinations that we didn't even study in our AI training, but because the AI had explored such a diverse space, it found good results even in those initially unexplored areas," said Illinois graduate student Nicholas H. Angello, a co-first author of the study.

The machine-learning process described in the paper also could be applied to other broad areas of chemistry to find the best reaction conditions for other types of small molecules or even larger organic polymers, the researchers say.

"There are so many different materials classes that we want to know, target and discover for different functional properties. The extension possibility of this approach to other similar reaction chemistry, other types of carbon-carbon links, is exciting," said study co-author Charles M. Schroeder, an Illinois professor of materials science and engineering and chemical and biomolecular engineering, and a Beckman Institute affiliate.

More information: Nicholas H. Angello et al, Closed-loop optimization of general reaction conditions for heteroaryl Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, Science (2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.adc8743 Journal information: Science
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Australia holds an unenviable conservation status: it's the fourth-worst country in the world for species extinctions and is in the top three for critically endangered animals.

This week's Federal Budget included a $224 million allocation to help save threatened speciesnews that coincides with some concerning findings of a new paper authored by University of South Australia (UniSA) researchers.

A study led by UniSA conservation psychologist Dr. Elissa Pearson reveals overwhelming public ignorance of Australia's most threatened species, a factor that is contributing to the extinction crisis of endangered animals.

UniSA researchers, alongside colleagues from Zoos Victoria and Edith Cowan University, polled more than 300 zoo visitors and community members, testing their awareness of seven endangered species at risk of extinction within the next decade.

"More than 90 percent of those surveyed did not recognize six of the seven species; the exception being the Tasmanian devil," Dr. Pearson says.

The other species were the Leadbeater's possum, eastern barred bandicoot, helmeted honeyeater, southern corroboree frog, Lord Howe Island (LHI) stick insect, and orange-bellied parrot.

The Journal for Nature Conservation paper outlines a clear link between species recognition, likeability and conservation support, showing that people are far more inclined to donate toward conserving Australia's iconic koala, kangaroo and wombat populations, despite these not being endangered.

"There are huge gaps in community knowledge regarding native Australian wildlife, with less than eight percent of people able to correctly name six of seven endangered species when shown photographs.

"Apart from the Tasmanian devil, which 86 percent of people recognized, the level of familiarity and knowledge of our vulnerable species is limited. Misidentification is also common, particularly the eastern barred bandicoot which is often mistaken for a bilby."

The most likable Australian animalsthe koala and kangarooalso reflect the 'similarity principle', which suggests that people tend to prefer animals most like humans, and that when only a limited number of species can be conserved, mammals are favored over other species, regardless of their endangered status.

The helmeted honeyeater, southern corroboree frog and LHI stick insect were consistently the least liked species.

"Apart from the likeability factor, our study showed that being able to recognize species increased people's willingness to support their conservation, so that is a starting point we need to address."

Endangered insects are fighting an uphill battle for support, with 85 percent of people disliking them, putting their survival at most risk. However, this perception could be changed with some clever marketing initiatives, the researchers suggest.

"The LHI stick insect has some exceptional qualities, such as their resilience and survival against all odds, their ability to reproduce without males, their tendency to form large social groups during the day, or even the fact that their foot pads are heart shaped. If people knew these facts the likeability factor would likely shoot up," Dr. Pearson says.

More information: Elissa L. Pearson et al, Can we save Australia's endangered wildlife by increasing species recognition?, Journal for Nature Conservation (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126257 According to a 2018 ABC article, Australia has 40 extinct animal species and 106 critically endangered animals. OECD data on endangered animals as a percentage of threatened species can be found here: https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=WILD_LIFE
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Admirers of California's Sierra Nevada mountains are familiar with the swaths of blackened trees flanking its sprawling green forest ranges. A new University of California, Berkeley study quantifies that devastation, finding nearly a third of southern Sierra conifer forests have died in the last decade.

California has seen devastating bouts of drought and record-breaking wildfire events in the last several years. From 2011-2020, a combination of fire, drought and drought-related bark beetle infestations killed 30% of forests in the Sierra Nevada mountain range between Lake Tahoe and Kern County, according to the analysis.

"It's kind of a wake up call, even to those of us that are kind of steeped in this field," said Zackary Steel, lead author of the study. "We're moving from knowing this is a problem to quantifying the problem."

On top of the overall decline in total conifer forest in the region, half of mature forest habitat and 85% of high-density mature forests were either wiped out entirely or became low-density forests.

The study also found areas protected as habitat for the California spotted owl, an endangered bird at the center of a historic battle between environmental activists and the timber industry, saw worse declines in tree canopy than non-protected areas.

That finding led the study's authors to call for a rejection of traditional conservation methods that preserve forests as-is, before the loss of all mature forests in the Sierras. Using fire as a tool for landscape regeneration and removing low-lying vegetation can keep fires from becoming as devastating.

The research led by Steel analyzed a variety of Forest Service data on forest canopy, tree height and wildfire perimeters, and compared spotted owl protected area data gathered over nine years.

The Sierra Nevada region of California covers almost 27 million acres that provide habitat for thousands of wildlife species and is home to dozens of conifer species. Native redwoods are the world's tallest trees, giant sequoias are the world's widest, and the Great Basin bristlecone pine is the world's longest-living tree.

'Good fires'

Drought and wildfire are a natural, long-standing part of California's climate. But in the last decade of extreme drought across the West, combined with many of the state's largest wildfires, scientists have watched tree die-offs reach new heights.

Healthy forests support critical biodiversity and ecological function, like storing water that melts into our reservoirs. They also provide key carbon storage in our fight against the extreme weather dangers posed by climate change.

Historically, mature forests were more fire resistant. They were maintained by frequent low-severity "good fires" ignited by California's indigenous peoples for centuries predating colonization and statehood. Prescribed burns have become more common and legally protected by the California legislature.

In early statehood, clear cutting practices of the logging industry left young, regrowing forests less ecologically resilient to wildfire and beetle infestation. For most of the 20th century and after, management of forests heavily relied on fire suppression to avoid destructive and deadly conflagrations.

These practices, coupled with a warming climate, pose an "existential threat" to remaining mature forests, wrote study authors. Management must transition to prescribed burns and thinning lower parts of the forest to make natural fires less catastrophic, a perspective now widely held by subject experts.

"The ecological idea is not to take out trees just to take out trees," said Felicia Marcus, former head of the state water board now researching state climate policy at Stanford University. She hopes these and other findings accelerate forest management reform efforts in the state.

"If you take out enough of the smaller trees that snow can get through and hit the ground but you leave enough trees that it stays shaded, we'll be able to maybe slow the rate of loss of snowpack which is perhaps the number one threat to stability in California's water system," she said.

Fires that grow to hundreds of thousands of acres can be catastrophic to efforts to curb climate change. Researchers estimate that California's 2020 fire season effectively wiped out 18 years of carbon pollution reduction achieved by the state.

State and federal government agencies tasked with managing forestland are beginning to rethink old practices, and investing in wildfire resilience and forest health. According to the state legislative analyst, $900 million will go toward wildfire resilience over the next three years, with $240 million on forest health efforts like fuels reduction and prescribed fire.

J. Keith Gilless, chair of the state board of forestry and fire protection, said this kind of loss of large, mature trees in the Sierras is devastating. He is hopeful that state investments will pay off, but the task of reverting forests to what they used to be is going to take a long term shift.

"We need to be clear to the policymakers that this isn't something you go into with a one-shot infusion of money and it's solved," he said. "It's something where you've committed to moving to a different kind of landscape level management, that lets us truly deal with the natural hazard of wildfires."

2022 The Sacramento Bee.

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Thousands of dead and dying crustaceans were found along Teessides coastlines last year. Credit: FlorianKunde/Shutterstock

Thousands of dead and dying crabs and lobsters washed up along a 50km stretch of England's north-east coast last autumn. Observers reported seeing the animals experience peculiar behaviors including convulsions, before suffering paralysis and death.

An initial investigation conducted by the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, concluded that a harmful algal bloom was most likely responsible for the deaths. Autumnal phytoplankton blooms are a normal part of temperate marine ecosystems and can produce potent toxins that attack an animal's central nervous system. But such blooms typically don't lead to deaths on the scale seen.

The government's explanation has been contested by local fishermen. They believe recent intensive dredging has released industrial toxins, including pyridine, from the sediment of the River Tees.

As an industrial solvent, pyridine is used in a wide range of manufacturing processes. It is also a by-product of coking coal, a crucial input for steel production. The Tees area was home to both steel and chemical industries and the discharge of contaminated effluent into the river and surrounding wetlands has been common practice, often with minimal or no treatment.

Attempts to understand what caused these deaths has set traditional coastal industries on a collision course with the region's green growth aspirations.

I took part in efforts to determine what actually happened and whether pyridine could have caused the death of these crabs and lobsters. Using standard ecotoxicology methods, my research involved monitoring the behavior, physiology and survival of the crustaceans in carefully controlled pyridine solutions. It became clear to me that pyridine may have played a major role in the death of these animals.

The redevelopment of Teesside

As one of the UK's industrial heartlands, Teesside has been designated as a special economic zone, or freeport. The region will play a key role in the government's Levelling Up program and Clean Growth Strategy, including hosting the UK's first hydrogen transport hub.

To facilitate this, the region's major sea port is undergoing redevelopment. Teesport's shipping canal has been widened and deepened and the South Bank quay is being reconstructed. This required dredging. Taking place last autumn, almost 150,000 tons of sediment has been displaced from the Tees estuary as part of the project.

The onset of the marine deaths coincided with this dredging campaign. This prompted the Environment Agency to undertake chemical analysis of the dead crabs. Pyridine levels recorded in the dead crabs were substantially higher than in those from outside the impacted area. But there was no existing toxicological data on the impact of pyridine on crabs and other large crustaceans.

My research concluded that pyridine is acutely toxic to crabs at concentrations well below those measured in the dead crabs. Even surviving crabs with very low pyridine doses behaved as if they were partially anesthetized. A single droplet of pyridine per liter of seawater would be sufficient to kill half of the crab population exposed to it.

Further analysis of biochemical markers showed major spikes in the production of reactive oxygen species in the muscle tissue. This means that the animal's muscle cells have experienced major stress, with the potential for damage to DNA, proteins and cell membranes, which could lead to cell death.

However, although pyridine was detected in the crabs examined by the government investigation, it was not detected in water samples. As a result, pyridine's involvement in the deaths has been dismissed by the Environment Agency.

Why has pyridine gone undetected?

Pyridine is highly water soluble, very volatile and vulnerable to attack and destruction by oxygen. By the time water samples are taken, any pyridine could have been heavily diluted, lost to the atmosphere or destroyed.

Despite this, earlier this year researchers at the University of York still measured trace levels of pyridine in surface sediments both along the River Tees estuary and in the spoil groundsthe areas of the sea where dredged material is deposited. Given the volatility and instability of pyridine in the presence of oxygen, this implies a large pyridine reservoir deep in the sediment of the Tees that is percolating steadily up to the surface.

My colleague at Newcastle University has also undertaken a range of computer simulations. They show that this reservoir, once disturbed by dredging, could have released enough pyridine (among many other chemical contaminants) to account for mortalities on the scale and range of those recorded last autumn. The size of the pyridine reservoir still needs to be verified to ground the models in real-world data.

Research has so far not prevented additional dredging work for the new South Bank quay. But the sediment there contains high levels of long-lasting pollutants, including heavy metals and various industrial chemicals. Should these sediments be dumped at sea, it could render England's northeast coastline toxic for generations.

Teesside is undergoing rapid redevelopment to hasten the green industrial revolution. But in so doing we have been forced to reconcile with the region's industrial legacy. It will take a change in current working practices and in the disposal of dredged sediment to ensure this redevelopment can continue without causing more damage to the marine ecosystem.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Colorado can expect a warmer and drier winter, putting the state at greater risk of wildfire and lessening the chance of rebounding from the ongoing megadrought plaguing the West, climate scientists say.

To blame, they say, are La Nina conditions striking for the third year in a row.

Only twice before have La Ninas struck for three straight years, according to Becky Bollinger, of the Colorado State University's Colorado Climate Center.

Historically speaking La Ninas split the state in half, Bollinger said. The northern portion can expect an average or above-average snowy season while the southern section will likely be warmer and drier.

To understand why, you have to understand a few basics about El Nino-Southern Oscillation weather patterns.

La Ninas and their brothers, El Ninos, begin in the Pacific Ocean waters off South America's west coast.

When the ocean waters are colder than normal, cold air from the area heads to North America and pushes the Pacific Jet Stream further north, Tom DiLiberto, a climate scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said.

Think of the jetstream as a sort of "storm highway" that crosses North America from west to east, DiLiberto said. So when cold winds push the entire highway further north, the storms that bring rain and snow move with it.

Typically that means more winter rain and snow for the Pacific Northwest and the northern portions of the Rocky Mountains, DiLiberto said. The American Southwest tends to be warmer and drier for the winter.

"If you were hoping for there to be a good winter precipitation season across these drought areas you would not want to have a La Nina in the forecast," DiLiberto said.

Colorado sits between the two extremes, DiLiberto said. So it can see a bit of both.

El Ninos are the opposite, he said. Warm water off the Pacific coast of South America heads north and pulls the jetstream further south, typically bringing more rain and snow to Colorado.

Neither weather pattern is a guarantee of a certain type of winter, DiLiberto said. But they're one way climatologists canfairly accuratelydivine some general details about the winter to come.

Because Colorado straddles the line, conditions brought by La Ninas and El Ninos aren't always quite as pronounced as they might be further north or south, Russ Schumacher, who heads the Colorado Climate Center.

But since this is the third La Nina to hit in a row, the conditions could be compounded.

"There's quite a strong signal in La Nina falls for the Eastern Plains and the Front Range to be dry," Schumacher said. "We saw that play out last fall, which was very extreme, and we're seeing that so far this fall."

These warm and dry conditions serve to exacerbate wildfire danger across the state, especially as emergency officials repeatedly warn of a year-round wildfire season.

Colorado saw enough rain to avoid the worst of summer wildfires, Schumacher said, but dry and warm fall days bake leaves and foliage. That tinder is easier to ignite and the fall's typically windy conditions can feed those flames, causing them to spread quickly out of control.

That risk can easily extend into the winter months now, as the state saw last December with the Marshall Fire, the most destructive in Colorado's history.

Schumacher noted the Sweetwater Fire, which sparked Sunday south of Colorado Springs, was made worse by strong winds. In all, the fire scorched nearly 350 acres before emergency responders could contain it.

While some mountain areas are already seeing traces of snowperhaps even up to a footthe wildfire risk remains, especially on the Eastern Plains, Front Range and in the southwest corner of the state, Bollinger said.

That wildfire risk will persist until enough snow falls to quench the parched foliage and soils, however briefly, Bollinger said.

Whatever snow does fall this winter is unlikely to put a substantial dent in the decades-long megadrought choking the American West from the water it desperately needs, Bollinger said. Soils, rivers and reservoirs are far too dry for a single winter to fix, especially winter that'll likely only bring below-average snowfall.

"It would require more than one way above average snow year to really start putting a dent in those deficits," Bollinger said.

2022 MediaNews Group, Inc.

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Hazards shifting outside of their historical range. a, Hazards that most exceed the distribution from recent (19802009) history, measured with a z-score from nine GCMs in WorldClim in 2050 under SSP37.0, using high logged precipitation in the wettest month (labeled "Flood"), low logged annual precipitation (Drought), coefficient of variation of precipitation (Precipitation variation), minimum temperature of the coldest month (Chill) and maximum temperature of the warmest month (Heat). Significance is determined by bootstrapping the 95% confidence interval, and determined to be at a z-score of 0.98. b, The same as a, but showing the distribution of the z-scores across the global population. Credit: Nature (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05243-6

The risks from climate change are likely to be greater than economists usually calculate, because their models routinely exclude potentially devastating but hard-to-quantify threats such as the collapse of ocean circulation currents, civil breakdowns and major weather disasters, according to a new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.

Governments widely use economic models to understand both the potential risks from continued warming and the potential benefits of reducing emissions. The new study's authors say that these models ignore a wide range of risks.

"Many risks are completely ignored, putting their probability to occur to zero, which is not the case," said study coauthor Marco Tedesco of the Columbia Climate School's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

"Economic models of climate change are often telling governments to only pay attention to the most likely outcomes," said lead author James Rising of the University of Delaware. "That's similar to assuming there's no need to prepare for pandemics and terrorist attack. Responsible governments know it's their job to anticipate unpredictable but potentially devastating events."

Quantifying the risks of climate change for people, companies and governments requires a challenging combination of science, biology, economics and other fields. The study shows how some important possibilities get lost in this process. These include risks excluded because they cannot be quantified precisely, such as an increase in the number and duration of wars. Also missing: big changes in planetary systems such as the collapse of the Atlantic Ocean's circulation. Such an event, though considered unlikely by many scientists, is typically excluded altogether from models because the social and economic consequences have not been calculated.

Another missing risk: damage caused by the most extreme weather events. The recent floods in Pakistan, which have been attributed in part to climate change, have caused some $30 billion to $40 billion in damage, or 10 percent of the nation's GDP, according to the Pakistani government. Yet models ignore the risk of such seemingly one-off events, and focus instead on long-term trends.

The authors also consider what are commonly referred to as "unknown unknowns"risks that have not yet been anticipated or even imagined. "Even with rapid emission cuts that aim to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius, the climate could warm twice as much because of feedback effects we don't fully understand," said Rising. "That would mean the damages would be at least twice as great."

The authors suggest ways to better account for such risks, including collaboration within and between the natural and social science communities.

More information: James Rising et al, The missing risks of climate change, Nature (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05243-6 Journal information: Nature

Provided by State of the Planet
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The Horn of Africa is facing its worst drought in 40 years. Scientists suspect that a multi-year La Nina cycle has been amplified by climate change to prolong dry and hot conditions.

After multiple failed harvests and amid high global food prices, the Horn is confronted with a severe food security crisis. Some 37 million people face acute hunger in the region, which includes Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

In Somalia alone, 40% of the population is facing food insecurity: about 6.7 million people. In neighboring Ethiopia, the proportion is lower20%but the absolute numbers are higher at 20.4 million.

It was not too long ago that drought led to highly divergent impacts between Somalia and Ethiopia. In 2010-2011, a devastating drought led to more than 260,000 deaths beyond normal levels of expected mortality in Somalia. Yet almost no one died in Ethiopia after a severe drought in 2015.

Why did so many people die in Somalia but so few in Ethiopia? I explore these and related questions in my recent book, "States and Nature: The Effects of Climate Change on Security."

Using the cases of the two countries, among others, the book shows why Somalia had a famine in the early 2010s while Ethiopia did not, despite both being exposed to severe droughts.

The biggest differences were that, compared with Somalia, Ethiopia enjoyed a state with more capacity and more political inclusion, and made good use of foreign aid. These are factors that I identify in the book as contributing to how climate change is affecting the security of states. I include famine as a form of insecurity.

Better outcomes are expected in states with high capacity to deliver services, high political inclusion where all social groups are represented in government, and where international assistance is welcomed and shared broadly.

Two sets of conditions, two different outcomes

So how did Somalia and Ethiopia stack up on the three factors that contribute to a bad situation being made worse?

In the lead-up to Somalia's famine in 2011, the country faced persistent problems of a weak national government that was being challenged by Al-Shabaab, a violent Islamist militia that controlled significant territory in the south of the country. The Somali government had limited ability to deliver services in the areas it controlled, let alone areas under Al-Shabaab.

For its part, the Ethiopian government invested in social safety net programs to feed people in the midst of the drought through cash transfers, employment programs and food assistance.

The issue of sections of the society being excluded was also in greater evidence in Somalia than in Ethiopia. A number of marginalized groups, notably the Bantu Somalis and the Rahanweyn clan, were among the most affected by the drought. Better connected groups diverted aid that otherwise would have benefited these communities.

Finally, Somalia was in much worse shape when it came to aid. Al-Shabaab militants were blocking aid into the country, which led to a number of humanitarian groups withdrawing from Somalia. In addition, the US, through the Patriot Act, discouraged NGOs from providing aid for fear it would end up in Al-Shabaab's hands. Together, this meant that little humanitarian assistance came into Somalia precisely at the time when the country needed it most. Hundreds of thousands died.

Ethiopia was a favorite of the international community for foreign assistance. It received funds that supported its social safety net programs, which helped it prepare for the drought and administer emergency aid supplies.

The current food security crisis in the Horn of Africa, however, reveals persistent vulnerability in both countries.

As Ethiopia's case shows, progress can be undone. Rising political exclusion is leading to huge food security risks, particularly in the Tigray region where aid is currently largely blocked amid the ongoing violent conflict.

Equally worrisome is Somalia's situation, where both local and external actors have struggled to build state capacity or inclusion in the face of a long-running violent insurgency.

What can work

My book provides some hopeful insights, as well as caution. It shows that for countries like Ethiopia and Bangladesh, international assistance can help address weak state capacity. Donors worked with local officials to address specific climate hazards, like drought and cyclones.

Such international assistance helped compensate for weak state capacity through discrete investments in early warning systems, targeted social services, such as food assistance or cash transfers, and hazard-specific protective infrastructure, such as cyclone shelters.

Those examples suggest that climate adaptation can save lives and contribute to economic prosperity.

However, as the unfolding dynamic in Ethiopia shows, progress can be reversed. Moreover, it's far more challenging for external actors to build inclusive political institutions if local actors are not so inclined.

With climate change intensifying extreme weather events around the world, it is incumbent upon policymakers to enhance the practice of environmental peacebuilding, both to resolve ongoing conflicts through better natural resource management and to prevent future emergencies.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Feeling empathy for others is deeply engrained into our biology, as seeing another individual in pain triggers an empathic response in the brain of the observer, which allows us to understand and feel what other feels. However, our capacity to feel empathy for the suffering of others is unfortunately not equal towards all human beings.

"There are many individuals for which we have a natural, and potentially unconscious, reduction of empathy. This is notably the case when we witness the pain individuals that we do not recognize as part of our own group, and this can alter our prosociality towards them," says lead author Prof. dr. Emilie Caspar (Universite libre de Bruxelles, Ghent University) of a study published today in American Psychologist.

Human conflicts can be extremely complex, but frequently arise when a group is perceived as not sharing a similar religion, culture, political opinion or ethnicity. In the aftermath of conflict, being able to understand and feel what the other group feel is critical for reaching reconciliation. But conflicts also enhance intergroup conflicts, as they accentuate resentment against the other group. Studying how intergroup biases evolve in war-torn societies is critical for understanding better the perpetuation of conflict.

In Rwanda, citizens are exposed to a unique case of intergroup reconciliation and have to try to manage their intergroup biases caused by decades of ethnic conflicts and the Genocide against Tutsis. Between April 1994 and July 1994, more than one million of Tutsis and some moderate Hutus were mutilated and killed in a genocidal process.

This dramatic event in the history of Rwanda seems unforgivable. However, Rwandan citizens have to learn to live together: perpetrators of the genocide were not invaders from another country; those who were killed died at the hands of their neighbors. Rwandan citizens thus cannot avoid the people they were in conflict with in the past, and have to be able to manage their emotions and behaviors toward their former aggressors or victims.

"Can we expect individuals who have suffered such intense trauma, or who are descendants of the victims, to be able to resonate with the suffering of others and develop empathy toward them, especially if those others were their former aggressors?" asks Emilie Caspar. That could nonetheless be crucial to ensure that a true reconciliation between groups is possible.

She and her colleagues thus decided to travel across Rwanda to recruit former genocide perpetrators, survivors and their children thanks to the help of local associations. They installed their electroencephalograms and material in churches or bars in rural villages, any places that had at least some electric plugs.

"That was of course an exceptional adventure, beyond the scientific aspect of the project. We were reaching a population that not a single neuroscientist approached before on the field, and we had to convince them to accept to wear a weird apparatus on their head to record their brain activity, while many of them never even saw a keyboard in their life," adds Guillaume Pech, another author of the study.

During the experiment, volunteers were asked to visualize pictures of different individuals, including for instance a former genocide perpetrator, a survivor or one of their offspring. In order to trigger an empathic reaction in the brain of the observer, the pictures also displayed painful stimulations or non-painful stimulations on those individuals.

"With such procedure, it is classic to observe that the brain processes stimuli as more painful when the individual presented in considered as an ingroup member, compared to an outgroup member. And this is exactly what we observed in our sample from all volunteers no matter their group, even though the genocide happened 27 years ago at the moment of the testing," says Emilie Caspar. This result suggests that it is difficult to get rid of intergroup biases in the aftermath of such tragedy.

"But what was even more critical is that children from both former genocide perpetrators and survivors displayed the same intergroup bias as their parents, even though they did not experience the conflict themselves. This result might explain why some conflicts sometimes last over generations, as the children appear to have the same biases as their parents," she adds.

In the scientific literature, it is acknowledged that a trauma can be passed down generations, by social transmission through stories for instance, but also through genetic transmission. It would be important to determine exactly how intergroup biases are passed down generations to understand how to try to reduce them.

The researchers of the study do not have the answer to this question but are now preparing a similar research project in Cambodia, where a genocide led by the Khmer Rouge killed about 2 million people between 1975 and 1979. This project will help to understand if intergroup biases are also observable two generations after the genocide or if they start to evaporate at some point.

More information: Emilie A. Caspar et al, On the impact of the genocide on the intergroup empathy bias between former perpetrators, survivors, and their children in Rwanda., American Psychologist (2022). DOI: 10.1037/amp0001066 Journal information: American Psychologist
In this photo provided by John Crawmer, Jane C. Skinner and Samantha Muscella excavate post holes at the bottom of a stockade trench, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, in York, Pa. Researchers say they have solved a decades-old riddle by finding remnants of the stockade and therefore the site of a prison camp in York, that housed British soldiers for nearly two years during the American Revolutionary War. Credit: John Crawmer via AP

Researchers say they solved a decades-old riddle this week by finding remnants of the stockade and therefore the site of a prison camp in York, Pennsylvania, that housed British soldiers for nearly two years during the American Revolutionary War.

The location of Camp Security was thought to have been on land acquired by the local government nearly a decade ago. On Monday, an archaeological team working there located what they believe to be the prison camp's exterior security fence.

The camp housed more than 1,000 English, Scottish and Canadian privates and noncommissioned officers for 22 months during war, starting with a group of prisoners who arrived in 1781, four years after their surrender at Saratoga, New York. By the next year, there were some 1,200 men at the camp, along with hundreds of women and children.

Fieldwork at the site, which also includes the lower-security Camp Indulgence, has gone on for decades, but the exact spot of Camp Securitywhere prisoners from the 1781 Battle of Yorktown, Virginia, were kepthad been unknown until a telltale pattern of post holes in a foot-deep trench was uncovered.

"This has been a long project, and to finally see it come to fruition, or at least know you're not nuts, that's wonderful," said Carol Tanzola, who as president of Friends of Camp Security led fundraising for the project.

In this photo provided by John Crawmer, Jane C. Skinner excavates post holes at the bottom of a stockade trench, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, in York, Pa. Researchers say they have solved a decades-old riddle by finding remnants of the stockade and therefore the site of a prison camp in York, that housed British soldiers for nearly two years during the American Revolutionary War. Credit: John Crawmer via AP

Lead archaeologist John Crawmer said the location site had been narrowed down after about 28 acres (11 hectares) were plowed for metal detection and surface collection of artifacts in 2020. That further reduced the search area to about 8 acres (3 hectares), where long exploratory trenches were dug last year.

Those trenches helped the team identify post holes that in turn led to the pattern of holes and a stockade trench that matched stockades at other 18th-century military sites, Crawmer said.

In this photo provided by John Crawmer, Jane C. Skinner excavates post holes at the bottom of a stockade trench, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, in York, Pa. Researchers say they have solved a decades-old riddle by finding remnants of the stockade and therefore the site of a prison camp in York, that housed British soldiers for nearly two years during the American Revolutionary War. Credit: John Crawmer via AP

Next spring, Crawmer and other researchers hope to determine the full size of the stockade and perform a focused search for artifacts within and around it.

"Was it circular or square, what's inside, what's outside?" Crawmer said. "As we do that, we're going to start finding those 18th-century artifacts, the trash pits. We'll be able to start answering questions about where people were sleeping, where they were living, where they were throwing things away, where the privies are."

In this photo provided by John Crawmer, Jane C. Skinner excavates post holes at the bottom of the stockade trench, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, in York, Pa. Researchers say they have solved a decades-old riddle by finding remnants of the stockade and therefore the site of a prison camp in York, that housed British soldiers for nearly two years during the American Revolutionary War. Credit: John Crawmer via AP

Crawmer said there is evidence the vertical posts that formed the security stockade were not in the ground for very long and that they may have been dug up and reused after the camp was closed in 1783.

A contemporaneous account of camp life by a British surgeon's mate said there was a "camp fever" that might have killed some of the prisoners, and a list of Camp Security inmates was located in the British National Archives. No human remains have been found at the site.

Historians confirmed local lore about the general location of Camp Security and Camp Indulgence after a 1979 archaeological study of a small portion of the property produced buckles, buttons and other items associated with British soldiers of the period. That survey also found 20 coins and 605 straight pins that may have been used by prisoners to make lace.

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Host-subtracted F555W-band HST image of SN 2016adj on +1991 days, with the positions of LE1, LE2, LE3, and LE4 highlighted by colored rings and labeled. Credit: The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2022). https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ac93f8

When a star explodes (a supernova), it sends its intense burst of light out in all directions. On rare occasions, in the months and years that follow, rings of light or "light echoes" spread out from the original supernova position.

This is what is described in a recent paper in The Astrophysical Journal Letters based on observations with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) by a collaboration of astronomers from Dublin, Barcelona, Aarhus, New York and Garching. The paper, "Hubble Space Telescope Reveals Spectacular Light Echoes Associated with the Stripped-envelope Supernova 2016adj in the Iconic Dust Lane of Centaurus A," was published this week.

The scientists merged the HST images in a short gif-video, showing first the supernova explosion at the very center, followed by light rings which appeared when light from the explosion hit various layers of dust in the vicinity.

Credit: University College Dublin

Lead scientist Professor Maximillian Stritzinger of Aarhus University, Denmark, said, "The data set is remarkable and enabled us to produce very impressive colored images and animations that exhibit the evolution of the light echoes over a five-year period. It is a rarely seen phenomenon previously only documented in a handful of other supernovae."

Co-author and Dublin-based astrophysicist Dr. Morgan Fraser, UCD School of Physics, said, "While the James Webb Space Telescope has drawn much attention, its predecessor Hubble continues to provide incredible images of the universe. HST has now been observing the sky for over three decades, so we can find things like this light echo that evolve slowly over many years."

Co-author Dr. Lluis Galbany, Institute of Space Sciences, Barcelona, said, "The blast wave from this powerful supernova explosion is racing outwards at over 10,000 kilometers per second. Ahead of this blastwave is an intense flash of light emitted by the supernova, and this is what is causing the expanding rings we can see in the images. Supernovae are of interest as these cosmic explosions produce many of the heavy elements such as carbon, oxygen and iron, which make up our galaxy, stars and our planet."

Co-author Dr. Stephen Lawrence, Hofstra University, New York, said, "A good everyday analogy is to imagine the finale of a fireworks showthe bright burst of light from a shell at the end of the show will light up the smoke from earlier shells that is still lingering in the area. By comparing a series of photographs taken over several minutes, you could measure all sorts of information that is not directly related to the most recent explosion that is lighting up the scene, things like how many shells had previously exploded, how opaque is the smoke from a given shell, or how fast and in what direction was the wind blowing."

The supernova in question, named SN 2016adj, was first seen in 2016 and belongs to the well-known peculiar galaxy Centaurus A, situated between 10 and 16 million lightyears from Earth. For five and a half years, the astronomers watched the area around the supernova after it slowly faded away.

Centaurus A is full of dust lanes and when the sideways spreading light from the supernova hit these dusty areas over time, they lit up further and further away from the original supernova position, creating a series of expanding rings of emission called light echoes.

The variations in these rings during the years of observation enables researchers to probe the lay-out of the dust lanes in the galaxy near the explosion. The data suggests that they consist of columns of dust with large holes in between, resembling a chunk of Swiss cheese.

Professor Stritzinger said, "Centaurus A is a huge elliptical galaxy. These are mostly quiet, dust free and without younger stars prone to go off as supernovae, but Centaurus A is obviously different. It is a strong radioastronomical source and it contains prominent dust lanes with new stars forming within. This is a sign that it has 'recently' gobbled up another smaller spiral galaxy, and matters have not yet settled down, as it might in a couple of hundreds of millions of years. Observing the development of these light echoes will help us gain more insight into these violent galaxy collisions."

Up to now, four distinct light echoes produced by four different sheets of dust have been observed. The data set for SN 2016adj offers the earliest detection of light echo emission associated with a supernova. The team was able to measure these emissions by 50 days past the explosion of the star, while previous light echoes captured by HST, such as SN 2014J, began only hundreds of days past explosion. Also, these are the first light echoes found around a type Ic supernova.

The team, which includes Dr. Ferdinando Patat, European Southern Observatory, Garching, Germany, plans to follow up on the observations with the HST in the future, hoping that more light rings will emerge. Furthermore, it might be possible to obtain a spectrum of the light echoes, showing in effect the spectrum of the underlying supernova.

More information: Maximilian D. Stritzinger et al, Hubble Space Telescope Reveals Spectacular Light Echoes Associated with the Stripped-envelope Supernova 2016adj in the Iconic Dust Lane of Centaurus A, The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2022). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ac93f8. iopscience.iop.org/article/10.  847/2041-8213/ac93f8 Journal information: Astrophysical Journal Letters
Black-capped (left) and mountain chickadee (right) caught at CU Boulder's Mountain Research Station. Credit: Georgy Semenov

Hybrids of two common North American songbirds, the black-capped and mountain chickadee, are more likely to be found in places where humans have altered the landscape in some way, finds new University of Colorado Boulder research.

Published today in Global Change Biology, it's the first study to positively correlate hybridization in any species with landscape changes caused by humans, and the first to examine this relationship across an entire species' rangespanning almost all of western North America.

The paper also contradicts a long-standing assumption that these two birds rarely hybridize, finding instead that black-capped and mountain chickadee hybrids (identified using genetic tools) occur across the United States and Canada.

"These are common birds. If you go anywhere in North America, you'll find a chickadee," said Kathryn Grabenstein, lead author on the study and postdoctoral associate in ecology and evolutionary biology. "And what we're finding now is that if you see a chickadee in a place where both black-capped and mountain chickadees live, they're probably at least a little bit of a hybrid chickadee."

Hybridizationthe interbreeding of closely related species to produce mixed ancestry offspringis common in the development of life on Earth and is thought to be especially important in the evolution of plants. This new analysis of songbirds adds to the growing body of evidence that hybridization is also quite relevant within vertebrate evolution.

Human disturbance

What this study cannot say is why these chickadee hybrids are more common in places where humans have changed the landscape, but it is the first-of-its-kind to examine this correlation separate from climate change.

Climate change often changes the range of a specieswhere it lives, roams or migratesbringing species into contact with one another that would not normally interact, which can lead to hybridization. In contrast, this study looked at two related species whose ranges already overlap and focused on the variable of human "disturbance," such as building cities, clearing land, planting trees, creating reservoirs and noise pollution.

Black-capped chickadee showing white edging on the flight feathers and buffy sides. Credit: Robert Taylor

This way, the researchers could exclusively examine if changes to the physical structure of the environment affect the interactions between two species that are already in the same place.

"It's not bringing new species into contact with each otherit's changing the rules of negotiation between them," said Grabenstein.

For example: Here in the Front Range, what once was ponderosa pine savanna with deciduous trees along the rivers has been transformed into an urban forest. This shift isn't necessarily good or bad, said Grabenstein, but the goal of the research is to help understand what these changes to the land and water by humans means for these species.

"What are the consequences of the ways we modify the landscape? We think about it mostly in terms of habitat loss, not necessarily in terms of species interaction modifications," said Scott Taylor, co-author on the study and associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. "This paper changes our understanding of this system incredibly."

10 years in the making

Previous published research by Grabenstein and Taylor found examples of various species hybridizing in the wake of humans disrupting their habitats, but they wanted to document a clear example of this occurring across a wide geographical range. Based on local observations of possible hybrid black-capped and mountain chickadees in several towns and cities across the West, they realized these two species would be good candidates for a study.

Black-capped and mountain chickadees are estimated to have diverged from a common ancestor over 2 million years ago, but they still overlap across many areas of the western U.S., including the Rocky Mountains. Black-capped chickadees have a black head, white edging on their wings and tend to be more buff- or cinnamon-colored on their sides. Mountain chickadees, in contrast, are grayer, have big white eyebrows and do not have white edging on their wings. Early generation hybrids often have a bit of both: thin white eyebrows, buff coloring on their sides and some white edging on their wings.

To test their hypothesis about these birds, the researchers compiled observational data from eBird, an online birding site, and DNA samples from 196 black-capped and 213 mountain chickadees at 81 sites in North America, gathered over the past decade by co-authors Ken Otter of the University of Northern British Columbia and Theresa Burg of the University of Lethbridge. They found a positive, significant correlation between hybrids of these two species and areas where humans have disturbed their habitat in some formas well as that black-capped chickadees are found more often in these disturbed areas than mountain chickadees.

This study is also a positive sign for science. Sequencing the DNA of 409 birds is big study: Just a decade ago, a study of this size may not have been possible due to the large amount of time and money it would have required. As the price tag of DNA sequencing has dramatically dropped and running samples has become more efficient, these precise genomic tools have become more accessible to more researchers, allowing them to improve our understanding of how humans impact biodiversity at the genetic level.

A genetically confirmed F1 black-capped and mountain chickadee hybrid found in Boulder County, CO in 2021 as part of the Boulder Chickadee Study. This female built an incomplete nest (the nest should have a woven cup of fur in the middle), failed to lay eggs, and then incubated the bottom of this nest box for 2 weeks before abandoning. Credit: Will Anderson

The future of hybridization

This hybridization is unlikely to lead to the creation of a new chickadee species, however. Female hybrids from black-capped and mountain chickadee parents are likely to be sterile but can survive. Male hybrids with a parent from each species, however, can reproduce, and seem to do so predominantly with black-capped chickadees.

It makes studying hybridization like trying to hit a moving target, said Grabenstein, but there is still much to be learned from the genetic variation within different members of a species.

This songbird research will also inform the local Boulder Chickadee Study, founded by Grabenstein and Taylor. Working with local landowners and municipalities where these birds live and nest, the researchers will continue to examine reasons why these birds are hybridizing.

But for now, there's no need to remove bird feeders or bird boxes, said Grabenstein.

"It's hard to say whether this hybridization is good or bad, but it's happening, and we will only understand the impacts through continued study," said Taylor, also director of CU Boulder's Mountain Research Station and a fellow at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR). "It is certainly something to consider when thinking about the future of some of these birds that we're really familiar with in our backyards."

More information: Kathryn C. Grabenstein et al, Hybridization between closely related songbirds is related to human habitat disturbance, Global Change Biology (2022). DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16476 Journal information: Global Change Biology
One of the key components of the developed probes is a spherical surface on the tip of the fiber. In the photos, we used the imaging capabilities of such spherical elements (glass sphere). Credit: Source IPC PAS/ICTER, Karol Karnowski, PhD

Microendoscopes are the cornerstone of modern medical diagnosticsthey allow us to see what we could not even describe two decades ago. The technology is constantly improving, with ICTER scientists contributing to the development of the probes.

Microendoscopes using fiber optics are becoming increasingly important imaging tools, but they have physical limitations. They are essential for applications that require a long working distance, high resolution, and a minimum probe diameter.

A new research paper by Dr. Karol Karnowski of ICTER, Dr. Gavrielle Untracht of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Dr. Michael Hackmann of the University of Western Australia (UWA), Onur Cetinkaya of ICTER and Prof. David Sampson of the University of Surrey, sheds new light on modern microendoscopes. The research work started while the authors worked in the same research group at UWA.

In their paper, the researchers showed that endoscopic imaging probes, particularly those for so-called side viewing, combining fiber-optic (GRIN) and spherical lenses, offer excellent performance over the entire range of numerical apertures and open the way to a broader range of imaging applications. In the publication, the performance of endoscopic imaging probes is comparable to commonly used single focusing element probes.

What are microendoscopes?

Miniature fiber-optic probes, or micro-endoscopes, allow imaging of tissue microstructures deep into the specimen or patient. Endoscopic Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is particularly promising. It is suitable for volumetric imaging of external tissues and the interior of organs (e.g., the upper respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, or lung tubules).

Three main ranges of fiber optic probes can be distinguished. Studies of large, hollow organs (such as those above the upper respiratory tract) require the largest imaging depth ranges (up to 15 mm or more from the probe surface), which can usually be achieved with low-resolution Gaussian beams (spot size in focus in the range of 30-100 m).

The intermediate resolution range (10-30 m) is helpful for broader applications, such as imaging the esophagus, smaller airways, blood vessels, bladder, ovaries, or ear canal. The biggest challenge is obtaining beams with a resolution better than 10 m, potentially helpful for animal model studies.

When developing a probe, one must be mindful of design parameters' trade-offs and their impact on imaging performance. Optical systems with a large numerical aperture (high resolution) tend to have a shorter working distance (WD). In addition, better resolution and longer working distance are more difficult to achieve as the probe diameter is reduced.

This can be particularly problematic for side viewing probesa greater minimum working distance is required compared to their forward imaging counterparts. Suppose the probe is encased in a catheter or needle. In that case, this increases the required minimum working distancein many cases, this is the limiting factor in minimum achievable resolution or probe diameter.

It's worth noting that engineers are usually interested in minimizing the probe diameter for reduced perturbation to the sample and patient comfort. A smaller probe means a more flexible catheter and, therefore, better tolerance of the test by the patient. Thus, one of the best solutions is using monolithic fiber optic probes, whose diameter is limited by the thickness of the optical fibers.

Such probes are characterized by ease of fabrication, thanks to fiber-optic welding technology, which avoids the need for tedious alignment and bonding (usually gluing) of individual micro-optical components.

Different types of microendoscopes

The most popular designs of fiber-optic imaging probes are those based on two types of focusing elements: GRIN fiber probes (GFPGRIN fiber probes) and ball lens probes (BLPball lens probes). GRIN probes are easy to make, and their GRIN refractive power is not lost when the refractive index of the surrounding medium is close to that of the fiber used.

Commercially available GRIN fibers limit achievable designs. High resolution is tough to achieve with GRIN fibers with small core diameters.

For lateral viewing probes, the curved surface of the fiber (and potentially the catheter) introduces distortion that can adversely affect imaging quality. Spherical BLP probes will not have this problem, but a sphere bigger than the fiber diameter is often required to achieve a resolution comparable to GFP probes.

The focusing power of a BLP probe depends on the refractive index of the surrounding medium, which is an important issue when working in a medium with close or near biological samples.

One solution to improve the performance of probes is to use multiple light focusing elements, similar to the design of lenses with a long working distance. Studies have shown that combining numerous light-focusing elements provides better results for many imaging purposes. Probes with multiple focusing elements can achieve better resolution with smaller diameters while offering longer working distances without sacrificing resolution.

How do we improve the probes?

In their latest work, researchers led by Dr. Karnowski have shown that probes with two focusing elements using both GRIN segments and spherical lensescalled GRIN-ball-lens probes (GBLP)significantly improve the performance of monolithic fiber optic probes. Their first modeling results have already been shown at conferences in 2018 and 2019.

GBP probes were compared to the most commonly used GFP and BLP probes and showed performance benefits, especially for applications requiring longer operating distances, better resolution, and small size.

For intuitive visualization of probe performance, the researchers introduced a novel way to comprehensively present simulation results, especially useful when more than two variables are used.

Analysis of the effect of GRIN fiber length and spherical lens size led to two interesting conclusions: for optimal results, the range of GRIN fiber length can be kept in the field of 0.25-0.4 pitch length (so-called pitch length); even if the working distance (WD) gain is not so significant for GBLP probes with high numerical aperture, the authors showed that the same or better performance in terms of working distance is achieved for a search with twice the diameter. Moreover, the novel GBLP probes offer higher resolution compared to BLP probes.

The paper's conclusion reads:

"We have demonstrated the potential of GBLP probe design for applications with increased working distance, significant for lateral imaging probes, with a highly reduced impact of the refractive index of the probe's environment and a significantly smaller size compared to BLP or GFP probes. These advantages make GBLP probes a tool worth considering for many imaging applications in biological and biomedical research, particularly for projects requiring micro endoscopes."

The research was published in IEEE Photonics Journal.

More information: Karol Karnowski et al, Superior Imaging Performance of All-Fiber, Two-Focusing-Element Microendoscopes, IEEE Photonics Journal (2022). DOI: 10.1109/JPHOT.2022.3203219
Boulder-size blocks of water ice can be seen around the rim of an impact crater on Mars, as viewed by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE camera) aboard NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The crater was formed Dec. 24, 2021, by a meteoroid strike in the Amazonis Planitia region. Credit: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA's InSight lander recorded a magnitude 4 marsquake last Dec. 24, but scientists learned only later the cause of that quake: a meteoroid strike estimated to be one of the biggest seen on Mars since NASA began exploring the cosmos. What's more, the meteoroid excavated boulder-size chunks of ice buried closer to the Martian equator than ever found beforea discovery with implications for NASA's future plans to send astronauts to the Red Planet.

Scientists determined the quake resulted from a meteoroid impact when they looked at before-and-after images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and spotted a new, yawning crater. Offering a rare opportunity to see how a large impact shook the ground on Mars, the event and its effects are detailed in two papers published Thursday, Oct. 27, in the journal Science.

The meteoroid is estimated to have spanned 16 to 39 feet (5 to 12 meters)small enough that it would have burned up in Earth's atmosphere, but not in Mars' thin atmosphere, which is just 1% as dense as our planet's. The impact, in a region called Amazonis Planitia, blasted a crater roughly 492 feet (150 meters) across and 70 feet (21 meters) deep. Some of the ejecta thrown by the impact flew as far as 23 miles (37 kilometers) away.

With images and seismic data documenting the event, this is believed to be one of the largest craters ever witnessed forming any place in the solar system. Many larger craters exist on the Red Planet, but they are significantly older and predate any Mars mission.

The impact crater, formed Dec. 24, 2021, by a meteoroid strike in the Amazonis Planitia region of Mars, is about 490 feet (150 meters) across, as seen in this annotated image taken by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE camera) aboard NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Credit: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

"It's unprecedented to find a fresh impact of this size," said Ingrid Daubar of Brown University, who leads InSight's Impact Science Working Group. "It's an exciting moment in geologic history, and we got to witness it."

InSight has seen its power drastically decline in recent months due to dust settling on its solar panels. The spacecraft now is expected to shut down within the next six weeks, bringing the mission's science to an end.

InSight is studying the planet's crust, mantle, and core. Seismic waves are key to the mission and have revealed the size, depth, and composition of Mars' inner layers. Since landing in November 2018, InSight has detected 1,318 marsquakes, including several caused by smaller meteoroid impacts.

But the quake resulting from last December's impact was the first observed to have surface wavesa kind of seismic wave that ripples along the top of a planet's crust. The second of the two Science papers related to the big impact describes how scientists use these waves to study the structure of Mars' crust.

This meteoroid impact crater on Mars was discovered using the black-and-white Context Camera aboard NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The Context Camera took these before-and-after images of the impact, which occurred on Dec. 24, 2021, in a region of Mars called Amazonis Planitia. Credit: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Crater hunters

In late 2021, InSight scientists reported to the rest of the team they had detected a major marsquake on Dec. 24. The crater was first spotted on Feb. 11, 2022, by scientists working at Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS), which built and operates two cameras aboard MRO. The Context Camera (CTX) provides black-and-white, medium-resolution images, while the Mars Color Imager (MARCI) produces daily maps of the entire planet, allowing scientists to track large-scale weather changes like the recent regional dust storm that further diminished InSight's solar power.

The impact's blast zone was visible in MARCI data that allowed the team to pin down a 24-hour period within which the impact occurred. These observations correlated with the seismic epicenter, conclusively demonstrating that a meteoroid impact caused the large Dec. 24 marsquake.

This video includes a seismogram and sonification of the signals recorded by NASAs InSight Mars lander, which detected a giant meteoroid strike on Dec. 24, 2021, the 1,094th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/CNES/Imperial College London

"The image of the impact was unlike any I had seen before, with the massive crater, the exposed ice, and the dramatic blast zone preserved in the Martian dust," said Liliya Posiolova, who leads the Orbital Science and Operations Group at MSSS. "I couldn't help but imagine what it must have been like to witness the impact, the atmospheric blast, and debris ejected miles downrange."

Establishing the rate at which craters appear on Mars is critical for refining the planet's geologic timeline. On older surfaces, such as those of Mars and our Moon, there are more craters than on Earth; on our planet, the processes of erosion and plate tectonics erase older features from the surface.

New craters also expose materials below the surface. In this case, large chunks of ice scattered by the impact were viewed by MRO's High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) color camera.

This animation depicts a flyover of a meteoroid impact crater on Mars thats surrounded by boulder-size chunks of ice. The animation was created using data from the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Subsurface ice will be a vital resource for astronauts, who could use it for a variety of needs, including drinking water, agriculture, and rocket propellant. Buried ice has never been spotted this close to the Martian equator, which, as the warmest part of Mars, is an appealing location for astronauts.

More information: Yingjie Yang et al, A seismic meteor strike on Mars, Science (2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.add8574 D. Kim et al, Surface waves and crustal structure on Mars, Science (2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.abq7157 Journal information: Science
This image of a red fox is captured on a forest camera trap in northwest Wyoming. Credit: Wyoming Game and Fish Department

Scientists researching forest carnivores such as martens, foxes and coyotes spend hours clambering through rugged terrain, sometimes in deep snow, placing and baiting camera traps to learn about animals' behavior in relation to their habitat.

In recent years, this on-the-ground work has received a big boost from what might seem to be an unlikely source: NASA.

In a new scholarly paper that details research in northwest Wyoming, University of Wyoming researchers explain how NASA's Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission can provide valuable information about the world's forests for wildlife scientists. The article appears in the journal Forest Ecology and Management.

Using a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) laser instrument installed on the International Space Station, GEDI collects high-resolution observations of the three-dimensional structure of Earth's forestincluding precise measurements of forest canopy height, canopy cover and vertical structure. GEDI was attached to the International Space Station in 2018 for a two-year mission that has been extended until January 2023; it is expected to collect over 10 billion samples of Earth's tropical and temperate forests.

"Our work indicated that spaceborne LiDAR collected from the GEDI mission provided a ready sampling of forest structure that could be combined with other remotely sensed data to improve our understanding of animal-habitat relationships," wrote the researchers, led by Austin Smith, now an assistant research scientist for the team of Assistant Professor Joe Holbrook in UW's Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources.

This graphic, created by Austin Smith, shows the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation instrument on the International Space Station and a map of a forested area analyzed by the instrument. Credit: University of Maryland and Esri

Working in the greater Yellowstone ecosystemincluding two national parks, parts of three national forests, one national wildlife refuge and Bureau of Land Management landthe researchers deployed 107 camera traps for three consecutive winters. Based on photographs of target species, they calculated habitat use for Pacific martens, Rocky Mountain red foxes and coyotes, along with prey species red squirrels and snowshoe hares.

The scientists then paired data from GEDI with other remote-sensing platforms to create forest height and structure maps, which they used to run computer models to evaluate animal-environment relationships. They found that the pairing of GEDI data with other sensors resulted in a substantial improvement in characterizing vertical and horizontal forest structure, which aided efforts to understand important habitat features for the animals studied.

"Our successes are likely transferrable to other landscapes and animal species, which is important given the large-scale disturbances that are occurring in Western forests, such as wildfire and bark beetle outbreaks," the researchers say.

More information: Austin B. Smith et al, Spaceborne LiDAR and animal-environment relationships: An assessment for forest carnivores and their prey in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Forest Ecology and Management (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120343 Journal information: Forest Ecology and Management
This illustration shows NASAs Lunar Flashlight over the Moon. The SmallSat mission will have a very elongated orbit, taking it within 9 miles (15 kilometers) above the lunar South Pole to search for water ice in the Moons darkest craters. Credit: NASA

It's known that water ice exists below the lunar regolith (broken rock and dust), but scientists don't yet understand whether surface ice frost covers the floors inside these cold craters. To find out, NASA is sending Lunar Flashlight, a small satellite (or SmallSat) no larger than a briefcase. Swooping low over the lunar South Pole, it will use lasers to shed light on these dark cratersmuch like a prospector looking for hidden treasure by shining a flashlight into a cave. The mission will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in mid-November.

"This launch will put the satellite on a trajectory that will take about three months to reach its science orbit," said John Baker, the mission's project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "Then Lunar Flashlight will try to find water ice on the surface of the Moon in places that nobody else has been able to look."

Fuel-efficient orbits

After launch, mission navigators will guide the spacecraft way past the Moon. It will then be slowly pulled back by gravity from Earth and the Sun before it settles into a wide, looping, science-gathering orbit. This near-rectilinear halo orbit will take it 42,000 miles (70,000 kilometers) from the Moon at its most distant point and, at its closest approach, the satellite will graze the surface of the Moon, coming within 9 miles (15 kilometers) above the lunar South Pole.

SmallSats carry a limited amount of propellent, so fuel-intensive orbits aren't possible. A near-rectilinear halo orbit requires far less fuel than traditional orbits, and Lunar Flashlight will be only the second NASA mission to use this type of trajectory. The first is NASA's Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) mission, which will arrive at its orbit on Nov. 13, making its closest pass over the Moon's North Pole.

"The reason for this orbit is to be able to come in close enough that Lunar Flashlight can shine its lasers and get a good return from the surface, but to also have a stable orbit that consumes little fuel," said Barbara Cohen, Lunar Flashlight principal investigator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

As a technology demonstration, Lunar Flashlight will be the first interplanetary spacecraft to use a new kind of "green" propellant that is safer to transport and store than the commonly used in-space propellants such as hydrazine. This new propellant, developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory and tested on a previous NASA technology demonstration mission, burns via a catalyst, rather than requiring a separate oxidizer. That is why it's called a monopropellant. The satellite's propulsion system was developed and built by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, with integration support from Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta.

Lunar Flashlight will also be the first mission to use a four-laser reflectometer to look for water ice on the Moon. The reflectometer works by using near-infrared wavelengths that are readily absorbed by water to identify ice on the surface. Should the lasers hit bare rock, their light will reflect back to the spacecraft, signaling a lack of ice. But if the light is absorbed, it would mean these dark pockets do indeed contain ice. The greater the absorption, the more ice may be at the surface.

Lunar water cycle

It's thought that molecules of water come from comet and asteroid material impacting the lunar surface, and from solar wind interactions with the lunar regolith. Over time, the molecules may have accumulated as a layer of ice inside "cold traps".

"We are going to make definitive surface water ice measurements in permanently shadowed regions for the first time," said Cohen. "We will be able to correlate Lunar Flashlight's observations with other lunar missions to understand how extensive that water is and whether it could be used as a resource by future explorers."

Cohen and her science team hope that the data Lunar Flashlight gathers can be used to understand how volatile molecules, like water, cycle from location to location and where they may accumulate, forming a layer of ice in these cold traps.

"This is an exciting time for lunar exploration. The launch of Lunar Flashlight, along with the many small satellite missions aboard Artemis I, may form the foundations for science discoveries as well as support future missions to the Moon's surface," said Roger Hunter, Small Spacecraft Technology program manager at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley.
A rare case of rabies has been detected in a dog in the Paris region which had bitten several people, the French agriculture ministry announced Thursday.

"The Pasteur Institute confirmed a case of rabies in a Husky-cross dog held in a shelter in Evry-Courcouronnes in Essonne," south of the French capital, the statement said.

Before being isolated, the infected dog had "bitten several people who were quickly taken care of by the Pasteur Institute's anti-rabies centre, which administered a highly effective post-exposure prophylactic treatment", the ministry added.

Other people identified as having been exposed to the animal are also receiving treatment if necessary, the ministry said.

France has officially been rabies-free since 2001, except the type carried by bats, but the deadly disease continues to circulate in many countries, particularly in Asia and Africa, where dogs are responsible for the majority of cases of transmission to humans, according to the French agriculture ministry's website.

The dog identified in this case first developed signs of the disease on October 19 and died on October 25.

During the entire contagious period the dog remained alone in a kennel or in a recreation room, after contracting rabies before its arrival at the shelter, the authorities said.

Initial investigations indicate that the dog may have been "illegally imported from Morocco, a country where rabies is endemic," the authorities said.

The contamination of humans occurs through saliva when an infected animal bites, or though scratching or via mucus from the nose or eye.

The disease is not transmitted between humans.

No person has been contaminated in mainland France since 1924.

 2022 AFP
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Countries signed up to the 2015 Paris Agreement have committed themselves to keep the rise in average global temperature "well below" 2 C. Every five years, they are to issue so-called "nationally determined contributions" (NDCs), describing their actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to climate change impacts.

Countries will thus need to track their carbon emissions not only at a national level, but also at the scale of individual "super-emitters" such as power plants, megacities, refineries, and giant factoriestogether responsible for nearly half of humanity's total output of GHGs.

In late 2025 or 2026, the EU plans to launch its "CO2M" (Copernicus Anthropogenic CO 2 Monitoring Mission) pair of satellites, whose job will be to help with this.

Important proof-of-principle for CO2M

But now, scientists have shown that such tracking at the source is already possible, even with existing satellites, for "super-emitters" like the Bechatow power plant in Poland. For this proof-of-principle, they used five years of measurements from NASA's satellite "Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2" (OCO-2; launched in 2014) and the instrument OCO-3, attached since 2019 to the International Space Station (ISS).

This success is an important achievement, as the OCO missions were designed to measure carbon emissions at much larger spatial scales.

"Here we show for the first time that it's already possible to measure changes in CO 2 emissions from a large power plant, with observations from existing CO 2 -tracking satellites," said Dr. Ray Nassar, an atmospheric scientist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, Toronto, and the study's first author, published in Frontiers in Remote Sensing.

Largest power plant in Europe

The Bechatow lignite-fired (brown coal) power plant is the largest thermal power station in Europe and the fifth-largest in the world. Here, units are sometimes decommissioned and new ones put in service, while more often, units shut down temporarily for maintenance. To be of use, satellites and instruments like OCO-2 and OCO-3 should immediately detect changes in CO 2 emissions due to these changes in operationand here, Nassar and colleagues show for the first time that they can.

CO 2 is emitted by the 300 meter-high stacks at Bechatow and carried by the wind in the form of an invisible plume, approximately 1050 km long and 550 meters above Earth. OCO-2, which orbits the Earth at an altitude of 705 km, passes every 16 days close by or directly over Bechatow. OCO-3 orbits at an altitude of 420 km and passes over or near Bechatow more frequently. OCO-3 has the added capability to scan back and forth across a region, giving better local coverage or a wider view.

Not every flyby or overpass is suitable

Satellites can assess the CO 2 "enhancement"extra CO 2 emitted by a sourceonly in the absence of clouds and when the plume doesn't pass over large water bodies or mountains. They measure "XCO2," the average CO 2 concentration across a column directly below, subtracting the current background value (locally, on average 415 ppm) around the plume.

Together, OCO-2 and OCO-3 yielded 10 suitable datasets about the CO 2 plume above Bechatow between 2017 and 2022.

Excellent agreement between observed and predicted data

The researchers compared the measurements from space to estimates for Bechatow's emissions, based on its known daily power generation output. The measurements turned out to closely track the daily predictions. This proves that even today, existing satellites can track emissions in close-to-real time for installations like Bechatow. For example, OCO-2 detected a pronounced but transient dip in emissions from Bechatow between June and September 2021, due to shutdowns for maintenance.

All clear for CO2M

The results are promising: They indicate that CO2M, with a joint spatial coverage about a hundred times greater than OCO-2 and OCO-3, will be able to deliver on future needs.

"The capacity to get the most precise information about CO 2 emissions from 'super-emitters,' such as the Bechatow power plant, across the globe will boost transparency in carbon accounting and hopefully, it will ultimately help to reduce these emissions," said Nassar.

"This future capacity will lead to improved CO 2 emission information at the scale of countries, cities or individual facilities, enhancing transparency under the Paris Agreement and supporting efforts to reduce emissions causing climate change."

More information: Tracking CO2 emission reductions from space: A case study at Europe's largest fossil fuel power plant, Frontiers in Remote Sensing (2022). DOI: 10.3389/frsen.2022.1028240 Journal information: Frontiers in Remote Sensing

Provided by Frontiers
Echinoderm stereom as a bicontinuous cellular solid. a Photograph of a ventral-viewed sea urchin H. mamillatus. b SEM image of the stereom structure. Inset, optical image of the transverse cross section of a spine. c -CT reconstructions of stereom and the corresponding void structure (inset). d s , d v , and d t represent the thicknesses (diameters) of stereom, void structure, and throats, respectively. d, e 3D cellular network of stereom and the corresponding void structure with node types colored by their connectivities. f, g The thickness distributions of stereom (d s ) and the corresponding void structure (d v ). h 3D rendering of small throats (d t c). i Distribution of d s , d v , and d t . j Interfacial shape distribution of stereom.  1 and  2 are the maximum and minimum principal curvatures, respectively. k Visualization of regions in stereom with curvature distributions shown in (j), where purple and green regions correspond to minimal surfaces with zero mean curvature and the saddle surface with the highest distribution density, respectively. l An SEM image of the branch surface of stereom. Credit: Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33712-z

Ling Li, assistant professor in Virginia Tech's Department of Mechanical Engineering, has unlocked a mystery in the porous microstructures of sea urchin exoskeletons that could lead to the creation of lightweight synthetic ceramics. His findings were published in Nature Communications.

Ceramics are highly resistant to heat, which makes them a favorite choice in managing the brutal thermal demands of high-speed vehicles that travel faster than the speed of sound. At those breakneck speeds, compressed air creates significant friction against the vehicle, resulting in a rapid rise in the heat it encounters.

Heat resistance may be the strength of ceramics, but damage tolerance is a weakness. A single pinpoint impact in a ceramic plate can result in a rapidly spreading crack that causes total structure failure. Ceramics become even less tolerant to damage when they are made porous for weight reduction; however, decreasing weight is a critical requirement for many structural applications, including high-speed vehicles.

The U.S. Air Force, one of the sponsors of Li's research, has long been interested in improving the mechanical performance of ceramic materials. In addition to receiving financial support from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Li's team also secured funds from the National Science Foundation.

These combined funds, received by the lab in 2018, have equipped researchers to explore new design principles embedded in the natural ceramic cellular solids formed by organisms such as sea urchins. A sea urchin's exoskeleton is one type of cellular solid, or "foam," so called because its microstructure is an assembly of open cells with solid edges or faces, packed together so that they fill space. The gaps between the cells make them porous, creating a material that can be more mechanically efficient than dense structures.

How to handle the damage like a sea urchin

"In this work, we think we found some of the key strategies that enable the sea urchin to be strong and tough while offering weight reduction with its porous microstructure," said Li. "This Nature Communications paper reports the results we found of what is hidden inside."

The spines of sea urchins are stiff, strong, and lightweight. These spines are made of a brittle mineral called calcium carbonate, which is similar to synthetic ceramics, but the urchin has a much higher tolerance for damage when receiving weight or force. Li's team tested this principle by pressing the spines mechanically, simulating the same kind of condition under which an engineering ceramic might need to endure.

The sea urchin spines deformed gracefully under the force placed on them, in contrast to catastrophic failure of current synthetic ceramic cellular solids. This "graceful failure" behavior allows the sea urchin spines to withstand damage with significant energy absorption capability.

In the course of this research, Li's team uncovered some secrets that give the urchin its ability to hold together during mechanical loading.

Secrets of the deep

"There are a couple of secrets in the structural features of sea urchin spines. One is related to the connection of branches," said Li. "The second is the size of the pores."

Under a microscope, Li's team observed an architecture of interconnected short branches. A network of nodes hold these branches together, and one of the secrets to the urchin's damage tolerance is the balance between the number of nodes and branches. That number is precisely critical because nodes with too many connected branches will cause the structure to become more brittle and breakable.

The nodes in the porous structure in sea urchin spines are connected to three branches on average, which means the network of branches will undergo bending-induced fracture instead of more catastrophic stretching-induced fracture.

The second secret lies in the size of the gaps, or pores, between branches. The team discovered that the gaps within the porous structure of sea urchin spines are just slightly smaller than the size of the branches. This means that once the branches fracture, they can be locked in place immediately by these smaller openings. Broken branches stack on top of one another on the pores, creating a dense region that is still able to sustain load.

Sea urchins also have a different surface morphology than synthetic ceramics. Manufactured cellular ceramics have many microscopic defects across their surfaces and internally, making these materials more susceptible to failure. This isn't the case with the sea urchin spine, which has an almost glasslike surface, smooth down to the nanometer scale. Defects are points from which damage can start, and a lack of defects means a lack of locations prone to failure.

Li demonstrated this idea with a piece of paper. "When you try to rip an undamaged piece of paper, the paper resists ripping. If you make a small tear at the side of the paper, however, the tear will continue from that damaged point."

With branches, pores, and a smooth surface in play, the lightweight sea urchin spines achieve high strength and damage tolerance by uniformly distributing the stress within the structure and absorbing energy more efficiently.

Making the next generation of ceramics

Having this knowledge, can we recreate the smoothness, lack of defects, and the specific branch and node structures needed to capitalize on the sea urchin's secrets? Right now, we can't, because the current methods of processing ceramics aren't quite there.

Ceramics made synthetically are typically formed in a two-step process. The first step is to create the shape, and the second is to fire the piece so that the ceramic hardens, which gives it the strength for which it is known. Potters follow this method when they create a pot and heat it in a kiln. Similar processes are also used for 3D-printed ceramics, where the 3D-printing step forms the shape and then subsequent firing is needed to produce final ceramic parts.

That firing, or sintering, step is the most problematic for recreating the sea urchin's microstructure because the sintering process leads to the formation of microscopic defects, rendering low strength.

"In my lab, we are also interested in how organisms such as sea urchins form these natural ceramic cellular solids," said Li. "Hopefully one day, we can not only integrate the material design principles to bio-inspired lightweight ceramic materials, but also the material processing strategies learned from natural systems."

More information: Ting Yang et al, High strength and damage-tolerance in echinoderm stereom as a natural bicontinuous ceramic cellular solid, Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33712-z
Shen, which stands 4.6 metres tall and 12 metres long, is thought to be male.

Dinosaur fans got a glimpse of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton as it went on display in Singapore Friday before an auction next month, as experts slammed the big-money bone trade as "harmful to science".

The 1,400-kilo frame, composed of about 80 bones, will be the first T-rex skeleton auctioned in Asia, according to Christie's, which has not given an estimate for the lot.

Dubbed Shen, meaning god-like, it will be on display for three days before being shipped to Hong Kong to be sold in November.

"None of the 20 T-Rex that exist in the world is owned by either an Asian institution or an Asian collector," said Francis Belin, president of Christie's Asia Pacific.

"We really wish that Shen will find a new home amongst our Asian collectors here."

The adult dino, which stands 4.6 metres tall and 12 metres long, is thought to be male. It was excavated from private land in the Hells Creek Formation in Montana in the United States in 2020.

"I've never seen a real-life fossil before... It makes me feel in awe because it's quite majestic," said Lauren Lim, 33, who went to view the exhibit.

'Bad news for science'

Shenwhich lived during the Cretaceous period about 67 million years agois not the only dino auctioned in recent years.

The T-rex skeleton will be on display for three days before being shipped to Hong Kong to be sold in November.

In July, the first skeleton of a Gorgosaurus went under the hammer for $6.1 million in New York. Another T-rex, "Stan", was sold for $31.8 million by Christie's in 2020.

But the trend for prehistoric auction lots has some experts concerned.

"It's a sad thing that dinosaurs are becoming collectible toys for the oligarch class, and I can only hope this fad ends soon," said Steve Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh.

He told AFP the trend was "bad news for science", and the remains belonged in museums.

Thomas Carr, a paleontologist from the US, described such sales as being "unquestionably harmful to science" even if the skeletons had been studied before being sold.

"A secure, permanent collection ensures that the observations that a scientist makes of a fossil can be tested and replicatedand a commercially held fossil has no such assurance," Carr said.

Belin, of Christie's, said he hoped a public institution would buy Shen, and added that the whole skeleton had been fully researched, recorded in 3D and "all the elements of the skeleton will be made available for the public to research".

"We strongly hope that the new owner, whether it's an institution or private, will ensure that it's being seen by the public," Belin said.

 2022 AFP
Hazy conditions seen at the NYS Mesonet site in Queens, July, 20 2021. Credit: University at Albany

A new study has found that more frequent and intense western wildfires are not only impacting the air quality and visibility in surrounding areas, but also as far away as the East Coast.

The study, led by researchers at the University at Albany, monitored transported wildfire smoke and its impact on air pollution across New York in July 2021 using observational data from the NYS Mesonetan advanced network of weather stations located across the state.

They found that wildfire smoke originating from the northwestern U.S. and southern Canada significantly elevated air pollutants less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) across the state over two multiday time periods, adversely affecting local and regional air quality.

According to the researchers, PM2.5 emissions have declined across New York and nationally over the last few decades due to new environmental mandates and regulations. However, increased wildfire activity threatens to reverse this trend.

Their findings were published this month in Geophysical Research Letters.

"Wildfires are common across the western U.S. and southern Canada in the summer months and are projected to increase due to climate change," said Bhupal Shrestha, a senior research support specialist with UAlbany's Atmospheric Sciences Research Center and the paper's lead author. "Through our observational research, we detected two significantly elevated multiday PM2.5 episodes across New York that can be directly connected to transported wildfire smoke."

"The increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires due to climate change are projected to enhance these emissions even more in the near future, potentially offsetting nationwide efforts to regulate air pollution."

Wildfire smoke detection

To detect wildfire smoke, the researchers relied on data from the Mesonet's 17 profiler sites. Each profiler site is comprised of a scanning Doppler LiDAR and a microwave radiometer that scan the atmosphere and report back in real time. Data is collected, quality-controlled and archived every 10 minutes.

Two significantly elevated emissions observations were recorded across the profiler network between July 1820 and July 2527, timed around the peak of the summer's western fire season. The average peak of hourly PM2.5 exceeded 50.1 micrograms per cubic meter of air (g/m3) during the first observations and 36.8 g/m3 during the second. Both were above the U.S. EPA 24-hour standards, a major concern for hazardous air quality.

The increased emissions started about 36 hours earlier in upstate regions than in downstate regions, providing convincing evidence that the aerosols were transported from western wildfires and moving across New York, not from local sources.

"Our research demonstrates how the NYS Mesonet Profiler data can improve monitoring of wildfire smoke on a regional scale, assess impacts on air quality, aid satellite measurements and air quality forecasting models," Shrestha said. "This is a prime example of how the Mesonet serves as a vital observational awareness tool that can improve numerical forecasting models around severe weather events."

Along with Mesonet data, the researchers used satellite imagery and a back-trajectory model to confirm and track the transport paths of the emissions arriving in NYS.

More information: Bhupal Shrestha et al, Observations and Impacts of LongRange Transported Wildfire Smoke on Air Quality Across New York State During July 2021, Geophysical Research Letters (2022). DOI: 10.1029/2022GL100216 Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters
Green lizards of the genera Lacerta and Timon are reptiles common in the Mediterranean basin and surrounding areas of the European continent, North Africa and Asia. Credit: Birgit & Peter Oefinger

The evolutionary clade and biodiversity of green lizards of the genera Lacerta and Timonreptiles common in the Mediterranean basin and surrounding areas of the European continent, North Africa and Asiahave never been studied in detail from the perspective of historical biogeography. Now, a paper published in the Journal of Biogeography presents a new scenario for deciphering the potential evolutionary processes that have actedseparately or togetherto give rise to the biodiversity of species in this group in Mediterranean ecosystems.

The study is led by the researcher Antigoni Kaliontzopoulou, from the Faculty of Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) of the University of Barcelona. Teams from the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC), the University of Vigo and the University of Porto (Portugal), among other institutions, are also participating.

The hidden history of the evolution of green lizards

Today, green lizard populations are threatened by numerous factors: the destruction and fragmentation of their natural habitat; the disappearance of traditional agricultural practices; the use of pesticides; the increase in cat populations in humanized areas; climate change, and, in addition, the fatal accidents they suffer on roads. However, although there are indications that some populations are in decline, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has not yet listed these reptiles as endangered species.

According to previous studies, the evolution of the green lizard group was the result of a combination of evolution and the conservatism of ecological niches, "but the relative role of geological history and niche dynamics had not yet been tested," says Antigoni Kaliontzopoulou, a member of the Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences of the UB.

The new study combines cutting-edge analytical tools to study the evolution of phenotypes and the biogeographic history of green lizard phylogeny, and to infer their relative contribution to species diversification. The team links high-temporal resolution biogeographic models, which integrate for the first time comprehensive data on changes in terrestrial ecosystem configuration and connectivity in the Mediterranean to assess the importance of dispersal and vicariance in determining historical range dynamics.

Specifically, the team implemented phenotypic modeling of phylogenies to identify changes in the evolutionary rate of morphological diversity and the climatic niches occupied. This information was then combined with a series of trait-dependent diversification analyses to establish how the diversification of the lineage group had been shaped.

"Such inferences usually focus on a single aspect of diversification: either cladogenesis, geographic dynamics, climatic niche properties or phenotypic trait evolution," Kaliontzopoulou adds. "Our study is innovative in bringing together evidence that has allowed us to contrast hypotheses about different potential evolutionary processes that might act separately or in combination to shape species diversity in the Mediterranean hotspot."

The group has diversified in a relatively steady rhythm, without changes in lineage diversification rates associated to major climatic events of the Mediterranean region. Credit: Birgit & Peter Oefinger

The study provides evidence that, when all existing diversity is considered, the biogeographic history of this emblematic group of Mediterranean lizards is the result of a combination of range expansions associated with dispersal events probably dependent on geographic distance and rapid evolution of ecological niche characteristics within a specific clade.

"As a whole, the group has diversified in a relatively steady rhythm, without changes in lineage diversification rates associated to major climatic events of the Mediterranean region, and without an apparent link to functional morphological or climatic niche divergence," says Kaliontzopolou. "Rather, the colonization of previously empty areas rather promoted the diversification of new lineages through their isolation from their relatives and was facilitated, in some groups, by an increased tolerance to lower temperatures."

A recurring pattern in Mediterranean ecosystems

All indications are that the evolutionary history of green lizards was dominated by biogeographical episodes of long-distance dispersal into previously empty areas, modulated by the allopatric divergence process. These processes are also accompanied by the mechanism of ecological niche conservatism, occasionally interrupted by events of local evolution and adaptation of climatic niches, but with no signs of connection to morphological evolution.

"Our study provides evidence of a combined role of higher-scale niche conservatism and rapid niche evolution underlying the evolutionary history of this lizard clade around the Mediterranean," says Kaliontzopolou.

"This seems to be established as a recurrent pattern in Mediterranean ecosystems, with several examples accumulating to support the idea that while niche conservatism is a common mechanism favoring the buildup of diversity, transition away from hotspots is related to events of accelerated niche evolution. Furthermore, diversification in functional morphology does not emerge as a key component of the diversification process of green lizards."

This contrasts with other biogeographic areasperhaps with more stable climatic conditions such as the tropicswhere structural niche partitioning is an important process of lineage diversification.

"In Mediterranean ecosystems, instead, it seems that lineage diversification is rather driven by geological events and through allopatric divergence after the colonization of new environments. In such environments, morphological divergence seems to occur in much more recent times and within already diversified groups, possibly as a response to ecological-scale events or processes such as sexual selection, not investigated in our study," concludes the researcher.

More information: Urtzi EnriquezUrzelai et al, Allopatric speciation, niche conservatism and gradual phenotypic change in the evolution of European green lizards, Journal of Biogeography (2022). DOI: 10.1111/jbi.14497 Journal information: Journal of Biogeography
LAKE GEORGE  Warren County is once again accepting applications for grant funding to pay for septic system improvements in the Lake George watershed.

On Wednesday, the county announced an additional $635,000 was awarded for residents to upgrade their septic systems through the New York State Septic System Replacement Program, which identified Lake George as the local waterbody that required protection in 2021. The county was originally awarded $340,000 in April 2021 and has provided funds to 36 projects that have since been completed in or around Lake George.

Failing septic systems have been identified as a source of pollution in the lake. Eligible property owners can apply for grants of up to 50% of the cost of replacing septic systems or cesspools or upgrading of system components. The maximum award is $10,000 per project.

The countys Planning and Community Development Department is handling the program and can advise eligible property owners of their options.

Factors to determine who will be awarded grants will include:

The propertys location in relation to Lake George

Impacts to groundwater used as drinking water

The condition of the septic system

Protecting our waterbodies is vitally important to our environment and economy. We urge property owners who may be eligible for this funding to review the application and take advantage of this program to help keep the Lake George watershed clean, said Kevin Geraghty, chairman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors, in a news release.

Applications and required forms are available on the countys website.

The application must contain sufficient information about the condition of your septic system and the scope and cost of the proposed repair or replacement, to enable the county to determine whether your project qualifies for a grant and assess how much youre eligible for. Please read the application carefully and be sure to provide all the requested information. Failing to do so could result in a delay or denial of funding from this program, the county website states about the program.

The Lake George Park Commission also formed an ad-hoc septic system committee, after the first harmful algae bloom was found in the lake in 2020 to:

Better understand the overall population of septic systems around Lake George

Determine if those systems pose negative impacts to the current or long-term water quality of the lake based on literature and field data

Identify programmatic and regulatory options to address the issue if demonstrated that septic systems are impacting public health or the water quality of the lake

Develop consensus on a preferred option working with Department of Environmental Conservation, state Department of Health and local municipalities

Implement and/or facilitate the appropriate program to address septic system issues for the long-term health of the lake

More information and meeting schedules are available on the park commissions website.
This video grab taken from a video posted on the Twitter account of billionaire Tesla chief Elon Musk on Oct. 26, 2022, shows Musk carrying a sink as he enters the Twitter headquarters in San Francisco. (AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS)

On Oct. 4, Elon Musk reversed himself and offered to honor his original proposal to buy Twitter for $44 billion  a deal he had spent the previous several months trying to wriggle out of. He made the latest offer just two weeks before a Twitter lawsuit aimed at forcing Musk to go through with the deal was scheduled to go to trial in Delaware Chancery Court. After receiving Musks offer, Twitter said it intends to close the transaction.

The two parties now have to close the deal Friday. If they dont, the Delaware Chancery Court judge overseeing the case plans to reschedule the trial in November.

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If the case has your head spinning, heres a quick guide to the major events in the saga featuring the billionaire Tesla CEO and the social platform.

January 31: Musk starts buying shares of Twitter in near-daily installments, amassing a 5% stake in the company by mid-March.

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March 26: Musk, who has tens of millions of Twitter followers and is active on the site, says he is giving serious thought to building an alternative to Twitter, questioning the platforms commitment to free speech and whether Twitter is undermining democracy. He also privately reaches out to Twitter board members including his friend and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.

March 27: After privately informing Twitter of his growing stake in the company, Musk starts conversations with its CEO and board members about potentially joining the board. Musk also mentions taking Twitter private or starting a competitor, according to later regulatory filings.

April 4: A regulatory filing reveals that Musk has rapidly become the largest shareholder of Twitter after acquiring a 9% stake, or 73.5 million shares, worth about $3 billion.

April 5: Musk is offered a seat on Twitters board on the condition he amass no more than 14.9% of the companys stock. CEO Parag Agrawal said in a tweet that it became clear to us that he would bring great value to our Board.

April 9: After exchanging pleasantries and bonding by text message over their love of engineering, a short-lived relationship between Agrawal and Musk sours after Musk publicly tweets Is Twitter dying? and gets a message from Agrawal calling the criticism unhelpful. Musk tersely responds: This is a waste of time. Will make an offer to take Twitter private.

April 11: Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal announces Musk will not be joining the board after all.

April 14: Twitter reveals in a securities filing that Musk has offered to buy the company outright for about $44 billion.

April 15: Twitters board unanimously adopts a poison pill defense in response to Musks proposed offer, attempting to thwart a hostile takeover.

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April 21: Musk lines up $46.5 billion in financing to buy Twitter. Twitter board is under pressure to negotiate.

April 25: Musk reaches a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion and take the company private. The outspoken billionaire has said he wanted to own and privatize Twitter because he thinks its not living up to its potential as a platform for free speech.

April 29: Musk sells roughly $8.5 billion worth of shares in Tesla to help fund the purchase of Twitter, according to regulatory filings.

May 5: Musk strengthens his offer to buy Twitter with commitments of more than $7 billion from a diverse group of investors including Silicon Valley heavy hitters like Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.

May 10: In a hint at how he would change Twitter, Musk says hed reverse Twitters ban of former President Donald Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, calling the ban a morally bad decision and foolish in the extreme.

May 13: Musk declares his plan to buy Twitter temporarily on hold. Musk says he needs to pinpoint the number of spam and fake accounts on the social media platform. Shares of Twitter tumble, while those of Tesla rebound sharply.

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June 6: Musk threatens to end his $44 billion agreement to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information he requested about its spam bot accounts.

July 8: Musk says he will abandon his offer to buy Twitter after the company failed to provide enough information about the number of fake accounts.

July 12: Twitter sues Musk to force him to complete the deal. Musk soon countersues.

July 19: A Delaware judge says the Musk-Twitter legal dispute will go to trial in October.

August 23: A former head of security at Twitter alleges the company misled regulators about its poor cybersecurity defenses and its negligence in attempting to root out fake accounts that spread misinformation. Musk eventually cites the whistleblower as a new reason to scuttle his Twitter deal.

October 5: Musk offers to go through with his original proposal to buy Twitter for $44 billion. Twitter says it intends to close the transaction after receiving Musks offer.

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October 6: Delaware judge delays Oct. 17 trial until November and gives both sides until Oct. 28 to reach agreement to close the deal.

October 20: The Washington Post reports that Musk told prospective Twitter investors that he plans to lay off 75% of the companys 7,500 employees.

Wednesday, October 26: Musk posts a video of himself entering Twitter headquarters carrying a kitchen sink, indicating that the deal is set to go through.

Thursday, October 27: In a message to advertisers, Musk says Twitter wont become a free-for-all hellscape.

Thursday, October 27: Musk ousts CEO Parag Agrawal along with other top executives and takes control of Twitter, according two people familiar with the deal.

Thursday, October 27: Musk tweets the bird is freed
GLENS FALLS  After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, George Takei saw the letters JAP painted on his fathers car.

The American family of Japanese descent had suddenly become enemies in the eyes of those who feared anyone who had his face.

Overnight, Americans citizens of Japanese ancestry were looked at with suspicion and fear and outright hatred simply because we happened to look like people who bombed Pearl Harbor, when we in actual fact had nothing to do with Pearl Harbor, Takei said. On the street, people yelled at us, spat at us, called us ugly, racist names.

Takei, widely known for his role as Hikaru Sulu in the sci-fi television show Star Trek, spoke at Glens Falls High School on Wednesday night in an event sponsored by Crandall Public Library. The venue was changed from the Charles R. Wood Theater due to overwhelming response.

Nearly 1,000 people watched, laughed, asked questions and flashed the Vulcan salute to the actor who is also well known for his social activism and advocacy for the LGBTQ community.

The 85-year-old Takei captured the audience with stories of his childhood.

His mother was born in Sacramento, California, and his father was born in Japan at the foot of Mount Fuji, but was raised in San Francisco and attended college in the same city. His parents met and were married in Los Angeles, where Takei was born on April 20, 1937, just three weeks before the coronation of George VI in England.

So hence my name. Im a Japanese American, named after an English king, Takei said, receiving a huge laugh from the audience. Diversity. Infinite diversity.

He also talked about his rotund brother Henry, also named for British royal Henry VIII, known for having many wives.

Fortunately, hes still married to his first wife, Takei joked.

Takei spoke for nearly an hour about his familys time in three different internment camps during World War II. On Feb. 19, 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered all Japanese-American enemy aliens on the West Coast to be rounded up and imprisoned in barbed-wire prison camps.

These 10 camps were in some of the most desolate places, the most god-awful places, Takei said, the blistering hot desert of Arizona, or the sultry swamps of Arkansas, the cold, windswept high plains of Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Colorado and two of the most desolate places in California.

One day, two soldiers carrying rifles with shiny bayonets banged on his familys door. Takei and his younger brother Henry watched their mother leave the house.

When she came out, she had our baby sister in one arm, a huge duffel bag in the other, and tears were streaming down her cheeks, he said. That horrible morning is seared into my memory. Ill never be able to forget that horrible, terrible morning.

The family of five was loaded into a truck with other Japanese Americans, taken downtown to the Buddhist temple where he saw a line of buses. They loaded a bus and were taken to the race track at Santa Anita on the outskirts of Los Angeles, where they slept in horse stalls still pungent with the stench of manure, the air filled with insects.

Takei and his brother Henry, he laughed, were excited to be able to sleep with the horses.

But for our parents, it was a painful, degrading, humiliating thing to bring their children into that smelly horse stall, he said.

After a few months, they were sent by train to a new camp. His father told him they were going on a long vacation to the country. Again, George and Henry were excited about a long vacation and a train ride.

When we got on the train, we saw that there was a soldier at both ends of each car with their rifles as if we might try to escape. I wanted to stay on the train and go on vacation. My mother kept chanting, three days and two nights, three days and two nights. I still remember that rhythm.

On the third day they spotted a barbed wire prison camp built next to the train tracks, where hundreds of Japanese Americans stood looking at the train.

This was going to be the place of our vacation in the country, Takei said. They called it Camp Rohwer.

He attended school at Camp Rohwer, where the students recited the Pledge of Allegiance every morning.

I recited the words, with liberty and justice for all, too young to feel the stinging irony in those words liberty and justice for all, he said.

After his family failed a loyalty questionnaire, which Takei called incompetent, they were sent to Tule Lake, the biggest, most militarized internment camp housing 18,000 angry people.

It became the most notorious camp because young men, some who had volunteered to fight for the U.S. military in the first place right after Pearl Harbor, had become radicalized, Takei said.

It was a turbulent camp in turmoil. Some of the men were put into a segregated all-Japanese Army unit, the 442nd Infantry Regiment. They were sent to the battlefields of Europe on some of the most dangerous missions.

After the war

When the war ended with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, the Japanese Americans were allowed to leave the camps. The prisoners were free, but impoverished. They were given a ticket to anywhere in the United States and $25.

The Takei family moved back to Los Angeles, but jobs were scarce. The family moved to Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles.

It was, to us, an unbelievable experience, Takei said. First of all, I still remember the stench of human excrement, everywhere in the streets, in the hallways, everywhere we went. And smelly, scary, ugly people staggering about, sprawled on the sidewalk, leaning on the wall.

When a derelict man fell and vomited in front of the family, Takeis little sister asked to go back home.

Skid Row was so horrific, she wanted to go behind the barbed wire fence, he explained. Thats how horrible that was.

His parents worked day and night and instilled a sense of patriotism and understanding in their children, Takei said. They believed their children should be involved in the political process, which intrigued Takei. The future actor was drawn to the drama of politics.

In the 1970s, Takei was vocal in seeking an apology and redress for the Japanese Americans who were interred at the camps. Takei read his statement he read to Congress when he testified in 1981.

That apology finally came in 1988, when President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act to compensate more than 100,000 people of Japanese descent imprisoned in the camps. The legislation offered a formal apology and paid any surviving victim $20,000.

It was a deeply significant token, Takei said, and I was moved by it.

Takeis father, who had borne the anguish of the familys incarceration, had died in 1979, nine years before the apology.

My father was the one in our family that deserved it the most, he said. But my mother said, Daddy always knew this day would be coming, and I still wish that Daddy had lived to see that.
GLENS FALLS Star Trek actor George Takei, who has served as spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign Coming Out Project, was closeted for most of his adult life.

I came out as a gay man at age 68. Thats very late, Takei told a crowd of nearly 1,000 people  including his husband Brad  at Glens Falls High School on Wednesday night.

Takei spoke for nearly an hour about his time in a Japanese-American internment camp during World War II. But after, he sat down and took questions from the audience filtered through Crandall Public Library Director Kathy Naftaly.

The library invited Takei to speak as the library launches its long-range plan to empower the community by addressing equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.

Takei told the audience that the only way for a gay man to pursue an acting career in Hollywood in the 1950s-1980s was to be closeted.

It was only in the 90s that things became more humanized, he said.

He was an activist, yet silent on that one issue, which filled him with guilt.

In 2005, California nearly passed the Marriage Equality Bill, which needed the signature of former movie star and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Sure enough, when the bill landed on his desk, he vetoed it, and I was raging, he said to applause and laughs from the audience.

He said he was prepared to deal with his career ending, but the reverse happened. He got more work.

Even better, he said, gay George Takei.

Takei told the crowd how his coined expression, Oh my, took off after a visit to Howard Sterns radio show. On the show, the shock jock asked Takei if his deep voice indicated he was well endowed.

And thats when I said, Oh my, and he had it on tape, Takei said. And so whether Im there or not, if someone says or does something outrageous ... . He asked a woman to take her blouse off, and she did, and he pressed a button and my voice comes out.

Takei talked about his first interview with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry back in 1965. Takei desperately wanted the groundbreaking role.

First of all, it was a series, which meant steady employment, he laughed.

The philosophy of the show also registered with Takei, who believed that active participation in democracy was a privilege and a responsibility. The show featured a North American captain, played by a Canadian actor. There was a Scottish engineer and a black woman as communication officer.

Roddenberry told Takei he had trouble naming the Asian character Takei would eventually play, because every Asian surname is specific to its country.

He wanted a name that suggested Asia, Takei said. And he was looking at a map on his wall and saw off the coast of the Philippines and saw the Sulu Sea, and thought, ah, the waters of the sea touch all shores. And thats how he came up with the name Sulu.
PLATTSBURGH  Thursday afternoon, at the West Side Ballroom in Plattsburgh, WPTZ-TV My NBC5 provided a chance for both candidates in the race for the NY-21 Congressional District to debate.

But, only one candidate showed up  Democratic challenger Matt Castelli. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, did not.

When asked for comment on why the congresswoman did not attend the debate, Stefaniks senior advisor Alex Degrasse said, The biased mainstream media shamefully colluded with the downstate Democrat to ensure he had zero primary debates and then let him handpick the date and time of a general election debate.

As the Congresswoman told NBC5 last week, she was confirmed on this date at longtime public events in Herkimer County today as a guest for multiple stops including visiting first responders, small businesses, and a keynote at dinner attended by hundreds. NBC5 has disgraced themselves and shamefully allowed the downstate Democrat to stage this desperate event. The good news is that the election is coming in 13 days when this gun-banning, tax-hiking, Hochul-supporting Democrat will be sent packing back downstate.

After it became clear Stefanik would not be making an appearance for the debate, My NBC5 shifted the event from a debate to a one-on-one interview with Castelli.

One of the questions My NBC5 anchor Stewart Ledbetter raised to Castelli was how much of Stefaniks nickname for him, the far-left downstate Democrat from Poughkeepsie, was true.

We might be here all day to pick apart all of those lies, Castelli responded.

I was born in Poughkeepsie. I have voted in NY-21. I think the characterization of far-left is more of a reflection of how far to the right she is, to say a centrist and a moderate like me is in the far left. And I live in Glens Falls. I was born and raised in upstate New York. I went to Stewarts for ice cream after my Little League games. Congresswoman Stefanik actually lives outside of the district. Im the only one who lives inside of the district and she lives further downstate than I do. So I think shes really the downstate RINO (Republican In Name Only) in this race.

Castelli was then asked what the decision comes down to for voters.

It comes down to who do they trust to have their interests put up front when any decision is being made down in Washington, D.C.? One of the challenges I think weve seen from Congresswoman Stefanik, over time, is that its clear she has sold us out in order to advance her own career and left us behind, he said. We need somebody that we can have confidence and trust that theyre going to put our interests first  our future first instead of their own.

Ledbetter told the Press-Republican that Stefanik and Castelli were offered multiple dates to participate in a debate.

My NBC5 will air the segment with Castelli on Sunday at 10 a.m.

Castelli concludes tour

On Wednesday, Castelli completed his town hall tour of all 15 counties in the district at Plattsburghs American Legion Post 20, saying he saved the best for last.

Clinton County residents got an hour to ask Castelli questions about topics they felt were most important in this election cycle.

Those who didnt want to ask questions publicly were given a one-on-one opportunity with Castelli after the town hall concluded.

Early on in the town hall, another question was raised by an audience member about why there had been no debates between Castelli and Stefanik  to which Castelli responded it was unclear.

As you all probably know, shes had four terms. In each of those, shes had debates, he said.

I think its a real disservice, not just to me, but to you all.

Some of the controversial topics publicly discussed included abortion and gun control.

When a member of the audience asked Castelli what would be on his day one agenda if elected, he said to codify into law, a womans right to choose, to which he received applause from the audience.

In the aftermath of overturning Roe v. Wade, millions of American women, right now, are under threat. They dont have bodily autonomy. They dont have the ability to make their own healthcare decisions. We may think we have certain protections here in New York, but theres a real threat from people like Congresswoman Stefanik, he continued.

The only way to retake that right for millions of American women, is to codify into law a womans right to choose, so thats top of the list.

In response to a question asking about his stance on the Second Amendment, Castelli said Im a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. Im a gun owner myself. I swore an oath to protect and defend the constitution. The Second Amendment isnt going anywhere  not on my watch.

There is an opportunity, I think, to respect the rights of law-abiding gun owners, while also recognizing we have rising rates of gun violence in this country. You see events like in Uvalde, Texas, where there are children being slaughtered in our schools and then you hear the statistic that gun violence is now the number one cause of death in our children in this nation.

A woman in the audience said Oh my God, after hearing that.

Castelli continued by saying We have to respond to that with some degree of urgency, by bringing people together.
OCEAN CITY  Last year, with challenges in multiple races for school board, many candidates were motivated by concerns about mask mandates in schools and about how matters of race and history were taught.

Candidates described the teaching as critical race theory, although there appears to be wide disagreement about exactly what that phrase describes.

This year, new state standards on health and physical education appear set to play a central role in the election, especially with regard to how schools approach sexuality and gender.

There are crowded fields of candidates in Lower Township, Middle Township, Dennis Township and Upper Township.

In Ocean City, some of the same candidates who sought seats last year are back for another try.

I am running for Ocean City school board because I think education is going in the wrong direction in the state of New Jersey, said Liz Nicoletti, who ran in 2021 and is running as part of a slate that has made the education standards a central part of their campaign.

Common sense needs to be restored in our schools, Nicoletti said in response to a request for comment. Unfortunately the goal of our leadership in this state is to turn our students into social justice warriors. I believe that families in this state are entitled to an education that will bring back moral integrity, conservative values and academic excellence.

There are nine candidates in Ocean City for four seats on the school board, including three candidates for a year remaining on an unexpired term.

Ryan Leonard, 39, was appointed to the board this year and is running for the year remaining on the term. Also seeking that seat is former board member Dale Braun, 58. Incumbents Patrick Kane, 45, Charles Roche, 45, and Gregory Whelan, 59, are seeking new terms, while Kevin Barnes is also seeking a seat on the board this election.

Nicoletti, 53, is running with Catherine Panico, 51, and Robin Shaffer, 52, with Shaffer running for the one-year term. All three were on the ballot in 2021 as well, falling short in a vote with 11 people vying for three seats.

All three are part of the Ocean City Alliance for Sensible Education and helped organize a rally across from City Hall in support of a state bill described as a Parents Bill of Rights.

Some advocates saw the rally as against LBGTQ students, citing statements presented by one of the speakers. The candidates deny that interpretation, saying they want to ensure parents have a voice in education.

Upper Township Committee backs parents bill of rights UPPER TOWNSHIP  The Township Committee on Monday joined a growing number of communities in 

I believe in the right of every student, regardless of race, gender and sexual orientation, to be respected, to learn and to thrive in safe schools, said Panico. I support a rigorous classical education that includes high level science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. I support every parents right to be informed and make decisions for their child. I support retaining the 2014 Health and PE State standards, including age-appropriate sex education. I oppose the 2020 Health and PE standards, which I believe contain inappropriate standards for children as young as 5.

Shaffer describes the new state standards as sex and gender ideology and criticized the Ocean City school board for a narrow vote adopting the standards.

Let me be frank: I wont let our children become guinea pigs for social justice crusaders, he said.

Barnes, an attorney, said he wants more accountability for board members and involvement from parents in the district.

The education and wellness of every student must be better served. The performance scores in math, science and language arts are not adequate and must be addressed, he said. Wellness and safety must be addressed. Every child, regardless of race, gender, identity or preference, is entitled to an exceptional education in a safe environment free from harassment and discrimination. Mental health must be better served. We can do better, and we must do better.

Kane is currently the president of the school board. He is a hand surgeon in Philadelphia. He said there are multiple issues in this years election.

I think the one statement that rings most important for me is the goal of the district is to provide an exceptional education for all students and a safe welcoming environment for all students, staff, faculty and members of our school community, Kane said.

Whelan is an attorney and director of business operations at Pfizer. He said both of his parents were educators and he understands how hard administrators, teachers and staff work. Whelan said the Ocean City district must prepare students for the future.

For this to happen, we need to be forward-thinking and take advantage of the opportunities and resources that are available, he said. I am excited and encouraged by the direction the district is exploring regarding career pathways for our students.

Leonard focused his comments on STEM education and said he is excited by the direction taken by new Superintendent Matthew Friedman. He said hate and exclusion have no place in Ocean City.

By the time my kids graduate, the world economy will only be more competitive, and technology fluency will be table stakes, Leonard said. The central issue in this election has unfortunately been hijacked to become about national divisiveness. I personally look at every decision I make through the lens of what is best for our students and our district.

Braun is retired from the banking industry. He is involved in parent-teacher organizations in Ocean City and volunteered with the after-prom committee and served on Ocean Citys school board from 2017 until 2019.

The Ocean City school district is the heart of our community and is vital to producing our future leaders for our communitys success for generations to come, Braun said.

Roche is a primary care doctor who was appointed to the board last year. He has described promoting inclusivity for all students as a priority.

The emotional health of our students, staff, faculty and administration deserves to be taken every bit as seriously as any other component of the educational experience, he said. If I am elected, I will continue the work to ensure that all the members of our school community feel that they belong, and to ensure that our faculty and staff have the support they need to do the best job for every student.

In some districts in Cape May County, candidates are unopposed, or in some cases, no candidate filed petitions to run. In Woodbine, there are no candidates for three seats on the school board.

In Dennis Township, there are seven candidates for three seats, while Middle Township has six candidates for three seats and Upper Township has seven candidates for three seats.

Requests for comment were sent to candidates in all contested races, but many did not reply by the given deadline.
There are seven in-person early voting sites for the Nov. 8 general election in Atlantic County, where voters will choose their congressional representative and vote for county and local candidates.

There are no races for state Senate or Assembly this year.

In smaller Cape May and Cumberland counties, there are three early voting sites, and in larger Ocean County there are 10.

Early voting in all counties began Saturday and runs through Nov. 6, as required by state law. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. all days except Sundays, when hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Early voting machines are different from those used on Election Day. They can be programmed to bring up any ballot in the county, so people can use any location that is convenient for them during the early voting period. On Election Day, voters must go to their specific polling place to access their particular ballot.

Displaced Atlantic County Board of Elections gets space from other county departments MAYS LANDING  The Atlantic County Board of Elections remains without a permanent home after

Voters who are on the list to receive a vote-by-mail ballot will not be able to use the machine, however, either during early voting or on Election Day. They will be asked to fill out a paper provisional ballot. The provisional ballot will only be counted after all mail-in votes are received and election officials determine the same person did not also return a vote-by-mail ballot.

The state will only reimburse Atlantic County for seven sites. Any number above seven would involve spending county money.

In April, Atlantic County Clerk Joe Giralo, a Republican, broke the tie of the four-member Atlantic County Board of Elections, which had split along party lines when deciding on early voting sites.

The two Democrats wanted to remove an early voting site in Buena Vista Township to create a new one in Pleasantville along with another new one in Egg Harbor Township, and Republicans wanted to keep the original six locations and add only Egg Harbor Township.

It is the goal of my office to ensure that voting routines are not disturbed, Giralo said in a news release at the time he made his decision, and maintaining these six early voting locations will help to further that goal. Giralo encouraged any voter with questions about elections or where to vote to call his office at 609-625-4011.

Below are early voting sites in The Press coverage area:

Atlantic County

ATLANTIC CITY: Quaremba Hall at St. Michaels, 10 N. Mississippi Ave. (a change of site from last year when it was in the Atlantic City Free Public Library, which cannot host as it is undergoing construction)

BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP: Martin Luther King Building, 661 Jackson Road

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP: Atlantic County Library, 1 Swift Ave.

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP: Atlantic County Library, 306 E. Jimmie Leeds Road

Atlantic City mayor calls proposed election changes a GOP ploy ATLANTIC CITY  Mayor Marty Small Sr. is calling a plan to move back to non-partisan electio

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP: Atlantic County Library, 40 Farragut Ave.

HAMMONTON: Family Success Center, 310 Bellevue Ave.

NORTHFIELD: Shoreview Building, 101 Shore Road

Cape May County

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE: Cape May County Library, 30 Mechanic St.

LOWER TOWNSHIP: Cape May County Library, 2600 Bayshore Road

Atlantic County clerk opts to keep last year's early voting sites, adds one in Egg Harbor Township MAYS LANDING  Atlantic County Clerk Joe Giralo said Thursday morning the early voting sites

UPPER TOWNSHIP: Cape May County Library, 2050 Route 631

Cumberland County

BRIDGETON: Bridgeton Public Library, 150 E. Commerce St.

MILLVILLE: Millville Womens Club, 300 E. St.

VINELAND: Landis Marketplace, 624 E. Elmer St.

Southern Ocean County

LACEY TOWNSHIP: Charles A. Smith Community Center, 15 E. Lacey Road

LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP: Ocean County Library, 290 Mathistown Road

STAFFORD TOWNSHIP: Ocean County Southern Resource Center, 179 S. Main St.
Hannah Jones is a 21-year-old who said shes never voted, and probably never will.

Im not sure what would make me vote, Jones said, unsure of an incentive that would change her mind about hitting the polls.

Besides not knowing enough information about her local elected officials from her hometown of Galloway Township, the Atlantic Cape Community College student said she also doesnt follow politics or the news, a familiar scenario among many of the areas young voters.

Angelo Carranza, 23, also an Atlantic Cape student, believes some young people dont vote because they think their vote doesnt count.

Voting should concern a lot of people, but our vote doesnt really count because the Electoral College always supersedes the peoples vote, said Carranza. It makes people feel like their vote is worth limited points or doesnt count at all.

Carranza isnt a first-time voter, but he said he cant remember the last time he voted (he thinks it was in 2018).

The Hispanic community votes. They want elected officials to hear them. Hispanic voters are one of the largest minority voting groups, so listening to the needs and

Not all young voters share the views of Jones and Carranza, and data shows more young people are voting.

Nationally, the youth voter turnout in 2020 was 11% higher than youth voter turnout in 2016, according to 2020 data from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

New Jersey had the highest youth voter turnout in the United States in 2020, with 67% of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 having cast a ballot, according to the centers data.

Professor Claire Abernathy heads a Stockton Votes seminar for first-year students at the university. In the class, students learn how to vote, register to vote and register others to vote, while also acquiring voter information about Stocktons student body.

Every year since 2012, weve noticed an increase in voters, said Abernathy about the registration and voting rates for Stockton students.

Casting that first ballot

Despite the growing number of young people voting, the number of first-time voters registering has been on the decline.

Only 20% of people who voted in 2020 were first-time voters, compared with 40% in 2012, 2016 and 2018.

Stockton student Esra Ekiz, 18, will be voting for her first time in Edgewater, Bergen County.

Were young, said Ekiz, a pre-pharmaceuticals major at Stockton whos part of the Stockton Votes seminar. Its nice to have some sort of say in a decision and be a part of the process.

Ekiz said foreign policies were important to her.

As a first-generation student, my parents are from the Middle East, said Ekiz. So I would vote for someone that wouldnt go crazy on us, or someone who would help us out.

Hankerson challenges Hayes and Bulakowski in Cape May County MIDDLE TOWNSHIP  With two seats up for election on the Cape May County Board of Commissione

Ekiz said younger people sometimes struggle to be interested in a politicians viewpoints.

Politicians dont mean anything to a lot of younger people, she said. Theyre failing to appeal to younger voters.

Ekiz said the COVID-19 pandemic opened her eyes to how important having a good leader in office means.

Ever since COVID hit, I noticed how unprepared we were, Ekiz said, referring to her belief that the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions guidelines were all over the place, but federal stimulus checks and pandemic measures helped get the country through the toughest waves. Imagine if we vote for someone who doesnt know how to handle a crisis situation like that.

Ekiz said she will look for a candidate who addresses environmental issues like climate change and supports feminism by closing the gender wage gap.

Shawn Georetz, 20, another student at Atlantic Cape, said while some of his friends vote, he doesnt pay much attention to local news, so he probably wont cast his first vote in any local elections.

2022 general election municipal questions in Atlantic County In several municipalities, voters will not only have candidates to choose on Nov. 8, but in 

Maybe people dont understand. They dont pay taxes or own property, so it doesnt affect them, Georetz said.

Georetz said hell be casting his first vote during the next presidential election in 2024. He started paying attention to politics to learn about the potential presidential candidates.

He said he would vote for a person who can lower the price of gas, clean up the ocean, stop littering and help the environment.

The trouble with midterms

Getting people to turn out for a midterm election, like this years Nov. 8 election, has traditionally been challenging. Local elections often garner little engagement or interest.

Only 15% to 17% of eligible voters tend to vote in local elections, according to data from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

Part of the goal of the Stockton Votes class is to emphasize that voting in all elections is important.

The midterms are easily overlooked, so we try to get as many people as we can involved with that, Abernathy said during a recent voter registration drive at Stocktons Galloway campus.

Sarah Cirillo, 18, another student in the Stockton Votes class, said she tries to pay attention to local news from her hometown of Newark, but it happens so fast, she said she cant keep track.

But its important to pay attention to local politics because it affects you in the long run, said Cirillo.

Cirillo said she looks for someone smart who will make tough decisions to solve problems. A candidates takes on taxes and policies were also important to her.

Cirillo said the age gap between young voters and older candidates creates a divide on issues.

Face-to-face contact makes a big difference, she said.

We want someone to directly tell you what they think and answer your question, said Cirillo.  We dont want an artificial answer thats on the campaign website.

She said thats why political candidates like Bernie Sanders became popular with young voters.

Hell go out directly to the younger crowds, said Cirillo, who noted todays young people who are active in politics like to host big rallies and see their officials.

Cirillo said she wasnt interested in the theatrics a lot of politicians put on to get people to vote. Honestly conveying realistic solutions is important.

I want to see what changes you can realistically do before I cast my vote, said Cirillo.

Having a say

Rabiyah Footman, 18, Cirillos classmate, said young, first-time voters are the future and have the ability to make a change, although it may not seem like it.

We cant sit there and let stuff happen, said Footman. A lot of people dont think voting is important or dont see what voting can do, so they get discouraged.

But good things can come from having the peoples voices heard, Footman said, like New Jersey voters passing the legalization of marijuana.

Footman said having diversity in young candidates helps engage young voters.

Young people need to vote so the ideals of their generation, which sometimes differ from that of older generations, are realized, Footman said, like protecting womens rights after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which also put LGBTQ rights in jeopardy since it opened the door for things like same-sex marriage to be repealed.

We dont want history to repeat itself.

Abernathy said environmental issues are important to students in her class, along with the cost of college and student loans.

Abortion rights and womens rights were a key issue this year, said Abernathy.

There are a plethora of concerns young, first-time voters have, but none of those concerns can be addressed if those voters never make it to the polls.

People need to start caring now before its too late, said Cirillo.
Local governments are facing double-digit state pension contribution rate increases for 2023, based on information published earlier this month by the Division of Pension and Benefits, according to the New Jersey Association of Counties.

The increases will be in addition to the unprecedented 23% increase in health benefit insurance rates for local governments and their employees participating in the State Health Benefits Program, the county group said Friday in a news release.

The county group and the New Jersey State League of Municipalities are urging Gov. Phil Murphy to use American Rescue Plan Act money and other unrestricted reserve or surplus funds to temporarily offset the increases in health benefit expenses.

The Murphy administration and public sector labor unions representing most state employees reached an agreement that caps increases for state employees portion of costs at just 3% with state taxpayers absorbing the additional costs.

But employees of county and local governments will see their share of the costs go up much higher.

The county group and League of Municipalities are also urging the administration to extend for an additional 30 days the open enrollment period set to expire at the end of the month, to allow counties and municipalities additional time to educate employees on the pending increases and the opportunity for employees to choose less expensive plans.

Importantly, any immediate relief must be accompanied by long-term structural reforms such as adopting reference-based pricing to effectively manage costs, incentivizing employees to select lower-cost plan designs, and modifying co-pays for specialists and urgent care to further reduce long-term expenses, the county group said.

The groups support S-3033, a bill to appoint county and municipal officials to the State Health Benefits Commission, which decides on rates.

Atlantic County government is facing a $4.2 million increase in health insurance costs for its workers in its next budget, County Executive Dennis Levinson has said.

The increase will translate to a county tax increase of about 1.17 cents per $100 valuation to cover current employees, and about 1.77 cents per $100 if all open positions are filled, according to Levinson.

For a house valued at $300,000, the tax increase just to cover the rising health insurance costs would be $35 to $53.

School districts in the state plan are also facing double-digit percentage increases in health plan costs, Atlantic County Commissioner Amy Gatto, of Hamilton Township, said at a recent board meeting.

Atlantic County faces steep hike in health insurance costs Atlantic County government is facing a $4.2 million hike in health insurance costs in its ne

Costs for active Atlantic County employees will increase from $27.7 million in 2022 to $31.7 million in 2023 ($33.7 million if all job vacancies are filled); while costs for retired members will increase to $2.8 million in 2023 from $2.6 million in 2022, according to Levinson.

The State Health Benefits Commission based the increases on actual usage of medical care by participants in 2021, according to information on its website.

New Jerseys costs are going up at more than twice the rate of other states, according to an analysis by nj.com.

Levinson projected an overall increase of $4.2 million in health benefit costs for Atlantic County in 2023 based on existing employees, and an additional $2 million should vacancies be filled.

The contributions of active members will also increase from $4.7 million to $5.1 million, Levinson said.

Atlantic County commissioners passed a $236.8 million 2022 budget in April that allowed for a small property tax decrease.

The county joined the State Health Benefits Commission in 2003.
New Jersey regulators approved the first round of new licenses for recreational weed companies that werent already growing and selling medicinal cannabis.

The list of 18 includes retailers in Atlantic and Cumberland counties.

Jeff Brown, executive director of the states Cannabis Regulatory Commission, called the approvals momentous and said the small number was the tip of the iceberg.

Commission officials offered no timeline for when the businesses  eight cultivators, three manufacturers and seven retailers  would open or where they would be located. In some cases, municipal documents provided addresses.

Commission Chairwoman Dianna Houenou cautioned the businesses still had to go through multiple steps, including a review of financial sources and a final inspection, before they will be allowed to open.

Its my hope that all of these business get up and running as soon as possible because we need these businesses to be operational to help drive down prices, Houenou said.

2022 general election municipal questions in Atlantic County In several municipalities, voters will not only have candidates to choose on Nov. 8, but in 

Two cultivators, Hamilton Farms LLC and Statewide Property Holdings NJ LLC, planning to operate in Millville, according to city resolutions, were approved. Other approved cultivators in South Jersey are Atlantic Cultivators in Atlantic City and Brighterside Canopy LLC in Pleasantville.

Its not clear where most of the other businesses intend to locate. The commission said it would not provide that information until it gives the businesses final approval.

In another move, the commission approved the expansion of Curaleafs Bordentown medical cannabis dispensary into recreational cannabis, though Houenou and another member of the commission expressed dissatisfaction with Curaleafs treatment of workers, without providing specifics. On Tuesday, a former employee at a South Philadelphia Curaleaf filed a lawsuit alleging the retailer violated Philadelphias Fair Work Week laws.

Separately on Thursday, the commission and the New Jersey Department of State announced the launch of a Cannabis Training Academy next year to provide technical assistance to entrepreneurs establishing cannabis businesses in New Jersey.

Training modules, which will be free to participants, will include guidance to legacy growers and sellers who want to get into the nascent legal business.
Hispanic voters are one of the largest minority voting groups, so listening to the needs and voices of this community could influence any election, including the upcoming midterms.

Latinos have been the second largest voting group in recent presidential and congressional elections, according to the Pew Research Centers data on Hispanic voters.

And the number of eligible Hispanic American voters this year is estimated to reach about 34.5 million, according to the data.

The ability for a community to be able to vote often transfers to visibility and representation, said Cristian Moreno-Rodriguez, executive director of the nonprofit El Pueblo Unido of Atlantic City. Its not about what theyre voting for, just that they are.

That visibility should translate to Hispanic voters being heard on their concerns about the issues that are important to them  many of which mirror those of other voting groups  such as public safety, voting rights and the economy.

The Latinos in this local community are definitely worried about the economy, said Jessica Grullon, vice president of the Hispanic Association of Atlantic County.

Grullon said many of the Latinos in the area are working in very harsh conditions and hold blue-collar jobs.

They are concerned about being able to sustain or pay their bills and support their families under their current salaries and wages, Grullon said.

She said she counts herself among the Hispanic voters who are focused on their ability to pay bills while supporting their families on their wages.

Grullon also said voters worry about health care and basic necessities. Can they afford their medicine, buy milk and food, or pay for the gas they need to get to work or travel?

We receive a lot of concerns from our community about crime and their safety, said Grullon. Theres been an uptick (of crime) in certain areas of Atlantic City, and they want to make sure that local politicians invest in their policing and invest in community policing to ensure that the police officers that do patrol the streets understand the needs of the Latino community and how to communicate with them, being patient with them, especially those that are undocumented.

Immigration and discrimination are issues as well, which is why El Pueblo Unido, along with Stockton Universitys Robin Hernandez-Mekonnen, will be conducting community-based participatory research to better understand the issues faced by immigrant communities.

EHT school district hosts Noche Latina for Spanish-speaking parents EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP  Keeping up with whats going on in their childs life is a challenging

On a local level, nobody really votes for candidates based on immigration issues, but people still want to see candidates talk about those issues, Moreno-Rodriguez said. Federal issues still matter to us locally.

Atlantic City is predominantly Hispanic, with about 33% identifying as Hispanic or Latino. Its the largest community in the city, according to the most recent U.S. Census data.

And almost 31% of the Hispanic population is foreign-born, according to the Census data.

Atlantic City and Pleasantville have seen notable changes in demographics in recent decades, with prominent growth among migrant communities. It is socially responsible for these municipalities to understand and address unmet needs of its residents, to ensure the well-being of the community, said Hernandez-Mekonnen. By conducting a community needs assessment, we seek to support the local government and service sectors to build strong, safe environments.

The survey will use questionnaires and hold focus group sessions conducted in English and Spanish to collect data on several quality-of-life metrics affecting Hispanics.

Some of those metrics will focus on housing, health care, employment, education and transportation. Other data obtained will include food insecurity and financial insecurity, which are poverty indicators, as well as language barriers and legal barriers.

Egg Harbor Township police seek missing teen EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP  Police are looking for a 14-year-old boy who was reported missing by h

People come to us all the time with local issues, said Moreno-Rodriguez.

Problems brought to his organization include insufficient pay, landlords who dont maintain properties and illegally threaten to evict tenants, and communication issues.

Once the results of the survey are collected, they will be presented to various municipal, county and state officials, as well as educational, nonprofit and social service institutions to address any systemic issues, which will hopefully address the immigrant communitys needs and reduce the scarcity of resources.

The community isnt educated on their rights, and there are lots of issues on the local levels, Moreno-Rodriguez said. The community is suffering in silence, so were taking those initial steps to conduct the survey so we can address those issues.

Hispanic representation was also an issue for Moreno-Rodriguez, noting a candidate who represents the needs of the Latino community and works with them would energize the demographic to vote.

Right now, there are zero Latino councilmen or school board members, said Moreno-Rodriguez. Nobody is advocating for Latino issues in terms of access, having a seat at City Hall, resources, grants.
For the second week in a row, the Lower Part of Cape May county missed out on the higher rainfall totals seen in most of the New Jersey. As a result, drought continued for the southern tip of the state, while improving elsewhere. Meteorologist Joe Martucci has more.
A mural that once featured Kanye West is now painted over in black on Oct. 27, 2022, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

The Wieners Circle has never been one to hold back an insult.

On Thursday, its marquee  a North Clark Street beacon that has taken aim at public figures ranging from Donald Trump to Vladimir Putin  called out hip-hop artist Kanye West, whose recent antisemitic comments have cost him partnerships totaling $2 billion in recent weeks, West said on Instagram.

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The Lincoln Park hot dog stand declared Kanye can suck our kosher dogs on its marquee, jokingly adding in a post on Twitter that, Chicago has officially dropped Kanye.

Chicago has officially dropped Kanye as a spokesperson pic.twitter.com/9Dx4OfmZZD  The Wieners Circle (@TheWienerCircle) October 25, 2022

West, who legally changed his name to Ye, has come under fire after recent appearances on Fox News and the podcast Drink Champs, where he questioned the cause of George Floyds death and recycled harmful rhetoric about Jewish money and influence. Combined with social media posts, the controversial statements have led Adidas, Gap, Balenciaga and his talent agency to drop partnerships with West. Floyds family has filed a $250 million lawsuit against Ye, and Twitter and Instagram restricted his accounts.

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On Wednesday, a mural depicting West in the West Loop neighborhood was painted over, leaving a black silhouette where the artists likeness previously stood facing West Lake Street near Morgan Street.

[ Kanye West is making worldwide news with controversial comments. Some Chicagoans find the rappers words destructive ]

The artist, Chicago-based photographer and creative director Jason M. Peterson, painted it over himself Wednesday, according to a Sun-Times interview with the buildings owner and main occupant, MINIMAL Design founder and CEO Scott Wilson.

Peterson said in a message to the Tribune on Thursday the buildings owner asked for something to be done, and declined to comment further.

In October 2021, his West Loop mural was tied to an auction of a non-fungible token of the monochromatic artwork. Auctioned on public blockchain Avalanche, the NFT sold for 1,512 AVAX, according to the auction site, the equivalent of approximately $95,000 at the time. (Many cryptocurrencies have plummeted in value in 2022, and the same amount of AVAX is now worth approximately $25,600.)

Along with garnering a massive social media following for his dramatic black-and-white photography, Peterson has worked with major clients ranging from the Chicago Bulls, Adidas, Dos Equis and McDonalds to rappers such as Chance the Rapper, ASAP Rocky, Lupe Fiasco  as well as West and his fashion brand Yeezy.

very crazy im witnessing this right now.. theyre painting over the kanye mural in chicago pic.twitter.com/xC3xKDkFV7   (@RuTheTailor) October 26, 2022

As for The Wieners Circle, the Lincoln Park hot dog stand is no stranger to making commentary regarding the political climate.

When presidential candidate Donald Trump was scheduled to visit the University of Illinois at Chicago for a rally in 2016, The Wieners Circle made national headlines with its special of 3-inch Trump footlongs, poking fun at the future president.

Two years later, the marquee called out Trumps immigration policy of separating immigrant children from their parents when families cross into the United States with a message reading: Tiny hands. Tiny wiener. Tiny heart.

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[ Kanye West says he lost $2 billion in one day after antisemitic comments: This is love speech ]

West is a Chicago native who became a revered figure in the hip-hop scene and helped launch the careers of rappers such as Chief Keef, Vic Mensa and Chance the Rapper. While some Chicagoans have condemned comments as damaging, some believe hell continue to have a hold on his hometown fans.

Kanye is not losing fans, at least it doesnt seem like that in my world, said The Triibe publisher Morgan Elise Johnson last week. For those Kanye disciples, theyre just kind of rolling with him no matter what he says or does at this point, and Ive learned that Im not going to convince these people.

Chicago Tribunes Will Lee contributed.

tatturner@chicagotribune.com
A Davenport man on work release is facing a murder charge in connection with the death of 58-year-old Ben Smith in June.

Larry Lavell Wiggins Jr., 29, is charged with one count of first-degree murder and willful injury causing serious injury.

First-degree murder is a Class A felony under Iowa law that carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Willful injury is a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of 10 years.

According to the arrest affidavit filed by Davenport Police Detective Elizabeth Tharp-Mayne, at 5:01 a.m. June 20, Davenport Police were sent to an assault at 515 W. 16th St., Apt. 2.

Officers arrived to find Wiggins gone, but officers found Smith in his apartment suffering from significant injuries.

Smith was taken to Genesis Medical Center East, Davenport, for treatment.

During the investigation, police determined that Wiggins had assaulted Smith over a significant amount of time.

Smith died of his injuries on June 22.

Police worked to locate Wiggins. He was apprehended Tuesday by the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force.

Wiggins was being held Friday night in the Scott County Jail without bond on the murder charge.

Wiggins also is charged with eluding and child endangerment from an incident on May 10 when he fled Scott County Sheriffs deputies after an incident at West Lake Park Lakeview Shelter.

According to the arrest affidavit filed by Scott County Sheriffs Deputy Brandon Rogalla, Wiggins fled law enforcement at high speeds and used the shoulder of the road to pass squads going to the incident. Wiggins then fled at a high rate of speed on 110th Avenue, using the left lane for unlawful passing.

Wiggins had his 1-year-old son in the vehicle at the time and was driving under suspension.

Wiggins bond in that case is set at $4,000, cash only.

During a first appearance on the charges Wednesday in Scott County District Court, Magistrate Christine Frederick scheduled a preliminary hearing in the cases for Nov. 4.

Wiggins currently is on work release, according to Iowa Department of Corrections electronic records.

According to Scott County District Court electronic records, on Feb. 6, 2019, Wiggins was convicted by a Scott County jury of possession with the intent to deliver methamphetamine after he was caught by Davenport Police on May 25, 2018, with MDMA, also known as ecstasy.

Wiggins also had an amount of marijuana in bags ready for sale, and he failed to have an Iowa tax stamp on the drugs. He also had an amount of "crack" cocaine in his possession.

The jury convicted him on those charges, too.

On March 22, 2019, Wiggins was sentenced to 10 years in prison on the meth charge and to concurrent terms of five years in prison each on the marijuana and Iowa drug tax stamp violations. He was sentenced to a 120 day in the Scott County Jail for the cocaine possession charge.

Wiggins was given credit for time served in the Scott County Jail awaiting trial and sentencing in the case.

On April 18, 2019, he was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to a charge of criminal mischief. That sentence was to run concurrently to Wiggins sentence on the drug convictions.

According to Iowa Department of Corrections electronic records, Wiggins was released from prison and placed on parole on May 5, 2020. He was taken off parole and placed on work release on Aug. 18, 2021.

Before his arrest for the murder of Smith, Wiggins was to have been on work release until March 12, 2023.
Corey Harrell Jr. is at rest in Moline's Riverside Cemetery Mausoleum.

It is a tree-lined place that looks over the Mississippi River, and on fall mornings, yellow leaves rattle against the wind before floating down to the still-green grass, then scattering among the tombstones.

A pale, low sun casts just enough light to project reflections of trees on the dark marble where Harrell Jr.'s name is inscribed.

It is a place of peace and quiet, offering no hint of Harrell Jr.'s violent, still-unsolved murder.

Corey Harrell Sr.'s is not able to rest. Falling leaves and the arrival of Halloween bring painful memories and haunting questions.

"Corey Senior wakes up every morning with the same questions he has had since October 31, 2018  the day the son he loved was killed," Tyson Parks Sr. said Thursday. "It's the questions: Who killed my son? And why?

"Honestly, I don't think he sleeps well at all. How can any father when his son has been murdered, and he doesn't know who did it?"

Parks is the pastor at Bethel United Methodist Church in Peoria and works with police in violence prevention. He and Harrell Sr. are cousins who grew up together, and Corey Harrell Jr. was like a nephew to him.

"Corey Senior and I talk about his son at least two or three times a week," Parks said. "As the anniversary gets closer, we talk more. We talk about faith, and Corey Senior pushes on with God's grace."

Parks said Harrell Sr. "is struggling as the anniversary of his son's death approaches" and "really doesn't want to talk about the murder publicly."

Corey Harrell Jr. was the target of unknown offenders who began shooting at him in the 2100 block of River Drive, according to Moline police detectives.

The shooting continued until Harrell Jr. was fatally wounded in the 1500 block of 7th Avenue, and the suspects last were seen fleeing westbound on 7th Avenue in a black newer model SUV with an unknown registration.

Moline police were dispatched at 10:09 a.m. to reports of a vehicle shooting at another vehicle, traveling westbound on River Drive. At the same time, officers in the police department heard several gunshots. They found Harrell Jr. inside a van behind Moline City Hall, across the street from the police department.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 22 years old.

Throughout the investigation, Moline police detectives said a wall of silence surrounded Harrell Jr.'s killing. They said the "no snitching" ethos still keeps potential informants silent.

Moline Police Chief Darren Gault held a news briefing in 2021 and named three people of interest in the killing of Harrell Jr.:

Alonzo R. Cole, 23, formerly of Rock Island

Thomas E. Elijah-Hughes, 21, formerly of East Moline

Preston R. Orr, 25, of Rock Island

Cole and Hughes were arrested by Moline police in May 2020 on unrelated weapons and drug charges. Cole is in federal custody in Indiana and was handed a six-year sentence in 2021 for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hughes was in federal custody for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

The Moline Police Department stressed Harrell Jr.'s murder is "not a cold case" and detectives are actively working it.

Harrell Sr. and Parks visited a Moline City Council meeting in September, asking public officials to do what they can to keep the investigation in the public's view.

Third Ward Alderman Mike Wendt voiced support for the Harrell family and supported investigators in their efforts. He made a connection with Harrell Jr. before his murder.

"About a month before he was murdered, I met with Corey Jr., because he was looking at becoming a real estate agent," said Wendt, who is in-house counsel for Ruhl & Ruhl in Moline. "He was a really nice young man, and we exchanged some information. He had questions about how to get into the business, and I tried to answer them for him."

Wendt was shocked and saddened when he learned of Harrell Jr.'s murder.

"Anytime we have a person shot to death it's sad," Wendt said. "And this happened in a public place. This happened, basically, between city hall and our police station. It was shocking."

Wendt pointed out the traffic cameras in the area of the shooting were not working on the day Harrell Jr. was killed.

"That's always kind of haunted me. That was a failure on the part of the city," he said. "Those are the types of tools that help police and investigators solve crimes. One of the things we've done on the city council is increase the number of cameras in the downtown in Moline. And we are making sure those cameras work the way they are supposed to."

Wendt said he "can't fathom" how Harrell Sr. must feel.

"I have a son, and I can't imagine what it would be like if he was murdered," Wendt said. "And it would be incomprehensible to try and imagine not knowing who did it.

"We can't bring back Corey Jr. But we can try to find justice for his family. And we can do our best to make sure this doesn't happen to any other family in our city."

Families endure, Parks said.

Harrell Jr. was the father of a son named Caine, and it is that legacy, Parks said, that keeps Harrell Sr. "getting up in the morning."

"Corey knows he has to be there for his grandson," he said. "Caine, I think, reminds him of Corey Jr. And he knew how much Corey Jr. loved Caine and all the things he wanted for him.

"Corey wants justice for Caine, too. He wants to be able to tell Caine, at some point, who killed his father and that they were found and prosecuted. He doesn't want Caine to not know who killed his father."
A Quad-City man on probation in Iowa until 2030 for being a habitual offender was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

During a sentencing hearing Wednesday in U.S. District Court, Davenport, Chief U.S. District Judge Stephanie Rose also ordered 36-year-old Donald Wayne Fulscher II, also known in court records as Donald Wayne Fulscher Jr., to serve three years on supervised release once his prison sentence is completed.

There is no parole in the federal system. He will receive credit for the time he spent in federal custody awaiting trial and sentencing.

The maximum sentence for the charge is 10 years.

The case began at 1:17 a.m. Oct. 30, 2021, when Muscatine County Sheriffs Deputies attempted a traffic stop on a 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix that was traveling 71 mph in a 65 mph zone on U.S. 61 and which also had a center break light that was not functioning.

According to the arrest affidavit filed by Muscatine County Sheriffs Deputy Nicholas Frommelt, when law enforcement tried to stop the Grand Prix the driver sped away. In a 25 mph construction zone the car reached speeds of over 100 mph, and also drove erratically.

The car fled into Illinois where it crashed into a field of full-standing corn.

Fulscher, who had a Davenport address at that time, was captured. During a probable cause search of the Grand Prix officers located and seized a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun that Fulscher had positioned between the drivers seat and the center console.

Deputies also learned that Fulscher was driving while his license was revoked.

Fulscher was charged in Muscatine County with being a felon in possession of a firearm, a Class D felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of five years; eluding while participating in a felony, a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of 10 years; and, driving while barred, an aggravated misdemeanor that carries a prison sentence of two years.

Those state charges were dropped when federal authorities took over the case Jan. 20 of this year and charged Fulscher with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty to the charge on April 20 during a change of plea hearing in U.S. District Court, Davenport.

As an adult, Fulschers criminal history in Scott and Muscatine counties goes back as far as 2005 with convictions for delivering methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with the intent to deliver, drug possession, escape from custody, felony eluding, and a number of thefts.

He also has numerous convictions for violating his probation or parole.

Fulscher was sent back to prison in Iowa on Jan. 10 of this year for violating his parole on convictions in both Scott and Muscatine counties, and to await trial on the gun and eluding charges out of Muscatine County before federal authorities took over that case.

According to sentencing memorandums filed in U.S. District Court, Davenport, by both the prosecution and defense counsel, Fulschers involvement with the criminal justice system began when he was 15-years old.

Fulschers first use of meth was at age 12 with his mother, who suffered from a meth addiction at that time.

According to the reports, there were times when Fulschers mother would be up for days and then sleep for a couple of days straight. There was no adult supervision to guide him away from the dangers of illicit drug use.

Additionally, his fathers drug and alcohol use caused anger and violence toward the family.

According to the report, Fulscher suffered abuse regularly from his father, at least a couple of times a week. All family members were targets of the abuse.

According to the report, Fulscher described an incident when his father broke his nose in an assault and recounts his father threatening to kill him.

The federal case against Fulscher was prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods. Instituted in 2001, Project Safe Neighborhoods is a Justice Department initiative that brings together law enforcement at all levels to reduce gun violence.
Soon little masked hobgoblins will be knocking at our doors wanting handfuls of candy and its important to remember the rules of good behavior  for adults  not just the children.

I often hear oldsters grumble about the unruly behavior of youths, but my experience is that it is the adults who tend to be the real jerks during this doorstep masquerade.

A person I knew, who was married to a prominent lawyer, really took off her mask on Halloween. She lived in a nice house in an expensive neighborhood. Her chief complaint about trick-or-treaters was that they werent neighborhood children.

Thats a coded way of saying she didnt like Black trick-or-treaters in her hoity toity subdivision.

She bragged about her screening process. When youngsters she didnt recognize would knock on her door, she started asking questions.

Where do you kids live? Who are your parents? Oh, you live on the next street over? In what house?

Come on, its just a Snickers bar. Give it to anyone who asks. No one will ever complain about you being too generous.

And what prompted these questions? Well, these were mostly Black youngsters from Springfields east side who came to trick or treat in the more affluent, mostly white neighborhoods on the citys west side.

Why might they do this? Well, many folks in their own neighborhoods cant afford to give away candy. Some neighborhoods are safer than others for children to walk through at night. And, hey, there are no rules that say you cant trick or treat wherever you like.

And rest assured, grade-school children on your doorstep know why youre asking those questions. They know youre a bigot, even if you havent figured that out about yourself yet.

Some religious groups such as Jehovahs Witnesses object to Halloween. Its understandable that they keep their porch lights off. But some evangelicals  the faith group I belong to  perplex me.

Most evangelicals I know participate in the holiday. A few evangelicals refrain because they believe its the devils holiday. But over the years Ive had several friends who viewed the holiday as an opportunity to proselytize. Instead of giving away candy, they hand out Bible tracts.

I dont claim to be an expert on evangelism. But my guess is that children leave those front porches disappointed and their parents irritated.

Some people complain about teenagers trick-or-treating,

The way I look at it is they are choosing childhood over partying. Just enjoy them while you still have them.

As for parents, take time to be with your kids. I remember when I was 4, dressing up for the preschool Halloween parade and my father sitting with a group of moms watching us walk by. Dads just didnt do that back in 1969. In fact, it made such an impression on me, I still remember it 53 years later.

And finally, there is the issue of costumes. A child dressed as a hobo isnt belittling the homeless. Kids dressed as witches and devils arent glorifying the occult. And as for the ones dressed as politicians, dont be surprised they are standing on your step wanting a handout.
As Election Day approaches, the Journal is interviewing candidates for office in the Rapid City region. The Journal selected races in which there are competitive candidates.

In instances where the Journal was unable to contact or interview a candidate, information was obtained via campaign websites or previously published stories during the June 2022 primary election.

Election Day is Nov. 8. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Additionally, in-person absentee voting is available at county auditor offices.

District 32 claims Pennington County and makes up the heart of Rapid City. The current representatives are incumbent Becky Drury, R-Rapid City, and Chris Johnson, R-Rapid City. Johnson is not running for reelection. Steve Duffy is running as a Republican and there are two Democratic candidates vying for the seats: Christine Stephenson and Jonathan Old Horse.

House District 32  Two seats

Becky Drury

Drury, the sole incumbent in the race, grew up on a farm and ranch in Milesville. She and her husband have lived in Rapid City for 22 years.

She was first elected in November 2020 after serving as a Rapid City Council member. She said it was the perfect time to run since there wasnt an incumbent running in the race. Drury said her time as a council member was invaluable in going to Pierre.

Drury said shes been able to reach out to people she worked with in the city while shes been on the House floor for discussions on things like housing or the womens prison.

She said while shes an elected representative, she wants to not only do whats best for her community for her own benefit but for her daughter, grandchildren and everyone elses grandchildren as well.

You have to look ahead, Drury said.

She said some of the bills she was able to work on include getting the funding to buy the land for the womens prison, which Drury described as a heavy lift on the House floor, and housing infrastructure.

Drury said the housing infrastructure wasnt just to the benefit of Rapid City but for Philip, Milbank and across the state.

Sometimes youre voting really just for your area and sometimes youre looking for whats best across the state, she said.

Drury said the Liberty Center in Box Elder was also a heavy lift, which she said meant going to places like Aberdeen and Watertown to have discussions with fellow legislators about the importance of projects.

Nobody does a bill all by themselves, she said. I mean, no senator, representatives. They might bring the bill, but they dont pass it. You need everyone or you need the majority of people. You can all kind of take credit on the good things that pass and you can all kind of take blame if something goes wonky, too.

Drury said the Legislature still needs to work on affordable housing and issues with the jails. She said they need to find funding for the womens prison. Drury said the state penitentiary needs to be rebuilt as well, but it will take time and funding.

Steve Duffy

Duffy is a fourth-generation West River resident. He grew up in Fort Pierre, left for college at Arizona State University and then moved to Rapid City. He said hes lived in District 32 for most of the 41 years after he got out of college.

Duffy spent 32 years in the local television and cable television business on the sales side and spoke with thousands of small businesses. He said he learned a lot about how they take risks and create jobs. Duffy said the creation of jobs is even more important as Rapid City and the area continues to grow.

He said he hopes, if elected, to work with Elevate Rapid City and the Governors Office of Economic Development to find and expand opportunities for graduating students from both South Dakota Mines and Western Dakota Tech.

Right now, (our younger people) leave because there are better options in other places, Duffy said. If we have good options for them, some of them will stay. Not all, but some of them will stay. Thats what Im going to focus on, growing opportunities for the next generations, their kids, their grandkids.

Duffy said right now hes focused on the thing that brought him to run for House, which is helping the city grow. However, he also knows its important to continue to invest in education and never lose sight of that, water issues and concerns with access in the future, affordable housing and more.

He said if hes not elected, he would continue to work toward solving those issues where he could. Duffy said he would also hope to give opportunities to the next generation.

Jonathan Old Horse

Old Horse did not respond for an interview request, but according to his candidacy announcement from April, he intends to listen to every voice in the community.

Im very involved in the community and believe in working together to find common ground. Education, safe streets and responsible leadership are key components to a healthy community, he said in the announcement.

Old Horse currently serves as the pastor of the Woyatan Lutheran Church near the corner of Haines Avenue and Anamosa Street. He previously served in the U.S. Army and is an Iraq War veteran. He graduated from Oglala Lakota College and has lived in Rapid City since 1998.

Old Horse supports Medicaid expansion with Constitutional Amendment D, which will be voted on as well Nov. 8.

Christine Stephenson

Stephenson was born and raised in Rapid City but left to pursue her undergraduate degrees in French and English at Georgetown University on the East Coast. She later moved to Alaska and then back to Rapid City in 2004.

After returning home, Stephenson went to physical therapy school between 2005 and 2008 in Vermillion. She married her husband in 2007 and finished school the following year.

Stephenson served on the Rapid City Area Schools Board of Education between 2017 and 2020. She said the reason shes running for a House seat is because of her experience on the school board. She said any time they wanted to do something for the school, they were told to talk to their legislators.

You hear that enough and youre like, I should maybe consider running, so here I am a few years later, she said.

Stephenson said she decided to run after listening to and reading about previous legislative sessions and not hearing elected officials address issues she, her family, neighbors and clients as a pediatric physical therapist come across. She said she didnt hear elected officials address issues that pertain to lower income individuals.

Housing stability is a big one and this year they made a valiant effort to address housing in Rapid City, but it was stymied because of infighting in the legislature, she said. They got pulled to the right and they couldnt get the job done.

Stephenson said she thinks Rapid City and South Dakota are struggling with big issues, and having diverse voices can only help, especially when it comes to education, housing, crime, addiction, and income inequalities and disparities.

She said she thought she knew what she wanted to work on if elected  education and access to mental health  but Stephenson said as shes knocked on doors during her campaign, shes heard more and more that people are concerned about drug addiction and effective treatment.

I dont hear this being talked about that much at the state level, Stephenson said. To me, it feels like its bordering on a crisis. It is a crisis, but were not talking about it.

She said the other issue she would focus on is responsible governance and being responsive to voters.

I would be foolish just to bring my big Democratic Party pipe dreams to Pierre, she said. I want to get things done, I dont want to go to the House to make a statement. I want to work with people to solve problems, and I do think I could be effective at that.
U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall joined South Dakota's congressional delegation for a high-level, mostly confidential meeting Thursday afternoon at Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City to discuss preparations for the B-21 bomber.

Ellsworth was named as the first base to receive the B-21 bomber, with stealth technology and nuclear weapon capabilities. The aircraft is being developed by Northrop Grumman and is expected to be publicly unveiled in December.

Although much of the meeting was classified, the Journal spoke with U.S. Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds, and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, shortly after the meeting.

Thune said Ellsworth will not only host the first fleet of B-21s, but the B-1 bomber mission and the MQ-9A drone mission will remain operational as well.

"We talked a lot about how that transition will work and the fact that you're still going to have a very robust B-1 mission here," Thune said. "We got a chance to view what is really going to be a very significant investment in 2023 on a whole range of infrastructure requirements that are necessary for the B-21. It was very useful and informative."

Thune said the group talked about some of the special infrastructure needs for the stealth nuclear bomber, including the weapons generation facility, low observable restoration and radio frequency facility, among others.

"There are a whole bunch of buildings right now that are on the docket for construction, and they're all essential and necessary components for this new mission," Thune said. "We're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars in investment and a lot of construction that has to take place."

Rounds said this was Kendall's first visit to Ellsworth and he seemed pleased with the team effort on base, in the community and the bipartisan agreements to fund this new mission. Rounds said Kendall was able to hear about some of the additional needs for housing and schools as the B-21 comes to the Rapid City area.

"I think he made it pretty clear that he understood the concern of the local community with regard to getting enough information in a timely fashion that we can make good decisions about investments for schools, housing and so forth," Rounds said. "I was pleased with the secretary's openness to expediting the release of enough information so that our local communities right here in the Black Hills can start the planning process fairly quickly.

"I think a number of items that have been classified will probably be made a little bit more open to the public, and I think the community will be very pleased with the path forward."

Johnson said he was pleased with how everyone is working together, regardless of politics, to move forward on the B-21 mission at Ellsworth.

"In South Dakota, that is just such a great advantage we have. We're working together, we're taking briefings together, we're backing one another's play," he said. "We are single-minded in making sure that American servicemen and servicewomen have the tools they need to keep this country safe.

"And the history of Ellsworth is just unbelievable. The B-21 is going to be an incredible chapter, but it's just going to be the most recent incredible chapter of how this base has kept our nation safe."

Rounds said the B-21 mission's infrastructure is on target to be finished on time and the funding needs are on budget, but an open line of communication with the Air Force is crucial.

"We can't let our eye off the ball, we've got to continue to push it," he said. "We've got to continue to stay in touch with the Air Force to make sure that anything that comes in above the anticipated amounts that we're aware of it, and that we can get any supplemental appropriations that might be needed."

Thune said Kendall was very involved in the conversations Thursday and made clear the importance of Ellsworth's mission for long-range strike capabilities to maintain national security.

"Long-range strike is what the B-1 bomber and the B-21 bomber deliver. It provides extended deterrence in theatres that sometimes could be very contested," Thune said. "As we think about America's national security interest both today and going forward, we're going to need the capabilities of the B-21."
A special meeting that packed the county commission chambers to discuss Pennington County elections Wednesday evening ended in a call to the Sheriff's Office.

Matthew Monfore, an evangelist and Baptist preacher who has appeared before the commission multiple times regarding Pennington County elections and is associated with the South Dakota Canvassing Group, called for the special meeting at the Oct. 4 commission meeting, and gave an hour-long presentation Wednesday, with multiple speakers joining in-person and via Zoom.

Presenters took aim at the Secretary of States office, tabulator vulnerabilities and absentee voting, declaring a lack of trust in a system they called "broken" and "beyond repair." Monfore assembled a lineup of national and state-level election skeptics, calling on Dr. Douglas Frank, Rick Weible, retired U.S. Air Force Col. Shawn Smith, Jeff ODonnell and South Dakota Canvassing Group member Jessica Pollema.

Throughout their allotted hour, a significant portion was spent dissecting the security of ES&S tabulator machines. The presentation did not claim hacking had occurred in Pennington County, but rather focused on how it could, claiming there could be modems connected to the internet inside Pennington County machines.

However, several commissioners said the claim of modems inside the machines is false. Commissioners said they examined the Pennington County machines with IT professionals and found no such modems.

Smith, who lives in Colorado, cited his background in operational and developmental testing for the Department of Defense. He said after reading through tabulator test plans and manuals, he was certain that were unprotected.

The Washington Post identified Smith as an ally of election deniers Mike Lindell and retired Army Col. Phil Waldron, who worked with former President Donald Trump's legal team to raise doubts over voting machines in 2020.

Smith called system certification an absolute farce, saying vulnerabilities and insecurities have been covered up.

Universally they are running these on computers that are sourced from entirely, or assembled from components made overseas  for the most part, in the Peoples Republic of China," Smith said. "They are not our friends. I do not trust the hardware. I do not trust the software.

He said the only way to know whether paper ballots have been accurately tallied is to hand count them.

Monfore referenced South Dakota codified law 12-17B-3, stating that the governing body can abandon any automatic tabulating or electronic ballot marking system approved for use by the State Board of Elections.

He also drilled into ES&S machine certification, citing documents saying machines with modems should not have been certified, but had been  another contributor, he said, to not trusting the vendors  even though the machines in Pennington County do not have modems.

Frank, a physicist who had his phone seized by the FBI in September in association with Lindell, called logic and accuracy tests performed on the ES&S tabulator machines a dog and pony show, claiming they dont really do what you think theyre doing.

Weible, who is from Minnesota and runs the website midwestswampwatch.com, has made several false claims about the 2020 election. At Wednesday's meeting, Weible claimed election officials and administrators know too little about tabulators to be running them in the first place, and spoke to the publics lack of access to test and cast vote records.

Commissioner Travis Lasseter said that cast vote records cannot be released except by order of a judge.

In addition to tabulators, the presentation also took aim at the absentee voting process, painting a picture of unreliability due to lax residency requirements for voter registration. Voter registration addresses were shown at post office boxes and campgrounds, something that has questionable legality in the state of South Dakota.

South Dakota voter registration forms state I actually live at and have no present intention of leaving the above address in the signature box, but auditors are not tasked with policing its accuracy. South Dakota voter registration forms also allow voters to register at a P.O. box.

On absentee ballot application forms, only city and school elections require voters to attest to having lived in the jurisdiction for at least 30 days in the last year, with verification methods tricky at best.

Frank said he felt there was too much focus on machines, and the effort should be placed on the chain of custody under ballots coming in  that, to me, is the major issue.

At the conclusion of Monfores presentation, Lasseter presented a draft letter proposing changes to South Dakota election laws.

The drafted letter addressed to Gov. Kristi Noem, state senators and representatives, the Secretary of State and the State Board of Elections, included establishing post-election audit criteria and strengthening South Dakota law to read shall instead of may in regards to not allowing internet connection on tabulating equipment. He also suggested adding nor shall it have hardware installed to allow connection to the internet.

The letter also recommended strengthening residency requirements, to establish residency for 30 days prior to voter registration and review monitoring of voter rolls to determine ineligible voters and establish harsh penalties when laws are broken.

A heated crowd peppered discussion with murmurs of agreement, applause and occasional disruptions, including an interruption from a Zoom participant who eventually had to be removed from the meeting.

I am listening to both sides, said Commissioner Deb Hadcock. She said she understood lack of trust in computers, but also did not trust hand counting, saying it can be just as untrustworthy as machines.

Youre gonna have to trust somebody in order to do your elections, she said.

Lasseter said he was not ready to go to 100% hand counting, and that the county should evaluate their current process before "we ditch it and go to something else."

Speculation is different from fact, Hadcock said, and were not trying to make the system less  were trying to make it more.

The commissioners agreed to place Lasseters letter on an upcoming meeting agenda for approval before moving to adjourn.

Monfore demanded the commission take public comment before adjourning, accusing them of breaking the law. When the commission proceeded with adjournment, Monfore called the Pennington County Sheriffs Office, claiming the commission violated the law by not allowing public comment at the special meeting.

Monfore was informed that the law did not apply to Wednesdays meeting because it was a special meeting and not a regularly scheduled meeting, as laid out in South Dakota Codified Law.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked and severely beaten by an assailant with a hammer who broke into their San Francisco home early Friday, according to people familiar with the investigation.

Pelosi, 82, suffered blunt force injuries to his head and body, according to two people who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing probe.

The attack was not random; the assailant specifically targeted the home, the people said. The assailant was in custody.

Pelosi was being treated by doctors for bruising, severe swelling and other injuries. Nancy Pelosi's spokesman Drew Hammill said he was expected to make a full recovery.

"The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time," Hammill said in a statement.

While the circumstances of the attack are unclear, the attack raises questions about the safety of members of Congress and their families as threats to lawmakers are at an all-time high almost two years after the deadly Capitol insurrection. The attack also comes just 11 days ahead of midterm elections in which crime and public safety have emerged as top concerns among Americans.

In 2021, Capitol Police investigated around 9,600 threats made against members of Congress, and members have been violently attacked in recent years. Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., was shot in the head at an event outside a Tucson grocery store in 2011, and Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., was severely injured when a gunman opened fire on a Republican congressional baseball team practice in 2017.

Members of Congress have received additional dollars for security at their homes, but some have pushed for more protection as people have showed up at their homes and as members have received an increasing number of threatening communications.

Capitol Police, tasked with protecting congressional leaders, said Nancy Pelosi was with her protective detail in Washington at the time her husband was attacked. She'd just returned this week from a security conference in Europe and is due to keynote an advocacy event Saturday evening with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Capitol Police said the FBI and San Francisco police were also investigating. The suspect is in the custody of the San Francisco police.

Often at Nancy Pelosi's side during formal events in Washington, Paul Pelosi is a wealthy investor who largely remains on the West Coast. They have five adult children and many grandchildren. The two have been married 59 years.

Earlier this year, Paul Pelosi pleaded guilty to misdemeanor driving under the influence charges related to a May crash in California's wine country and was sentenced to five days in jail and three years of probation.

President Joe Biden and lawmakers from both parties reacted to the assault with shock and expressed their well wishes to the Pelosi family.

"What happened to Paul Pelosi was a dastardly act," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "I spoke with Speaker Pelosi earlier this morning and conveyed my deepest concern and heartfelt wishes to her husband and their family, and I wish him a speedy recovery."

"We have been to many events with the Pelosis over the last 2 decades and we've had lots of occasions to talk about both of our families and the challenges of being part of a political family. Thinking about the Pelosi family today," tweeted Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that President Joe Biden has also been in contact with Nancy Pelosi.

"The President is praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi's whole family," Jean-Pierre said. "This morning he called Speaker Pelosi to express his support after this horrible attack. He is also very glad that a full recovery is expected. The president continues to condemn all violence, and asks that the family's desire for privacy be respected."

The Pelosi home in the wealthy Pacific Heights neighborhood has been the scene of several protests in the past few years. After Nancy Pelosi was seen on video getting her hair done at a salon while many were shut down during the coronavirus pandemic, stylists protested outside with curling irons. Members of the Chinese community protested outside recently before Pelosi's trip to Taiwan. And during during debates over the federal stimulus package protesters scrawled anarchy signs in black paint across the garage door, along with "cancel rent," and "we want everything."
Great American Beer Festival silver medalist Helles Lager on Oct. 26, 2022, at Double Clutch Brewing in Evanston. They also won GABFs Brewery of the Year award for the nations very smallest brewers, which made up to 250 barrels of beer in 2021. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Many breweries would not be able to pull off what Double Clutch Brewing is attempting on a quiet side street in north Evanston.

Double Clutch is the rare mashup of vintage auto showroom-meets-brewery, displaying a rotating collection of classic cars and as much memorabilia nodding to auto history (Mobilgas and Phillips 66 signs) as beer (Blatz and Hamms signs). The unlikely bedfellows could easily come across as not only incongruous, but needlessly gimmicky.

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The reason it does work, however, is the reason many people walk through the front door: the beer.

With barely a year under its belt, Double Clutch notched three surprise wins at the Great American Beer Festival last month: silver medals in the Munich-Style Helles category (among 158 entries) and the Smoke Beer category (among 76 entries), plus GABFs Brewery of the Year award for the nations very smallest brewers, which made up to 250 barrels of beer in 2021.

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It was quite the twist for a brewery that began life as a place for Double Clutch co-founder Mike Chookaszian and his family to store their collection of classic cars. The 70-year-old bow-trussed building also had obvious potential for more, appealing to Chookaszian as a place to act on an idea he had long kicked around with his friend Scott Frank, an avid home brewer: opening a brewery. So Chookaszian decided to do both.

The success on a national stage paid off quicker than he or Frank expected.

Its huge  and its all thanks to this guy, Chookaszian said, pointing to his friend of 18 years.

It feels good, Frank said. But it presents a whole new level of challenges for us. Its a good problem to have.

The bar area at Double Clutch Bewing on Oct. 26, 2022, in Evanston. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Former home brewer Scott Frank, left, with co-founder Mike Chookaszian on Oct. 26, 2022, at Double Clutch Bewing in Evanston. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

The brand added a taproom this summer in a high-profile location at Chicagos heavily trafficked Millennium Park, and the challenge for Double Clutch has become making enough beer to capitalize on its newfound momentum. Double Clutch is already blazing past its small brewery status, targeting about 1,000 barrels of production in 2022 and eyeing construction of a production brewery within a few years to get cans and kegs across the Chicago area.

The medal-winning Helles, simply called Helles Lager, is indeed memorable, and its easy to imagine it standing out in a sea of competitors. It boasts a lovely aroma: grassy, grainy and hints of citrus zest. Its surprisingly weighty and creamy texture makes it shine, drinking deeper and rounder than many Helles lagers. But it remains faultlessly clean and approachable at 5.1% alcohol.

The medal-winning Helles Rauchbier is an acquired taste, smelling and tasting like a campfire  albeit in a bright, tidy and refreshing package. Like Helles Lager, it also boasts an impressively rich texture, which Frank attributed to step mashing, a traditional brewing technique that requires increased time and temperature control to draw greater complexities from grain.

Frank, 57, forged the roots of both recipes as a home brewer in his Wilmette garage, a hobby that became all-consuming after he began dabbling 14 years ago. Double Clutch eyed opening during summer 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic slowed plans. The opening was pushed to October 2021, which Frank said wound up helping the beer.

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It gave me time to really focus on the recipes Id be serving, Frank said.

Both as a drinker and a brewer, hes more interested in German-style lagers than the India pale ales popular across American brewing. That appreciation was only furthered in his garage.

Most people dont tinker with lagers because it takes too long and requires way too much patience, he said. I always put those beers on a pedestal because they were harder to achieve, required more patience, understanding and sophistication.

[ Lager Town USA: After years in the shadows, lagers leap to the forefront of Chicagos brewing scene. Here are 12 to try. ]

Double Clutch opened Oct. 29, 2021, without an IPA on the menu, though Frank knew hed need to add one to appeal to contemporary tastes. Sure enough, bartenders were repeatedly asked for IPA on opening day.

Franks response is a fruity hazy IPA nodding to the car theme, Little Juice Coupe. It checks the fruity boxes of a classic hazy IPA, but finishes drier and with a touch more bitterness than many of its ilk. It tastes like a hazy IPA made by someone who prefers making lagers.

Frank and Chookaszian met when their kids were in preschool together and formed a bond over a love of classic cars and motorcycles. They also bonded over beer as Franks home-brewing hobby took off.

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As part of the Vandalay Brands group that owns 11 restaurants, including Lizzie McNeills in downtown Chicago and Pescadero, a seafood restaurant with locations in Lakeview and Wilmette, Mike Chookaszian brought the idea of a brewery with Frank at the helm to his two fellow partners. It was a match.

They liked my philosophy on beer, and I liked their money, Frank joked.

There was still the issue of the cars, however. Chookaszian and his family  including his father, Dennis, former chairman and chief executive officer of CNA Insurance  own nearly 100 classic cars. Double Clutch displays about six at a time, rotating the lineup every few months.

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

For Oktoberfest, it was all German cars. For Halloween, its unusual and spooky cars, Chookaszian said, including a 1920s-era Bugatti and a Ford Model T with a skeleton driver. Up next is the Christmas display  red Ferraris and whatever green cars Chookaszian can find. When planning Double Clutch  named for a method of shifting gears on a manual transmission  Chookaszian could find no other brewery displaying classic cars, he said.

We built it like that because its what we love, Chookaszian said. Its what we thought would be cool and fun. Not everyone has the cars and the space, so were unique in that way. Its maybe financially not the smartest thing, because that could be space for customers, but we think its fun.

At the end of the day, though, it is beer that drives Double Clutch. Or is the engine of the operation, if you prefer.

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Frank said he was elated and stunned to win the medals. He wasnt at the awards announcement in Denver, but at home watching the awards livestream, which was on a lag. Before he could see the news for himself, text messages from friends and fellow brewers in Denver started pouring in, though Frank didnt quite know why.

Ill keep the expletives out of it, but they were saying Hell yes, and Dude, thats awesome, but I couldnt translate what was going on, he said. But I knew it was good news.

jbnoel@chicagotribune.com
A Chesterfield County police officer who lost his gun to an emotionally disturbed man during a struggle over the weapon likely saved the life of his partner by hitting the gun away from his fellow officers head as the suspect fired two shots, police said Friday in releasing more details about Tuesdays harrowing encounter.

The man, Kelvin A. Hunter, 28, shot the second officer in her upper leg before that officer returned fire, shooting Hunter twice and ending the confrontation, police said. Police initially believed that Hunter also shot the first officer in his ballistic vest after grabbing that officers gun, but after further review said that officer was not shot.

He did sustain an injury to his chest, police said in a statement. The investigation indicates that he was not shot, [and] for this we are grateful. The incident unfolded ... in about 30 seconds. It has taken investigators roughly three days to unpack those 30 seconds.

Hunter had been released from Wallens Ridge State Prison in Wise County two weeks earlier, after serving 8.5 years of a 10-year active sentence for a 2013 armed robbery in Richmond. He was visiting relatives at a residence in the Broadwater town-house community in Chester when the incident unfolded, police said.

They provided this detailed account of the events:

After responding to the Timsberry Circle residence for a report of an emotionally disturbed person  identified as Hunter  officers had been on scene for about 20 minutes waiting for a return call from a crisis team with the Chesterfield Community Services Board. At that point, Hunter attacked the officer who was with him, and immediately grabbed that officers holstered firearm and removed it from the holster. A struggle ensued over the weapon.

A second officer, who was upstairs interviewing a family member when Hunter attacked the first officer, heard the commotion, ran downstairs and joined the fight for the gun, police said.

Hunter and both officers were fighting over the first officers gun when Hunter pointed it at the second officers head. Once the first officer noticed this, he was able to strike the gun, moving it in a different direction as Hunter fired two shots. The gun jammed after the second shot, likely because the first officer struck it, police said.

The first officers actions in these moments likely saved the second officer from serious injury or death, police said.

One of the rounds Hunter fired from the first officers gun struck the second officer in the leg. As the second officer stepped back to draw her handgun, Hunter and the first officer were still struggling over the weapon. During that struggle, the first officer lost consciousness and fell to the floor, police said.

The second officer then engaged Hunter and shot him. Hunter continued to maintain possession of the gun and the second officer shot him a second time, striking him in the shoulder, police said.

By then, the first officer regained consciousness as the second officer was firing her weapon. Hunter then dropped the gun after being shot in the shoulder, and the first officer then regained possession of the weapon. Hunter then followed officer commands from that point on, police said.

The second officers actions ended the struggle for a deadly weapon and likely prevented further injury to the first officer and herself, police said.

Hunter and both officers received first aid from other responding officers before rescue personnel arrived. Hunter told the first officer that he had shot him in the vest, but that he would be OK, police said.

Hunter was arrested and charged with two counts each of aggravated attempted murder of a police officer and felony use of a firearm. Police said additional charges are possible pending consultation with the Chesterfield Commonwealths Attorneys Office.

These officers epitomized selfless courage in the face of the most extreme adversity, aid Chesterfield Police Chief Jeffrey Katz in a statement. Their character, the quality of their training and their commitment to one another merit recognition. Im grateful for their service and we will ensure they and their families have the support necessary to grow through this traumatic event. They are both heroes.

Hunter was sentenced in Richmond Circuit Court in March 2014 to 23 years in prison, with 13 years suspended, on his guilty pleas to robbery and use of a firearm. Then 18, Hunter robbed a woman at gunpoint at a Stop N Go store in the city.

According to court records associated with his Richmond robbery prosecution, Hunter has an extensive criminal record as a juvenile. Between September 2009 and October 2012, he was convicted of 10 offenses in Chesterfield Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court  including burglary, grand larceny, possession of marijuana and numerous probation violations.

At age 19, he was convicted in Richmond of shooting a firearm in public and filing a false police report.

A preliminary hearing on his current charges is scheduled for Dec. 5.
Federal prosecutors say in newly filed court documents that they lack evidence to prove that a Guatemalan immigrant was behind an alleged mass shooting plot on July 4 at Dogwood Dell.

In a sentencing memorandum related to Rolman Balcarcel-Bavagas prosecution for illegally entering the U.S., prosecutors said that although law enforcement acted lawfully and appropriately when investigating a tip on July 1 about a planned mass shooting, the United States lacks evidence now to prove beyond a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant was planning to shoot people at a big event on the 4th of July or commit other acts of violence.

The governments position comes the same week that Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith resigned from his post after 2  years at the helm.

Smith said during a July 6 news conference that two men had been planning a mass shooting to take place two days earlier during an Independence Day celebration at the Dogwood Dell amphitheater. That announcement came after seven people were killed in a July 4 parade in suburban Chicago.

Smith said a hero citizen called police after hearing a conversation regarding the attack.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch later obtained records that showed Smith was informed before the news conference that the location of any possible shooting was not known. Smith came under scrutiny for the comments.

Tracy Walker, a spokeswoman for the Richmond Police Department, said the agency had no comment about what prosecutors said. A spokeswoman for Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney did not immediately respond to questions on Friday evening.

Balcarcel-Bavagas, 38, pleaded guilty on Aug. 25 in U.S. District Court in Richmond to the immigration charge. The maximum punishment for the offense is two years in prison, but federal prosecutors are seeking a term of six months. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 10.

The government said Balcarcel-Bavagas illegally entered the U.S. on three separate occasions.

The defendants repeated unlawful entries into the United States illustrates the defendants determination and persistence in disregarding and circumventing laws, wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Kashan Pathan. Given this recidivist conduct, the defendant needs to be specifically deterred from reentering the United States a fourth time.

The government noted that on or before July 1, a person contacted Richmond police to report that an associate had shown him weapons and claimed that he was going to shoot people at a big event on the Fourth of July. The tipster advised that the person in question lived at 3112 Columbia St. in the city.

Richmond police responded to the residence to investigate and encountered Balcarcel-Bavagas, along with co-defendant Julio Alvarado Dubon, 52. Several firearms were recovered from the rooms of the other occupants of the residence, but none from Balcarcel-Bavagas room.

Richmond police have previously said investigators seized two AR-15 assault-style rifles, a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol and about 200 rounds of ammunition from the Columbia Street house.

Law enforcement authorities have completed an investigation into the tipsters report of a planned mass shooting, Pathan wrote. The United States Attorneys Office has reviewed the information gathered during that investigation, and concluded that consideration of the tipsters report as part of the overall assessment of the statutory sentencing factors in [Balcarcel-Bavagas] case is not warranted.

The U.S. Attorneys Office assumed prosecution of the case after the Richmond Commonwealths Attorneys Office withdrew firearm charges against both Balcarcel-Bavagas and Dubon at an Aug. 3 hearing in Richmond General District Court.

During questioning by Judge David Hicks, Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Clint Seal said the prosecutors office had no evidence that a mass shooting was planned by the defendants for Dogwood Dell on July 4.

Dubon, a citizen of Guatemala also living in the U.S. illegally, has been charged by federal authorities with possession of a firearm by a person residing in the U.S. illegally.

His attorney filed a motion last month asking a federal judge to suppress the evidence against him, saying city officers violated his Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure. Federal prosecutors dispute Dubons claims. A suppression hearing is scheduled for Monday.
Virginias Black and Hispanic students faced some of the sharpest declines in academic performance over the course of the pandemic.

The most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress, an assessment known as The Nations Report Card, showed that test scores for Virginia students have fallen significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, researchers at Harvard and Stanford have shared data that translates changes in test scores to grade-level equivalents, in an attempt to give added context to what those test score dips mean.

The findings for Virginias students are bleak. Fourth- through eighth-graders in Virginia lost nearly two-thirds of a years worth of ground in reading and almost a full years worth in math  the sixth- and seventh-largest declines in the country, respectively.

Virginia is one of six states to be in the top 10 in both reading and math learning loss, along with Maine, Delaware, Oklahoma, Oregon and Maryland.

Post-pandemic learning loss hit Virginias Black and Latino students even harder. Latino students lost more than three semesters worth of ground in math, the largest drop in the country, and almost a full year of learning in reading, a mark topped only by Ohio. Black students also lost three semesters worth of math learning, second to Oklahoma.

Published on Friday, the new analysis, called the Education Recovery Scorecard, shows that Hopewell, a school system of 4,000 students who are mostly low-income and 60% Black, lost an average of 2.29 years of math instruction.

This is not anywhere near what we wanted to see, said Deputy Superintendent Jay McClain.

Richmond Public Schools, which was one of the last of Virginias public state school divisions to return to 100% in-person learning, lost an average of 1.96 years of math instruction and 1.45 years of reading instruction, according to the analysis. Like Hopewell, RPS students are mostly Black and low-income.

These are absolutely devastating numbers, said RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras. Theyre why Ive advocated for a Marshall Plan for this generation of students. Theyre also why we need to be bold in our recovery efforts.

Ill continue to fight for vastly more learning time for our students, a laser-like focus on early literacy, and huge investments in our students mental and emotional health.

Chesterfield Countys public schools lost an average of 1.22 years of math instruction and 0.87 years of reading instruction.

Hanover County fared best among the Richmond areas largest localities. Its public schools lost an average of 0.71 years of math instruction and 0.57 years of reading instruction.

During a news conference on Monday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin decried Virginias performance on The Nations Report Card and slammed previous Democratic administrations for lowering [testing] standards so far that they have become essentially meaningless.

Youngkin spokesperson Macaulay Porter, in response to the new analysis, referred to a comment from Youngkin on Monday: Every Virginian clearly sees our children need us now more than ever. Achievement gaps in the critical fields of math and reading could dim the bright futures of a generation of Virginia students if we dont act now. Thats why we must double down our commitment to Virginians, and specifically our commitment to Virginia children.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow mentioned at a recent news conference that Black and Hispanic students performed far behind their peers across all subject areas and grade levels on The Nations Report Card.

In an interim report in February, Balow sought to downplay the role of systemic racism in fostering those disparities and directed the state education department to scrap dozens of resources on educational equity.

A report from Balow in May addressed declines in student achievement exacerbated by the school closures during COVID, with the most devastating learning loss affecting Black and Hispanic students and students living in poverty.

Hopewell began offering in-person learning in March 2021, but only one-fourth of students returned to classrooms.

There was so much fear of the effects of COVID, McClain said. Families here were just hunkered down.

When classes resumed in the fall, COVID spread through Hopewell, and half of the divisions students stayed home either sick or in quarantine, McClain said. A full 40% of students were chronically absent, meaning they missed at least 18 days of school.

The new analysis shows that online learning played a major role in student success, although students across the U.S. lost significant ground even where they returned to brick-and-mortar classrooms quickly.

While most Virginia school divisions scored below the national average in reading this year, Hanover was one of only a few in the Richmond region to surpass the national average. The divisions student population is 76% white, and only one-fourth of its students are considered economically disadvantaged by the state.

Hanover was also the only school division in Virginia to fully open for the entirety of the 2020-21 school year with face-to-face learning five days a week.

We believe our instructional plans have been exceptionally strong and well-executed by our staff throughout the pandemic, said Hanover Schools Superintendent Michael Gill.

We are proud to have offered our families a choice in instructional setting.  Still, we are not immune from the realities of unfinished learning and will confront these challenges head-on.

We will continue to meet each child where they are  academically, socially, physically and emotionally  and provide the necessary resources and supports to help ensure we meet their unique, complex and ever-evolving needs.
A former officer with the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women has been indicted on charges of having sex with a female inmate in 2020 and 2021.

Late Wednesday, Andrew Edward Reilly, 30, of Henrico County was arrested on the three indictments charging him with having carnal knowledge of a prisoner as an officer. Two of the alleged offenses occurred on Sept. 17, 2021, and the third is alleged to have occurred on Sept. 30, 2020, according to electronic court records.

It was not immediately clear how many female prisoners were involved.

Before the allegations came to light, Reilly left the Fluvanna Correctional Center to become a Chesterfield County sheriffs deputy and graduated from the departments pre-certified academy on Nov. 24, 2021, according to the Chesterfield Sheriffs Office. He was assigned to jail security.

As Reilly was still in his probationary period with the Sheriffs Office, immediately upon finding out about the indictments, he was released from employment as a deputy sheriff, a statement said.

Reilly is being held at Central Virginia Regional Jail without bond. He is scheduled to appear in Fluvanna Circuit Court on Nov. 10 to determine whether he has legal representation.
Virginias first constitution in 1776 referred to the former British colony for the first time as a commonwealth, a richly laden word uttered with somber reverence for three centuries by blustery politicians.

And now a concept under siege

In the 18th century, the word  derived from commonweal, meaning that which is shared by a community  could be used interchangeably with state or nation. Indeed, Virginians claimed nationhood well before joining in 1861 the Southern revolt to preserve Black slavery under the umbrella of the Confederate States of America.

When I speak of my nation, said John Randolph of Roanoke, a congressman, diplomat, states-rights proponent and wit, I am referring to the commonwealth of Virginia.

Brent Tarter, longtime historian at the Library of Virginia, suggests in his forthcoming book on Virginia constitutional history that George Mason, in drafting the states first constitution, may have preferred the word because it captured the lofty purpose under which Virginia was supposedly created  and not just as cash cow for the crown.

That Virginia is a commonwealth  an appellation affected, too, by Kentucky, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania  has come to denote our state as one of shared purpose; for enduring values and ambitions. Among them: equality, opportunity, respect and freedom  supported by public institutions, financed by the taxpayers they serve and legitimized by popular vote.

History shows this is a storybook notion of commonwealth largely concocted by those in charge of Virginia for most of its 415 years: conservative white guys who, armed with laws they wrote, locked out of public life people of color, poor whites and the future majority  women.

Richmond-born Doug Wilder, at his 1990 inauguration as the nations first elective Black governor, proudly declared himself a son of Virginia, but 32 years on there is stubborn evidence that minorities have yet to fully join the family that is supposed to be this commonwealth.

Virginia has some of the wealthiest communities in the nation  and the poorest. The distinction puts blue-ish Virginia first among the states in the wealth gap, followed by Democrat-trending New Mexico, according to the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia.

Five of the nations 10 richest localities are in suburban Northern Virginia: Loudoun, Fairfax and Arlington counties and the cities of Falls Church and Fairfax. The states poorest regions are urban and rural, spanning from neighborhoods in the city of Hampton to the coal counties of Buchanan, Dickenson and Wise.

The prosperity gap contributes to Virginias lopsided population patterns. The population of rural Virginia  in particular, its mountainous southwestern corner, is shrinking and rapidly aging. Northern Virginia localities, with median incomes in the six figures, are a magnet for young people from the countryside, where incomes are five figures.

Add these distinctions  two-thirds of Virginians live in the cities and suburbs, the majority of residents werent born here and schools, unevenly supported from region to region, produce unevenly skilled students  and you have a state, the nations 12th-largest, under continuous strain.

Might it be called the Great Commonwealth Crack-up? And is it hastened by economic, educational and cultural differences that only seem to widen, making it more difficult for politicians to debate remedies, much less agree on them? The answer is uncomfortably obvious.

As Hamilton Lombard, a UVa demographer, told Dwayne Yancey of online, rural-oriented Cardinal News following the 2021 statewide elections in which Republicans were restored to power after eight years in the wilderness, I think these disparities  have made it harder to govern Virginia today than a few years ago. Its hard to pass regulations on counties that are so different.

Its even harder when partisan tribalism  because our politics have been nationalized, by among things, that come-heres outnumber from-heres  supplants, as it has steadily over the past 40 years, a friends-and-neighbors tradition of looking beyond the R or D after a candidates name.

Basic stewardship and the institutional memory it requires are imperiled in Virginia. A looming brain-drain in state government, attributed to an approaching wave of retirements, means know-how will be replaced by know-less. Redistricting  because so many incumbents are doubled- and tripled-up in districts  could significantly remake the legislature.

And then theres executive leadership.

Since the start of the competitive era in 1969, Virginia has elected plenty of virgin governors; that is, those with no previous experience in Richmond: Linwood Holton, the first Republican governor of the 20th century, and Democrats Chuck Robb, Mark Warner and Terry McAuliffe.

All, however, had been blooded in the ways of their parties and the state bureaucracy, either by working on campaigns, having lost earlier races and, in between elections, throwing themselves into policy debates to prove they werent just pretty faces. They also saw themselves as part of a leadership continuum.

Now comes Republican Glenn Youngkin. Hed never been involved in state politics or government until he ran  and won  last year, aided by a poisonous environment for Democrats and more than $20 million from his personal fortune.

That he is rootless as a political figure and immune from re-election pressure  Virginia bans consecutive terms for its governors, the only state to do so  frees Youngkin not only to run for president but comport himself for an audience beyond the commonwealth he apparently tele-manages. Virginians get this. Polling hints they dont like it.

Because hes in a 2024 state of mind, Youngkin sticks with what sells with primary voters: the divisive.

Ergo, he announced a snitch line to report allegedly woke teachers; stigmatizes trans school kids with a policy that makes it tougher for them to fit it, and lectures college presidents, who work for their boards, not for him, that they should embrace conservatives. All the while, he purges liberals.

Just doesnt seem Youngkins vested in Virginia.
A Norfolk police officer who fatally shot a mentally ill man while off duty in January 2020 was acquitted of voluntary manslaughter Thursday .

The Chesapeake jury deliberated for a little more than an hour before returning the not-guilty verdict in the retrial of Edmund Ryan Hoyt, 36, a patrol officer with the Norfolk Police Department.

The defense claimed Hoyt acted in self defense when he fatally shot 42-year-old Kelvin White near a Chesapeake grocery store. But the Chesapeake Office of the Commonwealths Attorney argued Hoyts actions escalated the situation.

The shooting happened on the afternoon of Jan. 19, 2020. Hoyt told jurors he drove toward the store and confronted White after his wife called and said a man was threatening her and their two young daughters. Hoyt said he opened fire after White tried to stab him.

The officer was charged seven months after the shooting. He was released on bond shortly after his arrest and has been working administrative duty with the Norfolk police since. The military veteran had been on the force about a year at the time of the incident.
A rush of respiratory illness among kids is pushing childrens hospital beds in greater Richmond to near capacity, stressing medical staffs and worrying doctors that the worst is yet to come.

Infants and toddlers are facing bouts of flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other viruses in greater numbers than normally seen this early in the flu season.

Were very concerned when we see these number surging so early, said Dr. Shari Barkin, physician-in-chief for the Childrens Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University, which is operating at 95% capacity.

The increase in pediatric viruses mirrors a national trend. Most pediatric beds are full in Virginia; Maryland; Washington, D.C.; and Delaware, said Dr. Randy Geldreich, a pediatric emergency physician on the board of the Virginia College of Emergency Physicians.

Hospitals are stretching their beds and staff and urging people to take preventive measures to slow the outbreak. Suggestions include wearing masks, washing hands, avoiding crowds and receiving a flu vaccine.

If we could return to those precautions, wed keep our kids healthy and out of the hospital, and that would decrease stress on the system, Barkin said.

At Chippenham Hospital, the facilitys roughly 36 inpatient pediatric beds have been full for the past month, according to federal data. About half the patients have RSV, said a spokesperson for HCA Healthcare, which owns the hospital.

St. Marys Hospital, operated by Bon Secours, is in a similar situation. It recently expanded its general pediatric unit to accommodate extra patients, a spokesperson for Bon Secours said. It has 35 pediatric inpatient beds, and all were full on Friday.

Around the state, Childrens Hospital of the Kings Daughters in Norfolk and the University of Virginia Health are operating at 90% capacity. Inova Fairfax Hospital is above capacity.

Most hospitals in the Richmond area do not have dedicated pediatric units, meaning a child needing treatment will likely end up at VCU, Chippenham or St. Marys.

Fewer pediatric beds than there used to be

The number of pediatric beds in town shrank in April, when Henrico Doctors Hospital, owned by HCA, closed its pediatric and pediatric intensive care units. HCA cited low demand as the cause.

But the number is due to increase in the spring, when the VCU childrens hospital opens a 16-story inpatient tower. Capacity will expand from 58 general and intensive care unit beds to 72, with shell space to grow to 110 in the future.

In some instances, kids can be moved to adult beds if necessary, Geldreich said. But not at Chippenham, its spokesperson said. Kids need different amounts of medication and different equipment and have their own dedicated pediatricians caring for them. Chippenham will transfer patients to other hospitals if it cant find room upstairs.

Emergency rooms sometimes will hold patients until inpatient rooms become available, a practice known as boarding. Hospitals frequently boarded adult patients during the omicron surge the last time hospitals filled up.

With beds at a premium, ER patients who were already seen might return to the waiting room as they await test results. Sometimes, VCU can put two pediatric patients in one room, as long as they wont get each other sick.

Other patients, despite being sick, dont need to be hospitalized. There is a flu medication kids can take in the first days after infection that reduces the likelihood of needing hospitalization. Managing patients who dont require hospitalization is another important aspect of treating a surge, doctors said.

And hospitals are still dealing with nursing shortages brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. While VCU has hired a number of new nurses, it continues to rely on short-term agency nurses, too, Barkin said.

The acceleration in cases has gotten bad enough that Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, wrote to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and CDC Administrator Dr. Rochelle Walensky, asking how their agencies would increase flu vaccination rates, improve data reporting and increase engagement with health care providers.

The early start of flu-like illness season, coupled with lower flu vaccine coverage rates, could strain our health care providers, who have already spent more than two exhausting years on the front lines battling COVID-19, Spanberger said.

Lower immunity, lower vaccination rates

Since early September, the number of Virginia residents visiting emergency rooms and urgent care clinics with RSV has quadrupled, according to the state health department.

Experts blame the surge on lower immunity caused by the decreased spread of viruses during the first two years of the pandemic. As mask-wearing became common, flu almost disappeared in Virginia.

Early flu vaccination rates are down, too. The percentage of state residents ages 6 months to 4 years who receive a flu vaccine in summer or early fall has dropped from more than 20% to almost 10% during the past three years.

More than usual, patients are showing up in emergency rooms with cold symptoms such as runny nose, cough and sore throat. Geldreich estimated the number of patients is 30% to 50% higher than this time of the year before the pandemic. Total emergency room visits in the state, including adults, are up 6% since August.

Most pediatric patients dont need hospitalization, but the sheer volume is so high that hospitals are filling up. The sickest kids are typically infants to preschool age, and the ones who need hospitalization are breathing fast, gasping for air or struggle to speak because they cant breathe well.

Once hospitalized, kids might receive oxygen, nebulizer treatments, steroids and fever-reducing medications. The sickest, who go to pediatric intensive care units, might be put on ventilators.

In most years, there are between one and six pediatric flu-associated deaths in Virginia. Patients with complications, such as asthma, diabetes and heart conditions, face the greatest risk. Only one child has died with flu in the past two seasons, and there have been no deaths so far this season.

In Virginia, the flu season typically begins in October, peaks in February and declines in the spring. Doctors are worried that if cases are this high now, the winter will be especially bad. If the state continues its current trajectory, this will be the worst flu season in at least four years.

Im concerned the winter will become worse before it gets better, Geldreich said.
The head of Virginia Beach City Public Schools is defending the district after Gov. Glenn Youngkin this week seemingly implied that local school divisions have been slow to make good use of their federal relief money.

It was portrayed as if we just have this money sitting here and we arent thinking about it, Superintendent Aaron Spence said in a phone interview this week. Anybody who was listening would have inferred that there was bad decision-making around those funds.

Youngkins remarks about school districts spending habits came after newly released test scores showed a dramatic learning loss among students  in Virginia and nationwide.

During a news conference Monday, Youngkin faulted previous gubernatorial administrations for the test scores and called on local school divisions to get moving, seemingly questioning why schools had remaining federal money from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds.

Virginia Beach City Public Schools have $82 million left, Youngkin said. The money is in the bank. It should be spent on things that will get our kids back on track for success. Thats why the money was given to you.

Spence said to start, the governors figures were off. Virginia Beach was given $82 million, but has $64 million left, according to the district.

Spence also said the funding  which was part of the American Rescue Plan  was never intended to be expended all at once. Schools have until the latter half of 2024 to use or encumber the funds.

Obviously, in 2022, we would not have spent the entirety of that money because our assessment is that we are going to need to continue to provide support beyond this first year of coming out of the pandemic, Spence said Thursday.

During the news conference, the governor rattled off several ways school divisions could be using the money to support students. Among his suggestions: investing in tutoring and offering teacher incentives.

This is simple, Youngkin said.

Spence said Virginia Beach already is using some of the funds for tutoring and teacher incentives. Theyve also spent to improve ventilation systems.

The things that Gov. Youngkin mentioned as things that we should be spending the money on are, in fact, things that we are spending the money on, he said.

He added the state is aware of how the district is spending the funds because it reviewed and approved the plan.

Spence pointed out that Virginia is struggling with a teacher shortage  and said Youngkins comments wont help teachers and school systems already struggling with low morale.

They are telling us theyre burnt out. Its hard work and they are tired of the politics around public education, he said.

The governors remarks this week also drew ire from the Virginia Education Association, the states largest union of teachers and school support professionals.

The VEA  which has repeatedly called on Youngkin in recent months to stop politicizing education  issued a statement criticizing the governor for politicizing the predictable declines in math and reading scores amid the pandemic.
A felony eluding charge filed against the man accused of escaping a police dragnet through the Roanoke and New River valleys in mid-August was certified to a Roanoke County grand jury Thursday.

Shawn Michael Tolbert, 42, of Burkeville faces a host of charges in four localities related to the 20 days he was at large from the original Botetourt County pursuit until his arrest in Pulaski County.

In Roanoke County General District Court on Thursday, a Virginia State Police trooper testified that he was the first law enforcement officer to pursue Tolbert on Aug. 11.

The trooper, M. D. Muhammad, said he was sitting in his marked police vehicle, parked in a cross over near the Interstate 81 truck scales on Tinker Mountain. At about 3 p.m. the Botetourt County Sheriffs Office issued a lookout for a white male with red hair driving a black vehicle who was suspected of stealing a gas station lottery ticket.

Muhammad saw a vehicle on I-81 southbound that matched the description, so, he testified, he pursued and caught up to it.

Muhammad testified that he pulled his cruiser along the vehicles drivers side and observed a white male with a beard and long brownish, reddish hair that appeared to be gathered in a ponytail.

In court on Thursday, the trooper identified Tolbert  who attended the hearing via video link from the New River Valley Regional Jail  as the man behind the wheel.

Muhammad said he pulled behind the black vehicle, then activated his emergency lights and siren.

Muhammad said he followed the vehicle, giving it an opportunity to pull over, but it didnt slow down. The pursuit reached speeds between 70 and 85 mph heavy through I-81 traffic and a work zone, during which the black vehicle weaved in and out of lanes and traveled on the interstates shoulder.

Near southbound mile marker 136, Muhammad said he lost the vehicle in congested traffic. Later, near mile marker 118, the trooper said he saw it traveling up a hill, but was too far behind and dropped the pursuit.

Officers in other localities picked up where the trooper left off, pursuing the black vehicle through Craig, Giles and Montgomery counties. It crashed in Craig County and the driver fled into nearby woods.

After several public alerts and extensive backcountry searches, Tolbert was taken into custody at a residence in Dublin on Aug. 30.

Tolbert was charged in Roanoke County on Aug. 31 with misdemeanor reckless driving and felony eluding.

Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Bill Braxton said Thursday that the state only intends to prosecute the felony eluding offense.

Tolberts lawyer, Brad Braford, told the court Thursday it was clear someone had eluded the state trooper, but he questioned whether there was probable cause that Tolbert was the man driving the car.

However, Judge Scott Geddes said the burden to establish probable cause was low. He said he was satisfied with the troopers identification of Tolbert as the eluding vehicles driver.

The case was scheduled to be heard by a grand jury in November.

A felony eluding charge against Tolbert in Montgomery County was certified to a grand jury last week, and a judge in Pulaski County ordered a mental health evaluation for him earlier this month.

Tolbert is scheduled to appear in Craig County General District Court for the first time on Nov. 17.
From left, Arthur Sze, Rita Dove, and Sharon Olds, are acknowledged by the audience as some of the 11 poets to win one of the Poetry Foundation's Pegasus Awards, at The MCA, in Chicago, on Oct. 27, 2022. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Chicago Tribune)

For Haki Madhubuti, winning a Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize from the Poetry Foundation was a total surprise. A great award, but not necessarily a cherry on the sundae of his literary life.

I feel honored, but I still have a lot to do, he said.

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Its hard to imagine thats true. The multi-hyphenate poet-teacher-writer-activist celebrated Third World Press as publisher and founder earlier this month. The South Side nonprofit publishing house that centers the Black experience in its work turned 55 this year. The press is the second oldest independent Black-owned book publishing company in the United States, he said.

Theres no other Black publishing and very few white publishing companies that ever reach that milestone, he added.

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Madhubuti was among the 11 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize recipients this year from the Chicago-based Poetry Foundation. Awarded annually, the $100,000 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize honors a living U.S. poet whose lifetime accomplishments warrant extraordinary recognition. Established in 1986 by Ruth Lilly, the prize is one of the most prestigious awards given to American poets. The other 2022 winners are Sandra Cisneros, CAConrad, Rita Dove, Nikki Giovanni, Juan Felipe Herrera, Angela Jackson, Sharon Olds, Sonia Sanchez, Patti Smith and Arthur Sze. The poets were recognized for their achievements at a ceremony at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago Thursday evening.

Haki R. Madhubuti, right, speaks with Sandra Cisneros at the Poetry Foundation's Pegasus Awards ceremony on Oct. 27, 2022. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Chicago Tribune)

This year for the The Poetry Foundation marks the 110th anniversary of Poetry magazine, so the institution awarded 10 additional Ruth Lilly Poetry Prizes totaling $1,132,500. The anniversary coincides with the foundations new Strategic Plan, a three-year plan of transparency, articulation, access and participation for all poetry communities.

Madhubuti commended Poetry Foundation president Michelle Boone, and Adrian Matejka, Poetry magazines first Black editor, for their work thus far: I believe that with this award given to these poets is a serious and loud introduction to Boone. And bringing Matejka in to edit the magazine is a real first being a Black man editing the premiere poetry magazine in the country, if not the world. Its clearly nothing to sneeze at.

Madhubuti also spoke about what work he felt he still had to do, including the second part of his memoir. Hes already written 36 books, about 14-15 of them on poetry, others nonfiction.

All my life has been about trying to educate and trying to enlighten not only myself and my own family, but the extended families in our communities, he said. Im 80 years old, Im not thinking about retirement.

Angela Jackson said the win was a complete surprise to her. (Its) one of those things you hear about it, you dream about it, but you never expect that you will get. As Illinois Poet Laureate, she said her time is occupied making sure the enthusiasm for poetry is strong in the state.

Poet, playwright and novelist Angela Jackson, seated, takes a photo with people attending the Poetry Foundation's Pegasus Awards on Oct. 27, 2022. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Chicago Tribune)

The thing about poetry is it is more popular during times of social upheaval and turmoil, Jackson said. When people need poetry, is when poetry is generated  it comes alive. Poetry transforms hearts and minds and thats what its doing  were seeing all kinds of poetry being written down now.

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She suggests youth find a poem that interests them and follow that author or just read around the poetry section of a bookstore or library and see what they come across. (When in doubt, you can never go wrong with Gwendolyn Brooks.)

For Rita Dove, the Lilly Prize is not only an award for lifetime achievement, but one of the most prestigious prizes in the country. Its pretty wild, pretty wonderful, she said. Doves next work will be a memoir. She said shes a little uncertain about where to start since its different from writing poems, but she will follow the muse wherever it takes her.

Id like to produce another play, the theater is such a thrill and joy for me. Id love to go through whole experience again, she said. Memoirs  to look back on ones life, it feels dangerous, it feels like Im saying iIm done and Im not nearly done, so Im fighting that impulse as well.

Poet Jamila Woods, left, takes a selfie with award winner Sharon Olds at the Poetry Foundation's Pegasus Awards reception on Oct. 27, 2022. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Chicago Tribune)

Nikki Giovanni also spoke about aspirations, post-Lilly Prize: I want to beat Bobby Flay, she said with a smile, referencing the chef with the cooking show. And my ingredients would be roasted pigs feet with chocolate ale. She laughs when talking about her appearance on Season 2 of Love Life as herself and her $1.72 a week gratuity check. And she beams when talking about her latest childrens book, A Library. It was written for her grandmother. But Giovanni meeting Carla Hayden, the 14th Librarian of Congress, who, since September Sept. 2016, has been overseeing the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world? She beams.

A Black woman as the Librarian of Congress and she had me presenting a book ... it meant so much to me, to us. I was so nervous, I have never been that nervous in my life.

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Giovanni had met the late queen of England, but with Hayden she was nervous. Heroes are people too.

As Giovanni said: Listen to yourself and have some faith in your imagination.

drockett@chicagotribune.com
The National Assessment of Educational Progress, often referred to as the nations report card, released numbers Monday showing that our countrys fourth and eight graders are scoring lower in reading and math than they did in 2019.

These results, while unwelcome, are not surprising, given that its common knowledge that closing schools to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in classrooms and homes set students back. A majority of students did not take to virtual learning, with the lack of in-person instruction leading to learning loss.

Its easy to use the NAEP scores to paint a gloomy picture, because the numbers in the abstract sound rather dire.

In 2022, the NAEP tests rated 36% of fourth graders and 26% of eighth graders nationwide as proficient in math, drops of 5 and 8 percentage points, respectively, from 2019. Similarly in reading, only 33% of fourth graders and 31% of eighth graders were rated proficient or higher, drops of 3 percentage points from 2019.

Virginias numbers broke down this way: in math, 38% of fourth graders and 31% of eighth graders scored proficient, drops, respectively, of 10 and 7 percentage points from 2019. In reading, 32% of fourth graders and 31% of eighth graders scored proficient, drops of 6 and 2 percentage points.

Compare those with the national numbers and it is plain that even though the percentages all trend down, to the degree Virginia faces an education crisis, the commonwealth is still faring better in math than most of the rest of the country, and on par when it comes to reading.

In a recent online presentation, journalists heard from Martin West, an academic dean and education professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, who is a member of the National Assessment Governing Board, the nonpartisan board that sets policy for the NAEP.

West issued cautions about interpreting the data in ways that make claims about cause and effect. He noted that the NAEP standards for proficiency cannot be compared in an apples to apples way to state requirements for passing grades or standards of learning tests. NAEP proficiency essentially corresponds to the national boards assessments, informed by experts, as to where students need to be to continue their education past high school.

We can use NAEP data to help us understand where educational improvement is needed, where its needed most. But once you start talking about your specific theories about what is holding back achievement, or has the potential to advance it, then those are theories that youre bringing to your interpretation of NAEP data, West said. The data can fuel a call to action, but offers little to support a case for a specific policy.

When Gov. Glenn Youngkin, in the wake of the latest NAEP announcement, denounced the policies of his Democratic predecessors and declared that Virginias educational standards are the lowest in the nation, one should note that a basic perusal of the proficiency percentages like the ones offered above prove that Youngkins declaration is false.

Theres no question the numbers reveal that problems exist, but when politicians put their own personal spin on the source and the solution, that spin should be regarded with healthy skepticism.
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FLORENCE, S.C.  All Saints Episcopal Day Schools Red Ribbon Week wrapped up Friday morning with a Halloween parade around the schools carpool circle.

Red Ribbon Week is a time facilitated by the student council to educate youth and encourage participation in healthy habits and drug prevention.

The school celebrated with pajama day Monday, crazy hair day Tuesday, cartoon character Wednesday and favorite team day Thursday.

The students also celebrated communion for All Saints Day Thursday in the chapel.
In late August, the president of Turkmenistan signaled that the end was near for price caps for staple goods in state-owned stores.

He has wasted no time.

As Vienna-based Chronicles of Turkmenistan reported on October 10, the cost of bread in government stores in the capital, Ashgabat, has quadrupled. And while the price of a flatbread has increased, the weight of a standard loaf has fallen.

Elsewhere in the country, expected amounts of price-controlled food have not been delivered at all, Chronicles reported.

These changes have not been compelled, however.

As the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development noted in its most recent Regional Economic Prospects review, sky-high global prices for energy resources have been kind to Turkmen coffers.

Turkmenistan has a healthy fiscal balance, supported by elevated gas revenues and low public debt. While official estimates are not available, inflation is likely to remain in low double digits, below the end-2021 level of 21 percent, the authors of the review wrote.

Not that Turkmenistan is able to get anywhere as much of its fuel riches as it would like onto the world market. For the umpteenth time, President Serdar Berdymukhamedov called at an October 10 Cabinet meeting for implementation to be speeded up in the project to build the trans-Afghan TAPI natural gas pipeline.

Related: Saudi Arabia Expresses Its Total Rejection Of U.S. Statements About OPEC+



But at least practical work is being done. This week, a delegation of the Taliban-run government in Afghanistan visited Ashgabat to agree on an action plan on the TAPI project, Kabul-based outlet TOLO News reported on October 9.

First, the two sides agreed to form a schedule for the acquisition of land and the pipeline construction. Second, the two sides agreed to establish a network to distribute gas to the residents of Herat and industrial parks, Shafay Azam, head of the economic affairs department in the Talibans Foreign Ministry, was quoted as saying.

Story continues

Berdymukhamedov likewise wants to see the tempo increased in getting the TAPI-parallel project to build a high-voltage power line to Afghanistan and then Pakistan and India off the ground. Attracting investors interested in working on that project and the construction of a more than 1,000-kilometer-long electricity grid ringing the country are priorities, he said.

Turkmenistan has been receiving much attention from an increasingly friendless Russia in recent months and years. That does not mean that relations with Ukraine have cooled, however.

In a long interview published in the states Neutral Turkmenistan daily on October 10, the Ukrainian ambassador to Ashgabat talked about how Kyiv deems Turkmenistan a key partner in Central Asia.

"Ukraine highly appreciates its relations with Turkmenistan, which are developing in the spirit of strategic partnership, and it looks forward to deepening further cooperation for the benefit of the people of both countries," Viktor Maiko told the newspaper.

Ukrainian companies have indeed scored some important successes in Turkmenistan.

In August, Ukrainian infrastructure builder Altcom started work on a new bridge along the western fringe of the Garabogazkol lagoon. The road will ease transport to Kazakhstan and is being billed as a promising way for freight companies to travel from Russia to the Persian Gulf.

Maiko namechecked several other companies  heavy machinery manufacturer Sumy NPO, infrastructure builder Interbudmontazh, steel pipes producer Interpipe, gas turbine maker Zorya-Mashproekt, and the Kriukiv Railway Car Manufacturing Plant  as success stories in Turkmenistan. And in the energy sector, Ukraines Yug-Neftegaz has signed a contract with Turkmenistans state geology agency to conduct surveys of the Goturdepe oil and gas field and in the South Burun region of western Turkmenistan.

No mention was made of the war in the interview.

Turkmenistan is enthusiastic about doing more business with yet another Russia foe: the United States.

A group of U.S. executives and Washingtons man in Ashgabat got on a videoconference call with several top Turkmen officials on October 5 for a routine meeting of the Turkmenistan-U.S. Business Council. The companies represented included several big-ticket names like John Deere, Case New Holland, Boeing, Exxon Mobil, General Electric, Coca-Cola, Caterpillar and Visa. Discussions included a possible visit to Turkmenistan by a delegation of American businesspeople before the close of the year.

The priority for Ashgabat seems to be diversification. Turkmenistan wants to be seen as an investment destination in areas other than just energy.

Also on October 5, Deputy Foreign Minister Vepa Khadzhiyev, who has served as his governments point-man on Afghanistan, met with Paul Dean, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, for talks. The ministrys statement offered sparse detail, noting merely that the parties considered issues on the regional and international agenda [and] stressed the need to effectively counter modern challenges and threats, and discussed  confidence-building measures in arms control.

Berdymukhamedov is poised for some international travel. He is due to travel to Kazakhstan for a state visit on October 15. That schedule suggests he will not, however, be attending a Central Asia-Russia summit of heads of state to take place in Astana on October 14.

The president is also being awaited in Qatar. The Foreign Ministry in Ashgabat and the charge d'affaires at the Qatari Embassy met on October 8 to discuss preparations for that upcoming visit. No date has been announced.

Talk in Doha is bound to concentrate heavily on the subject of natural gas. Qatar outmatches even Turkmenistan for the size of its confirmed gas reserves. What is more, it is far better positioned, geographically, financially, and technologically, to get that fuel onto the world market.

Turkmenistan can only look on with envy at Qatars liquid natural gas-producing capabilities. But it is trying to make progress on this front. Last month, Berdymukhamedov heard a report from Shahym Abdrahamov, the deputy prime minister with the portfolio for oil and gas, on a project to modernize the Bagajin gas refining and liquified gas production facility.

At present, the Turkmenbashi complex of oil refineries produces more than 300,000 tons of LNG, which is around two-thirds of what the country produces overall. The government is ambitious for the figure to grow, and fast. Cooperation with Qatar may be key to achieving this.

By Eurasianet.org

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How often do you come across a hawker stall or restaurant in Singapore that sells pork trotter jelly (also known as de kar tang in Teochew)? Its so rare that you can probably count with one hand. Lao Liang Pork Trotter Jelly & Shark Meat located at Berseh Food Centre is one of the few battle warriors remaining which still practices the laborious task of making this traditional old-school Teochew pork aspic dish.

lao liang pork trotter jelly & shark meat - jalan berseh food centre

I headed down on a gloomy Sunday morning around 11am, and was pretty stoked about dining here for the very first time despite passing by this hawker centre countless of times. I began searching for the stall on the second floor, and had to do a double take before my mind registered that it was the stall I was looking for.

lao liang pork trotter jelly & shark meat - stallfront

The signage of the stall was all written in mandarin, so I could only decipher half of it with my half-past-six Chinese. The stall has been around for the past 50+ years and is operated by an elderly couple.

What I tried at Lao Liang Pork Trotter Jelly & Shark Meat

lao liang pork trotter jelly & shark meat - pork trotter jelly

Presenting the highlight of my visit, the Pork Trotter Jelly (S$5 for small, S$8 for medium, S$10 for large). I ordered the S$5 portion as I was afraid it may not be my cup of tea.

The sheer appearance of it reminded me of terrine, which is a traditional French delicacy involving meats and/or vegetables arranged nicely in a mould, and left to set in aspic. Its a labour-intensive task and my ex-chef colleagues over at the cold section used to constantly pray that the dish would not appear on our menu for VIPs.

lao liang pork trotter jelly & shark meat - pork trotter jelly closeup

The Pork Trotter Jelly was served with a sprinkling of fresh coriander and ice cubes. Ive dealt with aspic before and know that they melt very easily under hot conditions. I guess the addition of ice cubes was to prevent that from happening.

As soon as it entered my mouth, the warmth of it started to slightly dissolve the brownish jiggly jelly, releasing a subtle flavour of meat broth. Happening in perfect harmony were the creamy flavours coming from the pork trotter fats and the meat which had absolutely no gamey taste. Oh wow! This actually tastes pretty yummy. I thought to myself as I wished that Id ordered the medium portion instead.

Story continues

lao liang pork trotter jelly & shark meat - dipping in chilli closeup

The homemade chilli dip that was served together had a refreshing tangy kick to it, and was spicy in an underwhelming way, allowing you to fully experience the taste of the Pork Trotter Jelly without stealing its limelight.

lao liang pork trotter jelly & shark meat - kway chap

There was a Guo Zhi Set (S$4 for one pax) which had the usual tau pok, pigs intestines and all, but I wanted to save my stomach for the shark meat that was to come. I opted for a plain bowl of Kway Chap (S$0.50) which would be the perfect accompaniment to the other dishes.

lao liang pork trotter jelly & shark meat - kway chap closeup

It was topped with fried shallots and the colour of the broth was a few shades lighter than what I was expecting. What astounded me was the taste as soon as I had my first spoonful. It gave off strong gingery notes, a savoury rendition of ginger soup which is usually served with tang yuan for dessert.

20210614130340 IMG 2010

Was it weird? It actually tasted pretty unique and paired really well with the Pork Trotter Jelly chunks perhaps a better judge would be to order their Guo Zhi Set on my next visit here to see if it really works!

lao liang pork trotter jelly & shark meat - shark meat

The last on my list was the Shark Meat (S$8 for small, S$10 for medium). The S$5 option was taped up, suggesting that shark meat is costly nowadays (nothing surprising as food costs in general are rising like nobodys business).

Looking like a plain Jane with just a garnish of fresh coriander on top, it was served cold and there was only a reddish sauce with grounded peanuts on the side. The friendly aunty at the stall reminded me that this sauce was to be eaten with the Shark Meat.

lao liang pork trotter jelly & shark meat - shark meat sauce

Upon doing some digging, I learnt that the reddish lump was actually made of preserved plums how interesting!

I tried the Shark Meat on its own, allowing me to fully appreciate the freshness of the flesh which possessed no awful fishy aromas or taste. Some parts of it were slightly rubbery, and other parts, incredibly tender. As with any large fish, the meat was slightly powdery..

lao liang pork trotter jelly & shark meat - shark meat dipping into sauce

Upon giving the plum sauce concoction a good mix, I dunked the meat in giving it a new lease of life and a little personality. The taste of the Shark Meat was enhanced with the nutty and crunchy peanut bits, while the subtle plum flavours delicately played a supporting role in the overall experience a truly perfect combination!

Final Thoughts

lao liang pork trotter jelly & shark meat - overall view

With stalls like Lao Liang Pig Trotter Jelly & Shark Meat that struggle to maintain Singapores hawker heritage, it saddens me to think that such traditional dishes may just be a thing in the past soon.

I feel honoured that Im given a chance to taste the street foods of Singapores past while theyre still around. If youre curious too, head down to Berseh Food Centre and try these non-conventional hawker foods for yourself they might just leave you gobsmacked!

Expected damage: S$5  S$12 per pax

Other articles you might like:

Jalan Kukoh Teochew Kueh: Traditional hand-made kuehs by siblings at hidden hawker centre

Aunty Sham Ayam Penyet: 70-year-old auntie serves up authentic Ayam Penyet

The post Lao Liang Pork Trotter Jelly & Shark Meat: Traditional pork aspic & fresh shark meat at Berseh Food Centre appeared first on SETHLUI.com.
Very few heavy metal bands have had the longevity as Judas Priest.

As the legendary group's longtime bass player -- and its sole continuous member, going back to the band's founding in either 1969, 1970 or 1971, depending on the source -- Ian Hill has seen musical tastes change and bandmates come and go.

Still, the 71-year-old native of West Bromwich, England, has never lost his love of performing.

"That's what it's all about," Hill said. "It's what we love to do."

Judas Priest will be bringing their "50 Heavy Metal Years" tour to the Tyson Events Center, 401 Gordon Dr., at 8 p.m., Tuesday.

On Nov. 5, the group is being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, joining an eclectic lineup including everybody from Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics and even Dolly Parton.

"I think it took Judas Priest a bit longer to be recognized because heavy metal was something that always bubbled underneath the surface of mainstream," Hill explained. "You'll get pop and rap all the time, but not metal."

"Still, we are so excited to be inducted," he added.

This is because Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees are chosen by their peers.

"It's always great to be recognized by your peers," Hill said. "That's a lot different than when a fan or a critic loves your work. Your peers understand what goes into what you do."

Despite that, he acknowledged Judas Priest -- and heavy metal in general -- is more popular in the United States than it is in England.

"We're sometimes criticized for touring in the United States too frequently," Hill said. "Yet, that's where the work is."

Indeed, he and Judas Priest still gets a kick out of living out his rock and roll dream.

"We're not spring chickens anymore," Hill said of he and his bandmates. "If we can't perform at the same level, we might stop. It's better to go out on a high than on a low."

Yet he said retirement is something far off into the future.

"I just like music," Hill explained. "My dad was a a jazz musician and he got me to listen to guys like Lionel Hampton and Oscar Peterson. I still like listening to them. I also like listening to our old albums as well."

"What do I listen to?" he asked himself. "Probably the same stuff I've been listening to for years."

Judas Priest will be appearing at the Tyson Events Center. An earlier version of the story had the wrong location for the show.
Jerry Lee Lewis performs at the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame concert at Madison Square Garden in New York on Oct. 30, 2009. (Henny Ray Abrams/AP)

Jerry Lee Lewis, the untamable rock n roll pioneer whose outrageous talent, energy and ego collided on such definitive records as Great Balls of Fire and Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On and sustained a career otherwise upended by personal scandal, died Friday morning at 87.

The last survivor of a generation of groundbreaking performers that included Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard, Lewis died at his Mississippi home, south of Memphis, Tennessee, representative Zach Farnum said in a release. The news came two days after the publication of an erroneous TMZ report of his death, later retracted.

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Of all the rock rebels to emerge in the 1950s, few captured the new genres attraction and danger as unforgettably as the Louisiana-born piano player who called himself The Killer.

Tender ballads were best left to the old folks. Lewis was all about lust and gratification, with his leering tenor and demanding asides, violent tempos and brash glissandi, cocky sneer and crazy blond hair. He was a one-man stampede who made the fans scream and the keyboards swear, his live act so combustible that during a 1957 performance of Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On on The Steve Allen Show, chairs were thrown at him like buckets of water on an inferno.

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There was rockabilly. There was Elvis. But there was no pure rock n roll before Jerry Lee Lewis kicked in the door, a Lewis admirer once observed. That admirer was Jerry Lee Lewis.

But in his private life, he raged in ways that might have ended his career today  and nearly did back then.

For a brief time, in 1958, he was a contender to replace Presley as rocks prime hit maker after Elvis was drafted into the Army. But while Lewis toured in England, the press learned three damaging things: He was married to 13-year-old (possibly even 12-year-old) Myra Gale Brown, she was his cousin, and he was still married to his previous wife. His tour was canceled, he was blacklisted from the radio and his earnings dropped overnight to virtually nothing.

I probably would have rearranged my life a little bit different, but I never did hide anything from people, Lewis told the Wall Street Journal in 2014 when asked about the marriage. I just went on with my life as usual.

Over the following decades, Lewis struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, legal disputes and physical illness. Two of his many marriages ended in his wifes early death. Brown herself divorced him in the early 1970s and would later allege physical and mental cruelty that nearly drove her to suicide.

If I was still married to Jerry, Id probably be dead by now, she told People magazine in 1989.

Lewis reinvented himself as a country performer in the 1960s, and the music industry eventually forgave him, long after he stopped having hits. He won three Grammys, and recorded with some of the industrys greatest stars. In 2006, Lewis came out with Last Man Standing, featuring Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, B.B. King and George Jones. In 2010, Lewis brought in Jagger, Keith Richards, Sheryl Crow, Tim McGraw and others for the album Mean Old Man.

In The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll, first published in 1975, he recalled how he convinced disc jockeys to give him a second chance.

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This time I said, Look, man, lets get together and draw a line on this stuff  a peace treaty you know, he explained. Lewis would still play the old hits on stage, but on the radio he would sing country.

Lewis had a run of top 10 country hits between 1967-70, and hardly mellowed at all. He performed drinking songs such as Whats Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me), the roving eye confessions of She Still Comes Around and a dry-eyed cover of a classic ballad of abandonment, She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye. He had remained popular in Europe and a 1964 album, Live at the Star Club, Hamburg, is widely regarded as one of the greatest concert records.

A 1973 performance proved more troublesome: Lewis sang for the Grand Ole Opry and broke two longstanding rules  no swearing and no non-country songs.

I am a rock and rollin, country-and-western, rhythm and blues-singin motherf-----, he told the audience.

Lewis married seven times, and was rarely far from trouble or death. His fourth wife, Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate, drowned in a swimming pool in 1982 while suing for divorce. His fifth wife, Shawn Stephens, 23 years his junior, died of an apparent drug overdose in 1983. Within a year, Lewis had married Kerrie McCarver, then 21. She filed for divorce in 1986, accusing him of physical abuse and infidelity. He countersued, but both petitions eventually were dropped. They finally divorced in 2005 after several years of separation. The couple had one child, Jerry Lee III.

Another son by a previous marriage, Steve Allen Lewis, 3, drowned in a swimming pool in 1962, and son Jerry Lee Jr. died in a traffic accident at 19 in 1973. Lewis also had two daughters, Phoebe and Lori Leigh, and is survived by his wife Judith.

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His finances were also chaotic. Lewis made millions, but he liked his money in cash and ended up owing hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Internal Revenue Service. When he began welcoming tourists in 1994 to his longtime residence near Nesbit, Mississippi  complete with a piano-shaped swimming pool  he set up a 900 phone number fans could call for a recorded message at $2.75 a minute.

The son of one-time bootlegger Elmo Lewis and the cousin of TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart and country star Mickey Gilley, Lewis was born in Ferriday, Louisiana. As a boy, he first learned to play guitar, but found the instrument too confining and longed for an instrument that only the rich people in his town could afford  a piano. Hips life changed when his father pulled up in his truck one day and presented him a dark-wood, upright piano.

My eyes almost fell out of my head, Lewis recalled in Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story, written by Rick Bragg and published in 2014.

He took to the piano immediately, and began sneaking off to Black juke joints and absorbing everything from gospel to boogie-woogie. Conflicted early on between secular and scared music, he quit school at 16, with plans of becoming a piano-playing preacher. Lewis briefly attended Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Texas, a fundamentalist Bible college, but was expelled, reportedly, for playing the wrong kind of music.

Great Balls of Fire, a sexualized take on Biblical imagery that Lewis initially refused to record, and Whole Lotta Shakin were his most enduring songs and performance pieces. Lewis had only a handful of other pop hits, including High School Confidential and Breathless, but they were enough to ensure his place as a rock n roll architect.

No group, be it (the) Beatles, Dylan or Stones, have ever improved on Whole Lotta Shakin for my money, John Lennon would tell Rolling Stone in 1970.

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A roadhouse veteran by his early 20s, Lewis took off for Memphis in 1956 and showed up at the studios of Sun Records, the musical home of Elvis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. Told by company founder Sam Phillips to go learn some rock n roll, Lewis returned and soon hurried off Whole Lotta Shakin in a single take.

I knew it was a hit when I cut it, he later said. Sam Phillips thought it was gonna be too risque, it couldnt make it. If thats risque, well, Im sorry.

In 1986, along with Elvis, Chuck Berry and others, he made the inaugural class of inductees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and joined the Country Hall of Fame this year. The Killer not only outlasted his contemporaries but saw his life and music periodically reintroduced to younger fans, including the 1989 biopic Great Balls of Fire, starring Dennis Quaid, and Ethan Coens 2022 documentary Trouble in Mind. A 2010 Broadway music, Million Dollar Quartet, was inspired by a recording session that featured Lewis, Elvis, Perkins and Cash.

He won a Grammy in 1987 as part of an interview album that was cited for best spoken word recording, and he received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2005. The following year, Whole Lotta Shakin was selected for the Library of Congress National Recording Registry, whose board praised the propulsive boogie piano that was perfectly complemented by the drive of J.M. Van Eatons energetic drumming. The listeners to the recording, like Lewis himself, had a hard time remaining seated during the performance.

A classmate at Bible school, Pearry Green, remembered meeting Lewis years later and asking if he was still playing the devils music.

Yes, I am, Lewis answered. But you know its strange, the same music that they kicked me out of school for is the same kind of music they play in their churches today. The difference is, I know I am playing for the devil and they dont.
Haunted House

First Congregational United Church of Christ will have a haunted house from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29. There will be hot dogs served as well as Halloween candy. It will be a fun family-friendly event with a free will donation. Located at 4600 Hamilton Blvd, enter through the east end of the building using the upper level parking lot.

Roast Beef Dinner

Rustin Avenue United Methodist Church, 2901 Leech Ave., will host a roast beef dinner from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4. Cost is $10 for adults and $4.50 for children ages 3-10.

Pumpkin Pie Sale

St. John Lutheran Church will have a pumpkin pie sale. Orders will be taken from Nov. 1 through Nov. 20; pies are $12 each. The pies will be baked on Monday, Nov. 21, and will be available for pickup from 1 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 22, and from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 23. Pies can be ordered by stopping by at the church at 2801 Jackson St., calling the church office at 712-277-3945, or calling Barb Ulferts at 712-899-8231. All proceeds will go to the St. John Food Pantry Ministry.

End of Life Issues from a Catholic Perspective

Siouxland Catholic Radio and Catholic United Financial will host an educational End of Life Workshop Series told through a uniquely Catholic perspective on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 12:45 p.m. or 6 p.m. at the historic St. Boniface Rectory. Fr. Roger Linnan will address the Catholic Churchs position on medical choices facing the elderly and terminally ill (dignity of the human being, extension of life through medical treatments, use of medications, etc.). Butch Byers, Regional Director of Catholic United Financial, will also speak about the financial decisions which surround end-of-life decisions (probate, incapacity documents, wills, power of attorney, etc.) This is a popular End-of-Life Series recently presented at Holy Cross ParishSioux City; St. Marys  Remsen, Iowa; All Saints Parish  Le Mars, Iowa; and St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish Cluster  Elk Point, Jefferson, and Dakota Dunes, S.D. Dont miss out. Contact Siouxland Radio at 712-224-5342 or fhcradio@fhcradio.com to reserve your spot. Refreshments served.
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question youd like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

How was Halloween invented?  Tillman, age 9, Asheville, North Carolina

Its alive! Dr. Frankenstein cried as his creation stirred to life. But the creature had a life of its own, eventually escaping its creators control.

Much like Frankensteins monster, traditions are also alive, which means they can change over time or get reinvented. Built from a hodgepodge of diverse parts, Halloween is one such tradition that has been continually reinvented since its ancient origins as a Celtic pagan ceremony. Yet beneath the superhero costumes and bags of candy still beats the heart of the original.

The Celts lived in whats now Ireland as far back as 500 B.C. They celebrated New Years Day on Nov. 1, which they called Samhain. They believed that leading up to the transition to the new year, the door between the worlds of the living and the dead swung open. The souls of the recently dead, previously trapped on Earth, could now pass to the underworld. Since they thought spirits came out after dark, this supernatural activity reached its peak the night before, on Oct. 31.

The Celts invented rituals to protect themselves during this turbulent time. They put on costumes and disguises to fool the spirits. They lit bonfires and stuck candles inside carved turnips  the first jack-o-lanterns  to scare away any spirits looking for mischief. If all else failed, they carried a pocketful of treats to pay off wayward spirits and send them back on their way to the underworld.

Sound familiar?

Although focused on the dead, Samhain was ultimately for the living, who needed plenty of help of their own when transitioning to the new year. Winter was cold and dark. Food was scarce. Everyone came together for one last bash to break bread, share stories and stand tall against the dead, strengthening community ties at the time they were needed most.

When Catholics arrived in Ireland around A.D. 300, they opened another door between worlds, unleashing considerable conflict. They sought to convert the Celts by changing their pagan rituals into Christian holidays. They rechristened Nov. 1 All Saints Day, which today remains a celebration of Catholic saints.

But the locals held on to their old beliefs. They believed the dead still wandered the Earth. So the living still dressed in costumes. This activity still took place the night before. It just had a new name to fit the Catholic calendar: All Hallows Eve, which is where we got the name Halloween.

Irish immigrants brought Halloween to America in the 1800s while escaping the Great Potato Famine. At first, Irish Halloween celebrations were an oddity, viewed suspiciously by other Americans. As such, Halloween wasnt celebrated much in America at the time.

As the Irish integrated into American society, Halloween was reinvented again, this time as an all-American celebration. It became a holiday primarily for kids. Its religious overtones faded, with supernatural saints and sinners being replaced by generic ghosts and goblins. Carved turnips gave way to the pumpkins now emblematic of the holiday. Though trick-or-treating resembles ancient traditions like guising, where costumed children went door to door for gifts, its actually an American invention, created to entice kids away from rowdy holiday pranks toward more wholesome activities.

Halloween has become a tradition many new immigrants adopt along their journey toward American-ness and is increasingly being exported around the world, with locals reinventing it in new ways to adapt it to their own culture.

Whats so special about Halloween is that it turns the world upside down. The dead walk the Earth. Rules are meant to be broken. And kids exercise a lot of power. They decide what costume to wear. They make demands on others by asking for candy. Trick or treat is their battle cry. They do things theyd never get away with any other time, but on Halloween, they get to act like adults, trying it on to see how it fits.

Because Halloween allows kids more independence, its possible to mark significant life stages through holiday firsts. First Halloween. First Halloween without a parent. First Halloween thats no longer cool. First Halloween as a parent.

Growing up used to mean growing out of Halloween. But today, young adults seem even more committed to Halloween than kids.

What changed: adults or Halloween? Both.

Caught between childhood and adulthood, todays young adults find Halloween a perfect match to their struggles to find themselves and make their way in the world. Their participation has reinvented Halloween again, now bigger, more elaborate and more expensive. Yet in becoming an adult celebration, it comes full circle to return to its roots as a holiday celebrated mainly by adults.

Halloween is a living tradition. You wear a costume every year, but youd never wear the same one. Youve changed since last year, and your costume reflects that. Halloween is no different. Each year, its the same celebration, but its also something totally new. In what ways are you already reinventing the Halloween of the future today?

Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question youd like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.

And since curiosity has no age limit  adults, let us know what youre wondering, too. We wont be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.

Linus Owens does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

___
Two more people are seeking protection orders against the wife of the man charged in a quadruple homicide in Laurel. Earlier this week, the fiance of one of the victims was granted a protection order against Carrie Jones, who he said threatened to kill him.
HARTINGTON, Neb.  A man charged with fatally shooting four Laurel, Nebraska, people and burning their homes is scheduled to make his first court appearance next week.

An initial arraignment is set for 1 p.m. Wednesday in Cedar County Court for Jason Jones, 42, of Laurel. He is charged with four counts each of first-degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony and two counts of first-degree arson. A judge previously set his bond at $5 million.

Jones is expected to appear via video from the Nebraska Department of Corrections Reception and Treatment Center in Lincoln, where he continues to receive treatment for serious burns he received in the Aug. 4 incidents, in which he is accused of shooting Michele Ebeling, 57, in her home and Gene Twiford, 86, his wife, Janet Twiford, 85, and their daughter Dana Twiford, 55, in a second home three blocks away. He is accused of setting fire to both homes.

Jones likely will make video appearances at hearings for the time being, and there are no current plans to transport him to Cedar County, Sheriff Larry Koranda said. Jones was released from CHI St. Elizabeth hospital in Lincoln Wednesday and taken to the Reception and Treatment Center. Because of Jones' current medical needs, the Cedar County Jail would be unable to house him, Koranda said, and his condition would make it hard to transport him the roughly 160 miles between Lincoln and Hartington to appear in person at hearings.

"Besides the Department of Corrections, I don't know of any jail in Nebraska that can accommodate his medical needs," Koranda said.

Jones spent 82 days in the hospital, and during that time Cedar County contracted with a private security firm to keep watch over him 24 hours a day. Koranda said the security will cost Cedar County more than $125,000.

The county also will pay $90 per day, plus medical expenses, for Jones to be housed at the DOC facility. Depending on Jones' ability to pay medical bills and his health insurance status, the county also may have to pay for his hospital treatment.

"It's very possible Cedar County could be responsible for those medical bills," Koranda said.

Koranda said the shootings occurred before the county's current budget was finalized, enabling him and county board members to budget for anticipated expenses in the case.

Authorities responded to a reported explosion in the early morning hours of Aug. 4 at 209 Elm St., where they found Ebeling's body with two gunshot wounds. A second fire at the Twiford home at 503 Elm St. is believed to have started at about the same time, and responders found the bodies of the three family members, all with gunshot wounds.

Jones, who lived across the street from Ebeling, was arrested without incident at his home about 24 hours later and airlifted to the Lincoln hospital for treatment of serious burns over a large portion of his body.

According to court documents, authorities found receipts Jones had for gas at Ebeling's home and a Ruger pistol traced to Jones at the Twiford residence.

Authorities searching Jones' home seized two knives, four guns, ammunition, two pairs of shoes, cellphones, Apple watches, a laptop computer and an iPad.
GAYVILLE, S.D. -- Law enforcement officers seized more than $100,000 in marijuana and guns in a drug bust at a Gayville home.

South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation agents, Yankton Police Department officers and Yankton County Sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant Wednesday at the house. It resulted in the seizure of 22 pounds of marijuana, 751 grams of concentrated marijuana wax, 95 Nerds Rope marijuana edible packages, Suboxone, a Ruger SR-556 rifle, a Glock 48 9mm pistol and $6,250 in cash.

The drugs have an estimated street value of more than $100,000.

Officers arrested David James Brown, who was charged in Yankton County with possession of marijuana, distribution of marijuana, violation of a drug-free zone, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.
SIOUX CITY  A Sioux City man was sentenced Friday to 50 years in prison for fatally shooting his roommate.

A Woodbury County jury in August found Robert Buel, 54, guilty of second-degree murder and going armed with intent for the Aug. 22, 2021, shooting death of Jason Lafferty, 41, at their home at 211 21st St.

District Judge James Daane ordered the 50-year sentence for second-degree murder and the five-year sentence for going armed with intent to be served concurrently  at the same time. Buel must serve 35 years before hes eligible for parole. By law, he also must pay $150,000 restitution to Laffertys estate, and he owes the Iowa Crime Victim Compensation Program $5,630.

Police said Buel and Lafferty got into an argument inside the residence, and Lafferty went to the garage. According to court documents, Buel stayed in his upstairs bedroom before getting a 12-gauge shotgun and .45-caliber handgun and going to the garage.

Buel told police he pointed the shotgun at Lafferty and then set it down. Lafferty took the gun, emptied the shells from it and began reloading it. Buel then pulled the handgun from his coat pocket and fired three shots at Lafferty, striking him twice, court documents said.

When police arrived, Lafferty was dead.

Detectives found the shotgun, which was empty, and all of the shells on the floor. The handgun and three spent shell casings also were found.
SIOUX CITY  Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and Woodbury County Auditor Pat Gill tested election equipment Friday morning at the courthouse ahead of the Nov. 8 general election.

According to a statement from Pates office, every vote tabulator undergoes a logic and accuracy test. Sample ballots are tested on the machine to ensure the tabulators are working correctly and recording votes properly.

These pre-election audits are instrumental to ensure the ballot tabulators will produce accurate results on Election Day, Pate said. Iowans can be rest assured my office and county auditors across the state are dedicated to the accuracy of our elections and the sanctity of your ballot.

The statement said Pates visit to Sioux City was one of many across the state to provide transparency in Iowas election process.
SOUTH SIOUX CITY  The Nebraska Tourism Conference was held in South Sioux City this week with speakers and attendees visiting from all over the state.

Each year, the Nebraska Tourism Conference is held in a different location throughout the state.

Governor Pete Ricketts visited the conference on Thursday to hand out awards and speak with attendees. Ricketts said tourism is one of the bigger industries in Nebraska and has bounced back since the COVID-19 impact.

"We're here to really celebrate the great folks who help us create this great industry," he said.

This year the conference was held at the South Sioux City Marriott Riverfront. John Ricks, director of Nebraska Tourism, said the event is an opportunity for people to learn about the area and feature it.

"We like to think our conference is actually inviting people to sample a place," he said.

Ricketts and Ricks both said the Freedom Park is a great tourist spot in South Sioux City. Ricketts said Ponca State Park was the fifth biggest tourism destination in Nebraska last year with 944,000 visitors.

The conference is intended to gather community leaders to share ideas on different tourism-related topics such as accessibility, marketing and state highlights, Ricks said.

"It's been really successful, we're really happy with it," he said.

One of the keynote speakers was Cory Lee, an individual with spinal muscular atrophy who travels the world sharing his thoughts on accessibility in travel and travel locations.

Lee has traveled across all seven continents in his powered wheelchair and written a blog about the accessible and inaccessible travel he has done.

Ricks said Lee shared what a person in a powered wheelchair looks for when planning a trip.

Ricks said another of the highlights of the conference is the Merritt Reservoir located in Cherry County being designated the first "dark skies" park in the state. The designation comes from The International Dark Sky Association which certifies parks that have minimal light pollution.

Ricks said it's some of the darkest skies in the world and is interesting to people who are interested in astronomy or just want to experience the darkness.

He said people from large cities like New York and Chicago visit these parks to experience the lack of light pollution compared to their home cities.

"It's really humbling," he said.
The annual Arts in the Dark Halloween parade on State Street, here in 2018. (James Richards IV photo)

Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade: More than 2,500 performers from arts organizations including Ballet Folklorico Xochitl, the Art Institute and La Vuelta Ensemble proceed down State Street in the eighth annual parade, which features puppets, stilt walkers, jugglers, dancers and candy giveaways. 6-8 p.m. Saturday on State Street from Lake to Van Buren streets; free, more information at artsinthedark.com

Kevin Nealon: Brushes with Fame with Tim Meadows: The Saturday Night Live alums share backstage stories and discuss Nealons new book, I Exaggerate: My Brushes with Fame, a collection of full-color portraits and personal stories, as part of the Chicago Humanities Festival. (Pre-order a copy for $28 to get access to a book signing.) 7:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday at the David Rubenstein Forum, 1201 E. 60th St.; tickets $20 at 312-661-1028 and chicagohumanities.org

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Science Fiction/Double Feature: A Rocky Horror Picture Party: Haven Chicagos immersive bash features drag, burlesque and circus performances, a DJ, a vendor fair, a photo booth, tarot readings and a costume contest. 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.; tickets $76-$121 at havenchi.org

Camelot: Music Theater Works presents Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewes Tony Award-winning adaptation of T.H. Whites The Once and Future King, which tells the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and the turmoil caused by an affair between Sir Lancelot and Queen Guenevere. Through Nov. 13 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie; tickets $39-$106 at 847-673-6300 and musictheaterworks.com/camelot

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Panic! at the Disco: Grammy and Tony-nominated pop rock musician Brendon Urie tours to promote the August release of Viva Las Vengeance, Panic! at the Discos seventh studio album. Betty Who and Jake Wesley Rogers open the show. 7 p.m. Friday at the United Center, 1901 W. Madison St.; tickets start at $31 at panicatthedisco.com/tour

Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco performs during the Viva Las Vengeance Tour at FLA Live Arena on Oct. 4, 2022 in Sunrise, Florida. (Michele Eve Sandberg/Contributor)

Pop-Up Magazine: Love Stories: The multimedia storytelling show features tales of first love, heartbreak and friendship from Netflix series Special creator Ryan OConnell, poet Sarah Kay, Radiolab producer Rachael Cusick, Paraiso director Nadav Kurtz and comedian Pamela Rae Schuller. 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Athenaeum Center, 2936 N. Southport Ave.; tickets $39 at 312-820-6250 and popupmagazine.com/lovestories

Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade & Costume Contest: Prize money totaling $4,000 is up for grabs during the 25th annual contest, with prizes for the best couples, groups and youth plus scary and creative individual get-ups. Dogs are welcome to join the parade, which features fire dancers, a marching band and cheerleaders and culminates with an awards show and party. 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Halsted Street and Belmont Avenue; free, more information at northalsted.com

The Locusts: The Gift Theatre presents the world premiere of Jennifer Rumbergers thriller set in a small Florida town terrified of a serial killer whose crimes continue to grow more horrific. Through Nov. 19 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave.; tickets $38-$45 at 773-975-8150 and theaterwit.org

Mariah Sydnei Gordon, Cyd Blakewell and Jennifer Glasse in Gift Theatres world premiere of "The Locusts." (Sarah Elizabeth Larson / HANDOUT)

Excision: The Necropolis Music Festival of EDM artists was canceled, but dubstep fans can still attend the planned aftershow featuring the dinosaur- and robot-loving DJ performing along with Adventure Club, Armnhmr and Reaper. 9 p.m. Saturday at the Aragon Ballroom, 1106 W. Lawrence Ave.; tickets $87 at excision.ca

Boeing-Boeing: Saint Sebastian Players presents Marc Camolettis farce about a bachelor engaged to three different flight attendants whose love life gets even more complicated when the weather and a fast plane bring all of them to Paris at the same time. Through Nov. 20 at St. Bonaventure, 1625 W. Diversey Parkway; tickets $30 at 773-404-7922 and saintsebastianplayers.org

Big screen or home stream, takeout or dine-in, Tribune writers are here to steer you toward your next great experience. Sign up for your free weekly Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here.
On this weeks edition of the On Iowa Politics podcast: Mariannette Miller-Meeks and a vaccine mandate-question mark?, Grassley and Franken on the campaign trail, newspaper endorsements are dying, and Donald Trump returns to Iowa.

On Iowa Politics is a weekly news and analysis podcast that aims to re-create the kinds of conversations that happen when you get political reporters from across Iowa together after the day's deadlines have been met.

This weeks show is hosted by The Gazettes Des Moines Bureau Chief Erin Murphy and features Gazette Deputy Bureau Chief Tom Barton, Sarah Watson of the Quad City Times, Lee Des Moines Bureau Chief Caleb McCullough, Jared McNett of the Sioux City Journal, and Gazette Opinion Editor Todd Dorman.

The show was produced by Stephen M. Colbert, and the music heard on the podcast is courtesy of Iowa bands McPhisto and Copperhead.
Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, gives an update on schools and COVID-19 at City Hall in Chicago on Jan. 4, 2022. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

Dr. Allison Arwady, the commissioner for the Chicago Department of Public Health, predicted Friday that Chicago will move back into a medium COVID-19 risk level in the coming weeks.

She also warned at a news conference Friday of a potential triple combo of illnesses among children between COVID-19, the flu and acute respiratory illnesses, rates of which are surging past levels seen over the last two years.

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Chicago is still at the low community level for COVID-19, with between 15 and 20 Chicagoans hospitalized every day and three to five deaths each week. COVID-19 community levels are a measure created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help communities determine what preventive measures need to be taken in an area based on the number of new cases and hospitalizations. Chicago and the suburbs moved into a low level for the first time since May at the end of September.

But vaccination rates for the bivalent booster, designed specifically to combat infections of the dominant omicron variant, are low. Less than 15% of Chicagoans who are fully vaccinated and eligible to receive the booster have gotten the shot, according to data from CDPH. She said she is especially concerned for Latino and Black Chicagoans, who have borne the brunt of the COVID pandemic and who are the least protected headed into this fall and winter. Less than 11% of eligible Black residents and less than 8% of eligible Latino residents have received the updated booster.

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CDPH has found that the booster shots have made a difference in the rates of hospitalizations. People who are unvaccinated are 2.2 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people who are fully vaccinated. But that hospitalization likelihood increases to 2.7 times when comparing people who are unvaccinated with people who are boosted.

While Cook County is not one of the 2% of counties in the United States that are at high risk for COVID-19 as of this week, Arwady worries that could change.

We avoid a high COVID level by keeping people out of the hospital, and we keep people out of the hospital by getting up to date on COVID-19 vaccines, Arwady said.

But what Arwady is most worried about is whether a new variant of concern will emerge this winter, she said.

If you hear us starting to talk about the next letter of the Greek alphabet, that marks a major change and a real concern, she said.

She encouraged people who hadnt received past boosters to still get the latest shot.

It is designed to look ahead instead of back, she said. It is designed to help protect you against whatever is coming this fall and winter.

Arwady also recommends getting the vaccine and booster now while it is still free with federal funding. She said most likely by the first quarter of 2023, the shots will come with a cost, and COVID-19 will be treated like any other disease, where if you are not insured, youre kind of out of luck. CDPH plans to use city funds to close that gap as much as possible, she said.

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I think it is an unfortunate reality in this country, that we do not always consider health care to be a human right and that we often consider it to be something that people should pay for, Arwady said.

While the public health department is expecting a winter COVID-19 surge, Arwady also warned of rising rates of acute respiratory illnesses among children, which includes flu, COVID-19 and the rising incidence of RSV, which stands for respiratory syncytial virus.

RSV presents as a cold and is usually mild. But in kids under 1, it is the leading cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis, which is inflammation of part of the lung. Babies born prematurely or with heart or lung conditions are also at a high risk for RSV.

There are days when we only have a single number of pediatric ICU beds across all of our hospitals, and thats before the respiratory virus season really kicks in, Arwady said.

Unlike COVID-19 and flu, there is no vaccine for RSV and only one treatment, which involves monthly visits to the doctor.

At the end of the news conference, Arwady and the Rev. Chris Harris, pastor of Bright Star Church in Bronzeville, each got shots. Arwady received her flu vaccine and said that getting the bivalent booster and flu shot at the same time is encouraged. She did not receive her bivalent booster then because she said she recently recovered from COVID-19 at the end of August.

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The CDC says you dont have to, but you can wait up to three months, so Ill be getting my COVID booster in November, she said.

Harris received the bivalent booster. Since the pandemic started, Harris said he has buried 150 people whom he loved and cared about who died of COVID-19

I could not even imagine what it would be like to go back or backwards, Harris said. The only thing we need to be thinking about is going forward.

mellis@chicagotribune.com
Cell tower records showed Taban Rik's phone headed in the direction of Branched Oak Lake shortly before Benjamin Case was shot and killed on his boat in an apparent drug robbery the night of July 19, the lead investigator said Tuesday.

At a preliminary hearing, Lancaster County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Schwarz described how the phone records, security video and witness statements led them to connect Rik, who denied knowing Case, to the crime.

Rik's iPhone was turned off at 11:24 p.m., the time of the shooting, he said.

But roughly two hours earlier, towers had him at the lake northwest of Lincoln and security cameras showed a car that's believed to be his red Toyota Camry leaving the marina, Schwarz said.

They tracked his phone from Lincoln, beginning at a movie theater downtown. Security video showed Rik from 10:05 p.m. to 10:27 p.m., when he left alone, heading out of town on Interstate 180 toward U.S. 34, Schwarz said.

"And then the cellphone no longer connects to the tower, the homicide occurs and then the phone reconnects with the tower at Northwest 56th and Highway 34," he said.

During that gap in time  from 10:38 to 11:30 p.m.  they had video surveillance showing one vehicle heading north over the dam toward the marina and one vehicle heading back toward Lincoln, Schwarz said.

And in-car video cameras from law enforcement officers responding to the shooting captured a vehicle believed to be Rik's heading south on Nebraska 79, back toward Lincoln, he said.

Once Rik's phone was turned back on, they tracked it to Rik's apartment near 14th and Superior streets, then to a home near Folsom and West A where some friends were hanging out.

Schwarz said Rik had asked for wipes to clean up blood.

Crime scene investigators later found blood, which contained Case's DNA, on the floorboard of Rik's car, he said.

But they haven't yet found the gun or Rik's iPhone.

Schwarz said video showed Rik walking into the Target near 48th and R with the phone in his hand two days after the killing and walking out after buying a Nokia flip phone.

Deputy Lancaster County Public Defender David Terrell argued the evidence presented wasn't enough. Video of the car didn't show the license plate and didn't show the driver clearly enough to see who was driving.

And he asked Schwarz about how his investigation began with an anonymous tipster pointing the Sheriff's Office toward Rik, a parolee who had been out of prison for less than four months before the shooting.

"It's possible also that a person could use Crime Stoppers to throw you off the trail, true?" Terrell asked.

"Absolutely," Schwarz said. "I think it gave us someone to focus on, knowing that we needed to keep our options open."

In the end, County Court Judge Joseph Dalton found probable cause did exist and set Rik, 22, for arraignment next month on charges of first-degree murder and five other felonies.

Case, who was with four friends inside the boat's cabin before being shot, was 42.
A 24-year-old Lincoln woman was arrested Wednesday after she fled an attempted traffic stop on Interstate 80 and ultimately crashed into a field near the Lincoln Airport, the Nebraska State Patrol alleged.

Troopers tried to stop Sarah Norton near the 27th Street exit of the interstate just before 3 p.m. Wednesday after clocking her Toyota Highlander speeding westbound at 96 mph, the State Patrol said in a news release.

When a trooper initiated the traffic stop, Norton accelerated, the agency alleged.

Three miles later, Norton lost control of the vehicle, striking the median before driving into a field near the airport and coming to rest in a creek bed, according to the State Patrol.

Troopers arrested the 24-year-old on suspicion of flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, a pair of drug possession charges and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Norton was taken to Bryan West Campus for treatment of minor injuries sustained in the crash.
Guillermo del Toros Cabinet of Curiosities brings the brand-name director and Netflix money to a somewhat dusty genre, the horror anthology, and seeks to give it new shine just before Halloween. The streaming service says del Toro personally curated the eight stories, which are all available now, but he didnt direct any himself, outsourcing to the likes of Jennifer Kent (The Babadook), Vincenzo Natali (Cube, Splice), and Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night). The roughly hour-long instalmentsmany based on short stories by H. P. Lovecraft or del Toro himselfvary sharply in their chosen horrors, their tone, and, Im sorry to say, their quality. Thankfully, they also dont need to be watched together, or in any particular order, so youre free to pick and choose. Accordingly, here is a guide to which episodes are actually worth watching and, borrowing from Slates patented Scaredy Scale, a bonus subjective rating for which are most suitable for the wimps among us. The episodes are listed in rough order of preference, best to worst.

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1. The Autopsy, Episode 3

David Prior (of the new horror-nerd favorite The Empty Man) directs another strange melange of genres in this tale of a man who disappears one night while hiking during a meteor shower, then reappears with a mysterious object he brings into the mine shaft where he worksonly to promptly blow everyone up. And thats just the setup! We follow an interweaving story that centers on a doctor (F. Murray Abraham) who arrives to perform the titular task on the dead miners. I will say no more, except that while I cannot attest that this episode makes any sense, hoo boy is it freaky.

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Scaredy Scale: 7/10. I say this fondly, but this is one of the most disgusting hours of television I have ever seen. Should this have been subject to our individual Scaredy Scale ratings, the gore would be 10/10. God. And it doesnt skimp on Black Mirror-levels of psychological horror, either. Strictly for the degenerates.

2. Pickmans Model, Episode 5

One of the Lovecraft adaptations, from director Keith Thomas (The Vigil), this one has an unfair advantage in that it casts Crispin Glover as the main antagonist, a haunted painter of horrific Gothic images who makes a dark impression on a fellow art student (Ben Barnes). Years later, the men meet again, and the painting-prompted hallucinations the fellow student saw when he was younger become all too real.

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Scaredy Scale: 6/10. One of the most traditionally horror-minded episodes, with creepy motion effects, jump scares, and all. To my eye, the gore is more loving movie magic than truly disgusting, but if you dislike gaping eye sockets or are a new parent, maybe skip.

3. The Viewing, Episode 7

Perhaps the biggest WTF of the collection brings a high-achieving group of artists and scientists (including Eric Andre, Charlyne Yi, and Steve Agee) together at the behest of a mysterious, deep-pocketed man (Peter Weller), who proceeds to ply them with expensive Scotch, weed, and Peruvian cocaine, all leading up to a finale that I can pretty much guarantee you will not see coming. One imagines at least some of those substances factored into the making of this very strange but quite fun hour.

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Scaredy Scale: 5/10. It is hard to say more without giving the episode away, but in the final 15 minutes, the hosts intentions become clear, and someone has been watching the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

4. The Murmuring, Episode 8

Two married ornithologists who suffered a terrible loss a year earlier travel to a house on a secluded island to study the local bird population. Guess what?? The people who used to live in the house also suffered a terrible lossand they never left! No surprise from Jennifer Kent, of Babadook infamy, the episode has the most polished craftmanship of the bunch, even if its mostly a by-the-numbers ghost story about maternal grief.

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Scaredy Scale: 5/10. Also no surprise, this one has some classic haunted-house scares, and the dead (and indeed, murmuring) children will surely be too much for some. But its relatively mild, all in all.

5. Lot 36, Episode 1

An early sign of this series half-baked ambitions at social relevance, the episode (directed by Guillermo Navarro, a frequent cinematographer for del Toro) follows a broke, xenophobic U.S. veteran (Tim Blake Nelson) who buys storage units at auction. One unit was apparently owned by a man who did terrible things for the Nazis, and inside, the man discovers some spooky old volumesand a false door he really shouldnt have opened. A passable entry.

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Scaredy Scale: 5/10. Some creepy-crawly creature comeuppance for bad behavior.

6. Graveyard Rats, Episode 2

Fine sci-fi horror director Vincenzo Natali brings us this fairly doofy tale of a graverobber with a rat phobia (tough combo!) who goes for his biggest score yet and comes to regret it, in a subterranean adventure of escalating terrors. The charming practical effects go a long way.

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Scaredy Scale: 5/10. Slate has long had an in-house debate about the following question: If you had a choice between falling into a pit filled with rats, or having rats rain down on you from above, which would you choose? Lets just say this episode offers a dramatization of both scenarios.

7. Dreams in the Witch House, Episode 6

Another Lovecraft adaptation, this time from director Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen, Twilight), follows a man (Rupert Grint, of Harry Potter fame) dabbling in the supernatural to find his sister, who died when they were young and was whisked away by mysterious spirits. He ends up at the titular witch house, where nothing good happens. The episode plays like a richly designed tribute to del Toro, on the milder end of his dark fairy tales. It is, in a word, meh.

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Scaredy Scale: 4/10. There are lots of witchy proceedings, child-snatching trees, and terrible indignities on poor Ron Weasley via humanoid rodent, but its all pretty PG-13.

8. The Outside, Episode 4

In what was for me the great disappointment of the series, an odd-duck bank teller (Kate Micucci) becomes convinced by her nauseating co-workers that she needs to experience the world as a conventionally beautiful person. When one of them introduces her to a strange body creamsold by an infomercial ghoul (Dan Stevens)a plodding body-horror odyssey unfolds. Director Ana Lily Amirpour has all the elements in place and delivers a few stylishly depraved sequences, but the rest is (sorry!) pretty skin deep.

Scaredy Scale: 4/10. It is, again, gross, and the skincare nightmares are legion, but its more unpleasant than haunting.
There are two stand-out passages in the 25-page Nuclear Posture Review that the Biden administration released on Thursday. The first could be seen as a last-ditch olive branch to the Islamic Republic of Iran. While expressing great concern over its advances in uranium-enrichment, the report states: Iran does not today possess a nuclear weapon, and we currently believe it is not pursuing one. This may signal to Tehran that Biden does not consider a revival of the Iran nuclear deal to be an utterly lost cause (though at this point it is quite unlikely)

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The second is a brutal warning to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un:

Any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its Allies and partners is unacceptable and will result in the end of that regime. There is no scenario in which the Kim regime could employ nuclear weapons and survive.

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No American President has ever been so firm or specific on the consequences of a North Korean nuclear attack. No one has outright said that it would mean the death of Kim and the destruction of his power structure.

Other than that, the posture reviewthe latest edition of a congressionally mandated report, written at the Pentagon and vetted by the White House during every administrationis a slog of cliches. More than that, its a sign that another casualty of the war in Ukraine and various other messes in the world is the suspension of creative thinking about nuclear strategyand, with it, the splurging of hundreds of billions of dollars on new nuclear weapons, many of which are unnecessary. Other than those two passages about Iran and North Korea, it strikes no new ground, sparks no new insights, and its authors seem aware of this, to the point where they did all they could to bury the reportliterally.

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Ordinarily a self-standing document, the 2022 edition of the review is hidden away as a chapter of the larger, even drearier National Defense Strategy, which was also issued on Thursday. (I had to phone a Pentagon public-affairs official to help me find the nuclear report; the official had to ask a colleague to help him find it.) And the new report is badly written, I suspect deliberately so, to prevent ordinary citizens from grasping the true depths of its banality. (If youve never read one of these reports before, more than half of it will be indecipherable.)

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Its a shame. When Joe Biden came into office, some hoped that he would make some changes in the nuclear realmperhaps adopt a no-first-use policy or, in any case, reduce the size of the arsenal. In the final days of his tenure as Barack Obamas vice president, Biden said in a speech, fully approved by Obama, that deterring (and, if necessary, responding to) a nuclear attack should be the sole purpose of U.S. nuclear weapons.

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Ever since the atomic age began, U.S. policy has expressly reserved the right to use nuclear weapons not only in response to an enemys nuclear attack but also in response to an enemys non-nuclear invasion of an allyespecially if the U.S. and its allies are unable to resist the invasion with conventional forces alone. In other words, deterring a nuclear attack has not been the sole purpose of our nuclear weapons. Biden suggested, in his late-Obama-era speech, that it should be.

Then again, President Obama himself led his National Security Council in two debates on whether the U.S. should officially declare a no-first-use policyand decided not to. He was convinced to leave the policy unchanged for three reasons. First, our allies would panic that we were abandoning them. Second, they might respond by building nuclear weapons of their own, thus setting off regional arms races. Third, we might want to use nukes in response to a large-scale biological-weapons attack. So, although Obama thought that no U.S. president should actually would use nuclear weapons first, he saw the value in reserving the right to do soif just to deter a wide range of enemy attacks.

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As a compromise, Obamas Nuclear Posture Review said that deterring a nuclear attack was the fundamental purpose of nuclear weaponsand added that the U.S. would never use nuclear weapons first against a country that possesses no nukes and had signedand was in compliance withthe Non-Proliferation Treaty.* This would still make first-use possible against Russia, China, or North Korea. It also provided some incentive for other adversaries not to go nuclear.

Bidens posture review repeats Obamas language, though less clearly.

This was in many ways predictable but there was some chance that Biden might decide not to modernize all three legs of the nuclear Triadi.e., to build all-new replacements for our aging intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, bombers, and cruise missiles. Obama had been manipulated into agreeing to fund them, at least in the short run, in exchange for getting the Senate to ratify the New START arms-reduction treaty, and Biden knew that Obama had regretted doing so. Biden could reverse that move, since these weapons were all in their early stages of research and development. Some of the existing weapons could simply be modified rather than replaced. Several of Bidens second-tier officials in the Pentagon and the NSC were inclined toward this view.

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But this prospect has fallen by the wayside as well. Bidens review fully supports pushing ahead with all the new nuclear weaponswhich are estimated to cost roughly $2 trillion over the next 25 years. Lots of vague formulas are mustered to rationalize this decision (e.g., these replacement programs are planned to deliver modernized capabilities to avoid any gaps in our ability to field a credible and effective deterrent), but none of them make sense, and this would be obvious if someone had written those passages in plain English.

Biden, of course, is in a spot. Given the rising tensions with Russia and China, it would be politically difficult, if not impossible, to cut back on existing plans to build more weapons, even if these weapons do nothing, objectively, to improve our security. In fact, a case can be made that we would be safer if we reduced the number of land-based ICBMs or eliminated them entirely. Just because Moscow and Beijing are wasting their money on new nukes doesnt mean that Washington has to follow suit. Its all theater.

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The posture review does announce the cancellation of one nuclear weapon: a new sea-launched nuclear cruise missile. on the grounds that a new low-yield, submarine-launched ballistic missile can handle the mission well enough. Despite Bidens concessions on every other aspect of the nuclear enterprise, Republicans will no doubt accuse him of appeasement on this one; my guess is the cruise missile will be funded after all. Liberals sometimes get hammered for throwing money at a problem. There is currently no resistance to throwing money at the weapons budget; in fact, theres enormous resistance to not throwing it.
Once, I asked a guard in a large museum in New York City about the strangest thing he had ever seen a visitor do. He told me that on the closing day of a blockbuster exhibition, when visitors had to wait for hours on a line snaking through the other galleries, he had discovered a pile of human excrement on the floor. Rather than lose their place in line, someone had relieved themselves beside a case of ancient Near Eastern statuettes. Which is to say: Throwing tomato soup or mashed potatoes at famous paintings, or even gluing your scalp to one, all things climate activists did this month, probably wouldnt have made his top 10 for unexpected visitor behavior.

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As long as art has been on public display, visitors have caressed, attacked, broken, or made unauthorized additions to it. Their reasons have varied widely. In the ancient world, victorious armies knocked the heads off statues of conquered rulers. People suffering from mental health crises have often attacked artwork, believing, for example, that the Virgin Mary commanded them to take a hammer to Michelangelos Pieta (Rome, 1972), or that the Lord told them to cut Rembrandts Night Watch with a bread knife (Amsterdam, 1975), or that hurling several ancient Roman busts to the floor was the right response to being denied a meeting with the Pope (the Vatican, 2022).

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Meanwhile, artists have vandalized or modified existing art on purpose to create new works. Some of these acts have been hailed as artistic breakthroughs, like when Robert Rauschenberg erased a drawing by his fellow artist Willem de Kooning in 1953. Others who have used destruction as a tool of art, like a student with a talent for projectile vomiting at will, have passed into obscurity. In 1996, Jubal Brown decided to redecorate a Piet Mondrian painting at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. With the aid of food coloring, he completed the red and blue portions of a planned primary color triptych before museum officials caught on that something more than a stomach bug was afoot.

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Sometimes, visitors attack an artwork because they believe it is obscene, blasphemous, or immoral. For example, in 1999, a Catholic man squirted white paint on Chris Ofilis The Holy Virgin Mary at the Brooklyn Museum to cover the elephant dung and images from pornographic magazines used in the work (including buttocks repurposed as wings of attendant cherubim). And sometimes, it seems like people just get bored, like the Whitney Museum guard who doodled I Love you Tushee, Love, Buns on a Roy Lichtenstein painting in 1993.

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The activists of Just Stop Oil, the organization behind the recent food hurlings and gluings in museums in England, Germany, and the Netherlands, have explained that they knew their actions would not hurt the paintings, which were safe under glass. Instead, they threw food and then glued their hands to the walls near the art to draw public attention to climate change. They want all of us to change our lives to save ourselves and the world. And they are certainly not the first ones to try to make change by harming, or threatening to harm, art.

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In the second half of the 16th century, reformers smashed Catholic religious art all over Europe as the ideas of the Protestant Reformation spread. The most fervent attacks happened in the Netherlands in 1566, where many of the iconoclasts saw their acts as symbolizing their rebellion against the Hapsburgs, the Catholic Spanish dynasty that then controlled parts of the Low Countries. Other image-breakers wanted to protest the church wasting its wealth on art when so many were going hungry after the failed grain harvest of 1565.

Another outbreak of art-based protest erupted in 1913, when three English suffragists campaigning for womens right to vote smashed the glass over 13 paintings in the Manchester Art Gallery. They said they did so to protest the treatment of Emmeline Pankhurst, one of the movements leaders, who was imprisoned many times and went on multiple hunger strikes in the course of her activism. They did not want to damage the art itself. But the next year, another suffragist protester, Mary Richardson, attacked Diego Velazquezs c. 1650 painting of Venus in the National Gallery in London. As she explained in a statement printed in the Times, she slashed the picture of the most beautiful woman in mythological history with a meat cleaver to point out that public outrage over her action would be hypocritical so long as they allow the destruction of Mrs. Pankhurst and other beautiful living women. In the following four months, nine other suffragists slashed 14 more paintings in British museums to make the same point. Despite this fervent protest, British women gained full voting equality only in 1928.

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Similarly, in 2020, Black Lives Matter and other protesters frequently gathered around public monuments. They painted, toppled, or sought official removal of artworks honoring enslavers, colonizers, and white supremacists. What these protests have in common with the Reformation iconoclasts and the suffragists is that they all used physical action directed at artworks to draw attention to abstract problems.

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Such protests can be very effective because of the peculiar way we humans react to art. Think of the difference between ripping up a piece of paper and ripping up a photograph of an ex. The disturbingly satisfying violence of the latter hints at what the art historian David Freedberg has argued is the persistent human belief that the images in artworks are still a little bit alive. No wonder that taking a meat cleaver to a Venus is so shockingit is the closest a nonviolent protester can come to carrying out a human sacrifice.

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Indeed, it seems that it is the closeness, without the reality, that is key to the protest. The recent suicide of an environmental activist who self-immolated in front of the Supreme Court in an attempt to draw attention to the climate emergency drew relatively muted media attention. A death like this is too horrifying to symbolize something else, even something as important as climate change. Attacking an artwork instead draws similar aghast attention but leaves the audience asking Why?a question activists can then try to answer.

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The actions of the Reformation iconoclasts, Black Lives Matter protesters, and the suffragists bore some essential relationship with the artwork on which they focused. Beautiful gilded altarpieces captivated worshippers, to the frustration of the iconoclasts who wanted people to pay more attention to the political realities of their lives than their afterlives.

Confederate monuments were erected by white Americans who believed they were superior to Black Americans, and they continue to spread this hateful message. The suffragists protest had the loosest relationship to art, since there was no reason why people could not enjoy looking at a Velazquez piece and also support votes for women, but in the aftermath, Richardson eloquently contrasted newspaper readers horror at damage done to a painted woman with their previous indifference to the damage done to a living body.

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The Just Stop Oil activists have successfully drawn public attention, and the most recent incident, which took place in The Hague on Thursday, comes the closest to the suffragists model. As one man glued his head to the glass covering Johannes Vermeers Girl With a Pearl Earring and another poured on a can of tomatoes, the activists asked viewers how it felt to see something so beautiful at risk of harm. Do you feel outraged? Good. Where is that feeling when you see the planet being destroyed before our very eyes? Still, the connection between their actions and climate change is not as startlingly clear as between Venus and Pankhurst. They could have threatened to damage anything people care about. And why all the tomatoes?

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Their actions reminded me of a few past examples of similar loosely connected protests. In 1974, the artist Tony Shafrazi wrote Kill Lies All on Pablo Picassos Guernica as it was on display in the Museum of Modern Art. Shafrazi claimed he did so as a comment on President Richard Nixons pardoning of Army officer William Calley for his role in the 1968 My Lai massacre. In 1987, a man who would later say he was protesting poverty fired a sawed-off shotgun at a Leonardo da Vinci drawing in the National Gallery in London. In the same museum in 1998, the nudism activist Vincent Bethell stripped down and smeared the pound sterling sign in yellow paint on a Rembrandt self-portrait. (He would become the first defendant in U.K. history to stand trial while naked.)

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Guernica is a painting about a massacre, but spray-painting it did not turn it into a commentary on Vietnam. Nor did shooting a da Vinci do much to change social inequality. And what, if anything, a yellow pound sign had to do with nudism was never clear. (Bethell would even take to Twitter in 2019 to lament that his naked protests have been all but forgotten.)

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Bethells yellow paint wiped right off the self-portraits varnish. The Picasso and da Vinci were also repaired, although the latter drawing still bears a few scars, which are visible behind its current covering of bulletproof glass. Will the Just Stop Oil protests be forgotten as quickly?

When I asked what happened to the museum visitor who pooped on the museum floor, the guard told me the most amazing part of the story: They were never caught. Apparently a poop ninja, they did their business and got back into line to see the exhibition. Everything continued as it was supposed to. Museums are powerful cultural institutionsdisrupting their smooth functioning takes more than soup, or even poop. Fossil fuel companies are even more difficult to ruffle. I wish the Just Stop Oil activists luck in changing the destructive habits of centuries of extractive exploitation of our planetbut if coating a Monet in mashed potatoes is going to help, they have to make the symbolic connection a lot more clear.
This piece was originally published on Just Security, an online forum for analysis of U.S. national security law and policy.

As briefing nears its close, the battle lines are emerging in Moore v. Harperthe case in which the Supreme Court will consider whether to adopt some form of the independent state legislature theory. As a refresher, the ISL theory contends that state legislatures may regulate federal elections free of any checks by other state-level actors. So, under the theory, no state constitutional provisions, no state court, and potentially no governors veto could constrain a state legislatures exercise of power over federal elections.

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In Moore v. Harper, members of the North Carolina state legislature (the petitioners) are invoking the ISL theory to claim that the North Carolina state courts violated the federal constitution when they found congressional maps drawn by the legislature to violate the state constitution. The respondents include the state of North Carolina, as well as the individual voters and nonpartisan voting rights and democracy organizations that brought the state court suits challenging the maps. Few significant cases before the Supreme Court in recent memory have seen such a broad coalition from across the political spectrum come together on one sidein this case, against the independent state legislature theory.

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Now that the (more than 40) briefs are mostly inthe petitioners are likely to file a reply in the next few weeksthree key themes are worth keeping an eye on as the case barrels towards oral argument on Dec. 7. (As a point of disclosure, I represented professor Evan Bernick, an originalism scholar, in a brief supporting the respondents.)

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Since the Supreme Court took the case in June, the respondents have added the revered retired conservative court of appeals judge J. Michael Luttig to their counsel team. Luttig, once shortlisted for a Supreme Court seat by the George W. Bush White House, mentored many of the conservative legal elite as his law clerks, including Sen. Ted Cruz, Trump-era Solicitor General Noel Francisco, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and John Eastman.

Now that amicus briefs are in, the respondents have the support of several retired four-star military officers, two Federalist Society co-founders, multiple retired conservative court of appeals judges, a longtime Republican election lawyer, a Reagan-era solicitor general, multiple Republican former state secretaries of state, multiple Republican former governors, civil rights and good government groups, and a chorus of highly-respected and ideologically diverse historians and legal scholars. And, the Conference of Chief Justices, representing all 50 state supreme court justices, filed a brief squarely rejecting the notion that state courts and state constitutions cannot check state legislatures when they regulate federal elections.

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Supporting the petitioners? John Eastman, a bevy of beltway think tanks, and a smattering of red state attorneys general and other state elected officials, none of whom oversee elections. No historians, no legal scholars, and no election officials showed up in support of the ISL theory.

Despite the United States extremely polarized politics, the sheer number of conservatives joining liberals and non-partisan groups to reject the theory should not be so surprising here. Defending checks and balances is not partisan: An unconstrained state legislature might benefit republicans in Ohio and bowl them over in New York. Or it might help Democrats in 2022, but not in 2032. As this broad coalition of amici recognize, the checks and balances enshrined in both federal and state constitutions protect the people against abuses of power, no matter how the political wind might be blowing in a given moment.

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In their opening brief, the petitioners largely sidestepped the ISL theorys sweeping consequences for the electoral system, instead characterizing the theory as legally-mandated, no matter the consequences. The respondents, by contrast, explained that the theory would upend election administration in three ways. First, as the petitioners agree, it would nullify some or all state constitutional provisions for federal elections, dramatically changing the rules governing elections, no matter how sound or longstanding. Second, it would do so only for federal elections, thus creating a two-track system of election administration that would be nearly impossible either for officials to administer or for voters to understand. And, third, it would inject massive uncertainty about the remaining powers, if any, of both state courts and state executive officials regarding federal elections. Confirming that the respondents arguments are neither unwarranted anxiety nor academic speculation, amici with real-world election and judicial experience from across the political spectrum have echoed these same concerns.

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On the first point, the non-partisan Brennan Center for Justice detailed how the ISL theory would nullify or undermine hundreds of state constitutional provisions and related state court decisions and would threaten a host of election rules enacted via ballot initiatives. Agreeing entirely, prominent Republican election lawyer Ben Ginsberg called the petitioners ISL theory a potential voter confusion disaster and a mess for election officials as they would struggle to determine which rules were and were not still valid. And, as Ginsberg, a number of Republican former elected and executive branch officials and multiple briefs from bi-partisan groups of election administrators, warned, the ISL theory would usher in a two-track system of election law and make state and federal elections practically impossible to administer.

Multiple amicus briefs, including a brief on behalf of nearly a dozen prominent conservatives  among them multiple former elected officials and retired D.C. Circuit Judge Thomas Griffith and Bush-era acting Attorney General Peter Keisler (also a co-founder of the Federalist Society)  and the brief from the Conference of Chief Justices, agreed and all warned that adopting the ISL theory would lead to a flood of potentially destabilizing election-related litigation in federal courts. Giving federal courts the last word on the meaning of state election law potentially transforms every election-related question of statutory interpretation into a federal lawsuit. Transferring that much power from state actors to the federal courts presents, in the words of the Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, the biggest federalism issue in a long time.

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In short, the ISL theory, if adopted, would create what Ginsberg called a toxic brew of uncertainty, distrust, partisanship and unchecked power that could lead to a number of election nightmare scenarios. And those nightmare scenarios, a group of retired four-star admirals and generals and former service secretaries explained, could be devastating to national security.

All sides agree that the ratifying publics understanding of the elections clause is going to be the front and center legal question in this case. That is, after all, how a majority of this Supreme Court purports to interpret the Constitution.

So, how does the ISL theory square with the original understanding of the elections clause? As Vikram Amar, Akhil Amar, and Stephen Calabresi (a co-Founder of the Federalist Society) put it in their striking brief: miserably. Echoing what I and others have written elsewhere in the popular press, leading academic historians and constitutional law scholars all told the court the same thing: The Founding-era evidence plainly shows that state legislatures are bound by their state constitutions when regulating federal elections. Indeed, early state constitutions were littered with provisions regulating federal elections, which were understood to be enforceable by state courts.

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The petitioners had no law professors or historians in their ranks of amici. Instead, in their own brief, they relied heavily on a document called the Pinckney Plan, which purports to be an early draft of the Constitution. That draft, they claim, shows that the Constitutions drafters explicitly rejected a plan that would assign power to States and instead gave them to legislaturesbolstering their claim that the legislature must therefore have some unique and unconstrained power in this arena.

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But, as both the respondents and amici showed, the Pinckney Plan is a fraudulent document, forged by Charles Pinckney to aggrandize his role in the Constitutions drafting. In the Amar amicis words, the ISL theorys best evidence is a bogus document. To be clear, the petitioners and others before them have in all likelihood relied on the Pinckney Plan in good faith. But that they, too, were duped shows the value of deciding complex and consequential topics only after full briefing and amicus participation. As the Amars and Calabresi put it: Petitioners are not expert historiansalas, not even competent ones . Proper originalism is serious business and the Court needs to hear from serious scholars.

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The independent state legislature theorys emergence has largely taken place in an emergency posture. That means that, in previous cases, neither courts nor the public had the benefit of time for the partieslet alone historians and legal scholars, election administrators and elected officialsto weigh in on either the historical basis for or effect of removing essential checks and balances on state legislatures when they act in the most partisan of arenas. In this hugely consequential case, in a highly polarized environment, experts of all stripes and partisan affiliations have now weighed in with roughly the same answer: Giving state legislatures unchecked power over federal elections is both antithetical and dangerous to the U.S. constitutional order.

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As a sixth-grade public school teacher in Florida, Ive come to expect the worst from Gov. Ron DeSantis and his Department of Education. The governors Dont Say Gay bill put a target on the back of LGBTQ students and teachers: It outlaws classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity (whatever that is) in grades K-3 and severely limits it in grades 4-12. That was bad enough. But this fall, the situation got worse. Previously, if a parent accused us of violating the Dont Say Gay law, they could sue the school district. Now the Department of Education has declared that teachers who violate the law will lose our educators certificate. That means losing our jobs.

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And thats not all. Another new rule forces schools to notify parents about any bathrooms that arent separated by sex assigned at birth. This policy will out kids by informing parents if there is a trans student using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity. A third rule requires classroom libraries to be cataloged in a searchable database so parents will know every book that is available. While this may sound innocuous, it is not in a state with one of the highest rates of public school library books banned in the country.

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How in the world are teachers supposed to navigate this? The answer is, in constant fear of getting fired for failing to discriminate as much as the Florida government wants. For the first time in my nine-year career as a public school teacher, Im seriously thinking about quitting. And I am not alone: hundreds of thousands of Florida students started school last year without a permanent teacher while the state has struggled to fill thousands of openings.

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The original Dont Say Gay law made teaching in this state hard enough. The new rules make it nearly impossible. Students want a way to identify and connect with each other, and they need a way to connect with their education. It took far too long for educators to start teaching books in which the main character is Black, Hispanic, or from literally any other historically marginalized group. So now we cant teach books that have gay characters? (Multiple Florida counties reportedly cleared their shelves of books with LGBTQ themes in apparent response to the new law.) Why? Do Republicans honestly think that if a first grader learns what being gay is that will make them gay? It doesnt work that way. Do they think we want to indoctrinate kids? Ridiculous. Even if we wanted to, we wouldnt have the time! We are too busy trying to get them to read, write, and simply do their actual work.

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For some kids, school is their safe space, and Im that safe adult. Teaching LGBTQ students is just like teaching any other student. Theyre kids. They want to be heard and understood, and each student is going to be different in that regard. I was our schools Gay Straight Alliance advisor for a year before COVID took us out of school. Am I gay? No. But there was a need, so I filled it. At the first meeting there were about 20 kids in my classroom. I explained to them that while Im not gay, I am an ally, and Im here as a safe adult if you need one.

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After our first meeting, I quickly realized I needed help, so I reached out to the Zebra Coalition and they were able to come and speak to my kids. One thing I had to understand when working with LGBTQ youth is that there may be things going on in their lives that I couldnt relate to, ever. Ive never had to come out to my parents. Ive never had to think about how I identify. These are struggles that our students face. They shouldnt have to face them alone or with pushback, especially from their public school. (My school still has an active GSA with strong membershipour students are not ones to back down from a fight.)

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Under the new rules, our LGBTQ students have a reason to feel less safe and less heard in a place where they spend the majority of their time. They are here to learn the standards set forth by the state, not have it dictated to them what bathroom they have to use, what pronouns they must use, and what name they have to go by. Ive had students as I take attendance tell me they go by something else and they use specific pronouns. I write it on my roster and it doesnt take long for that to be the only name I know them by. Ive gotten in the habit of just using they/them for everyone when I address a student, so that hasnt been much of an issue.

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Yet we still have teachers who gripe and moan anytime a student tells them their preferred pronouns or preferred name. Why? Why get upset? Teaching is so much easier when you can connect and form relationships with students. Calling them a different name does not affect me one bit, but it affects them all the time. If I can help them feel comfortable, thats what Im going to do.

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When DeSantis started pushing the Dont Say Gay bill, the first thing I thought was: Where was this when I was in school and literally everyone was calling everything gay? Nobody seemed to be too concerned with that word when it was being used as a homophobic slur. But now that the social climate has changed and people, including our youth, feel comfortable with themselves to say yes, Im gay, its suddenly a problem?

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Teachers have already been leaving the profession in record numbers and these new rules are just adding fuel to the fire. Critically, these laws target our LGBTQ youth and our LGBTQ teachers. If a teacher has a same-sex partner and a student asks them if they are married, if that teacher answers truthfully, is that breaking the law now? Can they not only be fired but have their license be taken away? And where do we draw the line?

If trying to push teachers back into the closet was the intended effect of the law, its not working so far. Thanks to the support of our union, teachers at my school are still able to display photos of their same-sex partners. The bulletin board outside my classroom has a pride flag that states you are welcome, which is then surrounded by quotes from LGBTQ activists throughout history.

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This doesnt mean that the law isnt resulting in real harm, based in the levels of confusion about what is now allowed and what is verboten. Florida already has more than 6,000 teacher vacancies statewide. Who on Earth are you going to get to fill those positions, let alone the positions of the teachers you fire who violate this ridiculous rule?

I knew I wanted to be a teacher for most of my life. I love kids, plain and simple. Despite all the negative rhetoric that surrounds our education system, I still love teaching. I never thought Id consider leaving this profession, but I have considered it seriously in recent months due to the actions of the Florida Republican Party. In the grand scheme of things, while its harder for me to navigate conditions in Florida as an educator, it must be even harder to live through them as a LGBTQ student. My love for my kids is what DeSantis is banking on. He expects teachers like me to stick around with a sword of Damocles hanging over our heads, enacting his terrible policies, not caring who pays the price. But the goal of public education is to create successful functioning members of society. DeSantis wants to make LGBTQ kids to feel unwelcome in our society. And I refuse to help him.
Protesters attempting to raise awareness over climate change have taken up some wild antics the last few weeks, throwing soup across a Van Gogh painting at the National Gallery in London, throwing mashed potatoes at a Monet in Germany, and chucking cake at the Mona Lisa. The stunts, executed by various climate activist groups, are an attempt to draw attention to the climate crisis, and encourage everyone to globally coalesce and work to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, or wait as the impending catastrophe continues to worsen.

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There have been plenty of attempts to defend, diminish, and contextualize this specific form of protest. We will leave that to others to litigateinstead, we would like to discuss one particular dimension of these protests. Because not only are activists throwing messy foods at valuable items, they are also gluing themselves to them. Yes, thats right, theyre using a strong adhesive chemical to physically attach their bodies to inanimate objects, as part of the awareness-raising. Its happening often, from two supporters of the U.K.-based climate activist group Just Stop Oil gluing themselves to a frame of a Constable painting to a man gluing his head to the Girl With a Pearl Earring painting at The Hague.

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In both instances, no significant damage was done to the paintings. The question is: was any harm done to them, the people being glued (and gluing)? Upon reading about these incidents, we couldnt help but wonder: what are the mechanics behind gluing oneself to something? How long is it supposed to last? How does it feel? How do you unglue yourself?

To answer these questions, we went straight to the source by reaching out to Just Stop Oil, who has deployed the tactic. The group explained that they do in fact use super glue in their stuntsthey pick it specifically because it makes their actions more disruptive and takes longer for them to be physically removed. In their experience, people tend to remain glued to objects for between one to two hours. They have had reported injuries, including times when peoples hands were ripped off tarmac somewhat unceremoniously rather than deliberately detached ouchbut no hospitalizations.

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Unsurprisingly, super glue is not intended for use on human skin, as its specially designed to bond materials like metal, ceramic, leather, rubber, vinyl, and plastic. Its also meant to last a long time and is known to cause skin irritation, even chemical burns for some people, if they do come into contact with it.

However, as painful as it sounds to glue your head to a painting, it probably wont last very long. According to one site, super glue works to become its stickiest when exposed to humidity in the air, and works best on porous surfaces. If it comes in contact with skin, its not terribly difficult to get it offa little acetone or baby oil paired with warm, soapy water seems to do the trick.

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However, proceed with caution, as Apple Bodemer, board certified dermatologist with UW Health, told us that if you try to forcefully pull super glued skin off a surface without treating the area first, like with Vaseline, it can lead to ripping the skin. Worst case, it can even develop an open wound. Typically the skin will heal, but it also puts a person at risk for infection.

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Bottom line, Bodemer said super glue isnt deadly but extended exposure and use of it can lead to developing allergies. It can also become toxic if too much super glue is inhaled, causing irritation to the lungs. The worst case scenario is if you ingest super gluethen it can cause serious GI and stomach issues. If you must apply it to your skin, Bodemer suggested limiting it to a small area, and limiting the number of times you use it.

Just Stop Oil doesnt seem to be slowing down its efforts to draw attention to climate change, or its use of super glue. As Hannah Hunt reasoned, a 23-year-old who was part of the Constable painting stunt, the fossil fuel industry and oil extraction will eventually lead to massive problems like widespread crop failures, so yes there is glue on the frame of this painting but there is blood on the hands of our government.
Twitter is Elon Musks. The worlds richest person reportedly closed Thursday on his deal to buy the social-networking giant for $54.20 per share, an inflated price he offered in April before taking the company on a ride whose destination didnt even start to become clear until a few days ago. Anyone could be forgiven for skepticism that the ordeal has really ended, given Musks penchant for changing his mind. But it is actually over now, according to the Washington Post, which said Musk wrapped up the deal and then fired CEO Parag Agrawal and several other top executives as he took control of the company. (The New York Times counted four.) The Wall Street Journal also reported that the takeover was complete.

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It marks the apparent, merciful end of an eight-month saga between the Tesla billionaire and the company he tried to buy, then didnt, then did again, then maybe didnt, and finally did. Musk and Twitter were slated to duke things out in the Delaware Court of Chancery earlier in October, a battle that looked to favor Twitter. Now there will be no trial, Musk will not have to submit to sworn testimony in which he cant lie, and his texts will stop becoming part of a public record. He will be on the hook for a $44 billion purchasemostly his own money, plus $13 billion from banks that hell owe back with heavy interest, and some unknown amount from equity investors he recruited, some of whom backed out at some point during the several months Musk spent trying to tank his own transaction.

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For months, the imminent questions around Musk and Twitter were how he would try to get out of the deal and whether he could find a path that would let him do it. He tried a lot of flimsy answers to the first questionfirst bots, then a whistle-blower, then maybe his lendersbut could never quite get to yes on the second question. Even the richest person with the most expensive lawyers, it turns out, cannot get out of a tight contract drawn up by similarly expensive lawyers who wrote up the document with a specific fear in mind: that their buyer might not be trustworthy. Now, finally, the world can move on to a different set of Musk-Twitter questions, like What does he really want with this company? and What will he do to it?

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This time, the first will go a long way toward answering the second. When Musk first flirted with and then struck up an agreement to buy Twitter, what he wanted with it seemed clear enough. Musk wanted to make Twitter a bastion for (air quotes very much required) free speech. He hoped to roll back Twitters left-wing bias, a goal that made him more popular with the extremely online political right. Tweeting about content moderation, Musk said that going beyond the law is contrary to the will of the people. He sounded like a man who wanted to let Twitter be a playground for neo-Nazis and far-right trolls, not to mention anyone else who might have dogshit opinions of the abusive-yet-legal variety.

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A lot has happened since the spring, though. First, Musk tried hard not to buy Twitter, because its expensive and a market downturn meant he was suddenly paying tens of billions of dollars over sticker price. He also may have realized what an epic pain it would be to run a platform with hundreds of millions of pushy, opinionated, and sometimes extremely powerful users. But it was likelier than not that hed get stuck with it, and he seemed to come to grips with that in recent weeks. Musk started to talk more like a man concerned with the actual business of owning Twitter, noting in mid-October that hes overpaying now but believes the-long term potential is an order of magnitude greater than its current value. He said Twitter was part of a play for something he calls an everything app, which is likely dumb, not without precedent, and at least a business idea. He said in public, in an open letter to advertisers, that Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape. He is reportedly telling his bankers that hell help them sell the deal to debt investors. Musk always paid lip service to the business potential of the move, but it animates his commentary and actions around it now, much more than it did at first.

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Musks mind changes all the time. He has flipped back and forth on every element of this deal, starting with his waffling (or lying) in March about whether he intended to be a passive or active shareholder. Nobody else knows if the libertarian or capitalist part of Musks brain will win out in his decisionmaking about Twitters future. Even Musk might have no idea. But that is the big question that gets closest to answering all the little ones about what will happen to so many peoples least favorite yet actually for-real favorite app. Does Musk think hes a free-speech crusader leveling the online playing field for conservatives, or does he think hes a business titan riding to the rescue of a distressed asset? If it is the former, Twitters worst qualities are about to be accentuated. If it is the latter, you may barely notice the man in charge. Right now, more evidence points toward the latter.

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Nobody knows if the libertarian or capitalist part of Musks brain will win out in his decisionmaking about Twitters future. Even Musk might have no idea.

Some time around the beginning of March, Musk became fixated on free speech. He had tweeted about it just once before then, on Jan. 11, 2021, right after Twitter banned Donald Trump for using the platform in his attempt to overthrow the American government. A lot of people are going to be super unhappy with West Coast high tech as the de facto arbiter of free speech, he tweeted to the satirical right-wing rag the Babylon Bee, of all accounts. On March 5, 2022, he called himself a free speech absolutist. He tweeted about it a few more times on his journey toward buying Twitter, then started to explicitly frame himself as a warrior for the cause, selflessly throwing himself into the fire to protect our public discourse: The attacks against me should be viewed through a political lens  this is their standard (despicable) playbook  but nothing will deter me from fighting for a good future and your right to free speech, he tweeted on May 19. A sexual misconduct claim against him had just come to public light.

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Musks conservative-tinted pursuit of free speech (air quotes as heavy as a Falcon 9 rocket) made him a hero on the internet right, which often nowadays is just the right. For someone with a history of looking to make himself the main character, having this cheering section might be appealing. You dont spend as much time on Twitter as someone as rich as Musk spends there without a strong desire for validation, and Musk has gotten plenty of it from edgelording types who believe hes a savior from Big Tech censorship. If Musk were to loosen up Twitters moderation policiessay, to allow hate speech as long as it doesnt threaten physical violence, because free speech demands itthis group might delight in that and clap for him. One of the executives Musk reportedly fired on Thursday was Twitters head of legal policy, trust, and safety, an area that includes content moderation. Musk will probably make some changes, and theres a good chance that they do not make the user experience better for most people.

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It might even be a lucrative approach. Many people have made many dollars catering their businesses to the right. If Musk were to let Twitter be overrun by neo-Nazis, he might find that there are enough repressed conservative souls in the world to make Twitter quite a bit of money. Its not a great bet, though. More likely, it would chase away users who prefer Twitter with less abuse and racism (the company has exerted a heavier hand in recent years), and Twitter would lose advertising dollars that make its business viable. The truth-telling social media for conservatives lane is already kind of busy and doesnt seem to be working out great for the people trying to profit off it. If it were a good money move to go in that direction, then Twitter probably would have entertained it more as a public company. Most people are not maximalists who think anyone should be allowed to say whatever they want wherever they want to whomever they want. Who could have guessed?

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Of course, Musk could pursue that strategy anyway. He has enough money that he could turn Twitter into a haven for the political speech he likes, watch its business slide into a ditch, and go on being unimaginably wealthy. Yet that feels like a reach. $44 billion is a big chunk even for a guy worth over $200 billion. There are different tiers of rich dude, and its reasonable to surmise that Musk enjoys being in the tippy-top tier. The complete mangling of Twitters business could at least dislodge him from that standing. Hed probably like to avoid such a thing, and that means doing enough to prevent a bad deal from becoming an albatross.

To that point, the business of any Musk company is really the business of Musk himself. Teslas stock price is high because electrical vehicles are growing in popularity, but its also high because Musk has built a cult of personality around his purported business genius and his abilities as a salesman. A business academic once told me Tesla was the mother of all meme stocks, because its value proposition is so tied to Musks cultivation of a fandom. Most of Musks net worth is in Tesla stock, and the Twitter deal has been bad for that stock, even in the time since Musk ditched a plan to secure Twitter loan money with Tesla stock. (If he had to sell his Tesla stock because Twitters business wasnt doing well, that would depress Teslas stock price.) Tesla got at least 48 questions about Twitter on its most recent shareholder call with Musk and other top executives, and at least one got an answer from the big man.

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The easiest way for Musk to have a bad time financially would be for something bad to happen to Teslas stock. Twitter turning into a smoldering alt-right crater would not help. It would puncture the idea of Musk as a business visionary, and if things were bad enough, it could lead him to sell Tesla shares, pushing the price of the stock down, to get money for Twitter. (Just the annual interest on the loans Musk is taking out for Twitter could soon be worth well over half of what Twitter brings in every year.) Maybe Musk has an aces plan to quickly ramp up Twitters business and pay that interest with fresh profit. Maybe he doesnt, and perhaps hell need to dip into his own pocket at some point. Musk is used to operating multiple businesses at once. But unlike his rocket company, SpaceX, he just paid way too much money to buy Twitter, a company that is already famous for having a hard time converting its users into cash like, say, Facebook. Musk would like to protect his purchase of a $44 billion company, because $44 billion on its own is a significant consideration even for him. But Twitter is also inextricable from his more lucrative ventures, because Musk is Musk and his management will be under an intense spotlight at all times. On that point, hes taking over a company that underperformed in its last reported quarter (and blamed him for it) and has a hopping-mad workforce. To not lose tons of money, he has work ahead of him.

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Musk seems to enjoy Twitter. He seems to enjoy being a legend among conservative posters. So, sure, he may be inclined to throw them bones even in a reality where he is mostly focused on Twitters dollars and cents. He has said he thinks Trump should be allowed back on the platform, and that could set up an interesting quandary for the former president: Return to a platform he needs like he needs air to breathe, or avoid it in hopes of drawing traffic to Truth Social, his own much tinier corner of the internet. None of this will make Twitter more enjoyable for most people, or for many advertisers, but it also wont kill the company. On the other hand, moves that hinder user growth or scare advertisers en masse wont appetize Musk.

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For his many faults, Musk did not reach his perch in life by doing bad business to win political points. He makes those points when theyre cheap, and when they make him feel good, like when he didnt actually own Twitter but could talk about what hed do if he did. Now, Twitters gains and losses are his own. He could be rich enough to not mind lighting a many-billion-dollar investment on fire. That would be a change of pace, though. Something much more normal would be if Twitter remained a lot like it has always been, just with one narcissist dictating how it changes policy instead of a more varied board of directors with diffuse power. Maybe, after years of striving, Twitter can be more like Facebook after all.
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Defense ministry urges Japan to honor political commitments, refrain from interfering in Taiwan question as Tokyo eyes revising national security strategy

By Xu Keyue and Wan Hengyi (Global Times) 09:03, October 28, 2022

Tan Kefei Photo:mod.gov.cn

China's Ministry of National Defense on Thursday urged Japan to honor its political commitments, refrain from interfering in the Taiwan question, and stop playing up the so-called China military threat after the Japanese government was reported to be considering hyping the Taiwan question in its National Security Strategy, which is likely to be revised by the end of 2022.

Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson for the ministry, said at a regular press conference on Thursday that for some time, Japan has deliberately hyped up China-related issues like the Taiwan question, grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, and played up the so-called China military threat, which is irresponsible and has ulterior motives.

According to Kyodo News, the Japanese government is considering revising its National Security Strategy by the end of 2022, which will mention that "no unilateral change of the status quo by force will be tolerated" in the Taiwan region, and may introduce policies highlighting the "free and open Indo-Pacific" concept and the "Quad" framework involving Japan, the US, Australia and India.

In response to that, Tan said that both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one and the same China, and the island of Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The Japanese side made solemn commitments in the China-Japan Joint Declaration signed 50 years ago, Tan said. The Japanese government recognizes that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government of China. The government of the People's Republic of China reiterates that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People's Republic of China. The Japanese government fully understands and respects this stand of the government of the People's Republic of China, and it firmly maintains its stand under Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation, Tan reiterated.

Tan stressed that Japan should abide by the basic norms of international relations, and fulfill its serious political commitments to China, instead of interfering in the Taiwan question. It must be noted that in recent years Japan has been keen to follow other countries' policies of containing China, and has established targeted "cliques" in the name of "freedom and opening up." These moves have gone against the common expectations of regional countries for peace, development and cooperation, Tan said.

The spokesperson mentioned that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations. Japan should review its original aspirations and move toward China to implement the important consensus of "being each other's cooperative partners, not threats," so as to promote bilateral relations along the right track.

"We urge Japan to take history as a mirror, act cautiously in the field of military security, and refrain from interfering in China's internal affairs, undermining China's security interests, or undermining regional security and stability," he noted.

Japan's recent moves concerning the Taiwan question and other China-related issues have cast a shadow on its relations with China, said Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences. This has also, to some extent, worsened the relationship and momentum of future cooperation between the two countries, Da told the Global Times on Thursday.

Japan's provocations on the Taiwan question also will harm its own geopolitical interests and long-term development. Bilateral economic cooperation is likely to be affected and regional instability and other factors will become obstacles to Japan's development in the long run, Da said.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Family members of Salim Khamo lock up J&K Food and Liquor where Khamo was shot and killed in an attempted robbery on Oct. 18 2022, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

A 53-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of Salim Khamo, a West Rogers Park liquor store clerk who was fatally shot this month, Chicago police Superintendent David Brown said at a news conference Friday.

Sean Dunnavant, of the 6300 block of North Oakley Avenue, was arrested Wednesday in the 6300 block of North Claremont Avenue and also charged with attempted armed robbery with a firearm after Khamo, 66, was shot about 9:50 p.m. Oct. 17 while he was working behind the counter of a food and liquor store in the 6300 block of North Western Avenue, Brown said.

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Judge Barbara Dawkins ordered Dunnavant held without bail during a hearing Friday.

We know this is extremely difficult and traumatic for the family of Mr. Khamo and the community for that matter, and we are just hoping that this offender being brought to justice and being charged brings some measure of peace, Brown said.

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Khamo had previously owned the store, J&K Food and Liquor, but sold it to a family member with the intent to retire, Assistant States Attorney Christopher Nugarus said.

Khamo was working behind the register and his cousin was also working at the store at the time of the shooting, Nugarus said.

Dunnavant arrived at Khamos store on bicycle, Brown said.

Dunnavant approached Khamo and placed his gun on the counter with the barrel facing Khamo while keeping his hand on the gun and tried to rob Khamo, Nugarus said.

Based on video evidence, the two argued, Brown said.

Khamo, who is a valid Firearm Owners Identification card holder, stepped back and tried to pull out his own handgun from his waistband, Nugarus said. Dunnavant then fired one shot at Khamo, which hit him in the chest.

An image from a video released by the Chicago Police Department shows a suspect in the fatal shooting of Salim Khamo, 66, who was working behind the counter of the food and liquor store on Oct. 17, 2022. (Chicago Police Department)

Police initially wrote in their report of the encounter that Khamo returned fire but did not strike Dunnavant, who ran out of the store, but Nugarus said Khamos gun underwent a ballistics analysis, which determined that a bullet had not been fired from his gun.

Police only found Khamos gun at the scene and a 9 mm shell casing, which was determined to not have been from the clerks gun, Nugarus said.

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No money or belongings were taken during the attempted robbery, police said.

Salim Khamo, 66, fatally shot in an attempted robbery at a West Rogers Park liquor store. (Khamo family photo)

The Chicago Fire Department took Khamo to Ascension St. Francis Hospital in Evanston in critical condition. He was pronounced dead at 11:43 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiners office.

Dunnavant had dropped a cellphone while leaving the crime scene, Brown said additional video evidence revealed.

Dunnavant also left behind the bicycle that he had arrived on outside of the store, and the bicycle had a unique rust pattern and serial number on its headlamp attachment, Nugarus said.

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. >

A witness who had known Dunnavant for three years identified the bicycle and Dunnavant as the person who entered the store before the shooting, Nuguarus said. The witness also had Dunnavants cellphone number saved, which police discovered belonged to the phone that was recovered.

Police began surveillance of Dunnavant after he was identified until he was arrested, Brown said.

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Dunnavant has previously been arrested and served time for aggravated robbery cases, including in Kane and DuPage counties, Nugarus said.

Dunnavants next court date is scheduled for Nov. 16. A lawyer for Dunnavant could not immediately be reached.

I want to ask everyone to continue praying for the Khamo family and the community. This was a senseless act of violence that should not have not escalated to the loss of Mr. Khamos life, Brown said. He was at work at a small business making a living for himself and his family. People who knew Mr. Khamo described him as a hardworking man and most of all, a loving family man.

pfry@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @paigexfry
00:53

Armenia's reigning champions Pyunik were hosted by Slovakia's reigning champions Slovan Bratislava, in the penultimate matches of the group stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League, and lost 1-2.

As a result, Slovan lead the current standings in Group H, with 8 points. Basel, which played a 2-2 draw with Zalgiris, are second and also have 8 points. Pyunik are third, with 6 points.

In the last round, Pyunik will host Basel on November 3. And in case of a win, they will book a spot at the Europa Conference League playoffs.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/after-final-state-passes-law-same-gender-marriage-made-legal-in-all-of-mexico-1102811433.html

After Final State Passes Law, Same-Gender Marriage Made Legal in All of Mexico

After Final State Passes Law, Same-Gender Marriage Made Legal in All of Mexico

A process that began in 2015 was completed on Wednesday, when Mexicos northeastern state of Tamaulipas voted to legalize same-gender marriages, meaning the... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

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Lawmakers in Tamaulipas, on the US border, voted on Wednesday to amend the states Civil Code to allow gay, lesbian and bisexual couples to legally wed.The vote was 23 in favor, 12 against, and two abstentions.Just a day earlier, across the country in Guerrero, lawmakers approved a similar legalization of same-gender marriages.The high court helped set the process in motion when in June 2015, it ruled that bans on same-gender marriage were in violation of the Mexican Constitution. In Mexico, only civil marriages are recognized by law.LGBTQ rights have made gains in Latin America in recent months, with Cuba passing a new Family Code in September that legalizes same-gender marriage and the first marriages being performed under the law earlier this week. Last December, Chile also passed a law legalizing same-gender marriage.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/analyst-china-keeps-door-open-but-lame-duck-biden-unwilling--unable-to-mend-fences-1102786670.html

Analyst: China Keeps Door Open But 'Lame Duck' Biden Unwilling & Unable to Mend Fences

Analyst: China Keeps Door Open But 'Lame Duck' Biden Unwilling & Unable to Mend Fences

As tensions are continuing to simmer between Washington and Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping has signaled that the People's Republic is willing to work... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

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"Obviously, there is going to be an economic downturn, so both countries are going to be struggling economically. China is the world's largest exporter, and the US is the world's largest importer. So if there is a down economy or if there are struggles, the two countries need to work together to improve both economies rather than engage in the current status of economic decoupling strategy that is being used by Washington, DC right now," said Thomas W. Pauken II, the author of "US vs China: From Trade War to Reciprocal Deal," a consultant on Asia-Pacific affairs and a geopolitical commentator.The US has been increasing pressure on the People's Republic of China (PRC) for at least four years now by introducing tariffs, blocking investment, restricting exports, rolling out visa limits and taking other measures which target its largest Asian trade partner. At the same time, Washington is beefing up its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region, stepping up freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) in the South China Sea and closing ranks with Taiwan  an island seen by Beijing as an inalienable part of the PRC.The latest Sino-American row to have reverberated through the region was triggered by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in August 2022. The controversial trip was followed by the People's Liberation Army's drills around the island.Besides stating on multiple occasions that the US is ready to "defend" Taiwan militarily, President Joe Biden also singled out the PRC as "Americas most consequential geopolitical challenge" in the nation's National Security Strategy (NSS), released earlier this month.Another blow to US-China ties has been recently dealt by the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) which imposed sweeping limits on the export of advanced semiconductors, chip-making equipment, and supercomputer components to China. The US mainstream press hailed the move as "a ruthless expression of American clout" and "the broadest export controls issued in a decade." The measure is aimed at crippling China's ability to develop high-end semiconductors and holding back the PRC's economic progress.At the same time, however, the White House continues to claim that it still adheres to the One China policy and maintains working relations with Beijing. Thus, on October 26, Biden told his top military advisers that the US does not seek conflict with China, adding that Chinese President Xi Jinping knows this.Beijing Extends its Hand, Washington Sends Mixed SignalsNonetheless, Beijing is keeping the door open: the Chinese Foreign Ministry has recently called on the US to stop spreading the outdated theory of a Chinese threat and urged that China be seen as a partner for mutually beneficial cooperation. Chinese President Xi Jinping specifically underscored that the PRC is willing to "find the right way for China and the US to get along in the new era, which will not only benefit both countries, but also the world," in a letter to the National Committee on US-China Relations.To complicate matters further, the Dems are bracing for a potential defeat in the upcoming November midterms. If the GOP takes one or two chambers of the US Congress they are likely to pursue an anti-China agenda, according to Pauken. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has repeatedly blamed Biden for being "too soft" on Beijing. In 2020, McCarthy promoted the China Task Force to crack down on Beijing."[Republicans] will probably be very concerned about trying to improve ties between US and China. And so Biden's efforts will basically not succeed in any form or manner," Pauken assumed.Nonetheless, the Democratic Party's recent militaristic "neocon" approach towards the PRC is far worse than the GOP's hardball attitude, argued the Asia Pacific expert.

https://sputniknews.com/20221019/scholars-us-expansion-of-coast-guard--cyber-prowess-in-asia-pacific-part-of-anti-china-strategy-1102093424.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/bali-jatra-indias-largest-fair-on-rich-maritime-history-to-enter-guinness-world-records-1102792005.html

Bali Jatra: India's Largest Fair on Rich Maritime History to Enter Guinness World Records

Bali Jatra: India's Largest Fair on Rich Maritime History to Enter Guinness World Records

Touted to be Asia's largest open trade fair, the Bali Jatra festival commemorates the rich ancient maritime history of 'Sadhabas', the mariners from India's... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

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Bali Jatra, the largest open-air fair celebrating the rich maritime history of India's Odisha state, is gearing up to enter the Guinness World Records. In an attempt to make a world record and celebrate the magnificent history of Odisha, around 10,000 paper boats are likely to be made within 15 minutes.Scheduled to be held from November 8 to 14 in the vicinity of Barabati Fort on the bank of the Mahanadi river, the event will be judged by dignitaries visiting from the organization's London headquarters and a five-member team from the Mumbai branch office of Guinness World Records.Scores of students and people from various walks of life will be participating and be trained to make paper boats as per the size and weight set in the protocols by the Guinness World Records. Ahead of the historic event, a mock drill will be held at the Bali Jatra ground twice.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/blinken-claims-two-thirds-of-all-food-exported-to-global-south-in-black-sea-grain-deal-1102788547.html

Blinken Claims 'Two-Thirds' of All Food Exported to Global South in Black Sea Grain Deal

Blinken Claims 'Two-Thirds' of All Food Exported to Global South in Black Sea Grain Deal

In late July, two agreements were signed in Istanbul. The first one provides for the removal of anti-Russian restrictions on the export of agricultural... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

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US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that out of more than nine million metric tons of grain that have gotten out of Ukraine through the ports of Odessa, "two-thirds" went to the Global South, namely the nations of Africa, Asia, and other regions.Speaking at a joint press conference in Ottawa with Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Blinken said he believed that everybody throughout the world has benefited from the significant price reductions, supposedly caused by the grain release.Moreover, the US top diplomat added that Russia's possible refusal to extend the grain deal would cause dissatisfaction among the states of the developing world. Russia had earlier said that it does not see the fulfillment of the memorandum on unblocking the export of Russian fertilizers and grain as part of a food deal, and the situation does not satisfy Moscow.On Thursday, for instance, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed out that we see that the part related to Ukrainian grain is being implemented, more or less with its own problems," but Moscow does not see the results of the second part of the deal implemented by far. According to the US Secretary of State, in turn, making sure that this grain can continue to leave Ukraine is in everyone's best interests, and the US will "certainly" do everything in its power to keep the deal in place.Grain Deal Not Going as Planned, Moscow SaysHowever, commenting on the preliminary results of the deal, in particular on Russia's access point to the export of grain and fertilizers, the Russian Foreign Ministry said this Friday that about 80% of the fertilizers that Russia is ready to donate to the poorest countries are blocked in warehouses in Latvia, while the rest is frozen in the ports of Estonia, Belgium and the Netherlands.According to the ministry, approximately 300,000 metric tons of fertilizers are currently stuck in the European ports.Apart from that, the ministry stated that Russia sent about 10.5 million tons of grain, mainly wheat, to the countries of Asia and Africa, and is ready to export another 30 million tons of grain, wheat included, by the end of 2022, and bring this figure to 50 million tons, taking into account this year's harvest.According to the data, about 62% of the grain was sent to countries in Asia, while 33% was sent to Africa.Moreover, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Moscow had asked the UN Secretariat for statistics on the shipment of grain to the end consumer as part of the grain deal. The minister noted that the part of the deal responsible for promoting the export of Russian products is not being fully implemented, despite the intentions of the UN. The majority of the grain from Ukraine was received by European nations, according to Lavrov, who quoted the EU as claiming that although it has indeed gotten the grain, it was subsequently dispersed to all of the world's nations, including the poorest ones.He stressed that for the full implementation of the agreements, clear legal decisions are needed.Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the poorest countries received only up to 5% of Ukrainian grain, which was exported across the Black Sea as part of the deal.Two related documents, unified by the term Grain Deal, were signed on July 22 in Istanbul to address the problems associated with the shortage of supplies to world markets. The first one, the memorandum, assumes the obligation of the UN to remove various restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to world markets. The second defines the algorithm for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products from the Black Sea ports controlled by Ukraine. However, as Moscow points out, in terms of exports from Russia, the deal is not yet working.Also stipulated in the agreements, and signed by Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UN, the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul is designed to inspect ships with grain in order to prevent the smuggling of weapons and exclude provocations. The deal expires on November 19th.

https://sputniknews.com/20221017/developed-countries-bought-over-80-of-ukrainian-grain-this-summer-1101910536.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/british-hindus-to-protest-outside-bbc-hq-in-london-over-anti-india-bias-1102795758.html

British Hindus to Protest Outside BBC HQ in London Over 'Anti-India' Bias

British Hindus to Protest Outside BBC HQ in London Over 'Anti-India' Bias

The protest was announced in the wake of recent coverage of unrest that occurred in a part of Leicester between Hindu and Muslim groups. Both India and... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

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British Hindus will hold a protest outside the BBC headquarters in London over the anti-Hindu and anti-India bias in its coverage of violence in Leicester that engulfed the city for days.The protest is set to be organized days after an online campaign was launched by Indians, urging people to congregate in large numbers to protest against bias.Demonstrators have warned of indefinite protests being held if the BBC does not cease its unrelenting vilification and dehumanization of Hindus globally and license-fee paying British Hindus especially.Hindus living in the UK suggest that targeted misinformation on social media platforms has been amplified by the British public broadcaster, fueling violence against the Hindu community in Leicester. In this regard, the upcoming demonstration is aimed at sending a strong message to highlight to the world that UK media is not providing objective coverage of the incidents that recently took place in Leicester and Birmingham.Meanwhile, the Indian government has urged UK authorities to take swift and appropriate action against those involved in vandalizing Hindu religious premises in Leicester.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/czech-protesters-rally-in-prague-to-demand-removal-of-anti-russia-sanctions-1102795957.html

Czech Protesters Rally in Prague to Demand Removal of Anti-Russia Sanctions

Czech Protesters Rally in Prague to Demand Removal of Anti-Russia Sanctions

Last month, the Central European country was rocked by a wave of protests, with up to 100,000 people demanding politicians engage in direct talks with Moscow... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

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Sputnik is live from Prague, where people are gathering for an anti-government demonstration to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Petr Fiala. The protesters want the authorities to remove sanctions against Russia, accusing the government of failing to address the current energy crisis.Follow Sputnik's Live Feed to Find Out More!

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/era-of-colonization-is-over-nigerien-activist-says-1102792734.html

Era of Colonization Is Over, Nigerien Activist Says

Era of Colonization Is Over, Nigerien Activist Says

The resources of Niger "are being plundered by France," as the agreements between the two countries are not transparent, Nigerian activist Maikoul Zodi told... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

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The presence of foreign military bases in Niger, including the contingent of the French Barkhane force, is detrimental to the country, Maikoul Zodi, a Nigerien activist and regional coordinator of Tournons La Page (TLP), a coalition of several NGOs, told Sputnik.No Results"Barkhane (Operation Barkhane  ed. note Sputnik) has been there for 10 years and we have seen no results. No results," he said.Redeployed from Mali in August after nine years, the Barkhane force currently remains in Niger. TLP has already organized demonstrations in Niamey to demand its withdrawal.Despite the presence of the French military, terrorists continue to attack and displace people in Niger, he stressed.On French Policy in NigerMaikoul Zodi pointed to the "non-transparency of the agreements between France and Niger."According to him, in October he had his French visa canceled "without any reason." Questioned by the AFP, the Ambassador of France to the Republic of Niger, Sylvain Itte, justified the cancelation of his visa, valid for one year (from 03/05/2022 to 02/06/2023), citing the absence of "professional reasons" for him to travel to France. However, the diplomat specified that the activist could "easily apply for a visa if he has a planned trip to France or to the Schengen Area."In Pursuit of Win-Win CooperationThe activist refutes the label "anti-French": "No, we are not anti-French, but we love our country in the same way that the French love their country. We love Africa and we will fight against all those who do not want the development of Africa. We will use the means we have."He clarified that he is not against the idea of cooperation between countries, but that it should be in a "win-win" format. "The uranium extracted from my grandparents' fields can be used to power two out of three light bulbs in France, and here, in our hospitals, there is no electricity."

https://sputniknews.com/20220818/petition-against-french-troops-presence-in-niger-launched-after-protest-rally-banned-in-capital-1099731629.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/ex-dod-officer-us-hypersonic-race-with-russia--china-wont-save-the-day-peace-talks-are-a-must-1102802409.html

Ex-DoD Officer: US Hypersonic Race With Russia & China Won't Save the Day, Peace Talks are a Must

Ex-DoD Officer: US Hypersonic Race With Russia & China Won't Save the Day, Peace Talks are a Must

The US Navy and Army on October 26 conducted the High Operational Tempo for Hypersonics flight campaign by launching a precision sounding rocket containing... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

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Delivering hypersonic weapons has become one of the Pentagon's highest priorities after China conducted supposed hypersonic launches in 2021 and Russia used hypersonic Kinzhal missiles for the first time on March 18, 2022 amid the special military operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine.The joint Army-Navy hypersonic missile program has had a lot of test failures of late, according to David T. Pyne, an EMP Task Force scholar and former US Department of Defense officer.The Pentagon's Wednesday flight campaign was executed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The sounding rocket launched by the US military contained hypersonic experiments from the Pentagon's defense contractors and partners, including the Navys Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS), the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the Joint Hypersonic Transition Office, SNL, Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, to name but a few. This was the second test conducted under the program to develop US sea and land-based hypersonic capabilities. The first one was carried out in October 2021. At the same time, the MDA was tasked with developing systems that will defend against hypersonic weapons.Hypersonic arms are capable of flying at speeds greater than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5). They are also highly maneuverable and operate at varying altitudes to evade adversaries' air defense systems.US Still Lagging BehindAmerican military and civilian officials as well as lawmakers are well aware of the US lagging behind Russia and China in terms of hypersonic capabilities and countermeasures. In November 2021, Gen. David Thompson, vice chief of space operations, acknowledged that the Pentagon is "not as advanced as the Chinese or the Russians in terms of hypersonic programs," while speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum. Last week, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) cited the same issue at the Raytheon-sponsored conference "National Security at the Speed of Sound: Hypersonics in American Defense."To catch up with its competitors, the Pentagon requested $4.7 billion in the fiscal year 2023 budget, up from $3.8 billion the previous year, as per the October 2022 Congressional Research Service report.According to Pyne, the US leadership adopted a triumphalist approach after the end of the Cold War and subsequent collapse of the USSR and became lax, believing that it was not necessary to begin modernizing its nuclear arsenal until 2010. "This unfortunate and naive mentality has caused the US to fall behind Russia and China in the area of nuclear hypersonic development," the former Pentagon officer stressed.The EMP Task Force scholar presumed that apart from the US leadership's lax approach to the nation's military modernization needs, the US hypersonic program could have been subjected to potential Chinese "cyber sabotage." However, it could be even easier than that. The US media reported last week that some American producers sold cutting-edge technology for hypersonic research to Chinese middlemen firms which did not even conceal relationships with China's weapons and military groups, including those blacklisted by Washington. To cap it all off, some of the aforementioned US producers have been the beneficiaries of US Defense Department grants.Arms Race vs Peaceful CoexistenceThe US hypersonic program's recent successes are unlikely to impact the present balance of power between the US-led Western alliance on the one side, and China and Russia on the other side, according to Pyne."The problem is that US hypersonic missile programs are currently designed to be armed with conventional warheads while Russian and Chinese hypersonic missile programs are designed to be dual-capable, but by default are meant to be armed with nuclear warheads," the former Pentagon officer noted. "Accordingly, unless the US were to arm them with nuclear warheads, which it could do without much difficulty, it is difficult to see how US conventionally-armed hypersonic warheads could contribute in any meaningful way in impacting the current balance of power."A hypersonic nuclear race is by no means the way to reshuffle the power balance and come to meaningful solutions, according to the EMP Task Force scholar.

https://sputniknews.com/20221026/us-army-navy-complete-hypersonic-weapon-tests-in-virginia---reports-1102742197.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/flattered-to-listen-to-putin-talking-about-modi-at-valdai-indian-expert-1102795880.html

'Flattered to Listen to Putin Talking About Modi at Valdai': Indian Expert

'Flattered to Listen to Putin Talking About Modi at Valdai': Indian Expert

The Kremlin has appreciated India's response to the Ukraine crisis. Despite maintaining ties with Washington, Delhi has declined to join Western sanctions... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-28T13:51+0000

2022-10-28T13:51+0000

2022-11-15T14:20+0000

india

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India shares the optimistic attitude of Russian President Vladimir Putin reflected at the plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club on Thursday, Indian political scientist Nandan Unnikrishnan told Sputnik on Friday."When Putin started his speech, we, all those present in the audience, felt that it was all-encompassing as he talked about a lot of things. Then, during the question-and-answer session, he started to be more specific about certain problems in bilateral relations and touched on India," Unnikrishnan, who is a distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, said. On the eve of the plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club, President Putin said that Russia enjoys a special relationship with India that has been built on the foundation of very close ties and partnership for decades. He also noted the growing trade ties with India, in particular fertilizer supplies, which have increased by 7.6 times, and emphasized that the relationship between the two countries continues in the area of military and defense cooperation.The Russian head of state also praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for pursuing an independent foreign policy in the interests of his people, moving in the right direction like an "icebreaker."Russia has risen to seventh place among India's top trading partners from 25th place last year, with bilateral trade surging to $18.2 billion in April-August. New Delhi has vowed to expand its trading ties with Russia despite the Wests pressure, and the two countries may scale a new high in coking coal, timber, and diamond trade with the implementation of rupee-based settlement. Last month, PM Modi stressed the importance of greater economic and commercial engagement between the two nations in line with the "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership."

https://sputniknews.com/20221027/wests-policy-toward-other-countries-dirty-bloody-denies-nations-right-to-sovereignty-putin-1102771092.html

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Students arrive for the first day of classes of the new school year at Back of the Yards High School in August. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Public Schools leaders, students and faculty gathered at Gage Park High School early this week to celebrate the districts record 82.9% four-year graduation rate. In addition, the district boasted $1.5 billion in scholarships awarded to the Class of 2022, as well as freshman-on-track rates rising to pre-pandemic levels, a measure of the percentage of students likely to graduate.

Just two days later, though, district officials offered a more sobering look at student achievement with a presentation to the Board of Education of new testing data highlighting what they called an overall decline in student performance.

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The districtwide data showed student proficiency in math and reading fell, with officials proposing a blueprint for addressing gaps that puts a priority on equitable access to resources.

These proficiency declines were based on student assessments conducted during the pandemic and are in line with state and national trends, CPS officials said. Data from the Nations Report Card showed that CPS students are scoring lower in math and reading than in years past. The report is conducted every year, testing a representative sample of CPS students. Over 5,000 students across 140 schools tested this year in fourth and eighth grades, Chief Education Officer Bogdana Chkoumbova said.

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The differences in reading scores were not statistically significant, though the five-year trend is downward, Chkoumbova said, In math, however, scores fell significantly in both fourth and eighth grade. In addition to these declines, opportunity gaps are widening in some areas, specifically in fourth grade reading and math, driven by falling scores among Black and Latino students, according to the district.

Data from the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, as well as from PSAT and SAT tests, reveal similar declines. The biggest drop was experienced by ninth graders, where 36% of students who took the PSAT exam met benchmarks in 2022, compared to 47% in 2019, according to data from CPS.

While the data can be very sobering, we know that our students have the resilience to rebound, Chkoumbova said.

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez emphasized that the declines do not represent a deficiency of CPS students ability but rather the impact of the pandemic.

Tests are not designed to adjust for that trauma, he said.

For now, Martinez said hes confident this school year will serve as a recovery year. Meanwhile, CPS blueprint, which he calls a reimagining, will target pre-existing achievement gaps that the pandemic only worsened.

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. >

CPS plan centers on strengthening its instructional core approach, which targets quality curriculums, teacher practices and student engagement. Immediate goals are to increase the number of teachers in classrooms, expand CPS Tutor Corps and ensure schools have ample intervention staff to increase student support. Schools with the highest needs will receive priority for resources.

To manage the current teacher shortage, Martinez said CPS has hired more than 100 certified substitute teachers who each teach the same class every day to provide stability.

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CPS plan also involves empowering each school under the thinking that improvement comes from within, Chkoumbova said. This approach involves budgeting for school leadership teams and professional team developments, she said.

As for CPS ability to fund its programming, Martinez said in the short term, the districts enrollment declines provide an advantage to leverage resources where they are needed most. But he emphasized that stabilizing enrollment will be the crucial in the future.

Martinez said long term, CPS will also look beyond test scores as metrics of success but will also consider qualities like being ethical and collaborative leaders, citing conversations with human resources directors and other business officials.

If we want social mobility, we need our students to get high-paying jobs, Martinez said.

mellis@chicagotribune.com
https://sputniknews.com/20221028/india-beefs-up-military-capability-with-new-helipads-bridges-along-china-border-1102803481.html

India Beefs Up Military Capability With New Helipads, Bridges Along China Border

India Beefs Up Military Capability With New Helipads, Bridges Along China Border

India and China are making efforts to out-build each other along the Line of Actual Control, a loosely demarcated boundary dividing the countries across the... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-28T19:09+0000

2022-10-28T19:09+0000

2022-10-28T19:09+0000

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India on Friday operationalized strategic bridges, roads, and helipads to assist the armed forces in moving men and materiel rapidly in the event of a conflict with China. Among 75 infrastructure projects, the Indian Defense Ministry highlighted the inauguration of the 120-meter-long Class 70 Shyok Bridge on Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldi (DSDBO) road, passing through mountain passes up to the world's highest airstrip in the Ladakh region.The construction works on the DSDBO road, at an altitude of over 5,000m, were considered one of the reasons for the June 2020 clash, in which 20 Indian and four PLA troops were killed in the Galwan Valley.Other projects inaugurated virtually by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh were two helipads, one each in Hanle and Thakung in Eastern Ladakh. "These helipads will enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force in the region," the defense minister added.Out of the total 75 infrastructure projects, 20 are in Jammu and Kashmir; 18 each in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh; five in Uttarakhand; and 14 in other border states such as Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan.India will also start upgradation works for its Nyoma advanced landing ground to operate fighter aircraft less than 50 kilometers from the LAC in Eastern Ladakh. The airfield is used to monitor the movements of the Peoples Liberation Army from an altitude of 5,000m.The heightened threat perception of a China-Pakistan military nexus has prompted India to set up a new advanced landing ground in Parma Valley with the aim of targeting the G219  or the Western Highway, which is considered the Chinese military's lifeline.The Western Highway connects Xinjiang in China's southwest with Tibet, after which it branches off near Quilanaldi and becomes the Karakoram Highway. This is the way through which Pakistan and China could launch a joint offensive against India.Currently, India has airfields like Fuk Che, Nyoma, and Daulat Beg Oldie in Eastern Ladakh, a flashpoint between India and China, having witnessed several clashes since 2013.China has reportedly constructed or upgraded at least 10 air bases in order to ease PLA Air Force's fighter combat operations along the border with India. India and China share around 3,488 km of border. The two countries have never agreed on the exact position of their border, which passes through rough, inhospitable terrain from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.

https://sputniknews.com/20220826/india-to-deploy-lightweight-tanks-along-china-border-to-seek-operational-dominance-1100027109.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/indian-pm-modi-pitches-for-one-nation-one-uniform-for-police-1102793980.html

Indian PM Modi Pitches for 'One Nation, One Uniform for Police'

Indian PM Modi Pitches for 'One Nation, One Uniform for Police'

The attire worn by police isn't the same throughout India. While several states feature khaki uniforms, in some cities like Kolkata, cops wear white. 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-28T11:42+0000

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday proposed having uniformity in police force across India as he talked of "One Nation, One Uniform" for cops across the length and breadth of the country, comprising 28 states and 8 union territories (UTs). The Indian Prime Minister further stated that he believes that police could be identified with the same color throughout the country.India's federal Home Ministry has long advocated for standardized police uniforms in the country. In 2017, the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), which comes under the ministry headed by Amit Shah, in association with the Ahmedabad-based National Institute of Design (NID), developed an all-weather smart uniform for the police.The new uniform developed by the BPRD witnessed modifications to the existing police shirts, belts, caps, insignia, trousers, shoes, and jackets. In addition to that, the organization also designed new headgear and rainwear for the force.Though information about the new uniform was sent to all the states and UTs, it is not yet known publicly if the smart uniform has been adopted by police anywhere in the country.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/iranian-human-rights-body-says-west-ignored-terrorist-attack-on-mausoleum-in-shiraz-1102806516.html

Iranian Human Rights Body Says West Ignored Terrorist Attack on Mausoleum in Shiraz

Iranian Human Rights Body Says West Ignored Terrorist Attack on Mausoleum in Shiraz

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran's High Council for Human Rights on Friday criticized Western countries and international human rights organizations for ignoring... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-28T17:50+0000

2022-10-28T17:50+0000

2022-10-28T17:59+0000

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The terrorist attack on the mausoleum is an obvious violation of international law, the statement said, adding that all those involved must be brought to justice.The council noted that international human rights organizations and those Western states that claim to support the principle of human rights have demonstrated complete disregard and lack of reaction to terrorist acts when it comes to Iran.On Wednesday, Iranian media said three unidentified persons opened fire in the grounds of the Shah Cheragh mausoleum in south Iran.Iranian media reported that there was only one shooter, while the Iranian state broadcaster said that there was also a second attacker who was not far from the mausoleum. As a result of the attack, at least 13 people were killed and another 45 people were injured. The Iranian authorities accused the US and Israel of organizing this terrorist act to further fuel instability in the country amid mass unrest over death of female activist.

https://sputniknews.com/20221028/pro-government-march-begins-in-iran-to-protest-against-recent-terrorist-attack-and-riots-1102800635.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/islamabad-braces-for-political-drama-as-imran-khans-long-march-kicks-off-1102783258.html

Islamabad Braces For Political Drama as Imran Khan's Long March Kicks Off

Islamabad Braces For Political Drama as Imran Khan's Long March Kicks Off

Speaking to his supporters on the eve of the long march, Pakistan's ex-PM shed light on the past six months of his life. Ever since he was ousted from power in... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-28T07:55+0000

2022-10-28T07:55+0000

2022-10-28T07:56+0000

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"We will start tomorrow (Friday) at 11 a.m. and we will gather at Liberty chowk in Lahore from where we will walk. The cars will be behind us and the containers also, but we will walk," Khan told his online audience during a Q and A session on Twitter.He further said that he plans to reach Shahdara Bagh (on the outskirts of Lahore) by nightfall on Friday and continue on to Islamabad after spending the night there.Shahdara Bagh is a historic precinct located across the Ravi River from the old center, the Walled City of Lahore. It is the site of several Mughal-era monuments, including the Tomb of Jahangir, the Akbari Sarai, the Tomb of Asif Khan and Baradari of Kamran Mirza.When answering a question regarding the last six months of his life and how he has been dealing with the unfolding situation in the country, Khan said that he had never seen anything like this before."The last six months in Pakistan and all that I have witnessed, I had never seen anything like this, anywhere else before. This is not what happens in a democracy. Even during Musharraf's era, when I was in the opposition, I did not see anything like that," Khan said.Khan explained that the political drama of the past six months is ruining the image of the country, but added "with a stick you can fix an animal, but not humans."To Ensure Provision of JusticeFollowing Khan's session on Twitter, PTI's social media lead, Jibran Ilyas, added that today's Pakistan is not the Pakistan of the 90s, since people are more politically aware, and the second purpose of the march is to ensure the provision of justice to every citizen of the country.Since being removed from office in a no-confidence vote in the legislature in April, Khan has held protests across the country calling for snap elections. However, this long march is set to be the largest one yet.Earlier on Tuesday, Khan held a press conference in Lahore during which he said that he was marching to press the government to announce elections immediately, but he urged his supporters to avoid violence.Security Boosted Around IslamabadThe Pakistani government has announced that Khan and his supporters will be barred from entering the country's capital.The authorities are set to deploy about 30,000 law enforcement officers to Islamabad, while media reports claim hundreds of containers were allegedly sent to the capital to barricade all entry points before the demonstrators arrive next week.Earlier, the government of Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting of the party leaders wherein plans were set to crush the long march through the power of law, reads a statement issued by the Prime Ministers office.Khan has repeatedly denounced accusations against him, with the most recent being the Toshakhana case: last week, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) barred the ex-premier from contesting elections in the country for the time being.The Toshakhana case was initiated over Khan's alleged failure to properly account for monetary proceeds from the sale of gifts he had received from foreign dignitaries while he was prime minister. The gifts were stored at the state gift repository called Toshakhana.The verdict also formally removed Khan from the National Assembly seat he had retained in 2018.So far, multiple reports have suggested that Khan's disqualification would end with the expiry of the tenure of the assembly, by next year.Advocate Faisal Hussain, a senior member of PTI's legal team, told Dawn that the party won't challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court since the ECP was not the relevant forum to order Khan's disqualification anyway.Hence, the verdict will likely be dismissed by the High Court."The verdict itself is weak and cannot sustain, since it is flawed," Hussain said.

https://sputniknews.com/20221023/barred-from-elections-imran-khans-popularity-will-only-grow-further-analyst-says-1102550504.html

https://sputniknews.com/20221022/imran-khan-slams-pakistan-election-commission-mafia-after-being-barred-from-public-office-1102525890.html

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Norwegian Government Adopts New Sanctions Package Against Russia

The Norwegian government said on Friday that it adopted a new sanctions package against Russia, which includes 30 individuals and 7 entities, in response to Moscow's military operation in Ukraine and referendums in the republics of Donetsk and Lugansk and the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions on their incorporation into Russia.

"A further 30 individuals and 7 entities have been added to the list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures, including several who were involved in the so-called referendums in the occupied Ukrainian regions," the message read.

The government noted that new sanctions were aimed at reducing Russia's ability to further finance the military operation it started in Ukraine in February, targeting exports of goods and services to Russia. The package also includes people who are allegedly responsible for holding referendums on Ukrainian territories incorporated into Russia on their results, according to the Norwegian cabinet.
https://sputniknews.com/20221028/pelosis-husband-assaulted-as-result-of-house-attack-1102800093.html

Pelosi's Husband Assaulted as Result of House Attack

Pelosi's Husband Assaulted as Result of House Attack

While the US House speaker was not at home at the time of the intrusion, her husband was rushed to hospital following the incident. 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-28T12:50+0000

2022-10-28T12:50+0000

2022-10-28T13:10+0000

americas

pelosi

nancy pelosi

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According to a written statement by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, issued on Friday, someone broke into her California home and attacked her husband Paul Pelosi.The attack occurred just 10 days ahead of the midterm elections, which could see major changes in the US Congress. The Republicans are projected to win the House of Representatives, while the fate of the Senate majority remains unclear.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/pro-government-march-begins-in-iran-to-protest-against-recent-terrorist-attack-and-riots-1102800635.html

Pro-Government March Begins in Iran to Protest Against Recent Terrorist Attack and Riots

Pro-Government March Begins in Iran to Protest Against Recent Terrorist Attack and Riots

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Peaceful pro-government demonstrations started in various part of Iran on Friday in protest against the recent terrorist attack on the Shah... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-28T13:19+0000

2022-10-28T13:19+0000

2022-10-28T13:19+0000

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People from all over the country started marching after prayers to condemn the terrorist attack and call protesters to peace, according to the Tasnim news agency.Mass riots began in Iran in mid-September in connection with the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who passed away while in police custody after being detained for wearing an "improper" hijab. Several members of Iran's security forces were attacked and some were killed in the clashes with protesters. Tehran believes the unrest was planned by foreign powers.On Wednesday, Iranian media said three unidentified persons opened fire in the grounds of the Shah Cherakh mausoleum in south Iran. However, according to the Tasnim news agency, only one person attacked the holy shrine. The Iranian state broadcaster reported that there had also been a second terrorist act not far from the mausoleum. As a result of the attack, at least 13 people were killed and another 45 people were injured.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/reports-of-girls-auctioned-to-pay-off-debts-spark-outrage-in-india-1102792381.html

Reports of Girls Auctioned to Pay Off Debts Spark Outrage in India

Reports of Girls Auctioned to Pay Off Debts Spark Outrage in India

According to a media report, parties involved in financial disputes approach caste panchayats (elders councils) and not courts for debt settlement. 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-28T18:59+0000

2022-10-28T18:59+0000

2022-11-25T09:12+0000

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India's National Commission for Women (NCW) and rights activists have slammed the Rajasthan government following reports of girls aged 8-18 being sold off by families on stamp papers to pay off their debts in the Bhilwara district. Mariam Dhawale, general secretary of the All India Democratic Womens Association (AIDWA), told Sputnik that they have been raising the issues of trafficking across India, especially in Rajasthan. "Trafficking in recent years of young girls has increased a lot. Young girls were convinced to travel with strangers at the behest of false promises that their life quality would improve. And even parents agree to send their girls to other towns as poverty is so deep that they don't know what to do. This is happening, and this is reality. The problem is that the government, no matter which government, refuses to acknowledge that this is happening in the first place. First, they need to acknowledge the problem to find a solution. Women's issues are not coming on the agenda of polls. Women's issues like domestic violence, no party wants to speak about it, women organizations and studies only acknowledge it. Leave other issues nowadays, rape victims are coming out on bail, and people are looking at victims with criminalized mindset, the whole atmosphere is so anti-women that it would be a very long fight for the women."According to a report published in the Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar, the girls are auctioned off as repayment of loans.Yogita Bhayana, a women's rights activist who once worked in Bhilwara, told Sputnik that child marriage is quite prevalent in Bhilwara and its neighboring districts. "Girls at the age of six or seven are promised to be married off to other families. Although, child marriage is illegal in India, it's prevalent in Rajasthan. But so far we have not heard about selling off girls." The newspaper report claimed that if a girl refuses to go, their mothers are raped on the diktat of caste panchayats to settle the debts. These girls are sent to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, Delhi and even foreign countries, the daily stated, while mentioning numerous case studies on the topic.On Friday, the NCW took cognizance of the matter and formed a two-member fact-finding team on the issue. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala remarked that Rajasthan had become a dangerous place for the women. Bhayana also questioned the government's silence and said that child marriage is prevalent in Rajasthan. No state politicians have condemned the matter as they do not want to displease the voters. Government silence is enough.On Friday, Rajasthan Minister Pratap Khachariyawas denied the reports of girls being sold in the state."It is a matter of investigation. When such information comes out, we can't know the truth until there is a probe. NHRC (National Human Rights Commission) should have spoken to the Rajasthan police first about this. Selling of girls doesn't happen in the state," Khachariyawas said.Meanwhile, the NHRC on Thursday sent a notice to the Rajasthan government and directed the state's chief secretary to submit a detailed report on the matter, along with an action taken report, within four weeks.

https://sputniknews.com/20220915/india-sees-increase-in-child-marriage-cases-during-pandemic-with-record-300-surge-in-karnataka-1100796779.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/south-africas-president-ramaphosa-urges-west-to-lift-sanctions-on-zimbabwe-amid-refugee-crisis-1102803766.html

South Africa's President Ramaphosa Urges West to Lift Sanctions on Zimbabwe Amid Refugee Crisis

South Africa's President Ramaphosa Urges West to Lift Sanctions on Zimbabwe Amid Refugee Crisis

The US and its Western allies have been imposing sanctions on Harare for many years over purported violations of human rights, corruption, and threats to... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-28T17:10+0000

2022-10-28T17:10+0000

2022-11-14T12:05+0000

africa

zimbabwe

cyril ramaphosa

southern african development community (sadc)

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economy

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The president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, has called for an end to the sanctions imposed by the West on Zimbabwe and claimed that the surge of economic refugees from the country fleeing hardship at home is putting a strain on southern African nations. According to him, sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe are hurting the economies of several Southern African Development Community (SADC) nations in addition to Harare. As a result, Ramaphosa said the sanctions should be withdrawn and "we should be able to bolster the economies of these countries so that people can have less of an incentive to leave their countries to go to other countries because their economies would be glowing."Ramaphosa expressed hope that lifting the sanctions would lead to the prosperity of Zimbabwe, so they could "go back to live normal lives in their country."Moreover, in a statement this week, SADC chair and president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, called for the easing of sanctions against Zimbabwe. This year, South Africa announced that it was discontinuing a special permit scheme that had allowed over 200,000 Zimbabwean economic refugees to reside there legally. Due to the lack of documentation, it is unknown how many such Zimbabwean refugees there are in South Africa, however, some estimates in local media put the number at over three million.According to the US State Department, the sanctions against Zimbabwe are intended to hold responsible those officials accused of violating human rights, undermining democratic institutions, or promoting corruption. While Washington claims the sanctions do not target ordinary people, Zimbabwean officials have repeatedly denied Western accusations of corruption and pointed out that the embargo that was imposed nearly two decades ago is to blame for the collapse of its economy.In addition to the US and the EU, other countries with sanctions against Zimbabwe include the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

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Daley College employees LaVerne Williams, second from left, and Edwina Williams, third from left, talk with people during a rally Thursday for City Colleges of Chicago faculty and staff, who have set a strike date for next week. (Michael Blackshire / Chicago Tribune)

Long hours of contract negotiations between City Colleges of Chicago and their faculty and professional staff have transpired this week, but progress is slow, an official with the Cook County College Teachers Union said.

Nevertheless, union chief of staff Kaitlyn Skoirchet said she is hopeful the sides will reach an agreement before CCCTUs Wednesday strike date.

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Were maintaining that open communication, and were continuing to meet, which has me thinking that something might be possible, she said.

Thursday evening, CCCTU held a strike rally, with speakers including Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, a former teacher who announced his mayoral run earlier that day. Members prepared neon signs that stated Strike Ready.

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City Colleges of Chicago employees sign up for strike duty during a Thursday rally. The faculty and staff have set a Nov. 2 strike date amid ongoing negotiations for a new labor agreement. (Michael Blackshire / Chicago Tribune)

Skoirchet said the last contract negotiations in 2019 werent finalized until after the union had set a strike date.

The last time faculty and staff at CCC went on strike was in 2004. When that happened, the semester for CCC was extended to make up for the lost instructional time, Skoirchet said. She hasnt heard of the City Colleges notifying students of its plans in the event of a strike, and she added that classes taught by adjunct professors could potentially go on, as those contracts are not part of their negotiations.

A City Colleges representative said Friday that the administration continues to work closely with the union to reach an agreement that ensures a successful resolution for all.

Skoirchet emphasized that no one wants to go on strike.

The contracts for faculty and professional staff expired in July. The length of the next contract is still under negotiation, but Skoirchet said talks are pointing to four years.

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. >

We are seeing some progress, but there are definitely areas that we are still very far apart on that are going to take time, she said.

George Otto, 93, a retired professor, holds up a sign during a Thursday rally for City Colleges of Chicago faculty and professional staff, who have set a strike date for next week. (Michael Blackshire / Chicago Tribune)

Among the sticking points are the unions proposals for wraparound services for students and for a grievance process related to telework, Skoirchet said.

Weve been doing telework since the pandemic began, Skoirchet said. Colleges was very adamant that we were doing (telework) quite successfully, so to see this turn from, Were so proud of our faculty for handling the transition, to now, Well, were not sure we have all the kinks worked out is frustrating.

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The negotiations have also proved slow because of the CCCs package approach, which means the two sides wont take things off the table if an agreement is reached. Instead, each package is offered as take it all or leave it, union President Tony Johnston said.

Each of the nearly 30 proposals are constantly shifting during negotiations, Skoirchet said.

Its like this massive jigsaw puzzle that were trying to jiggle around, she said. And theres a ton of pieces.

mellis@chicagotribune.com
https://sputniknews.com/20221028/tokyo-reportedly-mulling-buying-us-tomahawk-cruise-missiles-1102787147.html

Tokyo Reportedly Mulling Buying US Tomahawk Cruise Missiles

Tokyo Reportedly Mulling Buying US Tomahawk Cruise Missiles

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Japanese government is considering the procurement of US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles, Japanese broadcaster reported on Friday. 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-28T05:22+0000

2022-10-28T05:22+0000

2022-10-28T05:22+0000

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japan

us

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According to the report, Tokyo is exploring the possibility of using Tomahawk missiles as a deterrent and an alternative until "standoff" missiles that can attack targets from beyond the enemy range are fully deployed.Tokyo regards Tomahawk missiles as highly reliable because the US forces have been using them in operations for quite a long time, as per the resport. The Japanese government is expected to work closely with the ruling parties and the United States so that the deal could be struck.Tokyo is currently modernizing the Ground Self-Defense Force's Type-12 Surface-to-Ship Missile System and is planning to begin large-scale production of these "standoff" missiles, with the first deployment being scheduled for the fiscal year of 2026, or later, the report said. Modernized missiles will be able to strike targets at a range of some 1,000 kilometers (621 miles).Tokyo is also planning to enhance the Self-Defense Forces' capability for the mass-transport of military personnel and supplies in case of an escalation in the Taiwan Strait. Thus, the government is considering increasing the number of contracted civilian ships from the current two to around six.On September 1, the Japanese Defense Ministry announced that it requested a record-high military budget for 2023 of almost 5.6 trillion yen ($41.4 billion). This sum only contains the costs that the ministry was prepared to disclose. Experts and media believe that the actual requested budget stands at 6.5 trillion yen. Japan's defense budget for 2022 is 5.4 trillion yen, which was also a record high.Media reported earlier that the undisclosed part of the budget includes "standoff" missiles with the allocation of over 30 billion yen for their development - the most costly item in this year's budget.

https://sputniknews.com/20201229/japan-plans-to-develop-tomahawk-like-missiles-with-range-of-1200-miles-reports-say-1081593631.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/ukraine-nothing-like-cuban-missile-crisis-but-talks-still-only-way-out-ex-reagan-aide-says-1102801829.html

Ukraine Nothing Like Cuban Missile Crisis, But Talks Still 'Only Way Out', Ex-Reagan Aide Says

Ukraine Nothing Like Cuban Missile Crisis, But Talks Still 'Only Way Out', Ex-Reagan Aide Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The current tensions between Russia and the United States over Ukraine cannot be compared to the 13-day US-Soviet nuclear standoff over... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-28T14:21+0000

2022-10-28T14:21+0000

2022-10-28T14:21+0000

us

russia

cuban missile crisis of 1962

ukraine

suzanne massie

world

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Friday marks the 60th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis ending, a development many historians attribute to diplomatic acumen and a true desire for peace in both Washington and Moscow.The crisis began on October 13, 1962, when President John Kennedy was shown surveillance photos of Soviet nuclear-tipped missiles in Cuba, 90 miles off the Florida coast.Rather than invade as military advisers pressed, Kennedy chose a quarantine. However, tensions escalated anyway, and on October 27, just a day before a resolution to end the crisis was reached, US forces were on DEFCON 2 while Soviet missiles were on ready to launch.Following a period of intense talks via back-channels, the two sides agreed that the Soviet Union would withdraw its missiles from Cuba in exchange for a US vow not to invade the island nation. And, in a secret pact, the US also agreed to remove missiles from Turkey.Fear of the outbreak of nuclear warfare over the crisis in Ukraine has reached new heights in recent days and weeks, with Russia accusing Kiev of creating a dirty bomb while Washington warns Moscow against using a tactical nuclear weapon.Massie, who helped Reagan prepare for negotiations with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, expressed her concerns about the current situation between Moscow and Washington when asked about the Cuban Missile Crisis.Massie pointed out that there are always two sides to any story and both sides must be analyzed in order to make a correct assessment.Not unlike Reagan and Gorbachev's negotiations which ended with the signing of the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Kennedy and Khrushchev, learning from the Cuban ordeal, worked together as promised in a bid to end the arms race. On August 5, 1963, Kennedy and Khrushchev signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty, the worlds first formal nuclear arms control agreement.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/unique-viking-swords-found-in-sweden-puzzle-researchers-in-a-bit-of-a-sensation-1102786487.html

Unique Viking Swords Found in Sweden Puzzle Researchers in a 'Bit of a Sensation'

Unique Viking Swords Found in Sweden Puzzle Researchers in a 'Bit of a Sensation'

The formidable weapons were driven into the shallow ground about 1,200 years ago, in the middle of the respective graves, and were left like that. So far... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-28T05:20+0000

2022-10-28T05:20+0000

2022-11-03T19:26+0000

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Two Viking Age swords have been found during the archeological investigation of a burial ground outside the city of Koping in Vastmanland County.The area features about a hundred graves, two of which are burial mounds dating to the Late Iron Age, approximately 600-1000 AD.The Viking swords, apart from being a rarity per se, astounded the researchers with their peculiar position. The weapons were driven into the shallow ground, in the middle of the respective graves, and were left like that for about 1,200 years.So far, the scientists have no explanation as to why the swords are in an upright position. Maybe it was a way to honor and remember one's relatives, by being able to visit the place where the swords were and touch them, Anton Seiler mused.We do not know why several individuals were buried later in the pile, whether it is about kinship or whether they wanted to mark another kind of belonging. Hopefully, bone analyses can provide answers whether these are men's or women's graves, he added.The find was accompanied by a large amount of ornate glass beads, cremated human and animal bones, a piece from a board game, parts of a comb and bear claws.Another unusual feature about the burial field is that it seems to be built atop an older farm from the Bronze Age or earlier Iron Age, archeologist Fredrik Larsson explained. The archaeological excavations along the E18 motorway in Vastmanland, which has to be widened, have been going on for two years. The excavations are now finished and the swords have been submitted for conservation.The term Viking Age usually refers to the Early Middle Age between 800 and 1050 and derives its name from the raiding and trading voyages made by Norsemen known as Vikings, starting from the attack on the monastery of Lindisfarne in northern England in 793.During the Viking Age, Scandinavia saw a surge in population coupled with the rise of nation-states, which together with the Norsemen's maritime prowess facilitated their exploits in lands far away, including the Byzantine Empire and the Arab world. During the same era, the Vikings founded settlements from the British Isles, France and Italy to Russia and even North America.

https://sputniknews.com/20220912/norwegian-couple-ploughs-up-viking-sword-in-potato-field-1100670902.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/us-pretends-to-be-open-to-talks-with-north-korea-while-boosting-sanctions-scholar-says-1102804680.html

US Pretends to be 'Open to Talks' With North Korea While Boosting Sanctions, Scholar Says

US Pretends to be 'Open to Talks' With North Korea While Boosting Sanctions, Scholar Says

Russia and China will continue to jointly address the North Korea issue. The main cause of tensions on the Korean Peninsula is the pressure exerted on the DPRK... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-28T15:44+0000

2022-10-28T15:44+0000

2022-10-28T15:44+0000

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us

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democratic republic of north korea (dprk)

south korea

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Russia remains committed to a joint plan with China for a Korean settlement.The Russia-China action plan is based on the principle of reciprocal steps by the United States and the DPRK. These steps could be taken by the United States without damaging its reputation, and on the same basis by DPRK leaders. Moscow and Beijing believe that success in the settlement can only be achieved on the basis of reciprocal movement: action after action, step by step, gradually, and consistently.At the same time, Moscow and Beijing have repeatedly warned that the formula, according to which North Korea must first completely get rid of its nuclear missile program and only then it will be possible to think about lifting sanctions on the DPRK and ensuring its economic development, is absolutely unsustainable.The plan was put forward to the two Koreas, the United States, and Japan in the fall of 2019 after three meetings between the US and DPRK leaders in Singapore, Hanoi, and the demilitarized zone in Panmunjom ended inconclusively. These meetings were held on June 12, 2018, February 27-28, 2019, and June 30, 2019, respectively.When answering experts' questions at the Valdai Discussion Club related to the Korea issue, Vladimir Putin said that the unwillingness to talk and the absolutely boorish attitude to North Korea's interests, including in the sphere of security, has led to the DPRK nuclear issue. In an interview with Sputnik, Alexander Zhebin, director of the Center for Korean Studies and member of the Russian Political Science Association, commented on the Russian president's statements as follows:According to Alexander Zhebin, the US behaves arrogantly towards the DPRK in the UN Security Council as well:Today, instead of negotiations, the US and South Korea are working on scenarios for destroying the top political leadership of the DPRK and the country's control centers.The DPRK's missile launches are a response to US and South Korean military drills, which constantly press Pyongyang to demonstrate its power, Jin Xiangdong, a researcher at Xiamen University's School of International Relations, said in an interview with Sputnik:The Joint Chiefs of Staff of the South Korean Armed Forces said that North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Friday. The launches took place on the last day of South Korea's Hoguk military exercises, which began on October 17. These maneuvers featured a large-scale amphibious landing exercise near the city of Pohang on the coast of the Sea of Japan.On October 31, the Republic of Korea and the United States will launch large-scale joint air exercises. The high intensity and scale of the drills provoke growing tensions in Northeast Asia. The US threatening to give a strong response to a possible nuclear test by the DPRK has aggravated the situation.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221028/us-threatens-north-korea-with-nukes-strikes-cripple-france-musk-versus-new-york-times-1102782947.html

US Threatens North Korea With Nukes; Strikes Cripple France; Musk Versus New York Times

US Threatens North Korea With Nukes; Strikes Cripple France; Musk Versus New York Times

Elon Musk posted a number of tweets mocking the New York Times for its dubious sourcing and mimicked its attack on him for meddling in global affairs. 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-28T04:01+0000

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US Threatens North Korea with Nukes; Strikes Cripple France; Musk Versus New York Times Elon Musk posted a number of tweets mocking the New York Times for its dubious sourcing and mimicked its attack on him for meddling in global affairs.

Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss the EU's nuclear moves. The US is streamlining its nuclear weapons deployment to Europe. Also, Finland may be willing to host NATO nuclear weapons.Margaret Kimberley, Black Agenda Report Editor and Sr. Columnist, joins us to discuss the progressive caucus withdrawing their letter to President Biden. President Biden seems to have ordered a feckless insignificant Progressive caucus to denounce themselves.George Koo, journalist, social activist, and international business consultant, joins us to discuss China. China is confident that it is closer than ever to reunification. Also, technological decoupling from China is a war by other means and North Korea considers another nuclear test.Wyatt Reed, Sputnik News Analyst, joins us to discuss the EU. Transportation will be brought to a halt due to a one day strike in France. Wyatt is on the ground in Paris covering the event.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss the Middle East. The US is openly meddling in Iran's internal affairs by supporting unrest in the Islamic Republic. Also, elderly Palestinian activists are beaten by settlers in Israel.Linwood Tauheed, Associate professor of Economics, University of Missouri-Kansas City, joins us to discuss the US political system. Elon Musk posted a number of tweets mocking the New York Times for its dubious sourcing and mimicked its attack on him for meddling in global affairs. Also, Kiev renames a street after a Nazi collaborator and the progressives in the US Congress wimp out on their recommendation for diplomacy.Ricardo Vaz, political analyst and editor at Venezuelanalysis, joins us to discuss the Global South. Activists slam new sanctions placed on Nicaragua by the Biden administration. Also, Venezuela's retail sector grows dramatically and Juan Guaido is rapidly falling from grace.Tunde Osazua, on the Africa Team of the Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) and coordinator of BAPs US. Out of Africa Network," joins us to discuss Ethiopia. Peace in Ethiopia is impossible as long as the US empire continues to support the ethno fascist TPLF group.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/20221028/us-will-have-to-lend-ear-to-putin-as-new-world-order-already-taking-shape-academics-say-1102807064.html

US Will Have to Lend Ear to Putin as New World Order Already Taking Shape, Academics Say

US Will Have to Lend Ear to Putin as New World Order Already Taking Shape, Academics Say

Even though Vladimir Putin made it clear in his Valdai speech that Russia is not a natural "enemy" of the West and emphasized the importance of dialogue, the... 28.10.2022, Sputnik International

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"[Putin's] speech was very moderate and balanced," Joe Siracusa, US politics expert and professor of History and Diplomacy at Curtin University, Australia, told Sputnik. "If I would take from that speech an opportunity to re-engage with Russia, I think it was an opening. Moreover, not often another nation says that after eight months of conflict."According to the academic, the US and NATO are fighting nothing short of a proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. Still, Siracusa does not expect any response from the White House given that the pivotal midterm elections are due to take place in about seven or eight days. According to the professor, Biden does not want "to give the pro-Ukrainian forces and his party any ammunition to criticize him."Despite the Western media's open snubbing of Russia's viewpoint, Raffone did not rule out that some level of contacts between Moscow and Washington could be taking place behind the scenes."Stakes are so high that any publicity may derail the possibility of an official dialogue," the strategic analyst presumed. "However, now each side is testing the other to obtain the maximum out of eventual negotiations. A face-saving process should satisfy each side in the conflict. It is not easy."The beneficiaries of the Russo-American row over Ukraine are the Republican and Democratic establishment in Washington, its subservient media, and the US military-industrial complex, according to Siracusa.Indeed, the September survey Data for Progress indicated that about 60% of American respondents would support the US engaging in diplomatic efforts "as soon as possible" to end the Ukraine standoff, even if that means Kiev having to make concessions to Russia. It appears that non-establishment GOP and Democratic lawmakers are hearing the voices of their constituents, as anti-war rhetoric has started to emerge both in Congress and in the speeches of congressional candidates."The West is divided," admitted Professor Robert Singh, a specialist in contemporary US politics at Birkbeck, University of London. "No one benefits from the current impasse, other than arms manufacturers."According to Singh, cooperation between Russia and Western states is urgently needed given the number of climate, health, economic, social and geopolitical challenges. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden continues to see the situation "as a test of democratic virility" within the framework of a "democracy-autocracy" dichotomy.New World Order is EmergingWhether one likes it or not, a new world order is already taking shape, according to Alexey Martynov, director of the International Institute of Recent States.During his speech, Vladimir Putin presented his political vision of the emerging world order, according to Alexander Konkov, associate professor at the Department of Political Analysis at Moscow State University."His address was by no means of conflictual nature," said Konkov. "On the contrary, it is an invitation to dialogue () with all countries, with all interested forces, but, of course, it is primarily focused on the collective West."The US-led anti-Russia sanctions crusade has backfired on the Western coalition, with Japan being a glaring example, according to the Russian academics. They noted that it is the most vulnerable participant of the anti-Russian Western coalition, as its economy has suffered dramatically from severing ties with Moscow."Japan is vitally interested in finding some clues in order to preserve at least some ties [with Russia]," said Konkov. "An example is the retention of the share of Japanese business in the Sakhalin 1 and Sakhalin 2 projects. But being consolidated with the West, especially with the US, it is very difficult for Japan [to maintain relations with Moscow]."Putin and Xi Offer Biden Peaceful CoexistenceBoth Putin and, earlier, his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, have sent a clear signal to Washington and the collective West that room for dialogue still exists.Earlier this week, Xi underscored that "China is willing to work with the United States to respect each other, coexist peacefully and achieve win-win cooperation, and find the right way for China and the US to get along in the new era" in a letter to the National Committee on US-China Relations.On February 4, 2022, Putin and Xi released a joint statement outlining their vision of a more just multipolar world order. The leaders placed emphasis on the ongoing shift "towards redistribution of power in the world" and condemned "some actors representing but the minority on the international scale" who "advocate unilateral approaches to addressing international issues and resort to force."Xi's latest comments came ahead of his potential meeting with President Joe Biden at a G20 Summit in November this year.For his part, Siracusa believes that a new Republican president  not necessarily Donald Trump  could push a reset button on relations with Moscow.Putin delivered a speech on October 27 at the Valdai Discussion Forum emphasizing that the world is "standing on a historical frontier" with "the most dangerous, unpredictable and at the same time important decade since the end of the Second World War" ahead. The Russian president drew attention to the "doctrinal crisis" of the "American-style" unipolar model and called upon the West to start talking to rising alternative centers of power. He noted that the "new world order" that replaces the current one "should be based on law, be free, original and fair." Putin particularly underscored that "Russia, being an independent, distinct civilization, has never considered itself and does not consider itself an enemy of the West." There are "at least two Wests," according to the Russian president: one is traditional and culturally rich and another one aggressive and neocolonial, whose dictates Moscow will never accept.

https://sputniknews.com/20221026/observers-support-for-bidens-proxy-war-in-ukraine-is-cracking-among-us-lawmakers-citizens-1102735161.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220907/easts-rise-irreversible-west-speeding-up-own-decline-via-indiscriminate-sanctions-scholars-say-1100507574.html

https://sputniknews.com/20221027/china-ready-to-coexist-peacefully-with-us-despite-being-labelled-greatest-political-challenge-1102750223.html

https://sputniknews.com/20221017/russia-and-china-on-same-page-seeking-to-build-new-order-free-of-western-pressure-1101962838.html

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Four years removed from a devastating barn fire, the Steacy stable has persevered to reach new heights in 2022. Team Steacy can add to its record bankroll in the 2022 Breeders Crown, sending out a pair of highly-talented fillies this weekend at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

"I thought at that time 'this is it, we're done, it's over,'" Mark Steacy recalled that horrific experience at the 2022 Breeders Crown Dinner and Post Draw on Tuesday (Oct. 25). "For me to come back, for Shawn to come back and Clarke is also involved with the stable, too...thank goodness for my owners that stood behind me. And at that time too, the industry supported us very well, they helped us so much. But my owners, they stuck by me and invested again. We just worked hard at it, and here we are."

Here is a $2.3 million season with 92 wins. Purse-wise, Shawn Steacy (who was racing on Tuesday night and unable to attend the draw) ranks third in the nation among trainers with his stable bankroll at a personal best for Mark or Shawn. The 92 seasonal wins places Steacy in the top seven of Canada's conditioners. Mark, who won the 2007 O'Brien Award of Horsemanship, provided a simple reason for the stable's success.

"A lot of hard work. Kathy and myself, we go back and forth between Landsdowne and First Line, Clarke develops the horses there and Shawn races them here...just a lot of hard work and a lot of good staff."

That hard work has certainly paid off with pacing filly Sylvia Hanover. The Always B Miki two-year-old sister to double millionaire Western Fame has been nearly flawless in her eight appearances for owner Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc. of Hudson, Que., winning seven while banking $498,300. She'll seek her seventh straight score in the US$600,000 Breeders Crown final for two-year-old filly pacers on Friday (Oct. 28).

"She's a different kind of a filly," Steacy told Trot Insider. "She's very lazy, she only does what she has to do, and she doesn't do any more...she's very smart, very good-gaited, and she always seems to have a little bit more when needed. If a horse comes to her, she wants to race them.

"She seems to want to win, and that's what counts."

Winning is what the oddsmakers are expecting from Sylvia Hanover on Friday night, listing her as the 8-5 morning line choice. She leaves from post five with regular pilot Bob McClure at the lines, but Steacy isn't overconfident given the depth of the competition.

"There are a lot of good fillies in this race and it's not going to be easy by any means," noted Mark. "The fillies that were first and second in the other division [Charleston (PP1, Dexter Dunn, 5-2) and Strong Poison (PP2 Yannick Gingras, 5-2)], they looked pretty promising last week...and some of the other ones, too. It's not going to be an easy chore, but we have as much chance  or more  as any of them."

Steacy's second chance at a 2022 Breeders Crown title comes on Saturday in the three-year-old trotting filly division. There, Warrawee Xenia (PP7, McClure, 8-1) will tangle with a killer group of sophomore trotting fillies that includes a Hambletonian elim winner (Jiggy Jog S, PP2, D. Dunn, 7-5), the Yonkers Trot winner (Joviality S, PP4, Brian Sears, 6-5) and the Hambletonian Oaks winner (Fashion Schooner, PP6, Tim Tetrick, 6-1). For the record, Warrawee Xenia was sent off as the public choice in the 2022 Hambletonian Oaks but the daughter of Walner - Shared Past made a miscue and finished last.

The version of Warrawee Xenia that showed up for Steacy and her co-owners  David McDonald of Cornwall, Ont., Dale Larson of Kent City, Mich. and Diane Bertrand of Lake Country, B.C.  in the Breeders Crown elimination was a welcome sight. She finished fourth, just a length and a half back of Joviality S.

"Oh, I was so happy. She raced so good. She got locked in, only missed second by a step and probably if she got out earlier she might have given Joviality a very good go. It was nice to see her come back to her form again because she had three or four weeks where she wasn't so good and I think she's going into the race in good shape this week."

To watch and listen to the full interview with Steacy, click the play button below.

All four Breeders Crown finals for two-year-olds will be contested Friday at Mohawk. Racing begins at 7 p.m. (EDT) with the Crown fields going behind the gate in races six through nine. The finals for horses three and up are Saturday, also starting at 7 p.m.

To view the complete entries for this weekend's Breeders Crown finals, click one of the following links:
Allywag Hanover added to his list of record-setting accomplishments when he became only the fourth pacer in history to win a race in 1:46 or faster as he upset Bulldog Hanover earlier this month in the Allerage Farms Open at Lexingtons Red Mile.

And trainer Brett Pelling was not surprised.

Hes a beast, Pelling said. People dont give him the kudos that he deserves. When youre around him, trust me, he gives you chills.

Allywag Hanover will try to make it two in a row over Bulldog Hanover when they meet in Saturdays (Oct. 29) US$600,000 Breeders Crown Open Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Allywag Hanover will start from post three with driver Todd McCarthy and is the 7-2 second choice on the morning line. Bulldog Hanover, who will leave from post six with Dexter Dunn driving for trainer Jack Darling, is the 4-5 favourite.

Five-year-old Allywag Hanover has set multiple world records during his career. His 1:46 score in the Allerage is the fastest mile ever by a gelding, just a tick off Bulldog Hanovers all-time mark of 1:45.4, and he joined Bulldog Hanover as the only horses to win multiple races with a sub-1:47 mile. Allywag Hanover won in 1:46.4 last year at the Red Mile.

In addition, Allywag Hanovers time of 1:47.2 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in 2021 is tied for the fastest ever by a gelding on a five-eighths-mile track and his clocking of 1:47.3 this year at Harrahs Philadelphia equaled the world record for a gelding older than age four on a five-eighths oval.

Im pretty good with a watch, Ive been doing this for a long, long time, and he gets me every time, said Pelling, a 12-time Breeders Crown winner. You have no idea how fast he is traveling, and hes got a very unique way of going, and its just plain fast. And its a different kind of speed. Its raw.

There is a level of pain to train him. He hurts you. Its not an armchair situation at all.

Allywag Hanover, who was a divisional Dan Patch Award winner in 2021, has won 23 of 52 career races and earned $1.63 million. The son of Captaintreacherous-Anderosa Hanover is owned by Allywag Stable.

This year, Allywag Hanover has hit the board in all 11 of his starts, winning five and finishing second on four occasions. All four of his runner-up performances came against Bulldog Hanover.

Allywag Hanover and Bulldog Hanover have not raced since the Allerage because eliminations were not required in the Open Pace. Bulldog Hanover prepped for the Breeders Crown with a 1:51.2 qualifier at Mohawk last week.

He looked awesome, said trainer Darling, who co-owns Bulldog Hanover with Brad Grant. Ive never seen him look any better. Dexter couldnt get him pulled up after the wire. He went a full lap after (the qualifier) and he still had trouble on the backside. So, hes as good as he could be going into the final.

I was actually hoping there would be (elims), and I would have raced him in the open too, but nothing filled. He just likes to mix it up a little and have some fun. He loves to race. Im glad I brought him (to qualify). It was a good tightener for him. Hes in good shape.

Bulldog Hanover has won 16 of 18 starts since a three-race skid in the fall of 2021, which has been the only time in his career he lost consecutive races. Lifetime, the son of Shadow Play-BJs Squall has won 26 of 35 starts and earned $2.2 million.

Tattoo Artist, who is the 8-1 third choice in the Open Pace, will start from post seven in the 11-horse field with James MacDonald driving for trainer Ian Moore. No other horse is at odds lower than 12-1.

A son of Hes Watching-Stylish Artist, Tattoo Artist has won three in a row in the Open at Mohawk since a second-place finish behind Bulldog Hanover in the Canadian Pacing Derby. He has won 30 of 68 career races, earned $1.88 million, and was a divisional OBrien Award winner at age three.

Hes just one of the sweetest little horses Ive ever had, Moore said about the five-year-old stallion owned by Let It Ride Stables, Frank Cannon, and Diamond Creek Racing. I just love him. Hes almost the perfect horse. You could take half-an-hour to jog one lap if you want, or you could go a :25 quarter anytime you want.

Hell give you all hes got, thats for sure. Hes a tough little bugger.

All four Breeders Crown finals for two-year-olds will be contested Friday at Mohawk. Racing begins at 7 p.m. (EDT) with the Crown fields going behind the gate in races six through nine. The finals for horses three and up are Saturday, also starting at 7 p.m.

To view the complete entries for this weekend's Breeders Crown finals, click one of the following links:

(USTA)
With Halloween on Monday, Attorney General Jason Miyares in a recent release, encouraged Virginia parents and guardians to be on the lookout for counterfeit THC laced edibles in their childs trick-or-treat bags.

The products are designed to resemble popular brands of candy and snacks, making it difficult for children, and even adults, to differentiate between legitimate food products and copycat THC-infused products, Miyares said in the release Thursday.

Due to the deceptively intentional design of these products, it is possible they could accidentally get mixed into Halloween candy, said Attorney General Miyares.

These copycat products are illegal in Virginia. The THC dosage labeled on copycat edibles is widely inconsistent, inaccurate and, in some cases, contains 10 times the amount of THC disclosed on the package, according to the attorney general.

Blue Ridge Poison Control Center Director Dr. Christopher Holstege stated reactions to THC products tend to be more severe in children. Standard dosages of THC can have a stronger effect and negatively impact developing adolescent brains, he said.

A Blue Ridge Poison Center release on Thursday stated it is unlikely a child will return from trick-or-treating with THC-laced edibles or any other dangers in their candy bag.

Despite public concern, intentional candy tampering is rare, the release stated. No actual cases of poisoned Halloween candy have been reported in our region.

However, if edibles are present in a home, some could grab the wrong product by mistake and give it to children, the center said. Holstege said in the release he is concerned about the spike in the number of children who are becoming ill from consuming cannabis edibles that look like candy.

There were 4,354 calls to U.S. poison centers last year about children eating edibles, compared to 816 calls in 2018, the release stated.

Symptoms of THC overdose in children may include profound sedation, trouble breathing, increased anxiety, agitation, and tremulous behavior. Adults are encouraged to create a new contact in their phone for the Blue Ridge Poison Control Center800/222-1222. All calls are free and confidential.

See these copycat products being sold in a store? File a complaint with the Virginia Attorney General Consumer Protection Section, identifying the product and the store at 800/552-9963, consumer@oag.state.va.us or use the Online Complaint Form.
The Annual Thanksgiving Dinner drive, Buy A Bird, is well underway at the Culpeper Food Closet at St. Stephens Episcopal Church.

This year we have budgeted for over 600 families, said Billy Green with the Food Closet.

The community is encouraged to donate $25 per turkey that the Food Closet will purchase and distribute in November, along with sides. Please do not donate turkeys as the Food Closet does not have ample room to store them.

At 9 a.m. sharp this Saturday, Oct. 29, outside of the Food Closet on Commerce Street, a human chain will form to transfer all of the Thanksgiving side dishes from the parking lot to the church upstairs. Volunteers are needed to help with this mammoth effort.

The Food Closet thanked SWIFT, Sams Place, Safeway, Martins and La Lomita for supporting this years Thanksgiving dinner distribution.

Culpeper Food Closet is getting some acknowledgement itself as a recent nominee for the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce Nonprofit of the Year.

From August 2021 to Aug 2022, the number of people being served almost doubled as pandemic aid ended and food prices have risen, according to the award nomination. The all-volunteer staff, currently around 50 people, serve Culpeper folks five weekdays and one evening.

Groceries are gathered by donations from individuals, local grocery stores and purchases made at local markets to support the Culpeper merchants. Food givers interview each client and pack customized carts, being sensitive to cultural eating patterns.

Currently, the Food Closet it working on Buy-a-bird, seeking donations toward buying turkeys for full Thanksgiving meals for Culpeper families, with a goal to serve about 650 families, representing over 1000 people. The Food Closet partners with SWIFT on this project for mutual success for manpower and as their service to the community.

From Nov. 7-Nov. 30, community members in need can go to Sams Place to fill out an application for a turkey dinner voucher. Sams Place is located in the Culpeper Career Resource Center, 219 E. Davis St., suite 100 or contact 540/727-1055 ext. 409.

Its not too late to support Buy A Bird. Donate money at ststephensculpeper.net/culpeper-food-closet or send a check through the mail to: The Culpeper Food Closet P.O. Box 343 Culpeper, VA 22701 Attn: Thanksgiving in the memo line.

Cash donations can be dropped by the church office 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday or 9 a.m. to noon weekdays at the Food Closet.
Solar panels are part of the Glenwood Solar Project community solar farm, on Oct. 11, 2022, in Chicago Heights. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

There are no shiny black solar panels on the roof of his condo building, but Paul Dickerson is enjoying the benefits of clean energy just the same.

Dickerson, 73, of Oak Park, has signed up for what is known in Illinois as community solar  a program in which residents subscribe to nearby solar farms, reducing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions and receiving discounts on their electric bills.

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Brandishing charts of their electricity costs during a recent interview, Dickerson and his fellow members of the buildings green committee, Elaine Johnson and Art Spooner, said theyre all paying less with community solar, as is their 28-unit building, which is saving about $40 a month on electricity for its common spaces.

Try it youll like it, Dickerson said. Youll save money and youll feel good about saving the planet  at least a little bit.

Advertisement

Increasingly popular in Illinois, community solar was pioneered on the West Coast in the mid-2000s as a way to bring clean energy to the many American households  almost 50% by some estimates  that dont have access to solar panels, often because residents cant afford them, dont own their homes or dont get enough sun on their roofs.

Art Spooner, from left, Paul Dickerson and Elaine Johnson  who have community solar in their condo building  show charts of their electricity costs outside their Oak Park building on Sept. 29, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

The solar energy in community solar doesnt actually flow into your home, but it flows into your areas power grid, providing electricity to homes and businesses in your region of the state, and you reap the benefits of government solar incentives in the form of lower electricity bills.

Community solar is gaining ground in states such as New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Maine and Illinois, which in 2021 had enough community solar to power about 44,000 homes, up from 17,000 homes in 2020.

Community solar is about to explode in terms of access and truly being able to see it everywhere and in your community, said Nicole Steele, a senior adviser at the U.S. Department of Energys solar technologies office. Its just another way to help in the clean energy transition, be part of the clean energy transition, and see the actual benefits.

Community solar is taking off at a time when many states and the federal government have committed to ambitious plans to move to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with solar (in all its forms) expected to eventually generate up to about 45% of our electricity.

In interviews with the Tribune, some Chicago-area early adopters complained that they receive two electric bills a month under community solar  one from ComEd and one from a solar farm  a system they find cumbersome and difficult to understand.

But those with the time and skills to drill down on the numbers said they were satisfied with what they found, and a watchdog told the Tribune that in all the Illinois cases she knows of but one  an apparent billing error  customers really are seeing financial savings.

Community solar is one of those things here in Illinois that might sound too good to be true, said Sarah Moskowitz, deputy director of the Citizens Utility Board, an Illinois consumer advocacy group. But for once, CUB is here to assure people that you can actually save money, and its a great program.

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A longtime environmentalist, Spooner put installing solar panels on the roof at the top of his to-do list when he retired from his job as a manufacturing and quality manager in 2016.

Unfortunately, his home at the time had a clay-tile roof.

Seated in the carefully restored lobby of his Greek Revival condo building  a former YMCA with two-story limestone columns  Spooner chuckled at the memory.

The (solar panel) companies said they never did solar panels on clay tiles before. And its like, cmon, what kind of song and dance are you givin me? he said.

Dickerson smiled. They certainly have it in California, the retired electrical engineer said dryly.

Spooner looked for alternatives and found community solar but couldnt subscribe. The option wasnt yet widely available in Illinois.

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The more I learned, the more frustrating it got, he said.

When the village of Oak Park offered a community solar option to residents, he finally got his chance. He and his wife signed up in 2020, as did Johnson, a retired school and childrens librarian, and her husband.

Dickerson and his wife opted to consider the plans available to the general public and went with Nexamp.

Spooner and Dickerson calculate theyre saving about 10% on their total electric bills, when taxes, fees and delivery charges are included.

You can see here, this is for the condo association and this is for our unit, said Dickerson, pointing to a graph he had printed out. I save between $3 and $4 a month, depending on which month it is and which 12-month period Im averaging, and the condo saves $40 a month.

Community solar plans benefit Illinois utilities like ComEd, which are required to obtain 40% of their electric power from renewable resources by 2030 and 50% by 2040. To meet those state requirements, utilities purchase certificates that represent the environmental benefits of renewable energy. Community solar farms are one source of those certificates.

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Illinois offers particularly strong consumer protections for low- and moderate-income residents who sign up for community solar through the states Illinois Solar for All program. Participants in this program, who must meet income eligibility requirements, cant be charged upfront costs and must get a discount of at least 50% on the portion of their electricity covered by the credit on their ComEd bill. (The credit covers a large portion of the electricity used but generally not quite all of it due to factors such as variations in the amount of energy the customer uses and variations in the total energy produced by the solar farm.)

Higher-income people who sign up for community solar under what is known as Illinois Shines dont get a guaranteed level of savings. But they do get several other important customer protections, according to Illinois Power Agency consumer protection counsel Rachel Granneman.

Mourning doves on solar panels at the Glenwood Solar Project community solar farm on Oct. 11, 2022, in Chicago Heights. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Approved vendors, who are listed at the Illinois Shines website, have to meet a range of state requirements, including a standard disclosure form solar farms have to give to consumers. The form allows consumers to make side-by-side comparisons of offers from companies. In addition, contracts have to include relevant information such as prices and fees. And misrepresentations  such as overstating customer savings  are prohibited.

We have a hotline and an email address and a complaint form on our website, said Granneman. If there are issues a customer cant resolve with their approved vendor we may take disciplinary action.

The Illinois Power Agency, which administers state programs supporting the development of new solar energy, has the power to suspend community solar farms from its programs, which offer significant financial incentives.

In theory, a solar vendor could offer you a subscription that would cost you more than staying with ComEd, but in practice, Granneman and CUBs Moskowitz said they arent seeing that.

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At this point, all of the community solar offers that Granneman is seeing are set up in the same way: Customers get 10% to 20% off the electricity covered by the credit on their utility bill. She isnt seeing a separate subscriber fee  although theres nothing to prevent companies from charging that additional fee, as long as they disclose that they are doing so.

Moskowitz said she has only seen one case of a person in Illinois paying more under community solar than they would have otherwise  and that was due to an apparent error in calculating the persons energy needs.

So far, so good, Moskowitz said.

In northern Illinois, community solar customers generally get an initial bill from ComEd, with a credit equal to most of the electricity they have used. You dont pay for the energy covered by the credit, just for the other portions of your ComEd bill.

Then comes step 2: a bill from your community solar company. At this point, you actually do pay for the electricity covered by the credit on your ComEd bill, but typically at a 10% to 20% discount. The difference between what you would have paid for electricity under ComEd, and what you end up paying under community solar, is your savings.

For instance, you might get a credit for $50 of electricity on your ComEd bill. You wouldnt pay ComEd for any of that electricity; instead, youd pay your solar company, but at a discount. So youd save about 10% to 20% of $50, or $5 to $10.

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Find that confusing? Youre not alone.

Its not very transparent to me, said Kay Perry of Oak Park. A beamline scientist who works at Argonne National Laboratory, Perry signed up when Oak Park offered a community solar option to residents.

She said she feels good about supporting clean energy but doesnt like the two-part billing process and had trouble signing up, in part because her workplace computer is behind a strong firewall. Shed like to see community solar offered the same way wind energy was offered under a previous Oak Park program, with just one easy-to-understand bill showing the discounted electricity rate.

You have to make it as easy as possible for people if you want them to do it  lower that activation energy, Perry said.

Laurel Passera, senior director for policy and regulatory affairs at the Coalition for Community Solar Access, acknowledged that Illinois community solar model is rather complex, but she said it has its advantages, including that its less contentious and more acceptable to utilities.

We spent months and months diving into the details on this to make sure it worked for all the parties, she said of talks in 2016 and 2021 involving industry, utilities, diversity advocates and advocates for low-income consumers.

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Passera added that auto-pay can eliminate the need to deal with two separate bills.

With community solar on the rise in Illinois, there are now credible online sources that can help you compare the various options. CUB, for instance, breaks down Illinois community solar offers on its website.

EnergySage, an online comparison-shopping marketplace that has received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, offers customer ratings of local community solar plans.

Moskowitz said she advises those comparing community solar plans to consider the length of the contract, whether theres an exit fee if you leave early, and how much youll save on electricity. The best deals shes seeing offer 20% off the ComEd rate for electricity.

You may also want to check whether the community solar company accepts checks or electronic payments, and whether automatic billing is required.

We want people to be cautious, read the contract, and call us if they have any questions and let us know if they have any issues, said Moskowitz. We havent heard of issues, really, but if there are we want to be on top of them.

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When it comes to protecting the planet, Johnson, Spooner and Dickerson are accustomed to being ahead of the curve.

Dickerson traces his commitment to protecting the natural world back to his days as a Boy Scout, when leaders emphasized that you should leave no trace in the forest.

For Spooner, the first Earth Day, in 1970, made an impression.

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I was a senior in college and they said, Think globally, act locally,  recalled Spooner. I was like Well, I can kind of manage that. 

After experiences such as sorting recyclables in the 1980s (Dickerson), forgoing harmful detergents in the 1960s (Johnson) and volunteering with an interfaith environmental group (Spooner), subscribing to community solar wasnt a big leap. And even in their larger community at their condo building, the program was a fairly easy sell, Dickerson said.

Residents wanted information, he said, so members of the condo associations green committee called solar company representatives and made a chart.

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The big pushback was on the issue of contracts, which can be as long as 20 years, so the condo association went with a company that allowed them to cancel their contract with no penalty.

Now, the buildings green newsletter, edited by Johnson, is trumpeting community solar savings, and the green committee is moving on to other projects, including electric vehicle chargers and composting.

As a parent and then a grandparent, its kind of like a legacy, Johnson said of this work. How could I do something thats bad for the world in which my grandchildren are going to live?

nschoenberg@chicagotribune.com
Nearly 40 clowns piled out of a bus and into Lincoln Elementary School in Gering Thursday morning.

The brightly dressed crowd was made up of Gering Junior High School students who were selected as members of CLOWNS, a club focused on providing good role models for younger students that encourage making good choices.

CLOWNS stands for Children Learn Other Ways Naturally, said club sponsor Brenda Pszanka. It was started back in the 1980s because they felt like clowns were a safe and friendly way for kids to come and talk to younger kids about drugs and alcohol.

Not just anybody can become a clown. The club is exclusive to eighth grade students, and it is not as simple as just signing up. Pszanka described the process for selecting members of CLOWNS and how big the shoes they fill truly are.

Theres an application that they fill out to become a clown, said Pszanka. We have different criteria: behavior, grades, are they a good role model and citizen?

The aspiring clowns even have to submit multiple adult references who will vouch for them. After receiving the applications, Pszanka reviews them and discusses the candidates with the staff at GJHS to get their thoughts and recommendations.

This years group includes 37 clowns, which is the largest group Pszanka has seen in her time as the organizations sponsor.

Once selected, the students begin the process of becoming clowns and learning how to talk about serious subjects in a fun way.

They do come up with their own costumes, and they have about a month to get those put together, said Pszanka. Its fun when they do those because their creativity gets to come through.

In addition to their costume, the students also have to select their clown name. These names are how they introduce themselves to the younger students. Examples from this years clowns include Blinky, Twilight, Babble, Rosie Posie, and Skypper.

Once their red noses and rainbow wigs are in place, the clowns spend a day visiting younger students and providing a fun way to talk about drugs, alcohol, peer pressure, and making good choices.

We just do this for one day, said Pszanka. We practice about seven times after school so they can work on what to say and games theyll play. They also role play and do skits.

The clowns led Lincoln students through games like Telephone and Simon Says in addition to talking about things like the differences between drugs and medicine.

Pszanka said the clowns planned to make stops at all three Gering elementary schools as well as St. Agnes in Scottsbluff on Thursday, making for a long day of clowning around.

CLOWNS is a program that has endured for many years, and Pszanka said that is partially because of the vivid memories it creates.

If you ask kids who have graduated, they remember CLOWNS coming into their elementary school, said Pszanka. We even have staff members at the junior high who were clowns themselves.

Although theyll be hanging up their wigs after Thursday, the GJHS CLOWNS members will also participate in several community service activities throughout the remainder of the school year.
Lauri Matisse describes herself as an architect, artist and author. All three of those talents will be on display when her eponymous Lauri Matisse Studio at 110 E. 19th St. in Scottsbluff opens on Saturday, Nov. 5.

Features at the new studio include a gallery space, workshop area and a potential recording studio. Matisse will also sell the likes of postcards and posters from the studio as well as several pieces of artwork.

The store is still a work in progress  Matisse will work on beautifying the ceiling, exterior and other areas  but it will end up being a gathering place for creative individuals.

Instead of just being an architecture studio, I thought it would be more fun to have the art and books and have the space to be able to support local artists, musicians and things like that, Matisse said.

A team of workers and volunteers helped renovate and redecorate the building. These included Matisses daughter, Julia Mallord; her sister, Susan Perkins; and her niece, Michaela Perkins.

Matisse said the store will be open from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and likely the same time on weekdays.

Shes been involved in creative arts all her life whether by writing books, painting artwork or making films. Originally from California, Matisse moved to Scottsbluff as a kid and moved back to the area years later to take care of her parents.

She had a similar studio in California that closed during the recession around 2009. She said this new location has been in the works since then.

Its to promote my own work but I also want to help local artists be the creative people they were meant to be, she said.

The studios grand opening is set to include a Celestial Sand and Sea art show, featuring art to view or purchase as well as snacks and refreshments. Matisse said she wanted it to be a welcoming, kid-friendly event where people can pop in for five minutes or stay the duration of the show.

It will last from 2  8 p.m. on Nov. 5 and feature live music.

There will be something for everyone, I think, Matisse said.

She said one of her goals is to inspire people to become artists, writers and get in touch with their creative side. To that extent, she said she wanted to start workshops to get people more interested in these outlets.

One of the things Id like to do is a writers group because writers are often not encouraged enough, Matisse explained. Ive been in some cool writers groups where we just are all supporting each other and what were working on.

She said that being part of a proposed Creative District in downtown Scottsbluff will help connect her with other creatives and help foster a community for people interested in improving their work.

At this point in my life, Ive explored a lot of my stuff. Id like to help other people find their creative (side), she said.  You have to be true to yourself to put out your best work.

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As the saying goes, Its Halloween. ... Everyone is entitled to one good scare.

For the Clarke family, however, one scare isnt quite enough. They want to scare anyone and everyone they can. So, as has become a tradition for the Clarkes, they will host their own haunted trail looking to get those scares.

We just love scaring people, Bryan Clarke said with a laugh. If somebody pees their pants, thatll make my day.

The Clarke Plantation Haunted Trail, a homemade scare maze filled with all kinds of themes, scare actors and other spooky things, will open again for the Halloween weekend, looking to give residents of Mooresville not only a thrill but also a chance to give back to the community.

Thats because the 1,700-square-foot maze wont cost any visitors money at the door. To enter the maze, guests will be required to donate either a $5 to $10 toy, benefiting a local Toys for Tots chapter, or to make a donation of clothes to be given to those suffering from homelessness.

Were really not looking to make any money off of this, Charlene Clarke said. So many people have helped us in our life, so we just really want to be able to give back to the community.

This is a tradition that started in the family many years ago when Bryan decided he wanted to scare trick-or-treaters in his driveway and evolved from there.

When it started, I would blend in amongst some animatronics in our driveway, he said. Eventually, we started building a small maze in our garage and then it would just get bigger and bigger every year.

Were really just big kids.

All of this Halloween spirit doesnt just go up overnight, either. The family began construction on the maze in July, building its wooden frame over the course of three months.

Disaster almost struck in September when, in the midst of Hurricane Ian, the structures that had been built had been blown over and the entire project was almost lost, nearly forcing the family to cancel the event for the 2022 season.

Many hours of work were put in by the family, as well as a few volunteers, to help get the maze put back together in time for Halloween.

Weve been very lucky to get the help that we have, Charlene Clarke said. The hurricane definitely slowed us down, but the help we got was more than enough to be able to get the maze back together.

The haunted trail will be open from 7-10 p.m. between Friday through Sunday at 727 Heatherly Road, Mooresville. A scare-free version of the maze will be available to kids from 6-7 p.m. on those days.

For information, visit facebook.com/events/478372584186691.
Its estimated that 20,000 American children lost their fathers in the Vietnam War. To make things worse, these kids had no way of connecting with each other at the time, which would have allowed them to bond with those who understood their pain. Tony Cordero became one of those children at age four in 1965, when his dad, Air Force Major William E. Cordero, died during a mission. Prior to his fathers death, Tonys family  consisting of his dad, his pregnant mother, and his three siblings  lived together in off-base housing in the Philippines. Afterward, the family returned to California to be near their grandparents, who became role models to Tony and his siblings, especially in practicing their Catholic faith.

For the entirety of his youth, Tony never knew any other kids whose fathers had been killed in Vietnam. As he approached age 31 in 1989, which was one year older than his father had been when he died, he researched whether there was an organization that connected the now-adult Gold Star children of Vietnam. There wasnt, so with the help of a woman named Wanda Ruffin, they created Sons and Daughters in Touch (SDIT.org) and invited people to send in their names and addresses if they wanted to be included.

This kind of effort took a lot more time during the pre-Internet age, but slowly, they received many requests to connect with the group. During a Christopher Closeup interview, Tony recalled, When we gathered for the first time 30 years ago at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial [in Washington, D.C.], we had hundreds of sons and daughters from all over the country who could look at each other and say, I know what your life was like. You know what my life was like. This was not easy, but finally Im able to stand here at the Wall with people who understand my story.

The annual visits to the Memorial continued, but eventually Tony felt it was time to do something more: organize a trip to Vietnam for the members of Sons and Daughters in Touch. They embarked on a flight to Saigon in 2003, with 50 sons and daughters, as well as 20 Vietnam veterans, one of whom was a Catholic priest.

That trip was cathartic for everyone involved, including Tony. He admits that whatever anger he had felt before toward the people of Vietnam dissipated. Tony said, When we came back home the boogeyman was gone. Today, my family lives in Orange County, California. Were registered parishioners at Christ Cathedral in Orange, Robert Schullers former Crystal Cathedral. The parishioners there are a composite of my life. They are Caucasian, like my Irish grandparents; they are Hispanic, like my dads family; they are Filipino, like where we lived; and they are VietnameseI have incredible respect and admiration for the Vietnamese people, especially those who are in the United States today.

SDIT has grown more than Tony could have imagined. He concluded, This organization has had [an impact] on the lives of so many peoplewhen in their darkest moments of despair, if they need a friend, they can simply go to our private Facebook page and ask a question or start talking to people. That gives them comfort. [The deaths of our fathers] isnt what dominates every moment of life, but it is an undeniable fact about what happened to us, and its not a pretty story. The middle chapters of the story arent pretty, but the ending is what can be.

For free copies of the Christopher News Note Becoming a Wounded Healer, write: The Christophers, 5 Hanover Square, New York, NY 10004; or e-mail: mail@christophers.org.
After a 46-day strike, hundreds of Weyerhaeuser woodworkers across Oregon and Washington  including in Longview  have reached a four-year union contract with the Seattle-based timber company.

The agreement passed by about 55% Thursday night, said Brandon Bryant, the district business representative for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Woodworkers District Lodge W24.

About 350 Longview employees are represented locally by the Woodworkers Local 536 union under the umbrella of the IAMAW while the union also includes employees in Aberdeen and Raymond in Washington and Coos Bay, Springfield and Cottage Grove in Oregon for 14 contracts total.

Bryant said 85% of members voted for the contract that gives a 14% wage increase, no increase to healthcare premiums and improved vacation time and payout for sick leave.

Workers will also receive $750 a year to an individual Health Savings Account or a $3,000 lump sum bonus, he added.

This has been a long journey and the end is not exactly everything the union wanted, he said, but it is better and improved from where we were seven weeks ago.

The company released a statement Friday morning saying the roughly 1,200 union workers will resume work in the international companys wood products and timberlands organizations.

The union voted to authorize the strike on Sept. 2 and officially stopped work and took to the picket lines on Sept. 13. Before then, the last union strike was in 1986.

Since Sept. 13, groups of workers manned Weyerhaeuser gates like those along Industrial Way and near the Port of Longview, holding signs that read phrases like Make Weyerhaeuser great again, as passing vehicles intermittently honked in support.

Bryant said previous contracts were voted down because general wage increases were too low; some vacation time was cut; employees were asked to pay for healthcare premiums for the first time since at least around the 1990s; and retirement benefits werent improved.

Weyerhaeuser reported its 2021 financial performance was the strongest on record, and a roughly 69% increase in net earnings from 2020 to 2021, according to a January press release. Bryant said the workers should be thanked for that success.

In Fridays statement, Devin W. Stockfish, Weyerhaeuser president and chief executive officer, said workers are important to the company.

Our people are what make Weyerhaeuser special, and we are committed to providing safe, reliable jobs with competitive wages and benefits that support our employees and their families, he said. We believe this contract accomplishes those goals, and we are excited to welcome everyone back and resume normal operations as soon as possible.
With the midterm election approaching, its an appropriate time to consider how we as Americans first became exposed to the whole democratic process. For me, it began at 6 years old in Wicker Park.

I was just a kid when we moved into this big house on Pierce Avenue. Mom showed my sister Ann and me to the little rooms that had been assigned to the Crampton family on the second floor in the back. We were there because Mom had dumped Dad, and we needed a place to live. He was a mamas boy was about all we ever heard about our father.

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But Mom made sure I never became a mamas boy  she bought me a Schwinn bike to explore our new neighborhood and gave me an allowance so I could ride the L all around Chicago.

We shared this big house with about a dozen others, and we all gathered for meals around one long table, sitting wherever we chose, except at the head, where the head resident and his wife sat and where he blessed the food brought in from the kitchen by Mary, our house cook.

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Social workers and other staff in front of Association House, a settlement house in Chicago, on Dec. 17, 1939. A young Norm Crampton, center, stands in front of his mother and next to his sister. (Norm Crampton)

Our new home was the residence for the staff of a settlement house, a term you dont hear much anymore but an important place in many American cities beginning in the 1890s. Settlement houses served the needs of recent immigrants and other folks trying to scratch out a living and find a better life.

When I tell people I grew up in a settlement house, most ask, Whats that? And when I start to explain, some ask, Oh, you mean a commune? Thats pretty close.

There we were in 1939, the Cramptons, settling in at the staff residence, which was a block south of Association House on 2150 W. North Ave. (It has since moved to 1116 N. Kedzie Ave.) Our housemates  young men and women with social work degrees  ran all the social and recreational programs at Association House.

My mom, who then had only a high school diploma but knew shorthand and typing, became the secretary to the head resident, Edwin Eells.

The idea of settlement houses came to the U.S. from England, where Toynbee Hall opened in 1884 in the East End of London. Jane Addams, a name that rings a bell for many Chicagoans, visited during a world tour, saw how the institution was serving the needs of Londoners and thought it would be good idea to set up something similar in Chicago.

So Addams, drawing on her sizable inheritance, in 1889 bought a big house at 800 S. Halsted St., moved into the apartment upstairs and opened the doors to Hull House, named for the guy who had built it many years before.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 23 Social work pioneer Jane Addams talks with young people visiting Hull House in Chicago in an undated photo. (AP)

Americas first settlement house began serving residents of the Near West Side. They were immigrants from Europe  Poles, Jews, Italians and Russians  plus other poor city folks and Americans who had moved up to the city from rural areas, all trying to make a living in the big city. For her good work over many decades, Addams became the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1931.

Settlement houses got their name because they were settled in city neighborhoods where people needed lots of services. This was years before state and federal social programs.

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To survive and have hope to do better, city folks needed recreation for kids and adults, places for social gatherings and clubs, fun and games, child care, health services, job training, political awareness, preparation for citizenship  in Addams view, all the stuff that keeps a democracy alive.

In the book Citizen: Jane Addams and the Struggle for Democracy, author Louise Knight puts it this way:

For her the word democracy had become infused with memories of the blood, sweat, tears, and laughter of organized workers; of the delight of club women on discovering they could have political influence;  of the fiery debates of the Working Peoples Social Science Club;  of mass meetings of thousands of shouting Chicagoans calling for an end to corruption in city government;  and of long nights of folding, addressing, and stamping campaign circulars.

As grade school kids in Wicker Park, 50 years later, my sister and I loved all the attention we got as the only kids we knew who grew up inside a Chicago settlement house  where a lot of democracy was happening all the time.

Norm Crampton is a writer who lives in Bloomington, Indiana. He was a Sun-Times reporter from 1958 to 1961.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
Longview residents may vote next year on a pair of new levies to hire more police officers and firefighters.

During the Longview City Councils budget workshop on Oct. 19, the council agreed to fund the budget enhancements for the Longview Police Department and the Longview Fire Department as separate ballot measures next year. The proposed levies are not a finalized decision but will be the starting point for the citys upcoming hearings on the 2023-2024 budget.

The Longview Police Department would be seeking a 0.1% public safety sales tax levy. The department requested funds to hire new personnel including up to six patrol officers, two community service officers and a technician to manage public records and disclosure.

For the Longview Fire Department, the city is considering an EMS property tax levy of up to $0.50 per $1,000 in assessed home value. The levy would go toward staffing a new EMS team, consisting of three firefighters and a part-time administrative assistant, and potentially a new ambulance.

Wed like to have a backup ambulance all the time, in case our private ambulance company (American Medical Response) is unavailable, Fire Chief Jim Kambeitz said. Kambeitz had presented the EMS needs to the City Council during a workshop in May.

Assistant city manager Kris Swanson said the council was interested in funding the departments requests but needed new revenue to meet the demands. While the preliminary budget is still being finalized by staff, Longview may be pressed to maintain its current programs without putting in any enhancements.

The EMS and public safety levies are some of the revenue options Washington cities have to collect money for specific departmental additions. Both types of levies provide at least partially dedicated revenue to the department, and their use can be further narrowed by its description on the ballot.

If this council is going to put that proposition on the ballot, theyre going to tie the specific programs to it, Swanson said.

The sales tax levy would likely raise somewhere between $500,000 and $900,000 a year, depending on the number of sales in Longview and the vehicle sale exemptions. It needs a simple majority to pass. Kalama voters passed a public safety sales tax in 2016 to fund a new police station after the previous station was damaged by flooding.

The revenue from the EMS property tax levy would depend on the levy rate and requires a supermajority to take effect. The levy can be in effect for either six years, 10 years or indefinitely.

If the measures are kept through the rest of the budgeting process, the public safety sales tax levy would appear in either August or November, lining up with the primary and general elections. The EMS levy could appear earlier in the year but Swanson said the city may aim for the fall.

The city will hold the first public hearing on the budget and revenue sources, including the levies, during the City Council meeting on Nov. 3.
A 52-year-old man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of murdering a Kelso man during a dispute and blowing up the body in July.

The Cowlitz County Sheriffs Office deputies say they found the scattered remains of Alan Brice Nielsen, 51, of Kelso on July 30 at a property in the 2100 block of Holcomb Road in Kelso, and believe Jethro Nichols Welter shot Nielsen during a dispute on July 15, and later used explosives to blow up the body.

When detectives found Nielsens body, his remains were scattered in and around a truck on the property, and the explosion also damaged the truck, the sheriffs office says. Deputies say they obtained a warrant prior to the search because they suspected someone had been murdered.

Deputies also report finding multiple firearms, including a stolen gun, and what they suspect is meth, on July 31. Later they said they found records that Welter purchased 60 pounds of explosives used for firearms practice from a local business after the gunshot, between July 17 and 19.

The Sheriffs Offices forensics team says they found evidence that Welter was at the scene of the murder when the event occurred.

Welter was in Cowlitz County Jail Thursday.

At Welters first appearance Thursday Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Marilyn Haan placed him on a no-bail hold, pending a hearing on Monday to decide whether bail will be set.

He faces the charges of first-degree murder, 10 counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, possessing a stolen firearm, possessing an explosive device, possession of meth with the intent to deliver, evidence tampering, and unlawful disposal of human remains.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with the correct age of the victim and to clarify where the body was found.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A convolutional neural network can evaluate thermal infrared images of human faces and determine with 93% accuracy whether the person is drunk.

The system described in the International Journal of Intelligent Information and Database Systems could be implemented in places where drunk driving and drunken behavior are common problems. There are more than a million deaths worldwide each year from road traffic accidents, a large number of those are a direct result of drunkenness.

Kha Tu Huynh and Huynh Phuong Thanh Nguyen of Vietnam National University of Ho Chi Minh City explain that earlier efforts at developing a way to detect drunkenness have focused on eye state, head position, or functional state indicators. However, such systems might be confused by other factors. The team points out that analysis of thermal imaging offers a less ambiguous approach that is also non-invasive and could allow the authorities to screen people in city centers or at events where alcohol is likely to be consumed and people may opt to drive home.

The team points out that it is important that any system designed to identify inebriated people must have a very low rate of false positives and false negatives. After all, a false negative might see a drunk person driving their car whereas too many false positives would preclude sober drivers from using their vehicles and lead to frustration and a loss of trust in the system among the public.

There will always be a compromise in any such system, erring on the side of caution would be preferable, but optimizing the classification through larger training datasets on a diverse population of thermal images should bring it closer to the ideal, which would, of course, be the theoretically unachievable 100% accuracy with zero false positives, and zero false negatives.

More information: Kha Tu Huynh et al, Drunkenness detection using a CNN with adding Gaussian noise and blur in the thermal infrared images, International Journal of Intelligent Information and Database Systems (2022). Journal information: International Journal of Intelligent Information and Database Systems Kha Tu Huynh et al, Drunkenness detection using a CNN with adding Gaussian noise and blur in the thermal infrared images,(2022). DOI: 10.1504/IJIIDS.2022.10047468
The EU has struck a deal on legislation to phase out new CO2-emitting vehicles by 2035, in favour of all-electric models.

The European Union on Thursday struck an agreement on legislation to phase out new CO 2 -emitting vehicles by 2035, negotiators announced.

The talks between representatives of the European Council, fronting the 27 member states, and the European Parliament started Thursday and underpin the bloc's transition towards a carbon-neutral future.

"We have just finished the negotiations on CO 2 standards for cars," tweeted French MEP Pascal Canfin, who heads the European parliament's environment commission.

"Historic (EU) decision for the climate which definitively confirms the target of 100 percent zero emission vehicles in 2035 with intermediary phases between 2025 and 2030."

Cars currently account for about 15 percent of all CO 2 emissions in the EU, while transportation overall accounts for around a quarter.

The agreed text, based on a proposal by the EU executive in July 2021, calls for reducing CO 2 emissions from new cars in Europe to zero by 2035.

This means a de facto halt to sales of new petrol and diesel cars, light commercial vehicles and hybrids in the bloc by that date, in favour of all-electric vehicles.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen praised the agreement as "a crucial milestone to reach our 2030 climate target".

There is a waiver for "niche" manufacturers, or those producing fewer than 10,000 vehicles per year.

Sometimes called the "Ferrari amendment" as it will benefit luxury brands in particular, these vehicles are allowed to be equipped with a combustion engine until the end of 2035.

'Far-reaching'

BMW CEO Oliver Zipse, who is also the president of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), said the decision was "extremely far-reaching".

"Make no mistake, the European automobile industry is up to the challenge of providing these zero-emission cars and vans," he said.

But more needed to be done for the industry to meet this target, added Zipse, such as having "an abundance of renewable energy, a seamless private and public charging infrastructure network, and access to raw materials".

The European Parliament had in June voted in favour of the 2035 ban on all vehicles with internal combustion engines.

Conservative MEPs and Germany had shown reluctance over some of the targets, fearing the costly burden they will place on EU automakers competing against global rivals with looser targets.

Currently around 12 percent of new cars sold in the European Union are electric vehicles, with its consumers shifting away from CO 2 -emitting models as energy costs and greener traffic regulations bite.

Meanwhile, Chinathe world's biggest automobile marketwants at least half of all new cars to be electric, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen-powered by 2035.

 2022 AFP
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The EU official overseeing internet regulation on Friday warned new Twitter boss Elon Musk the social media giant must play by the bloc's rules in Europe.

"In Europe, the bird will fly by our (EU) rules," EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton tweeted, in response to Musk writing that "the bird is freed".

The 27-nation bloc is imposing landmark legislation aimed at reining in the power of US tech giants and forcing them to more closely screen illegal or harmful online content.

Musk pledged to make Twitter "a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner" after completing his protracted takeover of the platform.

The idea of the world's richest person running Twitter has alarmed activists who fear a surge in harassment and misinformation, with Musk himself known for trolling other Twitter users.

Musk has vowed to dial content moderation back to a bare minimum, and is expected to clear the way for former US president Donald Trump to return to the platform.

Musk said the EU's new Digital Services Act was "exactly aligned with my thinking" when he met with Breton in May.

 2022 AFP
Elon Musk fired some of Twitter's senior executives shortly after taking over.

Elon Musk began Friday his first full day leading Twitter, with critics and fans anxious to see how the world's richest man will run one of the most prominent social media platforms.

The mercurial Tesla chief tweeted, "let the good times roll," his latest lighthearted gesture signaling his tumultuous, $44 billion bid to take Twitter private was finally done.

There was no trading on Twitter shares Friday after the New York Stock Exchange filed a delisting notice, informing US securities regulators that the merger between Twitter and X Holdings II, which is "wholly owned by Elon R. Musk became effective on October 27."

Closure of the deal drew contrasting reactions, with former US president Donald Trump cheering the change of leadership on a platform that had banned him, while activists warned of a surge in harassment and misinformation.

European politicians were quick to signal to Musk that the continent had regulations for social media companies.

"In Europe, the bird will fly by our rules," tweeted Thierry Breton, the EU internal market commissioner, in response to a Musk message early Friday that Twitter's bird had been "freed," in reference to the company's logo.

Musk has vowed to dial back content moderation and was expected to clear the way for Trump to return to the platform.

The then-president was blocked over concerns he would ignite more violence like the 2021 deadly attack on the US Capitol to overturn his election loss.

Taking to his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was "very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands."

Far-right users were quick to rejoice over the purchase on the network, posting comments such as "masks don't work" and other taunts, under the belief that moderation rules would now be relaxed.

'More careful'

Yale University philosophy professor Jason Stanley, who has characterized Trump's rise as a sign of mounting fascism in the United States, said he would alter his approach to posting.

"For the moment I am staying on Twitter. But I am going to try to be much more careful about what I say now that Elon Musk is in charge. Cascading hate speech targeting can destroy your week."

Right-wing political commentor Ben Shapiro said he gained 40,000 Twitter followers Friday, while the actor Mark Hamill, a liberal, said he had lost almost 6,000 followers over the last three days.

Among Musk's first acts in power on Thursday were the reported firing of chief executive Parag Agrawal and other senior officialsthough the company did not reply to AFP's request for comment and Agrawal still listed himself as CEO on his Twitter profile.

But Ned Segal, Twitter's chief financial officer since 2017, announced his departure early Friday, thanking ex-colleagues for the "most fulfilling" period of his career and wishing the website luck.

"At its best, (Twitter) democratizes communication and knowledge, ensuring accountability and equal distribution of info," Segal said. "It's a huge responsibility for everyone that shares in the work. I wish them strength, wisdom and foresight."

Musk, who is using a combination of his own money, funds from wealthy investors and bank loans to finance the deal, has conceded he is overpaying for a company that has regularly posted eye-watering losses.

Twitter says it has 238 million daily usersdwarfed by the likes of Facebook's nearly two billionbut has not been able to monetize in the same way as its rivals.

However, Twitter holds an outsized influence on public debate because it is the favored platform for many companies, politicians, journalists and other public figures.

Musk has expressed frustration at content moderation and critics fear his ownership will be seen as a greenlight for hate speech and misinformation.

Though he has vowed that Twitter will not become a "free-for-all hellscape," Musk reportedly plans deep staff cuts that would gut teams that oversee content.

Media watchdog Media Matters for America sounded the alarm over the future of a Musk-led Twitter, particularly the impact on imminent elections.

The platform "is now on a glide path to becoming a supercharged engine of radicalization" and a "fever swamp of dangerous conspiracy theories, partisan chicanery, and operationalized harassment," the organization's head Angelo Carusone said in a statement.

Musk is already the boss of car firm Tesla and rocket company SpaceX and it is not clear what his Twitter role might be, though unconfirmed reports suggested he might become interim CEO.

The closure of the deal marks the finale of a long back-and-forth between the billionaire and the social network that had culminated in a Twitter lawsuit seeking to hold Musk to the transaction.

 2022 AFP
Twitter headquarters is shown in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter after a protracted legal battle and months of uncertainty. The question now is what the billionaire Tesla CEO will actually do with the social media platform.

Twitter's unending fight against spam accounts is now a problem for new owner Elon Musk, who pledged in April to defeat the bot scourge or "die trying!"

He later cited bots as a reason to back out of buying the social platform. Now that the billionaire has completed the deal, he's faced with the task of delivering on his promise to clean up the fake profiles that have preoccupied him and bedeviled Twitter since long before he expressed interest in acquiring it.

The challenge carries high stakes. The bot count matters because advertisersTwitter's chief revenue sourcewant to know roughly how many real humans they are reaching when they buy ads. It's also important in the effort to stop bad actors from amassing an army of accounts to amplify misinformation or harass political adversaries.

"The bigger picture in my mind is: How do we make Twitter a better place for everybody," said bot-counting expert Emilio Ferrara, who worked over the summer to investigate the problem for Musk. He cited the "value of the platform as a societal experience, as a collective place to have civilized discourse and talk freely without interference from nefarious accounts," or scams, spam, pornography and harassment.

To find out just how bad the bots are, Musk hired Ferrara and other data scientists to investigate. At the time, he sought to prove that Twitter was misleading the public when it said fewer than 5% of its daily active users are fake or spam accounts. If Twitter lied or withheld crucial information about the bot count, Musk could argue that he was justified in terminating the $44 billion agreement.

Ferrara, an associate professor of computer science and communications at the University of Southern California, said he had no real interest in whether Musk ultimately ended up owning the platform.

Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition on March 9, 2020, in Washington. Musk posted video Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022, showing him strolling into Twitter headquarters ahead of a Friday, Oct. 28, deadline to close his $44 billion deal to buy the company. Credit: AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File

Instead, he hoped that "any findings would be able to help improve the platform," Ferrara told The Associated Press, speaking for the first time about his planned role as Musk's expert trial witness.

The question now is what Musk will do with that information. Ferrara's presentationsome 350 pages of analysis and supporting documentsis locked up in confidential court filings, and he said he can't disclose his conclusions.

Twitter's former leaders and its lawyers said Musk wildly exaggerated the problem because he had buyer's remorse. Precise counts are "almost impossible" because any bot estimate is based on assumptions that can lead to bias, said Filippo Menczer, a researcher who has been studying social bots for more than a decade and was consulted by Twitter earlier this year.

"Nobody knows exactly how bad the problem is," said Menczer, director of Indiana University's Observatory on Social Media, who said he was speaking from his role as an academic researcher, not a consultant. "I would guess it's not as bad as Musk said and not as good as Twitter claimed."

Many experts also doubt Musk's ability to easily make improvements, which he's suggested would rely on using algorithms to track and remove fake accounts and implementing new measures to "authenticate" real people.

Earlier this month, Ferrara was preparing to travel to the East Coast to testify in Delaware, where Musk was defending against Twitter's lawsuit asking a court to force him to close the deal. But two weeks before the scheduled Oct. 17 trial, Musk changed his mind and said he would go ahead with the $44 billion acquisition. It closed Thursday.

Twitter headquarters is shown in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter after a protracted legal battle and months of uncertainty. The question now is what the billionaire Tesla CEO will actually do with the social media platform.Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Most legal experts didn't think Musk had much of a case. The court's head judge seemed likely to side with Twitter based on the specific terms and conditions of the April purchase agreement.

But that's not to say Musk didn't have a point about the bots, according to Ferrara and other researchers hired by Musk's legal team.

The analysis firm CounterAction, which worked with Ferrara, said it concluded in a July 18 report submitted to the court that Twitter's spam rate for monetizable accountsthose of value to advertiserswas at least 10% and could be as high as 14.2%, depending on how the rate is measured.

Trevor Davis, the firm's founder and CEO, said that analysis was based on a "firehose" of internal data that Twitter gave to Musk, but the company declined to provide additional data sought by Musk's team.

"We expect that access to the withheld data would reveal an even higher true spam rate," Davis said in a prepared statement.

Musk has long been preoccupied with Twitter spambots promoting cryptocurrency schemes, in part because as a celebrity user with more than 110 million followers, he sees a lot of them. Some scammers have opened accounts mimicking Musk's name and likeness to try to get people to think he's endorsing something.

Twitter headquarters is shown in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter after a protracted legal battle and months of uncertainty. The question now is what the billionaire Tesla CEO will actually do with the social media platform. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Not all bots are bad. Twitter encourages the use of automated accounts that report the weather, earthquakes or post humor or lines from literary classics. Twitter also allows for anonymity, which protects free speech and privacyespecially in authoritarian regions. But that practice can make it harder to root out malicious fake accounts.

Ferrara first caught Twitter's attention in the aftermath of revelations that Russia used social media to meddle in the U.S. presidential election in 2016, when he led a research group that estimated that 9% to 15% of Twitter's active English-language accounts were bots.

In a blog post soon after, Twitter complained that such outside research "is often inaccurate and methodologically flawed." The company has repeatedly reported the under-5% number in its quarterly filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission, though it also cautions that it could be higher.

Before Musk's takeover, Twitter said it removed 1 million spam accounts each day. To calculate how many accounts are malicious spam, Twitter reviews thousands of accounts sampled at random, using both public and private data such as IP addresses, phone numbers, geolocation and how the account behaves when it is active.

But over the past months, Musk and Twitter have tussled over the methodology. Twitter uses a metric it calls mDAU, for monetizable daily active usage.

That "is literally a metric they invented," Ferrara said. "You cannot contrast and compare that metric with any other service."

Twitter headquarters is shown in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter after a protracted legal battle and months of uncertainty. The question now is what the billionaire Tesla CEO will actually do with the social media platform. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

When Musk first started publicly raising questions about the bot numbers after agreeing to buy the company, another firm, Israel-based Cyabra, said it had the answer.

"That elusive number you are looking for ... we have it. It's 13.7%," the firm tweeted on May 17, flagging Musk's Twitter handle to get his attention.

Cyabra's machine-learning technology works by scanning a large number of social media profiles to track behavioral patterns, trying to pick out which are behaving like humans. Such guesswork can misfirebut the tweet caught the attention of people close to Musk, if not the billionaire himself.

Cyabra CEO Dan Brahmy said the company started working with the Musk camp by the end of May. Regardless of what the true count is, he said it's not going to be an easy problem to solve.

"Some bots are definitely nefarious," Brahmy said. "The trade-offs are between being extremely high on sign-up standards and information security versus being extremely open minded in a way" that fosters freedom of speech and creativity.

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
A sign is pictured outside the Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. A court has given Elon Musk until Friday to close his April agreement to acquire the company after he earlier tried to back out of the deal. Credit: AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez

Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter and ousted the CEO, chief financial officer and the company's general counsel, two people familiar with the deal said Thursday night.

The people wouldn't say if all the paperwork for the deal, originally valued at $44 billion, had been signed or if the deal has closed. But they said Musk is in charge of the social media platform and has fired CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal and General Counsel Vijaya Gadde. Neither person wanted to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the deal.

The departures come just hours before a deadline set by a Delaware judge to finalize the deal on Friday. She threatened to schedule a trial if no agreement was reached.

The major personnel moves are expected to be the first of many changes made by Musk, who says he can increase Twitter's subscriber base and and revenue.

Earlier in the day, Musk tried to soothe leery Twitter advertisers saying that he is buying the platform to help humanity and doesn't want it to become a "free-for-all hellscape."

The message appeared to be aimed at addressing concerns among advertisersTwitter's chief source of revenuethat Musk's plans to promote free speech by cutting back on moderating content will open the floodgates to more online toxicity and drive away users.

Twitter headquarters in San Francisco is pictured, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. A court has given Elon Musk until Friday to close his April agreement to acquire the company after he earlier tried to back out of the deal. Credit: AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez

"The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence," Musk wrote in an uncharacteristically long message for the Tesla CEO, who typically projects his thoughts in one-line tweets.

He continued: "There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society."

Musk has previously expressed distaste for advertising and Twitter's dependence on it, suggesting more emphasis on other business models such as paid subscriptions that won't allow big corporations to dictate policy on how social media operates. But on Thursday, he assured advertisers he wants Twitter to be "the most respected advertising platform in the world."

The note is a shift from Musk's position that Twitter is unfairly infringing on free speech rights by blocking misinformation or graphic content, said Pinar Yildirim, associate professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

This image from the Twitter page of Elon Musk shows Musk entering Twitter headquarters carrying a sink through the lobby area on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022 in San Francisco. Musk posted a video Wednesday showing him strolling into Twitter headquarters ahead of a Friday deadline to close his $44 billion deal to buy the company. Credit: Twitter page of Elon Musk via AP

But it's also a realization that having no content moderation is bad for business, putting Twitter at risk of losing advertisers and subscribers, she said.

"You do not want a place where consumers just simply are bombarded with things they do not want to hear about, and the platform takes no responsibility," Yildirim said.

Musk said Twitter should be "warm and welcoming to all" and enable users to choose the experience they want to have.

"I didn't do it to make money," he said of the pending acquisition. "I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love. And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility."

Friday's deadline to close the deal was ordered by the Delaware Chancery Court in early October. It is the latest step in a battle that began in April with Musk signing a deal to acquire Twitter, then tried to back out of it, leading Twitter to sue the Tesla CEO to force him to go through with the acquisition. If the two sides don't meet Friday's deadline, the next step could be a November trial that could lead to a judge forcing Musk to complete the deal.

A sign is pictured outside the Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. A court has given Elon Musk until Friday to close his April agreement to acquire the company after he earlier tried to back out of the deal. Credit: AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez

But Musk has been signaling that the deal is going through. He strolled into the company's San Francisco headquarters Wednesday carrying a porcelain sink, changed his Twitter profile to "Chief Twit," and tweeted "Entering Twitter HQlet that sink in!"

And overnight the New York Stock Exchange notified investors that it will suspend trading in shares of Twitter before the opening bell Friday in anticipation of the company going private under Musk.

Musk is expected to speak to Twitter employees directly Friday if the deal is finalized, according to an internal memo cited in several media outlets. Despite internal confusion and low morale tied to fears of layoffs or a dismantling of the company's culture and operations, Twitter leaders this week have at least outwardly welcomed Musk's arrival and messaging.

Top sales executive Sarah Personette, the company's chief customer officer, said she had a "great discussion" with Musk on Wednesday and appeared to endorse his Thursday message to advertisers.

The Twitter logo is seen on the awning of the building that houses the Twitter office in New York, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. Elon Musk posted a video Wednesday showing him strolling into Twitter headquarters ahead of a Friday deadline to close his $44 billion deal to buy the company. Credit: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

"Our continued commitment to brand safety for advertisers remains unchanged," Personette tweeted Thursday. "Looking forward to the future!"

Musk's apparent enthusiasm about visiting Twitter headquarters this week stood in sharp contrast to one of his earlier suggestions: The building should be turned into a homeless shelter because so few employees actually worked there.

The Washington Post reported last week that Musk told prospective investors that he plans to cut three quarters of Twitter's 7,500 workers when he becomes owner of the company. The newspaper cited documents and unnamed sources familiar with the deliberation.

Musk has spent months deriding Twitter's "spam bots" and making sometimes contradictory pronouncements about Twitter's problems and how to fix them. But he has shared few concrete details about his plans for the social media platform.

A receptionist works in the lobby of the building that houses the Twitter office in New York, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. Elon Musk posted a video Wednesday showing him strolling into Twitter headquarters ahead of a Friday deadline to close his $44 billion deal to buy the company. Credit: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

The Twitter logo is seen on the awning of the building that houses the Twitter office in New York, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. Elon Musk posted a video Wednesday showing him strolling into Twitter headquarters ahead of a Friday deadline to close his $44 billion deal to buy the company. Credit: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

Thursday's note to advertisers shows a newfound emphasis on advertising revenue, especially a need for Twitter to provide more "relevant ads"which typically means targeted ads that rely on collecting and analyzing users' personal information.

Yildirim said that, unlike Facebook, Twitter has not been good at targeting advertising to what users want to see. Musk's message suggests he wants to fix that, she said.

Insider Intelligence principal analyst Jasmine Enberg said Musk has good reason to avoid a massive shakeup of Twitter's ad business because Twitter's revenues have taken a beating from the weakening economy, months of uncertainty surrounding Musk's proposed takeover, changing consumer behaviors and the fact that "there's no other revenue source waiting in the wings."

"Even slightly loosening content moderation on the platform is sure to spook advertisers, many of whom already find Twitter's brand safety tools to be lacking compared with other social platforms," Enberg said.

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Elon Musk's pursuit of Twitter has been rocky.

Elon Musk's pursuit of Twitter was a melodrama from the beginninga volatile courtship between a mercurial billionaire and an influential social media platform.

That relationshipa love-hate affair from both sidesis at last a sure thing, with Musk taking control of the company Thursday.

Here is a look at his on-off romance with the network:

The courtship

It all began with an expensive first date: Muska longtime Twitter user known for inflammatory tweetssnapped up 73.5 million shares at a cost of nearly $2.9 billion.

The purchase, which was revealed in an April 4 regulatory filing and gave him a 9.2 percent stake in the company, sent Twitter shares soaring and sparked speculation that Musk was seeking an active role in the social media company's operations.

It also earned him a seat on the board. CEO Parag Agrawal announced the offerin a tweet, of courseand called Musk "a passionate believer and intense critic of the service which is exactly what we need."

But the initial attraction didn't last: Musk opted against joining the board, and quickly launched a hostile takeover bid for the company, offering $54.20 a share, an April 13 filing showed.

Twitter in turn adopted a "poison pill" defense that would allow shareholders to buy additional stock.

The engagement

Then came the plans for a walk down the corporate aisle: Twitter reversed course and said on April 25 that it was selling to Musk in a deal valued at $44 billion.

Musk parted with $8.4 billion in shares in Tesla, pledged up to $21 billion from his personal fortune and got some friends to stake him a few billion.

The breakup

But the billionaire soon began showing signs of cold feet, saying on May 13 that the deal to buy Twitter was "temporarily on hold" pending details on spam and fake accounts on the platform.

After two months of very public fighting over the issue, he called off the deal and accused Twitter of making "misleading" statements.

The company quickly launched legal action to enforce the agreement.

The reconciliation

Both sides had been gearing up for a lengthy and hugely expensive showdown at the Delaware Chancery Court.

Musk had been buoyed by whistleblower revelations that portrayed the company as cavalier with its bot counting and lax on security.

Twitter, however, believed the agreement it had with Musk was airtight.

Then, earlier this month, Musk revealedon Twitter, of coursethat he had agreed to close the deal at the initially offered price, calling the acquisition an "accelerant" towards creating "X," which he said would be "the everything app".

He offered no further detail.

Litigation was suspended, and the court in Delaware set Friday as the deadline for sealing the deal.

The marriage

On Thursday, word finally arrived that the nuptials were complete: Musk had taken control of Twitter and fired its top executives, including chief executive Agrawal.

Earlier in the day Musk said that he hoped to foster "healthy" debate on the platform. A happily ever after in the making? Time will tell.

Musk had already given clues to the impending union, changing his Twitter biography to read "Chief Twit" and visiting the company's California headquarters earlier in the week.

 2022 AFP
U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of Murphysboro is shown speaking during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Aug. 24, 2021, in Washington. A lawsuit being led by the four-term congressman echoes some of the rejected court challenges filed by former President Donald Trump in other states in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)

A pending federal lawsuit, brought by a downstate Republican congressman and two GOP officials, could invalidate potentially tens of thousands of mailed general election ballots that are cast by Illinois voters, including military members serving overseas, and postmarked on or before this coming Election Day but received by election authorities afterward.

The lawsuit, led by four-term U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of Murphysboro echoes some of the rejected court challenges filed by former President Donald Trump in other states in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election that he falsely contends was stolen. Bost is being assisted in the suit by a nonprofit conservative advocacy organization that has backed a number of Trumps efforts.

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At issue is a 2015 state law that allows vote-by-mail ballots to be counted if they are received within 14 days after Election Day if they were postmarked on or before the final day of voting. If the ballots lack a postmark or if it is illegible, ballots can be counted if the voter dated and signed the ballot on or before Election Day.

Election Day is Nov. 8 and the 14-day time period, in which provisional votes also are considered, ends Nov. 22. The suit seeks to have no vote-by-mail ballots counted that are received after Nov. 8.

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Bost filed the lawsuit along with Laura Pollastrini, a member of the Republican State Central Committee from Kane County, and Susan Sweeney, who was appointed a Trump elector from Illinois in 2020. Sweeney and Pollastrini are seeking to become GOP presidential electors in the 2024 election.

The lawsuit contends the Illinois law violates federal law that establishes the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years as Election Day for federal elections. The suit further contends that the Illinois law subjects Bost to harm, including expenses for post-Election Day poll watchers and the possibility mail-in ballots counted during the 14-day period dilutes timely votes cast up to and including Election Day.

The lawsuit was filed by the conservative legal organization Judicial Watch, which was among the groups that assisted Trumps efforts to try to stop the counting of mail-in ballots after Election Day 2020. The group stated the lawsuit is an effort to ensure the integrity of elections as well as protect the rights of Bost and other registered voters.

Its Election Day, not election week or month, Tom Fitton, the head of the conservative group, told The New York Times of the 2020 count, a claim he has repeated in objecting to the Illinois law.

The Bost suit is among more than 100 lawsuits that The Associated Press has tracked that have been filed around the Nov. 8 elections. Nationally, the legal challenges, filed largely by Republicans, go after rules for mail-in voting, early voting, voter access, voting machines, voting registration, the counting of mismarked absentee ballots and access for partisan poll watchers, the AP reported.

In defending the state law, the Illinois attorney generals office, headed by Democrat Kwame Raoul, counters that the Illinois statute is crucial to ensuring the voting rights of millions of Illinoisans who avail themselves of the right to vote by mail.

Without it, those voters risk disenfranchisement, despite timely casting their ballots, due to delayed mail delivery and/or inconsistent postmarking practices, the attorney generals office said.

The suit, filed in May in U.S. District Court in Chicago, remains pending before Judge John Kness, with Election Day only days away.

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In the 2020 presidential election  which traditionally has heavier participation than midterm elections and which that year was conducted amid pandemic restrictions that made vote-by-mail a health-safety option  one-third of the nearly 6.1 million votes cast were mail-in ballots. Of that, an estimated 266,417 mailed ballots were received and counted after Election Day, representing 4.4% of all votes cast in Illinois in 2020.

This year, while vote-by-mail has grown in popularity, the lack of pandemic restrictions and the historical nature of midterm turnout makes the number of mail-in ballots an open question, as well as how many of those ballots will be delivered after Election Day.

As of Oct. 26, nearly 820,000 vote-by-mail ballots had been requested by voters statewide and more than 300,000 had already been returned, Illinois State Board of Elections figures show.

In the 2018 midterm, mail-in votes overall amounted to just over 9% of the more than 4.6 million ballots cast, the state election board said.

The state attorney generals office said Illinois is among 18 states that have an extended ballot-receipt deadline beyond Election Day.

Bosts lawsuit has drawn the attention of the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice, which filed a statement with the court on behalf of Attorney General Merrick Garland.

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Permitting the counting of otherwise valid ballots cast by election day even though they are received thereafter does not violate federal statutes setting the day for federal elections, the Justice Department wrote in the statement. This practice not only complies with federal law but can be vital in ensuring that military and overseas voters are able to exercise their right to vote.

The Justice Department noted that since 2000, the inability of states to meet deadlines for sending out military and overseas ballots resulted in court orders or settlements that extended the vote-counting deadline past Election Day in 29 cases, including extending Illinois post-Election Day deadline twice in the last 12 years.

Bost served as a Marine from 1979 to 1982. He contends in the suit that late-arriving, deficient ballots exacerbate the expenses my campaign incurs.

I risk injury because my margin of victory in my election may be reduced by untimely and illegal ballots. Election results are the best measure for my constituents and me to evaluate the publics opinion about my effectiveness as congressman, Bost said in an exhibit filed with his lawsuit.

A diminished margin of victory will lead to the public perception that my constituents have concerns about my job performance as the representative, he said in the filing. Negative and positive perceptions about my effectiveness influence numerous third parties such as future voters, congressional leadership, donors and potential political opponents.

The attorney generals office contends that Bost and the other plaintiffs seek to disenfranchise voters who avail themselves of the ability to lawfully vote by mail under the guise of attending to vindicate plaintiffs First Amendment rights.

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Bost and the others lack standing to file the case because they simply express disagreement with statutes passed by the Illinois legislature and ask this court to override the state legislatures decisions, the attorney generals office said.

But Bosts attorneys said the attorney generals claims of disenfranchisement were exaggerated.

Were voters disenfranchised during the Colonial, Early Republic, Civil War, Reconstruction, and 20th Century eras when states universally required ballot receipt on or before Election Day? Bosts attorneys said.

Plaintiffs do not seek to set any election aside or to reject any ballots already cast. And plaintiffs only seek to enjoin the future counting of unlawful ballots  not all ballots cast in a past election, Bosts attorneys wrote. No one is disenfranchised if unlawful ballots received after Election Day are not counted.

Bosts attorneys cited efforts by Trumps legal team in contending the state attorney generals defense primarily relies on trial court rulings from truncated proceedings involving emergency relief related to the highly contentious 2020 election. They noted that many of those rulings were not appealed, presumably because of time frame constraints caused by the impending election.

To the extent any of these district court rulings are still good law, Plaintiffs respectfully submit they were wrongly decided, and that consideration should be given to the unusual context in which those cases arose, the Bost lawsuit alleges.

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DALLAS  President Joe Biden pardoned federal marijuana possession convictions in early October, asking state governors to do the same. Where did that leave the hundreds of Texans imprisoned on state marijuana possession charges?

Still behind bars. In fact, the White House said no one is in federal prison on marijuana possession charges.

These cases tend to be overwhelmingly filed in state courts, North Texas criminal defense attorney Benson Varghese said.

Texas arrests the most people of any state for marijuana possession even though only a small percentage of those arrested end up in prison. However, both convictions and arrests can have life-long ramifications especially for people of color and young people who experience arrests at higher rates in a state where most people  including the governor  think marijuana should be decriminalized to some degree.

As of Oct. 21, 265 people are serving prison time in Texas on state marijuana possession charges, according to data provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

This figure represents people imprisoned only on possession charges and not concurrent charges of other types of crime. It also does not include people serving jail sentences for misdemeanor charges in county jails.

According to the Texas chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, over 21,000 people were arrested in Texas last year, more than any other state. Possession arrests account for about 97% of all marijuana related arrests, Texas NORML found in its study using FBI data.

Of the 265 current inmates, 56 were charged only with possessing marijuana in the amount range of more than 4 ounces and less than 5 pounds.

Of the current inmates, 136 were committed in the last five years, many because of probation or parole violations, a TDCJ spokesperson said. Three people are serving sentences from convictions in the 1990s.

Texas NORML executive director Jax James called the inmate figure infuriating.

That causes real collateral consequences and it affects people for their life, she said.

A record of drug possession commonly decreases a past offenders chances of getting jobs, housing and education.

The category resulting in the most imprisonments is the 50 and 2,000 pounds range.

While possession arrests are the largest number of marijuana-related offenses, Texas also has a charge called delivery or manufacturing of substances. Criminal defense attorney Varghese, who practices in Dallas and Tarrant County, said he commonly sees cases involving more than 50 pounds of marijuana filed as delivery or manufacturing charges.

Now those cases are sometimes pled down to just possession charges, because thatll drop it by one level, and the punishment range goes down, he explained. The other numbers are a little bit more surprising.

Varghese said jurisdiction matters quite a bit in Texas, where large urban areas treat marijuana possession differently than conservative counties do. That difference could explain some of the incarcerations for small amounts of marijuana.

Certainly there are going to be some jurisdictions within Texas where the jury pool is not going to tolerate any drugs including marijuana, he said.

Possessing even small amounts of marijuana in a drug-free zone, such as a school, increases the chances of harsher prosecution. Sixteen people are currently incarcerated in Texas on these charges.

Another roadblock to Bidens request that state governments follow his lead: pardons in Texas must come through the recommendation of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles before the governor can grant clemency.

Arrests vs. jail time

Although Texas arrested 21,000 people on possession charges last year alone, Varghese explained most marijuana arrests are misdemeanor cases.

What ends up happening in most cases is certainly something other than jail time, he said. To go to jail on a marijuana offense, you really have to be doing something wrong.

Arrests, especially for first-time offenders and youthful offenders, usually end in dismissal, fines, deferred adjudication or probation. Bond violators, repeated offenders, offenders unwilling to attend diversion programs or people with lengthy criminal histories are more likely to face prison time, Varghese said.

Ultimately, its not the crime of the century whether its a misdemeanor or felony, Varghese said.

In misdemeanor courts, charges for driving while intoxicated and assault tend to take precedence over marijuana cases when resources and testing funds are limited.

When Texas legalized hemp, the plant that CBD is derived from, in 2019, the result was the need to test substances for THC levels before prosecuting charges. This led to a decrease in arrests, prosecutions and convictions.

Over 64,000 people were arrested on possession charges in 2017, according to NORML. A sharp drop to around 45,000 followed in 2019, the same year hemp was legalized. NORML obtained the data from the FBI and verified it with the Department of Public Safety, but the group said slight discrepancies may arise because the FBI has changed its data tracking system.

And in felony cases, higher courts tend to prioritize high-level cases.

No one I knew that specialized in narcotics prosecution was bragging about the people they sent to prison for marijuana, said Richard Alpert, a former Assistant Criminal District Attorney of Tarrant County and founder of Baylor Laws Criminal Law Bootcamp.

While drug busts often include marijuana, the big drugs such as cocaine and heroin cases, are usually what interest prosecutors.

Additionally, Texas politicians on both sides of the political spectrum including Gov. Greg Abbott have indicated support for de-prioritizing low-level offenses.

The prevalence of the viewpoint that it ought to be decriminalized, if not legalized, has reached the mainstream, Alpert said.

Jurisdiction

Various authoritative offices across North Texas have taken steps in recent years to soften marijuana law enforcement.

Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzots office stopped prosecuting misdemeanor marijuana charges in January 2019.

The Dallas Police Department stopped making arrests for small amounts of marijuana (less than 2 ounces) in 2021, after a report found the department arrested unproportioned numbers of people of color for offenses.

Plano police stopped arresting people caught with less than 2 ounces of marijuana, or a Class B misdemeanor in 2019, and instead began issuing citations with maximum penalties of $500.

Texas law also grants police officers the discretion whether to arrest low-level offenders or issue a citation and release.

In the city of Denton, voters will decide whether to adopt Proposition B in a few weeks, an ordinance that discourages city police from making marijuana arrests and citations, and would direct city funding away from testing substances.

Enforcement disparity

Calls for decriminalization often stem from the historic disparity of enforcing cannabis laws across race and ethnicity.

A 2020 ACLU report showed Black people were nearly three times more likely than white people to be arrested in Texas for marijuana possession.

And while overall possession arrests are down in Texas from five years ago, the percentage of arrests for Hispanic and Black people rose in the same time period. Texas NORML found the overall share of arrests between 2017-2021 increased 2.5 percentage points for Hispanic people and 5.9 percentage points for Black people.

By countermeasure, the percentage of white people in total arrests dropped by 7.6 percentage points.

Another group heavily affected by marijuana possession arrests is young people. NORML data show that nearly half of all marijuana possession arrests in Texas were in the 17-24 age group.

This group is also more likely to interact with law enforcement, consume in non-private places, and make frequent low-level purchases of cannabis, Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML said in an email.

Texas NORML executive director James said having a drug record at a young age can become a serious roadblock especially for receiving and completing a higher education. She said a record can affect scholarships, campus housing and enrollment, on top of potentially losing a drivers license and future troubles with potential employers and landlords.

Its ridiculous that something Texas has recognized as of medical value is something that people are actually in jail for right now, James said.

Medical marijuana is legal to a certain extent in Texas, as eligible residents can access low-level THC cannabis. Possession of up to 2 ounces is a Class B misdemeanor and possession of more than 4 ounces is a felony.

Any amount of cannabis concentrate, commonly found in products such as edibles, gummies, THC oils and dab pens is a felony in Texas.

Where does Abbott stand?

Abbott has proposed reducing the criminal penalty for marijuana possession to a Class C misdemeanor in the past, a position he affirmed in May.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto ORourke vowed to legalize marijuana and expunge the records of those arrested for possession after Bidens announcement.

The Texas state legislature expanded the states medical marijuana program last year, and some lawmakers are pushing for further policy change when it convenes again in January.

A recent poll from The Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas at Tyler found 83% of Texans (both Democrats and Republicans) support legalizing medical marijuana in the state. Sixty percent supported legalizing the drug for recreational use.

James, with NORML, said the conversation about cannabis in Texas has changed as politicians have expressed support for decriminalization to various degrees. She said: We need to be smart with our police time. We need to be smart with our taxpayer money.
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The Franklin County School Board has selected the Virginia School Board Association to assist with the search for the divisions new superintendent.

VSBA helped the division with its last superintendent search in 2020. Franklin County Public Schools Superintendent Bernice Cobbs, who took the job over from Mark Church near the end of 2020, recently announced that she will not seek a new contract after her current one ends June 30, 2023.

We used VSBA last time. I think they are certainly ... the most cost-efficient. ... I thought they did a good job, Franklin County School Board Chairman and Rocky Mount District member Jeff Worley said Monday.

In a Wednesday email to The Franklin News-Post, Worley wrote that VSBAs help is estimated to cost $8,400 to $15,900. Last time, he wrote, the search with VSBA cost about $13,200.

While the board members unanimously settled on VSBA Monday, they looked into a few other firms.

We reached out to five firms initially. These were firms that other divisions had used, and one (VSBA) that we had used for the previous search. Of those five, three responded, Worley wrote.

VSBA was one of the respondents. Another was McPherson & Jacobson, based in Omaha and estimated to cost between $18,500 and $30,500. The third, Hazard Young Attea (HYA) Associates, is based in Illinois and the cost would depend on the package and services selected. For reference, Worley wrote, Bedford County schools used them previously and paid $23,500 in consulting, plus up to $3,500 for travel.

Searching for Cobbs successor will be a lengthy process, but Blue Ridge District school board member Julie Nix said it is the school boards most important job.

Nix was the boards chairwoman during the 2020 superintendent search. The original timeline for that process  before it was interrupted by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic  was roughly four months.

That search began in February, but the board is starting much earlier in the year this time around, which should be an advantage.

Worley indicated that the board will work with the VSBA to hash out steps and a timeline.

Well have community input again and the VSBA will help drive that with us  if we want a survey, if we want a town hall ... however we want to try to compile information from the community, theyll help, Worley said.

On Monday, the board members shared some preliminary thoughts about what they would like to see in a superintendent.

Union Hall District school board member P.D. Hambrick and member-at-large Kevin David both said they would prefer someone from Virginia, which no one disputed.

I agree  its better to know the division or the area that youre in, Worley said.

Meanwhile, school board vice chairwoman and Boone District member Dawn McCray said the lack of a doctorate shouldnt be a disqualifying factor.

I think a Ph.D is nice to have, but I dont think its a must-have, McCray said.

Blackwater District member Arlet Greer agreed, saying the lack of a doctoral degree doesnt always mean an applicant is unqualified.

And especially because the pool, as were probably going to find out, is thinner than it was, Greer said.

Last time, the division received roughly 15 applications and interviewed about a third of them.

According to VSBA, McCray said, about 60% of the current applicant pool in Virginia has less than three years of experience.

So you dont have a deep experience pool to choose from, McCray said.

As part of the search, the VSBA includes governance training, which Nix said can cost thousands otherwise. According to the VSBA website, the training is for school boards with new superintendents and is designed to provide time for board members and the superintendent to review governance structures and discuss board protocols and procedures.

Worley added that the VSBA is not doing any other searches now, meaning the board should have its undivided attention. He said the VSBAs perspective and knowledge of various applicants was also helpful last time.

They know ... more than we what we know. ... We can all check Facebook but thats not going to get you everything, Worley said.
After stopping a suspected drug dealer for a traffic offense, Roanoke police impermissibly prolonged the stop by calling for a drug-sniffing dog that led to the discovery of more serious evidence, a judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge Michael Urbanski granted a motion to suppress evidence from the search, which produced a handgun that was the basis for Marcus Vernell Clarks arrest on a charge of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.

Although police had reason to pull Clark over on suspicion that he was driving without a license, a subsequent delay of at least 16 minutes for the dog to be brought to the scene violated the defendants Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, Urbanski wrote in an opinion Monday.

It is not unusual for police to rely on trained dogs to detect the odor of drugs from outside of a vehicle, which does not require a search warrant and often leads to the discovery of evidence that was previously unknown to authorities.

I dont think this is an isolated case, defense attorney Paul Beers said of the time it took for that to happen in his clients case.

Clark, 22, was stopped by a police officer in the Lansdowne Park area of northwest Roanoke on Aug. 11, 2021. A police drug unit that had been surveilling Clark for at least the past hour told the officer that Clark was driving without a license.

Suspecting there were drugs in the car, police delayed what would have been a simple traffic stop in order to get the dog to the scene, according to body camera footage and other evidence.

Of critical importance to the courts decision in this case is that the officers on the scene were instructed by their superiors to hold off and wait for the K-9 unit to arrive, Urbanski wrote.

As it turned out, no drugs were discovered.

My impression is that its not uncommon, and it happens more frequently than people generally think, Beers said of the false alert from a German Shepherd that was trained to sniff for cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.

In another case in Roanokes federal court, a police dogs track record became a key question. Drugs were found just 22 times out of 85 alerts by a dog named Bono, which prompted a public defender to argue that police lacked probable cause for the search.

A judge found in 2012 that while the dog may not be a model of canine accuracy, other factors  including its training and flawless performance during re-certification sessions  were enough to overcome the challenge.

In Clarks case, the reliability of the police dog, whose name was unavailable, was not raised as an issue.

Clark was indicted on a federal gun charge that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison after police found a .40-caliber Glock pistol on the console of the maroon Kia Optima he was driving.

But even if a huge stash of cocaine had been recovered, the length of time for the dog to be brought to the scene would have barred any charges under Urbanskis ruling and previous appellate decisions cited in his opinion.

When the wait for a police dog extends the time of a stop for a traffic infraction, it is unconstitutional, the opinion stated.

Prosecutors had defended the search and arrest, contending among other things that Clark would not have been free to drive away after being charged with the traffic offense, and that the gun would ultimately have been found by other means.

This is still the most crimson of red herrings, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Bassford wrote in court papers, arguing that the Fourth Amendment protection applied only to Clarks car and not its driver.

Following Urbanskis ruling, Beers asked that his client be released from jail, a request that prosecutors did not oppose.

Now, it will be up to the government to decide whether to drop the charge or attempt to proceed without a key piece of evidence.
Thomas DeVore, the GOP nominee for Illinois attorney general, talks about the SAFE-T Act on Sept. 28, 2022, outside Cook County Jail and Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

A judge in downstate Christian County ruled Friday that a defamation lawsuit Republican attorney general nominee Thomas DeVore filed against the mother of his girlfriend can proceed.

The ruling came in response to a motion to dismiss filed by an attorney for the mother, Julie Craig, under the Citizen Participation Act, a 2007 state law designed to prevent public figures from using the courts to silence critics.

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DeVores lawsuit alleges Craig published an online article under a pseudonym in April that accused DeVore of domestic abuse and attorney misconduct, among other allegations. In a sworn statement filed in response to the lawsuit, Craig categorically denied being the author of the article and said she wasnt involved in its creation and doesnt know the author.

In his decision, Christian County Associate Judge Kevin Parker wrote that he couldnt properly evaluate whether DeVores lawsuit fell under the state law without first determining whether Craig wrote or helped publish the article in question.

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At this pleading stage of the case, that material fact is in no way settled, Parker wrote.

Craigs attorney, William Moran, said Friday that it was too early to determine whether he would ask the judge to reconsider.

Parker has yet to rule on another motion to dismiss the case on separate grounds, but the judge earlier this week ordered Craig and three other named respondents to answer questions and provide documents requested by DeVores attorney.

DeVore, who has a history of taking critics to court, did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment.

The article at the center of the case was published April 25 under the name Roger Casteel on the website Substack. It stemmed from an incident that took place days earlier after the Sangamon County Republican Partys Lincoln Day Dinner in Springfield.

Springfield police responded in the early morning hours of April 20 to a call from the estranged husband of DeVores girlfriend, Riley Craig, police and court records show. DeVore represented Riley Craig in an unsuccessful lawsuit against Gov. J.B. Pritzker in July 2020 over the governors COVID-19 restrictions on businesses.

The husband reported that hed received a call from his wife about an argument with DeVore. After speaking with police, Riley Craig retrieved her belongings from DeVores hotel room without incident, and no charges were filed, records show.

Four days later, the Substack article appeared under the headline, Attorney Tom DeVore Involved in Domestic Violence Incident, according to a copy included as an exhibit in DeVores lawsuit.

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The article, which is no longer online at its original location, alleged that DeVore fled the scene after the argument with his girlfriend, knowing this can ruin his political campaign, even affect his ability to practice law in Illinois.

In his lawsuit, DeVore alleges Julie Craig created and published the online article, which accused him of multiple criminal actions, causing harm to his professional and public reputation with likely clients and with voters.

DeVore also alleged that Julie Craig worked in concert with lawyer David Shestokas, one of the two opponents he defeated in the GOP primary for attorney general, and Bobby Piton, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in June. Shestokas sister, Jill Shestokas, also is named.

DeVore is running against incumbent Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul in the Nov. 8 election.

dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
Kush Budler was the happiest 8-year-old in Grand Island on Thursday.

The Engleman third-grader had a big smile as he was awarded a certificate for having the best fire escape plan at his school. The good news continued when he learned his plan was named the best in the city.

Then, later in the day, in honor of his accomplishment, Budler got to ride in the aerial basket of a fire truck outside his school.

Winners in the annual Great Escape program were honored early Thursday at Fire Station No. 1. Fifteen third-graders were honored for creating the best home fire escape plan in their school.

I just feel really good that I won, said the overall winner, whos the son of Josh and Sheema Budler.

Budler clearly put some thought into a safe escape for his family.

Asked to share his plan, he talked about a window in his bedroom that he would pop open and go through. His bedroom leads to a hallway. I can go out the front door or the back door.

Theres a fence he can break through in the backyard. The downstairs has an egress window, and a total of three windows in three rooms, he said, continuing to explain his thoughtful plan.

Grand Island Fire Chief Cory Schmidt opened the program by talking about fire danger. A home structure fire breaks out every 93 seconds in this country, Schmidt said.

One-fourth of fires are home structure fires, but they account for three-quarters of fire-related deaths.

Grand Island third-graders are saluted every year during Fire Safety Week.

During the month, firefighters give safety presentations to kindergartners through fifth-graders. The message this year went to 4,700 students, Schmidt said.

Those visits are done over two or three weeks. We have a busy October, Schmidt said.

The Great Escape program is limited to third-graders.

Fire Prevention Division Chief Fred Hotz explained that, in Budlers honor, a fire helmet will be on display throughout the year at Engleman Elementary. A badge will be presented to Budler.

Jean Vaughn, Budlers teacher at Engleman, was on hand for the ceremony.

The firefighter who visited Engleman gave a great talk and really helped the kids to understand what they needed to do, she said.

As part of the program, a portable smoke house is brought to the school parking lot to help kids understand the best exit plans. The firefighter also stressed what safety steps to take.

One key bit of advice is to stay low. Hotz told the kids that smoke is hot, poisonous and gets blacker by the second.

Its way worse than anything youll see on TV  way worse, Hotz said.

After the ceremony, the school winners got a ride to school in fire trucks.

Other than Budler, the individual school winners were Harmony Castillo of Wasmer, Kyren Carstens of Gates, Violet Chan of Stolley Park, Leon Rondeau of Starr, Braelyn Novak of Shoemaker, Jaxson Schuldt of West Lawn, Tyson Sanchez of Newell, Brenna Ruether of Trinity Lutheran, Alejandra Arellanes of Howard, Elara Haynes of Jefferson, Avlyn Elsbernd of Seedling Mile, Elizabeth Corona Rodriguez of Lincoln, Herlinda Sanchez Bernabe of Knickrehm and Manha Miad of Dodge.
Jones vs. Helzer

So, Ive been looking at the District 6 candidates for the Nebraska State Board of Education and it seems the choice is very clear.

One candidate only has more than eight years of teaching experience.

Sherry Jones has 35 years of teaching experience. She promotes improvement in academics in our Nebraska schools, proficiency in math, sciences and language. Shes concerned that too many of our young people are graduating from Nebraska schools without the basic knowledge needed to compete for jobs and advanced educational opportunities. As a former teacher herself, Sherry wants to protect our teachers from being forced to teach things which, in good conscience, many do not want to teach. And she feels that parents need a strong voice in their kids education.

Ms. Helzer feels it was her job to bring political activism to her classroom and has said she has a plan for teaching social justice? I guess that means shes all about the state controlling your kids education and indoctrinating them on how to be activists and protesters, you know, like those kids we see on national news smashing windows and burning police cars!

It seems to me that Sherry Jones is the only candidate who really cares about our childrens future.

Jeff White

Grand Island

Vote Grand Island forward

Grand Islands Economic Development Program has helped a lot of businesses decide to grow here in our community where we want people to invest. It has helped many businesses make the decision to be here. Our company has added over 100 jobs and significant square footage to the Grand Island area since we received LB840 assistance in 2008. It helped us make the decision to invest in our area and several other companies have made the same decision because of LB840.

Please join me in voting for the renewal of the Grand Islands Economic Development Program on Nov. 8.

Jason Hornady

Grand Island

Investing in ourselves

If a community doesnt invest in itself  in its growth, in its workforce, in its housing options, in its quality of life  then that community will invest in its own demise. Planning for smart growth is crucial for Grand Island.

The Economic Development Program, which is up for renewal on the ballot, is smart growth. I urge voters to vote FOR renewal of Grand Islands Economic Development Program so we dont become the only like-sized community in the country not funding a program to recruit and retain businesses and workforce. This is our best chance to keep Grand Island competitive. Vote FORward.

Jack Sheard

Grand Island

Mayfield the best choice

Tim Mayfield has my support and vote in this upcoming general election for Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education Ward B.

If you want a candidate elected who believes: 1.) in a strong public education system, 2.) the vast majority of public school teachers are doing their best to prepare all children for their future by providing a comprehensive education that is as unbiased as humanly possible, 3.) that public schools, while not perfect, strive every day to be better than the day before, 4.) and most importantly, that every child has value, purpose and deserves the opportunity for a quality education; then Mayfield deserves your vote.

Tim Mayfield is a deep, thoughtful, independent thinker. He views the complex challenges facing public schools in a unique way, allowing him to get to the root of the issues and offer effective solutions and guidance. He has children in the Grand Island Public School district and knows first hand how the district operates. He understands how public schools are funded by a very complex formula created by the state legislature. He will be an effective advocate for all children in our district, and work to make sure no taxpayer funds are diverted from public schools to private or parochial schools in any form.

This year more than ever, its important for voters to be informed on their choices for the local public schools board of education candidates. Determine for yourself who will best serve our students, teachers and all stakeholders. After you understand what Tim Mayfield stands for, I think youll join me in voting for him.

Bonnie Hinkle

Grand Island

No on Pillen, Blood

I am an 87-year-old woman whos voted in every election since I was old enough. I voted at the polls on election day every time except once when I had to be out of town, then I went to our county courthouse and cast my ballot. I have never early voted and consider it a privilege to walk into the polling place and cast my ballot.

As I traveled several Nebraska highways this spring, I kept seeing huge signs for Jim Pillen. My thought was  WOW  someone really wants him to be elected by spending a huge amount. Actually, there were six people running for governor on the Republican ticket. The man really giving Pillen competition was Charles Herbster. When Herbster became a threat, Pillen and Ricketts ads claimed several women had come forward to accuse Herbster of improper touching. Only one woman gave her name, Nebraska Sen. Julie Slama.

Meanwhile, nasty TV ads were appearing with character assassination against Herbster and the clincher that he had been judging beauty contests all over the world.

It did not end with TV ads, mailings were coming in, sometimes two a day from the Pillen campaign. Friends were complaining and each new mailing had me seeing dollar signs into the millions.

I will not be voting for Pillen after Herbsters character assassination and the fact he wont debate Democrat candidate Carol Blood. I will also not vote for Blood. I have watched the Washington, D.C., Democrats doing their best to destroy our country and Im sure she will vote with the other Democrats. Also after receiving her lengthy mailing, all I can see are taxpayer dollars being spent randomly if shes elected.

When I go to the polls, I will be writing in the name Charles Herbster and filling in the circle/box before his name making sure it is counted.

I am asking each of you to think about who you will be voting for and why. This is a free country, although the voting machines make it very easy to manipulate votes.

Shirley Peterson

Atkinson
An extradition hearing for a 17-year-old Texas youth suspected of murdering his mother has been scheduled for Nov. 30 in Hall County Court.

At a court appearance Friday morning, Tyler Roenz requested an extradition hearing. He was represented by Hall County public defender Vicky Kenney.

Hall County Judge Arthur Wetzel scheduled the next court appearance for 11 a.m. on Nov. 30. The timing allows the Texas governors office 30 days to submit a warrant to Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts.

The body of Michelle Roenz, 49, was found in the trunk of the car Tyler Roenz crashed Oct. 14 near Grand Island.

Roenz, who lives in Humble, Texas, is currently in custody in Hall County Jail. He appeared at Friday mornings preliminary hearing via video.

No bail has been set for Roenz, who will turn 18 on Nov. 11.

The teen has been charged as an adult with murder in Texas in the death of his mother, according to Harris County, Texas, Sheriffs Deputy Thomas Gilliland.

The two were reported missing from their home in Harris County on Oct. 13 by the teens father.

Following a law enforcement alert issued in Harris County, Nebraska State Troopers attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle, a Mazda 3, on Interstate 80 near Grand Island. After a high-speed chase of about 9 miles, Roenz tried to slow down, but the car hit the back of a semi truck and left the road, hitting a tree in a ditch.

Troopers found the body of Michelle Roenz in the cars trunk. Investigators have said Michelle Roenz died from strangulation and blunt force trauma.

Tyler Roenz was taken to CHI Health St. Francis in Grand Island with injuries that were not life-threatening, and was later transferred to a hospital in Omaha, according to the patrol.

Roenz was discharged from the hospital on Oct. 21.
CARBONDALE  Outside of the Choices Center for Reproductive Health, a group of protesters marches and prays for life every day.

Curt and Connie Caldwell were two of the protesters on Wednesday.

Connie Caldwell adopted a child whose 16-year-old mom went to get an abortion. She prayed and left the clinic without aborting her baby. Connie Caldwell adopted that baby when he was two weeks old. He is now 35.

Connie Caldwell said they called babies who survived the abortion process holocaust babies.

Curt Caldwell has been standing for life since abortion was made legal in 1973.

In the early 1980s, Memorial Hospital of Carbondale was performing about 300 abortions a year, Curt Caldwell said.

He and his best friend, Wayne Helmer, were members of the Christian Action Council. They began fighting abortion with prayer, saying they put a spiritual siege on the hospital.

During that time. a couple of doctors began leading a Bible study that was well-received. Eventually, 25 to 30 nurses refused to assist with abortions. The hospital ended its abortion services.

Scott Davis of Carbondale was also protesting on Wednesday.

I am standing up for life and truth and offering support to women, Davis said.

He added that Carbondale has a pregnancy resource center and he wants women to know that.

Davis carried a sign that read, Pro-Women, Pro-Child, Pro-Life.

Davis says he represented an organization called Southern Illinois Pro-Life Alliance. They had 18 protesters on Oct. 19 and 25 on Oct. 20. Imannuel Lutheran Church and the Newman Center at SIU signed up to protest.

Davis said protesters will be in front of the center for some time. They are making plans to have materials to distribute to women going into the clinic. They also plan to have trained volunteer counselors.

Jennifer Pepper, CEO and president of Choices, said most of the protesters have been peaceful as they walk along the sidewalk.

We certainly respect peoples right to protest. Its part of what makes America great. When it moves beyond peaceful protest into harassment, obviously that is really unfortunate because staff dont deserve to be harassed coming to work and patients certainly dont deserve to be harassed, Pepper said.
MARION  Voters in Williamson County will choose a states attorney, treasurer and a county commissioner in the General Election on Nov. 8.

In the race for states attorney, incumbent Marsha Marcy Cascio-Hale will face Ted Hampson.

Cascio-Hale was appointed to the office after Brandon Zanotti resigned earlier this year. She was then nominated to run by the Democratic Party of Williamson County.

Jeff Diederich, chairman of the Republican Party of Williamson County, challenged her petition, but Cascio-Hale prevailed and her name is on the ballot.

She is married to Christian Hale, and they live in Murphysboro. They have one son.

Cascio-Hale has been an attorney for 14 years and has worked in both criminal and civil law. She has also led offices with as many as a dozen employees, which wasnt too different than supervising the states attorneys offices 20 employees.

The Safety Act is coming Jan. 1, Casco-Hale said.

She said she wants to get information to the public because she believes there is not a good understanding of the law. She also will have to train her staff and police on how the law will change their jobs.

She said crime is always a big issue.

I want to do more in terms of getting drugs out of Williamson County and Marion, Cascio-Hale said.

She is glad her name remained on the ballot.

Im a fighter. I fought hard to stay on the ballot and will fight that hard for Williamson County, Cascio-Hale said.

Ted Hampson and his wife, Heather, have two sons and one grandchild.

He has been a lawyer for 22 years.

Hampson grew up outside of Peoria and got a degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois. He attended SIU Law School.

He worked in the states attorneys office in Winnebago County until he and his wife decided to move to Southern Illinois and raise a family.

Obviously, the biggest issue is what will happen with the Safety Act, Hampson said. What will happen when people are arrested? Its going to be a change in how people move through the system.

Hampson is working as an assistant states attorney on a contractual basis. He said what he would like residents to know about the office is how hard assistant states attorney's Sean DeMello, Mandy Combes and Jerri Adams work. He said the only times people hear their names is when something is going wrong.

I am working to be ready to hit the ground running, he said.

Ashley Gott will face William Andy Boner for treasurer.

Gott is married to Judge Amanda Byasee Gott and they have three boys.

Gott was appointed as treasurer in April of 2019, then won a special election in 2020. He has spent more than 20 years in a banking career.

As treasurer, Gott has over seen a $20 million budget for the county. Most of the counties around Williamson have a budget that is one-third to one-half of that.

Gott said his office will collect $100 million in taxes next year. And will disburse that to other agencies.

Its a good problem to have. Others are trying to figure out how to make payroll and take care of their population, Gott said.

He would like the countys residents to know that he does not set the value of property. He just collects the taxes and is the chief financial officer of the county.

Andy Boner is not yet married, but sees it in the future with his significant other, Christina Reynolds. He has two daughters and a son.

Boner worked for First Cellular of Southern Illinois. He learned to deal with other peoples money and about credit. He has 31 years of experience in the public and private sectors of finance and inventory control.

I have been able to pay my salary by helping organizations better manage their money, Boner said. It perfectly equates to what I would do for Williamson County.

Boner was raised in the 1970s and 1980s and became an adult in the 1990s. He said people are not as frugal as they used to be.

I want to make sure peoples money is spent in a way they want, Boner said.

For commissioner, incumbent Brent Gentry will face Jim Rasor.

Gentry has two daughters.

In 2004, Gentry beat an incumbent to join the county board. He said the board was arguing and fighting and could not get anything done. He knew he could serve the residents of Williamson County.

One of the first things he did was take on the countys housing authority. The result was better housing for residents.

He said they have come a long way in terms of the county budget. They have balanced the budget for 15n years.

Gentry says illegal dumping, trash and dilapidated housing really bother him. He has worked with residents to help clear some of those issues.

He is also proud of growth in the county.

If we did not have revenue streams and good potential revenue, we would be like other counties, Gentry said.

Gentry has one goal  to keep serving the people of Williamson County. On Thursday, he got a call from a lady from Carterville whose power was turned off. He was able to help her and her husband.

Rasor and his wife Tammy have two boys and one grandson.

Both of them left the state, and that is part of why I am running, Rasor said.

Rasor was the chief meteorologist or WSIL TV3. As a result, he believes he would bring a different perspective to the county board.

I have an education and experience in science. I also have experience in communication, Rasor said.

He likes to look at all sides of a problem or an issue and find a way to solve it, often looking outside the box for solutions.

Rasor would like to find a way to keep more money to draw people to the county. He said Williamson County has great opportunities for people.

I am absolutely an independent thinker, Rasor said. I really understand what we can do to communicate with the taxpayers.
Our family has established a bit of a morning routine and, trust me, with three school aged boys, any kind of routine to make getting up, ready, out the door and to three different elementary schools is a good thing.

Anyway, on the way to drop off the boys at their respective schools, my wife often gives a spelling quiz to each of them. Sometimes, she will select words that come to mind on the way to school: spell burrito, she will say to our seventh grader. Shell follow that by asking our third grader how to spell taco and even ask our kindergartener to spell eat.

Often, I think she has an ulterior motive in her quizzing. Im see what she is doing when she has each of them spell in succession mom, is and awesome. I think it is subliminal programming.

I recently received an email where some research group had come up with a list of the some of the most common misspelled words. These experts analyzed Google search information to find out which words Americans misspell the most.

Their findings surprised me (and I must confess, I had to go back and retype surprised. I always leave out that first R). Here is what they discovered:

The most misspelled word (oops, I had to fix that one, too; I only put one S in the first time)  incorrectly entered more than 257,000 times every month in the search engine  is calendar, usually mistyped as calender.

I completely understand that, after all the shiny chrome thing that my wife uses to strain spaghetti is a colander, not a colandor. And why, just one L? I always want to put a pair of them in that word. No wonder Americans cant spell. (Im sure there are two Ls in that one.)

The other words most often spelled (or is it spelt) wrong are artic instead of arctic, neice instead of niece and recieve rather than receive. (Remember, it is I before E, except after C  weird, right?

Of course, computers and word processing programs have contributed to our failures to spell. They correct almost everything we do. Its kind of like living with your mother-in-law. If we make a mistake, it is right there in front of you, reprimanding you with a squiggly red line. (And, by the way, its really hard to type out a column on misspellings  my laptop keeps trying to correct words that I intentionally want to be wrong.)

I get it. Spelling is difficult. Some of our words do not make sense and others have been refined over the years. Noah Webster changed many English spellings to give them an American twist: checque became check, honour turned into honor and he must have wanted to make imbibing easier  draught became draft. Fellow wordsmith (and maybe also a drinker) Benjamin Franklin even suggested removing the letters C, J, Q, W, X and Y from our alphabet altogether. When I hear my boys spell in the car, I am convinced they are on Franklins side.

Extra letters or not, some words probably need to be changed: colonel and queue are good examples.

And, while we are at it, lets consider some other words that deserve attention. I mean, shouldnt there be a shorter version of abbreviation? What other word means the same as synonym? Why does lisp have a sp sound in it?

Our language is a mess. I think my neice and I will recieve ideas soon on how to fix spellings. Ill put it on my calendermore or less.
The owner of a senior housing facility in Chicago where three women died amid a May heat wave has been fined $1,500 by the city's buildings department.
Diane Bruskie and her 93-year-old mother, Priscilla, pose at the elder Bruskies residence at Smith Crossing in Orland Park. Priscilla Bruskie, a longtime fan and scholar of Vincent van Gogh, recently left the facility for the first time in more than a year to see the Immersive van Gogh Exhibit in Chicago. (Jeff Vorva / Daily Southtown)

Its never too late to learn.

And its never too late to enjoy.

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Former Park Forest and Frankfort resident Priscilla Bruske is proof of that.

Bruske, 93, who is now living at Smith Crossing in Orland Park, recently left the facility for the first time in more than a year to immerse herself in the Immersive van Gogh Exhibit Chicago at the Lighthouse ArtSpace, which had 500,000 cubic feet of projections, 60,600 frames of video and 90 million pixels of all things Vincent van Gogh.

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Bruske needs a wheelchair and is in hospice care but with the help of family members, Smith Crossing driver Jack Christ, members of the Elara Caring staff and the staff at Lighthouse ArtSpace doing the heavy lifting, she said the trip was easy.

The way they handled it was really, really nice, said her daughter, Diane Bruske. She never had to get out of her wheelchair and its all wheelchair accessible there.

The difference between seeing Van Gogh in a museum and seeing it the way we saw it in Chicago was that all of the paintings were across the walls and the floor and the ceiling. You are almost inside the paintings.

The fact that Priscilla was able to get out for an outing was the buzz around the Smith Crossing community.

Everyone was excited that Priscilla was breaking loose and breaking out of the place, Diane said. That was the first day she left here, the first time in at least a year.

Diane said as each painting was shown, Priscilla knew the names of the paintings and stories behind them.

Priscilla Bruskie, 93, takes in some of the artwork from Vincent van Gogh recently at an exhibit in Chicago. He was such a poor, hardworking creature, she said of the artist, who died at age 37. (Diane Bruskie)

Priscilla became a student of van Gogh history when she turned 40. She took art classes at Joliet Junior College and became fascinated with his work and his life.

She loves his work, especially the way he used colors.

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His life?

Disgusting, she said. It makes me feel very, very bad the way he had to learn to exist.

The Dutch artist, who only lived to age 37, spent much of his life poor and in poor health. Much of the value of van Goghs paintings and his own fame came after his death.

If van Gogh were alive today, Priscilla said she would ask him one question.

Why didnt you go out and make more money? she said.

He was such a poor, hardworking creature.

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After taking courses at Joliet Junior College, Priscilla was still raising a family of five but later attended the University of Illinois-Chicago, where she received bachelors degree in art history.

In a Star Newspapers story from in 1982, Priscilla said she was proud of getting a degree because her father did not want his daughter attending school when she was growing up.

He didnt think a girl should go away to school, she said in the article. I guess he didnt want me to grow up. It was the old-fashioned idea of protecting the virgin under your roof.

Armed with a bachelors degree, Priscilla attended the University of Chicago and was one thesis chapter short of earning a masters degree.

She didnt complete her masters degree because as she was finishing the thesis, her adviser died, Diane said.

Others at the school did not take her seriously, Priscilla said.

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They saw me as some woman from the suburbs fooling around, Priscilla said. I may have not been hungry for a job, but I was serious.

Her thesis about van Gogh was offbeat at the time. She related his health problems to his environment.

His problems could be because of the chemicals of the paint he was using, Diane said. When you dont have any money, you are not only using the paints, you are living with them.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

He was exposed 24/7 to all of these volatile chemicals and oils and that was her thesis.

At the time, no one was subscribing to that theory, but now, you can find a whole library of books on that subject, Priscilla said.

Priscillas late husband, Ed, opened up Bruske Products in Tinley Park and the business, now owned by employees, is 50 years old. The company specializes in brushes and brooms.

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Priscilla said even though her father didnt want her to go to college, he insisted on her learning secretarial skills and that came in handy as she became the backbone of the Bruske business.

She can still take notes in shorthand, Diane said. Today, in this day and age, thats like a super power. So many people dont have any idea of what thats about.

Its like she can communicate with people in a secret language.

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
SPRINGFIELD  Student test scores continued to fall last year but new data shows Illinois students are on the path to recovering from the learning loss that occurred during the pandemic.

Numbers from standardized tests administered last spring show steep declines in the percentage of students who met or exceeded state standards in English language arts and math compared to 2019, the last year tests were administered before the pandemic.

Those numbers were reported in the latest state report card, which the Illinois State Board of Education released Thursday. In addition to test results, the report card includes information on a wide range of education metrics such as graduation rates, class sizes and teacher qualifications. It offers statewide data as well as data on each district and school building.

But while proficiency rates were down across the board, State Superintendent Carmen Ayala said the amount of growth students are showing from one year to the next is improving, suggesting that strategies being used to help students catch up in their academics are working.

ISBE devised a new metric this year to track growth rates. It involves measuring a students year-over-year change in scores in a particular subject and comparing that growth to a student in a prior year  in this case, 2019  who started off with the same score. This years report card suggests students in 2022 showed greater growth than their academic peers in 2019.

Now, proficiency rates are still not back to pre-pandemic levels, but this accelerated rate of growth tells us we are on the right track, Ayala said during a media briefing on the report card.

Overall, only 27.4% of third graders in Illinois met or exceeded state standards in reading, down from 36.4% in 2019.

Thats considered an important metric because third grade reading skills are a strong indicator of future success in school. A 2010 study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that students who are not proficient in reading by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school than those who are proficient.

Typical questions on a third grade reading test would ask students to define a word such as impatient or overwhelmed as its used in a short story or article.

Likewise, eighth grade math proficiency is considered crucial to future success in what are called the STEM fields  science, technology, engineering and math.

Typical questions on an eighth grade math test would ask students to calculate how many gallons of paint are needed to cover a patio of certain dimensions or use the Pythagorean theorem to calculate the length of a trip between three cities.

Last year, only 23.1% of Illinois eighth graders scored proficient in math, down from 32.6% in 2019.

One positive sign in math performance was an increase in the percentage of eighth graders who completed Algebra I  29.9%, compared to 28.8% the prior year  although it was still lower than the 30.6% reported in 2019.

This metric is critically important because taking Algebra I by eighth grade is the gateway to STEM in college, Ayala said. If a student does not take Algebra I by eighth grade, then following the normal math course sequence ... that student will not make it to calculus by the end of high school. And calculus is frequently a prerequisite for STEM majors in college.

Although the overall percentage of students scoring at or above grade level may seem low, Ayala said that Illinois has some of the most rigorous standards for proficiency in the nation. The report card also noted that the four-year graduation rate in 2022 was 87.3%, the highest rate in 12 years, and that 64% of Illinois 2020 graduates enrolled in a post-secondary program within 12 months of graduating.

The college enrollment rate was down significantly from the 75% recorded for the class of 2016. State officials said that has been a nationwide trend that was exacerbated by the pandemic.

The standardized tests are required by state and federal law. Like most states, however, Illinois received a federal waiver from the requirement in 2020, when school buildings were closed due to the pandemic, and the participation rate in 2021 was far below normal. State officials cautioned against using either of those two years as a point of comparison on most metrics.

Achievement gaps

The report card showed academic declines across all racial and ethnic groups in both English language arts and math, but there were still large gaps between those groups.

For example, across all grades, preliminary data showed 39.4% of white students scored proficient in English language arts compared to 12.1% of Black students and 18.4 % of Hispanic students. Asian students had the highest proficiency rate by far, at 58.6%.

In math, 35.6% of white students scored proficient compared to 6.8% of Black students, 13.5% of Hispanic students and 60.2% of Asian students.

One area where achievement gaps appeared to be closing, however, was high school graduation rates. The four-year graduation rate among Black students rose more than 1.5 percentage points, to 79.5%, while the graduation rate for Hispanic students rose 1.4 points, to 85%.

That was a major factor in the states overall growth in graduation rates because the rate for white students dropped half a point, to 90.4%.

There were also increases across the board in the percentage of ninth graders who were on track to graduate, and for Black and Hispanic students, those rates were above pre-pandemic levels.

We know that the number one strategy to increase graduation rates is to intervene early with students who are not on track to graduate, Ayala said. The rate of ninth graders on track to graduate has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels after dipping in 2021.

National trends

The Illinois report card came out the same week the U.S. Department of Education released results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP exams, often referred to as the nations report card, and many of the trends seen in Illinois were consistent with national trends.

NAEP is administered to a representative sample of fourth and eighth grade students across the nation. In 2022, the majority of states saw average scores decline in both reading and math compared to 2019. There was also an increase in the percentage of students scoring below the NAEP basic level.

Illinois fared better than many states on the NAEP exam in that there was no significant difference between average scores in 2019 and 2022 for both subjects and grade levels, with scores above the national average.

This is the nation's gold standard report card, and this demonstrates that our investments in learning recovery serve as a national model because they are working, Ayala said. Now, we have much work to do, but this is an important indication that our students are on track.
CHICAGO  A potential showdown is looming in Fulton Market over the arrival of 10 winterized tents for unhoused individuals living under nearby Metra tracks, as the city quickly gave the tent dwellers notice that the shelters must be removed by the morning of Nov. 3 for off-street cleaning.

The bright orange heated tents  which include a foundation, heating and lighting  arrived Saturday, assembled by Andy Robledo, founder of the nonprofit Feeding People Through Plants, who said hes built similar shelters in other homeless encampments around the city without issue this year. 102822-illinois-wintertentsBut by Tuesday, the citys Department of Family and Support Services slapped red notices on his newest tents, alerting people that they must remove the shelters from the premises before the cleaning.

Robledo believes officials are attempting to undo his work and push unhoused people out of the area. The city maintains that this is just a temporary move to carry out necessary cleaning.

Caught in the middle are the unhoused people who say they are grateful for the warmth and shelter the tents bring just as temperatures start to drop.

Its the best shelter, Shawn Scott said outside his tent on Tuesday as rain pelted down between the tracks. Theyre perfect little pods.

Scott has lived on Chicagos streets for the past two years. He now shares one of Robledos tents with his brother, Stan.

Before the new set up, the pair lived in a small, flimsy tent filled with holes, Scott said. Since then, Robledos tents have significantly improved their quality of life on the street.

You just feel more protected in there, he said. When the wind blows in the winter, its like a wind tunnel and the (old) tent would get blown to pieces.

In 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development identified 5,390 people experiencing homelessness in Chicago. A report released in September by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless put the count at a much higher number  over 65,000.

Ryan Spangler, an outreach worker from the Heartland Alliance, said he has been familiar with Robledos efforts to build better tents around Chicago. He never heard of this work causing an issue like this until now.

He hopes community members think of the lives at risk if unhoused people are unable to access safe shelter in the upcoming winter months.

Those tents could potentially save lives, Spangler said. Thats what the focus needs to be, not whether its an eyesore, whether its a little bit inconvenient for somebody walking their dog. This is about keeping people safe.

Robledo said the tents assembly and supplies cost between $350 and $500. Theyre not easy to take down, he said, and hes advising people to remain in their tents.

I dont want people living in tents here as much as they do, Robledo said. I want them in housing, and thats where we need to shift our energies, not to fighting the homeless, but in fighting homelessness together.

A department spokesperson said in a statement that no resident is being relocated as part of the project and that cleanings generally take 1 to 2 hours to complete. Once completed, individuals are welcome to return to their exact location.

A cleaning starts with DFSS professionals from the (Homeless Outreach and Prevention) team engaging with residents and providing details on the plan for the day, the statement said. They are then asked to move their items for a period of time. Residents will then move their property to a nearby location, oftentimes just outside of the encampment, and wait until (the Department of Streets and Sanitation) cleans any waste and unclaimed items. If there are unclaimed tents or items, city representatives will work with encampment neighbors to understand whether the owner is still a regular resident, if they have been around in recent weeks, and if there is any way to contact those individuals.

Robledo is still concerned that the disruption is a move to get rid of the tents he just built.

When he first built the shelters in the area over the weekend, he said the unhoused people living there were surprised and grateful. Just days after, Robledo said residents of the Fulton Market area took to the Nextdoor app to express disapproval of the new tents. Someone following those conversations tipped him off that city officials would be coming to the camp.

The night before DFSS delivered the notices, Robledo warned people that removal may be a possibility.

Unfortunately, when youre someone living on the streets and experiencing homelessness, I think deep down youre used to getting pushed around, Robledo said.

Scott said he is unclear about what prompted the citys actions. The morning the department came in, he said they told him local business and residents had complained.

They were just tired of looking at garbage, Scott said. I understand, but we keep this site pretty clean. We try hard.

Scott is considering other living options and hopes to obtain more permanent housing through the city. He said one city worker told him he would try his best to help.

He was like, if youre here on the 3rd, I will do everything in my power to help you guys get in an apartment as soon as possible, Scott said. If you need help getting a Social Security card or a job, I will do everything in my power this time. I promise you.

He said DFSS told him that they have a place where he can get three meals a day, a bed and a place to shower. They said the shelter will also help him obtain needed IDs and employment. Hes hopeful the city will see that promise through.

Theyre trying to get us an apartment, Scott said. Its such a long waiting list that, you know, it just takes time.

He has worked to find other shelters, but said theres long lines just to get your name on a list or the place requires a special referral to get in.

In the meantime, each day proves to be a challenge for the brothers, whether in finding the next meal or just feeling safe. Those constant struggles weigh heavily on him, Scott said.

Im 43 years old. This is not a life to live, Scott said. Im not living life, having to worry about food and water and showering. The anxiety about people trying to break your stuff and steal your stuff  its just too much.

Scott said the reaction from the local community has been split between support and disapproval. While some people exclaim how nice the new tents were, he describes hearing passersby make comments about the tents being an eyesore and notices people walking on the street to avoid them altogether.

They say, This is insane. How can they do this? They cant do it, Scott said.

While a dehumanizing feeling, he said he might feel the same way if he didnt understand the issues firsthand.

Joseph Wisniewski, who has been unhoused since July, said he felt more secure in his new tent.

Wisniewski said he struggles with various health problems, and his medications have been stolen in the past. He goes to a local Veterans Affairs office to get health care but is still on waiting lists to find a place to stay.

In his old tent, Wisniewski said, he could barely move around or sit up. Robledos tent gives him more freedom to move, as well as increased protection from water that can build up on the street. His tent sits next to a growing puddle of water that trails down from the railway.

Spangler said the needs of Chicagos most vulnerable residents should come first.

We need to have empathy and look at the world through the eyes of the people on the street and focus on their needs as they articulate them, Spangler said. Imagine yourself out there without a place to live in the middle of the winter when the temperatures are below zero.

Robledo first started his nonprofit, Feeding People Through Plants, a year ago after seeing people living in camps around his home and plant shop in Pilsen. He began visiting other encampments around the city and found that tents built for summer were not well equipped for Chicagos brutal storms. Storms often destroyed them, he said.

From there, Robledo felt compelled to help in any way he could.

I went out and tried to see how I can help clean things up and improve living conditions and increase chances of survival, Robledo said. Seeing these camps just lay by the wayside  services just dont seem to reach people.

For Robledo, if people are left with few options other than sheltering in tents, he should help them stay as safe as possible.

I didnt create the camp. The camp was already there, Robledo said. I just improve living conditions and clean things up and provide uniformity.

Robledo has now repurposed tents typically used for ice fishing to create a safer and warmer space for Chicagoans experiencing homelessness.

Since these tents are not fully enclosed with no built-in flooring, Robledo also added paneling on the bottom to help keep heat insulated in the tent. It also adds a layer of protection from the cold concrete.

That insulation on the floor, oh my God, it helped so much, Shawn Scott said.

For Robledo, the issues surrounding the tents is just another symptom of Chicagos ongoing homelessness crisis.

In the statement to the Tribune, DFSS makes reference of its $35 million investment to launch the Expedited Housing Initiative. The department said the initiative has moved over 1,800 households into housing from shelters or encampments. But activists like Robledo still feel more has to be done.

People come and say theyre gonna help, Robledo said. Nothing really ever happens. Its just the status quo. Nothing ever changes.

One of the main problems Robledo has encountered is lengthy waiting lists for housing, he said.

Some of these people have been on the waitlist for a year, two years, three years, six years, 20 years, so the the administrative red tape is killing people out here, Robledo said.

For many, theres no other choice than to stay on the streets.

Theres no alternative, Robledo said. We can do better, but it was the best we could do. They save lives, and thats why were gonna continue to do it.

As people await that call to get off the waiting list for housing or a recovery center, Robledo feels its important to do his part. Robledo described the close relationships he has developed with people experiencing homelessness. He said he visits encampments every day, even a couple of times a day, to check on people.

I just want to do my part to hopefully see them reach that day and send someone to recovery and not have to recover that body, Robledo said.

With just about one week until the citys deadline for the tents removal, Robledo remains undeterred in his mission to help vulnerable Chicagoans and plans to set up 10 more tents in an undisclosed location.

He hopes the newly installed tents in Fulton stay, but even more so, he doesnt want people staying in tents at all. He calls on local policymakers to take action on creating a clear, quick and easy path to housing.

I hope that we can actually reach some change, Robledo said. Stop meeting and planning and just get someone in power or someone with influence to take decisive action. In the meantime, people are going to be there, so why not try to help someone when we can?

Facing uncertainty about his future living circumstances, Scott said he doesnt want to see Robledos time and hard work go to waste. He remains hopeful that his situation will improve, whether that means keeping the tent or securing more permanent housing.

Itll come through, Scott said. We got blessed with this. Theres other blessings to come. I just hope and pray everything will be alright.
CHICAGO  The owner of a senior housing facility on Chicago's North Side where three women earlier this year died amid a brief May heat wave that caused temperatures in the building to soar into the low 90s has been fined $1,500 by the city's buildings department.

Citing city records, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the fine was levied after an inspection by the buildings department found 11 code violations  two of which were the result of a rooftop air conditioning "chiller" that did not appear to be suitable for use on the exterior of the building.

Records show, according to the newspaper, that the department determined that issues noted in the city's first inspection had been addressed and that a second inspection determined there were "no dangerous and hazardous conditions."

By that time, the Hispanic Housing Development Corporation  a non-profit organization that owns and manages the James Sneider Apartment  had, among other things, provided individual air conditioning units to every tenant.

Mike Puccinelli, a buildings department spokesman, said the fine was levied before city officials had access to autopsy records that showed the deaths of the three women whose bodies were discovered May 14 were linked to the heat. He said the fine was based completely on the violations found during the inspection and that the building department would only levy fines based on such violations of the city's building code.

In an email to the Associated Press, Puccinelli explained that autopsy records would not be relevant to the department's inspection of buildings and whether or not it complies with the Chicago Building Code.

"Any type of medical record could be relevant to a private civil lawsuit by the injured party or their agent against the property owner," he said.

On Aug. 11, a week after the fine was levied, the Cook County Medical Examiner's office concluded that the primary cause of death for Janice Reed, 68, Gwendolyn Osborne, 72, and Delores McNeely, 76, was "environmental heat exposure due to hot residential building during heat-related weather event," according to spokeswoman Brittany Hill.

The Sun-Times reported that it asked the Chicago Police Department about the incident and a department spokesperson would only say that the investigation into the deaths of the women "was concluded as non-criminal."

Hipolito "Paul" Roldan, the nonprofit's president and chief executive, said he did not know about the autopsy results until the Sun-Times asked about them and he declined to comment further, citing lawsuits that filed by the families of the women.

The deaths of the women prompted the City Council to pass new cooling requirements for larger residential buildings  including a requirement that buildings must run their air conditioning systems any time the heat index climbs above 80 degrees.
For weeks I have purposely avoided commenting on the Shawnee National Park and Climate Preserve proposal.

The hands off attitude was adopted for several reasons. First, Im right in the middle of it. A public he said, she said battle is unbecoming and never enlightening. Most of the misinformation being put forth by the public faces of the opposition to the national park proposal was so transparently specious it didnt require a response.

However, in the last week or so, the climate has changed. What had basically been misinformation has evolved into the more malicious realm of disinformation.

The primary belief of the people working to create the Shawnee National Park and Climate Preserve is that moving management of the Shawnee National Forest from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the U.S. Department of Interior is the next logical step for the forest.

The Shawnee National Forest came into being in 1939. The U.S. Forest Service bought parcels of eroded, denuded land from willing buyers in the 1930s. Some of those parcels included large areas of old growth oak, hickory, beech and poplar that are now preserved in forest wilderness areas. The USFS planted pine plantations, partnered with the Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps to create what has become the jewel of Southern Illinois  The Shawnee National Forest.

Today there is no question that the Southern Illinois economy is struggling. Coal mines, long the economic engine of the region are disappearing  there is not a single operating coal mine in Saline County at this moment.

We believe, and studies support the contention, that the national park designation would bring more tourists to Southern Illinois. It would create jobs, cottage industries and an attendant increase in wages.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which manages the Shawnee National Forest, is not in the business of promoting recreation and tourist activities. The National Park Service is best suited to maximize the economic opportunities the forest represents and address the clear and present danger of climate change by protecting the 290,000 plus acres of carbon sequestering hardwoods and pines.

Opponents state that the Shawnee National Forest will suffer as the result of park service management. They claim the National Park Service takes a hands off approach to management.

That claim is laughable.

Think about this for a moment. For more than 100 years we have entrusted the National Park Service to be the stewards of some of the most unique, fragile environments on the North American continent  Yellowstone, Yosemite, Crater Lake and the Grand Canyon.

The NPS also manages the forests of Shenandoah and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Ahhh, but the Shawnee is different the opposition says.

Theyre right. The Shawnee is unique. As are all of our parks. The National Park Service does not manage its parks with the same playbook. I urge you to go to www.nps.gov/parkplanning. This encyclopedic website not only contains the agencys complete management guide, but detailed management plans for National Park Service properties.

Recently we received documents through a Freedom of Information Act request that clearly state logging practices being employed at the Bean Ridge and Sharp Rock sites in the Shawnee are counterproductive to forest health. The comments were made by Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Natural Heritage and the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission. Inexplicably, the comments were omitted when the Forest Service published the public comments.

The two agencies stated clearly they do not support the commercial thinning and shelterwood harvest approaches to management: The proposed management actions are not consistent with a natural community management approach as cited in the document, nor are they fully consistent with professional forest management recommendations for successful oak regeneration and recruitment objectives, particularly on sites of intermediate to high forest productivity.

Our goal is not no management, rather, it is more thoughtful management.

One of our public information forums included a presentation by Mike Jeffords, a respected entomologist who has made a career doing research in the Shawnee National Forest. Jeffords promotes an approach to management that takes into account the side effects human intervention has on all insects, birds and plants, not just target species.

Finally, there are false accusations that those of us promoting the national park have ulterior motives  financial gain. There will be financial gain  for the region. Yet, in none of their public pronouncements do park opponents admit most of their jobs have financial ties to the U.S. Forest Service or United States Department of Agriculture.

If someone opposes the national park idea because it might hurt their income stream, I can respect that. Spreading disinformation  not so much.
Orangeburg County

Sheriff's Office

An Orangeburg woman dialed 911 after her juvenile daughter reported finding a stranger in the bathroom of their Maedrine Street residence, according to an incident report.

The daughter got up to use the bathroom around 2:45 a.m. Thursday. When she entered the bathroom she noticed a male sitting on the bathroom sink.

Before she could leave, the male closed the door and told her, "If you scream, I will hit you."

The male then released the door, allowing the daughter to leave.

She returned to the bathroom with a bottle of bleach to douse the male, the report said. He spat in her face, exited the bathroom window and fled on foot.

He was described as a black male wearing a black and yellow shirt, black pants and yellow and white Jordan shoes. He had a braided hairstyle and tattoos on both arms, neck and above the left eyebrow. He also has scratches on both sides of his neck and face.

In a separate incident report, someone is accused of stealing an estimated $378 of water from the Town of Santee by hooking his residence back up to the town's system after it was disconnected for non-payment.

The town of Santee expressed a desire to press charges against the subject.

The case will be presented to a judge for warrants, according to the incident report.

Orangeburg

Department

of Public Safety

A Rowesville woman is accused of stealing several items from the Salvation Army thrift store on Stonewall Jackson Boulevard.

Jeannette Deanna Brown, 50, was charged with larceny Tuesday.

Shes accused of going behind the store twice in August and placing a number of items from the store into her 2012 Ford Fusion, according to a warrant.

The items had been donated to the business for resale to help individuals in need. The items include clothes, shoes and boxes of other items, according to an ODPS incident report.

The value of the items was about $400.
Candidates for the District 7 seat on the Orangeburg County School Board plan to keep students first, create safe and supportive work environments for teachers and staff, and maintain fiscal accountability.

Incumbent Mary Berry Ulmer is being challenged by candidate Sam Farlow in the Nov. 8 election.

Only voters who reside in District 7 can cast a ballot for this race.

Mary Berry Ulmer

The Bowman native is an honor graduate of Bowman High School. She later earned a bachelors degree in English from Claflin University and a master's degree in elementary education and middle school language arts from South Carolina State University.

Ulmer was a public school educator for 34 years. She taught in Jasper and Beaufort before returning to the former Orangeburg County School District 3, from which she retired.

She was elected to the former OCSD5 school board in 2007 and served until 2018, when she was elected to the board of the newly formed Orangeburg County School District, which brought together the former Orangeburg County School Districts 3,4 and 5.

Ulmer, who also serves as a Region 7 representative on the South Carolina School Boards Association board of directors, is running for a second four-year term on the county board for a reason.

"I feel that there are some things that need to be looked into that require my leadership. I've chosen to continue my dedication and commitment as I seek re-election to the Orangeburg County board of trustees," she said.

"My main focus is keeping students as a priority. Also, I want to ensure that we offer support and improve the work environment and resources to the teachers and support staff so that our students can be academically successful, Ulmer said.

The retired educator said she will look at budget priorities to ensure student success.

Use data, go back and review data, assess programs and resources that we are presently using to help make the best decisions that's needed to help meet the needs and student growth and academic success, Ulmer said.

She also plans to address the challenges posed by teacher, bus driver and other staff shortages.

Recruitment and retention. I want to restore the confidence and stability with teachers in this district, as well as support staff. Recruit highly qualified, effective teachers, support staff and instructional leaders because we have found that since the pandemic, a lot of educators are leaving the profession. So we have to restore the confidence and bring about some stability in this district and everywhere, Ulmer said.

She said district consolidation has been a process.

I feel that we are trying to get to where we would like to be and where we need to be, but it's going to take the efforts of everybody working together, she said, including the superintendent, school personnel and the community.

Ulmer said improvements would be made with more communication between, for example, our (county) legislative delegation, county council members, elected officials, appointed officials and our community.

When all those things come into play, we can see the reason for consolidation because that would add to what we're trying to do here, address the needs, to facilitate growth and academic success, she said.

Ulmer said partnerships and apprenticeship programs must be built, for example, to expose student to a high quality education, particularly as it pertains to technology and hands-on training.

Technology is on the rise. ... Im not against a four-year college education, but there are some kids who can do good with their hands, and we can offer them technology and a curriculum through our technology centers.

Then they maybe want to go on to a two-year college to improve on that because we want to make sure that they are college ready, career ready and ... ready for the workforce or military -- wherever they feel that they will achieve and be successful in life, she said.

Ulmer continued, There are career pathways. So as a school district, I want us to make sure that we let the students' parents know this and help them. We have to educate along the way because it's an institution of learning.

She said her experience in the classroom and her dedication to never stop learning makes her a good candidate.

I have to keep myself abreast of the changes and keep up with the changes so that I can equip myself to be of service to the kids. I want to build relationships not only with the students, the Orangeburg County Legislative Delegation, other elected officials and, most importantly, our community.

Its about my love and passion for education. That love and passion dwindles down to the people I serve. I consider myself as a committed public servant to education. I will continue to provide for this school district the governance and leadership needed and advocate for all students, staff, the community, Ulmer said.

Just because I'm seeking re-election to District 7 does not mean that I'm just going to work in that little circle of District 7. I am across the county and for all students, staff and communities, she said.

Ulmer and her husband, Patro H. Ulmer, are the parents of three adult children, all of whom are graduates of OCSD5.

Sam Farlow

Farlow spent 11-1/2 years on the former OCSD5 board and is looking to be a voice on the new board to promote, among other things, high-quality instruction and fiscal accountability.

He ran unsuccessfully against Ulmer in the 2018 race for the District 7 seat.

He said he is running again for a reason.

"As a board member, I hope to continue serving the students, teachers and community. My goal is to continue working with teachers and parents to ensure that our students are able to compete with other students across the country in the job market and in higher learning settings, Farlow said.

I also hope to continue working to recruit the most qualified educators who are equipped to introduce our students to innovative and fresh learning techniques," he said.

One of the things he hopes to accomplish is establishing trust among the public that the district is keeping the needs of its students as its primary focus.

He said he also wants to work toward maintaining a warm, safe, and supportive environment for employees and being a good steward of the districts resources by holding everyone accountable.

Farlow said many people do not think district consolidation has gone well for several reasons.

He said those reasons include an obvious lack of overall improvement in student achievement.

In fact, there has been little public reporting on state and national test scores. Also it appears that the needs of students with disabilities have been neglected during the COVID-19 pandemic, Farlow said.

He continued, Major promises made were broken after consolidation. We were told no one would lose jobs, but large numbers of classified retirees lost jobs. The initial criteria for closing schools was immediately changed and many taxpayers claim to be paying more in school taxes due to the huge one-time millage increase. (Also), all regions do not feel their people have been treated fairly.

He said many improvements need to be made in areas such as overall student achievement, employee morale, public trust, teacher retention efforts and budgetary procedures.

Farlow said his prior experience as a board member makes him a good candidate.

"My prior experience ... has qualified me as a trusted leader. I also worked on the grassroots level in the Parent Teacher Association for years, assisting students and staff with fundraisers and advocating for students academic success. My specific qualities include my commitment to public involvement and ability to exercise sound judgement, along with my zealous advocacy for the best interests of the students, faculty, staff and community," he said.

Farlow said he remains optimistic about consolidation as a tool to further unite the people of Orangeburg County and improve the quality of education for all students.

I remain hopeful that consolidation will eventually lead to financial savings for the district and community. As a grandfather with grandchildren in the district, I see the exceptional work that many administrators, teachers and staff are doing. I want to publicly commend them for their efforts and diligence. I want to ensure voters that I will make students our number one priority and work to create a supportive environment for teachers and staff, he said.

Farlow received a bachelor of science in business administration from Limestone College. The U.S. Marine Corps veteran has been employed at the Department of Public Utilities for more than 30 years.
Naperville Firefighter/Paramedic Scott Jackson, center, was presented with a CAPS Award Thursday night for his role in rescuing two children in August from a burning hotel in Naperville. He's seen here with CAPS Board Chairman Wes Wernette, left, and CAPS Board member Ron Davidson at the awards ceremony held at the Meson Sabika restaurant in Naperville. (CAPS / HANDOUT)

Rescuing babies from burning buildings, assisting at car accidents while off duty and helping quell riots are all in a days work for Napervilles firefighter paramedics.

Although the first responders insist its just part of their job, its clear the winners of this years CAPS Awards, presented Thursday night at Meson Sabika, are greatly appreciated by those they helped.

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Firefighter/Paramedic Scott Jackson was nominated for helping save the lives of two young children during a fire Aug. 26 at TownePlace Suites in Naperville. An air conditioning unit in a second-floor hallway had caught fire, trapping a young mother and her small kids in their hotel room.

She had two infants and people started shouting at her to throw the baby out of the window and she panicked, said Jackson, a firefighter with more than 30 years experience.

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She broke the window and I went up ladder and mom handed me out her 2-year-old and an infant, he said. The children were crying. I didnt have time to put my gear on but while I was rescuing them, other firefighters put out the fire. It was all over in about five minutes.

Jackson added that rescues like this are far less common than they used to be thanks to better building codes and fire prevention practices.

Its humbling to receive an award, but I was just doing my job, he said. Anyone would have done the same.

Naperville Firefighter/Paramedic David Hillis, flanked by CAPS Chairman Wes Wernette on the left and Naperville City Councilman Paul Hinterlong on the right, displays the CAPS Award he received Thursday night during a ceremony at Meson Sabika restaurant in Naperville. (CAPS / HANDOUT)

When off-duty Firefighter/Paramedic David Hillis was driving on Route 2 between Byron and Oregon, the last thing he expected was a crash scene in which people needed to be rescued.

As I crested the top of the hill, I saw a school bus in a ditch and another one backing up, said Hillis, a firefighter for 20 years. Because the local fire department was there to help, I thought I would just go around them, but then I saw a collision between two cars in the middle of the highway which the buses had obviously swerved to avoid.

He stopped to help the car passengers, one of who was critically injured. In all, four adults and three children ended up going to the hospital.

I am very honored, he said of the award, for which he was nominated by his captain.

Not all CAPS (Citizens Appreciate Public Safety) recipients receive awards for specific events. Many are recognized for years of daily good work.

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Capt. Stephen Shink was nominated for his work heading the fire departments relatively new Tactical Emergency Medical Services team. As its first leader, he helped implement operational procedures assisting the Naperville Police Department SWAT team.

We can get into hot zones an ambulance cant necessarily get into straight away, said Shink, who joined the department 22 years ago. For example, we helped the Black Lives Matter riots in Aurora and Naperville. In Aurora, we were deployed in an armored vehicle pushing people to certain locations to bring things to a close. In Naperville, we assisted with stab wound patients.

Its absolutely an honor to be nominated (and) really cool that I was nominated by a peer, not a superior, I believe, he said.

CAPS Chairman Wes Wernette, from left, Naperville Firefighter/Paramedic Daryl MacDonald and CAPS Board member Ron Hume pose for a photo Thursday after McDonald was presented with the Firefighter of the Year Award from the Exchange Club of Naperville at the CAPS Award ceremony. (CAPS / HANDOUT)

Firefighter/Paramedic Daryl MacDonald is the Exchange Club of Napervilles firefighter of the year. His CAPS Award recognizes his passion for promoting fire safety and first aid in schools and through adult classes.

Its nice to be recognized. Ive always liked public education, said MacDonald, who carries out his role in addition to regular duties. I dont do it for the awards. I do it because I live in Naperville, my kids are at school here and so its important for me that people know how to save a life. Were trying to stop any dramatic stories.

Napervilles Fire Department Water Rescue Team has been led for nearly 10 years by another CAPS Award recipient, Firefighter/Paramedic Charles Gros.

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Im very proud of my work because usually the departments are led by officers and Im not one, he said. I was the assistant leader and took over when my predecessor retired. Its really a big honor. When I applied, the administrators agreed my certifications meant I would be the best suited for the job.

A specialist diver, Gros team consists of 30 firefighters and six police officers, some of whom are trained to dive in all conditions, even dark and ice. They mostly save people who find themselves in dangerous situations in the DuPage River or retention ponds.

Gros is also the squad officer for the State of Illinois Urban Rescue team, which assists in major floods across the country.

Its very challenging. It tears at your heartstrings because youre helping individuals who have lost everything, but you get to go home, he said.

Tammey Winkler, a lieutenant with the Naperville Fire Department, was the recipient of the George Winckler Award for her work in heading the department's Significant Incident Advocate Committee, which helps firefighters deal with the mental stresses of the job. (CAPS / HANDOUT)

Naperville Sun Twice-weekly News updates from the Naperville area delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Firefighters also recognize the need to look after the mental wellbeing of their own. Lt. Tammey Morris received her award because of her dedication to supporting the mental health of her brothers and sisters.

Morris is the coordinator of the Significant Incident Advocate Committee, which she helped develop. Its a role she takes on in addition to the regular duties shes performed for 27 years.

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I think there has always been general help available but there has always been a stigma, she said. We are seeing an increase in the numbers of firefighters who commit suicide. Nationally we are losing more of them to suicide than in the line of duty. Usually the reason is a combination of stress over time with a straw that breaks the camels back.

Morris says the job of her committee is to encourage firefighters not to bottle up their feelings.

Sometimes its about understanding how the mind and body reacts, other times its just lending an ear, she said.

Hilary Decent is a freelance journalist who moved to Naperville from England in 2007.

hilarydecent@gmail.com
(TBTCO) - Cuc Du tru Lien bang My (FED) co kha nang se tiep tuc ot tang lai suat lan tiep theo trong thang 12 toi, nhung voi muc o co the nhe hon. ieu nay se lai la mot trong nhung yeu to tac ong en thi truong tai chinh va tien te trong nuoc.
This is a historic day, said US envoy Amos Hochstein on Thursday while at Baabda Palace, enthusing about the maritime border demarcation agreement he brokered and that Lebanon and Israel finalized.

The deal, which was negotiated over several years and signed Thursday, is said to serve the interest of both sides, as well as those of the local actors who were involved in the talks. LOrient-Le Jour offers an overview of the main beneficiaries of the deal.

Lebanon

Is it a good deal for Lebanon? The question is open to debate among specialists. On the one hand, Lebanon has given up its claim for Line 29, which could have allowed it to claim an additional 1,430 square kilometers and part of the hydrocarbons-rich Karish field. On the other hand, the deal granted Lebanon the whole area it has claimed, which is officially delimited by Line 23, and all the exploitation rights in the Qana field, which remains unexplored.

From an economic point of view, there is no guarantee that the field will generate the windfall the Lebanese ruling class promised its citizens. Firstly, this is because it will take several years for any potential discovery  should there be one  to become lucrative.

Secondly, this is because according to most optimistic estimates, Lebanon could count on revenues ranging between $6 and $8 billion at best, delivered over a period of 15 years.

Thirdly, this is because part of the potential profits from the exploitation of the Qana field have to be paid, via TotalEnergies, to Israel, since part of the field is located in its exclusive economic zone.

On the diplomatic and geopolitical level, however, Lebanon came out of the agreement stronger. After the signing, Beirut appears a more reliable actor on the international scene. US President Joe Biden welcomed the imminent signing of the agreement Wednesday, saying it took guts on the part of both countries to get it done. Similarly, Paris has repeatedly welcomed the finalization of the text.

These remarks are not trivial at a time when Lebanon urgently needs international aid to get itself out of its now yearslong financial crisis. Last but not least, by creating a common economic interest between Lebanon (including Hezbollah) and Israel, the agreement pushes away any prospects of a new war between the two neighbors and should result in greater stability at the southern border.

Israel

For Tel Aviv, the agreement is also perceived as a victory. Even if the country has formally given in to the official Lebanese claim (Line 23) and allowed Lebanon to exploit the entire Qana field, it will obtain financial compensations in return, should gas be found in the plot.

Moreover, pending an agreement on the land border, the buoy line, which is considered a security-related issue for Israel, marks the border between the two countries, extending for six kilometers before joining Line 23.

Most importantly, Israel will be able to embark on gas extraction from the Karish field and to market that gas without any concerns over Hezbollahs threats. The latter had repeatedly threatened to attack Israeli facilities if Lebanons southern neighbor extracted gas from this field before resolving the dispute with Lebanon.

Against the backdrop of Russias war against Ukraine, and as the West is looking for gas supply sources to reduce its dependence on Russian gas, Israel hopes to make significant economic gains from the agreement.

Tel Aviv would also benefit from the stability-related promise on its northern border, as the country has been going through an intense political crisis for several years, forcing it to hold new elections every few months.

The agreement reached ahead of the next Israeli legislative elections could be beneficial to its centrist Prime Minister Yair Lapid. This is because despite the harsh criticism leveled by the Israeli right, led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accused the government of having yielded to Hezbollahs threats, opinion polls show that a large percentage of Israelis are in favor of the agreement.

Michel Aoun

On the Lebanese scene, President Michel Aoun is the big winner. Hehas taken the file in hand since 2020 and sought to finalize an agreement at all costs, in order to save his term in office, which has been marked by multiple crises. The text was mainly negotiated by his close associates, led by Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab.

The president also managed to strip his main opponents of this victory, most significantly Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who sponsored the framework agreement that put the file on track.

The president pulled the rug out from under the Lebanese Army as well, which was in charge of the negotiations until December 2020, when they were suspended due to disagreements between the two countries. Back then, the Lebanese Army was holding fast to Line 29, which it deemed part of Lebanons rights.

It was based on this imperative that the amendment to Presidential Decree No. 6433 was drafted, to rectify the map Lebanon transmitted to the UN in 2011. Yet, this decree had stalled on Aouns desk.

By stripping the commander-in-chief of the army, Gen. Joseph Aoun, of this success, Aoun ensured that the army chief could not exploit this political capital to the advantage of his potential ambitions for presidency. The army chief is indeed perceived as a serious candidate for president, to the dismay of the presidents son-in-law, Gebran Bassil, who describes himself as a logical candidate for the position.

Does Hezbollah come out of the agreement stronger or not? Here too, the question is open to debate. On the one hand, Hezbollah is counting on the exploitation of offshore gas in order for Lebanon to get out of the economic crisis that has heavily impacted the Shiite community and increased polarization on its arsenal in the country.

A large portion of the opposition blame Hezbollah, and its arsenal, for Lebanons isolation on the international scene and for blocking any aid that might pull the country out of the crisis.

Hezbollah also presents the agreement as a strategic victory, since it claimed that its threats to resort to military escalation have brought the Jewish state to heel. However, the agreement is tantamount to an embarrassment for Hezbollah, because many perceive it as a form of recognition of the state of Israel. Lapid said Thursday that the deal signifies de facto recognition of Israel by Lebanon.

Hezbollahs Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was quick to reply, saying that the deal is not an international agreement and does not mean Lebanon has recognized Israel [as a state].

Even though it stands behind the Lebanese state, Hezbollah has given its green light to this agreement. This may strengthen its influence in Lebanon and improve its relations with the West. But at the same time, the Iran-backed party has lost some of its credibility as a resistance force to Israel.





This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour. Translations by Joelle El Khoury.
Premier League  Matchweek 13

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KALISPELL  A Montana woman pleaded not guilty on Friday after being cited for animal cruelty on Thursday for shooting and skinning a 6-month-old husky and posting pictures of herself with the animal online bragging that she had shot a young wolf, officials said.

Flathead County Attorney Travis Ahner said Amber Barnes is charged with first offense cruelty to animals in Flathead County Justice Court.

The husky was among a group of 18 dogs and puppies, including German shepherd mixes, that had been abandoned on national forest land in northwestern Montana in mid-September, the Flathead County Sheriff's Office has said.

The investigation led the woman to be cited with a misdemeanor and not charged with a felony because officers believe they can prove negligence, but not intent, the sheriff's office told NBC Montana.

The citation gives the woman two weeks to appear in Justice Court, Officer Paul Charbonneau said.

The Flathead County Animal Shelter cared for the dogs, some of which had parvo, a viral infection that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Charbonneau said he believed all the dogs had been adopted.

Missoulian reporter Zoe Buchli contributed to this story.
CHEYENNE (WNE)  The Laramie County Sheriffs Office on Wednesday identified the victim of a recent deadly shooting. Alexander Frederick Papin II, 41, was killed Monday afternoon, according to the sheriffs office.

The agency had been waiting to identify Papin publicly until his family was notified.

Undersheriff Capt. Kevin James told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on Tuesday that although the sole suspect in the shooting was initially detained, that person was later released.

The suspect has not yet been charged, and an investigation is ongoing, James said.

More information will be released as the investigation progresses, the sheriffs office said in an updated release on Tuesday.

At approximately 3:03 p.m. on Monday, LCSO deputies responded to the 4300 block of the East Interstate 80 Service Road.

Upon arrival, they found a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound, according to the news release. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by medical responders.

LCSO said Monday that there was no ongoing threat to the surrounding community.
Gov. Mark Gordon will soon submit recommendations for how to spend around $100 million of the states remaining $120 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) is a $1.9 trillion federal coronavirus relief package. Wyoming is expected to receive $1 billion directly from ARPA over the next few years.

Lawmakers earlier this year passed an ARPA budget outlining how the state would use the funds, in addition to setting the regular two-year general budget and education department budget. Generally speaking, the relief money has to go toward addressing COVID-19 and its impacts.

Theres still a little more to go around.

About $72 million was never allocated, Renny MacKay, Gordons policy director, told lawmakers Thursday at a Joint Appropriations Committee in Cheyenne.

Another $52 million was allocated, but never used, he said.

The clock to is running out - ARPA money has to be obligated (set aside for a specific purpose) by 2024, and spent by the end of 2026.

So, Gordon will in December send a proposal to the Joint Appropriations Committee on how to use some of the remaining $120 million.

Hes expected to ask for around $66 million to go toward existing ARPA programs, said MacKay.

ARPA grants have funded everything from water and sewer infrastructure, to outdoor recreation projects. Theyve all seen high demand, MacKay said.

Theres a lot of competition for competitive-based programs, he said.

Gordon will ask for another roughly $33 million in ARPA money for new proposals.

Those include funding for a housing program, mental health care and support for high-risk and high-needs youth, MacKay told lawmakers.

Last month, policy advisor Ivy Castleberry told Habitat for Humanity leaders that the office wanted to set up a $25 million grant program for shovel-ready housing projects around the state.

The Joint Appropriations Committee will decide whether to move the recommendations forward, tweak them or reject them altogether. After that, the proposal is expected to head to the entire Wyoming Legislature, where it could be subject to additional amendments and changes. The Legislature convenes in January.
A jury rendered a guilty verdict Thursday against a Gary man in connection to June 11, 2021 robbery of a Gary bank that left a security guard dead.

Hailey Gist-Holden, 26, was found guilty of armed robbery, and using, carrying, brandishing and discharging a firearm during that bank robbery. The former charge carries a penalty up to 25 years, while the latter ranges from 10 years to life. Gist-Holden is scheduled to be sentenced on January 19, 2023.

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The jury found that, as part of the robbery and the discharging of the firearm, Gist-Holden murdered a bank security guard, Richard Castellana, 55, of Tinley Park, Illinois, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Clifford D. Johnson.

His trial lasted nine days presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon.

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Previously, co-defendants James Anthony King and Kenyon Hawkins pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery and murder resulting from the discharge of a firearm during the robbery. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 2 and Dec. 6, respectively.

Briana White, 27, was also indicted in the case, but her trial isnt scheduled until March 2023. Shes currently pregnant and recently filed a motion the court to allow her to give birth outside of jail, according to federal court records.

Police were called just after 1 p.m. June 11, 2021 to First Midwest Bank on the 1900 block of West Ridge Road in unincorporated Calumet Township, according to Post-Tribune archives.

Surveillance video showed two men in all black, who approached the bank from a wooded area southeast, according to charging documents. They shot the security guard in the face, who dropped to the ground, records state.

Arrested on foot, King, of Miami, was the first suspect charged  in Lake Superior Court  before federal prosecutors stepped in and indicted him days after the robbery.

King pleaded guilty to bank robbery and murder resulting from the discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence, records show. The former charge carries a penalty up to 25 years, while the latter ranges from 10 years to life.

King admitted in a March plea agreement coordinating with Gist-Holden and two others, not then named, in the robbery. One accomplice would be the get away driver in a U-Haul that Gist-Holden rented, while the other would listen to the police scanner.

Kings plea agreement alleges Gist-Holden would handle Castellana, shooting him dead before King went inside to get the cash.

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A handgun and $9,000 cash in a black backpack were found about 25 yards from where King was arrested, police said.

Post-Tribune reporter Meredith Colias-Pete contributed to this report.
About a third of the Wyoming Legislatures Senators began their statehouse service as representatives. After nearly a decade in the House, including his recent stint as speaker, Rep. Eric Barlow, R-Gillette, is hoping to make that transition in the 2022 general election.

Unlike the primary election, Barlow has a competitor on the November ballot  Patricia Junek is running as an independent and said she wants Wyoming to better live up to its truly conservative reputation.

The race has been peppered with campaign finance controversy, official party disdain for Juneks independent stance following her failed Republican primary write-in campaign and a push by many Republicans to move the party further to right.

Before lawmakers whittled down Senate District 23 during redistricting, it stretched across the southern half of Campbell County and a northeastern portion of Converse County. It now represents only Campbell County voters, including those south of Gillette in the town of Wright and the rural unincorporated communities of Pleasantdale, Teckla, Turnercrest and Savageton. And while it gained a greater portion of northeast Gillette, some of the citys southeast neighborhoods went to Senate District 1.

The makeup of Senate District 23 is at least a little bit different than maybe the rest of Wyoming in the sense that energy and energy development is a very important issue, Sen. Jeff Wasserburger, R-Gillette, said. Hes represented the district since 2015, but is not seeking re-election. The district is also heavy on agriculture and overwhelmingly pro-business, Wasserburger added.

Junek retired from a career in Washington state where she taught college students employment skills. She and her husband now own The Lodge in Gillette. When she first moved to Wyoming eight years ago, Junek said, she expected the state to be truly conservative. It has come up short of that measure in her view.

We are a conservative state and conservative voters, but yet our Legislature does not represent that at all, Junek said, pointing to an anonymous website that ranks lawmakers according to how they vote on certain bills. According to WyoRino.com, roughly three-fourths of the Wyoming Legislatures supermajority of Republicans are Republicans in Name Only.

The biggest issue Wyoming faces right now is the attack that is coming on our coal, oil and gas industries, said Junek, who added that those attacks are made possible by the states reliance on federal funds and grants. Her priority as a legislator would be to find a way to wean the state off of those federal dollars. That popular fiscal philosophy has proven difficult in practice, both for the state and many current lawmakers in their own financial dealings.

Initially, Junek ran as a write-in Republican candidate in the primary election. But she did not secure enough votes to beat Barlow, who earned 3,355 votes. There were 814 Republican write-ins, but its unknown how many were for Junek. When write-ins do not exceed the number of votes for the candidate on the ballot, theyre not processed, according to the Campbell County Clerks office.

After her primary loss, Junek gathered enough signatures to run as an independent. Her county party was displeased with this.

The Campbell County Republican Party expressed frustration with the notion of defeated Republican candidates re-inventing themselves so they can run again in the general election, the party said in a press release after voting to financially support Republican candidates who won in the primary, including Barlow.

Additionally, the Wyoming Republican Party voted to no longer recognize Republicans who run in the general election as independents, such as Junek.

There are many Republicans that are in positions that cannot publicly support me without repercussions, Junek said. So they have supported me privately with anonymous donations.

While candidates are able to report anonymous donations on their campaign finance reports, that does not mean that an individual may contribute to a candidate with the understanding the contributors name will not be reported, according the secretary of states office. Junek has since said she would not accept any donations that were not legal and that she misunderstood what was permitted.

Barlow, who is a veterinarian and operates a cattle, yak and sheep ranch, has served in the House since 2013, including as House Majority Floor Leader and Speaker of the House. If elected, Barlow said he would continue his work moving the state to a cash-based budget.

Ive heard from the citizens of Wyoming, and certainly in our district, [that] government needs to live within its means, Barlow said during a candidate forum in September put on by the League of Women Voters.

Barlow recently received the Legislator of the Year Award from the Wyoming Business Alliance/Wyoming Heritage Foundation.

As far as Legislators go, Speaker Barlow is one of Wyomings best. He has an extraordinary ability to conduct lengthy, complex discussions while maintaining order among a body of 60 other representatives with kindness and humor, according to a press release announcing the award.

As a multi-term House leader, Barlow has been increasingly associated with the Legislatures establishment earning him the ire of more populist elements within his own party and making him a target for ouster.

Coal Country Conservatives Political Action Committee has endorsed Junek, Harriet Hageman, Republican nominee for Wyomings U.S. House seat, and more than 100 statewide, legislative, local and precinct candidates. After the PAC did not file the mandatory July report with the Federal Election Commission, Campbell County Clerk Susan Saunders filed a complaint. When the PAC filed in October, it reported mostly anonymous contributions used to print and distribute voter guides across Campbell County.

The Secretary of States office ultimately found no violation of Wyomings election code.

Before deciding to enter the race this summer, Junek said she hosted a fundraising dinner for CCCPac in late June. The PAC received $950 in anonymous $50 donations on June 28, according to its July quarterly report.

Junek does not see a problem with CCCPACs reliance on undisclosed donors, mostly because the state determined there was not a violation of Wyomings election code. She also pointed to a voter guide distributed in 2020 by Frontier Conservatives  a Republican PAC that wants to increase civility in the states politics. That particular PAC, however, did not rely on anonymous donations, according to state records.

Barlow sees campaign finance transparency differently than Junek.

We all believe in freedom of speech. Theres no question about that constitutional principle. But I dont know if theres a constitutional principle of anonymous speech or anonymous influence in the elections, Barlow said, adding that he doesnt accept PAC money nor does he coordinate with any PAC.

The race is indicative of the increasing presence of PAC money in Wyomings political environment and concerns over campaign finance transparency.

Junek has had to scale back her efforts due to recent health problems in her family. So the race could come down to CCCPACs efforts ahead of the general election, and whether they can compete with Barlows own campaigning.
POWELL  After landowners near Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area sounded the alarm of a die-off of bighorn sheep, Wyoming Game and Fish officials rushing to the scene found more than three dozen of the iconic species dead and dying in the states prized Devil Canyon herd.

Wildlife biologists immediately collected biological samples, including nasal and tonsil swabs and tissue, from carcasses at the site.

They then sent the samples to Laramie for analysis by the departments Wildlife Health Laboratory. They discovered the cause of death is a pathogenic strain of the bacteria Mannheimia haemolytica, known to cause lethal pneumonia in sheep.

The majority of deaths occurred in ewes and lambs, with only a few young rams  1- to 2-year-olds  still with the group succumbing. Adult rams live more solitary lives most of the year, but the rut will be starting soon, bringing them into contact with larger groups and concerning wildlife managers.

The Devil Canyon herd has traditionally been one of the healthiest, most disease-resistant herds in the state. It is often selected for translocations when other Wyoming herds are in need of being supplemented, said Corey Class, Cody Region wildlife management coordinator.

For the most part its a relatively clean herd, he said.

The herd hasnt had many cases of ovipneumoniae in the past, a disease that has plagued the species in other locations in the Rocky Mountain range. Class said the hope is Mannheimia haemolytica bacteria doesnt live as long and will pass before rams come down to join the groups.

Were hoping this disease is very different than your standard pneumonia issues that weve had with other sheep herds, he said. Weve lost a lot of sheep. But in the long run, we might come out of this OK. But I dont have a crystal ball.

The source of the infection is unknown, the department said in a Monday press release.

Wildlife Health Laboratory supervisor Hank Edwards said he hopes the outbreak can be contained.

Our limited experience with this pathogen gives us some hope the outbreak will run its course quickly, with minimal mortalities, he said.

The 37 sheep that have died so far is more than 10% of the herd, which was estimated to be trending at about 300 individuals prior to the outbreak.

It was one of the worst things Ive seen in my career to see 37 dead bighorn sheep. It was a bad day, but Im hoping theres a silver lining, Class said.

Game and Fish is actively monitoring the population and any further or potential spread of pneumonia. Biologists are counting on GPS transmitters to alert them to future deaths.

Currently, 24 bighorn sheep in this herd are fitted with GPS tracking collars to monitor distribution, habitat use, seasonal movement, annual recruitment and survival rates.

The collars will now help us monitor bighorn sheep populations from a disease perspective and document additional mortalities, Class said.

When a collared sheep dies, officials are immediately alerted by text and emails sent by the transmitter. Class said cooperation from landowners is essential to managing the herd.

We have been working closely with a local landowner who has been key to managing and monitoring this disease outbreak, Class said. We greatly appreciate their assistance and cooperation.

All bighorn sheep carcasses were disposed of to decrease spread of the disease. The herd isnt in contact with other herds in the area and it is hoped this will be an isolated case in the species prime habitat.

The department had a similar outbreak near Laramie Peak, southwest of Douglas.

It seems like the Laramie Peak herd appears to be doing better now, Class said. Our hope is that this disease kind of burns itself out because it moves so fast.

Game and Fish is requesting anyone seeing dead or dying bighorn sheep in the area call Cody Region offices at 307-527- 7125.
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.
Pima County violated the state constitutions gift clause when it agreed to allow high-altitude balloon developer World View Enterprises to lease a $15 million county facility in 2017, the Arizona Court of Appeal has ruled.

The ruling came in a case filed on behalf of three taxpayers in 2016 by the conservative Goldwater Institute, which had alleged the deal violated state procurement laws as well as the constitutional ban on gifting public money to private entities.

At issue is a lease between Pima County and World View, which wanted a site to launch balloons to carry passengers to the edge of space. The $15 million deal includes the lease of a 12-acre county-owned site and construction of a launch pad and headquarters for the company.

Under its 2016 lease deal with World View, the county agreed to build the balloon facility south of Tucson International Airport and lease it to World View for 20 years, when the company would be able to buy it for just $10. The end-of-lease purchase price was changed to $5 million in an amendment adopted in 2021.

State courts had turned aside Goldwaters allegations of violations of procurement laws in key rulings in 2018 and 2019, but the institute pressed forward with the gift-clause charges on appeal.

The gift clause prohibits the donation or granting of public funds to private individuals or entities, though the courts have allowed such funding for a public purpose and if the value to the public is not grossly disproportionate to the consideration being paid.

Reversing a lower-court ruling, the Court of Appeals Division Two in a ruling filed Oct. 26 found that Pima County had shown the World View deal had a legitimate public purpose, but it violated the constitutional gift clause.

We agree with taxpayers that the $10 purchase option amounts to an unconstitutional subsidy because the consideration received by Pima County is grossly disproportionate to the value of the World View facility, Presiding Judge Eppich wrote for the court, with Vice Chief Judge Staring and Judge Brearcliffe concurring.

The court noted that Pima County has estimated the value of the space-port buildings and property will be about $14 million at the end of the lease deal in 2036.

We find it difficult to believe that a facility with an approximate value of $14 million in 2036 can fairly be exchanged for $10 without violating our constitutional proscription against subsidies or gifts to private entities, the judges wrote.

In a footnote, the court noted that even the amended $5 million purchase price would be inadequate.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors will consider the issue at its Nov. 1 meeting and decide whether to appeal the case to the Arizona Supreme Court, County Administrator Jan Lesher said.

Were obviously disappointed in the decision by the Court of Appeals over the Countys economic development lease-purchase agreement with aerospace firm World View, Lesher said in a prepared statement.

She said that after previous wins in the politically motivated lawsuit filed by the Goldwater Institute, the county was confident the appellate court would agree with a trial judges ruling that $25 million in rent payments  $5 million more than construction and financing costs  by World View would be adequate consideration under the states gift clause for purchase of its headquarters building.

Timothy Sandefur, vice president for legal affairs at the Goldwater Institute, called the ruling a major win for Arizona taxpayers.

The companys promised return on investment never materialized, and the undertaking has proven to be a balloondoggle of epic proportions, Sandefur said in prepared remarks.

Although they could appeal the decision to the Arizona Supreme Court, it seems well past time for Pima County officials to admit that this entire deal was both illegal and foolhardy, he said.

Sandefur said that although courts upheld the legality of the lease rates, a trial judge found that county officials disregarded the procurement laws when hiring the contractor and architect.

An appellate court later found Goldwaters challenge to those hirings came too late.

Though World View laid off most of its employees at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, it restarted operations and had hired 60 people by last fall, with plans to reach 100 employees by the end of the year.

In March, the company unveiled a balloon-borne, pressurized capsule that will take tourists on comfortable six- to 12-hour rides at stratospheric heights at a cost of $50,000 per ticket.

World View, which plans manned test flights in 2023, said in May that it had taken $500 deposits for 1,000 flight tickets.

World View plans to fly over locations including the Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the great pyramids of Egypt. The Grand Canyon flights are sold out for the first year of operations, the company said.
Tanzanian president's visit to China will boost bilateral ties: FM spokesperson

Xinhua) 09:22, October 28, 2022

BEIJING, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan's upcoming visit to China will inject new impetus into bilateral relations and encourage new progress on friendly bilateral cooperation, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan will pay a state visit to China from Nov. 2 to 4.

Spokesperson Mao Ning told a daily news briefing that President Hassan will be the first African head of state to be hosted by China after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Noting that Tanzania is an important country in East Africa and China and Tanzania enjoy a traditional friendship, Mao said the two countries have deepened political mutual trust, cooperated pragmatically with fruitful results, and have maintained good cooperation on international and regional affairs in recent years.

The principle of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith put forward by President Xi during his visit to Tanzania in 2013 has now become the fundamental principle guiding the cooperation between China and other developing countries, Mao added.

During President Hassan's visit, President Xi will hold a welcome ceremony and a welcome banquet, and the two heads of state will hold talks and jointly attend a ceremony for the signing of cooperation documents, according to the spokesperson.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, will meet President Hassan respectively, Mao said.

"We believe President Hassan's visit will inject new impetus into the comprehensive and profound development of China-Tanzania relations and make new progress in bilateral friendship and cooperation," said the spokesperson.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Republican candidate for Indianas First Congressional District Jennifer-Ruth Green (right) and incumbent U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan (left), D-Highland. - Original Credit: Photos courtesy of Frank Mrvan and Jennifer-Ruth Green (Photos courtesy of Frank Mrvan a / HANDOUT)

An official with the U.S. Air Force confirmed to the Post-Tribune Thursday that information from First Congressional District candidate Jennifer-Ruth Greens military record, including details about a sexual assault while she was serving in Iraq, were released to a third party by an individual who did not follow proper procedure.

The details, first released earlier this month by the online media source Politico, have set off a firestorm in one of the most competitive congressional races in the country. The seat, held for decades by Democrats, appears to be up for grabs in a contest between U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, who first won the seat two years ago when Pete Visclosky chose not to seek another term after serving for 36 years, and political newcomer Green, a Republican living in Crown Point.

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Based on the preliminary findings of an investigation, it appears information from Jennifer-Ruth Greens service record was released to a third party by a junior individual who didnt follow proper procedures and obtain required consent, Ann Stefanek, chief of media relations for the Department of the Air Force, said in an email.

The Department of the Air Force takes its responsibility to safeguard private information seriously and the matter remains under investigation.

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Greens campaign has said Mrvans campaign or someone affiliated with it acquired the military records and supplied them to a reporter with Politico, a charge Mrvans camp has denied. Greens campaign has yet to provide documentation showing a chain of custody for the documents that placed them in Politicos hands.

Still, controversy has swirled over the release of the confidential information, particularly involving a sexual assault, which would not typically be included in a release of information on service records from the Air Force under the Freedom of Information Act.

The way the release of information was handled by the Air Force was first reported late Wednesday by The Hill.

The walls are closing in on Congressman Mrvan. He denied any involvement in obtaining and leaking Jennifer-Ruth Greens military records in a desperate attempt to smear her. Now we know the Air Force did release documents illegally to a Democrat opposition research firm, Kevin Hansberger, Greens communications director, said in a statement.

His email included links to a website for the research firm and to the Federal Election Commission website, showing tens of thousands of donations by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to that firm, though its not immediately clear which campaign the funds were used on.

Mrvan thanked those who he said have confirmed his campaign is not responsible for the leaks.

I appreciate that my Indiana Republican colleagues have confirmed that no one affiliated with my campaign is responsible. My wife and my family have endured vicious attacks due to these inaccurate and untrue allegations, Mrvan said.

I also take this opportunity to draw attention to the needs of all survivors. Please consider giving your time or donating to one of the many sexual trauma or rape-crisis centers in Northwest Indiana.

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alavalley@chicagotribune.com
Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was severely beaten by an assailant who broke into their San Francisco home, and he's being treated by doctors for injuries, according to people familiar with the matter. Pelosi, 82, suffered blunt force injuries in the attack, according to two people with knowledge of the investigation who spoke to The Associated Press on Friday on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing probe into the attack. Pelosi was "violently assaulted" but was expected to make a full recovery, Nancy Pelosi's spokesman said. Associated Press reporter Mike Balsamo said Capitol Police are working with San Fransico Police to figure out the motive behind the attack. "It's not clear exactly why this person broke into the House or attacked Paul Pelosi. We do know that a suspect has been taken into custody. That suspect is in the custody of the San Francisco Police Department," Balsamo said. Nancy Pelosi was not in the residence at the time. Her spokesman, Drew Hammill, said the assailant was in custody and the motivation for the attack was under investigation. "The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time," Hammill said in a statement. While the circumstances of the attack are unclear, the attack raises additional questions about the safety of members of Congress and their families as threats to lawmakers are at an all-time high almost two years after the violent Capitol insurrection. Members of Congress have received additional dollars for security at their homes, but some have pushed for more protection as people have showed up at their homes and as members have received an increasing amount of threatening communications.
PHOENIX  A federal judge on Friday refused to block the activities of those watching ballot drop boxes in Maricopa County, ruling they are engaged in constitutionally protected conduct.

Plaintiffs and many voters are legitimately alarmed by the observers filming at the countys early voting drop boxes, wrote Judge Michael Liburdi. And the judge said that the First Amendment rights of individuals to speak and gather do not extend to true threats.

But he said the groups that sought an injunction never provided him with any evidence during a court hearing earlier this week that anything being done by Clean Elections USA and Melody Jennings, its founder, reach that level.

Defendants have not made any statements threatening to commit acts of unlawful violence to a particular individual or group of individuals, Liburdi wrote. There is no evidence that defendants have publicly posted any voters names, home addresses, occupations, or other personal information.

The judge also cited statements by Jennings that her volunteers are to follow laws, admonishing them to stay outside the legally prescribed 75-foot limit from polling places, and posting on social media that those affiliated with her group should not engage with or talk to individuals at drop boxes.

Even if these statements are mere window dressing, a reasonable listener could not interpret Ms. Jennings social media pronouncement that alleged mules will shrink back into the darkness following her drop box initiative as true threats, Liburdi said.

That refers to clams by Jennings that the purpose of having volunteers near drop boxes is to deter those who would violate Arizonas ballot harvesting law. That statute says individuals may handle only their own voted ballots, with exceptions for family members, those in the same household and caregivers.

Ms. Jennings social media posts demonstrate that she believes the presence of her volunteers alone would convey messages to these supposed ballot mules,  Liburdi said. The message is that persons who attempt to break Arizonas anti-ballot harvesting law will be exposed.

In his ruling, the judge acknowledged that three separate Maricopa County voters filed formal complaints alleging voter intimidation near drop boxes, both of which he noted are positioned so that people can drive up to deposit their ballots. All three involved individuals taking photos of the voters or their vehicles, though in one the person making the complaint said those near the drop box accused him and his wife of being mules.

But Liburdi said there was no evidence presented that Jennings or Clean Elections USA were trying to deter legal voting.

Threats aside, the judge acknowledged that the 1965 Voting Rights Act also makes it illegal to intimidate anyone voting or attempting to vote.

Only thing, Liburdi noted, is the statute does not define what that includes, leaving it up to the courts.

He said it is clear intimidation can include fear of economic harm, legal repercussions, privacy violations and even surveillance. But the judge said nothing being done by Jennings or her volunteers at the ballot boxes fits that definition.

Liburdi also was not swayed by arguments by attorney David Fox, who represents those challenging the activities of Clean Elections USA, that having volunteers take photos and videos amounted to intimidation.

It is well established that there is a First Amendment right to film matters of public interest, the judge said.

The Supreme Court has recognized a right to gather news, Liburdi wrote. And the public has a First amendment right to receive information and ideas.

The judge said those constitutional protections go beyond the media and extend to to the self-expression of individuals, all of which he said prohibit government from limiting the stock of information form which members of the public may draw.

This right to receive information exists regardless of that informations social worth, he said.

The judge said that, in refusing to enjoin the activities of those watching ballot boxes, he was trying to consider all interests. And that, he said, includes the publics interest in protecting voters from harassment, intimidation, coercion or fear.

There is no right more precious in a free country than that of having a voice in the election of those who make the laws under which, as good citizens, we must live, Liburdi said.

An individuals right to vote is fundamental, he said. But so to is an individuals right to engage in political speech, assemble peacefully, and associate with others.

And Liburdi said any injunction he would issue in this case would likely have a chilling effect on others constitutionally protected activity.

Fridays ruling most immediately affects the actions of Clean Elections USA at two Maricopa County drop boxes. But it also likely would give the legal go-ahead to not just that group but others to engage in similar efforts as long as they act within what Liburdi said are their constitutional rights.
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

My campaign for the Pima Community College Board focuses on three values: keeping the college affordable, accessible and accountable.

Its time for voters to hold elected officials and candidates accountable to modeling the honesty and decency we all deserve. I was deeply saddened to learn of the anonymous, threatening letters sent to local Democratic Party officials and the personal attacks made against Demion Clinco, a current PCC board member running for reelection.

I am a father of four, and if being a parent has taught me anything, its that what I say and do is a model for their behavior. I routinely see some PCC board members from the dais launching deeply personal attacks against other board members character. If my children said anything like what I routinely hear watching PCC board meetings, Id be mortified.

Im not surprised to see people following that lead by printing vile, false signs. While Mr. Clinco and I were both at a candidate forum discussing issues impacting the college, these signs were going up not only on our citys street corners but at Mr. Clincos private home. The board needs to model the behavior we want to see and that means focusing on keeping the college affordable and accessible to students instead of petty grudges and personal attacks.

The Higher Learning Commission, the colleges accreditor, recently announced it will monitor the most significant threat to the college: the boards behavior. The Arizona Attorney General recently found two board members had routinely violated open meeting laws, and if you watch any board meeting, youll see those same individuals showing blatant disregard for parliamentary procedure and the boards bylaws.

We shouldnt be surprised when signs pop up that violate Arizona law from a group that isnt registered with any electoral governing body, as the law requires. If some members of the board cant be bothered to follow the law or the rules of the board, why would we expect their allies in the community to do the same?

The entire board needs to start leading by example, condemn the lies that continue to threaten the colleges progress, and commit to focusing on how to best keep PCC affordable, accessible, and accountable to students and the community. The board must continue to invest in cutting edge career and technical programs that lead directly to good-paying jobs. The board also must hold the college accountable to remaining aligned with Arizonas four-year universities so credits earned at PCC can be easily transferred, creating a more-affordable path for students to access four-year degrees.

When elected, I will put aside petty politics and ego to remain steadfastly focused on student success.
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writers:

As three former Pima Community College Governing Board members who hired Lee Lambert as Chancellor in 2013, we want you to know how critical next months election is for PCCs future.

When we offered Chancellor Lambert the job in 2013, PCC was in crisis. After years of many serious challenges, the college was on the verge of losing its accreditation. Lee led PCC out of this dismal period and introduced a bright new vision for what Pima could be  a vision that has become a reality.

He didnt do this alone. The Governing Board played a critical role in shaping and actualizing this transformational change  and for the last seven years, Demion Clinco served on the Board and as chair for the majority of this time. Clinco, who is seeking reelection, understands the importance of effective governance, collaborative leadership, and financial responsibility.

Under the Board and Chancellor Lamberts leadership, Pima is now home to Centers of Excellence in health care, aviation, automotive, applied technology and cyber security that are training Southern Arizonans for the jobs of tomorrow. The college has developed innovative partnerships with our leading employers such as Raytheon, IBM, Caterpillar, and area hospitals; strengthened partnerships with the U of A, NAU, and ASU so students can more easily transfer; and strengthened Adult Basic Education so more members of our community can obtain high school equivalent diplomas.

Lambert and the Board grew the high school dual-enrollment program, which is now up 26%, and total PCC enrollment is up 9% this Fall. PCC has also received numerous national accolades; it was named one of the top five employers in Arizona by Forbes and Harvard University recently selected PCC as one of the top five community colleges in the U.S.

Since Lamberts arrival in 2013, a handful of individuals have conspired to stop this positive change. This anti-progress, destructive faction has successfully installed two members on the PCC Board: Maria Garcia and Luis L. Gonzales. Garcia and Gonzales have not only continually called for Lamberts resignation but have also worked to undermine the progress of the Board, by making unsubstantiated, and disproven allegations against Lambert and their fellow Board Members. Garcia and Gonzales have admitted to being admonished by the Arizona Attorney General for violating open meeting laws. Garcia and Gonzales are backed by community members Mario Gonzales and his brother Luis A. Gonzales.

The Gonzales brothers are a broken record and continue to spread a false narrative that PCC has violated laws and not followed procedures. This motive is specifically concocted to affect the outcome of next months election  and secure more representation on the Board. They recently held a press conference calling yet again for Chancellor Lamberts resignation presenting disproven allegations, hearsay, and untruths.

Unfortunately, KOLD and the Arizona Daily Star have provided extensive coverage that the college is in trouble due to leadership failures, but never obtained evidence from the Gonzales brothers that their allegations are true. Why after a decade of success, is PCC suddenly purported to be mired in controversy? We are here to tell you what they have said is simply not true  it is a politically motivated falsehood meant to foster distrust of PCCs leadership.

As voters, you will decide if the progress made at Pima over the last decade is able to proceed, or if it comes to a screeching halt.

That is why we are asking you to support Governing Board candidates who will keep PCC on the right track and ensure it is affordable, accessible and accountable. Current Board member Demion Clinco (District 2) and Greg Taylor (District 4) understand that in order to have a strong economy, we need an educated workforce and a strong college. Pima is a critically important asset to Tucson and Southern Arizona. Its on the right track  please vote for Clinco and Taylor.
Flows of passengers and goods over the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge  a mega sea-crossing project in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area  have increased significantly since the bridge opened to traffic four years ago, authorities said.



The import and export of goods through Zhuhai port surpassed 4.16 million metric tons, with a total value of 445.2 billion yuan ($61.58 billion) from October 2018 to August 2022, according to local customs.

In the first nine months of this year alone, the import and export value increased by 82.4 percent year-on-year to 191.45 billion yuan, which exceeded the total value in 2021.

Zhuhai Haimiao Aquatic Products Import and Export Co, for example, exported aquatic products worth of 220 million yuan in the first half of 2022 via the bridge's Zhuhai port, an increase of 181 percent year-on-year, according to a company source.

"It is very convenient for customs clearance at the bridge port, which is of great importance to ensuring the freshness of aquatic products," said Zhou Chaobin, president of the company.

In terms of passenger flow, Zhuhai port has so far served nearly 24 million inbound and outbound passengers and more than 4.73 million inbound and outbound vehicles.

The 55-kilometer bridge, which crosses the Lingding Ocean and connects with Hong Kong on the eastern side and Zhuhai and Macao on the western side, began construction in 2009. It opened to traffic service in October 2018.

After the opening of the bridge, travel time between Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao has been reduced from three hours to less than one hour, helping accelerate the progress of a one-hour living circle in the Greater Bay Area.

Separate border crossing customs and immigration facilities for clearance have been built in Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao, providing a 24-hour clearance services.

The three ports are managed by the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao and located within their jurisdictions. Zhuhai and Macao have adopted an innovative mode of joint inspection and one-stop clearances.
If you are like me, leaving Vietnam always comes with a shade of sadness, even though I'm just going for a holiday back home in Australia. However, recent improvements to Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City are quickly changing this once basic facility into a real adventure playground for anyone flying internationally.

A decade ago, when I first visited Vietnam, I fondly recall waiting for the flight home and being able to buy a beer for VND25,000 (US$1). Although the beer was cheap and cold, there wasnt a whole lot more to do at the airport, and the few chairs available were not really comfortable.

Fast forward 10 years and the Tan Son Nhat in 2022 is fast becoming a really enjoyable part of your travel experience when leaving Vietnam. However, a little knowledge will do so much to improve your experience and leave very pleasant memories of your travels.

Here is a breakdown of what you need to do and what you will find at Tan Son Nhat Airport:

Getting to the airport

No matter where you are traveling to, getting to the airport early has its benefits.

The first part is the traffic outside the airport. The factors that could catch you out when leaving Vietnam are local traffic and incoming planes. Truong Son Street leading to the airport in Tan Binh District sometimes comes to a near standstill at the strangest times of the day, so allow time to navigate the traffic.

If you are lucky enough to arrive at the right time, you will be a bit early, but that can only help you. Never leave it to the last minute because you may miss your flight.

A dining area at the departure terminal of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Ray Kuschert

Early check-in

As you arrive at the departure entry of the international terminal, you will always see 1000s of people standing around. This is partly culture and most of the people are not travelers but families sending off their beloveds.

Dont worry about being early and dont hang around outside with the crowds. Go straight in through the doors to the check-in area.

Inside the check-in area there are around 10 check-in counters. Locate your check-in counter and go there to see how many people are waiting.

Spending a little time waiting near the front of the line will benefit greatly a little later. If things are quiet, there is a cafe or two where you can get a coffee or drink. The prices are not that cheap, but it is an airport, and the prices will still be much cheaper than in airports in other countries.

Check in as early as you can. This has two benefits. Firstly, you might get a good seat on the plane and, more importantly, you might beat the rush through immigration and security. In peak times the wait to get processed may roll up to an hour. I have also seen lines for check-in for some flights exceeding 50 meters for some high-volume routes and the frustrated faces are enough to tell me arriving early is the way to go.

Something special that happens in Vietnam is the check-in staff will ask you to go to a door near the check-in counter to watch your bags go through the scanner. This is to make sure you can confirm all is ok and you can be available if there is an issue with your checked-in bags. Wait for your bag to pass through the scanner then move off to immigration.

A restaurant at the departure terminal of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Ray Kuschert

Immigration and security

There is no doubt that immigration processing in Vietnam is more traditional. Thankfully, unlike other countries, there are no electronic self-service devices to confuse you. Visa processing is done manually by a customs officer. It can look rather daunting because the customs officers dont get into any conversation with you. Follow the directions and you will be ok. Wait in line. Make sure only one person at a time goes past the red line to the window, unless you have children. Remove your mask or face covering. If you are asked a question, give a clear and honest answer. It takes about three minutes for most people to process their visa.

Once your visa is cleared, you move onto security checks. You are required to remove any liquids that you may be carrying, like bottles of water and other liquids over 100ml.

Next, line up for the security scanner. Give the officer your ticket and passport at the front of the line. Theyll check and tell you to go to a line for security screening.

The security scanner is the same as every other airport. Remove shoes, belts, watches, and jackets and place them on a tray. Remove all electrical devices from your bags and place them on a tray, then put the entire contents on the rollers and allow staff to X-ray your carry-on luggage. Once this is done you are finished, and you can start having fun before your plane departs.

A dining area at the departure terminal of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Ray Kuschert

Airside facilities

Tan Son Nhat Airport has had a strong rebound since the pandemic and there are more than 75 percent of businesses back in full operation, with others currently being under construction and open in the near future. And the secret is that there are a lot more airside facilities than you can see.

As you leave security, you will see the usual expensive international brand stores. If that is your thing, then enjoy shopping. Close by there are also a couple of duty-free stores selling a range of products that you'll find in these stores worldwide, and the prices are generally reasonable for the high-end products.

As you venture further toward your gate, you will find a few cafes which are rather good. They sell banh mi, pho, and a range of muffins and cakes. Of course, Vietnamese coffee is available at every location, along with a few of the local beers to assist you in bidding farewell to Vietnam.

Mixed in with these cafes are a number of souvenir kiosks. The surprising thing is that the prices of these mementos are not too bad. Sure, they are more expensive than local markets, but they are still reasonably priced, so if you have some VND left over, it is a good place to grab a bag of cashews, coffee or a statue to take home to remember your trip. All stores at the airport accept USD and VND.

But it is what you dont see that makes this experience special. Hiding behind the brand name stores near security is an escalator that takes you upstairs to see a food hall and general relaxation area. With a burger chain store, Vietnamese pho restaurant, and some high-class cafes, it is a great place to get anything from a top-quality international wine, to local beers and a meal to suit any taste.

The view of the airport is pretty good. You can grab a beer or two and sit for a while watching the planes land and take off with 180-degree views. The cafes have a few charging points for phones and there is free Wi-Fi across the airport.

The back side of the level is still being developed and I expect to see a range of shops and cafes opening in the near future. There is also a spa if you are keen on a massage, and whilst currently closed, it should be open again to service the high volume over Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year, which falls on January 23 next year).

A pool table at the departure terminal of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Ray Kuschert

There are facilities for everyone and not too many people using them. Apart from the toilets that are basically empty, there is also a pool table in a far back corner of one of the cafes if you want to play a few games with your friends before boarding, and the seating is really comfortable. You could sit there for hours and just enjoy the feeling of calmness and relaxation that should be part of any travel experience.

I am confident once you find this amazing little area, you will never battle the crowds sitting at the gates for hours on uncomfortable seats and lining up to use the toilets.

A waiting area at the departure terminal of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Ray Kuschert

Vietnam is growing and infrastructure continues to improve. Make sure your next travel experience includes some of the good facilities at Ho Chi Minh Citys international airport.

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Heavy rains brought by an approaching storm triggered flooding and multiple landslides in the southern Philippines, killing at least 31 people, a senior government official said on Friday, as rescuers searched for missing residents.

Authorities have evacuated thousands of people out of the path of tropical storm Nalgae, which could possibly make landfall Friday night in Samar province in central Philippines, disaster officials said.

Naguib Sinarimbo, interior minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Mindanao (BARMM), said the rainfall in Maguindanao province had exceeded expectations.

"There were preparations made but unfortunately, the rainfall was more than what people had expected," Sinarimbo said.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rescuers evacuate residents from their flooded homes due to a tropical storm, locally named Paeng, in Maguindanao province, Philippines, October 28, 2022. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard/Handout via Reuters

In the southern province of Sultan Kudarat, rescue workers used rubber boats to get to residents trapped in chest-deep waters, images shared by the coast guard showed.

Landslides and floods are frequent in the Philippines, due in part to the growing intensity of tropical cyclones that regularly batter the country. The Philippines sees an average 20 typhoons a year.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rescuers evacuate residents from their flooded homes due to a tropical storm, locally named Paeng, in Maguindanao province, Philippines, October 28, 2022. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard/Handout via Reuters

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rescuers evacuate residents from their flooded homes due to a tropical storm, locally named Paeng, in Maguindanao province, Philippines, October 28, 2022. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard/Handout via Reuters

Tropical storm Nalgae, packing winds of 75 km (47 miles) per hour, forced flight cancellations just as thousands of people were planning to travel to their home towns to observe All Souls Day. Schools were also shut down and some ports saw operations paralysed.

The storm could intensify further while moving over the Philippine Sea, the weather bureau said.
The once-disgraced heir to the sprawling Samsung empire was on Thursday named top executive of its most important business, two months after South Korea's president pardoned him for embezzlement and corruption convictions.

The board of Samsung Electronics, one of the world's biggest smartphone and chipmakers, confirmed Lee Jae-yong's formal ascent -- though he had already been de facto leader since his father's heart attack in 2014.

Critics have said Lee taking the reins so soon after his year and a half in jail is yet another example in South Korea's history of convicted business leaders getting off the hook on economic grounds.

The Samsung Electronics board promoted Lee to executive chairman to give the company "stronger accountability and business stability" due to the "current uncertain global business environment", the company said in a statement Thursday.

Samsung is the most powerful of South Korea's "chaebols", family-controlled empires that dominate business, and it contributes an estimated fifth of the country's GDP.

Lee was imprisoned after convictions for fraud and embezzlement following a sweeping investigation that also brought down President Park Geun-hye in 2017.

After serving 18 months, just over half of his original sentence, Lee was released on parole in August 2021.

He immediately returned to work at Samsung.

In May, Lee was excused from a hearing in a separate fraud trial so he could host US President Joe Biden at a Samsung chip plant in South Korea.

Lee -- who has a net worth of $7.2 billion, according to Forbes -- received a presidential pardon in August 2022 with the expectation that he would "contribute to overcoming the economic crisis" in South Korea, the government said.

But critics slammed Lee's elevation to chairman, with local civic group Solidarity for Economic Reform calling it "flawed on many fronts".

"It is a far cry from responsible management for him to be named Samsung Electronics' chairman when his illegal acts brought considerable damage to the company even though he was pardoned by the president," the group said in a statement.

Legal woes not over

Lee's father Lee Kun-hee, who suffered a heart attack in 2014 and was bedridden until his death at age 78 in 2020, was credited with turning Samsung into a global tech giant.

He held the position of chairman until his death, and the post had been left vacant until the younger Lee's promotion Thursday.

By taking his father's old title, Lee sends a clear message that he will be "fully responsible" for Samsung's management decisions, said Kim Dae-jong, professor of business at Sejong University in Seoul.

Samsung is trying to show its leadership is accountable, as part of a drive "to gain an upper hand in the global memory chip competition", he told AFP.

The elder Lee was convicted twice, once in 1996 of bribing former president Roh Tae-woo, and then for embezzlement and tax evasion in a slush fund scandal in 2008.

But suspended sentences meant he never served time in jail, and he received two presidential pardons.

The elder Lee went on to spearhead his country's successful efforts to secure the 2018 Winter Olympics.

On Thursday, Lee Jae-yong told Samsung Electronics employees he believed the company would not just survive the current global economic turmoil but emerge stronger.

"There has never been a time when we didn't face a crisis. But depending on how we respond to it, we can turn it into an opportunity," Lee said in a post on an internal bulletin board.

His legal woes are not over: he also faces a separate trial over accusations of accounting fraud in the 2015 merger of two Samsung firms.
Police in Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam have arrested 29 people after two people were killed and three others were injured in a shooting which stemmed from a land dispute in Phu Quoc Island City on Thursday.

Seventeen in relation to the incident were arrested on the same day, followed by 12 others on Friday, according to local police.

Authorities also seized two guns, 19 bullets, and one 16-seater bus, while having launched legal proceedings against those involved in the case.

Border guard officers are scrutinizing passengers at ferry wharves and routes leading to those venues on Phu Quoc to prevent relevant people from fleeing to Cambodia, which is only four kilometers away from the Vietnamese island by boat.

V.V.L., residing in Phu Quoc City, and 50 other people traveled in different vans and buses, each having from seven to 16 seats, to a venue owned by K.V.D. at around 11:00 am on Thursday to address their dispute, according to police investigation.

Some people in L.s group used guns to chase and shoot D. and several other individuals.

Consequently, Phan Trong Hai, 33, and Nguyen Anh Thu, 26, were killed by head and chest shootings.

Le Huu Nghia, Huynh Van Linh, and Ly Quoc Tien were injured.

A police probe into the case, which shows signs of murder and disrupting public order, is underway.

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Three people were killed while three others were saved after a fire broke out at a grocery store in Vietnams Mekong Delta early on Friday morning.

The incident took place at a grocery store in An Khanh Commune, Chau Thanh District, Dong Thap Province at around 0:30 am on Friday, the district police unit confirmed later the same day.

The venue is owned by 33-year-old Bui Thi Yen S. and her husband.

Two fire engines and multiple firefighters were mobilized to the scene and were able to put out the flames as of 2:45 am the same day.

A total of six people were inside the store at the time of the incident.

Officers managed to rescue three people, including S., her husband, and their son, via the emergency exit.

However, the remaining three victims were stuck inside and were killed.

The fire burned down most of the items inside the store, with damage estimated to be over VND4 billion (US$161,000).

Local authorities are working to determine the cause of the blaze and deal with the consequences.

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Cambodia on Thursday launched longan exportation to China, marking another fruitful cooperation in the agricultural sector between the two countries.

Cambodian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dith Tina and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian attended the launching ceremony in Phnom Penh.

Speaking at the event, Tina said practical cooperation in agriculture has promoted the development of Cambodia-China friendly relations, and friendly relations between the two countries have also provided good development space for their agricultural cooperation.

"From 2019 to the end of June 2022, Cambodia exported a total of 2.4 million tons of agricultural products to China, with a total export value of 1.942 billion U.S. dollars," he said.

The minister said China has been the largest export market for Cambodian rice for several years, and since 2019, Cambodia has been approved to export bananas, mangoes, Basa fish, corn and longan to China one after another.

"At present, the two sides are speeding up the export of Cambodian pepper, wild aquatic products, edible aquatic animals, bird's nest, coconuts, etc. to China," he said.

It is believed that more Cambodian agricultural products will be allowed to be exported to China in the future for the benefit of the two peoples, Tina said.

Meanwhile, Wang said that in recent years, under the care of the leaders of the two countries, agricultural cooperation between China and Cambodia has shown great vigor.

In April, the agricultural ministries of the two countries held the second meeting of the China-Cambodia Steering Committee on Agricultural Cooperation, which clarified the key direction of agricultural cooperation between the two sides in the future, he said.

The agricultural development planning project aided by China in Cambodia also started to be implemented, he said.

The ambassador said cooperation between the two countries in the field of animal husbandry has also been fruitful. The two sides have reached an agreement on a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in veterinary drugs, veterinary biological products and feed additives.

He added that with the efforts of both sides, Cambodian Basa fish, corn and longan have been successfully approved for export to China this year.

"Today, we witnessed the successful export of Cambodian longan to China. This is another substantive achievement of China-Cambodia agricultural cooperation under the pandemic. It will bring tangible benefits to the two peoples and greatly promote the further development of China-Cambodia friendly relations," Wang said.

Tina and Wang jointly issued licences to eight Cambodian packaging plants for exporting longan to China.
What you need to know today in Vietnam:

Politics

-- An international conference was held on Thursday to discuss the actual situation of Vietnamese and Moroccan financial and banking business activities in Africa as well as solutions for promoting the two countries cooperation in the field, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Society

-- Police in Tien Giang Province, southern Vietnam are verifying a woman's Facebook post accusing traffic police officers of breaking her three-year-old son's nose and face on October 20, Colonel Nguyen Van Thao, deputy director of the Tien Giang Department of Public Security, said on Thursday.

-- Two died and many were injured in a shooting incident on Phu Quoc Island off southern Vietnam on Thursday, a local official confirmed the same day. Police investigation is underway.

-- The southern region of Vietnam is forecast to have heavy rains at night and sunlight in daytime on Friday, while the northern part will be chilly in the morning and sunny in the afternoon

Business

-- The VPMilk Eco Farm dairy plant came on stream in Lam Dong Province, located in the Central Highlands region, on Thursday. The facility is projected to turn out 20 million liters of milk a year in the first phase.

Education

-- The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training has changed school day starting times for K-12 students, with kindergartens and elementary schools beginning classes no earlier than 7:30 am and middle schools no earlier than 7:15 am. The old hours for elementary and middle schools were 7:00 am and 7:30 am, respectively. High schools still commence classes no earlier than 7:00 am like before.

World News

-- "Elon Musk became Twitter Inc's new owner on Thursday, firing top executives he had accused of misleading him and providing little clarity over how he will achieve the lofty ambitions he has outlined for the influential social media platform," Reuters reported on Friday.

-- "The U.S. National Institutes of Health's $1 billion RECOVER Initiative has picked Pfizer Inc's antiviral drug Paxlovid as the first treatment it will study in patients with long COVID," Reuters cited organizers of the study as saying on Thursday.

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Japanese doctor Hattori Tadashi originally only planned to spend a single three months in Vietnam when he visited the country in 2002. That three months wound up impacting the next 20 years of his life, during which time he helped nearly 20,000 blind Vietnamese regain their sight.

Tadashis work was honored this past Wednesday at the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam where he, along with three other individuals, was presented with the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2022  an honor widely regarded as the Nobel Peace Prize of Asia.

Over the past two decades, Tadashi has performed thousands of eye surgeries and treated over 20,000 Vietnamese patients at risk of going blind forever, all without asking for anything in return.

Spending life savings on blind Vietnamese

Tadashi made plans to visit Vietnam in October 2001 after meeting a Vietnamese eye doctor at a conference hosted by the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine.

Doctor Hattori Tadashi and a patient on his first days in Vietnam. Photo: Courtesy of the Ramon Magsaysay Award organizer

The Vietnamese doctor asked Tadashi to join him in performing eye surgeries on underprivileged patients in the Southeast Asian country.

Just six months later, Tadashi quit his job and hopped on a plane to Vietnam, planning to spend just three months healing blind Vietnamese.

I was shocked to see many patients who are blind in one eye go to the hospital only when the retina in the other eye became detached, or when they had other issues that might have caused their loss of vision," Tadashi said at the ceremony on Wednesday evening.

Many patients refused because they couldnt afford it.

It broke my heart that I couldnt help everyone because there was a shortage of surgical supplies and equipment.

After his three-month charity trip in Vietnam, Tadashi returned to Japan and attempted to garner support from a medical equipment company, but he was turned away because he no longer worked for a hospital.

With nowhere else to turn, he asked his wife to let him use the savings they had set aside to buy an apartment to help heal blind Vietnamese.

I told my wife that I could live in a rented house, but my patients would be blind without early surgeries," Tadashi recalled.

Our savings were enough to buy modern ophthalmic endoscopes and medical equipment to help more than 2,000 patients each year, as well as perform complicated surgeries."

Doctor Hattori Tadashi (first row, center) poses for a photo with guests at a ceremony to congratulate him on receiving the Ramon Magsaysay Award on October 26, 2022. Photo: Duy Linh / Tuoi Tre

With his wifes approval, Tadashi took their savings and returned to Vietnam for a second time, ready to help as many blind people as possible.

Working hard in Japan to help in Vietnam

After exhausting his savings, Tadashi returned to work in Japan where he worked as a freelance doctor, performing as many surgeries as possible in hospitals throughout the country in order to save up enough money to buy an apartment for himself and medical equipment for his Vietnamese patients.

Bento boxes in convenience stores and overnight train journeys became part of Tadashis daily life as he worked to grow his savings.

When I was a child, I loved trains a lot. When I was an elementary school student, I also dreamed of becoming a train driver, the doctor shared.

Over the years, Tadashi continued returning to rural Vietnam to examine patients, perform surgeries, and treat cataract issues. These charity trips have served as an inspiration to five other doctors and many staff members who have joined his team.

The number of medical operations performed by my group has exceeded 100,000. I believe that once a person is trained, they can help many others," Tadashi said.

I hope my students do better than me, so I work hard to train young doctors.

Sometimes there are disagreements, but I dont worry too much about them because I know I am in a foreign country. Its okay to set my pride aside to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

My students must be committed to sharing what they have learned with future generations."

Doctor Tadashi has received other honors for his humane activities in Vietnam.

He was awarded the 'For People's Health' medal by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health in 2007, a certificate of merit by the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2013, and the Vietnam Friendship Medal by the Vietnamese government in 2014.

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Foreign workers who overstay their South Korean work visas may face up to three years in prison, as well as fines and restrictions on re-entry into the country, a South Korean human resource official recently warned.

In addition to possible jail time, foreign workers who overstay their visas in South Korea could be fined up to 30 million won (US$21,200) and barred from entering the country in the future, according to Yun Jae Yeon, chief of the Representative Office of the Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRD Korea) in Vietnam.

The warning was released amid the concerns that Vietnamese guest workers in South Korea might overstay their work visas or illegally take jobs outside of what their visas permit during the final months of 2022, when many South Korean small- and medium-sized enterprises are typically in need of workers.

South Korea applies different quotas for the recruitment of foreign workers from different countries, depending on the illegal residence rate of each countrys workers in South Korea, as well as employer preferences.

In order to secure a high quota, countries must take measures to minimize the number of their citizens who overstay visas in South Korea, according to Yeon.

Currently, South Korean authorities have placed a temporary suspension on the recruitment of workers from eight Vietnamese localities, each of which has 70 or more workers illegally living in South Korea and registers an overstay worker rate of 27 percent or higher, according to the official.

These localities include Nghi Xuan and Cam Xuyen Districts in Ha Tinh Province; Chi Linh City in Hai Duong Province; Nghi Loc District, Hung Nguyen District and Cua Lo Town in Nghe An Province; and Dong Son District and Hoang Hoa District in Thanh Hoa Province.

The suspension, which will last until the end of this year, is based on regulations included in the Employment Permit Program for Foreign Workers (EPS) signed between the two countries in 2008, under which South Korea agreed to receive migrant workers from the Southeast Asian country.

HRD Korea has asked both the government of Vietnam and relevant agencies to keep a close eye on the issue, said Yeon, adding that the South Korean Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Employment and Labor are currently carrying out inspections of South Korean companies that employ foreign workers.

Yeon also noted that Vietnamese workers who return home once their visa has expired will likely be able to work in South Korea again in the future.

In order to help migrant workers re-acclimate to repatriation, South Korean agencies offer vocational and Korean language training, business start-up courses, and employment introduction services, the official said.

Nguyen Gia Liem, deputy director of the Department of Overseas Labor, under the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs, has asked domestic recruiters to carefully select which individuals to work in South Korea, give them adequate training and legal consultation, and provide them with necessary assistance during their working terms.

Such actions will help prevent workers from overstaying their visas or fleeing their designated employers in order to secure illegal employment elsewhere, Liem said.

As per current regulations, those Vietnamese who wish to work in South Korea must put down a VND100 million ($4,430) deposit before they leave for the East Asian nation.

This deposit is lost should the worker overstay their visa or breach their contract.

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A woman from Vietnams Mekong Delta has accused a group of traffic police officers of attacking her three-year-old son and breaking his nose last week.

Colonel Nguyen Van Tao, deputy director of the Department of Public Security in Tien Giang Province, said on Thursday that the agency had directed relevant units to verify the accusation.

Investigators are accessing the information sources and collecting necessary evidence in the case, Tao continued.

Huynh Thao Suong, 32, from the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, posted a status on Facebook last weekend stating that her three-year-old son  Nguyen Minh K.  had been hospitalized after being attacked by some traffic policemen.

During an interview with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Suong confirmed that she had posted the information on the social media network.

At around 10:00 pm on October 20, my husband was carrying me and our son on a motorbike to Ho Chi Minh City, Suong recalled.

After reaching Trung Luong Intersection in Tien Giang Province, police officers signaled for them to pull over.

We were so worried about our sons illness that we did not hear the traffic polices whistle, and ended up being chased after and attacked by the officers," Suong said.

We later noticed that our sons face was full of blood.

The couple reported the incident to the local police unit and took the boy to Tien Giang General Hospital. He was later transferred to Childrens Hospital 1 in Ho Chi Minh City with a broken nose bridge.

Officers under the police station in Chau Thanh District, Tien Giang Province stated that they did receive the report from Viet  Suongs husband  that day.

Viet said he believed that the traffic officers had swung a flashlight at them, resulting in his sons injury.

Police in Chau Thanh District have asked some local residents, but no one recalled witnessing such an incident.

Nguyen Van Dung, head of the traffic police division under the Tien Giang Department of Public Security, confirmed that a team of officers was patrolling National Highway No. 1 and Trung Luong Intersection on the night of October 20.

However, these officers said they neither pulled over Viet and Suong nor swung their flashlights at the couple, Dung continued.

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Samantha Armytage is joining Sevens racing coverage, set to feature in The Big Dance at Randwick, alongside Bruce McAvaney next Tuesday.

CEO James Warburton told TV Tonight, Shes part of the mix, interviewing all of the trainers, doing some behind the scenes stuff and part of the core race coverage.

Also featuring are Jason Richardson, Emily Bosson while Jess Bott.

The Big Dance boasts a field of the best Country Cup winners and second-placed thoroughbreds, from 25 selected races across regional New South Wales, racing for the $2 million prize money.

Tuesday 1 November

Royal Randwick: The Big Dance

Sydney 12.00pm live on Channel 7

Melbourne 12.00pm live on Channel 7

Brisbane 11.00am live on 7TWO, 12.00pm live on Channel 7

Adelaide 11.30am live on 7TWO, 12.00pm live on Channel 7

Perth 9.00am live on 7TWO, 11.00am live on Channel 7
Elon Musk completed his deal to buy Twitter at 44 billion U.S. dollars Thursday, gaining control of the social network company, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the deal.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and finance chief Ned Segal have left the company's San Francisco headquarters and will not be returning, said the sources.

Musk lugged a sink into Twitter headquarters on Wednesday. "Entering Twitter HQ - let that sink in!" he captioned the video, which he posted on Twitter. He also renamed himself "Chief Twit" on the social network.

Musk had until Friday to complete his acquisition of Twitter or face a court battle with the company.

In April, Elon Musk announced the 44-billion-dollar acquisition of Twitter. Later in May, he said the deal was temporarily on hold as he asked for details on the number of the social platform's spam and fake accounts. Musk decided to terminate his deal to buy Twitter in July.

Twitter then sued him, alleging he "refuses to honor his obligations to Twitter and its stockholders because the deal he signed no longer serves his personal interests."

On Oct. 4, Musk proposed to proceed with the deal at the original price, just ahead of a trial scheduled at the Delaware Chancery Court on Oct. 17, in which Twitter was set to seek an order directing Musk to close the deal for 44 billion dollars.

In a letter sent to Twitter, Musk offered to continue the deal if the court can adjourn the trial and all other related proceedings.

A Delaware Chancery Court judge eventually ruled that Musk had until Oct. 28 to cement the Twitter deal or head to trial.
Emmanuel Macron and Rishi Sunak are set to meet next year (Getty / Reuters)

Rishi Sunak has strengthened ties with French president Emmanuel Macron, discussing migration across the Channel in their first telephone conference.

The new prime minister will meet his opposite number next year in person, Number 10 has said, following on from their conversation on Friday.

Over the phone, the two leaders also discussed Ukraine, the climate crisis, defence strategy and the economy.

A Downing Street spokesman added: President Macron congratulated him on his appointment, and the prime minister stressed the importance he places on the UKs relationship with France  our neighbour and ally.

Then prime minister Liz Truss holds a meeting with Emmanuel Macron, at the United Nations headquarters in New York (PA Wire)

The pally tone marks a shift from the frostiness that Liz Truss reserved for the French president, saying in August the jury is out on whether he is a friend or a foe.

The pair later met at a conference in early October in New York. Mr Sunak is the fourth British prime minister Mr Macron has liaised with since he took office in May 2017.

The Number 10 spokesman continued: The leaders agreed that there are a huge range of areas where UK-France cooperation is vital.

As people across Europe face a difficult winter, with rising energy costs resulting from Putins invasion, the leaders resolved to work together to secure a more stable energy future. This includes increasing cooperation on nuclear energy.

On the Channel, Mr Sunak is said to have stressed the importance to make the route completely unviable for traffickers, while the pair committed their partnership to deterring journeys across the treacherous passage.

The statement added: The prime minister also noted the strong historic and cultural links between our countries, as exemplified by president Macrons moving words following the death of her majesty the Queen.

A UK-France summit is set to be held in 2023 at a yet to be confirmed date.
In South Americas lithium triangle, where pools of turquoise blue spangle the white salt flats, residents are yet to feel the benefits of the worlds new metal rush.

Lithium is a key component of the batteries used in electric cars. The "white gold" is found in Chile, Argentina and Bolivia in quantities larger than anywhere else on Earth.

As the world seeks to move away from fossil fuels, lithium production has skyrocketed in recent years. But at what cost to the communities near lithium plants, many of whom live in poverty?

We don't eat lithium, nor batteries. We do drink water.

"We don't eat lithium, nor batteries. We do drink water," said Veronica Chavez, 48, president of the Santuario de Tres Pozos Indigenous community near the town of Salinas Grandes in Argentina's lithium heartland.

Why is lithium so bad for the environment?

With around 2.2 million litres of water needed to produce one ton of lithium, the extractive industry is increasingly compromising the environment - and locals chance of a liveable future.

"No to lithium, yes to water and life, reads a poster that meets visitors to Salinas Grandes.

Unlike in Australia - the world's top lithium producer that extracts the metal from rock - in South America it is derived from salars, or salt flats. Here, saltwater containing the metal is brought from underground briny lakes to the surface to evaporate.

But there are growing concerns about the impact on groundwater sources in regions already prone to extended droughts, with recent evidence of tree and flamingo die-offs.

How much is lithium worth?

An aerial view of the brine pools and processing areas of the SQM lithium mine on the Atacama salt flat, in the Atacama desert of northern Chile. - Ivan Alvarado/REUTERS

About 56 percent of the world's 89 million tonnes of identified lithium resources are found in the South American triangle, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The world average price rose from $5,700 (5,730) per tonne in November 2020 to $60,500 (60,780) in September this year.

Story continues

Chile hosts the westernmost corner of the lithium triangle in its Atacama desert, which contributed 26 percent of global production in 2021, according to the USGS.

The country started lithium extraction in 1984 and has been a leader in the field partly because of low rainfall levels and high solar radiation that speeds up the evaporation process.

But Chilean law has made it difficult for companies to gain concessions from the government since the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet declared the metal a "strategic resource" for its potential use in nuclear bombs.

Only two companies have permits to exploit the metal - Chile's SQM and American Albemarle, which pay up to 40 percent of their sales in tax.

In the first quarter of this year, lithium's contribution to the public coffers surpassed those of Chile's mainstay metal, copper, for the first time, according to government records.

Yet, the environmental costs are starting to stack up, and locals fear there is worse to come.

Lithium mining is hurting flamingos and trees in Chile

Lithium mining is forcing flamingos to flee the Atacama. - REUTERS/Cristian Ruddolffi

This year, a study in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B found a link between lithium mining and a decline in two flamingo species in the Salar de Atacama.

"The development of technologies to slow climate change has been identified as a global imperative. Nonetheless, such 'green' technologies can potentially have negative impacts on biodiversity," said the study.

In 2013, an inspection at the SQM site - which reported using nearly 400,000 litres of water per hour in 2022 - found that a third of carob trees in the area had died.

A later study pointed to water scarcity as a possible cause.

"We want to know, for sure, what has been the real impact of the extraction of groundwater," said Claudia Perez, 49, a resident of the nearby San Pedro river valley.

She was not against lithium, said Perez, provided there are measures to "minimise the negative impact on people."

Argentinian communities fear they are being sacrificed to save the planet

Across the Andes in Argentina, the salt lakes of Jujuy host the world's second-largest lithium resources along with the neighbouring provinces of Salta and Catamarca.

With few restrictions on extraction and a low tax of only three per cent, Argentina has become the world's fourth-biggest lithium producer from two mines.

With dozens of new projects in the works with the involvement of US, Chinese, French, South Korean and local companies, Argentina has said it hopes to exceed Chilean production by 2030.

But not everyone is sold on the idea.

The lithium companies say that they are going to save the planet. They may save the planet, but by sacrificing us.

"It is not, as they say, that they [lithium companies] are going to save the planet, said Chavez, of Santuario de Tres Pozos in Jujuy province. Rather it is us who have to give our lives to save the planet.

A neighbour, 47-year-old street food seller Barbara Quipildor added fiercely: "I want them to leave us alone, in peace. I don't want lithium... My concern is the future of my children's children."

Will Bolivian locals ever benefit from lithium mining

About 300 kilometres north of Jujuy, the salar of Uyuni in Bolivia holds more lithium than anywhere else - a quarter of global resources, according to the USGS.

Half of the residents in the region - which is also rich in silver and tin - live in poverty, household surveys show.

The country's former leftist president Evo Morales nationalised hydrocarbons and other resources such as lithium towards the start of his 2006-2019 mandate and vowed Bolivia would set the metal's global price.

Bolivian President Evo Morales holds up the first samples of lithium carbonate in 2009. - AIZAR RALDES/AFP

In Rio Grande, a small town near the Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos (YLB) lithium plant, Morales' plans were met with excitement.

In 2014 Donny Ali, a lawyer now aged 34, opened a hotel with the expectation of an economic boom.

He called it Lithium.

"We were expecting major industrial technological development and more than anything, better living conditions," he told AFP. "It didn't happen."

When the boat comes, "will lithium extraction benefit Bolivians?"

Hoping to boost the struggling lithium sector, the government opened it up to private hands in 2018, though domestic legislation has not yet denationalised the resource, and no private extraction has yet begun.

"Some think that Bolivia will 'miss the boat' of lithium," said economist Juan Carlos Zuleta. "I dont think thats going to happen."

The real question, he said, is: when the boat comes, "will lithium extraction benefit Bolivians?"

The three countries are now looking towards battery manufacturing - possibly even building electric cars - as a way to turn the natural lithium bounty into a modern-day industrial revolution.

"There is a concrete possibility for Latin America to become the next China," said Zuleta.

In the meantime, the Hotel Lithium stands empty.

Watch the video above to learn more about lithium production in South America.
FILE PHOTO: A general view of the Norwegian central bank, where Norway's sovereign wealth fund is situated, in Oslo

OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's $1.15 trillion fund, the world's largest, posted a loss of 449 billion Norwegian crowns ($43.47 billion) in the third quarter of 2022, it said on Friday, hit by rising interest rates, high inflation and war in Europe affecting markets.

The fund's return on investment was minus 4.4% for the July-September period, which was 0.14 percentage points stronger than the return on the fund's benchmark index.

The return was negative for equities, fixed income, and unlisted real estate, deputy CEO Trond Grande of Norges Bank Investment Management, which operates the fund, said in a statement.

"The third quarter has been characterised by rising interest rates, high inflation, and war in Europe. This has also affected the markets," Grande said.

Founded in 1996, the sovereign wealth fund invests the Norwegian state's revenues from oil and gas production and holds stakes in more than 9,300 companies globally, owning 1.3% of all listed stocks.

(This story has been refiled to correct fund size to $1.15 trillion in 1st paragraph)

($1 = 10.3300 Norwegian crowns)

(Reporting by Victoria Klesty, editing by Gwladys Fouche and Terje Solsvik)
Cars ride along a darkened Khreshchatyk central street in Kyiv (AFP via Getty Images)

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has announced the arrival of new air defence equipment in Ukraines capital as the city faces weeks of rolling blackouts following Russian airstrikes on key infrastructure.

The military have assured me (during a recent meeting) that new air defence equipment has arrived in the capital and our sky will be safer, Mr Klitschko said Friday on Ukrainian TV.

We hope that there will be no more attacks and provocations with kamikaze drones and missiles, Mr Klitschko added, in a reference to Iranian-made Shahed exploding drones spotted repeatedly over Ukrainian cities.

Earlier on Friday, Kyivs mayor said the Ukrainian capitals power grid was operating in emergency mode, with electricity supplies down by as much as 50% compared to pre-war levels.

Authorities said Kyiv and the surrounding region will see rolling blackouts in the coming days.

Ukraines top diplomat called on Tehran to immediately stop arms deliveries to Russia during a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart.

Writing on Twitter, Dmytro Kuleba said: I received a call today from Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, during which I demanded that Iran immediately stop supplying Russia with weapons that are used to kill civilians and destroy critical infrastructure in Ukraine.

Iran has denied supplying Russia with explosive drones and other weapons used in the invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russias defence minister said Moscow has completed a partial mobilisation which has seen 300,000 reservists called up.

Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin on Friday the order has been fulfilled. He said that 82,000 reservists have already been deployed to Ukraine, while 218,000 others are still being trained.

Mr Putin issued the mobilisation order in September in a bid to beef up Russian troops along a 1,000-kilometer frontline in Ukraine. The move has fueled protests and prompted tens of thousands to flee the country.

Activists and Russian media reports have said that many of those called up have been told to procure basic items such as medical kits and flak jackets themselves and some have been given rusty weapons. Many were killed days after being called up without receiving even basic refresher training.
You can fly from Bournemouth Airport to various destinations all across Europe this winter (Newsquest/Canva) (Image: Newsquest/Canva)

The winter months are now coming up in the UK, and with just a short while to go before 2022 ends you may fancy a short break.

Luckily, Bournemouth Airport are on hand offering a number of places around Europe where you can visit.

Flight operators at the airport in Hurn have a wide range of destinations that customers can take advantage of to see in the last couple of months of 2022.

From Alicante to Wroclaw, here is where you can fly out from Bournemouth Airport in November and December.

Bournemouth Echo: Alicante, Lanzarote and Krakow are available to fly to from Bournemouth airport (PA)

Alicante, Lanzarote and Krakow are available to fly to from Bournemouth airport (PA) (Image: PA)

Where you can fly from Bournemouth Airport in November 2022

Alicante, Spain from 83 return

Dublin, Ireland from 55 return

Faro, Portugal from 71 return

Krakow, Poland from 69 return

Lanzarote, Spain from 225 return

Luqa, Malta from 75 return

Wroclaw, Poland from 67 return

Where you can fly from Bournemouth Airport in December 2022

Alicante, Spain from 91 return

Dublin, Ireland from 59 return

Faro, Portugal from 71 return

Krakow, Poland from 123 return

Lanzarote, Spain from 158 return

Luqa, Malta from 71 return

Venice, Italy from 137 return

Wroclaw, Poland from 67 return

You can book flights for your holiday from Bournemouth Airport at their website here.

Flight prices are based of a one person return ticket to Bournemouth Airport.
The stalemate between the political parties in Northern Ireland which has caused the latest collapse of devolved government can be traced back to the Brexit withdrawal agreement in January 2020.

The agreement cementing the UKs exit from the European Union came just weeks after the New Decade New Approach accord which resurrected Stormont following a three-year collapse.

January 24 2020: The 2016 vote by the UK to leave the EU was formalised after several years of negotiation during which Northern Ireland and its border with the Republic of Ireland turned into one of the trickiest issues.

How to manage the UKs only land border with the EU was hoped to be resolved with the Northern Ireland Protocol which, instead, placed checks in the Irish Sea.

The signed Withdrawal Agreement for the UK to leave the EU (PA)

December 31 2020: The Brexit transition period between the UK and the EU ended at 11pm, which saw the start of the implementation of the protocol, albeit with a number of grace periods.

February 1 2021: Hostility towards port staff from Loyalists who oppose the sea border separating Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom prompted Stormonts Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) to halt checks on animal-based foodstuffs at Belfast and Larne ports.

Daera said the pause was necessary to protect the welfare of its employees after graffiti appeared in the area describing port officers as targets.

February 21 2021: Unionist leaders launch high court challenge to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

February 26 2021: Stormont Agriculture Minister Gordon Lyons (DUP) orders officials to halt construction of permanent inspection facilities for post-Brexit checks on agri-food goods arriving from Great Britain.

Sinn Fein deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill brands the move a stunt.

Graffiti on a wall along the Belmont Road in east Belfast, Northern Ireland, close to the Stormont Assembly building (PA)

April 28 2021: DUP leader and First Minister Arlene Foster is ousted over discontent with the partys Brexit strategy.

The party rank and file lay some of the blame for the emergence of an Irish Sea border at her door.

Story continues

June 30 2021: Sir Jeffrey Donaldson takes over at the DUP helm. He vowed to right the wrong that has been done by the imposition of the Northern Ireland Protocol and to restore Northern Irelands place fully within the UK internal market.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson (PA)

September 9 2021: Sir Jeffrey announces his party will no longer engage with north/south political structures established under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement as part of their campaign against the protocol.

February 3 2022: DUP withdrew First Minister Paul Givan from the Stormont Executive in a protest move to force the UK to act on their concerns over the protocol.

March 30  April 5 2021: Rioting in areas across Northern Ireland is blamed on tensions caused by loyalist opposition to the protocol.

PSNI vehicles and loyalist protesters during further unrest on Lanark Way in Belfast in April 2021 (PA)

May 25 2021: A delegation from the DUP tell UKs lead Brexit negotiator, Lord Frost, the Northern Ireland Protocol must be scrapped.

Sir Jeffrey said: Our message was clear and unambiguous, the protocol must go and the Government should take further unilateral action to restore our provinces full and unfettered access to the United Kingdom internal market.

June 5 2021: Hundreds of people turn out for the first in a series of anti-protocol rallies which took place in Portadown.

November 3 2021: A rally against the protocol on the loyalist Shankill Road is followed by serious rioting at a nearby peace line.

Left to right: Trevor Clarke of the TUV, TUV leader Jim Allister, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Loyalist blogger Jamie Bryson and DUP Thomas Buchanan, before an anti-protocol rally in Castlederg, Co Tyrone (PA)

Rallies against the protocol, many addressed by Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and TUV leader Jim Allister, continue at locations across Northern Ireland in the lead-up to an Assembly election.

May 2022: Assembly election results see Sinn Fein overtake the DUP to become the biggest party at Stormont.

May 30 2022: Assembly sits following a recall petition, but an attempt to elect a speaker to allow business to proceed failed after the DUP refused to support it.

June 13, 2022: The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, designed to effectively override sections of the deal is introduced in Parliament.

August 3: Another recall of the Assembly sees DUP again refuse to support any nominations for a new speaker.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris (PA)

October 18 2022: Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton Harris confirms he will call a fresh Assembly election as required by law if a new executive has not been formed by the October 28 deadline.

October 27 2022: A final recall of the Assembly to attempt to elect a speaker fails just hours before the deadline to form an executive or face an election.

Sinn Fein blamed the impasse on the DUPs refusal to nominate ministers to a new executive, while the DUP said the UK Government could have introduced legislation to delay an election for action on the protocol.

Sir Jeffrey said turbulence at Westminster, including the resignations of Boris Johnson and then Liz Truss as Prime Minister in recent months, means the Government would be within its rights to secure more time to sort out the protocol.

October 28 2022: Mr Heaton-Harris confirms he will call an Assembly election, but does not set a date as he was widely expected to do.
You are here: China

Xu Baoyi, former deputy general manager of China Grain Reserves Group (Sinograin), has been indicted on charges of bribery, dereliction of duty by personnel of state-owned enterprises, and insider trading, said the procuratorate authorities.

Xu's case has been filed with the Datong Intermediate People's Court in north China's Shanxi Province.

Prosecutors have accused Xu of taking advantage of his various positions to seek benefits for others and accepting a huge amount of money and valuables in return.

He was also accused of being irresponsible as an employee of a state-owned enterprise and causing massive losses to state interests.

The indictment also charged him with illegally obtaining stock exchange transaction information before its publication and instructing others to conduct related transactions.
International Speakers and Beautiful Birds Draw Attention at Purdue Veterinary Student-Led Conference

Medicine of Mammalian and Avian Species (MMAS) Symposium participants benefitted from great hands-on learning opportunities, including this demonstration in which Dr. Lorraine Corriveau helps instruct about where a blood sample can be obtained from an African grey parrot.

Colorful birds and fascinating talks were the order of the day last weekend at the two-day Medicine of Mammalian and Avian Species (MMAS) Symposium hosted at Lynn Hall by students in the Exotic Animal Club. The program provided attendees with lectures covering basic medicine, handling, nutrition, intubation, anesthesia and many other topics for avian and small mammals.

More than 60 people attended, either in-person at Lynn Hall or virtually via Zoom. Symposium coordinator for the Exotic Animal Club, Keishla Marrero-Acosta, of the DVM Class of 2024, said attendees particularly appreciated the various wetlabs, which included an avian triage and bandaging lab, a small mammal intubation and intraosseous catheter placement lab, an avian handling lab and a small exotic mammal handling lab.

The symposium, held Saturday and Sunday, October 22-23, opened with a keynote lecture on Conservation of Bearded and Egyptian Vultures by Mr. Anton Vaidl and Dr. Helena Vaidlova of the Prague Zoo. The husband and wife team from the Czech Republic is well known for their reputation and experience in the field of avian and exotic medicine. The symposium also featured talks by a dozen other speakers, including avian and exotic animal specialists from the College of Veterinary Medicine and private specialty practices, who presented lectures and lead hands-on labs.

Keynote speaker Dr. Helena Vaidlova with symposium coordinator Keishla Marrero-Acosta of the DVM Class of 2024.

The Symposium was open to veterinarians, veterinary nurses, veterinary and veterinary nursing students, and undergraduates, and featured concurrent lecture tracks covering avian and exotic companion animal medicine.

The keynote speakers brought a wealth of knowledge and insight. Vaidl, a life-long bird lover, was the incubator attendant and assistant to the bird curator at the Prague Zoo from 1995 to 2006. The year following, he served as curator-consultant at the Morocco Birds International, Inc. bird park in the Philippines. Several months later, he returned to the Czech Republic where he has worked as the curator of birds at the Prague Zoo since 2008. Over the past 20 years, he has had the opportunity to work with more than 600 different bird species including about 80 parrot species. During his time working as curator, the Zoo began to breed Palm cockatoos, Pesquets parrots, Hyacinth macaws, Kea parrots, Blue-naped parrots, Golden shouldered parakeets, Yellow and black-bellied Jamaican amazons, Red-tailed amazons and other parrot species.

Vaidl and Dr. Vaidlova together wrote a comprehensive book on the issue of parrot breeding and veterinary care. Vaidl also has published articles on the breeding of various species of birds and has presented his lectures in more than 20 countries around the world. Dr. Helena Vaidlova graduated in 2004 from the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Brno, Czech Republic. During her studies and following graduation, she obtained an internship and worked in Southeast Asia with elephants and parrots. In 2008 she and her husband opened a veterinary clinic focused on birds. She now also works part-time for the Prague Zoo and is a Parrot TAG veterinary advisor for the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria.

MMAS volunteers from the Exotic Animal Club (front, left-right) Carissa Adrianson, Breanna Davis, and Alex Meyer, all of the DVM Class of 2025, and Keishla Marrero-Acosta, Taylor Fidler-Jarzyniecki, and Maggie Pritchett, of the DVM Class of 2024, with (back row) Dr. Steve Thompson, Exotic Animal Club faculty advisor, and keynote speakers Anton Vaidl and Dr. Helena Vaidlova.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu
Purdue Professor of Large Animal Surgery Jan Hawkins Chosen as President-elect of ACVS

Dr. Jan Hawkins, Purdue Veterinary Medicine professor of large animal surgery and Large Animal Surgery section head

Dr. Jan Hawkins, Purdue Veterinary Medicine professor of large animal surgery and Large Animal Surgery section head, is the new president elect of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). The election results were announced recently by the ACVS, following the 2022 ACVS Surgery Summit held October 11-15 in Portland, Oregon.

A 1991 DVM graduate of North Carolina State University, Dr. Hawkins completed an internship in large animal medicine and surgery at Texas A&M University in 1992 and a residency in large animal surgery at the University of Pennsylvania in 1995 before becoming board certified by the ACVS the following year. Dr. Hawkins is the author of numerous peer-reviewed manuscripts regarding equine surgery with an emphasis on disorders of the upper respiratory tract and the use of surgical lasers. He is a co-author of the textbook Respiratory Diseases of the Horse and an editor and author for Advances in Equine Upper Respiratory Surgery.

Dr. Hawkins also has been actively involved as a member of the ACVS and has served on the Board of Regents. His other areas of service to the ACVS include being a member of the Veterinary Surgery editorial review board, the Resident Credentialing Committee, Symposium Planning Committee, and Residency Program Compliance Committee. As a board liaison, he was involved with the Continuing Education and Fellowship Committees as well as the Veterinary Surgery journal. He has served as a session chair for the American College of Veterinary Surgeons annual meeting and has lectured at the Colleges annual meeting on multiple occasions.

Each year, the ACVS Nominating Committee submits a proposed slate of candidates for president-elect, one small animal regent, and one large animal regent to the ACVS Board of Regents for approval. The approved slate is then forwarded to the membership for a vote.

Founded in 1965, the ACVS is the specialty board which sets the certification standards for advanced professionalism in veterinary surgery and provides the latest in surgical educational programs. ACVS is the AVMA-Recognized Veterinary Specialty Organization for certification of veterinarians in large animal surgery and small animal surgery. Following the 2022 certification examination, ACVS membership now includes more than 2,300 Diplomates. For more information see www.acvs.org.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu
HA NOI  CPV Food Binh Phuoc under CP Viet Nam Co Ltd has exported its first batch of processed chicken to Japan.

This is a batch of processed chicken exclusively for the Japanese market.

This batch has a volume of 33.6 tonnes, co-developed with Itochu Corporation as a business alliance partner of CPV.

This whole batch of chickens is produced at a complex of modern chicken processing and breeding factories for export at Becamex Binh Phuoc Industrial Park (Minh Thanh Commune, Chon Thanh Town, Binh Phuoc Province).

To export to Japan, CPV Food committed 100 per cent traceability of the entire supply chain from feed ingredients to product processing.

The company also committed to implementing world-class best practice standards such as environment and animal welfare, meeting all the strict criteria of Japan and other importing countries.

According to the Department of Animal Health, a total of seven countries and territories including Japan, Hong Kong (China), Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan by this month have accepted and allowed the import of Vietnamese processed chicken.

On average, Viet Nam exports about 4,500 tonnes of processed chicken to other countries each year.  VNS
The estimate was revealed in the new Vietnam Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) produced by the World Bank Group based on one of the first in a series of country-level diagnostics, which lays out a new path to reconcile Vietnams growth and climate ambitions.

Thomas Jacobs-Country manager for Vietnam Cambodia, and Laos International Finance Corporation

The country has set the goals to become a high-income country by 2045 and achieve net-zero status by 2050. But as the CCDR starkly lays out, it is a country already facing significant climate impacts on its economy and national welfare.

The country has historically had very low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but the past two decades have seen some of the fastest emission growth rates in the world. Vietnam is now one of the most GHG-intensive economies in East Asia.

In a business-as-usual scenario with limited global mitigation efforts, climate change could cost Vietnam up to 14.5 per cent of its GDP annually in roughly 30 years. And without inclusive adaptation responses, climate change impacts have the potential to push a million people into extreme poverty in less than a decade.

To fulfil its future growth ambitions and reduce its vulnerability to climate risks, the CCDR recommends Vietnam shifts its development model by embarking on two distinct pathways  one to build resilience and the other to mitigate climate change by decarbonising growth.

With the right mix of policies and strategies, Vietnam can leverage its decarbonisation efforts to advance development objectives, so that achieving net-zero does not reduce GDP growth. Overall, it is a move that comes with a hefty price tag. Embarking on pathways of adaptation and mitigation will require investments of around $368 billion to 2040, or 6.8 per cent of GDP a year, at the current value. Government resources alone are definitely not enough to meet these financing needs. Mobilising massive amounts of private capital will therefore be pivotal.

The CCDR points out that Vietnams private sector is already under pressure. Around $300 billion of assets held by the commercial and industrial sectors are vulnerable to climate-related disasters. Many firms are already reporting climate change impacts that significantly affect their income due to disrupted operations or reduced labour productivity.

A 2020 analysis found climate-related damages, occurring annually, could amount to as much as 70-80 per cent of the total revenue of some small- and medium-sized enterprises. To change that, the private sector will have to make substantial investments of $228 billion through 2050 just to upgrade its assets to adapt to climate change.

Action plans for high-income and low-carbon future

A good start could be to reallocate domestic private savings towards climate-related projects. Also, aggressive efforts could help mobilise private financing in the range of 3.4 per cent of GDP annually. The CCDR says this can be achieved by mobilising green credit by banks, developing market-based instruments such as green equities and green bonds, and applying de-risking tools.

Though green finance is in its infancy in Vietnam, the right public policy can help banks overcome bottlenecks through regulatory reforms and incentives for both credit providers and borrowers.

In this context, the government should consider assessing climate-related risks for the financial sector in Vietnam. This can further inform green finance policies. In addition, more targeted actions on climate-related investments in infrastructure, including adjusting the legal public-private partnership (PPP) framework, will be crucial.

Further, a life-cycle asset management approach could be especially useful for Vietnam where a large proportion of the needed finance can be mobilised from the private sector through management contracts or PPPs. Under this system, the government retains control over the assets but transfers the daily operations to the private sector.

Over the medium to long term, reforming state-owned enterprises and opening the market to greater private sector participation in the economy will be essential to achieving much of the climate agenda.

For the private sector, investment opportunities too lay in tackling Vietnams main emitting sectors  energy, transport, agriculture, and industry. However, the large financing needs of around $81.3 billion to decarbonise these sectors call for reforms of the investment climate for increased private sector participation and mobilisation of concessional loans. Also, facilitating rapid renewable energy deployment can help with transparency and competitive procurement, further encouraging the private sector.

If Vietnam fully embraces the pathways to boost resilience and decarbonise, its people, the environment, and industries can all benefit. Drawing in greater private sector involvement and greening the economy will help create new jobs and. And it will also help safeguard Vietnams competitiveness in global markets.

The keys to financing a just energy future Vietnam has made an international commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050. Kanni Wignaraja, assistant secretary-general at the UN and regional director for Asia-Pacific at the United Nations Development Programme, writes about how the country can transition to a just energy future, with finance and governance accelerators.

Nations net-zero aim given strategic boost Vietnams fresh national climate change strategy, which highlights a crucial energy transition, will help the country reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fulfil its international commitment.

Private sector expected to support the green growth model in Vietnam Last year Vietnam made a remarkable commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Patrick Lenain, senior associate of the Swiss-based Council on Economic Policies, shares some recommendations to encourage the private sectors role in this ambitious target.

Ways to fund Vietnams COP26 commitments At the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), Vietnam pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and to phase out coal-fueled power generation by 2040.
Continuous efforts have been made to stabilize the job market, and address discrimination and unreasonable requirements placed by employers on potential employees, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.



Latest figures from the ministry show that about 10 million people successfully gained employment in urban areas in the past nine months.

According to the ministry, the government has expanded the coverage of unemployment benefits to include college graduates who haven't landed jobs two years after graduating and those unemployed aged from 16 to 24.

Included in the policy, companies will receive a one-time payment of a maximum of 1,500 yuan ($208) per person when they offer jobs to job seekers on benefits.

To help the unemployed, especially college graduates, migrant workers and retired military members, the government has organized nearly 120,000 job fairs both online and offline across the nation in the past three quarters. Over 100 million vacancies were offered at these job fairs.

The ministry said college graduates remain one of the priorities of the government's employment drive, and students in poor financial situations are getting assistance.

As of September, the government had posted 1.02 million internships and 43,000 grassroots vacancies for this year's college graduates.

In addition to channeling job information to the labor force, the government has also carried out actions to protect people's working rights by improving the labor arbitration system and regulating illegal behaviors such as discrimination and defaulting on salaries.

A recent action plan by the State Council, China's Cabinet, said that it's necessary to explore ways to secure flexible workers' rights when they get work-related injuries.

The plan said the government will strictly handle discrimination against recovered COVID-19 patients to ensure people are treated fairly when applying for jobs.

According to the human resources ministry, it is undertaking a five-month campaign from Aug 20 to late January to tackle issues around pay defaults faced by migrant workers.
Winnie Lam - General secretary, Hong Kong Business Association Vietnam Foreign investment leverage crucial for Quang Ninhs goals Our members continue to explore beyond the usual destinations in Vietnam, and Quang Ninh is definitely getting its fair share of attention of late. The province is known for its speed of development, completing a modern socioeconomic infrastructure system to ensure connectivity to the rest of the country and beyond. Quang Ninh has a well-developed seaport system, adjacent to the centre of the largest seaport in the neighbouring city of Haiphong, making it a desirable place for businesses importing raw materials and exporting finished products to China and the rest of the world. It was ranked first in the Provincial Competitiveness Index in Vietnam for five consecutive years from 2017 to 2021. In addition, Quang Ninh ranked second in regional GDP per capita in 2021, only behind the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, with around 13 per cent of growth for six continuous years and the projection for 2022 looks just as strong. Quang Ninh is currently focusing on industrial zone development, with 15 zones and eight more in the pipeline. It is also the only locality with both land and sea borders with China and therefore a strong bridge connecting ASEAN with a market of over one billion people, which is convenient for trade activities and cross-border economic development. Thomas Rooney - Senior manager, Industrial Real Estate Consulting Services, Savills Hanoi Quang Ninh is an ideal destination for a variety of industrial fields. The traffic system allows convenient movement to seaports, new international airports, and the Mong Cai international border gate. This is a strategic location with a lot of potential for development in the next two to three years. On the other hand, the biggest local challenge is labour force competency. Local talent is still limited, and most of the workers come from Hanoi or neighbouring provinces. There are many domestic and international investors in Quang Ninh. The rental cost is more competitive than in southern industrial zones. The northern market still sees many investors coming from high value-added sectors such as electronics and automobiles. Much of that investment came from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. Chi Vu - Head of Industrial Park Services, Colliers Vietnam Quang Ninh has great competitive advantages in attracting overseas investment, such as its geographical position, modern and synchronous infrastructure, potential to develop industrial real estate, and preferential policies for good investors with three economic zones. However, Quang Ninh can still create momentum for industrial real estate to take off, attracting more high-quality and high-value investment projects. The first is the issue of labour resources, especially the lack of high-quality labour to meet the standards for industrial production, services, and import and export. Besides this, it is also necessary to pay special attention to policies and investment conditions, as well as issues of waste treatment and emissions, to minimise impacts on the environment and landscapes and ensure sustainable development for this province. As for the problem of human resource shortages in Quang Ninh, it is necessary to have the cooperation of all parties to increase the quantity and improve the quality of local labour in both expertise and foreign languages to meet these requirements and enterprise standards. Bruno Jaspaert - Member of EuroCham Advisory Committee; general director of DEEP C Industrial Zones The EuroCham-hosted Green Economy Forum and Exhibition in November will be an opportunity to present the province as an alternative investment location. This will be a great opportunity to leverage the green expertise of European companies in developing the province. Moreover, it may be necessary to completely restructure the current provinces marketing strategy to reposition it as the most sustainable investment location in Vietnam in the long term. This would help attract high-quality investments to the province. Furthermore, I also believe that it would be interesting to analyse which foreign direct investment companies are currently based in Guangdong and experiencing difficulties with trade barriers. To remain competitive, all of these companies must seek alternative locations, and Quang Ninh is well-positioned to market itself this way. In addition to this, there is also a critical need to have a plan in place. Quang Ninh is unique that it hired McKinsey & Company over 10 years ago to prepare a comprehensive development plan for the provinces future. It would also be beneficial for Quang Ninh authorities to reach out and make use of their existing contacts with European companies to serve as their ambassadors for promoting the province to potential investors. In the Quang Yen Economic Zone, the Belgian-owned DEEP C industrial zone cluster could be instrumental in attracting a considerable number of European investors to the region. Lastly, it may be a worthwhile idea for Quang Ninh to contact the various European embassies and invite their economic delegations to visit the province to expand its economic development. To raise its profile in the future as an attractive destination for investment, the province should also take part in the wide variety of trade missions that authorised agencies are organising. Nguyen Van Nhan - General director, Amata City Halong JSC Quang Ninh has presented its viewpoint by prioritising attracting investment in the industrial lines of tourism, manufacturing, high-tech and smart industries, and marine economics, among others. Furthermore, the province intends to promote green economy industries such as clean energy, renewable energy, and gas and wind power. In addition, the province has determined that foreign-invested projects with a negative environmental impact, outdated technology, and excessive energy utility will be limited. It is evident that Quang Ninh has been promoting investment attraction in high-tech and low-waste technology industries. It would be a huge advantage if the province establishes an open investment environment and attracts high-quality human resources. On the other hand, to follow up on investment promotion activities effectively, it is necessary that the authority issues a list of prioritised and limited industries with more details. Accordingly, it is essential to issue a set of criteria for effective investment projects so that infrastructure investors can approach customers and partners and increase the effectiveness of investment attraction activities. Moreover, it is essential that Quang Ninh issues specific incentive policies with additional conditions for receiving incentives. These attached conditions will benefit the investment promotion activities of Quang Ninh as well as infrastructure investors alike. Nobuaki Hoshino - General director, JGC Vietnam Quang Ninh is a strategic economic location in the northeast of Vietnam. The province is one of the four major tourism centres of Vietnam. The province is an attractive location for foreign investors, and it has a high urbanisation rate and well-developed transport and logistics infrastructure. Before 2020, there were not many foreign-invested projects from Japan in Quang Ninh. But from 2021, several Japanese investors developed in the industrial zone infrastructure and energy sector, starting projects in the province. That shows the potential for Japanese investors in Quang Ninh in the future. We believe this is due to good development plans, fast infrastructure investment, and public administrative reform over the years. In parallel, it is the consequence of many investment promotions and cooperation agreements of the province. To attract investors, we think that Quang Ninh should focus on maintaining policies to attract investment, strengthen infrastructure, and maximise support mechanisms, as well as have an appropriate human resource development plan. Do Gia Long - Deputy general director, Redsunland Investment JSC About a fifth of our foreign customers want to study investment opportunities in this northern province. We see the province has many advantages in attracting foreign investment. The first is one of the countrys most modern transport systems. Quang Ninh is the first locality in Vietnam to build a highway by itself and now has a highway running through Hanoi and Haiphong to its Mong Cai international border gate. The province is also completing the seaport-industrial park complexes. Quang Ninh is the first province to establish a centralised public administration centre at provincial and district levels. Our partners are satisfied with the authorities support during the administrative procedures for business licences. The provinces strength in attracting investment comes from the development smart industrial zones and economic zones, especially industrial, urban, and service complexes, such as Viet Hung and Dong Mai.
Ramla Khalidi-Resident representative United Nations Development Programme in Vietnam

Climate change threats will constitute one of the greatest challenges to the enjoyment of human rights in our era. Last week we had the opportunity to discuss with experts from the field how to achieve just, green and sustainable environmental development with principles of equity and human rights at the centre.

We also presented a new policy paper by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), supported by the Embassy of Norway to Vietnam, that provides an overview of the nexus between climate change and human rights. Our guiding questions for this study were: which human rights are affected by climate change impacts? And how can we address those impacts in a way that minimises or remedies adverse effects on human rights enjoyment, instead of exacerbating them?

The study answers those questions by providing an overview of human rights impacts and roles and responsibilities of stakeholders based on UN normative instruments on Human Rights and Climate Change. The UNDP recommends to policymakers and government authorities at all levels to ensure that climate change adaptation and mitigation policies and measures, including the just energy transition, are effectively grounded on a human rights-based approach that puts peoples rights at the centre and meets the core principles of participation, accountability, equality, empowerment, and legality.

I would like to offer three reflections and recommendations for a more inclusive and rights-based approach to climate action in Vietnam to ensure that no-one is left behind  the core aspiration at the heart of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Firstly, it is fundamental to integrate a human rights analysis of the implications of climate change as part of the broader and mandatory policy impact analyses.

Considering that Vietnam has ratified the core human rights treaties such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the Paris Agreement, human rights standards should be integral to Vietnams implementation of climate policies to fulfil commitments made last year.

For reasonable predictions on the human rights impacts of implementation measures, a solid baseline of the existing impacts of climate change on human rights enjoyment is vital. In that context, it is hard to understate the importance of using data and evidence in the planning and policy-making efforts around these complex and integrated policy areas.

Subsequent monitoring and evaluation can only be adequate when a coherent approach to data transparency and access to information is ensured from the outset. For instance, the UNDP complements government data with PAPI (Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index) data, including a dedicated set of indicators on environmental governance. In addition, we developed the Climate Risk Index as an open-source platform to update climate risk information, increase risk-informed planning and enhance transparency by utilising scientific evidence-based risk assessments.

Secondly, a whole-of-society approach is needed to mobilise the innovation, expertise and collaboration required to tackle the climate crisis. The voices of women, youth, migrants, ethnic minorities, academia, and social organisations are crucial to sustainable policy outcomes. Therefore, their participation and consultation in planning and policymaking should be an integral requirement of those processes.

Not only is their participation essential to drive a green, inclusive, and resilient future for Vietnam, they are themselves the most significant agents of change and implementors of climate actions.

In this context, the role of advocates for environmental and human rights is important. Independent experts and advocates have an essential role in fostering public debate on environmental rights and climate change action. To fulfil that vital function, their inclusion needs to be protected by law and in practice.

In Vietnam, for example, the UNDP together with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources supported a youth cohort from all regions to formulate two special reports on youth for climate action, in which they laid out their roadmap to accelerate youth-led climate actions.

Encouragingly, Vietnams voluntary pledges to the United Nations Human Rights Council and support for recommendations in the third Universal Periodic Review cycle also underscore the importance of participation, consultation and engagement of the communities and organisations on the ground.

Thirdly, voice, participation, data collection, and transparency are not enough if there is no accountability.

Communities and individuals must be able to hold policymakers accountable for their international and domestic commitments. Therefore, mechanisms to ensure dialogue, access to information, and legal remedy help resolve disputes and provide effective remedies and are an essential part of our call for climate justice.

The National Assembly, the Supreme Court, central and local governments, and businesses all have roles to ensure the oversight of equitable environmental policies, but also to respond to citizens and communities human rights enjoyment, including the right to an effective remedy. Capacity-building efforts and training of public officials, judges and legal practitioners, among others, is a key priority to help prepare state institutions to address the complex issues that are arising.

The engagement and legal awareness of the public are crucial for their understanding of their rights and how to seek their enforcement. Education on human rights impacts of climate change and legal empowerment should therefore be a priority focus, especially for the groups most vulnerable to climate change.

Vietnam calls for comprehensive approach in addressing climate change challenges Vietnam called for a comprehensive approach in addressing challenges relating to climate change, environment and bio-diversity, at a meeting of the Economic and Financial Committee of the United Nations General Assemblys 77th session on October 10.

Overseas investors chime in on climate change conundrum As one of the countries increasingly impacted by climate change, Vietnam is accelerating its crucial transition to become a green economy, which opens up new business opportunities for foreign direct investment. Last weeks webinar on Vietnams green economy highlighted the opportunities for sustainable investment.
Registration is now open

Vietnams Real Estate and Hospitality market is currently going on tremendous changes and short-term challenges.

Looking forward, the industry needs upgrades and growing demands for quality products. With more than 20 leading speakers, the conference will enter the discussion on the current market situation with a focus on long-term plans for enduring and sustainable growth. The discussion will present several dynamic aspects, not only upcoming challenges, but also opportunities to be captured.

WeHub community and Savills Hotels will hold a half-day conference on Vietnams hospitality and real estate market from 1:30pm on November 10 at the Melia Hanoi hotel. VIR will act as the media partner for this exciting conference, aiming to support real estate and hospitality recovery.

Key topics include:

- Second home market: Condotels and branded residences

- The hospitality industry in Vietnam  the way for recovery and long-term prospects

- Construction cost rise and its impacts on projects

- Legal updates for condotel and residential projects

- Hotel market performances in Vietnam and demand growth for 2023

Language: English (Vietnamese translation available by advance requests)

More than 20 leaders will be at the upcoming event in Hanoi

Registration is prioritised to investors, developers, hotel owners, sponsors, and senior industry partners. Entrance will only be granted with confirmation email and the exclusive QR code from the team.

Register now to secure a precious chance to learn from the 20 leaders: meettheexpertsevents.com/event/registration

Contact information:

Nhung Pham

Head of Business Development and Marketing

Savills Hotels at pthithuynhung@savills.asia

Jackpot industrial zone deals there for the taking In March, Savills brokered a 55-year long-term land lease between Fuchs, one of the worlds largest lubricant manufacturers, and Phu My 3 Industrial Zone in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau. This 2-hectare property is part of the German manufacturers plan to expand its footprint in Vietnam. VIRs Hai Van spoke with John Campbell, associate director and head of Industrial Services at Savills Vietnam, about the significance of the deal and Vietnams endeavours to attract similar investments.

Trends influencing the premium office market in Hanoi According to Savills latest market report, the office market will perform well this year with ICT and financial, insurance, real estate, and legal (FIRE) tenants leading demands. According to Hoang Nguyet Minh, senior director of Commercial Leasing at Savills Hanoi, the rent of grade-A offices will also depend on the future supply. Increasingly, tenants are selecting offices in buildings with green certificates that also cater to hybrid or agile working.

Second-home market blossoms in Danang Second-home properties in Danang are expected to gain more attention through the recovery of the economy.
Bruno Jaspaert, general director of DEEP C Industrial Zones, has spoken about the decision to invest in two industrial zone (IZ) infrastructure projects in Quang Ninh. We realise that Quang Ninh has a great and distinct advantage. For example, famous Halong Bay attracts labour resources, while the locality also focuses on green economic development and environmental protection solutions, which wins the heart of investors in environmentally-friendly production, he said.

Quang Ninh boasts large industrial land access

The chairman of Quang Ninh Peoples Committee at an investment promotion conference last month emphasised several outstanding advantages of Quang Ninh. In addition to geographical location and rich natural and mineral resources, Quang Ninh shows initiative, makes great effort, and has internal power, the chairman said.

Pham Tan Cong, chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, Transport infrastructure, urban infrastructure, investment, and the general business environment of Quang Ninh have made a great breakthrough since 2012.

Source: IPA Quang Ninh

Moreover, local available industrial land is meeting the demand for large-scale industrial production complexes with competitive rent costs compared to neighbouring localities like Hai Duong and Haiphong. In addition to the geographical location and synchronous infrastructure, a highly appreciated advantage is the potential and development space of industrial real estate, said Chi Vu, head of the Industrial Park Service Department at Colliers Vietnam.

Moreover, Nguyen Van Nhan, general director of Amata Halong Urban JSC, also said, Thanks to the advantage of a large industrial land area, Quang Ninh meets the demand of large-scale projects. Infrastructure investors need a clean land fund to quickly deploy infrastructure development. Currently, the first phase is almost filled with the projects of the secondary investor Jinko Solar. In the second phase, we are stepping up levelling and infrastructure construction on the land clearance area.

A representative of McKinsey Vietnam, which is the consultant for formulating Quang Ninhs master plan for the 2021-2030 period, said that when calculating resources for strategic goals in socioeconomic development, foreign direct investment accounts for about 24 per cent of the total investment capital.

However, to be able to receive large capital flows, as well as demanding investors, Quang Ninh needs a strategic and specific mindset to prioritise the industry field and provide preferential policies, the representative said.

Uber Mendez, operations manager of Competition Team Technology Vietnam Co., Ltd., a member of Foxconn Group, said, When implementing the production expansion plan, our leader researched many other localities, including Quang Ninh. Through the Investment Promotion Agency Quang Ninh (IPA Quang Ninh), we were provided with complete information and decided to choose Dong Mai IZ because of its favourable location, cost, and labour advantages. We are doing very well in Dong Mai and are planning to expand the project on vacant land next to the current factory over the next two years.

Solar panel manufacturer Jinko Solar Hong Kong has also chosen Quang Ninh to build its third production complex, with the previous two based in the United States and Malaysia. The company also built houses for employees to rent in the province, expressing Jinko Solars demand to stay in Quang Ninh for the long term.

The province will also welcome several new projects in the automotive industry from Sweden. The $1.5 billion project of Stavian Quang Yen Petrochemical JSC to produce polypropylene resins is now rushing to complete investment procedures.

Quang Ninh will not go for quantity but choose quality with a lot of room for big investors to deploy their production complexes, said Vu Thi Kim Chi, standing deputy head of IPA Quang Ninh.

Quang Ninh is standardising its investment promotion toolkit, including a database system; updated electronic marketing materials in English, Vietnamese, South Korean, Japanese, and Chinese; modern and informative promotional videos; and an investment portal that has attracted over 10 million views. Instead of waiting for investors, the province actively seeks them, and supporting procedures and problems have been quickly resolved through an investor care team, supporting the acceleration of many major projects.

Quang Ninh working hard to develop night-time economy Its tourist attractions, unique culinary culture and pleasant night weather are great assets that will enable Quang Ninh Province to develop its night-time economy, according to its People's Committee.

$2 billion Quang Ninh LNG power plant behind schedule The joint venture of PV Power, Colavi, Tokyo Gas, and Marubeni is behind schedule for the completion of the $2 billion Quang Ninh liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant.

Quang Ninh issues series of commitments to attract investors Quang Ninh Peoples Committee will implement seven commitments to attract investors and simultaneously support the business community to expand operations.
The retail segment once again proved its pole role at VPBank in the third quarter of 2022 when credit outstanding balance from individual customers, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME), and at FE Credit contributed nearly 70 per cent of the banks total credit outstanding balance, growing approximately 20 per cent on-year.

The bank's consolidated credit outstanding balance in the quarter reached $19.26 billion.

Meanwhile, credit outstanding balance in retail segment at VIB surpassed $8.69 billion in the third quarter, placing the bank in the group of top performers among private commercial lenders.

By the end of third quarter, VIBs credit outstanding balance contributed more than 35 per cent of total spending volume by Mastercard holders in Vietnam. Simultaneously, thanks to strong digital transformation, in the first three quarters of 2022 VIB eyed digital bank transaction value more than double compared to 2021 and accounted for 93 per cent of total transactions through digital channel.

Besides the retail segment, income from services of banks has also inched up steadily.

Besides the retail segment, income from services of banks has also inched up steadily.

In the first nine months this year, TPBank eyed a 78 per cent hike on-year in services revenue, which touched $81.56 million. Its pre-tax profit during the period amounted $261 million, an increase of $66.6 million, equal 35 per cent on-year, and reaching 72 per cent of full-year projection.

According to Nguyen Duc Thach Diem, CEO of Ho Chi Minh City-based Sacombank, non-interest income contributed 39.4 per cent of the banks total income sources in the first nine months.

This was mostly thanks to strong digital drive, from there making positive contribution to bolstering Sacombanks financial efficiency.

Techcombank CEO Jens Lottner unveiled that the bank posted 21.8 per cent growth in its pre-tax profit in the first three quarters, reaching $904.3 million thanks to efficient business in core fields, with augmented lending in retail segment.

Techcombanks credit portfolio continues shifting from lending to large corporates to retail segment to mitigate risk and enhance capital usage efficiency.

Particularly, the banks loan outstanding balance to retail customers soared 61.2 per cent on-year to reach $967 million, accounting for 49 per cent of Techcombanks credit portfolio, compared to 36.4 per cent in 2021s same period.

Techcombanks loan outstanding balance from SMEs came to $3.07 billion, showing 22.7 per cent jump on-year, meanwhile total credit outstanding balance from large corporates shed 12 per cent falling to $7 billion, making up 35.5 per cent of the banks credit outstanding volume, compared to 48.5 per cent level in the third quarter in 2021.

ACBs credit portfolio is also focused on retail segment, reaching 94 per cent, placing ACB among lenders with efficient operation.

By the end of the third quarter, ACB raked in $587 million in pre-tax profit, fulfilling more than 90 per cent of the full-year projection.

ACB is also one of the top performers in the banking sector in the return-on-equity ratio which reaches 27 per cent.

The analytic division under Agribank Securities (Agriseco Research) made a forecast that the banking sectors profit picture in 2022 and 2023 would be less upbeat compared to the past two years due to limited space for credit growth, meanwhile banks profit margin is under pressure when the deposit rate tends to go up while it is not simple to raise lending rate correspondingly.

Domestic retail sector presenting bright picture The consequences of the pandemic seem to no longer haunt the domestic retail industry, as sales of consumer goods and services continuously record stellar growth.
Meanwhile, the trade turnover of domestic businesses in the first ten months was $178.23 billion, up 13.4 per cent on-year.

FIEs total export value was estimated at $218.7 billion, up 17.5 per cent on year. The figure accounts for 73.8 per cent of the entire nations total export revenue. The trade surplus of FIEs from January to October was $30.2 billion.

The trade surplus of FIEs from January to October was $30.2 billion.

FIEs key export products are phones, computers, electronic products, and spare parts. Notably, the export value of phones and computers of this group accounts for 99.7 per cent of the total export value of these products. Besides this, the export value of electronic products and spare parts makes up 98.32 per cent.

Regarding the import side, FIEs' import value of goods throughout the reviewed period expanded to $188.5 billion, up 12 per cent compared to last years corresponding period, accounting for 65.2 per cent of the nations total import turnover.

In the first ten months, the countrys total import value hiked by 12.7 per cent on year. Some commodity groups saw a sharp rise, including computers, electronic products and components with an increase of 7.8 per cent, petrol and oil (130.3 per cent), and coal with an increase of 82.2 per cent on-year.

The major importers of computers, phones, and components include the United States, the EU, China, and South Korea.

Nine items reached export turnover of over 1 billion USD in first 2 months In Jan-February, there were nine export commodities recording turnover of at least 1 billion USD, accounting for 71.6 percent of the total export value.

Coffee export turnover exceeds 2 billion USD in five months Vietnam shipped 889,000 tonnes of coffee overseas for more than 2 billion USD in the first five months of 2022, up 24.2 and 54 percent year on year, respectively.

Seafood export turnover expected to surpass $10 billion Based on the positive results in the first five months, seafood export turnover is expected to surpass $10 billion this year for the first time.

Five-month fruit and vegetable export turnover reaches 1.4 billion USD Vietnams fruit and vegetable export turnover hit 1.4 billion USD in the first five months of this year, down 17 percent compared to the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
Holt Cat threw a shindig Thursday afternoon, offering refreshments, valet parking, barbecue, heavy equipment displays and a live band to guests in Waco. Highlighting the event was something more down-to-earth: media tours of what the sprawling complex at 2000 Texas Central Parkway has become since Holt Cat opened in 2020.

Caterpillar opened the plant to build parts for huge earth-scooping buckets and other work tools for heavy machinery, but picked up and left for Kansas in 2018, leaving behind a shell and a handful of employees. San Antonio-based Holt Cat, already with a sales and leasing operation on West Loop 340 in Waco, swooped in and bought the 170,000-square-foot complex and later announced a multimillion-dollar retrofit.

Officials on Thursday pointed to a relatively new blasting and painting facility.

Holt Cat now rebuilds, repairs and refurbishes big Cat equipment in one building, produces its own proprietary products in another. It accepts work directly from users and from Holt Cat dealers scattered across 118 counties from the Red River to the Rio Grande, according to a promotional packet the company circulated. In another building, crews build things, including Holt Cats proprietary Spray King water tanks and engine enclosures.

Section manager Paul Cuevas showed visitors a new water tank just completed in Waco. It will hold 15,000 gallons of water, and Cuevas said it is primarily used to moisten dust at construction sites and quarries. This is the first Holt Cat has made in Waco, though it has produced others in San Antonio, where it is headquartered.

William K. Holt founded the company in 1933. He was the son of Benjamin Holt, who in 1904 developed the first successful track-type tractor which he named the Caterpillar, according to the company website. Holt Manufacturing Co. merged with a competitor in 1925 to form what is now Caterpillar Inc., the global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment that reported $51 billion in sales and revenue last year.

The Holt Cat dealer and servicer employs 3,500 people systemwide and is owned by fifth generation family leaders.

Holt Cats Jay Eisenbarth led tours and answered questions Thursday. He said about 55 people work in the building where hulking Cat machines go for examination and repair, a process that could last 10 to 16 weeks. Technicians disassemble the units piece by piece, scouting for flaws or problem areas. Some use wrenches, others apply more sophisticated methods. At one stop, a machine uses an electric current to spot cracks not visible to the naked eye.

At present, the rebuild area works a single shift, many employees arriving at 6 a.m. and leaving at 6 p.m. weekdays. Holt Cat is hiring and hopes to fill several positions by years end, Eisenbarth said. Technicians make at least $16 an hour to start, with most earning $18 to $22 shortly thereafter.

Eisenbarth said Holt Cat makes on-site nearly every part it needs to overhaul or repair equipment, motors being the only exception. The facility produces 4,300 to 4,500 hoses annually, those parts among the simplest in the pecking order that includes bearings, gears and harnesses, he said. Crews routinely rebuild transmissions and perform cab repairs.

We probably have 15 to 16 jobs going at any one time, Eisenbarth said.

He said Holt Cat and other dealers sell used equipment, a crucial element to business owners just getting started. Companies that purchase or lease Cat equipment may bring machines in for routine maintenance. Rarely is the patient too far gone to be revived, Eisenbarth said. That decision, though, rests with the owner and operator, not with Holt Cat.

Other repair and maintenance shops exist in the Holt Cat footprint, but Wacos version accepts equipment larger than others can accommodate.

A final stage to the repair and maintenance process includes pressure checks and eight hours of actual running time to work out any bugs, Eisenbarth said.

The complex employs more than 100 people carrying out its various functions, still fewer than the 200 jobs lost when Cat left town.

But Eisenbarth said hiring will continue into the future.
A Lacy Lakeview woman was indicted Thursday on a capital murder charge in the shotgun killing of her neighbor.

Police officers responding to an emergency call in the wee hours of Sept. 7 in the 400 block of Whispering Lane reported they saw Cynthia Ellen Ming, 51, naked and covered in blood climbing out a window in the home of her neighbor, Angie Bush, who they found on the floor inside with wounds that proved fatal.

The indictment alleges Ming killed Bush, also known as Angie Moore, by shooting her or striking her in the head with a firearm while burglarizing Moore's home. Police reports list the weapon that killed Moore as a shotgun.

Police logs show Moore called in to report a neighbor breaking into her home around midnight.

Caller advised female subject is breaking into her house and she has a loaded gun and is getting ready to shoot her, the police report says.

Officers arrived three minutes later and attempted lifesaving measures on Moore until American Medical Response medics took over, but she died, according to police reports.

While officers in the home began CPR for Moore, other officers outside pursued Ming, according to her arrest affidavit.

Cynthias person was covered in a large amount of blood and she began to run from officers, the arrest affidavit states.

An officer unsuccessfully attempted to stop Ming with a stun gun, the affidavit says. In cooperation with Bellmead and Texas State Technical College police officers, the Lacy Lakeview officer was then able to place Cynthia on the ground and place her in handcuffs, according to police reports.

An officer found Ming had "a large amount of lacerations on her person," so she was placed in custody and transported to an area hospital, the affidavit states.

The arrest affidavit lists several statements police heard Ming make to medical personnel.

Ming said to medical personnel that Moore had a gun and "she grabbed the gun from her, and shot her in the head, the affidavit says. Cynthia then again stated that she murdered her due to her killing her dog."

Medical personnel heard Ming say her own wounds came from going into Moore's home through a window, according to the affidavit.

Ming told a Waco Crime Scene Technician who assisted in processing her at the hospital that "the blood on her hands was 'probably the murder victim's,'" the affidavit says.

Ming has remained in McLennan County Jail since Sept. 7 on a capital murder charge, with bond listed at $1 million.

Moore's relatives set up a fund for her son who survives her, a special-needs youth who turned 13 just before his mother's death. The boy's relatives said Friday his mother's parents are raising him and his mother's only sibling moved closer to help with his care.
A Waco man was indicted Thursday on an intoxication manslaughter charge stemming from a September wreck that killed two in Robinson.

A McLennan County grand jury indicted Bobbie Daniel Molina, 27, of Waco, in the crash at about 2:10 p.m. Sept. 25 in the 3100 block of South Loop 340.

Driving a Ford Taurus, Molina struck a travel trailer towed by a Chevrolet Suburban in which Delia Bogart, 73, Floyd Bogart, 78, and one other person were occupants, causing the trailer and SUV to flip into the median, according to a Robinson Police Department statement on the incident. Delia Bogart died on the scene, and Floyd Bogart, driver of the SUV, died later at an area hospital, police said. First responders treated and released the other passenger, police said. The crash ejected two from the SUV and partially ejected a third, who was removed from the vehicle by bystanders, police reported.

A breath test administered by McLennan County Jail personnel indicated Molina's blood alcohol concentration was 0.19, more than twice the legal limit for driving in Texas, according to records in the case.

Molina posted $20,000 bond on a second-degree felony intoxication manslaughter charge and was released from jail Sept. 26. His bond conditions prohibit him from drinking and require him to have an ignition interlock on any vehicle he drives, intended to prevent the vehicle from starting if he has alcohol in his system.

The only indictment for Molina stemming from this incident available for viewing at the McLennan County district clerk's office does not mention a charge in the death of Floyd Bogart, only in the death of Delia Bogart.
The Luohu Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held a meeting on Oct. 25 to emphasize the study of guidelines of the 20th CPC National Congress.

Fan Defan, Luohu mayor and deputy secretary of the CPC Luohu Committee, presided over the meeting.

The meeting stressed that Luohu should completely, accurately and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy and actively serve and integrate into the new development pattern. It should take the lead in building a modern economic system, strongly support the building of a high-quality development hub, and contribute more to Shenzhen's overall development.

To this end, Luohu will focus on building a future urban industrial system, accelerate the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy, promote the in-depth integrated development of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and systematically launch seven special action plans for the high-quality development of the service industry. It will also faithfully put the people first and prioritize ecological conservation.
Day of the Dead celebrations in Waco will feature hundreds, if not several thousand, of the living.

Better known as Dia de los Muertos, Spanish for the Day of the Dead, the occasion is marked in several Latin American cultures as a time to remember and honor loved ones and acquaintances who have died.

Observances include the creation of ofrendas, or offerings, small altars decorated with photographs, candles, flowers, food and other items recalling the dead; sugar skulls for children; costumed skeletons called Catrinas, after a satirical cartoon created by Mexican artist Jose Posadas; observances at churches or cemeteries; and gatherings with food, music and dancing.

In Waco, there also will be a community parade Saturday running downtown along University Parks Drive to Indian Spring Park, returning from its debut last year.

This weekend also will see the 12th annual Traveling Ofrenda created by Waco artist Rocio Ramirez-Landoll, which has grown in scale since moving outdoors to the corner of Dallas and Tyler streets in East Waco.

This years edition will feature the addition of Viva la Vida, a detailed set of six skeletal mariachi musicians crafted from heavy paper Ramirez-Landoll and fellow Waco artist Diana Torres made over the last six months with a $3,000 Texas Folklife grant.

The two used the Mexican art form of cartoneria, in which heavy paper, often from discarded empty sacks of concrete or lime, is wetted with adhesive, pressed into plaster molds, then assembled into objects.

The musical skeletons dressed in light blue with silver ornamentation and each sporting a different instrument will join the items in the public ofrenda on Saturday, weather permitting. The ofrenda will be on display from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday through Thursday, with live folklorico dancing by Norma Torres at 6:30 p.m. Saturday followed by a free screening of the animated movie Coco at 7 p.m.

The Dia de los Muertos parade and festival, a separate event funded in part by a Texas Commission for the Arts grant, will take place Saturday, although the Dia de los Muertos is traditionally marked on Nov. 1 or 2.

Parade organizer Julie Cervantes said 45 community and social organizations will take part in this years parade, making it longer than last years. The parade will start at 4 p.m. on University Parks Drive, gathering outside the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District and continuing down University Parks to Indian Spring Park, stopping at the site of the festival.

In addition to scores of skulls and costumed Catrinas, the parade will include references to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo; loteria, or lottery, cards; a scene saluting the television comedy El Chavo del Ocho, which starred famed Mexican comic Chespirito, or Roberto Gomez Bolanos; and, on floats recognizing parade sponsors, brightly colored fantastical folk art animals called alebrijes.

The parade will take about an hour, and the festival at Indian Spring Park will continue to 10 p.m. Cervantes said Telemundo television will livestream the parade, and wacotrib.com will host a contest next week where viewers can vote on their favorite parade entry.

Festival organizer Eric Linares said the surprising response to last years festival led planners to make it larger.

I was really blown away by the size of it, Linares said. It seems like the whole community came out with a couple of thousand people there.

Saturdays festival will have roughly double the number of vendors and artisans plus 10 food trucks and a musical lineup combining local talent with groups from San Antonio and Austin. Childrens activities will include face painting, sugar skull decoration and page coloring.

The music lineup includes vocalist Giselle Vento and guitarist Frank Exum, DJ Magnum, Ballet Folklorico, the all-female Mariachi las Coronelas from San Antonio and Austin Selena tribute group Bidi Bidi Banda.

A VIP Muertos Plaza area overlooking the Indian Spring Park amphitheater will provide food and cocktails catered by Lupitas Restaurant and Ilegal Mezcal.

Cervantes said organizers worked to keep the spirit of Dia de los Muertos prominent in the parade and festival so that it does not become overwhelmed by commercialism.

Its about being included and celebrating, she said.

Cultural details were important, too, in Ramirez-Landolls mariachi figures for the ofrenda.

Through these objects we reconnect with the country or the people, she said.

Not only are the mariachi outfits as detailed as actual ones, complete with silver ornaments down pant legs, gold braid on sombrero rims, silver lace appliques and fabric bands inside hats, but the players guitars, guitarron, violin and trumpet, all crafted from heavy paper, wire, guitar strings and wood, are accurate down to tuning pegs and trumpet key buttons.

There are clever touches such as monarch butterflies, often seen in ofrendas, in place of bows at the musicians throats. The player of the oversized guitarron has a pot belly, which conveniently supports the weight of his instrument.

The two artists used cardboard with the inside corrugation removed as the heavy paper for molding, resulting in lightweight but durable figures.

Someone asked if you could make a pinata from this and I said, Only as a joke, said Ramirez-Landoll with a smile.

Torres, who was student to Ramirez-Landolls mentoring in the Texas Folklife project, said it reconnected her not only to her familys Tejano history, but Mexican indigenous roots of which she had been unaware.

To explore the different aspects of a culture is to bring them back into our culture now, she said.

The festivals Linares, who also helped create a public ofrenda for the Mayborn Museum, said it is that connection between past and present, between death and life, that makes Dia de los Muertos special and distinctive.

The essence of Dia de los Muertos is to honor and cherish the lives of our loved ones in the time they lived with us, he said. Its also a time to contemplate our mortality, but not in a fearful way. Death gives a meaning to life.
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) will host informational sessions on its High School Career Academies at each of its main campuses at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2. EICC is also offering a virtual option via Zoom at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9.

EICC's Career Academies give area students the opportunity to earn no-cost college credit or hands-on career training before graduating from high school. High schoolers can complete anywhere from a semester to a full year of college coursework through the program, and hundreds have participated across Clinton, Muscatine and Scott Community College campuses.

EICC admissions counselors will host the sessions, giving students and families a chance to learn more about available career pathways, admissions requirements, scholarship and financial aid opportunities and ask questions.

The following main EICC campuses will hold in-person sessions on Wednesday, Nov. 2:

Clinton Community College, Clinton Career Advancement Center, 1000 Lincoln Blvd.

Muscatine Community College, Strahan Hall - Room #27, 152 Colorado St.

Scott Community College, Room #2409, 500 Belmont Rd., Bettendorf.

Those who would prefer the virtual session on Wednesday, Nov. 9, can join via Zoom using the Meeting ID: 979 5590 9454

EICC's Career Academies span across various in-demand fields, including: industrial technology, information technology, automotive technology, human services, education, agriculture, business, culinary, criminal justice and healthcare. Academies offered by participating high schools vary by location.

For more information about the sessions, visit eicc.edu/infosessions. Those with additional questions can call toll-free at 1-888-336-3907 or email eiccinfo@eicc.edu.
WATERLOO  On Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Waterloo Rotary Club and GTA Consulting are hosting a cultural immersion workshop at Hawkeye Community College's downtown Van G. Miller Adult Learning Center.

Entrepreneurs, individuals, business, and nonprofit industry leaders are encouraged to attend for this conversation around cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion. The workshop will offer valuable insights into standing out in an authentic way, expanding a "cultural vision" in life and in business, and having an effective voice in the conversation for any context.
IOWA CITY  Sharon McDonald has fond memories of Iowas longtime senior Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley working across party lines and in concert with his Democratic counterpart, former longtime Iowa U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin.

They were, you know, yin and yang, said the 69-year-old retiree from Iowa City. You never got the feeling that there was vitriol between them.  There wasnt that animus.

Flash forward to today, and McDonald said she feels Grassley has become increasingly more partisan and cantankerous. Seventy-year-old Alice Haugen of Iowa City agreed.

Well, I think the Republican Party has gotten very mean, Haugen said. I registered as a Republican when I turned 18, because they were for civil rights, balanced budgets, clean governance, the environment and cautious foreign policy. If they were still doing that, I might still be a Republican, but they havent for a while.

Its for those reasons the two retirees say they are supporting Democrat Mike Franken in Iowas U.S. Senate race. The election is Nov. 8.

He is a smart, wise, human person with a sensible approach to things and would bring a lot to offer, Haugen said of Franken.

The race is garnering national attention and fundraising in the wake of new polling that suggests this could be Grassleys toughest re-election fight in 40 years. National political forecasts have shifted their ratings in the race away from a safe Grassley re-election to likely.

Republicans have cast doubt on the results of last weeks Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll, casting it as an outlier and suggesting other public and private polling with double-digit advantages for Grassley are closer to reality.

National polling continues to shift in the GOPs favor, and Democratic President Joe Bidens approval numbers in the state  while up from July  remain underwater.

Republicans have sought to tie Franken to Biden and portray the 64-year-old retired U.S. Navy admiral from Sioux City as too extreme for the state, with ads showing him praising Biden for doing a fabulous job. They have also tried to raise awareness of an allegation by a former staffer who accused Franken of kissing her without her consent. Franken has denied the accusation, and Des Moines police and the Polk County Attorneys Office determined there was insufficient evidence to pursue an investigation.

Many Iowans, however, see Grassleys age as a liability. He turned 89 in September and would be 95 at the end of his six-year term if reelected.

While Grassley and his campaign say his experience gives him clout and influence, the latest Iowa poll shows nearly two-thirds of voters see his age as a concern rather than an asset, including a third of those who say they plan to vote for him.

The poll also showed independent voters, who make up roughly one-third of Iowas registered voters, breaking late for Franken. In July, Franken and Grassley were polling nearly neck and neck with independents, but Franken now leads by 8 points.

While experts say Franken faces long odds, longtime Democratic strategist Joe Trippi and former Alabama U.S. Sen. Doug Jones said momentum is building for Franken. The pair campaigned Wednesday with Franken in Iowa City.

I think this has been one of those candidacies that has built momentum over and over, Jones said. And, now, theres a wave coming here. You can just feel it out there, where it is not just Democrats. It is Republicans. It is independents that are coming over to support this candidate, because they believe Iowa is ready for a change.

Jones said the Iowa Poll wasnt surprising to him. But, certainly, that should have been a wake-up call for a lot of people of things a lot of us have been saying for a long time  that this race is one of the sleeper races for Democrats around the country. And it is a state we can take back.

Trippi, who rose to prominence as the campaign manager for former Vermont Gov. Howard Deans 2004 presidential bid, said he heard the same thing from Iowans while door knocking in Clive before joining Franken in Iowa City.

Grassley campaign manager Michaela Sundermann, in a statement, said Franken doubles down on his alliance with President Biden and the Biden agenda by campaigning with Jones, who is an ally of the president.

(R)eminding Iowa voters he would be a rubber stamp for open borders and the Biden economy thats pushed costs for gas and groceries through the roof, Sundermann said.
WEST DES MOINES  U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said his work on womens health care and legislation helping survivors of sexual assault shows a record of working for women, as he and his party face attacks over support for abortion restrictions.

Grassley, a Republican, was joined by Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee at a West Des Moines rally. Blackburn and Grassley are both cosponsors of the Speak Out Act, a bipartisan bill that would prohibit the enforcement of nondisclosure agreements when workers report sexual misconduct.

Women, like everybody else, must be respected, and Im fighting for justice for women who have been sexually assaulted and harassed, Grassley said.

He pointed to bills he sponsored relating to how reports of sexual assault are handled in the military and on college campuses. Grassley also said he wrote a bill, titled the Healthy Moms and Babies Act, that would improve postpartum care in women, especially in rural America.

The bill will help reduce infant and maternal mortality by increasing access to prenatal and postpartum care, no matter where they live, Grassley said.

Blackburn said Grassley, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, helped get the Speak Out Act through the committee. The committee passed the bill in September.

This is something so important to women in the workplace, and I am absolutely so pleased that Sen. Grassley stepped up, took the lead, and helped us to get this bill across the finish line, she said.

The rally followed Grassleys campaigns announcement of a Women for Grassley Coalition, a group of women from Iowas 99 counties supporting his reelection. Grassley has attempted to draw a distinction between himself and his Democratic challenger Mike Franken, whom he accused of disrespecting women in public remarks.

Franken, a former Navy admiral, faces an allegation that he kissed his former campaign manager without consent, according to an April police report. He denies the allegation and pointed to the fact that the report was closed as unfounded.

Sen. Grassley has a problem with women thats based on his voting record, Frankens campaign manager, Julie Stauch, said in an interview. Our latest ad shows that his voting record on things that add to womens autonomy, he is opposed to.

Franken has kept his focus on Grassleys long career of opposing abortion rights. In a debate with Grassley, he said the senator has routinely voted against womens interests.

Grassley cosponsored a 2019 bill that would have outlawed abortion at 20 weeks with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. As a former chair of the Judiciary Committee, he had a major hand in building the conservative-majority Supreme Court that overturned the federal right to an abortion in June.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to restrict abortion, Grassley has suggested abortion restrictions should be left to the states. He said in the October debate he would vote no on a bill that would outlaw abortion at 15 weeks nationally, but he didnt rule out federal regulation on abortion.

This is a guy who has made it his career to ban abortion, to support unequal pay, to do nothing for paid family leave, to many times vote against the Violence Against Women Act, Franken said in the debate. I dont have a problem with this issue. He has a problem with women.
Greek God of Bollywood Hrithik Roshan scored a decent hit with his recent outing Vikram Vedha. Now, the actors next, Fighter, has made the headlines.

Billed to be Indias first aerial action film, Fighter is locked to hit screens globally on January 25, 2024. The makers took to social media to announce the same.

Deepika Padukone is the leading lady in this biggie, which also has Anil Kapoor in a pivotal role. Produced by Viacom18 Studios, the movie will have the music composed by Vishal-Shekhar.

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Although it maintains 26 American military cemeteries and 32 federal monuments in 17 countries, the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) remains a largely unknown federal agency.

A lot of people dont realize that the U.S. government does this, said ABMCs chief of historical services, Michael Knapp. The host nations have generally provided this land to us, in perpetuity, free of tax charges.

The agency was created in 1923 when the U.S. had to address the high number of overseas casualties after World War I. Its locations honor 30,973 graves from WWI, 92,958 from World War II and more than 94,000 Americans who are missing in action or buried at sea. Not only are these cemeteries the resting place for soldiers but also civilians such as Red Cross workers, nurses, technicians and merchant seamen.

Each location has a superintendent vetted by the U.S. government who lives on site and manages its grounds. Larger locations also employ foreign nationals who assist with the cemeterys administration, acting as a liaison with the ground staff.

I think our staff do a phenomenal job. If you look at our cemeteries overseas, the caliber is really, I believe, the gold standard, Knapp said.

Keeping legacies alive

As more children and spouses of those buried in ABMC cemeteries die, the commission is shifting toward educating the public to keep history alive. Were doing that through visitor centers, educational and outreach programs to continually keep the memory of these Americans in the forefront of peoples consciousness, Knapp said.

Anyone can search a database to find a persons grave information or order flowers to any of the cemeteries. Families and next of kin may request an escort to a loved ones grave or ask for photographs of a gravesite.

ABMCs locations around the globe include:


PEP 11 Federal Court Action

Perth, Oct 28, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Further to the announcements released by BPH Energy Ltd ( ASX:BPH ) on 23 August 2022 and 17 October 2022, the Company wishes to update the market on recent legal developments regarding Asset Energy Pty Ltd's (Asset Energy) Federal Court of Australia application and the former Prime Minister Scott Morrison's purported use of nonpublic ministerial powers to block the PEP-11 gas exploration licence.



Asset Energy has now lodged an amended originating application for judicial review claiming in particular:



1. In making the Decision, the Former Prime Minister breached the requirements of procedural fairness in that he predetermined the Application and the purported decision was infected by actual bias.



2. Further or in the alternative, there was a reasonable apprehension of bias, in the form of predetermination, on the part of the Former Prime Minister, such that there was a denial of procedural fairness.



3. Further or in the alternative, in making the Decision, the applicant was denied procedural fairness because the Former Prime Minister, before determining the merits of the Application, failed to take into account the submissions made by the applicant dated 22 January 2022.



4. Further or in the alternative, in making the Decision, the applicant was denied procedural fairness because the applicant was not provided the opportunity to respond to issues raised by NOPTA in relation to the applicant's financial capacity.



5. Further or in the alternative, the Decision is void and of no effect because the Former Prime Minister was not validly appointed as the responsible Commonwealth Minister of the Joint Authority to administer the Department.





About BPH Energy Limited





BPH Energy Limited (ASX:BPH) is an Australian Securities Exchange listed company developing biomedical research and technologies within Australian Universities and Hospital Institutes.

The company provides early stage funding, project management and commercialisation strategies for a direct collaboration, a spin out company or to secure a license.

BPH provides funding for commercial strategies for proof of concept, research and product development, whilst the institutional partner provides infrastructure and the core scientific expertise.

BPH currently partners with several academic institutions including The Harry Perkins Institute for Medical Research and Swinburne University of Technology (SUT).


Haulage Commences For Mt Freda Run of Mine Pad

Brisbane, Oct 28, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Tombola Gold Ltd ( ASX:TBA ) is pleased to announce the achievement of a major milestone with the first material from Comstock and Shamrock being delivered from the Mt Freda Run of Mine ("Rom") pad, 54km to the Great Australian Mine ("GAM") plant for crushing and processing in November.



HIGHLIGHTS



- First material delivered to the GAM plant from Comstock and Shamrock.



- Crushing and processing to commence in November, with the recommissioning of the GAM plant on schedule and well advanced.



- Initial 90,000 tonnes of material has commenced delivery, with haulage operating 7 days per week to ensure adequate feed.



- First gold production on track for November 2022.



An initial 90,000 tones are set for delivery with the cartage contractor commencing cartage operations on 27 October 2022.



Full time haulage has commenced and will be ongoing 7 days a week to ensure adequate feed, with the GAM Plant recommissioning on schedule and well advanced. The short 54 km journey from Mt Freda to the GAM Plant was completed by the first trucks in approximately 80 minutes.



Tombola Gold Managing Director, Byron Miles, commented:



"Today marks a significant milestone for Tombola with haulage of 90,000 tones commencing to the GAM Plant from the Mt Freda ROM pad for crushing and processing in November, as we remain on track for the first gold pour in November 2022.



We've achieved significant milestones over the 2022 calendar year which have laid a solid foundation for a very bright 2023. I have to thank our team for working tirelessly over the last 8 months, putting Tombola in a great position to become a significant Australian gold producer in the coming weeks."



*To view photographs, please visit:

https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/B2NQ49V6





About Tombola Gold Ltd





Tombola Gold Ltd (ASX:TBA) is a company assembled by experienced, exceedingly well-qualified and all very well rounded team members that have previously floated exploration companies which achieved major resource discoveries and success. Between the Tombola team members, Tombola as a company have well over 100 years of accumulated experience in the mining, exploration and resource sector. Tombola principal objective is to acquire assets to explore for and develop a large IOGC or porphyry deposit funded by low-risk gold production resources. To that end, Tombola has a license covering 970 sq km prospective for gold/copper in the Mount Bryan-Red Banks-World's End area near Burra in South Australia; with strategic agreements with Queensland Mining Corporation.
Distribution of company announcements to the professional platforms, finance portals and syndication of important corporate news to a wide variety of news aggregators and financial news systems.


Quarterly Update

Sydney, Oct 28, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Haodex Limited ( NSX:HAO ) is pleased to update the market on its activities for the quarter ended 30 September 2022.



Highlights



- Franchisees continually grow steady in this quarter



- Global customers can now access the English version of the Bulkbuyworld ecommerce platform via mobile internet browser, the Bulkbuyworld official app (IOS and Android) and computer web browser



- Vendor/ seller platform in development for IOS and Android App



Updates on BulkBuyworld



BulkBuyworld is a wholesale and retail e-commerce marketplace that allows users and businesses to participate in group buying deals. BulkBuyworld enables merchants to set up an online store similar to the operation of Amazon and sell products from Chinese factories directly to all USA customers and businesses. On the Bulkbuyworld marketplace, Haodex generates revenue from sales commissions, membership fees and product listing fees.



Haodex has added 10 strategic partners to the channel partner programme this quarter, with a total of 139 partners, with wide coverage in six provinces in China and Sydney Australia.



Bulkbuyworld is now available in both Chinese and English versions via desktop/mobile internet browser, and can be downloaded from IOS and Android.



Bulkbuyworld has now completed the development of and officially launched the English version of the mobile web-browser interface on 18 September 2022. Global customers can easily access the Bulkbuyworld platform in multiple ways including desktop browser, mobile web-browser and the Bulkbuyworld apps via IOS and Android app stores. This is another milestone for Bulkbuyworld to approach the Global market and customers by expanding accessibility via multiple applications.



Bulkbuyworld continues to implement its business strategy of building a large online presence, attracting a large manufacturer network to provide thousands of products straight from the factory at lower prices.



Development of IOS and Android app for Bulkbuyworld sellers and vendors



Development of the Bulkbuyworld sellers app has commenced in September. This app will allow for sellers on the Bulkbuyworld ecommerce platform to easily manage their listings including sales and order management, product management, fulfilment and customer service. This app will be for Bulkbuyworld sellers only and will allow for convenient management of their online business.



Quarterly Cashflow



The Company ended the quarter with a cash balance of $1.77 million. Quarterly operating cash inflows for the period were $271k. During the September 2022 quarter, the aggregated amount of payments made to related parties and their associates totalled $39k for the director's fees.



COVID-19



The Company's operations in China have had to respond to the COVID-19 virus pandemic as a result of recent COVID control by the regional areas including Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing and Hangzhou. Marketing activities and expansion has been minimally impacted. However there have been some delays with site visits and finalising contracts due to travel restrictions, with a few marketing activities being postponed.



The Company's daily operations continue as normal with current initiatives being executed to acquire more merchants through its existing strategic partnerships and are in preparation of executing in-person marketing activities once released from the control of the local government.



The company expects that once restrictions are eased, the marketing and merchant acquisition initiatives will be able to be fully executed.





About Haodex Limited





Haodex Limited (NSX:HAO) is an Australian company focused on forward thinking online platforms and global projects.

Haodex owns 78% of and operates 2 omnichannel marketplaces, being MonkeyKing Australia (www.monkeykingaustralia.com) and BulkBuy (www.bulkbuyworld.com), and owns 100% of a short term Chinese accommodation hosting business, Franks Haus (www.frankshaus.com).

MonkeyKing is an online e-commerce platform which sources Australian products from Australian suppliers to distribute to consumers in Asia, mainly China.

BulkBuy is a wholesale e-commerce marketplace which allows users to participate in group buying deals. BulkBuy enables merchants to set up an online store and sell products directly to customers at wholesale prices by allowing several customers to participate in group buying deals (crowd-ordering).

Franks Haus is an online platform for leasing private properties, mainly for short term accommodation, in China. The platform will attract tourists
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Deputies have arrested a man on auto theft and other charges after a gunfight over a stolen truck left the trucks owner dead at a South Valley gas station this summer.

Luis Ornelas-Robles, 29, is charged with transferring a stolen motor vehicle, tampering with evidence and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer in connection with the July 28 incident that took the life of Guadalupe Sandoval.

Ornelas-Robles is currently behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center. An attorney for Ornelas-Robles could not be reached Thursday.

Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Jayme Fuller said the detective and prosecutor came to the conclusion that even though (Ornelas-Robles) was committing a crime, he is entitled to self-defense.

She said Sandoval was the first to pull a gun out when he found Ornelas-Robles in his stolen truck and pistol-whipped him, causing Sandovals gun to go off. Fuller said both men then fired at each other and Sandoval was killed.

Ornelas-Robles criminal history includes felony convictions and arrests on charges that include auto theft, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Ornelas Robles is awaiting trial in two other 2022 stolen vehicle cases, one in Valencia County and another in Albuquerque, where he was found with a gun.

Prosecutors filed a motion to detain Ornelas-Robles until trial.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court:

Deputies responded around 7:45 p.m. to a shooting at the 7-Eleven convenience store on Coors SW, near Gun Club, and found Sandoval dead from at least one gunshot wound. Security camera video showed a blue truck pull into the parking lot and Sandoval approach and point a gun at the driver  later identified as Ornelas-Robles.

Deputies said the video showed the two men struggle before both men shoot at each other, after which Ornelas-Robles flees in the truck. Detectives found the truck parked at a property on the Pajarito Mesa and the property owner told them a man with a gunshot wound to the leg had left it there.

Detectives learned the truck had been stolen from Sandoval and found paperwork for Ornelas-Robles inside. Deputies discovered Ornelas-Robles was booked into Valencia County Detention Center on auto theft charges and went to speak with him.

Ornelas-Robles told deputies Sandoval had pistol whipped him and shot him twice in the legs before he grabbed a gun and fired back, killing him. Ornelas-Robles said he had gotten the truck from a friend, and an ex-girlfriend told deputies he had been driving the truck for days before the shooting.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Federal authorities have arrested a Shiprock woman who they say stabbed her child in the chest, killing her, at the familys home.

Maylene John, 32, is federally charged with murder in the death of her daughter, who was 6 or 7 years old. John is currently in custody and her attorney declined to comment.

John told FBI agents that she drank and used methamphetamine, and blacked out the incident, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court.

Court records show John had her license revoked in 2020 after a DWI arrest in which she told San Juan deputies she had drunk five shots and a six pack.

On Monday, her brother called 911 around 3 a.m. The Navajo Police Department responded to Johns home and found her daughter stabbed in the chest. The girl was pronounced dead at the scene and John was detained.

Johns brother told an FBI agent he heard the child scream for help from the bedroom and the door was locked, so he kicked it in, according to the complaint. He said he applied a blanket to the childs stab wound and the girl told him her mother stabbed her.

Agents said the brother told them John then put a folding knife to her own neck but he was able to wrestle it away. The brother said he went to the neighbors to get help and police arrived soon after.

Authorities seized the bloodied knife, and a stuffed animal and blanket with large blood stains on them, according to the complaint. In a later interview, the brother told agents John was recovering from recent drug use, and had been in and out of rehabilitation multiple times.

Agents said he told them John had also had suicidal tendencies sporadically for the past 10 years, but she and her daughter were acting normally when he went to bed. John told agents she drank with her brother and smoked methamphetamine earlier, and could not recall much of the day until crime scene investigators were photographing the blood on her clothes and face.

John said she could not recall why her daughter was in her bedroom, but she instantly felt hurt because she caused her daughter pain after stabbing her and blacked out.
LEUPP, Ariz.  Navajo Nation officials have issued an executive order to investigate and locate missing tribal members in a manner that is empathetic to victims and their families.

Tribal President Jonathan Nez met Monday with Navajo Nation police, the FBI and prosecutors in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah for the plans signing ceremony.

The crisis of missing and slain Native Americans has been getting more attention from elected officials and policymakers across the U.S.

In July, the FBI in Albuquerque released a list of more than 170 Native Americans it had verified as missing throughout New Mexico and the Navajo Nation that stretches into Arizona and Utah and covers nearly 27,500 square miles.

FBI officials said many records of missing Indigenous persons were incomplete or outdated because the record was not updated once additional details were made available or when the person was located.

Multiple jurisdiction systems have historically failed the victims and their families, Nez said in a statement. Reporting, collecting and sharing missing persons data among various jurisdictions characterizes this problems true scope. The executive order will set a new tone of hope on this issue that impacts our nation.
Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter after a protracted legal battle and months of uncertainty. The question now is what the billionaire Tesla CEO will actually do with the social media platform.

Musk gave one indication of where hes headed in a tweet Friday, saying no decisions on content or reinstating of accounts will be made until a content moderation council is put in place. The council, he wrote, would have diverse viewpoints.

Major personnel shakeups are widely expected, with Musk ousting several top Twitter executives on Thursday. A fourth confirmed his departure, in a tweet.

But Musk, the tech guru and self-proclaimed Chief Twit, has otherwise made contradictory statements about his vision for the company  and shared few concrete plans for how he will run it after buying it for $44 billion.

That has left Twitters users, advertisers and employees to parse his every move in an effort to guess where he might take the company. Many are looking to see if he will welcome back a number of influential conservative figures banned for violating Twitters rules  speculation that is only heightened by upcoming elections in Brazil, the U.S. and elsewhere.

I will be digging in more today, he tweeted early Friday, in response to a conservative political podcaster who has complained that the platform favors liberals and secretively downgrades conservative voices.

Former President Donald Trump, an avid tweeter before he was banned, said Friday he was very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands but promoted his own social media site, Truth Social, that he launched after being blocked from the more widely used platform.

Trump was banned two days after the Jan. 6 attacks for a pair of tweets that the company said continued to cast doubts on the legitimacy of the presidential election and raised risks for the presidential inauguration that Trump said he would not be attending.

Trump has repeatedly said that he will not return to Twitter even if his account is reinstated, though some allies wonder if hell be able to resist as he moves closer to announcing another expected presidential campaign. His Twitter account remained suspended Friday.

Meanwhile, conservative personalities on the site began recirculating long-debunked conspiracy theories, including about COVID-19 and the 2020 election, in a tongue-in-cheek attempt to test whether Twitters policies on misinformation were still being enforced.

The mercurial Musk has not made it easy to anticipate what hell do.

He has criticized Twitters dependence on advertisers, but made a statement Thursday that seemed aimed at soothing their fears. He has complained about restrictions on speech on the platform  but then vowed he wouldnt let it become a hellscape. And for months it wasnt even clear if he wanted to control the company at all.

After Musk signed a deal to acquire Twitter in April, he tried to back out of it, leading the company to sue him to force him to go through with the acquisition. A Delaware judge had ordered that the deal be finalized by Friday.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives estimated that Musk and his investors overpaid. Even Musk has said the $44 billion price tag for Twitter was too high but that the company had great potential.

The payment will go down as one of the most overpaid tech acquisitions in the history of M&A deals on the Street, in our opinion, Ives wrote in a note to investors. With fair value that we would peg at roughly $25 billion, Musk buying Twitter remains a major head scratcher that ultimately he could not get out of once the Delaware Courts got involved.

After months of uncertainty, a series of moves by Musk this week signaled that the deal would in fact go through.

On Wednesday, he strolled into the companys San Francisco headquarters carrying a porcelain sink and tweeted Entering Twitter HQ  let that sink in! Then on Thursday, he tweeted, the bird is freed, a reference to Twitters logo.

The same day, Musk fired CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal and Chief Legal Counsel Vijaya Gadde. Sean Edgett, who had been Twitters general counsel, confirmed on Twitter Friday that hes also out of a job, posting that the company is full of the most amazing people. Keep taking good care of this place, Tweagle, he added, referring to the company name for Twitters legal department. Gadde, meanwhile, removed all references to her former employer from her Twitter bio, while trolls continued to post thousands abusive messages in replies to her most recent tweet.

As concerns rise about the direction of Twitters content moderation, European Union Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton tweeted to Musk on Friday that In Europe, the bird will fly by our rules.

Breton and Musk met in May and appeared in a video together in which Musk said he agreed with the 27-nation blocs strict new online regulations. Its Digital Services Act threatens big tech companies with billions in fines if they dont police platforms more strictly for illegal or harmful content such as hate speech and disinformation.

Musk has also spent months deriding Twitters spam bots and making sometimes conflicting pronouncements about Twitters problems and how to fix them.

He posted a note Thursday aimed at addressing concerns that his plans to promote free speech by cutting back on moderating content will open the floodgates to more online toxicity and drive away users. It showed a newfound emphasis on ad revenue, especially a need for Twitter to provide more relevant ads  which typically means targeted ads that rely on collecting and analyzing users personal information.

About 90% of Twitters revenue comes from advertising, but its far from being the biggest digital marketing platform. Google, Amazon and Meta account for about 75% of digital ads. Twitter was just 1% of global digital ad spending in 2022, according to an Insider Intelligence projection.

Lou Paskalis, former head of media for Bank of America, said Twitters most loyal advertisers, many Fortune 100 companies, believe in the platform and probably wont leave unless some really untoward things happen. On Friday, General Motors announced that it had temporarily paused its Twitter advertising while it works to understand the direction of the platform under Musks ownership. GM described the pause as a normal step it takes when a media platform undergoes significant change.

The takeover means Twitter is becoming a private company. Trading of its shares was suspended Friday, and they will be pulled from the New York Stock Exchange next month.

___

Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Mae Anderson contributed to this story from New York. Follow APs coverage of Elon Musk: https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk

___

This story has been updated to correct the language in the tweet by Musk to the bird is freed, not the bird has been freed.
BAKHMUT, Ukraine  Russian soldiers pummeling a city in eastern Ukraine with artillery are slowly edging closer in their attempt to seize Bakhmut, which has remained in Ukrainian hands during the eight-month war despite Moscows goal of capturing the entire Donbas region bordering Russia.

While much of the fighting in the last month has unfolded in southern Ukraines Kherson region, the battle heating up around Bakhmut demonstrates Russian President Vladimir Putins desire for visible gains following weeks of clear setbacks in Ukraine.

Taking Bakhmut would rupture Ukraines supply lines and open a route for Russian forces to press on toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, key Ukrainian strongholds in Donetsk province. Pro-Moscow separatists have controlled part of Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk province since 2014.

Before invading Ukraine, Putin recognized the independence of the Russian-backed separatists self-proclaimed republics. Last month, he illegally annexed Donetsk, Luhansk and two other provinces that Russian forces occupied or mostly occupied.

Russia has battered Bakhmut with rockets for more than five months. The ground assault accelerated after its troops forced the Ukrainians to withdraw from Luhansk in July. The line of contact is now on the citys outskirts. Mercenaries from the Wagner Group, a shadowy Russian military company, are reported to be leading the charge.

Russias prolonged drive for Bakhmut exposes Moscows craziness, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a nightly address to the nation this week.

Day after day, for months, they have been driving people there to their deaths, concentrating the maximum power of artillery strikes there, Zelenskyy said.

The shelling killed at least three people between Wednesday and Thursday, according to local authorities. Four more died between Thursday and Friday in the Donetsk region, the provinces Ukrainian governor reported as Russian troops press their attacks on Bakhmut and Avdiivka, a small city about 90 kilometers (55 miles) to the south that also remains under Ukrainian control

Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said the civilian population was suffering in more ways with the region becoming an active war zone.

Civilians who remain in the region live in constant fear without heating and electricity, Kyrylenko said in televised remarks. Their enemy is not only Russian cannons but also the cold.

Russia needs a victory in Bakhmut given it is losing control over large swaths of the northeastern region of Kharkiv to a Ukrainian counteroffensive last month and its deteriorating position in Kherson. The areas were among the first the Russian military captured after the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Russias suffering defeats across the board.  They need the optics of some kind of an offensive victory to assuage critics at home and to show the Russian public that this war is still going to plan, said Samuel Ramani, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a defense and security think tank based in London.

The Wagner Group has played a prominent role in the war, and human rights organizations have accused its soldiers for hire of committing atrocities. Their deployment around Bakhmut reflects the citys strategic important to Moscow. However, its unclear if the mercenaries have made many tangible gains, according to Ramani.

Were seeing a situation where the Wagner Group is quite effective at creating terror amongst the local residents but much less effective at actually capturing and holding territory, he said. At the very best theyre gaining 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) a week toward Bakhmut, he said.

While in the city this week, journalists from The Associated Press saw burned-out cars, destroyed buildings and people struggling to survive amid a cacophony of constant shelling. Bakhmut has been without electricity or water for a month, and residents worry about heating their homes as temperatures drop.

We hoped that this (war) would end or that we would have conditions that allow us to live. But since last month, conditions have been terrible, resident Leonid Tarasov said.

Few shops are open. The AP saw people using firewood to cook on the streets and drawing water from wells.

Bakhmut had a population of about 73,000 people before the war, but approximately 90% have left the city, according to Kyrylenko, the Donetsk regions governor.

Some of those who remained asked in recent days to be evacuated from areas that are now too dangerous for volunteers or soldiers to get to because of the fighting, Roman Zhylenkov a volunteer with the local aid group Vostok-SOS, said.

Others feel trapped.

People who left moved to stay with their children or brothers and sisters. They had places to go, Ilona Ierhilieieva said as she mixed soup on an open fire by the side of the road. But as for us, we dont have a place to go. Thats why we are here.

___

Mednick reported from Kyiv, Ukraine

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
COTABATO, Philippines  Flash floods and landslides set off by torrential rains swamped a southern Philippine province, killing at least 42 people, leaving 16 others missing and trapping some residents on their roofs, officials said Friday.

Most of the victims were swept away by rampaging floodwaters and drowned or were hit by debris-filled mudslides in three towns in hard-hit Maguindanao province, said Naguib Sinarimbo, the interior minister for a five-province Muslim autonomous region run by former guerrillas.

The unusually intense rains were triggered by Tropical Storm Nalgae, which was expected to slam into the countrys eastern coast from the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, forecasters said.

The stormy weather prompted the coast guard to prohibit sea travel in dangerously rough seas as millions of Filipinos planned to travel over a long weekend to visit the tombs of relatives and for family reunions on All Saints Day in the largely Roman Catholic nation.

The amount of rainwater that came down overnight was unusually (heavy) and flowed down mountainsides and swelled rivers, Sinarimbo told The Associated Press by telephone.

I hope the casualty numbers wont rise further but there are still a few communities we havent reached, Sinarimbo said, adding the rains had eased since Friday morning, causing floods to start to recede in several towns.

Sinarimbo said based on reports from mayors, governors and disaster-response officials, 27 died mostly by drowning and landslides in Datu Odin Sinsuat town, 10 in Datu Blah Sinsuat town and five others in Upi town, all in Maguindanao.

Six people were missing in Datu Blah Sinsuat and 10 others in Upi, Sinarimbo said.

A rescue team reported that the bodies of at least 11 villagers were recovered in Kusiong, a tribal village at the foot of a mountain in Datu Odin Sinsuat, where floods and landslides also hit houses in the community, Sinarimbo said.

They were able to rescue some earlier but now theyre only trying to dig up bodies there, he said, adding it was uncertain how many were missing in Kusiong because of confusion after the tragedy struck the community.

Army officials also reported at least 42 storm deaths in Maguindanao and said in a statement that their forces were continuing to rescue those trapped in the flood in collaboration with local disaster teams and take the displaced in army trucks to evacuation camps.

The unusually heavy rains flooded several towns in Maguindanao and outlying provinces in a mountainous region with marshy plains. Floodwaters rapidly rose in many low-lying villages, forcing some residents to climb onto their roofs, where they were rescued by army troops, police and volunteers, Sinarimbo said.

Many of the swamped areas had not been flooded for years, including Cotabato city where Sinarimbo said his house was inundated.

In one area in Upi only the attic of a school can be seen above the floodwater, disaster-response officer Nasrullah Imam said, referring to a flood-engulfed town in Maguindanao.

The wide rain bands of Nalgae, the 16th storm to hit the Philippine archipelago this year, enabled it to dump rainfall in the countrys south although the storm was blowing farther north, government forecaster Sam Duran said.

Late Friday afternoon, the storm was about 180 kilometers (110 miles) east of Catarman town in Northern Samar province with sustained winds of up to 85 kilometers (53 miles) per hour and was moving northwestward.

Dozens of provinces and cities were under storm alerts including the capital, Manila. Fishing and cargo boats and inter-island ferries were barred from venturing out to sea, stranding thousands of passengers, the coast guard said.

About 5,000 people were protectively evacuated away from the path of the storm, which was not expected to strengthen into a typhoon as it approached land, government forecasters and other officials said.

About 20 typhoons and storms batter the Philippine archipelago each year. It is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region along most of the Pacific Ocean rim where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur, making the nation one of the worlds most disaster-prone.
Over the course of his career, Matthew Patrick Davis has always tried to find roles that challenged him.

Yet, it wasnt until he read the script for Barbarian that he felt like it was a role that would take him to another level.

The script was wild and crazy, he says. I was intrigued by how many twists and turns it took and how many crazy things I was going to get to do. It was a little scary.

Barbarian tells the story of a young woman, in town for a job interview, arrives at her Airbnb rental late at night only to find that the house has been mistakenly double-booked and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgment, she decides to stay the night anyway, but soon discovers that there is much more to be afraid of in the house than the other house guest.

Since its release, the film has been getting rave reviews.

Davis had a feeling it would engage with audiences.

In the film, he plays The Mother, which required him to transform into the character.

I didnt know if and how the prosthetics were going to look, he says. I knew it was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The production took place last year in Bulgaria, where the cast filmed for a few months.

Joining Davis in the cast is Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgard, Justin Long and Richard Brake. The film is written and directed by Zach Cregger and its showing at theaters and available on HBO Max, as well as video on demand for rental or purchase.

When Zach told me that Justin was going to be in the film, I was excited, Davis says. Then I realized that I was going to have to force breast feed one of the nicest people in the world. There was an even grosser scene that didnt make the film. It was there The Mother still wants to feed her baby and grabs a rat and bites the head off the rat and feeds it to Justins character.

Though you dont recognize Davis in the film, he feels proud of his performance. When production first started, it took him five hours to transform into the character.

Then it sped up to three hours.

It was very vulnerable. I had prosthetics on my head and chest and had a merkin. I had dropped some weight for the role because I was going to pretty much only have those things on me, he says. The night shoots were cold and I wished I hadnt dropped the weight. But I feel like its my niche now.

Davis has gotten responses via social media about them not knowing The Mother is played by a man.

You want a role that challenges you and one that youre a little scared by, he says. This role was exactly that. I knew that I wasnt going to phone it in. I was really scared going in and I did a lot of research. I wanted to be prepared for whatever is asked of me.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Law enforcement authorities are investigating an anonymous letter containing a chemical substance and antisemitic symbols sent to the office of the environmental advocacy group Conservation Voters New Mexico.

The FBI oversaw testing of the substance that indicates the sample contained ingredients of a potent toxin uses in terrorist attacks, according to a statement released by Conservation Voters, but it was in an inert form.

An FBI spokesman said the substance wasnt harmful.

Demis Foster, the groups executive director, said she is relieved no one was hurt.

But whoever carried out this vicious act was clearly intending harm, she said in a written statement.

The letter, according to Conservation Voters, included threatening language targeting state Rep. Nathan Small, a Las Cruces Democrat who co-sponsored a law that commits New Mexico utilities to a carbon-free energy system by 2045.

Also targeted in the letter were the Democratic Party of New Mexico and Conservation Voters New Mexico.

Foster thanked Santa Fe police and firefighters, the FBI and the state Department of Health for the quick response and investigation into the letter.

The groups office in Downtown Santa Fe was evacuated and quarantined after the letter arrived Wednesday, Foster said. The groups office is closed for now.

In an interview, Foster said the letter was in an envelope delivered by the Postal Service. The envelope contained a ripped-up mailer that Conservation Voters had sent promoting Smalls strengths as a legislative candidate.

The envelope also contained a photo of Small marked with antisemitic symbols, Foster said.

Inside the envelope was a brown, grainy substance, she said.

It looked a bit like tobacco with some powder, Foster said.

The sample was sent to the State Scientific Laboratory, according to the Department of Health. The agency also has helped monitor individuals affected by the incident.

But FBI spokesman Frank Fisher said the substance was tested and determined not harmful.

Anyone with information can call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

In order to protect the integrity of the investigation, Fisher said, we are not releasing specific details.

Conservation Voters New Mexico has advocated at the Roundhouse for environmental legislation, including the Energy Transition Act, one of the most hotly contested bills in recent years. It authorized the use of bonds for the Public Service Company of New Mexico to pay for costs associated with the closure of the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station near Farmington.

The group also supported 2019 legislation banning coyote-killing contests on public land in New Mexico and annually releases grades of lawmakers on environmental issues.

Foster said the group wont let fear interrupt its work.

There is no place in a functioning democracy for anyone to resort to the use of terror because they disapprove of a candidate for public office, Foster said. Its shocking and terrifying that we have to experience such a malice-filled attack on our democracy.

Conservation Voters New Mexico also has a political arm  Conservation Voters New Mexico Action Fund  that provides financial support to candidates.

During a recent campaign period, the political committee reported donations to Smalls reelection campaign, along with the campaigns of State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard and Democratic legislative candidate Tara Jaramillo of Socorro.

Small is running for reelection in House District 36 in Dona Ana County.

This political extremism must stop now, Small said. Antisemitism, threats and intimidation have no place in our democracy.
Just the mention of ethics can make someone cringe. Not because they lack ethics, but because of its affiliation with academia. Were taught it for a reason, however.

EthicsNOW aims to explain how everyone can apply ethics to everyday life  without the textbooks.

Kathleen Sabo, New Mexico Ethics Watch executive director, hosts the New Mexico-based podcast. She is joined by humanities scholars Will Barnes and Paul Biderman.

Sabo said the pandemic was the trigger point to creating EthicsNOW.

When the pandemic started, we said, how can we serve the public? she explained. Lets help people look at these issues ahead of time, so that when theyre faced with an ethical issue, theyve got their thinking in order and they dont surprise themselves.

Sabo said the original 2020 production was raw, but after they navigated the bureaucratic process of applying for a grant, the New Mexico Humanities Council eventually funded the project.

Sabo is an attorney with an extensive, award-winning background in the Legislature, teaching, journalism and radio production, and also has experience in social and political analysis and strategic planning.

Ethics is, at its core, not just thinking about yourself, but about others, about the whole, about your community, she said.

Barnes and Biderman bring strong and sound opinions to the show, as well as questions that aim to make people ponder about decision making. Both educate listeners on the scholarly side of ethics were accustomed to from our standard learning in high school and college, but also provide examples of relatable daily situations where ethics can be applied.

There are a plethora of topics discussed on EthicsNOW, including the workforce, medicine, immigration, child care and education, technology, the arts and politics  which is especially relevant during an election year.

Im afraid that were, like lots of other things, sort of dividing ourselves into two camps, Sabo said. We see that separation.

The three discussed whether or not ethical politics and government can exist, coming to the conclusion that yes, of course they can, but people have to buy into it, Sabo said.

Influence and exposure play a vital role in shaping a persons ethical gauge, and embracing ethical thought and being more aware that ethics exist even in the most minor of daily situations can help an individual decide what is best for them and their community.

For New Mexico, Sabo says the focus is to create a more equitable society.

Theres such a range of people living in abject poverty to people living in extreme wealth, Sabo said. Its not acting ethically, so we have equality, its fostering equality so that we then all act ethically.  I think thats really pertinent to New Mexico.

Bringing conversations into a more mainstream setting is key to exposing people to the vast history, as well as the application of ethics. Larger newspapers have ethics columns and the principles have even been the premise of network television programs such as NBCs The Good Place, but podcasts have become one of the more popular mediums reaching a broad range of audiences.

Sabo, Barnes and Biderman now have the material, production and platform to share their expert thoughts on ethics, from how much toilet paper a person should buy, to cutting someone off in traffic, to voting on the political landscape of the country.

Our mission with this podcast is to help prepare people for when these situations arise, Sabo said. Getting yourself to pay attention to ethics, from whatever medium youre drawn to, would just make you more aware that this is a subject and its in my life all the time.

Episodes of EthicsNOW are available on all major podcast platforms.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

As an internationally renowned scholar and expert on energy markets and geopolitics, Daniel Fine helped shape the thoughts and decisions of policy makers and industry leaders over decades in Washington, D.C., and in New Mexico.

A lifelong Harvard fellow and research associate with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Fine had a direct influence on government affairs, frequently providing expert guidance on energy issues and international relations among the top echelons of public and private agencies.

And, for nearly two decades, Fine devoted his attention to New Mexico through the Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, first as head of the universitys Center for Energy Policy, and then as a research associate who led conferences, projects and initiatives across the state.

Fine, 88, died in Miami on Sept. 26, following complications from surgery.

To those who knew him, Fine was a brilliant, outgoing scholar who dedicated his life to public service, readily sharing his knowledge and experience with everyone. But above all, he was always a true gentleman, said former New Mexico Tech President Dan Lopez.

He was a prince of a man, always cordial and never intrusive, Lopez told the Journal. He was gentle, thoughtful, knowledgeable and very kind. Ill miss him.

Since 2004, when Fine moved to New Mexico with Helen, his wife of 65 years, the scholar left an indelible mark.

Fine helped coordinate a statewide initiative under former Gov. Susana Martinez to forge a new, strategic plan for energy development. He organized public meetings and conferences across the state to gather input on the potential for everything from oil and gas to solar and wind, analyzing opportunities, challenges and public policies that could assist local communities, said T. Greg Merrion of Merrion Oil and Gas in Farmington.

He traveled around the state and met with all kinds of people from many different sectors, Merrion said.

He worked for years with local leaders in the states northwest region, helping to organize a San Juan Basin Energy Conference there. And he frequently presented to Four Corners Economic Development on energy issues and world affairs.

He would talk about everything, from the war in Ukraine to oil and gas prices and elections, Merrion said. He was actually scheduled to speak in late September, but he died suddenly and very unexpectedly.

Fine provided expert analysis as well for New Mexico legislators, offering insight on the local impact of world oil and gas prices, said former Democratic state Sen. John Sapien.

His analysis was always right on the money, Sapien told the Journal. He opened our eyes to how fragile the state budget is based on oil and gas.

But while Fines local influence is broadly recognized, his national impact is less known, largely reflecting the scholars humble manner.

He led an incredible life, but he was very modest, son William Fine told the Journal. He didnt go around telling people about all the things he did.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, Fine lived most of his life on the East Coast.

As a young man, he fought in the civil rights movement, organizing protest events in southern states, first as a doctoral student in political science at the University of Florida, and then as a professor there.

He organized black Freedom Riders in Florida, William said. He and my mom frequently demonstrated and were jailed. At one point, the KKK threatened to kill him.

Fine knew both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

He met and coordinated with them, William said.

He also had a passion for African studies, which he taught for years. In fact, he took his family  including William, wife Helen, and daughter Sharon  to Kenya for two years in the 1970s under a Ford Foundation research grant.

But 1975 marked a sharp turning point for Fine. He refocused on energy issues and geopolitics following the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries world oil embargo.

Fine remained in academia as an MIT research associate. But he started working directly with industry and government, providing expert advice and guidance to public and private leaders and agencies.

He co-edited a landmark 1980 book  The Resource War in 3-D: Dependency, Diplomacy, Defense  that included insight from national experts on U.S. dependency on imported natural resources. It had a significant impact on public thought and policy under former President Ronald Reagan, leading to congressional testimony by Fine, and sought-after advice from senior policy advisers in government and Washington think tanks.

He also had private sit downs with former presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, according to William.

In addition, he advised on U.S. relations with the former Soviet Union, having traveled to Russia more than 30 times. And he was a frequent contributor to Business Week, the Engineering and Mining Journal, and the Washington Times, among other publications.

He did a lot of things for this country at high levels of government, but he always maintained a low profile, William said. Some of the stuff he did was top secret during the Cold War.

Apart from his son and daughter, William and Sharon, Fine is survived by younger brother Jim, 83. Fines wife, Helen, died of cancer on March 1, 2022.
Southwest Airlines is bringing back weekday non-stop flights between Kansas City, Missouri, and Albuquerque  but not right away.

The change will go into effect on April 11.

Southwest is also adding more flights on existing routes to the Albuquerque airport next year, increasing the number of daily flights to Houston from two to three and the number of daily flights to Phoenix and Las Vegas from three to five. Southwest will also return to the pre-pandemic frequency of two flights per day for both Los Angeles and San Diego after reducing the number to one.

The demand for travel is back, said City of Albuquerque spokesperson Daniel Jiron. And thats reflected in these changes from Southwest.

The Kansas City route, which is now Albuquerque International Sunports 26th non-stop flight, was canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic and didnt return for two years. After bringing back the Kansas City route, only Southwests San Jose direct flight remains canceled at Sunport.

In June, Southwest will start non-stop flights between the two cities on Sundays as well for a total of six weekly flights.

Were greatly encouraged by Southwests extended schedule, as it reflects the state of our industry and the tireless efforts of our air service development team, said Richard McCurley, director of aviation for the City of Albuquerque, in a press release. Over the past two years, weve focused our efforts on a strong comeback and will continue to work with our airline partners to bring additional flight operations to the Sunport and our community.

When the changes go into effect, the airline will be performing more weekday flights than pre-pandemic.
You are here: World

 Flash

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday held a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a congratulatory message to Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, right after the 20th CPC National Congress, which reflected the high-level mutual trust and firm mutual support between China and Russia, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee.

China is willing to deepen exchanges with Russia at all levels and promote bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields to a higher level, said Wang.

For his part, Lavrov warmly congratulated the complete success of the 20th CPC National Congress. He also congratulated General Secretary Xi on his re-election.

He said that the 20th CPC National Congress is a world-class event and will surely guide China to achieve the goal of national rejuvenation.

The Russian side is willing to enhance contact at various levels with the Chinese side, deepen multilateral cooperation, and jointly safeguard peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region and the world, said Lavrov.

The two sides also exchanged views on Ukraine and other international and regional issues of common concern.
Israeli-Turkish defense ministers meet for 1st time since 2010

Xinhua) 09:40, October 28, 2022

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz visits Anitkabir, the mausoleum of the founder of Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in Ankara, Trkiye, on Oct. 27, 2022. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited Trkiye on Thursday for the first meeting between the two countries' defense ministers since 2010 after years of strain in bilateral ties. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)

ANKARA, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited Trkiye on Thursday for the first meeting between the two countries' defense ministers since 2010 after years of strain in bilateral ties.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar met with Gantz in the capital Ankara, Trkiye's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The Turkish-Israeli relations were strained in 2010 when a Turkish-led flotilla attempting to break Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip clashed with Israeli forces, leaving 10 Turks on board killed.

The two countries, however, have been working to mend their ties this year.

In August, Trkiye and Israel decided to reappoint ambassadors, four years after they expelled each other's envoy after Israeli forces killed 60 Palestinians protesting on the Gaza border against the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem in 2018.

"I look forward to productive discussions on ways to promote security, stability and peace in the Middle East and East-Med (Mediterranean) regions," Gantz tweeted on Wednesday ahead of his visit.

"A visit at this level will be the first after so many years. We will evaluate the general situation. Our policies and opinions are certain. Trkiye is following a very transparent policy. We will explain these," Akar told reporters on Monday.

Gantz will also meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later in the day.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
You are here: World

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U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday marked the four-year anniversary of the attack at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue.

Biden said in a statement that "we grieve this deadliest act of antisemitism in American history."

Eleven people were killed and six more were wounded, including four police officers who responded to the scene, at the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, synagogue on the morning of Oct. 27, 2018, when a gunman stormed the building.

Four years on, Biden warned, "we witness an ugly increase in antisemitism in America."

He also vowed to tackle "the scourge of gun violence," saying that his administration is seeking to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in the United States.
In a slurpy and crispy turn of events, it looks like KFC has a never-thought-before surprise for its fans. A little birdie tells us that the Original Celebrity Chef  Colonel Sanders  was seen creating a new masterpiece in the KFC kitchen. A much-excited Colonel was seen pulling up a tray of freshly prepared chicken popcorn, laying it out generously over a bowl of what looked like our beloved Maggi noodles.

Did we read that right  KFC with Maggi! If this is true, imagine KFCs golden, crispy & juicy chicken popcorn, and slurpy, masaaledaar Maggi noodles in a bowl! The perfect snack to beat all your cravings and bhook; the combination you always dreamt of. What could possibly be better than this?

Heres keeping our finger crossed that Colonel Sanders dishes out this delightful bowl of happiness super soon at KFC restaurants near us!
FXs Fleishman Is In Trouble, based on Taffy Brodesser-Akners best-selling novel, will soon be premiering exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar in India. The premiere will feature the first two episodes of the eight-episode series. A new episode will be available weekly. The trailer and key art were also revealed today.

Fleishman Is In Trouble is the story of recently divorced 41-year-old Toby Fleishman (Jesse Eisenberg), who dives into the brave new world of app-based dating with the kind of success he never had dating in his youth, before he got married at the tail end of medical school. But just at the start of his first summer of sexual freedom, his ex-wife, Rachel (Claire Danes), disappears, leaving him with 11-year-old Hannah (Meara Mahoney Gross) and 9-year-old Solly (Maxim Swinton) and no hint of where she is or whether she plans to return. As he balances parenting, the return of old friends Libby (Lizzy Caplan) and Seth (Adam Brody), a potential promotion at the hospital that is a long time coming  and all the eligible women that Manhattan has to offer  he realizes that hell never be able to figure out what happened to Rachel until he can finally face what happened to their marriage in the first place.

The series was created for television by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, who adapts from her acclaimed novel and executive produces alongside Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly and Susannah Grant of Sage Lane Productions. Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton (Little Miss Sunshine, Battle of the Sexes) also executive produce as well as direct multiple episodes across the series. Fleishman Is In Trouble is produced by ABC Signature.
Saritha Iyer has been appointed as the Head of Marketing at LXME Money Private Limited.

Saritha Iyer, an independent marketing consultant earlier, used to manage several brands from international sectors in Fintech space. Amongst the International brands, she has worked for brands from Canada, Netherlands, and UAE.

With over 12 years of experience, she will play a significant role in leading the marketing efforts at LXME.

Prior to LXME Money PVT. LTD, Saritha worked as a Marketing Consultant with Accenture Strategy and Consulting; she also worked with Boston Consulting Group for a small period of time.

With her new role in LXME, she will be responsible for the business marketing and growth strategy.
The News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) has pulled up Hindi news channel News18 India for two complaints received against two separate news debate programmes aired on the channel.

The first complaint is regarding a news debate programme aired on News18 India on 6.4.2022. The complainant stated that Al Qaeda chief, Zawahiri, had praised Muskan Khan, a Muslim student from Karnataka for confronting a mob that heckled her for wearing the hijab earlier this year.

In the programme, the anchor referred to the Muslim students as "Hijabi Gang", "Hijabwali Gazwa Gang" and made a false allegations that they had resorted to rioting. He claimed that Zawahiri and terrorist organisations were behind the entire Hijab row and that in India, there are many Hijabi representatives of Zawahiri, and it's "the Zawahiri gang". Further, he added that Zawahiri was the face and the students were his mask.

In its reply dated 12.5.2022, News18 India denied the allegations made in the complaint and stated that it had not violated NBDSAs guidelines or any other applicable guidelines, rules or law. The broadcaster maintained that its telecasts were consistent with the NBDSAs policy on accurate, impartial, fair and neutral reporting without affecting religious harmony.

The second complaint, filed on 23.4.2022, was against a news debate aired on News18 India on 20.4.2022. The complainant stated that the impugned programme, started with the anchor glorifying the alleged illegal anti-encroachment drive in Delhi by saying "Desh nahi jhukne denge, Bulldozer nahi rukne denge"; "India with Bulldozer" and "Desh mange Bulldozer Raaj". He called the people affected by the alleged illegal anti-encroachment drive rioters, jihadi, Rohingya and raised the question "Inn dangaiyon ke, jihadiyon ke, in rohingyaon ke, kitne vaqeel?". The anchor also made the following statement "Paththar jihadiyon par karvai, bohot dukhi hai dangai", during the programme, implying that all affected people were rioters. Further, he wished a Muslim panellist present on the show, "Ramzan ki Ram Ram aapko".

In its reply dated 12.5.2022, News18 India denied the allegations made in the complaint dated 23.4.2022 and stated that it had not violated the NBDSAs guidelines or any other applicable guidelines, rules or law. Its telecasts were consistent with the NBDSAs policy on accurate, impartial, fair and neutral reporting without affecting religious harmony.

In its order, the NBDSA stated that observed that while it had no issue with the subjects of the two debates, however, the problem lay with the narrative and the tilt that was given to the programme.

In the case of the complaint against the news debate on the Hijab issue, NBDSA held that the impugned programme was violative of the principles relating to Impartiality, Neutrality, Fairness and Good Taste & Decency under the Specific Guidelines Covering Reportage, apart from the Code of Ethics & Broadcasting Standards. NBDSA stated that the broadcaster would be well advised to guide and train its anchor on how to conduct debates on such sensitive issues.

NBDSA further directed the broadcaster to remove the video of the programme from its website and all platforms and that the same should be confirmed to NBDSA in writing within 7 days of the Order.
Talkwalker, the leading consumer intelligence and deep listening company, and Khoros, an award-winning leader in digital-first customer engagement software and services, have released their annual Social Media Trends 2023 Report. The report follows the announcement of the companies strategic partnership to seamlessly deliver deep listening and social media management through a unified experience.

The Social Media Trends 2023 Report, titled From insights to action: how to disrupt a disruptive consumer, highlights the social media trends that matter most for brands, marketers, and PR professionals to watch in the coming year. The report leveraged Talkwalkers social listening and AI-enabled analytics capabilities to uncover the 10 most impactful social media trends to expect in 2023 and demonstrate how consumers are driving these trends.

The insights behind each trend are further supported with industry-specific social engagement actions marketers can take from Khoross Strategic Services team. This report also features contributions from industry experts such as Smita Murarka from Duroflex, Samit Malkani from Google, and Aurnob Godinho from Bombay Shaving Company.

Some of the key trends identified in this report include:

Customer experience will get even more social  75% of consumers say the pandemic has driven long-term changes in their behaviors and preferences, including a bigger focus on urgency. Brands must prioritize customer experience by providing support, information, or solutions as fast as possible. In 2023, expect more brands to leverage social media as dedicated support channels, enabling a fast, efficient response no matter which platform consumers use to get in touch.

Social commerce will rise and fall  Large increases in post-pandemic digital growth and rising costs of living are driving increased demand for affordability. Soon, consumers will be more willing to explore new shopping channels such as social. However, some countries are more ready to adopt social commerce than others. In India, from FY 20-25, social commerce is expected to grow at 55-60% CAGR, taking the current market size from $1.5-2 billion to $16-20 billion.

Brands will place emphasis on communities rather than personas  66% of branded communities say that their community has led to increased loyalty. Brands will focus on gaining deeper knowledge of their consumer ecosystems to understand who is driving and sharing brand-focused conversations. Influencers, employee advocates, and consumers will be engaged within brand communities to generate authentic connections and consumer-led content.

We all know the digital ecosphere has disrupted how marketers engage with consumers, said David Low, Talkwalker CMO. In this new environment, marketers must focus on forging symbiotic relationships through a better understanding of online conversations and taking quicker action. Its this new understanding that will help brands create meaningful experiences and become closer to their consumers.

"As marketers, we know the value of data and the importance of listening to our customers. But, we need to be more action-oriented and use those insights more effectively, said Dillon Nugent, Khoros CMO. Consumers comfort level for doing things onlineshopping, researching, socializingis not slowing down as the world opens up. They also care more about their communitiesglobal, local, IRL, and online. Marketers need to tap into these trends and behaviors more deeply to personalize customers experiences and create more impactful strategies that empower your brand to stay connected to customers and grow your presence in the market.
 Flash

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday urged the international community to take climate actions on all fronts, warning the window to limit global temperature rise is closing fast.

Guterres made the remarks in a video message on the release of the latest Emissions Gap Report by UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which shows that under current Nationally Determined Contributions, the climate action plan to cut national emissions, the world is headed for 2.8 degrees Celsius of global heating by the end of the century.

"As today's report makes clear, we are headed for economy-destroying levels of global heating," he said. "We need climate action on all fronts -- and we need it now."

Guterres called on the international community to act to end reliance on fossil fuels, avoid a lock-in of new fossil fuel infrastructure and invest massively in renewables, citing the UNEP report's recommendations.

Developed countries must lead in boosting their national climate plans, the UN chief said, noting that emerging economies need financial and technical support to step up their climate actions.
For the first time in many years, New Yorkers actually have a chance to elect a Republican governor and, possibly, regain a majority in at least one of the houses of our state Legislature. I have never seen so much excitement for a GOP candidate as people are exhibiting for Lee Zeldin and his team. The grassroots movement is the strongest its ever seen and citizen support groups have sprung up all over the state, including in some very Blue counties in the Downstate area and out on Long Island.

Even the NY Times is openly concerned that our formerly apathetic citizens are now interested in everything having to do with elections, especially the very integrity of the voting process itself.

A perfect example of this phenomenon is a group called New Era Democrats, which previously had endorsed Cuomo and DeBlasio. Because of the horrors that we are facing, they have now come out loud and clear for Zeldin and other Republicans. Their rationale is simple:

[C]rime and homelessness are rampant, the public does not feel safe, and people are nervous about public transportation post-COVID. And the congestion-pricing plan will devastate an already-crippled taxi and for-hire-vehicle industry struggling to recover. We cannot tax our way back into recovery. Congestion pricing will affect minimum-wage and working-class New Yorkers just as harshly.

I have been involved in local politics for over thirty years and have never seen anything like it. I have been meeting with Zeldin supporters who live in New York City (which has become the Belly of the Beast), who tell us that their friends and neighbors have had enough of the crime wave of terror and are now openly supporting Zeldin and other Republican candidates.

Image: Lee Zeldin. YouTube screen grab.

Lets face it: we are in a precarious situation in the former Empire State. Our taxes are out of control, productive people are leaving by the thousands, our schools are like cesspools of degeneracy, and we are looking at a cold dark winter if something isnt done about the energy crisis (which the Dems are trying to ignore). It doesnt matter what party voters belong to; we are all faced with the same dismal future if Hochul and her crew win.

Voters are not stupid, and all of us are feeling the effects of being ruled by the Bolshevik Democrat mob that wants to turn off the lights and send us to quarantine camps. The choices to be made could not be clearer. It may seem overly dramatic, but many people feel its almost a matter of life and death because thats where this state is headed if the Demo-Commies continue in power.

All that being said, youd think that the RNC and the NY State GOP would be all over this and investing money in the various campaigns. Sadly, this has not been the case, and many of us are starting to feel like Braveheart when he was betrayed by the Scottish nobles. Months ago, we were told that the party would shower New York with money and other supportbut here we are at literally the eleventh hour, and it still hasnt happened.

What weve been told is that even though weve never had a better chance for a Red Wave, New York is far from being a sure thing, so the feckless GOP leaders do not want to waste their money. Its not for nothing that the GOP is known as the stupid party.

One of the biggest problems is the total lack of Republican leadership. Voters experience mass confusion about which district theyre in and who their candidates are. This happened because the political maps were re-drawn amidst much controversy following the Dems attempted gerrymandering. The GOP party chiefs made no effort to educate Republican voters about candidates running on November 8th. It is only because we have such amazing, hard-working patriots all over the state that Zeldin, Esposito, et al, have had such success.

One of the biggest problems that we faced early on was that the chairman of the NY State GOP, Nick Langworthy, decided to run for Congress in upstate NY. Even though this was one of the most important elections in our history and we were in a wartime situation, Langworthy has spent most of his time and efforts on his own campaign, rather than spreading it through the state.

Those of us who have our boots on the ground, working for Zeldin and the other Republicans, have had to tell people not to send money to the state GOP but, instead, to send it to the individual candidates. The problems from Langworthys abandonment have even filtered down to the county precincts. Once the election is over, there is going to be a reckoning with the GOP hierarchy for sure, regardless of who wins.

We New Yorkers are not letting any of this stop us. In the truest spirit of the American Revolution, we are fighting the good fight on the streets and in our neighborhoods.

We are putting up signs, running phone banks, having meetings, and getting out the vote. If Zeldin, Esposito, and the others win, it will not be because of the Republican party and its decaying leadership but in spite of it. As Sam Adams explained, it does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men.

Irene Heron is a pseudonym.
The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met on October 20, 2022. Despite the protestations of child advocates and physicians (including your humble correspondent), the committee voted unanimously to add the COVID-19 vaccines to the Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule.

Put bluntly, the committee blew it. Scientifically, ethically, and as public policy, this was a terrible decision  and one that, if allowed to stand, will cause irreparable harm to countless American children.

Here are the top ten reasons that COVID-19 vaccines should not be on the Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule:

The risk/benefit ratio of the COVID-19 vaccines is UNFAVORABLE for children. It is now known beyond debate that the risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19 a) is strongly correlated with advancing age, b) is declining over time as the virus continues to mutate, and c) is and always has been vanishingly small in children. Comparison to VAERS and EudraVigilance data shows much greater risk to children from COVID-19 vaccine-adverse events than from COVID-19 infection itself. The COVID-19 vaccines do NOT stop a recipient from either contracting the disease or transmitting it to others. Exhibit A for this would be the recent COVID-19 diagnosis of the reportedly quintuple-vaxxed CDC director, Rochelle Walensky. These vaccines are ineffective in efforts to create herd immunity  unlike many of the established vaccines for other diseases that are already on the schedule. The CDC decision ignores natural immunity. The CDC itself has released recent data showing that 86% of school-aged American children already have had prior COVID-19 infection. With the committee's decision, the CDC yet again dismisses natural immunity as a protective factor against COVID-19 disease  a position so unscientific and intellectually dishonest that other factors (political, monetary) seem the only plausible explanation for it. The COVID-19 vaccines have NO long-term safety data. How could they? They have been in use less than two years. Young children receiving these vaccines will live for up to a century having to deal with the unforeseen risks of these injections, the magnitude of which we have zero knowledge of at present. The COVID-19 vaccines have much more worrisome safety data than vaccines already on the schedule. COVID-19 vaccines have well known, well demonstrated, significant toxicities in children and young persons (e.g., myocarditis) that occur in significant excess relative to other vaccines currently on the Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule. Reports of vaccine-related deaths from COVID-19 vaccines far outnumber reports related to other time-tested vaccines already on the CDC schedule. The CDC's decision completely contradicts those of multiple nations who have made appropriate risk/benefit analyses and ended pediatric COVID-19 vaccine programs. Sweden, the rare nation that remained mostly sane in its COVID-19 policies since the onset of the pandemic, never recommended COVID-19 vaccines for children under 12 and has now ceased to recommend them in older children as well. Denmark no longer offers COVID-19 vaccines to any healthy children under 18. The CDC, to my knowledge, has never publicly addressed the decisions of these nations or why they were made. Adding COVID-19 vaccines to the CDC schedule will absolutely result in their being required for school attendance in many states. The CDC has, rather disingenuously, stated that their schedules are not mandates. However, the COVID-19 era has taught us that most health commissioners and school officials, especially in Democrat-run states, treat CDC recommendations as gospel. Gavin Newsom in California has already stated he will mandate COVID-19 vaccines for schools in California. Kathy Hochul in New York and Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan will no doubt do the same if re-elected. These recommendations are effectively mandates for millions of American children  approximately 13 million in California and New York alone. The decision is completely out of step with most American parents. The CDC's own data show that most parents have chosen not to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19. Furthermore, the younger the age group, the lower the percentage of children vaccinated. And somehow, these children have survived COVID-19! In essence, parents have collectively shown a degree of logic, common sense, and ability to perform basic risk-benefit analyses that seems completely beyond the capacity of the CDC. The only remaining question for many thinking, concerned parents seems to be whether the CDC a) doesn't give a damn about children, b) is completely incompetent, c) is completely corrupt, or d) all of the above. Mandating these new and minimally tested therapies on millions of American schoolchildren will further undermine trust in the immunization schedule for years to come. In short, it will backfire. Population-wide confidence in the current vaccine schedules has already been seriously undermined by the COVID-19 vaccine policies that have caused countless Americans (including thousands of health care workers) to lose their jobs. In my practice, I now find a number of patients refusing some or even all vaccines, despite my recommendations otherwise, as a result of the coercion they felt regarding COVID-19. This will happen at the pediatric level, as well, if COVID-19 vaccines are imposed on schoolchildren. The horrible irony is that children will suffer and die for lack of beneficial vaccines as a result of the CDC's attempts to force unnecessary COVID-19 vaccines on them. This is public health malfeasance of the worst kind. The prime directive of medicine is primum non nocere  first, do no harm. At present, the risk/benefit ratio for the COVID-19 vaccines in children is not even close. The CDC committee's decision gives the middle finger to all four pillars of medical ethics: autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice. For this reason alone, it should have never been made.

The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' recent unanimous decision to add COVID-19 vaccination to the Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule is shameful. It is unscientific, unethical, bad policy. It is further evidence  if we need any more at this stage in the COVID-19 saga  that the public health bureaucracy in the United States is corrupt and broken, perhaps beyond repair.

The potential electoral defeat of gubernatorial COVID-19 tyrants like Kathy Hochul or Gretchen Whitmer would provide respite to millions of families and children, and would be most welcome to the vulnerable in those states. However, the dismantling of the medical-industrial complex in Washington, D.C. is the only ultimate solution to the seemingly endless governmental assault on medical autonomy that the COVID-19 pandemic has made so obvious.

Image via Public Domain Pictures.
When the golden god

Gives their light; drowns the Earth

We the people go blind

Steven Koonin, a prominent scientist, has written a book critical of global warming with the title Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What it Doesnt, and Why It Matters. Plenty of important scientists before him have been critical of global warming, but most of those were not as well connected as Koonin, who held a high position during the Obama administration. Koonin has been harshly attacked by the advocates of global warming doom for not following the party line.

Koonin exposes the faulty science behind the global warming doom theory. As a member of the science establishment, Koonin doesnt go so far as to use the word "fraud." He probably should have

Compared to other exposes along the same lines, Koonins book carries more weight due to his prominence. Koonin is a high-level defector, and his former friends are not happy.

Koonins defection is ideological. He really believes that science is a search for truth, not for fame and fortune. At the age of 70 he is ready to act on his beliefs.

The global warming doom theory is more science fiction than science, but a fiction that is very good for the professors who invented the theory. Climate science was an obscure corner of academia until the professors got the idea that by burning fossil fuels and emitting carbon dioxide mankind will trigger a catastrophic change in the climate. Global warming made the professors important. Instead of toiling away at dusty desks in the basements of tawdry academic buildings, they are flying first class to important meetings wearing thousand-dollar suits.

The evidence for global warming is provided by complicated computer models. Computer models are the lazy scientists friend. It is a lot easier to write a paper or promote a theory using a computer model as compared to, for example, taking samples from a cave in Mongolia. Critics cant get traction against computer models because it takes entirely too much work to understand the details buried in thousands of lines of code. The climate computer models must be tuned, a process of adjusting coefficients and massaging data to make the model agree with previous years climate. If a model fails to predict future climate catastrophe, that is a signal that more adjustments are needed. Most scientists are not consciously committing fraud, rather the unconscious process of confirmation bias is at work. Confirmation bias is the tendency to find a path consistent with existing belief. Confirmation bias does not excuse a fraudulent theory. Scientists are supposed to avoid confirmation bias.

Koonin is far from the only critic of computer models. The prophet of population doom, Professor Paul Ehrlich said to err is human, but to really foul things up requires a computer. In an oblique reference to the benefits of prophesying doom, Ehrlich said that if he was going to take a trip on the Titanic, he would go first class.

Koonin suggests using red and blue debate teams to aid in revealing the truth. This is a system often used by the military. It is like the adversary system that plays out in courtrooms every day. The terms red and blue are not meant to refer to political parties.

The red and blue teams are a good idea, but implicitly assumes good faith on both sides. The advocates of global warming almost never engage with their critics due to the danger that the weakness of their position might be revealed. Attorneys in a courtroom or military officers analyzing a military strategy are not going to lose their jobs if their side in a red and blue debate doesnt prevail. But if global warming advocates lose the debate, the doom theory will be weakened, and the advocates of the theory will suffer career damage. Thus, if forced into a red and blue team, the global warming professors can be expected to behave unethically and try to destroy the credibility of the debate.

If critics of a scientific theory are attacked or fired from their jobs, that is a signal that the scientific theory really is a political movement. Climate scientists understand the danger and are careful to follow the party line. Secretly, as exposed by anonymous polls, they know that the theories are weak. Ive often had the experience of a climate scientist swearing me to secrecy before having a discussion.

Global warming is being taken seriously. As a result, trillions are being budgeted for completely impractical wind and solar energy.

There is an extensive network of amateur scientists and non-profit organizations that have websites and write articles critical of global warming doom. A good example is the highly credible website wattsupwiththat.com run by a television meteorologist Anthony Watts. Koonin never mentions this network of critics. Even to the dissenter Koonin, these are invisible men. Professional science tends to be clique science that ignores outsiders and enforces ideological conformity.

Real reform of science would require supervision by people not members of the establishment. It would require cutting extravagant budgets. It would require punishment of unethical conduct. The climate doom situation provides motive for real reform. But if the science establishment is allowed to enter a plea to a lesser crime such as an honest mistake, then real reform will be evaded. They should not be allowed to cop a plea.

Norman Rogers, educated as a physicist, is the author of the book Dumb Energy critical of wind and solar energy. He has been on the board of both the National Association of Scholars and the CO2coalition. He is a retired entrepreneur.

Image: BenBella Books
A few days back, Townhall reported that Rep. Mayra Flores (R-Texas) was prevented from joining the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), the leading caucus for Latino members of Congress.

Some of the notable members of this caucus are Reps. Castro and Escobar.

Flores requested to join CHC in early October but was rejected shortly thereafter.

Why am I not surprised?!? Once again, the party of "inclusion" does it again... https://t.co/cC7ILX1YTi pic.twitter.com/n0DfiYOxmj  Congresswoman Mayra Flores (@repmayraflores) October 26, 2022

Flores is the first Mexican-born woman to serve in Congress and represents a district along the U.S.-Mexico border that is overwhelmingly Latino.

Now a bit about the CHC.

The CHC Home website states the following:

It was founded in December 1976 as a legislative service organization of the United States House of Representatives. Today, the CHC is organized as a Congressional Member organization, governed by the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The following is stated about the purpose of the CHC:

The CHC addresses national and international issues and crafts policies that impact the Hispanic community. The function of the Caucus is to serve as a forum for the Hispanic Members of Congress to coalesce around a collective legislative agenda. The Caucus is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

There is no explicit mention that this is strictly a group meant for Democrats.

Sebastian Roa, a spokesman for the CHC, responded to Flores's exclusion by stating the following:

Per our bylaws, the CHC is now for Democratic Members. Rep. Flores' Extreme MAGA values and their attacks on Latinos and our nation's democracy on January 6 do not align with CHC values.

It is probably this kind of discrimination that prompted Rep. Mario Diaz Balart and other GOP members to split from the CHC to form the Congressional Hispanic Conference in 2003.

This isn't the first racist attack faced by Flores.

After her surprise victory during a special election held in June, Flores was subjected to bigoted attacks via advertisements paid for by her Democrat opponent, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez:

My far left opponent, Vincent Gonzalez, hired a local blogger to run hateful & racist ads against me!



But, I love frijoles & I grew up eating frijoles. I am not embarrassed of my upbringings & frijoles w/tortillas de harina is simply the best. Here's to Miss Frijoles 2022 #TX34 pic.twitter.com/7z5SRGCfUv  Mayra Flores (@MayraFlores2022) July 18, 2022

Flores isn't the only Republican being discriminated against by the Democrats.

Back in June 2021, African-American Republican Congressman Byron Donalds from Florida was prevented from joining the Congressional Black Caucus.

Donalds told NBC News at the time:

The Congressional Black Caucus has a stated commitment to ensuring Black Americans have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream. As a newly elected Black Member of Congress, my political party should not exempt me from a seat at the table dedicated to achieving this goal.

African-American Jennifer-Ruth Green, the GOP midterm candidate running in Indiana's 1st Congressional District, recently revealed that the Congressional Black Caucus is supporting her white male Democratic opponent, Rep. Frank Mrvan.

So what happened to Democrats' commitment to diversity and inclusion?

The diversity in the modern Democrat playbook is based on race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, etc. However, the most important kind of diversity, the variety of ideas or perspectives, is forbidden.

If a non-white person questions their groupthink, he is subjected to the vilest of slurs and acts of discrimination.

When African-American businessman Herman Cain topped the polls during the 2011 GOP primary, the Democrats mounted vicious racist attacks against Cain. "Comedian" Jon Stewart did a rude caricature of Cain, doing a stereotypical black accent. This was at a time when a Democrat African-American was president, yet nobody uttered a word to condemn the bigoted attacks Cain faced.

During his presidential "campaign," Joe Biden appeared on The Breakfast Club, hosted by African-American radio host Charlamagne tha God.

When Charlamagne said he had questions regarding Biden's vision for the black community, Biden derisively interrupted his interviewer, saying, "If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't Black." It wasn't just what Biden said, but how he said it. In his bigoted mind, he couldn't fathom a black man daring to question him. Biden's senility occasionally causes him to be truthful. This is the mindset of a slave-owner.

But this should come as no surprise. Since the party was founded in 1829, the Democrats have been discriminating against non-white people.

The Democrats defended slavery, which caused the Civil War. They founded the Ku Klux Klan. They imposed segregation. They pushed Jim Crow laws and perpetrated lynching. They fought the civil rights acts of the 1960s.

So what's going on here?

The Democrats have devolved into a cult that forbids any kind of dissent. That mindset and their inherent racism are a toxic combination that is particularly severe to minority groups.

Apart from the treatment of Flores, Donalds, and Green and the utterances from Biden, it also explains why African-Americans and Hispanics continue to suffer from the same issues despite decades of Democrats being in power in states such as New York and California and cities such as Chicago and New Orleans.

On the other hand, President Trump's strong economy benefited African-Americans and Hispanics in every way.

When Trump mentioned this during one of his State of the Union speeches, racist Democrats sat sullenly. They didn't seem too pleased that African-Americans were doing well. It was clear that some wanted to applaud, but they looked around to see morose faces and hence decided that it would be safer to remain seated with their hands apart. This is how cults function. The GOP, on the other hand, gave a standing ovation in reaction to this news.

Democrats don't care for the well-being of African-Americans or Hispanics or any other minority groups, they think of these groups only as vote banks whom they own. Hence, instead of Democrats being accountable to these groups, the Democrats turn around and demand that these groups prove their worth by displaying their unconditional loyalty and voting for them despite their misgovernance.

Anyone daring to rebel or challenge them is branded a traitor to his race and becomes the recipient of the vilest of attacks.

Because the media have become the P.R. wing for the Democrats, this bigoted Democrat mindset is rarely exposed

Hopefully, the GOP has exposed this sinister racist cult that is the Democrat party before the voters.

Photo credit: Twitter.
There's nothing like watching the upending of the status quo in real time -- and sure enough, we are seeing it as Elon Musk takes his new Twitter plaything out for a spin, having great fun in the freedom ride.

He changed his Twitter descriptor to "Chief Twit":

the bird is freed  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022

 let the good times roll   Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022

Elon took flipping the bird to the next level.   Charles Weber - AKA "THE Jew from Boca" (@CWBOCA) October 28, 2022

There were spendid firings of the arrogant and entitled old guard, all thrown out on their keisters:

NOW: Elon Musk just FIRED Vijaya Gadde, the woman who made the call to suspend Donald Trump permanently.  Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) October 28, 2022

Musk in control of Twitter, ousts top executives https://t.co/ZVTpP4VtD4  Ferg (@christoferguson) October 28, 2022

And more promises for freedom, including Musk revoking lifetime bans:

I will be digging in more today  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022

And what the heck, trolling from world leaders:

Good luck @elonmusk in overcoming political bias and ideological dictatorship on Twitter. And quit  that Starlink in Ukraine business  Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) October 28, 2022

Some say this is fake, but it's pretty funny. We all are waiting for what Trump has to say about this:

Now this is real. I saw it on Truth. pic.twitter.com/D78FFPI4U0  The Great Nuclear Ultra Orange MAGA Queen JKash  (@JKash000) October 28, 2022

Memes abounded and soon it was party time:

pic.twitter.com/8WRMkLuDP4  The Right To Bear Memes (@grandoldmemes) October 28, 2022

pic.twitter.com/aCdgm1fTTF  The Right To Bear Memes (@grandoldmemes) October 26, 2022

Meanwhile, on the left, bitterness and hypocrisy smoldered -- here are a couple of them burning away, alongside right-wing smackdowns:

Should we pretend that Twitter wasn't controlled by billionaire Jack Dorsey and billionaire Parag Agrawhal along with a cadre of multimillionaires like Vijaya Gadde. https://t.co/Dmev0qRQeM  Colin Norwalk (@norballin) October 28, 2022

What you call the gates of hell is just people shouting FREEDOM. Theyll settle down. But you wont. People like you are in heaven only when your critics are being banned, censored and repressed pic.twitter.com/lYX4vpTsrP  Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) October 28, 2022

Plus a euro-Karen weighing in with a scold:

You can't make this stuff up.

Musk, of course, knows exactly what he's doing here. By making Twitter fun again, he's bringing life to his new company, new creativity, fresh air, and likely new business. The old prison-guard censors are gone. The irreverence is back with a vengeance. The creativity can flow again. The bad guys are out on their ears.

Musk paid a lot for Twitter, so it all makes sense to make the site new and lively again, just as he's done with so many of his companies. It's also pretty in tune with the times as midterms approach and a shellacking of the failed status quo is imminent. Musk knows nothing if he doesn't understand the Zeitgeist. He does.

Image: Meme, Right to Bear Memes, Grand Old Memes
For a long time after Brandons Installation, I got emails asking me to review his medical condition. My reply was that I had already done that, and it didnt take a physician to tell you that he was not well. Those requests followed my foray into the medicine of politics with Hillary Clintons health difficulties. That reporting led to considerable upset in Democratic campaign circles, where it was supposedly a damaging bit of fake news. But I didnt present it for the purpose of painting Clinton with a sick brush.

Numerous politicians with physical ailments have served with distinction. FDR and Max Cleland come readily to mind. These public servants did not suffer from mental disturbances unless you consider liberalism to be a mental disorder. FDR is reported to have had polio, and Senator Cleland was a multiple amputee after military service. But Hillary Clinton showed signs of Parkinsons Disease, a malady with far more consequential mental impacts.

Assuming that the signs did in fact point to Parkinsons Disease, her election would have put a person with severely impaired logic processing behind the Resolute Desk. That was a cost that America could ill afford. FDR, on the other hand, merely had difficulty with movement. His mind, to all accounts, was fully intact. And this is why we must look at John Fetterman. He has had a significant stroke.

Many people who suffer strokes can function at high levels. My father was one of them, right up until the final stroke that took his life. But even my dad had issues with emotional control, and in a major policy-making position such as the U.S. Senate, thats not good. My fathers mind was affected, but only minimally.

Image: John Fetterman (edited) from YouTube screen grab. Cracks by eflon, CC BY 2.0.

Your mind is not a scientifically definable quantity. In fact, if we were able to explain how it worked, we would take away what makes us who we are. We would become, simply, the sum of our parts, no longer a person. We do know that parts of the brain are required for the mind to function. They are necessary, but not sufficient. It is that God-given je ne sais quoi that transforms three pounds of neurons into something dramatically more. We also know that certain injuries completely transform the human minds functioning. These brain traumas create defects in processing that markedly change people.

In Fettermans case, the stroke caused significant language issues. Because of his incomplete receptive aphasia (he has problems understanding spoken language), we can be certain the Wernickes area is involved. His similarly obvious incomplete expressive aphasia (he has trouble making sense when he speaks) indicates problems in the adjacent Brocas area.

It is believed that Wernickes area comprehends language and chooses the correct words to use. This is then sent through the arcuate fasciculus to then arrive at Brocas area to be articulated before language is produced.

In plain English, he has trouble hearing language and difficulty speaking. The debate with Dr. Oz made this painfully clear. Even with a teleprompter to allow him to read what was being said, he fumbled badly.

Lets make one thing clear. Im not talking about the usual Democrat difficulty with getting their message out. Every Democrat has that impairment because the Democrats dont have a message worth presenting. This is an irrecoverable physical injury to parts of the brain that are essential to language skills.

A senator must have fluent language skills. If I tried to be a government official in Greece, Id fail badly because it would all be Greek to me. (Even though Ive studied biblical Greek.) Thats what Fetterman is facing. Every conversation, every piece of legislation, and every confrontation would be unintelligible gibberish. He would be utterly incapable of doing any of the essential tasks that fall to a senator. Gisele Fetterman, an unelected illegal alien immigrant (now citizen), would functionally be another Edith Wilson, making all the decisions. That cannot be permitted.

Pundits who argue that a candidates health is off-limits forget this. Some health problems are merely physical. Others have major mental impacts, and as I noted in my Hillary videos, we cant afford public officials who are mentally impaired.

Just in case you havent noticed, just look at Joe Biden. We are all praying that America survives his incapacity.

Ted Noel MD is a retired Anesthesiologist/Intensivist who podcasts and posts on social media as DoctorTed and @vidzette. His DoctorTed podcasts are available on many podcast channels.
The media are very worried that the Democrats are going to lose the Senate, so they need to destroy Republicans.

They clearly dont care about how radical John Fettermans policies are, how few accomplishments he has, or that he is clearly incompetent while they campaign for him.

They have set out to protect Raphael Warnock, no matter what his sordid past is and how radical his policies are, so they must destroy Walker.

They have come up with another unverified story that Herschel Walker supposedly drove a woman to an abortion clinic in 1993 (29 years ago). If the media were honest, this story would have never been reported, but just as with Justice Kavanaugh, the media and other Democrats are willing to destroy anyone that gets in their way as they quest for power.

YouTube screengrab

Democrats cant run on their record or their radical, unpopular, policies so they seek to destroy, mislead, and deflect.

Here are some things the media didnt care about:

Obama had a close association with Bill Ayers, a known terrorist. He essentially got his blessing to run for political office.

No one seems to care that Obama and Warnock both had associations with anti-Semite Reverend Wright

Rev. Wright: 'Them Jews Ain't Going To Let' Him Talk To Obama

Georgia Democratic Senate candidate defended anti-Semitic pastor Jeremiah Wright

Obamas, and other Democrats, association with anti-Semite Louis Farakhan was buried.

No one cared about Obamas financial dealings with corrupt Tony Rezko.

The media and other Democrats never cared about all the kickbacks to the Clintons and how many women they physically and mentally abused and sought to destroy for decades.

They never cared about Bill Clintons close association with Jeff Epstein.

They didnt care when Obama and Biden used the IRS to target and silence political opponents.

They still dont care that Obama and Biden used the Justice Department and a fake dossier as an excuse to destroy Trump and associates.

They not only didnt care that Democrats were election deniers in 2000, 2004, and 2016, they supported them. Not once did they call the challenges to elections a disqualifier or a threat to democracy.

And they certainly have known about the absolute corruption and kickbacks to the Biden and his family for years and dont care. They just bury the story.

But we are supposed to believe that it is a huge story and a disqualifier when someone comes forward with an unverified story from 20-30 years ago that Walker may have paid or offered to pay for an abortion.

Isnt it time that the media registered as lobbyists for the Democrat party and reported all their in-kind contributions?

Democrats pretend they support women and minorities, but they seek to destroy everyone who gets in their way. Democrats don't allow independent thinkers.
At newspapers, obituaries are typically written in advance.

The Washington Post had plenty to work with when the death of Lucianne Goldberg happened, but instead of remembering good, or at least balancing their summary, they selectively chose to remember the great muse of the right, internet pioneer, and accomplished woman from a time when women weren't allowed much accomplishment, by printing only cherry-picked tales of dubious sourcing that made her look phony.

It was garbage. It stood in stark contrast to the insightful and warm-hearted tweets that overwhelmingly were the consensus on Twitter, from wildly different parts of the internet spectrum. The notes of condolences to Goldberg's son, Jonah Goldberg, was a who's who of the right, containing kind and loving words from both the harshest of the NeverTrumps and the harshest of the MAGA people, side by side in perfect harmony, and was a sight to behold. Lucianne Goldberg was a giant to so many, a great lady; she was loved, and she was consequential.

But the Post? They decided to go small instead.

Their headline and subhed ran like this:

Lucianne Goldberg, who leaked tapes at center of Clinton impeachment, dies at 87 Ms. Goldberg, a literary agent, urged former White House aide Linda Tripp to secretly tape her friend Monica Lewinsky, who had an affair with the president.

Not a word about Bill Clinton's tawdry, exploitative, despicable behavior; not a word about how, according to the Starr report, Clinton "finished the job in the sink," which is what Mrs. Goldberg ultimately brought to light based on Clinton's constant lying. There was just the penny-dreadful act of leaking tapes and secretly taping, as if that would be the total sum of Mrs. Goldberg's life, which it wasn't.

In reality, Goldberg did a public service by asking the players involved to preserve the loudly circulating evidence. That evidence went on to reveal the real Bill Clinton, whose presidency lowered the bar for presidential standards, but whose presidency was saved by a good economy. The Post didn't understand the significance of that act, which revealed the truth about the Clintons, and just wanted to focus on the single act as sort of tawdry. Then they led with this.

Lucianne Goldberg, a New York literary agent and conservative provocateur who took on a Machiavelli-style role in the 1998 impeachment of President Bill Clinton by encouraging a former White House aide to secretly tape Monica Lewinsky discussing her affair with the president, died Oct. 26 at her home in Weehawken, N.J. She was 87.

No, that's not the summary of her life, nor is it the essence of her. Mrs. Goldberg was an entrepreneur, a radio host, an author, famously witty, a bona fide internet pioneer, a dragon lady if you like, and her historic role was in demonstrating that the establishment media were rotten to the core and the public was moving toward alternate news sources, such as what was then the Drudge Report. When the story came out about how Newsweek suppressed its own scoop about Clinton's doings, that was a revelation about the media that had its ties to Mrs. Goldberg's courageous act.

She also was a career woman of great accomplishments, who went from newsroom errand girl at the various Washington newspaper outlets, and part-time political operative during the Johnson and Nixon administration years, to a famed literary agent who built her own successful business, and then went on to be a popular radio host and internet pioneer through her still-popular website, Lucianne.com.

The Post was more interested in this detail, though, reporting it as solemn fact even though it was clearly humor on Mrs. Goldberg's part:

She married a high school boyfriend, William Cummings, and divorced after three years. She worked in the late 1950s as a clerk at The Washington Post promotion department and, in 1963, started a one-woman media shop in the Press Club under Lucianne Cummings & Associates, which claimed to have satellite offices in London and Paris. A friend, former Washington Star drama critic Emerson Beauchamp, told The Washington Post in 1998 that Ms. Goldberg once said she was practicing a British accent "so she could pretend to be her English secretary when people called."

Ah, proof! Proof she was a phony! As if succeeding in New York has never involved such sleights of hand.

They suggested her entire life was "an act" and she was a phony:

Ms. Goldberg carried such a big personality that there were always questions about whether her right-leaning political sentiments were genuine or a kind of performance art. Either way, her place in the Clinton scandal made her, to some, a conservative hero.

WTH?

Performance art. Sorry, pal  Lucianne Goldberg was always for real.

They certainly lapped up this part:

"And I said, 'You say you talk to her every day  how about taping your phone conversations?'" Ms. Goldberg recalled. Ms. Goldberg even suggested the type of tape recorder: a Radio Shack model like the one she kept on her desk at her Manhattan office. Tripp wasn't sure. "She always was reluctant," Ms. Goldberg recalled to The Washington Post in late 1998. "She said, 'I think it's kind of sleazy.'"

And they tried to paint her as sleazy in the authors she represented, which were numerous, and bestsellers, but these are the two that interested them:

Later, after a long career writing or ghostwriting sexy potboilers and representing such authors as Kitty Kelley and discredited Los Angeles police detective Mark Fuhrman, she delighted in taking aim at Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Never mind that these were successful books that made money, testimony to her impeccable eye for what sells and what doesn't. They wouldn't admit that if it bit them on the butt.

Now, the crummy obit about Mrs. Goldberg was not a matter of them being mean-spirited no matter whose obit they write. This is the same Washington Post that ran lionizing obits with headlines like this:

Fidel Castro, revolutionary leader who remade Cuba as a socialist state, dies at 90

There was also Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's headline. According to the Washington Examiner:

The Washington Post changed the headline of its obituary of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi from "terrorist-in-chief" to describe him as an "austere religious scholar."

What we have here was a bid to find the smallest unflattering granular detail about Mrs. Goldberg at the expense of who she was. In contrast, people on Twitter and those who knew her, such as Thomas Lifson and John Podhoretz, really did know who she was and could explain the significance of her life, or else just distill it down to what we remember about her. Look at this fantastic tweet from writer Mickey Kaus:

Very sorry to hear that Lucianne Goldberg, who always made you feel like you were in a wonderful conspiracy of truth-telling, has died. Even her obit (by her friend John Podhoretz) is full of good gossip. https://t.co/PwO03YaChy  Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey) October 27, 2022

That's a far more accurate description of who she was, which the Post completely missed.

There also was this:

So sorry to hear this Jonah. I can still see her signature in my mind. Her style was so classic and delightful. Her writing was keen and always prescient. I went googling quick and saw this on eBay and it made me smile :) pic.twitter.com/zy6OBqLkUm  Justin Hart (@justin_hart) October 27, 2022

Another thing they missed was that writer after writer paid grateful tribute to her because she was kind and had helped them:

Memory eternal to dear Lucianne. She was kind enough to promote several of my dumb posts when I was a lowly anonymous blogger. Truly one of a kind.  Jon Gabriel (@exjon) October 27, 2022

There were a lot of these, and I was one of them.

Not a word about that in the Post obit.

They summed up with this flip comment instead, framing it as proof that she was unimportant:

"I was ready for my Warholian 15 minutes," she told the New York Times, "but it really wears you down."

Oh, what dreck. They completely missed the story on her because they hated her. Nobody is a worse prognosticator than a rabid hater, as Eric Hoffer once noted. They went that route, and they came out looking small, stupid, ugly, and ignorant.

Image: Twitter screen shot.
You are here: World

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A man was shot outside the Russian Embassy in Zimbabwe's capital city Harare Wednesday evening, police confirmed Thursday.

National Police Spokesperson Paul Nyathi said in a brief statement that investigations were currently underway and described the injured person as a suspect.

Confirming the shooting incident that occurred at 19:20 on Wednesday evening, Nyathi added "a 24-year-old suspect was injured and is currently admitted to a local hospital. More details will be released in due course."

He did not disclose who had shot the man.
Jim Browns syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide. You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com. You can also look over a list of books he has published at www.thelisburnpress.com.
Google has announced bi-directional interoperability between Meet and Zoom. It allows users to join Google Meet meetings from Zoom Rooms and vice versa, i. e. Zoom Meetings from Google Meet hardware. This interop will be available at no additional licensing cost later this year.

According to Google, meetings can be joined directly from the calendar or by manually entering a meeting code. Administrators can enable the feature for registered devices in their organization. They can also allow cross-platform meetings for trusted devices without knocking. At launch, only ChromeOS-based Meet devices will support this Zoom interop. But the company plans to add support for additional products over time. All Zoom Rooms across all platforms will support Meet interop from the beginning.

This bi-directional interoperability between Zoom and Google Meet could go a long way in addressing the challenges faced by organizations when connecting with customers and partners. In the modern, hybrid work culture, remote collaboration and virtual meetings are critical. But since not all organizations use the same platform, they often face challenges when connecting with people outside their organizations. Google is aiming to address that.

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This isnt the first time Google Meet has joined forces with rival services for consumer benefit. It announced similar bi-directional interoperability with Cisco Webex devices in September last year. The Pexip Google Meet interoperability solution also enables users natively join Meet calls through third-party video conferencing devices. But the collaboration with Zoom is arguably the biggest yet, as they are two of the most widely used videoconferencing platforms globally.

Google announces new Android-based Meet devices

Along with the Zoom interop, Google has also announced new Android-based Meet devices. Meet hardware has historically run ChromeOS, but the company notes that Android has become increasingly popular in this space. It is now going with the flow, introducing Poly and Logitech as the first two partners for delivering Meet for Android-based appliances.

Polys Studio X family includes three Google Meet cameras of varying sizes: Studio X30 for small rooms, Studio X50 for medium rooms, and Studio X70 for large rooms. The devices come with features like intelligent camera framing, a non-verbal noise filter, and a shield that protects calls from outside sounds. Poly will release the first batch of Meet products in early 2023.

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Logitech will also launch its Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini for Google Meet in 2023. The former caters to medium-to-large rooms and the latter to small-to-medium rooms. The company promises crystal clear audio, cinematic video, and other advanced intelligent features.
You can now grab wallpapers from Samsungs brand new foldable phone, the Samsung W23. Samsung announced this phone in China last week, along with the Samsung W23 Flip.

These two smartphones are actually rebranded versions of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4. In other words, they are those two phones, but with different paint jobs, and upgraded memory.

Wallpapers from Samsungs brand new foldable are now available

In any case, the Samsung W23 does come with some new wallpapers that you can now download. We still dont have the W23 Flips wallpapers. You will find four wallpapers in the gallery. They are quite similar, and come in pairs of two, with different brightness settings.

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Do note that the wallpapers in the gallery below are compressed, though. If you like what youre seeing here, you can download them in full resolution from SamMobile (gallery below the article).

In case youre wondering, the Samsung W23 series is available exclusively through China Telecom. So, they wont exactly be leaving China, or anything of the sort. Samsung does this every year in collaboration with the Chinese carrier.

The Samsung W23 does have a really nice paint job

As you can see in the image provided above the article, the Samsung W23 does look really nice. It has that matte finish on the back, and some bronze accents on the side. Its hinge is bronze-colored on the outside, and theres that dotted pattern on it.

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The spec sheet of this phone seems to be the same as on the Galaxy Z Fold 4, but with more RAM. The Samsung W23 includes 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. That is the only version of the device that is being sold.

The Samsung W23 Flip, on the other hand, comes with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. In other words, both smartphones have more RAM than their global counterparts.
Verizon is taking on T-Mobile with a price lock campaign of its own. It has announced a ten-year price guarantee across its Home Internet products. You will pay the same monthly fee for its broadband service in 2032 as you pay today. The offer is applicable across all 5G Home, Fios, and LTE Home Internet products but is available only for new customers.

This is a limited-time offer, though. While Verizon didnt specify any dates, the company made it clear that the offer wont stay forever. T-Mobiles price lock, meanwhile, is always available and is a lifetime offer. Your monthly rental will remain the same as long as you are a customer, not just for the next ten years. And this is for both mobile and broadband services.

Moreover, Verizon only covers the monthly base price of your home internet service, which starts at just $25 per month. Other fees such as the newly-introduced Economic Adjustment Charge and taxes may change (read: increase). But its still nice to know that your internet expenses wont suddenly go up for at least ten years. Verizon also promises that you will not see any data caps or equipment charges under locked prices.

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To attract customers, Verizon is offering a 30-day trial of its Home Internet products. You can try out the service before committing to it. And if you find it better than your previous carrier and want to switch, Verizon will cover your early termination fees of up to $500. For business customers, the carrier is offering bill credit of up to $1,500 to help cover early termination fees. New business customers also get the ten-year price guarantee along with professional installation and other services.

Verizon expands its Home Internet to more regions

Along with launching the new limited-time price lock campaign, Verizon has also announced an expansion of its Home Internet service. Its wireless home and business internet services are now available in New York City and Jersey City and Hoboken in New Jersey.

Additionally, Verizon has launched a new Verizon Receiver. It is the first FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) device in the world to support all Verizon networks. You can seamlessly switch 5G Ultra Wideband mmWave, C-Band, and 4G LTE networks for optimized coverage and speeds. The new device is said to be 60 percent smaller and lighter than the previous models. It also brings a 100 percent increase in upload speeds, enabling higher throughputs and lower latency.
(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 28 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said he had invited Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni to Ukraine.

Zelensky tweeted: "I congratulated @GiorgiaMeloni on her appointment as Prime Minister of Italy. I'm hopeful for further fruitful cooperation. We discussed Ukraine's integration into #EU and #NATO. I told about the current situation in our country and invited her to visit Ukraine." Meloni had a phone conversation with Zelensky Friday in which she renewed the Italian government's full support for Kyiv within the framework of international alliances on the political, military, economic and humanitarian fronts and for the future reconstruction of Ukraine, and confirmed Italy's commitment to make every diplomatic effort possible towards the cessation of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine, the premier's office said.

The premier also voiced the hope that an agreement on exporting grain from Ukraine's ports would be renewed, a fundamental accord to avert a possible food crisis, the premier's office said. (ANSA).


Ukraine: Us 101st Airborne Division deployed to Romania For the first time in 80 years, amid soaring Russia-Nato tension

(ANSA) - WASHINGTON, 23 OTT - The U.S. Army's Airborne Division has been deployed to Europe, in Romania, for the first time in almost 80 years, amid soaring tension between Russia and NATO after the invasion of Ukraine, CBS reported. The light infantry unit, nicknamed the "Screaming Eagle", is trained to deployed on any battlefield in the world within hours. (ANSA).





 Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved
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The UAE's embassy in China and the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology hosted a virtual tour on agricultural technology, inviting policymakers and industry experts from China and the UAE to explore new avenues for bilateral cooperation in this crucial field.

The event opened with keynote addresses from Dr. Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, UAE ambassador to China, and Wei Zhenglin, deputy director general from the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China (MARA).

Wei introduced MARA's most recent work in promoting sustainable agriculture at home and abroad through a series of important international exchange programs.

Ambassador Al Dhaheri highlighted a raft of innovative steps the UAE has taken in recent years to develop and nurture an agricultural industry that strives for sustainability and abundance.

"The UAE has launched numerous policies to adopt sustainable and climate-smart agricultural methods that focus on the optimal utilization of cultivated land, thereby enhancing the quality and competitiveness of agricultural produce," said the ambassador.

Key stakeholders from the scientific and business communities jointed the virtual tour.

Sun Fajun, deputy director general of the Department of Science, Technology and Education of MARA, spoke about the latest innovative developments within China's agricultural sector.

The event was part of the initiative, the Sci-Tech Virtual Tours, of the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology launched last year as a forum for high-level decision-makers and experts to address the challenges and opportunities of the changing planet through the help of scientific innovation. Since its inauguration, the program has brought together policymakers, business leaders and distinguished scientists worldwide.
ETUC welcomes trade unions from Ukraine and Moldova Future of both countries is in the EU: Visentini

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, OCT 28 - The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is welcoming into it the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FPU), the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine (KVPU) and the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova (CNSM), ETUC said today. "The future of Ukraine and Moldova is in the European Union" said Luca Visentini, ETUC General Secretary, "and the trade unions of Ukraine and Moldova need the support and solidarity of the ETUC to defend the rights of workers in these difficult and dangerous times, and to assist in ensuring that the interests of working people are represented she accession process, the statement reads (ANSA).





 Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved
16,292 Tunisian migrants have arrived in Italy this year, NGO Record high for nationality, 3,430 are minors

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, OCT 28 - From the beginning of the year to Oct. 26, about 16,292 undocumented Tunisian migrants arrived in Italy, 3, 430 of whom minors, according to the latest figures on irregular migration published by the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES).



The Tunisian NGO said that the figure was based on official statements from the authorities, local and media sources and accounts given by survivors.



FTDES said that 2022 is the year in which the largest number of Tunisians have been arriving in an irregular manner on Italian coasts, at 16,292.



In the same period in the past three years, some 14,342 arrived in 2021 and 1,112 in 2020.



Rising was also the number of Tunisian minors arriving on Italian coasts: 3,430 as of October this year, compared with 2,492 in 2021 and 1,607 in 2020.



The number of victims and people who went missing of various nationalities rose to 544 from the beginning of the year to September, it added.



The same source said that the Tunisian authorities had stopped 29,129 irregular migrants from leaving Tunisian coasts towards Italy since the beginning of the year. (ANSAmed).




Shooting in West Bank's Nablus leaves 2 Palestinians dead Israeli army claims those killed had opened fire on soldiers

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, OCT 28 - Two Palestinians were shot and killed over the night between Thursday and Friday by Israeli soldiers in Huwara near Nablus in a shooting.



Israeli military radio said that shots had been fired from a Palestinian vehicle.



The soldiers, it said, reacted by shooting and killing the two Palestinians in the vehicle and injuring a third.



Those killed have been identified as Imad Abu Rashid, 47, and Ramzi Zabara, 35.



The incident occurred shortly after the announcement of the removal of the barriers to access roads to Nablus that had been ordered ten days before by the army as it was preparing a wide-ranging operation against the local armed group known as the Lions' Den. (ANSAmed).




Spain's Socialists celebrate 40th anniv. of 1st post-Fascism win 'To continue to lead the country along the road of progress'

(ANSAmed) - MADRID, OCT 28 - Spain's Socialists party, the PSOE, is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its first national election win after the end of the country's Fascist dictatorship led by Francisco Franco.



The victory had been achieved under the leadership of Felipe Gonzalez and was the beginning of a path that led the Seville-born politician to hold the position of head of government for 14 consecutive years.



In that period, among other things, Spain entered the European Union and ratified its NATO membership after a referendum was held on the matter.



"Forty years after the 1982 Socialist win, we are continuing to lead Spain along the road of progress," PSOE chief and prime minister Pedro Sanchez wrote in a tweet. "We are not afraid of the challenges awaiting us." His party arrived at this anniversary as government formation since 2018 and about 12 months before the end of the current legislation.



Sanchez has been secretary general since 2017 after an initial term between 2014 and 2016.



The party is going through a period with a number of challenges: the government it is leading is formed of a coalition with Unidas Podemos, a left-wing party with which divergences have arisen multiple times, and is supported by a diverse parliamentary majority in which Basque and Catalan parties have a decisive role and often set demanding conditions in return for their support.



Moreover, in recent weeks internal debate has arisen pm one of the most ambitious initiatives of a social nature of the government: a 'trans law' that would bring in "unrestricted self-determination of gender" and which does not have unanimous support among the country's Socialists, especially among feminists. (ANSA).




UfM urges focus on gender equality in all government actions 'GDP rises by 57% when women are better integrated'

(b yFrancesco Rodella) (ANSAmed) - MADRID, OCT 27 - Putting gender equality at the center of "all government actions" in European and Mediterranean countries is an aim of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), the secretary general of the organisation said in an interview with ANSA.



UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel spoke to ANSA during the High-Level Conference on Women for the Mediterranean 2022 underway in Madrid.



He said that women's rights and roles within society cannot be treated as a stand-alone issue and should instead be used as a parameter for integrated analysis across diverse sectors, ranging from education and economic development to public and private leadership.



This is an idea that is shared by all 42 UfM member states, according to a joint statement issued on Wednesday.



Over past "roughly two years", starting around the beginning of the COVID pandemic and through the successive overlapping of other international crises, "all indicators" on gender equality have shown that, collectively, "we are moving backwards instead of forward", Kamel said.



Among the most influential elements in this negative trend, he added, are aspects such as the fact that women comprise the majority in many of the most precarious parts of the labor market and are often the victims that suffer the most from conflicts.



Women, for example, account for by far the largest number of refugees that have fled Ukraine since it was invaded by Russia earlier this year.



The Egyptian diplomat, who has been at the head of UfM since 2018, said that all of these are reasons to support the need to demand that governments "do more" in order to "integrate the issue of gender into all fields of political action".



"Our GDP would grow by 57% more if women were completely integrated into the labor market," Kamel said, urging governments to intervene to create the conditions for greater integration of women through legislative actions and the promotion of policies and actions to lead to a "change in mentality" of many employers.



This last aspect should be focused on especially as concerns the "re-integration" into the world of work for women after they have children, he said.



The work by the participants of the conference underway in Madrid focuses on how to deal with these "challenges", Kamel said.



The aim, he added, is to "collectively advance", enabling UfM member states to "harmonise" their vision on these issues and offering governments ideas for "practical solutions" in collaboration with NGOs and the private sector.



Substantial differences between countries must however be taken into consideration in terms of the degree to which their gender policies are developed while aiming to reduce and eliminate existing "gaps", he said.



"We are trying to foster the transfer of best practices from one region to another," Kamel said, adding that good examples come not only from Europe but also from other areas such as Morocco, Egypt, and Tunisia.



This is why, the secretary general said, that the organisation that he leads never aims to "give lessons" to any specific governments on how to act or to interfere with national policies.



It instead, he said, tries to foster the achievement of "shared standards" inside the region. (ANSAmed).




The head of the Royal Navy has ordered an investigation into abhorrent allegations of inappropriate behaviour in the submarine service.

Admiral Sir Ben Key, the First Sea Lord, said sexual assault and harassment has no place in the Royal Navy, adding that anyone who is found culpable will be held accountable regardless of rank.

The Chief of the Naval Staff responded to the allegations personally on Twitter.

He said: I am deeply disturbed to hear of allegations of inappropriate behaviour in the submarine service and I want to reassure our people, and anyone who is reading this, that any activity which falls short of the highest of standards the Royal Navy sets itself is totally unacceptable and not a true reflection of what service life should be.

These allegations are abhorrent.

Sexual assault and harassment has no place in the Royal Navy and will not be tolerated.

I have directed my senior team to investigate these allegations thoroughly.

Anyone who is found culpable will be held accountable for their actions regardless of their rank or status, he said.

The statement from the First Sea Lord comes after allegations were reported in a national newspaper.

The Daily Mail said submariners compiled a crush depth rape list in which women were ranked in the order they should be raped in a catastrophic event, and that women were frequently screamed at, called c***s and hit with clipboards and pens.

Speaking to the newspaper, former lieutenant Sophie Brook, 30, said: The best thing I ever did was leave the Navy but I worry about the women I left behind. It was just a constant campaign of sexual bullying.

She told the newspaper she loved the job, but said: Its just unfortunate the old boys club makes it such a hostile and misogynistic place.

My response to recent allegations in the press on inappropriate behaviour in the Submarine Service: pic.twitter.com/HYQJklPjEk  First Sea Lord (@FirstSeaLord) October 28, 2022

The Mail said Ms Brook left the Navy when she was investigated for sharing sensitive information about her submarines movement in an email.

The newspaper said she resigned in January but was formally dismissed in June and handed a suspended prison sentence.

Another whistleblower, who previously served in a senior position in the fleet, told the Mail that women are constantly pestered for sex.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) says that, while most Royal Navy personnel enjoy rewarding careers, for some, predominantly women, their experience has been affected by inappropriate sexualised behaviour.

They say they accept that more needs to be done and that they are improving reporting mechanisms for sexual offences.

Earlier this year, the MoD announced a zero-tolerance policy to sexual offences aligning the Royal Navy, RAF, and Army under one approach to dealing with incidences with the aim of enabling services to better support victims and secure justice for them.
A further 13 inquests have been opened into the deaths of former patients of the disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson.

Consultant Paterson, 62, was convicted in 2017 of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three counts of unlawful wounding.

An inquiry later found he carried out unnecessary operations in NHS and private hospitals on more than 1,000 patients over 14 years, exaggerating or inventing cancer risks and claiming payments for more expensive procedures.

His 2017 Nottingham Crown Court trial heard how he carried out unapproved cleavage-sparing mastectomies on patients which left behind breast tissue, risking a return of cancer.

He was initially jailed for 15 years, before the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to a 20-year term.

Paterson lost a 2021 bid to the same court to challenge his conviction, where three senior judges heard Paterson denied, and indeed continues to deny, the misconduct of which he was accused at his trial.

Nottingham Crown Court, where in 2017 Paterson was convicted of harming his patients. (Rui Viera/PA)

In January 2020, West Midlands Police asked Birmingham and Solihull senior coroner Louise Hunt to look at a random selection of 23 former patients of Patersons, to decide whether any died of unnatural causes due to potentially substandard treatment.

In July 2020, inquests into the deaths of seven of those patients were then opened and adjourned.

But the coronial investigation has been continuing, beyond that original selection of cases.

Further inquests opened and adjourned at Birmingham Coroners Court on Friday including:

 Catherine Coyne, 51, who was a married retired data protection officer from Solihull, West Midlands. She died of cancer at her home in Hampton Coppice, Solihull, on February 2008.

 Eunice Jones  known as Pam  was a 47-year-old wife from Knowle, Solihull, who died of breast cancer at Solihull Hospital in 2004.

 Rosemarie Blake, a married care assistant from Erdington, in Birmingham  but who was born in Northern Ireland  was 56 when she died of cancer in 1997 at Good Hope Hospital.

 Elaine Turbill, of Castle Bromwich, in Birmingham, was 63 when the married retired legal secretary died of breast cancer at her home in 2017.

 Pauline Clarke, of Silhill Hall Road, Solihull  but who was born in County Durham  died in June 1998 at home. She was a married retired midwifery nurse and also died of breast cancer.

 Virginia Holder, of Colonial Road, Birmingham  but who was born in Barbados  was a widowed retired assembly worker. She died, aged 72, at a hospice in Solihull from breast cancer in 2001.

 Phyllis Colfer, of Vera Road, Birmingham  but who was born in Ireland  was a retired traffic warden. The 67-year-old died at a nursing home as a result of cancer in 2002.

 Christine Skelcher, of Shard End, in Birmingham, and a married office clerk was 59 when she died at home in 2004 from breast cancer.

 Olive Bayliss, of Lea Hall Road, Birmingham, was a married retired cleaner.

 She was 75 when she died at the Marie Curie Hospice in Warwick Road, Birmingham, in 2001, from breast cancer.

 Isobel Chandler, from Solihull, was a married secretary and 51-years-old when she died at Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, in 2001. Cause of death was given as metastatic breast cancer.

 Christine Hill, of Stratford Road, Solihull  but who was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire  was an 81-year-old wife. She died at home in 2010, also of metastatic breast cancer.

 Jean Bonehill, of Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham, was a retired office clerk who died of breast cancer, aged 72, at her home in August 1998. Mrs Hunt made a public appeal for Ms Bonehills family to make contact with her office, after exhaustive efforts to trace her next of kin had failed.

 Deborah Preston, of Foxhollies Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham, was a married 42-year-old who died of breast cancer at Heartlands Hospital in 2004.

Ms Hunt repeated the same remark about all 13 people: I do have reason to believe the deceaseds death was caused or contributed to by substandard treatment provided by Mr Paterson and other clinicians involved in the care of the deceased.

Future inquests would consider any failings in supervision of Paterson, including by clinical colleagues and whether they should have informed the appropriate authorities.

The evidence would also examine whether there were systemic failings by hospital management in addressing and responding to concerns raised about Mr Paterson.

Any inaction or failure of supervision by the regulatory agencies any failings in the culture at the hospitals where Mr Paterson worked (and) any failings in the recall system of patients, would also be examined.

She stressed to loved ones of those attending the openings that the adjournments were pending the review of all the other cases, after which there would be a pre-inquest review.

The final inquests would likely be held under Article 2 human rights provisions given the apparent serious defaults by a number of state organisations said Ms Hunt, meaning the coroner would be looking at the wider circumstances of the deaths.

Ms Hunt added: It is my duty to ensure the relevant facts will be fully, fairly and fearlessly investigated and its likely a report to prevent futures deaths will be considered.

An independent inquiry published in February 2020 said Paterson, who operated at NHS and Spire Healthcare hospitals in the West Midlands, performed unnecessary operations amid dysfunctional healthcare system that failed patients, and recommending more than 11,000 of his patients be recalled.
An election to the Northern Ireland Assembly will definitely happen after a deadline to restore devolved government at Stormont was missed, a cabinet minister has said.

Environment minister Therese Coffey said clearly there was not sufficient agreement among Stormont parties to avoid a fresh election.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris is expected to call the election on Friday, following the failure of a last-ditch effort to restore the multi-party executive.

I am extremely disappointed that the Executive has not reformed. The people of Northern Ireland deserve a fully-functioning devolved government. (1/2)  Chris Heaton-Harris MP (@chhcalling) October 28, 2022

Mr Heaton-Harris has said he is extremely disappointed that a Stormont executive has not been reformed, adding that he will provide an update on his legal duty to act.

He tweeted: The people of Northern Ireland deserve a fully-functioning devolved government.

Today Stormont could be taking decisions to ease the challenges people face. Instead, the legal duty to act falls to me as Secretary of State.

I will be providing an update on this.

The DUP is blocking the restoration of powersharing as part of its protest against the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol.

A six-month legislative timeframe to form an administration expired in the early hours of Friday.

With no ministerial executive in place, the UK Government assumes a legal responsibility to call another election.

While Mr Heaton-Harris has not yet laid out the details, there has been speculation the poll would be held on December 15.

Stormont ministers, who have been operating in shadow form since the Assembly collapsed earlier this year, also ceased to hold office at midnight.

Responsibility for running devolved departments will now pass to senior civil servants, although their powers are limited.

I think its regrettable the parties were not able to come together to form that executive, Ms Coffey told Sky News.

But the law was clear. We passed the legislation that this would happen and clearly there wasnt sufficient agreement to be able to avoid the elections.

That wasnt in the hands of the Government, that was in the hands of the parties representing the different communities in Northern Ireland.

I hope that the next elections will be an opportunity for people to reconsider their approach, recognising the New Decade, New Approach agreement that was signed only a couple of years ago, and we need to make sure that we do what we can to work together to try and make that come to fruition.

Asked if there is any chance the elections could be avoided through new legislation, she said: They will definitely happen.

(PA Graphics)

But DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson insisted it is the fault of the UK government that devolved government in Northern Ireland is not functioning.

Weve had six months in which to do something about the protocol, and during those six months we have had three prime ministers, we have had the Government changed often and we havent seen the progress that is needed, he told BBC Radio Ulster.

I think the Government would be within its rights to say, given that those six months have elapsed and progress hasnt been made, that we need a further period to sort this out, get a solution on the protocol that restores Northern Irelands place within the UK internal market and that will see the institutions restored immediately.

Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy dismissed the notion that the DUP tactic of refusing to form an executive was exerting any pressure on the Westminster government to act over the protocol.

He told the BBC: The chaos and the infighting that is going on within the Tory government means their focus is entirely on themselves, and if there is a negotiation with the EU, that will take place because the British government want it to take place not because the DUP are punishing the people of the north by preventing them having their own institutions.

The DUP action is harming only the people that they represent, and we all collectively represent, and is serving no purpose other than to do that.

(PA Graphics)

MLAs met during a recalled sitting of the Assembly on Thursday, but a bid to elect a new speaker  which must be done before the election of first and deputy first ministers  did not proceed as the DUP refused to support the nominations.

The session was then suspended.

The DUPs boycott of the Stormont institution is part of a campaign of opposition to the protocol, and the party says it will not return to powersharing until decisive action is taken to remove economic barriers on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Government has vowed to secure changes to the protocol, either by a negotiated compromise with the EU or through proposed domestic legislation  the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill  which would empower ministers to scrap the arrangements without the approval of Brussels.

The last Northern Ireland Assembly election was held in May of this year, and Sinn Fein emerged as the largest party for the first time.
The Conservatives have been accused of risking national security by reportedly sending British military pilots to Beijing to teach the Chinese air force and giving students from China basic officer training in the UK.

Several serving Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots taught an Aviation English Course in China in 2016, while a number of Chinese nationals studied at the RAFs college at Cranwell in Lincolnshire and the Joint Services Command and Staff College at Shrivenham in Swindon, Sky News reported.

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson said: The UK has never provided fast jet flight training, or any other sensitive training, for Peoples Liberation Army (Air Force) pilots.

It is understood that the MoDs official defence activities with Beijing, which included initial officer training on English language and armed conflict law, were stopped in 2019.

But Labour criticised the Tories of being too slow to emerge from their golden era with China and repeatedly blase about security threats.

Shadow defence secretary John Healey said: This official deployment could have compromised details of UK military operations, technology and training to a foreign power, posing a significant threat to our national security.

Ministers must answer serious questions about why they backed this activity and what risks it poses. The public also want reassurance on the actions taken to halt it.

Earlier this month, the Government warned former British military pilots not to teach the Chinese armed forces how to defeat western warplanes and aircraft.

Serious questions for the RAF We should not be surprised by Chinas audacity in luring UK pilots to learn about our tactics. But we should be surprised theres nothing akin to the Official Secrets Act preventing this  And the absence of patriotism of those involved. pic.twitter.com/uyGKlRv8jC  Tobias Ellwood MP (@Tobias_Ellwood) October 18, 2022

Armed forces minister James Heappey said: China is a competitor that is threatening the UK interest in many places around the world, while Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, said he was surprised that something akin to the Official Secrets Act was not already in place to stop it from happening.

The BBC reported that up to 30 former pilots, including some RAF veterans, were believed to have trained Chinas Peoples Liberation Army.

The MoD issued an intelligence alert warning pilots against taking part and that it was taking decisive steps to stop Chinese recruitment schemes targeting military pilots.
Royal Mint begins production of first coins for circulation featuring the King

Production of the first coins of the King for circulation has started at the Royal Mint, beginning the transition from Queen Elizabeth II to her sons portrait on the nations coinage.

The move represents the biggest change to UK coinage since decimalisation, with a memorial 50 pence in honour of the late Queen appearing in the publics change through banks and post offices from December.

Workers at the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, south Wales, will produce 9.6 million copies of the coin to mark the Queens death at the age of 96.

In tribute to the Queen, the reverse of the 50p features the design that originally appeared on coins to commemorate her coronation at Westminster Abbey in 1953.

It includes the four quarters of the Royal Arms depicted within a shield, with emblems of the home nations  a rose, a thistle, a shamrock and a leek.

There are approximately 27 billion coins bearing the portrait of the late Queen currently in circulation in the UK and these will remain legal tender, being replaced over time as they become damaged or worn and to meet demand.

Historically, it has been common for coins featuring different monarchs to be used at the same time and this will now happen with coins of the late Queen and Charles.

Kevin Clancy, director of the Royal Mint Museum, said: For many people this will be the first time in their lives that they have seen a new monarch appear on money.

The memorial 50p coin in honour of the Queen (Alistair Heap/PA)

It represents the biggest change to UK coinage since decimalisation and will usher in a new era where the coins of Queen Elizabeth II and Charles co-circulate in the UK.

The new memorial 50 pence marks a moment in history and honours a landmark reign that lasted for 70 years.

The coins will be made on demand in line with the wishes of the King and the late Queen, who asked for minimal waste during the process.

Rebecca Morgan, director of collector services at the Royal Mint, confirmed that nothing is removed or changed just for changes sake.

Mr Jennings officially started production of the coins (Alistair Heap/PA)

It wasnt unusual to see two or three different monarchs on coins before decimalisation, she said.

As a result of decimalisation, most people under the age of 50 only ever have seen Queen Elizabeth II in their pockets.

The 50 pence coin was chosen as it is one of the most popular for people to start collecting.

I think it is really poignant that the Kings first coins are in tribute to his late mother, Ms Morgan added.

The only difference on the reverse of the coin is the date on either side of the leek, which is 2022 rather than 1953.

It takes between 18 months to two years to design a coin, with the monarch personally signing off each one.

Before her death, the Queen signed off a number of coins  including a Harry Potter commemorative series  and production of these will continue.

This will mean that two of the Harry Potter series will feature the Queen, with the final two bearing the portrait of the King.

The coins will be packed in cartons of 100,000 before being delivered to banks (Alistair Heap/PA)

Production of coins with the Queens portrait will conclude by the end of the year.

Acclaimed British artist Martin Jennings, who usually works in bronze and stone, designed the official portrait of Charles to be struck onto coins.

In the portrait, Charles faces to the left, the opposite direction to his mother. This is because tradition states monarchs face the opposite way to their predecessors on coinage.

Tradition also dictates that Kings do not wear crowns in their portraits on coins, while Queens are pictured crowned.

Mr Jennings worked with images of Charles taken to mark his 70th birthday and began by drawing his design on paper, before creating a model in plaster.

It is extremely painstaking work with microns of material, he said. It has to be an absolute likeness. It is a portrait of the monarch but also of the individual.

The completed plaster cast was then handed to experts at the Royal Mint, where it was digitally reduced to fit the size of each coin denomination.

It has been a big design challenge, Mr Jennings said. The placing of everything is exactly precise, such as the spacing between the letters, the proximity with the head.

Mr Jennings with the coin (Alistair Heap/PA)

It is a huge honour. It is extraordinary to think that the smallest piece of work that I have ever done is that one that is going to be reproduced in the most multiples.

Previous works by Mr Jennings include a sculpture of poet Sir John Betjeman at St Pancras Station, one of nurse Mary Seacole by Westminster Bridge and a bronze bust of the Queen Mother at St Pauls Cathedral.

Mr Jennings, who officially started production of the 50p coins at the Royal Mint, described seeing them in person as astonishing.

So many are so quickly produced and they are all so perfect, it is remarkable, he said.

To make the 9.6 million coins, four presses will be running for 16 hours a day at the Royal Mints site.

Each press can strike 400 coins per minute, making around 20,000 coins an hour.

The coins are checked and counted before being packed into cartons of 100,000, which are then sent to banks and sorting offices across the country.
Nicola Sturgeon will attend Cop27 in Egypt, the Scottish Government has announced hours after the Prime Minister said he will not travel to the event.

Rishi Sunak told journalists during his first official visit since entering Number 10 that he will instead be focusing on the depressing domestic challenges facing the UK.

A spokesman for the Scottish Government told the PA news agency that the First Minister will head to Sharm El-Sheikh next month for the climate conference.

Ms Sturgeon was a fixture of Cop26 in Glasgow last year, meeting with world leaders and climate activists.

The spokesman said: Given the vital importance of governments working together to tackle climate change, it is the First Ministers intention to attend Cop27.

Details of the ministerial programme are currently being finalised.

Speaking to journalists during a visit to a south London hospital on Friday, Mr Sunak said: The leadership that we have shown on the climate is unmatched

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he will not attend Cop27 next month (Leon Neal/PA)

Its important to me that, as Prime Minister, we leave behind an environment that is better for our children and grandchildren. Im very passionate about that. Im very personally committed to it.

I just think, at the moment, its right that Im also focusing on the depressing domestic challenges we have with the economy.

I think thats what people watching would reasonably expect me to be doing as well.

The news comes after the King  who has been an outspoken advocate of action to tackle climate change  has also said he will not go to Cop27, with Downing Street arguing it is not the right occasion for the trip.
The Environment Secretary defended Rishi Sunak pulling out of the Cop27 climate summit by arguing he will show global leadership rather than attending just a gathering of people in Egypt.

Therese Coffey suggested on Friday the United Nations conference in Sharm El-Sheikh is not one of the big political summits despite Joe Biden being expected to attend next month.

The new Prime Minister has been accused of a massive failure of leadership after deciding not to attend despite Liz Truss having planned to travel to represent the UK there.

Conservative former culture secretary Nadine Dorries said Mr Sunak is wrong not to attend the summit, saying global heating is the biggest crisis facing our planet.

Ministers were also being criticised for admitting they would miss their Monday deadline for publishing legally binding targets to clean up Britains waters and to boost the abundance of wild species under the landmark Environment Act.

Meanwhile, Mr Sunak is facing calls to go further on his windfall tax on oil and gas giants as their profits continue to soar as they benefit from high prices due to Russias war in Ukraine.

Rishi Sunak departs 10 Downing Street to attend his first Prime Ministers Questions as Prime Minister (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

He is considering potentially increasing the levy or expanding it to include renewable energy generators as he seeks to plug a multibillion-pound black hole, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Ms Coffey argued Mr Sunak was prioritising the autumn budget which he delayed to November 17 as one of her defences of him not going to Cop27.

She insisted the big political iterations of the summits only take place every five years, with next months being more low key.

The UK continues to show global leadership as opposed to just a gathering of people in Egypt, she told LBC radio.

The UK hosted last years Cop26 summit in Glasgow, with then-PM Boris Johnson stressing the need to act by warning it was a one minute to midnight moment.

Boris Johnson attended the Cop26 summit last year in Glasgow (Phil Noble/PA)

The Washington Post has reported that the US President will travel to Cop27, in a boost for the gathering and its chances of securing action over the climate crisis.

But Ms Coffey, who was demoted from deputy prime minister to the environment brief this week, told Sky News: The big push happened last year in Glasgow.

I am not aware of, say, President Biden or President Macron, or any of those other people will be there (in Egypt). It is quite standard practice that every five years is the big political gathering.

Ms Coffey said she and several senior Government ministers will be attending but was unclear on whether the King would too now that there has been a change of leadership.

Ms Truss had told Charles, a passionate environmental campaigner, to stay away, according to the Sunday Times.

Ms Coffey told Sky News: I think its up to him. I know that he takes an interest in this particular issue, but its up to him.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer joined environmental campaigners in criticising Mr Sunaks move.

Britain showing up to work with world leaders is an opportunity to grasp, not an event to shun, he said.

However, Jacob Rees-Mogg, who resigned as energy secretary as Mr Sunak took over as Prime Minister, said he was right not to go to Cop27.

The cost of living wont be solved in Sharm el Sheikh where each hotel room for the conference is 2,000 a night, Mr Rees-Mogg tweeted.

Ms Dorries responded: For balance, my friendThe Prime Minister is WRONG not to go to COP. Global warming is the biggest crisis facing our planet and net zero creates many 1000s of jobs which is good for the economy.

COP in Glasgow was most successful ever but dont expect media to report that.

For balance, my friendThe Prime Minister is WRONG not to go to COP. Global warming is the biggest crisis facing our planet and net zero creates many 1000s of jobs which is good for the economy. COP in Glasgow was most successful ever but dont expect media to report that https://t.co/YGkc66wts7  Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) October 28, 2022

Shadow climate change secretary Ed Miliband criticised the decision as a massive failure of leadership.

Green MP Caroline Lucas said shame on Mr Sunak, adding: The first test of leadership is to turn up. The new PMs decision not to attend Cop27 makes a mockery of any Government claims on continued climate leadership  and what a shameful way to end the UKs Cop presidency.

Rebecca Newsom, the head of politics at Greenpeace UK, said the move suggests Mr Sunak does not take climate change seriously enough.

The UK Government is supposed to hand over the Cop presidency to their Egyptian counterparts at next months summit. For Rishi Sunak not to show up is like a runner failing to turn up with the baton at a crucial stage of the relay, she added.
Twitter staff and users are waiting to hear more details from new owner Elon Musk about his plans for the platform, amid concerns over his support for loosening content moderation and reversing permanent bans on controversial accounts.

Mr Musk is expected to address staff at the companys headquarters in San Francisco on Friday, after completing his high-profile 44 billion dollar (38 billion) takeover of the social media giant.

It comes after it was reported that Mr Musk is set to take on the role of chief executive at Twitter, replacing Parag Agrawal, who was one of several senior executives to be ousted as the takeover was completed, but may eventually cede the role in the longer term.

According to Bloomberg, the Tesla boss also intends to get rid of permanent bans on user accounts because he does not believe in lifelong suspensions, the report said.

This means high-profile and polarising figures who had been previously banned, including former US president Donald Trump, would be allowed to return, but it remains unclear when this could happen.

That stance has alarmed online safety campaigners and many Twitter users, who have also raised concerns about Mr Musks aim of allowing absolute free speech on the platform.

Twitter plays an immensely important role in politics today. It offers many benefits to society, but the growing dangers of digitally-instigated violent extremism, racism, xenophobia, misogyny and misinformation are very real, and pose an existential threat to our democracy. 1/5  Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) October 28, 2022

On Friday Mr Trump posted on his own Truth Social platform that he was very happy Twitter is now in sane hands, but did not comment on any possible return, instead praising his own app, which was launched after his Twitter ban.

And mayor of London Sadiq Khan said any decision to allow banned users back on the site should be taken incredibly carefully and in direct consultation with experts, given the size and importance of the platform within modern online life.

Twitter plays an immensely important role in politics today, he said on Twitter.

It offers many benefits to society, but the growing dangers of digitally-instigated violent extremism, racism, xenophobia, misogyny and misinformation are very real, and pose an existential threat to our democracy.

We cannot allow kids growing up today to be exposed to the vile and violent ideologies of some users.

Any decision about allowing suspended users to return must be taken incredibly carefully & in direct consultation with experts in countering digital hate & misinformation.

the bird is freed  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022

There has been much discussion about whether Donald Trump will be permitted to return following his permanent suspension.

If he is, Twitter should hold him accountable w/ clear and robust rules that the former President must sign up toand those rules must be enforced.

As Twitter begins a new chapter, I wish Elon and his team every success.

The state of our democracy and civic life really do depend on it.

Mr Musk celebrated the completion of his protracted takeover of the social media giant by tweeting shortly before 5am UK time on Friday: the bird is freed, in reference to Twitters bird logo.

A filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday confirmed the removal of Twitter from the New York Stock Exchange as Mr Musk took the company private.

A US court had set a deadline of Friday for the Tesla and SpaceX boss to complete his acquisition of the platform.

Twitter has not yet published any further statement confirming the deal, but several senior figures and board members, including Bret Taylor, who had served as the companys chairman, have changed their social media profiles to reflect that they no longer work for the company.

Meanwhile, many users have threatened to quit Twitter if Mr Musk proceeds with his plans around content moderation and restoring banned accounts.

But the billionaire has already made some moves in an effort to calm these fears.

On Thursday he posted a statement aimed at Twitters advertisers, saying he was acquiring the platform because he believed it was important to have a space where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner.

He added that Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences.

In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all, where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences, he said.

Social media expert Matt Navarra said he was not surprised by the reports and said the reversal of permanent bans to allow some of the most polarising, controversial, trouble-making accounts back on to Twitter was the most likely big change to make early in Mr Musks tenure.

The reason why I think that is because its fairly easy to do  it doesnt require any changing of code or building new products or features, so I think its quite likely that hell do that, he told the PA news agency.

It will create the most headlines and it will make a statement to the world, Twitter users and everyone else that he has arrived and he is in charge.
Elon Musk plans to take on the role of chief executive at Twitter after completing his acquisition of the platform and will abolish permanent bans on users, it has been reported.

Mr Musk will replace Parag Agrawal, who was one of several senior executives to be ousted as the takeover was completed but may eventually cede the role in the longer term, according to a report from Bloomberg.

The Tesla boss also intends to get rid of permanent bans on user accounts because he does not believe in lifelong suspensions, the report said, meaning high-profile and polarising figures who had been previously banned, including Donald Trump, would be allowed to return  but it remains unclear when this could happen.

On Friday, Mr Trump posted to his own Truth Social platform that he was very happy Twitter is now in sane hands but did not comment on any possible return, but instead praised his own app, which was launched after his Twitter ban.

Mr Musk appeared to celebrate that his protracted takeover of the social media giant had been completed by tweeting shortly before 5am UK time on Friday: the bird is freed, in reference to Twitters bird logo.

A US court had set a deadline of Friday for the Tesla and SpaceX boss to complete his 44 billion dollar (38 billion) acquisition of the platform.

Twitter has not yet published any further statement confirming the deal, but several senior figures and board members, including Bret Taylor, who had served as the companys chairman, have changed their social media profiles to reflect that they no longer work for the company.

Many people have raised concerns over some of Mr Musks proposals for a Twitter platform under his management, most notably his stance as a free speech absolutist who would allow any content which was not illegal to remain on the site.

This approach would likely clash with upcoming proposed regulation for the tech sector, including the UKs Online Safety Bill, which will require the biggest platforms to not only remove illegal content, but also to take action against legal but harmful material that has been designated a priority and a threat to user safety.

Meanwhile, many users have threatened to quit Twitter if content moderation is loosened.

There have also been reports that many staff plan to leave the company in the wake of the takeover and some security campaigners have warned that Twitter could become an easy target for hackers in the aftermath of the deal and as Mr Musk restructures the firm.

But the billionaire has already made some moves in an effort to calm these fears. On Thursday, he posted a statement aimed at Twitters advertisers where he said he was acquiring the platform because he believed it was important to have a space where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner.

He added that Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences.

In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all, where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences, he said.

Social media expert Matt Navarra said he was not surprised by the reports and said the reversal of permanent bans to allow some of the most polarising, controversial, trouble-making accounts back on to Twitter was the most likely big change to make early in Mr Musks tenure.

The likelihood is that we will see someone like Donald Trump or Kanye West back on the platform fairly swiftly, he told the PA news agency.

The reason why I think that is because its fairly easy to do  it doesnt require any changing of code or building new products or features, so I think its quite likely that hell do that.

It will create the most headlines and it will make a statement to the world, Twitter users and everyone else that he has arrived and he is in charge.

And I think it feels like a very Elon Musk thing to do  so I think thats probably the most likely big change that well see early on.

As part of his other plans for the site, Mr Musk has also spoken of removing all spam and bot accounts from and using Twitter as part of a so-called everything app called X, where users are able to access a wide range of services in one place.

That is similar to WeChat in China, where users are able to access social media, online shopping and money transfer, taxi hire, restaurant booking and more from within one app.
The King has been advised not to attend the Cop27 climate summit in Egypt, Downing Street acknowledged, arguing it is not the right occasion for him to make the trip.

No 10 conceded for the first time on Friday that Charles had been urged not to attend the United Nations conference in Sharm El-Sheikh.

Charles is a long-term campaigner against the climate crisis but Downing street said it was unanimously agreed he would not attend, with Rishi Sunak also ruling out going.

Downing Street had previously been refusing to comment on a Sunday Times report that said Liz Truss had told the King not to go during a meeting in Buckingham Palace in September, while she was still prime minister.

But, on Friday, a No 10 spokeswoman said: As is standard practice, Government advice was sought and provided under a previous PM, and it was unanimously agreed that it would not be the right occasion for the King to visit in person.

Im not aware that that advice has changed but obviously any confirmation of the Kings travel would be for the Palace.

Earlier in the day, Cabinet minister Therese Coffey had said whether the King attends or not was up to him.

Im conscious that King Charles has always taken a very deep interest in the environment and climate change, she told Sky News.

Of course, it would be up to him to decide how he chooses where to put his priorities in his reign as King.

She said the big Cops tend to be every five years, adding that many members of the royal family attended the UK summit last year.

But, in between, it tends to be more of a  Im not going to say low key  but not quite the same level of heads of state and prime ministers attending, she said.

Charles and his elder son, William, the then-Duke of Cambridge, both spoke at last years Cop26 event in Glasgow, while the Queen recorded an opening address urging the assembled world leaders to take action on climate change.

No 10 has insisted the Government remains absolutely committed to leading international action on the climate issue despite Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks absence at Cop27.

Downing Street suggested the public would expect Mr Sunak to be in the country dealing with the serious economic challenges facing the UK, rather than at the summit in Egypt.

It comes as former culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, hit out at the Prime Minister for choosing not to attend.

She challenged fellow ex-minister Jacob Rees-Mogg on his assertion that Mr Sunak was right to miss the summit, tweeting: For balance, my friend  the Prime Minister is WRONG not to go to COP.

Global warming is the biggest crisis facing our planet and net zero creates many 1000s of jobs which is good for the economy. Cop in Glasgow was most successful ever  but dont expect media to report that.

In response, the No 10 spokeswoman said: The Government remains absolutely committed to leading international and domestic action to tackle climate change and to protect nature.

We are facing serious economic challenges. The Prime Minister is focused on dealing with those issues, and the public, I think, would also expect him to be in the country dealing with those and ahead of the autumn statement.

But were also very clear that the public should also judge us by our actions and we are forging ahead of many other countries on net zero, for example.

We will, of course, also be represented at senior ministerial level with the foreign, business and environment secretaries all due to attend alongside the Cop president.
Six children were killed in an apparent murder-suicide at their home in a Tulsa, Oklahoma, suburb, according to police.

The two adult suspects were also found dead at the home in Broken Arrow after crews responded to a fire at the house Thursday afternoon, Broken Arrow Police Chief Brandon Berryhill said at a news conference Friday.

The children ranged in age from 1 to 13 years old, the chief said.

PHOTO: Broken Arrow police are investigating a house fire near Houston and Elm Streets as a homicide, in the evening of Oct. 27, 2022, in Broken Arrow, Okla. (KTUL)

MORE: 4 kids, 2 adults dead from murder-suicide at Wisconsin apartment: Police

Officials don't believe any of the victims died from the fire, but the medical examiner will make the final determination, Broken Arrow Fire Chief Jeremy Moore said. Guns have been recovered from the home, Berryhill said.

Fire crews responded to the house around 4:05 p.m. and found two adults in the front of the house "obviously deceased," and their deaths appeared criminal in nature, Moore said. The fire was focused on one room in the back of the house, and while trying to extinguish that fire, responders found the children, Moore said.

There's no threat to the public, Berryhill said.

Police have not been called to this home in recent years, Berryhill said.

Related video: 4 family members who were mysteriously kidnapped found dead

6 kids killed in apparent murder-suicide at Oklahoma home, 2 adult suspects dead originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Wandrea "Shaye" Moss testified during the House Jan. 6 committee hearings that threats forced her to quit her job as a Georgia election worker after then-President Trump targeted her and her family. (Michael Reynolds / Associated Press)

Remember when running elections was so safe, so uncontroversial, that volunteering to work the polls seemed to be mostly the avocation of public-spirited retirees?

Sure you do, because no matter how old you are, that describes your whole voting life. Until Donald Trump.

American historys sorest loser has strafed the foundations of democracy with his lies about rigged ballots, and for his own selfish ends, he has demonized the selfless folks whove long been democracys worker bees. The defeated presidents demagoguery has spawned red-state voting restrictions and radicalized his MAGAts, whose harassment and intimidation of election workers and voters alike have given new meaning to the phrase battleground states.

Its really scary out there in this Halloween election season, all tricks and no treats.

Did you ever in your wildest nightmare think youd see Americans cast their ballots under the suspicious eyes of armed vigilantes in tactical gear or be filmed by strangers as they voted, as happened in the past week in Phoenix and Mesa, Ariz.?

In Nevada, a headline in the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Monday read:  Prepare For The Worst: Election Officials Increase Security To Protect Workers From Threats. Elsewhere, local election offices are taking security measures, including teaching de-escalation techniques, and even providing active-shooter training to employees, installing bulletproof glass and reinforcing walls with Kevlar.

At the very least, the expectation is that well face some degree of electoral chaos after Nov. 8, especially in the battleground states  Republican activists challenging voters, candidates contesting election results, party officials refusing to certify an outcome or red-state legislatures trying to decide the winners. All with the balance of power in Congress at stake. Reports this week in Rolling Stone and elsewhere said Trump has lately had meetings and calls with Republican operatives on how to challenge midterm election results, especially in Senate races, if they dont go his way.

(Another question: Did you ever think you'd see candidate after candidate unwilling to say theyd accept the results of an American election? In decades as a national political reporter, I never thought to ask that of politicians and if I had, they  Republican or Democrat  would have looked at me like I was mad.)

Set aside the potential for chaos, however. Whats already happening is collateral damage done to our fellow citizens who run elections. We used to take them for granted. Now we should actively support them and even work with them at the precinct level to safeguard elections.

In March, the liberal-leaning Brennan Center for Justice found that 20% of election officials expected to leave their jobs by 2024, given the political attacks and heightened stress; 1 in 3 knew a co-worker whod left out of concerns for safety.

In the wake of Trumps lies, a brain drain of local election experience in Georgia was the headline on an exhaustive, even heartbreaking Boston Globe report in recent days.

A U.S. House report documented threats, including one to a Texas election official saying he should be killed and his lifeless body [hung] in public until maggots drip out of his mouth.

What makes the exodus of long-time election workers worse is that theyre too often getting replaced with Trumpist election deniers. In Michigan, Politico reported this month, a Republican county clerk hired Genevieve Peters, a Michigan native whose LinkedIn page said she once worked as a Los Angeles election supervisor on contract. More recently, however, she was filmed cheering on insurrectionists at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and afterward she filmed herself saying that that mayhem was only the beginning.

This is no accident. Its the real replacement theory, the one that everyone should worry about.

Heads up, America  thats what the co-founder of a nonpartisan fair-elections group, States United Democracy Center, warned when I interviewed her late last year on the right's burgeoning efforts to replace nonpartisan staffers in election offices with Trump zealots. Were taking over all the elections, Trump henchman Stephen K. Bannon said in describing that precinct strategy.

The former president is the efforts recruiter in chief. Here's a statement released in February: If members of our Great movement start getting involved (that means YOU becoming a precinct committeeman for your voting precinct), we can take back our great Country from the ground up.

Politico obtained recordings in which Republican Party state officials and other Trump allies discussed creating an army of partisan poll workers with hotlines to friendly local lawyers and district attorneys, to challenge voters in Democratic-leaning precincts.

Meanwhile, nonpartisan administrators and volunteers in election offices struggle on, taking extra steps  holding seminars and giving tours, for example  to try to reassure voters, especially those who believe the Big Lie, that in fact the systems in place are fair and square.

"What's happening now is based off of two things, Matt Crane, a self-described conservative Republican who heads the Colorado County Clerks Assn., told Congress at a hearing on increased threats to election workers. It's based on a lie [that the 2020 presidential election was stolen]. And it is based on a lack of leadership, unfortunately from my party. Elected Republicans wont speak out, he said, for fear of "political retribution.

It cant be said often enough: This is not normal. Its the stuff of faux-democratic authoritarian states that weve read about and tut-tutted all our adult lives. Places where strongmen seek to take over the levers of democracy, with the help of their misguided ground troops.

Id call it un-American, yet its happening here.

@jackiekcalmes

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the Valdai International Discussion Club outside Moscow on Thursday. (Sergei Karpukhin / Associated Press)

In a newly released defense strategy plan, the Biden administration says that China remains the most dangerous security threat to the U.S., but that for the first time Washington faces two possible nuclear conflicts  with that country and Russia. The review, released Thursday, is to guide the future size and shape of the U.S. armed forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly raised the specter of using nuclear weapons to attack Ukraine, the neighboring country his forces invaded eight months ago.

While those threats have alarmed governments around the world, U.S. defense officials say they have not seen signs that Putin is about to deploy a nuclear device. But the threat is being taken seriously at a time when global tensions are at a boiling point, senior Pentagon officials said Thursday.

Russias invasion of Ukraine is a stark reminder of nuclear risk in contemporary conflict, and Chinas nuclear modernization and its rapid expansion presents us with new risks and uncertainties, a senior Defense Department official said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and other Pentagon officials spoke to reporters upon the release of the new documents that form the backbone of U.S. military policy: the National Defense Strategy, the Nuclear Posture Review and the Missile Defense Review.

China remains the most formidable adversary because it is powerful enough to systematically challenge the U.S. on military, economic, technological and diplomatic fronts, the assessments conclude. Russia, though described as a nation in decline, has intensified the risks it poses by building up its nuclear program and reportedly receiving weapons from Iran.

For the first time, well have to deter two major nuclear arm competitors, both China and Russia, the Defense official said, speaking anonymously because the media briefing was in advance of the formal release of the reports. This presents new dilemmas for both strategic deterrence and for regional warfighting.

While the officials did not provide many details on what beefed-up deterrence would look like, it is expected to include the forward placement of more U.S. troops in eastern NATO countries, enhanced cyber security measures, development of a hypersonics program and modernization of the aging U.S. fleet of long-range bomber aircraft and missile-launching ground and submarine systems.

It cannot be a solution where if China has 1,000 and Russia has 1,000, then we need 2,000, the official said. Because that is an arms race that nobody should want to be in.

The review also formally canceled the sea-launched cruise missile program, deeming it no longer necessary.

In the strategy documents, the U.S. labels China as the pacing threat, citing its coercive and increasingly aggressive endeavor to refashion the Indo-Pacific region and the international system to suit its interests and authoritarian preferences. This includes belligerent actions and territorial claims in the South China Sea and threats to seize the self-governing island of Taiwan.

China is also an ally of another menacing nuclear-armed state, North Korea, which has launched numerous ballistic missile tests in recent months.

Yet it was Putin who continued to rattle nerves  or at least a saber  on Thursday. In a 3-hour speech and question-and-answer session, he evinced confidence over the war in Ukraine and the need to defeat the West.

The historical period of the Wests undivided dominance over world affairs is coming to an end, he said, according to news reports. We are standing at a historical frontier: Ahead is probably the most dangerous, unpredictable and ... important decade since the end of World War II.

Putin has also insisted, without evidence, that Ukraine is preparing to launch a dirty bomb that would spread radioactive material across its territory, and to blame Russia for the attack. Western leaders warn it is more likely that Russia would use a dirty bomb in a such a false flag operation.

Speaking at a news conference at the Pentagon, Austin said he hoped that open channels of communication would help avoid escalation, but warned that if Russia uses any nuclear weapon  including a slightly less destructive tactical nuclear weapon  it would face a very significant response from the rest of the world.

Were going to continue to communicate that any type of use of a weapon of that sort, or even the talk of the use of a weapon of that sort, is dangerous and irresponsible, Austin said.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Protestors disrupt the Los Angeles City Council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday. Councilmember Kevin de Leon, who was caught on tape participating in a racist conversation, has defied widespread calls to resign. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

For what seemed like the 100th time in about 20 minutes, Kevin de Leon was speechless, his jaw slack, his eyes as wide and blank as a deer caught in headlights.

Tavis Smiley, the host and founder of KBLA Talk 1580 AM, had just asked the embattled Los Angeles City Council member the only question that matters: How did De Leon possibly think he could continue to serve in elected office?

How, when so many Angelenos now see the former activist as a "hypocrite" for participating in a racist, secretly recorded conversation with two other Latino council members and a labor leader? On Thursday, five of his own Eastside constituents filed paperwork to recall him.

"Because," De Leon said finally and unconvincingly, "I know what's in my heart. I know what my values are. I know what my principles are."

"Is Kevin de Leon being truthful with regards to his apology?" he continued, referring to himself in the third person, as politicians with egos the size of entire continents tend to do. "Is he being truthful with regards to his tone? ... I know what my moral compass is."

Welcome to the Kevin de Leon Apology Tour.

It's short on substance and sincerity. Not to mention self-awareness. But long on martyrdom, delusions of grandeur and self-serving spin, spoken in breathy tones fit for the funeral that is De Leon's political career.

It's quite the show, though. And for taxpayers still paying his $229,000 annual salary, quite the price of admission.

It all kicked off last week with back-to-back television interviews, featuring a somber and serious De Leon declaring that he would not resign. Despite widespread calls for him to do just that, including from the president of the United States, he insisted that the residents of the 14th Council District, which includes downtown, Boyle Heights and Eagle Rock, deserve representation.

Protesters march from Kevin de Leon's field office to his house in Eagle Rock on Monday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Besides, De Leon added, he wants to help the city "heal" from the pain he caused by scheming with fellow Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Nury Martinez, as well as Ron Herrera of the L.A. County Federation of Labor, about how to dilute the political power of Black Angelenos.

Im so sorry. I am extremely sorry, and that is why I apologize to all my people, to my entire community, for the damage caused by the painful words that were carried out that day last year, De Leon told Noticiero Univision anchor Leon Krauze.

How noble.

As a Black Angeleno, I'm still not sure if I am included in "my people" and "my entire community," or if he just means Latinos. It's no wonder his Apology Tour has been such a flop.

De Leon either doesn't understand this or doesn't accept it yet, but what he's really on is a Farewell Tour. Interview after interview, he is talking himself into total irrelevancy.

His clumsy mea culpas certainly made it easier for the L.A. City Council to take the exceedingly rare and severe step of censuring De Leon, along with Cedillo and Martinez, the latter of whom wisely resigned shortly after the secretly recorded conversation she led was leaked online.





"Mr. De Leon, in particular, continues to go on a revisionist history tour in the public and continues to make a mockery of this council, and a mockery of the entire city for his own personal benefit," Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson said shortly before the vote on Wednesday.

By censuring the council members, he added, it sends the message that "these comments are unacceptable to us and that we disassociate ourselves from them as a body.

It's the same message that protesters tried to send to De Leon earlier this week, when they gathered to march through the streets of Eagle Rock and took over the normally quiet block near his home.

Neighbors walked into their frontyards and peeped out of their windows, nodding along with the chants of fuera as TV cameras rolled. Others put their fists in the air as they drove by.

"We are strong, we are dignified people. And we will not be divided," Alberto Retana, president and chief executive of Community Coalition, shouted to the crowd. "Kevin de Leon thinks he can wait us out!"

Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles has erected a small encampment along a sidewalk within sight of the council member's driveway, and the activists sleeping and eating there have vowed not to leave until he resigns.

But despite the five constituents who filed the initial paperwork in hopes of triggering a recall election, De Leon remains defiant.

"Yet another recall that distorts his record will not distract the councilmember or his office from continuing to serve the people of Council District 14, his spokesperson, Pete Brown, said in a statement.

And De Leon's Apology Tour continues.

Hundreds gather in the street near L.A. City Councilmember Kevin de Leon's home in Eagle Rock to demand his resignation. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Speaking to Smiley this week, live on the radio and streaming on video, he sounded and looked almost bewildered. Like a man trying to reconcile and explain his personal contradictions at the same time.

De Leon has often shared his  until now  inspiring life story.

How he was raised by a single mother who emigrated from Guatemala. How his family lived in poverty and in a basement. How his mother cleaned houses.

How he became an immigrant rights activist and, in 1994, helped organize a huge protest in downtown Los Angeles to push back on Proposition 187, designed to deny government services to immigrants without legal status.

How he became a labor organizer, a member of the state Assembly and, eventually, leader of the state Senate  the first time in more than a century that a Latino had led the upper chamber.

He told me this story when we met when I was an opinion writer in Sacramento and he was pushing an array of progressive priorities, including legislation to increase California's use of renewable energy.

And he told me his story again when he was making his long-shot bid for the U.S. Senate against Dianne Feinstein. And again when he was running for mayor of Los Angeles.

How did he go from that person to this person?

De Leon has always struck me as ambitious, determined, overconfident and stubborn  all necessary and, in controlled doses, appropriate personality traits for anyone successful who had to start from the bottom. And now hes here.

But unfortunately, by here I mean hunkered down in KBLA's studio in Leimert Park with protesters outside demanding that he resign. And on the air, meekly explaining that he didn't make a Black media outlet the first  or even the third  stop on his Apology Tour "because of my embarrassment, because my sense of shame."

"I know what was said," De Leon told Smiley. "Tone and tenor in the tape. And I know what the outcomes were. And I know what my history is. What my history is with regards to the shared struggles that I have been part of in moving, you know, policies on restorative justice, on moving issues to create more parks and open space in Black and brown communities."

He pointed to a recently awarded $46-million grant for skid row, the "poorest Black community" in L.A.

"Obviously, you know, the announcement gets drowned out by anything else given, you know, what is happening today. But those are real, genuine, by any objective measurement, driven by my sense of struggle, my sense of fighting for those who have had little or no voice."

Too bad Los Angeles no longer believes in you. The show is over. Now say goodbye.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Welcome to Yahoo News' Politics Briefing: Midterms Edition. Every week between now and Election Day, Yahoo News' team of political journalists will pull together everything you need to know about the November midterm elections. And it will all be in one place: your inbox.

Sign up to receive free updates from Yahoo News reporters as they keep track of the biggest races all over the country.

THE BIG IDEA: Dems meddled in GOP primaries. Was it worth it?

President Joe Biden speaks at Delaware State University on Oct. 21, 2022, in Dover, Del. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Democrats took the unusual (but not unprecedented) step of meddling in a number of Republican primaries this year. The idea was to encourage GOP primary voters to pick far-right candidates whom Democrats could ultimately clobber in November.

The effort was controversial from the start. The Republican candidates the Democrats were spending money to promote were mostly conspiracy theorists who deny the legitimacy of the 2020 election. So while Democrats were portraying their party as the last bulwark of American democracy, they were elevating and rooting for adherents of former President Donald Trumps big lie against more moderate GOP candidates.

The Democratic meddling follows a familiar playbook. The party will usually pay for ads emphasizing a right-wing candidates conservative bona fides and closeness to Trump. The ads are outwardly critical of the candidate, but the subtext is always clear: This is the true conservative in the race, and the person real Republicans should vote for in the primary.

In August, the New York Times editorial board called this strategy a cynical low for the Democratic Party. But ethics and morality aside, was it a smart idea for Democrats to boost fringe GOP candidates in the past few months?

In Illinois, according to a Washington Post analysis, Democrats spent a whopping $34.5 million to boost state Sen. Darren Bailey in his gubernatorial primary battle against a more moderate Republican mayor. That effort appears to have worked as Democrats intended, with the incumbent, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat and a billionaire who could spend heavily on the race, routinely leading Bailey by double digits in public polling.

Similar (albeit less expensive) gubernatorial gambits elsewhere appear also to have panned out, with Democrat-backed MAGA Republicans like Pennsylvanias Doug Mastriano and Marylands Dan Cox faltering in their respective contests. Cox has been disowned by the outgoing Maryland Republican, Gov. Larry Hogan, who has called his would-be replacement a QAnon whack job. Democrats spent nearly $3 million combined backing Cox and Mastriano in their primaries.

Democrats also helped two Republican House candidates who won their primaries but are now struggling.

In Michigans Third Congressional District, a former Trump aide, John Gibbs, triumphed over freshman GOP Rep. Peter Meijer, one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump last year. Gibbs, though raising little money on his own, won the primary with Trumps endorsement  and $425,000 in Democratic spending. The Cook Political Report currently rates the Third Congressional District race as Lean Democratic.

And in New Hampshires Second Congressional District, Democrats spent $100,000 in a successful effort to boost a right-wing candidate Robert Burns, who is now facing off against Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster. The Cook Political Report currently rates that race as Lean Democratic as well.

In New Hampshires Senate race, Democrats spent more than $3 million to elevate Don Bolduc, a MAGA-aligned former Army colonel who defeated a more moderate Republican. That also gets the Lean Democratic label from Cook, although a new Emerson College poll shows Bolduc moving up in his race against incumbent Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan.

Things are a bit trickier for Arizona Democrats. While they didnt buy airtime to boost Kari Lake, the hard-right former newscaster who is now the GOPs candidate for governor, the state Democratic Party did give her a helping hand.

Lake was struggling some in her primary bid this summer when Arizona Democrats decided to publicly thank her more moderate GOP opponent, Karrin Taylor Robson, for donating to Democrats over the years. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., likewise tweetednumerous times about Taylor Robsons past support for his campaigns.

Lake, who continues to baselessly insist that 2020 election was rigged,

went on to win her primary by about five points. And she increasingly looks like the favorite to become Arizonas next governor over Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, which has Democrats worried that Lake will try to rig the 2024 presidential election in Arizona for the Republican nominee.

POLLS, POLLS, POLLS

Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor and Democratic candidate for US Senator John Fetterman speaks to supporters at a "Get Out the Vote" rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 26, 2022. (Branden Eastwood/AFP via Getty Images)

Some of the most important Senate races in the country remain effectively tied as we head into the final days of the campaign season. Broadly speaking, this is good news for Republicans, who have seen their odds of taking the Senate increase as of late.

In Ohio, Republican J.D. Vance has eked out a small lead over Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan. In Georgia, Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is likewise barely ahead of his Republican rival, Herschel Walker, although the most recent polls give Warnock a small edge. And in Pennsylvania, the Republican candidate, Dr. Mehmet Oz, remains within striking distance of Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.

Meanwhile, things appear to be looking up for GOP Senate candidates out West. Nevada Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is locked in an uncomfortably close race with her Republican opponent, former Attorney General Adam Laxalt. In Arizona, the Republican Blake Masters  whom the national GOP seemed content to leave for dead just a few weeks ago  may have some momentum in his race to defeat Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly.

SLEEPER RACE ALERT

US House of Representatives candidate Sarah Palin speaks on stage during a "Save America" rally before former US President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska on July 9, 2022. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

Democrats may not keep the House next month, but it does look as if they could hold onto Alaskas sole congressional seat. In August, Democrat Mary Peltola won the special election to replace the late Republican Rep. Don Young, who had represented Alaska in the House for decades until he died earlier this year at age 88.

Although its famously tricky to poll United States largest and most sparsely populated state, Peltola does seem to have the edge, despite Alaskas lean to Republicans. A Yupik and the first Alaska Native in Congress, Peltola has been embraced by a number of prominent Republicans in the state, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski and several aides to Young.

Alaskas way of doing elections is unique and a bit complicated (if you want to know more, our Jon Wardhas written all about it). But in any event, Peltola benefits from having not one, but two Republican challengers: former Gov. Sarah Palin and Nick Begich III, the grandson of former Democratic Rep. Nick Begich.

Palin, obviously, is a national figure, and shes mounting a comeback run with Trumps endorsement. But its Begich who has attracted most of the drama as of late. Last week, he launched an attack ad saying that if Peltola wins, Alaskans will face the shock and awe of inflation plus taxation. To drive the point home, the ad features footage of a World War II-era military plane on a bombing run. (The ad was mocked by Youngs former communications director, who noted how similar it was to a Young ad from 2008.)

Youngs former communications director, Zack Brown, quickly noted that Begichs commercial was very similar to a Young ad from 2008. Many former Young staffers have reportedly soured on Begich, who worked for Young before announcing that he would run against the congressman. Young died before that could happen, but Brown, for example, has accused Begich of joining Youngs team just to spy on him.

Begichs recent attack on Peltola was the exception to what has been, in some ways, a remarkably civil contest. "I love her dearly, Palin, a politician not known for complimenting Democrats, said of Peltola last week at an Alaskan Federation of Natives candidate forum. I'm as proud of her as all of you are."

Doggone it, I never have anything left to gripe about her, Palin continued. I just wish shed convert on over to the other party.

IF YOU READ ONE THING

Kari Lake, Republican candidate for Arizona governor, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas on Aug. 5, 2022. (LM Otero/AP)

Yahoo News Andrew Romano looks at the appeal of Kari Lake, the ultra-MAGA Republican whos leading the polls to become Arizonas next governor.

Shes a local celebrity, one Arizona pollster and consultant told Romano. Shes great with an audience. Shes great on camera. Shes a more polished version of Trump. And because of all that, she's put herself in a position where shes tied this thing up.

Read the full story here.

AD OF THE WEEK

Tina Kotek in her recent campaign ad. (Tinafororegon via YouTube)

Tina Kotek, the Democratic candidate for governor of Oregon, has a new ad out criticizing outgoing Democratic Gov. Kate Brown. Kotek is currently running neck and neck with Christine Drazan, the Republican nominee for governor, in what is typically a Democratic stronghold.

Nobody in Oregon would say, Let's keep doing exactly what we've been doing, Kotek says in the ad. Certainly not me. I called for a homelessness state of emergency nearly three years ago while Kate Brown did nothing and Christine Drazan killed efforts to make our streets safer.  We certainly don't need a red state takeover to clean up the damn trash.
In 2004, the presidential race between George W. Bush and John Kerry was going to be close. Ohio was a swing state with 20 electoral votes that Bush needed. So, Karl Rove, Bushs campaign advisor, had the Ohio legislature put the Definition of Marriage Amendment on the November ballot in order to drive more Republicans to the polls. The amendment mandated that only a marriage between one man and one woman was valid and it passed by almost 62%. Of course, in 2015 the amendment was overruled by the U.S. Supreme Court, but the real goal had been achieved: Bush won the presidency because of Ohio.

Does that sound rather familiar? Like our Novembers Kentuckys Constitutional Amendment 2? Are you in favor of amending the Constitution of Kentucky by creating a new Section of the Constitution to be numbered Section 26A to state as follows: To protect human life, nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion?

25 words.

The Kentucky strategy for getting Amendment 2 passed is to have another amendment on the ballot, Amendment 1 with 743 words. The tactic is that the Amendment 1 is so long and convoluted that people are just going gloss over it and vote no, while Amendment 2 with its simple text will have people voting yes.

Amendments like these have nothing to do with rights but are red herrings to drive their voters to the polls. The Republican legislators dont care if women get abortions or have health care or die from being pregnant  they just want more Republicans elected to office.

Topics like abortions, CRT, charter schools, Second Amendment for gun rights, protect the unborn, fight the nasty liberal agenda and get rid of Biden/Pelosi, all are concocted to get you to vote for a certain way.

This fear mongering has the world being a mess all because of a certain political rival who is going to take away your guns, murder unborn children, teach woke-ism and turn your children into homosexuals. Elect me and I will save you from Biden, the counterculture and the liberal left extreme.

The same ads run across the country, with just a different opponents name inserted. He/She is too extreme/too liberal for Kentucky (or insert your state here)!

While Republicans are shouting, Dont vote for my opponent because he is a communist, she is a socialist, their voters are cashing their social security, Medicare/Medicaid, stimulus and disaster relief checks.

Facts, common sense, reason, even actual genuine experts have become implausible to believe as people turn to the wacky internet for another and zany source.

Desperate candidates perpetuate racism, anti-Semitism, stereotypes and innuendos along with non-existent voter fraud and conspiracy theories.

Rights are indeed being taken away  not guns rights  but rights to vote along with common sense reproductive and LGBTQ rights.

Our elected officials are not interested in representing the people who vote for them but are only concerned about remaining in office.

Kentucky House representative Damon Thayer said on KET that 90% of his constituents want medical marijuana, but he will vote against because that is his belief. So even though he doesnt represent his constituents, they will continue to vote him into office. And no one is saying Huh?

All of this rhetoric is to keep you confused, frustrated and turn off from voting. But dont let them silence your voice.

Yes, this Novembers ballot has 37 sets of candidates on the front page and 21 sets plus two amendments on the back.

Yes, it is like an overwhelming buffet with lots of unknown dishes.

Here is the key  pick out at least one, or as many as you are comfortable with, and vote. That is it. You dont have to vote for every single slot. Vote for at least one person and that makes your ballot legal in Kentucky.

Want to know more about a candidate? Then go to their website and see who has endorsed him/her. Do you like those groups or not, then vote.

Your vote is your voice. Use it or lose it.

Mary Lou Marzian, BSN, is currently the Kentucky House representative for District 34. Honi Marleen Goldman is the developer of the former VoteNowKY project and a community activist.
International delegates have gathered this week to decide the fate of Antarcticas marine environment amid escalating fears that Russia could blow conservation efforts off course.

The 27 members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources  which includes both Russia and Ukraine  are meeting in Hobart, the capital of Australias Tasmanian island state.

That commission, which regulates fisheries around Antarctica, will be deciding whether to protect three new marine zones from exploitation, Time magazine reported.

The proposed areas  a total of 1.4 million square miles  are located around the Antarctic Peninsula, in the Weddell Sea and along the continents eastern coast, according to Time.

Yet conservationists have expressed fears that Russia might use its veto-like powers to block any such progress from occurring, The Associated Press reported.

The 27-member commission, which also includes the U.S., the EU and China, have always struggled to reach consensus, according to the outlet.

With Moscow and Kyiv at war, coming to agreement has become even more difficult  particularly after a Russian bomb hit Ukraines Antarctic research center earlier this month, the AP reported.

Yet warring nations have previously been able to set aside conflict on behalf of the South Pole. At the height of the Cold War in 1959, nations agreed to the Antarctic Treaty, which eliminated mining, harvesting and hunting on the continent, according to Time.

Monica Medina, a State Department assistant secretary attending the Hobart summit, described Antarctica as a really fragile, crumbling part of the planet, in an interview with the AP.

The continent, she continued, requires all our help to withstand the challenges we face with climate change.





Welcome to Equilibrium, a newsletter that tracks the growing global battle over the future of sustainability. Were Saul Elbein and Sharon Udasin.

Today well start with a nationwide effort to electrify school buses, followed by a look at a U.S.-brokered deal that will facilitate gas extraction in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Plus: Why the Treasury Department might call upon states to ramp up protections for homeowners.

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Hundreds of school districts to get electric buses

The headache-inducing reek of diesel will no longer bombard bus-bound schoolchildren in hundreds of districts across the country, thanks to new federal grants.

Thousands of buses: The Biden administration released about $1 billion on Wednesday night to purchase 2,500 clean buses for 400 districts, according to the White House.

The disbursement comes from last years bipartisan infrastructure bill law. This is the first 20 percent of what will be $5 billion to be doled out over five years.



About 95 percent of the new buses will be electric, per the White House.

Unhealthy fumes: The low prevalence of electric buses is concerning to parents, policymakers and public health care workers because of what most children ride instead: diesel-powered buses.

Diesel buses currently transport more than 20 million American children to school every  despite the known health impacts of diesel fumes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

These impacts are worse for children, who breathe more rapidly than adults, and whose lungs arent yet fully developed  both factors that create more opportunity for lung damage, per the EPA.



Diesel emissions from buses are linked to higher rates of asthma and lower test scores, according to a 2019 study in Economics of Education Review.

A small step on a vast project: While a significant investment, the funding pales against the scale of both need and demand.

The EPA, which oversees the program, chose the 389 winning districts from a pool of 2,000 applications, requesting 12,000 buses at a cost of $4 billion  money this years program simply does not have.

The new vehicles will add about 20 percent on top of the existing national fleet of 12,000 electric school buses, according to the World Resources Institute.



The new funds will approximately double the amount of districts who have electric buses, data from the Institute stated.

Even with those additions, only about 3 percent of the current national bus fleet will be electric, and fewer than 5 percent of all national districts will have buses.

Trailblazing in Colorado: With demand outstripping federal funds, districts are turning to other options to raise the money for electric buses.

For example, one public charter school in Colorado just became the states first to boast an all-electric fleet, according to Denver-based Nexstar affiliate KDVR.



In addition to federal and state grants and local property taxes, the school requested a $2 per day donation from parents to cover the cost of the four new buses.





Israel, Lebanon finalize US-brokered gas deal

President Biden praised Israel and Lebanon on Thursday for finalizing a U.S.-brokered maritime deal that will facilitate the extraction of eastern Mediterranean gas, our colleague Laura Kelly reported for The Hill.

Biden called the deal historic, as it settles Israeli and Lebanese claims to offshore natural gas reserves and sets the stage for a more stable and prosperous region.

Together but separate: Israeli and Lebanese leaders took part in a signing ceremony in the Lebanese city of Naqoura, at the headquarters of a United Nations peacekeeping mission, Kelly reported.

The signing was overseen by Amos Hochstein, Bidens special envoy for energy security.

Hochstein had traveled earlier to Beirut as Lebanese President Michel Aoun  whose country does not recognize Israels right to exist  signed the deal.



The U.S. envoy then went to Jerusalem to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who had signed the agreement earlier in the day.

Whats in the deal? This maritime agreement is nearly a decade in the making and draws a boundary in the territorial waters between Israel and Lebanon, Kelly reported.

The deal gives Israel claim to the Karish gas field and Lebanon claim to the Qana field.



Israel will receive a percentage of the profits from Qana, as part of that field falls within Israels waters.

Not an everyday event: This is a diplomatic achievement, Lapid said in Thursday remarks at a special cabinet meeting.

It is not every day that an enemy country recognizes the State of Israel, in a written agreement, in view of the international community, the prime minister added.

Still at war: Supporters of the agreement describe it as a monumental shift for Lebanon that provides de factor recognition of Israel as a sovereign state, Kelly reported.

The two sides are technically at war, although Israel views the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah  which controls Lebanons southern border  as a greater threat.

Cracking open a window: But Lebanese officials likewise hailed the deals outcome following the presidents separate signing of the document.

We have heard about the Abraham Accords. Today there is a new era. It could be the Amos Hochstein accord, said top Lebanese negotiator Elias Bou Saab, according to Reuters.



The Abraham Accords were agreements facilitated by the U.S., which normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in 2020.

Proceeding with caution: Yet while officials from the U.S., Lebanon and Israel all touted the historic nature of the agreement, Reuters stressed that the chance of a broader diplomatic breakthrough is minimal.

Aoun later described the deal as purely technical, stressing that it would have no political dimensions or impacts that contradict Lebanons foreign policy, translated from Arabic by Reuters.





ECONOMIC WIN ON BOTH SIDES OF BORDER

Israels Lapid, who is up for reelection in less than a week, discussed multiple benefits of the agreement in his Thursday remarks  describing the deal as an economic achievement.

Yesterday, gas production began from the Karish Platform, Lapid said, noting that Israel will also receive 17 percent of profits from Lebanons Qana field.



This money will go into Israels economy and will be used for health and welfare, education and security, he added.

Pumping has begun: British company Energean began pumping gas from the Karish reservoir on Wednesday after Israel gave the company the go-ahead, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The field is now that countrys third operational offshore gas rig, according to the Journal.

And in Lebanon? The agreement will allow Lebanon, through French energy company TotalEnergies, to develop the Qana field and extract any gas that might be there, The Jerusalem Post reported.

While Hezbollah had threatened to attack Karish in recent months, the Iran-back group stood down after the deal was signed, according to the Post.

Awkward for Hezbollah: Opposition to Israel may be central to Hezbollahs identity, but the group has refrained from criticizing the deal since it was proposed earlier this month, The Washington Post reported.

Financial distress in Lebanon made it clear to the group the only pathway to get out of the economic collapse is our gas fields, a spokesman for Hezbollah told the Post.





Insulating states from climate risk

The Department of Treasury could call on states to do more to protect homeowners who are vulnerable to climate risk, legal experts told Bloomberg Law on Thursday.

Millions of homeowners nationwide lack sufficient insurance coverage to weather the coming risk from extreme weather.



To identify the highest risk areas, the Treasurys Federal Insurance Office recently proposed a comprehensive audit of the past five years of payouts from large insurers, as we reported.

In need of a referee: Rising climate risk is creating continual tension between insurers and the insured, insurance lawyer Ben Fliegel told Bloomberg.

Insurers dont want to carry the risks of the economy all on their backs. And policyholders dont want to fight with carriers for coverage all the time, Fliegel said.

Possible options: Based on what the Treasury finds, the Federal Insurance Office could call on states to forbid insurers from cutting off homeowners, according to Bloomberg.

They could also set up their own insurance companies, as California has to deal with the threat from earthquakes.



The nonprofit California Earthquake Authority currently has 1 million policyholders.

A wave of dropped policies: Facing large-scale wildfires, California insurers began in 2019 to stop renewing policies for the states highest-risk homeowners according to Insurance Journal.

In ZIP codes with moderate-to-very-high fire risk, non-renewals reached 61 percent the following year.



In a similar development, Florida homeowners could see rates rise 40 percent as insurance companies leave the state, according to analysis from Orlando-based station WKMG.

More insurance companies have gone insolvent in the past five years than in any other period, per Bloomberg.





Thursday Threats

Kerry calls for emitters to mitigate climate threats to Africa, a global oil watchdog notes the upside of high fuel prices and saltwater flows up the Mississippi into southern Louisiana.

Kerry: major emitters must address climate impacts on Africa

U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry on Thursday stressed the need for major emitters to mitigate climate change, specifically citing the risk to African nations, our colleague Zack Budryk reported. Although 17 African nations are among the countries most affected by the climate crisis, Africa only generates 2.5-3 percent of global emissions, Kerry said.

Energy crisis speeds adoption of renewables

The energy crisis brought by the Russian invasion of Ukraine is slowing the growth of fossil fuels while catalyzing a faster transition to renewables, according to our colleague Julia Mueller. Governments around the world are responding to the crisis by doubling down on clean energy  in the US, EU, Japan, China, India & elsewhere, International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol tweeted on Thursday.



Gulf waters advance up dwindling Mississippi River

Drought in the Midwest has cut the volume of the Mississippi River so much that salty water from the Gulf of Mexico is pushing upstream, NPR reported. The saltwater intrusion is forcing parishes in southern Louisiana to build underwater levees and invest in desalination  the removal of salt to create potable water, according to NPR.





Please visit The Hills Sustainability section online for the web version of this newsletter and more stories. Well see you tomorrow.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
This weeks Sick and Shut Down list isnt long but it does include list regular Dunkin Donuts and a Miami Beach place with a dry storage area out of that creepy dream scene in The Craft.

So, lets get started.

What follows comes from Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation restaurant inspections in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties. A restaurant that fails inspection remains closed until passing an inspection.

If you see a problem and want a place inspected, contact the DBPR. We dont do the inspections, control who gets inspected nor how strictly the inspector inspects.

We dont include all violations, just the most moving, whether internally or literally moving (because its alive or once was alive). Some violations get corrected immediately after the inspector points them out. But in those situations, ask yourself, why did the violations exist in the first place? And, how long would they have remained if not for the inspection?

We report without passion or prejudice, but with a side dish of humor.

In alphabetical order...

Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins, 14305 Miramar Pkwy., Miramar: Complaint inspection, four total violations, one High Priority violation.

The inspector seemed extremely bothered by three dead flies by the front counter floor at the end of the ice cream area.

Clean utensils or equipment stored in a dirty drawer or rack. Baking trays stored on dirty surface. That just wont do.

Plenty of food that needed to be at 41 degrees or under before it started to grow things that make you go HUUUL wasnt close, but didnt get tossed. Instead, getting moved to the walk-in freezer for a quick chill were milk, butter, American cheese, hash browns, cream cheese, fried eggs, turkey burgers, sliced yellow and white cheeses.

This kindergartners dream (donuts and ice cream) passed re-inspection the next day.

Taquiza, 7450 Ocean Terr., Miami Beach: Routine inspection, 21 total violations, four High Priority violations.

We open with this inspectors interesting pairing of observations, putting live roach crawling on a prep table located in the back prep area with Also, a can opener was soiled and rusted.

As for the other living roaches, five crawled on the floor behind the reach-in cooler, more than 10 were running around the dry food storage area and 50-plus were on the floor and prep table in the back, side prepping area.

They left an accumulation of roach droppings around the water heater, next to the ice machine.

The water was running. You could tell by the way it was standing, as in floor area(s) covered with standing water...accumulation of water on the floor.

Also, there was an accumulation of food debris on walk-in cooler shelves.

Ah, the ice machine! But, this wasnt the normal violation regular Sick and Shut Down List readers have come to expect out of at least one place each week. Here, the ice scoop sat directly on the top of the ice machine and the surface was not clean and sanitized.

Observed dry storage area very disorganized and with vermin infestation. What kind of infestation? Observed onion bags inside contaminated area with roach infestation.

To once again paraphrase Redd Foxx, You got to clean yo traps!

Over 12 roaches were in a trap under the aforementioned prep table while their friend above crawled on their graves. Another 20 were in a trap inside the dry food storage area. Were not going in that dry storage area without a pistol with all those roaches and a rodent animal on a sticky trap underneath shelving in that area.

Thats also where there were more than 10 pieces of rodent regularity while another five or more were around the air conditioning unit.

Theres no online notation that Taquiza has passed a re-inspection.

Way Beyond Bagels, 16850 Jog Rd., Delray Beach: Complaint inspection, three total violations, two High Priority violations.

Way Beyond passed a routine inspection on Oct. 18  although the inspector did note tuna salad was uncovered and sitting near a sink, exposed to splash  but a complaint brought the inspector back on Oct. 21.

Stop Sales rained on cookies, cinnamon rolls and bagels like the swarm of flies counted by the inspector.

Approximately 10 live flies inside the desert case at front counter landing on cookies and cinnamon rolls. Approximately 10 live flies landing on bagels at front counter. Approximately five live flies on the menu board over the bagels.

Another 10 flies chilled on dry storage shelving in a prep kitchen.

Way Beyond was back in business after Oct. 22 re-inspection.
Gov. Kathy Hochuls (D) lead over Republican Lee Zeldin is narrowing in the New York gubernatorial race with less than two weeks to go from the November midterms, according to a new Emerson College Polling-Pix11-The Hill survey.

The poll released on Friday found that the governor received 50 percent of support among very likely voters in the state, compared to Zeldin with 44 percent. A separate 4 percent said they were undecided.

The survey was conducted before the debate between Hochul and Zeldin held on Tuesday.

Among those who said they were undecided and were asked which candidate they were leaning toward, 51 percent said someone else, 33 percent said Hochul and 16 percent said Zeldin.

Hochuls lead has decreased since September when the same poll was conducted. While Hochul still maintained 50 percent support, Zeldin had only notched 35 percent last month.

Aiding Republicans is the fact that some of their preferred midterm issues are top of mind among voters. When respondents were asked which issue was the most important in determining their vote in November, economy ranked first at 33 percent, followed by threats to democracy at 15 percent and crime at 13 percent.

In September, Hochul was winning independent voters 47% to 35%. Over a month later, a 52% majority of independent voters now support Zeldin, and 41% support Hochul. Independent men break toward Zeldin 58% to 37%, and independent women are split: 46% support Zeldin and 45% Hochul, said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.

While New York is seen as a reliably blue state, Hochuls diminished lead is worrying Democrats who did not suspect they would have to play defense at the gubernatorial level and in certain House seats in the state, such as the 17th Congressional District where Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) is running.

Still, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report sees the gubernatorial race favoring Hochul, rating the seat as solid Democrat.

The Emerson College Polling-Pix11-The Hill survey polled 1,000 very likely voters between Oct. 20 and Oct. 24. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.02 percentage points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Portraying herself as an underdog who has crashed through a glass ceiling, Italys new right-wing prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, who heads the neo-fascist Brothers of Italy party, sought to calm critics in her first public address since taking office, decrying fascism, voicing support for the European Union and NATO, and vowing continued backing of Ukraine in its war with Russia.

I have never felt sympathy or closeness towards antidemocratic regimes ... including fascism, she said, adding that she considered Benito Mussolinis racial laws of 1938  which declared that Italians were Aryans while segregating and ultimately imprisoning Italian Jews, Ethiopians and Eritreans  to be the lowest point in Italian history, a shame that will mark our people forever.

But the ascension of Italys first hard-right leader since the end of World War II continues to have many in Europe on edge.

The jurys still out about her, Brussels-based Roland Freudenstein, vice president of independent think tank GLOBSEC, told Yahoo News. One strain of the argument [focuses on] the partys fascist past  the symbolism, the Roman salute that they still use in their speeches  and her appointments of questionable people. Some in Brussels, he said, regard her as a right-wing extremist, who we should not only watch out for, but confront.

French European Affairs Minister Laurence Boone underscored that concern, telling Italian newspaper La Repubblica that France will be keeping an eye on Melonis government. We want to work with Rome but we will monitor respect for rights and freedoms and pay close attention to respect of values and the rule of law.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne echoed his sentiments, saying her country would pay heed to human rights and the right to abortion in Italy.

Newly elected Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni rings the Cabinet minister bell during her first Cabinet meeting in Rome, Oct. 23. (Andrew Medichini/AP)

Theres a lot of concern, especially outside Italy, Arturo Varvelli, director of the Rome office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, told Yahoo News. Hes been besieged with calls from political analysts across Europe asking, Wow, so now you have a new fascist government?  an assessment he disputes. Meloni is not a fascist, he added.

While Meloni, the 45-year-old single mother from working-class origins, ran on a God, Homeland, Family platform, has vowed to clamp down on African migrants and has taken aim at gay rights, Varvelli believes she is far less worrisome than two other Italian politicians, Matteo Salvini of La Lega and Silvio Berlusconi of Forza Italia, in the conservative ruling coalition she led into power in a right-wing alliance that won 44% of the vote in Septembers election. Some critics of the two men, however, say their inclusion in Melonis government casts further doubt about her, especially regarding her stated support for Ukraine.

Last week was supposed to be dominated by Meloni and her governmental nominations, conservative commentator Benjamin Harnwell, host of Steve Bannons podcast WarRoom: Rome, told Yahoo News. In fact, the news cycle was totally hijacked by leaked recordings of Berlusconi.

In the recordings, taped during a party meeting, Berlosconi admits to rekindling his friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and blames Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for forcing Putin to launch his invasion of Ukraine. Berlusconi went on to personally attack Meloni, writing to party members that shes self-important, bossy, arrogant and ridiculous. Salvini, too, has expressed disagreement with Meloni, recently speaking out against continuing sanctions on Russia, which Meloni supports, saying they were bringing Europe and Italy to their knees.

The behavior and leaked statements of Berlusconi and Salvini, Rome-based left-wing political writer David Broder told Yahoo News are not only aimed at throwing her off, but are just as much about the two party leaders not wanting to appear only as her supporters, to their own bases. So they have to pull stunts in order to capture the limelight, Broder said.

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, center, after addressing Parliament ahead of a confidence vote for her Cabinet, Oct. 25. (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)

Theres a problem of personality between Berlusconi and Salvini on one side and Giorgia Meloni on the other, because shes a woman  and they cant tolerate [the coalition] being headed by a young woman, Varvelli told Yahoo News. He regards personal relations between Meloni and her two allies  as well as their positions on Russia  as the big problems of this government.

Although Meloni has underscored that shes an Atlanticist  allied with the U.S. and NATO  some in Russia apparently dont believe her.

Meloni's Atlanticist convictions should not be overestimated, Yelena Panina, a pro-Kremlin foreign policy analyst told Russian newspaper Izvestia. They could change at any time if the geopolitical situation changes. It is, Panina added, quite reasonable to assume that after some time and under certain circumstances she could become an adequate partner for Russia in Europe.

Melonis foreign policy isnt the only thing being scrutinized. She has previously called for using the Italian navy to block African refugees from heading to the country, but that has yet to solidify into an actual policy announcement. We must stop illegal departures and human trafficking, she said in her speech on Tuesday, and her newly appointed Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi is already taking provisional steps to block two NGO ships under distress carrying 326 rescued refugees from entering Italian territory, saying theyre not following proper procedures.

While Meloni rebuffed Salvinis entreaties to appoint him as minister of the interior  a post he controversially held in 2019 when he too famously sent back rescue boats filled with African refugees  last week she made him minister of infrastructure, a position that puts him in control of the ports. It does actually give him a certain influence over immigration policy, said Broder. And hes been very much exploiting that. Broder said Salvini is already posting photos of himself on social media standing with the head of the Italian coast guard and tweeting that the battle against illegal immigration is back.

Meloni flanked by Berlusconi (left) and Salvini (right). (Ettore Ferrari/ANSA/AFP via Getty Images)

Another appointment that Broder is following closely is that of Guido Crosetto, a former defense industry lobbyist who Meloni tapped as defense minister. Even though Crosetto gave up his lobbying position, Broder finds it problematic to have these kinds of revolving doors between the private and public sectors. He was even more troubled by Crosettos response to an article in the Italian paper Domani questioning his role. Corsetto threatened to sue everybody who accuses him of any potential conflict of interest, said Broder.

Melonis also being carefully watched regarding her policy initiatives on abortion, which has been legal in Italy since 1978. Its a thorny topic, Gianfranco Pasquino, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Bologna, told Yahoo News. She said that shes not going to change the existing law, which allows abortion up to 90 days. However, shes also said that she will try to provide advice to the women looking for an abortion. So she will try to limit and prevent abortions, but in legal ways. Abortions are already difficult to obtain in Italy since 80% of doctors are conscientious objectors who refuse to perform them, he added. So they make it very difficult for the woman to find the right hospital at the right time. Obviously, shes not going to do anything about that.

In her speech before the Parliament on Tuesday, Meloni announced that Italy needs an economic and cultural plan to rediscover the beauty of parenthood and put the family back at the center of society, adding that municipalities should provide free day care centers.

Meloni fears that, due to having one of the lowest birthrates in Europe, Italy faces the prospect of extinction, Broder said, adding that she has previously expressed wariness about same-sex parenting.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto greets Meloni during the swearing-in ceremony at the presidential palace in Rome, Oct. 22. (Italian Presidency/Handout via Reuters)

But ECFRs Varvelli doesnt expect that shell strip away existing LGBTQ rights. I dont think they want to start that kind of battle, he said, though he does expect pro-family incentives to try to boost the population.

While some analysts have predicted that due to friction within her coalition, Melonis government could crumble within months, Harnwell believes her top challenge will be keeping the alliance together and that shell definitely last longer than a head of lettuce  a reference to Liz Trusss short reign as prime minister of the U.K.

He does worry, however, that her support for sanctions on Russia, and her Atlanticist views, do leave her right flank wide open, since many conservatives question those positions. He believes that Silvio Berlusconi is maneuvering Forza Italia to swoop in from the populist right and is already preparing an exodus from the coalition that would cause the government to collapse.

Pasquino, however, believes that Meloni will keep the alliance intact and serve her entire five-year term. In all likelihood, he said, if the left does not reorganize itself, she could win again in the elections five years from now.

Do not underestimate Meloni, he added. Shes really ambitious and determined. And she wants to leave her mark on Italian history.
As Kansas City police closed the case on an early October double homicide in a Midtown apartment, the official word from authorities continued to leave more questions than answers about the murders of two international research scientists and the man accused of killing them, before dying himself alongside a Kansas City mother of five.

The Jackson County Prosecutors Office announced Thursday afternoon that KCPD investigators had identified 42-year-old Kevin Ray Moore  who died of a gunshot wound to the forehead two weeks ago  as the person responsible for the killings of Camila Behrensen, 24, of Buenos Aires and Pablo Guzman-Palma, 25, of Santiago, Chile, on Oct. 1.

Prosecutors say Moore was connected to the murders through an extensive KCPD investigation that included reviews of computer data, surveillance video, ballistics reports and DNA testing through the KCPD Crime Lab.

But the precise connection between Moore, who was found shot to death alongside 40-year-old mother Misty Brockman in a remote area on Oct. 16, and the two slain scientists  both of whom were with the Stowers Institute for Medical Research  remains a mystery.

Behrensen and Guzman-Palma were both pre-doctoral medical researchers, described by Stowers as brilliant, promising scientists. Behrensen had spent two years studying metabolic changes in fruit flies as part of her postdoctoral research. Palma was researching spinal cord regeneration.

The Stowers Institute said Moore had no ties to the graduate school or institute in a statement Thursday.

Also unclear is Moores connection to Brockman, whose friends say they have never heard of Moore and are puzzled as to how they wound up shot to death beside one another in the woods.

Brockman, a mother to five young sons, was described in a GoFundMe page as a lover, jokester, and loyal friend to the end. In a note added to the page Thursday, loved ones said they wanted her to be remembered for her laughter, love and loyalty! Not for the destruction this man left in the wake of his actions.

A fundraiser was launched for the family of Misty Brockman, who was found dead alongside murder suspect Kevin Ray Moore in Kansas Citys Northland in what police said was a murder-suicide.

In an email Thursday evening, Capt. Leslie Foreman, a police spokeswoman, said the deaths of Moore and Brockman remain under investigation and that case is still open. Both were found dead on Oct. 16 in a remote part of the Northland in what authorities suspect was a murder-suicide, and that falls under the jurisdiction of Clay County.

Meanwhile, court documents filed by homicide detectives seeking authority to search through property for evidence and obtain other records provide the most detailed view of the investigation thus far. 

Murder-suicide in Northland

Fifteen days after Kansas City homicide opened their investigation into Guzman-Palma and Behrensens killings, police officers were summoned to a reported medical nature unknown in the Northland on Oct. 16.

Officers were called around 2 p.m. to N.E. 48th Street and Randolph Road and flagged down by citizens near the intersection. They were then directed into the woods.

Arriving officers found Moore and Brockman, roughly 100 yards west of Randolph Road, dead of gunshot wounds at a white car with a Missouri license plate that had its engine running.

Moore was in the passenger seat. He was completely naked and had an apparent gunshot wound to the forehead, the investigating detective wrote in the court document seeking permission to search the wooded area for evidence. A pistol was in plain view on the floorboard, the detective wrote.

A video recorder was also found inside the vehicle, which was described as appear(ing) to have the capabilities for an infotainment center with possible GPS.

Just outside the passenger door was Brockman, also shot in the head, who was naked from the waist down.

According to Clay County Circuit Court records, detectives sought warrants to search the general wooded area and the vehicle. The car was determined to be Moores, court documents show.

Two wallets, clothes, a purse, cosmetics, bullet fragments, and four cell phones were among the items logged on the property inventory list. Photographs were taken and swabs for DNA were collected, along with latent fingerprint impressions.

Also collected were three shell casings and a loaded firearm.

Double murder of Stowers researchers

On Oct. 1, the Kansas City Fire Department was called in response to a reported structure fire at 4140 Oak St in Apt. #4. Firefighters extinguished the blaze on the second floor of the apartment and found Behrensen and Guzman-Palma inside.

Kansas City police officers, crime scene personnel and homicide detectives were called out to investigate. In a search warrant application for the residence filed that morning, detectives noted that both victims appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds.

Despite the damage, later confirmed to be caused by arson, investigators collected several items of physical evidence from inside, including clothes, a wallet, a pillowcase and smoke detectors. Swabs for DNA and fingerprint cards were also recorded on a property inventory list filed with the court. A spent projectile was also found.

Detectives also sought recordings and other digital evidence as they sought to identify the suspect. A public call was issued for neighbors to provide any surveillance footage they might have within a several-block radius of the murder scene.

Two other search warrants were publicly available in Jackson County court records as of Thursday.

One, filed under seal on Oct. 6, sought records from T-Mobile/Sprint related to a cell phone known to authorities as Guzman-Palmas. In an affidavit, a Jackson County assistant prosecutor and Kansas City police detective asked for call log history for the phone between Sept. 30 and Oct. 2 as well as its historical location data.

Another sought any digital audio recordings stored or maintained by Amazon, Inc. through an Alexa virtual assistant discovered during a search of the home as investigators believed the suspect likely spent a considerable amount of time in the apartment and there may have been verbal communication between the two victims and the suspect.
ST. LOUIS (AP)  The 19-year-old gunman who forced his way into a St. Louis school and killed two people purchased the AR-15-style rifle from a private seller after an FBI background check stopped him from buying a weapon from a licensed dealer, police said Thursday.

Orlando Harris tried to buy a firearm from a licensed dealer in nearby St. Charles, Missouri, on Oct. 8, St. Louis police said in a news release Thursday evening. An FBI background check successfully blocked this sale, police said, though they didn't say why the sale was blocked. A message seeking comment wasn't immediately returned.

Harris then bought the rifle used in the school shooting on Monday at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School from a private seller who had purchased it legally in 2020, police said.

Police noted in the release that Missouri does not have a red-flag law aimed at keeping firearms away from people who may be a danger to themselves or others. As a result, police "did not have clear authority to temporarily seize the rifle when they responded to the suspects home when called by the suspects mother on 10/15/22.

Police on Wednesday said Harris' mother called police on the evening of Oct. 15 after she found a gun and wanted it removed. The statement said someone known to the family was contacted and took possession of it.

Somehow, Harris got the gun back. How that happened is under investigation.

Police responded within minutes after being called Monday morning. Officers confronted and killed the gunman, who graduated from the school last year. He had around 600 rounds of ammunition with him.

Tenth-grader Alexzandria Bell and teacher Jean Kuczka were killed in the attack, and seven 15- and 16-year-olds were wounded. None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.

Police believe Harris had intended targets. They have not said if any of the victims were among them.

Harris mother was heartbroken by the shooting, Police Commissioner Michael Sack said. She and other relatives had long dealt with Harris mental health issues and even had him committed at times, Sack said at a news conference on Wednesday. They also monitored his mail and often checked his room to make sure he did not have a weapon.

In a note left behind, Harris lamented that he had no friends, no family, no girlfriend and a life of isolation. His note called it the perfect storm for a mass shooter.

Mental health is a difficult thing, Sack said. Its hard to tell when somebody is going to be violent and act out, or if theyre just struggling, theyre depressed, and they might self-harm.

Central Visual and Performing Arts shares a building with another magnet school, Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience, which also was evacuated as the shooting unfolded. Central has 383 students, Collegiate 336.

The building was locked Monday morning and an unarmed security guard saw Harris trying to get in. Sack has declined to say how Harris forced his way inside.

Officers, some of whom were off-duty, arrived four minutes after the 911 call. Amid the chaos of students, teachers and staff fleeing, officers asked some of them where the gunman was. Eight minutes after arriving, officers located Harris on the third floor, barricaded in a classroom. Police said that when Harris shot at officers, they shot back and broke through the door.

The St. Louis shooting was the first school shooting to involve multiple deaths since a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in May, according to a list of shootings compiled by Education Week.
The gunman who killed two people at a St. Louis high school earlier this week legally bought the rifle he used from a private seller after his earlier effort to purchase a firearm was blocked due to a background check, police said on Thursday.

Nineteen-year-old Orlando Harris shot and killed two people and injured four more at the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis, Mo., on Monday. Harris was also killed during an ensuing shoot-out with police.

Harris, who was armed with an AR-15 style rifle and more than 600 rounds of ammunition, initially attempted to buy a firearm from a licensed dealer but was blocked by an FBI background check, police said on Thursday.

The 19-year-old then sought out and bought a rifle from a private seller. St. Louis police said there is no existing law that prevents such a sale.

A little over a week before the shooting, Harriss mother called the police and asked them to confiscate a gun found in his room. However, police said they did not have clear authority to seize the rifle because Missouri does not have a red flag law. Red flag laws allow police or family members to petition courts to order the seizure of a persons firearms if they are deemed to be a threat to themselves or others.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
All Quiet on the Western Front, directed by Edward Berger, is hardly the first movie to argue  quite persuasively  that war is hell. It is, however, the first filmed adaptation of Erich Maria Remarques seminal World War I novel in which the Germans actually speak German. The books prior screen incarnations  Lewis Milestones Oscar-winning 1930 film, Delbert Manns 1979 telefilm  featured platoons of English-speaking actors cast as men with names like Kropp, Muller and Tjaden, a choice that made for some cognitive dissonance but scarcely mitigated their dramatic power or purpose. And that purpose  to de-glorify the horrors of trench warfare, mock the foolish vanity of nationalism and condemn the futility and cruelty of mass death  is one that should transcend barriers of language and culture anyway.

Even so, this solid, stirring new adaptation, which will represent Germany in the Oscar race for international feature, sets a noteworthy precedent. Theres an undeniable power in seeing Remarques once-serialized novel  an antiwar statement so definitive that it was duly banned by the Nazis a few years after its 1929 publication  brought to the screen in its original tongue. The sight of actual German actors in these roles can only lend authority to Remarques lament for a generation of men  his generation  who were destroyed by the war, even as it serves to bolster the movies horrifyingly visceral realism.

The technical virtuosity of this All Quiet on the Western Front is apparent from its nightmarish opening vision of a charred battlefield strewn with barricades and bodies, a graveyard of broken flesh and twisted metal. Its 1917, and thousands of German and French soldiers have already died here, casualties of a years-long struggle on each side to gain just a few hundred meters of ground. In a bold early flourish, Berger (who wrote the script with Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell) tracks the progress of a dead mans uniform as its stripped from its wearers body, transported, laundered and pressed back into commission  one tiny, reusable cog in the grinding machinery of war.

That uniform will soon drape the body of Paul Baumer (a very good Felix Kammerer), a fresh-faced young man who, along with his eager schoolmates, has heeded the call to fight for the Kaiser, God and the Fatherland. But despite the near-certain victory theyve been promised, something other than glory awaits them as they march across miles of scorched earth and into the trenches of Northern France. There is a stunning baptism by fire as enemy bombardments send Baumer and his comrades scurrying for shelter. And then there is the ritual of tag collection so as to identify the newly dead, a process that will become  like a heavy, synth-enhanced three-note progression from Volker Bertelmanns score  one of the movies grimmer motifs.

For a while there is the tedium of waiting, but also the consolations of camaraderie. The fine actors playing Baumers comrades (they include Aaron Hilmer, Moritz Klaus, Adrian Grunewald and Edin Hasanovic) bring just enough spark and shading to enliven the classical war-film convention of one distinguishing trait per soldier, the one exception being the excellent Albrecht Schuch as Baumers most trusted ally, Stanislaus Katczinsky. Hes a good man to have around, whether youre killing time in an outdoor latrine  Berger honors Remarques ode to the joys of public defecation  or stealing a farmers goose for supper in one of the movies more suspenseful passages.

Hunger and thirst are constants; so are other appetites, to be sated only by a suggestive poster image or, for the lucky ones, a romp with a passing farm girl. In these moments, Berger captures the sometimes surreal idleness of war  the uneasy tension of being both a hostile, occupying force and a starving, lusting man in a foreign land. The idleness, of course, is only a respite in a movie that, as it descends back into the trenches and piles on the carnage, sometimes feels like its two-and-a-half-hour running time and sometimes feels like an eternity.

I tend to reject the widely held notion that the best, most persuasive war films are those most adept at turning violence into spectacle, as if state-of-the-art verisimilitude were the genres highest aspiration. Whatever its flaws or merits, this All Quiet on the Western Front will not settle the long-standing debate over whether there can even be such a thing as an antiwar film, especially since even the most nightmarish re-creation of armed combat threatens to become  with the enhancements of digital pyrotechnics, blood-gushing prosthetics and ear-splitting, seat-rattling sound design  an inadvertently thrilling experience. For the most part, though, Berger keeps horror rightly at the fore, never more so than when Baumer, trapped in close quarters with a French soldier, is confronted by the undeniable humanity of his enemy.

That agonizing scene, like many others, comes straight from the novel. Theres one hefty subplot that doesnt; it follows the real-life German negotiator Matthias Erzberger (Daniel Bruhl) as he travels to sign an armistice with France, determined to end the war quickly and spare his badly beaten nation as much humiliation as possible. Bruhl, the most internationally recognizable member of the cast, makes an engaging enough guide, but the decision to include this principled voice of pacifism bespeaks a lack of confidence in the movies point and the audiences ability to grasp it. And while its instructive to witness the luxuries enjoyed by the lofty and powerful  the tea, the wine, the pastries  in contrast with the soldiers miserable starvation diet, its ultimately a mistake to cut away from Baumer and his comrades, removing us from the physical and psychological hellscape to which theyve been abandoned.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Archaeologists made a breakthrough discovery when they unearthed the remains of an ancient Roman watchtower in Morocco.

The joint team of Polish and Moroccan archaeologists set out to better understand how the ancient Romans fortified and controlled land at the edge of their empire, according to a Tuesday, Oct. 25, news release from Science in Poland.

Researchers focused their efforts on Volubilis, an important and well-preserved outpost of the Roman empire in modern-day Morocco, according to UNESCO. They poured through historical documents and carefully scanned the area with satellites. They noticed a few oval-shaped areas with rectangular or square-looking indentations.

Selecting one of these areas, the archaeologists began excavating  and they got lucky, the team told Science in Poland.

Excavations revealed the ruins of a watchtower or military observation post, archaeologists said. The foundation of a building and portions of a wall, about 30 inches tall, emerged from the ground, photos show. Fragments of a staircase and cobblestone path also emerged.

Similar Roman watchtowers have been found in Scotland, Germany, and Romania, researchers explained, but this was the first such tower found in Morocco. Archaeologists hope to find more towers in the future.

The ruins of the watchtower as seen from above.

Archaeologists also found badly damaged tile fragments, pieces of Roman army accessories and javelins, and broken ornaments that looked similar to Roman military belts. The finds dated to the first to third century  over 1,700 years ago.

The discoveries reveal more about the military and political situation in this remote region of the Roman empire, Maciej Czapski, an archaeologist from the University of Warsaw, told Science in Poland. The dynamics between the occupying Romans and the local population were often turbulent. The recent discoveries indicate that one way Romans maintained control of the locals was by controlling the border and the flow of people and goods across it, Czapski said.

The ancient city of Volubilis was controlled by a king of Mauritania in the early first century, according to Britannica. The Roman army took control of the city and made it the capital of the province of Mauritania Tingitana. The city continued to change hands for over 1,000 years before becoming part of modern-day Morocco, according to UNESCO.

Pillars near the center of Volubilis, one of the best-preserved Roman sites in Morocco.

Today, the partly excavated Volubilis archaeological site boasts the ruins of a basilica, roman columns, thermal baths, triumphal arch, and numerous well-preserved mosaics, Lonely Planet reported. The site is located about 100 miles east of Rabat, the capital of Morocco.

The arches of the Basilica, the main administrative building, stand in the ancient Roman city of Volubilis.

Google Translate was used to translate the press releases from Science in Poland and the Embassy of Poland in Morocco.

Stadium? Theater? Conservatory? Large ancient Roman building discovered on Greek island

From mythology to history? Archaeologists find sanctuary of Poseidon on Greek hilltop

Massive 1,700-year-old ancient Roman mosaic rediscovered in house in Syria, experts say
Gov. Ron DeSantis administration has paid more than $8 million to a construction contractor since authorities found it had hired several undocumented workers  including two men who have been charged in connection with the death of a Pinellas County deputy.

The state contractor, Archer Western-De Moya Joint Venture, has a standing contract with the Florida Department of Transportation to do work on the Gateway Expressway in the Tampa Bay area. Records show the payments, which are part of a multi-year half-billion dollar contract, have not stopped since the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office announced the findings.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said at a press conference in September that the contractor had hired a bunch of undocumented immigrants and that it would be up to the state and the federal government to address the issue with the company.

The investigation into the death of Deputy Michael Hartwick remains ongoing, with the Department of Transportation and its contractor both saying they are cooperating with law enforcement.

A highway construction mishap resulted in the death of 51-year-old Pinellas County Sheriffs Deputy Michael Hartwick, who has been with the department 19 years, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said.

The company is cooperating fully with law enforcement without reprimand, Peter Glimco, a spokesman with Archer Western-De Moya Joint Venture, said in a response to questions on Thursday.

In a statement to the Herald/Times, the state agency defended the contractor.

The Florida Department of Transportation and its contractors follow strict hiring procedures including all federal and state laws. This is true here, the statement read.

The state agency also said the vendor complied with an immigration law DeSantis championed in 2020 that sought to crack down on undocumented labor in the state. That law requires all public employers and their contractors to register with and use the federal E-Verify system, run by the Department of Homeland Security, to confirm that all new hires are legally authorized to work in the United States.

Compliant hiring procedures were followed including a federal E-Verify clearance check and the individual in question passed this federal clearance. The Department continues to support law enforcement efforts and investigations related to this case, the state agency told the Herald/Times.

Glimco said state and federal hiring guidelines were followed and that both individuals arrested were processed and authorized for employment through the federal E-Verify system.

The company continues to follow federal and state employment guidelines and in no way attempted to circumvent the law to hire unauthorized individuals, he said. We are continuing to investigate the events that led to the company being defrauded in the hiring of these individuals.

The Department of Homeland Security, the agency that run the E-Verify system, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Employers who use the governments E-Verify electronic system are able to check documents provided by new hires against Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security records. A mismatch with the records would suggest a person is not authorized to work in the country.

The system has improved in accuracy over the years by allowing employers to match a photo in the E-Verify system with a document presented by a new employee.

Errors can still occur due to imperfect data on the federal database. Some groups have challenged requirements to use E-Verify due to the database containing errors, which they argued could even cost legal workers their jobs. According to a 2013 survey, though, 92% of E-Verify users thought the tool was effective and accurate.

DeSantis brings light to the case

DeSantis has drawn attention to the criminal case to amplify his hard-line stance on immigration, a top tier issue for him as he seeks re-election on Nov. 8 and flirts with a potential run for the White House in 2024.

We just had a sheriffs deputy from Pinellas County killed by a twice-deported illegal alien who came across the border illegally six months ago. I didnt hear any of the outrage about that, DeSantis said during the first and only gubernatorial debate when his Democratic opponent, Charlie Crist, criticized the governors migrant relocation plan.

DeSantis did not mention the state continues to do business with the contractor that employed the suspect.

The De Moya Group, which is listed as a partner in the contract, contributed $32,500 to DeSantis political action committee, Friend of Ron DeSantis, during the 2022 election cycle, according to campaign finance records.

It is not the first time that the governors office and the Department of Transportation have come under scrutiny because undocumented workers were hired to do work on behalf of the state.

The Miami Herald reported last week that a Venezuelan migrant unable to legally work in the United States was paid to coordinate DeSantis migrant flight program, putting the Republican governors high-profile political gambit in conflict with his long-standing push to crack down on undocumented labor.

READ MORE: DeSantis cracked down on migrant labor. Then one helped coordinate his migrant flights.

A front end loader remains at the scene where a forensic science investigator with the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office investigates the scene on the westbound lanes of I-275 near Gandy Boulevard on Friday, Sep 23, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Michael Hartwick, a Florida sheriffs deputy working an overnight shift to provide safety at a construction zone was struck and killed by a worker operating a front end loader, officials said.

It was all bogus

At a press conference last month, Gualtieri said Juan Ariel Molina-Salles, 32, was among those hired by the state contractor.

This guy entered the country illegally on Oct. 25 of 2021 in Eagle Pass, Texas. He was turned around by the border patrol and sent back to Mexico. There is no record of him ever legally coming back into the United States, and he is here illegally, he said. He has been here in the Tampa Bay area since March of this year.

Molina-Salles was driving a large front loader with fork lifts, the type used to move concrete barriers, when he hit Hartwick and killed him instantly, Gualtieri said.

The 32-year-old kept driving and before running away from the scene, gave his construction helmet and vest to a coworker, also an undocumented worker who hid Molina-Salles things in a wooded area.

Molina-Salles hid from law enforcement and sparked a nine-hour manhunt. He was eventually found with the help of bloodhounds who sniffed his discarded items and used that scent to find him hiding behind some brush, Gualtieri said. He was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death. His co-worker was also taken into custody, charged with being an accessory after the fact.

Gualtieri questioned the hiring practices of the contractors after the investigation found several undocumented workers on the job. In particular, he questioned why the contractor would allow someone with a fake ID and no drivers license to operate machinery.

It was all bogus. And they accept that and they allow this guy to get behind the wheel? Really? Gualtieri said in September.

Glimco, the spokesman for Archer Westernde Moya Joint Venture, said the construction equipment Molina-Salles was operating does not require a drivers license under Florida law.

He shouldnt have died this way

The sheriff was also upset at how the investigation was slowed because so may undocumented workers were hesitant to give law enforcement their real names.

They are all out there lying and giving us fake names, fake IDs. A lot of fake IDs out of North Carolina and it really frustrated this investigation, Gualtieri said.

Hardwick, a deputy with 19 years of experience, arrived at the scene on the night of Sept. 23 to ensure construction workers along Interstate 275 were safe from traffic.

He parked his cruiser along the highway with his emergency equipment on and was standing on the shoulder of the road when he was hit by the front loader being driven by Molina-Salles.

He shouldnt have died this way, Gualtieri said.
An attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband has left Washington rattled amid an overall rise in threats against members of Congress.

Paul Pelosi was hospitalized after being "violently assaulted" by an intruder who broke into the couple's residence in San Francisco early Friday morning, a spokesman for Pelosi said. Sources told ABC News the attack is suspected to be targeted, and the suspect was apparently looking for Pelosi herself.

The House speaker was in Washington with her protective detail at the time, according to U.S. Capitol Police.

MORE: Nancy Pelosi's husband assaulted, suspect shouted, 'Where's Nancy?': Sources

U.S. Capitol Police on Friday confirmed statistics showing concerning statements and threats have more than doubled since 2017.

That year, the agency reported 3,939 cases of both concerning statements and threats. In June 2017, a gunman opened a fire as Republican politicians practiced for the annual congressional baseball game, severely wounding House GOP Whip Steve Scalise and injuring three others.

The number of threats and concerning statements rose each year after, police said, totaling 8,613 cases in 2020 and 9,625 cases in 2021.

In the first three months of this year alone, the U.S. Capitol Police opened roughly 1,820 cases.

Former Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton, confronted with the rising numbers during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last year, said the agency was working on bettering their response to such threats. Those steps included opening field offices in Florida and San Francisco.

"We still have a ways to go, but we are making improvements. We're taking our steps now," Bolton told the panel.

This summer, the House sergeant-at-arms' office began covering the costs of installing and maintaining security equipment at all lawmakers' homes. A memo obtained by ABC News showed the program would cover up to $10,000 in upgrades and monthly monitoring fees starting Aug. 15.

PHOTO: U.S. Capitol Police in riot gear return to their staging area after clear a path back to the Capitol, June 24, 2022. (Bill Clark/AP, FILE)

Pelosi herself has been the target of several threats. In the days after the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol, a man was arrested and sentenced to 28 months in prison for threatening to shoot Pelosi. In April of this year, a man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for threatening to behead Pelosi and New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Some members of Congress have been outspoken about the threats they've received.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., in June revealed on ABC's "This Week" that someone wrote a letter threatening to execute him, his wife and their 5-month-old baby. Kinzinger, one of two Republicans on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, warned there would be ""violence in the future" -- "Until we get a grip on telling people the truth, we can't expect any differently," he said.

Kinzinger, responding to the assault against Paul Pelosi, said Friday "every GOP candidate and elected official must speak out, and now."

GOP Sen. Susan Collins, whose home was once broken into, told the New York Times earlier this month that she "wouldn't be surprised if a senator or House member were killed."

"What started with abusive phone calls is now translating into active threats of violence and real violence," she told the newspaper.

Many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were quick Friday to condemn the attack against Pelosi.

President Joe Biden called Pelosi on Friday to express his support, the White House said in a statement, and he continues to "condemn all violence, and asks that the family's desire for privacy be respected."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he was "horrified and disgusted" by the reports of Paul Pelosi's assault. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Pelosi's main rival in the chamber, reached out to her to check in on Paul and said he's praying for a full recovery and is thankful they caught the assailant," McCarthy spokesperson Mark Bednar said.

"We can have our political differences, but violence is always wrong [and] unacceptable," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wrote on Twitter.

But Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, appeared to make light of the attack while speaking at a rally with 7th Congressional District GOP U.S. House candidate Yesli Vega.

"There's no room for violence anywhere, but we're going to send her back to be with him in California," Youngkin said on Friday. "That's what we're gonna go do. That's what we're gonna go do."

- ABC News' Isabella Murray contributed to this report.

Threats to Pelosi, other lawmakers have surged exponentially, police say originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The victim of a suspicious death in an apartment fire off Benton Boulevard on Oct. 17 has been identified by Kansas City police.

The deceased was Stanley Singleton, 45, according to a Friday morning email from Donna Drake, a spokesperson with the Kansas City Police Department.

According to Drake, around 2:30am that morning, the Kansas City Fire Department was dispatched to a fire at the apartment complex in the 900 block of Benton. During a search, firefighters located an adult male, who was unresponsive.

The victim was transported to the hospital, where he was later declared dead.

One other person was injured in the fire, and around 30 people were displaced, officials said at the time.

The medical examiners office has not yet made a ruling in the death. Homicide and arson investigators are still investigating the case.
The stalemate between the political parties in Northern Ireland which has caused the latest collapse of devolved government can be traced back to the Brexit withdrawal agreement in January 2020.

The agreement cementing the UKs exit from the European Union came just weeks after the New Decade New Approach accord which resurrected Stormont following a three-year collapse.

January 24 2020: The 2016 vote by the UK to leave the EU was formalised after several years of negotiation during which Northern Ireland and its border with the Republic of Ireland turned into one of the trickiest issues.

How to manage the UKs only land border with the EU was hoped to be resolved with the Northern Ireland Protocol which, instead, placed checks in the Irish Sea.

The signed Withdrawal Agreement for the UK to leave the EU (PA)

December 31 2020: The Brexit transition period between the UK and the EU ended at 11pm, which saw the start of the implementation of the protocol, albeit with a number of grace periods.

February 1 2021: Hostility towards port staff from Loyalists who oppose the sea border separating Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom prompted Stormonts Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) to halt checks on animal-based foodstuffs at Belfast and Larne ports.

Daera said the pause was necessary to protect the welfare of its employees after graffiti appeared in the area describing port officers as targets.

February 21 2021: Unionist leaders launch high court challenge to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

February 26 2021: Stormont Agriculture Minister Gordon Lyons (DUP) orders officials to halt construction of permanent inspection facilities for post-Brexit checks on agri-food goods arriving from Great Britain.

Sinn Fein deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill brands the move a stunt.

Graffiti on a wall along the Belmont Road in east Belfast, Northern Ireland, close to the Stormont Assembly building (PA)

April 28 2021: DUP leader and First Minister Arlene Foster is ousted over discontent with the partys Brexit strategy.

The party rank and file lay some of the blame for the emergence of an Irish Sea border at her door.

June 30 2021: Sir Jeffrey Donaldson takes over at the DUP helm. He vowed to right the wrong that has been done by the imposition of the Northern Ireland Protocol and to restore Northern Irelands place fully within the UK internal market.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson (PA)

September 9 2021: Sir Jeffrey announces his party will no longer engage with north/south political structures established under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement as part of their campaign against the protocol.

February 3 2022: DUP withdrew First Minister Paul Givan from the Stormont Executive in a protest move to force the UK to act on their concerns over the protocol.

March 30  April 5 2021: Rioting in areas across Northern Ireland is blamed on tensions caused by loyalist opposition to the protocol.

PSNI vehicles and loyalist protesters during further unrest on Lanark Way in Belfast in April 2021 (PA)

May 25 2021: A delegation from the DUP tell UKs lead Brexit negotiator, Lord Frost, the Northern Ireland Protocol must be scrapped.

Sir Jeffrey said: Our message was clear and unambiguous, the protocol must go and the Government should take further unilateral action to restore our provinces full and unfettered access to the United Kingdom internal market.

June 5 2021: Hundreds of people turn out for the first in a series of anti-protocol rallies which took place in Portadown.

November 3 2021: A rally against the protocol on the loyalist Shankill Road is followed by serious rioting at a nearby peace line.

Left to right: Trevor Clarke of the TUV, TUV leader Jim Allister, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Loyalist blogger Jamie Bryson and DUP Thomas Buchanan, before an anti-protocol rally in Castlederg, Co Tyrone (PA)

Rallies against the protocol, many addressed by Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and TUV leader Jim Allister, continue at locations across Northern Ireland in the lead-up to an Assembly election.

May 2022: Assembly election results see Sinn Fein overtake the DUP to become the biggest party at Stormont.

May 30 2022: Assembly sits following a recall petition, but an attempt to elect a speaker to allow business to proceed failed after the DUP refused to support it.

June 13, 2022: The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, designed to effectively override sections of the deal is introduced in Parliament.

August 3: Another recall of the Assembly sees DUP again refuse to support any nominations for a new speaker.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris (PA)

October 18 2022: Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton Harris confirms he will call a fresh Assembly election as required by law if a new executive has not been formed by the October 28 deadline.

October 27 2022: A final recall of the Assembly to attempt to elect a speaker fails just hours before the deadline to form an executive or face an election.

Sinn Fein blamed the impasse on the DUPs refusal to nominate ministers to a new executive, while the DUP said the UK Government could have introduced legislation to delay an election for action on the protocol.

Sir Jeffrey said turbulence at Westminster, including the resignations of Boris Johnson and then Liz Truss as Prime Minister in recent months, means the Government would be within its rights to secure more time to sort out the protocol.

October 28 2022: Mr Heaton-Harris confirms he will call an Assembly election, but does not set a date as he was widely expected to do.
Rishi Sunaks climate credentials were under scrutiny on Friday after the new Prime Minister decided to snub Cop27, amid speculation that he could move to expand the windfall tax on energy companies.

Climate activists and opposition MPs have been urging the new prime minister to go further on his windfall tax as oil and gas giants see profits soar.

The Telegraph reported that Mr Sunak, who alongside Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is seeking out ways to plug a multi-billion pound fiscal black hole, is considering an expansion of the windfall tax that would see the levy potentially increased or expanded to included renewable energy generators.

Rishi Sunak departs 10 Downing Street to attend his first Prime Ministers Questions as Prime Minister (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Downing Street said nothing is off the table ahead of Mr Hunts autumn budget on November 17.

It comes after Shell avoided paying the levy despite a doubling of profits fuelled by soaring energy prices.

Next months financial statement was given as one of the reasons that Mr Sunak will be unable to attend Cop27, the global climate summit due to take place next month in Egypt.

Liz Truss had been due to attend but Mr Sunak, who is expected to visit south London on Friday morning, has decided not to attend.

The move prompted an backlash from campaigners and the opposition, with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer tweeting: Britain showing up to work with world leaders is an opportunity to grasp. Not an event to shun.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (centre), alongside the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt (centre right), holds his first Cabinet meeting in Downing street (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Green MP Caroline Lucas said shame on Mr Sunak, while Greenpeace UK said the move suggests Mr Sunak does not take climate change seriously enough.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said Mr Sunak was focusing on domestic issues including preparations for the autumn budget, which has been delayed from Monday to November 17.

She said the UK will be fully represented by Cop26 President Alok Sharma and other senior ministers.

We remain committed to net zero and to leading international and domestic action to tackle climate change. The UK is forging ahead of many other countries on net zero, she said.

It comes as new polling indicates that the elevation of Mr Sunak to Conservative leader might have registered with approval among some voters.

New polling by YouGov put the Tories on 23% to Labour at 51%, a four percentage point bounce the Conservatives from a week ago.
Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron have pledged to deepening the partnership between the UK and France in a bid to render Channel crossings completely unviable.

In their first call on Friday morning since the Prime Minister took office, Mr Sunak stressed the importance of the alliance as he sought to lay the groundwork for a warmer relationship between the two countries.

The rising number of crossings has prompted a war of words between Britain and its continental neighbour in the past as critics question whether the millions of pounds the Government pays to France to fund resources and police officers to curb the crossings is producing results.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held his first call since taking office with President Emmanuel Macron on Friday (Dan Charity/PA)

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: The Prime Minister stressed the importance for both nations to make the Channel route completely unviable for people traffickers. The leaders committed to deepening our partnership to deter deadly journeys across the Channel that benefit organised criminals.

The pair also agreed on a huge range of areas on which it is vital the countries work together, including Ukraine, climate, defence and the economy, Number 10 said.

The spokeswoman added: President Macron congratulated him on his appointment and the Prime Minister stressed the importance he places on the UKs relationship with France  our neighbour and ally. The leaders agreed that there are a huge range of areas where UK-France co-operation is vital, including on Ukraine, climate, defence and the economy.

The Prime Minister and President Macron discussed a range of global issues, including Russias invasion of Ukraine. They agreed on the importance of continuing to work in support of Ukraine. As people across Europe face a difficult winter, with rising energy costs resulting from Putins invasion, the leaders resolved to work together to secure a more stable energy future. This includes increasing co-operation on nuclear energy.

The Prime Minister and President Macron looked forward to meeting soon and to holding a UK-France summit next year.

More than 38,000 people have crossed the Channel to the UK so far this year (Gareth Fuller/PA)

It comes as The Times reported Mr Sunak wants a new cross-Channel deal with France to include targets for how many boats are stopped from reaching the UK to prevent the UKs asylum system collapsing.

Ministers and officials will review a draft deal that was reportedly close to being signed with France to make it more ambitious, Government sources told the newspaper.

The plans are said to include a requirement for a minimum number of French police patrolling beaches at any one time and new internal targets for Home Office staff to process 80% of asylum claims within six months.

More than 38,400 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel so far this year, according to provisional Government figures, compared to over 28,500 in 2021.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) recorded 308 people arriving in nine boats on Thursday, taking the number who have made the journey in October alone to over 5,400.

On Wednesday the scale of the crisis was laid bare by Home Office officials when they gave evidence to MPs.

The Commons Home Affairs Committee heard the Government is now spending almost 7million a day housing asylum seekers in hotels and the costs could continue to rise.

The MPs also learned the department has only processed 4% of asylum claims by migrants who crossed the Channel last year while officials admitted the interception rate made by French police of migrants attempting the journey has fallen.

Meanwhile an immigration watchdog told the committee he was left speechless by the conditions at the Manston migrant processing centre in Kent and warned the site had already passed the point of being unsafe.

The revelations prompted the Refugee Council to call for urgent action and asked to meet with ministers to discuss proposals for tackling the problems.
Not at all. It just seems like a lot of back-and-forth talk.

Yes. I'm growing very worried over what might happen.

If it keeps up, I might be a little more concerned.

I think there are much larger things to concern us as a country.

It's hard to tell; I can't take the leader of either country seriously.

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YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The next session of the Council of CIS heads of government will take place in the capital of Kyrgyzstan on June 2, 2023, CIS Executive Committee Chair-Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev said during the Council session on October 28.

At the proposal of Kyrgyzstan, a decision has been made to hold the next session of the Council of CIS heads of government in Bishkek on June 2, 2023, he said.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan exposed the lies of the Azerbaijani narrative on Nagorno Karabakh during the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly session.

In response to Azeri Speaker of Parliament Sahiba Gafarovas false statements that there is no Nagorno Karabakh region, rather only Karabakh, Alen Simonyan simply reminded everyone at the session that the Azeri president himself signed the November 9 statement which clearly mentions Nagorno Karabakh.

If theres no Nagorno Karabakh, then what did Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sign on 9th November [2020]. The 9th November document very clearly mentions Nagorno Karabakh, Simonyan said.

Moreover, in response to Gafarovas accusations that the Armenian side is not investigating alleged war crimes committed by the Armenian forces - something that has been numerously denied as fake accusations  Simonyan said he will not respond to his Azeri counterparts statements one by one and will instead mention the infamous Ramil Safarov  the officer who axed to death a sleeping Armenian serviceman at a NATO training course.

I am sure that everyone present here knows this. I will only say the following for you to understand and imagine the level of cynicism and actions of a country, for example during a similar international meeting a sleeping person could get axed in his hotel room. This was done by the brave soldier Safarov, who is now considered a hero in Azerbaijan. Only this is enough for you to imagine who is who, Simonyan said.

Simonyan also proposed to Russian Federation Council Chair Valentina Matviyenko to organize under the CIS auspices the repatriation of Armenian PoWs held in Azerbaijan.

My Azerbaijani colleague can call them pirates of Nagorno Karabakh, criminals, but they are simply people who got lost and accidentally crossed into the areas under Azerbaijani control after the signing of the trilateral ceasefire agreement. Let us offer our Azerbaijani partners to bring all captives during the next session because their families are demanding from us every day to deal with this issue, Simonyan said.

Azerbaijani military officer Ramil Safarov murdered Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan in 2004 during a NATO training course in Hungary.

Margaryan was asleep in his room when Safarov attacked him with an axe.

Safarov admitted in court to having killed Margaryan because of his hatred towards Armenia and Armenians. He was sentenced to life in prison by the Hungarian court. However, in 2012 Hungary extradited him to Azerbaijan. He was released upon arrival, glorified on the state-level and pardoned by President Aliyev.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The delegation led by Minister of Healthcare of Armenia Anahit Avanesyan departed for Lithuania on an official visit, the Ministry said in a news release.

Minister Avanesyan has already met with the Director and other officials of the National Health Insurance Fund under the Ministry of Health of Lithuania, got acquainted with the activities of the Fund.

The sides discussed the possibility of using Lithuanian experience while introducing a comprehensive health insurance system in Armenia.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Chaired by Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, an extraordinary session of the CSTO Collective Security Council took place in the format of a video conference, ARMENPRESS was informed from he Office of the Prime Minister.

The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and the CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas also participated in the meeting.

The report of the CSTO Secretary General based on the result of the work of the mission sent to Armenia by the decision adopted at the September 13 session of the Collective Security Council was discussed at the session.

During the session, the Prime Minister of Armenia noted that the Secretary General's report shows the existing realities quite accurately, in particular the fact of the invasion of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia by Azerbaijani units and the danger of its recurrence, as well as the need for the Azerbaijani forces to return to their initial positions.

Prime Minister Pashinyan referred to Armenia's expectations regarding CSTO's response. In particular, Nikol Pashinyan once again emphasized the need for a clear political assessment by the CSTO of the Azerbaijani aggression unleashed on the sovereign territory of Armenia on May 12, 2021 and after that, including on September 13-14, 2022, and the need to create a clear roadmap for restoring the territorial integrity of Armenia. Based on the results of the session, the Foreign Ministers of the CSTO countries were instructed to agree on a draft decision.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. On October 28, Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received Toivo Klaar, the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia.

During the meeting, the interlocutors referred to the issues of regional security and stability, exchanged views on issues related to the elaboration of the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Ararat Mirzoyan and Toivo Klaar emphasized the importance of the deployment of the EU civilian mission and touched upon its activities.

The sides also exchanged views on the unblocking of regional transport infrastructure, as well as the work of the commissions on border security and delimitation.

Ararat Mirzoyan reaffirmed the need for eliminating the consequences of Azerbaijan's recent aggression against the sovereign territory of Armenia, particularly the withdrawal of Azerbaijani armed forces from the sovereign territories of Armenia.
In his words: "I am just a professional writer, which means I don't do blogs and try and get money for whatever I write."

All public opinion polls give Labour a 30% lead over the Tories and that would mean a historic wipe out of Hedgie, his gang and the Party

Britain's newly appointed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivers a speech outside 10 Downing Street in central London, on October 25, 2022. - Rishi Sunak was Tuesday appointed as Britain's third prime minister this year, after outgoing leader Liz Truss submitted her resignation to King Charles III. (Photo: AFP))

Now the trees are shedding leaves

It happens year after year

The earth awaits, the winds are thieves

Stealing this arboreal fur

O Bachchoo, dont be silly now

These are merely autumnal seasons

Well never know the why or how

Though nature has renewing reasons

From Much Urdu About Nothing, by Bachchoo

And it came to pass, that Brutus was crowned Caesar, but not by acclamation from the people, but through the fiat of a conspiratorial clique in the Senate. And sooth to say there were in this very same Senate a considerable number of Mark Anthonys sharpening their prose and their appeal to their friends, Romans and countrymen and biding their time.

(Stop showing off with your half-baked allegories and write your wretched column --Ed; Bossy, just pointing out the historical and epic significance yaar! --fd)

Yes, Hindustan rejoices as Rishi-the-Hedgie-Sunak becomes the third UK Prime Minister in seven weeks. India sees Hedgies move into 10 Downing Street as a sort of final negation of British colonisation of India. The chappaterati are using phrases like the Empire strikes back! to welcome his ascent.

From within Britain, gentle reader, it seems a bit different. For me, Hedgies appointment as PM is not an Obama moment. By which I mean that Hedgie wasnt elected by the British electorate. The Opposition parties and even a few Tory MPs, lords and grandees are calling for the legitimising of government through a general election. Will Hedgie, his Cabinet and party, which has a majority of more than 70 in Parliament, accede to the demand? No way Sanjay! All the public opinion polls give Labour a 30 per cent lead over the Tories and that would mean a historic wipe out of Hedgie, his gang and even for decades, the Party.

The first thing Hedgie said, standing at a lectern outside the revolving doors of 10 Downing Street, was that he would unite the party. In keeping with that pledge, he has appointed a Cabinet of people who have even very recently opposed each others policies. The prime example is his appointment of Jeremy Hunt to continue as chancellor of the exchequer and of Suella Braverman to return as home secretary. Its no secret that Mr Hunt, chancellor in Liz Truss Cabinet, was desperately in favour of a trade deal with India, which Suellas public statements about restricting Indian students and workers from entering Britain was certain to scupper. Ms Truss and Mr Hunt forced Suella, then the home secretary, to resign.

This Cruella didnt publicly admit that she was forced out and said she resigned because she had broken the ministerial code in error, sending government documents on her private email to people not entitled to have them. She apologised and claimed to have voluntarily resigned. A verifiable lie!

Both Hedgie and Cruella are Brexiteers. Jeremy Hunt was not. Now Hunt (there is a nickname in the satirical magazines for him, but its not appropriate for the family column of this paper), Hedgie and Cruella know that Brexit has caused irreparable damage to the British economy, its workforce in the building and plumbing trades, in hospitality and cruelly and fatally in the National Health Service. The one shibboleth that Brexitiers repeat is that being outside the EU gives them the opportunity to make trade deals with the rest of the world. The world is not buying.

Narendraji congratulated Hedgie on his appointment as PM and said he looked forward to working with him. Hedgie has now brought Hunt, who forced Cruellas resignation, and Cruella herself back into his Cabinet. How will that work? Dissent within, which will manifest itself sooner or later?

On Wednesday Hedgie faced his first PMs Questions in Parliament. He was asked why he had brought someone who had broken the ministerial code a week ago, back into the Cabinet.

He said Cruella had apologised and she would as his home secretary fight crime and secure Britains borders. This Cruella, daughter of Indian-origin immigrants and asylum seekers from Africa, has openly declared that she wants Britain to withdraw from the European Convention of Human Rights, so that she can deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda. Hedgie, also the child of Indian immigrants from West Africa, who moved to the UK in the 1960s and 1970s, seems to agree with Cruellas policy of having settled in Britain and pulling up the ladder behind them. Both of them are playing to the racist gallery with their tough talk on securing borders which even King Charles III, when he was the Prince of Wales, opposed as inhuman and appalling.

Hedgie was also asked at PMs Questions whether he would tax the wealthy rather than the poor and hard-working. Would he specifically abolish the status of non-doms -- billionaires such as his wife, who dodge taxes by claiming to be residents of foreign countries. Answer came there none. His wife Akshata was such a non-dom when Hedgie was chancellor, but when it was discovered and published all over the media, Ms Sunak opportunistically relented and changed her status, paying a few million of her unearned loot as UK taxes.

So, apart from the supposed Judas act, the Hedgie Cabinets attempted solutions to the hundreds of problems facing this destabilised and chaotic body politic may cause fatal rifts in his parliamentary party, setting loose several possible horsemen of several probable apocalypses.

But lets not end on a negative note. After all, he is the first ethnic blah blah proving etc.

Celebrate instead with a verse:

An ambitious hedge-funder called Rishi

Despite being Indian did wish he

Could harvest the glory

Of being Prime Tory

Though his wifes tax-dodge status was fishy!
by Giorgio Bernardelli

Three youth representatives are at the General Conference of Asian Churches, two from India and one from Malaysia. Speaking to AsiaNews, they see the meeting as a great opportunity for an open debate. The emerging challenges in our societies concern them firsthand. For them both present and future count.

Bangkok (AsiaNews)  Almost 200 delegates from the Catholic Churches in 29 Asian countries gathered in Bangkok for the General Conference of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conference (FABC).

Ashita Jimmy, 18, is the youngest, working along with bishops and cardinals from all over the continent. Everyone is telling us that young people are the future, she says, that we must have confidence in the future, but as Pope Francis says in the apostolic exhortation Christus Vivit, we are also the present. We need to focus on that because even young people who wait for the future become old.

As secretary general of Young Catholic Students (YCS), she is one of the three youth representatives that the FABC wanted at the Baan Phu Waan Pastoral Training Centre of the Archdiocese of Bangkok where the Churches of Asia are trying in a synodal way to trace a common path for the continents multifaceted Catholic communities.

The conference, which began on 12 October, is entering its final stage. A message will be soon released to the peoples of Asia before the final celebration on Sunday at the Cathedral of the Assumption, led by the papal legate, Card Luis Antonio Tagle.

The Church in Asia is called today to look with particular attention to young people, like Antony Judy, who hails from Kerala. As a representative of the Indian Catholic Youth Movement at the Bangkok meeting, he is well aware of this task.

If we talk about migration, most of those who emigrate from Asia are young. If we talk about the family, it is young people who are personally involved.

Women's issues particularly affect young people in Asia, not to mention the environment. Our voice is not heard, while the planet where we will live is being devastated.

But he sees some sign of hope in the meeting in Bangkok itself. As Pope Francis himself noted, caring to listen is getting traction. I heard the bishops engage in very open and down-to-earth discussions. There is a strong desire to be where people are, aware that change is built by walking together.

Josephine Magdalyn Tan, a youth pastoral worker from the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, is also aware of the desire of young people to do their part in the Church of Asia today. She is equally conscious of the difficulties the Church experienced during the pandemic, but also how important it is to be responsible for one another.

Like those who urge the Church to be more present on social media where young people are", she too thinks that many people should be inspired to evangelise also through these tools, which ought to be a starting point for face-to-face meetings with a community, which is what young people want.

This is something that she would like to help build. Youth outreach is by its very nature temporary; in our communities, young people meet to enjoy being together and discover their talents.

But today the real challenge is to understand that we young people can offer more, commit ourselves personally to evangelisation where we live, every day, serving in society. Such a journey becomes possible only if we learn to collaborate more in the Church, all of us really thinking through it together.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Six will run in the 20 November vote, including the incumbent president. Interest in 48-year-old Karakat Abden, who represents social workers. The 'against all' voting option remains as a 'release valve' for voters. Few protests from excluded candidates.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - Kazakhstan's Election Committee has definitively approved the list of candidates for the presidential elections on 20 November, after analysing the nominations submitted, excluding half of them and leaving six names in the field.

The first is that of the outgoing president himself, 69-year-old Kasym-Zomart Tokaev, who, according to all predictions, should have no problem being reconfirmed for his second term after the 2019 election, which also took place ahead of the end of predecessor Nazarbaev's term.

All the challengers (pictured clockwise) are little known, despite one of the requirements being an adequate period of service in public administration. The 61-year-old Meyram Kazyken is presented by the trade union Amanat; he heads the Astana Institute of Economic Research and has been a government advisor since the early 2000s, mainly at the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

67-year-old Ziguli Dayrabaev, a candidate of the Auyl party and chairman of the Committee for the Agricultural-Industrial Complex of the Atameken Chamber of Entrepreneurs, a former kolkhoz leader in Soviet times appears to be equally influential.

Perhaps the most interesting of the figures presented is 48-year-old Karakat Abden, who represents social workers and defends women's rights at high administrative levels. Since her youth very active in the Nur Otan presidential party, and a municipal deputy in Astana, she published a book in 2019 entitled "You are Kazakh: be proud!", which was a great success and also drew criticism for the state funding she received.

The other female candidate is Saltanat Tursynbekova, also 48, from the Republican association 'Kazakh Mothers as Pathways to Tradition'. Last year Tokaev appointed her president of the Commission for Women's Issues, Population and Family Policy in the presidential administration: she is considered an activist in defence of people's rights.

Nurlan Auesbaev, 65, of the Social Democratic Party Osdp, the only one who describes himself as 'opposition', closes the list. A former member of the Communist Party, he is known for his proposal to erect a statue of Lenin in the new capital Astana, which was rejected by President Nazarbaev. His candidature is the result of a victory in the party primaries.

The 'against all' voting option will also be left on the ballot paper, which will have no effect on the outcome, as votes against will not be counted, even if they reach a majority of those cast. This option remains at the behest of Tokaev, who still wants to give voters an 'outlet' in the ballot box.

The candidates who were excluded for formal reasons (insufficient submission signatures, poor public service and internal clashes within the supporters' groups) did not express any particular protest, except for the opposition politician Zasaral Kuanysalin, who did not even get to submit his candidature.

He is said to be the victim of a 'state boycott' due to the pressure exerted on all political formations and associations willing to consider his name, and the inability to obtain registration for his 'Come on, Kazakhstan!' party.

Other activists and journalists have also complained about the impossibility of presenting real 'people's candidates', revealing widespread discontent among the population, although this is unlikely to express itself in real protests against Tokaev's new consecration.
The cause of beatification and canonisation of Patriarch Card Gregory Peter XV Agagianian opened today in Rome. Card De Donatis led the Mass at the Lateran basilica in the presence of the current Armenian Catholic Patriarch Minassian. Agagianian bore witness to the faith through works, and his role in the Second Vatican Council.

Roma (AsiaNews)  The cause for beatification and canonisation of Cardinal Gregory Peter XV Agagianian got underway today in Rome.

For the current Armenian patriarch, His Beatitude Raphael Bedros XXI Minassian, his predecessor was a humble and religious" person with a "simple" spirituality who distinguished himself "for the strength of his faith" of which "we are witnesses today on this journey" that will lead him to the honours of the altars.

Hitherto the only cardinal in the Armenian Church, Card Agagianian was a member of the Board of Presidency of the Second Vatican Council, in which he played a leading role. He was twice a papal candidate (1958 and 1963) and passed away in 1971.

The liturgical service that opened the process was led by Cardinal Vicar Angelo De Donatis of Rome, at the Basilica of St John Lateran, in the presence of the current primate.

We remember with gratitude how he started the construction of schools, places of worship, orphanages and many ecclesial, spiritual and monastic institutions, said Patriarch Minassian speaking with Abouna.

Perhaps the most important one was the Order of Saint Mother Teresa", which, as Saint Paul says, represents a way to see the true faith and bear witness to Christ "through works".

Born Ghazaros Aghajanian on 18 September 1895 in Akhaltsikhe, Georgia (then in the Russian Empire), the patriarch completed his studies at the Urbaniana in Rome and was ordained a priest on 23 December 1917.

After completing a doctorate, he served for a while as a parish priest in Tbilisi (Georgia). When he returned to Rome, he was appointed assistant rector and then rector of the Pontifical Armenian College.

At the Urbaniana, where he also served as rector, he taught Cosmology and Sacramental Theology; In addition to Armenian, he was fluent in Italian, French, English, Georgian, Russian, Latin, and Greek.

In 1935 he was appointed bishop of Comana, Armenia, and two years later he was elected Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia by the Synod of Bishops of the Armenian Catholic Church, and confirmed by the pope on 13 December 1937, taking the name of Krikor Bedros (Gregory Peter) XV.

Under his leadership, the Armenian Church was able to regain prestige and importance in the diaspora, after the appalling genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire in 1915 during the First World War.

Created cardinal in 1946 by Pius XII, he was appointed in 1955 chairman of the Pontifical Commission for the drafting of the Code of Canons of Oriental Churches, resulting in his resignation from the patriarchate.

In 1960 he became Prefect of the Congregation for the Propagation of the faith (Propaganda Fide), following closely the training of missionaries and liberalising Church policies in developing countries.

During the Second Vatican Council, he played a leading role in drafting Ad Gentes, the Second Vatican Council's decree on missionary activity, and Gaudium et spes, the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World.

On 19 October 1970, he resigned as prefect of the Vatican dicastery and was appointed cardinal bishop of the suburbicarian Diocese of Albano, taking up residence at the Pontifical Armenian College in Rome. He passed away a few months later, on 16 May 1971, after a short illness and was buried in the Armenian church of San Nicola da Tolentino.

The current patriarch, Raphael Minassian, experienced first-hand some "unnatural" activities, as he calls them. These include: His body continued to sweat for more than three days after death," a sign of "something abnormal".

The prelate goes on to say that, While we were praying at his bedside in the last moments of life, we suddenly heard him say that he was thirsty, but not for water, but for the 'holiness of your souls'. So he said.

He will not be the first saint of the Armenian Church which is full of martyrs and saints starting with the victims of the genocide, but through his testimony, he teaches us to stay in this time and give the best example of holiness immersed in the events that we live today.
by Alessandra De Poli

Manjeet Sarkar, Manaal Patil, and Ankur Tangade are three untouchable stand-up comedians who use comedy to eviscerate the caste system in which they grew up. While crowds laugh, some feel a little guilty at times. In India's big cities, discrimination is more subtle, but even here, when Dalits climb the ladder of success they have fewer footholds than their upper caste colleagues.

Milan (AsiaNews)  One Saturday evening, in a small bar in a large Indian city, the crowd welcomes Manjeet Sarkar with a roar of applause as he arrives on stage. The stand-up comedian is a Dalit, a caste once deemed untouchable by upper-caste Hindus.

As soon as the applause dies down, says the Christian Science Monitor, Manjeet starts the show. "If anyone does not laugh at my lines, I touch them. The crowd loves it. As the show goes on, the humorous quips reflect the discrimination Dalits face.

Officially abolished by the Indian government after the country's independence, the caste system continues to permeate Indian society. But for someone like Manjeet Sarkar, 24, everything changes on stage.

I can convey my thoughts without thinking twice whether I will be mob-lynched or beaten up by someone, he says. Being on the stage gives me a sense of liberty and equality.

In the following weeks, the comedian began his first countrywide tour of his show, titled "Untouchables".

Thanks to social media, a handful of Dalits can use humour to slam the caste system. Another one is Manaal Patil. The 25-year-old from Hyderabad jokes about government quotas for lower castes in university and the public service.

Dad, doesnt it sound unfair to the rest of the population? My dad was like: Dont show off your English. You know the language because I had a reservation, and the crowd erupts in laughter.

When he started working as a stand-p comedian in 2015, he was the only Dalit on the scene.

"Reservation then and now was joked about, as if the person availing it is incompetent, Manaal explained. The memory of discrimination I faced for availing quota for my college admissions was still fresh because my friends made me feel guilty about it, he added.

From that he realised that the key to winning over the public was self-irony. But every now and then some spectators tell him they were shocked by some of his stories, like when he said a woman washed a public hand pump with water from the Ganges after he drank from it.

For Manjeet, In most cities, the audiences are privileged and upper caste.  When they laugh at my jokes, they are in a dilemma whether they should laugh or feel guilty, he notes.

Discrimination in cities is less visible, but it exists. Once I was performing in Mumbai and the owner of the space came up to me and said I should wash the plates when he found out I was Dalit. This despite me not saying any caste related jokes that day, Manaal says.

Stand-up comedy shows have boomed in India after 2010, mainly thanks to videos uploaded to YouTube.

Manjeet was inspired by African American comedians, who talk about how their people faced generational oppression. Thus, I realised comedy is an art form where you can talk about things which are taboo.

Manaal created a show called "Blue Material", bringing together many Dalit comedians. His dream is to turn it into something like the Def Comedy Jam, a 1990s series that launched many comedians of colour in the United States.

But some comedians represent minorities within minorities. Ankur Tangade is a woman, Dalit and queer. Im allowed to make fun of anyone," she jokes.

At the start of her career, she did not think that she could make people laugh with jokes about her identity, and so stuck to traditional subjects like the upper castes.

Now she wants to tell people that you cannot ignore us and that we are equal. Everyone talks about their own life, but no one talks about minorities.

In her shows she often tells the story of a production company that picked only Brahmin artists for big productions, even though it also worked with many Dalits.

People want to help their own, she adds. Dalits dont have anyone to pull them up. As a Dalit, you have to carve your way up.

INDIAN MANDALA IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO INDIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY FRIDAY IN YOUR E-MAIL? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE.
Today's headlines: Chinese evangelical Christian under police control for over a fortnight; Pyongyang has fired two more ballistic missiles; a new shipping route connects Pakistan with Oman via Qatar; Burmese and Thai Catholic volunteers to help displaced people in the border area; several Russian oligarchs under sanctions allegedly saved hundreds of millions in capital abroad.

IRAQ

The new government won the confidence of parliament during the voting session held last night. With the MPs' green light for the executive led by 52-year old Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and made up of 21 ministers, a year of stalemate comes to an end, although there are many challenges on the horizon. The head of the state-owned South Gas Co. (SGC) Hayan Abdul Ghani is in charge of the oil ministry.

KOREA

Pyongyang fired two short-range ballistic missiles (Srbm) off the east coast this morning. This was reported by South Korean military sources, who are about to conclude a two-week military exercise, also seen as a deterrent towards the North. The launch is a new wake-up call for a possible nuclear test by the Kim regime; the last one was in 2017.

PAKISTAN - OMAN - QATAR

These days the Gulf-Pakistan Express service, a new shipping line linking the port of Karachi (Pakistan) with that of Hamad (Qatar) and Sohar in Oman, has started operations. The new weekly service will offer further opportunities for direct trade between the countries with a regular service and faster and cheaper transit.

CHINA

Chen Wensheng, a leading figure of the evangelical community in Hunan Province, has been under police surveillance since 12 October. The authorities picked him up on the eve of the 20th Chinese Communist Party Congress to prevent him from praying in the streets and preaching the Gospel. He and his wife are reportedly in a mountainous area officially "on holiday".

MYANMAR - THAILAND

Volunteers from the Burmese diocese of Hpa-an and the Thai diocese of Chiang Mai are promoting cross-border humanitarian operations along the Salouen river, bringing food and medicine to displaced and refugee families in the Myanmar jungle, just over the border. There are at least 1.3 million people in the country who have fled their homes, more than a million since the military coup in 2021.

RUSSIA

According to a Moscow Times report, several sanctioned Putin oligarchs, including Aliser Usmanov, Sergei Cemezov and the spokesman Dmitry Peskov himself, have managed to save hundreds of millions of euro in capital abroad. All thanks to an offshore network organised by the Bridgewaters company on the British self-governing Isle of Man.

TURKMENISTAN

Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov complained about the 'excessively long cotton harvesting times'. A warning that follows the example of his father and predecessor, who every year at this time spurred the regions to forced labour for the production of the so-called 'white gold' and dismissed several high officials of the local administrations for demonstrative purposes.
Demonstrations in Tibet against restrictions that have lasted almost three months. Industrial profits down; manufacturing production halted. Mass tests and shutdowns in several parts of the country, including the capital and Shanghai. At least 28 cities are under various forms of lockdown; over 207 million people affected.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - Protests are growing nationwide against the draconian Covid-19 "zeroing" policy wanted by Xi Jinping, freshly appointed to a historic third term in power after the 20th Chinese Communist Party Congress.

Images of protests in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, continue to circulate online. Hundreds of people took to the streets between yesterday and the day before yesterday to demand an end to a lockdown that has lasted almost three months. More than local Tibetans, most of them were Han immigrants (the majority in China), demanding to return to their home provinces.

Local security sources heard by Radio Free Asia claim that the situation is back under control. The demonstrations in Tibet these days are the first since the anti-government demonstrations of 2008, which were suppressed by the authorities with an iron fist.

At the beginning of the summer, it was the people of Shanghai who protested against a lockdown that was supposed to last only a few days and instead lasted for two months. Despite the disastrous handling of the affair, with part of the citizenry left without food for days, Xi managed to impose the local CCP secretary Li Qiang, his long-time collaborator, as the next premier.

Even more sensational is the lone action of a protester who displayed banners critical of Xi in Beijing on the eve of the 20th Party Congress: the most blatant challenge to the regime since the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy movement. The police immediately arrested Peng Lifa, who became a web star with the nicknames 'bridge man', 'lone warrior' and 'brave man'.

The citizens' anger goes hand in hand with the problems caused to the national economy by Xi's 'zero-Covid' line. Investors (especially foreigners') are pessimistic about the possibility of the health restrictions being shelved any time soon. Official data released yesterday revealed that industrial profits fell at a faster pace between January and September. According to a Reuters poll, manufacturing activity in October remained flat.

Popular protests and falling economic numbers do not change Xi's policy, however. Today, Shanghai ordered new mass swabs for 1.3 million residents of the central district of Yangpu: they will have to remain confined to their homes at least until the result of the tests. Since 26 October, 900,000 citizens of Wuhan (where the lung disease first appeared) have been in lockdown for five days. From today, the urban districts of Xining (Qinghai) are also quarantined; parts of Beijing are also closed.

Nomura calculated that as of 24 October, 28 Chinese cities are under various forms of lockdown. More than 207 million residents are affected, in provinces with a combined GDP of 25,600 billion yuan (3,544 billion euro): almost a quarter of the national gross domestic product in 2021.
by Guido Alberto Casanova

The US Armed Forces have withdrawn all atomic weapons since 1991, but threats from North Korea are worrying. The politicians who have made the proposal are marginalised by the Conservative Party itself. 55% of citizens would like to see the development of a national nuclear programme.

Seoul (AsiaNews) - Tension is rising on the Korean peninsula: between the end of September and the first half of October, North Korea engaged in a long series of ballistic missile launches, accompanied by other military provocations. Faced with the threat of Pyongyang, whose tests would simulate an attack on the South according to propaganda, Seoul has again started to call for the development of its own nuclear arsenal.

The proposal, put forward by some conservative figures, is part of the broader debate on the role of nuclear weapons in the country's defence. Since 1991, thanks to a collective agreement on the denuclearisation of the peninsula, the US Armed Forces have withdrawn all atomic warheads from South Korea. Over the past 20 years, however, the North has developed its own weapons programme that effectively makes it a nuclear power today.

The voices in favour of developing an arsenal come mainly from the conservative camp. A fortnight ago, during a radio interview, MP Kim Gi-hyeon said that in his opinion 'South Korea should move towards its own nuclear armament'.

Echoing him was the mayor of Daegu, Hong Joon-pyo, who in a Facebook post questioned the US resolve to intervene when the North Korean threat made it necessary: "If North Korea used nuclear weapons against us, would they be able to counterattack with their nuclear arsenals?" wrote Hong. Some former South Korean generals have also expressed the view that Seoul should explore this avenue and strengthen its latent nuclear capabilities.

At the moment, however, it is the Conservative Party itself that marginalises these voices. The president of the ruling party, Chung Jin-suk, has ruled out the country's acquisition of armaments because this would mean abandoning the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Besides the negative economic fallout for South Korea, this would also have the implicit effect of legitimising the North's nuclear programme. Chung, like many others, believes instead that the alliance with the United States, which provides a nuclear umbrella against North Korean threats, should be strengthened.

For its part, the conservative government of Yoon Suk-yeol is considering every available option. As reported by local media rumours, the government has reportedly considered asking its US ally to return to deploy nuclear warheads in defence of the country.

Washington, however, does not seem enthusiastic: in recent weeks, official statements by the US embassy and authorities have multiplied, emphasising that all US military capabilities are deployed for the defence of South Korea, including nuclear weapons. The reconfirmation of the commitment to the country's security goes hand in hand with the goal of denuclearisation of the entire peninsula, as the White House recalled some time ago.

After the reassurances that have come in recent days, the debate in South Korea has died down and the government's public statements now tend to rule out the option of redeploying US nuclear weapons in the country. According to Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup, the government 'maintains the policy of pursuing denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula'. Yet few still believe this. According to polls, 92.5% of South Koreans believe that the North will not abandon its programme, while 55.5% support the development of a national nuclear arsenal.
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New consignment of medicine donated by China arrives in Sri Lanka

Xinhua) 10:27, October 28, 2022

COLOMBO, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- A new consignment of medicine donated by China under its emergency humanitarian assistance arrived in Sri Lanka on Thursday via two charter flights, said a media release from the Chinese embassy in the South Asian country.

Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong and Sri Lankan Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella hosted a symbolic handover ceremony at the Ministry of Health on Thursday afternoon.

With a total volume of 151.25 cubic meters and a weight of 28.64 metric tons, the consignment consists of essential medicines for Sri Lanka such as rabies vaccine and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine.

The Chinese embassy said more medical supplies and other assistance will be delivered to Sri Lanka in the coming months.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Unless by some unprecedented and highly-unlikely stroke of luck, most barn finds are money- and time-consuming long-term investments, both dependent on the vehicles estimated worth once restored. This very rare and still in good condition Napier is proof of that.

19 photos
EV

With about 90 million yearly car visits across the UKs 15 National Parks, these key tourist attractions could greatly benefit from more charging stations. And thats where BMWs new three-year partnership with National Parks UK, called Recharge in Nature, enters the scene.Not only will the project help with drivers range anxiety by improving thecharging infrastructure across these key locations, but it will also help with nature and biodiversity restoration through the Recharge in Nature Fund, promoting sustainable tourism through local initiatives.Sustainability is at the heart of our business and enhancing the EV recharging network in the UKs National Parks will help to make these favorite destinations more accessible for the increasing numbers of drivers who choose an electric car, as well as to support local communities in their shift to the new technology, said Chris Brownridge, CEO, BMW UK.Three new Pod Point recharging posts are already being installed in Lake District, which is the first project location, while also being UKs largest and most visited National Park. Moreover, the first Recharge in Nature Fund grant will help restore the dew ponds in the South Downs National Park.Dew ponds are essential for freshwater species, and supporting the pond network will provide a vital wildlife corridor for a range of birds, mammals, amphibians and insects, allowing them to move through the landscape and joining up fragile habitats, according to BMW All in all, the three-year partnership will benefit both tourists and local communities, improving charging network access as well as biodiversity.
AMG

We all know someone who never learns from past sour experiences. They hate to lose, but more than that, they cant seem to get over good deals.Tyler Hoover of Hoovies Garage tops the list of car influencers who cant help but buy lemons, closely followed by Alex Palmeri of LegitStreetCars.Two months ago, Palmeri booked a one-way ticket to West Virginia (800 miles / 1,287 km away from home), hoping to drive back a 2009 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG , the way it was called back then, hed bought sight-unseen for $16,000.The car was listed with a bad engine, but the Palmeri was sure it was a simple fix since it was a 50,000-mile (80,467 km) car with a clean title. Well, he was wrong and had to book an expensive ticket back home. Worse, he had to get a new 6.2-liter M156 engine replacement.Two months later, the Mercedes-Benz C63is still holed up in his friend's garage in West Virginia. If thats not stressful enough, Palmeri made another bad investment. He bought a modified 2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6 (48,000 miles/ 77,249 km) sight-unseen for $13,000  talk of jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.Since he had to fly back to West Virginia to check on his stalled 2009 C63, hes hoping to drive the Trans Am back home to Chicago (700 miles / 1,127 km) away.We understand his uncalculated decision. Its tough to ignore the F-body Trans Am . Its a legitimate time capsule and a tribute to what Chevy and Pontiac were like back in the day. What's best, Palmeri's unit had a six-speed manual transmission.The 2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am came with a 5.7-liter LS1 capable of 325 hp (330 ps). It also had an LS6 intake manifold such that when you popped the hood, itd feel like a Z06. Palmeri says back in 2001 and 2002, the automaker ran out of LS1 blocks, and as a result, some of these units came with LS6 options.Fortunately, Palmeri made a good bet with the 2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. The only problem it had was a loose torque arm. The 10-hour trip to Chicago was flawless.We recommend catching some of that adventure driving from West Virginia to Chicago in the video below.
Kansas-based AgEagle has been around since 2010 and specializes in designing and developing drones , as well as various flight hardware, sensors, and analytics software for the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) industry.The recent approval received from the FAA refers to the companys eBee X series of drones, which includes the eBee X, eBee GEO, and eBee TAC fixed-wing unmanned aircraft systems. According to AgEagle, they are now the first and only drones on the market approved for OOP (Operations Over People) in the United States, which will contribute significantly to the growth of eBee utilization in the country, as stated by Barrett Mooney, the companys CEO.AgEagles eBee X drones are suitable for a variety of applications, in industries such as insurance (to assess storm damage), telecommunications (for network coverage mapping ), inspections, and many others.The new approval of the eBee X drones for OOP in the U.S. is just one of the many successes AgEagle can be proud of. The UAVs are also allowed to fly BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) in Brazil and they have approval for OOP and BVLOS operations in Canada. Moreover, the drones are making significant progress in Europe as well, boasting of being the first ones to receive EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) C2 certification and a Design Verification, which are both required by EASA for the aforementioned operations.AgEagles portable eBee X drones offer flight times of up to 90 minutes (the eBee X and eBee TAC), are easy to use and deploy in less than three minutes, are can be hand-launched. They come included with the eMotion mission planning software that helps them fly and land automatically. All three models have a wingspan of 45.7 (116 cm) and weigh between 1.3 kg and 1.6 kg (2.2 lb and 3.6 lb), depending on the camera and battery. More info on each of the drones, their pricing, and availability can be found on the manufacturers website
SUV

ICE

EV

Well, some might think that Rolls-Royces designers did not adopt the flagship BMW Groups split-headlight design for nothing. And with the little Rolls-Royce Ghost a bit too fresh on the market and the 2023 Phantom Series II already officially introduced, there is just one final suspect to attend to.That would be the third model sharing the AOL (Architecture of Luxury) aluminum spaceframe chassis platform with the posh limousines. Of course, everyone guessed correctly, as we are talking about the one and only Cullinan ultra-luxury. And since it was presented all the way back in the spring of 2018, the full-size CUV might finally grow a bit long in the Rolls-Royce tooth when it comes the ripe time to unveil the 2024 model year.At least hypothetically, and also according to the good folks over at the MV Auto info channel on YouTube (you need the CC option to be activated for the translation), who recently imagined the logical Cullinan facelift. As such, the ritzy behemoth would quickly and subtly adopt all the novel Spectre EV design cues , including the squinty eyes, the reworked front bumper, a new set of posher wheels on the side, and some mild upgrades for the rear styling, as well.Naturally, do take all this with a (massive) grain of salt as nothing official was teased or announced by Rolls-Royce. Anyway, do not expect the big Cullinan to also drop its currentlifestyle in favor of Spectrespowertrain. Instead, we could be looking at the same 6.75-liter twin-turbo Rolls-Royce V12 rocking 563 hp or 591 ponies when dealing with the Cullinan Black Badge variant.
Wow, #TheCrown has gone too far. #PrinceHarry this has crossed the line & is disrespectful of your mother the late #PrincessDiana. Filming 100 yards from where the crash happened, how desperate is #Netflix to cash in on the #RoyalFamily. https://t.co/xzo9gZrO14  The Caribbean Prince (@Freedom16356531) October 26, 2022

Netflix's "The Crown" is currently filming its latest season, and it looks like it'll feature Princess Diana's tragic car crash. https://t.co/hXtJwFVp1C  TMZ (@TMZ) October 27, 2022

On November 9, 2022, season 5 of Netflixs very popular and highly controversial (*with royalists) series The Crown premieres. The new episodes will touch on more current storylines, including the tragic death of the Princess of Wales, Princess Diana, in 1997. She is portrayed by actress Elizabeth Debicki, while her estranged ex Prince Charles is played by Dominic West.To this day, Princess Dianas death by car accident remains one of the most touchy and painful topics with the British Royal Family, royalists, and supporters of Dianas work. The Princess of Wales was a beloved and passionate member of the Royal Family even at the time of her death when she had been divorced from Prince Charles for a year, so by extension, she was no longer part of the Royal Family.On August 31, 1997, while in Paris with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and chauffeured around in a rental black Mercedes-Benz S280 limousine while chased by paparazzi, tragedy struck. The car crashed against the wall in the tunnel Place de lAlma, killing Diana, Fayed, and the driver Henry Paul. The only person inside the car to survive was Fayeds bodyguard.Footage and photos have emerged showing a Netflix production team recreating the car chase in the vicinity of the tunnel where the crash occurred. A replica Mercedes dolly car carrying Debicki and other actors was spotted on the streets of Paris earlier this week, prompting outrage on social media and in the British media over fears that Netflix will try to show the actual crash . You will find some of the photos and videos at the links in the tweets below.For the sake of clarity, Netflix will not show a recreation of the actual moment of impact, and will stick instead to the events leading up to it and its aftermath. Netflix said this much earlier this month when discussing the delicacy of that part of the storyline and again in a statement this week. Not that this is helping calm down troubled waters: royalists are up in arms over the "audacity" of showing any part of that fatal night, reopening old wounds, and exploiting Diana's memory for cash.That said, The Crown is not a documentary series, even though it is inspired by real events The cause of the crash was later determined to be speeding and drunk driving in the context of a high-speed paparazzi chase. Driver Paul was trying to shake off a motorcade of scooters carrying French paparazzi, hitting speeds as high as 120 mph / 193 kph before he lost control of the vehicle inside the tunnel. All three passengers who passed away were not wearing seatbelts
Runflat tires go by many names, depending on the manufacturer of the tire , so customers might be confused yet again when it comes time to purchase a replacement. You should know that Pirelli 's run-flat tires are called just Pirelli Run Flat or RF, while Goodyear and Dunlop call theirs RunOnFlat or RoF. Michelin calls this kind of tire Zero Pressure or ZP, while Bridgestone refers to their product as DriveGuard. Hankook has come up with HRS, which stands for Hankook Runflat System, while Continental's self-sealing tires are called Continental Self Sealing Reifen or SSR.The first generation of runflat tires was not the most loved thing by consumers, as they were noisier than conventional tires and offered less comfort and even poor grip. It did not take long for that news to spread, and some people hate run-flats to the core, while others just don't care about them.Nowadays, Runflat tires have reached their fourth generation, as manufacturers describe, and some of those manufacturers even use the same compound and thread pattern on run flats as they do on regular ones.The difference with the former is that they have a special element within the wheel that supports the weight of the vehicle while driving at reduced speeds, as well as not being ripped apart when driven on with dramatically reduced pressure.Jonathan Benson of Tyre Reviews has gone all the way to South Korea to Hankook's test track to learn if the latest run-flats from the company are better than seal tires, as well as how they stack up against regular tires with the same compound and thread pattern.Before you watch the video, you should know that Hankook made a special set of sealed tires with the same compound and thread pattern as the other two kinds just for this test, which is impressive, so kudos to them on this one.
Umiles Next is focusing on advancing unmanned flight in urban centers. Its aircraft concept , named Integrity, took to the sky for the first time in Toulouse, France, earlier this year. It wasnt too long until it completed a second flight on October 26. This was the first time it flew in Spain.But this was also more than just a regular flight test. It was part of a complex European project, USPACE4UAM, meant to demonstrate integrated mixed air operations in urban settings. In other words, it wants to show that unmanned aircraft and manned eVTOLs can seamlessly and safely operate within the same space.The well-known aerospace technology developer Honeywell is the projects leader, with other manufacturers, such as Vertical Space, also participating.This is why the Integrity eVTOL did not just fly by itself but was flanked by other eVTOLs , also unmanned, flying at different layers. This happened at the ATLAS Test Flight Centre in Villacarrillo, Jaen, Spain. The center specializes in testing tactical remotely-piloted systems and unmanned aviation technologies.The goal was to demonstrate that these large drones will be able to conduct regular flights within the same urban space in the future.Introduced as the drone of drones, Integrity is the first eVTOL boasting 100% Spanish technology and manufacturing. Equipped with the FlyFree technology developed by Tecnalia, Integrity 3 can carry two passengers at 220 kph (137 mph). Its range extends to 125 km (78 miles), and its capable of automatic take-off, height control, and landing.Integrity will continue its series of flight tests in various European cities as part of USPACE4UAM.
RAMALLAH, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- One Palestinian was killed and two others seriously injured in clashes on Friday with Israeli soldiers in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian medics said.

Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses said that a 47-year-old man was shot dead when Israeli soldiers opened fire at a Palestinian car passing by the Israeli army checkpoint near the village of Huwara south of Nablus.

Another two Palestinians, who were in the attacked vehicle, were injured, the eyewitnesses said, adding that the two were brought to the hospital in the city.

Israeli media outlets reported that Israeli soldiers stationed at Huwara checkpoint opened fire at a Palestinian vehicle that passed by the checkpoint after Palestinian gunmen opened fire from the car at the soldiers.

The report said that no injuries were reported among the soldiers.

The incident occurred shortly after the Israeli army lifted the siege imposed on the city of Nablus for about two weeks, said the Palestinian security sources.

Over the past few months, the West Bank has witnessed growing tension between the Israeli army and the Palestinians.

Since early January, more than 174 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers, including women and children, official Palestinian figures showed.

Meanwhile, more than 20 Israelis have been killed since March.

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 want to establish a Palestinian state on these territories. 
Poonch's saviour Mali Bi

Srinagar

When in September Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha signed an order to rename the Government Degree College in Mandi, a small town in Poonch, on the Line of control, after Mali Bi, he was giving the due honour to the memory of a hero whose timely alert had prevented a major attack by the Pakistan Army to take over Poonch city during the 1971 war.

As has happened with many real heroes of J&K, Mali Bis contribution to national security was never recognized by the State government. Mali BI became the first Gujjar to receive the Padam Shri in 1972. Interestingly, the Indian Army had recommended a Vir Chakra, the highest wartime bravery award for her but the government settled for something less. Mali Bis timely information to the Army about the presence of Pakistani troops on snow-clad peaks had helped prevent a major covert operation of Pakistan to take control of Poonch city.

Mali Bi was in her late forties when she spotted Pakistani soldiers in a dhok, temporary mud houses used by the nomadic Bakerwal tribesmen while moving with their cattle. She first spotted smoke coming out of an abandoned dhok and then she quietly peeped in and saw unformed soldiers cleaning their guns and cooking.

At that time, Mali Bi lived in the village of Arai in Tehsil Mandi, Poonch with her brother. She was a child bride and later discovered her husband was mentally deranged. She returned to her home. During summers, she used to take the cattle to higher areas like Jabbi and Pillanwali for grazing and it made her familiar with the routes.





Mandi Degree College will be renamed after Mali Bi

On December 13, 1971, she had gone to Pallanwali to pick a stack of fodder when she saw the smoke and spotted the Pakistanis.

She gathered her wits and kept her cool lest she is spotted by the intruders and ran through the knee-deep snow. She first tried to speak with the ITBP men stationed at Mandi but failed to convey to them since she could only speak Gojri.

First, she returned home and tried to seek the help of her brother. The family too dismissed her fears.

Pictures of Mali Bi and she receiving Padam Shri on display in her house

Col Lalit Chamola, who had met Mali Bi in the late nineties in her house write about her in a Jammu-based newspaper Daily Excelsior.

..she saw smoke coming from some Dhoks. It was an unusual activity as nobody used to come to these areas during the winter. She became suspicious and hence with utmost caution and stealth approached one of the Dhoks.

She heard some voices and peeped through the crack in the door of the dhok. She saw a few soldiers sitting and cleaning their rifles. She was frightened but did not panic. She realized that these soldiers were not of the Indian Army and thus very intelligently and without making any noise, she with utmost care but at top speed in knee-deep snow took another route to quickly reach Arai.

Mali met the village Sarpanch, Mir Hussain who first thought she was unwell and needed medical help. Mali told him what she had seen.

They took a snow-covered and shorter route towards Kalai where an ITBP detachment was posted. They took her to the nearest Army post.

With the help of the interpreters, Mali conveyed to the soldiers what she had seen.





Vir Chakra

In the darkness of the night, Mali sat in the Army vehicle to guide the troops to the dhok where 30 Pakistan troops were readying for the attack.

The Infantry Units quick actions resulted in the killing and capture of a platoon that captured 20 to 30 Pakistani soldiers. Their quick interrogation revealed that a Battalion-sized force was infiltrating through the Nalas and jungles between Doda and Saujian and was to attack Poonch from the rear, Col Chamola writes.

Poonch was an important target for the enemy during the war. In 1965, Pakistan lost the strategically important Hajipur Pass and was now planning to capture Poonch.

The entire Brigade was mobilized and the infiltrating columns of the Pakistan army were neutralized before they could reach their launch pads. Thus a grave threat to the Poonch garrison and the ammunition as also logistic depots of our Army were saved. The courageous and deeply patriotic acts of Smt Mali saved hundreds of lives and the prestige of the Army and country. The brave act of the lady was duly recognised by the Army.

Col Chamola, who met Mali Bi in 1999 says she was not physically too well and was not being looked after by the State. She lived off her Rs 60 monthly pension.

ALSO READ : What made Kashmiri youth lose memory of horrors of kabali raid?





The Colonel who had taken charge of the area, says on his recommendation she started getting free rations from the Army and financial help from the government.

On meeting Mali Bi in 1999, Col Chamola writes: I felt honoured to be standing in front of a real warrior and true daughter of this country. I immediately came out and told the Young man Mohd Azam the nephew of Smt Mali that I wanted to meet the Lady. She was very hesitant to come out and meet the Fauzis, but I kept insisting. As soon as she came out, I instinctively saluted her because I was overwhelmed by the presence of a lady who had staked her life, not bothered by the difficulties she would face in her village and community, and walked a long distance in thick snow and inclement weather to save the lives of people and honour of the country.

It may be recalled the Gujjar tribe has been in the forefront of fighting Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in J&K. While joining the army is a passion among the youth, women like Kausar Bibi of Rajouri have fought with terrorists.
French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced the trip late last month after meeting with Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikian in Paris in the wake of the September 13-14 fighting on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. He said that the delegation will assess the situation on the ground.

The two ministers met the day after Frances President Emmanuel Macron received Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian in Paris. Macron blamed Azerbaijan for the hostilities and said Azerbaijani forces must return to their initial positions.

The French defense officials held on Thursday separate talks with Papikian and Major-General Eduard Asrian, the chief of the Armenian armys General Staff. The Armenian Defense Ministry said that they discussed the implementation of understandings reached during Papikians trip to France. It did not give any details.

The delegation headed by Guillaume Ollagnier, a senior official at the French ministrys Directorate General of International Relations and Strategy, met with Armenias High-Technology Minister Robert Khachatrian on Wednesday.

Khachatrians press office said they discussed possible cooperation in the research-and-scientific and a number of other spheres. It did not elaborate.

The delegation exchanged views with its interlocutors on the modalities of reinforcing military cooperation between France and Armenia, the French Embassy in Yerevan said for its part.

Following the two-day border clashes, which left at least 280 soldiers dead, Armenian officials complained about the Armenian armys lack of modern weapons. Some of them did not rule out the possibility of French arms supplies to Armenia.

Pashinian again heaped praise on France when he met with a group of visiting French lawmakers on Friday. He described it as a friendly country that always stands with Armenia in difficult situations.

Earlier this month, Macron accused Russia of inciting Azerbaijan to attack Armenia in a bid to destabilize the South Caucasus. Moscow angrily rejected the accusation.
CSTO member Armenia initiated the summit in another attempt to secure such support in the face of what it regards as Azerbaijani military aggression. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian again urged the military alliance to condemn Azerbaijan and come up with a roadmap for restoring Armenias territorial integrity.

According to Pashinians press office, a report presented by CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas confirms that Azerbaijani forces invaded Armenian territory and stresses the need for their withdrawal.

However, a CSTO statement on the summit said that the presidents of Russia and the other member states only expressed a firm conviction that the existing disagreements and contentious issues should be settled by political and diplomatic means.

They discussed joint measures provide assistance to the Republic of Armenia and made a number of proposals to further work on relevant drafts decisions, the statement said, indicating a continuing lack of consensus within the bloc.

There was no word on the dispatch of CSTO monitors to Armenian border areas affected by the September 13-14 hostilities. Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on October 12 that the CSTO secretariat in Moscow proposed such a monitoring mission and is waiting for Yerevan to secure the other member states approval of it.

Lavrov spoke in response to growing Armenian criticism of the CSTOs reluctance to side with Armenia in the border conflict.

Armenia appealed to Russia and the CSTO for military aid on September 13 hours after Azerbaijani forces attacked many of its positions along the border. Its allies effectively declined the request, deciding instead to send to two fact-finding teams tasked with studying the situation on the ground. The report presented by Zas during the summit is based on the findings of those teams.

In his speech at the CSTO partly publicized by the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia has for centuries been supporting our Armenian friends in ensuring the security of the Armenian people.

Putin went on to say that both Armenia and Azerbaijan are states close to Russia and that Moscow is doing its best to normalize their relations. Their strict compliance with Russian-brokered agreements is the only possible and realistic path to peace, he stressed.
BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The world has been keeping tabs on one of China's most important meetings in its political calendar concluded last week to gauge the direction China will take in the next half-decade and beyond.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) on Sunday unveiled its new top leadership, which will take the world's most populous nation on a new journey of high-quality and inclusive development, with far-reaching significance to the region and the world.

Reviewing China's development success, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, reaffirmed China's commitment to further opening-up and the common values of humanity.

Observers believe that as global recovery progresses in fits and starts, China, under the leadership of the CPC, will remain an indispensible stabilizing force and an inexhaustible source of development wisdom.

OASIS OF GROWTH

China's economic rise and modernization from a primarily agricultural country decades ago is an inspiring rags-to-riches story. From 2013 to 2021, China's GDP grew at an average annual rate of 6.6 percent, beating the global level of 2.6 percent.

The country now boasts the world's most extensive social welfare system, the largest high-speed railway network, as well as the largest and fastest growing middle-income group, which is sure to translate into massive opportunities for China and the wider world.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)'s human development index (HDI), from 1990 to 2019, China is the only country to have moved from low human development category to high human development category since UNDP first began analyzing global HDI trends in 1990.

Earlier in May, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the international community to rescue and prioritize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"The multiple crises facing the world raise the bar even higher ... The years ahead will demand much stronger leadership and ambition at all levels," said the secretary-general.

Against such a backdrop, the most populous nation's miraculous, people-centered development represents a motivation for an anxious world.

China's development is not only illustrated by economic figures, but also by the sense of happiness shared by its people, and the results of the CPC's people-centered endeavors in various fields have been tested by practice and recognized by the people, said Ang Teck Sin, a political commentator in Singapore.

Now that sense of fulfillment has been shared by a wider crowd across the world. China's contribution to global economic growth during the 2013-2021 period averaged 38.6 percent, outstripping that of the Group of Seven (G7) countries combined.

The world's second largest economy has become a major trading partner for over 140 countries and regions, leading the world in total volume of trade in goods, and emerging as a mainstay in building an open world economy.

Meanwhile, Chinese modernization is widely inspiring in the way that it does not comply with a fixed or a Westernized storyline, but rather adapts to its national conditions and evolving circumstances at home and abroad.

As British scholar Martin Jacques once put it, China proves that the Western belief that "as countries modernize, they also westernize" is simply an illusion.

China's modernization has provided an important reference for many countries that are facing economic and social development problems and are exploring development paths suited to their national conditions, said Luis Delgado, a researcher of Venezuela's Center for Advanced Studies in Development and Emerging Economies.

Senegalese sociologist Mamadou Diouf said, "Chinese modernization takes into account the living environment, ecosystem and natural environment, and puts people at the center, which is key to achieving sustainable modernization."

SEED OF HOPE

In the mostly arid, desert-capped Sub-Saharan Africa, locals have been planting a small grass from China for livestock feed, mushroom production, or even as a green barrier to fight climate change.

The "magic" plant called Juncao, which uses grass instead of wood to cultivate edible fungi, has worked wonder in 100-plus countries as a cash cow and the source of tens of thousands of jobs.

Debunking the myth that to produce edible mushrooms trees must be chopped down, the small grass has offered a green alternative and a boon for a shared future.

First cultivated in China, the plant has taken root in the far-flung, poverty-stricken fields in Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, Rwanda and Fiji, its mushrooms gracing the tables of an increasing number of households.

Petty in size, Juncao has become "grass of happiness" and "grass of prosperity" for people in developing countries and a signboard for China's foreign assistance and poverty-alleviation endeavors overseas.

In Iraq's Mesopotamia, desertification and soil salinization have long threatened to bury this cradle of one of humanity's earliest civilizations in dust.

"My dream is to transfer what I learned from China to Iraq and turn deserts into oases," said Sarmad Kamil Ali, deputy chief agricultural engineer of Iraq's State Board of Combating Desertification, who studied in China nearly 10 years ago to learn about sand control.

In tropical Ethiopia, China's climate remote sensing satellite, orbiting more than 600 km above the ground, is working like a guardian angel for this "hometown of coffee," to cushion the impact of climate change on coffee planting.

China's green energy projects and technical assistance overseas have not only worked as a magic wand turing barren, tropical areas into energy oases, but also helped fully harness the natural endowment of many countries.

China has been a true practitioner of its vision to build a human community with a shared future. Its invaluable experience in poverty alleviation has also taken root elsewhere as a seed of hope for locals.

The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) puts developing nations on the right track to achieving their long-term development goals, said Khairy Tourk, a professor of economics with the Stuart School of Business at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

"The BRI has drawn world attention to the importance of infrastructure as an essential pillar of economic development," Tourk said.

"TEA AND BEER"

"The Chinese people are fond of tea and the Belgians love beer. To me, the moderate tea drinker and the passionate beer lover represent two ways of understanding life and knowing the world, and I find them equally rewarding," Xi said in a speech delivered at the College of Europe in Belgium in 2014.

Xi used this metaphor to elaborate on China's vision of civilization featuring diversity, equality and inclusiveness.

On multiple occasions, including the just-concluded CPC national congress, China has vowed to hold dear humanity's common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom, doubling down on the joint building of an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.

This is also the bedrock value of the country, which has long been committed to an independent foreign policy of peace, safeguarding a UN-centered international system and promoting a human community with a shared future.

China, in its earnest pursuit of national rejuvenation, knows all too well that peace is the prerequisite for development, and inclusive development requires an inclusive vision of security, in which humanity works as an indivisible whole.

To help fix global deficits in peace, development, trust, and governance, China has walked its talk to pool resources and consensus, crack security puzzles, and boost sustainable and inclusive development.

Since 1990, China has dispatched over 50,000 peacekeepers to nearly 30 UN peacekeeping missions. It is the second largest contributor to the UN regular budget and peacekeeping assessments. It has supported the United Nations' work in various fields through establishing the Peace and Development Trust fund with the UN.

The vision of a shared future largely reflects the core values of China's traditional culture such as harmony and equality, said B. R. Deepak, chairperson of the Center of Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies at the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University.

The Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, both proposed by China and based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation, are like an antidote to hegemony, unilateralism, exclusion and the Cold War mentality in today's world, he said.

Unlike some Western countries' unilateral pursuits of their safety, the Global Security Initiative seeks common security, which underlines peace and cooperation, said Bambang Suryono, chairman of the Indonesian think tank Asia Innovation Study Center.

The global future "is an issue which commands the attention of people everywhere in the world, not just people of this country or that country," said Martin Albrow, a fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences.

Tackling such big global issues as climate change, nuclear security and deforestation needs the focus on "collective activities, which go beyond national boundaries," he said, hoping that China can take the lead. Enditem

(Xinhua writers Cai Shuya and Li Yan in Singapore, Hu Xiaoming in New Delhi, Wang Zizheng in Dakar, Lin Hao in Bangkok, Xu Ye and Wang Ying in Caracas, Sun Xiaoling, Du Juan and Guo Shuang in London also contributed to this story.)
Participants expressed concern over the increase of populism and authoritarianism, resulting in anti-immigrant, anti-international student stances, and threats to free speech and the validity of science, which has severely undermined universities societal role.



Johnny Go, S.J., dean of the School of Education and Learning Design at the Philippines Ateneo de Manila University, noted that his countrypreviously ruled by strongman and populist Rodrigo Duterteelected Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of the late dictator, in June. While the younger Marcoss impact on the nations education remains to be seen, Fr. Go has pinned his hopes for a retreat from education-diminishing nationalism on Dutertes daughter and new vice president, Sara, who was also named secretary of education, characterized by a fellow university professor as a woman of her own character.



Earlier in the conference, Wortham and the Lynch School Gabelli Faculty Fellow Dennis L. Shirley outlined the emerging trend of whole-person education, a BC hallmark, and the underlying ideas and research findings related to student well-being, arguing that it should supersede traditional priorities such as scores on high-stakes assessments.

On October 5-7, the Lynch School hosted deans and professors of education from 15 American Jesuit institutions attending the annual Association of Jesuit Colleges & Universities Education Deans Conference. Led by St. Louis University School of Education Dean Gary W. Ritter, the event provided opportunities for peer-to-peer learning; discussions on current national issues facing schools of education; and occasions to collaborate on initiatives that advance the field of Catholic education.



The opening session served as a showcase for the Lynch Schools programs, including presentations by Roche Center for Catholic Education Executive Director Melodie Wyttenbach; Assistant Professor Andrew F. Miller, who discussed a variety of topics, including the schools lab school designation with Brightons Saint Columbkille Partnership School; and Charles Cownie, director of the Urban Catholic Teacher Corps, and of Catholic Teacher Formation.



Wortham outlined the recently announced Department of Formative Education, an unprecedented academic discipline in American higher education that will serve as a hub for Lynch School and campus-wide efforts to understand and advance formative instruction.



The national teacher shortage took center stage in a subsequent discussion, as Loyola Marymount School of Education Dean Michelle D. Young noted that this crisis impacts 80 percent of the districts across the nation, leaving thousands of classrooms without a qualified teacher.



The leaders of AJCU schools and departments of education are addressing this problem head-on, not just in our own universities but also through several AJCU-wide collaborations, she explained. The first tactic is an AJCU-produced public service announcement designed to attract talented individuals to the teaching profession, and to highlight the value-add of preparation through a Jesuit institution. The second involves a multi-university, grant-funded diverse teacher pipeline project, which would result in the development of more than 700 highly prepared, culturally responsive teachers per year.



Ritter underscored the benefits of regularly meeting with colleagues who face the same daily challenges, despite their diverse locations and enrollment contrasts.



Building relationships with committed leaders who can empathize and appreciate our struggles, victories, and aspirations is terrific, he said. But we can do more. Our organizational vision is to find opportunities for innovation and collaboration so that we can better pursue our Jesuit mission of serving with and for the people in our communities across the country.



Phil Gloudemans | University Communications | October 2022


BAGHDAD, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Walking in the narrow and crowded alleys on the east bank of the Tigris River in central Baghdad, one cannot miss the beautiful old Baghdadi-style heritage buildings in the neighborhood.

Unfortunately, rather than being preserved as memories of a beautiful past, many historic buildings are transformed into modern-style residences or are in a crumbling state after decades of political turmoil, neglect, and lack of funds.

In order to help the preservation of these buildings, Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities Hassan Nadhim has introduced a program to allocate these heritage buildings to cultural organizations, making many Iraqis much relieved.

One of the old buildings, which is part of the al-Qishla heritage site dating back to the Ottoman era, was allocated for the Lute House, a cultural organization run by famous Iraqi musician and lute player Naseer Shamma.

The building is a palace built more than 200 years ago in the Baghdadi architectural style and was the residence of Baghdad governors during the Ottoman era.

The spokesman of the ministry's State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, Hakim al-Shammary, told Xinhua that his foundation is taking great efforts to preserve heritage buildings despite the lack of funding.

The State Board of Antiquities and Heritage owns more than 250 heritage buildings in Baghdad, in addition to other buildings owned by the Baghdad Mayoralty, according to al-Shammary.

According to Iraqi law, a heritage house is any building that was constructed more than 100 years ago and has a Baghdadi design or has historical importance in terms of being occupied or owned by well-known personalities.

Sattar Muhsen Ali, 60, owner of Suttur Publishing House on al-Mutanabi Street, the historic center of Baghdad's bookselling industry, praised the ministry's move, stressing that it contributes to spreading culture and love in a city that has a tumultuous past.

The ministry's step to sponsor heritage homes "is a blessed step, and I hope that this experience will expand to include other cultural activities such as music, plastic arts, theaters, and cinemas. It reflects Baghdad's image which is rich in heritage sites," Ali told Xinhua. 
Two women walk along a mountain trail in Ruma, a sub-district of Bandarban district in southeastern Bangladeshs Chittagong Hill Tracts, April 19, 2016.

Bangladeshi security forces have launched a crackdown on a nascent armed tribal group that, officials allege, helped train a budding Muslim extremist group in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, a restive southeastern region near the borders with Myanmar and India.

The joint campaign by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite police unit, and the army has led to the arrests so far of at least 10 suspected members of the groups, since the operation began on Oct. 10 in one of the remotest areas in Bandarban, a district in the Hill Tracts region, authorities said.

The Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), an armed hill tribe group, made headlines recently as they demanded an autonomous region for the indigenous Kuki people, many of whom now follow Christianity, in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). The groups members posed with weapons for social media posts and YouTube videos.

Officials say they have uncovered a strong link between the national front and what they assert is a newly formed Muslim extremist group, Jamaatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya (JAFHS).

We have concrete information that the newly formed militant group was being trained by KNF in remote areas of Bandarban district, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told BenarNews.

Although the areas are very remote, our forces are optimistic about uprooting both groups from the hilly district.

Bangladeshs Rapid Action Battalion displays locally made guns and ammunition that RAB says were used by the Kuki-Chin National Front, an armed tribal group, at a camp in Bandarban, a district in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Oct. 20, 2022. [Handout photo/RAB]

However, the launch of the anti-militant operation has mystified some human rights activists and experts. One observer expressed skepticism about the alleged link between an armed hill tribe group and Muslim extremists,

Both the emergence of KNF and its intimacy with a hardline Islamist group are surprising to us, Nirupa Dewan, a prominent rights activist and a former member of the National Human Rights Commission, told BenarNews.

Rivalries between ethnic armed groups have long beset the Hill Tracts, but none of them was known to have collaborated with any Islamic militant group. The regions ethnic population, by and large, opposes what they view as encroachment by the Bengali resident population and settlers, who mainly follow Islam.

Known as a moderate Muslim-majority country, Bangladesh witnessed several bouts of violent Islamic extremism, most notably in July 2016, when a group of five extremists with ties to the Islamic State group killed 20 hostages, mostly foreigners, during an overnight siege at a cafe in Dhaka.

After a successful, if violent, crackdown by the security forces and a downturn in international Muslim extremism, violent militancy in Bangladesh had declined sharply in recent years, officials said, until JAFHS emerged on the scene. But beyond official statements, theres scarce information available about the alleged new extremist group.

Hijrah

On Wednesday, RAB chief M. Khurshid Hossain told reporters that the agency had launched an investigation following media reports in August that 55 young men had gone missing across the country, mostly from southeastern Cumilla district.

Our investigation found that the young men embarked on so-called Hijrah. As they could not carry out militant activities in the mainland, they sought a safe haven in the remote hilly areas, he said.

In Islamic history, Hijrah refers to the flight by Prophet Muhammad and his companions to escape persecution in Mecca in 622 A.D. But members of modern Islamic extremist groups are also known to refer to Hijrah as the journey from their country of origin to the territories in their control.

We soon contacted the military headquarters and conducted joint operations after our drone surveillance located the KNF camps. We arrested some people and recovered 21 firearms, the RAB chief said, adding that the operations had dismantled camps used for training exercises.

But back in September, The Daily Star newspaper reported that at least one of the missing young men was in RABs custody and had been arrested from Dhaka.

The police unit is notorious for arresting people without public announcements, leaving rights groups to cry foul about enforced disappearances. Last December, the U.S. government sanctioned several current and former leaders of RAB for widespread rights abuses.

On Oct. 6, RAB spokesman Khandaker Al Moin publicly revealed that JAFHS was an emerging Muslim extremist group and acknowledged that the battalion had arrested some of its suspected members who had been among the young men missing from Cumilla.

Moin told reporters that the information gleaned from the detained members established the connection between KNF and JAFHS, which spurred the joint operation in the CHT four days later.

He also said that the new extremist group was formed by members of three banned extremist organizations, Ansar Al-Islam, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami  all of which were reportedly involved in violent attacks in the past.

In a separate development, the Dhaka polices Counter-Terrorism and Transactional Crime (CTTC) unit arrested five alleged members of JAFHS on Wednesday.

KNF controversy

It is unclear when KNF was formed, but the group, also known as the Bawm Party, was accused of killing a man in a remote village in Bandarban in April.

On June 21, the group drew national attention after it claimed responsibility on social media for killing three people.

A prominent rights activist from Bandarban, who requested anonymity to talk freely because he feared for his safety, told BenarNews that KNF had been formed with the knowledge of the local security apparatus in the CHT.

KNF has yet to publicly address the allegations that it collaborated with an Islamic extremist group. But after the crackdown began, the group refuted the characterization that it was a separatist group.

On the contrary, the group said on Facebook, Kuki-Chin communities have never been involved in any anti-government activities that could threaten the territorial integrity of Bangladesh.

The group also regularly posts statements in support of the Bangladesh army and the majority Bengali population in the CHT  in stark contrast to more prominent ethnic groups that oppose them.

KNFs arch-enemy appears to be the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS), the oldest ethnic political group in the CHT that led an insurgency between the 70s and 90s. PCJSS armed members formally surrendered to the government in 1997 following a peace deal, but in the years since, several other ethnic groups were established and that are now locked in violent conflict against each other.

Abdur Rashid, a retired army general and security analyst, suspects political patronage behind the rise of groups such as KNF.

Both KNF and the Islamist group emerged at a time when Bangladesh is preparing for the next general election, so there may be a political agenda, he said.
U.S. Marines practice a reconnaissance patrol during Exercise Hedgehog 22 in Saaremaa, Estonia, May 20, 2022.

The U.S. Defense Department has released its long-awaited 2022 National Defense Strategy, identifying China as the overall pacing challenge while Russia remains an acute threat to the United States.

The 80-page document, released two weeks after the White Houses National Security Strategy and the first by President Bidens defense policy team, aims to provide a clear picture of the challenges we expect to face, and will set the Departments course for decades to come.

The PRC remains our most consequential strategic competitor for the coming decades, said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, using an acronym for Chinas official name, the Peoples Republic of China.

Austin said he reached this conclusion based on the PRCs increasingly coercive actions to reshape the Indo-Pacific region and the international system to fit its authoritarian preferences, alongside the awareness of the PRCs intentions and the rapid modernization of Chinas military.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III speaks to reporters at the Pentagon, Oct. 27, 2022. [U.S. Department of Defense]

Biden previously noted in the National Security Strategy that China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order, and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do so.

Meanwhile, Russia cant systemically challenge the United States over the long term, Austin told reporters in Washington on Thursday.

He acknowledged that the Russian aggression does pose an immediate and sharp threat to our interests and values, especially with Putins reckless war of choice against Ukraine.

And thats why the National Defense Strategy bluntly describes Russia as an acute threat, and we chose the word acute carefully, he said.

The National Defense Strategy was released alongside the Nuclear Posture Review and the Missile Defense Review which describe the U.S. nuclear and missile defense policies respectively.

A classified version of the document was presented to the U.S. Congress in March.

Top competitor

The document outlined four priorities of the Defense Department with the top one being defending the homeland, paced to the growing multi-domain threat posed by the PRC.

Mentioned at least 90 times throughout the text, China is seen as seeking to undermine U.S. alliances and security partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.

Beijing has been using its growing military capabilities and economic influence to coerce its neighbors and threaten their interests.

The document mentioned Chinas policy and activities toward Taiwan that risk miscalculation and threaten the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.

The Department will support Taiwans asymmetric self-defense commensurate with the evolving PRC threat and consistent with our one China policy, it reaffirmed.

However, a key objective of the National Defense Strategy is to dissuade the PRC from considering aggression as a viable means of advancing goals that threaten vital U.S. national interests, it said.

Conflict with the PRC is neither inevitable nor desirable.

The U.S. Defense Department therefore supports efforts to develop terms of interaction with China that are favorable to our interests and values.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins transits the Taiwan Strait, Sept. 20, 2022. [U.S. Navy]

While the U.S. has substantial experience in dealing with Russia in terms of nuclear crisis management, the strategy said, it has made little progress with the PRC despite consistent U.S. efforts.

Beijing could possess at least 1,000 deliverable nuclear warheads by 2030, according to the Pentagon, and there are growing concerns about deepening relations between China and Russia.

Although diverging interests and historical mistrust may limit the depth of their political and military cooperation, the PRC and Russia relationship continues to increase in breadth, the document warned.

Together, China and Russia now also pose more dangerous challenges to U.S. homeland security, it said.

Building deterrence capacities

While maintaining a safe nuclear deterrent and taking steps to reduce the risks of a nuclear war, the strategic paper said the U.S. will continue to modernize our nuclear forces, the ultimate backstop to deter attacks on the homeland and our allies and partners.

In the fiscal 2023 budget, the Defense Department made a request for $34 billion to sustain and modernize our nuclear forces.

The National Defense Strategy also emphasized collaboration with allies and partners to build joint capability, co-development of technology, combined planning and greater intelligence and information sharing, said Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

The document has drawn some criticism.

Doug Lamborn, a Republican congressman and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, wrote on Twitter that the new defense strategy reflects the harrowing truth that the Biden Administration is overwhelmed by the sheer number of threats they must confront and appears fundamentally unprepared to make the necessary decisions.

Defense One, a defense-focused publication, also expressed concerns.

The Pentagons arguably most important document outside of the budget request is little more than a boiled-down reduction of every speech and press conference that Biden administration officials have given in nearly two years since taking office, executive editor Kevin Baron wrote.

This story was produced by Radio Free Asia (RFA), a news service affiliated with BenarNews.
At least three Philippine lawmakers want to designate sea lanes between the countrys islands where foreign ships would be allowed to travel, amid the continued presence of Chinese vessels in Manilas waters and adjacent territorial sea.

The lawmakers filed bills to establish what are called archipelagic lanes  with corresponding air routes  restricting foreign ships transiting through the Philippines, an archipelago with more than 7,000 islands.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III, one of the lawmakers, said in his bills explanatory note that non-designation of archipelagic sea lanes is detrimental to the Philippines interest, as it has the effect of waiving the right to designate in favor of other states.

This is to comply with provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which will give us more control over the use of our maritime zones and other waters, Pimentel told BenarNews in a text message on Friday.

The bills seek to impose a fine ranging from U.S. $600,000 (34.8 million pesos) to $1.2 million (69.6 million pesos) per violation, with one lawmakers bill seeking to impose prison time between six months to two years and two months, or both, depending on the gravity of offense. Foreign ships would be prohibited from conducting any oceanography or hydrographic survey or research activity unless permitted by the Philippine government, under the bills.

Maritime law analyst Jay Batongbacal told BenarNews that the bills aim to implement Philippine rights and obligations under UNCLOS.

Batongbacal noted that the bills do not concern the West Philippine Sea, which refers to the contested South China Sea territory claimed by Manila, but cover only inter-island waters.

It would be especially helpful to clarify the obligations of foreign vessels as they pass through our waters. It is also necessary for us to better manage and address any foreign military vessel traffic, Batongbacal said in a message to BenarNews on Friday.

Aside from Chinas frequent alleged incursions in Manilas waters in the disputed South China Sea, Beijing has encroached repeatedly in Philippine archipelagic waters, analysts said.

For instance, in 2019, Chinese warships passed through the Sibutu Passage in the southern Philippines without notifying Manila and without turning on their automatic identification system in an effort to avoid radar detection.

China then claimed its warships passage was legal, citing the absence of Philippine archipelagic sea lanes.

Establishing lanes where foreign ships can travel is essential for the countrys security and non-designation will inevitably compromise the countrys security, public policy analysts Joycee Teodoro and Florence Gamboa said last year in an analysis on the Philippine Strategic Forum.

Non-designation will allow all foreign vessels, including foreign military ships and aircraft, to exercise normal-mode passage in all sea routes routinely used in international navigation  allowing foreign submarines to navigate underwater without showing their flag, and foreign aircraft carriers to sail with air escorts when transiting normal passage routes, they said in their 2021 analysis.

Under international law, archipelagic waters are on the landward side of the archipelagic baselines.

Repeated Chinese incursions

Representative Rufus Rodriguez from Cagayan de Oro in southern Philippines, who has introduced his own sea lanes bill, urged Congress to approve it.

No Chinese or any vessel should be allowed in our waters without our approval unless for innocent passage in the designated archipelagic sea lanes, Rodriguez said in a statement on Wednesday.

Senate defense committee chairman Jinggoy Estrada issued a similar bill.

The lawmakers have cause for concern.

In March, the Philippine government summoned the Chinese ambassador over the Peoples Liberation Army  Navys (PLANs) illegal incursion and lingering presence in the Sulu Sea, part of the archipelagic waters.

Before that, from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, a Chinese reconnaissance ship with bow number 792 entered Philippine archipelagic waters without permission, officials said. The Chinese ship reached the waters of Palawans Cuyo Islands and Apo Island in Mindoro.

A Philippine Navy vessel challenged the Chinese ship, which claimed it was only exercising innocent passage.

[The Chinese ships] movements, however did not follow a track that can be considered as continuous and expeditious, lingering in the Sulu Sea for three days, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a March 14 statement.

PLAN 792 also continued its activities in Philippine waters despite being repeatedly directed to leave Philippine waters immediately, the DFAs statement said, adding Manila recognized the right of innocent passage in accordance with UNCLOS.

However, the actions of PLAN 792 did not constitute innocent passage and violated Philippine sovereignty, the DFA said.

In his first State of the Nation Address since taking office on June 30, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to protect Philippine territories, although he did not mention Beijing.

On the areas of foreign policy, I will not preside over any process that will abandon even one square inch of territory of the Republic of the Philippines to any foreign power, Marcos said in a July 25 speech before Congress.
Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan speaks during a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Oct. 27, 2022. The strategic partnership between Africa and China is "indisputably vital" to help the continent implement regional and global agendas through equipping its youth with technological capabilities, experts and officials have said. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The strategic partnership between Africa and China is "indisputably vital" to help the continent implement regional and global agendas through equipping its youth with technological capabilities, experts and officials have said.

They made the remarks at a meeting under the theme "Prospects of China- Africa Cooperation: Youth Leaders Forum," that was held Thursday in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.

Ethiopian Minister of Women and Social Affairs Ergogie Tesfaye said the Forum on China and Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) established in 2000 is "an excellent approach" to resolve the technological deficiency the African nations have faced with.

"China-Africa cooperation and diplomatic relations are overwhelming and growing as manifested by social, economic, and political partnerships," Tesfaye said, noting that the two sides have been defending intrusions coming from different corners of the world.

According to the minister, the human capital in Africa is predominantly unskilled and technologically unequipped and these situations have subjected the people in the region to poverty.

"The implementation of the regional and global agendas, such as AU's agenda 2063 and SDGs 2030, respectively, are considerably dependent on technological capability and knowledge of the youth labor force, therefore, the strategic partnership established between Africa and China is indisputably beneficiary," she said.

She added that the growing partnership between Ethiopia and China is positively contributing to the favor of a green economy, global governance system, and solidarity through trust building towards the mutual growth and development of the two countries.

The one-day forum, which was organized by the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia and the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS), dwelt on possible ways to boost China and Africa multidimensional relations and promote peace and development in Africa through increased participation of the youth in leadership positions.

Zhao Zhiyuan, China's Ambassador to Ethiopia, on his part emphasized that the purpose and goal of China foreign policy is crystal clear, and that is to safeguard world peace, promote common development, and push for a community of shared future for mankind.

The ambassador said some forces continue interfering in the internal affairs of other countries and threatening global order, adding the government of China would continue striving for fairness and justice, achieving modernization and global development.

Zhao noted that global development initiatives of China would help Africa implement the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and jointly write new chapter in the era of solidarity and cooperation.

Speaking on the occasion, Tesfaye Yilma, State Minister for Political and Economic Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, said China and Ethiopia have long-standing relations built on shared history and solid foundation, guided by the principles of trust and respect.

Yilma said China remains to be Ethiopia's major trading partner and source of foreign direct investment and finance for infrastructure projects across the country. 

Tesfaye Yilma, State Minister for Political and Economic Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, speaks during a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Oct. 27, 2022. The strategic partnership between Africa and China is "indisputably vital" to help the continent implement regional and global agendas through equipping its youth with technological capabilities, experts and officials have said. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Ethiopian Minister of Women and Social Affairs Ergogie Tesfaye speaks during a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Oct. 27, 2022. The strategic partnership between Africa and China is "indisputably vital" to help the continent implement regional and global agendas through equipping its youth with technological capabilities, experts and officials have said. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Representatives take part in a panel discussion during a meeting under the theme "Prospects of China-Africa Cooperation: Youth Leaders Forum" in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Oct. 27, 2022. The strategic partnership between Africa and China is "indisputably vital" to help the continent implement regional and global agendas through equipping its youth with technological capabilities, experts and officials have said. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)
Rescuers use a rope line to help people escape from floodwaters in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat province, Philippines, Oct. 28, 2022.

Dozens of people died after torrential rains from a storm brought flash floods and landslides to the southern Philippines on Friday, officials said, just days after an earthquake rocked the nations northern region.

Late Friday, authorities said the total death toll from Tropical Storm Nalgae (Philippine name Paeng) was at least 42. Many of the victims drowned.

Residents in Cotabato city and surrounding areas were caught unprepared for the disaster, which began with non-stop rains Thursday night. The storm cut power supplies, damaged houses and shanties and caused water to quickly rise in low lying areas in Maguindanao and North Cotabato provinces, officials said.

Prayers for the safety of everyone and especially our rescue teams, Naguib Sinarimbo, interior minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), said in a broadcast carried on DXMS radio in Cotabato city.

Some have already returned successfully only to be redeployed in some other areas. Others are still in their mission areas, Sinarimbo said Friday morning.

Nalgae, the 16th storm this year, whipped sustained winds of 85 kph (53 mph) near the center and gusts up to 105 kph (65 mph) before heading toward the northern Philippines Friday afternoon, according to the state meteorological agency.

As of noon, the tropical storm had struck 10 towns and a city in the BARMM, Sinarimbo said, warning there could be many more casualties because a landslide buried a community in Kusiong village.

A relative of one of the residents there told us that the entire community was washed out due to a combination of flooding and a landslide from the mountain. But there were people who reportedly died and there are also people trapped there that we need to rescue, Sinarimbo said.

Cotabato city Mayor Bruce Matabalao said more than 67,000 households or about 330,000 people in the citys 37 villages were affected by the tropical storm.

Philippine Air Force members help a woman and her child find safety from flooding in the town of Datu Odin Sinsuat, in Maguindanao province, Oct. 28, 2022. [Mark Navales/BenarNews] We will declare the whole city under a state of calamity, Matabalao said. Our priority is the rescue mission like those in extreme emergency.

Nasrullah Imam, chief of Maguindanao provincial disaster risk reduction and management office, said the upland town of Nuro Upi was submerged, adding military and emergency service crews had been working there since early Friday.

The military has assisted us in evacuating the place since 1 a.m. today, Imam said.

Meanwhile, Datu Blah T. Sinsuat Mayor Marshall Sinsuat said 10 people from his town were confirmed dead, mostly washed away by rampaging waters and landslides in the villages of Pura, Nalkan and Tubuan.

At least five others are still missing, Sinsuat said.

Please send rubber boats  one so we can rescue trapped villagers, Mayor Juanito Agustin of Pigcawayan said.

Even the national highway was flooded, Agustin said, noting the floodwaters in his 10 low-lying villages were as high as mans chest.

In North Cotabato province, major roads leading to Davao City, the hometown of former President Rodrigo Duterte, were closed as floodwaters topped a bridge.

Rescue workers assist people evacuating from a flooded area in Parang, Maguindanao province, Philippines, Oct. 28, 2022. [Handout/ Philippine Coast Guard/Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region/AFP]

Quake

Earlier this week, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the northern Philippines late Tuesday, followed by hundreds of aftershocks on Wednesday. The quake injured nearly four dozen people, damaged more than 2,000 houses and 125 buildings, including historic churches and schools, according to government officials.

The Philippines endures about 20 tropical storms and typhoons annually, some of which are devastating.

Just last month, Super Typhoon Noru, the most powerful storm to strike the Philippines this year, left at least five people dead  all rescuers  caused massive flooding and forced the evacuation of thousands after it made landfall over Quezon province.

In November 2013, more than 6,500 people died or went missing after Super Typhoon Haiyan battered the central Philippines, causing massive storm surges that inundated coastal communities.
NAIROBI, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Four African-based green entrepreneurs were declared winners of an international contest that rewards trailblazers in green transition at the 2022 Ashden Award ceremony held Thursday evening in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

The four entrepreneurs based respectively in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Togo would be entitled to a cash reward for boosting the continent's quest to tackle the unfolding climate crisis, said Harriet Lamb, the chief executive officer of Ashden, a global organization that supports and promotes sustainable energy enterprises.

According to Lamb, four out of six winners of the 2022 edition of Ashden Awards from the global south were from Africa, reaffirming the continent's emerging status as a hub for innovations that are tackling climate emergencies.

"The innovations showcased by all the African winners are a testimony that climate solutions are readily available at the grassroots and offer green jobs," said Lamb.

She added that Africa-based green innovations will be showcased at the upcoming UN Climate Summit slated for Egypt from Nov. 6 to 18 to help secure new financial and technical support.

Among the winners of the 2022 Ashden Awards shortlisted from a list of 200 applicants include Kakuma Ventures, a social enterprise based at a refugee camp in northern Kenya, that is leveraging solar energy to boost internet access among refugees, providing them with well-paying digital jobs.

Innocent Tshilombo, the founder of Kakuma Ventures, said refugees living in Kenya are keen to harness green energy and digital platforms to help tackle the ecological crisis, poverty and unemployment.

Tshilombo added that increasing access to clean energy and high-speed internet connection at Kakuma refugee camp has provided new revenue streams to the youth besides fostering harmonious co-existence.

The other three African winners of the prestigious green awards include SokoFresh, a Kenyan start-up that is helping small-holder farmers tackle post-harvest losses through access to solar-powered cold storage facilities. Togo-based Energy Generation and Zimbabwe's Zonful Energy won the award devoted to social enterprises that are pioneers in provision of skills required to scale up access to clean energy solutions at the grassroots level.

Wanjira Maathai, the managing director for Africa and Global Partnerships at the World Resources Institute, an international green think-tank, said that the solution to Africa's climate crisis lies with empowering youth and women to promote uptake of clean energy and conserve vital ecosystems like forests. 
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us

We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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In this Oct. 31, 2018, file photo, early ballots wait in bins to be sorted in the Denver Elections Division headquarters in Denver. On Friday, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming Colorados practice of sending mail-in ballots to every registered voter is unconstitutional, and voters should only vote in person on Election Day.
People listen as House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks in September at DMI Companies in Monongahela, Pa.. On Friday, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming an image shows the House Republicans Commitment to America plan, including raising the eligibility age for Medicare.
GENEVA, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- More than 3.4 million displaced people and their hosts are in dire need of aid following the recent destructive flooding in Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Cameroon, the UN refugee agency warned on Friday.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson Olga Sarrado told a press briefing in Geneva that in Nigeria, the worst floods in a decade have claimed hundreds of lives and displaced over 1.3 million people.

In Chad, she said the government has declared a state of emergency after floods affected more than 1 million people. In the south of the country, heavy rains have caused the Chari and Logone rivers to burst their banks, submerging fields, killing livestock and forcing more than 90,000 people to flee their homes and seek refuge in the capital N'Djamena.

In Cameroon, more than 63,000 people were affected by the flooding in the districts of Kousseri, Zina, Makari, Blangoua and Logone Birni.

Meanwhile, in the countries of the Central Sahel, namely Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, above-average rains and flooding have killed hundreds, displaced thousands and destroyed over one million hectares of cropland, said Sarrado.

"Worsening climate shocks in the Sahel in particular have fueled drought and flooding, lowered crop yields and contributed to a general deterioration in public services for one of the world's worst displacement crises," she said.

"Beyond the Sahel, we are witnessing the worst drought in 40 years and the threat of famine in the Horn of Africa, a devastating cyclone season in Mozambique and historic floods for a fourth consecutive year in South Sudan and Sudan. Extreme weather across the African continent in 2022 has killed hundreds and forced millions to flee their homes," she added. 
Miami-Dade resident James Curity deposits a ballot in a U.S. Postal Service mail box outside City Hall during early voting for the general election in 2020 in Miami Beach, Fla. On Friday, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming absentee ballots will not be accepted unless voters mail them with up to two stamps.
Jim Shulman, a Pittsfield native living in Ohio, is the author of Berkshire Memories: A Baby Boomer Looks Back at Growing Up in Pittsfield. If you have a memory of a Berkshire baby-boom landmark, business or event youd like to share or read about, please write Jim at jesjmskali@aol.com
PITTSFIELD  Leaders of two Pittsfield police unions wont comment on concerns that stopped a body camera pilot program from launching this week.

Pittsfield Police Chief Michael Wynn wrote to the City Council last week that the department was preparing to begin an eight-officer pilot program testing Axon and BodyWorn body cameras this week.

Pittsfield Police say they've 'hit pause' on body camera pilot program amid union concerns Pittsfield Police Captain Gary Traversa told the City Council that it was not for me to discuss what about the technology, training or other elements surrounding the departments exploration of body cameras had triggered concerns from the unions.

On Tuesday, however, Capt. Gary Traversa told the council that the testing  to be run over six to eight weeks  had been put on pause due to concerns raised by the patrol officers and supervisors divisions of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local 447.

Traversa declined that night to describe what specific issue had been raised by officers and supervisors.

When The Eagle got in touch with Lt. Matthew Hill, the president of the supervisors union, he said he was unable to provide any specifics beyond what has already been publicized.

Investigator Thomas J. Bowler, president of the patrol officers union, said he couldnt offer any details on the subject.

Over the last year, Wynn  and at times  representatives from the unions  have said they generally support use of the technology.

The chief said previously the biggest obstacle was the states wiretapping statute. Wynn had said he saw a conflict between how the cameras might need to be used in the field and the states wiretapping laws, which require two-party consent to audio recordings.

Wynn said back in May he was no longer concerned about that issue after a conversation with the attorney for the Massachusetts Association of Police Chiefs.

Around that time, the chief and Hill appeared before the City Councils ordinance and rules subcommittee to discuss body cameras.

Im actually in agreement with many of the speakers tonight, that body worn cameras  by and large  would be good for the community and our department and our officers, Wynn said, referencing residents who spoke in favor of body cameras.

Earlier statement of support

Hill told the subcommittee members of the supervisors union were generally supportive of the cameras as well.

None of my members have voiced any opposition to body cams, Hill said. However, it is subject to negotiation through collective bargaining.

The three-year collective bargaining agreements between the supervisors union and patrol officers union and the city expired June 30. The city has yet to approve a new contract with either union.

Police unions across the commonwealth have fallen on both sides of the issue.

In Great Barrington and Sheffield, both local unions penned a letter of support for body cameras when their departments applied for and were granted state funding to start body camera programs.

In Somerville, the Tufts Daily reported that the local police supervisors union claimed in 2020 it asked the city to add provisions to its contract that would allow the department to use body cameras before city leadership eventually got on board.

In Chelsea, the representative for a local police union  which ultimately welcomed body cameras  told the Chelsea Record in 2021 that while officers supported the technology they were seeking additional compensation because it is a huge liability. Its not a change in working conditions, but a huge responsibility within our working conditions.
News Reporter

Scott Stafford has been a reporter, photographer, and editor at a variety of publications, including the Dallas Morning News and The Berkshire Eagle.
Dalton Delan can be followed on Twitter @UnspinRoom. He has won Emmy, Peabody and duPont-Columbia awards for his work as a television producer.
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The Eagle provides fee-based professional writing, editing, design, web presence and social media services to businesses to help them tell their stories with the broadest reach possible. Let us help you tell your story today. Email kkirchner@berkshireeagle.com
MANILA, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines passed the 4 million mark after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 1,551 new infections on Friday.

The DOH said 38 more patients died from COVID-19 complications, taking the death toll to 63,959. The number of active cases rose to 21,685.

Metro Manila, the capital region of over 13 million people, tallied 364 new cases.

The Philippines reported its highest COVID-19 single-day tally of 39,004 new cases on Jan. 15. The country, with a population of around 110 million, has fully vaccinated over 73.5 million people. 
Charles Manson, David Koresh, Jim Jones, Bhagwan Shree Rejneesh, Marshall Applewhite, Shoko Asahara, and Jesus of Nazareth.

As a Christian, our first instinct when reading this list is to say one of these things is not like the others. And I would ultimately agree, but why? From one perspective, all of these are religious leaders. They all had a group of people following them, they were viewed as strange and unorthodox by the majority of people, and they claimed to be the way of truth. So, what separates Jesus from these others?

How do we say that six of these are cult leaders and one of them is the Son of God? This might be seen as an uncomfortable question, but if we ask it honestly, we can not only discover the differences between cults and Christ, but also see how Jesus is definitively unique.

What Is a Cult?

In 1964 the Supreme Court heard a difficult First Amendment case, Jacobellis v. Ohio. In this case they had to determine whether the state of Ohio could ban an obscene film. The statute was that anything except for hard-core pornography was protected under first amendment rights. But how do you define this? Justice Potter Stewart famously quipped, I know it when I see it.

Trying to define a cult can prove to be just as difficult. But just as with the 1964 ruling, I know it when I see it will prove to be inadequate. We need to outline a few characteristics and establish parameters which will help us define whether or not something is a cult.

Definitions of cult

In the 1600s if you referred to Christianity or Judaism as a cult, nobody would bat an eye. The word cult was simply a reference to a particular form or system of worship. This is why you might read something like the cult of Saint Benedict (now known as the Benedictines). This does not mean that people followed St. Benedict with the same fervor as those who follow Charles Manson. It simply means that there were people devoted to his form of worship.

But over time the word cult took on a bit more sinister meaning. Though intending to be humorous, Hugh Rawsons definition of an organized group of people, religious or not, with whom you disagree, might be an apt description of how overused the phrase has become. Sociologists refer to a cult as a social group with socially deviant or novel beliefs and practices.

But that definition doesnt seem to help get at what people really mean when they refer to something as a cult. This definition provided by Rousselet, Duretete, Hardouin, and Grall-Bronnec may be the most helpful:

A cult is an organized group whose purpose is to dominate cult members through psychological manipulation and pressure strategies.

That, I believe, gets to what most people mean when they refer to a cult in our day. A cult is seen as harmful to its members and ultimately to society as a whole. And they are typically centered around a dynamic personality. So, what are the strategies of cults? What are the warning signs?

What Are the Warning Signs of a Cult?

One would think that spotting a cult would be relatively easy. And from the outside, it often can be easy to spot cultic behavior. But from the inside, the person has been groomed and manipulated to normalize deviant behavior. Here are a few of the warning signs:

- Following a leader with unquestioning faith and allegiance

- A belief that the group exclusively holds the truth, therefore there is zero tolerance and interaction with those outside the group

- Isolation of members

- Severe penalties for leaving the group

- An emphasis on a special belief or doctrine viewed as strange by others

- An us vs. them mentality, often using persecution of the group as evidence of its truthfulness

- The use of fear and intimidation to keep you in the group

There are a few questions to ask that might help to determine if you or a friend is in a cult.

- What happens if I disagree with the leaders?

- How do I respond if an outsider criticizes one of our leaders?

- Are there different sets of rules for the leader, and another set for members?

- Who is the leader answerable to? Is there accountability?

- What would happen if you tried to leave the group?

- Do they welcome independent thought? Do they believe I can think for myself?

- Have a lost several friendships since joining this group? Am I being isolated?

- Am I able to read outside literature?

Some of the above questions can help you to assess whether or not your group has moved away from healthy religious belief into manipulative/cultish territory.

Does the Bible Have Anything to Say about Cults?

In order to consider what the Bible has to say about cults we must first come to a common understanding of cults. If you mean something like religious devotion, then the Bible is filled with these examples. But if you mean something more like a group that manipulates their members and causes harm, then its going to be more difficult.

There are numerous examples throughout the Scriptures, though, of false teachers  and they are often deemed to be harmful. We also have those who were false prophets and idolaters in the Old Testament, that would possibly fit a modern understanding of cults.

There are a few themes we can use from Scripture to help us understand the nature of cults. First, Jesus warned of the presence of false teachers in Matthew 7:15-16,

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

Secondly, because of the existence of false prophets we are told to test the spirits. 1 John 4 tells us how we can recognize the Spirit of God:

Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.

If a group is not centered upon Jesus Christ, then it is making false religious claims. Groups can be centered upon Jesus in name, but if at the end of the day they are not following the way of Jesus, exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit, and entrusting each member to Christ as Lord, then this is a false group.

Cults are also notorious for adding their own rules. Places like Colossians 2:19-23 can be helpful to show that Christ is sufficient. Are your leaders pointing you to Christ and leaving you in His hands, or are they centering themselves or the group? That is a big identifier of a cult. The Bible has Jesus Christ at the center. Cults will have something else at the center.

What Makes a Cult Different from a Religious Denomination?

Earlier, Jesus Christ was mentioned alongside six known cult leaders. What is the difference between Christ and these cult leaders? For one, Jesus Christ is the way of truth. But one could argue that this is just circular reasoning and the same argument which these cult leaders make. But even still, we should test them by their own claims. These cult leaders are always found empty.

But the greatest difference between Christ and cult is that Jesus is self-giving. He gives of Himself for their benefit. Christ does not lead into harm but into hope. But what about all of the different denominations? What is the difference between two Christians having a different belief and a Christian disagreeing with a cultist?

First, consider the characteristics of a cult. If your denomination has these characteristics, then its not just a group of Christians disagreeing over doctrine, but its an entirely different social group.

There are some churches and professing Christian groups that can border on cultic practices. Sadly, it can be difficult to discern the difference at times. An excellent resource on this is Somethings Not Right by Wade Mullen. Spiritually abusive systems and churches will have much overlap with cults.

But at the end of the day, most denominations still have Jesus Christ at the center of their religious practice, they just differ on a few interpretations but are orthodox in their belief and practice.

Are All Cults Bad?

There are some Christian commentaries, especially in the Old Testament, where they will use a phrase like the cult of Israel or even the cult of the early church. That might through a novice reader for a loop. We tend to think of a cult as only a bad thing. But the word itself, as mentioned earlier, is not always negative. Originally it just meant religious devotion.

Today the word cult has taken on a negative meaning. Whether or not cults are all bad has to do with how we are defining the word cult and even how we define the word bad. If a cult is harming its followers and others then, yes, it is bad. But if we simply mean religious devotion then its not necessarily bad.

But there is another question connected with this. Some will call Jehovahs Witnesses or Latter-Day Saints a cult. They certainly fit some of the descriptors of a cult. And I, personally, would argue that they are bad in that they do not tell the truth about Jesus. As such they are indeed ultimately harmful. But I also think it would be wise, if we use the word cult, to make a distinction between the bad of Charles Manson and Jim Jones with the bad of Joseph Smith or the Watchtower Society.

Regardless of whether we mean bad as in violent or harmful to society or bad as in unorthodox and denying Christ, we should pursue truth and not be part of a cult. But what if someone we love is involved with a dangerous cult?

What Should You Do if You (or Someone You Love) Is Involved with a Dangerous Cult?

First, if you or a loved one are in a cult, be thankful that you still have an open line of communication with them (or with the outside world if you are in the cult). Whatever you can do to keep that line of communication open is a good idea. You will not get very far by speaking negatively about the group or the leader. You must earn trust.

It might be best to ask probing questions. What you are attempting to do with this line of communication is put a pebble in their shoe. Have you ever had an annoying little pebble in your shoe as youve tried to walk around? Its a tiny little prick, but its annoying and eventually it takes all of your mental energy. You have to stop, sit down, take off your shoe, find the offending pebble and discard it. What we want to do with someone in a cult is come up with some of those pebbles  penetrating, but safe, questions which will serve like that pebble. (I am indebted to Greg Koukls book Tactics for this illustration.)

One suggestion might be to ask them their thoughts on another cult. By doing this they might be able to see some of the similarities to their own group. If they begin to see some of the tactics of manipulation or mind control of another group, they might be more prone to see that in their own development into the cult. Here, you are being a little like Nathan when he confronted David after his sexual assault of Bathsheba.

It is also important to think through some of the reasons why this person might have joined the cult. What were they looking for that the cult provided? Are there ways in which you can begin to provide some of this support outside of their group? Keep in mind how costly it will be for them to leave this cult. If you can eliminate some of the difficulties of leaving, this might help them to make that decision if the pebble is doing its job as well.

If there is something harmful or illegal happening, report this to the authorities. You can ask for anonymous wellness checks.

At the end of the day, we must entrust them to the Lord. Therefore, we must pray. We must pray for wisdom and discernment in our interactions, but also that the Lord would open their eyes to reality. They are blinded to the fullness of Jesus, so pray that God would reveal Himself to them in an undeniable way. Pray that they will be able to see through the inconsistencies of the leader.

Sources

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cult

Hugh Rawson, Wicked Words, 1993

Very Well Mind - What is a cult?

Photo credit: Getty Images/rodkosmos
BOISE - On Thursday, November 3 the Idaho Fish & Game will begin selling returned nonresident, general-season big game tags. These returned tags are available to be purchased by both nonresidents as a first tag, or Idaho residents as a second tag.

The sale for returned nonresidents big game tags will begin at 10:00 a.m. MDT/9:00 a.m. PST. Tags will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis at Fish and Game offices, at license vendors, online at GoOutdoorsIdaho.com or by calling (800) 554-8685.

A list of available tags will be listed on the Nonresident License and Tag webpage on November 1.

Nonresident sales

If a nonresident does not have a deer or elk tag, then the nonresident may be able to purchase a first tag and possibly a second tag during this sale. Adult nonresident fees are $351.75 for deer tags and $651.75 for elk tags.

Resident sales as second tags

Residents can purchase a tag from the nonresident quota as a second tag. Nonresident limits for uncapped elk zones and deer units do not apply to nonresident tags purchased by residents, so available deer tags can be used statewide and available elk tags can be purchased for any uncapped elk zone. Residents eligible for the Price Lock discount pay $301.75 for a deer tag or $416.75 for an elk tag. Residents not eligible for the Price Lock discount pay the same deer and elk tag fees as nonresidents.

Capped Elk Zone Tags

A resident or nonresident can purchase nonresident tags returned from a capped elk zone as long as the cap is not sold out.
Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province and elsewhere in Saudi Arabia
There is, of course, nothing new about making some extra money on the side. Whether you're saving for a dream holiday or just trying to keep the wolf from the door during a tough time, taking on a second job, finding a hobby that pays or starting a small business from home are tried and tested ways to boost your income.

The digitalisation of the world has though opened up a far wider range of opportunities to hustle on the side and potentially engage an audience of unprecedented size. If you can find the time and energy for it, you can activate multiple income streams by registering your spare room on a rental platform, consulting via Zoom to companies anywhere in the world, buying and selling goods on eBay, and turning your passion for baking into an ad money making YouTube channel.

There is a global view that modern side-hustlers and slashers (e.g. Im a teacher/photographer/consultant) are ushering in a new era of work where having sustainable income streams in addition to a salary will become the norm, casting the traditional employer opposition to moonlighting by the wayside. And for young people getting ahead in new careers, side hustles are often touted not just as ways to make more cash, but to develop the talents that arent being used in their 9 to 5s, to keep more doors open to them in a fast-changing world and to attain greater purpose and fulfilment in life.

Whether the motivation is aspiration or desperation, side hustles are important to a significant portion of South Africas mid and top-income earners. BrandMapp, the countrys most comprehensive survey of those living in households with a monthly income of R10,000+ reports that 43% have a secondary income, and for 30% of them that comes from side hustles such as running small businesses, home industries and working at jobs that are completely different from their main work.

BrandMapp director of storytelling, Brandon de Kock, says: In 2019, 63% of our respondents had just one source of income, their job. By this year, that percent has gone down to 57%. In the current economic conditions, it wouldnt be surprising if many of these side hustles are simply helping people make ends meet. What is interesting is to use BrandMapps versatile data set to understand more about the slashers and what they are doing.

According to the BrandMapp 2022 data, only 24% of full-time employed people are slashers, but 47% of South Africas self-employed entrepreneurs are slashers which is significantly over the total average of 30%. But does wearing many hats pay off?

Work harder, do better!

When asked how they are feeling financially in 2022, slashers are only a little bit more likely to be feeling the same or better off compared to non-slashers than they did in 2020 which is yet another indicator that side-hustles are primarily filling a financial gap rather than being an add-on. But its when you consider work environment and type of employment that the real indicators of side-hustlership start to reveal themselves.

For starters, the vast majority of slashers are hybrid workers, like 65%, explains de Kock. There are obviously many reasons why thats the case, but Im sure one of drivers is that fully employed people who are now working from home will feel less sheepish having a sideline without the boss looking over their shoulder! And the irony is that theres plenty of anecdotal evidence to show that employees who are working from home are more productive than ever. So, the companies are winning, and so are their side-hustling employees!

A young persons work

Anyone can have a side hustle, but the data reveals that more creatives (artists and writers in particular), software developers, management consultants and sales professionals get it together. And there are also certain industries such as the restaurant, tourism, beauty and leisure sectors where a side hustle is obviously part of the landscape. But one of the most revealing insights is that theres a clear age-continuum at play in the world of side-hustles.

De Kock says: Its clear when it comes to age that digital natives with their deftness at multitasking and rapid task-swapping have more flair, time and energy for side-hustles. And you have to remember that the demographic reality of South Africa leaves us with one of the youngest skilled workforces in the world. So, if you ask me, what were looking at here is certainly not a passing trend: the side hustle is here to stay.

To find out more about BrandMapp 2022, visit www.brandmapp.co.za.




The chairperson of the Cape Town Press Club Donwald Pressly has died at age 59.

Donwald Pressly has died. Source: LinkedIn.

The Cape Town Press Club and the South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) paid tribute to him following his death on Thursday. Pressly died after battling a long illness.

In a statement released by the club, it said Pressly was instrumental in keeping the Cape Town Press Club alive. Prominent among things he will be remembered for will be keeping the Cape Town Press Club alive in the decades when so many South African institutions were corrupted and destroyed. Without Donwald, it would almost certainly have happened to the Press Club too.

Journalism and politics

Pressly who graduated from Rhodes University in 1985 has worked as the Cape Town bureau chief of Business Report and held other positions at the Parliamentary Press Gallery and the Cape Town Club.

His notion of public morality and journalistic responsibility got him into notable trouble with media bosses exerting political pressure and even political bedfellows he believed took the wrong path. He was fired from a newspaper on the excuse that he had allowed his name to go forward for a seat in Parliament. And later he got into a battle with the DA when he thought they were deviating from their values, said the Cape Town Press Club.

"Pressly wrote a book looking at the official opposition, titled The Changing Face of the DA. At some point in his journalism career, there was controversy when Pressly sought political office with the DA, while he was still a practising journalist with Business Report," said Sanef.

Social media tributes

Sad to learn of the passing of Donwald Pressly. A mover & shaker in Cape Town & highly credible journalist.



Whilst we managed to disagree on so much (as good political friends do), we shared an interest in nature, walking, local histories, & liberal democratic politics.



RIP pic.twitter.com/1uHf3A6kBc  alexlansdowne (@alexlansdowne) October 28, 2022

RIP Donwald Pressly



Always kind, gentle, compassionate. Always awake to politics. Always ready to argue.



We didn't agree. It didn't matter.



I will be forever grateful for the kindness bestowed on me by you and your Dad.



Rest in Anglican heaven.#RIPDonwaldPressly  Warren Nebe (@WarrenNebe) October 27, 2022
PARIS, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled on Friday a series of measures aimed at preventing wildfires in the country.

Addressing a ceremony to honor firefighters, mayors, helicopter pilots and volunteers who fought wildfires in the country this summer, Macron announced the launch of a "forest forecast" and a "wildfire forecast" service to facilitate the mobilization of help in fighting conflagrations.

The state will also allocate 150 million euros (150 million U.S. dollars) to local authorities from 2023 to help them modernize their wildfire preparedness, he said.

The country will order four new Canadair firefighting planes to bring the size of the fleet to 16 by the end of Macron's presidential term in 2027.

He said he also planned to have new equipment tested to fight wildfires, such as autonomous drones, satellite detection systems and artificial intelligence.

To sustainably manage the country's forests, Macron said that one billion trees would be planted within 10 years.

Wildfires destroyed over 72,000 hectares of land in France this summer. More than 60,000 people had to be evacuated and over 3.3 million tons of CO2 were released into the atmosphere, equaling 5 percent of the country's annual emissions, he said. (1 Euro = 1 U.S. dollar) 
Earlier this year, the Woodford Group mapped out a plan for taking their offering to the next level via a comprehensive suite of services based on the concept of mobility. Six months later, we look at how far they've come with their plan.

When the Woodford Groups CEO, Owais Suleman, speaks about mobility, it sounds more like a way of thinking and philosophy than a noun. Mobility means a lot to us when it comes to what we want to achieve. Simply, its about movement and keeping people moving so they can grow, but on a deeper level, its also about what we can do to ensure that this becomes a reality, he says.

In March this year, Suleman outlined a roadmap that would see the Woodford Groups divisions innovate and improve by asking the question: How do we keep people moving?

This was a question that permeated throughout the company and prescribed key objectives and principles to aspire to.

For its car rental division, for instance, Woodford Car Hire  South Africas largest independent agency  aimed to contribute to the goal by not only taking its fleet to new customers whilst also improving its offering, but also by committing to a goal of zero complaints from customers.

Its vehicle subscription division, WhyBuyCars, set a target of taking the service to the broader market with an online process that cuts out red tape and turnaround time. Its auction website, Woodford Bid, was tasked with encouraging everyday people to list their vehicle on the platform and benefit by selling to registered dealers only at the price they set, and not a cent below.

The gauntlet laid down followed a strategy that looked at both internal and external tactics within the Group, with both minute and mammoth tasks set. Everything  from using less water when washing cars to doubling the size of the fleet  became part of an overall plan to reshape the company.

So how has Woodford fared six months later?

Unbelievably, each division has hit all of their respective markers, and are all well on their way to achieving their annual targets.

Woodford Car Hire, for example, launched a customer service excellence campaign that promoted ethical behaviour and a commitment to promises. The campaign addresses all the negative sentiments around car hire and aims to rectify them. Overall, its been a resounding success, with almost no complaints received, either directly or on review platforms. The effect has been simple, but the process has seen an overhaul of training programmes and better use of technology and systems. Woodford Car Hires market share has been steadily growing as well  increasing to 8% in the past year and adding to that month-by-month.

The division also said it would bring car rental to where people are with branches within popular centres or hubs. Mid-October saw the opening of the fourth such branch. Customers can now find Woodford in Umhlanga, Springfield (Durban), Hatfield, and Sandton. More branches are on the cards in 2023.

Increasing the fleet to meet the demands of the market and get more people to make use of Woodford was no mean feat, but since the beginning of the year, Woodford has purchased more than 1,000 cars and has increased its marketing footprint exponentially.

Woodford Bid has launched a separate weekly auction to encourage private sellers and dealers, WhyBuyCars can get you behind the wheel in under 24 hours from application to collection, and the overall team of staff has grown month-by-month.

The subsequent effect is that more people than ever are making use of Woodford  either on a short- or long-term basis, or even engaging with them to see what solutions they can offer or how they can partner with the company. This mission has most recently seen the announcement of a partnership with Enterprise Holdings  the worlds largest vehicle rental business  that will see Woodford operating Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental, and Alamo Rent A Car at all Woodford locations and across Southern Africa in 2023.

As Suleman explains: This vision of mobility drives us, and we want to keep our promises of coming up with service and solutions that allow people to thrive. This means leaving no stone unturned when it comes to mobility and what we can do with people. Theres nowhere we wont go.

The Group shows no signs of letting up, even with its successes over the past few months. The company is enjoying unprecedented levels of growth and revenue, with forecasts being achieved and surpassed.

We refuse to stop, says Suleman. Were going to take things to the next level when it comes to mobility. For Woodford, that means becoming the leading mobility provider not only in South Africa, but in the SADC region as well.

Follow Woodford's progress by visiting any of their brands to find out about their solutions:

www.woodford.co.za

www.woodbid.co.za

www.whybuycars.co.za




P&G helps thousands of learners resume normal schooling.

Proctor & Gamble has rescued the school year for thousands of learners in KwaZulu-Natal. They have been without proper facilities since July last year, when about 130 schools in the province were vandalised, looted and even torched during the unrest. At the time, the Basic Education Department said it did not have the budget to fix the schools, or to provide mobile classrooms. Siphosethu Primary School Principal, Themba Sokhabase, who was visibly shaken by what had happened said at the time: "It is really sad that we find ourselves where we are today, given how hard we worked to ensure we provide safe and decent infrastructure to our learners. He added: Now everything we worked hard for and were proud to have achieved is destroyed, the learners records, the teachers and school records, they are all gone.

P&G was deeply moved by those sentiments and stepped in to remedy the sad situation. Vilo Trska, senior vice president and general manager for P&G sub-Sahara Africa, says: "P&G cares deeply about the communities it serves and their most pressing needs. We were aware that if we didnt act immediately, it would become even more difficult to recover. So, we quickly committed to tackling the mammoth task, and together with our esteemed partners, we were able to assist and reach out to a number of KZN schools in the shortest amount of time." The company has been working hard with the United Nations Childrens Fund, Unicef, to restore and rebuild some of the schools affected by the devastating riots in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. In December 2021, P&G launched the SiyakhaKabusha Initiative, which means we are rebuilding, to ensure that thousands of children were able to resume normal schooling as soon as possible this year.

Together with Unicef, the National Education Collaboration Trust and the Department of Basic Education, the campaign identified five priority schools for repair. These were Okumhlophe Secondary School, Elora Primary School and Margot Fonteyn High in Umlazi, and Golden Steps School and Siphosethu Primary School in Pinetown. P&G initially pledged R7m to kickstart the initiative. The good news is that the first phase of the programme is now complete, and the rebuilt schools were ready to be handed over at an event on Wednesday, 19 October, at Siphosethu Primary School. Siphosethu has also been adopted by the P&G Always Keeping Girls in School programme.

Today, thousands of parents and learners are thrilled that they again have a haven of education to go to. With the SiyakhaKabusha Initiative, P&G has helped Sokhabase, and other principals, to restore what was lost.

P&Gs Vilo Trska will be joined by all partners at the handover event. Trska explains the motivation behind the SiyakhaKabusha Initiative: Our education system has been tested to the limit in recent times, but as a nation, we have demonstrated time and time again how strong and united we are when confronted with pressing challenges. We can face them head on if we come together and work towards healing and rebuilding our country, by ensuring that the majority, if not all of the affected schools, are restored to their former glory. Through our brands such as Always, Vicks, Head & Shoulders, and Pantene, we have been able to raise funds and launch the SiyakhaKabusha Initiative.

P&G has long recognised that schools do not exist in isolation but are part of the communities they serve. And in order for them to function optimally, schools need to work together with diverse stakeholders, individuals and structures in the immediate environment, including the private sector. That is why P&G recognises the importance of community participation in education.

P&G also recognises the value that schools provide to society, beyond just education. According to Tska: "Our schools aren't only places of learning, but also play other crucial roles, such as regularly providing nutritious food to children in need, which benefits their physical and mental well-being, assisting them to realise their full potential. We need to work together as communities, government and the private sector to ensure our children are not only afforded the basic human right to learning, but are treated fairly, equally, and with dignity."




Employers trying to tackle violence related to industrial action have traditionally reacted with court proceedings and disciplinary action once such action has taken place. Employers should consider taking more proactive steps, including agreeing picketing rules incorporating the Code of Good Practice on the Prevention and Elimination of Harassment in the Workplace.

Image source: Kristaps Eberlins  123RF.com

Violence and unlawful conduct in the context of industrial action is a reality in South Africa. Increasingly, there appears to be nowhere for employers to turn as they seek to manage violent industrial action.

As South Africa reels from the economic and human cost of the protracted Transnet strike that ended in mid-October 2022, we discuss whether employers can rely on the Code of Good Practice on the Prevention and Elimination of Harassment in the Workplace (Code) in managing strike-related misconduct and, in particular, engagements with trade unions in seeking to quell such conduct.

Various trade unions have welcomed the introduction of the Code and have expressed their commitment to its objectives. Industrial action in South Africa, however, continues to be characterised by intimidation and violence by union members. It is often instigated by trade union leadership or, at least, not actively discouraged. Support for, or apathy towards, violent and unlawful conduct by trade union members is irreconcilable with the stated objective of the Code to eliminate all forms of harassment in the workplace and in any activity linked to, or arising out, of work.

The Code, issued in terms of the Employment Equity Act (EEA), requires employers to take steps to prevent and eliminate harassment. It describes harassment as unwanted conduct which impairs dignity and creates a hostile or intimidating work environment for one or more employees or is calculated to, or has the effect of, inducing submission by actual or threatened adverse consequences and is related to one or more of the grounds in respect of which discrimination is prohibited.

Throwing stones, carrying dangerous weapons, blocking workplace entrances, making death threats to management or members of rival trade union members and any threats to or intimidation of non-striking employees from attending to normal business operations could all fall into this category, which is wider than the Codes predecessor (that only dealt with sexual harassment). Even strike-related conduct that does not amount to physical harassment as described in the Code could still be regarded as bullying, mobbing or intimidation, which is described as "intentional behaviour that would cause a person of ordinary sensibilities to fear injury or harm".

The Code does not place obligations on trade unions that are enforceable under the Code or the EEA but it does accept that trade union representatives could be the perpetrators (or victims) of harassment. It tries to encourage trade union involvement by acknowledging that:

trade unions are obligated to refrain from committing harassment;



trade unions have a role to play in contributing to a working environment in which harassment is unacceptable, by ensuring that standards of conduct do not cause offence and by discouraging unacceptable behaviour;



trade unions should, with employers if appropriate, implement awareness training initiatives to educate employees and shop stewards at all levels about harassment. Compliance should be reinforced and maintained through ongoing awareness programmes.

Employers will typically react to strike-related unlawful conduct using legal mechanisms such as interdicts and contempt of court proceedings. These only become available once strike-related violence (or the conduct that amounts to harassment) is an imminent threat or has already erupted. Employers will also take disciplinary action against employees identified as perpetrators of strike-related misconduct, in compliance with the obligations under the Labour Relations Act (LRA).

When the violent conduct is or could amount to harassment, such reactive steps may not, however, go far enough, given the Codes emphasis on preventing and eliminating harassment in the workplace. It could now be necessary for employers to consider what further and proactive steps they may take to comply with this obligation.

The most obvious is to place more stringent obligations on trade unions in anticipation of protected strike action. No picket in support of a protected strike (or in opposition to a protected lockout) may take place without picketing rules:

containing a collective agreement binding on the trade union; or



agreed between the employer and trade union as parties to the dispute; or



determined by the commissioner conciliating the dispute.

If picketing rules cannot be agreed, and must be established, the Commissioner must take account of any relevant code of practice. Consequently, the Code cannot be avoided.

Employers should, when seeking to agree picketing rules or at the time they are established, seek to impose obligations on the trade union (and/or picketers):

not to commit any conduct that would amount to harassment under the Code;



acknowledging that any harassment is unacceptable;



to supply convenors or marshals trained in accordance with the Code and any policy of the employer implemented in compliance with the Code;



to disseminate with the picketing rules any policy of the employer in compliance of the Code and assist any picketer to understand their obligations under that policy;



requiring convenors or marshals to immediately report any consultation process or subsequent steps taken to address a complaint and eliminate harassment in compliance with the Code and the EEA;



accepting that any conduct contravening these obligations constitutes a material breach of the picketing rules, justifying a complete suspension of the picket.

The inclusion of such obligations will never stop harassment from taking place in the context of a strike. Including such obligations will, however, demonstrate an employer's commitment to compliance with the Code and hold trade unions (at least in writing) to their commitments towards eliminating harassment. Apart from potentially helping to obtain an order suspending the picket, such rules may also act as a greater deterrent to trade union-led or supported harassment and, hopefully, a greater culture of accountability by union officials leading or facilitating pickets.

Of course, while accepting that strike-related violence may amount to harassment under the Code, employers also need to accept that (together with managing the aftermath of work stoppages) there will also be a requirement to comply fully with the obligations under the Code in respect of any complaint of harassment. A failure to take adequate steps if a complaint of harassment is brought to its attention may still result in an employer being held vicariously liable for such harassment under the EEA.
Former Eskom interim CEO Matshela Koko was arrested on Thursday, 27 October, along with seven others on charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering over the construction of the Kusile coal power station, authorities said.

Source: Reuters/Mike Hutchings

Koko and the other accused appeared in a magistrate's court and applied for bail, footage from the SABC showed.

An NPA statement said the charges related to allegedly irregular contracts valued at more than R2bn in the building of Kusile, which has been riddled with faults and costs far more than was originally intended.

Koko did not immediately respond to Reuters seeking comment.

However, in a clip posted on Twitter by broadcaster eNCA, Koko said his accusers had "set themselves (up) for failure".

Koko resigned from Eskom in 2018 after being accused of violating procurement rules but was acquitted in a disciplinary hearing.

In his resignation letter, he did not admit wrongdoing.

A spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the accused were not expected to enter a plea at this stage.

String of corruption cases

South African prosecutors have been trying to make headway with a string of corruption cases dating back to former President Jacob Zuma's era. Zuma has denied all corruption allegations levelled against him.

In May, police arrested several former executives of another big state company, Transnet, for alleged corruption.

Swamped in billions of rands of debt, Eskom has been mired in financial crisis for years. This year it implemented a record amount of load shedding, fuelling public anger and choking economic growth.
Winetech and Vinpro once again joined hands with wine grape producers, cellar representatives, viticulturists, and other interest groups in the wine industry during its recent information days.

Source: Matthieu Joannon via Unsplash

The latest research and innovation in viticulture were shared in the Olifants River, Paarl and Swartland, Worcester, Robertson and Breedekloof regions.

"It is important for us to continuously exchange knowledge in the industry so that we can continue to apply world standards in vineyard management, thereby ensuring a more sustainable and responsible industry," says Conrad Schutte, consultation service manager at Vinpro. "We are grateful to Winetech for making these days possible."

Soil health, new techniques, and innovative mealybug control

Soil health is extremely important, says Gert Engelbrecht, Vinpro viticultural consultant in the Olifants River region. Gert gave feedback on a carbon farming congress hosted by Stellenbosch University. "Minimum cultivation, living healthy roots, ground cover, crop rotation and integration of livestock are important. An important aspect of WISE farming is to stop the wrong practices that harm soil health. Use existing beneficial winter weeds as cover crops if possible. Wild barley and creeping saltbush work well."

A cincturing trial by Johannes Mellet from Klawer Cellars produced good results and producers were encouraged to apply this technique. According to Johannes, the vine is cinctured, and the roots are completely cut off from the floor network. No nutrition is therefore received from the leaves for a period of 12 months. The vine dies by itself up to the root tip. This shortens the fallow period before replanting can begin. This is also an effective way to prevent the re-establishment of virus diseases such as leaf roll and fanleaf.

Brahm Jonker introduced FieldBugs arsenal of organisms used for mealybug control. Some of the organisms prey on mealybug and others are parasites that lay their eggs inside the female mealybug. Times of application and organism selection factors were also discussed. According to Brahm, these organisms are already being used with great success in the industry.

Certain core principles for the application of fertiliser were emphasised by Charus du Plessis of Atlantic Fertilisers. The application of organic fertiliser improves the uptake of chemical fertilisers. When it comes to applying fertiliser, its important to take advantage of the entire growing season. Timing is extremely important and soil preparation with the right lime and gypsum applications must be done correctly and in advance. Irrigation is important to manage the water, as well as oxygen levels in the soil.

Elleunorah, grapevine bud mite and erineum mite

According to Hanno van Schalkwyk, Vinpro viticultural consultant in the Paarl and Swartland region, the latest research found that the respective mites are morphologically identical but differ genetically. "So, it is still not possible to identify the different types within the winter bud. Bud mites feed inside the winter bud and cause damage to shoots and bunches. The best strategy for this is to collect 16 winter shoots with at least six lower buds in winter and have them analysed at the Agriculture Research Council Laboratory.

"After budding, the mites migrate to the new buds and spraying must be done carefully according to the contact killers labels. With severe infestation (more than 50% of the buds) treatment will be necessary for at least two to three seasons. Sulphur in the spray programme suppresses the erineum mite that causes leaf gall. There are also contact killers that must be sprayed at the first appearance of blisters at the bottom of the leaves.

To measure is to know

According to Hanno, irrigation scheduling is a powerful tool to regulate crop load and quality.

However, it can only be used in conjunction with measurements. Many producers have groundwater meters, but the refill lines are often not set up correctly. Measuring the stem water potential with a pressure bomb and using the specific norms of water tension is an excellent way to determine refill lines," he says. "Farm dams, which depend on run-off water, are not full this year and the most important times for good water supply to the vine are flowering time, pea berry stage and veraison. When irrigating, the full root zone must be wetted. Dig holes to check the root depth.

E-learning makes it easy

For the first time ever, vineyard workers can sharpen their skills online thanks to an e-learning platform for the wine industry. Winetech Learning and Development, the industry body concerned with rolling out the wine industrys strategy on people development, established this online platform with the aim of offering quality training to people from across the wine industry value chain in a simple and accessible format. Vinpro's vineyard worker training was the very first to be integrated into the platform.

"A teach-the-learner principle is followed by which a person from the farm/institution receives training to aid his/her colleagues online learning experience," says Kachne Ross, manager at Winetech Learning and Development.

Farm smarter, not more expensive

"Focus on measurements and the basics to increase effectiveness," says Trix Quixley from Nexus. "This way, spray effectiveness can be monitored by placing water-sensitive strips inside the vine to determine spray coverage." According to Trix, spray equipment can be calibrated accordingly.

"It is cheaper to spray pre-emptively against powdery mildew and downy mildew  early spraying against powdery mildew is especially important. Good foliage management will also increase the effectiveness of sprays. Use disease prediction programmes to determine the type of downy mildew agent. Downy mildew needs free water to germinate, and its appearance has a lot to do with prevailing weather conditions."

The tasting room is the heart of a wine business

Marisah Nieuwoudt, Vinpro tourism manager, emphasised that the tasting room offers an opportunity for wineries to welcome and nurture visitors. "It's the heart of every wine business," she says. "A total of 36% of visitors visit cellars because of a previous positive experience. Realise the long-term value of tourists and visitors to your tasting room. Work hard on these relationships."

Eskom, what to do?

Ruan Gerber from Breerivier Irrigation discussed alternatives for loadshedding at farm level. According to him, it is important that existing irrigation systems function as effectively as possible  this by itself brings savings. Talk to your irrigation consultant about alternatives for savings and loadshedding relief for your farm. That way you get advice that is tailored to your requirements.

Jan Nortje, the brain behind NOVAP underground irrigation, emphasised that this system has no losses to the evaporation of water. The NOVAP underground irrigation system offers up to 50% savings of irrigation water. There are several advantages to underground irrigation.

Use technology to your advantage

A total of 5 million tonnes of agrochemical formulations are sprayed annually in crop cultivation against pests. According to Marius Ras from Ras Consult, until recently there was still little knowledge about the effectiveness of these formulations due to uncertainty as to whether they reached the primary target surfaces.

"New dropsite technology has changed everything. Now producers can measure and know what the formulations deposition will be. The technology is available, affordable, and easy to use."
New study shows Gen Z are unwilling to compromise on salary, values or work/life balance. Research shows the declining popularity of city jobs and the desire for local work. Businesses are expected to have strong social and environmental credentials. Most expect four day work week to become the norm. Research among more than 1,000 Gen Z workers commissioned by Regus to better understand the future workforce.

Gen Z employees expect a good work/life balance, local offices and interesting work but aren't willing to compromise on salary or company values, according to research among more than 1,000 current and future Gen Z office workers.

The study of the working habits and expectations of those born between 1997 and 2012, undertaken by Regus, reveals the red lines for young workers while showing employers what they need to offer to attract the best young talent.

Flexibility and proximity are of greater importance than big-city jobs

Gone are the days of young employees travelling into major cities five days a week to make a good impression on their bosses. The study revealed that 85% of Gen Z workers want an office close to home as the era of long commutes draws to a close.

More than half (51%) want the ability to work from home, while just a quarter (25%) said a sizeable city-centre office was important. More than a third (38%) would like to work flexible hours, with 43% saying they would quit a job if it didnt offer a good work/life balance.

Gen Z were among the hardest hit by the social and working restrictions of the Covid-19 lockdowns, and it is clear that they are unwilling to return to the pre-pandemic models of working.

Cost-of-living means cash is still king

But while flexibility is vital for Gen Z workers, they are not willing to compromise on salary or career progression to achieve it. The salary was the most important (73%) factor when accepting a new position, followed by promotion opportunities (54%).

Insufficient pay was the top reason for quitting a job (53%), while lack of progression was also in the top three (41%).

Solid values and exciting work are crucial for Gen Z retention

The study also revealed that younger staff aren't willing to settle for tedious work just to pick up their pay cheque.

46% said interesting work was crucial to them remaining in their current job, with only salary and promotion opportunities more important. The exact number said they would quit their job if the work was unsatisfactory.

Working for a business that emphasises values and ethics is also important. 61% said strong leadership and direction are essential, with almost a third (30%) saying they would quit if they felt their employers values didn't meet their own.

Environmental and social responsibility are of particular importance, with 55% of Gen Z workers saying employers should take them seriously and almost half (48%) refusing to join a business that doesn't have clear environmental and social goals. Half (50%) said they would leave their job if their employer backtracked on social or environmental targets.

Gen Z workers believe four day week could be on the horizon

Gen Z workers agree that working life is set to change significantly over the coming years.

55% expect a four-day week to become the norm amidst reports of businesses successfully trialling the initiative across Europe. Meanwhile, more than two-thirds (69%) say that artificial intelligence and automation will become more common in office environments, although just a third (35%) believe it will impact their jobs.

The days of the suit also seem to be numbered. Instead, 57% say jeans are now acceptable. Just one in ten (10%) say it is important to dress like your colleagues and a quarter (25%) say they would dress to impress. Instead, 55% say being comfortable is a priority, rising to 65% among women.

Hybrid working can provide the best of both worlds

With Gen Z workers looking for both flexibility and competitive salaries, hybrid working will help businesses to hire the best talent.

A study found that adopting hybrid working and utilising flexible office space can save businesses a substantial amount per employee, significantly reducing their bottom line while simultaneously offering Gen Z workers the flexibility they desire.

Gen Z workers preference for local workspaces has been reflected in the growth patterns of flexible and office workspaces. IWG plans to open 1,000 locations globally this year, and almost all of these will be in suburban and rural areas to cater to this new demand.

Mark Dixon, founder and CEO of Regus, said: Gen Z is the future of the workforce and economy, and this study demonstrates how they are already shaping the world of work.

"Gone are the days when younger staff readily accept long, time-consuming commutes. This doesn't mean a generation of working from home  the data clearly shows that Gen Z value time in the office to learn and collaborate  but businesses should be thinking about the working locations they can offer without long commutes to attract the best staff.

The pandemic has accelerated hybrid working trends, and with the next cohort of business leaders set to emerge from the Gen Z generation, it is firmly here to stay.

About IWG PLC

IWG is leading the workspace revolution. Our companies help millions of people and their businesses to work more productively. We do so by providing a choice of professional, inspiring and collaborative workspaces, communities and services.

Digitalisation and new technologies are transforming the world of work. People want the personal productivity benefits of living and working how and where they want. Businesses want financial and strategic benefits. Our customers are start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises, and large multinationals with unique business goals, people and aspirations. They want workspaces and communities to match their needs. They want a choice.

Our companies provide that choice and serve the whole world of work: Regus, Spaces, No18, Basepoint, Open Office and Signature. We create personal, financial, and strategic value for businesses of every size, from some of the most exciting companies and well-known organisations on the planet to individuals and the next generation of industry leaders. They all harness the power of flexible working to increase productivity, efficiency, agility, and market proximity.

Join us at www.iwgplc.com.




The Covid pandemic was most likely the result of a lab leak, according to a bombshell Senate report.

Policymakers said there was 'substantial' evidence of an accident at a research facility  while evidence for a natural spillover is 'still missing'.

The interim report concluded that China 's unwillingness to cooperate or open up the lab in question meant it 'no longer deserves the benefit of the doubt'.

GOP members of the Senate Committee on Health Education, Labor and Pensions reviewed hundreds of studies into the origins of Covid and interviewed 'several dozen' experts over the past 15 months.

Writing in the report, they conclude: 'Based on the analysis of the publicly available information, it appears reasonable to conclude that the COVID-19 pandemic was, more likely than not, the result of a research-related incident.'

They add: 'Nearly three years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, critical evidence that would prove that the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and resulting COVID-19 pandemic was caused by a natural zoonotic spillover is missing.'

The report accepts there is still crucial missing information about how the pandemic truly came to be  with no direct evidence for either natural or synthetic origin.

But 'the lack of transparency and collaboration' from China 'prevents reaching a more definitive conclusion', the senate committee adds.

'The hypothesis of a natural zoonotic origin no longer deserves the benefit of the doubt, or the presumption of accuracy.'

Proponents of the lab leak theory  including former President Donald Trump  were initially dismissed as conspiracy theorists or denounced as xenophobes.
Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter was completed on Thursday and the ousting of CEO Parag Agrawal and Censorship Czar Vijaya Gadde immediately followed.





Entering Twitter HQ  let that sink in! pic.twitter.com/D68z4K2wq7  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 26, 2022

JUST IN - Elon Musk took control and immediately fired Twitter's CEO, the CFO, and the head of legal policy, trust, and safety  WaPo  Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) October 28, 2022

BREAKING: Elon Musk officially closed the Twitter deal.



Twitter's CEO Parag Agarawal, CFO Ned Segal, and chief content moderator Vijaya Gadde, who got Twitter to ban Donald Trump, got them to ban political ads, and censor the Hunter Biden story have all been FIRED  Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 28, 2022

Vijaya Gadde, the woman behind Trump's Twitter suspension, fired by Elon Musk. pic.twitter.com/GSt74SCrM1  Farrago Abdullah (@abdullah_0mar) October 28, 2022

the bird is freed  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022



Musk "intends to do away with permanent bans on users because he doesn't believe in lifelong prohibitions," Bloomberg News reported Friday, citing one source. "That means people previously booted off the platform may be allowed to return, though it was unclear if that included former president Donald Trump, the person said."



Musk said he's going to be looking into Twitter's shadowbanning algorithms today.





I will be digging in more today  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022



An open and transparent audit of the censorship practices they've been engaged in over the past five years would be extremely eye-opening.



Business Insider reported the trash at Twitter are already self-purging and leaving for Google and Meta. I look forward to them destroying those websites next.





- Nearly 30% of the workers that left Twitter in the past 3 months have gone to Google or Meta



- Many more have gone to other top social platforms, incl. Pinterest, LinkedIn, Snap, and TikTok. https://t.co/l68nocKcdb pic.twitter.com/s541pXeZVc  Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) October 25, 2022



Some of Twitter's advertisers are announcing they're going to pull their ads and give Musk the Kanye treatment if he allows Trump back on and stops their mass censorship.



Musk published a letter to try and stop the exodus on Thursday, claiming "Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!"



Twitter was for the most part a free-for-all pre-2016 and it was awesome. Obviously today it would trigger significant backlash from our ruling oligarchs but are they going to go soft on Musk if he keeps the same censorship regime in place?





Dear Twitter Advertisers pic.twitter.com/GMwHmInPAS  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 27, 2022



Musk's statement wasn't good enough for the ADL.





As weve repeatedly seen, platforms that refuse to address incitement and slander have become hotbeds for radicalism and hate, invariably reducing the diversity of views on these services. Were concerned this is exactly what will happen with @ElonMusks acquisition of @Twitter. https://t.co/ejXUhSMLRa  ADL (@ADL) October 28, 2022



US President/ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt issued the following statement on Thursday:

"Despite my reservations, I was cautiously optimistic that Elon Musk would take the concerns of civil society to heart, but developments over the past two weeks have been troubling. This includes, but is not limited to, Mr. Musk warmly welcoming back Ye to Twitter after Ye made antisemitic comments on Instagram and was booted off the platform. I worry that this will be indicative of Mr. Musk's approach to content moderation on the platform.



Further, we are concerned that Mr. Musk's acquisition of Twitter may accelerate what ADL has seen repeatedly: the pushing out of marginalized communities from social media. As with Telegram, Gab, Parler, Rumble, and other platforms that refuse to address incitement and slander in the name of free speech, such platforms have become hotbeds for radicalism and hate. This invariably reduces the diversity of views on these services and narrows rather than expands the public conversation.



There are technical fixes and business model adjustments that truly could improve Twitter, but in owning a social media platform, I hope Mr. Musk will abide by the Peter Parker principle: "With great power comes great responsibility." I was glad to see him tweet out to advertisers on Thursday that Twitter cannot become a 'free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences.' But ultimately Mr. Musk will be judged by his actions, not his words."

Sorry Greenblatt but the so-called "far-right" are the most marginalized community on social media and you were the one who pushed them out.







The purges that took place to satiate your demands are what turned Facebook and Twitter into monotonous, boring echo chambers of left-wing radicalization and far-left extremism.



Musk should trigger a jubilee and free everyone who was banned for their political views. When Greenblatt and his gang move to organize a global boycott against him, Musk should just ban them from his platform.



It's high time the tables were turned!



Follow InformationLiberation on Twitter, Facebook, Gab, Minds and Telegram.




NEWS PROVIDED BY

Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

Oct. 27, 2022



NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue (pictured) comments on a European judicial decision that legalized blasphemy against Catholics:

Christmas carols were being sung when a woman walked into Mass, ascended to the altar, naked from the waist up, with pro-abortion slogans all over her body. She then proceeded to "abort" Jesus, holding up pieces of calf liver to symbolize an aborted baby. She completed her blasphemous act by urinating on the altar in front of parishioners.

This 2013 stunt occurred in France. Now the European Court of Human Rights has taken her side, saying she was unjustly found guilty by a French court for an unlawful "sexual display." The high court said she was merely engaged in freedom of expression, and should never have been prosecuted. Indeed, it ordered the French courts to pay her more than $9,500 in damages, costs, and expenses.

No one has more fully understood this kind of moral depravity better than Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. He spoke eloquently about the "dictatorship of relativism" taking place in the West, a reference to the absence of objective moral truths. What better example than this high court ruling?

He also warned of the dangerous aspects of multiculturalism. It is not, as some have contended, a way of appreciating cultural diversity. No, from the get-go it has been used as a club to destroy our Judeo-Christian heritage.

The European Court of Human Rights proved its hatred for our heritage when it called this vicious act a "performance."

If this same woman walked into their court, half naked, ascended to the bench, with obscene slogans on her body condemning the judges by name, and then proceeded to defecate on pictures of their mother, would these open-minded wizards call this freedom of expression?

Here's more proof of their animus against Catholicism. Four years ago it upheld the conviction of a lecturer in Austria who called Mohammad a pedophile for having a sexual relationship with a 9-year-old girl named Aisha.

This court has no legitimacy. It should be disbanded.

Contact Robert Spano, president of the European Court of Human Rights: Robert.Spano@echr.coe.int
U.S. must eliminate negative factors afftecting military-to-military relations: spokesperson

Xinhua) 10:46, October 28, 2022

BEIJING, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese spokesperson on Thursday said that the U.S. side must eliminate negative factors affecting relations between militaries of the two countries if it really intends to strengthen military communication with China.

China attaches great importance to its military-to-military relationship with the United States and is willing to carry out communication with the U.S. side, Tan Kefei, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said at a press conference.

However, he said China has its own principle when developing military relations with the U.S. side, adding that the U.S. side is totally to blame for the serious difficulties in current bilateral military relations.

"If the U.S. side really intends to strengthen military communication with China, it must match words with actions and show sincerity, respect China's interests and major concerns, and eliminating negative factors affecting the military-to-military relationship between the two countries," he said.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
In designing the graceful arcs of Canberra, the architect of our nations capital delivered us with a perfect metaphor for government policymaking. Governments all know where it is they want to get to, but the roads of policy sweep past or around their destination, bringing the object of arrival within view before irresistibly, frustratingly carrying them away.

If the political traveller veers even slightly off course, the vehicular navigation system (here standing in for the media) sagely instructs them to proceed to route but provides no enlightenment on how.

The great Canberra roundabout, where they make budgets, thereabouts. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

But here goes: treasurer, proceed to route. This first budget missed the mark by a Canberra mile.

The out-of-cycle October extravaganza, or Oktoberfest as it should perhaps have been known in acknowledgment of the quantities of white sausage in town for the schmooze-ups, was the new Labor governments opportunity to frame the economic discussion on its own terms.
Jonathan is an exceptional artist who has dared to think as big as we have with our Sydney Modern Project, Brand said. Groundbreaking commissions of this scale and ambition are by their very nature, complex and challenging, especially when they intersect with other architectural and landscape elements. Loading Thousands of visitors are expected to flock to see the gallerys new SANAA-designed building when it opens on December 3, the gallery opening a first-in-line ballot for free, timed entry. Three bronze giant figures by Kiwi artist Francis Upritchard have been installed in the buildings Welcome Plaza. A vivid floral sculpture by Japans Yayoi Kusama now sits atop Sydney Moderns stepped roof terrace, visible from Woolloomooloo. Aerial photographs show the spiral superstructure going up for Joness living landscape, evocative of the natural topography that First Fleeters might have encountered as they stepped ashore on Gadigal land in Sydney Cove.

Aerial picture of Sydney Modern shows the spiral foundations of the art garden going up on the land bridge over the Eastern Distributor to the rear of Sydney Moderns Welcome Plaza. Plantings will reference the gallerys collection, including early botanical drawings by Joseph Lycett and the contemporary works of Gordon Bennett, and grasses will be seeded seasonally by cool cultural burns. Hetti Perkins, the gallerys former head curator of Indigenous art for 13 years, predicts the commission will be one of the most important and unique works to come into the gallerys collection. A key part of it is the activation of the artwork and this ongoing program of talks, of gatherings, not just the cool burns, but commissions related to cultural practices in the landscape  political, environmental, social  building on the existing collection. It doesnt just sit there and gather dust, its an ongoing, living artwork, so different to the way that museums operate. This work will grow and transform. Jones was invited to develop his concept five years ago as Gustafson was creating her cohesive landscape plan for the entire site. Perkins says the artist and Kathryn Gustafson had utterly different ways, of working, thinking, and dealing with the local context.

Jonathan came up with this utterly breathtaking idea, this concept in a direct but also a beautifully nuanced way to connect these two buildings, the old and the new, and its a revelation in what First Nations means. To his credit, he worked hard with Gustafsons team in trying to find a harmonious footprint but Gustafson, in my understanding, was very resistant to the idea. Asked if this was so, Gustafson said: Working on significant public infrastructure projects can be challenging but is part of the creative process when you work with a large and expert team of collaborators, including both architects and artists. Realisation of this project will provide greater access to the outstanding cultural experiences the Art Gallery offers visitors in one of the most strikingly beautiful urban locations in the world. In 2019 initial detailed costing for Joness commission came in much higher than expected and the artist and his fabricator were asked to modify the commission to bring it within a realisable budget. Yayoi Kusamas Flowers that bloom in the cosmos. Credit:Steven Siewert Being neither sculpture nor monument, the final $14 million costs relate to the size and setting of the artscape, and the quality and durability of materials needed for a site that would be open day and night to the public. To be built entirely by Australian workers with mainly Australian or local materials, it includes its own sound and light system.

There were further frictions over the proposed use of cool cultural burns core to Joness concept with the final detailed design not green-lit by the gallerys trust until mid-2021. It received planning approval this January, too late for the project to be finished on time. Perkins, also a member of the gallerys Indigenous Advisory Group, said the group embarked on a very difficult process of mediation but some felt they were not being heard and that the project was being white anted. A Sydney arts bureaucrat with knowledge of the commissions rocky history characterises it as one caught between the magnificence of Joness vision and a directors attempt to manage its costs. Another conceded protracted negotiations over the commissions footprint had resulted in a fall-out between Brand and Jones, but that Brand should be given credit for securing funds to see through the commissions scale and ambition. A Sydney Indigenous culture leader said: This project will endure and will see Jonathan Jones deliver the most extraordinary space for cultural practice in Sydney. That resilience is testament to his practice and commitment. But at what cost do we need to fight for that recognition? I question if an international artist would have been treated in the same way as an Indigenous Australian artist.

They added: We talk a lot about decolonising museums. What decolonising actually requires is changing a system that hasnt benefited Aboriginal people to one that does, and that is exactly what Jonathans project aims to achieve. And those were the pinch points: the ongoing caring and conservation, embracing new ways of working and thinking off-site in the shape of fire management, practices with tens of thousands of years of caring knowledge and research and experience but still unvalued. The design plan for Sydneys Moderns art garden. Credit:DCG Design The gallery says the vision of Sydney Modern recognises the uniqueness of its location on Gadigal Country and the layering of its histories, along with a deep respect for Indigenous histories, learnings and practices. A key aspect of the gallerys expansion will be exceptional displays of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, showcased in a dedicated gallery, Yiribana, the first to be encountered by visitors on the entrance level of the new building. Wiradjuri artist Karla Dickens mixed media commission To see or not to see is being installed in the niche above the front door of the original building, left empty by the cancellation of the original 1913 commission by Dora Ohlfsen.

On the issue of potential building names, the gallery said it is undertaking community consultation, and that the timing of any announcement will be determined by the completion of those discussions. Private donations have been raised to cover the Art Gardens costs and the first three years of the commissions public program, including festivals and ceremonies. Fundraising is underway for an endowment so that public programs can continue in perpetuity. One Sydney arts leader gives credit to the gallery for bringing Joness project to reality. It is incumbent on all institutions to be reflective of how they work with First Nations collaborators and these can be opportunities for institutions to revisit their ethical structures in a way that invites true collaboration and structural change, they said. Everything isnt easy but institutions being open to accountability is necessary. In the case of the commissions for a new institution, there will be difficulties and there will be challenges that dont have to be mortal. Crises can be a catalyst for transformation. Sometimes the most enduring learnings emerge out of real obstruction and challenges.
Aside from a well-fitting bra, a giant jar of Nutella and hearing Tuckers Daughter after a few drinks, there are few things that give me more pleasure than a hidden talent. Theres a frisson that goes with having someone pegged as one person, then they whip aside the curtain and reveal a new side. Its sexy, its fun and its just happened on the world stage courtesy of Taylor Swift.

Last year Swift was awarded an honorary doctorate from a New York university and joked she wasnt the type of doctor you would want around in the case of an emergency. Unless the emergency was that you needed a person who can name over 50 breeds of cats in one minute.

Jimmy Fallon called Swifts bluff when she appeared on The Tonight Show this week to spruik her new album Midnights. He stuck a timer on, crunched the allotted cat calling time to 30 seconds and set her loose. The video is ace: from Scottish Fold through Abyssinian and Norwegian Forest to cat that knocks pens off of desks, the star nails her unlikely talent with a score of 24.

Just, wow. We already knew Taylor is a from-scratch jam maker but seeing her bona fides as a proud cat lady was fabulous. Much less creepy than that time Angelina Jolie demonstrated her expertise with switchblades to a silent talk show audience, and marginally more diverting than a hip swinging Colin Farrell showcasing on Ellen how to boot scoot, courtesy of his days as a Country Music Television line dancer.
The independent Bergin and Finkelstein inquiries into Crown casino and the recent Bell inquiry into Star have all explored the benefits of cashless technology to combat gambling harm and money laundering. Anti-gambling advocates say the advice of three powerful public interest inquiries should hasten the need for NSW to respond and enact a cashless solution. The Independent state MP for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, is now leading a push to wedge the Coalition and Labor on the issue, amending a registered clubs bill that is before parliament to make cashless cards mandatory in clubs. Crawford commends the crossbenchers intent, but believes the solution cannot be rushed: I just dont think the tech is ready. It will be another couple of years. Loading But cashless gaming has a powerful enemy in ClubsNSW, whose extraordinary political and financial influence could yet ensure it fails to see the light of day. As the peak body for at least 6.7 million members at more than 1000 clubs across the state, ClubsNSWs reach is extensive, never more so than in the lead-up to an election. Some of its clubs derive more than 80 per cent of their revenue from poker machine profits. It argues it would cost more than $800 million to change the machines to accommodate the card, costing thousands of jobs. ClubsNSW has seized on the findings of the report to support its own narrative, which has long maintained that criminals were not using poker machines to clean the proceeds of crime.

The NSW Crime Commission found that using gaming machines to clean large quantities of dirty

money is high risk and inefficient and that the practice is not widespread, ClubsNSW chief executive Josh Landis said on Wednesday. This report vindicates clubs and their 53,000-plus employees across the state. It confirms clubs do not aid or abet money laundering. The Crime Commission did find that organised criminals were putting the proceeds of crime through poker machines  billions of dollars of it. But it did not find the pokies were being used to clean large amounts of dirty cash on a grand scale, though that was happening to some extent. The criminals pumping their money through the poker machines were, for the most part, like any other gamblers: playing their money and losing it. Loading Crawford scoffs at ClubsNSWs claimed vindication and wholesale denial of the pox on its house. Its really disappointing. It doesnt matter if its money laundering or just spending proceeds of crime. Its all illegal, he tells the Herald. He adds that clubs risk losing credibility over the issue. To have these poker machines is a privilege, not a right. In part, they need to be the author of the remedy here. NSW Crime Commissioner Michael Barnes says: Good criminals pay professional money facilitators to have their money laundered. Cryptocurrency ... its in Turkey in three minutes. Theyre the sort of people who know what theyre doing.

These mid-level drug dealers dont have access to that. Theyve got thousands of dollars in cash, and they dont know where to put it. Independent MP Justin Field says this shows there are deep connections between gambling and organised crime and discredits the common assertion by pubs and clubs that they would not aid money laundering because they had nothing to gain from cash in-cash out play. What this report shows is that its actually organised crime money thats being gambled, and the venues are the beneficiaries, Field says. It blows apart for the first time the extent to which gambling harm is a driver of criminal activities. These mid-level drug dealers ... (have) thousands of dollars in cash, and they dont know where to put it. NSW Crime Commissioner Michael Barnes NSW accounts for some of the highest poker machine losses of anywhere in the world, with average losses per player of more than $4500. Nationally, the figure is $2800. Over the past three decades the states punters have lost $135 billion to poker machines, twice that of Victorians.

Premier Dominic Perrottet insisted this week that he would not allow criminal activity to continue occurring in pubs and clubs under his watch. Its not happening. So Ill work with industry to fix it, and were going to fix it, Perrottet said. Since Barry OFarrell claimed government in 2011, the Coalition has agreed to successive memorandums of understanding with ClubsNSW every four years. The document locks in commitments not to increase gambling taxes and to maintain existing regulatory regimes. NSW Labor has made similar pre-election commitments. Loading A new MOU has not yet been signed by the government or NSW Labor. The head of gambling research at Monash University, Charles Livingstone, says the findings of the inquiry will make an MOU difficult for both sides of politics. Doing so is not far from Gotham City mayor signing a deal with the mob, he says.

How can an MOU now exist? We have an independent commission that is supposed to be fighting organised crime, releasing a report before an election saying these guys [pubs and clubs] are effectively facilitating the proceeds of crime. NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann says MOU agreements tie the hands of governments by preventing them from enacting serious poker machine reform. I think the question is: is the Crime Commission report stronger in the eyes of Perrottet and Chris Minns than the potential threat of a massive campaign by ClubsNSW at the election? Which are they more fearful of? To be honest, I worry its ClubsNSW and the Australian Hotels Association, she says. Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann has spoken out against a memorandum of understanding. Credit:Christopher Pearce On Thursday, Minns said the findings of the inquiry were troubling, but he insisted he was unwilling to back in any recommendations, including for cashless gaming, until he had consulted law enforcement. He conceded that signing an agreement or memorandum with ClubsNSW could be problematic.
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 an in-depth series investigating controversial neurosurgeon Charlie Teo. See all 14 stories . The families of two children, who had terrible outcomes after Charlie Teo operated on what experts have maintained were truly inoperable tumours, have expressed their dismay over the controversial neurosurgeons responses to revelations about his surgical practices. And medical experts have expressed concern at Teos admission that some of his patients were paying a high price for what he agreed could be described as experimental surgery. I am pushing the boundaries, but someones got to push the boundaries and unfortunately some people pay the price, he told Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon. Teos appearance in multiple media outlets followed revelations in an investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and 60 Minutes that hed charged families extraordinary amounts of money for ultimately futile operations that have catastrophically injured young children. Controversial neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo. Credit:Quentin Jones My operation ruined him, Teo told A Current Affair of his botched surgery in Singapore on four-year-old Mikolaj Barman in 2018. I could not sleep the whole night, said Prasanta Barman, an engineer from India, after learning via Australian television of Teos admission that the surgery had injured his son.

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After the operation Mikolaj never walked or spoke again in the months before he died. This is totally new to me. He never told us that something wrong happened during surgery and that led to his critical condition. I came to know this only now and that also from the TV, Barman said. Mikolaj Barman (centre) was diagnosed with a very rare type of tumour  a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). He is pictured with his father, Prasanta, and his mother, Sangeeta. Gene Howard, the father of seven-year-old Bella, who was partially paralysed following surgery, rejected Teos claim that hed recently absolved him of any blame. Teo told Today that the Shoal Bay tradesman wrote me an email the other night apologising to me about 60 Minutes  he didnt want me to be condemned over Bella  he concedes it wasnt my fault. Howard told this masthead that no one from the family had contacted Teo for the past year. Barman and his wife, Sangeeta, were devastated when Mikolaj was diagnosed in 2018 with an incurable and inoperable tumour called a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). A second neurosurgeon confirmed the diagnosis.

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In October 2018, he paid $80,000 at a Singapore hospital for Teos 10-hour operation. After surgery, the brain surgeon spent 10 minutes telling the parents hed removed 85 per cent of the tumour and that it appeared to be benign. With that, Teo was gone, and they never saw him again. Barman said that after the operation Mikolaj was in the bed in a vegetative state, he cannot play, he can just blink his eyes, and say yes or no to us. Gene and Sarah Howard with their daughter Bella. Barman was devastated to hear Teo tell Tracy Grimshaw on A Current Affair hed made a mistake during surgery and had injured his child. With Mikolaj for example, sure I took out the focal component, went one millimetre too far and took out some of the diffused components and damaged him, Teo said. Emails between Teos office and Barman after surgery made no mention of Teos mistake. Barman said when he emailed Teo to tell him how worried he was that Mikolaj was not breathing on his own after surgery, Dr Teos team told us that they are not concerned as Mikolaj had a big surgery and it takes time to recover after such an extensive operation. But Mikolaj never recovered. Having seen Mikolajs post-operative scans, other specialists told this masthead it wasnt a millimetre mistake. Instead, Teo had removed most of the childs pons, which links the brain to the spinal cord.

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Pre-eminent American paediatric neurosurgeon Mark Souweidane, who was not asked to comment on Teo or his surgeries, said an attempted resection of the tumour was not and had never been an option for DIPG and that it would be incomprehensible for anyone to attempt this. Professor Souweidane, an expert in DIPGs, described it as an aggressive tumour which infiltrates the pons, the part of the brain that decides when you breathe and when your heart beats. Any attempt at resection would result in devastating consequences, he said. To go in and remove that area would remove the very part of the brain that keeps you alive. While Teo declined to speak to the joint investigation, in this weeks interviews, Teo offered contradictory explanations about his surgeries. He agreed that DIPGs were inoperable because their diffuse nature meant the tumour had spread. If you have a diffuse tumour and you operate on it, youre gonna get problems. He said it was impossible to resect as its like taking sugar crystals out of a salt bowl  with a pair of chopsticks. Teo said that in his opinion Bella had a focal tumour, which is confined to a specific area and is amenable to resection.

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This week he suggested Mikolaj did not have a DIPG but a brand new variation of the tumour and Teo said he is trying to work out if its worthwhile trying to operate on these patients. Neurosurgeon Charlie Teo leaving his home on Tuesday. Credit:Rhett Wyman Teo told A Current Affair, I believe theres a third category of diffuse and focal, a mixed glioma with a focal component and a diffuse component  Now the danger in that operation is youve got to stop at the focal component and dont go into the diffuse component. With Mikolaj, I didnt get it right. It only takes a millimetre too far and you can damage someone irreparably. One neurosurgeon said, Its interesting that he alone has discovered a brand new subtype of brain tumour and chosen to announce it on A Current Affair  youd be announcing it to the scientific community and the WHO classification of tumours and getting yourself a Nobel Prize. The medical consensus is that DIPG tumours are inoperable except for taking a biopsy for research purposes or to confirm the presence of the genetic mutation for a DIPG. Medical specialists were sceptical of Teos justifications for his surgeries based on his new theory. They said it raised questions regarding what kind of trials Teo had done, had he obtained consent from his patients and where are the ethics proposals and where has he outlined his protocols? Barman rejected Teos claims on Today that he had chosen the surgery knowing all the risks.

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The operators of a burning landfill site that has plagued residents in Melbournes west with the smell of rotting carcasses for three years could face almost $3 million in fines.

Four fires started deep underground at the Kealba landfill site in November 2019. One, which started beneath a 30-metre pile of construction waste, continues to burn.

A fire at the Barro Landfill in Kealba, Melbourne, has been raging since 2019. Credit:Darrian Traynor

Barro Group, which owns the landfill, has been charged by the Environment Protection Authority for breaching the General Environmental Duty, which came into effect in July last year, and requires that all reasonable steps be taken to reduce the risk of harm to human health and the environment from waste or pollution.

If found guilty, the company will face a maximum penalty of $1.8 million, and three directors could be fined $360,000 each. An initial hearing is set for November 21 at Melbourne Magistrates Court.
The stress can come from one or a hundred incidents, from shootings, car accidents, sex crimes or domestic abuse. From dealing with evil to looking for answers where there are none. The citation, presented to the proud and humbled Curries on Thursday by Chief Commissioner Shane Patton, states: For providing exemplary service through the support of current and former members of Victoria Police and their families where members have been involved in critical and life-changing incidents. Those who knew Kid Currie when he was in the police force would have bet he was more likely to be rapped on the knuckles by a chief commissioner than presented with an award by one. Michelle and Tony Currie with her getaway car. His tendency to test the rules began early. At the strictly live-in Academy he would scale the perimeter fence and race off to Michelle waiting in her car, before returning in the morning. He was convinced he had them fooled, but some instructors chose to turn a blind eye.

An instinctively brave and practical cop, Tony was, he admits, hopeless at paperwork, which is why Michelle, a savvy law clerk, buffed and polished many of his assignments. Again the instructors knew, and marked him down. This annoyed Michelle more than Tony. I would think, That introduction was really good, why didnt it get top marks?. From that night at Caseys she was attracted by his smile and sense of fun - then watched as it drained from him over nearly 12 years in policing. My father said for 10 years he didnt know Tony could smile, she says.

There are police who have a career without seeing an offender with a firearm. From the time Currie marched out of the Academy, trouble seemed to be looking for him. Later in his career, Kid went looking for trouble. Within weeks of graduation a man pulled a knife on him. Within months a troubled Vietnam veteran lured police to his house and pulled a gun in a planned suicide by cop. Currie drew his service revolver. We were in a Mexican standoff. The Special Operations Group (SOG) was called and one shot and wounded the veteran. At the SOG it was unwise to live in a glass house. Soon Currie would join the SOG. The welterweight boxer was at that time the lightest and smallest applicant to be accepted, but soon built a reputation as one of the toughest.

Currie spent 10 of his 12 policing years in the SOG, was involved in six shootings, shot one offender dead and badly wounded another. If policing is seen as a brotherhood, the SOG was almost a cult. They were so insular they were like the mafia. They worked together, had social trips, went to the movies and even went to have their haircuts together, says Michelle. Currie became so obsessed he would sleep in the office to make sure he wouldnt miss a job. Hyper-alert and always on guard, he became disengaged and distant at family or non-police gatherings. His job as an assault team member and explosives technician consumed him. When Michelle was asking his opinion on tiles for their new home, he was rehearsing in his mind how to dismantle a bomb. So, why did Michelle stick with him? There was always a glimmer [of what he had been] there.

In November 1988, the SOG went to arrest Jedd Houghton (a suspect in the Walsh Street murders of constables Steven Tynan and Damian Eyre) in a Bendigo caravan park. When Houghton pointed a handgun at the police, Currie and Paul Possum Carr fired, killing him instantly. Paul Possum Carr and Tony Currie. To have shot dead a suspected double cop killer gave Currie and Carr (who would die 15 years later climbing a mountain in the Himalayas to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation) celebrity status within policing, but behind closed doors it was different. The terrible Houghton shooting scene stayed with Currie.

I couldnt get it out of my head. There were night sweats and broken sleep. No matter how busy I was during the day, at night the images [inside the Bendigo caravan] would come back. Two months later Currie shot and wounded another armed man during a raid on a cannabis plantation. It was made clear to him there couldnt be a third. When he tried to talk a man out of shooting himself, the man stuck his gun in the side of Curries head. Currie would have been justified in using lethal force but instead he and others wrestled the gun from the mans hand. Yet, it wasnt the workload or the danger that led Currie to think it was time to leave but exactly the opposite. Back in uniform, he hated the mundane and was addicted to the adrenaline surge from the life-and-death raids. In 1996 he resigned. It is fair to say Michelle and many in the police hierarchy were relieved.

The week after I left I went for a run and did my best time ever. It was as if the weight of policing had been lifted from my shoulders, Currie says. For me, it was like he had left and then come back, says Michelle. The Curries built a successful window glazing business and were bought out for a lucrative sum. They had a son, who only knew his father as a professional type, not a law enforcement action man. Tony Curries son didnt believe it, but this was once all in a days work for his dad. Credit:Paul Rovere

When a police helicopter appeared on the TV news, Michelle told their young son dad used to abseil out of that. The boy responded: Yeah, in his dreams. They retired in 2011. Three years later Tonys good mate, former armed robbery detective Mark Wylie, took his own life. Wylie had been shot and wounded in 1986 during an arrest raid on a Russell Street bombing suspect. I was aware of his struggles but like others, I believed he would battle on through as he had in the past, says Currie. Then a second police officer killed herself. Tony and Michelle decided to use their experience to reach out to police and families who were suffering similar pressures after critical incidents. The first forum was in 2015, and they have been holding them ever since. Tony enlists a group of police involved in previous fatal shootings to reach out to present police involved in similar incidents. They talk of the images, the broken sleep, the mood swings but also of the truth that there is a way back. Usually, the new members of that dreadful club are just relieved to know their feelings are shared.

Some will say I thought it was just me. It is about letting them know they are not alone, he says. The Curries Critical Incident Forums allow cops and their families to share stories that many have locked away for years. Organised outside the formal police structure, they allow many to open up in a way they would not within a departmental program. Rank doesnt matter and nothing ends up on a personnel file. It is an informal approach where no one is judging you, says Michelle. There are people who thought they would never recover who are now helping others. They are moving from being victims to survivors. They are giving themselves permission to be happy again, she says. It takes time to heal and everyone recovers at their own pace. Tony says: Policing is one of the greatest and most rewarding jobs. Some of the friendships you make last forever.
Western Australias police commissioner has said he is horrified by the alleged murder of 15-year-old Noongar boy Cassius Turvey, but has warned against making statements that could prejudice future court proceedings.

The comments from Police Commissioner Col Blanch come after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in on the case, stating the attack was clearly racially motivated.

Cassius Turvey, before and after the alleged attack.

We are a better country than that and my heart goes out to the family and the friends. This is just a terrible tragedy, he said.

In a statement to media on Friday afternoon, Blanch said justice for Cassius was a top priority and that WA Police were dedicated to stamping out racism in the state.
Government officials have referred the political book, Plagued, which provides a behind-the-scenes account of Scott Morrisons government during the pandemic, to the Attorney-Generals Department, flagging concerns it may contain leaked cabinet information.

Labor senator Tony Sheldon raised concerns about the books contents on Friday at a Senate estimates with officials from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet who confirmed the matter had been referred to the Attorney-Generals Department for potential unlawful disclosure of information.

The book, Plagued: Australias two years of hell - the inside story, was co-authored by political journalists Simon Benson and Geoff Chambers from The Australian newspaper.

Information provided to the authors of Plagued by Scott Morrison is under scrutiny. Credit:Nick Moir

Sheldon queried whether the books exploration of key debates, including Australias foreign policy response to China, the acquisition of nuclear submarines under the AUKUS deal and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, canvassed information from cabinet and National Security Committee discussions.
A Queensland council has asked for a police report into bones found near a former Aboriginal mission to be publicly released after voting to refuse an application to build a childcare centre there.

Ipswich Council is in talks with the state government over their rejection of the project near the Deebing Creek Aboriginal Mission and cemetery, a heritage-listed site in the growing urban corridor, west of Brisbane.

Fraser Property Groups development plans for the Deebing Creek mission and cemetery, released in 2019.

The council voted to knock back developer AV Jennings application two weeks ago after receiving more than 160 objections.

Deputy Premier and Local Government Minister Steven Miles, who has jurisdiction over cultural heritage matters, asked the council to provide reasons for the rejection on Monday.
The unceasing political turmoil triggered by the 2016 Brexit referendum has sparked enormous churn in the British government. But one of the unforeseen consequences has been, for the first time in Britains history, the rapid promotion of ministers from non-Anglo backgrounds into the four Great Offices of State. Labour MP Diane Abbott, who in 1967 was the first black woman to enter the House of Commons. Credit:AP First, it was Sajid Javid as home secretary in 2018; then Sunak into treasury in 2020; followed this year by James Cleverly into the foreign office, Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor of the exchequer in the Liz Truss government, and finally Sunak into the prime ministership this week. But none of this was inevitable.

Former Conservative MP Andrew MacKay was responsible for candidate selection as the partys deputy chairman between 2003 and 2005. He played a key role in modernising the Conservative Party, prioritising women and candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds. Loading This was followed by former prime minister David Camerons A-List  a process to make the Tory ranks look more representative of society as a whole and to bring in star performers from outside the traditional party machine. It was this scheme that enabled him to accurately predict in 2012 that the Conservatives would be the first to field a prime minister of Indian origin. The prediction also became a reality thanks to Sunaks qualifications, which were obvious to party operatives who met him when he was looking to enter politics. MacKay was struck by his intelligence, charm and attention to detail.

He was clearly a superstar and a natural PM, he said. But Sunaks first attempt to stand for office was stymied by Oliver Dowden, who beat him for preselection for a seat in Hertfordshire. Dowden was this week reinstated to cabinet by Sunak and was one of the heavyweights driving the Team Rishi leadership campaign. When former leader William Hague announced he was retiring from his Yorkshire seat of Richmond, one of the safest Tory seats in northern England, Sunak was earmarked as his successor. Delivering his maiden speech with perfect comic timing, Sunak recounted being introduced to a Yorkshire farmer as the new William Hague, to which the reply was: Ah yes, Haguey, good bloke; like him, bit pale though, this ones got a better tan.

But foisting the tanned Hague onto northern, wealthy farmers was no given. Its a huge area of prosperous farmers who had hardly ever seen a coloured face before, MacKay recalled. Hague had to use his 25 years of political capital to coax the local association into endorsing the lad from Southampton. The association always decides the candidate; theyre never told but they can be handled  subtly, MacKay said.

They often want your advice and are grateful for it and I would often steer them in the direction. We made a huge effort to get Rishi in. MacKay said Sunak becoming prime minister vindicated their relentless patronage of the candidate who might otherwise have struggled to get his foot on the political ladder. Sunak is one of the 6.9 per cent of the British population who ticked Britain Indian in the 2011 census. He describes himself as thoroughly British with Indian religious and cultural heritage, and has never cast himself as a diversity candidate. But he speaks consistently about being a practising Hindu and of the Britishness in the great tolerance shown to his migrant parents and grandparents. Both his grandfathers emigrated to Britain via East Africa from Punjab in pre-partition India and what is now Pakistan.

He told Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week that he was a visual representation of the historic links between India and the UK. Loading Watching the extraordinary and significant moment on the other side of the world was Senator Mehreen Faruqi, who moved to Sydney from Pakistan in the 1990s. Less than one hundred years [ago], like me, his ancestors were colonised and were subjects of the British Empire, so it is absolutely incredible to see this turn of events, she said. Faruqis book Too Migrant, Too Muslim, Too Loud documents the racism she has experienced in Australia and particularly since entering politics, including when she sought preselection from Greens party members.

She says its the legacy of the White Australia policy, lack of maturity and wilful denial in discussing racism that is holding Australia back from normalising diversity and reaching the nirvana of when a persons background exits the discussion and a politician is judged purely on their policies and performance  as was arguably the case with former British prime minister Liz Truss. Australia has a lot of catching up to do, she said, in an interview by phone. Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi. Credit:Olive + Maeve The Australia that I see in my workplace is so radically different to the Australia that I live in, the streets that I walk. But if you want to talk about racism in this country and the reality of it for the people who face it, youre often gaslighted and told to go back to where you came from. Racism is inherent in this country, and it basically stems from the dispossession and the way that the country was violently colonised.

But Diane Abbott says its partly because of the empire that Britains multiculturalism is reflected in the topmost levels of power, not seen in comparable countries, including former imperialists. Its not happening in Australia, its not happening in France and its not happening in Germany, she said. Theres something about British society which is a little bit more open. It may be because of the experience of empire, not to say that the experience of empire wasnt a wholly negative thing for the countries that Britain colonised, but somehow there was just that much more interaction. And what happens as a consequence of empire, post-war you have South Asians, Africans, Caribbean people coming to this country in very great numbers and we ourselves have fought for equality, have fought for recognition, she said. But she said her party needed to do some soul-searching and ask itself why it is the Tories who have now given the UK its first Jewish prime minister, Benjamin Disraeli, as well as three female prime ministers and now its first prime minister of colour. (Had Disraeli been a practising Jew, he would have been barred from office when first elected in 1837. It wasnt until 1858 that a person of Jewish faith, Lionel de Rothschild, was able to take his seat in parliament. By that time, Disraeli was chancellor of the Exchequer.)

Its something the Labour Party needs to reflect on, the fact that the Tories had all these firsts when it comes to representation, because there was a point when we had more minority MPs and we have very many women MPs, she said. In the UK, Labour has never had a female leader, and it will have to win the next election in two years time before it can boast of having had a black cabinet minister in one of the Great Offices of State. The British public expects to see diversity and the Labour Party needs to live up to that, Abbott warned. In Australia, its the reverse. Labor has equal women MPs in caucus due to its quota policy, and, while it does not have diversity targets, the last election preselected its most diverse set of candidates in history. By contrast, the Coalition is far behind in gender representation, which dropped to 1993 levels at the last election.

Faruqi said that if the Australian parliament were truly representative, there would be more than 50 MPs from non-European or Anglo backgrounds. Thats an unthinkable proposition at the moment, she said. MacKay offers several lessons from the Tories success, and the first is that diversity must never be about filling quotas. You have to really work hard, they have to be as good or better than their non-white or male equivalents. We didnt want any tokenism; you cant just fill the number and say, Oh we dont have enough black people, lets find some.

He said Sunaks example was a case in point. Immediately after winning preselection, Sunak threw himself into his local constituency, getting up before dawn to speak to farmers as they milked their cows and attended auction marts. Rishi couldnt have done it without William, just as Hague couldnt have done without Rishi being Rishi, he said. And he said the second lesson was that progress builds its own momentum, justifying the need for aggressive action to break down the initial barriers. Once you roll the pitch, people become more open-minded; its not as difficult as you might think, he said. When Sunak told the Conservative leadership hustings in Exeter about his Hindu faith, returning to his temple in Southampton, and described it as an important part of his life and how he and his wife raise their daughters, the audience burst into applause.
India (AM/NS India) on Friday kicked off a Rs 60,000-crore project expansion at Gujarats Hazira and indicated further investment in the future.

Addressing the ground-breaking ceremony, Chief Executive Officer and AM/NS India Chairman Aditya Mittal said: We have invested almost Rs 90,000 crore and have made tremendous progress across many dimensions ensuring the facility is world class, operating safely at full capacity and producing even more quality products.

The major expansion comes almost three years after global steelmakers  and  jointly acquired (renamed AM/NS India) under Indias insolvency law. ArcelorMittal has a 60 per cent equity interest in the venture.

Mittal said the company intends to invest a further Rs 60,000 crore to grow the capacity from 9 million tonnes (mt) to 15 mt and produce the worlds most technologically advanced products. We are bringing technology in steelmaking that has not existed in India. We are going to make products in India that have never been made in the country.

Citing an example of high quality steel, Mittal said, The first bullet train is expected to run on a 50-km section between Surat and Bilimora in 2026 and our steel will be on that train. This is a great example of how we will be contributing to vital government initiatives such as Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Mittal also asserted the need to decarbonize and said: We very much aim to lead the way in this process.

ArcelorMittal Executive Chairman Lakshmi Mittal lauded and said it had always been the best state for business men. The new incentive scheme of the government would lend support to the Hazira expansion project, Mittal said. The Rs 60,000-crore investment was just for this phase, he said: Going forward, there are plans for big investment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed virtually the ground-breaking ceremony for the expansion project, said a totally new technology was coming to India, which would be a huge help in the electric vehicle, automobile, and other manufacturing sectors.

I am sure that this project of ArcelorMittal India will prove to be a milestone in the vision of Make in India. This will give new strength to our efforts for a developed India and self-reliant India in the steel sector, the PM said.

Several top officials of Nippon Steel joined the event virtually. Eiji Hashimoto, representative director and president of Nippon Steel Corporation, said Nippon Steel was committed to making great contributions to the growth of India, through development of AM/NS India.
ArcelorMittal's arm AMNS India is eyeing to supply high strength special steel for the proposed project in India.

AMNS India Chairman Aditya Mittal on Friday announced a Rs 60,000-crore expansion plan for his company's plant based in Hazira, Gujarat.

As per the plan, the capacity of the plant will be scaled up to 15 million tonnes (MT) from 9 MT at present, he said.

The company has been working hard on the expansion plan to ensure it captures the potential that is here in India. The expansion is in line with government initiatives like Atmanirbhar Bharat, Mittal said.

He was addressing a gathering after performing the 'Bhoomi Pujan' to mark the beginning of the expansion project here.

As the company grows, the plan is to expand specialty steel portfolio and focus on segments such as automotive, transportation and renewables, the chairman said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan's erstwhile prime minister Shinzo Abe had laid the foundation stone for the project in Ahmedabad in 2017, he said.

"The first train is expected to run on a 50-kilometer section between Surat and Bilimora in 2026 and our steel will be on that train," the Chairman said, adding: "We are bringing technologies in that have not existed in India. We will make products that have never been made in the country."



Mittal is also the CEO of parent company which holds 60 per cent equity in AMNS India.

In 2019, along with Japan's Nippon Steel completed the acquisition of the Essar Steel Limited plant located at Hazira in Gujarat, and later renamed it to Nippon Steel (AMNS) India.

On October 6, steel maker AMNS India said it has received environmental clearance for the expansion of the plant.

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As China's zero-Covid policy wrecks havoc in the world's biggest manufacturing hub, workers at Foxconn, a significant producer of Apple iPhones, are struggling for food and medical supplies, reported the Financial Times.

Chinese censors took down social media videos showing the plight of workers at the Foxconn-run factory in Zhengzhou in central . Workers could be seen requesting for supplies in these videos. This assembly unit operated by the Taiwanese firm, officially known as Hon Hai Technology Group, is the world's largest assembly plant for Apple's iPhones.

According to two employees who spoke to the Financial Times, the factory did not provide food regularly to workers who were in quarantine.

With more than 95 per cent of iPhones made in China, the manufacturing disruptions reflect investor concerns about Apple's supply chain risk in various parts of the world, including India, which is already seeing a shortage of iPhone 14 in the market. Even though Apple has sought to diversify its supply chain, including starting to assemble iPhone 14 in India, the company still relies massively on for most of its iPhone production.

"If Apple isn't building a plan B, it could be an absolutely historic mistake," FT quoted Manuel Muniz, dean of IE School of Global and Public Affairs in Madrid.

In a statement released on Thursday, said that only "a small number of employees" had been affected and production on the Zhengzhou campus remained "relatively stable". However, Apple has not responded to this claim of yet.

Stringent Covid restrictions in China

With its constant lockdowns, stringent quarantines, and widespread testing as part of its effort to eradicate the coronavirus, stands out from the rest of the globe in tackling the pandemic. The administration of President has yet to indicate that this stance of his government will alter, even though the policy has hurt economic growth. Over the last three days, Zhengzhou, the capital of east-central China's Henan province, reported 69 new Covid-19 cases.

According to several employees, the actual number of affected people in the factory in Zhengzhou, which has about 300,000 workers, was larger than the official estimates.

Since workers returned from a week-long national holiday that ended on October 7, the facility has changed to a "closed-loop operation", one Foxconn employee who requested anonymity told FT.
PRI ECO GEN NAT .BANGALORE DEL24 RISE RISE, in Collaboration with ThriveDX, Hosts the Largest Cybersecurity in India with Over 22,000 Participants Bangalore, Karnataka, India (NewsVoir) RISE, one the top upcoming EduTech players in India, hosted the largest cybersecurity in India, with over 22,000 participants, in collaboration with ThriveDX, the leading global cybersecurity education powerhouse. The winners got jobs at top and all gained cybersecurity skill sets necessary for the future four million open positions in cybersecurity. Cybersecurity skills are crucial for all organizations, and lacking talent to fill those positions leaves organizations vulnerable. Students in India, spanning from rural areas to big cities, participated in RISE's challenge that lasted two months. The majority of the students had no previous cybersecurity experience, and after taking a few courses in the renowned ThriveDX bootcamp, they were able to learn critical skills and participate in the hackathon. The hackathon had over 22,000 participants, of whom 29% were women. Almost all of the students came from smaller cities and universities, proving that cybersecurity is one of the best technical fields for anyone and everyone without any experience in a technical field. All tiers of universities participated in the hackathon and some of the winners even came from lesser-known universities, demonstrating that grit and dedication can lead to winning solutions - regardless of the university. Vaibhavi Paliya from Lucknow, the 4th rank holder in the hackathon said, I learned a lot of great things as a beginner. Things like what we need to learn about cybersecurity, cryptographic functions, how to secure our files, little tasks of forensics like file forensics or data forensics. It was really fun for me and the incentives offered by RISE and ThriveDX were really great. There are 4 million unfilled cyber jobs needing to be filled. With a mission to make cybersecurity education and careers more accessible, ThriveDX's Cybersecurity Bootcamps reskill individuals seeking careers in cybersecurity with the tools and know-how to land an entry-level job. It was so rewarding to know that 22,000 students not only participated, but winners received job offers from top in India, said Roy Zur, CEO of ThriveDX Enterprise Division. Cybersecurity as a career has immense potential not only in India but globally, and RISE wanted to drive enhanced awareness about and around this amongst the young tech talent in the country, said Gaurav Bhatia, CEO of RISE. The hackathon was an endeavor towards that direction. It was heartwarming to see that a lot of young talent came from Tier 2 cities and there was good participation by women and men alike. This is important in cybersecurity as a paucity of female talent comprises only 25% of the global cybersecurity workforce. This hackathon also had 10 hiring partners, offered 25 internships and 25 full time job opportunities for the winners, as well as various scholarships for those participating. One of our favorite parts was that 29% of all the participants identified as female in the hackathon. The gender disparity in tech in India is very stark. When we look at Cybersecurity, the difference is bigger with only 21% of Cybersecurity professionals in India being women. Having identified this gap at RISE, we want to promote women in tech through special scholarships for women and offer them opportunities to succeed, said Khyaati Jain, V.P Operations & Strategy, RISE. To share insights on navigating a career in the tech industry, the latest cybersecurity trends, and how digital transformation is influencing how organizations address cyber risk, ThriveDX will be hosting a free virtual on Nov. 2-3, 2022. ThriveDX will welcome the world's top industry leaders, talent experts and professionals from like Google, Microsoft, HubSpot, CompTIA, Amazon and other industry leaders. They'll share insights on navigating a career in the tech industry, the latest cybersecurity trends, cybersecurity healthcare use cases, developer use cases and ethical hackers' practical experiences. Register for free at thrivedx.vfairs.com. All sessions will be recorded and available to Summit attendees following the live broadcast. For more information and about the general services offered by RISE and ThriveDX, visit risewpu.com and thrivedx.com. About RISE Founded in April 2021, RISE has been set up with a mission to encourage and empower students across cities, strata, and societies to be socially and culturally aware leaders of the world. They help students to transform & succeed in the fields of technology, data science, analytics, artificial intelligence, public policy, cybersecurity, finance & accounting, fintech, global business administration, marketing research, and more. RISE also works with Universities and other higher education institutions by providing full stack services which enable them to go digital and increase their reach across geographies. Besides, and more significantly, RISE also provides scholarships for women in tech and discounted courses for the underprivileged. Each course is affordable and, crucially, is curated and taught by industry experts, thus increasing the chances of employability. Based out of Pune, with offices in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, and boasting an 80-member strong team, RISE is targeting a fourfold growth both in the number of courses and students in the coming financial year. About ThriveDX ThriveDX is the #1 global leader in cybersecurity education, and an expert in providing cybersecurity training to upskill and reskill lifelong learners. Our teams are made up of military trained cyber experts, industry veterans and seasoned educators united to close the worldwide skills and talent gap in cybersecurity. Operating in two divisions - education and enterprise - ThriveDX's award-winning solutions exist to bridge the skills gap and impact the talent shortage in the cybersecurity and overall tech industry. The Education sector partners with top-tier academic institutions, enterprises, and government branches globally to offer advanced, professional development programs in cybersecurity and digital technology. The Enterprise branch (formulated by companies formerly known as Cybint Solutions, Kontra Application Security, Lucy Security, ThriveDX Labs, and HackerU Pro), is a suite of products and services that cater to non-technical employees, developers, IT professionals and anyone in between. For more information, visit thrivedx.com. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Newsvoir and

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State-owned SAIL on Friday said that it has entered into a pact with (AAI) for facilitating the start of commercial flights from in .

Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has signed the operation and management contract with AAI through its unit Steel Plant.

The public sector enterprise had in 2018 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for use of its own airport, under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN, for operation of commercial flights.

The civil aviation ministry has rendered financial support for the upgradation of this airport.

The government will deliver security, fire and ambulance services besides assisting with other local clearances.

AAI, on behalf of SAIL - Steel Plant, will operate and manage the airport.

Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) -UDAN, a flagship project of the central government launched by the civil aviation ministry, envisages enhancing the regional air connectivity by providing support in terms of infrastructure and other facilities.

The start of operations at Rourkela, Bokaro and Burnpur airports under the RCS-UDAN would benefit the citizens of these cities through better connectivity and also speed up the development activities in the region.

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Vedanta Ltd on Friday reported a 60.8 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 1,808 crore for the quarter ended September 30 on the back of higher expenses.

The company had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 4,615 crore in the year-ago period, Vedanta Ltd said in a regulatory filing.

The company's expenses during the July-September period increased to Rs 33,221 crore from Rs 23, 171 crore in the year-ago period.

Its consolidated income during the quarter under review increased to Rs 37,351 crore from Rs 31,074 crore last year.

Vedanta is a diversified natural resources company.

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Aam Aadmi Party leaders staged protests in several constituencies of the capital on Friday against "garbage mismanagement" in the city by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

The leaders and the party workers gathered with placards in their constituencies and raised slogans against the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).

Staging protest near Govindpuri metro station, Kalkaji MLA Atishi alleged that the MCD has turned the entire city into a "dumping ground" and the will come up with "16 more landfill sites" across the city.

"The has formed a mountain of garbage just at the main entrance of Kalkaji. This place will soon start turning into a landfill site. Even the Kalkaji residents are unhappy with the MCD. The BJP-led MCD has turned the entire Delhi into a dumping ground and they will come up with such landfill sites in 16 other places in the city," she said.

Portesting near a pile of garbage in Tilak Nagar area, MLA Jarnail Singh said the has to be "removed" from the MCD for the "mountains of garbage" to be removed from the city.

"On one hand, the BJP is making heaps of garbage across Delhi and the Lieutenant governor has stopped the schemes of public interest. On the other hand, Arvind Kejriwal government is working relentlessly to make Delhi's environment better, clean and beautiful. This is a fight against pollution," the Tilak Nagar MLA said.

Other leaders like Vikas Puri MLA Mahendra Yadav and Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar also joined the protest in their respective constituencies.

AAP and BJP workers on Thursday held protests against each other with each party accusing the other of mismanagement of solid waste in the city.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal visited the Ghazipur landfill site on Thursday and asserted that the upcoming will be fought on the garbage issue.

Scores of BJP supporters demonstrating against the AAP had shown black flags and denounced Kejriwal, accusing the government headed by him of not releasing money to the civic body.

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The (BSF) troops on Thursday recovered a bag containing and ammunition during a search near the zero line, informed the officials.

The BSF recovered 3 AK-47 rifles with 6 empty magazines, 3 mini AK-47 rifles with 5 empty magazines, 3 pistols with 6 empty magazines, and 200 rounds of ammunition.

As per the BSF, Police has been informed for further action.Further details are awaited.

Earlier today, one labourer died as troops rescued four General Reserve Engineer Force labourers who were trapped under debris, said officials.

"One labourer was dead and the remaining four were admitted to Dhawan Nursing Home," said BSF Frontier officials.

Further details are awaited.

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A large number of Buddhist monks from across the globe participated in a march in on Thursday as part of the golden jubilee celebration of the Peace Pagoda at Dhauli.

Spreading Lord Buddha's messages, the monks walked from Special Circuit House to AG Square, from where they were taken in a bus to Dhauli Junction.

From Dhauli Junction, they again walked to the Peace Pagoda, which is located 8 km south of .

The monks came from the US, Japan, Ukraine and Sri Lanka, among other countries, to participate in the two-day celebration of the golden jubilee of the Shanti Stupa, an official said.

On Friday, rituals and a mass peace prayer will be held. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to attend the functions.

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The world is falling short of goals set in Paris in 2015 and currently there is no credible pathway to restrict to under 1.5 degrees Celsius, said the Environment Programme (UNEP) on Thursday.

The agency's ' Gap Report 2022-The Closing Window' called for an urgent system-wide transformation to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) by unprecedented levels in eight years. The report comes weeks ahead of the 27th session of the Conference (COP27) scheduled from November 6 to 18 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

The report said that despite a decision by all countries at COP26 to strengthen Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), progress has been woefully inadequate. NDCs submitted this year tackle 0.5 giga tonnes of CO2 equivalent, less than one per cent of projected global in 2030

The full implementation of NDCs and additional net zero commitments point to only a 1.8 degrees Celsius increase. However, this scenario is not credible due to the discrepancy between current emissions, short-term NDC targets and long-term net-zero targets.

Unconditional NDCs are estimated to give a 66 per cent chance of limiting to about 2.6 degrees Celsius over the century. For conditional NDCs, those that are dependent on external support, this figure is reduced to 2.4 degrees Celsius.

Current policies alone would lead to a 2.8C hike, highlighting the temperature implications of the gap between promises and action, said the UNEP report.

by China, India, Russia, Brazil and Indonesia GHG emissions rebounded in 2021, exceeding levels before 2019. The highest increases between 2019 and 2021 were observed in Indonesia and China, at 6.8 per cent and 5.9 per cent respectively, the report said.

The top seven emitters (China, the EU27, India, Indonesia, Brazil, the Russian Federation and the United States of America) plus international transport accounted for 55 per cent of global GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions in 2020. Collectively, G20 members are responsible for 75 per cent of global GHG emissions, said the report.

However, CO2 emissions rebounded to 2019 levels in 2021, with global coal emissions exceeding 2019 levels. Methane and nitrous oxide emissions remained steady from 2019 to 2021, and fluorinated gases continued to surge.

The global average per capita GHG emissions was 6.3 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e; tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) in 2020. The US remains far above this level at 14 tCO2e, followed by Russia at 13 tCO2e, China at 9.7 tCO2e, Brazil and Indonesia at about 7.5 tCO2e, and the European Union at 7.2 tCO2e.

India remains far below the world average at 2.4 tCO2e.

The report suggested remedial measures in six areas: electricity supply, industry, transport and buildings sectors, and the food and financial systems.

It estimates a global transformation to a low-carbon economy would require $4 trillion to 6 trillion in investment a year and suggested six sets of measures to raise such resources, including carbon pricing and creating a market for low-carbon technologies.

"The emissions gap is a by-product of a commitments gap. A promise gap. An action gap. That gap must be filled, starting with COP27 in Egypt," said UN secretary general Antonio Guterres in a video message ahead of the report's release.
Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland has welcomed India's offer to share its path-breaking Unified Payments Interface (UPI) technology with other members of the Commonwealth of Nations, hailing the move as potentially transformational.

is an instant real-time payment system which facilitates inter-bank peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions.

The transaction is done through mobile in easy steps. Besides, there are no charges applicable for the transaction so far.

Moreover, it has played a key role in the country making a transition to a cashless economy.

The inexpensive medium for cashless transactions has been gaining traction month-on-month basis.

Payment through has crossed a milestone of Rs 11 lakh crore in September, as per the data released by National Payments Corporation of .

An offer was made by at the Commonwealth Bank of Governors meeting on October 12. This generosity is very welcome, Scotland told PTI in an interview.

India's willingness to share its technology with others, makes it different from other countries, she noted.

We do think that is a very bright spot. But the brightest spot is the willingness that India has to share that technology. The Indian bank has indicated in our government bank governance meeting, that they are willing to share the technology for this UPI with other member states. You know that (this) costs a lot of money to develop. This openness and generosity is very welcome, the secretary general of the 56-nation group said.

But India's innovation has given hope to many of those member states. Because not only has India developed these new techniques, but she has been willing to share them with others as public good. This has been potentially transformational. Because India has seen and tested some of these developments, which other countries are now thirsting for, and India's been willing to share. So, it is a bright spot, she observed.

Commonwealth law ministers will be meeting in Mauritius.

One of the opportunities we're going to be talking about is not just digital trade, but how do we transform the justice system, and take better advantage of digitisation in all of our countries, she said.

The Commonwealth member nations, she observed, are looking forward to adopting the digital payment system.

Because the fact that now, India has raised millions of its people out of poverty. By giving these direct payments in their hand you've been able to get the immediacy, women have benefited enormously from this. Because they don't get the money transferred to other people, they're getting it right here, she added.

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Taking note of a order asking it to promptly hear such matters, the on Friday requested its division bench to decide at an "early date" petitions concerning incidents of violence in Jamia Millia Islamia in December 2019 following student protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma sent the batch of petitions, which have alleged the use of ruthless and excessive force by the police and paramilitary forces on students, to the division bench headed by Justice Siddharth Mridul and directed that it be listed for hearing on November 29 along with pleas concerning the riots of February 2020.

"List all matters before Division Bench (DB) II.on November 29. The DB is requested to decide the matter at an early date as directed by the Supreme Court," the bench, also comprising Justice Subramonium Prasad, said.

The petitions seek directions for setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), Commission of Inquiry (CoI) or a fact finding committee, medical treatment, compensation and interim protection from arrest for the students and registration of FIRs against the erring police officers.

The police had earlier opposed the plea for setting up of a SIT or a CoI to look into the incidents of violence, saying it would "amount to supplanting the law".

The petitioners before the court are lawyers, students of JMI, residents of Okhla in south Delhi, where the university is located, and the Imam of the Jama Masjid mosque opposite Parliament House.

On October 19, the had requested the high court to "hear out early" the petitions concerning the incidents of violence while noting that "these matters are pending before the high court for some time now".

Counsel for Delhi Police Rajat Nair Friday sought an adjournment from the court on the ground that additional solicitor general SV Raju had been appointed to argue the matter but he was not available.

He also said that the present batch was "linked" with the batch of petitions concerning the riots that broke out in the city's north-east area in February 2020 and are currently pending consideration before another bench.

The court, while sending the matters to the other bench, also asked the Delhi police to respond to an application by one of the petitioners for inclusion of certain additional prayers in the main petition.

The application prays that the FIR registered by Delhi Police against students as well as the complaints made by the students should be investigated by an independent agency. It also recommends the names of certain civil servants who could be appointed to head the independent SIT.

In the main petitions, the petitioners have said that there was need for an SIT which was independent of the police and the central government which by their conduct have shown that their investigation into the violence was "not independent".

They have said that such a move would also "reassure the public" and would restore the people's faith in the system.

Earlier, the police had opposed the petitions, saying that the reliefs sought by the petitioners cannot be granted as charge sheets have been filed in connection with the violence and they should have sought whatever relief they want before the subordinate court concerned.

On the issue of police entering the varsity without permission, the police's counsel had said internationally police are not denied access to educational institutions and universities.

With regard to providing compensation to students who were seriously injured in the violence, he had said that the same can be awarded only if there was an admission of breach and in the present case the issue was still being examined.

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Union on Thursday said that India's northward journey of development will be complete after reaching and Baltistan, which are parts of Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Singh was referring to a 1994 resolution, passed in the Parliament on getting back the territories.

Singh was addressing the Shaurya Diwas function in Srinagar to mark the anniversary of India's first military victory after Independence. In his address, Singh also mentioned how is still committing atrocities against people in occupied Kashmir and that the neighbouring country will have to bear its consequences as well.

Let's know what the issue is and how does it affect India:

What and where is

Gilgit-Baltistan, often referred as G-B, is the northernmost territory, administered by since 1947. It provides the nation with the only territorial frontier and a land route with China, where it meets the Xinjiang Autonomous region. region makes up to 86 per cent of PoK.

Gilgit-Baltistan history

Formerly known as Northern Areas, Gilgit-Baltistan was part of the former princely state of that acceded to India in full post-Independence. It was ruled by the British, who took the region on lease in 1935 from Hari Singh, the Hindu-ruler of the state.

On October 22, 1947, tribal militias backed by Pakistan poured into the valley and marched towards Srinagar, in accordance with Operation Gulmarg. Hari Singh, the Hindu-ruler of the princely state then sought assistance from India and signed the Instrument of Accession, making a part of India, following which the landed in the valley to push back the Pakistani invaders.

In Gilgit, meanwhile, a rebellion broke out against Hari Singh. On November 1, a local political outfit called Revolutionary Council of Gilgit-Baltistan proclaimed the independent state. In just a span of two weeks, the group announced its accession with Pakistan.

After the British returned to Hari Singh in 1947, the ruler sent his representative Brigadier Ghansar Singh, as Governor. However, Scouts, who were led by British Major William Alexander Brown rebelled. The officer illegally offered the region to Pakistan, who occupied it on November 4, 1947.

In 1949, Pakistan entered into an agreement with the 'provisional government' of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), to take over its affairs. Under that agreement, the AJK government also ceded the Gilgit-Baltistan administration to Pakistan.

What do the people of G-B want?

While the residents of the region expressed a desire to join Pakistan after gaining Independence, the neighbouring country did not merge the region, citing its territorial link to . The people of G-B have been demanding merger for years, so that they could enjoy the same Constitutional rights that Pakistanis have.

What is the current status of Gilgit-Baltistan?

In 2009, Pakistan passed the Gilgit-Baltistan (Empowerment and Self-Governance) Order, and granted the region a Legislative Assembly and a chief minister. A governor would also be appointed by the president, however, until then, the region was to be called Northern Areas and to be ruled by the executive.

In 2018, then-Pakistan Muslim League (N) government passed an order which would limit the powers of the Assembly. It was done so that the government would have a greater control of the region and resources for the infrastructure projects, which were being planned under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), according to a report published in The Indian Express.

The order was repealed a year later and in 2019, the Imran Khan-led government was directed to bring governance reforms in the region. The reforms were not introduced by the Imran Khan government and in 2020, the leader promised to provide provisional provincial status to the region, which was also not achieved.

Gilgit-Baltistan's significance for India

India has always maintained its stance that entire former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir belongs to India. The government has also objected to the plan of making G-B a Pakistan province. The strategic importance of Gilgit-Baltistan only strengthened after .
Prime Minister on Friday said a piece of single has the capability to snowball into a matter of concern and emphasised the need to come up with technological advancement to check them.

Addressing the 'Chintan Shivir' here, a gathering of home ministers of states to deliberate on issues of internal security, Modi stressed on the need to educate people about analysing and verifying any piece of information before forwarding it to others.

"One should think 10 times before forwarding any information and verify it before believing it. Every platform has tools to verify any information. If you will browse through different sources, you will get a new version of it," the prime minister said.

Pointing out the possibilities of social media, Modi said that one should not limit it to being the source of information.

He said that a piece of single has the capability to snowball into a matter of concern.

Modi lamented the losses that India had to face due to about job reservations in the past. "We have to come up with technological advancement to prevent the spreading of fake news," the prime minister said.

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Union Finance Minister on Friday asked States to adopt a multi-modal approach and ensure did not become a burden on .

She said the PM Gati Shakti was a beautiful protocol with which a synergy could be brought in.

Delivering the inaugural address after inaugurating the third campus of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in Kakinada, Sitharaman referred to 'One District-One Product' and 'Vocal for Local', initiatives, aimed at promoting local products and creating their export markets.

She said the Commerce Ministry was working on getting an export policy that would help the by giving them incentives and promoting many things.

There's a repetitive and very relevant line that the Commerce Minister refers to We can't be exporting taxes.' We also should identify ways in which those taxes whether Centre, State or local that are on these products should be removed so that we don't burden their exporters, the Finance Minister said.

The governments did not get much revenue from those products but burdened the nevertheless, she noted. She said the growing cost of electricity and was also affecting the exports. With better roads and ports coming electronic facilitation for the customs operations comingsurely, the element is being addressed little by little. State governments should also spend some time to see that logistics doesn't become a burden on exporters, Sitharaman said.

The Finance Minister referred to the Prime Minister's suggestion that States should open export promotion offices in Indian embassies abroad. If you have the capacity to tell the kind of things you produce that are international class our embassies are the place where you should be and target the markets there. Some of our States are the size of some European countries. We have the capacity even as a district to capture the market outside, she said.

The 'One District-One Product' is an attempt to identify such products in each district that have a natural capacity, organic capacity. And 'Vocal for Local.' Those are the kind of products that capture international imagination and need to be supported, she added.

Sitharaman, who said she was speaking as a student of trade and not a minister, observed that trade-related courses should become a lot more nimble. She exhorted the IIFT students to have a comprehensive understanding of what was going on in the global trade areas.

"Multilateral institutions that govern trade have set the global norms. We should understand them. If anything, India's case should be put forward in a far more discerning, understanding way, she said.

Sitharaman asked students to widen their horizon and have a multi-disciplinary approach to studying trade. The Finance Minister asked the IIFT Vice-Chancellor to ensure the institution actively engaged in India's trade.

Wonderful brains are here. Use them to tell the Commerce Ministry how to go about it (foreign trade). You should be in the team of the Commerce Minister when he negotiates trade (with foreign countries), Sitharaman said.

She took a dig at the Indian economic service and Indian trade service officers for doing only a copy-paste job. You have Indian economic service and Indian trade service officers giving papers to the Minister, saying, Oh, minister can you please take this up?' But, many a time I find them copy-paste. I am sorry to say this. The Minister doesn't get an advantage, Sitharaman remarked.

Andhra Pradesh Ministers Buggana Rajendranath, K Nageswara Rao, Ch S V Krishna, S A Raju, Rajya Sabha members G V L Narasimha Rao, P S C Bose, Lok Sabha members V Geeta, M Bharat, MLCs, MLAs, and others attended the event.

The IIFT-Kakinada has been opened on a temporary basis on the campus of the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University here. IIFT's own campus on a 25-acre site at the Kakinada SEZ would be built at a cost of Rs 230 crore.

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A total of 21.4 lakh TB cases were notified in India in 2021 18 per cent higher than 2020 with over 22 crore people screened for the disease across the country for early detection and treatment, according to the WHO'S Global TB report.

Under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, an initiative of the government, more than 40,000 Nikshay Mitra are supporting over 10.45 lakh TB patients all over the country presently, the Union Health Ministry said.

The World Health Organization, which released the report on October 27, noted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis, treatment, and burden of disease for TB all over the world.

Taking note of the report, the Union Health Ministry on Friday claimed that India has, in fact, performed far better on major metrics as compared to other countries over time.

"India's TB incidence for the year 2021 is 210 per 100,000 population compared to the baseline year of 2015 (incidence was 256 per lakh of population in India); there has been an 18 per cent decline which is 7 percentage points better than the global average of 11 per cent," the ministry said in a statement.

These figures also place India at the 36th position in terms of incidence rates (from largest to smallest incidence numbers), it said.

While the COVID-19 pandemic impacted TB programmes across the world, India was able to successfully offset the disruptions through the introduction of critical interventions in 2020 and 2021, which led to the TB Elimination Programme notifying over 21.4 lakh TB cases 18 per cent higher than 2020, the statement said.

The ministry said the success can be attributed to an array of measures implemented in the programme over the years, such as the mandatory notification policy to ensure all cases are reported to the government.

Intense door-to-door Active Case Finding drives to screen patients to ensure that no household is missed, has been a pillar of the programme, the government said.

The aim has been to find and detect as many cases as possible to arrest transmission of the disease in the community, which has contributed to the decline in incidence, it said.

For this purpose, India has also scaled up diagnostic capability to strengthen detection efforts, it said.

Indigenously-developed molecular diagnostics have helped expand the reach of diagnosis to every part of the country today. India has over 4,760 molecular diagnostic machines across the country, reaching every district, the statement said.

Against this backdrop, and before the publication of the global report, the Ministry of Health had communicated to WHO that the ministry has initiated domestic studies to arrive at a more accurate estimate of incidence and mortality rates in a systematic manner and India's data will be provided after conclusion of studies in early part of 2023, the statement said.

The WHO, acknowledging the health ministry's position and in its report, noted that estimates of TB incidence and mortality in India for 20002021 are interim and subject to finalization, in consultation with India's Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

The results of the health ministry's study, initiated by the Central TB Division (CTD), will be available in approximately six months' time and shared with the WHO.

These steps are in line with India conducting its own Prevalence Survey to assess the true TB burden in the country the world's largest such survey ever conducted.

The WHO report notes that India is the only country to have completed such a survey in 2021, a year which saw considerable recovery in India.

The WHO Report also notes the crucial role of nutrition and under-nutrition as a contributory factor to the development of active TB disease.

In this respect, the TB Programme's nutrition support scheme Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana has proved critical for the vulnerable.

During 2020-21, India made cash transfers of 89 million dollars (INR 670 crores) to TB patients through a Direct Benefit Transfer programme, the government said.

Moreover, in September 2022, the President of India launched a first-of-its-kind initiative, Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, to provide additional nutritional support to those on TB treatment, through contributions from community and organisations.

Till date, 40,492 donors have come forward to support over 10,45,269 patients across the country, the statement said.

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The has told the Supreme Court that M Sivasankar, former principal secretary to Chief Minister and accused of gold smuggling, has been influencing other accused and using state machinery to fabricate false cases against it and the investigating officer.

The government machinery turned against the (ED) after Sivasankar's role was detected in the smuggling case and false cases were registered against directorate officials to derail probe and trial, the agency alleged.

"Even though a letter was sent by the CM (chief minister) of to the PM (prime minister), when the investigation progressed and the role of his own then principal secretary was detected, the state machinery turned against the ED and registered false cases by influencing the accused and making efforts to derail the investigation and trial," it said.

The ED filed its response in reply to the counter affidavit filed by Indian Administrative Service officer (IAS) Sivasankar on a plea of the probe agency seeking transfer of the trial in the case to a special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court in Karnataka.

"It is submitted that it is a well-known fact that the Respondent No. 4 (Sivasankar) is a highly influential bureaucrat and the possibility of tampering the investigation is clearly given in the petition. After coming out on bail, M Sivasankar, IAS, has been influencing other accused and is using the state machinery to fabricate false evidence against the investigating officer and the investigating agency," the ED said.

The agency said that its plea for transfer of the trial is based on the ground that the respondents number one to three -- Sarith PS, Swapna Prabha Suresh and Sandeep Nair -- are being influenced and intimidated through threats and false cases by senior officials of the Kerala Police and the state government at the behest of Sivasankar.

This is being done in order to thwart and derail the trial and thereby protect certain powerful individuals holding important positions in the government who are involved in the case, the ED said.

The top court had on October 10 allowed the impleadment application of the Kerala government on the ED's transfer plea and issued notice to all the four accused who were made party in the plea. The Kerala government had opposed the transfer of the case outside the state.

The ED said, "In the present case a central investigation agency is filing for a transfer in view of the fact that powerful persons in the state government are involved and in view of demonstrated misuse of State power to thwart proceedings."



"Transfer not being sought on account of any apprehension against the judiciary, such transfer would not cast aspersions on the State judiciary. The question here is not pertaining to independence of judiciary but to uphold the sanctity of fairness in trial," it said.

The ED added that its transfer petition cannot be said to be politically motivated and has been preferred on the basis of material facts leading to reasonable apprehension genuinely formed with regard to the possibility of conducting a free and fair trial in Kerala.

It said that the Kerala government states that a statement made by Swapna Suresh before the court under CrPC section 164 was enough to cause widespread riots in the state.

"It is therefore evident from the pleading of the state of Kerala in its impleadment application itself that the atmosphere in the state of Kerala is so charged in relation to this case that a free, fair, tranquil and independent trial free from external and extraneous influence would be almost impossible," the ED said.

This clearly establishes the ED's case to seek a transfer of the trial out of Kerala. Therefore, the objection by the state to the trial's transfer to a place outside Kerala is "wholly unwarranted", it said.

There is nothing in the law or facts that prohibits or prevents the ED from seeking transfer of the trial when there are circumstances that fair trial is not assured. The transfer request has been made as high profile persons are involved and trying to influence the accused and witnesses, the ED said.

"...letters of the chief minister written after seizure of gold which leads back to powerful individuals in the state; besides letters written to cover-up and give the appearance of genuineness, the state machinery has not provided any effective assistance and has only been misused in order to interfere with and impede proceedings under the PMLA. Multiple attempts were made by the misuse of state machinery to tamper and obstruct the investigation by the ED", it said.

The case is currently being tried by the special PMLA court at Ernakulam. The case originated after the seizure of 30 kg gold worth Rs 14.82 crore at Trivandrum International Airport in July 2020.

The gold was camouflaged as diplomatic baggage to the UAE Consulate, making it immune to checking at the airport as per the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

The Customs registered a case against two staffers of the Consulate - Swapna Suresh and P S Sarith - and a cargo agent Sandeep Nair. The ED had claimed that the seizure was only the tip of the iceberg and there were 21 such consignments of gold which were smuggled into India, worth more than Rs 80 crore.

The case was later taken over by the Investigation Agency, which registered a case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The ED subsequently registered a case on the basis of the NIA case.

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The government on Friday moved the High Court here seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Congress MLA Eldhose Kunnappilly in a case of rape and attempt to murder.

The government, in its plea, is seeking cancellation of the relief granted to him by a sessions court on October 20 by alleging that he is not cooperating with the investigation into the case, a lawyer associated with the matter said.

The plea claims that the MLA was threatening witnesses in the case.

The government contended that his custodial interrogation was necessary.

Two days after he was given the anticipatory bail, the Congress in suspended him from the KPCC and DCC memberships for six months.

The Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), in a statement, said the explanation provided by the MLA for the allegations against him was not satisfactory and the party has suspended him from the KPCC and District Congress Committee (DCC) memberships for six months.

Besides rape and attempt to murder, the Congress MLA has also been charged with assault following a complaint from the alleged victim who stated he had abducted and manhandled her.

The case was filed against three accused, including the MLA's personal assistant and a



friend.

The victim claimed that Kunnappilly offered her Rs 30 lakh to settle the case registered against him.

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Defence minister said Pakistan is committing atrocities against people in its occupied Kashmir and will have to bear its consequences. He also hinted at retrieving the PoK, Gilgit and Baltistan. This is just the beginning. The mission will complete only when Gilgit Baltistan and areas of PoK reunite with India. The defence minister was addressing an event organised on the occasion of the 76th Shaurya Diwas (Infantry Day). Singh said that terrorism has no religion and that the only aim of terrorists is to 'target India'. Remembering the soldiers who took part in the military mission in 1947, he said that the day calls for paying 'tribute to their sacrifice and dedication'.Russian President called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'true patriot' and praised PM Modi's independent foreign policies and the vision of 'Make in India', as he spoke at the annual Valdai Discussion in Moscow. Putin also denied having any intentions of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine but described the conflict there as part of alleged efforts by the West to secure its global domination, which he insisted are doomed to fail.United Kingdom's Prime Minister thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for congratulating him on assuming charge as United Kingdom prime minister. Sunak said that he is excited about what both nations can achieve in the coming years.As India continues to grapple with the rising with onset of winters, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining areas has raised concerns about the increasing incidednces of in Punjab and neighbouring states. On Thursday, the commission said that there has been a "significant" 9 per cent rise in farm fires in the state between September 15 and October 26 this year, in comparison to the corresponding period in 2021.
The government is making efforts to set up a rail-fed Petroleum Oil Lubricant (POL) depot near Aizawl, an official statement said on Thursday.

The depot is planned to be set up at Sihhmui, about 22 km from here, it said.

Chief minister Zoramthanga on Thursday convened a meeting with officials of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, and reviewed proposals of the company for setting up of the new depot.

It would be rail-fed when construction of the broad gauge railway line between Bairabi and Sairang is completed, officials said.

does not have any oil depot, and most supplies come from Assam, they said.

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Members of the parliamentary panel on IT on Friday expressed apprehensions about some provisions of the new draft telecom bill and sought details from the Telecom Ministry about how the law will ensure data safety and privacy, sources said.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology chaired by Shiv Sena MP Prataprao Jadhav met here for the first time after it was reconstituted and deliberated upon the draft telecom bill -- circulated for stakeholder comments last month.

Top officials of the Telecom Ministry were present in the meeting and MPs across party lines raised questions about data safety and the privacy provisions in the proposed legislation and sought written reply from the ministry, sources said.

Some MPs also asked about the future role of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) as the proposed bill's provisions might reduce the regulator's powers, sources said.

A few members suggested that the bill gives the administration overarching powers under the garb of security but without adequate oversight mechanism.

Some members flagged that the definition of Over The Top (OTT) communication apps was not very clear, they said.

Some members wanted to know about possible health hazards when a large number of telecom towers for 5G and other services are coming up. They emphasised that there is a need to have adequate safeguards to tackle possible health and environmental hazards, sources added.

Senior officials of the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) who were present in the meeting took note of the issues and said they would come back with comprehensive responses, according to sources.

In the draft bill, the telecom department has also mooted a provision for the refund of fees in case a telecom or internet provider surrenders his licence.

Meanwhile, telecom service providers are pushing for OTT apps to be brought under regulation. They argue that apps offering services similar to them -- say Whatsapp, Signal and other similar apps used for calling and messaging -- should be subject to the same licence conditions as telcos, thus ensuring a level-playing-field for all technologies.

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Prime Minister will on Friday virtually attend the 'bhoomi pujan' of the expansion project of steel major ArcelorMittal India's flagship plant at Hazira in Gujarat's Surat district, officials said.

ArcelorMittal India (AM/NS India) - a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel, two of the world's leading steelmakers - will expand crude steel capacity at its Hazira plant from 9 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 15 MTPA, the company officials said.

The company was early this month awarded an environmental clearance to expand the capacity at its plant in Hazira from the current crude steel capacity of 9 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 15 MTPA.

Union Steel Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will also virtually attend the ground breaking ceremony that will take place at 2 pm. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will visit the plant for the event along with Member of Parliament from Navsari C R Paatil.

"This increased steel manufacturing capacity represents a significant boost for the government's Steel Policy, which envisages doubling domestic capacity to 300 MTPA by 2030 in a growing economy, as well as for AM/NS India's own long-term plans to expand capacity," the company said.

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Punjab Chief Minister urged Union Home Minister on Thursday to sympathetically look into the problems being faced by farmers along the India-Pakistan border fence in the state.

Addressing a two-day "Chintan Shivir" of home ministers here, Mann urged Shah to reduce the distance between the border fence and the actual border to facilitate the farmers cultivating their land across the fence, according to an official release.

The chief minister said the distance must be reduced to 150-200 metres, instead of the existing around one kilometre, to ensure that the farmers of the border region benefit from it.

He said this will ensure optimum utilisation of the land on one hand and strengthen the security of the country on the other.

Flagging another issue, Mann urged the Centre to set up a regional centre of the Security Guards (NSG) at Pathankot.

He said the setting up of the NSG centre at Pathankot will help effectively combat any terror activity in the entire northern region.

Referring to the 2015 Dinanagar terror attack, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said NSG commandoes had to be rushed from Gurugram then.

Pointing out that Punjab is a sensitive state with a 553-km border with Pakistan, Mann batted for the inclusion of the state in "Category A" for security reasons, instead of the present "Category B".

Being a border state, Punjab should be considered in "Category A", he said, adding that it should be treated on par with Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and the northeastern states.

Mann said as a "Category A" state, Punjab should get financial assistance in a 90:10 ratio between the Centre and the state, whereas in "Category B", the states get financial assistance in a 60:40 ratio.

He pleaded for the release of the pending funds under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) and bemoaned that the amount has not been disbursed for the last two financial years.

Mann also sought an exemption for the state with regard to Modernisation of Police Force (MoPF) funds. He said at present, the MoPF scheme has discontinued the grant of funds for construction work and operational vehicles for the "Category B" states.

However, Mann said Punjab should be given an exemption and allowed to spend the MoPF funds on construction and vehicles.

Mann also sought Shah's intervention for the approval of the State Action Plan (SAP) of Rs 24 crore for 2022-23.

In view of the sensitive security scenario in Punjab, additional funds to the tune of Rs 50 crore should be provided to the state for strengthening the border police stations and the intelligence infrastructure, he said.

There are many emerging security challenges and the Punjab government is taking all necessary steps to address those in coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF) and other central agencies, the chief minister said.

He thanked Shah for announcing that a high-security jail and a forensic science laboratory would be set up in the state, adding that the AAP government is identifying land for the two projects.

Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar stressed upon adopting a scientific approach to check criminal incidents and said along with face and biometric recognition, work should also be done on voice recognition.

The Gujarat Forensic Science University campus should be expanded to other states, including Haryana, so that the task of arresting and punishing criminals becomes easier, Khattar said in his address.

Welcoming Shah on his arrival at Surajkund, the venue of the meet, Khattar said it is a commendable effort of the Centre to use information technology to tackle the challenges faced by law.

Khattar said with the increasing use of technology, criminals have started adopting new ways to carry out their illegal activities.

"To tighten the noose around these cyber thugs, the Haryana government has also done the work to make the state police IT efficient," he said.

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Days after the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) allowed the environmental release of genetically modified (GM) mustard, prominent affiliates of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh such as the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) and the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) have come out in opposition to the approval.

They have asked Union Environment and Forests Minister Bhupendra Yadav to reverse the decision.

The BKS went a step ahead and said the manner in which the GEAC granted the approval was immoral and illogical, and smacked of some unholy understanding which needed to be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate.

In sharp contrast, the office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister, in a series of tweets issued on Friday, came out in support of the approval. It said DMH-11 (the trait that was granted clearance) had the potential to improve the mustard yield, which is stagnant at a tonne per hectare, thus opening up avenues to introduce high-yielding and superior mustard hybrids capable of revolutionising mustard cultivation and edible oil production.

This (the approval) will reduce edible oil imports with the development of heterotic hybrid mustards using the barnase and barstar system of hybrid development, thus ushering in an era of hybrid development in the country, the office said.





ALSO READ: Are the fears over GM mustard overblown?

Meanwhile, the BKS, which claims to be the largest, organised grouping of farmers, with units in almost all districts of the country, in a statement said was known to be harmful for bees and pollination. If this is true, what happens to Prime Minister Narenda Modis commitment to promote honey production in the country, it asked. When the current variant of the is not known to cause any significant improvement in yield, under whose pressure has the GEAC given this approval, it questioned.

The farmers body said the minister of environment and forests should ban such approvals and the government should hold discussion with all to ensure higher remunerative prices for mustard farmers and assured procurement, which would in itself push up yields.

The SJM, in its letter to Yadav, said scientist Deepak Pentals claim that GM mustard was swadeshi and had been developed in India was completely untrue.

We would like to bring to your notice that in 2002, Proagro Seed Company (Bayers subsidiary) applied for commercial approval for a similar construct that Pental and his team are now promoting as HT Mustard DMH 11. Bayers application at that point of time was turned down because the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) said that their field trials did not give evidence of superior yield, the SJM said.

It said it was well known that GM mustard was hybridised through two genes -- barnase and barstar -- derived from a soil bacterium called Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The bar-barstar-barnase gene is a patented technology of Bayer Crop Science.

Bayer is not a swadeshi company. How can a product patented in its name be termed swadeshi? The fact that Bayer owns the patent of the genes used in Pentals mustard has been deliberately concealed from the people of India, SJM Co-Convener Ashwini Mahajan wrote in the letter.

It said the data from the Directorate of Rapeseed Mustard Research (DRMR), Bharatpur, showed the claim of Pental that his GM mustard would increase the yield by 26 per cent was deceptive and misleading because there were hybrid varieties that outperformed the transgenic variety DMH-11.



On safety aspects, the SJM said experts who looked at the bio-safety data submitted by the crop developer to Delhi University had pointed out while GM mustard had not been tested rigorously and adequately, and also given that it was a herbicide-tolerant crop, the tests that were taken up in a limited fashion showed the lack of safety of GM mustard to the environment and human health.

We are confident that as a person who has carefully studied the adverse impacts of GM crops and also published opinion pieces on the same in the past, you will intervene immediately in this matter and ensure that no GM mustard seed is allowed to be planted, now or ever, the SJM wrote to Yadav.
Major terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir declined after Pakistan was included in the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) grey list, a senior Indian government official said here on Friday.

The United Nations Security Council's Counter- Committee should examine this correlation, said joint secretary Safi Rizvi.

Making a presentation at a special meeting of the UNSC panel, which India is hosting, Rizvi, however, did not name Pakistan at any point.

But he noted that after the chances of Pakistan getting delisted from the grey list increased, terrorist activities too increased.

Jammu and Kashmir recorded five attacks on 'hard targets' -- well-defended places like government offices, military and police camps -- in 2014, eight attacks in 2015 and 15 in 2016. The number fell to eight in 2017 and declined further to three in 2018, Rizvi said.

In 2019, there was a very big aberration in the form of the Pulwama attack while in 2020, no hard target was attacked, the official said.

In 2021, the attacks on hard targets started increasing and the trend continues in 2022, he said.

Why did this decline happen from 2018 to 2021? One (reason) was the grey listing," he said.

Counter- operations with detailed intelligence, the Balakot air strike which pushed the entire terrorist infrastructure to the side, and reading down of Article 370 for Kashmir reduced tendencies of secessionism, the official said.

These four reasons were the reasons for decline. However, a large portion of the credit goes to the designations and FATF, he said.

In 2021, when the chances of (Pakistan's) de-listing increased, there was a return of "cross-border terrorist infrastructure and attacks on Indian targets," Rizvi said.

In mid-2018 there were 600 terrorist bases across the border but the number went down 75 per cent during the FATF listing, he said.

This, we think, is one of the most important successes....the counter- committee should take a deeper look at how effective the designations are, he said.

The FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terror financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.

After four years, Pakistan has been taken off the grey list of FATF. The decision was taken by the FATF in its plenary held in Paris on October 20-21.

Rizvi also said that two-three years ago, the flow of foreign terrorists into Kashmir was small, but now 60-70 per cent of terrorists are foreigners.

Attacks on soft targets (such as migrant workers, religious minorities) have resumed which is a precursor to attacks on hard targets, Rizvi said.

The use of drones to ferry Improvised Explosive Devices, small arms and drugs like heroin to finance the terrorist network is also on the rise, the official noted.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
became Inc's new owner on Thursday, firing top executives he had accused of misleading him. The proposed stake sale in IDBI Bank by the government may run into a regulatory obstacle on the issue of minimum public shareholding. Read more on these in our morning brief of top headlines.

takes control of Twitter, fires top executives, including Parag Agrawal

became Inc's new owner on Thursday, firing top executives he had accused of misleading him and providing little clarity over how he will achieve the lofty ambitions he has outlined for the influential social media platform. The CEO of electric car maker Tesla Inc has said he wants to "defeat" spam bots on Twitter, make the algorithms that determine how content is presented to its users publicly available, and prevent the platform from becoming an echo chamber for hate and division. Read more



IDBI Bank's proposed stake sale likely to run into regulatory hurdle

The proposed stake sale in IDBI Bank by the government may run into a regulatory obstacle on the issue of minimum public shareholding. The Centre and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), the market regulator, may be at odds over a minimum public shareholding in the lender. Read more



PEs add spice firms to shelf, invest Rs 5,000 cr to expand biz, enter mkt

and large domestic food companies have splurged close to Rs 5,000 crore to pick up stakes in, or acquire, branded spice companies, either to enter the market or expand their market share. These include A91 Partners (25 per cent in Pushp Spices for Rs 126 crore in a primary fund raise), Investcorp (a minority stake in Intergrow Kitchen), Indian food companies such as ITC (100 per cent in Sunrise for Rs 2,100 crore), others. Read more



Govt target of 10K new 5G towers per week is far off, say industry sources

A day after Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw asked telecom companies to install at least 10,000 5G towers every week, industry sources in the know said the government-mandated target was difficult to achieve in the near future. However, they added the numbers should rise soon from the current 2,500 per week. While the government is ready to help telecom companies scale up 5G infrastructure with whatever policy support they need, the speed of 5G roll-out needs to be maintained, Vaishnaw said. Read more



Jaypee Infra insolvency: Decks cleared for NARCL to buy first stress asset

The decks have been cleared for government-backed Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL) to acquire its first stress asset, as no counter offer was made for its bid for . Senior bank executives said no bids were received under the Swiss challenge, which was scheduled on Thursday. Read more
Union Minister Bhagwant Khuba on Friday lauded the Prem Singh Tamang government in for successfully implementing the Central flagship programmes in the state.

" has successfully provided maximum benefits to people by successfully implementing various central flagship programmes, including Jal Jeevan Yojana," the union minister of state for Chemicals and Fertilisers, New and Renewable Energy told reporters here after presiding over a review meeting with senior state government officials here.

Khuba also lauded the state government for expanding the educational infrastructure to provide quality education to the students.

The Union Minister said that he has taken feedback from various quarters during his visit to the state which will come handy in planning strategies for effective implementation of various central schemes with a focus on the outcome.

Khuba said that he would take all queries, suggestions, and demands needed for planning a futuristic strategy, which would sync with the demands and focus on outcomes.

Earlier, during his review meeting with the officials, the union minister enquired about the progress in implementation of the centrally sponsored flagship programmes in sectors like health, agriculture, education, and power, etc.

He stressed the need to expand and implement the Centre's flagship schemes for betterment of the people and sought a proactive and collective approach to get the result.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government is planning to start a mobile exhibition on cyber security to make people aware of how to keep their computers, cell phones and other such devices safe from malicious attackers, an official said on Friday.

The police and information technology (IT) departments are working together on the project in which posters and models on cyber security will be displayed in a large vehicle which will travel to various areas.

"The Kolkata Police has made a proposal for a cyber security van. It will be executed after getting the approval of the government," state IT Joint Secretary Sanjay Kumar Das told reporters on the sidelines of Cyber Security Congress, a seminar organised here.

The van will be managed by the police and available for organisations to reserve, Additional Commissioner of Police Hari Kishore Kusumakar said.

The officer of Kolkata Police, however, said that such specifics will be decided in due course.

The state government is taking a number of steps to raise awareness about cyber security, and we are supporting those efforts, said Sushobhan Mukherjee, chairman of the Infosec Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to cyber security, which organised the seminar.

Speaking at the programme, state IT Minister Babul Supriyo praised those working in the field of cyber security and said what these people do in the digital domain, the police and fire brigade personnel carry out the same task in the real world.

We must enter the digital world in the light of the vulnerability that we see in several global institutions that have been hacked, Supriyo said.

According to available data, India reported 52,974 incidents of cybercrime in 2021, a nearly six per cent increase from the previous year's figure.

Infosec Foundation organised such Cyber Security Congress earlier in Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi in August and September.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government may present a separate draft bill to revamp the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), which was set up in 1997, into a permanent technical body, reported Mint citing a top official. With this, the regulator will get more authority and will be able to penalise companies that do not uphold quality standards, similar to the UK and US communications authorities such as Ofcom and Fedral Communications Commissions (FCC).

The official added that the contentious provisions concerning the dilution of the telecom regulator's powers would be removed from the draft telecom bill.

The disputed draft telecom bill included a provision to eliminate Act provisions that provide checks and balances through a process of dialogue between the regulator and the telecom department.

Some argued that this would lessen Trai's power and reduce it to a purely advisory body.

The government and have been at odds over the draft telecom bill for the past few weeks. According to some reports, was uncomfortable with the amendments that were being considered for the draft telecom bill.

However, officers from the telecom department and members of Trai were able to settle the disagreements through several meetings over the past weeks, the official said.

Its been decided that we wait for the bill to be absorbed by the industry and come up with a new bill for Trai after three to four years. Therefore, we have removed almost all of the amendments," the official added.

The changes to be made in the telecom bill, as a result of these meetings, will be added in the second version of the draft bill.

The official also said that the proposed bill would make Trai a powerful body with international ideals and dedicated human resources in place of government officials on deputation to supervise the sector effectively. The proposed bill would transform Trai into an oganisation similar to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the US and Ofcom of the United Kingdom.
Minister Rohan Khaunte on Friday expressed hope the new government of Prime Minister in the United Kingdom will restore the e-visa facility, the absence of which has severely affected tourism and allied businesses in the coastal state.

The tourism season in peaks with Christmas and New Year, attracting patrons from across the world.

"Tourism and allied businesses are badly affected in both India and due to non-restoration of by . Hoping for an early resolution under the new Indian origin PM Rishi Sunak," state tourism minister Khaunte tweeted.

Officials said chartered flights for from the are yet to start for this tourist season, adding that the first flight from Kazakhstan with tourists arrived in the state this week.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India's imports in September fell to 16.46 million tonnes, down 6.7% from a month ago, government data showed on Friday.

On a yearly basis, imports dipped by 5.8%, data from the website of the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell showed.

The drop in intakes come against a backdrop of maintenance at refiners such as Reliance Industries and Indian Oil Corp.

Russia's share of India's April-September crude imports rose to 17% from 0.7% a year earlier, data from sources has shown.

India has emerged as Russia's second biggest oil buyer after China, taking advantage of discounted prices as Western buyers stay away due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Oil product imports came in lower for a second straight month, falling about 4% from a month earlier to 3.48 million tonnes in September, while exports dropped 4.8%. Of the 4.98 million tonnes of exports in September, diesel accounted for 2.69 million tonnes.

India, Asia's third-biggest economy, holds surplus refining capacity and exports refined fuels as well.

NOTE: The data for imports and exports is preliminary because private refiners share numbers at their discretion.

All figures are in millions of tonnes:

2022 2022 2022 2021 2021 2021

September August July September August July

IMPORTS 16.46 17.64 20.95 17.47 17.39 15.02

Imports:

2022 2022 2022 2021 2021 2021

PRODUCTS September August July September August July

LPG 1.46 1.58 1.43 1.57 1.70 1.42

Petrol 0.15 0.00 0.06 0.15 0.00 0.00

Naphtha 0.18 0.16 0.13 0.13 0.02 0.10

Kerosene 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Diesel 0.01 0.01 0.15 0.01 0.01 0.00

Fuel Oil 0.56 0.69 0.76 0.43 0.70 0.95

All 3.48 3.63 3.66 3.51 3.19 3.54

Exports:

2022 2022 2022 2021 2021 2021

PRODUCTS September August July September August July

Petrol 0.67 1.02 1.11 0.85 0.90 1.00

Naphtha 0.47 0.41 0.36 0.66 0.64 0.48

Diesel 2.69 2.36 2.18 2.80 2.60 2.26

Fuel Oil 0.16 0.22 0.19 0.13 0.16 0.30

Jet Fuel 0.69 0.75 0.58 0.29 0.32 0.34

All 4.98 5.23 4.68 4.94 4.80 4.70

NOTES:

Totals may not tally because all items are not included in the table and numbers are rounded up or down. The numbers for previous months have been revised.

(Reporting by Arundhati Sarkar in Bengaluru; Editing by Susan Fenton and Alison Williams)

(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.)
Weeks after floating bonds for retail investors, Union and highways minister said on Friday that he seeks for to invest more in upcoming issuances of the (NHAI) Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT).

The minister also wants them to gradually overtake institutional investors in the trust.

The ministry of and highways (MoRTH) intends to give more road assets to InvITs this fiscal year, through another follow-on issuance.

The current issuance of (NCDs) worth Rs 1,500 crore was subscribed over eight times within eight hours of its issuance in October, according to the ministry. It had a 25 per cent reservation for .

The NCD has a coupon rate of 7.9 per cent with an effective yield of 8.05 per cent.

InvIT, or National Highways Infrastructure Trust (NHIT), has monetised assets worth Rs 11,791 crore through two issuances so far.

Newly-appointed MoRTH secretary and former chairperson Alka Upadhyaya said that an even bigger round of issuance is in the works. This, the ministry hopes to roll out by February.

Upadhyaya also said that the Centre may increase the share of retail investors, going forward.

The minister also assured investors that the Centre will continue to offer competitive returns to both institutional and .

There is a concerted effort from the highest echelons of the government to raise more finances for through extra-budgetary methods. To that effect, the impressive returns on many toll-collecting highways present a great opportunity, he added.

Finance secretary Somanathan proposed that many have a very good internal rate of return. Also, there should be focus on new initiatives to offer these projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode along with the general Budget, the minister said. The minister said the Centre will approach retail investors for more highway projects like the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, which has a total project value of Rs 1 trillion.

InvITs are investment instruments where institutions and individuals can invest in equity of road assets. They need to buy units, with returns based on toll collections and revenues of these operational roads.
The (RBI) intends to change the regulatory framework governing non-banking activities carried out by banks and their group entities such as insurance and asset management, reported the Financial Express, citing sources. According to the central bank, the moveis aimed at eliminating any regulatory arbitrage inherent in the current system.

The modifications could be made by amending the .

According to sources, an internal panel has been set up by the for this purpose. The panel has recommended a clearer and more explicit segregation of core and non-core businesses of banks and group entities.

The banking regulation department (of the RBI) has conveyed to banks its decision to review the framework, and asked them to submit their inputs, one of the sources told FE.

Senior executives from major banks, including State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda, and Canara Bank, whose group firms are involved in non-banking operations, met last month to discuss the matter. Following internal deliberations, the banks are likely to offer their opinions via the Indian Banks' Association.

The regulatory revamp may also address concerns like the necessity for increased standardisation of practises for banks and non-banking financial institutions, as well as the consolidation of group entities of banks that engage in non-banking operations. It could also focus on any incompatibility between a company's primary and non-core activities.

Any regulatory change will be significant because all big banks and the firms that make up their group are currently engaged in non-core activities and will need to adjust their business plans to comply with the new regulations, according to a senior banker.

The proposed action is the latest in a line of initiatives by the to strengthen the framework of regulations governing financial institutions to follow the evolving needs of the times. It has released updated regulatory frameworks for NBFCs, payment banks, and cooperatives in recent years. In a similar vein, it released recommendations for all lenders in September to safeguard against misuse of the data of borrowers using digital lending applications.

Since the bad loan crisis erupted, the government has also urged state-run banks to review their non-core activities and eliminate them when practical.
Ten central trade unions, barring the RSS-affiliated Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), have urged the Union to scrap the four labour codes, as they curtail the rights and protective provisions contained in the existing statutes among other things, in a joint letter to the Union Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav on Friday.

The Labour Codes impose more derogatory working conditions on the workers and almost open-endedly empower the Govts and employers to further curtail labour rights and benefits arbitrarily at their whims and fancies. Suspension of by certain State Governments has not shown any economic gains either, the letter says.

Besides, the central unions also urged the to convene the tripartite Indian Labour Conference (ILC) consisting of the representatives of the government, employers and at the earliest, as the last ILC - i.e., the 46th session of the forum was last held in July 2015.

ILC has not been held during the last seven years, although it is binding on the to hold it at least once every year. We urge you (minister) to ensure that it is convened at the earliest, the letter reads.

Besides, the unions have also sought the government's intervention on the issue of raising the minimum pension under the Employee's Pension Scheme, 1995 and put in place a universal pension scheme for the unorganised sector as the contributory New Pension Scheme has failed to ensure the pension rights of the unorganised sector.

The decision to draw the government's attention towards stopping the move to privatise the public sector undertakings, scrapping of the national monetisation pipeline scheme among other things was taken at the meeting of the joint platform of and independent federations and associations held last month in the capital.

Tapan Sen, general secretary, Centre of Indian (CITU) told Business Standard, Earlier, all the central in one to one meeting have reiterated these demands to the government and we urge the minister to take action on the issues drawn in the joint letter.
(DU) on Friday issued guidelines to its colleges, asking them not to host any event without proper police permission and allow no one without registration.

This development comes days after a ruckus rocked a fest in DU's Miranda House



On October 14, several men were seen climbing the college walls and gates to witness an open Diwali fest on the campus and indulged in "cat-calling and sexist sloganeering".

"In the light of an advisory received from the Police Department, the following guidelines are issued to all the Colleges and the Departments of Delhi University. No event without proper permission of police should be organized or in case of emergency or lack of time at least one-day prior intimation should be given to the Police Station, Maurice Nagar," the university said.

"If events or fests be organised then only the entry of a few College or Department students be allowed. It should not be opened to all. Entry should be allowed only after the registration for the event with the ID of the College," the varsity said.

The university has also asked the colleges to take necessary permission from other departments like, fire, and electricity may kindly be obtained.

"Deployment of volunteers is also required at the time of events. Hence, a number of volunteers may also be intimated to the police," the varsity said.

"If any of the above guidelines is committed then the concerned college, the department is solely responsible for any untoward incident that happened during any event organized by the concerned College/Department," it added.

Delhi University's Miranda House has also formed a sub-committee to revisit the procedures of holding events and provided an emergency Standard Operating Procedure (SoP), prohibiting open events without prior registrations.

In a notice on October 17, College principal B Nanda said the college has taken "serious note" of Friday's unprecedented incident that was organised by the National Service Scheme (NSS) Unit of the college.

(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.)
plans to assume the role of chief executive officer at Inc. after completing his $44 billion acquisition, taking the helm of the social media giant on top of leading Tesla Inc. and .

Musk intends to replace Parag Agrawal, who was fired along with other major executives upon completion of the takeover, a person familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified discussing internal deliberations. The billionaire is expected to remain CEO in the interim but may eventually cede the role in the longer term, the person added. representatives declined to comment.

Musks acquisition puts the worlds richest man in charge of a struggling after six months of public and legal wrangling. Among Musks first moves: changing the leadership. Departures include Vijaya Gadde, the head of legal, policy and trust; Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal, who joined in 2017; and Sean Edgett, who has been general counsel at Twitter since 2012. Edgett was escorted out of the building, Bloomberg News reported.



Also read: For Musk, overspending on Twitter deal was easy; now comes the hard part

Musk also intends to do away with permanent bans on users because he doesnt believe in lifelong prohibitions, the person said. That means people previously booted off the platform may be allowed to return, a category that would include former president Donald Trump, the person said. Its unclear however if Trump would be allowed back on Twitter in the near term.

The takeover caps a convoluted saga that began in January with the billionaires quiet accumulation of a major stake in the company, his growing exasperation with how its run and an eventual merger accord that he later spent months trying to unravel.

The billionaire will bring immediate disruption to Twitters operations, in part because many of his ideas for how to change the company are at odds with how it has been run for years. Hes said he wants to ensure free speech on the .

Twitter banned Trump days after the 2021 Capitol insurrection, citing the risk of further incitement of violence. With the former president widely expected to make another run for the White House in 2024, a return to Twitter could grant him an opportunity to turbocharge his message.

the bird is freed  (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022

More broadly, Musks initiatives threaten to undo years of Twitters efforts to reduce bullying and abuse on the platform.

The prospect of less restrictive content moderation under Musks leadership has prompted concerns that dialogue on the will deteriorate, eroding years of efforts by the company and its trust and safety team to limit offensive or dangerous posts. On Thursday, Musk posted a note to advertisers seeking to reassure them he doesnt want Twitter to become a free-for-all hellscape.

As the Oct. 28 deadline neared, Musk began putting his stamp on the company, posting a video of himself walking into the headquarters and changing his profile descriptor on the platform he now owns to Chief Twit.

He arranged meetings between Tesla engineers and product leadership at Twitter, and he planned to address the staff on Friday, people familiar with the matter said. Twitters engineers could no longer make changes to code as of noon Thursday in San Francisco, part of an effort to ensure that nothing about the product changes ahead of the deal closing, the people said.



Also read: Expect Twitter to comply with local rules, says govt after Musk takeover

Twitter employees have been bracing for layoffs since the transaction was announced in April, and Musk floated the idea of cost cuts to banking partners when he was initially fundraising for the deal. Some potential investors were told Musk plans to cut 75% of Twitters workforce, which now numbers about 7,500, and expects to double revenue within three years, a person familiar with the matter said earlier this month.

While visiting Twitter headquarters on Wednesday, Musk told employees that he doesnt plan to cut 75% of the staff when he takes over the company, according to people familiar with the matter.

The past six months have been challenging for Twitter employees, who have primarily followed the ups and downs of the roller-coaster deal through the news headlines.

Many have been unhappy with Musks involvement and some have questioned his qualifications to run a social networking company. His support of a far-right political candidate in Texas, plus sexual harassment accusations from a former flight attendant in May, have raised additional concerns. During a video Q&A with Musk in June, some employees mocked Musk on internal Slack channels. Others have ridiculed or chided him publicly on Twitter throughout the deal process.
The is in the midst of yet another goodwill trip through the Western Balkans to drum up support for the bloc and to make sure that Europe's historical tinderbox is not about to pick the side of hostile Russia or strategic rival in the world of geopolitics.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will have a stop during her whirlwind six-nation tour in Serbia on Friday, by far the most important nation in the southern region, and one that has shown scant regard for solidarity in joining EU sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

For years, the 27-nation EU has been caught in two minds over the Western Balkans: seeking to pull them close as allies and hold off foreign interference, yet at the same time, keeping them at arm's length since their weaker economies and political institutions are far from ready to seamlessly integrate into the EU's single market of open trade and Western democratic ideals.

The result has been frustration for the Western Balkan nations, sometimes bordering on alienation.

And the February 24 Russian invasion of Ukraine has only made matters more urgent. Hence, this week's outpouring of warm words and more EU aid in addition to the billions in grants and loans already committed to the region.

This is a question of strategic interests, and we only have one shot to get it right. So let's not waste it, Katalin Cseh of the liberal Renew Europe group told the EU legislature last week.

Russia and understand the strategic importance of the Western Balkans just as well as we do. Only," she added, it is right on our doorstep.

The region now comprising of Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia has long been a political, and sometimes literal, battleground for world powers.

A shooting in Sarajevo, Bosnia, in 1914 set off World War I, which brought down empires, redrew maps and ultimately led to World War II, The United States and the Soviet Union emerged as superpowers.

With the 1991 Soviet collapse, so did Yugoslavia, the dominant power in the Western Balkans region. That unleashed devastating wars in the 1990s that killed over 130,000, displaced millions, ruined economies and spawned ethnic hatreds that last to this day.

Even though the EU is by far the biggest investment and trading partner in the six-nation region, Von der Leyen has her work cut out in Belgrade, where right-wing and former anti-Western populist President Aleksandar Vucic has ruled for 10 years with increasing powers and allowed for the spread of Russian influence.

For years now, the EU has dangled the prospect of membership, and ensuing prosperity, for the Balkan nations. But that promise was somewhat undermined this year when the EU allowed Ukraine into the fast lane as a candidate nation, while progress on membership for Western Balkan nations has largely stalled.

That has turned several Balkan nations into EU sceptics.

Serbia's line with Moscow irks the bloc most, especially since Vucic has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia.

Serbia needs to step up its efforts in aligning with the EU positions, said EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi.

Despite EU aid, recent surveys have suggested that support for Serbia's EU integration has dropped since the start of the war in Ukraine. The surveys show that only about 30-35 per cent of those questioned now support joining the EU, compared to 57 per cent from a government survey last year.

Some blame it on a pro-Russian line in Serbia's media, which is still a daily staple, further fuelling anti-Western sentiments. In addition, there are Western fears that Russian influence will poison Serbia's Balkan neighbours too, especially through ethnic Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik in Bosnia.

In both Serbia and Montenegro, the Russian biker group Night Wolves, which is close to Putin, is seen to have a hand in anti-Western actions.

While several Balkan nations have important historical links to Russia over centuries, that cannot be said of . As the Asian powerhouse is extending its clout across the globe, it also reached nations like Serbia and Montenegro through economic and financial means.

Chinese loans are Beijing's primary foreign policy tool to strengthen its position in the region, said an EU Parliament study over the summer. Those loans have clauses that if loans cannot be repaid, China can request political favours or exercise unfavourable contractual clauses such as the seizure of assets or even land.

EU estimates for Chinese investments in Serbia up through 2021 amounted to 10.3 billion euros. China has secured a presence throughout Central and Eastern Europe through investment and infrastructure works as part of its One Belt, One Road initiative.

Chinese companies have been involved in building roads, bridges and other major infrastructure projects that are financed through Chinese loans. The EU has warned that Chinese companies and banks fuel corruption in the already volatile Western Balkan region because they make state-to-state deals without competition or tenders.

In Serbia, Chinese companies now own the biggest steel mill and copper and coal mines, and they are building roads and bridges.

Among the most controversial Chinese projects in the Western Balkans has been a portion of a highway linking Montenegro's Adriatic Sea coast with the Serbian border that was far beyond the small nation's means.

Montenegro took out the USD 944 million loan in 2014 as part of the plan, but was later unable to repay it, as the construction dragged on and debts accumulated, throwing the country into a financial crisis.

The Balkan country of just 620,000 people eventually struck a deal with one French and two US banks to restructure the Chinese loan and has since made its first debt payment. The first portion of the highway was inaugurated earlier this year.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The (EU) will provide 80 million euros ($79.7 million) in grants to Albania to tackle crisis, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said here.

According to Von der Leyen, the support package will be part of the support package of 500 million euros that the EU will provide the Western Balkan countries to help overcome the crisis and also as investments in energy connections, energy efficiency and renewable energy, Xinhua news agency reported.

The EU Commission chief, during a joint press conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Thursday, underlined that the immediate batch of the package will support Albanian families and small businesses in this difficult time and also help the country to address the impact of high energy prices.

Earlier on Thursday, together with Rama, Von der Leyen visited the working sites for the construction of a railway line that will connect the capital city Tirana with the port city of Durres and the Airport of Tirana, a project that is financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and that is expected to finish by 2024.

Albania is the second stop for Von der Leyen on her Western Balkans tour following her visit to North Macedonia on Wednesday. She is also scheduled to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro. (1 euro $0.99)

--IANS

int/sha

(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.)
Overspending on Inc for $44 billion was the easy part.



Now, Tesla Inc Chief Executive must prove why he believes that is worth 10 times that amount and turn around a platform that he has spent months ridiculing.



Earlier this month, the outspoken billionaire said: "Myself and the other investors are obviously overpaying for right now. The long term potential for Twitter in my view is an order of magnitude greater than its current value." Musk has provided few concrete details about his plans, and what he has shared appears far-fetched or contradictory.



Here is what lies ahead for Musk, the self-proclaimed "Chief Twit", according to current and former Twitter employees, analysts and investors who considered funding the deal.



X SUPER APP



Musk's biggest bet borrows from China's greatest hits of the 2010s. "Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app," Musk tweeted earlier this month.



The idea of an everything app, also referred to as a super app, originated in Asia with like WeChat, which lets users not only send messages but also make payments, shop online or hail a taxi. The all-in-one service appealed to users who had fewer choices in a region where Google, Facebook and others were blocked.



Musk has told investors he plans to build one that will sell premium subscriptions to reduce reliance on ads, allow content creators to make money and enable payments, according to a source briefed on the matter.



There are no super-apps in the United States because the barrier is high and there are app choices aplenty, said Scott Galloway, co-host of tech podcast Pivot and a professor of marketing at New York University.



Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google, which control the app stores on iPhones and Android phones, see themselves as super apps and would be unlikely to allow other super apps to develop, Galloway said. Consider Apple's recent rejection of Spotify's plan to sell audiobooks as one example of barriers to entry.

Adding payments, which generally require identity verification, could complicate a service which has allowed anonymity to flourish, making Twitter a powerful tool for political activism in hostile environments, said Jason Goldman, a former Twitter board member.



"It's not possible at this point in the evolution of the mobile internet," Goldman added.



CUTTING CONTENT MODERATION



Current and former employees who spoke with Reuters said Musk's plans to lower the guard rails that are common across all platforms would lead to a deluge of hateful, harmful and potentially illegal content on Twitter. Already, it has struggled with identifying and removing child porn.



Members of Twitter's trust and safety team, which includes content moderators, are expected to be among Musk's deepest job cuts, employees fear.



"Imagine a world where all those people are gone," one employee said. "It's going to be a hellscape."



PREVENT ADVERTISERS FROM FLEEING



In 2019, Musk tweeted "I hate advertising." On the eve of the deal's expected closing, he appealed directly to advertisers in an open-letter tweet: "Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!... Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise." Advertisers are not buying it.



They point to Musk's plan to reinstate the account of former U.S. President Donald Trump as a major impediment to spending money on Twitter. Twitter permanently suspended Trump for risk of further incitement of violence after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.



Welcoming back Trump could alienate moderate and liberal-leaning users, and as a result push away major household brands who aim to market products and appeal to people across the political spectrum, said Mark DiMassimo, founder of ad agency DiMassimo Goldstein.



Until Musk finds new sources of revenue, he can't afford to trigger a backlash from a group that contributes 90% of Twitter's revenue.



OBEYING THE LAWS



Musk has promised to preserve free speech of all kinds, but has also struck a more conciliatory tone with global leaders who aim to rein in Big Tech.



In May, Musk said in a Twitter video that he agreed with the European Union's new digital media regulation, which will force Big Tech to do more to tackle illegal content or risk fines of up to 6% of global revenue, in one of the world's most severe approaches to regulating content online.



Regulators across Asia are also toughening legal stances against platforms and ordering the removal of content they deem illegal, which includes speech by political dissidents.



In India, Twitter has waged a "sophisticated battle" with the government to protect free speech online, and this battle would be at risk with Musk in charge, Goldman said.



Tesla's expanding business in China, where it generated $14 billion last year, could also put Twitter at risk, Goldman, the former Twitter board member, said.



"The idea that he's going to be the one liaising with the Chinese government and potentially turning over information on users, that's very scary," Goldman said.



Twitter is staffed with experts who review data requests from governments, but Musk has shown his contempt of these experts, he said.



"Whether or not Trump is going to come back on, I think that's a parlor game," Goldman said. "But what's actually going to happen is a dissident's IP address will be dropped on the floor."



(Reporting by Sheila Dang in Dallas, aditional reporting by Hyun Joo Jin in San Francisco

Editing by Kenneth Li and Matthew Lewis)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
leader Hassan Nasrallah announced the end of his armed group's "exceptional" mobilisation against after Lebanese and Israeli leaders finalised a US-brokered maritime demarcation deal.

"The mission was accomplished," Nasrallah said in a televised speech on Thursday.

He said the agreement a great victory for Lebanon and its population, reports Xinhua news agency.

Lebanese authorities were careful not to take any steps that may be perceived as normalization with Israel, Nasrallah noted.

Technically, Lebanon and have remained in a state of war.

"What was signed by President Michel Aoun is not an treaty, and it is not a recognition of Israel," the leader said.

is a Lebanese armed group and political party backed by Iran.

and Lebanon signed a landmark deal on Thursday, setting the maritime boundary for the first time and giving the green light to lucrative gas explorations in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Earlier in the day, Lebanese President Michel Aoun signed in his palace a letter approving the agreement.

Later, Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a similar letter in Jerusalem, following a special government meeting in which the ministers approved the deal.

No signing ceremony was held as the agreement is not a normalization deal between the two countries, which have been technically in a state of war since the statehood of Israel in 1948.

Instead, low-level Israeli and Lebanese delegations submitted signed letters of approval in the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Naqoura.

While Lapid said the agreement was a "tremendous achievement", Lebanon's top negotiator and deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab told reporters that the deal marks "a new era".

However, Aoun said later that the deal does not mean the "normalisation of relations with Israel".

The deal, backed by Israel's military, National Security Council and Defence Ministry, is believed to have ended the immediate threat of conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah.

It covers an area of about 860 sq.km claimed by both countries, where natural gas fields have been discovered.

Israel will keep its control over the Karish natural gas field and receive 17 per cent of the profits from the unexplored Qana natural gas field, which under the deal will be under Lebanese control.

The field would be explored and exploited by the French energy corporation Total, raising hopes it would alleviate Lebanon's economic crisis.

--IANS

ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
and signed copies of a US-mediated sea border deal on Thursday and delivered them to the UN in the coastal border town of Naqoura.

The agreement to demarcate the maritime border comes after months of indirect talks mediated by Amos Hochstein, the US envoy for energy affairs, and would mark a major breakthrough in relations between the two nations, which have formally been at war since Israel's creation in 1948.

and both claim around 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea that are home to offshore gas fields. hopes that demarcating maritime borders will pave the way for gas exploration to help lift it out of its crippling economic crisis, which has plunged three-quarters of its population into poverty.

hopes that the deal will reduce the risk of war with Lebanon's Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Lebanon and Israel sent delegations to the Interim Force In Lebanon, who received separately signed copies of the maritime border deal and confirmed coordinates from both countries.

US President Joe Biden in a published statement Thursday said the deal serves the interests of both Lebanon and Israel.

This agreement takes us one step closer to realising a vision for a Middle East that is more secure, integrated, and prosperous, delivering benefits for all the people of the region, the statement read.

Hochstein met with President Michel Aoun, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and Speaker Nabih Berri earlier Thursday before heading to Naqoura. Following the signing, he headed to Israel to meet Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.

This agreement was written with the idea in mind that it was between two countries that don't have diplomatic relations, Hochstein told reporters at the Baabda Presidential Palace.

I think the good will and good faith efforts by all parties is what's going to make this move forward.

Lapid signed the agreement following Hochstein's meeting with Aoun, according to a statement from his office.

There is a rare consensus in all security systems on the importance of the agreement, Lapid said. The Israeli Cabinet approved the deal in a special session.

This is also an economic achievement. Yesterday, gas production began from the Karish Platform.

Tensions briefly flared between Lebanon and Israel last summer, after Israel began drilling in the Karish gas field as negotiations took place. Prior to the agreement, Lebanon considered the area to be disputed, while Israel said it was part of its UN-recognized exclusive economic zone.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah briefly commented on the agreement in a televised address, and asserted that, contrary to what had been declared by some Israeli officials, its signing did not signal a recognition of Israel or the normalization of ties between the two states.

We in Hezbollah consider that what happened from start to end to the results is a great, great victory for Lebanon, for the state, the people, and the resistance, he said.

On the other side of the border, Lior Haiat, a spokesperson in the Israeli prime minister's office, said, This is a historic day. We have reached an agreement with an enemy country that will bring security to our maritime border, but it also brings benefits to Lebanon.

It was not immediately clear when drilling will begin, but cash-strapped Lebanon is hoping French oil giant Total will start drilling early next year after both parties signed the agreement.

Under the agreement, the disputed waters would be divided along a line straddling the Qana natural gas field. Gas production would be based on the Lebanese side, but Israel would be compensated for gas extracted from its side of the line.

President Aoun earlier this month in a televised address announced Lebanon's approval of the sea border deal. The Israeli Supreme Court rejected four legal challenges against the deal, after its government also approved the plan.

In 2017, Lebanon approved licenses for an consortium including France's Total, Italy's ENI and Russia's Novatek to move forward with offshore oil and gas development for two of 10 blocks in the Mediterranean Sea. Novatek recently withdrew and officials, including Energy Minister Walid Fayad, have said that Qatar is interested in filling that gap.

I truly believe and hope this can be an economic turning point in Lebanon for a new era of investment and continued support to lift up the economy, Hochstein said.

Lebanon has since reached out to Syria and Cyprus to start direct negotiations over their northern and western maritime borders as well.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
is likely to maintain its view world will rise for another decade, longer than many other forecasters predict, in a forthcoming major report, despite the growing role of renewables and electric cars, two sources said.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is scheduled to update its long-term forecasts in its 2022 World Oil Outlook on Oct. 31. The 2021 version sees reaching a plateau after 2035.

Another decade or more of oil demand growth would be a boost for producers and OPEC, whose 13 members depend on oil income, and would justify continued investment in new supplies. Consumers and governments urging efforts to curb oil use to combat climate change would be less happy.

made a shift in 2020 when the pandemic hit demand, saying it would eventually slow after years of predicting ever-increasing consumption. The latest update is likely to keep OPEC among the more bullish forecasters of oil demand.

"It is similar to last year in terms of the demand outlook," one of the OPEC sources said on condition of anonymity. The second source said OPEC has not brought forward its timeline for when plateau demand is forecast.

Other predictions see oil demand peaking earlier. TotalEngergies has forecast this will take place before 2030.

The Energy Agency on Thursday for the first time in its history of modelling said demand for all fossil fuels was set to peak, with oil demand levelling off in the middle of the next decade.

OPEC's Vienna headquarters declined to answer questions ahead of the publication's launch on Monday in Abu Dhabi that will be attended by OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais and other OPEC officials.

Another OPEC source said Russia's invasion of Ukraine - which has sent oil and gas prices soaring and led to an energy crisis - could boost oil demand in the near term due to fuel switching, as could the ongoing recovery from the pandemic.

"It is expected that oil and gas will remain as the dominant fuels in the world's energy mix until the middle of the century," this source said.

INCREASED PROJECTION?

Last year, OPEC saw oil demand reaching 108.2 million barrels per day in 2045, up from 90.6 million bpd in 2020.

The group steadily lowered the 2045 projection over the last few years, citing changes to consumer behaviour brought about by the pandemic and competition from electric cars.

By contrast, this year OPEC is expected to increase the 2045 demand forecast, two sources said.

Two former OPEC officials, however, cited longer-term trends that will weigh on demand.

"Even oil-producing countries are interested in electrification because of pollution," said Hasan Qabazard, OPEC's head of research from 2006 to 2013, and a Kuwaiti. "In Kuwait, people are starting to buy electric cars."

Qabazard last year said demand could peak within a decade but maybe later and maintains that view.

A former OPEC minister said the longer-term implications of the Ukraine war could encourage the shift towards renewables.

"The war in Ukraine has changed Europe and the United States' reliance on Russia's oil and gas," said Chakib Khelil, a former Algerian oil minister and OPEC president. "Europe will rely more and more on renewable energy in the future and less on oil and gas from Russia."

He added that it was "highly probable" demand could plateau earlier than expected in the current OPEC forecast.

(Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Barbara Lewis)

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
has special ties with India and they have always supported each other and will remain so in the future, President has said, as he praised Prime Minister for pursuing an "independent foreign policy" in the interest of his country.

Putin's remarks came at a plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club, a Moscow-based think-tank on Thursday.

He said and India continue to cooperate in the military and technical areas.

We have special ties with India that are built on the foundation of really close allied relations for decades. We never had any outstanding issues with India, we have always supported each other and I'm positive that's how it will remain in the future as well, Russian state media RT quoted Putin as saying.

Putin's comments came more than a month after Prime Minister Modi told him that today's era is not of war as they met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan in September.

India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.

"PM Modi is one of those individuals in the world who is able to pursue an independent foreign policy in the interest of his country, and his people without any attempts to stop him, said Putin.

has been a major supplier of military hardware to India. In October 2018, India signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding a warning by the US that going ahead with the contract may invite sanctions under the provisions of Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

Putin said India has walked a great development path from being a British colony to its modern state and this has yielded significant results for the country's almost 1.5 billion people.

"It (India) attracts general respect from everyone in the world. A lot has been done in recent years under PM Modi's leadership. He is a true patriot of his country. And this concept of his, Make in India', is a significant effort. (India) really has progressed in its development. A great future lies ahead of it, Putin said, according to a translation of his remarks by the Russian Embassy in India.

(India) is not only the largest democracy, in a good sense of this word, but it should be proud of its growth rate, that's the basis of its progress and development, Putin added.

The Russian leader said that the economic cooperation between Delhi and Moscow is growing as well.

Prime Minister Modi asked me to increase fertiliser supplies which is crucial for Indian agriculture and we have done that, he said, adding that the supplies have been increased 7.6 times without giving details.

Putin said he believes that countries such as India not only have a great future ahead of them, but are going to have a growing role in forming global policies.

His comments came ahead of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit to Moscow on November 8.

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Russian President on Thursday denied having any intentions of using in Ukraine but described the conflict there as part of alleged efforts by the West to secure its global domination, which he insisted are doomed to fail.

Speaking at a conference of foreign policy experts, Putin said it's pointless for Russia to strike Ukraine with .

We see no need for that, Putin said. There is no point in that, neither political, nor military.

Putin said an earlier warning of his readiness to use all means available to protect Russia didn't amount to nuclear saber-rattling but was merely a response to Western statements about their possible use of .

He particularly mentioned Liz Truss saying in August that she would be ready to use nuclear weapons if she became Britain's prime minister, a remark which he said worried the Kremlin.

What were we supposed to think? Putin said. We saw that as a coordinated position, an attempt to blackmail us.

Without offering evidence, the Russian leader repeated Moscow's unproven allegation that Ukraine was plotting a false flag attack involving a radioactive dirty bomb it would try to pin on Russia.

Ukraine has strongly rejected the claim, and its Western allies have dismissed it as transparently false.

Ukraine argued Russia might be making the unfounded allegation to serve as a cover for its own possible plot to detonate a dirty bomb.

Putin said he personally ordered Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to call his foreign counterparts to tell them about the purported plot. He maintained that Russia knows the Ukrainian facilities working on the project.

Putin claimed, still without citing any proof, that Kyiv's plan was to rig a missile with radioactive waste and to characterize its explosion as a Russian nuclear strike in an effort to isolate Russia in the global arena.

He mocked the allegations by Ukraine and the West that Russia was firing on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine as ravings. Russian troops have occupied the plant, Europe's largest, since the early days of the conflict and Moscow has accused Ukraine of continuously shelling it.

In a long speech full of diatribes against the United States and its allies, Putin accused the US and its allies of trying to dictate their terms to other nations in a dangerous, bloody and dirty domination game.

Putin, who sent his troops into Ukraine on February 24, has cast Western support for Ukraine as part of broad efforts by Washington and its allies to enforce its will upon others through what they call a rules-based world order.

He argued that the world has reached a turning point, when the West is no longer able to dictate its will to the humankind but still tries to do it, and the majority of nations no longer want to tolerate it.

The Russian leader claimed that the Western policies will foment more chaos, adding that he who sows the wind will reap the whirlwind.

Putin claimed that humankind now faces a choice: accumulate a load of problems that will inevitably crush us all or try to find solutions that may not be ideal but working and could make the world more stable and secure.

The Russian leader said Russia isn't the enemy of the West but will continue to oppose the purported diktat of Western neo-liberal elites, accusing them of trying to subdue Russia.

Their goal is to make Russia more vulnerable and turn it into an instrument for fulfilling their geopolitical tasks, they have failed to achieve it and they will never succeed, Putin said.

Putin reaffirmed his long-held claim that Russians and Ukrainians are part of a single people and again denigrated Ukraine as an artificial state, which received historic Russian lands from Communist rulers during the Soviet times. In a frank statement. he acknowledged that the fighting in Ukraine effectively amounts to a civil war.

Putin said he thinks all the time about the casualties Russia has suffered in the Ukraine conflict, but insisted that NATO's refusal to rule out prospective Ukraine's membership and Kyiv's refusal to adhere to a peace deal for its separatist conflict in the country's east has left Moscow no other choice.

He denied underestimating Ukraine's ability to fight back and insisted that his special military operation has proceeded as planned.

Putin also acknowleged the challenges posed by Western sanctions, but argued that Russia has proven resilient to foreign pressure and has become more united.

(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.)
Britains new prime minister notably promised integrity, professionalism and accountability at Downing Street. But with the (re)appointment of Suella Braverman as Home Secretary, has opened himself to the charge that he failed at the first hurdle.



The Home Secretary is a darling of the partys Brexiteer wing. The barrister daughter of immigrants, she shot up the ranks of the Tory party to become attorney general under Boris Johnson. She is also a former chair of the European Research Group that doomed Theresa Mays Brexit deal and premiership and helped elevate Johnson to prime minister.

In her own leadership campaign this summer, Braverman pledged to cut taxes and restore efficiency to government, suspend Britains net-zero 2050 target, end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights and deliver Brexit opportunities. At the Tory Party conference, she described the prospect of seeing a front-page photograph of a flight deporting illegal immigrants as her obsession.

When that leadership campaign fizzled, she backed Liz Trusss and got rewarded with the Home Office. In that earlier stint, Braverman threatened to derail trade talks with India when she complained that Indians were the migrant group that most overstayed their visas. She denounced Guardian-reading, tofu-eating wokerati as responsible for disruption caused by protestors.

A day later, she was forced to resign for sending a confidential ministerial document to an MP over her private email. There are conflicting accounts of how serious this security breach was and whether Bravermans apology and resignation should draw a line under the affair. Unsurprisingly, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has demanded a full investigation. More unusually, former Conservative Party Chair Jake Berry, who was sacked by Sunak, has publicly accused Braverman of multiple breaches of the ministerial code, significantly worse than the minor oversight that Braverman claims.



Also read: Rishi Sunak shows the growing influence of Indian talent in the West

Whether Berry is genuinely outraged at Bravermans breach or just really unhappy that hes been kicked out of the tent is unclear but perhaps beside the point. His intervention keeps the issue live. Is an apology all it takes to hold a job in Sunaks cabinet after a breach of the ministerial code? Expect Labour to keep that theme going.

Bravermans appointment speaks to Sunaks desire to keep a noisy right-wing faction onside as he seeks to rebuild party unity and make some difficult economic decisions. But it increasingly looks like a lose-lose. In keeping her, he signs up to an illiberal immigration policy that undermines his broader economic vision and Britains global standing. In shuffling her out, hed anger the right of his party and confirm suspicions that her appointment showed poor judgment.

Truss reportedly wanted higher immigration numbers baked into growth forecasts to give the government more room for tax cuts, while Braverman wants to return to the Tories old pledge to reduce immigrant numbers to the tens of thousands, which was never realistic. Sunak is likely to clash with Braverman too. Though he took a tough line on immigration during the summer leadership race and does not want limits lifted, hes resisting setting targets.

That leaves the party trapped in a policy that neither appeases anti-immigrant factions nor serves the economy. Despite a new points-based immigration system, the Home Office is struggling to deal with backlogs, and sponsors are finding the process bureaucratic and expensive. Businesses have been lobbying hard for higher immigration numbers as Britain faces a major worker shortage. Hospitality, construction and other industries say staffing shortages are costing them billions of pounds in lost business (which also means lost tax revenue for the Treasury).

Immigration has distributional effects that cant be ignored, but higher levels of migration would likely provide a modest boost to GDP growth; and immigrants bring fiscal benefits, paying in more to the Treasury than they receive in benefits. Often the bigger benefits come with the second generation, too.

Yet although public attitudes toward immigration are more pragmatic and nuanced these days, the Tory view seems to be that nobody ever lost votes by promising to reduce the numbers.

Still, the Home Offices signature policy on that front  a scheme to deport asylum-seekers arriving in boats to Rwanda  could prove an embarrassment for Sunak. The policy has been subject to a number of legal challenges and is unlikely to have much impact on migrant numbers. Britains standing wont be helped either by Sunak threatening to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (after the Strasbourg-based court that enforces the convention intervened to prevent the first deportation plane to Rwanda).

And all of that is before considering the rising rates of violent crime and sexual offences that the Home Office will be expected to address. Should the controversy over her resignation drag on, Sunak might be forced into an earlier reshuffle than he was counting on.

A cynic might suggest thats the whole point. The Home Office is often known as the graveyard of political careers (Theresa Mays long stint there before becoming prime minister is a notable exception). A Machiavellian reading might be that Sunaks appointment is a gesture to the Braverman wing of the party but one that gives himself an out in the event that she stumbles badly.

If so, that may be too clever by half. If she fails, Sunaks judgment will be called into question. Far from appeasing the partys right, Bravermans appointment would only whet its appetite. Either way, these two children of immigrants have set sail for an immigration policy that looks certain to backfire.
Imagine Marketing, the company that owns wearable brand Boat, has become the latest domestic technology (tech) company to shelve its listing plans. The popular consumer tech brand joins the parent API Holdings, and online automobile marketplace Droom Technology, to withdraw its draft red herring prospectus (DRHPs). Industry players dont rule out more tech firms following suit. A drop in valuations of listed tech firms, increased regulatory scrutiny and poor investor response during roadshows are seen as reasons for suspension of listing plans by tech .

Sebi has increased scrutiny, particularly in relation to valuations, and has also introduced various disclosure requirements requiring to provide explanations about change in valuation between the pre-IPO placements and the issue price in an IPO. This has compelled new-age tech to reconsider their valuations, strategies, and also the timing of going public. Additionally, it seems that certain companies are also experiencing poor demand in the bid process and roadshows. This has also led to the postponement or withdrawal of some listings, said Gaurav Mistry, Partner, DSK Legal.

had filed its DRHP with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) in January and obtained a go-ahead in April. The company was looking to raise Rs 900 crore in fresh capital through the IPO. On Friday, it announced it has raised Rs 500 crore from an affiliate of Warburg Pincus, and Malabar Investments.

Companies that are unable to launch their are instead raising capital from private equity (PE) investors. Financial conditions are currently choppy and we thought that it would be prudent to wait to do an IPO, said Vivek Gambhir, chief executive officer (CEO), .

In August, decided to shelve its Rs 6,250-crore IPO and instead raise money from existing investors via rights issue. The online pharmacy had filed its DRHP in November 2021 and obtained Sebi approval in February. Droom, which had filed for a Rs 3,000-crore IPO in November 2021, pulled out its IPO earlier this month. Sources said the company was targeting a valuation in excess of Rs 15,000 crore and didnt find enough takers amid the meltdown in prices of listed tech firms.

Shares of Zomato, Paytm, Nykaa and Policy Bazaar are down between 50 and 75 per cent from their highs, forcing companies waiting on the sidelines to rethink their valuations.

I believe that this is a reflection of the current market environment where tech companies are seeing their valuations soften, particularly in public markets, as a result of tightened capital flows due to geo-political tensions, and fears of a recession looming over some of the world economies, said Murtaza Zoomkawala, partner, Saraf & Partners.

New-age firms such as Oravel Stays (Oyo Hotels), Snapdeal and Yatra Online are currently awaiting Sebi nod for their . Sources said that the sharp erosion in investor wealth has prompted the regulator to take a cautious approach towards approving the of loss-making companies. Last month, the Sebi board approved changes to the IPO framework requiring companies to justify pricing through disclosure of key performance indicators (KPIs), and by referencing it to the most recent capital raise.

While this may make the already onerous IPO disclosure more cumbersome, it may not necessarily be a deterrent to new-age tech companies from floating their IPOs in India, should a market for their stock be available, said Zoomkawala.
The private lender reported a net profit of Rs 209.27 crore in Q2 FY23 as against a net loss of Rs 3,008.60 crore recorded in Q2 FY22.

Total income jumped 14.69% to Rs 4,249.87 crore in Q2 FY23 from Rs 3,705.39 crore posted in the corresponding quarter previous year.

The company posted a pre tax profit of Rs 273.22 crore in the second quarter as against a pre tax loss of Rs 4,028.69 crore registered in Q2 FY22.

Net interest income (NII) increased by 13.3% year on year (YoY) to Rs 2,193 crore in Q2 FY23. Net interest margin (NIM) in Q2 FY23 stood at 7% as compared to 7.6% reported in the same period last year.

Operating profit declined 2% to Rs 1,552.9 crore in quarter ended 30 September 2022 from Rs 1,584.8 posted in Q2 FY22. Provision (other than taxes) slumped 77.2% to Rs 1,279.7 crore in Q2 FY23 from Rs 5,613.5 crore in Q2 FY22.

On the asset quality front, the bank's gross non-performing assets (NPAs) stood at Rs 6,853.85 crore as on 30 September 2022 as against Rs 6,967.55 crore as on 30 June 2022 and Rs 8,763.60 crore as on 30 September 2021.

The ratio of gross NPAs to gross advances was at 7.19% as on 30 September 2022 as against 7.25% as on 30 June 2022, 10.82% as on 30 September 2021.

The ratio of net NPA to net advances stood at 1.86% as on 30 September 2022 as compared with 1.92% as on 30 June 2022, 3.04% as on 30 September 2021.

Provision coverage ratio (PCR) stood at 75.5% as on 30 September 2022 from 74.1% as on 30 September 2021

Total Advances (on book + off book + TLTRO + PTC) grew by 17.4% to Rs 95,834.9 crore as on 30 September 2022 as against Rs 81,661.2 crore as on 30 September 2021.

Total Deposits jumped 21.3% to Rs 99,365.8 crore as on 30 September 2022 as compared to Rs 81,898.3 crore as on 30 September 2021.

Tier-1 was at 18.4% as on 30 September 2022. Capital Adequacy Ratio (CRAR) stood at 19.4% as on 30 September 2022 as against 20.4% as on 30 September 2021.

The bank's Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on equity (ROE) stood at 0.6% and 4.5%, respectively in the quarter ended 30 September 2022.

Bandhan Bank operates as a commercial bank. The banking outlets as on 30 September 2022, stood at 5,646. The network consists of 1,190 branches, 4,456 banking units as against 1,168 branches and 4,450 banking units as on September 30, 2021. Total number of ATMs stood at 432 as on 30 September 2022 against 487 as on 30 September 2021. During the quarter, the number of employees of the bank has gone up from 61,247 to 64,078.

Shares of Bandhan Bank declined 2.12% to Rs 265.20 on the BSE.

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Engineers India announced that Mongol Refinery (MR) Project achieved a critical milestone of executing EPC contract agreement for EPC-2 (Open Art units, Utilities & Offsites, Plant Buildings) and EPC-3 (Captive Power Plants) at Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. The LOA has been awarded to Megha Engineering (MEIL) on 28 October 2022.

Mongol Refinery having 1.5 MMTPA crude throughput is being set up in Mongolia with the Line of Credit fund by the Government of India. This project is also part of the Development Partnership Administration initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Govt. of India.

Engineers India (EIL) is the Project Management Consultant (PMC) for this prestigious G2G collaboration project.

EIL is committed to successfully execute this project of national importance that intends to catering the energy security for Mongolia. It is worth noting that Mongolia is presently importing its total fossil fuel consumption requirement such as Diesel, Gasoline, Jet fuel, LPG etc. from its neighboring countries. Construction of this refinery shall also open numerous job opportunities and cater to the development of industries in the vicinity aiding the Mongolia's economic growth in the years to come.

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The domestic textile manufacturers should start securing Cotton to meet their needs,according to Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Textiles, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Commerce & Industry. He noted that all parties involved in the cotton industry should get together to discuss a strategy to ensure cotton's traceability and a higher value for cotton products. He suggested holding a two-day meeting to discuss fresh suggestions for boosting the textile industry.

Young people should make up at least 50% of the participants, and there should be participation from Quality Control of India (QCI), Commerce, DPIIT, Finance, Banking, and Export Insurance for a comprehensive engagement that allows for the discussion of overarching themes. According to the Union Minister, the target is to increase textile exports to US$ 100 billion over the next five to six years from last year's estimated US$ 42 billion. He stated that, if successful, the sector's total economic valuedomestic and foreignwill be US$ 250 billion.

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The key equity indices traded in a narrow range with minor gains in the early afternoon trade. The Nifty hovered above the 17,750 mark. Barring the Nifty Oil & gas and auto index, all the other sectoral indices on the NSE traded in the red.

At 12:28 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 101.9 points or 0.17% to 59,858. 74. The Nifty 50 index gained 21.05 points or 0.12% to 17,758.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index shed 0.44% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index lost 0.39%.

The market breadth was almost even. On the BSE, 1,531 shares rose and 1,781 shares fell. A total of 133 shares were unchanged.

Economy:

The IMF has noted in a latest update that India's economy is likely to expand at 6.8 percent in 2022, revised down by 1.4 percentage points since the April 2022 World Economic Outlook because of a weaker-than- expected recovery in the second quarter and subdued external demand. A further slowdown of India's growth to 6.1 percent is expected in 2023 as external demand and a tightening in monetary and financial conditions weigh on growth.

Derivatives:

The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of the market's expectation of volatility over the near term, declined 2.27% to 16.22.

The Nifty 24 November 2022 futures were trading at 17,808.45, at a premium of 50.45 points as compared with the spot at 17,758.

The Nifty option chain for the 24 November 2022 expiry showed maximum Call OI of 20.5 lakh contracts at the 18,500 strike price. Maximum Put OI of 22 lakh contracts were seen at 17,500 strike price.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Oil & Gas index rose 1.17% to 7,979.90, continuing its rising streak to the fourth day. The index advanced 3.34% in four trading sessions.

Among the components of the Nifty Oil & Gas index, Aegis Logistics (up 6.76%), Petronet LNG (up 3.51%), Oil India (up 2.72%), Oil & Natural Gas Corpn (up 2.43%), Reliance Industries (up 2.4%) GAIL (India) (up 1.48%), Indian Oil Corporation (up 0.29%), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (up 0.28%) and Gujarat State Petronet (up 0.07%) were the gainers.

On the other hand, Mahanagar Gas (down 1.1%), Indraprastha Gas (down 1.09%) and Castrol India (down 0.76%) declined.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Dhanuka Agritech jumped 6.74% after the agrochem player said its board will consider share buyback on 1 November 2022. In the same meeting, the board will also consider the company's un-audited standalone and consolidated financial results for the quarter and half year ended September 2022.

Spandana Sphoorty Financial rose 1.02% after the company said that its board will consider and approve the issue and offer of non-convertible debentures on 1 November 2022. The company said that this issue will be done on a private placement basis.

Vaibhav Global advanced 4.85%. The consolidated net profit tumbled 45.64% to Rs 22.93 crore in Q2 FY23 from Rs 42.18 crore reported in Q2 FY22. Revenue from operations rose 1.81% to Rs 646.26 crore in quarter ended 30 September 2022 as against Rs 634.79 crore recorded in the same period a year ago.

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Indus Towers declined 2.20% to Rs 186.80 after the company's consolidated net profit slumped 44.1% to Rs 871.80 crore in Q2 FY23 as against Rs 1,558.50 crore recorded in Q2 FY22.

Revenue from operations stood at Rs 7,966.60 crore in Q2 FY23 from Rs 6,876.50 crore posted in the corresponding quarter previous year, registering a growth of 15.9%.

Consolidated profit before tax tumbled 42.2% to Rs 1,175 crore in Q2 FY23 from Rs 2,033.40 crore posted in Q2 FY22.Total expenses spiked 59.28% year on year to Rs 5,154.2 crore in the quarter ended 30 September 2022. EBITDA was at Rs 2,812 crore, down 23% YoY and representing an operating margin of 35.3%.

The total tower base grew 2.43% to 1,87,926 as on 30 September 2022 as compared to 1,83,462 as on 30 September 2021. The closing sharing factor was at 1.80 during the quarter as compared to 1.81 during the corresponding quarter last year.

The operating free cash flow stood at Rs 1,277 crore down 39% YoY in quarter ended September 2022. The return on equity (pre-tax) dropped to 32.3% as against 40.9% on YoY basis [return on equity (post tax) declined to 24.2% as against 30.9% YoY basis]. The return on capital employed slipped to 19.2% as against 23.8% on YoY basis.

Indus Towers said that the financial performance continued to be impacted by the collection challenges from one of the major customers of the company.

N Kumar, chairman and independent director of Indus Towers (formerly Bharti Infratel), said, We have delivered a strong operational performance during the quarter, underpinned by good demand for products across our portfolio. Our financial performance continues to be impacted by the collection challenges we face from one of our customers. Launch of 5G services by two major operators within three months of spectrum auction underlines the strong role of infrastructure players in providing 5G-ready sites at speed. At Indus Towers, we stay excited and prepared to capitalize on the 5G opportunity.

Meanwhile, the company's board has approved raising of funds by way of issuance of non-convertible debentures (NCDs) of up to Rs 2,000 crore in one or more tranches on private placement basis.

Indus Towers is India's leading provider of passive telecom infrastructure and it deploys, owns and manages telecom towers and communication structures, for various mobile operators.

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Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday (26 October) formally took over as the Congress president at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters.

He is the first non-Gandhi to head the party in 24 years.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who lost out to Mallikarjun Kharge in the party's presidential race, pledged his full support and cooperation to the new chief in taking the party forward.

Tharoor in a tweet said, "Gathered for a brief chat after Kharge ji sat in his new office for a symbolic moment. Pledged him my full support & cooperation in taking Congress forward."

He also posted a picture sitting with Kharge and Sonia Gandhi after the ceremony at the party headquarters here.

Kharge replaced Sonia Gandhi who had been serving as interim president after Rahul Gandhi stepped down from the post following the party's loss in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

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Saksoft announced that its subsidiary, ThreeSixty Logica Testing Services has completed the acquisition of Chennai based Company Terafast Networks on 28 October 2022.

Terafast is an IT consulting service provider with nearly two decades of experience in Cloud engineering solutions.

They provide a wide range of technology service offerings such as Cloud, Containerization, DevOps, Virtualisation Services to various industry verticals.

Pursuant to the above acquisition by ThreeSixty Logica Testing Services, Terafast Networks has become a step down subsidiary of Saksoft.

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SBI Cards and Payment Services' net profit jumped 52.1% to Rs 525.64 crore on 28.1% rise in total income to Rs 3,453.32 crore in Q2 FY23 over Q2 FY22.

Interest income increased by 26.5% to Rs 1,484.46 crore in Q2 FY23 as against Rs 1,173.16 crore recorded in the same quarter last year. Income from fees and services surged 29.5% to Rs 1,611 crore in the Q2 FY23 from Rs 1,244 crore posted in Q2 FY22.

Profit before tax surged 52% to Rs 705.66 crore in the second quarter as against Rs 464.13 crore recorded in the corresponding quarter previous year.

Finance costs increased by Rs 114 crore or 44.9% to Rs 368 crore in Q2 FY23 from Rs 254 crore reported in Q2 FY22. Total Operating cost stood at Rs 1,834 crore for Q2 FY23, up 33% as compared to Rs 1,383 crore in Q2 FY22.

Earnings before credit costs increased 18% to Rs 1,252 crore for Q2 FY23 versus Rs 1,058 crore for Q2 FY22. Impairment losses & bad debts expenses for Q2 FY23 declined to Rs 546 crore as against Rs 594 crore recored in the same quarter a year ago.

New accounts volume was at 12,95,000 accounts for Q2 FY23 up by 36% compared with 953,000 accounts for Q2 FY22. Card-in-force grew by 18% to 1.48 crore as of Q2 FY23 as against 1.25 crore as of Q2 FY22. Spends grew by 43% at Rs 62,306 crore for Q2 FY23 from Rs 43,560 crore reported in Q2 FY22.

SBI Cards' receivables grew by 41% to Rs 37,730 crore as of Q2 FY23 from Rs 26,741 crore as of Q2 FY22.

The gross non-performing assets (GNPA) were at 2.14% of gross advances as on 30 September 2022 as against 3.36% as on 30 September 2021. Net non-performing assets (NNPA) stood at 0.78% as against 0.91% as on 30 September 2021.

Return on Average Assets (ROAA) improved to 5.4% in Q2 FY23 as compared to 4.9% posted in Q2 FY22. Return on Average Equity (ROAE) stood at 24.1% in Q2 FY23 from 20.1% reported in the corresponding quarter previous year.

The company's total balance sheet size as of 30 September 2022 was Rs 41,581 crore as against Rs 34,648 crore as of 31 March 2022. Total gross advances (credit card receivables) as of 30 September 2022 were Rs 37,730 crore, as against Rs 31,281 crore as of 31 March 2022. SBI Cards' net worth as of 30 September 2022 stood at Rs 8,991 crore as against Rs 7,824 crore as of 31 March 2022.

As of 30 September 2022, company's CRAR was at 23.2% compared to 25% as of 30 September 2021. Tier I capital stood at 20.2% as of 30 September 2022 as against 21.8% as of 30 September 2021.

SBI Cards and Payment Services is a non-banking financial company that offers extensive credit card portfolio to individual cardholders and corporate clients.

The scrip declined 4.89% to currently trade at Rs 815.70 on the BSE.

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Vedanta: The company said that the government has approved the extension of the production sharing contract (PSC) for the Rajasthan gas facility under the preNELP Extension Policy by 10 years from 15 May 2020 to 14 May 2030.

SBI Cards and Payment Services: The company's net profit rose 52% to Rs 526 crore on 28% increase in total income to Rs 3453 crore in Q2 September 2022 over Q2 September 2021.

Tata Chemicals: The company reported income from operations for the quarter on consolidated basis at Rs 4,239 crore for the quarter ended 30 September 2022, up by 40% as compared to Rs 3,022 crore for the corresponding quarter of last year. Consolidated PAT from continuing operations for the quarter was at Rs 685 crore as compared to Rs 248 crore for corresponding quarter of last year.

Indus Towers: The company's consolidated net profit fell 44% to Rs 872 crore on 16% increase in revenues to Rs 7967 crore in Q2 September 2022 over Q2 September 2021.

Dhanuka Agritech: The board of directors shall consider the proposal for buyback of fully paid-up equity shares of the company through tender offer route at its board meeting scheduled to be held on 1 November 2022.

Infibeam Avenues: The company informed that the Reserve Bank of India has granted In-Principle Authorisation to operate as a Payment Aggregator under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 to the Company.

IFCI: The long-term infrastructure financier raised Rs 100 crore through preferential allotment of shares to the Government of India (GoI). The committee of directors at its meeting held on 27 October 2022, allotted 9,29,36,802 equity shares at Rs 10.76 each to GoI.

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The ill-informed criticism over the depreciating rupee and Arvind Kejriwals absurd suggestion that the images of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi be printed on currency notes to improve well-being in the country underline like never before the urgent need for informed debate on economic issues.

The top edit explains why both propositions are fallacious. Read it here

In other views:

Vir Sanghvi explains why is too much of a political fly-weight to be the next Hindu Hriday Samrat, a position to which he clearly aspires. But the fact that he feels obliged to try and earn that title tells us something about India today, he says. Read it here

Ahead of the COP27 meet, the second edit argues that developed countries must do more for climate. Read it here

Harsh V Pant and Aditya Gowdara Shivamurthy describe the geopolitical repercussions from Sri Lankas IMF rescue plan. Read it here
Former Minister on Friday took a dig at the Shinde-Fadnavis government after the 'Tata Airbus Project' moved to Gujarat from Maharastra and said that the industry has no faith in the "Khoke government".

Earlier on Thursday, the Defence Officials informed that the C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force will be manufactured by Tata-Airbus at Vadodara in Gujarat.

"Since July, I have been continuously demanding that 'Tata Airbus project' should not be moved out of . But it happened again. Why are the projects in going out for the last three months?," Thackeray tweeted.

Thackeray further lambasted the double-engine government and said that the state government engine has failed engine even if the Centre is doing well but the state government has failed miserably.

"It can be seen that the industry has no faith in the Khoke government. Now even after 4 projects escape from Maharashtra, will the Industries Minister resign?," he tweeted.

The scathing attack comes after the states lost multiple projects like the Vedant Foxconn project.

"While we were in power in the state and BJP at the Centre, we brought investment of Rs 80,000 crore from Davos and Rs 6.5 lakh crore investment during the Covid period," he said.

He further expressed that he isn't unhappy the project is going out of Maharashtra. "The question is why isn't the government doing anything to bring it to the state? Chief Ministers of other states are coming to Maharashtra to hold meetings and summits with investors, but when our CM went, he went for himself," Thackeray added.

Former Maharashtra Minister alleged that the CM went to Delhi only for himself and said, "CM Eknath Shinde did not discuss about Maharashtra and the various project".

Thackeray further asked the government to declare wet drought compensation and changes in parameters for the farmers.

"Our slogan is simple 'Give or Go', either you give help to Farmers or vacant the chair," he said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Leader of Opposition on Friday claimed that Bengal has "breached its borrowing limit" under the Fiscal Responsibility & Budget Management (FRBM) Act by making a loan request of Rs 10,000 crore to the .

Taking to Twitter, the BJP MLA from Nandigram urged the union finance ministry to advise the state to generate internal revenues by modifying its land policy.

Slamming Adhikari, state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said that the "worried" legislators should take steps to ensure that the BJP-led Centre cleared the dues it owed to Bengal.

Adhikari, in a tweet, wrote, "Govt of WB has raised a loan request to RBI for an amount of Rs 10,000 crore. Unfortunately, WB has already breached its borrowing limit under the Fiscal Responsibility & Budget Management (FRBM) Act. It's also alarming that Bengal's debt burden's approximately Rs 6 lakh crore."



"Instead @FinMinIndia should advise the State of WB to increase internal revenues by modifying land policy and creating a congenial environment for setting up industries and drawing investment which would also revive the economy and create employment and help reduce the burden of Debt," he added.

In a sharp retort, Bhattacharya, the MoS finance (independent charge), said that the state was entitled to open market borrowing under FRBM Act, and the leader of opposition should know that a bill was been passed in the Assembly pertaining to Bengal's borrowing capacity.

"I don't remember if the leader of opposition was present in the House during the discussion. He could have aired his views back then. He should have checked facts before tweeting," she told PTI.

Bhattacharya also said the public debt now stands at 34.23 per cent of GSDP and the state presently ranks among the frontline ones in GDP growth due to prudent fiscal management despite "several adversities".

"If he (Adhikari) takes initiative to facilitate the clearance of Bengal's mounting dues by the Centre, there won't be any need to make a loan request to RBI," she maintained.

The minister had presented a Rs 3.21-lakh crore budget for the 2022-23 fiscal on March 11 in Assembly where the state government proposed to raise public debt to the tune of Rs 1,14,958 crore.

Bhattacharya had pegged the estimated outstanding debt of the state till March 2023 at 5,86,438.05 crore while tabling the budget.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
president Sanjay Jaiswal on Friday asserted that is an "NDA ally" and he will be campaigning for saffron party candidates for the November 3 by-polls to Mokama and Gopalganj assembly seats in the state.

Jaiswal made the averment at a press conference he addressed here and claimed that Paswan, who is a Lok Sabha member from Jamui, will canvass for candidates next week.

"We treat all parties that have fought elections in alliance with us and supported us in the Presidential polls as NDA partners. very much fits the bill and he will be campaigning on October 31 and November 1," the leader said.

The son of Dalit stalwart Ram Vilas Paswan, headed the Lok Janshakti Party founded by his father till it came apart last year following a rebellion by uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras who rallied along all other LJP MPs.

Chirag Paswan had caused a flutter in the 2020 assembly polls when he rebelled against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was then still in the NDA.

Vowing to oust Kumar's JD(U) from power, Paswan, who swears by his loyalty towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had fielded candidates, many of them BJP rebels, in all seats contested by the chief minister's party.

The JD(U), which is now with the 'Mahagathbandhan' (Grand Alliance) that includes RJD, Congress and the Left parties, alleges that the "Chirag model" was used by the BJP to weaken it despite being an alliance partner and a similar attempt was made through another "agent", former Union minister RCP Singh.

Jaiswal also announced that the BJP will file a petition in the High Court seeking the cancellation of the nomination of Mohan Gupta, the RJD candidate in Gopalganj where by-election has been necessitated by the death of Subhash Singh, a four-term MLA belonging to the saffron party.

"We recently submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission highlighting that Gupta has concealed information relating to a case of liquor smuggling lodged against him in Jharkhand. Contesting of an election by him in a dry state is scandalous. The EC, however, did not act on our complaint. So we will move the court when it reopens on November 1," the BJP leader said.

He also reiterated that in Mokama, gangster-turned-politician Anant Kumar Singh, whose wife seeks to retain for RJD the seat falling vacant upon her husband's disqualification, attempts were being made to "intimidate voters".

"Yesterday there were a couple of dacoities in the main market of Mokama. The dacoits were henchmen of Anant Singh whose main intention was to warn people of dire consequences if they dared not to support their leader," alleged Jaiswal.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Aam Aadmi Party leaders and Bhagwant Mann, and Congress veteran will embark on a three-day visit to the poll-bound Gujarat from Friday, during which they will address public rallies in different parts of the state for their respective parties.

During their visit, Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal, who is also the AAP's convener, and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann are scheduled to address six rallies.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot will also hold six public rallies, party sources said.

As per the details shared by the AAP, Kejriwal and Mann will address a public meeting at 12 noon in Morwa Hadaf Assembly seat in Panchmahal district. They will also speak at a rally at Kankerej Assembly seat in Patan district.

On Saturday, they will address public rallies at Chikhli in Navsari district and Dediapada in Narmada district, while on Sunday, the duo will speak at public rallies in Gariadhar Assembly seat in Bhavnagar district and Dhoraji in Rajkot district.

During their visits, they will also hold meetings with the leaders of their party to discuss strategy for the upcoming elections, party functionaries said.

Gehlot will address two rallies at Garbada and Jhalod, both in Dahod district, on Friday.

On Saturday, he will address rallies at Navsari in Navsari district of south Gujarat, while on Sunday, he will address three rallies - one each at Danta in Banaskantha district, Khedbrahma in Sabarkantha district, and Bhilod in Aravalli district, the party sources said.

Elections to the 182-member Legislative Assembly in Gujarat, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is currently in power, is due by the end of this year. However, the schedule for the polls is yet to be announced.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
president on Friday visited the memorial and 'mazaar' of and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and paid tributes to the two freedom fighters and former Union ministers.

After visiting Ambedkar's memorial here, Kharge also posted a quote of the former law minister and the chief architect of the Constitution on Twitter -- "Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics, Bhakti or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship."



"Visited Dr B. R. Ambedkar Memorial in Delhi today and paid floral tributes to Babasaheb," Kharge, who took over as chief on Wednesday, said in a tweet and posted pictures of him paying homage to Ambedkar at the memorial.

Kharge also visited the 'mazaar (grave)' of Azad here and paid floral tributes to India's first Education Minister.

Ahead of his taking over as chief, Kharge had visited Rajghat on Wednesday and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi. He had also visited the memorials of former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and former deputy prime minister Jagjivan Ram, and paid tributes to the leaders.

On Wednesday, Kharge took charge as the Congress' first non-Gandhi president in 24 years, citing Rahul Gandhi's slogan daro mat' to energise workers and declaring that the party will demolish the government's "system of lies, treachery and hatred".

Kharge, 80, had defeated Shashi Tharoor to win the Congress presidential election, to succeed Sonia Gandhi.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Minister on Friday said that the state has been lagging behind in all forms of development due to the unresolved Naga political issue.

The Nagas must unite and resolve the protracted issue to usher in a new dawn of progress, the chief minister said.

For over 70 years, Naga people have suffered and were deprived of development while opportunities were also few owing to the unresolved issue, the chief minister said.

No final solution has been achieved till date with the NSCN-IM remaining firm on its demand for a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas.

The chief minister said that if a solution to the Naga issue arrives at around this time, the state polls may have to be deferred as seats in the Assembly and Parliament have to be increased.

The polls to elect 60 members of the Assembly are due in the northeastern state by February 2023.

However, the chief minister appreciated the recent developments with political talks continuing between the Government of India and National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) and Working Committee of seven Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs).

The NSCN-IM and NNPGs have recently agreed to form a common body to explore ways and move forward towards finding a solution to the imbroglio over the Naga peace talks.

The decision to have the common body known as Council of Naga Relationships and Cooperation' was an outcome of a meeting between the NNPGs and the NSCN-IM initiated by the Forum for Naga Reconciliation.

The talks with NSCN-IM started in 1997 following the signing of a ceasefire agreement and they inked the Framework Agreement on August 3, 2015.

The NNPGs which started separate negotiations in 2017 and signed the Agreed Position in November same year, have expressed their willingness to go ahead with a solution with whatever is possible now and continue discussing the remaining issues post solution.

Meanwhile, Rio said he and the local MLA Zale Neikha were satisfied to have inaugurated Kezoma Urban Station during the day.

It was under the present dispensation that the number of districts has increased to 16 from 11 while the Cabinet also approved upgrading 13 small towns to urban stations, the chief minister said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ahead of the Nahai Khai of the Chhath, President Aadesh Gupta visited the oldest Yamuna Chhath Ghat of called the ITO Yamuna Ghat for assessment of the arrangement on Thursday.

"This is the oldest Chhath Ghat of and there is no arrangement so far. It is the total accountability of the Delhi Government. Due to Covid pandemic, there were no Chhath celebrations on the bank of the Yamuna rive in the last two years and this year too, no arrangement has been made so far. So, due to mismangement, no Chhath celebrations be made this year too, "said Aadesh Gupta during the inspection.

He further accused the Aam Aadmi Party of lying and said that their leaders are expert at spreading propaganda. During elections, their leaders become Hindu and before that, they make fun of the Hindu Gods and goddess."

Meanwhile, Delhi Chhath Puja Samiti President Shiva Ram Pandey said that they have been working for Chhath Ghat for more than a month but are still unaware of the location.

"We have been working for Chhath Ghat for the last month, and we still don't know if this year's Chhath will take place on the bank of Yamuna or not. Kejriwal says Chhath will take place on the bank of Yamuna Ghat. But LG (Vinay Saxena) didn't allow it. We got permission on Wednesday but the picture is not clear. Amid the of two parties, Chhath Puja and the people of UP and Bihar are stuck," he said.

The Delhi Chhath Puja Samiti President further added that they have been celebrating Chhath at the ITO Yamuna Ghat since 1984.

"We started Chhath on this Ghat in 1984. For a few years, we celebrated Chhath by our own arrangement. Later, we urged former CM Shila Dikshit. Then she built Ghat, all arrangements were taking place on the time in her regime, which is not happening now," he added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
According to senior officials, the (DoT) and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) believe that network slicing, a crucial component of 5G technology, will not violate the principles of net neutrality, reported The Economic Times. They also said that the proper modifications will be made to licencing rules to permit slicing.

Major telecom companies Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have sought clarification on this issue, which is essential for providing private captive network services to businesses and for generating future 5G income. After preliminary dicussions, both internally and with industry players, believes that when network operators slice the network, they won't reduce customer speeds. The basic requirement of regulations is to provide everyone with equal access without limiting speed.

A official said on the condition of anonymity, "When required, we will amend the rules stating that slicing should not be treated as a violation of net nutrality."

According to the official, needs to modify or clarify unifying licencing (UL) to allow network slicing. The official also mentioned that when network traffic picks up speed in a few years, the restrictions might be revisited.

Network slicing is a common 5G use case which allows a single physical network to be divided into a number of virtual networks that can serve various network services. For instance, telecoms can set aside a certain amount of bandwidth for a specific service while allowing everyone else to share the remaining capacity. An industry executive described it as being similar to having a private network on a public network.

To make the most of 5G technology, which offers features like slicing of a network and giving tailored experience to an organisation, Jio and Airtel have urged authorities to review the legislation.

Telcos requested clarification from the government because of concern that some could view this as a violation of the principle of equitable access to the internet. Operators anticipate that roughly 40 per cent of future 5G revenue will come from captive private networks.

The DoT has permitted carriers to provide captive private networks as a service to businesses through network slicing across its public network in accordance with recent regulations governing spectrum leasing. But the UL must also take that into account.

Trai, like DoT, has also not found fault with network slicing in 5G, in its preminiary assessment, according to an official.
US seed manufacturer Monsanto, now a unit of Germanys Bayer, launched the worlds first genetically modified crop in 1996. Since then, about 30 countries have taken to biotech crops including soybean, corn, tomato, squash, papaya, cotton, maize and sugarbeet.

India first allowed GM cultivation with Monsantos lab-altered cotton in 2002. The move helped transform India into the worlds second largest cotton producer and exporter after China. In the two decades since then, India has not approved any transgenic crop.

In 2009, genetically modified Bt brinjal was cleared for general cultivation by Indias biotech regulator Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee or GEAC, after years of multi-location field trials.

Bt brinjal was developed by Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company under licence from Monsanto. But its seeds were not distributed to the farmers officially due to the indefinite moratorium put on its cultivation by the then environment minister, Jairam Ramesh, following opposition from activists and some farmers. Indias neighbour Bangladesh allowed commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal in 2013.

The GEAC, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has now paved the way for the commercialisation of the countrys first crop. The government panel has granted environmental clearance for indigenously developed seed variety DMH-11, which has been shown to deliver 30% higher yields than existing varieties.

In 2017, a similar approval had to be recalled in the face of opposition from activists across the political spectrum. Mustard is cultivated by around 6 million farmers in around 6.5-7 million hectares of land across the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh.

Deepak Pental, a geneticist and former vice-chancellor of Delhi University, developed the seeds along with his team in an over decade-long effort.

Calling the approval a landmark development, Pental said farmers can get hold of hybrids in the next two years if all the steps from here fall in place.

To grow the seeds commercially, a final approval is still required from the ministry. While giving the nod, the GEAC has said that field demonstration studies on the impact of the mustard variety on honey bees and other pollinators will have to be conducted under the supervision of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research within two years.

Environmental activists and the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, have opposed GEACs clearance and urged the government to not give a final nod. Ashwini Mahajan, co-convener of Swadeshi Jagran Manch, termed the mustard variety extremely dangerous to public health and farmers.

Kavitha Kuruganti, Co-convener, Coalition for a GM-Free India says, GM crops are not tested in major mustard growing states.

Tests not conducted on all biosafety parameters. Concerns on testing raised in 2017 remain unresolved. There are health impacts from genetic engineering process.

Mustard oil accounted for 14.1% of Indias total edible oil consumption in 2020-21. India is the worlds biggest importer of edible oils and last fiscal, it spent nearly $19 billion, a jump of 71%, importing vegetable oils including palm and sunflowers oils.

can help the country reduce import dependency in this area. India fills more than 70% of its edible oil demand from Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia and Ukraine.

Many scientists and agricultural experts have called for faster clearance of GM crops as India's farming acreage shrinks because of rapid urbanisation and erratic weather that threatens output of staple foodgrains such as rice and wheat.

But conservative politicians and advocacy groups have opposed transgenic technology in farming, in the belief that GM crops could compromise food safety and biodiversity and pose a health hazard.

The DMH-11 mustard variety is herbicide tolerant, allowing farmers to spray over the crops with weed killer without harming the crops. This has raised fears that farmers may resort to excessive use of toxic herbicides which can lead to weeds becoming resistant to them and the emergence of so-called superweeds. Critics are also concerned about herbicide residue on GM crops.

CD Mayee, President, South Asia Biotechnology Centre says, fears over GM crops are overblown. Bt cotton produced no safety and environment concerns. We are already importing and consuming GM oil, he says adding that testing of GM mustard has been extensive.

GM crops should be introduced in the country only after critical scientific evaluation of their benefits and safety. At present, there is a difference of opinion within the community of experts on their safety. Against this backdrop, bringing about a consensus and earning the trust of all the stakeholders involved will be crucial if the authorities are keen on the widespread adoption of GM crops.
South Africa: Mchunu reiterates commitment to deliver water to communities

Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu, has reiterated the Ministry and departments commitment towards the provision of water to the communities.

Mchunu made the commitment during the launch of Olifants Management Model Programme (OMM) on Thursday at the Ga-Malekana Tribal Authority, outside Burgersfort in Limpopo.

The OMM Programme aims to fast-track potable and bulk raw water infrastructure with a view of ensuring that the nearby communities and the surrounding mining, including agriculture and other companies in Sekhukhune District, Polokwane and Mogalakwena Local Municipalities are supplied with adequate water by 2030.

Delivering his keynote address, Mchunu said the OMM project is a huge milestone in the countrys democracy.

This is a very good example of collective efforts; it is a three-dimensional partnership between government, the private sector and more importantly the people of this area. This is a huge investment to the current and future generations, and it needs to be maintained, Mchunu said.

The Minister added that the programme, which is the result of a collaboration between Water and Sanitation and the Lebalelo Water Users Association (LWUA), epitomises the effectiveness of public - private partnerships and will certainly go a long way in as far as addressing challenges in the water and sanitation sector is concerned.

Both the department and LWUA consider reliable access to good, safe water as essential to life, nature, and economic growth, hence it is important to embark on water access projects that help bring safe, clean drinking water to communities in need.

Over 130 villages to benefit from the programme

The project scope includes enabling water supply to Mogalakwena by moving a portion of the Lebalelo schemes current supply from Flag Boshielo Dam to De Hoop Dam, and developing reticulation and related infrastructure to benefit a total of 134 villages, amongst others.

The programme will also address pressing water needs to approximately 380 000 people in the defined areas in the Limpopo province, and will be able to create 42 000 jobs.

Programme funding estimated to reach R24 billion

Mchunu said the estimated cost of the programme is R24 billion and will be funded on a 50:50 contribution principle between government and the commercial users through the Lebalelo Water Users Association.

These include African Rainbow Minerals, Anglo American Platinum, Assore, Corridor Resources, Cheetah Chrome, Glencore-Merafe, Implats, Ivanplats, Northam, Tameng and other industrial users.

Both the department and Lebalelo agree that the partnership will among others, unlock the strategic mineral and industrial potential in the region, and more importantly it will provide a range of benefits, including much-needed water security, job creation and socio-economic development.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-10-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Security Council renews mandate of UN mission for Western Sahara

Xinhua) 10:55, October 28, 2022

Photo taken on Oct. 27, 2022 shows a UN Security Council meeting at the UN headquarters in New York. The UN Security Council on Thursday adopted a resolution to renew the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for another year, till Oct. 31, 2023. (Evan Schneider/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday adopted a resolution to renew the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for another year, till Oct. 31, 2023.

Resolution 2654 won the support of 13 of the 15 members of the Security Council. Kenya and Russian abstained from voting.

The resolution emphasizes the need to achieve a realistic, practicable, enduring and mutually acceptable political solution to the question of Western Sahara based on compromise.

It calls upon the parties to resume negotiations under the auspices of the UN secretary-general without preconditions and in good faith, and to demonstrate political will and work in an atmosphere propitious for dialogue in order to advance negotiations.

Western Sahara was partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania at the end of Spain's colonial rule in 1976. When Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979, Morocco moved to occupy that sector and has since asserted administrative control over the whole territory. Fighting broke out between Morocco and the Polisario Front, which is fighting for the independence of Western Sahara.

A cease-fire was signed in 1991. MINURSO was deployed that year to monitor the cease-fire and to organize, if possible, a referendum on self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Lloyd Austin AA Images

Document puts emphasis on multilateral approach to global challenges as US forces face broad array of challenges

WASHINGTON (AA) - A new defense strategy released Thursday by the Pentagon emphasized increasingly dire challenges posed by China and the ongoing "acute threats" from Russia, noting US forces are facing mounting tests.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pointed to China as the US' premier competitor, saying its increasing military strength poses long-term challenges for Washington. Beijing, he said, "remains our most consequential strategic competitor for the coming decades."

"I have reached this conclusion based on the PRC's (Peoples Republic of China) increasingly coercive actions to reshape the Indo-Pacific region and the international system to fit its authoritarian preferences, alongside a keen awareness of the PRC's clearly stated intentions and the rapid modernization and expansion of its military," Austin wrote in a letter accompanying the unclassified version of the document.

While China is considered the US' most pressing challenge, the National Defense Strategy noted the "acute threat" that Russia continues to pose to Washington, which it said is "demonstrated most recently by Russia's unprovoked further invasion of Ukraine."

Austin told reporters at the Pentagon that the agency deliberately chose to characterize Russia as an "acute threat," because, he said, "unlike China, Russia can't systemically challenge the United States in the long term."

"But Russian aggression does pose an immediate and sharp threat to our interests and values, and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's reckless war of choice against Ukraine, the worst threat to European security since the end of World War II, has made that very clear for the whole world," he said.

The Pentagon said it would continue to support what it called "robust deterrence of Russian aggression against vital U.S. national interests, including our treaty Allies." It pointed in particular to NATO and other key partners that it will seek to jointly develop key capabilities while bolstering military interoperability.

"We cannot meet these complex and interconnected challenges alone," said the strategy. "Mutually-beneficial Alliances and partnerships are our greatest global strategic advantage -- and they are a center of gravity for this strategy."

The emphasis on a multilateral approach to the challenges faced by Washington comes as the strategy notes the increasingly complex security environment from transnational threats and climate change, which it said "will increasingly place pressure on the Joint Force and the systems that support it."

Michael Hernandez/AA
Elon Musk AP Photo

Le milliardaire americain, Elon Musk, a finalise ce vendredi le rachat de Twitter pour la somme de 44 milliards de dollars, et a rapidement limoge 4 cadres superieurs du reseau social.

Une fois l'accord conclu, les medias americains ont rapporte que Musk avait licencie le PDG de Twitter Parag Agrawal, le directeur financier Ned Segal, le directeur juridique et politique Vijaya Gadde et l'avocat general Sean Edgett.

Musk a ecrit dans un tweet ce vendredi matin : L'oiseau est libere, faisant reference a la plateforme Twitter.

Avec la finalisation de l'accord met un terme aux mesures juridiques prises par la compagnie pour forcer Musk a donner suite a son offre d'achat de Twitter, apres la tentative du milliardaire de se retirer de l'accord.

Une procedure judiciaire etait en cours devant un tribunal de l'Etat du Delaware, la juge de district, Kathleen McCormick, a accorde un delai aux parties jusqu'a 17 h 00 heure locale (21 h 00 GMT), ce vendredi pour conclure l'accord, ou faire face a un proces, en novembre prochain, pour trancher l'affaire.

Le 25 avril dernier, Elon Musk, l'homme le plus riche du monde, a conclu un accord pour acquerir Twitter, dans le cadre d'un contrat estime a 44 milliards de dollars.

A la date du 13 mai, Musk a annonce que l'accord d'achat de la compagnie de reseau social Twitter, avait ete temporairement suspendu, justifiant la raison de la suspension de l'accord par le fait quil "attendait les details des faux comptes qui representent moins de 5 % du nombre total d'utilisateurs".

Le 8 juillet, Elon Musk a annonce qu'il avait resilie le contrat d'achat de Twitter, declarant que la compagnie n'avait pas repondu ou avait refuse de repondre aux multiples demandes d'informations liees aux faux comptes et aux spams sur la plateforme.

Elon Musk a indique, jeudi dernier, avoir lintention de conclure l'accord dans un court laps de temps, en modifiant le champ d'identification personnelle de son compte Twitter en "Chief Twit", ce qui signifie "Chef de Twitter".

Le milliardaire sud-africano-canado-americain est partisan dune approche intransigeante quant a la liberte d'expression, mais il s'est engage, dans une lettre aux annonceurs, qu'il a publiee sur son compte Twitter, de maintenir les politiques de Twitter dans la surveillance des divers contenus, dont les discours de haine et les menaces de violence.

"La raison pour laquelle je possede Twitter est qu'il est important pour l'avenir de la civilisation d'avoir une arene numerique commune, ou un large eventail de croyances peut etre discute de maniere saine sans recourir a la violence", lit-on dans la lettre du milliardaire.

"Il y a un grand danger en ce moment que les reseaux sociaux se divisent entre l'extreme droite et l'extreme gauche, pour generer plus de haine et diviser notre societe", a-t-il ajoute.

Le patron de Tesla a souligne que la societe est geree conformement aux lois americaines, soulignant que "notre plate-forme doit etre accueillante pour tout le monde".

AA / Washington / Basher Bayatli

Elon Musk completes $44B Twitter purchase, fires senior executives

CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal and Vijaya Gadde, head of legal policy, have all been fired: Washington Post

WASHINGTON (AA) - Tesla CEO Elon Musk completed his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter on Thursday, firing three key senior executives from the company as he prepared to chart a new course for the microblogging website, according to multiple reports.

In addition to closing the deal and adding a new company to his sprawling tech portfolio, Musk is taking Twitter private, paying shareholders his original inflated price of $54.20 per share.

Chief Executive Officer Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and Vijaya Gadde, head of legal policy, trust and safety, have all been fired, The Washington Post newspaper reported, citing three anonymous sources who discussed the matter on condition of anonymity. Twitter General Counsel Sean Edgett is also out, according to the Post.

The deal's closure brings to an end legal action from Twitter seeking to force Musk to complete his offer after he attempted to renege on the deal.

Musk earlier Thursday signaled that the deal would be closed in short order, changing his Twitter bio to "Chief Twit" and penning a lengthy -- by Twitter standards -- assurance to advertisers that he does not want the website to become a "free-for-all hellscape."

Musk has long taken a more hardline approach to free speech, but in a message geared toward advertisers, he vowed to continue Twitter's policies of policing various content, including hate speech and threats of violence.

"The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence," Musk wrote, in a voice that seemed to assume the deal had already been completed.

"There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society," he added.

Musk said that in addition to ensuring the company is run in compliance with US laws, "our platform must be warm and welcoming to all." He had previously signaled that he would reinstate former President Donald Trump's account, though the former commander-in-chief has said he would not return to Twitter as he seeks to maintain his in-house Twitter competitor.

Concerns had mounted that should Musk purchase Twitter, he would cut back or throw out its efforts to moderate content, particularly hate speech, which would likely leave many advertisers scrambling for the exits along with everyday users.

Addressing advertisers directly, Musk said he believes "that advertising, when done right, can delight, entertain and inform you; it can show you a service or product or medical treatment that you never knew existed, but is right for you."

"For this to be true, it is essential to show Twitter users advertising that is as relevant as possible to their needs," he wrote. "Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise. To everyone who has partnered with us, I thank you. Let us build something extraordinary together."

Legal proceedings had been ongoing in the US state of Delaware where Chancery Court Judge Kathaleen McCormick has given the parties until 5 p.m. Friday to close the deal or face a November trial to decide the outcome.

.Michael Hernandez/AA
Bass is best known for the work he did with Rankin, who preceded him in death in 2014 at 89. At Rankin/Bass, the two produced and directed dozens of specials, series, and feature films, working with some of the biggest names in Hollywood for nearly three decades.

During a conversation with the Television Academy Foundation in 2005, Rankin explained his working relationship with Bass, and how they managed to complement each other by doing different things.

A partnership comes when two people support each other and complement each other. After a while, we were never seen together because Bass was doing something and I was doing something. Id be looking at doing production in Tokyo and hed be recording a soundtrack in New York If we were together, one of us wasnt necessary.

The pairs first production at Videocraft International was the syndicated series The New Adventures of Pinocchio, which aired in 1960. Animation for the series was done in Japan by Tadahito Mochinagas MOM Production with Dentsu Studio. With that first series, Rankin/Bass established their signature Animagic style of stop-motion animation.

Today, the studio is best remembered for its stop-motion work, especially on holiday classics such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Little Drummer Boy, Jack Frost, and Mad Monster Party?, but their impressive catalog also includes numerous enduring titles produced using cel animation as well, including Frosty the Snowman. Decades of kids grew up with Rankin/Bass tv series, whether it was The Tales of the Wizard of Oz in the 1960s, The Jackson 5ive in the 1970s, or Thundercats in the 1980s. The studio also produced theatrical feature films such as The Daydreamer (Bass debut feature as a director) and The Last Unicorn.

Although their animated specials are beloved, the two received little critical recognition from their peers, with none of their well known holiday classics being recognized by the Emmy Awards. Rankin/Bass The Little Drummer Boy Book II received an Emmy nomination for outstanding childrens special in 1977, and the duo received a Peabody for their animated tv movie The Hobbit in 1978.

In addition to being a prolific producer, Bass was an accomplished songwriter as well. He wrote the lyrics to many songs which featured in Rankin/Bass productions, frequently working with composer Maury Laws. Together, the duo wrote songs that would be performed by the likes of Fred Astaire, Danny Kaye, Patty Duke, Vincent Price, Phyllis Diller, Boris Karloff, and others.

Rankin/Bass shut down in 1987. Bass moved to France and continued working in the creative arts, writing the childrens book series Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon. He also wrote the book Headhunters, which was adapted as the feature film Monte Carlo in 2011.

Bass was preceded in death by his daughter Jean Nicole Bass, who passed away in January of this year at 61 years old. Information
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The Charity Commission has launched a statutory inquiry into The British School of Alexandria.



The investigation has been opened after trustees failed to comply with an Order of the Commission issued in 2021 for accounts in 2019 and 2020.



The order was given after being subject to a class inquiry for double defaulters - charities that have failed to meet their statutory reporting requirements for two or more years in the last five years.



The latest inquiry will attempt to find out to what extent the trustees are complying with legal duties in respect to governance, management and administration of the charity.



It will also find out as to what extent, if any, failing or weaknesses in the administration, governance and management of the charity identified during the inquiry were the result of misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees.

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Since we have previously discussed a more erotic comparison of Lewis Grizzards (LG) thoughts to those of awarding winning author and feminist Erica Jongs treatise that was described as the second wave of feminism I must warn my few readers that what I have developed in this article is rather bland.

The 64-page pamphlet published in 1989 titled Lewis Grizzard on Fear of Flying previously mentioned, the humorist repeats numerous articles in which he has critiqued and criticized everything that could go wrong on the planning and execution of the main source of travel with the demise of passenger trains, and travel on bumper-to-bumper freeway log jams that existed in his era prior to 1989. (And now!)

He does not try to spice up the story by even subtly suggesting how air travelers and their mates might secure membership in the exclusive 5280 Feet Club between New York and Los Angeles.

Accompanied by the usual great illustrations by Mike Lester, LG covers all of the delays and mechanical problems, preparation for plane crashes, planes landing in a wrong town and/or wrong runaway, hourly tarmac delays while waiting to take off, cancellation of flights, poor food, lost baggage, etc.

He states that his alleged experiences on Wing and A Prayer Airlines, Treetop Airlines, Air Delay Airlines, Air Emphysema Airlines (limited smoking) and described in his traditional line of humor as he traces the birth of the Age of Flight although he was more concerned about the Age of Safe Landings.

He candidly expresses his concern for his safety and when asked the eternal question of why if everything was so danger free, do they call the place of departure the Terminal. He then suggests that perhaps a name change would be appropriate.

Finally, he gives his sage advice of Top Ten Tips for Flying:

1.I tend to drink a lot before getting on a plane. Im not talking about a shooter or two. Im talking about going to the Crown Room a day before my flight and drinking double screwdrivers until they scrape me up and load me onto one of those buggies that carry handicapped people;

2.I tend to drink a lot while Im in the air. The only resulting problem is that sometimes when the plane lands, I get off and I cant remember what city I was traveling to. So I ask where I am, but then I cant remember what I was supposed to do when I got there. So I go back to the Crown Room and start getting ready for the flight home;

3.When I have a choice, I prefer to fly with the airline that has had the most recent crash. I figure the odds are in my favor;

4.I never fly on the national airlines of Communist countries or those of countries where they wear sheets or think cows are sacred;

5.I never fly on commuter airlines. If the pilots were any good, theyd be flying for a real airline instead of a puddle-jumper;

6.I take along a good book to keep my mind off the dangers. I suggest this one;

7.I call the home of the pilot the night before takeoff to make certain that he isnt drinking and that hes in bed early. If I suspect theres any tension with a wife or girlfriend, I send him flowers with mash notes;

8.I never eat the food they serve on-board. That way I never have to loosen my grip on the seat;

9.I discourage casual conversation with those sitting around me so that I can listen more closely for changes in the sound of the engines;

10.I pray a lot. Ive always heard there are no atheists in foxholes. I doubt there are any in a 727 that is passing through a serious storm after taking off from Boston at night. I also try not to think any dirty thoughts on an airplane so God will like me and listen to my prayers.

LG sums up his reasoning for his fear of flying when he gets on board of an airline carrier by exclaiming I really dont mind flying. Its the crashing and burning that gets me!



He closes with his own adaption of Roy Rogers famous closing in his television series  Happy vapor trails to you.

(Dedicated to the thousands of happy Memorial Day Flyers?)

* * *

You can reach Jerry Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com)
Frank Lloyd Wright said, theres nothing more uncommon than common sense. In Oregon, its not a crime to possess a small amount of cocaine (Oregon, Measure 110) but dont try to snort it using a plastic straw (Oregon, SB 90).

In a debate with Rep Kevin McCarthy, his Democrat opponent repeated their oft used talking point. She opposed the wall but said, I believe we need to put the resources there to insure that the border is secure. If there really are such resources, where are they? 4.9 million illegals have entered since Jan, 2021 (Federation for Immigration Reform, 8/16/22).

Nine days after Californians were told not to charge electric cars to prevent a strain on the power grid (Newsweek, 8/31/22), they banned the sale of gas powered cars by 2035 (Harvard Gazette, 9/9/22). What did Biden do? He flew out to Burbank dumping tons of carbons so he could race fossil fuel corvettes.

The climate activist mayor in Ann Arbor, Mi., is a leading proponent of the citys mission to be carbon-neutral by 2030 and the 20 year tax to fund it. Its a Democrat plan, so naturally it mandates a tax. The mayor called on residents to go all electric in their homes. City building permit records, however, indicate he recently had gas fire logs and a gas line to fuel the logs installed in his private residence according to MichiganLive, 10/24/22.

After the debate performance of PA Democrat John Festerman, the comments of former President Obama seem phony at best. As a guest on Pod Save America, Obama said one of the things he appreciates about Festerman is being able to have a normal conversation with him and you see how the rest of America lives. Elitist Obama is saying, dont believe what you saw, believe what I tell you to believe.

The Democrat agenda seems to be going up in smoke much like the electric bus in Hamden, Ct. (WTNH, O Perrault, 7/22) and thats still another conundrum for Democrats. China has become a major supplier of electric busses to the US (FutureCar, 9/21/18). Does common sense suggest they are behind the zero fossil fuel fiasco?

Ralph Miller

* * *

I'll begin by asking the reader to ponder this thought:



Any Federal Reserve (the Fed) increase in interest rates after March, 2021 but well before March, 2022 would have curtailed inflation. But the Fed did not increase interest rates.



Most readers will likely jump to the conclusion the Fed has nothing to do with inflation; inflation is solely President Biden's fault.



Now ponder this question by Mr. Ralph Miller in his post. He asked, "Remember when the administration said inflation was transitory?"



Most readers will believe "inflation is transitory" to be President Biden's analysis, and reinforces that President Biden is solely responsible for inflation. The reader will applaud Mr. Miller's opining about the Biden Administration's inflation.



But to infer that The Biden Administration coined the phrase "inflation is transitory" is wrong. The negative inference drawn from Mr. Miller's question that inflation is solely President Biden's fault is also wrong.



The first use of the word describing inflation as "transitory" appeared in a press release of the Federal Open Market Committee of the Fed on 4/28/2021. It said "Inflation has risen, largely reflecting transitory factors." Ergo, "inflation is transitory".



The term was not coined by the Biden Administration. But wouldn't you use the term since the Fed should be the most knowledgeable source of inflationary data? The Biden Administration did indeed use the term.



Government use of the term ended on 11/30/2021 when Fed Chairman Jerome Powell stated his intent was to retire the term "transitory". If used since, it has not been used by The Biden Administration except, perhaps, for background.



As composed, Mr. Miller's question is correct. But here are five very important points that add needed context before drawing inferences:



1. Donald Trump, not President Biden, appointed Jerome Powell as chairman of the Federal Reserve. (Federal Reserve bios)



2. On 8/27/2020, during Trump's term, the Fed adopted a new monetary policy strategy to let inflation run hotter than its long-term goal of two percent a year. (CNBC.com, 8/27/2020)



3. The U. S. rate of inflation breached two percent in March, 2021 at 2.62 percent. The rate rose to 8.5 percent by March, 2022. (USInflationCalculator.com)



4. From March, 2021 until March, 2022, the Fed continuing buying securities from Federal banks to increase the money supply, an inflationary position. (Forbes.com/Quantitative Easing, 1/12/2022) FYI, the Fed does NOT buy securities directly from the U. S. Government.



5. The Fed did not increase interest rates until March, 2022 when inflation had risen to 8.5 percent. (Fed.Implementation Note, 3/16/2022).



The Fed let inflation run hotter and allowed inflation to increase. Inflation increased nearly six percent to 8.5 percent in one year before the Fed increased interest rates.



So, reader, please again ponder this thought: Any Fed action to increase interest rates after March, 2021 but well before March, 2022 would have curtailed inflation. But the Fed did not increase interest rates.



Now, is inflation solely President Biden's fault?



Joe Warren



Ringgold


Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp signed a proclamation declaring October as National Colonial Heritage Month. Prudhomme Fort Chapter of Colonial Dames Seventeenth Century members witnessed the signing.

The Proclamation reads:

Whereas, the Prudhomme Fort Chapter of the National Society of Colonial Dames XVII Century of Tennessee is sponsoring National Colonial Heritage Month during the month of October 2022; and

Whereas, National Colonial Heritage Month brings to mind the first courageous settlers who arrived in America and who determined the direction for the formation of our country; and

Whereas, the members of this Society, by virtue of their lineal descent from those early arrivals, feel an obligation to work for the preservation of the priceless legacy that these early arrivals left to American citizens; and

Whereas, they continue to convey the true meaning of the inheritance by reminding us that our privilege to live in a free country has stemmed from loving our country, obeying its laws, respecting its flag and defending it against all enemies:

Now, therefore, I, Weston Wamp, Mayor of Hamilton County, Tennessee, do hereby proclaim the month of October 2022 as National Colonial Heritage Month.

Prudhomme Fort Chapter is involved in local, state and national community service: preservation of historic records and sites; fosters interest in Colonial research; aids in the education of our youth; commemorates the heroic deeds of our ancestors the founders of our great Republic; and encourages to maintain those high principles of virtue, courage and patriotism which led to the independence of the colonies and the foundation and establishment of the United States of America.



Highlights of past achievements: historic Williamsburg Cemetery in Athens, Tn. by recognizing outstanding individuals in early American history with cemetery cleaning and Dedication Day; Speakers on Colonial history; service to Veterans through Quilts of Valor presentations; Honor Flight sponsorship; and volunteering at the Chattanooga Charles H. Coolidge Veterans Clinic.




The Rhea Alliance hosted its fifth annual scholarship bass tournament on Oct. 12 and Oct. 13 with $8,500 in scholarships awarded in the two-day tournament.

The bass tournament was open to Rhea County residents who are in the sixth through 12th grade on the day of the tournament.

The two-day event was held on Saturday, Oct. 12, on Watts Bar Lake from the Rhea Springs Boat Ramp.

The Rhea Alliance was formed in 2013 by Spring City Chambers Jim Reed and Dayton Chambers Vaughn Berger along with Dennis Tumlin who was with the Rhea County Economic & Tourism Council. Mr. Tumlin went on to being appointed Chief Customer Officer for the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.

It was started to promote the interest of a united Rhea County. It consists of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce, Spring City Chamber of Commerce, the cities of Dayton, Spring City and Graysville along with Rhea County, Main Street Dayton, and the Rhea County Economic and Tourism Council.

Jim Reed, co-founder of the Alliance, said, Thanks to all those who came out to support our efforts. The Rhea County Alliance is a cooperative effort by all three Rhea County municipalities, along with county government and Chamber of Commerce from Spring City and Dayton. The Rhea County Economic & Tourism council is also involved.

There were 30 participants in the two-day tournament on Watts Bar and Chickamauga Lakes this year.

Winners were:

Jr High School Division

Rhea Alliance Tournament Jr. High School Division winners: TJ Murray 1st place Angler, Danny Peters 1st place Co-Angler.

1st Place Angler & Co-Angler in the Jr Division each will receive $250 College Starter Fund Scholarships from Rhea Alliance.

High School Division

Rhea Alliance Tournament High School Division winners: Owen Ray 1st place Angler, Turner Tharpe 1st place Co-angler. The winners in both Angler and Co-angler will each receive $2,500 scholarships from Bryan College and $1,000 scholarships from Rhea Alliance.

The Rhea Alliance would like to thank the sponsors of the event: Bryan College, Volunteer Energy CO-OP, Middle Tennessee Natural Gas, Rhea Medical Center, General Shale, City of Dayton Utility Grant, Tommy Solomon, and TVA Community Care Fund.

DOOR PRIZE & GOODIE BAG SPONSORS

The Bait Box, Jerrys Bait Shop, Bailey Reed Motors, Town of Spring City, Jim Reed, Don Carr, Dayton Chamber of Commerce, Dennis Tumlin, TWRA, John Murray, Buddy Gross, Michael Neal, and Rhea Economic & Tourism Council.














Mara-Lynne Payne Leah Wilson Lyndsey Johnson Tre'Mere Greer Previous Next

The Tennessee Aquariums Human Resources team is restructuring to meet the growing needs of three of Chattanoogas top attractions. Julie Piper, the Aquariums vice president and chief human resource officer, announced the staff changes this week.I am extremely proud of this team and their proven commitment to consistently deliver the highest level of customer service to the Aquariums staff and volunteers as well as the staffs of the Creative Discovery Museum and the Hunter Museum of American Art, Ms.Piper said. These promotions and additions will ensure that we are well-positioned to address the current and future needs of our most valuable asset: our employees.Mara-Lynne Payne, senior manager of inclusion, equity & diversity, was promoted to director of inclusion, equity & diversity. She has served in various roles since joining the Tennessee Aquarium 31 years ago. As membership manager, she promoted member events and directed membership and annual giving efforts targeting individuals, families and business partnerships. The Aquarium later expanded her role to include the supervision of the group reservations team. Later, as brand enhancement manager, Ms. Payne coordinated internal organizational messaging and managed projects that supported and enhanced the Aquariums brand promises and identity.Currently, she is responsible for developing and implementing strategies that promote an inclusive workplace culture, equitable recruitment, accessibility, diversity awareness training and related resources as well as meeting the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access Action (DEIA) accreditation standards.Ms. Payne holds an associate of science degree in accounting and a bachelors degree in human resource management. She is also a graduate of the Inclusion by Design Executive Leadership program and Leadership Chattanooga. She is currently a board member of Diversity Joint Venture for Conservation Careers, a collaborative effort to increase diversity in conservation fields. She is also the vice-chair of the AZA Diversity Committee.Locally, she serves as a board member for the Bessie Smith Cultural Center and as a deaconess for her church.Leah Wilson, human resource manager, was promoted to director of human resources. Ms. Wilson has been part of the Aquarium team for 18 years and is very passionate about supporting the Aquarium, Creative Discovery Museum and Hunter Museum employee and organizational needs. She was part of the Visitor Services team before joining Human Resources in 2012. Over the past ten years, her responsibilities have expanded into all areas of human resources, including recruiting, training, employee relations, benefits, legal compliance and reporting, and human resources information system management.Currently, Ms. Wilson is responsible for developing, evaluating, and implementing human resources policies, programs and procedures in compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations. She is involved with organizational and departmental strategic planning and directs the essential daily functions of human resources while providing guidance and leadership to the human resources team.She is a member of the National Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Southeast Tennessee SHRM Chapter.Lyndsey Johnson, human resources coordinator, was promoted to human resources manager. She has been a part of the Human Resources team for more than a year and is passionate about the Aquarium, its mission, organizational culture and employee engagement. She is eager to continue supporting the Creative Discovery Museum and Hunter Museum while expanding her responsibilities to their employees and organizational needs.Since 2017, Ms. Johnson has gained experience in developing human resources policies and strategies, relationship management, ethical practices, talent acquisition, employee engagement and retention, and corporate social responsibility. She is currently responsible for daily human resources functions, including orientation, onboarding, benefits, assistance with reporting and employee engagement. Her professional goal is to leave any workplace better than she found it.Ms. Johnson holds an associate of science degree in business administration from Chattanooga State Community College and a bachelors of science degree in finance from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She is a member of the National Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Southeast Tennessee SHRM Chapter. This May, she received SHRM-Certified Professional certification.Darleene Cole, volunteer manager, was promoted to senior program manager of volunteer services.She joined the Aquarium more than 30 years ago as one of the first membership associates, a role in which she assisted in developing the membership department. She later moved to the human resources department as the benefits coordinator. In this role, she handled administrative requirements of employee benefits plans, provided support to employees and coordinated leave programs.For the past five years, Ms. Cole has managed the volunteer programs and implemented strategies to enhance and rebuild the Aquariums volunteer support base, which diminished after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. She currently is responsible for recruitment, onboarding, engagement, measuring impact and communicating with the volunteer base as well as envisioning new opportunities for volunteer involvement throughout the Aquarium.TreMere Greer, was recently hired as the Human Resource Assistant. She was recently hired as a part-time human resource administrative assistant. She is a junior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where she is involved in the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) club and Moc Leadership Team. She serves as a mentor to incoming freshmen as part of the Moc Up program.
After nearly three years of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic stifled flu cases across the nation, University of Tennessee Extension health experts are warning Tennesseans that this year may be different.

Flu season is expected to be more severe this year as we are already seeing cases of other respiratory viruses on the rise, said Soghra Jarvandi, a UT Extension community health specialist and associate professor.

Professor Jarvandi added that fewer people both got sick with the flu and were hospitalized with severe illness during the last few years as a result of the precautions and lockdowns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. These precautions decreased the number of people getting sick with COVID-19 but also lowered risk of exposure for other respiratory diseases, like flu or RSV.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of 32 million Americans got sick with the flu from 2012-2020, including an average of 36,000 deaths from severe illness each year.

While anyone can become infected with the flu virus, some populations are at a higher risk of complications. Children younger than 5 years old, adults 65 and over, adults with chronic conditions, pregnant women, people with disabilities, people with HIV/AIDS, and people who have cancer are all at an elevated risk of severe illness.

Year after year, one of the easiest ways to protect yourself and others from flu is to get a flu vaccine at a nearby pharmacy. Anyone six months of age or older should get an annual flu vaccine, with rare exception. Vaccination is especially important for people who are at high risk for serious complications from the flu, said Professor Jarvandi.

Other steps of flu prevention include wearing a mask or isolating while youre sick, washing your hands frequently, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables, adequate nightly sleep, and regular exercise.

More information about seasonal flu is available in the UT Extension publication FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SEASONAL FLU D 182. Visit utextension.tennessee.edu and click on the publications tab to search.

Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions.utia.tennessee.edu.
Mayor Kelly invited the community to come out and hear about the plan to rezone the Airport Inn from C-2 to UGC so they can turn it into a....well, no one seems to know what. Is it a homeless shelter, a mental health facility, an assisted living home, another "fleabag motel", an apartment complex, all we know for sure is "that is not this" and "this is not that" according to Mayor Kelly.

Carol Berz opened the presentation stating it would be an assisted living home. Then Mayor Kelly said it was going to be a place for homeless people to live, but is not a shelter or another "fleabag" motel like the ones next door. Then he passed the mic to Tod Lipka, the president and CEO of Step Up, who stated on a slide they are a mental health facility and then stated it's like any other apartment complex.

Mayor Kelly, which one is it exactly? Why can that simple question not be answered? And how do you plan to run it and screen the occupants? Who does the screening? What kind of oversight does the government have on the facility?

Step Up is a non-profit who should not have even been in the room as they will be in the bidding process on the RFP, yet Mr. Lipka was handed the mic to answer almost every question, because the city had no answers. Mr. Lipka did not even know the name of his one manager in the state of Tennessee, yet we are suppose to trust him with 70 of the city's most vulnerable?

The city is placing vulnerable residents next to a truck stop, two other fleabag motels known for drugs and prostitution, in a food desert, with no bus stop or sidewalks, no medical centers or pharmacies, and expect them to succeed? Why place it next to three schools?

Why did the city overpay by a million dollars for this site? Who is going to continue to fund this now that the COVID money is gone? Why add more spot zoning and give this a UGC zoning when it was created for urban areas and this is a suburban area? Why place it directly across the street from one of the mayor's business competitors? Why put an immigrant out of business after working for 20 years to move this into the area?

This plan has more questions than answers and I hope the City Council denies the UGC zoning, so this disaster of a project cannot move forward.

Tiffany Newberry
The policing profession is in crisis. These are the words from chiefs of Police who serve various agencies across the country at this years International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Dallas, Tx. Whats even more disturbing is that the call for support is not consistently being answered.

I attended the IACP 2022 annual conference as a first-timer and as a civilian. I was apprehensive because I didnt know what to expect. Being around law enforcement leaders is not unfamiliar territory, but being around leaders from all over the world whose job is to protect and serve was definitely unfamiliar, particularly after the last couple of years of not meeting in person.

My experience was nothing short of impactful, but I left reeling a bit  I am frustrated and concerned. I want to lift some observations and themes that I think are critical for civilians to hear and understand from a civilians perspective.

The topics in law enforcement that were presented at this years conference centered heavily around officer wellness, best practices, event/mass shooting debriefings, and leadership development. These are not new topics for law enforcement leaders. But what I observed as a first-timer is important, and - we have a responsibility to understand this profession a bit better with curiosity and empathy.

The officers and agencies in our country have a huge responsibility to understand their role, including power and authority. They spend lots of time learning how to drive their squad cars well, shoot their guns well and defend themselves well against violence towards communities, others, and their person. But how much time do they spend learning how to people well?

As an operations leader, when I consider the skills necessary to lead or communicate effectively, I think about how many opportunities there are to improve, learn and grow, let alone stay on top of cultural developments and current events. Society expects a lot of its law enforcement officers but are we also willing to invest our time, effort, energy, and money in them in return?

Law enforcement agencies exist because we, the people, allow them to. Legitimacy is an important part of law enforcement culture, and it exists because, without it, they wont be successful. Do politics influence law enforcement? Of course. When policies and laws are created and modified, including executive orders, agencies are required to comply.

But there is nothing inside executive orders, policies, or compliance manuals that develops law enforcement officers in the people skill. Most of us did not have access to that skill either; we learned it somewhere, are still learning it, or lack the skill altogether.

Because Im not in law enforcement, I dont know exactly how that skill is measured internally or how well the people side of public service is going. But I do know this much, we cant improve what we cannot define, nor can we change what we dont acknowledge is an issue. And what I heard at this conference impacted me.

I heard and observed chiefs and command staff acknowledge skills gaps, behaviors that have caused harm, and support needed inside their agencies. I also observed themes, overheard conversations, and listened to presentations that were heavily focused on racial equity, use of force, bias, PTSD, and burnout during this conference. There were frequent questions from participants and practitioners that, in short, sounded like, Where do we even start? Presentations from experts all over the world discussed George Floyds murder and how the law enforcement profession can acknowledge that there are lessons to be learned and changes to be made.

But what does that look like? When we say we want change, what problem are we attempting to solve? In order to effectively change, improve or develop leaders, one thing is for certain. Start where you are by getting on common ground, with common language - not where you should be. More shame and blame doesnt fix complex social problems or invite change  it stifles it.



This crisis is not just a legal, political or federal issue. This is a social issue. Asking for support requires vulnerability, and that is an utter act of courage. Its in all of our best interests to support law enforcement officers and police reform - regardless of our political beliefs and values. The willingness from law enforcement leaders is there, but when they ask for support, it goes unanswered. The reasons for this are not fully known or understood, but Im wondering if we just assume its all being handled.

Officers are a part of our communities  they are us. And they will need to have access to development opportunities just like any other organization. If you have a skillset or ability to access or deliver evidence-based training and development of law enforcement agencies that have proven outcomes rooted in research and data, this is an opportunity to show up and be brave. Make a phone call, ask for coffee, and meet face-to-face. Lets turn toward each other versus away. Its time for all of us to stand on the line and be willing to show up and serve. We cant change or heal in a vacuum  we do it together.

Sabrina L. Moon


A small town in Alaska called Garland. A handsome local man named Andy. Andys dad Frank, who runs a holiday shipping business and bears a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. If the details of Hallmark Channels new holiday movie A Cozy Christmas Inn sound a little familiar, theres a good reason. The movie, which premieres Oct. 28 and stars Jodie Sweetin, is actually a sequel to Hallmarks 2014 movie Christmas Under Wraps with Candace Cameron Bure.

What is A Cozy Christmas Inn about?

RELATED: 5 Hallmark Christmas Movies We Cant Wait to See in 2022

In A Cozy Christmas Inn, Sweetin plays a junior real estate executive named Erika. Her boss Sharon Farris (Vivica A. Fox) is determined to get her hands on a quaint bed and breakfast in the Christmas-centric town of Garland, Alaska. She sends Erika to convince the owner to sell. But when Erika arrives in Garland, shes stunned to realize that the B&Bs owner is none other than Andy Holliday (David ODonnell), her ex-boyfriend from college.

As Erika spends time in town trying to convince Andy and his father Frank (Brian Doyle-Murray) to sell the property, she finds herself falling for both the charm of Garland and her ex-boyfriend. Once she learns that Andys business has been struggling and that hes on the verge of bankruptcy, she decides to help him keep the hotel shed been sent to purchase. But will there be enough time to turn things around before Christmas? And will Erika and Andy avoid repeating their past mistakes and discover how to live happily ever after?

The movie is a sequel to Christmas Under Wraps

Jodie Sweetin and David ODonnell in A Cozy Christmas Inn | 2022 Hallmark Media/Photographer: HYBRID, LLC

A Cozy Christmas Inn is a sequel to Christmas Under Wraps. Its not clear exactly how the two stories are connected, though they share a setting and a number of characters. ODonnell and Doyle-Murray both reprise their roles from the 2014 movie. Paige Petrucka also returns as Hattie, the owner of Garlands only restaurant. However, one actor definitely isnt returning for the sequel. Bure wont be back as Andys love interest Lauren Brunell.

In Christmas Under Wraps, Bure played a doctor who reluctantly took a job in Garland when her dreams of getting a prestigious fellowship at a big-city hospital were dashed. She ended up falling for both Garland and for Andy. At the end of the movie, she decided to stay in Alaska rather than return to the city.

Earlier this year, Bure left Hallmark after signing an exclusive deal with Great American Family. So, its no big surprise that she wont appear in Christmas Under Wraps. But fans will have to wait and see exactly how her absence is explained in the movies sequel.

Candace Cameron Bure and David ODonnell in Christmas Under Wraps | Copyright 2014 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Fred Hayes

RELATED: Candace Cameron Bure Reveals Details of First Christmas Movie Since Quitting Hallmark

Sweetin is stepping into Bures shoes in the Christmas Under Wraps sequel. But there doesnt appear to be any bad blood between the former Full House co-stars as a result. Recently, Bure cheerfully acknowledged the connection between the two movies on social media.

Tell Andy Dr. Brunel says Hi, Bure commented on her TV sisters Instagram post promoting the new movie.

A Cozy Christmas Inn airs Friday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel.

For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheets YouTube channel.
In 1980, Paul McCartney found that his celebrity wouldnt help him avoid arrest when he brought drugs into Japan. The musician arrived in Tokyo with half a pound of marijuana in his bag, an amount that couldve have landed him in prison for seven years. While McCartney ultimately avoided more than a few days of jail time, he said the experience was frightening. Still, he admitted it was stupid to have even been in the situation.

Paul McCartney | Robert R. McElroy/Getty Images

Paul McCartney found himself under arrest for drug possession in 1980

In 1980, McCartney flew to Tokyo in preparation for a multiple-city concert tour with his band Wings. When he arrived at Tokyos Narita International Airport, a customs agent discovered half a pound of marijuana in his bag. While he said it was for his personal use, the amount meant that he was at risk for a smuggling charge and up to seven years in prison.

Here we are! Let's rock Japan! pic.twitter.com/5XzkNPYNOU  Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) April 19, 2015

We were about to fly to Japan and I knew I wouldnt be able to get anything to smoke over there, McCartney said in 2004, per History. This stuff was too good to flush down the toilet, so I thought Id take it with me.

Paul McCartney said the drug arrest was both embarrassing and frightening

When reflecting on the incident, he said hed been stupid to try to bring drugs to Japan.

It was very stupid! he said, per The Beatles Diary Volume Two: After the Breakup. Wed been in America and the attitude to drugs over there is very different and it led me to take a real casual approach. Most people taking that kind of thing into the country would give it to the roadies, thats the common practice. That just shows that I wasnt really thinking about it. I was taking my opinion of it instead of the legal opinion of it, and I just didnt really think much about it, you know till the fellow pulled it out of the suitcase and he looked more embarrassed than me!

Still, he said that the prospect of jail time was frightening. A conversation with the British Consul didnt help.

He said, Well Paul, theres a fellow in here who had a lot less than you had and hes done three months already, so you could have seven years hard labor to look forward to! I thought What? and my jaw dropped, McCartney said. Youre worried about how long its gonna last; youre not just worried about the immediate conditions. Its not Bridge On The River Kwai you know  its not that bad. The immediate worry during the time is whats going to happen to Linda and the kids. Those are the main worrying things.

He spent nine days in jail

Ultimately, McCartney spent only nine days in jail and admitted that his level of celebrity helped him avoid more time. The jail time meant that, for the first and only time in his marriage, McCartney had to spend nights away from his wife, Linda.

Have a great day on what would have been Lindas 80th birthday  Paul pic.twitter.com/sB5N4Le3Ai  Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) September 24, 2021

RELATED: Paul McCartney Still Thinks About Something John Lennon Told Him During a Fight

I am privileged to have been her lover for thirty years, and in all that time, except for one enforced absence, we never spent a single night apart, McCartney said, per the book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles. When people asked why, we would say, What for?'
Moira, Rita, June, and Luke live as refugees in Canada in The Handmaids Tale Season 5. Although Luke and Moira were welcomed into the country, the sentiment in Canada is changing. The group faces anti-refugee protestors and harassment in episode 8.

[SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers ahead for The Handmaids Tale Season 5 Episode 8, Motherland.]

Samira Wiley as Moira in The Handmaids Tale Season 5 | Sophie Giraud/Hulu

Gilead survivors take refuge in Canada in The Handmaids Tale

The Handmaids Tale has followed Luke, Moira, Rita, and Junes stories as they escaped Gilead and found asylum in Canada. The country initially seemed like a perfect safe haven that welcomed refugees with open arms, but by season 5, sentiments are clearly changing.

In episode 8, Luke, Moira, Rita, and June encounter Canadian citizens driving and walking by their home in Canada to protest and shout at the refugees. They also graffiti the sidewalk in front of their home and honk their horns at all hours of the night. In this episode, we see that theres a growing sense of anti-refugee sentiment in Canada, executive producer Erich Tuchman said in a featurette.

So are we going to talk about what happened or ? ?

A new episode of #TheHandmaidsTale is now streaming. pic.twitter.com/R7qvbmBmeI  The Handmaid's Tale (@HandmaidsOnHulu) October 26, 2022

The Handmaids Tale Season 5 explores anti-refugee sentiment

While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Bruce Miller discussed the relevant issues explored in The Handmaids Tale. The story about what its like to be a refugee in the modern world, I dont think, is going away, especially in the time of climate change, he told the outlet.

Everybody who leaves America, all of the people in The Handmaids Tale, are either refugees or pre-refugees. Once they get out, theyre people without a country. America is there, off somewhere, but not necessarily a place you want to go, Miller continued.

Miller also discussed Serena Joys unique situation. After refusing Canadas asylum, she finds herself in a metaphorical No Mans Land  unwelcome in Canada and likely unsafe in whats left of America/Gilead.

Serena cant go to America. Shed have to put herself under their control, and I dont know theyd be so happy to have Serena Joy, Miller said. The idea of being both physically displaced from your nation, or feeling like your nation isnt what it was  the way they feel about America turning into Gilead  is, unfortunately, a common, relatable emotion these days.

Commander Lawrence creates New Bethlehem to bring back refugees

As Canada grows tired of the rising number of refugees and Gileads prosperity begins to plummet, Commander Lawrence realizes he needs to devise a plan. His solution is New Bethlehem  a settlement in Gilead that will welcome back American refugees and maybe even reunite families.

Lawrence promises that New Bethlehem will be a more modern version of Gilead, but its hard to trust anything the nations architect says. He certainly has his own motivations, including getting Gilead to become a part of the UN.

Dont miss new episodes of The Handmaids Tale Season 5 Wednesdays on Hulu.

RELATED:TheHandmaidssTale: Samira Wiley Was Worried About Typecasting When Offered the Part of Moira
Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) are pursuing a completely new and unconventional strategy to improve the way data can be processed and  in particular  stored. Together with their partners at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, they have been granted funding by the Carl Zeiss Foundation (CZS). The project of this interdisciplinary team is among a total of five projects  all at early stages and considered to be especially innovative  to be funded through the new CZS Wildcard program. The team members, based in Mainz and Jerusalem, have come up with the idea of bringing together two different forms of chirality to develop new data storage systems that are faster, smaller, and more efficient than those currently available.

Chirality, also known as handedness in this context, describes objects that come in two distinctly different configurations that are mirror images of each other such as our left and right hand. "We were inspired by nature, where chirality is a common phenomenon. Chiral molecules can act like a filter for electron spin and ensure functionality even on the smallest scale," said Professor Angela Wittmann of the JGU Institute of Physics, the spokesperson of the new HYMMS  Hybrid chiral Molecule-Magnetic Systems research project. Over the next two years, the HYMMS group will receive EUR 750,000 from the Carl Zeiss Foundation.

Combining the chirality of spin configurations and molecules

In their approach, the researchers from the fields of experimental solid state physics, atomic physics, and molecular chemistry will be using recently discovered chiral spin structures. These so-called skyrmions are tiny vortices in magnetic thin films protected by their chirality. It is this kind of chiral magnetic texture that the researchers intend to combine with chiral molecules over the course of the project. The assumption is that, based on the chiral-chiral interaction, they would have a unique, flexible, controllable, and efficient means of manipulating spin structures. "With the help of a chiral molecule, it should be possible to switch the handedness of the chiral magnetic textures in thin films, for instance, from clockwise to anticlockwise," clarified Wittmann. In this case, the chiral molecule with its DNA-like helix structure would act like a spin filter, allowing only certain electrons moving in one direction to pass while holding others back. The researchers will use highly sophisticated sensor technologies to determine how and whether this interaction actually works.

"Our project is groundbreaking in that it brings together two different types of chirality," emphasized Wittmann. According to the researchers, there is a very real chance that their innovative concept involving the utilization of spintronic components will result in the creation of the next generation of innovative storage, logic, and sensor devices that could be employed in unconventional computing.

The consortium consists of four members of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and two members of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who will be contributing their expertise in various disciplines. At JGU, these are Professor Angela Wittmann and Professor Mathias Klaui of the Condensed Matter Physics group, Professor Dmitry Budker of the Quantum, Atomic, and Neutron Physics group and the Helmholtz Institute Mainz (HIM), and Professor Eva Rentschler of the Department of Chemistry, collaborating with their partners Professor Yossi Paltiel and Professor Nir Bar-Gill of the Department of Applied Physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Carl Zeiss Foundation sponsoring innovative projects through its new CZS Wildcard program

In early 2022, the Carl Zeiss Foundation launched its CZS Wildcard program with the objective of promoting unconventional, interdisciplinary research in the STEM field. Each team must consist of at least three researchers. The purpose of the program is to support projects that are still in a very early phase of realization and are built on original and unconventional concepts with a high potential for innovation. The first five teams will be starting work in early 2023.
The Cherokee Nation is a party to 1,000 foster care cases involving 1,500-1,600 children at any given time, according to Deputy Attorney General Chrissi Ross Nimmo.
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If you are a true New York City dweller, you might think that nothing about Manhattan can scare you anymore. I mean, you have probably gotten over the virtual nonexistence of public restrooms, littered streets, and daily subway shenanigans by now.

But there are actually a few hidden spooky gems littered throughout the boroughs that horror fans and history lovers alike need to visit before Halloween.

The Rivers Cosmogram

Located inside the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, the Rivers Cosmogram is a public art installation and memorial that honors historian Arturo A. Schomburg and poet Langston Hughes.

However, I guarantee that this installations foundation is unlike any you had ever walked upon before because, in 1991, Langston Hughes ashes were actually interred beneath it.

So now, when visitors enter the Langston Hughes Lobby, they can literally stand upon the lifelines of both Hughes and Arturo Schomburg.

The Morris-Jumel Mansion

In 1810, Eliza Jumel former vice president Aaron Burrs wife moved into this mansion located in Washington Heights, Manhattan. And from the start, she told all of her friends that the home was severely haunted.

Eliza had been married to a wealthy merchant named Stephen Jumel earlier in her life. After Stephen passed away, though, she went on to marry Aaron.

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Eight-year-old Aryanna Schneeberg was playing in her backyard when she was struck in the back with an arrow. A neighbor was attempting to shoot a squirrel, but his weapon missed its intended target and instead penetrated the childs lung, spleen, stomach, and liver. She bears the scars that come with surviving such an injury. We ought to think of Aryanna every time we hear a preacher explaining the Greek word for sin, hamartia, as missing the mark.

Like most pulpit cliches, this one points to something thats partly right. The problem, though, is that most Western Christians imaginations, shaped by Robin Hood, exceed their actual experience with archery. We think of a bucolic setting where we are shooting our arrows toward a target on a bale of hay. The metaphor is almost comforting: We see ourselves not as criminals or rebels but as being off our game now and then. We reach into our quiver for one more chance to get it right.

Thats not how the Bible describes sin. The Bible says sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). When it categorizes sins, it consistently does so in terms that imply both perpetrators and victims: enmity, dissension, oppression of orphans and widows, adultery, covetousness.

In that light, sin is less like target practice on some isolated piece of countryside and more like loosing arrows on a city sidewalk in the midst of a pressing crowd. All around us are bodies, writhing or dead, struck down by our errant arrows.

In a sermon on sin, a preacher might also quote the Puritan John Owen: Be killing sin or it will be killing you. Thats true too. And yet it doesnt quite say enough: Our sin might also be killing those around us. The wages of sin is death, the Bible tells us (Rom. 6:23). That death might not simply be ones own, but also ones neighbors.

The Book of Revelation is a circular letter to very different churches. Some of those congregations were actively persecuted by Rome, and some were comfortable with and capitulated to Rome. The particular sins and temptations differ, but the promise is the same: God will judge. The rest of the book shows how that judgment falls on the world, depicted as Babylon. But it starts with the church. And the question for Gods people is whether we will be a preview of Babylon or the New Jerusalem.

One reason the Apocalypse seems so foreign to so many is the often-cryptic imagerya beast emerges from the sea, a prostitute sits on seven hills (13:1; 17:9). Yet at its most mysterious, does this book not describe the dilemmas faced by all of us right now?

Romethe city of seven hillsis at the time the opulent, rich, idolatrous city that rides on a monstrous, powerful beasta vast, subjugating empire. The beast controls with fear of suffering. The prostitute controls with seductions of luxury and comfort. The beast says, Join with me and I will give you access to power. The prostitute says, Join with me and I will give you access to pleasure. Behind all of that, though, is a counterfeit. The beast is an attempted mimicry of the Lamb who is wounded, overcomes, and marks out a people for himself. Babylon is a distortion of the kingdom of God.

It is not just literal empires that can become beastly. Ministries can too. We can think we are pointing to the Lamb when we are just replaying the ways of the beast. We can think we are serving the kingdom when we are really just building Babylons that will fall in a single hour (Rev. 17:12).

What we should identify and uproot is not just one single idolsexual iconoclasm or white supremacy or Christian nationalism or religious syncretism or just old-fashioned envy, rivalry, and greedbut all of them. We should not divide ourselves between those who justify certain personal sins and those who justify certain social sins.

Do we really believe that our sin really hurts people? Do we believe that our ministries can, and have, really hurt people? If so, lets remember what makes us evangelical in the first place. We are those who say to the world, and to ourselves, not simply Believe the Good News but Repent and believe the Good News.

God is a God of grace, a God who forgives us sinners through the blood of his Son. But he is also a God of judgmentone who can tell the difference between Jerusalem and Babylon, between a lamb and a beast. In this time of unveilings, we should listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches, even when our metaphors miss the mark.

Ted Olsen is executive editor at CT.

[ This article is also available in Portugues and . ]

Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.
The Southern Baptist Convention has launched its most focused effort to plant churches among the Hispanic community in North America with the expansion of Send Network Espanol this fall.

Since 2010, Send Network has planted almost 10,000 new Southern Baptist churches throughout North America, of which more than 1,000 are Hispanic churches, said Felix Cabrera, a native Puerto Rican with more than a decade of church-planting experience. Because of this and the tremendous growth of the Hispanic community, the organizations leadership saw the importance of allocating resources specifically to this sector.

In October, Send Network, church-planting arm of the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board, announced new ministry values and leadership. Cabrera will serve as vice president of Send Network Espanol and has commissioned eight regional champions of Hispanic church planting across the United States. The rollout of changes follows record-high funding for Send Network, with $68.9 million given by Southern Baptists through their annual Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.

A new website, SendNetworkEspanol.com, offers specialized resources for Hispanic planters, many of whom are ministering among populations who come from Catholic backgrounds and families who moved to the US for job opportunities.

Image: Courtesy Iglesia Bautista Ciudad de Dios / Send Network

CT talked with Cabrera, who helped establish more than 50 churches, starting with Central Baptist in Oklahoma City, about the diversity among US Hispanics, the importance of work in Hispanic faith and life, and the time investment often required for church planting in this context.

What motivated this new strategy, and what are the main changes you expect after the consolidation of Send Network Espanol?

The launching of Send Network Espanol basically provided an official framework to the efforts we had been doing as a pilot project. Since we started and to date, we have prepared between 50 and 60 men who are already planting churches or are ready to do so in the near future. We also established the importance of creating a website that would not consist of a simple translation of everything we do in English but would have specific and contextualized content.

In taking on the role of vice president, I have been given the opportunity to lead a team that is working in the seven NAMB regions. Within each of those regions, we have a leader who is training, providing resources, and collaborating with churches, as well as identifying the fastest-growing Hispanic communities to bring our efforts to that area.

Send Network Espanol is the dream of many Hispanics who for years have been asking God to open doors and raise awareness of the great harvest that is ready within the Hispanic communities. This is a dream come true.

What has your experience been like with church planting here in the United States? What challenges have you encountered?

Well, maybe 20 or 30 years ago, the Hispanic reality in the United States was totally different. The rapid growth that this social group has had in the last 20 years has created a landscape in which the population not only grew in numbers but also in diversity.

When you start working with the Hispanic church in the United States, perhaps the first thing you notice is that everyone comes from different backgrounds. We are Hispanic, yes, but we come from 21 different countries. A second challenge that makes the diversity even greater is the different generationsthat is, the differences between those who migrated from other countries and those who were born in the United States. We can no longer reach them with one-language strategies as we used to.

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On the language issue in particular, what changes have you noticed?

When we talk about Hispanics we cant just say, All Hispanics are the same because they speak Spanish. It is necessary to understand that not all Hispanics in the United States speak Spanish and that, even in the cases when the language is the same, we are socially, economically, culturally, and contextually very different.

The Hispanics who speak Spanish are generally the first generation, the migrants. But according to the census, they are perhaps 34 percent of the US Hispanic population. The challenges are very different when we talk about second- or third-generation Hispanics, who represent more than 60 percent of the Hispanic population in the United States. They mostly prefer to speak English.

For our ministry, this means that we must make an effort to reach each individual in the language of their heart so that they can respond to the call of Jesus Christ and become part of a church.

Are there specific cultural challenges?

We know that migrants come to the United States seeking a better quality of life, what we know as the American dream. But for us Christians, their presence here is an opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and for them to know that God has a better dream for them through Christ. God wants to save them and transform their lives.

The Hispanic comes with one thing in mind: work. So these people think that they dont have time for church, that they dont have time for God. Also, it is true that most Hispanics see this better-life pursuit from a Catholic context. In the Catholic tradition there is a correlation between working for your sustenance and your works for God; that is what you do to get results.

Many of the migrants have been educated in a religion that takes part of their beliefs from the Bible and part from elsewhere. They come from contexts where they were given wrong ideas about God and the Scriptures. Thats why it is very important to have leaders who are well trained in theology, leaders who know the Scriptures well, so that they can give answers to peoples honest questions.

What lessons have you learned?

I learned that in order to plant Hispanic churches in the United States, you need to take time to get to know the culture of the people and understand that you cannot assume that all people have the same background. You need to understand their context, their reality, and their individual challengesparticularly, those who went through the challenge of migration.

For those who migrated to enter the United States, as we said, their huge priority is to provide for their family and to do anything for their family to prosper economically. That is why in planting churches among these communities, it is important to put the emphasis on meeting them where they are and begin to serve them by providing help with their basic needs.

It is also important to establish relationships with them and let them see in our own lives what it means to be a Christian, because many of them dont even have an idea of what the church is, and they were told to beware of any non-Catholic religion. They only know what the Roman Catholic Church looks like in their countries of origin, and thats it. So, establishing relationships that will pave the way to eventually share the gospel takes time, perhaps much more time than in the Anglo context within the United States, because this has always been a Protestant country. As we see, in the Hispanic context the priorities are reversed, and it takes more time.

However, in contexts where there are second- and third-generation Hispanics, the challenges are very different. The objective there is to plant churches with services in English, or bilingual, depending on the needs.

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With experience, we have learned that by planting a church with services in English, we are able to bless not only second- and third-generation Hispanics but also other ethnic groups that are looking for more racially and culturally mixed churches. We have multicultural churches with Asians, Africans, and people from various countries.

What trends or patterns have you observed in church planting?

Well, the way we operate, in most cases it all starts with an Anglo church that realizes that their community is changing, that there are more and more Hispanic people there. This Anglo church feels the responsibility to reach these groups with the gospel, but they recognize that there are barriersnot only linguistic but also cultural. So, they communicate with their local conventions and they redirect them to us so that we can help find a man (leader) who would be able to plant a Hispanic church in that community. Sometimes they have already identified a man who has felt the call; sometimes we have to look for him. But in both cases, we provide training and make sure that he really has the calling and the skills necessary to start a church.

Other times, there are established Hispanic churches that are in one city or in one region, and they want to reach out to another city where there is another growing Hispanic community. Then they contact us.

A big part of our job is to train those leaders who will pastor the church plants in both theology and the practical side of church service. We develop an intensive internship program to prepare and train leaders, and then we ensure that they are confirmed by the local church before they are sent out to serve. They must be well trained but, above all, compassionate leaders who can show the love of Christ to those who have gone through so much hardship.

[ This article is also available in espanol. ]
For decades, pro-life advocates argued that overturning Roe v. Wade would enable each state to determine its own abortion policy. Abortion measures will appear on five state ballots on Election Day this year, the most in US history.

But the country got its first glimpse at post-Roe abortion referendums months before November 8. Back in August, Kansas became the first state to vote on abortion rights, rejecting a ballot measure declaring the state constitution does not require government funding of abortion and does not create or secure a right to abortion.

Activists saw the outcome, fueled by record turnout from young women, as a sign of enthusiasm from pro-choice voters. Last week, Pew Research Forum released its latest polls, which show that Democratic voters are nearly twice as likely as Republicans to consider abortion a very important issue (55% to 29%).

Soon, voters in Michigan, California, Vermont, Montana, and Kentucky will also vote on the issue of abortion rights without a federal abortion law in place.

My hope is that the Kansas amendments failure can serve as a reminder that the deliberate and thoughtful work of the pro-life movement must continue as we change one heart at a time, state by state, Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission president Brent Leatherwood said in August.

While some states could bolster the legal rights of the unborn and infants born alive at any stage of development, voters in other states could codify a womans right to reproductive choice in the state constitution and allow abortion at any stage of pregnancy.

Christian pro-life advocates warn the proposed changes up for vote in Michigan and California go far beyond the right to an abortion.

Michigan

In Michigan, a 1931 law outlawing abortion took effect after the Supreme Court issued its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization in June. Though Michigan attorney general Dana Nessel promised not to enforce the law, abortion providers filed suit in April 2022 arguing that the law is unconstitutional. A state court judge agreed, and in September she invalidated the law.

Now voters in the Great Lakes State will decide whether reproductive freedom belongs in the Michigan Constitution. But the language in Proposal 3 opens the door to consequences beyond abortion access for adult women. Christen Pollo, spokeswoman for Citizens to Support MI Women and Children, raised concerns that the Michigan ballot initiative bestows reproductive freedom, including the right to an abortion and sterilization, on every citizen, including minors. While the amendment is billed as restoring Roe, were giving children the right to abortion and sterilization, Pollo said.

Since abortion is currently legal in Michigan, Proposal 3 has unnerved even some progressives.

This is not a left and right, a Christian or atheist issue. Its not about whether we want to grant freedom or autonomy, said Caroline Smith, the PR director for Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising. Its about common sense and understanding that women deserve better than Prop. Three.

We have seen across the board overwhelmingly that this is not about partisan politics, Pollo said. Its not even about pro-life versus pro-choice. People across the spectrum are voting no because its too extreme.

California

California voters will decide on an amendment to the California Constitution stating, The state shall not deny or interfere with an individuals reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions, which includes their fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and their fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives. The amendment needs a simple majority of votes to pass.

California allows abortion until the point of fetal viability and later if necessary for the mothers life or health. The states Reproductive Privacy Act, passed in 2002, specifies that women have a fundamental right to choose to bear a child or to choose and to obtain an abortion.

Opponents of Californias ballot initiative warn the new language places no limits on abortion, opening the door to late-term abortions.

It is hard to read this text and not think that it is designed to legalize all abortions, including late-term, third-trimester abortions of healthy babies from healthy mothers, John Gerardi, executive director of Right to Life of Central California, wrote in the Fresno Bee.

Vermont

In Vermont, voters will decide on a constitutional amendment stating that an individuals right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine ones own life course."

Abortion is already legal in the state, and adding it to the states constitution would prevent future voters from abolishing abortion by overturning current laws. Like California, the Vermont ballot initiative needs a simple majority to pass.

Montana

In Montana, pro-life groups hope to establish protections for all children born alive, even those born after an abortion.

The law would require that infants who are born alive after an attempted abortion, an induced labor, a cesarean section, or another method receive medical care, and it would impose fines or prison sentences on medical professionals who failed to provide such care. According to the Family Research Council, 18 states currently have similar laws.

Kentucky

Voters in Kentucky will decide on Constitutional Amendment 2, which states that nothing in the Kentucky Constitution gives citizens the legal right to an abortion.

Four other statesTennessee, Alabama, West Virginia, and Louisianaalready have constitutional amendments declaring that their state constitutions do not provide the right to an abortion. Legislators craft these amendments to prevent judges from determining that a state constitution implicitly guarantees the right to an abortion.

According to Kentucky state Rep. Joseph Fischer, Constitutional Amendment 2 assures that no Kentucky court will ever be able to fashion an implicit right to abortion from the language of our state Constitution. There will be no Roe v. Wade decision in Kentucky.
Mark Driscoll says Mars Hill leaders plotted to accuse him of adultery before resignation

Years after resigning as leader of the now defunct Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington, because God told him a trap has been set for him, Mark Driscoll, who now serves as founding senior pastor of Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, claimed on Sunday that Mars Hill leaders had planned to accuse him of adultery.

Driscoll who resigned from Mars Hill in 2014, disclosed in a video from his teaching series on Nehemiah published on Saturday that during an 18-month break from public life after his resignation that he was told by multiple people that there was a nuclear option in place to accuse him of adultery in order to take over his pulpit.

During that time (18 months) I met with some of my critics and enemies one-on-one or small groups. People that had been friends, people who claimed to be Christians, some who were pastors some who still are pastors. I asked them, I said, God told me a trap was set. So I asked them. I said, Do you know what that might me? And these people that we had known said, Yeah, the nuclear option was we were going to accuse you of adultery, Driscoll said.

In a tearful video interview with former Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston in July 2015, Driscoll first revealed that God told him and his wife to resign from Mars Hill because a trap had been set for him.

Sutton Turner, who formerly served as chief elder at Mars Hill, told The Roys Report that Driscolls allegations against the leaders is totally false and is part of his ongoing campaign to throw dirt on the former investigating elders of Mars Hill.

Some did not want him to be restored to full-time ministry, Turner said. But all of them wanted him to repent and reconcile with people he sinned against (which he never did) and be restored as a Christian in the church.

Turner also told the outlet that even though Driscoll said it was God who told him there was a trap set for him, Driscoll had told him the night before he resigned that Larry Osborne, a former member of Mars Hills Board of Overseers, warned him about the trap.

Driscoll said during the teaching session at Trinity Church, however, that multiple people told me that to my face on separate occasions and days.

This was at Panera. Multiple meetings at Panera. I was like, You guys discussed accusing me of adultery? You know thats not true. Ive been faithful to my wife my whole life. I adore my wife, I love my wife. She loves me. Weve been faithful to each other, he said.

Weve been open our whole marriage about any struggles weve had because we know that every married couple has some hardship to go through. And we have never been dishonest. But we have never done that. Weve never done anything remotely like that. They said, Yeah, thats why we kept it as the nuclear option, Driscoll continued.

I said, To get me what? They said, To get you out of the pulpit, he recalled.

They said, 'Because we knew that if we accuse you of adultery, and enough of us signed the open letter, that ultimately, there would be such a media firestorm, that you would have to exit ministry. Exit preaching Gods word for probably a year while a full investigation was done,' he said. 'During that time, we could take over and lead and be in charge, and then we figured one of two things would happen: either you would come back but we would be in charge, or you would never come back and you would be done forever.'

In January, Turner published a narrative on his blog revealing how Driscolls Oct. 14, 2014, resignation from Mars Hill was a surprise to the megachurchs leadership.

Secretly, Mark Driscoll had coordinated with Mark Demoss and Religious New Service (Driscolls statement) to drive the narrative that would put Driscoll in a positive light so he could plant a church in Phoenix and sell books in the future. The night before Driscoll resigned from Mars Hill he discussed his decision and received advice from both Robert Morris and Larry Osbourne, Turner wrote.

Driscoll warned his church that they should not trust everything they read in the media. He recalled how throughout his career as a minister he had to deal with multiple attacks on his reputation through the media and how difficult it is to legally protect himself as a public figure.

He recalled how about 20 to 25 years ago a woman left his church because she read an untruthful report on the internet that he was beating his wife. He also said he had been canceled by whole countries because of misrepresentations in the media.

Ive been canceled by whole countries. Ill never forget, there was a week when I was dealing with, I met with a whole bunch of women, who were assault and abuse victims from boyfriends and husbands and fathers. And I was in a book of the Bible where it tells men to protect women and children, so I got very intense and I rebuked the men who abuse women, he said.

And I was getting ready to do a tour of another country this was many years ago and my tour got canceled. ... A national news outlet took me very intense rebuking men, and they flipped the whole story. They said he hates women and heres a clip of him yelling at them, Driscoll said. That news story went national and it got me canceled. Ive never been back to that country. 

He then promised his congregants that he would always tell them the truth.

If Im gonna be your pastor and I love you. I promise you this, Ill always tell you the truth. And I want you to love and honor and respect Christian leaders and pastors, he said. Don't assume the worst, assume the best and dont believe everything you hear. And dont contribute to the gossip.
Matt Chandler hints at return to pulpit soon after taking leave over inappropriate messages

Two months after taking a leave of absence from his role as teaching pastor at The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas, due to inappropriate messaging with a woman who is not his wife, Matt Chandler hinted that he will likely return to the pulpit "soon" and is "eager to return."

In his first public post on Instagram since Aug. 16, Chandler wrote that he has become "more aware than ever of that earnest and angsty prayer of David's in Psalm 27:4" which says: "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple."

"He has been my sustaining grace and the strength of this season. I am eager to return to @tvcfm soon and am grateful for a family of faith that have loved me and @laurenchandler so deeply in this season," he wrote.

For the past few months, Chandler said his mantra has been, "Jesus I don't want to do this without you." He also indicated that he has been spending time in nature and practicing Jiu Jitsu.

"It has rolled through my mind and heart on repeat," he said of the mantra. "Whether it has been going on a walk, heading out to our river cabin or even walking into Jiu Jitsu."

While they did not immediately respond to calls from The Christian Post Thursday, The Village Church elders confirmed in a recent statement to The Roys Report that they're "encouraged" by Chandler's posture since his leave of absence and are planning for his return to preaching.

"[T]he elders are working with Matt to discuss a plan for his return to preaching, and they are encouraged by his posture. As of today, we have no further comment on those details," a spokesperson detailed.

In an Aug. 28 announcement, Chandler said he accepted a decision by his elder board to immediately take a "leave of absence" due to his use of inappropriate language in Instagram messages to a woman who is not his wife. He assured his congregation that he planned on being their lead pastor "for the next 20 years."

According to the elders, Chandler revealed the inappropriate messaging between himself and the woman after being confronted about them several months ago by the woman's friend in the church's foyer.

The megachurch pastor said he wasn't aware at the time that he had "done anything wrong" but alerted Josh Patterson and elder Chairman Jasien Swords and "submitted to their leadership in addressing the situation." He also informed his wife.

"I didn't think I had done anything wrong in that," Chandler said as he faced his congregation. "My wife knew that. Her [the woman's] husband knew that. And yet there were a couple of things that she said that were disorienting to me."

The Village Church elders commissioned an independent law firm, identified by The New York Times as Castaneda and Heidelman, to conduct a review of Chandler's messaging history across social media platforms, cell phone and email.

They concluded that Chandler "violated our internal social media use policies, and more importantly that, while the overarching pattern of his life has been 'above reproach,' he failed to meet the 1 Timothy standard for elders of being 'above reproach' in this instance."

The Village Church did not publicly release the report from Castaneda and Heidelman. When asked for a copy of the report, the church told The Christian Post that it would offer "no further comment" and reiterated its Aug. 28 public statement.

According to the elders, the messages between Chandler and the woman were "not romantic or sexual in nature" and "did not rise to the level of disqualification." However, the elders asserted that "the frequency and familiarity of the messages crossed a line."

Chandler described the chats as "coarse and foolish joking that's unbefitting of someone in my position."

The elders and Chandler agreed that his Instagram conduct "was a sign of unhealth in his life and that the best course of action would be for him to take a leave of absence from teaching and preaching at The Village Church."

"The elders have decided, and I think they are right, that my inability to see what I was in probably ... [revealed] some unhealth in me," Chandler said. "And I don't know if that's tied to the pace I run or the difficulty of the last six, seven years, but I agree with them."

The church also denied The New York Times' request to view the report "because we want to honor the request of the woman Matt was messaging with not to be in the spotlight."

The church declined to say whether Chandler was still being paid during his leave of absence, noting that "Matt will spend time during his leave from the pulpit focusing on his development with the elders and guided by outside counselors. He will also continue to fulfill limited administrative leadership duties."
Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, longtime pastor at Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City, dies at 73

The Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, a prominent African American pastor at the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church of New York City, who was known for his social activism, has died from cancer. He was 73.

Abyssinian Baptist Church announced Butts' passing on its Facebook page Friday, explaining that the longtime pastor died peacefully earlier this morning.

It is with profound sadness, we announce the passing of our beloved pastor, Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, who peacefully transitioned in the early morning of October 28, 2022, the church stated.

The Butts Family and entire Abyssinian Baptist Church membership solicit your prayers for us in our bereavement.

Cornel West, a noted African American scholar and left-wing political activist, took to Twitter on Friday to offer his condolences, describing Butts as my deep friend of over 40 years.

I am deeply saddened by the loss of my very dear brother the great Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts lll, West tweeted. My love and respect for him are forever! God bless his precious wife Patricia and his family!

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo released a statement in response to the news, calling Butts a man of God, an academic committed to shepherding the next generation of New York leaders, a humanitarian devoted to improving the lives of his fellow man, and also a friend.

I will always value his counsel and his friendship to me, as well as my father, over the last 40 years and greatly mourn his passing, Cuomo added. My thoughts are with Mrs. Butts, his family, his congregation, and the many New Yorkers mourning him during this difficult time.

Born in 1949 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and the son of a butcher and a welfare department supervisor, Butts graduated from the historic Morehouse College of Atlanta in 1972 and later graduated from Union Theological Seminary in Manhattan and Drew University of Madison, New Jersey.

Butts held various ministerial positions at Abyssinian Baptist before becoming their church's pastor in 1989, serving in the position until his death. He became known for pushing for social improvements in New York City. This included his work in the 1980s when he founded the Abyssinian Development Corp. to "rebuild Harlem, brick by brick, block by block," NBC News affiliate WNBC reported Friday.

In the early 1990s, the pastor made headlines for drawing attention to what he saw as the harms of rap music, particularly how women were depicted in the lyrics. "In 1993, he famously had a steamroller crush hundreds of rap CDs outside the church," WNBC added.

The famous Harlem pastor also served as president of the State University of New York College of Old Westbury on Long Island from 1999-2020, having seen the school expand and gain accreditation under his watch.

Other positions he held included president of the Council of Churches of the City of New York, chairman of the Harlem YMCA, the president of Africare NYC and being a member of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS.

He received several awards for his work, including the United Negro College Funds Shirley Chisholm Community Service Award, the Medal for Distinguished Service from Teachers College of Columbia University, and Man of the Year, courtesy of the Morehouse College Alumni Association.

In 2007, the prominent religious website Beliefnet named him among the "most influential black spiritual leaders" in the United States at the time.

His political activism and associations sometimes garnered controversy, such as in the 1980s when several members of the New York Philharmonic boycotted a concert at his church because he refused to distance himself from anti-Semitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

For his part, Butts said he had disagreements with Farrakhan on his views of Judaism, but he also found common ground with Farrakhan on social and economic issues.

All Im saying to the Jewish community is, dont dictate to me, Butts said at the time, as quoted by the New York Times. I understand your anger. Im not a fool. I dont hate Jewish people. In fact, I quite respect what the Jewish people have done. But please dont make me a boy and tell me what to do.

In early 2020, during the Democratic presidential primary season, Butts garnered controversy for throwing his public support to then-candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

At the time, Butts had been one of about 20 black pastors who had met with Bloomberg, with the former mayor apologizing for his past support of the controversial stop-and-frisk policy.

We accept your apology at one level, but we want to let you know that well be looking for more concrete expressions of your apology in terms of the African American community, Butts explained after the meeting.

Butts is survived by his wife, Patricia Reed Butts, three children, and six grandchildren.
Pro-life activists demand investigation into why organ harvesting company was at Planned Parenthood

Pro-life groups are calling for an investigation into why a man was seen leaving a Planned Parenthood clinic carrying bags that he then placed inside a cooler and drove off in a car that displayed the logo of an organ harvesting company with ties to the University of Pittsburgh.

Katie OBrien, a pro-life advocate with 40 Days for Life Pittsburgh and Sidewalk Advocates for Life of Pittsburgh, shared a video on social media showing a masked man opening the back passenger door of a car sporting the logo for the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) parked in the driveway of a Pittsburgh Planned Parenthood facility on Oct. 5.

The driver for the organ procurement company appeared to be carrying small bags from the abortion clinic and storing them in a cooler inside the car, according to O'Brien. The pro-life advocate said that the words "organ recovery" caught her attention and prompted her to start filming.

In a statement to The Christian Post, OBrien said she tried asking the driver about the content in the bags, but he either ignored her or didnt hear her. The 40 Days for Life member said that while she didn't get a good look at what was inside the bags, they seemed to be filled with paper and possibly something much more valuable to the organ harvesting company. It seemed like there was something else inside because when he dropped the one bag on the ground, it didnt fall like a bag containing only a piece of paper would fall, she added. It seemed odd that he came out with a handful of Ziplock bags and put them in the cooler rather than just taking the cooler into the facility.

It is legal to use fetal tissue derived from elective abortions for research purposes under Pennsylvania law. However, a mother must provide written consent, which is only valid if given after she has decided to have an abortion. All persons involved in procuring, receiving, or transplanting fetal tissue must be informed ahead of time about how it was obtained.

CORE assists institutions such as the University of Pittsburgh by providing organs, tissue, and eyes supplied by their donors for research projects.

In a statement to CP, however, CORE insists that despite its logo being displayed on the vehicle, the man seen leaving the Planned Parenthood clinic carrying a bag he then placed inside a cooler was not one of its employees.

"The vehicle pictured is not a CORE vehicle. The person pictured is not a CORE employee or contractor and is not working on behalf of CORE in this image," a CORE spokesperson said in a statement to CP.

"Therefore, CORE cannot speculate why this vehicle was parked in this location nor what its driver was doing or carrying in the photos in question."

The organization also shared photos of its vehicles with CP.

The spokesperson for CORE said in the statement that the organization has never, in its 40 years of operation, facilitated the donation or recovery of human fetal tissue for transplantation or research after an induced abortion.

O'Brien wondered why Planned Parenthood provided the man with what she assumed were fetal specimens and did not try to remove him from the property.

"So the only logical explanation is that CORE is lying," she said in a follow-up statement to CP. "And given that they're an organ procurement organization, the only reason that I can come up with for them to be at an abortion facility would be to procure fetal organs."

Dr. David Prentice, vice president and research director at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, acknowledged that while it's difficult to determine the content of the bags, what is known is that the University of Pittsburgh performs fetal tissue research.

"It just behooves them to come clean and be transparent about where all of this fetal tissue is coming from," Prentice told CP. "It's not clear from the photos what's there. But again, the onus is really on the University of Pittsburgh to be transparent in terms of not just this incident but all of their sources of fetal tissue."

A spokesperson for the University of Pittsburgh told CP that the university "has no involvement with or information pertaining to this matter."

"And as further background: Pitt does not have any arrangement whatsoever with Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania, which has also been confirmed by an independent evaluation," the spokesperson added in an emailed response.

A 2021 investigation into the universitys handling of fetal tissue conducted by the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Hyman, Phelps & McNamara reported that Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania doesnt collect fetal tissue for research purposes.

If the review board approves a project, a researcher may request fetal tissue from the Pitt Biospecimen Core (PBC), according to the report. PBC is an entity that works with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) to procure fetal tissue from patients who had an abortion or experienced a stillbirth or miscarriage.

The report also stated that the University of Pittsburgh is fully compliant with federal and state regulatory requirements regarding fetal tissue research.

Prentice, however, noted that not only did the university choose the law firm that conducted the report, but investigators also did not examine a potential relationship between Planned Parenthood and abortion clinics outside UPMC.

The pro-life researcher also pointed out that about a year ago, the university requested public relations help from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) due to negative press coverage surrounding an experiment that involved transplanting fetal body parts onto rodents.

Theres just a whole cloud around their whole operation, Prentice said, adding that it's not only clinics that suffer from a lack of transparency when it comes to fetal tissue, but the receivers do as well.

Some use middleman companies, tissue processors that collect the tissue and send it on to the researchers. And there is, again, not a lot of transparency about that.

Theres still something like $80 million in federal taxpayer dollars going to fetal tissue research in the current fiscal year, he explained. And that tissue comes from somewhere.

Prentice contends that fetal tissue research is antiquated science that should be prohibited in favor of ethical research alternatives, such as adult stem cell research. The Charlotte Lozier Institute documented this form of research in a November 2017 report, stating that over 1 million patients worldwide have already benefited from adult stem cell research, according to data gathered in December 2012.

He contended that even though procuring fetal tissue for experiments from elective abortions is legal in Pennsylvania, that does not make it "ethical" or "good science."

"Under current federal and state statutes, collecting fetal tissue for research is not illegal, but it is supposed to be done in strict accordance with the laws and in full transparency, including full informed consent, and no payments for fetal tissue acquired," Prentice wrote, citing Pennsylvania Title 18, Chapter 32,  3216.

The Center for Medical Progress also believes that O'Brien's footage raises questions about how the university procures fetal tissue. In 2015, the group released a series of undercover videos alleging that Planned Parenthood illegally traffics the bodies of aborted fetuses and that Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania supplies the University of Pennsylvania with fetal tissue in exchange for sponsorship of its operations.

The University of Pittsburgh swore under oath that it did not harvest fetal organs from Planned Parenthood  so what is the universitys organ harvesting company doing parked at the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic with coolers? David Daleiden, the founder of CMP, inquired.

CMP has also voiced concerns about Planned Parenthoods level of involvement with the universitys fetal tissue experiments. Dr. Beatrice Chen, Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvanias medical director, is the vice-chair of the universitys Institutional Review Board, which oversees the universitys research projects.

The lies from Pitt and Planned Parenthood must stop now and elected officials in Pennsylvania must demand the truth, Daleiden said.
Woman 'outraged' over use of her image in abortion ad promoted by Hillary Clinton, Gavin Newsom

A third-generation pro-life activist said she's "outraged" that her image is being used to promote abortion in an ad shared by California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Hillary Clinton.

The ad, shared by Newsom and Clinton earlier this month, promotes Californias Proposition 1. The ballot measure would enshrine abortion into Californias constitution, if a majority of voters approve, following the U.S. Supreme Courts June 24 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which also overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The court's decision returned the power to decide laws pertaining to abortion back to the states.

Macy Petty, the pro-life activist seen in the Prop 1 ad, publicly shared her reaction to seeing it in an Oct. 20 post on Twitter, writing: Hey Hillary, Im the girl crying in this video. I am pro-life and those are HAPPY tears because I just witnessed a MIRACLE!

Hey Hillary, Im the girl crying in this video. I am pro-life and those are HAPPY tears because I just witnessed a MIRACLE! @HillaryClinton@GavinNewsom#prolifehttps://t.co/rlnEhdB6yg  Macy Petty (@macypetty0416) October 20, 2022

The video shows scenes from the nation's capital and across the U.S. after the courts decision. Four seconds into the ad, which has already been viewed on Twitter nearly 170,000 times, shows Petty kneeling on the ground, sobbing outside the Supreme Court building with the word "SAD" imposed above her. The ad wrongly presumes that Petty was crying uncontrollably because the court had overturned Roe. In reality, she was overcome with joy at the court's decision.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Petty explained that she first saw the video last week, and it reminded her of the gratitude she felt toward the Lord for bringing about the decision.

Im part of a generation of pro-life activists, she said. My mom worked at a pregnancy center, and my grandma started one. So its in my blood. And I was just so grateful to be there to witness it because there are so many people who were in the fight before me who didnt get to witness it.

The pro-life activist said she was outraged when she saw her image and how the emotions she felt that day were being twisted and misused in an attempt to convince people to vote for abortion.

Petty also responded by writing a letter to Newsom, Clinton and the Prop 1 campaign, requesting they remove her from the video and apologize.

She believes the campaign received the letter because her image has been removed from its most recent ad. However, the original video that featured her and was shared by the former secretary of state and Newsom is still available and being shared on social media.

The pro-life activist said she has yet to receive an apology.

In a follow-up tweet also shared on Oct. 20, the pro-life activist insisted that in the full video of her, before it was edited for the pro-abortion ad, she was clearly crying tears of joy over Roes reversal. Petty added that she was also standing with friends and holding a sign made by the pro-life group, Students for Life.

She maintained that Newsom, Clinton and the creators of the Prop 1 campaign video portrayed her in an evil light and distorted [her] emotions as part of [their] political game.

You selected the portion in which I fell to my knees in tears. At this moment, I witnessed a miracle, the pro-life activist added. I was overwhelmed.

As I continued to witness history, I pondered how lucky I was to witness such an event. I thanked the Lord for this decision and for opening my eyes to the evil of abortion. This is what brought me to tears.

Petty accused those responsible for the video of disrespecting her as a woman and an engaged member of society. She added that even though it was clear that she was pro-life, the people behind the campaign video edited the clip of her to make it appear as if she supported abortion.

Could you not find an early 20 year old who was truly sad about the Dobbs decision? Petty asked. You must manipulate the film of an obvious opponent of your campaign? Perhaps this is the indicator that America is truly pro-life.

The pro-life activist demanded that the people responsible for the ad remove the clip of her from all campaign videos and promotional materials and apologize for using her image against her wishes.

In an interview with the pro-life California Family Council, Petty repeated her claims that the people behind the Prop 1 campaign were manipulating her emotions to advocate for the killing of children.

Im pro-life. Yet theyre using my face to say, Look, 20-year-old girls have their rights stripped away and are so upset about it! Petty said.

No. Dont include me in your we. Dont say that we are mad or we are sad and we want you to vote for this. We dont. Dont include me in that.

The video promoting Prop 1 notes that many states have outlawed or banned abortion, urging Californians to vote this November to protect the right to reproductive freedom for generations. The video contends that Prop 1 protects personal medical decisions, including abortion and contraceptives in addition to preventing interference from politicians.

No matter where a person lives or how much money they have, women  not politicians  should be able to make decisions about their own lives, Clinton wrote in a tweet sharing the video. That includes abortion care and miscarriage management.

Clinton stressed that Californians should vote YES on Prop 1, claiming that their vote would protect fundamental rights. In a similar tweet, Newsom called on Californians to send a clear message to the entire nation by voting in favor of Prop 1 in November.

California -- let's send a clear message to the entire nation this November. Vote YES on Prop 1. https://t.co/eOGWfa1ops  Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) October 18, 2022

Public opinion polling indicates that a majority of California voters are likely to approve Prop 1. A poll of 1,216 likely California voters conducted by Rasmussen Reports on Oct. 12 showed 59% of Californians planned to vote in favor of the proposed constitutional amendment, while 33% planned to vote against it. A survey of 1,060 likely California voters conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California from Sept. 2-11 found that 69% of respondents supported Prop 1, while 25% opposed it.

Last month, the state passed over a dozen bills dubbed historic by the corporate press as California furthered its efforts to become a reproductive freedom state.

One bill in particular, AB 2223, removes the requirement for a state coroner to investigate deaths related to self-induced or criminal abortions. It also prevents charges or civil actions from being brought against those involved in the abortion based on statements made by the coroner in the fetal death certificate.

Mary Rose Short, director of outreach for the pro-life advocacy group California Right to Life, told CP in a previous interview that the bill erases the idea of an illegal abortion.

In September, California launched a $1 million website through a $200 million budget package intended to increase abortion access in the state. The website informs residents and non-residents about abortion facility locations and where to obtain abortion pills.

It also informs underage girls that California law allows them to independently consent to their own abortion care without their parents' consent. The states website also informs illegal immigrants seeking an abortion that they can obtain Medicaid coverage for an abortion.
Why Congress must make TPS protections permanent

Every year, thousands of people seek asylum in the United States. Violence, danger, and natural disasters drive them out of their country of birth to seek safety, new opportunities, and a new home.

I know this firsthand because I was one of them.

Over 30 years ago, I lived in El Salvador, which was in the midst of a violent civil war. I knew that if I remained in the country, my life would be in danger.

I would be forced to either join the army or become part of a guerilla warfare group.

However, in the midst of fear and instability, God met me right where I was and reminded me to have hope. Through His provision, my younger sister and I received the opportunity to flee El Salvador and come to the U.S. at the end of 1990. Though I was denied asylum when I first arrived in 1990, I remained in the U.S. in order to ensure that my sister and I remained safe from the threat of violence back home.

Thankfully, Congress established Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in 1990 and began granting temporary status to nationals of El Salvador. The following year, I received TPS and was able to find a safe haven in the U.S. The program allows migrants like myself, whose home countries are considered unsafe, the right to live and work in the U.S. for a temporary time. However, because the program is temporary, TPS recipients have to continually reapply every 12 to 18 months.

While TPS recipients like me are grateful for the opportunity to call the U.S. home, the temporary nature of our status here forces us to hold the idea of home lightly. There is currently no pathway to permanent legal residency, only a constant repetition of applying for TPS and living under the fear that our applications will be rejected.

Congress can end this state of legal limbo by passing bipartisan immigration reform that removes the cloud of uncertainty that TPS recipients like myself constantly live under and provides a pathway to legal permanent status and, eventually, citizenship.

There are over 320,000 TPS recipients in the United States, including over 13,000 in my home state of North Carolina. We contribute to the economy, build meaningful relationships in our communities, and worship in local churches. Thousands of TPS recipients like me have called this country home for a long time. TPS recipients from El Salvador must prove they have lived and worked in the United States for at least 20 years. And many recipients, like myself, arrived in the U.S. much earlier than that.

Annually, TPS recipients contribute nearly $14 billion to our national GDP. North Carolina alone would lose out on over $570.1 million annually without these contributions.

Providing a pathway to permanent citizenship would be a net benefit for our state and country. It would not only provide certainty for TPS recipients like me but would also benefit North Carolina by delivering stability to the communities that have come to rely upon us.

Fortunately, a solution already exists. In 2021, the House passed the American Dream and Promise Act, which includes further protections and a path to citizenship for TPS recipients. As the Senate continues to deliberate other bipartisan immigration bills, I pray that senators keep TPS recipients in their hearts and minds as they consider reform.

Our faith should also compel us to advocate for a solution. Scripture reminds us that how we care for the vulnerable among us is a reflection of our love for God. In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Even after all the adversity TPS recipients overcome to arrive in the U.S., we remain vulnerable for as long as we go without the protection of permanent citizenship.

However, I am grateful to have found a temporary safe haven in the United States. It is here that the Lord first led me to ministry at Nuevo Pacto Ministries in Texas. Eventually, He redirected my path to Greenville, North Carolina, where I started the Tabernacle of Restoration, the Spanish-speaking congregation of Greenville Christian Fellowship.

In my role as a pastor, I connect with many TPS recipients, not only through past struggles of fleeing violence but also the current battle we face with our legal status. Many members of my congregation, including my own daughters, live in fear of being separated from their families.

For the sake of my children and the strength of our North Carolina communities, I urge Congress to take action to provide a pathway to permanent citizenship for TPS recipients. This country is our safe haven and home. I pray that we will be granted a more secure situation that makes it possible for us to continue contributing to the country we now call home.
Crime ring stole $1.5M in checks from church mailboxes in 14 states, sheriff's office says

Authorities in Georgia have reportedly brought down a ring of perpetrators accused of stealing approximately $1.5 million from churches in 14 states.

The Fayette County Sheriff's Office recently announced the arrested of three suspects from Houston, Texas, involved in a ring of as many as 17 individuals alleged to have stolen donations from church mailboxes.

According to Fox 5 Atlanta, the ring operated out of Texas, with 36 Fayette County churches being robbed of around $154,000 in checks combined. The checks were deposited at Houston-area ATMs.

The ring was known to have traveled across the country to steal donation checks from church mailboxes during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when in-person worship would have been suspended or limited. The group robbed church mailboxes across the Midwest, Southeast and California.

Fayette County Sheriff Barry Babb said many people, especially the elderly, were mailing their checks to churches during the pandemic.

"Probably some of these churches might not have even been open during that time and these checks were piling up," he told Fox 5. "So they knew that when they hit a mailbox, which most of these cases these mailboxes were not secure mailboxes, they were able to take the mail."

Authorities are continuing to search for three additional suspects. Meanwhile, some local congregations have started locking their mailboxes.

Babb encouraged churches to offer online options for donations and tithes to minimize the risk of theft.

In recent years, police across the United States have busted groups in similar robberies.

Last year, Florida authorities arrested four individuals from a group of six who stole approximately $740,000 of donations from church mailboxes.

According to police, the group stole over 1,500 checks from 636 churches, operating out of Orlando and hitting congregations in Florida and elsewhere. They would then wire the money to Romania, their native country.

"This low-tech yet well-organized effort to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of mailed-in charitable donations  at a time when donations may have been most needed  has been stopped," Commissioner Rick Swearingen of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said in a statement last year.

Last November, Mateus Vaduva of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to being one of seven individuals who, from 2018 to 2021, stole over 3,000 donation checks from religious institutions in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina, totaling approximately $1.3 million.

Vaduva and his peers "conducted the thefts by driving to roadside mailboxes of churches and other religious institutions and removing the mail, specifically targeting donation checks," the U.S. Attorney's Office in Maryland announced in a statement.

"As part of the scheme to defraud, Vaduva and other co-conspirators fraudulently opened bank accounts at victim financial institutions under false identities," stated the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"Conspiracy members often opened fictitious bank accounts with the aid of a conspiracy member that was an employee at one of the victim financial institutions."
American universities: Are the inmates running the asylum?

From time to time something happens which seems to illustrate and magnify a very disturbing and possibly catastrophic impact on society.

Such an episode erupted in New York recently. Dr. Maitland Jones Jr., a prestigious professor of organic chemistry at New York University, was fired by the universitys administration over the strong protests of his fellow professors in the Chemistry Department.

Why was Dr. Jones fired? The answer is simply because he was too hard and students were not receiving the grades in his class to which they felt they were entitled.

First, who is Dr. Jones? A three-time graduate of Yale University (B.S., M.S., Ph.D.) Dr. Jones taught at Princeton University for several decades. While there he founded the Jones Research Lab (in conjunction with Princeton) and he and his research colleagues published 225 cutting-edge research papers. Additionally, he published 63 papers with individual undergraduate students, 30 papers with graduate students, and 34 research papers with individual post-doctoral fellows.

He is also the chief author of the standard textbook on organic chemistry titled Organic Chemistry, which is now in its fifth edition (2014, originally published in 1997.) Upon his retirement from Princeton in 2007, Dr. Jones began teaching on an annual contract basis at New York University.

The New York University dean who informed Dr. Jones of his dismissal shockingly revealed the sorry state of higher education and by implication the entire entitlement culture, when he wrote that this was being done to extend a gentle but firm hand to the students and those who pay the tuition bills.

Doesnt it sound like the inmates (the students) are running the asylum (the university)? This is a recipe for disaster, and I fear this horrible situation prevails at far too many of our nations institutions of higher learning.

In a Boston Globe column, I was Fired from NYU After Students Complained That the Class was too Hard. Whos Next?, Dr. Jones responded to his critics. He explained that organic chemistry is an infamously difficult course and one that the failure to navigate successfully ends many students dreams of attending medical school and becoming physicians. The dreaded orgo is quite often a rite of passage into medical school.

Dr. Jones left Princeton after 43 years because he wanted to test to see if the technique I had introduced at Princeton, in which the talking-head lecture was deemphasized in favor of small-group solving, was transferable to another university.

This methodology was an attempt to apply the precept model of teaching introduced by Woodrow Wilson when he was president at Princeton University (1902-1910) before being elected president of the United States in 1912. In the precept method, a student attends two lectures a week and then an hour-long precept with the professor and only five or six students from the class to discuss that weeks lectures and readings (usually a new book each week). This was the model in every liberal arts course I took at Princeton from 1965-1969 in preparation to graduate with a degree, magna cum laude in history with a special certificate in the honors program in American civilization.

Evidently, Dr. Jones adopted this model in organic chemistry courses with small-group solving instead of the talking-head lectures.

Dr. Jones disclosed that all went well at first as students prospered in the problem-solving setting. However, after a decade, he noticed that incoming students were less industrious and less diligent in attending the lecture section of the course.

Then COVID hit.

Dr. Jones, along with two faculty colleagues, financed and prepared 52 videos to replace COVID-cancelled lectures. Many students either watched them haphazardly or not at all.

Of course, as student effort diminished, grades went downhill. So what was the reaction of the students? They accused Dr. Jones of being insufficiently sensitive to the stressful issues of the day. The students urged professor Jones to switch to multiple-choice exams.

Finally, this spring some students sent a petition to NYU deans complaining about procedures and grades in the course. Without ever revealing the contents of the students complaints, the NYU administration fired Dr. Jones on Aug. 2.

The most serious issue here is not the shabby treatment accorded Dr. Jones. As he himself said, he is 84 years old, and the time for me to step aside was probably upon me.

The real issue is the serious, crippling damage being done to higher education in the United States.

Dr. Jones points out that destruction emanates from the students dysfunctional behavior like ever-increasing concentric circles of corrosive, toxic slime.

The first group seriously damaged are the professors, tenured and untenured, both victimized by entitled, spoiled children who think they are entitled to great grades regardless of performance.

The second group seriously damaged are the students themselves being patronized and coddled by spineless college educators leading to the continued narcissism and infantilization of students who will find it increasingly difficult to function after they leave college.

Most important of all, it will inevitably lead to doctors and researchers who are significantly less well-educated than the current generation of doctors. They will have received their degrees, but their degrees will be devalued by the dumbing down of the requirement of their qualifications to be a doctor or a research scientist.

I dont know about you, but I want doctors who aced organic chemistry.

Unfortunately, this squalid episode at New York University is indicative of another emerging fact in American higher education  the fact that year after year students are learning less before they graduate. We are producing graduates who are often not as well educated and trained as the people they are replacing.

As Dr. Jones put it, about 10 years ago I noticed that students were increasingly misreading exam questions and regular attendance at lectures began to decline.

Dr. Jones was observing evidence of a downward trend in the education of our young people that has taken place for more than a generation. This is reflected in ever poorer performances on standardized tests such as the SAT.

As I read Dr. Jones story, I reflected back on an experience I had in the mid-1980s. Dr. Paul Ramsey and I had been invited to speak as the two male pro-life sacrifices at a militantly pro-choice seminar at Perkins School of Theology at SMU.

Dr. Ramsey, one of the countrys leading ethicists, had been a mentor of mine when I was an undergraduate student at Princeton. Dr. Ramsey was a great teacher and a good guy.

Just making conversation, I asked Dr. Ramsey what the biggest difference was between Princeton when I was there (1965-1969) and now. The question was purely rhetorical since I was fully expecting him to say co-education (Princeton went co-ed in 1970, the year after I graduated.)

So I was shocked when he said, the students we get now are not nearly as well educated as your class was and they arent nearly as used to working hard. They are just as smart, but less industrious and less well-informed. They also seem less curious.

I was dumbfounded by his answer, but it stayed with me. The lowering of standards in our nations schools K-12 has now reached into the realm of higher education and it stands to reason it has lowered standards and performance across the board in professional and academic life.

It is a national disgrace for America as a nation not to encourage and enable our citizens to realize their God-given talents to the fullest extent possible. And all of us suffer from this downgrade and waste of talents.

As a nation, we need to reinvigorate our educational system and challenge our students and their teachers to do far better.
Hobby Lobby founder David Green: 'We truly believe that its God's business' (Part 2)

Its one thing to practice servant leadership in ministry, but for Hobby Lobby founder and CEO David Green, that calling is also very much one of his companys best practices.

In his new book,Leadership Not by the Book: 12 Unconventional Principles to Drive Incredible Results, Green lays out what his vision looks like for a thriving work environment, which he emphasizes never involves asking employees or prospective employees about their own deeply held beliefs.

We dont, we shouldn't, and we don't even want to, Green told The Christian Post.

Instead, Green said he strives to create a working environment that focuses on the people who have made Hobby Lobby what it is.

Hobby Lobby does a lot for our employees because we know theyre so important, he said, pointing to the companys minimum wage of $18.50 and closing stores on Sunday.

We were open [on Sundays] at one time, Green explained. That was the busiest day per hour.

Hobby Lobby also has chaplains available for any employees who request such services, something Green said is aimed at a higher calling.

We have people that are really fighting for us, and they know theyre not building my wealth, he said. Theyre doing things that are going to change the Kingdom, something thats more important than something that's temporal.

That heavenly orientation sometimes even leads to evangelism opportunities at Hobby Lobby.

Green said one employee  who he described as really an evangelist  will often share the Gospel with co-managers, who are brought into the Hobby Lobby corporate office from other retailers, and even give them little pieces of paper where they can say whether they have put their trust in Jesus.

Over the past several years of doing that, Green said about a hundred have received Christ for the first time, while another hundred have rededicated their lives to Him.

Green said its something they started about 15 years ago and continued even after his attorney warned about the potential cost of doing so.

I think we oughta risk, Green said. I dont think we should be pushy. But I think we have something that  we should tell them about. We have a Master, we have a Creator that loves us, that died for us and cares for us. Why should we not tell that story?

We want to make sure we do that and do it in the right way.

Doing things the right way also underscores what Green sees as the difference between inheritance and heritage, at least when it comes to his own family.

The heritage that I want to leave my children is the heritage of serving the Lord and knowing Him, and not billions or millions of dollars. I dont care to do that at all, he said. Some of my worst days are, What do I do with this value and how do I not put a curse on my family?

Acknowledging that wealthy people often have an awful lot of problems, Green said he wanted to do everything he could to ensure that doesnt happen with his family.

Earlier this month, Green revealed that 100% of Hobby Lobby's voting stock has been moved to a trust composed of all seven Green family members so stewardship of the company can continue into the future.

He shared a little more with CP about the motivation for that move, saying, "We truly believe that its God's business and run it in such a way that its His, so the profits do not belong to us."

Basically, we say that God owns the company. But we dont only just say it, then we say, what does it look like? And to make it look like that, we took all of our ownership and we put it into 1 percent, he explained.

So 100 percent is in 1 percent, and its in a trust that seven of us, seven family members all serving the Lord, come together. And thats what guides our company. 

When it comes to his children and the family business, Green said while the family has never made a dividend nor do we plan to, those who do the work earn a salary, just like everyone else.

Its real simple in our family  you get what you earn and no more, he said, adding that a committee decides what Green and his children who are in the business earn.

Everybody in our family gets a salary based on what they contribute, but no one earns anything in our family that has not come alongside with the family, cause thats not what God wants for all of them, he added.

He said he has seven grandchildren that are in some type of ministry, and thats OK.

God has a plan and we want them to find what God would have for them, he added.

Like most Christian parents, Green said his greatest hope for his children is to come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

That's why, Green said, he and his wife, Barbara, have been very intentional about providing their children and grandchildren with a Christian education, either through homeschooling or at private institutions.

The most important thing to me is my children serve the Lord far beyond Hobby Lobby, he said. I would rather Hobby Lobby would never have even existed if I lost one of my children because of wealth.

And as for Hobby Lobbys future, Green said he hopes the retail giant will continue not just after hes gone, but until the very end of the age.

We have it set up to be here as long as we can, until Jesus returns, he said. We want to use it to tell as many people as we can about the Good News of Christ dying for us while we were yet sinners, so thats the mission we would like to continue.

Read Part 1 of David Green's interview with CP here and watch the video here.
Saddleback hopes to stay in SBC amid female pastor controversy, lead pastor says

Saddleback Church does not want to leave the Southern Baptist Convention over its support of female pastors, according to recently installed lead Pastor Andy Wood.

The prominent California megachurch has received increased attention for its support of female pastors, which goes against the SBCs official stance against the ordination of women.

In comments given to the Baptist Press, which serves as the official news service for the SBC, Wood explained that we are committed to stay in fellowship and unified with other SBC churches even when we disagree.

Saddleback Church has a strong commitment to the authority and inerrancy of the Bible. We believe this approach is biblical and in alignment with the teachings of the New Testament as well, he said.

Wood also told BP that his congregation believes that pastoring and teaching are functions and spiritual gifts to be exercised in the church by both men and women.

The function of teaching and pastoring is not necessarily synonymous nor exclusive from the office of overseer, he added.

Wood, who replaced pastor and bestselling author Rick Warren as leader of Saddleback, listed his wife Stacie as a teaching pastor on the churchs website. Additionally, earlier this month, Stacie preached a sermon at Saddleback, with her being identified as a Teaching Pastor.

Wood told BP that while he did not consider him and his wife to be co-pastors, he did consider her to be one of our teaching pastors.

In May 2021, Saddleback drew scrutiny from some within the SBC when the church ordained three women  Liz Puffer, Cynthia Petty and Katie Edwards. The ordinations come even though the Baptist Faith & Message 2000, the convention's official statement of beliefs, says that the "office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture."

Owen Strachan, a theology professor at Grace Bible Theological Seminary, was among the critics, arguing on social media that the ordinations were an example of unbiblical developments at Saddleback.

Now is the time to leave and find a sound congregation. Do not delay. There is no spirit of competition in what I write here; what Saddleback is doing grieves me, and I have no doubt grieves many in the congregation, posted Strachan on Facebook last year.

Churches that affirm women pastors are opposing the Word of God, and opposing the Word of God means opposing God himself.

Some wanted Saddleback, one of the convention's largest congregations, to be disfellowshipped as other churches have been kicked out of the SBC for ordaining women as pastors.

The SBC Credentials Committee, which determines if member churches are abiding by the convention's standards, announced at the SBC's Annual Meeting in June that it would delay a decision about whether to disfellowship Saddleback.

Committee Chair Linda Cooper said at the annual meeting that they were "not yet prepared to make a recommendation on Saddleback," recognizing there are "differing opinions regarding the intent of the office of pastor as stated in the Baptist Faith & Message 2000."
Top Catholic bishop criticizes Biden's 'single-minded extremism' on abortion

The leader of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' pro-life committee has issued a formal statement criticizing President Joe Biden, a Roman Catholic, for his "single-minded" prioritization of ensuring the legality of abortion ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

Archbishop William Lori of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, who serves as chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement in response to Biden's vow that codifying a right to abortion into federal law will be his top priority if Democrats maintain control of both houses of Congress.

While the Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed the Women's Health Protection Act this year, the bill has come up short in the evenly divided U.S. Senate.

"The President is gravely wrong to continue to seek every possible avenue to facilitate abortion instead of using his power to increase support and care to mothers in challenging situations," Lori wrote.

"This single-minded extremism must end, and we implore President Biden to recognize the humanity in preborn children and the genuine life-giving care needed by women in this country."

Noting that members of the USCCB "deal daily with the tragic impacts of abortion," Lori stressed that "abortion is a violent act which ends the life of preborn children and wounds untold numbers of women."

The archbishop expressed a desire to "continue in our work with our government and leaders to protect the right to life of every human being and to ensure that pregnant and parenting mothers are fully supported in the care of their children before and after birth."

The president's push to codify a right to abortion into federal law follows the U.S. Supreme Court's determination this June that the U.S. Constitution does not contain a right to abortion. The Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision reversed the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.

At a Democratic National Committee fundraiser last week, Biden declared that "the court got Roe right nearly 50 years ago, and I believe Congress should codify Roe once and for all."

Noting that "we're short a handful of votes" as Congress is currently composed, Biden insisted that "it's so critical to elect more Democratic senators to the United States Senate and more Democrats to keep control of the House of Representatives" in the November elections.

"If we do that, here is the promise I make to you and the American people: The first bill that I will send to the Congress will be to codify Roe v. Wade," he added. "And when Congress passes it, I'll sign it in January, 50 years after Roe was first decided the law of the land."

Public opinion polling indicates that Biden and the Democrats face an uphill battle in their quest to maintain complete control of Congress. The RealClearPolitics average of polls asking voters which party they want to control Congress shows Republicans with a 2.1-point lead.

The FiveThirtyEight Deluxe Model, which forecasts election outcomes based on "polls, fundraising, past voting patterns" and the opinions of political experts, gives Republicans an 82% chance of retaking the House. At the same time, the model gives Democrats a 53% chance of keeping the U.S. Senate as of Thursday afternoon.

Lori's statement is not the first time Catholic bishops have expressed concern about the support for legal abortion among politicians who identify themselves as practicing Roman Catholics.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, who preceded Lori as the chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Pro-Life Activities, suggested that Biden should stop referring to himself as a "devout Catholic" because of his pro-abortion advocacy.

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, who oversees the area where pro-abortion Catholic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., lives, has repeatedly maintained that "you cannot be a good Catholic" and support abortion.

Biden's support for abortion rights caused a Catholic priest to withhold communion from him while he was on the campaign trail in 2019. Supporters of withholding communion from Biden and other pro-abortion Catholic politicians point to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Code of Canon Law when justifying their position.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church proclaims that abortion is "gravely contrary to the moral law." The Church's Code of Canon Law also states that those "obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion."

In 2004, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who would later become Pope Benedict XVI, wrote a letter to U.S. bishops elaborating on the need to withhold communion from pro-abortion Catholic politicians.

"When a person's formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his Pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church's teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist," Ratzinger explained.

Whether to give communion to pro-abortion Catholic politicians became a point of contention last year when the USSCB considered passing a resolution urging priests to withhold communion from Catholic politicians who publicly support abortion. The USCCB ultimately stopped short of approving a resolution telling priests to withhold communion from pro-abortion politicians, instead electing draft a document titled "The Meaning of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church."

In response to concerns about the document, the USCCB asserted that "the document being drafted is not meant to be disciplinary in nature, nor is it targeted at any one individual or class of persons."

As summarized by the USCCB, the document will "include a section on the Church's teaching on the responsibility of every Catholic, including bishops, to live in accordance with the truth, goodness and beauty of the Eucharist we celebrate."
Pro-life group demands gov't investigate covert network trafficking abortion pills into the US

A pro-life group is calling on Congress and drug enforcement agencies to take action amid reports that organizations in Mexico are funneling abortion pills into states that have banned their use.

Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life Action, the activist division of the pro-life group Students for Life of America, has demanded in a letter to members of Congress that they address the issue following a "shocking new report" about a "drug cartel at the Mexican border" that is shipping abortion-inducing pills into the U.S.

The group wants Congress to instruct the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate drug crimes involving abortion pills.

The SFLA president called on Congress to require the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a new impact study on chemical abortions, given the widespread and sometimes illegal use of the pills.

As The Washington Post reported last week, several covert networks are running a pipeline through Mexico to deliver abortion pills to women in states that have banned abortion after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June.

The abortion pill suppliers are funded anonymously, reportedly securing the drug for $1.50 a dose from international pharmacies or free via donations. An unnamed group in the U.S. then receives the pills through the mail and sends them to pregnant women seeking to abort their babies.

Las Libres, one of the many Mexican groups involved in the illegal scheme, told The Washington Post that its organization alone is on track to help terminate approximately 20,000 pregnancies this year in the United States.

That amounts to about 20 percent of all legal abortions that took place in 2019 in the 13 states where abortion is now almost entirely banned, The Washington Post reported.

Sandra Cardona Alanis, the leader and co-founder of Red Necesito Abortar, another Mexico-based group supplying abortion pills, said that once her group gets the pills to the U.S., they can distribute them across the whole country.

As deadly as the two-pill regiment that the FDA allows can be, the chemical abortion pills sold at the border can carry an even greater risk as some will sell only one pill, saving them money but raising the risks, Hawkins wrote in SFLAs letter to lawmakers.

One need only look at other drug cartel efforts to understand the tremendous risk to women who may not be taking the drugs they think they ordered and may not survive the experience, not to mention the impact on the preborn.

Hawkins stressed that the safety risks and the strain chemical abortions place on the U.S. healthcare system warrant a congressional response. She also cited the need for an investigation into possible environmental concerns due to the improper disposal of aborted human remains, linking to a column she wrote for The Washington Times in 2020.

As Carole Novielli reported for the pro-life group Live Action in May, women who undergo chemical abortions typically take the pills at home and dispose of their babies remains themselves. The pro-life researcher noted that this likely saves abortion facilities money they would have spent hiring a waste disposal company to remove the remains.

According to a 2015 study titled "Incidence of Emergency Room Department Visits and Complications After Abortion, chemical abortions have a higher complication rate than surgical ones.

The study analyzed data from 2009 and 2010 to assess the abortion complication rate for California women who had abortions through Medicaid and women who were treated at the emergency room instead of the clinic.

Researchers found that the complication rate was 5.2% for women who took the abortion pill compared to 1.3% for women who had a first-trimester surgical abortion. The major complication rate for the abortion pill was 0.31% in contrast to 0.16% for first-trimester surgical abortions.
Samuel Alito says Dobbs leak made Supreme Court justices 'targets for assassination'

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said the leaking of the draft decision that overturned Roe v. Wade made members of the high court targets for assassination.

In May, Politico published a leaked copy of a draft of the opinion for Dobbs v. Jackson that overturned the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide.

At an event hosted by the conservative think-tank The Heritage Foundation on Tuesday, Alito, who authored the leaked draft opinion, was asked how the leak impacted the Supreme Court.

It was a grave betrayal of trust, Alito said, and an unprecedented shock that certainly changed the atmosphere at the court for the remainder of last term.

The leak also made those of us who were thought to be in the majority in support of overruling Roe and [Planned Parenthood v. Casey] targets for assassination, because it gave people a rational reason to think they could prevent that from happening by killing one of us, said Alito.

Alito cited an incident from early June, before the official release of the Dobbs decision, in which a man was arrested near the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh after making threats against him over his likely support for overturning Roe.

Alito then mentioned that, now that they are in a new term, everyone from the justices to their staff want things to get back to normal the way they were before all this last term.

Get back to normal to the greatest degree possible, and thats what we hope will happen, he said. I think everybody is working on that.

During my 16 years on the court, the justices have always gotten along very well on a personal level. I think the public, when they read our opinions, probably misses that.

Alito also touched on other topics, such as objecting to the claim that the Supreme Court has transformed into a nakedly partisan institution that is illegitimate.

Everybody in this country is free to disagree with our decisions, theres no question about that. Everybody is free to criticize our reasoning and to do it in strong terms, said Alito.

But to say that the court is exhibiting a lack of integrity is something quite different. That goes to character. It goes not to agreement or disagreement with the result or the reasoning, it goes to character.

Alito added that someone crosses an important line when they say the court is acting in a way that is illegitimate, believing that such claims should not be made lightly.

Thats not just ordinary criticism, thats something very different, he continued.

On the issue of adding justices to the court, often derisively called court-packing, Alito noted that the U.S. Constitution does not state a specific size for the Supreme Court and felt that Congress could expand the court.

Nevertheless, Alito asked the rhetorical question that if Congress did add seats to the court, what would that do to the public perception of our independence and our legitimacy?

Alito said that whatever number it should be, it should be an odd number to prevent ties, not be too big or too small, and preferred the current number of nine justices.

In addition to the threats made against Supreme Court justices, the news of the leaked draft also sparked several protests, and numerous acts of vandalism against churches and pro-life pregnancy resource centers.

May demonstrations have been held outside the homes of Supreme Court justices who are expected to rule in favor of the Mississippi law, with the members of the high court receiving increased security.

A temporary security fence was also constructed in May around the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., in preparation for any violence should the high court decide to overturn Roe.
Charles Stanley honored by Baptist college with endowed faculty chair of theology

A Georgia-based Christian university has received a $3 million gift to endow a faculty chair and launch a Global Impact Center in honor of pastor and author Charles Stanley.

Truett McConnell University, a Baptist liberal arts school in Cleveland, Georgia, announced last week the creation of the Dr. Charles F. Stanley Chair of Theology.

Anthony George, an outgoing trustee at TMU who succeeded Stanley as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta in 2020, expressed his support for the decision.

Stanleys preaching has been marked by our Baptist doctrinal trademarks such as Biblical infallibility, Trinitarian theology, the substitutionary atonement, the exclusivity of Christ, and the priesthood and eternal security of the believer, stated George.

This gift and the naming of this Chair of Theology could not have honored anyone more fitting. His ministry has modeled the bold proclamation of Scripture so visibly, so practically, so consistently, and so globally, and to this day stands on a rock-solid theological foundation.

The first professor to occupy the chair will be Mael Disseau, dean of the Hubmaier School of Theology and Missions. He is an associate professor of Biblical and Theological Studies.

It is also very appropriate that this gift is given to honor Dr. Stanley, who has spent his life teaching the Word of God and fighting for the Word of God and its primacy, stated Disseau.

I consider it a great honor to be asked to be the inaugural occupant of the Dr. Charles F. Stanley Chair of Theology. Dr. Stanleys life has demonstrated a passion for the Word of God and the Great Commission.

The $3 million gift to TMU will also fund the Dr. Charles F. Stanley Global Impact Center in Miller Hall.

TMU is not the first school to bestow such an honor on Stanley. The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Board of Trustees voted last October to approve the creation of the Charles F. Stanley Chair for the Advancement of Global Christianity, part of their Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions.

Adam Greenway, the former president of the Fort Worth, Texas-based SWBTS, told The Christian Post in an interview last year that he believes Stanley may be one of our most prominent visible alumni in the history of Southwestern Seminary.

He and his ministry were looking for a way to honor his legacy, certainty a worthy legacy of honoring, and they saw that Southwestern Seminary was a fitting institution to partner with to do something that would be significant in terms of their investment, said Greenway.

The proceeds of an endowed chair support the salary of a professor who will be named to the chair, and the more of those endowed chairs a seminary has, the more likely it is it will be able to sustain its academic mission long into the future.

Born Sept. 25, 1932, in Virginia, Stanley became the lead pastor of First Baptist Atlanta in 1971. He remained in the position for nearly 50 years until he announced his retirement in 2020.

Stanley is well-known for founding and leading In Touch Ministries, which includes the long-running television program In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley, as well as a widely heard radio broadcast.

During the 1980s, Stanley was part of the Southern Baptist Conventions Conservative Resurgence movement and served two one-year terms as president of the denomination.
Are banks going woke and canceling religious customers?

Radical cancel culture is one of the most destructive forces in America today. Its no secret it has infiltrated virtually every sphere of our lives, whether our public schools, colleges, government institutions or corporations. There is an ever-growing number of religious employees and business owners  many whom First Liberty represents and is fighting for  whove lost their livelihoods at the hands of this extreme and toxic ideology.

Woke corporate culture, however, is moving beyond purging religious employees. Now, it appears customers increasingly are being canceled because of their beliefs.

The most recent example? Americas banking industry.

The Christian Post recently reported that Chase Bank abruptly closed the bank account of the National Committee for Religious Freedom (NCRF), a faith-based nonprofit organization led by Sam Brownback, former U.S. Ambassador-At-Large for Religious Freedom.

NCRFs stated mission is focused on defending the right of everyone in America to live ones faith freely. The organization opened an account with Chase in April. Brownback wrote in an opinion piece published by The Washington Examiner that his organization initially had a very positive experience with the bank.

Chase informed NCRF that the bank would be closing the account less than three weeks after it was opened. Brownback explained:

The decision to cancel the NCRF was described by multiple Chase employees as one from the corporate office. It was initially explained to us by someone at the Chase corporate office that the decision was final and nonrevocable. To this day, the NCRF does not have a clear reason as to why our account was closed after only three weeks.

Chase reached out to NCRFs executive director and said the bank would be willing to reconsider doing business with them. But it said the organization would have to provide a list of donors, a list of political candidates it intended to support and a full explanation of the criteria by which they would endorse and support those candidates. Brownback properly responded:

It was entirely inappropriate to ask for this type of information. Does Chase ask every customer what politicians they support and why before deciding whether or not to accept them as a customer?

Ironically, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon had testified before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs just last month. He described what a wonderful country we live in and the freedoms we enjoy:

We live in the greatest country in the world predicated on foundational beliefs in freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise, the sanctity of the individual, and the promise of equality and opportunity for all  These core values are the fabric that bind us as Americans, where the best of what we are shines through, especially in times of adversity.

Though eloquent, this statement rings hollow. It seems Chase bank opted to embrace extreme woke culture instead of respecting our countrys historic commitment to religious freedom.

No pals of freedom

NCRF is certainly not the only group or person canceled because of their religious beliefs. Cancel culture knows no boundaries. Anyone  religious or not  risks being cut off from the marketplace altogether if they dont worship at the altar of modern orthodoxy.

PayPal and its subsidiary Venmo, for example, have been under scrutiny in recent weeks for canceling accounts. Fox Business reported that Gays Against Groomers, an organization opposing the growing movement sexualizing children, had its accounts shut down. The payment processing company also shut down accounts of groups advocating for free expression and those of a media outlet that expressed its opinions about the origins and spread of COVID-19.

Cancel culture isnt just spreading among private employers. It has also perverted many of our governmental institutions. First Liberty successfully represented Christians Engaged, a non-profit that encourages praying for our nation and elected officials, voting, and being civically active. But the IRS denied the organizations tax-exempt status. In a bizarre letter, the IRS shockingly claimed Bible teachings are typically affiliated with the [Republican] party and candidates and thus are considered partisan. First Liberty appealed to the IRS on behalf of the organization, and the IRS reversed course and granted the tax-exempt status.

Could pastors, Christian business people, houses of worship and faith-based organizations be de-banked next? We cannot ignore the dangers of woke corporate culture. It is a form of soft totalitarianism that wants to force people of faith to celebrate ideas and actions at odds with their religious beliefs. The consequences of this toxic ideology are severe. Anyone who doesnt conform will be punished and ostracized, putting their careers, businesses, and families at risk. It threatens to destroy the lives of Americans who dare to live according to their faith  by denying them something as basic and essential as a bank account.

As Christian author Rod Dreher explained in a recent article:

Theyre going to ultimately debank you, you know. If not Chase, then somebody. This is how the regime works. Theyre going to make it more and more difficult for dissenters from wokeness to participate in society and the economy.

Canceling religious Americans and organizations because of their beliefs is wrong. It makes a mockery of our laws and our nations founding values. NCRFs cancelation makes it crystal clear: when religious people are attacked and religious freedom is not upheld, all other civil liberties  including economic freedom  soon start crumbling down.

Originally published at First Liberty.
Islamic extremists kill 15, cut off woman's breast in attack on predominantly Christian village

ABUJA, Nigeria  Suspected Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists killed two Christians in north-central Nigeria on Friday after slaughtering 13 others in two prior attacks, sources said.

The assailants attacked Gidan Ityotyev village, Obi County, at about 11 p.m., killing Moses Saaku and Aondofa Saaku and wounding a Christian woman, all members of the Universal Reformed Christian Church (NKST in Nigeria), said local community leader Ukpuu Abaa in a text message to Morning Star News.

A Christian woman by the name of Kwaghdoo Saaku was injured when the herdsmen cut off one of her breasts, Abaa said. The herdsmen during the invasion of our village shot randomly at our people who were sleeping in their houses.

In Keana Countys predominantly Christian village of Gidan Sule on the night of Oct. 8, the terrorists killed 10 Christians, displacing hundreds of others, said Peter Ahemba, president of the Tiv Development Association. Most of the slain Christians were women, children and the elderly who were unable to escape the onslaught, he said in a text message.

Ten corpses of Christians killed during the attack on Gidan Sule community were recovered on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 9, by survivors in the community, Ahemba said. The attackers, who we strongly believe are herdsmen and terrorists, shot sporadically on Christians who were sleeping in their houses.

Ahemba reportedly said the assailants were likely mobilized also to displace ethnic Tiv Christians ahead of general elections in Nigeria in February.

The slaughter followed a similar assault the previous week in Antsa village, in Kwara District of Keana County, where three Christians were killed, he said.

Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith last year (Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021,) at 4,650, up from 3,530 the previous year, according to Open Doors 2022 World Watch List report. The number of kidnapped Christians was also highest in Nigeria, at more than 2,500, up from 990 the previous year, according to the WWL report.

Nigeria trailed only China in the number of churches attacked, with 470 cases, according to the report.

In the 2022 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to seventh place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 9 the previous year.
Syriac monastery in Turkey reopens to believers after 100 years

A Syriac monastery in southern Turkey has reopened its doors to believers about 100 years after it was seized by the Turkish army and transformed into a military hospital before becoming a prison and warehouse.

Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan, head of the Syriac Catholic Church, consecrated the Monastery of St. Ephrem in Mardin city, which was once the heartland of Syriac Christianity, earlier this month and celebrated its first divine liturgy in 100 years, Vatican News reported.

Patriarch Younan anointed the altar, walls and doors with oil of chrism, and then led the ceremony attended by Syriac Catholic prelates from across the Middle East, including the Apostolic Nuncio to Turkey Archbishop Marek Solczynski.

Younan encouraged the congregation to stay focused on Jesus and trust Him, pointing to an inscription above the large cross behind the altar that says, "Look at Him and trust in Him."

The Turkish army seized the monastery during World War I. The building was briefly returned to the Church after the war ended. But a few years later, the monastery was turned into a military hospital. It eventually became a prison and was later converted into a warehouse.

Many Syriac Christians still speak Neo-Aramaic, a language that descended from the language spoken by Jesus. Christians have been living in southern Turkey since the first centuries of Christianity.

Estimates suggest that during World War I, Turkish and government forces killed hundreds of thousands. Today, Syriac Christians comprise a tiny fraction of Turkey's population.

Turkey has a long record of converting ancient religious buildings sacred to its indigenous religious minorities.

In 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan converted Istanbul's landmark, Hagia Sophia, into a mosque. He also ordered another ancient Orthodox church, the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora  also known as the Kariye Museum  to be turned into a mosque.

Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, built in 537 A.D. as a Greek Orthodox church, was the seat of Eastern Christianity for 900 years before the city was seized in the 15th century by Sultan Mehmed II, who converted it into an Ottoman mosque. In 1934, modern Turkey's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, banned worship in Hagia Sophia and designated it as a museum.

Originally built in the early fourth century by Constantine the Great, the Holy Saviour church was converted into the Kariye Mosque about 50 years after the 1453 conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks. In 1945, the building was designated a museum by the Turkish government. The museum was opened for public display in 1958 after American art historians helped restore the original church's mosaics.
Pierre Soulages: Beyond black

In memory of Pierre Soulages, who has died at the age of 102, we revisit a feature published in 2019, in which Deborah Wilk explores the artists career  and his mastery of the painterly gesture

If art aficionados ever wonder how the work of great Abstract Expressionists whose careers were cut short might have developed had they survived the Post-modern moment, they would do well to consider the work of Pierre Soulages. Carrying the moniker of Frances most successful living artist, his mid-20th-century paintings can fetch seven-figure prices. Like the Cuban-born Carmen Herrera (aged 104), who rarely departs from the minimal, Soulages has mined his project of almost entirely black compositions for more than 50 years. He has delved so deeply into the well of painting that he has emerged with a conceptual purity that elegantly defies the mediums inherent mess. He is absolutely extraordinary, effuses his New York dealer Dominique Levy, who in 2014 hung the artists first US show in 10 years at her eponymous Uptown gallery. Hes followed one journey all his life, which has led him more and more towards the light. Despite the fact that they are black, the paintings are all about capturing the light. Of his development as an artist, Levy says, He starts very gestural with, of course, the black at the core and goes through a journey, an extremely long journey during which he never ever stands still, all the time renewing himself. He gets rid of the classic gesture for another type of gesture.

Captivated by the ancient Born in Rodez in southern France in 1919, Soulages was captivated as a boy by the regions menhirs: enigmatic, carved standing stones dating to the late Neolithic era. Aged 17, his name was first noted in Rodezs Musee de Fenaille not as an artist, but as the discoverer of a cache of pottery shards and arrowheads near a prehistoric tomb. He was indignant when a teacher derided the simplicity of the stark carvings in Sainte-Foy de Conques, a famous Romanesque abbey church close to his hometown. The experience of standing beneath this 11th-century buildings huge barrel vault was what first inspired Soulages to become a painter. In 1986, he would have the honour of designing its new windows, for which he developed a new kind of glass with variable translucency.

Just as inspirational were the 20,000-year-old cave paintings of Lascaux, discovered in 1940, and, later, the even older cave art found in Chauvet en Ardeche in 1994. Soulagess own palette  as in the work shown above  has scarcely deviated from the rich, elemental reds, blacks and ochres used by the ancient artists who worked in the darkness of the caves. For Soulages, such rough-hewn creations are far more moving than the most elegant mimetic accomplishments of Classical art. I have always revolted against this foolishly evolutionary conception of art, says Soulages, which leads one to believe that there are at first awkward gropings, then that technique becomes more and more skilful and mastered, and that finally we arrive at the apotheosis of a perfectly imitative art. It must be said and repeated: there is no progress in art, only techniques that are perfected and which can lead you where you do not want to go. The painters of Lascaux or Chauvet brought art to a summit from the very start. Soulages began with the gesture As Abstract Expressionism exploded from New York and gave rise to offshoots across the globe such as Gutai in Japan and Dansaekhwa in South Korea, Soulages, whose early work anticipated the movement, was one of a group of post-war Europeans who fully embraced it. He also enjoyed recognition beyond his native France. Post-war European art was at a height in the 1950s, and Soulages was at the centre of that moment, says independent curator Karen T. Butler. His early works flaunt his interest in materiality and mark-making. That is also reflected in his titles, which tell you what it is: the kind of painting, dimensions, and the date. They are not symbolic. James Johnson Sweeney, an early champion of Soulages as director of the Guggenheim in the 1950s, wrote that a painting by Pierre Soulages is like a chord on a vast piano struck with both hands simultaneously  struck and held. As black as snow Soulages never paints from his head with something already in mind, but rather responds to the paint in front of him, working directly with its viscosity, translucency and colour to build a sign that can be apprehended in an instant. My pictures are poetic objects capable of receiving what each person is ready to invest according to the ensemble of forms and colours that is proposed to him, he explains. As for me, I dont know what I am looking for when painting. The artist frequently recalls a childhood episode when he was spreading black ink upon white paper. A friend of his older sister asked what he was painting; she laughed when he replied snow. He now believes that he had been trying to render the white paper more white, luminous and snow-like via its contrast with the black ink. Such intuitive sensitivity informs all of Soulagess mature work. Soulages and the Abstract Expressionists The year 1957 saw Soulages garnering major international recognition, receiving the first prize at the International Exhibition in Tokyo jointly with Sam Francis, as well as the Windsor prize in Paris. Significantly, the year also marked the artists first trip to New York, in November, for his solo exhibition at the acclaimed Kootz Gallery.

In New York, Soulages received major receptions at the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim, as well as being warmly received by local artists. He was invited to visit the studios of Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Robert Motherwell and Franz Kline. When Motherwell told him that Abstract Expressionism could only truly be understood by Americans, Soulages countered that, An art should be understood, loved and shared by anyone, anywhere in the world... I believe that in art, there are fundamentally only personal adventures that go beyond the individual, and even beyond his culture. Although he was friends with Motherwell and Kline, Soulages feels little stylistic kinship with the American painters to whom he has sometimes been compared. Major recognition in the 1960s Hailed on both sides of the Atlantic, Soulages embarked upon a string of significant exhibitions during the 1960s. In 1966, his retrospective at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, curated by James Johnson Sweeney, opened, as did as a presentation of his work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

The work above made its debut in 1967 and was subsequently included in the artists 1968 touring exhibition, which originated at the Musee dart contemporain de Montreal. Late work  Ultra-black In April 1979 Soulages had a revelation that would transform his work for ever. The artist was in his studio in Sete in southern France working on a painting swallowed up by black. Up until that point he had used black for its power of expression in contrast with other colours.

Pierre Soulages (1919-2022), Peinture 227 x 306 cm, 2 mars 2009, 2009. 227 x 306 cm (overall: 89 x 120 in). Sold for 2,407,500 on 7 June 2018 at Christies in Paris.  Pierre Soulages, DACS 2022

Unhappy with the painting, he went to bed. When he arose next morning, he viewed it differently. I saw that it was no longer black that gave meaning to the painting but the reflection of light on dark surfaces, he says. Where it was layered the light danced, and where it was flat it lay still. A new space had come into being. He eventually named this new space outre-noir (ultra-black). Theyre all about the mask, the presence, the weight of painting, says Levy of the outre-noir paintings. But Soulages is also a sculptor in a way.

Pierre Soulages (1919-2022), Peinture 222 x 222cm, 15 mai 1987, painted in 1987. Oil on canvas in two parts. Overall: 87 x 87 in (222 x 222 cm). Sold for 2,771,250 on 4 October 2019 at Christies in London.  Pierre Soulages, DACS 2022

Soulagess journey to a successful painting is not always easy In the 1950s, Soulages often placed his canvases on the ground and worked above them, using a knife or spatula to scrape the layer of paint while still fresh to reveal layers of vivid hues.

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How the birth of an independent Sudan inspired the artists of the Khartoum School

Under British rule, art education in what was then Africas largest country was based on Western traditions. When independence came in 1956, artists faced a huge challenge: how to express national identity in a land where more than 100 languages are spoken

On 1 January 1956, the Republic of Sudan declared its independence, following the official end of Anglo-Egyptian rule, which had dated back to the 19th century. The transition to sovereignty would prove anything but straightforward, however. In November 1958, a military coup put a stop to civilian government for the better part of six years. The country was undergoing major upheaval in fields other than politics, too. The cultural scene in Sudan was changing fast. Members of a new literary group called the Jungle and Desert School, for example, sought to create a literature that was truly Sudanese  reflecting the nations ethnic, religious and cultural diversity. Closely connected to it was the Khartoum School of visual artists, based in the countrys capital, which also tried to make sense of contemporary Sudanese identity. The school was founded by the painters Ibrahim El-Salahi, Kamala Ibrahim Ishag and Ahmed Shibrain in 1960.

They never issued a manifesto, because, as Shibrain put it years later, their work emerged naturally and a manifesto is a Western attitude [which they] were not in need of. Broadly speaking, however, the art of the Khartoum School entailed a Modernist fusion of African, Nubian, Arabic and Islamic elements  in other words, a daring new expression of Sudans rich heritage. That heritage was widely felt to have been suppressed during the colonial era  and to make some sense of it, its worth bearing in mind that more than 100 languages were spoken across the republic. As Salah Ahmed Ibrahim, a member of the Jungle and Desert School, wrote in his 1958 poetry collection, The Ebony Forest, Liar is he who proclaims I am the unmixed, the pure pedigree, the only. Yes, a liar! In the years running up to independence, art education in Sudan had been formal and based on European models, with the prevailing painting style perhaps best described as a rigid Academicism. The Khartoum School represented a rupture with that tradition.

Originality doesnt mean creating something out of nothing. Originality means being able to create the new out of what is already there  Ibrahim El-Salahi

One standout feature  known as hurufiyya, and readily associated with the paintings of Shibrain and Osman Waqialla  was adopting the letters of Arabic calligraphy. These were simplified, compressed or fragmented to the point where they ended up seeming semi-abstract. Khartoum School artists also made creative use of Islamic decorative motifs, such as rosettes, crescents and spirals. The likes of El-Salahi and Hussein Shariffe were fond, too, of painting figures with faces that looked like tribal masks. Probably the most famous example of this is the formers Reborn Sounds of Childhood Dreams I (1961-65)  today part of the Tate collection in London  which depicts a group of ghostly figures with elongated heads and hollow eyes appearing to merge in and out of one another.

Open a larger version of this image Ibrahim El-Salahi (b. 1930), Reborn Sounds of Childhood Dreams I, 1961-65. Enamel paint and oil paint on cotton. Support: 2588 x 2600 mm. Tate.  Ibrahim El-Salahi, courtesy Vigo Gallery. All rights reserved, DACS 2022. Photo:  Tate

There was a healthy amount of variety across the school, but a vital tension at its heart was that between respect for Sudanese heritage and the radical way in which artists adapted that patrimony. Originality doesnt mean creating something out of nothing, said El-Salahi. Originality means being able to create the new out of what is already there. One simply makes a new addition, a sort of a new idea, a fresh leaf atop that same old tree of creation.

Many might argue that El-Salahi was being unduly modest with that assessment. Posterity has come to regard the Khartoum School as one of a handful of key Modernist groups in North Africa and the Middle East in the mid-20th century  alongside the Contemporary Art Group in Cairo, the Baghdad Group for Modern Art, the House of Saudi Arts in Riyadh, and the Casablanca School of Art. The name, incidentally, was coined by an Anglo-Guyanese artist called Denis Williams, who had moved to Sudan in the late 1950s. After teaching for a few years at the College of Fine and Applied Arts at Khartoum Technical Institute, Williams noticed that something special was happening in the citys art scene and duly came up with Khartoum School. It would be going too far to say that all the artists were friends, but there were undoubtedly personal connections between them  perhaps unsurprising, given the Sudanese capitals relatively small population (of around 270,000 at the time of independence). El-Salahi, for example, asked Shariffe to collaborate with him on a now-lost painting to accompany Reborn Sounds of Childhood Dreams I. He and Shibrain, in turn, had both trained under Waqialla.

The schools artists tended to come from well-to-do families, and several of them had undertaken studies in the UK  in Shariffes case at the Slade School of Art, where he was taught by Lucian Freud. (Shariffe would go on to win the prestigious John Moores Prize for young artists before returning to Sudan.) Having studied abroad, Khartoum School artists knew at first hand the Western imagery they were rebelling against. The school rose out of the ashes of colonialism, according to Salah M. Hassan, Distinguished Professor of Arts and Sciences in Africana Studies at Cornell University. Hassan adds that the search for a common denominator  for a Sudanese national culture that would cut through [the countrys] ethnic, religious and cultural pluralism  became a focal point.

A final feature of the schools art that is worth mentioning is the symbolic use of certain colours. Earthy reds and browns were the most common, in homage to the Sudanese landscape. The Khartoum School didnt last especially long. By the mid-1970s, a new generation of homegrown artists had come along with new ideas. Whats more, one of the original members, Kamala Ibrahim Ishag  currently the subject of a retrospective at Londons Serpentine Gallery  went so far as to renounce her participation publicly. In 1971, Ishag co-founded a collective known as the Crystalist Group, which strongly criticised the identity focus of the Khartoum School.

Open a larger version of this image Kamala Ibrahim Ishag (b. 1939), Dinner Table with Embroidered Cloth, 1974. Oil on board, 122.5 x 175 x 3.3 cm. Courtesy of the Sharjah Art Foundation Collection.  Kamala Ibrahim Ishag. This work is included in Kamala Ibrahim Ishag: States of Oneness at Serpentine South, London, until 29 January 2023

This was also a period that saw a crackdown on liberal, intellectual and artistic activity by Sudans new president, Jaafar Nimeiri, who had come to power in 1969. Many artists fled the country; El-Salahi was sent to prison.

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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.
Chinese FM holds phone talks with Russian counterpart

Xinhua) 10:57, October 28, 2022

BEIJING, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday held a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a congratulatory message to Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, right after the 20th CPC National Congress, which reflected the high-level mutual trust and firm mutual support between China and Russia, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee.

China is willing to deepen exchanges with Russia at all levels and promote bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields to a higher level, said Wang.

For his part, Lavrov warmly congratulated the complete success of the 20th CPC National Congress. He also congratulated General Secretary Xi on his re-election.

He said that the 20th CPC National Congress is a world-class event and will surely guide China to achieve the goal of national rejuvenation.

The Russian side is willing to enhance contact at various levels with the Chinese side, deepen multilateral cooperation, and jointly safeguard peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region and the world, said Lavrov.

The two sides also exchanged views on Ukraine and other international and regional issues of common concern.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
High-performing CIOs know that digital mastery depends on a strong foundation of rock-solid infrastructure, information security, enterprise data management, and sound IT governance. But for all the emphasis on cutting-edge technology for business transformation, IT infrastructure too often gets short shrift.

Infrastructure, what happens behind the IT screen, and related support activities remains poorly understood, underappreciated, and mismanaged in 89% of enterprises today, according to a recent survey from The Digital Value Institute. This has to change.

Infrastructure conversations  when they occur  are all too frequently mislabelled as technology issues and tend to take place far too low in the enterprise. In reality, infrastructure conversations are negotiations about the future and should be treated strategically.

Tom Murphy, senior vice president of IT and university CIO at the University of Pennsylvania, agrees explaining, There is no shame in running stuff. Operations is really, really hard, and really, really underappreciated, and really, really poorly understood, until it doesnt work.

Executive recruiters working in the Global 2000 will tell you that the hot ask of organizations seeking high-end IT leaders today is for transformational leaders. These are typically candidates with experience working in digitally native organizations  businesses founded in the past 10 years that use digital medium as their primary mechanism of value creation.

What the recruiters wont tell you, on the record, is that transformational leaders dropped into mainstream enterprises have a 90+% failure rate. The general consensus is that sic transformational leaders fail because they dont pay enough attention to infrastructure.

Rule No. 1 of digital transformation (and business success in an uncertain world): Dont forget the basics. KTLO (keeping the lights on) is critical.

All success runs through I&O  and non-tech execs must get involved

Not so very long ago, if you lived in Florida, no matter where you wanted to go there were no direct flights. It didnt matter where you were starting or where you were heading  West Palm Beach, Orlando, or Rome  you had to go through Atlanta. Floridians used to have a phrase, It didnt matter whether you were going to heaven or hell, you had to change planes in Atlanta. For modern digital enterprises, Atlanta today is infrastructure & operations. All digital success is built on a strategically managed I&O program.

There is general consensus that in the short term I&O professionals need to impose order on chaos with the longer-term objective of structuring a catalogue of services featuring pre-vetted architectures establishing technology choice guardrails that guide and provide agility to the business.

But sometime after the dotcom meltdown, it became common practice for IT professionals to try to hide IT complexity from the general business community. This you dont have to understand how IT works pendulum has swung much too far, currently landing on non-tech executives completely abandoning any type of cognitive responsibility for understanding what happens behind the screen.

Yes, I have heard, You dont have to understand the engine if you want to drive a car. But if you are a Formula 1 race car driver  that is, the alpha performer in a category  you do understand the machine you are driving. The same goes for fighter pilots. They understand the capabilities and the limitations of their aircraft.

The big questions then are: What do execs need to know about I&O, and how do they come to know it?

Getting non-tech execs up to speed on I&O

Gary King, former CIO at T-Mobile, Chicos, and BarnesandNoble.com, has served on several boards. In both capacities, King has recognized that board members and non-technical business executives will never fully understand the complexity associated with the myriad engineering decisions required daily to keep a modern enterprise going. Still, he suggests that these non-IT leaders should pay attention to two critical metrics:

Mean time between failures (MTBF) for key components of the infrastructure

Mean time to repair (MTTR) for those key components

Gary also suggests table-top exercises designed to demonstrate critical infrastructure interdependencies and responsibilities for a series of When X happens scenarios.

Larry Scott, area practice manager for digital natives, ISVs, and games at Amazon Web Services, explains that there are organizations that are stunningly sophisticated in their strategic management of I&O. For example, Dr. Vince Kellen, chief information officer at University of California  San Diego, has, via optimizing cloud spend and applying smart engineering, reduced data warehousing costs by more than 40%.

Moving forward, Scott suggests tying I&O investments to the business outcomes specified in the annual report and being sensitive to the frequency of I&O reports. Companies ahead of the curve with excellent infrastructure instrumentation have I&O reports on a daily basis. Most do it monthly.

At the very least organizations have to have senior eyes on their IT infrastructure, periodically interacting with I&O professionals, celebrating everyday encounters with infrastructure while maintaining macro-clarity of the strategic impacts of infrastructure.

After all, without at least a baseline understanding of a companys technical foundation, its leaders cant expect to know how best to capitalize on it.
As a first-time CIO, there are things youve never done before, and conversations youve never had before, at this level, in this role, recounts Sarah Cockrill, who is one year into the director of digital strategy and information technology position at Canterbury University, in Kent, England.

You almost dont want to say to your boss, I dont know how to do this, because youve just had an interview where youve told them how amazing you are, and how you can do the job.

Cockrills story is a familiar tale for first-time CIOs burgeoning with experience and ideas, but are still learning the ropes in an unfamiliar role.

The changing CIO role means new skills are required

Technology leaders today are expected to be business leaders first and IT leaders second, articulating what technology can do for the organization top-down and bottom-up.

And yet, despite past proclamations of IT being confined to a back-office order-taker, some suggest this is how it should have always been; William Synnott and William Gruber first coined the chief information officer term in their 1981book, Information Resource Management: Opportunities and Strategies for the 1980s, arguing at the time that IT was strategic, not simply a means to reduce costs, and that employing a C-level technology executive could offer a competitive advantage.

With IT arguably more influential and less of a commodity than at any point over the last 20 years, Sainsburys Group CIO Phil Jordan believes incoming CIOs need to be business-savvy influencers, capable of leading teams and demystifying technology rather than the technical project managers of the past.

I would put more emphasis in business acumen, commercial understanding, data analyticsand understanding how the business is going to be changed by technologythan I would on the skill set when I started, which was about supplier management, project managementand technical delivery history, says Jordan.

Dominic Howson, CIO at waste management firm Viridor and Next CIO UK judge, sees todays CIO as needing to be a souped-up business analyst, understanding business processes, knowing how technology can impact different business functions, and having a degree of financial nous.

Ten years ago, the CIO was the back-office guy or girl who kept the lights on and worried about backups, availability and capacity, says Howson. Now its the role of business leader [who is] front and centre of the companys strategy.

Yet theres an understanding, too, that the CIO should be a people leader, first and foremost. Natalie Whittlesey, director at recruitment firm Investigo, says recruiters want to see strong communication and people skills.

They often spend as much time talking about personality traits as experience requirements, she says of clients, adding having the ability to influence, having a low-ego, being collaborative, and able to inspire people and take them on a journey.

Good EQ and personal traits are incredibly important, but theyre also the most difficult to nurture as people often have traits that remain relatively static over time. So the ability to self-reflect, seek feedback and self-develop is also valuable, she adds.

Whittlesey also says that the COVID-19 pandemic, which led many leaders including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to say that digital transformation initiatives were accelerated from years to months, pushed CIOs to be more product and customer focused.

I spoke with a CEO last week who lost 70% of his business revenue within weeks, as the vast majority of his field workforce were confined to [working from] home, says Whittlesey. He couldnt rely on other regions to make up the numbers, as they were impacted too. This required quick thinking by his leadership team to limit losses. It also resulted in a rapid shift towards escalating digital revenues.

Theres no rule to CIO experience

A 2021 Hays report found that most CIOs surveyed held 15 to 20 years of experience in a related field before becoming a CIO, and about a quarter reported having 10 to 15 years before making the same leap.

I had 17 years of experience before I undertook my first CIO role, in a $3.5bn revenue business, but its dependent on the individual and the organization, says Stantec group IT director Dave Roberts. Not all CIO roles are equal, and its important to differentiate between what would have been called an IT or software development manager, or being called a CIO or a CTO in smaller organizations.

Whittlesey believes recruiters and hiring managers are now more interested in experience over the last five years rather than the last 15 to 20, owing to more diverse career pathways and the continued pace of change in the technology market.

If a client requests more than 10 years of senior experience, I tend to challenge them, she says. Many peopleparticularly womenmove into IT via a sideways step. They might get involved with a technology project or program, get spotted by the CIO, CTO, CDIO and get encouraged to apply for a technology role, for example.

This might mean they had five to 10 years in HR, operations or marketing before moving across to IT, where they thrive and get promoted quickly.

Whittlesey admits that experience can give business leaders a sense of security, as proven CIOs will have the battle scars to handle any number of situations, but ultimately recommends leaving the issue of experience with the hiring manager.

How to prepare for a first-time CIO role

Preparing for the CIO role can take many forms, from volunteering for initiatives outside IT and developing through secondments, to taking on non-executive director (NED) positions.

Viridors Howson recommends getting outside your organizationand outside your comfort zoneto build a strong breadth of understanding.

Go to customer-led vendor presentations, he says. Understand how other businesses utilise technology. Work outside of IT, in the business on a secondment. While in IT, get experience in every part of the function: service, infrastructure, development, support, architecture.

Cockrill believes her time working as a business analyst was beneficial, as she got visibility of projects being delivered into HR, finance and other departments. Speaking of her own ascent into the CIO position, she says she had two streams of a working plan.

One was making sure I took any opportunity in the workplace I could to broaden my skills, she says, adding she would often volunteer for opportunities with her director while looking externally.

The other was I started a school governor, then I did chair of resources. That gave me some of the leadership experience that I wasnt able to get at work. Working with the BCS, or doing speaking eventsall added to my knowledge and helped me create that rounded CV that I could say Im ready. If youre being interviewed for a CIO, and all you know is your technologyand you cant talk about it in that bigger picture, theres a gap.

Whittlesey argues that clients are less interested in degrees or MBAs these days, even if Roberts says the latter can teach would-be leaders wider business principles and leadership skills. Instead, she says, hiring managers want to see evidence of credibility and commercial understanding; an ability to speak the language of the business, a willingness to change, evidence of personal growth, and proof of delivering technology programs across business.

Then theres the small issue of visibility in order to get that elusive opportunity.

Make sure youre in peoples line of sight, says Howson. Think about your profile. How can you get more exposure to the decision makers. Find a way of being part of the bigger conversations. And think about your personal brand in all meetings and interactions.

Overcoming imposter syndrome and the first 90 days as CIO

Despite the seniority of the CIO role, those who occupy it can still suffer from imposter syndrome and a lack of confidence. In particular, new CIOs may wrestle with that nagging question: Am I good enough?

Many people talk about imposter syndrome, but its only through experience that you gain the necessary skills to be an effective leader, says Stantecs Roberts, a judge on Next CIO UK.

Imposter syndrome can also be an issue when someone looks to break out of a particular industry and start a leadership role in a different type of organization, he says. Its the fear of the unknown that will sometimes hold people back. Embrace new challenges. Theyll always provide a valuable lesson and the experience will help you improve and develop.

Whittlesey adds: Try to find reasons to rule yourself into an opportunity instead of ruling yourself out. It doesnt matter if you dont succeed. Its better to be in with a chance than not to apply at all.

Once in role, new CIOs must think of how they approach those first 90 days. Howson, Whittlesey, Roberts and Cockrill recommend learning about the business, its objectives and the strengths and weaknesses of your team, as well as developing internal relationships and benchmarking your position to gauge future progress.

Howson says CIOs should discover what the business thinks of IT, align their departments objectives to those of the business, and discover shadow IT and tech spend not accounted for in the budget. He also calls for CIOs to understand their contractual positions, and kick the tires on everything from compliance to cybersecurity, and find out where the quick wins are to gain early kudos.

The new CIO should also build networks internally and externally to stave off loneliness, says Cockrill, who says you cant have the same relationship with team members as you would with peers, and that CIOs are naturally segregated from other senior leaders in HR, estates and finance. Be bold and dont be afraid of failure, says Howson. If youre in a position to make the jump, the chances are you know your stuff.
Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story, by Rick Bragg (Harper, 512 pp., $27.99)

In February 1957, mere weeks after the Sun Studios meeting of Sam Phillipss million-dollar quartetElvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkinsa package tour featuring Lewis, Cash, Perkins, and a revolving cast of lesser-known acts set out across Canada. More than one music fan, more than one historian of rock and roll, has wished for a time machine, just so they could travel back to this one time, this one tour, writes Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Rick Bragg in Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story, his juicy new biography of the piano-hammering wild man of Ferriday, Louisiana. Braggs book is based on two summers worth of interviews with the 79-year-old Lewis, known to friend and foe alike as the Killer, and it will do pretty well for a time machine.

Only 22 and still months away from releasing his career-making hit Great Balls of Fire, Lewis used the tour as a kind of laboratory for his manic stage act. He routinely ignored his allotment of four songs, whipping the crowd into a nightly frenzy with his unique proto-rockabilly sound. Hed discovered that he could use his hair almost like another instrument, shaking his head from side to side, loosening the layered blond waves he had meticulously piled high and combed back. It sent the women in his audience into hysterics.

Lewis came into his own as a performer on that tour. He loved the attention, but he also loved that his growing popularity annoyed Cash, who would become a lifelong rival and whose I Walk the Line had topped the charts the previous spring. At the time, Jerry Lee had made only one record, a cover of Ray Prices Crazy Arms. It went over well enough but was far from a hit. Competition between Cash and Lewis for stage time, top billing, and female attention was fierce. Fists flew nightly. So did the Killers piano stool.

One night, after obliging the riled-up crowd with two encores, Jerry Lee treated them to a song he considered his hole cardthe not-yet-released barn burner Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On. It was pure rock-and-roll pandemonium, an exhibit for those who viewed the new music as the devils own. A young fan fainted. The Canadian constables at the back of the auditorium feared that a riot might break out. At the rollicking numbers final chord, the crowd called: More! More! More! With a wave, Lewis headed triumphantly off stage, where Cashsweating and almost whitewaited to go on. Nobody follows the Killer, Jerry Lee said over his shoulder as he passed.

Of such stuff are legends made, and Braggs prose is pitched at burnishing that legend. His description of Lewiss mid-fifties musical apprenticeship in the small clubs and beer joints of the Deep South is as rhythmic and musical as that lost world itself: Instead of parroting a black bluesman, he almost yodeled on the higher, bleaker notes, in a rolling, keening exultation of pain and suffering and lust, something from the other side of town or way out in the lonesome pines, but a place as rough, hard, and mean. His people pulled the cotton sack, too, and walked a chain gang and sat in the hot dark of the federal prison in New Orleans. There are hot rocks likes this on every page.

Jerry Lee Lewiss scandalous exploits have been well documented. But the truth, Bragg suggests, is even more outrageous. Why, yes, he did once crash a brand new Lincoln Continental into the gates of Elviss Graceland mansion at 2:30 in the morning. And yes, a loaded .38 derringer sat on the dashboard that night. But, no, Jerry Lee never intended to kill Elvis. (He was my friend. I was his.) He just misjudged the length of the front end of that enormous car, Cause Is drunk.

Some of the Killers claims seem less reliable than others. Did he really roll an inferior-sounding piano out a Florida stage door, down a sidewalk, and into the water as a protest against a promoter for supplying him with a clunker? Did he really do it during the show, with half the audience trailing him and the piano down the street? Did a weeping Elvis, distraught at being drafted into the Army, tell Jerry Lee that he was handing over his crown as the king of rock and roll? Did Elvis really say, You got it. Take it . . . take the whole damn thing . . . Why do I have to go and do eighteen months and you dont have to?

Maybe some version of these things really happened, but Elvis need not have wondered why Uncle Sam took him and not Lewis. For all Elviss hip-swiveling sex appeal, Jerry Lee made the kid from Tupelo look like the boy next door. Lewis was a physically unfit, Benzedrine-addicted, long-haired alcoholic with a rage problem and an inability to follow anyones orders but his own. The draft board didnt hesitate to declare him 4-Funfit for service. He did not have to act dangerous; he was, Bragg writes. He did not need a song to make him inappropriate. Jerry Lee had always been inappropriate, and being a little bit famous did not change it; you can paint a barn white a thousand times, but that wont make it a house.

The most inappropriate episode of all was Lewiss 1957 marriage to Myra Gale Brown, his 13-year-old first cousin once removed. The strange union became a public issueand a PR disasterwhen Jerry Lee tried to take her along on a short tour of England in May 1958. The British pressperhaps tipped by an immigration official suspicious of the birthdate on Myras passport suggesting that she was 15was merciless. They pursued the Killer and his entourage with gleeful malice, soon discovering that Jerry Lee had not been divorced from his second wife, Jane, at the time he married Myra, making him not just an apparent pedophile, but a bigamist, too. The ensuing outrage forced the tours cancellation. The scandal followed the Killer home, and the hits and gigs dried up.

As Elvis and Johnny Cash soared to worldwide fame, Lewis labored in obscurity during the 1960s. It was a tough comedown. A Nashville renaissance as a boogie-woogie outlaw was just enough to keep him flush with money for booze, pills, and alimony during the seventies and eighties. In the 2000s, Lewis even issued a pair of slickly produced albums of duets in the mold of Cashs late-career, Rick Rubin-produced American recordings. Not surprisingly, they were not as good as Cashs stark, emotionally raw efforts, and barely made a splash.

This is a deliciously written, entertaining book about an important American cultural figure, but even Braggs considerable talents cannot rewrite rock and roll history to give Jerry Lee Lewis a higher chart position than he deserves. His recording and performing career might have been more consequential had the unfortunate business with cousin Myra not done so much to color his legacy. But it did, and Lewis will always be at best a second-tier deity in rocks overcrowded pantheon. Elvis, Johnny Cash, and the British media are not to blame for that. The Killer did it to himself.

Photo by Kait Jarbeau/via Flickr
BNM anunta concurs pentru postul vacant de expert coordonator (durata determinata) responsabil de control pe teren si din oficiu a sistemelor de plati
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Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele
By Ivelin Radkov, Adobe

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into a charity that a trustee says was taken over by Egyptian Ministry officials.

The British School of Alexandria had previously been the subject of a class inquiry for double defaulters, meaning it had failed to meet their statutory reporting requirements for two or more years of the last five years.

The regulator says trustees have failed to comply with an order the Commission issued in September 2021 to provide the accounts for the financial years ending 2019 and 2020.

But Eleanore Hargreaves, a trustee at the charity, said it has ceased to exist after the school's assets were taken over by Egyptian Ministry officials who have since been sacked for financial irregularities.

She added the trustees have not had access to the charity's finances since 2019 and have been disbanded since 2020.

She said: If the Commission would like further evidence of the illegal sequence of events, in addition to all the documents we have already sent, it may be worth sending someone to the site in Egypt. We are also more than happy to provide any further information that could be useful.

The Commission did not comment on the claim that the charitys assets were taken over by Egyptian Ministry officials.

The inquiry will examine the extent to which the trustees have and are complying with their legal duties and the extent to which any failing or weaknesses in the administration, governance and management of the charity identified during the inquiry were the result of mismanagement by the trustees.

Data for the financial year ending 31 July 2018, on the Commissions website, shows that charitys total income was more than 3m.

sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
Reporting from Moscow in the final years of the Cold War, Bill Keller witnessed the Soviet Union fall apart like Humpty Dumpty. On this weeks Kicker, Keller says Vladimir Putin is trying to put Humpty Dumpty back together againevoking international anxieties from the past. Kyle Pope, editor and publisher of the Columbia Journalism Review, asks Keller about these anxieties, and, alongside CJR staff, discusses how the media should approach nuclear speculation.

Also in this episode, Keller talks about his recent book, Whats Prison For? He shares lessons from reporting inside prisons in the US and abroad, and contemplates the through line of his journalism career, spanning criminal justice to the Cold War. In the end, Keller says, prisons and Russia belong to the same beat: freedom.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Emily Russell is a CJR fellow.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  Two people whose personal information was compromised in a data breach at Rhode Islands public bus service that affected about 22,000 people sued the agency and a health insurer on Tuesday seeking monetary damages and answers.

The class-action suit filed in Providence Superior Court by cooperating attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island names the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority and United Healthcare as defendants.

The personal information of roughly 5,000 RIPTA employees and retirees and thousands of other current, former and retired state workers, including Social Security numbers and Medicare identification numbers, was hacked in August 2021 through unauthorized access to RIPTAs computer system.

When an individuals confidential personal and health care information is compromised, that individual will have to worry about the potential for identity theft which could lead to financial ruin by impacting their savings, livelihood, credit score, and access to health care, ACLU attorney Peter Wasylyk said. It can cause significant stress for the rest of that individuals lifetime.

The compromised information was provided by United, which previously administered the state employee health plan.

A United spokesperson said in a statement that the company is cooperating with the state attorney generals offices ongoing investigation into the breach.

Protecting member privacy is a top priority and we continue to work with multiple parties to understand the data breach that impacted the Public Transit Authoritys computer system, the statement said.

A spokesperson for RIPTA said in an email that the agency had no comment.

Alexandra Morelli, who works for the state but has never worked for RIPTA, said the data breach led to fraudulent withdrawals totaling thousands of dollars from her personal bank account and the unauthorized use of her credit cards, all while she was trying to plan her wedding.

She spent countless hours working with her bank, credit bureaus, and law enforcement trying to protect her personal information.

This entire experience was and has continued to be extremely frustrating and anxiety provoking, she said.

The suit alleges negligence by the state agency and the insurer, as well as violations of two state laws intended to protect personal information.

The suit also seeks a court order requiring the defendants to strengthen their cybersecurity safeguards and answers to what it says are unanswered questions, such as why RIPTA had the information of people who did not work at the agency and why it took fourth months to alert the victims about the breach.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ A South Los Angeles man whose cache of illegal fireworks blew up a neighborhood in a bungled police bomb squad detonation, injuring 17 people and displacing dozens, was sentenced Wednesday to five months in federal prison.

Arturo Ceja III, 27, was sentenced in federal court, more than a year after he pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of explosives, from Nevada to California, without a license.

However, Ceja wasnt fined and wont have to pay any restitution. He was ordered to surrender on Nov. 28 to begin his prison term. He also received two years of supervised release.

On June 30, 2021, police went to Cejas home on East 27th Street where they found an estimated 16 tons of illegal commercial and homemade fireworks and other explosive materials.

Ceja had planned to sell them locally to people who wanted to celebrate the Fourth of July, prosecutors said.

Fireworks are illegal to sell or possess in Los Angeles and in unincorporated areas of the county.

The LAPD bomb squad packed nearly 40 pounds of the most volatile and dangerous homemade fireworks into an armored containment vessel that was rated for only 33 pounds, according to a federal report.

The fireworks were supposed to be detonated safely at the scene because they were too unstable to move but the vessel exploded, and debris rained down on scores of residences, businesses and vehicles.

The explosion injured 10 law enforcement officers and seven residents and damaged 22 homes, 13 businesses and 37 cars and trucks. About 80 people were displaced and some have yet to return to the neighborhood.

Damage exceeded $1 million and the city has spent millions more on repairs, housing and other relief for residents.

Federal investigators said that bomb squad technicians underestimated the weight of the explosive material because they gauged it by sight instead of using a scale, and also ignored the warnings of a team member who said the explosive material should be broken into smaller loads.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
According to the National Park Service, the Colorado National Monument welcomes over 730,00 guests each year. Now, those who stop at the Visitor Center Theater will have the opportunity to learn about the parks rich history from a 20-minute film produced in collaboration with CMU mass communication students and Emmy Award-winning video editor/photographer and CMU Instructor of Video Production Greg Mikolai.

Titled The Heart of Time, the film illustrates the geologic events that shaped the beautiful rock monoliths and canyons, and commemorates the people, plants and wildlife that have inhabited it.

The new Visitor Center video for the Colorado National Monument provided CMU students with real-world opportunities for work on a professional project. This experience benefits students through hands-on application of classroom instruction, said Mikolai. They also benefited by experiencing the unique challenges of a video of this scope, such as dealing with weather and atmospheric conditions; traversing and setup in difficult terrain; and of course, delays created by a pandemic. Colorado Mesa Universitys mass communications program expresses its gratitude to the National Park Service and the Colorado National Monument for providing this unique, life experience project to its students.

Beginning in 2017 and wrapping up just this fall, the project took longer than anyone could have expected, and the pandemic and the regional wildfires were not the only things that slowed it down.

It took us a while to get our script finalized. We wanted to be sure we included the Ute history and perspectives in this film. There were a number of conversations going back and forth to make sure we got that right. Then there were challenges with the atmosphere. We filmed in 4KHD which meant even a little bit of dust or smoke in the air would affect the image quality. In order to capture the three-dimensional sense of the canyons, we wanted to use drone footage. It took us months to get the Washington, DC approval and it was a good thing we got that, as the rules have now changed. We would not be able to do those shots now, said Arlene Jackson, National Park Service Chief of Interpretation, Education and Community Outreach for Colorado National Monument.

The film was specifically designed for viewing in the Visitor Center theater space and Jackson said it really pops in there. You can also view it on the Colorado National Monument website.

I loved working with the CMU students. We started out by involving them in the design phase and they helped throughout the process. I especially enjoyed hiking with them into some of the areas of the monument where we were filming. They were so professional and at the same time seemed to really enjoy themselves, Jackson said. The youth of our country are the next stewards of the National Park Service and all the areas we protect. To involve them in a project like this is so critical to their understanding of what that stewardship can look like and mean.

The project was completed in October, Jacksons last month of duty. With the film finished, I feel like it is a celebration each time we hit the start button for a new group of visitors to watch it, Jackson said.

That celebration will continue as part of her legacy, while she enjoys her retirement.

I would like to send a huge thank you to Greg Mikolai at CMU for all the work and passion he put into this film. Without him, this film would not have happened. He involved his students each step of the way and ensured that we got what we wanted from the film, said Jackson. Also, a big thank you to Colorado National Monument Association for funding this film. Due to the generosity of the members of the association, the Grand Junction Rotary and the community we were able to make this long dreamed of project a reality.
Roughly 443,000 Coloradans have returned their mail ballots for the November election so far, according to data released Friday from the Secretary of States Office.

That total represents approximately 11.7% of the 3.8 million active registered voters in Colorado with less than two weeks to go until Election Day. Returned ballots jumped by over 82,000 in the last 24 hours, but fell short of Thursdays daily gain of almost 90,000 additional ballots returned.

The party-split has remained stable throughout the week, with unaffiliated voters still leading early turnout. More than 160,000 of the ballots turned in came from unaffiliated voters, making up 36.2% of the total. Democrats are in second place with 33.0% of returned ballots, followed by Republicans with 29.8%.

Unaffiliated voters are underperforming based on overall population, as unaffiliated voters comprise 45.6% of all active registered voters in Colorado, according to voter registration data from the Secretary of States Office. Republicans and Democrats are both overrepresented in the early voter turnout, with the former making up 24.7% of all voters and the latter making up 27.8%.

More than 99.5% of ballots cast so far were mailed in, with only 1,999 people voting in person.

Older voters are still dominating the early turnout, with 50.6% of returned ballots being from voters aged 65 and over. Voters age 45 to 64 have returned 31.2% of ballots and voters younger than 45 have returned 18.2% of ballots.

Jefferson County voters continue to make up the biggest chunk of early voters, submitting nearly 57,000 ballots so far. Rounding out the top five: El Paso, Arapahoe, Denver and Larimer counties, with returned ballots ranging from 51,311 to 33,240.

The Secretary of States Office is expected to release updates on the returned ballots every weekday through Election Day on Nov. 8.

Ballots were mailed to registered Colorado voters last week. Early voting officially kicked off on Monday with the opening of 411 drop boxes and 121 voting centers throughout the state.

Voters can find their closest drop box or voting center and the hours of operation at GoVoteColorado.gov. By Election Day, there will be over 350 voting centers available to submit ballots, in addition to the 411 drop boxes currently open.

The ballot for the general election includes 11 statewide ballot measures, as well as more than 150 state and local races, plus local ballot initiatives in some counties.

Coloradans can register to vote and update voter registration at GoVoteColorado.gov through Oct. 31 to receive a ballot in the mail. Afterwards, Coloradans can still register to vote and vote in person until 7 p.m. on Election Day. In-person voting will be available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.

On Friday, RTD is offering free rides in its service area to allow voters to drop off ballots at ballot boxes or vote in person. That service will also be free on Election Day.
Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday.
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I am a reporter for the higher education beat. I am currently studying digital and print media with minors in Spanish and Black Studies. Get in touch with me at kshannon@mail.missouri.edu or in the newsroom at 882-5700

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Evidence has determined that tainted Halloween candy should not be a concern for trick-or-treaters.

One legitimate danger every Halloween, however, is traffic safety.

One 2019 study compiled 42 years of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data to determine that the relative risk of pedestrian fatalities on Halloween night was 43% higher than other nights.

Trick-or-treaters should always check both sides of the street and be vigilant with traffic safety on Halloween.
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The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
So, you're ready to leave your iPhone for greener pastures  specifically, the bright green hue of Google's Android ecosystem.

It's a major move, to be sure, but it doesn't have to be daunting. Beneath the surface-level differences, Android and iOS actually have a lot in common  and with the right steps, you can switch from an iPhone to an Android device without losing anything significant (including your sanity).

Make your way through this easy-to-follow guide, and you'll be happily settled in your new high-tech home in no time.

All-in-one iOS-to-Android switching tools

First things first: Google itself now offers a universal iOS-to-Android switching service that works with any device running 2020's Android 12 software or higher. That's hands-down the simplest way to get everything from your old iPhone onto your new Android device in one fell swoop and with the least amount of hassle possible.

If you're moving into a Samsung-made Android phone, specifically, Samsung also offers its own app for iPhone-to-Android migration that's available as an alternative.

Those two options are generally the smartest places to start  but they aren't available for every phone, and they don't always work flawlessly or across all of the areas relevant to your needs. So next, we'll get into the step-by-step details of how you can get every important category of data moved over on your own, bit by bit, without giving yourself a migraine.

Calendar, contacts, and photos

We'll start with a simple three-for-one special. Believe it or not, the core categories of calendar, contacts, and photos are among the easiest things to migrate from iOS to Android.

All you've gotta do is install the Google One app onto your iPhone, then sign into the app using your primary Google account. (If you don't yet have a Google account, the app will give you the opportunity to create one.)

On your iPhone, open the Google One app and tap the "Set up data backup" option on the screen that comes up. You can then select all of the associated areas and tap the blue button to begin the process.

JR Raphael / IDG The Google One iOS app provides an easy way to move your calendar, contacts, and photos data over to Android.

Your backup may take a while and burn through a fair amount of data  and you have to leave the Google One app open and active the entire time  so you'll probably want to save it for a time when your phone can be plugged in, connected to a reliable Wi-Fi network, and not immediately needed for anything else.

All done? Excellent: Now just sign into your new Android phone with that same Google account. You should be able to find your calendar data in the Google Calendar app, your contacts data in the Google Contacts app, and all of your photos and videos in the Google Photos app. (Depending on your device, those apps may or may not all be preinstalled by default. If you don't see any of them on your home screen or in your app drawer, just head over to the Google Play Store to install it.)

One exception to the rule: If your contacts or calendar data is connected to a Microsoft Exchange account, it won't be moved over as part of this process. In that scenario, you'll need to add your Exchange account into the Gmail app on your Android phone (see the next section for more detail), and your contacts and calendar info should then automatically show up in the appropriate places.

Email

All right  ready to bring all of your email over to your shiny new smartphone? That migration will range from "ridiculously simple" to "relatively hassle-free," depending on the specifics of your setup.

Choose your own adventure:

If you're currently using Gmail: There's nothing to do; just make sure you sign into your Android device with the same Google account associated with your Gmail address, and all your mail will automatically appear in the Android Gmail app and be waiting for you. If you have more than one Gmail address and want to be able to access them all on the phone, open the Gmail app's settings and look for the "Add account" option, then follow the steps to add any additional Google accounts into the mix.

If you're currently using a webmail provider like Outlook.com, Hotmail, or Yahoo: Add the account into the Gmail app on your new phone, using the same steps described above but selecting the appropriate account option on the "Add account" screen.

JR Raphael / IDG The Gmail app provides options for connecting different types of email accounts to your Android device.

If you're currently using Apple Mail: Once again, just add the account into the Gmail app on your Android phone using the "Other" option. If the app doesn't immediately accept your credentials, you might have to do a bit of extra manual setup: After typing in your email address, select "Personal (IMAP)"  then put in the various mail server settings provided on Apple's support site.

If you're currently using Exchange: Same basic deal, but select the option for "Exchange and Office 365" in the "Add account" section of the Gmail app's settings. The app will walk you through the rest of the setup procedure. Of course, you can also opt to use Microsoft's official Outlook Android app if you're accustomed to that program and want a consistent experience.

One final option to consider: If you're using any of the aforementioned non-Gmail account types and want to ditch your old address and move entirely into Gmail, you can import all of your old account's email into Gmail by following the steps on this Google support page. You may also want to instruct your old mail service to forward all new messages to your Gmail address so you don't miss any important missives from people who haven't yet learned about your move.

Messaging

Not surprisingly, Apple's iMessage system doesn't play nicely with non-Apple platforms. (See: the squabble over Android to iPhone texting.) But that doesn't mean it's impossible to leave; you just have to take the right set of steps to avoid missing-message misery.

First, go into Settings on your iPhone, tap "Messages," and then toggle "iMessage" to off. While you're in Settings, you'll probably want to look for the "FaceTime" option and toggle it to off, too, since you presumably won't be active on that platform anymore.

Second, open Apple's "Deregister iMessage" web page and scroll down to the section labeled "No longer have your iPhone?" Put in your phone number, click the link to send a confirmation code, and then type the confirmation code you receive into the page.

Both of these steps are critical; if you don't complete them, Apple will likely intercept at least some of your incoming text messages, and you'll never even know you missed 'em.

JR Raphael/IDG Get your phone number out of the iMessage system or forever wonder if Apple is snatching your messages.

If you want to keep all of your existing text messages and bring them over to your new phone, an app called iSMS2droid can get the job done. The process is a bit gnarly and involves manually backing up your iPhone to a computer, then finding specific files and transferring them onto your Android phone  but if you really need to save all your old messages, it's about the best option you have.

The silver lining is that once you're on Android, keeping your messages synced and available on any device can be thought-free. Just be sure to pick a messaging app that automatically backs up and restores data from the get-go, and you'll be fine as wine.

Files

So long, iCloud Drive  hello, Google Drive. The most direct way to get all your data off of Apple's cloud storage service and onto Google's is to install the desktop apps for both iCloud Drive and Google Drive on your Mac or Windows PC. Then, open Finder or File Explorer windows for both locations, select everything from iCloud Drive, and drag it over to Google Drive.

Wait for the transfer to finish, and that's it: Every one of your precious files is now available via Google Drive on Android (as well as on iOS and the web).

Apps

The bad news: Any apps you've installed on your iPhone won't automatically transfer over to Android, and any apps you've paid for on iOS will likely have to be purchased again.

The good news: These days, most major productivity apps are readily available on both platforms. And once you're all set up with Android, all of your apps and app data will automatically sync with Google's servers and follow you to any future Android devices.

Take a few minutes to go through Google's Play Store  either on your Android phone or via a web browser on any computer  and search for the apps you want. If you install an app onto your phone and it asks you to sign in when you first open it, make sure to use the same username or email address you used on your iPhone so that any data tied to your account will carry over.

After you've settled in, you may want to explore a bit further beyond the apps you already know. Unlike iOS, Android allows you to use all sorts of clever tools for customizing and controlling the core user interface and even completely replacing your home screen environment with something more well-suited to your specific style of working. That opens the door to some intriguing forms of personalization that can enhance your efficiency in pretty interesting ways.

Music

Thank your lucky stars, because bringing music over from iOS to Android is no longer the absolute nightmare it once was.

There's nothing to it if you use a streaming service like Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or even  amazingly  Apple Music: Just download the equivalent app from the Google Play Store, sign in, and your entire collection will be at your fingertips in seconds.

If you have your own personal music collection, you can upload most common file formats directly to the YouTube Music website on a computer. Once you're signed in, just click your profile picture in the upper-right corner and select "Upload music" to get started. The service currently supports MP3 files as well as files saved as FLAC, M4A, OGG, and WMA.

The main area where you'll run into trouble is with music purchased from iTunes prior to 2009, as such songs were encoded into a proprietary and DRM-protected AAC format. Those files, by design, won't be compatible with any other music service.

Your best option there is to find the same songs in YouTube Music and simply add them into your library as part of your cloud-based streaming collection. If that isn't possible, you can always employ the old-school workaround of burning any such tracks to a CD (assuming your computer still has a CD burner, of course), then putting the CD back into the computer and ripping the songs into a standard unlocked format.

That'll result in lower-quality audio than you'd get purchasing the tunes directly from almost any music service nowadays, but  well, it is what it is.

Welcome to Android

Well, wouldya look at that? You've done it! All your important info is now off your iPhone and on your new Android device, and you're ready to start anew as a card-carrying Android phone owner.

Before we bid adieu and send you scampering off on your new adventure, let's take a moment to go over a few things of note as you learn your way around this wild new world.

First, the getting-around basics: No matter where you are in Android, you can always swipe down once from the top of the screen to see any pending notifications and swipe down a second time to see the full Quick Settings panel. And speaking of notifications, Android makes them exceptionally easy to control  so learn the ins and outs of notification management and don't let your phone's alerts control you.

JR Raphael / IDG Android's notifications panel (left) and Quick Settings panel (right) are never more than a swipe away. (Their exact appearance may vary from one phone to the next.)

All reasonably recent Android versions include what's sure to be a somewhat familiar-seeming gesture-driven system for getting around your phone: From anywhere in the operating system, you can flick your finger upward from the bottom of the screen to return to your home screen or swipe upward about an inch from the bottom of the screen and then stop to open the system Overview interface and browse through your recently used apps.

You can also swipe inward from the left or right side of the screen to move back one step in whatever you're doing. And you can find lots of other little tricks for making the most of Android gestures in this quick 'n' simple guide.

On phones with quite old Android versions  or those where gesture navigation isn't enabled by default  you'll find three buttons along the bottom of your screen that provide tap-friendly ways of accessing those same basic functions. If you see that sort of interface setup, it's well worth your while to look in the device's settings to see if gesture navigation is available, as you'll likely find it to be much more intuitive and similar to what you're accustomed to using.

One more thing: You've no doubt seen some scary-seeming stories about Android security. Be aware: Most of that stuff is overly sensationalized and woefully misleading. Malware really isn't a real-world issue on Android, and Google has its own multilayer security system in place to protect you from all sorts of threats  including the most realistic one of all: a lost phone.

Craving even more practical tips and foundational knowledge? My, aren't you a tenacious little monkey! Check out the following Computerworld guides to continue your Android optimization education:

This article was originally published in August 2017 and most recently updated in October 2022.
A federal judge in California is considering motions to dismiss a lawsuit against Google that alleges the company misled them into believing their privacy was being protected while using Incognito mode in the Chrome browser.

The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District Court of California by five users more than two years ago, is now awaiting a recent motion by those plaintiffs for two class-action certifications.

The first would cover all Chrome users with a Google account who accessed a non-Google website containing Google tracking or advertising code and who were in Incognito mode; the second covers all Safari, Edge, and Internet Explorer users with a Google account who accessed a non-Google website containing Google tracking or advertising code while in private browsing mode.

According to court documents first uncovered by Bloomberg, Google employees joked about the browsers Incognito mode and how it didn't really provide privacy; they also criticized the company for not doing more to provide users with the privacy they thought they had.

Another hearing occurred on October 11, which could have major consequences for the lawsuit. The plaintiffs motion for class certification was argued and theyre currently awaiting a decision, according to Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, the law firm representing plaintiffs in the class-action suit.

US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will decide whether tens of millions of Incognito users can be grouped together to pursue statutory damages of $100 to $1,000 per violation, which could put the settlement north of $5 billion.

The definition of the word incognito is to disguise or conceal ones identity.

Privacy settings in web browsers are intended remove local traces of what websites a user visits, what they search for, and information theyve filled out in online forms. In simple terms, privacy modes like Incognito are expected to not track and save data about online searches and websites users visit.

Google also faces lawsuits related to user privacy from the Department of Justice and attorneys general in several states, including Texas, Washington, DC, and Washington state. Earlier this month, Google settled a lawsuit filed by Arizona's AG for $85 million.

From a trust perspective, offerings like Incognito mode place users into a false sense of security as it's assumed that Incognito, and private browsing generally, will protect them from the collection of their data, according to Grace Trinidad, research director in IDC's Security & Trust research practice.

"These private browsing modes protect your browser history from snooping family or household members, but not from the ultimate collection of where youve clicked, what youve liked, where youve purchased  especially if users log into streaming, financial, or any personally identifying account," Trinidad said.

Originally filed in June 2020, the class-action lawsuit seeks at least $5 billion, accusing the Alphabet unit of surreptitiously collecting information about what people view online and where they browse, despite using Incognito mode. Lawyers for the plaintiffs say they have a large number of internal Google emails proving executives knew for years Incognito mode doesnt do what it claims.

When a user chooses to use Incognito mode, Googles web browser is supposed to automatically delete browsing history and cookies at the end of a session.

The plaintiffs, who are Google account holders, alleged the search engine collected their data and distributed and sold it for targeted advertising through a real-time bidding (RTB) system.

The plaintiffs allege that even in Incognito mode, Google can see what websites Chrome users visit and collect data through means that include Google Analytics, Google fingerprinting techniques, concurrent Google applications and processes on a consumers device, as well as Googles AdManager.

Ad Manager is a Google service allowing businesses to deliver and report on a companys web, mobile, and video advertising.

According to the lawsuit, more than 70% of all online websites use one or more of these Google services. Specifically, Plaintiffs allege that, whenever a user in private browsing mode visits a website that is running Google Analytics or Google Ad Manager, Googles software scripts on the website "surreptitiously direct the users browser to send a secret, separate message to Googles servers in California.

Google learns exactly what content the users browsing software was asking the website to display, and it also transmits a header containing the URL information of what the user has been viewing and requesting online. The device IP address, geolocation data and user ID are all tracked and recorded by Google, the lawsuit alleges.

Once collected, this mountain of data is analyzed to build digital dossiers on millions of consumers, in some cases identifying us by name, gender, age as well as the medical conditions and political issues we have researched online, the suit argues.

In March 2021, a California judge denied 82 motions by Googles lawyers to dismiss the lawsuit and ruled against the company, allowing the lawsuit to go forward.

In July, Google was ordered to pay nearly $1 million in legal fees and costs as a penalty for not disclosing evidence in a timely manner with regard to the lawsuit.

Google did not respond to a request for comment.

A Google spokesman told the Washington Post this week it has been upfront with users about what its Incognito mode offers for privacy and the plaintiffs in the case have purposely mischaracterized our statements.

Jack Gold, principal analyst at J. Gold Associates, said Google makes the majority of its revenue tracking everyone and selling ad space. If they really create a fully private browsing experience, then the revenue stream goes away, he said. So, I suspect there is a balancing act going on internally as to where the borders are around privacy vs. tracking. No company builds a free browser without being able to generate revenues somehow.

The plaintiffs in the case said they chose the "private browsing mode" to prevent others from learning what theyre viewing on the Internet.

For example, users often enable private browsing mode in order to visit especially sensitive websites that may reveal things such as a users dating history, sexual interests and/or orientation, political or religious views, travel plans, or private plans for the future (e.g., purchasing of an engagement ring).

To engender or maintain trust, the limitations of privacy modes should be announced at the outset of the browsing experience, according to IDC's Trinidad.

"Some browsers are increasingly pointing out this fact once an Incognito or private browser tab is opened, but the practice is not universal," she said.

While not yet labeled an interface design dark pattern, improvements to the design and communication of similar private modes would help users better understand and navigate the choices made available to them.

In the meantime, the bottom line when it comes to using Google Chrome and other browsers, "let the user beware, Gold said.

You have to trust the maker to take care of your privacy, but its not always in their best interest to do so," he said.
An intense love story of three individuals: Gautam Marathe on The Last Wish

The Last Wish, a moving story of missed connections in love, unfolds through a dead womans video messages to the two men who loved her the most. Her dying wish brings a new meaning to their life.

A Marathi language film with English subtitles, the 45-minute featurette will be showing at Carnival Cinemas on November 19.

'The Last Wish' was inspired by many instances, Gautam said, such as visuals from some works of art and some deeply emotional thoughts written by a writer in a completely different setting. Photo courtesy: AGau and MaD

The film stars Archana Nipankar (who acted as Anandibai in the movie 'Panipat' and as Jui from Zees ka re Durawa), Amit Joshi and Gautam Marathe both of whom are known in the theatre/indie film circles of the Indian diaspora in Singapore.

It is directed by Anand Dilip Gokhale, winner of the Maharashtra State Award for best director for his feature Oli ki Suki, with the script written by Gautam Marathe.

Gautam Marathe, a finance professional by day with over 17 years of experience in banking and finance, has been active in theatre since his college days but found his true calling for theatre and performing arts when he came to Singapore in 2008.

I have acted in many Singaporean productions, including plays in Marathi, Hindi and English as well as Indie films in Singapore. I have also written and directed a number of short plays and a short film over the last few years, he told Connected to India.

The last theatre production he acted in was Jihad Jones and Kalashnikov Babes of HuM Theatres.

Amit Joshi has also worked as a banking and finance professional for over 20 years. His love for the theatre began in college.

I've acted in multiple plays along with Subodh Bhave, Lokesh Gupte, Mukta Barve during my college days, who are established names in the Marathi film industry now. I was fortunate to get associated with like minded people to pursue my passion for acting when I moved to Singapore. I did my first professional English play Rafta Rafta with HuM theatre in 2010. I explored doing short-plays in Hindi as part of the Dastak Hindi Theatre Festival, Amit said.

Amit said he was excited to be a part of the film the moment he read the script. Photo courtesy: AGau and MaD

'The Last Wish' was inspired by many instances, Gautam said, such as visuals from some works of art and some deeply emotional thoughts written by a writer in a completely different setting. Above all, the urge to explore the unknown emotions, the dark place in life which most of the people we know may not have experienced can be said to be the primary inspiration, he added.

Amit said he was excited to be a part of the film the moment he read the script.

When we first read the script, I wanted to do the role of Bajyaa which Gautam played in the film and Gautam wanted to play Alok which I've played in the film, but our director Anand suggested we swap the roles instead and as they say the director is always right, he added.

Amit further said that he has known Anand since his college days and when they read the script they had no doubt on who should direct the film.

The film stars prominent Marathi actress Archana Nipankar as the female lead. Photo courtesy: AGau and MaD

We were really lucky to get Archana Nipankar on-board who has acted in the Bollywood film Panipat as Anandibai, Amit said.

Marathi actress Archana Nipankar said that she wanted to explore different characters and challenging roles and this movie offered her the chance to do both.

As an actor, being able to put yourself in tough situations and out of ones comfort zone, and still making the characters very realistic is always very difficult. In this case, the real challenge was to sit in one place, with minimal props/restricted body language, using only my facial expression, eyes and voice to express and yet not make it monotonous, she said.

The film is a deeply emotional story about unfulfilled love. The story portrays different aspects of love and friendship under very trying circumstances. Gautam said they plan to give the audience a glimpse into the world of extreme heartache and goodness of heart.

Amit said they want to connect to the audience with this highly intense story of three individuals who thought that the respective paths they've chosen were practical, but somehow could never move on from the baggage of the relationships they shared in the past.

It is directed by Anand Dilip Gokhale, winner of the Maharashtra State Award for best director for his feature Oli ki Suki. Photo courtesy: AGau and MaD

Looking to the future, Gautam hopes to continue making quality content from Singapore.

We want to build on this collaboration, tap into our experience and not only to bring quality content to our audience but also expand our audience base, he said.

There is a lot of talent available in Singapore and we would want to build that association and collaboration with these talents to ensure we bring quality content to the audience, Amit added.

As Singapore gets its first Marathi indie film under the AGau and MaD banner, they also agreed that there is a significant enthusiasm for Marathi cinema in Singapore. Marathi cinema lovers have been thronging to Marathi cinema coming from India for its limited shows.

We have literally put our heart and soul into our fist Marathi independent film, we have made it with a lot of love and passion and we sincerely hope that the audience is able to connect with it, they said.
13 African countries report 6,883 monkeypox cases in 2022: Africa CDC

Xinhua) 11:02, October 28, 2022

ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Some 13 African countries have reported 6,883 monkeypox cases since the start of 2022, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) disclosed on Thursday.

According to data released by the Africa CDC, 173 deaths and a case fatality ratio of 2.5 percent have also been registered during the same period. The continental health agency noted that out of the 6,883 cases, 5,992 are suspected cases while 891 are confirmed cases.

The monkeypox cases were reported from eight endemic and five non-endemic countries. The eight endemic countries are Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria; the five non-endemic countries are Egypt, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa and Sudan, according to the Africa CDC.

Following the announcement by the World Health Organization that declared monkeypox a global public health emergency of international concern in July this year, the Africa CDC has been calling on African countries to strengthen laboratory diagnostic capacities and genomic sequencing capacity for monkeypox.

The continental health body also called on African states to develop and distribute both general and tailored risk communication messages for communities and vulnerable population groups.

Monkeypox, first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958, is assumed to transmit from wild animals such as rodents to people, or from human to human. It is a rare viral disease usually transmitted through body fluids, respiratory droplets and other contaminated materials. The infection usually results in fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Oregon progressives, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Oregon gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek, congressional candidate Val Hoyle, U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley rallied for support at the University of Oregon Erb Memorial Union amphitheater Thursday morning.

Kotek and Republican candidate Christine Drazan are polling almost dead even, according to polling site FiveThirtyEight, with independent candidate Betsy Johnson dropping to her lowest approval rating yet.

The politicians encouraged young people to vote, with Wyden, who is running for re-election, citing census data showing 65-year-olds lead 24-year-olds at the polls by 20 percentage points.

While the student vote seems to flounder compared to other demographics, the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement found that the student voting rate increased 14 percentage points between 2016 and 2020.

Students attending the event expressed frustrations with a lack of government action.

Vithika Goyal, a senior studying marine biology who attended the event, said she was frustrated that the conversation about carbon neutrality in Oregon has not resulted in enough actionable policy.

Its just words, Goyal said. Were getting to a point where thats not feasible. Its scary that were at the edge of this barrier already.

Goyal said good intentions on the part of the voters is not enough and that she wants to see structural change happen from the top down too.

We as constituents can do things, but its a higher up issue, Goyal said. Theres money fueling the continuous usage and exploitation of these resources.

Independent campaign funding has been a challenge for Democratic candidates this year. Phil Knight gave $3.75 million to Betsy Johnson and $1.5 million to Christine Drazan.

According to Eugene Weekly, an independent campaign financiere released a flyer disguised as Green Party messaging condemning Hoyle.

Doyle Canning, the runner up to Hoyle in the Democratic primary, said this was a tactic to split the democratic vote in the Congressional District 4 race. The flyers depict Hoyle as accepting campaign financing from special interest groups and corporations, a message that progressives might associate with a conservative or independent candidate.

That kind of deception, its disgusting, Canning said.

Sanders told the crowd to get out and vote and to get involved in politics, though he noted that the economic disadvantage facing the younger generation is a significant barrier to this

I want you to think about running for school board, city council, state legislature, president, whatever you want to do, Sanders said. But I dont want you, when you engage in politics, to have to spend half your life hustling money from billionaires.

Haven Meyer and Teddy Coates, both freshman political science majors, said they hadnt been following Val Hoyles campaign too closely, but were excited to vote in such an important midterm election.

Coates said he was frustrated with the lack of options the current voting system offers to voters and said he hopes to see Oregon adopt ranked choice voting, a voting system that ranks candidates in order of preference order, in future elections. Coates said he was for campaign finance reform.

I mean, thank you, Phil, for this beautiful campus were on, but I really dont like billionaires meddling in local elections, Coates said.

Dan Hagengruber, an anesthesiologist who treated the victims of the Thurston High School and Umpqua Community College shootings, spoke to students about voting for Measure 114, which would limit manufacturing and distribution of magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds and require more intensive screening for individuals who want to buy a gun.

Hagengruber said his wife felt motivated to get involved in gun reform after the Robb Elementary School shooting. She joined Lift Every Voice Oregon, a volunteer organization that was part of a coalition to put Measure 114 on the ballot in the midterms. When its members learned he was a physician who had cared for the victims of two mass shootings, they encouraged him to join.

Hagengruber said he talked to students at the event who were worried about Measure 114 making firearms they already own illegal.

The biggest misconception is that theyre going to become felons because of what they already own, Hagengruber said. Things will be grandfathered in. No ones going to have to turn in their guns.

Measure 114 is one of four Oregon measures on the ballot. Ballots must be returned in person or postmarked by Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. This drop box locator shows where the nearest ballot drop-off box is.
One of Rishi Sunaks first pledges as Prime Minister was to honour the Tories manifesto promise to cut net immigration.

But unless he and Home Secretary Suella Braverman can stem the tide of small boats bringing economic migrants from France, that promise is simply undeliverable.

To have any chance of succeeding, Mr Sunak must take on not only the traffickers who operate the boats, but also the army of lawyers who make a fat living by manipulating the asylum system.

As we report today, the average time taken to process a single claim is now between five and eight years. And even if it eventually fails, the chances of deportation are vanishingly small.

The system is clearly out of control.

Unless he and Home Secretary Suella Braverman can stem the tide of small boats bringing economic migrants from France, that promise is simply undeliverable. A Border Force boat is pictured above rescuing migrants in May

The Left likes to claim that cross-Channel migrants are overwhelmingly refugees fleeing war and persecution. While this may be true of some, nearly a third of the 38,000 who have made the crossing this year are Albanian  up from just 50 in 2020.

They are attracted by this countrys generous welfare system and the prospect of work on the black economy. They are clearly not refugees.

Uncontrolled migration was one of Tony Blairs many toxic legacies which 12 years of Tory-led government has lamentably failed to reverse. At every bid to reduce numbers, from the Rwanda experiment to threats to turn back boats in the Channel, Labour howls with indignation.

Yet it offers no credible alternative, beyond just letting everyone in. The trouble with this insouciance is that our infrastructure is unable to cope.

The processing centre at Manston, Kent, is dangerously overcrowded. A first decision takes an average of 480 days, during which time the claimants have to be housed, fed and looked after.

The Left likes to claim that cross-Channel migrants are overwhelmingly refugees fleeing war and persecution. While this may be true of some, nearly a third of the 38,000 who have made the crossing this year are Albanian  up from just 50 in 2020. An empty small boat is pictured above being taken away earlier this month at Dover

Accommodation for migrants is currently costing 7million a day and given the acute housing shortage, those costs are expected to go on rising. On this, as with so many issues, Labour has no solution  and little interest in finding one. So its up to Mr Sunak to grasp the nettle.

More aggressive Anglo-French efforts to crack down on traffickers would be an obvious starting point but this has been tried without any conspicuous success.

A comprehensive shake-up of the whole asylum system is required.

Much more rapid assessment, an end to spurious appeals and the genuine prospect of deportation for those whose claims fail are long overdue reforms.

Britain has a proud record of welcoming genuine refugees to our shores. Sadly, our charity and good will are being shamelessly exploited. Enough is enough.

Skills Britain needs

Another damaging legacy of the Blair years is the deeply flawed target of sending 50 per cent of all young people to university. The truth is that many children are simply not academic.

If they do reach higher education, they often drop out or leave with practically useless degrees  and a mountain of debt.

So Mr Sunaks plans for a major expansion of vocational education, including stronger links to industry, are hugely welcome. He also wants greater focus on maths and English, which employers will applaud.

The British economy is crying out for more people with technical skills. Why import them when we could be training our own?

Another damaging legacy of the Blair years is the deeply flawed target of sending 50 per cent of all young people to university. The truth is that many children are simply not academic

Under the rather self-pitying title Spare, Prince Harrys much-heralded memoir is finally to be published. Despite reports he was toning down some of the attacks on his family following the Queens death, one insider claims it is highly critical of everyone and everything. Its pompously billed as a journey from trauma to healing. Sadly, it sounds like yet another interminable moan.
MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace famously once described himself as 'a fat, bald bloke who likes a pudding'. Today he says he's now just 'a bald bloke who likes half a pudding'.

At the age of 58, he has the daily discipline of an athlete, weighing in at 12st, but five years ago he was 16.5st and lived on beer, takeaways and the rich nibbles on offer during MasterChef and its various offshoots.

'I used to have a fry-up in the morning, followed by loads of MasterChef tastings, the pub, and then a restaurant,' says Gregg.

'I didn't like the size I was. I didn't like what I was seeing on television, but I honestly didn't know how to change it. I was scared of change and I thought I deserved all the things that were making me bigger and more unwell. I thought life would be dull without them, but I was wrong. I've learnt that there's a whole world of wonderful food that's healthy, and that being slim and fit is not a struggle.'

Greg Wallace will have a ringside seat for the challenges on MasterChef, such as the nerve-racking Skills Test set by Marcus Wareing and Anna Haugh

To achieve this, he follows a strict regime. 'My life, hour by hour, is managed. I go to bed at 8pm and get up at 4.30am. I want to put in an hour's exercise every day, 30 minutes of reading, a 30-minute walk and time with my wife and family. Every meal is scheduled, and I only drink twice a week. I realised I was happier once I started doing that. I like schedules and I hate chaos.'

Fortunately this month's new series of MasterChef: The Professionals is within his schedule. Along with a new judge, acclaimed Irish chef and restaurateur Anna Haugh, and Michelin-starred regular Marcus Wareing, he'll be casting his eye and his tastebuds over 32 cooks from across the country as they battle to become the 2022 champion.

He'll also have a ringside seat for the challenges, such as the nerve-racking Skills Test set by Anna and Marcus.

In the first heat, we'll see the judges show them how to create oysters smoked and poached in a beurre blanc, and a summer fruit tart with jam, creme patissiere and Italian meringue, before they task the contestants with producing their own take on the dishes.

'On professional MasterChef you're seeing a window into the soul of the obsessed as they strive for creative perfection,' says Gregg. 'On this show you see chefs squeezing every ounce of flavour out of every ingredient. That doesn't happen anywhere else.'

The show runs for six gruelling weeks as the chefs first compete in heats with the aim of making it to that week's quarter-final. Three contestants will make it to the final, where they'll have one last opportunity to produce the best three-course menu of their lives for the judges.

Along with a new judge, acclaimed Irish chef and restaurateur Anna, and Michelin-starred regular Marcus, Greg will be casting his eye and his tastebuds over 32 cooks from across the country

Naturally there's huge potential for stress and emotions to boil over, and as someone who's experienced his fair share of kitchen tension, Marcus knows how to be critical yet sensitive to the competing chefs.

'It's a very emotional show,' he says. 'As an experienced judge and chef you learn to take into consideration people's emotions. If you destroy people's feelings or thought processes, they'll never be able to achieve great food.'

Marcus, 52, trained under Gordon Ramsay and has admitted 'he put me through mental torture'.

They later famously fell out and although Marcus won't be drawn on whether they're friends today, he says, 'Gordon gave me the best training ever. When I came to the industry, I wanted to work with brilliant chefs, so I knew I'd be shouted at. But I was in a training camp, and I knew it was my mistakes that were creating those raised voices.'

If you destroy people's feelings or thought processes, they'll never be able to achieve great food -Marcus Wareing

Anna, 41, who's taken over Monica Galetti's role and is chef patron of Myrtle Restaurant in Chelsea, is thrilled to have the chance to inspire fresh talent, and agrees with Marcus that they must tread carefully with their criticism.

'This industry is built on honesty,' she says. 'If you can say something constructive, that's how a chef grows.'

Dublin-born Anna received huge praise for speaking about the taboo topic of bullying in the kitchen a few years ago. 'I was very nervous when I did that as I thought there might have been a negative backlash because it was at a time when we didn't really talk about mental health and our responsibility as leaders. But the positive reaction is something I've carried through now in that I watch how all of my staff behave.'

Tough but compassionate mentoring then is paramount to achieve the best results on MasterChef: The Professionals. 'You see this emotion come through and be transferred onto the plate,' says Marcus.

'When you're tasting the chefs' food and they're hanging on your every word, it's an incredibly emotional moment.'

MasterChef: The Professionals starts Wednesday at 9pm on BBC1.
With Halloween right around the corner, doctors have shared their top tips and tricks to keep your children safe - including avoiding black licorice and using reflective tape on their festive ensembles.

As kids prepare for the spookiest night of the year, health experts are warning there's more to watch out for than just monsters.

Doctors have taken to social media to share their top safety tips that see parents inspecting their candy and ensuring they purchase fire-resistant costumes.

Family physician Dr. Jen Caudle, from New Jersey, took to TikTok to share Halloween safety tips that'll ensure children have the spookiest and sweetest Halloween without putting themselves in danger.

Family physician Dr. Jen Caudle , from New Jersey, took to TikTok to explain how to be safe when it comes to both costumes and candy

Dr. Robert Singleton II, from Chicago, revealed the most common reasons for ER visits on Halloween - which included 'falls' and 'allergic reactions' to candy

Black licorice: Trick or treat? Toss out this deadly sweet

The first tip for parents and those trick-or-treating that Dr. Caudle shared was actually a warning about black licorice.

'Don't eat too much black licorice, it can actually kill you,' she said.

While black licorice is safe to eat in small amounts, large consumptions can be deadly.

Black licorice is more than just candy and has hidden risks as it contains glycyrrhizic acid, which can cause swelling, high blood pressure and deplete potassium and other electrolytes that may cause cardiac arrest, according to New Jersey Poison Control Center.

While there isn't a 'safe' amount, those with high blood pressure, kidney or heart disease, should avoid it all together because it could worsen these conditions.

The FDA has said that more than two ounces a day for two weeks may be problematic for people aged over 40 and it can cause irregular heart rhythm.

Black licorice is also said to interact with many medications, which is why experts advise you speak to your primary physicians before taking a bite out of this chewy candy.

The first tip Dr. Caudle shared was a warning that too much black licorice could be deadly. She added that too much parents should inspect candy to make sure it hasn't been tampered with

'This is not a drug issue, it's a mass poisoning': Inspect your child's candy bag before they dig in as reports of candy tampering grow

In addition to black licorice, parents should be inspecting all of their children's candy.

Every year, police face reports of trick-or-treaters falling victim to tampered Halloween candy, which is why Dr. Caudle noted you should 'inspect your candy before you eat it'.

These reports make headlines across the country and claim children or parents have found razor blades, sewing needles or even fentanyl inside their candy.

Last month, the DEA issued a warning to parents who are preparing their children for Halloween.

They noted that drug traffickers expanded their inventory to sell fentanyl -a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin - in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes.

After a recent seizure in Connecticut found 15,000 fentanyl pills hidden in Skittles and Nerds packaging, the DEA urged parents to inspect their children's candy.

Parents are being urged to get educated on fentanyl as thousands of pills were found in skittles and nerds candy packets, as children gear up to go trick-or-treating this Halloween

The stern warning came from top DEA officials who pleaded with parents to be vigilant this spooky season.

Former DEA special operations director Derek Maltz told Fox and Friends that it's important for parents to listen to these warnings and educate themselves about the dangers of these drugs.

'We're seeing an unprecedented amount of kids dying as young as 13 years old and we know now, the DEA says, that 40 percent of the pills contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl,' he said.

'[Parents] have to be proactive. Its deadly fentanyl, and it's flooding our streets like we've never seen.

'This is not a drug issue, it's a mass poisoning.'

Of the 107,622 Americans who have died from drug poisoning or overdose in 2021, 66 percent is attributed to the synthetic opioid that's so potent that just two milligrams could kill you.

Rainbow fentanyl was first reported to DEA in February 2022, and it has since been seized in 21 states across the country.

Check candy labels BEFORE you let your kids eat it

Dr. Caudle doesn't just give this warning for nefarious objects, she also notes this means parents should check their children's candy for any known allergies.

Dr. Singleton II revealed that allergic reactions from candies are the third cause of hospitalizations on Halloween

Dr. Robert Singleton II, a board certified anesthesiologist from Chicago, revealed that allergic reactions from candies are the third cause of hospitalizations on Halloween, noting that around five per cent of patients come in seeking help due to experiencing an allergic reaction because of the sweet treats.

As kids haul home pounds of sweet treats on Halloween, its important for parents to look out for any ingredients they are allergic to and avoid any potentially life-threatening reactions.

The American Academy of Pediatrics shared multiple tips that'll help parents avoid a trip to the ER this spooky season.

The tips included always reading the ingredients before allowing your child to dig in - especially since Halloween candies contain some of the most common allergens like peanuts and eggs - and teaching your children to always say no to home-baked cookies or cupcakes.

The AAP also offered some food-free fun activities such as planning costume parades, watching scary movies and pumpkin decorating contests.

Dr. Caudle added that parents and children should 'remember that too much sugar can cause stomach aches and nausea in kids and in adults, it can spike blood pressure.'

Lastly the New Jersey doctor added that you should avoid chewy candies because they are more likely to cause cavities.

Monsters, princesses and super heroes, oh my! Choose a costume that isn't just spooky... but also safe

Costumes are the crux of Halloween, but the fun ensembles can actually be more harmful than you think and the New Jersey doctor emphasized the importance of getting a 'bright' costume

'Fires' are the fourth most common cause of hospitalizations, which is why Dr. Caudle notes that you should make sure costumes say 'flame resistant' before purchasing

While costumes are the crux of Halloween, the fun ensembles can actually be more harmful than you think.

As the children come out to collect candy and the sun sets, the fear of losing them becomes increasingly more real, which is why the family physician recommends using reflective tape on costumes.

'Make sure you're child's costume is bright, that it's reflective, perhaps it has glow in the dark aspects or elements to it,' the New Jersey doctor said.

Her point gives a nod to Dr. Singleton II who noted that 'traffic injures' are the fifth most common reason for 'ER visits on Halloween.'

And 'fires' are the fourth most common cause of hospitalizations, which is why Dr. Caudle notes that you should make sure costumes say 'flame resistant' before purchasing.

The Halloween and Costume Association noted that no matter your age you should always keep in mind costume safety tips.

The Halloween Industry Association or HIA added that parents should become informed consumers by checking all labels and knowing their materials before purchasing costumes.

Parents should look for costumes, beads and wigs labeled 'flame-resistant' nylon or heavyweight polyester.

Costumes made from cotton and cotton-blend fabrics will catch fire and burn quicker than other synthetics.

If the costume states it is 'flame-retardant', that means it's made of materials or inhibit or resist the spread of fire.

In addition to purchasing checking labels and purchasing flame-resistant costumes, parents should also teach their children the stop-drop-roll burn prevention technique.

Make sure your child's costume fits from head to toe! Only purchase masks that don't obscure your child's vision

Dr. Caudle noted you should never buy colored contact lenses 'online or from a Halloween store' and added that parents should make sure masks don't obscure their children's visions

Her point gives a nod to Dr. Singleton II who noted that 'falls' are the second most common reason for ER visits on Halloween and 'traffic injures' are the fifth

Keeping safe on Halloween means making sure children's costume's take into account all possible hazards - and while masks aren't usually thought about prior to purchase, the doctor issued a warning to parents that urged them to think about the effects of purchasing the wrong mask.

'If you get a mask for yourself or your child make sure it doesn't obscure vision, also make sure your costumes are not too long to cause tripping,' the New Jersey doctor says affirming the anesthesiologist's other leading reasons for an ER trip on Halloween.

Dr. Singleton II noted that the fifth most common reason of hospitalizations was 'traffic injuries', the fourth is 'falls' and the number one most common is 'pumpkin carving' injuries - all of which frequently occur when a child is not paying attention or their vision is obscured.

The HIA noted that children should wear masks with 'holes big enough so there is plenty of visibility' and that all 'hats should fit properly and not cover eyes.'

Similarly, Dr. Caudle noted you should never buy colored contact lenses 'online or from a Halloween store' and adds that 'contact lenses are illegal to sell in the United States without an eye exam and a prescription'.

Lastly, the family physician recommends everyone who is opting for face paint this year test out the makeup or paint on a small area of their skin first to ensure they don't have an allergic reaction.
A woman who has given birth to 11 kids by eight different men has responded to haters who accused her of only having so many children so that she could get money from the government.

The woman, named Phi, from Memphis, Tennessee, has earned viral fame on TikTok for often sharing a glimpse into life with her massive brood, where she has gained more than 90,000 followers.

But the mother-of-11 is often forced to defend her decision to have so many babies against online trolls - some have said they 'feel sorry' for her kids, while others have wondered if she is using her numerous baby daddies to get financial support.

A woman who has given birth to 11 kids by eight different men has responded to haters who accused her of only having so many children so that she could get child support

The woman, named Phi, from Memphis, Tennessee, has earned viral fame on TikTok for often sharing a glimpse into life with her massive brood=

But the mother-of-11 is often forced to defend her decision to have so many babies against online trolls

Some have said they 'feel sorry' for her kids, while others have wondered if she is using her numerous baby daddies to get financial support

When one nasty commenter alleged that she chose to have so many kids because she 'doesn't want to work' and is 'living off child support,' Phi responded by sharing a video of alleged court papers that show she is only earning $10 per month in child support.

And when another hater wrote that her kids were 'in distress,' she clapped back by sharing a video montage of them dancing, having fun, and enjoying quality time together.

Clearly unbothered by the backlash, Phi loves to toy with her haters, and she often replies to their negative comments with videos of herself dancing.

When someone asked her where she finds her baby daddies, she joked, 'I used Craigslist but that's kind of played out now, so I usually post on [Facebook] Marketplace. Or if I see an empty billboard I'll post an ad up there.'

When someone alleged that she chose to have so many kids because she wants to 'live off child support,' Phi responded by sharing court papers that show she only gets $10 per month

And when another hater wrote that her kids were 'in distress,' she clapped back by sharing a video montage of them dancing, having fun, and enjoying quality time together

Back in August, Phi opened up about her decision to have so many kids with different men, and she explained that she did it so that her children would never be 'fatherless'

'If I only had one baby daddy and he leave or die my kids would be fatherless, but if I have eight and three were to leave or die my kids still have five dads,' she elaborated in a comment

She also said in a TikTok video that she 'wants to have another 19 children' to make it 'an even 30,' but it appears that she was only teasing.

Back in August, Phi opened up about her decision to have so many kids with different men in a video that got more than 2.9 million views, and she explained that she did it so that her children would never be 'fatherless.'

'One thing I'm sick of having to explain is why I have eight baby daddies,' she said. 'I'm gonna explain this one time for y'all so there won't be any more questions.

'If you have one and you take away one, you have zero. But if you have eight and you take away three, you still have five.'

'If I only had one baby daddy and he leave or die my kids would be fatherless, but if I have eight and three were to leave or die my kids still have five dads,' she elaborated in the comment section of the video.

She also said in a TikTok video that she 'wants to have another 19 children' to make it 'an even 30,' but it appears that she was only teasing

Despite Phi being unruffled, it hasn't stopped people from continuing to mercilessly ridicule her in the comment section of her videos

Despite Phi being unruffled, it hasn't stopped people from continuing to mercilessly ridicule her in the comment section of her videos.

'Bro they aint Pokemon. You dont gotta catch them all,' one person wrote.

'Having eight baby daddies is a crime,' said someone else, while a third user commented, 'Birth control should be administered at a certain point when clearly there is a problem like above.'

'For the love of God stop reproducing,' added a different viewer.

'Nothing like working the system,' read another comment.

Someone else even compared her to Nick Cannon, who has 10 children with six different women and is currently expecting his eleventh.
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They are a striking couple, and attending a magazine's Halloween party on Wednesday night they must have known that their outfits could potentially make a very striking impact.

But the choice of costumes by Nicola Peltz-Beckham and husband Brooklyn, who arrived dressed as the ill-fated, star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet, seems to be an audacious dig at the Beckhams.

In the Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet were members of warring families who fell hopelessly in love, and whose love affair ended tragically.

No tragedy for Brooklyn, 24, and Nicola, 27, of course - but warring families? Well, now you're talking.

The fact is that one month after Victoria Beckham's Paris Fashion Week debut  and the photo opportunity which was meant to put reports of a feud between her, son Brooklyn, and Brooklyn's wife Nicola to rest  nothing has changed.

Sources close to the family say that mutual bad feelings continue to simmer and the issue is 'very much out in the open.'

Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz's decision to dress up as Romeo and Juliet appears to be the latest in a line of audacious digs at the Beckhams - with sources revealing the Peltz-Beckham feud is still raging

The fact is that one month after Victoria Beckham's Paris Fashion Week debut  and the photo opportunity which was meant to put reports of a feud between her, son Brooklyn, and Brooklyn's wife Nicola to rest  nothing has changed

'There is no rapprochement,' says the source. 'The fashion show didn't change anything. The girl seems to enjoy needling the Beckhams and Brooklyn thinks he is in the love story of the century, so it's unhappy.'

One source suggests that the idea of a connection between the Montagues and Capulets and Beckhams and Peltzes 'probably won't have dawned on Brooklyn' but might have tickled his wife, who really isn't one bit intimidated by the Beckham family.

Indeed, although there was that moment of togetherness in Paris on September 30, when the pair attended Victoria's fashion show, the broader picture is of people of who avoid each other's company, and avoid lending each other luster on social media.

Yes, Brooklyn and Nicola were among the invited guests at her fashion show  however it was the first time they had seen the Beckham family since July.

Yes, they did stay for a drink afterwards - but Brooklyn and Nicola did not go to Victoria's after-show celebration party in the evening.

Instead they headed off for a dinner with the Peltz family  matriarch Claudia Peltz was in town for Paris fashion week, as were two of Nicola's brothers.

It was an odd omission as everyone else close to her came along to offer congratulations  all the other Beckham children, loyal friends like Eva Longoria and hairdresser Ken Paves, even models Gigi and Bella Hadid who had walked in her show.

One source suggests that Victoria didn't make much of a point of speaking to Nicola after her at the fashion show  fair enough you might think as this was a major professional pinnacle and she had a lot of people to speak to.

However again it has given the Peltz-Beckhams a reason to feel miffed.

Evidence of the ongoing feud is clear to see in each person's respective Instagram activity - with David and Victoria seeming to only like their son's posts if they don't feature Nicola, while the 27-year-old model doesn't post about her in-laws

'There is no rapprochement,' says the source. 'The fashion show didn't change anything. The girl seems to enjoy needling the Beckhams and Brooklyn thinks he is in the love story of the century, so it's unhappy'

In direct contrast a few days later the Peltz-Beckhams partied late into the night with Pierpaoli Piccioli at the Valentino fashion show after-party  and both posted pictures of it on Instagram.

And here we come to the baffling behavior of all concerned on social media.

Did the Peltz-Beckhams post pictures on Instagram of the Valentino Paris fashion show, along with gushing captions about the talent of the designer and what a great time they had had?

Nicola re-posted one image from Victoria's fashion show on her Instagram Stories - a photo of herself and Brooklyn

Of course. Did they post any reference at all to Victoria's? No, they did not.

And did they like a solitary one of the nearly 30 posts which Mrs Beckham shared about her show? They did not. Not even on the picture which showed the entire family, including Brooklyn and Nicola rather awkwardly lined up.

It appears that Victoria and David are now posting likes on Brooklyn's Instagram but only when the post is just of their son.

So they have liked posts about his cooking, and his modelling contract for Pepe, but never like his posts about wife Nicola, her modelling or his love for her.

On October 10, it was Nicola and Brooklyn's six month wedding anniversary. Both posted syrupy declarations of love, with Brooklyn sharing some lovely photos from their wedding at the Peltz mansion in Florida. Neither David nor Victoria liked those posts.

A source said: 'The more there are family problems, the more Brooklyn sides with Nicola. He has always been like this with girlfriends apparently  he falls hook line and sinker and gets almost obsessed.

'David has some hopes that Brooklyn will come back to them but apparently Victoria thinks it will only get better and if they eventually split up. She says that she has washed her hands of it.'

The drama seems to have started in the run-up to the wedding in April. Tensions are understood to have arisen during planning for the wedding, which was mostly carried out by Nicola's socialite mother Claudia. Claudia Peltz, a striking former fashion model didn't want advice from Victoria, and the Beckhams felt rather cut out of proceedings.

Over the wedding weekend, Nicola changed three times but didn't wear any Victoria Beckham clothes and the family were not seated at the top table. The whole event seems to have brought home how much wealthier and more influential the Peltzes  Nelson Peltz is a titan of industry worth $1.7 billion.

Tensions are understood to have arisen during planning for Brooklyn and Nicola's wedding, which was mostly carried out by Nicola's socialite mother Claudia, and the Beckhams felt rather cut out of proceedings

Nicola is incredibly close with her family - who have also formed a tight bond with Brooklyn, with sources saying that the budding chef is taking career advice from his billionaire father-in-law, not his own dad David

Post-wedding, the large Peltz family joined Nicola and Brooklyn, who go by the name Peltz-Beckham, for a honeymoon on board a yacht cruising the Med. The Beckhams spent the summer break aboard much smaller rented yacht in the Med.

In her Grazia interview in September, Nicola claimed that she, stylist Leslie Fremar and mother Claudia had been excited to have a dress designed by Victoria.

She said: 'We connected to start designing the dress, and then a few days went by and I didn't hear anything. Victoria called my mom and said her atelier couldn't make it.'

She went on to claim that it hurt her feelings when people speculated that she hadn't ever intended to wear a Victoria Beckham dress.

Meanwhile Brooklyn, an aspiring chef, told the magazine: 'To be honest, my wife is obviously my first priority and I never want to see her upset ever. 'We have each other's back 100 per cent and we just move on together.'

Aspiring chef Brooklyn has been completely embraced by his new family, who are a tight-knit bunch.

Nelson, according to Nicola, has been teaching young Brooklyn the basics of being a businessman and is said to be supporting him in an ambition to launch a range of hot sauces. In the process, David and Victoria have felt rather cut out.

The next staging post for this unhappily extended family is Christmas. The Beckhams delight in throwing a great family event at their house in the Cotswolds, complete with an exclusive New Year'e Eve Party. At this point it's 'doubtful' that they will be joined by Brooklyn and his wife.
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Ivanka Trump was spotted back in Miami on Wednesday after having a three-hour dinner with Kim Kardashian in Los Angeles amid the fallout over her ex-husband Kanye West's antisemitic remarks.

The former White House senior adviser was dressed casually in a sleeveless black T-shirt and matching leggings as she parked her black SUV at Arte Surfside, the luxury oceanfront building her family has called home for nearly two years.

Ivanka, who turns 41 on October 30, had her blonde hair pulled back in a loose ponytail and shielded her eyes from the Florida sun with dark shades and a black cap. She topped off her sporty look with a pair of gray New Balance sneakers.

Ivanka Trump was spotted in Miami on Wednesday, days after she had dinner with Kim Kardashian in Los Angeles

The former White House senior adviser was dressed casually in a sleeveless black T-shirt and matching leggings

The mother of three didn't appear to have any jewelry on aside from a band on her finger and a red string bracelet on her right wrist, which she has worn off and on for years.

Though she hasn't spoken about the purpose of the bracelet, it does bear a resemblance to the type of red string that Kabbalah practitioners wear to ward off the 'evil eye.'

Ivanka also had AirPods in her ears and carried her cellphone in her hand, suggesting that she was either listening to music or a podcast.

A man who appeared to work at the building held the door open for her as she stepped into the lobby and presumably headed to her condo.

Ivanka was spotted parking her black SUV outside of her oceanfront condo building, Arte Surfside

Ivanka wore a black cap on her head and had her blonde hair pulled back into a loose ponytail

Ivanka topped off her sporty look with a pair of gray New Balance sneakers

The former first daughter had AirPods in her ears and carried her cellphone in her hand, suggesting that she was either listening to music or a podcast

Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, who grew up in New York and New Jersey, respectively, relocated to Florida with their children Arabella, 11, Joseph, nine, and Theodore, six, after her father, former President Donald Trump, left office in January 2021.

They moved out of their home in Washington, D.C.'s affluent Kalorama neighborhood and into Arte Surfside, where they have been living temporarily while they wait for their dream home to be built on Indian Creek.

They purchased a $24 million dollar fixer-upper on the exclusive island known as the 'Billionaire Bunker' last year. They bought the mansion just months after they dropped $31.8 million on a two-acre plot of land on Indian Creek in late 2020.

Ivanka's latest sighting in Miami comes days after she sat down with Kim, 42, at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel last Sunday, over two weeks after the reality star's ex-husband went on an antisemitic tirade.

The former first daughter's husband was raised in a Modern Orthodox Jewish family, and she converted to Judaism to marry him in 2009.

The mother of three shielded her eyes from the Florida sun with a pair of dark shades

Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, relocated to Florida with their children Arabella, 11, Joseph, nine, and Theodore, six, after her father, former President Donald Trump, left office in January 2021.

Ivanka is back in Miami just in time to celebrated her 41st birthday on October 30

Ivanka and her family have been living a quiet life since the moved to Florida

Ivanka and Jared's three children are all currently enrolled in a local Jewish school in Miami that is located just a short distance from their condo in the luxury oceanfront building Arte Surfside.

In a since-deleted Instagram post, Kanye attacked Ivanka's brother-in-law, Joshua Kushner, over his venture capital firm investing in Kardashian's SKIMS clothing line.

'F**K JOSH KUSHNER,' he wrote. 'WHAT IF I HAD 10% OF KARLIE KLOSS UNDERWEAR LINE WITHOUT YOU KNOWING. AND YOU ONLY HAD 5%.'

Kanye also came after Jared, whom he once considered a friend, claiming the former White House senior adviser kept his father-in-law from reaching his true potential as president.

'JARED WAS HOLDING TRUMP BACK,' he continued, adding: 'IVANKA IS FIRE.'

The mother of three didn't appear to have any jewelry on aside from a band on her finger and a red string bracelet on her right wrist, which she has worn off and on for years

Though she hasn't spoken about the purpose of the bracelet, it does bear a resemblance to the type of red string that Kabbalah practitioners wear to ward off the 'evil eye'

A man who appeared to work at the building held the door open for her as she stepped into the lobby

Ivanka was presumably headed upstairs to her family's condo as she breezed through the entrance

Kanye continued to attack the Kushners during a two-part interview with Fox News' Tucker Carlson that aired on October 6.

He accused Jared of being entitled, a mercenary, and amoral, and dismissed the former White House senior adviser's work in Israel that led to a peace treaty with the United Arab Emirates.

'I just think it was to make money,' he claimed. 'I don't know ... I just think that that's what they're about is making money. I don't think that they have the ability to make anything on their own. I think they were born into money.'

A few days later, on October 9, Kanye tweeted: 'I'm a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I'm going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE. The funny thing is I actually can't be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also. You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.'

The designer seemed to be referring to DEFCON, an acronym for the defense readiness condition. The alert is used by the U.S. Armed Forces to indicate how quickly the military can be deployed during deadly emergencies and attacks.

Ivanka has been temporarily living at Arte Surfside for nearly two years while she and her husband billed their dream home on Indian Creek

They purchased a $24 million dollar fixer-upper on the exclusive island known as the 'Billionaire Bunker' last year

Ivanka and Jared bought the mansion just months after they dropped $31.8 million on a two-acre plot of land on Indian Creek in late 2020

The rapper's Instagram and Twitter accounts were both suspended over his remarks.

Kanye continued to double down on his hate speech, leading him to be dropped by a number of companies, including Balenciaga, JPMorgan Chase, Gap, and Adidas.

Earlier this week, Forbes reported that he lost his billionaire status after cutting ties with Adidas, saying that without the sportswear brand, his net worth is down to $400 million.

Ivanka and Kim have known each other for years and have remained friendly despite the reality star publicly supporting Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

They met up on a few occasions in Washington, D.C. while The Kardashians star was working with then-President Trump on prison reform. Kanye has been a vocal Trump supporter over the years.

Ivanka's latest sighting in Miami comes days after she sat down with Kim, 42, at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel last Sunday, over two weeks after the reality star's ex-husband went on an antisemitic tirade

Ivanka and Kim have known each other for years, and they met up on a few occasions in Washington, D.C. while The Kardashians star was working with then-President Trump on prison reform

Kanye has been a vocal Trump supporter over the years. The rapper is pictured wearing a MAGA hat in 2018

Hours after the dinner Kim broke her silence on Kanye's antisemitic rants on Twitter, though she refrained from naming him

Their latest meeting reportedly centered on Kim's concern over her ex's antisemitic remarks. A source told TMZ that she was worried her kids would hear what he said, especially because they have Jewish cousins.

Ivanka and Kim reportedly spent three hours at the Polo Lounge before they walked out together and left in separate vehicles.

The former White House senior adviser was buttoned up in a tan trench coat that covered her dress, while the SKIMS founder had on a leather jacket over a black dress.

Hours after the dinner Kim broke her silence on Kanye's antisemitic rants, though she refrained from naming him.

'Hate speech is never OK or excusable,' she tweeted on Monday. 'I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.'
The note said 'you left these at my place last night' and were received well

The g-strings were left on people's cars in Bondi, Sydney, with a cheeky note

Hundreds of shocked men and women have called their partners' loyalty into question after finding racy g-strings and cheeky notes on their car windows on Friday.

'Hey wild thing! You left these at my place last night,' the flirty note read, sparking heated debates between couples and confusion among singles who had been tucked up in bed all night.

The note and knickers drop in Bondi in Sydney's eastern suburbs was a launch stunt by lingerie brand Nala, in an attempt to draw the spotlight to their briefs.

A thousand g-strings were dropped left on cars with a cheeky note on Friday morning

Bondi locals woke up to find the knickers, and appeared confused by their presence

And it certainly did start a conversation, dozens of people took to Facebook to talk about the cheeky finds which included pink, red and black briefs.

'OMG Did anyone else get these on their car this morning? So funny, marketing genius,' one woman wrote in a Bondi group after finding a pair of the underwear.

'This could be a headache for a lot of people,' one man commented.

'I can just imagine my wife's reaction to this,' laughed another.

While others tagged their friends to ask if they had been 'out and about' last night, again.

'To think some woman out there right now, is freeballing on the Bondi to Bronte #respect,' one woman said.

Some people shared pictures of the lingerie on social media after finding them in the morning

This man looked mildly amused as he read the cheeky note attached to the briefs

Speaking to FEMAIL a spokesperson for the brand revealed a thousand pairs of underwear were scattered throughout the suburb.

'Nala is an Australian-based intimate brand like weve never seen. Making fashionable, comfortable and inclusive pieces using planet-saving fabrics at an affordable price,' they said.

One of the fabrics is made from corn starch while the other is made from mesh that would have otherwise gone to landfill.

The company is so confident people will love the underwear they offer a 30-day money back guarantee on all first orders.
People who knew the Queen Mother have been 'horrified' by her 'dour' portrayal on the Crown, a royal author has claimed.

Speaking during the latest episode of True Royalty TV's The Royal Beat, historian and royal expert Gareth Russell said that people close to the late royal were 'quite upset' at how Peter Morgan's show on Netflix portrayed her.

Russell, who penned Do Lets Have Another Drink: The Singular Wit and Double Measures of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, said she was nothing like her portrayal in the show.

He revealed that the Queen Mother, who was 101 when she died in 2002, learned to do an impression of Sacha Baron Cohen's satiric character Ali G after finding Prince William and Prince laughing at the comedian's skit.

People who knew the Queen Mother, pictured in 1985, have been 'horrified' by her 'dour' portrayal on the Crown, a royal author has claimed

Historian and royal expert Gareth Russell said that people close to the late royal were 'quite upset' at how Peter Morgan's show on Netflix portrayed her, as she appeared 'relentingly dour.' Pictured: Marion Bailey in the role for series 3

'The Crown presented the Queen Mother as so unrelentingly dour. Some of the people I spoke to, they were quite upset, particularly [with her] portrayal in season three and four,' Russell told the show.

'I think a lot of people who had known the Queen Mother were fairly horrified by how she was presented,' he added.

'Season one they didnt think was too far off the mark, season two they were starting to worry, season three they were worried, season four they were horrified. One of them said, "By season four, anything The Queen Mother does on screen you can assume the real one did the opposite",' he went on.

He went on to reveal that Queen Elizabeth's mother had managed to keep up with the times and pop culture references in her last years thanks to her great-grand-sons.

Russell, who penned Do Lets Have Another Drink: The Singular Wit and Double Measures of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, said she was nothing like she appeared on the show

'The Queen Mother learned the Ali G impression, one of his catchphrases, and used it on the Queen at Christmas lunch at Sandringham,' Russell revealed.

'She said, "Dinner was lovely darling, respect". She [learnt it from when] shed come in and found William and Harry roaring with laughter at this Sacha Baron Cohen special, and they taught her. She was a great mimic,'' he added.

Meanwhile, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine Ingrid Seward shed a light on the Queen Mother's views on King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla's relationship.

'When Camilla and Charles made [their relationship] more formal, [the Queen Mother] was not pleased at all,' she said.

'Charles never would have married Camilla had his grandmother been alive,' she added.

The Queen Mother was played by Victoria Hamilton in the first two series of The Crown, before the role went to Marion Bailey for series 3 and 4, where the character took a backseat from the main drama and only made a few appearances.

Now Marcia Warren will play her in the upcoming series five, which will be released on November 9, and series six, which is currently filming.

Russell went on to reveal that Queen Elizabeth's mother had managed to keep up with the times and pop culture references in her last years thanks to her great-grand-sons

Meanwhile, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine Ingrid Seward shed a light on the Queen Mother's views on King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla's relationship

This comes as Netflix has quietly added a disclaimer to its marketing for The Crown after a backlash over its blurring of fact and fiction.

In an apparent climbdown by the streaming giant, the trailer for the upcoming series of its hit drama, which was released last week, was accompanied by the description: 'Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatisation tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign.'

No trailers for previous series of The Crown on Netflix's YouTube channel have carried such a disclaimer.

The Crown's official Twitter account also appears to have been updated in the past month to add the message reminding people it is 'fictional'.

The Queen Mother was played by Victoria Hamilton in the first two series of The Crown, which focuses on Queen Elizabeth's first years as a monarch

The trailer, featuring Elizabeth Debicki as Diana, showed the late princess sitting down for her infamous 1995 Panorama interview with disgraced ex-BBC journalist Martin Bashir as her voiceover says: 'I won't go quietly.'

Netflix has faced a fierce backlash over the latest series, which is set to air on November 9. However, it had, until now, repeatedly resisted calls for it to carry a disclaimer.

Actress Dame Judi Dench accused the show of being 'cruelly unjust' and backed calls for a disclaimer.

And former prime minister Sir John Major dismissed scenes showing him discussing the Queen's potential abdication with Prince Charles as 'a barrel-load of malicious nonsense'.

Dame Judi, 87, who has played Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, said the series risked damaging the monarchy. The Oscar-winning actress blamed it for 'crude sensationalism' and blurring fact and fiction.

In a letter to The Times newspaper last week, she called on Netflix to display a disclaimer at the start of each episode to say it is 'fictionalised drama'. She said it would also show respect for the bereavement suffered by the Royal Family and the nation.

A Netflix spokesman 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.'

The Crown has been a huge hit for Netflix. Each episode now costs around 11.5million.

The Royal Beat is available on True Royalty TV
Instagram model from Texas, stopped plucking her eyebrows at the age of 16

An instagram model has claimed that she feels more confident than ever since growing a thick unibrow.

Kenah Jonel has shrugged off trolls who branded her a 'caveman.'

The 21-year-old, from Austin Texas, has always sported bushy eyebrows but had them plucked from the age of 10 until she decided to let them grow out when she turned 16.

Kenah Jonel (pictured) has always been showered with compliments for her bushy brows. The model, 21, from Texas, stopped plucking her eyebrows when she turned 16

Kenah has always been showered with compliments over her bold brows, with admirers telling her they are 'perfect,' 'incredible' and her her best feature.

But since the social media influencer started using TikTok they've been the target for hateful comments, predominantly from men, who've called her a 'monkey' and 'caveman' and branding her unibrow a 'caterpillar'.

Despite this, the fashion lover claims she feels most confident with her unibrow and that kinder users have remarked that she's inspired them to 'be themselves' and also ditch the tweezers.

The model has hit back at haters on TikTok who send abusive messages regarding her unibrow. Some people have called her 'caveman', 'caterpillar' and 'monkey'

Kenah is keen to encourage others to not feel like they have to fit the status quo or societal beauty standards and to be someone that 'you're proud of, happy with and think is beautiful'.

Kenah said: 'I like my unibrow. I absolutely feel my most confident with a unibrow and think that I wouldn't feel comfortable looking at my face if I trimmed or plucked it.

She says that she doesn't let the trolls get to her, as she reminds herself that she wouldn't listen to them in real life, so why should she on the internet

Kenah, from Austin Texas, has always been showered with compliments over her bold brows, with admirers telling her they are 'perfect,' 'incredible' and her her best feature

'I also tell myself too, if I wouldn't take their [troll's] advice in real life, why would I let them tell me what to do on the internet?

'I think that giving people the power to decide how I want to look, dress and present myself in day-to-day life is not going to give me results that make me happy.'

Kenah's mother started plucking her eyebrows when she was around 10 but this stopped when she was around 16.

Kenah explained: 'I've always had bushy eyebrows. But growing up I remember specifically having really hairy eyebrows and a unibrow.

'So my mum would always pluck them.

Kenah has always had bushy eyebrows and says that since letting them grow how they want to she is more confident than ever

Kenah's mother started plucking her eyebrows when she was around 10 but this stopped when she was around 16

'Since I got older she didn't really have to do that anymore, I thought I liked them and I didn't feel like it was necessary for me to pluck them just because that's what everybody else did.'

The Instagram model didn't set out with the intention of growing a unibrow, it was more that she like her eyebrows and let them grow how they wanted to.

'My entire life I've been told that I have incredible eyebrows, that they're perfect and that everybody loves them.

For her entire life, people have told Kenah that she has incredible eyebrows and that they are her best feature

'I think they've always been my most notable feature - especially when I was 16 as I went platinum blonde and that also made them stand out a lot.

'Naturally, most people just tended to compliment my eyebrows over anything else because they're a really bold feature.'

The TikToker has only posted one or two videos specifically about her unibrow but received comments daily about it for around a year.

Kenah said: 'I've had people specifically send me DMs like "I love how confident you are and how you showcase your eyebrows, it's really encouraged me to be myself and to have my eyebrows the way that they are".'

Kenah said that her eyebrows have always been her most notable feature, and when she went platinum blonde at the age of 16, they stood out even more

The model said that these kinds of comments mean a lot to her and she is thrilled that her fans are uplifted by her confident content.

She explained that it makes her feel as though she is doing something right by just being herself and encouraging others to break out of the box and do their own thing.

But Kenah, who was a model for 10 years and still models occasionally, has had a mixed response over her unibrow online as she also receives negative comments.

Kenah admits that many people have said some horrible things to her about her eyebrows, with many calling her 'caterpillar'

Kenah said: 'I've also had a lot of people say really horrible things, to the point where I've sometimes wondered how deeply that hatred is rooted in terms of the projection in correlation to my unibrow.

'People call it a "caterpillar" a lot on the internet.

'I've had men send me DMs that are basically like "you're a monkey", "you should kill yourself", "you look like a neolithic caveman".

'Somebody sent me a video of someone cutting their wrists one time and told me that I should shave, I thought that one was pretty extreme.

Despite her unibrow being referred to as a 'caterpillar' on the internet, Kenah regularly posts videos showing it off in all its glory, and has amassed over two million likes from doing so

'There are some comments that just make me sad and not because of my eyebrows but it's clearly a reflection of misogyny and that's upsetting to me, other than that, it is what it is.

'Most of the negative comments come from men.

'I do get a fair share of negative comments from women also but anyone who's ever taken their time to DM a really vile horrible message, it's almost always a man or an account that you don't really see somebody behind.'

Despite her unibrow being referred to as a 'caterpillar' on the internet, Kenah regularly posts videos showing it off in all its glory, and has amassed over two million likes from doing so.

She said: 'I think what's hard about speaking to those people [trolls] directly is that I can recognise that they're projecting because they're unhappy but I don't necessarily think that's something they can recognise - that's why they're trolls on the internet.

The model says that everyone needs to be proud of themselves and not set beauty standards for themselves based on other people's opinions

'Something that I wish they would do is self-reflect and maybe ask themselves why it makes themselves feel better to be an anonymous person bring other people down on the internet.

'But there's nothing that I can do or say to make them understand that so I think that for me the only response that I can really have is to continue being myself and that's it.

'At the end of the day you should be somebody that you're proud of, happy with and that you think is beautiful, and not necessarily beautiful in a way that's reflective of societal beauty standards or the way that other people perceive you.

'But true happiness and self-love comes from being somebody regardless of who everybody expects you to be.

'And I know that's something that's really hard to do but that's the key to really loving yourself outside of what everybody else pushes on you.'
Ryan Murphy has claimed that he reached out 20 of the victims' family members and friends before making Netflix's new show about Jeffrey Dahmer, but 'not a single person responded' - weeks after the sister of a man who was murdered by the serial killer blasted the series for 'making money off their tragedy' without permission.

The 10-part series, called Dahmer  Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which premiered back in September, showcased the horrific crimes committed by Dahmer, who wrecked havoc across Milwaukee from 1978 to 1991 - torturing, killing, and dismembering 16 boys, teens, and men over the span of 13 years.

However, after it was released on the streaming site, the show received a lot of backlash - especially because the family of one of his victims heavily slammed it.

Rita Isbell, the sister of Errol Lindsey - who was 19 when he was brutally killed by Dahmer - told Insider last month that she was not contacted by anyone regarding the series, and called Netflix 'greedy' for not contributing some of its earnings to her brother's children.

Ryan Murphy has claimed that he reached out 20 of the victims' family members and friends before making Netflix's new show about Jeffrey Dahmer, but 'not a single person responded'

His claims came weeks after the sister (seen) of a man who was murdered by the serial killer blasted the series for 'making money off their tragedy' without permission

The series, called Dahmer  Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, premiered in September, and showcased the crimes committed by Dahmer (seen left in real life and right in the show)

But now, the show's creator, Murphy, has insisted that he reached out to many of the victims' relatives over the three-and-a-half years that it took him to make the series, but not specify if Isbell was one of them.

'We [did] research for a very long time,' he said while discussing the show at an event on Thursday.

However, after it was released on the streaming site, the show received a lot of backlash - especially because the family of one of his victims heavily slammed it. Evan Peters is seen in the show

'We, over the course of the three-and-a-half years when we were writing it, working on it, we reached out to around 20 of the victims families and friends trying to get input, trying to talk to people, and not a single person responded to us in that process.

'So we relied very, very heavily on our incredible group of researchers who I dont even know how they found a lot of this stuff.

'But it was just like a night and day effort to us trying to uncover the truth of these people.'

Days after the show - which stars Evan Peters, Niecy Nash, Molly Ringwald, and Richard Jenkins - dropped, Isbell slammed the 'harsh and careless' series in a scathing essay for Insider.

She said: 'I was never contacted about the show. I feel like Netflix should've asked if we mind or how we felt about making it. They didn't ask me anything. They just did it.

'I could understand it if they gave some of the money to the victims' children. Not necessarily their families - I mean, I'm old, I'm very, very comfortable - but the victims have children and grandchildren.

'If the show benefited them in some way, it wouldn't feel so harsh and careless. It's sad that they're just making money off of this tragedy. That's just greed.'

Rita Isbell, the sister of Errol Lindsey (pictured) - who was 19 when he was killed by Dahmer - told Insider last month that she was not contacted by anyone regarding the series

But now, the show's creator, Murphy (seen in 2018), has insisted that he reached out to many of the victims' relatives over the three-and-a-half years that it took him to make the series

Paris Barclay, who directed two episodes of the show, also insisted on Thursday that the show was meant to 'celebrate the victims' and ensure that they're never forgotten.

'We really want it to be about celebrating these victims,' he explained. 'Its about making sure these people are not erased by history and that they have a place and that theyre recognized and that they were important and that they lived full lives.

'They came from all sorts of different places, but they were real people. They werent just numbers. They werent just pictures on billboards and telephone poles.

'They were real people with loving families, breathing, living, hoping. Thats what we wanted it to be about.'

Murphy added that he is now trying to get a memorial set up for the victims, but that he's worried that people might use it to honor Dahmer instead.

'I would even be happy to pay for it myself,' he revealed. 'I do think there should be something.

'Were trying to get a hold of people to talk about that. I think theres some resistance because they think [it] would attract people who are interested in paying homage to the macabre but I think something should be done.'

Lindsey was reportedly approached by Dahmer at a Milwaukee mall in 1991. The teen was then lured to Dahmer's apartment after the infamous serial killer offered him money in exchange for posing for nude photos.

Dahmer (seen in 1991), wrecked havoc across Milwaukee from 1978 to 1991 - torturing, killing, and dismembering 16 boys, teens, and men over the span of 13 years

Isbell (seen above) said: 'I was never contacted about the show. I feel like Netflix should've asked if we mind or how we felt about making it. They didn't ask me anything. They just did it'

Paris Barclay, who directed two episodes of the show, also insisted on Thursday that the show was meant to 'celebrate the victims' and ensure that they're never forgotten

Dahmer allegedly drugged Lindsey and began to drill a hole in his skull, before he poured acid into the opening.

It was said that Lindsey woke up during the gruesome torture, prompting Dahmer to strangle him to death.

Dahmer was arrested in July 1991, after which, he confessed to many of his crimes; he was later convicted of all sixteen of the murders and sentenced to life in prison.

At his trial, Isbell took to the stand to make a victim statement, during which, she began to scream at the top of her lungs and fling her body around in rage, while yelling, 'Jeffrey, motherf**ker, I hate you.'

She then tried to approach Dahmer and his lawyers, while screaming that she was going to 'kill him.' Dahmer remained passive throughout the entire exchange, hardly even batting an eye.

The courtroom breakdown was recreated in the Netflix show, in a dramatic scene starring DaShawn Barnes, and Isbell was not happy with it.

She told the outlet that when she saw the reenactment of her lashing out in the series, she was extremely 'bothered.'

'When I saw some of the show, it bothered me, especially when I saw myself - when I saw my name come across the screen and this lady saying verbatim exactly what I said,' she continued.

Dahmer was arrested in July 1991, and was convicted of all sixteen of the murders and sentenced to life in prison. He died on November 28, 1994, in prison

At his trial, Isbell took to the stand to make a victim statement, during which, she began to scream at the top of her lungs and fling her body around in rage

The courtroom breakdown was recreated in the Netflix show, and Isbell was not happy. The reenactment is seen left and Isbell is seen in real life right

'If I didn't know any better, I would've thought it was me. Her hair was like mine, she had on the same clothes.'

She added that it 'brought back all the emotions she was feeling back then' and forced her to 'relive it all over again.

She added that seeing the show 'brought back all the emotions she was feeling back then' and forced her to 'relive it all over again.' Peters is seen in the series

However, she added that it did have some benefits as it gave her an opportunity to speak out about her brother, as well as his daughter, in a way she couldn't before.

'The show bringing up old feelings did hurt, but it also benefits me,' she continued. 'I benefit from it because I can deal with it differently today than I did in the past. I can talk about it with not as much anger.

'I'm still learning how to forgive, even if I don't understand, and keep on with my life. I can't change other people or things that have happened. I can only change myself.

'The positive thing to come out of this is that the world didn't know that my brother had any children.

'That has never been discussed to the public, but he had gotten someone pregnant before his death. Today, she's exactly 31 years old, and this happened 31 years ago.

'Errol's always going to be alive in my spirit. And his daughter - I have to keep him alive so I can talk about him to her.

'It's not about me anymore, it's about her. So when they mention my name, I'm going to always refer to her, Tatiana Banks: Errol Lindsey's daughter. And now, he even has a granddaughter, too.

Lindsey's cousin, Eric Thulhu, also spoke poorly of the new show in a series of tweets, stating that it has 'retraumatized' their entire family

Thulhu reiterated that Netflix didn't 'notify' or 'pay' the family for the recreation, since it's 'all public record'

'Recreating my cousin having an emotional breakdown in court in the face of the man who tortured and murdered her brother is wild,' he added

'When I think of my brother, I think of how he was such a goofball, and I think he's going to appreciate the fact that I'm still standing for him until my last breath. He knows that I'm still here for him.'

Lindsey's cousin, Eric Thulhu, also spoke poorly of the new show in a series of tweets, stating that it has 'retraumatized' their entire family.

'Im not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge [right now], but if youre actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbells) are pissed about this show,' he wrote on Twitter.

'Its retraumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need?'

Thulhu reiterated that Netflix didn't 'notify' or 'pay' the family for the recreation, since it's 'all public record.'

'So when they say theyre doing this with respect to the victims or honoring the dignity of the families, no one contacts them,' he added.

'My cousins wake up every few months at this point with a bunch of calls and messages and they know theres another Dahmer show. Its cruel.

'Like recreating my cousin having an emotional breakdown in court in the face of the man who tortured and murdered her brother is WILD. WIIIIIILD.'

Dahmer died on November 28, 1994, at age 34, after he was beaten to death by a fellow inmate at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin.
Her blonde coiffed locks were the envy of many women during her years at Kensington Palace, but eco-friendly King Charles once asked Princess Diana to stop using hair spray, because it was bad for the environment, an expert has recalled.

Speaking in Channel 4's Charles: Our New King, which airs tomorrow at 8pm, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, Ingrid Seward, recounted how the then King-in-waiting asked his wife to stop using the hair product, which she was reportedly very fond of.

Reports from 1988 revealed that the King, then Prince of Wales, eventually banned hair spray from Kensington Palace, because he was aware of the negative impact of aerosols on the Ozone layer.

Seward also recounted that Princess Diana, who died in 1997, didn't understand why her husband was so adamant that she should stop using the product.

Speaking in Channel 4's Charles: Our New King, which airs tomorrow at 8pm, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, Ingrid Seward, recounted how King Charles, then Prince of Wales, asked his wife to stop using the hair product, of which she was reportedly very fond of. Pictured in 1985

'Diana was very funny when Charles first talked about the Ozone layer,' Ingrid said

'He said, "You must stop using your aerosol hair spray" and she said "Why?"

'He said "Because aerosols are making a hole in the Ozone layer", and she thought he was completely mad.

Reports from 1988 confirmed that the eco-conscious future King eventually banned the product from the London residence he shared with Diana.

Diana's blonde bob became world famous after her marriage to Charles in 1981, and she made a point of keeping it pristine

Speaking to the recipients of awards from a program organised by the Royal Society of Arts, Charles, then 39, said he believed that the products were damaging to the environment, even though it wasn't scientifically proven at the time.

'I personally, as I have become older and more autocratic, have banned the use of aerosols in my household,' he revealed at the time.

He added, in an apparent reference to Princess Diana, who was 27, he added: 'Trouble still remains with finding adequate and good enough alternatives to hair spray - as I am sure all husbands here will find.'

Ingrid Seward shared the anecdote on a documentary retracing King Charles'

That is possibly because Diana was reportedly fond of the product, and used it constantly to maintain the bounce and shine of her legendary coiffed bob.

The renowned photographed David Bailey, 83, who pictured everyone from supermodels to the Queen during his lengthy career, said earlier this year that Princess Diana had 'terrible hair.'

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph in March, he said Diana's hair was 'solid as a plastic dummy' because of the 'hairspray.'

Diana was not the only one who thought the then future King's ideas about the environment were mad.

The King was very much ahead of his time when it comes to his eco-conscious considerations.

The journalist and broadcaster Ayesha Hazarika said in the documentary: 'People thought King Charles was some kind of crank for talking about the environment.

'"Why is he talking about organic farming, this all seems a bit crackers",' she said, referring to the sort of comment people were making about Charles at the time.

Channel 4's Charles: Our New King airs tomorrow at 8pm.
A ghost hunter has gone viral after exploring 'one of the most haunted places' in the U.S.  a historic iron bridge where satanic rituals are believed to still be taking place.

Kalani Smith, 24, from Nashville, Tennessee, has 2.2 million followers on TikTok, where he shares videos of his paranormal investigations, including his recent trip to Denton, Texas.

Last month, he spent the night at Old Alton Bridge, an eerie landmark better known as 'Goatman's Bridge' thanks to local lore about a half-man, half-goat creature that haunts the area.

Ghost hunter Kalani Smith, 24, from Nashville, Tennessee, recently visited Old Alton Bridge in Denton, Texas, which is better known as 'Goatman's Bridge'

Smith has 2.2 million followers on TikTok, where he shares videos of his paranormal investigations, including his investigation of the historic bridge last month

'This is rumored to be one of the most haunted places in all of America, and its dark history could really feed into that,' Smith explained in his now-viral video, which has been viewed more than 17.1 million times.

The bridge is believed to be linked to the horrifying death of an African American goat farmer named Oscar Washburn, who was said to have settled with his family near the bridge in the 1930s.

Washburn became known as the 'Goatman' because of how he earned his living, but he was allegedly lynched by local members of the Ku Klux Klan after he posted a sign on the bridge that said 'This way to the Goatman.'

According to legend, the Klansmen kidnapped Washburn in August 1938. They secured a noose around his neck that was attached to the bridge before throwing him over the side.

'This is rumored to be one of the most haunted places in all of America, and its dark history could really feed into that,' Smith explained in his now-viral video

According to local legend, an African American goat farmer named Oscar Washburn was lynched by local members of the Ku Klux Klan on the bridge in 1938

When the Klansmen looked down to see if he was dead, the rope was empty and his body was never recovered. They then allegedly went to his home and murdered his wife and children

However, when they looked down to see if he was dead, the rope was empty and his body was never recovered. In a panic, the Klansmen went to his home and murdered his wife and children.

Since the alleged murder, locals have reported creepy experiences and sightings at the bridge. Some believe that the Goatman haunts the location, ready to exact his revenge.

Knocking on the bridge three times or driving over it with your vehicle's headlights turned off is said to be enough to summon the spirit.

Others think it is shrouded in evil due to satanic rituals that are still allegedly being performed underneath the bridge and the surrounding area.

Since the alleged murder, locals have reported creepy experiences and sightings at the bridge

Knocking on the bridge three times or driving over it with your vehicle's headlights turned off is said to be enough to summon the spirit.

Others think the landmark is shrouded in evil due to satanic rituals that are still allegedly being performed underneath the bridge and the surrounding area

When word got out that Smith was visiting Goatman's bridge, dozens of people joined him as he livestreamed his investigation.

A follow-up video from the night shows them all knocking on the bridge at the same time in an attempt set a record for the number of people knocking on the landmark at midnight.

'Once my presence was known at the bridge, hundreds of people showed up, and we had someone fire rounds at us from the road nearby,' Smith told Need To Know.

The paranormal expert also claimed that he may be haunted by the Goatman himself after spending a night at the location.

Smith announced on TikTok that he would livestream his investigation while spending the night on Goatman's Bridge

When word got out that Smith was visiting Goatman's bridge, dozens of people joined him

A follow-up video from the night shows the group knocking on the bridge at the same time in an attempt set a record for the number of people knocking on the landmark at midnight

'After my visit to Goatman's Bridge, a variety of psychics have seen an attachment on me that resembled a goat-man figure,' he explained. 'What's interesting about this is some of these people didn't even know that I ventured to Goatman's Bridge.

'This gets even weirder because on [my other] investigations after Goatman's Bridge, the name Goatman keeps coming through my equipment, and I get activity when I mention his name.

'The last thing I found a little spooky is that the location is still used for dark ritualistic practices to this day,' he added.

'A group of three individuals had items that I had never seen before, and they disappeared into the woods to perform a ritual.'

Smith, who also explored the nearby woods, alleged that 'the location is still used for dark ritualistic practices to this day'

He claimed that he saw a group of three individuals head into the forest carrying items he didn't recognize to perform a ritual when he was there

'Even if nothing paranormal was attached to this bridge, you would still need to exercise caution from the people that show up,' he explained

Smith said that ghost hunters should be cautious when visiting the bridge, explaining that the structure and surrounding forest present more than just ghostly dangers.

'Even if nothing paranormal was attached to this bridge, you would still need to exercise caution from the people that show up,' he explained.

Smith admitted that he didn't see the infamous Goatman, but he did detect some electromagnetic field (EMF) activity on the bridge.

He also heard strange noises coming from the woods while with his team.

Smith admitted that he didn't see the infamous Goatman, but he did detect some electromagnetic field (EMF) activity on the bridge and heard noises coming from the woods

'After my visit to Goatman's Bridge, a variety of psychics have seen an attachment on me that resembled a goat-man figure,' he claimed. 'What's interesting about this is some of these people didn't even know that I ventured to Goatman's Bridge'

Since his visit to the bridge, he said the name 'Goatman' keeps coming through his equipment when he is doing other paranormal investigations

'It was hard to determine if this was paranormal or people, but it still had a very eerie feeling and it definitely seems like there's some sort of presence,' he said.

'After venturing through the woods, we found weird markings and animal carcasses, this could potentially be from the ritualistic practices.'

Smith's videos documenting the visit creeped out a number of viewers on TikTok.

'All I can hear is "I am on your bridge GOATMAN,"' one person wrote, while another added: 'Not me having a family photo shoot on that bridge.'

'I took my GF here in 2014. I heard a noise and booked it. Left her in the dust,' someone else claimed. 'We're no longer dating.'
Government chief whip and Warangal West MLA Dasyam Vinay Bhaskar along with Chennur MLA Balka Suman, MLC L. Ramana, KUDA chairman S. Sundar Raj burn an effigy of the BJP party at Chandur municipality in Munugode on Thursday.  DC Image

HYDERABAD: A day after the Cyberabad police arrested three persons for allegedly luring four TRS legislators into their party fold, police questioned the trio and reportedly obtained WhatsApp chats between the accused and MLAs, besides other call data.

It is reported that state intelligence officials had played a key role in tracking the movement of the accused and trapping them.

Meanwhile, a team comprising police and intelligence personnel on Thursday went to Delhi to inquire into the antecedents of one of the accused, Ramachandra Bharathi, alias Satish Sharma, in Faridabad.

The two others who have been arrested are city-based businessman Nanda Kumar, and Simhayaji Swamy from Tirupati. Sources said that Simhayaji Swamy used to work as a school teacher in Raichur a few years back. He left the job and went to Tirupati, posing as a priest, and started performing special pujas.

The investigators did not answer questions about quantum of money reportedly seized from the farmhouse located in Aziznagar, which belongs to TRS legislator Pilot Rohit Reddy.

Sources said that the law enforcement agencies had allegedly intercepted mobile phone conversations of the three accused of the past few days.
Dear Bel,

Ive been unhappily married for 43 years  why have I stuck at it? Ive never thought he loved me. When we married I got the job of a housekeeper/nanny, certainly not a wife.

My husband retired last November. While working, he was out of the house and I could cope with his controlling behaviour  in money matters and where the children were concerned.

Luckily, I had good support emotionally from my family and worked part-time so had my own money.

He was always a shouter, but since retiring hes worse. Hes always around  apart from when he goes to the doctors or for an eye test etc. Narcissistic and a pathological liar, he says hes discussed things which Ive forgotten. Its not true.

Our daughter is married with one child, living abroad; our son lives with a partner. They had such an awful childhood I keep quiet about my marriage and I dont think they want to know.

My daughter talks to me on Zoom, but I havent had a private conversation with her for years, as he always makes sure hes within earshot. Hell be 80 next year and tells his friends what an awful time he has with me.

Writing this down makes me wonder why I stay. Its because I have a good life with lots of friends, but when I return home Im questioned in detail about where Ive been.

Most evenings I sit alone while he watches TV in another room. Youll tell me to leave him, but I dont want to lose my children as theyll feel sorry for him, as hes good at that. I dont think I have the courage to go it alone. What do you think?

HELEN

This week Bel speaks to a wife who questioned why she has continued with her unhappy marriage for 43 years

You ask me what I think, but you already know. You describe a long, unhappy marriage to a controlling man, and then tell me succinctly why you wont leave him.

So what can I say? Your situation is one many readers will recognise  the permanent unhappiness, I mean, if not the controlling behaviour of a spouse.

Thought of the day Conquer anger with forgiveness, win the wicked with kindness, educate the niggardly (ungenerous with time, money) with generosity, overcome injustice with truth. From the Mahabharata (one of the two great Sanskrit epics of Hinduism, existing in its present form since around AD 400) Advertisement

Countless marriages limp along for a lifetime of quarrels and compromises; many men and woman regard their wife or husband with a cool, dispassionate eye, thinking: Oh well, I made my bed so I have to lie in it  any port in a storm.

I dont wish to sound cynical, but I am realistic. Settling for what you already have because the alternative is too scary . . . isnt that actually pretty normal?

Of course, its very far indeed from anything like a happy marriage, nevertheless you tell me you have a good life with lots of friends, suggesting that is a compensation for the state of the marriage.

Many women reading this will disagree and opine that you need counselling, that you are being gaslighted, that he is a controlling bully and you need to leave and so on.

All of which sounds true  nevertheless we return to your two reasons not to leave: a worry about losing your children if they sympathise with him, and a fear of starting again on your own.

Your point about two adult children is unconvincing, so were left with a very understandable fear of the unknown.

As youve guessed, I think you should leave. Since you dont actually want to, I suggest you buy your own TV and make yourself as comfortable as possible in whatever rooms you use.

That you answer his questions with the same boring formulae each time. That you communicate with your daughter privately through WhatsApp and be truthful about the whole situation, because she has a right to know. Sound off to those good friends whenever you can because you need to offload frustration.

By now you have probably developed a mechanism for blocking out his shouting, which is good  and you might consider volunteering somewhere to get out of the house even more by doing good. If you are resigned to staying put, then do so on your own terms.

How can I overcome my chronic shyness?

Dear Bel,

I am 62, married  and a quiet, shy person. During childhood, if I made local friends Id lose them when someone new moved into the street. School bullies would pick on anyone who tried being my friend.

Now I am friendly with former colleagues I meet semi-regularly, but Im not good at friendship and feel I cannot have natural conversations with any of my colleagues  or, in fact, with some of my friends.

It wasnt so bad prior to Covid, but working from home made me feel isolated. I was afraid of catching the virus, as family members are vulnerable. Now I have little in common with colleagues who talk about home and family in huddled conversations, only opening up to a wider group to discuss work.

I feel I have nothing of interest to say and feel distant. One lunchtime one of my colleagues moved away from me to sit with others, which made me feel worse. I left early to go home. How can I learn the ability to be more confident and interesting in conversation?

VANESSA

Your childhood experiences must have turned a shy personality even further inwards, and this is not uncommon. These days we attach so much importance to talking openly about every single thing that we forget that some people do not want to let it all hang out.

Sometimes I see yet another interview about the menopause or orgasms or a mental health issue and find myself wishing for a little reticence. Whats wrong with some things remaining private?

Perhaps the first step for you would be to stop thinking of yourself as having something wrong because you dont find it easy to chat. But I also suspect lockdown had a deeper effect on people than we have yet analysed. Enforced isolation surely raised introversion.

Nevertheless, you must know the truism that to be interesting to others you must be interested in them. Even if you have nothing to say you can look interested. Make it your goal to find out one interesting fact about each one of your co-workers. It can work wonders.

Burglary traumas left me in turmoil

Dear Bel,

Several years ago, we were burgled, which was horrible and traumatic.

The impact was severe because I was already stressed  Id just been made redundant and my darling mother had dementia.

I believe you can make something good out of a bad experience so I became a Victim Support volunteer for many years.

But the fact that my home, my happy place, had been invaded was a violation and made me very anxious about security.

Im obsessed with making sure that, when we go out, all the windows and doors are locked or double-locked, and the burglar alarm set. My husband has to confirm its been done. He is very patient, knows I cant help it, but it must drive him mad.

Today, I started worrying whether Id locked the bathroom window and was 99 per cent sure I had, but we had to go back so that I could double-check. Of course, it was locked.

I dont like being like this, I know its irrational, but I cant seem to stop. Bel, how can I overcome this anxiety? At least Ive put my problem into words, which is a relief.

GILLY

Anybody who has had this experience will sympathise; knowing a stranger has entered your home to burgle you is indeed disturbing and can have a lasting effect.

It sounds as if it was you who urgently needed victim support, but you dont say whether you received it  just that you gave it. If you havent had counselling for your anxiety, it sounds as if you would benefit.

Your fear of being burgled again is not entirely irrational, but to live in a heightened state of anxiety is unhealthy.

Apart from self-analysis, as well as counselling I can only suggest you keep a notebook with a checklist of everything that needs doing before you go out.

If your long-suffering husband then whizzed round to tick them off, he could tell you cheerfully All done! and brandish the list.

Something as tangible as that might help.

And finally... I send a big hug to all you kind readers

Two weeks ago I wrote of an extremely unpleasant, insulting email from a male reader, and said how awful it must be to feel the need to do that.

Nasty folk cant be happy. Well, my readers are the heroic cavalry charging over the brow of the hill to the rescue!

Contact Bel Bel answers readers' questions on emotional and relationship problems each week. Write to Bel Mooney, Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT, or email bel.mooney@dailymail.co.uk. Names are changed to protect identities. Bel reads all letters but regrets she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Advertisement

You sent such lovely, supportive emails, telling me just how much this column means to you  and I was deeply touched and happy. Please accept this as universal thanks, because I cannot reply to everybody individually. Think of yourselves as hugged!

These days I simply cant stand unpleasantness in any form. I felt sorry for Liz Truss, even though her brief ascent and downfall was all her own fault. Or was it, entirely?

There are serious problems like ours right across the West  but those people who most want us to be global and tied to the EU seem to be the very ones who spend all their time contemplating the navel of British politics and whingeing.

To hear them, youd think all Conservatives are wicked, corrupt, stupid, scheming  pure evil. And to listen to Right-wingers, youd think that the whole Labour Party is just waiting for the chance to abolish the Monarchy and install Jeremy Corbyn as President.

All nonsense, of course. Global unease creates edgy, febrile politics and plenty of mistakes are made by both the experienced and the inexperienced.

Whats new? Weve been here before and will be again, and being vicious about Keir Starmer or Rishi Sunak doesnt help anybody  least of all those doing the abusing.

Intolerance is off the scale. Last year a highly educated, white-haired, middle-class, liberal-Leftish woman told me it was a great pity Boris Johnson didnt die of Covid. Shocking. And theres too much of that about.

For comfort and joy I am off to Holland to look at beautiful art, so I wont be here next week. For me, family, friends, dogs, nature and the arts are the source of all consolation. Apart from lovely readers, that is.
She shared the meal to Reddit drawing in thousands of shocked responses

The shopper bought a tiny Chinese take away meal with an orange juice

An Aussie diner was outraged after paying $17 for a tiny meal from a food court

An Australian shopper has shared their shock at the price of a tiny meal and drink she bought at a food court.

The tiny Chinese takeaway meal and an orange juice cost her a staggering $17.

She posted an image of the 'pathetic' dish to Reddit shocking more than 25,000 users and drawing in hundreds of outraged comments.

A diner has shocked thousands after sharing her outrage at paying $17 for a tiny takeaway meal and a drink at a food court

The diner said she had 'two hours to kill' and regretted purchasing the food she bought because she didn't want to go hungry.

'I have food at home and that was the plan. But I now had to kill two hours. So I chose to go to the food court instead of driving 45 mins home and back, both ways,' she explained.

'Regret it for the price it was. Should've just starved until I got home after 3:30pm.'

Redditors were quick to express their anger at the 'extortionate' cost of the small meal amid the rising costs of living.

'That should be a crime. Take them to food court,' one quipped.

'Who knew you could buy sadness...' joked a second.

'What I don't understand is the business model here. They charge 17 bucks for a bottle of juice and a small tub of...brown food-style chunklets? And they get one sale, and one customer that probably won't be back,' a third wondered.

Poll How much would you expect to pay for this meal? Under $5 $5-$10 $10-$15 $15+ How much would you expect to pay for this meal? Under $5 198 votes

$5-$10 763 votes

$10-$15 168 votes

$15+ 20 votes Now share your opinion





Others complained of skyrocketing prices of food and shared the ridiculous cost of meals they had purchased.

'Ordered pick up from an Indian place a couple of weeks ago, two chicken dishes, two large rice and one serve of naan....$80,' one man said.

'I was in the QVB building this morning. Ordered a small coffee and a brekky wrap. $21!!!' another exclaimed.

'The food truck craze in Perth right now is doing the same thing. Every food item is 15 to 17 each and I know a plate of pasta costs a lot less to make. Standard Australian price gouging,' a third wrote.

However, some had no sympathy for the diner asking why she would buy the expensive meal in the first place.

'You should already know the price on the menu before you buy it, but you buy it anyway. Why complain afterward? It's not like they scammed you or anything,' someone commented.

'So, why did you choose to pay that and instead not make a choice, as a consumer, to support a different business? Just felt like voluntarily choosing to waste your money and then b**** for clout?' another asked.
Doctors were dismissive at first but testing and a CT scan found a 7cm tumour

A single mum who thought she had a 'tummy bug' was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer after visiting her doctor.

Sophie Edwards was diagnosed with rectal adenocarcinoma - a form of bowel cancer - on June 14, 2022 despite having no family history of the disease and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The 34-year-old manager from Adelaide told FEMAIL she noticed a change bowel habits 12 weeks before visiting a doctor, and at first physicians were dismissive of her symptoms.

Since then the young mum has been on an emotional rollercoaster and says this time last year she was a 'completely different person'.

Single mum Sophie Edwards (right) was diagnosed with stage 3 rectal adenocarcinoma - a form of bowel cancer - on June 14, 2022 despite having no family history of the disease and maintaining a healthy lifestyle

The 34-year-old manager from Adelaide told FEMAIL she noticed a change bowel habits 12 weeks before visiting a doctor, and at first physicians were dismissive of her symptoms

Since then the young mum has been on an emotional rollercoaster and says this time last year she was a 'completely different person'

'I needed the toilet more and more frequently to the point where I started having accidents - which was very embarrassing - then had severe intense pain,' she said.

'I was extremely unwell; It prompted me to go see a doctor because I couldn't eat or drink anything either.'

Because of the pain her mum took her to the closest local GP who unfortunately dismissed her symptoms.

'The doctor told me to take gastro tablets, but mum advocated for testing,' Sophie said and completed a stool sample.

Surprisingly blood tests didn't detect anything sinister.

When she was able to get in touch with her regular doctor who reviewed the tests, 'microscopic' amounts of blood were detected in the stools.

Sophie then met with a gastric entomologist for a CT scan that 'detected something' but at the time specialists couldn't determine what it was.

'It all happened so quickly; it took 10 days from first going to the doctor to being diagnosed,' she said.

On June 14 a colonoscopy found the 7cm tumour and confirmed it was cancerous.

When she was told the dreadful news, Sophie said she felt 'completely numb and overwhelmed' and immediately thought of her seven-year-old son Jaxon

After the procedure Sophie and her mum were patiently waiting for the results from the specialist.

'When you hear the word "cancer" you automatically think you're going to die. You have no idea what path is going to show up before you,' she said.

'I felt completely numb and overwhelmed, and immediately I thought of my seven-year-old son Jaxon.

'Mum was beside me completely shellshocked and wished it was her going through this and not me.'

It was also 'torturous' waiting to confirm if it had spread elsewhere - which it hadn't.

Prior to having treatment Sophie saw a fertility specialist in mid-July for an IVF egg collection and 11 eggs were successfully retrieved to be frozen

After the egg collection she dived straight into treatment which were 'intense'. After 25 rounds of radiotherapy it felt as if 'acid had been tipped into her abdominal' and was left in 'so much pain'. For this type of cancer Sophie didn't need surgery

Prior to having treatment Sophie saw a fertility specialist in mid-July for an IVF egg collection and 11 eggs were successfully retrieved to be frozen.

'During the whole process I felt empowered because I knew it was something I wanted to do; knowing I had control of the situation when everything else was out of my control was a huge relief,' she said.

'I found the process to be beautiful in what was a really depressing time for me. But after retrieving the eggs I felt ready to tackle the cancer.'

She dived straight into radiation treatments which were 'intense'.

'You don't feel the effects until you've finished and I was taking chemotherapy tablets morning and night too,' Sophie said.

After 25 rounds of radiotherapy it felt as if 'acid had been tipped into her abdominal' and was left in 'so much pain'.

'The after effects were awful and horrific, but it had to be done,' she said.

During a three-week break from treatment Sophie was hospitalised for five days after experiencing 'severe, unbearable pain' from her body processing the stress of the treatment.

For this type of cancer Sophie didn't need surgery.

During the entire ordeal one of the hardest aspect has been explaining it all to her son (right). Her final round of chemotherapy will be on December 26 right after Christmas

During the entire ordeal one of the hardest aspect has been explaining it all to her young son.

'I tried explaining to him why I'm so sick, which was very hard and heartbreaking. No child should see their parent so unwell,' she said, adding: 'But I can't protect him from that.'

Jaxon asks questions like 'why did this happen to you?' and 'why aren't you getting better?' which pulls on Sophie's heartstrings as a mum.

Physically some days Sophie can't get out of bed but takes the good with the bad and has support from family.

She said she is also extremely grateful for the wonderful doctors we have in Australia, and estimates Medicare has covered roughly $40,000 in medical fees.

'I've paid around $8,000 out of pocket and wouldn't have been able to afford the whole medical bill if it wasn't covered by Medicare,' she said.

Symptoms of bowel cancer: - Change in bowel habits with diarrhoea, constipation or the feeling of incomplete emptying - Thin or loose bowel movements - Blood or mucous in stools - Abdominal pain, bloating and cramping - Anal or rectal pain - Lump in the anus or rectum - Unexplained weight loss - Fatigue - Unexplained anaemia Source: Cancer Council Australia Advertisement

Now she has chemotherapy via an IV port in her collarbone every two weeks over a three-day period for 18 weeks.

Sophie and doctors are hoping to completely eliminate the cancer.

'I'm waiting to finish my treatment then will have a scope in the next two weeks to see if the tumour has disappeared. But it's all been going very well,' she said.

Sophie's final round of chemotherapy will be on December 26 right after Christmas.

'It can be really lonely time at times, because everyone around wants to help but there's only so much they can do,' she said.

Sophie has been sharing her story with friends, family and others on social media in hope others won't ignore symptoms.

'If you think something is wrong, go get checked. Don't feel embarrassed talking about your bowels with doctors - they're there to help,' she said.
Advertisement

British scientists intentionally created hybrid Covid strains in risky experiments judged to be like 'playing with fire', MailOnline can reveal.

Hamsters were infected with mutant viruses, blends of the original Wuhan strain and parts of either Omicron or Delta.

Critics of the research, carried out by Imperial College London, called it 'insanity' and warned the lab trials could, in theory, unleash a new viral threat. Twenty scientists were involved in the project, including one who sits on the Government's advisory panel SAGE.

But the university insists the study, part-funded by the taxpayer, followed British regulations and was entirely safe.

Our revelation comes amid ongoing furore over similar experiments in the US, where authorities have proposed a crackdown on virus manipulation research.

Earlier this month, DailyMail.com, MailOnline's US equivalent, revealed academics at Boston University combined different parts of the Omicron and the original Wuhan Covid strains.

Hamsters were infected with mutant viruses, blends of the original Wuhan strain and parts of either Omicron or Delta. Critics of the research, carried out by Imperial College London, called it 'insanity' and warned the lab trials could, in theory, unleash a new viral threat. Twenty scientists were involved in the project, including one who sits on the Government's advisory panel SAGE

In a trial eerily akin to that of the Boston project, Imperial researchers (pictured, a lab at the university - not necessarily the one where the experiments were carried out) infected hamsters with two chimera Covid hybrids, the results of which were published online on May 13. It was carried out in a biosafety level-3 lab, which requires doors to be sealed and workers to wear hazmat suits

Imperial's study was partly funded by the Government, through an offshoot of an agency called UK Research and Innovation

Critics say this combined the higher lethality of the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 version, which triggered the pandemic in early 2020, with the extreme transmissibility of the milder Omicron strain. Omicron is said to be just contagious as measles, although the claim is disputed.

The hybrid virus they created killed 80 per cent of infected mice.

Boston University defended its research, saying it proved less lethal than the Wuhan type on its own.

It vehemently denied the experiments could be considered 'gain of function', a controversial field of science that sees virologists intentionally manipulate pathogens to make them more infectious or deadly to prepare for future pandemics  allowing them to develop vaccines and therapies in case diseases naturally evolve to become more dangerous.

A leak of such an engineered virus from the Wuhan Institute of Virology is one of the main theorised origins of the pandemic. The infamous lab carried out similar research involving coronaviruses found in bats, with some arguing this work constituted gain of function experiments, though others refute this.

But others argued the Boston University research was unquestionably gain of function as it had the potential of increasing its transmissibility  even if the end result appeared to be the opposite.

Professor Shmuel Shapira, former director of the Israeli Government's Institute for Biological Research, stated any similar research should be banned because it is effectively 'playing with fire'.

This is due to the potential, albeit tiny, risk that such a virus could escape strict biosecurity measures in a lab and go on to infect people.

Pictured above are scientists working at Boston's high-tech infectious diseases lab in the South End neighborhood of the city. Experiments on Covid here were funded by Boston University, but grants from NIAID were credited as a 'courtesy' because the research used tools developed using them

Boston University's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories is one of 13 biosafety level 4 labs in the US

80 percent of mice died from the new man-made Covid strain, while none died from the milder Omicron variant alone, researchers at Boston University's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories found

Gain of function research: Everything you need to know about the risky lab experiments What is gain of function? It is a highly controversial research practise that involves intentionally altering a pathogen, in order to improve its ability to cause disease. At its most basic level, scientists modify them to make them more infectious or lethal. Usually, trials are carried out on human cells or rodents  to see how they behave under tightly-controlled lab settings. Why is it done? The reason for such experiments is they allow scientists to effectively see 'around the corner' and anticipate how a pathogen might evolve naturally. It also gives scientists a chance to better understand its effects on humans, and how it behaves. This can, in theory, speed up the development of drugs and vaccines, especially for infectious diseases that are currently untreatable. Is it dangerous? Gain of function research  despite being carried out in biocontainment facilities with workers in hazmat suits and sealed doors  is hugely controversial. Critics argue the benefits of the research are not worth the potential risks, however tiny they are. Some scientists fear the development of mutant viruses could lead to the next pandemic, if they were to ever accidentally leak from a lab. Such an event is one of the origin theories for the original Covid virus, which was first spotted in Wuhan, near the now infamous Wuhan Institute of Virology. Defenders insist that such changes can, however, occur naturally. Is it only done on Covid? Despite being thrust into the limelight during the Covid pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 isn't the only pathogen to have been experimented on in this way. Gain of function has been used for years, including by creating more drought-resistant plants and modifying E. coli so that it break down plastic waste. What constitutes gain of function? There is huge debate among experts about what exactly constitutes 'gain of function' research. Some studies do not set out to intentionally create a more dangerous pathogen, but may do so while modifying it to learn more about how it infects cells. Advertisement

MailOnline's investigations have uncovered a similar experiment that has flown under the radar here in the UK.

In a trial eerily akin to that of the Boston project, Imperial researchers infected hamsters with two chimera Covid hybrids, the results of which were published online on May 13. It was carried out in a biosafety level-3 lab, which requires doors to be sealed and workers to wear hazmat suits.

One virus, like in the Boston experiment, was the original Wuhan strain given an Omicron spike protein  the tiny structure on the surface of the virus that it uses to infect human cells.

The second was a Wuhan strain given the spike protein of the Delta variant, which analyses suggested was even deadlier than the original type of Covid.

Each major variant of SARS-CoV-2  the virus behind Covid  carries mutations in its spike protein, which is why some prove more immune-evasive than others.

This is, in part, due to the original batch of vaccines being designed to specifically target the Wuhan strain's spike protein, as opposed to strains that emerged later in the pandemic.

After infecting the hamsters, scientists then monitored them for weight loss  a sign they were becoming weaker.

This allowed them to see if certain attributes of each strain, such as Delta's severity or Omicron's infectiousness, were linked to their spike proteins or to other elements of their genetic make-up.

Results were compared to rodents infected with unmodified strains.

Nasal swabs were also regularly taken to measure the viral loads  a measure of how much the virus was in their body  of the hamsters.

Over the next 10 days, hamsters hosting the hybrid viruses either lost more or didn't put on as much weight and had higher viral loads than those infected with their regular versions.

It is not detailed whether the hamsters survived or were euthanised after the project finished. Imperial refused to provide this information.

Professor Wendy Barclay, a member of SAGE, the panel that guided No10 through the Covid pandemic, was the lead author of the project.

Presenting the results of the hamster experiment, her team said the results suggested that Omicron's mild nature was linked to genetic mutations other than those located on its spike protein.

Imperial's study was partly funded by the Government, through an offshoot of an agency called UK Research and Innovation.

The Imperial study was not published in a peer-reviewed journal. Instead, it was made available as a preprint.

Dr Richard Ebright, a chemist at Rutgers University in New Jersey and a vocal campaigner against gain of function research, described the study uncovered by MailOnline as sheer 'insanity'.

'The Imperial preprint reports an additional example of the construction of non-natural, lab-generated chimera that combines the spike gene of Omicron SARS-CoV-2 with the rest of the genetic information of an original 2018-2020 SARS-CoV2,' he said.

Professor Wendy Barclay (left), a member of SAGE, the panel that guided No10 through the Covid pandemic, was the lead author of the project. Dr Thomas Peacock (right) was also involved

Bombshell Senate report concludes that Covid 'most likely' leaked from lab The Covid pandemic was most likely the result of a lab leak, according to a bombshell Senate report. Policymakers said there was 'substantial' evidence of an accident at a research facility  while evidence for a natural spillover is 'still missing'. The interim report concluded that China 's unwillingness to cooperate or open up the lab in question meant it 'no longer deserves the benefit of the doubt'. GOP members of the Senate Committee on Health Education, Labor and Pensions reviewed hundreds of studies into the origins of Covid and interviewed 'several dozen' experts over the past 15 months. Writing in the report, they conclude: 'Based on the analysis of the publicly available information, it appears reasonable to conclude that the COVID-19 pandemic was, more likely than not, the result of a research-related incident.' They add: 'Nearly three years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, critical evidence that would prove that the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and resulting COVID-19 pandemic was caused by a natural zoonotic spillover is missing.' The report accepts there is still crucial missing information about how the pandemic truly came to be  with no direct evidence for either natural or synthetic origin. But 'the lack of transparency and collaboration' from China 'prevents reaching a more definitive conclusion', the senate committee adds. 'The hypothesis of a natural zoonotic origin no longer deserves the benefit of the doubt, or the presumption of accuracy.' Proponents of the lab leak theory  including former President Donald Trump  were initially dismissed as conspiracy theorists or denounced as xenophobes. The Covid pandemic was most likely the result of a lab leak, according to an explosive Senate report Advertisement

He said the resulting virus, like the Boston experiment, combined the high immune-escape abilities of Omicron with the higher severity of other Covid variants.

Dr Ebright, an expert in molecular biology who focuses on developing drugs to treat infectious diseases, added that, as the research has no 'foreseeable practical applications', it was extremely high risk for little reward.

'This is insanity, both In terms of the redundancy and waste,' he told this website. 'And, especially, in terms of the risk of triggering a new pandemic wave upon accidental or deliberate release of the laboratory-generated viruses.

'This should be a wake-up call.

'If the world wishes to avoid new pandemic waves and pandemics caused by lab-generated enhanced potential pandemic pathogens, then it is urgently necessary to restrict senseless high-risk, low-benefit research that creates enhanced potential pandemic pathogens and to implement effective national oversight, with force of law, on such research.'

Imperial defended its research. A spokesperson said: 'This government-backed research used viruses no more pathogenic than those already circulating within the population and will provide crucial insights that support government decision-making on how to manage the pandemic.

'It was conducted in a biosafety level three laboratory in line with strict government regulations, and received ongoing approval from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).'

The HSE, Britain's workplace safety watchdog, must be informed of any experiments which involve biological agents.

However, it does not assess or consider the ethical or political basis of whether work should be undertaken in the first place. A spokesperson said: 'Such considerations are outside of HSEs regulatory remit.'

Gain of function research was halted in the US from 2014 to 2017 over safety fears. But five years ago it was allowed to restart, with proponents arguing it could help the world prepare for the next severe illness.

No restrictions have ever been put in place in Britain.

MailOnline approached the Department of Health for comment.

One British expert also acknowledged such research could theoretically create a more dangerous strain of Covid but insisted that the risk was minor.

Professor Robert Dingwall, a sociologist at Nottingham Trent University and ex-Government coronavirus adviser, said the scientists doing the experiments themselves had no desire to be patient zero of a new pandemic.

'There is a very small risk of creating a more dangerous variant,' he said.

'However, I have observed lab scientists at work and they are very aware that the first risks are to themselves. This is a strong incentive to follow safe working practices.'

There is debate among scientists on if studies like the Imperial experiment constitute gain of function research, as they had not set out to create a more dangerous version of Covid intentionally.

'It is difficult to draw the line between "gain of function" and "exploration of potential for variation" in advance of experiments being completed,' Professor Dingwall said.

However, he said such experiments should be more tightly controlled, possibly on a global scale.

'There should certainly be a formal, independent, review before they go ahead. This may require new regulations to promote a globally shared approach,' he said.

The Imperial study was approved by the university's internal genetic manipulation safety committee and the HSE.

Boston's study, also performed in a BSL-3 lab, wasn't cleared by the US' National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which had part-funded the study.

Professor Francois Balloux, an infectious disease expert at University College London, said such experiments can carry the risk of creating a virus that is 'marginally more dangerous'.

Pictured: The Wuhan Institute of Virology, where crucial data was wiped by Chinese scientists

Virologist Shi Zheng-li - nicknamed the 'Bat Lady' - is pictured in the lab. She hunted down dozens of deadly Covid-like viruses in bat caves and studied them at the WIV

The question of whether the global outbreak began with a spillover from wildlife sold at the market or leaked out of the Wuhan lab just eight miles across the Yangtze River has given rise to fierce debate about how to prevent the next pandemic. New studies point to a natural spillover at the Huanan wildlife market. Positive swab samples of floors, cages and counters also track the virus back to stalls in the southwestern corner of the market (bottom left), where animals with the potential to harbor Covid were sold for meat or fur at the time (bottom right)

However, he added: 'Such variants emerged multiple times through recombination between strains in circulation.

'None of those recombinant variants reached high frequency and they are all extinct now, but there were concerns at the time they could be more virulent than Omicron.'

In regards to whether the research could be classified as gain of function, Professor Balloux said: 'It is not always easy to decide what exactly falls under gain of function research.

'Given that essentially the same recombinants emerged naturally and circulated at low frequency for a while, I do not deem those specific experiments to represent gain of function research, but I appreciate others will disagree with my call on this in good faith.'

Gain of function experiments allow scientists to effectively see 'around the corner' and anticipate how a pathogen might evolve naturally.

It also gives scientists a chance to better understand its effects on humans, and how it behaves. This can, in theory, speed up the development of drugs and vaccines, especially for infectious diseases that are currently untreatable.

Despite being thrust into the limelight during the Covid pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 isn't the only pathogen to have been experimented on in this way.

Gain of function has been used for years, including by creating more drought-resistant plants and modifying E. coli so that it break down plastic waste.
Organization has called for all limits on gender-affirming care to be dropped

He also slammed the lack of scientific evidence to back up the statement

American nurses were today accused of 'failing children' after calling for all restrictions on sex changes to be lifted.

The American Nurses Association said it 'strongly opposes' any policies that limit access to trans healthcare in a statement issued Wednesday.

It is the latest medical membership body to throw its weight behind the controversial treatments. The American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics have also spoken out against restricting gender-affirming care in minors.

Several Republican states are imposing age limits or tightening access to puberty blockers or surgery as the procedures become increasingly common and a growing number of 'de-transitioners' say they regret the irreversible procedures.

But the influential ANA, which has four million members, said the restrictions are 'not grounded in reputable science'.

It added: 'Nurses must always stress human rights protection with particular attention to... gender-diverse youth.'

Critics have blasted the ANA for what they called a 'grotesque politicization' of medicine.

They said doctors and nurses should instead be 'cautious' about trans treatments, which can be irreversible, in young people.

Jay Richards, from the right-wing Heritage Foundation, told DailyMail.com: 'I absolutely think the ANA is failing children with this statement.

'It does not cite any scientific evidence, it is a piece of political advocacy that I honestly suspect is the product of a small group of people in the organization who are advocates.'

Pictured above is the statement from the American Nurses Association. Critics have slammed them for 'politicizing' the issue and 'failing' children

Jay Richards, a director focusing on gender ideology at the right-wing Heritage Foundation, said the ANA's statement was politically motivated and not backed up by scientific evidence. Patrick Brown, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center said it was important to be 'cautious' when it came to transgender care

Mr Richards told DailyMail.com that the ANA'S stance 'does not reflect the opinion of most members of the organization'.

'Americans should not think that this reflects the views of ordinary nurses,' he added.

'I fear that this is a grotesque politicization of an issue that should be decided on steely scientific grounds.'

He added: 'I absolutely think the ANA is failing children through their medicine.'

There are no age limits on transgender treatments at a federal level.

Arizona is currently the only state that has banned transgender surgery before someone's 18th birthday.

How gender dysphoria rates among children have DOUBLED since 2017 The documented number of children with gender dysphoria has exploded in recent years, giving rise to the use of powerful puberty-blocking drugs. About 300,000 children aged between 13 and 17 (1.4 per cent) in the US identify as transgender, according to most recent estimates from 2020. That is double the number estimated to be transgender in 2017 in a previous report by the same researchers, though they used different estimates. Connecticut and New York saw the numbers of children identifying as transgender in their states nearly quadruple over the last three years alone. The population only fell in West Virginia, Tennessee and New Jersey. Children aged 13 to 17 are over four times more likely to identify as transgender (1.4 per cent) than adults over 65 (0.3 per cent). Some say the rise is born out of increased awareness of gender dysphoria  that is, emotional distress due to a disconnect between gender identity and biological sex  and a rise in acceptance in society. Advertisement

Alabama and Arkansas imposed more wide-reaching bans that also stopped under-18s accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapy, but these have been suspended.

More than ten states  including Florida, Alabama and Texas  block Medicaid from funding any transgender care.

There are fears about the long-term impacts of the life-altering drugs and procedures.

More and more people are now coming forward to say they regret transitioning.

Just yesterday Chloe Cole, 18, came forward to say advocating for the care is like 'trying to adovcate for further experimentation on children'.

She was allowed to transition to a boy at age 13 years, before later regretting her decision at age 16 years.

President Joe Biden said this week that 'it's wrong' to limit access to the treatments, even in children.

Generally hormone therapy is not offered until someone is 16 years old, the Mayo Clinic says, in line with recommendations from the Endocrine Society.

But a study published earlier this week found children as young as 14 years are having 'top' surgery  where breasts are removed or implanted.

It's unclear how many are having 'bottom' surgery on their genitals.

The American Academy of Pediatrics supports transgender surgery but gives no age limits for treatments.

Britain's public health service  the NHS  stopped offering transgender treatments to all under-18s in July.

Swedish hospitals have also stopped prescribing puberty blockers to those under 16 years old.

Patrick Brown, a fellow at the Conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center, told DailyMail.com: 'If you are 14 or 15 years old, you think this will solve your problems in school or other issues.

'But these are potentially life changing alterations and medication and surgery.

'I think if we are not stepping back and taking a deep breath and asking for more evidence to come in, it is failing in our responsibility as a society to watch out for the interests of young people.

'Whenever you are talking about changing someone's life in such a dramatic way you wnat to be extremely cautious.

'There are a lot of questions over the social science that gets put pout in the name of social science that actually ends up being procedure.

Gender dysphoria is is when someone's personal gender does not match that of the body they are born into.

In the first instance doctors may offer counseling before prescribing puberty blockers, which stops secondary sexual characteristics appearing.

This medication is only approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for stopping puberty when it starts abnormally early in children. For transgender children it must currently be prescribed off-label.

Youngsters are also able to get hormone therapy, which changes the balance of hormones in their bodies prompting secondary sexual characteristics.

By raising testosterone levels, the drugs can prompt the development of facial hair and a deeper voice.

Boosting levels of estrogen can prompt more rounded hips and a decreased ability to generate muscle.

A study released last year by Stanford University scientists suggest 13 per cent of people who currently identify as transgender want to de-transition.
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Cancer death rates have fallen ten per cent in five years across the US despite diagnoses staying level  in a sign America is getting better at treating the disease.

The American Cancer Society said survival rates 'accelerated' from 2015 to 2019, rising by more than 5 per cent a year  the fastest in two decades. It follows a 20-year trend of falling cancer mortality.

Yet, rates of new diagnoses of the disease have remained approximately the same from 2014 to 2018. In some groups, including women and adults aged 15 to 39, the rate of new cancer diagnoses has actually increased.

The report said more people are surviving after a cancer diagnosis because the disease is being picked up earlier and doctors are getting better at treating it.

They warned, however, that progress fighting other cancers and particularly those related to excess body weight, physical inactivity and diabetes had stalled and, in some cases, even reversed.

Overall, the mortality rate fell for 11 of the 19 most common cancers  including lung, melanoma, prostate cancer and leukemia.

In men, cancers of the bones and joints were the fastest growing, while for women this was uterine and also liver cancer  both linked to obesity.

The report does not cover the Covid pandemic, when a lack of access to hospital care is believed to have reversed the country's progress in fighting cancer.

It comes after President Joe Biden launched his 'cancer moonshot' plan which seeks to halve the number of deaths from the disease within 25 years.

The above graph shows the cancer diagnosis rates (top lines) and fatality rates (bottom lines) for males (red) and females (blue) since the start of this century. It reveals that fatality rates are trending downwards overall, while case rates are steady

The above graph shows the rises or falls in death rates for cancers by gender, year and cancer type. It reveals there has been a large drop in lung cancer, but there are also rises in cancers related to being overweight

The above shows the number of cases diagnosed between the two genders per year from 2014 to 2018. There are rises mainly in cancers related to excess weight, inactivity and diabetes

This graph shows the incidence rate and death rate for cancers by sexs and ethnic groups

About 1.9million Americans are diagnosed with cancer every year and there are 600,000 deaths per year.

The American Cancer Society's annual report (ACS) on cancer cases and deaths includes data from all 50 states and Washington D.C.

Between 2015 and 2019 the cancer fatality rate fell by 2.1 per cent per year to 152 per 100,000. Men were still the most likely to fall victim to the disease at 181 per 100,000 deaths per year, compared to 131 per 100,000 for women.

Joe Biden launches 'supercharged' Cancer Moonshot program Joe Biden on Monday said ending cancer 'as we know it' was one of the reasons he ran for president as he supercharged his 'Cancer Moonshot' initiative with a shot of glamour from the Kennedy family. Biden, who wants to cut cancer deaths in half over the next 25 years, said cancer can be transformed into a disease that can be managed and lived with. He issued his new call to arms at the John F. Kennedy Library, on the 60th anniversary of Prsident Kennedy's famous 'Moonshot' speech, where JFK rallied America to beat Russia to the moon - which was accomplished in 1969. 'When he set that goal, he established a national purpose that could rally the American people and a common cause. And he succeeded,' Biden said of JFK. 'Now in our time, on the 60th anniversary of his clarion call, we face another inflection point, and together, we can choose to move forward with unity, hope and optimism. I believe we can usher in the same unwillingness to postpone - the same national purpose - that will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills to end cancer as we know it. And even cure cancers once and for all.' The fight against cancer is personal for Biden, who lost his son Beau to brain cancer in 2015. The Cancer Moonshot, originally created when Biden was vice president, came in the wake of Beau's death. 'This Cancer Moonshot is one of the reasons why I ran for president,' Biden said. Advertisement

The ACS said a big drop in lung cancer deaths was the driver of the overall downturn in mortality, dropping by around five per cent a year.

This was credited with a sharp reduction in smoking rates over the past six decades. It can takes years if not decades for the cancer to develop and kill patients.

Eligibility for Medicaid was also expanded from 2014, offering more vulnerable Americans free healthcare.

The most common cancer was lung (44 cases per 100,000 men), followed by prostate (18.9) and colon and rectum (16).

Their most common cancer was also lung cancer (30.7 cases per 100,000 women), followed by breast (19.9) and colon and rectum (11.3).

Cancer still remained the second most common cause of death between 2015 and 2019, however, behind heart disease.

Dr Monica Bertagnolli, an oncologist and director of the National Cancer Institute, said: 'The findings in this years Annual Report to the Nation show our ongoing progress against cancer, continuing a more than two-decade trend in declining mortality that reflects improvements in preventing, detecting, and treating cancer.

'The advances shown in the report underscore the importance of working together across society to develop effective, equitable approaches to tackle this complex disease.

'I look forward to working with all our partners in the cancer community to meet these challenges head-on, because people affected by cancerand that includes all of usare counting on it.'

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said the 'report is good news in our fight against cancer and is a reminder of the importance of President Bidens Cancer Moonshot initiative.

'Im deeply impressed by the progress were making against cancer and firmly believe we can meet the Presidents goal of reducing the death rate from cancer by at least 50 per cent over the next 25 years.

'We can and must end cancer as we know it.'

It comes after President Biden vowed to halve cancer rates by the year 2047.

His 'cancer moonshot' program is a 'commitment' to reaching this goal, that will see new diagnostic tests, treatments and therapeutics developed.

The President aims to make cancer a disease that can be managed and lived with.

It is also personal for Biden, who lost his son Beau to brain cancer in 2015.
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Two Omicron splinter variants  considered the most immune-evading strains yet to have spawned  are now officially being monitored by British health chiefs.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), tasked with fighting off viral threats, has deemed BQ.1 and XBB 'variant designations' due to their rapid growth over the past few weeks.

Experts fears their catalogue of mutations may enable them to better dodge protection garnered from prior infections and vaccines.

Lab tests of positive Covid swabs have detected 735 cases of the variants in the UK so far. But this will be a fraction of the true toll due to a lack of testing.

Neither have yet been deemed a 'variant of concern' but the UKHSA raised concerns that the strains may 'fuel future waves' of infection.

It urged people to ensure they are up-to-date with their Covid vaccines, which will still help to protect people.

It comes as data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirms that Covid infections are levelling off in England, just six weeks into the most recent wave. One in 30 people are still thought to be infected, up 2.5 per cent in a week.

Virus levels have been rising since mid-September and are now approaching a three-month high, with experts blaming new variants, the back to school effect and Britons returning from their summer holidays. Some had called for masks to be return.

Infections dropped in Wales, while cases jumped in Scotland and Northern Ireland, surveillance data suggests.

ONS statisticians said the latest Covid wave remains 'a mixed picture' and argued it is 'too early to say from the data whether we are seeing a turning point in the level of infections'.

Health chiefs last week credited England's autumn booster rollout, which is targeting 26million over-50s, at-risk groups and health and care staff, for reigning in the virus.

But they warned of a 'twindemic' of Covid and flu this winter  with infections of both viruses peaking at the same time or one after the other  which would place 'substantial pressure' on the health service

BQ.1 is a sub-variant of BA.5, with the latter being behind around nine in 10 infections in Britain. The UKHSA said BQ.1 is now being more thoroughly monitored because of its 'rapid growth'. The variant was behind 10.7 per cent of cases in the week to October 17, according to UKHSA data. It marks a 25 per cent uptick in a week, as the strain was behind just 8.6 per cent of infections in the week to October 10

Some 1.75million people in England (3.2 per cent) were infected in the week to October 17, up just 2.47 per cent on 1.71million in the week to October 10

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE XBB COVID STRAIN? What is XBB? XBB is formed of two variants scientifically named BJ.1 and BA.2.75 which have merged. It was first detected in India back in August, authorities said, but did not spark a wave until now. Covid variants can merge  in a process scientifically known as recombination  if they infect the same cell in the same person at the same time, and then swap genes. There have been several recombinant variants already  such as 'Delta-plus' last year  but, until now, none have led to a major surge in infections. Where has it been spotted? The variant has been detected in nearly 20 countries, including the UK, US and Singapore, where it is infected thousands every week. Is the variant concerning? In Singapore, XBB is behind more than half of cases in the country, up from one in five just one week ago. The country has seen cases quadruple from 2,000 to 8,000 per week in the last month. One possible cause for concern is that Singapore's reinfection rate has risen dramatically since the arrival of XBB  from five to 17.5 per cent of all cases. It is not clear yet if this is simply due to waning vaccine protection. Why are some scientists not worried? Singaporean scientists estimate it is 30 per cent milder than the previously dominant BA.5 Omicron strain. And officials in the country already expect the wave to peak in mid-November, making it a short and steep  but crucially mild  wave. Advertisement

Dr Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infection at the UKHSA, said: 'It is not unexpected to see new variants of SARS-CoV-2 emerge.

'Neither BQ.1 nor XBB have been designated as variants of concern and UKHSA is monitoring the situation closely, as always.

'Vaccination remains our best defence against future Covid waves, so it is still as important as ever that people come take up all the doses for which they are eligible as soon as possible.'

Dozens of Omicron strains are spreading across the UK but BQ.1 and XBB are the two that are causing concern at the moment.

BQ.1 is a sub-variant of BA.5, the strain responsible for around nine in 10 infections in Britain.

UKHSA bosses said BQ.1 is now being more thoroughly monitored because of its 'rapid growth'.

It has been spotted 717 times by experts who examine positive Covid samples to determine which variants are spreading. Only a tiny fraction of positive cases end up being sequenced.

The variant was behind 10.7 per cent of cases in the week to October 17, according to UKHSA data. It marks a 25 per cent uptick in a week, as the strain was behind just 8.6 per cent of infections in the week to October 10.

Meanwhile, XBB was formed by two other variants  scientifically named BJ.1 and BA.2.75  which have merged.

Just 18 samples have been detected in the UK. However, more than 1,000 have been detected worldwide and the variant was blamed for causing a recent spike of cases in Singapore.

The UKHSA said there is a risk of BQ.1 and XBB causing an increase in virus transmission in the near future, based on the rapid take of BQ.1 in the UK and XBB's growth in other countries.

Researchers at Oxford University are studying how BQ.1 and XBB respond when exposed to blood from people who have been vaccinated and previously infected with Covid.

Results show that vaccines and immunity from previous infections are less effective against the strains, compared to previous Omicron strains.

The UKHSA said: 'This suggesting that, as immunity begins to wane, these newly emerging BA.2 variants may fuel future waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection.'

It comes as ONS data shows that infections are flattening in England.

Some 1.75million people in England (3.2 per cent) were infected in the week to October 17, up just 2.47 per cent on 1.71million in the week to October 10.

In Wales, cases plunged 26.8 per cent week-on-week, with an estimated 86,100 infected nation-wide  equivalent to one in 35 people or 2.8 per cent of the population.

Meanwhile, 159,200 people in Scotland were thought to be carrying Covid in the most recent week. The figure is up 10.2 per cent compared to last week's data.

Some 53,700 people in Northern Ireland infected with Covid, according to the ONS. The number is up by 21.5 per cent in a week.

Across the entire UK, 2.05million people were thought to be infected, broadly unchanged from 2.01 million in the previous week.

Some 1.75million people in England (3.2 per cent) were infected in the week to October 17, up just 2.47 per cent on 1.71million in the week to October 10. In Wales, cases plunged 26.8 per cent week-on-week, with an estimated 86,100 infected nation-wide  equivalent to one in 35 people or 2.8 per cent of the population. Meanwhile, 159,200 people in Scotland were thought to be carrying Covid in the most recent week. The figure is up 10.2 per cent compared to last week's data. Some 53,700 people in Northern Ireland infected with Covid, according to the ONS. The number is up by 21.5 per cent in a week

The ONS data also shows that Covid infections began to drop in Yorkshire and the Humber, where 3.4 per cent of people were thought to be carrying the virus, and in the South West (2.9 per cent). However infections were on the rise in the North West (3.2 per cent), East Midlands (3.7 per cent) and London (2.8 per cent). The ONS said the trend was unclear in the North East (3.5 per cent), West Midlands (3.5 per cent), South East (3.1 per cent) and East of England (3.2 per cent)

Meanwhile, rates varied among different age groups. Virus levels fell among 25 to 34-year-olds, with 3.1 per cent of the cohort infected, and among 11 to 16-year-olds (1.9 per cent). The pattern was uncertain among all other age groups, the ONS said. However, infections are highest among 50 to 69-year-olds (4.1 per cent), the over-70s (3.7 per cent) and 35 to 49-year-olds (3 per cent)

Kara Steel, senior statistician for the Covid Infection Survey, said: 'Today's data show a mixed picture.

'Though infections appear to have slowed in England and are now declining in Wales, they are increasing in both Northern Ireland and Scotland.

'Infections are highest in those aged 50 and over in England, though there has been an increase in secondary school aged children.

'It remains too early to say from the data whether we are seeing a turning point in the level of infections  which remain high across the countries.'

The ONS data also shows that Covid infections began to drop in Yorkshire and the Humber, where 3.4 per cent of people were thought to be carrying the virus, and in the South West (2.9 per cent).

However infections were on the rise in the North West (3.2 per cent), East Midlands (3.7 per cent) and London (2.8 per cent).

The ONS said the trend was unclear in the North East (3.5 per cent), West Midlands (3.5 per cent), South East (3.1 per cent) and East of England (3.2 per cent).

Meanwhile, rates varied among different age groups.

Virus levels fell among 25 to 34-year-olds, with 3.1 per cent of the cohort infected, and among 11 to 16-year-olds (1.9 per cent).

The pattern was uncertain among all other age groups, the ONS said. However, infections are highest among 50 to 69-year-olds (4.1 per cent), the over-70s (3.7 per cent) and 35 to 49-year-olds (3 per cent).

Despite concerns about the latest surge and the XBB and BQ,1 strains, Covid hospitalisations are falling in England.

Latest data shows 870 people infected with the virus were admitted into NHS care on October 24, down 22.4 per cent in week.

And the number of Covid patients in hospitals plunged to 9,131, down 12.1 per cent in the week to October 26. However, ICU admissions among those sickened with Covid increased 7.8 per cent, from 206 to 222 in the week to October 26.
It comes as the number of missed GP appointments are near record levels

Mr Sunak believes 'now is not the right time' for the policy after doctor backlash

Rishi Sunak has binned one of his Tory leadership campaign pledges to fine patients who miss GP and hospital appointments 10.

The new Prime Minister today backtracked on the plan, which he outlined in his first, failed attempt at leading the country earlier this year.

It was widely criticised by health leaders. Unions described it as a 'reheated idea of no practical value'.

Mr Sunak believes Britons 'should not be missing their appointments' but admitted 'now is not the right time' for the policy, a Downing Street spokesperson said.

The comments come after official figures yesterday revealed that GP appointment no-shows are near record levels. More than 100million could have been raised this year if each patient was fined 10 for not turning up.

The PM had previously argued that it was 'not right' that some patients were failing to turn up and 'taking those slots away from people who need' them.

Almost 1.4million GP appointments were missed in September this year, according to official NHS data. It is the highest monthly toll since November last year (1.43m)

Rishi Sunak today backtracked on his plan to charge GP appointment no-shows in England 10, with his spokesperson admitting 'now is not the right time'

What does the latest GP appointment data show? NHS Digital data provides a breakdown of GP appointment statistics for September. GP appointments: 28,251,282 Missed appointments: 1,399,358 (5%) Appointment Mode Face-to-face: 68.1% Home visits: 0.7% Telephone: 27.9% Video: 0.6% Unknown: 2.5% Healthcare Professional GP: 48% Other practice staff: 48.9% Unkown: 3.1% Advertisement

A Downing Street spokeswoman today said: 'The PM wants to deliver a stronger NHS and the sentiment remains that people should not be missing their appointments and taking up NHS time.

'But we have listened to GPs and health leaders and have acknowledged that now is not the right time to take this policy forward.'

The comments mark a U-turn, after a spokesperson this week told the Daily Telegraph that Mr Sunak 'stands by the sentiment' of the pledge.

However, the move had to be discussed with newly-appointed Health Secretary Steve Barclay first before the commitment could be confirmed.

When he first raised the plan, Mr Sunak acknowledged it was controversial but said it was necessary to stop doctors' time being wasted.

Mr Sunak said: 'Under my Government there will never be charges for care in our NHS. But I will charge people who waste valuable NHS time by booking appointments and failing to attend.'

Under the plan, people would have been fined from the second appointment they miss, with the patient 'given the benefit of the doubt' the first time they missed one.

He proposed it be put in place until the growing NHS backlog caused by the pandemic was 'reduced to manageable levels'.

Mr Sunak had announced the plan in July as part of his 'transformative' shake-up of the NHS, as he was battling Liz Truss to succeed Boris Johnson.

More than 15million appointments are not attended by patients at GP surgeries every year.

Half of these are with busy family doctors, which means that 1.2million hours of their time go to waste every year.

The annual cost of missed appointments is 216million, enough to pay the annual salaries of 2,325 full-time GPs, according to the now Prime Minister's campaign.

It comes as NHS Digital data this week revealed almost 1.4million GP appointments were missed in September this year, marking the highest monthly toll since November last year.

In the summer the British Medical Association, the union representing doctors, condemned the plan to fine people 10 for missing an appointment.

In response to the missed appointment data, Dr Farah Jameel, chair of the BMA's GP committee, said she 'strongly encourages patients to do their best to attend their GP appointments'.

However, she said: 'There are many reasons why someone might not attend their appointment though, which is why a one-size-fits-all approach of charging them will not work  and could actually increase pressure on staff by creating another, unnecessary administrative burden and lead to increased anxiety on the part of many patients.

'Fining patients is also likely to discourage them from rebooking, thereby increasing already-worsening health inequalities and ultimately costing the NHS more.

'Charging for missed GP and hospital appointments would not only undermine the essential trust between doctor and patient, but also threaten the fundamental NHS principle of delivering care free at the point of need.'

Professor Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: 'It's always frustrating to hear about missed GP appointments, particularly at a time when we have nowhere near enough GPs to meet increasing need for our services, as these could have been used for other patients.

'But charging for appointments is not the answer.

'It would fundamentally change the principle that the NHS is free at the point of need and would likely impact on our most vulnerable patients most  and it would add another layer of bureaucracy to a GP service already drowning in red tape.'
The US is in the midst of its worst flu outbreak in 13 years thanks to an unusually early and aggressive outbreak, a federal report has warned.

There have already been nearly 900,000 cases, 7,000 hospitalizations and 360 influenza deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.

The outbreak has arrived about six weeks early and is more severe than usual  with the virus typically arriving in late October and peaking in December or January.

Experts say restrictions brought in to fight the Covid pandemic - like masks and lockdowns - have left Americans with weak immunity against influenza.

The CDC said the burden of flu is the highest it's been since the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, based on lab-confirmed cases, doctor visits, hospitalizations and deaths.

The South is being hit hardest by the outbreak but the wave is starting to move up the Atlantic coast.

It comes amid growing fears of a 'tripledemic' with cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)  a virus that can be deadly in babies  rising and Covid also expected to make a comeback this winter.

This graph shows the number of flu cases diagnosed since the summer. It reveals cases have tripled in a month, amid concern over the winter surge starting earlier than normal

The South is being hit hardest by the outbreak but the wave is starting to move up the Atlantic coast

Flu and RSV coinfection creates entirely new untreatable hybrid, study finds The flu and a seasonal common cold virus can fuse together and create an entirely new pathogen, scientists have shown for the first time. Influenza A and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) - which is wreaking havoc on US hospitals - were found to combine and create not one but two new hybrid viruses. The experiments were done in human lung cells in a laboratory, but there is nothing to suggest the same process won't occur in a person infected with both illnesses. An entirely new virus would be unrecognizable to the immune system, increasing the risk of someone falling severely unwell. That could pose a threat, given that up to 30 percent of all respiratory diseases are the result of a dual infection, according to some estimates. The researchers from the University of Glasgow demonstrated what happens when human cells are infected by these two pathogens at the same time, a phenomenon called co-infection. Advertisement

Professor William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University , told the Washington Post: 'The data are ominous.

'Not only is flu early, it also looks very severe. This is not just a preview of coming attractions. Were already starting to see this movie. I would call it a scary movie.'

Adding to concerns is the fact flu vaccination rates are lower than usual - which some have attributed to vaccine fatigue after repeated Covid shot rollouts.

Roughly 128 million doses have been distributed so far, compared to 139 million at the same time and 154 million in 2020, according to the CDC.

It comes after a flu outbreak at a Virginia high earlier this month forced more than 1,000 pupils - half of attendees - off sick at once.

Meanwhile, a boy in Ohio has been hospitalized after catching three common viruses at once - in another sign of how immunity has been eroded after the pandemic.

Wilder Jackson, 2, of Middletown, Ohio - just 30 miles north of Cincinnati, was simultaneously battling rhinovirus, enterovirus and adenovirus.

He first test positive for the flu after his family returned home from an early-September trip to Walt Disney World. He initially seemed to have recovered.

The young boy would later begin to suffer repeated fevers, reaching up to 105 degrees. Doctors were puzzled as he was suffering no other symptoms.

After a confusing six weeks, Wilder was diagnosed with all three viruses simultaneously at Dayton Children's Hospital.

None of these viruses are considered to be especially dangerous to young children, but together they formed a severe combo.

Experts have also warned that these seemingly-mild infections will be more severe this year after two years of lockdowns and pandemic-related restrictions left immune systems untrained to deal with them.

Children's hospitals around the country have reportedly struggled to deal with a recent surge of infections, with some being filled to the brim with young patients.
The Florida Board of Medicine has voted to ban 'gender-affirming care' for trans teenagers in the state.

The move will block access to puberty blockers and hormone therapies to minors under the age of 18 who have gender dysphoria.

Board members said the decision was made based on the irreversibility of the drugs and the growing number of people choosing to 'de-transition'.

It will apply to all teens in the state, even those that have a prescription and are currently taking the drugs.

The recommendation will now be passed on to the full medical board, who are expected to adopt the rule.

Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has long been critical of the use of medical treatments in trans children, previously saying doctors who operate on children 'need to get sued'.

Arizona has similar restrictions in place already, while Alabama, Arkansas and Texas have attempted to enact similar rules but have been held up by the courts.

A detransitioner at the Florida hearing said that she is happy that she did not receive surgery and that her gender affirming care led to her developing PTSD, OCD and a suicide attempt

Commenters at the meeting included detransitioners

Dr Joseph Ladapo, Florida's surgeon general, requested for the board to establish a standard for care for trans teens earlier this year.

According to a report released earlier this year by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 1.34 per cent of the state's teens aged 13 to 17 years old are trans.

Under the new rules, teens in Florida who use puberty blocking drugs for their original intended use  from being intersex or having an early puberty  will still be able to access them.

Doctors in the state will now be barred from recommending them to dysphoric patients.

Puberty blockers are often used by trans teens to delay the process for years. There is little evidence on their long-term effects.

Hormone treatments allow for a person to begin to display biological traits from the opposite sex, such as deepening a woman's voice.

Advocates for the ban on trans care testified during the meeting, and included de-transitioners.

One woman explained that she was diagnosed with PTSD, OCD and even attempted suicide while using testosterone while she was living as a transman.

This map shows the proportion of children aged between 13 and 17 years old that identified as transgender by state. The darker colors indicate a higher proportion of youngsters. In New York and New Mexico, it is as high as three per cent

The number of chest reconstruction surgeries among children in the US jumped five-fold from 2016 to 2019, from 100 to 489 annually

Fury as American Nurses Association calls for all restrictions on child sex changes to be lifted American nurses were today accused of 'failing children' after calling for all restrictions on sex changes to be lifted. The American Nurses Association said it 'strongly opposes' any policies that limit access to trans healthcare in a statement issued Wednesday. It is the latest medical membership body to throw its weight behind the controversial treatments. Several Republican states are imposing age limits or tightening access to puberty blockers or surgery as the procedures become increasingly common and a growing number of 'de-transitioners' say they regret the irreversible procedures. But ANA, which has four million members, said the restrictions are 'not grounded in reputable science'. Critics have blasted the ANA for what they called a 'grotesque politicization' of medicine. Advertisement

Since de-transitioning, she said her mental health has improved but she still has a disrupted menstrual cycle and other after effects.

'I'm truly grateful I never got surgery because I'm happily married and 28 weeks pregnant,' one woman said.

'But if I had gotten surgeries that I so desperately wanted as a teenager, that would've stolen this future from me.'

Some have warned that even though a person can de-transition, the impact the drugs will have on their hormones will last forever.

'The scientific evidence supporting these complex medical interventions is extraordinarily weak,' Dr Ladapo wrote in a June letter.

'...there is great uncertainty about the effects of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries in young people with gender dysphoria.

'The current standards set by numerous professional organizations appear to follow a preferred political ideology instead of the highest level of generally accepted medical science.

'Florida must do more to protect children from politics-based medicine. Otherwise, children and adolescents in our state will continue to face a substantial risk of long-term harm.'

Florida is one of several states that have considered restricting trans care for minors in the state.

In Arizona, gender-affirming surgery - like chest reconstructions and operations to remove or replace genitals - are banned.

A recent Vanderbilt University study found that the number of chest reconstruction surgeries performed on trans youth had surged five-fold in recent years.

The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that 15 states are discussing 25 pieces of legislation that would restrict care for trans teens.
NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Friday said in Mumbai that the key conspirators and planners of the 26/11 attacks continue to remain protected and unpunished. Not mentioning Pakistan or China, he said, when it comes to proscribing some of these terrorists, the Security Council has regrettably been unable to act in some cases because of political considerations.

Delivering his inaugural address at an informal briefing on combating terror financing in Mumbai, Dr Jaishankar said, this undermines our collective credibility and our collective interests, he said.

The event was held before another special meeting of the committee in New Delhi on Saturday. Among those president was the UNSC president Michael Moussa Adamo, who is Gabons foreign minister.

Delivering a separate special statement before that at the UN Security Council Counter-terrorism Committee, the minister said that while efforts have been made to bring the masterminds and perpetrators of this attack to justice, this task remains unfinished.

Listing five points for the panels consideration, he said, we need to ensure that the effective and transparent functioning of the Security Council sanctions regime and make sure that they are not rendered ineffective for political reasons, adding objective and evidence-based proposals for listing of terrorist groups, especially those that curb their access to financial resources must be seen through.

He added: We should send out the message that the international community will never give up on holding terrorists accountable and delivering justice (and that) 26/11 will never ever be forgotten.

While many of the 26/11 masterminds continue to operate with impunity from Pakistan, India has been dismayed by the fact that Islamabads all-weather friend China has been blocking New Delhis efforts at the UNSC by placing technical holds on proposals by India and other Western nations to place sanctions on the Pakistan-based terrorists.

Dr Jaishankar said: Our real tribute to the victims will be to rededicate ourselves to combating and eliminating the menace of terrorism. And this by stronger determination and joint action. We must rise above our political differences to address this scourge. The battle against terrorism must be fought resolutely at all fronts, all situations and all places. We cannot be found wanting in our efforts.

Terrorism is a serious threat to the international peace and security, indeed to the entire humanity. We have heard the voices of its victims today. Their loss is immeasurable and can never be made up. However, it is incumbent on us, as responsible members of the international community, to remember their trauma and to persevere in our efforts to bring the perpetrators of terrorism to justice. We owe this to every victim of terrorism across the world, the minister said, adding that there has been the steeling of national resolve and that decades of cross border terror has not and will not weaken our commitment to fight back.
EV charging price cut: Osprey will reduce its rates from a record 1 to 79p per kWh after recalculating costs since the introduction of the Government's Energy Bill Relief Scheme

Public charging operator Osprey has offered some relief to electric car owners who use its network by slashing its rates - a month and a half after upping prices to a record 1 per kWh.

The firm hit headlines in mid-September when it said sky-rocketing wholesale energy costs had forced its hand into increasing public charging rates to three times what it costs EV owners to plug in at home on average.

This week, the British company confirmed it will reduce its rates to 79p per kWh from 1 November, having recalculated its pricing since the introduction of the Government's Energy Bill Relief Scheme for businesses.

The new pricing means Osprey is no longer the UK's most expensive public charging operator.

That unwanted title has now been passed to Shell, with the oil giant's 'Recharge' network demanding 85p per kWh to access its fastest ultra-rapid charging devices.

Osprey announced its eye-watering increase to access any of its 300 charging devices across the country from 15 September, saying it had been put in a 'difficult position' as the wholesale price of electricity went into overdrive, rising by as much as 600 per cent.

It hiked its flat rate by 52 per cent from 66p per kWh to 1.

In contrast, electric owners who have a homecharger at their property are benefitting from an average electricity rate of 34p per kWh since the Energy Price Guarantee kicked it from 1 October, while those with dedicated EV tariffs are able to recharge at off-peak times for as little as 7.5p per kWh.

It means those without off-street parking and charging facilities at home who use Osprey devices will have been paying up to 13 times more this month than those with a domestic charging devices.

The company had promised to review its pricing at the end of September, though delays in being able to calculating the impact of the Government's scheme for businesses has meant it hasn't been able to action any cuts until now.

The charging operator hit headlines last month when it announced an increase to its public charging rates to three times what it costs EV owners to plug in at home on average

Osprey Charging CEO, Ian Johnston, told This is Money: 'Whilst the Energy Bill Relief Scheme was announced on 21 September there has been little clarification from the government on the support mechanics, with some energy suppliers saying that customers may need to wait for their October bill before knowing the true cost they will be charged.

'Even after getting some detail through October on the wholesale discount, energy suppliers then have to work internally, factoring in their existing contracts and future market forecasts, to calculate the updated business prices they can offer to their business customers such as Osprey.

Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, thanked its customers for their patience having said at the end of last month that it would be revising its pricing downward

'The Osprey team has worked tirelessly with its supplier partners to model the various scenarios to arrive at a view of where the support might end up, so we can pass on savings to customers as soon as has been possible.

'Under the current mechanics, a business agreeing a new supply arrangement today will not receive confirmation of the level of government support until the following week, and confirmation of the eventual cost from suppliers until the next bill  leaving any business to whom electricity is a significant proportion of their cost base heavily exposed.'

While government intervention will help to lower the cost of charging an electric car for now, both the Energy Price Guarantee for household bills and the relief scheme for businesses is due to terminate in March 2023 and could see the cost of running an EV increase next year.

In his statement sent out to EV drivers, Mr Johnston added: 'We would like to thank all of our customers for their patience during these difficult times and understand that if drivers are to make the switch to electric, they need cheap, reliable charging points all over the UK.

'Our focus continues to be on building an EV charging infrastructure for the future that is accessible and safe for all.

'Over the next two years we will invest over 50million expanding our nation-wide public charging network, establishing the much-needed national infrastructure that all drivers can trust and rely on.'

End of the road for free charging in Tesco car parks

While Osprey is cutting its prices, other public charging locations will be introducing them for the first time from next month.

Last week, Pod Point, which manages devices in Tesco car parks in partnership with Volkswagen, confirmed that EV drivers will no longer benefit from free charging at the supermarket.

From 1 November, electric car owners will need to pay 28p per kWh to use the slowest 7kW devices, 40p for 22kW chargers and 50p per kWh to plug into its network of rapid 50kW charging points.

The operator said it was ending free charging in the hope that 'customers will only top up when they need to, ensuring that they make way for others once their cars are charged'.

From 1 November, EV drivers will no longer benefit from free charging at Tesco car parks. Operator Pod Point confirmed it will introduce rates to prevent customers hogging devices

Founder and CEO of dedicated electric car website Electrifying.com, Ginny Buckley, says the move will be a 'blow to electric car owners across the country'.

However, she points out that the price to use a 7kW connector at a Tesco car park will still be less than charging at home, with the Energy Price Guarantee meaning the average household will pay 34p per kWh for electricity.

It means annual charging bills for an average family-size EV will be 615 using the cheapest Tesco devices compared to 747-a-year when using a homecharger and domestic tariff.

'While Tesco are on the front foot with providing charging at convenient locations, we need to ensure that the right infrastructure is in place - and at the right price - so that everyone can make the switch with confidence,' Buckley said.

'I would also like to see energy providers introduce cheaper night tariffs at public charge points to help balance the supply grid and benefit those without access to off-street parking.'

News of fluctuating public charging costs comes as fresh data released from the Department for Transport this week outlined how far behind target the nation's charging infrastructure is.

With 34,637 public charging points now in place across the UK, EV drivers have seen 875 additional devices installed each month between July and October.

However, if the government is to reach its target of 300,000 public charge points by 2030, the average rate of installations will need to increase to 3,015 each month - an uplift on the existing number of new devices added of 245 per cent.

But there are even greater concerns about growing disparities in availability across regions.

This is after figures show there are more charging points in London's Westminster than in Birmingham, Liverpool and Greater Manchester combined, a fact experts have described as 'shocking'.
Experts are growing increasingly concerned about the 'shocking' imbalance in regional charger availability, with London served far better than the north

Britain is falling further behind targets for its electric car charging infrastructure and a growing disparity in availability of public devices is making EV ownership in London extremely attractive but almost impossible in the north.

Incredibly, there are more charging points in London's Westminster than in Birmingham, Liverpool and Greater Manchester combined, according to new data released from the Department for Transport this week.

Highlighting the imbalance in available chargers, of the 10 local authorities with the 'best' charging facilities, eight are in the capital, whereas the locations rated worst are mainly in rural locations, intensifying concerns that electric cars are not for all Britons.

Are EVs really for everyone in Britain? London's Westminster has more public chargepoints than Birmingham, Liverpool and Greater Manchester combined, analysis of national charging device numbers reveals

The latest DfT figures also reveal that, as of 1 October 2022, there were 34,637 public charging points across the UK.

In the period from July to the end of September, an average of 875 devices were installed per month.

It means the UK Government is trailing miserably behind the targets it has set for the end of the decade, when it intends to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and push more drivers into EV ownership.

Ministers have pledged to have 300,000 public charging points in place and usable by 2030.

To meet this ambition, it would need to increase the average rate of installations from 875 a month to 3,015. That's a monumental uplift of 245 per cent.

And there are even greater concerns being raised by experts about the growing disparity in the number of chargers in different regions.

A BMW i3 electric car charging at a public device in Westminster, London, where there are more devices available than in the northern powerhouse

Ginny Buckley, founder of electric car website Electrifying.com, described the difference in charging availability across Britain as 'shocking'.

'The stark difference in the rate of installations across the UK will further drive inequalities in Britains electric car buying habits if action isnt taken - and soon,' she said.

'We need the government and local authorities to step up and do better for everyone, not just the few visiting and residing in areas of London such as Westminster.

'Without doing so, we risk leaving swathes of the population behind at a critical time, reinforcing the North-South divide and creating a two tier nation.

'If we are to inspire confidence in people to make the switch and alleviate charging anxiety, we need to make sure people can rely on the public charging network; this means increasing numbers, improving reliability and making sure that pricing is fair.'

Ginny Buckley, founder of electric car website Electrifying.com, described the difference in charging availability across regions of the UK as 'shocking'

Ginny Buckley, founder of electric car website Electrifying.com, described the difference in charging availability across Britain as 'shocking'

Commenting on the inconsistency in availability of public charging infrastructure, Kim Royds, director of EVs at British Gas, said: 'The universal adoption of EVs will only happen if the supporting charging infrastructure is widely available and easily accessible.

'This means extending chargepoints beyond towns and cities and into all public spaces, including in rural and remote areas.

'Local councils have an important role to play in offering these provisions and helping to expand the UKs EV charging infrastructure.

'Our research found that councils are planning to double publicly available chargepoints, with 16,500 to be installed over the next 12 months  a great step in towards an electric future.

'While this is encouraging, we must start to see more joined up investment across public spaces, privately owned-premises and at home charging if we want the roll out EVs to be successful.'

While charger availability is far behind what it should be, sky-rocketing prices to use public charging devices are showing signs of stabilising this week.

The introduction of the Government's Energy Bill Relief Scheme for businesses has seen Osprey Charging announce it will be cutting its record-high rates from 1 per kWh to 79p from 1 November.

The UK company hit headline over a month ago when it confirmed it would be increasing the cost to use its public network or devices by over 50 per cent due to the rising wholesale price of electricity.

Rival operator PodPoint also recently confirmed that it will end free charging in Tesco car parks from next month to prevent customers from hogging devices for too long.
Her workplace is now raising money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation

She was shocked to learn earlier menopause-like symptoms were related to it

A real estate agent and single mum of three said she was shocked to learn what she thought were early signs of menopause were actually symptoms of breast cancer.

Canberra Upside Realty agent Catherine Halloran said she first discovered a lump in her breast in August but had noticed something felt wrong for several months before.

'I found the lump on my birthday, of all days, and so went for tests and by the end of the month I had a confirmed diagnosis,' Ms Halloran told Daily Mail Australia.

'They call it a three-and-a-half centimetre lump that is stage two, grade two and triple positive.'

A triple positive diagnosis means there are three different hormones actively contributing to the tumour which is why Ms Halloran was experiencing menopause-like symptoms.

'The thing that surprised me is it apparently took four to five months to get that big,' she said.

Canberra Upside Realty agent and single mother of three Catherine Halloran (above) said she was shocked to learn her first symptom of breast cancer wasn't the lump she found in her chest but hormonal imbalances she'd written off as early menopause

Ms Halloran (pictured with her three sons) urged women to check themselves regularly after learning her three-and-a-half-centimetre tumour developed in just 'four to five months'

'The first symptom was some early menopausal hormonal stuff, like hot flushes, but at the time I had no idea it could be potentially related to cancer,' Ms Halloran said.

'For me, the first real sign was when I found the lump but in retrospect some of those early symptoms were hormones from cancer.

'These last few months have been a huge learning curve.'

Despite her shock diagnosis, Ms Halloran has stayed her company's top seller for this month, which she attributes to the 'amazing' support she gets from her team.

As part of their effort to bring attention to breast cancer, Upside Realty executives are taking part in a fundraiser to help raise money for breast cancer research this Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Ms Halloran (pictured with her children) said she was having menopause-like symptoms before discovering a lump in her chest

Among her supporters are Canberra Upside CEO Adam Rigby, who will shave his head, and coworker Adam who dyed his hair pink ahead of the event.

'I was never the sort of person to pay much attention to Breast Cancer Awareness Month but now I'm going through it I realise how much I'm benefitting from the support thrown behind cancer in the past,' Ms Halloran said.

'Compared to just five years ago treatment is already so much better because of these organisations.

'Every step is a step closer to cancer not being a death sentence.'

Ms Halloran said she is ecstatic the fundraiser in her honour has reached its $4,000 mark as it means she'll get to see her male coworkers suffer through a chest wax.

'It'll be a good laugh,' she said.

However, she hopes will reach the $10,000, which will trigger the higher-ups being forced to rock matching spray tans.

Ms Halloran's coworkers have started a fundraising to raise money for breast cancer research (pictured, coworker Andrew who dyed his hair pink for the fundraiser and CEO Adam Rigby who will shave his head)

Ms Halloran (pictured with her sons) has a 85 per cent chance of surviving her breast cancer with a nine-month treatment plan

Ms Halloran said she is someone who firmly believes 'you can't control what happens but you can control how you react' and has taken her diagnosis as a chance to show her three sons how to always see the positive.

'I knew I'd lose my hair so I held a big barbeque where me and the boys all shaved our heads,' she said.

'It was great! We did all sorts of silly haircuts, like mullets and mohawks, before shaving it all off.

'I couldn't choose not to lose my hair but I could choose how and when I wanted it to happen.

'Plus, now I'm getting to discover things like fake eyelashes and eyebrows!'

Ms Halloran currently has an 85 per cent survival rate and is confident further research will mean tumours like hers will one day be easily treated.

She is expecting to spend nine months in treatment which includes a five-month chemotherapy course and surgery.

Ms Halloran (above) reminded women to check themselves regularly as 'one in seven' women will be diagnosed with breast cancer

'Most women don't get checked. We put it off thinking "oh, next month" then it's 'next month' again,' Ms Halloran said.

'One in seven women are diagnosed with breast cancer. It could be your sister, friend, mum or yourself.

'Self check or get the doctor to quickly check you next time you get a script filled or go in with a headache.

'If I'd waited my prospects would be so much worse.'

She added that while breast cancer was more prevalent among females, men can also suffer from it.

She encouraged men suspecting a lump in their chest to throw aside any embarrassment and get it checked out.
This was set out in his contracts, which Mr Edgar has revealed for the first time

Mr Edgar was instructed to interrupt a service and take the body if he needed to

'Coffin Confessor' Bill Edgar has revealed some of the wildest requests he's received in his unusual line of work, including removing a client's body from their own funeral.

The 53-year-old charges $10,000 to carry out wishes from beyond the grave, employed by those at the end of their life to go to funerals to deliver final secrets to their grieving families.

One notable client wanted Mr Edgar to remove the man's body from his own funeral because he opposed it being held in a church - which he knew his parents would do regardless of his wishes.

To be ready for the possible abduction he even had an undertaker and a hearse on stand-by outside as the service began.

Coffin Confessor Bill Edgar's job is to interrupt funerals and reveal secrets that the deceased could share during their lives

Coffin Confessor Bill Edgar has revealed for the first time the contracts he signs with clients so that he will interrupt their funerals to reveal final secrets or wishes

'He loved his mum and dad - he really did but found religion to be a cult and just something he couldn't swallow,' Mr Edgar told Daily Mail Australia.

'The son made it crystal clear to his parents he didn't want a religious funeral but they still organised one.'

There is a clause in clients' contract with Mr Edgar which states 'if a funeral is halted without the possibility of it being continued the Signee agrees to having their body/casket removed'.

That was what Mr Edgar was prepared to do.

'I interrupted the very start of the funeral - that was my client's wishes,' Mr Edgar said.

'He instructed me if it's a religious funeral to stop it immediately and explain to everybody why.

For one client Bill Edgar almost had to activate this clause and snatch the body away during the funeral

'I had to have people on stand-by in the event the funeral didn't go the way my client wanted, and I was to take the body and have it cremated.

'It turned into a bit of a furore to say the least.'

Mr Edgar said the priest tried to get him ushered out.

'I stayed where I was and told them straight out the deceased had his rights and that he didn't want a religious funeral no matter what you have been paid to do or conduct,' Mr Edgar said.

Mr Edgar has interrupted hundreds of funerals to reveal marital affairs, secret sexual orientations and even a hidden lotto win

The client had said if his funeral was in a church it could be held there but 'without the praying and without the bullsh*t', a phrase Mr Edgar duly repeated in the place of worship.

'Two people came and stood beside me and asked me to leave,' Mr Edgar said.

'They said I was very rude and abusive and they were going to call police.

'I said "here's my mobile phone, if you want to call the police please do so, whereas I have a contract with my client".

'I told them - "this is how it is going to play out. If you want me to leave I will be making sure the coffin comes and my client comes with me".

Mr Edgar's unique job started as 'a joke' but has seen him gain worldwide fame with book, movie and TV deals

'It came very close, there were a lot of discussions in the end the family came to terms with what their son wanted.'

Instead of the religious ceremony, the deceased's friends stood up and talked about him, although his parents declined the invite to do the same.

Mr Edgar said he later found out a lot of the client's friends had not attended the funeral because it was in a church and they knew he wouldn't want that.

Part of the confessor's contract states that he is allowed to interrupt the client's funeral service and issues a message or confession to 'those they loved or those they loved to hate'.

It goes on to read: 'The Coffin Confessor agrees to lend his voice to the Signee and to do everything possible to accommodate the Signees last wishes'.

For doing this Mr Edgar will charge between $2,000 and $10,000.

He has interrupted hundreds of farewells to disclose marital affairs and secret sexual orientations, including telling stunned bikies a feared enforcer was gay and had been in relationship with one of them, as well as hidden Lotto wins.

There is also a contract for Mr Edgar to carry out the last wishes of a client that they cannot or will not entrust to anybody else.

Mr Edgar will carry out the last wishes of his clients even when that means 'confronting' situations with family members

This contract states 'the Signee instructs The Coffin Confessor to return to their home and retrieve various items that are to be destroyed by incineration or delivered to a person and or place of their choosing'.

Mr Edgar said he had recently did this for a client who was in palliative care.

The instruction was to collect the contents of a safe at the man's Gold Coast house.

Mr Edgar was told there might be family present but to not let them stop him.

'I thought there was going to be a big drama there,' Mr Edgar said.

'I walked in and collected a safe from the man's house in front of everyone and left.

'There were threats of police and another one trying to grab the safe.

'I just said "do you want to phone your father? Do you want to ask your father exactly what I am doing - but here is the video of your father in a hospital bed in palliative care telling me what he wants done".

Mr Edgar charges clients between $2000 and $10,000 for his coffin confessing services

'One of the sons was very open and he said "OK, if that's dad's wishes that's dad's wishes".

'The daughter was very reluctant. She was calling police as I left.'

After Mr Edgar collected the safe's contents he followed his client's instructions to photograph them, which included large sums in US and British currency, and to then hand them over to the man's son when he flew into Australia a few days later.

As a result of media coverage and a book he wrote this year, Bill Edgar's Coffin Confessor fame has gone global.

While the gig started out as 'a joke' to expose the sleazy behaviour of a best friend trying to bed the wife of a dying man now sees the Coffin Confessor concept becoming the basis for an upcoming Hollywood movie and a US reality TV series.

Marlon Wayans (pictured) is set to be the leading man in a Hollywood adaptation inspired by Mr Edgar's work

The movie, which Mr Edgar has read a script for, is being made by Columbia Pictures and has US comic star Marlon Wayans onboard to play the lead role.

Mr Edgar is set to fly to Canada and the Chicago to make a reality TV series based on his unique job.

The clause in the contracts that Mr Edgar says most angers some relative is the one that states 'the Signee gifts all intellectual property' to him regarding the 'confession'.

Mr Edgar said he cops some foul language from those who think he is profiting from getting the stories without giving the families a cut.

'I say to them "you know what? You should have looked after after your f**king mum and dad then they wouldn't have need of me",' he said.
The trial for Lehrmann - who has pleaded not guilty - was aborted on Thursday

A popular men's magazine has sparked outrage after including Brittany Higgins in its annual Hot 100 women list while she was still in the high-profile rape trial that has gripped the nation.

Maxim Australia on Wednesday released the names on its 'Hot 100' Australia for 2022, with the former Liberal staffer at 12th - the same day jurors entered their fifth day of deliberations in the trial of her accused rapist, Bruce Lehrmann.

The ACT Supreme Court trial for Lehrmann, who has pleaded not guilty, was sensationally aborted on Thursday - to start anew early next year - after a juror brought prohibited documents into the juror's room.

Just hours before the highly-publicised case came to a dramatic end, Maxim Australia's 11th annual Hot 100 edition was being rolled out for sale on newsagency shelves across the country.

The top 10 includes winner Margot Robbie, followed by Sam Kerr, Ash Barty, Emma McKeon, Grace Tame, Sarah Snook, Ariarne Titmus, Duckie Thot, Delta Goodrem and Abbie Chatfield.

Maxim has defended Higgins inclusion in the list, maintaining she is a worthy candidate.

Brittany Higgins arrives to give evidence in front of an ACT Supreme Court jury on the third day of the trial of her alleged rapist, Bruce Lehrmann on October 6

While Maxim claims Ms Higgins was included because she was influential, critics say you don't make the list unless you are attractive.

Gender equality advocate Professor Catharine Lumby, chair of Media and Communications at the University of Sydney, described Ms Higgins inclusion as 'offensive'.

Maxim's new Hot 100 Australia edition (pictured) has come under fire after including Brittany Higgins in the middle of her rape trial

Professor Lumby said while the basis of Ms Higgins inclusion on the list is 'ambiguous', as she could be considered in the bracket of 'most influential people', the list appears to objectify as it mainly includes conventionally attractive women.

'To me, [Ms Higgins inclusion] is offensive because that list is to be read as a list of who is hot and attractive,' she said.

'If it was a list of 100 people who have influenced Australia, I would have no issue with it.

Professor Lumby called on the publication to be more conscientious of who they select in the future and the implications of objectifying women.

'A magazine such as Maxim has to be far more cautious about who they are including in that sort of list,' she said.

Melinda Tankard Reist, Director of Collective Shout movement which fights against the objectification and sexualisation of females, said Maxim's insistence the list was focused on 'influential' women was 'spin'.

'If that is Maxims true intention why persist with the Hot 100 descriptor which conveys sexy rather than brilliant mind,' she said.

'The last issue I saw featured a number of Ultra-Tunes "leather" women - the entire company is notorious for depicting women as dumb bimbos- hardly "influential" and "newsworthy".'

Professor Catharine Lumby (pictured) said the inclusion of Ms Higgins on the list is 'ambiguous' but offensive given the connotation of it is a compilation of 'attractive' women

Ms Tankard Reist said the annual list was an insult to women and 'Maxim profits from objectifying women for male sexual gratification and pleasure'.

'Women dont need shouts outs from crappy serial sexist mags like Maxim,' she said.

'Including Higgins - in the midst of her rape trial no less - is an affront to her and all women. Is not a compliment. It is demeaning and degrading and trivialises their accomplishments.'

But when asked about the choice, Maxim Editor-in-Chief Santi Pintado maintained that Higgins was a prime candidate to be included in this year's line up.

'Our 2022 HOT 100 list continues to celebrate the outstanding women who, this year, have influenced, impressed or impacted us with their aptitude, intellect, humour, headlines, sassiness and overall mega-talents,' he said.

'Brittany has definitely impacted and influenced many Australians while also being very newsworthy. Hence her place on the list.'

The blurb under Ms Higgins name in the magazine reads: 'Continuing to spark headlines as her highly-publicised trial for an alleged rape in Parliament House finally got underway, Brittany Higgins bravely fronted the court and a media barrage with grace.'

Mr Pintado noted that Ms Higgins was also included in last year's Hot 100 list.

The Jury on Wednesday entered its fifth day of deliberations - the day the list was released. The magazine was released for sale the following day as jurors in Lehrmann's trial were dismissed. Pictured: Ms Higgins arriving at court on October 7

Pictured: The blurb written under Brittany Higgins' entry in the 2022 Maxim Hot 100

Lehrmann is accused of raping Ms Higgins in Parliament House during a night out in March 2019. He has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent.

Chief Justice Lucy McCallum dismissed the 12 jurors in Lerhmann's trial after an academic research paper on sexual assault was found in the jurors' room.

The retrial is likely to commence in February next year.

Maxim is an international magazine which was launched in the UK in 1995 before extending into many other countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, and Germany.

The publication's hot 100 began in the US edition in 2000, before it was adapted in the Australian print 11 years later.

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A Florida man has told DailyMail.com how he discovered his close friend and neighbor in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian  slumped half way out of a kitchen window in a failed attempt to find shelter from the deadly storm.

Steve Johnson and wife Cindy narrowly escaped the devastating 10ft storm water surge by desperately hunkering down on the top floor of another close neighbor's two-story home as 150mph winds smashed into Fort Myers Beach, Florida last month.

The couple was forced to abandon their own canalside home in a quiet street a quarter mile from the beach after realizing the one-story property was not likely to withstand the powerful storm.

The following morning, when retired Steve, 59, returned to the house to survey the destruction left behind by the category 4 hurricane on September 28, he was confronted by a grisly sight.

Friend and next-door neighbor Daymon Utterback was slumped out of a street-facing window of his own single story home, with his legs still inside the home but upper body and arms hanging down.

Utterback was just one of at least 127 people who were killed by Ian in Florida. Others died in Virginia, North Carolina and Cuba. DailyMail went back to the Fort Myers area which bore the brunt of the storm to catch up on the victims, the damage and the recovery effort.

Steve told DailyMail.com how he found Utterback. 'I saw him hanging over the blown out kitchen window, half his body slumped over outside, the feet and legs inside,' .

'Daymon was normally very tanned, but his body was gray.

'I said, this is not something for people to see. So I went to look for something and found a large beach blanket and went back and placed it over him so he wasn't a spectacle for people.'

Steve Johnson, 59, (pictured with wife Cindy) recalled finding close friend and neighbor Daymon Utterback dead, with his body slumped out of a window of his home, in their Fort Myers Beach neighborhood, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian last month

Daymon Utterback was killed in the catastrophic category 4 storm on September 28 as he tried to escape his single-story home and seek shelter after he had gone back into his house to rescue long-time girlfriend Theresa Clark, 59, and their Yorkshire mix dog Peanut

The 54-year-old's lifeless body was found hanging from a broken window of his home the day after the storm wreaked havoc on Fort Myers Beach Florida on September 28

Utterback was one of two people killed on the same street during the hurricane. Outside his house, a sign reading '2 DEAD' was tied onto a windshield wiper of a car in the driveway to alert authorities

Steve paid an emotional tribute to 54-year-old Utterback, who was a local minor celebrity for his love of dressing up as Pirates of the Caribbean character Jack Sparrow.

The retired sales manager  who moved from Chicago to Fort Myers Beach with Cindy, 59, 11 years ago  said: 'Daymon was an incredible friend and a great neighbor.

'He had a big heart, he would do anything for you. He was a modest man and he liked to have fun. He was always having barbecues, he had a nice pool in the back.

'It was incredibly heartbreaking to see our friend like that.'

Steve later learned Utterback had become trapped in the window while trying to escape after he had gone back into the house to rescue long-time girlfriend Theresa Clark, 59, and their pet Yorkshire mix dog Peanut.

Theresa and the dog both survived. But Utterback, tragically perished as the rising storm surge waters from the Gulf of Mexico rose as high as rooftops of single story homes.

Just a few yards from the devastation on normally picturesque Seminole Way, lay even more tragic scenes.

In the canal that backs on to the Utterback and Johnsons homes are the submerged remains of the Hideaway Motel.

The flimsy beachside building, which had 23 rooms, was uprooted by the cataclysmic winds and the surging ocean waters.

Like a toy, it was hurled two blocks back and ended up in the canal, where the punishing hurricane continued to sweep it away until it caught on a bend in the waterway flanked by Seminole Way homes.

Inside the loft space were four terrified sisters on vacation from Dayton, Ohio, who were celebrating one of the women's 40th birthday, Nishelle Harris Myles. With them was the motel's handyman, his wife and ten-year-old son plus their dog and cat.

Just a few yards away, on the same street as Utterback's house, lay the remains of the Hideaway Motel which was reduced to a pile of debris now submerged in a nearby canal

The roof of a motel that floated away can be seen. Nishelle Harris Myles died the day before her 40th birthday died while 5 others survived floating with the roof. Ian aftermath 3 weeks after Hurricane Ian tore through Fort Myers Beach Florida

Nishelle Harris Myles (pictured) and her three sisters, all from Dayton, Ohio, were in town to celebrate her 40th birthday when Hurricane Ian ripped through the beach town and decimated the area

The women were staying in the Hideaway Village hotel (pictured before the hurricane). Nishelle was killed inside the loft space after a plank of wood crashed down during the storm

As the motel was swept further away it began to sink even more until only the roof was above the surging waters.

Tragically, Nishelle  who was one day away from her 40th birthday  was killed inside the loft space when a plank of wood crashed down as the structure bobbed violently in the storm. The plank contained a large nail, which impaled Nishelle's neck.

Her body was still inside the loft of the wrecked and submerged motel when Steve was covering up his friend out of respect, no more than 50ft away.

He didn't hear the screams for help that were coming from the smashed motel, but other neighbors did and mounted their own rescue, helping to get the survivors to safety through a small hole just under the roofline.

'We came down to Florida to enjoy the salt life and become a part of the conservation community,' said Steve.

'But people's attraction to the shore line and being close to the water is in fact a fatal attraction.'

Just across the street from the Johnsons, actress Jessie Titus and husband Vinnie heard the screaming from the collapsed and submerged motel in the canal.

'We didn't hear the screams until the next morning,' Jessie, 65, told DailyMail.com. 'My husband and another neighbor rushed over to get them out.

'The motel handyman worked with them to pull everybody out of a small hole near the roof line.

Aerial photos show the scale of the devastation left behind by Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach, Florida last month

Business, beach houses, and single family homes were smashed to smithereens by ferocious winds and surge waters

Mile after mile of residential and commercial from north to south of the island are almost completely flattened

Sand brought in from the storm surge covers parts of the roadways and is also piled high in places as part of the desperate clean-up now underway

Fort Myers Beach took a direct hit from Hurricane Ian, which was a category four when it made landfall in late September

Many of the older homes built on stilts to protect against flooding were still no match for Ian. In some areas the only thing remaining are the stilts after the buildings were destroyed

The city is still picking up the pieces more than a month after the storm tore through the state's west coast

'Incredibly, he had reported to the management that there was a hole near the soffit that needed repair. He remembered that hole and that was the way they eventually got out.'

'But sadly, the sister was already dead inside the building. There was a plank that came down and there was a nail in it that pierced her neck. She was gone before they could get her out. She was celebrating her 40th birthday.'

In fact, Nishelle was pulled out of the wreckage on her actual birthday, September 29. The remaining sisters are now back in Dayton.

In another astonishing twist of fate, the motel handyman's cat helped find a route for the family and the vacationing sisters to scramble up under the roof.

'Right before the building collapsed and was then swept away, the startled cat jumped through a hole in the ceiling,' said Jessie. 'They hadn't seen it before, and it gave them a route to get higher.'

Outside Utterback's house, there remains a poignant symbol of the double death tragedy that affected one small street in the disaster zone.

Tied on to a windshield wiper of a car in the driveway is a sign saying '2 DEAD'. The 2 appears to have been altered and updated from an original 1. And the sign is fixed with pink plastic.

On Estero Boulevard, another thoroughfare lined with businesses, there are now gaps between buildings and structures that managed to withstand the 150mph winds and flood waters

Residents walk by a local 7-Eleven convenience store whose walls and windows were completely blown out

The roadways are now littered with rubble and remnants of people's homes piled high

The full extent of the heart breaking tragedies can be revealed after Fort Myers Beach was fully opened up to the public for the first time weeks after Ian struck.

DailyMail.com toured the area of utter devastation. Even the term war zone doesn't adequately describe the destruction. Mile after mile of streets from north to south of the island have been destroyed.

Fort Myers Beach took a direct hit from Hurricane Ian, which was a category four when it made landfall in Florida. The storm had been heading farther north, but took a late change of course, giving residents only a short time to prepare.

In the main San Carlos Boulevard area where once stood quaint individual stores, there are simply blown out buildings, seemingly shattered beyond repair.

Mounds of rubble are everywhere. Outside the former bustling commercial premises, catering to the island's booming tourist industry, there are piles of tangled metal and other detritus hauled out of the destroyed buildings.

Sand brought in from the storm surge covers parts of the roadways and is also piled high in places as part of the desperate clean-up now underway.

And as we toured the island, it was apparent this downtown enclave  which in normal times attracts an eclectic mix of locals and visitors  was by no means the worst hit.

In the main San Carlos Boulevard area where quaint individual stores once stood, are wrecked buildings, now seemingly shattered beyond repair

Mounds of rubble are scattered throughout the roads and what used to be sidewalks on San Carlos Boulevard

Outside the former bustling commercial premises, catering to the island's booming tourist industry, there are piles of tangled metal and other detritus hauled out of the destroyed buildings

Driving north to south along the beach facing Estero Boulevard, where buildings once stood there was just chilling gaps. The homes had been simply blown away or destroyed by the surging sea water.

Even many of the older homes built on stilts to mitigate against flooding were no match for Ian.

In several areas along the route we saw clusters of stilts, often standing at crazy angles. There were no buildings above them.

Almost mocking them, newly-built stilted homes constructed to the latest codes stood seemingly undamaged.

On side streets off Estero, hundreds of homes lie shattered beyond repair. Sand covers the roadways. The contents of people's shattered lives are piled high outside the destroyed houses.

Several home owners have put up signs outside with clear messages to looters. One said bluntly: 'Looters die.'

Halfway along Estero Boulevard we found Steve and Zona Hudkins desperately trying to clear up the space where their vacation trailer home once stood.

The couple, from Topeka, Kansas, only bought the place 18 months ago and used it regularly.

'We were here just before Ian hit and evacuated out to Fort Lauderdale,' said Steve, 69. They were shoveling sand off their lot, which is part of a 58-home park  now without a single home standing.

Steve and Zona Hudkins, from Topeka, Kansas, were shoveling sand off the lot where their vacation trailer home once stood

Several home owners have put up signs outside with clear messages to looters

On San Carlos Island, large boats remain scattered around after being picked up and tossed up to 300ft from marinas

Pictured: Boats arranged for insurance adjustors to access the vessels in the wake of Hurricane Ian

Instead, the only recognizable objects are smashed cars which have been piled up there.

The determined couple have pitched a small tent by their patch and intend to live in it until they have cleared all the sand from the area where their home once stood.

In front of them, and directly facing the beach, used to be four businesses  a nail bar, a German restaurant, a dog groomer and a gelato parlor. The buildings were completely wiped out. There is nothing left.

'We knew what we were getting into when we bought the place. We were told, it can be here today, gone tomorrow. They weren't wrong,' said Steve.

In nearby San Carlos Island, which links Fort Myers Beach to the mainland, there is equal destruction.

Large boats remain scattered around after being picked up and tossed up to 300ft from marinas. Several are still bizarrely sitting amid vegetation relatively far inland, where DailyMail.com had first seen them when we visited the day after Ian hit.

And 40 miles away in Punta Gorda, DailyMail.com discovered a boat 'graveyard' where vessels are being taking for insurance assessment.

The large field so far has seven rows of all types of boats, with designated areas for each insurance company.

'We're taking them in from all over the hurricane area,' said one employee working the site. 'If they're totaled then we send them for crushing.

A sign outside the field warns people to stay away  after several attempts to steal electrical and other items from the boats.

'They have to know, they come in here, I'll shoot,' said the worker.
Ms Debenham and her husband were grilled for nearly four hours by police

She was accused of 'modern day slavery' by her guest after relations crumbled

An NHS mental health specialist who took in a Ukrainian refugee was reported for modern day slavery after she asked her guest to help out more with the dishes.

Hannah Debenham, 42, of Uckfield, East Sussex, was under investigation for two months following the accusation, before the case was dropped this week when no evidence was found.

The mother of two was asked to 'voluntarily' attend Eastbourne police station where she was questioned by a modern-day slavery inspector, which she branded 'the worst experience of my life'. Officers also spent two hours at her home with her husband.

Detective Chief Inspector Gavin Patch, of Sussex Police, defended his force's action today, telling MailOnline the investigation was 'expedited as quickly as possible', adding that it takes any report of slavery 'very seriously'.

The refugee, a mother who cannot be named for legal reasons, complained to police that she was 'expected to clear up and tidy up the house for little to no money under the disguise of the Ukrainian settlement scheme', according to the police report.

Ms Debenham told MailOnline: 'It was just devastating. We just wanted to help. If I was charged I would have had to declare that and it would have been a permanent impediment to my career.

'They also spoke to my husband and told him that I could face life in prison if I was found guilty.

'I've been an NHS mental health specialist for 15 years and I have often worked with people with severe mental illness supporting their needs in police custody, and this happening to me was the worst experience of my life.'

Ms Debenham said her solicitor described the action by Sussex Police as an 'outrageous overreach.'

The Ukrainian family had been living with Ms Debenham for just three weeks when the accusation was levelled.

The Homes for Ukraine scheme has been blighted by issues, with host families regularly falling out with their guests due to deep cultural differences.

Scores of Britons were also left out of pocket by delays to their 350 payments, promised by the Government for each refugee family taken in.

MailOnline previously reported how some Britons felt they had been 'duped' by 'non-vulnerable' Ukrainians. But one refugee, Ludmila Zosym, said it was the UK hosts who cannot understand their visitors as they have never fled from war.

Ms Debenham's saga began when she and her husband, who also works in the NHS, were looking for an au pair to work in their eight-bedroom home.

Hannah Debenham, 42, of Uckfield, East Sussex, was placed under investigation for two months following the accusation, before the case was dropped this week when no supporting evidence was found

Ms Debenham said her solicitor described the action by Sussex Police as an 'outrageous overreach.' The Ukrainian family had been living with Ms Debenham for just three weeks when the accusation was levelled (Pictured: Ukrainian refugee with her son. She cannot be identified for legal reasons)

They stumbled upon the profile of a Ukrainian woman in her 30s who claimed she was also an English teacher, and reached out to her to see if she would be a good fit.

According to Ms Debenham, they came to an agreement that would allow the teacher and her ten-year-old daughter to stay with them on the basis that she would perform babysitting duties for two to three days a week, for which she would be paid 200.

Ms Debenham filled out the paperwork via the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which she said was accepted 'remarkably quickly'.

Upon their arrival in June, Ms Debenham set about preparing them for life in the UK, helping them sort out benefits, bank accounts and a school place for the girl.

'The first couple of weeks, the honeymoon period, were fine,' Ms Debenham recalled, 'but they did not clear up after themselves, the amount of dishes to be done quickly doubled.

'The mother used a new glass every time she got a glass of water or drink, for example.

'I explained to her that she needed to help out more, we even showed her how to use the dishwasher.

'I understand that she was in a terrible situation having fled from her country and after losing friends to the war, but things did not improve.'

The mothers then had an argument after Ms Debenham was unable to drive her guest to an appointment as she was working from home.

'She slammed the door on me', Ms Debenham recalled, 'and I just thought: "Wow, how could she treat me this way?"

'I had driven her to so many doctors and benefits appointments, but I explained to her that she just had to respect that I work and cannot always be available to drive her.'

The mothers then had an argument after Ms Debenham was unable to drive the Ukrainian to an appointment as she was working from home (Pictured: Ukrainian mother's advert on AuPair.com)

Things came to a head when the Ukrainian mother took Ms Debenham's five-year-old son with her to visit the nearby school.

When the boy told her that he needed the toilet, she allegedly instructed him to use the open field next to the playground, wiping his bottom with leaves.

'Our house was just two minutes away, and why could she not ask someone at the school if he could use the toilet? She was shocked that I was upset and said she would not have told me if she knew I would have reacted that way.

'I felt I could no longer fully trust her with my children and we decided that the arrangement was no longer working for us.

'I told her that when her benefits came through, she should find somewhere else to live.'

Just days later, Ms Debenham claimed she received a call from her Ukrainian guest while at work and she told her she was leaving.

Moments later, police officers arrived at the home asking to speak to Ms Debenham. They phoned her and told her she had been accused of slavery.

Officers spent two hours speaking her husband at the property before later grilling her for an hour-and-a-half at the station.

A police report seen by MailOnline said the Ukrainian mother had alleged she was 'made to work most days, looking after the children and expected to clear up and tidy up the house'.

It alleged that she was being 'used as a slave and full-time child minder for little to no pay under the disguise of assisting her in the Ukrainian settlement scheme'.

Charges were never brought against Ms Debenham as police found no evidence to support the claim. The Ukrainian mother did not respond to MailOnline's request for comment.

Ms Debenham added: 'Since they arrived in the UK and whilst living with us I believe we and the local school gave them more than the essentials. Securing school for her daughter, the school secured a full time teacher assistant just for her daughter as she did not speak English; us arranging play dates to help her daughter settle in school, taking them to outings in the park and beach, barbecue with friends, encouraging the mum to find local jobs in helping her rebuild their future.

The Homes for Ukraine scheme has been blighted by issues from the start, with host families regularly falling out with their guests due to deep cultural differences  while scores of Brits were left out of pocket by delays to their 350 payments, promised by the Government for each refugee family taken in

'But in return she put me through a lot of stress as I was investigated by the police which took two months but is thankfully now closed as they did not find the evidence for her allegation.

'So now whenever I see a Ukrainian flag in this country I cant help but feel anger for the people who have no gratitude, no care and no respect for people like me who was naive and thought I could make this world a better place if I helped by inviting them to live in our home.'

She added that anyone thinking about taking in Ukrainian refugees should 'request a character reference' and 'think twice about hosting [them] altogether'.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: 'Sussex Police received a report on July 20 of a person being required to perform forced or compulsory labour. The informant was a woman with a young daughter who had arrived in the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

'On July 26, a woman from Uckfield, who had offered to host the pair, was invited to attend a voluntary interview at Eastbourne police station with her solicitor on August 16. She was not arrested.

'Following that interview, the informant was approached on several occasions to provide a full statement, but was not willing to assist with further enquiries or to provide a formal account.

'As a result, it was judged that there was insufficient evidence for a prosecution and no further action would be taken. The woman's solicitor was advised the same day of the decision.'

Mr Patch said: 'This investigation was expedited as quickly as possible, but given the nature of the allegations that were made, it was important that both sides were given the opportunity to provide their accounts of what had occurred and other agencies involved consulted.

'In this case, there was insufficient evidence to proceed, but we take any allegations of this nature very seriously and it is important that they are properly investigated.'
Paraguay's aviation authority has opened up an investigation after an airplane's nose shattered and was destroyed mid-flight during a severe hailstorm.

Flight LA1325, operated by LATAM Airlines Paraguay, had been caught in severe weather while flying to Asuncion from Santiago de Chile late on Wednesday - and was forced to make an emergency landing.

The plane - an AirBus A320 - had been received by LATAM in July 2012 and was set to be retired in 2024, according to Flying Safely.

Shocking videos and images on social media showed the airborne aircraft shaking badly while lightning flashed outside.

The tip of the plane's nose was shattered and the windshield had small cracks, the head of Paraguay's National Directorate of Civil Aeronautics, Felix Kanasawa, told local radio.

Terrified people on board recorded the horrifying moment they flew through the storm, before making an abrupt landing.

Paraguay's aviation authority said on Thursday it had opened an investigation after a LATAM Airline plane's nose was destroyed during a severe storm that forced it to make an emergency landing

Flight LA1325, operated by LATAM Airlines Paraguay, had been caught in severe weather while flying to Asuncion from Santiago de Chile late on Wednesday

Photos later showed the cone of the plane's nose completely deteriorated from the hail.

'This issue is under investigation, both on the DINAC side and on the side of the airline,' Kanasawa said.

The flight had initially been diverted to an airport in Brazil in an attempt to wait out the storm.

The General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics of Chile said in a statement on Twitter that the aircraft, an Airbus 320, made an emergency landing 'due to extreme and unforeseen weather conditions'.

LATAM Airlines Paraguay said in a statement that the aircraft 'experienced severe weather conditions' that forced it to make an emergency landing around 11pm local time on Wednesday, which it managed to do successfully.

'Both passengers and crew are in good condition,' it added.

The plane - an AirBus A320, after an AirBus A330 had plunged into chaos last week - been received by LATAM in July 2012 and was set to be retired in 2024

This comes just a week after a flight was plunged into chaos when it hit turbulence that threw screaming passengers around the cabin, with one breaking their nose on the ceiling.

The Aerolineas Argentinas AR1133 flight to Buenos Aires took off at 8.21pm on October 18 from Madrid.

But the Airbus A330 carrying 271 passengers and 13 crew members was affected by bad turbulence around seven hours into the 12-hour flight off the coast of Brazil.

The passenger jet sagged and shook around at 11,500 meters (38,000 feet) above the Atlantic.

The flight fell into pandemonium, with passengers, most of whom had been sleeping, panicking and food and drinks trolleys thrown around.

Aerolineas Argentinas said that at the time of the turbulence, seat belt signs were on and an announcement had been made.

But some passengers fumbling for seatbelts or those who were unbuckled at the time hit the ceiling.

Trolleys and bags hurtled through the cabin as hand luggage compartments opened.

At least 12 people were injured and three of them were later hospitalized with severe injuries. One was left with a broken nose, according to Bild.
President Joe Biden will vote early in Wilmington, Delaware, this weekend with his granddaughter Natalie while other prominent Democrats, including Jill Biden and Barack Obama, are on the campaign trail.

Biden will cast his midterm ballot with Natalie Biden, 18, who is a first time voter. She is the daughter of the president's late son Beau. President Biden took her on a tour of the University of Pennsylvania earlier this month as the high school senior looks at colleges.

With less than two weeks to go before the congressional election that will shape the next two years of the presidency, Biden will be spending a long weekend in his hometown.

Meanwhile, first lady Jill Biden and former President Barack Obama will be out on the stump for Democrats as polls show Republicans have momentum to win the House. The Senate is seen as more up for grabs.

Biden faces low approval ratings, which has made him an albatross for some Democratic candidates, who have distanced themselves from his presidency.

Jill Biden is proving a popular surrogate for the administration. And Obama is bringing in his star power to try and help Biden avoid the kind of 'shellacking' he received in the 2010 midterms, when Republicans gained 63 House seats.

President Joe Biden will vote early in Wilmington, Delaware, this weekend with his granddaughter Natalie; above he takes on a visit of University of Pennsylvania campus earlier this month

Jill Biden will be out campaigning for Democrats this weekend in New Hampshire and New York

Other Democrats are also hitting the campaign trail. Senator Bernie Sanders will hold get-out-the-vote events in Texas where Democrat Beto O'Rourke is trying to defeat Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.

And Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been campaigning hard to keep the House. Republicans need to only net five seats to take the majority.

The White House didn't respond when asked if President Biden would be doing virtual events for Democrats on Saturday or Sunday. On Wednesday night he did three virtual fundraisers from the White House. His Wilmington home is equipped from him to work from that location.

Biden arrived in Wilmington on Thursday evening after his event in Syracuse, New York.

He'll work from there on Friday and then, in the evening, he'll head to Philadelphia for a fundraiser for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. That event, where he'll be joined by Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman, is expected to bring in $1 million for the state party coffers.

The president will be in Wilmington through Monday, according to his White House schedule.

Jill Biden, meanwhile, heads to New Hampshire on Saturday to campaign for Democratic Senator Maggie Hansen.

Republicans see this contest as one of their best pickup opportunities. Hansen is making her first bid for re-election and polls show her lead on Republican Don Bolduc, a staunch supporter of Donald Trump, is shrinking.

Then the first lady will be in New York on Sunday to campaign for embattled Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney and House candidate Robert Zimmerman.

Zimmerman and Republican candidate George Santos are both openly gay, making this the first known race to have two members of the LGBTQ community running against one another for a House seat. They are vying to replace retiring Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi.

And Republicans have flooded the Maloney race with money in an attempt to take down the congressman, who serves as the head of Democrats' committee to re-elect House members.

The first lady will also participate in fundraisers in both states.

In an analysis this week, FiveThirtyEight noted momentum appeared to be on the Republicans' side in the race for the House with 11 days to go until the election.

As recently as Oct. 13, Democrats had a slight edge on the generic congressional ballot. Now, however, Republicans have taken the lead, indicating voters' mood had shifted to the right.

Barack Obama, meanwhile, will campaign for Democratic candidates in Detroit and Milwaukee on Saturday.

The former president will try to give a boost to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, both of whom are running for re-election.

He'll also campaign with Wisconsin Senate candidate Mandela Barnes, who is challenging Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, a frequent critic of the Biden administration.

With the current Senate split 50-50 between the two parties, Vice President Kamala Harris gives Democrats the deciding vote.

Any Senate race could end up deciding which party controls the chamber for the next two years.

Barack Obama will campaign for Democratic candidates in Detroit and Milwaukee on Saturday

President Joe Biden will fundraise for Democrats Friday night and hit campaign trail next week with stops in Florida and New Mexico

President Biden will be on the campaign trail next week.

On Tuesday he heads to Florida to campaign for gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist and Senate candidate Val Demings.

Crist is running against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has been a bete noire for Biden on covid precautions and on the immigration issue.

Demings is challenging GOP Sen. Marco Rubio.

On Thursday Biden will be in New Mexico to help out Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who's running for a second term.

Grisham was up 8 points in a PPP poll earlier this month, but was trailing Republican meteorologist Mark Ronchetti 47 to 46 in a Trafalgar poll this week. He lost a Senate race in his state in 2020 by just 6 percentage points with Biden on top of the ticket.

It was the first poll to show Ronchetti ahead and the first to show a close race.

Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Albuquerque last week to campaign with Lujan Grisham.
'I wanted to die,' she said. 'It was disgusting. It was humiliating, miserable. I didn't fight'

The accuser, known only as Jane Doe 1, wrapped up her testimony yesterday and provided a number of disturbing details about the alleged encounter

The driver confirmed that anything Weinstein did 'outside' of his car would be not be in his 'range of knowledge'

The limousine driver said he picked up Weinstein from his private jet that has a 'hidden tail number' to make it untraceable

Baroth confirmed he drove Weinstein to the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, a short distance from where an accuser says she was raped in a bathroom at another hotel

A personal driver for Harvey Weinstein testified Thursday that he drove the disgraced media mogul to a Los Angeles hotel on the night that he allegedly raped a woman at a hotel a short distance away.

Alfred 'Freddy' Baroth, 74, who drove for the producer for many years, testified that he picked Weinstein up from his private jet - with a 'hidden tail number' - on February 17, 2013, at the Van Nuys airport and deposited him at the Peninsula Hotel soon after midnight.

Weinstein has been accused of raping an unnamed model-actress at a nearby hotel that same night.

Baroth gave his testimony the day after the accuser, known only as Jane Doe 1, wrapped up her testimony on Wednesday night.

She claimed she was sexually assaulted by Weinstein in 2013 and forced to perform oral sex as he had problems maintaining an erection.

His former driver confirmed that anything Weinstein did 'outside' of his car would not be in his 'range of knowledge.'

This courtroom sketch shows Harvey Weinstein, 70, is facing 11 charges of rape and sexual assault involving eight women in the Beverly Hills and Los Angeles between 2004 and 2013

Ashley M, another accuser, alleges that Weinstein attacked her after a 2003 movie filming in Puerto Rico

Weinstein's longtime driver, Alfred 'Freddy' Baroth, confirmed he dropped the disgraced mogul off at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills on a night he is accused of rape

Baroth said he picked up Weinstein from his private jet at Van Nuys Airport, and added Weinstein's jet had a 'hidden tail number' which couldn't be tracked

Baroth testified that his company, Limousines of Los Angeles, garnered over 60 percent of its business from Weinstein and his company.

The chauffeur also indicated that Weinstein encouraged him to break traffic laws when he was in a hurry.

'If we were running late,' Baroth said, 'there was no such thing as a red light. If we were in a hurry we would go through it.'

Baroth said Weinstein frequented the Peninsula hotel, which was a 'five or six-minute drive' from nearby hotel Mr. C, which Weinstein never stayed at but would attend functions there.

Jane Doe 1 claims she was raped at Mr. C as she attended the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival.

Baroth confirmed that he drove Weinstein the night of the alleged assault, but Weinstein's defense has attempted to point to discrepancies in his timing of events.

On Thursday, the court also heard from another of Weinstein's accusers known as Ashley M. She alleges that Weinstein attacked her after a 2003 movie filming in Puerto Rico.

She told the jury that Weinstein took her to a hotel in the country where he ripped off her clothes, straddled her, before masturbating while fondling her breasts.

Ashley M was visibly upset and tearing up during the retelling of events on Thursday.

She told the jury: 'He just said "its OK, its not like were having sex." And then he ejaculated on me, on my breasts and some on my face.

'I was just really thankful that I wasnt raped. I remember thinking and I remember wiping off just getting dressed really fast and leaving really fast.'

In court on Wednesday, Weinstein's defense focused on discrepancies between what the accuser told police after the alleged rape and what she had testified before a grand jury.

Baroth stopped working for Weinstein in 2017 after the former producer was arrested and has given testimony before - twice in 2019 to police and once in 2021 to a grand jury.

Defense attorney Alan Jackson claimed the surgery of Weinstein's testicles would make it difficult for her to allegedly comply with Weinstein's demand 'to play with his balls,' something Jane Doe 1 had previously claimed he said.

He then pointed out that in the model's 2017 interview with authorities, she said she had Weinstein's testicles in her mouth.

Harvey Weinstein pictured at the trial on October 27

Baroth said Weinstein frequented the Peninsula hotel, which was a 'five or six-minute drive' from nearby hotel Mr. C's, where the accuser says she was raped

The woman was the first of eight Weinstein accusers set to testify in a courtroom in Los Angeles where the 70-year-old movie mogul is on trial on multiple counts of rape and sexual assault.

Weinstein, who is already serving a 23-year sentence for a conviction in New York, has pleaded not guilty.

'I was trying to do what he wanted,' she said, noting that Weinstein had 'problems with testicles' but insisted she never changed her story about the assault.

'I described that he had a problem that it wasn't the testicles, but it was a part of him,' she added.

Jackson then questioned her as to why she told police about Weinstein's testicles, but not the grand jury - and asked if she had 'changed her story' after she had learned that Weinstein 'did not have any testicles in his scrotum.'

He asked Jane Doe: '(Weinstein) specifically asked you to play with his balls?'

'It wasn't just [the only] request  I was trying to do what he wanted,' she replied.

Jackson pressed her on that she had told police that she put his testicles in her mouth, but not the grand jury.

'I cannot agree with that,' Jane Doe replied.

'You changed your testimony, didn't you?' Jackson fired back.

'Never!' Jane Doe responded.

'You completely omitted any reference to his testicles being in your mouth,' Jackson hurled back.

'In the grand jury they don't let you talk, only answer question,' she said.

THE LOS ANGELES CHARGES AGAINST WEINSTEIN JANE DOE #1 - Unidentified Italian actress Forced oral copulation - February 18, 2013 Sexual penetration by foreign object - February 18, 2013 Forcible rape against the same woman on the same day - February 18, 2013 JANE DOE #2 Sexual battery - February 19, 2013 JANE DOE #3 Sexual battery by restraint - May 11, 2010. 'Weinstein unlawfully touched an intimate part of Jane Doe #3 while she was unlawfully restrained'. JANE DOE #4 - Jennifer Siebel Newsom Forcible oral copulation - September 2005 Forcible rape - September 2005 JANE DOE #5 Forcible oral copulation November - 2009 Forcible rape - November 2009 Forcible oral copulation - November 2010 Forcible rape - November 2010 Advertisement

In her testimony that began on Monday about the moment Weinstein allegedly barged into her hotel room, Jane Doe said she was physically afraid of the Hollywood exec.

The actress, who said she only weighed 150 pounds at the time, said she has been the victim of rape in the past and feared being beat if she didn't follow Weinstein's demands for sex.

When Weinstein allegedly had trouble getting an erection, Jane Doe said he pulled her to the bathroom, where he masturbated in front of a mirror while touching her and demanding she look at their reflection.

'I wanted to die,' she said. 'It was disgusting. It was humiliating, miserable. I didn't fight.

'I remember how he was looking in the mirror and he was telling me to look at him. I wish this never happened to me.'

She claimed Weinstein told her: 'C'mon little girl, tell me you like it. You like it.'

The actress said that she was left weeping in her hotel room as Weinstein told her not to talk about what happened to anyone.

'My understanding was that he's somebody powerful so it's better I not talk' because it could be bad for me,' she said.

The Jane Doe said she began drinking heavily after the incident and had only shared the specifics to one other person prior to the trial.

The actress noted that she saw Weinstein again while at the 2017 Italia Film Festival in Los Angeles with her daughter, Maria.

'He was looking at me. He was looking at Maria. I saw his eyes  I remembered his eyes,' she testified. 'It was like I lived the situation again and again.'

Although the meeting ended without incident, Jane Doe said she continued to feel guilt and shame over her alleged assault.

The two days of testimony comes after the court heard from Sibel Newsom and her allegations against Weinstein on Monday.

She claims that he assaulted her in 2005 when she was a powerless actor trying to make her way in Hollywood.

They reportedly met at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Weinstein invited her to discuss her career with him at the Peninsula Hotel.

Deputy DA Paul Thompson told the court that Weinstein spoke to her briefly before going into the bathroom and summoned her wearing only a bathrobe.

He went on to say that Weinstein asked her to touch him but she refused, before he then referred to a list of A-List actresses whose careers he supposedly made.

The court heard that his voice moved from pleading, to aggressive and demanding, as he forced her onto the bed leaving her shaking before he forcibly raped her.

She claims that she felt like she had 'no choice' but to keep in contact with Weinstein, conversing by email and meeting in public places.

Siebel Newsom met her husband Gavin Newsom a year after the assault but did not tell him about it, with Weinstein donating some money to Newsom.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, claims he sexually assaulted her during a business meeting  telling her relax, this is going to make her feel better'

Most of the women said that their assaults began with what were supposed to be business meetings with Weinstein at hotels.

However, the woman testifying Tuesday said she was stunned to find him knocking at her door late on a night in February 2013 after she had met him only briefly earlier in the evening at the Los Angeles Italia film festival.

Staying in the hotel under a pseudonym, she said she had no idea how Weinstein even knew her room number and that she let him through her door initially without thinking there was any harm in it. That shifted quickly when Weinstein became sexually aggressive, she said.

The woman, whose first language is Russian, said that her English was very poor at the time though it has improved considerably since, and she thought she might have miscommunicated.

'I was feeling guilty that I did something or said something that made him think something could happen between us,' she said.

She said Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on her hotel bed.

'I was kind of hysterical through tears,' she said. 'I kept saying `no, no no.''

She said she physically feared Weinstein, who outweighed her by 100 pounds or more.

She said she considered running, or hitting or biting him.

Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson asked why she didn't.

'I don't know,' she answered. 'I regret this a lot.'

She said by the time Weinstein took her into the bathroom to rape her, she stopped physically resisting, though still objected verbally.

'I would just freeze, like my body wouldn't listen,' she said.

She said she struggled to face her children after the incident, and felt the need to confess it to her Russian Orthodox priest. Prosecutors sought for the priest to testify, but he declined, citing religious privilege. The woman's daughter, now 21, is set to testify later.

In his opening statement, Weinstein attorney Mark Werksman said many of the counts his client is charged with were actually consensual sex that his accusers reframed after he became a lightning rod for the #MeToo movement in 2017.

Attorney Mark Werksman, representing Harvey Weinstein, leaves the Los Angeles County Superior Court Monday

Attorneys Alan Jackson, left, Mark Werksman, center, and Jacqueline Sparagna, representing Harvey Weinstein, arrive at the Los Angeles County Superior Court Monday

Like on Monday (above), Weinstein, 70, was wheeled into the courtroom. He faces 11 charges of rape and sexual assault involving eight women in the Beverly Hills and Los Angeles area between 2004 and 2013

But in the case of the woman testifying Tuesday, Weinstein's attorneys deny that the events in her hotel room happened at all. No records, surveillance video or other evidence places Weinstein at the woman's hotel, Mr. C Beverly Hills, on the night she says she was raped.

Jackson pressed her on this during cross-examination, asking how Weinstein could have learned her room number and been allowed to her door, and why she made no complaints to hotel staff over 'this terrible breach of protocol.'

She answered, 'Because of what happened to me. Because I didn't want anybody to know.'

Jackson then asked why she stayed in the same hotel for weeks afterward, and did not even change rooms.

'You stayed in the very room that you claim you were attacked and victimized by a sexual predator?' Jackson asked.

The woman conceded that she had.

She cried occasionally during her testimony, but remained mostly composed, looking down when she grew emotional to gather herself.

A day earlier she was sobbing so much in her account of the assault, court adjourned a few minutes early.

'I want to apologize for my breakdown yesterday,' she said when she returned to the stand Tuesday. 'Unfortunately I cannot control that.'

Weinstein arrives at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles in 2014. He is currently serving a 23-year sentence for sex crimes in New York, with a jury now hearing details about the owner he held over the women because of his high position

The identities of his other accusers are being kept secret in court documents, which refer to them as Jane Does

Weinstein is currently serving a 23-year sentence for sex crimes in New York, with a jury set to hear lurid details about the owner he held over the women because of his high position.

Addressing the jury, Thompson said that several other women described being dragged to the bathroom and bedroom before being assaulted by Weinstein.

They also claim they felt powerless because he was a big guy, with one saying: Hes big. Hes broad. Hes overweight. Hes domineering.

Thompson added: They feared that he could crush their careers if they reported what he had done to him.

Other accusers reportedly begged him to stop, with one even telling him please I have kids as he attacked her.

The jury was also told that Weinsteins films launched the careers of Quentin Tarantino, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow as well as wielding power with presidential contenders  such as Hillary Clinton.

One woman reported an assault by Weinstein to the NYPD in 2015, but the seven other women did not report the rapes until after the scandal exploded in 2017.

However all of the women told friends or family about the assaults before 2017, and most of the victims were able to describe unique things about his body.

Thompson said: What Im referring to is the result of a surgery that the defendant had in 1999. That surgery caused pretty noticeable scarring, and youll see the pictures.

Because of an infection, his testicles were actually taken from his scrotum and put into his inner thighs.

None of the Jane Does will describe his anatomy perfectly, but most of them will be able to describe these abnormalities that they observed during the assaults.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses 'Chintan Shivir' of Home Ministers of states in Surajkund, via video conferencing, in New Delhi, Friday. (Photo: PTI)

SURAJKUND (HARYANA): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday mooted the idea of "One Nation, One Uniform" for police, saying it is just a suggestion for consideration and he is not trying to impose it on the states.

Addressing a "Chintan Shivir" of state home ministers through video-conferencing, Modi also warned of forces that are increasing their intellectual sphere to push the youth towards extremism and pervert the minds of coming generations.

"Every form of Naxalism, be it the one with guns or the one with pens, have to be uprooted to prevent them from misleading the youth of the country," he said.

Modi said for the sake of the unity and integrity of the nation and with the inspiration of Sardar Patel "we can not allow any such forces to flourish in our country".

He said such forces get significant help internationally.

About his "One Nation, One Uniform" suggestion, the prime minister said he thinks that the identity of the police forces across the country could be identical.

"The One Nation, One Uniform for police is just an idea. I am not trying to impose it on you. Just give it a thought. It may happen, it may happen in 5, 50, or 100 years. But let's give it a thought," Modi said.

He said this will not only ensure the manufacture of quality products because they will be used on a large scale but also will give a common identity to law enforcement personnel as people will recognise them anywhere in the country.

States can have their number or insignia, he added.

Modi also urged the state governments to review old laws and amend them to the current context as he batted for coordinated action by all the agencies to meet the emerging challenges of law and order and security.

Modi said it was "very important" to maintain a good perception of police and the "wrongs here" should be addressed.

Even though law and order is a state subject as per the Constitution, they are equally linked with the unity and integrity of the country, he said.

Modi said every state should learn, get inspired from each other and work together for internal security.

"Working together of states for internal security is a constitutional mandate as well as responsibility towards the nation," he added.

The prime minister said all agencies -- both central as well as that of states -- should cooperate with each other to ensure efficiency, better outcome and protection to the common man.

He said law and order is directly linked to development and hence it is everyone's responsibility to maintain peace.

"When the strength of the country will increase, the power of every citizen, every family will increase," he noted.

Modi said it is very important for the entire law and order system to be reliable and stressed for maintaining a good perception of police among the people.

He said several reforms for strengthening the law and order system have taken place in the last few years.

"We need to think about a common platform for technology that can be shared by all. Best practices of one state can be shared with others," he said, adding smart technology should be adopted for a smarter law and order system.

Referring to the circulation of fake news, Modi said fact check of such news is a must and technology plays a big role in it.

"People must be made aware of mechanisms to verify messages before forwarding them," he said.

The prime minister said the good old system of generating human intelligence by the police and security agencies should be strengthened for achieving better results.

He asked the states not to look at the budget while selecting technology as "investment in today's technology is a saving in the future".

Referring to the ongoing 'Amrit Kaal', the prime minister said an 'Amrit' generation will emerge carrying the essence of the 'Panch Pran'.

"'The Panch Pran' must be the guiding force for good governance," he said.

Modi said the law and order system can be improved with the help of smart technology as maintaining law and order is a 24X7 job.

He pointed out that crime is no longer localised and instances of inter-state and international crimes are going up.

That is why mutual cooperation between state agencies as well as between central and state agencies is crucial, Modi said.

He said whether it is cybercrime or the use of drone technologies for the smuggling of weapons or drugs, the government needs to keep working towards new technologies to tackle the menace.

"The law and order system can be improved with the help of smart technology, the prime minister said, adding the 5G, along with its benefits, brings the need for a heightened alert.

Modi mentioned the 'Police Technology Mission' of the central government and stressed the need for a common platform as differing technologies of different states do not talk to each other.

"We should have a pan-India outlook, all our best practices should be interoperable and should have a common link," he said.

He also talked about the decriminalisation of many things in company law as a step in this direction and asked the states to also evaluate and get rid of outdated rules and laws.

Modi said the laws enacted by the central government aim to strongly handle corruption, terrorism and hawala.

"Laws like UAPA have given strength to the system in a decisive battle against terrorism," he said.

The prime minister also advocated the need to think about developing special capabilities for tourism-related policing.

He said tourists are the biggest and fastest ambassadors of the reputation of any place.

He also said police vehicles should never be old as it affects the efficiency of the force.

The two-day 'Chintan Shivir' is being organised here by the Union Home Ministry with the objective to prepare an action plan for the implementation of 'Vision 2047' and 'Panch Pran' announced in Prime Minister Modi's Independence Day speech.

Home secretaries and director generals of police (DGPs) of states, director generals of central armed police forces (CAPFs) and central police organisations (CPOs) are attending it.
Girlfriend of the accused is alleged to have been the driver of the getaway car

Jack Steven James Brearley, 21, has since been charged with Cassius' murder

He said Indigenous families felt scared of losing their children in wake of attack

Armstrong said his death wasn't 'Hollywood enough' to invoke furious response

Cassius Turvey, 15, was brutally beaten to death with a metal pole on October 13

Tony Armstrong blasted the nation for 'not caring' about death of teenager

Tony Armstrong has declared the alleged murder of an Indigenous boy 'isn't Hollywood enough' for Australians to care about during a fiery rant on live TV.

The ABC News Breakfast presenter hosted The Project on Thursday night, telling the panel he was 'so angry' about the death of Cassius Turvey, who died after allegedly being brutally bludgeoned with a metal pole.

Cassius, 15, was walking home from school with friends on October 13 when a group of men set started to chase the boys with a machete and metal pipes.

While his friends took cover in a local TAFE, Cassius was caught by the group and was allegedly severely beaten, sustaining severe head injuries in the Perth attack.

Cassius spent five days in hospital and was re-admitted after suffering a seizure and two strokes. He sadly passed away on Sunday, 10 days after the brutal attack.

Armstrong said the death of the Indigenous schoolboy wasn't 'Hollywood' enough to capture the attention of the Australian people or the media.

Tony Armstrong told The Project on Thursday night he felt 'so angry' about the death of Cassius Turvey, who died ten days after he was being brutally bludgeoned with a metal pole

'This is a kid who was 15, he had dreams and hopes and aspirations, we saw how chuffed he was doing his radio bit, that's gone,' he said.

'It's not Hollywood enough. It's not Hollywood enough for the Australian public and the Australian media to care. People think we're getting better. Deaths in custody have gone up since Black Lives Matter happened.

'There's never action, there's only talk and ultimately, we don't want to talk about how this is a racial incident.

'But ultimately, what it's all boiled down to is that the value of property has been deemed more than the life of a 15-year-old black kid.

'How do you think families are feeling sending their kids out. It's disgusting and I'm really angry. I know a lot of mobs are upset and my heart goes out to the family.'

Cassius Turvey (pictured) was allegedly bludgeoned with a metal pipe on October 13 when he and three friends were on their way home from school

Cassius (pictured) suffered serious head injuries and spent five days in hospital before being discharged. However, just hours after leaving he suffered a seizure and two strokes and was rushed back. He then died on Sunday, 10 days after he was attacked

Lisa Wilkinson questioned why Western Australian Police had minimised the incident by saying Cassius had been at the 'wrong place at the wrong time'.

'This was a teenager in his school uniform, in broad daylight, walking along a street,' she said.

'Where else are you meant to be other than walking home in your school kit? My heart is broken, like a lot of people's,' Armstrong replied.

One of the alleged attackers was 21-year-old Jack Steven James Brearley, (pictured) who has been since been charged with murder

Armstrong's appeal comes as it was revealed the girlfriend of Jack Brearley, the man accused of Cassius' murder, was the alleged driver of the group's getaway car.

Police allege she was also on bail for multiple assault charges.

The woman is understood to have been behind the wheel of the black utility when it pulled up beside the teenagers on Paterson Drive in Middle Swan.

The boys claimed she yelled racial slurs from the vehicle before her boyfriend Jack Brearley, 21, allegedly beat Cassius.

Mr Brearley has been charged with murder over the attack and his girlfriend is currently cooperating with WA Police, the West Australian reported.

She is set to appear in Perth Magistrates Court next month for unrelated charges including two counts of common assault, one count of possessing cocaine and one count of attempted aggravated robbery.

Meanwhile, a top police officer's remark that Cassius was 'in the wrong place at the wrong time' sparked furious outrage online.

Commissioner Col Blanch told 6PR radio earlier this week that the alleged attack was sparked by a 'damage incident' where windows had been broken.

Host Gareth Parker asked Cmr Blanch if police had any evidence to suggest Cassius and his friends had been involved in the damage incident.

Police Commissioner Col Blanch (pictured) was blasted by social media critics after saying the incident may have been a case of being 'in the wrong place at the wrong time'

While Cassius' friends hid in a nearby TAFE, the 15-year-old was allegedly caught by the group who proceeded to violently assault him (pictured, Cassius Turvey)

'At this point in the investigation, we've got nothing to suggest that,' he said.

'It may be a case of mistaken identity. It may be a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I wouldn't want anyone in the community to jump to any conclusions.'

Some social media users accused Cmr Blanch's of 'victim blaming' while others said police were refusing to see the incident for what is is - 'clear racism'.

But one commenter defended the top cop saying: 'He was saying the police were looking into whether it was mistaken identity, in trying to identify a motive'.

Commissioner Blanch insisted police were not 'operating on any principles of racism or motivations at this point,' and that investigations were ongoing.
The husband of a mother tragically killed in a car accident has penned a heartbreaking post describing her death as 'surreal' and promising to look after their six children.

Hannah Louise Fraser, 30, was heading west on the Goomalling-Toodyay Road in Wongamine, north of Perth, with her children when her Kia Carnival collided head-on with a cement truck at about 6.20am on Wednesday.

Mrs Fraser died at the scene of the crash and her children, aged between 14 months and 12 years old, were rushed to hospital.

Her husband shared a heartbreaking tribute to his lost soulmate on Thursday.

Hannah Louise Fraser (above) died in a horror car crash outside Wongamine on Wednesday

Mrs Fraser's car, carrying her and her six children, collided head-one with a cement truck at about 6.20am (pictured, the aftermath of the crash)

The two were set to celebrate eight years of marriage in November.

'To the love of my life,' he wrote.

'I'm sure I got the chance to tell you just how much your presence in my life made me a better man or just how much you meant to me.

'I hope that in the years we spent side by side my actions told you every day that I love you more than words can describe.

'So as I look to our future, I vow to raise the kids to the absolute best of my ability and promise that I will always honour the amazing person you are.

'Till I see you again rest easy my darling. I will love and cherish you always.

Mrs Fraser's (above) family shared heartbreaking tributes online alongside photos of her

Mrs Fraser's husband of almost eight years, Leighton Fraser, said her death felt 'surreal' and promised to raise their kids 'to the absolute best of my ability' (pictured, Mr and Mrs Fraser)

'Gone but never forgotten.'

Mrs Fraser's five-year-old and 11-year-old daughters are still in induced comas at Perth Children's Hospital.

Doctors said they will wake the girls in the next few days with extended family refusing to leave their side.

The four other children are awake and in a stable condition, including Mrs Fraser's baby boy.

It is believed Mrs Fraser and her children were on their way to a weekly home-schooling class.

The 58-year-old truck driver managed to escape the crash with minor injuries and was taken to hospital for a precautionary check.

Mrs Fraser's family shared several photos of the deceased mother after her tragic death on Wednesday (pictured, Mrs Fraser)

A GoFundMe to support Mrs Fraser's family has raised more than $51,000 in just three days (pictured, Hannah Fraser)

Mrs Fraser devastated father, Stephen Fox, also shared a tribute to his daughter.

'Dear God, please take care of my once little girl, the one with big blue eyes and soft blonde curls,' he said.

'She was special, as you should know. I really didn't want to let her go.

'Hannah touched the hearts of everyone she knew.

'Letting her go is so hard to do. I wish you didn't have to take her so soon.

'Would you comfort her and hold her in your arms tight and tell her she is missed every day and night.

'I promise to live with her always in my heart and share of her love and kindness until the day I depart.

Mrs Fraser died at the scene of the crash (above) while her six children, aged from 14 motnhs to 12 years old, were rushed to hospital

Mrs Fraser and her husband Leighton Fraser (pictured together) were set to celebrate eight years of marriage in November

'Love Da.'

Her stepmother, Christina Fox, also shared a touching message saying she will miss her 'beautiful' daughter.

'Words cannot begin to express what I feel right now,' she wrote.

'Knowing you will never message me again asking for parenting advice, knowing you will never send me pictures of your beautiful babies, knowing I will never be able to talk to you again and hug you again.

'I am so sorry that we are so far away right now.

'I absolutely cherish all our moments together, you always made me feel so loved.

Mrs Fraser's family described her as 'beautiful' and said they wish she hadn't been taken 'so soon' (pictured, Hannah Fraser)

A GoFundMe to raise money to bring Mrs Fraser's (above) father and stepmother to Australia has raised just under $4,000

'The world earth-side has lost a beautiful soul and its so unfair.'

A GoFundMe created by Mrs Fraser's father-in-law has raised more than $51,000.

Another GoFundMe set up by her father and stepmother to help them travel over to Australia from the UK has raised just under AUD$4,000.

Major Crash detectives will investigate the circumstances of the accident. Anyone with dashcam footage of the incident is urged to contact police.
Karl Stefanovic has mocked Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and branded him a 'disgrace' after his awkward gaffe in parliament on Thursday.

The leader of the Liberal Party was slammed in parliament by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and accused of not knowing his home state of Queensland well enough after he made a geography error by confusing the coastal town of Yeppoon with the Yeppen Floodplain.

Seizing on the gaffe on Friday, Stefanovic told Mr Dutton: 'Queenslander! I mean, you are a disgrace this morning!'

Mr Dutton laughed off his error and said: 'I have lived in Bundy, lived in Townsville. I have family in Mackay, Townsville, Rocky... And I've driven that road hundreds of times.

'And in fact I was only up there the week before last. We drove in. I must have been asleep as we came in because - yeah. I got it wrong. I know where Yeppoon is. I have been to the coast many times.'

Mr Dutton's gaffe came as Mr Albanese was accused of bullying Michelle Landry, the Nationals MP for Capricornia in central Queensland.

Ms Landry rose in Question Time on Thursday to accuse the prime minister of breaking a promise.

She said the federal budget, released by the Labor government on Tuesday. delayed $800million of Commonwealth funding to construct the Rockhampton Ring Road by at least two years.

Mr Albanese's response made reference to funding the Bruce Highway through the Yeppen Floodplain, south of Rockhampton.

This prompted Mr Dutton - also from Queensland - to interject and comment about the town of Yeppoon, more than 50km away on the coast.

The PM seized upon this geographic error to mock the opposition leader.

'Yeppoon is a different place! And you might want to ask the Member for Capricornia, because Yeppoon is on the coast, north of Rockhampton and Rockhampton is to the south,' he exclaimed.

'Yeppen Floodplain is to the south, it's the southern entry of the Bruce Highway into Rockhampton!'

Karl Stefanovic mocked opposition leader Peter Dutton and branded him a 'disgrace' after AN awkward geography gaffe in parliament on Thursday

The leader of the Liberal Party was slammed in parliament by Anthony Albanese and accused of not knowing his home state of Queensland well enough after he made a geography error

Mr Albanese got a rousing cheer from the Labor Party benches and twice shook his fist towards Mr Dutton shouting 'Queenslander!'

'Says it all!' he added, dismissively.

The PM then explained the history of the road project and with a consistently raised voice blasted the opposition for not getting it down while in government.

'We will get this project done, like we got the Yeppen Floodplain done, like we, by the way, got roads to Yeppoon done as well,' he said.

The rowdy Labor benches responded to the PM's boisterous display by cheering, clapping, and banging their tables.

Although his display seemed targeted at Mr Dutton, deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley later raised a point of order.

'The Member for Capricornia has left the chamber in tears and in a state of high distress,' she said.

She asked Speaker Milton Dick to review the video and consider the appropriateness of his 'tone' during his very shouty answer. Mr Dick said he would do so and get back to her.

Mr Albanese appeared to be primarily addressing Mr Dutton during the period of his answer when his voice was raised, but Ms Landry insisted it was aimed at her.

Ms Landry, Ms Ley, and several other female Coalition MPs held a press conference after Question Time ended, accusing Mr Albanese of 'bullying' her

Ms Landry was also seen on live TV smiling and laughing as Mr Albanese's mocking of the opposition leader carried on.

However, Ms Landry, Ms Ley, and several other female Coalition MPs held a press conference after Question Time ended, accusing Mr Albanese of 'bullying' her.

'I really do not appreciate being spoken to and screamed at by the prime minister, as I was today,' she said.

'I feel that I've been humiliated by him and the Labor Party.

'This is not the first time that I've endured this stuff from the Labor Party, from the PM's office who spread smear campaigns about me in Rockhampton.

'I think this should be a place where we can all work together, I try to treat people with respect and how I wanted to be treated.

'I want to thank my female colleagues for being here with me today because we've all had enough.

'They're a mob of hypocrites if they can say that everything is so wonderful on the left. Well, it's not.

'They treat us appallingly, our female MPs and senators are treated like absolute garbage all the time by the left and we have had enough.

'This is about women across Australia. I have two daughters and if I don't stand up against this bullying in the parliament, they just won't have respect for me.'

Ms Ley then quoted a statement by Mr Albanese from months earlier, declaring parliament needed to do better to stamp out bullying.

'More needs to be done to change the culture of Parliament House, culture sit above policy and procedure and must change,' she quoted.

'There's a cultural problem with sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace in the House.'
A top media lawyer has called for the juror who caused the Bruce Lehrmann trial to fall over to be charged.

It comes as it was estimated the court proceedings likely cost the parties - which included the taxpayer - up to $2million.

The rogue ACT Supreme Court juror admitted bringing a forbidden document - a sexual assault research paper - into the jury room.

The academic article was discovered when a sheriff accidentally noticed one of the papers during routine cleaning.

However, it has since been revealed that after the jury was dismissed, sheriffs found two further academic articles - which belonged to the same juror, a written judgment released by Chief Justice Lucy McCallum said.

The juror, who was explicitly told not to conduct independent research, was not punished for their actions.

Lehrmann had been on trial accused of raping Ms Higgins following a drunken night out in March 2019 for close to four weeks. He had pleaded not guilty.

A lawyer has called for the juror who caused the trial of Brittany Higgins' accused rapist Bruce Lehrmann to be aborted be charged over their 'stupid' actions

Senior media lawyer Justin Quill - a partner at major law firm Thomson Geer - estimated that taking legal fees into consideration, the juror's 'failure to obey the law' would've cost millions of dollars.

'I think the juror should be charged,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'Charging the juror will send a message to the public that if you get called to jury duty, you have to do the right thing and follow the judge's directions.

'Public awareness is the only good thing that might come from the abandonment of this trial.'

The court was told the first document that was found which belonged to the juror related to the 'unhelpfulness of trying to quantify' the prevalence of false sexual assault complaints.

According to a written judgement released by Justice McCallum, the additional papers were also articles about sexual assault, and belonged to the same juror.

After dismissing the jury on Thursday morning, the chief justice told the court the documents were found 'inadvertently' - when one of the sheriff's officers accidentally bumped one of the juror's document folders onto the floor.

When the officer picked it up, they found what was later confirmed to be an academic research paper about the prevalence of false sexual assault claims.

The juror said that the document had not been used or relied upon during deliberations.

However, when the court reopened the chief justice said she couldn't rely upon that explanation.

The jurors had been explicitly and repeatedly instructed not to do any research except what was presented to them in the courtroom.

A spokeswoman for Justice McCallum said: 'The conduct of the juror in question does not constitute an offence in the ACT.'

Mr Quill said he 'doesn't agree' with the juror's conduct not being considered an offence.

'The judge warned them 17 times that they should not conduct their own research, in my view that is a condition imposed by the judge on the juror,' he said.

He added in a column written for the Herald Sun that aside from 'emotional costs' on those in the trial, he guessed the juror's actions would've set back taxpayers $2million.

Ms Higgins gave an impassioned speech outside court after the jury was dismissed.

Bruce Lehrmann was on trial, accused of raping Ms Higgins following a drunken night out in March 2019. He had pleaded not guilty

She was visibly emotional and her hands were shaking.

'I chose to speak up...to speak up and share my experiences with others,' she said, before recounting a version of events about her experience in the courtroom.

Lehrmann's legal team have since referred Ms Higgins to police over whether her emotional speech outside court was in contempt in court.

Mr Quill said he thought Ms Higgins' speech was 'ill-advised'.

'I would have waited until the legal proceedings were finished. Having said that the trial would have been an extremely traumatic experience,' he said.

'If I had been in her team I would've been pushing as hard as I could for her not to say anything.

'But in my view what she said wasn't that prejudicial. From a contempt of court perspective, she is the only person who does not have to say alleged rape because any jury understanding her position is obviously that she was raped.'

The young political staffer had also said her life throughout the trial had been 'publicly scrutinised', while criticising the justice system.

Mr Quill pointed out the fact the system allows any alleged sexual assault victims to remain anonymous.

Partner at major law firm Thomson Geer, Justin Quill, said the juror should be charged

'When you're analysing if the system works, you have to think this is not like other cases because here Ms Higgins can be identified,' he said.

'Normally alleged rape victims can't be identified. But here Ms Higgins chose to give up her right to stay anonymous.'

On Thursday, Justice McCallum said she could not take the 'risk' with the jury after the forbidden documents were found.

'It has come to my attention that one of you has undertaken research in relation to issues in the case and that material has entered the jury room which ought not to have,' she told the court.

'I have heard an explanation and it may be that no harm has been done but that is not a risk I can take. I have discharged that juror and I have to discharge you all.

'Can I please convey to you my sincerest gratitude to the hard work you've done in this trial.

'With those remarks, you're discharged and you are free to leave.'

Another trial has been rescheduled for February.
Brittany Higgins is seen leaving the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday

The jury in the trial of Brittany Higgins' accused rapist were told at least 17 times not to conduct their own research and were ordered to tell themselves 'Chief Justice McCallum isn't here so I probably shouldn't be doing this'.'

But a rogue juror still brought forbidden documents into the court and torpedoed the trial on Thursday.

The jury should have been deliberating over Bruce Lehrmann's case in the ACT Supreme Court, but instead Justice Lucy McCallum discharged them and aborted the trial due to a juror's 'misconduct'.

She told the court that one of the sheriff's officers had been tidying up after Wednesday's proceedings when they accidentally bumped one of the juror's document folders onto the floor.

When the officer picked it up, they found what was later confirmed to be an academic research paper about the prevalence of false sexual assault claims.

The juror in question will not be punished for upending the almost four-week trial.

Lehrmann had been accused of raping the ex-Liberal staffer in Parliament House after a night out in Canberra in March 2019. He pleaded not guilty to a single charge of sexual intercourse without consent.

On Thursday morning, he was able to leave the court knowing he may not have to go back until February 20, 2023 - when the trial is tentatively scheduled to start all over again.

Justice McCallum said a retrial would likely take place in February 2023. Bruce Lehrmann is pictured outside court with his legal team on Thursday

Brittany Higgins broke down in tears as she delivered a statement outside the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday

The juror said in closed court that the document had not been used or relied upon during deliberations, however, when the court reopened the chief justice said she couldn't rely upon that explanation.

The fact that it was found in the jury room at all, Justice McCallum said, meant it could have influenced that juror's contribution to deliberations and tainted the opinions of all 12 members.

Once the jurors were discharged, the chief justice told the court: 'During the course of the trial, on my calculation, the jury must have been given at least 17, and possibly more, warnings.'

The judge then quoted lines from her opening remarks to the jury on the day they were empaneled on October 4.

'You mustn't try to undertake your own inquiries or try to re-enact any aspect of the offence or consider any external evidence about the consumption of alcohol or about any matter that might arise during the trial.

'You must rest exclusively on the evidence you hear in this courtroom.'

Justice McCallum said they should only ever learn something new about the trial if they are in her presence.

Brittany Higgins held hands with her boyfriend David Sharaz as she arrived at the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday

'If you find yourself getting curious and undertaking internet research or talking to people about their areas of expertise, think to yourself, 'Well, Chief Justice McCallum isn't here so I probably shouldn't be doing this'.'

She also made it clear that jurors are not 'investigators', and should not appoint themselves as such.

Furthermore, they received warnings before being dismissed at the end of each day during the trial.

Justice McCallum, without fail, would remind jurors not to look at social media, read or watch the news, Google the case, talk to anyone about the trial, or conduct any research of their own.

She gave them alternatives, like going for bushwalks, walking the dog, or unwinding at the gym.

Once the trial was over, Lehrmann's defence lawyer Steven Whybrow told the media it would be 'inappropriate' to comment due to the impending trial.

Ms Higgins, on the other hand, gave an impassioned speech claiming the legal system was unbalanced.
It comes as insiders warn Australia's Covid lockdowns 'scared' away foreigners

Without backpackers to pick fruit, summer fruit prices are likely to skyrocket

The industries hit the hardest by shortages have been agriculture and hospitality

There are less than half of the amount of backpackers working than pre-Covid

Social media and specialty sites has been flooded with backpacker job notices

Desperate business owners are trying to lure backpackers to Australia by marketing their jobs as 'experiences' and offering huge lists of freebies - even though some are wary of the country after its strict response to Covid.

Grattan Institute data shows the number of working holidaymakers in Australia - who normally fill fruitpicking, farm harvest and hospitality jobs - is down 86 per cent on what it was before the Covid pandemic.

Now, social media and backpacker-specific job websites have been overrun with posts by desperate employers trying to sell the lifestyle backpackers would get if they sign up.

Many ads feature glowing testimonies from former workers and offer free accommodation and sometimes even meals, allwhile touting the chance to make 'mates'.

A critical shortage of backpackers has crippled several major Australian industries (pictured, backpackers picking blueberries in Coffs Harbour)

Business owners have started advertising lists of 'perks' that come with jobs in the hopes of enticing backpackers (pictured, a job ad on an Australian backpackers Facebook page)

Backpackers pages ion Facebook have been overrun by desperate employers looking to market their vacant jobs to backpackers

Some ads offer visa benefits, many offer free laundry, WiFi, accommodation and discounted booze and food.

One sector struggling with the lack of foreign workers is dairy. However, central Victorian dairy farmer Dehne Vinnicombe said he's noticed an uptick in backpackers looking for work.

'Five to six months ago it was pretty crap,' he said.

'It's not just us, it's hard for all industries to find labour at the moment.

'Backpackers have started coming out again, though. It's a lot easier to find workers than it was a couple months ago.'

Mr Vinnicombe said he regularly hires working holidaymakers as seasonal workers when his business starts getting busy.

'During certain times of the year we see high demand and need to fill the gaps in our workers,' he said.

'At the moment we have a Japanese girl with us, before that a Canadian guy and two German girls. Bit of a Liquorice Allsorts,' he said - referring to the popular confectionary brand.

Mr Vinnicombe said the backpackers often help with maintenance, milking and calf rearing.

There are now less than half of the amount of backpackers working in Australia than there was in 2019 (pictured, backpackers fruit picking)

Employers have started advertising their jobs as 'experiences' and often tout the chance to make friends and experience nearby attractions for free (pictured, a photo advertising a backpacker job in Queensland)

'I just don't understand where all the workers have gone. Unemployment's at a low but there's still all these jobs,' Mr Vinnicombe said.

'It's not like Covid ate people.'

Tourism Australia found about 80 per cent of farm harvest jobs are usually filled by working holidaymakers.

But the number of working holidaymakers in Australia in May 2022 was 86 per cent down on September 2019 according to the Grattan Institute.

The jobs crisis could have an impact at the checkout in the big cities - with prices expected to skyrocket due to scarcity.

Central Victorian dairy farmer Dehne Vinnicombe said more backpackers have started to return to Australia with the worst of the shortage hitting six months ago (pictured, a backpacker working at a dairy farm)

A lack of backpackers available to pick fruits this summer could lead to soaring costs caused by scarcity (pictured, a strawberry farm in Australia)

Global Work and Travel chief executive officer Jurgen Himmelmann said the reason so many backpackers are steering clear of Australia is our response to Covid.

Mr Himmelmann said lockdowns left overseas workers worried they could became trapped Down Under if another virus was to suddenly hit.

'Since the borders have opened, we are seeing the same volume of people wanting to leave Australia (as before Covid) but not the same number of people wanting to come to Australia,' he told News Corp.

'We were expecting there to be some pent-up demand  that people would want to rush to Australia once everything opened up but people saw Australians being jailed for (breaking Covid quarantine laws). They saw people trapped.'

Tourism Australia found 80 per cent of harvesting jobs were filled by working holidaymakers before Covid (pictured, a backpacker at an Australian strawberry farm)

Agriculture and hospitality businesses are feeling the backpacker shortage the hardest with more employers now offering free accommodation and other perks to draw workers in (pictured, a photo included in an Australia backpacking job ad)

He added that Australia missed out on receiving a massive influx of overseas workers that had been waiting for borders to open by staying closed.

'Most parts of Europe never did a hard border closure so a lot of the people that had an eagerness to travel just went somewhere (other than Australia),' Mr Himmelmann said.

However, unlike the massive visa processing times facing foreign skilled workers Australia is in desperate need of, working holidaymakers can expect to receive their visa within a day of applying.
The Georgia prosecutor probing possible illegal efforts to sway the 2020 election urged the Supreme Court on Thursday to refuse Sen. Lindsey Graham's attempt to avoid testifying before a grand jury.

The state was one of the key battlegrounds where activists loyal to then President Donald Trump tried to reverse his defeat.

Investigators want details of Graham's contacts with Trump's campaign, including two phone calls. An election official said Graham had urged him to rethink the way absentee ballots were handled.

In a 27-page filing, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said granting Grahams request to block a subpoena would undermine the grand jury's work.

'If the senator receives his stay, the special purpose grand jury will be foreclosed indefinitely from pursuing unique information, analyzing any resulting evidence, or using the senator's testimony to explore additional routes of valid inquiry,' Willis and her team wrote.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican of South Carolina, must testify before a special grand jury investigating whether Donald Trump tried to overturn his 2020 loss in Georgia

Prosecutors want to speak with Lindsey Graham about his conversations with Donald Trump (above) and his allies in the aftermath of the 2020 election

Willis said Graham's attempt to avoid testifying had no chance of success and would be 'unavoidably harmful' to the investigation.

And she said lower courts had already protected him from answering any questions about his official duties as a senator.

Lower courts that have ordered the South Carolina Republican to testify have already Graham sued in August to block the subpoena. He argued that he was protected by the Constitution's 'speech or debate' clause, which prevents members of Congress being quizzed about their work in court.

However, that was rejected first by the U.S. District Court of Northern Georgia an then last week by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

'Senator Graham has failed to demonstrate that this approach will violate his rights under the Speech and Debate Clause,' the appeals court said last week.

That led Graham to go all the way to the Supreme Court.

On Monday, Justice Clarence Thomas on Monday temporarily blocked Graham's testimony so that it could fully consider his case.

Willis has said she wants to question Republican senator from South Carolina about phone calls he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the states top elections official, in the weeks after the 2020 election.

Raffensperger has said he interpreted questions about whether he could reject certain absentee ballots as a suggestion to reject legally cast votes.

Graham has said, as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he was interested in cases of possible voter fraud. He's denied any wrong doing.

Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas (right) temporarily blocked the South Carolina Republican's testimony before a grand jury

Lindsey Graham is a longtime ally of Donald Trump - above the two men exiting Marine One in Texas during a 2021 trip to the southern border

'I was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and had to vote on certifying an election,' Graham told reporters this summer. 'This is ridiculous. This weaponization of the law needs to stop. So I will use the courts. We will go as far as we need to go and do whatever needs to be done to make sure that people like me can do their jobs without fear of some county prosecutor coming after you.'

He had challenged his subpoena, saying his position as a U.S. senator protects him from having to testify in the state investigation.

Willis also wants to talk to the senator about conversations he had with the Trump campaign on the heels of election day in 2020, when Trump and his allies were trying to overturn his loss.

Graham is a longtime ally of the former president.
An 18-year-old activist, who recently 'detransitioned' from male back to female, has called President Joe Biden's stance on 'gender-affirming' medical treatment as 'dangerous.'

Chloe Cole, who transitioned to male at 13 before later regretting her decision at 16, said she believes the president is 'trying to advocate for further experimentation on children.'

She previously recalled her path from transitioning to 'detransitioning,' indicating how taking puberty blockers and having surgery 'irreversibly and painfully' damaged her body.

Her regret stemmed from a belief that she was influenced by social media, not gender dysphoria, and she now directs blame toward the medical professionals whom she says did not question her decision to transition.

'I was failed by the system,' she said. 'I literally lost organs.'

Cole 'medically transitioned' between the ages of 13 and 16, having her mastectomy surgeries at 15 in June 2020

TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney, far right, is shown during a panel with President Joe Biden at the White House

Dylan Mulvaney documented her traveling to the White House, including her decision to wear an outfit featuring the colors of the transgender flag

In a recent interview with six progressive activists, including transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney, Biden was questioned on his stance of whether states should regulate medical treatment for minors with gender dysphoria.

'Sometimes they try to block you from being able to access certain medicines, being able to access certain procedures and so on,' he said.

'I don't think any state or anybody should have the right to do that. As a moral question and as a legal question, I just think it's wrong.'

'What Biden was saying is dangerous,' Cole said in response. 'He's trying to advocate for further experimentation on children.'

Her response is built on the regret she now feels, suggesting that future teens could be led down a path toward irreversible treatment.

Gender dysphoria is the term to describe a sense of unease that a person experiences because of conflicting biological sex and gender identity.

Chloe Cole, 18, who transitioned to male at 13 before later regretting her decision at 16, said she believes the acting president is 'trying to advocate for further experimentation on children'

Mulvaney was among young progressives who were invited to speak with Biden last week

'I was failed by the system,' she said of her transitioning process, in which she added medical professionals did not question her decision. 'I literally lost organs'

Cole is unsure whether the testosterone treatment she underwent affected her ability to have children

Cole added she was 'disappointed' by Biden's decision to speak with Mulvaney and that the inception of the interview was politically motivated.

'I seriously doubt he actually believes in it,' Cole said

'He's an elderly man and his stances on things have been inconsistent over the years.'

In her decision to 'detransition,' Cole says she now experiences side effects from her double mastectomy. She is required to wear bandages because her body is rejecting the skin grafts.

She recently stated that she was not sure she would be capable of long-term fertility or whether her eggs were compromised by testosterone treatment.

'I haven't really had support in my detransition at all,' Cole said.

'I had to basically figure out everything myself, starting with whether I'd have to go on supplemental hormones or whether breast reconstruction would be covered by insurance.'

Biden told Mulvaney that he has watched her 'days of girlhood' series, which documents her time as a trans woman

Cole has since launched Detrans United, a support group for transgender youth who have decided to 'detransition'

Cole previously met with Medicaid officials in Tallahassee, Florida, to tell others about her experience while detransitioning

In a meeting with Medicaid officials in Tallahassee, Florida, in July, Cole, who is from Central Valley, California said 'no child should have to experience what I have.'

She said therapists told her prior to transitioning she did not understand the ramifications.

At one point, she said: 'I was unknowingly physically cutting off my true self from my body, irreversibly and painfully.'

'That realization, actually, was one of the biggest things that led to me realizing that this was not the path that I should have taken,' she added.

Later, she was asked what her advice to the public would be. She replied: 'Do not transition your kids.'

The youngster was 'medically transitioned' between the ages of 13 and 16, having her mastectomy operations at 15 in June 2020.

She was also taking testosterone and puberty blockers and started going by the first name Leo.

Chloe has previously spoken openly about her transition, saying she first came out to her parents at 13.

Earlier this year, she told the New York Post it was her exposure to LGBTQ+ activism on Instagram at age 11 that she pushed her toward transitioning.

'I started being exposed to a lot of LGBT content and activism,' she said.

'I saw how trans people online got an overwhelming amount of support, and the amount of praise they were getting really spoke to me because, at the time, I didn't really have a lot of friends of my own.'

Mulvaney is documenting her journey from male to female in social media videos, but many say she is offensively stereotyping women

'He's an elderly man and his stances on things have been inconsistent over the years,' Cole said of Biden

Cole has since launched Detrans United, a support group for transgender youth who have decided to 'detransition.'

'While I was in the process of detransitioning  just seeing other women who were further along in the process and knowing that I had a lot of progress to make and a lot of healing to do from there really helped me look forward to the future,' she said.

Despite receiving insurance aid for her hormone treatment while transitioning, Cole will not receive funding for any procedures required to 'detransition.'

'Any treatment that I get, it's likely I'll have to pay out of pocket for it,' she said.

'These surgeries are experimental at best. If they're performed on a patient and the experiment fails, the insurance companies should have to pay for the consequences.'

She is also advocating for policy to be developed across the US.

'This whole process of transitioning kids while they're still developing  people are going to wake up and realize that it's wrong, and it's happening all over, and it needs to stop,' she said.

'I really think it's inevitable.'
This is the eye-popping moment a cyclist got his comeuppance after pushing a wheelie rider out of his way.

The cyclists were spotted riding in a group along the cycle lane in east London when two of them collided into each other head on.

A video shows a man wearing a blue helmet and back stretch out his arm and rudely push a young man in the middle of doing a wheelie, The Sun reports.

Against the odds, the youngster manages to stop from falling by putting his foot on the ground

It is instead the aggressor whose bike flops sideways and he embarrassingly ends up falling down.

The cyclist in the blue helmet (right) attempts to shobve a fellow rider doing a wheelie (left) but it quickly backfires

He rolls several times on the pavement before coming to an abrupt stop.

Footage of the incident, which was filmed on the super cycle highway' heading to east London along the Thames, has been shared widely on social media with over 22,000 views on Twitter.

One person said: 'As a rider myself - the amour of other riders who overtake without a bell to warn you is unreal - a quick ring woulda stopped this.'

Cyclescheme says: 'You don't want them to be surprised and wobble  into you or the kerb.

'Don't swing left too soon after you pass. If your back wheel clips their front wheel, you'll knock them off.'

The wheelie rider quickly manages to get his footing while the aggressor is sent tumbling down on to the road

It emerged in August that cyclists could be forced to have registration plates, insurance and observe speed limits under a radical shake-up of road traffic laws.

Almost 10 million people in England cycle for leisure, health or work every week and Britain's roads have seen a boom in bikes as more people take to the road.

Cyclists caught jumping a red light by the police risk a 30 fixed penalty fine, but enforcement of the legislation has fallen while it has increased for motorists.

And there is a growing belief among Government Ministers that riders should be forced to abide by the same rules as drivers, with identifiable markings required on their bikes.

Speaking at the time, then-Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the Daily Mail: 'I'm proposing there should be a review of insurance and how you actually track cyclists who do break the laws [via identifiable markings].'

Mr Shapps added that he could 'see no reason why cyclists should break the road laws and be able to get away with it'.
The Royal Mint has struck the first coins featuring King Charles.

The portrait, inset left, was designed by British artist Martin Jennings based on an image taken for the monarch's 70th birthday.

The King faces left  the opposite direction to his late mother, as is traditional.

What's more, kings, unlike queens, do not wear crowns. Some 9.6million coins will enter circulation in December.

The coin of King Charles will show him facing left, the opposite to his mother as is tradition. Some 9.6 million of the coins will enter circulation in December

In tribute to the late Queen, the 50 pence coin's reverse, inset right, shows the design marking her 1953 coronation, with the Royal Arms and the home nations' emblems  a rose, a thistle, a shamrock and a leek.

Old coins will still be legal tender, to be replaced as they become worn.

Historically, it has been common for coins featuring different monarchs to be used at the same time and this will now happen with coins of the late Queen and Charles.

Kevin Clancy, director of the Royal Mint Museum, said: 'For many people this will be the first time in their lives that they have seen a new monarch appear on money.

'It represents the biggest change to UK coinage since decimalisation and will usher in a new era where the coins of Queen Elizabeth II and Charles co-circulate in the UK.

'The new memorial 50 pence marks a moment in history and honours a landmark reign that lasted for 70 years.'

The coins will be made on demand in line with the wishes of the King and the late Queen, who asked for minimal waste during the process.

Rebecca Morgan, director of collector services at the Royal Mint, confirmed that 'nothing is removed or changed just for change's sake'.

'It wasn't unusual to see two or three different monarchs on coins before decimalisation,' she said.

'As a result of decimalisation, most people under the age of 50 only ever have seen Queen Elizabeth II in their pockets.'

The 50 pence coin was chosen as it is one of the most popular for people to start collecting.

'I think it is really poignant that the King's first coins are in tribute to his late mother,' Ms Morgan added.

'The only difference on the reverse of the coin is the date on either side of the leek, which is 2022 rather than 1953.'

Artist Martin Jennings with one of the first coins featuring the portrait of King Charles III to be struck at The royal Mint in Pontyclun, Wales

It takes between 18 months to two years to design a coin, with the monarch personally signing off each one.

Before her death, the Queen signed off a number of coins - including a Harry Potter commemorative series - and production of these will continue.

This will mean that two of the Harry Potter series will feature the Queen, with the final two bearing the portrait of the King.

Production of coins with the Queen's portrait will conclude by the end of the year.

Acclaimed British artist Martin Jennings, who usually works in bronze and stone, designed the official portrait of Charles to be struck onto coins.

In the portrait, Charles faces to the left, the opposite direction to his mother.

This is because tradition states monarchs face the opposite way to their predecessors on coinage.

Tradition also dictates that Kings do not wear crowns in their portraits on coins, while Queens are pictured crowned.

Artist Martin Jennings with one of the first coins featuring the portrait of King Charles III to be struck at The royal Mint in Pontyclun, Wales

Mr Jennings worked with images of Charles taken to mark his 70th birthday and began by drawing his design on paper, before creating a model in plaster.

'It is extremely painstaking work with microns of material,' he said.

'It has to be an absolute likeness. It is a portrait of the monarch but also of the individual.'

The completed plaster cast was then handed to experts at the Royal Mint, where it was digitally reduced to fit the size of each coin denomination.

'It has been a big design challenge,' Mr Jennings said. 'The placing of everything is exactly precise, such as the spacing between the letters, the proximity with the head.

'It is a huge honour. It is extraordinary to think that the smallest piece of work that I have ever done is that one that is going to be reproduced in the most multiples.'

Previous works by Mr Jennings include a sculpture of poet Sir John Betjeman at St Pancras Station, one of nurse Mary Seacole by Westminster Bridge and a bronze bust of the Queen Mother at St Paul's Cathedral.

Mr Jennings, who officially started production of the 50p coins at the Royal Mint, described seeing them in person as 'astonishing'.

'So many are so quickly produced and they are all so perfect, it is remarkable,' he said.

To make the 9.6 million coins, four presses will be running for 16 hours a day at the Royal Mint's site.

Each press can strike 400 coins per minute, making around 20,000 coins an hour.

The coins are checked and counted before being packed into cartons of 100,000, which are then sent to banks and sorting offices across the country.
SRINAGAR: An Army jawan was critically wounded in a gun fight with separatist militants in Kashmir Valleys north-western Baramulla district late Wednesday. He died in a military hospital on Thursday, a defence spokesman said.

The fighting broke out in Baramullas Washran village after a joint team of the Army and J&K police moved in at 5 am on Wednesday to flush out militants hiding there. The defence spokesman said that while the security forces were moving towards the woods close to a cluster of residential houses a militant opened fire grievously injuring Rifleman Kulbushan Manta.

He was immediately evacuated to Baramullas Government Medical College Hospital and later airlifted to Srinagars 92 Base Army Hospital where he suffered a massive cardiac arrest on Thursday morning and died soon thereafter. His mortal remains were after a wreath laying ceremony here sent to his native village Gaunth near Shimla in Himachal Pradesh for the last rites to be performed with full military honours on Friday, the spokesman said.

In a condolence message to his wife Neetu Kumari, the commander of Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lieutenant General ADS Aujla, has said that her husband and his sacrifice epitomize the values, traditions and ethos of the Indian Army.

The police officials said that a Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) militant identified as Nisar Ahmad Bhat, a local Kashmiri, was arrested during the operation whereas his Pakistani accomplice known by his code name Usman and wanted in various cases is being pursued.

Meanwhile, a militant was killed in a brief encounter with the police in Kausarnag area of southern Kulgam district on Thursday, a police spokesman here said.
Nicola Sturgeon suffered the biggest rebellion in 15 years of SNP rule after seven of her MSPs voted against gender recognition reforms last night.

Community safety minister Ash Regan resigned from her post before a vote on changes to the Gender Recognition Act.

She said her 'conscience will not allow' her to vote with the government. Six others voted against and two abstained.

Nicola Sturgeon suffered the biggest rebellion in 15 years of SNP rule after seven of her MSPs voted against gender recognition reforms last night

The Bill aims to make it easier to change gender, such as removing a required diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

But it passed its first hurdle at Holyrood, with 88 voting for, 33 against and four abstaining.

Feminist groups claim the reforms put women's safety at risk, but the First Minister denies this.

Miss Sturgeon wants to remove medical involvement and a doctor's diagnosis in the process of changing gender.

Her government also wants to lower the age limit from 18 to 16 and allow trans people to live in their chosen gender for three months rather than the current two-year period.

Community safety minister Ash Regan resigned from her post before a vote on changes to the Gender Recognition Act

Scottish Conservative Equalities Spokesperson, Rachael Hamilton MSP said: 'Despite the SNP's attempt to whip their members into a united front, it's clear that many of their own MSPs are deeply worried about these proposals.

'The fact that nine SNP members felt compelled to rebel against this controversial legislation shows the seriousness of the objections held by MSPs right across the chamber.

'I applaud Ash Regan's courage in resigning her ministerial post to vote with her conscience. However, it's a shame that two of the SNP members who raised their concerns over these plans in 2019, today chose to toe the party line rather than stand up for the legitimate views of much of the Scottish public.

The Bill passed its first hurdle at Holyrood, with 88 voting for, 33 against and four abstaining

'This issue cuts across party divisions, so it's deeply disappointing that the other Holyrood parties seem determined to silence valid concerns in their own ranks.

'The Scottish Conservatives will make all stages of this debate a free vote, in order to give this Bill the honest, good-faith debate it warrants - and I urge other parties to follow our lead going forward.'

Miss Sturgeon has spearheaded the drive to introduce the Gender Recognition (Scotland) Bill, and has denied the new legislation would put women at risk.

But she faced criticism for not allowing her own MSPs to vote with their conscience on the reforms, instead forcing them to toe the party line.
Senior Victorian minister Jaala Pulford has announced she will not contest next month's state election.

The member for the Western Victoria region thanked her colleagues and reminisced about her many years in office as a rewarding journey in a statement on Friday.

'Around the time of the 2006 Commonwealth Games my family was driving through Melbourne,' Ms Pulford said.

Senior Victorian minister Jaala Pulford on Friday announced she will not contest the next election

'My husband Jeff pointed out a big building and said: 'Hey kids, mum is going to work there'.

'Four-year-old Sinead exclaimed to her little brother, 'It's a fairy castle!'

'That little brother is now 18. We still call Parliament House 'fairy castle' and, while that may never change, the time has come for me to seek new challenges.'

Ms Pulford was first elected in 2006 and holds Victoria's employment, small business, resources, innovation, medical research and digital economy portfolios.

She previously served as minister for regional development, agriculture and roads.

Ms Pulford's announcement came just weeks before the state goes to the polls. Above, Premier Daniel Andrews

Premier Daniel Andrews said she would remain in her cabinet portfolios until the end of the term, continuing to support flood-recovery efforts until a new government was formed.

'For as long as I've known her, Jaala has been a devoted advocate for working people,' he said.

'Making their conditions better and fairer, speaking up for them in the face of gross injustices.

'Protecting them from some truly shameful conditions affecting their health and wellbeing.'
An accused predator has been arrested after he allegedly molested a baby sitting in pram as well as targeting another child and seven women in a sickening four-hour rampage across Sydney.

The man, 38, from Silverwater in western Sydney, was arrested on Thursday and charged with 11 offences, including stalking, sexual assault and sexually touching a child under 10.

Before he was arrested, parents at the nearby Kegworth Public School were sent an urgent email, warning them about the man.

The email, headlined 'Stranger Danger', warned parents to be 'vigilant'.

'A parent from our community has contacted me regarding a suspicious male in the Leichhardt area. This person has (allegedly) approached children and parents outside a local day care centre this week, even (allegedly) following one parent in his car as she travelled home,' the school email read.

Most of the assaults are believed to have taken place near War Memorial Park in Leichhardt, in Sydney's Inner West

Parents at the nearby Kegworth Public School were also sent an urgent email warning them about the man

'This person has also (allegedly) approached children and parents at local parks. Most of these incidents have been around the area of the War Memorial Park on Moore Street.

'It is really important for all of our community to be especially vigilant and careful at the moment.'

Detectives charged the man after receiving reports that seven woman  aged between 20 and 42  and two children  aged four months and two years  had allegedly been sexually touched.

Police allege the man's rampage began at about 12.15pm on Wednesday when two women  both aged 22  were approached in Drummoyne.

THE MAN'S ALLEGED FOUR-HOUR RAMPAGE 12.15pm: Two women, aged 22, are approached with one allegedly sexually assaulted. The man was also accused of making inappropriate comments towards them. 1.30pm: A 20-year-old woman was followed through a park by the accused before he was chased off. 3pm: Woman, 33, was approached outside a daycare centre by the accused. He allegedly made inappropriate comments before following her in his car through several streets. 4.30pm: The man allegedly molested a baby in a pram in a park before making inappropriate comments to its mother. 4.40pm: A woman, 42, and her child, two, were approached outside a daycare centre. The man allegedly molested the child before the mother pushes him away. Advertisement

He then sexually assaulted one of them and made inappropriate comments before leaving.

Just over an hour later, a 20-year-old woman was allegedly followed through a park by the man before he left when confronted by one of her family members.

At about 3pm, a 33-year-old woman was approached by a man outside a daycare centre in Leichhardt.

The man then allegedly made inappropriate comments to her before following her in his car through multiple streets.

At 4.30pm, the man then allegedly molested a baby who was in a pram at a park. He was then accused of making inappropriate comments to the babys mother before leaving.

Ten minutes later, a 42-year-old woman and child were allegedly approached outside a day care centre.

The man allegedly touched the child before the woman pushed him away.

He was found by detectives in less than a day, with detectives charging him with 11 offences on Friday morning.

They included four counts of stalking, two counts sexually touching another person without consent and two counts of common assault.

The other charges were two counts of intentionally sexual touching a child under 10 years and contravening prohibition/restriction in AVO.

The unnamed man was refused bail and will appear before Burwood Local Court on Friday.
Home Office officials considered erecting tents in London parks to temporarily house Channel migrants, a report has revealed.

Civil servants raised the emergency plan with London council leaders this month who dismissed the idea, sources told The Times.

Efforts to persuade London boroughs to accommodate more asylum seekers had already failed and the Home Office issued an emergency appeal to councils for more places.

At the meeting, leaders rejected erecting marquees in parks arguing that the Home Office should instead lift the ban on asylum seekers being able to get a job so that they could afford accommodation.

The Home Office told the newspaper: 'It is categorically untrue to suggest that the Home Office is planning to erect tents to house asylum seekers in London parks.'

The plan came as part of discussions on how to deal with overcrowding at the Manston Airport site in Kent.

It was previously reported that Chief inspector of borders and immigration David Neal was left 'speechless' by what he saw at the migrant processing centre.

Home Office officials considered erecting tents in London parks to temporarily house Channel migrants, a report has revealed. Pictured: Serpentine lake in Hyde Park

Efforts to persuade London boroughs to accommodate more asylum seekers had already failed and the Home Office issued an emergency appeal to councils for more places. Pictured: Migrants arrive on Dover on Thursday onboard Ramsgate Lifeboat

At the meeting, leaders rejected erecting marquees in parks arguing that the Home Office should instead lift the ban on asylum seekers being able to get a job so that they could afford accommodation. Pictured: Tents in Calais

Migrants are meant to be held at the short-term holding facility, which opened in January, for 24 hours while they undergo checks before being moved into immigration detention centres or asylum accommodation - currently hotels.

The Commons Home Affairs Committee heard the site was already 'outstripping' capacity.

It was originally meant to hold between 1,000 and 1,600 people but Mr Neal said there were 2,800 people at the site when he visited on Monday, with more due to arrive.

Describing the 'pretty wretched conditions' he saw, Mr Neal said: 'I spoke to an Afghan family who had been in a marquee for 32 days. So that's in a marquee ... with a kit mats on the floor, with blankets, for 32 days.'

It comes as Rishi Sunak will aim to negotiate targets with France for how many small boats are prevented from crossing the Channel, it was reported last night.

The Prime Minister wants to secure a more ambitious deal with Emmanuel Macrons government on the Channel crisis, after talks were thrown into disarray in the summer.

The Home Office told the newspaper: 'It is categorically untrue to suggest that the Home Office is planning to erect tents to house asylum seekers in London parks'

The plan came as part of discussions on how to deal with overcrowding at the Manston Airport site (above) in Kent

It comes as Rishi Sunak will aim to negotiate targets with France for how many small boats are prevented from crossing the Channel, it was reported last night

Downing Streets wish-list will include firm targets on the number of migrant dinghies which are blocked from crossing.

Minimum numbers of French officials patrolling beaches to intercept boats before they enter the water are also thought to be part of the negotiations.

Previous Prime Minister Liz Truss upset the French when she said  during her leadership campaign in the summer  the jury is out on whether French president Mr Macron was a friend or foe.

The Daily Mail revealed last month that her remarks about led to the French pulling out of a deal to tackle the small boats crisis in a fit of pique.

Mr Sunak also wants to set tough new targets for the Home Office on asylum processing times, so that eight out of ten are completed within six months, The Times reported.

As part of a ten-point plan set out in Mr Sunaks leadership campaign in the summer, the criteria for asylum claims are likely to be narrowed.

Home Office caseworkers could even be given incentives such as bonuses in a bid to clear an asylum backlog of more than 166,000 cases. Each civil servant would be required to finalise four cases a week.

The Prime Minister wants to secure a more ambitious deal with Emmanuel Macrons government on the Channel crisis, after talks were thrown into disarray in the summer

Previous Prime Minister Liz Truss upset the French when she said  during her leadership campaign in the summer  the jury is out on whether French president Mr Macron was a friend or foe

Senior Home Office civil servant Abi Tierney revealed earlier this week that a recruitment drive has already seen the number of decision-makers rise to 1,073 in a bid to tackle the backlog, with existing staff offered recruitment and retention perks to cut staff turnover.

French authorities have stopped 50 per cent of migrant boats so far this year, as well as 42.5 per cent of individuals attempting to cross, according to figures given to MPs on Wednesday.

However, the Home Office estimates that nine out of ten crossings must be prevented in order to make people smugglers criminal operations unviable.

It came as immigration experts yesterday claimed Britains asylum system is a huge pull for migrants as it can take up to eight years for applications to be processed.

Lucy Moreton, of immigration officers union the ISU, said asylum seekers wait 480 days on average for an initial decision on their case by the Home Office because of a backlog of claims.

But with two levels of appeals allowed in the courts, it can take between five and eight years before there is a final ruling on whether they are entitled to refugee status, she added.

It does take an inordinate amount of time for an initial decision, Miss Moreton told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. And thats damaging both for those who do qualify for international protection, and for the UK acting as a draw for people who dont qualify.

She added: If it takes on average some 480 days to reach a first decision against which there are then two rights of appeal over and above, that builds to being in the UK, for some, on average five to eight years before your claim is even finally determined. Thats a huge pull to be here.
It is the latest in a series of bitter speeches Putin has given since invading Ukraine on February 24 this year

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President Joe Biden said on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's angry rhetoric over nuclear weapons and threats to the world suggested he was preparing to use weapons of mass destruction.

For weeks, U.S. officials have said they have not seen evidence that Russia has changed its nuclear posture despite fears that it could be preparing for one last desperate push in Ukraine.

But in an interview, Biden was asked whether he believed Putin when he said earlier that he had no intention of using chemical or nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

'I think if he has no intention, why does he keep talking about it?' he told News Nation after a long pause.

'Why is he talking about the ability to use a tactical nuclear weapon? He's been very dangerous in how he's approached this and he should just get out.

'He can end this all, get out of Ukraine.'

Biden has got ahead of his administration on the issue before. Earlier this month he used the word 'Armageddon' to illustrate the dangers that could unleashed if Putin detonated tactical nuclear weapons.

'He's not joking when he talks about potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons because his military is  you might say  significantly underperforming,' he said then.

President Joe Biden said on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's angry rhetoric over nuclear weapons and threats to the world suggested he was preparing to use weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine

He addressed the question after Putin gave a rambling anti-Western speech in Moscow, accusing westerners of fanning the flames of war in Ukraine. But he claimed he had no intention of using nuclear weapons

A Russian righter jet swoops low over the wreck of a burning fuel train in occupied Ukraine, after it was destroyed in shelling overnight

This time he was responding to Putin's calls for a 'new world order' in a major foreign policy speech in Moscow.

The Russian leader, laying out his warped view of global politics, accused westerners of 'fanning the flames' of war in both Ukraine and Taiwan (where fears are growing of a Chinese invasion), of sparking a global energy crisis and of causing a food crisis - all allegations that have been levelled at him.

Putin warned the world has entered its most dangerous period since the Second World War and a 'new world order' must emerge in which Russia gets a bigger say. 'The West is no longer able to dictate its will to the humankind but still tries to do it, and the majority of nations no longer want to tolerate it,' he said.

'Dominion of the world is what West has decided to stake in this game. It is a dangerous, deadly and dirty game.'

Putin said that Moscow has no intention to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, despite issuing repeated warnings in the past that he was prepared to use all available means to defend Russia, including its vast nuclear arsenal.

'We see no need for that,' Putin said at the conference of international foreign policy experts. 'There is no point in that, neither political nor military.' The Russian leader insisted for weeks before the invasion that he did not intend to attack Ukraine, before ordering his troops across the border on February 24.

While at points Putin sounded as if he was offering an olive branch - saying Russia 'is not an enemy of the West' and 'only wants the right to develop' - he made it clear that any talks on his 'new order' would have to be on Moscow's terms.

While at points Putin sounded as if he was offering an olive branch - saying Russia 'is not an enemy of the West' and 'only wants the right to develop' - he made it clear that any talks on his 'new order' would have to be on Moscow's terms

The West, he said, had repeatedly rejected Moscow's plans for peace laid out before the war in Ukraine - such as the withdrawal of all NATO troops from ex-Soviet states, against the wishes of their governments - and had instead chosen conflict.

He claimed that he had told the West: 'Let's be friends, have dialogue and strengthen trust and peace.'

'We were completely sincere,' he added. 'What did we get in response? A 'no' on every possible area of cooperation.'

In fact, the US and NATO had both sent letters to Russia laying out possible grounds for cooperation before Putin invaded Ukraine, which Moscow rejected.

Russia isn't the enemy of the West but will continue to oppose the diktat of Western neo-liberal elites, he said, accusing them of trying to subdue Moscow.

'Their goal is to make Russia more vulnerable and turn it into an instrument for fulfilling their geopolitical tasks, they have failed to achieve it and they will never succeed,' Putin said.

The Russian president reaffirmed his long-held claim that Russians and Ukrainians are part of a single people and again denigrated Ukraine as an 'artificial state,' which received historic Russian lands from Communist rulers during the Soviet times.

Putin laid out his warped version of global events at the Valdai International Discussion Club, saying it is time for a 'new world order'

The Russian president reaffirmed his long-held claim that Russians and Ukrainians are part of a single people and again denigrated Ukraine as an 'artificial state,' which received historic Russian lands from Communist rulers during the Soviet times

Firefighters work to extinguish burning fuel tanks of a Russian train sat near the occupied city of Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine

Ukrainian servicemen shoot from the seized Russian T-80 tank on a road near the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk area

Ukrainian servicemen shoot from the seized Russian T-80 tank on a road near the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk

Putin calls Liz Truss 'CRAZY' and says she engaged in 'nuclear blackmail' with Russia By David Averre and Chris Pleasance for MailOnline Vladimir Putin today referred to former British Prime Minister Liz Truss as 'crazy' amid sweeping accusations that Western powers are engaged in 'nuclear blackmail of Russia'. In a ranting speech in Moscow, the Russian president said Truss must have been 'a bit out of it' and he claimed to have 'never said anything proactively about possible use of nuclear weapons by Russia'. 'We have only hinted in response to statements made by western leaders,' he insisted, pointing out that Russian military doctrine dictates nuclear weapons should only be deployed in 'self-defence'. Truss previously labelled Putin's threats to use nuclear weapons against the West as 'sabre-rattling' when she spoke at the UN General Assembly in September. Alongside his criticism of Truss, Putin asserted Kyiv has the technology to create and potentially detonate a 'dirty bomb' in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the 19th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow, Russia October 27, 2022, where he delivered a rambling speech decrying the West's world dominance He also refuted claims that Russian forces were attacking the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant - located in territory controlled by Russia in southern Ukraine. The Russian leader, laying out his warped view of global politics, went on to accused westerners of 'fanning the flames' of war in Ukraine and Taiwan, of sparking a global energy crisis and of causing a food crisis - in effect regurgitating the same allegations levelled at him by much of the international community. Putin warned the world has entered its most dangerous period since the Second World War and a 'new world order' must emerge in which Russia gets a bigger say, declaring that the 'age of western domination is over'. 'Dominion of the world is what West has decided to stake in this game. It is a dangerous, deadly and dirty game,' he added. In a ranting speech today in Moscow, the Russian president said former British PM Liz Truss (pictured) must have been 'a bit out of it' and he claimed to have 'never said anything proactively about possible use of nuclear weapons by Russia' Advertisement

The Russian president also stated that his country is 'ready for talks' on Ukraine.

Speaking about the conflict, Putin said he thinks 'all the time' about the casualties Russia has suffered in the conflict, but insisted he was left with no choice but to attack and that Russia would have paid a higher price if it had not acted.

He denied underestimating Ukraine's ability to fight back and insisted that his 'special military operation' has proceeded as planned.

The Russian leader said: 'About our country, you know, of course, we have costs, most notably regards losses in the special military operation. I think about it all the time. There are also economic losses, but there are enormous gains. And ultimately, and I want to emphasize, ultimately, all that is happening now will undoubtedly benefit Russia and its future. Why? Because it's connected to strengthening our sovereignty.'

Putin also acknowledged the challenges posed by Western sanctions, but argued that Russia has proven resilient to foreign pressure and become more united.

The speech is just the latest in a string of ranting addresses that Putin has given since launching his war, laying out his historical grievances, distorted view of current events, and his vision for the future.

He has repeatedly talked of creating a 'multipolar world order' in which Western capitals, including Washington, would have to kowtow to Moscow and Beijing.

Accusing the West of trying to 'cancel' Russia and its history, he has presented the conflict in Ukraine as an existential struggle for what he presents as 'Russian values'.

Kyiv argues the Russian invasion is a genocidal mission to both rewrite history - including the fall of the Soviet Union, which Putin called a 'catastrophe' - and to ensure Ukraine cannot draw closer to the West.

In his speech, Putin accused NATO of 'starting to seize the territories of Ukraine long ago' and insisted he was forced to invade to protect people.

He also said on Thursday that hard-line Ukrainian nationalists were willing to 'fight until the last Ukrainian' in the conflict with Russia.

Putin said Ukraine had suffered heavy losses in the eight-month conflict and criticised Ukrainian 'hardline patriots' and 'banderites,' a tag Russian officials and commentators often use to describe Ukrainian fighters who they say are neo-Nazis and fascists, for being willing to sacrifice their fellow fighters.

Amid fears that Putin's war could go nuclear, he today denied having any intentions of using the weapons in Ukraine.

But he described the conflict there as part of alleged efforts by the West to secure its global domination, which he insisted are doomed to fail.

Speaking at a conference of international foreign policy experts, Putin said it's pointless for Russia to strike Ukraine with nuclear weapons.

'We see no need for that,' Putin said. 'There is no point in that, neither political, nor military.'

Putin said an earlier warning of his readiness to use 'all means available to protect Russia' didn't amount to nuclear saber-rattling but was merely a response to Western statements about their possible use of nuclear weapons.

He particularly mentioned Liz Truss saying in August that she would be ready to use nuclear weapons if she became Britain's prime minister, a remark which he said worried the Kremlin.

'What were we supposed to think?' Putin said. 'We saw that as a coordinated position, an attempt to blackmail us.'

Without offering evidence, the Russian leader repeated Moscow's unproven allegation that Ukraine was plotting a false flag attack involving a radioactive dirty bomb it would try to pin on Russia.

Ukraine has strongly rejected the claim, and its Western allies have dismissed it as 'transparently false.' Ukraine argued Russia might be making the unfounded allegation to serve as a cover for its own possible plot to detonate a dirty bomb.

Putin said he personally ordered Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to call his foreign counterparts to tell them about the purported plot. He maintained that Russia knows the Ukrainian facilities working on the project.

Putin claimed, still without citing any proof, that Kyiv's plan was to rig a missile with radioactive waste and to characterize its explosion as a Russian nuclear strike in an effort to isolate Russia in the global arena.

He mocked the allegations by Ukraine and the West that Russia was firing on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine as 'ravings.' Russian troops have occupied the plant, Europe's largest, since the early days of the conflict and Moscow has accused Ukraine of continuously shelling it.

Putin claimed, still without citing any proof, that Kyiv's plan was to rig a missile with radioactive waste and to characterize its explosion as a Russian nuclear strike in an effort to isolate Russia in the global arena

Ukrainian service members prepare to shoot from a towed howitzer FH-70 at a front line, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Zaporizhzhia Region, Ukraine

Andriy Zhizhema wraps his amputated leg in an ace bandage in his hospital room at a military hospital in the Kyiv region, Ukraine. He was injured in Bakhmut, after joining the army as a volunteer in March

Firefighters work to extinguish fire following recent shelling at a railway junction in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in the town of Shakhtarsk (Shakhtyorsk) near Donetsk

A view of a collapsed building after a fire broke out at a factory following an airstrike by Russian forces that hit Ukraine's Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast

A Ukrainian service member, holds a display munition during a mine-clearing demonstration with the Armtrac 400 demining machine in the background, amid Russia's invasion, in the Kharkiv region

Also in his speech, speaking about Saudi Arabia, he said that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman should be respected and that Russia was set on boosting relations with them.

It comes amid tensions between Saudi Arabia and the US after the OPEC+, chaired by Saudi Arabia, voted to reduce oil output by around 2 million barrels per day on October 5.

The United States' has criticised Prince Mohammed and the OPEC+ oil alliance for agreeing to cut oil production, a move seen as a boost to Russia's attempts to protect its economy in the face of Western sanctions.

Putin also used today's address to state that the price of oil is 'not that important', after the US were forced to scale back a plan to impose a cap.

Also in his speech, speaking about Saudi Arabia, he said that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman should be respected and that Russia was set on boosting relations with them

It comes amid tensions between Saudi Arabia and the US after the OPEC+, chaired by Saudi Arabia, voted to reduce oil output by around 2 million barrels per day on October 5

The United States' has criticised Prince Mohammed and the OPEC+ oil alliance for agreeing to cut oil production, a move seen as a boost to Russia's attempts to protect its economy in the face of Western sanctions

Putin also today said that Russia's relations with China were at an 'unprecedented level' as he called China's President Xi Jinping a 'close friend.'

Moscow and Beijing signed a no-limits partnership just days before Russia launched its 'special military operation' in Ukraine in February, and Russia has sought to forge closer political and economic ties with China in the face of Western sanctions.

China's foreign minister Wang Yi today reiterated Bejing's backing of Russia, despite western criticism over the war.

Wang said in a call with his counterpart Sergei Lavrov, according to state broadcaster CCTV: 'China will also firmly support the Russian side, under the leadership of President (Vladimir) Putin, to unite and lead the Russian people to overcome difficulties and eliminate disturbances,'

'China is willing to deepen contacts with the Russian side at all levels,' Wang said.

Putin also today said that Russia's relations with China were at an 'unprecedented level' as he called China's President Xi Jinping a 'close friend.

Moscow and Beijing signed a no-limits partnership just days before Russia launched its 'special military operation' in Ukraine in February, and Russia has sought to forge closer political and economic ties with China in the face of Western sanctions

Putin today also said in his speech that the United States was wrong to destroy its relations with China over Taiwan.

He said Russia recognises Taiwan as part of the People's Republic of China and said visits by U.S. officials, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi - who Putin referred to as 'grandma' - to Taiwan were a provocation.

The Russian leader also said that the United States will have to replenish its oil reserves as they release them now.

He also rubbished the allegation that Russia blew up Nord Stream in the Baltic Sea, referring to it as 'crazy'.

Danish police have said powerful explosions caused ruptures to the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 undersea pipelines, potentially putting them permanently out of use. Putin previously said the West blew up the pipelines, while European leaders have accused Russia of sabotage.

The Russian leader claimed that one of the two pipelines is working but that Europe 'does not want to use it.'

He said Russia recognises Taiwan as part of the People's Republic of China and said visits by U.S. officials, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi - who Putin referred to as 'grandma' - to Taiwan were a provocation

Ukrainian service members prepare to shoot from a towed howitzer FH-70 at a front line, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Zaporizhzhia Region

A Ukrainian soldier prepares a mortar in the front line near Bakhmut, the site of the heaviest battle against the Russian troops in the Donetsk region

The Russian president used his long speech to also declare that the country will let its partners in Asia to develop energy producing assets.

Speaking of South Korea's decision to supply weapons to Ukraine, he said that it would 'destroy our relations.'

He also launched into a rant against 'cancel culture', accusing the West of trying to erase diversity and stamp out whatever it cannot tolerate.

'Those who formulate [global] rules believe others don't have right to unique path,' he told listeners.

'It is no coincidence that West wants their view accepted as universal, and they insist through their politics of everyone must be accepting these values.'

And speaking of South Korea's decision to supply weapons to Ukraine, Putin said that it would 'destroy our relations'

Ukrainian sappers walk during the presentation of the Armtrac demining machine on the outskirts of Kharkiv

In his address, Putin also took aim at France for publishing contents of a phone call he had with President Emmanuel Macron days before Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February

Putin, pictured in June, said the release showed that his conversations with the French leader were being listened in on

He also criticised European leaders in his speech, claiming that the crisis in the area has been caused by them.

Putin added that Russia is not an enemy of Europeans and 'never had any malicious intentions towards Europe.'

In his address, he also took aim at France for publishing contents of a phone call he had with President Emmanuel Macron days before Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February.

Putin said the release showed that his conversations with the French leader were being listened in on.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly hit out at Vladimir Putin after the Russian president gave a speech on Thursday.

'Putin's message today to the Russian people is unclear, untrue and unedifying,' he tweeted.

'What is crystal clear, is our message to the world:

'Aggressors must not be able to invade their neighbours with impunity.

'We will resolutely support Ukraine in its fight for freedom and democracy.'

Meanwhile, the White House said after Putin's speech that his address 'was not that new' and does not indicate a change in strategic goals.

But Foreign Secretary James Cleverly hit out at Vladimir Putin after the Russian president gave a speech on Thursday. 'Putin's message today to the Russian people is unclear, untrue and unedifying,' he tweeted

Ukrainian soldiers fire a mortar in the front line near Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine

A Ukrainian soldier carries a shell with a written message to the Russian army, in the front line position near Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region

Ukrainian soldiers target their mortar in the front line position near Bakhmut, the site of the heaviest battle against the Russian troops in the Donetsk region

Firefighters work to extinguish fire following recent shelling at a railway junction in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in the town of Shakhtarsk (Shakhtyorsk) near Donetsk

Ukrainian service members fire a shell from a towed howitzer FH-70 at a front line, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Zaporizhzhia Region

Since the beginning of the war, Putin has passed sweeping censorship laws and jailed anyone who criticses him.

Russia is now into its ninth month of the Ukraine war and has so-far failed to achieve any of Putin's war aims, which included the overthrow of the government and the 'liberation' of the Donbas region.

Having fought Russia to a standstill across almost the entire country, Ukraine is now recapturing territory from Putin's troops.

Thousands of square miles of land in the north and south have been returned to Ukrainian control in recent weeks, with the city of Kherson now within reach.

Kyiv has vowed that it will not stop fighting until all of its land - including areas annexed by Putin in 2014 - has been liberated.

In order to stop the rot, Putin has been forced to mobilise 300,000 reservists into the army and call on allies such as Iran to supply additional weapons.

He has also annexed the Ukrainian territory Russia currently occupies to the mainland, and threatened to use nukes to protect it.

However, that has failed to stop the Ukrainian advanced and has done nothing to weaken Western resolve to supply arms and money to Kyiv.
The remains of an 18th century prince were taken from a cathedral in Ukraine, along with other historic artefacts, a pro-Russian official has admitted.

Forces have claimed that they took the monument to Grigory Potemkin, a Russian war hero, and a bag containing his skull and bones from St Catherine's Cathedral in Kherson in order to 'protect' the remains.

His remains, including carefully numbered bones, had been in a black bag in his coffin.

Vladimir Saldo, the so-called head of the Kremlin-backed administration in Russian-held Kherson, said: 'We transported to the left bank the remains of the holy prince that were in St. Catherine's Cathedral.

'We transported Potemkin himself. These were my decisions because these are my powers, my duties and responsibilities.'

Forces have claimed that they took the monument to Grigory Potemkin (left), a Russian war hero, pictured, and a bag containing his skull and bones from St Catherine's Cathedral in Kherson in order to 'protect' the remains. Right: Grigory Potemkin's grave (file photo)

Vladimir Saldo, the so-called head of the Kremlin-backed administration in Russian-held Kherson, pictured with Putin in September, said: 'We transported to the left bank the remains of the holy prince that were in St. Catherine's Cathedral'

Mr Saldo, a Ukrainian politician who betrayed his own country at the start of the war, said he had taken the decision to move monuments, statues, and artefacts away from the city. Pictured: A ruined apartment building in Kherson

Saldo made the extraordinary admission that pro-Russian officials were stealing cultural and historical artefacts in an interview with Crimea 24, a Putin mouthpiece.

Mr Saldo, a Ukrainian politician who betrayed his own country at the start of the war, said he had taken the decision to move monuments, statues, and artefacts away from the city.

'All relics will return to their place because our cause is just. We do not want anything else than to live a peaceful life,' he said.

Who was Gregory Potemkin? Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potyomkin-Tavricheski, was a Russian military leader, statesman, nobleman, and favourite of Catherine the Great. He died during negotiations over the Treaty of Jassy (now Iasi), which ended a war with the Ottoman Empire that he had overseen. Potemkin was born into a family of middle-income noble landowners. He first attracted Catherine's favour for helping in her 1762 coup, then distinguished himself as a military commander in the Russo-Turkish War (17681774). He became Catherine's lover. After their passion cooled, he remained her lifelong friend and favored statesman. He had the titles of Holy Roman Empire of Prince of the Russian Empire among many others. Potemkin was both a Grand Admiral and the head of all of Russia's land and irregular forces. His achievements include the peaceful annexation of the Crimea (1783) and the successful second Russo-Turkish War (17871792). In 1775, Potemkin became the governor-general of Russia's new southern provinces. An absolute ruler, he worked to colonize the wild steppes, controversially dealing firmly with the Cossacks who lived there. He founded the towns of Kherson, Nikolayev, Sevastopol, and Ekaterinoslav. Ports in the region became bases for his new Black Sea Fleet. His rule in the south is associated with the, probably mythical, 'Potemkin village', a ruse involving the construction of painted facades to mimic real villages, full of happy, well-fed people, for visiting officials to see. Potemkin was known for his love of women, gambling and material wealth. He oversaw the construction of many historically significant buildings, including the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg. His name features in Battleship Potemkin, a 1925 Soviet silent drama film produced by Mosfilm. Directed and co-written by Sergei Eisenstein, it presents a dramatization of the mutiny that occurred in 1905 when the crew of the Russian battleship Potemkin rebelled against its officers. In 1958, the film was voted number 1 on the prestigious Brussels 12 list at the 1958 World Expo. Battleship Potemkin is considered one of the greatest films of all time. In the most recent Sight and Sound critics' poll in 2012, it was voted the eleventh-greatest film of all time, and it placed in the top 10 in all previous editions. Advertisement

His remarks alluded to the fierce fighting that is set to engulf the southern region over the next weeks as Ukraine looks to retake the territory seized by Russia in March.

Potemkin was an 18th-century commander who wanted to build a New Russia for his lover, Catherine the Great, and annexed Crimea in 1783.

He also founded the cities of Odesa and Kherson in what is now southern Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin is known to be a huge admirer of the military leader and often invokes his vision of restoring a lost Russian empire.

The Russian despot's puppet politicians in southern Ukraine last night said they had evacuated an additional 70,000 people from the area.

Kyiv says that number includes some of its own citizens who have forcibly deported to Russia.

The looming battle for Kherson city at the mouth of the Dnipro River will determine whether Ukraine can loosen Russia's grip on the south.

The Russian-appointed Kherson regional government said it has moved to the river's left bank in expectation of increased fighting between both Ukraine and the occupying forces.

Gen. Oleksii Gromov, the chief of the main operational department of the Ukrainian military's general staff, said Russia may have staged explosions at residential buildings in the city of Kherson before retreating.

He said that the Russian goal was 'to inflict a critical damage to the infrastructure of the areas being reclaimed by Ukraine.'

As Ukrainian forces advance on the right bank, hundreds of civilians have already been sent across the Dnieper River.

Several other statues and monuments have been taken from their plinths in the city centre of Kherson.

This included a monument to Potemkin which was erected in 2003. The empty plinths were seen in footage taken in Kherson over the weekend.

The removal of Potemkin's remains led to one historian reacting on Twitter.

Simon Sebag Montefiore said: 'So what will Putin do w the stolen body of Serenissimus Prince Potemkin of Taurida?

'Tho Potemkin wld have loathed Putin's primitive cruel nationalism, I predict a plangent imperial TV extravaganza when Putin will bury Potemkin in a flashy new Moscow tomb and promote his war.'

But a Russian-appointed official, Kirill Stremousov, downplayed any threat of a ground invasion of Kherson.

He said: 'We are saving the heritage  not from Nazis entering the city, but from shelling which has got so chaotic lately that it can hit anything these days, from museums to schools and hospitals.'

Elsewhere, Ukraine's president was sceptical that Russian forces were going to retreat from Kherson.

Speaking to Corriere Della Sera, Zelensky said: 'I don't see Russians running away from Kherson.

'This is a ruse. I'm not at liberty to disclose everything, but this is a ruse to get us to move our troops from other hotspots to here.'

Elsewhere, Ukraine's president was sceptical that Russian forces were going to retreat from Kherson

Kherson residents evacuated from Kherson carry luggage after their arrival to Oleshky, Kherson region, Ukraine

Kherson residents evacuated from Kherson carry luggage after their arrival to Oleshky, Kherson region, Ukraine

It comes as Ukrainian police said that Russian troops have moved into residential buildings in several towns.

This includes Kherson, which is awash with vacant buildings after the area was evacuated.

In recent days, it has also been claimed that Russian forces have forcibly removed least 2,000 people and taken them to Crimea, according to Ukrainian intelligence officials.

Many of the evacuees were children who the unnamed official said were taken away from their families by force, in what they called an 'abduction.'
A furious Anthony Albanese has rubbished claims he bullied a female Coalition MP to the point of tears in parliament.

Michelle Landry, the Nationals MP for Capricornia in central Queensland, claimed she was 'humiliated' by the prime minister during Question Time on Thursday.

Mr Albanese launched into a fiery tirade as he mocked Opposition Leader Peter Dutton for a geography gaffe during Ms Landry's question.

After the 60-year-old held an outraged press conference alongside 10 other female Coalition MPs, the PM insisted his shouty remarks were aimed at Mr Dutton.

Coalition MP Michelle Landry posted screenshots from parliament footage she claimed showed Anthony Albanese was attacking her, as he was looking in her direction, while he insists his tirade was only aimed at Peter Dutton

'Youll see me having an exchange with Peter Dutton, not with the member for Capricornia, about the fact he was interjecting, yelling at me, confusing... he didnt know his Yeppoon from his Yeppen - theyre two different places,' he told Sky News.

'It was an exchange between myself and Peter Dutton and the footage shows during that time Michelle Landry actually laughing at my response, that was good humoured, a bit of a joke about Queenslander, a reference of course Peter Dutton didnt know.'

Mr Albanese twice pointed at Mr Dutton and shouted 'Queenslander!' to mock his mistake about his home state.

This was an obscure reference to State of Origin legend Billy Moore firing up the Maroons as they took the field for the second half of the 1995 clash.

The Sydney-born PM is a diehard rugby league fan and his reference prompted rowdy cheers and banging of tables from the Labor benches, which Ms Landry claimed was egging him on in bullying her.

Mr Albanese said he called Ms Landry as a courtesy to explain his remarks weren't aimed at her, because he was concerned she was upset - but did not apologise because one wasn't needed.

'No, she has my respect. I never said anything against her. Peter Dutton wants to interject while I'm answering a question, he can expect a response,' he said.

Mr Albanese launched into a fiery tirade as he mocked Opposition Leader Peter Dutton for a geography gaffe during Ms Landry's question

Poll Did Anthony Albanese bully Michelle Landry? Yes, his shouting was cruel No, get a grip Did Anthony Albanese bully Michelle Landry? Yes, his shouting was cruel 107 votes

No, get a grip 121 votes Now share your opinion





However, Ms Landry doubled down later on Friday morning by posting screenshots from parliament footage she claimed showed the PM was attacking her.

'I did laugh at the start of the answer provided however, it quickly descended into bullying behavior by the prime minister and the Labor Party,' she said.

'In the screenshots below, you can clearly see he is not directing the remainder of his answer at Peter Dutton who is directly in front of him. He is directing his anger and vitriol at me.

'For all of the local and interstate Labor trolls who have inundated my social media channels with derogatory messages and who have cherry-picked screenshots, you need to remember that everyone has a family, and I am doing my job in standing up for Capricornia.'

Prominent media commentators, even those often critical of the government, largely sided with Mr Albanese, saying they didn't seen any bullying in his response.

'What I witnessed in question time yesterday was rigorous debate between two sides of politics. That seems pretty standard behaviour to me,' 2GB radio host Ben Fordham said.

Liberal National member for Capricornia Michelle Landry (pictured) left parliament in tears on Thursday

The drama began when Ms Landry rose in Question Time on Thursday to accuse the prime minister of breaking a promise.

She said the Budget delated $800 million of Commonwealth funding to construct the Rockhampton Ring Road by at least two years.

Mr Albanese's answer made reference to funding the Bruce Highway through the Yeppen Floodplain, south of Rockhampton.

Mr Dutton - also from Queensland - interjected about the town of Yeppoon, more than 50km away on the coast.

The PM seized upon this geographic error to mock the opposition leader for not knowing his home state well enough.

'Yeppoon is a different place! And you might want to ask the Member for Capricornia, because Yeppoon is on the coast, north of Rockhampton and Rockhampton is to the south,' he excitedly exclaimed.

'Yeppen Floodplain is to the south, it's the southern entry of the Bruce Highway into Rockhampton!'

Mr Albanese got a rousing cheer from the Labor Party benches and twice shook his fist towards Mr Dutton shouting 'Queenslander!'

'Says it all!' he added, dismissively.

The PM then explained the history of the road project and with a consistently raised voice blasted the opposition for not getting it down while in government.

'We will get this project done, like we got the Yeppen Floodplain done, like we, by the way, got roads to Yeppoon done as well,' he said.

The increasingly rowdy Labor benches responded to the PM's boisterous display by cheering, clapping, and banging their tables.

Mr Anthony yells "Queenslander" during Question Time after mocking Peter Dutton

Mr Albanese at the same time made a dismissive swishing motion with his hands towards the Coalition benches as they rose in uproar.

The episode seemed like a good bit of parliamentary theatrics at Mr Dutton's expense until the end of Question Time when deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley raised a point of order.

'The Member for Capricornia has left the chamber in tears and in a state of high distress,' she said.

She asked Speaker Milton Dick to review the video and consider the appropriateness of his 'tone' during his very shouty answer. Mr Dick said he would do so and get back to her.

Ms Landry, deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley, and nine other female Coalition MPs held a press conference after Question Time ended, accusing Mr Albanese of 'bullying' her.

'I really do not appreciate being spoken to and screamed at by the prime minister, as I was today,' Ms Landry said.

'I feel that I've been humiliated by him and the Labor Party.

'We've been talking today about kindness in the Parliament, looking after each other and all the nice kind words.

'But after he screamed and pointed and yelled at me, all his MPs - females included in that - were screaming, laughing and yelling as well.

Ms Landry, Ms Ley, and several other female Coalition MPs held a press conference after Question Time ended, accusing Mr Albanese of 'bullying' her

'This is not the first time that I've endured this stuff from the Labor Party, from the PM's office who spread smear campaigns about me in Rockhampton.

'I think this should be a place where we can all work together, I try to treat people with respect and how I wanted to be treated.

'I want to thank my female colleagues for being here with me today because we've all had enough.

They're a mob of hypocrites if they can say that everything is so wonderful on the left. Well, it's not.

'They treat us appallingly, our female MPs and senators are treated like absolute garbage all the time by the left and we have had enough.

Michelle Landry said it was not the first time she;d been the victim of a Labor smear campaign

'This is about women across Australia. I have two daughters and if I don't stand up against this bullying in the parliament, they just won't have respect for me.'

Ms Ley then quoted a statement by Mr Albanese from months earlier, declaring parliament needed to do better to stamp out bullying.

'More needs to be done to change the culture of Parliament House, culture sit above policy and procedure and must change,' she quoted.

'There's a cultural problem with sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace in the House.'

Ms Ley said the Budget talked a lot about respect in the workplace, as had many members of the Labor Party since it won government.

'Well, if Mr Albanese doesn't go back into parliament this afternoon, stand and publicly apologise... then all of these statements are not worth the paper they are printed on and he may as well throw them in the garbage bin,' she said.

'This was an incredibly distressing experience for Michelle, and there were others in the chamber who heard it, who felt it, and who really, really didn't like it.'

Sussan Ley quoted a statement by Mr Albanese from months earlier, declaring parliament needed to do better to stamp out bullying

Mr Dick later told the House of Representatives he had reviewed the footage and didn't believe Mr Albanese disrespected Ms Landry.

'I can confirm the prime minister was answering the question from the Member for Capricornia. During the answer, the prime minister was also directly responding to interjections from the leader of the opposition,' he said.

'In reviewing the footage, I did not see the prime minister show any disrespect to the Member for Capricornia.

'As the footage was not on the Member for Capricornia for the entire response, I did not see her leave the chamber.

'Of the footage of the Member for Capricornia that I was able to review, she appeared engaged in the response from the prime minister.'

Mr Albanese's office was asked if the PM intended to publicly apologise to Ms Landry or make any other comment on the matter.
Do you know the rescued kayaker? Email: tips@dailymail.com

He had severe hypothermia and French authorities airlifted him to hospital

He miraculously survived by eating mussels and seaweed for up to two days

He was trying to travel from Dover to France but capsized and clung to a buoy

A British man whose inflatable kayak capsized when crossing the English Channel to France is recovering in hospital in a 'bad state' after he was rescued yesterday morning after fishermen found him clinging to a buoy for dear life.

His rescuers said it was a 'miracle' that the paddler, 28, survived by eating seaweed and mussels after he departed from Dover around 48 hours before, likely on Tuesday, and ran into trouble in the dangerous shipping lane.

French Channel authorities said he was found by fishermen holding onto the 'Colbart Nord' buoy around halfway between Dover and France.

The crew of cutter ship 'De Madelaine', from Urk in the Netherlands, rescued the English kayaker from the Channel at around 11am this morning, Dutch media reported.

The French maritime prefect of the English Channel said he was conscious but his state of health required rapid treatment.

The paddler was then airlifted in French Helicopter Dauphin to hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer and was placed in intensive care. He is said to be able to talk but is in a 'bad shape'.

The cross-Channel kayaker was found when Skipper Teunis de Boer - of shipping company T. de Boer en Zonen - was sailing between England and France this morning when he spotted something in the water.

The captain wanted to make sure they didn't get too close to the buoy when he 'saw something crazy moving' near it, he told local media.

A British man whose kayak had capsized when crossing the English Channel to France was rescued yesterday morning after fishermen found him clinging to a buoy for dear life

He was rescued by a group of fishermen from the Netherlands in the Channel before being airlifted to a French hospital by the French Coast Guard

Fisherman Teunis de Boer grabbed a pair of binoculars and saw the exhausted and distressed Briton wearing only a pair of swimming trunks 'waving at us like a madman'

The British kayaker (pictured), 28, was reportedly suffering from severe hypothermia when he was brought onboard

After being taken aboard the exhausted British paddler (pictured) was offered some water and a Snickers chocolate bar

French Channel authorities said he was found by fishermen holding onto the 'Colbart Nord' buoy around halfway between Dover and France

Mr De Boer grabbed a pair of binoculars, and to his surprise saw the exhausted and distressed Briton wearing only a pair of swimming trunks 'waving at us like a madman', according to De Telegraaf.

Despite the choppy weather, the crew quickly worked to rescue him by sailing towards him and throwing a life ring into the water. The man managed to use his last bit of strength to reach out so they could bring him to the boat.

He was reportedly suffering from severe hypothermia when he was brought onboard with a body temperature of just 26C, Het Urkerland reports, which could have been lethal.

Do you know the rescued kayaker? Email: tips@dailymail.com Advertisement

The Briton was also bruised, dehydrated and his eyes were 'very deep in his sockets'. 'It's a miracle he survived,' Skipper De Boer said.

The heroic crew then offered the exhausted man a Snickers chocolate bar. He then told them he had set out to kayak from Dover to France, but his boat had capsized leaving him the only option of clinging to the floating buoy.

It is not known exactly for how long it had been since he capsized his inflatable kayak.

He was incredibly lucky to be found as the crew had not initially planned to catch fish in the area but went sailing after this morning's catch turned out to be 'disappointing'.

The crew of De Madelaine then wrapped him in blankets and called the French Coast Guard

The paddler was airlifted in French Helicopter Dauphin to hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer

He was placed in intensive care and is said to be able to talk but is in a 'bad shape'

The crew of De Madelaine then wrapped him in blankets and called the French Coast Guard.

While he was unable to express his gratitude in words due to lack of energy, he made heart signs with his hands to thank the crew.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said they have not been asked for consular assistance in this case but were ready to support the British kayaker if requested.

The English Channel is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, with more than 400 merchant ships passing each day. Authorities warn strongly against crossing in a vessel unsuitable for the dangerous conditions.
President Joe Biden on Thursday said he expects to overcome the legal challenges to his plan for student loan debt relief - claiming checks will be sent out before mid November.

The president was asked during a NewsNation interview about the scheme, which on Friday was blocked by a federal judge in St Louis, Missouri.

'We're going to win that case,' Biden said.

'I think in the next two weeks you're going to see those checks going out.'

The Missouri federal court said they needed more time to rule on an emergency request by six Republican-led states to block the policy.

The plan, announced in August, was designed for people who had taken out loans to pay for college. Friday's decision delays distribution of up to $20,000 in debt relief for more than 40 million eligible borrowers.

About 22 million people have already applied for debt relief since the application opened on October 14.

Joe Biden on Thursday night said he expects to overcome the legal challenges to his plan for student loan relief

Students calling for loan forgiveness are pictured in Washington DC on April 27

Activists seeking a cancellation of student loan debt are pictured on August 24 celebrating in Washington DC

Student loan advocates rallied on August 25 to celebrate the Biden Administration's announcement to forgive some of their debt

On Friday night, the White House urged people to continue applying, despite the ruling.

'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,' the administration said in a statement.

'It also does not prevent us from reviewing these applications and preparing them for transmission to loan servicers.

'It is also important to note that the order does not reverse the trial court's dismissal of the case, or suggest that the case has merit.

'It merely prevents debt from being discharged until the court makes a decision.'

The White House said they 'will continue to move full speed ahead in our preparations in compliance with this order.'

They added: 'The Administration will continue to fight Republican officials suing to block our efforts to provide relief to working families.'

The states which challenged included Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina.

Before the Missouri court's decision was announced, Biden spoke about the scheme at Delaware State University, a historically black university where the majority of students receive federal Pell Grants.

The president highlighted the ease of the application, which doesn't require users to upload any forms or to create an account.

BIDEN'S STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS: WHAT IT MEANS FOR BORROWERS President Joe Biden announced his relief plan for federal student loan borrowers, which includes: - $10,000 forgiveness for borrowers earning $125,000 individually or $250,000 jointly - $20,000 forgiveness for Pell Grant recipients earning $125,000 individually or $250,000 jointly - Aims to cap undergrad loan payments at five percent of their monthly income - Graduate program and Parent Plus loans are eligible - Student loan repayment pause was extended for the last time until December 31, 2022 Advertisement

'Folks, it takes less than five minutes,' Biden said.

He said the 'vast majority' of applicants are able to submit for relief from their phones.

It's unclear what the appeals court decision means for the 22 million borrowers who already applied for the relief.

The Biden administration had promised not to clear any debt before October 23 as it battled the legal challenges, but the soonest it was expected to begin erasing debt was mid-November.

Biden blasted Republicans who have criticized his relief program, saying 'their outrage is wrong and its hypocritical.'

He added: 'I don't want to hear it from MAGA Republican officials' who had millions of debt and pandemic relief loans forgiven.

He singled out politicians including Representatives Vern Buchanan and Marjorie Taylor Greene, who received loan forgiveness, and Senator Ted Cruz, who called some beneficiaries of student loans 'slackers.'

Asked Biden last week: 'Who the hell do they think they are?'

During Thursday's NewsNation interview, Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's angry rhetoric over nuclear weapons and threats to the world suggested he was preparing to use weapons of mass destruction.

For weeks, U.S. officials have said they have not seen evidence that Russia has changed its nuclear posture despite fears that it could be preparing for one last desperate push in Ukraine.

But in the interview, Biden was asked whether he believed Putin when he said earlier that he had no intention of using chemical or nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

'I think if he has no intention, why does he keep talking about it?' he told News Nation after a long pause.

'Why is he talking about the ability to use a tactical nuclear weapon? He's been very dangerous in how he's approached this and he should just get out.

'He can end this all, get out of Ukraine.'
Media 'missed a mark' responding to her husband's need for captions in debate

In a podcast on Thursday Gisele Fetterman said 'swimming in America is racist'

Fetterman's wife claimed she used his pool to teach minority children to swim

John Fetterman's wife has revealed she believes swimming is historically 'very racist' and turned the pool at the lieutenant governors residence in Pennsylvania into public facility to teach water safety to minority children.

Gisele Fetterman, wife of Democratic Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman, appeared on the iGen politics podcast on Thursday and discussed her work as Second Lady of the state.

Her appearance came just days after her husband faced Republican candidate Dr Oz in a TV debate in which he frequently garbled his words - an issue widely attributed to a stroke he suffered five months ago.

Early in the podcast she told listeners that her family turned down the lieutenant governor's mansion but wanted to make use of the pool because 'historically, swimming in America is very racist.'

Later in the interview she defended the fact that her husband used closed captions during his debate with Oz, comparing requiring them in a debate to having to turn up the brightness on a phone.

She said that she thought the media 'missed a mark' in the way it responded to her husband's requirement and branded it as 'ableism'.

Gisele Fetterman appeared on the iGen Politics podcast hosted by Jill Wine-Banks and Victor Shi - where she said that swimming is historically very racist in the US

Gisele Barreto Fetterman pictured with her husband John Fetterman

John Fetterman and his wife Gisele in front of the swimming pool at the lieutenant governors residence in Pennsylvania. She claimed she wanted to turn the swimming pool into the 'people's pool and ensure that young people across Pennsylvania could learn how to swim'

During Tuesday's debate Oz repeatedly raised the issue of crime while Fetterman attempted to portray Oz as out of touch with the average Pennsylvanian, suggesting that he owns 10 homes

Fetterman and his wife, who is the Second Lady of Pennsylvania - a title reserved for the wife of the state's lieutenant governor

Gisele Fetterman began the podcast by listing the work she was involved with as the Second Lady of Pennsylvania - a title reserved for the wife of the state's lieutenant governor.

She tells listeners that for the second time in Pennsylvania history her family chose to reject the opportunity to stay in the tax payer-funded residence in Lebanon County.

'While we did not want the mansion, that mansion came with a pool and the pool I wanted,' she said.

'The dream was to open this pool and make it a public pool, turn it into the people's pool and ensure that young people across Pennsylvania could learn how to swim and learn water safety and kind of work to right some of the wrongs,' she added.

Gisele Fetterman then seemed to make allusions to the fact that people in minority ethnic groups are more likely to die swimming.

'Historically, swimming in America is very racist and usually when you look at drowning statistics it usually affects children of color because of lack of access,' she said.

'Historically, swimming in America is very racist and usually when you look at drowning statistics it usually affects children of color because of lack of access,' Gisele said in an iGen politics podcast

During Tuesday's debate Fetterman addressed that he had suffered from a stoke at the start, saying: 'Let's also talk about the elephant in the room, I had a stroke'

Gisele Fetterman told listeners of the podcast that for the second time in Pennsylvania history her family chose to reject the opportunity to stay in the tax payer-funded residence in Lebanon County

Fetterman's wife goes on later in the interview to criticize the way the media responded to her husband's requirement to read from a script during his TV debate against Oz on Tuesday.

'I don't know if its lack of exposure or lack of education. I think the media certainly needs more training,' she said, adding: 'You know they talk about their investments in diversity but they really missed the mark.'

She then compared requiring closed captions to needing a high brightness on a smartphone.

'Most people use accommodations on some level, whether that's how bright you keep you phone when you're reading. These are all accommodations,' she said.

'Maybe closed captioning is a new thing to them but I've been using closed captioning my whole life, I learned how to speak English watching Mister Rogers and reading closed captions,' she said, referring to the children's show hosted by Fred Rogers, who was from Pennsylvania.

On Tuesday, Pennsylvania Democratic Senate hopeful John Fetterman at points struggled to get through his hour-long debate with Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz, as the after-effects of his May stroke were on full display.

Right out of the gate, the candidates went after each other - with Fetterman's delivery often halting and choppy, while Oz turned on the charm he honed over 13 seasons of TV, smacking Fetterman for being 'extreme.'

In advance of the debate - the only one for the Pennsylvania Senate race - Fetterman's campaign had tempered expectations, saying there would be 'awkward pauses' and 'delays and errors,' because the Democrat would be reading closed captioning - due to his auditory processing issue.

Pennsylvania Senate hopeful John Fetterman at points struggled to get through his hour-long debate with Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz, as the after-effects of his May stroke were on full display

Republican hopeful Dr. Mehmet Oz participated in the Pennsylvania Senate debate Tuesday night in Harrisburg

The pauses and stumbles happened throughout the debate.

At one point Fetterman was asked to clarify his position on fracking, as moderators pointed to a 2018 interview, where the lieutenant governor expressed broad opposition to the practice, but not a ban.

'I do support fracking - I don't, I don't - I support fracking, and I do support fracking,' he answered.

At another point, when Fetterman was asked to specifically about charges Oz made about some the Democrat's campaign ads being pulled down for being factually inaccurate, Fetterman, instead, stuck to the topic of abortion.

'I'm going to let Mr. Fetterman respond specifically to the ads being pulled off the air, and we're going to return to you, Mr. Oz,' said one of the moderators.

Fetterman didn't acknowledge the question.

'Yeah, I want to look into the face of every woman in Pennsylvania. If you believe that the choice of your reproductive freedom belongs with Dr. Oz, than you have a choice, but if you believe that the choice for abortion belongs between you and your doctor, that's what I fight for,' Fetterman said.

Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (left) debated Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz (right) Tuesday night in Harrisburg

'Roe v. Wade for me, should be the law, he celebrated when it went down. And my campaign would fight for Roe v. Wade - and if given the opportunity to codify it into law.'

Fetterman's performance was quickly panned by pundits.

'I thought somebody should have invoked the mercy rule 20 minutes into the debate,' said former Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Charlie Dent on CNN. 'I don't know if it's the stroke, or he's just a lousy debater or he doesn't understand the issues. He was flustered, he was confused, he should not have been out there.'

'If people watch that they're going to question his capacity to serve,' the anti-Trump Republican added.

Chris Cuomo, now working for NewsNation, sang a similar tune.

'John Fetterman struggled,' Cuomo said. 'He clearly is dealing with health issues that affect his ability to process and his ability to speak. Clearly, fitness for office is going to be on the table.'

'That may not be fair, to some, for me to say, but if the voters aren't talking about it, I'll be shocked,' the former CNN anchor added.

Over the course of the debate, Fetterman twice demurred to release his full medical record to the public.

'My doctor ultimately believes that I'm fit to be serving and that's what I believe,' Fetterman said.

Both candidate opened the debate in attack mode.

'I'm running to serve Pennsylvania, he's running to use Pennsylvania,' Fetterman said of Oz. 'Here's a man who spent more than $20 million of his own money to try and buy that seat.'

Fetterman also labeled Oz a 'liar' and chided the TV doctor for having 10 houses, pushing that he couldn't understand the struggles of everyday Pennsylvanians. Fetterman blasted Oz for having products with his name on them made in China.
HYDERABAD: The state BJP approached the Telangana High Court on Thursday, seeking a fair probe into the alleged poaching case of four TRS MLAs by three persons who were projected as BJP activists by the police. The petition is to come up on Friday.

In his petition, the partys state general secretary Gujjula Premendar Reddy urged the court to call for a commission of enquiry by a sitting judge of the High Court or a special investigation team that did not have any government interference.

He said that there was a need to unravel the facts and motives revolving around the alleged poaching case at the Aziznagar farmhouse that was also telecast on Wednesday.

With the sole intention of maligning the image of the BJP and brand its leaders as villains, and the active support of the Cyberabad police commissioner, the complainant approached the Moinabad police station alleging that three BJP persons had tried to lure TRS MLAs, Premender Reddy mentioned in the petition.

Premendar Reddy wanted to know how the police officials were ascertaining that each MLA was being paid Rs 100 crore by the BJP as a reward for defection.

He said that the court, under Article 226 of the Constitution, can exercise its extraordinary and plenary powers and direct that a case be enquired by a neutral agency where it becomes necessary to provide credibility and instill confidence in investigations.

The principal secretary (home), DGP, Cyberabad police commissioner, ACP Rajendranagar, Union home secretary, CBI and Pilot Rohit Reddy, the Tandur MLA from TRS are the respondents in the writ petition, which is to come up for hearing on Friday.
Labour MP Rosie Duffield has slammed the British Transport Police (BTP) after they tweeted an appeal to identify a suspected flasher, referring to the suspect as 'them' rather than stating their gender.

The force today issued CCTV images of purple-wigged dress-wearing person stating they may be able to help their investigation into the incident which took place at Theale station, Berkshire.

The BTP repeatedly refused to disclose to MailOnline whether a suspected flasher dressed in a wig and skirt exposed male or female genitals to two teenage girls on a train.

Ms Duffield replied to the appeal on Twitter, writing: 'When women report assaults/serious incidents on public transport, do you allow them to describe the perpetrator by their sex (majority of VAWG carried out by men), or do you quiz the victim at length first in order to prioritise an alleged attacker's identity feelings?'

The grainy pictures show the person wearing a purple wig, black sunglasses, a blue jumper, a skirt and backpack.

MailOnline subsequently requested further information several times throughout today to confirm further details regarding the incident - including whether the suspect was is a man or woman and whether they exposed male or female genitals.

But BTP's press office rebuffed the queries, instead insisting that it 'did not need further descriptions' after issuing the appeal.

Did you see the suspected flasher? Email tips@dailymail.com Advertisement

Its stance on the issue has been slammed by social media users as 'woke' policing, with one tweeting that that it must know their gender - as the victims would have told them which gender the person was after 'they were cruelly exposed to their genitals'.

Radio presenter and psychologist Dr Pam Spurr said: 'Don't you think you're more likely to catch this vile predator if you correctly identify him as a man?'

Observer columnist Sonia Sodha tweeted: 'The police don't know who this male accused of exposing his penis to two teenagers is, so they have no idea of his preferred pronouns.

'Yet they err on side of caution to avoid offending him over clear language to assist in identifying a male sex offender. See the problem?'

Officers investigating an incident in which a person exposed their genitals to two teenagers at Theale station, Berkshire, are releasing CCTV images in connection

Officers believe the person in the CCTV images may have information which could help their investigation

Another said: 'This is exactly the sort of person who wants to enter female toilets and who wants to get you locked up if you dare object.'

A third added: 'We are through the looking glass when a police force, tasked with tracing a suspect, feels unable to state that this person a man.'

Just before 3pm on September 2, two teenage girls, aged 15 and 16, were sat on-board a train at the station when someone on the platform approached the train's window.

As the train started the depart the station the person exposed their genitals to the two teenagers before making lewd hand gestures in their direction.

They then walked into a shelter at the station and masturbated.

Officers have said the person in the CCTV images may have information which could help their investigation.

One user tweeted that BTP 'are too worried about offending a pervert to provide an accurate description of him.'

While Deb pointed out people would be able to discount around half of the population by knowing the gender of the person in the picture.

Twitter users were angry at British Transport Police for failing to name the gender of the person in the CCTV image

Online many people shared their opinion that the person pictured was a man and called on the police to issue a clarification.

British Transport Police said: 'We published this CCTV appeal as part of an investigation into a sexual offence on the railway against two teenagers. The individual shown in the CCTV image may have information which could assist the investigation and bring a sexual offender to justice.

'At this stage of the investigation, our priority is to speak to the individual. It is not necessary for us to add any further descriptors - we just want to identify the individual in the picture and would encourage anyone with information to assist with this.

'We are committed to tackling violence against women and girls across the rail and underground network.'

MailOnline has further asked British Transport Police what form of genitals the suspect is alleged to have exposed to the teenage girls.

If you recognise them, or have any information, contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 2200089694.

Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Did you see the suspected flasher? Email tips@dailymail.com
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Elon Musk has formally taken over Twitter, triumphantly posting 'the bird is freed' and immediately firing several top executives.

His next move will be to restore users who have been handed lifetime bans from the platform  including former US president Donald Trump.

Twitter's CEO Parag Agrawal, the chief financial officer Ned Segal and the top lawyer for the firm, Vijaya Gadde, were culled just hours after Musk finalized the $44 billion acquisition last night.

The platform's co-founder Biz Stone quickly took to Twitter to thank them for their 'collective contribution to Twitter', adding 'Massive talents, all, and beautiful humans each!'

Sean Edgett, the company's general counsel, and chief customer officer Sarah Personette were also pushed out  as the Tesla boss set out to make his mark in his new position.

Musk himself will take over as CEO, a source told Bloomberg  although it may only be an interim role.

The fired Twitter executives were hastily shuttled from the building, sources told The Washington Post. Billionaire Musk is set to hold a company-wide town hall meeting today.

Twitter's engineers could no longer make changes to code as of noon yesterday in San Francisco, part of an effort to ensure that nothing about the product changed ahead of the deal closing,

In a securities filing on April 14, Musk said he did not have confidence in Twitter's management and initially vowed to sack 75 percent of the workforce when he formally bought the tech giant.

Agrawal, who has repeatedly clashed with Musk over the number of users Twitter has, will walk away from his job with $42 million, after being chief executive officer for just under a year.

His total compensation for 2021 was $30.4 million  largely in stock awards  after he was handed the top position following Jack Dorsey's resignation last November.

Twitter's former top lawyer Gadde, who earned $17 million in 2021, was reportedly in tears in April when Musk's takeover first came to light. She has now been paid out $12.5 million for her troubles, Insider said.

Ex-CFO Segal  who was the man behind Mr Trump's Twitter ban  also received the handsome sum of $25.4 million after being fired by Musk on Thursday evening.

And former CCO Personette was handed $11.2 million as part of Musk's house clearance.

Despite Musk's obvious delight with the astonishing deal which will go down in history, some experts have claimed that he has 'overpaid' for the platform.

Musk posted a video of himself marching into Twitter's San Francisco headquarters carrying a porcelain sink on Wednesday

Parag Agrawal (left), the former CEO of Twitter, and Vijaya Gadde (right), Twitter's ex-top lawyer, have been fired by Musk according to reports

Sean Edgett (left), the general counsel, and Ned Segal, chief financial officer for Twitter (right), have also reportedly been fired

Sarah Personette (left) tweeted on Wednesday that she was excited to work with Elon Musk  and was fired by him the next day

The platform's co-founder Biz Stone quickly took to Twitter to thank them for their 'collective contribution to Twitter'. He added: 'Massive talents, all, and beautiful humans each!'

The fired five: Musk culls Twitter's top executive staff members within hours of taking control of the company Parag Agrawal, 38 Chief Executive Officer since 2021

2021 compensation: $30.4 million Agrawal took over from Jack Dorsey when he stood down as CEO in November 2021. He has frequently clashed with Musk over Twitter's user numbers, with Musk claiming the social media platform exaggerates how many users it has and downplays the number of spam accounts, fakes or bots. Agrawal insisted that only around 5 percent of Twitter's accounts were bots, which infuriated Musk. Musk responded to Agrawal's lengthy explanation of their calculations with a 'poop' emoji. The pair also argued in private. They exchanged text messages that indicated a falling out, as revealed by documents disclosed in the legal battle between the billionaire and the social network. On April 26, Dorsey, Musk and Agrawal convened a Google Hangout to discuss the takeover, and the conversation did not go well. 'At least it became clear that you can't work together. That was clarifying,' Dorsey said. Pictured: Parag Agrawal Ned Segal, 48 Chief Financial Officer since 2017

2021 compensation: $18.9 million It was Segal who, in February 2021, announced that Twitter's ban on Donald Trump was permanent. Musk has said that decision was wrong, and he intends to reverse it. 'The way our policies work, when you're removed from the platform, you're removed from the platform, whether you're a commentator, you're a CFO, or you are a former or current public official,' he told CNBC. 'Remember, our policies are designed to make sure that people are not inciting violence, and if anybody does that, we have to remove them from the service and our policies don't allow people to come back.' Segal also likely irked Musk with his cautious approach to finance - in particular his announcement in November that he didn't think investing in cryptocurrency was a good move for Twitter. Musk is famously a fan of cryptocurrency, and champions Doegecoin. Segal told The Wall Street Journal that investing Twitter's corporate cash in crypto assets such as bitcoin 'doesn't make sense right now.' Pictured: Ned Segal Vijaya Gadde, 48 Head of Legal Policy since 2011

2021 compensation: $17 million Gadde, described as Twitter's 'moral compass', was a passionate defender of Twitter's role as a censor and arbitrator. She was long considered one of the people who would be fired first by Musk. In October 2019 she was the architect of the idea to stop political advertising on the platform, and shortly before the election she played a key role in the decision to suspend The New York Post's account when it reported on Hunter Biden's laptop. Twitter claimed it violated the company policy against promoting hacked material; critics were angered by the heavy-handedness, and Twitter later apologized. In January 2021, it was Gadde who rang then-CEO Jack Dorsey - on vacation in Hawaii - to inform him they were banning Donald Trump, for violating policies against inciting violence. Pictured: Gadde Sean Edgett General Counsel since 2017

2021 compensation: unclear Edgett, a close ally of Gadde, emailed staff last week to say there were no plans for mass layoffs - a move which may have irked Musk, given the impending takeover. 'Please note that there will continue to be a great deal of public rumor and speculation as we get closer to closing the deal,' Edgett wrote. 'First, we have no confirmation of the buyer's plans after closing and recommend not following any rumors or leaked documents, but instead awaiting facts from us and the buyer directly.' Edgett added that there were 'targeted cost-cutting discussions and plans' earlier in the year, but those discussions stopped when Twitter and Musk signed a deal. Since then, there have been no plans for company-wide layoffs, he said. He also warned employees earlier this year to refrain from sharing their opinions on Musk's bid on social media. A Twitter whistleblower claimed that senior figures at the company told him to destroy documents. Peiter Zatko, the former head of security, who was fired in January, was seized upon by Musk as an ally in his fight to get to the bottom of the mystery about Twitter's user numbers. Zatko's complaint, in which he accused Twitter of lying about its security practices and violating a 2011 agreement with the Federal Trade Commission, was described by Agrawal and Edgett as false. 'We have never made a material misrepresentation to a regulator, to our board, to all of you,' Edgett said. 'We are in full compliance with our F.T.C. consent decree.' Pictured: Sean Edgett Sarah Personette Personette worked as Twitter's chief customer officer until she was fired on October 26. The former CCO Personette was handed $11.2 million as part of Musk's house clearance. Just one day before she was culled from the workforce, she wrote on Twitter: 'Had a great discussion with Elon Musk last evening! Our continued commitment to brand safety for advertisers remains unchanged. Looking forward to the future!' Pictured: Sarah Personette Advertisement

Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, told the US Sun that the deal 'will go down as one of the most overpaid tech acquisitions in the history of M&A deals on the Street in our opinion'.

Ives, who works for a LA-based investment firm, estimates the value of the company to be closer to $25billion rather than the $44billion.

'With fair value that we would peg at roughly $25billion, Musk buying Twitter remains a major head-scratcher that ultimately he could not get out of once the Delaware Courts got involved,' he said.

In the lead up to the South African's buyout of the social media firm, the market positively reacted, with share prices visibly improving.

They went up by 7.23 per cent in the last five days and were up about 1 per cent at $53.94 in early trading yesterday.

The stock has surged nearly 65 per cent from a four-month low hit in July.

However, after Musk's purchase, the the New York Stock Exchange's website showed that Twitter shares would be suspended from trading.

The South African publicly criticized Twitter's existing leadership team - in particular, attacking their policies on content moderation and censorship. He has also sparred with them over data on how many accounts were bots or spam.

This deal completion comes at the eleventh hour - just one day before Musk was going to be dragged back into court after being sued by Twitter for a back-and-forth he had over whether he was going to buy the company.

On Wednesday, the billionaire changed his Twitter profile to identify himself as the 'Chief Twit' and posted a video of himself walking into the company's San Francisco headquarters carrying a porcelain sink.

This fueled rumors that Musk had closed the deal to buy Twitter in which he shared the clip with the caption: 'Entering Twitter HQ, let that sink in'.

Agrawal, who took over from founder Jack Dorsey almost a year ago, has been at loggerheads with Musk over the number of genuine Twitter users, with Musk responding to a thread of Agrawal's in May with a 'poop' emoji.

When Musk first made his takeover bid in April, he said he had not been given accurate data about spam accounts and bots.

Three months after launching his bid, Musk pulled out  insisting he had been misled about the size of the firm.

Twitter has for years said that bots make up less than 5 percent of its 'monetizable daily active users' (mDAU).

In a series of tweets in May, Agrawal acknowledged that 'spam harms the experience for real people on Twitter,' and added that, 'as such, we are strongly incentivized to detect and remove as much spam as we possibly can, every single day.'

He insisted that Musk was exaggerating the scale of the problem. The South African-born Musk said as many as 25 percent of all Twitter accounts were not real.

Twitter sued Musk to complete the deal, accusing him of using bots as a pretext to exit the deal after getting buyer's remorse, and the deal was set to go to trial later this month.

Musk himself took aim in April at Gadde for censoring stories about Hunter Biden's laptop after it was reported she'd sobbed at news he'd bought the firm.

The tycoon wrote: 'Suspending the Twitter account of a major news organization for publishing a truthful story was obviously incredibly inappropriate.'

Musk was referring to the suspension of the New York Post's account for its exclusive about Hunter Biden's laptop in the run-up to the 2020 election.

Initially dismissed as 'misinformation' by liberal outlets and social media networks, the laptop and its contents have since been verified by many of the same publications.

Gadde  who was described as Twitter's 'moral authority'  broke down in tears on April 25, Politico reported, while briefing her team via video link on the future of the company under Musk.

The tech entrepreneur must now try and turn around the company's finances.

On October 19, he said Twitter was an asset that had 'languished' for a long time.

'Myself and the other investors are obviously overpaying for Twitter right now,' he said.

'The long term potential for Twitter in my view is an order of magnitude greater than its current value.'

He has floated the idea of turning Twitter into an 'everything app'.

The idea originated in Asia with companies such as WeChat, which lets users not only send messages but also make payments, shop online or hail a taxi.

The all-in-one service appealed to users who had fewer choices in a region where Google, Facebook and others were blocked.

Musk has told investors he plans to build one that will sell premium subscriptions to reduce reliance on ads, allow content creators to make money and enable payments, according to a source briefed on the matter.

Musk plans to lower the guard rails that are common across all social media platforms has lead to fears of a deluge of hateful, harmful and potentially illegal content on Twitter. Already, it has struggled with identifying and removing child porn.

Members of Twitter's trust and safety team, which includes content moderators, are expected to be among Musk's deepest job cuts, employees fear.

'Imagine a world where all those people are gone,' one employee said. 'It's going to be a hellscape.'

Yet Musk warned advertisers earlier yesterday that Twitter cannot become a 'hellscape' under his ownership.

The Tesla CEO sent a tweet to advertisers, saying that while he wants the social media giant to become a 'digital town square' it 'obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences.'

'Our platform must be warm and welcoming to all,' he wrote, 'where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences, just as you can choose, for example, to see movies or play video games ranging from all ages to mature'.

He added that he 'very much believes that advertising... can delight, entertain and inform you,' saying that when done properly, advertising 'can show you a service or product or medical treatment that you never knew existed, but is right for you.

'For this to be true, it is essential to show Twitter users advertising that is as relevant as possible to their needs,' the 51-year-old concluded in his letter, adding: 'Low relevancy ads are spam, but highly relevant ads are actually content!'

Musk later agreed with a rapper on the platform, Zuby, who suggested that Twitter should 'find a way to compensate' monetize or partner 'with its top creators, like every other social media app.'

'Absolutely,' the SpaceX founder wrote in response.

Musk also revealed his 'motivation' for buying the company in the open letter to advertisers, writing: 'There has been much speculation about why I bought Twitter and what I think about advertising. Most of it is wrong.'

He said he acquired the company 'because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence.'

But, he wrote, 'much of traditional media has fueled and catered' to either the far-Right or the far-Left 'as they believe that is what brings in the money, but in doing so, the opportunity for dialogue is lost.

'That is why I bought Twitter,' Musk wrote. 'I didn't do it because it would be easy. I didn't do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love.

'And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility.'

Meanwhile, Twitter staff remained on edge yesterday.

He was later pictured on Wednesday speaking with some employees, reportedly denying rumors that he is culling three quarters of the staff.

But that did little to assuage the more than 7,500 people employed by the social media giant.

As one Twitter employee explained in an anonymous essay for Business Insider, those who remain at the company are worried about the Tesla CEO's volatility.

'I don't think my colleagues and I have a good model for how volatile he is  and I can see that rocking the boat, especially if he makes more comments that make people say, 'What the hell?'' the anonymous Twitter employee wrote.

'There are also people here who are just unfazed by his volatility,' they continued. 'They're not going to react in any way.'

The employee noted that their fellow workers' views of their new boss will all be contingent on how many people he lays off.

'People are asking, if heads are going to roll, whose good graces do you need to be in to stay?' the employee wrote, adding: 'Most people think layoffs are going to be pretty immediate.

'I don't think our site-reliability engineers need to be worried, though,' they mused. 'On the other hand, machine-learning engineers, or the people responsible for building experimental services are more worried.'

The Twitter employee then went on to say they would be most worried 'if Musk decides to wipe out teams indiscriminately, because then it's just a roll of the dice.'

In the meantime, several Twitter employees took to their social media platform to share how they are sticking together.

Stephanie Guevara, a senior iOS engineer for the platform, though, was more blunt  asking Musk directly: 'Was it fun to look at the faces of the people you said you'd be laying off?'

And Parker Lyons expressed his nervousness about the new boss' visit with a meme of a man on top of two tires lifting a sofa, captioned: 'When Elon walks by your desk to see what you're working on.'

Twitter management had already planned to cut staff after spending a whopping $1.5 billion last year on personnel, and had wanted to reduce that amount by some $800 million.

It also spent hundreds of millions of dollars in contracting firms that pay people to review reports of hate speech, child pornography and other rule-breaking content, corporate documents obtained by the Washington Post last week revealed.

Management also planned to make major cuts to its infrastructure, getting rid of data centers that keep the site functioning for more than 200 million users a day.

But Musk expanded on the idea of layoffs, telling employees in June he didn't see a reason why low-performing workers should remain on the payroll.

He has also made clear he plans to loosen content moderation standards  which he claims are infringing on free speech  and restore Mr Trump's account as soon as he takes ownership of the company.

Since then, though, the Tesla CEO has vowed to take a far lighter touch on suspending users who break Twitter's rules on hate speech, having declared himself a strong believer in free speech.

The billionaire has found himself in hot water previously for some of his views, including comments on transgender issues.

In 2020, he tweeted that 'pronouns suck'  then hastily deleted the post and said: 'I absolutely support trans, but all these pronouns are an aesthetic nightmare.'

He has also voiced support for Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who tabled the so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill.

Musk's transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, also cut ties with him earlier this year and said she 'no longer [lives] with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form'.

TIMELINE OF ELON MUSK'S CHAOTIC ATTEMPT TO TAKEOVER TWITTER April 2: Musk announces that he owns 9.2 percent of the company, making him its largest single shareholder April 14: Musk offers to take Twitter private at $54.20 a share, valuing the company at $44billion April 25: Twitter accepts Musk's offer April 29: Musk sells $8billion in Tesla shares to finance deal May 13: Musk says Twitter deal is on hold pending a review of bot accounts May 26: Musk is sued by Twitter for stock manipulation during takeover July 8: Musk says he's backing out of the deal. Twitter sues, trying to force him into seeing it through. October 4: Musk proposes again to go ahead with the deal at the original price October 17: Proposed trial date in Delaware October 26: Musk visits Twitter HQ with a sink, updates his bio on the site to 'Chief Twit' and sets his location to Twitter HQ Advertisement

Musk confirmed yesterday that he has bought Twitter ahead of a court-imposed deadline to seal his $44billion takeover

The Tesla CEO sent a tweet to advertisers yesterday morning, saying that while he wants the social media giant to become a 'digital town square' it 'obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences'

He also changed his Twitter profile to identify himself as the 'Chief Twit' ahead of the court-imposed deadline to finalize his $44billion takeover
A furious neighbour has threatened to have a group of university students who throw parties that are 'way too loud' evicted from their rental - but many have instead backed the young tenants.

The students have recently moved into the home in one of Brisbane's northern suburbs, and said they were 'very excited' to be living together for the first time.

But instead they've been told 'enough is enough' by one disgruntled neighbour, who left them a scathing note demanding they stop making noise 'every second night'.

'All your neighbours have had enough of your extremely loud noise that goes on every second night,' the note, typed in all caps, read.

'Go and practice your music away from this area.

'If this persists we will call the police, the council and write a petition to your real estate agent to have you evicted. Your parties are also way too loud.'

One furious neighbour sent a group of uni students a scathing letter threatening to have them evicted from their house in Brisbane's north

The anonymous writer said the students needed to have respect for their other neighbours who wanted 'peace and quiet'.

'Enough is enough!'

One of the uni students living in the home said that within the past three months they'd only thrown two parties and had two band rehearsals.

'Hi neighbours, so we just opened this letter and we are really sorry we've caused so much commotion. This is our first ever house we've rented as uni students so we were very excited,' one of the tenants said after sharing a photo of the letter.

The students have only recently moved into the home in one of the northern suburbs of Brisbane (pictured), and said they were 'very excited' to be living together for the first time

'But we really would've appreciate someone come and say something to us in person and not send a nasty letter like this. It's not very nice to receive as a first time renting experience.'

She also claimed that she and her housemates had sent letters around to her neighbours before each party but one had called the police before 10pm.

The students have since been backed by other residents in the area, with many saying the author of the letter 'had too much time on their hands'.

'This person sucks,' said one.

'You did all the right things; let neighbours know of parties, gave your contacts etc. You deserve to have an open conversation face to face or on the phone, not an anonymous letter like this,' added another.

'Straight in the bin I say,' one commented.

'What a party pooper! You should party twice as hard now,' another wrote.

'This aggression is so disgusting.'
Weinstein pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape and seven of sexual assault - he is currently serving a 23 year sentence in New York

She said the fallen mogul told her a naked massage could catapult her career in a similar fashion to Gwyneth Paltrow's

The dancer, who was then 22, told the court 'I was just really thankful that I wasn't raped'

On Thursday, Ashley M. told a Los Angeles jury how Weinstein took her to a hotel room to sexually assault her while his assistant, Bonnie Hung, waited outside

Dancer who worked on Harvey Weinstein's movie 'Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights' in 2003 claimed he ripped off her clothes and performed a sex act on top of her

A dancer testifying in Los Angeles court against former mega producer Harvey Weinstein said the ex-mogul forced himself on her in a hotel room and masturbated onto her breasts after ripping off her top and bra.

The woman, known only as Ashley M., instantly became tearful as she told the courtroom how Weinstein had sexually assaulted her and demanded that she give him a 'naked massage like the one he had with Gwyneth Paltrow'.

Ashley M. told the court she was 22 years old when she met Weinstein on the set of his movie 'Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights' in Puerto Rico, in which she had a job dancing for the lead couple.

She told the jury that Weinstein took her to a hotel during a meal break on set where he ripped off her clothes and straddled her before masturbating onto her naked body, while his assistant Bonnie Hung waited outside.

Ashley M. described her frame as sleight, weighing only 110-115 pounds, which made it easy for the larger Weinstein to pin her beneath him.

Weinstein is currently on trial in the city over which he formerly maintained an iron grasp. He is charged with rape and sexual assault.

Close to sobbing, the woman testified that the former Miramax head told her 'it would just be a naked massage...and not to worry about it.'

'He said, 'Look at Gwyneth Paltrow and what it did for her career,'' she said.

She told the jury: 'He just said 'it's OK, it's not like we're having sex.''

Describing what happened after Weinstein had finished, she said: 'I was just really thankful that I wasn't raped. I remember thinking and I remember wiping off just getting dressed really fast and leaving really fast.'

Ashley M said that she had been 'freaked out' after meeting Weinstein on the movie set but the presence of and reassurance of his assistant convinced her it was OK to go with him to his hotel.

A dancer in a film produced by Harvey Weinstein has testified that the movie mogul pushed her onto a hotel room bed and performed a sex act on top of her. Pictured: Weinstein inside the LA courtroom on October 4

A woman identified only as Ashley M. testified Thursday at the Los Angeles rape and sexual assault trial of fallen Hollywood titan Harvey Weinstein. Ashley told the jury how Weinstein assaulted her in a hotel room during the filming of Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights

Gwyneth Paltrow pictured with Harvey Weinstein. On Thursday, a witness in Weinstein's LA rape and sexual assault trial told the jury the former mogul told her a naked massage could improve her career prospects as it had for Paltrow

Ashley M. was in Puerto Rico filming Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004) when Weinstein allegedly assaulted her. The film went on to be both a critical and box office failure

She recalled that Weinstein made her scared before getting in the car with him, but that Hung told her that she would remain with the two of them the entire time, and that he just wanted to talk about future projects.

But as they walked down the hall of Weinstein's hotel toward a door, she said: 'I started to get more worried, but Bonnie was there with her clipboard.'

'Harvey opened it and then he went in and I went in,' she said, pausing as she began to cry. 'And then Bonnie shut the door behind us. I was like, 'oh no, what do I do?''

She said Weinstein quickly became aggressive, pushing her on to the bed and taking her top off before performing a sex act on top of her.

Ashley M. was the second Weinstein accuser to take the stand at the trial, and the first of four who are not involved in the charges him but are being allowed to testify to show a propensity for such acts by Weinstein.

Judge Lisa B. Lench told jurors before the woman's testimony that they would receive instructions later on how to consider it.

Weinstein, already serving a 23-year sentence for a New York conviction that is under appeal, has pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles to four counts of rape and seven other counts of sexual assault. He has repeatedly denied engaging in any non-consensual sex.

Ashley M., a tall blonde wearing all black, appeared rattled as she walked to the stand late in the day Thursday, and began crying before any questions were asked.

'I'm sorry,' she said repeatedly to Judge Lisa Lench, who told her she had nothing to be sorry for and called for a short break.

Ashley gathered herself and began her testimony, saying she had been a professional ballet dancer who had just shifted to dancing in Hollywood when she met Weinstein.

The woman, known only as Ashley M., broke down in tears as she told a Los Angeles courtroom how Weinstein had sexually assaulted her and demanded that she give him a 'naked massage'. Pictured: Court sketch of Weinstein from October 26

THE LOS ANGELES CHARGES AGAINST WEINSTEIN JANE DOE #1 - Unidentified Italian actress Forced oral copulation - February 18, 2013 Sexual penetration by foreign object - February 18, 2013 Forcible rape against the same woman on the same day - February 18, 2013 JANE DOE #2 Sexual battery - February 19, 2013 JANE DOE #3 Sexual battery by restraint - May 11, 2010. 'Weinstein unlawfully touched an intimate part of Jane Doe #3 while she was unlawfully restrained'. JANE DOE #4 - Jennifer Siebel Newsom Forcible oral copulation - September 2005 Forcible rape - September 2005 JANE DOE #5 Forcible oral copulation November - 2009 Forcible rape - November 2009 Forcible oral copulation - November 2010 Forcible rape - November 2010 Advertisement

She said that Weinstein appeared on the Puerto Rico set while they were filming in a ballroom, and asked her to step outside.

She said Weinstein then spoke about her giving him a naked massage, and she tried to assuage him by saying she was engaged, and that she was needed on the set.

She said Weinstein told her he was the boss and got to decide who needed to be on set.

The woman called her mother and her then-fiance, who told her to seek help from others on the set. Then someone said it was time for a meal break.

'I thought, 'whew, saved by the bell,'' she testified.

During the break, she asked the film's choreographer and a producer what to do, but got the sense that they didn't want to upset Weinstein.

'Did either of them give you any sort of help?' Deputy District Attorney Marlene Martinez asked.

'No,' Ashley M. said.

'How did you feel then?' Martinez asked.

'Freaked out,' the witness answered.

Ashley M. said when the returned to the set Weinstein was waiting there with a limo, and Hung.

'I felt better just knowing I wasn't alone,' she said.

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they have come forward publicly.

Ashley M. told her story to the New York Times in October of 2017, when the newspaper's accounts of women who say Weinstein sexually assaulted them put the movie executive at the center of the #MeToo movement.

Thursday was the first time she has told her story in a courtroom.

Ashley M. is expected to return to the witness stand for more questioning from prosecutors Friday, followed by cross-examination from Weinstein's defense.

On Thursday, the court also heard from a personal driver for Weinstein who testified that he drove the producer to a Los Angeles hotel on the night that he allegedly raped a woman at a hotel a short distance away.

Alfred 'Freddy' Baroth, 74, who drove for the producer for many years, testified that he picked Weinstein up from his private jet - with a 'hidden tail number' - on February 17, 2013, at the Van Nuys airport and deposited him at the Peninsula Hotel soon after midnight.

Weinstein has been accused of raping an unnamed model-actress at a nearby hotel that same night.

Mr. C's hotel in Beverly Hills, where Weinstein would often attend functions. A woman identified only as Jane Doe 1 testified over three days that Weinstein raped her at the hotel in 2013

Baroth gave his testimony the day after the accuser, known only as Jane Doe 1, wrapped up her testimony on Wednesday night.

She claimed she was sexually assaulted by Weinstein in 2013 and forced to perform oral sex as he had problems maintaining an erection.

His former driver confirmed that anything Weinstein did 'outside' of his car would not be in his 'range of knowledge.'

Baroth testified that his company, Limousines of Los Angeles, garnered over 60 percent of its business from Weinstein and his company.

The chauffeur also indicated that Weinstein encouraged him to break traffic laws when he was in a hurry.

'If we were running late,' Baroth said, 'there was no such thing as a red light. If we were in a hurry we would go through it.'

Baroth said Weinstein frequented the Peninsula hotel, which was a 'five or six-minute drive' from nearby hotel Mr. C, which Weinstein never stayed at but would attend functions there.

Jane Doe 1 claims she was raped at Mr. C as she attended the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival.

Baroth confirmed that he drove Weinstein the night of the alleged assault, but Weinstein's defense has attempted to point to discrepancies in his timing of events.
'This is a case where a corporation has privately funded the destruction of human rights with obscene profits'

More than 470 members of the writing, publishing and literary community have signed a petition opposing Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's upcoming book.

The damning petition was signed by various members of the 'literary community,' including editors, authors and publishers for Random Penguin House, whose imprint Sentinel signed Barrett to a $2 million book deal in 2021.

Petitioners argue that Barrett's position in the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade violates parent company Bertelsmann's Code of Conduct.

She was among those in power who voted to overturn women's abortion rights in the US in June 2022.

The code follows and adheres to the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which declares access to abortion as a human right.

'This is not just a book that we disagree with, and we are not calling for censorship,' the petition reads.

'Many of us work daily with books we find disagreeable to our personal politics. Rather, this is a case where a corporation has privately funded the destruction of human rights with obscene profits.'

Barrett (pictures) signed a $2 million deal with the company's conservative imprint, Sentinel, in 2021

A petition has been signed by more than 470 people opposing Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's book deal with Penguin Random House

The premise of Barrett's book is a discussion on how judges are prohibited from using their personal feelings to influence their decisions.

According to the petition, this premise contradicts the decision Barrett made when overturning Roe v. Wade.

'Yet, it seems this is exactly what Coney Barrett has done, inflicting her own religious and moral agenda upon all Americans while appropriating the rhetoric of even-handedness - and Penguin Random House has agreed to pay her a sum of $2 million to do it,' it reads.

Though it opposes Barrett's rhetoric, the petition adds that 'it is imperative that publishers uphold their dedication to freedom of speech with a duty of care.'

'We recognize that harm is done to a democracy not only in the form of censorship, but also in the form of assault on inalienable human rights,' it continues.

She is not the only judge on the high court to have gotten a book deal

Barrett is not alone: Justice Clarence Thomas (pictured) received $1.5 million for his memoir

She is not the only judge on the high court to have gotten a book deal: Justices Stephen Breyer and Neil Gorsuch wrote on legal and civic issues.

But she has gotten the biggest advance: Justice Clarence Thomas received $1.5 million for his memoir and Justice Sonia Sotomayor got for $1.175 million for hers.

Although federal law doesn't preclude judges from being paid for writing books, such a large advance raises appearance issues, Charles Geyh, who specializes in judicial ethics as a professor at Indiana University's Maurer School of Law, told Bloomberg.

'Judge Barrett may be confident that the book project will not detract from her focus on her judicial duties, and she may well be right,' Geyh said.

'But from the perspective of the average American who is grinding out a living at 40k a year, the optics of a judge -- who is paid $250,000 in tax dollars to do the people's business as a justice -- moonlighting for $2 million on a book deal, are problematic.'

Another judicial ethics scholar, Stephen Gillers of New York University Law School, said he doesn't see a problem with the deal.

'The fact of the deal and the amount of the advance by themselves raise no judicial ethics problem, although she will have to recuse herself in cases in which the publisher is a party,' Gillers said.

Thomas received a large sum for his memoir, while Justice Sonia Sotomayor (pictured) got for $1.175 million for hers

Barrett, 49, won Senate confirmation to succeed the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg right before the election.

Not a single Democrat voted for her. Democrats complained then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell allowed her nomination to go forward during a presidential election year after he blocked President Barack Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland, during Obama's final year in office.

Coney's appointment created a 6-3 conservative majority on the court. She was the final of Trump's three nominations to the Supreme Court.

Now some liberal Democrats are pushing to expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court. President Joe Biden has appointed a commission to study the issue.

Biden, in response to the court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade: 'The court literally taking America back 150 years'

In June this year, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, pushing many women back to getting illegal, unsafe, abortions.

Before the 1973 case, which guaranteed a constitutionally protected right to abortion to all Americans women no longer the state they lived in, some women resorted to dire means to terminate their pregnancies - and some lost their lives in the process.

Back-alley 'coat hanger' abortions, intentionally throwing one's self down the stairs and even ingesting poison were all dangerous tactics employed by some to stop an unwanted pregnancy.

Abortion was limited in the US before the landmark ruling in 1973, which protected legal abortion in all 50 states.

The decision this summer said: 'The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.'

The overturn meant that states would now be able to set their own laws regulating the procedure.
A husband and wife have revealed how they 'made every mistake' before building their activewear brand into a $52 million icon.

Don Robertson, 33, and Matilda Murray, 30, the founders and co-owners of activewear brand Stax, were placed 78th and 79th on the Financial Review's Young Rich List 2022, capping a remarkable rise for their business, which started in a spare room.

Stax sells clothing in sizes XXS to XXXXL, with its new products regularly attracting huge queues.

On its website, it describes itself as providing 'flattering, premium activewear for men and women. Gym clothing for an intense workout or a lazy brunch'.

Don Robertson, 33, and Matilda Murray, 30, the founders and co-owners of activewear brand Stax were placed 78th and 79th on the Financial Review's Young Rich List 2022

Stax sells clothing in sizes XXS to XXXXL, with its new products regularly attracting huge queues of thousands

Its range of products include $35 socks, $60 water bottles, $80 tights and $30 branded underwear.

Despite the prices, it has continued to surge in popularity, receiving around 4,000 orders a day, with a spike of 40,000 on Black Friday last year.

The company has also attracted the attention of influencers, with TikTok star Anna Paul making an appearance at a Stax pop-up store in Perth in September, with police forced to shut down the meet-and-greet due to the sheer size of the crowds.

Speaking to AFR Magazine, the husband and wife duo revealed their long and winding road to success.

'We started in my mum's spare room,' said Robertson.

'And then [we moved to] Til's dad's lounge room, and then we got storage units [in Perth], and then we moved to Sydney. And the only storage unit we could afford in Sydney didn't have electricity.'

His wife added: 'So Don would put a headlight torch on and go and pack orders. He would print out the Shopify order form, run inside, pick up the products, take them outside and pack them. Like, for at least a year.'

Another hurdle was the national Covid lockdown on March 23 in 2020, the same day the couple planned to launch their biggest collection to date.

They spent their life savings to shoot a campaign for the collection, called Premium Seamless V2, and also ordered a container worth of goods.

On its website, it describes itself as providing: 'Flattering, premium activewear for men & women. Gym clothing for an intense workout or a lazy brunch'

Its range of products include $35 socks, $60 water bottles, $80 tights and $30 branded underwear

However, disaster struck as lockdown was announced, forcing the influencers they'd hired to stay home.

To make matters worse, the container full of goods also went missing because China locked down before the rest of the world.

This forced them to start considering the company's future.

'It was our biggest moment to date,' said Matilda.

'We were flying in influencers from all over the country to shoot the campaign. We'd never done that before.'

Don added: 'It had taken three years to perfect the fabric. It was huge for us. And then lockdown happened. And we weren't allowed to leave the house.'

After eight weeks, the container was eventually found but Matilda was forced to model the collection in place of the influencers they hired.

Luckily for the couple, their collection sold out in just 60 seconds.

'We literally emptied our bank accounts for this product,' said Matilda. 'And we didn't know if we would ever see the money or the clothes again. To see it sell out...that was a nice morning.'

Don also admitted that he had no intention of opening a clothing store, instead hoping to own a supplement company that sold protein powder and other products.

The company has also attracted the attention of influencers, with TikTok star Anna Paul making an appearance at a Stax pop-up store in Perth in September

Stax opened its first retail stores in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. They are set to open more in Queensland, Los Angeles and London and Don says even more could be on the way

He began selling merchandise for his Muscle Stax company in 2012 and quickly realised the popularity of hats, hoodies and similar items.

However, he was forced to take on several side jobs to make ends meet, which eventually led to him meeting his future wife.

He credits Matilda with taking Stax to the next level by adding a 'woman's touch'.

The couple married in January and after nearly two years of pandemic restrictions and border closures, enjoyed a simple ceremony, just the two of them.

'When Til came in, the leggings got better because of her vision,' Don said. 'That taught me early on that if she has clarity on something, it will work. There have been one or two occasions where I haven't taken her advice and I've learnt my lesson.'

Stax opened its first retail stores in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

They are set to open more in Queensland, Los Angeles and London and Don says even more could be on the way.
Brittany Higgins is pictured arriving at the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday

A juror in the trial of Brittany Higgins' accused rapist has admitted to taking three forbidden documents into the court.

Bruce Lehrmann's sexual assault trial was aborted in the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday morning after a sheriff's officer found an academic research paper about sexual assault in the jury room.

Chief Justice Lucy McCallum was left with no choice but to dismiss the jury and tentatively reschedule the trial for February 2023.

After jurors were dismissed, court sheriffs found two more banned documents in the jury room.

According to a written judgement released by Justice McCallum, the additional papers were also articles about sexual assault, and belonged to the same juror.

Lehrmann had been accused of raping the ex-Liberal staffer in Parliament House after a night out in Canberra in March 2019. He pleaded not guilty to a single charge of sexual intercourse without consent.

On Thursday morning, he was able to leave the court knowing he may not have to go back until February 20, 2023 - when the trial is tentatively scheduled to start all over again.

The jury member will not be punished for upending the almost four-week trial.

Bruce Lehrmann had been charged with sexual intercourse without consent. He is pictured outside the ACT Supreme Court

After dismissing the jury on Thursday morning, the chief justice told the court the documents were found 'inadvertently' - when one of the sheriff's officers accidentally bumped one of the juror's document folders onto the floor.

When the officer picked it up, they found what was later confirmed to be an academic research paper about the prevalence of false sexual assault claims.

The juror said in closed court that the document had not been used or relied upon during deliberations, however, when the court reopened the chief justice said she couldn't rely upon that explanation.

The fact that it was found in the jury room at all, Justice McCallum said, meant it could have influenced that juror's contribution to deliberations and tainted the opinions of all 12 members.

Once the jurors were discharged, the chief justice told the court: 'During the course of the trial, on my calculation, the jury must have been given at least 17, and possibly more, warnings.'

An emotional Brittany Higgins is seen leaving the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday morning

The judge then quoted lines from her opening remarks to the jury on the day they were empaneled on October 4.

'You mustn't try to undertake your own inquiries or try to re-enact any aspect of the offence or consider any external evidence about the consumption of alcohol or about any matter that might arise during the trial.

'You must rest exclusively on the evidence you hear in this courtroom.'

Justice McCallum said they should only ever learn something new about the trial if they are in her presence.

'If you find yourself getting curious and undertaking internet research or talking to people about their areas of expertise, think to yourself, 'Well, Chief Justice McCallum isn't here so I probably shouldn't be doing this'.'

She also made it clear that jurors are not 'investigators', and should not appoint themselves as such.
Q&A host Stan Grant scolded a female Labor minister for 'talking past' an Afghan asylum seeker who had complained about spending a decade in Australia without gaining permanent residency.

Qayyum Shah had asked the ABC panel about why, in his view, asylum seekers were treated badly.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, from Labor's Left faction, was annoyed when Coalition frontbencher Jane Hume pointed out Australia had been closed for two years because of the pandemic.

'I don't accept it was just Covid-related,' Senator Gallagher said.

'I do accept that you were obsessed with Operation Sovereign Borders.'

Q&A host Stan Grant told off a female Labor minister for 'talking past' an Afghan asylum seeker after complained about spending a decade in Australia without being granted permanent residency

Grant interrupted Senator Gallagher as she accused Senator Hume of being obsessed with former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott's 2013 election promise to 'stop the boats'.

Senator Gallagher continued interjecting during the post-Budget panel program.

'But I'm saying,' the senior cabinet minister said.

Grant interrupted the female senators as they had a political spat in front of a man who left a country where girls can no longer get an education.

'No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Can I stop...? Because you're talking past the man who asked the question,' he said.

Senator Gallagher, a former Australian Capital Territory chief minister, protested: 'Well, no, I'm not.'

Grant butted in: 'And you're talking to each other.'

The minister was unamused: 'I'm not, Stan.'

Grant replied: 'No, you are. Qayyum, you have something to say.'

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher (pictured), from Labor's Left faction, was annoyed when Coalition frontbencher Jane Hume pointed out Australia had been closed for two years because of the pandemic

Mr Shah, who has been on a on a bridging visa for 10 years, told the panel he had come to Australia as a student after working as a finance manager in Afghanistan, which the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban last year retook.

'I didn't come even by boat,' he said before holding up a green folder.

'And this is my document. Full of the documents.

'I work with USAID, I work with World Bank project as a finance manager in Afghanistan, which Taliban was targeting.'

Grant pressed Senator Gallagher to follow up his case, only for the Finance Minister to refer the matter to Immigration Minister Andrew Giles and blame the previous Coalition government for under resourcing the Department of Home Affairs.

'Oh, for sure. And I'm sorry if you felt like I was talking past you,' Senator Gallagher said.

'There was no intention to do that at all. But, absolutely, I will make sure.

'But on the broader point, we did make some commitments about dealing with people who had been on temporary protection visas for long periods of time  10 years, certainly years  to convert those to more permanent arrangements.

'And we are doing that.'
Mr Dutton demanded to know why the government has given the green light

Australian security services will soon bring home the families of radical soldiers

Peter Dutton hit out at the Labor government over return of four ISIS brides

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has demanded answers as to why four wives and their 13 children are returning to Australia from an Islamic State refugee camp in Syria.

The 17 evacuees will stay in Iraq before flying into Sydney after Anthony Albanese's government reversed a ban on their repatriation  a move Mr Dutton derided as 'not in the country's best interests' on Friday.

The Australian-born women left the country with radicalised members of the Islamic State terrorist cell and their children, but the demise of the extremist group's power base left them widowed and stranded in refugee camps.

In 2019, Australia secretly rescued and repatriated eight Australian orphans from the camps in the Middle East.

However, the previous government refused to bring any further women and children home for security reasons.

Mr Dutton made his position regarding the plan clear and claimed the policy reversal will put the country at risk.

Seventeen women and children are now headed for Sydney in a secretive repatriation mission

Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton (above) has blasted the move to bring the ISIS brides and their children home, claiming it's not in Australia's national interests

He told Sky News he hoped the women and children's transition back to Australian life was 'successful'.

'But I do worry about people coming back from the theatre of war, particularly when they've been in the circumstance where they've been mixing with people who hate our country and hate our way of life,' Mr Dutton said.

'The Prime Minister needs to stand up today to explain to the Australian public what measures they've got in place. On my collective experience and what I know, I don't think it's in our country's best interest.'

Mr Dutton told the broadcaster he felt for children taken to the frontlines, but said the parents had made 'a terrible decision'.

The women and children were removed from the al-Roj camp near the Iraqi border in an operation involving Australian officials and the Syrian Democratic Forces

'That's a terrible circumstance for those children and for those women, but that's the decision that the parents have made,' Mr Dutton said.

'In our positions you've got to make decisions in our country's best interests.

'The Prime Minister needs to stand up today and to explain to the Australian people why it's in our country's best interests and why we're not compromising security here in our own country.'

ASIO officials will evacuate the women and children from their camp in Syria's north-eastern Rojava region, where they've been held since March 2019.

The women and children were previously removed from the al-Roj camp near the Iraqi border in an operation involving Australian officials and the Syrian Democratic Forces.

The identities of the women haven't been released.

It is rumoured members of some 40 more families of IS fighters will be allowed back into Australia.

The evacuations come after Cabinet's national security committee finalised plans to repatriate more than a dozen families who underwent 'risk assessments' following a secret ASIO mission to Syria.

Aussie intelligence agencies believe that leaving Australians in squalid camps may present more of a threat to national security than bringing them back, as their plight could be used to recruit more Australian Muslims to join terror organisations.

It is understood all of those brought home will be subject to intensive monitoring by security agencies and some will face terror charges as it was illegal for many at the time to travel to Syria and Iraq.

The return of four women and their children from a refugee camp in Syria is the first since Anthony Albanese's government reversed a ban on repatriating the family members of ISIS soldiers

'The Australian government's overriding priority is the protection of Australians and Australia's national security advice,' a spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said on the subject earlier this month.

'Given the sensitive nature of the matters involved, it would not be appropriate to comment further.'

The Shadow Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews expressed that she was astonished details of the operation even entered the public domain.

She called on the government to 'come clean' on how the publicisation of the operation transpired.

'Sensitive missions risking the lives of Australians  including those that are in overseas camps  need to be treated carefully, and with due consideration of the information being made public.'

'The Home Affairs Minister needs to come clean with how this level of information  before a mission or missions finish  is currently in the public domain.'

'If it is a leak, the Prime Minister needs to call an investigation.'
More than 100 potential jurors were called from the Democratic stronghold

The jury will decide if the Trump Organization was involved in tax-fraud

One person selected to be on the jury said Trump was 'crazy and narcissistic'

The panel was finalized in three days and a quarter of it openly dislike Trump

A quarter of the jury selected to hear a tax-fraud trial of Donald Trump's real-estate company told the court they don't like the former president, and one labeled him a 'narcissist'.

On Thursday the third day of jury selection for the criminal trial, which will be heard in New York Supreme Court in Lower Manhattan, four women and eight men were chosen serve on the panel.

During questioning by prosecutors and defense attorneys three of the twelve jurors who were eventually selected to serve expressed that they take issue with either Trump's personality or presidency.

The finalization of the panel comes days after one potential juror was excused from the trial because she said there was 'no way in hell' she could be impartial.

Prosecutors in the trial allege that the Trump Organization ran a 15-year scheme to help its top executives from paying their proper taxes - if convicted Trump's company could face more than $1million in fines and tax penalties.

The Trump Organization comprises of more than 500 corporate entities. The district attorneys office accused two of those entities of awarding benefits like rent-free apartments and leased luxury vehicles to top executives who failed to pay taxes on the perks.

New York State Supreme Court building during the start of jury selection in a case against the Trump Organization. It comes after a year-long investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office into the company's business practices

Prosecutors in the trial allege that the Trump Organization ran a 15-year scheme to help its top executives from paying their proper taxes

Prosecutors in the trial allege that the Trump Organization ran a 15-year scheme to help its top executives from paying their proper taxes

Potential jurors who need to speak privately with the judge and attorneys raise their hands at the jury selection for the Trump Organization's criminal tax trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, New York City, U.S., October 24. Monday marks the first day of the highly-anticipated trial

One of the individuals chosen to be part of the jury is a self-employed book editor who said that she did not vote for Donald Trump in the presidential elections and that she has 'opinions' about him.

She also criticized his selection of Supreme Court justices, saying: 'I would have gone for some different Supreme Court justices,' Insider reported.

Nonetheless, she assured the judge that she could still be a fair and impartial jury member.

On Thursday a man selected to sit on the panel told the court that although he thought Trump was funny before his term as president. 'Then he started acting a little crazy and narcissistic,' the juror said.

'That's the only reason I didn't like him as president, not so much policy,' he added.

Trump's defense attorney Michael van der Veen arrives at the New York Supreme Court in Lower Manhattan on Monday - the first day of the trial

Supreme Court Justice Juan Manuel Merchan who will preside over the criminal trial and oversaw the jury selection

Defense lawyer Michael van der Veen for the Trump Organization says the tax fraud case is a 'witch hunt'

Lead prosecutor Susan Hoffinger told the judge that if everyone with ill feelings towards Trump were to be stricken off the jury then it would be impossible to form one

Defense attorneys for the Trump Organization objected to his inclusion on the panel but prosecutor Susan Hoffinger remarked that if everyone with ill feelings towards Trump were to be stricken off the jury then it would be impossible to form one.

Supreme Court Justice Juan Manuel Merchan allowed the man to sit on the panel nonetheless, saying: 'In this case, the juror also indicated that he kind of thought [Trump] was funny.'

A number of prospective jurors were dismissed, however. A middle-aged man told told Merchan on Thursday that he had 'strong feelings' about Trump and that the former president made him feel sick.

He then told the judge: 'I don't feel like it's a very healthy thing for me to be here,' Insider reported.

Other jurors were also dismissed on Thursday after calling Trump a 'demonstrative liar' and 'a scam artist'.

A 34-year-old advertising executive told reporters outside of the downtown courthouse that she already believed Trump was 'guilty.'

'He's guilty in my mind whatever the case is - anything he does, anything his corporation does,' she said, according to Insider.

The woman, only identified as Adrienne, said she would 'absolutely not' be able to be impartial in the trial.

Another person who was ultimately not chosen as a juror said a fellow participant told her: 'I hate Trump.'

They're part of a pool of more than 100 people who were summoned to the courthouse on Monday.

Judge Juan Merchan listens as a prosecutor appears for the Trump Organization's criminal tax trial in Manhattan Criminal Court
HYDERABAD: Rajendranagar ACP B. Gangadhar, the investigation officer of the case of alleged attempt to bribe TRS MLAs, said that two persons from the BJP, Ramachandra Bharati and Nanda Kumar, had met the complainant, TRS legislator Pilot Rohit Reddy, and offered him Rs 100 crore to join the BJP and contest on its ticket in the next Assembly election.

"The accused also offered to give lucrative Central government civil contracts and high government positions if he joined the BJP. In a veiled threat, the accused warned the MLA of criminal cases and raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if he did not oblige. They said that the TRS-led government would be toppled by them. However, the legislator decided against indulging in such unethical practice," the ACP said.

On October 26, the accused again contacted Rohit Reddy and informed them that they were coming to his farmhouse in Aziznagar for negotiations. They urged him to mobilise some more TRS MLAs with offers of Rs 50 crore for each of them for joining the BJP.

"The MLAs were asked to discharge their public duties improperly in order to destabilise the state government. Rohit Reddy was informed that Bharati, Nanda Kumar and one Simhayaji Swamy from Tirupati would come to the farmhouse to finalise the deal. The complainant sought legal action against the three and all those behind the conspiracy," the investigation officer said.

Moinabad police registered cases under Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 171 B (regarding bribery), read with 171 E (punishment for bribery), 506 (criminal intimidation) read with 34 of IPC and Section 8 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
He was sentenced to two years in jail, with a non-parole period of nine months

In May he was convicted of sexual intercourse without consent of a 19-year-old

The incident occurred at Priceline Pharmacy in Mascot in July 2019

A pharmacist has had his registration revoked for sexually assaulting a custom er

A pharmacist has been banned from practising after he sexually assaulted a young woman when she came in to get the morning-after pill.

Hany Samir Youssef Ibrahim, a 43-year-old chemist at Priceline Pharmacy in Mascot, in Sydney's inner south, was on shift in July 2019 when the 19-year-old foreign national asked to buy the emergency contraception, the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard.

The tribunal heard that Ibrahim then took her into a small office under the guise of privacy.

The teen then told him she had engaged in unprotected sex with her partner and was unsure whether he 'finished' inside of her.

Sydney pharmacist Hany Samir Youssef Ibrahim has had his registration revoked for sexually assaulting a young female in 2019 as she went to purchase the morning-after pill at Mascot's Priceline Pharmacy (pictured Mascot Priceline)

After asking several questions Ibrahim said he could examine her to tell 'if it happened or not' and then proceeded to digitally penetrate her

After asking several questions Ibrahim said he could examine her to tell 'if it happened or not'.

He then proceeded to digitally penetrate her for two minutes until the victim stood up and left.

The practitioner initially denied the allegations but his stance changed after DNA evidence taken by police at the time became available, the tribunal heard.

The tribunal ultimately found Ibrahim guilty of professional misconduct and found him unfit to practice as a pharmacist.

He also failed to notify the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency when he was charged with the offence.

As a result he is prohibited from requesting a review of the cancellation for two years.

He was also ordered to pay the Health Care Complaints Commission's court fees.

In May, Ibrahim was convicted of sexual intercourse without consent in the NSW District Court.

He was sentenced to two years in prison, with a non-parole period of nine months.

During the District Court proceedings, Judge Williams stated, 'once she indicated she was uncomfortable he asked her to keep it quiet.'

'This involved a gross breach of trust on a vulnerable young woman, who was entitled to assume that a pharmacist could not act to her detriment when dealing with a particularly sensitive topic.'
Prosecutors have dropped manslaughter charges against a trucking boss they previously alleged allowed Mohinder Singh to get behind the wheel before he killed four Victoria Police officers.

Connect Logistics manager Simiona Tuteru, 51, was due to stand trial this week in Victoria's Supreme Court after being charged with four counts of manslaughter over the April 2020 collision.

Singh was high on drugs and sleep deprived when his prime-mover ploughed into the officers on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway.

Prosecutors previously alleged Tuteru had permitted Singh to drive the truck, despite claims he was too tired. Tuteru pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and a trial was due to begin on October 25.

Connect Logistics manager Simiona Tuteru, 51, was due to stand trial this week in Victoria's Supreme Court after being charged with four counts of manslaughter over the April 2020 collision

Mohinder Singh (pictured) was fatigued and drugged when he killed four officers on a Melbourne freeway on April 22, 2020 and had denied 'shifting the blame' to his former boss

Left to right: Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King, Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor and Constable Joshua Prestney all died in the crash

However, in a brief hearing in Melbourne on Friday, prosecutors told the court they would no longer pursue the manslaughter charges. Tuteru will instead face four heavy vehicle charges.

'Is the court and the public to be favoured with an explanation as to how this has occurred?' Justice Lex Lasry asked.

'I don't propose to go into the reasons why. Your Honour, a discontinuance has been entered now,' prosecutor Robyn Harper replied.

Justice Lasry further questioned Ms Harper about the Director of Public Prosecutions' decision, asking if the Crown had 'finally worked out they don't have a case'.

'I wouldn't say that's right, Your Honour,' she said.

Justice Lasry said the lack of explanation was 'most unsatisfactory' given the time wasted in preparing for trial.

Tuteru's barrister David Hallowes SC said he was disappointed it had taken the Crown so long to reach their position, given their weak manslaughter case.

Singh was short on sleep and high on drugs in April 2020, when he veered into a service lane and crashed a 19-tonne semi-trailer into four Victoria Police officers.

'Fundamentally the case hasn't changed from when Mr Tuteru was first charged, and as Your Honour indicates, there's been not only a great deal of time, but a great deal of effort put in to preparing the case,' he said, 'so it is disappointing.'

Justice Lasry said there may be an issue as to whether the heavy vehicle charges should instead be heard in the County Court.

The matter was adjourned for a further mention on December 5, where a trial date will be fixed for next year.

Singh was last year jailed for up to 22 years after admitting culpable driving causing the deaths of Senior Constables Lynette Taylor and Kevin King, and Constables Glen Humphris and Josh Prestney.

However, after a successful appeal, his sentence was reduced to 18-and-a-half years, with his minimum term cut by four years to 14-and-a-half.
North Korea has fired two ballistic missiles towards the sea in its latest sabre-rattling towards the West as the US warned its use of nuclear weapons 'will result in the end of that regime.'

South Korea's military detected the two launches from the North's eastern coastal Tongchon area around midday on Friday, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

Both missiles flew about 140 miles at a maximum altitude of 15 miles.

South Korea strongly condemned the launches, calling them 'a grave provocation' that undermines regional peace and violates UN Security Council resolutions banning any ballistic activities by North Korea.

People watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a railway station in Seoul today

Kim Jong-un has ordered a series of ballistic missile tests this month as North Korea ramped up its launches

The US Indo Pacific Command said the launches highlighted the 'destabilising impact' of North Korea's illicit nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

The Japanese Defence Ministry said it also detected the launches and that the type of missiles used and their flight information were still being analysed.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry said its top nuclear envoy held separate phone talks with his US and Japanese counterparts soon after the launches.

It said the three agreed to strengthen trilateral coordination on North Korea while repeating their calls for the North to stop weapons tests and return to talks.

The back-to-back launches, the North's first ballistic missile tests since October 14, came on the final day of South Korea's annual 12-day 'Hoguk' field exercises, which also involved an unspecified number of US troops this year.

Next week, South Korean and US air forces plan to conduct a large-scale training as well.

The back-to-back launches, the North's first ballistic missile tests since October 14, came on the final day of South Korea's annual 12-day 'Hoguk' field exercises

North Korea sees such regular drills by Seoul and Washington as practice for launching an attack on the North, though the allies say their exercises are defensive in nature.

Next week's 'Vigilant Storm' aerial drills are to run from Monday to Friday and involve about 140 South Korean warplanes and about 100 US aircraft.

The planes include sophisticated fighter jets like F-35 from both nations, South Korea's Defence Ministry said in a statement earlier Friday.

Since late September, North Korea has launched a barrage of missiles toward the sea in what it called simulated tests of tactical nuclear weapons systems designed to attack South Korean and US targets.

North Korea says its testing activities were meant to issue a warning amid a series of South Korea-US military drills.

But some experts say Pyongyang has also used its rivals' drills as a chance to test new weapons systems, boost its nuclear capability and increase its leverage in future dealings with Washington and Seoul.

Tongchon, the launch site for the North's Friday launches, is about 37 miles away from the inter-Korean land border.

Tongchon, the launch site for the North's Friday launches, is about 37 miles away from the inter-Korean land border

The area was closer to South Korean territory than any other missile launch site North Korea has used so far this year, according to South Koreas Defence Ministry.

South Korea and the United States have strongly warned North Korea against using its nuclear weapons preemptively.

The Pentagon's National Defence Strategy report issued on Thursday stated that any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners 'will result in the end of that regime.'

'There is no scenario in which the Kim regime could employ nuclear weapons and survive,' the report said. The Pentagon said it will continue to deter North Korean attacks through 'forward posture,' including nuclear deterrence, integrated air and missile defences, and close coordination and interoperability with South Korea.

During a visit to Tokyo on Tuesday, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman reiterated that the United States would fully use its military capabilities, 'including nuclear,' to defend its allies South Korea and Japan.

Last month, South Korea's Defence Ministry warned North Korea that using its nuclear weapons would put it on a 'path of self-destruction.'

There are concerns that the North could up the ante in the coming weeks by conducting its first nuclear test since 2017.

Rafael Grossi, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Thursday that a new nuclear test explosion by North Korea 'would be yet another confirmation of a program which is moving full steam ahead in a way that is incredibly concerning.'

He said the UN agency has been observing preparations for a new test, which would be the North's seventh overall, but gave no indication of whether an atomic blast is imminent.

In recent days, North Korea has also fired hundreds of shells in inter-Korean maritime buffer zones that the two Koreas established in 2018 to reduce frontline military tensions. North Korea has said the artillery firings were in reaction to South Korean live-fire exercises at land border areas.

On Monday, the rival Koreas exchanged warning shots along their disputed western sea boundary, a scene of past bloodshed and naval battles, as they accused each other of violating the boundary.
Melissa Caddick's five bedroom mansion has sold after expressions of interest into the property closed three days early

Melissa Caddick's five bedroom mansion has sold for an undisclosed sum after expressions of interest into the property closed three days early.

Jones Partners, the receivers of Caddick and liquidators of the fraudster's business Maliver Pty Ltd, confirmed the sale of the home in Dover Heights, in Sydney 's east, about 5pm on Friday.

The receivers won't disclose the price until after the property has settled.

Bruce Gleeson, a principal at the company, said in a statement: 'Following a successful Expressions of Interest campaign, we confirm the Receivers have accepted an offer for the sale of the Dover Heights Property. Contracts were exchanged this afternoon with a settlement period of 12 weeks.

'Until settlement has occurred, we will not be disclosing the sale price. However, we believe the sale price achieved is a strong result given the current market conditions and will make a significant contribution towards the pool of funds available for Investors.'

Mr Gleeson said the team was 'very pleased' with the interest garnered from prospective buyers.

'We are also continuing our efforts to progress realisation of other Receivership Property such as the jewellery and designer goods and will provide a further update on such aspects very soon,' he said.

Jones Partners, the receivers of Caddick and liquidators of the fraudster's business Maliver Pty Ltd, confirmed the sale of the home in Dover Heights, in Sydney's east, on Friday but have not disclosed the price

The four-storey home boasts harbour views, three bathrooms, a pool and a rooftop terrace

Mr Gleeson had earlier said he hoped the four-storey property would sell for more than $10million and recoup millions for the conwoman's victims.

Caddick's husband Anthony Koletti had anticipated it would sell for $15million, which was the same figure given by multiple valuations in June this year.

Caddick snapped up the home - which comes with a pool and sits on a 390sqm block of land - for $6.2million in April, 2014.

It also boasts harbour views, three bathrooms and a rooftop terrace.

Agents for the home were due to receive expressions of interest up until Monday, before the sale on Friday

Caddick disappeared the day after AFP and ASIC investigators raided the property on November 11, 2020.

The missing and presumed dead fraudster stole more than $23million from trusting clients, friends and family who handed over their savings believing she was a successful investor.

Instead the 49-year-old stole the money to fund her lavish lifestyle - wearing labels like Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior and expensive jewellery, plus embarking overseas trips.
A Coalition MP who claims Anthony Albanese bullied her to the point of tears in parliament lost her beloved father a few weeks ago after a 'very difficult' year.

Michelle Landry, the Nationals MP for Capricornia in central Queensland, claimed she was 'humiliated' by the prime minister during Question Time on Thursday.

After Ms Landry asked a question, Mr Albanese launched into a fiery tirade mocking Opposition Leader Peter Dutton for confusing two areas in his home state.

Ms Landry took the tirade personally and her colleagues complained she had stormed out of the chamber in tears.

The PM refused to apologise on Friday, insisting he was only addressing Mr Dutton and Ms Landry, 60, was criticised for being too easily rattled.

But locals in her hometown of Yeppoon defended their MP, saying she had a 'tough few weeks' after the death of her father William Bruce Martin.

Liberal National MP Michelle Landry (back centre with her daughters Kirstin Daniels and Jessica Price) lost her father William Bruce Martin (bottom left) on October 1

Mr Martin died on October 1 aged 86, and was mourned by four generations of his family at his funeral on October 13.

Ms Landry soldiered on in the interim, attending numerous community events including on the day of and morning after his death.

'The last three months have been very difficult. Dad spent 12 days in hospital extremely ill, then he caught Covid. He was in a lot of pain,' she said in her eulogy.

'My Dad was tough. He waited for his last great-grandson to be born, our precious Fitzwilliam.

'He passed away a couple of days later. In his final weeks he found his faith again and was at peace with God.

'I am sure he is up there looking down on us with his pipe or cigar, drinking a rum and coke, and taking Chloe his Labrador dog for a walk!'

Mr Martin and his wife Gloria ran Lucky Daniels Casket Agency, a corner store in Rockhampton, for 21 years and Ms Landry grew up in the shop.

The family patriarch lived to see Ms Landry's grandson Fitzwilliam born on September 28 when her daughter Jessica Price give birth.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese launched into a fiery tirade as he mocked Opposition Leader Peter Dutton for a geography gaffe during Ms Landry's question, after which she accused him of bullying her

Ms Landry was was criticised for being too easily rattled, but locals in her hometown of Yeppoon defended their MP, saying she had a 'tough few weeks' after the death of her father

Ms Price was at the centre of another time Ms Landry claimed to have been bullied by the Labor Party - which she alluded to after the drama in parliament.

Capricornia was, with two short interruptions, in Labor hands since 1961 until Ms Landry won the seat on the votes of disgruntled coal miners in 2013.

She claimed CFMEU thugs harassed her, Ms Price, and her son-in-law Tim Price including threats and intimidation, while they were living in the coal mining area of Blackwater, west of Rockhampton.

'It was dreadful. I'm the one doing the job, I'm the public figure. They shouldn't be picking on your family,' she said at the time.

CFMEU Queensland president Stephen Smyth said the allegations were 'baseless' and if there was evidence they should have been reported to police.

'Ms Landry should be called on to apologise to the union members and families in Blackwater for her allegations, which have affected many,' he said at the time.

Ms Price was in 2015 put on probation for two years without conviction for stealing $8,150 from the ANZ bank, her then-employer.

Mr Martin lived to see Ms Landry's grandson Fitzwilliam born on September 28 when her daughter Jessica Price give birth

Mr Martin and his wife Gloria ran Lucky Daniels Casket Agency, a corner store in Rockhampton, for 21 years and Ms Landry grew up in the shop

Poll Did Anthony Albanese bully Michelle Landry? Yes, his shouting was cruel No, get a grip Did Anthony Albanese bully Michelle Landry? Yes, his shouting was cruel 107 votes

No, get a grip 121 votes Now share your opinion





Mr Albanese on Friday morning furiously rubbished Ms Landry's claims that he bullied her, insisting his shouty remarks were only aimed at Mr Dutton.

'Youll see me having an exchange with Peter Dutton, not with the member for Capricornia, about the fact he was interjecting, yelling at me, confusing... he didnt know his Yeppoon from his Yeppen - theyre two different places,' he told Sky News.

'It was an exchange between myself and Peter Dutton and the footage shows during that time Michelle Landry actually laughing at my response, that was good humoured, a bit of a joke about Queenslander, a reference of course Peter Dutton didnt know.'

Mr Albanese twice pointed at Mr Dutton and shouted 'Queenslander!' to mock his mistake about his home state.

This was an obscure reference to State of Origin legend Billy Moore firing up the Maroons as they took the field for the second half of the 1995 clash.

The Sydney-born PM is a diehard rugby league fan and his reference prompted rowdy cheers and banging of tables from the Labor benches, which Ms Landry claimed was egging him on in bullying her.

Mr Albanese said he called Ms Landry as a courtesy to explain his remarks weren't aimed at her, because he was concerned she was upset - but did not apologise because one wasn't needed.

'No, she has my respect. I never said anything against her. Peter Dutton wants to interject while I'm answering a question, he can expect a response,' he said.

Ms Landry posted screenshots from parliament footage she claimed showed Anthony Albanese was attacking her, as he was looking in her direction, while he insists his tirade was only aimed at Peter Dutton

However, Ms Landry doubled down later on Friday morning by posting screenshots from parliament footage she claimed showed the PM was attacking her.

'I did laugh at the start of the answer provided however, it quickly descended into bullying behavior by the prime minister and the Labor Party,' she said.

'In the screenshots below, you can clearly see he is not directing the remainder of his answer at Peter Dutton who is directly in front of him. He is directing his anger and vitriol at me.

'For all of the local and interstate Labor trolls who have inundated my social media channels with derogatory messages and who have cherry-picked screenshots, you need to remember that everyone has a family, and I am doing my job in standing up for Capricornia.'

Prominent media commentators, even those often critical of the government, largely sided with Mr Albanese, saying they didn't seen any bullying in his response.

'What I witnessed in question time yesterday was rigorous debate between two sides of politics. That seems pretty standard behaviour to me,' 2GB radio host Ben Fordham said.

Liberal National member for Capricornia Michelle Landry (pictured) left parliament in tears on Thursday

The drama began when Ms Landry rose in Question Time on Thursday to accuse the prime minister of breaking a promise.

She said the Budget delated $800 million of Commonwealth funding to construct the Rockhampton Ring Road by at least two years.

Mr Albanese's answer made reference to funding the Bruce Highway through the Yeppen Floodplain, south of Rockhampton.

Mr Dutton - also from Queensland - interjected about the town of Yeppoon, more than 50km away on the coast.

The PM seized upon this geographic error to mock the opposition leader for not knowing his home state well enough.

'Yeppoon is a different place! And you might want to ask the Member for Capricornia, because Yeppoon is on the coast, north of Rockhampton and Rockhampton is to the south,' he excitedly exclaimed.

'Yeppen Floodplain is to the south, it's the southern entry of the Bruce Highway into Rockhampton!'

Mr Albanese got a rousing cheer from the Labor Party benches and twice shook his fist towards Mr Dutton shouting 'Queenslander!'

'Says it all!' he added, dismissively.

The PM then explained the history of the road project and with a consistently raised voice blasted the opposition for not getting it down while in government.

'We will get this project done, like we got the Yeppen Floodplain done, like we, by the way, got roads to Yeppoon done as well,' he said.

The increasingly rowdy Labor benches responded to the PM's boisterous display by cheering, clapping, and banging their tables.

Mr Anthony yells "Queenslander" during Question Time after mocking Peter Dutton

Mr Albanese at the same time made a dismissive swishing motion with his hands towards the Coalition benches as they rose in uproar.

The episode seemed like a good bit of parliamentary theatrics at Mr Dutton's expense until the end of Question Time when deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley raised a point of order.

'The Member for Capricornia has left the chamber in tears and in a state of high distress,' she said.

She asked Speaker Milton Dick to review the video and consider the appropriateness of his 'tone' during his very shouty answer. Mr Dick said he would do so and get back to her.

Ms Landry, deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley, and nine other female Coalition MPs held a press conference after Question Time ended, accusing Mr Albanese of 'bullying' her.

'I really do not appreciate being spoken to and screamed at by the prime minister, as I was today,' Ms Landry said.

'I feel that I've been humiliated by him and the Labor Party.

'We've been talking today about kindness in the Parliament, looking after each other and all the nice kind words.

'But after he screamed and pointed and yelled at me, all his MPs - females included in that - were screaming, laughing and yelling as well.

Ms Landry, Ms Ley, and several other female Coalition MPs held a press conference after Question Time ended, accusing Mr Albanese of 'bullying' her

'This is not the first time that I've endured this stuff from the Labor Party, from the PM's office who spread smear campaigns about me in Rockhampton.

'I think this should be a place where we can all work together, I try to treat people with respect and how I wanted to be treated.

'I want to thank my female colleagues for being here with me today because we've all had enough.

They're a mob of hypocrites if they can say that everything is so wonderful on the left. Well, it's not.

'They treat us appallingly, our female MPs and senators are treated like absolute garbage all the time by the left and we have had enough.

Michelle Landry said it was not the first time she;d been the victim of a Labor smear campaign

'This is about women across Australia. I have two daughters and if I don't stand up against this bullying in the parliament, they just won't have respect for me.'

Ms Ley then quoted a statement by Mr Albanese from months earlier, declaring parliament needed to do better to stamp out bullying.

'More needs to be done to change the culture of Parliament House, culture sit above policy and procedure and must change,' she quoted.

'There's a cultural problem with sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace in the House.'

Ms Ley said the Budget talked a lot about respect in the workplace, as had many members of the Labor Party since it won government.

'Well, if Mr Albanese doesn't go back into parliament this afternoon, stand and publicly apologise... then all of these statements are not worth the paper they are printed on and he may as well throw them in the garbage bin,' she said.

'This was an incredibly distressing experience for Michelle, and there were others in the chamber who heard it, who felt it, and who really, really didn't like it.'

Sussan Ley quoted a statement by Mr Albanese from months earlier, declaring parliament needed to do better to stamp out bullying

Mr Dick later told the House of Representatives he had reviewed the footage and didn't believe Mr Albanese disrespected Ms Landry.

'I can confirm the prime minister was answering the question from the Member for Capricornia. During the answer, the prime minister was also directly responding to interjections from the leader of the opposition,' he said.

'In reviewing the footage, I did not see the prime minister show any disrespect to the Member for Capricornia.

'As the footage was not on the Member for Capricornia for the entire response, I did not see her leave the chamber.

'Of the footage of the Member for Capricornia that I was able to review, she appeared engaged in the response from the prime minister.'

Mr Albanese's office was asked if the PM intended to publicly apologise to Ms Landry or make any other comment on the matter.
Residents living along it believe the road needs proper signals to avoid accidents

The collision happened on Sierra Road - a busy four lane road in San Jose

A woman and her grandson were crossing a quiet road in San Jose, California, when they were rammed by a car that made off without stopping.

The grandmother, 68, is now in an intensive care unit with three broken ribs and a broken shoulder, the mother of the boy, three, has said.

A home security camera captured the moment a dark gray 2012 Mazda 3 plowed into the woman, who was pushing her grandson in a stroller, at around 5.40pm on Tuesday.

The boy is recovering with a scar and a bruise on his head, his mother told KTVU. Police have launched an investigation to find the car and identify its driver.

'I couldn't believe it happened,' said the three-year-old's mother. 'I cannot think of how anyone could drive like that. This is so bad.'

The collision happened at the intersection of Sierra road - a four-lane road which runs from East San Jose Foothills to East Capitol Expressway - and Mauna Kea Lane.

The 68-year-old woman pushing the stroller was knocked to the ground by the speeding gray Mazda. She was taken to an ICU with broken ribs and a broken shoulder

The Mazda was captured on home security footage flying through the crossing without slowing down before or after colliding with the pedestrians

The collision happened at the intersection of Sierra road - a four-lane road which runs from East San Jose Foothills to East Capitol Expressway - and Mauna Kea Lane

The video was recorded by security cameras outside of a house by the intersection.

Yong Oin, who lives there, said: 'I know her. Everyday she walks around this way and takes her grandchildren to the high school track.'

'Cars like this one don't even stop,' she said.

Resident living along the busy stretch of Sierra Road have said they think a simple crosswalk is not sufficient for crossing the road to be safe.

'A traffic light is better,' Oin said.

The grandmother can be seen beginning to cross the road moments before she is struck by the Mazda

Resident living along the busy stretch Sierra Road have said they think a simple crosswalk is not sufficient for crossing the road to be safe

San Jose police are asking for help to track down the driver. Anyone with information is asked to contact the police department at 408-277-4654.
An Arkansas motorcyclist carrying a gasoline-filled backpack was engulfed by a fireball when a state trooper used a Taser on him during a traffic stop, authorities said.

The October 13 traffic stop was captured on dramatic dashcam video - showing the moment the man burst into flames.

The clip shows a trooper attempting to pull over a motorcycle driven by Christopher Gaylor, 38, of Alexander, Arkansas, because no license plate were visible on the motorcycle.

He can be clearly be seen on the video completely ignoring all traffic signals and trying to make his way around several cars.

A chase ensued with speeds approaching 100 mph until Gaylor jumped from his motorcycle in a residential area of North Little Rock, state police said.

A second state trooper used a Taser on Gaylor and a fire immediately erupted. State police said they later learned that Gaylor was carrying about a gallon of gasoline in his backpack.

An Arkansas motorcyclist carrying a gasoline-filled backpack was expected to survive after he was engulfed by a fireball when a state trooper used a Taser on him during a traffic stop, authorities said

The October 13 traffic stop was captured on dramatic dashcam video provided by Arkansas State Police

The video shows a trooper attempting to pull over a motorcycle driven by Christopher Gaylor, 38, of Alexander, Arkansas, because no license plate were visible on the motorcycle

A chase ensued with speeds approaching 100 mph until Gaylor jumped from his motorcycle in a residential area of North Little Rock, state police said

He can be clearly be seen on the video completely ignoring all traffic signals and trying to make his way around several cars

A second state trooper used a Taser on Gaylor and a fire immediately erupted. State police said they later learned that Gaylor was carrying about a gallon of gasoline in his backpack.

The video shows troopers extinguishing the blaze and providing medical care to Gaylor, who remains hospitalized but is expected to recover, state police said

The cyclist was immediately taken to a local hospital's burn unit.

The video shows troopers extinguishing the blaze and providing medical care to Gaylor, who remains hospitalized but is expected to recover, state police said.

Gaylor faces charges of felony fleeing, failure to register a vehicle, no liability insurance, driving with a suspended license and reckless driving.

No one from Arkansas State Police has been put under investigation or disciplined in connection with the incident.

Police told CNN Gaylor allegedly never said that he had gasoline in his backpack nor was there a warning on the exterior of his backpack.

It was unclear whether he had an attorney to speak on his behalf.
Police found the torso in a wheelie bin in an empty lot in Adelaide's north

Geoffrey McLean was missing since August 18, prior he was attacked with acid

A dismembered and decomposing body found in a vacant lot in Adelaide's north has been identified as that of a missing 55-year-old man.

Police say only the torso of Geoffrey McLean has been recovered so far.

It was found in a wheelie bin on an empty lot on Cheviot Road at Salisbury South on Monday.

Detective Inspector Brett Featherby said there was evidence to suggest the people involved in the murder had been attempting to bury the body but may have been disturbed.

'Our efforts are firmly focused on recovering the rest of Geoffrey's remains and identifying those persons responsible for his brutal murder,' Det Insp Featherby said on Friday.

'At this stage, we believe there was more than one person involved in his murder and the disposal of his body.

Police have now identified remains found in a wheelie bin in South Australia as those of Geoffrey McLean (above)

'We believe that they were going to bury his remains at that location and may have been disturbed.

'Or they were just lazy and left his remains at that location.'

Det Insp Featherby said Mr McLean was also subject to four violent attacks in the months before his disappearance in August.

Detective Inspector Brett Featherby's teams found human remains in a wheelie bin on a vacant lot in the north of Adelaide

On April 10 he was attacked by a person with acid, while on April 13 he was struck with a log splitter and received serious head injuries.

On May 9 his car was set on fire at his home and on May 10 he had a bucket of acid thrown over him causing serious burns to his upper back and shoulders.

Some people are already before the courts in relation to a number of those matters and a review of the four incidents is underway.

'We believe that Geoffrey's murder is the direct culmination of those violent attacks that occurred in the months preceding his death,' Det Insp Featherby said.

Mr McLean was last seen at his home on August 18 but there were no confirmed sightings of him after that date.

'The gruesome nature of Geoffrey's murder will have a profound effect on his family, his friends and his loved ones,' Det Insp Featherby said.

'I ask anyone that has knowledge of where his remains may be that we haven't located to contact police.'
The King is still set to miss the COP27 summit as Tories hit back at US climate envoy John Kerry for urging him to attend.

As Rishi Sunak dropped plans to go to Sharm el-Sheik amid the rush to finalise the Budget, Mr Kerry waded in to say Charles taking part would be 'very powerful' and 'make a difference'.

But former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg criticised the breach of protocol saying it is 'not for the American government to advise the King on his engagements'.

He also swiped that 'a lot of people being self-important and emitting huge amounts of carbon to get there' would not solve the problems, saying Mr Sunak is 'absolutely right not to attend.

'It won't actually achieve anything, it will just have a lengthy discussion and the PM has a job to do,' Mr Rees-Mogg added.

As Prince of Wales, Charles was a long-term campaigner on environmental issues. However, since becoming the monarch he has stepped back from anything that might be seen as political.

Liz Truss advised the new King to sit out the summit when she was in No10, although the decision was said to be 'unanimous'.

Downing Street said this morning that it was not aware of any plans to reopen the question of the King going.

But Mr Kerry told Sky News: 'I think it would be terrific, personally.

'I know that his being there would make a difference because he has credibility because he's been a long-term leader.

'I think it would be very powerful.'

While Britain's heads of state are obliged to remain neutral, Mr Kerry insisted climate change was no longer a political issue.

Mr Kerry, a former US presidential candidate, said: 'It's a generic broad, based, existential issue for the world, and his leadership has been very important.'

King Charles' attendance at the Cop27 UN climate summit in Egypt would be 'very powerful' and 'make a difference', John Kerry has said

On the King attending Cop27, John Kerry (pictured) said in an interview: 'I think it would be terrific, personally.'

Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said Mr Sunak is 'absolutely right' not to attend COP27

No10 said it was 'unanimously agreed' by Buckingham Palace and the Government that the King would not attend Cop27 under the previous administration.

'As is standard practice, Government advice was sought and provided under a previous PM, and it was unanimously agreed that it would not be the right occasion for the King to visit in person,' she said.

'I'm not aware that that advice has changed but obviously any confirmation of the King's travel would be for the Palace.'

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said in a round of interviews this morning that Mr Sunak did not need to attend 'a gathering of people in Egypt'.

Asked why the premier was not going COP27, she told LBC: 'The politically big significant things happen every five years.

'The Government has postponed the medium term fiscal plan until November 17, I know that the Prime Minister is very keen to work with the Chancellor very closely on this important element, and so he's prioritising that.

'While at the same time, of course, the UK continues to show global leadership, as opposed to just a gathering of people in Egypt.'

She told Sky News it was 'up to' the King whether he goes to Egypt.

'I'm conscious that King Charles has always taken a very deep interest in the environment and climate change,' she said.

'Of course, it would be up to him to decide how he chooses where to put his priorities in his reign as King.'

Asked if she would like to see him attend Cop27, she said: 'I think it's up to him. I know that he takes an interest in this particular issue, but it's up to him.'

She added: 'Normally the big Cops tend to be every five years.

'The United Kingdom hosted that last year where we had attendance for many members of the royal family, but in between it tends to be more of a  I'm not going to say low key  but not quite the same level of heads of state and prime ministers attending.'

As Prince of Wales, the monarch had been planning to attend Cop27, having spent decades campaigning on climate issues.

He visited Egypt last November with the government's blessing to urge the country's administration on its efforts, and held a meeting with President Abdul Fattah al-Sissi.

It comes as Mr Sunak's climate credentials were under scrutiny on Friday after the new Prime Minister decided to snub Cop27, amid speculation that he could move to expand the windfall tax on energy companies.

Climate activists and opposition MPs have been urging the new prime minister to go further on his windfall tax as oil and gas giants see profits soar.

The Telegraph reported that Mr Sunak, who alongside Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is seeking out ways to plug a multi-billion pound fiscal black hole, is considering an expansion of the windfall tax that would see the levy potentially increased or expanded to included renewable energy generators.

Downing Street said 'nothing is off the table' ahead of Mr Hunt's autumn budget on November 17.

It comes after Shell avoided paying the levy despite a doubling of profits fuelled by soaring energy prices.

Next month's financial statement was given as one of the reasons that Mr Sunak will be unable to attend Cop27, the global climate summit due to take place next month in Egypt.

Rishi Sunak's climate credentials were under scrutiny on Friday after the new Prime Minister decided to snub Cop27, amid speculation that he could move to expand the windfall tax on energy companies

Liz Truss had been due to attend but Mr Sunak, who is expected to visit south London on Friday morning, has decided not to attend.

The move prompted an backlash from campaigners and the opposition, with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer tweeting: 'Britain showing up to work with world leaders is an opportunity to grasp. Not an event to shun.'

Green MP Caroline Lucas said 'shame on' Mr Sunak, while Greenpeace UK said the move suggests Mr Sunak does not take climate change 'seriously enough'.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said Mr Sunak was focusing on domestic issues including preparations for the autumn budget, which has been delayed from Monday to November 17.

She said the UK will be 'fully represented' by Cop26 President Alok Sharma and 'other senior ministers'.

'We remain committed to net zero and to leading international and domestic action to tackle climate change. The UK is forging ahead of many other countries on net zero,' she said.

It comes as new polling indicates that the elevation of Mr Sunak to Conservative leader might have registered with approval among some voters.

New polling by YouGov put the Tories on 23% to Labour at 51%, a four percentage point bounce the Conservatives from a week ago.
But could be at risk in the future if the public begins to tire of their regular pronouncements, a PR expert said

Together with a 100m deal with Spotify, the agreements give the Sussexes significant financial firepower

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are at risk of losing out on more lucrative media deals by being seen as 'boring', a public relations expert said today - as he warned the success of Harry's controversial memoir would be crucial to their financial future.

The Duke of Sussex's autobiography, which has the pointed title Spare, was unveiled yesterday. He was reportedly paid a 18.4million advance for the book as part of a three-title deal worth 36.8m.

The book will be published on January 10, just weeks after Harry and Meghan's equally controversial Netflix documentary - believed to be part of a 100m deal - is due to be aired.

Together with a 100m deal with Spotify, which includes Meghan's Archetypes podcast, the agreements provide the couple with significant financial firepower.

But this could be at risk in the future if the public begins to tire of their regular pronouncements, according to PR and marketing expert Mark Borkowski.

'The most important thing in the modern world is that they generate column inches and eyeballs - everything will come down to the success of the book and the deals with Netflix and Spotify,' he told MailOnline.

'If they do well then they could still be attractive to media outlets looking for subscribers. Given they're no longer connected to the Royal Family with the exposure that brings they need to create their own energy. The danger is they become boring.'

The Duke of Sussex's autobiography, which has the pointed title Spare, was unveiled yesterday. It is just one of a series of commercial ventures the couple have engaged in

Mr Borkowski said the couple's expensive lifestyle - which revolves around their 11million Montecito mansion - could see them partner with a Silicon Valley tech firm such as Mark Zuckerberg's Meta.

The firm's share price recently plummeted amid concerns Mr Zuckerberg's multi-billion dollar investment in the idea of the 'metaverse' - a series of virtual worlds where users can engage with each other in virtual reality - would fail to pay off.

'There's a bit of a downturn in tech at the moment but I'd expect that as the dust settles we could see them sign another deal in that industry,' Mr Borkowski said.

'Meta are facing huge problems so who better to generate a conversation around their idea of the metaverse than Harry and Meghan? They could be promoting it or creating their own virtual world themselves.'

Frank Fitzgerald, of metaverse platform pax.world, said 'metaverse' was a 'catch-all term for virtual worlds where people can do business, enjoy cultural experiences, play games and connect socially as avatars'.

He said the technology could enable the Sussexes to 'connect personally with a global audience at the click of a button'.

Meanwhile, brand expert Nick Ede predicted Spare would open up new commercial opportunities for Harry and Meghan.

'I think the next step for Harry will be the very lucrative public speaking circuit,' he told MailOnline. 'Harry will read extracts from his book at events around the world with a Q&A.

'I also think he will make a lot of money through an exclusive sit down interview with a journalist to promote the book. These kinds of sit downs can command in the six to seven figures and I'm sure they'll be a bidding war.

'And with the book being so explosive he could even look to sell the film rights to it. Again that would be highly lucrative.'

Publisher Penguin Random House confirming the 28 book 'full of insight, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom' will be released on January 10. The title page shows Harry staring at the camera in a brown T-shirt and a black string necklace

Spare, which is available to pre-order, will cost 28 hardcover, 13.99 as an eBook, 20 as an audio download and 25 as a CD. It will be released simultaneously in the US, UK and Canada, with 15 foreign language editions, including one in Spanish entitled Spare: En La Sombra (Spare: In The Shadow)

The Royal Family's lawyers remain on standby for Prince Harry's 'nuclear' memoir, amid fears it is 'critical of everyone and everything' and that reports of it being toned down are 'overblown'.

Billed as a work of 'raw, unflinching honesty', the controversial book will be eye-catchingly called Spare  a 'loaded' reference to his position as the younger brother of the heir to the throne.

'It could not come at a worse time': Royal authors say delayed book will make King 'nervous' as he plans coronation King Charles will be 'nervous' after hearing Prince Harry's tell-all memoir is slated for release on January 10, royal experts said today - amid speculation the New Year publication date suggests the royal has succeeded in his bid to water down its content. The memoir had initially been signed off ready for an expected autumn release as part of a multi-million pound, three-title deal with Penguin Random House. But its publication was delayed following the Queen's death, and Harry is said to have requested a number of alterations to make it less critical of the Royal Family. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams warned the book's release would be 'unhelpful' to King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort. 'It was never a good idea for Harry, fifth in line to the throne, a Counsellor of State and only 38, to write a memoir which by its nature would be highly controversial,' he told MailOnline. 'All of this will almost certainly be unhelpful to King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla, in the early months of his reign. It may well widen the rift between the royal family's and the Sussexes in the pivotal period leading to King Charles's coronation. ' Biographer Tom Bower suggested commercial imperatives would ensure the final manuscript still contains plenty of criticism of the Royal Family. 'To those who have speculated that Harry wanted to dilute his ghost-written text to remove the most offensive descriptions of Charles, William and Kate, one can only surmise that his book can only be a global commercial success if a healthy dollop of poison remains,' he said. Advertisement

Family members were not informed of the Spare title in advance of the announcement yesterday, while the Spanish language version is even more pointed, having been given the subtitle En La Sombra, or 'in the shadow'.

An initial release date of had been pencilled in for 'late 2022' to capitalise on the lucrative Christmas market, but the book will not be on the shelves until January 10 - said to be as a mark of respect following the death of the Queen, and, it is rumoured, due to last-minute alterations requested by the duke.

Meghan's biographer Tom Bower suggested the couple's Netflix series would create useful publicity for the memoir.

'The curtain raiser to the Sussexes' vengeance will be their Netflix series  a lucrative trailblazer to the book, clearly updated to describe their unexpected lengthy stay in London during the Queens funeral,' he told MailOnline.

'Viewers and readers can expect scathing comments about their treatment by Harrys family. Wallowing in self-pity, the Sussexes will portray themselves as victims of uncaring charlatans.'

Spare's title page shows Harry staring sternly at the camera in a brown T-shirt and a black string necklace. An unabridged audiobook will be read by the prince himself.

The 416-page autobiography  which some retailers have cut to half-price for pre-order copies  was expected to hit bookshelves this autumn but there has been speculation that the date was pushed back as a mark of respect following the death of the Queen, and, it is rumoured, to make changes to the publication and remove potentially damaging material.

However, it appears the tone of the book has darkened since it was first announced in July last year. While the memoir was then-described as an 'inspiring, courageous, and uplifting human story', today's promotion calls it a 'personal journey from trauma to healing'.

Royal author Richard Fitzwilliams suggested the Royal Family would be 'very concerned' by how the book was being promoted.

'It is a sensational title and implies that the writer was not valued or certainly that he did not feel at the centre of events,' he told MailOnline. 'When the blurb speaks of ''raw, unflinching honesty'' the Palace will be very concerned, especially since these are the early months of King Charles's reign.

'There will undoubtedly be interviews, serialisation and endless speculation about this memoir, which in my view should have waited many years. Even Edward VIII, by then the Duke of Windsor, waited until 1951 before A King's Story was published. The consequences of this will be far-reaching and may be highly destructive.'

The Royal Family has not been given a chance to see the manuscript before publication, so will be unable to respond to any of its claims through their lawyers.

William and Kate visit Sandringham to look at tributes and flowers laid for the late Queen last month

It is understood that Harry, seen with his wife Meghan in New York last year, was paid a $20million (18.4m) advance for the autobiography as part of a three-title deal worth 36.8m

The publication date was announced in a press release yesterday, which referred to Harry as a 'husband, father, humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate and environmentalist' who 'resides in Santa Barbara, California, with his family and three dogs'.

'Spare takes readers immediately back to one of the most searing images of the Twentieth Century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother's coffin as the world watched in sorrow  and horror,' the release said.

'As Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feelingand how their lives would play out from that point on. For Harry, this is his story at last. With its raw, unflinching honesty, Spare is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.'

The memoir, which is available to pre-order, will cost 28 hardcover, 13.99 as an eBook, 20 as an audio download and 25 as a CD. It will be available in English in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa and Canada, while the book will also be published in 15 additional languages, including Spanish, Italian, German and Chinese. Representatives for the King and Kensington Palace have declined to comment.

Publisher Penguin Random House has said the duke had donated $1.5million (1.3million) to children's charity Sentebale and 300,000 to WellChild, a charity for disabled children for which he serves as patron.

Announcing the global publishing deal this year, Penguin Random House described the memoir as 'intimate and heartfelt'
HYDERABAD: The BJP lent another dimension to its attack on the TRS government over the alleged poaching of MLAs by asking the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to investigate the money laundering by TRS leaders. It also asked the Election Commission of India to look into the criminal attempts by Cyberabad police commissioner Stephen Ravindra to damage the BJP's reputation.

BJP Dubbak MLA M. Raghunandan Rao on Friday filed a petition before the ED to investigate the TRS leaders' claims that Rs 400 crore was offered to lure four TRS MLAs into the BJP fold although the police had not presented any evidence about it. While TRS MLA P. Rohith Reddy claimed he was offered Rs 100 crore, the police asserted that they had confiscated Rs 15 crore.

In his petition to the ED office, the BJP MLA noted that anything over Rs 2 lakh that is carried in cash can be construed as money laundering, and the ED must investigate as local authorities may be acting as "mechanical tools" at the direction of their political bosses.

Raghunandan Rao also provided the Election Commission with a copy of the complaint he filed with the ED, in which he accused the Cyberabad Police Commissioner of trying to damage the reputation of the BJP without evidence.

Raghunandan Rao said the Cyberabad police chief had said that the phones of the three accused were seized, and wondered if that was the case, then how did the audio leaks about conversations between Rohith Reddy and purported BJP agents occur.

Every evidence must be submitted to the magistrate within 24 hours, why did Stephen Ravindra (Cyberabad police chief) not do this, he asked.

Meanwhile, in New Delhi, Union minister G. Kishan Reddy refuted TRS's allegations, claiming that there was nothing improper about representatives of one political party speaking with those of other parties. We don't know that Swamiji, we have no connection to him, and we did not authorise him to speak for us with anyone.

Bringing down the TRS government is not our agenda, we will not disturb the TRS government which will disappear after the 2023 elections anyway, he said.

Speaking in Munugode, Nizamabad MP Arvind Dharmapuri said, there was absolutely no need for such cheap tricks by the TRS, be it audio or video clips. KCR is now running scared, and hence these tactics. We do not buy MLAs anywhere in the country.

G. Vivek Venkatswamy, senior BJP leader and the party's Munugode campaign committee chairman, stated, "Whether the audio tapes or TRS accusations, these are nothing more than desperate attempts to divert peoples attention from the TRS losing the Munugode bypoll. The BJP is set to win, and win handsomely and the Chief Minister knows this.
A young teen has been tackled to the ground screaming by security guards and police in front of shocked onlookers in a busy shopping centre after allegations he had a knife.

Footage of the disturbing incident which has gone viral shows three security guards wrestling the boy to the floor at the Westfield Mount Gravatt Shopping Centre in Brisbane's south on Thursday.

The boy can be heard at screaming at security surrounding him as police rush to the incident.

Footage of the alarming incident showed three security guards wrestling the boy to the floor (pictured) at the Mount Gravatt Shopping Centre in Brisbane's south on Thursday

The boy was seen being brought to his knees before being forced flat onto his stomach (pictured) as security kept a firm hold on his hands behind his back

A guard pushed the boy's head down before another helped to force the teen to his knees.

He was then restrained flat onto his stomach as security kept a firm hold on his hands behind his back.

He screamed in a high-pitched tone inaudibly as police stepped in to help, as horrified shoppers looked on.

Police said shopping centre security had called officers at about 5pm that day.

'[This happened] after a teenage male was observed allegedly in possession of a knife outside a retailer,' a police statement read.

No one was injured during the tussle and no threats were made.

A spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the teen is assisting police with inquiries as investigations continue.

No charges have yet been laid.
Matrosov made paedophile dig his own grave after seeing evidence on his phone

A distraught father who forced his best friend to kill himself when he discovered the man had sexually abused his daughter has been freed from jail after only six months.

Vyacheslav (Slava) Matrosov, 35, was jailed for 18 months but now has been allowed home a year early.

There was a wave of sympathy in Russia for the father who forced child sex abuser Oleg Sviridov, 32, to dig his own grave in a forest.

The paedophile died soon afterwards following a fight with Matrosov, who secretly buried his corpse in the unmarked grave.

Oleg Sviridov (left) and Vyacheslav Matrosov (right) were friends prior to the incident. Matrosov said he discovered evidence of his friend's alleged crimes while they were drinking together

Matrosov, 35, whose daughter was a victim of Svirdov, has been freed from jail early after just six months. Matrosov is pictured with his wife Natalya Matrosova and his two daughters.

Investigators concluded that Sviridov took his own life during the forest fracas in which Matrosov made clear his fury over the sex abuse.

Sviridov had repeatedly sexually abused Matrosov's daughter, then aged six.

Upon being released from prison early, the father posted a picture with his wife Natalya, 35, with the words: 'Home. Love very much.'

Matrosov was initially held on suspicion of murder but this triggered a public outcry in Russia.

In April he was convicted of 'inciting' his friend 'to suicide' by Krasnoglinsky Court in Samara, and sentenced to 18 months in a strict Russian penal colony.

Matrosov, 35, forced his former best friend to dig his own grave in the Samara region of Russia

The body of Sviridov, 32, was found near Vintai village in a grave prosecutors believe he was forced to dig himself

The close friendship broke down when the father found sickening and graphic footage on his friend's mobile showing Sviridov forcing his daughter to perform a sex act on him.

The girl, now nine, was heard pleading: 'Oleg, that's enough, I can't take it any more. I want to go home'.

Matrosov, a former rocket engine factory worker, could have been jailed for 15 years if he had been charged with murder.

There was a wave of public support in Samara region for Matrovov after he was linked to the killing of paedophile Sviridov, and the case was highlighted around the world.

Locals in village Pribrezhnaya raised money for his initial legal fees.

A petition signed by 2,500 people demanded that he should be fully acquitted.

The body of Sviridov was found in a shallow grave he appeared to have dug himself

They supported him for 'saving our children by ridding us of a child sex attacker'.

Prominent TV journalist and former Russian presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak told her followers: 'All parents are standing up for the paedophile's killer.'

Miss Sobchak  aka Vladimir Putin's 'goddaughter'  has now fled abroad after she risked arrest and jail in the latest Kremlin media crackdown.

Matrosov was charged with 'inciting a person to suicide... by threats or abuse'.

Sources close to the case said that detailed forensic evidence showed that Matrosov had not stabbed Sviridov in a forest where the dead man's body was found later in the makeshift grave.

There are claims Sviridov was given an ultimatum to go to the police and confess to sexually abusing the girl, or face the father's wrath.

A relative said Sviridov was seen badly beaten on the day he disappeared in September 2021, more than a week before his body was found in the makeshift grave near Vintai village.

Two other children are feared to have been abused by Sviridov.

Sviridov's body was found in the forest near the village of Vintai in the Samara region of Russia
State school pupils are narrowly beating their private school rivals to places at Cambridge University for the first time ever, as admissions bosses deny claims of 'social engineering'.

The 800-year-old institution is at the centre of a discrimination row amid claims that the university's admissions process is disadvantaging private school pupils.

Next week, more than 20,000 hopefuls will find out whether they will be invited for an interview in a bid to get one of 3,700 undergraduate places up for grabs.

Cambridge University (pictured) has been forced to deny accusations of 'social engineering' by parents whose children were not offered places to study at the prestigious institution

A Freedom of Information request submitted by the Telegraph revealed that private school pupils are less likely to be offered a place to study at the university than their state school counterparts.

At the beginning of this academic year, state school students had a 19.9 per cent acceptance rate, compared to 18.8 per cent for fee-paying students.

Meanwhile, Oxford University has also seen the gap between the two decrease within the last decade.

In 2021, state school pupils gaining a place at Oxford University stood at 18.3 per cent, compared to private school pupils at 20 per cent.

Those attending the 50 top private schools including Eton College, Harrow School and Winchester College, have seen their chances of receiving an offer to Oxbridge drop by a third in five years, according to the Telegraph.

However, admissions bosses have been forced to deny accusations of 'social engineering'.

One parent, who did not wish to be named, told the publication that their son was rejected from Cambridge with four A* A-level results.

'My son and his cohort worked damned hard but his four A*s dont seem to be worth as much as two A*s and an A from someone at a state school,' said the consultant from Surrey.

The parent, who branded it 'social engineering' said their son had achieved A*s in maths, economics, chemistry and politics and wanted to go on to study Human, Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge but was rejected after a Zoom interview.

However, at Brampton Manor, a selective state sixth form in Newham, east London, pupils won coveted places on the same Cambridge course with three A*s, or two A*s and one A.

The father added he believed is son was being 'penalised' due to having a public school background and asked: 'At what point does social mobility stop?'

An admissions director at Cambridge responded to the parent of the Surrey teenager to explain that they 'reject many strong applicants who would go on to do well with us', according to the Telegraph.

Denying allegations of social engineering, they added: 'There is no perfect system for making decisions' but said 'the student with the less good results on paper is not necessarily a less able student than the student with better results on paper.'

It comes as the number of applicants to Cambridge and Oxford university rose by 31 per cent to 47,133 in the five years to 2021.
A former British Army sniper who beat up and throttled his girlfriend during a series of jealous rages has been spared jail after arguing he was haunted by horrors he had witnessed whilst serving in Afghanistan.

Junior Fordwor, 26, described as a 'manipulative narcissist,' belittled and abused 27-year old cosmetics model Stephanie Render - on the most serious incident he left her unconscious for a few seconds by strangling her.

But he has avoided being jailed after a judge accepted he was suffering PTSD following his army experiences.

In one incident ex-Infantryman Fordwor pushed Miss Render to the floor of her apartment in a fit of fury after spotting she had liked another man's picture on Instagram.

In another, he trashed her kitchen and threatened to kill Miss Render before choking her as she lost consciousness.

During a third outburst he threw her against a bedpost and smashed up her TV.

Former British Army sniper Junior Fordwor beat up and throttled his girlfriend in a series of rages

Stephanie Render was pushed to the floor of her apartment after Fordwor spotted she had liked another man's picture on Instagram in one incident

At Manchester Crown Court, Fordwor, from Higher Broughton, Salford, who served with the Royal Fusiliers faced jail after he admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and criminal damage.

But he was given 21-months imprisonment suspended for two years after a judge accepted he was suffering PTSD following his army experiences.

He was also ordered to pay Miss Render 380 compensation, ordered to complete 25 rehabilitation days and 100 hours of unpaid work.

The court heard he has since attained a 2:1 degree in law at Liverpool John Moores University.

Fordwor, from Higher Broughton, Salford, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and criminal damage

The defendant met Miss Render online in April 2020 through a dating app but the relationship became official a year later

Miss Render who works in Manchester eventually gave a statement to police after her mother alerted the authorities following the final incident.

She said: 'Junior was my boyfriend for two years, it was on and off for a while and there was a lot of game playing but we finally got together after I transferred to Manchester.

'His narcissistic traits made me feel like I was always the problem. He lied to me a lot. I have to mention the love I had for Junior and I was heartbroken by the whole affair.'

'Now these days I still think about it, maybe not as much as before. Time is helping in the healing process.

'I have definitely changed since then and will never let anyone manipulate me like he did and I certainly won't let anyone lay their hands on me like he did.'

Betsy Hindle, prosecuting said: 'The defendant met Miss Render online in April 2020 through a dating app but the relationship didn't formalise until April 2021.

'However he regularly met her at her apartment in Salford and he eventually moved into a flat with her.

'The first incident of violence occurred on the 21st of September 2021 when the defendant became jealous after seeing Miss Render like another man's picture on Instagram. This led to a violent outburst, where he shouted at Render and pushed her to the floor.

'Immediately after this, he denied assaulting her and instead of asking if she was OK he belittled her.

Fordwor served with the Royal Fusiliers and a court heard he suffered PTSD from his experiences

'The second incident, was the most serious throughout the relationship. On the 20th of November 2021, Miss Render had been on a night out in Manchester with her friends.

'The defendant had been contacting her repeatedly asking where she was and what time she would be back. He also sent pictures of him on her balcony, in an effort to exert control over her.

'Miss Render went back with her friend to her house and charged her phone so she could reply to the defendant. She told the defendant where she was and he subsequently decided to turn up to the friend's address and wait outside.

'Miss Render decided to go outside to talk to the defendant, against the advice of her friend. The defendant was then aggressive with her and shouted at her repeatedly. He also poked her hard in the chest and slapped her around the face.

'When both of them got back to the flat, the defendant wrecked her kitchen and threw items from the worktops on the floor. At one point he even tipped cereal on the floor so to show control.

'After this, the defendant threatened to kill Miss Render and then put his hands around her neck and strangled her. She lost consciousness for a few seconds.'

She continued: 'He assaulted Render again on the 5th of December 2021. The defendant saw that Render received a message from a male friend on her phone and he responded by throwing her to the floor and then grabbed the back of her neck and threw her against a bedpost.

'Finally, on the 12th December 2021, the defendant turned up to the flat unannounced and was instantly verbally abusive to Miss Render. He punched her TV, causing permanent damage, and threw various items around the flat.'

'After this final incident Render's mother called the police to the flat and the defendant was arrested. Upon arriving at the flat, the police also found a zip bag of cannabis that the defendant accepted was his. Miss Render had secretly filmed some of the incidents on video, and these were used in evidence.'

Miss Render who works in Manchester eventually gave a statement to police after her mother alerted authorities

Fordwor initially denied wrongdoing, claiming self defence or that Miss Render had suffered accidental injury but changed his pleas on the day of trial.

In mitigation defence counsel Charlotte Atherton said: 'The question for the court is how a young man in his twenties studying law at John Moores University end up in a situation like this. He has limited emotional maturity and difficulty with thinking skills.

'He had a traumatic childhood in which he lost his mother to drugs and his father to the prison system, who was dealing drugs. This led to him being put in the care of his grandmother, who used violence as a form of discipline.

'When this violence became apparent he was taken into the care of social services at the young age of 13. To make matters worse he later witnessed one of his childhood friends commit suicide.

'He left school with one GCSE and decided to join the army at 16. He remained a member of the Royal Fusiliers until the age of 22. During his service, he worked as a specialist infantryman in reconnaissance and sniping.

'He was also stationed in Afghanistan at 18 and this had a profound impact on his mental health. He went AWOL and, as the army later confirmed, suffered PTSD from his experiences.

'After being discharged from the army, he went to study at Bolton university and took all 30 credits of his GCSE qualification. He then won a place to study law at Manchester Metropolitan University and later transferred to Liverpool John Moores where I can reveal he recently achieved a 2:1 class law degree.'

'He pleaded guilty knowing that this would extinguish any chance of him pursuing a future career in law but I am told that he now also wants to study economics. He has admitted that the cannabis is in fact his and that he used to use it intermittently to help him get to sleep when he struggled with his PTSD.

'This is a man who can take positive steps and when given challenges he can rise to them.'

On the 12th December 2021, the defendant turned up to the flat unannounced and was instantly verbally abusive to Miss Render (pictured)

In sentencing, Judge Elizabeth Nicholls, told Fordwor: 'These matters show a disturbing pattern of violence that you subjected your ex-partner to. In the evidence, you seem to be very much in control and visibly unpleasant towards Ms Render.

'You were undoubtedly affected by the violence you witnessed in Afghanistan but perhaps the greatest irony of this case is that you were there to fight for the freedom of women but when you came home you showed very little respect for the women you went out to protect.

'This was not an isolated experience or episode either.'

'However, I do see you as a prime candidate for rehabilitation, as shown by your recent academic endeavours. Unless you address these issues, no relationship you get into will ever work and it is likely that you will end up in front of the court again.

'The court as I am sure you are aware is deeply disturbed when young men use strangulation as a way of control. The future is in your hands.'
A jury has begun deliberating in the trial of a Queensland man accused of killing pregnant teenager Tiffany Taylor seven years ago.

Rodney Wayne Williams, 68, has pleaded not guilty to murder in Brisbane Supreme Court.

Tiffany, 16, was last seen leaving a motel south of Brisbane in July 2015.

The Crown alleges Williams and Tiffany arranged to meet after connecting on a dating website.

Williams picked up Tiffany outside the Waterford West motel after telling her he had money for sex before driving to a remote industrial area where he likely killed her, crown prosecutor Caroline Marco said.

Teen Tiffany Taylor (pictured) was last seen leaving a hotel south of Brisbane in 2015. Her remains have never been found

He then drove to his 'old stomping ground' at Fernvale, 100km north-west of Logan, to dispose of the body, the Crown alleges.

Tiffany's body has never been found.

Footage on motorway cameras and phone tracking details on cell towers indicate that Tiffany was in the car with Williams, the court heard.

Tiffany's blood and DNA were also found in Williams' vehicle.

Williams is accused of creating a false trail of communication with Tiffany on the dating website afterwards, with his last message reading: 'Sorry I didn't turn up, decided I wasn't going to pay for it.'

Rodney Wayne Williams (pictured) has pleaded not guilty to murdering Tiffany Taylor in 2015. The jury in his three week trial began deliberations on Friday

He was intercepted by officers at a Brisbane train station with a bag of clothes and sentimental items in August 2015, a day before he was supposed to be interviewed by police, the court heard.

Williams then told police a 'litany of lies', Ms Marco said.

Defence barrister Kim Bryson told the jury that Williams had lied to police but had not killed the pregnant teen.

Ms Bryson earlier told the court that Tiffany had an 'abusive and dysfunctional relationship' with a violent and controlling boyfriend that started when she was 12.

The jury began deliberations in the three-week trial before Justice Peter Applegarth on Friday afternoon but was sent home to resume on Monday.
Local and federal authorities said they are investigating a possible homicide

olice have unable to confirm who was killed and what caused the fire

US authorities are investigating a possible homicide after eight bodies were discovered when a deadly house fire broke out in Oklahoma.

Witnesses told police that a family of eight lived in the house - two adults and six children.

But officials have so far been unable to confirm who was killed and locate the cause of the fire.

The blaze was reported at about 4pm on Thursday in a quiet area of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, 20km southeast of the city of Tulsa.

Despite a murder investigation being launched, police did not believe there was an immediate threat to the public.

Ethan Hutchins, a spokesperson for Broken Arrow police, said: 'Preliminary reports are that this is going to be a homicide investigation.

US authorities are investigating a possible homicide after eight people were found dead when a house fire broke out in the city of Tulsa in Oklahoma

Witnesses told police that a family of eight lived in the house - two adults and six children - but police have been unable to confirm who died and what caused the fire

Ethan Hutchins of Broken Arrow police described the deaths as a 'shock' due to Tulsa being a 'safe city'

'We're still focused on trying to put out the fire and also investigate what happened to these victims.'

Mr Hutchins described the tragedy as a 'shock' due to Tulsa being a 'safe city'. 'Broken Arrow doesn't have this kind of situation every day,' he added.

He added that the scene was complex with 'a lot of moving parts' and refused to comment on whether a search is ongoing for the suspect.

Witness Catelin Powers recalled seeing plumes of smoke coming out of the property as she was driving nearby with her children.

'When I got closer to the house, I saw smoke pouring out from the very top of the house, which looked like maybe the attic,' she said.

The blaze was reported at around 4pm on Thursday in the suburb of Broken Arrow, Tulsa, Oklahoma

One witness Catelin Powers recalled seeing two men and a woman outside the burning house before a third man appeared carrying out an unconscious young woman

Broken Arrow is the biggest suburb in the US city of Tulsa with almost 115,000 residents living there

Ms Powers said that before fleeing the scene in a bid to not traumatize her children, she saw two men and a woman outside the burning house.

Meanwhile, she recalled seeing a third man carrying out an unconscious young woman out of the building.

'Her arms were flopped to her sides,' Ms Powers added.

'She was in either very short shorts or underwear and a tight shirt,' Power said. She described the woman as having a tan complexion 'and looked maybe to be mid-twenties.'

Broken Arrow is Tulsa's biggest suburb, with almost 115,000 residents.

The US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is also involved in the investigation.
A dog has run down the street with a decapitated human head clutched in its jaws after snatching it from a grisly crime scene in Mexico.

Terrified residents in the violence-plagued state of Zacatecas in the country's north saw the animal fleeing a crime scene with the chopped-up head.

Officials said the dismembered head had been left at an ATM booth in Monte Escobedo late Wednesday, with a sign warning that 'the next head is yours'.

A dog has run down the street with a decapitated human head clutched in its jaws after snatching it from a grisly crime scene in Mexico

Terrified residents in the violence-plagued state of Zacatecas in the country's north saw the animal fleeing a crime scene with the chopped-up head

The head was left on a cardboard placard with a message apparently signed by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)

The head was left on a cardboard placard with a message apparently signed by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of the most feared cartels in the world headed by El Mencho, the most-wanted person in Mexico.

The message named an adversary belonging to the Operativo MZ cartel and read: 'The next head is yours.'

Before police were able to establish the crime scene and investigate the killing, the stray dog made off with the corpse's head.

A video posted on social media showed the dog trotting down a darkened street, holding the head by the neck in its jaws, apparently intending to take it to a safe place to eat it.

Police then had to wrestle the head back from the dog.

Before police were able to establish the crime scene and investigate the killing, the stray dog made off with the corpse's head

Officials said the dismembered head had been left at an ATM booth in Monte Escobedo late Wednesday, with a sign warning that 'the next head is yours'

The victim has not yet been identified and the rest of his body has not been found.

Zacatecas has been the scene of a bloody, extended turf war between local gangs backed by the Sinaloa and Jalisco drug cartels.

Drug cartels in Mexico frequently leave notes alongside heaps of dismembered human remains, as a way to intimidate rivals or authorities.

El Mencho is not only wanted by Mexican authorities but also the Untied States government, which is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.

Under his leadership, that Jalisco New Generation Cartel has a presence in 32 states throughout Mexico and the nation's capital, Mexico City, the Drug Enforcement Administration noted in its 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment Report.

Nemesio 'El Mencho' Oseguera is wanted by the United States government, which is offering a $10 million reward for information on his arrest and/or arrest. His Jalisco New Generation Cartel is considered the most powerful in Mexico

The cartel also expanded across the border to 11 states in the United States, including Hawaii, and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.

El Mencho's American-born daughter, Jessica Oseguera, was released from a California prison in March, after serving 25 months at a low-security federal prison.

She pleaded guilty in March 2021 to laundering money for the criminal organization.

El Mencho's son, Ruben 'El Menchito' Oseguera, is currently in U.S. custody facing gun and drugs charges that could land him in jail for more than 15 years.

Authorities considered him the heir to the cartel's throne and was the organization's second-in-command prior to being arrested by Mexican security forces in June 2015. He was extradited to Washington in February 2020.
A former US army sergeant has admitted brutally killing a fellow soldier who he knifed 40 times in 'retaliation' for him 'snitching' on his friend and fellow serviceman for using marijuana.

Byron Booker, 29, from Ludwici, Georgia, pleaded guilty to the premediated murder of Specialist Austin J. Hawk, 21, at his Fort Stewart Military Reservation barracks on June 17, 2020.

The killer will now face a minimum life sentence behind bars in a federal prison, the US Justice Department said.

Authorities said that Booker killed Mr Hawk in retaliation for the victim reporting his friend Jordan Brown, 21, to a supervisor for marijuana use.

Prosecutors said that Booker snuck into the soldier's barracks room and 'slashed and stabbed Hawk repeatedly with a sharp-edged weapon'.

A medical examiner later noted that Mr Hawk, who was found dead in his room the next day, suffered 40 stab wounds during the brutal attack.

US Attorney David H. Estes said: 'Byron Booker murdered a former fellow soldier in cold blood in retaliation for that soldier performing his duties as a service member'.

Byron Booker (pictured), 29, pleaded guilty to the brutal murder of fellow soldier Austin J. Hawk

Mr Hawk was stabbed 40 times in a horror attack which was in retaliation for him 'snitching' on Booker's friend and fellow serviceman Jordan Brown for use of marijuana

The former US Colonel also praised the work of detectives solving the 'despicable crime and bringing Booker to justice'.

A plea agreement says that Brown was forced to complete a urine test, which came back as positive for THC - a substance within marijiuana.

Mr Hawk's role as a squad leader required him to report any drug use as it is considered a criminal offence.

Brown, Booker's co-defendant, is currently awaiting several charges including premediated murder, retaliation against a witness with killing and conspiracy. He is considered innocent unless or until proven guilty.

Booker admitted that he and Brown discussed 'silencing' Mr Hawk for reporting the drug use. Prosecutors said that in phone calls with each other, they referred to Mr Hawk as a 'snitch'.

The killer told Brown to get a master key and give it to him but the accomplice was not able to do so.

Booker admitted that he and Brown discussed 'silencing' Mr Hawk for reporting the drug use. Pictured: Mr Hawk's coffin

'The heinous murder of Austin has left his family devastated', a message on GoFundMe said

The struggle between Booker and Mr Hawk lasted around 40 minutes between the pair and made so much noise that Brown, in a room below, could hear it all unfold

Brown reportedly had doubts about going through with the killing and suggested they beat Mr Hawk up instead - but Booker wanted to go through with it.

Booker parked outside the barracks at around 12.20am and 'unlawfully' entered Mr Hawk's room, knowing he would be alone because Brown had informed him that his roommate had moved out.

The struggle lasted around 40 minutes between the pair and made so much noise that Brown, in a room below, could hear it all unfold.

Booker was taken into custody the following day and was arrested on April 12, 2021.

Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlant said: 'Hawk's family and friends will never be rid of the pain this senseless murder has caused them, but hopefully it gives them some sense of resolve to know that justice will be served.'

Mr Hawk's family, who set up a GoFundMe page, said: 'The heinous murder of Austin has left his family devastated.

'They are in disbelief to find out their beloved son was murdered by his fellow servicemen .

'No family should have to endure what Austins family have had to go through. It is unimaginable to realize your child who is serving his country would be murdered by the very people who he called his brothers.
A former Catholic school IT worker, who asked teenage girls for explicit photos and videos in return for money, was lonely at the time and was trying to fill a void in his life, a court has heard.

Adam Michael Hones, 32, pleaded guilty to 19 charges involving 17 different girls, on Friday at the Supreme Court in Burnie, Tasmania.

The charges included grooming, possession of child exploitation material and attempting to involve girls in the production of exploration material.

The court heard Hones sent the teen pictures of his penis, told one girl, 'be s****y for sir' and gave instructions on sexual acts he wanted them to do in the videos and photos.

His victims, aged between 14 and 17, were from schools in the area, with 11 of the students from Marist Regional College, where he worked for almost 10 years.

Adam Michael Hones, (pictured) 32, pleaded guilty to 19 charges involving 17 different girls, on Friday at the Supreme Court in Burnie, Tasmania

Hones stepped down from his role last year, following a police investigation into his offending, which occurred between 2020 and 2021.

Hones (pictured) stepped down from his role last year, following a police investigation into his offending, which occurred between 2020 and 2021

Police discovered a laptop with 95 images and 44 videos of the girl during a search of his Somerset home.

He was charged following the raid as more complaints came to light.

Crown prosecutor Claire Flockhart told the court Hones would ask girls to send naked photos to him and had created various online accounts with fake names, reported the ABC.

'It was predatory as opposed to opportunistic,' she said.

'He placed himself in a position to offend. They were vulnerable.'

While many declined, multiple girls sent him explicit photos of themselves.

Ms Flockhart told the court Hones even sent messages to the girls via their school email addresses.

Hones' lawyer Stephen Wright said his client did not know the girls were underage, which was denied by the prosecution, the Mercury reported.

The prosecution argued many of the victims had regular contact with him at the college through his IT role.

Mr Wright added Hones was not intending to seek out young girls but was trying to fill a void in his life.

'You can do that by having a conversation that doesn't involve sending nude photographs,' Justice Tamara Jago replied.

Mr Wright added Hones, who had expressed remorse and regret for this offending, had suffered bullying at school and lacked self confidence.

'There is no suggestion that he wanted to make any personal connection he didn't seek to meet up with them. He was hiding behind an electronic device,' he said.

Justice Jago will sentence Hones on November 25.
The tribunal concluded she had been the victim of race-related discrimination

She left her job a few weeks after the incident saying she had become depressed

Ms Kweyama worked for an agency at an immigrant removal centre in Heathrow

The senior nurse told her to 'come back white and the patient will be nice to you'

An NHS boss told a black nurse to 'bleach your skin so that you come back white and the patient will be nice to you' after she reported having been racially abused, a tribunal heard yesterday.

Adelaide Kweyama, from South Africa, was shocked by the comment after she reported that a patient had racially abused her and pretended he could not speak English.

She later overheard the senior nurse telling a colleague she was 'tired of people coming to work and saying they are not well,' and that Ms Kweyama should 'go and bleach her skin,' the panel was told.

Ms Kweyama, who was working as an agency nurse at an immigrant removal centre in Heathrow, was also racially abused by a group of male detainees who called her 'n*****, monkey' on a previous occasion.

An employment judge criticised NHS bosses' response to the incidents, describing it as an 'absolute abdication of the positive responsibility on managers'.

Adelaide Kweyama was working as an agency nurse at an immigrant removal centre in Heathrow

After her contract ended, Ms Kweyama successfully sued her employer, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, for race-related harassment and victimisation.

An employment tribunal held in Watford heard that Ms Kweyama worked as an agency nurse between November 2017 and February 2019, regularly carrying out shifts as an agency nurse at the immigration removal centre.

The centre houses around 600 male detainees from a wide range of countries pending their removal from the UK.

They receive medical treatment from the trust staff prior to being deported, the panel was told.

In January 2019, there was an incident in which Ms Kweyama was racially abused by a group of detainees who were waiting for their medication to be administered.

The nurse told them to come one by one for their medication and to close the door and was then racially abused.

Ms Kweyama told the tribunal: '[The detainees] started calling me n*****, monkey, and started making monkey noises and dog noises, demanding to come in at the same time.'

The nurse subsequently raised an electronic incident report about the abuse, the tribunal heard.

'Overworked' NHS managers failed to keep her updated on the progress of her complaint and did not tell her what steps had been taken to minimise the chance of such an event happening again, the panel heard.

In another incident the following month, Ms Kweyama was attending to a detainee who was racially abusive to her and pretended he could not speak or understand English.

When Ms Kweyama raised the issue with her senior nurse she said she was told: 'You need to get a pool of bleach to bleach your skin so that you come back tomorrow white and the patient will be nice to you.'

Later on that day, the same nurse was overheard talking to another colleague and saying: 'I do not care, let her go and bleach her skin, I am sick and tired of people coming to work and saying they are not well.'

A few weeks after the incident, Ms Kweyama emailed her agency, Athona, and told them she was unable to work at the Heathrow centre any more because she had 'become very depressed... and needed time to recover psychologically and emotionally'.

Ms Kweyama also complained that she had 'suffered racial abuse,' the NHS Trust had 'done nothing to support her,' and that she had suffered a 'withdrawal of employment as a result,' the panel heard.

In the same month, she was told by an NHS manager that her contract was being terminated because the boss was 'concerned about the claimant's mental health' because 'some words used in her statement were worrying.'

The tribunal concluded that the nurse had indeed been the victim of race-related harassment and victimisation when she was told to 'bleach her skin'.

Ms Kweyama was also victimised by her boss for the same comments and when she was told her agency role was being terminated, the tribunal ruled.

Her compliant of direct race discrimination however, was dismissed.

A remedy hearing will be held at a later date.
Alleging that the first Prime Minister committed five blunders, including delaying action on the accession proposal of the region's king Hari Singh BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said Jammu and Kashmir and the country in general had to pay a price for it. (Representational image: PTI)

New Delhi: Asking the Congress to "apologise for its blunders" related to the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India made by the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, including the enactment of Article 370, the BJP on Thursday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi corrected these "blunders" by nullifying Article 370. The ruling party, which was marking the 75th anniversary of the region's accession, said if Jammu and Kashmir was merged with the country like other princely states, then there would probably be no "jihadi terrorism".

The BJP also targeted the Opposition party for the forced migration of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley following the outbreak of militancy. Hitting back, the Congress cited the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from south Kashmir's Shopian district and demanded that the Modi government release a white paper on the plight of the minority community during its eight-year rule.

The Congress party also hit out at the BJP-led Central government over the targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir and said the government must apologise for it.

Alleging that the first Prime Minister committed five blunders, including delaying action on the accession proposal of the region's king Hari Singh BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said Jammu and Kashmir and the country in general had to pay a price for it. The blunder allowed Pakistan to capture a part of the region (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir).

Quoting from Mr Nehru's statement to assert that the king had first mooted the idea in July 1947, Mr Bhatia alleged that the then Prime Minister dithered and prioritised his and his friend's interests (a reference to Sheikh Abdullah) while neglecting the country's.

Mr Bhatia said: "If timely action was taken, then there would be no part of the state under Pakistan's occupation. The Congress since then has spread lies and suppressed the truth about the issue." He further added that Mr Nehru then took an "internal issue" to the United Nations, making Pakistan a party.

The BJP denounced Mr. Nehru for floating the idea of a plebiscite, claiming that there was no provision for it in the Independence Act, under which hundreds of princely states merged with India.

Mr. Bhatia claimed that then home minister Vallabhbhai Patel was against the measures pushed by Mr Nehru. He said if Jammu and Kashmir was merged with the country like other princely states, then there would probably be no "jihadi terrorism".

Quoting Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's comments in Lok Sabha in 2019 during a debate on the resolution on Article 370 nullification to hit out at the Opposition party, Mr Bhatia said the Congress should apologise for the blunders it made. Mr Chowdhury had noted that the Kashmir issue was in the United Nations as he questioned the government's stand that it was India's internal issue.

Hitting back at the BJP, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera cited the targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir and said the government must apologise for it.

When asked about Union minister Kiren Rijiju's article titled "75th Anniversary of Five Nehruvian Blunders on Kashmir", Mr Khera said those leaders of the BJP who are students of "WhatsApp nursery" need to revisit their history classes.

"If all that they are saying is true, how is it that during the Manmohan Singh era, targeted killings stopped and 75 per cent of the people would participate in the democratic process of elections in the state? We would be happy to get the answer to that," he said.

In July 1947, the Jammu and Kashmir Maharaja had approached the Congress to accede to India like other princely states but the then PM refused, saying "he wants more", a requirement which did not exist in any instrument. In October the same year, Pakistani raiders invaded the Kashmir region but Mr Singhs request was kept pending. In a speech made in Parliament in July 1952, Mr Nehru spoke about the issue.

In an article for a news website, Mr Rijiju wrote that on October 21, 1947 a day after the Pakistani invasion had started, Mr Nehru advised Jammu and Kashmirs Prime Minister, M.C. Mahajan, through a letter that "it will probably be undesirable to make any declaration of adhesion to the Indian Union at this stage".

"But what was it that Mr Nehru so desperately wanted that not even an invasion moved him? Finally, in the same letter to Mr Mahajan, Mr Nehru revealed his desire in writing and so we can count on Mr Nehrus own words rather than hearsay. "I suggested to you the urgency of taking some steps, like the formation of a provisional government. Mr Abdullah, who is obviously the most popular person in Kashmir, might be asked to form such a government."

On the Article 370 issue, the minister wrote that "the creation and perpetuation of Article 370 (Article 306A in the interim draft of the Constitution)" was another blunder. "In the first instance, there was no justification for such an article as the instrument of accession was the same as every other princely state signed. The only special case that existed was in Mr Nehrus mind... Mr Nehru had his way and Article 370 came into existence, thereby institutionalising the separatist mindset that hung like a noose around Indias neck," the minister argued.
A breeder has been banned from keeping dogs for five years after the RSPCA discovered she was depriving nearly 100 animals of food and water and keeping them amongst the bodies of decomposing puppies at her home in Wales.

Police visited Julie Newcombe's house in Blaenau Gwent, south-west Wales and found she was keeping 90 dogs in 'disgusting conditions' contaminated by faeces and urine.

Newcombe's vile treatment of the dogs, which included Dachshunds, Labradors and French Bulldogs, was so extreme that RSCPA officials said it was 'amongst the worst [they] had encountered in 20 years'.

Officers even found a dead dog in a van and a number of decomposing puppies outside.

Newcombe denied one offence under the Animal Welfare Act but was found guilty of not ensuring the needs of the animals were met.

District judge Sophie Toms said she would struggle to forget the images shown during the trial which she labelled 'disgusting.'

Newcombe, 42, has been banned from keeping dogs for five years.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Magistrates Court on Thursday October 27 heard that Gwent Police attended Newcombe's property on September 1, 2020 where they found 90 dogs whose condition gave officers 'serious cause for concern.'

Police visited Julie Newcombe's house in Blaenau Gwent, south-west Wales and found she was keeping 90 dogs in 'disgusting conditions' contaminated by faeces and urine

James Harris, prosecuting, said officials from the RSPCA attended and removed the dogs and found 78 of them had no access to water when they were seized.

Mr Harris said 78 dogs were also found to be living in an 'entirely unsuitable environment'.

Describing the scene RSPCA officers came across, he said there were 'faeces all over the place' and that the smell in the property was described as 'absolutely disgusting', adding that a number of the dogs required treatment by a vet in the days after they were seized.

As well as the live animals, Mr Harris said a dead dog was found in a van outside the house while a number of decomposing puppies were also discovered during the raid.

He said Newcombe had been 'unaware' of the puppies and added that prosecutors had been unable to determine whether the case of one dog which died days after being removed had been due to Newcombe's treatment.

Alex Weller, defending, said Newcombe had been suffering from 'horrific' personal circumstances and had been a victim of domestic violence around the time the offences took place.

He said she would be in a difficult position to pay any costs from the trial due to the fact she wasn't working and received income support and disability living allowance.

He disagreed with prosecution concerns that Newcombe would be at risk of breeding dogs again, adding that she had had some cats returned to her after the offences took place.

'If there was risk to animals, then the cats would not have been returned to her,' he said.

Mr Weller added that Newcombe, who was tearful and repeatedly put her head in her hands, had not tried to acquire dogs since and had 'made enormous changes to her life and her house' including cleaning it up and enrolling in full time education.

Describing the scene RSPCA officers came across, James Harris, prosecuting, said there were 'faeces all over the place' and that the smell in the property was described as 'absolutely disgusting', adding that a number of the dogs required treatment by a vet in the days after they were seized

He said she had been receiving support for her mental health and intended to get a job after finishing her studies.

District judge Sophie Toms said she had taken account of Newcombe's difficult circumstances in the lead up to the offences being committed but added that she would struggle to forget the 'disgusting conditions' of the animals and house shown in court during the trial.

She disagreed that Newcombe had 'had no control' over the keeping of the dogs and said she 'could have called for help.'

She said the difficulties faced by animal welfare workers in removing the dogs was an aggravating factor but conceded that the defendant had 'found herself in the most desperate of situations' and had shown genuine attempts to rebuild her life including enrolling in education.

Julie Newcombe (pictured) has been banned from keeping dogs for five years, has to complete 20 days of women-specific programmes and must pay costs of 1,000 towards the prosecution

Ms Toms banned Newcombe, from Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, from being involved in the keeping of dogs for five years. She can apply for a review after 12 months.

She also imposed a 12-month community order requiring Newcombe to complete 20 days of women-specific programmes, and she must also pay costs of 1,000 towards the prosecution.

Following the sentencing RSPCA inspector Darren Oakley said the conditions in the house when the dogs were seized were 'horrendous.

'The dogs had no food or water, the only few that did have water were the ones with outside access due to the rain,' he said.

'When food and water was placed down, for the loose dogs, they ate/drank ravenously. The conditions inside the house were horrendous; the floors were covered in faeces with dogs in cages living in their own filth.

'Every room contained more dogs and pups, the whole house had become one large disgusting kennel. The smell and sights were clearly having an affect on the police who were in attendance.'

Mr Oakley said the outbuildings of the property were 'worse than the house'.

'On entry the stench coming from them was overpowering. It was hard to see into any of the outbuildings due to no lighting. The noises from inside them were horrific,' Inspector Oakley said.

RSPCA inspector Simon Evans, who also attended the property, described it as 'amongst the worst I had encountered in my 20 year career within the RSPCA.'

Newcombe's vile treatment of the dogs, which included Dachshunds, Labradors and French Bulldogs, was so extreme that RSCPA officials said it was amongst the worst they had encountered in 20 years

He said this included two rooms that contained a large number of dogs who were trying to get their attention through the bars of child-proof gates.

'I found the conditions within these two utility rooms to be completely overpowering,' he said. 'I was soaked with sweat and, due to the high levels of ammonia in the air, my throat began to get sore.'

Inspector Evans said he was contacted by one of the vets who had been looking after some of the dogs to say that a puppy had developed symptoms of parvo virus and had deteriorated to the extent that it had to be euthanised.

In early September 2020, after the dogs were taken, several other puppies became sick and either died or were put to sleep to prevent suffering.

Shortly after the dogs came into RSPCA care numerous litters of puppies were born, leading to the animal welfare charity having a total of 137 dogs, which included all the pups born in their care.

RSPCA chief inspector Elaine Spence said: 'We'd like to thank Gwent Police and the officers who were in attendance who carried out their duties under distressing circumstances and conducted themselves in an exceptionally professional manner.

'It took a large number of RSPCA officers many hours over two days to remove 95 dogs in difficult conditions. For the officers involved - many of whom were longstanding and experienced officers - who worked on this case it will sadly leave an imprint on them for a very long time.

'I would like to thank all of my colleagues who attended and worked on this case for their professionalism. Thankfully we are very pleased to say that these dogs are now living happily in forever homes.'
Struck by ute while crossing the road near Harbour Town and couldn't be revived

John Cunningham, 57, and his wife arrived in Australia on Tuesday to visit family

Outpouring of tributes for British grandfather tragically killed on the Gold Coast

A British tourist who died in a tragic accident just hours after arriving on the Gold Coast to visit his grandchildren has been remembered as a 'lovable rogue'.

John Cunningham, 57, was crossing the road outside Harbour Town shopping centre at Biggera Waters on Wednesday when he was struck by a Holden Colorado ute.

The driver, 19 and onlookers rushed to help Mr Cunningham but he couldn't be revived.

It's understood he and his wife Annmarie arrived in Australia on Tuesday and spent time in Singapore en route.

His shattered widow has broken her silence to lead the outpouring of tributes.

John Cunningham (pictured with wife Annmarie) had been reunited with his daughter and grandchildren hours before his life was tragically cut short

'My heart is broken, I've lost my best friend, loveable rogue,' she wrote on Facebook.

'Thank our children for the way they are handling everything, me and your dad are so proud.'

She also shared photos and videos from their recent travels, including her husband cooling off in a hotel pool in Singapore.

The couple believed to be from England's north were reportedly visiting their daughter Leah and her children who were staying at a nearby caravan park.

His daughter described him as the 'the best dad' as she shared photos of embracing his grandchildren on Tuesday.

'My heart is completely ripped out; he was the best father I could ever wish for and my friend. He was the best grandfather to all his grandchildren and a fantastic husband to my mother. We all love you so much that I can't even put into words; I know that you know we love you,' she wrote.

Shattered friends back home also paid tribute.

'Rest in peace to a true gentleman  a family man. I am lost for words. I remember the first day we stayed with you 18 years ago, you were such a caring person. Please keep his wife and children in prayer.'

A shattered Annmarie (left) described her husband John (right) as her best friend as she shared photos from their recent travels

The British grandfather was crossing the road on Wednesday near Harbour Town shopping centre (pictured) when he was hit by a ute

Early investigations suggest Mr Cunningham may have stepped out from behind a bus on Oxley Dr when he was hit a white 2012 Holden Colorado ute.

The driver, a 19-year-old Biggera Waters man stopped and rendered immediate assistance to the man ahead of the emergency response, however the pedestrian died at the scene.

The driver was treated for shock at the scene and taken to Gold Coast University Hospital.

The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the incident and has appealed for witnesses.
Britain and its Nato allies 'need to tool up' and restock its dwindling supply of anti-tank weapons after thousands of missiles were sent to the front lines in Ukraine, a minister has said.

Armed Forces Minister James Heappey this week admitted that Nato stockpiles of deadly weapons had been 'insufficient' as the alliance continues to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin's invading military.

It comes amid fears the British Army faces running out of next-generation light anti-tank weapons (NLAW) missiles after it emerged ministers have not green-lit plans to replace thousands of weapons donated to Ukraine.

'Its very obvious, the stockpiles that were being held across Nato  even in the US  were insufficient given realistically how long it would take for manufacturing to come in,' former Army Major Mr Heappey admitted during a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London.

You can see all across the alliance people realising that it is time to retool up and be in the business, as an alliance, of being able to overwhelm militarily.'

The NLAW missile system have proven a deadly weapon on the battlefield, helping Ukrainian forces to destroy hundreds of Russian tanks

The lethal NLAW, made in Belfast, have proven critical in the success of Ukraine's fierce resistance against Russian invaders, destroying hundreds of tanks.

Defence sources have said that close to 7,000 NLAW missiles could have been sent to Ukraine - which is about half of Britain's total stockpile.

Alec Shelbrooke, the former defence procurement minister who was in charge of buying all the UK's military kit until he was sacked by Rishi Sunak on Wednesday, admitted last week that a deal still had not been agreed to replace the weapons.

In response to a written question from John Healey, the Shadow Defence Secretary, Shelbrooke said the MoD was 'on schedule to place contracts'.

'We continue to equip Ukraine with vital supplies, such as NLAWs,' said Mr Shelbroke, who has since been replaced by Alex Chalk. 'We are replacing equipment and munitions from UK stocks and are on schedule to place contracts to replenish NLAW stocks.'

Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said Nato and its allies need to 'tool up' and bolster its stock of deadly weapons. Mr Heappey is pictured in Downing Street on October 18

A handful of British soldiers have been busy training the Ukrainian Army how to use the NLAWs, with 30 UK troops understood to have flown to Yavoriv in the west of Ukraine a month before Russia invaded.

Military sources have reportedly claimed the Ministry of Defence had knocked 'months off' its procurement timelines in a bid to resupply its stock of missiles.

Francis Tusa, a defence analyst, said the NLAW's success in Ukraine meant it was a 'no brainer' for the MoD to restock its missile supplies.

'We shipped them out so quickly and it arguably changed the course of the war because the Ukrainians were able to take out armoured columns with no effort at all,' he told The Times.

'These things take time to be produced. Why there has been any delay, I just cannot fathom.'

But Labour's Shadow Defence Secretary warned that the Government had to act urgently to fill the void left in its supply of anti-tank missiles.

'This failing military procurement system needs fixing,' Mr Healey said in a statement to MailOnline.

'The NLAW anti-tank missiles have been vital to Ukraine. This is day 244 of Putins war, yet theres still no MoD contract signed and still no production to restock for Ukraine and for our own Army.

The Ministry of Defence revealed it has sent Kyiv more than 6,900 anti-tank missiles, 16,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, 5,000 night-vision goggles, 120 Armoured Fighting Vehicles and six Stormer vehicles fitted with Starstreak launchers. It plans to bolster Ukraine's existing Soviet-era artillery with more than 20 M109 155mm self-propelled guns, 36 L119 105mm artillery guns, and in excess of 1,600 anti-tank weapons and hundreds of loitering aerial munitions in the coming weeks

Ukrainian troops, pictured before Russia invaded in February, have been trained how to use the weapons by British troops. But there are concerns that the UK still has not green-lit a deal to replace the thousands of missiles donated to Kyiv

'More broadly, ministers must move away from ad-hoc announcements of weapons and set out a long-term plan of support for Ukraine, alongside allies, to make sure Putins illegal invasion ends in failure.'

During his speech at RUSI, Mr Heappey warned that Britain had 'inescapably returned to a requirement for conventional hard-power deterrence'.

The minister said the nation - and Nato's - defence and manufacturing powerhouses were not equipped to replace vast stocks of weaponry used on the front lines, rapidly.

'The industrial capacity simply does not exist to replace those things at anything like the pace that would be required,' Mr Heappey told journalists and defence experts.

He said the MoD would face 'profound challenges' if it came to sourcing more military tech during a time of 'total war'.

But the minister insisted that the UK could not rely on bringing old kit and vehicles - like obsolete tanks - back into service to fill a void in supplies.

He said Britain could not 'kid itself' into thinking that if the Army 'dusted down' all its out-of-service kit, like the Challenger 1 or Chieftain tanks, which are 'currently gate guards' at military camps across the UK it would have a fresh stock of 200 extra vehicles to rely upon.

'Thats nonsense, we would be defeated in a blink,' he said.

The MoD insisted the UK had 'enough' weapons systems to 'defend our national security' while 'fulfilling' its commitments to Nato and Ukraine.

A spokesman added the MoD was 'actively engaged' with industry to 'ensure' it could equip Ukraine with 'vital military support, while replacing at pace, all the equipment and munitions' donated from UK stocks to Kyiv.
Vladimir Putin may be ready to risk another world war, Nikita Khrushchev's great-granddaughter has warned today after the Russian leader joked about the prospect of nuclear Armageddon.

Nina Khrushcheva, who is a professor of international relations at New York's The New School, said the dictator's 'grandiose rhetoric' about a 'new world order' suggests he is contemplating a global confrontation.

Ms Khrushcheva, who is currently in Russia, also warned that the public are stockpiling radiation pills and 'preparing for something disastrous' because nobody knowns what Putin might do next.

Last night in Moscow the Kremlin leader was asked to reassure an audience at think-tank the Valdai Discussion Club that the world is not on the verge of nuclear annihilation  and chose to respond with a long pause.

When host Fyodor Lukyanov pointed out that his silence was 'alarming', a smirking Putin responded: 'I did that on purpose so you would be on your guard. The effect has been achieved.'

Vladimir Putin, speaking to a Moscow think-tank last night, jokes about the prospect of nuclear annihilation while warning the world is at its most dangerous since the Second World War

A Russian nuclear missile is fired during testing drills earlier this week, which propagandists said were a rehearsal for destroying the UK and US

Putin used his annual speech to the Valdai Club to lay out his foreign policy agenda, proclaiming that Western world order is crumbling and that the time has come to establish a 'multipolar world order' in which Moscow gets a bigger say.

Blaming western leaders for fanning the flames of war in Ukraine and Taiwan, Putin also accused them of sparking an energy crisis and strangling global food markets  all things that he has been criticised for.

The president also spoke at length about nuclear weapons, having threatened the West several times with an atomic strike  sparking fears he may also use one in Ukraine.

The Russian despot denied he has any plans to use one on his neighbour, saying there is 'no political or military justification' for doing so.

But he also referred back to Russia's nuclear doctrine which allows them to be used in the event the country is threatened which  at least according to the Kremlin  now includes occupied parts of Ukraine.

Mr Lukyanov pointed out that today is the 60th anniversary of the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis  which was resolved when Mr Khrushchev chose to withdraw Soviet nukes from Cuba.

Putin was asked whether he could imagine taking Mr Khrushchev's position if the crisis were to repeat itself, and replied: 'No way.'

Asked to clarify whether that means there will be no nuclear standoff, or whether he would have refused to back down, Putin responded only: 'I cannot imagine myself in the role of Khrushchev.'

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Nina Khrushcheva said Putin 'clearly doesn't think in the same terms' as her great-grandfather.

Ukrainian soldiers fire a mortar in the front line near Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine

A Russian fighter jet flies over the wreck of a burning train somewhere on the eastern front near the city of Donetsk after it was hit by shelling yesterday

Ukrainian soldiers prepare a mortar to fire in the frontline near Bakhmut, the site of the heaviest battle against the Russian troops in the Donetsk region

'When Khrushchev was ousted one of the allegations was he took rockets away from Cuba and after that the Soviet Union looked weak.

'Khrushchev said: "What, I was supposed to start a world war?"

'Putin clearly doesn't think in those terms. He thinks "it is our way and the way I decide it is going to be and we're not going to back off".

'I'm not going to put words in his mouth  he didn't say "otherwise it will be a world war"  but it does seem... that he may be ready to have a war instead of adjusting his political behaviour.'

Questioned about the current atmosphere in Russia, where she is working, Ms Khrushcheva said there is a 'palpable' sense of paranoia about what Putin will do.

'Society is getting more desperate,' she said. 'It is frozen in despair  not even fear, despair  we don't know what is going to happen [or] what tomorrow brings.

'The last month of nuclear conversation... there is a story [that sales of radiation pills] went up 70 per cent. People are preparing for something disastrous.'

Fears of nuclear escalation have been building as the war in Ukraine grinds into its ninth month with Kyiv on the front foot and Putin nowhere near achieving his aims.

Though the official purpose of the invasion remains the 'liberation' of the eastern Donbas region, according to Putin, in reality his troops have stopped advancing almost everywhere besides the town of Bakhmut, in Donetsk.

Ukrainian servicemen shoot from the seized Russian T-80 tank on a road near the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk

Russian nuclear-powered submarine 'Tula' preparing to launch a 'Sineva' ballistic missile to Kura Test Range during training drills

Meanwhile they are being pushed back in the northern Kharkiv region and southern region of Kherson  the latter of which Putin has declared to be part of Russia.

That has sparked fears he could resort to nukes, after he said he would use 'all available means' to defend the territory.

It comes after Moscow alleged that Ukraine is preparing to detonate a so-called 'dirty bomb' on its territory, meaning a conventional explosive laced with radioactive material to cause contamination.

The UN's atomic watchdog has now been dispatched to two areas of Ukraine where Putin alleges the bomb is being prepared  at Kyiv's insistence  as President Volodymyr Zelensky and his allies dismiss the claims as fiction.

Instead, they say Russia may be preparing the ground to use one of its own nukes as a pretext for escalating the conflict.

US President Joe Biden, asked about Putin's assertion he would never use nukes in Ukraine, responded last night: 'Why does he keep talking about it?

'Why is he talking about the ability to use a tactical nuclear weapon? He's been very dangerous in how he's approached this and he should just get out.

'He can end this all, get out of Ukraine.'
JK Rowling has expressed her support for an SNP minister who dramatically quit Nicola Sturgeon's Government yesterday over the controversial self-ID bill.

The Harry Potter author shared a Tweet by Woman's Place UK - a group opposed to self-identification for trans people - about the resignation of SNP minister Ash Regan and showed her support for the politician with ten clapping emojis.

It is the latest in a long-running war of words between JK Rowling and the First Minister on the subject of self-ID and trans rights.

Ms Rowling is opposed to the Scottish Government's legislation to make it easier for individuals as young as 16 to change sex with no requirement for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

Ms Sturgeon said the aim is to make the existing process 'less degrading, intrusive and traumatic', but the Harry Potter author has argued the law would harm vulnerable women.

Last week, she launched a blistering attack on Ms Sturgeon, accusing her of 'running roughshod' over women's rights and claiming she would be to blame for the rape and assault of girls by allowing people to self-identify under the Gender Recognition Reform Bill.

This came after the author wore a t-shirt branding Ms Sturgeon a 'destroyer of womens rights' on October 6 for introducing the Bill.

Last night, just hours before MSPs were due to vote on the legislation, community safety minister Ash Regan dramatically resigned, saying her 'conscience' would not allow her to vote with the Scottish Government and back the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill at stage one.

JK Rowling showed her support for SNP minister Ash Regan who dramatically quit Nicola Sturgeon's Government yesterday over the Gender Recognition Reform Bill

It is the latest in a long-running war of words between JK Rowling and the First Minister on the subject of self-ID and trans rights. Earlier this month the author wore a t-shirt branding Ms Sturgeon a 'destroyer of womens rights' for introducing the legislation that allows trans people as young as 16 to self-identify

Ms Regan was on a ministerial visit to a school in Edinburgh launching a firework safety campaign before her bombshell resignation.

In a letter to the First Minister yesterday, the MSP said: 'I have considered the issue of gender recognition reform very carefully over some time. I have concluded that my conscience will not allow me to vote with the Government at the stage one of the Bill this afternoon.

'Consequently, I am writing to resign my position in the Scottish Government as minister for community safety.'

In a terse response, Ms Sturgeon said 'at no stage have you approached me... to raise your concerns' about the Bill.

The controversial legislation passed its first hurdle at Holyrood yesterday, with 88 voting for, 33 against and four abstaining.

But Ms Sturgeon suffered the biggest rebellion in 15 years of SNP rule after seven of her MSPs voted against it.

Nicola Sturgeon (left) suffered the biggest rebellion in 15 years of SNP rule after seven of her MSPs voted against gender recognition reforms last night. The vote came after community safety minister Ash Regan (right) resigned from her post, saying her 'conscience' would not allow her to vote with the Scottish Government

The Bill will remove the requirement for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria when seeking a gender recognition certificate, while also reducing the length of time an applicant must live in their acquired gender from two years to three months, with an additional three-month reflection period.

Some women's groups have raised concerns the change in the law could put women and girls' rights at risk.

Responding to Ms Regan's resignation, the First Minister said: 'As you are aware, a key requirement of the ministerial code is collective responsibility - a principle essential to effective governance, and which applies across all matters of government policy irrespective of the issue.

'I note that at no stage have you approached me - or indeed the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice - to raise your concerns about the Gender Recognition Reform Bill or the vote this evening.

'However, in circumstances in which a minister is unable to support the Government, it is the case that the only options available are resignation ahead of the vote or dismissal thereafter.'

In a statement ahead of the vote, Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: 'Legal gender recognition has been available for 18 years but many find the current system for obtaining a gender recognition certificate to be intrusive, medicalised and bureaucratic.

What is the Scottish Government's Gender Recognition Bill? What is the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill? The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill will remove the requirement for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria when seeking a gender recognition certificate, while also reducing the length of time an applicant must live in their acquired gender from two years to three months, with an additional three-month reflection period. It also lowers the age for obtaining one from 18 to 16. Why is it controversial? A majority of MSPs on the committee supported removing the need for any medical evidence or diagnosis 'believing that trans people know their own minds'. However some on the committee were 'concerned that the removal of the requirement for gender dysphoria and the requirement for medical evidence may extend the GRC process to a large and more diverse group of people'. They feared this 'could potentially mean the process is open to abuse from bad faith actors, particularly predatory men'. Concerns have also been raised about the impact the reforms could have on single-sex spaces for women and girls - such as female-only toilets or changing rooms. Advertisement

'The Bill aims to simplify and improve the process for a trans person to gain legal recognition, giving them better access to their existing rights.'

Ms Robison added: 'Our support for trans rights does not conflict with our continued strong commitment to uphold the rights and protections that women and girls currently have under the 2010 Equality Act. This Bill makes no changes to that Act.'

But Scottish Tory MSP Rachael Hamilton - a member of the committee which scrutinised the Bill and one of the two MSPs to oppose it on the panel - said she was 'deeply concerned' about the Bill.

Ms Hamilton said of yesterday's vote: 'Despite the SNP's attempt to whip their members into a united front, it's clear that many of their own MSPs are deeply worried about these proposals.

'The fact that nine SNP members felt compelled to rebel against this controversial legislation shows the seriousness of the objections held by MSPs right across the chamber.

'I applaud Ash Regan's courage in resigning her ministerial post to vote with her conscience. However, it's a shame that two of the SNP members who raised their concerns over these plans in 2019, today chose to toe the party line rather than stand up for the legitimate views of much of the Scottish public.

'This issue cuts across party divisions, so it's deeply disappointing that the other Holyrood parties seem determined to silence valid concerns in their own ranks.

'The Scottish Conservatives will make all stages of this debate a free vote, in order to give this Bill the honest, good-faith debate it warrants - and I urge other parties to follow our lead going forward.'

It comes after a majority of MSPs on the equalities, human rights and civil justice committee recommended the general principles of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill should be approved.

Committee convener Joe FitzPatrick said: 'We believe these important reforms will improve the lives and experiences of trans people.'

Papers lodged alongside the Bill by the Scottish Government estimate the changes could result in the number of people applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) increasing from 30 a year to 250-300.

Five MSPs on the committee backed the legislation but the two Conservatives - Pam Gosal and Rachael Hamilton - opposed it.

The Bill sets out plans to speed up the time it takes to obtain a GRC, and also lowers the age for obtaining one from 18 to 16.

A medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria would no longer be required, removing the requirement for doctors' reports.

The period of time someone must have lived in their 'acquired gender' before applying would be reduced from two years to three months under the legislation - although a three-month 'reflection period' would be introduced to the process.

A previous consultation by the Scottish Government found 60% of respondents backed moving to a system of self-declaration.

A majority of MSPs on the committee supported removing the need for any medical evidence or diagnosis 'believing that trans people know their own minds'.

However some on the committee were 'concerned that the removal of the requirement for gender dysphoria and the requirement for medical evidence may extend the GRC process to a large and more diverse group of people'.

They feared this 'could potentially mean the process is open to abuse from bad faith actors, particularly predatory men'.

Concerns have also been raised about the impact the reforms could have on single-sex spaces for women and girls - such as female-only toilets or changing rooms.

The report said most MSPs on the committee agree that while such views are 'sincerely held', they are satisfied the Bill would not change any of the existing protections women have under the Equality Act 2010.

This 'includes the ability to exclude trans people from single-sex services where proportionate and appropriate'.
Joe Biden smoothed over his clumsy efforts to say Rishi Sunak's name in video showing the first call between the leaders.

Footage released by Downing Street reveals the warm opening exchanges between the PM and the US president, with Mr Biden clearly calling him 'Rishi'.

The conversation came after gaffe-prone Mr Biden offered congratulations to 'Rashee Sanook' during a Diwali event on Monday.

During the call on Wednesday, the PM seemed eager to avoid any embarrassment for the president, saying 'it's Rishi Sunak, how are you?'

Mr Biden responded: 'Oh Rishi, how are you? Congratulations Mr Prime Minister.'

Footage released by Downing Street reveals the warm opening exchanges between the PM and the US president, with Joe Biden clearly calling him 'Rishi'

Tories hit out at US calls for King to attend COP27 summit Tories hit back at US climate envoy John Kerry today after he urged King Charles to attend the COP27 summit. As Rishi Sunak dropped plans to go to Sharm el-Sheik amid the rush to finalise the Budget, Mr Kerry waded in to say Charles taking part would be 'very powerful' and 'make a difference'. But former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg criticised the breach of protocol saying it is 'not for the American government to advise the King on his engagements'. He also swiped that 'a lot of people being self-important and emitting huge amounts of carbon to get there' would not solve the problems, saying Mr Sunak is 'absolutely right not to attend. 'It won't actually achieve anything, it will just have a lengthy discussion and the PM has a job to do,' Mr Rees-Mogg added. As Prince of Wales, Charles was a long-term campaigner on environmental issues. However, since becoming the monarch he has stepped back from anything that might be seen as political. Liz Truss was said to have advised the new King to sit out the summit when she was in No10. Advertisement

The leaders reaffirmed the 'special relationship' between the UK and US, and agreed on the importance of supporting Ukraine.

They stressed the importance of working together to address the challenges posed by China and to secure sustainable and affordable energy resources, according to a White House readout.

However, potential points of friction remain, with the paid also covering the Northern Ireland protocol situation.

Mr Biden, who is proud of his Irish heritage, has repeatedly urged the UK to settle the dispute with the EU and protect the Good Friday Agreement.

The tensions appear to have put paid to hopes of an early Transatlantic trade deal, which some Tories believed was within touching distance when Donald Trump was President.

In his speech on Monday, Mr Biden seemed to ridicule the chaotic events in the UK, and express surprise that the Conservatives had installed a PM with Indian heritage.

'As my brother would say, ''go figure''!' he said, to a round of laughter from the audience.

'And the Conservative Party, expected to become the Prime Minister, I think, tomorrow when he goes to see the King.

'Pretty astounding. A groundbreaking milestone. And it matters, it matters.'

Mr Sunak, a successful former banker, is the first non-white PM and the first from an Indian background, after his grandparents migrated to the UK.

Meanwhile, Tories have hit back at US climate envoy John Kerry after he urged King Charles to attend the COP27 summit.

As Rishi Sunak dropped plans to go to Sharm el-Sheik amid the rush to finalise the Budget, Mr Kerry waded in to say Charles taking part would be 'very powerful' and 'make a difference'.

But former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg criticised the breach of protocol saying it is 'not for the American government to advise the King on his engagements'.

He also swiped that 'a lot of people being self-important and emitting huge amounts of carbon to get there' would not solve the problems, saying Mr Sunak is 'absolutely right not to attend.

'It won't actually achieve anything, it will just have a lengthy discussion and the PM has a job to do,' Mr Rees-Mogg added.

As Prince of Wales, Charles was a long-term campaigner on environmental issues. However, since becoming the monarch he has stepped back from anything that might be seen as political.

Liz Truss was said to have advised the new King to sit out the summit when she was in No10.
A motorist has told of his fury after he received seven penalty charge notices in two weeks for repeatedly driving up a 'residents only' road in London without realising it was camera protected.

Software developer Karan Singh faced having to pay 910 if he contested the fines and lost his appeals after being 'trapped' while taking two of his children to school.

Mr Singh, 36, of Catford, South London, slammed Lewisham Council for hitting him with the fines which arrived on his doorstep 'in a bundle.'

He said he received notices of fines on the same day and the seven offences ranged from the 5th of September to the 26th.

He said: 'I am really angry. I feel like I have been trapped and what is worse is that there is no clear sign saying you can't drive up the hill in the direction you came from.

'You can drive down the hill but not back up it. It is not clear at all.

'I eventually saw a sign warning about a camera, but it was bent backwards and around a post so it looked like it was no longer being enforced.'

The disputed street is Dermody Road in Lewisham which had new regulations invoked in 2020.

A motorist has told of his fury after he received seven penalty charge notices in two weeks for repeatedly driving up a 'residents only' road in London without realising it was camera protected. Above: Dermody Road in Lewisham and the 'bent' sign that deceived driver Karan Singh

But Mr Singh said he was further angered when penalty charge notices 'arrived in a bunch and at the same time.'

He said: 'Apparently the first offence was on September 5th and the others on the 7th, 11th, 16th (twice), 17th and 21st.

'Why did I receive four letters in one day for offences that took place on the 5th September and 16th September at the same time?

'If they had sent me the first one, I would have maybe paid it and never gone down that road again.

'But I drove down it a further six times. Nobody would do that if they knew they were going to be fined. I feel I have been trapped into this.'

He said each ticket demanded an early payment of 65 but each would increase to 130 if he appealed and failed to pay within the 28-day early notice period.

Software developer Mr Singh faced having to pay 910 if he contested the fines and lost his appeals after being 'trapped' while taking two of his children to school

'I have paid the first four but I am very unhappy and feel ripped off.

'I am hoping Lewisham Council will see sense and realise that it is an unfair system. I can't afford these fines and they are very unfair.

'I don't know why the council have done this. What is a road if not a concrete monstrosity if not used?

'What do the council expect to happen...that some handsome re-wilding will take place because they have stopped traffic in one direction?'

But a letter sent by the council to Mr Singh stated his car was 'observed via camera CCTV failing to comply with the prevention of certain types of vehicles.'

It added: 'We have considered everything you have said in your representation including mitigation, but we do not feel that you have made grounds for cancelling the penalty charge notice.'

A Lewisham Council spokesperson said: The restrictions in this location have been enforced by a camera for over two years and are indicated with clear signage and road markings, with the overwhelming majority of road users following the restrictions without any issues.

We aim for any postal Penalty Charge Notice to be sent within 14 days of the offence, in line with Government guidance. The statutory requirement is for postal Penalty Charge Notices to be sent within 28 days of the offence.
More than 300 migrants who tried to cross the English Channel needed to be rescued by Border Force and lifeboat crews as the record total for 2022 hit almost 40,000.

Border Force and RNLI boats rescued 308 migrants in the English Channel after they attempted to reach the UK in small boats in rough conditions on Thursday, according to official figures.

It takes the number of migrants who have been intercepted making the treacherous crossing to 37,801 in 930 boats so far this year, almost 10,000 more than 2021.

More than 300 migrants who tried to cross the English Channel needed to be rescued by Border Force and lifeboat crews (Pictured: A group of people thought to be migrants being brought into Dover on Thursday)

This takes the number of migrants who have been intercepted making the treacherous crossing to 37,801 in 930 boats so far this year

RNLI lifeboats from Dover, Ramsgate and Dungeness were all involved in the operation along with the Border Force vessels Typhoon and Ranger as well as the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Explorer.

Conditions in the English Channel have seen strong winds cause rough seas which had prevented crossings since Sunday when 528 people were detained.

French authorities rescued a further 99 people in two boats off the Dunkirk and Calais coasts in two separate incidents on Thursday.

Winds of 30mph in the Channel today saw further crossings prevented.

Border Force and RNLI boats rescued 308 migrants in the English Channel after they attempted to reach the UK in small boats in rough conditions on Thursday, according to official figures (Pictured: A group of people thought to be migrants being brought into Dover on Thursday)

It takes the number of migrants who have been intercepted making the treacherous crossing to 37,801 in 930 boats so far this year (Pictured: A group of people thought to be migrants being brought into Dover on Thursday)

In the whole of 2021, 28,526 made the crossing, compared with 8,410 in 2020.

In October there have been 4,800 people rescued in 97 boats so far.

MP for Dover, Natalie Elphicke, has described the situation as 'truly shocking'.

She has said: 'Alongside the brazen criminality of the people smugglers, it beggars belief that there is a free public bus from the migrant camps to the beach departure points.

'It's little wonder we are seeing record breaking arrivals coming through the illegal small boats crossings route.'
King Charles said it gave him the 'greatest possible pleasure' to take the role on the unit's 358th anniversary

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The King today announced he will be the next Captain General of the Royal Marines  an honorary military role that had been stripped from the Duke of Sussex following Megxit.

Harry was said to be saddened when his prestigious title was removed by the Queen in 2020 after he and Meghan announced they would step down as working royals and move to California.

There had been speculation about which member of the Royal Family would be given the role, with Princess Anne tipped for the position.

The Duke of Sussex was appointed Captain General by the Queen in December 2017, succeeding Prince Philip. Today's announcement comes just a day after Harry unveiled his 'provocative' new memoir Spare  a 'loaded' reference to his position as the younger brother of the heir to the throne.

In a personal message to the Royal Marines as they mark their 358th birthday today, the King said: 'It is the greatest possible pleasure to assume the role of your Captain General. I am exceptionally proud to follow in the footsteps of so many members of my family over the last three-and-a-half centuries, all of whom held the role with a deep sense of admiration.

'The Royal Marines have a distinguished and unparalleled history, both on land and at sea. I draw immense inspiration from your courage, determination, self-discipline and a remarkable capacity to endure in the most extreme environments.

'I feel greatly honoured to become part of the Corps Family and very much look forward to meeting many of you in the near future. In the meantime, this comes with my heartfelt and special wishes for a very happy 358th birthday. Per Mare, Per Terram.'

Harry (pictured left at an event at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in 2019) was said to be saddened to be stripped of the position as ceremonial head of the Commando regiment following Megxit in 2020. Pictured right: Charles  then Prince of Wales  at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, last year

The Duke of Sussex was appointed Captain General by the Queen in December 2017, succeeding Prince Philip, pictured

In 2017 Harry had succeeded the Duke of Edinburgh, who had held the post for 64 years before standing down following his retirement from public duties.

But in February last year, following a 12-month review of the Sussexes' decision to quit as working royals, Harry and Meghan were stripped of their prestigious patronages as the couple confirmed Megxit was permanent.

The duke also lost his other formal roles with the military including Honorary Air Force Commandant of the Royal Air Force Base Honington, and Honorary Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Naval Commands' Small Ships and Diving.

Harry, a former Army officer with a passion for the military family, had been eager to hold onto his formal links with the UK's Armed Forces.

Prince William had initially been expected to succeed his brother as Captain General after a Buckingham Palace statement insisted they would be handed to 'working members of the Royal Family'.

However, growing tensions between the pair following Megxit meant making such a move would be seen as unnecessarily provocative, reports suggested.

Instead, Princess Anne was mooted as the most likely candidate due to her being the 'least controversial choice'.

The King is a Royal Navy veteran, and served alongside the Royal Marines on board HMS Hermes, as part of 845 Naval Air Squadron, completing military exercises in the Western Atlantic and the West Indies.

As Prince of Wales, the King embarked on a career in the Royal Navy, undergoing training at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) in Lympstone, Devon, in order to qualify as a helicopter pilot

His Majesty later served alongside Royal Marines on board HMS Hermes, as part of 845 Naval Air Squadron, completing military exercises in the Western Atlantic and the West Indies

Alongside his new role, he will continue to hold the rank of Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Navy.

Today's development comes just a day after new details were revealed about Prince Harry's 'nuclear' memoir.

Billed as a work of 'raw, unflinching honesty', the controversial book will be called Spare  a 'loaded' reference to his position as the younger brother of the heir to the throne.

Family members were not informed of the title in advance of the announcement yesterday, while the Spanish language version is even more pointed, having been given the subtitle En La Sombra, or 'in the shadow'.

An initial release date had been pencilled in for 'late 2022' to capitalise on the lucrative Christmas market, but the book will not be on the shelves until January 10  said to be as a mark of respect following the death of the Queen, and, it is rumoured, due to last-minute alterations requested by the duke.

A spokesman for the King declined to comment on the book last night. But it is understood that the Royal Household has already been warned that the 416-page, 28 book is 'critical of everyone and everything' and they are 'dreading' it.

The King holds the honorary rank of Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Navy. In this old photo, he is seen meeting servicemen

Among the grievances Harry may air is the decision to 'ban' him from wearing military uniform during the Queen's funeral.

Following a series of reports about the issue, the Duke of Sussex's spokesman issued a pointed statement, which read: '[Prince Harry] will wear a morning suit throughout events honouring his grandmother.

'His decade of military service is not determined by the uniform he wears and we respectfully ask that focus remain on the life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.'

Only working royals  which Harry and his uncle Andrew are not  are being permitted to dress in uniform at five ceremonial occasions.

After you've seen the reality show AND bought the book  what else can brand Harry and Meghan offer? Experts warn the Sussexes risk becoming 'boring'  but there are still two more books to come as part of Prince's '18.4m' deal

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are at risk of losing out on more lucrative media deals by being seen as 'boring', a public relations expert said today  as he warned the success of Harry's controversial memoir would be crucial to their financial future.

The Duke of Sussex's autobiography, which has the pointed title Spare, was unveiled yesterday. He was reportedly paid a 18.4million advance for the book as part of a three-title deal worth 36.8m.

The book will be published on January 10, just weeks after Harry and Meghan's equally controversial Netflix documentary  believed to be part of a 100m deal  is due to be aired.

Together with a 100m deal with Spotify, which includes Meghan's Archetypes podcast, the agreements provide the couple with significant financial firepower.

But this could be at risk in the future if the public begins to tire of their regular pronouncements, according to PR and marketing expert Mark Borkowski.

'The most important thing in the modern world is that they generate column inches and eyeballs  everything will come down to the success of the book and the deals with Netflix and Spotify,' he told MailOnline.

'If they do well then they could still be attractive to media outlets looking for subscribers. Given they're no longer connected to the Royal Family with the exposure that brings they need to create their own energy. The danger is they become boring.'

The Duke of Sussex's autobiography, which has the pointed title Spare, was unveiled yesterday. It is just one of a series of commercial ventures the couple have engaged in

Mr Borkowski said the couple's expensive lifestyle  which revolves around their 11million Montecito mansion  could see them partner with a Silicon Valley tech firm such as Mark Zuckerberg's Meta.

The firm's share price recently plummeted amid concerns Mr Zuckerberg's multi-billion dollar investment in the idea of the 'metaverse'  a series of virtual worlds where users can engage with each other in virtual reality  would fail to pay off.

'There's a bit of a downturn in tech at the moment but I'd expect that as the dust settles we could see them sign another deal in that industry,' Mr Borkowski said.

'Meta are facing huge problems so who better to generate a conversation around their idea of the metaverse than Harry and Meghan? They could be promoting it or creating their own virtual world themselves.'

Meanwhile, brand expert Nick Ede predicted Spare would open up new commercial opportunities for Harry and Meghan.

'I think the next step for Harry will be the very lucrative public speaking circuit,' he told MailOnline. 'Harry will read extracts from his book at events around the world with a Q&A.

'I also think he will make a lot of money through an exclusive sit-down interview with a journalist to promote the book. These kinds of sit-downs can command in the six-to-seven figures and I'm sure they'll be a bidding war.

'And with the book being so explosive he could even look to sell the film rights to it. Again that would be highly lucrative.'

Publisher Penguin Random House yesterday confirmed the 28 book 'full of insight, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom' will be released on January 10. The cover shows Harry staring at the camera in a brown T-shirt and a black string necklace

Spare, which is available to pre-order, will cost 28 hardcover, 13.99 as an eBook, 20 as an audio download and 25 as a CD. It will be released simultaneously in the US, UK and Canada, with 15 foreign language editions, including one in Spanish entitled Spare: En La Sombra (Spare: In The Shadow)

The Royal Family's lawyers remain on standby for Prince Harry's 'nuclear' memoir, amid fears it is 'critical of everyone and everything' and that reports of it being toned down are 'overblown'.

'It could not come at a worse time': Royal authors say delayed book will make King 'nervous' as he plans coronation King Charles will be 'nervous' after hearing Prince Harry's tell-all memoir is slated for release on January 10, royal experts said today - amid speculation the New Year publication date suggests the royal has succeeded in his bid to water down its content. The memoir had initially been signed off ready for an expected autumn release as part of a multi-million pound, three-title deal with Penguin Random House. But its publication was delayed following the Queen's death, and Harry is said to have requested a number of alterations to make it less critical of the Royal Family. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams warned the book's release would be 'unhelpful' to King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort. 'It was never a good idea for Harry, fifth in line to the throne, a Counsellor of State and only 38, to write a memoir which by its nature would be highly controversial,' he told MailOnline. 'All of this will almost certainly be unhelpful to King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla, in the early months of his reign. It may well widen the rift between the royal family's and the Sussexes in the pivotal period leading to King Charles's coronation. ' Biographer Tom Bower suggested commercial imperatives would ensure the final manuscript still contains plenty of criticism of the Royal Family. 'To those who have speculated that Harry wanted to dilute his ghost-written text to remove the most offensive descriptions of Charles, William and Kate, one can only surmise that his book can only be a global commercial success if a healthy dollop of poison remains,' he said. Advertisement

Meghan's biographer Tom Bower suggested the couple's Netflix series would create useful publicity for the memoir.

'The curtain raiser to the Sussexes' vengeance will be their Netflix series  a lucrative trailblazer to the book, clearly updated to describe their unexpected lengthy stay in London during the Queen's funeral,' he told MailOnline.

'Viewers and readers can expect scathing comments about their treatment by Harry's family. Wallowing in self-pity, the Sussexes will portray themselves as victims of uncaring charlatans.'

Spare's title page shows Harry staring sternly at the camera in a brown T-shirt and a black string necklace. An unabridged audiobook will be read by the prince himself.

The 416-page autobiography  which some retailers have cut to half-price for pre-order copies  was expected to hit bookshelves this autumn but there has been speculation that the date was pushed back as a mark of respect following the death of the Queen, and, it is rumoured, to make changes to the publication and remove potentially damaging material.

However, it appears the tone of the book has darkened since it was first announced in July last year. While the memoir was then-described as an 'inspiring, courageous, and uplifting human story', yesterday's promotion calls it a 'personal journey from trauma to healing'.

Royal author Richard Fitzwilliams suggested the Royal Family would be 'very concerned' by how the book was being promoted.

'It is a sensational title and implies that the writer was not valued or certainly that he did not feel at the centre of events,' he told MailOnline. 'When the blurb speaks of ''raw, unflinching honesty'' the Palace will be very concerned, especially since these are the early months of King Charles's reign.

'There will undoubtedly be interviews, serialisation and endless speculation about this memoir, which in my view should have waited many years. Even Edward VIII, by then the Duke of Windsor, waited until 1951 before A King's Story was published. The consequences of this will be far-reaching and may be highly destructive.'

The Royal Family has not been given a chance to see the manuscript before publication, so will be unable to respond to any of its claims through their lawyers.

William and Kate visit Sandringham to look at tributes and flowers laid for the late Queen last month

It is understood that Harry, seen with his wife Meghan in New York last year, was paid a $20million (18.4million) advance for the autobiography as part of a three-title deal worth 36.8million

The publication date was announced in a press release yesterday, which referred to Harry as a 'husband, father, humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate and environmentalist' who 'resides in Santa Barbara, California, with his family and three dogs'.

'Spare takes readers immediately back to one of the most searing images of the Twentieth Century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother's coffin as the world watched in sorrow  and horror,' the release said.

'As Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feelingand how their lives would play out from that point on. For Harry, this is his story at last. With its raw, unflinching honesty, Spare is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.'

The memoir, which is available to pre-order, will cost 28 hardcover, 13.99 as an eBook, 20 as an audio download and 25 as a CD. It will be available in English in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa and Canada, while the book will also be published in 15 additional languages, including Spanish, Italian, German and Chinese. Representatives for the King and Kensington Palace have declined to comment.

Publisher Penguin Random House has said the duke had donated $1.5million (1.3million) to children's charity Sentebale and 300,000 to WellChild, a charity for disabled children for which he serves as patron.

Announcing the global publishing deal this year, Penguin Random House described the memoir as 'intimate and heartfelt'
A new 'nightmare' Covid-19 variant has hit Australia's shores just weeks after the final restrictions were scrapped.

The XBB strain, which recently emerged in Singapore, is already running rampant in Australia where cases have risen tenfold in a few weeks.

Some international reports and experts have dubbed the strain as the 'nightmare variant' and fear it's the 'most vaccine-resistant yet' after cases in Singapore recently doubled in recent weeks.

The strain has since been detected in 35 countries, including Australia.

The XBB strain, another spin-off from the Omicron variant, went from making up one fifth of Australia's Covid cases to more than a half in just one week.

But despite rising Covid cases and hospitalisations, infectious diseases experts say those who are fully vaccinated are far less likely to become seriously ill with the virus.

There's no evidence to suggest XBB is more severe than other Covid strains.

A new 'nightmare' Covid-19 variant called XBB strain has hit Australia's shores in recent weeks (pictured Sydneysiders in the CBD this week)

In Victoria, Covid cases have risen by nearly a quarter in the last week alone while hospitalisations rose by 20 per cent, sparking concerns from health officials about the rapid growth of XBB and 'the start of another COVID-19 wave'.

The state has recorded 8,537 in the last week, according to new data released on Friday night.

'Surveillance shows the presence of multiple Omicron subvariants in Victoria including rapid growth of (the Omicron subvariant) BQ. 1 and XBB in the past month, with a combined prevalence of approximately 10 per cent in wastewater and clinical sample,' Victoria's chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton said.

'With case numbers on the rise locally and internationally, particularly in Europe and in South-East Asia, Victorians are reminded that vaccination, masks, ventilation, testing, staying home when sick and COVID-19 treatments are highly effective at reducing transmission, illness and deaths and also protect the health system.'

Leading infectious disease experts estimate around 80 per cent of Australians have had Covid in the three years since the pandemic hit our shores in January 2020.

International experts have raised concerns about the increased transmissibility of XBB.

Australians are encouraged by health authorities to still wear masks as a new Covid variant emerges (pictured, a woman at Sydney's Paddy's Markets this week)

Health authorities in Victoria warned of 'the start of another COVID-19 wave' with the 'rapid' growth of XBB (pictured, people in Melbourne's CBD)

However Deakin University infectious diseases expert Professor Catherine Bennett believes Australia has a much higher hybrid immunity to new variants than a year ago when Omicron first hit our shores, sparking an explosion of cases.

'More than half the population has been both vaccinated and had an infection, and that does put you in a more resilient position in when facing future waves,' Professor Bennett told NewsCorp.

Australian National University infectious diseases expert Professor Peter Collignon agreed and said there was no evidence XBB was 'more virulent'.

'We won't see the same high hospitalisation and high death numbers that we saw between December and July, because that's when all the variants were circulating and people were basically getting infected for the first time,' he said.

NSW recorded 10,050 cases in the week ending October 27  an increase of 13.7 per cent while Queensland has seen 4447 cases of Covid reported in the last week.

The new variant has emerged after the final Covid restrictions were recently scrapped (pictured, a Sydneysider being swabbed at a drive-through clinic)

The spoke comes just two weeks after the final Covid restrictions were scrapped, including mandatory isolation rules from October 14.

Isolation rules will remain for aged care and hospital workers struck down with Covid, but the decision of how long to stay away from the workplace will now be one for most Australians to decide for themselves.

Infectious disease specialist Maria Van Kerkhove, who works on the Covid-19 response at the World Health Organisation, recently raised concerns about the XBB variant.

'We do know that this recombinant has a significant growth advantage, all of the sub-variants of Omicron are showing increased transmissibility and properties of immune escape,' Dr Van Kerkhove said.

NSW recorded 10,050 Covid cases in the week ending Thursday following the emergency of new variant XBB (pictured, a masked Sydneysider at Paddy's Markets this week)

In Singapore, XBB has overtaken BA.5 as the most dominant strain and accounted for over 60 per cent of new cases.

Singaporean scientists estimate it is 30 per cent milder than the previously dominant BA.5 Omicron strain.

'XBB' is formed of two variants scientifically named BJ.1 and BA.2.75 which have merged.

It was first detected in India back in August, authorities said, but did not spark a wave until this month.

Deakin University infectious diseases expert Professor Catherine Bennett (pictured) believes Australia has a much higher hybrid immunity to new Covid variants than 12 months ago
Experts concerned over emerging Omicron subvariants amid sluggish vaccination rates in U.S.

Xinhua) 11:14, October 28, 2022

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Health experts are concerned emerging Omicron subvariants would make some existing protections ineffective for the public, especially the immunocompromised people, amid sluggish uptake of the reformulated COVID-19 shots in the United States.

"With some of the new subvariants that are emerging, some of the main tools we've had to protect the immunocompromised may not work moving forward. And that's a huge challenge," Ashish Jha, head of the White House COVID task force, told reporters on Tuesday.

New Omicron subvariants are resistant to key antibody treatments for HIV patients, kidney transplant recipients and other immunocompromised people, making them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 this winter, experts warned.

U.S. President Joe Biden cautioned this week the estimated 7 million adults in the United States who have compromised immune systems are particularly at risk.

"If we repeat the mistakes of past winters, we will see more infections, more hospitalizations, more loved ones getting sick, even dying, from the virus," Biden warned.

Experts are concerned new Omicron subvariants such as B.Q.1.1 and XBB could soon render useless treatments such as Evusheld, a therapy used to prevent illness in immunocompromised people.

More than 19 million Americans have received the new COVID-19 boosters that became available to those 12 and over in September and to children as young as 5 earlier this month, according to the latest data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"That's just a sliver of the population ahead of a potential coronavirus surge this winter," said a report of The Washington Post.

The COVID-19 vaccination rate in the United States lags that of many other high-income countries. Less than half of the total booster-eligible population in the United States has received a COVID-19 booster dose, CDC data show.

About 226.6 million people, or 68.2 percent of the total U.S. population, completed a primary series as of Oct. 20. But only 49.1 percent of the total booster-eligible population received a booster dose, CDC data show.

Some infectious-disease experts are worried COVID-19 cases could increase as people spend more time indoors in the colder weather.

Meanwhile, resurgent flu and other respiratory viruses are crowding hospitals across the country amid persistent workforce shortages.

U.S. pediatric hospital beds are filling up as cases of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), a common respiratory virus, are spiking nationwide.

"We're in a very challenging phase," said Syra Madad, an epidemiologist who helps oversee pandemic response for NYC Health and Hospitals, the nation's largest municipal health care system.

"Barely anybody is masking. We have very low vaccination rates for the updated boosters, as well as generally waning immunity. And to top it all off, we have these highly immune-evasive subvariants that are circulating," Madad told The Washington Post.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Prime Minister Narendra Modis call to the states to adopt the idea of one nation, one uniform for police and Union home minister Amit Shahs suggestion that all the states have a uniform policy on law and order not only reflect the Sangh Parivars pathological obsession with homogeneity and genetic disdain for diversity but also raises serious doubts about the NDA governments commitment towards federal principles. That Mr Modi and Mr Shah made their prescriptions for the states clear at a meeting of state home ministers, home secretaries and police chiefs shows the importance the top two leaders of the NDA government attach to them.

The Prime Minister peppered his suggestion with the statement that it was just an idea which he was not trying to impose on the states. He would not fix a time frame, saying it could happen even in 100 years, but he believed that the identity of police across the country should be the same. He would like the idea to be added to others such as one nation, one ration card; one nation, one mobility card; one nation, one grid and one nation, one sign language. He would want the police uniforms to be as similar as letterboxes.

Both the Prime Minister and the home minister spoke on the reality of the changing nature of crime. Crimes are increasingly become trans-border, they pointed out and called for better coordination among states, and in the process the two leaders also saw a role for the Union government and its agencies in the whole exercise. The home minister took off from the idea of one data, one entry when it comes to fighting terror and cyber crimes. Mr Shah reasoned that states will have to battle crimes that are becoming borderless by having a common strategy. He would, however, want it to be formulated and implemented under the spirit of cooperative federalism.

The Constitution defines India as a Union of states, and has prescribed a clear division of powers between the Centre and them. Public order and police are the first two entries in the list of state subjects enumerated in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. It is sole for the state government to decide the strategies for law and order, police and policing. The states have in the last 75 years developed mechanisms to handle these issues, including trans-border and cyber crimes. The national investigation agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation, has always been on call to help the states whenever required. And of late, the National Investigation Agency, another federal organisation, has been effectively coordinating with states when dealing with terrorism.

Ideas about strengthening the state police forces and improving their coordination are welcome in that they will optimise the resources of the state police in addressing the changing nature of their challenges. Anything beyond that, including the Union government taking an active role in law and order or even making suggestions to the states on their policies, is against the federal principle of our Constitution.

Attempts to disregard the power distribution distinctly provided in the Constitution and introduce changes which make them irrelevant on one pretext or the other are preposterous, as they could undermine its basic tenets which keep this nation together. Prescribing an extra dose of statist medicine to the nations polity to face new challenges is unlikely to help.
A Dutch climate activist glued himself to a table during a live TV debate, forcing security to intervene and tip him off.

Extinction Rebellion's Jelle de Graaf was invited to speak on the Khalid and Sophie talk show about the eco protesters who stuck themselves to the Girl with a Pearl Earring painting in The Hague.

During the discussion, he leaped up on to the table and put glue on his hands before slamming them down on the surface.

The activist then went into a speech about the climate, discussing the hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis who have been displaced by unprecedented floods.

On set security then came over to the table in a bid to remove the eco warrior.

A Dutch climate activist has glued himself to a table during a live TV debate before falling off it when security tipped it over

Extinction Rebellion's Jelle de Graaf was invited to speak on the Khalid and Sophie talk show about the eco protesters who stuck themselves to the Girl with a Pearl Earring painting in The Hague

They decided to tip the table to one side, as de Graaf pleaded to keep filming instead of cutting to a commercial break because he feared for his safety.

Staff then lifted up the wooden tabletop and carried the protester away with it to the side of the studio.

They placed one side of the table down on the floor and tipped it over, causing him to become unstuck and tumble down to the side.

De Graaf continued to remonstrate with the TV security in the fiery exchange before they escorted him from the set.

The protester describes himself as 'an intersectional activist, campaigner and strategic advisor'.

During the conversation, he leaped up on to the table and put glue on his hands before slamming them down on the surface

The protester describes himself as 'an intersectional activist, campaigner and strategic advisor'

A group of security then came over to the table in a bid to remove the eco warrior

Staff then lifted up the wooden tabletop and carried the protester away with it to the side of the studio

They placed one side of the table down on the floor and tipped it over, causing him to become unstuck and tumble down to the side

De Graaf continued to remonstrate with the TV security in the fiery exchange before they escorted him from the set

Last year, he helped organise Extinction Rebellion's action week and is also involved in a number of grassroots movements.

De Graaf was speaking about the eco activists who targeted the world famous Girl with a Pearl Earring painting in the Netherlands in the latest brazen gallery attack carried out by environmentalists.

Three Just Stop Oil vandals were arrested at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, and the Johannes Vermeer artwork was undamaged after the protest which sparked groans and heckles from the unimpressed onlookers.

Gallery visitors tried to drown out the 'stupid' demonstrators, telling them to 'shut up' during a speech about protecting the environment.

Footage circulating online shows how one protester appeared to glue his bald head to the glass covering the painting. His accomplice then poured a tin of chopped tomatoes over his head and they removed their jackets to reveal their Just Stop Oil t-shirts.

He said: 'How do you feel? How do you feel when you see something beautiful and priceless being apparently destroyed before your eyes?

De Graaf was speaking about the eco activists who targeted the world famous Girl with a Pearl Earring painting in the Netherlands

Footage circulating online shows how one protester appeared to glue his bald head to the glass covering the painting

A video posted on Twitter showed one man pouring a can of red substance over another protester who appeared to attempt to glue his head to the glass-protected painting

'Do you feel outraged? Good. Where is that feeling when you see the planet being destroyed before our very eyes.

'This painting is protected by glass, it's just fine.

'Vulnerable people in the Global South, they are not protected, the future of our children is not protected.

'People in fuel poverty who need to choose between heating or eating are not protected.'

The pair were then seen being escorted away in handcuffs by police, along with a third member of the group.

'Around 2 pm (1200 GMT) two people glued themselves to the Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer,' the Mauritshuis said in a statement to AFP.

'One person glued his head to the painting, which was behind glass, and the other person glued his hand to the green wall next to the painting. A third person threw an unknown substance at the painting.'

The museum added: 'We have immediately inspected the painting, which was done by our restorers. Fortunately the painting... was not damaged.'

The painting would return on display 'as soon as possible'.

Gallery visitors tried to drown out the 'stupid' demonstrators, telling them to 'shut up' during a speech about protecting the environment

The pair were then seen being escorted away in handcuffs by police, along with a third member of the group

The two men in the video were seen being escorted away by police in more footage

Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, painted in around 1665, is one of the most famous paintings in the world

'Art is defenceless and to try and damage it for whichever cause, we strongly condemn it,' the Mauritshuis added.

Dutch police said in a statement they had arrested three Belgian men in their 40s for damage to public property and were conducting a forensic investigation. They were being questioned.

A statement sent by a group calling itself part of the 'Just Stop Oil collective,' said its Belgian activists were responsible and had thrown soup.

'The message is clear: if humanity does not immediately stop using fossil fuels, it will become extinct,' it said. 'They would never defile a work of art not covered with protective glass.'

A representative of Just Stop Oil in Britain said the protest in The Hague had not been coordinated and it had not been involved. The groups said they are not affiliated.

Dutch Junior Minister for Culture Gunay Uslu said 'everyone has the right to make a point. But please: leave our shared heritage alone. Attacking defenceless works of art is not the right way.'
Rishi Sunak today urged Emmanuel Macron to make the Channel 'completely unviable' for people traffickers.

In their first call, the PM and the French president committed to 'deepening our partnership to deter deadly journeys'.

They have agreed to stage the long-promised UK-France summit next year, after tensions over migrants and the Northern Ireland protocol threw a chill over relations.

Mr Sunak is pushing for a 'more ambitious' deal with Paris, including targets for how many small boats are stopped from crossing.

Minimum numbers of French officials patrolling beaches to intercept boats before they enter the water are also thought to be part of the negotiations.

Liz Truss upset the French when she said during her leadership campaign in the summer that the 'jury is out' on whether Mr Macron was a 'friend or foe'.

It was revealed last month that her remarks led to the French pulling out of a deal to tackle the small boats crisis in a fit of pique.

Giving a readout of the call, a Downing Street spokesman said: 'President Macron congratulated him on his appointment and the Prime Minister stressed the importance he places on the UK's relationship with France  our neighbour and ally. The leaders agreed that there are a huge range of areas where UK-France co-operation is vital, including on Ukraine, climate, defence and the economy.

'The Prime Minister and President Macron discussed a range of global issues, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They agreed on the importance of continuing to work in support of Ukraine. As people across Europe face a difficult winter, with rising energy costs resulting from Putin's invasion, the leaders resolved to work together to secure a more stable energy future. This includes increasing co-operation on nuclear energy.

'The Prime Minister stressed the importance for both nations to make the Channel route completely unviable for people traffickers. The leaders committed to deepening our partnership to deter deadly journeys across the Channel that benefit organised criminals.

'The Prime Minister and President Macron looked forward to meeting soon and to holding a UK-France summit next year.'

Mr Sunak also wants to set tough new targets for the Home Office on asylum processing times, so that eight out of ten are completed within six months, The Times reported.

As part of a ten-point plan set out in Mr Sunak's leadership campaign in the summer, the criteria for asylum claims are likely to be narrowed.

Home Office caseworkers could even be given incentives such as bonuses in a bid to clear an asylum backlog of more than 166,000 cases. Each civil servant would be required to finalise four cases a week.

Senior Home Office civil servant Abi Tierney revealed earlier this week that a recruitment drive has already seen the number of decision-makers rise to 1,073 in a bid to tackle the backlog, with existing staff offered 'recruitment and retention' perks to cut staff turnover.

French authorities have stopped 50 per cent of migrant boats so far this year, as well as 42.5 per cent of individuals attempting to cross, according to figures given to MPs on Wednesday.

However, the Home Office estimates that nine out of ten crossings must be prevented in order to make people smugglers' criminal operations unviable.

The scale of the problems have been underlined with claims Home Office officials considered erecting tents in London parks as temporary accommodation for Channel migrants.

Migrants arrive at Dover on Thursday onboard Ramsgate Lifeboat

Civil servants raised the emergency plan with London council leaders this month who dismissed the idea, according to The Times.

Efforts to persuade London boroughs to accommodate more asylum seekers had already failed and the Home Office issued an emergency appeal to councils for more places.

At the meeting, leaders rejected erecting marquees in parks arguing that the Home Office should instead lift the ban on asylum seekers being able to get a job so that they could afford accommodation.

The Home Office told the newspaper: 'It is categorically untrue to suggest that the Home Office is planning to erect tents to house asylum seekers in London parks.'

The plan came as part of discussions on how to deal with overcrowding at the Manston Airport site in Kent.

It was previously reported that Chief inspector of borders and immigration David Neal was left 'speechless' by what he saw at the migrant processing centre.

Migrants are meant to be held at the short-term holding facility, which opened in January, for 24 hours while they undergo checks before being moved into immigration detention centres or asylum accommodation - currently hotels.

The Commons Home Affairs Committee heard the site was already 'outstripping' capacity.

It was originally meant to hold between 1,000 and 1,600 people but Mr Neal said there were 2,800 people at the site when he visited on Monday, with more due to arrive.

Describing the 'pretty wretched conditions' he saw, Mr Neal said: 'I spoke to an Afghan family who had been in a marquee for 32 days. So that's in a marquee ... with a kit mats on the floor, with blankets, for 32 days.'
Do you know the rescued kayaker? If so, then please send an email to: tips@dailymail.com

Do you know the rescued kayaker? If so, then please send an email to: tips@dailymail.com

But French coastguards have been baffled by 'impossible' claims the man had survived 12 days adrift at sea

Miraculously, despite suffering from severe hypothermia, he survived and was airlifted to a French hospital

But he capsized his kayak and was clung to a buoy to avoid drowning, surviving on seaweed and mussels

The daring paddler was trying to cross from Dover to France without having had any training or support

Exclusive: British kayaker, 28, is rescued by Dutch fishermen in the English Channel after clinging to a buoy

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A British mans attempt to kayak across the Channel to France which ended with him clinging to a buoy for two days has left coastguards baffled.

The man, believed to be from Manchester, nearly drowned after being separated from his kayak for two days, French authorities confirmed.

He was only rescued after being spotted by fishermen by which time he was suffering from hypothermia and exhaustion.

Today coastguards in France where he was taken for emergency treatment revealed he did not seem to have proper training in how to use a kayak and didnt appear to have any support or back up for his attempt at such a dangerous crossing.

A British man whose kayak had capsized when crossing the English Channel to France was rescued yesterday morning after fishermen found him clinging to a buoy for dear life

He was rescued by a group of fishermen from the Netherlands in the Channel before being airlifted to a French hospital by the French Coast Guard

After being taken aboard the exhausted British kayaker (pictured) was offered some water and a Snickers chocolate bar

Orlane Saliou, spokeswoman for the Maritime Gendarmerie, the French equivalent of the Coastguard, said it didnt appear that he was experienced.

She added that his good physical fitness and the timely rescue had saved his life. But she rubbished some media reports that he could have been lost at sea for as long as 12 days - as this would have been impossible to survive.

Do you know the rescued kayaker? Email: tips@dailymail.com Advertisement

Madame Saliou told MailOnline: His motives concerning this crossing are not very clear but it would seem that a sporting project should be discarded.

The Maritime Gendarmerie is currently carrying out an investigation on this topic.

The person suffered from hypothermia, general fatigue and dehydration but given his good physical resistance, his general state of health is quite good.

The victim was taken care of by the French healthcare services as soon as they arrive in the territory.

The responsiveness of the CROSS Griz-nez [maritime emergency station] and the rapid engagement of the French Navy helicopter Dauphin probably saved his life.

She added that the Briton had attempted to cross the worlds busiest water way which 400 commercial ships pass through every day and endures 120 days per year of force seven gales.

He was spotted by the crew of cutter ship 'De Madelaine', from Urk in the Netherlands who launched the rescue attempt at 11am yesterday.

He was found when skipper and owner Teunis de Boer was sailing between England and France this morning when he spotted something in the water.

French Channel authorities said he was found by fishermen holding onto the 'Colbart Nord' buoy around halfway between Dover and France

Fisherman Teunis de Boer grabbed a pair of binoculars and saw the exhausted and distressed Briton wearing only a pair of swimming trunks 'waving at us like a madman'

The British kayaker (pictured), 28, was reportedly suffering from severe hypothermia when he was brought onboard

The crew of De Madelaine then wrapped him in blankets and called the French Coast Guard, who airlifted him to a hospital for treatment, pictured

The captain wanted to make sure they didn't get too close to the buoy when he 'saw something crazy moving' near it, he told local media.

Mr De Boer grabbed a pair of binoculars, and to his surprise saw the exhausted and distressed Briton wearing only a pair of swimming trunks 'waving at us like a madman', according to De Telegraaf.

Despite the choppy weather, the crew quickly worked to rescue him by sailing towards him and throwing a life ring into the water. The man managed to use his last bit of strength to reach out so they could bring him to the boat.

He was suffering from severe hypothermia when he was brought onboard with a body temperature of just 26C, Het Urkerland reports.

The Briton was also bruised, dehydrated and his eyes were 'very deep in his sockets'. 'It's a miracle he survived,' Skipper De Boer said.

The heroic crew then offered the exhausted man a Snickers chocolate bar who then told him he had set out to kayak from Dover to France, but his boat had capsized leaving him the only option of clinging to the floating buoy.

Authorities believe he spent around 48 hours in the water and on the buoy.

The man is now in hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer and and is said to be able to talk but is in a 'bad shape'.
A group of 20 mining mates have won a share of a whopping $53.3million, after millions of Australians scrambled to take part in the nation's biggest Powerball jackpot.

The group each spent $100 on the lottery in a 'spur of the moment' in Kalgoorlie - Boulder, in Western Australia and now their lives have changed forever.

The syndicate joins a Western Sydney dad and a Victorian grandfather to be among three division prize winners in Thursday night's $160million Powerball draw.

A winner in the group filmed her ecstatic reaction but said the Powerball windfall would not make her quit her job.

A group of 20 mining mates will share a $53.3million Powerball jackpot. Pictured is a gold open mine in Kalgoorlie - Boulder

'You know how they say, one Powerball and I'm out of here?' she asked. 'Well, it ain't true. I've known since the start of my shift and I'm still loading trucks.

'So yeah, there's 18 at my work who are now millionaires.'

Plant operator Peter told 6PR Radio the win had 'changed everybody's life'.

'We just couldn't believe it, we all put $100 in, spur of the moment sort of thing,' he said. 'And then, yeah.'

He won almost $2.7million from the chance investment, while some men bought tickets for their wives garnering $5million between them.

'I have checked the ticket about ten times,' he added.

It didn't take long for news to spread across the mining town.

A winner in the group (pictured) filmed her ecstatic reaction to the windfall but said the Powerball would not make her quit her job

'I think it must be in the gold money ethos,' Kalgoorlie-Boulder mayor John Bowler told 7News .

'You go gold mining you get a nugget  you're a millionaire or you get nothing  you're broke.

'That's the type of people we are. We don't mind a bet.'

It comes after the third and final winner of Australia's biggest ever lotto prize was tracked down on Friday morning, revealing he only bought his lucky ticket just minutes before the draw time.

The lucky dad, from Penrith in western Sydney confirmed his win with an official from The Lott on Friday morning.

'I told my family, 'I think I might have won division one' but no one believed me,' he said.

'Tell you what, they believe me now! My family's life just changed in a second.

'To think I almost missed out on getting an entry, I had to rush out and grab one yesterday before the draw closed!

'This means so much to me. I'll finally be able to buy a home for my family, my kids can have whatever they want for Christmas, and we're secure and set up for life.

'I still can't believe this is my life! Thank you, thank you, thank you!'

Peter, a plant operator in the group won almost $2.7million from the chance investment, while some men bought tickets for their wives garnering $5million between them (pictured, Kalgoorlie - Boulder)

The syndicate joins a Western Sydney dad and a Melbourne grandfather to be among three division prize winners in Thursday night's $160million Powerball draw

The other winner, a grandfather from Melbourne, burst into tears when he was told he'd won the fortune.

'Oh my god, oh my god. I can't believe this,' the man said.

'Holy s**t Holy s**t. Far out. I'm absolutely speechless.

'I never thought I'd get this phone call. This has changed my life. I can't wait to tell my family.'

The winning numbers for Powerball draw 1380 were 10, 4, 12, 18, 2, 34, 7 and the Powerball is 7.
Knightsbridge Furnishing Ltd, East Kilbride, closed trading last May due to losses

Ms Zaman, from Glasgow, was awarded 18,984, which she is yet to receive

An employment judge ruled the conduct had been 'humiliating and offensive'

Shahzad Younas sent her texts calling her a 'prostitute' for being a DJ and a 'fatty'

A Scottish woman who was branded a 'fatty' and a 'prostitute' by her sexist ex-boss who said he wanted 'slim, smart girls' in his office has been awarded 19,000 in damages.

Aishah Zaman, 35, took Shahzad Younas, 45, to a tribunal after almost two years of derogatory comments and sexual advances at textiles firm Knightsbridge Furnishing Ltd in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire.

Employment judge Russell Bradley ruled the conduct had been 'humiliating and offensive'.

Mr Younas, who is married and spends most of his time in Pakistan as a political activist, sent Ms Zaman text messages calling her 'motee'  Punjabi for 'fatty'  and said he wanted 'slim, smart girls' in his office.

Aishah Zaman, 35, who was branded a 'fatty' and a 'prostitute' by her sexist ex-boss who said he wanted 'slim, smart girls' in his office has been awarded 19,000 in damages

Ms Zaman took Shahzad Younas, 45, to a tribunal after almost two years of derogatory comments and sexual advances at textiles firm Knightsbridge Furnishing Ltd in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire

Mr Younas (left), seen with former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan (right)  also told Ms Zaman she should stop DJing at night as it was the 'work of prostitutes'

Ms Zaman, from Glasgow, said Mr Younas was a 'bully' and 'saw his employees as slaves'.

The boss  who has been pictured alongside former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan  also told Ms Zaman she should stop DJing at night as it was the 'work of prostitutes'.

The tribunal heard Mr Younas sent messages to Ms Zaman that read: 'Don't break my heart' and: 'I fancy you', offering to buy her a Mercedes.

He also sent a graphic image of female genitalia, asked her to clean his flat and said she should unpack his suitcase, including underwear, as this was 'woman's work'.

Matters came to a head in April 2020 when Ms Zaman told him she was too busy to rearrange an office.

Mr Younas called her an 'idiot' and a 'pain in the a**e', before grabbing her by the arm with both hands and yelling: 'I am going to f*** you'  which she took to mean he was threatening to ruin her life.

Mr Younas told her to leave and not return and he later sold the firm and resigned as a director.

Ms Zaman, from Glasgow, said Mr Younas was a 'bully' and 'saw his employees as slaves'

The tribunal heard Mr Younas sent messages to Ms Zaman that read: 'Don't break my heart' and: 'I fancy you', offering to buy her a Mercedes

Ms Zaman said the saga had taken a toll on her mental health, having recently stopped taking antidepressants. The subsequent legal battle has cost her more than 10,000.

Ms Zaman said: 'I couldn't let him get away with this. I've never seen a man like that in my life, he was just a bully.

'He only ever wanted to work with ladies and saw his employees as slaves. He would look at their appearance first rather than what they could or couldn't do.'

Employment judge Russell Bradley said Mr Younas had 'an outdated image of a subservient female', and held him and Knightsbridge Furnishing Ltd jointly liable for discrimination.

Ms Zaman was awarded 18,984, which she is yet to receive.

Mr Bradley wrote: 'Messages suggesting the desire for a relationship relate to her sex, were unwanted, and were humiliating.'

Mr Younas later alleged that Ms Zaman had embezzled 17,718 from the company, offering to withdraw the claim if she dropped the case.

Mr Younas later alleged that Ms Zaman had embezzled 17,718 from the company, offering to withdraw the claim if she dropped the case

Mr Bradley labelled the accusations 'false' with 'no factual basis', adding: 'In our view the clear inference is that the false allegations were made because of the protected act [reporting sexist behaviour].'

When approached for comment, Mr Younas said he was 'not aware of any proceeding in my absence' and denied sending the messages.

However, papers show he lodged responses with the tribunal, and was represented at a hearing in May.

Legal representatives for Mr Younas and Knightsbridge Furnishing dropped out before the case concluded.

Mr Younas said: 'When I sold the company there was no communication access so I am not aware of any proceedings.'

Sameer Khan, current director of Knightsbridge Furnishing Ltd, said: 'We had closed trading business due to losses in May 2022 and informed the employment tribunal of the same. We are sorry as we are out of business so we are not able to pay any claims.'
Hussain and his friend Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin died when a their car was crashed into and exploded

He threatened to leak a sex tape they had made to her husband and family when she ended the relationship

Mr Hussain, 21, had been in three-year relationship with Ansreen Bukhari, 45, but she called it off, jury told

Influencer Mahek Bukhari told her mother she would have Saqib Hussain 'jumped by guys', the court heard

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A TikTok influencer on trial for murdering her mother's lover after he threatened to release a sex tape of them called him 'manipulative' when she was played a 999 call of his death, a court heard today.

Social media influencer Mahek Bukhari, 23, her mother Ansreen Bukhari, 45, together with six others, are charged with the murder of Ansreen's ex-lover Saqib Hussain, 21, and his friend Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin.

The two men were allegedly being chased at up to 100mph in a Skoda Fabia when the car came off the road and smashed into a tree in Leicester - splitting it in two before it burst into flames.

Prosecutors told Leicester Crown Court Mr Hussain had a three-year fling with 45 year-old Ansreen but he threatened to leak a sex tape they had made to her husband and family when she tried to end their relationship.

Mahek Bukhari displayed no emotion when she heard Saqib Hussain beg for his life to a police operator and scream as the car collided into a tree at more than 80mph.

She was played the harrowing clip in a police interview after she told officers 'loud music had been blaring from the silver car' before it crashed.

No music is heard on the 999 call, in which Mr Hussain becomes increasingly frantic as he says he is being chased by cars driven by men in balaclavas. The call ends abruptly as the Skoda crashes.

Colingwood Thompson KC, prosecuting said: 'You might have thought that would have brought home to her the enormity of what she and what the others had done. Not a bit of it.

'Her first comment to the police after hearing the tape was: 'See what he does to me, I'd never lie and the way he manipulates people is so good.'

Mr Thompson KC continued: 'Not a bit about how sorry she was about what happened to Saqib. It was all about her.

Social media influencer Mahek Bukhari, 23, (pictured left with mother in TikTok video) told her mother Ansreen in a message that her young lover, 21-year-old Saqib Hussain, 'won't know what day it is', Leicester Crown Court heard

Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin (left) and Saqib Hussain (right), both 21, from Banbury, Oxfordshire, died instantly in a horror crash in February. Mr Hussain, who worked at a bakery, had been in a three-year relationship with Ansreen Bukhari, 45, who has pleaded not guilty to his murder, along with seven other co-defendants

'None of these defendants expressed the slightest remorse to what happened.'

The social media influencer also allegedly lied to officers by telling them she had been in Nottingham rather than Leicester when Mr Hussain was killed.

Mr Thompson KC said: 'She didn't want the police, obviously, to discover that link to what had happened. If you were completely innocent, why would you lie about your movements and lie about your PIN number?

'The inference was that she was heavily involved in the collision.'

She allegedly arranged to meet the pair in Leicester earlier in the evening to hand over 3000 that Mr Hussain had spent on her mother during their relationship.

The social media star was in an Audi TT, which along with a Seat Leon, was seen chasing the Skoda Fabia seconds before impact.

Bukhari drove past the crash scene moments afterwards and later told detectives how she 'burst into tears'.

She was also caught on CCTV hours later speaking with her alleged conspirators, potentially making up a story to tell police, it was said.

She also told the officers that Mr Hussain was known to her and that she had been the subject of a 'campaign of harassment' by him, although did not mention his extra-marital affair with her mother, Mr Thompson KC told the court.

Ms Bukhari later made a social media post while in Leicester and said that Mr Hussain had tracked her down in the city and 'became very threatening' - so much so that he apparently threatened her and said: 'Your dad's at home, your brother's at home, I'm going to kill them.'

In her version of events to police, Ms Bukhari said she had agreed to meet Saqib in the car park at Tesco but after she had been waiting five minutes she gave up and headed for Nottingham.

On the A46 towards Nottingham, she said, she observed a blue car 'agitating' a silver car but did not know that Mr Hussain was in the silver car or who was driving the blue car.

After leaving the A46 she returned to Leicester, passing the burning car on the central reservation.

Mr Thompson KC said she did not call 999 because the police were already at the scene.

He said their movements immediately after the crash proved it was no road traffic accident including them pulling in to check on damage to the Seat and one of the accused being filmed on CCTV wearing a balaclava.

Mr Hussain had told a 999 call operator that he was being chased in cars driven by men in balaclavas just before he died.

Mr Thompson KC said: 'It may be suggested that what happened was not something that had been agreed on beforehand but if there are people who are simply innocent passengers who had nothing whatsoever with what drivers were doing, what happened after gives lie to that suggestion.'

Detectives retrieved many hours of CCTV evidence from several locations and an on-board computer on Ms Bukhari's Audi which allowed officers to trace the route her vehicle took.

Mr Hussain had been having a three-year fling with 45-year-old Ansreen (pictured), the jury was told, but he threatened to leak a sex tape they had made to her husband and family when she tried to end their relationship

The cars were caught on CCTV cameras belonging to Nottingham Raceway Karting near Willoughby on the Wolds, where both had pulled over couple of exits up the A46.

On the footage several of the defendants were spotting examining the front of the Seat for damage before driving off again.

They headed south and passed the scene of the wrecked Skoda, which by then would have been seen smouldering on the central reservation.

Mr Thompson KC said: 'They could be in no doubt they had killed two people. No one is going to survive that.'

He said earlier: 'The impact was so severe the Skoda Fabia split in two. Both young men died instantly from their injuries. Mercifully, both had died before the fire took hold.'

Police later examined an Audi TT, which had been hired by social media influencer Mahek Bukhari, and a Seat Leon, owned by her friend Natash Akhtar.

Ms Bukhari, 21, was in the Audi with her mother, Ansreen, which had been driving near to a Skoda Fabia containing Saqib Hussain and friend, Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin, the driver, seconds before it ploughed into the tree.

Mr Thompson said: 'Both the Audi TT and the Seat Leon were seized by the police and taken to secure locations where they were forensically examined to see what damage could be found.

'On the Audi TT nothing of significance was found but the Seat Leon had damage to the front, consistent with having collided with the rear of the Skoda Fabia.'

He said the police collision experts suggested the collision had happened at more than 80mph.

The jury previously heard how there were no witnesses to the crash but several motorists travelling on the A46 at 1.30am on Friday February 11 stopped at the scene and called the emergency services.

Witnesses to the fire told police arriving at the scene that they did not think anyone was inside the vehicle.

But when Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service had finished putting out the flames, the bodies were spotted - Mr Ijazuddin behind the steering wheel and Mr Hussain in the passenger seat, where he had been on the phone to a police call handler when the crash happened. They later had to be identified by their dental records.

The damage to the Skoda Fabia was so severe that officers had to later find another car of the exact same model to line up behind the Seat.

Mr Thompson KC said: 'Of course that positioning is entirely consistent with something you saw yesterday. The ANPR image caught the vehicles seconds before impact.

'The damage of the Seat Leon is consistent with more or less the cars being in that position.'

But she is now charged with two counts of murder alongside her mother and friend Ms Akhtar, 22.

They appeared in the dock at Leicester Crown Court again today with Raees Jamal, 22, Rekan Karwan, 28, Mohammed Patel, 20, Sanaf Gulammustafa , 22 and Ameer Jamal, 27, who are also facing the same charges.

A harrowing 999 call was played to the jury yesterday in which Mr Hussain is heard pleading: 'They're right behind. They're hitting into the back of the car very fast. Please I'm begging you, I'm going to die.'

During the call, bakery worker Mr Hussain repeatedly said the car was being rammed by a following vehicle whose occupants were wearing balaclavas.

He screamed before a loud crash was heard.

Footage from police attending the crash scene, at about 1.35am on February 11, showed the Skoda Fabia in flames, resting against a tree in the central reservation of the A46 dual carriageway, by the Six Hills junction near Leicester.

Officers saw 'a body hanging out the remains of the nearside passenger seat', but the heat of the flames prevented rescuers from helping Mr Hussain.

After firefighters extinguished the blaze, Mr Ijazuddin's body was also recovered, with the two men only identifiable by 'dental records', the jury heard.

The pair had been friends since school, with Mr Ijazuddin agreeing to drive his friend to Leicester that night - described by prosecutors in court as a 'fatal mistake that cost him his life'.

Collingwood Thompson KC, prosecuting, told jurors the 999 call was key to the Crown's case that the crash 'was not simply a tragic road traffic accident but a deliberate murder'.

Of the subsequent police investigation, triggered by Mr Hussain's call and death, the Crown's barrister said: 'It revealed a story of love, murder, anger, attempts at extortion and - ultimately - murder.'

The jury was also told that Mahek (pictured) lured Mr Hussain into a trap on the night he died by promising to pay back money owed to him

The six-minute 999-call began with Hussain telling the operator that he was being tailed by another car.

He said: 'They're trying to block me in. I can't get to a police station. There are guys following me with balaclavas on. I'm on the A46, they're trying to ram me off the road.'

He told the operator he was driving past Ratcliffe College and was being chased by two vehicles.

Growing more desperate as the cars ran into the back of his car, he told the operator that he could not read their registration plates before adding: 'They're trying to kill me. Please sir I just need help.'

TikTok star lured mother's young lover into a trap on the night he died, court told TikTok star Mahek Bukhari, 23, lured her mother's younger lover into trap on the night he died by promising to pay back money owed to him, the jury was told. Four hours before Saqib Hussain, 21, was killed in a horror crash alongside his friend, Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin, he had messaged Mahek pleading for a chance to speak to her mother, Ansreen Bukhari, 45. When she refused, he threatened to send explicit pictures to Mahek's father, who was unaware of the affair. Saqib's message read: 'I'm going to message your dad. Show him all the proof - the pictures, the messages with her saying 'I love you'. 'Going to send all the dirty videos and say to him I want my money.' Data uncovered by police showed that at about 8pm on February 10, he was about to set off for Stoke-on-Trent where Ansreen lived with her husband. He was traced leaving his home in Banbury, Oxfordshire and heading north. Mr Thompson KC said: 'The threat is that Saqib would turn up at the family home in Stoke on Trent and that was something they could not risk.' Mahek intervened - the court was told - and offered to meet with him and her mother in Loughborough before changing the location to Leicester. At about 9.15pm, as Mr Hussain was trying to find out the exact location of the meeting, Mahek messaged him: 'Sorted money.' However, Mr Thompson said: 'The Crown's case is there never was money to hand over to him. This was simply a lure to get him into a trap.' Mr Ijazuddin, meanwhile, had agreed to drive Mr Hussain, who he had known since school, to Leicester. Mr Thompson KC said it was 'a fatal mistake that cost him his life.' Advertisement

He gave his name and told the operator he lived in Banbury, Oxfordshire but had come to Leicester with Mr Ijazuddin for some food and to meet a friend.

Just before the crash is heard Mr Hussain says: 'They're right behind. They're hitting into the back of the car very fast. Please I'm begging you I'm going to die.'

Relatives of the victims wept in court as the 999 call was played.

Mr Thompson KC said: 'This was no accident, he knew what was happening to him.'

The jury was also told that the three cars were travelling at speeds of up to 100mph, as the prosecutor outlined the final moments before the fatal crash in court this afternoon.

An Audi TT was travelling at 100mph while chasing the Skoda just before it crashed through barriers on the A46, the car's data later showed.

Mr Thompson KC told the jury: 'That gives you an idea of how desperate that Skoda Fabia was trying to escape.

'If you ram someone off the road at speeds in excess of 80mph, the occupants would be unlikely to survive the impact.'

A fixed speed camera on the A46 took a still when the cars whizzed past at about 97mph.

The Skoda Fabia was seen in the left lane of the dual-carriageway and the headlights of a Seat Leon were visible through the side window of the Skoda.

The Audi was also captured close to the Skoda as Mr Thompson KC remarked: 'All three vehicles are virtually touching each other.'

Mr Hussain's sister, Sama Hussain, told police that her brother had become involved in a relationship with an older woman in her 40s some time around 2019.

She said the woman's name was 'Anzy' and that she was married and had children including a daughter called 'Maya'.

Mr Thompson KC said 'Anzy' was Ansreen and 'Maya' was Mahek, who he said was aware of her mother's relationship and 'whilst happy to tolerate it she was not approving'.

At first Mr Hussain treated his relationship with Ansreen as a 'bit of fun' and they would break up and get back together again.

But he soon told friends that he had fallen in love with her.

Data later uncovered by detectives showed that he had contacted her 1,702 times between August 10, 2021 and February 9, 2022.

In turn, when information from her phone was retrieved, she had contacted him 214 times. Some of those were for only a matter of seconds and missed calls.

Over the course of their relationship, Mr Hussain's family estimated he spent between 2,000 and 3,000 taking her out, meeting at hotels and dining in restaurants.

Mr Thompson said Mr Hussain had also recorded 'sexually explicit' material; both videos and photos, of the couple, later found on his Instagram account.

'It is the existence of sexually explicit material that is at the centre of this case,' he told jurors.

By January 2022 Ansreen wished to end the affair and told Mr Hussain this.

Mr Thomson KC said 'he could not accept the decision she had made'.

He said: 'Various messages between them show he became increasingly obsessive, professing love and begging her to continue, but other messages show anger and frustration that she wouldn't return his calls.

'On the 10th of February, endless calls were made by Saqib to Ansreen's phone that were never answered. That anger and frustration that she wouldn't answer his calls led him take further action.

'It led to an attempt to blackmail Ansreen in order to persuade her to contact him. He threatened to send sexually explicit material to her husband and to her son unless she agreed to speak to him.'

Mahek Bukhari (pictured) is a TikTok star and influencer. Prosecutors allege she tried to arrange men to 'jump' Mr Hussain and Mr Ijazuddin

Mr Thompson KC told the court that Mahek messaged her mother on January 4, 2022 and said: 'I'll soon get him jumped by guys and he wont know what day it is.'

The prosecutor added: 'There is clear inference, the Crown say, that by this date Ansreen must have told her daughter about the threats Saqib was making about theirs affair.

'That's her saying 'I'll take care of that, get him jumped by guys'. We'll come to hear he was being jumped mostly by guys and killed.'

Mr Hussain later messaged Mahek about her mother and said: 'Let her know I'm on my way, get her to call me.'

But she replied: 'No, take the message. This year you'll be gone Saqib. I've got every threat you've given my mum to expose her. Narcissistic bastard. Carry on speaking to her now you will see movement soon.'

Mr Thompson KC told the jury: 'The Crown says this shows Mahek Bukhari had taken it on herself stop Saqib contacting her mother and if necessary was prepared to use force, to get someone to 'jump him' to stop Saqib. It gives you a flavour of how they were dealing with the threat posed by Saqib in dealing with affair.'

He added: 'A way had to be found to silence Saqib - either by causing him a really serious injury to warn him or to silence him forever by killing him.

'The revelation of the affair could have ruined Asreen Bukhari's marriage and damaged her reputation in her community.

'It could also have affected Mahek's relationship with her father because she knew about the affair.

'Mahek was a social influencer and had a large number of followers on TikTok and the revelations of the affair might have been damaging to her standing with her followers.'

Four hours before Mr Hussain was killed, he had messaged Mahek pleading for a chance to speak to Ansreen.

When she refused, he threatened to send explicit pictures to Mahek's father, who was unaware of the affair.

Saqib's message read: 'I'm going to message your dad. Show him all the proof - the pictures, the messages with her saying 'I love you'.

'Going to send all the dirty videos and say to him I want my money.'

Data uncovered by police showed that at about 8pm on February 10, he was about to set off for Stoke-on-Trent where Ansreen lived with her husband.

He was traced leaving his home in Banbury and heading north.

Mr Thompson KC said: 'The threat is that Saqib would turn up at the family home in Stoke-on-Trent and that was something they could not risk.'

Mahek intervened - the court was told - and offered to meet with him and her mother in Loughborough before changing the location to Leicester.

The jury was told that police were called to the wreckage of a silver Skoda Fabia at the side of the A46 in the early hours of February 11 in Six Fields, Leicestershire (pictured)

At about 9.15pm, as Mr Hussain was trying to find out the exact location of the meeting, Mahek messaged him: 'Sorted money.'

Mr Thompson said: 'The Crown's case is there never was money to hand over to him. This was simply a lure to get him into a trap.'

Two other friends said they were unable to give him a lift, to which the prosecutor added: 'Tragically, that left only Hashim, who agreed to drive Saqib from Banbury to the meeting place.'

The social media star left her home in Staffordshire at 11.30pm. She is seen on CCTV getting into her Audi TT with mother Ansreen in the passenger seat.

Twenty minutes later phone signals placed Mahek as being near Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, while Saqib had reached the Coventry area.

Just before the fatal crash, which happened at about 1.20am, Mahek and her mother drove into the Tesco Hamilton car park in Leicester with co-defendants Rekan Karwan and Mohammed Patel.

They parked next to a blue Seat Leon, which contained the other four defendants - Ammeer Jamal and his cousin Raees Jamal, Sanaf Gulammustafa and Natasha Akhtar, who was the registered owner of the Seat.

The meeting was captured on a CCTV camera at the car wash outside Tesco.

Mr Hussain and Mr Ijazuddin are seen entering the car park in a Skoda Fabia on CCTV.

Footage showed the car head towards Mahek and the others but the vehicle then slows, stops and then drives off.

Mahek Bukhari, 23, her mother Ansreen Bukhari, 45, and their friend Natasha Akhtar, 22, appeared in the dock at Leicester Crown Court (pictured) yesterday along with Raees Jamal, 22, Rekan Karwan, 28, Mohammed Patel, 20, Sanaf Gulammustafa, 22 and Ameer Jamal, 27. (Stock image)

Mr Thompson KC said 'common sense' had told the men there was 'more behind the meeting' than the handing over of money.

He said: 'Why, having arrived to meet, the Skoda just momentarily paused and drove off.

'The Crown's inference is that both men or one of them realised something was wrong.'

Both the Seat Leon and Audi TT follow the Skoda from the Tesco to the A46.

The three vehicles were caught on several CCTV cameras along the route.

The Seat Leon, allegedly containing four of the defendants, is seen following close behind the Skoda as the Audi TT, containing the other four, is seen jumping a red light as it follows a distance behind.

Security cameras at the Leicester Bentley dealership shows the Seat has overtaken the Skoda and is sitting close in front with the Audi close behind.

The court heard this was around the time Mr Hussain made the 999 call in which he tells the operator that the two vehicles were 'trying to block [him] in.'

Just before the call to police, a call was made to Mr Hussain from Ansreen's phone but his phone ran out of battery.

Mr Thomson KC explained to the court that Mahek's Audi TT was actually a loan car because her own car had been damaged.

But the Audi contained a 'sophisticated tracking computer' which provided the murder investigation with a lot of data about where the car was and how fast it was going at all points during the pursuit.

The trial continues.
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Just a day before being fired by Elon Musk, Twitter lawyer Vijaya Gadde was photographed glaring at her new boss in an awkward meet-up with other employees at the HQ coffee bar.

Gadde, widely considered the 'head of censorship' at Twitter, had been vocal in her criticism of Musk; she cried during a meeting in April after he first announced plans to buy the company. She was a well known Democrat donor and was behind the decision to squash links to a New York Post story about Hunter Biden's incriminating laptop before the 2020 election.

Musk had publicly slammed her for the decision.

On Wednesday, she was spotted with Musk and others at the coffee bar at Twitter HQ. The next day, she was fired along with CEO Parag Agrawal and CFO Ned Segal.

But she walks away with a sizeable payout - a total of $72million in stocks that she owned, salary and benefits and stocks that had not yet vested when she was in her position but which are now paid out as part of the deal.

MarketWatch reports that Gadde, Agrawal and Segal take a combined 'golden parachute' of $204million; Agrawal gets $66million and Segal takes $65million.

Musk has not yet publicly named their replacements but he is expected to act as interim CEO at least on a temporary basis.

Friday also marked the return of Musk's friend, Kanye West, to Twitter after the troubled rapper was suspended from the platform following a series of anti-Semitic rants on social media.

Elon Musk speaks with employees including fired top counsel Vijaya Gadde (left) on Wednesday after taking over at Twitter. She was responsible for permanently banning President Trump from the site - a move that Musk says he will reverse

Musk at the Twitter coffee bar yesterday. He has vowed to fire 75 percent of the staff - to the dismay of many senior employees

Musk posted a video of himself marching into Twitter's San Francisco headquarters carrying a porcelain sink on Wednesday

There's a new sheriff in town: Elon Musk tweets on Friday morning after taking over the company

TWITTER'S HEAD OF CENSORSHIP: LAWYER WHO BANNED TRUMP & DONATED $16,000 TO THE DEMOCRATS Vijaya Gadde's had been a low-key Silicon Valley power player for years, and at Twitter played a key role in the contentious decisions to ban Donald Trump and suppress news articles about Hunter Biden's laptop. After moving to the US from India with her family as a toddler, Gadde and her family faced racism as she grew up in Beaumont, Texas, where she has said her father had to seek approval from the Ku Klux Klan to sell insurance door-to-door. Federal records show that she has also donated regularly to Democratic candidates, contributing more than $18,000 over the past two decades, and most recently supporting Kamala Harris with a $2,700 check in 2019. As Twitter's chief legal officer and general counsel, Gadde exercises enormous power at the company, where she has long essentially had final say over who is allowed on the platform, and what they can tweet. In an interview with Bloomberg, Gadde once said that Twitter's former CEO Jack Dorsey left the creation and enforcement of content policies up to her. 'He rarely weighs in on an individual enforcement decision,' Gadde told the outlet. 'I can't even think of a time. I usually go to him and say, 'this is what's going to happen.'' Although she maintains a low profile, that power has put Gadde at the center of some of Twitter's most controversial moderation decisions, including the decision to permanently ban Trump after his supporters stormed the US Capitol in January 2021. She also signed off on Twitter's move to block the sharing of links to a New York Post article based on files from Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop soon before the 2020 election. Advertisement

As Musk ushered them out last night, he asked Tesla engineers to visit HQ today to start rewriting the website's code.

Among his plans is to open source algorithms to increase transparency for users about how their data is used to suggest content to them, and to add an 'edit' button for all.

He also plans to allow President Trump back on the site.

Trump welcomed his takeover on Friday, writing on his own social media site Truth Social: 'TRUTH SOCIAL has become somewhat of a phenomena.

'Last week it had bigger numbers than all other platforms, including TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and the rest.

'It also looks and works better to my eye. I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands, and will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs that truly hate our country.

'Twitter must now work hard to rid itself of all of the bots and fake accounts that have hurt it so badly.

'It will be much smaller, but better. I LOVE TRUTH!'

Conservative figures who were banned from the platform now hope that his stated commitment to free speech will allow them to return.

The big names booted from Twitter include Donald Trump, Roger Stone, Alex Jones, Steve Bannon and US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Among those who have decried his plans as dangerous is former head of global public policy, Colin Crowell.

He left Twitter in 2019, long before Musk had designs on the site, but told The New York Times yesterday: 'Its a back-to-the-future reversion to content rules circa 2010, but one that ignores the lived experience over the last decade.

'People eventually realize that the Wild West needs a sheriff, both for ensuring the safety of citizens but also for enhancing the prospects for commerce.'

Twitter shares have risen steadily throughout the week in anticipation of the takeover, but they will be halted on Friday on the NYSE.

Musk plans to take the company private - a move that will somewhat shield him from the regulation and bureaucracy he faces with a publicly traded company.

In a securities filing on April 14, Musk said he did not have confidence in Twitter's management and initially vowed to sack 75 percent of the workforce when he formally bought the tech giant.

His total compensation for 2021 was $30.4 million  largely in stock awards  after he was handed the top position following Jack Dorsey's resignation last November.

Twitter's former top lawyer Gadde, who earned $17 million in 2021, was reportedly in tears in April when Musk's takeover first came to light. She has now been paid out $12.5 million for her troubles, Insider said.

Ex-CFO Segal  who was the man behind Mr Trump's Twitter ban  also received the handsome sum of $25.4 million after being fired by Musk on Thursday evening.

And former CCO Personette was handed $11.2 million as part of Musk's house clearance.

Despite Musk's obvious delight with the astonishing deal which will go down in history, some experts have claimed that he has 'overpaid' for the platform.

Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, told the US Sun that the deal 'will go down as one of the most overpaid tech acquisitions in the history of M&A deals on the Street in our opinion'.

Ives, who works for a LA-based investment firm, estimates the value of the company to be closer to $25billion rather than the $44billion.

'With fair value that we would peg at roughly $25billion, Musk buying Twitter remains a major head-scratcher that ultimately he could not get out of once the Delaware Courts got involved,' he said.

In the lead up to the South African's buyout of the social media firm, the market positively reacted, with share prices visibly improving.

They went up by 7.23 per cent in the last five days and were up about 1 per cent at $53.94 in early trading yesterday.

Sean Edgett (left), the general counsel, and Ned Segal, chief financial officer for Twitter (right), have also reportedly been fired

Sarah Personette (left) tweeted on Wednesday that she was excited to work with Elon Musk  and was fired by him the next day

The stock has surged nearly 65 per cent from a four-month low hit in July.

However, after Musk's purchase, the the New York Stock Exchange's website showed that Twitter shares would be suspended from trading.

The South African publicly criticized Twitter's existing leadership team - in particular, attacking their policies on content moderation and censorship. He has also sparred with them over data on how many accounts were bots or spam.

This deal completion comes at the eleventh hour - just one day before Musk was going to be dragged back into court after being sued by Twitter for a back-and-forth he had over whether he was going to buy the company.

On Wednesday, the billionaire changed his Twitter profile to identify himself as the 'Chief Twit' and posted a video of himself walking into the company's San Francisco headquarters carrying a porcelain sink.

This fueled rumors that Musk had closed the deal to buy Twitter in which he shared the clip with the caption: 'Entering Twitter HQ, let that sink in'.

The platform's co-founder Biz Stone confirmed their departures last night

Agrawal, who took over from founder Jack Dorsey almost a year ago, has been at loggerheads with Musk over the number of genuine Twitter users, with Musk responding to a thread of Agrawal's in May with a 'poop' emoji.

When Musk first made his takeover bid in April, he said he had not been given accurate data about spam accounts and bots.

Three months after launching his bid, Musk pulled out  insisting he had been misled about the size of the firm.

Twitter has for years said that bots make up less than 5 percent of its 'monetizable daily active users' (mDAU).

In a series of tweets in May, Agrawal acknowledged that 'spam harms the experience for real people on Twitter,' and added that, 'as such, we are strongly incentivized to detect and remove as much spam as we possibly can, every single day.'

He insisted that Musk was exaggerating the scale of the problem. The South African-born Musk said as many as 25 percent of all Twitter accounts were not real.

Twitter sued Musk to complete the deal, accusing him of using bots as a pretext to exit the deal after getting buyer's remorse, and the deal was set to go to trial later this month.

Musk himself took aim in April at Gadde for censoring stories about Hunter Biden's laptop after it was reported she'd sobbed at news he'd bought the firm.

The tycoon wrote: 'Suspending the Twitter account of a major news organization for publishing a truthful story was obviously incredibly inappropriate.'

Musk was referring to the suspension of the New York Post's account for its exclusive about Hunter Biden's laptop in the run-up to the 2020 election.

Initially dismissed as 'misinformation' by liberal outlets and social media networks, the laptop and its contents have since been verified by many of the same publications.

Gadde  who was described as Twitter's 'moral authority'  broke down in tears on April 25, Politico reported, while briefing her team via video link on the future of the company under Musk.

Musk has been critical over Gadde's work and what he claimed was Twitter's 'left-wing bias'

The tech entrepreneur must now try and turn around the company's finances.

On October 19, he said Twitter was an asset that had 'languished' for a long time.

'Myself and the other investors are obviously overpaying for Twitter right now,' he said.

'The long term potential for Twitter in my view is an order of magnitude greater than its current value.'

He has floated the idea of turning Twitter into an 'everything app'.

The idea originated in Asia with companies such as WeChat, which lets users not only send messages but also make payments, shop online or hail a taxi.

The all-in-one service appealed to users who had fewer choices in a region where Google, Facebook and others were blocked.

Musk has told investors he plans to build one that will sell premium subscriptions to reduce reliance on ads, allow content creators to make money and enable payments, according to a source briefed on the matter.

Musk plans to lower the guard rails that are common across all social media platforms has lead to fears of a deluge of hateful, harmful and potentially illegal content on Twitter. Already, it has struggled with identifying and removing child porn.

Members of Twitter's trust and safety team, which includes content moderators, are expected to be among Musk's deepest job cuts, employees fear.

'Imagine a world where all those people are gone,' one employee said. 'It's going to be a hellscape.'

He has also made clear he plans to loosen content moderation standards  which he claims are infringing on free speech  and restore Mr Trump's account as soon as he takes ownership of the company.

Since then, though, the Tesla CEO has vowed to take a far lighter touch on suspending users who break Twitter's rules on hate speech, having declared himself a strong believer in free speech.

Those who could see a return to the platform include Trump's former campaign adviser Roger Stone, who has said he wants to come back after being banned in 2017 for attacking a journalist.

Stone was briefly back on Twitter in April using an alternate account as he said he was 'anxious to see how strong Elon Musk's commitment to free speech is.'

Steve Bannon is another former Trump adviser looking to return to the platform after being kicked out in 2020.

The former White House chief strategist had posted a video suggesting Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray should be beheaded.

One of the more controversial figures to be booted from the platform is InfoWars host Alex Jones, who was ordered to pay $95 million in damages over false claims that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.

Families of the victims branded Jones a conspiracy theorist whose claims have caused years of harassment and even death threats from his believers.

U.S. Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene also saw her personal account permanently suspended earlier this year after spreading COVID vaccine misinformation.

The congresswoman had received multiple warnings before her account was pulled.

In his statement, Trump both welcomed Musk's arrival at Twitter while trying to boost the fortunes of his own social media

Among those expected to be brought back to Twitter under Musk include former Trump advisers Roger Stone (left) and Steve Bannon (right), who were booted from the platform in 2017 and 2020, respectively

Musk warned advertisers earlier yesterday that Twitter cannot become a 'hellscape' under his ownership.

The Tesla CEO sent a tweet to advertisers, saying that while he wants the social media giant to become a 'digital town square' it 'obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences.'

'Our platform must be warm and welcoming to all,' he wrote, 'where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences, just as you can choose, for example, to see movies or play video games ranging from all ages to mature'.

He added that he 'very much believes that advertising... can delight, entertain and inform you,' saying that when done properly, advertising 'can show you a service or product or medical treatment that you never knew existed, but is right for you.

'For this to be true, it is essential to show Twitter users advertising that is as relevant as possible to their needs,' the 51-year-old concluded in his letter, adding: 'Low relevancy ads are spam, but highly relevant ads are actually content!'

Musk later agreed with a rapper on the platform, Zuby, who suggested that Twitter should 'find a way to compensate' monetize or partner 'with its top creators, like every other social media app.'

'Absolutely,' the SpaceX founder wrote in response.

Musk also revealed his 'motivation' for buying the company in the open letter to advertisers, writing: 'There has been much speculation about why I bought Twitter and what I think about advertising. Most of it is wrong.'

He said he acquired the company 'because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence.'

But, he wrote, 'much of traditional media has fueled and catered' to either the far-Right or the far-Left 'as they believe that is what brings in the money, but in doing so, the opportunity for dialogue is lost.

'That is why I bought Twitter,' Musk wrote. 'I didn't do it because it would be easy. I didn't do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love.

'And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility.'

The Tesla CEO sent a tweet to advertisers Thursday morning, saying that while he wants the social media giant to become a 'digital town square' it 'obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences'

Meanwhile, Twitter staff remained on edge yesterday.

He was later pictured on Wednesday speaking with some employees, reportedly denying rumors that he is culling three quarters of the staff.

But that did little to assuage the more than 7,500 people employed by the social media giant.

As one Twitter employee explained in an anonymous essay for Business Insider, those who remain at the company are worried about the Tesla CEO's volatility.

'I don't think my colleagues and I have a good model for how volatile he is  and I can see that rocking the boat, especially if he makes more comments that make people say, 'What the hell?'' the anonymous Twitter employee wrote.

'There are also people here who are just unfazed by his volatility,' they continued. 'They're not going to react in any way.'

The employee noted that their fellow workers' views of their new boss will all be contingent on how many people he lays off.

'People are asking, if heads are going to roll, whose good graces do you need to be in to stay?' the employee wrote, adding: 'Most people think layoffs are going to be pretty immediate.

'I don't think our site-reliability engineers need to be worried, though,' they mused. 'On the other hand, machine-learning engineers, or the people responsible for building experimental services are more worried.'

The Twitter employee then went on to say they would be most worried 'if Musk decides to wipe out teams indiscriminately, because then it's just a roll of the dice.'

In the meantime, several Twitter employees took to their social media platform to share how they are sticking together.

Following the visit, Stephanie Guevara, a senior iOS engineer for the platform, asked Musk directly: 'Was it fun to look at the faces of the people you said you'd be laying off?'

Parker Lyons expressed his nervousness about the new boss' visit with a meme of a man on top of two tires lifting a sofa, captioned: 'When Elon walks by your desk to see what you're working on'

Others just shared how they are sticking together during the takeover

Stephanie Guevara, a senior iOS engineer for the platform, though, was more blunt  asking Musk directly: 'Was it fun to look at the faces of the people you said you'd be laying off?'

And Parker Lyons expressed his nervousness about the new boss' visit with a meme of a man on top of two tires lifting a sofa, captioned: 'When Elon walks by your desk to see what you're working on.'

Twitter management had already planned to cut staff after spending a whopping $1.5 billion last year on personnel, and had wanted to reduce that amount by some $800 million.

It also spent hundreds of millions of dollars in contracting firms that pay people to review reports of hate speech, child pornography and other rule-breaking content, corporate documents obtained by the Washington Post last week revealed.

Management also planned to make major cuts to its infrastructure, getting rid of data centers that keep the site functioning for more than 200 million users a day.

But Musk expanded on the idea of layoffs, telling employees in June he didn't see a reason why low-performing workers should remain on the payroll.
A man has denied the murder of a Northumbria University student who was found dead in halls.

Police were called to reports of concern for the welfare of a 24-year-old man at Mansion Tyne student accommodation on Howard Street, Newcastle, on September 27.

Jason Brockbanks, from Whitehaven in Cumbria, was confirmed dead at the scene by emergency services.

Aaron Ray, of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court today and pleaded not guilty to his murder.

Jason Brockbanks, a Northumbria University student from Whitehaven in Cumbria, was confirmed dead at the scene

Police were called to reports of concern for the welfare of a 24-year-old man at Mansion Tyne student accommodation on Howard Street in Newcastle (stock image)

The 21-year-old faces trial, which could last five days, at the same court on March 14 next year.

Ray was remanded in custody in the meantime and no bail application was made.

Judge Paul Sloan KC told him: 'I am adjourning your case for trial. You already know the trial date of March 14 next year.

'I am also listing the case for further pre-trial hearing, just to make sure everything has been done that needs to be done and that will be listed on December 19.'

A spokesperson from Northumbria University said last month: 'We are deeply saddened to confirm that a Northumbria University student has died.

'We are in contact with the student's family and friends to offer any support we can at this tragic time.'
History is repeating itself on the New York City Subway as anxiety about soaring crime echoes concerns during the bad old days of the 1980s.

Unearthed news footage shows worried commuters complaining that an epidemic of violent crime was had left them afraid to travel.

The fears voiced in the decades-old newsreels are freakishly similar to those expressed by straphangers today - with transit crime in the city up 41.7 percent compared to last year.

Recent concerns have been intensified by a spate in terrifying shove attacks, with 25 incidents already this year which have left two people dead and more victims seriously injured.

Commuters in the 1980s spoke of their fear riding the subway due to soaring violent crime rate

Passengers said they didn't feel safe and look over their shoulders, echoing fears voiced today

Deja vu: In scene similar to the 1980s, a homeless man is seen sleeping on the subway platform at the Brooklyn Bridge station where a man was stabbed in the neck while trying to break up a fight between two women on Wednesday

NYPD data shows transit crime has risen 41.7% this year, including a spate of shoving incidents

In on clip from 1989, a worried woman says shes scared that somebody is going to attack me whenever she takes the train.

Fast forward to 2022 and the concerns are the same. One commuter complains that as a woman riding the train, theres a lot of things that I worry about.

Others passengers tell how they spend their journeys looking over their shoulders - fearing an attacker could pounce at any moment.

And the politicians of today also seem to be reading from the same script.

In 1985, New York Police Commissioner Benjamin Ward told the press to cease trying to panic the public with reports about subway crime.

Only last week, Mayor Eric Adams said the media was creating a false perception of subway crime with stories based on a narrative.

Two people have been killed being shoved onto tracks this year, with 25 cases in total so far

David Martin, 32, suffered a fractured collarbone when a shove from behind sent him flying

Aspiring rapper Lamale McRae was charged with attempted murder over the attack on Martin

But the fact remains that in 2022, as through the 1980s, subway crime is rising and commuters are scared.

Nine people have been murdered on the subway so far this year, compared to six in 2021.

In the latest case of shocking violence, a 43-year-old rider was stabbed in the back at Harlem's 125th Street station at about 4.30am on Friday morning.

The attack was apparently unmotivated and the suspect, a man in his 20s, ran away after.

And a 78-year-old man was attacked on Thursday afternoon on a southbound No 1 train after asking a group to turn their music down.

The latest NYPD data shows there have been 1,865 reported crimes on the subway so far this year.

That is a 41.7 percent rise on the same period last year, when there were 1,316 reports.

Politicians on the 1980s tried to downplay fears and some said the press were fearmongering

Adams was criticized for suggesting the media was creating a false 'perception' of danger

The spike in subway crimes comes as overall crime rates in New York are up 30.5% on last year

Separate data published by City Hall for the entire city transit network reports there were 3,918 complaints for offenses in the transit jurisdiction in 2021.

Under those criteria, the figure for this year up to September was 3,534.

Fortunately, figures in recent years are significantly lower than in the 1980s.

In 1981, the 15,296 reported felonies was, at the time, the highest in the subway's history and three times the rate in 1970. At that time, there were just short of 1bn journeys per year.

By 1990, there were 18,324 felonies on the subway, including 26 murders.

A significant declined followed and by 2019, the rate was 2,469 felonies, including three murders, even as the annual journey number hit 1.7bn.

Current fears have been intensified by a spike in terrifying shoving attacks, with 25 cases already this year of commuters being hurled onto the tracks.

Two people have been killed and several others only narrowly avoided death.

The 1980s went down as one of the subway's most dangerous periods as crime hit record highs

Commuters complained they didn't feel safe and their sentiments have been echoed in 2022

Archive news footage reveals commuters are gripped by similar concerns as those in the 80s

The fears of straphangers in 2022 have been intensified by a spate of terrifying shove attacks

Figures from the New York City Police Department obtained by DailyMail.com earlier this week revealed the number of cases has already surpassed that for 2021.

As of October 16 the NYPD had recorded 22 subway shovings this year. Since that date three more New Yorkers have been tossed to the tracks - one of them fatally - pushing the total well above the 21 which occurred all of last year.

October was a particularly prolific month for subway shovers, with at least five incidents occurring so far while there are still as many days left in the month.

There were at least two subway shovings in September, three in June, one in April, and another two in January.

Violent killings on subway in 2022 Good Samaritan Roland Hueston struck and killed by train as he tried to rescue man thrown onto tracks by New Year's Day. 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. Marcus Bethea, 24, was shot and killed at the Jamaica Center subway station on April 25 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. Ethan Reyes, 14, fatally stabbed at the the 137 Street-City College station in Hamilton Heights on July 9. Tommy Bailey, a father of three, died after he was slashed in the neck by a homeless man on the L train to Atlantic Ave Station on September 30. Charles Moore, 38, a father, was stabbed in the back and chest after leaving a northbound four train in the Bronx at 10.30pm on October 6. Jayjon Burnett, 15, was shot dead on Friday October 14 by a known gangbanger just on a Far Rockaway A train just days before his 16th birthday. Heriberto Quintana, 48, was hit by train on October 17 after an altercation at the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue station located in Queens Advertisement

The rise in push attacks has left two people dead and overall subway crime is up by 41 percent

On October 17, Heriberto Quintana (above) died when he was shoved in front of a subway train

Tommy Bailey, 43, was slashed in the throat on board an L train on September 30 and died

German Sabio, 26, was pushed into the path of a northbound 6 train on October 16 this year

Manhattan saw at least six shovings - including both fatalities. The Bronx and Brooklyn saw at least three pushings each, and Queens saw one.

The latest shoving took place just last Sunday at the 149th Street-Grand Concourse station in the Bronx at about 9:45pm on October 23.

Ronald Baptiste, a 62-year-old grandfather, was waiting on the platform while on his way to work when Deshaun Smith, 21, allegedly punched him in the back of the head without warning

Police said Smith then shoved Baptiste onto the tracks and fled. Baptiste was able to pull himself off the tracks before a train arrived.

Two days prior on October 21, 32-year-old David Martin was walking down the Wyckoff and Myrtle Avenue subway station in Brooklyn when Lamale McRae, 41, randomly charged across the platform and knocked him down into the tracks.
Collier sent a Venmo transaction to her daughter for nearly $2,400, with a message that read, 'They are not going to let me go'

Cops released video of Collier's last recorded moments were she was seen calmly walking into a Family Dollar store buying items later found with her body

But in a bizarre twist a police source told Fox News they are now looking into the possibility she died in an accident or by suicide

Investigators initially said Collier's death may have been a 'personal and targeted' attack

Collier, 59, was found naked and charred in a Georgia ravine on September 11 after going missing hours before

Debbie Collier's son, Jeffrey Bearden, 33, blasted that his 'entire family has been hunted' since her death - which cops now reportedly say may not be murder

The son of Debbie Collier, whose charred body was found at the bottom of a ravine, has demanded online sleuths 'stop hunting my family' - as cops now say her death may not have been murder.

Jeffrey Bearden, 33, issued a scathing statement to the Daily Beast about how he and his family have been treated after his 59-year-old mother was found dead on September 11.

Collier's family reported her missing one day earlier after she sent a $2,400 Venmo payment to her daughter and left a cryptic message saying that unidentified people 'are not going to let me go.

On September 30, Habersham County Police officially confirmed they believe the mother of two adult children was murdered in a 'personal and targeted' attack.

Cops were unable to specify a motive for the killing.

Her daughter Amanda Bearden and her boyfriend Andrew Giegerich were questioned by investigators but neither have been accused of any wrongdoing.

Now, reports are emerging that Georgia investigators are exploring the possibility that Collier died in an accident or by suicide, citing evidence found at the scene.

According to Fox's two law enforcement sources, there is no evidence linking several key people close to Collier, including her husband, daughter and daughter's boyfriend, to locations anywhere near the crime scene between her disappearance and the discovery of her remains the following day.

Jeffrey Bearden (right), 33, with his now-deceased mother Debbie Collier (left), 59. Bearden has lashed out at online sleuths for 'hunting down his whole family'

Six weeks on from Collier's body being found, cops have made no arrests in the case and her son Jeffrey claims cops 'snickered' at him after he voiced his concerns.

'I was met with a Sheriff who did not empathize with my situation, my concerns for my personal and familys safety after being doxxed online, or potential leaks coming out of his office despite several media outlets claiming sources in his own department,' he wrote on Facebook yesterday.

'He instead used his time to snicker and laugh at my attempts to discuss my concerns and to tell me directly that he wasnt trying to hang up on me when pressing him on his offices actions.'

Speaking to the Daily Beast, he said: 'Please, again, put down your bows and arrows and stop hunting my family.

'Please respect my mother.

'My entire family has been hunted since my mothers passing by strangers, independent sleuths, Youtubers who peddle tacky shirts and merchandise about the worst day of my life, a distant family member who decided to victim shame my mother on the internet, and the reporters who continue to use my mothers name for clickbait.'

'The public has absolutely obliterated any possibility of a normal experience of grief for my family.

'For that, I am not sure I will ever be capable of forgiveness.'

Debbie was found dead in a ravine in Georgia on September 11 with physical burns on her naked body. Law enforcement initially said they believed she had been killed but are reportedly exploring the possibility that her death was an accident or suicide

Forensic gloves lay nearby along with pieces of paper and what appears to be a strip of a book cover

Police found Collier's body naked and charred in the woods on September 11 near Tallulah, Georgia

Footage of some of Collier's last moments alive show her calmly walking into a Family Dollar in Clayton, Georgia, at 2.55pm on Saturday, September 10 and buying a number of items later found along with her body.

She was wearing a replica Herschel Walker jersey from his time playing for the University of Georgia, a blue skirt, what appear to be black boots with slight heels and a red sun visor.

The real estate office manager was then seen at the cash register buying a rain poncho, refillable torch lighter, a 2-roll pack of paper towels, a 7.5ft. x 9.5ft. tarp, and a reusable tote bag  before leaving at 3.09pm.

She then waited in the black 2022 Pacifica for 10 minutes until 3.19pm before heading south on GA15.

Her body was found partly burned near Tallulah Falls, Georgia on September 11.

Habersham County Police did not immediately respond to the DailyMail.com's request for comment.

The case of Collier's death has become particularly popular fodder for online spectators and amateur true crime investigators
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the United States of trying to dictate their terms to other nations in a dangerous, bloody and dirty domination game. (Image: AP)

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday denied having any intentions of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine but described the conflict there as part of alleged efforts by the West to secure its global domination, which he insisted are doomed to fail.

Speaking at a conference of international foreign policy experts, Putin said it's pointless for Russia to strike Ukraine with nuclear weapons.

"We see no need for that," Putin said. "There is no point in that, neither political, nor military."

Putin said an earlier warning of his readiness to use all means available to protect Russia didn't amount to nuclear sabre-rattling but was merely a response to Western statements about their possible use of nuclear weapons.

He particularly mentioned Liz Truss saying in August that she would be ready to use nuclear weapons if she became Britain's prime minister, a remark which he said worried the Kremlin.

What were we supposed to think? Putin said. "We saw that as a coordinated position, an attempt to blackmail us."

In a long speech full of diatribes against the United States and its allies, Putin accused them of trying to dictate their terms to other nations in a dangerous, bloody and dirty domination game.

Putin, who sent his troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, has cast Western support for Ukraine as part of broad efforts by Washington and its allies to enforce its will upon others through a rules-based world order.

He argued that the world has reached a turning point, when the West is no longer able to dictate its will to humankind but still tries to do it, and the majority of nations no longer want to tolerate it.

The Russian leader claimed that the Western policies will foment more chaos, adding that he who sows the wind will reap the whirlwind.

Putin claimed that humankind now faces a choice: accumulate a load of problems that will inevitably crush us all or try to find solutions that may not be ideal but could work and could make the world more stable and secure.

Without offering evidence, the Russian leader repeated Moscow's unproven allegation that Ukraine was plotting a false flag attack involving a radioactive dirty bomb it would try to pin on Russia.

Ukraine has strongly rejected the claim, and its Western allies have dismissed it as transparently false. Ukraine argued Russia might be making the unfounded allegation to serve as a cover for its own possible plot to detonate a dirty bomb.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters on Thursday that the US has still not seen anything to indicate that Putin has decided to use a dirty bomb.

Putin said he personally ordered Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to call his foreign counterparts to tell them about the purported plot.

He maintained that Russia knows the Ukrainian facilities working on the project.

He mocked the allegations by Ukraine and the West that Russia was firing on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine as ravings. Russian troops have occupied the plant, Europe's largest, since the early days of the conflict.

Putin also expressed bewilderment about Washington's policy on China, noting that tensions sparked by a recent visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi come amid the US-Russian showdown over Ukraine.

Why spoil relations with China at the same time? Putin said. "It seems to defy logic and common sense. It looks like ravings."

He hailed Russia's relations with China, but said he hadn't warned Chinese President Xi Jinping about his intention to send troops into Ukraine when he visited Beijing days before that to attend the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Asked about Washinton's threat to re-evaluate its relationship with Saudi Arabia over the Riyadh-led OPEC+ alliance's move to cut oil production, Putin argued that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was acting in his nation's interests and the need to stabilise global energy markets.

"They need to respect the crown prince and Saudi Arabia, and they will respond in kind, Putin said. And they will also respond in kind if they are spoken to in a boorish manner."

The Russian leader said Russia isn't the enemy of the West but will continue to oppose the purported diktat of Western neo-liberal elites, accusing them of trying to subdue Russia.

Their goal is to make Russia more vulnerable and turn it into an instrument for fulfilling their geopolitical tasks, they have failed to achieve it and they will never succeed, Putin said.

Putin reaffirmed his long-held claim that Russians and Ukrainians are part of a single people and again denigrated Ukraine as an artificial state that received historic Russian lands from Communist rulers during the Soviet times.

In that context, he acknowledged that the fighting in Ukraine effectively amounts to a civil war, although the Kremlin calls its actions in Ukraine a special military operation. (AP)
Northern Ireland is facing a race against time to break the deadlock at Stormont after ministers warned they will have to trigger an election next week.

The DUP has been refusing to take up the Deputy First Minister role due to the ongoing dispute over the post-Brexit protocol for the province.

Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, both sides of the sectarian divide must agree to participate for powersharing to function.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris had been expected announce a date for a poll today - potentially December 15.

Speaking in Belfast this afternoon, he admitted he had few 'options' under the law. But he put off the final decision.

'I have had lots and lots of talks with all the parties and will continue to do so,' Mr Heaton-Harris said.

'I hear it when parties say that they really do not want an election at all but nearly all of them are parties who signed up to the law that means I need to call an election.

'So you'll hear more from me on that particular point next week.'

Northern Ireland is bracing for another election before Christmas after a deadline to restore Stormont (pictured) was missed

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson insisted it is the fault of the UK government that devolved government in Northern Ireland is not functioning

Posting on Twitter today, Mr Heaton-Harris said he is 'extremely disappointed' that an executive has not been formed and he will provide an update on his 'legal duty to act'

A six-month legislative timeframe to form an administration expired in the early hours of today.

With no ministerial executive in place, the UK Government assumes a legal responsibility to call another election.

While Mr Heaton-Harris has not yet laid out the details, there has been speculation the poll would be held on December 15.

Stormont ministers, who have been operating in shadow form since the Assembly collapsed earlier this year, also ceased to hold office at midnight.

Responsibility for running devolved departments will now pass to senior civil servants, although their powers are limited.

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said this morning that elections will 'definitely happen'.

'I think it's regrettable the parties were not able to come together to form that executive,' she told Sky News.

'But the law was clear. We passed the legislation that this would happen and clearly there wasn't sufficient agreement to be able to avoid the elections.

'That wasn't in the hands of the Government, that was in the hands of the parties representing the different communities in Northern Ireland.

'I hope that the next elections will be an opportunity for people to reconsider their approach, recognising the New Decade, New Approach agreement that was signed only a couple of years ago, and we need to make sure that we do what we can to work together to try and make that come to fruition.'

Asked if there is any chance the elections could be avoided through new legislation, she said: 'They will definitely happen.'

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson insisted it is the fault of the UK government that devolved government in Northern Ireland is not functioning.

'We've had six months in which to do something about the protocol, and during those six months we have had three prime ministers, we have had the Government changed often and we haven't seen the progress that is needed,' he told BBC Radio Ulster.

'I think the Government would be within its rights to say, given that those six months have elapsed and progress hasn't been made, that we need a further period to sort this out, get a solution on the protocol that restores Northern Ireland's place within the UK internal market and that will see the institutions restored immediately.'

Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy dismissed the notion that the DUP tactic of refusing to form an executive was exerting any pressure on the Westminster government to act over the protocol.

He told the BBC: 'The chaos and the infighting that is going on within the Tory government means their focus is entirely on themselves, and if there is a negotiation with the EU, that will take place because the British government want it to take place not because the DUP are punishing the people of the north by preventing them having their own institutions.

'The DUP action is harming only the people that they represent, and we all collectively represent, and is serving no purpose other than to do that.'

While Mr Heaton-Harris has not yet laid out the details, there has been speculation the poll would be held on December 15

MLAs met during a recalled sitting of the Assembly on Thursday, but a bid to elect a new speaker  which must be done before the election of first and deputy first ministers  did not proceed as the DUP refused to support the nominations.

The session was then suspended.

The DUP's boycott of the Stormont institution is part of a campaign of opposition to the protocol, and the party says it will not return to powersharing until decisive action is taken to remove economic barriers on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Government has vowed to secure changes to the protocol, either by a negotiated compromise with the EU or through proposed domestic legislation  the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill  which would empower ministers to scrap the arrangements without the approval of Brussels.

The last Northern Ireland Assembly election was held in May of this year, and Sinn Fein emerged as the largest party for the first time.
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The man who attacked Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul with a hammer early Friday morning is a former nudist from British Columbia who has struggled with drugs and posted crazed COVID conspiracy theories, anti-Semitic rants, racist slurs and unhinged screeds on religion online.

Police said they arrested hemp jewelry maker David DePape, 42, after he broke into the Pelosis' $6million San Francisco home in at 2.27 am in his underwear and beat 82-year-old Paul Pelosi with a hammer while shouting 'where's Nancy'.

Cops say were at the property in the exclusive Pacific Heights neighborhood when they saw the suspect grapple with Pelosi, take the hammer and then hit him with it, causing severe head, arm and hand injuries.

When they arrested Depape, they found a manifesto that contained anti-government COVID beliefs and a list of other politicians he planned to target, KTVU reported.

Pelosi was taken into surgery to repair a skull fracture after the attack but is expected to make a full recovery, while DePape is in custody and set to be charged with multiple felonies including attempted homicide.

President Joe Biden called the attack 'horrible' and Republican and Democrats condemned the violence as the House Speaker rushed from DC to San Francisco to be at her husband's side.

DePape grew up north of the border but moved from British Columbia to California 20 years ago. He followed a love interest, his stepfather told CNN, and family members have insisted he was a 'good kid'.

He ended up in the Berkeley area, an ultra-liberal enclave of the city, where he lived in a three-bedroom Victorian flat with famed nudist activist Gypsy Taub and a group who believed 9/11 was an 'inside job'.

A November 2008 article in the Oakland Tribune reported that he had three small children with Russian-born Taub. She was quoted in the article on community meals saying: In Russia, where I am from, people share more, and I want my kids to grow up knowing sharing.

Taub and her fiance Jaymz Smith tapped DePape to be their best man at their nudist wedding in 2013, but he stayed dressed and took photos during the ceremony that attracted a huge police presence.

An acquaintance of his told CNN that DePape was struggling with hard drugs about eight years ago but was 'trying to create a new life for himself.' She said she cut off contact with DePape after receiving 'disturbing' emails in which he sounded 'dangerous' and 'out of touch with reality.'

His social media showed he posted conspiracy theories about the origins of the covid epidemic, about the validity of the 2020 election, and on the January 6th insurrection on Capitol Hill.

He first began posting on a blog titled God Is Loving in June 2007 with rambling screeds about religion. He stopped posting for 15 years  then suddenly started again on August 24 this year with racist, sexist, anti-semitic and crazed entries about the Q-Anon conspiracy theory.

David DePape, 42, was identified as the man who attacked Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul with a hammer at their San Francisco home in the early hours of Friday morning

DePape, right, is seen at a naked wedding on the steps of City Hall in December 2013

DePape is pictured with the bride, Gypsy Taub, at her wedding to Jaymz Smith in December 2013

DePape is seen filming the wedding in December 2013, on the steps of San Francisco City Hall

Pelosi was taken into brain surgery after the attack but is expected to make a full recovery, while DePape is set to be charged with multiple felonies including attempted homicide. He is pictured with Nancy at the Time 100 Gala in 2019

The Pelosis own a four-bedroom San Francisco home that sits in the middle of her congressional district and was purchased in 2007 for $2.2 million but is thought to be worth at least $6 million now

Aerial footage showed broken panes and shatter glass at the backdoor of Pelosi's home

He posted obscene versions of Disney songs from YouTube including one titled: Do you want to **** a snowman? He posted a screed containing the n-word, and a post titled This is what a dumb b***h looks like. Others were titled: Noah survived the collapse of Atlantis, Pedophile normalization, Facts are Racist, Communist Voodoo science, Im not sexist and Feminist gets owned.

On a separate blog he set up called Frenly Frens, he wrote unhinged entries on how Jews hate whites, and several posts about Donald Trump, including one that said: Trump you NEEEEEEEED to make Tulsi your VP in 2024.

He defended former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who was found guilty of killing George Floyd.

DePape called Chauvin's trial 'a modern lynching' and falsely indicated that Floyd died of a drug overdose.

He also posted long screeds about religion, including claims that 'Jesus is the anti christ.' When DePaper broke into the Pelosis' home, he was shouting 'Where is Nancy? Where's Nancy?'

Speaker Pelosi was in Washington D.C. when Paul Pelosi, 82, was brutally attacked. He was taken to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and underwent brain surgery, NBC News reported.

The speaker's office said he is expected to recover. Nancy Pelosi was able to speak with her husband before his operation, CNN reported.

DePape, meanwhile, will be booked at the San Francisco County jail on several charges, including-attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, and additional felonies.

DePape entered the Pelosi residence through a sliding glass door at the back of the house. Aerial footage showed broken panes of smashed glass at a door to their home.

His target was Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Instead, DePape found her husband of 59 years.

He confronted Paul Pelosi, yelling: 'Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?.' DePape tried to tie up Paul Pelosi 'until Nancy got home.' When police arrived, the suspect told them: 'We're waiting for Nancy,' CNN reported.

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott indicated there was some type of confrontation between the two men involving a hammer. But it was unclear who the hammer belonged to - if DePape brought it with him or if Paul Pelosi had it for defensive reasons.

Scott said when his officers entered the home, they 'observed Mr. Pelosi and the suspect both holding a hammer. The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it. Our officers immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup and rendered medical aid.'

Scott noted 'the motive for this attack is still being determined.' He did not answer any questions when he made a short statement to the media.

FBI agents work outside the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi where her husband Paul Pelosi was 'violently assaulted' after a break-in at their house

San Francisco police officers and FBI agents in front of Pelosi's home on Friday morning - U.S. Capitol Police are also working with the officers on the investigation

Staff members of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, including Pelosi's Chief of Staff Terri McCullough, second from right, hug outside of the Capitol on Friday

As speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi has a fulltime security detail with her but her husband would not have federal protection. She is a longtime political target. During the January 6th insurrection, MAGA supporters storming the Capitol shouted 'where's Nancy' and they broke into her office, looking for her.

President Joe Biden spoke with Speaker Pelosi Friday morning. He condemned the violence.

'The President is praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi's whole family,' said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement. 'This morning he called Speaker Pelosi to express his support after this horrible attack. He is also very glad that a full recovery is expected. The President continues to condemn all violence, and asks that the family's desire for privacy be respected.'

The San Francisco home of the millionaire couple has been the frequent target of protests.

In January 2021, a pig's head was left outside her garage door with red paint in a demonstration saying $2,000 COVID relief checks were not enough.

Paul Pelosi made headlines earlier this year when he was arrested for DUI in Napa Valley when he crashed his Porsche near one of the properties in their portfolio.

Meanwhile, political attacks have been on the rise this year. And, in the wake of the attack on Paul Pelosi, U.S. Capitol Police are assessing additional security options for the protection of families of congressional leadership.

Currently, there is no formal protection for families or staff for members of Congress. Private security can be paid for out of campaign funds.

Lawmakers from both political parties have faced threats.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida claimed that one of his supporters was attacked while out canvassing this week. And Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger said he's received death threats against himself and his family after serving on the committee investigating the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol.

'Early this morning, an assailant broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco and violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi,' Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said in a statement Friday.

A booking photo provided by the Napa County Sheriff's Office shows Paul Pelosi on May 29, 2022, following his arrest on suspicion of DUI in Northern California; he pled guilty to driving under the influence and was sentenced to three years probation and five days of jail time, getting credit for time served

'The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation. Mr. Pelosi was taken to the hospital, where he is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery,' Hammill added.

The family requested privacy.

'The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time,' Hammill said.

Well wishes poured in for the 82-year-old.

'What happened to Paul Pelosi was a dastardly act,' Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. 'I spoke with Speaker Pelosi earlier this morning and conveyed my deepest concern and heartfelt wishes to her husband and their family, and I wish him a speedy recovery.'

Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell said he was 'horrified' at the news.

'Horrified and disgusted by the reports that Paul Pelosi was assaulted in his and Speaker Pelosi's home last night. Grateful to hear that Paul is on track to make a full recovery and that law enforcement including our stellar Capitol Police are on the case,' McConnell said.

Upscale Pacific Heights, where the Pelosis own their home, has not been immune from a crime wave hitting San Francisco. In recent months a nearby neighbor revealed how he was robbed at gunpoint outside his own mansion in the area.

Major crimes in San Francisco are up 7.4 percent so far this year from the same period in 2021, with assault up 11.1 percent and robbery up 5.2 percent.

Amid scenes of misery on city streets, where drug use is brazen and homelessness is rampant, a recent poll found that a majority of San Franciscans believe their city is going down hill, and a third plan to leave the city within three years.

Pelosi had just returned this week from a security conference in Europe. She was scheduled to keynote Human Rights Campaign dinner on Saturday evening in Washington with Vice President Kamala Harris but canceled that appearance.

She is also one of the most well-known members of the House and is a frequent Republican target in election years, when they attempt to tie Democratic candidates to the liberal speaker from San Francisco.

It's not the first time the Pelosi home has been targeted.

In January of last year, the Pelosis' Pacific Heights home was vandalized overnight with a pig's head surrounded in a pool of red paint, as well as a spray-painted message appearing to allude to the failed $2,000 stimulus checks.

After the January 6th insurrection that saw Donald Trump's MAGA supporters swarm the Capitol to try and stop the certification of the presidential election, lawmakers were given greater leniency to spend their campaign funds on security.

And threats of physical violence increased.

In the five years after Trump was elected president in 2016, the number of recorded threats against members of Congress increased more than tenfold, to 9,625 in 2021, according to figures from the Capitol Police.

In the first quarter of 2022, the latest period for which figures were available, the force opened 1,820 cases, the New York Times found.

Republican Senator Susan Collins had her home vandalized with a storm window broken this election year.

'I wouldn't be surprised if a senator or House member were killed,' Collins told The New York Times earlier this month. 'What started with abusive phone calls is now translating into active threats of violence and real violence.'

Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, a frequent target of Trump's wrath, has spent $70,000 on security measures.

Democratic Rep. Cori Bush, a prominent black liberal, has spent the most among House lawmakers: close to $400,000. She has said she's received multiple death threats.

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said the suspect will be charged with multiple felonies - including attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, and elder abuse

Police tape is seen in front of the San Francisco home of Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Officers are investigating a motivation on the attack on Paul Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi (2nd L) and Paul Pelosi (2nd R) attend Global Citizen Festival 2022 in New York in September with grandchildren Paul and Thomas

Paul Pelosi, seen in the Capitol in March, was left with significant injuries but is expected to recover

Paul and Nancy Pelosi married in 1963 and have five children; above they are seen together in London last year when she had meetings at 10 Downing Street

Speaker Pelosi was a target during the January 6th insurrection; above Richard Barnett, a supporter of Donald Trump, sits at her desk in the Capitol building

Often at Speaker Pelosi's side at political events, Paul Pelosi is a businessman based in the Bay Area. He and Speaker Pelosi married in 1963 and have five children.

The couple owns a four-bedroom San Francisco home that sits in the middle of her congressional district and was purchased in 2007 for $2.2 million but is thought to be worth at least $6 million now.

Pelosi is one of the wealthiest members of Congress with a fortune of $29.3 million according to an analysis of her financial disclosure forms by Roll Call.

She and Paul Pelosi own multiple properties spread over several states. She spends most of her time in Washington D.C where she has a $2.6 million condo in the upscale Georgetown district.

The couple also have a 65-acre wine estate in St Helena, 65 miles north of San Francisco, that boasts a Palladian style house and a Z shaped pool.

According to Roll Call, the property is now worth between $5 million and $2 million and provides the Pelosis with an annual windfall of up to $15,000 from grape sales.

Pelosi also owns a second Napa Valley property worth $1 million which is rented out for up to $50,000 a year according to her financial disclosure forms.

A second rental property worth up to $5 million is located in the upscale Sugar Bowl Ski Resort near Norden, California.
At least two Russian conscripts are dead and 11 have been injured after a truck ran over them at a top-secret training base.

Israpil Abkherdilayev, 22, a contract soldier, rammed a KamAZ military transport into the conscripts at a training ground near the city of Mirny, northwest Russia, around 7pm on Thursday.

One soldier died at the scene while a second died later in hospital, where 11 others are now recovering with various degrees of injury.

Israpil Abkherdilayev, 22, a Russian contract soldier, ran over a column of conscripts in a Kamaz truck - leaving two dead and 11 hurt

The training ground is off-limits to anyone without a pass, and is located near the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, which houses Russian nukes and space rockets.

Just two days ago, a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile - which is capable of carrying a nuke - was launched from Plesetsk during training drills overseen by Putin.

It is also used to launch satellite-carrying space rockets and, in November last year, was used to test Russia's satellite-killing Nudol missile.

An investigation has been launched, and the Russian military has not given any further information about what happened or why.

Abkherdilayev is reported to have 'got behind the wheel of a KAMAZ truck and drove into a column of conscripts,' according to media outlet ASTRA.

'One conscript was killed instantly, the other died in hospital.

'Eleven people were taken to a military hospital in the city of Mirny.'

The accident happened at a training ground in the town of Mirny, north-western Russia, which is closed off to those without a pass and located near the Plesetsk nuclear base

Sources of another news outlet 29.RU confirmed that two people had been killed, and that the rest were hospitalised with minor injuries.

The incident took place at a training ground belonging to Military Unit 13973, located in a closed area.

'Military investigators are already working on the case,' reported BAZA.

Plesetsk is regularly used for key launches.

Putin on Thursday oversaw a YARS launch in a nuclear exercise designed to respond to a Western attack on Russia.

Russian state TV said the Putin drills were aimed at targeting the UK and US.

On October 15, an Angara-1.2 carrier rocket with a spacecraft was launched from the cosmodrome.

Five days earlier a Soyuz-2.1b rocket was launched .

A news blackout was initially issued on the incident.

Military sources refused local journalists requests for comments on the incident.

Mirny is a closed town in the west of Arkhangelsk region, serving the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.
A support dog has died after giving a final farewell to his handler, leaving a legacy for some of the most vulnerable emergency workers in the country.

Bruce the Labrador passed away in his sleep on Friday in the arms of handler and owner Ken, who together were the faces of the popular Peer Support Dog Program for Ambulance Victoria.

Bruce, alongside Ken, kicked off his tenure when he was six years old in 2018, as part of a trial to boost the mental wellbeing of paramedic staff in the state.

Ambulance Victoria took to social media in a moving tribute on Friday, along with a final photo, saying Bruce brought a smile to workers' faces whenever they saw him.

Bruce the Labrador (pictured, left) died in his sleep on Friday in the arms of handler and owner Ken, (pictured, right) who headed the Peer Support Dog Program for Ambulance Victoria

'No one complained about the patch of blonde hair he would leave behind on your pant leg, and we were all only too happy to oblige to his request for a belly rub,' it wrote.

'Thank you, Bruce, for all you have done for us at AV, and our friends and families. We will miss you. Our thoughts are with Ken and his family.'

The post sparked an outpouring of tributes.

'I had the pleasure of meeting Bruce after a long shift and walking out of the Alfred. He trotted over to me for pats and made me smile,' one said.

'RIP Bruce, youre such a good boy and deserve a good rest.'

'Sad to hear about Bruce. Both Ken and Bruce were ground breaking,' said another devotee.

'Running Free Bruce, your service is complete. Condolences to all,' a third wrote.

'Thank you, Bruce, for all you have done for us at AV and our friends and families. We will miss you,' one of the moving social media tributes said. Pictured is Bruce in 2018

The Peer Support Dog Program started as a pilot which which quickly became a huge success.

It has since introduced 16 more pooches to bring comfort to workers, amid the force's horrific rates of suicide.

Ambulance Victoria chief executive Tony Walker said the suicidal rate for the state's paramedics is four times higher than the average Victorian.

'It is also three times the rate compared to other emergency services,' Mr Walker said.

'It is one of the many ways we are working to improve the mental health of our workforce and ensure our people continue to provide exceptional care to our patients every time.

Anyone who needs support and information can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

'No one complained about the patch of blonde hair Bruce would leave behind on your pant leg, and we were all only too happy to oblige to his request for a belly rub,' a tribute said.(pictured, Bruce with Ted posing with graduates in 2020)
The UN have welcomed the sentencing but haven't confirmed why Elkorany remained with the organization after allegations emerged

Nine victims, identified only by numbers, spoke in court or over a telephone line about the serial rapist and his heinous crimes

Others took place while he held earlier posts; altogether his crimes stretch over 17 years and across the globe, including Iraq, Egypt and the United States

He committed some of those crimes while he was working in international aid, development and/or foreign relations over roughly five years, until 2018

A former United Nations employee who drugged 20 women and raped at least 13 of those victims over close to two decades has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Manhattan federal judge.

Karim Elkorany, 39, committed some of those crimes while he was working in international aid, development and/or foreign relations over about five years, until 2018.

Others took place while he held earlier posts - including as a State Department contractor; altogether his crimes stretch over 17 years and across the globe, including Iraq, Egypt and the United States.

Nine victims, identified only by numbers, spoke in court or over a telephone line on Thursday and said being drugged and raped by a man who first won their trust left them shattered.

Karim Elkorany, 39, who drugged 20 women and raped at least 13 of those victims over close to two decades has been sentenced to 15 years in prison

'His crime destroyed my life, and I've spent the last six years trying to rebuild it, piece by painstaking piece,' a woman, identified as victim 1 told the court.

'There is no part of me that has gone untouched. The trauma I experienced as a result of the assault spread like a cancer into every corner of my life, and I am still discovering areas it infected.'

Victim 1 met Elkorany in Iraq while he was working there as a communications specialist in November 2016.

The 39-year-old then drugged her, brought her to his apartment and sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious.

She told the court she felt 'comatose' on the car ride to his apartment and regained consciousness to find Elkorany raping her.

She added that the drugs he gave her meant she 'will never know the details of what happened to me on the worst day of my life.'

Victim 1 met Elkorany in Iraq while he was working there as a communications specialist in November 2016

'Your long rampage of violence against women has truly and finally been brought to an end,' she said.

She explained she was so traumatized she could not endure being hugged or held by her husband for five years after the attack. She said her career has also never recovered.

In December of that year, Victim 1 reported the crime to the UN and an investigation into the allegations against Elkorany started.

In November of the following year, special agents with the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed Elkorany who said he knew of the allegations but falsely claimed they did not occur.

Elkorany continued to work for the organization until 2018 when he resigned.

Dailymail.com has reached out to the UN for comment on the internal investigation which took place, the circumstances surrounding Elkorany's resignation and what measures were put in place following the 2016 allegation.

In a statement to Yahoo News, Stephane Dujarric, a United Nations spokesman, said the UN does not have prosecutorial authority and cooperates with and relies on member states to ensure that UN personnel who commit crimes are held accountable.

Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald (pictured) said Elkorany 'gas-lighted them about what had happened by manipulating their memories of the events'

'The United Nations welcomes the efforts of the United States authorities in ensuring that Mr. Karim Elkorany is held to account for his criminal conduct,' he said.

'We salute the courage of the women that came forward to initiate the investigations. We hope that this sentence brings to all his victims a sense that justice has been achieved.'

When Victim 2 spoke she said Elkorany posed as someone who cared about issues facing women as he preyed upon his friends and acquaintances.

'All his talk about kindness and decency and caring for others was a sham,' she told the court.

Prosecutors said Victim 2 met Elkorany when she worked for a UN organization, and she was drugged and sexually assaulted on multiple occasions between 2014 and 2019 in the US and Iraq.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Pomerantz said Elkorany would shame women after the attacks if they questioned what had happened.

She said he did not use condoms and 'callously and cruelly joked about drugging and raping them' - sometimes distributing nude photographs he took of them when they were incapacitated to his friends and forwarding some pictures to his victims anonymously, Yahoo News reported.

Victims said Elkorany had given them drugs to cloud their memories of the assaults

A statement from UNICEF said that they welcomed Elkorany's sentencing this week.

'The horrifying violence he perpetrated should never occur and must never be tolerated,' it read.

'Our hearts go out to his victims. We wish to thank the brave individuals who reported the assaults to the United Nations system in 2016.

UNICEF confirmed that some of his crimes were committed while he was a temporary UNICEF staff member.

'UNICEF's Investigation Office received no formal complaints about this behavior, which was first drawn to our attention after Elkorany had left UNICEF when complaints were filed in late 2016,' the statement continued.

'Since then, we have been cooperating with the various enquiries and providing what support we can, within the scope of the information that is available to us.'

Prosecutors said a court-authorized search showed that Elkorany used email and Google chat to speak with friends 'about using and obtaining drugs, such as Xanax and Valium, and/or using drugs to incapacitate women,' reported the New York Times.

Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald said Elkorany 'gas-lighted them about what had happened by manipulating their memories of the events.'

'He told one victim that her blackouts were due to job-related stress,' she said. 'He told another that she had simply drunk too much, and he told another and perhaps more than one that nothing had happened.'

Elkorany said 'words of apology could not undo the damage he has caused.'

'My actions will follow me for the rest of my life, as they should, and the rest of my life will be filled with regret and remorse,' he said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has long been a target of threats, and her San Francisco home has been vandalized, smeared with fake blood while becoming a focal point for protesters for months.

Sometimes it has been a venue for brash political statements. Other times, threats directed against the Speaker have drawn the attention of federal law enforcement.

Pelosi was the target threats both before and during the Capitol riot, and the Capitol Police, whom she helps oversee along with other congressional leaders, have long been trained on potential threats against her.

One such incident occurred on New Years' Day, 2021, when vandals left fake blood and what appeared to be a pig's head outside her home in San Francisco's exclusive Pacific Heights neighborhood.

They scrawled: '$2K', 'Cancel rent!' and 'We want everything,' in an apparent reference to $2,000 COVID relief checks. The Speaker was seeking to boost covid relief checks at the time.

Protesters poured red paint outside Pelosi's home last year. Her home has become a target of repeated protests, and the speaker has faced threats in the past

Some other protests have been more civil. Homeless advocates placed an 'eviction notice' on her $6 million mansion last August as they demanded Congress extend a pandemic eviction moratorium, in a city with an acute homeless problem.

Last spring, after a leaked draft Supreme Court opinion that would strike down Roe v. Wade, pro-choice protesters gathered outside her house to accuse her of failing to do anything about it. The Supreme Court would ultimately vote to overturn the abortion ruling, but the Senate lacked the votes to try to force through legislation to codify previous protections, notwithstanding Pelosi's own views on the matter.

Sometimes protesters opted for humor. They hung hair dryers from a tree in front of her home and donned hair curlers after she was spotted visiting a salon that was closed due to the pandemic.

Pelosi's hometown, a liberal bastion, has a long tradition of political activism and protest. In December 2021 she was interrupted by a protester screaming 'Let's Go Brandon,' a statement that has become a stand-in for an expletive about Joe Biden

There have also been physical threats against the speaker. She has spent decades in office and is often elevated by her political rivals as the face of the opposition.

A slogan spray-painted on her home appeared to reference the push for more COVID relief

Pelosi's home town of San Francisco has a long tradition of protest. In December 2021 she was interrupted by a protester screaming 'Let's Go Brandon,' a statement that has become a stand-in for an expletive about Joe Biden

Paul Pelosi was in the news this summer, and was sentenced to five days in jail in August following a DUI

Speaker Pelosi was a target during the January 6th insurrection; above Richard Barnett, a supporter of Donald Trump, sits at her desk in the Capitol building

During the Capitol riot on January 6, rioters could be heard yelling, 'Nancy! Oh Nancy! Where are you Nancy?'

People who penetrated the building ended up busting into Pelosi's Capitol office, sitting in her chair, and removing items including a laptop and a podium.

Adam Johnson, who took the podium, was sentenced to 75 days in prison.

Dawn Lee Bancroft, who entered the Capitol and recorded herself saying she wanted to 'shoot Pelosi in the friggin brain,' was sentenced to 60 days in prison.

Richard Barnett, who was photographed sitting in Pelosi's chair inside her Capitol office, goes to trial in December. He has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges connected to the riot.

Prosecutors said a Texas man wanted to drag Pelosi out of the building that day.

'I just want to see Pelosi's head hitting every f****** stair' of the building, Guy Reffitt texted a friend before the riot. He was sentenced to 7 1/4 years in prison, after being the first person rioter convicted in relation to the breach. He never entered the building, but prosecutors said he helped rally the crowd. He had handgun, as well as body armor and flex cuffs.

On January 4, 2021, the Secret Service found a Parler account that included threats to lawmakers including Pelosi. It stated: ' January 6 starts #1776 all over againFight for EVERYTHING.' It also listed 'Enemies' including Pelosi, according to Citizens for Responsible Ethics in Washington.

It wasn't until January 6 that U.S. Capitol Police received the post, according to CREW.

The long string of threats and protests came before the violent break-in early Friday, at a time when Congress is out of session and Pelosi has been campaigning around the country for Democrats.

'Early this morning, an assailant broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco and violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi,' Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill, said in a statement. 'The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation,'

'Mr. Pelosi was taken to the hospital, where he is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery,' Hammill said.

A statement from Capitol Police said it was assisting the FBI and San Francisco Police in a joint investigation into the break-in.

'The Speaker was in Washington, D.C. with her protective detail at the time of the overnight, break-in. During the California break-in, the Speakers husband was assaulted, but he is now recovering. The San Francisco Police Department has the suspect in custody. The motivation for the attack is still under investigation,' according to Capitol Police.
Former President Donald Trump on Friday welcomed Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter, even as he defended his own troubled social media startup and said its bigger rival needed to root out bots and fake accounts.

Billionaire Musk sealed the deal on Thursday evening, and immediately triggered speculation that Trump would soon return to Twitter by firing executives responsible for his ban.

Trump said he was delighted the deal had gone through.

'I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands, and will no longer be run by radical left lunatics and maniacs that truly hate our country,' he said in a post on Truth Social.

'Twitter must now work hard to rid itself of all of the bots and fake accounts that have hurt it so badly.

'It will be much smaller, but better.'

Former President Donald Trump on Friday welcomed Elon Musk's Twitter takeover

The two have had a complicated relationship. Trump once called Musk a 'genius,' but the tech billionaire said in 2015 he didn't want the New York property mogul to be president. The two are pictured here at the Oval Office of the White House

Musk was appointed to Trump's climate advisory board but quit not long after. The two are pictured here in 2017 beside Steve Bannon at a meeting with business leaders

Elon Musk speaks with employees including fired top counsel Vijaya Gadde (left) Thursday after taking over at Twitter. She was responsible for permanently banning President Trump from the site - a move that Musk says he will reverse

Thursday brought an end to a protracted legal battle over Musk's deal to take over Twitter.

He signed a $44 billion deal to acquire the platform in April but then tried to back out, claiming inflated user numbers.

A judge in Delaware ordered that it go through by Friday.

Earlier this week he changed his Twitter profile to 'Chief Twit' and filmed himself walking into the company's San Francisco headquarters. 'Entering Twitter HQ  let that sink in,' he wrote in a post.

Conservative figures who were banned from the platform now hope that his stated commitment to free speech will allow them to return.

That could be a blow to a rash of Twitter clones catering to the far right, such as Trump's own Truth Social.

While welcoming Musk to Twitter, Trump used his post to claim extraordinary success for his own social media effort.

'Truth Social has become somewhat of a phenomena. Last week it had bigger numbers than all other platforms, including TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and the rest,' he said, without citing any evidence.

'It also looks and works better to my eye.'

In his statement, Trump both welcomed Musk's arrival at Twitter while trying to boost the fortunes of his own social media

The congratulatory post struck a different tone from his message in July

Trump and Musk have a complicated relationship, with both apparently enjoying butting heads with each other.

In a July post, Trump delighted in claiming that Musk had come to the White House asking for subsidies for his businesses.

'I could have said, "drop to your knees and beg," and he would have done it,' Trump said.

Musk has not been afraid to criticize Trump.

In 2015, Musk said it would be 'embarrassing' if Trump was nominated as the Republican candidate for president, criticism he repeated before election day.

Despite that, he was appointed to two of President Trump's advisory councils in 2016. But less than a year later he resigned after Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement.
Elon Musk has said no banned Twitter accounts will be reinstated without the approval of a new, 'diverse,' content moderation council.

Following his $44 billion takeover of the company, Musk tweeted Friday that 'no major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen,' without the approval of a new content moderation council that has 'widely diverse viewpoints.'

Musk has widely criticized Twitter's suspension policies and vowed to bring back prominent figures - like Donald Trump and his former advisers Roger Stone and Steve Bannon - to the social media site.

The tweet came after two men were outside the San Francisco headquarters told reporters that a team of data engineers were fired, according to CNBC.

'It's somewhere I worked at for six years and everything suddenly changed,' one of the men told reporters.

The Verge, however, reported that the men do not work for Twitter and were pulling a stunt, as a search for them on the company email system failed to turn up leads.

One of the men also identified himself as Rahul Ligma, with the surname typically used as meme to elicit the response, 'lick my b****.'

It comes after Musk formally took over Twitter late last night and sacked several top executives including its CEO, CFO and chief lawyer.

Elon Musk said that he will be forming a 'diverse' content moderation council to make decisions about content and whose account can get reinstated

Two men who claimed they were Twitter data engineers as 'laid off' employees are pictured walking out of the San Francisco office on Friday afternoon. The Verge , however, reported that the men do not work for Twitter and were pulling a stunt, as a search for them on the company email system failed to turn up leads

One of the men lamented the alleged loss of his job, telling reporters: 'It's somewhere I worked at for 6 years and everything suddenly changed'

This man told reporters he was a software engineer who was let go from Twitter's data team

Both men were reportedly carrying boxes of their belongings from Twitter headquarters, however, reports claim the men are not employees and are pulling a stunt

The new 'Chief Twit' wielded the ax on Friday morning just hours after taking over the social media giant following a dramatic $44billion takeover

Trump welcomed his takeover on Friday, writing on his own social media site Truth Social: 'TRUTH SOCIAL has become somewhat of a phenomena.

'Last week it had bigger numbers than all other platforms, including TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and the rest.

'It also looks and works better to my eye. I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands, and will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs that truly hate our country.

'Twitter must now work hard to rid itself of all of the bots and fake accounts that have hurt it so badly.

'It will be much smaller, but better. I LOVE TRUTH!'

Other conservative figures who were banned from the platform have hoped that with Musk at the helm, his stated commitment to free speech will allow them to return.

Along with former President Trump, the big names booted from Twitter include Roger Stone, Alex Jones, Steve Bannon and US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Stone, who has said he wants to come back after being banned in 2017 for attacking a journalist.

Musk is expected to bring back the Twitter account of former President Donald Trump after he was kicked off the site for posts made after the January 6 Capitol riot. The two are pictured here at the Oval Office of the White House

In his statement, Trump both welcomed Musk's arrival at Twitter while trying to boost the fortunes of his own social media

Among those expected to be brought back to Twitter under Musk include former Trump advisers Roger Stone (left) and Steve Bannon (right)

Stone was briefly back on Twitter in April using an alternate account as he said he was 'anxious to see how strong Elon Musk's commitment to free speech is.'

Steve Bannon is another former Trump adviser looking to return to the platform after being kicked out in 2020.

The former White House chief strategist had posted a video suggesting Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray should be beheaded.

One of the more controversial figures to be booted from the platform is InfoWars host Alex Jones, who was ordered to pay $95 million in damages over false claims that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.

Families of the victims branded Jones a conspiracy theorist whose claims have caused years of harassment and even death threats from his believers.

U.S. Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene also saw her personal account permanently suspended earlier this year after spreading COVID vaccine misinformation.

The congresswoman had received multiple warnings before her account was pulled.

Also banned on Twitter are David Duke, the former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, as well as Milo Yiannopoulous, who was accused of stirring abuse toward Ghostbusters actress Leslie Jones.

Musk celebrated his Twitter takeover on Friday, saying that the platform would be freed under his rule following his criticisms over its suspension policies

TWITTER'S HEAD OF CENSORSHIP: LAWYER WHO BANNED TRUMP & DONATED $16,000 TO THE DEMOCRATS Vijaya Gadde's had been a low-key Silicon Valley power player for years, and at Twitter played a key role in the contentious decisions to ban Donald Trump and suppress news articles about Hunter Biden's laptop. After moving to the US from India with her family as a toddler, Gadde and her family faced racism as she grew up in Beaumont, Texas, where she has said her father had to seek approval from the Ku Klux Klan to sell insurance door-to-door. Federal records show that she has also donated regularly to Democratic candidates, contributing more than $18,000 over the past two decades, and most recently supporting Kamala Harris with a $2,700 check in 2019. As Twitter's chief legal officer and general counsel, Gadde exercises enormous power at the company, where she has long essentially had final say over who is allowed on the platform, and what they can tweet. In an interview with Bloomberg, Gadde once said that Twitter's former CEO Jack Dorsey left the creation and enforcement of content policies up to her. 'He rarely weighs in on an individual enforcement decision,' Gadde told the outlet. 'I can't even think of a time. I usually go to him and say, 'this is what's going to happen.'' Although she maintains a low profile, that power has put Gadde at the center of some of Twitter's most controversial moderation decisions, including the decision to permanently ban Trump after his supporters stormed the US Capitol in January 2021. She also signed off on Twitter's move to block the sharing of links to a New York Post article based on files from Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop soon before the 2020 election. Advertisement

On Thursday, Musk gave the boot to Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and CFO Ned Segal, along with Twitter lawyer Vijaya Gadde, who was widely considered the 'head of censorship' at the company.

Gadde walks away with a sizeable payout - a total of $72million in stocks that she owned, salary and benefits and stocks that had not yet vested when she was in her position but which are now paid out as part of the deal.

MarketWatch reports that Gadde, Agrawal and Segal take a combined 'golden parachute' of $204million; Agrawal gets $66million and Segal takes $65million.

Musk has not yet publicly named their replacements but he is expected to act as interim CEO at least on a temporary basis.

As Musk ushered them out last night, he asked Tesla engineers to visit HQ today to start rewriting the website's code.

Among his plans is to open source algorithms to increase transparency for users about how their data is used to suggest content to them, and to add an 'edit' button for all.

The South African publicly criticized Twitter's existing leadership team - in particular, attacking their policies on content moderation and censorship. He has also sparred with them over data on how many accounts were bots or spam.

Agrawal, who took over from founder Jack Dorsey almost a year ago, has been at loggerheads with Musk over the number of genuine Twitter users, with Musk responding to a thread of Agrawal's in May with a 'poop' emoji.

When Musk first made his takeover bid in April, he said he had not been given accurate data about spam accounts and bots.

Three months after launching his bid, Musk pulled out  insisting he had been misled about the size of the firm.

Twitter has for years said that bots make up less than 5 percent of its 'monetizable daily active users' (mDAU).

In a series of tweets in May, Agrawal acknowledged that 'spam harms the experience for real people on Twitter,' and added that, 'as such, we are strongly incentivized to detect and remove as much spam as we possibly can, every single day.'

He insisted that Musk was exaggerating the scale of the problem. The South African-born Musk said as many as 25 percent of all Twitter accounts were not real.

Twitter sued Musk to complete the deal, accusing him of using bots as a pretext to exit the deal after getting buyer's remorse, and the deal was set to go to trial later this month.

Musk himself took aim in April at Gadde for censoring stories about Hunter Biden's laptop after it was reported she'd sobbed at news he'd bought the firm.

The tycoon wrote: 'Suspending the Twitter account of a major news organization for publishing a truthful story was obviously incredibly inappropriate.'

Musk was referring to the suspension of the New York Post's account for its exclusive about Hunter Biden's laptop in the run-up to the 2020 election.

Initially dismissed as 'misinformation' by liberal outlets and social media networks, the laptop and its contents have since been verified by many of the same publications.

Gadde  who was described as Twitter's 'moral authority'  broke down in tears on April 25, Politico reported, while briefing her team via video link on the future of the company under Musk.

Sean Edgett (left), the general counsel, and Ned Segal, chief financial officer for Twitter (right), have also reportedly been fired

Sarah Personette (left) tweeted on Wednesday that she was excited to work with Elon Musk  and was fired by him the next day

Meanwhile, Twitter staff have remained on edge since the takeover was finalizing this week.

Musk was pictured on Wednesday speaking with some employees, reportedly denying rumors that he is culling three quarters of the staff.

But that did little to assuage the more than 7,500 people employed by the social media giant.

As one Twitter employee explained in an anonymous essay for Business Insider, those who remain at the company are worried about the Tesla CEO's volatility.

'I don't think my colleagues and I have a good model for how volatile he is  and I can see that rocking the boat, especially if he makes more comments that make people say, 'What the hell?'' the anonymous Twitter employee wrote.

'There are also people here who are just unfazed by his volatility,' they continued. 'They're not going to react in any way.'

The employee noted that their fellow workers' views of their new boss will all be contingent on how many people he lays off.

'People are asking, if heads are going to roll, whose good graces do you need to be in to stay?' the employee wrote, adding: 'Most people think layoffs are going to be pretty immediate.

'I don't think our site-reliability engineers need to be worried, though,' they mused. 'On the other hand, machine-learning engineers, or the people responsible for building experimental services are more worried.'

The Twitter employee then went on to say they would be most worried 'if Musk decides to wipe out teams indiscriminately, because then it's just a roll of the dice.'

In the meantime, several Twitter employees took to their social media platform to share how they are sticking together.

Following the visit, Stephanie Guevara, a senior iOS engineer for the platform, asked Musk directly: 'Was it fun to look at the faces of the people you said you'd be laying off?'

Parker Lyons expressed his nervousness about the new boss' visit with a meme of a man on top of two tires lifting a sofa, captioned: 'When Elon walks by your desk to see what you're working on'

Others just shared how they are sticking together during the takeover

Stephanie Guevara, a senior iOS engineer for the platform, though, was more blunt  asking Musk directly: 'Was it fun to look at the faces of the people you said you'd be laying off?'

And Parker Lyons expressed his nervousness about the new boss' visit with a meme of a man on top of two tires lifting a sofa, captioned: 'When Elon walks by your desk to see what you're working on.'

Twitter management had already planned to cut staff after spending a whopping $1.5 billion last year on personnel, and had wanted to reduce that amount by some $800 million.

It also spent hundreds of millions of dollars in contracting firms that pay people to review reports of hate speech, child pornography and other rule-breaking content, corporate documents obtained by the Washington Post last week revealed.

Management also planned to make major cuts to its infrastructure, getting rid of data centers that keep the site functioning for more than 200 million users a day.

But Musk expanded on the idea of layoffs, telling employees in June he didn't see a reason why low-performing workers should remain on the payroll.
The parents whose 23-year-old son died after ingesting a supplement marketed as a sleep and anxiety aid is now suing the company in a wrongful death suit.

Dana and John Pope's son, Ethan, was found dead on the kitchen floor in his apartment last December with his puppy by his side.

The grieving parents had never heard of the herbal supplement or how long their son had been using it until his tragic passing. They believe Ethan experienced an adverse affect from the pill, his mother said at a Thursday news conference in Atlanta, Ga.

They also found a disturbing item on their son's 'to-do' list: Stop taking kratom.

The couple had originally filed the wrongful death lawsuit in May against about a dozen people, companies and organizations connected to the manufacture, marketing and sale of the herbal supplement; an expanded version was filed earlier this week.

The lawsuit alleges that producers of kratom illegally import it by misclassifying it as an agricultural product and have begun producing, marketing and selling concentrated forms of kratom.

The lawyers who filed the suit said they want to send a message that kratom is unsafe for human consumption.

Dana and John Pope pose with a photo of their son Ethan, following a news conference at the in Atlanta, Ga., on Thursday, October 27

Ethan was 23 when he was found dead on the kitchen floor in his apartment last December with his puppy by his side after using kratom

Dana and John Pope have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against about a dozen people, companies and organizations connected to the manufacture, marketing and sale of the herbal supplement

A close-up of the herbal supplement Kratom that killed Ethan Pope. Kratom is a tree in the coffee family and is found in Southeast Asia and Africa

Kratom is a tree in the coffee family and is found in Southeast Asia and Africa. The supplement is used to make capsules, powders and liquids and is marketed as an aid for pain, anxiety and drug dependence.

In Georgia and some other states, it's often sold at gas stations and smoke shops.

A Georgia Bureau of Investigation autopsy found that Ethan Pope died from mitragynine intoxication and had no alcohol or illegal drugs in his system.

Mitragynine is a psychoactive compound in kratom, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

The Pope's lawyer, Matt Wetherington disputes what the manufacturers are alleging.

'The kratom industry claims that it is a natural, completely safe substance that can lead to greater health and well-being,' he said, 'However, even if that were true, the kratom that is sold in the United States is ultra-concentrated and is more similar to heroin or other opioids.'

Proponents of kratom say it's a safe, natural herbal supplement that can help manage pain and ease the effects of opioid withdrawal.

Days before Pope died, he had purchased bottles of O.P.M.S. Liquid Kratom.

The liquid kratom shots are especially dangerous 'because they are intended to provide consumers with higher concentrations of mitragynine, substantially increasing the risk of overdose and death,' the lawsuit says.

Kratom acts as a stimulant in low doses and a sedative at high doses. It can be addictive and can cause hallucinations, delusions and confusion, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

The FDA has not approved any uses for kratom and 'continues to warn consumers not to use any products labeled as containing kratom.' It was issued an import alert in 2014 allowing the seizure of kratom as an unapproved drug.

What is Kratom? Kratom, also known as mitragyna speciosa, is a tree in the coffee family. It is found in Southeast Asia and Africa. The supplement is touted as a 'safer, natural alternative to other drugs.' But, experts say don't be fooled, there's a dark side to kratom-derived pills, powders and teas. Kratom can be found in capsules, powders or even drinks. It can also be found in resins, extracts and tinctures. It is traditionally used in tea while some chew on the leaves. People use kratom for a number of reasons that range from fighting fatigue and improving productivity, to relieving pain. It has also been used for overcoming opioid addiction. The supplement interacts with the brain's opioid receptors, and some people turn to kratom which has similar pain-relieving effects as opioids. The danger, experts say, is that people tend to think kratom is safe because it's 'natural,' and legal and easily obtainable in many states  without the stigma attached to narcotics. The image is a close-up of the Kratom leaf, also known as mitragyna speciosa. The tree that is in the coffee family is indigenous to Southeast Asia and Africa. The US Food and Drug and Administration has warned consumers about the dangers of using kratom. Experts warn it should not be taken in any form. In 2021, the supplement was made illegal in six states - Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin. In some states - California, Colorado, Florida and Mississippi - kratom is legal but banned or controlled in some individual cities, towns and counties. Kratom legislation is still pending, in various states. For those experiencing pain or want to overcome opioid addiction, experts recommend speaking to your doctor. (Source: Cleveland Clinic) Advertisement

According to a 2019 report, US health officials said that kratom was a cause in 91 overdose deaths in 27 states. While most of those who died had also taken heroin, fentanyl or other drugs, kratom was the only substance detected in seven of the deaths.

The Pope's lawsuit alleges that the defendants in the lawsuit were negligent in their 'duty to prevent foreseeable injuries arising from the use of their products.' That duty includes making truthful statements about the risks and side effects of kratom and ensuring that the product is consistent in its purity and potency, it states.

The suit further states that Ethan had used the kratom products for their intended purpose and the defendants 'did not provide adequate warnings and instructions that an ordinary consumer would expect, and the inadequate warnings made the kratom products more dangerous than an ordinary consumer would expect.

The defendant in the case is Optimized Plant Mediated Solutions, or O.P.M.S., which the lawsuit says manufactured the kratom that Ethan Pope used.

The lawsuit also alleges that the American Kratom Association, a trade organization, invites consumers to rely on 'false, misleading, and materially incomplete medical claims' regarding kratom.

Drew Ashby, a lawyer for the Popes, said it has pushed legislation in numerous states that it says is meant to protect consumers but that actually facilitates the selling of an unpredictable and dangerous drug.

'It is unfortunate and disappointing that Georgia is one of the few states in the country that allows this to be sold legally with actual legislation,' Ashby said,

The lawyer referenced a 2019 law that restricted the sale of kratom to people over 18 and implemented labeling requirements that the lawsuit says are not followed.

Daniel Delnero, a lawyer for the association denied the claims against it.

'The American Kratom Association is a consumer advocacy group dedicated to education and responsible use of Kratom. It was improperly added to this lawsuit, and we will vigorously defend the spurious claims against it,' he said in an emailed statement.

The lawsuit asks for damages and seeks a jury trial.
Hundreds of people have taken to the streets of the Tibet's capital Lhasa to demonstrate against a three-month Covid lockdown in a rare protest in the tightly controlled Chinese region.

Lhasa has been locked down for 74 days in accordance with China's zero-Covid strategy, which sees millions of residents across the country repeatedly confined to their homes whenever cases rise.

The strict measures have prompted rare protests in Lhasa where people have complained of food shortages and poor conditions in mass quarantine facilities.

Videos shared on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, showed hundreds of what appeared to be mostly migrant workers of Han Chinese ethnicity marching through the streets of Lhasa on Wednesday, demanding to be allowed to return home.

In one video, hundreds of people are seen in a street blocked by police and hazmat-suited health workers.

Those videos and related content were quickly scrubbed from Douyin and the Twitter-like Weibo platform, though some text posts referencing an 'incident' in Lhasa remained Thursday.

But some cell phone footage has been smuggled out of the region and remain on Twitter.

In one of Wednesday's videos, hundreds of people are seen in a street blocked at one end by police and hazmat-suited health workers, while an official shouts through a megaphone: 'Everybody please understand our work, go home and do not crowd this area'

Hundreds of people have taken to the streets of the Tibet's capital Lhasa to demonstrate against a three-month Covid lockdown in a rare protest in the tightly controlled Chinese region

In one of Wednesday's videos, hundreds of people are seen in a street blocked at one end by police and hazmat-suited health workers, while an official shouts through a megaphone: 'Everybody please understand our work, go home and do not crowd this area.'

A video shot from another angle showed police vans and officers carrying riot shields stationed nearby.

AFP has geolocated the two videos next to an agricultural market not far from Lhasa's Potala Palace, the traditional residence of the Dalai Lama and the site of a self-immolation protest by a Tibetan pop star earlier this year.

Lhasa has been under tight surveillance since bloody anti-government protests broke out in the city in 2008 before spreading across Tibetan areas.

Videos shared on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, showed hundreds of what appeared to be mostly migrant workers of Han Chinese ethnicity marching through the streets of Lhasa on Wednesday, demanding to be allowed to return home

Lhasa has been locked down for 74 days in accordance with China's zero-Covid strategy, which sees millions of residents across the country repeatedly confined to their homes whenever cases rise

In one video, hundreds of people are seen in a street blocked by police and hazmat-suited health workers

Wednesday's demonstrations are believed to be the largest since 2008, when large-scale protests against Chinese authorities' increased repression towards the majority ethnic Tibetan population were violently subdued.

Some social media users suggested police would have cracked down more harshly on the anti-lockdown march had the protestors been Tibetan rather than Han Chinese.

Other videos showed a night-time confrontation between a large crowd of residents and police in what appeared to be a housing community in Lhasa.

'People have been locked down for too long, the psychological pressure is too much to bear with no income. Many people in our community are also migrants who came here to work and earn money,' one man was heard saying in Mandarin over a loudspeaker.

In one of the videos, a woman among the crowd is heard screaming 'I want to go home' at a police officer.

Last month, Lhasa's deputy mayor apologised for mishandling the outbreak.

China on Friday reported more than 1,000 new infections for the fourth day straight, triggering renewed restrictions nationwide.

China's largest city of Shanghai is ordering mass testing Friday on all 1.3 million residents of its downtown Yangpu district and confining them to their homes at least until results are known.

The demand is an echo of measures ordered over the summer that led to a two-month lockdown of the entire city of 25 million that devastated the local economy, prompting food shortages and rare confrontations between residents and the authorities.

Earlier this week, authorities locked down a district of Wuhan - where Covid first erupted in late 2019 - home to 800,000 people.

Residents in the city of Xining, Qinghai province, complained of dire food shortages after being placed under indefinite lockdown last week.

People stand in line for Coronavirus PCR test, in Shanghai, China, on Friday

On Friday, the city of Mudanjiang near the northern border with Russia imposed a three-day lockdown on its two million residents.

China has shown no sign of backing away from its hardline 'zero-COVID' policy since a major congress of the ruling Communist Party that concluded this week by awarding authoritarian leader Xi Jinping a third five-year term in power and packed top bodies with his loyalists.

Despite public anger, the former chairman of Shanghai's Communist Party Committee, the city's top official who was ultimately responsible for the lockdown measures, was given the No. 2 spot in the party's all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee - an indication of Xi's elevation of political loyalty above those capable of gaining public support through competent administration.

Li Qiang, who had been Xi's virtual chief-of-staff while he headed the eastern province of Zhejiang, has been replaced by Beijing Mayor Chen Jining, a former president of Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University and minister of environmental protection.

Chen, 58, was educated at Brunel University London and worked at Imperial College London, where he earned a PhD degree in civil and environmental engineering in 1993.

Many Chinese had hoped for a relaxation of the strict anti-COVID-19 protocols, which remain in place even while the rest of the world has opened up. China's borders remain largely closed and arrivals must undergo a 10-day quarantine at a designated space.

man takes a Coronavirus PCR test on the street testing booth, in Shanghai, China, on Friday

Despite its costs, and the World Health Organization calling it unsustainable, China credits the strategy with keeping case numbers and deaths at a fraction of those in other countries, although Beijing's figures have frequently been questioned.

In a sign China's tough measures will be maintained in the long term, Shanghai plans to build a permanent quarantine center on an island in the Huangpu River that divides the financial hub, according to the business magazine Caixin.

The 1.6-billion-yuan ($221 million) project on Fuxing Island will expand existing facilities to create 3,009 isolation rooms and 3,250 beds, with construction expected to be completed in six months, Caixin said.

China's domestically developed vaccines are considered relatively ineffective and it has refused to approve foreign brands such as Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and J&J.

Still, China wants more people to get booster shots before it relaxes its restrictions. As of mid-October, 90 percent of Chinese were fully vaccinated and 57% had received a booster shot.

China has relied on domestically developed vaccines, primarily two inactivated vaccines that have proven effective in preventing death and serious disease but less so than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at stopping the spread of the disease.

Chinese authorities also have not mandated vaccination - entering an office building or other public places requires a negative COVID-19 test, not proof of vaccination. And the country's strict 'zero-COVID' approach means that only a small proportion of the population has been infected and built immunity that way, compared to other places.

As a result, it's unclear how widely COVID-19 would spread if travel warnings and quarantine mandates were lifted. Until then, a hodgepodge of regulations and restrictions will remain in place across the country of 1.4 billion.

In Tibet's second-largest city of Shigatse, authorities announced that 'normal living and production order' would resume from Friday.

Meanwhile, authorities on Wednesday ordered the lockdown of 900,000 people in Wuhan for at least five days. In remote Qinghai province, the urban districts of Xining city have been locked down since last Friday.

In Beijing, Universal Studios has closed its hotels and attractions 'to comply with pandemic prevention and control.'
Russia has largely given up attacking Ukraine and has been forced on to the defensive after Putin's military got mauled by Kyiv's armies.

Severely undermanned and poorly trained Russian units have stopped advancing across most of the front line in the last six weeks, British intelligence said today.

In Kherson, companies of soldiers which should consist of 100 men were fighting with just six to eight troops each, Ministry of Defence analysts added.

While Putin is attempting to bolster these units with conscripted troops, Russia is unlikely to be able to resume its offensive in the near future.

Russian troops have been forced on to the defensive across almost the entire frontline in Ukraine after Putin's army was mauled, British intelligence says

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are advancing in both the north and south of the country - pushing east from Kharkiv into Luhansk and advancing towards Kherson.

Earlier this week, it had appeared that Russia was preparing to withdraw from Kherson city but Ukraine now believes Putin is actually reinforcing it.

Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence service, said earlier this week that Russia has been evacuating civilians but is moving military reinforcements into urban areas, preparing defences, and plans to fight for the city.

He added that the evacuation and talk of a retreat by Russia's top commander may have been an effort to lure Ukraine into a costly urban battle.

In its Friday update, British intelligence wrote: 'Russia has likely augmented some of its units [in Kherson] with mobilised reservists. However, this is from an extremely low level of manning.

'In September, Russian officers described companies in the Kherson sector as consisting of between six and eight men each. Companies should deploy with around 100 personnel.

A Ukrainian serviceman fires with a mortar toward Russian positions, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in a frontline in Mykolaiv region

Ukrainian serviceman prepare to fire a mortar on a front line, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kharkiv region

'In the last six weeks there has been a clear move from Russian ground forces to transition to a long-term, defensive posture on most areas of the front line in Ukraine.

'This is likely due to a more realistic assessment that the severely undermanned, poorly trained force in Ukraine is currently only capable of defensive operations.

'Even if Russia succeeds in consolidating long-term defensive lines in Ukraine, its operational design will remain vulnerable.

'To regain the initiative, it will need to regenerate higher quality, mobile forces which are capable of dynamically countering Ukrainian breakthroughs and conducting their own large-scale offensive operations.'

The war in Ukraine is now grinding into its ninth month with Kyiv on the front foot and Putin nowhere near achieving his aims.

Though the official purpose of the invasion remains the 'liberation' of the eastern Donbas region, according to Putin, in reality his troops have stopped advancing almost everywhere besides the town of Bakhmut, in Donetsk.

Meanwhile they are being pushed back in the northern Kharkiv region and southern region of Kherson  the latter of which Putin has declared to be part of Russia.

While Putin (pictured today at a meeting with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu) is attempting to bolster these units with conscripted troops, Russia is unlikely to be able to resume its offensive in the near future

A Ukrainian serviceman inspects a turret of a destroyed Russian T-72 tank near a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Mykolaiv region, Ukraine

That has sparked fears he could resort to nukes, after he said he would use 'all available means' to defend the territory.

It comes after Moscow alleged that Ukraine is preparing to detonate a so-called 'dirty bomb' on its territory, meaning a conventional explosive laced with radioactive material to cause contamination.

The UN's atomic watchdog has now been dispatched to two areas of Ukraine where Putin alleges the bomb is being prepared  at Kyiv's insistence  as President Volodymyr Zelensky and his allies dismiss the claims as fiction.

Instead, they say Russia may be preparing the ground to use one of its own nukes as a pretext for escalating the conflict.

US President Joe Biden, asked about Putin's assertion he would never use nukes in Ukraine, responded last night: 'Why does he keep talking about it?

'Why is he talking about the ability to use a tactical nuclear weapon? He's been very dangerous in how he's approached this and he should just get out.

'He can end this all, get out of Ukraine.'
A further 13 inquests have been opened into the deaths of former patients of the disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson.

Consultant Paterson, 62, was convicted in 2017 of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three counts of unlawful wounding.

An inquiry later found he carried out unnecessary operations in NHS and private hospitals on more than 1,000 patients over 14 years, exaggerating or inventing cancer risks and claiming payments for more expensive procedures.

His 2017 Nottingham Crown Court trial heard how he carried out unapproved 'cleavage-sparing' mastectomies on patients which left behind breast tissue, risking a return of cancer.

He was initially jailed for 15 years, before the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to a 20-year term.

Disgraced surgeon Ian Paterson pictured in February 2017. He was convicted in 2017 of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three counts of unlawful wounding. Today, a further 13 inquests have been opened into the deaths of his former patients

Paterson worked at a number of NHS and private hospitals including the Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands (pictured)

Paterson lost a 2021 bid to the same court to challenge his conviction, where three senior judges heard Paterson 'denied, and indeed continues to deny, the misconduct of which he was accused at his trial'.

In January 2020, West Midlands Police asked Birmingham and Solihull senior coroner Louise Hunt to look at a 'random selection' of 23 former patients of Paterson's, to decide whether any died of unnatural causes due to 'potentially substandard treatment'.

In July 2020, inquests into the deaths of seven of those patients were then opened and adjourned.

But the coronial investigation has been continuing, beyond that original selection of cases.

Further inquests opened and adjourned at Birmingham Coroner's Court on Friday including:

Catherine Coyne, 51, who was a married retired data protection officer from Solihull, West Midlands. She died of cancer at her home in Hampton Coppice, Solihull, on February 2008.

Eunice Jones - known as Pam - was a 47-year-old wife from Knowle, Solihull, who died of breast cancer at Solihull Hospital in 2004.

Rosemarie Blake, a married care assistant from Erdington, in Birmingham - but who was born in Northern Ireland - was 56 when she died of cancer in 1997 at Good Hope Hospital.

Elaine Turbill, of Castle Bromwich, in Birmingham, was 63 when the married retired legal secretary died of breast cancer at her home in 2017.

Pauline Clarke, of Silhill Hall Road, Solihull - but who was born in County Durham - died in June 1998 at home. She was a married retired midwifery nurse and also died of breast cancer.

Virginia Holder, of Colonial Road, Birmingham - but who was born in Barbados - was a widowed retired assembly worker. She died, aged 72, at a hospice in Solihull from breast cancer in 2001.

Phyllis Colfer, of Vera Road, Birmingham - but who was born in Ireland - was a retired traffic warden. The 67-year-old died at a nursing home as a result of cancer in 2002.

Christine Skelcher, of Shard End, in Birmingham, and a married office clerk was 59 when she died at home in 2004 from breast cancer.

Olive Bayliss, of Lea Hall Road, Birmingham, was a married retired cleaner. She was 75 when she died at the Marie Curie Hospice in Warwick Road, Birmingham, in 2001, from breast cancer.

Isobel Chandler, from Solihull, was a married secretary and 51-years-old when she died at Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, in 2001. Cause of death was given as metastatic breast cancer.

Christine Hill, of Stratford Road, Solihull - but who was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire - was an 81-year-old wife. She died at home in 2010, also of metastatic breast cancer.

Jean Bonehill, of Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham, was a retired office clerk who died of breast cancer, aged 72, at her home in August 1998. Mrs Hunt made a public appeal for Ms Bonehill's family to make contact with her office, after exhaustive efforts to trace her next of kin had failed.

Deborah Preston, of Foxhollies Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham, was a married 42-year-old who died of breast cancer at Heartlands Hospital in 2004.

Ms Hunt told the hearings: 'I do have reason to believe the deceased's death was caused or contributed to by substandard treatment provided by Mr Paterson and other clinicians involved in the care of the deceased.'

Future inquests would consider 'any failings in supervision' of Paterson, including by 'clinical colleagues' and whether they 'should have informed the appropriate authorities'.

Disgraced surgeon Ian Paterson was initially jailed for 15 years, before the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to a 20-year term

The Right Rev Graham James, who has chaired an inquiry into Ian Paterson, pictured in February 2020, three years after the disgraced breast surgeon was jailed

The evidence would also examine whether there were 'systemic failings by hospital management... in addressing and responding to concerns raised about Mr Paterson'.

'Any inaction or failure of supervision by the regulatory agencies... any failings in the culture at the hospitals where Mr Paterson worked (and)... any failings in the recall system of patients,' would also be examined.

She stressed to loved ones of those attending the openings that the adjournments were 'pending the review of all the other cases', after which there would be a pre-inquest review.

The final inquests would 'likely' be held under Article 2 human rights provisions 'given the apparent serious defaults by a number of state organisations' said Ms Hunt, meaning the coroner would be looking at the wider circumstances of the deaths.

Ms Hunt added: 'It is my duty to ensure the relevant facts will be fully, fairly and fearlessly investigated and its likely a report to prevent futures deaths will be considered.

An independent inquiry published in February 2020 said Paterson, who operated at NHS and Spire Healthcare hospitals in the West Midlands, performed unnecessary operations amid 'dysfunctional' healthcare system that failed patients, and recommending more than 11,000 of his patients be recalled.
Prominent de-transitioner Chloe Cole has added her voice to the criticism of trans TikToker Dylan Mulvaney's White House debut, saying it was 'disturbing' and decrying social media's impact on confused teens.

Cole, 18, who campaigns against fast-tracking minors onto puberty blockers after her own bad experiences with the drugs, said Mulvaney's elevated platform in Washington DC sent a worrying message to teens.

Mulvaney, 25, who showcases her own transition into 'girlhood' to 8.4 million TikTok followers, was part of a panel of progressive campaigners who recently interviewed President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Mulvaney's fans have voiced support for her White House video, which has been viewed 9.7 million times, but critics including Cole, Caitlyn Jenner and many others eschew her showy gender change and Biden for boosting her profile.

'It's a little insulting that he calls himself a girl and not a woman,' Cole said in an interview with Turning Point USA's Frontlines.

Chloe Cole, who transitioned from female to male and back again, now campaigns against pushing young people onto puberty blockers. She worries about the impact of trans social media influencers like Dylan Mulvaney

Trans TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney was among a panel of progressives who interviewed President Joe Biden, a Democrat, at the White House for NowThis News. It was aired on Sunday

'He's trying to emulate the look and personality of a teenage girl, which is an experience he'll never know, because he's biologically male. He will never understand what it means to grow up as a woman. It's very disturbing.'

The Biden administration should have given the limelight to a 'real trans kid' rather than Mulvaney, Cole said.

Cole, who transitioned to male at 13 before regretting the move at 16 and seeking a reversal, also warned of social media's big-name influencers impacting vulnerable youths who may themselves be questioning their identity.

'Social media was one of the  if not the  biggest catalyst in me transitioning,' said Cole, who recently founded the Detrans United campaign and support group.

'If I wasn't exposed to the content that I was exposed to so young, then it just wouldn't have happened.'

Cole describes feeling like an unattractive 'tomboy' with negative feelings about femininity. She gravitated towards trans social media users and was soon being 'force-fed that kind of content by the algorithm on Instagram,' she added.

'I was 11 or 12, starting to wonder about who I really was,' she said.

'All these pieces clicked together  I had this idea that 'maybe I'm not actually a girl, maybe I'm a boy'. It made sense to me at the time.'

Chloe Cole, 18, who transitioned to male at 13 before later regretting her decision at 16, called Mulvaney's theatrical transition into being a girl -- rather than a woman -- 'insulting'

Dylan Mulvaney's frequent online posts clock up millions of views on TikTok, and her visit to the White House may have gained her tens of thousands of new followers

Years into her detransition, Cole says she now suffers side effects from her double mastectomy and has to wear bandages as her body rejects the skin grafts. She doubts she can have children or breastfeed, she says.

Mulvaney met Biden as part of a panel of six progressive activists for NowThis News. In the interview, which aired on Sunday, he vowed to protect 'gender-affirming care,' saying states should not limit access to transgender treatments.

The 25-year-old has gained a massive following on TikTok by documenting her transition to a transgender female  originally identifying as 'nonbinary' but telling followers in March that she was a girl.

She first joined TikTok in 2020 after a stint playing Elder White in the Book of Mormon on Broadway. The influencer plans to get gender reassignment surgery on her face in December.

Still, her showy video posts on becoming a 'girl' on a youth-centric social media platform raise concerns, particularly when she uses such phrases as 'Barbie pouch' to describe vaginas.

Her critics include Jenner, 72, a right-wing celebrity and former athlete, who came out as transgender in 2015 and underwent sex reassignment surgery in 2017, who slammed the White House appearance.

'Let's not 'normalize' any of what this person is doing,' Jenner posted on social media.

'This is absurdity!'

Childcare experts also expressed alarm at Mulvaney's popularity bump after her White House debut  she gained tens of thousands of new TikTok followers  saying social media drives a spike in teens seeking sex-change procedures.

'They're called social media influencers because they influence people,' said Lisa Marchiano, a clinician with the Gender Exploratory Therapy Association, a group of therapists.

Dylan Mulvaney's posts clock up millions of views, but childcare experts warn that social media is driving a spike in teens seeking sex-change procedures

Trans TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney already had millions of followers  but that jumped to 8.4 million in the days after her appearance at the White House, in Washington DC

Candice Jackson, a lawyer and US-based spokesperson for Genspect, a global coalition of clinicians and parents against some so-called 'gender-affirming' care, also called Mulvaney's White House debut worrying.

'Young people look up to celebrities and politicians, and if they only hear one side, with no cultural counterweight, they're hearing that transitioning is somehow consequence free and risk-free,' said Jackson.

'That's ignoring the growing cohort of de-transitioners who come to regret their procedures.'

Poll Are social media influencers behind the rise in teenage transitioners? Yes No Are social media influencers behind the rise in teenage transitioners? Yes 1228 votes

No 83 votes Now share your opinion





For those experiencing gender dysphoria, transitioning with drugs and surgery can be life-saving. Yet some experts warn against providing irreversible treatments to adolescents, pointing to growing numbers who come to regret procedures and seek to de-transition.

Whether to allow young people to take puberty-blockers, hormones or undergo surgery has become a hot-button issue in America's culture wars, and Republican officials in Arkansas, Alabama, and Texas have sought to limit access to procedures.

Statistics on this issue are contested, but there does appear to be a rise in the number of young people seeking to transition, and studies suggest that online social media and peer groups play a role in the uptick.

Researchers from Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee, this month found that the number of chest reconstruction surgeries being performed on trans children shot up nearly five-fold between 2016 and 2019, when it reached 489.

A report by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), published this year found that 300,000 US children aged between 13 and 17 identified as transgender in 2020  doubling in number from 2017.

The number of chest reconstruction surgeries among children in the US jumped five-fold from 2016 to 2019, from 100 to 489 annually

This map shows the proportion of children aged between 13 and 17 years old that identified as transgender by state. The darker colors indicate a higher proportion of youngsters. In New York and New Mexico, it is as high as three per cent

Experts are divided over the rise and its likely causes. Many link it to growing understanding and acceptance of gender dysphoria, others liken it to a 'contagion' or fad driven by peers and social media.

A 2018 study by Brown University scholar Lisa Littman says ever-more social media content on transgender issues encourages 'vulnerable individuals to believe that nonspecific symptoms and vague feelings should be interpreted as gender dysphoria'.

'Adolescents may come to believe that transition is the only solution to their individual situations, that exposure to internet content that is uncritically positive about transition may intensify these beliefs,' says Littman's study.

Julia Mason, an Oregon-based pediatrician (pictured) criticizes the 'drugs-first' policy for transgender youth

Worried moms and dads describe their kids 'binge-watching' videos on YouTube and other platforms that drive an 'urgency to transition' and instruct minors 'how to deceive parents, doctors, and therapists to obtain hormones quickly', says the study.

Several medical groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, support gender-affirming care and say sexual reassignment procedures are safe if properly administered.

But the picture is different in Europe. Britain's National Health Service this week unveiled plans to restrict puberty blockers and other treatments for children, saying they are often only going through a 'transient phase'. Sweden and Finland have made similar moves.

Julia Mason, an Oregon-based pediatrician and an advisor for the Society for Evidence-based Gender Medicine, said Biden's meeting with an advocate of transitioning was sending the wrong message to young people.

'I look forward to President Biden meeting a de-transitioner to get some alternative views of this topic,' said Mason.

'It's disappointing that the Biden team chose to elevate the status of this TikToker  social media is toxic to young people, especially young women. It presents them with unrealistic ideas about womanhood and drives anxiety and depression.'
Strout, who is currently eight months pregnant, won Miss Rhode in 2009 and went on to Miss America in 2010, but she did not win

Strout's term for North Bay Commissioner is up in November and she has held the position since 2018 and is not running for reelection

Visits were limited to only legal personnel due to the COVID-19 pandemic

She lied to ICE officers and said she was a paralegal and used a letterhead of a law firm to get inside the detention center at least three times in October 2021

It is unknown why he was detained and when he was released

She pleaded guilty to entering Krome detention center 'using fraud and false pretenses' to see her spouse Brayan Villarreal, 35, originally of Venezuela

A former Miss Rhode Island has pleaded guilty to sneaking into an ICE detention center to visit her ex-MLB star husband during COVID-19 lockdown by pretending to be a paralegal.

Julianna Strout, 36, of North Bay Village - near Miami - has been sentenced to a year of probation and 50 hours of community service on Wednesday after pleading guilty to 'entering a federal facility using fraud and false pretenses.'

She went to the detention center to see her husband and former MLB player, Brayan Villarreal, 35, originally of Venezuela.

The North Bay Commissioner, who is currently eight months pregnant, admitted to Local 10 News that she was seeing her husband inside the Krome Service Processing Center after it limited visits to only legal personnel during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Villarreal has since been released. It's unclear why he was in detention in the first place. DailyMail.com has contacted Strout, who is eight months pregnant with the couple's daughter Villarreal.

Julianna Strout, 36, (left) of North Bay Village - near Miami - has been sentenced to a year of probation and 50 hours of community service on Wednesday after pleading guilty to 'entering a federal facility using fraud and false pretenses'

She went to the detention center to see her husband and former MLB player, Brayan Villarreal, 35, (right) originally of Venezuela. She is currently eight months pregnant and the couple is expect a daughter, Vivian

Strout, now the North Bay Commissioner, won Miss Rhode Island (left, with Miss Texas Kristen Blair) in 2009 and went on to the Miss America pageant in 2010, but she lost to Miss Virginia

DailyMail.com has attempted to contact Strout for comment.

The former Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox player has since been released from the center and the pair celebrated their soon-to-be daughter Vivian's baby shower two weeks ago. It is unclear the exact date he was released.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Strout entered the facility three times in October 2021 by 'lying to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials about her reasons for visiting.'

She told officers she was a paralegal for an unknown firm and her client needed to sign paperwork. She also used the firm's letterhead to get access to the center after she was denied entrance as a public official.

It is unclear how Strout was busted, but on one occasion she was denied entry and then touted her status as a local lawmaker, suggesting that may have prompted staff to check her credentials.

The law firm confirmed to the DOJ that it 'never authorized' her to use the letterhead or visit the center on their behalf.

North Bay Village said it was 'aware of the plea agreement entered into by Commissioner Strout,' but said it would not take action due the matter not involving a felony conviction, Local 10 News reported.

Villarreal, a former MLB for the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox, was detained at Krome Service Processing Center for unknown reasons. His wife told ICE officials she was a paralegal to gain access to the facility at least three times after they limited visits to only legal personnel due to COVID-19

Strout's term as commissioner is set to expire in November and she is not running for reelection

Strout's term ends in November and she has held the position since 2018. She is not running for reelection, according to CBS News.

The former beauty queen won Miss Rhode in 2009 and went on to compete in the Miss America contest in 2010, but lost to Miss Virginia Caressa Cameron.

Her husband retired and became a free agent in 2014 and he was last recorded playing for his hometown team the Tiburones de La Guaira in Venezuela in 2015, according to the MLB.

He has since launched the Brayan Villarreal Academy in August, where the World Series winner teaches the youth how to pitch and gain experience for upper-level teams.
The hero cashier who was fatally stabbed a by a knifeman in a Milan supermarket attack that left Arsenal's Pablo Mari seriously injured has been named.

Luis Fernando Ruggieri, 46, was knifed several times by Andrea Tombolini, 46, in the frenzied assault that also left four other people hurt.

Bolivian born Luis, had lived in Italy for more than 20 years after being adopted by an Italian couple and had studied at a local university before starting a career in supermarket retail.

Luis Fernando Ruggieri, 46, was knifed several times by Andrea Tombolini, 46, in the frenzied assault that also left four other people hurt

The incident took place in a Carrefour in the Milanofiori di Assago shopping centre at about 6.30pm on Thursday

Arsenal's Pablo Mari has given a thumbs up from his hospital bed after undergoing successful surgery following a stabbing frenzy in Milan yesterday

He had volunteered for a stint at the till on his day off and had been only 'happy to oblige' said a friend, adding that he usually worked in the drinks section of the Carrefour supermarket.

Pal Giovanna Fontana said: 'He was just unlucky. He shouldn't have been there but he offered to help out on the tills.'

Luis  who lived with his girlfriend in Milan - had only started work at the Carrefour three years ago after a 21 year career with rival firm Esselunga.

His friend said: 'During lockdown, to keep himself busy he ha started studying again  he was always trying to improve his career and he thought by returning to his studies it would help.'

His adoptive father Federico Ruggieri said in tears: 'I had him since he was a little boy, I loved him to bits and he loved me. He was always trying to make things better for himself.'

Medics wheel an injured person into an ambulance at the scene of the attack in Milan

Pablo Mari (right), a defender for Arsenal who is on loan to Monza in Italy, was punched in the face and stabbed in the back during a knife attack in a supermarket on Wednesday evening as he shopped with wife Veronica (left) and son Pablo (centre)

Carrefour CEO Christophe Rabtel said: 'We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our employees following an act of aggression in the Assago Carrefour supermarket.

'We embrace his family, with whom we are in contact and have also expressed to them our condolences.

'We also extend our sympathies to the families of the other victims involved . Such episodes of violence should never happen, especially when someone is at work.'

Meanwhile Tombolini  who has been in psychiatric care - has told police during questioning that he had carried out the stabbing after seeing 'happy people' in the supermarket.

He told police: 'I thought I was ill, I felt ill. I saw those happy people and I felt envy.'

It also emerged that last week Tombolini, who lives with his parents, had been admitted to hospital after punching himself repeatedly in the face.

His father, who was not named, was quoted by local media as telling police: 'My son has never been violent in the past, he suffers from depression but he's never been violent.'
A new poll out of Pennsylvania conducted after Tuesday night's Senate debate shows Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz ahead of Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.

The Insider Advantage survey of 750 likely Pennsylvania voters showed Oz earning the support of 47.5 percent versus 44.8 percent for Fetterman.

The results were within the poll's 3.58 percent margin of error.

Of those surveyed, 83.2 percent told pollsters they had seen a portion of Tuesday night's Senate debate, in which the after-effects of the stroke Fetterman suffered in May were on full display.

His performance rattled Democrats, featuring misplaced words and awkward pauses. 'I do support fracking - I don't, I don't - I support fracking, and I do support fracking,' Fetterman answered at one point. Fetterman used closed captioning technology to assist his 'auditory processing' issue, a remnant from the stroke.

More than half, 53.6 percent, said Oz won the debate, while just 20.5 percent said Fetterman.

A new poll out of Pennsylvania conducted after Tuesday night's Senate debate shows Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz (left) ahead of Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (center right). Fetterman appeared with musician Dave Matthews (right) in Pittsburgh Wednesday

The Insider Advantage survey of 750 likely Pennsylvania voters showed Oz earning the support of 47.5 percent versus 44.8 percent for Fetterman. The results were within the poll's 3.58 percent margin of error

Another 25.9 percent of respondents had no opinion.

One figure from the survey that should disturb the Fetterman campaign and Democrats more generally is that Oz had an edge among the youngest group of voters.

Pollsters found that 46.9 percent of 18 to 39 year olds supported Oz, while 44 percent backed Fetterman.

Fetterman led with women - 52.9 percent to Oz's 39 percent - and black voters - 67.2 percent to Oz's 23.8 percent.

Oz only had a slight edge with white voters - 47.7 to Fetterman's 45.7 percent.

And the poll found that Oz was leading among independents - 65.9 percent to 22.5 percent.

However, Fetterman attracted more Republican crossover voters than Oz captured Democrats.

With 11 days to go, the Keystone State's Senate race is one of the most closely watched, as Democrats had viewed it as their best opportunity to flip a Republican-held Senate seat.

Fetterman and Oz are vying to replace retiring Republican Rep. Pat Toomey.

The Democrats already have a razor-thin majority in the upper chamber, as it's a 50-50 party split, with Vice President Kamala Harris used as a tie-breaker.

While President Joe Biden has largely stayed off the campaign trail, Pennsylvania has been the exception.

He'll travel to Philadelphia to hold a fundraiser for Fetterman later Friday, alongside Harris.

Axios also reported that Biden will join forces with former President Barack Obama to stump for Fetterman and Pennsylvania Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Josh Shapiro in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia on November 5.

But the Insider Advantage survey found that Biden may not be the most potent surrogate.

Of those surveyed, 51.7 percent had an unfavorable view of the president, while 24.5 percent had a favorable view of him and 17.5 percent had a somewhat favorable view of Biden.
In the last week, the Tesla CEO's net worth rose from $200billion to $212billion

The deal, worth $44billion, could further add to Musk's extraordinary wealth

As the world's richest man - with a staggering net worth of $212billion - Elon Musk can afford to take a risk or two when it comes to business.

His latest endeavour, the purchase of Twitter, has raised eye-brows across the world - and not only because of the social media site's astonishing price $44billion (38billion).

The eccentric Tesla and SpaceX owner has already played down the purchase as a business move - instead saying 'I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love'.

On Wednesday, the billionaire had changed his Twitter profile to identify himself as the 'Chief Twit' and posted a video of himself walking into the company's San Francisco headquarters carrying a porcelain sink.

This fuelled rumours that he had had closed the deal to buy Twitter in which he shared the clip with the caption: 'Entering Twitter HQ, let that sink in'.

And in the early hours of Friday morning, the billionaire posted on Twitter: 'the bird is freed' before several top executives in his first move at the top of the company.

Despite Musk's now-famed business bravado, some have already suggested the entrepreneur has overpaid to take over the social media company, following months of negations which looked destined for the court room - with the billionaire fearing that the number of fake accounts on the platform was higher than Twitter claimed.

Twitter, who denied the accusations, filed a lawsuit to hold Musk to the deal which he was given a deadline of October 28 to complete.

But even with the site now taking up a fifth of his estimated net worth, it looks like it matters not for the South Africa born entrepreneur.

That's because, in the last week alone, his net worth has risen from $200billion to $212 billion according to estimates by Bloomberg.

On Wednesday, the billionaire posted a video of himself walking into Twitter's San Francisco headquarters carrying a porcelain sink with the caption: 'Entering Twitter HQ, let that sink in'

The SpaceX founder is currently thought to be the world's richest man. Will the Twitter takeover help or hinder him?

From being just shy of $20billion in 2019, the Tesla CEO has amassed fortunes at an alarming rate, hitting unbeatable figures of $212billion

During the last week, Musk has seen his net worth rise by around $10billion in the last week, according to Bloomberg

Most billionaires saw their net worth grow during the Covid-19 pandemic before then plummeting.

Business leaders that top the Forbes400 list have lost $315 billion collectively - although they still remain richer than they were before the pandemic brought things to a halt.

For Musk though, despite Tesla struggling like most tech companies this year, the entrepreneur-come-investor has come along way in a short amount of time when it comes to net worth.

From being just shy of $20billion in 2019, the newly crowned 'Chief Twit' has amassed fortunes at an alarming rate, hitting currently unbeatable figures of $212billion.

He overtook Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2021 to become the world's richest man and later became the first person to have a net worth over $300billion.

In a week where his Twitter deal was being finalised, his net worth continued to grow even higher.

A significant amount of Musk's net worth is said to come from his stocks in automobile company Tesla, which he first invested into and became majority shareholder in 2004. He later became the CEO in 2008.

Despite Musk insisting that he does not believe in selling his shares, he was forced to sell around $7billion of his Tesla stock ahead of his court battles with Twitter.

In a week where Musk's Twitter deal was being finalised, Musk's net worth continued to grow even higher

Musk announced his Twitter takeover with a post saying: 'the bird is freed' before firing top executives at the company

Musk's stake in Tesla - which is the bulk of his net worth - is now valued at roughly $121billion

Before his Twitter takeover, the South African had publicly criticised the platform's existing leadership team - in particular, attacking their policies on content moderation and censorship

His stake in Tesla - which is the bulk of his net worth - is now valued at roughly $120billion. However, according to FactSet, at the end of September, his stake stood at 14.9% of its outstanding shares - an investment valued at about $124 billion.

In addition to his Tesla wealth and now his new $44billion Twitter deal, his endeavours with SpaceX have generated stakes worth around $47billion.

The three companies put together create the estimate for his staggering net worth.

Among other business ventures, Musk also owns The Boring Company, which aims to defeat traffic using underground tunnels.

It is believed, alongside his business interests, that Musk also has a number of high-value properties.

Although it has been suggested that, relative to his extraordinary wealth, that he lives a fairly low-key life for a billionaire.

Musk has always been adamant that his father did not help him start his first business Zip2 (pictured together)

Musk graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995 before his business endeavours (pictured left that year)

In 1995, Musk founded a web software company called Zip2 with his brother, Kimbal, and businessman Greg Kouri. Pictured: Musk (right) in 1995

Musk went on to co-found X.com - an online financial service. It took off quickly - earning more than 200,000 customers during its initial months of operation

The company eventually merged with Confinity - who owned PayPal - and in 2000, Musk was replaced as CEO with Confinity founder Peter Thiel. The company then renamed X.com to PayPal, and sold it to eBay for $1.5 billion. Pictured: Musk and Thiel in 2000

Musk then decided to start a company that could build its own affordable rockets - and SpaceX was born

Musk invested $6.5 million - becoming the majority shareholder - in Tesla Motors in 2004, an electric car company. He became CEO in 2008

Before his Twitter takeover, the South African had publicly criticised the platform's existing leadership team - in particular, attacking their policies on content moderation and censorship. He has also sparred with them over data on how many accounts were bots or spam.

The deal completion came at the eleventh hour - just one day before Musk was going to be dragged back into court after being sued by Twitter for a back-and-forth he had over whether he was going to buy the company.

While many are delighted at the new ownership of the social media platform, some have suggested Musk has seriously overpaid.

Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, told the US Sun that the deal 'will go down as one of the most overpaid tech acquisitions in the history of M&A deals on the Street in our opinion'.

Some have questioned whether Musk has seriously overpaid for Twitter with one analyst claiming Twitter is worth closer to $25billion

The eccentric Tesla and SpaceX owner has already played down the purchase as a business move - instead saying 'I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love'

Musk sparred with Twitter executives over data on how many accounts were bots or spam

TIMELINE OF ELON MUSK'S CHAOTIC ATTEMPT TO TAKEOVER TWITTER April 2: Musk announces that he owns 9.2 percent of the company, making him its largest single shareholder April 14: Musk offers to take Twitter private at $54.20 a share, valuing the company at $44billion April 25: Twitter accepts Musk's offer April 29: Musk sells $8billion in Tesla shares to finance deal May 13: Musk says Twitter deal is on hold pending a review of bot accounts May 26: Musk is sued by Twitter for stock manipulation during takeover July 8: Musk says he's backing out of the deal. Twitter sues, trying to force him into seeing it through. October 4: Musk proposes again to go ahead with the deal at the original price October 17: Proposed trial date in Delaware October 26: Musk visits Twitter HQ with a sink, updates his bio on the site to 'Chief Twit' and sets his location to Twitter HQ October 28: Musk Tweets: 'the bird is freed' and fires several top executives at Twitter Advertisement

Ives, who works for a LA-based investment firm, estimates the value of the company to be closer to $25billion rather than the $44billion.

'With fair value that we would peg at roughly $25billion, Musk buying Twitter remains a major head-scratcher that ultimately he could not get out of once the Delaware Courts got involved,' he said.

Musk's purchase of Twitter comes following a meteoric rise from his first business Zip2 - a web software company he founded with his brother, Kimbal, and businessman Greg Kouri in 1995.

The company was funded by angel investors and it created an online guide which provided newspapers with maps, directions, and yellow pages.

But the tech mogul has always been adamant that his father did not help him start his first business. He said that he and his brother paid for college through scholarships, loans and working two jobs simultaneously before angel investors helped the business.

Eventually, Zip2 was purchased by Compaq for $307 million in 1999. Through the sale, Musk received $22 million for his seven per cent share.

He then went on to co-found X.com - an online financial service which took off very quickly, earning more than 200,000 customers in its initial months of operation.

X.com eventually merged with Confinity - who owned PayPal - in 2000 and Musk was replaced as CEO by its founder Peter Thiel.

A re-brand of the company saw X.com change to the financial tech firm PayPal, who later sold to eBay for $1.5billion, thus making Musk his millions.

As the largest shareholder in the company at the time, Musk received $175.8million from the sale and he would later go on to co-found SpaceX in 2002 before becoming majority shareholder in Tesla Motors in 2004.
Atlanta police have arrested two glove-wearing bandits in a red Tesla that was filled with dozens of stolen Amazon packages and numerous drugs.

The two thieves - 39-year-old Larry Byer and 38-year-old DonEl Leon Hammonds -were busted early Monday morning after someone called 911 to report the burglary at a business located at 900 block of Huff Road.

The caller told police that they saw two men stealing packages from the property and loading them into a red Tesla sedan.

When police officers from Atlanta Police Department's Zone 1 arrived on the scene, they observed a red Tesla Model 3 with the trunk open and packages visible, a statement from the Atlanta Police Department said.

'Some say we should never judge a book by its cover we say, never judge a thief by the car they drive,' a spokesperson for the Atlanta Police Department wrote on Facebook.

The Tesla Model 3 has dozens of Amazon packages that were visible in the back of the open truck (pictured)

One of the men getting handcuffed by an Atlanta police officer after being caught in the act

The second glove-wearing suspect getting out of the vehicle when cops arrived on the scene

'Some say we should never judge a book by its cover we say, never judge a thief by the car they drive,' a spokesperson for the Atlanta Police Department wrote on Facebook

Two men matching the description were with the vehicle and wearing gloves.

When officers searched the vehicle they found a medley of drugs - marijuana and meth - a firearm, credit cards and ID cards possessing different people's names.

Officers returned the stolen package to their owners.

Byer is charged with nine counts of theft by receiving stolen mail, possession of crystal meth, possession of marijuana, possession of tools for the commission of a crime, and burglary, officials said.

Hammonds is charged with nine counts of theft by receiving stolen mail, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of marijuana, possession of tools for the commission of a crime, and burglary.

Both men are now in custody at the Fulton County jail, a report said.
An academic who pursued a senior colleague for a romantic relationship and later blamed him when she lost her university job may have filed an appeal against her dismissal 24 hours too late, a tribunal has heard today.

Psychologist Ruxandra Anghel claimed she was dismissed by Middlesex University after she had a 'dating relationship' with psychology professor Dr David Westley.

Ms Anghel claimed she was 'groomed', along with other students in the department, by Dr Westley, and is now hoping to appeal an employment tribunal's ruling that she was not dismissed on grounds of discrimination.

In January last year, a tribunal dismissed her claims that Dr Westley - now the head of the university's psychology department - had tried to develop a 'work with benefits' relationship with her.

She is now fighting to appeal its decision that she was not dismissed on grounds of discrimination after missing the deadline for submitting a document.

Psychologist Ruxandra Anghel claimed she was dismissed by Middlesex University after she had a 'dating relationship' with Dr David Westley

Ms Anghel graduated with a first-class degree in Psychology with Counselling from the University and later got a job as an assistant there.

She was made redundant in 2018 - and has since claimed it was because of her relationship with Dr Westley.

Dr Westley, who had recently separated from his wife, kissed Ms Anghel after drinks with colleagues in 2015 and made it clear to her that he did not want a serious relationship with her.

They went out together at least five times, but by October of that year their 'dating relationship' was over, with Mr Westley saying he wanted to reconcile with his wife.

But, in 2017 Ms Anghel sent him a message stating: 'I'm coming over at yours later. Get a nice bottle of wine. There will be no talking. Send me the exact address.'

Dr Westley replied: 'Sorry - l don't understand? Possibly a sense of humour failure on my part?'

Ms Anghel responded: 'I don't make such jokes. It is not my style. I'm a grown woman. I expressed my desire. I was hoping for a more elegant response.'

Ms Anghel lost her job at the University a year later and went on to represent herself at the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT).

An employment tribunal dismissed Ms Anghel's claims that Dr David Westley (pictured) - now the head of Middlesex University's psychology department - had tried to develop a 'work with benefits' relationship with her

Judge Simon Auerbauch told Anghel today: 'An appeal, in order to be able to be considered, has to be properly considered in time.

'I am told your grounds of claim document had been supplied one day late.'

Having had her application to extend the time limit rejected by the registrar, Judge Auerbauch could decide that the appeal was not supplied in time and the extension is not granted, therefore ending the appeal.

Alternatively, he could grant the time extension, allowing Ms Anghel to be able to proceed with her appeal.

In her submission, Ms Anghel said she experienced 'emotional abuse and coercive control by Dr Westley.

'He groomed me, as he did with other students, including his former wife who is a former student,' she claimed.

'In time I began to notice my own psychological deterioration. I went into depression and I didn't know who I was anymore.

'David Westley wanted me to believe there was something wrong with me and this is also what he told others behind my back.'

It was only after studying psychotherapy that Ms Anghel said she realised that she was a victim of Dr Westley's psychological control.

In her submission, Ms Anghel said she experienced 'emotional abuse and coercive control by Dr Westley. She said: 'I want to be an example of victims of abuse, we should not be silenced'

Criticising the handling of her claim, she described her previous trial as 'a trauma.'

'I felt I was under trial myself. This is how I was made to feel.

'My dignity was publicly damaged by a system of justice. I do feel responsible for my profession, to not remain silenced and to encourage people to fight their fight.

'I want to be an example of victims of abuse, we should not be silenced.'

Mr Satinder Gill, representing London's Middlesex University, told the court that Ms Anghel 'plainly accepted that it was not a complete set of documents because the Grounds of Claim was missing.

'The appellant has accepted it was a mistake. She conceded she made a genuine error herself. A simple careless error.

'It is not a negligible error. It is a simple error.'

Mr Gill also noted that it was 'a very unfortunate feature' of Ms Anghel 'that if she has someone who disagrees with her, or she feels disadvantages her, she will straightaway suggest bias or sabotage.

'She even suggests that against the Employment Appeals Tribunal staff,' he said.

Ms Anghel is now appealing against the decision at the Royal Courts of Justice, with a written decision to be handed down by the EAT within the next few weeks on fixing a date.

Middlesex University has been contacted for comment.
A retired teacher accused by BBC presenter Nicky Campbell of molesting dozens of young boys could soon be sent to South Africa's toughest 'and most evil' jail to await extradition back to the UK to face justice.

Radio 5 Live Breakfast host Mr Campbell said he was molested during his time at Edinburgh Academy in Scotland in the 1970s.

The broadcaster has campaigned tirelessly for his 82-year-old former teacher - who he says he saw molest other children - to be brought back to the UK where he faces seven charges relating to the abuse of schoolboys.

However, efforts to get the accused paedophile back to Britain have been delayed by 20 weeks, to allow the Minister of Justice to rule on a disputed constitutional point of law.

But in a bombshell revelation today, a judge said the pensioner could soon be locked up in the remand wing of Cape Town's maximum-security jail, Pollsmoor, while he waits to be extradited.

The facility is home to more than 7,500 murderers, rapists and paedophiles and is rife with HIV.

Despite the prospect of the alleged abuse facing time behind bars, Mr Campbell is said to be furious at delay to bring the former teacher back to the UK.

A close friend who worked with broadcaster for more than 10 years said: 'This delay will once again anger and frustrate Nicky and those who accuse this man of basically ruining their lives.'

Broadcaster Nicky Campbell (pictured) has said his alleged paedophile former teacher can no longer 'hide in plain sight' after he was identified on South African TV

The accused has admitted fondling pupils at two Scottish schools in the 1960s and 1970s and South African judges agreed in 2020 to the UK's extradition request.

But the pensioner appealed the ruling and began a legal battle to stay in Cape Town and was granted bail which has seen his cozy life of retirement continue.

He is claiming that being sent 6,000 miles back to the UK to face sexual charges that date back over 40 years would at his age be 'too severe a punishment'.

The defendant was due at the Western Province High Court in Cape Town today where fresh evidence was expected to be put before two judges.

But a prior arrangement had been made for the keen squash and bowls player not to have to attend in person and the court case was adjourned in his absence.

However, having his bail renewed may only be a temporary benefit as prosecutors in South Africa are keen to put him behind bars until his extradition appeal is completed.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed they are taking a tough stance to get the alleged paedophile's bail revoked by a High Court judge which means jail.

The NPA said today they believe the magistrate who first heard the case had made an error in allowing the accused bail instead of remanding him in custody.

Spokesman Eric Ntabazalila said: 'The reason we cannot proceed today is we are awaiting instructions from the Minister of Justice on a Constitutional point.

Mr Campbell spoke of how the abuse he suffered at Edinburgh Academy as a young child had a 'profound effect' on his life. Pictured aged 10

'And that point is that the Extradition Act says that the court "shall issue an order committing such a person to prison to await the minister's decision".

'Yet the defendant was allowed out on bail and the NPA believe the magistrate should have kept him in custody pending the Justice Minister's final decision

'This is the constitutional point that has to be resolved by the court,' he said.

Former pupils from Fettes College and Edinburgh Academy have come forward to say they were abused by the alleged paedophile.

The pensioner, who had been known until recently by only his pseudonym 'Edgar', has been publicly named in a South African TV documentary.

Mr Campbell has revealed dozens of former students claimed 'Edgar' abused them and suffered traumatic flashbacks and depression from years of abuse.

In contrast their alleged tormentor is living in a two-bed 140,000 cottage in a private retirement village in the shadow of the Cape Town mountains.

'Edgar' lives with his wife in the close-knit village where they have the use of a heated pool and a bar with live sport on TV and a restaurant and a BBQ area.

However, if the Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola does rule with the NPA then the ex-teacher will find himself taken from court at his next appearance to prison.

He would be transferred to the remand wing of the maximum-security prison Pollsmoor on the outskirts of Cape Town which is the toughest jail in South Africa.

Dozens of former students at Fettes College and Edinburgh Academy (pictured) have accused 'Edgar' of abuse in the 1970s

Mr Campbell, pictured as a 10-year-old schoolboy

Built for 4,336 men it houses over 7,500 murderers, rapists and paedophiles and is rife with disease like HIV and TB and the gang rape of inmates is commonplace.

TV actor Ross Kemp who visited Pollsmoor during his award-winning series about gangs admitted it was the 'most evil and scariest' prison he had ever filmed in.

The NPA confirmed that in 2020 the Minister of Justice signed a Section 11(a) Order for 'Edgar' to be extradited to the UK but said it had been appealed.

A spokesman said: 'This order issued by the Minister directs a person should be extradited to the requesting State but that person has the right to review it".

An order made by the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry means the alleged paedophile can only be known as 'Edgar' and his true identity cannot be lawfully revealed.

The Crown Office in Scotland has also supplied their counterparts in South Africa with a supplementary extradition request containing testimony from new victims.

Campbell claimed earlier this year he witnessed 'Edgar' sexually assaulting one of his classmates in a school changing room when they were 10-years-old.

An aerial view showing Cape Town in South Africa

The brave Radio 5 chat-show host also revealed he had suffered sexual abuse as a schoolboy but not from 'Edgar' though dozens more claim he abused them.

Fettes College and Edinburgh Academy both issued full apologies and stated their 'deep regret' for what happened and urged all victims to contact the police.

'Edgar' was first arrested in 2019 in Cape Town but is fighting extradition to Scotland where he faces seven charges of sexual abuse but more may be added.

In a written statement to court he admitted he moved from South Africa to Edinburgh in 1967 to seek treatment after experiencing 'urges' to touch young schoolboys.

He spent three months undergoing psychiatric evaluation and then became a teacher in Edinburgh where he is accused of then abusing pupils.

By this time, he was married and when complaints were made by scholars at both schools he left his post and returned to Cape Town to continue teaching.

The Western Cape education department say they have no reports of wrongdoing during the three decades he taught there until he retired when in his mid 60s,

He is so far facing six charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour and one of indecent assault of young schoolboys in Edinburgh between 1969 and 1976.

The alleged paedophile will return to the Western Cape High Court on March 17.
Three pedophiles were hired at an Ohio haunted house despite their boss knowing about their criminal past while a California man, who also worked as a clown at a popular Halloween attraction, is jailed for 215 years for 'raping minors in his sex dungeon.'

Kim Neubauer told Inside Edition that she quit her job at the haunted house when she found out her co-worker was a registered sex offender.

'He's there hiding under makeup in the dark in a costume. It's very scary to have people like that working around children in the dark,' she said.

All three have now had their employment terminated.

In July, a man who worked as a scare actor and host at haunted mazes and events across Southern California was jailed for 215 years.

Morgan Delos Fowler, 32, pleaded guilty in June at the Riverside County Superior Court to 18 felonies, including 10 counts of rape and other sexual assault charges, after brokering a plea agreement.

Before the plea agreement, Fowler faced nearly 60 total charges involving dozens of victims spanning from 2007 to 2019, Patch reported at the time.

Kim Neubauer, (pictured) who worked at the same haunted house, said she quit her job when she found out her co-worker was a registered sex offender

Neubauer said management had known he (left) and two other employees had a chilling criminal past

In July, Morgan Delos Fowler, 32, who worked as a scare actor and host at haunted mazes and events across Southern California, was jailed for 215 years

Fowler, who went by the name 'Trixter the Clown,' targeted 20 people over more than a decade

The 32-year-old had been working at events across Southern California, including Lake Elsinore Storm Stadium's 'Field of Screams,' 'Sinister Pointe' in Orange County, and others of his own making and targeted 20 people.

According to his victims, he would use the haunted venues as his hunting grounds to seduce people, some as young as 14.

Fowler would then try to groom them into becoming submissive members of his sex cult.

The serial abuser hid behind a creepy clown persona he called 'Trixter' to share his plans of building a masochistic society where he was the leader, victims told Patch.

'Morgan was dressed as Trixter, his clown persona and was scaring crowds of people,' one victim revealed.

'I went and talked to him, as I was a clown in my free time. He shared his card and we began talking. He was one of the first people who cared about my gender and being trans and would stand up for me. No one had ever done that before.'

They went on to tell the publication that Fowler had been the leader of a 'sex cult.'

'He had so many people in his control. There were contracts and rules that everyone had to follow, and things people had to do and say,' they explained.

'He called us a 'family.' He confided in me that his biggest dream was to be the mayor of a town where there were no laws about sex. I began to worry for the young teens who went to buy weed from him.'

The district attorney's office hoped the conviction would bring closure to Fowler's many victims.

'The sentence of 215 years, four months to life ensures that this serial sexual predator can never again prey upon or victimize anyone,' the district attorney's office said in a statement.

According to Fowler's victims, he would use the haunted venues as hunting grounds to seduce people, some as young as 14

Fowler was hired by twin brothers Zach and Jeromy Ball, who often go by the Bloodshed Brothers, to creep the halls and scare guests at their haunted house

Bree Drumwright worked at the Bloodshed Brothers' attraction in high school and said Zach Ball led her into an empty room at the haunted house to make out

Maddie Estrada also worked at the attraction in high school and said the brothers would bring coolers of alcohol to work

Jeromy was never charged, but Zach (pictured) pleaded guilty to oral copulation with a minor and has now registered as a sex offender although he only spent one day in jail

Estrada (right) said Zach Ball had 'groomed her' during a 'vulnerable time' in her life

Fowler was arrested in 2019 after an anonymous tip to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department regarding child sexual abuse material.

He was not charged with creating or possessing such material.

In a statement petitioning for increased bail for Fowler after his arrest, a deputy wrote that he had 'a sex dungeon in his garage with weapons throughout the house.'

'Suspect knows where all three victims live and had been physical with them in the past causing them to fear for their safety,' the deputy wrote.

Fowler was hired by twin brothers Zach and Jeromy Ball, who often go by the Bloodshed Brothers, to creep the halls and scare guests at their haunted house, 'Field of Screams,' just outside of Los Angeles.

Two women speaking to Inside Edition said the brothers themselves weren't so innocent.

Bree Drumwright worked at the Bloodshed Brothers' attraction in high school and said Zach Ball led her into an empty room at the haunted house to make out.

'I was 14. It still hurts I wish I could get the closure, but it still hurts,' she explained.

Maddie Estrada also worked at the attraction in high school and said the brothers would bring coolers of alcohol to work.

'They would bring coolers of alcohol. And they would make sure it was sweet stuff like Mike's Hard Lemonade or fruity things that would be yummy for kids,' she said.

When Estrada was 16 she said Zach Ball, pressured her into a sexual relationship - he was 24.

'I was a kid. Just having this abusive man be the only person I could rely on for advice or comfort, and he didn't even give that to me,' she said.

Estrada told Patch that Zach Ball had 'groomed her' during a 'vulnerable time' in her life.

'He met me at an incredibly vulnerable part of my childhood and completely used it to his advantage to break me down and mold me into an object that suited his sick fantasies,' she said.

'Before I met him, I was a virgin and had never even thought about trying sex or alcohol. At the time, I dearly valued abstinence from both as a result of my religious upbringing.'

Jeromy was never charged, but Zach pleaded guilty to oral copulation with a minor and has now registered as a sex offender although he only spent one day in jail.
The panda was gifted to Taiwan by Beijing in 2008 with female panda Yuan Yuan

Chinese veterinary experts have been invited to Taiwan, zoo officials said Friday, for a rare visit between the two sides after a male panda that symbolised an era of warmer ties was moved into end of life care.

Relations between China and Taiwan have been on ice since 2016 with Beijing severing official communications and government visits between the two sides scrapped.

But Taiwan has made an exception after Tuan Tuan, a male panda that was gifted to the island by Beijing in 2008, fell ill in recent weeks and looks to be entering his twilight days.

A worker feeds the sick panda Tuan Tuan at the zoo in Taipei as he undergoes end of life care.

Zoo workers said their 'hearts are breaking' to see the beloved panda on the brink of death

Tuan Tuan (pictured) has been moved to end of life care at Taipei Zoo in Taiwan

Taipei Zoo said the Chinese vets will stay for seven days and observe, rather than conduct, health checks.

'The main purpose is to visit Tuan Tuan and see his present condition,' Eve Wang, Animal Section Chief of Taipei City Zoo told reporters.

'They expressed their desire to come in person to visit Tuan Tuan. I also think it will be a very meaningful trip,' she added.

It is not clear when the vets will arrive but Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said Wednesday they were processing their visa applications.

Tuan Tuan (pictured) was gifted to Beijing in 2008, fell ill in recent weeks and looks to be entering his twilight days

Tuan Tuan and his breeding mate Yuan Yuan were given to Taiwan by Beijing at a time when relations between the two neighbours were more cordial.

In a nod to the Chinese Communist Party's goal of one day taking Taiwan, their names combined mean 'reunion' or 'unity'.

The couple became huge stars in Taiwan and Yuan Yuan has since given birth to two female cubs.

'He (Tuan Tuan) was small and so cute when he first got here,' said Heng Ling-lin, who brought her children to Taipei Zoo to sign get-well notes.

'He was like everybody's baby,' she told AFP.

'It breaks my heart now to see him like this.'

Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, the two giant pandas given by China to Taiwan, at the Zoo's Panda House in Taipei, Taiwan

Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan's panda cub (pictured) at Taipei Zoo was born in July 2013

China only loans pandas to foreign zoos which must usually return any offspring within a few years of their birth to join the country's breeding programme.

But Taiwan was granted an exception as part of a brief charm offensive China launched in the late 2000s and was fully gifted both Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan and any offspring they had.

Vets first noticed Tuan Tuan, 18, was ill in August when he began suffering seizures and appeared increasingly unsteady and lethargic.

Subsequent scans showed he had a brain-lesion and he was placed on anti-seizure medication.

A cameraman films messages left by people for the sick Tuan Tuan at the Taipei Zoo

Earlier this week Taipei Zoo said they suspected Tuan Tuan had a brain tumour and he was moved into palliative care.

Beijing has long deployed 'panda diplomacy' and the gift of Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan was a move seen to endorse the presidency of then Beijing-friendly leader Ma Ying-jeou.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to one day bring the self-ruled democratic island back into the fold, by force if necessary.

Relations took a dive in 2016 when President Tsai Ing-wen was elected.

Beijing loathes Tsai because she views Taiwan as an already sovereign nation and not part of 'one China'.

Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has since ramped up economic, military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan.
If MPs don't trust him, there are whispers they will once again turn to Johnson

But with an eventual election looming, there are concerns Rishi Sunak won't win

Allies of Boris Johnson believe he could still return as Tory leader before the next election if Rishi Sunak fails to close the poll gap with Labour.

The former Prime Minister abandoned his extraordinary attempt to succeed Liz Truss this week after concluding it was too soon for him to unite the warring Tory MPs who ousted him in July.

His decision, late on Sunday night, left the way clear for Rishi Sunak to become Tory leader the following day.

In a statement on Sunday night, he said he had a 'very good chance of winning' but added: 'I have sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do. You can't govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament.'

Mr Johnson has congratulated his estranged former Chancellor and urged Tory MPs to give him their 'full and wholehearted support'.

Some allies fear Mr Sunak (pictured) may struggle to overhaul Sir Keir Starmer in the opinion polls  and believe Tory MPs could look to Mr Johnson as a proven winner

A source said: 'As the next election approaches, the focus of Tory MPs will switch increasingly to who can win and who can save their seat. If they don't think the current lot can do it he (Boris) will always be there as the emergency cord'. Pictured: Mr Sunak and Mr Johnson in October 2020

But some allies fear Mr Sunak may struggle to beat Sir Keir Starmer in the opinion polls  and believe Tory MPs could look to Mr Johnson as a proven winner as the next General Election approaches, probably in 2024.

'He thinks the job's not done,' said one friend. 'It's just not quite the right time. The Parliamentary party is not in quite the right place. But it is probably a matter of time.

'As the next election approaches, the focus of Tory MPs will switch increasingly to who can win and who can save their seat. If they don't think the current lot can do it he (Boris) will always be there as the emergency cord.'

The source added: 'These days you need a tripartite mandate - you need the MPs, the Tory membership and the country. Sunak has got the MPs but it's yet to be confirmed whether he can get the other two.'

Early polls suggest Mr Sunak has made progress on closing the massive poll gap left by Miss Truss, but that he has a long way to go if the Tories are to have any hope of winning the next election.

The former Prime Minister abandoned his extraordinary attempt to succeed Liz Truss this week after concluding it was too soon for him to unite the warring Tory MPs who ousted him in July. He'd shared these pictures only a day earlier indicating he'd been on the phone to MPs to gain their support

A YouGov poll this week put Labour down five points on 51 per cent, with the Conservatives up four to 23 per cent.

But this still leaves Labour with a 28-point lead, and ministers have yet to unveil a painful package of tax rises and spending cuts expected in next month's Budget.

Mr Johnson's campaign team bridled at claims that he could not reach the threshold of 100 MPs needed to get on the ballot paper this week.

Campaign manager Nigel Adams said that Bob Blackman, secretary of the 1922 Committee, had 'independently verified' that Mr Johnson was 'above the threshold required to stand for the Conservative Party leadership in this leadership election'.

An ally said: 'He proved he could get on the ballot, even though the threshold was set incredibly high. He has proved he is still in play.'

Mr Johnson is now expected to focus on holding the Government's feet to the fire over levelling up and support for Ukraine.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson waves as he arrives at Gatwick Airport in London, after travelling on a flight from the Caribbean

If Tory MPs doubt Mr Sunak will beat Labour leader Keir Starmer at the next election, sources say they're likely to try to bring Mr Johnson back

The former Prime Minister is even considering making public visits to some of the Red Wall seats that swept him to power to highlight the ongoing need to 'level up'.

He is also set to spend time in Washington to maintain pressure on the Biden administration to keep up its support for Ukraine.

Sources said he is also completing a planned biography of Shakespeare and is beginning preparation for writing his own memoirs.

Mr Johnson's decision to pull out of the leadership race angered some backers and embarrassed Cabinet allies such as James Cleverly and Nadhim Zahawi, who publicly backed him just hours before he withdrew.

Michael Fabricant said he was 'bitterly disappointed' by the decision and said some supporters felt 'betrayed'.

He told GB News: 'I know a lot of people in his team feel not just disappointed, they feel betrayed. They feel they have been led to the top of the hill, fighting for him. They got that 100 MPs and then he stood down.

'I understand his reasons, but it's the second time - it happened in 2015. So it may be hasta la vista baby from him, but I don't know how many people would support him a third time, if I'm honest.'
Six children, aged from one to 13, and two adults were found dead inside a burning family home in Oklahoma.

Detectives believe the shocking tragedy in Broken Arrow was a murder-suicide with both adults considered suspects.

None of those killed have been named.

The children were the victims, Broken Arrow Police Chief Brandon Berryhill said.

The causes of death are still under investigation but fire officials said it doesn't appear that anyone died because of the fire.

Guns were recovered from the home, the police chief said.

Broken Arrow Police Chief Brandon Berryhill said the incident was a 'once in a lifetime tragedy'

The chief appeared visibly moved as he delivered an update on the suspected murder-suicide

Chief Berryhill said: 'No one should have to face this tragedy.

'We have peer support teams set up, outside counseling for firefighters and families, and crews met with the chaplain team, addressing their health.

'This is a once in a lifetime tragedy.'

Police did not provide the identities of those killed or explain their relationships to one another.

Police said the incident was a 'once in a lifetime tragedy' and say the dead adults are suspects

Witness Catelin Powers said she saw an unconscious woman being carried out of the house

The fire was reported at about 4pm Thursday in Broken Arrow, 13 miles southeast of Tulsa

He added: 'To arrive on scene yesterday and to see the looks on our first responders' and firefighters' faces just absolutely broke my heart.'

The fire was reported at about 4pm Thursday in a quiet residential area of Broken Arrow, 13 miles southeast of Tulsa.

Crews who responded found two adults dead in the front of the house with injuries that 'appeared to be criminal in nature'.

The children were found in another room that had been set on fire, police said.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze before police moved in and began the investigation.

Catelin Powers said she was driving with her children nearby when she saw a column of smoke near her house, so she drove past to investigate.

'When I got closer to the house, I saw smoke pouring out from the very top of the house, which looked like maybe the attic,' she said.

Two men and a woman on her phone were standing in front of the house, Powers said, when another man emerged from the front door dragging an apparently unconscious, unresponsive woman.

'Her arms were flopped to her sides,' she said.

Investigators said the fire inside the house did not appear to be the cause of the eight deaths

The blaze was reported at around 4pm on Thursday in the suburb of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

A huge police cordon remained around the house on Friday as police investigations continued

Neighbor Taylon Price, who has a five-month-old daughter, said: 'It's absolutely insane, and its crazy to know that its just down the street from my house.

'She was out walking her five-month-old daughter, stunned like everyone else in the neighborhood.

'It's very quiet, very peaceful, so for something like this to happen, its just insane.'

Chief Berryhill said: 'Broken Arrow stands together. We will mourn together, and in the end we will heal together.

'Please pray for for those who have lost their lives, and for our first responders who are dealing with a tragedy of this magnitude.'

Suspecting the woman was dead, Powers said she drove on so her children would be spared the sight.

Tragedy has struck before in Broken Arrow, which is Tulsa's biggest suburb with almost 115,000 residents.

In 2015, two teenaged brothers killed their mother, father, two younger brothers and 5-year-old sister at their home  which was about 6 miles south of Thursday's fatal fire.

The home where the 2015 killings occurred was later demolished and the site was transformed into a community park.
Allegations of bullying, misogyny and sexual harassment against women within the Submarine Service have prompted the Royal Navy to launch an urgent investigation today.

Whistleblowers who served with the fleet have come forward to expose serious claims of mistreatment up and down the chain of command.

The Royal Navy said it has launched an immediate and extensive investigation into the 'abhorrent' claims exposed by the Mail today.

The abuse is said to have been rife throughout the Submarine Service for more than a decade, after the branch lifted its long-standing ban on female recruits in 2011.

Among the whistleblowers is former trailblazer Sophie Brook, who was one of the first women to join the service.

The 30-year-old made history as the first female warfare officer and was on course to become the first female captain of a submarine. She mainly served on vanguard class submarines, which carry nuclear weapons.

But the former lieutenant has warned the fleet  within which all submarines are nuclear-powered  is 'no place for women', and much of her disturbing account has been corroborated by two other whistleblowers who agree the male-dominated branch has failed to provide a safe environment for women.

Among the troubling list of allegations are claims that:

Submariners compiled a 'crush depth rape list' in which women were ranked in the order they should be raped in a catastrophic event. 'Crush depth' refers to the depth at which water pressure causes a submarine to implode;

One senior officer abused Miss Brook by inserting part of his anatomy in her pocket, licking her ear, blowing her neck and even punching her in the kidney;

Another regularly left naked pictures of models for Miss Brook and posted 50p coins into her cabin, with the implicit suggestion she should perform a sex act in return;

Women were frequently screamed at, called c***s and hit with clipboards and pens;

Miss Brook had her bras stolen from the laundry while engineers sniffed women's washing;

Senior officers openly make sexual gestures and comments towards women they command;

Miss Brook was assaulted as she slept in her bed by man of a higher rank.

Sophie Brook, 30, pictured with her dog Ailsa, made history as the first female warfare officer and was on course to become the first female captain of a submarine, but says the service is 'no place for women'

Ms Brook alleges she was assaulted by a senior male colleague while she slept, as well as being sexually assaulted on multiple occasions

A senior source admitted the Navy was aware some women had been affected by 'inappropriate sexualised behaviour'

This week Admiral Sir Ben Key KCB CBE ADC, the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, said he was 'deeply disturbed' by the allegations and that an investigation had been launched.

'I am deeply disturbed to hear of allegations of inappropriate behaviour in the Submarine Service and I want to reassure our people, and anyone who is reading this, that any activity which falls short of the highest of standards the Royal Navy sets itself is totally unacceptable and not a true reflection of what service life should be,' he said.

'These allegations are abhorrent. Sexual assault and harassment has no place in the Royal Navy and will not be tolerated.

'I have directed my senior team to investigate these allegations thoroughly. Anyone who is found culpable will be held accountable for their actions regardless of their rank or status.'

A senior source admitted the Navy was aware some women had been affected by 'inappropriate sexualised behaviour'.

But the source added: 'The Royal Navy's leadership is outraged and dismayed at this in equal measure.

'We have been driving out this behaviour but we are determined to deal with these allegations and won't hesitate to take action against anyone who is implicated, no matter how senior they are.

'This is unacceptable behaviour and utterly opposed to our core values and standards.'

The source added: 'We won't rest until people are held to account over this  we won't accept excuses and there will be no attempt to shift blame.'

Miss Brook said she felt compelled to speak out to help other female submariners.

She said: 'It wasn't just me, all of the women - and I mean all of them - had incidents they had to endure. It wasn't always exactly the same but it was similar.

'The best thing I ever did was leave the Navy but I worry about the women I left behind. It was just a constant campaign of sexual bullying.'

She added: 'I loved the job, doing the maths, driving a submarine, it was amazing. It's just unfortunate the 'old boys' club' makes it such a hostile and misogynistic place.

'It is no place for women. It makes me really sad to say that. For ten years I would combat people who said that, I would argue against that point until I was blue in the face.'

Miss Brook left the Navy when she was investigated and court martialled for sharing sensitive information about her submarine's movement in an email to her married lover.

She resigned from her position in January but was formally dismissed in June and handed a suspended four-month prison sentence.

The former lieutenant had previously aspired to climb the ranks but said her experience in the fleet destroyed her mental health ultimately resulting in mistakes that eventually ended her career

The former lieutenant had previously aspired to climb the ranks but said her experience in the fleet destroyed her mental health ultimately resulting in the mistakes that eventually ended her career.

She said: 'I spent a decade trying to fight the injustice women face within the Submarine Service, playing by their rules, but I was unable to change things.

'I feel this is my last and final chance to try to make things better for the women left behind and believe the only thing they will listen to is the media.'

She added: 'I am not out to destroy the Submarine Service or the Navy.

'Most serving officers are brave, professional and make huge personal sacrifices. My issue is only with the few rotten apples bringing the service into disrepute. It is time for change.'

Another whistleblower, who previously served in a senior position in the fleet, said: 'It is not an equal service. The women are constantly pestered for sex, they are seen as legitimate targets.

'I saw women being called c***s and splits. I saw all the women break down at some point or another. And these are pretty tough women.

'One was given the nickname 'menstrual' by a superior because she cried. They are not covering themselves in glory.'

The source said 'sniffing'  a term used to describe how men would literally follow their female colleagues around  was rife across the service.

They said: 'I wouldn't want my daughters to serve in the submarine fleet. There have been allegations of rape and assault.'

They added: 'Senior officers are seen as golden geese. They can't sail without them so they are protected when they are removed, they are done so quietly.'

The whistleblowers all describe an environment in which sexualised comments were commonly used to humiliate personnel.

One described how commanders would force juniors to tell them a 'sh**ging dit' (a tale of a sexual exploit) or show them 'Sport Fots' (an intimate picture of their partner) before allowing them to leave.

Other senior officers were said to have a 'Black Ops Hardrive' - code for their porn collection  which juniors were forced to upload with fresh material sought out from others in the submarine.

They also said a respected officer was notorious for having a 'black book of revenge' listing junior personnel against whom who he holds a grudge.

A second whistleblower added that the female submariners struggled to deal with inappropriate behaviour from other personnel.

The source said: 'We would practise together what to say when someone did something inappropriate as we would normally be caught off-guard.

'We would rehearse saying something, 'You're making me uncomfortable, please stop', so we were prepared when it happened again.'

Diane Allen OBE, a retired lieutenant-colonel from voluntary body Independent Defence Authority, which helps victims within the military, said the claims were depressingly familiar.

She added: 'There have been problems where we have a small number of women in an enclosed space like a ship or submarine. So Sophie's story is sadly all too common.

'The women from the Royal Navy who have come to me have all had similar sort of problems to Sophie.

'Her story is incredibly credible, what she said didn't come as a surprise and it unfortunately sounds very similar to all the others I've heard.'

This summer, the Red Arrows display team was engulfed in a 'toxic culture' scandal, with some members removed as allegations of 'unacceptable behaviour', mainly towards young female recruits, were investigated.

And in June, the head of the British Army, Lieutenant General Andrew Harrison, condemned a 'corrosive' video that appeared to show paratroopers engaged in an orgy on an Essex military base.
Former President Donald Trump on Friday tore into the judge overseeing the $250 million suit New York prosecutors brought against him and his business seeking damages.

Trump attacked the New York state judge, Arthur Engoron, in an angry post on his Truth Social web site, railing against the judge who held him in contempt of court and fined him $110,000 for failing to give a deposition.

That ruling came in the long-running investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Trump's attack comes a week after a state administrative judge denied Trump's push to move the case to another courtroom.

'The only person who may be worse than weak on violent crime A.G. Letitia 'Peekaboo' James, is the Judge we have on her ridiculous & highly partisan case against me & my family,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Trump tore into Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the $250 million lawsuit against him in New York, where state AG Letitia James accuses him of committing fraud

'His name is Arthur Engoron, & he is a vicious, biased, and mean 'rubber stamp' for the Communist takeover of the great & prosperous American company that I have built over a long period of years,' Trump wrote. 'He was appointed by my worst enemies. Case was to go to a new Judge, but he demands to keep it. I have no jury or Civil Rights!

Engeron, who attended Columbia University and New York University Law School, was elected to his post on the states Supreme Court First Judicial District in 2015.

Engeron earlier fined Trump $110,000 and forced him to sit for a deposition in the case. When Trump finally sat for it, he repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment.

James sued Trump last month after a three-year probe, accusing Trump of engaging in 'numerous acts of fraud.'

In addition to seeking to claw back cash she alleges Trump defrauded taxpayers out of, James is seeking to rip away his ability to do business in the state for years.

Trump once again attacked state AG Letitia James

Judge Arthur Engoron fined Trump $110,000 over his failure to sit for a deposition

Prosecutors in the civil suit accuse Trump and his three adult children of pumping up property far beyond their actual valuations when seeking lending to expand his real estate empire. James accused Trump of inflated the value of assets by billions and using those faulty assessments to gain favorable loans.

'Claiming you have money that you do not have does not amount to the 'Art of the Deal. It's the art of the steal,' she said.

Trump's legal team objected to Judge Engoron's involvement in the case. They accuse James' office seeking to 'judge shop' by citing Engoron's experience with the case.

Trump lawyer Alina Habba late last month filed a letter with a state administrative judge asking the case to be moved to the court's Commercial Division, which handles complex litigation, and away from Engoron.

Last week she blasted the government's motion in the matter, calling it 'nothing more than a thinly-veiled attempt to keep this case with Justice Engoron rather than have it transferred to the Commercial Division where it belongs.'

Trump's own team is accused of filing suit in Florida related to the FBI search for government documents at Mar-a-Lago in a court venue where Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump and confirmed weeks before he left office, sits on the bench.
A female prison officer has denied having a romantic relationship with the same inmate who had a fling with a prison nurse - before she was sent down for six months.

Ruth Shmylo, 25, denies misconduct in public office over the alleged fling while working at a category B prison.

Earlier this month nurse Elyse Hibbs, also 25, was jailed for six months after having flirtatious phone calls with the same man.

The two women were accused of having flings with the same 'manipulative' inmate at HMP Parc, in Bridgend.

Health worker Hibbs met the prisoner while giving him medical treatment in jail and contacted him on Instagram afterwards.

Ruth Shmylo, 25, (pictured) denies misconduct in a public office over the alleged fling while working at a category B prison

Prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said jail chiefs suspected the inmate was involved in a relationship at the prison so transferred him to HMP Manchester.

But investigators then found Hibbs's phone number on his approved calls list for inmates.

Mr Cobbe said: 'Having been moved the inmate's calls were monitored in HMP Manchester and it was quite plain the relationship with this defendant had was being nurtured by the inmate.

'He contacted the defendant very many times and the bulk of it occurred when she was employed at HMP Parc.'

Female prison officer Ruth Shmylo arriving at Cardiff Crown Court where she pleaded not guilty to having an "inappropriate relationship" with an inmate

Mr Cobbe said the inmate used his mother and a friend to contact Hibbs after he searched for her on Instagram.

He said: 'The calls between them were flirtatious. They talk about the prison, staff within the prison, he tells her that he loves her and she tells him he doesn't know her to love her.

'He tells her that he loves her and she tells him that she loves him too. The calls included references to the defendant's existing partner and the inmate continuously suggested he would replace him and be in a relationship with her.'

Both of them swapped messages on social media by contacting each other through an account held by the inmate's friend, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Earlier this month nurse Elyse Hibbs (pictured), also 25, was jailed after admitting flirtatious phone calls with the lad who has not been named

Hibbs quit her post at HMP Parc in July 2021 and was arrested a week later and admitted exchanging messages with the prisoner.

She told police she was scared to end the contact after he had previously threatened her.

Mr Cobbe said: 'She explained that she and the inmate were never in a sexual relationship of any kind at all.

'She accepted she should have reported the matter but that she got in too deep and couldn't get out.'

Hibbs, of Newbridge, Gwent, admitted misconduct in a public office.

Adam Sharp, defending Hibbs, said the prisoner was known within the system to be a 'particularly manipulative individual'.

The prisoner tracked down Hibbs (pictured at Cardiff Crown Court) online and the pair exchanged messages and phone calls over several weeks. The pair swapped messages by contacting each other through an Instagram account held by the inmate's friend

He said: 'She was young, impressionable, inexperienced and vulnerable to the malign influence of the inmate who sought to exploit her.'

Mr Sharp said Hibbs had 'dedicated a significant part of her adult life' to nursing but her conviction meant she would be banned from the profession.

Recorder of Cardiff Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, told Hibbs: 'You knew what you were doing was wrong, you had training but nevertheless you went ahead and formed what was clearly an emotional relationship with this prisoner.

'Although you were young you held a position of responsibility as a nurse and as a member of prison staff. You failed to report initial contact despite advice from a colleague and training you had had.

'You engaged in flirtatious relationship initially, you failed to report the on-going contact and you failed to report that this inmate had upon him and in custody an unlawful device.'

Hibbs, allegedly having gotten in 'too deep' with the prisoner, quit her post at HMP Parc in Bridgend (pictured) in July 2021 and was arrested a week later

Shmylo will stand trial over an alleged affair with the same prisoner while she was employed as a custody officer at the 1,652-capacity HMP Parc Prison in Bridgend, Wales.

The charge against her states: 'While acting as a public officer, namely a prison custody officer, wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted yourself in a way which amounted to an abuse of the public's trust in the office holder by engaging in an inappropriate

relationship with a prisoner.'

Cardiff Crown Court heard the charges relate to alleged phone calls between Shymlo and the inmate but a previous hearing was told she 'strongly denies' the case.

Prosecutors have been ordered to serve transcripts of the alleged phone calls between the pair before a trial takes place next year.

Shmylo, of Treforest, Pontypridd, was handed unconditional bail.
King Charles said it gave him the 'greatest possible pleasure' to take the role on the unit's 358th anniversary

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King Charles was today announced as the new ceremonial head of the Royal Marines, a role previously held by his son, Prince Harry.

In a sign of the sensitivity of the situation, the Mail can reveal that Harry was informed of his father's decision to take on the role himself before it was made public.

The prince had been appointed Captain General by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, in 2017 following the Duke of Edinburgh's decision to retire from public life.

The Queen's husband had held the title with huge distinction for more than 64 years and his grandson cherished the opportunity to follow in his footsteps.

He was photographed with his late grandfather as he carried out his last official duty as Captain General before inheriting the position.

Following his acrimonious decision to quit royal duties and move to the US in 2019, Harry had hoped to still hold on to the position, as well as his other honorary military roles.

But after his grandmother made clear that it would be impossible for himself and Meghan to pursue commercial careers while undertaking royal duties, he was stripped of the office.

In a statement in February 2021, Buckingham Palace said: 'Following conversations with The Duke, The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of The Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.

'The honorary military appointments and Royal patronages held by The Duke and Duchess will therefore be returned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of The Royal Family.

'While all are saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family.'

The Sussexes retaliated with a statement of their own, which many saw as a direct and intensely disrespectful response to the Queen's comment on their inability to dedicate themselves to 'a life of public service' while pursuing their fortunes in the States.

'We can all live a life of service. Service is universal,' the couple said.

King Charles, pictured speaking with Marines after attending a memorial service in London when he was Prince of Wales, has taken over as Captain General it was announced today

Prince Harry, who served during the war in Afghanistan in the British Army (pictured), was told that his role would revert to his father before the announcement was made public

Harry (pictured left at an event at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in 2019) was said to be saddened to be stripped of the position as ceremonial head of the Commando regiment following Megxit in 2020. Pictured right: Charles  then Prince of Wales  at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, last year

The Duke of Sussex was appointed Captain General by the Queen in December 2017, succeeding Prince Philip, pictured

Their spokesman added that they would 'remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organisations they have represented regardless of official role'.

The role of Captain General of the Royal Marines - as well as Harry's appointments with RAF Honington and the Royal Navy Small Ships and Diving - reverted to the Queen.

Although some had speculated that Princess Anne would subsequently become the first woman to hold the role, no new appointment was made until today.

Until Philip was given the role by his wife in 1953, the position was held by a succession of sovereigns: King George V, King Edward VIII and King George VI, Charles' great-grandfather, great uncle and grandfather.

The Queen had, however, been keen to pay tribute to her husband's own proud military career - which he was forced to give up when they married - and he proved to be a much loved and popular ceremonial head.

He remained in the post for 64 years and 201 days.

His funeral last year, which he planned himself, involved a strong presence from the force.

A Royal Marine Bearer Party carried his coffin from his Land Rover Hearse into St George's Chapel, while the Last Post was played by one of their buglers.

Although today's announcement came just a day after Prince Harry's publishers announced his controversial memoir, Spare, would be published in January, there was no co-relation between the two events.

Buckingham Palace hadn't been expecting the announcement and had long planned to reveal the king's new role on the 358th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Marines, formed on October 28 1664 during King Charles II's reign.

The new king today praised them for their 'courage, determination, self-discipline and a remarkable capacity to endure in the most extreme environments'.

Widely acknowledged as one of the world's elite fighting forces, the Royal Marine Commandos are the amphibious troops of the Royal Navy.

They are deployed across the globe as specialists in combat in extreme climates, serving on the most dangerous operations under the most challenging conditions.

In a personal message to the Royal Marines, Charles said: 'It is the greatest possible pleasure to assume the role of your Captain General.

'I am exceptionally proud to follow in the footsteps of so many members of my family over the last three and a half centuries, all of whom held the role with a deep sense of admiration.

'The Royal Marines have a distinguished and unparalleled history, both on land and at sea.

'I draw immense inspiration from your courage, determination, self-discipline and a remarkable capacity to endure in the most extreme environments.

'I feel greatly honoured to become part of the Corps Family and very much look forward to meeting many of you in the near future.

'In the meantime, this comes with my heartfelt and special wishes for a very happy 358th birthday.'

He concluded with their motto Per Mare, Per Terram - By Land, By Sea.

As Prince of Wales, the King embarked on a career in the Royal Navy, undergoing training at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) in Devon in order to qualify as a helicopter pilot in 1972.

His Majesty later served alongside Royal Marines on board HMS Hermes, as part of 845 Naval Air Squadron, completing military exercises in the Western Atlantic and the West Indies.

Since their founding, the Royal Marines have taken part in more battles on land and sea around the world than any other branch of the UK Armed Forces.

They are currently operating in the Mediterranean, forging closer bonds with NATO allies and partners.

Commandos are also deployed in the Middle East to disrupt the global drugs trade, and will soon be operating in Oman.

Harry was said to be saddened when his prestigious title was removed by the Queen in 2020 after he and Meghan announced they would step down as working royals and move to California.

The Duke of Sussex was appointed Captain General by the Queen in December 2017, succeeding Prince Philip. Today's announcement comes just a day after Harry unveiled his 'provocative' new memoir Spare  a 'loaded' reference to his position as the younger brother of the heir to the throne.

In a personal message to the Royal Marines as they mark their 358th birthday today, the King said: 'It is the greatest possible pleasure to assume the role of your Captain General. I am exceptionally proud to follow in the footsteps of so many members of my family over the last three-and-a-half centuries, all of whom held the role with a deep sense of admiration.

The duke also lost his other formal roles with the military including Honorary Air Force Commandant of the Royal Air Force Base Honington, and Honorary Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Naval Commands' Small Ships and Diving.

Harry, a former Army officer with a passion for the military family, had been eager to hold onto his formal links with the UK's Armed Forces.

Prince William had initially been expected to succeed his brother as Captain General after a Buckingham Palace statement insisted they would be handed to 'working members of the Royal Family'.

However, growing tensions between the pair following Megxit meant making such a move would be seen as unnecessarily provocative, reports suggested.

Instead, Princess Anne was mooted as the most likely candidate due to her being the 'least controversial choice'.

The King is a Royal Navy veteran, and served alongside the Royal Marines on board HMS Hermes, as part of 845 Naval Air Squadron, completing military exercises in the Western Atlantic and the West Indies.

As Prince of Wales, the King embarked on a career in the Royal Navy, undergoing training at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) in Lympstone, Devon, in order to qualify as a helicopter pilot

His Majesty later served alongside Royal Marines on board HMS Hermes, as part of 845 Naval Air Squadron, completing military exercises in the Western Atlantic and the West Indies

Alongside his new role, he will continue to hold the rank of Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Navy.

Today's development comes just a day after new details were revealed about Prince Harry's 'nuclear' memoir.

Billed as a work of 'raw, unflinching honesty', the controversial book will be called Spare  a 'loaded' reference to his position as the younger brother of the heir to the throne.

Family members were not informed of the title in advance of the announcement yesterday, while the Spanish language version is even more pointed, having been given the subtitle En La Sombra, or 'in the shadow'.

An initial release date had been pencilled in for 'late 2022' to capitalise on the lucrative Christmas market, but the book will not be on the shelves until January 10  said to be as a mark of respect following the death of the Queen, and, it is rumoured, due to last-minute alterations requested by the duke.

A spokesman for the King declined to comment on the book last night. But it is understood that the Royal Household has already been warned that the 416-page, 28 book is 'critical of everyone and everything' and they are 'dreading' it.

The King holds the honorary rank of Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Navy. In this old photo, he is seen meeting servicemen

Among the grievances Harry may air is the decision to 'ban' him from wearing military uniform during the Queen's funeral.

Following a series of reports about the issue, the Duke of Sussex's spokesman issued a pointed statement, which read: '[Prince Harry] will wear a morning suit throughout events honouring his grandmother.

'His decade of military service is not determined by the uniform he wears and we respectfully ask that focus remain on the life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.'

Only working royals  which Harry and his uncle Andrew are not  are being permitted to dress in uniform at five ceremonial occasions.

After you've seen the reality show AND bought the book  what else can brand Harry and Meghan offer? Experts warn the Sussexes risk becoming 'boring'  but there are still two more books to come as part of Prince's '18.4m' deal

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are at risk of losing out on more lucrative media deals by being seen as 'boring', a public relations expert said today  as he warned the success of Harry's controversial memoir would be crucial to their financial future.

The Duke of Sussex's autobiography, which has the pointed title Spare, was unveiled yesterday. He was reportedly paid a 18.4million advance for the book as part of a three-title deal worth 36.8m.

The book will be published on January 10, just weeks after Harry and Meghan's equally controversial Netflix documentary  believed to be part of a 100m deal  is due to be aired.

Together with a 100m deal with Spotify, which includes Meghan's Archetypes podcast, the agreements provide the couple with significant financial firepower.

But this could be at risk in the future if the public begins to tire of their regular pronouncements, according to PR and marketing expert Mark Borkowski.

'The most important thing in the modern world is that they generate column inches and eyeballs  everything will come down to the success of the book and the deals with Netflix and Spotify,' he told MailOnline.

'If they do well then they could still be attractive to media outlets looking for subscribers. Given they're no longer connected to the Royal Family with the exposure that brings they need to create their own energy. The danger is they become boring.'

The Duke of Sussex's autobiography, which has the pointed title Spare, was unveiled yesterday. It is just one of a series of commercial ventures the couple have engaged in

Mr Borkowski said the couple's expensive lifestyle  which revolves around their 11million Montecito mansion  could see them partner with a Silicon Valley tech firm such as Mark Zuckerberg's Meta.

The firm's share price recently plummeted amid concerns Mr Zuckerberg's multi-billion dollar investment in the idea of the 'metaverse'  a series of virtual worlds where users can engage with each other in virtual reality  would fail to pay off.

'There's a bit of a downturn in tech at the moment but I'd expect that as the dust settles we could see them sign another deal in that industry,' Mr Borkowski said.

'Meta are facing huge problems so who better to generate a conversation around their idea of the metaverse than Harry and Meghan? They could be promoting it or creating their own virtual world themselves.'

Meanwhile, brand expert Nick Ede predicted Spare would open up new commercial opportunities for Harry and Meghan.

'I think the next step for Harry will be the very lucrative public speaking circuit,' he told MailOnline. 'Harry will read extracts from his book at events around the world with a Q&A.

'I also think he will make a lot of money through an exclusive sit-down interview with a journalist to promote the book. These kinds of sit-downs can command in the six-to-seven figures and I'm sure they'll be a bidding war.

'And with the book being so explosive he could even look to sell the film rights to it. Again that would be highly lucrative.'

Publisher Penguin Random House yesterday confirmed the 28 book 'full of insight, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom' will be released on January 10. The cover shows Harry staring at the camera in a brown T-shirt and a black string necklace

Spare, which is available to pre-order, will cost 28 hardcover, 13.99 as an eBook, 20 as an audio download and 25 as a CD. It will be released simultaneously in the US, UK and Canada, with 15 foreign language editions, including one in Spanish entitled Spare: En La Sombra (Spare: In The Shadow)

The Royal Family's lawyers remain on standby for Prince Harry's 'nuclear' memoir, amid fears it is 'critical of everyone and everything' and that reports of it being toned down are 'overblown'.

'It could not come at a worse time': Royal authors say delayed book will make King 'nervous' as he plans coronation King Charles will be 'nervous' after hearing Prince Harry's tell-all memoir is slated for release on January 10, royal experts said today - amid speculation the New Year publication date suggests the royal has succeeded in his bid to water down its content. The memoir had initially been signed off ready for an expected autumn release as part of a multi-million pound, three-title deal with Penguin Random House. But its publication was delayed following the Queen's death, and Harry is said to have requested a number of alterations to make it less critical of the Royal Family. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams warned the book's release would be 'unhelpful' to King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort. 'It was never a good idea for Harry, fifth in line to the throne, a Counsellor of State and only 38, to write a memoir which by its nature would be highly controversial,' he told MailOnline. 'All of this will almost certainly be unhelpful to King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla, in the early months of his reign. It may well widen the rift between the royal family's and the Sussexes in the pivotal period leading to King Charles's coronation. ' Biographer Tom Bower suggested commercial imperatives would ensure the final manuscript still contains plenty of criticism of the Royal Family. 'To those who have speculated that Harry wanted to dilute his ghost-written text to remove the most offensive descriptions of Charles, William and Kate, one can only surmise that his book can only be a global commercial success if a healthy dollop of poison remains,' he said. Advertisement

Meghan's biographer Tom Bower suggested the couple's Netflix series would create useful publicity for the memoir.

'The curtain raiser to the Sussexes' vengeance will be their Netflix series  a lucrative trailblazer to the book, clearly updated to describe their unexpected lengthy stay in London during the Queen's funeral,' he told MailOnline.

'Viewers and readers can expect scathing comments about their treatment by Harry's family. Wallowing in self-pity, the Sussexes will portray themselves as victims of uncaring charlatans.'

Spare's title page shows Harry staring sternly at the camera in a brown T-shirt and a black string necklace. An unabridged audiobook will be read by the prince himself.

The 416-page autobiography  which some retailers have cut to half-price for pre-order copies  was expected to hit bookshelves this autumn but there has been speculation that the date was pushed back as a mark of respect following the death of the Queen, and, it is rumoured, to make changes to the publication and remove potentially damaging material.

However, it appears the tone of the book has darkened since it was first announced in July last year. While the memoir was then-described as an 'inspiring, courageous, and uplifting human story', yesterday's promotion calls it a 'personal journey from trauma to healing'.

Royal author Richard Fitzwilliams suggested the Royal Family would be 'very concerned' by how the book was being promoted.

'It is a sensational title and implies that the writer was not valued or certainly that he did not feel at the centre of events,' he told MailOnline. 'When the blurb speaks of ''raw, unflinching honesty'' the Palace will be very concerned, especially since these are the early months of King Charles's reign.

'There will undoubtedly be interviews, serialisation and endless speculation about this memoir, which in my view should have waited many years. Even Edward VIII, by then the Duke of Windsor, waited until 1951 before A King's Story was published. The consequences of this will be far-reaching and may be highly destructive.'

The Royal Family has not been given a chance to see the manuscript before publication, so will be unable to respond to any of its claims through their lawyers.

William and Kate visit Sandringham to look at tributes and flowers laid for the late Queen last month

It is understood that Harry, seen with his wife Meghan in New York last year, was paid a $20million (18.4million) advance for the autobiography as part of a three-title deal worth 36.8million

The publication date was announced in a press release yesterday, which referred to Harry as a 'husband, father, humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate and environmentalist' who 'resides in Santa Barbara, California, with his family and three dogs'.

'Spare takes readers immediately back to one of the most searing images of the Twentieth Century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother's coffin as the world watched in sorrow  and horror,' the release said.

'As Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feelingand how their lives would play out from that point on. For Harry, this is his story at last. With its raw, unflinching honesty, Spare is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.'

The memoir, which is available to pre-order, will cost 28 hardcover, 13.99 as an eBook, 20 as an audio download and 25 as a CD. It will be available in English in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa and Canada, while the book will also be published in 15 additional languages, including Spanish, Italian, German and Chinese. Representatives for the King and Kensington Palace have declined to comment.

Publisher Penguin Random House has said the duke had donated $1.5million (1.3million) to children's charity Sentebale and 300,000 to WellChild, a charity for disabled children for which he serves as patron.

Announcing the global publishing deal this year, Penguin Random House described the memoir as 'intimate and heartfelt'
But French coastguards have been baffled by 'impossible' claims the man had survived 12 days adrift at sea

Miraculously, despite suffering from severe hypothermia, he survived and was airlifted to a French hospital

But he capsized his kayak and was clung to a buoy to avoid drowning, surviving on seaweed and mussels

The daring paddler was trying to cross from Dover to France without having had any training or support

Daniel Lewis, from Blackpool, had been suffering from heartache after a break-up, his father Richard said

Exclusive: British kayaker, 28, is rescued by Dutch fishermen in the English Channel after clinging to a buoy

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The kayaker rescued from the English Channel by fishermen yesterday after clinging to a buoy is a troubled Brit from Blackpool who was upset following a recent break-up with a girlfriend.

Daniel Lewis was spotted in news bulletins by his anxious father Richard Lewis, who had become increasingly concerned about his 28-year-old son after not hearing from him for weeks.

His father Richard Lewis has told MailOnline how he was 'both relieved and concerned' when he saw pictures of his son, who has been plagued by personal problems, being rescued from the sea.

Mr Lewis, from Blackpool, told MailOnline: 'From the moment I saw the pictures of the lad being rescued from the sea I knew it was my Daniel.

'I'm so pleased that he is safe and well and being looked after in hospital. But I was really worried that he had almost been lost at sea. I had no idea he was planning anything like this. [Daniel] has had a lot of problems and he has been moving around a lot. He has been living between Liverpool, Wrexham and Birmingham.

'I try to keep tabs on him and I try to speak to him on the phone as often as I can. But the other day he just vanished. I later heard that he had split up with his girlfriend,' Mr Lewis said.

'I had no idea he had gone down south or that he was planning to paddle across the Channel.

'Daniel has never been into kayaking. He doesn't even own a canoe.'

Daniel clung onto the buoy for up to 48 hours after his inflatable kayak capsized in the middle of the English Channel. The 28-year-old nearly drowned and is understood to have told rescuers that he survived by eating raw mussels, crabs and seaweed during his maritime ordeal.

British Daniel Lewis, 28, whose kayak had capsized when crossing the English Channel to France was rescued yesterday morning after fishermen found him clinging to a buoy for dear life

He was rescued by a group of fishermen from the Netherlands in the Channel before being airlifted to a French hospital by the French Coast Guard

After being taken aboard the exhausted British kayaker (pictured) was offered some water and a Snickers chocolate bar

He was only rescued after being spotted by fishermen by which time he was suffering from hypothermia and exhaustion.

Today coastguards in France where he was taken for emergency treatment revealed he did not seem to have proper training in how to use a kayak and didn't appear to have any support or back up for his attempt at such a dangerous crossing.

Orlane Saliou, spokeswoman for the Maritime Gendarmerie, the French equivalent of the Coastguard, said it didn't appear that he was experienced.

She added that his good physical fitness and the timely rescue had 'saved his life'. But she rubbished some media reports that he could have been lost at sea for as long as 12 days - as this would have been impossible to survive.

Madame Saliou told MailOnline: 'His motives concerning this crossing are not very clear but it would seem that a sporting project should be discarded.

'The Maritime Gendarmerie is currently carrying out an investigation on this topic.

'The person suffered from hypothermia, general fatigue and dehydration but given his good physical resistance, his general state of health is quite good.

'The victim was taken care of by the French healthcare services as soon as they arrive in the territory.

'The responsiveness of the CROSS Griz-nez [maritime emergency station] and the rapid engagement of the French Navy helicopter Dauphin probably saved his life.'

She added that the Briton had attempted to cross the 'world's busiest water way' which 400 commercial ships pass through every day and endures 120 days per year of 'force seven gales'.

Daniel was spotted by the crew of cutter ship 'De Madelaine', from Urk in the Netherlands who launched the rescue attempt at 11am yesterday.

He was found when skipper and owner Teunis de Boer was sailing between England and France this morning when he spotted something in the water.

French Channel authorities said he was found by fishermen holding onto the 'Colbart Nord' buoy around halfway between Dover and France

Fisherman Teunis de Boer grabbed a pair of binoculars and saw the exhausted and distressed Briton wearing only a pair of swimming trunks 'waving at us like a madman'

Daniel (pictured), 28, was reportedly suffering from severe hypothermia when he was brought onboard

The crew of De Madelaine then wrapped him in blankets and called the French Coast Guard, who airlifted him to a hospital for treatment, pictured

The captain wanted to make sure they didn't get too close to the buoy when he 'saw something crazy moving' near it, he told local media.

Mr De Boer grabbed a pair of binoculars, and to his surprise saw the exhausted and distressed Briton wearing only a pair of swimming trunks 'waving at us like a madman', according to De Telegraaf.

Despite the choppy weather, the crew quickly worked to rescue him by sailing towards him and throwing a life ring into the water. The man managed to use his last bit of strength to reach out so they could bring him to the boat.

Daniel was suffering from severe hypothermia when he was brought onboard with a body temperature of just 26C, Het Urkerland reports.

The Briton was also bruised, dehydrated and his eyes were 'very deep in his sockets'. 'It's a miracle he survived,' Skipper De Boer said.

The heroic crew then offered the exhausted man a Snickers chocolate bar who then told him he had set out to kayak from Dover to France, but his boat had capsized leaving him the only option of clinging to the floating buoy.

Authorities believe he spent around 48 hours in the water and on the buoy.

Daniel is now in hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer and and is said to be able to talk but is in a 'bad shape'.
Curator Susanne Meyer-Buser said that thickening of the grid should be at top

The art world has been left shocked after a curator revealed a Mondrian painting has been displayed in different galleries upside down for 75 years - and no one had any idea.

Dutch artist Piet Mondrian created the picture, 'New York City I', in 1941. It was placed in MoMA in New York in 1945, but it has been on display at North Rhine-Westphalia in Dusseldorf since 1980.

The design comprises of red, yellow, black and blue adhesive tapes which form a lattice and has multicoloured lines thickening at the bottom in a simplified skyline.

But it should actually be hung so that the thickening of the grid is at the top, like a dark sky, according to curator Susanne Meyer-Buser, speaking at a press conference.

The design comprises of red, yellow, black and blue adhesive tapes which form a lattice and has multicoloured lines thickening at the bottom in a simplified skyline (left). But it should actually be hung so that the thickening of the grid is at the top (right), like a dark sky, according to curator Susanne Meyer-Buser, speaking at a press conference

The curator made the discovery as she was researching the museum's new show on Mondrian earlier this year. Pictured: Two men look at the painting in 2007

The curator made the discovery as she was researching the museum's new show on Mondrian earlier this year.

Susanne said that the other curators realised as soon as she showed them and she added that she is '100% certain' the picture is topsy turvy.

Evidence pointing to the fact that it is hung wrong includes an image of Mondrian's studio, which shows the picture on an easel the other way up.

The photograph is from 1944 and appeared in Town and Country, taken a few days after the abstract artist died and the painting is the orientation that Susanne believes is correct.

Also, there is another painting by Mondrian, called New York City, which has the thickening of the lines at the top and is on display at Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Susanne, pictured, said that the other curators realised as soon as she showed them and she added that she is '100% certain' the picture is topsy turvy

Evidence pointing to the fact that it is hung wrong includes an image of Mondrian's studio, which shows the picture on an easel the other way up. Pictured: A camera man films the painting today

Speaking of how New York City I was designed, Meyer-Buser said that she believes intricate layering was likely put at the top of the frame and Mondrian then worked his way down.

Meyer-Buser believes that the act of weaving together the strips of tape over one another would have been more difficult from the bottom up.

She added that some of the yellow lines stop a few millimetres short of the bottom edge, something which may have occurred as he was working from top to bottom.

The curator also said that the tape at the top of the picture is torn and it has been suggested the image may have been mistakenly turned round as soon as 1945.

Curators are unsure how exactly the mistake was made but Meyer Buser suggested that the painting may have been taken out of its box wrong or transported incorrectly.

But curators are never going to know what actually happened and the image does not have Mondrian's signature on it, which means he may not have actually finished it.

Speaking of how New York City I was designed, Meyer-Buser, pictured, said that she believes intricate layering was likely put at the top of the frame and Mondrian then worked his way down

Who was Piet Mondrian? Piet Mondrian was a Dutch painter and art theoretician who is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. He is known for being one of the pioneers of 20th-century, as he changed his artistic direction from figurative painting to an increasingly abstract style, until he reached a point where his artistic vocabulary was reduced to simple geometric elements. Mondrian's art was highly utopian and was concerned with a search for universal values and aesthetics. Advertisement

Although the error has been uncovered, the painting will be shown as it always has been, because it is fragile.

Meyer-Buser said of its exhibition at the Mondrian. Evolution show which starts in Dusseldorf on Saturday: 'The adhesive tapes are already extremely loose and hanging by a thread.

'If you were to turn it upside down now, gravity would pull it into another direction. And it's now part of the work's story.'

Its not the first time that a painting has been displayed wrong, particularly an abstract one.

Matisse's Le Bateau was placed upside down for 47 days at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1961 until a stockbroker called Genevieve Habert went into the exhibition and showed the curators the error.

It was a mistake that was also missed by 116,000 visitors and Matisse's son Pierre.

But curators were sceptical about Habert's admission, also uncovered after she looked at a catalogue, until she revealed to the New York Times that she had seen the error.

It was only then that MoMA staff actually turned the image the correct way, realising the error of their ways.

Matisse's son was overjoyed, telling the Times that Habert should be 'given a medal.'
This is the terrifying moment mourners scream and run for cover as bullets fly outside the funeral for a 20-year-old man who was shot dead in Pittsburgh.

Six people were shot and injured in Brighton Heights just after midday on Friday, including one critically - as a gunman remains on the loose.

Multiple shots were fired outside Destiny of Faith Church where a funeral for John Hornezes was taking place.

Hornezes was one of three people killed in a North Side shooting at the Sunoco gas station on Cedar Avenue on October 15.

Police identified the two others killed in the incident as innocent victims and said Hornezes was the likely target of the shooting.

Footage of the moment mourners scream and run for cover as bullets fly outside the funeral for a 20-year-old man killed in Pittsburgh has captured their terror

The 56 second video shows mourners inside the Brighton Heights church sitting and listening to a woman speaking at a lectern

Shots can be heard being fired outside the church as mourners begin to scream and dive for cover

The camera filming the live feed is seen jolted into a different position as funeral goers scramble inside the church

#BREAKING: Shooting Outside Funeral In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Leaves 6 Injured, According To Officials. #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/QrF4Qj6vjo  Breaking 4 News (@Breaking_4_News) October 28, 2022

The 56-second video shows mourners inside the church sitting and listening to a woman speaking at a lectern.

Shots can be heard being fired outside the church as mourners begin to scream and dive for cover.

A sense of terror is palpable in the video, the fear clear in the face of the woman who had been speaking to the crowd.

The camera filming the live feed is seen jolted into a different position as funeral goers scramble inside the church.

Mayor of Pittsburgh Ed Gainey spoke to local reporters on Friday afternoon asking for any information into the matter.

'I want you to call and tell us what you know I need you to speak up and say something,' he said.

'They shot up the sanctuary today and I know that a lot of people are hurting. But to go out there and retaliate doesn't make anything better.'

On Friday, Pittsburgh Public Safety officials tweeted that 'Multiple shots fired in the area of 3700 block of Brighton Road.'

Five victims are in care at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH), including one in critical condition. A sixth person was taken to UPMC Children's Hospital after the shooting.

Six people have been shot and injured including one critically as a gunman remains on the loose in Pittsburgh

Hornezes was one of three people killed in a North Side shooting at the Sunoco gas station on Cedar Avenue on Oct 15

Five victims are in care at Allegheny General Hospital, including one in critical condition. A sixth person was taken to UPMC Children's Hospital after the shooting

Pittsburgh Public Safety officials earlier tweeted that 'Multiple shots fired in the area of 3700 block of Brighton Road'

A woman coming out of the Brighton Heights church where the shooting took place said violence in the area was 'getting out of hand'

Dan Laurent, a spokesperson for the Allegheny Health Network told CNN that patients were brought to AGH at around 12.45pm - however Laurent did not have information on their conditions or the nature of their injuries.

Police Commander Richard Ford said authorities are still investigating a motive in the shooting.

At this time, no information on suspects is being released as Police maintain a strong presence in the area.

A woman coming out of the Brighton Heights church where the shooting took place told WPXI things were 'getting out of hand'.

'We need to stop with this violence we need to love each other we need to communicate with each other we need to reason with one another this isn't the way,' she said.
The US has sanctioned an Iranian organization which offered a $3.3m reward for the assassination of author Salman Rushdie, who was brutally attacked by a suspected terrorist in August.

Officials said the 15 Khordad Foundation was targeted for providing 'financial support for an act of terrorism'.

As recently as 2012, the group offered a multi-million dollar reward for the murder of Rushdie, 75, because of his novel The Satanic Verses, which some Muslims consider blasphemous.

In August, he was violently attacked at a literary event in New York state.

The author had lost sight in one eye and the use of a hand following the attack.

Rushdie's literary agent Andrew Wylie said he had suffered 'serious wounds' to his neck and '15 more wounds to his chest and torso'.

Salman Rushdie pictured lost sight in one eye after he was stabbed during lecture in New York

Hadi Matar, 24, pleaded not guilty to second degree attempted murder and assault charges

Sanctioned group was affiliated with deceased Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

Rushdie, who is British American, was stabbed several times in the neck and abdomen before he was due to give a talk at the Chautauqua Institution.

He was air-lifted to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery, and though his condition improved in subsequent weeks, his agent has said the writer lost sight in one eye.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US condemns the attack on Rushdie 'in the strongest terms as a blatant assault on freedom of speech and an act of terrorism'.

He said the organization is also being designated for diplomatic penalties.

The sanctions and designations deny the group access to any property or financial assets held in the US, and the ability to travel to the US.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken sanctioned the group over $3.3m offer for Rushdie's murder

Blinken said August attack was 'a blatant assault on freedom of speech and an act of terrorism'

'The United States will not waver in its determination to stand up to threats posed by Iranian authorities against the universal rights of freedom of expression, freedom of religion or belief, and freedom of the press,' said Brian Nelson, Treasury's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

'This act of violence, which has been praised by the Iranian regime, is appalling. We all hope for Salman Rushdie's speedy recovery following the attack on his life.'

The main suspect, Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old from New Jersey with roots in Lebanon, was arrested immediately after the attack on Rushdie.

He pleaded not guilty during a hearing in New York state in mid-August.

The attack sparked outrage in the West but was praised by extremists in Muslim countries like Iran and Pakistan.

Sanctioned group was affiliated with deceased Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

Rushdie had to undergo emergency surgery after suffering multiple stab wounds in the attack

Suspect Hadi Matar (pictured on August 18) said he was 'surprised' the author had survived

Sanctions records show the 15 Khordad Foundation was created in 1979 and is affiliated with deceased Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Rushdie had lived in hiding for years after Iran's first supreme leader ordered his killing for what he deemed the blasphemous nature of The Satanic Verses'.

Blinked added: 'The infamous fatwa was intended to incite terrorism and violence, bring about the death of Rushdie and his associates, and intimidate others.'

The Daily Mail revealed this month that Rushdie has apparently married poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths, who is 31 years his junior.

Rushdies great friend and fellow novelist Ian McEwan suggested Griffiths, 44, is now Rushdies fifth wife.

Atonement and Amsterdam author McEwan said: His wife, Eliza, is with him all the time.

She was said to be helping to nurse the author back to health.

Poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths, 43, is said to have recently married author Salman Rushdie, 75

As Sir Salman Rushdie slowly recovers from the assassination attempt that left him with life-changing injuries, he is being nursed back to health by the poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths

McEwan, who did not say when they were married, added: Hes been extremely ill. It was a very, very savage assault.

Ive had some indirect contact with him and hes going to be back with us. Hes strong, hes a very courageous man. Hes got lots to say, and Im sure were going hear from him again.

The US has hit Iran's government with a host of sanctions this year for a variety of actions related to human rights abuses.

Financial penalties were imposed after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September.

She was detained by the morality police, who said she didn't properly cover her hair with the mandatory Islamic headscarf, known as the hijab. Amini collapsed at a police station and died three days later.

Her death has sparked months of protests across the country of 80 million people.
The Jewish former COO of Yeezy has come to the defense of Kanye West after the rapper made anti-Semitic comments.

Israel-born Udi Avshalom, 52, took to Instagram Thursday to call on the public to have compassion for Kanye West, who claims he's lost $2billion after Adidas ended its partnership with Yeezy and several other companies severed ties with him over his remarks.

'I love my guy and upset at the same time at all this,' Avshalom wrote of West, who now goes by Ye. 'He knows he talkin nonsense, but chill don't judge, as he reflects he will realize.'

Avshalom, who was the Chief Operating Officer of Kanye's brand Yeezy from 2017 until this year, posted a photo of three medals and wrote that they are his grandfather's, who taught him 'to never judge.'

'[Kanye] has trusted me for years, I am Jewish. We made history together. I helped build his brand for him,' he wrote. 'I pray for positive results. I hope he wakes up tomorrow in a better place, do what's right and get back to building culture.'

Udi Avshalom, 52, was the Chief Operating Officer of Kanye West's brand Yeezy from 2017-2022

Avshalom posted a photo of three medals and wrote that they are his grandfather's, who taught him 'to never judge'

'He has trusted me for years, I am Jewish. We made history together. I helped build his brand for him,' Avshalom said in a post Wednesday. 'I love my guy and upset at the same time at all this. He knows he talkin nonsense, but chill don't judge, as he reflects he will realize'

On October 9, West tweeted, 'I'm a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I'm going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.'

In the aftermath, his Twitter and Instagram accounts were blocked and his lucrative deals with Adidas, Gap, Balenciaga and Vogue all abruptly ended.

It was also revealed on Monday that top talent agency CAA had cut ties with Kanye. The company announced it had stopped representing him after he made the anti -Semitic remarks.

Avshalom was born in Israel and immigrated with his parents to Brooklyn, New York, at age six.

He has been regarded as the 'guru of sneaker culture' and has worked with other hip hop moguls including Jay-Z and Sean 'Diddy' Combs.

According to his bio, he was COO of Yeezy until this year and managed all product creations as well as overall brand strategy, growing the brand from $148million to over $1.5billion.

'Hip hop is a community of modern inclusion, blacks Jews and more,' Avshalom wrote in his post. 'There is more good than bad in the Jewish, black bond. There is something super special In [sic] this culture of hip hop that we got. There is something so amazing to see blacks and Jews in businesses that the wasps dident [sic] want.'

He alluded to West's struggles with mental health and wrote, 'I believe with education he will have a more positive POV , mental health is NO joke.'

Avshalom, who lives in California with his wife of 25 years and children, goes on to say that West has other things he is 'angry about' and says that he will pray for the rapper.

'He will come around and prove his leadership,' Avshalom wrote, 'Jews and blacks learned to accept each other, we have far more love than hate for one another. Facts.'

Avshalom has been regarded as the 'guru of sneaker culture' and has worked with other hip hop moguls including Jay-Z and Sean 'Diddy' Combs. pictured with Jay- Z in 2006

The rapper, 45, claims he's lost $2billion after Adidas ended its partnership with Yeezy and several other companies severed ties with him over his remarks

On Wednesday, West was removed from Forbes' list of billionaires, with the magazine concluding that without Adidas he is worth $400 million.

His fortune comes from real estate, cash, his music catalog and a 5% stake in ex-wife Kim Kardashian's shapewear company, Skims.

The deal with Adidas brought West an estimated $1.5 billion.

On Wednesday afternoon, West was embarrassingly escorted out of Skechers headquarters after showing up unannounced to pitch his Yeezy brand, one day after being dropped by Adidas and having his songs banned by Peloton.

He was taken out by two 'executives' according to a statement released by the company.

Skechers representatives said in a statement: 'Considering Ye was engaged in unauthorized filming, two Skechers executives escorted him and his party from the building after a brief conversation. Skechers is not considering and has no intention of working with West.

'We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech. The Company would like to again stress that West showed up unannounced and uninvited to Skechers corporate offices.'

West may have faced additional opposition if he had gotten a preapproved sit-down meeting with Skechers executives as the CEO Robert Greenberg and current President Michael Greenberg are both Jewish.

The rapper's removal from the shoe brand's office comes mere hours after Adidas announced that it will continue to sell Yeezy products while removing the rapper's moniker.

Management said that they will sell the items under their own brand at the beginning of 2023, according to analysts.
The son of a sailor who died in the notorious Kursk submarine tragedy has been killed in Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

Fanis Ishmuratov perished aged 26 in the year 2000 in the first military tragedy of the Kremlin leader's long years in power.

He is believed to have been alive after the nuclear submarine exploded and sank in the Barents Sea. However, bungled rescue attempts meant that ultimately there were no survivors among the 118 crew.

Now, the midshipman's son Danis, 25, has been killed serving in the Russian army in Ukraine, joining the unknown tens of thousands sent to their death by Putin.

The circumstances as to how and where he was killed in the war are not known.

The tragedy means the submariner's widow Faima, 46, lost both her husband and only son to military tragedies under the despotic Russian president.

Danis recently spoke about how he decided to join the armed services, but also said he wanted to know how his father had died - calling for the official veil of secrecy over the Kursk tragedy to be lifted.

Fanis Ishmuratov (pictured) perished aged 26 in the year 2000 in the first military tragedy of the Kremlin leader's long years in power

Now the midshipman's son Danis (above), 25, has been killed serving in the Russian army in Ukraine, joining the unknown tens of thousands sent to their death by Putin

'I dream of becoming an officer, raising many children, at least seven,' the tragic young soldier told Kommersant newspaper, before his death.

'I want to be a father of many children. To have a house, a sauna, children, so my mother will be happy with grandchildren.'

He told how he wanted to be a submariner like his father who he idolised but did not remember because he was too young in August 2000.

'I decided to start with the ground forces in order to gain experience,' he said.

'I am considering serving in the Navy in the future and want my children to continue the military dynasty.'

He demanded answers into how his father had died - something Putin has always refused.

'I know that there was an investigation into the causes of the accident, but I don't know where the case materials are located.

'As far as I know, my mother and father's parents did not see these documents.

The tragedy means the submariner's widow Faima, 46, lost both her husband and only son to military tragedies under Putin

Danis recently spoke on how he decided to join the armed services but also said he wanted to know how his father had died, calling for the official veil of secrecy over the Kursk tragedy to be removed

'I think the Kursk case is a military secret and the documents are classified. But I hope we will find out the truth, sooner or later.'

Putin vetoed a British offer to help rescue the crew.

At the time he was accused of cruelty and incompetence, replying to a question of what happened to the Kursk by shrugging and saying: 'It sank.'

'I would like to know the truth, I would like to know what exactly happened there,' said Danis in August.

'It is important for me to know why my father died.

'After all, later they found a letter [on one of the crew] from which it became known that some submariners were alive, and my father was among them.

'They were the last who died.'

Fanis is believed to have been alive after the nuclear submarine exploded and sank in the Barents Sea but bungled rescue attempts meant there were no survivors among the 118 crew

Some 23 are believed to have survived the powerful explosions that killed the rest of the crew

'In 2018, my grandfather made a monument to my father - the monument located at the very entrance to the village of Meryasovo, where my father was born,' the tragic young soldier told Kommersant newspaper

Some 23 are believed to have survived the powerful explosions that killed the rest of the crew.

'My mother did not interfere in any way with my decision to go to the army, despite the fact that I was an only child, and she even supported me, saying: "Continue the service of your father."

'You can say that my father is an idol for me. But I don't compare myself to my father. I think it's too early to compare.

'In 2018, my grandfather made a monument to my father - the monument located at the very entrance to the village of Meryasovo, where my father was born.'

Fanis was a technician on the Kursk submarine. He was posthumously awarded an Order of Courage.

Similar secrecy has been thrown over the loss of the Moskva, flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which was sunk in April.

The Ukrainians say it was hit by their missiles, but the Kremlin has refused to confirm this, or reveal how many sailors were lost among a crew which included hundreds of conscripts.
The University of Cambridge has hired a controversial 'race researcher' to its Faculty of Philosophy who previously came under fire for publishing a 'racist' paper - despite knowing about its contents before hiring him.

Nathan Cofnas, an American who was appointed on a three year programme as an 'early career fellow' on September 1 of this year, has previously been the subject of fierce debate over his argument that there are intrinsic differences between races when it comes to intelligence.

Speaking to MailOnline, he confirms he still stands by what he wrote and said the University of Cambridge knew about the paper before he took up his position there.

Cofnas told MailOnline he would advise critics to 'read it'. He added: 'The paper represents my views then and now.'

In a 2019 paper published in Philosophical Psychology he criticised the idea that all 'human groups have, on average, the same potential', and argued that the 'hypothesis' of differences in IQ between men and women and different racial groups is 'ignored'.

Cofnas also referenced adopting black children into white families and argued that some 'race groups' are 'falsely blamed' for structural racism.

His paper was widely debunked by various scientists, and in June 2020 the editor of the journal resigned over the controversy.

There has been backlash amongst students who have called the decision 'crazy' and 'disappointing', according to Cambridge's student newspaper Varsity.

Nathan Cofnas describes himself as 'interested in scientific and ethical controversies connected with evolution-informed social science'

He argued against the idea of racism and structural racism for difference between peoples' achievements, saying some groups of people are 'unfairly blamed'

The controversial appointment was first reported by Cambridge's main student newspaper Varsity

A response paper published by a leading group of researchers called Cofnas' work 'unintelligible and wrong-headed': 'Most researchers in the area of human genetics and human biological diversity no longer allocate significant resources and time to the race/IQ discussion... an equally fundamental reason why researchers do not engage with the thesis is that empirical evidence shows that the whole idea itself is unintelligible and wrong-headed.'

They added that Cofnas' work had 'racist ideological undertones' and 'pandered' to racist ideas.

In the 2019 paper he refers to the theory of hereditarianism throughout, which relies on the fact that genetics are more important that environmental factors in determining people's actions and decisions.

Students have begun to criticize his appointment, with one philosophy student telling Varsity: 'It's crazy that someone who's published such obviously questionable work has been given not only a platform but a Fellow position.

'It's obviously disappointing but not surprising.'

Cofnas refers to old studies that claim white populations have a higher intelligence than black populations.

In the article, Cofnas repeatedly references what he sees as 'race differences in intelligence', and claims that 'the adult black-white IQ gab has remained stubbornly constant... since around 1970.'

He referred to studies into 'early intervention' techniques to battle his so-called 'race difference', including adoption.

He wrote: 'Adoption by white families [of black children] - one of the most extreme interventions possible - has virtually no effect on the IQ of black adoptees.'

Cofnas appears to question the extent that racism exists within society and argue that white populations are unfairly 'blamed' for 'differences' between races.

He wrote: 'As long as people believe that race differences have a purely environmental cause, differences will, in practice, most likely be attributed to racism or institutional racism.

'Denying the possible genetic cause of race differences will not stop people from being focused on race.'

He added that 'if people believe that members of certain races are victimized or benefited by racism' this could cause harm to society.

He called for research to give a 'biological account' of how 'genes lead to race differences', adding: 'As of now, there is nothing that would indicate that it is particularly unlikely that race differences will turn out to have a substantial genetic component.

'If this possibility cannot be ruled out scientifically, we must face the ethical question of whether we ought to pursue the truth, whatever it may be.'

He claimed research such as his is censored and that 'if not all groups have identical distributions of potential, then it is unjust to assume that some people must be blamed for average differences in performance among groups.'

The University of Cambridge has been contacted for comment.
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Ivanka Trump has received an award on behalf of her late mother Ivana, who was being honored by the Czech Republic president for her 'dedication to the cultural and social life' of the country.

The 40-year-old stunned in a floor-length black dress with a built-in embellished wrap around sash as she entered the Independent Czechoslovak State Day celebrations with her husband Jared Kushner, 41, and her brother Donald Trump Jr., 44, on Friday.

She attended the event to receive her mother's award at the prestigious Prague Castle and lead her brother and husband down the aisle to greet the president.

President Milos Zeman, 78, who was transported in a wheelchair, honored the native Czech at the ceremony.

After Ivana's death, Zeman told her children: 'Your mother was not only an excellent athlete and a capable manager, but I also remember her as a kind and warm-hearted person. In addition, she remained a proud Czech who never forgot her homeland.'

Ivana, who died in late-June this year at the age of 73, was born in the Czech Republic in the Moravian city of Zlin, which was known as Gottwaldov during the communist years.

She was born in Zlin in 1949, at the beginning of Joseph Stalin's communist influence over the country, to electrical engineer Milos Zelnicek and telephone operator Marie Zelnickova.

Ivanka Trump, 40, (right) looked stunning in a floor-length black dress with a built-in embellished wrap around sash as she entered the Independent Czechoslovak State Day celebrations with her husband Jared Kushner, 41, and her brother Donald Trump Jr., 44, (right) on Friday

The former fashion designer attended the event to receive her mother's award at the prestigious Prague Castle (pictured with her husband Jared Kushner and brother Don Jr.)

Ivana (last pictured before her death) was honored by the Czech Republic president for her 'dedication to the cultural and social life' of the country. Ivana was born in the country in 1949, the beginning of the communist regime

Ivana started a modeling career in her home country before eventually moving to Canada and then to the United States.

Lara Trump, wife to Don Jr., told Fox News at the time of her passing that Ivana was only able to escape the communist country due to being a 'world-class skier.'

She would eventually met her ex-husband Donald Trump, 76, and have three children with him: Don. Jr, Ivanka, and Eric, 38. The pair married in 1977 and divorced in 1992.

Independent Czechoslovak State Day is celebrated every year on October 28 to commemorate Czechoslovakia becoming a country after the first world war. Czechoslovakia would eventually split into two countries - the Czech Republic and Slovakia - in December 1992.

A month after Ivana's passing, the medical examiner ruled she died as a result of a fall. She was said to have taken a tumble inside her $2.5million Upper East Side townhouse in Manhattan, where she was found at the base the staircase by a housekeeper.

The examiner said she died of blunt impact injuries to the torso as a result of the fall and it was ruled an accident.

At her funeral, the family displayed a few of her magazine covers, including her May 1992 Vanity Fair cover, which features her sitting on a yellow couch with the headline 'Ivana Be a Star.'

The original cover featured Hillary Clinton's name on the cover, with the headline 'Will she get to the White House with Bill or without him?'

But the version on display at Ivana's memorial on Lexington Avenue appeared without the headline, which was issued during Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign.

The photos also showed that the other two headlines on the cover of the Vanity Fair magazine remained on the version displayed at her funeral.

President Milos Zeman, 78, (pictured) who was transported around in a wheelchair, honored the native Czech at the ceremony

Ivanka and Don Jr. were seen shaking hands with the president, while another man held their mother's award

Two of Ivana's children were seen at the ceremony (pictured)

They were regarding conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh and the other about Imelda Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines.

It is unclear exactly why the headline was removed from the cover at the funeral. Donald and both Clintons used to be friends, with Bill and Hillary both attending his wedding to Melania in 2005.

But the relationship soured when Trump ran against Hillary during the 2016 presidential election, and spread conspiracy theories about the couple.

All of Ivana's children spoke at the two-hour Mass service on Wednesday in front of 100 mourners, including Donald, his wife Melania and their 16-year-old son Barron.

Ivanka told the crowd: 'Growing up, my mother didn't tell me a woman could do anything she wanted to  she showed me.

'She was a trailblazer to men and women alike. My mother once told me there was nothing she couldn't do in heels. She taught us how to spear fish and then cook what we caught. My mom expanded our minds.'

Don Jr. spoke next and delighted the congregation with fond memories and jokes. Before he returned to his seat, he said: 'I love you, mom.'

Ivana and Trump (pictured in 1988) married in 1977 and divorced in 1992 and share three children: Don Jr., Ivanka, and Eric, 38

Ivana's funeral was held in New York City in late-July and she was seen being carried into St. Vincent Ferrer church in a gold casket

Donald's whole family attended the funeral, including his youngest Barron, 16, and his wife Melania, 52

Ivanka held hands with one of her children as she sadly watched the casket being loaded up

Eric Trump, the youngest, spoke next: 'She had brains; she had beauty. She was the embodiment of the American dream

'She was a force of nature, could beat any man down the slopes, any woman on the runway. She ruled the three of us [kids] with an iron fist but also a heart of gold.'

A mound of red roses lay before the altar, surrounded by 73 burning candles which symbolized each year of Ivana's life.

After the service, Ivana's body was carried out of the building in a golden casket, past her family and dozens of VIP guests.

In August, Ivana youngest supervised as removal men who took away her prized items. Among the many items that met their end was Ivana's old Vogue magazines.
Election Day is 12 days away. But in courtrooms across the country, efforts to sow doubt over the outcome have already begun.

More than 100 lawsuits have been filed this year around the Nov. 8 elections.

The legal challenges, largely by Republicans, target rules for mail-in voting, early voting, voter access, voting machines, voting registration, the counting of mismarked absentee ballots and access for partisan poll watchers.

The cases likely preview a potentially contentious post-election period and the strategy stems partly from the failure of Donald Trump and his allies to prevail in overturning the free and fair results of the 2020 presidential election that he lost to Joe Biden.

That was an ad hoc response fronted by a collection of increasingly ill-prepared lawyers that included Rudy Giuliani.

The current effort, however, is more formalized, well-funded and well-organized and is run by the Republican National Committee and other legal allies with strong credentials.

Party officials say they are preparing for recounts, contested elections and more litigation. Thousands of volunteers are ready to challenge ballots and search for evidence of malfeasance.

Election Day is still 12 days away. But in courtrooms across the country, efforts to sow doubt over the outcome have already begun

New York State Assembly member Rebecca Seawright wears an 'I Voted' sticker and a 'Vote' brooch at an election night party

'We're now at the point where charges of fraud and suppression are baked into the turnout models for each party,' said Benjamin Ginsberg, co-chair of the Election Official Legal Defense Network and former counsel to the George W. Bush campaign and other Republican candidates. 'Republicans charge fraud. Democrats charge suppression. Each side amplifies its position with massive and costly amounts of litigation and messaging.'

The RNC said it has a multimillion-dollar 'election integrity' team.

It has hired 37 lawyers in key states, held more than 5,000 training sessions to teach volunteers to look for voter fraud - which is rare and isolated - and filed 73 suits in 20 states.

Other Trump-allied legal teams, including America First Legal, run by former Trump adviser Stephen Miller, are involved.

'We built an unprecedented election integrity ground game to ensure that November's midterm elections are free, fair and transparent,' the RNC chairwoman, Ronna McDaniel, said last month.

The Democrats' legal effort focuses on making voting easier and helping those denied a chance to vote.

A team led by lawyer Marc Elias and his firm is litigating roughly 40 cases in 19 states, though many are interventions in Republican-led suits.

Elias said he is bracing for a deluge of challenges to election results.

Some Republican candidates have already said they will not accept a loss or have planted doubt on the election process despite no evidence of fraud.

'The problem with the Republican Party right now is that conceding you lost an election is the only thing that will hurt you,' Elias said. 'Contesting an election that is clearly lost is now where all the incentive structure is, and that is incredibly corrosive for democracy.'

Almost every election begets legal challenges. But much of that generally comes after Election Day.

In 2020, pro-Trump lawyers filed roughly 60 suits and asked judges to set aside votes.

Those suits were roundly rejected.

Trump's own leadership found the election was fair, and state election officials saw no widespread evidence of fraud. Biden earned 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232, the same margin as Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016, when he called it a 'landslide.'

At that time, the Republican establishment had not adopted Trump's lies about the election.

Since then, the falsehoods have taken root within the GOP.

Ginsberg said unsubstantiated charges that elections were fraudulent or rigged or unreliable have become the mantra for a Republican to win a contested 2022 primary in most states.

'That can only harm public faith in elections, something for which Republicans will eventually pay a price,' he said.

For three decades, the RNC was under a consent decree that prohibited it from challenging voters qualifications and targeting alleged fraud.

That legal agreement, which ended in 2019, arose from a Democratic National Committee suit that argued Republicans sought to dissuade Black Americans from voting by posting armed, off-duty law enforcement officers at certain polling sites and sending targeted mailings warning about penalties for violating election laws.

In 2020, Republican poll watchers, who have no direct role in the elections and cannot interfere in the electoral process apart from watching and reporting issues, were the basis of many of the suits filed by Trump allies.

But when pressed by judges for evidence backing partisan claims of suspicious behavior by election workers, the litigation faltered.

Election workers have increasingly been subjected to abuse and threats of violence. Voter intimidation cases are on the rise, and there is growing concern among election officials and law enforcement about overly aggressive poll watchers or people pretending to be poll watchers intimidating voters.

Last week the RNC won a legal challenge against Michigans secretary of state, Democrat Jocelyn Benson, over rules about how poll challengers can operate.

'Jocelyn Benson not only disregarded Michigan election law in issuing this guidance, she also violated the rights of political parties and poll challengers to fully ensure transparency and promote confidence that Michigan elections are run fairly and lawfully,' McDaniel said in a statement.

The RNC has won legal challenges in Nevada and Arizona over the appointment of poll workers and in Wisconsin on 'ballot curing' - a process whereby voters can fix problems with their ballots so they can be counted - and drop boxes.

Litigation in Pennsylvania involved absentee ballots dating and whether outside parties should be allowed to examine voting machines.

Democratic-led groups have initiated about 35 suits that focus largely on making voting easier.

Just this week, litigation was filed on behalf of Voto Latino and the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans to stop intimidation over using drop boxes in Arizona.

The ACLU of Pennsylvania sent a letter to Allegheny County officials on mail-in ballot concerns.

Heading into 2020, the U.S. focused on the possibility of foreign threats, from Russia or possibly China, to the integrity of the election, such as by manipulating vote tabulations.

Election officials and Trumps own agencies said it was the most secure election ever.

It was Trump and his supporters who nurtured conspiracy theories about voter fraud.

U.S. officials are again sounding the alarm that Russia is working to amplify doubts over the integrity of the elections.

This week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, 'No outside cyber activity has ever prevented a registered voter from casting a ballot; compromised the integrity of any ballot cast; or affected the accuracy of voter registration information.'

She said the government would 'monitor any threats to our elections if they arise and work as a cohesive, coherent interagency to get relevant information to the election officials and workers on the ground.'
The crime scene was so grisly that the officers - rookies and veterans on the force - said it was one of the worst thing they've ever 'seen or experienced' in their careers

The victim's head was found near her feet and one of her limbs had been severed, according to Blount County Sheriff Mark Moon

An Alabama man who was frustrated his girlfriend wouldn't have sex with him stabbed her more than 100 times before cutting off her head.

Justin Fields, 38, is charged with murder and the abuse of a corpse in the gruesome October 21 attack on his lover, Tammy Bailey, 52.

Fields stabbed his live-in girlfriend with an eight-inch survival knife, which he then used to dismember and behead her.

The victim's head was found near her feet and one of her limbs had been severed, according to Blount County Sheriff Mark Moon.

The crime scene was so grisly that officers - rookie and veterans on the force - said it was one of the worst things they've ever 'seen or experienced' in their careers.

Bodycam footage reveals the suspect confessing to the gruesome murder at the crime scene. In the video, he tells deputies he had done something really bad and that the evidence was inside the house.

He also told officers he knew he would be arrested, Moon told WBRC News.

Justin Fields, 38, is charged with murder and the abuse of a corpse in the gruesome October 21 attack on his lover, Tammy Bailey, 52

The Alabama home located on Bailey Drive where the couple lived and where the gruesome crime occurred

Deputies arrived at the scene around 5:30 p.m. Oct. 22 when a neighbor called 911. The suspect confessed to cops that he'd 'done something bad' and the evidence was inside the home

According to officials, Fields and his girlfriend had gone out to celebrate his birthday. They left the home they shared on Bailey Drive to head to the Springville area, approximately a half-hour away, Alabama.com reported.

When they returned, Fields wanted to have sex with his girlfriend and when she declined his advances, he stabbed her in the chest.

'He had a drink of brandy and then went into his bedroom and was playing guitar,' Moon said. 'He decided he wanted to have sex, so he went into her room and propositioned her. When she refused him, it frustrated him, and he stabbed her in the chest.'

Fields told investigators he blacked out, went back to his room and went to sleep. The next day, Fields told police he thought he was having a bad dream and stabbed Bailey more than 100 times.

Moon believed that the victim was dead on 'the first blow,' and when they returned the next day, she had 'not moved.'

The suspect then called his father to share that he'd done 'something horrible' and wanted to kill himself. Field's father called Bailey's family member, who happened to be a neighbor as well.

When the neighbor went to the home, Moon told her 'what's inside is terrible and she doesn't want to see it,' and would not let her inside.

She then called 911. Deputies arrived on the scene around 5:30 p.m. The suspect had been sitting outside and confessed to cops that he'd 'done something bad.' He also told cops 'the evidence is inside the home.'

Fields allowed the deputy to handcuff him as he surveyed the area.

When two other officers arrived for backup, they entered the home and inside the bedroom found the horrifying scene: Bailey's mutilated corpse.

Fields had no criminal history, according to court record and no history of mental health problems, according to interviews with the suspects after the vicious crime.

On Monday, Moon said investigators went back to the house to collect final pieces of evidence. He was interviewed again on October 25.

'He admitted to my investigator everything he'd done so he was stable enough to know what he was doing. He was frustrated because he didn't get what he wanted, Moon said.

Fields is currently being held at the Blount County jail until his bond hearing, a report said.
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Eighteen seconds. That is all it took for James Porritt's world to be irrevocably changed in a way that he still struggles to comprehend.

That is the timeframe in which the 42-year-old business consultant was savagely attacked in the packed carriage of a London Underground train by a man wielding a machete who had picked him entirely at random.

'This is not a terror attack,' the assailant told terrified onlookers. 'I want only him.'

What followed next was an onslaught of extraordinary savagery: as James tried to flee for his life, the attacker  35-year-old Ricky Morgan  hunted him down, slashing at his head, hands, elbow and legs.

That James survived at all is little short of a miracle: the few seconds of security footage from the incident released to the public show scenes akin to a horror film.

'When I saw the footage, all I could think was how the hell I walked away from it,' says James today. 'I know I'm lucky to be alive.'

James Porritt, 41, was on his way to work on the Jubilee Line between Green Park and Bond Street when Ricky Morgan, 34, (pictured) launched the horrific attack on July 9 2021

The impact has nonetheless been catastrophic: alongside bone-deep cuts to his head and shin, James's right and once dominant hand was so severely injured that it is of little use now.

'I can't dress myself, I have to eat from a bowl with my left hand, I've had to give up my driving licence and I am now registered disabled,' he says quietly.

'I can't even hold my girlfriend's hand as it hurts too much. All the basic things I used to take for granted I can no longer do.'

The mental scars are equally brutal: James suffers seizures, nightmares and flashbacks, and wrestles surges of uncontrollable anger that have taken a toll on all his relationships. At times he has found himself so overwhelmed by his ordeal that he has contemplated taking his own life.

It is only now, 15 months on and after a court case which saw Morgan, a schizophrenic with a history of drug and alcohol issues, jailed for life, that James feels able to tell his story in full for the first time.

It is far from easy for him. Despite extensive therapy, he has struggled to come to terms with how an ordinary businessman could be targeted with such savagery for no reason at all.

James Porritt (pictured) said trains delays forced him to take a different route on that horrific day in July last year

'I only learned much later on that Morgan had been traversing the Underground network for three weeks prior to his attack on me, armed with his machete and a bottle of vodka,' he says. 'He didn't attack anyone and then all of a sudden the fire was lit  boom and I was that person. It's everyone's nightmare, isn't it?'

A likeable soul from East London, James grew up the eldest of four children in a close-knit family. Six months before the attack he had embarked on a new relationship with his girlfriend, who works in business development and has asked not to be named.

The romance was going well and on the day of the attack, James had arranged to meet her together with her father in West London to celebrate the latter's birthday.

Train delays forced James to take a different route on that warm Friday evening in July last year.

Ricky Morgan was jailed at the Old Bailey for life with a minimum term of 16 years in September

It was a 'sliding doors' moment that placed him in the same carriage at the same time as Morgan.

James stood against one of the cushioned lean-to rests near the door of a westbound Jubilee line service packed with commuters heading home.

'The doors were closing when the man I now know to be my attacker got on,' he recalls. 'A few seconds later he wouldn't have made it.'

Preoccupied as he was with making his dinner appointment on time, James barely registered the thick-set man wearing glasses with a rucksack, who stood beside him before taking a free seat at the next stop.

'I remember glancing over and we locked eyes for a second, but that's all.'

Yet this fleeting interaction had sealed his fate. 'He'd already singled me out,' he says. 'I found out in court that Morgan thought I was there with someone else, that I was having a conversation with them and in this imaginary conversation I had said: 'Give it 20 seconds and then we'll have him'.' As the train departed Green Park station, Morgan leapt up to begin his attack, pulling the machete out of his bag.

Morgan (pictured) was jailed for life in September after he attacked Mr Porritt in front of terrified commuters

His movements were captured on security camera footage which James says cannot properly convey the panic, horror, confusion and sheer terror of what unfolded.

'It all happened so fast,' James says, shaking his head, recalling how it took him a few seconds to register he was under attack. 'I heard passengers screaming and could feel blows raining down on my head, but I wasn't in pain at first,' he says. 'I keep wondering how I didn't feel it. I can only imagine it was adrenaline.'

Acting on instinct, James put first his left hand then his right over his head to try to protect himself. 'He cut the tip of my thumb off, then I put my right hand up and he was hacking away through the flesh, the nerves, the tendon and the bone on the palm. My little finger was hanging off.

'I remember begging him to stop, I just didn't understand what was happening, but I genuinely thought he was going to kill me. He just would not stop,' he recalls.

A map showing the distance between Bond Street and Green Park Tube Stations in London

Meanwhile, all around was chaos: a stampede of screaming passengers, running through pools of James's blood.

'I thought it all happened in one place, but footage shows he was actually chasing me through the carriage,' James says. 'At one point I fell backwards into a group of people, I was on top of them, and he started to hack at my shin.'

Were it not for the actions of one brave unidentified passenger, James is convinced he would have been hacked to death. 'The man started running towards us, effectively between us. I don't know what possessed him, but he saved my life because it distracted Morgan enough to give me time to run  although how I ran I don't know, as my leg was almost useless.'

Morgan then pursued him through two carriages, where at one stage, two other heroic passengers intervened to try to calm him down. 'They were incredibly brave and basically they bought me time,' says James.

It allowed James to make it to the final carriage before the driver's compartment, where quick-thinking passengers shut the connecting door and barricaded it with luggage as James collapsed to the floor.

By now the train was at a standstill: someone had pressed the emergency button, bringing the train to a screeching halt between Green Park and Bond Street stations. An off-duty doctor in the carriage did his best to stem the blood streaming from James's wounds  as a maniacal Morgan continued to thrust his machete through the window of the connecting door.

'He was pointing at me and said again: 'I don't want any of you, I just want him. I want to kill him because he tried to kill me.' He didn't look human,' James recalls. 'It was utterly terrifying.'

Armed police in Bond Street following the attack last July. Morgan, who had been smoking cannabis since he was 12, claimed he had been hearing 'voices of his enemies' before the attack

It would be another heart-stopping 30 minutes before armed British Transport Police officers boarded, arriving from another train pulling up alongside.

Morgan was pacing up and down the neighbouring carriage.

'He didn't resist arrest,' James recalls. 'He put the machete on the floor and said: 'If I'd have known it was going to be so much trouble I wouldn't have bothered'.'

By now James was in phenomenal pain, still bleeding profusely from his multiple injuries. 'It felt like I was there for hours, but eventually the train started again and drew into Bond Street, where paramedics boarded with a wheelchair,' he says. 'I was carried into an ambulance and then I was knocked out [by medication] and I don't remember much else.'

He was taken to St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, where surgeons fought for 12 hours to save his right hand and patch him up. Because of Covid restrictions, his partner waited in the hospital car park, not knowing if he was dead or alive.

'I had about 140 stitches,' James says. 'Nineteen on my head, 16 on my elbow; another 16 on my shin; 34 on my left thumb and then around 56 stitches on my right hand; they had to put wires inside to keep my hand together. The pain was out of this world, like my right hand was caught in a vice with a thousand razor blades.'

He spent a further week in hospital before being discharged with a cocktail of painkillers. His mind was far from repaired though and securing even a few counselling sessions was a battle. 'It felt like I had to fight to get even the most basic help,' he says. He also had to contend with the lingering suspicion of police that the horrific assault might be gang-related.

Indeed, refuting the notion that there was any reason for the attack is one of the things he has found among the most difficult.

'A lot of people have that question  that I must have known him,' he says. 'It is incredibly hard when it was just terrible bad luck.'

The difficult months following the attack were also compounded by the prospect of the approaching court case. At his first remand hearing Morgan, who had been charged with attempted murder, pleaded not guilty on the grounds of insanity.

James had given a witness statement to the Crown Prosecution Service so wasn't required to attend Morgan's subsequent trial at the Old Bailey in May this year.

But he says: 'I was so angry I felt I had to go for my own healing. I wanted to look him in the eye.'

At first, Morgan denied him this, refusing to look at him, although court proceedings did, at least, reveal Morgan's background: a grim and all-too-familiar litany of family dysfunction, mental illness and drug abuse.

The product of a broken home, Morgan had been placed in care at the age of 12, and by 20 was already a regular user of drugs including cannabis and crack cocaine.

He was also no stranger to the criminal justice system, with 26 convictions to his name, including one for assaulting a police officer. He had been homeless after being released from his latest stint in prison in March 2020.

'He had basically been left to wander the streets,' says James.

Morgan was found guilty after a five-day trial, when he was given life  with a minimum of 16 years in jail  by Judge John Hillen for his 'ferocious' attack. 'I think it is not too sensationalist or overdramatic to say this was every traveller's nightmare,' he told him.

James gave a victim impact statement, in which he described the legacy of pain and distress his actions had caused.

It was during this time that, finally, he locked eyes with Morgan again. 'For a moment I had to step back because I could feel the anger consume me,' he says. 'But then when I looked again he just seemed lost. It was bizarre. I felt the anger drain away.'

Today, James remains ambivalent towards the man who, it is not an exaggeration to say, destroyed the life that he had once known. 'I don't know yet whether I can forgive him, but I know he didn't stand much chance,' he says.

The care system that should have recognised Morgan as a danger to the public is 'broken' and 'something needs to change so that others don't have to go through what I have', he says.

That ordeal continues. 'I am still a work in progress,' he says. 'I'm highly anxious and hypersensitive. Any time there's someone with a rucksack I'm alert.

'I don't feel safe in my local area, I just want to go to a forest, somewhere away from people.' Only the support of his family, girlfriend and close friends has helped him through.

'I have struggled to deal with my emotions,' he admits. 'It's been tough on everyone around me, particularly my girlfriend.'

For all that, he is determined that his story is seen as one of hope.

'I have been through one of the worst things you can go through and I am still here,' he says.

'It is amazing what the human spirit can survive.'
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.
A 50-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the Delphi murders of Libby German and Abigail Williams.

Richard Allen, 50, was taken into custody in Indiana on Friday. It remains unclear what exactly he has been charged with.

The girls were murdered in 2017. Their murders remained unsolved for five years. Allen's arrest is the first time his name has been publicly associated with the case.

Abigail Williams, left, and Liberty German, right, were murdered in February 2017 after going for a walk. No one has ever been arrested for the 14-year-old girls' murders

This is the suspect Libby filmed on her Snapchat account before she was murdered. She also recorded a man saying 'down the hill'

A police reconstruction of the final snapchat images sent out by Libby German and Abigail Williams the day they died

Allen's connection to the girls remains unclear, and police say they will not hold any kind of press conference until Monday.

He was initially booked in to the county jail but was moved to a state facility shortly afterwards out of fears for his own safety.

In December, there was a flurry of excitement over the case after cops tied a fake Instagram profile of Anthony Shots to the investigation into the murders.

The person behind the account was Kegan Kline, who was 22 at the time of the murders and was arrested a month after them on suspicion of child porn possession.

Two sketches of the suspect in the Delphi murders. Allen's mugshot has not been released

He lived not far from where the girls were killed, and many drew similarities between him and the man the girls photographed on the bridge.

Kline however insisted that he was innocent.

The only other man to have been connected to the case beforehand was James Chadwell, who was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping another young girl in the same area.

Delphi Police have always been tight-lipped on crucial components of the investigation including how the girls died, or what kind of condition their bodies were in when they were found.

They have not yet revealed what kind of evidence they have against Allen.

The families of the two girls have not yet publicly reacted to news of Allen's arrest.
The lawsuit accuses Disney of turning a collective blind-eye to James Jrs allegations about the hostile work environment'

Kaplan allegedly asked him to meet up for post work drinks, and when he refused implied that she could limit his career

He has also accused actress and director Ameena Kaplan , who appeared in Marvel's Avengers Infinity War and Endgame, of being 'innapropriate'

William James Jr claims that he was fired on his first day of paternity leave by Disney and Disney Theatrical Group

An actor has lodged a lawsuit against two Disney units accusing them of firing him on his first day of paternity leave  and claims a female actress-turned-director pestered actors for sex.

William James Jr had been part of the Lion King ensemble for three years and was also an understudy for Mufasa before he was sacked.

The actor is accusing the production of violating the New York state and City Human Rights Laws, as well as accusing actress and director Ameena Kaplan of sexually harassing him and other male employees.

Kaplan, who has appeared in Marvel's Avengers Infinity War and Endgame, allegedly asked James Jr and other male workers to meet privately after work.

She then reportedly suggested that she could limit his role as an understudy for Mufasa in retaliation for rejecting her advances.

The lawsuit accuses Disney of turning a collective blind-eye to James Jrs allegations about the hostile work environment.

William James Jr had been part of the Lion King ensemble for three years and was also an understudy for Mufasa before he was fired. Pictured as Simba

Actress and director Ameena Kaplan has been accused of sexually harassing him and other male employees in the lawsuit

The legal claim is also asking for a court declaration that Disney engaged in unlawful employment practices

James Jr claims he was told that he needed to correct his behavior and act better towards Kaplan, claiming they condoned and supported her instead.

He brought the lawsuit after Actors Equity, which represents Broadway and national tour performers, filed a grievance on his behalf and investigated the incident.

It also claims that Disney did not train, supervise or instruct its employees, or management on how to properly handle allegations of discrimination.

The suit claims that Actors Equity corroborates his sexual harassment allegations, but Disney did not care.

James Jr claims he suffered severe emotional distress and physical humiliation as well as anxiety, depression, anger and loss of employment opportunities'

Kaplan, who has appeared in Marvel's Avengers Infinity War and Endgame, allegedly asked James Jr and other male workers to meet privately after work

James Jr claims he suffered severe emotional distress and physical humiliation as well as anxiety, depression, anger and loss of employment opportunities.

His suit is calling for Disney and the other defendants to pay an unspecified amount in damages for the mental, emotional and physical injury he has allegedly suffered.

The legal claim is also asking for a court declaration that Disney engaged in unlawful employment practices.

Disney and Disney Theatrical Group did not immediately respond to DailyMail.coms request for comment.

James Jr claims he was told that he needed to correct his behaviour and act better towards Kaplan, claiming they condoned and supported her instead

He brought the lawsuit after Actors Equity, which represents Broadway and national tour performers, filed a grievance on his behalf and investigated the incident

It is the second major paternity leave lawsuit that Disney have faced in four years, after Steven Van Soeren sued Disney in federal court in 2019.

The Disney Streaming Service employee claimed that he was terminated following a two-week paternity leave, but ultimately lost the case.

A federal judge dismissed the case in 2020 after Disney claimed federal law only protects the pregnant person and not the father.
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Back in the 1950s, my mother brought me up to cope with a fundamental truth of my class and time: women must put up and shut up.

It's no wonder some aristocratic husbands treated their wives as servants or chattels.

My own father, the Earl of Leicester, could be very difficult but my mother made it clear that we must adapt to him, make endless allowances and never rebuke him.

She was preparing me for a lifetime of mollifying difficult men.

I don't blame her. Just about every other woman I knew was told she had to soldier on and not complain. Even the Queen, whom I'd known since childhood, worked hard to make sure her husband was kept happy.

So I knew that my role as the wife of Colin Tennant  later Lord Glenconner  was all about doing what he wanted, sorting out his messes and appearing cheerful while I did it. That much had been made very clear.

You may remember my late husband as the English aristocrat who bought the island of Mustique in the West Indies, turning it into an exclusive resort for the likes of Princess Margaret, Mick Jagger and David Bowie.

He was a clever, talented man who loved our five children. And he had a great gift for friendship; he could flatter and amuse, was restless and inventive, outrageous and silly, and often incredibly generous.

But he was also an incredibly selfish, damaged and occasionally dangerous man. The simple truth is that I lived with domestic violence and abuse for most of my marriage.

On some level I always knew that, but I didn't allow myself to think it. Colin was Colin. His violent rages and outbursts were just his character and I simply had to endure them. I had to be a 'good wife', subservient and uncomplaining.

It was publishing my autobiography, three years ago, that made me look again at our tempestuous marriage. I can see now that I wrote about it in a rather breezy way, playing up the absurdity of Colin's behaviour in order to laugh about it.

When my friends used to ask me about Colin's antics, and I swapped stories with Princess Margaret  to whom I was lady-in-waiting  about our difficult husbands, it had seemed much healthier to laugh about it all.

In fact, being Colin's wife was frightful at times and very, very difficult.

The greatest shock when I married him was the violence. It started with screaming and quite soon went on to spitting, shoving and throwing things.

He used to hurl things at me like a naughty child who knows he doesn't want to go too far but wants to do something outrageous. I found it so unexpected and upsetting, and I hardly ever knew what I'd done to deserve it.

So I knew that my role as the wife of Colin Tennant  later Lord Glenconner  was all about doing what he wanted, sorting out his messes and appearing cheerful while I did it Pictured: Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner, and his wife Anne, on the island of Mustique, which he owned privately, in March 1973

Party people: The Glenconners on Mustique in 1973 and Princess Margaret with the couple on the island in 1986

The wedding of Lady Anne Coke and Mr Colin Tennant at St Withburga's Church in Holkham, Norfolk

He only beat me once, many years later  a terrifying attack I shall come to later. Nevertheless, I remained married to him for another 30 years.

These are aspects of my marriage I have kept to myself for a very long time. I never told any of my friends; in truth, I was having too much difficulty myself in coming to terms with it.

No one, however, should be expected to put up with the kind of treatment I got from Colin. That is a lesson it took me a long time to learn, because it ran counter to so much of my training.

It's telling that in the early 1970s, I became involved with the pioneering work of Erin Pizzey, who established the first domestic-violence shelter in the UK. I felt privileged to be able to help with fundraising and visited the shelters frequently.

This may seem very odd now, but it never occurred to me that my interest might be founded on my own experiences with Colin. I think now that Erin Pizzey perhaps saw something in me that told her I should get involved.

But it's only lately, in today's more open climate, that I've felt able to admit what really happened to me. I am very grateful to the friends and family who have recently encouraged me to talk about my experiences.

I have also been inspired by [Camilla] the Queen Consort, who has made the prevention of domestic abuse one of her causes.

One thing that being Colin's wife taught me is that no one, however glamorous their existence might look from the outside, is immune to ill-treatment, or the feelings of doubt and shame that come with it.

Life with Colin was so fraught that I sometimes wondered if he was simply doing all this to test me. Early on, he had said ominously: 'I'm going to break you, Anne.'

He failed to do so, and he was proud of me for that. He said to me another time: 'I knew you'd be able to take it.'

That was the paradox inside Colin. He wanted to break me and needed me to be unbreakable.

Some of my ability to cope with his ill-treatment I put down to the resilience I learned as a child, but I had many unusual advantages, too. Thanks to my marriage, I was constantly surrounded by interesting people, travelling frequently and had a very busy social life.

I also had enormous amounts of practical help in looking after the children and our various houses.

That meant I had places to escape to, a nanny to sweep the children out of harm's way, staff to share the burden of catering to Colin's extravagant demands and, very importantly, friends with whom I could relax.

Nevertheless, life with Colin, particularly in the early years, almost destroyed me.

Just three months after we married, in April 1956, I went to my mother in a panic, telling her I didn't think I could carry on with Colin and his terrible tantrums. She told me I'd made my choice and should stick with it. No complaining was allowed, to our husbands or to anyone else, so I got very short shrift.

And when I tried to turn to Colin's mother for advice on how to handle his outbursts, she said that the best thing to do was to give him a nice cup of cocoa at bedtime!

In those early days, when I was pregnant with our first child, I had almost no sleep as, night after night, Colin lay in a foetal position on the floor, or sat rocking back and forth, wailing non-stop for hours about how awful his life was, and how it was everybody's fault but his. I listened patiently and sympathetically, but it didn't seem to do any good.

Lady Anne Glenconner (pictured) served as Princess Margaret's lady-in-waiting for three decades

Lady Anne Glenconner (centre) at the book launch of Lord of the Isle - the Extravagant Life and Times of Colin Tennant in Mayfair, London alongside Lady Annunziata Asquith and Countess Davinia Alexander

Just three months after we married, in April 1956, I went to my mother in a panic, telling her I didn't think I could carry on with Colin and his terrible tantrums. She told me I'd made my choice and should stick with it. No complaining was allowed, to our husbands or to anyone else, so I got very short shrift. Pictured: Lady Anne Coke and Colin Tennant pictured as they announce their engagement, December 16 1955

I felt utterly wretched. I also suffered from physical pain  so agonising that a surgeon took out my appendix when I was six months' pregnant. It turned out, however, that there was nothing wrong with my appendix.

After Colin died in 2010, I was shocked to discover something he'd written to the effect that I'd had the operation on purpose, which might have endangered our son's life. It was perhaps the most hurtful thing he could have said, and I'm glad he was no longer alive when I read it.

I now think all that physical pain was a symptom of the shock and strain of finding myself married to Colin, and the effort involved in coping with it all.

Even so, as time went on, there would be moments of vivid happiness. Dancing was one of them; we loved jive and rock and roll and would let rip in various clubs.

To me, those were really magical times when I could forget myself and all the tensions between us. I also learned to treasure the many moments of joy and laughter we shared with our family and friends, and appreciate the times Colin was at his best, charming the people around us.

That was until a great change came in our marriage. It would test me to my very limit.

Buying Mustique, in 1958, was a great leap into the unknown, and I had some marvellous times on the island, even when we had no running water or electricity.

Spending so much time out in the West Indies, however, was not good for Colin.

His arrival had improved the lives of the islanders a great deal. He built a new village, installed electricity and created a lot of well-paying jobs by attracting many wealthy new landowners. Over the years, he also sank a lot of his personal fortune into the island.

As a result, he regarded himself as the King of Mustique and behaved accordingly, as a monarch with absolute power. In his rages, he would attack people physically.

I'm afraid that many of the islanders simply accepted this as what white men did. He'd often be very generous, paying for medical treatment, setting people up in business or funding the education of their children, so they accepted his awful behaviour as the price to be paid.

This meant he got used to being able to indulge his worst rages without facing any consequences. It wasn't just the islanders who indulged him: even the wealthy men and women with homes on the island simply ignored his behaviour  a battle with the King of Mustique simply wasn't worth having. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised then that when he finally did attack me, it was on Mustique. It was November in the late 1970s, and we were celebrating the birthday of our twin girls.

Buying Mustique, in 1958, was a great leap into the unknown, and I had some marvellous times on the island, even when we had no running water or electricity. Pictured: Princess Margaret, Colin Tennant, Lord Glenconner and Anne Tennant, Lady Glenconner wait on the jetty for Queen Elizabeth ll and Prince Philip's arrival to Mustique on Britannia in 1977

Lord Glenconner in Mustique with life-long friend Princess Margaret

Colin Tennant and Princess Margaret, at a gold themed 50th Birthday Party of Colin Tennant on Mustique, West Indies, November 22 1976

We'd gone down to Basil's Bar to celebrate over a high tea with a few friends, including Barbara Barnes, the girls' nanny, who later became nanny to Princes William and Harry.

Colin was having drinks with clients, while I sat with the children. After a while, he came over and asked me to meet the people he was talking to, no doubt to soften them up for his business deal.

I didn't really want to, but I left the children with Barbara and went over. I said a nice hello and chatted for a few minutes, then explained politely about the birthday party and went back to the twins.

A little while later Colin marched over, white with fury. Through clenched teeth, he commanded: 'Come with me.'

Before I could say anything, he grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the bar with him. Not wanting to make a fuss, I didn't resist.

On the way back to our house in the car, a journey of about ten minutes, Colin was shaking with anger. I stayed very still and quiet, my usual tactic when he was in a rage, hoping he'd calm down.

Drawing up at the house, I got out of the car and before I knew what was happening, he hit me across the head from behind with his shark-bone walking stick. It knocked me straight to the ground. And then he launched in on me.

I lay there, trying to protect my head and begging him to stop.

He didn't: he was in a frenzy, quite out of his mind. I was utterly terrified, convinced he might actually kill me.

I have no idea how long it lasted, but eventually he tired himself out. I lay there until I heard his car drive off, then crawled into the main house and locked myself into the bedroom.

I was petrified he might come back and finish me off. Later, I learned that Colin had gone back to the bar and told a friend of ours, without a trace of remorse: 'I've just given Anne a thrashing.'

And the friend did nothing. He didn't alert Barbara or fetch any help. Perhaps he had that old idea of not wanting to interfere between husband and wife. Perhaps he thought it wasn't his place  but, then, whose place was it?

I try not to dwell on it now, but the idea of Colin going back to the bar and actually boasting about what he'd just done is truly horrible. I was alone all night and in agony.

By the following morning, I realised something was seriously wrong. The pain in my ear was terrible. I was covered with blood  I could feel it matted into my hair but I didn't dare look at myself. I was too scared to open the bedroom door in case Colin was waiting outside. I was certain he'd gone completely mad.

Instead, I crawled out of the window as dawn was breaking and reached Barbara's chalet nearby in the grounds.

I will never forget the look of shock and horror on her face when she saw me. She took me back to my room, phoned the doctor, and then I heard her give Colin absolute hell.

'How dare you?' she shouted. 'How dare you treat Lady Anne like that? It's unforgivable!'

It was very brave of her, but then she'd always been able to deal with Colin when he was at his worst while I never could.

Colin slunk off, and the island's doctor arrived and examined me. He was very concerned, but I didn't tell him what had happened and he didn't ask. Perhaps he guessed.

My eardrum had burst, and I have been deaf in that ear ever since.

For perhaps the first time in his life, Colin knew he'd gone too far. He wanted to see me but Barbara forbade it. Instead he left a small bunch of flowers outside my door.

I kept to my room. I didn't want the children to see me until the bruises had healed. Barbara looked after me  goodness knows what she told them.

Once I was able to emerge, Colin was allowed to see me, and said a meek 'sorry', like a little boy. 'I won't do it again,' he said. 'I will be good, I promise.'

It was one of the only times I saw any real remorse from him about his behaviour. I said nothing.

He was sorry he was in trouble, and that he'd gone too far. That was all.

I stayed away from the children for about ten days until my bruises had faded. The day before I was able to fly home, I went down to the beach and one of the better-known people on the island, a woman I counted as a friend, came up to me.

She looked at my face and arms, where bruises were still visible despite the make-up I'd put on to cover them. 'Have you been a naughty girl?' she asked.

'Of course not,' I said, but couldn't say anything else. It was so painful and humiliating. Did she expect me to joke about it? I'm afraid I really hated her in that moment.

On my return to England, I told my mother everything. He could easily have killed me, I said. Did she still feel I'd made my bed and had to lie in it?

She was horrified, and asked if I wanted to leave him. But even though something in me had irrevocably changed towards Colin, I still believed in marriage and in the virtue of putting up with things and getting on.

I'd noticed when I worked with Erin Pizzey that the wives often blamed themselves for their husbands' behaviour, and I'm afraid  even on this occasion  I began to think I was partly to blame. After all, I knew how volatile Colin was, so perhaps I should have avoided making him angry.

It was an attempt, I suppose, to rationalise the whole thing, as if I could make it better by, to some extent, blaming myself.

When I told my mother there would be no divorce, she issued an ultimatum to Colin. 'If you ever do anything like that to Anne again, that's it. She'll leave and we will support her in every way.'

Colin grovelled. I believe he was ashamed of what he'd done once someone he respected confronted him with it.

In different circumstances, he could have been arrested for what he'd done to me, and for the casual assaults he perpetrated against others. It seems incredible now what we allowed him to get away with.

I could have gone to the police myself, but I was too ashamed to make public what had happened.

In the end, he wrote me a proper apology, saying in effect: I can see why you'd leave me, but please don't because I will be good from now on. I don't think people understand how hard it can be to leave someone who can be so awful at some moments, then so sad and sorry at others.

Despite the apology, things were never the same between us. That extraordinary and unprovoked rage had shown me a sadistic streak and a depth of cruelty I could never forget.

Colin never hit me again, although he did still push me and spit at me when furious. He knew enough never to go further than that. And no matter how badly he treated me, he needed me. He used to threaten to kill himself if I left him, and I didn't see that as an idle threat.

Lady Anne, then 23, in her wedding dress as she married Colin Tennant in 1956

The christening of baby Charles Edward Pevensey, the son of Colin Tennant and Lady Anne in 1957

I knew I was important to him as a point of stability in his life, and as mother to his children. In his own strange way, he loved me.

Once I found I could speak openly about Colin's attack, the shame I'd carried with me was gone. I felt physically lighter, and I'd encourage anyone who has been through something similar to talk about it.

This is not the same as dwelling on one's problems, or making oneself into a victim; it is simply a case of being honest, and that is very liberating. I sometimes wonder what life would have been like if I had left Colin. Perhaps the children would have been happier  he caused a lot of stress in their lives as well as mine.

When I've asked them since, they've said they were glad we didn't divorce. But I think they also understood that the only way for me to get through it was to learn to put myself and them ahead of his endless, taxing needs.

I'm proud that things which may have weakened me, were even intended to destroy me, have in the end made me stronger. But I can't help feeling a little wistful for what life might have been like with a strong, secure marriage of equals, each looking out for the other, and living a life of mutual respect, love and kindness.

In general, however, even when a marriage among my contemporaries started with love and affection, it was often impossible to maintain for long, given the unequal way in which men and women were brought up.

The very worst of all was when cruelty was coupled with a charmless, boorish personality. My poor sister Carey experienced this, with a husband who  for years on end  would only talk to her through the dog. So, I shan't pretend my life was like hers, with a husband ordering the Labrador to 'tell that awful woman the fire needs some logs'.

It is a sad reflection on society that, because of Colin's wealth and family, the position of power he enjoyed in the West Indies, and the feeling of complete entitlement he was brought up with, he got away with so much.

Nevertheless I do believe that in the end the person who suffered most was Colin himself. The people he abused in public were no doubt shaken and annoyed, but then carried on with their lives while he lived with his terrible dark feelings every day.

Did he ever realise that? I suspect not.
A Montana woman who sparked outrage when she shot, killed and skinned a six-month-old puppy she thought was a wolf has pleaded not guilty after being charged with a misdemeanor citation of animal cruelty.

Amber Rose Barnes, 36, of Martin City, was trolled by thousands as people immediately noticed the animal she'd killed was a Siberian husky pup.

Making matters worse, she then defended her actions.

'During this time, safety was my top priority this animal was growling howling and coming at me like it was going to eat me.

'Yes I made a mistake...either way yes I would still have shot it because it was aggressive and coming directly for me!' she said.

Barnes avoided being charged with a hunting violation - because 'the incident did not involve an animal under the agency's jurisdiction', confirmed The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Barnes appeared in court on Friday morning and is due back in court on December 20.

The disturbing and graphic images show Amber Rose of Miller City, Montana, showing off the skinned husky

License to kill: This is the original post that Barnes shared with friends. She said she believed the animal was a 'wolf pup'

Barnes defended the kill in a follow-up post and told Facebook users she'd do it again

Barnes provoked fury online when she posted a series of graphic images of herself with the lifeless pup online.

Along with a collage of five shots of herself with the dead dog, she wrote, 'So this morning I set out for a solo predator hunt for a fall black bear however I got the opportunity to take another predator wolf pup 2022 was a great feeling to text my man and say I just smoked a wolf pup #firstworld #onelesspredatorMT.'

Barnes had ventured into Flathead National Forest in Doris Creek, sixty miles south of Glacier National Park that morning looking for a black bear when she came across what she believed to be a wolf.

In one especially gruesome picture, Barnes posed with the Husky sprawled in her flatbed truck as she smiles striking the lifeless head of the dog and gripping her rifle.

Even once her error had been identified, Barnes defended her actions and told her Facebook audience she would kill the dog again.

Rose was accompanied on the hunting trip in Montana's Flathead County with her hunter partner Frank Tallent, who launched an expletive-laced rant in Barnes' defense

Barnes' partner Frank Tallent also leapt to her defense at the time as the online mob descended and dubbed her the 'Montana butcher.'

'Mistakes happen big f***ing deal,' he wrote.

'Ya my girl friend was out hunting and shot a f *****g dog that was dumped out in the woods.'

The deceased puppy turned out to be one of nearly a dozen Husky pups that had been abandoned in the woods.

Many of the puppies had parvovirus, an often deadline disease for dogs.

In the aftermath of the shooting, authorities worked to determine whether Barnes had a license to hunt wolves, which she said she did.

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks later confirmed to Fox News that Barnes had purchased the appropriate license.

In Montana, wolf hunting is legal with a license. An individual is allowed to legally kill or trap 20 wolves a season.

Barnes did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Mail.

In Montana, wolf hunting is legal with a license. A person is allowed to legally kill or trap 20 per season. Above, a gray wolf
Liverpool drugs boss Curtis 'Cocky' Warren is days away from being released from a high security prison after 25 years behind bars.

Warren, 59, who earned a 300million fortune and has been linked to Colombian drug cartels, will leave HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire in November.

Police are said to be concerned about the timing of the release of the 'major players' due to a major bust of organised crime, The Mirror reported.

'Warren's been the subject of countless meetings among top brass,' a source linked to the National Crime Agency (NCA) told the newspaper.

'They're desperate to keep a lid on gangland shootings but he remains a major player with a big reach on Merseyside and beyond, so there are considerable steps in place to monitor any potential for fallout.'

Liverpool drugs boss Curtis 'Cocky' Warren is set to be released from a high security prison in just days after 25 years behind bars

Police are said to be concerned about the timing of the 'major players' release due to a major bust of organised crime

Dubbed the Pablo Escobar of Britain and known by the nickname the 'Cocky Watchman', Warren reportedly still has the support of senior crime figures in the maritime city who control the illegal drugs trade.

A source said: 'There'll be eyes all over Curtis when he gets out and he knows he'll be restricted as to where he can go and who he can see.

'He's an intelligent man so I'm sure he'll be keeping a low profile on his release.'

Warren spent the early 1980s as a nightclub bouncer before moving on to armed robbery and international drug trafficking through the 1990s which is believed to have involved Escobar's rivals the Cali Cartel.

He was first sentenced to 12 years in 1996 for trying to move a 125million drugs shipment from the Netherlands to the UK and given another four years for killing a fellow prisoner.

Just weeks after being released in 2007, he was arrested again for a plot to sneak 1million worth of cannabis into Jersey and jailed for a further 13 years.

Warren, 59, who earned a 200million fortune and has been linked to Colombian drug cartels, will leave HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire in November

He was first sentenced to 12 years in 1996 for trying to move a 125million drugs shipment from the Netherlands to the UK

Then, after failing to comply with a 198million confiscation order, received another 10 years.

He is on a list of individuals who have been issued with serious crime prevention orders which will kick in upon his release.

As Warren, who Interpol once described as 'Target One', has served his sentence, he will not be on probation but instead monitored by the NCA.

He will be able to apply for a British passport and will not be under a curfew.

He will not be allowed any assets worth more than 1,000, must provide details of who he is traveling with one week before and anytime he goes abroad.

Warren will also only be allowed one mobile phone, one sim card and one telephone number - which must be made available to NCA if requested.

In addition, he will have to give a day's notice if he wants to get into a friend's car and will be barred from holding cryptocurrency.
Another person has been arrested in connection with the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel.

Merseyside Police said a man had been arrested on Friday on suspicion of assisting an offender and was being questioned by detectives.

Olivia was shot in the chest at home in Dovecot, Liverpool, on August 22.

The gunman chased convicted burglar Joseph Nee into their home, leaving Olivia's mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, injured.

Merseyside Police said a man had been arrested on Friday on suspicion of assisting an offender and was being questioned by detectives. Olivia, pictured, was shot in the chest at home in Dovecot, Liverpool, on August 22

A spokesperson from Merseyside Police said: 'Officers involved in the investigation into the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel have today (Friday, 28 October) arrested a man on suspicion of assisting an offender. He has been taken to a police station where he will be interviewed by detectives.'

Thomas Cashman, 34, of West Derby, has been charged with Olivia's murder and will appear in court again next year.

Cashman faces two further counts of possessing a firearm to endanger life.

Paul Russell, 40, of West Derby, has been charged with assisting an offender.

Others arrested have been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

The gunman chased convicted burglar Joseph Nee into their home, leaving Olivia's mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, injured. Pictured: Olivia

The latest arrest comes after a gun found in a Liverpool cemetery was discovered to not be linked to the murder of Olivia, pictured

The latest arrest comes after a gun found in a Liverpool cemetery was discovered to not be linked to the murder of Olivia.

Police forensically tested the weapon, found along with ammunition in West Derby Cemetery, to see if it was used by the gunman who shot Olivia.

The Glock handgun, which was found in a bag, was also tested to see if it was linked to the murders of Sam Rimmer, who was shot in Dingle on August 16, or council worker Ashley Dale, 28, who was killed in Old Swan on August 21.

But police said on Wednesday that it was not linked to any of the murder investigations.

Officers said that two weapons were used by the gunman who shot Olivia and injured her mother.

A .38 revolver was the weapon which killed Olivia and a a Glock-type self-loading 9mm pistol was also fired, detectives said.

Police and forensic officers at the property in Kingsheath Avenue, Knotty Ash, Liverpool, where nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel was fatally shot

Merseyside Police have made repeated appeals for information following Olivia's death

Olivia, the nine-year-old Liverpool girl who was shot dead in her home in Liverpool last month

Olivia died in Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital after being shot in her home in Knotty Ash when a gunman who was chasing convicted burglar and drug dealer Joseph Nee burst into the property about 10pm on August 22.

Olivia's mother Cheryl Korbel was hit in the wrist as she desperately tried to shut her front door, but the bullet also struck her daughter who was standing behind her.

The youngster was rushed to hospital but could not be saved.

In a eulogy, Olivia's mother Cheryl Korbel (pictured holding a pink teddy) said: 'Liv touched so many people's hearts and was loved and adored by everyone. She will never be forgotten'

Olivia Pratt-Korbel's coffin is carried out of St Margaret Mary's Church on September 15, 2022

Earlier this month, Olivia's funeral was held at St Margaret Mary's Church in Knotty Ash.

Pink ties, jackets, scarves and bows were worn by those attending the service after her family asked people to wear a 'splash of pink'.

People lined the street as the coffin arrived at the church in a horse-drawn carriage.

The white coffin, with butterflies on the side, was topped with lilies and unicorn and teddy bear shaped floral tributes were placed alongside it in the white carriage.

In a eulogy to her daughter, grieving Cheryl Korbel said: 'Olivia was very chatty and bubbly and would talk for England, to the point we thought she had Duracell batteries inside her somewhere'

Mrs Korbel hugged family members after the service, which follows the harrowing loss of her nine-year-old daughter Olivia

Mourners embrace after the service, which celebrated nine-year-old Olivia's 'bubbly' and 'chatty' personality

A hearse with floral tributes saying 'daughter' and 'Liv' arrived at the church shortly before the carriage.

Ms Korbel carried a pink teddy bear into the service, during which she said: 'Liv touched so many people's hearts and was loved and adored by everyone. She will never be forgotten.

'I will never say goodbye but what I will say is goodnight, love you, see you in the morning.'

Tributes were left by Olivia's home on Kingsheath Avenue, Dovecot after the August shooting

Nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel died in after being shot in her home in Liverpool in August

Olivia and her dad are pictured in a memorial picture carried in her hearse during the funeral

Rebecca Wilkinson, headteacher of St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School in Huyton, said the nine-year-old 'oozed kindness' and would be remembered for her smile.

'We have had counsellors in every class,' she said.

'(The children) are devastated at the loss of their friend, they truly are, but the counselling has definitely helped and we have been so proud of the resilience the children have shown since they've been back.'

Classmates of Olivia had been sharing their memories of her and receiving counselling since returning to school after her death, her headteacher said.
Dramatic surveillance footage shows the moment former SNL comedian Chris Redd was floored in New York by a sucker punch which 'split' his nose and sprayed blood across the sidewalk.

Redd is seen strolling up the busy street as he made his way to perform at the Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village.

The grainy footage shows him suddenly collapse to the ground after he was punched in the face at 9.40pm on Wednesday.

Shocked onlookers immediately spring from their seats to aid the comedian, whose nose was busted open by the blow.

Staff at a nearby restaurant had to scrub the sidewalk with hot water after the attack to clear up the blood.

The attack on Redd by a mystery assailant was completely unprovoked. Cops have yet to make an arrest, and it's unclear why the star was targeted.

CCTV footage shows Redd stroll up the NYC street before he's suddenly floored by a punch

Shocked onlookers quickly jump to their feet after he's hit, spraying blood over the sidewalk

SNL star Chris Redd received care from passersby and cops after the punch 'split' his nose

Witness Fabrizio Cavallacci, who owns Cafe Reggio next door to the comedy club, told KTLA: 'He had his nose cracked  not broken, but split  and a lot of blood was coming out.'

Cavallacci said he was outside when the attack happened, adding: 'A whole bunch of people [were] gathered there, and they really bashed the poor guy.

'He was really bleeding a lot.'

He said: 'After an ambulance came  we took a pail of hot water to clean the sidewalk because it was really messy.'

The cafe boss said two masked men ran off down the street after the attack and 'things like this happen pretty often' in the area.

The attacker was reportedly wearing brass knuckles when he punched the comedian on Wednesday.

A local business owner said the punch 'split' Redd's nose, with blood splattered over the street

Blood splattered on the sidewalk and steps by the comedy club where Redd was to perform

The SNL alum reportedly plans to beef up his personal security following the vicious assault

Sources close to the star said Redd was left with two black eyes and a large gash on his nose which required stitches.

Redd, who announced he would not return to SNL after five seasons in September, was rushed to the hospital, but released shortly afterwards.

The star is said to be meeting with police to go over surveillance footage, with Redd 'rocked to the core' by the attack and planning on using security around him going forward.

He was getting out of a car in front of the Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village when a man dressed in a security guard uniform ran up to him and allegedly assaulted him.

The funnyman was wearing a Greg Yuna chain, which came apart when the suspect allegedly grabbed it as he ran away from the bloody crime scene.

He was also able to recover his necklace from the scene.

The attack left a bloody aftermath as blood could be seen splattered on the floor and stairs in front of the Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village.
NATO source said could be punishment by Russia for Britain's backing of Ukraine

Baltic Sea pipeline leaks, including Nord Stream, said to be by Russian saboteurs

Russia is plotting to strike a key gas pipeline between the UK and Norway to punish Britain over its support for Ukraine and leave households in the cold this winter.

Senior military and intelligence sources told the Mail that Moscow could try and sabotage the Langeled pipeline that provides one-fifth of the countrys gas demand.

The Kremlin has repeatedly weaponised energy supplies to Europe since it invaded Ukraine, slashing deliveries to the EU in response to sanctions.

A series of unexplained leaks to energy connections under the Baltic Sea, including Germanys controversial Nord Stream projects, are believed to be the work of Russian saboteurs.

Any strike on Langeled would be a further squeeze on supplies to the UK and Europe.

Military and intelligence sources told the Daily Mail that Moscow could target the 5,500-mile Langeled pipeline, which carries a fifth of the natural gas used by Britain. Pictured: Easington gas terminal on the Yorkshire coast

Sabotage is the next step if they want to escalate by attacking Britains critical energy infrastructure because we are so fragile, said one NATO source.

And its no coincidence that Britain has been one of Ukraines biggest backers.

Both the British and Norwegian governments have spoken about a general threat to North Sea energy infrastructure in the past.

But officials in Oslo and London have refused to be drawn on specific targets.

Another NATO official who works directly on threats to critical infrastructure said the 725-mile-long Langeled pipeline is an obvious target.

Western leaders blamed 'deliberate' sabotage after the Nordsteam pipe from Russia suffered 'unprecedented' damage off Sweden - causing 3000ft-wide bubbles in the Baltic Sea and causing prices to spike

That is because Norway has become such a vital gas link for the UK and Europe, the official said.

A senior Norwegian official told the Mail that Oslo believes the Kremlin is eyeing the pipeline to break the cohesion amongst Ukraines Western allies and disrupt the flow of gas.

Langeled Pipeline Running for 725-miles, Langeled is one of the world's longest underwater gas pipelines. It carries gas from the Ormen Lange field in the Norwegian Sea. It runs from from the processing plant at Nyhamna on the mid-Norwegian coast to Easington gas terminal on the Yorkshire coast. It is operated by Norwegian provider Gassco and provides up to a fifth of Britain's natural gas supply. Advertisement

When people start maybe freezing and the flow of energy stops, people will turn around and say just let Putin have whatever he wants and get the gas to come back on, the source said.

They added the Kremlins tactic of striking gas pipelines across Europe is designed to just draw (military) resources away from other things.

And a senior EU diplomat said: The Norwegians are really worried about what the Russians are up to.

Publicly, Western governments have stopped short of pointing the finger directly at Vladimir Putin when talking about possible sabotage.

But Fatih Birol, the head of the UNs International Energy Agency, has said it is very obvious who was behind the damage.

Britain has dispatched the Royal Navys HMS Somerset to patrol the area while Norway has sent one of its four frigates.

Both vessels were sent to the North Sea after the alleged attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines, two key gas links to Europe which are run by Russian state energy giant Gazprom.

Marine surveillance jets based at RAF Lossiemouth have since been deployed to keep an eye on oil and gas assets there alongside their counterparts from the Norwegian air force.

Unidentified drones have also started appearing in the skies above key energy installations.

Norwegian police have arrested seven Russian nationals after they were caught with drone-flying equipment over the past month.

One of them was Andrey Yakunin, the 47-year-old son of Vladimir Yakunin, a former president of Russian Railways and a close ally of Putin who was sanctioned after the 2014 occupation of Crimea.

Russians have been banned from operating drones in Norway since Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Norway is now Europes largest gas supplier, after the Kremlin-backed firm cut back on deliveries to the continent.

The Kremlin has weaponised energy supplies to Europe in response to sanctions, slashing deliveries to the EU

The value of Norwegian gas to Europe has never been higher, said Stale Ulriksen, a researcher at the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy.

As a strategic target for sabotage, Norwegian gas pipelines are probably the highest value target in Europe, he added.

Gassco, the state-owned Norwegian operator of Langeled, has been on its highest state of security alert since last month.

On Thursday, it announced that it has increased the number of inspections of its pipelines after the recent alleged sabotage attacks in the Baltic Sea that are being investigated by Swedish and Danish authorities.

We are following the authorities threat assessment, a Gassco spokeswoman said.

Last night a Ministry of Defence spokesman refused to rule out that Langeled is a possible target for Kremlin-backed saboteurs.

We constantly observe our areas of UK responsibility and interest. This includes protecting critical infrastructure such as underwater cables, the spokesman said.

PST, the Norwegian domestic intelligence service, failed to respond to the Mails request for comment.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is heading to New York on Saturday to add his star power to the contest to oust the deep-blue state's Democratic governor.

His arrival will be seen of not just Republicans' growing hopes of pulling off a string of upsets in next month's midterms, but confirmation that he is looking to build his national profile ahead of a 2024 presidential run.

In New York, Republican challenger Lee Zeldin has closed to within seven points of Gov. Kathy Hochul, after trailing her by 14 points at the start of the month, according to the political website FiveThirtyEight.

Democrats are pouring millions more into her campaign to shore up her position, while DeSantis - one of the G.O.P.'s most popular figures will stump for Zeldin in Long Island on Saturday.

The Florida governor will take time out from his own reelection campaign to join Zeldin at a 'Get Out the Vote' event on the first day of early voting.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is one of the most popular figures in the Republican Party, and he is due to campaign in New York on Saturday for G.O.P. gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin

Zeldin has reduced a 14-point gap to 6 points as he tries to unseat Gov. Kathy Hochul

'I do have to say, New York, we may elect, I think we will elect a Republican Governor Lee Zeldin,' DeSantis told Fox News on Thursday.

He will be followed on Saturday by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. He is much is demand among Republican gubernatorial candidates in blue states eager to learn the lessons of his suprise win in Virginia last year.

Zeldin, a four-term congressman from the Trumpist wing of the party, has made headway this month by hitting Hochul hard on crime and the economy.

The most recent poll, published by Democratic consulting firm Slingshot Strategies, gives Hochul a six-point lead.

Democrats are deploying some of their biggest guns to protect their lead.

President Joe Biden visited the state on Thursday to deliver what he believes is good news on investment and the economy.

And former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be a 'surprise guest' at a rally next week on the Upper West Side, according to City & State.

Democrats face several challenges from an energetic Republican Party.

The main focus of Biden's visit was to shore up Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, in a district the president won by 10 points two years ago.

The two candidates for governor appeared together in a debate this week and clashed over crime. Hochul enraged New Yorkers by asking why bail reforms that many believe have caused New York City's spiraling crime problem are 'so important'.

Zeldin challenged Hochul over the state-wide reforms that were brought in under former Governor Andrew Cuomo and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2019, and which released thousands of 'low level' offenders from custody back into the streets.

There is more trouble for Democrats in New York. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) is now in a toss-up race against a Republican opponent in a district that Biden won by 10 points

Governor Kathy Hochul enraged New Yorkers by suggesting during a debate against opponent Lee Zeldin that bail reforms that have increased crime in the city aren't important

A snap poll by co/efficient in the immediate aftermath of their first and only pre-election debate on Tuesday put Zeldin ahead of Hochul by the slimmest of margins

Many New Yorkers believe it is one of the key contributors to the city's worsening crime problem now.

'We're half way through the debate and she still hasn't talked about locking up anyone committing any crimes,' Zeldin said.

Hochul replied: 'Anyone who commits a crime under our laws, especially with the change they made to bail, has consequences.

'I don't know why that's so important to you.'

Her remark angered Republicans and viewers who took it as a sure sign that she will not impose tougher rules if she is elected in November.

Hochul was appointed as Governor Andrew Cuomo's replacement when he was ousted by a sex scandal last year, but she has never been elected by the state's 19million residents.
Sophie, who lives in West Sussex, was told: 'You are number six so if anything goes wrong, you better run'

She said senior officers put genitals in her pocket as she manned sub's periscope and then punched her

Sophie Brook said she was called a 'c***', punched and hit by a male colleague and faced sexual harassment

EXCLUSIVE: Navy and Submarine whistleblower claims she was sexually harassed and abused by colleagues

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Sophie Brook can remember the precise moment she decided she would join the Royal Navy. Aged just 12, on a day out during a family holiday in Devon, she watched in awe as two military helicopters performed a majestic bow salute  when the aircraft simultaneously dip their noses mid-air.

Below were those to whom they were paying such striking tribute: a class passing out from the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth.

'My dad, who had been in the Navy as a pilot flying Gazelle helicopters, explained what was going on, and that was it for me,' Sophie recalls.

'From then on  having seen the impressive nature of it all  I never really looked back.'

Sophie's dream was realised. In 2011, aged 18, and with an A and three B grades at A-level in her back pocket, she turned down an offer to study economics at the prestigious London School of Economics for a military career, first joining the Navy and then the Submarine Service three years later.

She was sure she was embarking on an exciting career that would fulfil all her expectations.

Instead, she claims she was abused, both physically and mentally. Called a 'c***', at times on an hourly basis, she was often punched and hit by one male colleague, and subjected to vicious sexual harassment by others.

One senior officer delighted in inserting his genitals into her pocket. Another exposed himself to her, and another forcibly kissed her. Devastatingly, she discovered she was number six on a so-called 'crush depth rape list', in which male submariners ranked female colleagues in the order they should be raped in the case of a catastrophic event at sea.

So sustained was Sophie's alleged mistreatment  which usually took place in the claustrophobic enclosure of a submarine, from which there was no escape  that she began to self-harm and became suicidal. And so extreme was the abuse that she and other female personnel would allegedly attempt to break their own limbs without success to avoid going on patrol.

Aged just 12, on a day out during a family holiday in Devon, Sophie Brook (pictured) watched in awe as two military helicopters performed a majestic bow salute  when the aircraft simultaneously dip their noses mid-air

Regrets: Sophie Brook (pictured), now 30, lost her job after sending sensitive information to her lover Nicholas Stone (right)

Sophie was one of the first women to join the fleet, made history as the first female warfare officer and was even tipped to become the first female captain of a submarine. Today, the 30-year-old former lieutenant still bears the mental scars of her treatment.

'It was so close to being good. I was nearly the first female commander of a submarine in the world. I was the first female to have charge of a dived sub in the world. But from day one I had no support.'

When Sophie volunteered, the Ministry of Defence was actively recruiting women to join the Submarine Service, having scrapped its long-standing ban on female officers.

Yet she says it was clear from the start that she was not welcome. More than this, the male leadership on board was, she claims, 'toxic'.

'When you're on patrol, senior officers are God. There's no ringing home and complaining. You can't report them.

'You can't say I'm not happy with someone's behaviour. You can't send an email. For that time they are God to you. They control whether you sleep, eat, they control everything. They would use that as a tactic of bullying. There was a toxic leadership.'

Such power, it seems, went to the heads of some personnel.

On one of her earliest patrols, when Sophie was one of three women in a crew of 365, she claims she was confronted by an 'aggressive' officer who threw a clipboard at her in a fit of rage.

'He would swear, including calling me a c***, as would other senior personnel. On an hourly basis I could be called a c***. But I was determined not to give up.'

Indeed, Sophie would need all her strength for what lay ahead. While she performed the crucial task of manning the sub's periscope, she was physically manhandled and assaulted. '[The senior officers] would try to get you to take your eyes off the periscope, which isn't allowed. If you did, you then got a punch to the kidney. They would also insert [their genitals] into your pocket.

'If you then took your eyes off [the periscope], you would get punched.

'The first time I said 'What are you doing?' and I was taught my lesson with a punch.'

Those male colleagues  her senior officers  would, she claims, lick her ears and blow on her neck. But there was no recourse to HR or any union, as Sophie says today: 'We were on a deterrent patrol [which can last for months] and you don't get off unless you are dead. One way or another I had to cope with another 100 days with these people.

'Given it was senior officers doing it, there was no point in trying to do anything. I had no choice. I remember coming back from that patrol and getting off at Faslane, the Naval Base at Clyde, seeing my parents  and I just cried. They asked me what was happening and I couldn't tell them.'

One older officer, claims Sophie, continually harassed her. She recounts one incident which took place on a submarine during her twenties. While she was off duty, he would push 50p coins through a vent  dubbed the 'glory hole'  near her bed.

'He would say 'That's for a blow job'. Sometimes he would put naked pictures of models from lads' magazines and push them through it as well. 'It was a constant campaign of sexual bullying. It wasn't because he wanted to have sex with me, he wanted to humiliate me.

'He would come up behind you and pretend to have sex with you. There would be anything between five and ten people present and he would hang off a bar [inside the submarine] behind you while making humping motions.'

Sophie was so disturbed that when she gained her coveted Dolphins in October 2014  the prestigious insignia awarded to qualified submariners  she couldn't bring herself to put them on. 'When I qualified, I walked into my cabin and threw them on the floor. I didn't put them on for weeks.'

The most basic of requests became an opportunity to sexually harass her, she says  such as when she was subjected to lewd comments from one officer after she asked to be excused from a wardroom full of men to attend a medical appointment.

'He said 'If it's for a cervical examination we can just do that on the wardroom table for you and we can all have a go'.

'I just walked out. I felt completely humiliated,' says Sophie, emotional at the memory. As for the horrendous 'crush depth rape list', Sophie  along with two other whistleblowers, who previously served in the Navy and corroborate her story  reports it was common across the entire service. It has since become the subject of an MoD investigation.

'There is [a list] for men and one for women, but you feel a lot more vulnerable when you are one of a handful women among hundreds of men.

'It is something they would agree among themselves. They would say [to me] 'You are number six so if anything goes wrong, you better run'.'

Sophie, who today lives in West Sussex and works in her family's car dealership business, also recounts her experiences at the Navy's traditional Trafalgar night dinner attended by 200 people at Faslane. There, one lieutenant shouted lewd comments at her  including 'You love c***'  and the other five women present.

'It is the biggest social night of the year. There are only officers there, ranging from admiral to midshipman  so the very senior to the very bottom. And not one said anything.' On one occasion aboard HMS Vigilant, which was embroiled in a sex and drugs scandal in 2017 when nine members, including the second-in-command, were dismissed, Sophie says she returned to her cabin to find a married colleague exposing himself on her bed. On another submarine in 2019, Sophie, then 27, claims she was disturbed from her sleep by a large-set senior officer climbing on to her bed. She woke to find him kissing her. Stunned, she told him to get off.

Eventually, she says she went to a superior, adding: 'I was on the verge of tears. I said I just need to tell someone.' That superior, she says, discouraged her from reporting it. 'He said, 'we can do something about it. But you need to understand if we report this, he will be removed from the boat, and this will generate press interest'.

'I just thought I don't want to be the centre of any scandal.'

It's a decision she bitterly regrets to this day. 'After that, I didn't want to return to my cabin, I spent the next 18 hours on watch on the bridge.

'I remember it vividly. It was raining. It sounds stupid but I could just stand there and cry and no one could tell.

'But I was crying and crying There was nowhere to go.

'I was just ashamed that it was happening and that the drama was surrounding me. After all, I was the one that was pushing to show that women could work harmoniously alongside men.'

A senior source has admitted the Navy was aware some women had been affected by 'inappropriate sexualised behaviour'. Pictured: The Royal Navy's Trident-class nuclear submarine Vanguard

She says the reality, however, is that the women who stood up for themselves or reported incidents were dubbed 'dangerous girls'. They were then ostracised, making it impossible to complete their training.

'In the control area, they had a 'chick of the day'  a naked picture of a women that would change at midnight to signify another day done on patrol.

'One woman formally complained and it was taken down but she was then put on a Basic Submarine Qualification ban  so no one could help her in her training.

'That is what would have happened to me [if I complained]. I would have been frozen out.'

Sophie and the two other whistleblowers all say female submariners essentially had a 'target on their backs' and were routinely pestered for sex by their colleagues.

'The men were like vultures whenever a new female would come in. No one  right up to the highest ranks in the military  respected the women,' says Sophie.

It's perhaps unsurprising that her mental health suffered. She resorted to self-harming aged 21, just over two years after joining the military and within six months of joining Submarine Service.

'I think it's when you are in so much emotional pain, it felt like having a physical representation of that made it valid.'

The situation deteriorated during lockdown when personnel were unable to see their families, and had to stay on the base at Faslane.

Sophie, who was then one of fewer than five women among the 165 men on the base, began self-harming more frequently.

Once, she cut her upper arm so savagely she had to go to the doctor to receive nine stitches.

'I was so mentally and physically broken,' she remembers today.

As she was due on watch hours later, the doctor insisted on speaking to those in command to stand her down from her duties, for her safety and that of others.

Despite this, she says 45 minutes later she was woken and summoned back to work.

'So I took charge. I was unsupervised and had total responsibility for 165 crew members, the nuclear reactor and the nuclear missiles on hardly any sleep. It is unsafe. You have to take instant decisions. The cockpit of a 747 is simple compared to what a submarine dashboard looks like.

'You are dealing with complicated and high-pressure systems. Ultimately, you take the decisions of a captain.

'I did get through that shift. After, my superior wanted to see me to discuss my injury  he just said not to do it again.'

Her medical records, seen by the Mail, show various people had noticed her self-harm injuries and reported them to the doctor.

Not long after, Sophie started a brief affair with former lieutenant commander Nicholas Stone, 37, a married father of one who was also based at HMS Clyde at Faslane.

'I couldn't go home, he couldn't go home  I was having a horrendous time and he knew that. It progressed stupidly on both our parts into having a brief affair.

'He was very much like my only safety net. I could tell him the horrible things that were happening.'

Then, she made a terrible error. On the sub just before leaving for patrol, she sent an email from her secure MoD account to Stone's Yahoo account, complaining about the patrol.

While doing so, she revealed information about her submarine's movements.

However, while the breaches were discovered before sailing, she was still allowed to continue on patrol, during which time she says she had access to top-secret information.

Returning home after the patrol, Sophie says she was recalled back to Faslane for 'disclosing information which may be useful to an enemy', as well as an allegation of expenses fraud  the latter of which she claims was down to her 'lazy admin'.

'I massively regret the affair. I feel terrible that that action has reinforced what people believe about why women should not be in submarines,' said Sophie

Sophie resigned from the Navy and pleaded guilty at Bulford Military Court to these charges, she says because she feared facing hefty legal costs and because she 'naively hoped the details of the case' would not be disclosed.

'I didn't want the humiliation that I had an affair. I thought I was protecting everyone including myself by pleading guilty.'

However, both she and Stone faced a court martial in June this year. Both were dismissed from the military, their careers in tatters, and faced suspended prison sentences of five and four months respectively.

Suicidal, Sophie began making preparations to end her life by drawing up a will, writing down her passwords and putting her finances in order.

So extreme was her distress that she was placed under the care of a local NHS mental health team who made daily checks on her welfare. Eventually, with the help of her family, she recovered.

As for Sophie, she feels nothing but regret for not speaking out earlier, and for having an affair.

'I massively regret the affair. I feel terrible that that action has reinforced what people believe about why women should not be in submarines.

'That aside, had I come forward and said something [about the abuse], other women who left [the Navy] because they couldn't cope might have been able to continue.

'And those who did stay and have had their careers stunted might have been further ahead.

'But I had no other woman to speak to; there was no female senior to me. None of the senior men was encouraging.

'There is a lot of regret and sadness. Had I been at the top I could have changed so much and made such a difference.'

Bullying, misogyny and sexual harassment on Royal Navy submarines EXPOSED: Whistleblowers including trailblazing female officer reveal 'crush depth rape list' of women, stolen underwear and claims of assault

By INDERDEEP BAINS FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Allegations of bullying, misogyny and sexual harassment against women within the Submarine Service have prompted the Royal Navy to launch an urgent investigation today.

Whistleblowers who served with the fleet have come forward to expose serious claims of mistreatment up and down the chain of command.

The Royal Navy said it has launched an immediate and extensive investigation into the 'abhorrent' claims exposed by the Mail today.

The abuse is said to have been rife throughout the Submarine Service for more than a decade, after the branch lifted its long-standing ban on female recruits in 2011.

Among the whistleblowers is former trailblazer Sophie Brook, who was one of the first women to join the service.

The 30-year-old made history as the first female warfare officer and was on course to become the first female captain of a submarine. She mainly served on vanguard class submarines, which carry nuclear weapons.

But the former lieutenant has warned the fleet  within which all submarines are nuclear-powered  is 'no place for women', and much of her disturbing account has been corroborated by two other whistleblowers who agree the male-dominated branch has failed to provide a safe environment for women.

Among the troubling list of allegations are claims that:

Submariners compiled a 'crush depth rape list' in which women were ranked in the order they should be raped in a catastrophic event. 'Crush depth' refers to the depth at which water pressure causes a submarine to implode;

One senior officer abused Miss Brook by inserting part of his anatomy in her pocket, licking her ear, blowing her neck and even punching her in the kidney;

Another regularly left naked pictures of models for Miss Brook and posted 50p coins into her cabin, with the implicit suggestion she should perform a sex act in return;

Women were frequently screamed at, called c***s and hit with clipboards and pens;

Miss Brook had her bras stolen from the laundry while engineers sniffed women's washing;

Senior officers openly make sexual gestures and comments towards women they command;

Miss Brook was assaulted as she slept in her bed by man of a higher rank.

Sophie Brook, 30, pictured with her dog Ailsa, made history as the first female warfare officer and was on course to become the first female captain of a submarine, but says the service is 'no place for women'

Ms Brook alleges she was assaulted by a senior male colleague while she slept, as well as being sexually assaulted on multiple occasions

This week Admiral Sir Ben Key KCB CBE ADC, the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, said he was 'deeply disturbed' by the allegations and that an investigation had been launched.

'I am deeply disturbed to hear of allegations of inappropriate behaviour in the Submarine Service and I want to reassure our people, and anyone who is reading this, that any activity which falls short of the highest of standards the Royal Navy sets itself is totally unacceptable and not a true reflection of what service life should be,' he said.

'These allegations are abhorrent. Sexual assault and harassment has no place in the Royal Navy and will not be tolerated.

'I have directed my senior team to investigate these allegations thoroughly. Anyone who is found culpable will be held accountable for their actions regardless of their rank or status.'

A senior source admitted the Navy was aware some women had been affected by 'inappropriate sexualised behaviour'.

But the source added: 'The Royal Navy's leadership is outraged and dismayed at this in equal measure.

'We have been driving out this behaviour but we are determined to deal with these allegations and won't hesitate to take action against anyone who is implicated, no matter how senior they are.

'This is unacceptable behaviour and utterly opposed to our core values and standards.'

The source added: 'We won't rest until people are held to account over this  we won't accept excuses and there will be no attempt to shift blame.'

Miss Brook said she felt compelled to speak out to help other female submariners.

She said: 'It wasn't just me, all of the women - and I mean all of them - had incidents they had to endure. It wasn't always exactly the same but it was similar.

'The best thing I ever did was leave the Navy but I worry about the women I left behind. It was just a constant campaign of sexual bullying.'

She added: 'I loved the job, doing the maths, driving a submarine, it was amazing. It's just unfortunate the 'old boys' club' makes it such a hostile and misogynistic place.

'It is no place for women. It makes me really sad to say that. For ten years I would combat people who said that, I would argue against that point until I was blue in the face.'

Miss Brook left the Navy when she was investigated and court martialled for sharing sensitive information about her submarine's movement in an email to her married lover.

She resigned from her position in January but was formally dismissed in June and handed a suspended four-month prison sentence.

The former lieutenant had previously aspired to climb the ranks but said her experience in the fleet destroyed her mental health ultimately resulting in mistakes that eventually ended her career

The former lieutenant had previously aspired to climb the ranks but said her experience in the fleet destroyed her mental health ultimately resulting in the mistakes that eventually ended her career.

She said: 'I spent a decade trying to fight the injustice women face within the Submarine Service, playing by their rules, but I was unable to change things.

'I feel this is my last and final chance to try to make things better for the women left behind and believe the only thing they will listen to is the media.'

She added: 'I am not out to destroy the Submarine Service or the Navy.

'Most serving officers are brave, professional and make huge personal sacrifices. My issue is only with the few rotten apples bringing the service into disrepute. It is time for change.'

Another whistleblower, who previously served in a senior position in the fleet, said: 'It is not an equal service. The women are constantly pestered for sex, they are seen as legitimate targets.

'I saw women being called c***s and splits. I saw all the women break down at some point or another. And these are pretty tough women.

'One was given the nickname 'menstrual' by a superior because she cried. They are not covering themselves in glory.'

The source said 'sniffing'  a term used to describe how men would literally follow their female colleagues around  was rife across the service.

They said: 'I wouldn't want my daughters to serve in the submarine fleet. There have been allegations of rape and assault.'

They added: 'Senior officers are seen as golden geese. They can't sail without them so they are protected when they are removed, they are done so quietly.'

The whistleblowers all describe an environment in which sexualised comments were commonly used to humiliate personnel.

One described how commanders would force juniors to tell them a 'sh**ging dit' (a tale of a sexual exploit) or show them 'Sport Fots' (an intimate picture of their partner) before allowing them to leave.

Other senior officers were said to have a 'Black Ops Hardrive' - code for their porn collection  which juniors were forced to upload with fresh material sought out from others in the submarine.

They also said a respected officer was notorious for having a 'black book of revenge' listing junior personnel against whom who he holds a grudge.

A second whistleblower added that the female submariners struggled to deal with inappropriate behaviour from other personnel.

The source said: 'We would practise together what to say when someone did something inappropriate as we would normally be caught off-guard.

'We would rehearse saying something, 'You're making me uncomfortable, please stop', so we were prepared when it happened again.'

Diane Allen OBE, a retired lieutenant-colonel from voluntary body Independent Defence Authority, which helps victims within the military, said the claims were depressingly familiar.

She added: 'There have been problems where we have a small number of women in an enclosed space like a ship or submarine. So Sophie's story is sadly all too common.

'The women from the Royal Navy who have come to me have all had similar sort of problems to Sophie.

'Her story is incredibly credible, what she said didn't come as a surprise and it unfortunately sounds very similar to all the others I've heard.'

This summer, the Red Arrows display team was engulfed in a 'toxic culture' scandal, with some members removed as allegations of 'unacceptable behaviour', mainly towards young female recruits, were investigated.

And in June, the head of the British Army, Lieutenant General Andrew Harrison, condemned a 'corrosive' video that appeared to show paratroopers engaged in an orgy on an Essex military base.
A cheeky gorilla named 'Bob' has flipped off two sisters as their mother filmed them at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs.

The hilarious video was uploaded to YouTube on Thursday and shows two girls standing in front of the enclosure where the primate is eating a piece of celery.

The 21-second clip was uploaded by the girls' father who said they had been visiting the zoo as a family.

His wife Amy and two daughters Arabella, 11, Arianna, 9, can be seen trying to introduce the large primate when the funny moment was immortalized.

A cheeky gorilla named 'Bob' has flipped off two sisters as their mother films them at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs

'I'm taking the video now,' Amy can be heard saying while her daughters eagerly stand in front of Bob's large glass window enclosure.

'This is bob,' Arianna begins before rudely being interrupted by the rude hand gesture.

The two sisters are then seen bursting into uncontrollable laughter before Arianna tells her mother that 'he doesn't like you very much.'

The video has been viewed more than 5,000 times on YouTube and was first uploaded to TikTok by the girls' father.

The hilarious video was uploaded to YouTube on Thursday and shows two girls standing in front of Bob's enclosure where the primate is eating a piece of celery

The 21 second moment caught on camera was uploaded by the girls' father who said they had been visiting the zoo as a family

'While my wife, two daughters, and I were visiting the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, CO, we were taking photos of the girls in front of the gorilla exhibit,' he said.

'My wife, Amy then switched her iPhone camera from photo to video and told the girls, Arabella, 11, and Arianna, 9, that she was now videotaping.

'The gorilla, sitting directly behind the glass that our girls were standing in front of was eating celery.'

'Our youngest daughter, Arianna, began to improvise an introduction of the gorilla to the camera.'

Arianna's father explains that the gorilla was likely making the gesture because he was eating.

'Our girls and I immediately burst into hysterical laughter and on the way home from the zoo, I edited the video and uploaded it to TikTok,' he explained.

Arianna was trying to introduce the large primate when the funny moment was immortalized

The two sisters are then seen bursting into uncontrollable laughter before Arianna tells her mother that 'he doesn't like you very much.'

Last year the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo said they were home to five Western lowland gorillas. The zoo has daily primate training sessions for a variety of behaviors.

Visitors to the zoo can go watch the animals and keepers as they work together - everything from healthcare to having fun.

The western lowland gorilla is critically endangered but its the most widespread of all gorilla subspecies.

Populations can be found in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea as well as in large areas in Gabon and the Republic of Congo.

The exact number of western lowland gorillas is not known because they inhabit some of the most dense and remote rainforests in Africa.

Significant populations still exist, including in isolated swamps and the remote swampy forests of the Republic of Congo.
This is the shocking moment a knifeman who killed one and injured five including Arsenal's Pablo Mari went on a stabbing rampage in a Milan supermarket.

The video appears to show Andrea Tombolini walking down a central aisle in a Carrefour supermarket at the Milanofiori di Assago shopping mall, to the south of Milan, at around 6.30pm on Thursday.

The 46-year-old man - believed to have mental health issues - can then be seen standing suspiciously next to a store shelf.

The violent footage cuts to chaos in the supermarket as shoppers flee the scene, before Tombolini attempts to lash out people and falls to the floor.

A passer-by kicks the attacker and throws part of a store display onto him as the clip ends with the supermarket's metal shutters going down.

It comes after the hero cashier who was fatally stabbed was pictured and named as Luis Fernando Ruggieri, 46.

Lassalto di Assago: in esclusiva al Tg1 il video dellaggressione al centro commerciale. Il servizio e di Giacinto Pinto Posted by Tg1 on Friday, October 28, 2022

The video appears to show Andrea Tombolini walking down a central aisle in a Carrefour supermarket at the Milanofiori di Assago shopping mall, to the south of Milan, at around 6.30pm on Thursday

The violent footage cuts to chaos in the supermarket as shoppers flee the scene, before Tombolini attempts to lash out people and falls to the floor

A passer-by kicks the attacker and throws part of a store display onto him as the clip ends with the supermarket's metal shutters going down

It comes after the hero cashier who was fatally stabbed was pictured and named as Luis Fernando Ruggieri, 46

Bolivian born Luis, had lived in Italy for more than 20 years after being adopted by an Italian couple and had studied at a local university before starting a career in supermarket retail.

He had volunteered for a stint at the till on his day off and had been only 'happy to oblige' said a friend, adding that he usually worked in the drinks section of the Carrefour supermarket.

Pal Giovanna Fontana said: 'He was just unlucky. He shouldn't have been there but he offered to help out on the tills.'

Luis  who lived with his girlfriend in Milan - had only started work at the Carrefour three years ago after a 21 year career with rival firm Esselunga.

His friend said: 'During lockdown, to keep himself busy he ha started studying again  he was always trying to improve his career and he thought by returning to his studies it would help.'

His adoptive father Federico Ruggieri said in tears: 'I had him since he was a little boy, I loved him to bits and he loved me. He was always trying to make things better for himself.'

The incident took place in a Carrefour in the Milanofiori di Assago shopping centre at about 6.30pm on Thursday

Arsenal's Pablo Mari has given a thumbs up from his hospital bed after undergoing successful surgery following a stabbing frenzy in Milan yesterday

Medics wheel an injured person into an ambulance at the scene of the attack in Milan

Pablo Mari (right), a defender for Arsenal who is on loan to Monza in Italy, was punched in the face and stabbed in the back during a knife attack in a supermarket on Wednesday evening as he shopped with wife Veronica (left) and son Pablo (centre)

Carrefour CEO Christophe Rabtel said: 'We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our employees following an act of aggression in the Assago Carrefour supermarket.

'We embrace his family, with whom we are in contact and have also expressed to them our condolences.

'We also extend our sympathies to the families of the other victims involved . Such episodes of violence should never happen, especially when someone is at work.'

Meanwhile Tombolini  who has been in psychiatric care - has told police during questioning that he had carried out the stabbing after seeing 'happy people' in the supermarket.

He told police: 'I thought I was ill, I felt ill. I saw those happy people and I felt envy.'

It also emerged that last week Tombolini, who lives with his parents, had been admitted to hospital after punching himself repeatedly in the face.

His father, who was not named, was quoted by local media as telling police: 'My son has never been violent in the past, he suffers from depression but he's never been violent.'
A federal judge Friday refused to bar an activist group from monitoring outdoor ballot boxes in Arizona's largest county, despite fears of voter intimidation saying that to do so could violate the its constitutional rights.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Liburdi issued the ruling on Friday.

The issue has taken on national prominence amid reports of armed men patrolling outdoor drop boxes in Maricopa County - the state's most's most populous county  and rural Yavapai County as midterm elections near.

Last week, apparently armed men positioned themselves close to a drop box in Mesa, a suburb of Phoenix. They wore tactical gear which reportedly included ballistic vests.

They left when police arrived.

But their presence triggered legal action as activists sought to prevent intimidation of voters.

Aziona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, has called on voters to immediately report any intimidation to police and file a complaint with his office.

The state's secretary of state this week said her office had received six cases of potential voter intimidation to the state attorney general and the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as a threatening email sent to the state elections director.

A handout photo by Maricopa County Elections shows two armed individuals dressed in tactical gear watching a drop box in Mesa, a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona

Their presence triggered a string of complaints and a legal effort to bar watcher groups

State law requires candidates, their campaigns and monitors to stay at least 75 feet from voting locations.

'Plaintiffs have not provided the court with any evidence that defendants' conduct constitutes a true threat,' the judge wrote.

'On this record, defendants have not made any statements threatening to commit acts of unlawful violence to a particular individual or group of individuals."

The state is one of the centers of tussles over voter rights and election fraud.

President Joe Biden won the divided state by only 10,000 votes, ending a run of decades of Republican victories.

The result generated a string of conspiracy theories about how it could have happened.

But multiple investigations, including a partisan 'audit' of Maricopa County by Cyber Ninjas, a company hired by Republicans, found no widespread fraud in the 2020 vote.

This time around, those conspiracies have spawned multiple efforts to monitor voting.

The U.S. attorney's office in Arizona vowed to prosecute any violations of federal law but said local police were in charge of 'front line in efforts to ensure that all qualified voters are able to exercise their right to vote free of intimidation or other election abuses.'

'We will vigorously safeguard all Arizonans' rights to freely and lawfully cast their ballot during the election,' the office said Wednesday.

'As the several election threat-related cases pending federal felony charges from alleged criminal activity arising out of our State show, acts which cross the line will not go unaddressed.'

In the first case, the groups Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and Voto Latino on Wednesday asked Liburdi to bar members of a group calling itself Clean Elections USA from gathering within sight of drop boxes in Maricopa County, from following voters, and from taking photos and videos of them and their cars.

ave Brehmer and Chad Maier drop their ballot for the upcoming midterm elections in the drop box near the Maricopa County Juvenile Court Center in Mesa, Arizona

The attorney for Clean Elections USA said that such a broad restraining order would be unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, the Citizens Clean Elections Commission, a state agency, voted unanimously Thursday to have its legal counsel seek a court order if necessary to stop the monitoring group from using the 'Clean Elections' name. The commission created in 1998 to provide voters with nonpartisan elections information said it has been barraged with angry calls from people confusing it with the monitoring group.

The second lawsuit that was folded into the first case involves ballot boxes in

Aizonsa's Yavapai County, where the League of Women Voters alleges voters have been intimidated by Clean Elections USA, along with The Lions of Liberty and the Yavapai County Preparedness team, which are associated with the far-right anti-government group Oath Keepers.

Luke Cilano, a Lions of Liberty board member, said the organization had dropped its 'Operation Drop Box' initiative on Wednesday 'due to being lumped in with people who don't adhere to the law and our rules of engagement.'

Cilano said the 'official stand down order' to all members was in response to the pending litigation.

'Our goal is not to scare people and keep them from voting,' he said. 'We love our country very much.'

Cilano said The Lions of Liberty is in no way associated with Clean Elections USA. He said his group is connected to the Yavapai County Preparedness Team, but the team was not involved in ballot box monitoring.

Similar groups around the United States have embraced a film that has been discredited called '2000 Mules' that claims people were paid to travel among drop boxes and stuff them with fraudulent ballots during the 2020 presidential vote.

There's no evidence for the notion that a network of Democrat-associated ballot 'mules' has conspired to collect and deliver ballots to drop boxes, either in the 2020 presidential vote or in the upcoming midterm elections.
Girtons dinners are held in the colleges magnificent dining hall every Thursday

Following the backlash the committee switched the theme of the evening

It seemed like a perfect theme for a pre-Halloween celebration.

But a Cambridge college ditched its Harry Potter concept for a formal dinner after angry students complained that it was transphobic.

Undergraduates at Girton College condemned the planned events association with author JK Rowling, who has been outspoken in her views on transgender issues.

Undergraduates at Girton College condemned the planned events association with author JK Rowling , who has been outspoken in her views on transgender issues

Miss Rowlings position on womens rights has seen her cancelled by many woke institutions and led to her receiving death threats

Following the backlash, the colleges junior common room (JCR) committee switched the theme for the meal on Thursday to Spooktober. Committee members said this helped foster a safe and inclusive environment which everyone can enjoy.

Girtons formal dinners are held in the colleges magnificent dining hall every Thursday during term time, with students wearing gowns.

Concerns were raised over the Harry Potter theme on an anonymous submissions page, Girthfessions, with one user calling the planned event inherently transphobic.

The committee of the JCR, the students union for undergraduates, initially apologised for any upset caused by association with Miss Rowling, according to the Varsity student newspaper.

But when the controversy continued the JCR said in an email to students that after continued conversations with representatives of the affected communities and senior college staff, it had decided to change the formal theme.

It hoped the move would make everyone feel comfortable and safe enough to attend this very special night.

Homerton College's annual Hogwarts 'formal' dinner will not take place this year, with students claiming it is because of student union members' views towards JK Rowling

The dinner is usually a sell-out event, with students and staff dressing in costume, house banners displayed for Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, and even real owls from a local sanctuary swooping over the long tables

Robin Webber said the event was not taking place this year because the new modern dining hall 'doesn't really lend itself to a Harry Potter theme'

HUS President Robin Webber (pictured) has frequently tweeted his condemnation of the Harry Potter author, writing in June 2020: 'F*** transphobia f*** jk Rowling f*** that energy'

In a 2021 discussion on Twitter, Mr Webber wrote: 'I understand wanting to stick with Harry Potter, but you ARE supporting the artist who does real damage to the rights of trans people in the UK. I grew up very attached to Harry Potter so I understand the reluctance to let go but JK Rowling is dangerous to me'

Girton, founded in 1869, is the latest Cambridge college to disassociate itself from Miss Rowling. Homerton has scrapped its annual Harry Potter-themed dinner and replaced it with a film night dedicated to the boy wizard.

Miss Rowlings position on womens rights has seen her cancelled by many woke institutions and led to her receiving death threats.

In June 2020, she was accused of transphobia when she mocked an article which had used the phrase people who menstruate, rather than women. Girton College declined to comment. The JCR has been contacted for comment.
Elon Musk could scarcely have made his intentions clearer this week when news broke that, following a protracted legal wrangle, he had bought the social media giant Twitter.

'The bird is freed,' wrote the world's richest man on Twitter, of course, for the benefit of his 110 million followers.

This was not only a reference to the site's famous logo of a blue bird but, many assumed, also a nod to his plans for the platform to censor far fewer conservatives  and display far less Left-wing political bias  than it has in recent years.

The Tesla tycoon has made it clear the $44 billion (38 billion) purchase is about so much more than adding another asset to his bulging portfolio. Back in April, he said the takeover was not 'to make more money' (social media experts wonder if the consistently unprofitable website will ever achieve that).

Instead, Musk's true intentions are perhaps revealed by his tweet earlier this year when he first announced his planned takeover: 'The Barbarians are at the Gate.' As far as the inherently Left-wing Silicon Valley is concerned, the metaphor is apt.

Musk, a libertarian who insists free speech is all-but absolute, seems determined to put a rocket up the technology industry's cosy progressive consensus. Earlier this week, he arrived at Twitter's glitzy San Francisco headquarters carrying a bathroom sink.

'Entering Twitter HQ  let that sink in!' he tweeted.

But few Left-wingers now see the funny side. Some have hysterically dismissed the takeover as 'dangerous' and 'a threat to democracy'.

Clean out: Musk carries a sink into Twitter HQ as top executives left the company

Musk, a libertarian who insists free speech is all-but absolute, seems determined to put a rocket up the technology industry's cosy progressive consensus

Swiftly escorted out of the company's glitzy San Francisco headquarters this week was its long-serving head lawyer and the woman dubbed its 'chief censor', Vijaya Gadde. The significance of her departure didn't go unnoticed: she led the team that decided to kick Donald Trump off the platform in January last year following the invasion of the U.S. Capitol.

Celebrities including actress Mia Farrow and ex-BBC Radio 1 DJ Jameela Jamil have threatened to quit the platform altogether in protest at Musk's takeover. Jamil left in April only to rejoin in July after it was reported Musk was pulling out of the deal. Farrow is also still on Twitter.

TV presenter Richard Osman tweeted with heavy irony, apparently mocking Musk's many fans: 'Elon is good. Elon is protect us and kind man. Everything is happpy today. From Richad[sic] Twitter.'

Meanwhile, the EU commissioner in charge of overseeing the bloc's digital market, Thierry Breton, insists: 'In Europe, the bird will fly by our EU rules'  suggesting regulators will take a dim view if Musk seeks to relax Twitter's policies.

TV presenter Richard Osman (pictured) tweeted with heavy irony, apparently mocking Musk's many fans: 'Elon is good. Elon is protect us and kind man. Everything is happpy today. From Richad[sic] Twitter'

But Musk, a former Democrat who says he became a Republican in disgust at the Left's growing radicalism, realises that Twitter is at the front line of the raging battle for the right to free speech online  and wants to play a central role in it.

Twitter has long been accused of flagrant partisanship: Musk himself has said it 'obviously has a strong Left-wing bias'.

While it infamously banned Trump, it also suppressed details of the story surrounding Hunter Biden's laptop: the scandal over leaked data from a computer that had belonged to the son of President Joe Biden.

This may have had a seismic impact on American democracy by helping to sway the last presidential election.

The material, including videos, revealed Hunter apparently smoking drugs and cavorting with prostitutes and  most seriously  allegedly discussing his controversial business deals with his father. While Facebook decided to 'limit distribution' of this embarrassing tale, Twitter led the attempt to kill it altogether. It targeted the New York Post, the newspaper that had first revealed details of Hunter's misdeeds in the final weeks before the 2020 presidential election.

On the grounds that the story broke its rules on distributing hacked material, Twitter shut the Post's account for 16 days and blocked its users from sharing any information about the laptop.

Anyone who attempted to post details of the story saw their accounts locked. The website only belatedly relented when the story was shown to be legitimate. (Jack Dorsey, Twitter's founder and ex-chief executive, conceded this farrago had been a 'total mistake'.)

Musk has already extended an invitation to Trump to return to Twitter, having described the decision to ban him as 'morally bad' and 'foolish in the extreme'

Musk does concede some limits on speech will remain. He reassured advertisers: 'Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences'

Republicans attacked it as a shameless attempt to influence the election  and a subsequent poll by America's Media Research Centre suggested the story's suppression may indeed have helped to ensure Joe Biden made it to the White House.

But this was just one sorry example of Twitter's extraordinary bias  and exactly the kind of thing Musk is expected to put a stop to. Time and again, despite claiming to be an impartial champion of free speech, Twitter has censored conservatives  and only conservatives.

From Trump to a satirical right-wing website called the Babylon Bee, which tastelessly named a male-to-female transgender U.S. Navy admiral its 'Man of the Year', Twitter has come down hard on those who dared to sin against its woke, Left-wing world view. Meanwhile, it has retained a platform for terrorists and Muslim extremists to express their views.

But now that ignoble reputation may finally start to improve.

Musk has already extended an invitation to Trump to return to Twitter, having described the decision to ban him as 'morally bad' and 'foolish in the extreme'.

Yesterday, Trump said the site was 'now in sane hands', adding that he was 'very happy' it will 'no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs that truly hate our country'.

The ex-President previously insisted he won't rejoin Twitter but many doubt such an arch self-publicist will be able to resist the lure of potentially regaining the 88 million followers he enjoyed there.

Musk does concede some limits on speech will remain. He reassured advertisers: 'Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences.'

Many people avoid the rancorous site and perhaps feel saner for it, but it remains a valuable platform for debate and immensely influential: a preferred medium for public figures from world leaders to leading commentators and pop stars and a place where ordinary people can exchange views, cheer or berate one another.

Musk aptly calls his new toy a 'digital town square', where  he hopes  a 'wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence'. But this 'range' has previously been limited.

Musk met with Twitter employees when he visited the San Francisco headquarters Wednesday

Already, Musk has conducted some fairly ruthless personnel changes, sacking bosses including the aforementioned Gadde as well as chief executive Parag Agrawal, who is set to receive a reported $38 million (36 million) payoff.

Under its 'hateful conduct' policy, for example, Twitter bans even accidental 'misgendering' or 'dead-naming' transgender people (identifying them by their gender at birth or their birth names). At the height of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, the 'bio' on its corporate Twitter account read simply: '#BlackLivesMatter @BlackTransLivesMatter.'

The political donations made by Twitter staff have reportedly been 98.7 per cent to the Democrats.

Is it any wonder then, sceptics ask, that those who fall victim to its censorship are all on the political Right? And is it any wonder that a man like Elon Musk wants to take a barbarian-sized battleaxe to the company?

Already, Musk has conducted some fairly ruthless personnel changes, sacking bosses including the aforementioned Gadde as well as chief executive Parag Agrawal, who is set to receive a reported $38 million (36 million) payoff.

Agrawal's unashamedly woke politics have long alarmed critics, appalled that he should be in charge of so influential a site, which claims to have more than 230 million users. In 2010, he tweeted: 'If they are not gonna make a distinction between muslims and extremists, then why should I distinguish between white people and racists.'

Ten years later, just before he took over the company, he pointedly insisted that Twitter's 'role was not to be bound by the First Amendment'  the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of free speech. Instead, it should 'focus less on thinking about free speech, but thinking about how the times have changed'. For some conservatives, the implied threat was obvious.

However, the fact that so many Left-wingers and Silicon Valley insiders have expressed horror at Musk gaining control of Twitter speaks volumes.

But some will argue instead that the Left is merely anticipating a taste of its own censorship medicine  and not before time.
This troubling photo reveals the first taste of life in Britain for thousands of migrants who have illegally crossed the Channel to slip into the UK.

At an overcrowded Home Office camp in Kent, disgruntled young men are penned in behind steel barriers outside a marquee .

They live cheek-by-jowl in these tents, with washing draped over fences, and empty food containers litter the ground.

The scenes are reminiscent of the former Jungle shanty town in Calais.

On Thursday, when the picture was taken, whistleblowers from the camp told the Daily Mail: Fights have broken out between Albanians and Eritreans using sharpened combs from their Home Office washbags as weapons.

Drone footage of migrants seen on Thursday at Manston Processing Centre in Kent. The scenes are reminiscent of the former Jungle shanty town in Calais, writes Sue Reid

They added: A small Army detachment is inside to help keep order. We have been told riot police are on standby to enter if the migrants kick off in the next few days.

It is a tinder box. Migrants have attacked Border Force officials and security staff, who are scared and outnumbered.

The closed camp, at a former RAF base in Manston, is the main processing centre for the clandestine boat migrants before they are sent to hotels or hostels around Britain.

Opened nearly a year ago, it is meant to house a maximum of 1,600 and keep inmates for a few days while their identities are checked before rehousing.

However, numbers have now touched 3,000 following the surge in migrants crossing the Channel this year. Border Force staff have warned of catastrophic overcrowding.

An immigration chief told MPs that conditions are wretched when he made an inspection visit on Monday.

The Mail can today reveal that the dismal and deteriorating state of the camp has prompted traffickers to change tactics to avoid their migrant customers being sent to Manston.

An advert posted on Albanian websites yesterday told those waiting in Dunkirk: Do not put your life in danger. Journey on speedboat in 40 minutes from Belgium to the UK. The best price tomorrow and after tomorrow. We secure safe crossing not to stay one day in [Manston] camp.

When our reporter posed as a migrant hoping to travel, the advertiser was sent a text message saying the cost of the speedboat trip is 11,000 and 100 per cent successful. He added that Albanians reached Britain by speedboat from Belgium on Thursday and Friday a week ago. It is under a one-hour journey, he said.

The processing centre is meant to house a maximum of 1,600 and keep inmates for a few days while their identities are checked before rehousing

In another remarkable development this week, the Home Office is believed to have suggested erecting marquees in London parks to house migrants after regional councils refused an emergency appeal from the Government to take in a bigger share to relieve the escalating Manston debacle. The Home Office yesterday insisted the plan was no longer under consideration.

Our informants said: The whole camp [Manston] is unruly and dangerous. Border Force and security teams working inside cannot cope with the volume of people. Things are getting worse by the day. Many migrants have absconded.

Mini-riots have happened when migrants arriving on boats at Dover, before even getting to Manston, have refused to eat kebabs that were not halal.

In the incident a few months ago, Border Force, immigration officials and charity volunteers were spat at, verbally abused and the food was thrown on the floor. As such, any sympathy was lost forever. There is now a culture of indifference, even hostility, between Manston staff and migrants which is making things worse.

It is dawning on these people that life in this country is not what they were told by the traffickers and it makes them angry. They have paid out money for the crossing, but realise there is little hope of their migrant application being processed quickly, let alone accepted.

A group of migrants being brought into Dover Marina by Border Force volunteers during rough conditions on Thursday

Currently, 100,000 asylum seekers are waiting to have their claims heard, with the number growing daily. A tiny percentage of the cases were processed last year leaving a huge backlog of migrants in hotels, hostels and temporary accommodation around Britain at a cost to taxpayers of 7million a day.

The informants said there is a deliberate conspiracy of silence about Manston by the Government. Everyone working there has to sign the Official Secrets Act and they are afraid of telling the true story for fear of ending up in court.

As the Mail investigated the camps treatment of migrants this week, we were approached by another whistleblower. They said that 150 people are billeted in each one of an array of canvas marquees hastily rented by the Home Office from events companies this autumn as numbers grew.

Some, to try and get fresh air, cut themselves out with the sharpened wash bag combs. A few ran away through the perimeter fences altogether.

The whistleblower added: Migrants are now being allowed into pens outside the marquees. They are watched over by security staff in yellow high-viz jackets who could easily be outflanked if a kerfuffle started.

Another person with links to the camp revealed: One Albanian made his way to a nearby McDonalds, arriving there in his Home Office regulation slip-on sandals. Migrants are made to wear them to deter escapes from Manston because they are so difficult to walk in. But this fellow got to the cafe, was pointing at a screen to try to order a burger, when staff alerted the camp and Army squaddies came and hauled him back.

Around 38,000 boat migrants have arrived in Kent so far this year, 12,000 of them Albanian. That country has lost between 1 and 2 per cent of its male teenage and adult population to the UK, government ministers admitted this week.

Many Albanian illegals, fearful of being sent to Manston and being held there for weeks or months, are avoiding both Border Force officials and lifeboat rescue vessels so they can slip undetected on to UK beaches. Albanian traffickers based here then pick them up in getaway cars for black-market work, including at cannabis farms, to repay debts for the 4,000 dinghy rides.

As the Mail revealed earlier this week, Dover district council has warned residents in the suburb of Aycliffe to lock their doors after a 16-year-old Albanian, who had recently landed on the beaches, entered a house last weekend and accosted Sue Doyle, 59, a lone woman asking for money, a phone and help tracing a getaway car waiting in the vicinity to drive him to Manchester.

Her neighbour, alerted by Miss Doyle, raced into the house, found him hiding in the bedroom, and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. The migrant wrestled free, but by then police had arrived and took him away for questioning.

They told a surprised Miss Doyle no offence had been committed. Meanwhile, at crowded Manston, infections including the skin disease scabies and potentially lethal diphtheria have broken out.

This week, ambulances were seen entering and leaving the site. Migrants told us: We got crisps and packet croissants to eat. We could not sleep because we were given no mattresses or pillow and just a thin blanket each. It was demeaning treatment. We think it is deliberate to put us off coming. We lay on the wooden floor of a brick building with 300 inside.

There were so many, so close, that there was one narrow two foot wide corridor to walk through to get to the toilets. We were scared of getting ill and some, including a young Albanian girl, were very sick. But no one called a doctor.

This week the Home Office said: The continued rise in dangerous small boat crossings is causing an unprecedented strain on our asylum system. Manston is resourced to process migrants securely and we will provide alternative accommodation as soon as possible.

We urge anyone who is thinking about leaving a safe country and risking their lives at the hands of people smugglers [on Channel boats] to reconsider.

As things stand this weekend, the traffickers are outwitting the British Government, and that plea seems unlikely to be heeded.
Rishi Sunak was accused of a 'failure of leadership' yesterday over his decision to snub the Cop27 climate summit in Egypt next month.

The Prime Minister insisted he was 'personally committed' to tackling the climate crisis, but must focus on 'depressing domestic challenges' instead.

Downing Street admitted for the first time yesterday that the King was advised not to attend the summit under Liz Truss's administration. But Buckingham Palace flatly denied suggestions that there had been any upset about his non-attendance.

Rishi Sunak was accused of a 'failure of leadership' yesterday over his decision to snub the Cop27 climate summit in Egypt next month

Aides pointed out that although he was a 'star turn' at the previous event in Glasgow  for which even the Queen made a special video address  his position has changed since he was Prince of Wales.

The King is mindful of his new constitutional role as monarch and understands that a short trip to Egypt would not be appropriate for his first state visit abroad.

His diary is already full of other duties domestically and the Foreign Office has other priorities for him overseas. Last night, royal sources also pushed back against claims that he was unhappy only ministers were attending on behalf of the UK  saying anyone who suggested that would be speaking without knowledge or authority.

Downing Street admitted for the first time yesterday that the King was advised not to attend the summit under Liz Truss's administration. Pictured: Charles, then Prince of Wales, speaks to world leaders from the Commonwealth at a reception at COP26 in Glasgow

But, given his passion and life-long commitment to environmental issues, it is highly unlikely that Charles wouldn't be privately concerned at the thought of a watered-down British contingent.

Mr Sunak's decision not to go will raise concerns that the UK will not be properly represented at the summit  as former PM Miss Truss had been planning to attend.

Instead, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Business Secretary Grant Shapps and the Environment Secretary Therese Coffey will go, alongside Cop26 president Alok Sharma.

Tory former Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries yesterday said Mr Sunak was 'wrong' not to attend the Sharm El-Sheikh summit, saying global warming was the 'biggest crisis facing our planet'.

The then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson arriving for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) held in Glasgow last year

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said people 'expect their Prime Minister to be on the world stage sorting these problems out', adding: 'It's an absolute failure of leadership.'

But Jacob Rees-Mogg, who quit as energy secretary on Tuesday, said he was 'right not to go'.

Meanwhile, Mr Sharma backed calls for the Government to go further on a windfall tax on oil and gas giants.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has long been a target of threats, and her San Francisco home has been vandalized, smeared with fake blood while becoming a focal point for protesters for months.

Sometimes it has been a venue for brash political statements. Other times, threats directed against the Speaker have drawn the attention of federal law enforcement.

Pelosi was the target threats both before and during the Capitol riot, and the Capitol Police, whom she helps oversee along with other congressional leaders, have long been trained on potential threats against her.

One such incident occurred on New Years' Day, 2021, when vandals left fake blood and what appeared to be a pig's head outside her home in San Francisco's exclusive Pacific Heights neighborhood.

They scrawled: '$2K', 'Cancel rent!' and 'We want everything,' in an apparent reference to $2,000 COVID relief checks. The Speaker was seeking to boost covid relief checks at the time.

Protesters poured red paint outside Pelosi's home last year. Her home has become a target of repeated protests, and the speaker has faced threats in the past

Some other protests have been more civil. Homeless advocates placed an 'eviction notice' on her $6 million mansion last August as they demanded Congress extend a pandemic eviction moratorium, in a city with an acute homeless problem.

Last spring, after a leaked draft Supreme Court opinion that would strike down Roe v. Wade, pro-choice protesters gathered outside her house to accuse her of failing to do anything about it. The Supreme Court would ultimately vote to overturn the abortion ruling, but the Senate lacked the votes to try to force through legislation to codify previous protections, notwithstanding Pelosi's own views on the matter.

Sometimes protesters opted for humor. They hung hair dryers from a tree in front of her home and donned hair curlers after she was spotted visiting a salon that was closed due to the pandemic.

Pelosi's hometown, a liberal bastion, has a long tradition of political activism and protest. In December 2021 she was interrupted by a protester screaming 'Let's Go Brandon,' a statement that has become a stand-in for an expletive about Joe Biden

There have also been physical threats against the speaker. She has spent decades in office and is often elevated by her political rivals as the face of the opposition.

A slogan spray-painted on her home appeared to reference the push for more COVID relief

Pelosi's home town of San Francisco has a long tradition of protest. In December 2021 she was interrupted by a protester screaming 'Let's Go Brandon,' a statement that has become a stand-in for an expletive about Joe Biden

Paul Pelosi was in the news this summer, and was sentenced to five days in jail in August following a DUI

During the Capitol riot on January 6, rioters could be heard yelling, 'Nancy! Oh Nancy! Where are you Nancy?'

People who penetrated the building ended up busting into Pelosi's Capitol office, sitting in her chair, and removing items including a laptop and a podium.

Adam Johnson, who took the podium, was sentenced to 75 days in prison.

Dawn Lee Bancroft, who entered the Capitol and recorded herself saying she wanted to 'shoot Pelosi in the friggin brain,' was sentenced to 60 days in prison.

Richard Barnett, who was photographed sitting in Pelosi's chair inside her Capitol office, goes to trial in December. He has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges connected to the riot.

On January 4, 2021, the Secret Service found a Parler account that included threats to lawmakers including Pelosi. It stated: ' January 6 starts #1776 all over againFight for EVERYTHING.' It also listed 'Enemies' including Pelosi, according to Citizens for Responsible Ethics in Washington.

It wasn't until January 6 that U.S. Capitol Police received the post, according to CREW.

The long string of threats and protests came before the violent break-in early Friday, at a time when Congress is out of session and Pelosi has been campaigning around the country for Democrats.

'Early this morning, an assailant broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco and violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi,' Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill, said in a statement. 'The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation,'

'Mr. Pelosi was taken to the hospital, where he is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery,' Hammill said.

A statement from Capitol Police said it was assisting the FBI and San Francisco Police in a joint investigation into the break-in.

'The Speaker was in Washington, D.C. with her protective detail at the time of the overnight, break-in. During the California break-in, the Speakers husband was assaulted, but he is now recovering. The San Francisco Police Department has the suspect in custody. The motivation for the attack is still under investigation,' according to Capitol Police.
Once dinosaur remains are sold to private collectors they are no longer accessible for research

Paleontologists are mourning the news, as they say the specimen is another loss to the scientific community

The remains were initially uncovered in Montana in 2020, but will be the first of its kind sold in Asia

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Paleontologists are condemning the big-money bone trade once again, as a 15-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton is set to be sold at auction to the highest bidder in Hong Kong next month.

The dinosaur, initially unearthed in the US, went on display at the Victoria Theatre & Concert Hall in Singapore Friday ahead of the sale that does not yet have an estimate bid, according to Christie's Asia Pacific.

The T-rex, which weighs more than 3,000 pounds, is part of the new trend for prehistoric auction lots that has some experts concerned about the damages being done to science - once the remains are scooped up by a private owner they are forever lost to science.

Thomas Carr, a paleontologist from the US, described such sales as being 'unquestionably harmful to science' even if the skeletons had been studied before being sold.

'A secure, permanent collection ensures that the observations that a scientist makes of a fossil can be tested and replicated -and a commercially held fossil has no such assurance,' Carr said.

These sales were typically bankrolled by museums that would either purchase the specimens outright or send a collector to do their bidding for them but in recent years, the artifacts have become valued as pieces of art for the rich and museums cannot compete with the high prices.

A massive 15-foot-tall T-rex went on display in Singapore Friday. It will spend three days at the Victoria Theatre & Concert Hall and then head to Hong Kong where it will be sold off to the highest bidder

The adult male dinosaur, which measures 12 feet long and weighs 3,086 pounds, was excavated from private land in the Hells Creek Formation in Montana in the United States in 2020

Approximately 80 bones are the original and the rest was reconstructed. Crew members worked for days assembling the massive creature that is now on display

The T-rex, named 'Shen', the Chinese word for god, is composed of 80 original bones - the missing bones were reconstructed.

The adult male dinosaur, which measures 12 feet long and weighs 3,086 pounds, was excavated from private land in the Hells Creek Formation in Montana in the United States in 2020.

And it is believed to have lived 66 million to 68 million years ago.

The massive skeleton is currently on display in Singapore where thousands of people are visiting to snap images of the prehistoric beast.

The display in Singapore is part of a pre-auction display. Picture is the dinosaur while it was being assembled

The T-rex, which weighs more than 3,000 pounds, is part of the new trend for prehistoric auction lots that has some experts concerned about the damages being done to science

The massive skeleton is currently on display in Singapore where thousands of people are visiting to snap images of the prehistoric beast

Dinosaur bones sold to private collectors 1. Gorgosaurus: Sold at New York Sotheby's for $6.1 million in July 2022 2. Deinonychus nicknamed Hector: Sold at New York Christie's for $12.4 million in May 2022 3. Triceratops nicknamed Big John: Sold at Paris Drouot for $7.4 million in October 2021 4. Allosaurus: Sold at Paris Drouot for $1.9 million in April 2018 5. Allosaurus: Sold at Paris Drouot for $1.3 million in December 2016 Advertisement

'I've never seen a real-life fossil before... It makes me feel in awe because it's quite majestic,' said Lauren Lim, 33, who went to view the exhibit.

Dinosaur enthusiast Richard Chan, 37, said he was reliving his childhood.

'I collect a lot of Jurassic Park T-Rex figurines so it's really cool to see an actual one,' said Chan.

When Shen is sold, it will be the first auction of a T-Rex fossil in Asia, according to Christie's.

While spectators are thrilled to see the dinosaur, paleontologists are mourning its journey through Asia.

Steve Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh, told AFP: 'It's a sad thing that dinosaurs are becoming collectible toys for the oligarch class, and I can only hope this fad ends soon.'

Francis Belin, president at Christie's Asia Pacific, said they hoped that exceptional objects ended up in institutions so they could be seen by the public.

A guide price was not provided for Shen, nor the identity of the seller, but Belin said a previous T-Rex skeleton 'Stan' fetched $31.8 million at a sale in New York in 2020.

Shen's upcoming sale brings up memories of another dinosaur auction that made headlines over the summer - the $6.1 million sale of a 10-foot-tall Gorgosaurus skeleton at Sotheby's auction house in New York.

Paleontologists also sounded the alarm about how the loss hurts the scientific community.

Speaking with DailyMail.com in August, Carr said: '[Sales like this] are like the last copy of a book being thrown into the fire  when the skeleton was purchased by a private collector, it no longer exists to scientists anymore. Image all we know about humanity is just you and me. Clearly, that is not enough information to know about everyone.'

While spectators are thrilled to see the dinosaur, paleontologists are mourning its journey through Asia

The T-rex's upcoming sale brings up memories of another dinosaur auction that made headlines over the summer - the $6.1 million sale of a 10-foot-tall Gorgosaurus skeleton (pictured) at Sotheby's auction house in New York

Carr said dinosaur fossils need to be placed somewhere, such as the Museum of Natural History in New York City, that is accessible to the scientific community, experts say, otherwise they are deemed lost to the world.

Auction houses, however, say there is no evidence that sales to private collectors hurts science.

Sotheby's Senior Vice President Cassandra Hatton told DailyMail.com: 'The great museums of the world all began as private collections, and indeed the very concept of a museum was born from the early modern tradition of cabinets of curiosity.

'These specimens have survived for millions of years, and will be around for millions more; while there is a chance they may not be available for study immediately following the sale, they surely will be at some point in the future.

'Private collectors and research institutions can benefit from each other in ways that are essential to the long-term preservation of fossil specimens and to raise awareness, as well as educate the public about dinosaurs.'
Only now have they found the source of the 'blip' to be a rich natural ecosystem

When divers received a mysterious 'sonar blip' during a dive to the remains of the Titanic in 1996, they were puzzled.

At the time, they thought the sonar transmission in the North Atlantic Ocean was caused by a second shipwreck, a geologic feature or something else entirely.

Now, 24 years later, researchers have found that the blip was caused by a rich underwater ecosystem teeming with sponges, corals, squat lobsters and fish.

Video footage shows the 'awe-inspiring' environment that was discovered, which is more than 9,500 feet (2,900 metres) deep off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

During the 2022 Titanic Expedition, a rich and dense ecosystem was discovered more than 9,500 feet (2,900 metres) deep near the wreck of the Titanic

The ecosystem contains sponges, bamboo corals, other cold-water corals, squat lobsters and fish

WHAT IS SONAR? Sonar, short for Sound Navigation and Ranging, is the use of sound waves to 'see' underwater. Sonar is used to explore and map the ocean as sound waves travel farther in water than radar and light waves. Experts use sonar to develop nautical charts, locate underwater hazards to navigation, search for and map objects on the seafloor such as shipwrecks, and map the seafloor itself. Source: NOAA Advertisement

The mystery has been solved thanks to a new expedition conducted by OceanGate Expeditions this summer to the remains of the luxury liner.

Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, after a collision with an iceberg, and what's left of it lies on the seafloor around 350 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland.

OceanGate Expeditions said the sonar transmission in 1996 was 'eerily similar' to that of the Titanic, but instead of a shipwreck, it stemmed from the ecosystem on a previously unknown basalt formation.

The ecosystem, discovered on July 23 this year, is about 25 miles away from the famous wreck.

'This discovery will improve the way we think about biodiversity of the abyss,' said Dr Steve W Ross, OceanGate Expeditions chief scientist.

'We are astonished at the diversity and density of the sponges, bamboo corals, other cold-water corals, squat lobsters, and fishes that are thriving at 2,900 meters deep in the North Atlantic Ocean.

'Uncovering this previously unknown ecosystem also provides an opportunity to make a comparison to the marine biology on and around Titanic.'

OceanGate Expeditions said the sonar transmission in 1996 was 'eerily similar' to that of the Titanic

The Titanic, which sank on April 15, 1912, after a collision with an iceberg, lies on the seafloor around 350 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada

The green lines seen in the video are part of the laser imaging system used aboard the Titan submersible

A bamboo coral grows slowly, just millimeters every year. A bamboo coral's stony branches contain thousands of tiny polyps living and working together

DNA analysis of the water samples collected will be analysed and shared at a future date, the researchers said

WRECK OF WWI U-BOAT FOUND The wreck of a long-lost World War I German U-boat that sank a century ago was discovered by a sleuthing diver off the coast of Virginia. The SM U-111 was a 235-foot ship that sank three Allied merchant ships in the Atlantic Ocean during its time with the German Imperial Navy. It sank on August 31, 1922 in waters that US Navy said were 1,600 feet deep, but 100 years later it was found by a remotely operated vehicle. Read more Advertisement

This summer's expedition took place in a submersible called Titan, outfitted with cameras that capture ultra-high-resolution imagery to determine the wreck's rate of decay.

In 1996, Paul Henry Nargeolet, a diver who has visited the wreck site in the North Atlantic more than 30 times, discovered the blip.

Nargeolet, who was part of the expedition that returned to the area in the summer, said his team didn't know what it would discover.

'On the sonar, this could have been any number of things including the potential of it being another shipwreck,' he said.

'I've been seeking the chance to explore this large object that appeared on sonar so long ago.

'It was amazing to explore this area and find this fascinating volcanic formation teeming with so much life.'

DNA analysis of the water samples collected will be analysed and shared at a future date, the researchers said.

OceanGate Expeditions' research work around the Titanic and surrounding areas will also continue into 2023.

View of the bow of the RMS Titanic photographed in June 2004 by the ROV Hercules during an expedition returning to the shipwreck of the Titanic

Constructed by Belfast-based shipbuilders Harland and Wolff between 1909 and 1912, the RMS Titanic was the largest ship afloat of her time.

Owned and operated by the White Star Line, the passenger vessel set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on April 10, 1912.

The liner made two short stops en route to her planned Atlantic crossing  one at the French port of Cherbourg, the other at Cork Harbour, Ireland, where smaller vessels ferried passengers on and off board the Titanic.

Nearly five days into her voyage, the Titanic struck an iceberg at around 23:40 local time, generating six narrow openings in the vessel's starboard hull, believed to have occurred as a result of the rivets in the hull snapping.

Around 1,500 people were believed lost in the tragedy, including around 815 of the liner's passengers.
According to a US energy insider, President Joe Biden's failure to get oil has forced him to illegally consume the emergency oil reserves to stop the Democrats from losing in the midterms. He added the president had damaged years of stocking up on the oil reserve by using it as a political tool.

The US To Face Oil Shortage After the Midterms

Biden White House announced last October 18 that 400 million barrels of oil are left from unneeded drawdowns from the strategic petroleum reserve, reported the Epoch Times.

This mismanagement of the reserve means Joe Biden has destroyed US energy security for 34 years, at its lowest from 1984, noted Reuters.

Jay Young, founder and president of King Operating Corporation, thinks that Biden is secretly taking away the last energy security of America because he has failed in all aspects politically and economically.

His family has been in the oil and gas business for a century; the company he runs spends 100 million dollars on oil investments.

He added that the president has wasted a third of the SPR uselessly and reduced it to an election tool; the SPR is not his to use like that. Furthermore, Young says it is used in times of war when oil is un-acquirable; this is the worst way to use it.

US Strategic Petroleum Reserve Misused

US energy insider Young mentioned the president uses the emergency oil reserves similar to a Ponzi scheme. Another attorney and analyst, Irina Tsukerman, says the same thing about the US leader.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin Net Worth 2022: Does Anyone Know Russian President's Hidden Wealth?

She added that he has gone beyond the mandates of his office by abusing the SPR just because the Democrats have spectacularly plummeted and failed in his term.

It is his last straw to stop the democratic party from getting destroyed because of failing to get gas and oil. Betting the SPR can save their downfall and escape blame for sky-high gas prices.

Tsukerman, a member of the American Bar Association's Energy and Environment Committee, panned that he is the only president who has broken the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, which is illegal. She added the act guarantees that the SPR is only used in a dire emergency and energy costs are too high.

The outlet tried to get comments on the White House's reaction to serious questions about the president's actions. In March, the White House began the first release of 1 million barrels for six months, for a total of 180 million barrels of oil. The last tranche of 15 million barrels is this December, citing NPR.

The president vainly made excuses for releasing oil; he failed to provide for it by requesting oil-producing countries. It is no accident that it came on the eve of midterms, said conservatives.

On October 19, Biden claimed it was not because the Dems were losing ground. Added the extra oil needed to have more oil to make more gas, also, as a means to reach alternative energy.

But as US energy insider Young and Tsukerman pointed out, there are more nuances to why the emergency oil reserves led to the slumping of democrats before the midterm elections.

Related Article: US Strategic Petroleum Reserve Might Be Refilled If Oil Prices Fall Below $80 per Barrel

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Identity fusion, a sense of alignment with a group, is prevalent among gamers

The team found a link between 'identity fusion' and socially harmful behaviours

If you're a member of a gaming clan online, a new study suggests you're more prone to socially harmful behaviour  especially if you play Call of Duty.

Researchers surveyed more than 1,000 US gamers on their beliefs and personality traits, as well as their level of 'identity fusion' with other gamers.

Identity fusion is a psychological phenomenon that causes a deep sense of alignment with a group or cause, and is particularly prevalent among gamers.

The researchers found links between identity fusion and multiple undesirable traits, including sexism, racism and recent aggressive behaviour.

The research also found that specific gaming communities  namely, Call of Duty players  can encourage 'strongly fused' gamers to embrace anti-social tendencies more than others.

Fusion with gaming culture is linked with of a host of socially harmful outcomes, including racism, sexism, and endorsement of extreme behaviour (file photo)

Researchers found that fusion with gamer culture was linked to several extremist traits, including the willingness to fight or die for gaming culture, Dark Triad personality traits, sexism, racism and recent aggressive behaviour (pictured)

WHAT IS IDENTITY FUSION? Identity fusion is described as a deep sense of alignment with a group or cause, or other people. Identity fusion is so powerful that it compels people to enact pro-group behaviors even when it is personally costly to do so (such as sacrificing one's life for the group). Gaming spaces, whether in-person or online, may be particularly conducive to identity fusion. Source: Kowert et al (2022) Advertisement

The new research was led by Dr Rachel Kowert, a psychologist and research director at Take This, a non-profit based in Seattle, Washington.

'There are growing concerns that online platforms have become breeding grounds for extremist ideologies,' Dr Kowert and colleagues say in their paper.

'Here we focus on the potential role of identity fusion in the radicalisation of video gamers.

'We suggest that examining the impact of games through the lens of identity fusion provides insight into the role of identity in the propagation of extremist ideologies, radicalization, recruitment, and mobilization.'

Previous research has already suggested that gamer cultures are a hotbed of hateful, harassing, and 'toxic' behaviour, such as chronic racism and misogyny.

Over the course of three experiments, the team examined the links between identity fusion and extremism among gamers.

For the first two, they surveyed 598 participants, all from the US aged between 19 and 77 and describing themselves as gamers.

To determine levels of identity fusion, they asked participants whether they agreed with statements such as 'I make gaming culture strong' and 'I would fight someone insulting or making fun of gaming culture'.

The research also found that specific gaming communities (namely, players of shooter game Call of Duty, pictured) can encourage 'strongly fused' gamers to embrace antisocial tendencies

OVER HALF OF REGULAR GAMERS GET 'GAMER RAGE' Over half of regular gamers experience weekly bouts of rage, a recent study found. 56.3 per cent of regular gamers experience bouts of extreme, uncontrollable anger at least once a week, according to the research. Data collected by online gambling site Time2Play indicates that the most angry are those who play on an Xbox. Read more Advertisement

They also measured levels of social dominance, right-wing identity, white nationalist identity, sexism, racism and recent aggressive behaviour, as well as levels of the so-called 'dark triad'.

The dark triad, well-known in the field of psychology, consists of three dubious personality traits  narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism.

Machiavellianism is characterised by manipulation and exploitation of others, a cynical disregard for morality and a focus on self-interest and deception.

Some of the participants were also surveyed on levels of loneliness, whether they had gaming companions, and levels of positive and negative emotions.

Researchers found that fusion with gamer culture was linked to several extremist traits, including the willingness to fight or die for gaming culture, dark triad personality traits, sexism, racism and recent aggressive behaviour.

Interestingly, loneliness was linked with a greater willingness to fight or die for one's gaming culture.

For the third part of the study, the team investigated whether two popular games  Minecraft and Call of Duty  were 'especially conducive' to links between fusion and extreme behaviour.

They surveyed more than 600 gamers who played either Minecraft or Call of Duty for at least a few hours per week.

Minecraft (pictured) is an game where players are given blocks and tools to build towns and cities

Narcissism is one of the 'Dark Triad' of undesirable personality traits, along with Machiavellianism and psychopathy

They found that fusion with gaming culture was linked with more antisocial and extreme outcomes among Call of Duty than Minecraft players.

However, there were some positive social traits as well; for example, fusion among Minecraft players was linked with online bonding and 'relatedness'.

Gamer communities represent a 'double-edged sword', the researchers say in their paper, which has been published in the journal Frontiers in Communication.

In one way, they may provide a sense of connection and purpose for individuals who suffer from loneliness and insecurity.

But they may also expose gamers to hateful speech and social toxicity that can increase their 'susceptibility to extremist propaganda', the team warn.

'In the worst-case scenario, gamers may be lured into embracing extremist beliefs that lead them down the path to radicalization,' they say.

The experts admit they only surveyed US gamers, so future research should look at differences between US players and the rest of the global gaming population.
On Sunday, Brits will be turning their clocks back one hour to mark the end of Daylight Saving Time, giving us all an extra hour of sleep.

But, while we we could all do with some more time in bed, the move could also have dire consequences on our wallets.

Research has shown that the annual return to Standard Time adds 400 a year to our energy and electricity bills.

This is because evening energy demand peaks between 5pm and 7pm during winter, and changing the clocks back gives less sunlight in that period.

That means people turn their lights and heating on earlier than they would if Daylight Saving Time remained.

Researchers at Queen's University Belfast estimate the average household spends 1.20 a day more on electricity when the clocks are put back at the end of October.

Professor Aoife Foley, a clean energy expert and lead author of the study, thinks that axing the return to Standard Time could help people to save money amid the cost-of-living crisis.

'By simply forgoing the winter DST in October, we save energy because it is brighter in the evening during winter, so we reduce commercial and residential electrical demand as people leave work earlier, and go home earlier, meaning less lighting and heating is needed,' she said.

Research has shown that the annual return to Standard Time adds 400 a year to our energy and electricity bills (stock image)

WHY DO PEOPLE WANT DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME? Advocates for the system claim the longer summer evenings make people more active, reduce car accidents and save energy. It is also argued that if the UK had one standard time all year round, it could mean farmers in Scotland would work for a couple hours in the dark during the winter. It would also mean that children in the north of England and in Scotland would be forced to travel to and from school in the dark. Advertisement

Why do we have Daylight Savings Time?

Every year in the UK, the clocks go forward by one hour at 2am on the last Sunday in March, and back one hour at 2am on the last Sunday in October

This means that the evening daylight lasts longer during the day while sunrise hours are subsequently reduced in the spring and summer.

The origins of Daylight Saving Time are generally thought to go back to the ideas of William Willett, an English builder who proposed its concept in 1907.

He lobbied the British Parliament, pitching it as a way to enjoy the extra daylight in the summer months and save money.

It was finally adopted by Germany, the UK and many other European countries in 1916 as a way to save energy during the war.

Ironically, Willett passed away shortly before this.

How does it affect our heating and electricity bills?

While the Daylight Saving Time period was introduced as a way to save money in the summer, some studies have found it does the opposite.

The US state of Indiana adopted the time shift in 2007, and economists from Yale were able to calculate the resulting change in households' electricity demand.

Their study found that Daylight Saving Time actually increased the residential electricity demand in the state by one to four per cent annually.

This was because people tended to use more air conditioning, as sunlight aligned with a larger portion of their day

Similar to Dr Foley's research, the study also found an increase in energy consumption in autumn, as waking up in the dark meant people would turn on their heating earlier.

Additionally, while some studies report that the Daylight Saving Time period results in a decrease in electricity use due to lighter evenings, some suggest this is offset by an increase in usage in the mornings.

On the other hand, some studies have shown that moving to Daylight Saving Time for those seven months actually reduces the average cost of delivering energy.

That is because it evens out peaks and troughs in energy demand throughout the day, putting less pressure on the supplier.

While some studies report that the Daylight Saving Time period results in a decrease in electricity use due to lighter evenings, some suggest this is offset by an increase in usage in the mornings (stock image)

What else does Daylight Saving Time affect?

Time changes mess with sleep schedules, which can increase levels of stress hormones that boost heart rate and blood pressure, and of chemicals that trigger inflammation.

Heart attacks are more common in general in the morning, but incident rates increase slightly on Mondays after clocks are moved forward in the spring, when people typically rise an hour earlier than normal.

Numerous studies have also linked the start of daylight saving time in the spring with a brief spike in car accidents, and with poor performance on tests of alertness, both likely due to sleep loss.

The research includes a German study that found an increase in traffic fatalities in the week after the start of daylight saving time, but no such increase in the autumn.

Numerous studies have also linked the start of daylight saving time in the spring with a brief spike in car accidents, likely due to sleep loss (stock image)

Professor Russell Foster, of the University of Oxford, is one of the world's leading experts on the circadian rhythm, or the body's internal clock.

He claims that a combination of sleep deprivation and a disruption of the circadian rhythm can, potentially, trigger a stroke.

This is because it is known to increase blood pressure, which can cause clots to form that block blood flow in the arteries leading to the brain.

As well as health effects, the switch to Standard Time also accompanies an increase in crimes, including muggings and sexual assaults.

This is linked with how more people will be walking home from work in the dark.
Billionaire Elon Musk has only owned Twitter for a day but already he's already having a volatile effect on the platform.

Multiple Twitter users have posted that they've been losing followers since the $44 billion (38 billion) takeover was completed on Thursday.

It's possible people are losing Twitter followers  described as 'The Great Purge' by one user  because users are deactivating their accounts in protest at Musk's purchase.

Another possibility is that Musk has already got to work at reducing the number of bots on the platform, said to make up five per cent of all user accounts.

MailOnline has contacted Twitter for further information on why users' follower numbers are dropping.

Elon Musk, the world's richest person with a net worth of more than $210 billion (180 billion), completed the takeover of Twitter this week

'The Great Purge has begun': Twitter users report losing of followers as Elon Musk formally takes over the platform

It's possible people are losing Twitter followers because other users are deactivating their accounts in protest at Musk's purchase

Another possibility is that Musk has already got to work at reducing the number of bots on the platform, said to make up 5 per cent of all user accounts.

TIMELINE OF ELON MUSK'S CHAOTIC ATTEMPT TO TAKEOVER TWITTER April 2: Musk announces that he owns 9.2 percent of the company, making him its largest single shareholder April 14: Musk offers to take Twitter private at $54.20 a share, valuing the company at $44billion April 25: Twitter accepts Musk's offer April 29: Musk sells $8billion in Tesla shares to finance deal May 13: Musk says Twitter deal is on hold pending a review of bot accounts May 26: Musk is sued by Twitter for stock manipulation during takeover July 8: Musk says he's backing out of the deal. Twitter sues, trying to force him into seeing it through. October 4: Musk proposes again to go ahead with the deal at the original price October 17: Proposed trial date in Delaware October 26: Musk visits Twitter HQ with a sink, updates his bio on the site to 'Chief Twit' and sets his location to Twitter HQ Advertisement

Twitter user @benjaminwittes posted on Friday: 'Wow. People do seem to be getting rid of their Twitter accounts. I've lost about 700 followers, I think, in the last few hours. Are others experiencing something similar?'

Meanwhile, @hilaryluros posted: 'I've just lost 50 Twitter followers. The Great Purge has begun.'

And @AuschwitzMuseum, the official account for the Auschwitz memorial in Poland, said it is 'observing a strange decrease of number of followers'  around 2,500 down from Thursday evening.

@DoctorHenryCT said: 'I lost some followers last night. I'm not sure if it was bot cleaning which I doubt since Musk loves bots so I am wondering if some people have left Twitter and closed their accounts.'

Meanwhile, @jadedcreative said his followers were 'dropping like flies'.

And @byKateSmith said: 'Wow - I lost a few hundred followers overnight. Welcome to Twitter, Elon.'

@michaelcoren said a number of 'allegedly progressive people' have left Twitter, adding: 'That's disappointing because left-wing voices will be more necessary than ever. This isn't the time for retreat.'

Older tweets seem to suggest that the so-called 'purge' has been going on for a while.

Earlier in the month, when Musk decided to plough ahead with plans to take over Twitter, US Congressman Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) said he'd lost 16,000 followers, while @SharylAttkisson said she'd lost about 6,000 in a 'couple of hours'.

Musk  the world's richest person with a net worth of more than $210 billion (180 billion)  completed his purchase of Twitter on Thursday following protracted legal battle and months of uncertainty.

After finally completing the deal, Musk started his reign of Twitter in audacious fashion, by immediately firing some of Twitter's top executives at its San Francisco HQ on Thursday.

Twitter user @benjaminwittes said he'd lost about 700 followers on the platform in the last few hours

Twitter user @jadedcreative said his followers were 'dropping like flies'. Musk completed his purchase of Twitter on Thursday following protracted legal battle and months of uncertainty

Earlier in the month, when Musk decided to plough ahead with plans to take over Twitter, user @SharylAttkisson said she'd lost about 6,000 in a 'couple of hours'

WHAT ARE TWITTER BOTS? Twitter bots, also known as zombies, are automated Twitter accounts controlled by bot software. While they are programmed to perform tasks that resemble those of everyday Twitter users - such as liking tweets and following other users - their purpose is to tweet and retweet content on a large scale. Twitter bots can do nefarious things like trolling and propagating misinformation for purposes that include spinning elections, inciting panic, and spreading malware. Source: Norton Advertisement

Within hours of taking the keys, he fired CEO Parag Agrawal and top counsel Vijaya Gadde  the woman responsible for banning President Trump after the January 6 riots last year  as well as CFO Ned Segal.

Musk said in May he would reverse Twitter's ban on Donald Trump, whose account was removed after the attack on the US Capitol.

Musk had previously accused the fired Twitter execs of misleading him and Twitter investors over the number of fake 'bot' accounts on the platform.

Agrawal and Segal were in Twitter's headquarters when the deal closed and were escorted out, according to people familiar with the matter.

In the past, it was reported Musk had vowed to fire 75 per cent of Twitter staff, thought to be in an effort to cut costs, although Musk denied this on Thursday, according to Bloomberg.

Musk signaled the start of his ownership by tweeting 'the bird is freed', in reference to the Twitter logo, followed a few hours later by 'let the good times roll'.

Musk, who has called himself a 'free speech absolutist', wants Twitter to enforce fewer limits on content that can be posted.

However, he's also said he wants to prevent the platform from becoming an echo chamber for hate and division.

Other goals include wanting to 'defeat' spam bots on Twitter and make the algorithms that determine how content is presented to its users publicly available.

Before closing the deal, Musk walked into Twitter's headquarters on Wednesday with a big grin and a porcelain sink, subsequently tweeting 'let that sink in'.

He also changed his Twitter profile description to 'Chief Twit'.

Elon Musk speaks with employees including fired top counsel Vijaya Gadde (left) yesterday after taking over at Twitter. She was responsible for permanently banning President Trump from the site - a move that Musk says he will reverse

Musk at the Twitter coffee bar yesterday. He previously vowed to fire 75 percent of the staff - to the dismay of many senior employees

Musk posted a video of himself marching into Twitter's San Francisco headquarters carrying a porcelain sink on Wednesday

TRUMP SAYS HE'S HAPPY TWITTER IS NOW IN 'SANE HANDS' Former US President Donald Trump on Friday said he was happy Twitter is now in 'sane hands' after Elon Musk formally took over, but did not say whether he would return to his account on the platform that banned him. 'I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands, and will no longer be run by radical left lunatics and maniacs that truly hate our country,' Trump said in a post on Truth Social, the social media platform that he founded after being banned from Twitter. Musk has said he would reinstate Trump's Twitter account, but Trump previously said he would not return. Read more Advertisement

Publicly, Musk has sought to assure advertisers that his past criticism of Twitter's content moderation rules would not harm its appeal.

'Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!' Musk said in an open letter posted on Thursday.

'The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence.

As news of the deal spread, some Twitter users were quick to flag their willingness to walk away.

'I will be happy to leave in a heartbeat if Musk, well, acts as we all expect him to, ' said user @mustlovedogsxo.

European regulators also reiterated past warnings that, under Musk's leadership, Twitter must still abide by the region's Digital Services Act, which levies hefty fines on companies if they do not control illegal content.

'In Europe, the bird will fly by our EU rules,' EU industry chief Thierry Breton tweeted on Friday morning.

Musk has indicated he sees Twitter as a foundation for creating a 'super app' that offers everything from money transfers to shopping and ride-hailing.

The deal's road to fruition was full of twists and turns that sowed doubt over whether it would happen at all.

Musk has changed his Twitter profile location to 'Twitter HQ' and his descriptor to 'Chief Twit' ahead of a court-imposed deadline to close his $44 billion takeover deal by Friday

There's a new sheriff in town: Elon Musk tweets on Friday morning after taking over the company

It all began on April 4, when Musk disclosed a 9.2 per cent Twitter stake, becoming the company's largest shareholder.

The world's richest person then agreed to join Twitter's board, only to balk at the last minute and offer to buy the company instead for $54.20 per share.

Twitter accepted the offer later in April, but the following month Musk said the deal is on hold pending a review of bot accounts.

His lawyers then accused Twitter of not complying with his requests for information on the subject.

The acrimony resulted in Musk telling Twitter on July 8 he was terminating the deal, and four days later, Twitter sued Musk to force him to complete the acquisition.

Twitter accused Musk of buyer's remorse, arguing he wanted out of the deal because he thought he overpaid.

On October 4, Musk performed another U-turn, offering to complete the deal as promised. He managed to do that, just one day ahead of a deadline to avoid going to trial.
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Californias Sierra Nevada conifer forests are bearing the brunt of natural disasters that have plagued the state for more than a decade - historic drought and violent wildfires have killed 30 percent of the woodlands.

A new study, conducted by the University of California, Berkeley, evaluated declines in conifer forests that cover the southern region by using spatially comprehensive forest structure estimates, wildfire perimeter data and forest disturbance tracking algorithms.

In addition to the overall decline, the team also found half of mature forest habitat and 85 percent of high density mature forests were either completely destroyed or transformed into low-density forests.

Areas with high initial canopy cover and without tall trees were most vulnerable to canopy cover declines, which the team believes explains the disproportionate declines of mature habitats.

The devastating numbers suggest the current conservation methods are not enough to battle mother nature and the researchers are urging wildlife officials to actively manage forests, instead of just identifying threatened regions.

 Slide me  A study conducted by the University of California, Berkley, which evaluated declines in conifer forests that cover the Sierra Nevada. The results show a total of 30 percent of forest have been wiped out. Pictured is an area called Homer's Nose Grove where the fire burned with high severity, killing many trees

The Sierra Nevada region stretches across 27 million acres of land that is teeming with wildlife and a range of different types of trees, the Sacramento Bee reports.

These recent and increasingly extensive losses of mature forests threaten the persistence of wildlife species that require a mosaic of seral stages, including stands of large trees and multi-layered canopies, reads the study published in ESA journals.

The California spotted owl, which is endangered, is even more threatened because of the forest decline, along with logging that is adding to the destruction.

Then there are wildfires that are major players in wiping out the forests.

However, there are good fires that are also necessary to helping large trees thrive - these blazes burn brush and smaller trees to make room for larger trees to expand.

 Slide me  The Sierra Nevada Conservancy notes that the bad type of wildfires are bringing larger and more severely today than ever before. Such devastating fires include the 2021 Caldron Fire that scorched 221,835 acres in the Eldorado National Forest and other areas of the Sierra Nevada in El Dorado, Amador and Alpine County

 Slide me  Images show the path of destruction on several mountain sides including those near Pyramid Creek and Horsetail Falls and around highway 50 near Twin Bridges (pictured)

The Sierra Nevada Conservancy notes that the bad type of wildfires are bringing larger and more severely today than ever before.

Such devastating fires include the 2021 Caldron Fire that scorched 221,835 acres in the Eldorado National Forest and other areas of the Sierra Nevada in El Dorado, Amador and Alpine County.

Images show the path of destruction on several mountain sides including those near Pyramid Creek and Horsetail Falls and around highway 50 near Twin Bridges.

These regions once featured lush evergreens sprouting from the ground, but following Caldron fire the only thing visible is a barren landscape.

In 2020, Castle Fire ripped through Homer's Nose Grove and destroyed more than 30 percent of the giant sequoias in its path.

A fire in 2015 was sparked when lighten hit the ground of Grant Grove, starting the Rough Fire that was three times more severe than previous blazes.

A total of 27 large sequoias were killed on park land in Grant Grove and at least 74 fire-killed large sequoias were documented.

 Slide me  Areas with high initial canopy cover and without tall trees were most vulnerable to canopy cover declines, which the team believes explains the disproportionate declines of mature habitats. Pictured is Northwest area of Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park before and after it was burned in 2015

 Slide me  Drought is another culprit behind the conifer forest collapse. The left is a satellite image snapped in 2010, while the right is the same are in 2020. The most recent image shows a lack of water in the area and less denser forests to the left

Fires like the Dixie, Caldor, Creek, and North Complex have devastated communities and caused significant damage to the resources the region provides, including water, wildlife habitat, recreational access, and carbon storage, Sierra Nevada Conservancy shared in a statement.

Impacts from large, damaging wildfires in the Sierra are felt across the state as they degrade air quality, jeopardize the state water system, and offset progress towards Californias air quality and climate goals.

The percent of recently pruned conifer forests increased from 25 percent in 2011 to 33 percent in 2020, while recently burned mature forests increased from seven percent to 20 percent over the same period.

The Sierra Nevada Region plays a critical role in Californias water system - more than 75 percent of the state's residents get their drinking water from here.

Snowpack is vital for water storage, and Sierra forests and meadows play important roles in ensuring water quality and reliability.

However, The quantity and quality of water from Sierra Nevada headwaters is threatened by overcrowded forests, degraded meadows, and a changing climate.

Overcrowded forests also threaten our water supply infrastructure.

They are less resilient to drought, beetle infestation, and wildfire. The result is unprecedented tree mortality in the Sierra Nevada129 million killed by beetles and drought alone since 2010.

Forests of dead trees create numerous challenges for water management, from an increase in flooding and landslides to a reduction in water quality and reservoir capacity.
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Caroline Hendrie goes island hopping around the Canaries on cruise line Azamara's latest ship, Azamara Onward (above)

You fancy a tour of the Canaries, taking in several islands, but you have only a weeks holiday  so how do you fit them all in? Look no further than boutique line Azamaras latest ship, Azamara Onward, and its fabulous whirlwind Canaries round trip.

This mid-size ship carries fewer than 700 passengers, leaving plenty of room for bars and lounges, from the airy, glass-walled Living Room overlooking the bow to the cosy, book-lined Drawing Room. Or simply chill around the pool with drinks (included in the fare) from the Sunset Bar.

THE HIGH LIFE ON LA PALMA

Azamara Onward (pictured) carries fewer than 700 passengers, 'leaving plenty of room for bars and lounges', Caroline reveals

A state room aboard Azamara Onward. During your time on board, Caroline recommends chilling around the pool with drinks from the Sunset Bar, which are included in the fare

La Palma's capital, Santa Cruz (pictured), is 'a great little town to explore, with the beach, shops, cafes and tapas bars a short stroll from the ship'

Above are colourful buildings in Santa Cruz

This round trip begins with Azamara Onward departing Gran Canaria and heading to a bonus fifth island  Madeira, part of Portugal. After spending the night in port at its capital, Funchal, where you can grab a selfie with the enormous statue of home-grown superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, youll set sail for La Palma.

The worlds steepest island, soaring to 7,960ft, it made headlines last year with the spectacular eruption of Cumbre Vieja, the volcano that makes up the southern half of the island.

But youll dock on the other side of the island, at 9am, in the charming capital, Santa Cruz. This is a great little town to explore, with the beach, shops, cafes and tapas bars a short stroll from the ship. Look out for the row of historic houses on the seafront with wooden balconies spilling with bright flowers.

Dont miss: The Island Museum in a tranquil former Franciscan convent, with seats in shady cloisters and sun-dappled courtyards, and an interesting collection of natural and seafaring history, contemporary art and religious artefacts.

Downtime on board: The ship doesnt sail again until 10pm, so take your time over a tip-top breakfast in Discoveries Restaurant. Stand-out dishes include perfectly plated shakshuka, Japanese courgette noodle breakfast bowl and ratatouille with scrambled eggs.

GO GREEN ON LA GOMERA

Variety show: Guests will spend the day on La Gomera. The islands dramatic landscape is its biggest draw, says Caroline. Above is the isle's Roque de Agando volcanic plug

Youll arrive on the greenest of the Canaries, with little tourist development, at 8am.

Cleaved by deep ravines and fringed with cliffs, where most of the beaches are accessible only by boat, the islands dramatic landscape is its biggest draw.

An ages-old whistling language, Silbo, which was used to communicate across the ravines, is still heard where there is no mobile phone connection.

Keep an eye out for native birds such as Atlantic canaries, laurel pigeons and Bolles pigeons on a trek through the Garajonay National Park, pictured

Dont miss: Take your pick of 370 miles of trails in Garajonay National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site. On a guided walk in the ancient laurel forest, youll half expect to see hobbits among the twisted roots of moss-covered trees. Keep an eye out for native birds such as Atlantic canaries, laurel pigeons and Bolles pigeons.

Downtime on board: Check in at the Sanctum Spa for a full Swedish or one of six other relaxing and invigorating massages on the menu.

CLOUD SURF ON TENERIFE

When the ship arrives in Tenerife, passengers can set off on a scenic trek through Anaga Rural Park, pictured

After an overnight voyage, your ship will dock in Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife. Its an ideal jump-off point to see the green north-west of this, the largest Canary Island. Anaga Rural Park has three easy, circular trails from Cruz del Carmen viewpoint through the beautiful cloud forest, filled with heather trees and gnarled laurels dripping with moss.

Back in Santa Cruz, tram No 1 will whisk you to the laid-back old capital, San Cristobal de La Laguna, which has preserved its colourful 16th Century colonial buildings. Stroll around the pedestrianised Old Town and stop at a pavement cafe to dip churros fresh from the frier into hot chocolate.

You will already be familiar with the outline of Mount Teide, an active volcano so huge it is visible from La Gomera. A tour of Teide National Park feels like entering a different world, with torrents of petrified black lava, weirdly shaped monoliths, giant boulders and swathes of yellow, gravel-like dunes.

Make sure to take the cable car ride up to the platform close to the summit of Mount Teide, Spains highest peak

It seems bleak, but there are nearly 200 species of plants growing here, 32 of them unique to Tenerife.

Dont miss: The heart-soaring cable car ride up to the platform close to the summit of Mount Teide (Spains highest peak). Youll reach 11,663ft in eight minutes for views over puffy white clouds to the sea.

Downtime on board: Bag your place at the Explorers Dinner, with six courses of Spanish dishes made with ingredients brought from the New World by the conquistadors.

CAMELS IN GRAN CANARIA

While docked in Gran Canaria, you can cross the rolling sand dunes of Maspalomas on a camel (pictured)

Departing Tenerife at 10pm, the final leg on this tour will return you to Gran Canaria, docking at 8am the next morning.

There is so much more to this island than the hotels, malls, pubs and clubs of Playa del Ingles.

You can hike to the bottom of the crater of the extinct Bandama volcano, taste unique wines grown in volcanic soil, cross the rolling sand dunes of Maspalomas on a camel and explore the capital, Las Palmas, where the house that Christopher Columbus stayed in before he sailed to the Americas still stands.

Caroline recommends hiking to the bottom of the crater of the extinct Bandama volcano (pictured) on Gran Canaria

Dont miss: Potter in the maze of narrow, cobbled streets and tiny squares of Vegueta, the oldest quarter of Las Palmas.

In the 19th Century markethall you can stock up on coffee beans, Canarian wines and cheeses, olive oil and dried fruit to take home.

Downtime on board: Start your final evening with Spanish music and tapas such as rich roast artichoke with sun-dried tomato, melt-in-the-mouth tortilla and carpaccio of beef.
Tammy Faye (American Theatre, London)

Verdict: Unholy mass

Rating: **

Dido and Aeneas (Ustinov Studio, Bath)

Verdict: Musical gem

Rating: ***

After nearly three hours spent bearing witness to the Elton John musical about American TV evangelist and gay icon Tammy Faye Messner, I said a little prayer.

I prayed that next time I see a musical about Tammy Faye where I might actually learn something about the woman behind the big hair and extra thick mascara.

Sadly, the Almeida's new show is at best an ecstatic but otherwise unholy fusion of TV's Strictly and Songs Of Praise.

With the title role giddily played by Katie Brayben, the 75-minute first half is devoted to the practicalities of Tammy and first husband Jim (Andrew Rannells) building their Christian PTL (Praise The Lord) channel, inspired by Billy Graham.

PATRICK MARMION: After nearly three hours spent bearing witness to the Elton John musical about American TV evangelist and gay icon Tammy Faye Messner, I said a little prayer

They are opposed by America's more conservative preachers, led by Jerry Falwell (Zubin Varla, whose sternly repressed diction reflects his rigorous morals).

There is talk of 'putting God's vision into television!' And there is the shock of Tammy winning the ratings war.

But James Graham's story shows little faith in Tammy herself until the second half, when she does her famous interview with gay pastor and HIV victim Steve Pieters  for which she was condemned by religious fundamentalists.

Until then, Rupert Goold's boisterous production is mostly ratings wars and sniggering evangelical spoofery.

This includes the sado-masochistic flagellation of Jesus bearing his cross in a scene sending up the Christian theme park they named Heritage USA, which ultimately sank Jim and Tammy's world in debt and scandal.

Brayben (who won an Olivier award for playing Carole King in Beautiful) brings tears and decibels to Elton's gospel-inspired music, with lyrics from Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears. These include Right Kind Of Faith, as she steels herself to go on air; and there's a triumphant lung-buster, Empty Hands, before the interval. Otherwise, Tammy is to televangelism what Sue Barker was to A Question Of Sport: sweet but dull.

The second half escalates the fashion atrocities, with sequins and Charles II wigs replacing the first half's check jackets and geometric jumpers.

But Tammy's status as a gay icon, achieved after the Pieters interview (in the show she hugs him, even though in real life they never met in person) is cheaply won. It's not like she's Peter Tatchell, risking imprisonment.

A musical of more reliable pedigree is Henry Purcell's 17th-century baroque opera Dido And Aeneas (pictured)

Tammy's relationship with first husband Jim is sketched superficially, and there is no mention of husband number two (another felon, the church contractor Roe Messner). All of which makes it hard to sympathise with her emotional cri de coeur If You Came To See Me Cry.

On the upside, Bunny Christie's design, featuring a checkerboard of TV screens back-lit to form crucifixes, also provides windows for cheeky interjections from characters including former Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie and Pope John Paul II.

Lynne Page's choreography lays on an angular spectacle and the concluding number, See You In Heaven, is dance-floor ready.

Patrick Marmion: New Zealand soprano Madison Nonoa, as Dido, is particularly tender in the heartrending aria, When I Am Laid In Earth, at the opera's genuinely spiritual climax

The show has potential as a cult hit for the Elton John faithful. But to command Tammy's mass appeal, it'll need a bigger heart.

A musical of more reliable pedigree is Henry Purcell's 17th-century baroque opera Dido And Aeneas. Now running in Bath's bijou Ustinov Studio theatre, this short and moving work can be enjoyed at very close quarters.

The story of how the Queen of Carthage fell for a wandering Trojan is set in a tomb by Isabelle Kettle's stately production. There is some fairly hammy acting. But it weaves a sonic spell that Tammy cannot manage.

New Zealand soprano Madison Nonoa, as Dido, is particularly tender in the heartrending aria, When I Am Laid In Earth, at the opera's genuinely spiritual climax.

The Famous Five (Chichester Festival Theatre)

Verdict: Lashings of fun but hits the wrong note

Review: ***

Bounding in for half-term with sensible shorts and scabby knees, Enid Blyton's Famous Five have become a musical.

In a gorgeous Kirrin Island set of sky, sea and secret-tunnel trapdoors, Elinor Cook's story is faithful in spirit but adjusted to modern sensibilities: pompous Julian, lively Dick and thoughtful Anne arrive to be resented by their tomboy cousin George (refusing to be Georgina: Blyton got there 70 years before transmania).

She's a magnificent star turn by Maria Goodman, a defiant kid who is neglected by her scientist father, Quentin.

Bounding in for half-term with sensible shorts and scabby knees, Enid Blyton's Famous Five have become a musical (pictured)

He is working secretly on synthesised algae to fuel the planet cleanly. But he bans her from keeping Timmy the Dog, brilliantly puppeteered from head to wagging tail. The cousins bond over saving him. Meanwhile, the villain Rowena  Kibong Tanji in a white power-suit  is being paid by Avarice Oil to stymie the research.

There's a bivouac, a kidnap, a penknife rescue and a near-escape from dynamite (good old Timmy!)  as well as lashings of jam tarts and sandwiches.

Fun, frolicsome and directed with vigour by Tamara Harvey, it should be a treasure. The problem is the music: Theo Jamieson is an eminent arranger and musicals director, but his dense lyrics and reluctance to be tuneful tend to stifle the fun.

With less angst and better tunes, this could be fabulous. Morally impeccable, of course: by the end both villains are reconciled and working together to save the planet.

LIBBY PURVES

Hamlet reduced from royal tragedy to domestic drama

Hamlet (Bristol Old Vic)

Verdict: The mother of all tragedies

Review: ***

There's a moment in Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet, when someone says the young prince was sent to England because he was mad  but if he doesn't recover his wits, it wouldn't matter because 'there the men are as mad as he'.

In a week when the country seemed a more than usually crazy place, the laughter in the auditorium of Bristol's Old Vic was particularly raucous.

Director John Haidar has shrunk a play about the rotten state of Denmark into a domestic drama of a family at war.

Billy Howe's Hamlet is a young man failing to get a handle on things that have gone horribly awry

Billy Howe's Hamlet is a young man failing to get a handle on things that have gone horribly awry.

He has returned from university following the death of his beloved father, only to find his mother, Gertrude, celebrating an indecently prompt marriage to Claudius, his father's brother  and his girlfriend, Ophelia, dumping him.

The home he left was different. In his mind's eye  a video projected behind him  he recalls a carefree innocence, as a little boy in the arms of doting parents. Was that for real? Or is his imagination playing tricks? And who can he trust if he can't even trust himself?

More than ever, the play's focus is the broken relationships between parents and their adult children

Dressed in black, gushing tears of grief and betrayal, Howle cuts an isolated figure. He has tremendous energy, having decided 'to be' rather than not, but boyish sweetness has soured and he is hard to warm to. Which perhaps explains why Haidar's clear, pacey account has you on the edge of your seat but fails to get under your skin.

Visually, it is striking. Natural light never enters this dark, oppressive castle of Elsinore: a Piranesi-like prison of shadowy corridors of power, haunted by the hooded ghost of Hamlet's father.

More than ever, the play's focus is the broken relationships between parents and their adult children. As Gertrude, Niamh Cusack's careful calibration from perfect poise to self-disgusted despair is the performance that will linger.

GEORGINA BROWN
Former Bachelor star Tara Pavlovic has revealed her eight-week-old daughter is seriously ill in hospital.

Pavlovic, who appeared on Matty Johnson's season of the dating show in 2017, shared several updates on Instagram about newborn Edi-Rae's health after she noticed she was struggling to breathe and eat.

'Our baby turns eight weeks today and here she is fighting her biggest battle yet in ICU,' she began.

Former Bachelor star Tara Pavlovic has revealed her eight-week-old daughter Edi-Rae is seriously ill in hospital

'I noticed her working hard to breathe on Monday so we went to emergency and she kind of perked up when we arrived so we were sent home but they said to come back if she starts going downhill.'

The following day, Pavlovic noticed Edi-Rae was 'head bobbing' so they returned to the hospital and the doctors discovered she had three viruses: adenovirus, rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

'We went back and we have been here since,' she added.

Pavlovic shared several updates on Instagram about newborn Edi-Rae's health after she noticed she was struggling to breathe and eat. (Pavlovic is pictured with husband Nick Shepherdson and their children Paddy and Edi-Rae)

Pavlovic took her daughter to the emergency room on Monday because she was struggling to breathe. After being sent home when the child's symptoms improved, they returned to the hospital the next day and Edi-Rae was diagnosed with adenovirus, rhinovirus and RSV

She noted that RSV can lead to a 'very dangerous' condition for babies known as bronchiolitis.

'I was so shocked she had these viruses. I didn't even know she was sick until she started struggling to breathe,' she said in another Instagram Story.

'She had a little cough for a while but I didn't think anything of it.'

'I was so shocked she had these viruses, I didn't even know she was sick until she started struggling to breathe,' the mother of two said

In another Instagram Story, Tara revealed the good news that Edi-Rae was able to be transferred from ICU to the paediatric ward

Pavlovic added that her whole family, including husband Nick Shepherdson and their one-year-old son Paddy, had also been sick with a 'runny nose and a cough'.

'I can't believe how quickly she deteriorated. I have never been so scared in my whole life,' she said.

'She is such a strong little girl. I am so proud of her. She is going to come out of this like superwoman.'

In another Instagram Story, Tara revealed the good news that Edi-Rae was able to be transferred from ICU to the paediatric ward.

'Stats have improved since yesterday so I'm hoping it's up from here!' she wrote.

'Feeding tube has been off and she is taking the bottle and boob which is massive! So proud of our little girl'

Pavlovic recently called out a troll who accused her of 'favouring' her older son over her newborn daughter

It comes after Pavlovic recently called out a troll who accused her of 'favouring' her older son over her newborn daughter.

Earlier this month, she posted a video on Instagram on Tuesday of herself teaching her one-year-old son Paddy how to talk.

The innocent clip angered one of her followers, who said it was 'obvious' to them that Pavlovic preferred Paddy to her baby girl Edi-Rae.

'Sad how you seem to favour just Paddy and not your newborn. Very obvious,' the cruel message read.

Pavlovic posted a video on Instagram earlier this month of herself teaching her one-year-old son Paddy how to talk. The innocent clip angered one of her followers, who said it was 'obvious' to them that Pavlovic preferred Paddy to her baby girl Edi-Rae

Pavlovic responded by saying the message was 'stupid', then said she was feeling 'guilty' about giving her newborn so much of her attention.

'Honestly I have felt so guilty about not giving Paddy enough time because Edi-Rae has been on me 24/7 so at least this stupid message makes me feel a little bit better,' she said.

'Better get Edi-Rae outside painting tomorrow so she doesn't feel left out'.

The innocent clip angered one of her followers, who said it was 'obvious' Pavlovic preferred Paddy to her baby girl Edi-Rae. She responded by saying the message was 'stupid', then said she was feeling 'guilty' about giving her newborn so much of her attention

Pavlovic announced last month she'd welcomed her second child with husband Nick Shepherdson.

She posted a photo of her new arrival to Instagram, revealing she had a little girl.

'Welcome to the world our beautiful little girl Edi-Rae Shepherdson,' she wrote.

Pavlovic announced she'd welcomed her second child with husband Nick last month

She continued: '1/9/2022. She is absolute perfection in every single way. Such a calm little temperament from the moment she was born. Feeling beyond blessed.

'Mumma, dadda and your big brother Paddy love you so much. Thank you for completing our little family'.

Pavlovic and Shepherdson tied the knot in September 2020, after being forced to postpone their wedding in April due to the Covid pandemic.

The couple went public with their romance in August 2018, just two months after Pavlovic broke up with her ex-fiance Sam Cochrane.

The pair had known each other for 10 years before getting together in 2018.
Australian model Laura Csortan sent temperatures soaring on Thursday as she flaunted her incredible, age-defying bikini body at Palm Beach in Sydney.

The television presenter, 45, looked every inch the supermodel as she worked her jaw-dropping curves in an itsy bitsy white bikini that left very little to the imagination.

She wore her long blonde hair loosely and had a cheeky smile on her face as she showcased her washboard abs and well-toned legs.

Australian model Laura Csortan (pictured) set temperatures soaring on Thursday as she flaunted her incredible, age-defying bikini body at Palm Beach in Sydney

The mother-of-one added a touch of sophistication to her look with designer sunglasses and a Rolex wristwatch.

'Happy place: family, sun and sea,' she captioned the photo.

It didn't take long for many of her 37,000 followers to compliment her stunning snap.

The 45-year-old television presenter looked every inch the supermodel as she worked her jaw-dropping curves in an itsy bitsy white bikini that left very little to the imagination

One enthusiastic fan gushed she was 'so perfect' while another added the photo was 'beautiful and awesome'.

Laura made headlines in 2017 when she quickly snapped back into shape after giving birth to her daughter Layla Rose in November 2016.

Despite her impressive weight loss, Laura downplayed the achievement at the time.

She wore her long blonde hair loosely and had a cheeky smile on her face as she showcased her buff tummy and well-toned legs

The former Wheel of Fortune host told Daily Mail Australia: 'It's taken me almost two years to start getting back somewhat of a routine.

'And even still, I don't have much of one since I'm really busy!

'I mean I literally have a child stuck to my hip 24/7, so I just do not stop.'
Radio presenters are dropping like flies across the industry, but WSFM stalwarts Amanda Keller and Brendan 'Jonesy' Jones aren't going anywhere.

Sydney's No.1 FM breakfast team announced on Friday they had renewed their contracts with the ARN-owned station for another two years, reports Radio Today.

The announcement came on the eve of the 33rd Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs), where the duo is nominated for Best On Air Team (Metro FM).

Radio presenters are dropping like flies across the industry, but WSFM stalwarts Amanda Keller (right) and Brendan 'Jonesy' Jones (left) aren't going anywhere

Jonesy and Amanda, who are gearing up to celebrate 18 years together, have also been nominated for Best Networked Program and Best Radio Show Podcast.

Jonesy, 54, said he couldn't be happier to have his contract renewed as he reminisced about hosting a show with his 'best friend'.

'When I approached Amanda to work for me - I mean with me - back in 2004, I said, "Just give me two years and that will keep me in work while I establish myself on breakfast radio,"' he said.

Sydney's No.1 FM breakfast team announced on Friday they had renewed their contracts with the ARN-owned station for another two years, reports Radio Today

He added: 'Two years has turned into what will be over 20! I couldnt be happier to be hanging out with my best friend Amanda.'

Amanda, 60, who recently had her long-running lifestyle series The Living Room axed by Channel 10, said she loved her job and was excited to continue.

'It's a great thing to love coming to work. I'm lucky that I get to slug it out every morning with my best friend  laughing, crying, talking about the stuff that unites us all and fuels the lives of our listeners,' she said.

Jonesy, 54, said he couldn't be happier to have his contract renewed as he reminisced about hosting a show with his 'best friend'

It comes after a mass exodus at Nova FM saw Chrissie Swan, Sam Pang and Jonathan Brown quit their Melbourne breakfast show last week.

The trio shocked their listeners last Friday when they announced they were leaving their top-rating program, Chrissie, Sam & Browny, after seven years on the air.

The news came just a day after their Sydney-based colleague Kate Ritchie revealed she was taking a break from her national drive show.

Amanda, 60, who recently had her long-running lifestyle series The Living Room axed by Channel 10, said she loved her job and was excited to continue. (Pictured left to right: Amanda, Barry Du Bois, Dr Chris Brown and Miguel Maestre on the set of The Living Room)

According to an insider, the announcement also stunned Nova staff, with all employees at the station receiving an email at 8.30am from CEO Peter Charlton with a press release attached.

Chrissie, Sam & Browny will host their final show on December 2.

The top-rating Melbourne breakfast team will be replaced by Ben Harvey and Liam Stapleton, who found success in the same time slot on Nova 919 in Adelaide.

It comes after a mass exodus at Nova FM saw Chrissie Swan (centre), Sam Pang (left) and Jonathan 'Browny' Brown (right) quit their Melbourne breakfast show last week
Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon couldn't help but laugh at the title of Prince Harry's upcoming memoir, Spare, on Friday.

The book's title is a reference to 'the heir and the spare', a phrase often used to describe royal siblings. In the past, Harry was sometimes referred to as the 'spare', while his older brother, William, Prince of Wales, was considered the 'heir'.

The description is rarely used these days, after Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, stepped down as 'frontline' royals and moved to California in 2020.

Today hosts Karl Stefanovic (left) and Allison Langdon (right) couldn't help but laugh at the title of Prince Harry's upcoming memoir, Spare, on Friday. Stefanovic was also joined on air by his toddler daughter Harper

While interviewing The Daily Mirror's royal editor Russell Myers about Harry's memoir, Stefanovic paused for a moment before saying the book's name.

He started to laugh and couldn't even finish his sentence, as Langdon said dryly: 'Russell Myers is across all the juicy details. I think the title sort of says it all.'

Myers agreed the book's title didn't bode well for the Royal Family, adding: 'I've had a few people telling me [he] should have called it "Despair", to be honest.

The book's title is a reference to 'the heir and the spare', a phrase often used to describe royal siblings. In the past, Harry was sometimes referred to as the 'spare', while his older brother, William, Prince of Wales, was considered the 'heir'. (Pictured: the cover of Spare)

'Prince Harry is going to be dropping bombshell after bombshell, and certainly you can hear the screams already from the palaces tonight.

'This title is not [pulling] any punches, is it? It's a term that refers to "the heir and the spare", something that Harry's talked about not being particularly fond of.'

Myers suggested the book will 'send shockwaves' across the world when it's released early next year, which prompted Stefanovic to deadpan: 'Oh, great.'

While interviewing The Daily Mirror's royal editor Russell Myers (right) about Harry's memoir, Stefanovic paused for a moment before saying the book's name then laughed out loud

Prince Harry's memoir, an object of obsessive anticipation worldwide since it was first announced last year, is coming out on January 10.

The book will be called Spare and is being billed by Penguin Random House as an account told with 'raw, unflinching honesty' and filled with 'insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief'.

In a statement released on Thursday, Penguin Random House summoned memories of the stunning 1997 death of Prince Harry's mother, Diana, and the subsequent image of Harry and his brother 'walking behind their mother's coffin as the world watched in sorrow - and horror'.

Langdon said dryly: 'I think the title sort of says it all'

'As Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feeling - and how their lives would play out from that point on,' the statement reads in part.

'For Harry, this is his story at last.'

The memoir's title is an apparent reference to 'the heir and the spare,' a phrase often used to describe royal siblings.

Harry's brother, William, is now Prince of Wales and heir to the British throne. When Harry was born, he was right behind William in the line of succession but has since been pushed down.

Their father, King Charles III, assumed the throne upon Queen Elizabeth II's death last month.

In a statement released on Thursday, Penguin Random House summoned memories of the stunning 1997 death of Prince Harry's mother, Diana, and the subsequent image of Harry and his brother 'walking behind their mother's coffin as the world watched in sorrow - and horror'. (Pictured: Princes William and Harry with their father King Charles III and uncle Viscount Charles Spencer at the funeral of Princess Diana on September 6, 1997, in London, England)

Royal watchers and the public at large have speculated endlessly since the book was first announced in July 2021. Within hours of Thursday's announcement, Spare was in the top 10 on Amazon.com's bestseller list.

The Duke of Sussex had already revealed a news-making willingness to discuss his private life when he and his American-born wife, Meghan Markle, were interviewed by Oprah Winfrey for a bombshell March 2021 broadcast.

The couple spoke of Meghan's deep unhappiness with her new life in England, the alleged racism within the Royal Family, and Harry's fear that his wife's life might be endangered had they remained in his native country.

In 1992, Diana worked with author Andrew Morton on her explosive memoir Diana: Her True Story, in which she described at length her unhappy marriage to the future King Charles III.

Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to the U.S.

Harry told Winfrey his family had cut him off financially and he helped pay for his security with money left to him by his mother.

They have launched numerous initiatives, including a Netflix production deal and the nonprofit Archewell Foundation.

Penguin Random House's 2021 announcement included a statement from Harry.

'I'm writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become,' he said. 'I've worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story - the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned - I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think.'

Royal watchers and the public at large have speculated endlessly since the book was first announced in July 2021. Within hours of Thursday's announcement, Spare was in the top 10 on Amazon.com's bestseller list. The Duke of Sussex had already revealed a news-making willingness to discuss his private life when he and his American-born wife, Meghan Markle (right), were interviewed by Oprah Winfrey for a bombshell March 2021 broadcast

The 416-page book will be published in 16 languages, from Dutch to Portuguese. Harry himself - identified by Penguin Random House as 'a husband, father, humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist' - will narrate the audiobook.

The cover features a close-up of an unsmiling, T-shirt-clad Harry.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but Harry, Duke of Sussex, will donate proceeds from Spare to British charities. He has already given $1.5million to Sentebale, an organisation he co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana affected by HIV/AIDS.

The book had been tentatively scheduled for publication this year, and the delay led to rumors that Harry was hesitating to say too much about his family, or was perhaps revising the narrative after his grandmother died in September.

The 416-page book will be published in 16 languages, from Dutch to Portuguese. Harry himself - identified by Penguin Random House as 'a husband, father, humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist' - will narrate the audiobook. (Pictured: Harry at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan's Helmand Province on December 12, 2012)

He has spoken of being estranged from his brother, although the siblings and their wives appeared in public together during the mourning period following the Queen's death.

'Penguin Random House is honored to be publishing Prince Harry's candid and emotionally powerful story for readers everywhere,' the global CEO of Penguin Random House, Markus Dohle, said in a statement.

'He shares a remarkably moving personal journey from trauma to healing, one that speaks to the power of love and will inspire and encourage millions of people around the world.'
In New Delhi, a leopard mauls and gores a 1.5-year-old girl when she and her mother are going to a local temple. The death occurred in Goregaon, with the identified victim, Eitikha Akhilesh Lot, who a wild leopard attacked.

Wild Leopard Attacks 1.5-year-old Girl

Sources say that the young girl was on the way to the local temple with her mother when she was attacked and killed by the beast close to her home. The vicious animal took the toddler in the early morning of Monday, October 24, noted Indian Express.

Details reveal that the unfortunate killing occurred at 6:30 am in the Aarey colony of Goregaon district, Maharashtra. The child was taken to the hospital, but her injuries were fatal, dead-on-arrival, reported Zee News.

Based on the Forest Department team said the suspect animal that killed the girl was caught and transferred to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali. It is called an Accidental Death Report with a probe looking into how it happened.

The family lives in the Dairy Unit No. 15 in Aarey Colony, in addition, the village borders the recently recognized forest area of Aarey, which is managed by the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). The family resides in Dairy Unit No. 15 in Aarey Colony.

Unfortunate Victim Does Not Survive

Rushed to Marol's Seven Hills Hospital after the Leopard mauls and gores in the horrible attack, doctors tried vainly to save the 1-5-year-old girl from terrible injuries sustained from the mauling on the way to the local temple.

The post-mortem exam conducted on the remains at Siddharth Hospital; determined the injuries sustained through trauma was great, and adding blood loss led to the child's demise.

Read Also: Is Vladimir Putin Fighting Cancer? Rumors Spark Anew After Russia Video Goes Viral

Furthermore, it was seen as an ambush attack done with an animal just learning to hunt. Locals have indicated that five of these feral wild cats are seen in the area; this includes an alpha male, a female, and three cubs from the same litter.

One resident or more has remarked that a leopard was on a tree seen a few nights back, which assumes it was on the prowl for prey.

Authorities report attempting to determine, track, and contain the beast that attacked the young girl. It was spotted at 11:30 am passing Aarey Road close to the medical center, only a mile farther, said a forest department employee.

In 2017, the director of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, G Mallikarjuna, spoke to the media and said it was the first killing from 2017 when a leopard killed a young boy in the area. The victim is a son of a forest department staffer, slain in the Film City.

The Director added they consider the animal responsible for the fatal attack a young female, citing the Hindustan Times.

To check on the activity of the animals in the area, forestry officials installed 12 camera traps have been placed. Also, to prevent more attacks and killings, there are two cages to trap the animals.

He added for safety reasons that, locals keep their children indoors at night, now with the Diwali and their lighting firecrackers is dangerous to do,

A leopard mauls and gores its victim when it ambushes a 1-5-year-old girl on the way to the local temple, who did not survive.

Related Article: Indonesian Grandmother Eaten Alive by 22-Foot Monster Python, Died Two Hours After Horrible Incident

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Katie Holmes is headed back to the stage for the first time in a decade.

The 43-year-old has joined the cast of The Wanderers, an off-Broadway show, on Thursday, according to Deadline.

She is set to play a movie star in the show, written by American playwright Anna Ziegler, which will begin preview performances on January 26, 2023.

Back to the stage: Katie Holmes is headed back to the stage for the first time in a decade (pictured Sept. 2022)

After a few weeks, the show will open up to a larger audience on February 16 at the Laura Pels Theater.

The Wanderers centers on a Jewish man named Abe who is a famous novelist. He receives an email from a movie star named Julia Cheever, played by Holmes, that puts his marriage to the test.

The Old Globe Theatre's artistic director Barry Edelstein will direct the production.

Official: The 43-year-old joined the cast of The Wanderers, an off-Broadway show, on Thursday, according to Deadline (pictured Oct. 12, 2022)

Holmes made her Broadway debut in the revival of All My Sons written by Arthur Miller back in 2008 alongside John Lithgow and Dianne Wiest.

Four years later, she starred in Theresa Rebecks Dead Accounts which ended its run in January 2013.

While she hasn't done much stage performing in her career recently, the Batman Begins star has been busy in the film industry.

Most recently, Holmes wrote, directed and starred in Alone Together which came out over the summer.

Alone Together centers around, 'two strangers embroiled in bad relationships wind up in the same upstate New York Airbnb,' according to the film's IMDb page.

21 star Jim Sturgess, Friday Night Lights actor Derek Luke and The Fighter actress Melissa Leo star alongside Holmes in the movie.

Holmes also recently completed filming on an untitled Ilene Chaiken/Melissa Scrivner-Love/Fox Project as well as the movie Rare Objects.
Mindy Kaling stunned her 6.4 million Instagram followers on Thursday when she posted new images of her modeling gorgeous Indian gowns.

The Mindy Project star showcased her slim waist and slender arms as she posed in a variety of show-stopping designs for a backyard photoshoot.

The 43-year-old Emmy nominee has been embracing her cultural heritage recently by donning traditional Indian dresses and voicing her support for Indian designers.

Embracing her heritage: Mindy Kaling, 43, stunned her 6.4 million Instagram followers on Thursday when she posted new images of her modeling gorgeous Indian gowns

Flaunting her physique: With her slim arms outstretched, the Office star presented her beautiful see-through blue cape to the camera and smiled with pride as her midriff-baring blue gown showcased her slender waist

With her slim arms outstretched, Mindy presented her beautiful see-through blue cape to the camera and smiled with pride.

The Office star's midriff-baring blue gown allowed her slender waist to peek out from below her plunging top as beautiful pink and green flowers graced her skirt from its waistline to the hem.

Kaling's flawless makeup was done by celebrity makeup artist Eva Kim and her lustrous black hair was styled by Marc Mena.

Sethi Couture provided the elegant necklace for Mindy's first look before the star changed into her next stunning design.

Wearable art: The Tony winner's second ensemble featured an elaborate lavender skirt adorned with intricate beading. Traditionally known as a lehenga, the ankle-length piece of wearable art is one of the most popular garments in Indian culture

Adorning herself with a bracelet and earrings from Amrapali Jewels, the Tony winner modeled another midriff-baring look.

This second ensemble featured an elaborate lavender skirt adorned with intricate beading. Traditionally known as a lehenga, the ankle-length piece of wearable art is one of the most popular garments in Indian culture.

A thigh-high slit exposed Mindy's leg while a matching lavender saree arched over her shoulder, delicately covering her blue bralette top.

The star promoted the brand Papa Don't Preach in her caption and credited the fashion label's designer Shubhika Sharma, who is a close friend of Kaling's.

Mindy described wearing Sharma's beautiful clothes as 'an experience where luxury meets activism and optimism.'

Porcelain goddess: The founder of Kaling International also modeled two stunning creations by noted Indian fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani in a prior post on Wednesday. Mindy's first look was a blue-and-white dress that resembled a traditional porcelain-style pattern

The Sex Lives of College Girls creator went on to say that Sharma is 'a role model for young women and men,' writing that she is so proud of the designer's 'chic and inclusive line' that is an 'obsession' to 'fashion-forward South Asian girlies.'

Mindy's uplifting Instagram post on Thursday is the continuation of a recent trend for the star. The founder of Kaling International posted photos on Wednesday of her wearing two stunning creations by noted Indian fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani.

Mindy modeled a blue-and-white dress that resembled a traditional porcelain-style pattern in addition to wearing a jet-black strapless gown with short ombre hair.

'Not to be dramatic,' captioned Kaling, 'but I would love to be buried in @taruntahiliani.'

Ombre is everything: The Sex Lives of College Girls creator's second Tahiliani look was a jet-black strapless gown with short ombre hair
She never fails to look amazing wherever she goes.

And Thursday was no exception for Miranda Kerr, who looked sensational in a gold mini dress as she rubbed shoulders with A-listers, including Kim Kardashian, at Los Angeles' historic Sunset Tower Hotel for the Tiffany & Co. Lock Event.

The Australian supermodel, 39, showed off her long legs in the micro number which she trendily paired with a green khaki coat that she wore 'shrobe' style.

Miranda Kerr looked sensational in a gold mini dress as she rubbed shoulders with A-listers at the Tiffany & Co. Lock Event at Los Angeles' historic Sunset Tower Hotel on Thursday

Proving her status as a style icon, she added gold heeled stilettos and a mini Louis Vuitton clutch bag, which dazzled with a statement tassel.

The mother of three added further glamour by piling on jewellery, including a stack of gold and diamond bangles and several bold rings.

Sweeping her hair back into a neat low braid, Miranda made a statement with chain-link earrings and a second diamond stud.

Rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in the business, Miranda was pictured with Steve Harvey's daughter Lori (left), who once dated Black Panther heartthrob Michael B. Jordan. She was also seen hobnobbing with Kim Kardashian, over a year after starring in a British Vogue video capturing her friendship with Kim's older sister Kourtney Kardashian

Later she sat down with Kim and Alexandre Arnault, 30, the son of LVMH founder Bernard Arnault and executive vice president of Tiffany & Co

Enhancing her natural beauty, the Sydney-born stunner opted for a glamorous makeup look with highlighter on her cheeks and soft brown eyeliner.

Rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in the business, Miranda was pictured with Steve Harvey's daughter Lori, who once dated Black Panther heartthrob Michael B. Jordan.

She was also seen hobnobbing with Kim Kardashian, over a year after starring in a British Vogue video capturing her friendship with Kim's older sister Kourtney.

Enhancing her natural beauty, the Sydney-born stunner opted for a glamorous makeup look with highlighter on her cheeks and soft brown eyeliner

Later she sat down with Kim and Alexandre Arnault, 30, the son of LVMH founder Bernard Arnault and executive vice president of Tiffany & Co.

Alexandre works under Michael Burke, chairman and CEO at Louis Vuitton, the group's biggest money spinner, who also chairs Tiffany & Co.

Anthony Ledru, head of Louis Vuitton in the U.S., will take over as CEO of the jeweller.

The French business magnate has an estimated net worth of $180.6billion thanks to his holdings in LVMH and Carrefour SA, making him Europe's richest man.

Miranda and her husband Evan Spiegel share two sons together

Meanwhile, Miranda recently opened up to Vogue Australia about all things motherhood for the magazine's August issue.

She admitted she didn't think she'd return to modelling after the birth of her first child Flynn in 2011, but was 'grateful her body was able to come back'

The mother of three added: 'I still don't feel like I'm back to where I was before the babies. But I'm content with that.

'My body is different and it has changed, and I'm embracing that.'

Miranda and Evan first met at a Louis Vuitton event in 2014 before tying the knot in 2017

She continued: 'I feel like that is the most attractive thing in general anyway, as human beings, when someone does embrace who they are.'

Miranda and her husband Evan Spiegel, the founder of social media app Snapchat, share two sons: Hart, four, and Myles, two.

She also shares son Flynn, 11, with ex-husband Orlando Bloom.
Today host Karl Stefanovic shared a cute moment with his daughter Harper on Friday as the two-year-old joined her father for a live broadcast from Melbourne.

Karl, 48, looked every inch the doting dad as Harper sat on his knee and shyly waved for the cameras.

His co-host Allison Langdon, who has two young children herself, looked smitten with Harper too as the pair anchored the show from Crown casino.

Today host Karl Stefanovic (left) shared a cute moment with his daughter Harper on Friday as the two-year-old joined her father for a live broadcast from Melbourne. (Right: Ally Langdon)

Harper, who wore a pink onesie, lit up when she saw her face on the monitor in front of them and said: 'It's Harper!'

Karl replied: 'Harpie looks tired. Harpie's been partying all night.'

'Aw, that's why daddy looks tired,' added Allison, who couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she watched Harper on the monitor.

Harper, who wore a pink onesie as she perched on her father's knee, lit up when she saw her face on the monitor in front of them and said: 'It's Harper!'

She then encouraged the little girl to wave at the television, saying, 'Can we give a wave?' as she and Karl waved their hands.

'Say hi,' Karl said, and his daughter lifted her hand to wave at the camera, her eyes still fixed on the monitor.

Allison all but squealed as she gushed over how 'cute' Harper was.

'Harpie looks tired. Harpie's been partying all night,' Karl said

Karl shares Harper with his shoe designer wife Jasmine, whom he married in 2018.

The Channel Nine star has three older children with his ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn: sons River, 15, and Jackson, 22, and daughter Willow, 16.

He met the former model at a boat party in Sydney just months after his separation from Cassandra in 2016.

The Stefanovics married at the One&Only Palmilla resort in Los Cabos, Mexico, in December 2018.
Suddenly transformed from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge into the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate are not alone in adjusting to their elevated role.

So, too, is Rob Dixon (pictured with William), the Royal Navy officer who's been their equerry for the past two years.

'I knew the Plumes were incoming,' says Dixon, referring to the Prince of Wales's feathers which he will now wear  although not on his cuffs, contrary to the impression given by the snap he's posted online.

Traditional courtiers compare Dixon with the King's equerry, Major Johnny Thompson.

'Thompson has effectively disappeared from social media  and rightly so,' one tells me.

Suddenly transformed from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge into the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate are not alone in adjusting to their elevated role. So, too, is Rob Dixon (pictured with William), the Royal Navy officer who's been their equerry for the past two years

'I knew the Plumes were incoming,' says Dixon, referring to the Prince of Wales's feathers which he will now wear  although not on his cuffs, contrary to the impression given by the snap he's posted online

'Cad' Hewitt on a mission to rescue Ukrainians

He's destined to be forever remembered as 'The Cad'  the man who went into print to profit from his five-year affair with Princess Diana when he was a young Household Cavalry officer.

But James Hewitt, now 64, may have found a path to redemption. Five years after suffering both a heart attack and stroke, he has, I can disclose, been putting his life on the line  in Ukraine, rescuing beleaguered locals and taking them to safety.

'He's doing something useful,' one of Hewitt's contemporaries tells me. 'He's working in tandem with Scrubber's boy, Mikey Stewart-Richardson,' he adds, referencing the late Brigadier Peter 'Scrubber' Stewart-Richardson, OBE, Croix de Guerre, and his son, Michael, 65, who briefly followed his father into the Coldstream Guards.

He's destined to be forever remembered as 'The Cad'  the man who went into print to profit from his five-year affair with Princess Diana when he was a young Household Cavalry officer

Stewart-Richardson and Hewitt have established HOP  Humanitarian Online Payments  which they describe as a 'not for profit' organisation.

'We go to all parts of Ukraine, including close to the Front, to find, help and assist in collecting the young, old and infirm Ukrainians, who wish to flee Putin,' say the duo on their website.

'It's essential work and we're humbled to play a small part in the incredible story of the charity, Operation SafeDrop.'

Hewitt (pictured) declines to comment, but I'm told that he has made two 'very successful' rescue trips. 'He's finding the missions very fulfilling,' a friend tells me, adding that a third 'is planned very shortly'.

Leaving the Army in 1994, after failing his major's exams three times, Hewitt collaborated with Anna Pasternak, author of Princess In Love, reputedly being paid 300,000 for doing so.

Less than a decade later, he said he was willing to sell Diana's letters, hoping to raise 10 million. But accusations of betraying Diana followed and the letters remain unsold.

Last year, I disclosed that Hewitt, by then living with his mother in her two-bedroom flat in Devon, was trawling the dating app Tinder.

Five years after suffering both a heart attack and stroke, he has, I can disclose, been putting his life on the line  in Ukraine, rescuing beleaguered locals and taking them to safety

Jemma's latest love rolls up on the red carpet  in trainers

They went Instagram official with their relationship earlier this year, posting a holiday snap together in St Moritz, but Jemma Kidd and Arpad Busson have managed to keep a fairly low profile  until now.

The couple happily posed for the cameras during their first red carpet appearance together at the Fashion Trust Arabia Prize Awards in Qatar this week.

Jemma brought the glamour with her shiny red evening dress while her French financier billionaire boyfriend went for smart casual in the extreme, by pairing black tie with Nike Air trainers.

Make-up artist Kidd, 48, split with her husband, the Marquess of Douro in 2020. Luckily, the former model seems to have found love again with Arpad, 59, who appears to have a penchant for leggy blondes.

He was previously with Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson  known as 'The Body'.

They went Instagram official with their relationship earlier this year, posting a holiday snap together in St Moritz, but Jemma Kidd and Arpad Busson have managed to keep a fairly low profile  until now

Heston Blumenthal, the snail porridge and bacon-and-egg ice cream-making chef, has revealed he enjoys eating airline food.

'A while back, I took a plane journey during which I was served an airline meal,' says Heston, 56.

'A tray with something savoury, something sweet, plastic cutlery, sachets of salt and pepper . . . it was utterly absorbing'!

Designer Nicky Haslam has released the latest instalment of his annual 'things he finds common' tea towel  Yet More Things Nicky Haslam Finds Common, which can be yours for 40 signed.

The arbitrator of style deems side plates, blush wine and craft gins all rather sub-par, as well as Ed Sheeran, gilets, wood-burning stoves, cockapoos, Bond Street, hydrangeas, divorce and Vogue magazine. One other who fails to escape the 83-year-old's wrath is Stanley Johnson, whom Haslam chooses to spell as Johnston.

Suddenly transformed from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge into the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate are not alone in adjusting to their elevated role.

So, too, is Rob Dixon (pictured with William), the Royal Navy officer who's been their equerry for the past two years.

'I knew the Plumes were incoming,' says Dixon, referring to the Prince of Wales's feathers which he will now wear  although not on his cuffs, contrary to the impression given by the snap he's posted online (left).

Traditional courtiers compare Dixon with the King's equerry, Major Johnny Thompson. 'Thompson has effectively disappeared from social media  and rightly so,' one tells me.

Deadpan Walliams

Some might say David Walliams has an unusual sense of humour.

It's a theory which seems to be supported by his revelation that he likes to wind people up by telling them his Britain's Got Talent co-star Simon Cowell is no longer with us.

'People come up to me in the street because they recognise me from Britain's Got Talent and they go: 'Oh Simon, where's Simon?', and I go: 'He died,' says the 51-year-old comedian about media mogul Cowell whom he sits alongside on the BGT judging panel.

Before adding that he makes clear he's joking: 'So they go, 'Oh really' and I say, 'Yes, he died inside many years ago.' '

To a crescendo of laughter, I assume.

It's a new life of Riley

Countdown star Rachel Riley wishes she could say becoming a mum quashed her daredevil tendencies, but in fact she was never one for reckless abandon even when she was single.

'I'm not one of these people who was about to jump out of a plane before I became a parent,' the 36-year-old maths whizz tells me.

Countdown star Rachel Riley wishes she could say becoming a mum quashed her daredevil tendencies, but in fact she was never one for reckless abandon even when she was single

She is mother to daughters Maven, two, and 11-month-old Noa.

But one thing it has taught her is to live for the day. 'Motherhood makes you live in the moment a lot more. You're just enjoying it day by day  especially when they're little.'

Following the long-awaited confirmation of Prince Harry's memoir title and release date  Spare, and January next year if you were wondering  I couldn't help noticing one person isn't mentioned on the press release which landed in my inbox.

He is none other than J.R Moehringer, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, who was tasked with ghost writing Harry's tome.

Publishers Transworld Books are obviously expecting a lot of interest in the book, which is set to be available in 16 languages.

However, bookseller Waterstones seems to be hedging its bets. The hardback copy will be available in the UK at 28, but Waterstones Instagram page is already displaying it with a half-price logo on the cover.
Anya Taylor-Joy announced that she had wrapped production on Furiosa with a post that was shared to her Instagram account on Thursday.

The 26-year-old performer shared a trio of shots that had been taken during her time on the set of the upcoming movie, one of which featured director George Miller.

The actress is set to star as the character of the same name, who was previously portrayed by Charlize Theron, in the movie.

Over and done with: Anya Taylor-Joy announced that she had wrapped production on Furiosa with a post that was shared to her Instagram account on Thursday

Taylor-Joy also wrote a message in her post's caption, and began by expressing: 'What. A . Rideeeee.'

The Peaky Blinders actress then spoke about her appreciation for the hard work that the film's crew put into the project.

'Thank you to those of the wasteland- the crazies who have run amok with me up and down this country. The most fun, the most resilient, the most talented,' she wrote.

Taylor-Joy then remarked that she had matured greatly during the production process.

Grateful: The Peaky Blinders actress then spoke about her appreciation for the hard work that the film's crew put into the project; Charlize Theron is seen as Furiosa in 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road

'It has been an honour and a privilege to create with you all thank you for making me tougher than I ever thought I could be,' she wrote.

The performer finished her message by writing: 'Fire, blood and guzzoline, Furianya.'

Development on Furiosa was teased in 2020, and Taylor-Joy was said to have been in talks to star in the feature that year.

The movie will serve as a prequel to the much-acclaimed 2015 feature Mad Max: Fury Road, in which the character was introduced.

Storyline: The movie will serve as a prequel to the much-acclaimed 2015 feature Mad Max: Fury Road, in which the character was introduced

The film will follow the heroine as she deals with a conflict between two warlords attempting to control the wasteland.

It was revealed that October that Chris Hemsworth and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II were cast in the feature, although the latter dropped out and was replaced by Tom Burke.

Nathan Jones and Angus Sampson, who portrayed Rictus Erectus and the Organic Mechanic in Mad Max: Fury Road, are set to return to their old roles.

Physical production on the project commenced this past July at various locations in Australia.

Taylor-Joy spoke about working on Furiosa during an interview with Variety, where she expressed her admiration for the project's director.

'I feel so lucky and privileged to spend time with [Miller], and to grow alongside him,' she said.

The performer also pointed out that she was looking forward to performing a physically strenuous role.

'I'm also really excited to do something physical. To physically become something else is something that will weirdly give me a lot of peace. I'm quite excited to work hard,' she stated.

Furiosa was initially scheduled to be released on June 23, 2023, although it was later pushed back.

The long-awaited movie is now set to made available to the public on May 24, 2024.
Sam Faiers couldn't contain her smile after winning best new beauty supplement at the Pure Beauty Awards in London on Thursday evening.

The reality star, 31, dressed to impress for the evening in a stunning dazzling Nadine Merabi black blazer and matching trousers co-ord.

The TV personality teamed the eye catching ensemble with a silky dark bodysuit and slicked her brunette tresses up in a chic ponytail leaving her fringe to frame her face.

Amazing: Sam Faiers couldn't contain her smile after winning an award at the Pure Beauty Awards in London on Thursday evening

Beaming from ear to ear, the former TOWIE star made her way back to her hotel, alongside her business partner John, in a pair of chic black heels.

John cut a dapper figure in a black suit which he teamed with a crisp white shirt and bow tie.

Sam won best new beauty supplement in the UK for her Collagen Revive Range.

It took two years for the star and her team to develop the daily liquid marine collagen supplement.

Looking good: The reality star, 31, dressed to impress for the evening in a stunning dazzling Nadine Merabi black blazer and matching trousers co-ord

Each sachet contains 8,500mg of high quality marine collagen, which is said to help fight the signs of ageing, improve elasticity and give skin a firmer and more supple appearance.

Collagen is a protein that accounts for 25-30 per cent of the total proteins in our body, and one of its many key functions is to maintain glowing skin health.

It comes after Sam's longtime friend Ferne allegedly branded her a 'fat c***' and 'narcissistic b***h' in leaked voice notes.

Stylish: The TV personality teamed the eye catching ensemble with a silky dark bodysuit and slicked her brunette tresses up in a chic ponytail leaving her fringe to frame her face

Winner: Beaming from ear to ear, the former TOWIE star made her way back to her hotel, alongside her business partner John, in a pair of chic black heels

And the pair risked an awkward run-in at the Pride Of Britain Awards on Monday evening as they were both spotted on the red carpet.

Just last week, Ferne broke her silence after the shocking voice notes scandal.

Fresh from completing Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, the former TOWIE star, 32, revealed on Instagram that she had 'confronted difficulties in her life' on the show.

She wrote: 'What a journey. Taking part in @sas_whodareswins was one of the most humbling and toughest things I've ever done.

'I can honestly say it's changed my life. The whole experience makes you look at every single part of yourself - your strengths, your weaknesses, your deepest fears.

Falling out: It comes after Sam's longtime friend Ferne allegedly branded her a 'fat c***' and 'narcissistic b***h' in leaked voice notes (both pictured in 2019)

'It taught me resilience, self acceptance and that every moment is an opportunity for change. It's given me the confidence to finally confront difficulties in my life, deal with them and move forward.'

She added: 'Moments will floor you, you will mess up but you've got to find that resilience & grit to pick yourself up and go again.

'Just when you think you've got it all figured out life will always throw something else up, and as the DS say, it's about how you deal with it,' she added in part of her lengthy post.

Ferne hit headlines earlier this month after the shocking audio footage was posted from an Instagram account.

Sam and Ferne, who starred alongside one another on The Only Way Is Essex, were friends for over 20 years before the drama.

Awkward: Sam also risked an awkward run-in with Ferne McCann at Monday's Pride Of Britain Awards amid the drama

Ferne has reportedly been left devastated by the leaked notes and 'can't stop crying' as she has received backlash from fans online after the audios appeared to show her calling Sam a 'fat c***'.

'Her thighs are so big and I looked really skinny today,' the message said - cutting to other clips where allegedly describing Sam, Ferne said: 'Sort of girl that she is, she's just a narcissistic b***h, she honestly won't care.'

The Instagram account wrote alongside the clip: '@FerneMcCann what a jealous bitter woman talking about your so called best friend @SamanthaFaiers who you have known for 20 years.

'As a friend you should be supporting your friends not running to other friends and slating them.'

The voice messages were allegedly sent by Ferne on WhatsApp to a friend in June, just a month after Sam had given birth to her third child Edward.

Sharing that Ferne 'doesn't know what to do next', a source explained: 'She is in a living nightmare and wants this to stop. People don't know all the facts. All eyes are on what could come out next on this Instagram account.'

'If those voice notes were made by Ferne then it is incredibly damaging. She is being seen as a bit toxic at the moment. No one can believe she would say such things.'

Sam unfollowed Ferne on Instagram amid the drama, with her sister Billie reportedly calling her former co-star to find out the situation.

Social media friends: Sam has unfollowed Ferne on Instagram following the leaked voice notes, but Ferne is still following Sam

According to The Sun, Ferne has now reached out to Essex Police to see if they can locate the anonymous person behind an Instagram account that has been sharing the shocking voice notes.

A source said: 'Ferne was visited by the police on Thursday night after having her life turned upside down by a fake account that has launched a malicious smear campaign against her.

'Officers spent a few hours with her and gave reassurances that they are prioritising this case, tracking the parties responsible.

'Having taken statements, the police are currently in the process of tracking the fake account's whereabouts. The Online Safety Bill was discussed as they clamp down on cyber crime.'

Protective: Sam's mum Suzie dismissed claims that Sam and Ferne were 'feuding' and said the past few days have been very 'hurtful' (Suzie pictured with daughters Sam and Billie)

The voice messages also allegedly show Ferne taking a swipe at Sam's sister Billie, saying it was 'weird' that Billie decided to call her son Arthur - the name of Ferne's ex Arthur Collins, who she shares daughter Sunday with.

Arthur, 29, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty of carrying out a brutal acid attack in 2017. Ferne has raised Sunday as a single parent.

The voice note says: 'It feels so weird saying 'Arthur', I can't believe, it's like me having a little boy and calling him Greg, anyway, whatever.'

However, many fans have flocked to Ferne's defence, insisting everyone makes comments 'behind closed doors' and arguing that the row should be sorted in private.
Roxy Horner put on a racy display in a black leather costume as she attended the Boux Avenue Halloween party at Inca in London on Thursday.

The model, 31, put on a sizzling display in the busty lave number which donned a ruffled skirt which was short at the front and draped to the floor in the back.

She turned up the heat adding an eye catching bold black feathered choker to the ensemble and elevated her frame in a pair of matching heels.

Eye catching: Roxy Horner put on a racy display in a black leather costume as she attended the Boux Avenue Halloween party at Inca in London on Thursday

Rosy styled her long blonde tresses in beach waves as they cascaded past her bust and added a large gold tiara on top of her head.

The beauty posed up a storm in the sexy outfit which she completed with a radiant palette of makeup including bold black eye liner and a swipe of nude lipstick.

Roxy made a solo appearance at the event without her comedian boyfriend Jack Whitehall, who she has been dating for over two years and lives with in his 17.5million, five-bed home in Notting Hill with their pooch Coco.

Incredible: The model, 31, put on a sizzling display in the busty lave number which donned a ruffled skirt which was short at the front and draped to the floor in the back

Sizzling: She turned up the heat adding an eye catching bold black feathered choker to the ensemble and elevated her frame in a pair of matching heels

It comes after Roxy shared that an electronic device helped to save her life this week, alerting family and friends when she experienced a life threatening diabetic hypo.

The model and actress revealed that she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes back in 2021.

And detailing a recent scare, she explained that she was 'beyond grateful' for the device, with her family and friends coming to help with the 'frightening' scare.

Roxy wears an electronic device which monitors her blood glucose level and sends a message and alarm to her and others phones when it is dangerously low.

Incredible: Rosy styled her long blonde tresses in beach waves as they cascaded past her bust and added a large gold tiara on top of her head

Roxy has previously spoke openly about struggling with diabetes, being diagnosed in May 2021 after suffering low energy levels, 'appalling' memory and continual sickness.

Earlier this year, she admitted to having a 'rough time' with the condition as she struggled to handle her glucose levels.

Opening up to her 199k Instagram followers, she explained: 'I've been having a really rough time managing my glucose levels the past few weeks, they are yo-yoing for absolutely no reason.

Glamorous: The beauty posed up a storm in the sexy outfit which she completed with a radiant palette of makeup including bold black eye liner and a swipe of nude lipstick

'I throw up when I go too high and I've had a few too many hypos for my liking lately.

Roxy, who was diagnosed a month before her 30th birthday, has also previously praised her comedian boyfriend Jack for his support.

She told The Sun earlier this year: 'Jacks been my absolute rock, hes so lovely.

He was there when I got diagnosed. My parents and my family live in Australia, so he has been my family. Were amazing.
Brooke Shields grew up in front of the camera after making her debut as a model when she was just 11-months old in 1966.

She would go on to become a household name after her controversial role as a prostitute in the historical drama film Pretty Baby when she was 12-years-old.

With long careers as a supermodel and actress on her resume, it makes perfect sense that she looked at ease while making her way along the bustling streets of New York City as an admiring photographer snapped a few shots.

Radiant: Brooke Shields, 57, looked youthful when she stepped out for an errand run in in her hometown of New York City on Thursday

Shields, 57, looked youthful dressed in fitted black pants and a blue sweater over a white button-down shirt.

Nailing the 'rich mom' look, the mother of two also pair of $700 Off-White high-top sneakers.

The New York City native donned sunglasses, carried a stylish black purse, and had her dark brown tresses styled long and flowing over her shoulders and down her back.

The 'rich mom' look: The former Calvin Klein model also wore a pair of $700 Off-White high-top sneakers

Peace man: The actress and former supermodel flashed a peace sign before continuing on with her errand run in the West Village neighborhood of Downtown Manhattan

The former Suddenly Susan star appeared to be a permanent smile on her face during her stroll in the West Village neighborhood of Downtown Manhattan.

At one point, she directed that smile towards the photographer and flashed a peace sign, then continued on with her walk on a lovely sunny fall afternoon.

Earlier in the day, Shields was pictured during her Thursday morning routine alongside her four-legged family member in a couple of Instagram photos.

Puppy love: Earlier in the morning, Shields stuck to her Thursday routine and read the newspaper with her pet pooch Pepper by her side

'Thursday mornings with Pepper and the paper #brookeandpepper,' she wrote in the caption of a photos showing the former Calvin Klein model reading the news of the day on an outdoor patio with the family dog by her side.

There's also a second photo of Pepper jumping up with one of her paws on Shields' lap as she enjoyed a tasty treat.

Before heading out on her errand run, Shields wore a white sweater with a dark-patterned skirt and white sneakers.

The Blue Lagoon actress and husband of 21-years, Chris Henchy, are the proud parents if two daughters: Rowan, 19, and Grier, 16.
Lottie Moss got into the Halloween spirit as she flashed her midriff in a tiny pink crop top while dressed up as Paris Hilton for a party on Thursday.

The model, 24, put on a sizzling display as she arrived at Laylow for the event in the racy ruffled bandeaux top which she teamed with a blue coordinated mini skirt.

The beauty added inches to her frame in a pair of towering pink heels and styled her long blonde tresses in two braids tied with matching pink bows.

Fancy dress: Lottie Moss got into the Halloween spirit as she flashed her midriff in a tiny pink crop top while dressed up as Paris Hilton for a party on Thursday

Lottie kept warm under a black velvet jacket and added a simple pair of silver hoop earrings to complete her 00's Paris costume.

The OnlyFans star was seen climbing out of her car carrying a grey tote bag and opted for a radiant blushed palette of makeup to showcase her beauty.

She took to her Instagram account to share a snap of Paris to show where she got the inspiration for her outfit.

Incredible: Lottie took to her Instagram account to share a snap of Paris to show where she got the inspiration for her outfit

00's vibe: The model, 24, put on a sizzling display as she arrived at Laylow for the event in the racy ruffled bandeaux top which she teamed with a blue coordinated mini skirt

The star also posed up a storm as she posted a TikTok video of herself dancing in the eye catching costume which matched the socialites version.

She penned to the post: 'Tonight's inspo is the queen herself @parishilton'.

It comes after Lottie hinted she has split from her American music producer boyfriend after she spoke about an ex who had 'mad mummy issues' and was 'love bombing' her.

Lottie, 24, was last known to be dating heavily tattooed music producer Cody Colacino - but she did not specifically confirm if this was who she was talking about.

Chic: The beauty added inches to her frame in a pair of towering pink heels and styled her long blonde tresses in two braids tied with matching pink bows

Party time! Lottie kept warm under a black velvet jacket and added a simple pair of silver hoop earrings to complete her 00's Paris costume

Speaking on the Wednesdays We Drink Wine podcast, Lottie was giving advice to a listener who was going through some relationship issues.

She said: 'I think you need to just not panic, I honestly did that recently when I was dating a guy in LA. I started panicking. Everything he did that was not the same after like a month, I just got too attached too quickly.

'I started spending every day at his house. You know when it's just too much? Because I'd spend so much time with him, he was so love bombing me at first.

Stunning: Lottie opted for a blushed radiant palette of makeup to showcase her beauty with fluttering lashes and pink glossy lipstick

'Love bombing kind of, when they're like, "I really like you, I've never felt this way before about anybody."

'Promising the world. I was believing it, obviously eating it up, like my porridge. Because I love that s**t. Thinking, "Surely the guy with all the tattoos, he's a music producer, he's going to be a good one."

'He's 28. He had mad mummy issues. Then he started pulling away and I noticed immediately and I was clinging on for dear life. I was always around his house.

Looking good: The OnlyFans star was seen climbing out of her car carrying a grey tote bag

'I'm at his house and I'm like, "No, I've got no work today." I was listening to this Audible and it was saying when a guy pulls away from you you've just got to let him.

'Then you've got to show him what he's missing a bit, so you've just got to pull away too.

'I clung on for dear life, I'm like a spider monkey. I know I'm clingy, but I can't help it. I'm like, "I love you, you're never leaving me."

'It is embarrassing. I have no shame whatsoever. I think the end of the story is if they're pulling away, let them pull away.'

MailOnline has contacted a spokesperson for Lottie Moss for more information.

Lottie also said that she would consider dating a guy who was 40 years older if he had lots of money.

She said: 'I think some girls are into older men and that's fine. I think f**k what everyone thinks. It depends if he's got an ex wife and it's quite clear that you're the secretary, the rebound for him, the midlife crisis.

'He's got himself a Porsche, he's gotten like a hair transplant and is trying to relive his youth. That's very different to it being an honest relationship.

Single? It comes after Lottie hinted she has split from her American music producer boyfriend after she spoke about an ex who had 'mad mummy issues' and was 'love bombing' her

Is this whos she is talking about? It was reported in May that Lottie was dating heavily tattooed Los Angeles based artist and producer Cody Colacino

'So I think it depends who it is.'

Lottie said she has to remind her OnlyFans followers that they're not in a relationship with her.

She said: 'It's strictly a professional relationship, and they do have to be reminded of that sometimes. It's a full-time job.'

Lottie also hit out at Instagram for shadow banning her, which is when a social media site makes a user's posts or comments no longer visible to other people.

Not happy: Lottie also hit out at Instagram for shadow banning her, which is when a social media site makes a users posts or comments no longer visible to other users

She said: 'I know a lot of girls who do OnlyFans and do sex work and they have their Instagrams or their posts deleted all the time. Crazy.

'I'm shadow banned, so you can't search me. I used to post the link to my OnlyFans on Instagram, but I didn't realise you couldn't do that.

'I love Emily Ratajkowski, but she posted a picture of her boobs through her sheer top at a fashion show walking down the runway, boobs going everywhere and no one says anything.

'Instagram leave it up, everything. If I posted even the back of me with no top on they're like, "Goodbye b***h".'
For the first time, Israel and Lebanon have approved a US-brokered deal to draw down their maritime border, opening the door for offshore oil exploration.

On Thursday morning, President Michel Aoun of Lebanon signed a letter in the presidential palace that would later be sent to US representatives at Naqoura, Lebanon's southernmost border crossing, Al Jazeera reported.

Deal Opens Exploration of The Oil-Rich Region

Leading Lebanese negotiator Elias Bou Saab hailed the historical agreement as the start of a "new era" since it puts an end to a decades-long maritime border conflict in the gas-rich Mediterranean Sea.

On Thursday, the Israeli government formally accepted the agreement, according to a statement released by the office of Prime Minister Yair Lapid. Lapid described the accord as a "political achievement" for Tel Aviv since it is a rare occurrence that a rival state recognizes Israel in the presence of the global community, according to Reuters.

Amos Hochstein, the US envoy for energy issues, has been the mediator of these indirect talks for the past few months, and US President Joe Biden has expressed his satisfaction with the resulting accord. President Joe Biden said in a statement that the agreement will bring stability and prosperity to the area and that it was "one step closer" to achieving a more "integrated" Middle East.

Today, the deal to end the maritime boundary dispute between Israel and Lebanon came into effect. This historic deal promotes the interests of both countries and the region, and this moment marks a new chapter of prosperity and hope. Congratulations to all involved.  President Biden (@POTUS) October 27, 2022

Since Israel's establishment in 1948, there have been no diplomatic ties between the two nations. Without mutual recognition, Israel and Lebanon have achieved a maritime demarcation agreement. Lebanon has rules that forbid its citizens from having any interaction with Israeli officials because the country does not acknowledge Israel's right to exist and is still technically at war with its neighbor.

Towards the end of last year, lower-level delegations from both countries traveled to the United Nations peacekeeping base in Naqoura, which is located along the countries' undefined land border. For years, Israel and Lebanon disputed the ocean between them. The Qanaa potential and the Karish oil field are both within range of the territory in question.

As part of the agreement, Israel will receive 17% of the income from oil and gas extracted from the Karish field, while Lebanon will gain access to the Qanaa possibility. On October 11th, both countries claimed that they had reached an agreement on how to define their borders, and on October 17th, British energy firm Energean said it had begun harvesting gas from the Karish field.

Read Also: Russia-Ukraine War: USA Officially Sends Warning to Vladimir Putin Over Potential Use of Nuclear Weapons

Lebannon: Deal Does Not Imply End of Conflict with Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid celebrated the arrangement as a triumph for Israel after it was approved by the Israeli Cabinet at a special session earlier on Thursday.

Pres. Aoun made a cautious statement on Twitter ahead of the signing ceremony, rejecting the notion that the agreement was tantamount to the acknowledgment of Israel's existence, as per CNN.

The Lebanese leader posted on Twitter: "Completion of the southern maritime border delineation file is a technical process without political dimensions and does not have contradictory effects on Lebanon's foreign policy in relation to other countries." This summer, tensions rose over the contested region after an Energean vessel arrived in the Karish field to develop the gas production, even though the rig was located south of any claimed Lebanese boundaries.

In July, Hezbollah, the powerful Shia Lebanese militia supported by Iran, flew drones towards the rig in in Israel, threatening to strike the rig if it began pumping gas before a deal was reached.

However, the global need for natural gas after Russia's invasion of Ukraine drove Israel and Lebanon to pursue the deal, as it has the potential of assuring peace on Israel's northern border, forthcoming elections in Israel, and the need for revenue in economically ravaged Lebanon.

Related Article: Iran Shrine Attack: ISIS Claims Massacre on Shia Mausoleum; Iran's Supreme Leader Vows Punishment on Assailants

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Millie Bobby Brown looked ethereal upon her arrival at the premiere for Netflix's Enola Holmes 2, which was held at the Paris Theatre in New York City on Thursday night.

The 18-year-old actress stepped onto the red carpet in stunning floor-length pink halter gown with a plunging neckline.

It was covered in shiny black and silver floral appliques from the neck to the hem of the eye-catching dress. Many of the three-dimensional flowers featured jeweled petals.

She was joined at the event by her boyfriend Jake Bongiovi, 20.

Big night: Millie Bobby Brown looked ethereal upon her arrival at the premiere for Netflix's Enola Holmes 2, which was held at the Paris Theatre in New York City on Thursday night. She was joined at the event by her boyfriend Jake Bongiovi, 20

Brown was captured gazing up lovingly at the son of rocker Jon Bon Jovi as they posed for shutterbugs.

The couple - who sparked romance rumors in June 2021 - confirmed their relationship earlier this year.

Brown's dress allowed her to showcase her growing tattoo collection which currently includes ink of her grandmother Ruth's name on her left ribcage, a bundle of flowers on the left side of her back, '011' on her left wrist as an homage to her Stranger Thing's character Eleven and a small outline of a heart on her collarbone.

The starlet's bleached blonde hair was worn in a curly beehive.

A pair of braided silver hoop earrings, as well a pair of dainty silver hoops.

Pretty in pink: The 18-year-old actress stepped onto the red carpet in stunning floor-length pastel pink gown with a plunging neckline

Millie Bobby Brown's ink revealed! Tattooed teen queen has tribute to her grandmother, a flower and special Stranger Things design among her collection Millie Bobby Brown put her growing ink collection on display in a backless pink gown at the premiere of her latest film Enola Holmes 2, which premieres November 4 on Netflix. The 18-year-old actress currently boasts four tattoos, including a tribute to her late grandmother Ruth who passed away in 2020 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease. Brown, who has Ruth's name scrawled in cursive on her left ribcage, was first revealed back in July while yachting with her boyfriend Jake Bongiovi in Italy. The Stranger Things star informed fans of her grandmother's passing via a heartbreaking Instagram post published in November 2020. 'Alzheimer's is evil. Its cruel. Taking away someones ability to remember memories and then how to function like a human being. Its so hard to sit there and watch,' penned Brown, who 'loved [Ruth] more than anyone could ever love.' Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Millie wasn't able to be with her grandmother in her last moments. Tattoo collection: Millie Bobbie Brown, 18, proudly displayed her four tattoos at the Enola Holmes 2 premiere in New York on Thursday, including a tribute to her late grandmother Ruth who passed away in 2020 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease Delicate: Back in March, the brunette beauty got a small outline of heart tattooed on her collarbone and she also has a rose on the left side of her back Iconic role: Located on her left wrist is a '011' tattoo, which is a nod to her Stranger Things character Jane 'Eleven' Ives 'I couldn't come home to give u one last snuggle because of Covid-19 so FaceTime was all that we had. I sang to you as much as my voice could take it, even when u were sleeping. These are memories ill never forget,' she wrote. Though she never publicly announced her plans to pay homage to her 'guardian angel' with a tattoo, Brown has proudly displayed it over the past several months. Located on her left wrist is a '011' tattoo, which is a nod to her Stranger Things character Jane 'Eleven' Ives. She nabbed the role at just 12-years-old, completely unknowing that it would turn her into a household name. Eleven was taken from her mother as young child and made an unwilling participant in a CIA conducted experiment program. She was born with psychokinetic and telepathic abilities. She is the series' main protagonist who goes head-to-head with the forces of The Upside Down, an alternate dimension with menacing forces. Eleven has '011' tattooed on her wrist, which is how the children in the top secret program are identified. Last year, Brown decided to get that same tattoo on her own wrist. It first appeared in a promo image for her makeup line florence by Millie Bobby Brown back in December 2021. In the snap, she can be seen posing in a phone booth with her wrist slightly turned towards the camera. It also made an appearance in photos taken on Brown's 18th birthday. She was captured posing in the back of a car clad in a sparkly blue getup with her tattooed wrist resting on a seat divider. Over the past several months, Brown has let her Stranger Things ink shine in more promo image for florence. Brown will bid farewell to the character in the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. Production is scheduled to begin in 2023. Back in March, the brunette beauty got a small outline of heart tattooed on her collarbone. She debuted the subtle ink while donning a custom Louis Vuitton dress at the 2022 BAFTAs in London. It came just weeks after tattoo artist Sketch inked the star. In a post shared on March 31, Sketch called Brown as an 'absolutely incredible young woman' and posed for a selfie with her at his shop. Last but not least, Brown has a rose tattooed on the left side of her back in black ink. Though it's unclear when the Enola Holmes actress had it tattooed, it was first documented in a snap shared by her beau Jake on May 22. In it, Brown is seen posing from the side in white tank top with a low-back, which allowed a glimpse at the new addition. Brown has never spoken publicly about her feelings regarding tattoos, but with four under her belt, it's clear that the star is a big fan of body ink. Advertisement

Brown paraded around in a pair of white platform heels which gave her petite 5foot3inch frame a boost.

As for makeup, the UK native complimented her sun-kissed glow with vibrant pink lipstick and a classic cateye flick.

Her cheeks were dusted with shimmery pink blush and her cheekbones were chiseled with bronzing powder.

A little boost: Brown paraded around in a pair of white platform heels which gave her petite 5foot3inch frame a boost

Wow! The Stranger Things star's bleached blonde hair was slicked back and swept up into a voluminous bun

Lovebirds: Brown was captured gazing up lovingly at the son of rocker Jon Bon Jovi as they posed for shutterbug

Sun-kissed: As for makeup, the UK native complimented her sun-kissed glow with vibrant pink lipstick and a classic cateye flick

Brown's hunky boyfriend suited up in all black for the special occasion in the Big Apple.

The model sported light stubble and his brunette hair was softly swept back.

He stood beside his stunning girlfriend in a pair of black patent dress shoes.

After posing up with Jake, Brown eagerly reunited with her Enola Holmes co-star Henry Cavill, who plays legendary detective Sherlock Holmes in the Netflix film franchise.

Stunning: Brown oozed confidence as she showed off her dress' backless design

Sparkling: A pair of braided silver hoop earrings, as well a pair of dainty silver hoops

Hunk: Brown's hunky boyfriend suited up in all black for the special occasion in the Big Apple

Cavill looked dapper in a gray pinstripe suit that showed off his muscular superhero-worthy frame.

The British hunk completed his premiere look with a white button-up shirt with a bright red tie.

Cavill hit the red carpet with his stunning girlfriend Natalie Viscuso. He confirmed his relationship with the brunette beauty in April 2021.

Viscuso wowed in a pastel yellow off-the-shoulder gown that draped over her slender frame.

Standing tall: He stood beside his stunning girlfriend in a pair of black patent dress shoes

Radiant: Her cheeks were dusted with shimmery pink blush and her cheekbones were chiseled with bronzing powder

Reunited: After posing up with Jake, Brown eagerly reunited with her Enola Holmes co-star Henry Cavill, who plays legendary detective Sherlock Holmes in the Netflix film franchise

Dapper: Cavill looked dapper in a gray pinstripe suit that showed off his muscular superhero-worthy frame. Cavill hit the red carpet with his stunning girlfriend Natalie Viscuso

Going strong: He confirmed his relationship with the brunette beauty in April 2021

Other premiere attendees included: Serrana Su-Ling Bliss, Abbie Hern, Henry Cavill, Hannah Dodd, Harry Bradbeer, and Susan Wokoma.

Enola Holmes 2 is being released on Netflix on November 4 and will see the next installment of Enola Holmes' detective career, with the first being released back in 2020.

Netflix's latest movie is based on the Nancy Springer book series The Enola Holmes Mysteries.

Along with starring as the film's titular character, Brown also serves as one of the film's producers under her family's production company PCMA Productions. Her older sister Paige Brown is also listed as a producer.

Other premiere attendees included: Serrana Su-Ling Bliss, Abbie Hern, Henry Cavill, Hannah Dodd, Harry Bradbeer, and Susan Wokoma

Sequel: Enola Holmes 2 is being released on Netflix on November 4 and will see the next installment of Enola Holmes' detective career, with the first being released back in 2020

Following on from the 2020 original the official synopsis reads: 'Fresh off the triumph of solving her first case, Enola Holmes follows in the footsteps of her famous brother, Sherlock and opens her own agency  only to find that life as a female detective-for-hire isnt as easy as it seems'.

'Resigned to accepting the cold realities of adulthood, she is about to close shop when a penniless matchstick girl offers Enola her first official job: to find her missing sister'.

'But this case proves to be far more puzzling than expected, as Enola is thrown into a dangerous new world  from Londons sinister factories and colourful music halls, to the highest echelons of society and 221B Baker Street itself'

'As the sparks of a deadly conspiracy ignite, Enola must call upon the help of friends  and Sherlock himself  to unravel her mystery. The game, it seems, has found its feet again!'.
Former contestants from The Block have paid tribute to one of the show's most respected tradesmen, Jon-Jeremy Bradey, who died earlier this month.

Bradey, a married father of three who built swimming pools for several homes on the Channel Nine renovation series, died on October 14 at the age of 42.

Kirsty Lee Akers and Jesse Anderson, who worked closely with Bradey during last year's season, told Daily Mail Australia they were 'lucky' to have known the pool expert, who had a reputation for being a perfectionist.

The Block contestants Kirsty Lee Akers and Jesse Anderson (right) have paid tribute to one of the show's most respected tradesmen, Jon-Jeremy Bradey (left), who died earlier this month

'We were lucky enough to meet Jon and work with him on The Block last year,' the couple told Daily Mail Australia in a statement.

'He was such a lovely, hard-working guy. He thought it was funny how tiny Kirsty was compared to all the tradesmen working on our house and suggested she get on the concrete pump and have a go herself.

'Of course, he had to stand behind her and make sure she didn't take off into the air with the pump!

'He had a very kind and caring nature. We are devastated to hear the news of his passing and are thinking of his family at this time.'

Kirsty (right) and Jesse (left), who worked closely with Bradey during last year's season, said they were 'lucky' to have known the pool expert, who had a reputation for being a perfectionist

'He was such a lovely, hard-working guy. He thought it was funny how tiny Kirsty was compared to all the tradesmen working on our house,' the couple said in a statement

Following the news of Bradey's death, it has emerged that he got married to wife Candice Howman in April - just six months before his passing.

In photos and videos shared to Facebook from their special day, the newlyweds are seen smiling and dancing surrounded by their loved ones.

The ceremony was held at the five-star Palazzo Versace hotel on the Gold Coast.

'Our magical wedding, April 23, 2022,' Candice wrote on Facebook earlier this week. 'It's our six-month anniversary today. Miss and love you forever.'

Following the news of Bradey's death, it has emerged he got married to wife Candice Howman in April - just six months before his passing. (The couple is seen on their wedding day)

Bradey, from A Plus Enterprises in Melbourne, was memorialised in the closing moments of Sunday night's episode of The Block.

A picture of Bradey in a tuxedo was shown at the end of the broadcast, alongside the caption: 'In memory of Jon Jeremy Bradey, 1980-2022.'

Fans of The Block will remember Bradey, known as 'Jon Jon' to his mates, for his work on Kirsty and Jesse's property during the 2021 season of the ratings blockbuster.

He also concreted Josh and Luke Packham's pool in the same season.

The ceremony was held at the five-star Palazzo Versace hotel on the Gold Coast

The father of three was a legend in the building industry and a 'devoted husband' and friend, reports the Herald Sun.

His reputation for precision earned him the nickname 'Mr One Per Cent'.

Reece Daniltchenko from Franklin Pools said the industry was shocked by his death.

'Jon Jon was a devoted husband, father and friend. Anything could be achieved when you had him in charge, which I had the privilege of witnessing first-hand,' said Mr Daniltchenko, who described Bradey as an 'industry icon'.

Bradey, from A Plus Enterprises in Melbourne, was memorialised in the closing moments of Sunday night's episode of The Block. (Pictured: The Block host Scott Cam)

'To have the opportunity to work with someone so reliable, trustworthy and a leader to his team, always gave me the confidence knowing that the end result will be delivered,' he added.

'A true legacy the great man has left behind, and the A Plus Enterprises team will no doubt uphold and has the full support and trust of everyone behind them.'

Bradey's widow said she was 'completely overwhelmed' by the love and support from friends of her late husband.

'From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you dearly,' she said.

The Block foreman Keith Schleiger (left) is pictured with Jon-Jeremy Bradey (right)

Bradey's funeral was held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Fox Road in Narre Warren North, Melbourne, on Monday.

He was buried at the Harkaway Cemetery.

His is survived by his wife Candice and three children, Anileese, Amelia and Kobe. No cause of death has been revealed.
Bethenny Frankel has been open and honest about her tough critiques of Kardashian-Jenner products, and the family as a whole, in a series of reviews on TikTok and Instagram.

But on Thursday, the former star of The Real Housewives Of New York City finally shared a good review of a family backed business when she checked out Kim Kardashian's SKIMS sock line.

'Will I like Skims socks,' the Skinnygirl founder, 51, shared off the top of a TikiTok video, as she shook a miniature magic eight ball to get its prediction.

While the magic eight ball didn't have a definitive answer, Frankel was quick to give props to the family, or a public relations person, for sending her Skims sock samples, even after sharing a laundry list of critiques of family-backed products in recent months.

Sims socks under review: After sharing harsh critiques of Kardashian-Jenner products in social media reviews, Bethenny Frankel has finally given a good review of Kim Kardashian's SKIMS sock line in a TikTok video

'I give them credit for sending them to me to be honest with you because... because I give them credit for sending them to me,' she revealed in the clip.

'That PR person may not be connected to other people who may not have wanted to send them to me. And they probably had me on some list but nevertheless, they sent them to me.'

After revealing that she was sent a bunch of different colors of socks, she admitted 'they feel very nice.'

She then doubled down and said the Skims socks 'feel luxurious', which she credited, in part, to the socks not being too thick.

Entertaining review: 'Will I like Skims socks,' the Skinnygirl founder, 51, shared off the top of a TikiTok video, as she shook a miniature magic eight ball to get its prediction

Props: Frankel credited the family, or a public relations person, for sending her samples of Skims socks after her previous touch critiques of Kardashian-Jenner products

More props: The Skinnygirl founder also gave props to Skins socks for not being too thick and that it doesn't come up with boots

The New York City native then posed the question to her fans: 'Doesn't that come up so much with boots?' before reiterating that some socks can come up with 'boots, booties. Like, you want to wear a sock and you want it to fell like it's giving some warmth but you don't want it to be too thick.'

'These are kind of luxurious,' she repeated again. 'They feel like they would bring them on a ski vacation for nighttime, but also good for fall.'

It's at this point that Frankel gave the ultimate review and confessed: 'I will wear these. I'm giving these 'an okay I like it Picasso, These are excellent. So whichever PR person slipped me through the cracks on that list, good for you, because these are excellent.'

She also went on to share: 'Skims wins' in the caption of the review.

Frankel, who's had plenty of success as an entrepreneur herself, also made sure to point out that she 'definitely is not paid by that brand... YET.'

Thumbs up: The RHONYC alum was honest in her assessment and said she would in fact wear Skims socks

God move: Frankel went on to share she was impressed the family or a PR person sent her samples of Skims socks: 'Good for you'

High praise: Frankel ended the good review by writing, 'Skims wins' in the caption

In previous social media reviews, Frankel did not hold back in sharing her honest opinions, which included when she sampled two products from Kim Kardashian's skincare line, Skkn by Kim, in August.

After test driving the eye cream and xfoliator, she called them 'impractical at best' and 'somewhat overpriced.'

She even bashed the egg-shaped packaging of the eye cream, describing it as 'bulbous' and adding that the round shape 'doesnt stack.'

The reality star also branded Kylie Jenner's Birthday PR Box a 'scam' in another review earlier in October.

She also claimed that the world needed an 'intermission' from the Kardashians in a recent episode of her podcast, Just B With Bethenny Frankel.

And while some people warned her of possible repercussions for being too harsh with her critiques, Frankel responded by saying she has been 'proud of herself for 'speaking [her] mind' when it comes to the Kardashian-Jenner clan, as reported by Yahoo News.

She concluded the clip by expressing that she wants to be someone who is 'straightforward' and that shes 'not afraid' of speaking up.

Glowing review: The reality star said the socks were perfect for a ski vacation and for fall play
To all the skeptics out there, Joy Behar wants to be clear  she's definitely made love to a ghost.

The View co-host, 80, added on to claims she made on a recent episode of the show that she had sex with several spirits in her lifetime.

During a conversation about more people believing ghosts live with them, Behar's past comments were brought up again.

Clearing it up: To all the skeptics out there, Joy Behar wants to be clear  she's definitely made love to a ghost

Sara Haines mentioned Joy Behar told her that 'everyone was so smart' they didn't need 'disclaimers' before several news outlets ran with the story.

Her other co-host Sunny Hostin pointed out that Behar 'doesn't even believe in ghosts.'

Despite the claims of her co-hosts, Behar deadpanned, 'So let me just set the record straight, OK? Its all true. Its all true. Its all true. I have had sex with ghosts. I just thought Casper was not a generous lover. The menage a trois, it was almost like having sex with myself.'

Adding on: The View co-host, 80,(left) added on to claims she made on a recent episode of the show that she had sex with several spirits in her lifetime

Not a believer: Her other co-host Sunny Hostin (right) pointed out that Behar 'doesn't even believe in ghosts

Attacking his prowess: Despite the claims of her co-hosts, Behar deadpanned, 'So let me just set the record straight, OK? Its all true. Its all true. Its all true. I have had sex with ghosts. I just thought Casper was not a generous lover'

She added at the end, 'People magazine, write another story. Go ahead.'

Despite the jokes, Hostin added that when she moved into her home, she called a priest to sprinkle holy water throughout it.

'I have a big cross over my front door because I'm not trying to live with ghosts,' she admitted.

She also mentioned how in the movie The Amityville Horror, a house tells its owners to 'get out' and they choose not to leave.

'If your house says "Get out," you got to get out,' she instructed the audience.

Right another: She added at the end, ' People magazine, write another story. Go ahead'

Superstitous: Despite the jokes, Hostin added that when she moved into her home, she called a priest to sprinkle holy water throughout it (pictured Oct. 27, 2022)

Behar made headlines last week when the group was discussing a story involving a Texas woman who believed she was being haunted by 'sexual' ghosts.

After showing a clip of the woman explaining her predicament, the panel on The View began joking about the situation to each other.

'So, let me help you out here,' said Joy with a grin. 'She's having a sexual hallucination, which, you know, we all have them.'

She plugged her co-host Sunny Hostin's novel Summer On The Bluffs, calling it an aid for 'sexual hallucination' and rhapsodizing about how 'wonderful' it is.

'Whackjob': With a grin, Joy said of the Texas woman: 'She's having a sexual hallucination, which, you know, we all have them'

'And never got pregnant': While discussing a story about a Texas woman who claims ghosts flirt with her, Joy joked that she has 'had sex with a few ghosts' herself

Joy explained that 'women like that, they wanna be turned on,' and with regard to the woman in Texas said: 'She's a whackjob, okay?'

'If you have sex with a ghost, do you get pregnant?' The View co-host Sara Haines asked and raised the question of whether it counts as 'cheating.'

'I've had sex with a few ghosts and never got pregnant,' Joy joked in such a low voice that the audience could easily have missed it.

However, Whoopi Goldberg drew attention to Joy's wisecrack.

'I'm just gonna let that ride,' she told the audience. 'I don't know how many of you heard what Joy just said but I'm gonna let it ride.'

As for her sex life on the earthly plane, Joy is married to her second husband Steve Janowitz, whom she tied the knot with in 2011.

A couple of years ago she dished on The View that she has 'tons and tons' of 'sex dreams' - and not just about Steve.

'I never had a sex dream about a famous person,' she said. 'It has to be somebody I either slept with once or am sleeping with presently or somebody I know.'

From 1965 until 1981 she was married to a college professor called Joe Behar, with whom she shares her daughter Eve.
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Millie Bobby Brown put her growing ink collection on display in a backless pink gown at the premiere of her latest film Enola Holmes 2, which premieres November 4 on Netflix.

The 18-year-old actress currently boasts four tattoos, including a tribute to her late grandmother Ruth who passed away in 2020 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Brown, who has Ruth's name scrawled in cursive on her left ribcage, was first revealed back in July while yachting with her boyfriend Jake Bongiovi in Italy.

Tattoo collection: Millie Bobbie Brown, 18, proudly displayed her four tattoos at the Enola Holmes 2 premiere in New York on Thursday, including a tribute to her late grandmother Ruth who passed away in 2020 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease

Delicate: Back in March, the brunette beauty got a small outline of heart tattooed on her collarbone and she also has a rose on the left side of her back

Iconic role: Located on her left wrist is a '011' tattoo, which is a nod to her Stranger Things character Jane 'Eleven' Ives

The Stranger Things star informed fans of her grandmother's passing via a heartbreaking Instagram post published in November 2020.

'Alzheimer's is evil. Its cruel. Taking away someones ability to remember memories and then how to function like a human being. Its so hard to sit there and watch,' penned Brown, who 'loved [Ruth] more than anyone could ever love.'

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Millie wasn't able to be with her grandmother in her last moments.

'I couldn't come home to give u one last snuggle because of Covid-19 so FaceTime was all that we had. I sang to you as much as my voice could take it, even when u were sleeping. These are memories ill never forget,' she wrote.

Though she never publicly announced her plans to pay homage to her 'guardian angel' with a tattoo, Brown has proudly displayed it over the past several months.

RIP: The Stranger Things star informed fans of her grandmother Ruth's passing via a heartbreaking Instagram post published in November 2020

Located on her left wrist is a '011' tattoo, which is a nod to her Stranger Things character Jane 'Eleven' Ives.

She nabbed the role at just 12-years-old, completely unknowing that it would turn her into a household name.

Eleven was taken from her mother as young child and made an unwilling participant in a CIA conducted experiment program. She was born with psychokinetic and telepathic abilities.

She is the series' main protagonist who goes head-to-head with the forces of The Upside Down, an alternate dimension with menacing forces.

Eleven has '011' tattooed on her wrist, which is how the children in the top secret program are identified.

Eleven: Located on her left wrist is a '011' tattoo, which is a nod to her Stranger Things character Jane 'Eleven' Ives

Same: Eleven has '011' tattooed on her wrist, which is how the children in the top secret program are identified; Brown as Eleven in Stranger Things season four

She nabbed the role at just 12-years-old, completely unknowing that it would turn her into a household name; Brown as Eleven in Stranger Things season one

Last year, Brown decided to get that same tattoo on her own wrist.

It first appeared in a promo image for her makeup line florence by Millie Bobby Brown back in December 2021. In the snap, she can be seen posing in a phone booth with her wrist slightly turned towards the camera.

It also made an appearance in photos taken on Brown's 18th birthday. She was captured posing in the back of a car clad in a sparkly blue getup with her tattooed wrist resting on a seat divider.

First sighting: The tattoo first appeared in a promo image for her makeup line florence by Millie Bobby Brown back in December 2021. In the snap, she can be seen posing in a phone booth with her wrist slightly turned towards the camera

Subtle: It also made an appearance in photos taken on Brown's 18th birthday. She was captured posing in the back of a car clad in a sparkly blue getup with her tattooed wrist resting on a seat divider

On display: Over the past several months, Brown has let her Stranger Things ink shine in more promo image for florence

Over the past several months, Brown has let her Stranger Things ink shine in more promo image for florence.

Brown will bid farewell to the character in the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. Production is scheduled to begin in 2023.

Back in March, the brunette beauty got a small outline of heart tattooed on her collarbone.

She debuted the subtle ink while donning a custom Louis Vuitton dress at the 2022 BAFTAs in London. It came just weeks after tattoo artist Sketch inked the star.

Debut: She debuted the subtle ink while donning a custom Louis Vuitton dress at the 2022 BAFTAs in London. It came just weeks after tattoo artist Sketch inked the star

In a post shared on March 31, Sketch called Brown as an 'absolutely incredible young woman' and posed for a selfie with her at his shop

In a post shared on March 31, Sketch called Brown as an 'absolutely incredible young woman' and posed for a selfie with her at his shop.

Last but not least, Brown has a rose tattooed on the left side of her back in black ink.

Though it's unclear when the Enola Holmes actress had it tattooed, it was first documented in a snap shared by her beau Jake on May 22.

In it, Brown is seen posing from the side in white tank top with a low-back, which allowed a glimpse at the new addition.

Brown has never spoken publicly about her feelings regarding tattoos, but with four under her belt, it's clear that the star is a big fan of body ink.

Rose: Last but not least, Brown has a rose tattooed on the left side of her back in black ink
Drew Barrymore and Victoria Beckham revealed their daughters have become friends after a chance meeting in a London park.

The 47-year-old talk show host while interviewing Victoria, 48, on Friday's episode of The Drew Barrymore Show shared how her daughters Olive, 10, and Frankie, eight, became friends with Victoria's daughter Harper, 11.

Drew in a sneak peek obtained by People said she was in London making her latest film and had her daughters with her while shooting.

Cool moms: Drew Barrymore and Victoria Beckham revealed their daughters have become friends after a chance meeting in a London park

'One day, my daughter went to a park, and you know, we didn't know anybody there, and she made a friend. I was so excited that she made a friend... and it turned out to be your daughter, Harper,' Victoria said.

Victoria shared that Harper has 'always loved playing with your girls because they're such adorable little girls.'

'Harper has really enjoyed getting to know your girls,' Victoria said.

Victoria also has sons Cruz, 17, Romeo, 20, and Brooklyn, 23, with husband David Beckham, 47.

Drew had Olive and Frankie while married to actor Will Kopelman, 44.

Will and Drew got married in 2012 and revealed their separation in April 2016.

Drew officially filed for divorce in July 2016 and it was finalized a few weeks later.

Posh Jr: Victoria and Harper are shown holding hands last month while leaving the Victoria Beckham fashion show after party during Paris Fashion Week

Two daughters: Drew had Olive and Frankie, shown in 2018 in Los Angeles, while married to actor Will Kopelman, 44

The Drew Barrymore Show premiered in September 2020 and is distributed by CBS Media Ventures.

The show was renewed in April for a third season.

Victoria was supported by her family recently as she presented her spring/summer 2023 looks from her fashion line at Paris Fashion Week.
Christian Wilkins has confirmed he identifies as male, but says he sees all gender as non-binary.

The model and actor, 27, said he gets 'asked about pronouns a lot' and feels 'very comfortable and happy' with who he is.

The son of Channel Nine star Richard Wilkins, who is ambassador for Victoria Racing Club, told News.com ahead of the Melbourne Cup: 'I think that all gender is non-binary, and at no point do I look at myself and I'm like, "I'm a man".

Christian Wilkins has confirmed he identifies as male, but says he sees all gender as non-binary

'But he/him still just does resonate with me more than they/them'.

Christian praised the VRC for taking a step in the right direction by allowing guests to drop strict gender-bound rules and 'express themselves' how they want.

It comes after Christian shared his coming-out story.

The influencer said there was never a particular moment when he decided to tell his famous father Richard about his sexuality, because he always knew the Today Extra host would accept him.

The model and actor, 27, said he gets 'asked about pronouns a lot' and feels 'very comfortable and happy' with who he is

Speaking on Phoebe Burgess' podcast Under the Gloss, Christian said one of his father's friends, whom he did not name, told him that Richard was expecting him to formally come out.

This suggestion upset him because he felt as though he shouldn't be obligated to come out unless he wanted to.

'The next Monday I went into dad's office and I was almost about to cry and I was like, "I just heard that you want me to say something and I think it's unfair that you do,"' Christian said.

Richard, who is one of the longest-serving presenters at Channel Nine, reassured his son he had no expectations, and that he didn't need to feel pressure to come out.

Christian recounted: 'He turned to me and was like, "Darling, if what you're saying is what I think you're saying, if you feel the need to say something, say it, but you don't need to say anything for me."

'And I think that that was so amazing to kind of hear because it never felt like something I wanted or needed to say and I loved that.'

It comes after Christian shared his coming-out story. The influencer said there was never a particular moment when he decided to tell his famous father Richard about his sexuality, because he always knew the Today Extra host would accept him

He said the moment really stuck with him because it was when he realised 'there was no need to prove myself to be accepted... I just was accepted for who I was.'

Richard, who has five children, has always been a passionate advocate for his son.

Earlier this year, Christian hit back at a Twitter troll who criticised him for wearing a dress to the Logie Awards.

The anonymous user @SaraVic333 tweeted on Tuesday 'it's not normal' for men to wear women's clothes, before adding: 'STOP normalising this bulls**t!!!'

Christian responded to this criticism by mocking the way some people react hysterically to men who like to wear dresses.

'What is happening to the world!!!! Masculinity is ending!!! Burn everything!!' he tweeted to rapturous support from his Twitter followers.

Christian put his best fashion foot forward on Sunday when he arrived on the Logies red carpet in a sheer backless dress.

He wore his long blond hair loosely, opted for a pair of quirky hoof-style heels, and accessorised with a dramatic necklace that draped down his back.

Christian made sure the cameras caught him at every angle as he showcased his modelesque features, including his chiselled jawline.
Sophie Monk and Kyle Sandilands have revealed the 'secret code' behind nail polish colours and how it can signal your relationship status to others.

Speaking on The Kyle and Jackie O Show, Sophie, 42, said she was considering painting her toenails the same shade as her open-toed shoes to ensure they matched.

Radio host Kyle Sandilands, 51, warned her to be careful as he heard white nails were 'usually the sign of a prostitute'.

Sophie Monk (pictured) revealed on Friday the 'secret code' behind nail polish colours and how it can signal your relationship status to others

However, guest host Sonia Jahshan, who was filling in for a sick Jackie 'O' Henderson, said white nail polish in fact signifies a person is looking for love.

'White nail polish now means single and available,' she said.

Sophie, who married her husband Joshua in March, joked she wouldn't wear that colour anymore after learning of its meaning.

Kyle Sandilands (pictured) told Sophie Monk he heard white nails were 'usually the sign of a prostitute'

Kyle then expressed amazement at discovering the apparent meaning behind white nail polish had shifted.

'I didn't realise different coloured nail polish represented a woman's status,' he said.

Earlier this month, reality star Brittany Hockley revealed a 'secret code' shoppers can use in the supermarket to show they are looking for love or open to swinging.

Guest host Sonia Jahshan said white nail polish in fact signifies a person is looking for love

The 35-year-old singleton said there are several little-known signs people use while shopping to make it clear they are looking for something more than just groceries.

'There is this myth you can go and pick up in a supermarket and there are all these signs and signals that you can pick up, depending on what's in your trolley,' she explained on her podcast Life Uncut.

Brittany added supermarket cruising requires single shoppers to get a trolley and head to the fruit aisle, where each item signals a different meaning.

'If you pick up a bunch of bananas, if they are upright, meaning the curve is facing up, this means you are single,' she said.
Nearly a month after the controversial 'Mexican Week' episode of Great British Bake Off, judge Prue Leith is addressing the incident.

The controversial episode aired earlier this month, featured the hosts Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas dressed in sombreros and ponchos with Fielding saying they shouldn't make Mexican jokes as Lucas added, 'Not even Juan?'

The episode was blasted for those and other insensitive comments, with Leith, 82, insisting they were not trying to offend viewers.

Addressing: Nearly a month after the controversial 'Mexican Week' episode of Great British Bake Off, judge Prue Leith is addressing the incident

Controversy: Nearly a month after the controversial 'Mexican Week' episode of Great British Bake Off, judge Prue Leith is addressing the incident

'There would have been absolutely no intention to offend. Thats not the spirit of the show,' Leith insisted in an interview with The New Yorker.

The episode - which airs under the title Great British Baking Show - featured the bakers tasked with making Mexican dishes.

They were supposed to make pan dulce, steak tacos with homemade tortillas, and tres leches cakes.

No intention: 'There would have been absolutely no intention to offend. Thats not the spirit of the show,' Leith insisted in an interview with The New Yorker

Aside from Fielding and Lucas' cold open jokes, viewers complained about the bakers mispronouncing words like 'pico de gallo' and a baker peeling an avocado like a potato.

While viewers sounded off quite frequently on social media, Professor Ignacio M. Sanchez Prado, a professor of Mexican cultural studies at Washington University, also had something to say in an NPR interview.

'The fundamental issue is that the episode and its campaign follow a script on Mexican culture that us Mexicans, from either side of the US-Mexico border, see very frequently,' Prado said.

Peeling: Aside from Fielding and Lucas' cold open jokes, viewers complained about the bakers mispronouncing words like 'pico de gallo' and a baker peeling an avocado like a potato

'The use of cartoonish sarapes and sombreros as props and disguises, the misidentification of Mexican food with the stuff sold in Taco Bell, the borrowing of beloved dishes like tres leches to make versions that have little recognisability to Mexicans, this is something that we see every Cinco de Mayo and every Hispanic Heritage Month,' Prado added.

The Mexican Week episode was not the first time the show caused cultural controversy.

A 2020 episode dubbed Japanese Week came under fire from viewers for using different kinds of Asian cuisine, with some thinking it perpetuates the stereotype that all Asian cooking is the same.

Controversy: The Mexican Week episode was not the first time the show caused cultural controversy

Host Lucas was also criticized for calling katsu curry 'cat poo curry' while the bakers were criticized for using Indian and Chinese flavors in their Japanese dishes.

Tomoko Kato, the executive pastry chef and owner of New York pastry shop, told Insider that she understood the criticism but added, 'there is room for both traditional and nontraditional' baking in Japanese cuisine.

'There is a style of Japanese cooking that strictly follows tradition. But that was not part of any of [the show's] challenges. Japan has so many distinct food styles and specialties. There is room for both traditional and nontraditional,' Kato added.
The Jonas Brothers united on Thursday, but, it was Nick's wife Priyanka Chopra who stole the show in West Hollywood.

The 40-year-old actress looked absolutely stunning while heading to a birthday party with plenty of her family in attendance in addition to Nick's older brothers Joe and Kevin.

Nick, 30, donned a baggy black blazer over a white t-shirt and pair of plaid, flared out pants. He walked in black dress shoes.

Night out: Priyanka Chopra looked absolutely stunning while heading to a birthday party in West Hollywood on Thursday with husband Nick Jonas as plenty of her family was in attendance in addition to Nick's older brothers Joe and Kevin

He clutched tightly to Priyanka's hand as they headed into Catch Steak, a popular steak house in West Los Angeles.

Nick's better half, 40, wore a lavender-colored dress covered in bright red roses with dull green leaves jutting out from the petals.

She matched a thin orange handbag to her matching high heels which ended in a point on her dainty feet.

Grabbing a bite: Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas went out to eat with Nick's wife Priyanka Chopra and a several members of her family

Holding hands: He clutched tightly to Priyanka's hand as they headed into Catch Steak, a popular steak house in West Los Angeles

Stylish dress: Nick's better half, 40, wore a lavender-colored dress covered in bright red roses with dull green leaves jutting out from the petals

More color: She matched a thin orange handbag to her matching high heels which ended in a point on her dainty feet

Her dark brown hair was parted in the middle and fell in thick strands down past her chest to the middle of her toned tummy.

Joe and Kevin entered the venue together as onlookers gawked at the famous singing group.

Kevin Jonas, 34, looked stylish in a navy blue suit which he wore over a gray button-down shirt he left unbuttoned near the top.

Joe Jonas, 33, wore a beige summer suit blazer and a pair of black trousers with shiny black dress shoes.

Members of Priyanka's family were spotted leaving Catch Steak LA at different times during the night of revelry, which was reportedly a birthday party.

Escorted: Bodyguards kept people back as the couple made their way into the event

Long locks: Her dark brown hair was parted in the middle and fell in thick strands down past her chest to the middle of her toned tummy

Other brothers: Joe and Kevin entered the venue together as onlookers gawked at the famous singing group

More family: Members of Priyanka's family were spotted leaving Catch Steak LA at different times during the night of revelry, which was reportedly a birthday party

Big event: The big event came just a couple days after Priyanka and Nick celebrated Diwali with their daughter Malti for the first time

The big event came just a couple days after Priyanka and Nick celebrated Diwali with their daughter Malti for the first time.

The couple looked stunning as they dressed in coordinated outfits to celebrate the Hindu Festival of Lights.

The actress and the musician and actor beamed in a sweet photo posted to his Instagram that featured their 10-month-old baby Malti.

Priyanka dazzled as she displayed her toned abs in a traditional champagne-toned lehenga with gold trim and a gold mesh top.

The Matrix Resurrections star styled her hair in a bun with a pink rose. She accessorized the ensemble with gold and diamond chandelier earrings.

Happy Diwali: Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra looked stunning as they celebrated Diwali Tuesday. Nick sent greetings on social media 'Such a beautiful Diwali celebration with my . Happy Diwali everyone. Sending joy and light to you all'

Family time: The family dressed in coordinating outfits, donning traditional Indian clothes for day four of the five day celebration

Nick was handsome in a traditional cream colored sherwani and white pants as he and his family marked day four of the five-day celebration.

The Only Human artist's hair was styled is dark waves and his beard was closely cropped as he held baby Malti, who was dressed in an adorable polka dot frock with a satin bow atop her head.

The baby's face was covered by a big red heart, as her parents are determined to protect her privacy.

Nick wrote greetings on social media to his millions of fans. 'Such a beautiful Diwali celebration with my . Happy Diwali everyone. Sending joy and light to you all.' #Diwali.

The happy family celebrated the festival of light in a room beautifully decorated with white candles and bright pink flowers.

A second photo shows Priyanka holding the baby in her lap as she sits on the floor while the little one grasps her father's finger.
Cuban legislators blast U.S. trade embargo

Xinhua) 13:25, October 28, 2022

People take part in a caravan in Havana, Cuba, on March 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhu Wanjun)

The remarks came ahead of the Cuban government's presentation of its annual draft resolution against the embargo before the UN General Assembly scheduled for November.

HAVANA, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Cuban legislators on Thursday condemned the intensification of the U.S. trade embargo against the Caribbean nation during a parliamentary hearing.

Addressing the audience, Cuba's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said the U.S. economic sanctions are aimed at creating social discontent among the Cuban people.

"The U.S. blockade is intended to avoid the success of a project committed to the Cuban people's interests," he said, adding that equity and social justice are guiding principles of the Cuban socialist revolution.

The remarks came ahead of the Cuban government's presentation of its annual draft resolution against the embargo before the UN General Assembly scheduled for November.

Cuba's First Deputy Minister of Public Health Tania Cruz said the U.S. government restricted the island's access to medical supplies, medicines and reagents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Neither can we access valves and pacemakers made in the United States, which are used for the treatment of patients with cardiovascular diseases," she said.

According to Cuban official data, the U.S. sanctions in the past six decades has cost the Cuban economy a total of 154.2 billion U.S. dollars.

First imposed in 1962, the embargo was tightened by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who put in place 243 more sanctions, including banning all flights from the United States to Cuban destinations except for Havana and capping remittances Cuban Americans can send to their families back home.

The current U.S. administration allowed airlines to resume flights to other Cuban cities and lifted the cap on remittances, but the web of sanctions against Cuba remains largely in place.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
On Wednesday, Russia started a series of exercises meant to mimic how it would react to a nuclear assault. These included mock launching of ballistic and nuclear missiles.

The annual "Grom" drill, which translates as "thunder," was remotely supervised by President Vladimir Putin after the Russian leader warned that his military must be prepared to employ "all means available" to thwart foreign foes.

Putin Blames West For Ukraine War

According to Russian state media source RIA Novosti, the test launches of nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles were successful. The launch of a Sienna ICBM from a Russian nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea, the test fire of a Yars land-based ICBM, and the firing of cruise missiles from Tu-95 strategic bombers were among the specific events.

In accordance with a US-Russia armaments deal, Russia informed the United States in advance about these yearly military drills. The usual Russian military exercise comes as Russian authorities have claimed Ukraine is preparing to use a "dirty bomb," a claim that has been widely refuted by Western officials.

Sergey Shoygu, the Russian defense minister, brought up the concept in recent conversations with his colleagues from the US, France, and the UK, but days before, the foreign ministers from the three Western countries released an united statement calling the Russian assertions "transparently untrue."

Similar to this, Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general of NATO, stated on Tuesday that "Russia frequently accuses others of what they intend to do themselves. We have observed this trend previously, and Russia must not invent justifications to escalate the situation. The entire globe is keeping tabs."

Russian authorities allege that Ukraine is conducting its dirty bomb development at two facilities, although Ukrainian officials have welcomed the UN's nuclear monitoring agency to deploy a team of inspectors there, as per Washington Examiner.

Read Also: King Charles III To Retain Prince Harry, Prince Andrew for Major Role as Monarch's Plan Revealed

Russia-Ukraine War: Putin Downplays Moscow's Defeat

Putin appeared to downplay Russia's losses in its war with Ukraine and claimed that the battle he started was inevitable after years of rising tension when he spoke at a meeting of international policy experts the day after supervising a nuclear training exercise.

The Russian President stated he had no intention of launching a nuclear bomb in Ukraine despite making many subtly disguised references to Russia's nuclear weapons recently: "There is no value in it, not political, nor military," he added. The international order that the West imposed after the fall of the Soviet Union, according to a transcript by The Telegraph, is likewise "coming to an end," according to the Russian leader.

Putin asserted that "humanity now faces a choice: accumulate a load of problems that will inevitably crush us all or try to find solutions that may not be ideal but working and could make the world more stable and secure." He called the current decade among the most "dangerous" and "unpredictable" since World War II.

Putin's speech at the Valdai Club, a Moscow think tank and discussion forum, came after what Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu described as a successful training exercise by the nation's Strategic Deterrence Forces on Wednesday.

The exercise was designed to simulate launching a "massive nuclear strike" in response to a potential nuclear attack on Russia. The idea that Ukraine intends to deploy a "dirty bomb," which mixes explosives and radioactive substances to cause panic but not necessarily harm, has recently been promoted by Russian authorities.

While the United States and its allies have dismissed the claim as false, Ukraine has charged that Russia is ready to detonate such a weapon. Per USA Today, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters Thursday that the Pentagon has not seen any evidence that either side intends to deploy a dirty bomb.

Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: USA Officially Sends Warning to Vladimir Putin Over Potential Use of Nuclear Weapons

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Ashton Kutcher wore a Boy Scouts of America outfit on Thursday while heading to a Halloween party in Los Angeles.

The 44-year-old actor earned a merit badge for costuming as he wore a red cap with the yellow fleur-de-lis symbol for the youth organization founded in 1910 along with a tan shirt with a red BSA logo.

Ashton completed his scout look with green trousers cinched with a black belt and matching green boots.

Halloween costume: Ashton Kutcher wore a Boy Scouts of America outfit on Thursday while heading to a Halloween party in Los Angeles

He also carried another set of clothes on hangers while heading to the party in the Studio City area.

Ashton in August revealed that he had been diagnosed two years earlier with vasculitis and it impaired his hearing, vision and mobility for a year.

The Iowa native during an episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge told the survival guide that the symptoms occurred out of nowhere.

The performer told Access Hollywood that the autoimmune isease 'knocked out my vision, it knocked out my hearing, it knocked out like all my equilibrium.'

Costume badge: The 44-year-old actor earned a merit badge for costuming as he wore a red cap with the yellow fleur-de-lis symbol for the youth organization founded in 1910 along with a tan shirt with a red BSA logo

He did express, however, that living with the condition made him appreciate his life in a newfound way.

Ashton has been married since 2015 to actress Mila Kunis, 39.

They both starred together on the Fox television series That '70s Show that aired from 1998 to 2006.

Feeling better: The Iowa native, shown in July in Los Angeles revealed in August that he had been diagnosed two years earlier with vasculitis and it impaired his hearing, vision and mobility for a year

They have eight-year-old daughter Wyatt and five-year-old son Dimitri together.

Ashton recently starred in the black comedy Vengeance that was released in July by Focus Features.

He also has a starring role opposite Reese Witherspoon, 46, in the upcoming romantic comedy film Your Place Or Mine scheduled for release in February 2023 on Netflix.
They both achieved global fame in 2020 when their respective shows became worldwide hits.

So Bridgerton's Phoebe Dynevor and Normal People star Paul Mescal no doubt had plenty to talk about when they attended a gala night performance of Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club in London on Thursday.

Cosying up for snaps, the duo seemed in high spirits as they chatted away ahead of the show.

Two's company: Bridgerton's Phoebe Dynevor and Normal People star Paul Mescal attended a gala night performance of Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club in London on Thursday

Phoebe, 27, looked casually chic as she sported a pair of quirky white jeans with a bold black print.

She teamed the garment with a long-sleeved shirt bearing the silhouette of a skyline and a pair of black boots.

The daughter of Coronation Street star Sally Dynevor completed her look with a small black cross body bag and gold hooped earrings.

Low-key glamour: Phoebe, 27, looked casually chic as she sported a pair of quirky white jeans with a bold black print

One to watch: Phoebe gained global recognition after starring as Daphne in the eponymous Bridgerton family, following an array of child acting and a role in Waterloo Road

Phoebe gained global recognition after starring as Daphne in the eponymous Bridgerton family, following an array of child acting and a role in Waterloo Road.

And it appears her schedule isn't set to slow down anytime soon, with the beauty recently being cast in new spy thriller Inheritance.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Phoebe will play a daughter thrown into a world of "secrecy and crime" after her estranged father suddenly reappears.

Cool and casual: Paul, 26, cut a casual figure in a plain white T-shirt and jeans that he paired with a black cardigan bearing a rose print

Two's company: The star seemed in high spirits as he posed for snaps alongside Micheal Ward

Racy: The actor shot to fame starring alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones in BBC drama Normal People, about two young lovers - gaining particular attention for their intimate sex scenes

Meanwhile, Paul, 26, cut a casual figure in a plain white T-shirt and jeans that he paired with a black cardigan bearing a rose print.

The actor shot to fame starring alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones in BBC drama Normal People, about two young lovers - gaining particular attention for their intimate, realistic sex scenes.

He'll next be seen in Aftersun, which is set for release in the UK on 18 November.

Legs eleven: Jenni Falconer also attended the performance and looked incredible in a tight black leather mini dress that she paired with a boxy blazer and a pair of scarlet heels

Aftersun tells the story of a woman who reminisces about going on a childhood summer holiday to Turkey with her father, with the flick being shot on location in the country.

Director Charlotte Wells has described the feature as 'emotionally autobiographical' as she sought to explore the relationship between a young daughter and her father.

Aftersun won the jury prize when it premiered during the 2022 Cannes Film Festival as part of International Critics' Week.
Rocco Ritchie cut a dapper figure as he attended the Ralph Lauren celebration of Polo Originals at the 1 New Bond Street flagship store on Thursday.

The 22-year-old looked suave in a brown plaid blazer which he teamed up with a light tan shirt and distressed grey jeans, along with black leather shoes.

Madonna and Guy Ritchie's son, known for his vintage sense of style, accessorised his shirt with a round metal disc and styled his short brown hair into a messy quiff.

Suave: Rocco Ritchie looked dapper in a brown plaid blazer and distressed grey jeans as he attended the Ralph Lauren celebration of Polo Originals at the flagship store on Thursday

It comes after Rocco put on a cosy display with a mystery woman as they enjoyed a night out at Oswald's in London earlier this month.

Rocco looked on cloud nine as he shared a playful kiss with the stunning brunette thought to be celebrity makeup artist Isamaya French.

The pair were seen chatting with a group of friends on the street, with one of them taking a photo of the girl planting a smooch on Rocco's cheek.

Rocco and the mystery lady were then seen strolling hand in hand through the city centre at the end of their night.

What a pair! Mathias le Fevre and Ciinderella Balthazar appeared to be in high spirits

Dapper: Nils Kuesel (left) looked smart in a black suit while Matthew Zorpas (right) cut a chic figure in a white sweater and a shearling jacket

Gang: David Jonsson, Dominque Tipper and Sope Dirisu (L-R) beamed from ear-to-ear

The appearance comes after Rocco credited his parents Madonna and Guy Ritchie for raising him in a 'creative household' that has now led to his art career.

He is currently carving out a career as a painter and has even co-founded his own gallery called Maison Rhed, the name taken from his alias Rhed which he used at the beginning of his career.

Speaking to Vogue Hong Kong, Rocco told how, although neither of his parents are painters, they fostered a love of art in him from a young age.

Relations: The appearance comes after Rocco credited his parents Madonna and Guy Ritchie for raising him in a 'creative household' that has now led to his art career (pictured with Madonna and his sister Lourdes in September)

He said: 'It certainly helped growing up in a house that was passionate about art and culture.

'Neither of my parents are painters, but both are artists in their own right and they taught me to appreciate and respect it.

'Their shared fascination eventually piqued my interest and since I can remember I've always been surrounded by it.'

In order for his work to be viewed on merit alone, Rocco, who took a fine art degree at Central St Martins in London, released his earlier work under the name Rhed.
Scott Cam has shared his devastation after the death of tradie Jon-Jeremy Bradey.

The host of the popular renovation reality show The Block described Bradey as 'an excellent tradesman' who will be sorely missed.

'It's really very tragic as we're like a family at The Block' the 59-year-old said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Friday.

Scott Cam (pictured) has shared his devastation after the death of tradie Jon-Jeremy Bradey. The host of the popular renovation reality show described Bradey as 'an excellent tradesman' who will be sorely missed

'The Block isn't just about the cast and crew, it's also about the tradespeople who support us over so many seasons.

'Jon was an excellent tradesman who built countless pools for contestants on the show and always did an expert job.

'Our thoughts are with his family at this time, and we're so sorry to hear of his passing.'

Bradey (pictured), died on October 14 at the age of 42

The pool expert (pictured) from A Plus Enterprises in Melbourne was memorialised in the closing moments of Sunday night's episode of The Block.

Bradey built swimming pools for several homes on the Channel Nine renovation series.

The respected tradesman died on October 14 at the age of 42.

Bradey had married the love of his life Candice Howman in April just six months before his tragic death two weeks ago.

'It's really very tragic as we're like a family at The Block' the 59-year-old Scott said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Friday

In photos and videos shared to Facebook from their special day, the newlyweds are seen smiling and dancing surrounded by their loved ones.

The ceremony was held at the five-star Palazzo Versace hotel on the Gold Coast.

'Our magical wedding, April 23, 2022,' Candice wrote on Facebook earlier this week.

'It's our six-month anniversary today. Miss and love you forever.'

Bradey had married the love of his life Candice Howman (pictured on their wedding) in April just six months before his tragic death two weeks ago.

Bradey, a pool expert for A Plus Enterprises in Melbourne, was memorialised in the closing moments of Sunday night's episode of The Block.

A picture of Bradey in a tuxedo was shown at the end of the broadcast, alongside the caption: 'In memory of Jon Jeremy Bradey, 1980-2022.'

Fans of The Block will remember Bradey, known as 'Jon Jon' to his mates, for his work on Kirsty and Jesse's property during the 2021 season of the ratings blockbuster.

He also concreted Josh and Luke's pool in the same season.

The ceremony was held at the five-star Palazzo Versace hotel on the Gold Coast

The father of three was a legend in the building industry and a 'devoted husband' and friend, reports the Herald Sun.

His reputation for precision earned him the nickname 'Mr One Per Cent'.

Reece Daniltchenko from Franklin Pools said the industry was shocked by his death.

'Jon Jon was a devoted husband, father and friend. Anything could be achieved when you had him in charge, which I had the privilege of witnessing first-hand,' said Mr Daniltchenko, who described Bradey as an 'industry icon'.

'The Block isn't just about the cast and crew, it's also about the tradespeople who support us over so many seasons,' Cam told Daily Mail Australia

'To have the opportunity to work with someone so reliable, trustworthy and a leader to his team, always gave me the confidence knowing that the end result will be delivered,' he added.

'A true legacy the great man has left behind, and the A Plus Enterprises team will no doubt uphold and has the full support and trust of everyone behind them.'

Bradey's widow said she was 'completely overwhelmed' by the love and support from friends of her late husband.

'From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you dearly,' she said.

The Block foreman Keith Schleiger (left) is pictured with Jon-Jeremy Bradey (right)

Bradey's funeral was held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Fox Road in Narre Warren North, Melbourne, on Monday.

He was buried at the Harkaway Cemetery.

Bradey is survived by his wife Candice and three children, Anileese, Amelia and Kobe. No cause of death has been revealed.
Natalie Imbruglia was spotted having a tough time at Sydney airport on Friday.

The youthful 47-year-old struggled with a huge trolley of her checked out luggage.

Looking glamorous as ever in a stylish woollen jacket, the London based beauty was on her way to Melbourne to continue her tour with famed Italian tenor Andrei Bocelli.

Spotted at Sydney airport on Friday Natalie Imbruglia (pictured) was on her way to Melbourne to continue her tour with famed Italian tenor Andrei Bocelli. The Torn star looked as glamorous as ever in a woollen jacket, chunky boots, bue jeans and T-shirt

Pushing a trolley stacked with half-a-dozen pieces of luggage, including suit cases and travel bags, the Torn star looked determined in her casual outfit of blue jeans and T-shirt.

Pairing her practical travel clothes with a pair of retro-style chunky high-heeled lace-ups, Natalie wore her long dark locks out.

The beauty accessorised with a large black hand bag, a pair of tinted sun-glasses, and ear rings, as she made her way through the terminal with a bag slung over one shoulder.

Pushing a trolley stacked with half-a-dozen pieces of luggage, including suit cases and travel bags, the Torn star looked determined to make her way through the crowded terminal

She completed her look with a touch of makeup, including an attractive shade of flesh-coloured lip stick.

The pop star first rose to fame after selling more than four million copies worldwide with her 1997 debut single Torn.

Natalie has always been known for her youthful visage, and in 2014 revealed the secret behind her amazing complexion.

'Sleep is probably the best thing,' she told Daily Mail Australia at the time.

The beauty accessorised with a large black hand bag, a pair of tinted sun-glasses, and ear rings. She completed her look with a touch of makeup, including an attractive shade of flesh-coloured lip stick Pictured: Natalie unloads her luggage at Sydney airport on Friday

'I go on lots of little detox holidays and do take care of myself, and then I eat what I want and have a drink, so I just enjoy life,' she added.

The former X Factor judge also thanked her parents for her fantastic complexion.

'It all down to genes. My dad's Italian, my mum's gorgeous, I think a lot of it's that. I mean I do take care of myself, not as much as some people have,' Natalie stated.
Jemma Kidd cut a glamorous figure as she attend the Fashion Trust Arabia Prize 2022 at The National Museum of Qatar on Wednesday in Doha.

The make-up artist, 48, wowed onlookers in a dazzling red sleeved gown while making her red carpet debut with her billionaire partner Arpad Busson, 59.

They went Instagram official with their relationship earlier this year, posting a holiday snap together in St Moritz, and have kept a fairly low profile until now.

Couple: Jemma Kidd, 48, donned a dazzling red gown as she made her red carpet debut with her billionaire partner Arpad Busson, 59, at the Fashion Trust Arabia Prize on Wednesday

French financier Arpad went for smart casual, pairing black tie with Nike Air trainers.

Former model Jemma split with her husband, the Marquess of Douro in 2020.

Luckily, she seems to have found love again with Arpad who appears to have a penchant for leggy blondes.

He was previously with Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson between 1996 and 2005. They share songs Flynn, 24, and Aurelius, 19.

Pictured: Jemma with her previous partner Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Mornington, in June 2018

Earlier this year, Jemma and Arpad looked cosy as they were seen together for the first time while holidaying in St Moritz.

Jemma sported a striking fur hat while Arki gripped a furry blanket to keep out the cold.

Aristocrat Jemma and Arki had been flirting at exclusive London members club 5 Hertford Street in May last year.

Things have moved on considerably since then, with the couple enjoying a horse-and-cart ride and dinner dates in the luxury resort.

Jemmas 15-year marriage to Arthur Wellesley, the 9th Duke of Wellingtons elder son, ended amicably in 2020, while Arki was once Uma Thurmans fiance.

The pair have colourful family histories. Arkis step-grandfather, Hungarian financier Arpad Plesch, had a prized collection of esoteric pornography.

Jemmas great-grandfather, Sir Rowland Hodge, was convicted of hoarding 168lb (6oz) of bacon and ham during the First World War.
Sydney-born Paul Hogan is longing to call Australia home once more.

But the 83-year-old Crocodile Dundee comedy icon, who is based in Los Angeles, says he won't leave behind his adult son Chance, who was born in the USA.

The legendary star said he would rather live in Australia because he is homesick.

Sydney-born Paul Hogan (pictured in 2020) is longing to call Australia home once more, the comedy icon told The Daily Telegraph on Friday

He currently shares a home in Venice Beach with Chance, 24, a punk rocker, who Hogan describes as 'American'.

'The only family [Chance has got] is me,' Hogan told The Daily Telegraph.

All of Chance's close relatives, including his grandparents, have died, the Aussie superstar said.

The 83-year-old Crocodile Dundee comedy icon, who is based in Los Angeles, says he won't leave behind his American-born adult son Chance (pictured) to return home

Rocker Chance is the enigmatic front-man for LA punk band Rowdy P. Pictured in 2018

And even though Chance loves to visit Australia Hogan says, his home is in the US.

'All his friends, his band, musician mates, girlfriends, everything - they're all American,' Hogan explained.

'He only has me, whereas my tribe at home, they've all got each other.'

Chance is Hogan's youngest child, who he shares with his Crocodile Dundee co-star Linda Kozlowski, 64.

'The only family [Chance has got] is me,' Hogan told the publication. Chance is Hogan's youngest child, who he shares with his Crocodile Dundee co-star Linda Kozlowski, 64. Linda, Paul and Chance are pictured in 2013

'I've been homesick for years,' Paul said on Friday. Chance is Pictured in 2015

He left his first wife Noelene to pursue a love affair with much-younger Linda, now 64, and they wed in 1990. Chance is their only son.

He moved to Los Angeles in 2005 with Kozlowski. The couple split in 2013 and Paul has played a primary role in raising Chance.

'I've been homesick for years,' he said during the interview on Friday. 'I miss the people, the ambience  and there's something you just can't put your finger on, but there's something about Australia that is friendlier and more laid-back.

'It never takes itself seriously  there's no arrogance like there is in other places.'

The superstar who made millions off the box-office hits Crocodile Dundee (1986) and Crocodile Dundee II (1988) said he will be back in Australia before Christmas for a visit.

Hogan was spotted out and about for the first time in over a year back in August as he ran errands in his crime and homeless-ridden Los Angeles neighborhood

The last time Hogan, 82, was photographed in public was last May when he was thought to be pinning up an angry note to vagrants camped outside his $3.5million Venice mansion

Hogan was spotted out and about for the first time in over a year back in August as he ran errands in his crime and homeless-ridden Los Angeles neighborhood.

The last time he had been photographed in public was last May when he was thought to be pinning up an angry note to vagrants camped outside his $3.5million Venice mansion.

Hogan denied writing the sign that read, 'THIS IS MY HOUSE NOT YOURS,' despite being pictured holding a red marker near the note. He claimed he was carrying the red marker near the sign because he was leaving instructions for an electrician.

In an interview with Sunrise last year, Hogan said he was 'desperate' to return to Australia and leave his life in America behind.

'I am desperately homesick,' he said.

The actor lives in the once-elite beachside suburb of Venice, where an increase in homelessness has resulted in a terrifying crime wave

The superstar who made millions off the box-office hits Crocodile Dundee (1986) and Crocodile Dundee II (1988) said he will be back in Australia before Christmas for a visit. Pictured: Hogan as his iconic hero, Mick 'Crocodile' Dundee

His home is in the once-elite beachside suburb of Venice, where a vast increase in homelessness has seen hundreds of tents line the beach's famous boardwalk and a sharp increase in crime.

'I'm living in LA County, which is 10 million people and half of them have got Covid. So am I homesick? You bet your life,' Hogan complained.

When asked how he was coping with Los Angeles' crime wave, Hogan simply said he 'doesn't go anywhere.'

'[I'm] bored in lockdown, and the minute I can get on the plane without being locked in a hotel for two weeks, I'm back,' he said in 2021.

'Where Paul lives is hell on earth,' Hogan's neighbor Tyler Proctor, a local politician, said last year. 'His house is like a fortress and it needs to be. I can see why [he] wants to move out.'

Hogan, who is best know for depicting heartthrob adventurer Mick Dundee in the 1986 romantic adventure classic, has just completed a new book called Australia According to Hoges.

In it, Hogan, the one-time blue collar worker from Granville, in western Sydney turned movie and TV star shares bits of his family history and tells tales about some of his favourite Aussie characters.
Lila Moss sent temperatures soaring as she arrived at Laylow Private Members' Club for a Halloween party in London on Thursday night.

The model daughter of Kate Moss, 20, flashed her legs in a black pinstripe miniskirt while going braless beneath a charcoal blazer.

Meanwhile, her mum's half-sister Lottie, 24, left little to the imagination in a frilly pink bra and a tiny blue miniskirt as she attended the same event separately - however it is unknown whether they interacted with one another.

Earlier this year, it was reported Lila 'won't have anything to do with her aunt Lottie' due to her antics with the wrong crowd'.

Hot stuff: Lila Moss flashed her legs in a black pinstripe miniskirt as she arrived separately to her aunt Lottie at a Halloween party on Thursday - after reports Kate's daughter 'is mortified at the OnlyFans star's behaviour'

Lila continued her outfit with a pair of black tights featuring star prints and donned a pair of Doc Marten boots, while toting her essentials in a coordinating handbag.

Lottie reportedly had a secret feud with her supermodel sister, 48, who was 'mortified' by her behaviour, which saw her post scantily-clad photos and joke about drugs after being admitted to rehab in the US earlier this year.

Her superstar sibling reportedly 'fell in and out of sympathy' for her and has been left with her 'head in her hands' due to Lottie's questionable career choices.

Page Six claimed a family source told how even Kate's daughter Lila 'won't have anything to do with Lottie' due to her antics with the wrong crowd.

Sizzling: Meanwhile, her mum's half-sister Lottie, 24, left little to the imagination in a frilly pink bra and a tiny blue miniskirt as she attended the same event separately

Eek! It is unknown whether they interacted with one another

The insider said: 'During lockdown, Kate invited Lottie to come and live with her in the Cotswolds at her country house. Lila point-blank refused to have anything to do with Lottie on social media.'

The catwalk veteran, who was pictured alongside lines of a mysterious white powder in 2005, also allegedly finds it difficult to be around people who abuse cocaine and alcohol.

They added: 'Kate was frustrated because Lottie kept on wanting to drink and posting sexually provocative stuff on Insta all the time. It isn't easy for Kate to be around people who are drinking, and she definitely won't be around anyone who is using cocaine.

'Lottie had been in Los Angeles, running with a fast crowd, and Lila was not into it at all. She is disdainful of Lottie. Another time Lottie dyed her hair pink with Lila's help, and Lila refused to be in a single picture on Instagram with her.'

Awkward! Earlier this year, it was reported Lila 'won't have anything to do with her aunt Lottie' due to her antics with the wrong crowd'

Out of this world: Lila continued her outfit with a pair of black tights featuring star prints and donned a pair of Doc Marten boots, while toting her essentials in a coordinating handbag

Pals: Lila was joined by a group of pals as they arrived at the club

When Lottie finally departed the Vogue cover star's home 'in a foul mood', she left behind two bottles of her sister's favourite bottle of wine which was interpreted as a 'f**k you' gesture, according to the publication.

Kate and Lottie's representatives were contacted for comment by MailOnline at the time.

At the time, Lottie's father confirmed the model is doing 'just fine' in rehab while she seeks treatment for drug addiction.

After Lottie was accused by a follower of focusing more on her social media content than her recovery, Peter Moss told The Sun that his daughter is 'fine'.

Happier times: Lottie's superstar sibling, 48, (right) has reportedly 'fallen in and out of sympathy' for her and has been left with her 'head in her hands' due to her questionable life choices (pictured in 2014)

Peter is also shares Kate with fist wife Linda Shepherd. Lottie's mother is model Inger, who is his second wife.

On Wednesday the influencer revealed she's in rehab for substance abuse issues at an unspecified facility in the United States.

Lottie - whose career has taken a rather different trajectory to that of her sister - shared a series of TikTok videos as she explained she is receiving treatment for 'drug addiction'.

Referencing HBO's new series Euphoria - which focuses on a group of drug addicted high school students - Lottie added: 'I think I took euphoria too literally u guys.'

Wow! Lottie continued to post scantily-clad photos and joke about drugs after being admitted to rehab in the US

Lottie has remained active on social media and continues selling 18+ content on OnlyFans, despite attempting to change her lifestyle - a fact that has not gone unnoticed by followers.

In a second post, she wrote: 'The staff at r3h4b when I go outside for the 10000th time to $mok3.[sic]'

The video saw her miming to 'yes I will be having a motherf***ing cigarette today. If you're offended by a f***ing cigarette you might as well jump off a cliff now.'

After she shared the video, one follower commented: 'In rehab but more focused on making videos? Not putting in the work needed....' with Lottie replying: 'Everyones recovery is different - have a sense of humour.'

For help with substance abuse in the UK talk to FRANK on 0300 1236600

In the US call the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. on 1 (800) NCA-CALL (622-2255)
James Corden has gushed about his wife and pride for Britain as the talk show host plans his return to the UK.

The Late Late Show host, 44, spoke openly about his relationship with his wife Julia Carey describing the moment that he met her as a miracle.

Corden and his family are preparing to leave Los Angeles to return to his native UK, with the move coming after he was hit with a huge backlash after being accused of abusing staff at Balthazar.

He joked on Good Morning Britain that his wife must look at him every day and go What did I do? It's a huge mistake!

Moving on: James Corden appeared on Good Morning Britain on Friday to talk about his return to the UK and his relationship with wife Julia

Romance: The talk show host, 44, opened up on his pride for Britain after his years in Los Angeles and his love for his wife Julia Carey (pictured together in 2011)

James Corden and wife Julia officially moved into this Brentwood home in December 2017 after purchasing the property for $9.7 million

The funny man said that being in the US was never his 'final destination' and described the UK as 'amazing'.

James said: 'I love where we live, I love being in Los Angeles I love it but we always knew it was an adventure and not a final destination.

'This place is amazing, this little island. The things it's created, the things it's given the world. I've always been very proud to call it home.'

He is planning to sell his $9.7million LA home, with realtor Alicia Drake spotted at his Brentwood mansion last week with Million Dollar Listing LA star James Harris.

The home also came with this massive space that was previously used as a recreation room

Home country: On his return home, he said that being in the US was never going to be a 'final destination' and described the UK as 'amazing'

Home! The Cordens swapped their $10 million Los Angeles home to return to Blighty

The Gavin and Stacey star has revealed he will be stepping down as host of The Late Late Show, and said the last show would be 'emotional'.

He said: 'It's going to be really emotional. It's going to be a real thing to draw it to a close. I'm so proud of what we've done.'

Speaking about how he met his wife Julia, 46, he gushed: 'I absolutely knew minute one that I couldn't do any better than this. When I met Jules It's a miracle.

'Every day she must just look at me 'What did I do? It's a huge mistake!''

The family will relocate in the coming months, with James Harris insisting that he was only at the Corden's home as a 'social' thing.

His property won't be listed publicly, and will be sold in a private sale, with DailyMail.com's exclusive pictures showing Harris leaving the property last week.

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

'Emotional': The Gavin and Stacey star has revealed he will be stepping down as host of The Late Late Show, and said the last show would be 'emotional'

Harris' wife Valeria is close friends with Julia, and the Million Dollar Listing star insisted that he was not there to appraise the house.

Friends of James have previously spoken of his wish to return to his native Britain 'to be closer to family'.

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.

James 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 that's taken up so much of his time.

'We're 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.'

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

The sprawling home has a massive backyard with its own pavilion and swimming pool

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.

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.

The amenities in the backyard provide plenty of shaded spots to shield the family from the hot Southern California sun

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

The massive kitchen included plenty of counterspace for the family to cook as well as multiple options for spaces to eat

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, McNally claimed the comedian berated servers on two separate occasions and said he planned to 86  ban  Corden from his restaurant.

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.

Realtor Alicia Drake, pictured, confirmed Corden's property is up for sale. She said: It wont be listed - its a private sale.

Corden, seen driving earlier this week, was reportedly one of the rudest customers Balthazar owner Keith McNally

A bathroom on the home's second floor led out to a balcony overlooking the beautiful backyard

On the second occasion, Corden blew up when his wife Julia was served an egg yolk omelet that also contained a trace of egg white - which the comedian later claimed she was allergic to.

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.'

One of the bedrooms had a massive floorplan that allowed for additional couches. The room also featured its own fireplace

Enough is enough: McNally described Corden's alleged blowups in June and earlier this month, while also claiming he behaved similarly at his previous restaurant

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.'

Good Morning Britain weekdays from 6am on ITV & ITV Hub
Maya Jama was among the attendees as the Fashion Trust Arabia Prize in Qatar on Wednesday evening amid ongoing controversy surrounding the country.

The new Love Island host, 28, joined a host of celebrities at the ceremony in Doha as the country's appalling human rights record hits the headlines ahead of the upcoming World Cup, which is being held in the country next month.

During the event, Maya put on a dazzling display in a sparkly black thigh-split gown, which she teamed up with matching stockings for the event which was held at the National Museum Of Qatar.

Wow! Maya Jama put on a dazzling display in a sparkly black thigh-split gown as she posed ahead of the Fashion Trust Arabia Prize Awards in Qatar for a Friday Instagram post

She accessorised her look with shimmering silver earrings and a coordinating bracelet, having swept her raven locks into a wet look.

Maya added inches to her enviable frame with a pair of black heels, while wearing lashings of mascara and a glossy nude lip.

The TV personality, who sent pulses racing while pouting for the camera with the city skyline behind her, wrote in her caption: 'Quick 24hour trip for Fashion Trust Arabia.'

Other notable guests in attendance included the likes of supermodel Naomi Campbell, 51, and model Jourdan Dunn, 32.

Fashion Trust Arabia aims to support talented local fashion designers.

Stunning: She accessorised her look with shimmering silver earrings and a coordinating bracelet, having swept her raven locks into a wet look

Kiss-kiss: She sent temperatures soaring as she pouted for the camera

Swanky: In her caption, the TV personality wrote: 'Quick 24hour trip for Fashion Trust Arabia'

Maya appeared to have a great time at the event, sharing a picture of herself in a chauffeur-driven car before a video of herself dancing on the night out.

Maya joined social justice warrior, Bella, 26, who has previously been vocal about issues, appeared to be in the mood to party alongside her father Mohamed Hadid.

The event comes just weeks ahead of the Qatar World Cup, with the Arab state facing growing criticism over its treatment of women, migrant workers and LGBT people.

Primary concern is the contractual conditions for hundreds of thousands of migrant workers employed to turn the tiny emirate into a region capable of hosting football's biggest tournament.

Party time: Bella Hadid , Naomi Campbell and Poppy Delevingne a host of celebrities at the Fashion Trust Arabia Prize ceremony in Qatar capital city Doha on Wednesday amid controversy surrounding the country's appalling human rights record

Maya joined he likes of Bella Hadid, 26, who has previously been vocal about social justice issues, and appeared to be in the mood to party alongside her father Mohamed Hadid.

The event came just weeks ahead of the Qatar World Cup, with the Arab state facing growing criticism over its treatment of women, migrant workers and LGBT people.

Primary concern is the contractual conditions for hundreds of thousands of migrant workers employed to turn the tiny emirate into a region capable of hosting football's biggest tournament.

In good company: Bella attended the glamorous event, which takes place weeks before the World Cup, alongside her father Mohamed

In recent weeks, Bella has spoken out on social media about the current protests in Iran, following the death of a young woman who died after being arrested by the morality police.

She shared several posts from human right activist and designer, Celine Semaan Vernon including her own impassioned message.

Since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was revealed, women across the Islamic Republic have been burning their hijabs, the head covering mandated by the Iranian government, and cutting their hair.

'Our sisters are being murdered for the right to be. The right to exist in all their freedom, she wrote, 'The freedom of choosing of their sovereignty over their own bodies. Unarmed, facing with police and their weapons. How can women make a militarized dominant majority so threatened and insecure?'

'The control of our bodies is the same need to control our lands our earth. Patriarchy is the disease.'

Guest: Bella wore a navy figure-hugging dress at the event which she paired with eye-catching silver earrings

Strike a pose: She posed for an obligatory series of photos shortly after arriving at the glamorous ceremony

Anger: Nations have spoken out against the country and its position as 2022 World Cup host (pictured: A 'boycott Qatar 2022' banner, unfurled during a UEFA Champions League group G match between Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City)

Style: Also in attendance at the event was Poppy Delevingne who opted for a sleeveless white dress with a feathered detail along the chest and a light grey dot print

Fashion: The model cinched her waist with a gold strap while she added height to her frame with a pair of heels

Bella has also been vocal about her opinions on the geopolitical conflict between Israel and Palestine on social media in the past.

In one post, she said: 'I feel a deep sense of pain for Palestine and for my Palestinian brothers and sisters today and everyday. watching these videos physically breaks my heart into 100 different pieces.

'You cannot allow yourself to be desensitized to watching human life being taken. You just can't. Palestinian lives are the lives that will help change the world. And they are being taken from us by the second. #FreePalestine.'

Bella wore a navy figure-hugging dress at the event which she paired with eye-catching silver earrings.

Elegant: Janet Jackson wore a pair of black leather trousers along with a matching blazer with a sheer train

Centre of attention: The R&B legend posed on a specially built stage as she arrived at the event on Wednesday evening

Flawless: Jourdan Dunn wore a white long-sleeves dress with a cut out detail and leg split

Red carpet: Maya Jama opted for a black flowing dress and a matching pair of tights

Also in attendance at the event was Poppy Delevingne who opted for a sleeveless white dress with a feathered detail along the chest and a light grey dot print.

The model cinched her waist with a gold strap while she added height to her frame with a pair of heels.

Veteran supermodel Naomi Campbell also stood out on the night after arriving in a sweeping embellished gown with layered detailing.

Star: Love Island host Maya styled her locks into loose curls for the evening

She's pleased: The new Love Island presenter flashed a smile as she greeted onlookers at the star-studded event

Stunning: Maya looked radiant as she posed for photographers after arriving at the event on Wednesday evening

Radiant: Leomie Anderson (left) opted for a green long-sleeved gown while Karolina Kurkova (right) sported a white dress with a floral print

Qatar has faced intense scrutiny of the physical and contractual conditions for hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in the tiny emirate since the World Cup hosting rights were won 12 years ago.

It is yet to be seen how much time World Cup broadcasters will spend highlighting the allegations against the Qatari government, which include 2013 claims by The Guardian that workers were denied food, water, and were stripped of their passports.

Some allege they were not paid, or if they were, the payments were minimal and long overdue. A 2019 Daily Mirror investigation found that 28,000 workers were paid roughly $1 an hour over a 48-hour week.

Most damning, The Wall Street Journal reported in 2015 that over 1,200 workers died building the infrastructure for the tournament. Last year, The Guardian put that figure at closer to 6,500.

Here we go: Bella received an award after taking to the stage at the star-studded event on Wednesday

She's pleased: The supermodel beamed as she made her way towards the podium at Doha's National Museum

Qatar also punishes homosexuality with imprisonment and considers men to be the guardians of their female relatives.

It also has strict laws on alcohol, drugs, public intimacy, relationships outside marriage, dress codes and swearing.

In March, FIFA president Gianni Infantino claimed Qatar has been progressive on labor rights: 'I am pleased to see the strong commitment from the Qatari authorities to ensure the reforms are fully implemented across the labor market, leaving a lasting legacy of the FIFA World Cup long after the event, and benefiting migrant workers in the host country in the long term.'

Some campaigners have urged celebrities to boycott the World Cup, with Robbie Williams and David Beckham both coming under criticism for associating with the competition.

Robbie was recently unveiled as one of the music acts set to play at the Qatar Live concerts during a press conference in Doha.

Meanwhile, David agreed a 10million deal to become an ambassador for the country over a decade, which has resulted in him being the face of the World Cup 2022.

Work in progress: The site of the Fan Village Cabins Free Zone during construction ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, September 20, 2022

It's been a busy month for Maya, who has just been confirmed as the new Love Island host, replacing Laura Whitmore, who quit the show in August after three series.

Maya is to begin hosting the first of two series of Love Island, which will be filmed in South Africa, from early 2023.

Maya said in a statement: 'I've always been such a massive Love Island fan and I'm so excited to be hosting one of the nation's favourite shows! I can't wait to get into the Villa to meet all of the Islanders.'

Documenting it all! Maya appeared to have a great time at the event, sharing a picture of herself in a chauffeur-driven car ahead of the night out

Both Maya and Love Island shared a video of herself scrolling through stories about her being the rumoured presenter on various media outlets to confirm the news.

The Love Island account shared: 'Okay, the rumours are true Say hey to your brand-new #LoveIsland host @mayajama!'

Maya wrote in the comments section: SO BLOODY EXCITED. GET ME ON THAT ISLAND. '
North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles Friday, its first in two weeks, as the US military warned Pyongyang that employing nuclear weapons would "end" the leadership of Kim Jong-un.

The two launches occurred at noon local time on Friday in the Tongchon area of the North's eastern coastal region, according to a statement released by Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff. It was reported that the maximum height reached by both missiles was 24 kilometers (approximately 230 kilometers; 140 miles) (15 miles), AP News reported.

The launches, which the statement calls "a grave provocation" that threatens peace in the region and goes against United Nations Security Council measures, were forcefully condemned by South Korea.

The US Indo-Pacific Command called the North Korean missile launch as evidence of the "destabilizing impact" of North Korea's covert nuclear and ballistic missile development.

#INDOPACOM Statement on #DPRK Missile Launch: "We are aware of the ballistic missile launches and are consulting closely with our allies and partners."



Read more https://t.co/4IxSUq7OfO  U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (@INDOPACOM) October 28, 2022

The Japanese Defense Ministry said that it detected the launches and that the type of missiles launched and the details of their flight path were still being examined, per ABC News.

The Foreign Ministry of South Korea reported that shortly after the launches, the country's senior nuclear envoy spoke by phone with his American and Japanese counterparts.The three agreed to increase trilateral coordination on addressing the North Korean nuclear threat while calling on it to cease missile tests and resume dialogue.

The simultaneous launches were the first North Korean ballistic missile tests since October 14 and occurred on the final day of South Korea's 12-day "Hoguk" field exercises, in which an undisclosed number of US forces participated.

South Korea Announces 'Vigilant Storm'

South Korea's Air Force announced on Friday that the country's airspace will be used for the Vigilant Storm exercise from October 31 to November 4, according to The Korea Herald.

There will be a total of 240 combat aircraft mobilized by Seoul and Washington.

Read Also: Israel, Lebanon Officially Approves US-Brokered Maritime Agreement: Here's What's In It

The South Korean Air Force wants to send 140 aircraft, including stealth F-35As, F-15Ks, KF-16s, and KC-330 tankers.

Roughly a hundred planes, including F-35B stealth fighters, EA-18 electronic warfare planes, KC-135 tankers, and Lockheed U-2 spy planes, will be sent into action by the US Air Force.

The Vigilant Storm exercises will highlight the first teaming up of F-35A and F-35B stealth jets from South Korea and the US.

Pyongyang is enraged by the military exercises and explains the barrage of missile launches it has been conducting as "countermeasures" against an impending invasion.

Unparalleled Retaliation Awaits Pyongyang If It Pushes Nuclear Bomb Test

According to Al Jazeera, Seoul and Washington have frequently warned that Pyongyang may be close to conducting its first nuclear test since 2017. This comes after a series of North Korean missile launches.

Seoul recently warned North Korea may be planning to conduct numerous consecutive nuclear tests as part of leader Kim Jong Un's goal to create tactical nukes, smaller, battlefield-ready weapons.

Earlier today, President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea warned that North Korea was planning a seventh nuclear test.

If North Korea conducts a nuclear test, the United States, South Korea, and Japan have threatened an "unparalleled" retaliation.

In a brief statement, the United States Indo-Pacific Command called the North Korean missile launch "unlawful" and reaffirmed the US "ironclad" pledge to safeguard South Korea and Japan.

Related Article: China Robot Dog with Machine Gun on the Back Goes Viral [Video and Full Details]

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Charlie Teo had his gorgeous girlfriend on his arm for a date night following a tough week in the headlines hitting back at accusations about some of his surgeries.

The controversial neurosurgeon and his model love, Traci Griffiths, left a gala event in Sydney hand-in-hand and appeared smitten.

Traci, 47, flashed a diamond ring as she left the venue, after rumours that the pair had become engaged.

Charlie Teo had his gorgeous girlfriend on his arm (above) for a date night. The controversial neurosurgeon and his model love, Traci Griffiths, left a gala event in Sydney this week hand-in-hand and appeared smitten

The designer looked absolutely stunning in a midnight blue satin dress with a one-shoulder design and a daring thigh-high split.

She added a pair of towering, clear heels and opted for a soft makeup look with pink lipstick.

The 64-year-old surgeon opted for a navy suit which he wore with the jacket removed, a white shirt beneath.

Traci, 47, flashed a diamond ring as she left the venue, after rumours that the pair had become engaged

The ring was on display during the couple's date

The designer looked absolutely stunning in a midnight blue satin dress with a one-shoulder design and a daring thigh-high split

He completed his look with leather dress shoes and a flamboyant tie and wore his usual specs.

The couple stayed close together as they left the venue, holding hands as they walked down the street.

The world renowned surgeon was first rumoured to be engaged to Traci after she was spotted with a ring on her finger last year.

The world renowned surgeon was first rumoured to be engaged to Traci after she was spotted with a ring on her finger last year

Dr Teo denied the speculation insisting the pair had made no plans on marrying

The 64-year-old surgeon opted for a navy suit which he wore with the jacket removed, a white shirt beneath

Dr Teo denied the speculation insisting the pair had made no plans on marrying.

Traci has indicated otherwise by uploading photos of herself alongside her brain surgeon boyfriend with the tags '#ilovemyfiance' and '#myfiance'.

She has been using the tags as early as May when she uploaded a video of herself attending the Charlie Teo Rebel Foundation Ball.

The couple stayed close together as they left the venue, holding hands as they walked down the street

Griffiths has been uploading photos of herself alongside her brain surgeon boyfriend with the tags '#ilovemyfiance' and '#myfiance'

Another post was made in June and showed the pair dressed up in 1920s party attire after attending a Great Gatsby-themed party.

Both posts had the tags '#ilovemyfiance' and '#myfiance'.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Dr Teo and Traci for comment.

Traci is a former model, pet apparel designer and animal conservationist who promotes health and wellbeing on her social media pages.

Griffiths is a former model, pet apparel designer and animal conservationist who promotes health and wellbeing on her social media pages

She is a volunteer director at Zambi Wildlife Retreat and runs Miyow and Barkley - a pet designer accessory store.

The blonde beauty is also a reiki practitioner and launched a Reiki For Health website in December.

Griffiths was introduced to Dr Teo in 2011 and has reportedly been operated on twice by the renowned surgeon.

The beauty is a volunteer director at Zambi Wildlife Retreat and runs Miyow and Barkley - a pet designer accessory store

The pair 'grew closer' after Dr Teo ended 30 years of marriage and split with his wife Genevieve Agnew in 2018.

It comes after fans of A Current Affair slammed the show for airing an 'unfair interview' with Dr Teo on Tuesday.

During the broadcast, host Tracy Grimshaw grilled the surgeon on recent claims he made false promises to patients and charged large sums of money for futile operations that left some of them catastrophically injured.

It comes after fans of A Current Affair slammed the show for airing an 'unfair interview' with controversial neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo on Tuesday

The claims, which Dr Teo furiously denied, were originally aired by Channel Nine's 60 Minutes on the weekend.

Critics have since branded the ACA interview a 'hack job' and 'witch hunt', claiming it unfairly painted Dr Teo as an immoral, money-hungry physician whose successes are overshadowed by his failures.

'I would always support Dr Charlie Teo. He is an amazing man and we need him. Typical Current Affair. No wonder I don't normally watch it,' one viewer tweeted.

'Another hack job on Dr Teo. It's BRAIN SURGERY!!! Things go wrong,' tweeted another, adding: 'Hate to disillusion you, Tracy, but all patients are lab rats and have been since surgery [was] invented. Also, patients listen with rose coloured glasses They don't hear the bad, only the good, and complain later.'

During the broadcast, host Tracy Grimshaw (pictured) grilled the brain doctor on recent claims he made false promises to patients and charged large sums of money for futile operations that left patients catastrophically injured

One critic branded the episode 'the most disgraceful piece of journalism,' while another tweeted: 'This horrible witch hunt is so typical in Australia. Why? He has saved the lives of numerous people I know.'

They added: 'He helped where other doctors abandoned the patients. I just don't understand.'

Other users called Dr Teo a 'hero' and accused ACA of perpetuating 'tall poppy syndrome'.

One critic branded the episode 'the most disgraceful piece of journalism,' while another tweeted: 'This horrible witch hunt is so typical in Australia. Why? He has saved the lives of numerous people I know'

On the other hand, some viewers have claimed Grimshaw was fair and balanced in her approach to interviewing Dr Teo.

'Tracy Grimshaw gave a masterclass in the right balance with Dr Charlie Teo on A Current Affair tonight,' one tweeted.

'Thanks Tracy for a balanced interview with Dr Teo. He addressed all points as well. This interview dispelled a very negative picture projected by 60 Minutes,' another agreed, adding: 'May Dr Teo continue to help those desperately ill.'

On the other hand, some viewers have claimed Grimshaw was fair and balanced in her approach to interviewing Dr Teo

Dr Teo has been unable to operate in Australia for the past 15 months without written approval from a fellow surgeon due to restrictions placed on him by the Medical Council of NSW after the body received three complaints.

He's also under investigation from the Healthcare Complaints Commission.

Fresh details of the allegations came to light this week when he was accused of charging huge fees to the desperate families of two children, one of whom was left vegetative and both of whom died within a year.

For the last 15 months, Dr Teo has been unable to operate in Australia without written approval from a fellow surgeon due to restrictions placed on him by the Medical Council of NSW after the body received three complaints

Dr Teo strenuously denied claims he made false promises to patients during his is interview with Grimshaw.

'No, absolutely not,' Dr Teo said adamantly. 'Look, I know I didn't.'

Grimshaw also asked Dr Teo how he saw his Healthcare Complaints Commission hearing being played out.

'How do you see the future for you?' she continued.

An emotional Dr Teo hesitated for a few moments before responding.

'Oh... Tracy,' he said.

The pair 'grew closer' after Dr Teo ended 30 years of marriage and split with his wife Genevieve Agnew in 2018

In another part of the interview, Grimshaw grilled the surgeon on the question that has divided Australians - who is the real Charlie Teo?

'They either believe the critics who think you're a cowboy who has a God complex or they believe you're a hero who pushed the convention and they're trying to figure who is the real Charlie Teo,' she explained

'That's what I want to do. I want to shed some light on that so they can answer that for themselves.'

'Can you understand there are these two clear images of you?'

Dr Teo agreed, replying: 'Yeah, I understand that. Because you always think other people respond the way you respond. So, in other words, if you're money hungry you're going to think everyone else is money hungry.'

'If you're a bad person, you're going to think everyone else will act badly. If you're a good, kind, person, then you expect that of other people. So of course you're going to project your own feelings and prejudices onto someone else,' he added.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson showed off his bulging biceps on Friday afternoon, as went to meet a friend in Notting Hill.

The English actor, 32, cut a typically casual figure in a white T-shirt that showed off his huge bicep muscles.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron star carefully clutched onto his fluorescent pink phone as his blue denim jeans complemented his white top.

Majestic: Aaron Taylor-Johnson showed off his bulging biceps on Friday afternoon, as went to meet a friend in Notting Hill

The father of two's long brunette locks were in their usual curls, and he carried a backpack over his shoulders.

Before meeting a friend, Aaron looked intent as he donned a stylish long overcoat in the chilly London lunchtime.

Friday's appearance in the capital comes just over a week after Aaron took to Instagram to share a picture of himself in France.

Staring into the distance: The English actor, 32, cut a typically casual figure in a white T-shirt that showed off his huge bicep muscles

Aaron wrote: 'Au revoir' as one follower commented: 'I just need to know where you got that jacket?'

The actors' toned physique may coincide with the fact that Aaron's upcoming film Kraven the Hunter is in post-production.

Playing the title character, Aaron's new superhero film is set to release in October 2023.

Au revoir: Friday's appearance in the capital comes a week after Aaron took to Instagram to share a picture of himself in France

The film will follow Russian immigrant Sergei Kravinoff on a mission to prove that he is the greatest hunter in the world.

Alongside Aaron, Kraven the Hunter will star Russell Crowe and Ariana DeBose.

Speaking on the new film, Aaron said: 'Kraven being shot entirely on location is going to make all the difference. It's going to add something really beautiful to our personal story. It also sets Kraven apart from that Marvel stage look.

'It's important for this character to be in the real world. It's important for the authenticity of the story. When you're running on streets barefoot, you take in those elements and play within that.'
Georgia Toffolo looked worse for wear as she climbed into a taxi with her boyfriend George Cottrell after a fun-filled night out at Loulou's in London on Thursday.

The Made in Chelsea star, 28, put on a very leggy display and appeared tired after hitting the town ahead of Halloween weekend.

She showed off her incredible figure in a black vest top with a sheer skirt and added a few inches to her frame with a pair of black platform heels.

Boozy? Georgia Toffolo looked worse for wear as she climbs into taxi with her boyfriend George Cottrell after fun-filled night out at Loulou's in London n Thursday

Night out: Georgia put on a very leggy display in a short LBD with platform heels

Georgia, also known as Toff, accessorised with a dainty silver pendant and slung a black handbag with a silver strap across one shoulder for the boozy night out.

She accentuated her features with a touch of bronzer and a slick of pink lipstick and appeared bleary-eyed as she got into a taxi.

The star was joined by her aristocratic boyfriend George, who cut a smart figure in a navy suit with a dusty blue tie and a white shirt.

George, who has previously spent time in jail for wire fraud, put his hand on his forehead as looked tired after the fun-filled night out.

Stylish: She showed off her incredible figure in a black vest top with a sheer skirt and added a few inches to her frame with a pair of black platform heels

Their joint outing comes after Georgia revealed she had started 'seeing' her aristocratic ex boyfriend George again.

The pair initially sparked romance rumours back in 2019, but were said to have cooled things off.

But in May, the TV personality said she is 'really, really happy' after rekindling the spark.

In a chat with The Sun, the TV personality explained that she is keeping her romantic life private, to avoid having to 'justify' things if they go wrong.

Worse for wear: She accentuated her features with a touch of bronzer and a slick of pink lipstick and appeared bleary-eyed as she got into a taxi

But adding a small insight, Georgia told the publication: 'All I can say is that we have just been hanging out, and I'm really, really happy and everything's going really well and I don't want to jinx everything'

George, who was a former aide for Nigel Farage when the pair were involved in the UKIP party, is also a convicted felon - being jailed in the US in 2016 for wire fraud in connection with a drugs and money laundering investigation.

The financier, who is reportedly worth 300million, spent eight months in a US jail.

Bleary-eyed: George, who has previously spent time in jail for wire fraud, put his hand on his forehead as looked tired after the fun-filled night out

Figure-hugging look: Georgia, also known as Toff, accessorised with a dainty silver pendant and slung a black handbag with a silver strap across one shoulder for the boozy night out

But standing up for her relationship, Georgia also told the publication: 'I don't want to have to justify why I'm with someone or why I'm not.'

Admitting that while she'd like to share more detail on her personal life, the star said that the speculation is 'too much for me'.

'I'd like to sort of shout from the rooftops about everything, but when you've got people speculating whether I am with someone, that is too much for me. I've got to keep one bit for me,' she explained.

Romance: Their joint outing comes after Georgia revealed she had started 'seeing' her aristocratic ex boyfriend George again

The confirmation came after Georgia had been spotted spending time with George in recent months.

The pair were spotted at a London heliport back in March, appearing alongside the banker's former boss Nigel.

Later that month, they also enjoyed an al-fresco lunch in west London - amping up the speculation of their reunion.
Tammy Hembrow has discussed how she deals with 'feeling lonely'.

The Gold Coast influencer, 27, shared a series of selfies to Instagram on Friday alongside a long caption.

'Something so special about the connection we all have. We all share this human experience' she wrote.

Tammy Hembrow (pictured) has discussed how she deals with 'feeling lonely'. The Gold Coast influencer, 27, shared a series of selfies to Instagram on Friday alongside a long caption

'We all share in feeling human emotions. Love, joy, sadness, loss. We all go through things, good and bad.

'We're all connected in that way. And I hope that if you're every feeling lonely you remember that. We're not as different as you think'.

Alongside the caption, Tammy stripped down for selfies in a skimpy bikini and showed off her famous derriere.

Alongside the caption, Tammy stripped down for selfies in a skimpy bikini and showed off her famous derriere

'We're all connected in that way. And I hope that if you're every feeling lonely you remember that. We're not as different as you think' she wrote

It comes after Tammy once again fuelled rumours she's split with her fiance Matt Poole following a telling detail on her Instagram account.

Earlier this month, the fitness influencer appeared to have unfollowed the former Ironman, 34, despite them being seen together the prior weekend.

According to the account @influencer.updates.au, the pair had recently shared photos of them together while at a Timezone arcade.

It comes after Tammy once again fuelled rumours she's split with her fiance Matt Poole following a telling detail on her Instagram account

'Tammy and Matt were seen on stories together at Timezone on the weekend,' the account shared via their Instagram Stories. 'Now Tammy has unfollowed Matt again.'

It isn't the first time Tammy has wiped Matt from her 'following' list. Eagle-eyed fans have spotted the Tammy Fit founder repeatedly following and unfollowing him by eagle-eyed fans in recent months.

The couple, who recently welcomed their first child together, have been facing split rumours for weeks.

Earlier this month, the fitness influencer appeared to have unfollowed the former Ironman, 34, despite them being seen together the prior weekend

Speculation of their break-up came after Matt had been notably absent from Tammy's recent outings and Instagram feed.

Tellingly, Tammy has not been wearing her engagement ring.

Matt was first rumoured to have split with Tammy last month, just three months after welcoming their daughter Posy in June.

They have previously denied that they've broken up.

Tammy welcomed her third child, Posy Poole (pictured), in June

Tammy and Matt recently travelled to Bali together with their newborn as well as her other two kids: son Wolf, six, and daughter Saskia, five.

The couple began dating in 2020 and became engaged in November 2021.

Just two weeks after revealing they were engaged, they announced they were also expecting their first child together.
River Phoenix made a guest starring appearance on Michael J Fox's hit TV series Family Ties in 1985.

And the young actor - who died in 1993 - became close to the veteran star, Fox told People this week.

Fox talked about Phoenix's kindness as many years later, when River was a massive star, they continued to be close. And he shared a heartwarming story: When Michael was filming 1991's Doc Hollywood in a small town in Florida, River stopped by to take him to dinner to make sure he wasn't lonely.

Kindness: Michael J. Fox recalled a pep talk he gave to the late River Phoenix on the set of Family Ties resulted in multiple acts of kindness in later years

'River Phoenix and his brother [Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix] had a place [in Florida], and River would take us out,' Fox explained.

'He used to come and scoop us up and take us to his place and have a barbecue. It's funny because that was an act of kindness that was built on an act of kindness.'

The Family Ties actor said he believes the food and friendship may have been the result of a pep talk he gave River a few years prior while he had a guest slot on the popular sitcom.

Guest star: River, who died at the age of 23, had a guest role on the hit sitcom in 1995

Goofy: Fox said he could see that the teen 'really knew how to be an actor but he was struggling on this one scene,' so he asked him the problem and River replied 'I feel goofy...'

Pep talk: In his pep talk the Emmy winner told Phoenix, 'We use things that we're not really using and we eat things that we're not really eating... and it's all goofy, but if you stick with it, you can find a way to tell a story that other people can't'

'I was looking at this guy,' the Emmy winner remembered, 'I think Tracy [Pollan, my wife] was on the show that episode.

'And I said, "Look at this kid working. This kid is taking this 10 ways from Sunday and he is really coming at it." I mean, kids don't act like this. He really knew how to be an actor but he was struggling on this one scene.'

When Fox approached the young star to find out the problem, River replied, '"I feel goofy, I feel like a d***." And I said, "Welcome to the business. That's it. That's the highest level of accomplishment you'll get is to feel like a d***.' It's stupid. It's a stupid thing to do for a living.''

'"We pretend we're other people for a living," the more experienced Fox elaborated.

'"We use things that we're not really using and we eat things that we're not really eating and we stand in a place because the light's better there and it's all goofy, but if you stick with it, you can find a way to tell a story that other people can't,"' Fox told Phoenix.

Kindness returned: Fox, seen here in 1991's Doc Hollywood, said while he was shooting the comedy that River and his younger brother, Joaquin, were living close by and would 'scoop us up and take us to his place and have a barbecue'

Stand By Me: River Phoenix starred in 1986's Stand By Me, as a part of a group of friends who go looking for the body of a pal after he disappears. He died in 1993 as the result of drug intoxication

IMDB.com lists Phoenix's guest slot on Family Ties as being in 1985, the year before his standout performance in Stand By Me.

'I guess that's why he was always so nice to me when he became a huge star,' the actor contended.

In his short career River Phoenix went on to received an Academy Award nomination for his work in 1988's Running on Empty. He died of heart failure due to drug intoxication in 1993.

Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, and revealed his condition in 1998. He founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000 has has since raised more than $1.5 billion for research and therapies to treat the degenerative condition that affects the nervous system and affects movement. The actor retired in 2020 due to health concerns.

Foundation: Since establishing the Michael J Fox Foundation in 2000, the actor has raised more than $1.5 billion for research into treatments and therapies for Parkinson's disease (Pictured with wife Tracy Pollan in New York October 2021)
The swimwear designer won the BBC business show back in 2018.

And on Friday, Sian Gabbidon, 30, exhibited her sensational curves in a skimpy bikini during a getaway to Jamaica with her hunky boyfriend Clint Gordon.

The former Apprentice winner showed off her toned frame in the white Brazilian cut swimwear set while relaxing with her beau at Secrets St James in Montego Bay.

Hot couple alert: On Friday, Sian Gabbidon, 30, exhibited her sensational curves in a skimpy bikini during a getaway to Jamaica with her hunky boyfriend Clint Gordon

Sian kept things simple in her triangle, tie-side bikini, which showed off both cleavage and underboob as she strolled barefoot along the sand.

Her actor boyfriend Clint - who joined Coronation Street in April to play Matty - showed off his buff physique in a pair of swim shorts during their beach day.

Sian gushed about her other half, who she has been dating for more than ten years, when Gabbidon won the business show in 2018.

She said: 'He's been amazing. He has been my rock throughout this whole process. The hardest part of The Apprentice was being away from my family and my boyfriend for that long.'

Incredible: The former Apprentice winner showed off her toned frame in the white Brazilian cut swimwear set while relaxing with her beau at Secrets St James in Montego Bay

PDA: The couple keep their hands of each other as they packed on the PDA

Wow! Sian kept things simple in her triangle, tie-side bikini, which showed off both cleavage and underboob

Cheeky: Clint placed a hand on Sian's bare behind as they cooled off in the sea

Back in April it emerged that Lord Sugar had 'cut off' former Apprentice winner Sian.

The entrepreneur, who founded a bespoke swimwear company, was hired as the business mogul's partner in 2018, but he has since ceased to be a director in the venture.

According to The Sun, his position within the company was 'terminated' last month whilst his investment company, Amvest Limited, has also been removed.

Playful: The Apprentice star kept her eye on her actor beau during their day at the beach

Hot stuff: Her actor boyfriend Clint - who joined Coronation Street in April to play Matty - showed off his buff physique in a pair of swim shorts during their beach day

Paradise: The loved-up pair soaked up the sun in the stunning Jamaican resort

Designer diva: Sian packed her belongings into an oversized designer tote bag

Previously Lord Sugar has parted ways with the 2015 winner Joseph Valente, Alana Spencer, who won in 2016, and James White who was crowned the winner in 2017.

The entrepreneur invested 250k into Sian Marie Fashion, but documents obtained from Companies House have revealed that he stepped down earlier this week.

Lord Sugar chose Sian despite describing her company as a cottage industry' given that she had sold only 400 bespoke swimsuits during its two years trading.

MailOnline contacted Sian and Lord Sugar's reps for comment at the time.

Loving life: The raven haired beauty flashed a wide smile as she relaxed with her man
Kanye West's ex-girlfriend Julia Fox made a very rare sighting with her son Valentino, age one, on Thursday.

The beauty ditched her outrageous outfits - think her tiny bra tops and strappy undies - in favor of a more 'mommy' look when walking in a park in New York City.

The 32-year-old Uncut Gems actress displayed her toned arms in a black tank top with graphic designs as she added slacks and military boots.

Unusual: Kanye West's ex-girlfriend Julia Fox made a very rare sighting with her son Valentino, age one, on Thursday

She donned a pair of black cargo pants and thick soled ankle boots as she pushed the toddler's stroller through a park.

A large black and white sweatshirt was tied around her slim waistline.

Her dark hair was parted in the middle and brushed straight and the model wore a pair of wire framed sunglasses.

The look: The beauty ditched her outrageous outfits - think her tiny bra tops and strappy undies - in favor of a more 'mommy' look when walking in a park in New York City

Motherhood: Julia shares her son with ex-husband Peter Artemiev. The couple were married in 2018 and divorced in 2020, before Valentino was born

Julia shares her son with ex-husband Peter Artemiev. The couple were married in 2018 and divorced in 2020, before Valentino was born.

While she received accolades for her role in 2019's Uncut Gems opposite Adam Sandler, Julia is best known as West's ex-girlfriend. The two dated briefly.

The pair began dating earlier this year after meeting at a New Year's Eve party in Miami, but only lasted a few weeks with Julia's rep releasing a statement on Valentine's day saying 'Julia and Kanye remain good friends and collaborators but they are no longer together.'

Cargo pants: The model donned a pair of black cargo pants and thick soled ankle boots as she pushed the toddler's stroller through a park

In a New York Times interview published in March the busy actor blamed conflicting schedules on the split. 'I already had a jam-packed life. How do I fit this really big personality into this already full life? It just wasn't sustainable,' she said.

She also shared that she dropped weight when with West: 'I lost like 15 lbs in that month.'

In an interview with ES, the Italian born beauty elaborated a bit more about her relationship with the troubled rapper, saying, that she noticed some red flags resulting from the Donda artist's divorce from ex-wife Kim Kardashian, 42.

'It just seems like he had a lot to work on, and I just don't have time for it, or energy. I don't have the bandwidth or emotional capacity for it.'

Brief relationship: While she received accolades for her role in 2019's Uncut Gems opposite Adam Sandler, Julia is best known as Kanye West's ex-girlfriend. The two dated briefly in early 2022 (Pictured in Paris in January)

The Praise God artist had taken to social media during that time and was harassing Kim and her then-boyfriend, Pete Davidson, 28.

The Grammy winner has been dropped recently by from deals with Balenciaga, Vogue, Gap, Adidas, Foot Locker and the CAA talent agency after making anti-Semitic remarks.

The sexy star is currently the face and body of the KNWLS appearing in a sheer unitard to kick off the British brands fall and winter campaign.
Candice Swanepoel's body looked absolutely incredible in a new video released by the Brazilian beachwear brand Lez a Lez.

The South African supermodel  who is nearly six feet tall  appeared to be even taller as she towered over her surroundings in a series of revealing looks.

Swanepoel, 34, flaunted her torso and toned abs in a variety of midriff-baring ensembles that also showcased her taffy-pulled arms and legs.

Looking down on the mortals: Candice Swanepoel, 34, looked absolutely incredible in a new campaign video released by the Brazilian beachwear brand Lez a Lez. She was clad in a denim bustier top and blue jeans as she towered over her surroundings

Supermodel or superhuman: The South African supermodel  who is nearly six feet tall  appeared to be even taller in the series of revealing looks. She took to the ocean at one point in a brown bikini top and matching skirt accented with netting

The former Victoria's Secret Angel needed no wings for the photoshoot as she struck a series of arresting poses.

Candice contorted her incredible body and worked her famous face for the camera, posing on large rocks and wading into the water.

The variety of ensembles ranged from a denim bustier top paired with blue jeans to a seafoam-green plunging bralette and flowing skirt.

The Tropic of C founder took to the ocean in a pair of brown bikini looks and basked in the sun like a mermaid while wearing a fishnet dress.

Every look in the brand's new La Mar Collection highlighted Candice's superhuman genetics and her hair was pulled back in a slick tight bun for the shoot, allowing her radiant features to shine atop her slim physique.

Taffy-pulled: Candice contorted her incredible body and worked her famous face for the camera, posing on large rocks and wading into the water. Her taffy-pulled arms and legs looked sensational in a seafoam-green plunging bralette and flowing skirt

Lez a Lez is inspired by Brazil's 'urban beach' culture. The ethical fashion brand embraces a laid-back, yet fashionable aesthetic, creating bold and vibrant designs that seek to be summertime essentials.

Balancing 'the lightness of the beach and the modernity of the city' is the creative intention behind the brand's overall approach and it has found a perfect partner in Candice Swanepoel.

Born in the small coastal village of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, the supermodel was discovered in the harbor city of Durban when was just 15 years old.

Despite not being Brazilian herself, Candice does speak the country's first language of Portuguese in addition to being fluent in English and Afrikaans. Swanepoel learned Portuguese from her former boyfriend Hermann Nicoli, 40, a Brazilian model.

Torso of a fashion titan: Every look in the brand's new La Mar Collection highlighted Swanepoel's elongated torso and toned abs

Mermaids are real: The Tropic of C founder basked in the sun like a mermaid while wearing a fishnet dress

The South African stunner met Nicoli in Paris when she was 17 and the pair embarked on a 14-year relationship, announcing their engagement in 2015 before splitting splitting up three years later.

The Mothers2mothers ambassador shares two sons with Nicoli  Ariel, 4, and Anaca, 6. She reportedly divides her time between New York City and his native Brazil.

Balancing business and motherhood, the supermodel's thriving career shows no signs of slowing down while romance rumors have recently chased the intensely private beauty.

The public spectacle that is Kanye West, 45, was allegedly pursuing the supermodel after the rapper shared a photo of Swanepoel wearing his futuristic YZY sunglasses. Speculation surrounding the pair eventually died down after West moved on with a younger model and suffered a career implosion.
She touched down in Australia this week as she prepares to join this year's series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here.

And it has now been revealed that Scarlette Douglas has split from her The Voice star boyfriend Lyndrik Xela earlier this year.

Following the heartbreak, it appears the A Place In The Sun presenter, 35, is looking for love, as she has now hinted at a potential romance with co-star Owen Warner.

Single lady: I'm a Celebrity star Scarlette Douglas 'split from boyfriend Lyndrik Xela earlier this year'... and hints that she could be looking for a jungle romance with co-star Owen Warner

Scarlette was in a two year relationship with Lyndrik, after meeting more than a decade ago when they were starred alongside each other in West End show Thriller Live.

But the romance is now over, with a representative for Scarlette confirming to MailOnline that the duo have parted ways.

While a source told The Sun: 'They split quietly earlier this year - it was difficult with her schedule and his career.'

Sharing that the Down Under adventure is helping with the breakup, the source continued: 'She was upset when it first happened, but she is doing okay now and is looking forward to her I'm A Celeb journey.'





Budding romance? Following the heartbreak, it appears the A Place In The Sun presenter is looking for love, as she has now hinted at a potential romance with co-star Owen Warner

All over: Scarlette was in a two year relationship with Lyndrik, after meeting more than a decade ago when they were starred alongside each other in West End show Thriller Live (pictured together last year)

And a new romance could be close, as Scarlette - the ninth contestant announced for I'm A Celeb 2022 - admitted she could be looking for love in the jungle.

When probed by The Sun if it was on the cards, the presenter responded: 'Potentially yes'.

With one man in mind already, she explained that a 'muscly man' is her type, and appeared to reference her new co-star Owen, who was announced as the fourth campmate and has admitted he's looking for romance in the jungle.

Exes: Hollyoaks star Owen has previously been linked to Geordie Shore's Chloe Ferry (pictured together) Stephanie Davis and The Apprentice's Camilla Ainsworth

'I just like a good, honest, trustworthy man. That is it but I do hear there might be someone in the jungle that has got a good set of muscles on him so if I were to head to the Jungle I would like to see a muscly guy yeah - see if there is a Tarzan out there,' she said.

Hollyoaks star Owen, who often shares his muscular frame with shirtless social media shots, is also thought to be single and ready to mingle, admitting he wouldn't mind meeting someone on the show.

The actor has previously been linked to Geordie Shore's Chloe Ferry, Stephanie Davis and The Apprentice's Camilla Ainsworth.

Scarlette and Owen are set to join a slew of stars in the show's rumoured lineup, including Mike Tindall and Chris Moyles, who have already touched down in Brisbane.

I'm A Celebrity is set to return on Sunday 6 November, being filmed in Australia for the first time since 2019 - following Covid-19 restrictions.

Presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have also landed Down Under, marking the first time the series is back in Australia since 2019.
SNL star Chris Redd's attacker was wearing brass knuckles when he punched the comedian in the face in New York City on Wednesday, reports TMZ.

Sources close to the star told the publication that Chris was left with two black eyes and a large gash on his nose which required stitches after the attack, with two men allegedly involved in the assault.

Redd was rushed to the hospital, but he was reported to be in good condition and released shortly afterwards.

SNL star Chris Redd's attacker was wearing brass knuckles when he punched the comedian in the face in New York City on Wednesday, reports TMZ

The star is said to be meeting with police to go over surveillance footage, with Chris said to be 'rocked to the core' by the attack and planning on using security around him going forward.

DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Chris Redd for comment.

Chris was s getting out of a car in front of the Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village when a man dressed in a security guard uniform ran up to him and allegedly assaulted him, TMZ reports.

The funnyman was wearing a Greg Yuna chain, which came apart when the suspect allegedly grabbed it as he ran away from the bloody crime scene.

He was also able to recover his necklace from the scene.

Ordeal: The funnyman was wearing a Greg Yuna chain, where all the links come apart; the man grabbed his chain but it fell apart on the street and the suspect ran away after he allegedly assaulted him, per the outlet

The attack left a bloody aftermath as blood could be seen splattered on the floor and stairs in front of the Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village

Redd was attacked by a man wearing a security guard uniform, who ran off assaulting the comedian and leaving him bloodied

Police rushed to the scene but were not able to locate the man.

The incident occurred at 9:40pm on Wednesday night before his performance at the comedy club.

The alleged assault comes just weeks after it was revealed he is dating Christina Evangeline, the ex-wife of co-star Kenan Thompson.

Chris and Kenan are castmates on SNL.

The latest: The 37-year-old comedian was getting out of a car in front of the Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village in New York City when a man dressed in a security guard uniform ran up to him and allegedly assaulted him, according to TMZ; seem September 24, 2022 in NYC

Terrifying moment: Chris' nose was bloodied in the alleged attack, due to a deep cut on it

On SNL: Police rushed to the scene but were not able to locate the man; seen on the show

According to TMZ, there is no bad blood between the two comedians.

Kenan filed for divorce from Christina in June, but the duo were allegedly separated since 2019.

Kenan and Christina were married for 11 years before news broke this May that they were going to get divorced.

By the way: The two men have a professional relationship beyond Saturday Night Live - Chris featured on Kenan's self-titled NBC sitcom (pictured) which ended this May after two seasons

They share two daughters - Georgia, eight, and Gianna, four - and TMZ reports that Kenan in his divorce filing requested that custody be evenly split.

Chris announced this month that he would be leaving Saturday Night Live after five seasons, becoming the eighth cast member to exit the show since May.

The funnyman is working on a new project at Audible Audio, with SNL producer Lorne Michaels.

Meanwhile Kenan is said to be dating other people himself, and he reportedly bears no grudge about the alleged romance between Chris and Christina.

The two men have a professional relationship beyond Saturday Night Live - Chris featured on Kenan's self-titled NBC sitcom, which ended this May after two seasons.

Meanwhile Chris and Christina have apparently been acquainted for six years, which is to say about a year before Chris became a featured player on Saturday Night Live.
A British woman was given a life sentence for decapitating her former friend and disposing of her body last year. One day after police declared Jemma Mitchell, 38, had been found guilty of murder, the sentence was given.

It was the first broadcast sentencing of a woman for a murder offense in England and Wales on Friday when Judge Richard Marks KC sentenced Mitchell to life in prison with a minimum period of 34 years to be served.

Australian Osteopath Decapitated, Dismembered Friend

At the Chongs' house in adjacent Wembley in June 2021, Mitchell, a resident of northwest London, is charged with murdering Mee Kuen Chong, also known as Deborah Chong. After meeting through a church group, Chong, 67, and Mitchell became friends, and during this period, Mitchell "also worked as a spiritual healer for Deborah," according to the police.

Authorities claim that Chong was having mental health issues before her death. According to the investigators, Mitchell approached Chong for money as she was remodeling her house at the time. Per CBS News, the police claim that Chong first agreed to repay Mitchell around $231,000 but then withdrew the offer, which "led to the two falling out" just days before the murder.

The 38-year-old alternative therapist and self-described healer wanted to fake her victim's will to receive the majority of her $810,000 estate. At her London home last year, Mitchell allegedly struck Chong over the head with a weapon, Telegraph via MSN reported.

Read Also: China Robot Dog with Machine Gun on the Back Goes Viral [Video and Full Details]

Jemma Mitchell Caught on CCTV Dragging Deborah Chong in Suitcase

She took a car to the Devon beach town of Salcombe two weeks later, where she dumped Chong's dismembered body in the woods. Mitchell was seen on security video pulling Chong's body into a suitcase, which was subsequently discovered on the top of a neighbor's shed and included a tea towel stained with her blood in the front pocket.

The murderer was an osteopath with training who bragged online of her acknowledgment of expertise in human dissection. She denied having any part in the killing, but on Thursday, the Old Bailey jury convicted her guilty of murder.

Detective Jim Eastwood, who oversaw the case, called it a "truly despicable crime" after the woman was found guilty. Jurors were informed that Chong and Mitchell connected through a religious group and that shortly after, the killer began to put pressure on Chong to assist Mitchell to pay off her enormous debt.

After addressing letters to Boris Johnson when he was prime minister and King Charles, the then-Prince of Wales at the time, Chong, who had schizophrenia, was referred for assistance.Mitchell, who lived with her mother, convinced her that adding another story to their Willesden, North West London, the property would increase its value significantly.

They were living in squalor with a tarpaulin for a roof since the original constructor went out of business with $156,000 of their money. Mitchell regarded her as a way out because Chong owned the house in Chaplin Road, Wembley, where she resided with a lodger.

The victim was so frustrated with Mitchell's persistent questions that she only agreed to let her visit her house on June 11, 2021, the day she passed away after she made a commitment not to bring up money.

Mitchell was convicted guilty of murder yesterday, and Chong's family in Malaysia watched the decision over a video link as she remained still in the dock. The defendant in today's sentence was the first time cameras had been permitted in a criminal crown court in the UK to record sentencing.

On the morning of June 11, 2021, Mitchell arrived at Chong's house with a big blue suitcase, as shown on the CCTV video played to the jury during her trial. Mitchell said she had visited family friends "somewhere close to the ocean" after he was reported missing because she was "depressed."

Even though there was no forensic evidence found in the suitcase, Chong's DNA was found on a blood-stained tea towel that was stashed in a pocket. Mitchell was born and raised in Australia, where her mother was a British Foreign Office employee, as per Daily Mail.

Related Article: Harmony Montgomery Case: Missing New Hampshire Girl's Step-Mother Says Dad Killed Daughter, Gave Cover Story to Police

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Emma Corrin stood out from the crowd in a colourful ensemble as they departed a hotel in New York on Friday.

The My Policeman star, 26, who uses the pronoun 'they', seemed in high spirits in a bold red sweater vest which they donned over a white and black stripped shirt.

They teamed the number with a pair of eye catching bright blue trousers and shiny black lace up Grenson boots.

Bold: Emma Corrin stood out from the crowd in a colourful ensemble as they departed a hotel in New York on Friday

The Crown star, who portrayed Princess Diana in the series, styled their short blonde tresses in natural curls and opted for a radiant palette of makeup.

The appearance comes after Emma spoke about the freedom of filming naked scenes with Jack O'Connell, 32, in Lady Chatterley's Lover.

The movie is an adaptation of D.H. Lawrences classic (and notoriously banned) erotic novel and will premiere on November 25 and on Netflix December 2.

Eye catching: The Policeman star, 26, who uses the pronoun 'they',seemed in high spirits in a bold red sweater vest which they donned over a white and black stripped shirt and Grenson boots

Chic: They teamed the number with a pair of eye catching bright blue trousers and shiny black lace up boots

Emma plays Constance Chatterley, a woman who takes a lover (OConnell) after her husbands war injury prevents him from being physically intimate with her.

Speaking to The Cut, they said: 'Im so glad that it didnt feel like gratuitous nudity. We spoke about that a lot when we started rehearsing.

'We always wanted any sex scene, or any part of the film, to be totally justified in their experience, and also to evolve.

'The last scene, when Connie goes to Scotland and she knows hes behind her before hes there, we filmed that quite near the beginning, and Id forgotten. When I was watching it for the first time, it really got me.'

Incredible: The Crown star who portrays Princess Diana, styled theirs short blonde tresses in natural curls and opted for a radiant palette of makeup.

Emma will star opposite Harry Styles and David Dawson in Michael Grandages adaptation of My Policeman, in theaters on October 21 and streaming on Prime Video starting November 4.

The film centers on a forbidden romantic entanglement.

Emma and Harry play a couple named Marion, a schoolteacher, and Tom, a policeman whose trysts with Dawsons Patrick, a gay museum curator, upend the relationship and lead to devastating consequences.

Emma said: 'The nice thing about My Policeman is that it does show that, even though its so tragic in a way, freedom can take your whole life until youre older to find, to know that youre ready to leave.

Stylish: Emma was all smiles as they exited their hotel with pals

'We fall in love with someone, especially the first time you experience love in that way, and youre so desperate to receive it back, and you see her know subconsciously, from the get go, that Tom is not all there with her.

'Suddenly, when hes at his lowest point, when he knows that Patrick has been arrested and they wont be together, theres this dark but sort of justifiable part of Marion that thinks, Okay, no, now he needs me. Now I can actually step up".'

Emma was asked what audiences can learn from the women they have played.

They replied: 'Michael Grandage, the director of My Policeman, talks about this a lot, that therell be a generation of people who really relate to this, the not having the freedom to love who they wanted to love, and the repercussions for everyone involved in their relationships because of that.

'I think it will be incredibly cathartic or heartbreaking. Its an important story to show, and to inspire discussion and talk about.'

They joked: 'I only do period pieces. Only with complicated love triangles. No, I think that its that kind of thing where you have an awareness of it, especially if youre thinking about your career going forward, and what kind of stuff you want to do. But it would never be the sole reason.'
Evan Peters, long known for his chilling portrayals of sinister characters, wants to play someone 'normal.'

Before filming Dahmer  Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story the 35-year-old actor expressed to creator Ryan Murphy that he would consider doing a romantic comedy, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Peters had previously worked with Murphy on American Horror Story, playing a school shooter in the first season, and later a cult leader in American Horror Story: Cult.

Expanding his horizons: Evan Peters, long known for his chilling portrayals of sinister characters, wants to play someone 'normal'; seen in March

After reading the script for the Netflix series based on the true story of the serial killer, Peters couldn't say no.

Once Evan read the script, Murphy, 56, said, '[Evan] called me the next day, and he said, "Its so challenging. Its so difficult that I kind of have to say yes to it, even though Im terrified of it."'

Before Murphy passed the script to the X-Men: Apocalypse star he auditioned 100 people, the outlet reported.

After snagging the lead in the series, he buried himself in research to try to understand the convicted murderer.

Something different! Before filming Dahmer  Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story the 35-year-old actor expressed to creator Ryan Murphy that he would consider doing a romantic comedy

He described reading articles, books, and psychological reports 'in an attempt to try to understand why he did what he did, and the struggle that he had with it.'

The St. Louis, MO native revealed, 'Then the physicality of it, which I know was going to be so hard. He has a lot of external things from the way that he walks, he doesnt move his arms when he walks and talks.'

'And so I did a lot of research on watching him and seeing how he moved and working with weights on my arms, wearing wardrobe, all sorts of things that I would carry with me throughout the day to try to stay in it, so it would be second nature,' he shared.

Leaving no detail uncovered, he added, 'And then I created a 45-minute audio composite, which I listened to every day to try to get his dialect and how he spoke and really try to understand why he did what he did or what his mindset was.'

Behind-the-scenes: Ryan said Evan couldn't say no to the Jeffrey Dahmer role after reading the script; seen in 2019

The finished project of the three-year-long undertaking turned out to be a huge success.

Within three weeks of its release, the show was watched a whopping 701.37 million hours.

Dahmer murdered 17 people between 1978 and 1991 - many of whom were young, gay African-American men. The show is now the second most-viewed English Netflix series of all time.
She recently split from her Love Island co-star boyfriend Toby Aromolaran, after a year-long romance.

And on Friday, Chloe Burrows, 27, rocked red and blue hot pants with a slogan tee as she transformed into Harley Quinn at the VOXI Presents KISS Haunted House Party.

The newly-single reality star looked sensational in the skimpy Suicide Squad costume at the Halloween bash, which was held at London's OVO Arena in Wembley Park.

Harley Quinn! On Friday, Chloe Burrows, 27, rocked red and blue hot pants with a slogan tee as she transformed into Harley Quinn at the VOXI Presents KISS Haunted House Party

Chloe opted to dress up as DC Comics villan Harley Quinn, the character made famous by actress Margot Robbie.

The Love Islander slipped into black fishnet tights worn beneath her sequin hot pants as she walked the red carpet in chunky black biker boots.

Completing her look, Chloe donned a crop top brandishing the words: 'Daddy's Lil Monster' and covered up a little with red and blue Varsity style jacket.

She styled her long platinum extensions into bunches and completed her Halloween look with blue eyeshadow on one eye, and red on the other.

Awesome: The newly-single reality star looked sensational in the skimpy Suicide Squad costume at the Halloween bash, which was held at London's OVO Arena in Wembley Park

Fab: The Love Islander slipped into black fishnet tights worn beneath her sequin hot pants

It comes a week after MailOnline revealed that Chloe and Toby, 23, had split, 13 months after they came second on the ITV2 show.

A source told MailOnline that the former couple are still living at their Essex home but are making arrangements to go their separate ways after a difficult few months of trying to make the relationship work.

'Chloe and Toby put everything into their relationship  but it just hasn't worked out between them', a source explained.

Epic: Completing her look, Chloe donned a crop top brandishing the words: 'Daddy's Lil Monster' and covered up a little with red and blue Varsity style jacket

'There's been no wrongdoing, they have simply grown apart, and over time realised it's better for them both to split.

'Naturally, Chloe has found the breakup difficult but being able to spend time abroad with Millie has given her the space she needed to start moving on.'

MailOnline contacted Chloe and Toby's representatives for comment at the time.

It's all over: Love Island couple Chloe and Toby recently split  13 months after they came second on the ITV2 show

The former Islander last shared a photo on Instagram with Toby in August as the pair watched Coldplay together at Wembley, saying it was one of the best nights of her life.

Toby dedicated a post to Chloe on her birthday last month, captioning a selfie of them on holiday: '27 years around the sun. Happy Birthday to the second pea in my pod.'

Chloe and Toby met on Love Island last year and came runners-up in the competition to Millie and Liam Reardon, who split in July.

'Cheers to us': In November, Chloe and Toby took their relationship to the next level by moving in together, which was the first time the Hashtag United player had ever lived with a girlfriend

They moved into a 1million Essex mansion last November and celebrated the milestone by toasting with champagne.

Their relationship was Toby's first after he admitted before going on the show that he hadn't been in love before.

He told MailOnline: 'I want to fall in love. I want to experience it. I feel like everyone has experienced it, but I haven't. It's so sad, isn't it?

'I've never had a relationship full stop. It's never gone right.'
Liberty Poole looked incredible in a pink ensemble as she transformed into Regina George at the VOXI Presents KISS Haunted House Party on Friday evening.

The Love Island star, 23, dressed to impress in the skimpy Mean Girls costume at the the bash which was held at London's OVO Arena in Wembley Park.

The blonde beauty showed off her sensational figure in a pleated pink mini skirt and donned a long sleeved matching T-shirt.

Incredible: Liberty Poole looked incredible in a pink ensemble as she transformed into Regina George at the VOXI Presents KISS Haunted House Party on Friday evening

The reality star added inches to her frame in a pair of clear heels as she posed reading the films iconic 'burn book' on the red carpet.

Liberty wore her long blonde tresses in a poker straight style and pinned her fringe to the side with two grips.

The ITV star donned a radiant palette of makeup including bright pink lipstick, matching smoky eye shadow and fluttering lashes.

Stunning: The Love Island star, 22, dressed to impress in the skimpy Mean Girls costume at the the bash which was held at London's OVO Arena in Wembley Park

The star-studded spooktacular event saw performances from N-Dubz, Craig David, Anne Marie, Mabel, KSI, Becky Hill, Nathan Dawe and special guests Diversity.

It comes after Liberty claimed she was verbally abused by a 'group of lads' who called her a 'catfish' while at makeup and fake tan free at the airport.

Last week, the influencer took to her Instagram stories to explain her ordeal while travelling from Birmingham Airport with one of her best friends.

Chic: The blonde beauty showed off her sensational figure in a pleated pink mini skirt and donned a long sleeved matching T-shirt

Liberty said she had 'stripped back' to no makeup, fake tan, lashes, and her hair scraped up to a ponytail for ease of travel, but claims members of the public were ruthless in their brutal attack on her appearance.

The former Dancing On Ice contestant told her 1.4million followers: 'Hi guys so I just wanted to come on and speak about my experience that happened tonight and I basically speak my truth.

'So tonight I went to the airport and I literally went no lashes, no foundation, like really stripped back, and like just me.

Dressed the part! The reality star added inches to her frame in a pair of clear heels as she posed reading the films iconic 'burn book' on the red carpet

'I was verbally abused by a group of lads in the public, shouting at me, "you've gone downhill since love island, oh my god, you're such a catfish" going onto the plane and telling members of staff, "oh my god have you seen liberty?", blah blah blah - just because I've gone to the airport stripped back.

Liberty shot to fame in 2021 after she stole the hearts of the nation after her early-doors romance with Jake Cornish went wrong in the seventh series of Love Island.

Their love story lasted up until three days before the final of the hit ITV2 show, when Liberty decided to leave after feeling like something was up in their relationship.

She also alluded to problems between the couple that haven't been aired, such as Jake complaining about her messiness and not liking the way she dresses.
Karlie Kloss is becoming as known for her philanthropy as she is for her modeling and she got to show off both at her latest event.

The 30-year-old model glittered in a gorgeous gold number as she attended the star-studded opening of the Grit To Glamour exhibition at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas on Wednesday night.

The wife of Joshua Kushner - who served as executive chair for the event - sported a stunning sleeveless gown featuring sequins all over it which started gold at the top and faded to silver at the hemline.

Wow factor: Karlie Kloss glittered in a gorgeous gold number as she attended the star-studded opening of the Grit To Glamour exhibition at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas on Wednesday night

Big day: It was quite the star-studded affair as she was joined by (pictured left to right) socialite Derek Blasberg, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art & Executive Board Chair Olivia Walton, American conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas, and fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger

She teamed the eccentric dress with a pair of light brown suede heels featuring a large silver 'c' shaped buckle adorned with crystals all over it.

Her brunette tresses were worn down in a middle-part as she accessorized with gold and silver earrings in the shape of an x.

Karlie accentuated her stunning bone structure with pink blush and a matching swipe of lip as she showcased her natural looks with complementary make-up.

Bond: The 30-year-old model looked simply stunning as she posed with the 71-year-old fashion legend Hilfiger

Bond: She also posed with pal Derek at the gala

Gorgeous: The wife of Joshua Kushner - who served as executive chair for the event - sported a stunning sleeveless gown featuring sequins all over it which started gold at the top and faded to silver at the hemline

Altogether now: The entire group served as executive chairs for the gala

Altogether now: They even snapped up a selfie

It was quite the star-studded affair as she was joined by fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger, socialite Derek Blasberg, American conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas, and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art & Executive Board Chair Olivia Walton as they all served as chairs of the event.

Karlie is definitely a major art fan as she posted plenty of content on her Instagram Story as she checked out the exhibitions and artwork.

It seemed to be a smashing success as over 450 people attended the event as it raised more than $2million as a portion of proceeds will be going to furthering arts education according to a press release.

In the details: She teamed the eccentric dress with a pair of light brown suede heels featuring a large silver 'c' shaped buckle adorned with crystals all over it

Ready for her close up: Her brunette tresses were worn down in a middle-part as she accessorized with gold and silver earrings in the shape of an x

Karlie accentuated her stunning bone structure with pink blush and a matching swipe of lip as she showcased her natural looks with complementary make-up

Before the gala a fashion symposium was held as it celebrated the museum's first ever fashion exhibition featuring special conversations with Tommy Hilfiger, Tracy Reese, Aurora James, Bethann Hardison, Omar Salam, Fe Noel, Tania Flynn, Leslie Leonard, and more.

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American first opened in 2011 and has since welcomed six million visitors free of charge.

Crystal Bridges was originally founded in 2005 as a non-profit charitable organization by arts patron and philanthropist Alice Walton.

Happy: Karlie is definitely a major art fan as she posted plenty of content on her Instagram Story as she checked out the exhibitions and artwork

Loving it: She happily posed with pal Derek

Vibes: She sat on the hood of a car as she posed for a cute video

Bond: Derek joined her for a sweet snap

Meanwhile, it has certainly been a celebratory time in Karlie's life as she marked her fourth wedding anniversary to Joshua Kushner last week.

The model reminisced on the day she said 'I do' to the businessman, 37, by sharing a clip from their wedding day.

'Love you more every day  happy four years JK,' she captioned the post.

Karlie and Joshua - whose brother and sister-in-law are Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump - was first spotted spending time together during an afterparty for the 2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Four years of love: Meanwhile, it has certainly been a celebratory time in Karlie's life as she marked her fourth wedding anniversary to Joshua Kushner last week

They waited for a whole year before making their initial public appearance as a couple. The duo went Instagram official with their relationship in 2014.

Although the two fielded rumors of an engagement in 2017, they initially shut down the idea before they decided to begin planning their marriage the following year, with Karlie converting to Judaism.

Kushner and Kloss made their union official during a wedding ceremony that was held in October of 2018, and they had a second event in June of 2019.

Happy together: The model and the businessman, 37, made their union official during a wedding ceremony on October of 2018, and had a second event in 2019; Pictured 2019

Going strong: The duo first met in 2012, and waited a year before making their first public appearance. The couple went Instagram official with their relationship in 2014; Pictured 2019

In October of 2020, multiple sources reported that the two were planning on bringing a child into their lives.

The supermodel later confirmed that she was pregnant with a video that was shared to her Instagram the following month, during which she showed off her then-growing baby bump.

She eventually gave birth to Levi Joseph in March of 2021.
Will Smith has revealed boxer Floyd Mayweather called him up every day for 10 days straight to check in after actor slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.

Men In Black actor Will, 54 - who faced career downfall when he hit Chris, 57, in March after the star made an ill-advised joke about his wife Jada - praised 'forever dude' Floyd, 45, for his kindness.

In video obtained by TMZ, the star, speaking at a recent event in London to promote new film Emancipation, said: 'I want to say something also about Floyd. So, we've met each other, we've seen each other around, but we weren't like, friends.

Pals: Will Smith has revealed boxer Floyd Mayweather called him him up every day for 10 days straight to check in after actor slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars (pictured in 2015)

'And, the day after the Oscars, for 10 days he called me every day. 'And, he was like, "ay, you know you the champ, right? You good? You know you the champ, right? I want you to hear my voice say it."'

'That was every day he called me... and it's like, that's my dude forever right there.'

Independence Day star Smith's on-stage slap sent shockwaves around the world, with the star later saying he was left incensed by a joke Rock made about his wife's lack of hair, which she shaved off to cover up hair loss she had experienced.

Despite sweeping the Oscars up in controversy, Smith still won the award for Best Actor for starring as the father of Venus and Serena Williams in King Richard.

Shock: Men In Black actor Will, 54 - who faced career downfall when he hit Chris, 57, in March after the star made an ill-advised joke about his wife Jada - praised 'forever dude' Floyd, 45, for his kindness

Smith's latest film is a historical thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua, in which the Fresh Prince actor stars as an enslaved man named Peter who escapes from a Louisiana plantation and braves treacherous territory and slave hunters to make it up north to Union territory, where he is able to join the fight against the Confederacy.

The film was inspired by the life of a former slave immortalized in horrifying photos of his back, which was covered in spiderwebbing keloid scars from repeated whippings.

Following the shocking slap, Variety originally reported that Apple planned to delay the film until 2023 to let the controversy die down.

However, it is now set for a December 2 release in theaters, followed by a streaming release on Apple TV+ on December 9.

The streaming service may have still given up its plans of having a hit for awards season, as the film may lose out on potential profits due to the short theatrical window.
Gemma Collins put on an animated display as she attended the KISS Haunted House Party at the OVO Arena Wembley on Friday.

The former TOWIE star, 41, effortlessly turned heads at the event which she attended with her fiance Rami Hawash.

The media personality donned a black skintight latex bodysuit which also featured a sequinned detail along the waist.

Gemma Collins put on an animated display as she attended the KISS Haunted House Party at the OVO Arena Wembley alongside her fiance Rami Hawash on Friday

Gemma also sported a pair of large bunny ears with a sheer mask which she paired with a white wig.

Striking a playful pose with her partner, the TV star completed her look for the bash with a pair of heels.

Rami opted for a pirate look for the party as he sported a black robe with matching trousers and boots.

He also wore a multi-coloured patterned shirt and tied a white rope around his waist.

Pose: The media personality donned a black skintight latex bodysuit which also featured a sequinned detail along the waist

It comes after Gemma recently posted a body confidence video to her Instagram Story, saying: 'You got to rock it!'

Wearing an animal print swimsuit and dark square sunglasses, Gemma told two million strong Instagram followers: 'I just want to say to everyone out there, whoever doubts their body, whoever feels down about themselves, who's having a bad day and doubting your beautifulness, your energy, keep reminding yourself you are beautiful.

'We all come in different shapes and sizes and you just got to rock it, honeys.'

Gemma was recently living it up in the sunshine with her long-time partner Rami, who she first dated over a decade ago in 2011.

Outfit: Gemma also sported a pair of large bunny ears with a sheer mask which she paired with a white wig

Party: Striking a playful pose with her partner, the TV star completed her look for the bash with a pair of heels

The pair were engaged in 2013 before marriage with the business owner was called off.

Having begun a relationship with fellow TOWIE regular James Argent in 2017, Gemma reunited once again with Rami in 2021 as rumours about another engagement persist.

While she had claimed in December last year that Rami had popped the question again, she later backtracked in May insisting she won't tie the knot 'until she's 50' because it's 'best not to think long term'.

Despite this she has been seen wearing a diamond on her ring finger in recent months.
Emily Ratajkowski documented her solo trip to Ibiza by posting a series of pictures to Instagram on Friday, taking her 29.6 million followers on a tour of the Spanish island.

The 31-year-old supermodel's rumored new boyfriend DJ Orazio Rispo, 35, was nowhere to be seen.

The only man in sight was Ratajkowski's one-year-old son Sylvester Apollo, who she shares with her soon-to-be ex-husband Sebastian Bear-McClard, 41.

Irresistible in Ibiza: Emily Ratajkowski, 31, documented her solo trip to Ibiza by posting a series of pictures to Instagram on Friday. The My Body author proved why the world's most eligible men are allegedly pursuing her when she struck a seductive pose in a sultry red bikini

Solo in the sun: The supermodel donned a white tank top while lounging on a leopard print blanket and listening to her AirPods, snapping a selfie as she glared up at the sun

The High Low podcaster posted nine images that were a mix of gorgeous bikini shots, stunning sunrises, adorable pictures of her son and a few snaps of her empty hotel.

Emily proved why the world's most eligible men are allegedly pursuing her when she struck a seductive pose in a sultry red bikini.

The beachside glamour shot left little to the imagination when it came to the My Body author's incredible physique.

Ratajkowski covered up for the rest of her photos. She donned a white tank top while lounging on a leopard print blanket and listening to her AirPods, snapping a selfie as she glared up at the sun.

Her constant companion: Ratajkowski's one-year-old son Sylvester Apollo, who she shares with her soon-to-be ex-husband Sebastian Bear-McClard, 41, accompanied her to Ibiza

All she needs: The mother of one star wore a white sweater and vibrant striped sweatpants when she carried her son Sylvester and posed with a friend

Too cute: Emily's adorable son exuded her charm and charisma in front of the camera as he hammed it up on a couch next to his mother's friend

The I Feel Pretty star wore a white sweater and vibrant striped sweatpants when she carried her son Sylvester.

The brunette mom held her blonde toddler for two charming pictures, posing outside with a friend in one image and riding in the backseat of a car in the other.

The mother of one filed for divorce from Sylvester's father in September, ending her four-year marriage to Sebastian Bear-McClard.

It has been alleged that the film producer was a serial cheater and had multiple affairs with other women throughout his marriage to the stunning fashion model.

It didn't take long for relationship rumors to swirl around Ratajkowski and she was soon linked to one of Hollywood's top leading men when speculation swirled around her and Brad Pitt.

Taking steps toward divorce: The High Low podcaster posted a haunting picture of a staircase, reflecting how she is taking steps toward divorce after ending her four-year marriage to Sebastian Bear-McClard in September

No man in sight: The I Feel Pretty star posted an image of her hotel's empty pool. Her rumored new boyfriend DJ Orazio Rispo, 35, was nowhere to be seen in any of the Images posted to Instagram

But it soon became evident that the A-list movie star had lost out to a DJ when Emily was photographed giving Orazio Rizzo a passionate kiss on a street in New York City earlier this month.

The son of a New York property baron, Rizzo enjoyed a romantic night out with the newly-single supermodel.

The pair went on a dinner date before strolling the streets of Manhattan where they were seen giggling, making out and starring into each other's eyes.

Based on the Inamorata Woman founder's recent Instagram pictures, she appears to be spending some quality time with her young son before diving back into another relationship.

At least Emily appears to be doing better than Sebastian Bear-McClard, who was recently spotted in New York City looking downcast and somber after Ratajkowski was spotted in Orazio's arms.

Not Brad: A local appeared to stop by the supermodel's hotel room at one point, perhaps to ask about those rumors that she was dating Brad Pitt, 58

Dawn of a new love: Emily included an image of a beautiful Ibiza sunrise in her post, echoing the start of a new relationship in her personal life
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Matthew Perry was seen boarding a private jet with a mystery brunette woman in LA on Thursday - ahead of the upcoming release of his explosive memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.

The Chandler Bing actor, 53, who has detailed his past addiction battles, near death experiences and turbulent love life in the tome, looked relaxed as he arrived at the airport with his companion.

The identity of Perry's companion is unknown. He has recently revealed he has a 'sober companion' as well as 'a couple of people on the payroll to keep me safe'.

Dailymail.com has contacted representatives for Matthew Perry for comment.

Companion: Matthew Perry was seen boarding a private jet with a mystery brunette woman in LA on Thursday - ahead of the upcoming release of his explosive memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing

Perry wore a green polo, black Batman joggers and white trainers, teamed with spectacles as he made his way onto the plane.

His companion wore a white top and jeans as she was seen exiting a car behind him and boarding the jet.

The Friends actor has detailed his 15 rehab stints, alcoholism, opioid addiction and weeks in a coma in Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing - due for release on November 1.

He detailed how his drug and alcohol addictions left him with a 2% survival after the opioids caused his colon to burst and left him in a two-week coma.

Sighting: The Chandler Bing actor, 53, who has detailed his past addiction battles , near death experiences and turbulent love life in the tome, looked relaxed as he arrived at the airport with his companion

Sighting: The star was accompanied by a couple of companions as he jetted off

Jet: Perry was seen walking onto a private jet with his companion following behind

Promo trail: Perry wore a green polo, black Batman joggers and white trainers, teamed with spectacles as he made his way onto the plane

Outing: Perry is gearing up for the release of his tell-all memoir

The TV star is set to sit down with ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer for an exclusive broadcast interview, airing Friday, October 28 at 8 pm EST on ABC; It will be available the following day on Hulu.

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 his stomach and had to use a colostomy bag for nine months; he said his stomach has a number of scars from the multiple surgeries.

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.'

Off they go: Matthew was seen jetting off with his companion in tow

Smile: The woman looked delighted to be heading for the private jet

Duo: The unknown woman was seen jetting off with Matthew

Candid: Matthew has been hard at work promoting his new memoir

Jetting off: The woman was seen climbing into the private jet for the 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.'

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.

Unknown: The brunette was carrying a coat and bag as she headed to join Matthew on the jet

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.'

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 recently revealed he used to attend open houses with the intent of stealing pills in his efforts to fuel his 55 Vicodin-a-day addiction.

In a new Diane Sawyer/ABC News interview shedding more light on his harrowing battle with addiction, Perry said he doesn't believe anyone would have suspected Chandler Bing, his sweet character from Friends, as the thief.

'On Sundays, I would go to open houses and go to the bathrooms in the open house and see what pills they had in there and steal them. And I think they thought "Well, there's no way that Chandler came in and stole from us."

Friends: Matthew shot to fame with his castmates: Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox and Matt LeBlanc - but behind-the-scenes he was battling addiction

Perry called his open house strategy the 'weirdest thing' he did in his efforts to get his 55 pills.

The actor, who said he knew he needed that amount of Vicodin or else he'd get 'really sick', said he also complained of fake migraines in order to get the prescription medication.

'I did all sorts of things - a bunch of doctors, fake migraines and all that stuff,' he explained.

According to ABC, Perry says he has been in detox approximately 65 times.

A sneak peek for the upcoming interview also sees Perry recall going into a coma and escaping 'death really narrowly.'

In a snippet obtained by Page Six, the actor spoke out about how his addiction to opioids and alcohol affected the way he looked on screen, and revealed how those watching the NBC comedy series can figure out how severe his drug use was based off his weight and beard length.

'You can track the trajectory for my addiction if you gauge my weight from season to season,' he wrote in the book.

He has also reflected on the challenges of having to use a colostomy bag while recovering from his colon bursting due to opioid overdose, at age 49, in 2018.

'I've probably spent $9 million or something trying to get sober': Matthew has revealed the steep cost of his sobriety a few days after sharing he nearly died from an opioid addiction

After suffering from a gastrointestinal perforation, the actor recently revealed he had to use a colostomy bag for nine months and was given just a two per cent chance of survival after spending two weeks in a coma on life support.

In a new interview with GQ, the Friends alum provided a snippet from his upcoming memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, in which he recalls waking up 'covered in' his own feces 50 to 60 times.

During his five-month hospital stay following his colon rupturing, he told the outlet that he he would regularly wake up and find his colostomy bag had 'broken again.'

'I had sh** all over my face, all over my body, in the bed next door. When it breaks, it breaks. You have to get nurses,' he detailed.

To his horror when the time came to remove his colostomy bag, the operation didn't initially work and it was replaced with an ileostomy bag.

'Ten times worse. You have to deal with an ileostomy bag 18, 19 times a day. A lot of suicides with an ileostomy bag. People can't take it,' he said.

Sober: The Friends star also shared that he recently celebrated 18 months of sobriety, indicating that her was newly sober during the Friends reunion special in May 2021

Soon afterward, however, he underwent surgery and that 'fixed things,' according to the performer, who has since 'lived without' a colostomy bag for 'along time.'

'I'm very grateful,' Perry stated, despite adjusting to how his body looks with 'plenty of scars.'

'I look at them with gratitude, because it helped me stay alive. But I have to live my life 24/7 with all of this scar tissue I'm constantly aware of. It feels like I'm doing a sit-up at full stretch all the time,' he explained.

Still, upon first taking his shirt off after his hospital stay, Perry admitted to bursting 'into tears' and being 'disturbed' as he feared thought his 'life was over.'

To feel better, about 30 minutes later, Perry confesses to calling his drug dealer.

This led to him to try and sober at another rehab center, this time in Switzerland, where he nearly died again after his heart stopped for a full five minutes.

'This huge, strong guy leaped on top of me,' Perry said, 'and did CPR, and broke eight of my ribs and saved my life.'

As he continues to put his recovery first, Perry has declined to reveal how long he has been sober, but says 'it's been a little while' since he's relapsed.

Claim to fame: 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

Friends star Matthew has revealed that his romance with Julia Roberts began after she was approached to appear in the sitcom in 1995 (pictured) - but he later dumped her

'Im less ruled by fear now. One of the things I learned is I can handle when bad things happen now. Im resilient, I am strong, and those things should come very clearly to the reader in the book as well. I am a strong man and I never gave myself credit for that, ever. But now Im slowly starting to,' he noted.

During an interview with People this month, he said he was sharing his story now that he's 'pretty safely sober  and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction' and to 'help people.'

Talking about his starring role on Friends at aged 24, his alcohol addiction was starting to surface.

He said he could handle it but he was 'entrenched in a lot of trouble' by the time he was 34. He said there were years during that time in which he was sober and in fact, he was sober throughout the whole of season nine, the year he got nominated for Best Actor.

At one point during his Friends career, he admits he was taking 55 Vicodin a day and was down to 128 pounds but yet he 'didn't know how to stop.'

Coming soon: Matthew's memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing is available on November 1

He said the disease has got worse and worse and progressive and he's got older and noted his Friends cast mates 'were understanding, and they were patient.'

A constant battle, Matthew says: 'I'm pretty healthy now'. He is choosing not to say how long he has been sober for but is 'counting each day.'

He said his therapist has told him that he may have to have a colostomy bag for the rest of his life if he takes drugs again, which helps him to avoid relapsing.

The actor, who checked himself into rehab during his time on Friends once in 1997 and again in 2001.

Matthew famously told the New York Times in 2002, one year after getting sober: 'When [fame] happens, it's kind of like Disneyland for a while.

'For me it lasted about eight months, this feeling of "I've made it, I'm thrilled, there's no problem in the world".

He told the Hollywood Reporter in 2015: 'I've had a lot of ups and downs in my life. I learned a lot from my failures.

'But the best thing about me is that if an alcoholic comes up to me and says, "Will you help me stop drinking?" I will say, "Yes, I know how to do that."'

'And then you realise that it doesn't accomplish anything, it's certainly not filling any holes in your life. I didn't get sober because I felt like it. I got sober because I was worried I was going to die the next day.'

'It's no accident that Chandler is a guy who is trying to deter his own human emotional feelings with laughter. Thats what I did for years. I've tried to palm myself off as being a jokester, kind of like hanging out with me is kind of like a vacation. But that could only take me so far.'

He did his third stint in rehab in May 2011, when a representative for the star said it was to prevent a relapse.

Support: He has shared Jennifer Aniston'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'; Pictured 1995

The actor became an international sensation practically over night after he landed the role as Chandler Bing in Friends in 1994.

But while he came off as the hilarious and heartwarming guy who always had a smile on his face on the screen, behind-the-scenes, the star was facing a downward spiral of drug addiction, alcohol use, and overdoses that left him with just a two per cent chance of survival.

Perry told People magazine recently while discussing his book that he turned to drugs to deal with the immense fame and pressure that came with starring in one of the most popular shows of all time - revealing he needed 14 surgeries on his stomach and has been in rehab 15 different times as a result of his drug and alcohol use.

In 1997, Perry got into a jet ski accident and was prescribed Vicodin, a powerful and addictive pain medication - which would eventually turn into in a years-long battle with addiction.

The comedian admitted to the outlet that during the height of his career, he was taking 55 pain killers per day and dropped down to only 128 pounds.

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.
Sophie Hermann looked sensational as she attended a New York-themed Halloween party in London on Friday.

The German beauty, 35, was joined by her Made In Chelsea co-star Victoria Baker-Harber at the bash, with the pair greeting each other with a kiss on the cheek.

Sophie ensured all eyes were on her as she arrived to the event in a hot pink mini dress from Nadine Merabi that highlighted her jaw-dropping figure.

Wow: Sophie Hermann looked sensational as she attended a New York-themed Halloween party in London on Friday

The reality star added height to her frame with a pair of matching heels while she also sported a fuchsia blazer.

Letting her blonde locks fall loose down her shoulders, Sophie added to her look with a bow headband.

Victoria, 34, cut a stylish figure for the evening as she donned a silver mini dress along with a matching pair of heels.

Also sporting a light pink blazer, the reality star completed her look with a light palette of makeup.

Pals: The German beauty, 35, was joined by her Made In Chelsea co-star Victoria Baker-Harber at the bash, with the pair greeting each other with a kiss on the cheek

It comes after Sophie has revealed she's embarked on a 'quest of immortality and forever beauty' with a 7k 'Death Becomes Her facial', insisting she 'wont be guilt tripped into ageing gracefully'.

The television personality started her cosmetic adventure by jetting off to Istanbul in Turkey for the stem cell treatment, after being inspired by the 1992 black comedy where fading actresses drink everlasting youth potions.

She went on to insist she once resembled The Joker after a case of botched filler in 2017, but quickly had it dissolved when she watched herself back on TV.

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Sophie explained how the procedure began with plastic surgeon Dr. Tiryaki sucking a 'tiny bit' of fat from her thigh' at the Gayrettepe Florence Nightingale Hospital.

Style: Sophie ensured all eyes were on her as she arrived to the event in a hot pink mini dress that highlighted her jaw-dropping figure

He then mined the substance for its stem cells in an 'amazing machine' before injecting it back into her 'facial bone and every skin epidermis layer'.

She continued: 'And they've also done a little bit of micro, it's called Nano Fat Transfer, on the temples and cheekbones to restore the bone structure.'

Speaking about her love of the film Death Becomes Her - which stars Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn as waning stars who attempt to outdo one another with immortality concoctions - she gushed: 'It's one of my top three movies.

'The idea of actually prolonging your life or actually even reaching immortality gets me. It's better than any orgasm I could imagine.

'I am on a constant quest of the Holy Grail of immortality and beauty forever.'
Medibank has confirmed that the cyber hackers behind the breach that targeted its customers' information have gotten hold of around 4 million customer data, including health claims.

The Australian insurance firm announces that an internal investigation shows that the threat actors had greater access to members' information than initially thought, Bleeping Computer says.

The Investigation Reveals That Pertinent Customer Information Has Been Accessed

Medibank, Australia's biggest health insurer, confirms that a cyber attack has put the personal data of nearly 4 million customers at risk.

Through investigation, the company found that the hackers have now accessed all of Medibank's data, including allied health medical students' and international students' personal data.

This personal information includes names, addresses, birth dates, medical card numbers, and gender information, along with health claims made by customers.

According to ABC, the health insurance company has yet to determine what the hackers might use the data stolen for, but they expect the number of affected customers to grow substantially.

Because Medibank is legally required to hold on to old customers' information, former clients' data could be compromised as well.

To make up for its members, The Guardian writes that Medibank will be provided with a financial support package as a reimbursement for the hack that compromised their data.

The hack caused a major financial blow that could cost Medibank a minimum of $25 to $35 million AUD because it did not have cyber attack insurance.

This does not include the compensation for customers that the company aims to give customers or the possible regulatory or legal fines that may be brought against Medibank.

John Goodall, the head of technology and operations for Medibank, tells The Guardian that the company has deployed monitoring tools on its networks, suggesting that the hackers have left the system.

Furthermore, the company is already in communications with hackers as well who obtained their credentials from another hacker on a Russian forum for cybercriminals.

However, the company declined to say what Medibank and the hackers have spoken about, like whether they would be required to pay any ransom demands.

Read More: Optus Confirms Data Breach; 2.1 Million Government ID Numbers are Exposed

Cybersecurity Experts Calls On Medibank To Protect Customers' Data

Following the series of high-profile data breaches that targeted large Australian firms, cybersecurity experts raised concerns on the dangers of information extortion.

Professor Richard Buckland from the University of South Wales tells ABC that experts are worried that the medical records that contain sensitive information might be revealed.

He adds that this will cause a lot of stress for the members, which could cause more Australians to distrust anyone with their data due to these large-scale hacks.

"It'd be lovely to see some legislation preventing people from collecting the data and forcing anyone that has collected data to delete it," Professor Buckland says.

Following this, Bleeping Computer reports that a proposal for a law has already been [published by the Australian Government for the Privacy Legislation Amendment Bill of 2022.

This bill increases the privacy breach penalties from $2.22 million to $50 million AUD, or thrice the value of any item obtained through illegal activities.

It also gives the Australian Information Commissioner great power to resolve these breaches by forcing companies to share their details with the agency.

Related Article: Data Breach Hits MyDeal, Impacts 2.2M Users
Shelley Duvall is set to make her return to the screen in the forthcoming indie horror feature The Forest Hills.

The news about the 73-year-old producer was revealed by Deadline on Friday, who shared a behind-the-scenes still of the performer.

The feature will mark the first time that the reclusive actress, who previously starred in the highly influential horror movie The Shining, will return to acting after a twenty-year absence from acting.

Return: Reclusive star Shelley Duvall, 73, is set to make her return to acting after a 20-year absence from the screen in indie horror film The Forest Hills (Pictured above)

The Forest Hills will also star performers such as Edward Furlong, Chiko Mendez and Dee Wallace.

The movie will follow a man who begins experiencing disturbing visions after enduring a head injury during a camping trip in the Catskill Mountains.

Duvall is set to play the mother of Mendez's character, and she will serve as his 'inner voice.'

The Forest Hills' writer, director and producer, Scott Goldberg gave a statement to Deadline to express how much he and his collaborators were fans of Duvall's work in the the 1980 Stanley Kubrick-directed feature.

In admiration: The Forest Hills' writer, director and producer, Scott Goldberg gave a statement to Deadline to express how much he and his collaborators were fans of Duvall's work in the the 1980 Stanley Kubrick-directed feature

'We are huge fans of The Shining and it's honestly one of my favorite horror movies of all time, up there with John Carpenter's Halloween and George A. Romero's Day of the Dead,' he said.

The filmmaker went on to speak about how the actress' performance helped define the movie.

'Shelley contributed to The Shining being an absolute masterpiece by giving her all, and performing in a way that really showcased the fear and horror of a mother in isolation,' he said.

The Forest Hills' release date has not been revealed to the public as of yet.

In the past: Duvall began her career by appearing in the 1970 black comedy feature Brewster McCloud; she is seen in a photo taken circa 1970

Duvall began her career by appearing in the 1970 black comedy feature Brewster McCloud.

She went on to appear in features such as Annie Hall, McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Popeye, among numerous others.

Her most notable role was as Wendy Torrance in The Shining, and although initial reviews for the feature were mixed, contemporary critics have viewed the film in a much more favorable light.

Duvall's most recent appearance in a feature was in Manna from Heaven, which was released in 2002.

Following the movie's release, the actress retreated from public life and retired in Texas.

She eventually made an appearance on an episode of Dr. Phil in 2016, where she spoke about dealing with mental illness during her time on the show.

The show's host was subsequently criticized for what many saw as his exploitation of the performer.
Gordon Ramsay left his daughter Tilly slightly red-faced as they appeared on Friday evening's episode of Celebrity Gogglebox for Stand Up To Cancer.

The chef probed whether she has a boyfriend, with Tilly eventually confessing that she is in a relationship - as her dad jumped for joy and exclaimed 'finally'.

It comes after the young star's stint on Strictly Come Dancing last year, which ignited rumours of a romance between her and pro partner Nikita Kuzmin.

Mortified: Gordon Ramsay left his daughter Tilly, 22, blushing as he probed her to confess she has a boyfriend during an appearance on Friday evening's celebrity Gogglebox

Appearing on the celebrity version of Channel 4's Gogglebox, Gordon took the opportunity to question his daughter on her dating life before they got stuck into the TV.

The father-daughter pair were filmed in their living room as they watched TV, with with the chef asking: 'Have you got a boyfriend? Yes or no?'

A mortified Tilly slumped into her chair more, before confessing that she was in a relationship with a tight-lipped reaction.

And dancing with joy, Gordon exclaimed: 'Yes! She's got a boyfriend finally!'

On-screen: Appearing on the celebrity version of Channel 4's Gogglebox, Gordon took the opportunity to question his daughter on her dating life before they got stuck into the TV

Rumours: It comes after the young star's stint on Strictly Come Dancing last year, which ignited rumours of a romance between her and pro partner Nikita Kuzmin (pictured together)

It comes after reports of Tilly growing close to her former Strictly partner Nikita, with the pair sharing a close bond since appearing on the show together.

Tilly and Nikita formed a close bond during the show, and set tongues wagging last year when they were seen leaving his flat together.

The pair have reunited many times since, but insisted they were just close friends - with Tilly reportedly seeing the dancer as a 'big brother' figure.

Embarassed: Answering the question, a mortified Tilly slumped into her chair more, before confessing that she was in a relationship with a tight-lipped reaction

And back in December, the star allegedly joined celebrity dating app Raya during her search for love, which appears to have come to an end.

She appeared on the Channel 4 show with Gordon in matching navy blue onesies, aiming to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer.

Gordon shared of the TV appearance: 'We're always happy to support the superb work that Stand Up To Cancer do, and despite our TV tastes being polar opposites, we had a lot of fun filming this very special episode of Gogglebox.'
Maya Jama pulled out all the stops as she dressed up as a granny for her annual Halloween party on Friday night at Oslo Hackney.

The presenter, 28, donned a grey wig and pink nightie as she put on an animated display while posing for snaps before heading into the venue.

Maya completed her look with a grey cardigan, set of pearls and wrinkly facial prosthetics as she held up a walking stick.

Here she is! Maya Jama pulled out all the stops as she dressed up as a granny for her annual Halloween party on Friday night at Oslo Hackney

The new Love Island host finished off the hilarious outfit with tights, heels and large glasses as she cheekily grabbed her chest in other snaps.

Sharing snaps and videos of her incredible outfit on social media she used the caption: 'Bad Grandma is ready to party!'

She also took to her Instagram Story to share the details of her costume which included wrinkly makeup applied to her hands.

Wow: The presenter, 28, donned a grey wig and pink nightie as she put on an animated display while posing for snaps before heading into the venue

Details: Maya completed her look with a grey cardigan, set of pearls and wrinkly facial prosthetics as she held up a walking stick

It comes after it was announced that Maya is to begin hosting the first of two series of Love Island, which will be filmed in South Africa, from early 2023.

Maya said in a statement: 'I've always been such a massive Love Island fan and I'm so excited to be hosting one of the nation's favourite shows! I can't wait to get into the Villa to meet all of the Islanders.'

Both Maya and Love Island shared a video of herself scrolling through stories about her being the rumoured presenter on various media outlets to confirm the news.

Funny: The new Love Island host finished off the hilarious outfit with tights, heels and large glasses as she cheekily grabbed her chest in other snaps

LOL: Sharing snaps and videos of her incredible outfit on social media she used the caption: 'Bad Grandma is ready to party!'

The Love Island account shared: 'Okay, the rumours are true Say hey to your brand-new #LoveIsland host @mayajama!'

Maya wrote in the comments section: SO BLOODY EXCITED. GET ME ON THAT ISLAND. '

Fans seemed to think she was the perfect choice to replace Laura.

Effort: She also took to her Instagram Story to share the details of her costume which included wrinkly makeup applied to her hands

Yay! It comes after it was announced that Maya is to begin hosting the first of two series of Love Island, which will be filmed in South Africa, from early 2023

Happy: Maya said in a statement: 'I've always been such a massive Love Island fan and I'm so excited to be hosting one of the nation's favourite shows! I can't wait to get into the Villa to meet all of the Islanders'

They took to Twitter straight away and wrote: 'Maya Jama will be a great love island host.'

'Maya Jama hosting love Island is excellent news!'

'Maya Jama hosting Love Island and she's gonna be hotter than any of the girls on the actual show.'

Director of Reality Programming & Acquisitions, Paul Mortimer said: 'Finding a new host to follow the wonderful Laura Whitmore was never going to be easy.

Announcement: Both Maya and Love Island shared a video of herself scrolling through stories about her being the rumoured presenter on various media outlets to confirm the news

Thrilled: The Love Island account shared: 'Okay, the rumours are true Say hey to your brand-new #LoveIsland host @mayajama!'

Fun times: Maya appeared to be having the time of her life as she struck a playful pose as she headed home

Guests: Antigoni Buxton wore a devil costume for the party

Confident: Paige Thorne wore a camouflage print bodysuit and fish net tights

Sexy: AJ Odudu put on a racy display as she sported a red satin gown and purple gloves for her costume as Jessica Rabbit

Leggy display: AJ sported a ginger wig as she embodied the Roger Rabbit character and posed up a storm at the event

Sexy: Sian Owen wore a Lara Croft outfit for the star-studded party

Woah! Danica Taylor wore a gold angel outfit and flashed her pert posterior

Howdy! Lateysha Grace wore a silver cowboy outfit

Physique: She showed off her gorgeous curves in the racy outfit

Posing up a storm: Sian wore skimpy black shorts and a khaki crop top

'In Maya Jama though, we have another high profile fan of the show who'll be a great addition to the Love Island family.

'Cool, charming and charismatic, I speak for us all when I say Maya will also bring a unique presenting style to the show, as did Laura and, of course, the very much missed Caroline Flack. We're very pleased to have her on board.'

Laura announced in August this year that she was quitting the show and would not be returning to host the next series of the ITV2 dating show.

The Irish presenter, 37, joined back in 2020 and has hosted the hugely popular reality programme and its spin-off Aftersun for three series.

Bye: Laura announced in August this year that she was quitting the show and would not be returning to host the next series of the ITV2 dating show
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A TikTok trend called "Kia Challenge" may have been the reason for four teens' deaths in Buffalo. According to Gizmodo, the trend prompts participants in the challenge to hijack Kia cars using a USB cable. The accident that claimed four lives could be due to a failed attempt to join in on the hype.

There is no shortage of challenges and trends in TikTok, but there are a few that have risked the health of its users. An example would be the "Black Out Challenge," where participants would hold their breath until they pass out. Another is the "Tide Pod Challenge" where some TikTok users would ingest laundry detergent.

The Kia Challenge Aftermath

According to reports, it was possible that six teenagers attempted to participate in the TikTok challenge. The crash happened on Route 33, in Buffalo, New York. This endeavor has led to four deaths and two injuries. One of the passengers, a 14-year-old, has been hospitalized. The 16-year-old driver has been charged with third-degree unauthorized use of a vehicle, and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

The phenomenon has been happening since July, without TikTok videos showing people stealing Kias and Hyundais using a charger cable. Those who participate in the trend usually target Kia Sportage models. However, spokespeople from Kia and Hyundai said that it can't be done with 2022 models, as mentioned in The Drive.

This late August, Los Angeles Police Department mentioned that theft of the mentioned brands increased by 7%, from 2021 to 2022. This September, Cook County Sheriff, Tom Dart, that they have seen an astounding 800% increase in car thefts.

This isn't the first incident that was reported, according to Insider. A crash that caused the deaths of two 14-year-old boys has also been linked to the trend. The incident happened in Columbus, Ohio, where they crashed a stolen Hyundai Sonata.

Columbus Police Commander Duane Mabry expressed that it's a game for kids, seeing how many they can steal in a day. They have even used the cars to commit other crimes. He also added that their department has seen a 40% increase in Kia and Hyundai thefts.

Read Also: Apple AirTags Danger Alert: Thieves Using Apple Device to Steal High-End Cars, Here's How to Detect AirTags

Mechanics

The participants in the trend appear to remove the steering column cover of the car and dismantle the key slot. They will then use a USB cable to turn the ignition, start the vehicle, and release the steering lock. This can be done with the same vehicle many times.

The cars that still use physical keys to start, aren't equipped with a factory-installed anti-theft device called an immobilizer. Some immobilizers have transponders, making the security of the car foolproof even if they copy the key. The transponder authenticates the key against the vehicle's ECU, meaning that the car won't start if it did not pair with the transponder.

Drivers who own susceptible vehicles are advised to use additional security measures. They may purchase an aftermarket immobilizer, or simply buy a steering wheel look so their car can't be driven away.

Related Article: 10 Tips On How To Improve Your Car Security
Elon Musk has completed the $44 billion Twitter deal after months of uncertainty and legal issues. It should be noted that the billionaire had until Friday to complete the deal. If he'd been unable to do so, he'd have to deal with a court battle.

As the deal reached completion, several Twitter executives have been fired, including CEO Parag Agrawal.

Elon Musk Completes Twitter Deal; Executives Fired

Elon Musk's ownership of Twitter has started of with a bang, although it remains to be seen if this is a positive or negative thing.

As previously mentioned, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has been terminated. According to a report by Reuters, Chief Finance Office Ned Segal has been terminated alongside. Both executives were in Twitter's San Francisco office and were escorted out of the building once the deal was closed.

The Reuter report notes that Musk "had accused them of misleading him and Twitter investors over the number of fake accounts on the social media platform."

Per a report by CNBC, Vijaya Gadde, the head of legal policy, trust, and safety, has also been fired by Musk.

The new Twitter owner has changed the bio of his account to "Chief Twit" as seen below:

Read Also: Elon Musk Tweets, Deletes 'Dragon Ball Z' Meme Featuring Himself and Kanye West

Elon Musk's Message to Twitter Advertisers

Musk previously posted a message to Twitter's advertisers on his personal account, stating that he wanted to reach out personally so that he can relay why he wanted to acquire to the social media platform to begin with.

Clarifying that he did not do it because it was easy or he wanted to make more money, the new Twitter owner said that the reason he acquired Twitter is because "it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence."

In his message, he assured advertisers that "Twitter cannot obviously become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!"

The report by Reuters notes that Musk previously said that he is planning on defeating spam bots and make algorithms that determine the presentation of content available to the public.

You can read Elon Musk's full message to advertisers below:

Dear Twitter Advertisers pic.twitter.com/GMwHmInPAS  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 27, 2022

Twitter Employees' Uncertain Future

Twitter employees suddenly had a reason to be worried about their future when it has been reported that Elon Musk is planning to lay off 75% of the 7,500 workers the company has.

However, it has been previously reported here at iTech Post and other news outlets that the new Twitter owner has backtracked on the statement he made to prospective investors. It remains to be seen if this is really the case or if he will push for the mass layoffs.

Related Article: Elon Musk Backs Out of Mass Layoff Plans for Twitter's 7,500 Workers, Sources Say
This page may be updated if the event is repeated

Past Event - Sunday, November 6, 2022 This page may be updated if the event is repeated

Free Event

Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, Dayton Philharmonic, DCDC, and Grace UMC Church Choir collaborate for Norma Ross Memorial Community Concert

Dayton Performing Arts Alliances (DPAA) 2022- 2023 Stained Glass Series with Dayton Philharmonic begins Sunday, Nov. 6 at Grace United Methodist Church, 1001 Harvard Blvd, Dayton, at 5:00 p.m. The Stained Glass Series is underwritten by the Bob Ross Auto Group in memory of Norma Ross. The concert is free to the public.

The Stained Glass Series is one of my favorites to program, said Neal Gittleman, Dayton Philharmonic- Artistic Director and Conductor. We collaborate with local church choirs and performers to honor the late Norma Ross, a tireless advocate for music and minority youth in Dayton. The free concert features Mozarts Hai gia vinta la causa from The Marriage of Figaro, along with his Symphony No. 41 in C minor, Jupiter. Sankara Harouna is one of our Artists in Residence program members who performs a beautiful baritone solo in Witness. DCDC has partnered with us to add a choreographer and dance to the concert. Its really going to be a fabulous night of music.

DPAAs Stained Glass Concerts, Norma Ross Memorial Community Concerts, are part of a series of community outreach efforts in honor of the late Mrs. Norma Ross, made possible by the Bob Ross Auto Group. Additional support was provided by support from the World Religion Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Judy and Mike Kreutzer.

This concert is free to the public.
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For Release: Friday, October 28, 2022

ECO Josh Crain Honored as Top New York Wildlife Conservation Police Officer

Yates County ECO Receives "Officer of the Year" Award from Shikar-Safari Club International for Outstanding Service

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced that Environmental Conservation Police Officer (ECO) Josh Crain was honored with the Wildlife Officer of the Year Award from the Shikar-Safari Club International.

"From a young age, ECO Crain dreamed of being an Environmental Conservation Police Officer working to ensure New York's environment and public are protected," said Commissioner Basil Seggos. "ECO Crain's recognition is well deserved and DEC applauds his exceptional work upholding New York's fish and wildlife laws, serving Finger Lakes communities, and educating fellow law enforcement officers, hunters, and future conservationists."

In preparation of reaching his lifelong dream of becoming an Environmental Conservation Police Officer, Crain attended University of Vermont where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal Science with a concentration in Wildlife Biology. He started his career with DEC's Division of Law Enforcement as part of the 16th Basic Law Enforcement Academy in 2004. After graduating the academy, his first duty assignment was in Region 3. During that time, Crain received a letter from former Governor David Paterson in recognition of his professionalism during the Region 3 Minnewaska Forest Fire response.

In October 2008, ECO Crain transferred to Region 8. During his time in Wayne County, he investigated several large cases ranging from fish and wildlife crimes to environmental quality cases. One noteworthy case ECO Crain worked on during that time was the Halligan Manufacturing Incorporated spill of diesel fuel into the Erie Canal. ECO Crain tracked the source for the diesel fuel back to Halligan Manufacturing. The investigation resulted in the responsible party conducting the cleanup and paying a significant criminal penalty. In November 2012, ECO Crain transferred to Yates County.

ECO Crain is involved in the local sporting community, which serves as a catalyst in his effectiveness as an Officer. He is known for his work style that promotes education first and enforcement when needed. Crain has specifically been involved with organizing and participating in annual events that include the Yates County Youth Fishing Derby, the School of Holy Childhood Fishing Clinic, the Robert DeRoo Memorial Youth Pheasant/Waterfowl hunts, the Yates County Youth Turkey Hunt, and the Finger Lakes Regional Youth Deer Hunt.

Every year, ECO Crain co-teaches several hunter education, bowhunter education, and trapper education classes. He is a Division firearms instructor and field training officer. Crain regularly volunteers to co-teach several division and academy classes including freshwater fish identification, hunter/bowhunter education, sportsmen education new instructor training, courtroom preparation, and field training officer school. Due to his exemplary work as an ECO, Josh was promoted to the position of Environmental Conservation Investigator in April 2022.

Shikar-Safari International Club was founded in 1952 by an international group of hunters interested in exchanging ideas about the sport and promoting ethical hunting of big game animals. Each year, the club sponsors an award for the Wildlife Conservation Police Officer of the Year in all 50 states, 10 Canadian provinces, and territories of both US. And Canada, acknowledging the important role ECOs play in local, national, and international wildlife conservation.



ECO Crain receives 2022 Shikar Safari award (Lt. Christopher Didion, Mr. Alan Sackman (host), ECO Josh Crain, Major George Steele)
BOOK: Forging Mettle: Nrupender Rao and the Pennar Story

AUTHOR: Pavan C Lall

PUBLISHER: HarperCollins India

My father never wanted us to enter politics. It was taboo for us. For the 15 years that he was a minister, not once did I go to his office.

 Nrupender Rao, excerpt from the book

Forging Mettle is a one-of-a-kind tale of how a firm founded on ethics, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship can be profitable and sustainable. Nrupender Rao took a chance in 1987 when he bought the losing Pennar Steels and turned it around. Decades later, the Pennar Group is a well-known name in a wide range of endeavours. The story teaches budding entrepreneurs how to construct a principled and ethical organisation.

In many ways, the spirit of what the books protagonist, Nrupender Rao of Pennar, is attempting to achieve is similar to what the country is attempting to achieve today. Of course, there is a hint of alchemy in Raos journey as he encounters highs and lows, wins and losses, and the constant fork in the road as to the type of company he wants to build. Deeper business management lessons will become apparent to the reader, but one factor that was ahead of its time is the unwavering focus on people in a large organisation, claims author Pavan C.

Lall, whose first two books  Flawed: The Rise and Fall of Indias Diamond Mogul Nirav Modi and Yes Man: The Untold Story of Rana Kapoor  were on corporate wrongdoing and white collar criminals  in short, everything that was wrong with the corporate system.

Politics vs Business

Nrupender Raos journey does not follow the typical entrepreneurial life cycle. In the sense that he was born into a family of political leaders. He is the son of J.V. Narsing Rao, who served as deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. He could easily have followed in their footsteps. Instead, he chose to first improve his scholastic abilities, then work for other organizations abroad before returning to India and working for big corporations. He passed out of IIT Kharagpur, then at Purdue University. Later, he climbed the corporate ladder  the National Cash Register, Coromandel Fertilisers, and Union Carbide.



Against All Odds

Forging Mettle was an opportunity to do something entirely different for multiple reasons. Due to a crippling disease that limited his speech, Nrupender Rao was unable to communicate. So getting some answers from him needed a completely different strategy, such as speaking with his family and reviewing all of his previous interviews. Then, being from West Bengal but having spent the majority of my career in Mumbai, I hadnt had much exposure to companies in South India, which was something I had always wanted to learn more about, says the author.

The book correctly identifies an accidental meeting with Raju in 1969 at the Union Carbide factory in Chennai. It was a watershed moment in Nrupender Raos life. Raju relied significantly on Rao when he founded Nagarjuna Steels in 1973.

Most of all I was surprised by how the Pennar Group at large let me have total journalistic freedom in the way I want to tell their story with balance and accuracy, says the author.

Tough Lessons

Everything will not go as planned, or even the best of plans fall apart, but one must continue with the race. Rao was able to forge his own degrees of connection, demonstrating how important it was to be able to achieve ones social, professional, and business objectives in a world devoid of technology platforms and social networks at the time. At the end of the day, people are what make any organization, even a technocracy, and the last lesson that any entrepreneur must learn is that you must also be there for them when the chips are down, says author Lall.
The padayatra, being held by farmers from Amavarati to Arisavilli, is to mobilise support for their insistence to keep Amaravati as AP capital. (Representational Image/DC)

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh High Court has heard the petitions filed by farmers seeking its direction to ministers as also ruling party MLAs and MPs to avoid causing hurdles in the way of their Padayatra.

The court also heard petitions seeking withdrawal of the permission for the Padayatra and posted the plea for the next hearing to Friday.

In the petition filed by Amaravathi Parirakshana Samithi farmers, the court was urged to issue a direction to restrain ministers and others from causing hurdles in the way of their Padayatra.

The padayatra, being held by farmers from Amavarati to Arisavilli, is to mobilise support for their insistence to keep Amaravati as AP capital. They also sought a court direction to the police to observe basic norms while dealing with the farmers Yatra.

The AP DGP filed a petition with a plea to the court to withdraw the permission it gave to the farmers to take out the rally.

Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi farmers counsel Muralidhara Rao reminded the court that it had permitted 600 farmers to take part in the Yatra. The police insisted on the participants to show their ID cards (to ascertain their bona fides.) This was done within half an hour after the court issued the instructions on Oct. 21. The police pulled out of the Yatra all those who had no ID cards.

He submitted to the court that the police were handling the women roughly and hence the samithi temporarily suspended the rally.

Advocate general S. Sriram argued that there was no truth in the allegations of the petitioners.

The court ruled out any amendment to the single judge order issued earlier and advised the petitioners to file a review petition if they wanted some changes in the earlier order.

The farmers also pleaded before the court that the non-farmers who supported the Padayatra be allowed to join the rally either in the front of it or at the back and not to restrict the permission to only 600 persons. Some have fallen sick and moved out of the rally. In their slots, others may be allowed to take part, the plea before the court said.
Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman visits fresh water pond at the inauguration of the Rapid Gravity Filters Project with Rs.1.25 crore MPLADS funds, at Matsyapuri village in West Godavari district, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. (PTI)

KAKINADA: Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has laid the stone for a Geo-tube seawall, a pilot project that will cost Rs 15 crore for a kilometre distance, at Pedamainavanilanka village in Narasapuram mandal of West Godavari district.

Sitharaman had adopted the village in 2015 under Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana scheme.

She launched construction of the geo-tube seawall that would protect the village from sea erosion. The people there faced hardships due to the erosion. Usually, the ebb and tide will move from north to South. But, there, it is moving from east to west, resulting in erosion.

The minister said the sea wall will be erected with advanced technology. The people of the village are backing her efforts to develop the village, she said.

Sitharaman said that once upon a time, Pedamainavanilanka village was remote. Now, it is fast-developing. When I visit the village, I feel like its homecoming to me, she said.

Some time ago, when the people of the village brought the issue of unemployment to her notice, she had set up a skill development centre that helped the youth in the entire district.

Sitharaman interacted with students. She distributed Rs 1.82 crore under Mudra loans to the beneficiaries. She inaugurated a drinking water scheme, the Digital buildings and the Village secretariat building. The rapid sand filter drinking water scheme was launched at a cost of Rs 1.25 crore in Matsyapuri village by utilizing her MPLADS funds.

The minsiter planted a sapling at the village. She said drinking water will be supplied to 1,110 families in Matsyapuri, Godivaripeta and Adi Andhra Peta areas.

State finance minister Buggana Rajendranath participated in the minister's programmes as chief guest.

Narsapuram MLA and government chief whip M Prasada Raju said the R&B Roads would be developed from Pedamainavanilanka to Naraspuram, a distance of 18km. A fishing harbour would be set up at a cost of Rs 450 crore and the chief minister would lay the stone for it soon.

West Godavari collector Prashanti said the Union minister has majorly developed Pedamainavanilanka village.

BJP state president Somu Veerraju, special CS for finance SS Rawath, secretary to finance Satyanarayana, Naraspuram sub-collector Surya Teja and others were present.


BJP State President K. Annamalai said only 50 students opted for the Tamil medium in engineering studies offered by the State. (Photo: Twitter)

CHENNAI: The BJP organised protests in at least 60 places across the State on Thursday reportedly to Save Tamil and condemn the DMK government for allegedly using Hindi imposition for achieving political gains.

State president of the party, K Annamalai, led the protest in Cuddalore, where he said they wanted an opportunity to learn a third language in State schools like in institutions affiliated to the CBSE.

The DMK government was not doing anything to protect Tamil, he said, pointing out that in last years tenth standard school final examination 48,000 students had failed in Tamil.

Accusing the State government of promoting English, Annamalai said only 50 students opted for the Tamil medium in engineering studies offered by the State.

Other senior leaders of the partys State unit led the protests in various places. In Chennai, where there were seven protests, one was led to vice president VP Duraisamy and another by party MLA Nainar Nagendran.

Various leaders made use of the Save Tamil platform to point fingers at the State government on the recent car blast in Coimbatore. They accused Chief Minister MK Stalin of not speaking out on the case.
An anonymous tip from last year accuses Meta executives of moderating OnlyFans content on Facebook in exchange for cash.

The whistleblower says that the confidential reports contain a slew of accusations against Meta, in connection with the federal lawsuit involving OnlyFans, Engadget reports.

The Six-Month Old Report Claims That Meta Has Been Taking Bribes

Two executives at Facebook's parent company were accused of being involved in a bribery scandal that attempts to treat OnlyFans content on the platform differently.

The report that was sent to the company's investigation team in August 2021 implies that some of Meta's employees take bribes to protect OnlyFans content on Facebook.

A class-action lawsuit filed by three adult entertainers in February says that executives accepted bribes in the scheme that shields OnlyFans from Meta's adult content-banning algorithm.

Additionally, Meta employees were also accused of blacklisting other platforms that rival OnlyFans across Facebook by reporting their content to threat-detection databases.

Daily Wire reports that the lawyers working with OnlyFans and Meta got the confidential tip that allegedly reveals wire transfers from OnlyFans' owner and the workers that took money.

However, a Meta spokesperson denies the accusations as they claim that there was not sufficient evidence to back up the reports.

Similarly, OnlyFans denied all the allegations, saying that the believability and merit of the contents of the report is impossible to assess without the identity of the whistleblower.

This is in accordance with the Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act that says that no user of an interactive computer service should be treated as an information content provider.

The report sent by the whistleblower was from SpeakUp's web portal, which is open to the public, meaning that the anonymous tip could have been from anyone.

Read More: Meta Hit With $3.2 Billion Lawsuit: Did Facebook Exploit 44 Million User Data in the UK?

Meta's Content Moderation Is In Focus

The rampant misuse of Facebook's whitelists that excuse policy violations in the platform have been widely discussed by employees through the years, Gizmodo writes.

This was revealed by the documents leaked last year by whistleblower Frances Haugen, showing that employees have been flagging internal whitelists that Meta execs ordered to clean up.

The auditing process of Meta in 2019 found that adding accounts to the whitelist are rarely reviewed, which is why the company is reining in on how to repeal the problem with adult content.

According to Meta employees, the problem with whitelisting has become pervasive and widespread, which is why the company plans to address the whitelist problem abruptly.

Connectedly, OnlyFans has also pledged to ensure the long-term sustainability of their platform by monitoring sexually-explicit content, Gizmodo says.

However, the change aiming to host a more inclusive community in the platform has been threatened by a creator strike, forcing OnlyFans to retract.

With OnlyFans and Facebook finding themselves in a crossroads because of this, the whistleblower took the opportunity to leak the documents due to financial motivation.

At the moment, OnlyFans still runs about 150 ads across Facebook in the middle of the controversial lawsuit involving the two entities.

Related Article: Meta Subpoenas Rivals to Ask for Their Secrets to Win 2020 Antitrust Lawsuit
A file photo of minister and TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao. Chief Minister and TRS chief KCR, KTR, Harish, and four MLAs confined at Pragathi Bhavan on Thursday. (Photo:Twitter)

HYDERABAD: A day after the alleged Operation Akarsh by the BJP to poach four TRS MLAs got exposed, creating a furore in Telangana politics, the TRS leadership assumed a sangfroid stance, maintaining complete silence on the issue on Thursday.

TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao reportedly issued a gag order, instructing party leaders not to make any comments before the media or social media on the issue, since the case was under preliminary stage of investigation.

There was initial speculation that TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao would be holding a press conference on the issue, but it did not fructify. Even Rama Rao chose to maintain near radio silence on the issue throughout the day, which he finally broke with a tweet at 6.28 pm, in Telugu, urging party leaders not to speak to the media.

Rama Rao, in his tweet, said, those thieves who were caught redhanded will continue to bark as they want. There is no need for (our) partymen to take this seriously (sic).

Finance minister and trouble shooter T. Harish Rao too maintained silence. He neither tweeted on the row nor did he issue any formal statement. Both senior leaders, Rama Rao and Harish Rao, also significantly and tellingly stayed away from campaigning for the Munugode bypoll.

With the troika of the TRS leadership maintaining silence, suspense prevailed across the party ranks over what the next move of the party would be.

There were heated debates in party circles on Operation Akarsh. Most ministers, MLAs and senior leaders, in their internal discussions, said the CM had pulled off another masterstroke, given the master political strategist he was. They felt the party had gained after CM KCR exposed the BJPs attempts to purchase MLAs.

TRS leaders said the expose had dealt a big blow to the BJP ahead of the Munugode bypoll. They also drew parallels to the time when Chandrashekar Rao finished off the TD in Telangana by exposing the cash for vote scam in 2015.

Chandrashekar Raos latest masterstroke would check the BJP not only in Telangana but would also have an impact at the national level, they argued. What the Congress, NCP or the Shiv Sena could not do to save their governments from the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, etc., Chandrashekar Rao had achieved in Telangana, they said with admiration.

Party sources revealed and confirmed that the CM, along with Rama Rao, Harish Rao, and the four MLAs who exposed BJPs operation, remained closeted at the Pragathi Bhavan throughout the day, holding meetings to finalise the partys course of action.

Interestingly, the four party MLAs Guvvala Balraj, Pilot Rohit Reddy, B. Harshvardhan Reddy and Rega Kantha Rao  reached Pragathi Bhavan directly from the farmhouse in Moinabad, where police had conducted raids and caught the alleged BJP agents, who lured them with money. The party leadership reportedly inquired about how many more TRS MLAs were approached by these BJP agents.

The silence today is the lull before the storm. Something much bigger will be out soon and it will knock the socks of the BJP, a party insider said.
HYDERABAD: Claims by TRS leaders, who brandished photographs to show that BJP leaders knew Nanda Kumar  a businessman and one among the three arrested by police as a potential perpetrator of an alleged attempt to bribe TRS MLAs to defect  were quickly countered by BJP leaders, who came up with their own version of you got shot too with images of the accused with TRS leaders, some of whom are close to party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao.

They are circulating pictures of me with Nanda Kumar, Union minister G. Kishan Reddy told reporters on Thursday.

I have been an MLA thrice, and now I am an MP. I get invited to inaugurations, functions, award ceremonies and the like. Incidentally, the same venue where my picture was taken with Nanda Kumar, a picture of his was taken with TRS MLA D. Nagender, Reddy said.

He ran through a series of images of TRS leaders with Nanda Kumar, including Rajya Sabha MP J. Santosh Kumar, MLA B. Harshvardhan Reddy, TSMSIDC chairman Errolla Srinivas, former Hyderabad mayor Bonthu Rammohan and tourism development corporation chairman U. Srinivas Gupta.

The BJPs counter-attack came in the wake of the TRS circulating pictures of Nanda Kumar, Ramchandra Bharti, and Simhayaji Swamy, the other two accused, with BJP leaders within hours of the alleged bribery attempt coming to light Wednesday evening.

This was an entirely scripted movie with Chandrashekar Rao donning all production roles. It is nothing but an attempt to distract people from Munugode by-election, and an attempt to confuse voters there, Kishan Reddy said.
Sanjay and other BJP leaders made it clear that they, or their party, had nothing to do with the episode, while conveying a message to the Munugode voters, and rest of the state, that the BJP was clean and it was instead the TRS whose hands were dirty. (DC File)

HYDERABAD: An aggressive BJP on Thursday tore into the false allegations of the TRS that it had tried to engineer defection of four ruling party MLAs by offering them huge bribes, with state BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar leading a multi-pronged attack against the pink party.

Within hours of Sanjay openly declaring the BJP intentions that this was not something the saffron party would take lying down, the party filed a plea in the Telangana state High Court seeking a probe into the matter. The BJP also complained to the Election Commission of India against the farce enacted by the TRS, seeking an independent probe, even as simultaneous demands were made for inquiries by a sitting Supreme Court judge, as well as by the CBI.

In the process, Sanjay and other BJP leaders made it clear that they, or their party, had nothing to do with the episode, while conveying a message to the Munugode voters, and rest of the state, that the BJP was clean and it was instead the TRS whose hands were dirty.

Sanjay started the day by asking TRS uncomfortable questions, including why the police was silent on the cash it claimed it had seized from the farmhouse of TRS MLA Panjagula Rohit Reddys  otherwise known as Pilot Rohith Reddy  in Moinabad.

Addressing a press conference in Munugode, Sanjay warned that the BJP would have something to do with the Cyberabad police commissioner, who, he said, had needlessly blamed the BJP.

This entire episode was scripted by KCR. It is pure drama, Sanjay said, adding, it has been more than 12 hours since the episode. Maybe the next part of the script is not yet ready but is being worked upon inside Pragathi Bhavan.

He said all of this was for one byelection. The farmhouse where it happened was of the TRS, they are the ones who moved the money, they are the one who complained to police, and they claim they are the victims.

Those involved have business connections to the Chandrashekar Rao family and belong to the TRS, Sanjay said. He also said that the Cyberabad police chief was a key player in the drama, which is why he selected Moinabad, which falls under his jurisdiction for enacting it, but he will not be able to escape the fallout.

Sanjay demanded that the CCTV footage of Deccan Kitchen Centre, Pragathi Bhavan, and the farmhouse be made public as also the call data records of the CM, Pragathi Bhavan, the Cyberabad police commissioner, four MLAs and others named as involved in the case.

This must be done for the truth to come out. Will the TRS government do this? he said.

Nizamabad MP Dharmapuri Arvind, who addressed a press meet in Munugode, said the episode was a comedy scene in the middle of a serious movie. We all laughed. The worst part was the four TRS MLAs they are second-hand goods. They are not worth anything. None of them will win if they contest elections again.

Arvind also said that anywhere in the country, the BJP would never allow entry to anyone unless the MLA or other elected leader first resigned from their posts and contested the election, unlike the TRS which was an expert at engineering defections.

In Hyderabad, Kishan Reddy declared that BJP had nothing to do with the episode and said if the TRS was sincere to get to the bottom of the issue it should seek a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge and also demand a CBI probe.

How did the TRS social media handles get information before the police? In any case, there is nothing the BJP would gain from admitting these four MLAs into its fold. We will win in Munugode. We have three MLAs currently, after Rajgopal Reddy joins the group, they will be enough to pull the ground beneath the TRS government, he said.

This movie scripted by KCR will end as a flop on November 6 (date of the Munugode bypoll result). If any probe must be done, it must start with KCR, who began the luring of MLAs from other parties into the TRS without even asking them to resign from their seats, Kishan Reddy said.

Such episodes will not deter us from our mission to put an end to the Kalvakuntla family rule in Telangana, he added.
HYDERABAD: For the second straight day, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao held a closed-door meeting at Pragathi Bhavan on Friday with ministers K.T. Rama Rao, T. Harish Rao and senior leaders to discuss the party's response to the 'Operation Akarsh' under which it tried to lure four ruling party MLAs, but the TRS leadership remained completely silent in public.

During the meeting, the CM and the ministers are said to have heard the audio clips of conversations  both before and after Diwali  between TRS MLA P. Rohit Reddy, and accused Ramachandra Bharati and Nanda Kumar. The clips went viral on social media platforms on Friday.

A few additional audio and video clips, according to party insiders, would be released on Saturday to "expose" the BJP's attempts to lure TRS MLAs.

Sources added that the CM would address a public meeting on October 30 in Chandur in the Munugode Assembly constituency to campaign for the party and he is expected to break his silence on the MLAs poaching issue in his speech.

One of the four TRS MLAs who were present at the farmhouse in Moinabad on Wednesday, Rega Kantha Rao, posted on his Facebook page early on Friday morning that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao would hold a press conference on Friday and reveal information regarding the poaching of TRS MLAs. The CM, however, did not hold any press conference.

There was speculation that the CM would fly to New Delhi on Friday, hold a press conference there, and expose the BJP by disclosing all the specifics of the BJP's attempts to dislodge the TRS government by poaching MLAs. But, according to party insiders, there were no immediate plans for the CM to visit the national capital.
A file picture of the C-295MW transport aircraft that the Tata-Airbus consortium will manufacture for the Indian Air Force, at a facility in Vadodara, Gujarat. (Image: AFP)

MUMBAI: The Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government has come under fire following the Centre's announcement that Tata-Airbus C-295 transport aircraft project would be set up in Gujarat, with the opposition seeking to know why the project that was supposed to come up in Maharashtra went to the neighbouring state.

Former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday accused the Shinde government of not being serious about the state's progress and criticised it for failing to protect the state's interests.

Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Council Ambadas Danve, a loyalist of former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, claimed that the shifting of the project was an effort by the Shinde-Bharatiya Janata Party government to ensure the victory of the BJP in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls.

The BJP, however, countered the allegations, saying that the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government did not do anything to follow up on the proposed project.

A consortium of Airbus and the Tata group will manufacture C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Vadodara in Gujarat, the Defence ministry said on Thursday, announcing the Rs 22,000 crore project where a military plane will be produced in India for the first time by a private company.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday lay the foundation stone for the manufacturing facility of the European defence major and the Indian conglomerate, in what is billed as a major boost to the domestic aerospace sector.

In September this year, CM Shinde's loyalist Uday Samant, who is currently the Industries Minister, had said that the Tata-Airbus aircraft manufacturing project would come up near Nagpur in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.

Last month, a blame-game had erupted in Maharashtra following the announcement that a joint venture semiconductor project of the Indian conglomerate Vedanta and Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn, proposed to be set up near Pune city earlier, would come up in Gujarat.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress, all constituents of the MVA, have sought to corner the Shinde-BJP government over the Rs 1.54 lakh crore plant going to Gujarat.

Speaking to reporters in Shirur tehsil in Pune district, Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday asked, Will the state government give answers to why these projects are going out? This (Tata-Airbus) is the fourth project which has gone away from Maharashtra since the traitor government has come to power in the state. They always boast that they have a double-engine government, but although one engine of the central government is working, the state government's engine has failed.

Thackeray was in Shirur to inspect the losses that farmers have suffered due to heavy rains.

He added that the previous MVA government led by his father Uddhav Thackeray had managed to bring investment to the state even during the pandemic, but this government has failed to do so.

CM Shinde goes to Delhi on a regular basis. But he goes there for himself and not for Maharashtra. I never heard him saying that the Tata-Airbus project should come to Maharashtra. Projects including Vedanta Foxconn, Bulk Drug Park, Medical Device Park, and now Tata Airbus have gone to Gujarat, he alleged.

He said he was not sad because the project was going to some other state. The question is why is it not coming to our state. Why this new government is not able to bring projects to the state? In the last few days, CMs from other states are coming to Maharashtra and interacting with the local industrialists here to seek investments, but our CM goes to Delhi, and he does so for himself, he said.

The Worli MLA said that big and small projects used to come to Maharashtra because of merit. But today, despite having the merit, these projects are going to the other state, he said.

Due to the current state government, Maharashtra has lost one more project. The state government is not at all serious about Maharashtra's progress, Thackeray alleged.

He also asked the state government to immediately announce a wet drought in the state and provide help to farmers.

He visited farmers in Malthan village area in Shirur tehsil and inspected the crops that suffered due to the heavy rains. We have given a slogan - 'Give or leave', which means the state government should either provide help to farmers or step down, he said.

Ambadas Danve criticised the state government over the project moving to Gujarat. Does this ED (Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis) government belong to Maharashtra or Gujarat? This government shouted that the Vedanta-Foxconn project went to Gujarat due to the earlier MVA government. Now because of whom did this project (Tata Airbus) go to Gujarat? he asked in a tweet.

They (Shinde-Fadnavis) should stop raising the slogan 'Jai Maharashtra'. Instead, the government should start saying 'Jai Jai Garvi Gujarat', he added.

Danve claimed that it was an effort by the Shinde-BJP.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah during 'Chintan Shivir' of home ministers of all states, at Surajkund in Faridabad, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. (PTI)

SURAJKUND/NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that the Centre and states share collective responsibility for effectively tackling trans-border crimes.

Addressing a two-day "chintan shivir" organised with the aim of preparing an action plan for the implementation of "Vision 2047" and "Panch Pran" announced in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech, the Union home minister said that it was the collective responsibility of states to effectively tackle crimes operating from across the country's borders or states' borders or regional crimes to make society free from fear.

"In our Constitution, law and order is a state subject... But we can be successful against trans-border or borderless crimes only when all states sit together to ponder over them, make a common strategy and (make) efforts to curb them," he said.

Most of the non-BJP chief ministers holding charge of their respective states home departments skipped the chintan shivir. Only two non-BJP CMs -- Punjab's Bhagwant Mann and Kerala's Pinarayi Vijayan -- attended the conference.

The non-BJP chief ministers holding the home portfolios who did not attend the meeting on Thursday include Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Nitish Kumar (Bihar), Naveen Patnaik (Odisha), M.K. Stalin (Tamil Nadu) and Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan).

Assuring the states of assistance Mr Shah said, "We will have to focus on the rationalisation of resources."

The Union home minister pointed out that the Modi government has recorded success on all fronts of internal security, be it Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast or narcotics smuggling, and said that all states will have National Investigation Agency (NIA) offices as a strategy to counter terrorism.

On the Foreign Contributions (Regulations) Act (FCRA) and some NGOs misusing it, Mr Shah said that the Central government has amended the FCRA that was being misused by some NGOs to conduct anti-national activities, religious conversion, political opposition of development projects and creating obstacles in development works.

He said, "In 2020, the government took strong action to stop foreign funding of such NGOs by amending the FCRA."

The shivir can become a good platform to discuss strategies to counter cyber crimes, narcotics and cross-border terrorism, among others, and to exchange good practices in law and order, he noted.

"Our internal security is considered strong," Mr Shah said and also noted, "35,000 police and Central Armed Police Forces personnel have laid down their lives to keep the unity and integrity of the country intact."

He said all the areas considered hot spots from the security point of view have been cleared due to synergy and cooperation between states and the Centre. There is a 74 per cent dip in terror attacks and 90 per cent decrease in terror-related killings since 2014, Mr Shah said, adding that this is a "big achievement".

"We have entered into long-term agreements with insurgent groups like NLFT, BODO, Karbi Anglong, which have given a platform for the surrender of 9,000 insurgents to ensure long-term peace in the Northeast," he said.

Noting that the nation has made big strides in tackling Left wing extremism (LWE), recording a decrease of 77 per cent in naxal violence and 87 per cent in lives claimed by it after 2014, the Union home minister said, "Once upon a time, the red corridor between Pashupati Nath and Tirupati was notorious. The states and the Centre have successfully fought this fight and achieved success... In 2014, 113 districts were affected by LWE; now it has come down to 46. It's a big success."

Referring to Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Shah further said that a new era has started in Jammu and Kashmir after the abolition of Article 370.

"During 37 months after August 5, 2019 terror incidents have reduced by 34 per cent as compared to the numbers recorded in the 37 months preceding the date. Sixty-four per cent fewer deaths have been reported and civilian deaths in terror incidents have gone down by 90 per cent during the period," Mr Shah said.

Informing the gathering, he also said that Jammu and Kashmir had received a total investment of `19,000 crores till 2019 since Independence, while in the last three years a total investment of `57,000 crores has been made. He added that this shows that the Union Territory has moved ahead on the path of success.

"We have made important changes in the NIA and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to give more powers to the agency," Mr Shah said.

"The agency has been given extra-territorial jurisdiction. The agency also has the authority to seize a terrorist's property. We have decided that every state will have a NIA unit to develop a strong anti-terror network," he remarked.

Speaking about the large number of proposals that have been received to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the Union home minister said, "In a very short time, we will come up with a new draft of the CrPC and IPC before Parliament."

The Prime Minister will address the chintan shivir through video conferencing on October 28.

Apart from Mr Mann and Mr Vijayan, the chief ministers who are attending the two-day conference that began on Thursday are Manohar Lal Khattar (Haryana), Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam), N. Biren Singh (Manipur), Pramod Sawant (Goa), Manik Saha (Tripura), Pushkar Singh Dhami (Uttarakhand) and Prem Singh Tamang (Sikkim).

Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit, who is the administrator of Chandigarh, also attended the meeting.

Deputy chief ministers Devendra Phadnavis (Maharashtra) and Y. Patton (Nagaland) also attended the meeting.

Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh's home minister Tamradhwaj Sahu attended the meeting but another Opposition-ruled state Telangana's home minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali did not attend it.

During the chintan shivir, a host of internal security issues, including checking cybercrimes, ensuring women's security and coastal security will be discussed, the home ministry officials said.
HYDERABAD: The Telangana police on Friday challenged in the High Court, the ACB courts rejection of its remand application and release of three persons accused of allegedly offering bribes to four TRS MLAs.

The police, represented by DCP Shamshabad, requested the High Court to direct the accused persons- Ramachandra Bharati, Kore Nandu Kumar and D.P.S.K.V.N. Simhayaji  to surrender before the ACB court at Hyderabad, to enable it to accept the remand and send the accused to judicial custody.

Justice Chillakur Sumalatha heard the petition and adjourned the case to Saturday to hear the accused. She said that no further time will be given and the case will be disposed of on Saturday.

She directed the accused not to leave the city for the next 24 hours and that they should furnish their residential addresses to the Cyberabad police commissioner by 6 pm on Friday. The judge said that the three would not contact the de-facto complainant, Tandur MLA P. Rohit Reddy, or try to influence the witnesses.

Advocate-General B.S. Prasad, representing the police, said the ACB court had erred in considering the case. It dealt with the offer of bribes to MLAs, who are public servants, he said.

There was a conspiracy by the accused and criminal intimidation to destabilise the state government, Prasad said.

He said the MLAs were threatened with raids by central agencies. It was a case for punishment of up to seven years under Prevention of Corruption Act.

He submitted a remand copy, which included photocopies of SMS and Whatsapp messages which were sent and received by the accused to third persons.

Justice Sumalatha asked him whether the episode at the farmhouse was a trap or it was incidental. The judge also inquired about spy cameras and other electronic devices arranged in the farmhouse.

In the report, the police said that the gadgets had captured around three-and-a-half hours of conversation of four TRS MLAs with the accused.

Vedula Srinivas, representing the accused, argued that as per Supreme Court guidelines, notices were mandatory before any arrest. He said that as the police had not seized any money, it would not come under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Congress presidents election inhabits a different sphere from the Bharat Jodo Yatra. But the two have an embryonic connection that cant be overlooked. If the protagonists keep this in view, the result can be energising for the Congress; if not, the two -- standing in isolation or in disregard of one another -- can wither, giving the ruling establishment a freer run than before.

Rahul Gandhis long march is a month and a half old, and has covered about one-third of the distance it set out to traverse. The response so far has been overwhelming. Of course, the more difficult part -- northern Indias terrain, where the Congress organisation is jaded due to inadequate attention by the Congress leadership (meaning the Gandhis themselves) -- is still to come.

Yet there is no gainsaying that Rahul Gandhi, helming the Yatra, is now in public perception a very different political figure than earlier. The BJPs propaganda campaign of many years, which depicted him as an incompetent who thought he was the entitled one due to his heredity, had worked but has now fallen into disrepute.

Mr Gandhi calls a spade a spade. He challenges the Narendra Modi governments policies upfront, eliciting praise of even critics. He doesnt get personal. He shows no bitterness although the government has been nasty. He seems serene  almost like the Dalai Lama, a world figure of the first rank who battles an implacable, hostile dictatorship.

As a scare tactic, the Centre has thrown the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI at Mr Gandhi and his ailing mother Sonia Gandhi, in the manner these things are done to political opponents and dissidents in crude autocracies where the welfare of the people is the last thing on the governments mind.

Whats true is that the rulers have gone after political opponents in practically every state in an effort to demoralise, defeat and denude opponents of legitimacy and to spread the message that those offering succour to the governments critics could find themselves in serious trouble. Those within the ruling party but not inside the controlling factions have also earned the establishments ire, as Union minister Nitin Gadkari might know.

Recent Chinese manoeuvres come to mind as deplorable means are employed. Strong-arm tactics characterise government-opponent ties. All of government seems to be directed at feeding the hubris of those who matter and to advance ideas and modes of thought that close out democratic ideals and aspirations.

In such circumstances, the limitations of the forum of Parliament -- in the forging of government policies, discussing national questions, or debating the countrys future -- are all too obvious, causing anxiety about the stability and longevity of the institution of Parliament as envisaged in the Constitution.

Our Parliament can only work when all parties agree on the basics, treat genuine debate and discussion as an article of faith, show respect, not just technical tolerance for opponents, and demonstrate determination to not use extra-judicial force or violence against ruling party critics or any section of the people -- on any pretext.

This is far from being the case in New India. Values of parliamentary life and parliamentary procedures are now noted for their conspicuous disregard.

What can be more compelling than a discussion on China -- a hostile neighbour -- having occupied traditional Indian lands in Ladakh for over two years? But that isnt permitted. What comes through loudest in New India is self-serving propaganda about Very Old India from a time when, in fact, there was no India.

In Parliament, there is seldom more than a superficial discussion or a ministerial statement on the jobs situation, on the hunger index or on the nuts and bolts of policies on Kashmir or the Northeast. The government doles out cliches, hyperbole, and anti-Opposition rhetoric and substance stands overlooked.

On the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Mr Gandhi noted the government refuses to let Opposition parties express themselves in Parliament, and thats why he thought to connect with the people direct and talk to them about national concerns. He has a point we can ill afford to ignore.

When discussion through consensual channels is refused, as a society we could court disaster.

The vastly-experienced Mallikarjun Kharge, from the large, oppressed Dalit community, has convincingly won the Congress presidential election. He bears an extraordinary burden. He comes in at a time when the party has been at its weakest, when India is in a state of social and economic crisis -- a situation that lures moral decay. The party is also up against an overbearing, hostile establishment. Mr Kharge must take charge straightaway.

He will have to choose his tactics and instruments, and gather advisors from various states without losing time -- in fact, before a fresh Congress Working Committee can be elected and the Parliamentary Board set up. There are too many state elections coming up before the next Lok Sabha polls in about 18 months, to permit delay. Pressing questions abound. For instance, can Mr Kharge leverage his caste background for elections?

There may be a historical necessity for the new president to craft a relationship in relation to the storied Gandhis, who have shaped the Congress broad path since Independence, but also miscalculated and erred. They have voluntarily excluded themselves from the leadership stakes. Now they can only go as far as their name and reputation carries them.

If the new party leader were to heed his critics -- who are the same as those of the Gandhis and the Congress itself -- he should seek to exile the Gandhis to oblivion to show he is his own man. This will please the rulers, not just Congress critics.

In that event, it is clear that Kharge will preclude himself from establishing synergy with the Bharat Jodo Yatra which has created buzz of a kind not heard for decades. BJY is already making the opponents nervous. The BJP, for instance, announced a yatra in Gujarat but quickly scrapped it, fearing drawing unfavourable comparison with Mr Gandhis march.

The BJY is of the Gandhian civil disobedience mould, not aiming at an imperious assault on the citadel as, say, the JP movement was. This is one of its strengths. It is noticeably a gathering force which can attract unlike elements that may be harnessed to a common cause -- defining of regeneration  and raise a non-violent, civil disobedience-style challenge to the all-round political repression of the governments opponents that combines with severe deterioration in the nations social and economic life, leading to a level of deep-going polarisation India hasnt experienced at any time in the past.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Saudi Arabia, the oil-rich kingdom's foreign minister said, days after the leader of the world's most populous nation secured a third term in office.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan hailed the "historical and solid relationship" between the major oil exporter and Beijing after talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

"Our meeting today comes at an important time, as it precedes the expected visit of the Chinese president to the kingdom," Prince Faisal said in a video statement broadcast on Saudi television.

Saudi Arabia is also "finalising arrangements" for summit talks between China and Arab countries, he added.

Xi, who extended his decade in power last week, has only left China once since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, when he visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in September.

The Chinese embassy in Saudi Arabia did not comment when asked by AFP about Xi's expected visit.

China's ministry of foreign affairs meanwhile said it had "no information to offer" on the matter.

The potential visit comes at a time of strained ties between Saudi Arabia and long-standing ally the United States after the OPEC+ cartel slashed oil production, ignoring pleas from Washington.

The decision infuriated US President Joe Biden, who flew to Saudi Arabia in July, fist-bumping with de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 37, despite once pledging to make the country a "pariah" over the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Wang said Saudi Arabia occupies a "priority position in China's overall diplomacy", according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Xi visited Saudi Arabia in January 2016 -- the year before Prince Mohammed was named as heir to the throne, ushering in a period of reform. The Saudi prince made the trip to China in early 2019.
In a bid choke international terror groups of funds, India on Friday proposed a five-pronged approach, including keeping a strict watch on emerging virtual currencies and breaking the backbone of illicit drugs and arms trafficking besides ensuring that the sanctions regime is transparent.

We all know that money is the lifeblood of terrorism. Terrorist organisations require funds and resources to maintain their organisational functions and undertake activities. The reality that terrorism continues to exist and expand points to an underlying truth: that terrorism continues to get the necessary financial resources to thrive, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said at the UN Security Councils Mumbai meeting on combating terrorism financing.

Effective and sustained efforts at countering terror financing is at the heart of the issue of countering terrorism. Normative efforts at the UN need to be coordinated through collaboration with other fora like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Egmont Group, he said.

Read | Key conspirators of 26/11 remain unpunished: Jaishankar

We need to ensure the effective and transparent functioning of the Security Council sanctions regime and make sure that they are not rendered ineffective for political reasons. Objective and evidence based proposals for listing of terrorist groups, especially those that curb their access to financial resources must be seen through, the External Affairs Minister said.

Jaishankar pointed out that international cooperation and concerted action against terrorists and their sponsors, including through dismantlement of terrorist safe havens, sanctuaries, training grounds and financial and ideological as well as political support structures, are critical imperatives to defeat this scourge.

Terrorisms nexus with transnational organised crime, illicit drugs and arms trafficking is now well established. It is important that we recognise these linkages and strengthen multilateral efforts to break them, he said.

Over the years, terrorist groups have diversified their funding portfolio. They have also begun to exploit the anonymity afforded by new and emerging technologies such as virtual currencies for fundraising and finances. In this regard, we look forward to the deliberations at the Special Meeting of the Committee in New Delhi to provide innovative solutions for the international community to consider, he added.
Tesla's All-Terrian Vehicle (ATV) for kids is deemed unsafe to ride and use.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that the Tesla Cyberquad for kids is being recalled due to failing federal mandatory safety standard requirements.

Tesla first unveiled the Cyberquad ATV for kids in November 2019, per Inverse. The company released the kiddie ATC in December 2021 for $1,900.

Tesla Cyberquad Recall Details

The CPSC mentioned in its recall notice of the Cyberquad that it failed to comply with the federal mandatory safety standard requirements for a youth ATV, which includes mechanical suspension and maximum tire pressure.

The report cites a particular incident where a single-rider Cyberquad tipped over when driven by an eight-year-old child and a 36-year-old woman. Though the child is allegedly unharmed, as their injuries were not specified, the woman suffered a bruised left shoulder.

In addition to its failure to meet the required standards, the CPSC also faults Tesla for lacing a CPSC-approved ATV action plan required to manufacture, import, sell, or distribute ATVs.

A CPSC-approved ATV action plan consists of numerous safety requirements that would reduce crash and injury hazards that could prevent serious injury or death, such as rider training, age recommendations, and dissemination of safety information.

Read More: Intel Confirms It is Laying Off Workers in Operations, Sales Departments

As a result of these failures, the CPSC recalled all of Tesla's 5,000 Cyberquads that have already been sold to be refunded. Customers that bought Tesla's kiddie ATV can get a refund once they remove the Cyberquad's motor controller and send it back to Radio Flyer through a prepaid envelope.

To assist customers with their refunds, Radio Flyer provided them with directions on how to locate, remove, and return it to the ATV on its recall website.

As of the writing of this article, Tesla is no longer selling its Cyberquads on its official website. Meanwhile, Radio Flyer, the company that imported the kiddie ATV from China, has also taken down its Cyberquad ATV store page, per Tech Crunch.

The CPSC's recall notice stated that Tesla's Cyberquad was manufactured by the China-based company, Feishen Vehicle Industry Co LTD.

Tesla Cyberquad ATV Details

The Tesla Cyberquad is an ATV specifically made for kids eight and above. It was patterned on the Cyberquad ATV accessory vehicle to Tesla's Cyberpunk-inspired Cybertruck.

It is equipped with a 36V lithium-ion battery capable of moving 15 miles in-between charges, making it one of the first kiddie electric ATVs in history. It also comes with a 500W nominal motor, single mechanical disc brakes on a solid rear axle, and an adjustable suspension for its rear part.

There is no suspension at the front of the vehicle.

Its speed shows that the ATV is meant exclusively for kids, with the ATV having only a top speed of five to 10 mph depending on what the ATV's settings dictate.

Tesla first sold these ATVs in December 2021 for $1,900, and reviews for them were stellar. Electrek writer Micah Toll found the kiddie ATV fun to ride, even for an adult.

Related Article: Uber's Tesla Rental Program a Success, But How Does It Affect Uber Itself?
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a leader of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) on Thursday night from his house in Keralas Palakkad district.

C A Rauf, former state secretary of PFI, was taken from his house in Pattambi. He had been absconding following the nation-wide crackdown on the outfit by the NIA last month.

Read | Accused in PFIs flash hartal in Kerala struggle to fund bail as sources plugged

Rauf is considered to be one of the masterminds of PFI. He was reported to be in hideouts in different states, including Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. On a tip-off that he had reached his house, the NIA nabbed him. He was taken to the NIA office in Kochi and was being questioned.

According to a source, there were suspicions about Raufs involvement in many murders executed by the PFI, as well as the widespread violence during the hartal organised by PFI in Kerala. The NIA also hoped to get information about PFIs financial sources from Rauf.
The ruling BJP hopes to mobilise at least three lakh people when Prime Minister Narendra Modi would inaugurate the 108-foot statue of Bengaluru founder Kempegowda near the citys airport on November 11.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai chaired a video conference with Modi to discuss the events lined up on November 11.

Modi will flag off south Indias first Vande Bharat Express train that will run between Chennai and Mysuru via Bengaluru. He will also inaugurate the second terminal of the Kempegowda International Airport built at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore to handle an additional 2.5 crore passengers.

The inauguration of Kempegowdas State of Prosperity will be followed by a public address attended by three lakh people from 16 districts where Vokkaligas are in sizable numbers.

Higher Education Minister C N Ashwath Narayan, who is the vice-chairperson of the Kempegowda Heritage Area Development Authority, said the bronze and steel statue has cost Rs 64 crore. Landscaping near the statue, for which soil from all over the state will be brought, would be ready in six months and cost Rs 20 crore.

We are planning to develop a 3D virtual reality park on the Kempegowda Airport premises that would provide a brief history of Bengaluru and its founder, Narayan told DH. The minister also said the government has lined up several projects such as developing a Kempegowda tourism circuit connecting 46 important places linked to the 16th century chieftain.

Narayan said detailed project reports on the 46 locations are being finalised. The tourism department has released funds to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for redevelopment of the Ranganathaswamy temple at Magadi, he said.

Noted sculptor Ram Sutar, the designer of the Statue of Prosperity (he also did the Statue of Unity) is involved with another Kempegowda statue that would be installed in Vidhana Soudha. The Soudha statue would be installed within the next two months, Narayan said.

PM Modi did not stop at building the Statue of Unity, but continued to give one programme after the other. We want to emulate that and create a massive campaign around Kempegowda, Narayan said.
Derry Girls actress Siobhan McSweeney and game show presenter Les Dennis will guest star in the second festive special of Death In Paradise.

Dennis will play a so-far-undisclosed role as the Caribbean crime dramas team investigate the murder of a true crime podcaster on the hunt for a missing child.

Go coconuts for @LesDennis who is joining us for series 12 of #DeathInParadise! pic.twitter.com/Zw9HShj4nH  Death in Paradise (@deathinparadise) October 17, 2022

The 69-year-old, best known for Family Fortunes, also had a long-running storyline on Coronation Street as petty burglar Michael Rodwell.

McSweeney, 42, finished the last series of Northern Ireland comedy Derry Girls earlier this year in which she played Sister Michael for three seasons.

Death In Paradises feature-length special will also have a storyline where commissioner Selwyn Patterson, played by Don Warrington, has an old case come back to haunt him.

Meanwhile love could be on the horizon for DI Neville Parker, played by Ralf Little.

The episode also features officer Marlon Pryce, played by Tahj Miles, having to spend the night in a haunted house, and Darlene Curtis, played by Ginny Holder, taking a hard look at her life choices.

In the upcoming 12th series, episodes will cover the death of a celebrity astronomer and people digging for the apocalypse on a Saint Marie hillside.

Other guest stars in the special and series include Peep Show actor and comedian Robert Webb, Jo Martin, who portrayed a version of the time lord called the Fugitive Doctor on Doctor Who, Happy Valleys Amit Shah, and Jo Hartley from Ricky Gervais' comedy After Life.

We've loved sharing our guest cast for the Christmas special and new series with you this week! Find more info about the twelfth series & a full list of confirmed stars herehttps://t.co/Te7kEnNP25 pic.twitter.com/Po8Mdw3wwr  Death in Paradise (@deathinparadise) October 27, 2022

Barney Walsh, who has starred opposite his father Bradley Walsh, known for The Chase, in comedy drama The Larkins, also features.

There will also be appearances by Coronation Streets John Michie, legal drama The Splits Fiona Button, Kate And Kojis Okorie Chukwu, The Outlaws Gamba Cole and Downton Abbey kitchen maid actress Cara Theobold.

The popular crime dramas festive feature-length special is airing later this year on BBC One and iPlayer.

Series 12 will be broadcast shortly after the Christmas special in the new year.

A spin-off show, Beyond Paradise, starring My Familys Kris Marshall and Not Going Outs Sally Bretton will also be released in early 2023.
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A man has been remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate's Court for what a judge described as 'an absolutely outrageous assault' on a young woman.

Francis McDonagh (24) of John Street in Derry appeared charged with a series of offences aggravated by domestic abuse.

He faced two charges of assaulting the same woman on October 27, a charge of false imprisonment, a charge of attempted choking and a charge of domestic abuse all on the same date.

The court heard that police attended to Lawrence Hill where they found the alleged victim in 'a clearly distressed state.'

The woman had bruises and scratches on her body.

She told police she had returned home that morning after being out for the night and found McDonagh at her home.

He was then said to have subjected her to 'a sustained assault' lasting over an hour in which he was said to have slapped and kicker her and refused to allow her to leave.

She claimed he had grabbed her by the throat causing her to almost lose consciousness and she believed he was going to kill her.

The court heard that McDonagh had also damaged her mobile phone to stop her using it.

The woman said she had managed to escape after the defendant went to the toilet and flagged down a member of the public who allowed her to phone the police.

This person stayed with the alleged victim until police arrived.

The woman also told police of an earlier assault on October 26 when she claimed McDonagh had grabbed her by the throat and head butted her.

At interview McDonagh made no comment.

Bail was opposed due to the risk of re-offending as he had breached bail on three occasions.

There was also a fear that he could interfere with witnesses or leave the jurisdiction.

Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said that this was a 'very difficult bail application' with the most recent allegations being 'extremely serious'.

District Judge Barney McElholm said that McDonagh may deny the allegations but they had been made.

He revoked bail and remanded McDonagh in custody to appear again on November 24.
A County Derry business has announced a 5m investment into a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility as part of its long-term growth and development plans.

The latest investment by P McVey Building Systems, the leading manufacturer of off-site modular builds, will also result in the creation of eight new job roles.

It follows a period of sustained growth for the family-owned business, which has gone from strength to strength in recent years, increasing its turnover from 1m to 12m since 2018, with plans to achieve a turnover of up to 25m in the next three years.

Founded by Pat McVey, from the Loup, in 1987, the award-winning construction firm, which specialises in off-site modular buildings for the healthcare, education, and commercial sectors, is now also managed by Pats sons, Adrian and Mike.

Younger sons Timothy and Shea play key roles in the business operations too, helping to make up the 34-strong team in addition to more than 60 sub-contractors.

Prior to the recent expansion, the business had already heavily invested in its manufacturing facilities, having acquired the former Donnellys Cabins business in 2021 with 15,000ft factory space and the former McErleans Trailers 20,000ft factory in Creagh Business Park in early 2022, in addition to its 15,000ft manufacturing operations at its Magherafelt base.

Situated in Creagh Business Park in Toome, the new advanced manufacturing facility will house a three-floor modular office space and a 32,000ft built factory, which will replace the Magherafelt site as its headquarters, for increased efficiency and to centralise its operations.

The new factory will feature a range of energy efficient and reusable sources for heating and power in line with the business sustainability goals.

Speaking of the investment, Mike McVey, Commercial Director at P McVey Building Systems said: For more than 35 years, we have been delivering bespoke, high-quality modular buildings and off-site projects to clients across Ireland and the UK, so we are thrilled to mark our next stage of growth with the announcement of our new Toome headquarters.

At McVeys, we are committed to continuous investment in our staff, facilities, and equipment. It is this ambition and innovation, in addition to our track record of exceeding our clients expectations, that has laid the foundations of our success thus far, and we look forward to continuing this trajectory in the years and decades to come.

In addition to off-site modular builds, the business product portfolio includes the manufacture of jackleg cabins, anti-vandal units and off-site housing, as well as a fleet of modular units for short and long-term hire agreements.
Business leaders and stakeholders from the North West City Region travelled to Dublin this week as part of a cross border Invest in the North West engagement event organised by Derry City and Strabane District Council and Donegal County Council.

The business focused event was an opportunity for fast scaling businesses and leading blue-chip companies operating in and around Dublin to look at prospective investment opportunities in the North West City Region.

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Cllr Sandra Duffy who attended the event said it was a great success and a fantastic opportunity to promote the North West City Region to a new audience.

She said: It was an excellent opportunity for us to raise awareness of what our region has to offer in terms of the calibre of our talent, our unique geographic position and strong quality of life offering.

"We had a very strong investment proposition that was led by Derry and Donegal business leaders who were able to outline from personal experiences the opportunities that exist for businesses investing in the North West.

"The event was hugely beneficial not only in terms of networking but in sharing information and experiences with business and investment influencers in Dublin on the North West as a potential investment location for future expansion.

Invest in the North West was organised as part of the North West City Region Economic Development initiative between Donegal County Council and Derry City and Strabane District Council with endorsement from a range of stakeholders including the IDA, Enterprise Ireland, Invest NI, Udaras na Gaeltachta, ATU, Ulster University, Donegal ETB, North West Regional College and many more.

An Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council Cllr Liam Blaney, who also attended the event said that the collaborative approach of the two councils and stakeholders from the North West in working together to attract investment to the region was hugely important.

He said: The Invest in the North West event provided us with an opportunity to leverage the success of our existing investors and showcase the work of the companies making a success of it here. We were able to engage directly with businesses from the Dublin area and highlight to them the potential opportunities of having operations in the North West City Region.

"We are confident that as a result of this event we can develop an investor pipeline for the region that will in turn help to boost the efforts of the investment agencies to accelerate growth and investment in the North West.

Among the businesses from the North West who spoke at the event were FinTrU, Optum, Caldwell and Robinson and Learning Pool.

Attendees at the event heard at first-hand about the opportunities that exist for companies interested in locating in the North West, how they have access to a significant pool of graduates from the cross-border region and a growing talent pool of managerial and professional talent as individuals return to the region, attracted by the exceptional quality of life and cost of living as well as a significantly upgraded infrastructure.

Prospective investors heard about the ability of the regions dynamic education and training sector to provide practical and ground breaking workforce development supports to businesses located in the region.

There was a very clear message to all attendees that the region offers a very attractive proposition. Businesses here have access to the both the EU and UK markets  providing a win-win for businesses operating in the region.
The number of homeless people requiring emergency accommodation in Ireland continues to rise.

Latest figures show 10,975 recorded accessing emergency accommodation in September  a 1.6% increase on previous month

1,343 adults, and their dependants, exited, or were prevented, from entering emergency accommodation in Q3 2022, a 10.9% increase on Q2 2022

The number of new families entering emergency accommodation has increased from Quarter 2 by 2.7%

Almost half of both single and family households accessing emergency accommodation on last night of Q3 had been in emergency accommodation for less than 6 months



The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh OBrien TD, has today (28 October 2022) published the Monthly Homeless Report for September 2022 and the Homeless Quarterly Progress Report for Quarter 3 2022.

The Monthly Homeless Report for September 2022 shows that 10,975 individuals were accessing emergency accommodation in the count week of 19th to 25th September, an increase of 170 (1.6%) on the August 2022 total. There were 7,633 adults and 1,532 families accessing emergency accommodation in the month, including 3,342 children (under-18).

The report shows that during Q3 2022, a total of 1,343 adults, and their dependants, exited, or were prevented from entering emergency accommodation by way of a tenancy being created. This represents an increase of 10.9% on Quarter 2 2022.

The Quarterly Progress report also shows the number of new families presenting to homeless services and the numbers entering and exiting emergency accommodation on a national basis. Quarter 3 shows a 7.6% increase in the number of families presenting when compared to Quarter 2 (from 654 to 704). The number of new families entering emergency accommodation increased when compared to Quarter 2 by 2.7% (from 402 to 413).

In the Dublin region, family presentations were down 8.9% on the corresponding period in 2021 (from 395 to 360). Of the families presenting, 38.9% of these families were prevented from having to enter emergency accommodation by way of a tenancy having been created. Ninety-six families exited emergency accommodation into a tenancy in the quarter, a 13.5% decrease on the 111 families who exited homelessness in the Dublin region in Q3 2021.

The Quarterly Report also shows that almost half of both single and family households accessing emergency accommodation on the last night of the quarter have been in emergency accommodation for less than 6 months (2,492 of 5,030 single households and 742 of 1,561 family households respectively).

The report also shows progress in implementing the Housing First National Implementation Plan 2022-2026, a key response to ending long-term homelessness among those with complex health and mental health needs. The Housing First Programme provides the most vulnerable of our homeless population with a home for life as well as with key wraparound health and social supports.

A total of 53 new supported tenancies commenced in Q3 2022. Through the programme, there are 764 high-support need individuals, who were formerly rough sleepers or long-term users of emergency accommodation, housed and supported in their own homes.

Commenting on the reports published today, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh OBrien TD, said: We are seeing a continued increase in the numbers of people accessing emergency accommodation and the situation is very challenging. The Government, local authorities and those in our NGO sectors are making every effort to reduce homelessness. Resources and funding are not an obstacle to the urgent efforts required. To actively address this, Budget 2023 provided funding of over 215m, an increase of 10% on last year, for the delivery of homeless services.

"This will ensure that local authorities can not only provide emergency accommodation but importantly homeless prevention measures. It will also ensure they can support households to successfully exit homelessness into secure tenancies.

Fully aware of the risks of homelessness faced by renters this coming winter, the Government has just legislated to protect renters who are facing homelessness by deferring any no fault tenancy terminations from taking place this winter. While this emergency measure is necessary and will provide assistance in the short-term, the long-term answer to our accommodation challenges, including combating homelessness, remains an increased and sustainable supply of new housing.

Increasing social housing and residential housing supply is key. A total of 4.5 billion in State investment has been allocated for 2023 to increase housing supply. We are providing more social homes, completing more homes in general and we have a strong pipeline of housing supply. Almost 28,000 new homes were completed in the 12 months to the end of last month, the highest rolling 12-month total of any comparable period since comparable data were first published in 2011. This supply activity, as well as targeted measures specifically centred on homelessness, will allow us to combat homelessness," Minister O'Brien said.

In addition to our focus on increasing supply, I have introduced a number of measures to help those at risk of homelessness. These include the recent changes to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, to increase the HAP discretion rate to 35% and to expand the couples rate to single persons. This will secure and expand more tenancies and prevent new entries to homelessness. We have also legislated to increase the Notice to Quit period for no fault evictions.

"The minimum amount of notice a landlord must give a tenant with a tenancy of less than three years duration before evicting them has now been increased from 28 days to three months. I have also made it very clear to Local Authorities that where there is a risk of a tenant(s) being evicted into homelessness as a result of a landlord selling the home that the Local Authority will be supported by the Department to purchase the home should that be appropriate.

The Minister reiterated his commitment to working towards eradicating homelessness by 2030.

He said: The National Homeless Action Committee, which I chair, continues to meet regularly. Joined-up policy and action is key to the delivery of homeless actions, including those under the Governments Housing for All plan.

A number of measures have been identified and are now being advanced. The forthcoming Youth Homelessness Strategy, which we will publish in the coming weeks, will outline the causes of youth homelessness and what actions are required to help young people who are aged 18  24 and who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, Mr O'Brien said.

The Quarterly Progress Report is prepared by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, based on quarterly performance reports submitted by the nine regional lead authorities responsible for the administration of homeless services at local level.
Developments in the metaverse might open new doors for criminals. In a statement to Reuters, Interpol's executive director for technology and innovation, Madan Oberoi said, "some of the crimes may be new to this medium, some of the existing crimes will be enabled by the medium and taken to a new level." The statement indicates that Interpol expects new crimes to occur on the metaverse or metaverse-related products and services.

Interpol says that the metaverse might be used for new crimes

Second, the global police agency is anticipating that metaverse, as an advanced platform, will help criminals execute existing crimes more sophisticatedly. Since the metaverse implements augmented and virtual reality in new ways, Interpol is worried about the consequences of such technology being misused by bad actors and criminals.

Even without the metaverse, online phishing and scams have increased in the last few years. But with metaverse, terror groups and other organisations with malicious motives can facilitate crimes in the real world. Adding to his statement, Oberoi says, "if terror groups wants to attack a physical space they may use this space to plan and simulate and launch their exercises before attacking."

The products built to experience the metaverse are already advanced enough to create a virtual environment where people can hang out and chat. Further, games made in virtual reality have been around for a while now, and they are an apt example of how someone can create an interactive environment that looks exactly like the real world.

Criminals might use the virtual environment to practise their act

It is not just Interpol that is worried about the misuse of the metaverse. Earlier this month, Europol, the European Union's agency, also expressed concerns about how terror groups might use virtual worlds for training, recruitment and propaganda. Since the underlying technology used to create a metaverse is decentralised, it would be very easy to create a virtual space for the extremists.

Europol says that if metaverse environments record users' interactions or movements on the blockchain, it might be possible to follow or track everything, making information about extortionists or stalkers accessible. Metaverse became one of the most discussed topics on the internet in 2021, and several companies, such as Meta, announced their dedication towards the metaverse. However, the hype has not yet materialised into something available to the masses.
The website and the Twitter account of the New York Post posted offensive headlines and tweets targeting some US politicians on Thursday.

It turns out that the newspaper's website and Twitter account were hacked, as per BleepingComputer.

New York Post's Offensive Posts Target Some US Politicians

According to the New York Post, an employee was responsible behind the offensive materials targeting some US politicians which are posted in the website and the Twitter account of the newspaper, as per CNBC.

The posted materials include racist, violent and sexually explicit remarks about New York progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Joe Biden.

The newspaper tweeted that the New York Post has been hacked and they are currently investigating the cause. The offensive posts made earlier on Thursday were already removed.

A tweet about the assassination of Ocasio-Cortez first called the attention of Twitter users. It reads "We must assassinate AOC for America."

While the tweet was quickly deleted, it stayed long enough in the platform and Google was able to cache it.

Among the other offensive posts are remarks that threaten the lives of Joe Biden and Hunter Biden.

There was also another post wherein Texas Governor Greg Abbott was accused of advocating lethal force at the border.

Likewise, there is a faked threat against Rep. Josh Gottheimer and family. The fake threat was by Republican opponent Frank Pallotta.

In addition, two false and defamatory quotes were also posted. These were allegedly from New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin addressing his opponents Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Mayor Eric Adams.

The quotes purported to be from Zeldin included threats of sexual violence. Additionally, the remarks contain racist statements.

"The New York Post has long fostered an ugly, toxic conversation on their front pages and social accounts, but these posts are more disgusting and vile than usual," Hochul's spokesperson Jerrel Harvey said, as per The Independent.

Read Also: Lapsus$ Hacking: Ubisoft Becomes the Next Target After NVIDIA and Samsung

New York Post Says it Terminated Employees Behind the Offensive Posts

By midmorning, the News Corp.-owned New York tabloid newspaper's website was operating again.

Based on circulation, the New York Post is considered as one of the top newspapers in the country.

According to the Press Gazette, its website is one of the most visited news websites in 2021 and 2022. The Twitter account of the newspaper has 2.8 million followers.

According to the spokesperson of the newspaper, "The New York Post's investigation indicates that the unauthorized conduct was committed by an employee, and the employee has been terminated."

The spokesperson further added that they had immediately removed the "vile and reprehensible content" from the newspaper's website and Twitter account.

The New York Post claimed that the offensive posts were a result of a hack. Currently, an investigation is being conducted.

It can be recalled that the Fast Company, another US publication also became a victim of a hack last month. It has to shut down its website for about a week.

The hackers were able to access the site of the Fast Company. As a result, the site of the publication sent out obscene and racist push notifications to Apple News users.

Related Article: Cybersecurity Hackers Defending Ukraine After Conti Ransomware Gang Sides With Russia
The social networking platform Meta (previously Facebook) wants to set up a self-regulated grievance appellate framework. The Indian government is now ready to form Appellate Committees for user grievance redressal against social media apps and OTT platforms. The committee will address issues relating to child abuse to nudity, and the panel will deal expeditiously with such appeals.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology stated that three members must do the adjudications by appellate grievance committees. MeitY may make amendments to social media apps to acknowledge user complaints within 24 hours and resolve them within 15 days. The complaints registered would range from child sexual abuse to nudity, trademark, patent infringements, impersonation of another person, misinformation, and content threatening the unity and integrity of India.

A person unsatisfied with the grievance officer's decision on any social media platform may appeal to the appellate committee within 30 days. In addition, the government plans to set up different panels to address issues of other social media platforms. However, after the government released the draft rules in June, there has been pushback from industry and stakeholders on the proposal for the appellate grievance. The IT Ministry said, "Currently, there is no appellate mechanism provided by any intermediary, nor is there any credible self-regulatory mechanism in place."

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features, and updates keep reading Digit.in.
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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  The Agriculture Department announced Thursday it is making available $759 million in grants and loans to enable rural communities to access high-speed internet, part of the broader $65 billion push for high-speed connectivity from last year's infrastructure law.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and White House senior adviser Mitch Landrieu unveiled the grants during a visit to North Carolina. It's part of the broader $65 billion push for high-speed connectivity from last year's infrastructure law.





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Photo via Pike Place Public Market Vote for your favorite in the Pig Pageant. Donations support the Pike Place Market Foundation.





SEATTLE  In celebration of Pike Place Market Foundation's 40th birthday, Pigs on Parade returns to Pike Place Market to celebrate the foundation's impact on the Market community.





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NASA's Mars InSight Lander may have successfully cemented its final accomplishment before it shuts down.

The space agency's doomed lander recently found the crater of a meteoroid strike that caused the marsquake it detected in mid-December 2021.

NASA's Mars InSight lander only has six weeks left to "live" before it permanently shuts down due to the Martian dust it had accumulated since it landed on the Red Planet on Nov. 6, 2018, per NASA.

Martian Meteoroid Strike Crater Details

According to a NASA report on the meteoroid impact, InSight detected the magnitude four marsquake the meteoroid made on impact with Mars' surface on Dec. 24, 2021. At that time, however, experts didn't know what caused the marsquake to occur.

It was only on Feb. 11 that experts at Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS), with the aid of NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, found the crater in question.

The meteoroid that crashed into Mars on Dec. 24 is thought to be 16 to 39 feet big based on the crater it left. According to experts, it is small enough to burn up in Earth's atmosphere but not in Mars' thin atmosphere.

The crater it left measures roughly 492 feet across and 70 feet deep, sending ejecta away from the impact site as far as 23 miles away.

For those unaware, ejecta are the materials that were forced or thrown out following a meteoritic impact, volcanic eruption, or celestial explosion, per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

With the magnitude and size of the crater, scientists now believe that it is now one of the largest craters ever witnessed forming in any place in the solar system.

Read More: Medibank Confirms Hackers Have Compromised All Its Members' Data

Ingrid Daubar of Brown University and the leader of InSight's Impact Science Working Group said that the impact is "an exciting moment in geologic history," and that finding a fresh impact of its size is unprecedented.

However, despite its noteworthiness, the objects that it revealed from underneath Mars' surface are what caught scientists' attention the most.

The crater unearthed boulder-size chunks of ice buried underneath the Red Planet's surface within its Amazonis Planitia region, a zone closer to its equator than ever found before.

This discovery made NASA believe it could lead to the arrival of the first astronauts on Mars in the distant future.

Liliya Psiolova, the leader of the Orbital Science and Operations Group at MSSS, said that the crater's size, the ice it exposed, and the blast zone that was preserved in the Red Planet's dust was unlike any they have seen before.

"I couldn't help but imagine what it must have been like to witness the impact, the atmospheric blast, and debris ejected miles downrange," Posiolova said.

NASA InSight Lander - A Doomed Spacecraft

NASA's InSight Lander is on its last legs. The space agency launched InSight on May 5, 2018, at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard an Atlas V-401 rocket and landed on Mars' Elysium Planitia on Nov. 26, 2018.

Since then, it was able to detect 1,313 marsquakes, with one of the latest marsquakes measured being the biggest ever detected outside Earth.

However, InSight's solar panels had accumulated large amounts of Martian Dust since its arrival on the Red Planet. With the amount of dust on them, NASA believes that InSight only has enough power to keep it running for six more weeks before it shuts down permanently.

Related Article: NASA's Lucy Spacecraft Snaps Photo of Earth in a Distance
NTPC, Mitsubishi and MPI sign MoU for hydrogen co-firing in Auraiya gas power plant

NTPC Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd Japan and its subsidiary Mitsubishi Power India Private Limited to demonstrate the feasibility for Hydrogen co-firing blended with natural gas at NTPC Auraiya Gas Power Plant in Uttar Pradesh.

The Auraiya Gas Power Plant, which uses four MHI 701D gas turbines, has a total installed capacity of 663 MW operating in combined cycle mode. The MoU was signed with the aim of achieving decarbonising targets through concerted efforts across all energy intensive sectors.

Hydrogen co-firing in gas turbines can play a key role in reducing CO2 emissions. NTPC Ltd, being the largest power generator in India, intends to play a major role in energy transition and achieving the COP26 commitments. As a part of this initiative, NTPC is exploring various new hydrogen generation technologies along with hydrogen usage so as to ensure future readiness, develop the required capabilities, and technical expertise, and align with the national decarbonising and hydrogen mission targets.

Under the MoU, both companies will collaborate to carry out the study and identify key actions for introducing hydrogen co-firing at NTPC Auraiya Gas-based combined cycle power plant. The study will identify key actions for co-firing for various percentages of hydrogen, eg, 5 per cent, 15 per cent, 30 per cent, 50 per cent and 100 per cent and the hydrogen required for the project will be supplied by NTPC.

NTPC is committed to play a key role in Indias energy transition journey as the country marches ahead to achieve the net-zero target and climate goals. NTPC is pioneering various hydrogen-related initiatives and is carrying out R&D works in this field so as to bring in a technology which can provide green, affordable, reliable and sustainable power for all. This MoU is one of the few steps taken by NTPC to meet these targets. We believe that partnering with MHI Limited, which has global expertise in this technology will help us meet our objectives under the National Hydrogen Mission. Manish Kumar Srivastava, executive director, NTPC Ltdm said.

The momentous event of the signing of the MoU signifies the focus of NTPC and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries towards achieving the goal of decarbonisation of the power generation sector and their commitment to addressing the pressing issue of climate change. said Tatsuto Nagayasu, CMD, Mitsubishi Power India.
India's RuPay card and UPI platform now operational in Oman

Oman has become the seventh country to accept Indias Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payment system, allowing Indians living in Oman to start using Indias RuPay card and UPI platform.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the Central Bank of Oman (CBO) signed an agreement for cooperation in digital finance and payments for the usage of RuPay and UPI during the visit of minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan to Oman.

The MoS was on an official visit to Oman on 3 and 4 October. During his second ever visit to the country, he met the foreign minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi, and attended community receptions, among various key engagements.

In west Asia, the RuPay card is used or is in the process of being used in the UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.

UAE was the first country in the gulf where RuPay was launched during PM Modis August 2019 visit.

RuPay is an Indian payment gateway like a Visa or Mastercard and is increasingly being expanded to Indias neighbouring countries or nations with a huge Indian diaspora.

It was launched in Singapore in May 2018, followed by Bhutan and the Maldives.

There are about 650,000 Indians in Oman and they play a key role in the economic development of the country.

Recently an Indian-origin expat, Pankaj Khimji, who is an Omani of Indian origin, has been appointment in a senior government position. He has been appointed as vice minister.

At the premises of the Indian Embassy in Muscat, the MoS was to unveil the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

It was the first ever life-size bronze statue of Gandhi Ji, commissioned by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).

The visit was part of increased engagement between the two sides. Remember, the Omani secretary general for defence, foreign minister, and commerce minister visited India in February, March, and May 2022.

India is one of the largest investors in Oman, with total investments of over $7.5 billion. Bilateral trade in FY 2021-22 touched $10 billion.

Oman plays an important role in supporting Indian naval deployments in the western Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf.
Rishi Sunak becomes UK's first Indian origin Prime Minister

Rishi Sunak on Tuesday assumed office as UK Prime Minister, becoming the first Indian-origin person to head the UK cabinet and the Conservative party, after being invited by King Charles III to form a government.

Sunak became the PM when he won the Conservative Party leadership race after his opponents - former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt  backed out.

Sunak met the king at Buckingham Palace after the latter accepted the resignation of Liz Truss.

Addressing the cabinet o Tuesday, after assuming office, the 42-year-old Sunak said he had been appointed in part to fix the mistakes made by his predecessor Liz Truss and warned the country might have to face difficult decisions to overcome a profound economic crisis.

Speaking at her final cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street before heading towards Buckingham Palace to formally tender her resignation to King Charles, Liz Truss said her government had acted "urgently and decisively" to help hard-working families and provided assistance to thousands of businesses to avoid bankruptcy.

Truss, who stepped down last Thursday after 45 days in office, said it was "a huge honour" to be prime minister and to lead the nation in mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II and welcoming the accession of King Charles III.

She wished incoming prime minister every success. "We must out-compete the autocratic regimes... I know brighter days lie ahead," she added.

Former UK PM Boris Johnson also congratulated Rishi Sunak on being appointed as the British PM. "Congratulations to Rishi Sunak on this historic day, this is the moment for every Conservative to give our new PM their full and wholehearted support," Johnson wrote on Twitter.

Markets greeted Rishi Sunaks elevation as Britain's next prime minister. The British pound firmed up and stokes moved up after a period of turmoil, But Sunak must ensure that his team is focused on keeping London competitive as a global financial centre, the CEO of lender HSBC said.

"We're very pleased that there has been a decision taken on the UK Prime Minister position, that now allows the markets to stabilise as you can see in the way the markets reacted yesterday, that's positive," Reuters quoted HSBC CEO Noel Quinn as saying after the bank posted third-quarter earnings.

The nature of the economic challenge Rishi Sunak faces is quite daunting. According to the findings of an analysis done by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (in the UK):

In the near term, the key challenge facing the UK economy is the terms-of-trade shock  an increase in the price of imports relative to exports that crimps domestic income and weighs heavily on demand across both the household and corporate sectors over the coming year.

For households, the looming cost shock will hit those least able to bear itIn the medium term, sharp increases in mortgage costs may push any consumer recovery into 2024.

The weakness on the supply side of the UK economy is now an urgent concern. While output is 2.6 per cent short of its pre-Covid trend, we estimate current excess demand in the order of 1.4 per cent of GDP.

An investment banker-turned-politician, Sunak was born in a Punjabi Khatri family and his paternal grandfather had moved to Africa from Gujranwala (now in Punjab) before India gained Independence. Later, Sunaks father moved to the UK.

Sunak is married to Infosys founder Narayana Murthys daughter Akshata Murthy and the couple have two daughters  Krishna (11), and Anoushka (9).

Congratulations to Rishi. We are proud of him and we wish him success. We are confident he will do his best for the people of the United Kingdom, Murthy said in a brief statement after it became clear that Sunak would be Britains next Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said he looked forward to working together with him to transform the India-UK ties into a modern partnership.

Warmest congratulations @RishiSunak! As you become UK PM, I look forward to working closely together on global issues, and implementing Roadmap 2030. Special Diwali wishes to the 'living bridge' of UK Indians, as we transform our historic ties into a modern partnership.
Northern Ireland is on course for a pre-Christmas Assembly election as the deadline to restore devolved government at Stormont has elapsed.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris is expected to call the election on Friday, following the failure of a last-ditch effort to restore the multi-party executive.

The DUP is blocking the restoration of powersharing as part of its protest against the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol.

A six-month legislative timeframe to form an administration expired in the early hours of Friday.

With no ministerial executive in place, the UK Government assumes a legal responsibility to call another election.

While Mr Heaton-Harris has not yet laid out the details, there has been speculation the poll would be held on December 15.

Stormont ministers, who have been operating in shadow form since the Assembly collapsed earlier this year, also ceased to hold office at midnight.

Responsibility for running devolved departments will now pass to senior civil servants.

MLAs met during a recalled sitting of the Assembly on Thursday, but a bid to elect a new speaker  which must be done before the election of first and deputy first ministers  did not proceed as the DUP refused to support the nominations.

The session was then suspended.

The DUPs boycott of the Stormont institution is part of a campaign of opposition to the protocol, and the party says it will not return to powersharing until decisive action is taken to remove economic barriers on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Government has vowed to secure changes to the protocol, either by a negotiated compromise with the EU or through proposed domestic legislation  the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill  which would empower ministers to scrap the arrangements without the approval of Brussels.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said not enough progress has been made on addressing issues of concern around the protocol.

But Sinn Feins Stormont leader Michelle ONeill said the DUP have left us all at the mercy of a heartless and dysfunctional Tory government.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also urged the DUP to get back to Stormont just hours before the deadline to restore devolution expired.

His official spokesman said: Theres still time for the DUP and executives to get back to Stormont and we urge them to do so because the people of Northern Ireland deserve a fully functioning and locally elected executive which can respond to the issues facing the communities there.

The last Northern Ireland Assembly election was held in May of this year, and Sinn Fein emerged as the largest party for the first time.

Meanwhile, the UK Government has insisted that in the absence of the Stormont executive, a joint authority arrangement with Dublin for the governance of Northern Ireland is not being considered.

Both Irelands premier Micheal Martin and Ms ONeill have said there cannot be direct rule from Westminster in the event of powersharing not being restored.

But an NIO spokesperson said: The UK government is absolutely clear that the consent principle governs the constitutional position of Northern Ireland.

We will not countenance any arrangements that are inconsistent with that principle.
Elon Musk takes control of Twitter

Xinhua) 13:58, October 28, 2022

Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends a delivery ceremony for Tesla China-made Model 3 in Shanghai, east China, Jan. 7, 2020. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

Musk lugged a sink into Twitter headquarters on Wednesday. "Entering Twitter HQ - let that sink in!" he captioned the video, which he posted on Twitter. He also renamed himself "Chief Twit" on the social network.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Elon Musk completed his deal to buy Twitter at 44 billion U.S. dollars Thursday, gaining control of the social network company, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the deal.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and finance chief Ned Segal have left the company's San Francisco headquarters and will not be returning, said the sources.

Musk lugged a sink into Twitter headquarters on Wednesday. "Entering Twitter HQ - let that sink in!" he captioned the video, which he posted on Twitter. He also renamed himself "Chief Twit" on the social network.

Musk had until Friday to complete his acquisition of Twitter or face a court battle with the company.

In April, Elon Musk announced the 44-billion-dollar acquisition of Twitter. Later in May, he said the deal was temporarily on hold as he asked for details on the number of the social platform's spam and fake accounts. Musk decided to terminate his deal to buy Twitter in July.

Twitter then sued him, alleging he "refuses to honor his obligations to Twitter and its stockholders because the deal he signed no longer serves his personal interests."

On Oct. 4, Musk proposed to proceed with the deal at the original price, just ahead of a trial scheduled at the Delaware Chancery Court on Oct. 17, in which Twitter was set to seek an order directing Musk to close the deal for 44 billion dollars.

In a letter sent to Twitter, Musk offered to continue the deal if the court can adjourn the trial and all other related proceedings.

A Delaware Chancery Court judge eventually ruled that Musk had until Oct. 28 to cement the Twitter deal or head to trial.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
BTS' Jin, second from right, and British rock band Coldplay poses for the camera before a rehearsal for their joint performance of "The Astronaut" at Coldplay's concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Oct. 28. Yonhap



Jin, a member of K-pop juggernaut BTS, debuted as a solo artist through a collaborative single with British rock band Coldplay on Friday.



The vocalist simultaneously released "The Astronaut" and its music video worldwide at 1 p.m. in Korea, or midnight in the United States (EST).



"The Astronaut" marks his first official solo single although he has unofficially released a few songs, such as "Super Tuna," "Abyss" and "Tonight," on special occasions, including his birthday.



He became the second member of the septet to make a solo debut, following J-Hope, who dropped his first solo album, "Jack In The Box," in July.



Earlier in the day, Jin said the single is filled with his gratitude and affection for the band's fandom, Army, who made him shine.



"I've dropped songs made to celebrate my birthday, songs for fans and solo tracks on BTS albums, but I'm nervous and excited because it's my first time to release a (single) album in my name," he said in a video released by the band's agency, Big Hit Music, to promote the new song. "I was able to realize the importance of my bandmates once again while preparing for the solo single," he added.





A concept photo for "The Astronaut," the first official solo single from BTS' Jin, provided by his agency, Big Hit Music/ Yonhap
A first of its kind meeting took place in the Ardboyne Hotel, Navan recently, the Integrated Care Programme for Older Persons (ICPOP) operational leads from around the country, including County Louth, met together to share knowledge and experience from their teams.

Ireland has one of the fastest growing older populations in Europe; it is projected that by 2051, almost1.6 million of us will be over the age of 65, up from 630,000 in 2016. The increasing aging population is having a significant effect on the healthcare system, with older people utilising between 27% and 50% of all hospital beds.

The Integrated Care Programme for Older Persons (ICPOP) seeks to change how current health and social care is delivered, by designing and delivering integrated care across local communities and hospitals between providers, older people and carers, with a strong focus on older people, aimed at keeping older people living well in their communities and providing timely access to services close to home.

In Midlands Louth Meath CHO8, the four ICPOP teams (Meath, Louth, Laois/Offaly, Longford/Westmeath) are working together to develop integrated pathways between the local hospitals, community health and social services and voluntary agencies to make access to healthcare and community supports easier to navigate for older people and their families and carers.

Dearbhla Birdy, Operational Lead for Louth, said, The National Leads coming to Navan for this meeting is a real endorsement of the work we currently have underway throughout Midlands Louth Meath CHO8. ICPOPs work will have a direct impact on people living in the region for years to come, both from a social and healthcare point of view. I encourage anyone who is interested to go and learn more about ICPOP and how we can help you on the ICPOP website.
A Chinese police station in Dublin has been ordered to close, Irish Government officials have confirmed.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said no request had been made in advance to open the station in Capel Street.

Human rights body Safeguard Defenders this week released a report which suggested dozens of security outposts aimed at forcing Chinese dissidents back home have been set up across the world.

The department spokesperson said: Neither the Chinese authorities nor Fuzhou/Fujian Province made a request in advance to the Department of Foreign Affairs to establish the office referred to.

In this context, the Department of Foreign Affairs raised the presence of a Fuzhou Police Overseas Service Station with the Embassy of China in Ireland in recent weeks.

The department noted that actions of all foreign states on Irish territory must be in compliance with international law and domestic law requirements.

On this basis, the department informed the Embassy that the office on Capel Street should close and cease operations.

The Chinese Embassy has now stated that the activities of the office have ceased.

The Department of Foreign Affairs will continue to liaise with the Embassy to facilitate the provision of all relevant consular and citizen services to Chinese citizens in Ireland.

This week the Scottish Government and Police Scotland said they were taking reports of a secret Chinese outpost in Glasgow extremely seriously.

Speaking during First Ministers Questions on Thursday, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: I agree these reports are deeply concerning and I want to be very clear that we take them very seriously, she said.

Any foreign country operating in Scotland must abide by Scottish law.

The Scottish Government fully supports an individuals rights to freedom of expression and that is also an extremely important principle.

These matters require to be fully and properly investigated and it would not be appropriate for me to go into too much detail, but I do know  and I know this as a result of a conversation I had just yesterday with the chief constable  police are aware of these reports.
The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen at its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, March 24, 2021. Reuters-Yonhap





By Anna J. Park







Credit Suisse announced a series of radical restructuring measures to revamp its global banking business on Thursday, after taking three months of thoroughly reviewing and reassessing its strategic future directions. The measures came as the Switzerland-headquartered bank posted its fourth straight quarterly loss for the third quarter of this year. According to its earnings announcement released earlier this week, the global lender lost $346 million in the third quarter alone, a drastic contrast from its $1 billion profit recorded a year ago.







Countering months of market rumors of its possible crash, the bank's series of new strategic goals expressed its fresh determination to navigate through the current crisis by taking the drastic restructuring initiatives.







According to the 166-year-old financial company, its new strategic goals will be strengthening its asset and wealth management business operations, while planning to raise $4 billion in capital through issuing new shares to qualified investors. The global bank will also make a variety of cost-cutting moves, aiming to cut 15 percent of its total annual costs by 2025. The bank has about 52,000 employees globally as of the end of September, and it plans to lay off 9,000 employees by 2025 as part of its cost-cutting plan.







Credit Suisse will also spin out its investment banking operation by launching a new firm named Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB). First Boston was a prestigious investment bank that Credit Suisse acquired in the late 1980s, and the global bank decided to revive the name to emphasize the brand's heritage.







Chun-kee Lee, who's been leading the global lender's operation in Korea for the past two decades, said the company's new strategic goals and capital raise will dispel market concerns over its solvency.







"Korea has been one of the key countries in Credit Suisse group's Asia-focused growth strategies, and Credit Suisse has long strengthened its top-notch global investment bank status in the country. The announcement of the new strategic goals will remind our clients in Korea that Credit Suisse will continue its efforts for them," Lee said.


THE latest novel from West Cork-based writer Chris Lewando was born while the author was taking the Creative Writing MA at UCC, and subsequently attracted the interest of a London-based imprint of the Hachette book group.

Legend of the Selkie, a contemporary work set around the Sheeps Head peninsula, is an exploration of a young widow coping with the aftermath of a fishing tragedy.

This novel was born while walking on the Goats Path above Ahakista on the Sheeps Head Peninsula, Chris says.

The seals were sunning themselves on the rocks below, the seagulls were wheeling and crying above, and a small fishing boat was bobbing back into the bay. The haunting tune of the folksong, The Selkie, trickled into my mind. I didnt want to write a fantasy, however, and chose to explore the possibilities of a living legend, something mystical that might or might not happen; a mystery that would linger in the readers mind after the story closed, just as the folksong does:  And it shall come to pass on a hot summers day, when the sun burns bright on every stone, that I shall take my little son, and teach him how to swim the foam....

The editor whose attention was caught by the novel said they loved the setting, the atmosphere, and the brilliantly claustrophobic lives created in Legend of the Selkie.

This is a well-plotted, beautifully characterised, and cleverly executed novel. I see it sitting very successfully on a literary list. Chris is an extremely competent and talented writer. Ill be waiting to see it in print in Waterstones.

Based on the strength of Legend of the Selkie, Chris has also been commissioned to write the first of a possible three-book fiction deal, under the Psychological Thriller banner. That novel, set in West Cork during the 1970s, is underway.

It is a busy time for the writer but far from her first taste of success. Chris started out as a teacher, then moved to PA work after bringing up a family. She was PA to Susan George, the actress, prior to moving to Skibbereen. She has been a fiction tutor for the London School of Journalism for many years and is presently an editor for the Jeremy Murphy Literary Consultancy.

Legend of the Selkie by Chris Lewando

She began her writing career with genre romance and later had a number of short works published in literary magazines, while self-publishing several novels. In 2017, while completing her work for the MA in UCC, her story Personal Services, set in Cork city, was chosen as The Echos Summer Soap and published as a serial. Her short story, Swan Song, published in Holly Bough in the same year, revolved around a dysfunctional West Cork family, meeting for Christmas at the family farm.

Chris is also in the process of completing the third novel in a dynamic ongoing thriller series. The first, The Silence of Children, has, to date, received a five-star online rating on several platforms, including Goodreads.

With her experience in self-publishing, the author has seen first-hand how the internet and e-books have changed the publishing landscape and the way people buy books.

Print-on-demand technology means that large print runs are no longer required, which actually reduces wastage, she points out.

Mountains of books were traditionally returned to the publisher for disposal. This still happens, but not to such a large degree.

Mainstream publishers also produce electronic alternatives of the books they physically publish, to keep their market share. E-books now outsell hard copies, largely because theyre cheaper.

She says self-published authors now outsell those produced by the big name publishers.

However, with millions of authors pushing out books, only a relatively few self-published authors make a living from it, she says.

There has been much discussion about the vanity of self-publishing, but, Chris says, readers need to lose the concept of mainstream publishers promoting good literature and recognise that they are as much a commercial enterprise as a clothes manufacturer.

To survive, they must provide the right item at the right quality and the right price, she says.

Publishers often reject good novels simply because they dont fit within current trends. Equally, some fairly poor books end up on the shelves because publishers are cashing in on a genre success story.

Many now-famous authors were previously rejected by publishers, including J. K. Rowling, Stephen King, Agatha Christie, and John Le Carre, to name but a few. Self-publishing is easily achieved today and has created what she calls a positive tsunami of fairly poor fiction, but Chris believes that good work rises to the surface.

That said, she says getting a book deal with a traditional publisher brings its own benefits.

Having a book accepted by a mainstream publisher provides the author with authentication, as there is no quality-control in self-publishing, she says.

There are also financial implications.

Mainstream publishers have clout and specialist staff to produce and sell the product, she says.

The authors income per book from a mainstream publisher is tiny, but the sales might be huge. It is the opposite for a self-published work, until the author becomes known.

A self-published author not only has to learn to write well, but has to be a jack-of-all-trades, or pay individuals for editing, cover design, and advertising, rather than stick to the core business of writing books.

She adds: With so many books to choose from, libraries and bookshops are still more likely to stock books published traditionally. Again, this is about becoming known, not about income.

I find it interesting that Chris writes across a variety of genres but she sees genre as primarily a business tool in publishing.

Writing is a business, she says. Good authors can often write in a variety of genres, and often do so under pseudonyms. Genres is a sales tool to identify a book to a buyer, and is not reflective of an authors ability.

A buyer who wants romance doesnt want to end up with an action thriller, for instance, even if the author can write both. That is why J K Rowlings detective fiction is published under the name of Robert Galbraith. I dont know that Bookoutre will publish under my own name, but if they do, it will help to sell my other books.

They will be looking for three books in a similar vein, because profit from a first book is consumed by production and promotion, the second book might establish the authors name, the third might well take all three books into a profit situation. That is why I have written three books in the  Silence of Children series.

Between the completion of that series and the start of her new trilogy, along with ongoing sales of Legend of the Selkie and her back catalogue of novels, the future looks both bright and busy for this West Cork writer.
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is approached by reporters as he leaves for lunch after appearing at the Seoul Central District Court for a trial hearing concerning his succession of leadership, Thursday. Yonhap





By Yi Whan-woo







The outlook for share prices of Samsung Electronics and other affiliates is attracting keen market attention after Samsung Electronics' de facto leader Lee Jae-yong ended 10 years of vice chairmanship and was officially promoted as its executive chairman, Thursday.







Analysts said Lee's promotion on its own will have little impact on the course of Samsung stock prices, which will depend instead on how elaborately Lee maps out a business vision for Korea's largest conglomerate.







Some of the shares of Samsung Electronics, Samsung SDI and Samsung C&T, among other affiliates finished bullish across the benchmark KOSPI on the day of Lee's promotion but retreated on Friday.







For instance, Samsung Electronics, the market bellwether and a leading global manufacturer in chips and smartphones, closed at 57,300 won ($40.28), Friday, down 3.7 percent from Thursday when it gained 0.17 percent.







Samsung C&T, a construction firm and the de facto holding company of Samsung, also retreated 0.84 percent to 118,000 won, Friday, after advancing 6.25 percent, Thursday.







Battery maker Samsung SDI closed at 727,000 won, Friday, remaining unchanged from a day earlier when it climbed 7.39 percent.







Such varying performances are rather heavily linked to relevant industry cycles and greater business circumstances within and outside Korea, according to the experts.











"Lee's promotion is certainly a plus for Samsung as risks associated with its leadership vacuum are fully cleared and it can move faster on setting goals as well as making decisions on pending businesses," KB Securities Korea Equity Head Jeff Kim said. "But, in relation to the stock prices, the effect of promotion can be made only when the chairman visualizes business strategies in the medium to long terms."







The conglomerate was left with no official leadership for the past few years after Lee's father, former chairman Lee Kun-hee, died in 2020. He had been hospitalized for the previous six years after suffering a heart attack and falling into a coma in 2014.







The junior Lee, while he succeeded his father and virtually took control of the company as vice chairman, was convicted of bribing ousted President Park Geun-hye in 2017.







He was imprisoned twice thereafter before being granted a special presidential pardon in August this year.







The lack of ownership forced CEOs of Samsung affiliates to focus on short-term strategies over long-term strategies requiring heavier responsibilities, according to the KB Securities analyst.







Such a "passive" working style was distinct in the midst of the increasingly challenging chipmaking industry due to U.S.-China trade war, supply chain disruptions and other geopolitical risks.







Samsung Electronics has correspondingly had no massive M&As since 2016, and the cash it has reserved amounts to more than 110 trillion won.







Kim Young-woo, an analyst at SK Securities, speculated Samsung stock prices may benefit from Lee's promotion, noting it hints at the possibility of M&As in the years to come.


A Corkman was given a three-year suspended prison sentence at Cork Circuit Criminal Court for drugs offences.

John Hurley, who gave an address of 36 Avonmore Park, Mayfield, Cork, was found with a stash of cannabis weighing 4.9 kilos and valued at 29,400 in Banduff, Mayfield, Cork, on October 6, 2015, Judge Helen Doyle told the Court.

It took this long to come before the Court as the defendant left the jurisdiction, explained Judge Doyle.

Mr Hurley returned to Ireland in February, 2022. Mr Hurley pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of drugs for sale and supply, and unlawful possession of drugs. He has no previous convictions.

The court heard that Mr Hurley, 46, has not come to garda attention since then. He has a wife and children in the UK. Judge Doyle said she was satisfied that Mr Hurley was at the lowest level of the chain of distribution. He had difficulties with gambling and substance abuse and was in debt to people at the time. He left the State because he was in fear, said the Judge.

Mr Hurley has fully rehabilitated himself in the UK. An analysis showed he is not taking drugs or suffering at this time.

Mr Hurleys wife had difficulties with cancer, and he had supported her by taking over the management of a pub.

He decided to return to Ireland to clear up the matters before him and face the consequences, said Judge Doyle.

The amount of drugs was significant but also at the lower end of a scale, said the judge and Mr Hurley has become a productive member of society.

An aggravating factor was that Mr Hurley assisted in selling and supplying cannabis in Cork, which can cause psychosis. Mitigating factors include that he pleaded guilty, saving the State time and expense, he supports his wife and children, and he has not come to adverse attention.

Judge Doyle imposed a three-year term of imprisonment, suspended on condition Mr Hurley enter into a peace bond and that he returns to the UK immediately.
JAZZ, jazz, jazz all the way this weekend, all over the place, wherever you may wander.

Cork Opera House in particular is really going to be jumping with back-to-back gigs. The Booka Brass Band are on the main stage tomorrow night (Friday) from 7pm, bringing their unique brand of New Orleans-inspired urban brass with upbeat sets. The divine voice of Karen Underwood will be filling the Half Moon the same night at 7, and again on Saturday and Sunday, at 3pm and 6pm, with Love Me or Leave Me.

Later that night, The Block Rocking Beats are on the main stage at 11.30pm. The New Power Generation, celebrating Prince, are in on Saturday evening, also Jenny Greene, with a late night show from Suzanne Savage in the Green Room at 10pm, and the Ryan Quigley Quintet at midnight. Mack Fleetwood and King Kong are in on Sunday, and there are green room concerts going on all the time. Pretty well everything strictly over 18s. Check them all out on the Opera House website or guinnesscorkjazz.com.

And dont forget that the glittering Christmas production of The Nutcracker opens at the Opera House on Thursday night next, running to Saturday. Cork City Ballet have pulled out all the stops on this one, with stars of the Sofia State Ballet flying in to dance the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Prince. A must for all the family and such an ideal introduction to the winter season! Booking for all Opera House shows on 021 427 0022 or www.corkoperahouse.ie.

Robert Plant is at the Everyman.

Plenty of jazz on at Everyman too, of course, with Robert Plant there tonight, presenting Saving Grace, featuring Suzi Dian on vocals, Oli Jefferson on percussion, Tony Kelsey on mandolin, baritone and acoustic guitars, Robert Plant on vocals and Matt Worley on banjo, acoustic and baritone guitars, and cuatro. That one is already sold out, we now hear. You might have better luck for tomorrow night with Jazzanova (Live)  The Strata Project, which breathes new life into hand-picked tracks from the legendary Strata catalogue. 7pm start. Later, at 10.45, internationally hailed collective GoGo Penguin take to the stage with their electrifying show.

RnB/soul star Toshin present her tribute to Aretha Franklin on Saturday afternoon, with Mas Exodus at 7pm, and Seun Kuti and Felas Egypt 80 onstage at 10.45pm. Sunday brings Hermeto Pascoal, Laufey, and the Portico Quartet. So much more in the jazz pipeline  look them all up, as we advised above. If you can think beyond the cool sounds, next week brings that striking play Solar Bones by Mike McCormack, adapted by Michael West. Thats Wednesday to Friday, November 2 to 4. All Everyman bookings on 021 450 1673 or www.everymancork.com.

This Saturday, Oct 29, Shaskeen are at the Glen Theatre in Banteer, as part of their energetic countrywide tour. You couldnt tire that crowd out, and they will have the hall jumping. Booking on 029 56239 or 087 755 8752.

Down in Baltimore, the local drama group is staging Chicago this coming weekend. Baltimore Drama Group is staging that legendary Broadway musical in the Community Hall this Saturday to Monday, October 29 to 31, a special fundraising performance for the hall on Wednesday night, and again the following weekend Friday to Sunday, November 4 to 6. Tickets available from Bushes Bar in Baltimore, Thornhill Electrical in Skibbereen, and Violettes, also in Skibbereen. Doesnt show on the poster, but the starting time is 7.30pm.
More than 400 asylum seekers and refugees from Ukraine living in a hotel in north Dublin have been told they will have to move elsewhere.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry had a six-month contract to provide accommodation, but according to the Irish Examiner, the residents have now been told the contract will not be renewed.

The moves to alternative accommodation will commence shortly and we will be carrying them out over the coming weeks, the residents were informed by letter from the Department of Integration.

The move will be particularly disruptive for dozens of families whose children have been attending schools in the surrounding area.

The letter also tells the refugees: "Due to the severe pressure on the availability of IPAS [International Protection Accommodation Services], we will not be in position to take requests for moves to particular locations."

The Crowne Plaza is one of 365 hotels housing refugees where the contract will expire between now and Christmas.

It is unknown how many hotels will discontinue their contract with the State, or whether some will re-sign shorter contracts until late spring when the tourist season begins.

Earlier this month, the Government U-turned on moving 135 Ukrainians, mainly women and children, from a hotel in Killarney to make room for 200 male asylum seekers seeking international protection.

The Cabinet will on Friday discuss measures aimed at boosting the availability of accommodation for Ukrainian refugees after 43 were forced to sleep in Dublin Airport last weekend. Government sources told the Irish Examiner that they are hopeful this weekend will not see similar scenes, but accepted that is not guaranteed.

The payment for families taking in Ukrainian refugees is set to be doubled from 400 to 800 as the Government scrambles to find accommodation for arrivals fleeing the war.

Cabinet will also consider a proposal which could see Ukrainians pay for their own food in new hotel contracts and the use of local authorities to oversee the provision of pledged accommodation. A further 200 modular homes are also being planned.




USDA provides mixed findings for world's meat markets in 2023

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has provided mixed findings in its latest report for worldwide beef, pork, and chicken production and trade, the UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board reported.

The USDA said in 2023, there will be a slight decrease in global beef production, to 59.2 million tonnes. Despite the fact that increases in production are anticipated in China, Brazil, and Australia, these will be counterbalanced by decreases in the US and the EU.



Global exports are also anticipated to fall, declining 1.2% to 12.1 million tonnes in 2023. This is related to decreased demand, especially from China. As supplies become more scarce in important rivals like Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and India, Brazil is anticipated to set a record for export volume. Reduced production is also anticipated to restrict shipments from the US and Canada to Southeast Asia, which is anticipated to be advantageous for Australia.



The world is expected to produce 111.0 million tonnes more pork next year, a 1% increase. Most of this growth is attributed to China's (+2.0%) rising production. Production is also anticipated to rise in the US, Brazil, and Mexico by 0.7%, 1.6%, and 4.6%, respectively. Production in the EU and the UK is anticipated to decrease due to rising feed and energy costs, environmental restrictions, and weaker demand.



Global exports are anticipated to fall by 1.6% to 10.5 million tonnes in 2023, despite production being predicted to increase. This is primarily caused by a decline in Chinese import demand, where the increased domestic supply will eliminate the need for imports. Due to decreased opportunities to export pig meat to China as well as decreased production, EU exports are anticipated to fall by 3.6% in 2023. ASF problems aside, the Philippines' import demand is also anticipated to decrease (-18.2%) as import-favouring policies expire at the end of 2022.



As for poultry, it is predicted that the world's production of chicken meat will increase 1.8% to 102.7 million tonnes. All significant producers outside of China are anticipated to see an increase in production, despite the fact that high feed and energy costs are reducing profitability globally. Strong demand from consumers looking for less expensive animal proteins in the face of rising food prices is what is driving this.



There will be 14.1 million tonnes of chicken meat exported worldwide, a 3.7% increase from the current level. Strong demand in Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the US, and the EU is what is fueling the growth. As its main competitors struggle to increase their exportable supplies, Brazil appears to be in a good position to meet the majority of this increased demand. Its ability to supply halal goods, competitive pricing, and access to the EU market make it the top exporter in the world, accounting for more than one-third of all shipments.

- UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board




Five Malaysian poultry producers given extension to refute chicken cartel allegations

Five Malaysian poultry producers have been given until December 19 by the Malaysian Competition Commission (MyCC) to refute allegations of involvement in a chicken cartel, The Sun Daily reported.

MyCC had previously instructed the five companies doing business on the west coast to submit representations by October 21; however, the deadline had been extended due to the complexity of the case, according to Datuk Rosol Wahid, Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs.

He said MyCC has carried out a thorough investigation and discovered proof of their participation in chicken cartel activities.

He said at their request, MyCC agreed to give an extension for them to submit proof of denial as it is a complex case.

He was speaking at the 'CA2010@University' programme with MyCC and Food Bank Malaysia's dialogue with students of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) in this location

Additionally present were UMT Alumni and Student Affairs, Culture and Arts Center Director Badruhisham Darus, MyCC Chief Executive Officer Iskandar Ismail, and UniSZA Associate Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Hafiz Yusof, who serves as the deputy vice chancellor for student and alumni affairs.

- The Sun Daily




New member joins AB Vista's swine technical team



AB Vista has welcomed Dr. Spenser Becker to the company's swine technical team to provide additional support and expertise to partners and customers in the pig industry, AB Vista announced this month.

Dr. Becker worked with renowned professors including Dr. Laura Greiner and Dr. John Patience throughout her collegiate career, and managed and assisted in multiple research trials while at Iowa State University as a graduate research assistant.

Three published journal articles are already on her resume and three more are in preparation. She's presented several abstracts, was featured in two extension publications, has conducted many other talks and has numerous awards and honors.

"As AB Vista continues to grow in the swine industry, we needed additional support from someone who knows the industry and the research extensively," said Dr. Craig Wyatt, technical service manager at AB Vista. "Spenser has an impressive resume and the personality, knowledge and dedication to expand in the swine nutrition realm across the Midwest and beyond."

Dr. Becker earned her bachelor's at Oklahoma State University and her master's and doctorate at Iowa State University. She's been featured in Farm Journal's PORK Up and Coming Leader editions and currently resides in Indianola, Iowa, the United States, to be more centrally located serving AB Vista customers with the technical expertise they may need.

- AB Vista




Penang state, Malaysia calls for tender to build poultry distribution centre

The city council of Penang state, Malaysia has called for new tenders to finish construction of a poultry distribution centre that was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Malay Mail reported.

The original concessionaire, Jetblue Sdn Bhd, who was selected to build, operate, and transfer (BOT) the project in 2019, withdrew from the project in March, according to MBPP Mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang.

He said at a press conference this morning at the construction site that they will continue to complete this project and open it by March 2023. The building is approximately 97% complete and it is disappointing that the company chose to terminate the contract.

He said that MBPP had issued a request for proposals for a contract to complete the building.

The completion of the building, he said, will continue next month and is anticipated to take about 14 weeks.

He said that in order to select a new concessionaire to run and maintain the distribution centre and multi-story parking garage, the city council had also requested a new request for proposals (RFP).

In order to select a concessionaire to run the building once it is finished, MBPP is currently evaluating the businesses that responded to the RFP.

The 11,300 square metre poultry distribution centre has offices, a loading bay, public restrooms, a five-story multi-level carpark with 223 lots, cold room amenities, and more.

Once it is operational next year, Yew said the distribution centre will give traders another way to obtain their supply of chilled and dressed poultry.

Due to the pandemic, the poultry distribution center's completion date was pushed back from its original March 2021 deadline.

Poultry vendors on the island claimed the concessionaire would monopolise the supply and distribution of poultry on the island, adding to the controversy surrounding the project.

Even opposition party Penang Gerakan requested an investigation into the choice of JetBlue to run the poultry supply and distribution at the centre in a report that was submitted to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in May of last year.

Since then, the city council has emphasised that all poultry vendors on the island have the option to purchase their supplies elsewhere; they are not required to do so.

- Malay Mail




Frozen pork imports increase supply in Philippines

The Philippines' National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) said local frozen pork inventory has increased for the second week in a row as rising imports made up for declining local swine farmers' production, the Inquirer reported.

The NMIS said the amount of frozen pork available in approved cold storages increased by 2% to 101,396 metric tonnes (MT) as of October 17 compared to the 99,238 MT recorded a week earlier. This volume, which consisted primarily of imported pork, increased by 21.2% from 83,646 MT the previous year.

Pork imports totaling 32,264 MT were kept in Central Luzon. National Capital Region came in second with 31,431 MT, followed by Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon Calabarzon) and 21,538 MT, respectively.

1,018 MT or the majority of the locally produced pork was retained by Calabarzon. With 712 MT, Central Visayas came in second. The stockpile of dressed chicken, meanwhile, decreased by 2.3 percent from 52,354 MT for the comparable period to 51,148 MT. This was the second week in a row that things got worse.

The dressed chicken inventory, which was primarily imported, was also less than the 54,702 MT from the previous year. While Central Luzon only had 6,796 MT of imported dressed chicken, Calabarzon had 13,457 MT.

Local chicken was kept in 4,401.04 MT in Central Luzon, with 3,974 MT coming from Ilocos Region.

It has been suggested that the reduced tariffs on imported chicken and pork be extended. Executive Order No. 171, which was signed in May, kept the tariff rates for imports of pork at 15% for volume within the quota and 25% for volume outside the quota until the end of the year.

Tariff rates are expected to increase to 30% for in-quota volume and 40% for out-of-quota volume in January of the following year.

The 5% tariff rate on imported mechanically deboned meat (MDM) of chicken and turkey was also the subject of a petition.

MDM is a crucial component of processed meat products and is frequently used as a filler or extender.

The reduced tariff rates on MDM of chicken and turkey were extended until the end of December by Executive Order No. 123, which was also signed by former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte. Starting on January 1, 2023, the rates will drop back to 40%.

- Inquirer
Visitors pack Legoland Korea Resort, located in Chuncheon, 85 kilometers northeast of Seoul, on May 8. Yonhap



Korea's financial authorities called for cooperation from institutional investors, including the state pension operator, to refrain from stock trading that could heighten market swings, sources said Friday.



The request came as financial market volatility has been mounting in the wake of a recent default on a municipal government-guaranteed debt raised to fund the construction of the Legoland theme park in the eastern province of Gangwon.



According to the sources, the Financial Services Commission, the Financial Supervisory Service and the finance ministry held a hastily arranged meeting Thursday in Seoul with officials from around 10 major institutional investors.



The investors in attendance included the National Pension Service, Teachers' Pension, and the Land and Housing Corp.



During the meeting, the financial authorities asked for their cooperation in easing market swings by refraining from excessive "trend-following" trading and fund redemption that could prompt serious market swings, the sources said.



"It was a meeting where we asked for their restraint from excessive trend-following trading and redemption that exceeds ordinary levels," an official said on condition of anonymity, adding it was part of "preemptive" steps designed to stave off sharp market swings.



The request marked the latest in a series of government-led steps to stabilize the market that has been roiled by the so-called Legoland theme park debacle.



On Sunday, the government decided to inject an additional 50 trillion won (US$35 billion) worth of liquidity, including large-scale bond-buying schemes.



Regulators have urged banks, including such state-run policy banks as the Industrial Bank of Korea and Korea Development Bank, to minimize bond sale to help stabilize the debt market.



On Thursday, the FSC also eased regulations on loan-to-deposit requirements for banks aimed at helping them have more capacity to provide funds to businesses amid credit crunch worries. (Yonhap)




Outreach vaccination team in action at IDP camp in Baidoa, 8 October 2022Mogadishu, 11 October 2022  Amid multiple outbreaks in the country, Somalia with support of WHO, UNICEF, donors and other partners have achieved another landmark in its fight for ending the COVID-19 pandemic. The country reached its target vaccinating 30% of its population fully against COVID-19 disease on 8 October 2022. The country is now well poised to achieve its target of fully vaccinating 40% of the target population by the end of the current year.

At the start of the year, Somalia had reported just 5% of its population as fully vaccinated, but with persistent efforts, an innovative approach, and eventually through a number of accelerated COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, the last of which has been ongoing since 6 September 2022 across the country, this milestone was achieved.

Somalia has launched 9 accelerated campaigns this year to vaccinate its vulnerable populations by using both outreach and fixed sites, as well as market places, to increase the uptake. WHO with the support of the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and partners like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the European Union (EU) Delegation to Somalia, European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations of Somalia, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as donors contributing to Contingency Funds for Emergencies of WHO supported the federal and state health ministries to set up vaccination sites across the country. These sites aim to take vaccination services to the people, especially those who do not visit the health centres, to accelerate vaccination in order to protect more people from preventable diseases in Somalia.

The target for the ongoing accelerated campaign is to administer 3.5 million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine to its vulnerable population, which will eventually help increase the fully vaccinated percentage to around 37% by the end of the current accelerated campaign scheduled to end on the 20 October 2022. WHO has deployed 5000 outreach teams comprising of 30 600 individuals who will be working for a month to manage this accelerated campaign Special strategies have been planned for November and December of this year to help achieve the promised target of fully vaccinating 40% of population in Somalia against COVID-19.

In the lead up to this campaign, WHO Somalia helped the federal and state ministries undertake a rigorous microplanning exercise to ensure all eligible and high-risk populations living in marginalized communities are reached and receive a COVID-19 vaccine, irrespective of their geographic location.

Somalia, with the support of WHO, UNICEF and other partner donors have administered around 7 million of doses of COVID-19 vaccines thus far in a country of approximately 15 million people. Careful planning, robust, responsive, and targeted approach has resulted in fully vaccinating 30% of its population and partially vaccinating another 14% of its people. Data reveal that the vaccinated population includes 49% of females and 1 660 940 internally displaced persons (IDPs). The use of digital technology and electronic registration system for COVID-19 immunization roll out programme in Somalia has enabled the country to identify, track and register all eligible people and record their vaccination status in real-time.

I express my profound gratitude to the government, donors, partners, and especially the front-line health workers who have shown courage and determination for achieving this historic milestone amid multiple ongoing emergencies in the country and that too by reaching out to people who are living in extremely hard-to-reach areas. Our staff are certainly over-stretched owing to the fact that they are responding to multiple emergencies ad making sure that our each and every health action contribute to saving lives, but this achievement testifies the fact that WHOs work in Somalia is safeguarding and protecting the vulnerable Somali populations living in some of the worst, life-threatening and challenging environments. We have integrated this COVID-19 vaccination programme with routine immunization as the investment on the roll out of COVID-19 vaccines is also helping us to identify and vaccinate children who are missing out on routine immunization owing to various access-related issues, said Dr Mamunur Malik, WHO Representative in Somalia.

The launch of the COVID-19 vaccination programme in the country has brought about additional benefits as it is contributing positively to rebuilding the health system such as developing and strengthening a strong immunization system which is also essential for routine immunization. This has also helped establishing a surveillance system for adverse events reporting and monitoring as well as identifying zero dose children using innovation and digital technology. This way, the country is progressing towards achieving universal health coverage.

For additional information, please contact:

Kyle DeFreitas

WHO Somalia External Relations Lead

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Fouzia Bano

WHO Communications Officer

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Related links

COVID-19 Information note 22: turning COVID-19 vaccine doses into vaccinated people

COVID-19 information note 20: Accelerated immunization campaign for COVID-19 and childhood vaccines

COVID-19 information note 19: Reflections on the COVD-19 vaccination campaign in 2021 and future directions

COVID-19 information note 16: Accelerated-immunization campaign-for-COVID-19 and childhood vaccines in Somalia
Further delay to cannabis dispensing service

A further delay to the launch of the cannabis dispensing service on the Isle of Man has been announced.

The Department of Health and Social Care said it was due to outstanding technical issues between the Department and the UK Home Office which have not been fully resolved.

A Manx Government spokesperson said: "The Department is working to find a solution to satisfy the Home Office with regards to the movement of CBMP products to the Island  as all parties must adhere to duties and declarations under the UN convention."



"Once this issue is resolved Karsons Pharmacy will be able to formalise arrangements with UK wholesalers and commence the service"
After months of legal drama, Elon Musk has begun his takeover of Twitter, according to The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. His first move was to fire CEO Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and other top execs.

Musk is taking the reins just ahead of a Friday deadline to complete the deal. He spent time in Twitter's San Francisco headquarters this week, where he met with employees. He also reportedly brought in some Tesla engineers to help "assess" Twitter's code, Bloomberg reported.

The deal's closing will bring to an end the months-long legal battle that has engulfed Twitter since Musk first offered to buy the company for $44 billion in April, before announcing a couple weeks later that the acquisition was on hold. Musk, who declined to do due diligence before his offer, cited concerns about the number of bots and fake accounts on the platform. Twitters lawyers later argued that the bot issue was merely a pretext for him to renege on the deal.

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But finalizing the acquisition will be far from the end of turmoil within Twitter. Musk, who has criticized Twitter's leadership and clashed with Agrawal, has already fired at least four executives, including Vijaya Gadde, Twitter's top policy official, and Sean Edgett, the company's general counsel. The New York Times reported that "at least one" executive was escorted from the company's office on Thursday. Twitter didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Entering Twitter HQ  let that sink in! pic.twitter.com/D68z4K2wq7  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 26, 2022

Musk, who changed his Twitter bio to Chief Twit, has made it clear he intends to bring other big changes to the social media company. He has said both in public appearances and in private messages that he wants to relax Twitters moderation rules and that he dislikes permanent bans. Hes also likely to let more staff go, though he has told employees the cuts won't be as high as 75 percent.

Twitters core service could also dramatically change under Musks leadership. In addition to loosening moderation rules on the platform, Musk has said wants to open source Twitters algorithm so users could better understand its recommendations. At the same time, hes tried to reassure advertisers that he doesnt want the site to be a free-for-all hellscape, and that Twitter should be the most respected advertising platform in the world. Twitter's COO Sarah Personette, tweeted that she had a great discussion with Musk.

Musk, who has often talked about his desire for Twitter to be an accelerant to creating X, the everything app akin to WeChat in China, is also likely to look for ways to increase non-advertising revenue. Hes proposed changes to Twitter Blue, and floated the idea of charging companies for tweet embeds.
Its been a busy year for Nothing. After debuting its Ear 1 wireless headphones last year, it followed up with its first smartphone, the Phone 1, daring to compete in an arena thats actually shed some more established competitors. Now, its tackling wireless buds again with the $99 Ear Stick. Its not a great name, but its at least descriptive. Instead of the slim, squarish case of the Ear 1, Nothing has pulled inspiration from cosmetic product design, creating a charging case for the buds inspired by tubes of lipstick. Its not the first set of wireless headphones to feature a twisting cylinder, but it ensures the Ear Stick wont be confused with rival earbuds.

At $99, the Ear Stick is reasonably priced but lacks some of the significant features of Nothings first wireless buds  most crucially, active noise cancellation (ANC). There are plenty of improvements here, though, especially concerning connectivity.

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The hardware

Mat Smith / Engadget

Its hard to stop twisting and pawing at the Ear Sticks eye-catching case. The micro-dotted surface of the charger, exposed when the buds are locked in and charging, feels nice. At the top of the charger, theres a USB-C charging port and a chrome button for pairing the buds to devices. Given the form factor, theres no wireless charging this time around, but it also ensures the Ear Stick is cheaper to make. (As it is, Nothing recently raised the price on its Ear One buds.) There is a sliver of space on the case, though, so pocket lint can easily get trapped and rolled into the crevice, which is annoying. Judging by my other transparent gadgets, this might only get worse.

The Ear Stick buds themselves continue that Nothing design language, with transparent casing around the tips and a dot-matrix font labeling each stem. Theres a red dot on the right bud to help users ensure they go in the right ears. However, compared to the Ear 1, they dont have silicone tips, so they rest loosely inside the ear. This means that, regardless of any noise cancellation technology, a good amount of noise will seep in.

Nothing says the buds went through over 200 rounds of modifications, and I think it was worth it: Theyre comfortable. Weighing in at 4.4 grams (0.15 ounces) each, theyre also lighter than the Ear 1 buds. I know that many people (and several Engadget editors) prefer this kind of looser fit, as AirPods Pro, Galaxy Buds and many others put a little too much pressure on their ear canals. The Ear Stick is aimed at those people  but are there enough of them?

Gallery: Nothing Ear Stick hands-on | 5 Photos







/5 Gallery: Nothing Ear Stick hands-on | 5 Photos







/5

In noisy environments  say, when traveling on public transport or working out  Im forced to crank the volume up to max to compete with all the ambient noise. That said, they are comfortable and, for buds without removable tips, snug enough not to fear losing them when on the move. I still wasnt completely at ease running or jumping in them, but they didnt fall out during regular use.

I havent extensively tested the battery life yet, but Nothings seven-hour rating seems roughly accurate. Expect to get 29 hours of total playback with the case, which is almost a week of intermittent listening for me. Theres a fast-charge function that can juice the buds with two hours of playback with only 10 minutes of charge time, which has already been convenient during long trips across London, where Im based.

Nothing also made a new custom-designed dynamic driver in this generation of buds. The company claims its the most sensitive one found on wireless buds in the market, and while I cant vouch for that, I did find that the Ear Stick performs best when Im listening to spoken word or on phone calls; theyre notably clearer and crisper sounding than the Ear 1. Additionally, Nothing says its packed in a Bass Lock feature that tries to gauge sound leaking from the half-open design, but I struggle to hear it make enough for all of the sound loss.

However, theres not much Nothing can do with a half-ear design like this to maintain bass levels in comparison to the competition. Theres a tinniness to music and sounds that I dont think any algorithm can fix, given the half-open bud design.

The software

You can ameliorate this a little with the customizable equalizer from the companion app, and if youre already a Nothing Phone 1 user, youll get handy shortcuts from the Android drop-down menu. Its a nice touch, matching the slickness you get when using Samsung buds with a Galaxy phone, etc.

Mat Smith / Engadget

Nothing has also addressed some of the connectivity issues that marred the Ear 1. Its moved the antenna further down the buds, which it says minimizes signal blockage. In use, the Ear Stick connects and pairs more consistently than Nothings other headphones. Theyre less likely to drop connection when I move around my apartment and get farther away from my phone. The Stick is also much less fussy about pairing with phones, laptops and other devices. While I was initially impressed with the Ear 1, its inconsistency pairing to iPhones, laptops and even Android phones meant I eventually changed back to my AirPods Pro. Nothing has fortunately learned that lesson with its second pair of wireless buds.

Id happily take the audio and signal improvements of the Stick, but unfortunately, Im just not as enamored with the Ear Stick as I was with the Ear 1. I need my noise cancellation and silicone tips. However, I am looking forward to Ear 2, or whatever Nothing decides to call its third attempt, when it hopefully combines the best of both buds.
The giant cruise ship Majestic Princess arrives at a port in Jeju Island with over 4,000 passengers in this picture taken May 15, 2019. Cruise ships were not granted permission to enter Korea in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Newsis



By Lee Hae-rin



Cruise tourism will return to Jeju Island next year after a two-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as more than 30 ships from Japan are scheduled to visit the southern resort island.



According to the Jeju Tourism Organization (JTO), it won a joint bid with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to receive 32 tour cruises departing from Japan next year. The JTO forecasts that the number of passengers will reach 55,000.



The first ship set to arrive at a port in Jeju is a giant Princess Cruise ship with 3,400 passengers on March 19. It will make 14 more trips to the island over the course of the year.



Starting May 5, an MSC Cruises ship with up to 4,000 passengers will arrive at the island and make a total of 11 more journeys to the island by the end of next year.



Regent Seven Seas Cruises' six-star luxury cruise ship with 800 passengers onboard will dock in Jeju on March 21. Other cruise ships of Holland America, Swan Hellenic, and other cruises from Australia and Germany will visit the island too.



The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on Oct. 19 that it will allow foreign travelers to disembark from ships arriving on Jeju Island.



Cruise tourism to Jeju Island peaked in 2016 with over 1.2 million passengers. However, the number dropped to 21,700 in 2018 due to Korea-China tensions escalated by the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system the year before. At the time, over 90 percent of arriving cruise ship tourists were from China.



In February 2020, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) banned cruise ships from entering ports of Korea and foreign travelers from coming ashore in order to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. No cruise ships entered the country in 2020 and 2021.



This May, in response to the economic difficulties within the tourism industry, the oceans ministry allowed cruises under the condition that no passengers disembark from docked ships.



All passengers are required to wear masks indoors and provide personal health information via a Q-code system, and a digital platform will be used to pre-register their quarantine information before entry into Korea.



Foreign travelers who are infected with the coronavirus or show associated symptoms will not be allowed to disembark from their vessel.


This content is made possible by our sponsor; it is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Engadget's editorial staff.

Last week, BLUETTI showed off its latest innovations at IFA, Berlin, including the AC500+B300S combo, AC200 series, and most importantly, the long-rumored solar system-EP600+B500, which is a three-phase system that features a 6kW inverter and maximum 79kWh LFP battery capacity.

Looking for the perfect solar battery can feel overwhelming. There are so many different options available and parsing through them all can prove tough. And if you were looking for a one-size-fits-all solution, youd be out of luck.

Flexibility is always the first priority of BLUETTIs innovations. Since the launch of the AC300+B300 system in 2021, BLUETTI started to make their premium solar power systems modular, bringing extraordinary versatility and compatibility. The latest EP600 and B500 inherit this feature.

What is the EP600 solar battery system?

The modular design of EP600 significantly shrinks the overall weight and size. It is packed with a whopping 6000W bi-directional inverter for AC input and output, providing AC power at 230/400V to easily run almost any household electric appliances. Besides, the EP600 also supports up to 6000W solar input from 150V to 500V range. With a 99.9% MPPT solar efficiency, you can power all your fun with the sunshine from a decent solar panel array!

As an expansion battery, B500 is tailored made for the EP600 system. It features 4,960Wh ultra-durable LFP battery cells, an aluminum alloy appearance, and the exact same size as EP600. Every EP600 supports up to 16 battery modules to reach a total 79.3kWh capacity, which can cover all power needs at home or off-the-grid for days or even over a week! EP600 and B500 can be orderly stacked to save much space inside or outside your house. Whenever power is needed, the BLUETTI EP600 system is ready to help.

Whys the battery so important for a solar powered system?

BLUETTI POWER

Generally speaking, a solar power system includes solar panels and a solar generator with built-in or expansion batteries.

Solar panels efficiently collect sunlight and convert it into storable electricity in batteries for later use, making it possible to use solar energy even after sunset or on cloudy days. The system also provides a budget-saving solution to access sustainable energy while reducing carbon footprints on our planet.

So whether you wish to lower your electricity bill or prepare for any unexpected power outages or natural disasters, this EP600 energy storage system is a solid backup power source you can always depend on.

What makes the EP600 system outstanding?

BLUETTI POWER

Home energy storage systems have been around for years and have made a difference in our lives. Now numerous varieties and sizes are available.

Compared to other existing solar generators in the market, EP600 comes with a hybrid inverter system within the belly, which means all you need to do is plug solar panels into the solar generator. No more solar inverter or MPPT controller is required.

Availability & pricing

BLUETTI

Its reported that some countries and areas have taken drastic steps to alleviate the energy crisis gripping Europe, especially for the upcoming winter.

In order to ease the energy shortage, BLUETTI officials claim that the EP600 and B500 systems will soon be available before the arrival of this winter in a number of European countries including Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Benelux Union (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg), Austria, and Poland.

The pre-order is scheduled from November 1 to December 31 on BLUETTIs official website, running for a total of 2 months. You may subscribe here to get an early bird price and stay up to date with the latest news on BLUETTIs new solar power system.

As for the pricing, itll cost 3,599 to get a B500. However, EP600 will not be sold separately for this debut, a highly recommended combo: the EP600+2*B500 will cost only 8,999, revealed by James Ray, the marketing director of BLUETTI. Mr. Ray also said this combo has everything a consumer could possibly need without costing an arm and a leg.

*As a three-phase 230V/400V system, this EP600 and B500 system is not applied to countries with 100-120V utility grid voltage. Those living in the United States and Japan may need to wait a bit more time since another secret whole-house power system is under preparation. Lets look forward to it.

About BLUETTI

With over 10 years of industry experience, BLUETTI has tried to stay true to a sustainable future through green energy storage solutions for both indoor and outdoor use while delivering an exceptional eco-friendly experience for everyone and the world. BLUETTI is making its presence in 70+ countries and is trusted by millions of customers across the globe. For more information, please visit BLUETTI online at https://www.bluettipower.com.
Days after the mysterious disappearance of former Chief Operations Officer of Balaji Telefilms Zulfiqar Khan while on a visit to Kenya, five more Kenyan policemen from the disbanded Special Services Unit (SSU) of the countrys Directorate of Criminal Investigations have been arrested in connection with the case, according to media reports. Earlier, four policemen were arrested.

The arrests have been made by The Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) of the Kenya police.

Khan went missing from the Ole Sereni area in Kenya along with a friend Mohammed Zaid Sami and a Kenyan taxi driver on July 21. Khans friends and family members have sought Prime Minister Narendra Modis intervention in the matter.

We the friends of Zulfi, feel Zulfi is alive and request Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modiji, to form an investigation team and immediately launch an investigation in Kenya with the help from Kenyan Government to find Zulfi, a statement issued by them reportedly stated.

The Ministry of External Affairs meanwhile has said that they are in touch with the Kenyan president and have requested that the investigation be expedited. A statement issued by the Kenyan Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said that the Kenyan police were to launch an inquiry and submit a report as soon as possible.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
Welcome to The Merchant Life, where founders, VPs, and C-Suite executives come to seek out valuable merchandising insights.

They also come to get the latest news and developments on our side.

Were happy to bring all the recent happenings at Retail Strategy Group to your attention.

Accessorize and Thrive

The Accessories Council will host its 8th annual Business Workshop on November 10th, 2022. The business workshop was created to inspire, inform and provide ideas to help member companies endure an ever-changing retail environment.

Liza will be interviewed by our great friend and colleague, Tony Drockton, in a session titled Dont Stop Believing - 5 Principles for Product Success.

When: 8:00am - 4:30pm | Nov. 10, 2022

Where: Hearst Tower, 3rd Floor Auditorium | 300 W 57th | New York City

Details: Event summary and ticket information are found here.

The Running Event

Every retailer has a different strategy for building its product assortment. Some have strong private label programs, while others are successful with accessories. Regardless of the strategy, the assortment must be profitable.

Now, the question is: How do you create a winning product assortment? The key is that assortments built with the customer as the focal point are the most profitable. That leads to questions about product testing, sampling, and minimum order quantities.

As such, we are excited to deliver two presentations at The Running Event!

First, The Product Assortment Playbook discusses the basics of a profitable product assortment. Second, Going Private (Label) discusses starting a private label program.

When: Nov. 29th to Dec. 2nd, 2022

Where: Austin Convention Center | Austin, TX

Details: The full event guide can be found here.

Podcasts and Quotables

We kicked off a new educational series in partnership with Footwear Plus. Belinda Pina, VP of Wainscot Media, hosts Liza in this Retail Strategy Series. The first video was recently released, and the topic of conversation is planning a private-label assortment. Our second video with Belinda has already been recorded and will be released soon.

Liza also joined our colleague, Andrew Smith, for a conversation on The Retailistic Podcast earlier in the month. We discussed our six principles of Product Creation by Subtraction.

Finally, Liza was quoted in several media outlets during October. Here is a selection of three articles of interest where Liza contributed her thoughts:

Footwear News - Analysts Are Upbeat About Adidas

New York Times - Retailers Holiday Wish

Reuters - Retailers Fill Shelves With Leftover Holiday Inventory

Thank You For Reading

We appreciate you!

Want to share these updates with a colleague? Hit the share button below.

Volume 36 of our monthly newsletter will be released on November 1st. We will be discussing the evolution of the product creation calendar.

And retailers that evolve accordingly will experience breakthrough results in accelerating speed to market.

You wont want to miss this edition of The Merchant Life!
North Korea launches what it claimed was a hypersonic missile, Jan. 5, in this photo provided by the North Korean government. AP-Yonhap



A nuclear attack by North Korea against the U.S. or its allies will result in the end of the country's regime, the U.S. Department of Defense said Thursday.



In its National Defense Strategy (NDS), the department said the U.S. will also hold North Korea responsible for any transfer of nuclear weapons or related materials and technology to other actors.



"Any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners is unacceptable and will result in the end of that regime," said the NDS.



"There is no scenario in which the Kim regime could employ nuclear weapons and survive," it added, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.



The new U.S. defense strategy comes amid speculation that Pyongyang may soon conduct what will be its seventh nuclear test.



The North conducted its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017.



John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may be prepared to conduct a nuclear test at any time.






Dr. Brad Holbrook, an obstetrician and maternal-fetal medicine physician, speaks at an event advocating against ballot measure LR-131 in the Capitol rotunda in Helena on Thursday. (Photo by Nicole Girten/Daily Montanan)

Montana could lose healthcare professionals to other states if a ballot measure passes to require them to provide medical care for infants born at any stage of development  or potentially face criminal charges  medical leaders said Thursday.

Legislative Referendum-131, also called the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act, would impose criminal penalties, up to 20 years in prison, or a $50,000 fine on health care providers who do not act to preserve the life of born-alive infants, as defined in the ballot language, including infants born during an attempted abortion.

However, the measure applies to all infants, regardless of how labor began, opponents have stressed, and it includes babies born through natural labor but too early to survive.

Chief Executive Officer of Montana Medical Association Jean Branscum said her organization gets calls from healthcare workers that would be interested in coming to work in Montana, but because of legislation with criminal elements, such as LR-131, say they will look to other states for jobs.

Its also calls from individuals in Montana that are saying if you cant help in this avenue or if we cant convince them of the detriment to the patients, theyre going to seek employment in another state as well, she said during an association press conference Thursday. So the workforce issue goes both ways. Its not helping retain, nor is it helping recruit providers in the state.

Opponents, including health organizations around the state like the Montana Medical Association, say LR-131 would prevent medical professionals from respecting the wishes of family members who want to say goodbye to their baby if no medical intervention would keep them alive. If passed, the referendum would require caregivers to take the infant away to perform treatments that wont stop the child from dying.

But proponents of LR-131 argue there is an absence of legal protections for infants who have survived abortions, and that they have been left to die. Infanticide is already illegal in Montana, as outlined in the Montana Code Annotated.

After the anti-LR-131 event, President and CEO of the Montana Hospital Association Rich Rasmussen said one of its concerns is the criminalization of caregivers for utilizing long standing standards of care.

We may have an exodus of neonatologists, Rasmussen told the Daily Montanan. Theres only 3,800 neonatologists in the entire country, highly sought after, and to lose any of them in the state places at risk that service for every pregnant mom.

Rasmussen said that every parent expects neonatal care to be available at a hospital and spoke to his own experience as the father of premature twins.

If we radically change the environment in which we practice medicine in this state, there will be organizations that will come knocking on the doors of every physician that practices in pediatrics, obstetrics and neonatology to say, Come to Colorado, come to Seattle, come to Atlanta, he said.

Dr. Brad Holbrook, an obstetrician and maternal-fetal medicine physician, said he would likely refer patients out of state for care if LR-131 passes, but recognized it would change their comfort level.

Montana is already experiencing a healthcare workforce shortage due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, an issue seen nationwide.

Kelly Hunt of the Montana Nurses Association spoke to the impact LR-131 could have on an already strained workforce.

The past two-and-a-half years of global pandemic has stressed nurses morally, physically and spiritually in ways we have never seen before. LR-131 creates a whole new threat to the well-being of our nurses and the families that we serve, she said at the press conference.

When asked whether the organization would consider going to court if the ballot measure passes, Branscum said they would be exploring all avenues and options.

Dale Stickaer was headed to the Secretary of States Office at the Capitol when he passed the press event and decided to listen. He said hes a supporter of LR-131.

Its a life, at least try, Stickear said. My thing is, how many of them believe in abortion? If they do believe in abortion, how can they talk about compassion? They cant.

He said he empathized listening to the speakers talking about patients who want to hold their child before they pass; he would have liked to hold his, having lost a premature infant over a decade ago.

Past President of the MMA Dr. William Gallea said that MMA, Montana Hospital Association and Montana Nurses Association do not hold a stance on abortion.

Quality care includes compassionate palliative care at the end of life, regardless of age, said Dr. Gallea. These are tragedies, not crimes.

The post LR-131 passage could cause exodus of healthcare workers in Montana appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Fairfield, MT (59436)

Today

Generally cloudy. High 11F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 3F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.
A campaign will put a spotlight on the progress being made by the industry to ensure all dairy-bred calves are reared with care and for a purpose, as part of the dairy or beef supply chains.

The dairy industrys second Great British Calf Week takes place in November with a series of on-farm and virtual events which focus on successful calf management.

Farmers will have the opportunity to participate in the events, webinars, and farm walks where they can hear from experts and have their questions answered.

The AHDB and the NFU are coordinating the one-week campaign, taking place from 16 November to 23 November.

Jenny Gibbons, AHDBs animal health senior scientist, said areas to be covered were of importance to both dairy and beef calf rearers.

"Topics will include sexed and beef semen selection and breeding for the right carcass for the right outlet," she explained.

Breeding economically attractive calves is the starting point, but once the calf is born, ultimately it needs to be given the best start to live and be well cared for so there will also be a focus on optimising winter housing to grow healthy calves.

NFU dairy board chair Michael Oakes added that the initiative was a great way of raising awareness and celebrating the progress made by the industry since the launch of the GB Calf Strategy.

He said: "The week will offer a varied programme of events during which farmers can engage with the work being carried out to ensure all dairy-bred calves are reared for a purpose as part of the dairy or beef supply chains.

I would encourage all farmers to get involved, either in person or remotely, to learn more about the opportunities available to them in their own calf management systems.

The weeks activities will kick off at AgriScot in Edinburgh. A week later, on 23 November, a panel discussion addressing Dairy-beef: the past, present and future as part of the Total Dairy Conference in Stratford upon Avon will conclude the weeks activities.

Over the weekend, farmers will take to social media to discuss the qualities they look out for in their calves and the key skills needed to successfully rear calves.
This photo, taken on Oct. 9 shows a news report on a North Korean missile provocation being aired on a TV screen at Seoul Station in Seoul. Yonhap



North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) toward the East Sea on Friday, the South Korean military said, as Seoul's major military exercise drew to a close.



The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches from the Tongchon area in Kangwon Province between 11:59 a.m. and 12:18 p.m., and that the missiles flew some 230 kilometers at apogees of around 24 km at top speeds of around Mach 5.



The latest launches came as the South is set to conclude its Hoguk exercise later in the day. Seoul and Washington are also preparing to stage major combined air drills, called Vigilant Storm, next week.



"The North's ballistic missile launches this time are acts of significant provocation that undermine peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in the international community," the JCS said in a press release sent to reporters.



"While tracking and monitoring related movements in close cooperation with the United States in preparation against additional North Korean provocations, our military will maintain a firm readiness posture," it added.






The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into the anticipated joint venture between ForFarmers UK and 2 Agriculture.

The CMA is looking at whether the proposal, announced in July, could result in a substantial lessening of competition in the UK for goods or services.

Both companies said the joint venture would have a balanced feed portfolio across species, with an expected combined sales volume of more than 3 million tonnes of compound feed per year.

The merger agreement is a non-cash transaction, with the share split set at 50.1% for ForFarmers UK and 49.9% for 2 Agriculture.

This is based on the current enterprise value of both joint venture partners, and takes into account the respective expectations for 2022 and beyond.

ForFarmers UK, a subsidiary of the Dutch-based ForFarmers N.V., is a feed company selling approximately 2 million tonnes of compound feed volumes annually.

The majority of feed produced by ForFarmers is for ruminants and pigs, with smaller volumes being produced for poultry.

The company has 14 feed mills, and hires approximately 900 employees across these sites.

UK firm 2 Agriculture supplies around 1.2 million tonnes of feed annually to poultry farmers mostly into the integrated market, but also to independent customers.

The company employs 250 employees and operates five mills located in Scotland, East Anglia and North Wales and has an extrusion plant in Cambridgeshire.

Announcing the investigation into the merger, the CMA said: "The CMA is considering whether it is or may be the case that this transaction, if carried into effect, will result in the creation of a relevant merger situation under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002.

"If so, whether the creation of that situation may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the United Kingdom for goods or services."

To assist, the CMA is inviting comments on the transaction from any interested party. These should be sent to julie.flandrin@cma.gov.uk or gulalay.hammad@cma.gov.uk.
Northern Irish farmers are being reminded of a free on-farm chemical disposal scheme collection which opens for registration on 1 November.

Trialled in April 2022, the NI Waters Farm Chemical Disposal Scheme is available to those living in Spamount, Castlederg, Killen, Aghyaran and Killeter areas in County Tyrone.

Farmers there will be able to dispose of unwanted chemicals and pesticides through an on-farm collection by the NI Water contractor.

Unwanted chemicals may include weed-killer, sheep dip, veterinary medicines, herbicides and empty containers.

The free scheme opens on 1 November, and the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) is informing farmers in Co Tyrone to consider it.

The union said the initiative was 'hugely beneficial' for farmers in helping to protect the countryside.

UFU deputy president, John McLenaghan said: We encourage farmers living within the Co Tyrone part of the drinking water catchment area, upstream of the Water Treatment Works near Ardstraw, to make use of this free service.

"Its an excellent scheme that will ensure the safe disposal of chemicals helping to avoid contamination of watercourses, while also helping farmers to tidy up their stores on farm.

Registration for the scheme closes 30 November 2022, with collections of chemicals starting on 9 January 2023.
Production has commenced on a third series of Clarksons Farm ahead of the second series launching in early 2023, Amazon has confirmed.

Jeremy Clarkson's farming series first aired in June 2021 on Amazon Prime, and it has turned out to be one of the service's most popular programmes.

The show follows the former Top Gear presenter through his first year of farming as he contends with the day to day challenges on his 1,000-acre Oxfordshire farm.

Speaking to FarmingUK before the show first aired, Clarkson explained that he wanted to present British farming in a different light.

Now Amazon has confirmed that filming for season three has commenced, with the series to launch in over 240 countries and territories.

Amazon said viewers can expect more typical Clarkson-crafted schemes, as the team invent new and creative ways to use the 500-acres of unfarmed land left.

Lisa, Kaleb, Gerald, and Charlie will also return for the third series, tackling the ever-unpredictable world of British farming.

Announcing the news, Clarkson said: Im genuinely thrilled that we are doing a third season of Clarksons Farm.

"Ive had some great new ideas, all of which have made Charlie, Lisa and Kaleb deeply unhappy.

Kaleb added: Im over the moon to be taking part again. Well, they do say third times a charm.

"Maybe this will be the series that Jeremy finally starts taking advice from a real farmer."

Meanwhile, series two of Clarkson's Farm will launch on screens early next year, Amazon confirmed, although no exact date has been given.

It will showcase Jeremys dealings with the local council as he attempts to diversify his operation with a restaurant; and Kaleb yet again saving the day on numerous occasions.

The series also examines the impact of the current economy on British farmers.
Tougher laws around grouse shooting in Scotland are being considered as part of new efforts by the Scottish government to protect wildlife and the environment.

The proposals published for consultation will form a new Wildlife Management (Grouse Moor) Bill, which aims to ensure that grouse moors are managed in a sustainable way.

The consultation seeks views from farmers, gamekeepers and landowners on a wide range of topics related to wildlife, such as a possible new licensing scheme for grouse shooting.

It will look at the possibility for increased regulation of muirburn, the burning of vegetation to maintain moorland, as well as banning the use of glue traps.

The government's consultation also seeks land managers' views on increased regulation of other wildlife traps.

The Bill aims to implement the recommendations set out in the Werritty Review, an independent report which called for major changes to grouse moor management and the use of traps.

The Scottish government has introduced a range of measures to tackle wildlife crime, including a poisons amnesty, restrictions on general licences and most recently, increases in penalties for wildlife crimes.

But Rural and Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said that despite these measures, the persecution of raptors persists in Scotland.

I recognise that the management of grouse moors for grouse shooting makes an important contribution to the rural economy," she added.

"However, it is clear that grouse moors must be managed in a sustainable and responsible way, ensuring minimal negative impact on other wildlife, and that we cannot tolerate raptor persecution by a destructive minority.

The online consultation will run until 8 December 2022.
India's apparel exports to the Netherlands are expected to register an impressive growth in the current year. In the first half of 2022, the exports have increased to $352.153 million, compared to $264.219 million of H2, 2021 and $227.767 million of H1, 2021. India jumped from tenth to sixth place in H1, 2022 in terms of the Netherlands' apparel imports.

The apparel export stood at $215.742 million in H2, 2020 and $168.906 million in H1, 2020, according to Fibre2Fashion's market insight tool TexPro. During the pandemic year 2020, India's annual exports dipped to $384.648 million from $455.161 million in 2019. But it recovered to $491.987 million in 2021. The export value was $401.572 million in first seven months of the current year. The exports may surpass a mark of $700 million by December 2022.

India's apparel exports to the Netherlands are expected to register an impressive growth in the current year. In the first half of 2022, the exports have increased to $352.153 million, compared to $264.219 million of H2, 2021 and $227.767 million of H1, 2021. India jumped from tenth to sixth place in H1, 2022 in terms of the Netherlands' apparel imports.

The Netherlands' import of apparel totalled $9.121 billion in January-July 2022. The European country had imported apparel worth $16.282 billion in 2021, when India was positioned at tenth place.

The Netherlands remained on seventh position for India's apparel exports, which was 3.75 per cent of its total exports of $9.383 billion in first half of 2022.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Though the European-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and the European Union (EU)-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) have helped the country attract foreign direct investment (FDI), the treaties have also posed several challenges to luring capital from EU businesses, especially amid the pandemic-induced uncertainties and geopolitical and economic instability, a recent report said.

Since 2010, EU enterprises have increased their investment in Vietnam despite the fact that the United Kingdom (UK) left the bloc.

The number of EU partners investing in Vietnam seems to be rising over the years. In 2020, 26 out of 27 countries in this bloc registered to invest in the country. By August, the EU had a total of 2,378 valid projects in Vietnam, worth $27.59 billion, according to the report released at a workshop on FDI flows from the EU to Vietnam in the context of EVFTA and EVIPA.

Though the European-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement have helped the country attract foreign direct investment, the treaties have also posed several challenges to luring capital from EU businesses, especially amid the pandemic-induced uncertainties and geopolitical and economic instability, a recent report said.

EU businesses have recently shown interest in service industries, clean energy, supporting industries, food processing, high-tech agriculture and pharmaceuticals.

EVFTA and EVIPA have raised the scale of FDI from EU member countries and and other nations as well due to commitments on tariff reductions and creating competitive advantages for countries, the report was cited as saying by a news agency.

The primary competitors of Vietnam in the region do not have FTAs with the EU, barring Singapore. However, this advantage may be short-term, as the orientation of both ASEAN and the EU is to sign an FTA between the two region, it noted.

The agreements also contribute to the re-organisation of the EU's investment in Vietnam by sectors and assist in creating a favourable environment through changes to the institutional and legislative framework, it added.

The digital transformation process may narrow the EU's investment flows into Vietnam, especially those investing in high-value sectors, due to the change in investment objectives of multinational corporations.

Foreign investors tend to choose Vietnam for its cheap labour or natural resources, but in Industry 4.0, their goal is to find knowledge and technology. Unfortunately, this is not an advantage of the country because it still has many limitations in terms of skilled workforce and technological and financial capacity, while the quality of infrastructure for high-tech industries is still underdeveloped, noted Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, co-author of the report.

The EU's FDI also brings with it high corporate social responsibility standards in protecting and training workers as well as respecting and protecting the environment. Therefore, the implementation of EVIPA requires continuously improving the competitiveness of the Vietnamese economy and its readiness to take advantage of opportunities from the agreement.

Hence, Vietnam risks becoming a destination for low-quality FDI projects due to resource limitations, the report pointed out.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
At a recent meeting of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) standing committee on import, its senior vice president Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu urged the government to introduce a goods and services tax (GST) instead of the value added tax (VAT) to help ease revenue collection and reduce evasion of tax.

Importers of essential commodities and raw materials also demanded proper management at ports and an end to the harassment of customs and shipping agents.

At a recent meeting of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) standing committee on import, its senior vice president Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu urged the government to introduce a goods and services tax (GST) instead of the value added tax (VAT) to help ease revenue collection and reduce evasion of tax.

Such harassment costs additional time and money for traders, raising business and production costs, an FBCCI press release said citing the importers.

Customs authority fines up to 300 per cent for unintentional mistakes in the harmonised system (HS) codes and shipping agents charge various other fees, which cost additional Tk10 crore per day, Bangla media quoted importers as telling the committee.

Goods are often sent to different university labs to be examined, and this takes more than a month, causing interruption in the supply chain, businessmen rued.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)




The presidential National Security Council condemned North Korea's provocative acts on Friday following the launch of two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea.







The launch took place around noon as South Korea was set to wrap up its Hoguk military exercise, according to the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff.







President Yoon Suk-yeol was briefed on the launch by the presidential National Security Office, deputy presidential spokesperson Lee Jae-myoung said.







"The NSC standing committee members noted that North Korea once again launched ballistic missiles in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions following its recent repeated ballistic missile launches, violation of the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea, and violation of the Sept. 19 inter-Korean Comprehensive Military Agreement through its artillery fire provocation," Lee said at a press briefing, summarizing the outcome of a NSC meeting convened after the launch.







"They condemned the provocative acts of North Korea that continue to create tensions on the Korean Peninsula and in the region," he added.







The NSC confirmed that the military is maintaining a thorough readiness posture for an immediate response to any provocation by the North and vowed to reinforce the South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture through next week's Vigilant Storm air drills to ensure no disruption to the government's efforts to revive the economy and people's livelihoods.







"Moreover, they agreed to closely follow the possibility of a strategic provocation by North Korea, including an intercontinental ballistic missile launch or nuclear test," Lee said. (Yonhap)


















The scarcity of cotton along with a comparatively higher price in India has resulted in a shift in its trade dynamics with Vietnam. The far-eastern country, which was earlier one of the major markets for Indian cotton yarn, has now become a supplier to India. While Indias yarn exports show downward trend this year, its imports from Vietnam have jumped.

According to Fibre2Fashions market insight tool TexPro, Indias yarn export to Vietnam dropped to $6.485 million in July 2022 from $18.084 million in February this year. Monthly export was noted at $17.130 million in March, $12.715 million in April, $10.435 million in May and $9.828 million in June 2022. According to trade sources, the yarn export reduced from India due to price disparity. Cotton prices in India are still ruling higher than international market.

The scarcity of cotton along with a comparatively higher price in India has resulted in a shift in its trade dynamics with Vietnam. The far-eastern country, which was earlier one of the major markets for Indian cotton yarn, has now become a supplier to India. While India's yarn exports show downward trend this year, its imports from Vietnam have jumped.

It is to be noted that Indias yarn exports to Vietnam had registered growth during preceding years. The export increased in 2020 to $169.087 million from $131.540 million in 2019. It further rose to $220.579 million in 2021.

On the other hand, Indias import of yarn from Vietnam increased drastically to $24.875 million in July from $4.521 million in March 2022. India had imported yarn worth $6.612 million in April, $7.733 million in May and $7.714 million in June 2022. Annually, the import recovered to $60.155 million from $37.530 million in 2020, which fell from $130.416 million in 2019 due to COVID-19 disruption. Indias yarn import was valued at $61.270 million in the first seven months of the current year, which is already more than the total inbound shipment of 2021.

India imported yarn worth $120.707 million in 2017 and $129.885 million in 2018 from Vietnam, as per TexPro.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Turkish officials have alleged that the European Union (EU) did not deliver on its promise to offer visa-free travel under a 2016 migration pact. In the last few months, Turkish public and businesspeople have said visa procedures for Europe take months, involve extensive paperwork and are rejected far too often, a recent bilateral business meeting in Istanbul was told.

The volume of bilateral trade has increased almost six-fold during the period of the Customs Union, and it is expected to reach $200 billion by the end of this year, Turkish trade minister Mehmet Mus told the meeting.

The business dialogue was organised by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkiye (TOBB) and the European Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Eurochambres), Turkish media outlets reported.

Turkish officials have alleged that the European Union did not deliver on its promise to offer visa-free travel under a 2016 migration pact. In the last few months, Turkish public and businesspeople have said visa procedures for Europe take months, involve extensive paperwork and are rejected far too often, a recent bilateral business meeting was told.

The last Turkiye-EU high-level economic dialogue was held in February 2019.

The annual trade in goods between both sides recently hit 132 billion ($123.3 billion), Eurochambres vice president Rifat Hisarciklioglu said, adding that Turkiye's exports to the EU are valued at around 63 billion.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to newly appointed UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and both have agreed on taking forward the negotiations for a comprehensive UK-India free trade agreement (FTA). Sunak expressed his gratitude after PM Modi congratulated him for taking on his new role as UKs prime minister.

During his talk with Sunak, Modi reiterated Indias commitment towards its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the UK. Glad to speak to @RishiSunak today. Congratulated him on assuming charge as UK PM. We will work together to further strengthen our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. We also agreed on the importance of early conclusion of a comprehensive and balanced FTA, Modi said in a Twitter update.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak have agreed on taking forward the UK-India FTA. Sunak expressed his gratitude after PM Modi congratulated him for taking on his new role as UK's Prime Minister. During the brief telephonic talk, Modi reiterated India's commitment towards Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the UK.

Sunak was also optimistic about what the partnership between the two countries could achieve in the coming years. Thank you Prime Minister @NarendraModi for your kind words as I get started in my new role. The UK and India share so much. Im excited about what our two great democracies can achieve as we deepen our security, defence and economic partnership in the months & years ahead, Sunak posted on Twitter after his talk with Modi.

Sunak had earlier told an Indian English-language daily that he was strongly committed to the UK-India FTA to create jobs in both nations and for India to liberalise its consumer financial services industry.

Indian textile exporters can benefit from the FTA as tariff and non-tariff barriers may be eased under the deal. Currently, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and some other countries get preferential treatment while exporting to the UK. Indian exporters feel that they are not getting equal treatment in the developed economies including the UK. It is expected that the FTA will provide Indian exporters with some exemptions enabling them to face stiff international competition.

According to Fibre2Fashions market insight tool TexPro, India holds the fifth position among top apparel suppliers to the UK. During last year, India exported apparel worth $1.094 billion, comprising 5.24 per cent of the UKs total imports of $20.889 billion. China (21.57 per cent), Bangladesh (14.45 per cent), Turkiye (8.23 per cent), and Italy (8.12 per cent) were the top four apparel suppliers to the UK.

While the UK is eyeing Indias large market to ensure the formers economic growth, India wants to increase its exports of labour-intensive products like textile, handicraft, and footwear.

Sunak assumed office as UKs prime minister on October 25, 2022, becoming the fifth Conservative party leader to take up the role in the last six years. He is also the first British prime minister of Indian origin.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)
The US department of commerce has opened a new Commercial Service office at the US Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The US department will station a senior Foreign Commercial Service Officer at the Dhaka embassy to maximise US export opportunities and collaborate with Bangladesh to assist US companies looking to enter into or expand their presence in the Bangladeshi market.

The US and Foreign Commercial Service is the export promotion arm of the International Trade Administration (ITA), a bureau of the US department of commerce. The new office will help to facilitate one-on-one business counselling, provide tailored export expertise and information on the Bangladesh market, and work to connect US businesses with potential Bangladeshi partners through business matchmaking and other services, according to a press release by the ITA.

The US department of commerce has opened a new Commercial Service office at the US Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The department will station a senior Foreign Commercial Service Officer at the Dhaka embassy to maximise US export opportunities and collaborate with Bangladesh to assist US companies looking to expand their presence in the Bangladeshi market.

The Commercial Service has an extensive global network consisting of 122 offices around the world and in over 100 US cities. The new Commercial Service office will increase the number of international markets to 81. Across Asia, the Commercial Service will have a presence in 19 markets, including Bangladesh.

As the United States and Bangladesh celebrate 50 years of bilateral relations, it is an opportune moment to expand upon the strong foundation of our bilateral and commercial relationship, said Arun Venkataraman, US assistant secretary of commerce for global markets and director general of the US and Foreign Commercial Service. The new Commercial Service office here in Bangladesh will play an important role in strengthening trade ties between our countries, and how we support US companies doing business in such a dynamic and fast-growing economy. Trade between our two countries accounts for an estimated $10 billion, showcasing the vast existing and potential opportunities in this country.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)
Vietnams exports to the Americas have seen impressive growth three years after the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a recent seminar was told. Its market share in Canada rose from 0.9 per cent in 2017 to 1.2 per cent in 2019the first year of CPTPP implementationand 1.6 per cent last year.

Vietnams market share in Mexico expanded from 0.9 per cent in 2018 to 1.7 per cent in 2021.

Vietnam's exports to the Americas have seen impressive growth three years after the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a recent seminar was told. Its market share in Canada rose from 0.9 per cent in 2017 to 1.2 per cent in 2019the first year of CPTPP implementationand 1.6 per cent last year.

The Southeast Asian countrys export to Canada grew about 75 per cent and more than doubled to Mexico in 2021 compared with the pre-CPTPP period.

The seminar was organised by the Industry and Trade magazine.

According to Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, director of the WTO and Integration Centre at the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the figures reflect Vietnams successes in utilising tariff incentives under the deal to access North America and increase its market share there, a news agency reported.

Barriers for exporting to the Americas include long distance; more transportation costs; market standards, especially in North America; and language, as most of the Latin American nations use Spanish in transactions, the seminar heard.

Vietnamese government representatives assured assistance for businesses to handle risks regarding trade barriers and remedies.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Just like every aspiring actor who wades past their theatre days and emerges to be one of the best talents that the film industry witnesses, Jaswant Singh Dalal has managed to carve his niche on his merit. He has come a long way from moulding a driven passion towards joining the army, to doing theatre to finally joining a film school. Recently he has won hearts with his performance as Timmy in Good Luck Jerry where people showered him with praises for his impactful portrayal of a gangster. In an exclusive conversation with Filmfare, the actor candidly chats about sharing a great camaraderie with Janhvi Kapoor on screen, playing a layered character, and his career goals Excerpts...





You were an army kid, and for the longest time your passion was to join the Indian Army, so how did acting happen?





I joined our college drama team because one of my friends was the main guy in this drama team, and they were doing a skit on Sholay. They wanted me to play Mr. Bachchan's part because of my voice. When that happened, the kind of changes and the kind of love I got was very overwhelming. I did a play for them, and for that play got me the X factor award in college. Those claps made me realise I should become an actor.

You joined FTII and your batch mates included some notable names like Rajkummar Rao, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Vijay Verma. How's the camaraderie between you all?





We are very much in touch with each other. First, we are friends and then you know we are actors.







Do y'all exchange notes?





I ask them to watch my performances, I watch them, they call me, we talk, you know we sit together, and we discuss each other's performances and everything.

NH10 was your debut as an actor, and despite not being the main lead, your character left an impact....





Earlier I used to do film production and direction also, but when my batchmates started doing good, it came to my mind that we are from the same batch, even I should try acting now. So I started auditioning. I won't say that I want to do smaller roles but if the character is something that, if you'll remove the character from the script, the script is nothing. Whether it's a three-scene kind of a part, whether it's a four scenes part, or whether it's a primary part, I'm ready to do all kinds of films. And that the character in NH10, Omi, was like that because there was a sequence where my brother dies because of that Neil shoots him accidentally. So that scene was very important. When I read it I said okay, I'm doing it.





Tell us about how Good Luck Jerry came along?





When I auditioned for Good Luck Jerry, the director said, Timmy is my Tom, that's why his name is Timmy, you were just ready to pounce and grab Jerry, the mouse. So that line made me feel, that dude, this is the part I want to play.

You and Janhvi have great chemistry in the film, how is your equation in real life?





She is so grounded and she is so humble. We had a great bond. I would love to work with her again. And she's a very honest actor. She takes suggestions from others to hone her craft.

Talking about the rest of the cast, there are so many talented actors such as Deepak Dobriyal and Sahil Mehta. How was your experience working with them? What were some of your takeaways?





Deepak Bhai, I have known him since 2007 or 2008. He's a great personality, he's a great actor, but he's a great human being also. I mean he's one of the most selfless people Ive met. We shot this film like a family. In fact, most of us landed on the sets to offer support and observe even on the days we were not shooting.

The movie is a comedy-crime drama, and your character has a lot of layers in the film, from playing a gangster to a lover boy. Was there anything you found challenging or tricky?







The most challenging part of this is that my director Siddharth Sen told me that I should always project love or anger towards Jerry but never lust. And that was difficult because when you're playing a villain, lust comes naturally in your expressions. Siddharth explained that youre my Tom and there is a love-hate relationship between Tom and Jerry. I'm wearing a neck brace in the film and yeah, I practised for it like, for like good two months. And after two months I could not, in reality, I could not move my neck. It was that bad. And then I went to physiotherapy for four months.







Good Luck Jerry is doing extremely well and your character has received so much appreciation. How has the response been from family, friends, and fans?





Everybody is so happy, I mean yeah. I could say that, it came like, I've been in Mumbai for the last 12-13 years after FTII, and my friends are doing so well and everything. So, family, they think na, what happens to you, what will happen to you? When will you do it? Those questions and everything. Now, everything is sorted, now they have seen it. And my niece is like, especially, she has watched my film at least like 25 times, because every day she watches okay. Two or three times, every day. And so, it's a very great feeling yaar. Very great feeling.





You have your web series 'Farzi' coming up alongside Shahid Kapoor and Vijay Sethupathi, tell us more about it.





So I can't reveal much, but I can tell that you know I'm a big Vijay Sethupathi fan. Big means big, okay? I admire him, I love him. And I always wanted to work with him, and again, because of Mr. Mukesh Chhabra, I got this opportunity to work with him. Whenever he comes in the series, I'm there with him. I'm pretty excited about it. And it is great working with Mr. Raj and DK. I always wanted to work with them after watching The Family Man.





What are your goals in terms of acting in the future? Is there anything specific that's on your checklist in terms of projects/genres?

Actually, I want to do, every genre except sex comedy. And why I'm saying that sex comedy, it's not like I hate it, it's like here in our industry, when it comes to sex comedy it's very vulgar. Because if you see sex comedy from the West, it's fantastic okay? But here it's, it's, it's a below-the-belt, you know so I just don't want to do sex comedy otherwise I want to explore every genre I can. I want to do it because before that, believe me, my director cast me because of a show I did called Thinkistaan, he saw that show and in that also I'm playing a baddie. But believe me the kind of messages and the kind of love I'm getting for Timmy, everybody is saying Timmy was so sweet, Timmy was so charming, Timmy was so sweet. So now the perception will change okay, because of my height, and voice, everyone is like okay negative, negative, negative. Like it should not be like that with an actor, you know I want to play everything, every character, every colour you know, every emotion I want to live on screen.
Los Angeles, California--(Newsfile Corp. - October 27, 2022) - Nano Clear, the international company that specializes in restoring premium jewelry and watches using its high-tech formulas, is offering its latest jewelry edition kits online. Founded and owned by Sagi Mor and Tomer Bachar, Nano Clear aims to help people to remove scratches from their favorite rings, necklaces, and other jewelry and restore them to like-new condition.

"We are happy to help more owners of fine jewelry around the world to restore and enjoy their high-quality pieces," says Nano Clear. "Our new jewelry edition kits come with our latest formulas for cleaning and polishing jewelry. We hope that more owners will enjoy wearing their luxury necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings again."

As Nano Clear rolls out its newest product, it is ramping up plans to expand its production capacity by opening a new factory in the United States. It is also establishing a global distribution center in America as well as in Singapore and in Belgium.

"We saw our sales remain strong in the wake of the pandemic, including throughout 2022," says Nano Clear. "With our customer base growing in over 100 countries, we decided to lay the foundation for us to assist them faster. With this ability, we plan to decrease shipping times and help more people to restore their jewelry and watches with our cleaning kits, polishes, sprays, and other supplies."

Nano Clear is currently working to bring its products, including its jewelry edition kits, to major airports and casinos around the globe. "We also plan to sell directly to businesses, another reason why we are increasing our production capabilities," says the company. "For now, however, we will continue to focus on the rollout of our jewelry edition kit, which is going very well. It is all part of our overall vision: to make the cleaning and restoration of luxury watches and jewelry easy for the owner, no matter where they live in the world."

Nano Clear is the developer of acid-free, eco-friendly products for cleaning high-quality pieces of jewelry. Founded in 2018, Nano Clear began in a brick-and-mortar storefront in a shopping mall before quickly growing into an international brand during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the launch of its latest products for cleaning and polishing jewelry at home, Nano Clear adds to its line of kits that are available on six continents and in over 100 countries.

For more information on Nano Clear, please visit its website or contact:

Nano Clear

office@nanoclear.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/140925
Halifax, Nova Scotia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 27, 2022) - Metalo Manufacturing Inc. (CSE: MMI) (the "Issuer") announced today that it has filed its annual audited consolidated financial statements and management discussion and analysis for the year ended June 30, 2022. They are available under the Corporation's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com ) and on the CSE (www.thecse.com).

MMI's two project assets - a pig iron plant making a 96% pure iron product for steel mills; and the exploitation of the sands in Labrador are in active discussions with potential partners. The pig iron project has recently seen an increased interest from steel mills and traders who require the product. The sands have also advanced with interested parties to make silicon carbide, sanitaryware, and 3D printing of silicon carbide and/or sand cast molds. The silicon carbide development opportunity has appealed to a key player in the US for 3D printing (military, aerospace, automotive and energy components) and for micro processing wafers.

ABOUT METALO MANUFACTURING INC.

MMI's principal focus is an investment in near-zero CO2 emission production projects in Canada. First, a production plant to produce high purity pig iron for steel mills. Secondly, mining mineral sands for value-add products in sectors where Canada is heavily import dependent. MMI is a 44% shareholder of Grand River Ironsands Incorporated ("GRI"). GRI owns a 100% interest in Pure Fonte Ltee (producing pig iron). Labrador Sands Inc. (previously North Atlantic Iron Corporation) is 90% owned by GRI and holds the mining rights for a resource near Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL and the follow-on production of products. The Corporation has 20,222,301 issued and outstanding common shares.

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The Corporation seeks Safe Harbour.

For additional information contact:

Liz MacKenzie, Corporate Communications (902) 233-7255

info@metalo.ca

(NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION VIA U.S. NEWSWIRE)

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/142216
CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - Macquarie Group (MQG.AX, MQBKY) reported a net profit after tax attributable to ordinary shareholders of A$2.31 billion for the half year ended 30 September 2022, up 13 percent on the half year ended 30 September 2021. Net operating income was A$8.64 billion up 11 per cent from the prior year. The company announced the first half of fiscal year 2023 interim ordinary dividend of A$3.00 per share, up on the first half of fiscal year 2022 interim ordinary dividend of A$2.72 per share. The record date for the interim ordinary dividend is 8 November 2022 and the payment date is 13 December 2022. Assets under management of A$795.6 billion at 30 September 2022, up 3% from 31 March 2022 and up 8% from 30 September 2021. The increase was primarily due to investments made by MAM Private Markets-managed funds and foreign exchange movements, partially offset by market movements in MAM Public Investments. Looking ahead, the company said it continues to maintain a cautious stance, with a conservative approach to capital, funding and liquidity that positions it well to respond to the current environment. Dennis Leong has indicated his intention to retire after 41 years of service with Macquarie and will step down as Company Secretary and be replaced by Simone Kovacic effective 1 December 2022. Leong has been Company Secretary since 1993, ahead of Macquarie Bank's Initial Public Offering in 1996. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.


NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - Swedish Match AB ((SWMAY.PK, SWMAF.PK) recommended its shareholders accept Philip Morris International Inc.'s (PM) increased 116 Swedish kronor per share buyout offer for the Swedish tobacco company.



The recommendation was supported by an opinion from Goldman Sachs that the offer was fair from a financial point of view to the shareholders of Swedish Match. It was also supported by an opinion from SEB Corporate Finance, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ), Swedish Match said in a statement.



On 20th October, Philip Morris International said that its affiliate Philip Morris Holland Holdings B.V. has increased the price in its recommended cash offer to the shareholders of Swedish Match AB to 116 kronor per share. The company said it will not further increase the price in the offer.



The total value of the revised offer amounts to approximately 176.4 billion kronor.



On October 25, Philip Morris Holland Holdings or PMHH announced that it had received necessary approvals from authorities for the Offer, subject to PMHH's divestiture of Swedish Match's subsidiary SMD Logistics AB following completion of the Offer.



It was on May 11 that Philip Morris Holland announced a recommended cash offer of 106 kronor per share to Swedish Match. The total value of the offer amounted to around 161.2 billion kronor, corresponding to around $16.0 billion.



In early October, Philip Morris announced that the acceptance period was further extended until November 4.



Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

PHILIP MORRIS-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de
People wait to get tested for COVID-19 at a testing center in eastern Seoul on Sept. 15. Yonhap



By Lee Hyo-jin



Korea is facing a fresh wave of COVID-19 infections, but it may be less severe than previous ones due to the build-up of immunity from prior infections and vaccinations, according to medical experts.



The experts anticipate the newly emerging Omicron variants BQ.1 and offspring BQ 1.1  also known as Typhon and Cerberus respectively  to lead the upcoming seventh wave, replacing parent variant BA.5.



Early studies suggest the two Omicron descendants evade immunity attained from previous infections or vaccines on a greater scale than other variants.



The variants, which appear to have first emerged in Nigeria in July, are spreading quickly across European countries including France, Belgium and Spain as well as the United States and Japan, leading to a spike in infections.



Korea has also seen an uptick in BQ cases. The variants accounted for an estimated 0.9 percent of the total infections across the country in the second week of October, but the figure jumped to 3.7 percent the following week.



Jung Jae-hun, a professor of preventive medicine at Gachon University Medical School, projected the number of BQ infections to grow further and eventually become the dominant strains.



"We are currently seeing a lot of BF.7 cases for now, but in the long term, either BQ.1 or BQ 1.1 will take over as the dominant strain as seen by the current situation in the United States and other countries," he said. "The number of BQ infections is on the rise among imported cases."



But he cautiously predicted the upcoming wave to be less severe than the previous ones led by the BA.5 variant, given the increased immunity of the population gained from vaccinations and previous infections.



The health authorities view that the country is entering a new wave, as seen by the resurgence of infections and the number of critically ill patients. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 35,924 new virus cases for Thursday, raising the aggregate total to 25,466,922.



"Daily caseloads seem to have passed a plateau and we are seeing signs of resurgence. In the past five weeks, the fatality rate has increased to 0.09 percent from the previous 0.06 percent," Health Minister Cho Gyu-hong said during a COVID-19 response meeting, Friday.



He also expressed concerns that the reproduction rate  the number of people each infected person infects  has surpassed 1 for the first time in nine weeks since the pandemic's sixth wave peaked in mid-August.



Public interest in vaccines declines





A woman receives a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic in the southeastern city of Gwangju, Oct. 11. Yonhap
Change at the helm of Art Basel: Noah Horowitz appointed CEO

Noah Horowitz has been appointed CEO of Art Basel, succeeding Marc Spiegler, Global Director Art Basel, who has taken the decision to leave MCH Group and explore the next phase of his artworld career.

The Board of Directors and Group Management Team would like to thank Marc Spiegler for his longstanding commitment as head of the leading global platform for contemporary and modern art with shows in Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong and now also Paris. At the same time, the MCH Group Board of Directors and Group CEO Florian Faber are pleased to announce the appointment of Noah Horowitz, who held the post of Director Americas from 2015 to 2021.

Noah Horowitz is returning to Art Basel as CEO on November 7, 2022. He joins from Sotheby's where he served as Worldwide Head of Gallery & Private Dealer Services since September 2021. As the outgoing Global Director, Marc Spiegler will hand over the running of the business to Noah Horowitz at this juncture, supporting Noah through year-end, including on the 20th anniversary edition of Art Basel Miami Beach (Dec 1-3). Following this, he will continue in an advisory capacity to Art Basel for the next 6 months.

"Under the leadership of Marc Spiegler, Art Basel has developed into what it is today - one of the most prestigious and valuable brands in the international art market", states Andrea Zappia, President of the Board of Directors of MCH Group. "Our thanks go to Marc for his great personal commitment, his networking in the global world of art and his notable successes in the development of Art Basel."

Andrea Zappia adds: "On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I am delighted to be welcoming Noah Horowitz back into the team - We are convinced that Noah's business acumen, digital experience and extensive relationships within the international gallery and collecting community will be instrumental in further developing Art Basel and delivering on the company's ambitious growth plans at its home base as well as internationally.



"We are especially pleased that Noah is returning to Art Basel as the new CEO, further strengthening the MCH Group Management Team as a colleague in future", says Florian Faber, Group CEO. "I already had the opportunity to work with Noah in the past and am confident that with his outstanding expertise in the global world of art, he will successfully lead Art Basel into its next phase. Noah is held in high esteem in the industry, uniting an in-depth understanding of the art market and its players with a lifelong passion for the visual arts, business knowledge and digital transformation. Together with Noah, we will consolidate the position of Art Basel as a globally leading platform for modern and contemporary art and forge ahead with our innovative initiatives."

Florian Faber continues: "Marc Spiegler has done an outstanding job in developing Art Basel over the past fifteen years. The recent premiere of Paris+ by Art Basel and the upcoming 20th anniversary edition of Art Basel Miami Beach are two more highlights in a long and illustrious career. We cannot thank Mark enough and wish him all the best for his future."



Marc Spiegler joined MCH Group in 2007 as Co-Director Art Basel and, since 2012, has been Global Director Art Basel. "Following the successful premiere of Paris+ and with the imminent 20th anniversary of Art Basel Miami Beach, I am leaving Art Basel on a high note." he says. "Leading the next stage of Art Basel's evolution will take many years and a different set of skills. Having launched new shows in Hong Kong and Paris, staged 43 fairs, and led Art Basel through a global pandemic, it has come time to pass the baton. Fortunately, my friend Noah Horowitz - the perfect person to carry Art Basel forward - will be leading that development. Finally, I would like to thank my incredible team and my colleagues throughout the world for their passion, their commitment, and their dedication in driving patronage to our galleries and their artists."



"I am honored and delighted to be returning to Art Basel in my new role. I would like to thank MCH Group and Florian for their confidence in me as well as Marc for his stewardship over the years", says Noah Horowitz. "The Art Basel team is incredibly committed, and I look forward to working with my colleagues and all the stakeholders of the Art Basel community to lead and evolve the fair as we collectively embark upon a new chapter."

With the departure of Marc Spiegler, the MCH Group Executive Board is to be reduced in size and will comprise two members in future - Florian Faber, Group CEO and Michael Husler, Group CFO. The Executive Board is supported by the Group Management Team as the operational management body, with a membership of ten.

About Noah Horowitz

Noah Horowitz is returning to Art Basel as CEO on November 7, 2022, having held the post of Director Americas from 2015 to 2021. Noah joins the organization from Sotheby's where he served as Worldwide Head of Gallery & Private Dealer Services since September 2021. In this capacity, he steered Sotheby's business strategy and relationships with the international dealer community. Previously, he held a four-year tenure as Executive Director of The Armory Show in New York, after directing the first ever online-only fair, VIP Art Fair, from 2010-11. He has a Ph.D. in art history from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, and is the author of Art of the Deal: Contemporary Art in a Global Financial Market (Princeton University Press, 2011). His writings and commentary on art and economics have appeared in publications including The New York Times, Financial Times, Texte zur Kunst and The Art Newspaper, amongst others. Noah is a member of the Manhattan Chapter of Young Presidents Organization, and lives in New York City with his wife, Louise, and children, Sif and Leo.

About Art Basel

Founded in 1970 by gallerists from Basel, Art Basel today stages the world's premier art shows for Modern and contemporary art, sited in Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and Paris. Defined by its host city and region, each show is unique, which is reflected in its participating galleries, artworks presented, and the content of parallel programming produced in collaboration with local institutions for each edition. Art Basel's engagement has expanded beyond art fairs through new digital platforms and a number of new initiatives such as the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report, Intersections: The Art Basel Podcast, and the BMW Art Journey. Art Basel's Global Media Partner is The Financial Times.

www.artbasel.com



About MCH Group

MCH Group headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is an internationally operating experience marketing company with a comprehensive services network. It organizes some 30 community platforms in Switzerland and abroad, including Art Basel, Swissbau and Giardina. The Live Marketing Solutions division with the MCH Global, MC2 and Expomobilia brands offers comprehensive experience marketing solutions. MCH Group also runs Messe Basel and the Congress Center Basel and Messe Zurich. The company has more than 800 permanent employees, approximately half of whom are located in Switzerland and the USA.

www.mch-group.com



Ad hoc announcements: https://www.mch-group.com/en/investors/ad-hoc-announcements/ (https://www.mch-group.com/en/investors/ad-hoc-announcements/)

News: https://www.mch-group.com/en/news/ (https://www.mch-group.com/en/news/)





Media contact:

MCH Group AG

Corporate Communications

Emanuel Kuhn

+41 58 206 22 43

emanuel.kuhn@mch-group.com

www.mch-group.com


The Sustainable Solar Europe conference kicked off this week with a focus on the European Commission's draft regulation on eco-design. The regulation will likely be adopted in the second quarter of 2023.The first edition of the Sustainable Solar Europe conference started in Brussels this week with a focus on the cost of sustainable solar and the most recent updates to the European Commission's draft regulation on eco-design and energy labeling. The regulation is currently under public consultation and is expected to be adopted in the first quarter of 2023. The authorities began working on it ...

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Kelowna, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 28, 2022) - Strathmore Plus Uranium. (TSXV: SUU) (OTC: SUUFF) (the "Company") is pleased to report that it has closed its non-brokered private placement financing raising $1,356,986 through the issuance of 4,112,078 units (the "Units") at $0.33 per unit, subject to final TSX approval. Each Unit consists of one common share and one of one share purchase warrant. Each whole share purchase warrant ("Warrant") is exercisable into one common share at a price of $0.40 per share for a period of 2 years following the closing of the offering.

The Company has paid a 7% cash commission to certain qualified Finders for a total finder's fees of $13,657. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for the exploration programs as well as general corporate purposes.

Certain insiders of the Company acquired a total of 1,204,858 Units in the Offering. This participation by insiders in the Private Placement constitute a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). However, the Company considers such participation would be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the Shares subscribed for by the insiders, nor the consideration for the Shares paid by such insiders, would exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization.

The securities issued under the Offering, will be subject to a statutory hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of issuance of such securities. The Company confirms there is no material information pending disclosure. The Financing is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange ("the TSXV") and the applicable securities regulatory authorities. The Offering has received the conditional approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and remains subject to final approval of the TSXV.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein in the United States. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to the account or benefit of a U.S. person absent an exemption from the registration requirements of such Act.

About Strathmore Plus Uranium Corp.

Strathmore Plus is a uranium exploration company, focused on in-situ recoverable uranium deposits in the State of Wyoming.

Strathmore Plus Uranium Corp.

Contact Information:

Investor Relations

Telephone: 1 888 882 8177

Email: info@strathmoreplus.com

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Dev Randhawa"

Dev Randhawa, CEO

This News Release contains forward-looking information and statements ("forward-looking statements") under applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included or incorporated by reference in this News Release are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the completion of the private placement, completion of exploration work on projects and licenses and results of that exploration work, , events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates may occur in the future. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "promising", "encouraging" or "continue" or similar words or the negative thereof. The material assumptions that were applied in making the forward-looking statements in this News Release include expectations as to the Company's future strategy and business plan and execution of the Company's existing plans. There can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which these forward-looking statements are based will occur. We caution readers of this News Release not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this News Release, which are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include general economic and market conditions, changes in law, regulatory processes, the status of Strathmore's assets and financial condition, actions of competitors and the ability to implement business strategies and pursue business opportunities. The forward-looking statements contained in this News Release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this News Release are made as of the date of this News Release and Strathmore undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Shareholders are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and for a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

These securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from registration is available. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in this private placement within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined under Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act).

Not for Distribution to a United States Newswire or for Dissemination in the United States

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/142190
At the Green All-Optical Network Summit of the 8th Ultra-Broadband Forum (UBBF 2022), Kim Jin, Vice President of Huawei Optical Product Line, delivered a keynote speech entitled "F5.5G-Oriented Innovations Drive Growth". In the speech, Kim Jin explained the opportunities and challenges in the optical communication field during global digital transformation. He also proposed Huawei's key innovative solutions to help operators achieve business success in the home and enterprise markets during the evolution to F5.5G. Furthermore, he called on the entire industry to seize the opportunities of the digital era, start deploying innovative solutions, and embrace new growth in the communications industry.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005123/en/

Kim Jin, Vice President of Huawei Optical Product Business Line (Photo: Business Wire)

As the development of the traditional telecom industry slows down, new growth points are required. However, the potential of the global home broadband industry has not been fully unleashed, especially in terms of home broadband coverage and home network experience. In addition, the digital transformation of industries will open up greater space for telecom market growth. Premium home and enterprise services are expected to grow by more than 10% every year for the next few years. Against this backdrop, getting network capabilities ready in advance will be a key factor for operators to seize the next wave of digitalization opportunities. With this in mind, Huawei has developed the innovative CO+X network construction solution, FTTR for home solution, all-optical super site solution, OptiX Alps-WDM solution, and 400G OXC 3D-mesh backbone network solution to help operators achieve business success in the future.

CO+X network construction solution: accelerating fixed broadband deployment

To help operators tap into fixed broadband services to provide more homes with faster speeds at lower costs, Huawei has developed an innovative CO+X network construction solution. In this solution, a wide series of branch OLTs are extended from OLTs in the CO equipment room. These branch OLTs can be deployed in street cabinets or mounted on walls or poles, and can be managed in an integrated manner. This solution helps operators quickly cover more areas using fewer CO equipment room resources, effectively accelerating FTTH network construction and reducing the overall construction cost by 23%. In addition, Huawei has launched the DQ-ODN solution that uses the pre-connection mode to replace the inefficient traditional network construction mode that relies on fiber splicing. The DQ-ODN solution improves the construction efficiency by 30% and greatly reduces operators' ODN construction costs.

FTTR for home solution: redefining home broadband experiences

With intensified competition in the home broadband market, providing differentiated quality experiences will be the key to improving operators' competitiveness. Huawei has launched the innovative FTTR for home solution that extends gigabit networks to rooms using optical fiber connections. Specifically, this solution uses ultra-flexible transparent optical fibers to extend to each room in a home, providing high-speed Wi-Fi coverage in each room. Through centralized control and orchestration of Wi-Fi signals, this solution reduces interference, improves the roaming handover speed, and achieves seamless gigabit broadband experiences in all corners of a home.

All-optical super site solution: improving connection quality

To better serve enterprises, Huawei has developed the unique OLT+OTN co-site deployment solution. With this solution, Huawei builds on the ODN optical access network to provide four types of networking schemes to connect large enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, micro and small enterprises, and homes, respectively. Operators can select a specific connection quality according to the service requirements in a particular scenario, reducing the TCO by about 50%. On the basis of all-scenario coverage, the OSU private line solution can also implement fast enterprise private line connections in end-to-end mode, support on-demand bandwidth adjustment from 2 Mbps to 100 Gbps, and provide flexible and premium private line services for various enterprises.

OptiX Alps-WDM solution: making networks more flexible

Huawei has also released the OptiX Alps-WDM solution to address the uneven bandwidth requirements of metro networks, as well as the requirements for more flexible wavelength resource grooming. This solution uses the innovative wavelength resource pool technology. With this technology, fewer components are required on each metro aggregation node, and wavelength resources can be shared and flexibly groomed between the connected access rings. In this way, transmission resources can be flexibly allocated, reducing network maintenance costs by more than 20%. This solution also supports smooth evolution from 100G to 400G.

400G OXC 3D-mesh backbone network solution: building ultra-broadband backbone networks

With the advent of the digital wave in various industries, networks will face a 10-fold increase in both connection quantity and traffic volume. Operators' networks must have powerful capabilities built in advance to embrace new opportunities brought by industry digitalization. To address this challenge, Huawei has launched the 400G 3D-mesh backbone network solution with ultra-wide optical spectrum to improve the spectral efficiency of optical fibers by 50% and reduce the per-bit cost by 30%. This solution helps operators build ultra-high-bandwidth and highly-reliable backbone networks.

At HUAWEI CONNECT held in September this year, Huawei released "Striding Towards the Intelligent World" series of white papers, including the F5.5G all-optical network white paper. This white paper points out the future development directions and technology trends of F5.5G networks. Huawei's key innovative solutions will further promote the F5.5 evolution of the industry. Kim Jin said: "Huawei is willing to work with customers and partners to stride to F5.5G, and build ubiquitous optical connectivity and OTN sites, helping the industry embrace new growth."

From October 27 to 28 this year, the 8th Ultra-Broadband Forum (UBBF) co-hosted by the UN Broadband Commission and Huawei is held in Bangkok, Thailand. This forum brings together global leading operators, industry leaders, regulators, standards organizations, industry alliances, and more, and focuses on the theme of "Stride to Ultra-Broadband 5.5G". It thoroughly analyzes the business opportunities that ultra-broadband networks bring to the digital development of homes and industries, and explores the evolution and innovation development directions of the fixed network industry for the next 5 to 10 years.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005123/en/

Contacts:

Huawei, Rita Peng, +8613120012305, pengqiuyu1@huawei.com
The funding will accelerate development of the first scalable AI platform to automatically diagnose and fix data and model issues in computer vision, vital for enabling real-world model adoption

LatticeFlow, the only artificial intelligence (AI) platform that can automatically find and fix AI data and model errors, announced a $12 million Series A funding round. The investment will enable LatticeFlow to expand the capabilities of its platform and respond to growing customer demand as more companies including a number of Fortune 500 customers including Siemens Mobility, and AI scaleups such as Intenseye, Voxel AI, and Carscan deploy computer vision models at scale.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005035/en/

LatticeFlow is the only artificial intelligence platform that can automatically find and fix AI data model errors (Photo: Business Wire)

The investment in the award-winning ETH Zurich spin-off, bringing total funding to date to $14.8 million, was led by Atlantic Bridge and OpenOcean, with participation from FPV Ventures and existing investors btov Partners and Global Founders Capital. The potential addressable market for computer vision is sizable due to its rapid adoption rate from manufacturing, healthcare, retail, security, and safety industries that are digitizing processes to become more data-driven.

In the past few years, computer vision AI models have surpassed human-level performance across image classification, detection, and other tasks in the lab. However, models often fail to work as expected when deployed in production because real-world scenarios are far more complex and varied than lab training datasets. Because of this, 90% of all models don't reach production, resulting in billions of losses.

"LatticeFlow is an enabling technology that empowers engineers and companies to deliver quality data and performant computer vision models that work in the real world," said Petar Tsankov, Co-founder and CEO, LatticeFlow. "As data and models grow, delivering AI models that work in the wild becomes an unwinnable battle, so we built the first smart platform that empowers engineers to accomplish this task, addressing a major pain point."

Automating Fixes to Data and Model Issues

The LatticeFlow platform was built to automate the process of solving data quality and blind spot issues in computer vision AI models, critical to enabling model performance in the wild.

Data issues: LatticeFlow is unique in its ability to automatically discover and fix data quality issues at scale across datasets of millions of images , including labeling errors, poor-quality samples, data biases, and others.

LatticeFlow is unique in its ability to automatically discover and fix data quality issues , including labeling errors, poor-quality samples, data biases, and others. Model blind spots: The platform also automates the discovery of blind spot scenarios, often impossible to spot manually, and fixes them before real-world performance is impacted. To patch the model, LatticeFlow has developed a new, scalable method for targeted data augmentation.

"The painful truth is that today, most large-scale AI model deployments simply are not functioning reliably in the real world," said Sunir Kapoor, Operating Partner at Atlantic Bridge. "This is largely due to the absence of tools that help engineers efficiently resolve critical AI data and model errors. But, this is also why the Atlantic Bridge team so unambiguously reached the decision to invest in LatticeFlow. We believe that the company is poised for tremendous growth, since it is currently the only company that auto-diagnoses and fixes AI data and model defects at scale."

Ekaterina Almasque, General Partner of OpenOcean said: "If there's one group that can make machine learning deployments at scale finally happen, it's LatticeFlow's team. We were hugely impressed by their amazing pedigree from academia, ETH Zurich, as well as their background as serial entrepreneurs.

"There's a major bottleneck in bringing AI models built in the lab into production. Despite the exponential growth of AI models, operationalizing them is extremely hard. LatticeFlow is addressing this in a unique way with its unstructured data quality analysis and improvement. We're excited to join the LatticeFlow journey to build a leading automation platform for computer vision deployments, thus accelerating the roll-out of AI."

About LatticeFlow

LatticeFlow is an award-winning ETH Zurich spin-off founded in 2020 by a globally-recognized team of AI experts whose mission is to bring AI to the real-world. To achieve this mission, the company has built the first scalable platform to automatically diagnose and fix data and model issues, addressing a critical roadblock to the wider adoption of AI. LatticeFlow customers include Fortune 500 companies such as Siemens Mobility, as well as AI scaleups such as Intenseye, Voxel AI, and Carscan. The company was featured on the prestigious CB Insights AI100 List of Most Innovative AI companies in 2022, also winning the Swiss AI Award in 2022 and the US Army Global AI Award in 2021.

For more information about LatticeFlow, visit https://latticeflow.ai

About Atlantic Bridge

Atlantic Bridge is a global technology investment firm with over 1.2 billion of assets under management across seven funds, investing in deep tech companies in Europe and the U.S. Atlantic Bridge supports portfolio companies in scaling internationally with a global investment team and offices across London, Palo Alto, Dublin, Munich and Paris.

For more information about Atlantic Bridge, visit http://www.abven.com

About Open Ocean

OpenOcean is an early-stage venture capital firm operating across Europe with offices in London and Helsinki. With an entrepreneurial background from building several category-defining software businesses (MySQL, MariaDB, etc.), the firm empowers bold founders building global and scalable companies delivering solutions for the data-economy. OpenOcean typically leads or co-leads European 10M Series A funding rounds. Since inception, the firm has raised four funds with the latest fundraise totalling over 110m.

For more information about OpenOcean, visit www.openocean.vc

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005035/en/

Contacts:

tom@resonancecrowd.com

07733442094
TERRAOIL SWISS AG / Key word(s): Capital Increase

TERRAOIL SWISS AG: Terraoil Announces Capital Increase



28.10.2022 / 10:10 CET/CEST





Terraoil Announces Capital Increase

Capital Increase Recorded in the Commercial Register

Steinhausen, Switzerland, October 28, 2022 - Terraoil Swiss AG ("Company"), an energy company with a strong focus on the Mediterranean is pleased to announce a share capital increase which was completed by the Company on October 13, 2022 and published in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce on October 26, 2022.

The capital increase, which was authorized in the Annual General Meeting held on October 22, 2020, results in a total of 161,971,463 registered shares at CHF 0.01 issued and outstanding (previously 142,886,508). Total share capital is now CHF 1,619,714.63 (previously CHF 1,428,865.08). The newly issued registered shares were paid-in by offsetting claims of CHF 15,112,412.00, for which the subscribing party received 19,084,955 registered shares.

If you are an Terraoil shareholder and would like additional information, contact Peter Krempin either via email investors@terraoil.swiss or by telephone at +41 71 544 01 20.

About Terraoil Swiss AG

Terraoil is an international energy company with a focus to identify and advance business opportunities in the upstream oil and gas and renewable energy sectors in the Mediterranean region.

https://terraoil.swiss

Terraoil forward-looking statements

This media release serves informational purposes and constitutes neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation or an advertisement to buy any shares of Terraoil Swiss AG in any jurisdiction. This media release does not constitute a prospectus within the meaning of Article 35 et seqq. of the Swiss Federal Act on Financial Services. In addition, investors should seek advice from their bank or their financial adviser. This media release and the information contained therein are not being issued for the purpose of selling shares in the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, or the European Economic Area and must not be distributed within or to such countries or via publications with a general circulation in such countries.

This media release contains forward-looking statements such as projections, forecasts, and estimates. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those anticipated in this media release. Readers should therefore not rely on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this media release are based on the views and assumptions of Terraoil Swiss AG as of this date and Terraoil Swiss AG does not assume any obligation to update or revise this media release.

End of Media Release


EQS-News: Aggregate Holdings SA / Key word(s): Half Year Report

Aggregate Holdings SA: Half year results 2022



28.10.2022 / 10:21 CET/CEST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



Aggregate Holdings S.A.: Half year results 2022 Build & Hold: Ongoing projects Quartier Heidestrasse and Fuerst progressing well

Build & Sell: Further sale price uplift in Prata to 8,000/sqm

Sale of Quartier Heidestrasse launched with first sale now closed

Strengthened Board of Directors with Cevdet Caner appointed as CEO

Total assets of 7.9bn, and LTV of 63.5% as of HY 22 Luxembourg, 28 October 2022 - Aggregate Holdings S.A. ("Aggregate") today publishes HY 2022 results. The first half of 2022 was a period during which Aggregate focused on disposals and refinancings, to prepare for the evolving market conditions and to increase its financial resilience. In line with this focus, Aggregate has strengthened its Management, Board of Directors and corporate governance. Aggregate's total assets was at 7.9bn (FY21 7.9bn), Build & Hold investment properties had a net increase due to capex and revaluations to 3.9bn (FY21 3.6bn), with total net debt at 4.8bn (4.5bn FY21), and LTV at 63.5% as of HY 22. "Aggregate's strategy continues to be to focus on its core projects in Germany and to reduce its leverage ratio over time, with the aim to achieve the financial strength to take advantage of the expected future opportunities." commented Cevdet Caner, Chief Executive Officer of Aggregate. Build & Hold division ("B&H"): Continued robust operational progress The Build & Hold projects under construction made excellent progress in H1 2022. In Quartier Heidestrasse, over 90% of the project is on track to be completed by end 2023, and SAP, the core tenant for the 'QH Track' building, is currently moving in. In Q3 2022, Aggregate leased 23,000 sqm in Quartier Heidestrasse to a leading DAX40 group, taking the pre-let ratio to c.70%, assuming all residential fully let, and reached construction completion of c.73% at end August. Further, in September 2022, Aggregate closed the sale of QH Core and signed an agreement for the sale of QH Spring, for a combined gross purchase price of 456m, a premium to book value. QH Core and QH Spring together represent c.15% of the value of the project. Aggregate is targeting the closing of further QH sales in Q4 2022. For Fuerst, the redevelopment is progressing well, with significant leases in advanced stages of negotiation. Given current market conditions for construction, there has been an increase in total capex expected for completion of the project versus the initial budget, with the project expected to be largely completed by end 2023, and full completion targeted by H1 2024. Aggregate remains highly confident of the long-term prospects of this landmark project, with the cost increases expected to be largely offset by increased lettings prices well above the original budget. There continues to be strong leasing momentum in Berlin, differentiated towards Grade A office locations. Build & Sell Division ("B&S"): Strong market environment driving expected sales prices In the Build & Sell segment, the strong fundamentals and performance of Portuguese residential real estate continued. The Prata project in Lisbon has again exceeded expectations, recently achieving sales prices of 8,000/sqm. The initial budget in 2018 was based on an average of 5,000/sqm, demonstrating the strength of the market and assets. Plot 1 is 100% completed with deliveries during H1 and H2 2022, with Plot 2 and 2A 85% and 55% complete respectively and initial works on plots 6 and 5 already on going. In H1 2022, 77 apartments were delivered for a total sales value of 47m. The adjacent Matinha project's sales prices and construction costs have been validated by the strong Prata actual outcomes, with Matinha urbanisation plan now expected in H1 2023. The Pinheirinho project near Comporta continues to benefit from an extremely strong local environment, with international demand increasing every year. Aggregate is exploring multiple options, including refinancing and asset sales, to repay the VIC convertible bond. Financial Real Estate and Other Assets ("FREA"): Focus on non-core assets In Financial Real Estate and Other Assets, the 26.6% stake in Adler group was reduced to 6.1% in February 2022, as the loan from Vonovia was swapped against Adler shares at a price of 10.44 per share. In FREA, Aggregate has eleven assets in its non-core portfolio worth 0.9bn and is in ongoing discussions with multiple investors for disposals. Given ongoing price dislocation in the current real estate market, Aggregate will continue to maintain pricing discipline, with the intent of disposing the non-core assets at the appropriate price, and in the meantime progressing development where possible, in order to build value. Financing: Large volume of refinancing and borrowings secured Along with sales, financings and refinancings to term out debt and provide cashflow are a key element of Aggregate's strategy. In 2022 to date, the company has partly refinanced and upsized facilities with existing lenders at Quartier Heidestrasse by 434m, extended the VIC Convertible Debt payment date twice, extinguished Vonovia's 250m facility, undertaken a number of refinancings and extensions in the Castle portfolio, and as part of the sale of QH Core and Spring reduced net debt through the receipt of 5.5% 2024 Aggregate Bonds. This demonstrated again the strength of Aggregate's portfolio and refinancing capabilities, with the focus on streamlining its capital structure. Liquidity has been negatively impacted and is constrained in the current environment given pricing dislocation for disposals and the refinancing market. Aggregate regularly has constructive discussions with finance providers to address issues and provide required further flexibility. Aggregate's net debt at half year was 4.8bn (4.5bn FY21), with LTV at 63.5%. Strengthened management team and increased corporate governance In July 2022, Aggregate took further steps to strengthen its corporate governance to provide further management capacity for the current market conditions. Cevdet Caner was appointed as CEO and joined the Board of Directors, and announced he would become a 20% shareholder, and Aggregate's founder Gunther Walcher joined the Board as Chairman. At the same time, to ensure that Aggregate and its management team has constant access to world-class strategic advice from various perspectives, the company has set up an experienced Advisory Board with Michael Cohrs, Luciano Gabriel, and Peter Solmssen. In February 2022, an independent report prepared by Hogan Lovells International LLP found no evidence to support any of the allegations made against Aggregate by a short-seller, as part of its campaign against Adler Group SA. Outlook: Focus on core portfolio and deleveraging through sale of non-core assets In the second half of 2022, Aggregate's focus remains on disposing of non-core assets, and effectively refinancing and extending our loan profile to provide the required flexibility to create value in the future. The key aim is to improve Aggregate's credit status and liquidity and reduce leverage over time. The ongoing actions will reduce financing complexity and optimise the company's portfolio, while progressing core projects. Aggregate has a very experienced team to address these challenges to allow for expected future new value generation opportunities.

A H1 2022 presentation has been published on the website of the company under Investors/ Results Presentations Aggregate Holdings S.A.: Invitation to conference call on 28 October, 2022, 15:00 CEST (14:00 UK) Aggregate Holdings invites all interested investors to the presentation of the H1 2022 Results in a telephone conference on 28 October 2022, 3:00 PM CET (2:00 PM UK). For the conference call, please register in advance using the following link: Conference Call Registration. Once registered you will receive a code in your email address, with instructions on joining the conference call. Please make use of the early dial-in opportunity (10 minutes before the start of the event) so that we can start the event on time. The presentation will also be broadcasted live via webcast, please use the below provided links depending on participation type: Webcast link for the conference call participants (no audio, no delay): H1 2022 Investor Call - Conference Call Webcast link to watch the live stream, not for the conference call participants: H1 2022 Investor Call - Live Stream

Contact

Benjamin Lee, Chief Financial Officer

Tel: +352 20 30 14 60

Mob: +44 7415 121218

b.lee@aggregateholdings.com Boris Lemke, Investment Director

Tel: +352 20 30 14 60

Mob: +44 7943 025474

b.lemke@aggregateholdings.com Dr Christoph Walther, Consigliere Consult

Mob: +49 151 12241630

christoph.walther@consigliere-consult.com Xander Heijnen, Consigliere Consult

Mob: +49 172 811 9728

xander.heijnen@consigliere-consult.com About Aggregate HoldingsAggregate Holdings SA ("Aggregate") is a predominantly German-focused real estate investment company, with significant presence also in Portugal. As at H1 2022, the company had 7.9bn of assets and a project portfolio with 10.2bn Gross Development Value. In its Build & Hold division, Aggregate owned Quartier Heidestrasse, the largest mixed use real estate development project in central Berlin with c.371,000 sqm of gross floor area ("GFA"), Fuerst, the prime commercial asset located on Kurfuerstendamm in central Berlin with c.183,000 sqm of GFA, and Walter and Green Living projects in Berlin with a combined GFA of c.762,000 sqm. Aggregate also owns in its Build & Sell division VIC Properties, the largest real estate developer in Portugal with c.727,000 sqm of GFA and 3.0bn Gross Development Value. Additionally, Aggregate holds a c.6% strategic stake in Adler Group SA, among other investments.

28.10.2022 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.eqs-news.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Insight Partners published latest research study on " Railway Cybersecurity Market Size, Share, Revenue, Growth Strategy, Industry Trends and Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis - by Offering, Security Type, Type, Application, and Geography," the global railway cybersecurity market size is projected to grow from USD 7.46 billion in 2022 to USD 13.76 billion by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 10.7% from 2022 to 2028.





Download Sample PDF Brochure of Railway Cybersecurity Market Size - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis with Strategic Insights at: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00007050/

Global Railway Cybersecurity Market Report Scope, Segmentations, Regional & Country Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Size Value in USD 7.46 Billion in 2022 Market Size Value by USD 13.76 Billion by 2028 Growth rate CAGR of 10.7% from 2022 to 2028 Forecast Period 2022-2028 Base Year 2022 No. of Pages 195 No. of Tables 162 No. of Charts & Figures 108 Historical data available Yes Segments covered Offering, Security Type, Type, and Application Regional scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; MEA Country scope US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Argentina Report coverage Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends Companies Covered Cisco Systems, Inc.; IBM Corporation; Thales Group; Siemens AG; Hitachi, Ltd.; ENSCO, Inc.; RazorSecure Limited; Alstom SA; Irdeto; Raytheon Technologies Corporation Key Research Capabilities Global Market Assessment, Business Development Strategies, Competitive Landscape, Opportunity Analysis, Regional and Country Level Market Analysis, Market Entry Strategies, Market Dynamics, Risk and Return Assessments, Pricing Analysis, Market Size and Forecasting, Company Profiling, Value Chain Analysis, Expansion Strategies, SWOT Analysis, New Product Development Global Railway Cybersecurity Market Forecast to 2028 - Latest COVID-19 Analysis https://www.theinsightpartners.com/covid-analysis-sample/TIPRE00007050/

Browse key market insights spread across 195 pages with 162 list of tables & 108 list of figures from the report, "Railway Cybersecurity Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Offering [Solution (Risk and Compliance Management, Encryption, Firewall, Antivirus/Antimalware, Intrusion Detection/Intrusion Prevention, and Others) and Services], Security Type (Application Security, Network Security, Data Protection, Endpoint Security, and System Administration), Type [Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT)], and Application (Passenger Trains and Freight Trains)" in detail along with the table of contents: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/reports/railway-cyber-security-market

Global Railway Cybersecurity Market: Competitive Landscape and Key Developments

Cisco Systems, Inc.; IBM Corporation; Thales Group; Siemens AG; Hitachi, Ltd.; ENSCO, Inc.; RazorSecure Limited; Alstom SA; Irdeto; and Raytheon Technologies Corporation are among the leading players profiled in the railway cybersecurity market report. Several other essential market players were analyzed for a holistic view of the market and its ecosystem. The report provides detailed market insights, which help the key players strategize their growth. A few developments are mentioned below:

In 2020, Societe du Grand Paris selected Nokia and ENGIE Solutions for the deployment of an industrial-grade LTE private wireless network in automated lines of the Grand Paris Express metro. These solutions also include cyber-security offered by Nokia to railway systems.

In 2021, Razorsecure has formed partnership with Comtest Wireless to offer rail infrastructure, track, telecoms, signalling and rolling stock assets a range of cybersecurity solutions.

In 2022, RazorSecure and Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) to leverage monitoring solutions for railway cybersecurity across UK and EU railways.

Growing Adoption of Smart Mobility Solutions in Railways:

Digitalization implies several challenges, including complex software and technology, security concerns, budget constraints, and many concerns regarding the ability to meet the needs of economy and society. Transportation modes, including railways and airports, are the most important pillars of a nation's economic development. The railway industry has grown in its all-business areas, such as manufacturing, infrastructure management, and transport operations. Various governments across the world established smart city programs. For instance, in 2020, the Indian government announced a plan to develop 100 smart cities under its Smart Cities Mission over the next few years. The smart city program consists of transportation infrastructure enhancement and focuses on speeding up the public transit operations. Singapore's government is implementing 5G technology in transportation under its Smart Nation Vision. Thus, smart city initiatives drive the railway cybersecurity market growth.

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The merger, acquisition, and collaboration between several stakeholders, including telecommunication firms, infrastructure providers, service providers, manufacturers, and government bodies, is necessary to adopt smart railways systems. In 2021, Siemens acquired Padam Mobility, a tech firm that offers platforms and applications powered by AI for on-demand and paratransit services. The acquisition expands Siemens Mobility's multimodal transportation-focused portfolio of intelligent infrastructure. In Russia, businesses and first-class passengers travelling by the high-speed SAPSAN train service connecting Moscow to Saint Petersburg can use the internet and a portal that can access films, music, audiobooks, and magazines. Additionally, the portal provides information about cultural events in both cities, virtual train tours, online courses, and railway information. These developments are well-synchronized and matched to expedite the adoption of smart solutions in railways. Therefore, the advancement of smart mobility solutions in the railway sector fuels the railway cybersecurity market growth.

Europe is one of the most important railway cybersecurity markets. Horizon 2020 is one of the key initiatives in the region comprising the implementation of digitization and cybersecurity in the rail sector. Modern trains consist of sophisticated technologies that need an active internet connection to operate and receive signals to and from the control station. If a hacker discovers a vulnerability, it is easy to hack the system. For instance, in 2022, a cyberattack targeted Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane (FS), Italy's national railway company. The freight transport by rail was suspended temporarily due to cyberattacks. Further, in 2021, new self-service ticket machines of Northern Rail, one of the UK's local railway systems covering the north of England, were targeted by a suspected ransomware cyber-attack. Such incidents signify that rail infrastructure requires reliable and robust railway communications network security with new technologies and process measures. Cybersecurity will make the framework simple and versatile in the railway industry and make innovative advances. It can give information assurance, application security, and framework administration. Thus, all these factors are likely to boost the regional railway cybersecurity market growth during the forecast period.

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Global Railway Cybersecurity Market: Industry Overview

The railway cybersecurity market is segmented on the basis of offering, security type, type, application, and geography. Based on offering, the railway cybersecurity market is bifurcated into solutions and services. The railway cybersecurity market for the solutions segment is further segmented into risk and compliance management, encryption, firewall, antivirus/antimalware, intrusion detection/intrusion prevention system, and others. In terms of security type, the railway cybersecurity market is segmented into application security, network security, data protection, endpoint security, and system administration. Based on type, the railway cybersecurity market is bifurcated into operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT). By application, the railway cybersecurity market is segmented into passenger trains and freight trains. Based on geography, the railway cybersecurity market is segmented into North America (the US, Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Austria, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, Spain, Baltics, and Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (Australia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Rest of APAC), Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa, and Rest of MEA), and South America (Brazil, Argentina, and Rest of SAM).

Asia Pacific is another promising region in the railway cybersecurity market. The railway cybersecurity market growth in the region is driven by the increasing penetration of advanced technologies, rising GDP of countries, stable economic growth, and emerging markets. Further, the increasing number of railway projects in various Asia Pacific counties is expected to propel the demand for railway cybersecurity solutions and services in the coming years. Governments of APAC are implementing various smart city initiatives to provide better transport infrastructure and speed up public transit operations. For instance, the Singaporean government is integrating digital technology into the transportation sector. Furthermore, in 2020, the Indian government pledged to build 100 smart cities in the next few years. The smart city initiatives are expected to boost market growth as transportation is considered one of the key pillars of the country's economic development. Government agencies have adopted a public-private partnership (PPP) model that allows private companies to implement and fund transportation projects in government smart rail initiatives. The initiatives taken at the national level are expected to drive the growth of the regional railway cybersecurity market during the forecast period. Further, rising government rules regarding passenger safety and increasing digitized and connected infrastructure are among the other factors driving the railway cybersecurity market expansion.

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Diabetes Therapeutics Market - The global diabetes therapeutic market size is expected to grow from USD 58.46 billion in 2021 to USD 91.73 billion by 2028, with an estimated CAGR of 6.8% from 2022 to 2028.

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Molded Interconnect Devices Market - The global molded interconnect device (MID) market size is expected to grow from US$ 1,203.5 million in 2021 to US$ 2,711.9 million by 2028 at a CAGR of 14.5% from 2022 to 2028.

Digital Education Market - The global digital education market size is expected to grow from US$ 11.62 billion in 2021 to US$ 54.95 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 26.1% between 2022 and 2028.

Biometric System Market - The global biometric system market size is expected to grow from US$ 43 billion in 2021 to US$ 85 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 14.5% between 2022 and 2028.

Wifi-as-a-Service Market - The global wi-fi as a service market size is projected to grow from US$ 3.66 billion in 2021 to US$ 13.34 billion by 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19.5% during 2022-2028.

Sound Recognition Market - The global sound recognition market size is projected to grow from US$ 3.84 billion in 2021 to US$ 9.70 billion by 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.5% from 2022 to 2028.

Network Transformation Market - The global network transformation market size is expected to grow from US$ 19.27 billion in 2021 to US$ 175.34 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 40.6% between 2022 and 2028.

Molded Interconnect Devices (MID) Market - The global molded interconnect device (MID) market size is expected to grow from US$ 1,203.5 million in 2021 to US$ 2,711.9 million by 2028 at a CAGR of 14.5% from 2022 to 2028.

Data Collection and Labeling Market - The global data collection and labeling market size is expected to grow from US$ 1.82 billion in 2021 to US$ 9.07 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 27.2% between 2022 and 2028.

Customer Data Platform Market - The global customer data platform market size is expected to grow from US$ 2,672.5 Mn in 2021 to US$ 14,847.1 Mn by 2028 at a CAGR of 28.2% between 2022 and 2028.

Vehicle Tracking Systems Market - The global vehicle tracking systems market size is expected to grow from US$ 13.67 billion in 2021 to US$ 23.70 billion by 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2022 to 2028.

Autonomous Last Mile Delivery Market - The global autonomous last mile delivery market size is expected to grow from US$ 57.67 billion in 2021 to US$ 68.95 billion by 2028; it is expected to register a CAGR of 3.0% from 2022 to 2028.

ISDN Modem Market - The global ISDN modem market size was valued US$ 982.97 thousand in 2022, it is estimated to register a CAGR of -80.6% from 2022 to 2024.

Semiconductor Bonding Market - The global semiconductor bonding market size was valued US$ 669.48 million in 2022, it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.2% from 2022 to 2028.

Recycled Ocean Plastics Market - The global recycled ocean plastics market size was valued at US$ 14,432.91 million in 2022, it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% from 2022 to 2028.

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Seam Welding Machine Market - The global seam welding machine market size was valued US$ 1,142.87 million in 2022, it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.0% from 2022 to 2028.

Electric Coolant Pump Market - The global electric coolant pump market size was valued US$ 467.46 million in 2022, it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 16.8% from 2022 to 2028.

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Respiratory Care Devices Market - The global respiratory care devices market size is expected to grow from US$ 18,114.31 million in 2021 to US$ 32,761.82 million by 2028; it is estimated to register a CAGR of 8.9% from 2021 to 2028.

About Us:

The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials.

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BOSTON, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Electric vehicle markets are growing globally - in total IDTechEx's latest master electric vehicle report "Electric Vehicles: Land, Sea & Air 2022-2042" finds 35.7 million electric vehicles (EV) were sold in 2021 and predicts this will rise to over 74 million by 2030.





While electric cars will remain the largest electric vehicle market for the foreseeable future in terms of battery demand and market revenue generation, most transport sectors are facing a transition. In this article, IDTechEx summarizes key developments in non-automotive sectors, showing each sector's global battery demand (in 2021) for relative scale. For reference, battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars demanded approximately 280GWh globally in 2021.

Electric Air Taxis/ Electric Vertical Take-off & Landing (eVTOL) - <<1GWh

The future of electric air taxis, or electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL), is perhaps the most uncertain due to high regulatory barriers as well as technical. This is a low-volume, high-value market where aircraft will rely on high-cost and cutting-edge technologies to reach new heights with regard to performance and safety. For example, IDTechEx expects that lithium-metal and solid-state batteries, axial flux motors, and carbon fiber materials will play an important role in eVTOL markets.

From IDTechEx's review of the most promising eVTOL companies, 21 have presented timeline information about when they are looking to begin commercial eVTOL production, plans which are highly dependent on flight certification. Several companies have said they are a couple of years into what they think will be a five-year certification process. However, the certification standards are not yet fully in place, and significant technological and funding issues create uncertainty. Most eVTOL manufacturers are targeting 2023 for the start of commercial operations, and the IDTechEx report provides forecasts in unit sales and battery demand through 2042.

Electric & Hybrid Marine - <1GWh

In the commercial marine sector, batteries are starting to saturate early adopter segments, such as ferries, and reach their limitations in others, such as the short and deep-sea vessels (which produce the majority of the sector's emissions). While battery demand will still grow - the addition of a battery to any powertrain for load management is generally beneficial - it cannot be the sole solution in seagoing sectors.

Meanwhile, policy focus is shifting from localized emissions to greenhouse gases, with new technical and operational ship requirements coming in from 2023. Upcoming IMO policy includes an 'Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI)' and the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII). EEXI ensures a ship is taking technical steps, in terms of how it is equipped and retrofitted, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. CII is a measure of the carbon emissions per amount of cargo carried per mile and targets reducing emissions operationally. The measures are expected to become mandatory from 2023, with the first ship ratings given in 2024.

The new regulations are driving interest in e-fuels, ammonia, and hydrogen as the industry scrambles to find multiple silver bullets. Indeed, fuel cell projects are gathering momentum, with system deliveries ranging up to 3.2MW and some potential supplier order pipelines reaching 200MW. Most projects thus far have been for inland vessels and some short-sea vessels. The greatest challenge is the same as that which is plaguing the adoption of fuel cells in the automotive market - the buildout of low-cost green hydrogen infrastructure.

Electric Vehicles in Construction - 1GWh

There are relatively few strong market drivers for electric vehicles in construction. Broader commitments to climate change are spurring some countries, like Norway and Holland, or companies, like Volvo, to set their own targets. Health and safety concerns, like the impact of diesel particulate exhaust emissions on construction worker health, and noise, could be equally important drivers. Yet, much of the early electric construction vehicle development has been through retrofitting, a necessary development phase but not an economically sustainable strategy in the long term. OEMs need to design large EVs from scratch and manufacture at volume to realize economy-of-scale savings.

The largest construction machine market sectors in twenty years are Mini-Excavators, Excavators, and Loaders, but electrification development is initially focused on smaller compact machines (mini-excavators/compact loaders). These have comparatively short operating hours and low energy consumption, which explains the relatively low battery demand today (~1GWh). Like maritime markets, overall, most emissions are generated by the heavy excavator segment, which is, therefore, an important sector to electrify.

Electric Trucks - 4.3GWh

Tesla, Daimler, VW, and Volvo are all investing heavily in battery-electric trucks. Tesla is famous for announcing a battery-electric long-haul class 8 truck, with CEO Elon Musk recently stating that its first deliveries will be to Pepsi by the end of 2022. While there are far fewer trucks than cars globally to convert to electric, they use much larger batteries (several hundred kWh) and accounted for 4.3GWh annually in 2021.

A smaller minority - Toyota, Hyundai, and Nikola - have chosen to focus their efforts on fuel cell trucks as the powertrain of the future. Despite issues with the efficiency and cost of hydrogen as a fuel, FCEV remains in the conversation as a technology for long-haul trucking applications, where a greater range is required, though the viability of this technology is dependent on the production of low-cost green hydrogen.

Today, city trucks in China are predominantly hitting the roads as Chinese manufacturers leverage their experience in electric buses and battery production. Given the Chinese government's strong support for the entire EV industry, it is likely that this is where the most significant deployment of EV trucks will be seen in the following years. As the increasing numbers of cities and nations around the world phase out of diesel and petrol-fuelled vehicles by 2030 and the cost benefit and ability of the technology to deliver the required daily duty cycles are demonstrated, the electrification of truck fleets is likely to happen rapidly.

Electric Two-wheelers - 9GWh

Sales of electric two-wheelers have long been dominated by the approximately 25-30 million annual unit sales of low powered lead-acid battery electric two-wheelers in China, but this is a saturated market. Historic growth outside of China is driven by Europe and India, markets affected by the pandemic in 2020 but which recovered in 2021.

Often, two-wheelers are the low-hanging fruit when it comes to electrification. With small batteries typically under 4kWh (compared to over 50kWh for a battery-electric car), they have a relatively low upfront cost to consumers and lend themselves to new business models such as battery swapping. Electrification of two-wheeler markets, for example, of the 15 million annual motorcycle sales in India, is key to reducing pollution in countries where the car is not the dominant transportation mode. Overall, Li-ion battery demand for electric two-wheelers in 2021 was 9GWh, and IDTechEx expects this to grow rapidly as China transitions from lead-acid and growth accelerates in other parts of the world.

Electric Buses - 12GWh

Tier 1 cities in China were the first to adopt electric buses, driving rapid growth between 2012-2016, but now many of these markets are saturated. In 2018, Beijing and Shanghai had 9,368 pure electric buses constituting 55% of the combined fleet, all initially powered by a 50% purchase subsidy. The saturation of Tier 1 cities in China has caused global electric bus sales to decline for the past five years, offset only slightly by growth from Tier 2 and 3 cities in China. Today, subsidies have been greatly reduced.

Future growth in the near term is driven by Europe. The European electric bus market is highly fragmented and, over the past few years, has relied on Chinese OEMs, which still accounted for a quarter of unit sales in 2021 - in fact, BYD and Yutong have consistently been market leaders since 2019. A local supply chain underpinned by European OEMs will be key and will slowly drive mid-term growth in global electric bus markets up from 12GWh.

IDTechEx Research

To learn more, please see the IDTechEx report "Electric Vehicles: Land, Sea & Air 2022-2042" (www.IDTechEx.com/EV).

This research forms part of the broader electric vehicle and energy storage portfolio from IDTechEx, who track the adoption of electric vehicles, battery trends, and demand across land, sea and air, helping you navigate whatever may be ahead. Find out more at www.IDTechEx.com/Research/EV.



About IDTechEx



IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Subscription and Consultancy products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com .

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NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Insight Partners published latest research study on " Travel and Expense Management Software Market Size, Share, Revenue, Growth Strategy, Industry Trends and Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis - by Deployment, Enterprise Size, Industry, and Geography," the global travel and expense management software market size is projected to grow from USD 3.32 billion in 2022 to USD 5.27 billion by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.0% from 2022 to 2028.





Download Sample PDF Brochure of Travel and Expense Management Software Market Size - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis with Strategic Insights at: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00004361/

Global Travel and Expense Management Software Market Report Scope, Segmentations, Regional & Country Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Size Value in USD 3.32 Billion in 2022 Market Size Value by US$ 5.27 Billion by 2028 Growth rate CAGR of 8.0% from 2022 to 2028 Forecast Period 2022-2028 Base Year 2022 No. of Pages 167 No. of Tables 88 No. of Charts & Figures 84 Historical data available Yes Segments covered Deployment, Enterprise Size, and Industry Regional scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; MEA' Country scope US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Argentina Report coverage Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends Companies Covered SAP; Oracle Corporation; Coupa Software Inc.; Expensify, Inc.; Infor, Inc.; Basware Corporation; Certify, Inc.; Chrome River Technologies, Inc.; Databasics Inc.; GB Business Global Key Research Capabilities Global Market Assessment, Business Development Strategies, Competitive Landscape, Opportunity Analysis, Regional and Country Level Market Analysis, Market Entry Strategies, Market Dynamics, Risk and Return Assessments, Pricing Analysis, Market Size and Forecasting, Company Profiling, Value Chain Analysis, Expansion Strategies, SWOT Analysis, New Product Development Global Travel and Expense Management Software Market Forecast to 2028 - Latest COVID-19 Analysis https://www.theinsightpartners.com/covid-analysis-sample/TIPRE00004361/

Browse key market insights spread across 167 pages with 88 list of tables & 84 list of figures from the report, "Travel and Expense Management Software Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Deployment (On-Premise and Cloud), Enterprise Size (Large Enterprises and Small and Medium Enterprises), and Industry (BFSI, IT & Telecom, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Government & Defense, Transport & Logistics, Retail, and Others)" in detail along with the table of contents: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/reports/travel-and-expense-management-software-market

Global Travel and Expense Management Software Market: Competitive Landscape and Key Developments

SAP; Oracle Corporation; Coupa Software Inc.; Expensify, Inc.; Infor, Inc.; Basware Corporation; Certify, Inc.; Chrome River Technologies, Inc.; Databasics Inc.; and GB Business Global are among the leading players profiled in the market report. Several other essential market players were analyzed for a holistic view of the market and its ecosystem. The report provides detailed travel and expense management software market insights, which help the key players strategize their growth. A few developments are mentioned below:

In 2022, Coupa Software Inc. launched Coupa Travel and Expense, a fully unified solution that can transform the traveler's experience and deliver a real-time travel spend optimization. The product consists of enhanced user-friendly design, which can generate an AI-powered insight related to the traveler's prescriptions, saving opportunities, and business benchmarks.

In 2022, DATABASICS Inc. partnered with Alta Vista Technology, an ERP consulting firm, to share the benefits of the company's integrated time and expense management system to their customers.

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Rising Adoption of SaaS Applications to Provide Lucrative Opportunities for Global Travel and Expense Management Software Market Growth during Forecast Period:

Software as a service (SaaS) application are web-based alternatives to the usual offline software. SaaS can run 24/7 via an internet browser from any device. It does not require installation, equipment updates, and traditional licensing management. Also, it is cost effective and saves the data on the cloud. Companies use SaaS when they don't have the time, capital, or expertise to build their own applications or host on-premise applications. This factor is expected to offer lucrative opportunities for the growth of the travel and expense management software market in the coming years. The solution providers offer SaaS-based application for remote work scenarios where several people from multiple locations work on a similar project and access the centralized product for managing their travel expenses and reimbursements.

The travel and expense management software market growth in North America is mainly driven by the rising focus of companies on establishing a comprehensive process of reimbursement, lowering costs of the process, and improving the productivity of the expense-handling process. Also, Coupa Software, Inc.; Certify, Inc.; Chrome River Technologies, Inc.; Databasics, Inc.; and other leading players are actively operating in North America. On November 6, 2019, Coupa Software, Inc. announced new product innovations that extend the capabilities of its cloud-based platform for businesses to manage all their spending in one place. These innovations empower businesses with the visibility, control, and agility to spend smarter together. Hence, as travel and expense management software help enhance the overall performance of the company by reducing time and cost, its adoption is growing across North America. Moreover, the rising updates in existing travel and expense management software are projected to fuel the growth of the travel and expense management software market across the region in the coming years.

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Global Travel and Expense Management Software Market: Industry Overview

The travel and expense management software market are segmented on the basis of deployment, enterprise size, industry, and geography. Based on deployment, the market is bifurcated into on-premises and cloud. In terms of enterprise size, the travel and expense management software market is bifurcated into small and medium enterprises, and large enterprises. Based on industry, the market is segmented into BFSI, IT and telecom, manufacturing, healthcare, government and defense, transport and logistics, retail, and others. Based on geography, the travel and expense management software market is primarily segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), the Middle East & Africa (MEA), and South America (SAM).

The travel and expense management software market in Asia Pacific is projected to witness impressive growth during 2022-2028. The region comprises developing economies such as China, India, and South Korea; several Southeastern countries; and developed economies such as Australia and Japan. Countries in Asia Pacific, such as China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia, have been evolving their technology concepts and using various technologies to manage their travel and related expenses effectively. Europe is well known for well-developed countries that favor adopting and applying new technologies. Also, the presence of established industries such as IT & Telecom, manufacturing, retail, and transportation & logistics explains the increased penetration of travel and expense management software in this region. Europe also generated a substantial amount of revenue from the tourism sector due to the presence of the most-visited countries, such as Greece, France, Italy, and Germany in the region. Also, the region holds many corporate exhibitions related to the automotive, manufacturing equipment, and healthcare sectors, resulting in a high growth in business travelers, propelling the demand for travel and expense management software among the end-use industries in the region.

Quickly Purchase Premium Copy of Travel and Expense Management Software Market Growth Report (2022-2028) at: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPRE00004361/

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About Us:

The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials.

Contact Us:

If you have any queries about this report or if you would like further information, please contact us:

Contact Person: Sameer Joshi

E-mail: sales@theinsightpartners.com

Phone: +1-646-491-9876

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President Yoon Suk-yeol answers questions from reporters as he arrives at his office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Friday. Yonhap



Russian president uses NK as leverage for thwarting Seoul's Ukraine support



By Nam Hyun-woo



President Yoon Suk-yeol said Friday that South Korea has never sent lethal arms to Ukraine, dismissing Russian President Vladimir Putin's warning that the relations between Seoul and Moscow would be ruined if Seoul did so.



"We have always been providing humanitarian and peaceful support to Ukraine in coalition with the international community, and have not provided any lethal weapons," Yoon told reporters on his way into the presidential office in Seoul.



"In any regard, however, this is a matter of our sovereignty and you should know that we are making efforts to have peaceful and sound relations with all countries in the world, including Russia."



Yoon made the comments when asked about Putin's remarks at the Valdai international discussion club meeting in Moscow, Thursday (local time).



"We have very good relations with the Republic of Korea, and we have always had the opportunity to have a dialogue with both the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)," Putin said. "But now we know that the Republic of Korea has decided to supply weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. This will destroy our relationship."



Putin continued by bringing up Russia's involvement in inter-Korean relations, saying "How would the Republic of Korea react if we resume cooperation with North Korea in this area? Would it make you happy?"





Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the session "The World after Hegemony: Justice and Security for Everyone" of the Valdai International Discussion Club outside Moscow, Thursday (local time). EPA-Yonhap
The Malaysian authorities have revealed that they will extend power purchase agreements from the fourth LSS4 tender for large-scale PV from 21 to 25 years.All of the shortlisted projects from the fourth round of Malaysia's large-scale PV tender will have their power purchase agreements extended from 21 to 25 years, according to the Malaysian authorities. "The extension gives confidence in the market regulator," Moritz Sticher, a senior adviser at Berlin-based consulting firm Apricum, told pv magazine. "Without such extension, we would have probably seen a number of stranded assets. That not only ...

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
LENZING, Austria, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- We care for our planet and strive to tackle climate change; we care for our partners and strive to provide them with the very best sustainable nonwoven materials through our carbon neutral VEOCEL branded lyocell fibers; We care for our consumers, helping to design products which they can use without fear for environmental consequences.

At VEOCEL, care also means action. That's why we have always done everything we can to innovate and drive change across the nonwovens industry. To create a more environmentally friendly world, we believe in working tirelessly to transition our industry wholeheartedly toward sustainable and biodegradable materials which leave no impact on our environment after their use.

As Nelson Mandela once said, "there can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children". So, let's continue to work together to pave the way for a sustainable future for many generations to come.

Some latest VEOCEL brand stories include:

VEOCEL brand joins environmental advocates to expand the definition of "care"

On World Environment Day 2022, the VEOCEL brand announced the 'VEOCEL cares for the future' initiative. The global campaign strives to motivate millennials and Gen Z to explore the meaning of care through social media initiatives conducted in collaboration with VEOCEL's longtime partner, One Tree Planted.

Q&A with VEOCEL Global Brand Ambassador Valeria Lipovetsky

In June this year, VEOCEL introduced Valeria Lipovetsky, a mother of three, public figure and a business owner, as the VEOCEL brand's first global ambassador. Valeria has been taking her 2 million Instagram followers on an educational journey with VEOCEL to discover how to live more sustainably and learn how the boundless love she has for her children drives her care for the future.

VEOCEL joins hands with new co-branding partners in Asia

Across key markets in Asia, VEOCEL continues to increase its portfolio of co-branding partners. They have all partnered with the VEOCEL brand to adopt wood based and biodegradable VEOCEL branded fibers for hygiene and care products.

Lenzing celebrates 40 years of cooperation with EDANA

The European Disposables and Nonwovens Association (EDANA) awarded the Lenzing group with a certificate for its 40-year long membership. Lenzing is a long-standing member of EDANA as they both share the same goals of fostering sustainable innovation and building an eco-friendly industry.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/care-transcends-boundaries-at-veoceltm-301662213.html
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Solidium's Annual General Meeting was held in Helsinki on 28 October 2022. The Annual General Meeting adopted the company's financial statements for the financial year 1 July 2021-30 June 2022 and discharged the members of the Board of Directors and the CEO from liability. In accordance with the Board's proposal, the Annual General Meeting decided on a profit distribution of EUR 307 million to the owner.

The number of the members of the Board of Directors was resolved to be seven (7). For a term ending at the end of the next Annual General Meeting, Jouko Karvinen was elected as the new Chair. The following persons were re-elected to the Board of Directors: Aaro Cantell (Vice-Chair), Timo Ahopelto, Jannica Fagerholm, Jukka Ohtola and Laura Raitio as Board members. Suvi Haimi was elected as a new Board member. Harri Sailas and Marjo Miettinen have announced that they are not continuing in the Board of Directors of Solidium anymore.

The Annual General Meeting confirmed the existing remuneration of the Board of Directors: Chairman of the Board of Directors shall receive a remuneration of EUR 5,500 per month, the Vice Chairman EUR 3,000 per month, and each member EUR 2,500 per month. In addition, a meeting remuneration of EUR 600 was confirmed for each meeting. KPMG Oy Ab, authorised public accountants, with APA Marcus Totterman as the principal auditor, was re-appointed as Solidium's auditor to serve for a term ending at the end of the next Annual General Meeting.

Solidium Oy





Further information: Jouko Karvinen, Chair of the Board, call-back requests, Inka Virtanen, tel. +358 (0)10 830 8901




BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Estonia's retail sales declined in September, led most by a a slump in sales at stores selling manufacturing goods, data from Statistics Estonia showed on Friday. Retail sales fell 6.0 percent year-on-year in September, after a 3.0 percent growth in August. Stores selling manufacturing goods influenced the most, with a 11.0 percent yearly decline in September. 'Turnover decreased in most sectors, except for stores selling second-hand goods and non-store retail sale, where turnover was up by 1 percent compared with September 2021,' Johanna Linda Pihlak, analyst at Statistics Estonia, said. On a monthly basis, retail sales fell 6.0 percent in September, after remaining unchanged in the prior month. On a seasonally adjusted basis, retail sales declined 1.0 monthly in September. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calibre Mining Corp. (TSX: CXB; OTCQX: CXBMF) ("Calibre" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has been granted the key environmental permits for the development and production of the open pit and underground mines within the Eastern Borosi Project ("EBP") from the corresponding Nicaraguan authorities.



The Company is also pleased to announce that it has signed a two-year contract with CEPAM (Comercializadora de Energia para America), ensuring that 100% of the power purchased for the Nicaraguan operations is certified clean energy. The agreement eliminates all of Calibre's Scope 2 (purchased electricity) carbon emissions in Nicaragua, representing approximately 30% of our total emissions (CO2e) within the country.

Calibre is advancing the high-grade EBP open pit and underground satellite deposits expected to be in production during 2023 feeding into the Company's Libertad processing facility. EBP represents Calibre's third major environmental mine development approval within three years, demonstrating the Company's unyielding commitment to stakeholder engagement and transparent communications within a clearly defined mining regulatory environment. EBP is a large 176 km2 land package with numerous low sulphidation gold-silver vein targets and strong potential for discovery of new zones and expanded resources.

Darren Hall, President and Chief Executive Officer of Calibre, stated: "Approval of the EBP permits mark another significant milestone in the Company's efforts to organically grow gold production. The permits were obtained three months ahead of schedule thanks to a positive community engagement process and successful public consultation. This success will allow Calibre to develop EBP and to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of host communities in the Atlantic Region of Nicaragua. With open pit reserves at EBP grading 6.8 g/t Au in combination with the high grade 6.5 g/t Au reserves at Pavon Central, we remain on track for grade-driven production increase in 2023."

"By purchasing clean energy rather than non-renewable power, as of 2022, Calibre will have zero Scope 2 CO2e emissions in Nicaragua. This is a material achievement of our sustainability strategy, through which we seek to join efforts in response to global challenges such as climate change."

"Additionally, the Company received environmental approval to begin drilling on the La Fortuna concession located approximately 50 kilometres southwest of the Libertad mill facility. La Fortuna represents an exciting undrilled epithermal gold opportunity as confirmed by field work completed over the past 12 months. A drill has been mobilized to La Fortuna with a first pass program to begin early November. Additionally, Calibre was recently granted three new mineral concessions and has begun reconnaissance stage exploration work."

In its ongoing concession management program, since 2020, Calibre has submitted 44 concession applications in Nicaragua. Of these, 27 concessions have been granted, 14 continue in the consultation process and, in June 2022, the Company elected to desist with its applications for two full concessions and part of a third.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Darren Hall"

Darren Hall, President & Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Ryan King

Senior Vice President, Corporate Development & Investor Relations

T: 604.628.1010

E: calibre@calibremining.com (mailto:calibre@calibremining.com)

W: www.calibremining.com



About Calibre Mining Corp.

Calibre is a Canadian-listed, Americas focused, growing mid-tier gold producer with a strong pipeline of development and exploration opportunities across Nevada and Washington in the USA, and Nicaragua. Calibre is focused on delivering sustainable value for shareholders, local communities and all stakeholders through responsible operations and a disciplined approach to growth. With a strong balance sheet, no debt, a proven management team, strong operating cash flow, accretive development projects and district-scale exploration opportunities Calibre will unlock significant value.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are identified by words such as "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "project", "target", "potential", "schedule", "forecast", "budget", "estimate", "intend" or "believe" and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond Calibre's control. For a listing of risk factors applicable to the Company, please refer to Calibre's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2021, available on www.sedar.com. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Calibre's forward-looking statements such as potential sanctions implemented as a result of the United States Executive Order 13851 dated October 24, 2022.

Calibre's forward-looking statements are based on the applicable assumptions and factors management considers reasonable as of the date hereof, based on the information available to management at such time. Calibre does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable securities laws. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 28, 2022) - Prophecy DeFi Inc. (CSE: PDFI) ("Prophecy DeFi", "Prophecy", or the "Company"), a publicly traded investment firm focused on the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector, is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Rekai as President & Head of Operations.

Paul will lead the next chapter of Prophecy's operations and growth. In this position, Paul will complement Prophecy's existing leadership team of experienced traditional finance and crypto operators and look to expand revenue streams by providing essential financial services for DeFi projects and investors alike.

Paul is a crypto-native investor and operator, with experience working directly with on-chain DeFi Projects and investor-facing roles, bringing traditional investors into the world of crypto. Most recently, Paul was head of Business Development at AltFi Capital, a Digital Asset Hedge Fund and Investor Service Provider. In addition, Paul has served as a key advisor to SX Network, the largest blockchain-based betting site in the world. Paul has deep expertise in DeFi, through operational experience with Decentralized Exchanges (DEXs) and Automated Market Makers (AMMs) in yield farming and liquidity provision activities.

"We are extremely excited to have Paul join Prophecy's leadership team as we focus on driving more operational growth," said John McMahon, CEO, Prophecy DeFi. "Paul has the skills and experience necessary to help grow the business in a meaningful way."

In connection with Mr. Rekai's appointment the Company has granted him an aggregate of 3,000,000 options to purchase common shares of the Company, with 1,000,000 options each exercisable at prices of $0.05, $0.10 and $0.15, vesting over a 2 year period and expiring three (3) years from the date of issuance. The common shares issuable upon exercise of the options are subject to a four month hold period from the original date of grant.

About Prophecy DeFi

Prophecy DeFi (CSE: PDFI) provides retail and institutional investors with access to the decentralized finance sector by bridging the gap between DeFi and traditional finance. Prophecy DeFi invests in diverse DeFi and Web 3.0 startups to create new business opportunities in a coherent ecosystem.

www.prophecydefi.com

For further information, please contact:

John McMahon, CEO

Tel: (416) 764-0314

Email: jmcmahon@prophecydefi.com

Forward-Looking Information

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking information that involves substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. This forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, and dependence upon regulatory approvals and the possibility that the completion of the transaction may not occur. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information. The parties undertake no obligation to update forward-looking information except as otherwise may be required by applicable securities law.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES



To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/142191
Regulatory News:

This announcement is not an offer, whether directly or indirectly, in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, or South Africa or in any other jurisdiction where such offer pursuant to legislation and regulations in such relevant jurisdiction would be prohibited by applicable law. Shareholders not resident in Sweden who wish to accept the Offer (as defined below) must make inquiries concerning applicable legislation and possible tax consequences. Shareholders should refer to the offer restrictions included in the section titled "Important information" at the end of this announcement and in the offer document, which has been published on the Offer website (www.smokefree-offer.com). Shareholders in the United States should also refer to the section entitled "Special notice to shareholders in the United States" at the end of this announcement.

On May 11, 2022, Philip Morris Holland Holdings B.V.1 ("PMHH), an affiliate of Philip Morris International Inc. ("PMI), announced a recommended public offer to the shareholders of Swedish Match AB ("Swedish Match) to tender all shares in Swedish Match2 to PMHH (the "Offer). An offer document regarding the Offer was made public on June 28, 2022 (the "Offer Document and a supplement to the Offer Document was made public on July 22, 2022. In addition, PMHH is obligated to remind the shareholders of Swedish Match of certain U.S. regulatory requirements, including with regard to PMHH's right to reduce the acceptance level condition after the acceptance period ends, and reminds the shareholders of Swedish Match of the terms of the Offer.

On October 20, 2022, PMHH issued a press release regarding the increase of the price in the Offer from SEK 106 in cash per share to SEK 116 in cash per share. On October 25, 2022, PMHH issued a press release regarding the receipt of necessary approvals from authorities and reminder to the shareholders of Swedish Match of the terms of the Offer and of certain U.S. regulatory requirements. On October 27, 2022, the board of directors of Swedish Match published its recommendation pursuant to the increased price in the Offer. On October 28, 2022, Swedish Match published its interim report for the period January 1, 2022 September 30, 2022.

On account thereof, PMHH has prepared a supplement to the Offer Document (the "Supplement"), which includes the press releases from PMHH, the recommendation from the board of directors of Swedish Match pursuant to the increased price in the Offer, and Swedish Match's interim report. The Supplement has today been approved and registered by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Sw. Finansinspektionen). The Supplement has been made public and is, together with the Offer Document and the previously prepared supplement, available on the Offer website (www.smokefree-offer.com).

The Supplement shall at all times be read together with, and as an integrated part of, the Offer Document.

"We believe the best and final price in our revised offer for Swedish Match provides very compelling value for the shareholders of both Swedish Match and PMI and are pleased that Swedish Match's board is recommending the revised offer," said Jacek Olczak, Chief Executive Officer of PMI. "The revised offer retains a 90% acceptance condition, which is critical to capture the full potential of the combination. Should the offer fail, we are well prepared to proceed autonomously to develop IQOS and the rest of our smoke-free portfolio in the U.S.

Reminder of certain terms of the Offer and required reminder of certain U.S. regulatory requirements, including with regard to PMHH's right to reduce the acceptance level condition after the acceptance period ends

As stated in the Offer Document, completion of the Offer is conditional upon, inter alia, the Offer being accepted to such extent that PMHH becomes the owner of shares representing more than 90 percent of the total number of outstanding shares in Swedish Match (on a fully diluted basis)3 (the "acceptance level condition"). PMHH has reserved the right to waive, in whole or in part, one or more of the conditions set out in the Offer Document (including, with respect to the acceptance level condition, to complete the Offer at a lower level of acceptance).

The acceptance period under the current Offer timetable expires on November 4, 2022. To satisfy U.S. regulatory requirements, PMHH is obligated to announce the possibility of any waiver or reduction of the acceptance level condition via a press release issued at least 5 business days prior to the end of the acceptance period (i.e., October 28, 2022, under the current Offer timetable). While as of today there has been no decision to reduce or waive the acceptance level condition, with the purpose of satisfying U.S. regulatory requirements, PMHH hereby reminds the shareholders of Swedish Match that it may (but is not obligated to) reduce the acceptance level condition after the expiration of the acceptance period on November 4, 2022, and complete the Offer at a lower level of acceptance. In the event of such a reduction, (i) PMHH may reduce the acceptance level condition from 90 percent to 50.01 percent of the total number of registered shares in Swedish Match and declare the Offer unconditional, (ii) PMHH would grant an additional acceptance period of at least 5 business days from announcement of the reduction of the acceptance level condition and (iii) shareholders who had previously tendered their shares in the Offer, and shareholders who tender their shares during the additional acceptance period, would not have withdrawal rights during the additional acceptance period.

In compliance with U.S. regulatory requirements, PMHH informs the shareholders of Swedish Matchthat if they have already tendered their shares in the Offer, but their willingness to tender will be affected by a possible reduction of the acceptance level condition as described herein, they should withdraw their tenders immediately, but in any event, before the expiration of the acceptance period on November 4, 2022. To be valid, such withdrawal must have been received in writing by Handelsbanken Issue department (address: Handelsbanken Capital Markets, Offerings Issue Services, SE-106 70 Stockholm, Sweden) not later than 17.00 CET on the last day of the acceptance period on November 4, 2022. Shareholders of Swedish Match holding nominee-registered shares wishing to withdraw acceptance shall do so in accordance with instructions from the nominee.

This announcement is not an indication of current or expected acceptance levels. For further information on the potential effects of a reduction of the acceptance level condition, specifically the implications of PMHH's ownership of less than 90 percent of the total number of registered shares in Swedish Match if the acceptance level condition is reduced, PMHH refers shareholders of Swedish Matchto the description thereof included in the section of the Offer Document entitled "Important notice to shareholders in the United States of America"

For administrative questions regarding the Offer, please contact your bank or the nominee registered as holder of your shares.

The information was submitted for publication on October 28, 2022 at 1.00 p.m. (CEST).

Information about the Offer www.smokefree-offer.com

Important information

This press release has been published in Swedish and English. In the event of any discrepancy in content between the two language versions, the Swedish version shall prevail.

This announcement is not an offer, whether directly or indirectly, in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, or South Africa or in any other jurisdiction where such offer pursuant to legislation and regulations in such relevant jurisdiction would be prohibited by applicable law (each a "Restricted Jurisdiction"). This offer constitutes an "exempt take-over bid" for purpose of applicable Canadian securities laws and shareholders resident in Canada are entitled to participate in the Offer on the same terms as shareholders in other applicable jurisdictions.

The release, publication, or distribution of this press release in or into jurisdictions other than Sweden may be restricted by law, and therefore any persons who are subject to the laws and regulations of any jurisdiction other than Sweden should inform themselves about and observe any applicable requirements. In particular, the ability of persons who are not resident in Sweden to accept the Offer may be affected by the laws and regulations of the relevant jurisdictions in which they are located. Any failure to comply with the applicable restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws and regulations of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, the companies and persons involved in the Offer disclaim any responsibility or liability for the violation of such restrictions by any person.

This announcement has been prepared for the purpose of complying with Swedish law, the Takeover Rules, and the Swedish Securities Council's rulings regarding interpretation and application of the Takeover Rules, and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this press release had been prepared in accordance with the laws and regulations of jurisdictions other than Sweden.

Unless otherwise determined by PMHH or required by Swedish law, the Takeover Rules and the Swedish Securities Council's rulings regarding interpretation and application of the Takeover Rules, and permitted by applicable law and regulation, the Offer will not be made available, directly or indirectly, in, into, or from a Restricted Jurisdiction or any other jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws and regulations in that jurisdiction, and no person may accept the Offer by any use, means, or instrumentality (including, but not limited to, facsimile, email, or other electronic transmission, telex, or telephone) of interstate or foreign commerce of, or of any facility of a national, state, or other securities exchange of any Restricted Jurisdiction or any other jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the laws and regulations of that jurisdiction, and the Offer may not be capable of acceptance by any such use, means, instrumentality, or facilities. Accordingly, copies of this press release and any formal documentation relating to the Offer are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed, or sent in or into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction or any other jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the laws and regulations of that jurisdiction, and persons receiving such documents (including custodians, nominees, and trustees) must not mail or otherwise forward, distribute, or send them in or into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction or any other jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the laws and regulations of that jurisdiction.

The availability of the Offer to shareholders of Swedish Match who are not resident in and citizens of Sweden may be affected by the laws and regulations of the relevant jurisdictions in which they are respectively located or of which they are citizens. Persons who are not resident in or citizens of Sweden should inform themselves of, and abide by, any applicable legal or regulatory requirements of their jurisdictions.

The Offer and the information and documents contained in this press release are not being made and have not been approved by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the U.K. Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the "FSMA). Accordingly, the information and documents contained in this press release are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom, unless an exemption applies. The communication of the information and documents contained in this press release is exempt from the restriction on financial promotions under section 21 of the FSMA on the basis that it is a communication by or on behalf of a body corporate that relates to a transaction to acquire day-to-day control of the affairs of a body corporate or to acquire 50 percent or more of the voting shares in a body corporate, within article 62 of the U.K. Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005.

This press release contains statements relating to future status or circumstances, including statements regarding remaining transactional steps and requirements and the ultimate success of the acquisition, that are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may generally, but not always, be identified by the use of words such as "anticipates,"intends,"expects,"believes, or similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements due to many factors, many of which are outside the control of PMI and PMHH. Any such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and PMI and PMHH have no obligation (and undertake no such obligation) to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except for in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Merrill Lynch International ("BofA Securities") and Citigroup Global Markets Limited ("Citi), which are authorized by the Prudential Regulation Authority ("PRA") and regulated in the U.K. by the Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") and the PRA, are acting as financial advisers for PMHH and for no one else in connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than PMHH for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients or for providing advice in connection with the Offer or any other matters referred to in this announcement. Neither BofA Securities, Citi, nor any of their respective affiliates, directors, or employees owes or accepts any duty, liability, or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, consequential, whether in contract, in tort, in delict, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of BofA Securities or Citi, respectively, in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein, the Offer, or otherwise.

Special notice to shareholders in the United States

The Offer described in this press release is made for the issued and outstanding shares of Swedish Match, a company incorporated under Swedish law, and is subject to Swedish disclosure and procedural requirements, which may be different from those of the United States. In the United States, the Offer will also be made in accordance with certain provisions of the United States federal securities laws, to the extent applicable, including Section 14(e) of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Regulation 14E thereunder (Regulation 14E provided that PMHH has requested, and the Division of Corporation Finance of the U.S. Securitiesand Exchange Commission (the "SEC") has granted, relief exempting the Offer from certainrequirements of Regulation 14E in order to align aspects of the Offer in which Swedish laws andmarket practice conflict with U.S. federal securities laws. Accordingly, the disclosure and procedures regarding the Offer, including with respect to withdrawal rights, the Offer timetable, notices of extensions, announcements of results, settlement procedures (including as regards to the time when payment of the consideration is rendered), and waivers of conditions, may be different from requirements or customary practices in relation to U.S. domestic tender offers. Holders of the shares of Swedish Match domiciled or resident in the United States (the "U.S. Holders) are encouraged to consult with their advisers regarding the Offer.

Swedish Match's financial statements and all financial information included herein, or any other documents relating to the Offer, have been or will be prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and may not be comparable to the financial statements or financial information of companies in the United States or other companies whose financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The Offer is made to the U.S. Holders on the same terms and conditions as those made to all other shareholders of Swedish Match to whom the Offer is being made. Any information documents, including the offer document, are being disseminated to U.S. Holders on a basis comparable to the method pursuant to which such documents are provided to Swedish Match's other shareholders.

The U.S. Holders should consider that the price for the Offer is being paid in SEK and that no adjustment will be made based on any changes in the exchange rate.

It may be difficult for U.S. Holders to enforce their rights and any claims they may have arising under the U.S. federal or U.S. state securities laws in connection with the Offer, since Swedish Match and PMHH are located in countries other than the United States, and some or all of their officers and directors may be residents of countries other than the United States. U.S. Holders may not be able to sue Swedish Match or PMHH or their respective officers or directors in a non-U.S. court for violations of U.S. securities laws. Further, it may be difficult to compel Swedish Match or PMHH and/or their respective affiliates to subject themselves to the jurisdiction or judgment of a U.S. court.

To the extent permissible under applicable law or regulations, and in reliance on relief granted by the SEC exempting the Offer from certain of the requirements of Rule 14e-5 under Regulation 14E, PMHH and its affiliates or its brokers and its brokers' affiliates (acting as agents for PMHH or its affiliates, as applicable) may from time to time and during the pendency of the Offer, and other than pursuant to the Offer, directly or indirectly purchase or arrange to purchase shares of Swedish Match outside the United States (or securities that are convertible into, exchangeable for, or exercisable for such shares). These purchases may occur either in the open market at prevailing prices or in private transactions at negotiated prices, and information about such purchases will be disclosed by means of a press release or other means reasonably calculated to inform U.S. Holders of such information, to the extent required by applicable laws and regulations. In addition, affiliates to the financial advisers to PMHH may also engage in ordinary course trading activities in securities of Swedish Match, which may include purchases or arrangements to purchase such securities as long as such purchases or arrangements comply with applicable laws and regulations. Any information about such purchases will be announced in Swedish and in an English translation available to the U.S. Holders through relevant electronic media, including the Offer website at www.smokefree-offer.com, if, and to the extent, such announcement is required under applicable Swedish or U.S. law, rules, or regulations.

The receipt of cash pursuant to the Offer by a U.S. Holder may be a taxable transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes and under applicable U.S. state and local, as well as foreign and other, tax laws. Each shareholder is urged to consult an independent professional adviser regarding the tax consequences of accepting the Offer. Neither PMHH nor any of its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees, or agents or any other person acting on their behalf in connection with the Offer shall be responsible for any tax effects or liabilities resulting from acceptance of this Offer.

NEITHER THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY U.S. STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE OFFER, MADE ANY COMMENT UPON THE MERITS OR FAIRNESS OF THE OFFER, MADE ANY COMMENT UPON THE ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THIS PRESS RELEASE, OR MADE ANY COMMENT ON WHETHER THE CONTENT OF THIS PRESS RELEASE IS CORRECT OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE IN THE UNITED STATES.

For the purposes of this press release, "United States" and "U.S." mean the United States of America, including its territories and possessions and all states of the United States of America and the District of Columbia.

1 A Dutch private limited liability company (besloten vennootschap), with corporate registration number 20028955 and corporate seat in Bergen op Zoom, the Netherlands, indirectly wholly owned by PMI.

2 Excluding any treasury shares held by Swedish Match (currently 4,285,810 shares).

3 Excluding any treasury shares held by Swedish Match (currently 4,285,810 shares).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005168/en/

Contacts:

Philip Morris International

For additional information:

Investor Relations:

New York: +1 (917) 663 2233

Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4666

Email: InvestorRelations@pmi.com

Media Relations:

David Fraser

Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4500

Email: David.Fraser@pmi.com
U.S. border patrol agents send migrants to ill-informed offices: AP

Xinhua) 14:05, October 28, 2022

Migrants seeking asylum wait to board a bus at a checkpoint in Eagle Pass, Texas, the United States, on Oct. 10, 2022. (Photo by Nick Wagner/Xinhua)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Border Patrol agents, particularly in Texas, have sent migrants to offices with no notice, The Associated Press has reported.

Some places where migrants have been sent do not have enough space to house them, as "important notices may later be sent there," the AP reported, adding that several shelters just provide limited services to migrants.

Many interviewees told their "tough" experience, complaining that "they felt unsafe," despite finding shelters that took them in for a few days.

"It was tough what we had to go through; from the things we had to eat to being on the streets -- an experience I wouldn't wish on anyone," said Victor Quijada, a migrant sent to Denver.

"We believe that Border Patrol is attempting to demonstrate the chaos that they are experiencing on the border to inland cities," said Denise Chang, executive director of the Colorado Housing Asylum Network.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Barbara Rae-Venter. Screenshot from her Facebook



Renowned genetic genealogist Barbara Rae-Venter shares her experiences in solving dozens of cold cases



By Lee Yeon-woo



In 2019, a criminal case was solved in the United States two decades after the dead bodies of a woman and a 10-year-old boy were found. The woman's body was discovered in South Carolina and the boy's corpse in North Carolina.



The breakthrough in the case, which made local headlines, was possible thanks to genetic genealogy, which uses DNA evidence from cold cases to develop profiles, then trace family links to identify potential suspects.



But what made the story resonate with Koreans was the victims' racial background. One of the victims was identified as a Korean woman named Cho Myoung-hwa, who met a U.S. solider based in Korea and went to America with him. The couple had a boy in the U.S., who was the victim found in North Carolina. They were killed by Cho's husband.



Barbara Rae-Venter, a retired patent attorney and genetic genealogist, played a key role in the discovery of the truth. She calls the murder case the "billboard case" because the boy's remains were found underneath a billboard near a highway in North Carolina.



"When his remains were found, they were totally skeletonized," she said during a recent Korea Times interview in Songdo, a reclaimed city near the port city of Incheon. "So there was nothing left. They figured he was probably either Hispanic or white, but they didn't have anything to go on. So I ran the DNA."



Rae-Venter said the billboard case was one of the most dramatic stories she has worked on following the request of detectives who was struggling to solve cold cases.



She got a phone call from one of the detectives, Maj. Tim Horne, who was an investigator for the Sheriff's Department in Orange County, North Carolina. The request came just months before he was set to retire from the police.



"This is a 20-year-old case and he wanted it solved in six months. So I said I couldn't make any promises, but I assured him I'd do my best," Rae-Venter said. "So we get the DNA and we put it into a new database that had been opened. It was called GEDMatch Genesis."



The DNA analysis led them to narrow down the family of the victim. Following Rae-Venter's advice, Horne contacted the relatives to ask them if one of their siblings has a biracial child. The 10-year-old victim was later identified as Robert Bobby Adam Whitt. The body found in South Carolina, 200 miles away from where the boy was found, was identified as Cho, his mother.



"The motive for why little Bobby and his mom are along the highway was because his dad apparently had a new girlfriend and he didn't want him anymore," said Rae-Venter. "So the detective was really excited. We actually had solved the case in less than 48 hours."





Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., the so-called Golden State Killer, is accompanied by Sacramento County Public Defender as he makes his first appearance to Sacramento County Superior Court, California, in 2018. Yonhap-AP


MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - U.S. President Joe Biden does not have any plan to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during the G20 summit in Bali next month.



This was confirmed by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in an interview with Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.



The top U.S diplomat said the Biden administration doesn't see any space for meaningful diplomacy to resolve the Ukraine crisis considering Russia's approach.



'What we've seen is Russia and President Putin have no interest in any kind of meaningful diplomacy to end the aggression that they have committed against Ukraine; in fact, quite the opposite. We've seen a doubling, a tripling down of that aggression - the mobilization of more Russian forces, the purported annexation of Ukrainian territory, the loose talk about nuclear weapons, and now this horrific campaign against all of the basic infrastructure of Ukraine so that Ukrainians don't have power, don't have lights, don't have heat, as we get into the winter. So every sign is pointing to a doubling and tripling down, despite the fact that the Ukrainians continue to take territory back from Russia that was seized in the first months of this aggression.'



Blinken made Washington's stand clear that the dispute has to be resolved directly between Russia and Ukraine. 'So if Russia actually wants to talk and is serious about it, it should be talking with the Ukrainian Government.'



He pointed out that Russia's actions have created deep opposition to it in the international community.



a couple of weeks ago, 143 countries, or two-thirds of the world, voted at the United Nations General Assembly in favor of a resolution condemning the annexation of Ukrainian territories by Russia.



Asked if the U.S. support a demand to exclude Russia from the G20, Blinken said 'it certainly makes it increasingly hard to do business (with Russia).'



The White House and President Joe Biden himself had said previously regarding the latter's lack of interest in meeting with the Russian President at the G20 summit.



It is not yet confirmed if Putin will attend the meeting the leaders of the world's 20 major economies, comprising 19 countries and the European Union.



Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LaPresse interviews Professor Paola Severino, former Italian minister of Justice (2011-2013). Severino said Thursday in New York that prosecuting alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Russian troops in Ukraine is possible if evidence is carefully collected, underlining that it is always important to acquire possible witnesses for testimony in such cases.



Speaking to Italian news agency LaPresse on the margins of her lecture to New York University students, Severino, who served under Mario Monti Government, stated that since the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) was requested to gather proofs for these alleged crimes is 'very important', seeing in this a signal of the existence of some elements to be collected about war crimes.

According to the prominent Italian attorney, it is also a signal that there is a will to prosecute these crimes not only by the Ukrainian people but also by the international community. Ukraine authorities will be able to conduct these investigations and to start with criminal proceedings, she added.

It is true that Ukraine has not ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, but it asked to be protected by this kind of jurisdiction, she said, noting that the possibility for the ICC to prosecute these crimes cannot be ruled out.

Recalling the case of Erich Priebke, the former nazi officer sentenced to life in Italy in the 1990's for war crimes committed during WWII, which has proven once again that war crimes and crimes against humanity do not expire, Severino underscored that the memory of war crimes is always present even in the minds of young people.

She said that Priebke's case occurred 50 years after the tragedy happened and interrogating witnesses made it seem as if it happened yesterday, adding that the memory stays alive when you commit war crimes. 'I think it would be the same in the Ukraine war'.

For more information:

LaPresse SpA Communication and Press Office Director

Barbara Sanicola - barbara.sanicola@lapresse.it

A video accompanying this announcement is available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2d45f6c8-2665-4a78-959b-74ec5b194288
Planting Hope to participate in irlabs Investor Day, "Companies Disrupting the World We Live In," on November 2 at 3 p.m. ET

Radius Research to host Planting Hope webinar on November 2 at 4:15 p.m. ET

CEO Julia Stamberger and COO Susan Walters-Flood meeting with investors at CEM event in Hollywood, Florida November 11-13

CHICAGO, IL and VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 28, 2022 / The Planting Hope Company Inc. (TSXV:MYLK)(OTCQB:MYLKF)(FRA:J94) ("Planting Hope" or the "Company"), a plant-based food and beverage company focused on producing the world's most nutritious and planet-friendly products, is pleased to announce the following upcoming opportunities for investors to learn more about Planting Hope, its breakthrough products, and strategy to continue to build on current growth and momentum:

November 2 at 3:00 p.m. ET - CEO Julia Stamberger to present at the irlabs + NEO Exchange Investor Day, themed: "Companies Disrupting the World We Live In", at which she will discuss some of the ways that Planting Hope's products are disrupting their categories, the way we eat, and the impact of that food on our planet. Investors can register to attend here.

November 2 at 4:15 p.m. ET - Radius Research hosts CEO Julia Stamberger, who will provide an overview of Planting Hope and its strategic objectives ahead. Investors can register to attend here. A copy of this webinar will be made available on the Radius Research YouTube channel and through the Presentations & Events section of Planting Hope's website.

November 11-13 - CEO Julia Stamberger and COO Susan Walters-Flood will be meeting one-on-one with investors at the CEM Capital Event in Hollywood, Florida. Investors can register to attend the CEM event here.

"I'm excited to present the Company to investors in these forums as MYLK is experiencing rapid retailer and consumer uptake across all of our brands, with recognition from major media and awards from our industry - it's a thrilling time at Planting Hope," said Julia Stamberger, CEO and Co-Founder of Planting Hope. "Our team is executing well on our business plan, and all indicators show this growth will continue to accelerate in 2023. We are responding to growing interest in the foodservice sector as we head into 2023 and will focus on expansion into profitable, revenue accretive opportunities that simultaneously build trial, market awareness, and adoption of our products by consumers at retail."

Native Ads Engagement:

Planting Hope is pleased to announce it has engaged Native Ads Inc. ("Native Ads") to execute a comprehensive digital media marketing campaign for the Company. The campaign is scheduled to run for up to 12 months at the cost of approximately $115,000, of which roughly $90,000 will be directly allocated to the cost-per-click impression costs of media placements and distribution, and about $25,000 will be allocated for content creation, web development, advertising creative development, search engine optimization, and strategic digital advertising consulting.

Native Ads is a full-service ad agency that owns and operates a proprietary ad exchange with over 80 integrated SSPs (supply-side platforms) resulting in daily access to three to seven billion North American ad impressions. The engagement of Native Ads is subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange.

About The Planting Hope Company Inc.

Planting Hope develops, launches, and scales uniquely innovative plant-based and planet-friendly food and beverage brands. Planting Hope's award-winning and cutting-edge products fill key unmet needs in the skyrocketing plant-based food and beverage space. The Planting Hope brand family includes Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk, Barista Blend Sesamemilk, and Sesamilk creamers, RightRice Veggie Rice, Mozaics Real Veggie Chips, and Veggicopia Veggie Snacks. Founded by experienced food industry entrepreneurs, Planting Hope is a women-managed and woman-led company focused on nutrition, sustainability, and diversity. For more information visit: www.plantinghopecompany.com.

Note: All dollars are USD unless otherwise stated.

Contacts

Company Contact:

Julia Stamberger

CEO and Co-founder

(773) 492-2243

julia@plantinghopecompany.com

Investor Relations Contacts:

Glen Akselrod, Bristol Capital

(905) 326-1888 ext. 1

glen@bristolir.com

Caroline Sawamoto, IR Labs

(773) 492-2243

ir@plantinghopecompany.com

Media Contact

Alex Jessup, Jessup PR

(323) 529-3541

alex.jessup@jessuppr.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to hereafter as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements that address activities, events, or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will, or may, occur in the future, including statements about the Company's ability to execute on its goals, the timing pertaining to these goals the potential demand for the Company's products, the timing and success of anticipated product launches and distribution of the Company's products, and the Company's business prospects, future trends, plans and strategies. In some cases, forward looking statements are preceded by, followed by, or include words such as "may", "will," "would", "could", "should", "believes", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "continues", or the negative of those words or other similar or comparable words. In preparing the forward looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, the assumption that demand for the Company's product will be sustained or increase in accordance with management's projections, that the Company's internal research and analysis is indicative of broader market trends and the Company's anticipated future demand for its products, that changes in consumer preferences in the plant-based food industry will continue in accordance with the Company's expectations, that the Company's current business objectives can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected, and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. Although the management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking statement herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company, as well as trends identified by the Company affecting its industry can be found in the Company's annual information form dated January 6, 2022 and the Company's continuous disclosure record available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Such cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements made in this news release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE: The Planting Hope Company Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/722695/Planting-Hope-to-Present-at-Upcoming-Industry-Events-and-Webinars
CHICAGO, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Military embedded systems market is estimated to be USD 1.6 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 2.5 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2022 to 2027 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Growth of this market can be attributed to the rise in upgradation programmes for land vehicles in US, developments in the Navigation & Communication systems for Naval & Airborne platforms, and Developments in Space sector.





Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=112996974

Browse in-depth TOC on "Military Embedded Systems Market"

222 - Tables

63 - Figures

276 - Pages

Major players in the Military embedded systems market include Curtiss-Wright Corp. (US), Mercury Systems (US), Kontron (S&T AG) (Austria), AMETEL (US), and General Dynamics Corp. (US). The report covers various industry trends and new technological innovations in the Military embedded systems market for the period, 2018-2027.

Increased focus on cloud computing and wireless technologies

The trend of cloud and wireless technologies is increasing at a rapid pace in the defense industry. The integration of the cloud with embedded systems can offer various advantages for mission-critical applications, due to which the demand for embedded systems is growing continuously. For a long time, military embedded systems were standalone systems. Since the evolution of wireless connectivity, the situation has changed completely. Short-range protocols, such as RFID (radio frequency identification) and NFC (near-field communication), and long-range protocols, such as LTE (long term evolution), WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access), and WLAN (wireless local area network), are going to witness wide military applications in the near future. Currently, the trend is shifting toward the system on chip architecture and the application of short-range protocols. The current serial data rate is about 20/25 Gbits/S per link, and when it reaches 40/50 Gbits/S, it creates signal impairment. Signal integrity engineers are developing new technologies to increase the data rate limits on boards and electrical backplanes. As technology in military embedded systems matures, many military personnel will need a fast and secure network to stay connected at all times during critical missions. Therefore, the use of wireless technology is fueling the demand for embedded systems in the defense industry. According to the article published on May 2022, The US Army is in the midst of a significant shift in how it buys, builds and delivers technological capabilities to warfighters. At the crux of those plans is a cloud infrastructure called cArmy that can deliver communications, tools and sensor data so commanders can have a clear digital picture of the battlespace and make crucial decisions more quickly.

By Application, Communication & Navigation Segment Is Projected to Grow at Highest CAGR During Forecast Period

Digitization of communications is a crucial part of defense programs and is associated with the transformation of military forces across the world. Digital technology makes more efficient use of the spectrum bandwidth for communications. Communication refers to both the communication medium and communication devices used in the information transfer process, which is vital from the military perspective. Computers and radio networking technologies for communication require the use of technologically advanced embedded systems with easy upgradation capability. Military communication applications require a high level of reliability and security for improved situational awareness. Fielded communication modules, such as soldier-borne radio communications and software-defined radio-based data links, are often signal processing-intensive, power-constrained, and have strong security requirements. For these reasons, there is a high demand for advanced military embedded systems for uninterrupted communications. And this demand is driving the communication & navigation systems market.

The communication & navigation segment is estimated to be USD 288 million in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 477 million by 2027, at the highest CAGR of 10.6%.

By Military Embedded Systems Installation Type, New Installation segment accounts for the largest share of the total market in 2022.

The new installation segment refers to the procurement and installation of military embedded systems, which are integrated with various naval weapon systems, radar systems, command and control, electronic warfare systems, and communication systems to enhance the connectivity and coordination of maneuvering forces at the tactical level. Countries like the US and the UK are allocating defense budgets for the new installation of advanced military embedded systems, which are anticipated to drive this segment globally. The growing emphasis on the deployment of advanced military embedded systems across various defense platforms is driving the military embedded systems market.

The new installation segment is estimated to account for a larger share of the military embedded systems market in 2022. This segment is estimated to be USD 1,141 million in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 1,832 million by 2027, at a CAGR of 9.9%.

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North America region accounts for the largest market share in Military embedded systems market

North America is estimated to account for a share of 37% of the military embedded systems market in 2022. The market in this region is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.0% during the forecast period. North America is a developed market for military embedded systems. Increased investments in defense equipment and warfare capabilities and the implementation of network-centric infrastructure have contributed to the market growth in this region. The major countries in this region are the US and Canada, with the US leading the military embedded systems market in North America. The US is a technologically superior country with a huge potential for investment in military electronics.

North America is the major hub for technologically advanced applications. The US is a technologically advanced country with a huge potential for investment in embedded system technologies. Increased investments in next-generation communication technology and integrated warfare capabilities contributed to the market growth in this region.

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Browse Adjacent Market: Aerospace and Defence Market Research Reports &Consulting

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Assays Anticipated Mid-November through December

Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 28, 2022) - Mayo Lake Minerals Inc. (CSE: MLKM) (Mayo or the Company) is pleased to review its early summer diamond drill hole ('DDH') program at its 45 square kilometre Carlin-Roop Silver Project in the Keno Hill Silver District of the Yukon. A total of 1,070 metres of diamond drilling was completed in eight DDHs. They were targeted on the Carlin West Zone (Figure 1) as delineated from prospecting, detailed geochemistry and geophysics following the results from four separate holes drilled in 2020 and 2021. The DDHs were concentrated along the southwest flank of the recently expanded Carlin West Ag in soil anomalous zone (see press release Oct 25, 2022).

Splitting, logging, and sampling of all DDHs was subsequently completed with 832 samples forwarded to Bureau Veritas Commodities Canada ('BVC') in Vancouver for assaying. BVC indicates that they are working through their backlog of samples and should begin supplying results in mid-November

Keno Hill Quartzite (KHQ), quartzitic metasediments (MSD), graphitic schists (GSH) and greenstone (G) (metamorphosed gabbro and diorite) were the common lithologies drilled (Table 1). KHQ, in some cases interbedded with MSD and GSH, are dominant in holes MLM22-010-013. Interbedded MSD and GSH are the predominant lithologies in MLM22-005-009. Greenstone was noted at depth in MLM22-009, 010 and 013. Extensive silicification was noted in MLM22-005-011. Quartz veining is extensive throughout most of the core and all DDHs contain veins and disseminations of pyrite.

Table 1: Summary of lithologies, structures, mineralization, alteration and samples for Mayo Lake's 2022 diamond drill holes at Carlin West

Lithologies MLM22 005 006 007 009 010 011 012 013 KHQ (m) - 3.8 - - 47.5 53.8 24.4 33.2 KHQ + MSD + GSH (m) 10.2 12.9 - 26.1 71.4 60.4 45.5 32.5 MSD (m) 25.5 12.5 67.8 3.0 3.9 44.0 - - GSH + MSD (m) 79.9 88.4 50.0 75.4 24.4 26.4 17.2 12.9 GSH (m) - - - - 4.4 22.7 1.4 - G (m) - - - - 5.4 - - 22.5 G + KHQ (m) - - - 9.0 - - - - G + GSH + MSD (m) - - - - - - - - Quartz veins common (m) 3.5 - 12.3 - 9.6 2.9 1.4 - Other; clay, schist (m) - - - - - 1.2 - - Alteration and Mineralogy Silicification (m) 38.3 41.0 36.0 45.7 10.9 46.8 - - Chloritization (m) - - - 3.0 52.0 10.9 8.4 - Pyrite and pyrrhotite present (m) 31.0 9.2 44.7 34.6 35.6 44.1 13.4 32.1 Total length 120.0 121.0 121.7 119.0 174.5 158.0 92.0 107.6 Samples for analysis # 78 78 106 110 150 132 75 66 KHQ - Keno Hill Quartzite; MSD - Metasediments, primarily quartzite; GSH - Graphitic schist; Greenstone

Galena and sphalerite, common indicators of Keno Hill Style Mineralization were encountered in 6 out of 8 holes. Occurrences of galena and sphalerite were generally in narrow stringers or coatings in voids in quartz veins (Figure 3). Holes also contained considerable pyrite mineralization (Figure 4) which is less common in the Keno Camp except at the Husky Southwest and Husky Mines. Husky Southwest was also notable for having only rare galena occurrences and particularly hard to recognize ore zones (Cathro 2006, The History and Geology of the Keno Hill Camp). One hole, MLM22-010, appears to have ended with the last 5cm in a mineralized vein structure containing laminated siderite and sulfosalts.

Tyrell Sutherland, VP- Exploration stated "Numerous structures with potential to yield silver mineralization were intersected in all holes drilled this summer. The positive identification of galena sphalerite, siderite and probable silver bearing sulfosalts along with abundant pyrite enables comparison to the Husky Southwest deposit in the Keno Camp. Husky Southwest mineralization was notoriously difficult to identify in drill core, so we are eagerly awaiting assays from Carlin West."

This year's detailed soil sampling, which extended and better defined the Carlin West anomaly, has broadened the area to be drill tested in future drill programs. The AJ anomaly, 400m to the north, which has grabs containing up to 412g Ag/t, remains to be tested in future drill programs. The AJ anomaly is defined over 300m of strike length making it comparable in size to the Carlin West anomalous zone.

Sample Analysis, Collection and Quality Control.

Drill core was transported from drill sites at Carlin West to a secure location in Keno or Whitehorse where a preliminary logs and photo verification of the drill core was completed. Blanks and standards were inserted at alternating intervals every 25 samples. The samples were then sealed in poly bags and each bag was identified with the insertion of one part of a three-part sample tag. Samples were delivered to the BVC preparatory laboratory in Whitehorse. Pulps for analysis were prepared and then shipped to the BVC analytical laboratory in Vancouver, B.C. for analysis and assay where 15g of each sample are being analysed by Aqua regia digestion, ICP-MS analysis (BMV AQ201) for 36 elements (Ag, Al, As, Au, B, Ba, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, Hg, K, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sr, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Zn) BVM is compliant under ISO/IEC 7025 and ISO 9001. All processes during preparation and analysis of a sample are subject to rigorous QA/QC control. In addition, a number of blanks and commercial standards were inserted at regular intervals. A review of the results and the quality control revealed no irregularities.

Figure 1: Drill holes in relation to expanded Carlin West silver in soil anomaly showing prospecting samples from Mayo Lake's 2021 season.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5471/142241_im.jpg





Figure 2: MLM22-007 60-69m quartz veining. Pyrite stringers disseminated pyrite occasionally present. Host rock is metasediment.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5471/142241_img1.jpg





Figure 3: Galena coating fractures from MLM22-05 at 102m



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5471/142241_im2.jpg





Figure 4: Pyrite in siderite veins in hole MLM22-10



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5471/142241_im3.jpg



Qualified Person (QP) Statement: Field work was directed by Tyrell Sutherland, M.Sc., P. Geo. This press release has been prepared by Tyrell Sutherland and Vern Rampton, Ph.D., P. Eng. in their capacities as QPs under the guidelines of N.I. 43-101.

- END OF PRESS RELEASE -

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES

For additional information contact:

Vern Rampton, President & CEO; 613-836-2594; vrampton@mayolakeminerals.com

Tyrell Sutherland, M.Sc., P. Geo., VP Exploration; 613-884-8332; tsutherland@mayolakeminerals.com

Darrell Munro, BB.A, LL.B Corporate Administrator; (613) 836-2594; dmunro@mayolakeminerals.com.

For further information please refer to our web-site. http://www.mayolakeminerals.com/

About Mayo Lake Minerals Inc.: Mayo is actively engaged in the exploration and development of five precious metal projects in the Tombstone Plutonic Belt of the Tintina Gold Province. The properties cover 249 square kilometres in the Yukon's Mayo Mining District and lie within the traditional territory of the Na-Cho Nyak Dun First Nation. The Company has a history of eleven years of exploration in the Mayo area and is presently focusing on its flagship Carlin-Roop silver project lying within the Keno Hill Silver District. The eastern sector of the Silver District has recently been the site of numerous silver discoveries by Metallic Minerals and Mayo, itself. Two active mines: Victoria Gold's Eagle Gold Mine and Hecla Mining's mines lie near-by in the Mayo Mining district.

Cautionary statement: This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, which are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected. There can be no guarantee that Mayo Lake will be able to obtain a public listing as scheduled in this document. Mayo Lake undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/142241
Sophisticated cybercriminals have developed "undetectable" click fraud bots, stealing tens of millions of dollars from advertisers every day.

BERLIN, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Click fraud detection service (https://polygraph.net/) Polygraph has identified a new breed of "undetectable" click fraud bots, stealing tens of millions of dollars from advertisers every day.



Click fraud (https://polygraph.net/articles/what-is-click-fraud.html) is a scam where criminals create websites and monetize the content using advertisements. Instead of waiting for real people to visit their websites, the scammers create bots - software pretending to be humans - which visit their websites and generate thousands of fake clicks on the ads. For each of these fake clicks, the advertiser pays money to the advertising network, and the money is then shared with the scammer.

"There's a new breed of click fraud bots which are resisting almost all detection methods," said Trey Vanes, head of marketing at Polygraph. "These click fraud bots are targeting advertisers who use Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Quora, and TikTok. The fake clicks aren't being detected by the ad networks, which means advertisers are losing a fortune, and click fraud gangs (https://polygraph.net/articles/the-anatomy-of-a-click-fraud-gang.html) are getting rich."

According to Vanes, there are at least one hundred of these "undetectable" bots clicking on online advertisements.

"We're tracking over one hundred 'undetectable' bots, and can see they're generating millions of fake clicks every day. Most of the bots seem to be part of 'click fraud as a service' enterprises. That means there are companies, operated by highly skilled cybercriminals, which are renting the bots to nefarious website owners," said Vanes. "We're able to see which websites are renting the bots, and we're able to identify the bots through fingerprinting."

Fingerprinting is a technique used to identify individual devices on the internet. By looking at data unique to each device, Polygraph is able to track the bots, regardless of their efforts to resist detection.

"The cybercriminals behind this scam are sophisticated, but we're able to detect their bots through fingerprinting. By assigning a unique identifier to every device, we're able to count how many ad clicks each device is generating. Using this method we're able to track devices which are generating tens of thousands of clicks every day. Since no human being is able to click on ads that frequently, we know these devices are running bot software," said Vanes.

Vanes says it is a mistake to believe the advertising networks are protecting you from click fraud. "We know these bots aren't being detected by the ad networks, and in general we see massive amounts of click fraud - even the most basic kind - being ignored by most ad networks. That means if you're relying on the ad networks to protect your marketing budget, you're throwing away money. We have customers who were wasting almost 80% of their ad budgets due to click fraud. Polygraph was able to reduce their fake clicks to virtually zero," said Vanes.

Polygraph helps advertisers prevent click fraud (https://polygraph.net/articles/how-to-prevent-click-fraud.html) using a number of cutting-edge techniques. This includes detecting click fraud bots, even those deemed "undetectable", identifying click fraud websites so advertisers can block them from displaying their ads, listing the ad keywords being targeted by click fraudsters, so those keywords can be removed from ad campaigns, and by providing details of every fake click, so advertisers can get click fraud refunds (https://polygraph.net/articles/how-to-get-click-fraud-refunds-from-google-ads.html) from the ad networks.

Polygraph makes it easy to detect click fraud (https://polygraph.net/features), prevent click fraud, and prevent scammers from stealing your ad budget.

For more information, please visit https://polygraph.net

About Polygraph

Established in Berlin, Germany in 2021, Polygraph monitors the activities of click fraud gangs, including how they operate, who they target, the techniques they use, and how to detect their fraud. We go far beyond bot detection to ensure your ad budget is not stolen by cyber-criminals.

Contact Details:

114A Friedrichstrasse Berlin, BE 10117 Germany

Trey Vanes, Polygraph

+49 (030) 2204 4851
Winners of the 12 categories announced

SHANGHAI, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On 27 October, the winners of the inaugural ESG China Awards were announced in Shanghai. Organised by the British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai, the Awards is a programme recognising and promoting excellence from businesses and organisations that have made a positive ESG impact in China. Shanghai United Assets and Equity Exchange, AustCham Shanghai, CanCham Shanghai and Impact Hub Shanghai support this year Awards.

Ray Chisnall, BritCham Shanghai Chair,

"The rapid development & adoption of ESG across the global community has been heartening to see. ESG can bridge divides across cultures, languages, businesses and hopefully geopolitics and I believe presents us with a unique opportunity to move business and society forward in a more sustainable way.

ESG has been in the past two years, and will continue to be, one of our Chamber's key areas moving forward to support our members and the wider business community. Through peer support and sharing of experience, knowledge and expertise, we aim to help develop an eco-system for ESG best practices in China and the global market."

ESG China Awards Chair, Board Member of Global Reporting Initiative, Dr Jianzhong Lu said,

"Although the Awards is a new & young programme set up in this challenging time, we have received 115 qualified applications from all over the country. From Beijing to Shanghai, Wuhan to Shenzhen and Hong Kong, the impressive applications representing diverse industry sectors. The outstanding applicants include both foreign-owned enterprises rooted in China and nearly 40% were from local Chinese businesses.

We are pleased to see that, regardless of the size of the company, the concept of sustainable development is more and more deeply integrated into corporate thinking, strategy and operation as well as closely combined with the major issues of China's economic and social environment. They have made new progress in corporate governance, low-carbon promotion, environmental protection, rural revitalisation, diversity and inclusion, including some admirable innovative achievements."

The winners are:





Employee Engagement ESG Campaign of the Year ESG Leader of the Year (Sponsor: The University of Manchester China

Centre) (Sponsor: Spirax Sarco) Reckitt China Corporate Leader: Jesper Jos Olsson,Group CEO,

Founding Partner, White Peak

SME Leader: Linian Li, Country Manager, Modern

Water Consumer Engagement ESG Campaign of the Year

Unilever (China) Company Limited





ESG Value Chain of the Year ESG Research & Ratings Provider of the Year (Sponsor: PwC) Zhongcai Green Index Consultant Co., Ltd. InResST Co., Ltd



ESG Consultancy of the Year ESG Environmental Product of the Year (Sponsor: Brookfield) (Sponsor: Smiths Group) Deloitte Nokia Shanghai Bell



ESG Legal Service Provider of the Year Investor Relations ESG Engagement and

Communication of the Year JunHe LLP (Sponsor: MioTech) ESG Investment Initiative of the Year Towngas Smart Energy Company Limited Brookfield



ESG Report of the Year ESG Innovative Product/Service of the Year (Sponsor: University of Nottingham Ningbo China)

Yum China Holdings, Inc. (Sponsor: International Business School Suzhou at

XJTLU )

FMC

Related: Awards Finalists. Gala Dinner photos.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1932413/Photo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/esg-china-awards-gala-celebrates-best-esg-practices-in-china-301662444.html
LONDON, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Approximately 500,000 children aged 5-16 are prone to bedwetting in the UK[1], yet the topic remains a taboo for 4 out of 5 (79%)[2] parents that are on this journey with their children. They often find discussing the subject openly, a challenge due to fear of judgement2. These feelings can lead to stress and worry, as both parent and child may not know where to turn for help. In fact, 85% of parents wish people spoke more openly about it2. To launch their new Ninjamas range of absorbent pyjama pants, designed to help manage bedwetting, Pampers is opening the conversation to help provide parents and children with the reassurance and comfort that they need on this topic.

Whilst most children outgrow bedwetting (medically known as Nocturnal Enuresis) by the time they are 5 years old, it may continue for some and can be more common than most people think. Bedwetting is the process of involuntary urination, which occurs when a child is asleep and is the 2nd most frequent condition experienced at childhood[3]. Despite this, over half (64%) of parents say that there is not enough information available to them on the topic2.

Times of big change can increase anxiety for children such as starting a new school year or returning to school after holidays. If you've tried to manage bedwetting with interventions at home and they are not working, or your child has started wetting the bed again after being dry for more than 6 months, or you're worried they may have an underlying medical condition, it is recommended that you speak to a healthcare professional.

Parents report that nearly two-thirds of children aged 3-12 feel embarrassed or ashamed (60%) about their bedwetting, leaving nearly half (49%) of their parents feeling helpless2. The feelings of being embarrassed or ashamed rises to 77% among children aged 8-122. The causes of bedwetting may vary from one child to another and can include genetic or psychological factors, the common denominator is that it's nobody's fault.

To kickstart an open, honest conversation amongst parents, Pampers is hosting a live discussion with parenting community, The Motherload. Bedwetting is one of the biggest parenting concerns expressed on forums but often parents are afraid to talk about it openly. This live stream panel discussion led by broadcaster Sarah-Jane Crawford, alongside pediatrician, television presenter and author, Dr Ranj Singh and founder Kate Dyson" aims to abate the fears, guilt and misconceptions surrounding bedwetting. Community case studies will also be shared as well as live questions, tips, and tricks to help parents effectively manage bedwetting in children. To join the live discussion head to the Motherload Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/wearethemotherload

Dr Ranj said, "Bedwetting is common and most children grow out of it. There can be several potential causes of bedwetting such as stress or genetics and although it can be can be upsetting for children and parents, there are ways to help manage it. This can include; establishing a good bedtime routine, spreading drinking out evenly throughout the day, reassuring your child that it's not their fault if they get upset to using waterproof mattress covers or using absorbing night-time underwear to manage bedwetting and renew self-confidence. There are also instances when further intervention such as a GP or specialist care is advised, including if interventions at home have not been successful. I'm looking forward to engaging with parents and answering their questions during the live discussion with The Motherload. Together, we can tackle the bedwetting taboo."

Nicole Hallak, Pampers Brand Director for UK and Ireland said; "Pampers are committed to making baby's world better and that doesn't stop as they grow. Children develop at different rates and may still need our support. If they are experiencing bedwetting, it's important for them, and their parents, to know that it's not their fault. By raising awareness on bedwetting and talking more openly, we can continue to ensure families feel supported, reassured and well-informed as they go through the bedwetting journey."

New Ninjamas Pyjama Pants are a medical device to help manage bedwetting. They are designed to offer up to 12 hours of protection for children aged 4-12 and feature a 360 FormFit Belt which flexes and stretches to fit older kids like regular underwear. Ninjamas are available in sizes 4-7 years and 8-12 years at most major retailer stores.

Claim your free pack/coupon https://www.pampers.co.uk/offers/free-ninjamas-coupon

Instagram:@PampersUK_IRE

Twitter:@Pampers_UK

PRESS CONTACTS:

emi.oneill@pgone.co.uk or pampersuk@mslgroup.com

About Pampers

At Pampers, we believe in the power of working together - with parents, experts and our valued partners - to make babies' world better, today and in the future. That's why, for more than 50 years, parents have trusted Pampers to care for babies' happy, healthy development. Pampers is a part of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) and is the #1-selling nappy worldwide. Every day, more than 25 million babies in 100 countries around the world wear Pampers. Pampers offers a complete range of nappies, wipes and training pants designed to provide protection and comfort for every stage of baby's development. Visit www.pampers.co.uk to learn more about Pampers products, our latest innovations and for a chance to win rewards.

Pampers, together we make babies' world better.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always, Ambi Pur, Ariel, Bold, Braun, Daz, Fairy, Febreze, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Lenor, Olay, Oral-B, Pampers, Pantene, Tampax, Venus and Vicks.

Although headquartered in the US, P&G was founded by an Englishman and an Irishman in 1837, our heritage lives on through the work of around 2500 people across 10 sites, including R&D Centres, Manufacturing Plants and Business sites, across the UK & Ireland.

Beyond our Purpose, Values & Principles, the foundation on which P&G was built and our guiding force for over 180 years, we aspire to be a force for good, and a force for growth. Through our citizenship priorities, we want to build a better world for all of us - inside and outside of P&G - free from gender bias, with equal voice and equal representation. Environmental sustainability is embedded into our business, and has been for decades, and we have a strong track record of delivering on our goals in this area. We support communities around the world through our people, our brands and our partners by delivering the comforts of home, health and hygiene.

To learn more about P&G UK and Ireland, our brands, and our Citizenship programmes, please visit our website, download our Northern Europe Citizenship Report, or follow us on our social channels (Twitter @PGUK and Instagram @pgukandireland)

[1] https://www.eric.org.uk/pages/category/bedwetting

[2] Research by Reputation Leaders in November 2021 among 505 UK parents of children age 3-12 years who have experienced bed wetting

[3] https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg111

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ninjamas-bedwetting-pyjama-pants-launch-in-the-uk-and-partner-with-dr-ranj-singh-to-help-tackle-the-bedwetting-taboo-301662450.html
The Annual General Meeting (hereinafter - the Meeting) of AB Linas Agro Group (hereinafter - the Company) was held on 28 October 2022.



The total number of the Company's shares is 160,394,398, the number of shares granting voting rights is 159,643,426, and the own shares in the amount of 750,972 acquired by the Company do not grant voting rights.

In total, 14 Company's shareholders, who owned Company shares at the end of the Accounting day of the Meeting (21 October 20221), participated in the Meeting, having 135,595,795 share votes, which amounted to 84.94 percent of the total number of the Company's share votes.

Twelve(12) duly filled General Voting Ballots were presented before the Meeting.

The CFO of the Company Mazvydas Sileika, deputizing Company's CEO, participated in the Meeting.

The quorum existed.

Decisions of the Meeting:

1. Presentation of the Company's Audit Committee Activity Report.

Presented (enclosed). No voting.



2. Presentation of the independent auditors' report.

Presented. No voting.



3. Presentation of the Consolidated Annual Report of the Company for the financial year 2021/2022.

Presented. No voting.



4. Approval of the Company's Remuneration Report.

Decision: Approve the Company's Remuneration Report.

Results of voting:

FOR - 135,595,795 votes (including 135,589,794 share votes of shareholders who voted in advance).

AGAINST - 0.

DID NOT VOTE - 0.



5. Approval of the consolidated and the Company's set of financial statements for the financial year ended 30 June 2022.

Decision: Approve the consolidated and the Company's set of financial statements for the financial year ended 30 June 2022.

Results of voting:

FOR - 135,595,795 votes (including 135,589,794 share votes of shareholders who voted in advance).

AGAINST - 0.

DID NOT VOTE - 0.



6. Approval of the Distribution of the Company's Profit (Loss).

Decision: Approve the Distribution of the Company's Profit (Loss):

1) Retained earnings - profit (loss) of the previous financial year at the end of the accounting financial year EUR 39,378,602 2) Net profit (loss) of the financial year EUR 12,131,783 3) The profit (loss) of the accounting financial year not recognized in the profit (loss) account - 4) The transfers from the reserves EUR 3,527,291 5) The shareholder's contributions to cover the losses of the Company (if shareholders decided to cover all or part of losses) - 6) The total profit (loss) available for appropriation EUR 55,037,676 7) The part of the profit allocated to the legal reserve EUR 606,589 8) The part of the profit allocated to the reserve of the own share acquisition - 9) The part of the profit allocated to the reserve of shares issue EUR 3,601,794 10) The part of the profit allocated to the other reserves - 11) The part of the profit allocated for the payment of dividends EUR 5,000,000* 12) The part of the profit allocated for payment of annual bonuses to the Board, employees and other purposes - 13) Retained earnings - profit at the end of the financial year carried forward to the next financial year EUR 45,829,293

* Dividends in the amount of EUR 5,000,000 are allocated for the financial year ended on 30 June 2022, which consist of EUR 0.0313 with taxes per one share of the Company (calculated without own shares acquired by the Company).

Results of voting:

FOR - 135,595,795 votes (including 135,589,794 share votes of shareholders who voted in advance).

AGAINST - 0.

DID NOT VOTE - 0.



7. Increase the Company's share capital.

Decision:

7.1. Under provisions of AB Linas Agro Group rules for shares issue, to increase the share capital of the Company from EUR 46,514,375.42 up to EUR 46,714,920.57, by issuing 691,535 ordinary registered book-entry shares with the par value of EUR 0.29 and issue price of each share equal to EUR 0.705, issued for the purpose of granting shares of the Company free of charge to the employees and/or members of the Company's corporate bodies (the New Shares).

7.2. Establish that the total issue price of all New Shares equals EUR 487,532.18, of which EUR 200,545.15 shall be the nominal value of the New Shares, and EUR 286,987.03 shall be the share premium.

7.3. Establish that the New Shares are granted free of charge, and they are paid by the Company from the reserve set up by the Company for shares issue.

7.4. Establish that right to subscribe and acquire the New Shares free of charge shall be granted to the employees and/or members of the corporate bodies of the Company who have concluded the Share Option Agreement of the Company in 2018 and accordingly in 2022 have submitted a notice to the Company regarding the use of the option (the Option Holders). The list of Option Holders, who are entitled to acquire the New Shares is not published to ensure the protection of personal data.

7.5. Authorize (including the power to delegate) the Chief Executive Officer of the Company to sign share subscription agreements with the Option Holders.

Results of voting:

FOR - 135,595,795 votes (including 135,589,794 share votes of shareholders who voted in advance).

AGAINST - 0.

DID NOT VOTE - 0.



8. Revocation of the pre-emption right of all shareholders of the Company to acquire the newly issued shares to grant shares of the Company free of charge to the employees and/or members of the Company's corporate bodies.

Decision. Considering that the Company seeks to grant shares of the Company free of charge to the employees and/or members of the corporate bodies of the Company who have concluded the Share Option Agreement of the Company and have submitted a notice to the Company regarding the use of the option, to revoke pre-emption right of all shareholders of the Company to acquire the New Shares.

Results of voting:

FOR - 135,595,795 votes (including 135,589,794 share votes of shareholders who voted in advance).

AGAINST - 0.

DID NOT VOTE - 0.



9. Approval of terms and conditions regarding the payment of the subscribed shares.

Decision:

9.1. Establish that each Option Holder to whom a right to subscribe for a certain number of the New Shares has been granted shall be informed hereof by the Head of the Company upon signing within 10 (ten) business days from the date of the resolutions adopted by the Meeting.

9.2. Establish that the Option Holders shall have a right to subscribe for a certain number of the New Shares by concluding a share subscription agreement with the Company within 30 (thirty) days from the date of the resolutions adopted by the Meeting.

9.3. If during the period for the subscription of the New Shares, not all the New Shares are subscribed, the share capital of the Company may be increased by the amount of the nominal values of the New Shares that have been subscribed.

9.4. Details of terms and conditions regarding the payment by the Company for the New Shares shall be provided in the share subscription agreement of the New Shares.

Results of voting:

FOR - 135,595,795 votes (including 135,589,794 share votes of shareholders who voted in advance).

AGAINST - 0.

DID NOT VOTE - 0.



10. Election of the Company's Board members.

Decision:

10.1. To remove the Board of the Company.

10.2. To elect to the Board of the Company for a new 4 (four) year term:

1) Andrius Pranckevicius;

2) Arunas Zubas;

3) Dainius Pilkauskas;

4) Darius Zubas;

5) Jonas Baksys;

6) Mazvydas Sileika.

None of the candidates is considered independent.

Results of voting:

Each candidate received the same number of electoral votes - 135,595,795 votes (including 135,589,794 early votes).

FOR - 135,595,795 votes (including 135,589,794 share votes of shareholders who voted in advance).

AGAINST - 0.

DID NOT VOTE - 0.



11. Approval of a new wording of the Articles of Association of the Company.

Decision:

11.1. Taking into account the increase of the share capital of the Company, the change in the number of the Board members, and the formation of the Supervisory Board, to amend the Articles of Association of the Company and approve a new wording of the Articles of Association (enclosed).

11.2. Authorize (including the power to delegate) the Chief Executive Officer of the Company to announce the Register of Legal Entities of the Republic of Lithuania about the decision to increase the share capital of the Company, to sign the new wording of the Articles of Association of the Company and to register them with the Register of Legal Entities of the Republic of Lithuania pursuant to the procedure under law, as well to perform other actions provided in the Law On Securities of the Republic of Lithuania and other applicable laws, and to sign other documents associated with the implementation of the resolutions adopted herein.

Results of voting:

FOR - 135,595,795 votes (including 135,589,794 share votes of shareholders who voted in advance).

AGAINST - 0.

DID NOT VOTE - 0.



12. Election of the Company's Supervisory Board members and determination of remuneration.

Decision:

12.1. To elect members of the Supervisory Board of the Company for 4 (four) year term: [three members].

1) Arunas Bartusevicius (independent member);

2) Carsten Hjland (independent member);

3) Tomas Tumenas.





12.2. Set the annual remuneration fund to the Supervisory Board in the amount of EUR 70,000 (seventy thousand euros).

12.3. Authorize (including the power to delegate) the Chief Executive Officer of the Company to sign Supervisory Board membership agreements with elected members of the Supervisory Board.

Results of voting:

Each candidate received the same number of votes - 134,875,458 votes (of which 134,869,457 votes were cast in advance), and 720,337 early votes were not cast.

Voting results for clauses 12.2 and 12.3:

FOR - 135,595,795 votes (including 135,589,794 share votes of shareholders who voted in advance).

AGAINST - 0.

DID NOT VOTE - 0.



13. Election of the Company's Audit Committee members, determination of remuneration, and approval of the Regulations of the Audit Committee.

Decision:

13.1. To approve the Regulations of the Audit Committee (enclosed);

13.2. To elect members of the Audit Committee of the Company for a new term of office of 4 (four) years:

1) Irma Antanaitiene;

2) Lukas Kuraitis (independent member);

3) Skaiste Malevskiene (independent member).





13.3. To set the annual salary to each member of the Audit Committee: EUR 800 (eight hundred euros) to the Chairman of the Audit Committee, and EUR 600 (six hundred euros) to the member of the Audit Committee.

Results of voting:

FOR - 135,595,795 votes (including 135,589,794 share votes of shareholders who voted in advance).

AGAINST - 0.

DID NOT VOTE - 0.



14. Approval of the Remuneration Policy.

Decision. To approve AB Linas Agro Group Remuneration Policy (enclosed).

Results of voting:

FOR - 135,595,795 votes (including 135,589,794 share votes of shareholders who voted in advance).

AGAINST - 0.

DID NOT VOTE - 0.



15. Approval of the Rules on granting shares.

Decision:

15.1. To change AB Linas Agro Group Rules for share issue and approve its new wording (enclosed).

15.2. To authorize the Head of the Company to ensure proper implementation of the Rules for shares issue.

Results of voting:

FOR - 135,595,795 votes (including 135,589,794 share votes of shareholders who voted in advance).

AGAINST - 0.

DID NOT VOTE - 0.

For more information, please contact:

Mazvydas Sileika

CFO of AB Linas Agro Group

Mob. +370 619 19 403

E-mail m.sileika@linasagro.lt

Attachments
MADRID, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Brussels has become alert to Algeria's moves to further strengthen its ties with Russia and Iran. According to a study by the Instituto Coordenadas de Gobernanza y Economia Aplicada based on sources in the European Parliament, a large group of MEPs have warned that Algeria continues to violate human rights, as well as revealing that the African country could provide the Polisario Front with Iranian drones, which could be used against Morocco, thus increasing geopolitical tension in the area.

In a question in the European Parliament, Spanish MEP Antonio Lopez-Isturiz (EPP) said that a representative of the Polisario Front claimed that Iran will supply drones to the Polisario Front and asked what measures the EU will take to prevent the use of these drones and the escalation of conflicts in the region, asking about measures to prevent Iran from entering the Sahara and Sahel regions.

The use of such equipment in Western Sahara poses a serious risk to the already fragile security and stability of the region and the Sahel. Iran's influence in the region poses a clear risk to the 1991 UN ceasefire agreement and jeopardises the peace process, the work of the UN mission in Western Sahara and the diplomatic efforts of the UN Secretary-General's personal envoy to establish new talks with the parties. Further instability in the Sahara and the Sahel will negatively affect European security, especially those in the Mediterranean arc.

The Coordinates Institute's analysis also warns of joint Russian-Algerian naval manoeuvres, with warships from both countries, in the Mediterranean, which the Algerian government confirmed earlier this week.

The manoeuvres are in addition to other military exercises carried out by both countries in the past, both in the Caucasus and in Siberia. The Algerian army and the Russian army are also scheduled to carry out manoeuvres in the desert of the North African country in November.

Several MEPs from the European People's Party have submitted a written question to the Commission on these joint military manoeuvres. In the wake of Putin's invasion of Ukraine and against a background of increasing insecurity in the Sahel and Sahara regions, this military collaboration, according to the parliamentary question, "is extremely worrying not only for peace and security, but also for the interests of the West and the European Union".

The assessment also includes the letter that a group of MEPs have sent to the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, in which they warn that the Algerian regime is systematically acting against human rights and basic freedoms by persecuting activists who demand freedom and transparency.

Coordenadas Vice-President believes that now is the time to call for intense political and diplomatic action by Europe in the conflict, with one voice. Failure to confront this geopolitical reality now will be a serious problem in the very near future.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/instituto-de-coordenadas-report-warns-of-geopolitical-tension-in-algeria-and-of-its-close-ties-with-putin-and-iran-301662475.html




Prosecutors questioned former ICT Minister You Young-min on Friday as part of an investigation into allegations that while in office, he forced the head of a ministry-affiliated institution to resign.







The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors Office summoned You on suspicion of forcing Lim Ki-chul, a former chief of the Korea Institute of ST Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP), to step down in 2017, even though about two years were left in Lim's term.







You was the preceding Moon Jae-in administration's first minister of science and ICT from 2017 to 2019.







The questioning came as an investigation expanded into what is dubbed the "blacklist scandal" that centers on allegations that the Moon administration forced the resignation of heads of several state agencies who were appointed under the preceding Park Geun-hye government.







Earlier, prosecutors raided the Ministry of Science and ICT in Sejong and two state institutions under the ministry, including the KISTEP headquarters.







The then-main opposition Liberty Korea Party, a predecessor of the now ruling People Power Party, lodged a criminal complaint against former ranking officials and several former ministers. (Yonhap)














CHICAGO, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aminophenol Market size is estimated to be USD 1.4 Billion in 2022 and projected to reach USD 1.7 Billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 4.0% during the forecast period according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The market for aminophenol has experienced significant growth, primarily due to the increase in demand of paracetamol and growth in demand from end-use industries such as pharmaceutical, chemical, and cosmetic. Moreover, the growing focus on precession medicine will drive the demand of aminophenol in the near future.





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The p-aminophenol segment is likely to hold a larger share of the aminophenol market during the forecast period.

Due to the increased demand for p-aminophenol in the manufacturing of paracetamol and other drugs, the aminophenol market for p-aminophenol is expected to have the largest share during the forecast period. P-Aminophenol or PAP is also known as 4-aminophenol or p-aminophenol. It is utilized as a developer, intermediate, raw material, and reagent with a wide range of applications in azo dyes, drugs (paracetamol), acid dyes, sulfur dyes, fur dyes, antioxidants, petroleum additives, etc. PAP is the key chemical required to produce paracetamol, an analgesic and antipyretic drug. China is the major producer of PAP. A large portion of Indi's demand for PAP is met through imports from China. The uncertainty in India-China relations would affect the supply and price of this material. India is one the major user of p-aminophenol and is the second-largest market for PAP products after China.

The pharmaceutical segment is likely to be the largest end-use industry in the aminophenol market during the forecast period.

In the pharmaceutical industry, p-aminophenol is used as a precursor in the manufacturing of paracetamol. In addition to paracetamol, it is a key element in the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), such as acebutolol, ambroxol, gefitinib, sorafenib, and many others. The rising population across the globe and rising awareness of pain management are the factors fuelling the growth of the aminophenol market in the pharmaceutical industry.

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The synthesis precursor segments were the largest application of aminophenol during the forecast period.

Synthesis precursors are mainly used in the pharmaceutical industry. The major use of aminophenols is in the synthesis of precursors. The derivative of aminophenols have important usage in the photographic and pharmaceutical industries. They are widely used as precursors in synthesizing more complicated molecules, especially those used in the staining and dye industry.

Rapid economic growth in China and India is expected to propel the Asia-Pacific aminophenol market in the coming years. Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to be the fastest-growing market for aminophenol systems during the forecast period. The aminophenol market has enormous potential in the APAC region, and it is anticipated that the economy of the Asia Pacific countries, such as China and India, is growing rapidly. South Asian countries, such as Indonesia, Taiwan, and South Korea, are also witnessing fast growth. These economies present high growth opportunities for players in the aminophenol market. The primary driver behind their growth is the increasing population, increasing prosperity, and improving longevity.

A few of the key players in the aminophenol market are Wego Chemical Group (US), Parchem (US), CDH Fine Chemicals (India), Glentham Life Sciences Ltd (England), EMCO Dyetuff Pvt Ltd. (India), Loba Chemie (India), Taixing Yangzi Pharm Chemical CO., LTD. (China), Liaoning Shixing Pharmaceutical & Chemical CO., Ltd. (China), and Anhui Bayi Chemical Industry Co. Ltd. (China) among others.

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HEILBRONN, Germany, Oct. 28, 2022 The global IT company has begun entering the Romanian market on a full-scale. With this, local brands and publishers will gain access to the company's tools, gain a broader range of revenue channels, increase brand awareness, establish long-term business partnerships, and improve key business metrics.





Admitad develops and invests in advertising and monetization technologies, partner services, money management solutions, media buying and SmartShopping services. Now the company unites more than 30 thousand advertisers and tens of thousands of publishers from all over the world.

In this time of economic uncertainty, the CPA Cost per Action model - orders, installations and applications - is especially attractive for companies in Eastern Europe. It provides brands with the opportunity to clearly plan their advertising budgets, test new sales channels without risk, and generate additional revenue.

Over the past few years, Admitad has been studying the Romanian market and has noticed the growing demand for affiliate marketing tools. Exodus of Ukrainian partners abroad and company scaling are also significant reasons for entering new markets. With a significant share of the affiliate marketing market in Ukraine, the company plans to bring to Romania the best tools and practices of this industry.

Previously, the Admitad team has already worked with the local audience and saw a huge potential in local buyers and brands. The company managed to achieve excellent results in cooperation with competitors of Romanian partners that are close to Admitad geographically and are focussed on the digital industries and e-commerce. There are a number of well-known brands affiliated with Admitad that are familiar to Romanian consumers, including Aliexpress, Revolut, among others. Using Admitad tools, they generate a 40% to 120% growth in local sales on average per year.

"Admitad will continue to strengthen its positions in Eastern Europe, and it is the most experienced Ukrainian team that will lead this process. This team will be able to apply all the accumulated expertise in working with Romanian brands and online stores. First of all, the Admitad Partner Network and the Instant Payout service will become available in new markets," says Alexander Krivosheev, head of the Partner Network in the CIS.

Admitad accelerates the growth of medium and large businesses, as well as helps small businesses grow.

We invite you to send an application to welcome@admitad.com if you are interested in testing customer acquisition through affiliate marketing. Our team of experts will consult with you and recommend how affiliate marketing can be effective for your business, and how you can begin implementing it.

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EQS-News: ADM Energy PLC / Key word(s): Miscellaneous

Subscription Update and Issue of Equity



28.10.2022 / 17:00 GMT/BST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF EU REGULATION 596/2014 (WHICH FORMS PART OF DOMESTIC UK LAW PURSUANT TO THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018). UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. 28 October 2022 ADM Energy PLC ("ADM" or the "Company") Subscription Update and Issue of Equity Following the Company's announcement on 17 October 2022, ADM Energy PLC (AIM: ADME; BER and FSE: P4JC), a natural resources investing company, is pleased to advise that the balance of the subscription proceeds of 400,000 (the "Subscription") from Tennessee Black Gold LLC ("Tennessee Black Gold" or the "Subscriber") has been provided in full. The Subscription As per the terms of the subscription agreement, the Company has raised 500,000 net through the issue of 41,666,667 new ordinary shares ("Subscription Shares") to Tennessee Black Gold at a subscription price of 1.2 pence per share, which will represent 14.0% per cent of the Company's enlarged issued share capital on Admission (defined below). In addition, as set out in the Company's announcement of 17 October 2022, the Subscriber has additionally agreed to provide to the Company a loan facility of $250,000.00, to be advanced in five monthly instalments of US$50,000.00 each. The first instalment of the loan is in the process of being remitted and expected to be received shortly. Directorate Change In addition, the Company announces that with the subscription now completing, Osa Okhomina will step down from the Board of Directors and his position as Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") from the end of October. The Company is continuing the recruitment process for a new CEO and will update the market in due course. Admission and Total Voting Rights Application has been made for the the Subscription Shares, which total 41,666,667 new ordinary shares and which rank pari passu with the Company's existing ordinary shares, to be admitted to trading on AIM ("Admission"). It is expected that Admission of the Subscription Shares will become effective and that dealings will commence at 08.00 am on or around 4 November 2022. Following Admission, the Company's enlarged issued share capital will comprise 297,147,530 ordinary shares of 0.01 each with voting rights in the Company. This figure may be used by shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change in the interest in, the share capital of the Company under the FCA's Disclosure and Transparency Rules. Enquiries: ADM Energy plc +44 20 7459 4718 Oliver Andrews, Chairman www.admenergyplc.com Cairn Financial Advisers LLP +44 20 7213 0880 (Nominated Adviser) Jo Turner, James Caithie Hybridan LLP +44 20 3764 2341 (Broker) Claire Louise Noyce

ODDO BHF Corporates & Markets AG

+49 69 920540 (Designated Sponsor) Michael B. Thiriot Gracechurch Group +44 20 4582 3500 (Financial PR) Harry Chathli, Alexis Gore, Henry Gamble About ADM Energy PLC ADM Energy PLC (AIM: ADME; BER and FSE: P4JC) is a natural resources investing company with an existing asset base in Nigeria. ADM Energy holds a 9.2% profit interest in the oil producing Aje Field, part of OML 113, which covers an area of 835km offshore Nigeria. Aje has multiple oil, gas, and gas condensate reservoirs in the Turonian, Cenomanian and Albian sandstones with five wells drilled to date. ADM Energy is seeking to build on its existing asset base in Nigeria and target other investment opportunities across the West African region in the oil and gas sector with attractive risk reward profiles such as proven nature of reserves, level of historic investment, established infrastructure and route to early cash flow. About Tennessee Black Gold LLC Tennessee Black Gold LLC is a private U.S. investment company led by Claudio Coltellini, an Italian national who for the last 13 years has invested in U.S. oil and gas and leads four private companies with assets in the states Texas, Louisiana, Kansas and California. Forward Looking Statements Certain statements in this announcement, are, or may be deemed to be, forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are identi?ed by their use of terms and phrases such as "believe", "could", "should", "envisage', "estimate", "intend", "may", "plan", "potentially", "expect", "will" or the negative of those, variations or comparable expressions, including references to assumptions. These forward looking statements are not based on historical facts but rather on the Directors' current expectations and assumptions regarding the Company's future growth, results of operations, performance, future capital and other expenditures (including the amount, nature and sources of funding thereof), competitive advantages, business prospects and opportunities. Such forward looking statements re?ect the Directors' current beliefs and assumptions and are based on information currently available to the Directors. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

28.10.2022 GMT/BST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.eqs-news.com


This leading funds provider for small - mid businesses wants them to know, that they have their back during the economic slowdown

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - October 28, 2022) - Clara Capital, a leading business capital provider, has decided to express solidarity with small businesses in the country by keeping its rates consistent for the next year. The company wants to make capital more accessible for businesses when they are expected to need it the most.

Small and mid size businesses have been struggling since the FED decided to raise benchmark rates which have directly affected the cost of their business operations.

The company believes this decision will show its commitment to its customers who won't have to delay their business objectives due to expensive money and uncertainty of economic volatility. By partnering with Clara Capital, businesses can continue to rely on their stable rates and flexible terms to meet payroll and fund growth projects.

Thanks to their business-friendly policies, Clara Capital LLC has been able to establish relationships with more than 700 small and mid size businesses in 2022. Their comprehensive portfolio of financial products includes equipment financing for critical assets, 4-5-year term loans for working capital and upcoming projects, or lines of credit ranging from $100,000 to $1,500,000.

A spokesperson for the company said, "With rumors of a financial crisis growing, other lenders have started to raise rates to take advantage of the situation. However, at Clara Capital LLC, the belief is that now is the time to stand by our clients and provide them with the reliable financing they need."

He went on to add, "If we were to raise rates consistent with most of the larger financial institutions, many of our SMBs would lose the ability to properly forecast and operate their business, likely leading to more drastic decisions. Our consistent rates will help our partners to weather the storm. We hope that by holding steady, we can help them succeed during these challenging times."

Clara Capital has a large clientele in diverse industries such as construction, trucking, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail, among others. Businesses interested in receiving funding can contact the representatives at Clara Capital LLC using the information mentioned below. They can also learn more about the application process at their website.

About the Company

Clara Capital LLC is a leading financial service company and private lender based in Long Island, NY. They have a history of working with entrepreneurs in construction, trucking, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and various other industries.

Contact information

https://www.linkedin.com/company/clara-capital-llc

https://www.facebook.com/ClaraCapitalNY/

support@claracap.com

www.claracap.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/142304
Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - October 28, 2022) - Elixxer Ltd. (TSXV: ELXR) ("Elixxer" or the "Company") announces the resignation of its auditors, Baker Tilly WM LLP ("Baker"). Baker resigned on their own initiative, which resignation has been reviewed by the Company's board. Baker has advised that its resignation is a business decision of such firm and has confirmed that there are no reportable events, "disagreements" or "unresolved issues" (as those terms are defined in National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations) in connection with the change of auditor. Elixxer is commencing the process to engage a replacement auditor for the 2022 fiscal year.

About Elixxer Ltd.

Elixxer is a Canadian public company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: ELXR) and the US OTC-QB exchange (OTCQB: ELIXF).

For further information please contact:

Ferras Zalt, Chairman and Interim CEO: +44 20 7409 6680; ferras@elixxer.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements with respect to Elixxer and its operations, strategy, investments, financial performance and condition. These statements can generally be identified by use of forward-looking words such as "may", "will", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intends", "believe" or "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. The actual results and performance of Elixxer could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Some important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include, among other things, general economic and market factors, competition, government regulation and the factors described under "Risk Factors and Risk Management" in Elixxer's most recent Management's Discussion and Analysis filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). The cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements attributable to Elixxer and persons acting on its behalf. Unless otherwise stated, all forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Elixxer has no obligation to update such statements, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/142323
Uoffer is a North American Job Seeking Platform. Recently, it held an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum at MIT University Campus, where different speakers were invited to shed light on career planning.

Santa Clara, California--(Newsfile Corp. - October 28, 2022) - Uoffer is an established North American one-stop job-seeking platform. In the latest development, the company co-organized the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum on 14th October 2022 with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Uoffer was established three years ago, before covid. It has helped students throughout the job hunt and career planning during a pandemic.

Considering the objectives, the events were attended by several industry leaders and guests who provided in-depth keynote speeches; the round-table dialog session teeming with insights also appealed to overseas students and job seekers, attracting unprecedented engagement and discussion. The platform integrates higher education resources in the east of the U.S. as a gathering ground for young scholars in the technological field and engineering, with a vision of building an educational and communication platform for young scholars in overseas technology/education.





Yisu Jin, Founder and CEO of Uoffer, Interacted with Participants during the Event



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8621/141856_2ebc8de984c57932_003full.jpg

The founder of Uoffer, Yisu Jin, shared his entrepreneurial experience and insights from decades in the Internet industry. Yisu Jin is also the founder and CEO of Intellipro Group and SVLC. Regarding the job-seeking trends this year in North America, he proposed his thoughts about finding a job at big tech companies. From leveraging the job-seeking data of IntelliPro, he analyzed the opportunities and breakthrough points for finding tech positions in the USA. He restated his vision about the future of Uoffer: to empower more trainees to get successfully hired by big techs in North America through accurate services.

The event attracted numerous figures from senior Chinese engineers from Silicon Valley and New York Chinese managers and CEOs. The career planning specialists for overseas students contributed to the discussion of innovation and entrepreneurship trends in 2023 among overseas students and the potential and characteristics of career education in the post-COVID era.

Furthermore, Zhengze Zhou, a new employee at Meta, discussed the advantages of seeking a doctoral education from his experience as a tech Ph.D. He offered insights about how to cope with interviews held by tech giants, overcome technical difficulties, and find critical points by utilizing their prowess as students with a science and engineering background. Concerning the highly debated question of balancing academic studies and profession, he also shared his input and gained a broad consensus.





Yisu Jin, Founder and CEO of Uoffer, Shared His Own Career Experience & Presence of Numerous Prestigious Guest Speakers



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8621/141856_2ebc8de984c57932_004full.jpg

Another speaker was Xiao Yu, who was a career planner. As a senior tech lead manager at Google, he discussed the promotion mechanism of high-tech companies in Silicon Valley. As a result, it drew significant interest among participants, allowing them to gain deeper insights into companies of this kind and set more effective job-seeking goals.

In addition, the round table dialog was arranged, which was the crucial part of the Forum. It was organized by Huan Li, an expert with 18 years of experience in career counseling and development planning who also served as the presider of the Forum. He guests to join a dialog teeming with helpful information.

The Forum built a platform allowing for sharing valuable information and experience, in-depth communication of inside information, and inspiration of ideas. Apart from expressing their satisfaction with the form, participants also early looked forward to more helpful information from Uoffer.

Consequently, participants discussed workplace newcomers' challenges and how to break the "career dilemma" network and effectively prepare for spring and autumn recruitments, helping them tackle all kinds of workplace puzzles.

About Uoffer

Uoffer is a subsidiary of Intellipro Group, a leading human resources group in North America. With a talent and job resources network, Uoffer is committed to providing global trainers with professional career development, consultation, and occupational training services. The company has helped over 2000 students to find their dream jobs.

Upholding a meticulous attitude, the team of Uoffer career development consultation and occupational skill training in areas ranging from computer science, data science, artificial intelligence, finance, management consultation, business analysis, FMCG, and culturally creative. Every year, the company helps thousands of trainees get hired in Silicon Valley and industry-leading companies.

To learn more about the Uoffer, visit the following: www.uoffer.com/en

Media Details:

Business Name: Uoffer

Company Contact: Cate Li

Company Email: business@uoffer.com

Company Website: www.uoffer.com/en

City and Country: SANTA CLARA, US

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/141856
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Oil prices drifted lower on Friday as worries about outlook for energy demand resurfaced due to increased Covid-19 restrictions in parts of China. According to a release from China's National Health Commission, the country saw 1,506 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday, up from 1,264 new cases on Wednesday. Following the surge in cases, fresh lockdowns hae been imposed in several cities in China, maintaining the country's Covid Zero policy which has contributed to the reduction of economic activity in the world's largest importer of crude. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for December ended lower by $1.18 or about 1.3% at $87.90 a barrel. WTI crude futures gained more than 3% in the week. Brent crude futures were down $1.05 or 1.1% at 93.99 a barrel a little while ago. Traders also reacted to the IMF's forecast that says China's growth will likely slow to 3.2% this year, down 1.2 points from the agency's April projection. China had logged an 8.1% growth last year. Traders now look ahead to the update from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) about its long-time oil demand forecasts, due on Monday. A report from Baker Hughes today showed the number of total active drilling rigs in the United States fell 3 this week. The total rig count slipped to 768 this week, 224 rigs higher than the rig count this time last year. Oil rigs in the United States fell 2 this week, to 610, while gas rigs fell 1 to 156. Miscellaneous rigs stayed the same at 2. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 28, 2022 / The Power Play by The Market Herald has announced the release of new interviews with NioCorp, Datametrex AI and Giga Metals discussing their latest news.

The Power Play by The Market Herald provides investors with a quick snapshot of what they need to know about the company's latest press release through exclusive insights and interviews with company executives.

NioCorp Developments (TSX:NB) demonstration plant achieves phase 1 milestone

NioCorp's (NB) demonstration-scale processing plant in Quebec has demonstrated its planned process for removing calcium and magnesium from ore. The result is a key milestone in NioCorp's proposed optimization of its process flow sheet. NioCorp CEO Mark Smith sat down with Daniella Atkinson to discuss the new.

For the full interview with Mark Smith and to learn about NioCorp, click here.

Datametrex AI (TSXV:DM) subsidiary Nexalogy developing AI driven mental health detection tool

Datametrex AI (DM) subsidiary, Nexalogy Environics, is developing an artificial intelligence and machine learning tool to detect depression and anxiety. Marshall Gunter, CEO of Datametrex, sat down with Sabrina Cuthbert to discuss the news.

For the full interview with Marshall Gunter and to learn about Datametrex AI, click here.

Giga Metals (TSXV:GIGA) resource estimate almost doubles in size

Giga Metals Corp. (GIGA) updated its mineral resource estimate for the Turnagain Project, which increased by 42 per cent. The increase is based on an additional 15 drill holes over 6,295 metres drilled in 2021. As a result, the measured plus indicated nickel-copper resources have grown. The inferred resources have also grown due to the volumes of the ultimate conceptual pit being expanded. CEO Mark Jarvis sat down with Sabrina Cuthbert to discuss the news.

For the full interview with Mark Jarvis and to learn about Giga Metals Corp., click here.

Interviews for The Power Play by The Market Herald are released daily. To learn more about the companies featured in The Power Play or to explore our other interviews visit? The Power Play by The Market Herald.

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The Market Herald Canada is the leading source of authoritative breaking stock market news for self-directed investors. Our team of Canadian markets reporters, editors and technologists covers the entire listed company universe in Canada. We cover over 3,985 businesses, their people, their investors, and their customers. We write the stories that move the Canadian capital markets.

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View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/722933/The-Power-Play-by-The-Market-Herald-Releases-New-Interviews-with-NioCorp-Datametrex-AI-and-Giga-Metals-Discussing-Their-Latest-News
EQS Voting Rights Announcement: QIAGEN N.V.

QIAGEN N.V.: Release according to Article 40, Section 1 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act] with the objective of Europe-wide distribution



28.10.2022 / 22:02 CET/CEST

Dissemination of a Voting Rights Announcement transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The AFM (the Netherlands Authority For the Financial Markets has informed us on October 25, 2022 that a notification related to our institution has been released by the AFM. The following notification has been disclosed in the relevant register on the AFM website: Date of transaction: 20 oct 2022 Person obliged to notify: UBS Group AG Issuing institution: Qiagen N.V. Registration Chamber of Commerce: 12036979 Place of residence: VENLO Distribution in numbers Type of share Number of shares Number of voting rights Capital interest Voting rights Manner of disposal Settlement Ordinary share 2.520.599,00 2.520.573,79 Real Real Indirectly - UBS AG, UBS Asset Management (Americas Inc., UBS Asset Management (Australia Ltd., UBS Asset Management (Deutschland GmbH, UBS Asset Management (Singapore Ltd., UBS Asset Management (UK Limited, UBS Asset Management Life Limited, UBS Fund Management Physical Delivery Ordinary share 1.469.620,00 1.469.605,30 Potential Potential Indirectly - UBS AG, UBS Financial Services Inc., UBS Securities LLC, UBS Switzerland AG Physical Delivery Convertible note 687.842,00 687.842,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - UBS AG, UBS Fund Management (Luxembourg S.A., UBS Fund Management (Switzerland AG, UBS Third Party Management Company S.A. Physical Delivery Call-option 20.000,00 20.000,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - UBS AG Physical Delivery Swap 2.339.056,00 2.339.056,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - UBS AG In cash Distribution in percentages Type Total holding Directly real Directly potential Indirectly real Indirectly potential Capital interest 3,05 % 0,00 % 0,00 % 1,09 % 1,96 % Voting rights 3,05 % 0,00 % 0,00 % 1,09 % 1,96 % QIAGEN N.V. is not responsible for the accuracy and correctness of the notification above. The content has been taken from the relevant register of the AFM: https://www.afm.nl/en/professionals/registers/meldingenregisters/substantiele-deelnemingen/details?id=132510

28.10.2022 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.eqs-news.com


Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 28, 2022) - Quantum Battery Metals Corp. (CSE: QBAT) (OTC Pink: BRVVF) (FSE: 23B0) ("Quantum" or the "Company") announces that it is actively searching for further Lithium and Cobalt properties within North America. As the Company enters the 2022 4th quarter, management has received several proposals from third parties to work with the Company. Due to the increased demand of electric vehicles and technology requiring lithium batteries and the influx of interest in Quantum, the Company believes it is best to continue its expansive plan to outreach and obtain more lithium and cobalt properties for its portfolio. The Company already has three lithium and three cobalt properties that are active and being currently explored thoroughly. Quantum expects to continue its streak of exploration plans leading into the 2023 spring season.

The shortages of electric battery raw materials are projected throughout the world to happen by 2027 following a shortage of EV batteries. The increase of EV production plants and the advancement of technology for processing the EV batteries will only hasten the time before there's a scarcity of raw materials. With an increase of 42.5% of annual sales of electric vehicles in Canada from 2020 to 2021, it is certain that electric vehicles will be the standard going forward.

Quantum Battery's plan is to acquire several more properties by the end of next year to guarantee the possibility of becoming a large raw battery metals supplier. The Company is drafting their plan for 2023's expansive exploration program and plans to use all 6 of their properties to its fullest potential.

"The Company is gearing towards larger plans in the next upcoming quarter. We have seen a successful 2022 exploration program and have proven we can handle several properties at a time through proper budgeting and time management. We are looking to acquire more Lithium and Cobalt Properties within Quebec and Ontario respectively but are certainly open to acquiring any battery metal projects within an ethical sourced region," states Marc Momeni, CEO.

QUANTUM BATTERY METALS CORP.

"Marc Momeni"

_______________________

Marc Momeni, CEO and Director

Contact Information:

400 - 837 West Hastings Street

Vancouver, British Columbia

V6C 3N6

Phone: 604.629.2936

Email: Info@quantumbatterymetals.com

Forward-Looking Information: This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements." All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Quantum Battery Metals Corp. (the "Company") expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/142319
Key officials of the former Moon Jae-in administration hold a press conference on the 2020 death of a South Korean fisheries official at the hands of North Korea at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Oct. 27. Yonhap



Top officials of the previous Moon Jae-in administration accused the current government of using the 2020 death of a South Korean fisheries official by North Korea as a tool for political retaliation, claiming the Moon administration did not manipulate the case.



The Moon administration has been accused of concluding without sufficient evidence that the fisheries official, Lee Dae-jun, was killed while attempting to defect to North Korea in what critics say was part of efforts to curry favor with Pyognyang.



Former Defense Minister Suh Wook and former Coast Guard Commissioner General Kim Hong-hee were arrested over the past weekend on document fabrication and other charges. Other top officials could face charges in the expanding investigation.



Earlier this month, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) announced the result of its two-month inspection into the Moon government's handling of the case and requested the prosecution investigate 20 people from five government agencies involved in the case.



On Thursday, former presidential chief of staff Noh Young-min, former National Intelligence Service Director Park Jie-won and former national security adviser Suh Hoon held a joint press conference, claiming they reached the conclusion through rational reasoning and accusing the auditor of distorting the truth.



"Special intelligence at the time showed Lee expressing his intention to defect to the North ... How can including this intelligence in our judgment be a manipulation?" they said.



"We cannot imagine making groundless manipulations over a citizen's life and honor," Suh said.



The officials also denied allegations the then government did not do enough to save Lee, saying it.



The current government should provide clear grounds and judgment on why Lee disappeared if it believes otherwise, they said, adding they had no reason or benefit to manipulate the case. (Yonhap)






Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - October 28, 2022) - Silk Road Energy Inc. (TSXV: SLK), doing business under the name of Record Gold, is providing clarification on the description of its Four-Nations Grenfell gold property.

The agreement enables Record Gold to earn a 100 percent interest in two "claim-blocks" in the Grenfell Township, Ontario, and 13 "claim-cells", which make up three "claim-blocks" in aggregate in the vicinity of Kenogami Lake, Ontario. No finder's fee was paid or is payable pursuant to this acquisition.

The above description of the assets clarifies the previous description disclosed in the both the April 20 and October 26, 2022 news releases.

The Company is also providing additional information on its recently completed private placement:

The Company reports that it has closed its non-brokered private placement previously announced on October 25, 2021. Additional funds in the amount of $12,000 were generated from the issuance of 200,000 Units, in which each Unit consists of one common share of the Company and one common share purchase warrant at $0.06 per Unit in this third and final tranche. Each warrant will entitle the holder to acquire a common share at $0.12 per warrant for twelve (12) months following the issuance of Warrants. The terms of this Unit offering are now no longer available. In connection with this final tranche, 200,000 common share purchase warrants exercisable at $0.12 per share were issued. A total of $101,000 was raised through this private placement in a series of closings. The Company reports that, following this financing, it will have 29,276,104 shares outstanding.

The net proceeds from the Offering shall be primarily used for working capital and general and administrative expenses. No finder's fee was payable. The Shares will be subject to a statutory hold period expiring on the date that is four (4) months and one day from the Closing Date. The Offering has received final approval from the TSX Venture Exchange.

Qualified Person:

Edward Procyshyn, P.Geo, a qualified person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.

For more information please contact:

Michael C. Judson, Chairman & CEO

Silk Road Energy Inc. (doing business under the name Record Gold)

T. +1-514-865-5496

Website: www.recordgoldcorp.com

Cautionary Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes", an or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would" , "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: approval of the Private Placement and obtaining a full revocation order. This forward-looking information reflects the Company's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to the Company and on assumptions the Company believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: the market acceptance of the Private Placement; the ability of the Company to obtain a full revocation order and the receipt of all required approvals in connection with the foregoing. Forward looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market price for securities; and the delay or failure to receive board, shareholder, court or regulatory approvals. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change.

The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

The Units and the securities comprising the Units have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirement. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities nor shall there be any sale of securities in the Unites States, or any other jurisdiction, in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. Securities laws

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/142325
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / October 28, 2022 / Silver Spike III Acquisition Corp. (NEO:"SPKC.U" and "SPKC.WT.U") ("Silver Spike" or the "Corporation") announced today that it is seeking an extension to its permitted timeline, from November 27, 2022 to May 27, 2023, to extend the date by which Silver Spike has to consummate a qualifying transaction (the "Proposed Extension").

A special meeting (the "Meeting") of the holders (the "Class A Restricted Voting Shareholders") of Class A Restricted Voting Shares of Silver Spike (the "Class A Restricted Voting Shares") is scheduled to be held at 11:00 a.m. (Toronto time) on November 18, 2022 as a completely virtual online meeting conducted via live webcast. In connection with the Meeting, the Class A Restricted Voting Shareholders are being provided with the opportunity to deposit for redemption all or a portion of their Class A Restricted Voting Shares, irrespective of whether such holders vote for or against, or do not vote on, the Extension Resolution (as defined below), provided that they deposit (and do not subsequently validly withdraw) their Class A Restricted Voting Shares for redemption prior to 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on November 11, 2022.

At the Meeting, Class A Restricted Voting Shareholders will be asked:

To consider, and if deemed advisable, to approve, with or without variation, an ordinary resolution (the "Extension Resolution"), the full text of which is set forth in Appendix "A" of Silver Spike's management information circular dated October 19, 2022 (the "Circular"), the Proposed Extension; and To transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

All voting at the Meeting will take place by completing a ballot online during the Meeting. Each Class A Restricted Voting Shareholder present in person or by proxy is entitled to the number of votes that are attached to the Class A Restricted Voting Shares which such person is entitled to vote at the Meeting.

Silver Spike has established certain investment criteria and guidelines as part of its process of evaluating potential targets for its qualifying transaction. Silver Spike believes that it has identified a number of promising targets and is currently evaluating the business of these prospective targets and engaging in active discussions with an aim towards announcing an exciting qualifying transaction for Silver Spike's securityholders in the near future.

Upon the requisite approval of the Extension Resolution (which requires approval by both the Class A Restricted Voting Shareholders and the Board) and, subject to applicable law, Silver Spike will be required to redeem such Class A Restricted Voting Shares so deposited for redemption at an amount per share, payable in cash, equal to: (A) the pro-rata portion (per Class A Restricted Voting Share) of: (i) the escrowed funds available in the escrow account at the time of the meeting in respect of the extension, including any interest and other amounts earned thereon, less (ii) an amount equal to the total of (a) any applicable taxes payable by the Corporation on such interest and other amounts earned in the escrow account, and (b) actual and expected expenses directly related to the redemption (and for greater certainty, such amount will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commission per Class A Restricted Voting Share held in the escrow account), as reasonably determined and certified by the Corporation, less (B) any taxes of the Corporation (including under Part VI.1 of the Tax Act) (as reasonably determined by the Corporation) arising in connection with the redemption of the applicable Class A Restricted Voting Shares divided by the number of shares being redeemed. For illustrative purposes, as of the date hereof, the estimated Class A Extension Redemption Price is between U.S.$10.20 and U.S.$10.23 per Class A Restricted Voting Share. The remainder of the escrow funds shall remain in the escrow account and be available for use by Silver Spike to complete the consummation of a qualifying transaction.

Holders who have deposited their Class A Restricted Voting Shares for redemption may by written notice (to Silver Spike or the applicable CDS Participant (as defined in the Circular), as applicable) withdraw (the "Withdrawal Right") all or a portion of such Class A Restricted Voting Shares at any time prior to 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on November 25, 2022 (not November 26, 2022, which is not a business day, as specified in the Circular) or the deadline of the applicable CDS Participant (which may be an earlier date). Please refer to the Circular for a full description of the mechanics to deposit Class A Restricted Voting Shares for redemption and/or the withdrawal of shares deposited for redemption.

Holders of Class A Restricted Voting Shares who do not redeem their Class A Restricted Voting Shares will retain their redemption rights and their ability to vote on any proposed qualifying transaction.

The record date for the determination of registered holders of Class A Restricted Voting Shares of Silver Spike entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at, the Meeting is the close of business on October 18, 2022 (the "Record Date").

The Circular being sent to Class A Restricted Voting Shareholders contains a detailed description of the Proposed Extension, the Extension Resolution and other information relating to Silver Spike. Silver Spike urges Class A Restricted Voting Shareholders to consider carefully all of the information in the Circular.

Class A Restricted Voting Shareholders who have any questions or need additional information with respect to the voting of their Class A Restricted Voting Shares should consult their financial, legal, tax or other professional advisors.

About Silver Spike III Acquisition Corp.

Silver Spike is a special purpose acquisition corporation incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia for the purpose of effecting an acquisition of one or more businesses or assets, by way of a merger, amalgamation, arrangement, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or any other similar business combination involving the Corporation. Silver Spike is continuing to explore potential targets for a qualifying transaction.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation and includes statements which reflect Silver Spike's current expectations regarding future events. Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Silver Spike's control, that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk that a qualifying transaction may not be completed by Silver Spike's qualifying transaction deadline and the potential failure to obtain Class A Restricted Voting Shareholder approval for the Proposed Extension, the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of any proposed qualifying transaction, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and any actions taken by other countries in response thereto, such as sanctions or export controls and the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Corporation's final prospectus dated February 25, 2020. Silver Spike undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Silver Spike III Acquisition Corp.

William Healy

bill@silverspikecap.com

SOURCE: Silver Spike III Acquisition Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/722952/Silver-Spike-III-Acquisition-Corp-Announces-Proposed-Extension-to-Consummate-a-Qualifying-Transaction
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 28, 2022) - Coho Collective Kitchens Inc. (TSXV: COHO) ("Coho" or the "Company"), a commercial real estate and food technology company that provides private and shared kitchen and food production space to a variety of businesses, is pleased to announce that Michael Yam (CPA, CA), Coho's current Senior Director of Finance and Operations, has been appointed as its interim Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Yam will be replacing Carla Matheson, Coho's current CFO, effective November 1st, 2022. Ms. Matheson will resign from the Company to pursue another opportunity. To help ensure a smooth transition, Ms. Matheson will work closely with Mr. Yam.

Mr. Yam brings significant executive financial experience to the role - formerly the VP of Finance for Harvest One Cannabis, a high-growth publicly traded start-up, where he was responsible for the financial oversight, capital raises, and key relationships within the business. "Mr. Yam has been an integral part of the finance team, and has played a key role in Coho's success thus far," said Andrew Barnes, CEO of Coho.

Mr. Yam stated, "I am excited for the opportunity to join Coho's executive team, and help drive the vision for growth of the business, while focusing on enhancing value for shareholders."

"We are excited for Mr. Yam join our executive team. He has been critical for the success of the business thus far and is aligned to propel our fast-growth business to even greater heights. His start-up and public market financial experience, deep knowledge of our company, and understanding of scaling have been widely valued at Coho, and will continue to be," added Mr. Barnes.

Mr. Barnes also commented: "On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Ms. Matheson for her efforts and contribution to the Company and wish her success in her new role."

Grant of RSUs

Coho's board of directors has also approved the grant of 62,500 restricted share units ("RSUs") to Mr. Yam, effective November 1, 2022. The RSUs will fully vest one year from the date of grant. Once vested, each RSU represents the right to receive one common share of the Company. The RSUs will be granted pursuant and subject to the terms of Coho's omnibus equity incentive plan, the applicable grant agreement, and the requirements of the TSXV.

About Coho

Coho is a growth stage, community-driven, commercial real estate and food technology company that provides private and shared kitchen and production space to food companies from start-ups to restaurant groups seeking turnkey solutions and business services. Each of the Company's customers, called "Members", are revenue generating companies that have signed a membership agreement with Coho for an agreed upon term. The concept falls in line with a rapidly growing trend in the food-delivery industry creating a market for delivery-only and/or virtual restaurant concepts. For more information about how Coho is growing and innovating in the commissary space, visit https://www.cohocommissary.com.

Contacts

Andrew Barnes, Chief Executive Officer

andrew@cohocommissary.com

(778) 877-6513

Investor Relations

invest@cohocommissary.com

(604) 243-7355

Forward-Looking Information

This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflect management's current expectations regarding future events. Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Company to execute on its strategy and the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the final long-form prospectus of the Company dated May 27, 2022. Coho disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/142331
Canary Technologies founders SJ Sawhney, and Harman Singh Narula

Canary Technologies, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of a hotel tech stack, raised $30M in Series B funding.

The round, which brings total fundraising to date to $45m, was led by Insight Partners, with participation from F-Prime Capital, Y-Combinator, Thayer Ventures, and Commerce Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to expand the team to keep up with customer demand globally, and enhance the platforms solutions.

Co-founded by SJ Sawhney, and Harman Singh Narula, Canary Technologies provides a hotel tech stack with a mobile web end-to-end Guest Management System and Digital Authorizations solutions. Its platform offers an array of products that cater to the specific needs of the hoteliers, including Contactless Check-in, Contactless Checkout, Guest Messaging, Digital Upsells, Digital Tipping, Digital Authorizations and Digital Contracts.

The companys solutions are used by thousands of hotels in more than 75 countries and has partnered with notable global brands, including Four Seasons, Best Western, Rosewood Hotels, and Radisson hotels.

FinSMEs

28/10/2022
One of the most profitable industries nowadays is online casinos and it is anticipated to continuously flourish in the future.

The innovation of the industry has made the gambling lifestyle of punters convenient since its accessibility can be found in our modern gadgets. For this reason, many entrepreneurs are encouraged to try their niche in this industry since it is not only profitable but also highly successful.

The gambling online industry has been around for quite some time though it was quite unpopular back then due to cyber issues and conservative players then prefer the conventional bricks and mortar house of gambling. The rapid evolution of technology and more players embracing the new way of betting prompted the virtual gambling business to shoot up which makes it the top iGaming digital industry all of the time. Various betting sites can be found online and notable affiliate specialists present legit casino sites with state-of-the-art games and lots of bonuses. You can check them out at https://www.kasinohai.com/pikakasinot and discover what their sites can offer.

Rule of Thumb when Venturing into Digital Casino

1. Make a research

It is imperative for entrepreneurs to get to know more about the business they are planning to venture into. The popularity of the said industry is not enough. Careful and thorough research has to be done. Check other sites portfolios and know their style. Observe top-rated casino sites and get to know what made their players interested in the virtual site and take note of it.

2. Feasibility Studies

Study the gambling market and discuss it with your financial advisor. Make a future assessment if you will gain from it or not. Talk to the experts and ask for advice on how to make the company grow and how much money involve to build an online casino industry. Make a research on the age brackets of the virtual gamblers and their genders and discuss what your site can offer to them.

3. Learn from your competitors

Your rivals have been around in this business and already know its ups and downs. Know their strengths and strategies and try to apply them from a different angle. Even casino sites that used to operate for quite some time, later on, dwindled their popularity until they went bankrupt. Learn from their mistakes and what went wrong along the way.

4. Licenses

This is very crucial since the majority of gamers are very conscious about it. It is advised to prepare all the necessary documents will be needed in opening an online casino and apply in advance for it takes quite some time for the result. Another key factor in this business is to have an updated license because trust matters to the virtual players. You can obtain a license for the following.

 Curacao

 Malta

 Kahnawake

 Gibraltar

 The United Kingdom Gambling Commission

 Antigua and Barbuda

 Isle of Man

 Alderney Gambling Control Commission

5. Gambling Software

The quality of the casino games is one of the big factors why players are loyal to the site and continuously make a deposit. It is best to get good software that has more than 3000 games and which has state-of-the-art graphics and sounds. It is imperative to check the certification and legalities of the betting software for you to gauge its efficiency.

Final thought

All businesses are risky because it is volatile and consumer demand is ever-changing. The popularity of most companies is unpredictable which means one might be in demand today but tomorrow it may not. The trick here is not to entirely retire from it and close the business. One must never forget that casino is gold and technology is timeless. The key is to evolve using technology and be flexible.
Contact:

Communications Office

NewsMedia@flhealth.gov

850-245-4111

Flagler County, Fla.  Today, Deputy Secretary for Health Dr. Kenneth Scheppke, and Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) Assistant Secretary for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Erica Floyd Thomas, alongside community partners, visited the expansion of the Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) in Flagler County - a comprehensive network of addiction and opioid treatment.

This year, Florida has experienced over 4,000 reported fatal overdoses. In Flagler County, Emergency Medical Services reported that in 2021, teams responded to over 400 overdose calls.

The CORE Network is the first of its kind in the nation, coordinated through the Florida Department of Health, Department of Children and Families, and Agency for Health Care Administration. The full-scale treatment approach of the CORE Network expands every aspect of overdose response and creates an all-inclusive sustained system of care and patient navigation to holistically address all primary and secondary impacts of substance use disorder.

The existing standard of care for substance use disorder is outdated. The current overdose response in most of the United States treats the acute overdose, without providing access to sustainable care, said Dr. Kenneth Scheppke, Deputy Secretary for Health. Thats exactly why weve developed CORE. This program facilitates the necessary connections among local emergency response and specialty health care networks to not only respond to an acute overdose, but to connect individuals suffering from substance use disorder to sustainable and long-term care.

In the wake of Hurricane Ian, there is also concern of increased substance use and overdose deaths due to the impact on individuals mental health and the disruption of normal pharmaceutical supply chains. It is critical that community partners provide resources to their communities as we continue our recovery efforts. We must remain vigilant both now and in the long-term to prevent overdose deaths.

The CORE Network extends far beyond crisis treatment and stabilization, said DCF Assistant Secretary for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Erica Floyd Thomas. This model takes a holistic approach that brings together key partners at every level to meet the short and long-term medical, physical, psychological, and emotional needs of someones recovery journey. With this approach, I am confident that together we can reduce the devastating impact that opioids are having on our children, our families, and our communities.

Substance abuse is a chronic multifaceted life-threatening disease. If an individual in Flagler County overdoses, specialized emergency medical services protocol will begin stabilization while transporting the patient to a specialty hospital with attained specialty expertise in addiction medicine. Once all emergent health threats are stabilized, the patients long term care needs will then be transferred to an expert multi-specialty outpatient practice to support sustainable recovery.

CORE provides a personalized treatment umbrella ranging from primary care to mental health support. By facilitating these connections in Flagler County, CORE disrupts the revolving door of addiction by connecting overdoses to sustainable care in real time.

If you, or someone you know, is struggling with substance use disorder and would like more information on CORE in Flagler County, you may contact Flagler Cares at 386-319-9483 or the Florida Department of Health in Flagler County.

If you suspect an overdose, call 911 immediately. The state of Florida has deployed resources that can be posted in public areas to ensure Floridians remain vigilant of the signs of overdose, how to respond, and where help is available.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.
President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks as he arrives at the presidential office in Seoul on Oct. 28. Yonhap



Korea has never provided lethal weapons to Ukraine, President Yoon Suk-yeol said Friday, after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of negative consequences for the two countries' relations if Seoul sent arms to Ukraine.



Putin said Thursday that he was aware Korea had decided to supply weapons and ammunition to Ukraine and that it would "destroy our relationship," according to the Russian news agency Sputnik. He was speaking in Moscow at a discussion with the Valdai club of international Russia experts.



"We've provided humanitarian and peaceful assistance to Ukraine in solidarity with the international community but never lethal weapons or any such things," Yoon told reporters as he arrived for work. "But in any case, it's a matter of our sovereignty, and I'd like you to know that we are trying to maintain peaceful and good relations with all countries around the world, including Russia."





Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during the 19th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow, Russia Oct. 27. Reuters-Yonhap
Director-General of the Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Cai Wei recently attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the fifth Seminar on China-Mexico Relations under the theme of "50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations: Cooperation and Mutual Benefit" via video link. Secretary-General of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Zhao Qi, Rector of the National Autonomous University of Mexico Enrique Luis Graue Wiechers, President of the College of Mexico Silvia E. Giorguli Saucedo and Mexican Ambassador to China Jesus Seade, among others, delivered speeches at the event. Nearly 100 well-known experts and scholars from Chinese and Mexican academic communities attended the seminar online and had a lively exchange of views.

Director-General Cai Wei said that the Communist Party of China (CPC) has successfully held its 20th National Congress, setting well-conceived goals, tasks and overarching policies for the cause of the Party and the country in the coming years, and drawing a magnificent blueprint for advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. Foreign friends interested to learn more about China and the CPC are welcome to continue to follow Chinas development and share relevant stories with people of their respective countries. Cai Wei pointed out that China and Mexico are both major developing countries and important emerging markets. Over the past 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have steadily deepened exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and the tree of China-Mexico friendship has grown more exuberantly, yielding fruitful results. Mexico is a great education nation in Latin America and the Caribbean with many world-class universities that have made positive contributions to talent training and academic development in the country, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the world at large. China will continue to support the academic communities of the two countries in deepening friendly cooperation and carrying forward the friendship between China and Mexico. Cai expressed the hope that friends from all walks of life in the two countries will continue to engage in exchanges and mutual learning, and contribute their views and suggestions on the development of China-Mexico relations.

Attendees from the Mexican side extended congratulations on the successful conclusion of the 20th CPC National Congress, spoke highly of Mexico-China relations, and applauded China's achievements in tertiary education and talent training, among other fields. Both Chinese and Mexican attendees shared the view that bilateral relationship boasts broad prospects and immense potential for future development, and that the two sides should take the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to further deepen dialogue between academic communities and think tanks of the two countries, and step up exchanges and mutual learning in such fields as scientific and technological innovation, poverty alleviation, and digital economy, so as to continuously enhance the traditional friendship between the two countries and the well-being of the two peoples.

The Seminar on China-Mexico Relations, an institutional platform for academic exchanges in the fields of humanities and social sciences between the two countries, has so far been held five times. Hosted by the CASS, this seminar is one of a series of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mexico.
I tow a 9k+ 5th wheel with a 6.2 and 3.73 gears. I live pretty close to sea level, but I've had it in the blue ridge mountains a fair amount (they're not the Rockies but they're something) and while I'm definitely not winning any races, I've been satisfied. There's been several times when I've gotten in the slow lane with the commercial trucks when I'm approaching a hill, and halfway up the hill found myself passing them. In a few weeks my wife and I will be going from central Virginia, out to Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and back so I'm going to be working it hard, but I'm not stressed about it. I will say that shifting into M on hills and selecting the gear I want is an absolute must. Just putting it in Drive and hammering down isn't going to happen.To be clear, if I had the option of 4.30's, I would definitely take it. I was buying used and the one I finally found was sold before I could get to the dealer, so 3.73 is what I have.




President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday rejected allegations that he and Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon took part in a late-night drinking party at a luxury bar, calling them "vulgar and immature fake news."







The allegations were raised by both Rep. Kim Eui-kyeom of the main opposition Democratic Party and YouTube channel Citizen Press The Tamsa TV earlier this week, prompting Han to threaten legal action against both.







Kim alleged during a parliamentary inspection of the justice ministry that Yoon and Han had a late-night drinking party at a luxury bar in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, on July 19 and 20 where they were joined by 30 lawyers from Kim Chang, the country's top law firm.







"Do you have any other questions?" Yoon said, cutting off a reporter who asked him about the allegations as he arrived for work.







"Such vulgar and immature fake news instigation is an insult to the people," he added. "To be honest, it shouldn't even be ... wouldn't a president commenting on something like that have something to do with our national dignity?







About 20 lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) submitted a motion asking the parliamentary ethics committee to punish Kim on charges of making insulting remarks in violation of the National Assembly Act.







"We could no longer overlook his attitude of not apologizing at all and requested disciplinary action against him," PPP Rep. Yoo Sang-bum said, calling Kim's allegations "groundless." (Yonhap)










Lee Jeong-mi, a former chief of the minor progressive Justice Party (JP), was elected Friday for a second term to lead a major reform of the party reeling from recent election routs.







The former lawmaker and labor activist won 63.05 percent of the vote in the runoff, against former deputy party chair Kim Yun-ki's 36.95 percent, according to the party.







The 56-year-old Lee previously served in the party's top job from 2017 to 2019.







"I will devote all I have to preventing the Yoon Suk-yeol government's massive regression," Lee said in her acceptance speech.







The JP, which prioritizes progressive agenda from labor rights to gender equality and social welfare, suffered a crushing defeat in June's local elections, failing to win any local administrative posts.







The party adopted a resolution last month pledging a massive reform to win over voters, including renaming and recreating the party by 2023. (Yonhap)


Oregonians are not afraid to think differently, which makes out here really out there.

Thats the case with paranormal activity, too  the West Coast is the birthplace for the modern mythos of both Bigfoot and UFOs after all. Those phenomena seemingly collided and combined near Albany in 1959 and 1960 with the Conser Lake Monster of Millersburg.

The creature, described as an abnormally tall humanoid, with white fur and webbed feet, and sometimes with cat-like ears, caused a frenzy. Picture an albino Wookiee sans laser crossbow.

According to a farmers recollection, 100 people at once hunted for the monster, thrashing through thick brush. According to another account, residents were nearly shot when they were mistaken for the beast.

Today, despite slim and sketchy accounts, the Conser Monster still sparks the imagination of those who want to believe.

Regan Lee, a paranormal researcher from Eugene, had hoped to write a book on the creature and said she has letters in her files from residents who remember the incident.

I dont think I ever found anyone who told me they saw this thing, Lee said. Nonetheless, people seem to be moved by it, and the memory stuck with them.

Historical context

Humans are fascinated by monster stories, which exist in nearly every culture on Earth. As far back as there is evidence of writing, theres evidence of people writing about monsters, said Dan Murphy.

Murphy is a senior judge for the Linn County Circuit Court, but hes also a board member and volunteer for the Albany Regional Museum who enjoys historical research.

He was an absolute sucker for Linn Countys very own creature feature, despite scant sources to rely on  and one of them, the Albany Democrat-Herald, being dismissive.

I use the word myth to describe this event, because theres no solid proof that it did happen, and theres no solid proof that it did not happen, Murphy told attendees during the museums History Bites lecture series earlier this month.

The context for Conser Lake Monster was relatively fresh, he added.

In June 1947, pilot Keith Arnold claimed to see nine unidentified flying objects moving in and out of formation near Mt. Rainier in Washington. The term flying saucer was coined using Arnolds descriptions.

There were more and more reports, first in the Puget Sound area, and then around the world, Murphy said.

The concept of Sasquatch or similar beings isnt exactly new, of course. In Nepal, reported sightings of a large, man-like creature known as the abominable snowman or the Yeti date back centuries, and Native Americans had their own legends which they shared with European settlers and explorers.

Theres some evidence that Norse explorer Leif Erickson either saw such a monster or was told of its existence on the East Coast of the United States in 986 A.D., Murphy said.

Native Americans viewed the Bigfoot as a sacred being, though. They had no desire to hurt it, unlike teenagers in Albany, Murphy quipped.

Current Sasquatch sightings stem from a 1958 tongue-in-cheek report by a columnist from the Humboldt Times, Murphy said. That tall tale  now known to be a practical joke created by loggers  received massive attention and became accepted as gospel by some. And Bigfoot tales proliferated.

UFOs, the creature and more

Paranormal categories came together around Millersburg starting in 1959.

Residents claimed a UFO flew or crashed into Conser Lake  actually a small pond located near industrial areas in Millersburg. That story, Murphy said, is difficult to attribute to any one individual.

About the same time, theres another report of a man driving a mint truck through Millersburg who looks in his rearview mirror and sees a large creature, white in color, described as 9-feet tall or even taller, running behind the vehicle and keeping pace at 35 mph.

Like the UFO report, the truck driver is never identified, Murphy said.

In July 1960, teens hear about the incident, decide to search for the monster and bring their rifles along. There was a fair amount of shooting into the brush, Murphy said.

Worried someone would get hurt, Linn County Sheriff George Miller arrived and ordered them to leave.

According to the July 27, 1960, edition of the Democrat-Herald, A group of teenagers said that they had seen a stoop-shouldered creature, nearly seven feet tall, which made eerie noises. The figure was said to have run away when a flashlight was turned on it.

Reports differed on how the figure was dressed, but the witnesses agreed it was ghostly in appearance. No sign was found of the ghostly figure, however.

Once this hit the news, it spread like wildfire, and there were all sorts of sightings for a little while, Murphy said.

People returned to Conser Lake to look for evidence, and some claimed to see footprints. Unfortunately, they didnt take any photos.

Murphy said a writer for the now-defunct Greater Oregon newspaper claimed she was walking along with a psychic  unidentified and therefore impossible to corroborate  and that they encountered the monster, which was very tall and white in color. They also saw large, web-footed tracks in the area.

The psychic could communicate telepathically with the creature, who said his name was Flix and that there were many more like him, but they meant no harm. (Flix acknowledged, however, that he had killed hounds sent into the area to track him.)

Murphy said the UFO sightings helped explain Flixs arrival in the greater Albany area.

Immediately after the reports there was skepticism. The Democrat-Herald published a parody by a "ghost author" that featured the perspective of the persecuted and peace-loving creature.

Miller, interviewed for a 1978 Democrat-Herald story, recalled tomfoolery but plenty of deep concern.

Some of the local residents were genuinely scared. Some people got rather frantic, he said.

He received a plethora of personal calls about the monster, including a 2 a.m. report from a terrified woman who insisted that the beast was prowling around her house. It was a great big dog, Miller told the newspaper.

By 1962, there were no more sightings and the Conser Monster had faded as quickly as a dance craze.

The Democrat-Herald poked fun at the beasts disappearance in a column that year, theorizing he had been lured via generous financial offer to Timber Linn Lake to appear during the height of the Timber Carnival. Or perhaps the creature had married, settled down and was living respectably, putting monstering behind him.

In a 1962 editorial, the Democrat-Herald asserted the monster had been exposed as a hoax, in part because police discovered an illegal moonshine cache, stored in mason jars in the swamp. The UFO and monster stories were designed to scare interlopers away from the liquor, the editorial stated. Instead, the exact opposite occurred.

Where art thou, Conser Lake?

Oddly enough, just like the monster that once allegedly graced its shores, Conser Lake has proved elusive and essentially disappeared. That may be by design.

Matt Straite, community development director for the city of Millersburg, said he looked and looked for Conser Lake due to an article a few years ago, but couldnt find it.

I could not tell you where Conser Lake is. It does not exist anywhere, at least under that name, Straite said.

For fun, Straite once proposed dressing up as Flix for local parades, but the idea was shot down as too whimsical: He is not the official mascot of the city. I tried."

The city of Millersburg has no official position on the existence of the Conser Lake Monster, he added.

Murphy tried to pinpoint the lake during his research but was unsuccessful.

Where is Conser Lake? Its hard to say exactly, he told the audience at History Bites.

There are three of four or five ponds that are east of the Willamette River and west of Interstate 5. Conser Lake is one of those ponds, but I was never able to verify which one it was, Murphy said in a recent interview. A Conser family member, who no longer owns the property, also was not able to identify the lake, he added.

With the help of a longtime local, the intrepid reporter, ahem, yours truly, was able to identify a likely suspect for the pond. A representative of the property owner, when contacted, denied that the water body in question was Conser Lake.

And even if it was, they wouldnt tell anyone, because they wouldnt want kids coming out at Halloween.

Thats probably understandable, Murphy said, given the number of firearms involved with earlier monster reports.

Myth or reality?

Lee said that if the Conser Lake Monster was a fake, it wouldnt be the first time.

I have no idea what Flix was. Ive had a lot of my own experiences, so Im not willing to say its a hoax, Lee added.

She described seeing an orange orb in the sky when she first moved to Eugene in the late 1980s. People can think what they want. Im not lying, Lee said. Such incidents need to be investigated, Lee said.

Murphy said that in the case of UFOs, many sightings have been found to be man-made aircraft or natural phenomena. But he acknowledged at History Bites that a number of UFO accounts have never been adequately explained.

That mystery only adds to the mystique. Once people get enthralled with a story or idea, they have to talk about it more, Murphy said.

Still, in the case of Flix, Murphy remains skeptical, in part because of the lack of evidence, and the first-hand accounts are dubious due to various factors.

I think most of us realize that its probably just a story, Murphy said.
Officials from the Ministry of Environment check sea bass and spotted sea bass from the Nakdong River in Busan, caught after gates further downstream were opened from June to July 2021 as a second trial test of the impact on the area's ecology. Courtesy of K-water



Korea shares experiences reviving Busan's estuary region



By Ko Dong-hwan



Sea bass, Japanese eels and flathead mullets flutter on the deck of a fishing boat after being caught a few kilometers upstream from the Nakdong River estuary.



The catch was hauled in from the river in the southeastern part of Korea several months after all 15 gates around a river delta in the estuary blocking seawater from flowing inland were opened last February. The move came after three years of tests conducted by the Ministry of Environment to see how keeping the gates open would contribute to restoring the ecosystem around the estuary.



The presence of the fish proves the measure worked.



The estuary, where the country's longest river meets the sea, was marked by its ecologically ideal conditions for various water species. But the region's unique ecology started to deteriorate after the 2.4-kilometer-long Nakdong River Estuary Bank was introduced in 1987 to block the current and secure water resources for local farmers, factories and households in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province.



Studies conducted in the country so far have further highlighted the region's geographical and ecological traits, amid concerns that pollutants and microplastics can run into the sea and also where many river and sea creatures are born and spend their earliest phases. Purification of polluted river water before flowing into the sea has also been confirmed as the estuary's exclusive natural function.





K-water CEO Park Jae-hyeon speaks during International Estuary Symposium 2022 at BEXCO in Busan held from Wednesday to Friday. Courtesy of K-water



Because of the significant traits of the region, the ministry has been studying it for years trying to recover its natural habitat through more sophisticated ways of operating the gates. After test-opening the gates seven times and letting the seawater flow through the estuary from 2019 to 2021, the ministry confirmed its positive effects on improving the region's ecology.



The Nakdong River Water Commission Support Department  directly under the country's presidential office  officially launched new operational directives in February to leave the gates open and regularly examine water quality and wild species found in the region.



"We promoted to the world how we have revived the ecology of the estuary and introduced it as an exemplary case of a local estuary management," Park Jae-hyeon, CEO of state-run water resources managing and providing company K-water, said during the International Estuary Symposium 2022 held in Busan from Wednesday to Friday. "We will keep collecting data and performing scientific analysis to further improve the estuary's natural state."



Hosted by the Korean environment ministry and jointly organized by K-water and Korea Federation of Water Science and Engineering Societies, the symposium was held to share knowledge on best practices for managing the ecology of estuaries in different countries. Ryu Yeon-ki, an official at the Water Environment Policy Bureau under the ministry, said during the event that the authority will do its best to improve the estuary's environment so that humans and nature can coexist.



"We will keep sharing with the world our country's knowledge of ecological recovery of estuaries," the official said.





Officials from Korea's Ministry of Environment, K-water, Busan Metropolitan City and experts in river environment and engineering from Korea and other countries gather at the International Estuary Symposium 2022. Courtesy of K-water
CJ Group Chairman Lee Jay-hyun, second row third from left, participates in his meeting with CEOs of affiliates at CJ Human Resource Center in downtown Seoul, Oct. 27. Courtesy of CJ Group



By Kim Jae-heun



CJ Group Chairman Lee Jay-hyun met with the CEOs of company affiliates three days after a group-wide personnel reshuffle, asking them to draw up growth strategies, the company said Friday.



The gathering was held at CJ Human Resource Center in downtown Seoul, inviting CEOs of major affiliates and top executives from CJ Holdings.



Lee called for rapid establishment of a global group strategy and its execution starting next year.



"Whether we become a major player in the global scene or settle in the domestic market and face decline really depends on how we do between 2023 and 2025. It is important that we go back to basics and quickly build a plan that can put us in the forefront based on our corporate philosophy of Only One. The plan must be executed from 2023," Lee said during the meeting on Oct. 27.



The keys to Lee's plan are securing ability to bring about great change, accelerating innovative development centered on four major growth engines, securing the best workers and advancing financial strategy.



Last November, CJ Group proposed a medium-term goal to invest more than 10 trillion won ($7.03 billion) over the next three years in the fields of future growth related to culture, platform, wellness and sustainability.



Regarding the chairman calling for affiliates to establish future growth strategies, a CJ Group official said, "Lee's purpose is to respond flexibly to the business environment by setting up plans every two to three years, which are predictable."



CJ Group showed significant growth in the first half of this year, including marking a record-high business performance. However, Lee believes it is too early to say that the four major future growth engines he proposed as a key policy goal are operating to their full potential.



"We need a new strategy to strengthen our ability and it needs to be done based on close analysis of our business capabilities and the external environment," Lee said.


New York, United States, Oct. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Animal feed additives can be defined as products that are added to livestock feed to improve their health and performance. Growing meat consumption, coupled with the increasing concern related to livestock diseases, drives the market growth. Additionally, the ability of these additives to improve the metabolic activities and provide essential nutrients to the livestock provides an impetus to the market growth. However, stringent regulations related to the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal feed hampers the market growth.





Get a Free Sample Copy of This Report @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/animal-feed-additives-market/request-sample





Impact of COVID-19

The COVID-19 outbreak has severely impacted and reshaped the norms of the meat industry. Rising prevalence of animal-related diseases is subsequently decelerating the meat demand on account of the rising customer concern regarding their health. This has also resulted in a shift in the consumer preference towards plant-based proteins , further hampering the market growth. Additionally, the meat industry is witnessing a sharp increase in the prices of meat, especially beef and pork, due to disruption in the supply chain, creating price volatility in the meat market and decelerating the meat consumption.





Report Scope

Report Metric Details Market Size USD 52.77 Billion by 2030 CAGR 3.9% (2022-2030) Historical Data 2019-2020 Base Year 2021 Forecast Period 2022-2030 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Feed Type, Form, Distribution Channel, Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, LAME and Rest of the World Key Companies Profiled/Vendors Cargill, Incorporated, Alltech, Kemin Industries, Inc., Koninklijke DSM N.V., Novozymes A/S, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Addcon Group, BASF SE, Adisseo France SAS, Hansen A/S, DuPont de Nemours, Inc., Lallemand Inc Key Market Opportunities Increasing Prevalence Of The Food & Beverages Industry Enhances The Expansion Of The Animal Feed Additives Market Share Key Market Drivers Rising demand for food additives after the bird flu epidemic

Buy Now Full Report @ https://straitsresearch.com/buy-now/animal-feed-additives-market





Regional Analysis

Due to its growing population, the adoption of foreign technology, and expanding consumer buying power in China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, Asia-Pacific is expected to have the fastest growth in the animal feed additives market during the forecast period. Due to low pricing and easy access to a variety of processed chicken, the demand for poultry meat has been significantly increasing in India.

Key Highlights

The global animal feed additives market size is projected to reach USD 52.77 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 3.9% from 2022 to 2030.

is projected to reach USD 52.77 billion by 2030 at a from 2022 to 2030. Throughout the anticipated period, the amino acid segment will rule the market for animal feed additives.

Given that dry feed can be simply combined with feed and stored with minimal infrastructure, it is projected that this category would increase at the highest rate.

Due to the increased need for food additives after the bird flu epidemic, the poultry segment held the biggest market share.

The animal feed additives market is expected to grow at the highest rate during the projected period in Asia-Pacific.





Key Players

Cargill, Incorporated

Alltech

Kemin Industries, Inc.

Koninklijke DSM N.V.

Novozymes A/S

Archer Daniels Midland Company

Addcon Group

BASF SE

Adisseo France SAS

Chr. Hansen A/S

DuPont de Nemours, Inc.

Lallemand Inc.

Lesaffre

Nebraska Cultures, Inc

AFB International

Elanco Animal Health Incorporated

NOVUS INTERNATIONAL





Get a Free Sample Copy of This Report @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/animal-feed-additives-market/request-sample





Animal Feed Additives Market: Segmentation

By Feed Type

Amino Acid

Antioxidant

Vitamin

Mineral

Binder

Antibiotic

Feed Enzyme and Acidifier

Pigment

By Form

Dry

Liquid

By Distribution Channel

Poultry

Cattle

Pork

Aquaculture

Regions Covered

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Central and South America and the Caribbean

The Middle East

Africa





TABLE OF CONTENT

1 Introduction

1.1 Market Definition

1.2 Market Scope

2 Research Methodology

2.1 Primary Research

2.2 Research Methodology

2.3 Assumptions & Exclusions

2.4 Secondary Data Sources

3 Executive Summary

4 Market Overview

4.1 Report Segmentation & Scope

4.2 Value Chain Analysis: Animal Feed Additives Market

4.2.1 Vendor Matrix

4.3 Key Market Trends

4.3.1 Drivers

4.3.2 Restraints

4.3.3 Opportunities

4.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis

4.4.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.4.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers

4.4.3 Threat of Substitution

4.4.4 Threat of New Entrants

4.4.5 Competitive Rivalry

4.5 Environment & Regulatory Landscape

4.6 Forecast Factors & Relevance of Impact

4.7 Macro-Economic & Geopolitical Scenario

4.8 Parent Market Overview

4.9 Technology Landscape

4.10 Market Share Analysis

4.11 Potential Venture Analysis

4.12 Regional Price Trends

4.13 Raw Material Trends

4.14 Cost Structure Analysis

4.14.1 Labor Cost

4.14.2 Consumables

4.14.3 Maintenance Cost

4.15 Livestock Import & Export Trade Data

4.15.1 Bovine

4.15.2 Sheep

4.15.3 Poultry

4.15.4 Swine

4.16 Covid-19 Impact Analysis:

4.16.1 Pre and Post Covid-19 Market Scenario Analysis

4.16.2 Market Recovery Timeline and Challenge

4.16.3 Measures Taken by Top Players

4.16.4 Quarterly Market Revenue and Growth Forecast till 2030

4.16.4.1 North America

4.16.4.2 Europe

4.16.4.3 Asia-Pacific

4.16.4.4 Central and South America and the Caribbean

4.16.4.5 The Middle East and Africa

5 Type Overview

5.1 Introduction

5.1.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

5.2 Amino Acids

5.2.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

5.3 Antioxidants

5.3.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

5.4 Vitamins

5.4.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

5.5 Minerals

5.5.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

5.6 Binders

5.6.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

5.7 Antibiotics

5.7.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

5.8 Feed Enzymes & Acidifiers

5.8.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

5.9 Pigments

5.9.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

5.10 Others

5.10.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

6 Form Overview

6.1 Introduction

6.1.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

6.2 Dry

6.2.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

6.3 Liquid

6.3.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

6.4 Others

6.4.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

7 Livestock Overview

7.1 Introduction

7.1.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

7.2 Poultry

7.2.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

7.3 Pork

7.3.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

7.4 Aquaculture

7.4.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

7.5 Cattle

7.5.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

7.6 Others

7.6.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

8 Regional Overview

8.1 Introduction

8.1.1 Market Size & Forecast (Value & Volume)

8.2 North America

8.2.1 Economic Overview

8.2.2 Market Scenario

8.2.3 The U.S.

8.2.3.1 By Type

8.2.3.2 By Form

8.2.3.3 By Livestock

8.2.4 Canada

8.2.4.1 By Type

8.2.4.2 By Form

8.2.4.3 By Livestock

8.2.5 Mexico

8.2.5.1 By Type

8.2.5.2 By Form

8.2.5.3 By Livestock

8.3 Central and South America and the Caribbean

8.3.1 Economic Overview

8.3.2 Market Scenario

8.3.3 Brazil

8.3.3.1 By Type

8.3.3.2 By Form

8.3.3.3 By Livestock

8.3.4 Argentina

8.3.4.1 By Type

8.3.4.2 By Form

8.3.4.3 By Livestock

8.3.5 Colombia

8.3.5.1 By Type

8.3.5.2 By Form

8.3.5.3 By Livestock

8.3.6 The Rest of Central and South America and the Caribbean

8.3.6.1 By Type

8.3.6.2 By Form

8.3.6.3 By Livestock

8.4 Europe

8.4.1 Economic Overview

8.4.2 Market Scenario

8.4.3 Germany

8.4.3.1 By Type

8.4.3.2 By Form

8.4.3.3 By Livestock

8.4.4 France

8.4.4.1 By Type

8.4.4.2 By Form

8.4.4.3 By Livestock

8.4.5 The U.K.

8.4.5.1 By Type

8.4.5.2 By Form

8.4.5.3 By Livestock

8.4.6 Italy

8.4.6.1 By Type

8.4.6.2 By Form

8.4.6.3 By Livestock

8.4.7 The Rest of Europe

8.4.7.1 By Type

8.4.7.2 By Form

8.4.7.3 By Livestock

8.5 Asia-Pacific (APAC)

8.5.1 Economic Overview

8.5.2 Market Scenario

8.5.3 China

8.5.3.1 By Type

8.5.3.2 By Form

8.5.3.3 By Livestock

8.5.4 Japan

8.5.4.1 By Type

8.5.4.2 By Form

8.5.4.3 By Livestock

8.5.5 India

8.5.5.1 By Type

8.5.5.2 By Form

8.5.5.3 By Livestock

8.5.6 Australia

8.5.6.1 By Type

8.5.6.2 By Form

8.5.6.3 By Livestock

8.5.7 South Korea

8.5.7.1 By Type

8.5.7.2 By Form

8.5.7.3 By Livestock

8.5.8 The Rest of APAC

8.5.8.1 By Type

8.5.8.2 By Form

8.5.8.3 By Livestock

8.6 The Middle East

8.6.1 Economic Overview

8.6.2 Market Scenario

8.6.3 Saudi Arabia

8.6.3.1 By Type

8.6.3.2 By Form

8.6.3.3 By Livestock

8.6.4 The UAE

8.6.4.1 By Type

8.6.4.2 By Form

8.6.4.3 By Livestock

8.6.5 Qatar

8.6.5.1 By Type

8.6.5.2 By Form

8.6.5.3 By Livestock

8.6.6 Oman

8.6.6.1 By Type

8.6.6.2 By Form

8.6.6.3 By Livestock

8.6.7 Turkey

8.6.7.1 By Type

8.6.7.2 By Form

8.6.7.3 By Livestock

8.6.8 The Rest of the Middle East

8.6.8.1 By Type

8.6.8.2 By Form

8.6.8.3 By Livestock

8.7 Africa

8.7.1 Economic Overview

8.7.2 Market Scenario

8.7.3 Nigeria

8.7.3.1 By Type

8.7.3.2 By Form

8.7.3.3 By Livestock

8.7.4 South Africa

8.7.4.1 By Type

8.7.4.2 By Form

8.7.4.3 By Livestock

8.7.5 The Rest of Africa

8.7.5.1 By Type

8.7.5.2 By Form

8.7.5.3 By Livestock

9 Competitive Landscape  Manufacturers & Suppliers

9.1 Competition Dashboard

9.2 Industry Structure

9.3 Cargill, Incorporated

9.3.1 Business Overview

9.3.2 Financial Performance

9.3.3 Recent Developments

9.3.4 Product Portfolio

9.4 Alltech

9.4.1 Business Overview

9.4.2 Financial Performance

9.4.3 Recent Developments

9.4.4 Product Portfolio

9.5 Kemin Industries, Inc.

9.5.1 Business Overview

9.5.2 Financial Performance

9.5.3 Recent Developments

9.5.4 Product Portfolio

9.6 Koninklijke DSM N.V.

9.6.1 Business Overview

9.6.2 Financial Performance

9.6.3 Recent Developments

9.6.4 Product Portfolio

9.7 Novozymes A/S

9.7.1 Business Overview

9.7.2 Financial Performance

9.7.3 Recent Developments

9.7.4 Product Portfolio

9.8 Archer Daniels Midland Company

9.8.1 Business Overview

9.8.2 Financial Performance

9.8.3 Recent Developments

9.8.4 Product Portfolio

9.9 Addcon Group

9.9.1 Business Overview

9.9.2 Financial Performance

9.9.3 Recent Developments

9.9.4 Product Portfolio

9.10 BASF SE

9.10.1 Business Overview

9.10.2 Financial Performance

9.10.3 Recent Developments

9.10.4 Product Portfolio

9.11 Adisseo France SAS

9.11.1 Business Overview

9.11.2 Financial Performance

9.11.3 Recent Developments

9.11.4 Product Portfolio

9.12 Chr. Hansen A/S

9.12.1 Business Overview

9.12.2 Financial Performance

9.12.3 Recent Developments

9.12.4 Product Portfolio

9.13 DuPont de Nemours, Inc

9.13.1 Business Overview

9.13.2 Financial Performance

9.13.3 Recent Developments

9.13.4 Product Portfolio

9.14 Lallem and Inc

9.14.1 Business Overview

9.14.2 Financial Performance

9.14.3 Recent Developments

9.14.4 Product Portfolio

9.15 Lesaffre

9.15.1 Business Overview

9.15.2 Financial Performance

9.15.3 Recent Developments

9.15.4 Product Portfolio

9.16 Nebraska Cultures, Inc

9.16.1 Business Overview

9.16.2 Financial Performance

9.16.3 Recent Developments

9.16.4 Product Portfolio

9.17 AFB International

9.17.1 Business Overview

9.17.2 Financial Performance

9.17.3 Recent Developments

9.17.4 Product Portfolio

9.18 Elanco Animal Health Incorporated

9.18.1 Business Overview

9.18.2 Financial Performance

9.18.3 Recent Developments

9.18.4 Product Portfolio

9.19 NOVUS INTERNATIONAL

9.19.1 Business Overview

9.19.2 Financial Performance

9.19.3 Recent Developments

9.19.4 Product Portfolio

10 Conclusion & Recommendation

11 Acronyms & Abbreviations





Table of Content and Figure @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/animal-feed-additives-market/toc





Recent Developments

In 2019, Nutreco N.V. signed an agreement to acquire the Cargill Incorporation compound feed business in Portugal. This acquisition will fall under the Trouw Nutrition segment of the company and is likely to strengthen Nutrecos position in the Iberian animal feed business.

signed an agreement to acquire the Cargill Incorporation compound feed business in Portugal. This acquisition will fall under the Trouw Nutrition segment of the company and is likely to strengthen Nutrecos position in the Iberian animal feed business. In 2019, Nutreco N.V. acquired Animal Nutrition and Health (ANH) to expand its business in the South Africa market.

acquired Animal Nutrition and Health (ANH) to expand its business in the South Africa market. In 2018, Patanjali launched a new brand Dugdhamrit that offers an exclusive range of urea-free cattle feed and feed supplements.

launched a new brand Dugdhamrit that offers an exclusive range of urea-free cattle feed and feed supplements. In 2016, Lallemand Inc launched a new solution for livestock producers and pet food applications, YANG, which helps in improving the defense supporting systems of animals.

launched a new solution for livestock producers and pet food applications, YANG, which helps in improving the defense supporting systems of animals. In 2016, AngelYeast Co., Ltd. launched a functional nucleic acid and protein for young animals at Beijing China International Exhibition Center, the GroPro, which is a feed ingredient derived from yeast to strengthen its animal nutrition segment.





News Media

Top 7 Animal Feed Producers

COVID-19 to Severely Impact the Animal Feed Additive Market





Have a Look at the Related Research Report?

Animal Protein Market : Information by Product Type (Dairy protein, Egg protein), Application (Pharmaceutical and Nutraceuticals), and Region- Forecast till 2030

Pet Food Market : Information by Animal Type (Dogs, Cats), Product Type (Dry Pet Food, Wet Pet Food), and Region  Forecast till 2030

Nucleotides Market : Information by Nitrogenous Base (Pyrimidine, Purine), Application (Pharmaceuticals, Food & Animal Feed Additives, Drug Discovery) and RegionsForecast till 2030

High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) Market : Information by Application (Food and Beverage, Pharmaceuticals, and Animal Feed), and Region  Forecast till 2030

Pea Starch Market : Information by Source (Organic, Conventional), Application (Food and Beverage, Animal Feed and Pet Food), and Region  Forecast till 2030





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Columbus, Oct. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Columbus, Ohio -

OH based iFoam of Greater Northwest Columbus is pleased to share that their industry-leading spray-foam insulation services are now available for all local customers. The company encourages their community to learn more about spray foam if they are unfamiliar with this particular solution, and their team is standing by to respond to any inquiries as well. The company is confident that customers will want iFoam insulation installed as soon as possible once they learn of the myriad benefits it offers.

The main advantage of spray foam insulation is the fact that it can drastically improve energy efficiency (by up to 30%), and it primarily achieves this by minimizing air infiltration. The material itself is also a poor conductor of heat. However, a number of other properties also make it highly preferable for homeowners and businesses alike, and the company says the energy savings are only one aspect that customers will enjoy about spray foam insulation.

For instance, installation is a fairly swift and straightforward process. While it is undoubtedly a task better left to experts, the way it is deployed enables a professional to completely insulate a property in very little time, especially when compared to other methods. As the name suggests, the material is literally sprayed into place as a liquid, whereupon it expands into a foam. This foam creates a tight seal with the surfaces it comes into contact with, and greatly reduces air infiltration in the process.

This spray system also means that it can often be installed alongside existing insulation without much hassle. The company says a residential retrofit service may be exactly what a home needs to be brought into line with its owners expectations for efficiency. Conversely, if the existing insulation is damaged in some way, iFoam will be able to remove it prior to installing their own solutions. The company says it is important for each home to be assessed before this step, and a homeowner can get the process started simply by getting in touch with one of iFoams representatives.

No matter the size of scope of the project involved, iFoams objective is to deliver a solution that meets the homes needs  without doing more than is necessary and without taking shortcuts at the customers expense. Further, the company understands that most customers will be conscious of their budget, so their team will take this into account when making any recommendations. At all times, the company will remain honest and transparent about the benefits and drawbacks of the options they offer. This ensures that the customer will receive a service that delivers exactly what they expect.

This is why a comprehensive homeowner assessment is the first step in the iFoam process. An iFoam insulation project has to be customized to meet each propertys needs, and the assessment allows the team to identify what areas need the most attention. Step 2 is a home energy audit. No less comprehensive, this stage involves the team carefully combing over the house in order to uncover every air leak, point of inefficiency, insulation failure and so on. While the company employs industry-leading assessment tools, they also rely on their expertise and experience to help them complete this stage as swiftly  and as thoroughly  as possible.

At this point, the team brings all their findings to the customer. Step 3 is where they go over their assessment with the customer, explaining what they discovered in full and clearing up any other inquiries that may be raised. Homeowners are encouraged to ask as many questions as they need in this stage since the teams goal is to ensure they understand the state of their homes health and energy efficiency.

Once this is complete, the rest of the process can take place at the homeowners pace. The team will offer a number of solutions, complete with financing options from over 400 lenders. The customer can indicate which solution they want as well as work with the company to choose an installation date that is most convenient for their schedule. As a rule, iFoam prefers to make sure an installation causes as little hassle for the customer as possible. Finally, the installation will be carried out on the date specified by the customer, and the team will even clean up before they vacate the premises. The company places a high priority on customer service, and this does not change even when the job is done.

Homeowners and businesses looking for Greater Northwest Columbus spray insulation are welcome to get in touch with the team at iFoam to request an assessment and estimate. The company offers both open-cell and closed-cell foam insulation as well as a number of associated insulation solutions.

###

For more information about iFoam of Greater Northwest Columbus, contact the company here:



iFoam of Greater Northwest Columbus

Tamar Williamson

614-324-6970

twilliamson@ifoam.com

7534 Reliance St Columbus, OH 43085
Sydney, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Proactive, provider of real-time news and video interviews on growth companies listed in Australia, has covered the following companies:

Xantippe Resources Ltd (ASX:XTC, OTC:XTCPF), which is prospecting for lithium in Argentinas Catamarca province along the prime lithium salar belt, has been given a long rating from Hallgarten and Company in initial coverage from the brokers. Click here

Green Technology Metals Ltd (ASX:GT1) has unearthed zones of high-grade lithium in an inaugural drilling campaign at the McCombe prospect of the Root Lithium Project, which uncovered broad, continuous intersections of lithium-bearing spodumene from surface to about 100 metres of depth. Click here

Poseidon Nickel Ltd (ASX:POS, OTC:PSDNF) has secured a $180,000 grant from the West Australian state government to hunt for nickel sulphides at the Western Ultramafic Unit of its Lake Johnston Project in Kalgoorlie. Click here

Animoca Brands Corporation Ltd and its subsidiary TinyTap, a leading platform for user-generated educational games, today announced the launch of Publisher non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Click here

Ionic Rare Earths Ltd (ASX:IXR, OTC:IXRRF) has secured an overall environmental, social, and governance (ESG) rating of BB from Digbee ESG for its corporate and development activities surrounding the Makuutu Rare Earth Project in Uganda. Click here

Chase Mining Corporation Ltd (ASX:CML) acquisition target Green Critical Metals (GCM) has advanced its strategy to expand the McIntosh Graphite Projects mineral resource with extensive field mapping and sampling, successfully identifying outcropping graphite in seven target areas. Click here

Cobre Ltd (ASX:CBE) has struck visible copper at the Comet target at the Ngami Copper Project (NCP) in the Kalahari Copper Belt (KCB) of Botswana, raising its economic potential significantly. Click here

Provaris Energy Ltd (ASX:PV1) has maintained its first mover status for export of green hydrogen from its proposed Tiwi H2 project, situated on the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory. Click here

About Proactive

Proactive is a unique tech-enabled platform providing companies globally with a comprehensive investor engagement solution across their business lifecycle.

With six offices on three continents, Proactive works with innovative growth companies quoted on the worlds major stock exchanges, helping executives to engage intelligently with investors.

In 2020, Proactive featured in 809 million search results, our content was viewed over 165 million times and our readers spent over 10 million hours on our websites. Proactive has produced over 300,000 articles and 20,000 executive interviews since it was established in 2006.

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English French

Press Release Ecully, 28th of October, 2022  8:45 am





Remarkable participation at 2022 Eurospine congress in Milan

Spineway and Spine Innovations, the Groups latest acquisition, were present from 19 to 21 October 2022 in Milan at the Eurospine international congress to present the Groups product lines to the entire spinal implant industry.



At the largest scientific and commercial European congress dedicated to spinal surgery, which this year brought together almost 2,000 surgeons from around the world, Spineway was able to present its flagship instruments and implants (Mont-Blanc, Mont-Blanc MIS and Twin Peaks), three new ranges of Group spinal implants : Kaphorn, Veos, Acifbox and the two models of cervical and lumbar ESP disc prosthesis from Spine Innovations.

The Group was thus able to show its know-how thanks to its extensive range of products. Many international distributors from the five continents, as well as new potential distributors (Canada, Argentina, Spain, Austria), expressed at this occasion their great interest in the Groups products.

Spineway also successfully hosted two specific events for distributors and surgeons :

A sales meeting attended by s ome 30 international distributors from 12 different countries, to announce the integration of Spine Innovations and to present the new product lines,

from 12 different countries, to announce the integration of Spine Innovations and to present the new product lines, A scientific meeting organized by Spine Innovations in front of an audience of fifty international surgeons to present the work of two French and Swedish surgeons, key opinion leaders on prosthetic discs.

These fruitful meetings confirm the relevance of product and territory synergies between the two companies.

Based on this successful event, Spineway will continue its development in order to position itself as a European player of reference in the spine sector.

Shareholders meeting

2022 3rd quarter activity and Eurospine congress

Thursday the 3rd of October, 2022, 8:00 pm by visioconference

Registration here



SPINEWAY IS ELIGIBLE FOR PEA-SME (EQUITY SAVINGS PLANS FOR SMES)

Find out all about Spineway at www.spineway.com



This press release has been prepared in both English and French. In case of discrepancies, the French version shall prevail.

Spineway designs, manufactures and markets innovative implants and surgical instruments for treating severe disorders of the spinal column.

Spineway has an international network of over 50 independent distributors and 90% of its revenue comes from exports.

Spineway, which is eligible for investment through FCPIs (French unit trusts specializing in innovation), has received the OSEO Excellence award since 2011 and has won the Deloitte Fast 50 award (2011). Rhone Alpes INPI Patent Innovation award (2013)  INPI Talent award (2015).

ISIN: FR001400BVK2 - ALSPW

Contacts:





SPINEWAY



Shareholder-services line



Available Tuesday through Thursday



+33 (0)806 706 060



Eligible PEA / PME





ALSPW





EURONEXT GROWTH





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Finance & Communication



Investor relations



Solene Kennis



spineway@aelium.fr

Attachment
Dallas, Texas, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global manipulators market estimated to reach close to USD 457.6 million by 2029 with an annualized growth rate of 4.3% through the forecast period 2021-2029. A manipulator is a tool used to move objects without the user making any direct physical contact. Initially, the applications were used to handle radioactive or biohazardous objects with robotic arms in inaccessible regions. They have been applied in a variety of more modern developments, including robotic surgery, welding automation, and space exploration. It is an arm-like device featuring a number of cross-slides that can slide or connect together to move objects with different degrees of freedom. The main reason behind this is due to the other types of machines that don't operate as well with objects that aren't reasonably light or standard in design, the manipulator's ability to move things outside of its center of mass becomes increasingly important as you start working with higher weights or irregularly shaped commodities.

Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/3357

Industrial manipulators are used by the automotive industry to handle body pieces and components. Industrial manipulators are used in the fabrication of concrete products, drainage pipes, paving slabs, and other bulky, heavy loads in the building and construction sectors. They are used by the chemical industry to handle and lift dangerous substances. They are used in the electronic industry to move big, sensitive loads like televisions, air conditioners, electrical appliances, refrigerators, washing machines, and numerous other delicate goods. However in the food industry, industrial manipulators are frequently employed. They transport a variety of items, including bottles, carton boxes, food bags, entire cheeses, meats, and processed food packages. Industrial manipulators are used in foundries to handle heavy objects including foundry buckets, crucibles, rims, components, molds, precision castings, and other items.

As the variety and applications of these devices proliferate around the world, the industrial manipulators market is predicted to expand at a quick CAGR in the years to come. Industrial manipulators, sometimes referred to as robotic manipulators, are mechanical devices that perform complex pneumatic tilts and rotations without making contact with anything. They use a rigid steel manipulator arm. These devices are employed across a wide range of sectors to transport heavy items and manage potentially lethal or radioactive substances. However, factors including higher capital expenditures, a lack of specialized knowledge, and limitations on the jobs that they can complete are likely to limit the employment of manipulators. As a result, the market for manipulators might suffer.

>>>To purchase research report@ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/researchreport/purchase/3357

Manipulators are beginning to be employed in warehouses, distribution centers, and other facilities to carry out a variety of jobs that are low skilled, hazardous, and frequently carried out by uncooperative workers. The desire to deploy robots to automate warehouse jobs and alter operations was always present, but its fulfillment had to wait for the introduction of robots with autonomous mobility capabilities. After that, warehouses and other such facilities are hastily making AMR investments. The AMR industry is expanding as a result of the unmet need for robots that can operate autonomously without endangering the workers around. The development of the e-commerce industry, as well as the tragic global spread and prevalence of the COVID - 19 pandemic, have all contributed to this tendency. Additionally, suppliers are encouraging users to embrace AMRs. Some of them are leasing or providing pay-as-you-go AMRs.

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction

2. Research Methodology

3. Market Outlook

4. Manipulators Market by Type, 2019-2029 (USD Million)

4.1. Omni-Directional

4.2. Non- Omni Directional

5. Manipulators Market by Application, 2019-2029 (USD Million)

5.1. Personal Assistance

5.2. Quality control

5.3. Warehouse & Distribution

6. Manipulators Market by Region, 2019-2029 (USD Million)

6.1. North America

6.1.1. US

6.1.2. Canada

6.2. Europe

6.2.1. UK

6.2.2. Germany

6.2.3. France

6.2.4. Rest of Europe

6.3. Asia Pacific

6.3.1. China

6.3.2. Japan

6.3.3. India

6.3.4. Rest of Asia Pacific

6.4. South America

6.4.1. Brazil

6.4.2. Mexico

6.4.3. Rest of South America

6.5. Middle East & Africa

7. Competitive Landscape

8. Company Profile

9. Appendix

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About Us:

Adroit Market Research is an India-based business analytics and consulting company incorporated in 2018. Our target audience is a wide range of corporations, manufacturing companies, product/technology development institutions and industry associations that require understanding of a markets size, key trends, participants and future outlook of an industry. We intend to become our clients knowledge partner and provide them with valuable market insights to help create opportunities that increase their revenues. We follow a code Explore, Learn and Transform. At our core, we are curious people who love to identify and understand industry patterns, create an insightful study around our findings and churn out money-making roadmaps.
Dublin, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Brewery Equipment Market by Equipment Type, Brewery Type (Macrobrewery, Craft brewery), Mode of Application (Manual, Automatic and Semi-automatic), and Region (North America, Asia Pacific, Europe and RoW) - Global Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global brewery equipment market size is estimated to be valued at USD 19.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 25.6 billion by 2027, recording a CAGR of 5.9% in terms of value.

By mode of operation, there is an increased use of automatic brewery equipment, driving the growth of brewery equipment market

The beer industry has shown increased adoption of automated beer processing equipment to reduce the time and cost of production for greater efficiency & productivity. The complex beer production process needs continuous monitoring, controlling, and evaluation which can be easily achieved through an automated brewery setup. Although Automatic equipment requires a high initial investment it offers fast returns in the long run. It further reduces the cost involved in manual labor and is helpful for the safe handling of beer and reducing product quality damage.

By brewery type, increase in the popularity of brewpubs in the brewery industry drives the growth of brewery equipment market

The recent trends have shown a rise in the number of brewpubs across the US. The brewpubs account for more than one-third of the US brewery market. Brewpubs are an attractive way for brewery businesses to diversify their revenue streams and attract more customers. Brewpubs provide a good branding opportunity to promote the beer brand as compared to other craft breweries such as microbreweries and tasting rooms. The changing social culture among the youth and growing demand for craft beers and no and low alcohol beer is driving the growth in the number of brewpubs globally.

The North America region is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

The North American region has one of the highest consumptions of beer and hence is expected to play an important role in the global beer equipment market. The region is one of the major markets for brewery equipment due to the continued increase in beer consumption in the US ranging from craft beer to lager beer. The rise of Mexico as the biggest exporter of beer globally also drives the market for brewery equipment in this region. Major large-scale breweries are setting up beer manufacturing plants in Mexico which serves as a great opportunity for the market. These trends are further projected to attract investments from brewery equipment manufacturers across the globe, driving the brewery equipment market.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights

4.1 Attractive Opportunities in Global Market

4.2 Brewery Equipment Market: Major Regional Submarkets

4.3 Europe: Brewery Equipment Market, by Mode of Operation & Country

4.4 Market, by Brewery Type

4.5 Market, by Mode of Operation

4.6 Market, by Brewery Type & Region

5 Market Overview

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Macroeconomic Indicators

5.2.1 Cultivation of Crops Associated with Beer Production

5.2.2 Beer Market Benefits from Large Young Demographic

5.3 Market Dynamics

5.3.1 Drivers

5.3.1.1 Mushrooming Craft Breweries Drive Brewery Equipment Demand

5.3.1.2 Rise in Consumption of Beer, Predominantly in Developing Countries

5.3.1.3 Filling Equipment Gains Demand by Increased Preference for Canned Beer

5.3.2 Restraints

5.3.2.1 Increase in Energy and Power Costs

5.3.2.2 Advertising Restrictions for Alcoholic Beverages

5.3.3 Opportunities

5.3.3.1 High Demand for Energy-Efficient Technology

5.3.3.2 Beer Manufacturers' Demand for After-Sales Service to Enhance Operational Efficiencies

5.3.3.3 Process Automation: Key to Modern Brewing

5.3.4 Challenges

5.3.4.1 Rise in Demand for Non-Alcoholic and Functional Beverages

5.3.4.2 High Equipment Maintenance & Startup Cost

6 Industry Trends

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Value Chain

6.2.1 Research & Development

6.2.2 Raw Material Sourcing

6.2.3 Manufacturing

6.2.4 Distribution

6.2.5 End-users

6.2.6 Post-Sales Services

6.3 Supply Chain Analysis

6.4 Market Map and Ecosystem of Brewery Equipment Market

6.4.1 Demand Side

6.4.2 Supply Side

6.4.3 Ecosystem Map

6.5 Trends/Disruptions Impacting Customers' Businesses

6.5.1 Revenue Shift and New Revenue Pockets in Brewery Equipment Market

6.6 Technology Analysis

6.6.1 Automation

6.6.2 Wort Oxygenator

6.6.3 Hybrid Mash Filter

6.7 Pricing Analysis

6.7.1 Selling Prices Charged by Key Players in Terms of Brewery Type

6.7.2 Average Selling Price Trends

6.8 Brewery Equipment Market: Patent Analysis

6.8.1 List of Major Patents

6.9 Trade Analysis

6.9.1 Export Scenario

6.9.2 Import Scenario

6.10 Key Conferences and Events

6.11 Case Studies

6.11.1 Meura: Increased Energy Efficiency & Production

6.11.2 Smart Machine Technologies, Inc. (Smt): Adopted Automation

6.12 Tariff and Regulatory Landscape

6.12.1 Regulatory Bodies, Government Agencies, and Other Organizations

6.12.2 Regulatory Framework

6.12.2.1 International Organization for Standardization (Iso)

6.12.2.2 North America

6.12.2.2.1 Usfda

6.12.2.3 Europe

6.12.2.4 Asia-Pacific

6.12.2.4.1 India

6.13 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

6.14 Key Stakeholders and Buying Criteria

7 Brewery Equipment Market, by Equipment Type

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Macrobrewery Equipment

7.2.1 Milling Equipment

7.2.1.1 Increased Usage of Dry Milling to Increase Efficiency

7.2.2 Brewhouse Equipment

7.2.2.1 Economical Advantage of Single Unit Brewhouse Equipment to Drive Growth

7.2.2.2 Mash Kettles

7.2.2.3 Lauter Tuns

7.2.2.4 Wort Kettles

7.2.2.5 Whirlpoolers

7.2.2.6 Steam Generators

7.2.2.7 Aeration Devices

7.2.2.8 Other Brewhouse Equipment

7.2.3 Fermentation Equipment

7.2.3.1 Rise in Demand for Low- and High-Abv Beer Positively Impact Segment

7.2.4 Cooling Equipment

7.2.4.1 Demand for New Beer Flavors to Enhance Segment

7.2.5 Filtration & Filling Equipment

7.2.5.1 Effective Removal of External Effluents Through Filtration for Producing Top-Quality Beer to Drive Market

7.2.6 Other Macrobrewery Equipment

7.2.6.1 Cleaning Systems

7.2.6.2 Grain Silos

7.2.6.3 Generators

7.2.6.4 Pipes

7.3 Craft Brewery Equipment

7.3.1 Mashing Equipment

7.3.1.1 Enhanced Saccharification Due to Consistent Mashing Increases Production Efficiency

7.3.2 Storage Equipment

7.3.2.1 Increased Shelf Life of Beer with Storage Equipment to Increase Demand in Breweries

7.3.3 Compressors

7.3.3.1 Multiutility of Rotary Air Compressors to Drive Demand in Craft Breweries

7.3.4 Fermentation Equipment

7.3.4.1 Increase in Demand for Low- and No-Alcohol Craft Beer to Drive Segment in Craft Breweries

7.3.5 Cooling Equipment

7.3.5.1 Increase in Brewing Efficiency Due to Constantly Maintained Ideal Temperature to Drive Segment

7.3.6 Other Craft Brewery Equipment

8 Brewery Equipment Market, by Mode of Operation

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Manual

8.2.1 Higher Demand for Traditional Handcrafted Beer to Drive Manual Processing

8.3 Automatic

8.3.1 Quality, Consistency, and Fast Production of Beer Through Automation to Drive Market

8.4 Semi-Automatic

8.4.1 Cost-Effectiveness of Semi-Automatic Brewery Processing Systems Aid Small- and Medium-Scale Breweries

9 Brewery Equipment Market, by Brewery Type

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Macrobreweries

9.2.1 Expansion Plans of Large Beer Manufacturers Drive Demand for Macrobrewery Equipment

9.3 Craft Breweries

9.3.1 Emergence of Premium Craft Beer to Drive Demand for Craft Equipment

9.3.2 Microbreweries

9.3.2.1 Rise in Experimentation with Beer Flavors to Drive Microbrewery Equipment

9.3.3 Brewpubs

9.3.3.1 Change in Socio-Cultural Dynamics to Enhance Brewpub Equipment Market

9.3.4 Other Craft Breweries

10 Brewery Equipment Market, by Region

11 Competitive Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Market Share Analysis

11.3 Segmental Revenue Analysis of Key Players

11.4 Key Player Strategies

11.5 Company Evaluation Quadrant (Key Players)

11.5.1 Stars

11.5.2 Emerging Leaders

11.5.3 Pervasive Players

11.5.4 Participants

11.6 Product Footprint

11.7 Evaluation Quadrant (Startups/Smes)

11.7.1 Progressive Companies

11.7.2 Starting Blocks

11.7.3 Responsive Companies

11.7.4 Dynamic Companies

11.7.5 Competitive Benchmarking of Key Startups/Smes

11.8 Competitive Scenario

11.8.1 Product Launches

11.8.2 Deals

12 Company Profiles

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Key Players

12.2.1 Alfa Laval

12.2.2 Gea Group Aktiengesellschaft

12.2.3 Krones Ag

12.2.4 Paul Mueller Company

12.2.5 Praj Industries

12.2.6 Meura

12.2.7 Criveller Group

12.2.8 Shanghai Hengcheng Beverage Equipment Co, Ltd

12.2.9 Lehui

12.2.10 Interpump Group S.P.A (Inoxpa)

12.2.11 Della Toffola Spa

12.2.12 Kaspar Schulz Brauereimaschinenfabrik & Apparatebauanstalt Gmbh

12.2.13 Hypro

12.2.14 Hg Machinery

12.2.15 Abe Equipment

12.3 Other Players (Smes/Startups)

12.3.1 Cedarstone Industry

12.3.1.1 Business Overview

12.3.2 Alpha Brewing Operations

12.3.3 Braukon Gmbh

12.3.4 Canadian Crystalline Water India Ltd

12.3.5 Specific Mechanical System Ltd

12.3.6 Brewbilt Manufacturing Inc

12.3.7 Schulz Brewery

12.3.8 Shandong Zunhuang Brewing Equipment Co. Ltd.

12.3.9 Caspary GmbH and Co.Kg

12.3.10 Brew-Tek Australia

13 Adjacent & Related Markets

14 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ura2mo

Attachment
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- K92 Mining Inc. (K92 or the Company) (TSX: KNT; OTCQX: KNTNF) announces that it has filed a technical report (the Technical Report) containing an Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for its Kainantu Gold Mine Project (the Kainantu Project) in Papua New Guinea. The Technical Report, titled, Independent Technical Report, Kainantu Gold Mine Integrated Development Plan, Kainantu Project, Papua New Guinea dated October 26, 2022, with an effective date of January 1, 2022, was prepared by Evan Kirby BSc (Hons), FSAIMM; Dr Matthew Helinski PhD (Geotechnical); Patrick McCann BASc (Mining); Ralph Holding, CPEng, FIEAust; Sandra Hunter BSc (Hons), FAusIMM(CP); Shane McLeay B.Eng (Mining, Hons), FAusIMM; Tara Halliday B.Eng (Environmental), FAusIMM, GAICD, Simon Tear BSc (Hons), EurGeol, PGeo IGI, EurGeol; and Andrew Kohler BAppSc (Geol), PGCert (Geostatistics), MAIG. Refer to the Companys news release dated September 12, 2022, for a summary of the key results, assumptions and estimates contained in the Technical Report. The Technical Report was prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and is available under the Companys SEDAR profile (www.sedar.com) and on the K92 website at www.k92mining.com.

About K92

K92 Mining Inc. is engaged in the production of gold, copper and silver at the Kainantu Gold Mine in the Eastern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea, as well as exploration and development of mineral deposits in the immediate vicinity of the mine. The Company declared commercial production from Kainantu in February 2018, and commenced an expansion of the mine based on an updated Preliminary Economic Assessment on the property. A maiden resource estimate on the Blue Lake porphyry project was completed in August 2022. K92 is in a strong financial position and is operated by a team of mining company professionals with extensive international mine-building and operational experience.

On Behalf of the Company,

John Lewins, Chief Executive Officer and Director

For further information, please contact David Medilek, P.Eng., CFA at +1-604-416-4445

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation: (i) the results of the Kainantu Project DFS, and the Kainantu 2022 PEA, including the Stage 3 Expansion, a new standalone 1.2 mtpa process plant and supporting infrastructure; (ii) statements regarding the expansion of the mine and development of any of the deposits; and (iii) the Kainantu Stage 4 Expansion, operating two standalone process plants, larger surface infrastructure and mining throughputs.

All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, although not always, identified by words such as expect, plan, anticipate, project, target, potential, schedule, forecast, budget, estimate, intend or believe and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions will, would, may, could, should or might occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our ability to control, that may cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, without limitation, Public Health Crises, including the COVID-19 Pandemic; changes in the price of gold, silver, copper and other metals in the world markets; fluctuations in the price and availability of infrastructure and energy and other commodities; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; volatility in price of our common shares; inherent risks associated with the mining industry, including problems related to weather and climate in remote areas in which certain of the Companys operations are located; failure to achieve production, cost and other estimates; risks and uncertainties associated with exploration and development; uncertainties relating to estimates of mineral resources including uncertainty that mineral resources may never be converted into mineral reserves; the Companys ability to carry on current and future operations, including development and exploration activities; the timing, extent, duration and economic viability of such operations, including any mineral resources or reserves identified thereby; the accuracy and reliability of estimates, projections, forecasts, studies and assessments; the Companys ability to meet or achieve estimates, projections and forecasts; the availability and cost of inputs; the price and market for outputs, including gold, silver and copper; inability of the Company to identify appropriate acquisition targets or complete desirable acquisitions; failures of information systems or information security threats; political, economic and other risks associated with the Companys foreign operations; geopolitical events and other uncertainties, such as the conflict in Ukraine; compliance with various laws and regulatory requirements to which the Company is subject to, including taxation; the ability to obtain timely financing on reasonable terms when required; the current and future social, economic and political conditions, including relationship with the communities in jurisdictions it operates; other assumptions and factors generally associated with the mining industry; and the risks, uncertainties and other factors referred to in the Companys Annual Information Form under the heading Risk Factors.

Estimates of mineral resources are also forward-looking statements because they constitute projections, based on certain estimates and assumptions, regarding the amount of minerals that may be encountered in the future and/or the anticipated economics of production. The estimation of mineral resources and mineral reserves is inherently uncertain and involves subjective judgments about many relevant factors. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The accuracy of any such estimates is a function of the quantity and quality of available data, and of the assumptions made and judgments used in engineering and geological interpretation, Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance, and actual results and future events could materially differ from those anticipated in such statements. Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actual results to differ materially from those that are anticipated, estimated, or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Chung Euisun, left, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, poses with Petr Fiala, prime minister of the Czech Republic, at the latter's office in Prague, Oct. 27. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group



By Baek Byung-yeul



Chung Euisun, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, promoted Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030 to the prime minister of the Czech Republic, the automotive group said Friday.



Hyundai said Chung met Prime Minister Petr Fiala at the latter's office in Prague, Oct. 27 (local time). During the meeting, Chung discussed mutual cooperation measures such as transforming Hyundai Motor's car manufacturing plant there to produce electric vehicles (EVs), and made a request to support Busan's bid to host the World Expo in 2030.



The Czech Republic is currently serving as the presidency of the Council of the European Union for the second half of this year. After establishing diplomatic ties in 1990, Korea and the Czech Republic established a strategic partnership in 2015, and have been continuing to strengthen cooperation in various ways.



At present, more than 50 Korean companies including Hyundai Motor are doing business in the European country and the two countries are considering expanding cooperation on EVs and clean energy.



"Chairman Chung expressed his gratitude to the prime minister saying that Hyundai Motor's Czech plant has grown into an important branch of the country's automotive industry thanks to the active support from the Czech government. He then explained the competitiveness of Korea and Busan as a candidate city for the World Expo 2030 and asked for interest and support," a group spokesman said.



The organizing committee for Busan's campaign to host the World Expo in 2030 selected the theme of "Transforming Our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future" in order to solve the crises the world is facing such as climate change and inequality.



"We will be able to prepare for a sustainable future and address global issues through nature-friendly life and technological innovation, the main values the World Expo in Busan is pursuing," the chairman told the prime minister according to the automotive group.



Chung also stressed Korea is the country that can suggest solutions to these issues, saying "Korea has an ability to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution with its technologies such as eco-friendly mobility, artificial intelligence and smart cities."



Hyundai's plant in the Czech Republic began producing cars in 2008 and has made over 3.9 million cars as of September. The plant mainly produces Hyundai Motor's popular models in the European market such as the Kona Electric, the Tucson and the i30.



The plant in the Czech Republic is increasingly becoming important as a key base to lead the company's EV drive in Europe, which decided to ban the sale of combustion engine-powered cars after 2035.



The chairman asked the prime minister to continue providing support and interest so that its plant there will transform smoothly into an EV production base.


Dublin, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global AI In Education Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report By Component (Solution and Services), By Application, By End-use, By Deployment Mode (Cloud and On-premise), By Technology, By Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2022 - 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global AI In Education Market size is expected to reach $12.8 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth of 33.5% CAGR during the forecast period.



Giving teachers, students, and educators a better experience is part of the application of AI in education. Numerous service providers are developing unique AI education solutions or services that connect to numerous education platforms. The demand for AI in education is also rising as online learning is becoming a more popular choice for skill development. As there is a growth in AI-backed business applications, tech corporations cooperated with colleges to introduce new training formats for AI talent in order to better fit with the development trends and latest industry developments.



Giving teachers, students, and educators a better experience is part of the application of AI in education. Numerous service providers are developing unique AI education solutions or services that connect to numerous education platforms. The demand for AI in education is also rising as online learning is becoming a more popular choice for skill development. As there is a growth in AI-backed business applications, tech corporations cooperated with colleges to introduce new training formats for AI talent in order to better fit with the development trends and latest industry developments.



Artificial intelligence has the ability to address some of the most significant issues facing education nowadays, such as innovative teaching and learning methods, and eventually quicken the realization of SDG 4. However, these quick technological advancements necessarily carry with them a number of risks and difficulties that have thus far surpassed regulatory structures and policy discussions. Enhanced education experience can be achieved with the help of AI technologies, and UNESCO is committed to assisting Member States in doing so while ensuring that the use of AI in educational settings is governed by the fundamental values of equity and inclusion.



COVID-19 Impact Analysis



The COVID-19 pandemic delivered a significant impact on the worldwide economy. Various businesses all over the world were majorly affected due to the pandemic. In addition, the advent of the pandemic also significantly disrupted the education infrastructure all over the world. Various industries were severely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The COVID-19 pandemic had a detrimental effect on the education sector. Schools colleges and other educational institutes all over the world were shut down, due to which, there was a drop in the demand for AI learning in in-person education.



The leading players in the market are competing with diverse innovative offerings to remain competitive in the market. The below illustration shows the percentage of revenue shared by some of the leading companies in the market. The leading players of the market are adopting various strategies in order to cater demand coming from the different industries. The key developmental strategies in the market are Acquisitions, and Partnerships & Collaborations.



Market Growth Factors

Enhanced Student And Teacher Experience



One of the key factors that are driving the growth of the AI in education market is the fact that it significantly improves the learning and teaching experience. Vendors of AI technology are creating electronic gadgets with AI capabilities by creating sophisticated learning systems that enhance learning procedures. For educational institutions to survive in a world with cutthroat competition, they must provide the finest learning environment. For instance, Century Intelligent Learning created a classroom employing AI technology that allows teachers to create academic curricula online, allowing students to access their curricula whenever they choose.



Saves A Lot Of Time And Cost



The administrative team works continuously for hours, whether it be filing paperwork, sending texts and emails, getting in touch with students or their parents, or producing periodic reports. In a similar manner, professors and teachers must grade papers for tests and homework, plan lesson plans, prepare for upcoming classes, etc. It consumes a significant amount of time for these educators. The remaining time is set aside for marking test papers, creating lesson plans for future classes, and finishing up administrative tasks. The artificial intelligence expert can assist teachers in developing an AI system that is expected to increase staff and student productivity.



Marketing Restraining Factor:

Slow Digitalization Due To The Digital Divide



The diffusion of digitalization in LMIC, or low- and middle-income countries, is very slow. This is attributed to the prevalence of the digital divide all over the world. The digital divide can be defined as the reduced digital growth of developing and underdeveloped countries in contrast to developed countries due to the lower penetration of technologies. There is a significant number of LMICs that are struggling to bring technological advancements. AI-enabled deployments are completely reliant on accessible data, IT infrastructures, and Internet of Things devices for gathering instances to produce correct results due to the absence of funding for the fundamental requirements of IT infrastructures within poor nations.



Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Market Scope & Methodology

Chapter 2. Market Overview

2.1 Introduction

2.1.1 Overview

2.1.1.1 Market Composition and Scenario

2.2 Key Factors Impacting the Market

2.2.1 Market Drivers

2.2.2 Market Restraints



Chapter 3. Competition Analysis - Global

3.1 Cardinal Matrix

3.2 Recent Industry Wide Strategic Developments

3.2.1 Partnerships, Collaborations and Agreements

3.2.2 Acquisition and Mergers

3.3 Market Share Analysis, 2021

3.4 Top Winning Strategies

3.4.1 Key Leading Strategies: Percentage Distribution (2018-2022)



Chapter 4. Global AI In Education Market by Component

4.1 Global Solution Market by Region

4.2 Global Services Market by Region



Chapter 5. Global AI In Education Market by Application

5.1 Global Learning Platform & Virtual Facilitators Market by Region

5.2 Global Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) Market by Region

5.3 Global Smart content Market by Region

5.4 Global Fraud & Risk Management Market by Region

5.5 Global Others Market by Region



Chapter 6. Global AI In Education Market by End-use

6.1 Global Higher Education Market by Region

6.2 Global Corporate Training & Learning Market by Region

6.3 Global K-12 Education Market by Region



Chapter 7. Global AI In Education Market by Deployment Mode

7.1 Global Cloud Market by Region

7.2 Global On-premise Market by Region



Chapter 8. Global AI In Education Market by Technology

8.1 Global Machine Learning Market by Region

8.2 Global Natural Language Processing (NLP) Market by Region



Chapter 9. Global AI In Education Market by Region



Chapter 10. Company Profiles

10.1 IBM Corporation

10.1.1 Company Overview

10.1.2 Financial Analysis

10.1.3 Regional & Segmental Analysis

10.1.4 Research & Development Expenses

10.1.5 Recent strategies and developments:

10.1.5.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements:

10.1.6 SWOT Analysis

10.2 Microsoft Corporation

10.2.1 Company Overview

10.2.2 Financial Analysis

10.2.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

10.2.4 Research & Development Expenses

10.2.5 Recent strategies and developments:

10.2.5.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements:

10.2.6 SWOT Analysis

10.3 Google LLC

10.3.1 Company Overview

10.3.2 Financial Analysis

10.3.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

10.3.4 Research & Development Expense

10.3.5 SWOT Analysis

10.4 Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation

10.4.1 Company overview

10.4.2 Financial Analysis

10.4.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

10.4.4 SWOT Analysis

10.5 Pearson PLC

10.5.1 Company Overview

10.5.2 Financial Analysis

10.5.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

10.5.4 Recent strategies and developments:

10.5.4.1 Partnerships, Collaborations and Agreements:

10.6 Amazon Web Services, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)

10.6.1 Company Overview

10.6.2 Financial Analysis

10.6.3 Segmental Analysis

10.7 Carnegie Learning, Inc. (CIP Capital)

10.7.1 Company Overview

10.7.2 Recent strategies and developments:

10.7.2.1 Acquisition and Mergers:

10.8 Blackboard, Inc. (Providence Equity Partners)

10.8.1 Company Overview

10.8.2 Recent strategies and developments:

10.8.2.1 Acquisitions and Mergers:

10.9 BridgeU Limited (Kaplan, Inc.)

10.9.1 Company Overview

10.10. DreamBox Learning, Inc.

10.10.1 Company Overview

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/gor9il

Attachments
Dublin, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report By Component, By Type, By Infrastructure Type (Mutable and Immutable), By Deployment Mode, By Organization Size, By Vertical, By Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2022 - 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market size is expected to reach $2.8 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth of 21.9% CAGR during the forecast period.



The management and provisioning of computer data centers using machine-readable definition files rather than interactive configuration tools or actual hardware setup are known as infrastructure as code. Managing IT infrastructure used to be a very challenging task traditionally. The necessary hardware and software have to be manually managed and configured in order for the applications to function.



However, technologies have drastically changed in recent years. The manner in which businesses plan, create, and maintain their IT infrastructure has been transformed and improved by trends, like cloud computing. Infrastructure as code is one of the key elements of this approach. Using configuration files to administer the IT infrastructure is known as infrastructure as code or IaC.



Applying the same discipline of application code generation to infrastructure provisioning is known as practicing infrastructure as code. In the same manner that application code is kept in a source control system, like AWS CodeCommit, all configurations must be defined declaratively. The use of infrastructure as code should be supported by the orchestration, provisioning, and deployment of infrastructure.



AWS, in contrast, offers a DevOps-focused approach to building and maintaining infrastructure. AWS offers services that make it possible to build, deploy, and maintain infrastructure in a descriptive, programmatic, and declarative manner, similar to how software developers compose application code. These services offer accuracy, precision, and reliability. The AWS services serve as the foundation for many higher-level AWS DevOps ideas and practices and are essential to a DevOps approach.



IT infrastructure management used to be done manually. Servers is expected to be physically installed and configured by individuals. They is expected to deploy the program only after configuring the workstations to the precise settings needed by the OS and applications. Moreover, this manual procedure frequently produced a number of issues. Cost is the first significant issue.



COVID-19 Impact Analysis



The lockdowns led various manufacturing facilities and businesses to a significant haul. In addition, the infrastructure as code market was also majorly hampered due to the pandemic. Due to the closure of operational activities, several companies, including large enterprises and small & medium enterprises were closed. Due to this, the demand for infrastructure as code significantly reduced during the initial period of the pandemic. However, in the second half of 2020, several companies all over the world accelerated the adoption of infrastructure as code. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the IT and Telecom industry witnessed rapid growth. Due to this, the demand for infrastructure as code tools and services is expedited in the telecommunications industry.



Market Growth Factors

Introduction Of Modern And Complex Cloud Architecture To The Market



Consumer preferences and behavior are currently changing dramatically. To survive in the cutthroat market, businesses are giving priority to these preferences. The demand for cost-effective strategies to improve operational efficiencies of businesses is rising as a result of growing consumer expectations and increasing competition among industry leaders. Because manual processes are laborious, repetitive, and time-consuming, businesses that employ them to complete business-critical tasks sometimes encounter problems, such as inaccurate data interpretation.



Development Of Composable Infrastructure



The adoption of Infrastructure as code solutions is anticipated to be fueled by aspects including streamlined operations, resource scalability, and built-in data protection and recovery. Industries now do not fully understand the advantages of composable systems. This status is estimated to improve in the coming years as buyers become more aware of the advantages and benefits of composable solutions due to the top companies in the infrastructure as code ecosystem. The majority of infrastructure as code solutions are currently being used by large businesses.



Market Restraining Factors

Lack Of Technical Knowledge And Risk Of Human Error



Infrastructure as code, which offers a programmable resource model and standard programming model, has made it possible for the software to fully govern the lifetime of servers and cloud infrastructure. Some companies might be hesitant to implement the infrastructure as code as well as DevOps models due to the high level of technical proficiency they require, the required adjustments to culture and business practices, the dangers of migrating an existing solution, or the potential that their team is underqualified.

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Market Scope & Methodology



Chapter 2. Market Overview

2.1 Introduction

2.1.1 Overview

2.1.1.1 Market composition and scenario

2.2 Key Factors Impacting the Market

2.2.1 Market Drivers

2.2.2 Market Restraints



Chapter 3. Strategies Deployed in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market



Chapter 4. Global Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market by Component

4.1 Global Tools Market by Region

4.2 Global Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market by Tools Type

4.2.1 Global Configuration Orchestration Market by Region

4.2.2 Global Configuration Management Market by Region

4.2.3 Global Infrastructure Provisioning Market by Region

4.2.4 Global Others Market by Region

4.3 Global Services Market by Region



Chapter 5. Global Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market by Type

5.1 Global Declarative Market by Region

5.2 Global Imperative Market by Region



Chapter 6. Global Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market by Infrastructure Type

6.1 Global Mutable Market by Region

6.2 Global Immutable Market by Region



Chapter 7. Global Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market by Deployment Mode

7.1 Global On-premise Market by Region

7.2 Global Cloud Market by Region



Chapter 8. Global Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market by Organization Size

8.1 Global Large Enterprises Market by Region

8.2 Global Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Market by Region



Chapter 9. Global Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market by Vertical

9.1 Global BFSI Market by Region

9.2 Global IT & Telecom Market by Region

9.3 Global Healthcare Market by Region

9.4 Global Government Market by Region

9.5 Global Retail Market by Region

9.6 Global Manufacturing Market by Region

9.7 Global Others Market by Region



Chapter 10. Global Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Market by Region



Chapter 11. Company Profiles

11.1 IBM Corporation

11.1.1 Company Overview

11.1.2 Financial Analysis

11.1.3 Regional & Segmental Analysis

11.1.4 Research & Development Expenses

11.1.5 Recent strategies and developments:

11.1.5.1 Acquisition and Mergers:

11.1.6 SWOT Analysis

11.2 Microsoft Corporation

11.2.1 Company Overview

11.2.2 Financial Analysis

11.2.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

11.2.4 Research & Development Expenses

11.2.5 Recent strategies and developments:

11.2.5.1 Acquisition and Mergers:

11.2.6 SWOT Analysis

11.3 Amazon Web Services, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)

11.3.1 Company Overview

11.3.2 Financial Analysis

11.3.3 Segmental Analysis

11.3.4 Recent strategies and developments:

11.3.4.1 Acquisition and Mergers:

11.3.5 SWOT Analysis

11.4 Oracle Corporation

11.4.1 Company Overview

11.4.2 Financial Analysis

11.4.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

11.4.4 Research & Development Expense

11.4.5 Recent strategies and developments:

11.4.5.1 Acquisition and Mergers:

11.4.6 SWOT Analysis

11.5 Google LLC

11.5.1 Company Overview

11.5.2 Financial Analysis

11.5.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

11.5.4 Research & Development Expense

11.5.5 Recent strategies and developments:

11.5.5.1 Acquisition and Mergers:

11.5.6 SWOT Analysis

11.6 Dell Technologies, Inc.

11.6.1 Company Overview

11.6.2 Financial Analysis

11.6.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

11.6.4 Research & Development Expense

11.6.5 SWOT Analysis:

11.7 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company

11.7.1 Company Overview

11.7.2 Financial Analysis

11.7.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

11.7.4 Research & Development Expense

11.7.5 SWOT Analysis

11.8 Broadcom, Inc. (Symantec Corporation)

11.8.1 Company Overview

11.8.2 Financial Analysis

11.8.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

11.8.4 Research & Development Expense

11.8.5 SWOT Analysis

11.9 ServiceNow, Inc.

11.9.1 Company Overview

11.9.2 Financial Analysis

11.9.3 Regional Analysis

11.9.4 Research & Development Expenses

11.10. Alibaba Group Holding Limited

11.10.1 Company Overview

11.10.2 Financial Analysis

11.10.3 Segmental Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/jvg1az

Attachment
English Swedish

James P. Smith Jr., deputy board member of Auriant Mining AB (publ.) (the Company) since 2014, has informed the Board that he wishes to retire as a deputy board member of the Company on 30 October 2022, as part of his general disengagement from his commercial commitments.

I would like to thank JP Smith for his valuable contribution to the work of the Board, in particular in his capacity as chairman of the Finance and Audit Committee, said Peter Daresbury, the Chairman of the Board of the Company.

Upon Mr. Smiths departure, the functions of the chairman of the Finance and Audit Committee will be performed by Peter Daresbury.

For more information, please contact:

Peter Daresbury, Chairman of the Board

Tel.: +441948861900

E-mail: peter.daresbury@daresburyltd.co.uk



Danilo Lange, CEO

Tel.: +7 495 109 02 82

E-mail: d.lange@auriant.com



Company name: Auriant Mining AB

Short name: AUR

ISIN-code: SE0001337213

Website: www.auriant.com

Auriant Mining AB (AUR) is a Swedish junior mining company focused on gold exploration and production in Russia, primarily in the Republic of Tyva, Zabaikalye and the Republic of Khakassia. The company has currently four assets, including two operating mines (Tardan and Alluvial at Staroverinskaya), one early stage exploration asset and one development asset.

Since July 19, 2010, Auriant Minings shares are traded on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market under the short name AUR. For more information, please visit www.auriant.com. G&W Fondkommission is Certified Adviser to Auriant, for more information please visit www.gwkapital.se .

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English Dutch French

PRESS RELEASE

Brussels, 28 October 2022, 5.40 PM CEST

REInvest purchases Bronze Gate

Luxembourg-based real estate investment partner secures BREEAM Excellent certified property, fully let over the long term of 12 years.

Luxembourg-based real estate investment partner REInvest Asset Management S.A. has secured the fully-let Bronze Gate office property in its home city of Luxembourg. The property was acquired for the DEREIF SICAV-FIS fund which invests in European real estate. The main investor in the Luxembourg-based real estate special fund is a major German insurance company.

The investment is around EUR 65 million. The sellers are the developers Nextensa and Promobe Grossfeld. Bronze Gate is set to receive a BREEAM Excellent sustainability certification.

The Bronze Gate office building is located at 5, Rue Charles Darwin in the new part of the Cloche d'Or quarter in Luxembourg City, a neighbourhood which is evolving with a mix of residential, working, shopping and recreational uses. The entire Cloche d'Or quarter has been awarded the German DGNB Platinum sustainability standard, which also reflects the environmentally friendly design of the overall infrastructure. The quarter will also shortly be connected by Luxtram to the tram network of the city of Luxembourg.

"We are delighted to have acquired Bronze Gate, a modern and sustainable office property in the ever-growing southern gateway to Luxembourg City. The Luxembourg real estate market, with its favourable underlying conditions, offers very good investment opportunities, as is evident from the early and long-term full occupancy of the property," adds Daniel Hohls-Larsson, Head of Transaction International and project manager at REInvest.

Bronze Gate, with its signature bronze facade, comprises six above-ground and two below-ground floors and around 5,040 sqm of rental space. It was completed in September 2022. The office property has already been pre-let on a long-term basis to the atHome Group research and brokerage company which specialises in real estate and vehicles, and the international law firm CMS DeBacker Luxembourg.

The law firms Linklaters LLP and Clifford Chance provided buy-side and sell-side advice respectively during the transaction. Drees & Sommer advised REInvest on the technical issues associated with the purchase and were responsible for monitoring the construction phase.

"With Bronze Gate, we have secured a modern office property for our DEREIF SICAV-FIS real estate fund, fully let over the long term. The location is forward-looking and one of the up-and-coming districts in Luxembourg. We have also achieved high standards in the buildings ESG features. I would particularly like to highlight the excellent and very close partnership with the developers Nextensa and Promobe (Grossfeld)," declared Hans Stuckart, Managing Director of REInvest.

Background information on the Real Estate Development Partners Nextensa and Promobe

The Cloche d'Or district is developed in joint venture between Promobe and Nextensa. Promobe is a major player in real estate development in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Nextensa is a mixed real estate investor and developer with activities focused on office, retail and residential projects in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Belgium and Austria. More information: www.clochedor.lu

For more information



Michel Van Geyte,

Chief Executive Officer

+32 3 238 98 77

michel.van.geyte@nextensa.eu





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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nevada Exploration Inc. (NGE or the Company) (TSX-V:NGE; OTCQB:NVDEF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Anne Labelle as Interim President & Chief Executive Officer.



Ms. Labelle has significant expertise in all areas of mineral exploration, development and mining, and has served in roles of increasing responsibility over the past three decades as a geologist, as a lawyer, as an executive and as a corporate director. An expert in sustainable development, she provides strategic advice and legal counsel to mineral exploration and development companies.

In her role as a mining company executive, with responsibility for external and legal affairs, corporate social responsibility, environmental, permitting and regulatory affairs, Ms. Labelle has carved out her path as an industry leader in ESG. Consistently promoting the interests of local communities as they intersect with industry, she has negotiated complex multi-party cooperative agreements with stakeholders. Throughout her career, Ms. Labelle has been adamant that transparency and open communication creates the best path to a successful project.

In accordance with the direction of the Board of Directors, Ms. Labelles immediate duties will include overseeing the restructuring and refinancing of the Company, including a significant consolidation of capital for which shareholder approval will be required. In anticipation of this planned reorganization, the Company has determined that it will not proceed with the private placement previously announced on August 29, 2022.

The Board of Directors welcomes Ms. Labelle to the Company and looks forward to working with her to create value for shareholders.

Update on Kelly Creek Project

The Company notes that its joint venture partner Austin Gold Corp. has issued a news release dated October 3, 2022, which contains certain results from its drilling program at NGEs Kelly Creek Project.

The Kelly Creek Project is located in Nevada along the Battle Mountain  Eureka Gold Trend within the larger Kelly Creek Basin, which is bounded by large gold deposits to the north (Twin Creeks, Getchell, Turquoise Ridge, and Pinson) and south (Lone Tree, Marigold, Trenton Canyon, Converse, Buffalo Valley, Copper Basin, and Phoenix).

About Nevada Exploration Inc.

Led by an international team of explorers, NGE is applying new technology to systematically explore for the undiscovered second half of Nevadas gold endowment waiting to be uncovered within Nevadas valley basins. NGE is advancing a portfolio of new gold exploration projects, primarily focused on three district-scale Carlin-type gold projects, which includes its flagship South Grass Valley project where it is currently drilling in close proximity to the Cortez Complex of Nevada Gold Mines.

Wade A. Hodges, Chief Discovery Officer and Director of NGE, is the qualified person, as defined in National Instrument 43-101, and has prepared the technical and scientific information contained in this news release.

We seek Safe Harbor.

For more information, Nevada Explorations latest videos are available at:

https://www.nevadaexploration.com/investors/media/

For further information, please contact:

Nevada Exploration Inc.

Email: info@nevadaexploration.com

Telephone: +1 (604) 601 2006

Website: www.nevadaexploration.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information:

This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking information) within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, expectations, beliefs, plans, and objectives regarding projects, potential transactions, and ventures discussed in this release.

In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made numerous assumptions, regarding, among other things, the assumption the Company will continue as a going concern and will continue to be able to access the capital required to advance its projects and continue operations. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies.

In addition, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are the risks inherent in mineral exploration, the need to obtain additional financing, environmental permits, the availability of needed personnel and equipment for exploration and development, fluctuations in the price of minerals, and general economic conditions.

A more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company is disclosed in the Companys continuous disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law.
TORONTO, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Madison Metals Inc. (Madison or the Company) (CSE: GREN) (OTCQB: MMTLF) announced today its intention to effect a normal course issuer bid (the NCIB) through the facilities of the Canadian Securities Exchange.



Pursuant to the NCIB, Madison may, during the 12-month period commencing on October 28, 2022 and ending on October 28, 2023, purchase on the Canadian Securities Exchange up to an aggregate of approximately 940,000 of Madisons common shares, representing approximately 5% of Madisons current issued and outstanding common shares. The price that Madison will pay for any such common shares will be the market price at the time of the acquisitions. The actual number of common shares which may be purchased through the NCIB and the timing of any such purchases will be determined at the discretion of senior management of Madison.

Madison is pursuing the NCIB because it believes that, from time to time, the market price of its common shares may not fully reflect the underlying value of its business and future prospects, and that the purchase of common shares would be a prudent use of funds.

Madison has retained Integral Wealth Securities Limited to coordinate and facilitate its purchases of common shares under the NCIB. Purchases are expected to commence on or after October 28, 2022 and conclude on October 28, 2023, or an earlier date in the event purchases under the NCIB have been completed or as determined by management. During the last 12 months, Madison has not purchased any common shares under a NCIB.

About Madison Metals Inc.

Madison Metals Inc. (CSE: GREN) (OTCQB: MMTLF) is an upstream mining and exploration company focused on sustainable uranium production in Namibia and Canada. Using cutting-edge technologies and modern strategies, Madison Metals Inc. is positioned to move advanced uranium assets to market quickly.

With over 50 years of mining experience, including 22 years in Namibia, its management team has geological and financial expertise and a track record of creating shareholder value.

Additional information about Madison Metals Inc. can be found at madisonmetals.ca and on the Companys SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

For further information, please contact:

Duane Parnham

Executive Chairman & CEO

Madison Metals Inc.

+1 (416) 489-0092

ir@madisonmetals.ca

Media inquiries:

Adam Bello

Manager, Media & Analyst Relations

Primoris Group Inc.

+1 (416) 489-0092

media@primorisgroup.com

Investor/shareholder inquiries:

Neil Simon

Chairman & CEO

Investor Cubed Inc.

+1 (647) 258-3310

nsimon@investor3.ca

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, schedule, estimates, forecasts, intends, continue, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, will, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are made based upon certain assumptions and other important facts that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the Companys intention to purchase common shares under the NCIB; the Companys belief that the common shares may not, from time to time, reflect the true value of the Companys business and prospects; the receipt of all necessary approvals, including any required regulatory approvals; and expectations for other economic, market, business and competitive factors.

Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, amongst others, necessary approvals not being obtained on the terms as currently contemplated or at all; currency fluctuations; the global economic climate; dilution; share price volatility; competition; labour shortages; and unanticipated expenses of the Company. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the impact the COVID 19 pandemic may have on the Companys activities and the economy in general; the impact of the recovery post COVID 19 pandemic and its impact on precious metals; receipt of necessary approvals; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; future metal prices; accidents, labour disputes and shortages; environmental risks; and other risks of the mining industry.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

You can find further information with respect to these and other risks in filings made with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities that are available on the Companys SEDAR profile page at www.sedar.com. The Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law.
SALISBURY, N.C., Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Food Lion Feeds  along with associates and customers  joined together to donate more than $66,000 for ongoing disaster relief to support communities impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Ian. This amount includes a Food Lion Feeds $30,000 donation on top of the amount customers donated at the register from Oct. 5  18. Food Lion Feeds was founded in 2014 by Food Lion, an omnichannel grocery retailer, to address food insecurity in the towns and cities it serves.



The destruction from Hurricane Ian is devastating, and we are grateful for the support of our associates and customers who contributed to this relief effort in helping our neighbors begin their journey of recovery, said Kevin Durkee, Manager, Food Lion Feeds, Food Lion.

During the two-week period, Food Lion offered customers at its more than 1,100 stores across 10 states the option to make a cash donation at the register to support neighbors and communities in the path of Hurricane Ian. So far in 2022, Food Lion Feeds has provided more than $160,000 in donations to the American Red Cross to support recovery efforts from flooding in Eastern Kentucky and hurricane devastation in Florida.

In addition, Food Lion Feeds delivered two semi-trailers full of much-needed essentials from South Carolina to Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida, the largest hunger-relief network in Southwest Florida. The delivery included pallets of water, canned soup, canned vegetables, rice, dried beans, macaroni and cheese, antibacterial wipes, baby food and pet food.

For more ways in which Food Lion cares for the towns and cities it serves, visit foodlion.com/feeds.

About Food Lion

Food Lion is an omnichannel retailer committed to nourishing its neighbors during the moments that matter most. More than 82,000 associates across 1,100+ stores deliver an easy, fresh and affordable shopping experience throughout 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. Through its Count on me culture, Food Lion fosters a sense of belonging for all associates, promoting a diverse and inclusive environment that has supported LGBTQ+ equality for nearly two decades. Food Lion is the only company in the country to be named an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for 21 consecutive years. It also pioneered a food rescue program to support food-insecure neighbors. Through Food Lion Feeds, the retailer has donated more than 970 million meals to individuals and families since 2014 and has committed to donate 1.5 billion meals by 2025. Founded and based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit foodlion.com.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Almadex Minerals Ltd. ("Almadex" or the "Company") (TSX-V: DEX) is pleased to announce that it has mobilised an exploration team to its wholly owned San Pedro project in Jalisco, Mexico to commence a follow-up drilling program anticipated to begin in the coming days. The San Pedro project is accessible from Guadalajara, 115 km along a paved highway, followed by 7km on a maintained dirt road.



The new drilling will target a recently identified structural trend associated with float rock of vein material, soil anomalies and old mine workings. Surface rock sampling earlier this year on this trend returned significant silver and gold values. Channel sampling along the trend included a 6.8 metre interval that returned 0.02 g/t gold and 137.7 g/t silver and a 4.2 metre interval that returned 3.7 g/t gold and 167.8 g/t silver. A total of 14 grab and chip samples were taken in this specific zone in 2022, averaging 0.6 g/t gold and 179.6 g/t silver.

J. Duane Poliquin, Chairman of Almadex commented, Our project portfolio is the result of years of effort and invested intellectual capital. We have a track record of discoveries, and we feel the varied and exciting projects in our portfolio have the potential to add to that record.

Qualified Persons and Methodology

Jocelyn Pelletier, P.Geo, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical contents of this news release. The analyses reported were carried out at ALS Chemex Laboratories of Zacatecas, Mexico using industry standard analytical techniques. For gold, samples are first analysed by fire assay and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Samples that return values greater than 10 g/t gold using this technique are then re-analysed by fire assay but with a gravimetric finish. Silver is first analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Samples that return values greater than 100 g/t silver by ICP-AES are then re-analysed by HF-HNO3-HCLO4 digestion with HCL leach and ICP-AES finish. Of these samples those that return silver values greater than 1,500 g/t are further analysed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish.

About Almadex

Almadex Minerals Ltd. is an exploration company that holds a large mineral portfolio consisting of projects and NSR royalties in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. This portfolio is the direct result of many years of prospecting and deal-making by Almadex's management team. The Company owns a number of portable diamond drill rigs, enabling it to conduct cost effective first pass exploration drilling in house.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

J. Duane Poliquin

J. Duane Poliquin, Chairman

Almadex Minerals Ltd.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within it, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Forward-looking statements in this news release relating to the Company include, among other things, the planned drilling activities at the San Pedro property; the Companys future exploration activities; and the Companys ability to advance exploration activities and make discoveries on properties in its portfolio. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, permitting, continued availability of capital and financing, equipment availability, relationships with third-party clientele and their willingness or ability to continue to use the Companys drills for exploration, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, other than as required pursuant to applicable securities laws.

Contact Information:

Almadex Minerals Ltd.

Tel. 604.689.7644

Email: info@almadexminerals.com

http://www.almadexminerals.com/
New York, NY, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The art of tattooing has been around for thousands of years and has evolved into a huge industry that will continue to grow and change with the times. Over the past several decades, tattooing has gone from being something frowned upon by most of society to an art form that is celebrated and admired by millions from all walks of life. The increased popularity of tattoos brings demand for custom designs, with many clients wanting bespoke tattoos created by skilled artists. As per IBIS World industry statistics, there are 31,196 Tattoo businesses in the U.S. as of 2022, an increase of 7.9 percent from 2021. California (2,896 businesses), New York (2,598 businesses) and Florida (2,005 businesses) are the states with the most tattoo businesses.

Named as one of the Best Tattoo Shops in New York City by expertise.com, First Class Tattoos in lower Manhattan lives up to its name. First Class Tattoos focuses on unique, custom pieces with artists specializing in trash polka, watercolor and fine-line tattoos, among many other styles. The shop boasts an extremely talented team of artists from across the globe who offer their talents by tattooing memorable pieces that anyone would be proud to wear.





The watercolor tattoo style is unique and known for colorful, striking designs comprised of subtle color gradients and color-fading techniques. The name comes from attempting to imitate the qualities of a traditional watercolor painting. On the other side of the tattoo spectrum, there are fine-line tattoos. As a relatively new style, fine-line tattoos are designed to look delicate and gentle, almost as if they were drawn by pen or pencil on a piece of paper. Finally, trash polka tattoos are characterized as a mix of realistic, surreal and photorealistic themes, as well as graphic, calligraphic and written components, mainly using only black and red. Graphic elements like big black areas, brush strokes and geometric or abstract shapes can be used alongside detailed, photo-realistic pictures to create an eye-catching display. First Class Tattoos is the best place to find amazing artists specializing in several different styles that are guaranteed to appeal to all different tastes and preferences.

The owner of First Class Tattoos, Mikhail Andersson, was born in Russia and began tattooing professionally in 2008. He has since become an expert on tattooing color realism. His styles extend from striking full-color landscapes to grungy, edgy trash polka sleeves. Andersson was shaped as a fine artist by the other great artists who inspired him. He also learned about the industry by attending tattoo conventions around the world. "The Tattoo Convention is a great event for both professional tattoo artists as well as anyone who has ever been interested in tattoos," said Mikhail Andersson, owner of First Class Tattoos in New York City. "It's a chance for people to learn about the world of body art first-hand by meeting with some of the best artists in the industry."

With his first tattoo studio, First Class Tattoos, Mr. Andersson has built up a loyal clientele by always putting their needs first. He works hard to ensure that all his clients leave happy with their permanent artwork. As well as being an accomplished artist, he also believes in providing exemplary customer service and making sure that his clients feel valued throughout the entire process. All the artists at First Class go above and beyond, which is why most of their clients return time and time again for more amazing pieces. For more information about the best tattoo shop in New York City , or to book your next tattoo session, please visit https://www.firstclasstattoos.com/.

Website: https://www.firstclasstattoos.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firstclassnyc/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstclassnyc/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@firstclasstattoos


Houston, Texas, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PCCA has named Steven Hoffart, PharmD, with Magnolia Pharmacy, Magnolia, Texas, the 2022 M. George Webber, PhD, Compounding Pharmacist of the Year. PCCA President Jim Smith presented the award to Hoffart on Friday, October 28, during the companys International Seminar 2022, attended by more than 400 compounders in person and virtually from the United States, Canada, Australia and beyond.

Steve embodies everything this award represents, Smith said. He truly puts the word personal in personalized medicine. He gets the big picture and executes it one patient at a time. Diligent, hard-working, driven and passionate, Steve puts his heart into helping us with any initiative we ask  and willingly shares his gift of feedback. Hes done so much for PCCA and our members  and is loved by all who meet him.

Hoffart opened Magnolia Pharmacy in 2002 with the intention of providing personalized services in his community. He recognized how the triad of care, which involves the patient, physician and pharmacist, could improve patients health and wellness. He also recognized how compounded medicine could help patients who are unable to tolerate traditional medications. His commitment to excellence has made Magnolia Pharmacy one of only a few dozen pharmacies in Texas to receive accreditation from the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB).

Throughout his career, Hoffart has received numerous awards and recognition from compounding and independent pharmacy associations. He is a member of the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding, the National Community Pharmacists Association and American Pharmacies Buying Co-op (APRx).

A PCCA member since 2002, Hoffart is actively involved in the Concierge Compounding program and Advisory Council, and is a regular speaker at PCCA educational seminars and symposiums. A lifelong learner, Hoffart continuously creates innovative ways to serve patients and the compounding community. He willingly shares his expertise with new and seasoned compounders alike. In addition to the Pharmacist of the Year award, Hoffart was named PCCA Pharmacist of the Month in July 2012. Hoffart earned his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy with honors in 1994 and his PharmD from the University of Texas at Austin in 2000. He later achieved a board certification and fellowship from the American Academy of Anti-Aging (A4M).

At the event, Hoffart was welcomed to the stage by previous Pharmacist of the Year honorees. His family also joined in the celebration. In a congratulations video, PCCA Vice President of Public Affairs, Communications, Education and Human Relations Lizzie Harbin and several PCCA members spoke about Hoffarts commitment to patients, the compounding profession and his community, while expressing their admiration and respect.

Compounding is the art of preparing customized medications to meet each prescribers and patients unique needs. The M. George Webber Pharmacist of the Year award is presented annually to an independent compounding pharmacist who demonstrates service excellence to patients, health care providers and pharmacy colleagues.

The late M. George Webber, PhD, for whom the award is named, was a longtime professor with the University of Houston College of Pharmacy and was instrumental in the formation of PCCA in 1981. Webber was tenaciously committed to meeting patient needs and upholding the highest quality and ethical standards. He shared his expertise and love for compounding with numerous colleagues and students for more than 40 years.

# # #

ABOUT PCCA

PCCA supports the creation of personalized medicine and innovative products that make a difference in patients lives. As a complete resource for independent compounding pharmacies and health systems, PCCA provides high-quality products, education and support to more than 3,000 pharmacy members throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries around the world. Incorporated in 1981 by a network of pharmacists, PCCA has supported pharmacy compounding for more than 40 years. Learn more at pccarx.com.

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Lee Jae-yong, fourth from right in the front row, chairman of Samsung Electronics, poses with employees of Samsung's partner company DK Industrial at DK Industrial's office in Gwangju, Friday. Yonhap



By Baek Byung-yeul



Lee Jae-yong began his first day as chairman of Samsung Electronics, visiting one of its partner companies in Gwangju, about 300 kilometers southwest of Seoul on Friday to show the new chief's willingness to strengthen cooperation and mutual growth with partners.



Lee, who was promoted to chairman on Thursday with approval from the board, visited DK Industrial in Gwangju.



"Chairman Lee has emphasized his philosophy of growing together with partners to become the world's best company. In line with his thoughts, Lee visited its partner company as his first step since becoming chairman," a spokesman of Samsung Electronics said.





Lee Jae-yong, right, chairman of Samsung Electronics, tours a production line of the company's partner company DK Industrial in Gwangju, Friday. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
English French

TORONTO, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sunwing returns to Canadas capital city this winter bringing Ottawa residents more opportunities to trade the snow for some of the most popular sun destinations in the tropics. Starting early November, Sunwing will be offering weekly direct flights from Ottawa to sought-after beachfront paradises in Mexico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, including the reimagined boutique destination of Cayo Largo, opening its doors this November.



Facing some of the harshest winters in Canada, were thrilled to return to our beloved capital this season offering our customers more flights, more direct routes and more sunny destinations they can escape to from Ottawa, said Andrew Dawson, President of Tour Operations for Sunwing. With the rapid surge for all inclusive travel coupled with Sunwings wide variety of affordable vacation packages suited to every vacation style, whether last minute or a quick long weekend getaway, we anticipate the winter season to sell fast, so now is the time for our customers to book.

Each year, Ottawa-Gatineau vacation planners look forward to Sunwing's highly anticipated Ottawa winter schedule, said Mark Laroche, Ottawa International Airport Authority President and CEO. Sunwings exciting list of vacation destinations in Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic is sure to please sun-seekers in Canadas capital region.

The flight schedule for Ottawa will be as follows:

Destination Peak Frequency From To Cancun 4x weekly 05-Nov-2022 10-Apr-2023 Cayo Coco 2x weekly 15-Nov-2022 11-Apr-2023 Cayo Largo 1x weekly 17-Dec-2022 25-Mar-2023 Holguin 1x weekly 13-Dec-2022 21-Mar-2023 Los Cabos 1x weekly 15-Dec-2022 06-Apr-2023 Montego Bay 1x weekly 11-Dec-2022 09-Apr-2023 Puerto Plata 1x weekly 06-Dec-2022 11-Apr-2023 Puerto Vallarta 1x weekly 16-Dec-2022 07-Apr-2023 Punta Cana 4x weekly 05-Nov-2022 10-Apr-2023 Santa Clara 2x weekly 13-Dec-2022 31-Mar-2023 Varadero 2x weekly 06-Nov-2022 09-Apr-2023



Ottawa residents can get more out of their getaways with Sunwing this winter season, and enjoy up to 40% in savings on vacation packages plus room upgrades at select properties during Sunwings Save More Event*, on now until November 6, 2022. The tour operator is also offering a limited time BOGO Seat Sale, where customers can buy one seat and the get second 40% off on new air only bookings* made by November 13, 2022, for winter departures between October 26, 2022 and April 30, 2023.

For even more value and added peace of mind, customers can purchase one of Sunwings comprehensive travel insurance options when booking their winter vacations.

*Terms and conditions apply.

About Sunwing

The largest integrated travel company in North America, Sunwing has more flights to the south than any other leisure carrier with convenient direct service from airports across Canada to popular sun destinations across the U.S.A., Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. This scale enables Sunwing to offer customers exclusive deals at top-rated resorts in the most popular vacation destinations as well as cruise packages and seasonal domestic flight service. Sunwing customers benefit from the assistance of the companys own knowledgeable destination representatives, who greet them upon arrival and support them throughout their vacation journey. The company supports the communities where it operates through the Sunwing Foundation, a charitable initiative focused on the support and development of youth and humanitarian aid.

For more information:

Melanie Anne Filipp

Senior Director, Corporate Communications & Media Relations

Sunwing Travel Group

1-800-387-5602 | media@sunwing.ca
WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Baystate Financial, a general agency of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance company (MassMutual), and the International Association of Fire Fighters-Financial Corporation (IAFF-FC) announced a Wealth Management Initiative, whereas IAFF members will have direct access to insurance, investments, financial planning, and financial education through Baystate Financial and some other MassMutual firms located nationally. IAFF members will receive personalized attention and accessibility to financial services and a financial education curriculum.

With over 331,000 members across the United States and Canada, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is the country's largest organization of professional fire fighters, paramedics, and emergency services personnel.

The Wealth Management Initiative will be introduced in markets throughout the United States by the end of the year to IAFF members. Initial markets include MassMutual firms located in New England (Baystate Financial), California (Capstone Partners and MassMutual Northern California), and Florida (Coastal Wealth).

"Our members will greatly benefit from the opportunity to build a personalized financial plan based on their own goals and timeline, with as much or little engagement as desired," said IAFF General President Edward Kelly. "Our fire fighters and emergency responders deserve the opportunity to financially protect and secure their and their families' futures and this opportunity enables them to take the steps to achieve this."

"We are proud to partner with the IAFF-FC to bring IAFF members and their families financial strategies to assist in making timely decisions at each stage in life," said Dave Porter, Managing Partner of Baystate Financial. "We are committed to delivering the personalized attention and accessibility IAFF members deserve."

About MassMutual Northern California

One of the largest wealth management and financial services firms in Northern California with 200+ financial professionals, seven locations, and 16 support teams. They are fully equipped to give clients a personalized analysis to create and implement solutions that suit them best. Learn more: https://northerncalifornia.massmutual.com/

The IAFF-FC has established an agreement with MML Investors Services, LLC (MMLIS). The IAFF-FC is not a client of MMLIS but does endorse MMLIS and its representatives to offer IAFF members financial wellness, information, products, and services. The IAFF-FC is compensated for its endorsement and will receive 20% of any gross commission or fee resulting from an IAFF member's purchase of insurance, investments, or investment advisory services through MMLIS or its representatives. As a result, the IAFF-FC has an incentive to endorse MMLIS and its representatives. The IAFF-FC intends to use a portion of earned commissions or fees to further the IAFF behavioral health and wellness program offerings. Securities products and investment advisory services are offered through representatives of MML Investors Services, LLC(MMLIS), Member SIPC, and a Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) subsidiary, 1295 State Street, Springfield, MA 01111. CRN202508-2841252

Contact Information:

Alyssa Garcia

Marketing Director

alyssagarcia@financialguide.com

9168783314



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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ranchero Gold Corp. (Ranchero or the Company) (TSX.V: RNCH) is pleased to provide an update of exploration efforts underway at its 100%-owned Santa Daniela gold project as well as an update of corporate activities.



Highlights:

Completion of its regional reconnaissance program at Santa Daniela

Identification of five priority targets for follow-up exploration including detailed mapping, systematic sampling, and drone-based magnetic surveys

Appointment of Jesus Noriega and Omar Gonzalez as Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), respectively



Exploration Update

Ranchero announces that it has completed its review of the nine priority targets that were previously identified at its highly prospective Santa Daniela gold project (refer to Press Release dated May 25, 2022). Initial field work of these nine targets consisted of first level mapping (1:5000 Scale) and initial geochemical sampling.

Five of the targets investigated have shown evidence of gold mineralization, related alteration and lithologies known to host significant gold deposits in the district. The exploration team at Ranchero believes that the San Francisco, Carboneras Sur, Carboneras Este, Rincon and Moritas Este targets are of particular interest and demonstrate excellent exploration potential (Figure 1).

Subsequent field efforts currently underway will include detailed mapping, systematic sampling and drone-based magnetic surveys designed to identify potential mineralized host rocks below surface.

Figure 1: Priority Targets at the Santa Daniela Gold Project

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9e92daca-7b7a-46db-a85c-298cd75856ee

Management and Board Changes



Ranchero announces that William Pincus has resigned as CEO and Director and Reena Sall has resigned as CFO, replacing them will be Jesus Noriega as Interim CEO and Omar Gonzalez as CFO. William Pincus will remain with the Company as an advisor as part of the Technical Advisory Team that was formed earlier in 2022. Chris Bradbrook has resigned from the Board of Directors.

The date of resignation of both the CEO and CFO as well as the date the replacements were appointed was October 14, 2022. Chris Bradbrooks resignation date was on October 25, 2022.

Mr. Noriega is based in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. He is the General Manager of Rancheros wholly owned subsidiary in Mexico. Mr. Noriega is an operations manager with over ten years of experience managing service companies in the mining industry. He is an industrial engineer with Masters Degrees in Business Management and Organizational Management from the Universidad del Valle de Mexico.

Mr. Gonzalez has over 20 years of experience in audit and assurance in South America, including five years of public and private audit practice, financial analysis, and corporate development in Canada. He is bilingual in English and Spanish and has led many assurance and non-assurance engagements for companies in the energy, mining and natural resources, real estate, manufacturing, and consumer business sector. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant in Ontario and Venezuela and holds a Bachelors Degree with major in Accounting from the Santa Maria University.

Share Issuance

Ranchero announces that it will issue 194,367 shares as debt settlement with two vendors as follows:

MI3 Communication Financiere Inc.  67,200 shares for investor relations services; and

EAS Advisors LLC  127,167 shares for capital markets services.

Ranchero will also issue Mr. Pincus 330,769 shares in accordance with his employment agreement. The total shares issued will be 525,136 and are subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange.

Qualified Person

Scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by William Pincus, CPG, who is a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101.

About Ranchero

Ranchero is a gold exploration and development company currently focused on its 100%-owned Santa Daniela project located in Sonora, Mexico. The Santa Daniela project consist of a large land package in excess of 22,200 hectares within Mexicos Sierra Madre Occidental - a newly emerging gold belt. The Santa Daniela project is also near a number of major gold mining operations in the region. Maiz Azul is the Companys most advanced prospect where exploration efforts are underway.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company:

Jesus Noriega

Interim Chief Executive Officer

+52 1 662 437 8520

info@rancherogold.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as expects or does not expect, is expected, anticipates or does not anticipate plans, estimates or intends or stating that certain actions, events or results  may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, the final acceptance of the TSXV to the Transaction.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: risks related to regulatory approval, including the approval of the TSXV. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statement will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipate in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or managements estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Compass Minerals International, Inc. (NYSE: CMP) between October 31, 2017 and November 18, 2018, both dates inclusive (the Class Period). A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than December 20, 2022.



SO WHAT: If you purchased Compass Minerals securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Compass Minerals class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8924 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than December 20, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants repeatedly assured investors that the continuous mining and continuous haulage (CMCH) upgrade at the Goderich mine, the largest underground rock salt mine in the world located in Ontario, Canada, was on track to materially reduce costs and boost Compass Minerals operating results starting in 2018. However, defendants statements were misleading because they failed to tell investors that costs at the Goderich mine were increasing rather than decreasing. The Compass Materials class action lawsuit further alleges that defendants also misrepresented the amount of salt Compass Minerals was able to produce at Goderich using the new CMCH equipment and failed to disclose how the known and ongoing production shortfalls it was experiencing were reasonably expected to reduce its future operating income. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Compass Minerals class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8924 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

-------------------------------

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

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www.rosenlegal.com
Highlights of foreign congratulatory messages on Xi's election as general secretary of CPC Central Committee (8)

Xinhua) 14:46, October 28, 2022

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of political parties and governments as well as heads of state worldwide have sent congratulations to Xi Jinping on his election as general secretary of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Under Xi's leadership, China has made transformative achievements across the board in the past decade, said Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, chairman of the Federal Party of the Philippines and president of the country, expressing his willingness to work with the CPC's new central leadership to deepen bilateral relations and contribute to the development of both countries, as well as regional peace, prosperity and stability.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended sincere greetings and congratulations to Xi, saying that he looks forward to working with Xi to give new impetus to the development of India-China relations.

Faced with grave challenges, the world should take on the mission of promoting peace and development and work tirelessly to achieve it, said Italian President Sergio Mattarella, extending his warmest congratulations to Xi.

Xi's election fully reflects the CPC and the Chinese people's confidence in him, said Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who expressed appreciation for the glorious achievements of the Party and its productive contributions to raising the Chinese people's living standards.

President of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement and Cameroonian President Paul Biya expressed confidence that under Xi's leadership, the friendly and cooperative relationship between the two parties and between the two countries will be strengthened.

Xi's election reflects the whole party's trust and confidence in him, said Paul Kagame, leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, also president of the country. He wished Xi continued success in leading China forward, and said that he looks forward to working with Xi to strengthen friendly relations between his party and the CPC, as well as between the two countries.

Noting that Zambia and China boast a long history of all-weather friendship and fruitful cooperation in various fields, Hakainde Hichilema, president of Zambia's United Party for National Development and president of the country, said that he looks forward to working with Xi to deepen bilateral relations for the benefit of their people.

The CPC's great achievements in building a modern socialist country in all respects are impressive, said Chairman of Suriname's Progressive Reform Party and Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi. He expressed his sincere hope that China will continue to play an active role in shaping a peaceful and friendly international environment, adding that he stands ready to work with Xi to promote the sound development of the Suriname-China strategic partnership of cooperation.

Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh expressed confidence that under Xi's leadership, China will successfully achieve the Second Centenary Goal of building a great modern socialist country in all respects to continue to benefit the Chinese people.

Noting that China always upholds the principle and justice, safeguards peace and is committed to promoting the common development of humanity, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that people across the world have new expectations for China.

Polish President Andrzej Duda congratulated Xi on his election and expressed hope that the two countries will deepen dialogue and exchanges in various fields.

Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China has made remarkable achievements in many important fields, said Taur Matan Ruak, president of the People's Liberation Party of Timor-Leste and prime minister of the country. Timor-Leste is willing to learn from China's development achievements and modernization path as it strives to build its own country, he added.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
26 October marked 40 days since the murder of the Iranian-Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, by the regimes morality police. Being the final day of the traditional Shia mourning period, it was met with massive protests, becoming a new highpoint of the movement, with protests in nearly every major city. In many Kurdish towns, a general strike broke out; across the country, bazaari strikes were held in support of the movement; and in Tehran Metro conductors went on strike in support of the revolutionary youth.

In many major cities, barricades have been set up. The usual slogans of Death to dictators, Women, life and freedom, Freedom, freedom, freedom, Death to the tyrants  be they Shah or Supreme leader, and others continue. Protests continued throughout Thursday across Iran, but especially in Teheran, Saqqez, Sandandaj and Mahabad. Funerals of the martyrs from Wednesday especially in Mahabad have turned into mass rallies and only stoked anger of the masses.

Wednesday saw a general strike in many Kurdish towns and cities. In Saqqez, Mahsas hometown, the population effectively deserted the main town to join a mass procession to gather around her grave. The march to her grave turned into a mass demonstration. As we have seen a number of times already, in many Kurdish towns including Mahabad, Saqqez and Sananadaj, the masses drove out the security forces and clashes have broken out over attempts to reconquer these areas.

Across Iran, students have defied the regimes occupations of universities, which temporarily suppressed many student strikes and rallies in the past weeks. Clashes have broken out between security forces firing tear-gas and bullets, and the students in and around the universities and dormitories. In many cases, the security forces have been overwhelmed and driven out of the universities.

This new escalation of the movement has broken out despite harsher repression by the regime, with 252 confirmed dead and 1,011 arrested, according to a report from 25 October. Mahabad, Saqqez and Sanandaj have been under heavy occupation by the security forces in the past week. Across Iran, Basij youth paramilitaries and other forces occupied universities and stormed dormitories, arresting and beating up students.

Now it seems once again the youth have broken through the latest offensive. The movement is taking clear, qualitative steps towards becoming better organised, but is yet to take on a form that can seriously threaten the regime. The regime is stepping up repression continuously, security forces are already recapturing towns and neighbourhoods. In Isfahan, the regime shot into a crowd, killing over 20; and on Wednesday, in Tabriz alone, 600 youths were arrested. But so far, these measures have not been able to stem the tide of the protests.

The youth shout: Dont call it a protest  call it a revolution

It is often the case that the most militant part of the class struggle can be found amongst the youth. This was the case during the 1979 Iranian Revolution and this is the case today. Despite all the horrors they have faced, the youth protests constantly persist, their slogans have become revolutionary, and youth themselves refer to the ongoing movement as a revolution.

Students have been recognising the need for organisation, forming coalitions and issuing flyers / Image: Sar khatism

With enormous bravery and revolutionary fervour, the youth have often managed to overwhelm security forces and push them out of towns or neighbourhoods in the major cities. But the fact that the youth have yet to draw in the broad sections of the working class and poor onto the scene has allowed the regime to continuously regroup and launch new offensives. True, the movement has learned from these experiences and become better organised, but there is a limit to this constant back-and-forth cycle. The movement must inflict a decisive blow on the regime, before fatigue sets in.

Under the impact of events, the movement is becoming conscious of the limitations of its present methods and seeing the need for organisation. Various youth organisations have been founded, and they are actively agitating for a general strike. For example, Wednesdays protests in Tehran were called by a student group in a joint statement from six major universities. In Tabriz, a student coalition has been formed, which has issued flyers starting on the weekend; and in Isfahan a group of progressive students has taken on the same role.

In the Kurdish towns of Marivian, Mahhbad and Sandandaj, we have seen the formation of revolutionary youth councils. These councils are inspired by the neighbourhood and workers councils of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which played a key role in overthrowing the Shahs regime. During the previous wave of general strikes, attempts were made to form workers' councils, but these seem to have been unsuccessful in face of repression by the regime.

The Kurdish revolutionary youth councils have made multiple statements addressing the entire movement, calling for these methods to spread across Iran. The revolutionary youth council of Sanandaj wrote the following:

Now is the time to turn our networks of communication and our links, which are the achievements of our struggles in this period, into a more-evolved organisation. Now is the time to think about creating neighbourhood committees and councils, and student councils in universities and in schools. Our call to other parts of the society is to form workplace and neighbourhood committees and councils. Whether these forms of organisation are clandestine or open, is up to the balance of power, which can be determined by revolutionary youth and freedom-loving people locally. The council movement and the effort to create it gives our movement such strength that, along with the courage and sacrifices of the youth and the people, encourages the hope of victory, makes repression harder for the oppressors, and lowers the cost of the struggle.

The formation of youth councils is a very important step forward in itself, but the statement goes further, emphasising the necessity of leadership and organisations:

The creation of these councils will help the scattered struggles of the youth to become more coordinated, to develop a programme, to develop plans and to choose certain tactics. These immediate and effective measures, in addition to providing the youth movement with order, direction and planning, will also prevent individual mistakes and will also increase the confidence of those fighting on the streets and prevent wasted efforts. In addition, taking a lead in this manner, increasing the level of organisation and developing a distinct leadership, will increase the confidence of different social strata in the youth and provide the basis and possibility for them to join the movement. The local youth organisations will be able to mobilise the neighbourhood residents for struggle. The urban youth organisations make it possible to mobilise the residents of the city. This issue also applies in universities, schools, and other areas, and it draws a larger force of students and other parts of the society into a coordinated struggle. We insist that all young people unite and coordinate in a single movement, with a single organisation, leadership and plan in neighbourhoods, universities and high schools, and form a single front. We must try to enter the organising phase immediately, after a month of effort and sacrifice that has changed the balance of forces in society. Organising is not easier than street protests. This work requires a huge effort, the task of which is placed on the shoulders of more experienced, organised and knowledgeable youth. Friends and comrades! The revolutionary movement of the Iranian people has entered a new stage. Today, in addition to the unwavering support of militant teachers of the National Coordination Council, we are witnessing labour strikes in the south and in the key sectors of oil and petrochemicals, Haft Tappeh workers, fuel lorry drivers, etc. We hope that other sections of the working class and workers in the transport and urban services sector will join the nationwide revolutionary movement. Undoubtedly, the joining of different parts of the labour movement to this revolutionary uprising contains the promise of advance and victory.

It must be added that leadership is not only needed locally, but also nationally to coordinate for a common struggle against the regime. Already, these youth organisations have linked together, issuing joint calls for protests, such as on Saturday, when the revolutionary youth councils of Saqqez, Marivan, Sanandaj, the progressive youth of Isfahan and Tabriz Student Coalition issued the following statement:

To all freedom-loving men and women of Iran! The students, workers, students and revolutionary youth do not mourn for their dead, they continue their struggle. We, the youth and the fighting people of Iran, join this protest in order to: Protest the killing in Sistan-Baluchistan;

Protest the bloody massacre of Evin;

Protest the brutal attack on the children of Shahid Ardabil School, the killing and wounding of female student prisoners, and other arrests of children;

Protest the militarisation of the cities in Kurdistan;

Protest the repeated arrests of political activists, teachers, youth and even schoolchildren;

Protest threats, warnings, arrests and attacks on university students. We must respond to the limitless crimes of the oppressors in forms of a general strike, school closures, teachers' protest rallies, street and neighbourhood rallies and protests. Our promise is to march in step, and speak with one voice, with the students of the universities, at the same time as other protests across Iran on Saturday [22 October], with protests and strikes throughout Kurdistan.

The protests called for last weekend were overwhelmed by the security forces, with the exception of Tabriz, Mahhabad and some other Kurdish-majority towns. However, based on this experience, more systematic methods and a persistent campaign for protests on Wednesday was prepared. Local groups made calls for protests on social media, leaflets were distributed and walls were covered with slogans.

Where is the general strike?

As we have stated before, while the youth have shown enormous revolutionary bravery and will to sacrifice, they are not, on their own, able to overthrow the regime. The most important element for such an outcome is the entrance of the working class onto the scene.

From the start of the movement, militant workers organisations have threatened a political general strike, including truck drivers, the Council for Organising Protests of Oil Contract Workers, the Haft Tappeh workers, the Tehran Bus Company workers, the Teachers Coordinating Committee, among others. A real general strike would transform the protests into a revolution and completely overwhelm the security forces.

All political strikes so far have either been warning strikes, lasting at most a couple of days, or short-lived, being repressed by the regime. The petrochemical strike centred in Bushehr province has been repressed, with over 250 workers arrested and security forces attacking the workers and occupying their workplaces. The Abadan Phase 2 refinery strike continued until Sunday, but was isolated and the workers feared a similar fate, so the strike was stopped. These strikes were a massive inspiration for the entire movement, but within less than a week were completely suppressed.

The teachers coordinating committee strike 23-24 October spread across Iran; mostly concentrated in the Kurdish towns of Sanandaj, Saqqez, Marivan, Kermanshah; but also Shiraz, Sari, Lahijan and Hamadan, among others. Even this limited warning strike, which did not even call for overthrow of the regime, was met with harsh repression. Many teachers have been arrested across Iran, and the regime has convicted some of their leading trade unionists in order to instil fear among their ranks. Despite this, they commemorated 40 days since Mahsas burial with following statement:

The Coordinating Council of Trade Union Organisations of Iranian Teachers, on the 40th day of Zhenia (Mehsa) Aminis death, in addition to expressing sympathy with her family and the freedom-loving people of Iran, once again declares its solidarity with the nationwide protests of the all of the people of Iran who are fighting for a just society. [...] The Coordinating Council of Cultural Organisations of Iran knows very well what a serious historical responsibility it bears in this sensitive period and is well aware of who are the real enemies of this nationwide solidarity and this widespread mutual sympathy.

In the Kurdish towns and cities, the movement has gone much further. There have been multiple waves of general strikes, including by industrial workers; and together with the youth, they have repeatedly driven the regime out of their cities. But due to their isolation from the rest of the country, the regime has managed to recapture these areas, by methods akin to a civil war. This also shows the limits of a local general strike, particularly in an area without any major industries.

Although a national general strike has not broken out, there is enormous potential for one. Besides the outpouring of the statements by the militant workers organisations, there is a rise in economic strikes all over the country.

In response to escalating youth protests, the oil workers have called for a new national strike starting on saturday. It impossible to say whether this one will be more successful, but a statement by the workers says the following:

We are going on strike in solidarity with the people's struggle. A group of our coworkers in oil and petrochemical projects, under the title of oil and gas industry workers, has announced a campaign for a nationwide strike in the oil and gas sector in solidarity with the people's struggles and against government repression, beginning on Saturday [29 October] with a collective walkout. The organising council of the protests of oil contract workers, which demanded the release of the recently arrested and detained colleagues and all political prisoners in protest against the government's repression, and gave an ultimatum that the workers will not remain silent in the face of these conditions and announced the preparation of mass protests, joins the above campaign calling for a nationwide strike from Saturday, 29 October. The organising council calls all colleagues working in oil and oil-related centres, including all contractual and official workers and colleagues working in the operational, technical and staff departments and fuel supply drivers, and everyone else to join this nationwide strike. In this way, we oil workers working in oil centres will also go on strike with the people and with the cry of women, life of freedom, from the 29 October. One immediate demand is the release of the recently arrested and detained colleagues of ours, and all political prisoners, and we shout with all our strength, Political prisoners must be freed! We need to stress that, unlike those calling the campaign of oil and gas workers, our oil workers' protests have nothing to do with Cyrus Day [a nationalist and monarchist day of celebration - ed] and days such as that. Our workers' protest is against poverty, discrimination, inequality and the whole scale of anti-woman and anti-worker brutality. The organising council of contract workers' protests emphasises the unity and solidarity of all oil workers. May we oil workers be able to fulfill our historical role and duty with our powerful strike in order to fulfill the rightful demands of the people and bring an end oppression and slavery in the whole society.

The Islamic Republic understands that a general strike could topple the entire regime, therefore since the Bushehr oil workers strike there has been an escalation of repression against trade unionists and working-class revolutionaries. It is not due to a lack of support for the movement that a general strike hasnt broken out, but because of a lack of a national leadership. In face of such repression, the few political strikes are incredibly courageous, but in isolation are inevitably doomed.

What is necessary is for the youth and militant workers to unite and build the backbone of a national revolutionary general strike of revolutionary councils or cells, and to campaign for a general strike on the foundation of a revolutionary programme, which incorporates the demands of the workers.

Death to the tyrants  death to capitalism!

The Western imperialists and their Pahlavi puppets are exploiting the lack of leadership to pursue their own cynical interests, feigning support to the Iranian masses. The Pahlavis, the dynasty overthrown by the 1979 Iranian Revolution, have appointed themselves representatives of the Iranian masses. This has only helped the propaganda of the Islamic Republic to paint the entire movement as the result of a foreign intervention.

The influence of the monarchists in Iran must not be exaggerated. The cynical, hypocritical support of the imperialists has been met with disgust by workers and the youth alike. Foriegn-backed Persian news outlets continue to suppress the incredibly popular slogan: Death to the tyrants  be they the Shah or Supreme Leader. Even school students in response tore up images of the Shah, alongside side images of Khamenei.

The militant Haft Tappeh workers have gone further, making a statement in the true spirit of proletarian internationalism in response to the President of Israel saying our hearts are with the people of Iran:

You yourself, are at the head of a criminal government! How is your heart with us? We protest against repression, crime, poverty and exploitation in our country. You are doing the same thing against the Palestinians and against the working class in your own country. Where are we and where are you? You know very well that we are not only against one or two people, we are against an entire system and regime. The officials at the head of the same system in Sistan, Tehran, Kurdistan, Mazandaran, Gilan and Khuzestan are shooting at the protesting people, and you are also at the head of the same cruel system and kill the Palestinian people. We have a fundamental conflict with you. We are in conflict with the entire system of exploitation, oppression, crime, discrimination, poverty, and the entirety of this class system, whether it is in Iran, Israel, Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey, England, America, Russia, China, etc. Please do not use such disgusting brown-nosing and deception. We do not need the support of oppressors. We don't need your support, we don't need the support of the heads of America, Russia, China, England, France, etc. We are the working class, the wage labourers and by uniting ourselves at the national level and by uniting with other workers in other countries, we will uproot all of you!

In the absence of a working-class leadership, the Pahlavis try to present themselves as the only alternative to the regime. This has sown much confusion, causing many people to refrain from openly supporting the movement for fear that the downfall of the regime will lead to a new imperialist-supported puppet regime being installed. But whether they wear crowns or turbans, if they are backed by the imperialists or not, the capitalist class is incapable of leading Iranian society out of its present dead end.

What is needed is the building of a truly revolutionary leadership and organisation, based on a revolutionary programme that breaks with both the imperialists and regime. Such a programme would link the economic and democratic demands with the need for a break with Iranian capitalism altogether. Only by taking their destinies into their own hands and breaking with this sick system via a socialist revolution, can the Iranian masses achieve true freedom from the neverending cycle of capitalist exploitation and oppression.
BMW i Ventures announced its lead investment in Fox Robotics, developers of the first intelligent forklift that can autonomously unload pallets from the trailer to the receiving dock. The oversubscribed funding round totals $20 million. Additional new investors include Zebra Technologies, Japan Airlines & Translink Innovation Fund and Foothill Ventures.

Existing investors Menlo Ventures, ENIAC Ventures, and SignalFire also participated in the round.

Concurrent with the closing of the round, Till Reuter, former CEO of KUKA, and David Fuller, former CTO of KUKA and current CEO of Artificial, will join the company as independent board directors.

Supply chain efficiency and resiliency are top of mind for many companies today. Fox Robotics autonomous forklifts allow customers to handle loads quicker and safer while increasing overall workplace productivity. Kasper Sage, Managing Partner at BMW i Ventures

Foxs autonomous forklifts are running around the clock across dozens of customer sites today, and they have been proven out in some of the worlds most demanding environments such as DHL Supply Chain. The company has solved the hardest forklift challenge to dateunloading trailers without modifying the warehouse environmentand has simplified the path to automating all pallet movement.

Deep learning systems use on-board camera and LIDAR sensors to detect pallets, boxes and other obstacles in real time and enable the robot to pick and place pallets in trailers its seeing for the first time as well as receiving floors that change over time.

The unloaders sensor and software guided planning provides flexible navigation in warehouses and trailers with precise position and speed control. Paths are predictable and adapt dynamically to avoid obstacles.

Forklifts can be up and running in a matter of hours, compared to the weeks or months that typical automation solutions take for integration.

Unloading trailers is a particularly challenging autonomy problem due to demanding operating environments, high throughput requirements, unknown load patterns, and the vehicles needing to be robust to frequent shocks and vibrations. The key to our success to-date has been our ability to deploy our solutions to customers and rapidly learn and improve in live production environments. Peter Anderson-Sprecher, Co-Founder & CEO of Fox Robotics

DHL Supply Chain, the global and North American contract logistics leader within Deutsche Post DHL Group, was Foxs first customer and is rapidly deploying their technology across their network of warehouses.

Although autonomous vehicles are not yet ready for mass deployment on public streets, the same technology is being commercially used in closed warehouse environments today. Fox retrofits a standard forklift with sensors and software to enable autonomous material handling operations with precise navigation and robust pallet picking and movement. Deep learning systems use on-board cameras and LiDAR sensors to detect pallets, boxes and other obstacles in real time and enable the forklift to pick pallets out of trailers it is seeing for the first time.
FREYR Battery announced a new service agreement with ITOCHU Corporation, the Japan-based global trading and import/export company. As part of this agreement, ITOCHU will serve as a direct materials supplier for FREYRs procurement and supply chain operations.

As the world moves towards decarbonization, we see FREYR as an integral part of enabling a clean and sustainable lithium battery industry. The supply chain will be an essential part of their journey towards greater speed and scale in the market, and we are eager to support them in sourcing the raw materials to meet their growing needs. Yasuhiro Abe, Power & Environmental Solution Division COO, ITOCHU

FREYR and ITOCHU previously entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2020, which outlined a mutual intention to explore potential opportunities within lithium-ion battery production and related operations. As FREYR approaches initial production from the Customer Qualification Plant, the two companies are deepening collaboration to secure the raw materials required for FREYRs planned battery production at giga scale.

ITOCHU and FREYR are both investors in 24M Technologies, Inc., FREYRs US-based technology licensing partner. The 24M production platform is designed to enable significant reductions in capital expenditures, factory footprint, energy consumption and raw materials.
Phoenix Motor, a manufacturer of all-electric, medium-duty vehicles, and Pegasus Specialty Vehicles, has formed a strategic partnership jointly to develop Type A electric school buses, targeted for the North American market.

The agreement targets a minimum of 300 Type A school buses to be built within the next three years, with Phoenix being responsible for providing the electric drivetrain chassis and Pegasus for providing the final vehicle assembly including the body and cab. Phoenix and Pegasus will launch commercial sales & marketing activities promoting Phoenix-electrified Pegasus Orion Type A School Buses across the United States market.





ZEUS 600 School Bus with Ford E-450 Superduty Chassis, 158" WB Pegasus Orion Body and Phoenix Motor powertrain.

Our collaboration with Pegasus is another component of our asset light business model, enabling us to bring our Gen 4 vehicles to market in an efficient, cost-effective manner, while exceeding the highest standards of quality. We should see increasing demand for school bus electrification in the years ahead as the adoption of zero emission buses continues to grow. Dr. Lance Zhou, Phoenix Motorcars CEO

By partnering with Phoenix Motorcars, we are able to offer the reliable Ford E-series platform with a state-of-the-art EV drive system. Brian Barrington, President of Pegasus Specialty Vehicles

Phoenix operates two primary brands, Phoenix Motorcars, which is focused on commercial products including medium-duty EVs (shuttle buses, school buses, municipal transit vehicles and delivery trucks, among others), electric vehicle chargers and electric forklifts, and EdisonFuture, which intends to offer light-duty EVs.
Geraldine Datuin is passionate about creating a contemporary art scene where CHamorus and local communities on Guam can see themselves and their stories at the center.

The artist recently created buzz with a piece that was part of the Unknown Projects Freshman Class show, which was on exhibit Sept. 30-Oct. 28 at the Guam Museum.

The show was organized as part of the Fanhita Manhoben: Music and Art Youth Conference and explores themes of decolonization through the arts.

Its been one of Datuins dreams to exhibit in the Guam Museum.

The title of that piece is The endangered native plant is resilient. Growing, from the body of a strong Chamoru man. Resting, after a long day at work. Healing, alongside the bones of his ancestors. Seeking, a deeper connection with the land. His lands. Decolonize.

I thought it paired well with the event, and I honestly felt really honored to have that piece showcased alongside that special theme, Datuin said.

Drawing inspiration

Datuin drew intimately from her own life and inspirations for the piece.

The figure is actually my other half, and the original position that hes in was inspired by Renaissance painting, that specific angle. So my thinking with that is kind of to replace these dominantly white spaces and paintings with people that we recognize, that we grew up with, she said.

With the pieces poetic title, Datuin was intentional about describing how she sees the painting and how she wanted the community to interact with it.

It is a native CHamoru man, that is a native plant and hes resting in his homeland. It comes from a place of we need to see ourselves in contemporary art spaces, brown bodies and indigenous, migrant bodies replacing or in these spaces that Renaissance paintings are historically known for.

It was one of my only pieces to align with the decolonization movement publicly, so I was really proud to do that with that special piece, of course with my other half. His whole family came, even his brother who never leaves the village, Datuin added with a laugh.

Datuin is holding open studio days on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday from 4-8 p.m. at the Lee-Reyes Gallery in the Tumon Sands Plaza.

Shes been hard at work preparing for an upcoming solo show, which will open on Jan. 7 at the gallery. Datuin also hopes to launch merch items for sale at a brick-and-mortar space, which will be announced soon. To keep up with Datuins work, you can follow the artist on Instagram @datu.sigwarz.

Renaissance

Datuin sees the local art community as going through a renaissance of sorts, as more opportunities for shows and creative gatherings are taking place now that pandemic restrictions are lifting. Her own creative process is deeply connected to her relationships with other artists.

Im not just trying to paint, Im also thinking how can I grow the community, how can people respond to me so they go home thinking oh, wow, I want to do something. I want to submit a piece to a show, or work on my project at home. Then it kind of multiplies and we have a creative space, Datuin said.

Shes quick to point to an abundance of local artists who she draws inspiration from in her own work, including the music duo Microchild.

Ive seen them grow as musicians. The music that they put out, the album covers, the visual staging of their concerts. We dont always have to be inspired by other painters, were an artist community  that is still a visual cue and an inspiration cue for me, Datuin said.

She also cites fellow artists from Unknown Projects, including April Colitoy and Joshua Barrigada as close friends who help to drive and inspire her work.

For emerging artists on Guam, Datuin stresses the importance of building community and asking for help from others.

Dont be shy to ask for help. Take the time to sit with yourself and ask yourself what you need right now to get to the next step in your artist career, and figure out how to get it.

You need to be very disciplined. I have an 8 to 5 job. Im here at the studio from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. three times a week. I have the studio because of my relationships  I built trust with the people in my community, I asked for help, I shared my story, Datuin said.

Datuin studied English and fine arts at UOG, but changed her path to study science after starting her family in order to better support them.

She went on to earn a masters degree in science in England. Today, shes grateful to her family for the sacrifices theyve made and the support that theyve given her to continue to pursue her work as an artist.

Datuins medium of choice is acrylics, which she said dries faster and allows her to more easily layer color: In my paintings, I love to exaggerate movement and energy. Its in all of those various layers that creates energy, I feel like I can only really do that with acrylic paint.

Self-conversation

Reflecting on her growth, Datuin sees her art partly as a conversation with herself. Her earlier work explored traditions and cultural elements within her Filipino identity.

My old pieces have always been figurative and botanical, flower head figures where the face isnt showing, sort of like masked figures, Datuin said.

She notes that the faces in her more recent work are visible. Its almost like I was kind of experimenting and sort of hiding, not wanting to state my stance on things. Now with this decolonization piece, I want to make that stance of this is important to me.

Having those faces up front and center, revealing them behind these masks, putting them alongside the land, alongside these native plants. Thats been the journey, she said.

Datuin is excited to watch Guams art scene grow expansively enough to continue to support homegrown artists.

Im dreaming of a future for Guam where we really have that buzz here to hold more contemporary art fairs, festivals, more group shows, better quality work that we see out there, original work, original stories, unique stories where people will speak their own truths through visual art.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero hosted a proclamation signing and awards ceremony Oct. 26, 2022, to celebrate Guam Entrepreneurship Month and the recipients of the Guam Economic Development Authoritys Growth Accelerator Program.
Guam Womens Club donated menstrual health and hygiene products to the Bureau of Womens Affairs in support of F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle Schools Project Sottera in August 2022. From left: Angie Gibbons, Doris Quichocho, Ann Marie Pellobello, May Ann Charfauros, Vicky Terlaje, Divina Evaristo, Jayne Flores, Ina Lee, Loisa Cabuhat, Delisa Kloppenburg and Al Payne.
Attorney general candidates Doug Moylan, incumbent Leevin Camacho and write-in candidate Peter Santos discussed crime, drugs and their approaches to dealing with these problems during a debate hosted by the Guam Bar Association and the University of Guam.

Before the debate, students surveyed said that crime is currently the biggest issue on Guam.

Fueled by meth

Moylan said crimes from theft to sexual assault were fueled by offenders addicted to methamphetamine. He said whether they are first-time or repeat offenders, they must be prosecuted.

The meth problem is big on Guam  Meth addicts are different types of criminals. That drug destroys everything around them, their loved ones, their minds, their bodies, said Moylan. To trust a meth addict and release that person without the proper treatment in prison, is putting all of us at risk.

Treatment programs

Although he agrees with Moylan that crime is a big problem, Camacho does not think Moylans mass incarceration approach is the best way to address it.

Incarceration is one piece of it, but it is not all. We must support treatment programs for those who are in custody, who are in prison, so that once they get released, they do not go back and re-offend, said Camacho.

Camacho said investing in these programs helps those who are not yet criminals correct their lives and be productive members of society.

We have to invest and we have an opportunity to invest in prevention programs for youth to learn about substance abuse, so that they are not the future generation addicts. Crime must continue to be the top priority, he said.

System failing

Although Santos agrees about investing in rehabilitation and prevention programs, he said crime prosecution is failing and there are not enough prosecutors.

Lets also make no mistake, that in the criminal justice system right now, here on Guam, the single point of failure is the prosecution division at the attorney generals office. It is currently in critical condition, said Santos.

We have folks that are being released over and over again to re-offend because the first case that they got tagged with, were still waiting on the prosecution because we dont have enough prosecutors. And the prosecutors that we have are not trained and qualified to handle big cases, but theyre being forced to do it, said Santos.

Santos said he knows how to lead, develop and mentor prosecutors.

I will rebuild the team, he said.

If he becomes attorney general once again, Moylan said that he will offer a back-to-the-basics approach and tougher prosecutions on criminals.

Let the governors Public Health and Guam Behavioral teams treat criminals in prison, said Moylan. Being soft on criminals begets exponentially increasing crimes and ever-increasing crime victims.

Camacho said he will continue his current work, updating technology and allowing clients to easily access programs such as child support through the website.

He will also continue to fund more drug rehabilitation programs.
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Corrections Clarifications: this story was updated to reflect the proper description of Bill 297.

Measures to allow the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to charge fees for body storage and transport, strengthen workplace protections for pregnant women, and end forced arbitration for sexual assault and harassment were passed by the Legislature Friday.

Those bills and more will be moved to Gov. Lou Leon Guerreros desk for final approval. Fridays voting session went by without controversy: not a single nay vote was cast against any newly introduced measure.

Bill 248, introduced by Speaker Therese Terlaje, would authorize the Commission on Postmortem Examinations to create a fee schedule for the services now provided for free by the medical examiners office. The Postmortem Commission will have to hold several public hearings and get final approval from the Legislature before any fee schedule takes effect.

Some proposed fees include $45 for remains processing and a $38.50 per day remains storage fee once the deceaseds next of kin is notified.

Also passed was Vice Speaker Tina Muna Barnes Bill 297, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. It bars employers from discriminating against employees affected by pregnancy or childbirth.

An employer that denies reasonable accommodation to an expectant mother, or forces an expectant mother to go on leave, could be fined $1,000 for the first violation and $2,000 for additional violations.

And no one who wishes to file a lawsuit over sexual harassment or assault will be bound to first go through arbitration, should the speakers Bill 319 become law. Terlaje has said some employers require workers to go through lengthy and expensive arbitration before filing a suit over sexual harassment in the workplace.

Sen. Frank Blas Jr.s Bill 311 would create a commission responsible for updating outdated sections of Guams criminal code. The last review of Guams books was conducted in 1977 and Blas has said some sections of criminal law are holdovers from the 1800s.

Other bills

Other measures passed include:

Bill 262, to create an interim license for cosmetology, barbering, nail tech and hairstyling schools seeking accreditation.

Bill 335, to update Emergency Medical Services provisions in Guam law.

Bill 340, to let the University of Guam use about $1.15 million of its funds for fiscal year 2023, originally slated for construction, to keep up with operational costs such as water and power.

Resolution 348, which urges the Guam Department of Education to create a standalone high school financial literacy course and to make it a graduation prerequisite.

Another attempted override of the governors veto of Bill 239, which would require adoption agencies to be approved by the Department of Public Health and Social Services before receiving a business license, failed.
Monaeka Flores, Prutehi Litekyan: Save Ritidian member, and others discuss Andersen Air Force Bases Hazardous Waste Open Burn and Open Detonation permit for Tarague Beach during a peaceful protest in Hagatna, Oct. 13, 2022.




Haiti - Crisis : Canada leads an assessment mission in Haiti





Melanie Joly, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday Thursday that Canada is conducting an assessment mission in Haiti.



The international community has an important role to play in responding to the current humanitarian and security crisis in Haiti, and Canada strongly believes in supporting Haitians to find a durable solution.



A Canadian government delegation is carrying out consultations with regional partners, the United Nations, CARICOM and other partners.



They are now in Haiti to consult with stakeholders on options to support Haitian people in resolving the humanitarian and security crises and how Canada can contribute to the international response.



"Canada and the international community are concerned about the violence in Haiti, in particular against women and girls. Canada will not remain idle while gangs and those who support them terrorize Haitis citizens and we will continue to support law-abiding Haitians to put an end to the crisis in their country," support Melanie Joly.



Canadas efforts will focus on supporting Haitian-led solutions to restore access to essential goods and services, and will build on our longstanding engagement. Since 2010, we have provided almost two billion dollars to assist in strengthening Haitian institutions, including the National Police, and creating the conditions for Haiti to be a stable and democratic society through an inclusive dialogue that will lead to free and fair elections.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Security: USA and Canada still in discussion on a military mission





The United States and Canada will work together to "cut the knot of insecurity" that has allowed gangs to create a humanitarian crisis in Haiti, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday "What needs to be done above all, it is to solve the problem of security, because now the situation is such that gangs occupy the public space, whether in Port-au-Prince or elsewhere in the country," Blinken declared, "our countries have worked very closely together to do a few things to try to cut this knot of insecurity and deal with the gang problem. One is to support the National Police of Haiti, including with equipment, advice, and everything recently, as you know, Canada has provided armored vehicles to the National Police of Haiti with our collaboration. At the same time, we are trying to break the link between these gangs and some of the political actors who finance and direct them, and this goes in the direction of the sanctions that have recently been proposed to the United Nations as well as sanctions that we are making on our own basis to try to reach those who support and lead the gangs."



But neither Blinken nor Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has committed their country to lead a military force in the Caribbean nation. "It's a work in progress and we continue to pursue it," Blinken said at a press conference in Ottawa during his first visit to Canada.



Blinken said Canada and the United States agree that more "probably needs to be done" to help the Haitian National Police restore its grip on security, and that a military mission would be aimed at supporting the overstretched Haitian police force. "We talked about what it might look like," Blinken said. "We have both spoken to various countries to gauge their interest and willingness to participate," discussions are still ongoing about a multilateral military intervention in Haiti, not wanting to confirm whether or not the United States United have received a request to lead such a mission - Ms. Joly did not make this clarification either for Canada.



Joly said Canada sent an "assessment mission" https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37992-haiti-crisis-canada-leads-an-assessment-mission-in-haiti.html to gather information to find the solutions supported by Haitians "We currently have a team of Canadian officials on the ground in Haiti who assess the humanitarian security crisis and find ways to resolve it. In the immediate term, we must see a humanitarian truce to restore the supply of fuel, water and food."



Canada calls for a "humanitarian truce" in Haiti, Melanie Joly, during the press conference explained that this truce was necessary to restore the supply of water, gasoline and food in the country, she wishes that the Haitians can replenish their reserves of essential goods and that hospitals can counter the cholera crisis.



"Canada continues to monitor the situation very closely and we will always favor solutions by and for Haitians,"said Ms. Joly.



"It was also essential that we sanction the gangs that fuel the violence on the island, and we both welcome the steps taken by the UN Security Council to impose sanctions. We must keep the pressure on. Canada will continue to monitor the situation closely, and we will help where we can and try to support Haitian-led solutions."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - USA : Towards a strengthening of the operational capacity of the PNH





Frantz Elbe, the Director General of the National Police of Haiti (PNH), assisted by members of the high command of the PNH, received this Wednesday, October 26, 2022 the visit of Mr. Eric Stromayer, Charge d'affaires of the United States of America in Haiti who was accompanied by several American personalities.



Assessing the security situation and considering prospects for strengthening the operational capacity of the PNH are among the points discussed between the police authorities and the representatives of the American Government.



S/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Crisis : More than 18% of the population at risk of very high malnutrition





The latest analysis shows a major deterioration of the food crisis in Haiti with 4.7 million people, almost half of the population, experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, including 19,200 classified as Catastrophe (Phase 5 of CPI). During the current period from September 2022 to February 2023, 19,200 people are estimated to be in Disaster (IPC Phase 5).



18% of the population analyzed (about 1.8 million people) is classified in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) and 29% (about 2.9 million people) in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis), i.e. about 48% of the population in need of urgent action. Of the 32 areas analyzed, fifteen are in Phase 4 (Emergency). These are mainly the areas of the Great South affected by the August 2021 earthquake, the high plateau and its extensions in the North, North-East and Artibonite, North-West, Gonave, as well as three municipalities of the metropolitan area most affected by the activities of armed gangs. Among the main causes, the numerous episodes of "peyi lok" have had a significant impact on tourism and have led to the closure of many hotel establishments.



These episodes of blockage in the country and the unpredictable security situation are slowing down ongoing investments, particularly those of the private sector as well as small businesses, which are the main source of income for a good part of the population. Gang violence has reached unprecedented levels in the metropolitan area limiting the movement of goods and people. This violence has pushed more than 20,000 people to flee their homes. Barricades have been erected across the streets of major cities across the country and travel is difficult, limiting access to food and water as well as fuel.



This situation has forced the cessation of many humanitarian activities, the needs of the Haitian population are worsening and the living conditions of the most vulnerable are deteriorating, particularly in Port-au-Prince. As of August 31, 2022, only 688,150 people among the analyzed population received emergency food assistance in the form of a ration or cash transfer, i.e. 7% of the analyzed population.



Overview of the projected situation



For the period from March to June 2023, for which no humanitarian food assistance has been confirmed, the people estimated to be in disaster are 19,200. In addition, 17% of the population analyzed (approximately 1.65 million people) are in IPC phase 4 (Emergency) and 30% (approximately 3 million people) in IPC phase 3 (Crisis), i.e. 48% of the population in need of urgent action for the projection period.



Learn more about the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) :



Phase 1 :

Usually adequate and stable food access with moderate to low risk of sliding into Phase 3, 4, or 5.



Phase 2 : Moderately / Borderline Food Insecure

Borderline adequate food access with recurrent high risk (due to probable hazard events and high vulnerability) of sliding into Phase 3, 4, or 5.



Phase 3 : Acute Food and Livelihood Crisis

Highly stressed and critical lack of food access with high and above usual malnutrition and accelerated depletion of livelihood assets that, if continued, will slide the population into Phase 4 or 5 and / or likely result in chronic poverty.



Phase 4 : Humanitarian Emergency

Severe lack of food access with excess mortality, very high and increasing malnutrition, and irreversible livelihood asset stripping.



Phase 5 : Famine / Humanitarian Catastrophe

Extreme social upheaval with complete lack of food access and / or other basic needs where mass starvation, death, and displacement are evident.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Nearly 12,000 prisoners fed thanks to Food for the Poor

Food for the Poor Haiti sent dry food rations to serve almost 12,000 prisoners in the prison system during the month of October. We were able to supply 1,350 bags of rice and 1,600 cases of rice flour. In addition, we are working with the penitentiary administrative management to help them improve their water supply and internal propane distribution and cooking systems within the penitentiary.



"Aji saw Neye" killed

The presumed gang leader called "Aji lives Neye", was killed by armed individuals riding a motorcycle on Wednesday evening on Stree du Quai in Port de Paix. He was accused of various crimes including the murder of an ONA employee.



4th edition of the Entrepreneurial and Technological Congress

Visit the 4th edition of the Entrepreneurial and Technological Congress. Organized by Comparet and supported by Sunrise Airways, it is the most important discussion forum on entrepreneurship in the Grand'Anse department. With the participation of the most renowned professionals from the entrepreneurship and technology sectors of the country. This event will take place on October 28, 29 and 30, 2022, at Le Sarah hotel in Jeremie.



3 people kidnapped in Laboule 12

Heavily armed bandits kidnapped, on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 26, 2022, 3 people in Laboule 12, in the commune of Petion-ville. One of the victims responds to the name of Patrice Jacquet. He was accompanied by two other people.



MIKABEN : contemplation in Santiago (DR)

In memory of Michael Benjamin (MIKABEN), the Consulate General of Haiti in Santiago invites you to share a moment of contemplation and conviviality this October 29, 2022 at 4 pm at the premises of the said Consulate. Accessories : candle, flower.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2022/10/27 | Source

Actress Go Hyun-jung gave a big present to all the staff of the Netflix series "Mask Girl".

Advertisement

Go Hyun-jung's agency, IOK Company, announced on the 25th that "Go Hyun-jung recently delivered a surprise gift to the set of the Netflix series "Mask Girl"".

In addition to the set of "Mask Girl", Go Hyun-jung prepared gifts and brought her staff whenever she worked such as tvN's "Dear My Friends", KBS 2TV's "Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho 2: Crime and Punishment" and JTBC's "Reflection of You".

In particular, Go Hyun-jung showed her affection for the "Mask Girl" team by preparing hats and eco-bags that she came up with design ideas for the staff who are struggling at the site to have a warm winter. Rumor has it that the atmosphere of the set has become more harmonious with this surprise gift, which is full of meticulous consideration and sense.

An official from "Mask Girl" said through Go Hyun-jung's agency, "Go Hyun-jung usually takes care of the staff and creates a pleasant and warm scene every time", adding, "Everyone is working hard thanks to Go Hyun-jung's support".

Meanwhile, "Mask Girl" is a drama that tells the story of Kim Mo-mi, an ordinary office worker with an appearance complex, being caught up in an unintended incident while working as an Internet broadcasting BJ with her face covered with a mask every night. Go Hyun-jung plays the main character Kim Mo-mi, who runs to her goal regardless of means.
Korean Movie | 2022

 Crime  Thriller

Directed by Hong Seok-goo ()

Written by Jung Woo-chul ()

101min | Release date in South Korea: 2022/11/23

Theatrical version of "Drama Special 2022 - TV Cinema - The Distributors".

Synopsis

"My cell phone disappeared, and I became the Nth"



Do Yoo-bin, a man who dreams of a happy married life, is led by his old friend, Gong Sang-beom, and spends an unforgettable day at the club.



And then, the memories from before that night disappeared, and a phone call was received from someone. The criminal said that if he didn't get 33 million won, he would release the video to the world...



Tonight, everything he wanted to hide is unlocked!
The keel laying ceremony of Spirit of Tasmania IV was celebrated today in Rauma shipyard. The ceremony marked the beginning of the vessels construction in the construction dock. Rauma Marine Constructions is building two Spirit of Tasmania car and passenger ferries for the Tasmanian TT-Line Company, which are set to operate on the challenging open sea route between mainland Australia and Tasmania. The project is the biggest single foreign sale between Finland and Australia and signals a strong 2023 for RMC.

Today, Rauma shipyard celebrated the keel laying ceremony of Spirit of Tasmania IV, a vessel being built for the Tasmanian TT-Line Company.

A significant player in maritime transport between mainland Australia and Tasmania, TT-Line has commissioned two identical Spirit of Tasmania vessels from RMC. The large-scale project is the biggest individual foreign sale between Australia and Finland. The project will create a total of around 3,500 person-years worth of employment at the Rauma shipyard.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the design and production of the Spirit of Tasmania vessels have proceeded according to the agreed schedule. The keel laying of the projects first vessel is a wonderful demonstration of this. The good progression of the project is also a sign of a strong next year. We expect our turnover to grow significantly in 2023, says Mika Heiskanen, CEO of RMC.

Spirit of Tasmania CEO and Managing Director Bernard Dwyer says it is an exciting time for the company.

This keel laying ceremony is another important milestone for the project that takes us one step closer to having new vessels crossing Bass Strait. Were excited to join our partners RMC for the occasion and celebrate the build for Spirit of Tasmania IV tracking on time for delivery in the first quarter of 2024.

The arrival of the two new ferries in Australia in 2024 will be a significant moment for the company, Dwyer says.

Forty per cent larger than the current vessels, the investment we are making in these vessels is a once in a generation event that will deliver important benefits to Tasmanias visitor economy and the broader economy.

The keel of the vessel weighs 230 metric tons

The traditional keel laying ceremony celebrates the official first step in the ships construction, marking in effect the birth of the ship. The keel block of a ship is lowered into the construction dock, and customary lucky coins are placed under it. Spirit of Tasmanias massive L-222 keel weighs approximately 230 metric tons.

Currently, the Spirit of Tasmania-named vessels carry around 450,000 passengers each year. The new vessels will operate on an extremely challenging route across the Bass Strait between Geelong, Victoria, and Devonport, Tasmania. The ferries have been specially designed to undertake this specific route.

The vessels will hold 1,800 passengers each and their gross tonnage will be approximately 48,000 metric tons. The new vessels will replace the Finnish-built sister ships from the 1990s.

Construction of the first vessel will be completed at the start of 2024 and the second in late 2024.

HT

Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) is one of Europe's leading shipbuilding companies. The Rauma-based company, founded in summer 2014, is fully under Finnish ownership. RMC specialises in the construction and maintenance of car and passenger ferries, icebreakers and defense vessels. More information at www.rmcfinland.fi.

Spirit of Tasmania is one of Australias most iconic travel experiences and a vital connection between mainland Australia and the island state of Tasmania. Twin ships, Spirit of Tasmania I and Spirit of Tasmania II, operate overnight sailings across the Bass Strait between Geelong, Victoria and Devonport, Tasmania. Transporting more than 450,000 passengers annually, Spirit of Tasmania is widely recognised for its contribution to the Australian tourism industry and for fostering Australias economic development through the provision of a world-class passenger and freight service. Since its inception, Spirit of Tasmania has continued to grow steadily through its commitment to safety, reliability and in delivering an unparalleled level of customer service. www.spiritoftasmania.com.au
VATT on 4 October warned that the national economy is at risk of developing a chronic deficit unless the government introduces determined measures to balance the economy and mitigate the risk of the economy capsizing.

It is baffling from this starting point that the stated goal of economic policy, a sustainable public economy, is not reflected in the budget as measures that could significantly stabilise the state of the public economy. It is noteworthy that the government has failed to take action despite the crises it has faced, reads the statement signed by the general director of VATT, Mikael Collan.

The government unveiled its budget proposal for next year late last summer. While the roughly 80-billion-euro budget sets forth the first spending cuts of the electoral term, worth about 300 million euros, it shows an eight-billion-euro deficit that is to be financed by borrowing.

Economic growth will not suffice to patch up the deficit in the short term, according to VATT. The government, it believes, should create a priority order of the various services, income transfers and other responsibilities in the public sector in order to introduce further spending cuts.

Although the immigration of highly educated people can be a partial solution to the problem, the government should also mull over employment policy measures that encourage the jobless to accept job offers. The research institute viewed, for example, that budget appropriations for education should be directed toward sectors facing a labour shortage.

VATT additionally estimated that it is necessary to critically evaluate the impact of income transfer on employment because recent crises have not affected the relative standard of living of people benefiting from income transfers.

You have to recognise that, as the economic situation erodes, everyone must participate in the burden sharing and that standard of living achieved through borrowing must be compromised if the outlook offers no other alternatives, the statement reads.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) rejected the claim that her government has not taken action to balance the public economy in an interview with STT on Thursday. The government, she argued, has worked toward this goal especially by implementing structural reforms.

Not all the reforms are naturally not yet reflected in economic metrics as some wont enter into effect until later and the effects of others will only become visible in the longer term, she said. Im naturally concerned about indebtedness. We have to strive toward not needing central government debt for the operational economy.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
Highlights of foreign congratulatory messages on Xi's election as general secretary of CPC Central Committee (9)

Xinhua) 15:41, October 28, 2022

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of political parties and governments as well as heads of state worldwide have sent congratulations to Xi Jinping on his election as general secretary of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Under Xi's strong leadership, the CPC Central Committee has united and led the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups in successfully coping with various challenges, said Mia Mottley, leader of the Barbados Labour Party and also Barbadian prime minister, adding that she firmly believes that the CPC will bring a brighter future for China and the world.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 50 years ago, Malta and China have achieved fruitful results in cooperation in various fields, said Robert Abela, leader of Malta Labour Party and also Maltese prime minister, looking forward to further strengthening bilateral ties for the benefit of the two peoples.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed his belief that under Xi's leadership, the CPC will play an even greater role in maintaining national stability and development and improving people's well-being, adding that Armenia and China will write a new chapter in their traditional friendship.

China is one of major countries in the world with foremost influence and plays an important role on the world stage, said Bakir Izetbegovic, chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Party of Democratic Action and vice chairman of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly.

He said he looks forward to working with Xi to further deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two parties and enhance friendly relations between the two countries.

Moses Wetangula, leader of the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Kenya party and speaker of Kenya's National Assembly, said he looks forward to working with Xi to deepen relations between Kenya and China and jointly embrace a brighter future.

Sultan al-Barakani, assistant secretary-general of General People's Congress party of Yemen and speaker of the Yemeni parliament, said he firmly believes the CPC will surely achieve new great victories under its new leadership, expressing the willingness to join hands with China and the CPC on the journey of reform and development.

Under Xi's leadership, China has become the world's economic powerhouse, resolutely defended its interests on the international stage, upheld international fairness and justice, and greatly enhanced the international status of Asian countries, said Sadiq Sanjrani, chairman of Pakistan's Senate.

KP Sharma Oli, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and former Nepali prime minister, extended sincere congratulations on Xi's election as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, saying that it has a significant impact on the region and the world at large.

Oli said he hopes China will lead the international community, especially developing countries, to achieve sustainable development goals, and to promote the building of a human community with a shared future.

Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of the Komeito party of Japan, said his party stands ready to work together with the CPC to forge a constructive and stable Japan-China relationship so as to make contributions to international peace and stability.

The 20th CPC National Congress has achieved important outcomes, and Xi's election has shown the trust and support of the Chinese people extended to him, said Sergey Mironov, chairman of A Just Russia-Patriots-For Truth party.

Mironov said he believes that Xi will continue to lead the Chinese people in accomplishing all tasks and goals.

Irakli Kobakhidze, chairman of the Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party, expressed the expectation that the relations between his party and the CPC as well as the ties between the two countries will be deepened, so as to bring more opportunities to bilateral cooperation in various areas.

He voiced confidence that under Xi's leadership, the Chinese people will, for sure, continue achieving development and prosperity.

Xi's election as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee will push forward the goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, said Abou el-Fadhl Baadji, general secretary of Algeria's National Liberation Front party, noting that his party is ready to enhance friendly relations with the CPC to serve the interests of both countries.

Asadollah Badamchian, secretary-general of Iran's Islamic Coalition Party, said Xi's election demonstrates the high-level trust of the Chinese people in him.

Badamchian said he hopes that under Xi's guidance, Iran-China friendly cooperation will be continuously strengthened, bringing more benefits to other developing countries.

Sophia Shaningwa, secretary general of the SWAPO Party of Namibia, said that the SWAPO Party looks forward to mutual support and mutual learning with the sisterly CPC and strengthening their cooperation.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Pendry Hotels & Resorts today announced the opening of Pendry Washington DC - The Wharf, marking the seventh addition to the Pendry Hotels & Resorts portfolio and the brand's first location in our nation's capital. Located along The Wharf, a mile-long waterfront destination set on the Potomac River, Pendry Washington DC features 131 beautifully appointed guestrooms and suites; three signature dining and bar concepts, including a pool terrace and rooftop cocktail lounge with panoramic views; Spa Pendry; a state-of-the-art fitness center; curated art collection and 7,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space.

Designed by ODA with interiors by DesignAgency, Pendry Washington DC effortlessly blends European-inspired sensibility and contemporary hospitality with light interiors grounded by timeless touchpoints such as old-world flooring, metal detailing and plush textiles throughout. Richly layered interiors reflecting a timeless European grandeur are also artfully balanced by a residential design creating a warm, attentive environment. Lastly, drawing inspiration from the iconic colonnades and limestone buildings for which the capital is known, Pendry Washington DC reinterprets those architectural principles into a modern and sophisticated design enhanced by soft integrated lighting throughout.

Pendry Washington DC is home to three signature restaurant, lounge, and bar experiences under the helm of longtime DC culinary veteran, Executive Chef Barry Koslow:

Moonraker - A rooftop restaurant and bar experience, Moonraker, features a Japanese-inspired menu with flavorful light bites such as Tokyo fried chicken, and yellowtail sashimi and specialty rolls, served alongside a curated library of Japanese whisky and bespoke cocktails. Boasting some of the best Potomac waterfront views in the city, the spectacular scenery is equally matched by dramatic interiors including a stunning circular bar lit from above that features a chandelier of cascading brass pendants. Surrounded by bold, black and white geometric floors, Moonraker is flanked by endless views and a wall of arched mirrors, providing an enviable atmosphere complemented with live music and DJ sets as the evening turns to late-night.

Flora Flora - Leaning into the flavors of Latin America, Flora Flora takes inspiration from the dynamic cuisines of Mexico and Peru. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the menu features small plates celebrating local farmers and purveyors, with a healthy assortment of plant-based items, allowing guests to partake in a culinary journey complemented by global wine selections and cocktails. With views overlooking the Potomac River, Flora Flora offers a lighthearted and airy ambiance with sun-drenched waterfront vistas sprinkled with lush greenery and natural colors such as earthy terracotta and sage green hues alongside historic murals featured on the walls in a modern monochromatic sepia tone. With a seamless flow between the indoors and out, Flora Flora also serves the hotel's expansive open-air pool deck, where guests can recline below awning-stripe parasols and gaze at the sparkling water below.

Bar Pendry: Bar Pendry is an intimate, richly designed space drenched in moody blue and crimson hues that evoke the grandeur of a classic hotel bar, but with the modern essence of today. Tucked off the lobby, Bar Pendry is beautifully appointed with warm finishes and sultry layers of velvet, antiqued mirror, brushed bronze accents and a vintage mantel carved from dark Emperador marble. A respite from the bustling city, Bar Pendry is home to expert bartenders that have mastered the art of the perfect cocktail in an inviting yet refined atmosphere.

Pendry Washington DC will also offer a host of signature amenities including:

Spa Pendry - An urban sanctuary and full-service signature spa and wellness retreat, Spa Pendry features five private treatment rooms, including a couple's room, two eucalyptus-infused steam rooms, tranquil lounge, and an innovative menu of results-driven beauty and body treatments designed with the latest in wellness, health, and technology in mind.

Fitness Center - A world-class, 24-hour fitness center featuring Technogym equipment, Peloton bikes and Tonal training equipment.

Meetings & Events - With over 7,500 square feet of special event space, the hotel can accommodate events of various sizes in several stylishly curated meeting rooms including the second-level ballroom. Golden accents set the spaces aglow, from sculptural brass lighting and metal inlay to the double-coved ceiling hand-painted in a gold finish to create a luminous atmosphere. State-of-the-art technology, high-touch service and well-appointed amenities complement each meeting and event space.

Experience Pendry Washington DC with the Stay & Play offer, including a $75 daily resort credit ($150 for suites and $300 for specialty suites) to use towards any one of the hotel's dining concepts or Spa Pendry. For more information on Pendry Washington DC and to book a reservation, please visit www.pendry.com/washington-dc. Follow on social @pendryhotels and @pendrywharfdc.

Hotel website
The St. Regis Mumbai is delighted to announce the appointment of Varun Chhibber to lead 'The Best Address' as General Manager. Varun brings with him over 20 years of luxury experience in the hospitality industry and will now helm The St. Regis Mumbai, the most iconic hotels in Marriott International's myriad portfolio in India.

An alumni of The Oberoi Centre of Learning & Development, he has led multiple luxury hotels as General Manager. His early education was a blend of formal schooling and extensive travel, resulting in diverse cultural exposure and practical experiences which he brings each day to work. He enhanced his hotel education with a major in Economics as it was a subject of special interest to him. Having worked with the Oberoi and Leela group in the past, Varun's expertise in Luxury is extremely strong and well defined.

His early years of experience allowed him to develop award winning concepts specially in Food and Beverage and drive revenue and reputation. Varun is known for his people centric leadership style which embodies his deep rooted beliefs in the infinite power of team brilliance and exponential growth.

At The St. Regis Mumbai, Varun will lead the dynamic luxury team to sustain the hotel's positioning as one of the most awarded hotels and as the preferred destination for the social elite. He will focus on steering the team to drive revenue and maintain the property's reputation of having the highest turnover in South Asia while ensuring guest voice scores remain a priority for The St. Regis Mumbai.

Varun is married to Nupur who also has her roots in the hospitality industry, and they have a teenage son who is looking forward to returning to Mumbai where he had his primary education. Varun's competitive spirit and love for sport and innovation drives him each day to collaborate and synergize.
From the sandy beaches of Samui to the verdant greens of Chiang Mai, Sean Mosher moves within the Resorts of Thailand collection to take over as General Manager of Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai and Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle.

Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, in a picturesque coastal fishing town, Sean has always had a fondness for nature and the outdoors - two things he feels are key to making a destination. Arriving now in the tropical haven that is Chiang Mai, he is sure to feel at home.

Starting out with a diploma in hospitality services from his hometown alma mater, Sean began his career with the Delta Barrington Hotel in Halifax, before moving to Vancouver with the Pan Pacific Hotel there. It was in Vancouver that he first entered the Four Seasons fold in 2002, starting out as Communications Supervisor before moving to the company's founding city of Toronto. Of his subsequent first job posting abroad, he muses, "I didn't plan to be in England for six years, but it was the most important phase of my career," referring to his time with Four Seasons Hotel in Hampshire.

From England to Langkawi in Malaysia and then Bali at Sayan, Sean's passion for resorts quickly solidified his expertise as a hospitality specialist, having helmed every aspect of the business. As Resort Manager at these two island properties, Sean had an immediate impact, setting him up for further success.

Moving to Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui was an easy transition for Sean, and in his first role as General Manager, he was instrumental at leading his teams through the highs of pre-covid 2019, and also the long trough and recovery over the past two and a half years. Now as Thailand re-emerges as the Land of Smiles once again, he is excited about this new opportunity ahead of him in the storied northern region of the country.

Having grown up on the east coast of Canada, his tryst with nature and the great outdoors was always going to be a love affair. Embracing the warm welcoming vibe in Asia, the family has made Thailand their home over the past four years. It is this experience of Thailand that he strives to bring to Four Seasons guests who visit here.

With just over two decades into his career with Four Seasons, Sean looks back with much pride. Both in terms of assignments handled, as well as regions on the global map, he believes it is a continuing indoctrination that is his greatest motivation.
Stepping into his exciting new role with characteristic ease, native Norwegian Odd Strandbakken is responsible for overseeing the Hotel's bars: elegant speakeasy Charles H. and Korean contemporary nightspot OUL, as well as all internal and external events. Partners in life as well as creative vision, Odd's wife, Alyssa, is in charge of managing all hotel beverages, from lavish cocktails to welcome drinks for restaurant and spa customers.

Committed to his craft since he made his first mocktail aged nine, Odd began bartending in a tiny town deep in the Arctic Circle where there were more polar bears than people. Since then, he has travelled to 42 countries, working at the world's top bars, sampling the finest global blends and furthering his insatiable passion for distillation and fermentation, brewing and preservation.

With a style that's uniquely his own, Odd has garnered a range of awards, from World Champion at the 2018 Cherry Herring Cocktail Contest for his originality to elevating Oslo bar Himkok from #42 to #17 in the World's 50 Best Bars ranking.

On a mission to support local producers over global brands and put house-made products centre stage, Odd's dedication to minimalism comes across in clean cocktails with a worldly vision.
Equally passionate about hospitality, Alyssa's career began in Chicago, working at The Violet Hour while studying at university. Drawing on her deep love of travel to further creative discoveries in the world of mixology, she explored the globe to hone her skills.

From New York and London to Taipei, and Oslo, she delivered her unique vision to bars including Michelin-starred Alinea, Next, The Aviary and The Office. Nominated twice for Norway's Top Bartender, and Best New Opening in Norway for Marlow, Oslo by Bartender's Choice Awards, Alyssa's inspiring recipes have been published in The Aviary Cocktail Book.

A storyteller at heart, Alyssa's award-winning talent finds its expression through tantalising twists and fascinating flavour combinations at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul.
Award-winning hospitality management company Davidson Hospitality Group announces the promotion of Bill Hanson to Vice President, Food & Beverage within Davidson Restaurant Group, the company's dedicated food and beverage operating vertical.

Creating the optimal guest journey, attention to detail and casually sophisticated service remain cornerstones of Hanson's hospitality philosophy. To provide support and guidance to property leaders, Hanson created financial tools geared toward forecast accuracy and fiscal responsibility. Hanson also orchestrated an enterprise-wide system shift, broadening utilization of a topline analytic tool and developing a company-wide beverage program, which leverages national relationships to ensure best pricing, optimize marketing initiatives and training.

Prior to joining Davidson Hospitality Group, Hanson launched the food and beverage division of MilkBoy as owner/operator. Milkboy started as a recording studio in Philadelphia, PA which parlayed into the opening of a restaurant, bar, coffeehouse, and live music venue. Following the first location's success, a second location in Philadelphia opened on the famed South Street and ultimately a third in College Park, Maryland called Milkboy ArtHouse. Earlier in his career, Hanson led notable operations and openings with Stephen Starr: Buddakan, Alma de Cuba (Chef Douglas Rodriguez and Iron Chef Jose Garces), Continental Midtown and Washington Square (with Chef Marcus Samuelson). Hanson holds a B.A. in Education from Ithaca College.
The sailing yacht Le Ponant which started it all for the company has been totally renovated. She is back to the sea after a makeover which lasted several months at the San Giorgio del Porto yard in Italy. As well as providing a remarkably private setting, the yacht is packed with cutting edge eco-responsible innovations. After having offered an exclusive collection of itineraries in the Mediterranean this summer, Le Ponant is sailing to the Seychelles where she will spend the winter, before arriving in Australia for spring 2023.

This is an invitation to go sailing, to recharge the batteries on voyages that respect the world around us, where privacy and exploring with others go hand in hand with eco-responsibility. Discover Le Ponant in video.

When luxury and privacy combine with the magic of travel and eco-responsible navigation

Thirty years after her launch, Le Ponant has been transformed to provide guests with a unique travel experience. After undergoing a complete renovation, the ship now accommodates just 30 guests and as many crew. The sleek, refined layout was designed by the Studio Jean-Philippe Nuel and Sterling Design International to create a sense of luxury, privacy and tranquillity that makes guests feel as if they are on their own private sailing yacht.

The four passenger decks provide 16 spacious staterooms. The 60m2 Owners Suite, on the upper deck Zephyr has a private balcony. The common areas have been refitted to allow guests to fully enjoy the panoramic gastronomic restaurant, to re-energise in the spa, wellness area or gym, or relax in the solarium in an ambiance of quiet contemplation. Guests have direct access to the sea from the marina aft to swim or take part in a host of activities such as fishing, snorkelling, glass bottomed kayaking or taking out an electric underwater scooter, to name a few.

In line with the companys policy, Le Ponant reflects an ongoing commitment to a more responsible tourism. The sailing ship is equipped with all the latest technologies to optimise emissions reduction: connecting to electricity grids where available in ports, using the sails, an innovative SCR filter system to eliminate fine particles and cut nitrogen oxide emissions by 90%, sorting waste and latest generation wastewater treatment. Every guest experience has been thought through to help protect the environment and heritage, such as non-motorised watersports and individual or small-group landings at ports of call with the focus on local heritage.

Le Ponant has regained her splendour and more, while setting new eco-responsible navigation standards, says Herve Gastinel, CEO of PONANT. Aboard LePonant, the jewel in our fleets crown, everyone can reconnect with nature and their own inspirations, as they live out their desires following the wind. We are proud to extend this invitation to travel by sea to new secluded, little-known destinations.

Far from the madding crowd, Le Ponant offers guests the ultimate luxury of stretching time and an invitation to enjoy authentic experiences and moments of rare privilege close to nature. Being under sail is the preferred mode of travel. On board, an expedition leader and naturalist guides are eager to share their knowledge of the fauna and flora with a sharp eye always out to discover unusual treasures at sea and during ports of call.

Depending on the destination there are yoga sessions at sunrise or sunset and meditation, as well as introductory sessions to scuba diving or bike rides. And of course, the day-to-day pleasure of enjoying exquisite cuisine based on locally sourced ingredients. Aboard Le Ponant, every detail has been included to offer a timeless experience, a voyage that awakens all the senses within a bubble of exploration at its most authentic.

2022-23 programme of exclusive itineraries - Le Ponant sets sail again on legendary routes with hard-to-find little known ports of call, offering tailor-made itineraries off the beaten track. For Winter 2022-23, the yacht heads for the Seychelles then on to the Kimberley region in Australia for spring 2023. Services are initially offered in English for this destination, yet 5 departures will also offer them in French.

Le Ponant sets sail again on legendary routes with hard-to-find little known ports of call, offering tailor-made itineraries off the beaten track. For Winter 2022-23, the yacht heads for the Seychelles then on to the Kimberley region in Australia for spring 2023. Services are initially offered in English for this destination, yet 5 departures will also offer them in French. The Seychelles under the trade winds - Mahe  Mahe, 11 sailings, 22 November 2022 to 20 February 2023, 10 days  9 nights, from 10,200  Find more about these cruises

Mahe  Mahe, 11 sailings, 22 November 2022 to 20 February 2023, 10 days  9 nights, from 10,200  Find more about these cruises Kimberley Sailing Expedition aboard Le Ponant - 24 sailings, 6 April to 30 September 2023, from 9,490  Find out more about these cruises

ABOUT PONANT

Explore to Inspire: explore to better understand, learn, share and protect. For more than 30 years, PONANT has been committed to more responsible tourism and voyages of exploration which have meaning. The French-flagged fleet comprises 13 small capacity ships equipped with state of the art environmentally friendly equipment. With PONANT, exploration is refined, authentic and a source of inspiration. For more information www.ponant.com
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iciHaiti - Media : Faced with the crisis, the media victims





The Haitian Ministry of Culture and Communication (MCC) yesterday said it was well aware of the difficulties that the country's media are facing to operate in this context of generalized crisis, particularly because of the scarcity of fuel. Several of them, radio and television stations, have stopped working or had to adjust a crisis schedule.



The recent attack on the life of journalist Roberson Alphonse https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37976-haiti-flash-attempted-kidnapping-and-assassination-of-journalist-roberson-alphonse.html and the assassination of Garry Tess https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-37985-icihaiti-security-the-mcc-worried-about-the-wave-of-blind-violence.html , in Les Cayes, aggravate the hard situation of the media. The MCC recalls, once again, that journalists are essential actors in the rule of law.



The Ministry says it is sorry to read the announcement of the newspaper Le Nouvelliste in which it informs of the suspension of the publication of the paper version until further notice, because of the impossibility of obtaining fuel, distribute the newspaper and after using his last stock of paper. The MCC regrets that the only printed daily in the Republic, which is also the oldest French-language daily in America, had to make this decision, hoping that the paper version will return quickly.



S/ iciHaiti


















To mark the International Day to End Impunity for crimes committed against journalists on 2 November, the IFJ is calling on governments, journalists and media groups to support the adoption of a UN Convention on the safety and independence of journalists and other media professionals.

Despite its worthy intentions, the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of journalists and impunity has been unable to deliver the free and safe environment for journalists and media workers it promised.

On the contrary, journalists continue to be attacked, beaten, detained, harassed and threatened for doing their job. At the same time, ongoing threats to journalists' digital safety including cyber-attacks, data stealing, hacking and online harassment threaten the safety of media professionals, making it even more urgent to adopt an instrument that would force governments to address impunity for violence targeting journalists and media personnel.

We lack a binding international instrument that would force Member States to investigate and respond to attacks against journalists, says IFJ President Dominique Pradalie.

The IFJ has already documented 59 killings of media professionals in 2022 so far, 12 more than in 2021.

The IFJ has highlighted in particular countries such as Afghanistan, DRC, Haiti, India, Mexico, Kosovo, Pakistan, Palestine, the Philippines, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and Yemen where levels of violence against journalists remain at their highest. .

The Federation recalls that, despite many protocols, guidelines and proposals, nine out of ten killings of journalists still go unpunished.

 There is a growing frustration about the lack of action and political will to tackle impunity and support a free and independent media. This is why we have launched a global campaign for the adoption of an International Convention dedicated to the protection of journalists and media professionals, added Dominique Pradalie.

The campaign was formally launched at the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 30 September.

The Convention highlights existing weaknesses and loopholes in international humanitarian and human rights law and the lack of effective enforcement mechanisms.

Dr Carmen Dragichi, who drafted the Convention for the Federation said: "The Draft Convention offers a consolidated legal framework for the protection of journalists. It codifies case-law obligations in treaty form, replacing multiple legal sources with one comprehensive, accessible instrument. It thus clarifies the scope of obligations under free speech provisions in human rights conventions, drawing on international case-law. It also ensures States explicitly subscribe obligations crystallised in decisions against other States, and assists national authorities in understanding their obligations, and it facilitates international oversight. [...] It also confers binding value to widely accepted but unenforceable soft law standards, increasing compliance and accountability."

Over 60 journalists and media unions, associations, media representative bodies, media organisations and NGOs across the world have already backed the convention.

To read the convention, click here

To support the convention, click here.

To read the Convention in Arabic, click here.
The Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ), an affiliate of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), has established new branches in the Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia. The IFJ reaffirms its solidarity with its two Ukrainian affiliates as expressed since the beginning of the war. And now more than ever.

On 24 October 2022, the RUJ board took the decision to establish four new branches of the RUJ in the Russian annexed territories of Ukraine: Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

When contacted by its Ukrainian affiliates, NUJU and IMTUU, IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger reaffirmed the full support of the world federation to them as expressed since the beginning of the war on 24 February 2022.

Hundreds of thousands of euros in donations have been collected through the IFJ International Safety Fund and sent to Ukraine. An IFJ/Unesco project has funded the running of several solidarity centres for Ukrainian journalists in the west of the country.

In addition, the IFJ President and General Secretary met with the Assistant Director General of UNESCO on 10 October in Paris and it was agreed to re-launch further concrete and joint actions for journalists in Ukraine.

The General Secretary is in permanent contact with the RUJ leadership to reconsider their position.

This issue will be on the agenda of the next IFJ Executive Committee on 28-29 November.
Yemen: YJS reports 21 media violations against media in the third quarter of 2022

Twenty-one media violations have been recorded in the third quarter of 2022, according to a report published by the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, an International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) affiliate. The IFJ joins YJS in urging the Yemeni government and other armed groups to release all jailed journalists and to stop this crackdown on media and journalists.

An image made available by al-Huthi Media Office on September 21, 2022 shows a military parade in the capital Sanaa, as the Huthi's marked the eighth anniversary of their seizure of the capital. Al-Huthi Group Media Office / AFP

The report focuses on events that occurred between 1 July and the end of September 2022. During this period IFJ Yemeni affiliate has recorded 21 cases of violations against media or journalists including trials and interrogations (23,8%), detention (14,3%) and failure to implement verdicts (14,3%).

According to the report, the perpetrators of these violations are mostly the Houthi group (52%), the principal governments opponents. Other attackers include the Yemeni government (19%) and the STC (Southern Transitional Council, a secessionist organisation in South Yemen) forces (19%).

YJS recalls that 10 journalists remain in detention, 9 still detained by the Houthi group in Sanaa, including four sentenced to death: Abdul-Khaleq Amran, Tawfiq Al-Mansoori, Akram Al-Walidi, and Harith Hamid . The IFJ has launched a campaign to release them .

Four others have disappeared: Waheed Al-Sufi, Younes Abdel Salam, Muhammad Ali Al-Junaid, Muhammad Al-Salahi since april 2015.

Journalist Ahmed Maher is still being held by Transitional Council forces in Aden.

Journalist Mohammad Qaid al-Muqari has been held by Al Qaeda since October 2015.

Concerning the three cases of detentions (Two kidnappings and one detention) especially, the Houthi group, the Yemeni government and the STC forces were responsible for one case each.

YJS says, All detained journalists live in bad and harsh conditions and are denied the right to visits, medical treatment and care.

The union also denounces the impunity; with the judicial system using its power to harass journalists.

In its report, YJS calls for the release of all journalists kidnapped, the end of attacks against unions, the investigation of all crimes against media professionals and an end to involving journalists in political conflicts.

IFJ Secretary General, Anthony Bellanger said We are saddened to read this report from our affiliate about the unacceptable environment in which journalists and media professionals work in Yemen. We renew our call for the release of all detained colleagues, including those on death row. We further urge the Yemenite authorities to implement the recommendations in the YJS report.
The Indian Embassy in Laos has rescued 11 Indians who were being held against their will, threatened and exploited by employers in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) located along the Mekong River.

The Indian citizens spent more than one month of fear and stressed life in captivity in Southeast Asias landlocked country before being rescued.

Thanking the government of Laos on Friday, Indian Embassy informed that they have now left for India via Bangkok.

Embassy thru its efforts and Lao govts help rescued 11 Indians being held against their will, threatened & exploited by employers in Golden Triangle SEZ Laos, ending > 1 month of fear & stressed life in captivity. Today, they left for India via Bangkok. Thank you, Govt of Laos!  India in Laos (@IndianEmbLaos) October 28, 2022

Earlier this month, as many as 13 Indian citizens who were trapped in fake job rackets in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia reached Tamil Nadu after being rescued and repatriated by the Indian embassies located in the southeast Asian countries.

The Ministry of External Affairs said that it has been actively pursuing the case of Indians being trapped in fake job rackets in Myanmar having rescued 32 Indians before October.

The MEA said that instances of job rackets have come to light in Laos and Cambodia and the Indian embassies in Vientiane, Phnom Penh and Bangkok have been helping in repatriating people from there.

Last month, the Indian government issued an advisory, warning the countrys IT-skilled youth not to get entrapped in fake job offers being floated through social media platforms or other sources.

The September 24 advisory stated that fake job rackets offering lucrative jobs to entice Indian youths for the posts of Digital Sales and Marketing Executives in Thailand by dubious IT firms involved in call-centre scams and crypto-currency fraud have come to the notice of Indian missions in Bangkok and Myanmar.

The target groups are IT-skilled youth who are duped in the name of lucrative data entry jobs in Thailand through social media advertisements as well as by Dubai and India-based agents.

The victims are reportedly taken across the border illegally mostly into Myanmar and held captive to work under harsh conditions, the advisory mentioned.

It suggested that before travelling on a tourist/visit visa for employment purposes, Indian nationals are advised to check/verify credentials of foreign employers through the concerned missions abroad, and antecedents of recruiting agents as well as any company before taking up any job offer.

Also Read: Government advises IT-skilled youth not to get entrapped in fake job offers
The Justin Trudeau government in Canada is facing an unenviable situation as the Sikhs For Justice, an outfit that is banned in India, have announced to take out a car and truck rally on October 29 to motivate people to participate in the second leg of the so-called Khalistan Referendum 2020, slated for November 6 in Mississauga city. The voting for the so-called referendums first leg was held on September 18.

New Delhi has been pressing hard that Canadian land and infrastructure should not be allowed to be used for anti-India activities. Otherwise, it will be considered an unfriendly and even a hostile act. The diplomatic relations between the two countries hit rock bottom over the last few months especially, when the so-called referendum was held in Brampton unhindered. Public properties were allowed to be used by Khalistanis to advertise the anti-India event despite objections raised by pro-India groups.

Punjabi media in Canada revealed that the Peel police of Toronto fear that since the rally is to pass through some areas inhabited by pro-India youths, mainly students, there can be a confrontation between the two groups, as witnessed on Diwali night in Westwood Mall Square, Mississauga.

Anticipating trouble, the Peel police are learnt to be upgrading a police post near College Plaza in Sheridan to a full-fledged police station, active 24 hours. There have been instances in this area where two groups of students have clashed.

The Indian government had warned the Trudeau administration that the unchecked activities of the Khalistanis would cause a rift in the Indian student community and there was the danger of violence erupting on the issue.

These fears have turned out to be true and it now remains to be seen whether the Canadian authorities will take any action to ban the anti-India rally.

The Trudeau administration will be, once again asked on October 29 the rally day, to declare the Delhi riots of 1984 that started on October 31st  when Indira Gandhi was assassinated  and continued mainly for three days, as genocide of the Sikhs. The Canadian government has been resisting this demand for many years.

The SFJ has announced plans to hold a prayer meeting near the Canadian parliament in Ottawa on November 1 in memory of those killed in riots in India. Prayers will also be orgainsed in various Gurdwaras in which local politicians, including Whites, usually participate. Prime Minister Trudeau previously, has been issuing a statement expressing his sadness about the killings of Sikhs post-Indira Gandhi assassination.

It remains to be seen whether the Canadian government accepts the demand on genocide, the immediate big issue at hand is its response to the proposed car-truck rally by the Khalistanis programmed to start from Malton passing through Mississauga and Brampton cities of the Ontario state of Canada.
On Thursday, a supporting witness testified that Harvey Weinstein masturbated on her in his hotel room in 2003. Former actress Ashley Matthau, a "prior bad acts" witness whose accusations aren't included in Weinstein's 11 charges of sexual assault, was shaken while testifying, according to Variety.

Twitter

Matthau's fingers trembled as she was sworn in, and she burst into tears before saying anything. While waiting for Deputy District Attorney Marlene Martinez to begin her questioning, Matthau wiped her eyes with a tissue and took deep, hard breaths.



When Martinez asked how she was feeling, Matthau said: "I'm really upset."

Judge Lisa B. Lench encouraged Matthau to take a break, and she was escorted out of the courtroom.

When Matthau returned, she testified that Weinstein masturbated and ejaculated on her in his hotel in Puerto Rico in 2003, where she was shooting a small role in Miramax's 'Dirty Dancing' sequel, 'Havana Nights.'

Mike Blake/Reuters

When asked to describe the defendant, Matthau avoided looking directly at Weinstein, mistaking the color of his suit jacket for blue until correcting herself.



Matthau, who used to be a dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, was 22 at the time of the alleged incident. She said Weinstein came up to her on set and asked to walk outside to talk.

After commenting that she was pretty, he said he wanted a "naked massage" from her, Matthau testified. When she said, "No, I'm engaged," he asked for her fiance's name-director Charlie Matthau, son of actor Walter Matthau-and claimed to know him.

twitter

Matthau said he then suggested that it would be a "naked massage" between friends.

"He said he did it with Gwyneth Paltrow, 'look what I did to her career,'" Matthau recalled.

Matthau said she later called her mom and fiance, who advised her to ask for help. But neither the choreographer nor producer, Matthau, confided in offering any assistance.

When she returned after a meal break, she said Weinstein was waiting in front of the set with his assistant, Bonnie Hung.

"At that point, I felt better knowing that I wasn't alone," she said, recalling that Hung told her not to worry. "'I'll be with you the entire time. He just wants to talk about future projects,'" Matthau remembered her saying.

According to Matthau, the three entered a limo and drove to Weinstein's hotel, where Hung abandoned her when they stepped into his room.

Matthau started crying on the stand again and recalled Weinstein getting aggressive as he "shoved" her on the bed and took off her clothes.

"It's not like we're having sex; it's just naked cuddling," he told her as she became hysterical and started crying, Matthau said.

Matthau said he then straddled her, fondled her breasts, and masturbated. "I had not idea what to do. I was scared," she said.

He ejaculated on her breasts and face, Matthau testified.

Representational Image

"I was just really thankful that I wasn't raped. I remember thinking, and I remember wiping off, just getting dressed really fast and leaving really fast," she said.



The defense will cross-examine Matthau on Friday, and at least one more Jane Doe and one uncharged victim will take the stand next week.

Numerous other witnesses testified earlier in the day, including Alfred "Freddy" Baroth, Weinstein's limousine driver for 18/19 years in Los Angeles; a guest at Mr C's hotel where Jane Doe #1 was allegedly raped who was woken up in the middle of the night by an argument in another room; Mr. C's current and former general managers; and Mr. C's former director of safety and security.

(With IANS inputs)

(To get the latest updates from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment)


Animal sacrifice is a superstitious practice that is still prevalent among many communities across India.

While some believe that ritually sacrificing an animal or a bird can bring good luck, others do it to ward off evil.

But one such animal sacrifice went horribly wrong in Tamil Nadu and the person who was to perform the ritual was killed and the chicken that was to be slaughtered survived, unhurt.

Representational Image

Rooster sacrifice at housewarming goes worng

The incident happened in Pallavaram area of Chennai on Thursday.



Rajendran, a 70-year-old daily-wage labourer was about to 'sacrifice' a rooster to ward off the 'evil eye' at a newly built house when he fell off the building.

According to the police, Rajendran who worked as a mason also used to perform animal sacrifices at housewarmings.

On Thursday he was invited by one T Lokesh, to perform a rooster sacrifice ahead of the housewarming ceremony at a newly constructed a three-storey apartment on Friday.

Lokesh said Rajendran, on Thursday, early morning took the rooster and went to the top of the building to perform the ritual.

Rooster unhurt after the fall

But after he did not return for a long time, Lokesh went looking for him and found him lying in a 20-foot-deep pit dug for a lift on the premises.

The rooster that was to be sacrificed also fell off the building but survived and Lokesh found it standing on the body of Rajendran.

Representational Image

He was rushed to the nearby hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

According to the police, Rajendiran could have accidentally overstepped in the dark, while he was trying to slit the throat of the rooster.

Head goes missing from buried body

In a related development, a suspected case of witchcraft has surfaced from Chengalpattu district after the head was severed from the body of a ten-year-old girl who was buried in a cemetery in Chitravadi.

The girl, Krithika died on October 14 after an electric post fell on her and her body was buried the next day at the Chitravadi cemetery.

Two days ago, the locals noticed that the place where Krithika was buried was ploughed. A further inspection also found tamarind powder and flowers strewn near her grave.

BCCL

Krithika's parents lodged a complaint with the police that some suspicious activity could have taken place on the grave. After the complaint was lodged, police reached the spot and dug out the grave only to find the head missing from the body.

"It was a gruesome sight and the body was headless. It seems that some people who are practicing witchcraft would have severed the head of the little girl and the investigation is on. We are following some leads and will reach the culprits soon," a senior police official said.

For more on news, sports, and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Researchers in the UK have found the source of one of the rarest meteorites to have ever crashed on our planet -- the Ivuna meteorite -- reveals a report by Independent.

PA

The meteorite -- one of the only four other CI-type meteorites to exist on Earth -- crashed in Tanzania around December 1938 and disintegrated into numerous samples, one of which is held today at the National History Museum.

For this, they examined samples taken from asteroid Ryugu which were brought back to Earth in 2020 by the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa 2.

Researchers believe that Ryugu was born in the outer solar system over four billion years ago and split from a larger body, migrating towards Earth. The asteroid is now located between Earth and Mars.

It actually belongs to carbonaceous or C-type asteroids, which are known to be rich in water, carbon and organic compounds from when the solar system was formed.

After analysing asteroid Ryugu, researchers are of the belief that Ivuna rock may have originated from the far ends of the solar system.

They say that both Ryugu and CI chondrites originate from the same region of space and cannot rule out the possibility that they could at one point in time were part of the same parent body.

According to the researchers, these findings could help reveal more answers about the early history of the solar system and offer more clarity on how life came into existence on our planet.

Professor Sara Russell, a senior research lead at the museum, who is a co-author on the paper, said in a statement, We can use them to learn more about our origins and about all our companion planets.

Unsplash

She added, It is a really exciting discovery for me because it shows that meteorites in our museum and in collections around the world, might actually sample most of the solid solar system, from the innermost rocky part to its furthest outer reaches. We can use them to learn more about our origins and about all our companion planets.



For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com
To attract wealthy global citizens for long-term stays, Indonesia has introduced a 'second home' visa to bolster Southeast Asia's largest economy.

Indonesia 10-year second home visa: Who can apply?

The country is offering "second home" visas for five years and 10 years, with Bali as its trump card. Anyone with at least 2 billion rupiah (Rs 1 crore) in their bank accounts can apply under the program.

Reuters

The policy takes effect on Christmas, or 60 days after the issuance of the new rule. The main goal of the program is to attract foreign tourists to come to Bali and various other destinations.



The timing of the launch coincides with the sharp rebound in foreign footfall in Indonesia as airlines like Garuda Indonesia resume international flights. The upcoming G-20 Summit in Bali in November, is expected to put the international spotlight on the island on top of bringing in tens of thousands of delegates.

Reuters

Foreigners can stay for 5 to 10 years with the visa

Acting Director General for Immigration Widodo Ekatjahjana stated this during a launch event on the tourist island: "This is a non-fiscal incentive for certain foreigners to make a positive contribution to the Indonesian economy."



With this visa, foreigners can stay for 5 (five) or 10 (ten) years and carry out various activities, such as investment and other activities.



Reuters

Indonesia joins a list of nations from Costa Rica to Mexico that allows long-term visits in an effort to entice professionals, pensioners, and other wealthy individuals. All are attempting to capitalise on the rising demand for relocating choices as hordes of educated workersknown as digital nomadslook to continue working remotely using their newly found freedom following the pandemic.

The country would be hoping the new program entices as many foreigners as possible and helps boost the economy going forward.



h/t: Bloomberg

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Singapore is known as one of the safest countries in the world, and a TikToker literally put that theory to test.

Man leaves laptop unattended at Starbucks to prove Singapore is safe

A TikToker named Uptin Saiidi, who posts under the username (@uptin), decided to leave his laptop unattended in a Starbucks store for an hour while he went to another place for brunch. The reason? He wanted to see how safe Singapore really is.

Instagram/uptin

Unsurprisingly, the video ends with Uptin finding his laptop exactly where he left it.

To support his confidence in carrying out the experiment, the content creator cited government statistics from 2021, saying Singapore had 250 days without a single report of common types of crime.

Unsurprisingly, the video ends with Uptin finding his laptop exactly where he left it.

"Honesty and fairness is a big part of the culture here," he says of why his laptop remained untouched. "Basic needs are met so people don't feel like they need to resort to crime."

Surveillance plays a big part in maintaining a near zero-crime status, he said.

The cameras are a major deterrent to crime, and so is punishment.

The Singapore Government Agency website states that "whoever commits theft shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both."



Uptin's video has garnered tons of reactions.

"I live in Singapore and left my phone at a bus stop and the next day it was in a plastic bag taped to the wall with a note saying lost phone," a user commented.

"This is a very expensive social experiment," a second user said.

"In London, it'll get stolen even if you're sat in front of it," another added.



Reuters

Singapore is the 9th safest country in the world

Singapore is the 9th safest country in the world, according to the 2022 Global Peace Index.



A common feature that most foreigners living in Singapore would proclaim is that Singapore is extremely safe.

The country ranks highly for societal security and lack of conflict.

A melting pot of cultures, Singapore sits firmly at the top of the list of the safest countries in Asia.

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Bird flu, African swine flu break out in India's Kerala

Xinhua) 16:43, October 28, 2022

NEW DELHI, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Bird flu and African swine flu outbreaks have been reported in India's southern state of Kerala, officials said Friday.

While the bird flu has been detected in the state's Alappuzha district, the African swine flu was reported in the Kottayam district.

Officials said an outbreak of bird flu was confirmed at Vazhuthanam in Haripad municipality in Alappuzha, where 1,500 birds died in the past week.

Following the mass death of ducks, the animal husbandry department (AHD) sent samples of dead birds to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) for analyses, which tested positive for avian influenza.

District Collector V.R. Krishna Teja was quoted by local media as saying the presence of H5N1 subtype of the influenza A virus was reported in ducks.

"As many as 20,471 birds, mostly ducks, will have to be culled as part of the containment measures. Eight rapid response teams have been constituted and we hope to begin the culling operations on Thursday morning," an AHD official was quoted by local media as having said.

Authorities have also banned the movement of birds to and from within a one-kilometer radius of the hotspot.

Meanwhile, authorities have confirmed the outbreak of African swine flu in the state's Kottayam district.

"African swine flu has been confirmed at a pig farm at Meenachil Panchayat in Kottayam district," the state-run broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) said Friday.

"The district authorities said the virus infection was confirmed after samples taken from the farm were tested at the NIHSAD in Bhopal. A one-kilometer stretch around the farm has been declared infected where 48 pigs have been culled as a preventive measure. A 10-kilometer radius around the farm is being closely monitored."

The authorities have also shut down shops selling pig meat and steps have been taken to ensure that no pigs are being transported from the infected zone.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Cover Image Attribute: A luxurious resort and its pool in Mauritius, Image by Clariston (Pixabay)





In late June 2022, Mauritius, one of the most sought-after honeymoon destinations in the world, finally lifted several COVID-19 restrictions to boost tourism in the country. This island nation in the Indian Ocean is renowned for its pristine beaches, secluded islands, and luxurious hotels. By July 1, all the strict health protocols in place during the pandemic were finally lifted. Also, over 90% of the population has had two doses of vaccination, and around two-thirds of adults over 18 have received booster shots.





Even before the island-wise lockdown was implemented, there were already indications that the pandemic was harming the tourism industry in Mauritius. The virus dampened people's enthusiasm for traveling worldwide and caused several businesses, including hotels, travel agencies, and guesthouses, to shut their doors for an extended period. The lockdown in Mauritius, which began in the middle of March 2020 and continued until the middle of June 2020, worsened the situation. As a result, the tourism industry braced the brunt of a severe slowdown.





The Data and Assessment





According to Statistics Mauritius , compared to January to September 2019, the total number of tourist arrivals in 2020 fell by 68.6%; those arriving by air saw a decrease of 70.9%, while those arriving by sea saw an increase of 16.2%. The number of tourists visiting France, the country with the highest revenue from tourism, fell by 60.9% in the first nine months of 2020.





The list includes the countries among the leading markets where sales were down;

The People's Republic of China (down 85.4%)

India (down 78.1%),

The Republic of South Africa (down 77.6%)

United Kingdom (down 77.6%)

Reunion Island (down 69.1%), and

Germany (down 59.5%)

Despite this slowdown, Mauritius is still a robust tourism-dependent economy, and the sector has emerged as an essential engine of growth over the last decades. The tourism sector is a significant source of employment, government revenue, and foreign exchange earnings for the island's economy. Without this vital lifeline, Mauritius will likely experience a dramatic contraction in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and a rise in unemployment. Before the pandemic, tourism was doing relatively well, with favorable growth rates. It contributed 8.1 percent to GDP, with around 1,383,488 tourist arrivals recorded during 2019.





International Monetary Fund's (IMF's) The real GDP increased by 4% in 2021, as reported by the most recent Article IV Executive Board Consultation , which took place on June 15, 2022. This was because many industries returned to their pre-pandemic levels of economic activity, whereas the tourism industry continued to struggle. In light of these circumstances, the current account deficit ballooned to far larger groups. IMF Staff projects real GDP growth of 6.1 percent in 2022. The tourism sector expects an economic rebound, with tourist arrivals expected at 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels.





Way Forward





COVID-19 brought to light Mauritius's urgent need to investigate the additional potential in its tourism industry. As the pandemic is receding worldwide, the island nation has to strengthen its competitiveness and resilience. And to facilitate the tourism industry's recovery and reconsider the industry's future in light of the new climate created by COVID-19, policymakers need to concentrate on developing an action plan and a long-term strategy. This can be achieved through greater market diversification, such as attracting senior citizens (to retire) and digital nomads (to work from anywhere), which are attractive but distinct market categories.





Such categories should get support from world-class tourist healthcare and inclusive mobility infrastructure; duly linked with sustainable concepts such as "carbon-neutral tourism." In short, it should be a collection of integrated services such as accommodation, medical, transportation, outdoor activities, culinary experiences, meet-the-locals, etc.  making it easier for micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, which require more substantial support and specific programs customized to their requirements, to operate in a conducive business environment. Therefore, coordination and concerted action across all aspects of the travel and tourist ecosystem are required to revitalize the industry.





Image Attribute: Author at Le Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis, Mauritius (June 24, 2022)





About the Author:

Bhawna Ahuja is a Culture & Lifestyle Editor and Head-Content & Communications at IndraStra Global. She is a "Human Psychology" driven Digital Entrepreneur with more than eight years of experience in Digital Marketing, Social Media, Public Relations & Insights Management. She can be reached on her Youtube Channel, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Note: The author traveled to Mauritius in June 2022 on a self-funded trip. The views expressed in this insight piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect any government or organization's official policy or position.









COPYRIGHT: This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/





REPUBLISH: Republish our articles online or in print for free if you follow these guidelines. https://www.indrastra.com/p/republish-us.html
Thompson said, with the help of his firms engineers, commercial property owners can take concrete steps.

With our engineers, we really do think there are things that can be done, whether it's smart site selection or whether it's really understanding what those impacts are going to be on the facilities, he said.

Read more: FM Global launches new products to mitigate climate risks

FM Global recently launched two new climate tools aimed at helping organisations mitigate the risks of climate change. The FM Global Climate Risk Report and the FM Global Climate Reporting Aid are available to the companys clients.

The climate risk report takes a combination of things to help our client base understand their climate-related risks, said Thompson. First, is it takes a layer of our hazard maps.

He said the intelligence from these maps can be combined with on-site visits by FM Globals engineers.

Layering both the hazard maps, as well as engineers putting boots on the ground and going into facilities, gives us a really good representation of what the risks are at each of our clients facilities, said Thompson.

The Reporting Aid, he said, is designed to help clients complete their financial reporting according to the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

What that [Climate Reporting Aid] does is it provides a synopsis of the TCFD reporting and it talks about the actual physical risks that our clients might be exposed to, as well as how to take a risk report and translate into TCFD reporting requirements, he said.

The TCFD develops recommendations on the types of information that companies should disclose to support investors, lenders, and insurance underwriters in appropriately assessing and pricing risks related to climate change.

Pretty much every CFO that we're talking to these days is asking: How can we inform this through reporting? said Thompson.

He also detailed the physical defence mechanisms that his firm has developed and tested for their use against floods.

We've been doing a lot of testing of flood barriers and flood gates that can be put into doorways, said Thompson.

A common image during any flood is local residents, volunteers, and the SES struggling to fill and move hundreds of sandbags into place.

That takes a lot of time, it's really hard work, and it's not always effective, said Thompson. These barriers, which our labs have tested and verified that they work, are aluminium gates with rubber seals that slot into a doorway in a predesigned channel and you screw them down, he said.

Thompson said these flood barriers can be put in place in 20 minutes. He said another FM Global flood barrier is long rubber tubes, one and a half metres high, that can be filled with water. The firm recently offered its clients a resilience credit to help pay for these sorts of risk prevention steps.

We're returning $300 million of money to our policyholders in the form of a credit that is designed for them to invest in exactly what I've been talking about, whether it be flood barriers or actions to reduce bushfire exposure, said Thompson.

He said this amounts to 5% of a renewal premium and can help turn recommendations into tangible actions.

Our engineers are working with our clients to give them some ideas on where they might be able to spend that money, using things like the Climate Risk Report,

Read next: ICA welcomes federal budget's extreme weather measures

With Australia facing extreme weather events more often, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) welcomed the federal government's weather resilience measures in the federal budget.

The ICA said the federal government's revised 2022-23 budget, delivered by Treasurer Jim Chalmers, has laid the foundations for a significant and bold new start to governments' approach to improving community and household resilience to worsening extreme weather.

The Insurance Council welcomes the federal government's budget announcement, which is a historic shift in the right direction to better protect homes and communities from the impacts of extreme weather, said ICA CEO Andrew Hall.
"There's no time for red tape in the immediate aftermath of catastrophic flooding," wrote committee deputy chair Senator Paula Simons.

"The federal government should ensure that its agriculture and disaster relief assistance programs have enough financial and human resources to quickly support people, communities and businesses reeling from natural disasters."

Last November, record rainfall caused the Nooksack River in Washington to overflow, with the water finding its way into Abbotsford's Sumas Prairie. The flooded portion is a former lake that was drained roughly a century ago to serve as farmland.

According to the report, the November flooding affected over 1,000 farms, 2.5 million livestock, and more than 150 square kilometres of land.

One witness, University of British Columbia associate professor Brett Gilley, recommended that the federal government should consider the "politically difficult task of ... buying people out" and moving them away from the Sumas Prairie, which ash been classified as a flood plain. Another witness, hydrotechnical engineer Monica Mannerstrom, cited a 2015 report which found that 87% of the dikes in BCs Lower Mainland were "in less-than-fair condition," while another 71% were "expected to fail simply by overtopping" should flooding occur.

Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun explained that municipal governments do not have the money to address these issues through flood mitigation infrastructure, adding that they receive only 8 to 10 cents of every tax dollar collected."

"Characterizing the 'downloading' of infrastructure construction and maintenance costs to municipal governments as a 'monumental mistake,' Henry Braun argued that this downloading 'needs to be addressed through providing municipalities with adequate financial resources," the Senate report said.

The report also noted that provincial and federal assistance provided to BC farmers after the November flood was helpful in "certain instances, but some individuals had run into administrative problems when they tried to apply for funding.

CBC News also said that the Senates report recommended that the Canadian government work with the US government to address the flood risk posed by the Nooksack River.
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NORTH WILDWOOD, N.J. (AP)  When the remnants of Hurricane Ian passed by the Jersey Shore earlier this month, chewing huge chunks out of protective sand dunes, North Wildwood asked New Jersey environmental officials for permission to do an emergency reconstruction of the sand piles.

The state said no.

The city did it anyway. And it plans to build a sea wall near the beach, something else the state rejected.

Now, North Wildwood could face fines from the state in a tussle that seems likely to end up in court. But Mayor Patrick Rosenello says he can sleep better knowing that his citys people and property are better protected from future storms.

There is no option under which we dont protect our community, he said. That is just not on the table. We will do what we need to do to protect ourselves.

Disputes between states and cities are not uncommon, and fines are not unheard of. But they are rare when it comes to the topic of beach protection, on which states and local communities are usually willing partners.

Due to the way the storm rotated, Superstorm Sandy caused comparatively less damage in the Wildwoods area than it did farther north in 2012. But ongoing erosion remains a concern in North Wildwood, whose beaches are somewhat narrower than those of Wildwood, its next door neighbor.

The Department of Environmental Protection on Oct. 7 allowed the city only to place concrete Jersey barriers along the dunes as a temporary protective measure, and expressly forbade it from touching the dunes without a detailed review and approval of proper plans and permits. The state determined that there was not an imminent threat to lives or property from the eroded dunes, and said construction of a sea wall in that spot is likely to further erode the beach in the long run.

North Wildwood disagreed, and last week it sent bulldozers onto the beach to push huge piles of sand back where they had been, in defiance of the states directive.

The mayor said there was a sheer 15-foot drop-off from the top of the eroded dune to the beach below, creating an imminent hazard to the public. And another storm was highly likely to breach the dune altogether, flooding homes and motels nearby.

Rosenello also said the city has ordered supplies for the planned sea wall, which could arrive by the end of November.

Its not a matter of if this dune is going to collapse again or be washed away, its a question of when, he said.

While most of the Jersey Shores 127-mile coastline got replenished beaches in the years after Sandy hit, North Wildwood has not, Rosenello said. The city is part of a proposed multi-town beach project also involving Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and Lower Township.

But numerous legal and real estate agreements must be executed before that can happen, and it will be at least fall of 2024 before that project can begin, the state estimated in August.

In the meantime, North Wildwood spends millions of dollars each year to truck tons of sand from beaches in neighboring Wildwood, home to some of New Jerseys widest beaches. The most recent bill was $3.8 million, and the city has spent in excess of $20 million on trucked-in sand over the past decade, the mayor said.

In a letter to Rosenello, the state also noted that North Wildwood continues to flout its 2020 order to restore the destruction of 12 acres of mature, vegetated dunes that were removed for a different unauthorized sea wall project.

Rosenello defended the 2020 sea wall, saying it has prevented flooding and property damage,

Let me see if I can say this nicely: You would have to be cognitively challenged to look at that sea wall and think its not needed and working, he said. The ocean pounds against it every high tide.

Photo: Mayor Patrick Rosenello stands atop a recently repaired dune in North Wildwood, N.J., on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022. The town used bulldozers to push sand back into piles to repair severe erosion from recent storms, despite a directive from state environmental officials not to do the work until the proper studies and planning took place. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics New Jersey
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A car crash in Buffalo, N.Y. that left four teenagers dead may have been linked to a TikTok challenge, a police commissioner said.

A total of six teenagers were in a speeding Kia that crashed about 6:30 a.m. Monday, Buffalo police said. The car had been reported stolen Sunday night.

All five of the passengers were ejected from the vehicle, police said. Four of them, ranging in age from 14 to 17, were killed. The fifth passenger was hospitalized in intensive care, and the 16-year-old driver was treated at a hospital and released.

The driver was ticketed for criminal possession of stolen property and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. The Erie County district attorneys office is investigating the crash and expects to file additional charges, spokesperson Kait Munro said. It wasnt clear if the driver had an attorney who could speak for him.

Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia told reporters that the teens may have been participating in a TikTok challenge that encourages people to break into Kia cars using cellphone chargers.

The so-called Kia challenge, first posted over the summer, shows how to hot-wire Kia and Hyundai cars with a USB cord and a screwdriver. Many police departments around the country have reported increases in Kia and Hyundai thefts since the video was posted.

A class-action lawsuit filed in September in Orange County, California, alleges that Kias built between 2011 and 2021 as well as Hyundais built from 2015 to 2021 lack anti-theft parts called engine immobilizers, making the cars easier to steal than other models. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages from the automakers and a nationwide recall.

Representatives for Kia and Hyundai did not respond to emails seeking comment.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Law Enforcement
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A federal court has found Birdsboro Kosher Farms Corp. in contempt for failing to pay $162,359 in penalties after an inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found numerous safety hazards.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuits decision comes after two 2016 OSHA inspections at the Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, poultry processing facility led to citations for violations related to federal lockout/tagout, hearing conservation and personal protective equipment standards.

The company contested the citations with OSHAs review commission. An administrative law judge affirmed the initial citations and issued a final order on Oct. 22, 2019.

Birdsboro Kosher Farms petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for further review. In December 2020, the Court of Appeals denied Birdsboros petition for review and granted OSHAs application for enforcement. The court ordered Birdsboro Kosher Farms to abate any unabated violations from the citations, submit abatement documentation to OSHA, and pay the remaining penalties.

Birdsboro ignored the courts order, failing to pay the penalties or provide abatement certification. OSHA said a subsequent inspection revealed violations of some of the same standards underlying the courts 2020 order and enforcement decree.

In response, the Secretary of Labor filed a petition on March 18, 2022, for judgment of civil contempt. The court has now granted the petition and ordered Birdsboro to pay the outstanding penalties of $162,369 plus interest and fees or agree to a payment plan, and certify abatement of the violations, all within 20 days. Failure to comply will subject Birdsboro to sanctions the court deems necessary to compel compliance with its judgment.

Topics Workers' Compensation Agribusiness Pennsylvania
Aircraft leasing firm Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) has filed a London lawsuit against 11 insurers, including Lloyds of London, AIG, Chubb and Swiss Re, two months after it wrote off almost $600 million for 19 aircraft stuck in Russia.

The High Court claim also names Fidelis Insurance Ireland, HDI Global Speciality, Abu Dhabi National Insurance Co., Great Lakes Insurance, Global Aerospace Underwriting Managers, Starr Europe Insurance and AXIS Speciality Europe.

A spokesperson for Lloyds said the insurer was not at liberty to share information on any specific claim, policy or policyholder. Munich Re, Great Lakes parent, AIG and Swiss Re declined to comment.

Aircraft Lessors Begin Vigorous Pursuit of Insurance Claims for Seized Jets in Russia

The other insurers and DAE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

But lessors have vowed to pursue insurers since losing control of more than 400 leased planes worth almost $10 billion after Western countries sanctioned Russia over the war in Ukraine and Moscow blocked the jets from leaving.

The claim has been lodged in London four months after Dublin-based AerCap, the worlds biggest aircraft lessor, filed a $3.5 billion insurance lawsuit over more than 100 of its jets seized in Russia.

DAE, which said in August it had written off $576.5 million for its planes, noted in its half-year results statement in August that it had no way to determine whether these aircraft will be returned at any point in the future.

The group has insurance in respect of the aircraft in question under a number of insurance policies and the group has filed insurance claims to recover amounts due under the policies, it added.

Details of the claim, which was filed last week, are not yet publicly available.

(Reporting by Kirstin Ridley and Carolyn Cohn in London; additional reporting by Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru; editing by Matthew Lewis)

Photograph: Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow; photo credit: Bigstock

Related:

Topics Lawsuits Carriers Russia Excess Surplus Lloyd's Chubb Aerospace
A Russian officials threat this week to strike Western satellites aiding Ukraine highlights an untested area of international law, raising concerns among space lawyers and industry executives about the safety of objects in orbit.

Quasi-civilian infrastructure may be a legitimate target for a retaliatory strike, senior foreign ministry official Konstantin Vorontsov told the United Nations, reiterating Moscows position that Western civilian and commercial satellites helping Ukrainians war effort was an extremely dangerous trend.

No country has carried out a missile strike against an enemys satellite. Such an act during the war in Ukraine could sharply escalate tensions between Russia and the United States.

This threat has brought us to a brink that weve never been to before, said Michelle Hanlon, co-director of the University of Mississippi School of Laws Air and Space Law program. Theres always been a sense that this could happen, but never has somebody actually said that they might do that out loud.

Ukraines military relies heavily on Elon Musks SpaceX for broadband internet beamed from its low-Earth orbiting Starlink satellite network. U.S. firms like Maxar are capturing images of the war from satellites in orbit. And tens of thousands of communications devices in Ukraine rely on U.S. satellite communications giant Iridiums satellite network.

Its really irresponsible to talk about shooting anything down in space for any reason, Iridium chief executive Matt Desch told Reuters. Space has gotten to be quite messy.

If somebody starts shooting satellites in space, Id imagine it would quickly make space unusable, Desch said.

Musk and SpaceX did not respond to emailed requests for comment. The billionaire briefly caused alarm this month by saying he could no longer afford to keep funding Starlink service in Ukraine, a position he quickly reversed.

Under the laws of armed conflict, a Russian strike on a private U.S. companys satellite could be seen as an act of war to which the U.S. could respond, Hanlon said.

White House spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that any attack on U.S. infrastructure would be met with a response, but he did not go into detail.

The legal aspects of all this are really murky at the moment, said Brian Weeden, a space policy analyst at the Secure World Foundation. We dont have any examples of wartime uses of force against satellites  theres really nothing to go off of.

Complicated Calculus

Whether a Russian anti-satellite strike would violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, such as its prohibition on placing weapons of mass destruction in space, is debatable, lawyers say. The Liability Convention of 1972, to which Russia is also a signatory, stipulates that countries must pay compensation for any damage caused by its space objects.

Last year Russia demonstrated a direct-ascent anti-satellite missile on one of its old satellites in orbit, blasting it to smithereens. Since Russias Feb. 24 invasion into Ukraine, Western officials and companies have accused Moscow of repeated attempts to hack and jam satellite internet signals over the region.

Anti-satellite missiles have been widely condemned by the West and astronomers for creating hazardous orbital debris that endangers critical space infrastructure, from crewed space stations to GPS networks that millions of consumer and government platforms around the world rely on.

The only other countries to have conducted direct-ascent anti-satellite missile tests are the United States  which last demonstrated an anti-satellite weapon in 2008  China, and India.

Vorontsov did not single out any companies in his comments to a U.N. panel on Wednesday. But SpaceXs Starlink has stood out as a persistent target for Russia, which has attempted to signal-jam the networks signals during the war, Musk has said.

A network of thousands of interconnected satellites encircling Earth like Starlink have been championed by the U.S. military as being resilient to potential anti-satellite attacks that could only target a small portion of the network without fully disabling it.

It complicates the calculus for the enemy, Lieutenant General Philip Garrant, the U.S. Space Forces deputy chief of strategy and operations, told Reuters. If theres lots of satellites, they dont know which one to target.

SpaceXs Starlink network consists of roughly 3,000 satellites, and there are several dozen commercial U.S. imagery satellites eyeing Russia and Ukraine.

Destroying one or two, or even a dozen, isnt gonna have much effect, Weeden said.

(Reporting by Joey Roulette; editing by Mary Milliken and William Mallard)

Topics Russia
Acrisure, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based insurance broker and fintech specialist, announced the acquisitions of Sutton Winson and Sutton Specialist Risks (SSR), in the UK.

The deals are expected to close in the near term, pending FCA regulatory approvals. Financial details of the transactions were not disclosed.

To date in 2022, Acrisure has completed or has under letter of intent more than 120 acquisitions. The companys growing UK presence now spans 10 partnerships in total.

Founded in 1955 and headquartered in Twickenham, England, Sutton Winson is a commercial SME and specialist personal lines insurance broker and professional risk advisory business, with offices in Middlesex and West Sussex. The firm specializes in defined sectors and trades, offering bespoke insurance solutions and risk management services to clients across the UK and internationally.

It also has an Employee Benefits division offering schemes for company employees and a specialist Private Clients team providing a boutique offering to high-net-worth individuals.

SSR, a Bristol, England-based managing general agent, was formed in 1989 to provide niche expertise and wholesale insurance products to meet the needs of clients operating in the security and fire protection. From its inception, SSR has maintained an exclusive relationship with QBE Insurance Group. SSR continues to develop new products for emerging and established sectors, both with QBE and other providers, such as AXA XL Insurance Co. UK Ltd. and Aviva Insurance Ltd.

Sutton Winson and SSR will continue to operate under their brands as part of Acrisure.

The existing management teams will continue to run the businesses with the following additional leadership promotions:

Gary Uren , who has been with SSR since its formation in 1989, will be taking over the managing director role from John Ludley . Ludley will remain with SSR as executive chair.

, who has been with SSR since its formation in 1989, will be taking over the managing director role from . Ludley will remain with SSR as executive chair. Gareth Roberts, who joined Sutton Winson in 2018, will be taking over the managing director role from David Thomson. Thomson will remain with Sutton Winson as executive chair.

Our independence has always been hugely important to us and that is why we have chosen to partner with Acrisure, commented Ludley at SSR.

Over the last two decades or more, weve had countless approaches from a vast range of potential acquirers. All past approaches were rebuffed as weve simply never encountered another business that would allow us to make ourselves even better than we already are. That was the case, until we met Acrisure, he added.

Our management teams and shareholders were very clear that most of the consolidators were never an option for us, according to David Thomson at Sutton Winson.

Acrisures model is the antithesis of the global brokers and consolidators; they are 73% management owned. This is a long-term business that was deliberately created to operate very differently. Businesses join Acrisure because of its culture and the opportunity to grow by leveraging its human and tech capabilities, Thomson continued.

Acrisure expects to make further announcements of new UK acquisitions and partnerships in the near term. The Company recently closed $725 million in Series B-2 Preferred Equity and received a $23 billion valuation, representing a 31% increase from its last preferred equity raise in March 2021.

Source: Acrisure

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Trends
An Ohio vinyl tile manufacturer faces $1,232,705 in proposed penalties after U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors responded when a worker suffered severe injuries as a result of being caught in a machine on April 28, 2022.

The incident marks the seventh injury at the NOX US LLC plant in Fostoria since February 2017 related to the companys failure to follow required machine safety procedures. Since 2017, the company also recorded at least 13 serious injuries at the plant caused by exposure to burn and amputation hazards. OSHA placed the Fostoria plant in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program in 2017.

The April inspection found that the injured workers finger was first caught in a rotating spindle on a plastic winding machine and then their body was pulled around the machines spindle. The worker, who had been on the job just six weeks, suffered multiple severe injuries that required surgery.

OSHA cited the company for eight willful violations, one repeat violation and six serious violations, and one other-than-serious violation for exposing workers to machine hazards, lacking personal protective equipment and failing to train their workers on safety hazards and precautions.

NOX US LLCs continued failure to correct previously identified hazards has led to another worker suffering severe and potentially life-altering injuries, said OSHA Regional Administrator Bill Donovan in Chicago. When an employer fails to ensure dangerous machines are guarded or de-energized properly, they show an indifference to worker safety, and the risk of serious injuries multiplies.

Specifically, OSHA issued willful violations after inspectors noted the company frequently exposed workers to caught-in and amputation hazards by failing to prevent them from coming into contact with operating machine parts. NOX US failed to establish, test and require the use of machine lockout/tagout procedures or train workers on hazards. They also operated unguarded rollers and other equipment and exposed workers to trip and fall hazards from oil residue on floors and non-uniform stair risers.

NOX US LLC continues to put profit before safety, and the companys efforts when it comes to worker safety are unacceptable, said OSHA Area Office Director Todd Jensen in Toledo, Ohio. We will use all means necessary to hold this company accountable and to protect workers rights to a safe and healthy workplace.

Based in Seoul, South Korea, NOX Corp. opened the Fostoria plant in November 2015. The company supplies luxury vinyl flooring to customers in more than 50 countries. The plant has about 200 employees.

Source: OSHA

Topics Ohio Manufacturing
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Federal communications law shields the video-sharing site TikTok Inc. from responsibility for the death of a 10 year-old girl who died while attempting a challenge on TikTok that encourages viewers to strangle themselves using household items.

A federal judge in Pennsylvania found that Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act compelled him to dismiss the claims brought by Nylah Andersons mother against TikTok because the law grants broad immunity to sites for third-party content.

Hiding in a bedroom closet, Nylah attempted the so-called Blackout Challenge. Her mother found Nylah unconscious, hanging from a purse strap. She unsuccessfully attempted to revive her daughter with CPR. According to information from the court, three deep ligature marks on Nylahs neck confirmed that she had suffered while struggling to free herself. After several days in intensive care, Nylah died.

Section 230 provides that no provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher of any information provided by another information content provider. It further prohibits the bringing of any cause of action and the imposition of any liability under any state or local law that is inconsistent with this immunity.

Nylahs mother filed products liability, negligence, wrongful death, and survival claims against TikTok. Anderson urged the court to hold TikTok liable as a designer, manufacturer, and seller of a defective product, not for conduct as a publisher. She also presented evidence that TikTok knew that its algorithm promoted the challenge to children and alleged four other children have died attempting the challenge.

But the court determined that the various creative claims could not defeat the reality that the challenge posted on TikToks site was created by others and TikTok cannot be held liable as a publisher. Judge Paul S. Diamond wrote that Section 230 precludes Andersons products liability and negligence claimson which her wrongful death and survival claims depend.

What matters is not the name of the cause of actiondefamation versus negligence versus intentional infliction of emotional distresswhat matters is whether the cause of action inherently requires the court to treat the defendant as the publisher or speaker of content provided by another.

In precluding interactive service providers from being treated as the publishers of their third-party content, Congress immunized the providers decisions relating to the monitoring, screening, and deletion of content from [their] network[s]actions quintessentially related to a publishers role, according to the court.

Other Challenges

TikTok, which is owned by Chinas ByteDance Ltd., is facing other challenges and criticisms.

A group of states is probing whether the social media platform is being improperly marketed to children. Police are concerned another of the videos on its site teaches people how to hot-wire and steal cars.

Another suit blames the site for the death of a 14-year-old African-American girl. That complaint claims that TikToks algorithm steers more violent videos to minority viewers than White users.

Texas is probing TikTok for potential human trafficking and child privacy violations.

In past years, there have been other court challenges to the broad immunity social media platforms enjoy, including ones attempting to hold Internet sites responsible for a terrorist attack and a mass shooting, but courts have upheld the broad immunity.

There has also been talk in Washington among politicians on both sides of the aisle about revising the immunity law.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case over whether social media companies can be sued over targeted content recommendations. The complaint maintains Google bears some of the responsibility for a 2015 ISIS terrorist attack.

Judge Diamond appeared to acknowledge that some people have questioned Section 230. In his summary closing he wrote:

Nylah Andersons death was caused by her attempt to take up the Blackout Challenge. Defendants did not create the Challenge; rather, they made it readily available on their site. Defendants algorithm was a way to bring the Challenge to the attention of those likely to be most interested in it. In thus promoting the work of others, Defendants published that workexactly the activity Section 230 shields from liability. The wisdom of conferring such immunity is something properly taken up with Congress, not the courts.
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A showdown over college affirmative action at the US Supreme Court next week pits the courts liberal wing against Chief Justice John Roberts and his dream of a constitutional ban on racial preferences.

The court will hear arguments Monday on admissions policies at Harvard College and the University of North Carolina in cases that could mean fewer Black and Hispanic students at selective universities. The schools are battling an interest group that seeks to overturn decades-old precedents letting colleges consider race in choosing students.

Proponents say the practices help create a diverse campus, benefiting students of all races, while critics say the universities are simply engaging in racial discrimination. The broader question is whether the Constitution and federal civil rights laws are colorblind, banning discrimination no matter what race the victim is.

Related: Harvard, Zurich Insurance At Odds Over $15M Coverage for Admissions Program Defense

Roberts, part of the courts 6-3 conservative majority, made his position clear years ago. The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race, he wrote in a 2007 case involving school integration at the K-12 level.

New Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson signaled the opposite conclusion earlier this month in a voting rights argument, saying constitutional amendments enacted after the Civil War were designed to authorize race-based governmental policies.

The framers themselves adopted the equal protection clause, the Fourteenth Amendment, the Fifteenth Amendment, in a race-conscious way, said Jackson, the courts first Black female justice.

The cases threaten to drive yet another wedge through a divided country. They will test whether constitutional provisions enacted to protect newly freed slaves can be used to thwart policies that benefit those slaves descendants  but arguably penalize others.

They could also recast the 1964 Civil Rights Act, a law that was aimed at eradicating racial segregation and is now being wielded as a tool to dismantle affirmative action.

Inevitable Conclusion

Roberts and Jackson will be part of what could be an ideological chasm on the court. The six-member conservative wing includes Clarence Thomas, the courts only other Black justice and a fierce critic of racial preferences. Thomas, who was admitted to Yale Law School when it had a robust affirmative action program, has argued that preferences stigmatize Black people.

It also features Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who as a private lawyer in 1999 predicted that within 20 years, the court would reach the inevitable conclusion that we are all one race in the eyes of government.

On the liberal side, Justice Sonia Sotomayor tangled with Roberts in a dissent to the courts 2014 ruling upholding Michigans ban on race-based admissions at public colleges, blasting his remarks about racial discrimination as out of touch with reality. Sotomayor, the only Latina justice, has said she benefited from affirmative action.

Jackson will take part only in the North Carolina case, having recused herself from the Harvard fight after a six-year term on that universitys Board of Overseers.

The universities are fighting lawsuits by Students for Fair Admissions, an anti-preferences organization that says its members include unsuccessful applicants to both schools. Run by former stockbroker Edward Blum, the group seeks to overturn decades-old Supreme Court precedents that let universities consider race to help create a diverse student body.

Brown Legacy

Each party says American history is on its side. Blums group says the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision established that the Constitution is colorblind, prohibiting officials from favoring one race over another.

The same Fourteenth Amendment that required public schools to dismantle segregation after Brown cannot be defeated by the whims of university administrators, the group argued.

Defenders of affirmative action call that a perversion of Brown, which outlawed separate but equal racial discrimination in public schools. In court papers, Harvard said Brown addressed laws that excluded and separated African Americans solely on the basis of race, relegating them to an inferior caste for no reason other than race.

Deborah Archer, president of the American Civil Liberties Union, says the notion of a colorblind Constitution defies reality in a country where race still matters.

This kind of relentless insistence on colorblindness despite whats going on in the world does real damage in a world that continues to be shaped by race and racism, said Archer, who teaches at New York University School of Law and filed a brief backing the universities for the Black Law Students Association. Ignoring race doesnt make racism go away.

Decades of Precedent

But preference opponents are eyeing a chance to reverse decades of precedent and university practice. Race-based admissions have been constitutional since 1978, when a splintered Supreme Court gave them a partial endorsement. Justice Lewis Powells pivotal opinion said universities had a First Amendment right to seek diversity in selecting their student bodies.

The Supreme Court reaffirmed that right in 2003. Justice Sandra Day OConnor wrote that in order to cultivate a set of leaders with legitimacy in the eyes of the citizenry, it is necessary that the path to leadership be visibly opened to talented and qualified individuals of every race and ethnicity.

At the same time, OConnor suggested affirmative actions time was running out. We expect that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary, said OConnor, who retired in 2006.

Affirmative action now is common at selective universities, though nine states including California and Florida ban race-conscious admissions at public institutions.

The two cases present distinct issues that will give the conservative majority a menu of ways to rule. The Harvard lawsuit focused heavily on claims that the schools admissions practices systematically penalize Asian-American applicants.

Whats involved at Harvard is one minority or two minorities being given preference over yet another minority that has in fact faced discrimination, said Linda Chavez, chairman of the Center for Equal Opportunity. Not to be too simplistic about it, but it makes it no longer just a black-white issue.

No Credible Evidence

US District Judge Allison Burroughs wrote that there is no credible evidence that corroborates the claims of discrimination against Asian-American applicants. A federal appeals court upheld her ruling.

The two cases also harbor what could be a significant legal distinction. As a private institution, Harvard isnt bound by the equal protection clause, which applies only to government actors. The suit against Harvard involves the Civil Rights Acts Title VI, which covers recipients of federal funds and bars discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin.

The North Carolina lawsuit also invokes Title VI, so the court could strike down both policies on statutory grounds without issuing a broad constitutional ruling that could affect other areas of law, including voting rights.

Either way, the courts 6-3 conservative majority means Roberts is likely to have the upper hand over Jackson and the courts liberals.

The outcome is almost preordained, said Pratik Shah, a Washington appellate lawyer at Akin Gump. This is the chiefs court on this issue.

Photo: Pedestrians walk through Harvard Yard on the closed Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts./Bloomberg

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wants the U.S. telecommunications regulatory agency to ensure a delay in some 5G C-Band transmissions from smaller operators.

Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen said the agency wants the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to mandate voluntary mitigations that AT&T and Verizon agreed to earlier this year mandated for 19 smaller telecoms and other spectrum holders.

In a previously unreported letter dated Friday, Nolen cited industry data established aviation safety would be compromised if the U.S. government does not codify certain additional operating limits in the 5G C-Band environment.

The letter was sent to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel was copied. The NTIA, FAA and FCC did not immediately comment.

Concerns that the 5G service could interfere with airplane altimeters, which give data on a planes height above the ground and are crucial for bad-weather landing, led to disruptions at some U.S. airports earlier this year.

Nolens letter warns that without the FCC mandating the mitigations the FAA would be forced to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of the traveling public, raising the likelihood of flight disruptions across the United States.

In June, Verizon and AT&T voluntarily agreed to delay some C-Band 5G usage until July 2023 as air carriers work to retrofit airplanes to ensure they will not face interference.

Airlines CEOs on Jan. 17 had warned of an impending catastrophic aviation crisis that could have grounded almost all traffic because of the 5G deployment. A deal struck shortly before a January deadline did not prevent dozens of foreign carriers from canceling international flights to the United States, and it cast the U.S. regulatory system in an ugly light.

Nolens letter said the aviation industry is aggressively retrofitting the current U.S. domestic and international fleets that fly in the United States with radio frequency filters. But it added data indicates that even retrofitted aircraft would be susceptible to interference if the report and order is not modified, resulting in renewed concerns about unsafe interference.

Earlier this year, the FAA and altimeter manufacturers divided the U.S. commercial passenger airline fleet into four groups based on their tolerance to interference.

It remains unclear if the four-member FCC has the authority to retroactively impose conditions on companies that purchased spectrum at auction or if would have the votes to make any changes.

The FAA has shrunk zones around airports where Verizon and AT&T cannot fully use towers. Verizon said the June agreement would allow it to lift the voluntary limitations on our 5G network deployment around airports in a staged approach.

The FAA letter said the voluntarily mitigations by AT&T and Verizon have resulted in the safe deployment of more than 50,000 wireless antennas across the nation. It noted that the FAA has no authority to require the 19 other spectrum holders to adopt the same precautions.

Nolens letter seeks near-term conversations at senior levels between the NTIA, FAA and FCC.

Topics USA Aviation Aerospace
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A 14-story condominium building in Miami Beach, less than two miles from the collapsed Champlain Towers South, has been ordered evacuated after engineers found expanding cracks in a main support beam.

The Miami Herald reported Thursday that city officials ordered residents of the 164-unit Port Royale, at 6969 Collins Ave., to clear out immediately. Engineers plan to reinforce the damaged support structure within 10 days, but it wasnt clear when or if residents will be allowed to return.

A Miami-Dade County ordinance, approved after the Champlain Tower in nearby Surfside collapsed in June 2021, killing 98 people, requires condo building owners to provide three months of housing if the structure is deemed unsafe due to negligence or lack of maintenance, the newspaper reported. It was unclear if the Port Royale management was offering the assistance at this time, the newspaper said.

The Port Royale building is undergoing repairs identified as part of its 50-year recertification, required by law. Inspectors recently found spalling, cracking and other deterioration, and temporary supports had been installed. But a letter from an engineering firm this week said that needed repairs for a main support beam in the garage were much more complicated that originally expected, the Herald noted. The city of Miami Beach also had issued an unsafe structure notice.

Engineers and municipal inspectors in south Florida are working to evaluate hundreds of buildings after the 2021 collapse put officials on high alert, and after new statutes required more inspections. The Florida Legislature in May approved Senate Bill 4D, which requires inspections for high-rise condos in Florida 30 years after construction, and more frequently for structures closer to the coast.

Another condo building near the collapse site was ordered evacuated in April of this year after a scheduled recertification process found it to be unsafe.

Photo: The site of the Champlain Towers South, which collapsed in June 2021, north of Miami Beach. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
A raging fire destroyed a vacant commercial building in Los Angeles this week and numerous other small fires broke out in the same area, triggering an arson investigation, authorities said.

Flames lit up the sky before dawn in the North Hollywood area of the San Fernando Valley as fire spread through the former restaurant, blanketing the neighborhood with smoke.

More than 100 firefighters battled the flames. Some perched high on ladders to direct streams of water into the building. The Los Angeles Fire Department also deployed its robot firefighting vehicle, spokesperson Nicholas Prange said.

The building sustained heavy damage and substantially collapsed, but no injuries were reported, Prange said.

Ten other fires broke out within an hour in roughly a half-mile (0.8-kilometer) radius and two persons of interest were detained, Capt. Erik Scott, a fire public information officer, said in a social media post.

The Police Department also tweeted that two persons were detained, but gave no further information about them.

The gutted building once housed the Lamplighter Family Restaurant, a longtime fixture in the eastern San Fernando Valley until it closed in 2006.

George Metsos came to look all that was left of the restaurant his parents opened in the 1970s and where he started in the family business right out of high school.

I came here because I just cant believe that this is the way its coming down _ yeah, its unbelievable, he told KTLA-TV.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Leona Daly wasnt too concerned when medics spotted a shadow on her mammogram, not even when they said shed need a biopsy.

Id had a biopsy the year before for a similar shadow, explains the 51-year-old Clontarf-based mum of two, whod been having annual mammograms because of various nipple changes detected over the years.

But when Leona got a call from the hospital on a Friday, asking her to come in that afternoon  the biopsy results were back  alarm bells started ringing. I was in Longford visiting my mum. I said I wouldnt make it back to Dublin by 2pm, so we put it out to the following Tuesday.

That weekend was tough. I didnt say much. I told my husband but otherwise I kept how I was feeling kind of hidden.

Accompanied by her husband, Peter, a publican, to Beaumont Breast Clinic that Tuesday, Leona was given her diagnosis  invasive ductal breast cancer. The consultant told me very kindly, very gently, that the tumour was malignant. What I can remember is Peter putting his hand on my hand.

This was around mid-December 2018 and a lumpectomy was scheduled for January 2019. Telling her children  being honest with them  as she was advised at Beaumont, was one of the hardest aspects of the whole ordeal. It was Christmas week and Tom and Emma were aged 16 and 12.

I told them very honestly, that it was caught on time, at an early stage and that Mums going to need an operation called a lumpectomy.

Tom was in TY at school. He didnt take it too badly. Emma, who had just started first year secondary, kept asking please tell me the truth, are you sure this is the truth? I said this is the truth, its what I have been told and I promised her I would always tell her the truth.

Leona needed two surgeries, and quite a lot of lymph nodes were removed during the second procedure. She had HER2-positive breast cancer and her treatment plan was chemo every two weeks to incorporate four sessions of AC (combination of two chemotherapy drugs), 12 weeks (once weekly) of Taxol and a year of three-weekly Herceptin. She also had four weeks of radiotherapy and finished her cancer treatment in May 2020.

My family, my children and friends kept me going. When I was having the AC, Id have the chemo on a Monday, so that if I wasnt feeling great, by the weekend Id be feeling a bit better to be able to do things with the children.

For about a year after finishing treatment, things went well. And then Leona developed lymphoedema. She also has chronic neutropenia  her neutrophils, a type of white blood cell and an essential part of the immune system  were compromised by chemo. Between both conditions Ive had complications. In the past 18 months, Ive been hospitalised three times for severe cellulitis in my right arm.

The crux of it all is I did not look after myself sooner. My arm would balloon up and down. I thought itd go away and then every time Id feel the infection coming back Id say why didnt I deal with it?

Leona had what she calls a flash moment in April when she became very ill and was hospitalised for 10 days. Shes now dedicated to managing the lymphoedema. She has started a treatment programme with a lymphatic drainage therapist, shes being measured for a bespoke compression sleeve and shes on antibiotic and antiviral treatment for the next two years to keep infections at bay.

This is the self-care I should have done in May 2020. But Id been so ill and Id worried my family so much that I then didnt deal with the lymphoedema. I just didnt want to be sick anymore  I wanted to be done.

Leona sees it as a lesson learned and urges others to nurture themselves post-cancer treatment. Its so important to look after yourself post-cancer. Im an example of that. Mentally and physically, in whatever way benefits you, find something. I take lots of vitamins. I have good energy now. Im starting to feel well for the first time since it all began.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and BreastCheck  part of the National Screening Service  is encouraging women to take up their screening invitation when offered. Screening is offered to women aged 50-69 every two years.

Screening looks for abnormalities that could be cancer in women with no symptoms. This means cancer is often diagnosed at a lower or earlier stage and it can be more easily treated or cured. Visit www2.hse.ie/breast-screening

What we need to know

Donna Spillane, cancer nurse at Irish Cancer Society, outlines what we need to know about breast cancer.

Warning signs:

Change in size or shape of your breast such as one breast becoming larger than the other.

Change in the skin, for example, puckering, ridges or dimpling (like orange peel) or redness.

Change in the direction or shape of your nipple, especially if it sinks into your breast or becomes irregular in shape.

Unusual discharge (liquid) from one or both nipples.

Change in the skin on/around the nipple, for example, a rash or flaky or crusted skin.

Swelling in breast or armpit or around your collarbone.

Lump or thickening in your breast.

Constant pain in one part of your breast or armpit.

Soreness or warmth (inflammatory breast cancer).

Red scaly rash on one nipple, which may itch or burn (Pagets disease of the breast).

Nine out of 10 breast changes wont turn out to be breast cancer, but its important to visit your GP to check out any symptoms.

What increases risk

Age: Its more common over age 50, but younger women get breast cancer too  being breast-aware is key.

Family history: Breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer in several close members of your family; breast cancer in a close relative when they were younger than 50.

Hormones: Starting periods before age 12 or having menopause after age 55; prolonged use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT); contraceptive pill causes a small increase in risk, which gradually returns to normal after you stop taking it.

Previous breast disease: Being diagnosed before with breast cancer or atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH).

Previous treatment: Radiotherapy to your chest area in the past.

Lifestyle: unhealthy lifestyle factors, for example, being overweight, inactivity, drinking alcohol or smoking.

Worth noting: Dr Robert OConnor, director of research at the Irish Cancer Society, says breast cancer wont necessarily present as a lump. Particularly in younger women, under 50, it has a tendency to present in a more unusual way, such as a rash or a lump under the arm. In older women, the discrete breast lump is more common.
Two men wearing snoods, gloves and baseball caps violently resisted arrest when they were met by the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) as they attempted to carry out a targeted robbery at a house which they believed contained a large amount of cash in Bandon, Co Cork.

Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard Larry OConnor of An Duiche, Scahelene, Tipperary town, and Patrick Harty, of Mountain View, Bansha Road, Tipperary, arrived at the scene of the burglary in Bandon on January 21 last in a high-powered Audi A3 car with cloned registration plates.

Inspector Andrew Lyons said gardai had become concerned following a number in burglaries in Munster in January of this year.

An operation was put in place and Mr OConnor and Mr Harty and three associates, two of whom were juveniles, arrived in Bandon having made the journey from Cashel. The men had been captured on CCTV in Cashel putting fuel in the vehicle.

On their way from Cashel to Cork, they stopped and put false plates on the vehicle. The men were captured on CCTV driving up and down the street for 40 minutes before they broke in to the unoccupied house at 4.50pm.

Patrick Harty, 27, and Larry OConnor, 32, and a juvenile broke the lock to get in to the house. Insp Lyons said when the ERU went to the house, Larry OConnor ran out the front door holding a crowbar. He collided with a garda and dragged him down three steps before he was restrained.

Serious criminal activity

Insp Lyons said that Larry OConnor is married with two children and abuses alcohol and drugs. He said OConnor, who has 85 previous convictions, has been engaged in serious criminal activity.

OConnor was on bail at the time of the alleged offence in relation to an aggravated burglary in Newcastle, Co Limerick, for which he subsequently received a 12-year prison sentence.

Insp Lyons said Patrick Harty tried to get away from gardai via a back window. He also violently resisted arrest.

The Audi car was seized and search. A litre bottle of Dettol was found which gardai believe was due to be used to forensically clean the house of evidence before the men left, having ransacked the property.

Gloves, a screw driver and the original registration plate were also recovered. Gardai believe the car was purchased for the sole purpose of committing crime.

Mr Harty was on bail on road traffic offences at the time of the offence. The married father of three has 25 previous convictions, four of which are for burglary.

Insp Lyons said the men had been stopped from ransacking the property.

It was a targeted burglary. Not random or opportunistic.

Ray Boland, SC, defence barrister for Larry OConnor, said his client was genuinely remorseful for his actions.

He said that as his client was in custody for another offence until 2029, a second sentence would be the equivalent of a life sentence.

The court heard Harty had no employment history. His barrister Jane Hyland SC said her client suffers from anxiety and depression.

Both men had collected compensation of 150 to cover the cost of the broken lock. The homeowner has the option of taking the funds or donating it to charity.

Judge Helen Boyle said she needed time to consider her sentence. She remanded both men in custody for sentencing on November 21 next.

Both men have pleaded guilty to burglary and possession of articles, while Mr Harty also entered a plea to a charge of criminal damage.
A group of young immigrant workers who came to Cork to improve their English and find work are planning to sleep on the street or at Cork Airport over the weekend as they cannot afford a hostel bed, after finding it impossible to find a room to rent in the city.

Over the last month, six 20-somethings who left Spain for Ireland in the hope of better wages and quality of life have found each other in Sheilas Hostel, and helped each other to survive sleeping in cars, on peoples floors, and bussing around the county to AirBnbs on busy weekends, when there are no beds to be found in the city.

Pablo Alias, 28, got scammed on arrival as he paid 800 for a room in a house where the existing tenants had already been told theyd be evicted in a month's time.

Alba Figueroa Filgueira, 23, from Navarra, Spain.

Alba Figueroa Filgueira, 23, ran away from a woman in the street as they went to view a room in Shandon, after being told she would be paying 600 a month to share the bedroom with an older man.

"Suddenly I didnt know what I was about to walk into, I got scared, they hadnt mentioned the man in the ad, said Ms Filgueira.

Now that hostels are fully booked for the weekend, with prices at more than 100 a night due to the Cork Jazz Festival, most of the group have no idea where they will sleep.

Joaquin Acevedo, from Chile, came to Cork in September to learn English at a local college, where he paid 3,000 upfront for a six-month course, thinking that he could rent a room when he got here.

In the first month he spent over 1,000 on hostels and AirBnbs in Ballincollig and beyond.

No one warned him how hard it would be to find a room, and he has run out of money despite now working five days a week in a sandwich bar.

Last night I slept on someones floor, tonight Im sharing a room in the hostel that sleeps 14 people, we call it 'the barracks'," he said.

This is not what I expected when I came to Ireland. At home, you can find a room to rent in any city within a few days.

European YouTubers who are touting Ireland, and specifically Cork, as the place to emigrate to have played a role in many of the group deciding to move here.

Joaquin Acevedo, 26, from Chile; Pablo Alias, 28, from Spain; Alfonso Sanz, 23, from Spain; Rahal Fillal Kilch, 25, from Spain; Joan Rodriguez, 20, from Alicante; and Alba Figueroa Filgueira, 23, from Navarra, Spain.

Alfonso Sanz, 23, is a qualified schoolteacher. He says he could work 60 hours a week in Spain and still not earn the average wage here.

The crisis that you are having with housing, we are having with jobs," he said.

"Many of us find work here quickly, but we cannot find anywhere to live.

We are lying to are families back home about how it is going here, we dont want them to worry.

"The more money you lose looking for a room here, the more determined you are trying to make it all worth it  you think if you wait one more week you will find something, and it becomes a nightmare.

Joan Rodriguez is only 20 years old. He came to Ireland after dropping out of a marketing degree in Spain in the hope that he could find a job here and eventually start studying again.

He says he was shocked to meet people here living in hostels long-term, rather than for travel.

Some of the people I have shared rooms with have real issues, they are older and seem so sad," he said.

"We have a basket where we keep our food in the kitchen and label it with the day we are due to leave, someone put bread there and wrote one year on it. Weve become friends with a family living here with their two-year-old.

We feel bad that we are competing with these people for rooms and beds, but we didnt know it would be like this when we came, if we had known we wouldnt have come at all.

In a statement, management at Sheila's Hostel told the Examiner: ''We do have some guests staying here while they are searching for longer-term accommodation. The hostel tends to get booked out well in advance for certain dates, and on those days people who have not previously made a reservation have to check out.

"Our prices have gone up somewhat due to rising operational costs. However, Sheila's is still the best option in Cork for budget accommodation."
Ukrainian refugees will no longer be able to turn down multiple offers of accommodation, under plans to be approved by the Cabinet today.

The Government is seeking to ramp up the movement of people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine out of hotels and into more community-based accommodation. However, there has been difficulty in moving some people as they have refused to be moved out of towns and cities.

The Cabinet is today signing off on reforms to the Irish reception and integration system.

The Irish Examiner understands that people will not be made a second offer if one offer of suitable accommodation is not accepted.

It is also expected that from now on, those living in hotels will be charged for a percentage of their meals.

Sources said that there is a fear that hotels are becoming long-term accommodation and that this is, in part, due to alternative offers of accommodation being refused over fears that accommodation is too remote or lacks services.

Plans to double the payment for people hosting Ukrainian refugees to 800 have also been approved by ministers. It will be effective from December 1.

It is understood that a study of how EU rules governing the treatment of people fleeing Ukraine are enforced around the bloc is to be undertaken by the Department of Justice.

Ministers believe that other countries are giving fewer supports on accommodation and benefits, or for less time.

Helen McEntees Department of Justice will examine how the temporary protection directive, which governs the rights given to Ukrainians here, is applied across various EU countries.

The review, ministers were told, is to ensure the transposition of the EU directive broadly aligns with other jurisdictions and can support accommodation, income support and related services equally.

Sinn Fein housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin said the State does have the capacity to meet the needs of those arriving.

"The problem he said is we don't have adequate preparation or coordination for the Government's Department responsible.

Keep in mind there's 60,000 vacant holiday homes across the state, Mr O Broin said.

And if you could get 5%or 10% of those, that's 3,000 to 6,000 homes that could house one or two Ukrainian families each. Here in Dublin, we have 40,000 vacant properties, including many large properties that again, could be refurbed, he said.

He was deeply critical of several Government departments for not doing enough.

There is not sufficient coordination between all of the Government departments, he said.

So can we tackle the homelessness crisis in this State? Yes, we can. Can we provide temporary emergency accommodation of quality to people fleeing war weather in Ukraine or elsewhere? Yes, we can. The problem is that the lack of coordination driven by this Government, he added.
If the current version of the abortion debate in the US ever seems a little abstract from Irish reality, you only have to look back 10 years to Ireland see how the countrys then-restrictive laws lead to a social outcry of our own.

You can also see the difference that media coverage can make  for the onslaught of press criticism which followed the death of Savita Halappanavar at University Hospital Galway a decade ago surely played a crucial part in leading, less than a year later, to the enactment of the first law defining the circumstances where an abortion could happen in Ireland, and to the full legalisation of the procedure in 2018.

The death of 31-year-old Savita wasnt reported until fully two weeks after it occurred, with the Irish Times social correspondent Kitty Holland breaking a story on which she would lead the charge over the coming months.

Kitty Holland speaking at the Inaugural Danielle Carroll Summer School in 2018. Picture: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

The narrative of what was being written quickly devolved into a debate over 1992s X Case  when a 14-year-old girl was left pregnant having been raped by a family friend, leading to a Supreme Court decision which allowed for abortion in cases where a womans life was endangered  which, primarily due to political stasis, had never been legislated for.

The fact that Savita was a foreign national doubtless played its part in the maelstrom of anger and disgust which followed her death  shining the harshest of global lights on Irelands less-than-liberal laws.

No more than Covid, Savitas tragic death showed that social change can happen quickly in Ireland when politicians see which way the wind is blowing.

On November 15, three days after news of Savitas death broke, the Irish Examiner reported then-taoiseach Enda Kenny, in office barely a year, rejected the suggestion that his partys abortion stance could be connected to the tragedy, insisting the two issues were quite separate.

Media reaction

The following day, Jennifer Schweppe, a lecturer in constitutional law at the University of Limerick, wrote in the same paper that the X Case needed to be legislated for.

There are no longer any excuses: legislation must be introduced as a matter of urgency, she wrote.

The heaviest-hitting criticism came in the opinion pieces.

The Examiners editorial on the same date likewise pulled no punches.

Enda Kenny is the seventh man to be Taoiseach since 1983, it read. Like each of those predecessors he was well aware, long before he took office, that the abortion file in the Taoiseachs in-tray required action.

The can was, inevitably, kicked down that long and winding road pockmarked with evasion and hypocrisy.

Dearbhail McDonald. Picture: Andres Poveda

In the Irish Independent on November 15, legal correspondent Dearbhail McDonald wrote scathingly of the "depth of anger and sorrow which Savitas death had brought her to.

A visceral rage that has reduced me to tears of exasperation and despair, she wrote. Regardless of where we each stand on this perennially divisive issue, the need for a compassionate and clear legal infrastructure is overwhelming. For Gods sake, its what this Catholic country needs.

Columnist Fintan OToole. Picture: Barry Cronin

Fintan OToole wrote in The Irish Times on November 17: Savita and Praveen Halappanavar walked unknowingly into Irelands grey zone of hidden realities, unspoken truths, and word games,

They could scarcely have imagined that one societys self-regarding games could have such barbaric consequences.

The Sunday Independents editorial the following day said simply: Legislate now, or be damned.

Ten days later and the narrative had been firmly set, with the Government scrambling to match the publics expectations in terms of action over what had occurred.

On November 25, author Colum Kenny wrote in the Sunday Independent that Savitas death had devastated her family and set the cat among the Coalition partners.

It has also highlighted again the gap between power and public accountability in Ireland, and the continuing failure to introduce meaningful reforms that allow rapid and appropriate responses to crises, he wrote.

The pressure eventually told. With an expert group on abortion in the context of the X Case announcing its findings on November 23, the Government knew what its options were.

On December 18, barely seven weeks after Savitas death, Health Minister James Reilly announced that the Government would be proceeding with legislation plus regulations.

Eight months after Savitas death, the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act was made law. Five years later, abortion was made legal in Ireland following an overwhelming referendum vote.

Social change, when it happens, happens quickly.
DELOITTE LEADERSHIP SERIES: Professor Thia Hennessy, Dean, Cork University Business School

The changing demands of leadership in unprecedented times

Leadership is more than just the central aim of providing guidance and direction, Professor Thia Hennessy believes, but is also giving people the space to lead themselves.

Its about developing others to fulfil their own potential. One of the things thats interesting about leadership in a university context is that most positions are termed appointments, and so you always are aware of the fact that youre not going to be here forever. While you will have your goals and objectives, it is also about allowing other people to develop.

While recent years have seen unprecedented challenges, guiding the objectives of CUBS remains central to the ambitions of her tenure.

There is no doubt that recent years have been a disruptive period in dealing with the many challenges brought on by the pandemic, but leadership is not just about keeping the operational parts intact and resilient, but also in maintaining that overall strategic vision intact.

Prior to joining UCC in September 2016, Professor Hennessy was employed for an extended period at Teagasc, the Agriculture and Food Development Authority, where she managed the agricultural and environmental economic research programme. Her brief included responsibility for the Teagasc National Farm Survey which produces the official national farming statistics, in addition to membership of the European Commissions Farm Accountancy Data Network.

In her current role as Dean of CUBS, her research interests include the sustainable development of the agri-food sector with a particular interest in the impact of public policy on the farm sector. She has published widely in both academic literature and mainstream media.

As UCC and Ireland itself slowly emerges from the black swan event of Covid-19, the definition of leadership has changed as a result of this unprecedented experience, she believes.

The pandemic did impact on leadership in different ways. On the positive side, people did engage more in communications sessions and information events, tuning in from wherever they were, using the chat function and perhaps giving more feedback than they normally would.

"In many ways, the virtual office gave people a kind of safety to communicate things like they might not have previously done. Initially though, those virtual online gatherings were challenging, and I certainly missed the physical presence of everybody being together  it was difficult to have personal interaction in an online setting.

Kevin Butler, Deloitte Partner, Audit & Assurance.

As the mother of a young family, Professor Hennessy appreciated the daily domestic challenges brought about by Covid that people had to contend with. While the necessity of operating in the virtual world during Covid had its merits, Kevin suggested that maintaining the important sense of belonging within organisations is an element we work really hard not to lose coming out the other side of the pandemic.

After a two-year period where the UCC campus went from fully home working to a hybrid schedule, Professor Hennessy remarks on how transformed the last six weeks have been with the return of students to normal university life:

We had almost forgotten what it was like to have young people all around campus, with their enthusiasm, excitement and diversity. After two years of talking to video screens, the sense of engagement is infectious, bringing everybody with it. This return to normal has reminded us of the purpose of a university and what its all about.

Resilience the driver taking CUBS into a global elite

Similar to the many commercial organisations that, out of Covid necessity, had to make brave changes into uncharted operational waters, UCC found the word resilience becoming a central driver in the lexicon of survival.

In fact, Covid gave us confidence to do things we never thought we would do, the confidence to try new things. And through it all, we recruited and graduated more students than ever before  despite the biggest disruption anyone could ever imagine. All of that has contributed to our resilience, both as an organisation and also on a personal level.

In May, CUBS and IMI at UCC obtained a prestigious global accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, placing it among the worlds leading business schools. This is now added to by the Association of MBAs, making CUBS a double accredited Business School, of which there are fewer than 200 worldwide.

Delivering on that major strategic ambition despite the challenges of Covid gave us great confidence, and trickled down to everybody in the school as well.

Kevin underlined the point that many organisations have not fully absorbed just how much they achieved through Covid  how the sense of trust and common purpose engendered within workforces resulted in targets consistently being reached, regardless of the challenging circumstances forced upon them.

A city centre business school for a new generation of graduates

Looking to the near future, Professor Hennessy remains focused on those key ambitions geared to take CUBS into a global orbit, acknowledged amongst the elite of the worlds business schools.

Triple accreditation will put us in the top 100 globally, so with two already in hand, we have applied for the third one  a two-year process by which time this major ambition will hopefully be realised.

With a current intake of 800 post-graduate students, and 400 international students, CUBS will aim to increase that number to 1000 in the coming years. Looming large over the current ongoing activity is the plan to open a Business School in Cork city centre. Having already acquired the the intersection of South Terrace and Copley Street previously, the 1.46 acre Brooks Haughton builders yard, it will accommodate 200 staff and 500 students.

Plans have been drawn up and will shortly be submitted for planning permission, and we would hope to open this new campus in 2026. The ultimate impact of this will be to graduate students and set them off on their careers, as well as being part of the talent pipeline for the Cork and Munster region. Another outcome of this is that many businesses, including Deloitte, have reached out to partner with us, which is another measure of the success of CUBS.

Kevin then poses the question of legacy, and what Professor Hennessy would like to be remembered for when her tenure comes to an end. It would be very much about seeing the physical structure of the new business school become a reality, and also achieve the triple accreditation to put us in the top 100 globally.

As to her advice for the aspiring academic and commercial leaders of tomorrow, she is succinct: Just do it. Take advice, learn on the job and dont feel you have to know it all straight away. Dont be afraid to be wrong because you will discover we are all only human in the end.

Applications are now open for the Deloitte Grad Programme, with opportunities across Audit & Assurance, Risk Advisory, Technology and Tax. Join a global business with a people-first environment, where you can be your true self, learn and choose your own path. Find out more here.
Burma Disabled Civilian Killed in Myanmar Junta Airstrike

Payein Mar village on Friday.

A disabled resident from Myaung Township in Sagaing Region has been killed in a Myanmar junta helicopter attack amid a clash with resistance forces.

About 60 junta troops from an outpost in Kyauk Yit village in the township raided Payein Mar village on Friday with mortars where the Myingyan District Peoples Defense Force (PDF) was based, according to resistance forces.

After about two hours of fighting, two helicopters dropped numerous reinforcements while two other MI-35s fired on the village.

Myingyan PDF and the Civilian Defense Security Organization in Myaung fought junta troops and helped villagers to escape.

Those injured are no longer in a critical condition but three members of the Myingyan PDF were seriously injured while junta forces suffered at least three injuries, said a security organization member.

We are never afraid to fight them on the ground but the airstrikes make us fear for innocent people, she added.

Junta troops retreated to Kyauk Yit on Friday afternoon but around 5,000 people from seven villages left their homes during the day, according to resistance forces.
Burma Losing the Ground Battle, Myanmar Junta Takes to the Skies

Regime military fighter-jets fly over Sagaing Bridge. / Cincds

Myanmars junta forces have committed another war crime, deploying three fighter-jets to bomb a crowd in the north, resulting in heavy casualties and nationwide mourning. Nearly 80 people were killed and many others seriously injured by the junta airstrike at a village near Hpakant Township, Kachin State, where a music concert was being held to mark the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO)s 62nd anniversary.

Among those killed were prominent Kachin musicians and officials of the KIOs armed wing, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). The Kachin concert airstrike was the deadliest attack perpetrated by the junta since last years coup. The slaughter took place five weeks after the juntas Let Yat kone village airstrike in central Myanmar killed 13 civilians including seven children.

It also came four days after the regimes deadly airborne raid on a village in Yinmabin Township, Sagaing Region.

On October 19, two fighter-jets and four helicopters suddenly appeared over Yin Paung Taing village. As the fighter jets fired on the village, the helicopters dropped soldiers at its perimeter. Two civilians, a pregnant woman and her mother-in-law, were shot dead in the raid. Two days later, junta troops deployed in Yin Paung Taing killed about a dozen Peoples Defense Force (PDF) members and a civilian resident.

The juntas airstrikes deliberately and indiscriminately targeting civilians were condemned as war crimes and crimes against humanity by the United Nations, Myanmars shadow civilian National Unity Government (NUG) and rights groups.

Juntas aerial campaign

Since late March last year, the junta has been launching airstrikes across the country to crush local resistance forces it designates as terrorist groups. The aerial bombing campaign is concentrated on the resistance strongholds of Sagaing and Magway regions and Kayah, Karen and Chin states.

The regime has used helicopters, jet-fighters and surveillance drones to indiscriminately attack civilians in those areas, brazenly violating the Geneva Convention and international law. Both prohibit aerial attacks that terrorize civilians, kill or injure non-combatants and destroy or damage private property.

According to the parallel civilian government, the regime has carried out almost 240 airstrikes targeting the civilian population across Myanmar, including in ethnic areas. The strikes have killed over 200 civilians and destroyed houses and religious buildings.

More than a million people across the country have been forced to flee their homes because of the juntas aerial and arson campaigns.

Airstrikes spiking

The frequency of junta airstrikes has grown sharply as the end of the rainy season approaches. A total of 28 aerial attacks were launched in five regions from Oct 1 to 28, leaving 111 dead and injuring at least 126 civilians, according to data collected by The Irrawaddy.

The now-daily airstrikes have almost doubled in number compared with December 2021, when the junta launched a total of 15 aerial attacks.

This month saw the regime conduct airstrikes in Sagaing and Magway as well as Karen, Rakhine and Kachin states.

Sagaing Region was worst-hit, suffering 18 of the 28 junta airstrikes this month.

Junta aircraft have focused their fire this month on townships in upper Sagaing, on the border with Kachin State. The regime bombed two hospitals in Bankmauk Township last week, killing two civilians and injuring a dozen more  half of whom were children. Bankmauk has suffered seven junta aerial attacks so far this month.

Neighboring Indaw Township was the junta air forces second-biggest target, as the KIA and Peoples Defense Forces clash with regime soldiers in the area.

Whenever the regime suffers heavy casualties in clashes, fighter-jets drop bombs even on the hospital and villages said a spokesperson of Bankmauk PDF.

After Sagaing, Kachin State is the second-worst hit with four airstrikes. The regime launched a massive three-day aerial bombardment of Momauk Township amid local reports of fighting between junta troops and combined PDF and KIA forces.

Reasons for the rise

The junta military has changed strategy and reduced its reliance on infantry, said Captain Zay Thu Aung, a Myanmar Air Force pilot who defected soon after the February 2021 coup.

They use drones to gather information on the enemy and then deploy soldiers by helicopter to raid target areas, he added.

After their offensive plans were apparently frustrated, they have switched to deploying the air force as their main strategy, Zay Thu Aung told The Irrawaddy.

Daily clashes with ethnic armed forces and local resistance fighters across the country have sapped the regimes military strength, according to Black Peacock Guerrilla Force (BPGF). Junta troops have also proved vulnerable to mine attacks by resistance forces. Therefore, the regime is increasingly relying on aerial attacks, the Sagaing-based BPGF said.

Junta troops no longer use the areas main road after suffering mine attacks at least twice a day over recent months, a representative of the Myanmar Royal Dragon Army resistance group in Sagaing told The Irrawaddy.

They only use helicopters and a mobile system, he said.

Air campaign set to escalate

Ex-captain Zay Thu Aung expects more regime airstrikes in the coming dry season as the skies clear for drone reconnaissance missions. Junta missions will likely target base camps of local resistance forces with continual aerial bombardment, he said.

U Yee Mon, the defense minister of civilian National Unity Government, also predicts an increase in aerial attacks on both civilian and military targets as the junta loses out to resistance forces on the ground.

Meanwhile the regime is boosting its aerial firepower. The Myanmar Air Force has ordered several FTC-2000G midrange fighter-jets from China. It also took delivery five months ago of two new Russian SU-30SME jets, capable of carrying up to eight tons of bombs and thus far more destructive than other planes in its fleet.

Russia has also delivered four Ka-28 anti-submarine helicopters to the juntas air force. The regime would deploy them as land-based attack craft, Zay Thu Aung told The Irrawaddy.

Hence, local resistance forces should be constantly alert to the danger of aerial attack and draw up response plans, the defector warned.

Helicopters often fail to hit their targets. The number of casualties will depend on the awareness of resistance force members, he said.

NUG Defence Minister U Yee Mon also warned Peoples Defense Forces to remain on high alert and fight with maximum intelligence against the junta. Airstrikes may be disruptive but they would not decide the result of the war, he said.

Man-portable air-defense systems (Manpads) were just one of the defensive options, he said. However, sourcing was difficult and it would take time to deploy them in sufficient numbers, he added.

Thats why we have to be smart and find innovative ways to combat the enemys aerial campaign, the minister said.

Meanwhile, many worry that failure to combat the airstrikes will result in a growing civilian death toll over the coming months.

Rights groups including the Womens League of Burma and Burma Campaign UK have urged the international community to impose sanctions that cut the juntas supply of aviation fuel to reduce the civilian toll from airstrikes. They are also urging the world to cut direct and indirect supplies, sales or transfers of all weapons and other equipment to the Myanmar military.
Burma Magwe Villagers Tortured to Death During Myanmar Junta Occupation

Hpat Taw Yay village on October 25. / Supplied

Myanmars junta has held more than 100 male villages in Natmauk Township, Magwe Region, for over 10 days and three have been killed, according to resistance forces and residents.

Troops have been in Hpa Taw Yay village for over three days and residents say three villagers have been killed and they keep torturing and interrogating more than 100 others, said Ma Khayay Theint of the Nga Byay Ma Guerrilla Force, which is based in the township.

A Magwe Peoples Defense Force spokesman said about 10 villagers had been transported to a police station. Phat Taw Yay had about 300 households and 2,000 residents, most of whom have now fled.

The occupation follows a resistance attack on a junta patrol and its Pyusawhti militia allies near Ywar Mon village, which has a major junta arsenal, on October 16.

Resistance forces claim to have killed four junta troops and seized two guns.

The next day approximately 80 junta troops entered Phat Taw Yay and seized about 120 male villagers and forced all females to leave for the day.

Troops also torched numerous Phat Taw Yay houses.

Natmauk is where independence hero General Aung San, father of jailed State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, was born.

Phat Taw Yay is 27km east of Natmauk town and Ywar Mon is 30km north.

Three men were tortured to death and the torturing continues. The soldiers are asking if they are connected to the resistance and for any information. They also want their two guns back, said a female Phat Taw Yay villager who is sheltering in a forest with her family.

She said the villagers were starving and troops were carrying away loot in trucks.

The three dead men were in their 40s and 50s and one died vomiting blood on Tuesday, witnesses said.

He was just a farmer and had no connections to the resistance and knew nothing about the revolution, said a relative, who is sheltering in a forest.

Troops also raided adjacent Thaputpin village and detained about 80 villagers, including village leaders, and tortured them during interrogation.

Around 50 Light Infantry Division 88 troops have occupied Myauk Mee Kone village, to the east of Phat Taw Yay, since Tuesday.

Khayay Theint, who joined the resistance after refusing to work as a teacher under military rule, said: We lack the weapons to fight back but it is sad to see our people being tortured day by day.

She said more deaths were to be expected as the occupation continued.
Burma Myanmar Generals Welcomed by Bangladesh Military Chiefs

Bangladeshs army chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed (left) with Myanmars special operation commander, Lieutenant General Phone Myat, at Bangladeshs army headquarters on October 26. / ISPR

DHAKA  A Myanmar junta commander has visited Bangladeshs military chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed in Dhaka in an apparent attempt to improve relations and boost regional security.

The Bangladeshi defense ministry on Thursday night stated that the regimes special operation commander, Lieutenant General Phone Myat, explained the situation in Myanmar and how the junta was trying to maintain law and order while working with friendly countries.

The statement said Ahmed discussed improving military relations, discussions between commanders and shared training exchanges.

He called for Myanmar to work with Bangladesh to ensure regional security and the rapid repatriation of the Rohingya community.

The juntas delegation expressed interest in increasing friendship and solving problems bilaterally, the statement said.

The visitors also met Bangladeshs chief of the general staff Lieutenant General Ataul Hakim Sarwar Hasan and discussed training exchanges and cooperation over professional development.

Myanmar junta had not commented on the visit as of Friday.

In September Ahmed said Bangladeshs armed forces were ready to respond if Myanmars junta did not stop firing across the border in pursuit of the Arakan Army (AA).

He said he sent his counterpart in Myanmar a strong message complaining about shelling, shooting and jet and drone flights after a Rohingya refugee was killed and others injured by shelling in hilly Bandarban on the border.

The regime has been battling the AA near the Bangladesh border in northern Rakhine State.

Bangladesh has filed diplomatic complaints since August about fighter jet and drone flights over its territory and mortars and machine gun rounds landing across the border.

On September 16, at least three mortar shells were fired into Bangladesh, killing Mohammad Ikbal, 17, and injuring six others.

Dhaka deployed the Border Guard Bangladesh and Coastguard along the border in response.

The juntas visit was well-received in Bangladesh.

Retired Major General Shahidul Haque, who had served as defense attache in the Bangladesh embassy in Myanmar, told The Irrawaddy: Its a positive development. Bangladesh should not opt for the policy of disengagement with Myanmar.

He said Myanmars military was very intelligent and understood the importance of a warm welcome from Bangladeshs military.

We must engage with Myanmar and should invite the leadership more often, the former general said.

Phone Myat currently runs the juntas Office of the Commander-in-Chief and was deputy minister at the military-controlled Border Affairs Ministry in 2020-21 and chief of the Western Command in 2019-20 and Northeastern Command in 2017-18.

Aung Kyaw Moe, an advisor at the Human Rights Ministry of the civilian National Unity Government, told The Irrawaddy: Bangladesh has a well-respected military and it is one of the largest contributors of UN peacekeeping troops. Shaking the hands of Myanmars regime after the Rohingya genocide, continued war crimes and crimes against humanity against its own people is pretty shameful.

John Quinley, a human rights specialist at Fortify Rights, said: It is shameful that the Bangladesh military met with the Myanmar military, including Lt Gen Phone Myat.

The Myanmar junta is responsible for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.

Bangladesh hosts more than 1 million Rohingya refugees and under the current conditions in Myanmar repatriation is not possible. The Rohingya in Rakhine State face ongoing persecution and genocide by attrition.

Governments worldwide should support Bangladesh to protect refugees, education and livelihoods as well as third-country resettlement.

The Myanmar junta must be stopped. Instead of a photo opp with junta officials, Bangladesh should support the National Unity Government and those resisting the illegal regime.
Myanmars Crisis & the World Myanmar Regime Rebuffs ASEAN Pressure to Implement Peace Plan

Myanmars seat lies empty during the Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta on Thursday. / AFP

Myanmars military regime said renewed pressure from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to implement a peace plan for the strife-torn country would create more negative implications.

The message came after ASEAN foreign ministers met in Jakarta on Thursday to discuss how to ease the intensifying crisis in Myanmar, which has been ravaged by social and political chaos since a military coup last year. The Jakarta meeting was held to prepare recommendations to be submitted to ASEAN leaders at the summit of the 10-nation bloc in Phnom Penh next month.

ASEAN last year proposed a peace plan known as the Five-point Consensus, which requires the junta to end violence and begin a dialogue with all sides of the conflict for the restoration of democracy. The junta agreed to the plan but has failed to implement it.

Thursdays meeting saw ASEAN reaffirm its commitment to the consensus. Myanmar, an ASEAN member, was not invited to the gathering following its failure to honor the peace plan.

The juntas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that as the meeting was held without Myanmar, it would not be bound by its outcomes, but said it was cooperating as a responsible ASEAN member to materialize the peace plan.

Since implementing the five-point consensus is a process, injecting additional pressure by setting a timeframe will create more negative implications than positive ones, it warned.

ASEAN has been criticized for sticking to the consensus for more than a year without any evidence it has been effective in resolving the crisis.

After agreeing to the plan, the junta has continued its campaign of arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings of civilians, and airstrikes on anti-regime resistance forces in a vain attempt to secure control over the country. Regime forces killed at least 75 people in an airstrike on civilians at a concert in Kachin State on Sunday. So far, the regime has killed more than 1,300 people since the February 2021 coup.

Rights groups on Thursday condemned ASEAN for failing to act to stop the violence in Myanmar.

Human Rights Watch expressed huge disappointment at the outcome of Thursdays meeting, saying ASEAN had remained committed to the stalled consensus.

ASEAN needs to get tough by establishing clear, time-bound human rights benchmarks on Myanmar that include the release of political prisoners, a cessation of attacks on civilians, and steps towards dissolving the junta to allow for the establishment of civilian democratic rule, it said.
War Against the Junta Over Two Dozen Myanmar Junta Forces Killed in Two Days of Resistance Attacks

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A total of 26 Myanmar junta forces including a regime-appointed administration official were killed and more than two dozen junta troops suffered injuries in the last two days as Peoples Defense Force groups (PDFs) conducted a number of attacks on regime targets across the country.

Incidents were reported in Yangon, Mandalay, Bago, Sagaing and Magwe regions.

The Irrawaddy has collected the following reports of significant attacks by PDFs. Some regime casualty figures could not be independently verified.

Five junta soldiers killed by PDF drone strikes in Mandalay

A drone of Natogyi-PDF drops rifle grenades on regime targets in the compound of a school in Suu Phyu Kone Village, Natogyi Towship on Wednesday. / NPDF

The Natogyi PDF group claimed to have killed five regime soldiers in Natogyi Towship, Mandalay Region on Wednesday when it conducted drone strikes targeting regime forces stationed at a school in Suu Phyu Kone Village in the township.

A PDF video shows a drone dropping rifle grenades on regime targets in the compound of the school.

Three soldiers killed by PDF land mines in Mandalay

Zero Guerrilla Force, which forms Battalion 7 of the Myingyan District PDF, claimed to have killed three soldiers and injured two when it used land mines to ambush regime forces collecting money from an illegal lottery gambling business near Myay Taing Village in Ngazun Township, Mandalay Region on Thursday afternoon.

Junta-appointed village administrator assassinated in Mandalay

Underground resistance group Generation Z Power (Mandalay) claimed that it and a township PDF group assassinated U Khin Maung Soe, who was the regime-appointed administrator of Tawtwin Village, in Patheingyi Township, Mandalay Region on Thursday morning.

The administrator was accused of extorting money and threatening residents in the village, the PDF group said.

Four regime soldiers killed in urban attack in Sagaing

PDF fighters of Myaung Revolution Army attack regime forces in the town of Myaung on Thursday. / MRA

Four Myanmar military soldiers were killed in Myaung Township, Sagaing Region on Thursday morning when resistance fighters of the Myaung Revolution Army (MRA) attacked regime forces guarding the junta-controlled Myanmar Economic Bank in the town of Myaung.

An MRA official told the media that three soldiers were gunned down in front of the bank building and another soldier near the PDF forces was killed while he was rushing towards the attacking PDF troops, under the mistaken impression that they were his comrades.

The MRAs video shows a disoriented junta soldier in civilian clothes and armed with a weapon, unwittingly following the retreating PDF forces after the attack.

Three soldiers killed in PDF ambush in Sagaing

Three regime forces were killed in Shwebo Township, Sagaing Region on Wednesday evening when combined local PDF groups used land mines to ambush five junta soldiers and Pyu Saw Htee pro-regime militia members on two motorbikes in the township, said the PDF group Lighting Storm, which was involved in the ambush.

The regime forces based at a school in Pan Hlaing Village were attacked while they were traveling to nearby Konseik Village. During the ambush, two other junta forces on a motorbike escaped from the PDF ambush.

Regime forces did not retrieve the bodies of the dead soldiers from the road till late at night. During the night, the combined PDF groups used improvised mortar shells to continue to attack regime forces arriving in the ambush area. All PDF fighters escaped from the area without any casualties while regime forces responded with firearms.

26 regime forces injured in Magwe

A total of 26 regime troops were confirmed injured in Gangaw Township, Magwe Region on Wednesday when resistance fighters of three PDF battalions clashed with a military detachment of 60 soldiers who left from the militarys Infantry Battalion 50 in the township, claimed PDF-Gangaw (Southern), which coordinated the attack.

No casualties were reported on the PDF side.

Six regime forces killed by PDF attacks in Bago

Six regime soldiers were reportedly killed at noon on Thursday in Paungde Township, Bago Region when the Paungde PDF, which forms Battalion 3601 of the Pyay District PDF, used land mines to ambush a military detachment of 60 soldiers near a village, according to the resistance group.

The military detachment was ambushed while it was raiding the area and randomly firing heavy explosives.

Police station bombed in Yangon

The resistance group Myanmars Royal Dragon Army (Yangon) claimed to have thrown a grenade into the police station in Bahan Township, Yangon on Thursday afternoon.

However, casualties were unknown. The group urged people to avoid regime forces due to potential attacks.
Over 6 million Venezuelans have fled their country since 2014, and a new U.S. government program aims to provide assistance.

The new Venezuelan immigration assistance program that equates the situation of the Latin American country to that of the Ukrainian people.

Version en Espanol

Under the new program, U.S. airports will receive up to 24,000 Venezuelan migrants similar to the way Ukrainian people have been admitted since the war with Russia began.

About 6.8 million Venezuelan people have fled their country since the economy collapsed in 2014.

Steps to apply for these temporary immigration permits were published this week..

According to the Department of Homeland Security, to participate in this process, Venezuelan nationals must:

Have a support person in the United States.

Undergo and pass a security screening

Meet other eligibility criteria

Merit a favorable exercise of discretion.

Who could be considered for advance travel authorization:

- Be a national of Venezuela or be an immediate family member (spouse, domestic partner, or unmarried child under the age of 21) and traveling with an eligible Venezuelan;

- Possess a valid passport for international travel;

- Be outside the United States;

- Have a U.S.-based support person who has filed a Form I-134 on behalf of the beneficiary that USCIS has vetted and confirmed;

- Provide their own commercial travel to a U.S. airport or a final destination in the United States;

- Not be a permanent resident or dual national of any country other than Venezuela, and not currently hold refugee status in any other country; This requirement does not apply to immediate family members (spouse, domestic partner, or unmarried child under 21 years of age) of or traveling with an eligible Venezuelan national.

- Not be an unaccompanied minor; Minors under the age of 18 must travel to the United States in the care and custody of their parent or legal guardian.

- Not have been ordered removed from the U.S. within the last five years or be subject to a veto based on a prior removal order;

- Not have crossed irregularly into the United States between ports of entry after October 19, 2022;

- Not have crossed the Mexican or Panamanian borders illegally after October 19, 2022; and

- Meet all other requirements, including vaccination and other public health requirements.

For more information, please click here.
Multinational media organisation Thomson Reuters left three unsecured databases containing sensitive corporate and customer data, including third-party server passwords in plain text, on the Web, the media outlet Cybernews reports.

When Reuters, a company that pulls in US$6.35 billion (A$9.84 billion) in revenue annually, was informed about this, it took steps to shut down access, the site reported.

It claimed the media company had downplayed the incident, "saying it affects only a 'small subset of Thomson Reuters Global Trade customers' and it collects information to 'operationally support the platform'.

"However, Cybernews senior security researchers say that information stored on the server is extremely sensitive. Cases like these raise questions about corporate data collection practices and could have serious ramifications. For example, this practice would lead to a supply chain cyber attack," it added.

Australia has recently witnessed nine data breaches in a little over a month, these being at Optus, Telstra, G4S, Costa Group, Dialog, MyDeal, EnergyAustralia, Medibank Group and Medlab.

Cybernews said the size of the open database indicates that it was one which allows the use of Elasticsearch. According to IBM, Elasticsearch "provides extremely scalable search capabilities by taking unstructured data types from various sources and storing them in specialized formats for optimised language-based searches".

The site's information security researcher Vincentas Baubonis said in a statement: We suspect that the main Elasticsearch instance was left open to public access at least since 01:29:43 GMT on 24 October based on information gathered through OSINT methods.

The unprotected data was extremely sensitive as it included not only Reuters products' maintenance logs, but credentials stored in plaintext likely used to access remaining digital infrastructure of the company in question.

Leaking of the data could have had a major impact on Thomson Reuters and its subsidiaries as it could have been used to carry out attacks such as deployment of ransomware.

"What is more, since Elasticsearch provides only approximate size of the whole dataset, we suspect that it could have been much larger, thus being a digital gold mine not only for various threat actors but for their competitors as well.

Cybernews researcher Martynas Vareikis said the most likely cause of this exposure was misconfiguration of the AWS buckets in which data was stored.

Mantas Sasnauskas, the head of Security Research at Cybernews, said: [This data] could harm the public interest, Thomson Reuters clients, and the company itself. This type of information would allow threat actors to gain an initial foothold in Thomson Reuters systems as well as those of companies working with it."

Amit Shaked, the chief executive of cloud data security firm Laminar, commented: "Unsecured Elasticsearch databases are extremely common and can affect nearly any company - leading to important information being exposed to potential compromise. Because these cloud hosting solutions often fall on the outskirts of data and security teams' visibility range, this incident serves as a reminder for business leaders to ask: where is our sensitive data?

"As many companies transition into primarily cloud-based environments, this leads to scattered data stores that instantly increase organisational security risk. Many companies do not know where their sensitive data is located within the cloud. The presence of unknown or 'shadow' data - like the databases in this instance - is increasing and is a top concern for 82% of data security professionals.

"To safeguard against a majority of todays cyber threats and accidental exposures, organisations must have complete observability of their cloud data. It is critical to know where it resides, who is accessing it and what its security posture is."
Google has said, in a regulatory filing, that its Play Store is being targeted in an anti-trust investigation by the European Union, Reuters reports.

When iTWire contacted Google, the company denied this was the case, with a spokesman saying: "Nothing has changed in our engagement with the European Commission with regard to Google Play. We continue to discuss a range of issues with them."

Reuters quoted from the filing as follows: "In May 2022, the EC (European Commission) and the CMA (Britain's Competition and Markets Authority) each opened a formal investigation into Google Play's business practices."

European authorities have made no public statement about this investigation.

Last month, the company's appeal against a 4.34 billion (A$6.70 billion) fine, with judges at a tribunal largely confirming the bloc's decision to impose the fine.

The fine was imposed in July 2018, with the EU accusing Google of breaching anti-trust rules relevant to Android. The company appealed the imposition of the penalty to the EU General Court.

But the only concession afforded was the reduction of the fine from 4.34 billion to 4.1 billion on the grounds that there were some faults in the EU regulator's analysis and because it agreed that Google's right to fair trial had been infringed to some extent.

Google confirmed to Reuters that it would be appealing against this judgment, with the deadline for submission of the plea to the EUs Court of Justice being 1 December.

The Play Store probe will look at whether threats by Google to pull apps from its Play Store if creators used alternative methods of payment instead of Google's billing system are hurting developers.

Google also faces a 2.4 billion penalty levied by the EU in 2017 for allegedly abusing its search engine dominance to give illegal advantage to its own comparison shopping service. The company has appealed the decision.

The search giant faces a third fine of 1.49 billion for alleged abusive practices in online advertising.
A global leader in public safety and enterprise security earned its latest awards for state-of-the-art innovations which help public safety and enterprise personnel to access critical mobile data while on the move as well as video intelligence from their operational vehicles. The winning solutions are:

PSCore: A smart public safety mobile application platform that improves productivity, incident awareness and safety for frontline officers. The solution integrates with multiple public safety systems, delivering essential operational information within a single, intuitive interface to streamline and simplify the way that public safety officials work.

LQ6 licence plate reader camera: A quickly deployable and easy-to-use licence plate reader camera that provides sophisticated licence plate recognition (LPR) data for public safety agencies and businesses. The camera can rapidly scan vehicle licence plates in a variety of weather and lighting conditions. With access to advanced analytics from Motorola Solutions industry-leading Vigilant PlateSearch, the LQ6 helps to uncover valuable insights including vehicle associations and predictions of future vehicle locations.

The latest awards extend Motorola Solutions glittering run of Good Design Australia Awards to 17 in the past three years. Over this time, Motorola Solutions has won awards from across its entire integrated portfolio of mission critical voice communications, video security and access control, and command centre and frontline mobility software solutions.

Motorola Solutions vice president and managing director for Australia and New Zealand Con Balaskas said the companys latest awards were inspired by the need to help the public safety sector to overcome increasingly complex challenges.

Every day, first responders and frontline workers face unpredictable events and threats that require them to think and react quickly while keeping themselves and everyone around them safe, Balaskas said.

These awards recognise our purposeful approach to innovation, streamlining workflows for public safety officials and putting critical data at their fingertips so they can work more safely and effectively on the street and within their communities, he said.

About Motorola Solutions

Motorola Solutions is a global leader in public safety and enterprise security. Our solutions in land mobile radio communications, video security and access control and command centre software, bolstered by managed and support services, create an integrated technology ecosystem to help make communities safer and businesses stay productive and secure. At Motorola Solutions, were ushering in a new era in public safety and security.

About Good Design Australia and Australias Good Design Awards

Good Design Australia is an international design promotion organisation responsible for managing Australias annual Good Design Awards and other signature design events. With a proud history that dates back to 1958, Good Design Australia remains committed to promoting the importance of design to business, industry, government and the general public and the critical role it plays in creating a better, safer and more prosperous world.
GUEST OPINION: Your business constantly faces various security threats. These threats can be in your physical location or through the internet. Whichever the case, you can suffer substantial monetary and data losses if these threats penetrate through.

Therefore, finding ways to protect your business would be best. In this case, both physical and cyber security threats may require you to consult with security experts in the respective fields for more favourable results. For instance, you can outsource your cybersecurity to any New York network support services company if youre in the New York area.

Furthermore, below are other steps you can take to safeguard your business from physical and cyber threats.

1. Install Security Perimeters And Have An Alarm Response System

Creating physical barriers to your property and other sensitive areas is one way to secure your property. For instance, you can install a perimeter wall or fence to help deter potential intruders from gaining entry or seeing whats inside your property. A secured perimeter also allows you to control entry and exit points. Thus, you can keep a log of who accesses your facility and when, and where possible, deny entry to unauthorised personnel.

Apart from the physical perimeter, Vancouver's top security company Logixx, and other security experts, also recommend that you should have an alarm response system. This ensures theres a round-the-clock monitoring system on your property. Furthermore, the system can help your security team respond more quickly if theres a perimeter breach.

2. Install Surveillance Cameras

Having a security team on your business premises is helpful. However, the team cant be everywhere all the time. Thus, installing CCTVs can help them closely monitor crucial areas on your property. This can be an effective approach in reducing the security teams workload and improving efficiency. Furthermore, surveillance cameras can provide you with footage or clips that can serve as evidence should there be incidents, such as theft or break-ins within your office premises.

3. Train Your Team

Security experts pinpoint staff members as your first and last line of defence. This means if they arent aware of crucial security measures, it can leave your business vulnerable to data and property theft. Therefore, training the team to identify potential security threats can be beneficial.

For instance, cyber threats from malicious emails can be hard to identify. Without cybersecurity awareness, your employees can easily open phishing emails. It only takes one click for cybercriminals to penetrate your system, which can lead to data loss or the risk of ransomware attacks.

In addition, your team should also be aware of their surroundings and what they can do to ensure the physical safety of your property. This can be through locking entry points within the premises or not inviting outsiders inside the workplace.

4. Implement Access Control

Not everyone needs to have full access to all areas of your premises. This also applies to your network system. Therefore, creating and implementing access controls that restrict access to authorised personnel would be best.

For instance, your data centre and some offices have sensitive data and equipment. That said, developing a key-card control system can limit access to search areas. On the other hand, your administrator can create access levels for system access. Thus, users can only view data within their access level and seek authorisation if needed.

5. Install And Update Software Security Patches

Cybercriminals constantly find ways to breach network systems for data harvesting. This means software developers must also stay updated and patch the products to seal potential loopholes. Thus, you might often see update pop-ups in your systems.

Its crucial to run these updates as they ensure your software has the latest security updates. Cybersecurity experts also recommend scheduling such updates when your system is less active to ensure the process runs without interruption.

6. Implement Strong Passwords And Multi-Factor Authentication

Your systems cybersecurity strength generally relies on factors like passwords and device use. For instance, if your team is using weak and easy-to-remember passwords, it can create vulnerabilities in your system for cyber-attacks. Therefore, having a strong password policy would be best.

For instance, instead of pet names or birthdays, you should encourage phrasal passwords or passphrases. In addition, configure your system to demand the use of special characters, numbers, and a mix of upper- and lower-case letters.

Besides strong passwords, using multi-factor authentication (MFA) would also be ideal, as it can help ensure users logging into your system is who they say they are. MFA can include biometric identification or one-time pins (OTPs) to users mobile devices.

Conclusion

Security threats are an ever-present risk in a business. However, knowing what measures to implement can help reduce your businesss vulnerability. The steps above can be a good start in safeguarding your business from possible cyber and physical threats.
Ned Price: "The exercise of the universal right like freedom of expression should never be criminalised."

US State Department spokesman Ned Price appears to have forgotten that his country's government is pursuing WikiLeaks founder and publisher Julian Assange over publishing material that has embarrassed Washington.

In a statement on Tuesday, Price said: "We've made consistently clear to Saudi authorities that freedom of expression should never be criminalised. The exercise of the universal right like freedom of expression should never be criminalised."

.@StateDeptSpox: "We've made consistently clear to Saudi authorities that freedom of expression should never be criminalized. The exercise of the universal right like freedom of expression should never be criminalized." pic.twitter.com/FDtOkzuCAE  The Hill (@thehill) October 25, 2022

He was referring to the jailing of US citizen Saad Ibrahim Al-Madi, 72, for 16 years in Saudi Arabia after he criticised the Saudi regime in some tweets posted while he was in America.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said during a media briefing on 20 October that President Joe Biden had told Saudi Arabia that freedom of expression should never be criminalised.

Price was rebuked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden who tweeted: "You are holding Julian Assange in a dungeon for exercising the freedom of expression you so ardently claim to defend. How about decriminalising it at home before you take to a podium and point your finger abroad?"

Expectedly, there was no reaction from the US side.

You are holding Julian Assange in a dungeon for exercising the freedom of expression you so ardently claim to defend. How about decriminalizing it at home before you take to a podium and point your finger abroad? https://t.co/DAs61R3puw  Edward Snowden (@Snowden) October 26, 2022

Assange is being held in the maximum security Belmarsh Prison in the UK, pending a decision on his request to appeal to the UK High Court against his extradition to the US which was approved by then British home minister Priti Patel on 17 June.

The Australian publisher, who is one of the country's best known hackers, faces criminal charges in the US for publishing classified information that was leaked to WikiLeaks by an American soldier, then known as Bradley Manning, but now, after gender reassignment surgery, known as Chelsea Manning.

Assange's problems began when he visited Sweden in August 2010 to attend a conference where he was scheduled to give a talk. During that visit, he had sex with two women whom he met. The pair filed rape and molestation complaints against him later, claims that he denied.

He was questioned by Swedish authorities and cleared. He could have left the country then and there, but stayed for a while, in case the authorities decided to question him again.

When Daniel Hale did just that, you threw him in prison. Reality Winner did it. Guess what? Prison. Chelsea Manning did itstill prison.



The answer isn't for the government to stop talking like thisthe answer is to stop ruling in a way that makes it the blackest kind of lie. https://t.co/otG5JiJcrJ  Edward Snowden (@Snowden) October 29, 2022

Interpol issued a Red Notice for his arrest on 20 November 2010. On 27 November, Assange surrendered to authorities and appeared before a Westminster judge. He was granted bail in December after his backers provided 240,000 in cash and sureties.

A legal back and forth eventuated and went on until June 2012, when Swedish prosecutors sought his extradition.

Assange's lawyers, among them the world-renowned Australian Geoffrey Robertson, replied that if he agreed to the extradition request, then he could be flown to the US from there.

On 19 June 2012, he jumped bail and took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy, seeking asylum in the South American country. British police surrounded the building and blocked any chance of his leaving.

Ecuador granted him asylum in August 2012. He has had to stay inside the four walls of the embassy since then. He was granted Ecuadorian citizenship by a former president of the country, Rafael Correa.

Assange was arrested by British police in 2019 after Ecuador withdrew the protection it had afforded him. Since then, he has been in and out of court.
Smartphone shipments in China during the third quarter of 2022 increased marginally over the previous three months but, at 70.0 million units, represented a 11% year-on-year fall.

The technology analyst company Canalys said in a statement that local manufacturers vivo and Oppo  both part of B.B.K Electronics  took the first and second spots, shipping 14.1 million units and 12.1 million units respectively. OnePlus shipments are now reported as part of Oppo's figures.

Honor, the low-budget seller formerly owned by Huawei, was third with 12.0 million units, while Apple (11.3 million units) and Xiaomi (9.0 million units) made up the top five.

Analyst Amber Liu described Apple's third-quarter growth as "remarkable".

Its annual launch is highly anticipated by consumers and channels and strong demand for the iPhone 14 Pro series contributed to Apples overall performance," she said. "However, lacklustre demand for the iPhone 14 series sent a strong signal that even Apple is not completely isolated from weak Mainland China consumer demand.

"Under an onslaught of Android vendor competition, Apple had to... adopt aggressive promotions of its entry-level editions and previous generation devices, especially in the RMB5000  6000 (US$700  US$800, A$1083  A$1238) price band.

Another analyst Toby Zhu said: Amid this overall decline in the market, Chinese vendors want to break through in the high-end segment.

vivo is continuously investing in camera and imaging capabilities for its flagship X series, while Oppo is investing in building its cross-device ecosystem solution.

"To achieve sustainable growth in the high-end, profitability is the most important metric for both product planning and channel operations for vendors.

"Moreover, it is critical when planning new products for high-end consumers that leading Chinese players start to shift away from only focusing on specification to a successful product definition.

"Huawei is still lurking, ready to strike, as the biggest threat to other vendors which hope to break into the high-end. Outside the top five, Huawei grew in the market with the 4G-only Mate series, showcasing considerable legacy demand from consumers and channel partners.

Zhu said he expected the China market would stay flat or else see a small amount of growth in 2023 "which is still a much lower level than 2021 or pre-pandemic as demand is not likely to improve until late next year".

"The coming 4Q performance will be driven by Apple with bulk shipments of new iPhones and the e-commerce shopping festival, he added.

Android vendors will push out new launches of high-end devices as well as foldable phones, although production planning should be much more cautious.

"Vendors have been suffering from rapidly declining demand and high inventory over the past quarters which has severely damaged confidence in the overall supply chain. Vendors must face market reality and put effort into optimising operations and profitability while building relationships with their existing user base.
This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.










MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH GRUPO PUNTACANA AND MAC HOTELS TO BRING W HOTELS BRAND TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC The beachfront new-build project in Uvero Alto is expected to feature 349 guest rooms MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH GRUPO PUNTACANA AND MAC HOTELS TO BRING W HOTELS BRAND TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC The beachfront new-build project in Uvero Alto is expected to feature 349 guest rooms Dominican Republic - Industry economy - Hotel projects

This is a press release Category: North America & West Indies / Carribean islands This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2022-10-28



Marriott International, Inc., today announced the signing of a management agreement with Grupo Puntacana and MAC Hotels to begin construction on the W All-Inclusive Punta Cana in Uvero Alto, an adults-only, all-inclusive luxury property in the Dominican Republic.



This hotel is expected to be the first W Hotels property in the market and one of the first W All-Inclusive resorts globally.



W All-Inclusive Punta Cana Uvero Alto is anticipated to feature 349 guest rooms with balconies and plunge pools, as well as several suites.



With immersive and dynamic adult-focused programming, plans for the resort include a spa with 11 treatment rooms, a retail area, three pools with pool bars and eleven food and beverage destinations.



Punta Cana is the perfect destination for both the W Hotels brand and an all-inclusive luxury resort, said Laurent de Kousemaeker, Chief Development Officer, Caribbean and Latin America, Marriott International.



We look forward to bringing the vision for this fun adult playground to life with Grupo Puntacana and MAC Hotels.



Todays agreement is a result of the diversification and growth strategy of Grupo Punta Cana. The pioneering work of the company has contributed to the development of more than 40,000 hotel rooms in the area.



The region generates the equivalent of 6.8% of the Dominican Republics GDP in the tourism sector and has become the province with the highest per capita income in the country.



The signing of W Punta Cana Uvero Alto demonstrates our strong commitment to tourism development in Uvero Alto. This project is set to elevate the hotel supply in the region and generate about 600 new jobs, stated Frank Elias Rainieri, President and CEO, Grupo Puntacana.



For MAC Hotels, the original developer of this project, the investment represents its third project in the country. MAC has evolved its hospitality strategy in which the company has traditionally been both an owner and the operator for all of its projects until now.



Todays signing with Grupo Puntacana and Marriott International allows us to move up to the next stage in our companys growth and development, and we thank both Marriott and Grupo Puntacana for the confidence they have shown us. We are excited to provide an unparalleled experience for guests coming to the beaches of Punta Cana, stated Begona Amengual, CEO, MAC Hotels.



The project is expected to break ground in the coming months with an anticipated opening date in 2025. About Marriott International, Inc. Marriott International, Inc., (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 8,100 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 139 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy, its highly awarded travel program. About W Hotels Worldwide Born from the bold, 24/7 culture of New York City, W Hotels has redefined hospitality for over two decades, breaking the norms of traditional luxury wherever the iconic W sign lands. With nearly 60 hotels around the globe, the detail-driven design, iconic Whatever/Whenever service and buzzing, signature Living Rooms create an experience that is often imitated but never matched. Dynamic and invigorating, the brand celebrates each travelers desire to uncover the destination through a lens that is distinctly W. W Hotels Worldwide is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy, the global travel program from Marriott International. The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, exclusive experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including complimentary nights and Elite status recognition. About MAC Hotels Group MAC Hotels was created in the 1980s by Mr. Miguel Amengual Cifre and his wife, Mrs. Begona Delgado. Today, the family-owned company has been transitioned to its second generation, handled by Begona, Miguel and Aina Amengual, who each hold different management roles. The group owns and manages its 7 hotels under its brands Pure Salt Luxury Hotels, dedicated to the luxury segment, and MAC Hotels, which is a family-oriented brand. Both brands represent a total of 1,920 hotel rooms, in addition to which the group manages a residential complex luxury apartments known as Pure Salt Residences. One of the key pillars of MAC Hotels has been constant reinvestment in its properties to maintain them up to date, and the high satisfaction of its guests and employees. About Grupo Puntacana Grupo Puntacana is a pioneer company in large scale tourist and economic development. With over 52 years of trajectory, it has envisioned and developed a successful real estate community and airport in a paradisaical destination in the Dominican Republic. Through its initiatives in sustainability and corporate social responsibility, Grupo Punta Cana has become a reference for its creation of new jobs while enhancing the local culture and taking care of the environment.










In mid-March, Cherkasy resident Tetyana Drobot posted a series of text-messages on Odnoklassniki, a social network banned in Ukraine, that would change her life for a long time. On March 12, less than 3 weeks into Russias invasion of Ukraine, she shared a picture mocking one of the marches of Ukrainian armed forces in the center of Kyiv. A little earlier she had shared cheerful feelings about the occupation of southern Ukraine by Russian invaders. And there were many similar ones.

The woman's activity on the social network attracted the attention of investigators of Ukraines Security Service (SBU) in the Cherkasy region. A criminal case was initiated. And Drobot was subject to a search. At first, she was accused of violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine, based on her posts. But after the search, the severity of the crime changed. In Drobot's private correspondence with friends and a relative from Russia, photos of fortifications in the center of Cherkasy were found. "They should be bombarded so that they would not be here," she captioned the photos she sent via Viber to Russian subscribers.

After that, Drobot was suspected not only for "encroachment on territorial integrity", but also for "treason". She was immediately detained and placed mid-March in the pre-trial detention center, with an alternative bail of more than 1 million hryvnias (about 27,000 dollars). Drobot and her family did not have such money, and she remained in custody.

During March and April, SBU investigators and prosecutors of the Cherkasy Regional Prosecutor's Office completed the investigation and transferred the Drobot case to the Dnipro District Court of Cherkasy. Here, considering the seriousness of the crime, a panel of three judges was formed, presided over by judge Valentin Konstantin. The first hearing took place in May. It took a total of 6 sessions to deliver a verdict on October 18.

"I'm not a threat"

Drobot immediately pleaded guilty and expressed remorse. At the hearings, she said that she had committed the crime by "giving in to her emotions" and asked to be released, changing the preventive detention to any other measure except prison. "I have no connection with the outside world," said Drobot. My computer, tablet, and phone were taken away. I have nothing. There are no means by which I could, according to the prosecutor, continue my illegal activities. I am begging you to release me under house arrest. I will definitely come to the court session, she said.

But while she claimed "unconsciousness" and the "emotional nature of the crime", her personal page in Odnoklassniki teemed with anti-Ukrainian slogans and Russian propaganda. One of the defendant's last posts praised the greatness of Russia and its cultural advantages over Western countries. And a more serious crime was the distribution of photographs of fortifications and requests to attack them. These actions fall under the definition of treason and are punishable under martial law by imprisonment for 15 years or even life.

With her guilty plea, parties gave up a full examination of the evidence and moved to trial.

In a speech on October 17, the prosecutor asked for 8 years of imprisonment, a less severe punishment than prescribed by law, due to several mitigating circumstances. The prosecutor took into account the defendant's sincere and effective remorse, as well as the woman's good character, retirement age and health. The court also read a description of the woman given by the representative of her condominium, reporting that Drobot took care of the flower beds, planted flowers before the house, and also took part in solving heating issues.

In addition to the mitigating circumstances we have already talked about  sincere remorse and cooperation with the investigation , I ask you to take into account that my client has no previous convictions, is described only in positive terms, and I also ask you to take into account her age and family. I consider it possible to impose a punishment on her, despite the fact that she sincerely repented and understood everything she had done. In my opinion, a sufficient punishment would be no more than 5 years of imprisonment, pleaded her lawyer.

The court weighs in

Drobot cried and in her last address to the court she assured of her remorse:  I regret what I did. I once again apologize to the entire Ukrainian people for the fact that I broke the law and for the fact that I angered people against myself with my actions. I apologize to my family. The only thing I long for today is to be with my family, take care of my grandson, she said in tears. Life is passing me by, I don't know how to turn back in time, please forgive me. I am not a threat to my country. How many years have I worked at school, in kindergarten, how many years have I taught children to love their homeland, to appreciate it... And then [I] jumped into old age in such a mess, simply on emotions, simply because it was connected to my childhood and to some memories. Without realizing it, I sent my sister these pictures to show her what happened to [a word that seemed to refer to a fortification], because my sister and her future husband met there. We used to go there for workshop. I apologize to everyone for my actions.

On the morning of October 18, the announcement of the verdict had to be postponed for a couple of hours. The air alarm in the city lasted for an unusually long time. From 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., the Ukrainian Air Force and Air Defense Forces repelled the attack of another batch of Iranian kamikaze drones attacking critical infrastructure of Ukraine.

At 10:10, the bailiff allowed the defendant to be brought into the courtroom. She humbly sat down in an isolated booth, waiting for the verdict, focusing her gaze sometimes on the prosecutor, then on the journalist. The defense attorney did not appear at the final hearing. Twenty minutes later, judges entered the courtroom. Judge Konstantin began to read the verdict. Drobot was sentenced to 5 years in prison for encroaching on the territorial integrity of the state and to 10 years for treason. The two sentences were commuted to a single sentence of 10 years in jail. Since the defendant pleaded guilty, on the severity of the punishment can be appealed.

This report is part of a series on war crimes, produced in partnership with Ukrainian journalists. A first version of this article was published on the "Sudovyi Reporter" website.
Namibia said Thursday it had asked Germany to renegotiate the genocide agreement reached last year between the two governments, but gave no details of the changes being sought.

Germany last year acknowledged it had committed genocide in colonial-era Namibia and promised more than a billion euros (dollars) in financial support to descendants of the victims.

But government has been under pressure from opposition which said the deal was flawed.

The request to review the deal was made in July following discussions in the Namibian National Assembly, Vice President Nangolo Mbumba announced on Thursday.

"Technical committees of Namibia and Germany discussed the issue and proposed that amendments be made to the joint declaration in the form of an addendum which was submitted to the German government," Mbumba told a meeting of traditional leaders in the capital Windhoek.

"The government of Namibia is awaiting a response from the German side on what we have proposed," he said.

In May 2021, after more than five years of bitter negotiations, Germany announced that it recognised that it had committed "genocide" in this southern African territory, which it colonised between 1884 and 1915.

It offered 1.1 billion euros in development aid spread over 30 years to benefit descendants of the indigenous Herero and Nama ethnic groups.

Germany stressed that the aid would be paid on a "voluntary basis" and that the agreement was not comparable to "reparations".

Many Namibians rejected the agreement, saying that the descendants of the Herero and Nama had not been sufficiently involved in the negotiations.
JUSTICE INFO: You've said that on the evidence that the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has gathered so far, war crimes have been committed by Russian forces. What about crimes against humanity and genocide?

ERIK MSE: So far, we have not found evidence substantiating those crimes. We have been investigating the four areas where the Russians were in late February and March and then withdrew from. Our investigation in this report is based on what we have so far found in those four areas in that timespan.

But you mean to continue and expand the investigation, and do not rule out the possibility that crimes against humanity may have been committed?

We will continue our investigations in the four areas, as well as expanding both geographically and in terms of more topics. It will be the evidence that decides which crimes we find, according to our standard of fact-finding.

You gave an oral update to the Human Rights Council in September, and you just submitted a written report to the UN General Assembly. Are you expecting anything or asking anything of the General Assembly and of States?

There are no general recommendations or any requests by the Commission in its report to the General Assembly. But we have recommended enhanced coordination of international and national accountability efforts to improve effectiveness and prevent harm to victims and witnesses.

Can you elaborate on the need for coordination due to the number of judicial actors involved in trying to gather evidence in this war: Are you talking about just exchanging information or actually trying to articulate some kind of justice process?

There are many actors with different mandates  some general, some specific, some criminal, some relating to human rights issues. As their tasks are different, you cant really envisage some kind of coordination in the strict sense. But in the spirit of exchanging information and being in contact with other bodies which are particularly relevant to each organ, one should avoid loss of efficiency and re-traumatization of victims and witnesses. It would be for each entity to see what it can do, based on its mandates and its method.

What about the Commission, who are you coordinating with?

We are, for instance, in contact with the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. We have contact at regular intervals with them when the need arises.

Ukraine has already started some trials. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine produced a report recently which talks mostly about Russian crimes, but also expresses some concerns about fair trial rights in Ukraine. Are you concerned also?

We have not expressed any view on the issue of fair trial rights in our oral update or in our written report. But such issues may arise as we are continuing our investigations, which is an on-going process. Also other topics will be considered for possible inclusion in our concluding report in March next year.

More generally, I think everyone would agree that any trial has to fulfil the requirements of a fair trial laid down by international law, including Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Article 14 of the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Erik Mose, Chairman of the UN Commission of Inquiry on crimes in Ukraine.  UNIS Vienna / Nikoleta Haffar

Do you see a possible time frame for the first universal jurisdiction trials, or trials at the ICC? How do you see this working?

For this commission, the task is simply to complete its mandate as requested by March next year. In that report, as you know, in addition to the fact finding and referring to different crimes or human rights violations, we will also seek, where possible, to identify persons and entities that have committed such acts. We are also asked in the Resolution to come up with general recommendations as to accountability. And there are many possibilities. It will then be for the Human Rights Council to look at our recommendations, which we have not yet formulated, and discuss how to follow them up.

Do you have an idea of the kind of lines those recommendations might take?

The accountability measures could be international or national. Regarding the national ones, you could imagine that the ordinary courts in Ukraine continue to deal with these kind of cases, but you could also argue that maybe there should be another mechanism, a more specific mechanism in Ukraine, a special court or something at the national level. These are ideas that have been launched in the international discussions, that's why I am providing these lines, as you call them, not showing what the Commission will propose, but what is in principle possible or what is being discussed.

As regards an international follow up, the ICC is clearly a possible body which may consider such cases. The question is how many cases they can deal with. And then it may be asked whether you should have other ad hoc international courts of a criminal nature or a specific court dealing only with the crime of aggression, which is something that has been launched as an idea and is being discussed in international circles. So this is just the broad overview of what the Commission will have to consider.

Once your final report has been filed, what happens? Is the Human Rights Council going to share any evidence that you gathered with other bodies?

In the first Resolution from March this year, we are asked not only to collect evidence, but also to preserve it, to keep it safely. And therefore, the evidence we are collecting will be available for those who request such evidence with a view to accountability.

There are three members of the Commission and you have some researchers and investigators in Vienna. Do you have enough?

We are three commissioners and have our secretariat in Vienna composed of 24 persons. Amongst those persons are investigators and other specialists relevant to our work. And we will complete our mandate with the resources we have.

Have you set priorities now for the rest of the mandate?

We have, of course, certain priorities. We are in particular trying to look at selecting events based on their gravity, whether there is an established pattern, where it is possible to gain access to victims, witnesses and documentation, and, of course, access to that geographical location.

On page 17 of the report, the Commission says it will gradually devote more of its resources to the broader temporal, geographical, and thematic framework set forth in Resolution 49/1. Issues of interest will include possible violations in filtration camps, alleged forced transfers of people, conditions under which expedited adoptions of children are allegedly taking place, as well as changes in local administration and so-called referenda, the consequences of which are becoming clearer given recent events. It also says we will continue to act in a victim-centered way, which is something we have stressed since the beginning.

You say the so-called referenda. Are you not getting into political territory there?

This is just what is stated in the report. These are simply some of the issues that we will try to investigate to the extent there is sufficient evidence that we can use to go into them.

Have you tried to contact the Russian authorities?

Yes, we have. And they have so far not responded or been at our disposal for such cooperation, but we will continue to seek contact with them.

What about the authorities in the occupied regions in the east of Ukraine?

The situation is similar. We have reached out and not yet received any reactions.
After a bitterly divisive campaign and an inconclusive first-round vote, Brazil will select its next president on Sunday in a runoff between far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The sprawling South American giant of 215 million has braced itself for this moment for 18 months since the Supreme Court overturned the controversial corruption convictions that landed Lula in prison  a decision that paved the way for the once-popular former president ( 2003 -2010) to make a political comeback.

Ever since, its the charismatic but ailing ex-metal workers race to lose. And although Lula remains the leader with two tense days to go, experts say its entirely possible he could do just that.

Bolsonaro, the caustic hardline conservative dubbed the tropical trump, is 47 percent to 53 percent behind  versus a 21-point lead for Lula in May, according to a poll released Thursday by the Datafolha Institute.

Lula, who turned 77 on Thursday, and Bolsonaro, 67, will face off in a final debate on Friday night in what is likely to be a brutal last-ditch brawl.

This race will go to the end, said Brian Winter, editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.

Every last vote will count. I wouldnt bet a lot of money on the result.

Bolsonaro was seeking a new four-year term and defied pollsters predictions of a double-digit defeat in the first round of voting on Oct. 2 to trail just five points behind Lula, 48 percent to 43 percent.

His allies, meanwhile, scored big victories in congressional and gubernatorial elections, cementing the far-rights status as a major force in Brazilian politics, regardless of who wins on Sunday.

 Threat of permanent scar 

Bolsonaro emerged from the first lap looking confident he would come from behind.

But he appeared less certain in recent days, repeating his attacks on the electoral system  which he says is plagued by fraud  and saying he will only accept defeat if nothing abnormal exists.

Many fear a Brazilian repeat of the Capitol riots that rocked the United States following the 2020 electoral defeat of Bolsonaros political idol Donald Trump.

Bolsonaros campaign had already claimed election fraud before the vote, claiming that 150,000 of Bolsonaros publicly funded campaign ads were blocked on the radio.

Chief Electoral Judge Alexandre de Moraes dismissed the case on Wednesday, declaring it unfounded.

Analysts say Bolsonaro lacks the military, business and institutional support he would need to stage a power grab if he loses.

And as weve seen in the US  it leaves a lasting scar on a country, Winter said.

 Crapfest 

The last month of the campaign has descended into an orgy of mudslinging, particularly on social media, a crucial battleground.

Bolsonaros side accuses Lula of plotting to close churches, promoting gender ideology in schools and making a pact with Satan.

Lulas side accuses Bolsonaro of pedophilia and cannibalism.

The filth has left little room for current issues such as the weak economy, the rampant destruction of the Amazon rainforest and the 33 million starving Brazilians.

Lula, who is running for his sixth presidential run, draws largely on the legacy of a turning point in the economic boom of the 2000s  but has presented few new ideas or concrete plans for Latin Americas largest economy.

And although the corruption charges that jailed him for 18 months have been overturned, he remains tainted by the aftermath of a massive corruption scandal at state oil company Petrobras.

Only the good memories count for the fans.

We were for Lula then, we are for Lula now, 25-year-old ranch hand Ana Gabriele dos Santos, whose family has long voted for the stalwart leftist, told AFP in Brazils rugged, semi-arid Sertao region in the impoverished northeast. a huge bastion of Lula support.

Bolsonaro, whose popularity has been battered by the carnage of Covid-19 and his denial response, now thrives on a slowly improving economy, a squandering of social spending and the Conservatives ardent support for his culture wars.

Supporters love its focus on God, Country, Family and Freedom.

Hes just like us, said businessman Gilberto Klais, who proudly displays a giant Bolsonaro bumper sticker in the green and yellow of the Brazilian flag in the southern state of Parana, a Bolsonaro bastion.

However, many Brazilians will vote for the candidate they hate less.

Brazils 156 million voters will cast their ballot from 8:00 a.m. (1100 GMT).
Cypriot police fired tear gas on Friday after a fire broke out at a crowded reception center for migrants sparked by a dispute between different nationalities, officials said.

One person required hospital treatment after being injured in the Pournara refugee camp on the outskirts of the capital Nicosia.

People threw rocks and objects at each other, forcing many to flee in panic, and firefighters rushed to put out a blaze that sent plumes of smoke skyward. Tensions later calmed down, police said.

Police chief Stelios Papatheodorou blamed the violence on overcrowding at the centre, which has more than doubled its original capacity of 800 people.

The police are doing everything they can to protect the area and the residents of the camp, Papatheodorou said.

Cypriot news agency Philenews said clashes broke out between asylum seekers from the DRC and Nigeria, two of the largest migrant groups in Cyprus.

EU member Cyprus says it is at the forefront of the blocs irregular migration flows and last year reported the highest number of asylum seekers per population.

The small EU state has lobbied in Brussels to take action against the disproportionate number of asylum seekers it is receiving.

In the Greek-Cypriot-governed southern Cyprus with its 850,000 inhabitants, new asylum applications multiplied last year to over 13,000.
DEINOVE (Euronext Growth Paris: ALDEI), a French biotechnology company pioneering the study and exploitation of bacterial biodiversity to address the urgent and global challenge of antimicrobial resistance, announces that it today declared and applied for the suspension of payments to the Montpellier Commercial Court the opening of insolvency proceedings.

The employee representatives were informed in advance.

The purpose of this procedure is to evaluate all the solutions that allow, under the best conditions, to continue the activity, maintain employment and settle the debts, as well as to start a process of looking for investors as part of a recovery plan continuation or a divestment plan.

Mining will continue throughout the observation period.

The company will inform the market about the decision of the commercial court of Montpellier.

Under these conditions, DEINOVE had asked Euronext to suspend the listing of its share (ISIN: FR0010879056) on Euronext Growth as of October 28, before the market opens, pending the publication of a press release and until further notice. Given the uncertainty about the outcome of the measures taken by the company, the suspension of the listing of the companys shares (ISIN: FR0010879056) is maintained until further notice.

to PROPOSALS DE DEINOVE

DEINOVE is a French biotechnology company pioneering in unlocking a 99.9% unexplored area of ??life: microbial dark matter. By uncovering the metabolic potential of rare or previously uncultivable bacteria, she addresses a global public health and economic challenge: antibiotic resistance.

The news
Nigeria on Friday said it had stepped up security and urged the public to remain vigilant but calm after the United States and Britain warned of a high terror threat in the capital Abuja.

Without providing further details on a specific threat, the US on Thursday ordered the families of diplomats to leave Abuja, citing an increased risk of terrorist attacks.

Residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been on high alert since Sunday when several western embassies changed their travel advice, pointing to an increased risk of attack in Abuja.

Nigerian troops fight jihadist insurgents mainly in the northeast, although small cells exist in other parts of the country.

Militants linked to the Islamic State group have called for several attacks near the capital over the past six months, including a mass prison break in July.

The Kuje incident, in which more than 400 inmates escaped, including dozens of suspected jihadists, had prompted Buhari to say he was disappointed with his intelligence services.

But since then security measures in and around the FCT have been strengthened, according to a statement from President Muhammadu Buharis office on Friday, which referred to the increased surveillance and interception of terrorist communications.

Terror is a reality worldwide. However, that does not mean an attack in Abuja is imminent, she added.

The President said he had given assurances that the government has the security situation under control.

Attacks are thwarted. Security agents proactively remediate threats to keep citizens safemuch of their work is invisible and necessarily confidential.

While ordering extra precautions to be taken, Buhari said that recent changes in travel advice from the US and UK governments should not be cause for panic.

On Thursday, Nigerian Police instructed all strategic police managers responsible for commands and tactical formations within the country to reinforce security in their respective jurisdictions, particularly in the FCT.

 soft targets 

Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba said all emergency numbers should be activated to ensure quick 24/7 response with ready officers and men on duty.

The statement came as the US State Department ordered diplomatic officials to leave Abuja.

A statement on Thursday first said that non-emergency government employees and their families had been asked to leave the country. On Friday, the State Department clarified that the evacuation order applies to families, not employees, who have been authorized but not instructed to leave.

Terrorists may attack with little or no warning targeting malls, markets, hotels, places of worship, restaurants, bars or schools, the Foreign Ministry said in its country summary for Nigeria.

The United States, Britain, Australia and Canada had issued warnings over the past weekend, although the latter three countries had not ordered evacuations of employees or their families as of Friday.

Separately, this week the US warned of a possible terrorist attack in South Africas largest city, Johannesburg.

Some European embassies and international organizations have not updated their risk assessments or travel advice for Nigeria.

We dont have a crisis to deal with, we deal with the panic, a senior security manager at an international organization based in Abuja told AFP, asking not to be identified.

We dont know what the motive (behind the US evacuation) is. We are taking some precautions/actions but activities are normal, he added.

On Thursday, Jabi Lake Mall, a large shopping mall in Abuja, was temporarily closed due to unspecified security concerns.

Nigerias military is few and far between, with soldiers stationed in most parts of the West African nation of about 200 million people.

The last time a jihadist group  Boko Haram  attacked the city center was in 2014.

In addition to the ongoing terrorist threat, the capital is also surrounded by states with rampant banditry  gangs of gunmen who kidnap and kill without ideological motivation.
Swedish prosecutors said on Friday they would conduct a new supplementary crime scene investigation into the Nord Stream leaks, after the navy and pipeline owner also began investigations this week.

I have decided to carry out a series of supplementary inspections of the crime scene together with the Security Service (Sapo), prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said in a statement.

The Swedish Armed Forces have decided to assist the investigations upon request, Ljungqvist added, without giving details of what they are looking for.

Four leaks occurred in the two Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea off the Danish island of Bornholm at the end of September. Seismic institutes reported registering two underwater explosions before the leaks occurred.

While the leaks were in international waters, two of them were in the Danish exclusive economic zone and two of them were in Sweden.

At the beginning of October, the Swedish public prosecutors office announced that it had collected evidence during an underwater inspection of the leaks in the Swedish economic zone, which had substantiated the suspicion of sabotage.

The new inspection comes as the Swedish Navy and the pipelines owner, Nord Stream AG, both announced earlier this week that they would conduct their own inspections of the ruptured pipelines.

Jimmie Adamsson, chief of communications for the Swedish Navy, confirmed that they were on site with a vessel specializing in diving operations and were supporting the new prosecutors inspection.

However, he stressed that this is not related to the poll they initiated themselves this week.

The first investigation didnt trigger the second, but theyre two different things, Adamsson told AFP.

Nord Stream AG, majority-owned by Russias Gazprom, said Thursday that a specially equipped vessel arrived at the site of the pipeline damage in Swedens exclusive economic zone.

The pipelines linking Russia to Germany were at the center of geopolitical tensions as Russia cut off gas supplies to Europe in alleged retaliation for Western sanctions over Moscows invasion of Ukraine.
The United States on Friday urged Kosovo to postpone demands that the Serb minority switch to government plates, accusing the Western-backed state of being uncompromising.

The European Union negotiated an agreement in August to allow free movement between Kosovo and Serbia in a bid to defuse tensions following a series of violent incidents.

Kosovo has given all residents a deadline of the end of the month to switch to their number plates, a move opposed by much of the Serbian minority, who insist on keeping the plates from Belgrade as they share the majority Albanian Kosovo 2008 declaration not accepting independence.

The United States, which with its NATO allies supported Kosovan forces when they fought Serbia in 1999, said Kosovo was within its rights but should postpone the rule to allow time for EU-led diplomacy between the two sides admit.

The United States is disappointed and concerned that the Kosovo government has rejected requests from its international partners, said State Department spokesman Ned Price.

Kosovo and Serbia should work urgently and flexibly to reach a comprehensive agreement on normalized relations that focuses on mutual recognition.

Under the Brussels Agreement, Serbia has agreed to abolish an entry/exit document for Kosovar ID card holders, and Kosovo has agreed not to introduce one for Serbian ID card holders.

Serbia has been a candidate to join the European Union since 2012, but its prospects are viewed as bleak without a normalization of relations with Kosovo.
Lee Sung Kyung dishes on her growth as an actress, social media activities, and her return for "Dr. Romantic" season 3.

The model-actress dazzled showing off her French girl transformation as she graced Elle Korea's special edition in celebration of the publication's 30th anniversary.

Lee Sung Kyung's Take on French Girl for Elle Korea's Anniversary

Best known for her role in "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo" as the quirky athlete, Lee Sung Kyung stuns with elegance as she transforms into a classic French girl.

The model-actress never fails to deliver head-turning shoots in collaboration with the luxury fashion house, Chanel where she serves as one of the global ambassadors for their beauty brand.

Lee Sung Kyung Talks About 'Dr. Romantic' Season 3

Drama officials recently confirmed the return of "Dr. Romantic" for its third installment.

According to a media outlet, a representative from SBS shared that the scriptwriters Kang Eun Kyung and Lim Hye Min along with director Yoo In Suk will be working behind the camera.

On the other hand, the "Dr. Romantic 3" cast includes Han Suk Kyu, who will reprise his role as the skilled surgeon also known by his nickname Teacher Kim.

Joining him as lead stars are Ahn Hyo Seop and Lee Sung Kyung from Season 2.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Chanel Ambassadors Gong Yoo, Kim Go Eun, More Hailed as 'Icons' of the Industry

Interestingly, during her appearance with Elle Korea, the 32-year-old actress hints about what to expect in the highly anticipated medical K-drama.

Lee Sung Kyung revealed to the publication that is one of her and her co-stars' "dreams" for the drama to return with a new season.

"I know that it is very difficult to achieve a season system in reality, but the sincere wishes of all my colleagues for a season 3 gathered together and finally came true," she said, adding "It is because affectionate hearts for the work are intertwined."

Moreover, the actress promised that she "will work hard to prepare" to show the viewers a "good image as much as you have been waiting."

Following the confirmation of the drama series along with its main characters, "Dr. Romantic 3" will start filming in 2023.

Lee Sung Kyung's Growth as Actress

The 5'9 stunner started her career as a runway model, gracing several fashion shows, and eventually began her acting career in 2014 as a supporting character in "It's Okay, That's Love" starring Gong Hyo Jin and Jo In Sung.

With her eight-year career as an actress, Lee Sung Kyung says that she has come a long way; however, despite playing different kinds of roles, she wished that "there were more characters" for her.

She described her acting journey as "fate" but it ended up becoming her life.

"Actually, learning is not something I am good at, but something I want to do well. It's living someone's life," she said, referring to her work as an actress.

Lee Sung Kyung's Instagram and How She Sees It More than a Social Media Tool

One of the most followed K-drama actresses is Lee Sung Kyung, with 14.5 million followers and counting.

For the actress, she treats Instagram as more like her album or a diary more than a social media or communication channels.

Lee Sung Kyung revealed that as much as possible, she wanted to "record the precious and grateful memories."

Interestingly, Lee Sung Kyung's Instagram features various posts - from her advertisements, on-screen projects, and random occasions with her loved ones.

KDramastars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
"May I Help You" Episoed 4, the wish-granters Girl's Day Hyeri and Lee Jun Young try to fulfill the final wish of their new client. The former also reveals her true identity and her sole purpose while she's alive. Will this change the course of their friendship?

'May I Help You' Episode 4: Baek Dong Ju Reveals True Identity

Because of Seo Gang's (Hong Na Hyun) sudden demise, her husband Lee Won Ho's (Oh Seung Baek) suffered alone in the latest episode of "May I Help You."

Through Baek Dong Ju (Girl's Day Hyeri) and Butler Kim (Lee Jun Young), she wishes to show how much she loves her husband. Seo Gang is killed by a man while her husband wasn't home.

After learning about this, Baek Dong Ju becomes more eager to grant the deceased lady's wish. She also reveals her true identity to Butler Kim, saying that she could see ghosts and talk to them.

Lee Won Ho, the husband of the deceased, wallows in pain as he remembers the promise he made with Seo Gang. He also struggles to decode the meaning of the Tae Myung Bridge, which he had a conversation with before his wife was killed.

Even Baek Dong Ju couldn't unravel its meaning. With this, she goes on to fulfill another wish that Seo Gang asked for. Before she died, she and her husband listened to the radio story they loved.

It contained the romance story of the couple, which was also accidentally heard before by Butler Kim. Seo Gang and Lee Won Ho grew up in an orphanage before they fell in love and became a family.

Because of their immense love for one another, they named their child after the place where they shared their first kiss.

The Closure Between Love and Death

At that moment, Butler Kim remembers Baek Dong Ju's words and realizes that the bridge from the message is located in Incheon.

When they arrived, Butler Kim hurriedly rescued Lee Won Ho who was trying to take his own life. He then comforts him by saying that the letters his wife left contained her utmost feelings for the man.

Seo Gang told her husband how much she loves him and their family. She also said that if she becomes Seo Gang in her next life, she wants to meet Lee Won Ho and be with him once again.

Thanks to the efforts of Baek Dong Ju and Butler Kim, the wish of another deceased person has been fulfilled.

Meanwhile, Butler Kim's hidden secret raises curiosity as a boy continuously appears in his dreams, asking him why he killed him.

KDramastars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
South Africa: Academy to create jobs, skills development for KZN youth

In a bold and historic first for the province, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has officiated the launch of the Fuze Aviation Academy Training Programme.

The programme is aimed at job creation, skills development and supporting young people in the aviation sector.

Speaking during the launch at the Oribi Airport in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday, Dube-Ncube described the event as a ground breaking initiative, marking the entry of Black men and women into what remains a white-dominated industry, 28 years into democracy.

Today, we are launching the training programme for Private Pilot Licence, Commercial Pilot Licence, Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Training. The Fuze Aviation Academy, which was opened in 2021 in KwaZulu-Natal, opens opportunities to the girls and boys of rural and urban areas to enter the exciting world of flight, Dube-Ncube said.

The Premier commended the Transport Education Training Authority for guiding and supporting the Fuze Aviation Academy during the critical stages of its development path.

She announced that the academy has also entered into a partnership with the provincial government, through the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs.

As the provincial government, we will continue to provide the necessary support to ensure the successful rollout of various programmes in the aviation sector.

The Premier noted that the academy has entered the market at an opportune time, when capacity has been severely diminished by the withdrawal of Comair, which operated Kulula and British Airways in South Africa.

While other airlines including Lift and FlySafair have responded by adding more flights to their rosters, Dube-Ncube said, this has led to exorbitant ticket fees.

At the same time the price of jet fuel has not assisted because it has risen globally following the geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe. One of the concerns also raised by the airlines in South Africa is that they are struggling to get trained pilots and cabin crew on board quickly enough.

So even as Fuze Aviation Academy mulls entering into full commercial operations, you should be content that there is indeed demand for the crew that you are training at the Oribi Airport, the Premier said.

She also highlighted that with the holiday season fast approaching; there will be a demand for inward and outbound travel together with demand for human resources.

The Fuze Aviation Academy, with its various elements  charter business, cargo, repair and maintenance, pilot and cabin attendant training is thus posed to take its place in this attractive, safe and growing sector of our economy.

I wish to remind cadets and the graduates at the Fuze Academy that thanks to this strict, but necessary international and local governance of virtually every aspect of flying, there is no space for mistakes. There is no room for error because lack of attention to detail can cost lives, she said.

Opportunities

Dube-Ncube reminded the trainees at the academy that they represent the hopes of millions over generations who are in awe of the wonders of flight.

You are the realisation of dreams of the girls and boys of rural and urban areas of our province who want to enter this world of work that offers so many possibilities. Aviation offers you very rewarding possible careers as pilots, cabin attendants, air traffic controller, aeronautical engineer, aircraft mechanic, airport planner, airport security manager, airfield operations specialist, airline operations agent and airport manager, among others.

In terms of employment opportunities, the world is your oyster as some of the biggest employers are aircraft and spacecraft manufacturers. There is no industry that is brimming with such opportunities and promise.

She added that with air traffic set to double in the next 20 years, the African aviation market is one of the worlds most attractive with high profit and stable passenger growth prospects anchored on a fast-growing middle class.

As drone pilots they will provide real time capture of accident scenes and take pictures first-hand before any interference can happen to conceal crucial information and evidence. The drones will also be used for monitoring the coastline for swimmers in distress and expedite the dispatch of rescue boats and medical assistance.

It is also envisaged that they will play a crucial role in pest and disease control within agriculture, where drones will be dispatched to deliver medication especially in rural areas, the Premier highlighted.

The trainees include 30 drone operators, 20 aviation engineers, and 10 private and commercial pilots.

Dube-Ncube said that upon exit, some of the students will be able to work with the Department of Transport and Health in identifying road accident monitoring and data collection especially during peak seasons and major events throughout the country.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-10-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China's recipe for bigger pie of global development in new blueprint

Xinhua) 17:04, October 28, 2022

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The world has been keeping tabs on one of China's most important meetings in its political calendar concluded last week to gauge the direction China will take in the next half-decade and beyond.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) on Sunday unveiled its new top leadership, which will take the world's most populous nation on a new journey of high-quality and inclusive development, with far-reaching significance to the region and the world.

Reviewing China's development success, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, reaffirmed China's commitment to further opening-up and the common values of humanity.

Observers believe that as global recovery progresses in fits and starts, China, under the leadership of the CPC, will remain an indispensible stabilizing force and an inexhaustible source of development wisdom.

OASIS OF GROWTH

China's economic rise and modernization from a primarily agricultural country decades ago is an inspiring rags-to-riches story. From 2013 to 2021, China's GDP grew at an average annual rate of 6.6 percent, beating the global level of 2.6 percent.

The country now boasts the world's most extensive social welfare system, the largest high-speed railway network, as well as the largest and fastest growing middle-income group, which is sure to translate into massive opportunities for China and the wider world.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)'s human development index (HDI), from 1990 to 2019, China is the only country to have moved from low human development category to high human development category since UNDP first began analyzing global HDI trends in 1990.

Earlier in May, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the international community to rescue and prioritize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"The multiple crises facing the world raise the bar even higher ... The years ahead will demand much stronger leadership and ambition at all levels," said the secretary-general.

Against such a backdrop, the most populous nation's miraculous, people-centered development represents a motivation for an anxious world.

China's development is not only illustrated by economic figures, but also by the sense of happiness shared by its people, and the results of the CPC's people-centered endeavors in various fields have been tested by practice and recognized by the people, said Ang Teck Sin, a political commentator in Singapore.

Now that sense of fulfillment has been shared by a wider crowd across the world. China's contribution to global economic growth during the 2013-2021 period averaged 38.6 percent, outstripping that of the Group of Seven (G7) countries combined.

The world's second largest economy has become a major trading partner for over 140 countries and regions, leading the world in total volume of trade in goods, and emerging as a mainstay in building an open world economy.

Meanwhile, Chinese modernization is widely inspiring in the way that it does not comply with a fixed or a Westernized storyline, but rather adapts to its national conditions and evolving circumstances at home and abroad.

As British scholar Martin Jacques once put it, China proves that the Western belief that "as countries modernize, they also westernize" is simply an illusion.

China's modernization has provided an important reference for many countries that are facing economic and social development problems and are exploring development paths suited to their national conditions, said Luis Delgado, a researcher of Venezuela's Center for Advanced Studies in Development and Emerging Economies.

Senegalese sociologist Mamadou Diouf said, "Chinese modernization takes into account the living environment, ecosystem and natural environment, and puts people at the center, which is key to achieving sustainable modernization."

SEED OF HOPE

In the mostly arid, desert-capped Sub-Saharan Africa, locals have been planting a small grass from China for livestock feed, mushroom production, or even as a green barrier to fight climate change.

The "magic" plant called Juncao, which uses grass instead of wood to cultivate edible fungi, has worked wonder in 100-plus countries as a cash cow and the source of tens of thousands of jobs.

Debunking the myth that to produce edible mushrooms trees must be chopped down, the small grass has offered a green alternative and a boon for a shared future.

First cultivated in China, the plant has taken root in the far-flung, poverty-stricken fields in Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, Rwanda and Fiji, its mushrooms gracing the tables of an increasing number of households.

Petty in size, Juncao has become "grass of happiness" and "grass of prosperity" for people in developing countries and a signboard for China's foreign assistance and poverty-alleviation endeavors overseas.

In Iraq's Mesopotamia, desertification and soil salinization have long threatened to bury this cradle of one of humanity's earliest civilizations in dust.

"My dream is to transfer what I learned from China to Iraq and turn deserts into oases," said Sarmad Kamil Ali, deputy chief agricultural engineer of Iraq's State Board of Combating Desertification, who studied in China nearly 10 years ago to learn about sand control.

In tropical Ethiopia, China's climate remote sensing satellite, orbiting more than 600 km above the ground, is working like a guardian angel for this "hometown of coffee," to cushion the impact of climate change on coffee planting.

China's green energy projects and technical assistance overseas have not only worked as a magic wand turing barren, tropical areas into energy oases, but also helped fully harness the natural endowment of many countries.

China has been a true practitioner of its vision to build a human community with a shared future. Its invaluable experience in poverty alleviation has also taken root elsewhere as a seed of hope for locals.

The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) puts developing nations on the right track to achieving their long-term development goals, said Khairy Tourk, a professor of economics with the Stuart School of Business at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

"The BRI has drawn world attention to the importance of infrastructure as an essential pillar of economic development," Tourk said.

"TEA AND BEER"

"The Chinese people are fond of tea and the Belgians love beer. To me, the moderate tea drinker and the passionate beer lover represent two ways of understanding life and knowing the world, and I find them equally rewarding," Xi said in a speech delivered at the College of Europe in Belgium in 2014.

Xi used this metaphor to elaborate on China's vision of civilization featuring diversity, equality and inclusiveness.

On multiple occasions, including the just-concluded CPC national congress, China has vowed to hold dear humanity's common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom, doubling down on the joint building of an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.

This is also the bedrock value of the country, which has long been committed to an independent foreign policy of peace, safeguarding a UN-centered international system and promoting a human community with a shared future.

China, in its earnest pursuit of national rejuvenation, knows all too well that peace is the prerequisite for development, and inclusive development requires an inclusive vision of security, in which humanity works as an indivisible whole.

To help fix global deficits in peace, development, trust, and governance, China has walked its talk to pool resources and consensus, crack security puzzles, and boost sustainable and inclusive development.

Since 1990, China has dispatched over 50,000 peacekeepers to nearly 30 UN peacekeeping missions. It is the second largest contributor to the UN regular budget and peacekeeping assessments. It has supported the United Nations' work in various fields through establishing the Peace and Development Trust fund with the UN.

The vision of a shared future largely reflects the core values of China's traditional culture such as harmony and equality, said B. R. Deepak, chairperson of the Center of Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies at the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University.

The Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, both proposed by China and based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation, are like an antidote to hegemony, unilateralism, exclusion and the Cold War mentality in today's world, he said.

Unlike some Western countries' unilateral pursuits of their safety, the Global Security Initiative seeks common security, which underlines peace and cooperation, said Bambang Suryono, chairman of the Indonesian think tank Asia Innovation Study Center.

The global future "is an issue which commands the attention of people everywhere in the world, not just people of this country or that country," said Martin Albrow, a fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences.

Tackling such big global issues as climate change, nuclear security and deforestation needs the focus on "collective activities, which go beyond national boundaries," he said, hoping that China can take the lead.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Cody Weathersby is only 19 years old, but hes already a grizzled veteran when it comes to holiday light shows.

He started helping his dad, Billy, putting up the familys Christmas lights several years ago.

Its kept growing from there and now includes a Halloween display coordinated to music.

I grew up with this, Cody Weathersby said, gesturing to the assorted lights, tombstones and ghosts that cover his familys northside front yard at 1416 40th Ave. I jumped in and helped out my dad, but now Ive taken over and my dad helps me.

A big change is the technology involved. Weathersby updated the show to LED Pixels, which allows him to control each individual bulb in a light string. (His dad laughs and says his own decorating skills extend to plugging in lights. Thats it.)

While the new technology allows Cody Weathersby to create more and more elaborate shows  this years edition contains 20 songs and runs about an hour before repeating  the reason he does it is simple: I just love it each year when Im up on the ladder and people walk by or drive by and say thanks for doing this. Thats the best feeling.

Once he dove into the new world of high-tech holiday decorating, Weathersby discovered an online community filled with helpers.

A lot of the stuff we have comes from the community of people who do this, he explained. Someone will make something for their yard and, if it works well, theyll start selling it to other people.

Hes also turned to these experts for help.

The technology can be very tricky, Weathersby said. Ive gotten a lot of help from Facebook groups. You can connect with people from all over  Ive gotten help from people in Australia.

As for the programming itself, he uses free software called xLights.

After Halloween, Weathersby starts putting away the ghosts and pumpkins and pulling out candy canes and snowflakes. Luckily, he can reuse some items, like the towering tree of lights in the display. We just change the colors from orange and purple to red and green.

The light show runs through Halloween and will start early, at 4 p.m. Monday, during Kenoshas trick-or-treating hours.

Thats my favorite night for all this, Weathersby said. The kids all love to see the show. Well have outdoor speakers set up, so you can hear the music as you walk by.

They also add a fog machine on Halloween. Because, why not?

Though the LED Pixel stuff is the latest in high-tech  its an array of LED lights all connected to an integrated control chip  a lot of the actual work is still done the old-fashioned way.

I had to wire all the props by hand, setting in each light, which was very time consuming, Weathersby said. (Thats why he started planning and working on this in January, with strings of lights spread out all over the basement.)

Hes also a busy college student at the nearby University of Wisconsin-Parkside, along with his jobs at Culvers and as a ride unit supervisor at Six Flags Great America.

With Halloween just a few days away, Weathersby is already thinking about the 2023 show.

We have about 5,000 lights right now, and well try to add more. We try to make it bigger every year, until theres no more room in the basement, he said, laughing.
A man has been found guilty of the manslaughter of Kilkenny man Edward (Liam) OSullivan.



Mr OSullivan suffered a determined and vicious assault at his home at High Hayes Terrace, in Kilkenny, in the early hours of Thursday, February 6, 2020. He died later that day in hospital.



At a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Kilkenny today (Friday) Garrett Smith, of 6 St Fiaccs Terrace, Graigcullen, Carlow, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Mr OSullivan by a jury.



It was a majority 10-2 verdict from the four women and eight men.



There was a unanimous guilty verdict returned by the jury on a second charge of violent disorder.



The verdicts were returned after more than 10 hours of deliberations by the jury, over three days.



Mr Smith has now been remanded in custody to appear before the Central Criminal Court, in Dublin, for sentencing on Monday, November 21.



TRIAL



Over the course of the trial, more than 40 witnesses gave evidence, including gardai, medical professionals, forensic experts, neighbours of Mr OSullivan and those who had spent time with him in his apartment on the day and night before he died.

The jury also heard from those who had been in the company of the defendant on that day.



There had been a social gathering at Mr OSullivans apartment and those there had consumed alcohol and other substances.



When things went quiet in the early hours of the morning an upstairs neighbour approached Mr OSullivans apartment to see if all was ok, and discovered him lying on the floor, ashen in colour with blood on his face. There was a pool of blood on the floor.



Mr Smith was arrested and charged with the murder of Mr OSullivan.



The jury heard that Mr OSullivan suffered massively traumatic injuries in the assault.

A doctor gave evidence of blunt force trauma injuries to Mr OSullivans head, any one of which could have been fatal. There were also serious injuries to his abdomen, his ribs were broken at the front, sides and back.

There were bone injuries to Mr OSullivans face, his skull, nose and jawbone.



Evidence had been heard that Mr OSullivan suffered a brain injury akin to that sustained in a road accident and he suffered swelling of the brain.

The injuries were described as massively traumatic injuries suffered extensively not only in the area of his head but also to his body.



Footwear patterns were found on Mr OSullivans face. A forensic expert told the court these were matched to footwear Mr Smith was wearing on the night.



The court heard an eye witness account of events from witness Rebecca Walsh who said she saw Mr Smith stamping repeatedly on the head and face of Mr OSullivan.

In her evidence she also described a gurgling sound from Mr OSullivan as he was being beaten, that, the court was told by a medical expert, was the aspiration of the blood from the bony injuries into the mouth, in accordance with the scientific evidence.



The court also heard a forensic expert found blood staining on the right shoe of Mr Smith that was consistent with contact with Mr OSullivan. There was splatter stain on the left shoe and left leg of Mr Smiths jeans, as if he was standing beside Mr OSullivan. Standing on his left foot, stamping with the right foot.

Some blood staining on Ms Walshs clothes confirmed she was there.



Ms Walsh said that when Mr Smith was kicking Mr OSullivan he said you were a hard man with your friends.

Senior Counsel Sean Guerin, for the state, said this was the voice of a man embarrassed in front of others earlier in the evening and was there to get his revenge.



Several witnesses gave evidence that earlier in the day they heard Mr Smith say things like he felt like knocking someone out and that someone would get it that night.



Colman Coady, senior counsel, defending, said these witnesses were unreliable. That they were motivated by spite against Mr Smith because Mr OSullivan was their friend. He suggested the jury discount their evidence in its entirety.



He said witnesses gave different and inconsistent accounts of what happened that night. He said events in the apartment had nothing to do with Mr Smith changing the atmosphere, and that as an outsider it was he who had been marginalised, picked on and ganged up on.



Mr Smith had given a statement alleging he had been manhandled in the apartment, earlier in the evening.



Evidence was also given in the course of the trial in reference to the second count, of violent disorder.



Read the full account of the trial in the Kilkenny People newspaper, on sale on Wednesday.
A man who admitted he takes cannabis to relax and amphetamines to party has been handed down a suspended prison sentence at Kilkenny District Court.



Ranno Serma, 5 St Johns Road, Lakeside, Kilkenny, pleaded guilty to two counts of being in illegal possession of drugs at his home address on July 30, 2020, cannabis and amphetamine.

A Probation Report had been prepared for the court, and solicitor Ed Hughes said his client had come some way to distance himself from his past. Although, he said, his client does use drugs.

Judge Geraldine Carthy observed the Probation Report said Mr Serma uses cannabis to relax and amphetamines to party.

Mr Hughes said his client works six days a week, even taking time off work to attend court is difficult. He hasnt time to do a Drugs Awareness Course.

Mr Serma comes from a broken country, the solicitor said, and was involved in gangland crime there, but he has calmed his lifestyle since coming to Ireland.



Judge Carthy said the Probation Report made stark reading. What concerned the court, she said, was Mr Sermas attitude to drugs and the effect of that on society in general, as well as what might happen when he has drugs in his system.



For being in possession of cannabis Mr Serma was convicted and fined 500. For being in possession of amphetamines he was sentenced to two months in prison, suspended for 12 months. The judge said Mr Serma is to be under the supervision of the Probation Service, accepting any appointments offered, and he must complete a Drugs Awareness Course.
Traditional musicians Tara Breen and Padraig Rynne are set to take Kilkenny by storm when they perform at the Watergate Theatre next week.

Nasc is the new album from Co. Clare musicians Tara Breen and Padraig Rynne. The duo have been performing regularly since 2009 and had always planned on releasing a duet album. 2020 offered the perfect opportunity to enter the studio spending four days recording their new album Nasc.

What followed was a nine-track album of mostly Irish traditional music with a sprinkle of Scottish, Asturian and Breton melodies as well as newly composed pieces.

Nasc received the American Celtic Listener Supported Radio Music Award 2022 for Irish Traditional Album of the Year.

The success of the album has led to the trio performing as an outfit together both nationally and internationally and have become one of the most sought after acts in traditional Irish music.

Embark on an odyssey of wonder, joyfulness and upbeat music as three incredibly talented and creative folk musicians shape melodies from past and present into something dynamic and irresistible.

A trio comprising of musicians at the fore of our tradition, expect a performance from the gentle to the rhythmical and all the in-betweens.

Tara Breen has numerous All Ireland titles on the fiddle and tours regularly with The Chieftains, Stocktons wing and as a solo performer. Padraig Rynne is considered a leading figure in Irish music and is founding member of well-known bands such as NOTIFY and Guidewires.

Both Tara and Padraig have worked regularly in different outfits over the past decade while Jim and Padraig have been long-time friends first meeting on the Galway scene when Jim began working with Sharon Shannon.

Described as one of the freshest sounds in Irish music by Roots, multi award winner Padraig Rynne is a virtuoso musician, prolific composer and is regarded as one of the finest concertina player in Irish music today. With an MA in Music Technology and with a passion for experimenting in diverse genres

Padraig is recognized for his refreshing explorations into the Irish tradition and for his ground-breaking band NOTIFY, described by the New York Echo as cinematic in scope.

A worthy description as a musical wizard by Music Network, Tara Breen is the fiddler with the legendary band, The Chieftains. She is an all-round extraordinary musician who has 11 solo All-Ireland titles. Tara is also the winner of both the coveted Fiddler of Dooney and Michael Coleman Fiddle competitions and was invited to perform at Dublin Castle for the Queen of England during her State visit to Ireland. Tara has numerous recording credits to her name and regularly guests with artists such as Carlos Nunez, Stocktons wing and the Tri Tones.

Jim Murray has been touring the world full time as a professional musician since the age of eighteen. Jim is considered Sharon Shannons right hand man having recorded and toured with her over five continents. He also released two critically acclaimed albums with long term partner Seamus Begley in 2001 and 2008 which collectively scooped many prestigious awards such as The Irish Times and Hot Press Traditional Irish Music Album of the Year. Since Jims arrival on the world stage, he has gained the respect of both national and international musicians and has performed and recorded with artists such as Sinead OConnor, Steve Earl, Shane McGowan, Altan and Mary Black to mention but a few.

Padraig Rynne and Tara Breen with Jim Murray will perform at the Watergate Theatre on November 10.

For more see watergatetheatre.ie
Irish Water has issued a second Boil Water Notice for Kilkenny customers.

The second notice, which affects Bennettsbridge, Stoneyford, Kells, Knocktopher, Ballyhale and surrounding areas, was issued on Saturday morning and follows on from the notice supplied for the Clogh-Castlecomer Public Water Supply which was issued on Friday evening.

Drinking water experts from Irish Water and Kilkenny County Council are working to rectify the turbidity issues at the treatment plant and lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible, in consultation with the HSE. In the meantime, all customers on this supply are advised to boil water before use until further notice.

Customers can check if their property is included by visiting the Water Quality section of www.water.ie and entering the propertys Eircode or by calling the Irish Water customer care helpline, which is open 24 hours, on 1800-278278. A map of the area is available to view on the supply and service section of water.ie.

"Public health is Irish Waters number one priority and we would like to assure customers that the notice has been put in place to protect public health," said Patrick Duggan, Irish Waters Operations Lead. "We acknowledge the inconvenience caused to homes and businesses and would like to assure customers that we are working to resolve the issue and lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible."

In line with HSE Covid-19 advice and the requirement for frequent hand washing, Irish Water advises that the water remains suitable for this purpose and boiling the water is not required for handwashing.

Irish Waters drinking water standards, as per EU Drinking Water regulations, are strict and include wide safety margins. Where risks to water quality are identified through Irish Waters enhanced testing and monitoring programme, the Health Service Executive (HSE) are consulted and Boil Water Notices are issued to protect public health. In all instances immediate action is taken to address the cause of the issue to enable the lifting of the notice as quickly as it safe to do so, in agreement with the HSE.

Vulnerable customers who have registered with Irish Water receive direct communication on Boil Water Notices. Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.

Water must be boiled for:

Drinking

Drinks made with water

Preparation of salads and similar foods, which are not cooked prior to eating

Brushing of teeth

Making of ice - discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges. Make ice from cooled boiled water.

Use water prepared for drinking when preparing foods that will not be cooked (washing salads, etc).

Water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing and flushing of toilets but not for brushing teeth or gargling.

Boil water by bringing to a vigorous, rolling boil (with an automatic kettle) and allow to cool. Cover and store in a refrigerator or cold place. Water from the hot tap is not safe to drink. Domestic water filters will not render water safe to drink.

Caution should be taken when bathing children to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water.

Preparing Infant Formula

Where a Boil Water Notice is in place, people can prepare infant formula from tap water that has been boiled once (rolling boil for one minute) and cooled beforehand. Bottled water can also be used to make up infant formula. All bottled water, with the exception of natural mineral water, is regulated to the same standard as drinking water. If bottled water is used to make up infant formula it should be boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute), and cooled in the normal way. Ready-to-use formula that does not need added water can also be used.

Great care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds as accidents can easily happen, especially with children.
National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company delivering the new future-proofed, high-speed Fibre-to-the-Home network under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) on behalf of the Government, has announced that over 3,500 premises in Kilkenny City will be able to order or pre-order broadband on the NBI network very shortly.

Some 19,000 premises in County Kilkenny are included in the States Intervention Area, which will see NBI deliver minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second to homes, businesses, farms, and schools. As the biggest investment in rural Ireland since rural electrification, County Kilkenny will receive 72m of Government investment under the NBP.

NBI crews have made substantial progress in County Kilkenny and premises will soon go live in Kilkenny City where over 3,500 premises will be able to order or pre-order broadband on the NBI network.

The NBI website is regularly updated to show estimated connection dates. Signing up to the NBI email notifications at https://nbi.ie/eoi/ is the easiest way to get the most up to date status of premises during the rollout and when premises will be ready for order.

Peter Hendrick, Chief Executive Officer, National Broadband Ireland, said: We are delighted to announce that premises in Kilkenny City will soon be able to order or pre-order broadband services through the NBI network. This will enable users to experience the life-changing benefits that high-speed broadband provides.

We are confident that the rollout will continue to gather pace as our ability to move premises from the construction phase to the order phase ramps up. We are acutely aware that people want access to high-speed broadband and our goal is to deliver that as quickly as possible.

Under the National Broadband Plan, 559,000 premises nationwide are included in the Intervention Area, which was established by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications to identify areas where commercial operators are not currently providing access to high-speed broadband or do not intend to.

NBI is encouraging people to check their eligibility and register for updates at www.nbi.ie to receive regular notifications related to their own premises as works progresses in their area.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has failed to set a date for a snap Assembly election, despite the deadline for the formation of a devolved government passing.

However, Mr Heaton-Harris has insisted that he will still call the Stormont election but would meet with political parties first.

His announcement on Friday was heavily criticised by political leaders in Northern Ireland.

Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill accused him of a bizarre U-turn while DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the chaos continues.

It had been widely anticipated that Mr Heaton-Harris would announce the date for an election on Friday, after the deadline to restore Stormont passed at midnight.

Stormont ministers, who have been operating in shadow form since the Assembly collapsed earlier this year, also ceased to hold office at midnight.

Mr Heaton-Harris instead said he would give more information next week and would meet with the Stormont parties.

Northern Irelands chief electoral officer, Virginia McVea, apologised to election workers who are on standby to assist on the basis polling day will be December 15.

There are almost 6,000 people on standby to work for the election, and more than 600 polling stations

Ms McVea met Mr Heaton-Harris in Belfast on Friday.

Its our job to be available to run an election as directed by government so I updated the Secretary of State in relation to the contingency planning for December 15, she told BBC Radio Ulster.

For the nearly 6,000 people who are currently responding to our request (that) if an election was called on December 15 would you be available to work, I would apologise for the uncertainty and ask them to stick with us and continue to reply on the basis of December 15.

There are 607 polling places across Northern Ireland, most of them are schools, church halls, community centres.

Again to all those people, Im sorry that uncertainty remains, thank you so much for working with us because we have confirmed our 607 places.

I know that lots of people have actually moved things, all kinds of events. Last night I was hearing about a Christmas cinema event that a school had moved.

The DUPs boycott of the Stormont institution is part of a campaign of opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol, and the party says it will not return to powersharing until decisive action is taken to remove economic barriers on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Government has vowed to secure changes to the protocol, either by a negotiated compromise with the EU or through proposed domestic legislation, the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which would empower ministers to scrap the arrangements without the approval of Brussels.

Speaking in Belfast on Friday, Mr Heaton-Harris said: I am deeply disappointed we are where are are now.

This is a really serious situation.

As of a minute past midnight last night, there are no longer ministers in office in the Northern Ireland Executive.

I will take limited but necessary steps to ensure public services do continue and to protect the public finances.

But there is a limit to what the Secretary of State can do in these circumstances.

With no ministerial executive in place, the UK Government assumes a legal responsibility to call another election.

Responsibility for running devolved departments will now pass to senior civil servants, although their powers are limited.

I am extremely disappointed that the Executive has not reformed. The people of Northern Ireland deserve a fully-functioning devolved government. (1/2)  Chris Heaton-Harris MP (@chhcalling) October 28, 2022

Mr Heaton-Harris said he has held lots and lots of talks with all the parties and will meet with them again next week.

I hear it when parties say that they really do not want an election at all but nearly all of them are parties who signed up to the law that means I need to call an election, he added.

So youll hear more from me on that particular point next week.

Nearly all the parties who have been saying this wont help the situation actually signed up to the rules that make this situation happen.

Why call it now? Because I am legally bound to do so.

He also denied his decision not to call an election immediately was a U-turn.

He said he understood that the big impasse for the unionist community was the ongoing issues with the protocol.

But as I continually say, the atmosphere in those talks is completely changed in recent weeks and I am optimist and I really do believe that we can get somewhere on those too, he added.

Mr Heaton-Harris said he will also be considering his options to act on MLA pay.

Ms ONeill said: Today, he is doing a bizarre U-turn, one of which he obviously communicated to the media in advance of speaking to the local parties, from my understanding at least.

I think just think it is bizarre, it reflects the chaotic nature of the Tories, it is more dysfunction, it is spilling into our politics.

But you see for the workers and families tonight and the businesses that are struggling, the people here that are left without an Assembly, an Executive, there is not even a caretaker minister in place and we have a situation tonight where people just dont know what is going to happen next.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said: The chaos continues and we do not yet know whether we are going to have an election in Northern Ireland or not.

The Northern Ireland Office has been talking up for some time the prospect of an election but evidently no decision has yet been taken.

And were ready to fight an election.

I will be travelling around all the constituencies as we prepare to fight a campaign to ensure we renew the mandate we have been given, which is very clear, and that is until we get decisive action to restore Northern Irelands place in the UK internal market and remove the rubble and debris of the protocol, we are not in a position and there is not a consensus for the restoration of the devolved institutions.

Irelands premier Micheal Martin has reiterated the Irish Government has a role to play in Northern Ireland in the absence of a devolved government at Stormont.

He said: The Good Friday Agreement is there in terms of the framework and both governments will operate within the framework of the Good Friday Agreement.

That does involve consultation between the Irish Government and the British government if there is any prolonged period of direct rule, or no devolution, so to speak.

Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said it is deeply regrettable that it has come to the point where the Northern Ireland Secretary is under a legal obligation to call an election.

He said it was due to the a political choice by one party to block the formation of the Executive, and to prevent those MLAs elected in May from exercising their fundamental democratic role.

My position, and that of Irish Government, remains unchanged, Mr Coveney said.

I want to see an Executive formed in Northern Ireland and, separately, I want to see early substantive progress in the EU-UK talks.
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Being in the industry since 2013, the Bulletproof Boys - RM, Jin, SUGA, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook - have scored massive local and international impact as manifested with the sold-out concerts, prestigious award nominations and wins, chart-buster releases, and wreckage of world records.

Indeed, BTS has limitless means of capturing the hearts of the ARMYs through music. However, the boys are not just limited to their musical expressions as they also obtain a playful sense of humor.

In a Korean online fan discussion forum, ARMYs named THIS BTS member as the funniest. Could you shoot your guess?

ARMYs Select THIS Member as the Funniest in BTS

In a fan forum, ARMYs went to the extent of their wavelengths in discussing and voting who among the seven gems of BTS is the most hilarious.

ARMYs debated and cited the group leader and rapper Kim Namjoon (professionally known as RM) as the funniest among the Bangtan Boys!

The fans have mentioned that, collectively, BTS is funny. However, what made them choose RM as the funniest member is based on how the group leader is effortlessly entertaining whenever left alone, as he is known for his body-gags and speech-gags.

Also, RM earned the nickname "God of Destruction" because he is naturally clumsy, which leads him to break anything and everything.

So you see, RM is not just out there breaking music records but is also known for breaking stuff!

To cite some scenarios, whenever RM activates his "God of Destruction" aura, ARMYs could never forget how he accidentally ripped Jungkook's shirt during a performance stage of "Fake Love" on SBS's Inkigayo in 2018.

With Jungkook's Zeus-like body being exposed, ARMYs cannot help but comment that this destruction was a blessing in disguise. After this, RM immediately apologized on Twitter and confessed that the 'mishap' was an accident and that he shall be careful next time.

Watch the clip here:



Also, among the competitors-up of ARMY's memories proving RM's clumsiness is when he shattered a mirror on the set of "Blood, Sweat, and Tears."

Additionally, as RM confirms that he is not just a rapper, the idol left a dent on the variety show's stage as he projected his powerful dancing!

This tickled not just ARMY's funny bones but also the hosts from the variety show and even his co-members!

ARMYs Cite 'Group's Clown' Runner-Ups

BTS members are not just known to follow RM's way as the pack's leader, as he is also the blueprint of the boys regarding humor.

According to the fan discussion, following RM's footsteps as the "group's clown" is SUGA, Jimin, Jungkook, and J-Hope!

For non-ARMYs, SUGA is the member who radiates "coldness" and "seriousness," but for ARMYs, he smoothly strikes those practical jokes that never fail to tickle the ARMYs' funny bones.

In the case of Jimin, ARMYs would never forget how the group's vocalist and dancer cheated on Jimmy Fallon's Subway Olympics!

Here are some of the ARMY's comments on the debate discussion:

"It's Kim Namjoon for me.. our humor code seems to match." "Jeon Jungkook... To be honest, rather than being funny, he's just too lovely that he makes me smile." "And but Jung Hoseokie's laugh alone makes me laugh. Even when he's not joking, he's funny" "The way Kim Namjoon talks in real life is too funny" "Park Jimin for me."

Supplementarily, news outlets have released lists of memorable BTS moments highlighting the group's comedic abilities.

To name a few, Jin's unexpected viral hit song 'Super Tuna,' BTS as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for 'GO GO' dance practice, almost every episode of Run BTS, and the goofing memories during 'Butter' (Cooler Remix).

What's your funniest BTS moment? Share that below!

Source (1)

KpopStarz owns this article

Written by Sophia Carson
BEIJING, Oct. 27 -- The first Africa Airforce Forum will be held in Dakar, capital of Senegal, from October 26 to 27, and a Chinese Air Force delegation will participate in it, according to Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense (MND), at a regular press conference in Beijing on Thursday.

The forum aims to strengthen the air forces cooperation between Africa and other countries around the world to better cope with regional security challenges, stated Spokesperson Tan.

The spokesperson introduced that in recent years, the Chinese PLA Air Force (PLAAF) has demonstrated its goodwill of opening-up, cooperation, and exchanges through a series of bilateral and multilateral platforms, including world air force leaders conference , air shows, and joint exercises and training. The Chinese PLAAF has carried out practical cooperation with foreign air forces worldwide, including those of African countries.

According to the spokesperson, the Chinese PLAAF has also played a positive role in international humanitarian disaster relief and reduction, regional security cooperation, etc. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, amounts of urgently-needed medical supplies, medicines, and apparatus have been delivered by the Chinese PLAAF aircraft to many countries in Asia and Africa.

The Chinese PLAAF has been making contributions to building the community with a shared future for mankind and preserving world peace by taking these various pragmatic measures, said the spokesperson.
San Diego (California) [US], October 27 (ANI): A recent study from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) provides researchers with guidance to neutralizing the Lassa virus utilizing a trio of unusual antibodies obtained from Lassa virus survivors.

Lassa virus is a lethal virus that is indigenous to West Africa and is mostly transmitted by rodents. The virus is responsible for Lassa fever, a disease that affects up to 300,000 people each year and normally begins with flu-like symptoms but can progress to severe sickness, death, and long-term problems such as deafness. Lassa virus is especially deadly for pregnant women: over 90% of infections during pregnancy are fatal.

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LJI researchers can now demonstrate how a mixture of three human antibodies can prevent viral infection. These antibodies may be useful in planned clinical trials for Lassa therapies, and the LJI team intends to use their newly discovered map of the Lassa virus surface glycoprotein to develop a much-needed vaccine.

"We now know where these three therapeutic antibodies act and how exactly they act," says Kathryn Hastie, Ph.D., an LJI Instructor and the Director of the Antibody Discovery Center at LJI.

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The findings were published in Science Translational Medicine as a cover story on October 26, 2022. The research was led by the Saphire Lab at LJI, including Instructor Haoyang Li, Ph.D., Hastie, and Professor Erica Ollmann Saphire, Ph.D., in collaboration with Luis Branco, Ph.D., of Zalgen Labs LLC.

The power of neutralizing antibodies

In 2017, Hastie and her colleagues at Scripps Research's Saphire Lab published the first structural photos of the Lassa virus glycoprotein. Lassa enters host cells via glycoproteins and initiates infection. The structure of Hastie's glycoprotein gave researchers a sense of what they were up against.

Hastie's discovery emerged while researchers searched for the rare human antibodies that could overcome Lassa's defenses. Researchers hoped to use these neutralizing antibodies to produce Lassa fever treatments or vaccinations.

This hope was realized when Tulane University and Zalgen Labs LLC researchers discovered a promising group of Lassa-fighting antibodies from the blood of Lassa disease survivors. The University of Texas Medical Branch then tested a combination of three neutralizing antibodies in nonhuman primates. This antibody therapy, known as Arevirumab-3, was completely efficient in curing Lassa fever in animals with advanced disease.

"This was a groundbreaking finding," says Saphire. "The dogma had been that antibodies would not be protective against Lassa virus."

When it came time to put the combination through human clinical trials, the researchers ran into a snag. The US Food and Drug Administration refused to allow clinical trials to begin unless researchers identified the mechanism that made the therapy so effective. How did these neutralizing antibodies specifically target the Lassa virus glycoprotein and prevent infection?

Researchers needed a more detailed map of Lassa glycoprotein to address the question. Hastie's original glycoprotein structure required complex molecular engineering to offer enough stability for imaging. Her structure provided scientists with a key peek of the Lassa glycoprotein, but not the complete picture. Furthermore, certain prospective therapeutic antibodies were unable to identify this or any other type of modified Lassa glycoprotein. For additional research, the researchers were required to extract a natural glycoprotein target.

Fortunately, the Saphire Lab had the tools and expertise to reveal these molecular details. Li led the effort to produce a "native" Lassa glycoprotein. Thanks to advances in protein production and three years of perseverance, Li's version of the glycoprotein was a copy of the real thing and could be recognized by all three antibodies used in Arevirumab-3. Li then used a technique called cryo-electron microscopy single-particle analysis to image the native glycoprotein together with the three antibodies.

"Haoyang's ingenuity and hard work enabled us to see the structures we couldn't see before," says Hastie.

A new map of the Lassa virus targets

The scientists discovered how the three antibodies utilized in Arevirumab-3 neutralize the Lassa virus using high-resolution structures and various functional experiments.

Hastie was taken aback when he saw how antibody 8.9F binds to the very top of the glycoprotein molecule. This region of the glycoprotein is where three molecules (called protomers) combine to form a "trimer," which Hastie characterizes as a "twisted trefoil." Lassa would typically use this section of the glycoprotein to attach to host cell receptors, but Li's structure shows how a single 8.9F leaps in and binds to all three protomers at the same time to prevent infection.

"The structure is really a beautiful illumination of how this antibody essentially mimics the host receptor to block the glycoprotein receptor from binding," says Hastie. "It's an absolutely gorgeous structure to see."

Meanwhile, the neutralizing antibody 12.1F attaches to only one of the three-sided trimer's protomers. Fortunately, any treatment would have a large number of copies of 12.1F. Each 12.1F antibody can bind to a protomer to aid in virus neutralization when moving as a team of three.

Simultaneously, copies of antibody 37.2D target the Lassa virus by binding in a way that binds adjacent protomers together. This antibody activity is a major issue for Lassa, as the virus has to open up its trimer (where the protomers come together) in order to infect host cells. With 37.2D on the scene, its entry mechanism is rendered inoperable.

"Lassa has another trick. It shields itself using a thick coat of human carbohydrate molecules -- like a wolf in sheep's clothing," says Saphire, "Haoyang's structures clearly show how these potent, protective antibodies breach or even utilize the carbohydrates to target and neutralize the virus."

"The findings fill a critical gap in Lassa virus research and may pave the way for Arevirumab-3 to move into clinical trials," says Branco, who will lead the Zalgen team to perform future clinical trials. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Khandwa, October 28: A Muslim cleric was sent to judicial custody after being arrested for allegedly molesting a 5-year-old girl inside a madrasa in Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa, according to an official on Friday.

The accused was identified as Maulvi Abdul Samad of Emanual Madrasa in the district located in Zakaria Masjid of Khanshawali, Khandwa. Uttar Pradesh: 5-Foot-Long Crocodile Rescued Near Mainpuri District; Released in Natural Habitat.

According to the police, the matter came to light when the 5-year-old complained of chest pain to her parents, following which they registered a complaint at the Moghat police station. The police arrested the accused and produced him before the court. Delhi Shocker: Housemaid Shot Dead in Wazirnagar; Manhunt Launched To Nab Accused.

"A case has been registered upon the complaint of the victim's mother. The accused Maulvi Abdul Samad was arrested and produced before the court," the police said.

The court sent the accused to jail. There is tremendous anger among the Muslim people regarding this matter that they have demanded strict punishment by sending such clerics to jail. People have also demanded the closure of such mosques.

(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 28 (PTI) An exhibition of artworks inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was inaugurated by Union Minister for Culture G Kishan Reddy on Friday.

The exhibition of paintings by eminent artist Akbar Saheb opened at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi.

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"The art of Akbar Saheb is unique as all 55 artworks are wholly inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his incredible journey and vision. The exhibition, curated by the well-known Rajeev Menon is open to the public from 28th October to 3rd November 2022," the culture ministry said in a statement.

Reddy, also the Union minister for Tourism and Development of North-eastern Region, said Akbar Saheb has shown the journey of the PM from Gujarat to becoming the world leader.

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He added that the paintings show major policy decisions such as GST and depict demonetisation and surgical strike in a clear manner. The Minister also said the paintings show the challenges faced by the PM.

"The themes presented promise to resonate with every Indian across the country. Each work is deeply rooted in the initiatives taken by the Union government and is directly linked to the aspirations of the common man and the progress of the nation.

"The paintings also highlight Prime Minister Narendra Modi's success stories as well as the many challenges faced with various projects such as Vibrant Gujarat, Shining Bright (based on Asia's largest solar park in Gujarat), Statue of Unity, Truth Prevails, Sadhbhavana Yatra and so on.

"Some paintings of note are Lasting Impact' which depicts his (PM's) formidable power of resilience and endurance. Bharat Mata' is another evocative work where the Prime Minister's mother is personified as Bharat Mata," the statement said.

More than forty artworks are fine expressions based on the popular series of talks, Mann ki Baat. Works like Sankalp Se Siddhi, Say NO to Black Money, Beware of Drugs, Save our Farmers, Water is a Blessing and Helping Hands are masterful compositions that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also send out a powerful message of humanity and compassion.

"Akbar Saheb's paintings present a narrative of mass mobilization and the positive impact of programmes like Swachh Bharat, Digital India, Mudra Yojana, Yoga as part of Life, Electrification of villages and LPG connections for the poor. They also illustrate the revitalisation of the economy with the ambitious Make in India project and the growth of tourism as a showcase for the cultural heritage of the country," the statement said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Rampur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 28 (ANI): Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, who has been sentenced to three years in prison in a 2019 hate speech case by Rampur District court, might lose his MLA seat if his eventual imprisonment term is longer than two years.

Joint Director Prosecution Incharge of Rampur, SP Pandey, confirmed on Thursday that Azam Khan may lose his MLA status because his imprisonment term is longer than two years.

Also Read | Telangana MLA Poaching Case: ACB Court Dismisses Plea Seeking Judicial Remand of Three Accused.

[{d6db9b73-da90-41ee-80b2-c3b2c4e933be:intradmin/ANI-20221028030245.jfif}]

"If Azam Khan applies for bail, he can get it. If the imprisonment is longer than two years, there is a danger to the MLA post. He is sentenced to 3 years in prison," said Pandey.

Also Read | Chintan Shivir: PM Narendra Modi To Address Home Ministers of States via Video Conferencing Today.

The SP leader can lose his MLA post because as per the 2013 Supreme Court judgment if an MLA, MLC or MP is convicted in a criminal case and gets jailed for a minimum of two years then he/she loses membership of the house with immediate effect.

The Uttar Pradesh assembly can also disqualify Khan on the basis of a three-year jail sentence.

Azam Khan won the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Rampur (UP) but he vacated this seat after being elected to the UP state assembly in March 2022. The SP leader had won the 2022 assembly election from Rampur while being lodged in Sitapur jail.

Earlier on Thursday Samajwadi Party leader and two other accused were sentenced to three years in prison along with a fine of Rs 2,000 in a hate speech case filed against him over his speech against state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

However, he has been granted bail and given a week's time to appeal against the sentence.

A case was registered against Khan in Rampur in April 2019 for allegedly making provocative remarks against the Uttar Pradesh CM and the then District Magistrate of Rampur, Aunjaneya Kumar Singh.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign, Khan had used provocative remarks against the then Rampur district magistrate Aunjaneya Kumar Singh, chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress candidate Sanjay Kapoor.

Earlier this year, Azam Khan was released from Sitapur district jail, a day after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in an alleged case of cheating.

The SP leader was also granted bail in a cheating case lodged at the police station in Rampur.

Khan has been lodged in Sitapur jail since February 2020 as many cases are registered against him.

Earlier, in a big relief to the SP leader, the Allahabad High Court on October 1, 2022, had put his arrest on hold. The matter pertains to the disappearance of machines used for construction in 2017 for which a case was registered on September 19, this year.

A person named Baqur Khan brought the case to the fore. The missing machinery including bulldozers, carriers and other materials was later found on the premises of Muhammad Ali Jauhar University. The Allahabad HC also sought a reply from the Uttar Pradesh government on this matter.

On May 10, 2022, the Allahabad HC granted interim bail to Khan in a case related to wrongful possession of Waqf Board property.

Azam Khan began his political career by winning the 1980 assembly election on Janata Party (Secular) ticket from Rampur. He has served as a minister in both Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav governments. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
By Payal Mehta

New Delhi [India], October 28 (ANI): Making a crucial impact on vital and contentious issues discussed in Parliamentary Committees, the Bharatiya Janata Party has kept a tab on the member attendance in these committees.

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"A party which has the largest presence in Parliament has to make sure that its MPs participate in Committee meetings that are so vital to the Parliamentary democracy," sources told ANI.

BJP officials often conduct a surprise check during these meetings to see the number of MPs from the saffron party present.

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Divulging the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the BJP parliamentarians, the sources said that he has given the message of service to the people and therefore the MPs are required to raise issues pertaining to the public inside the House and even outside.

"PM Modi has given us a simple message that we have been sent to serve the cause of the people and therefore it is important to raise the issues concerning the public and be well prepared," the sources said.

Venkaiah Naidu, when he was the Rajya Sabha Chairman, had set an example for MPs to be regular in Parliamentary meetings, failing which some MPs were also pulled up for poor attendance.

PM Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party has 303 MPs in the Lok Sabha and close to 100 MPs in the Rajya Sabha.

The BJP, a ruling party leading the NDA, also has the chairmanship of several important Standing Committees. Former Finance Minister Jayant Sinha is the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Bhuvaneshwar Kalita chairs the panel for Health and Family Welfare, Sushil Modi chairs the Committee for Law and Justice whereas Brijlal is appointed Chairman of the Committee for Home Affairs.

Earlier this month, Congress MPs Shashi Tharoor and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who went missing on the first list rolled out recently, made their way into the second one.

Another list of Standing Committee chairmen has recently been announced in which Congress MPs have got the chairmanship of two panels - one of Lok Sabha and the other of Rajya Sabha.

Tharoor, who was replaced by Pratap Rao Jadhav for the panel of Information Technology and Communications, is now the chairman of the Lok Sabha-powered Standing Committee for Chemicals and Fertilisers.

Singhvi who was earlier briefly chairing the Home panel after the term of Anand Sharma ended, is now the Chairman of the Standing Committee for Commerce.

These developments come after the government took away the committees like IT and Home from the Congress party in Parliament citing that the party did not have the numbers for these.

The Congress also has another committee in the Rajya Sabha with Jairam Ramesh chairing the Environment panel.

In the recent Committee reorganisation, Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav was removed as Health Committee chairman, while TMC also has no panel chief. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Lucknow, Oct 28 (PTI) A BJP leader from Rampur on Friday urged the Election Commission of India to disqualify Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly in the light of a court awarding three-year imprisonment to him in a hate speech case.

Akhan Saxena wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner a day after a court in Rampur convicted him in a hate speech case of 2019.

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"Mohammad Azam Khan is a sitting MLA (from Rampur). As per provisions of the Representation of the People Act, if any public representative is given a punishment of two years by any court, then there are provisions that the membership of that public representative will cease to exist," Saxena told PTI from Rampur.

He also mentioned in his letter the order of the court on Thursday.

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Saxena had lost to Khan in this year's Assembly elections from the Rampur Sadar seat.

Meanwhile, sources in the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer said the disqualification of a sitting MLA is decided by the Assembly Speaker.

Once disqualified, the Election Commission is informed so that bypolls could be held, they said.

The Rampur court on the previous day had granted bail to Khan in the case besides providing him time to file an appeal against sentencing.

The Representation of the People Act says that anyone sentenced to imprisonment of two years or more shall be disqualified "from the date of such conviction" and remain disqualified for another six years after serving time in jail.

The Speaker can start the disqualification proceedings either suo motu or after receiving an application on this.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 6,000 on the Rampur MLA on three counts, advocate Ajay Tiwari said.

The case was registered against Khan in Rampur in April 2019 for levelling serious allegations against administrative officials posted in Rampur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during an election meeting.

The Special MP/MLA court of Rampur found Khan guilty under Sections 153-A (inciting religious feelings), 505-A (giving false statement intended to create feelings of enmity, hatred or animosity between different communities) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 125 (promoting animosity between different classes in connection with elections) of the Representation of the People Act.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Khan was booked for making inflammatory speeches while addressing a public meeting in Khatanagaria village of the Milak Kotwali area.

The video of Khan's statement also surfaced on social media.

Khan was released from jail earlier this year after the Supreme Court granted him an interim bail in a cheating case. He spent nearly two years in jail.

The SP leader faces nearly 90 cases, including that of corruption and theft.

He had won from the Rampur Sadar assembly seat in the UP Assembly polls for a record 10th time.

After becoming an MLA, he resigned from the Lok Sabha.

(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 28 (PTI) A Delhi court on Friday extended by eight days the custodial interrogation of Saigal Hossain, former security guard of arrested TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, in a money laundering case related to alleged cattle smuggling.

Hossain, who allegedly amassed huge wealth through a cattle smuggling racket, was produced before the court on expiry of his six-day Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody granted earlier.

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"Taking into consideration the material available on record as well as in the light of arguments addressed on this application, a further custody of the accused for eight days is being granted to the ED," Special Judge Raghubir Singh said.

Special Public Prosecutor of the ED Nitesh Rana told the court that further custody of eight days was required as the case needed minute and thorough investigation.

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Rana further said that sources for funding of immovable and movable assets acquired by the accused were to be ascertained and for that purpose, further interrogation was required to confronted him with certain other persons, including his close relation, to trace the trails of tainted money which allegedly runs into crores of rupees.

The accused was brought from West Bengal to Delhi after he was arrested for not cooperating with ED officers during questioning at the Asansol correctional home.

The ED had told the court that the accused, who was a Constable in West Bengal Police and was deputed as Personal Security Guard to Anubrata Mondal, used to collect illegal gratification from the kingpin, Enamul Haque, as well as S K Abdul Latif on behalf of Mondal for protection and patronage in carrying out the illegal activities of cattle smuggling through the Indo-Bangladesh Border.

In its application moved on October 22, the ED had sought 14 days custody of the accused.

The application was opposed by the accused, who claimed that the investigation was already complete since the ED has filed its charge sheet in the matter, and that there was no purpose of his interrogation now.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kolkata, Oct 28 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned the daughter of arrested TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, and his chartered accountant to its Delhi office on November 2 for their questioning in connection with the agency's probe into cattle smuggling in Bengal.

The two might be questioned together by ED detectives, an agency official said on Friday.

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"We have asked Anubrata Mondal's daughter Sukanya Mondal and his CA Manish Kothari to appear at our New Delhi office next Wednesday. We have plans to question them together," he said.

Sukanya Mondal, who owns two firms, will be asked about the "huge wealth that she amassed in a short time", the official said.

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"Kothari has been told to bring with him all documents related to Anubrata Mondal's properties, his income and savings in different bank accounts," the ED official stated.

According to sources in the ED, Sukanya Mondal was earlier, too, sent summons for appearance at the Delhi office on October 27, but she skipped the session.

Her lawyer, however, claimed that the TMC leader's daughter received no such notice.

The ruling party strongman was arrested in August by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is conducting a parallel probe into cross-border cattle smuggling.

The CBI had earlier in the month submitted a chargesheet before an Asansol-based special court, alleging that the Birbhum leader was involved in abetting and conspiring cattle smuggling.

(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 28: Emphasising on the need to create awareness against fake news, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that social media cannot be underestimated and that a small piece of fake news generated by it can create chaos. The Prime Minister appealed for people to check facts before sharing messages on social media.

Addressing a 'Chintan Shivir' in Haryana of home ministers of states via video conferencing, PM Modi said, "For the safety and rights of law-abiding citizens, stringent action against negative forces is our responsibility. A small piece of fake news can kick up a storm across the nation...We will have to educate people to think before forwarding anything, verify before believing it..."

He said people must be made aware of the various mechanisms that are now available on all social media platforms to verify messages before forwarding them. Fact Check of Fake News Is Must, People Must Be Made Aware of Mechanisms To Verify Messages Before Forwarding Them: PM Narendra Modi at Chintan Shivir of State Home Ministers.

"Fact check of fake news is a must. Technology plays a big role in this. People must be made aware of mechanisms to verify messages before forwarding them," the prime minister said. Prime Minister said that one should not limit social media to being the source of information.

He said that a piece of single fake news has the capability to snowball into a matter of national concern. The Prime Minister said during the reservation issue, the country had to face losses due to fake news. He said people should think 10 times before forwarding any messages on social media.

He stressed on the need to educate people about analysing and verifying information before forwarding it on social media platforms. Emphasizing on the internal security of the country, Prime Minister said India needs to defeat the threats that are arising from Naxalism be it "gun-toting or pen-wielding".

"In past few years, all governments have acted responsibly to demolish ground network of terror...We need to handle it by combining our forces. We will have to defeat all forms of Naxalism - be it gun-totting or pen-wielding, we will have to find a solution for all of them," PM said.

Highlighting the importance of having a smart law and order system as par with advanced technologies, PM Modi said the agencies have to be 10 steps ahead of the crime world.

He said, "Today the nature of crimes is changing. We need to understand the new age technologies. We entered the 5G era. Hence we need to be more vigilant," Prime Minister said. With 5G technology, PM said there will be manifold improvement in facial recognition technology, automatic number plate recognition technology, drone and CCTV technology.

"With the advancement in 5G technology, awareness is equally important. It is to be ensured that India's law and order system becomes smart. Technology not only helps in the prevention of crimes but also in crime investigation. We will have to be 10 steps ahead of the crime world," he said.

PM said there is a need to have a positive perspective. He called for improved synergy among the police stations with cooperation, rapport and a streamlined mechanism. In order to improve the efficiency of the police and strengthen law and order, Prime Minister said the interconnectedness between the police of different states is an important aspect. Chintan Shivir: Scientific Approach Should Be Adopted to Check Crime, Says Haryana CM Manohar Lal.

He said, "Law and order is not restricted to one state now. Crime is turning interstate and international. With technology, criminals now have increased their power to commit crimes. Criminals beyond the border are misusing technology. Be it cybercrime or the usage of drone technology for the smuggling of weapons or drugs, we will have to keep working on new technology for them."

The coordination between agencies of all states and between central and state agencies is essential, PM said. This Chintan Shivir of home ministers in Surajkund Prime Minister said is an excellent example of cooperative federalism. He said States can learn from each other, take inspiration from each other and work together for the betterment of the country.

He said the next 25 years will be for the creation of an 'amrit peedhi'. This 'amrit peedhi' will be created by imbibing the resolutions of 'Panch Pran' - creation of a developed India, freedom from all colonial mindset, pride in heritage, unity and most importantly, citizen duty.

The two-day Chintan Shivir is being held at Surajkund, Haryana. Home Secretaries and Director Generals of Police (DGPs) of the States and Director Generals of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Central Police Organisations (CPOs) attended the Chintan Shivir.

According to Prime Minister's Office (PMO) statement, the Chintan Shivir of Home Ministers is an endeavour to provide a national perspective to policy formulation on internal security-related matters. The Shivir, in the spirit of cooperative federalism, will bring more synergy in planning and coordination between various stakeholders at the centre and state levels.

The Shivir will deliberate on issues like modernization of police forces, cybercrime management, increased use of IT in the criminal justice system, land border management, coastal security, women safety, drug trafficking, among others, added the statement.

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New Delhi, October 28: The Bench headed by the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court on Friday transferred a bunch of petitions to another bench, relating to violence in Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University on December 15, 2019. The Bench of Delhi Chief Justice Satish Chander Sharma also comprising Justice Subramonium Prasad on Friday transferred all the alleged Jamia violence matters to another bench headed by Justice Siddharth Mridul.

The bench transferred the concern matters after noting that the Bench headed by Justice Siddharth Mridul is already examining a bunch of petitions related to North East Delhi Violence. The matters are deferred for November 28, 2022. Delhi High Court Issues Notice to Centre and Other Respondents.

Meanwhile, a lawyer who appeared for Delhi Police also informed the court that the Additional Solicitor General who is leading the matters is also unavailable today. Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves appeared for the petitioner side and Advocate Rajat Nair appeared for Centre Government (Delhi Police) in the matter.

Last week, the Supreme Court requested the Delhi High Court to give an early hearing to the plea, after the petitioner's lawyer submitted to Supreme Court that the matter is pending before the Delhi High Court for years.

The high court was hearing a batch of petitions including one filed by lawyer Nabila Hasan through advocates Sneha Mukherjee and Siddharth Seem seeking action against cops over Jamia violence. The petitioners had blamed the forces for using extreme, ruthless and excessive physical force and violence against unarmed and peaceful students.

The plea also raised questions over the use of "extreme" measures such as tear gas shells, chilli-based explosives and rubber bullets against the protesters. Delhi HC Issues Notice to LG on PIL Seeking Direction for Appointment of Head at Delhi School Tribunal.

Several protesters and policemen sustained injuries during a protest against the new citizenship law near the Jamia Millia Islamia University campus on December 15 2019. Some public transport were set on fire and other public properties were damaged in the protest.

The petitioner has approached the Delhi High Court against Delhi Police officials for allegedly attacking the students of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University on December 15 2019.

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New Delhi, Oct 28: The Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit have rescued a five-foot-long black-headed royal snake from a grocery store (Kendriya Bhandar) at Delhi Secretariat Building, an official statement said on Friday.

The snake is currently under the NGO's care and will soon be released back into the wild, it said. It was found on Thursday. Uttar Pradesh: 5-Foot-Long Crocodile Rescued Near Mainpuri District; Released in Natural Habitat.

The snake was nestled on a shelf, behind a stack of sealed bhujia packets. The office staff immediately alerted the security personnel who then contacted Wildlife SOS, it stated. The NGO's rescue team swiftly reached the secretariat building and located the adult black-headed royal snake.

It then carefully extricated the nearly five-foot-long snake and safely transferred it into a bag, the statement said. We thank the staff at the secretariat building for alerting us to this situation and keeping a watch until our rescue team arrived, Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS said.

Due to the ever-increasing anthropogenic pressure on wild habitats, animals are sometimes forced to venture into human-populated areas.

This situation is a great example to let people know that they are not intruders but inhabitants of the same city that we reside in, he said.

Wasim Akram, Deputy Director-Special Projects for Wildlife SOS said the snake, though long and ominous looking, is actually harmless. Auto Rickshaw, Taxi Fares in Delhi Hiked: AAP Government Approves Revised Rates, Check Them Here.

The Black-headed royal snake is an adaptable species and being a non-venomous reptile, they are harmless. This species is commonly found in Delhi-NCR and they mostly feed on rodents, lizards, birds and even small mammals, Akram said.

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New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) Moved by the plight of acid attack survivors, two Gurugram school students have set up a group to help in their rehabilitation and make them financially independent.

The amount of agony, mental trauma and financial problems these survivors face just because of a heinous act of another person cannot be described through words, 13-year-old Kabir Kohli said.

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To help them 'Abhang' (unbroken) was created, said the student of the Shri Ram School in Gurugram.

Kohli said that it was during an internship that he first got to know about acid attack survivors, their challenges, the money it costs for their treatment, the loss of education, lack of access to health facilities and delayed justice.

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Anahita Kapoor, who studies in the same school as Kohli, said they had a plan in mind but executing it was not so simple.

"First we were thinking of creating a cloud kitchen where survivors could cook and bake, but after few meetings with survivors we learnt that they couldn't handle heat," Kapoor said.

"Our plan is to create a self-sustaining and scalable business in the makeup industry. As part of this was have begun the process of raising funds, connecting with malls for space for kiosks, getting survivors trained in make-up skills," she said.

Earlier this month, the duo arranged for a make up workshop for eight acid attack survivors and now is in talks with various cosmetics brands to help them set up kiosks for selling their products.

(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 28 (PTI) University of Delhi (DU) on Friday issued guidelines to its colleges, asking them not to host any event without proper police permission and allow no one without registration.

This development comes days after a ruckus rocked a fest in DU's Miranda House

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On October 14, several men were seen climbing the college walls and gates to witness an open Diwali fest on the campus and indulged in "cat-calling and sexist sloganeering".

"In the light of an advisory received from the Police Department, the following guidelines are issued to all the Colleges and the Departments of Delhi University. No event without proper permission of police should be organized or in case of emergency or lack of time at least one-day prior intimation should be given to the Police Station, Maurice Nagar," the university said.

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"If events or fests be organised then only the entry of a few College or Department students be allowed. It should not be opened to all. Entry should be allowed only after the registration for the event with the ID of the College," the varsity said.

The university has also asked the colleges to take necessary permission from other departments like, fire, and electricity may kindly be obtained.

"Deployment of volunteers is also required at the time of events. Hence, a number of volunteers may also be intimated to the police," the varsity said.

"If any of the above guidelines is committed then the concerned college, the department is solely responsible for any untoward incident that happened during any event organized by the concerned College/Department," it added.

Delhi University's Miranda House has also formed a sub-committee to revisit the procedures of holding events and provided an emergency Standard Operating Procedure (SoP), prohibiting open events without prior registrations.

In a notice on October 17, College principal B Nanda said the college has taken "serious note" of Friday's unprecedented incident that was organised by the National Service Scheme (NSS) Unit of the college.

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New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) The Indian and French air forces are undertaking an 18-day military exercise in Jodhpur involving a significant number of combat jets such as Rafale, Tejas, Jaguar and Sukhoi-30s to further enhance operational cooperation, officials said on Friday.

The 'Garuda VII' exercise began on October 26 and will culminate on November 12.

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The French Air and Space Force (FASF) has participated in the exercise with four Rafale fighter jets, one A-330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft and a contingent of 220 personnel, the officials said.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed Sukhoi-30 MKI jets, Rafales, Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, Jaguar jets, Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) and Mi-17 helicopters, they said.

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The IAF contingent will also include combat enabling assets like flight refuelling aircraft, AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) and AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) aircraft.

"This joint exercise will provide a platform for both the countries to enhance operational capability and interoperability, while also sharing best practices," the IAF said in a release.

It is the seventh edition of the bilateral exercise. The first, third and fifth editions were conducted in India in 2003, 2006 and 2014 at Air Force stations Gwalior, Kalaikunda and Jodhpur, respectively.

The second, fourth and sixth editions were conducted in France in 2005, 2010 and 2019.

"Participation of the IAF and FASF in this exercise will promote professional interaction, exchange of experiences and enhancement of operational knowledge, besides strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries," the IAF said.

The military cooperation between India and France has witnessed a major expansion in the last few years.

In August, a French Air and Space Force contingent, including three Rafale jets, made a strategically crucial stopover at the IAF's Sulur base in Tamil Nadu as part of a mega military operation it carried out in the Pacific Ocean.

In March, the Indian and French navies carried out a five-day mega wargame in the Arabian Sea, involving frontline ships, submarines, maritime patrol aircraft, fighter aircraft and helicopters.

The Indian and French navies in April last year too carried out a mega wargame in the Arabian Sea.

The French Navy deployed its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, and its entire carrier strike group in that exercise, reflecting growing congruence in naval ties.

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy is hosting the 29th edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) from October 26 to 30 at Visakhapatnam.

Two ships from the Singapore Navy, RSS Stalwart (a Formidable Class Frigate) and RSS Vigilance (a Victory Class Corvette) arrived in Visakhapatnam on October 25 for participation in the exercise.

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Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], October 28 (ANI): To strengthen the rural economy and empower the youth and women with direct and indirect employment opportunities, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has identified 181 villages having picturesque beauty and cultural significance for transformation into tourist destinations under Tourist Villages Development Program (TVDP), stated the Department of information and public relations JK.

Under Mission Youth's initiative, registered youth and Self Help Groups are provided an opportunity to be a part of the Government's endeavour to boost rural tourism in J&K.

Also Read | Pakistan: Young Woman Held for Allegedly Desecrating Quran in Karachi; Investigation Underway.

According to the official statement, the youth-led sustainable tourism initiative will strengthen the rural economy and community entrepreneurship, empowering youth and women by providing direct and indirect employment opportunities. This step will showcase the landscapes, indigenous knowledge systems, cultural diversity and heritage, local values and traditions, besides encouraging film shooting and offering financial incentives as well as ensuring a digital platform for all these villages.

As per the statement, Mission Youth is working in collaboration with the Tourism Department for utilizing the available resources in the development of these villages as tourist villages. The government will also develop basic infrastructure in these villages under the close supervision of the Task Force that has already been constituted and any group willing to be part of the Government's initiative will be given Rs 10 lakh as financial assistance for self-employment activities in the tourism sector.

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Further, an amount of Rs one lakh will be given for the creation of a homestay facility and there will be a subsidy of Rs 50,000. This step will go a long way in attracting tourists to those areas which remained unexplored to date.

Moreover, up to Rs 8-10 lakh incentive will be provided for movie/song shootings in these villages, also aimed at the promotion of these rural tourist destinations. Preference will be given to local registered artists having sufficient experience in the grant of assistance for shootings in the identified villages, as per the Department of information and public relations JK.

Similarly, a dedicated portal - AVSAR-'Connect to Opportunities Initiative'- has been provisioned to facilitate our youth with real-time information flow notifying students about pre-placement activities and job opportunities. All ITIs and other technical institutions in the UT were on-boarded in the program for achieving the best outcomes for our youth.

The easily accessible online platform would act as an interface between a trained and skilled workforce and will also deal with industry requirements in J&K. Under the New Industrial Scheme, special focus is given to the training of local youth to fulfill the needs of the skilled workforce.

According to the official statement, another program "Sahyta" has been rolled out to provide special financial assistance for youth in distress. Financial assistance of one lakh is being provided under the scheme to youth in distress for setting up solo self-employment units.

Under a sector-specific scheme for dental professionals, customized financial support is being provided to dentists for setting up dental clinics. An amount of 8 lakh is provided as financial assistance under this scheme for setting up their venture.

Another scheme "Rise Together" envisions promoting community-based entrepreneurship optimally to generate jobs, and income and promote the spirit of social service among new-age young entrepreneurs in J&K. Under the scheme, the eligible youth groups are provided with financial assistance to the extent of Rs 20 lakh comprising of upfront subsidy component minimum of Rs 2.5 lakh or 10 percent of the project cost and a loan provided by the Bank to the extent of Rs 17.50 lakh.

With all these initiatives, the government has endeavoured to make the interest and empowerment of youth a top priority. The government envisions reaching out to all the young population of Jammu & Kashmir within the next five and making it possible for them to be actually a propelling force for the socio-economic transformation of Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)

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Srinagar, October 28: The Saini community expressed its gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Lt Governor Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha for including the Sikh community belonging to the Saini caste living in the region to the Other Backward Classes (OBC), according to a report on Friday.

Addressing a press conference, Jammu and Kashmir Saini Sabha called it a "historic" decision by the government that is for the "socio-economic development of the weaker and neglected sections of the society". Centre Notifies Amended IT Rules, Social Media Appellate Panels to Be Set Up in 3 Months.

"This was our long-standing demand, which has now been fulfilled by the central government and the UT administration," Sabha President Satpal Saini said. "We have achieved OBC status because of the sincere struggle of our community members and their repeated demands. We welcome the decision of Justice GD Sharma and the Government of India to grant OBC status to the Jat community and the Saini community in Jammu and Kashmir," he added. Delhi: Five-Foot-Long Snake Turns Up Inside Grocery Store in National Capital's Secretariat Building; Rescued by NGO.

He said that it has been possible only because of the abrogation of Article 370 that several sections have been brought under the OBC category, who were struggling for it for the last several decades.

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Mumbai, October 28: With the overarching theme of 'Countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes', India hosted the anti-terrorism meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in Mumbai today as numerous survivors of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks outlined their experiences and highlighted that the masterminds behind the attacks were still not behind bars.

Speaking on the occasion, a survivor who was nine at the time expressed her views and requested the strictest laws against terrorism at national and international levels. Sanjay Mehrotra, Kanpur-Born CEO To Invest 100 Billion USD, Create 50,000 Jobs in New York.

" I was nine years old at the time when I was shot during the attack. Later we were called to testify in court. We did the formal testimony in court. And from that day I have aspired to become an officer so that I can end this terrorism. Numerous brave officers, the best of the best officers were killed during the attack. We will get complete justice only and only when terrorism will end. Even today the masterminds are alive. Don't know which conspiracy they are still building. I would only request the authorities to make the strictest laws," said Devika Natwarlal Rotawan.

Devika also informed that she along with her father and brother were present at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus as they were leaving for Pune to visit a family member. UP Shocker: Man Beats Mother to Death with Wooden Stick After Being Refused Money to Buy Liquor in Bijnor.

The general manager of the Taj Mahal Palace hotel also stressed the horrors of the attack. "We felt our house was attacked and we had to defend it," said the General Manager of Mumbai's Taj Mahal Palace hotel, KS Kang.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar paid tribute to victims of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks as part of the two-day anti-terrorism meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) starting Friday.

The first segment of the Special Meeting of the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee is at Hotel Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai today. A wreath-laying ceremony also took place at one of the main sites that saw the dastardly terror attacks of November 26, 2008. Speaking at the UNSC meeting at the Taj hotel, Jaishankar said, "18 members of the Indian Police Forces, 12 members of the Taj hotel staff and security were martyred in the line of duty. As we pay tribute to them at the 26/11 memorial site, we salute their valour and their resolve," he said.

In his speech, Jaishankar pointed out that it was not just "an attack on Mumbai, it was an attack on the international community. Nations of specific countries were identified before being murdered. As a result, the commitment of each and every member state of the UN to combat terrorism stood publicly challenged," he said.

On November 26, 2008, 10 terrorists trained by the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) carried out a series of coordinated attacks against multiple targets in Mumbai including the Taj Mahal hotel, the Oberoi hotel, the Leopold Cafe, the Nariman (Chabad) House, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station, killing 166 people. The UN CTC meeting, under India's chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), is taking place in Mumbai and New Delhi on October 28 and October 29, respectively.

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Faridabad (Haryana) [India], October 28 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the recruitment, training and modernisation of the police force, improvement in infrastructure along with coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs in view of challenges have led to continuous improvement in the law and order situation in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

CM Yogi was speaking at a two-day Chintan Shivir (contemplation camp), which kicked off at Surajkund in Faridabad district of Haryana under the chairmanship of Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday. Organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the camp is attended by Chief Ministers, Home Ministers as well as Lieutenant Governors, and Administrators of Union Territories.

Also Read | Pakistan: Young Woman Held for Allegedly Desecrating Quran in Karachi; Investigation Underway.

Giving detailed information about the UP model of law and order, CM Yogi said that the enhancement of infrastructural facilities for the police, reforms in the police force, and connecting them with state-of-the-art technology have yielded good results in terms of controlling crime and establishing rule of law in the state.

Regarding the policy of zero tolerance towards crime and criminals, he said, "organised crime has ended in the state, adding that such criminals are either in jail or have died in police encounters."

Also Read | Delhi Shocker: Youth Succumbs to Injuries After Getting Stabbed in Badarpur; Four Accused Apprehended.

Regarding action against the mafia, CM Yogi said that illegal properties worth Rs 44.59 billion belonging to the mafia and gangsters have either been confiscated or demolished, adding, "The Government is building colleges for girls and houses for people from the weaker sections on the impounded properties, he pointed out, emphasizing that it has sent a good message to the society".

He said that in 18 cases involving identified mafias, 11 mafia dons and their 28 accomplices have got life or rigorous imprisonment, or have been fined, whereas two of them have been sentenced to death. These actions of the police have strengthened the sense of security among all sections of society especially women, girls, weaker sections, and businessmen. CM Yogi also gave information about the falling crime graph in Uttar Pradesh.

Furthermore, CM Yogi said, "all important festivals, fairs, and processions have passed off peacefully in the state owing to the commitment of the state government to maintain communal harmony in the state. There is total harmony across sections in the state, he pointed out. He exuded confidence that the meeting being held under the guidance of the Home Minister will make a significant contribution towards realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resolve of making India "Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat."

CM Yogi further added that Mission Shakti campaign is being conducted in the state to ensure the safety, honour, and self-reliance of women and girls. The massive police action during the campaign has instilled a strong sense of security among women and girls, he remarked. Uttar Pradesh ranks first in the country in getting punishment for crimes against women. (ANI)

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Indore, Oct 28 (PTI) A 24-year-old man was handed over to the police in Indore in Madhya Pradesh on Friday by Bajrang Dal activists who claimed he had booked a hotel suite under a fake identity to spend time with a Hindu woman, an official said.

Also Read | Koti Kanta Gaayana Programme: Over 1 Crore People Sing 6 Classic Kannada Songs in a Record of Sorts in Karnataka (Watch Video).

In a press statement, Bajrang Dal local unit convener Tannu Sharma said the man had booked the hotel in Lasudia area with a fake identity card and had lured the woman to his room with the "intention of love jihad".

Also Read | Karnataka Shocker: Suspecting Infidelity, Man Kills Wife in Mangaluru, Later Dies by Suicide.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Vyas said the man has been taken into custody for further probe.

Right-wing organisations often use the term "love jihad" to claim Muslim men were luring Hindu women with the intention of converting them to Islam through marriage.

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Bhopal, Oct 28 (PTI) The COVID-19 tally in Madhya Pradesh rose to 10,54,720 on Friday after the detection of 11 cases at a positivity rate of 0.3 per cent, a health official said.

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The death toll remained unchanged at 10,775, while the recovery count increased by 19 to touch 10,43,879, leaving the state with 66 active cases, he informed.

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With 3,026 samples examined during the day, the number of coronavirus tests in MP went up to 3,01,30,777, he added.

A government release said 13,35,04,857 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the state, including 3,272 on Friday.

Coronavirus figures in MP are as follows: Total cases 10,54,720, new cases 11, death toll 10,775, recoveries 10,43,879, active cases 66 number of tests so far 3,01,30,777.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai, October 28: The Twitter handle of the Mumbai Government Railway Police (GRP) has been hacked, its top official said on Friday. The GRP is responsible for ensuring safety and security of passengers travelling on the Mumbai suburban railway network.

"Dear Mumbaikars, it has come to our notice that the @GRPMumbai handle seems to have been hacked. We request you to not pay heed to any fresh tweets till we update," Quaiser Khalid, Commissioner of GRP Mumbai, said in a tweet. Elon Musk to Become Twitter CEO and Reverse Lifetime Bans On Blocked Accounts.

The concerned agencies are working on regaining access, he said. A visit to the Mumbai GRP Mumbai's Twitter account shows that several tweets related to Tesla CEO Elon Musk have been retweeted using the account. Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal Leave Hours After Elon Musk Takes Over Social Media Company.

Khalid said attempts were on to regain the control of the GRP account. He appealed to people to contact on his Twitter handle @cpgrpmumbai or helpline number '1512' for their queries and complaints.

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Mumbai, October 28: The Mumbai police have issued prohibitory orders in Andheri (east) constituency for November 3, the day of the state Assembly bypoll, to restrict the movement of people who are not part of the electoral process, an official said on Friday. An order in this regard was issued on Thursday by the deputy commissioner of police (operations), he said. Andheri East Assembly By-Elections 2022: Stage Set for Bypolls on November 3 in Mumbai, 7 Candidates in Fray.

The prohibitory orders have been issued under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) for the day of polling on November 3, the official said. As per the order, the movement of any person who is not a candidate, polling agent or government official on election duty will be restricted 100 meters from the polling centres in Andheri (east), he said. Andheri East Assembly By-Election 2022: After Court Battle, Eknath Shinde Faction and Shiv Sena To Square Off in First Electoral Contest in Mumbai.

The police have also asked voters to remain in queues and follow the instructions of polling officials, the official said. Voting will take place at 256 booths in 39 polling centres in Andheri (east) constituency on November 3. There will be adequate police deployment inside and outside the polling booths, the official added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Lucknow, Oct 28 (PTI) Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday hit out at the Election Commission, alleging that it did not follow rules regarding the voters' list in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls earlier this year.

"Had the Election Commission followed rules regarding electoral roll in 2022 Assembly elections, thousands of voters would not have been deprived of voting," Yadav said during a meeting held to discuss preparations for the civic body polls here, according to a press statement.

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"There is a conspiracy by the BJP government to suppress the voice of the Opposition. It is the constitutional responsibility of the Election Commission to conduct elections in a free, fair and transparent manner," he said.

"It is also the responsibility of the Election Commission to ensure that voting is held without any pressure or fear of the administrative machinery," he added.

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He asked why the Election Commission "has not taken cognisance of all complaints and memorandums related to the 2022 Assembly elections".

Yadav claimed rigging had taken place in the polls and his party had raised objections.

"During the elections, Lucknow DIG Laxmi Singh was not transferred despite repeated complaints while her husband was a BJP candidate in the Sarojini Nagar area of Lucknow," he said.

"Many such officers, who are posted in one place for years, were also not removed. In many places both husband and wife were officers and were handling the charge but they were also allowed to stay there," alleged the SP chief.

Yadav went on to ask, "Why thousands of polling stations were changed in the last assembly elections? This kept many voters astray. The names of many voters were left out of the list. Voting was delayed by the administration, machinery and polling was conducted arbitrarily."

"There was a difference between the list of the presiding officer and the final list at many places. (Even though) the final voter list has not yet been prepared, the process of voting has not even been announced, then how can BJP leaders claim to winning all the 17 places in the municipal corporation election," he asked.

"The returning officer should take cognisance of whether this is the BJP agenda of rigging the civic polls like the 2022 assembly," he said.

During the meeting, Yadav discussed the upcoming civic elections with prominent party leaders.

Describing the civic elections as very important, he said there should not be any laxity in their preparation because the results of the elections will also decide the future of the party.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Surajkund (Haryana) [India], October 28 (ANI): The two-day 'Chintan Shivir' or brainstorming session of state Home Ministers and top police officers from all states, concluded on Friday with a commitment to move towards a "thematic approach".

The first-ever such meeting organised on Thursday under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah also emphasised focusing on "cybercrime, improving conviction rates, narcotics and border security".

Also Read | Delhi Shocker: Housemaid Shot Dead in Wazirnagar; Manhunt Launched To Nab Accused.

As the meeting concluded on Friday evening, top sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs said, the Home Minister suggested " we (all states and the Centre) should move towards thematic approach".

To achieve a 90 per cent conviction rate target, the states were also advised to focus on forensic sciences which play a big role.

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Noting that "internal security is shared responsibility of both Centre and states", it was decided jointly to work with the spirit of "Team India".

All states were also advised to "constantly and annually" review goals and have a plan where their internal security will be in 2047.

The states were also advised to hold regular meetings of Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD).

In the meeting it was also mentiined that "Bihar and Jharkhand have became free from naxalism", and that 9,200 North East militants surrendered arms in last eight years.

Besides, it was also pointed out that development taking place in North East and areas under Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) have been reduced.

It was also mentiined that North East, Jammu and Kashmir and Left Wing Extremism (LWE) or naxalism are areas where Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Central government has achieved unprecedented success.

The 'Chintan Shivir' was attended by Governor of Punjab; 10 Chief Ministers from Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Haryana, Kerala, Manipur, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand; Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Nagaland; Lieutenant Governors of Ladakh as well as Jammu and Kashmir.

Home Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Puducherry and Rajasthan as well as Finance Minister of Jharkhand also atttended the event.

Development of eco-system for cyber crime management, modernization of police forces, increase in usage of IT in criminal justice system, land border management and coastal security and other internal security issues were also key focus areas of the event which has the objective to prepare an action plan for the implementation of 'vision 2047' and 'Panch Pran' announced in the Independence Day speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the event, the Home Minister on Thursday had said that the initiative of the 'Chintan Shivir' was taken by current Prime Minister and former Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi.

Shah said both Centre and States can fight against cross-border crime when all states will jointly plan and take steps accordingly.

The Minister said that the 'Chintan Shivir' will help formulate a joint plan to deal with crimes and other issues.

The aim of the conference was also to facilitate national policy-making and better planning and coordination. Various topics were also discussed in the six sessions of the 'Chintan Shivir'.

Many important issues such as Home Guards, Civil Defense, Fire Protection and Enemy Property was also discussed with focus on cyber security, drug trafficking, women's safety and border management. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Srinagar, Oct 28 (PTI) The Union government is committed to providing an atmosphere which is congenial for entrepreneurship, Union Minister of State for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma said on Friday.

During his visit to Industrial Growth Centre Lassipora, Pulwama, Verma said that the ease of doing business policy of the government has led to flourishing of industry and entrepreneurship.

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh: 5-Foot-Long Crocodile Rescued Near Mainpuri District; Released in Natural Habitat.

The minister had gone to the IGC to review the industrial scenario there. He was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama, Baseer-ul-Haq Chaudhary and SSP, Pulwama Ghulam Jeelani.

The minister visited several new industrial units functioning in the estate and had an extensive round of infrastructure of manufacturing units.

Also Read | Umesh Mishra, Senior IPS Officer, Is New Rajasthan DGP; To Take Charge After ML Lather's Retirement on November 3.

He appreciated their business model and the technology engaged to add value to the local produce. The minister lauded their contribution toward self-reliance and employment generation.

Verma said that IGC Lassipora is the growth engine of industry and is a developmental model for the rest of Union Territory of J&K.

(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 28 (ANI): India is set to host the two-day anti-terrorism meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) starting Friday. The meeting, under New Delhi's chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), will be held in Mumbai and New Delhi on October 28 and October 29, respectively.

Addressing a special press briefing on the UNSC CTC, Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday said, "There is no better place to open the series of important discussions than Mumbai, a city, which reflects the best of India in terms of its economic development in recent years. The fact that the CTC has agreed to begin its deliberations in Mumbai is a message in itself."

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Verma further added, "Overarching theme would be 'Countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes.' It will begin with a tribute to victims of terrorism," said Verma. The meeting will reportedly focus on the use of the internet, payment mechanism, and drones by terrorists.

Secretary (West) Verma said the larger purpose of this unprecedented meeting in India of the Counter-Terrorism Committee in Mumbai would resonate with the rest of the world. "...Because in 2008, what happened was an attack on what would be the identity of India in the financial and commercial space city," he said.

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Speaking about Pakistan coming out of the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) 'grey list', he said, "Because of FATF, Pakistan had to admit and begin some sort of legal process against two individuals directly responsible for 26/11."

"We will not venture to suggest that the general discussions and the consensus building, which we aim to achieve through the deliberations in Mumbai and Delhi will double down on any specific event," he added.

Speaking at the same press conference, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj said that there is a great need to speak with a united voice and with a common voice, as we counter the scourge and menace, which we all agree is one of the most dangerous threats that face humanity today.

"And the second thing I would like to highlight is the issue of double standards, where we have said that there are no good or no bad terrorists. And we have said before, both the External Affairs Minister and later on the Indian Mission in New York, that those who propagate this distinction, have an agenda and those who cover up for them are just as culpable," she added. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Young Orleans golfer enjoying success on the links

Fred Sherwin

Oct. 28, 2022

Isaiah Ibit is a young man on a mission. The 16-year-old St. Peter High School student recently won the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association (NCSSAA) open boys golf championship with an impressive 66 at the Rideau View Golf Club.



Orleans teenager Isaiah Ibit is currently the third ranked U17 golfer in the province. FRED SHERWIN PHOTO

Earlier in the season, he won the Ottawa Valley Golf Association (OVGA) Junior City and District Championship for the second year in a row and he placed third at the Ontario Summer Games. He also won the Junior Club Championship at his home course Camelot.

Last year, Ibit tied for third in both the Ontario Juvenile U17 Championship and the Ontario Junior U19 Championship.

He is currently the third ranked U17 golfer in the province. His goal is to earn a golf scholarship at a Division 1 school in the United States.

It should come as no surprise that Ibits favourite golfer is Tiger Woods, although hes also a big fan of Rory McIlroy.

Ibit was introduced to the sport of golf by his father David when he was just a toddler.

I would swing a club and just knock balls around. I think I was three or four, recalls Ibit.

By the time we was 10 years old, Ibit was already playing in tournaments. In fact, he placed second in his very first junior club tournament at the age of 10.

His father, who is also the athletic director and golf coach at St. Peter, taught him until he was 14 years old, at which point he began to take private lessons from a professional instructor.

Ibit says the strongest aspect of his game is his driving accuracy, course management and his short game around the greens.

The areas he plans to work on over the winter are his putting and his golf swing with the hope of gaining more club head speed while maintaining his consistency and accuracy .

The 66 he shot at the NCSSAA high school championship was his lowest round ever. It also helped St. Peter finish second in the four-man team competition, which earned them a berth in the OFSAA provincial high school championships.

Unfortunately, the OFSAA championships were held at the same time as the Team Ontario selection camp and provincial U19 tour championship in Windsor. As a current member of Team Ontario, Ibit chose the latter in the hope of keeping his place on the team. He finished the 52-hole tournament in a four-way tie for fifth after carding rounds of 74, 77 and 74.
Islamabad, Oct 28 (PTI) Pakistan on Friday rejected India's criticism of Islamabad's failure to prosecute and punish the LeT terrorists responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, saying Islamabad would require "irrefutable and legally tenable evidence" for the "efficient disposal" of the case.

Delivering the inaugural address at the special meeting of the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee in Mumbai, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the key conspirators of the November 26, 2008, Mumbai terror attacks, LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, continue to remain "protected and unpunished" even today.

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He was apparently referring to terrorists like LeT chief Hafiz Saeed remaining unpunished for their role in the Mumbai attacks.

While one of the terrorists (Ajmal Kasab) was captured alive, prosecuted and convicted by the highest court in India, the key conspirators and planners of the 26/11 terror attacks continue to remain protected and unpunished," Jaishankar said.

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When it comes to sanctioning terrorists, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has been "regrettably" unable to act in some cases because of "political considerations", he said, in an apparent swipe at China, a close ally of Pakistan, which has blocked the UNSC sanction of Pakistan-based terrorists on several occasions.

Reacting to Jaishankar's veiled attack on Pakistan, the Foreign Office here said, It is regrettable that India chose to misuse an important Committee of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to mislead the international community about Pakistan's role in countering global terrorism.

It said India must remember that the Mumbai attacks case "is in the court of law and rather than relying on anyone's whims or wishes, it would require irrefutable and legally tenable evidence for efficient disposal."

Jaishankar said the "shocking" terror incident was an attack not just on Mumbai, but on the international community.

"In fact, this entire city was held hostage by terrorists, who had entered from across the border," he said without naming Pakistan.

As many as 140 Indian nationals and 26 citizens from 23 countries lost their lives in the Mumbai terror attacks carried out by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists.

Jaishankar delivered his inaugural session at a special meeting in Mumbai on 'Countering the Use of New and Emerging Technologies for Terrorist Purposes. The first leg of the event is being held at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in south Mumbai. This hotel was one of the places attacked by terrorists during the November 2008 attacks.

India has said repeatedly told Pakistan that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Islamabad in an environment free of terror, hostility, and violence.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Nairobi [Kenya], October 28 (ANI): The Pakistani army has been accused of 'targeting' journalist Arshad Sharif and his alleged assassination in Kenya.

Unable to reject the charge outright as it generally does, the army is on the back foot, having to endorse a "high-level investigation" into the "accidental" killing of Arshad Sharif by the 'Kenyan Police', reported Africa Daily Digital.

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The Pakistani state's critics, among them scribes, political workers and human rights activists, have been found dead under mysterious circumstances in France, Sweden and Canada. One known attempt in Britain failed but became the cause of a police probe and court trial.

While the main opposition and former prime minister Imran Khan have led the charge, the government has announced a judicial probe, reported Africa Daily Digital.

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Analysts say this is another instance of eliminating an inconvenient operative abroad. The Kenyan Police's involvement - the army is accused of working through its 'agents' in that force that has been called 'corrupt' and 'notorious' in media reports, complicates the matter.

Arshad Sharif, son of a former Pakistan Navy chief, was specialised in investigative journalism and covered many political events in the country for national and international news organisations.

He was awarded the Pride of Performance by the President of Pakistan Arif Alvi for his contributions to journalism. President of Pakistan Arif Alvi described Sharif's death as "a great loss to journalism and Pakistan, reported Africa Daily Digital.

Afzal Butt, president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), expressed his grief at the news and called for an inquiry into the killing of Sharif.

Journalist Kamran Khan questioned the government on Twitter and asked the Prime Minister to take "the nation in confidence".

Arshad Sharif's case is different in that for the first time, the charge is direct, and comes amidst political and economic turmoil. The army itself, about to have a new Chief next month, is a key part of the political shenanigans, reported Africa Daily Digital.

The analysts at home and outside view the army as part of the problem, not the solution. Even those who grimly foresee a likely military intervention, point to its failure in the past.

The army is actually under attack from within, the polity that it has deeply influenced and overridden for close to seven decades. Worse -- it is an attack from the very people it has nurtured and played one against another, reported Africa Daily Digital.

The most glaring example is Shireen Mazari, a scribe turned security analyst who was close to the military, even when she joined politics and was till April this year, the Minister for Human Rights in the Imran Khan Government.

In her social media post, she claimed to have met Arshad Sharif. She has stopped short of directly naming the army for Arshad's alleged murder, but has left little to the imagination by accusing "those who cannot win a war."

The oblique reference is to four wars that the Pakistan Army initiated against India but failed to achieve its stated tactical and strategic objectives, the most obvious being the seizure of Jammu and Kashmir from India. In Pakistan, this charge is fatal, reported Africa Daily Digital.

Complicating the army's woes is the direct attack from Imran Khan who said that he had known the scribe, calling him a 'martyr'. He had urged him to 'desist', and flee the country, but did not explain what 'desist' from doing.

Khan is confronting the army that propped up Khan through the years, to win the 2018 elections, against political 'dynasties', the Bhutto-Zardaris of the PPP and the Sharifs who head the PML-N. Khan accuses the army of helping both families to share power after he was voted out in a parliamentary coup in April, reported Africa Daily Digital.

Khan now wants a snap poll, but the military under Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, is backing the incumbent regime's agenda of setting the economy right before holding an uncertain election. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 28 (ANI): UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly who is in Mumbai to attend the United Nations Security Council special meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) at Taj Mahal Palace expressed his deepest condolences to 26/11 Mumbai terror victims and vowed to prevent such acts of terror from happening again.

"Today we remember the 166 people who were killed when terrorists attacked Mumbai in 2008 and the countless others who were injured in that attack. I express my deepest condolences to the victims and their families," said Cleverly.

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"This morning reminds us of the human cost and global impact of terrorism. It reminds us why we must remain united and steadfast in our efforts to defeat it," he added.

Notably, this is the first high-level visit from a UK official to India since Rishi Sunak took charge as UK's new Prime Minister on Tuesday.

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Reiterating UK's support to end such acts of terror, he said, "The UK condemns all terrorism. We will work with India, our international friends and partners to try and prevent an attack like we saw in Mumbai from happening again."

Highlighting the fact that terrorists still continue to get financial resources to maintain their organizational functions, Cleverly emphasized depriving terrorists of funds.

"It's not just about vigilance and security focussed on those that carry out terrorism. We know that depriving terrorists of funds to carry out such attacks, funds to maintain their network and funds to recruit new members is one of the most effective tools against them," said UK Foreign Secretary.

He also remembered the three Britishers who lost their lives in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. On November 26, 2008, 10 terrorists trained by the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) carried out a series of coordinated attacks against multiple targets in Mumbai, killing 166 people.

"Among them were three British nationals and on behalf of His Majesty's government, I honour and remember them today," said Cleverly.

He further reiterated the UK's unwavering support to condemn all acts of terrorism.

"14 years ago, the UNSC condemned all acts of terrorism regardless of their motivation and pledged to combat this threat to international peace and security. The UK's determination to honour that pledge remains unwavering," said UK Foreign Secretary.

Ahead of the 14th anniversary of the Mumbai attacks in November, India is hosting the two-day anti-terrorism meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) starting Friday. The key UNSC meeting, under New Delhi's chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), is taking place at one of the main sites that saw the dastardly terror attacks. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Patna, October 28: A thief was killed and two others were critically injured after a violent mob nabbed and assaulted them brutally in Bihar's Samastipur district. The violent mob dunked the robbers' heads under water in a bid to kill them. The trio was identified as Vikas Kumar, Pinkesh Kumar and Ravi Kumar -- all natives of Nayaganj village under Deshri police station in Vaishali district.

Some villagers made videos of brutal assault and shared it on social media. The incident occurred on Wednesday evening and one of the robbers died on Thursday evening. Om Prakash Arun, the DSP of Patori in Samastipur district, said: "The accused used to commit robberies at Dhamaun Chimni Vishar village in Samastipur district which is located on the border of Samastipur and Vaishali districts. Bihar Mob Lynching: Man Accused of Raping 9-Year-Old Girl Lynched by Angry Villagers in Katihar.

Two brothers Santosh Kumar and Prem Kumar -- who are also the CSP operators of Inayatpur village -- had withdrawn Rs 1.5 lakh from SBI branch in Patori and were returning home. When they reached Dhamaun Chimni Vishar village, the robbers intercepted the siblings and tried to snatch the money. The victims raised an alarm and soon a large number of villagers assembled there.

"The villagers chased the robber and the latter were firing on them. As the villagers were in large numbers, robbers in a bid to save their lives, jumped into a water pit. The villagers also jumped into it and brutally assaulted the accused using batons. They then dunk their heads into the water to drown them. On being informed, a police team headed by SHO Patori reached the spot and managed to rescue them," the DSP said. Bihar Mob Lynching: Youth Beaten, Made To Spit and Lick From Ground Over Alleged Theft in Muzaffarpur, 3 Held.

The critically injured robbers were rushed to a local hospital where Vikas Kumar succumbed to his injuries on Thursday evening. The condition of the other two accused Pinkesh and Ravi is also stated to be critical. "We have registered an FIR in this connection against unknown persons and tried to identify them through the video circulated on social media," the DSP said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 28, 2022 03:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
A woman, working as a housemaid, was shot dead in north Delhi's Wazirpur on Friday afternoon, and a manhunt has launched to apprehend the accused, police said.

The deceased was identified as Salma, 45, a resident of the JJ colony in Wazirpur. Police said that earlier she used to work in a parlour in Karol Bagh and presently she was working as house maid. Rajasthan Shocker: Two Infants Die Due to Overheating of Warmer at Govt Hospital in Bhilwara; Probe Ordered Into Medical Negligence.

"At around 1.10 p.m, a police control room (PCR) call regarding a murder was received at Bharat Nagar police station following which a police team rushed to the spot," said a senior police official.

"On spot, the woman was found lying on the third floor of the building with gunshot injuries. She was rushed to the hospital where she was declared dead," the official added. Delhi Shocker: Youth Succumbs to Injuries After Getting Stabbed in Badarpur; Four Accused Apprehended.

"The crime scene was inspected by the police team and three empty cartridges were recovered from the spot. A case under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at Bharat Nagar police station," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Northwest, Usha Rangnani, said.

"The accused has been identified and efforts are being made to nab him at the earliest. Further investigation is in progress," she added.
Kanpur, October 28: The lower jaw of a stray cow was blown to bits as she chewed a cracker bomb thrown in the garbage. Nitin Patel, Former Gujarat Deputy CM, Attacked by Stray Cow During Har Ghar Tiranga Rally in Mehsana; Watch Video.

The incident took place in Kanpur's Kakadeo area but came to light only when some people posted photographs of the cow bleeding profusely from the mouth.

Cow Injured After Eating Firecrackers:

Kanpur, UP| Cow injured after eating firecrackers A cow found near a garbage heap with injured jaw,police reached the spot&took it to hospital.Cow might have eaten firecrackers lying in garbage heap.Forensic exam of spot being done.CCTV to be checked.Cow is stable now: CP pic.twitter.com/PffeSYETzw  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) October 28, 2022

Animal activists searched for the severely injured cow and gave her first aid. The police, when contacted, said that the matter had been brought to their notice and they were investigating the same.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 28, 2022 02:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Chitradurga, October 28: The Karnataka police have filed a 694-page charge sheet against rape-accused Lingayat seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru in a local court, police sources stated on Friday.

According to police sources, while this is an interim charge sheet, a detailed one would be filed as the investigation progresses. Murugha Mutt Seer Sex Scandal: Watched Helplessly As Daughters Taken to Seers Private Room, Minor Girls' Mother Recounts Horror.

Filed by the investigation officer Anil Kumar, the charge sheet contains reports of 347 pages against the rape-accused. It also contains charges against the second accused, ladies hostel warden Rashmi and fourth accused, secretary of the mutt Paramaahivaiah.

Police said that they were supposed to file a charge sheet in the local court before October 30 and hence they have submitted an interim one. As per the charge sheet, the investigation has continued in connection with the third accused junior pontiff and fifth accused Gangadharaiah. The report says that there is lack of evidence against them. Murugha Mutt Seer Sex Scandal: Karnataka Police To Grill Rape Accused Shivamurthy Sharanaru.

The police have booked the rape-accused seer and accused under IPC Sections 376 (2) (N), 376 (DA), 376 (3), 201, 202, 506 read with 34 and 37 IPC and column 17 (5) L, POCSO Act, SC, ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, Section 7 of the Religious Institution Prevention of Misuse Act 1988 and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015.

Two minor girls had filed a case of sexual abuse and rape against influencial Lingayat seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru and others on August 26. After a dramatic turn of events, the seer was arrested on September 1.

The news made national headlines. The Second Additional District and Sessions Court slammed prosecution for giving preferential treatment to the accused seer and ordered to treat him just as an undertrial.

The accused Swamiji's bail petitions have been repeatedly rejected. Adding to his woes, fresh complaints have been lodged against him by another set of victims.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 28, 2022 11:11 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Jaipur/Gorakhpur, Oct 28: Senior IPS officer Umesh Mishra will be the new Rajasthan Director General of Police (DGP).

The 1989-batch officer will take over as the DGP upon the retirement of incumbent M L Lather on November 3, an order issued by the state's department of personnel on Thursday night said.

Mishra, who is currently the DG Intelligence, has been appointed as the DG (head of police force for a period of two years (irrespective of his date of superannuation) or until further orders, whichever is earlier, it said.

At the same time, he has also been promoted to the apex scale (Level 17 in the pay matrix) of the Indian Police Service, the order read. Umesh Mishra, Senior IPS Officer, Appointed As New DGP of Rajasthan.

Mishra has held posts like Additional Director General of Police (ADG) Intelligence, ADG Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Special Operations Group (SOG), ADG Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), IG Bharatpur in the past. He has also been the Superintendent of Police of Kota city, Bharatpur, Pali and Churu districts.

Shortly after Mishra's appointment, celebrations began in his native village Sakrouli in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar district, where people congratulated each other and the relatives of Mishra. The villagers also fired crackers and distributed sweets. Mishra had visited his native village to celebrate Diwali three days ago. The information reached the villagers on Thursday night when PCS officer SN Mishra informed them about the success of his uncle Umesh Mishra.

It is a matter of great pride for the entire region that someone from the East UP and Sakrauli village has become head of Rajasthan Police force" SN Mishra said. Umesh Mishra's father late Shiv Pujan Mishra was an English lecturer at Shri Gandhi Smarak Inter College, Kushinagar. The senior IPS officer had completed his basic education from the same college before joining the Allahabad University.
Lucknow, October 28: Two police personnel were attacked in separate incidents in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow. A group of men attacked a sub-inspector when he was patrolling a village of Banthra on Wednesday. Two persons including a minor were held in the case.

In the second incident, a head constable was assaulted by bike-borne men in Para. A video of the incident had also gone viral prompting senior police officials to register a case and launch a manhunt to arrest those who had assaulted the cop. Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Rape Accused Ends Life in Pilibhit; Makes Video Saying Was in Love With the Woman.

Watch Video:

In the first incident reported from Banthra, sub-inspector Gaurav Bajpai said that he was in Hindu Khera when he saw a group of men gambling and fiercely arguing.

Bajpai stopped there to quiz them. "While I was questioning them, a youth later identified as Ashish Maurya and his men came close to me. They started arguing and then they attacked me," he said.

DCP Central, Aparna Rajat Kaushik said that an FIR had been registered and Ashish Maurya had been arrested along with a minor. "We have launched a manhunt to nab the others," she said. Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Girl Consumes Poison After Rape, Death Threats From Classmates in Lucknow.

In the incident reported from Para, a police head constable Srikant was thrashed while conducting a checking drive near Bishop Hospital under Mohan Road outpost of Para police station. In his FIR, Srikant said four unidentified bike-borne men manhandled him on being stopped.

"They first abused me and then thrashed me before speeding off the scene," he said. ADCP South Zone, Manisha Singh said that an FIR had been registered and efforts were on to nab the accused.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 28, 2022 08:27 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
At least 1,595 cases of dengue have been detected in Madhya Pradesh so far this year, which is a significant decline from the last year's infections, an official from the state health department said on Friday.
Bamako, Mali (PANA) - The Malian government on Thursday set up a high-level private sector-State consultation framework to strengthen the role of private operators in ensuring the country's proper supply of agricultural inputs and basic necessities
The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs department on Friday seized 2.37 kilograms of gold at Kochi airport. Reportedly, the department made this recovery in three instances. The price of the seized gold is said to be Rs 96.61 lakhs. Mumbai: 15 kg Gold Valued Over Rs 7 Crore, Foreign Currency Worth Rs 22 Lakh Seized at Airport by Customs (See Pics).

Kerala Gold Bust:

Kerala | Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Customs department has seized 2.37 kilograms of gold worth Rs 96.61 lakhs at Kochi airport in three instances: Customs pic.twitter.com/PqcRhsn3ao  ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2022

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
Haiti has received Canada's assessment mission team amid its growing security crisis. It happened as Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly met with her U.S. counterpart, State Secretary Antony Blinken, in Ottawa.

Al Jazeera News reported that the Canadian foreign affairs department said a government delegation was in Haiti to "consult with stakeholders on options to support Haitians" in addressing the humanitarian and security crises.

The assessment mission team will also review how Canada can "contribute to the international response" in the Caribbean nation.

Joly said in a statement that Canada "will not remain idle while gangs and those who support them terrorize Haitian citizens." She also promised that Canada will continue to support law-abiding Haitians.

Meanwhile, Blinken said the United States and Canada will work together to "cut the insecurity knot" that has paved the way for gangs to make a humanitarian crisis in Haiti.

However, Blinken and Joly have not committed their country to lead a military force to Haiti.

READ NEXT: Haiti: Journalists Fatally Shot, Bodies Burned While Reporting on Violence

United States' Efforts in Haiti

ABC News Go noted that Canada and the United States have sent tanks to Haiti. The armored vehicles were said to be bought by Haiti's government.

The U.S. State Department did not provide further details on the supplies flown on military aircraft to Port-au-Prince but said that the equipment will help Haiti's National Police in their fight against criminal actors.

The equipment arrived more than a month after one of Haiti's most powerful gangs surrounded a fuel terminal and ordered the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, as reported by Associated Press News report.

People protesting have also blocked roads in major cities to rally against the sharp increase in fuel prices after Henry announced in early September that his administration could no longer afford to subsidize fuel.

U.N. on the Haiti Security Crisis

The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution in October demanding the immediate ending of violence and criminal activity in Haiti.

The U.N. has also imposed sanctions on individuals and groups threatening peace and stability in the Western Hemisphere nation, starting with one of its powerful gang leaders.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield noted after the resolution's approval that they are sending a clear message "to the bad actors that are holding Haiti hostage," according to a PBS News report.

Mexico, with the U.S., drafted a 10-page resolution and delayed the vote so they could revise the text to gain more support.

The resolution identified one Haitian named Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier. His gang has blocked a key fuel terminal, which prompted severe shortages in the country.

Cherizier was also known to be a former police officer leading an alliance of gangs known as the G9 Family and Allies. He will now face a travel ban, asset freeze, and arms embargo.

The instability in the country started last year when President Jovenel Moise was assassinated.

READ MORE: 4 of Haiti President Jovenel Moise's 'Presumed Assassins' Killed, 2 Arrested by Police

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Secretary of states visit to Canada focuses on crisis in Haiti - from CBC News: The National


Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, is showing some level of increasing activity, so Hawaii officials warned residents of the Big Island that it may erupt.

According to Forbes, Talmadge Magno, the administrator for Hawaii County Civil Defense, told residents not to panic but urged them to be prepared as they lived on the slopes of Mauna Loa.

"There's a potential for some kind of lava disaster," Magno noted. Although a volcanic eruption is not imminent, some volcanologists were concerned about a recent increase in tremors at the summit.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said Mauna Loa continues to be in a state of heightened unrest, with the number of small-magnitude earthquakes increasing "below Mokuaweoweo caldera and the upper northwest flank."

The agency, which is part of the U.S. Geological Survey, noted that historically, both the above regions have been "seismically active during periods of unrest on Mauna Loa."

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory added that since the middle of last month, the number of summit tremors jumped from 10 to 20 per day to 40 to 50 per day.

Scientists believe that the ongoing seismic activity suggests that magma continues to rise to the volcano's surface from deep within the Earth.

READ NEXT: Hawaii Local News: Lava From Kilauea Volcano Threatens Residents at Speed of 15-20 Yards Per Hour

Mauna Loa in Hawaii Known to Spew Out Huge Amounts of Lava in the Past

According to Associated Press, during the 1950 eruption that lasted 23 days, the Mauna Loa volcano spewed 1,000 cubic meters of lava per second. In contrast, Kilauea, another active volcano on Hawaii's Big Island, released 300 cubic meters of lava per second in 2018.

Frank Trusdell, a research geologist at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said people should look at the map made by his group to find out how fast lava could reach their area. He also advised residents to pay attention if the summit turns red.

"All you got to do is look up there and see the glow. You grab your stuff, throw it in the car and drive. Go!" Trusdell said.

He noted that people can always return home once the lava stops flowing into their neighborhood. Scientists said tremors could continue for a while before any eruption.

For example, the AP reported that an increased seismic activity lasted for a year before the 1975 Mauna Loa volcano eruption and a year and a half before the eruption in 1984. However, scientists also said the earthquakes could subside, and Mauna Loa may not erupt this time.

Big Island Residents in Hawaii Seem Not Bothered by Possible Mauna Loa Volcano Eruption

Last weekend, county civil defense officials held a community meeting with more than 220 people in Ocean View. Lava could reach the Ocean View neighborhood in hours if molten rock erupts through vents on the southwest flank of Mauna Loa.

According to CBS News, Ryan Williams, the owner of the Margarita Village bar in Hilo, said their customers were already used to warnings and were not worried about the volcanic unrest.

"Everything I've read or heard, they trying to kind of assure people that conditions have not changed. There's no imminent eruption, but just to be alert," Williams noted.

But since government representatives have been hosting town hall meetings and advising residents to prepare, there can still be a heightened sense of urgency.

The current alert level is "advisory," which means the Mauna Loa volcano shows signs of unrest, but there is no indication that an eruption is likely or certain.

According to Magno, his agency is now talking to residents because those living closest to vents might not have enough time to respond and prepare once the alert level is raised to "watch," which means an eruption is imminent.

READ MORE: Uvalde School Shooting: New Video Highlights Massive Failure of Texas Police During Tragic Attack

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Hawaii's Big Island Gets Warning as Huge Volcano Rumbles - From KITV
President Joe Biden has reiterated his fear that Vladimir Putin will carry out his nuclear threats after the president of Russia delivered an anti-Western speech.

According to Daily Mail, Biden was asked Thursday if he believed Putin's claim that he had no intention of using nuclear weapons.

The U.S. president answered: "I think if he has no intention, why does he keep talking about it? Why is he talking about the ability to use a tactical nuclear weapon?"

He also told News Nation that Putin has "been very dangerous in how he's approached this." Biden said the Russian president "can end this all" by getting out of Ukraine.

"He should just get out," the president noted.

READ NEXT: Joe Biden Says Vladimir Putin's Nuclear Threats Are Real, Could Spark Catastrophic 'Armageddon'

Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Western Leaders and Nuclear Threats

Joe Biden addressed the question after the Russian president's calls for a "new world order" in a major foreign policy speech in Moscow on Thursday.

During the 19th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, Putin said the world has entered its most dangerous period since the Second World War.

Putin said the world has reached a turning point when the "West is no longer able to dictate its will" to humankind but still tries to do it. He noted that most nations "no longer want to tolerate it."

The Russian president said a "new world order" must emerge in which Russia gets a bigger say. Putin accused westerners of fanning the flames of war in Ukraine and Taiwan, causing a global food crisis, and sparking a global energy crisis.

"Dominion of the world is what West has decided to stake in this game. It is a dangerous, deadly and dirty game," the Russian president said.

Putin has also denied that Russia was preparing to use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war despite issuing repeated warnings in the past.

Earlier this month, Biden warned that Putin's threat of using nuclear weapons was real, which could lead to "Armageddon." He said Putin was "not joking when he talks about the use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons."

As he claimed he knew Putin "fairly well," Biden noted that the threat from Putin was real because Putin's military "is significantly underperforming." The president added that the risk of nuclear "Armageddon" was at the highest level since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

However, U.S. officials recently said they had not seen any changes to Russia's nuclear forces, which would require a change in the alert posture of the nuclear forces of the U.S., Reuters reported.

U.S. Strategy on Nuclear Weapons' Threats

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Russia could not systematically challenge the United States over the long term, unlike China. However, he noted that Russian aggression does pose "an immediate and sharp threat to our interests and values," Time reported.

In his latest speech, Putin also claimed that he had told the West: "Let's be friends," and urged to have a dialogue to strengthen trust and peace.

'We were completely sincere... What did we get in response? A 'no' on every possible area of cooperation," he noted.

Putin said Russia is not an enemy of the West but will continue to oppose the Western neo-liberal elites, who tried to subdue Russia.

The Russian president further noted that Moscow is "ready for talks" on Ukraine and denied that he underestimated Ukraine's ability to fight back.

Putin added that he thinks about their country's casualties in the conflict "all the time." However, he said he was left with no choice but to attack Ukraine as Russia would have paid a higher price if he had not acted.

READ MORE: Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelensky Says if Pres. Joe Biden Acted Sooner 'There Would Be No War'

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Joe Biden: Russia Would Be Making a 'Serious Mistake' if It Used a Tactical Nuclear Weapon - From Guardian News
A Texas man shot and killed his wife and then turned the gun on himself to commit suicide after she told a 911 operator that her marriage was over, police said.

According to Star-Telegram, Texas authorities are investigating a domestic violence murder-suicide Thursday that left two people dead in their apartment complex's parking lot.

In a statement, the Lewisville police said dispatchers received a call at around 5:30 a.m. Authorities noted that the woman on the 911 call could be heard arguing with a man.

The woman reportedly told dispatchers that her marriage to the man she was arguing with had recently ended. Police said multiple gunshots were heard on the 911 call before the call went silent.

When officers arrived on the scene at the 200 block of East Farm Market 3040 in Lewisville, they found a man's and a woman's bodies in the parking lot.

Police said the woman had multiple gunshots to her chest, while the Texas man appeared to have a self-inflicted gunshot to his head.

READ NEXT: Oklahoma Woman Admits Killing Roommate During Fight About Food Stamps, Tries to Burn the Body Twice But Failed

Texas Man Killed Wife Before Committing Suicide

The Texas man fatally shot his wife while she was on a call with a 911 operator. According to NBC News, witnesses who also called 911 reported that the man shot the woman multiple times before he turned the gun on himself to commit suicide.

According to NBC DFW, the man and woman were both taken to Medical City Lewisville. The woman was pronounced dead at around 6:30 a.m., and the Texas man died about 55 minutes later.

Authorities had not released the names of the deceased pending notifications of relatives. It was not immediately clear if their divorce had been finalized.

Murder-Suicide Rates in the United States

Murder-suicides are a common form of gun violence in the United States, with around 11 incidents each week being reported. A Violence Policy Center research found that more than 1,200 Americans die in murder-suicides each year.

The research also showed that nine out of 10 murder-suicides involved a gun. It said an intimate partner of the shooter is among the victims in nearly two-thirds of all murder-suicides.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that about 24,292 people died committing firearm suicides in 2020.

According to CDC, more Americans died of gun-related injuries in 2020 than in any other year on record. However, despite the increase in fatalities, the rate of gun deaths remains below the levels of earlier years.

The CDC reported that 45,222 people died from gun-related injuries in the U.S. in 2020. That number included gun murders and gun suicides.

According to Pew Research, 54% of all gun-related deaths in the U.S. in 2020 were suicides, while 43% were murdered. The remaining number were unintentional, involved law enforcement, and had undetermined circumstances.

READ MORE: John Lennon Killer: The Disturbing Story of Mark David Chapman Who Was Denied Parole for 12th Time

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: 123 Deaths a Day: Inside the Public Health Crisis of Rising Suicide Rates in the United States - From Democracy Now
Documents from Mexico's Ministry of Defense (SEDENA) revealed that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as "El Mencho," is sharing control of the notorious Jalisco cartel with his two brothers.

In a classified "urgent" report dated August 11, 2022 that was leaked by "Guacamaya" hackers, the National Guard's 14th Battalion in Jalisco state said El Mencho is still the head of the Jalisco cartel.

However, the document acquired by Milenio revealed that his brothers Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, alias "Tony Montana," and Abraham Oseguera Cervantes are also now in command of the cartel.

The report also showed that some of the relatives of El Mencho and his brothers became the criminal group's regional coordinators and plaza bosses.

Among them were Guadalupe Moreno Carrillo, the current partner of El Mencho, and some of their children, such as Jessica Johanna Oseguera Gonzalez.

Known as "La Negra," Jessica Johanna was released from a U.S. prison earlier this year after being jailed for over 25 months on money laundering charges.

The National Guard also said in the report that there are currently 45 "capos" of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel who remain at large, and authorities still do not know the faces of 15 of them.

However, the military noted that they do know how they operate and what areas they control.

READ NEXT: El Mencho Net Worth: Here's How the Jalisco Cartel Boss Became One of the World's Richest Criminals

Jalisco Cartel Operations Are Crossing Borders

The leaked documents said the base of operations of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel or Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) is still in Jalisco.

According to the August 11 report, the 45 cartel operators who were still at large were operating on the state's coast and the mountains.

Citing the military documents, the Borderland Beat reported that the non-capture of these alleged criminals has caused the operations of the Mexican drug cartel to cross borders.

The U.S. government has reportedly denounced the increase in border clashes and heavy drug trafficking, which began in 2018.

According to the National Guard, the Jalisco cartel also maintains an alliance with the Los Cuinis, its elite armed wing led by Ulises Yovani Mora Tapia, alias "El Yiyo," who is wanted by the DEA for drug trafficking.

El Mencho Operating the Jalisco Cartel in Mexico

The Jalisco cartel is being blamed for the bulk of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and other illegal drugs transported into North and South American countries and some regions in Asia and Europe.

But apart from drug trafficking, El Mencho's group also earns millions from fuel theft and arms smuggling. The Jalisco cartel has established its presence in at least 20 Mexican states, including Mexico City.

El Mencho reportedly prefers to use Pacific routes to move tons of drugs, importing cocaine from Colombia and ephedrine from China through Manzanillo port in Colima.

The Mexican drug kingpin once served as a police officer in Cabo Corrientes and Tomatlan in Jalisco. However, he left the police force to continue his drug trafficking activities and join the Milenio Cartel before becoming the head of the Jalisco cartel.

The U.S. government has already offered a $10 million reward for information leading to El Mencho's arrest. The Jalisco cartel boss remains one of the world's most elusive criminals.

READ MORE: Uvalde School Shooting: New Video Highlights Massive Failure of Texas Police During Tragic Attack

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: El Mencho Comparte Mando Del CJNG Con Sus Hermanos Y Pareja - From MILENIO
Port-Louis, Mauritius (PANA)  Mauritius on Thursday launched a sterile release programme of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes in the Port-Louis area which forms part of the integrated vector management strategy to tackle mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue and chikungunya
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, says he has encouraged members of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission to assume their moral and national responsibilities and move forward towards stability in the country
As clocks go back next weekend and dark evenings arrive, Laois towns are about to be plunged into further darkness due to broken streetlights, according to many county councillors.

Some six councillors all agree that the contractor for maintaining the 10,000 public streetlights in Laois is not doing the job well enough.

Cllr John King was first to complain to Laois County Council, at their October meeting.

"Rathdowney is in total darkness. At least 10 or 12 lights are out. Our service from people doing the lights is anything but good. It's not fair on businesses paying rates," he said.

His comment sparked a deluge of complaints from others.

"The bottom square in Portlaoise is in total darkness. It's an absolute disgrace. We've gone completely backways. The system hsa completely fallen apart again. Lights need to be put back on immediately," said Cllr Willie Aird.

"I asked at the last meeting for an update. A lot of our towns are in darkness. There is no response from the contractors," Cllr John Joe Fennelly said.

"We have the same problem in Stradbally. Lights are out for six months. There is a complete breakdown. I haven't seen a light fixed in six months, " agreed Cllr Paschal McEvoy.

"They used to be done in a fortnight, 95% of them. This year, it's six to eight months, the whole thing is down. Eight weeks ago I reported one and it's still not done," said Cllr Padraig Fleming.

Cllr Noel Tuohy is concerned for a woman with poor vision.

"A lady who is visually impaired approach me about three lights in a row down the town, that are not working outside her house," he said.

Meanwhile in Ballyroan, Cllr Barry Walsh said that the lights along one side of the street are too dim to reach the other side. He said the issue was raised at a Tidy Towns meeting.

Director of Services Simon Walton said that penalties may be imposed on the contracted company.

"I am very disappointed if the situation is as bad as it is portrayed," he said.

He undertook to have each of the three Laois Municipal Districts examined by a senior engineer.

The streetlight maintenance is contracted out to one company. Cllr Aird asked if it they have to wait for the tender to be over before finding another. Cllr Aisling Moran suggested creating an App where any tradesperson can register to fix a reported issue.

Mr Walton said their choices are limited.

"There are limited numbers of service providers, it is a small playing field, but we do retender regularly. I've heard what you've said. There are performance targets in the contract. It they are not met, there are penalties. We need to ensure they are providing that service," he said.

He said it is an ESB Networks safety rule that only one contractor is permitted to fix them.
A Laois farmer features in the first edition of the new series of RTEs popular farming and rural affairs programme, Ear to the Ground, which is back for its 30th run.

In Episode 1 Darragh McCullough investigates whether farming can really meet its short-term emissions targets without reducing the national herd. Ella McSweeney takes a closer look at the Green Beetle and Helen Carroll visits a Solar Farm in Co Cork.

Episode one of Ear to the Ground asks if can farming really meet its short-term emissions targets without reducing the national herd and if so where is the roadmap to achieve that?

Bruce Thompson is a successful dairy farmer in Co Laois who features in episode one. The show explains how he practices the most technical offsetting measures to help in the farming sector reduce emissions by 25% by 2030 to help stem global warming.

But Darragh McCullough finds out that even Bruce can only reach 14% reduction without reducing his herd. A move he's not prepared to make voluntarily.

The Green Beetle also features. The producers say nature based solutions are increasingly being used throughout agriculture to solve common farming problems. Docks are native plants which are very common across Ireland. But they can be problematic for farmers, who frequently use herbicides to kill them.

Ella McSweeney meets Louis and Siobhan Ward who farm in Mayo and are championing an alternative approach...by breeding the native green dock beetle and selling them to farmers to use to replace herbicide.

The third item in episode one is Solar Farming;

With over 42% of Ireland's Renewable energy comes from onshore Wind farming, but when it comes to harnessing

the power of the sun, we are lagging behind. But some farmers are embracing the prospects of farming energy alongside their crops and animals.

Helen Carroll meets Michael Quirke from Aghada in Co. Cork to see his mixed farming enterprise. She walked the fields where barley once grew but is now home to over 10,000 solar panels with the capacity to power over a thousand homes and saving over 4,000 tonnes of Carbon.

This season Ear to the Ground will explore the issues, challenges and opportunities facing Irish farmers and rural

dwellers.

Ear to the Ground is produced by indiepics for RTE and is broadcast from the 7th of November through until March.

Programme one will be broadcast on Thursday, November 3 on RTE One - 7pm. It's repeated on Sunday at 1.10pm.
Political leaders across the island of Ireland have criticised the UK Government for failing to call an election in Northern Ireland.

Chris Heaton-Harris had promised he would announce a date for an Assembly election if efforts to restore devolution failed.

But after the deadline passed on Friday without powersharing resuming at Stormont, the Northern Ireland Secretary confirmed he would call an election but he did not set a date.

Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle ONeill accused Mr Heaton-Harris of a bizarre U-turn, while DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the chaos continues.

Irelands premier Micheal Martin said it was regrettable the DUP had failed to take its seats, adding that restoration of powersharing must remain the priority of the political parties in the region.

He reiterated that the Irish government will have a role to play in Northern Ireland through the Good Friday Agreement framework in the absence of powersharing at Stormont.

That does involve consultation between the Irish government and the British Government if there is any prolonged period of direct rule, or no devolution, so to speak, Mr Martin said.

But, fundamentally, it is the restoration of the executive and the institutions that matter the most now, in the immediate sense, and I think we will all work within the framework of the agreement.

He acknowledged that the law provides for an election to be called but warned that elections can lead to further polarisation.

There is an obligation on everybody not to allow that to happen and to think of the overall objective of making sure we can get an agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom, Mr Martin added.

Ms ONeill said that people in Northern Ireland are now left in limbo.

She also said she has not spoken to the Northern Ireland Secretary, despite requesting to do so.

Todays indecision by the British SoS is a bizarre u-turn. At a time when workers, families and businesses are struggling, we are in political limbo. Responsibility for this lies with the DUP who didnt like the result of Mays election. People deserve better than this.  Michelle ONeill (@moneillsf) October 28, 2022

Ive made it very clear that his position is bizarre, Ms ONeill said.

And I want to speak to him to say thats not good enough on behalf of the people here.

She added: I think theres a lot of questions to be answered now. The Secretary of State has communicated his message to the media, but he says hes going to speak to the political parties.

I will speak with him, Ive asked to speak to him. I think its important that the public understand whats going to happen next and how theyre going to have a fully functional executive that they deserve, and how theyre going to have politicians working together to actually support them through these difficult times.

The DUP leader said his party is ready to fight an election.

But Sir Jeffrey urged the UK Government to focus on resolving the problem rather than dithering over an election.

It is now clear the Secretary of States boss, the Prime Minister, has not yet decided how to proceed, he said.

The Government should focus its time and energy on ensuring the protocol problem is dealt with and Northern Irelands place in the UK internal market is restored.

Our message to the Government continues to be that they need to get the protocol replaced and then we will have the basis for establishing a devolved government that unionists and nationalists can support.

The Government has undermined its own credibility in recent weeks, instead of focusing on the underlying problem.

Asked by reporters how likely an election is now, Sir Jeffrey said: I really dont know.

The DUP leader added: The Government should think very carefully about its next steps.

What we need is a period of stability, not further polarisation within our community.

UUP leader Doug Beattie said not enough had been done to get the institutions at Stormont up and running.

Theres always something else we can do and I dont think weve done enough, he said.

Not at one stage has all the party leaders been brought together, to sit together to try and come up with solutions in order to try and get the Assembly back up and running again.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said Mr Heaton-Harris must drop the idea of an election and focus on restoring the institutions.

The Foyle MP said the only thing that promising an early election achieved was prompting anger from the public, who want politicians to focus on important issues, such as the cost of living, rather than knocking on doors.

What we really need is renewed negotiations between the British Government and the EU to solve the small number of outstanding issues around the protocol, while protecting the huge economic benefits, so we can get the institutions up and running again, Mr Eastwood said.

The SDLP leader added that the DUP needed to realise the huge amount of damage it has caused to public faith in the institutions over the past year.

More and more people are losing faith in devolved government and rejecting the status quo and continuing this boycott risks irreparable harm to our institutions that they may not recover from, he said.

People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll condemned Mr Heaton-Harris for insulting the electorate over his failure to set a date for an election.

This latest debacle shows the contempt the Tories have for the people of the North, Mr Carroll said.

The Secretary of State is playing with the lives of an electorate who now face another period of limbo.

Were clear that people who are suffering through this cost-of-living crisis are entitled to have a say on the DUPs obstructionism and denial of democracy.

The Tories have indulged the DUPs antics over the protocol for too long. Their attempts to bribe and cajole them back into government have failed.

TUV leader Jim Allister called on Mr Heaton-Harris to forget the mind games and get on with removing EU sovereignty over Northern Ireland.

As Secretary of State his first priority, especially as a Conservative and Unionist, should be to stabilise Northern Ireland by restoring constitutional certainty through recovering from the EU its ill-gotten sovereignty over Northern Ireland, he said.
Bertie Ahern said it is a sad day for the people of Northern Ireland as they face into another election, which he said will solve and do nothing.

The former Taoiseach and architect of the Good Friday Agreement said an election will not change a damn thing.

He made the comments as the election is expected to be called by Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris on Friday, after a deadline to restore devolved government at Stormont passed.

Mr Ahern said that Mr Heaton-Harris talked himself into the election in recent weeks after stating he has a legal obligation.

I think its a pity, I think its a sad day and feel sorry for people in the north because this wont decide whats in the (Northern Ireland) Protocol, Mr Ahern said.

The only thing that will decide the protocol are the negotiations that are necessary.

The DUP is blocking the restoration of powersharing as part of its protest against the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol.

A six-month legislative timeframe to form an administration expired in the early hours of Friday.

Talks between Brussels and London to resolve the outstanding issues are ongoing, however Mr Ahern believes there are no negotiations taking place between both sides.

The last meetings of substance were last October. There was a bit of a meeting for a half day in February, he told RTEs Today with Claire Byrne programme.

Talks started last week but no negotiations, theres a big difference between talks and discussions and negotiations, and now theyve thrown the north into an election.

It doesnt matter whether people vote black, white, yellow or pink in the election, it wont change anything. The protocol is still the protocol and it isnt up for discussion in the election.

Mr Ahern also said the UK Government needs to learn a bit more about the DUP and its stance on the Northern Ireland Protocol, stating that the party will not change its position until there is a solution.

He said that people in Northern Ireland now face an election that solves nothing does nothing.

The main issue thats causing the breakdown is not even on the agenda. So, if they all voted 100% one way or the other, it doesnt change a damn thing, Mr Ahern added.

I think what happens now is the election will be on the 15th, therell be all the rancour in between, hopefully its a peaceful election.

Hopefully, people use their democratic vote for whatever individuals they like.

On the other side of that, theyll have a Christmas break and then maybe the British government might consider doing what they should have done a few years ago and get into serious negotiations, not discussions, and try to find a way forward.

Mr Ahern said he is also concerned the British Government will use Northern Ireland as a bargaining chip in the protocol negotiations.

He added: We know the problems, theyve been rehearsed time and time again, but the British government can say what they like, but the reality is there hasnt been any negotiations for a full 12 months.

It was just coming up to Halloween last year was the last meeting of substance and with all the musical chairs that have been going on in Westminster, people in Northern Ireland have been left.

I hope they noticed that. I do hope people in Northern Ireland see that in Number 10, they are low on their priority.
The Portarlington Art Collectctive has won the Arts, Culture and Heritage Award at the Laois Community and Voluntary Awards 2022.

In deciding upon a winner, the judge said the Port Art Collective reflects what a can be achieved by being diverse in the creative sector and embracing all types of creativity in Portarlington, be it visual art, street art or performances giving creatives a place to shine.

The Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council, Cllr Thomasina was given the honour of presenting the winning the winner with a Galway Crystal Plate and prize-money of 500.

John Mulholland, Chief Executive of Laois County Council, presented the runner up prize of 250 to the Laois Heritage Society.

The following is the full list of nominees in the Arts, Culture and Heritage section who also received Certificates of Achievement for their contribution to their communities.

Killeen Community Group

Port Art Collective

Laois Heritage Society

Frances Harney

Portlaoise Musical Society

Spink Comhaltas

Laois Youth Dance Ensemble

The award was presented with the award at a gala reception in the Midlands Park Hotel on Friday, October 28. It is sponsored by People First Credit Union and by Creative Ireland Laois, as part of the Creative Ireland Programme, in partnership with Laois County Council.

This is the 13th year of the awards which were hosted by Laois County Council in association with Laois Public Participation Network and sponsored by People First Credit Union.

The Leinster Express / LAOIS LIVE is honoured to be the media partner.
The national Tidy Towns awards in Dublin has seen Laois has win several medals and strong performances though hopes for a big win did not materialise.

Abbeyleix was Ireland's Tidiest Small Town in 2021 at the national awards event and came with in a whisker of winning the overall prize. Hopes were high that they'd go one better in 2022 but that was not to be.

Abbeyleix won a Gold medal and was Laois County winner.

Portlaoise won Silver medal, also retaining its status.

Durrow won a County Commended award.

Ballacolla won a Highly Commended award.

Portarlington won a Special Endeavour award which was given for having the biggest score improvement in Laois.

Tidy Towns team members from Abbeyleix, Durrow and Portlaoise travelled to the RDS for the announcement.

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys announced Trim, Co. Meath as Irelands Tidiest Town for 2022.

Some of the other big winners on the day included:

Rosscarbery, Co. Cork (Ros O gCairbe, Co Corcaigh) awarded Irelands Tidiest Village.

Clonakilty, Co Cork (Cloch Na Coillte, Co Corcaigh) awarded Irelands Tidiest Small Town.

Trim, Co Meath (Baile Atha Troim, Co Mi) awarded Irelands Tidiest Large Town.

Ennis, Co Clare (Inis, Co Clar) awarded Ireland's Tidiest Large Urban Centre.

Over 750 TidyTowns volunteers were present at the SuperValu TidyTowns awards ceremony at the RDS in Dublin  with thousands more watching online. It was the first full-scale Awards Ceremony since the onset of the Pandemic.

This years competition received the third highest number of entries in its almost 65-year history with 882 entries to the competition this year.
A former shop manager used promises of a job to entice a young boy into a flat where he was sexually assaulted by two men, a court has heard.

Jim Fitzsimons (60) abused the 12-year-old boy after he and another man, convicted sex offender Kevin Brazil, had lured the child back to Brazil's Dublin city flat.

In a victim impact report, the victim described how he went from being a happy child to one who struggled with anxiety and depression. He said he turned to drugs as a way to cope and this drug abuse led to crime and prison.

Fitzsimons of Westbourne Park, Clondalkin had pleaded not (NOT) guilty to three counts of sexually assaulting the victim on dates between May and August 2002. He was convicted by a jury on October 10 after a short trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Fitzsimons is originally from Carberry, Co Kildare but has lived and worked in Dublin most of his adult life and was working as a shop manager in the summer of 2002.

Judge Melanie Greally noted that Brazil had lured this victim and other boys to his flat with the promise of alcohol and that Fitzsimons had also used the possibility of employment in the shop he managed as an enticement.

Both men then engaged in plying the boy with alcohol before molesting his private parts and forcing the boy to masturbate them. Fitzsimons gave the boy cash sums of 150 and 50 on various occasions.

Judge Melanie Greally noted these were large amounts of cash for a child of that age and this, along with the other enticements, was a form of grooming.

In 2002, the boy told his father what had happened and they went to a local garda station. Gardai went to the flat and brought Brazil and Fitzsimons in for questioning but inexplicably the then investigating garda did not send the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Judge Greally said that this was a regrettable feature of the investigation. She said that it may be that if it prosecution had been pursued at the time that some of the damage to the victim in the years that followed may have been lessened.

She said the victim showed great fortitude in coming forward again in 2016, engaging with gardai in a very full and co-operative way, and going through the very difficult process of giving evidence in court.

She noted the significant emotional and psychological damage caused by being sexually abused at a delicate age.

She accepted that Fitzsimons may be less responsible than Brazil, who was more deeply involved in process of bringing the victim and other boys to this house and arranging for Fitzsimons to join in the activities.

She said she was heartened to read in the victim impact report that the conclusion of the trial and the guilty verdicts were a source of optimism for the victim's future.

She set a headline sentence of 40 months but reduced this to 30 months after taking into consideration mitigating factors, including the absence of any other convictions. She also noted Fitzsimons came from a respectable family who continued to support him.

Brazil (52) formerly of Wainsfort Manor Grove, Terenure, Dublin was jailed last year after he

pleaded guilty to sexual assault of the 12 year old child.

His sentence hearing at the Central Criminal Court heard that when gardai first questioned Brazil in 2002 he made admissions but that inexplicably the then investigating garda did not send the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Superintendent Barry Walsh told the court that when he began investigating allegations against Brazil from a different victim in 2016, he discovered the 2002 complaints. He said files on these cases should have gone to the DPP but he was not in a position to say why this had not happened.
Elon Musk has completed his takeover of Twitter and has ousted several senior executives in his first move at the top of the company.

The billionaire appeared to confirm media reports of his takeover, tweeting shortly before 5am Irish time on Friday: the bird is freed.

A US court had set a deadline of Friday for the Tesla and SpaceX boss to complete his 44 billion dollar (38 billion) acquisition of the platform.

Twitter has not yet published any further statement confirming the deal, but several senior figures and board members, including Brett Taylor, who had served as the companys chairman, have changed their social media profiles to reflect that they no longer work for the company.

According to reports, Mr Musks first act upon taking charge of the company was to dismiss chief executive Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer Ned Segal and general counsel and head of safety, Vijaya Gadde.

Mr Musk had publicly criticised both Mr Agrawal and Ms Gadde over Twitter policy in the months leading up to the takeover.

His chief criticism of the social media platform has been its policing of free speech  he has said he believes Twitter has been overzealous in its content moderation.

Mr Musk is expected to speak to Twitter employees directly on Friday, according to an internal memo cited in several media outlets.

the bird is freed  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022

A US court gave Mr Musk until Friday to close his April agreement to acquire the company after he tried to back out of the deal, leading to a lawsuit from Twitter to push through the acquisition.

On Thursday, Mr Musk posted a statement aimed at Twitters advertisers where he said he was acquiring the platform because he believed it was important to have a space where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner.

That came after the billionaire SpaceX and Tesla boss posted a bizarre video of himself entering Twitters headquarters on Wednesday carrying a sink alongside the message Entering Twitter HQ  let that sink in.

Dear Twitter Advertisers pic.twitter.com/GMwHmInPAS  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 27, 2022

He has also updated his bio on the social media platform to Chief Twit in a further nod to the deal being completed.

Mr Musk is said to have told staff during his visit to Twitters head office on Wednesday that it was not true that he was planning on cutting up to 75% of Twitter staff after acquiring the company.

It had previously been reported that Mr Musk told investors he planned to cut around three-quarters of the firms 7,500 employees.

Staff, Twitter users and industry experts are waiting to see what plans Musk has for the platform.

He has previously spoken of his belief in absolute free speech and suggested he would allow previously suspended and often controversial figures, including former US president Donald Trump, to return to the platform, which has alarmed online safety campaigners.

Dear activists, journalists, politicians, diplomats, civil servants, Ukrainians, Elmo may take over tomorrow. TODAY is the day to delete your private messages & leave group chats. Click on little "i" in the top right corner of your chat. Best for secure chats: @SignalApp. https://t.co/OaH8EZg1nT  Alice Stllmeyer (@StollmeyerEU) October 27, 2022

There have been reports that many staff plan to leave the company once the takeover is completed and some security campaigners have warned that Twitter could become an easy target for hackers in the aftermath of the deal and as Mr Musk restructures the firm.

Despite this internal confusion and low morale tied to fears of layoffs or a dismantling of the companys culture and operations, Twitter leaders this week have at least outwardly welcomed Mr Musks arrival and messaging.

The billionaire has been pictured meeting with staff over several days at its San Francisco headquarters.

As part of his plans for the site, Mr Musk has also spoken of removing all spam and bot accounts from the site and using Twitter as part of a so-called everything app called X, where users are able to access a wide range of services in one place.

That is similar to WeChat in China, where users are able to access social media, online shopping and money transfer, taxi hire, restaurant booking and more from within one app.
By Declan Brennan and Eimear Dodd

A builder who tried to get a woman into his car late at night by pretending to be a garda, before intimidating her and assaulting her husband, will be sentenced next week.

Declan McGowan (33) was found guilty following a trial last March of attempted coercion, impersonating a member of An Garda Siochana, assault and assault causing harm at Kimmage Road Lower, Dublin in the early hours of September 18, 2021.

McGowan, of Branswood, Athy, Co Kildare, had pleaded not guilty to all counts, but told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today that he accepts the jury's verdicts.

The accused has 31 previous convictions, including three counts for making threats to kill, two for assault causing harm. McGowan also has one District Court conviction for impersonating a member of An Garda Siochana on July 1, 2019.

Garda Aaron Webb told John Moher BL, prosecuting, that Andra Calauz gave evidence during the trial that she stepped outside to have a cigarette following an argument with her husband. She was on the phone with her husband, who was in their nearby home, when a car pulled up.

McGowan told her he was a garda and showed her something on his phone, which Ms Calauz took to be official identification.

The accused started to pay her compliments and told her she was beautiful.

Gda Webb said Ms Calauz engaged in conversation with McGowan as she thought he was a garda.

The trial heard he also took her hand, kissed it and hugged her. McGowan asked her to get into the car and said he would take her to a garda station. He also told Ms Calauz that he would contact Tusla to arrange for her children to be taken into care.

Ms Calauz gave evidence that she felt frightened and pressurised by McGowan as he asked her several times to get into his car.

Her husband Daniel Ion gave evidence during the trial that when he arrived on the scene, McGowan started choking him with one hand. He said McGowan was shouting at him to go back inside to his children or he would call Tusla and they would be taken away.

He said McGowan was "screaming" at his wife to get into the car. He said he felt at the time that McGowan was either a corrupt cop or a dangerous man".

Gda Webb told the sentencing hearing that McGowan told the couple that he would get a gun from his car to show them he was a gardai. He said he was a special agent and not a normal garda.

Mr Ion said he told McGowan two or three times to let his wife go and said to his wife in Romanian that she should not get into the car.

Mr Ion left, then called gardai who arrived within minutes and arrested McGowan.

Gda Webb said McGowan also put his number in Ms Calauz's phone and made a call to his phone during the incident.

When gardai arrived, McGowan denied he pretended to be a garda, saying that he was going to call the gardai. During the trial, both victims gave evidence which contradicted this claim.

After his arrest, McGowan denied the assault charges and said he offered the woman a lift, which was refused.

McGowan told gardai at interview that when Mr Ion arrived on the scene, he struck his wife in the face. The accused said he had put his number in Ms Calauz's phone in order to send her the details of Women's Aid.

McGowan admitted to gardai that he had a wheelbrace in the car.

He denied ever kissing or hugging the woman and said she was lying.

Victim impact statements written by Ms Calauz and Mr Ion were read to the court by Mr Moher.

In her victim impact statement, Ms Calauz said she is unable to go out alone since this incident. She said she used to be really active with her children, and is scared that she is now missing out. She said the family have also tried unsuccessfully to move home since this incident.

Mr Ion said he suffered bruising to his neck and could not eat for the next two days. He also had to leave his job following these events as his wife did not feel safe when alone with their children. He said his relationship with his wife was also affected.

Mr Ion said McGowan's claims that he was a bad husband and father had also impacted him. He said McGowan had not apologised for these lies and the impact on the family.

Gda Webb agreed with Garnet Orange SC, defending, that McGowan had made bizarre comments at interview, which were suggestive of someone in the throes of a cocaine binge. McGowan also told gardai that his partner had died in tragic circumstances.

Gda Webb accepted Mr Orange's statement that this incident lasted around 15 minutes and had taken place on a public road near housing.

McGowan also gave evidence on his own behalf. He said his drug use had been casual, but escalated following the death of his partner. McGowan told the court that going into custody has saved his life.

McGowan told Mr Maher in cross-examination that he was not taking cocaine in July 2019, when he previously pretended to be a garda.

Mr Orange said the death of McGowan's partner had led to a catastrophic spiral and his client's behaviour was influenced by his drug use at the time.

McGowan is now in a new relationship and the father of two children.

Mr Orange said the events of that night were a bizarre incident which appear to have dark overtones but could also be seen as serious misplaced chivalry on McGowan's part.

Psychological and medical reports were handed into the court on behalf of McGowan alongside a handwritten letter.

Mr Orange said his client has shown the potential for rehabilitation and is anxious to finish his time in custody and become a useful member of society again.

Judge Ryan noted that McGowan had pretended to be a garda on several occasions.

Mr Orange said the events relating to the District Court charge of impersonating a member of An Garda Siochana were different.

McGowan told Judge Ryan that this offence occurred at the time of a family feud where he had shouted he was a garda out of a car window.

Judge Ryan said McGowan cannot have it both ways and say he accepts the jury verdict but that his actions were the result of misplaced chivalry.

She adjourned the case to November 4 for finalisation.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has reiterated its readiness, on the occasion of "Disarmament Week", to assist the Libyan authorities through the 5+5 Joint Military Commission in the management of arms and ammunition
Thousands of organ donor families and grateful transplant recipients will tune in at home and abroad to watch the Irish Kidney Associations third virtual and 37th Annual Service of Remembrance & Thanksgiving.

At the Service, Cathriona Charles from Mohill, Co Leitrim will read Our Lords Prayer as gaeilge. Cathriona is enjoying the successful longevity of a kidney transplant she received from a deceased organ donor 32 years ago

The inter-faith Service was pre-recorded by Kairos Communications at Newman University Church, St. Stephens Green, Dublin 2, for broadcast on RTE One and RTE Radio 1 Extra (LW252) on Sunday, 30th October at 11am.

Cathriona Charles from Mohill will read Our Lords Prayer as gaeilge.

The Irish Kidney Association is asking the public to tune into RTE and actively participate in this years virtual Service, including the symbolic Service of Light ceremony. It is hoped that in households the length and breadth of the country, and beyond, a candle will be lit in memory of deceased donors who gave the gift of life.

For many organ donor families this unique annual Service has become an anniversary to remember their loved ones, and for transplant recipients, the opportunity to honour and give thanks for the wonderful gift of life they have received. Prior to the global pandemic, the annual event attracted a physical congregation of close to 2,000 people.

For the past three years the Service has been pre-recorded with a small gathering of participants due to safety issues around Covid-19, particularly for transplant recipients and other vulnerable people.

When the first pre-recorded virtual Service was held in 2020, a total of 64,000 households nationwide tuned in to watch its first viewing on RTE and it was streamed in 24 other countries. Last year after the Service broadcast there was an uplift in donor card requests, with a 43% increase in average weekly requests.

Following the Service broadcast on RTE One and RTE Radio One Extra (LW252) at 11am on Sunday, it will be available to watch on the Irish Kidney Associations website www.ika.ie

Individuals who wish to support organ donation are encouraged to Share their Wishes with their family and keep the reminders of their decision available by carrying the organ donor card, permitting Code 115 to be included on their drivers licence or having the digital organ donor card App on their smartphone.

Organ Donor Cards can be requested by visiting the IKA website www.ika.ie/get-a-donor-card or to your phone, phoning the Irish Kidney Association on 01 6205306 or Free text the word DONOR to 50050.
Evacuees from Kherson gather upon their arrival at the railway station in Anapa, southern Russia, October 25, 2022. AP

The head of Moscow-annexed Crimea has said civilian departures from occupied Kherson organized by Russia's forces amid a Ukrainian counter-offensive were "completed," after he visited the region with the Kremlin's domestic chief Sergei Kiriyenko.

"The work to organize residents leaving the left side of the Dnipro (river) to safe regions of Russia is completed," Sergei Aksyonov, the Moscow-appointed head of Crimea, said on Telegram late on Thursday, October 27.

Moscow's occupational authorities in the southern Ukrainian region have urged residents to cross to the right bank of the Dnipro River as Ukrainian forces make gains in the south. Kyiv compares this to Soviet-like "deportations" of its people.

"The crossing (of the Dnipro) is empty!" Mr. Aksyonov said. He posted photos of himself and other officials, including Mr. Kiriyenko, on a riverbank.

On Wednesday, a Russian-installed official in Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, said that at least 70,000 people have left their homes in the region in the space of a week.

Kyiv's army, meanwhile, said on Friday that Moscow's "so-called evacuation" is continuing. It claimed that the Russian command in Kherson is trying to "hide the real losses of servicemen" in order to "avoid panic".

Read more Russian officials tell Kherson residents to leave 'immediately'

In a sign of Moscow suffering heavy losses, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said late on Thursday that 23 of his fighters were killed in battles around Kherson this week with dozens more wounded.

"At the beginning of this week, one of the Chechen units was shelled in the Kherson region," Kadyrov, who has sent his militia to fight alongside the Kremlin's forces, said on Telegram. "23 soldiers were killed and 58 wounded," he said. The Kremlin ally rarely reveals defeats but admitted that losses were "big on that day".

Moscow's forces have vowed to turn Kherson into a "fortress" and not surrender the city, which they took over early in their offensive in March.

Mr. Aksyonov said that he and Mr. Kiriyenko also visited the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant  Europe's largest atomic facility  further north on the Dnipro River in Russian-occupied territory. He said they "met with the staff and assessed the general situation in the area of the plant".

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Ukraine accuses Moscow's forces of "kidnapping" the plant's staff and said last week that around 50 employees are held in "captivity". Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of shelling the plant, sparking fears of a nuclear disaster.

Read more Russia announces civilian evacuation from Kherson

Le Monde with AFP
THE LIMERICK public are being asked to protect the Emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) ahead of the busy October bank holiday weekend.

Out-of-hours GP services, community pharmacies and the Injury Units in Ennis, Nenagh and St Johns hospitals are available this weekend to patients who do not need to attend the ED.

"Patients have been attending ED in record numbers this year, including unusually high numbers of presentations over recent weekends and a surge in paediatric patients. We continue to see high volumes of patients with complex medical needs, including many frail elderly patients who require admission to hospital," a spokesperson said.

This bank holiday weekend, staff will prioritise emergency care for those most in need of it.

Patients who attend for routine and non-urgent treatment may experience long waiting times over the holiday weekend and into early next week.

We regret these delays and we appeal to the public to consider alternatives to the ED where this is appropriate. Anyone who is seriously ill or injured or who is worried their life is at risk must not delay in attending the ED," they added.

Out-of-hours GP services, community pharmacies and Injury Units at St Johns Ennis and Nenagh hospitals are alternative options for patients with less serious illnesses and injuries.

As seasonal flu is now circulating in Ireland we encourage members of the public to get the flu vaccine from their GP or pharmacist. Those eligible for COVID-19 primary or booster vaccines are encouraged to protect themselves and their loved ones by booking an appointment.

For minor injuries such as sprains, fractures wound and burns; Injury Units are open seven days a week in Ennis Hospital and Nenagh Hospital (8am to 8pm) and in St Johns Hospital from 8am to 7pm.

For full contacts for the units, and the services available there, please visit the HSE website.

Information on how to manage common illness and advice on when to get emergency help is available from hse.ie/winter

The HSEs mychild website also has lots of information regarding winter childhood illness and viruses such as bronchiolitis and RSV.
OVER 100 brave locals from one Limerick town are baring all for a nude calendar to support a vital cancer support service.

Abbeyfeale  The Bare Essentials has been produced to showcase the town, with over 100 volunteers from the community photographed in the style of The Calendar Girls.

The project, supported by Creative Arts Raising Abbeyfeale (CARA), a group of volunteers promoting the town through art, is partnering with the Irish Cancer Society, with 10 per sale to be donated to the charity.

The calendar is a story of our town and community, said John D Morris, an Abbeyfeale native who photographed the entire calendar.

The launch, which takes place this Saturday evening, will include a big reveal of all the images, featuring over 100 people and taken at various locations in the town.

The calendar will be on sale at 30 local outlets with a dedicated online shop to allow for shipping to other counties and overseas.

While the feat was no easy task to accomplish, it was the community spirit of those involved that carried it over the line, John stated.

"To those that bared all, a massive thanks, we simply couldn't have achieved this project without you. We really hope you like the story we made, we hope you like our town and hope that you see Abbeyfeale as so much more than the bare essentials," he added.

'Abbeyfeale - The Bare Essentials' will be launched at Fr Casey's GAA club at 7.30pm this Saturday, October 29.
A DOCTOR from the University of Limerick Hospitals Group has urged anyone who is eligible for a covid-19 vaccine to get the jab ahead of the winter season.

Dr Eithne Mulloy, a Respiratory Physician who is medical adviser to the Mid-West Covid-19 Vaccination Programme says people should take up the vaccine to protect themselves against anticipated surges in covid and flu infections.

Dr Mulloy, warned: "Covid-19 is still an ever-present threat. It hasnt gone away. And its particularly important coming into the winter to get vaccinated."

Dr Mulloy was speaking as the HSE nationally targeted some 170,000 60-64-year-olds via phone text message, alerting them to their eligibility for a second covid-19 booster, and reminding them to make their appointment via HSE.ie to receive the vaccine.

"People in this age group have been eligible for a second vaccine booster since August, and as we close in on winter, its of critical importance that they protect themselves and others.

"The effects of covid-19 can be serious, particularly for those with chronic health conditions," she said.

Dr Mulloy said that while nationally there are increasing numbers of people being hospitalised due to covid-19, numbers of patients requiring critical care for the disease were still relatively low because of the level of vaccination to date.

The HSE is urging those aged 60-64 years who have not come forward to date, to book an appointment.

It must be at least four months since your last booster, or since you tested positive for covid-19, or had symptoms.
THERE are more than just witches and broomsticks taking to the skies this weekend, as Shannon Airport prepares to welcome 33,000 passengers over the Halloween break.

This represent a 91% rebound on passenger numbers over the same period for 2019, as the airports bumper winter schedule kicks-in from Sunday,October 30, topping pre-pandemic services by 20%.

The schedule, which offers 96 weekly flights, serves 23 destinations to 11 countries across Europe, the UK and USA, providing passengers with a mix of sun, ski, and city break destinations to choose from.

Holiday goers can now continue their adventures to Malta and Marseille, as Ryanair have decided to extend these two new passenger favourites, from seasonal to year-round.

Shannons winter schedule also sees the return of the popular Italian ski destination to Turin.

The passenger journey to Shannons winter destinations is made even easier, from car parking available beside the terminal building, to the airports high tech security screening system, which eliminates the 100 ml rule and halves dwell time in this area.

For transatlantic passengers, Shannons US Pre-Clearance facility means you arrive in the states as a domestic passenger, avoiding any possible queues through immigration when you land on US soil.

Shannon is also the only airport in the world to operate a combined European/ US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint system which means US bound passengers are screened only once.

Mary Considine, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group said there has been a strong pent-up demand for travel this year.

"We now provide more choice to our passengers with increased frequencies on some of our popular destinations such as Birmingham, Krakow and Wroclaw services compared to 2019.

Due to their success, we are also delighted to see Marseille and Malta operating year-round. On top of this, we have our recently launched service to Paris with new carrier Vueling along with daily services to the US, and six daily flights to London," she added.
The number of overseas passengers arriving in Ireland is still lagging behind pre-pandemic numbers, with 7.7% fewer people travelling to the Republic, figures show.

More than 1,726,100 passengers arrived in Ireland on overseas routes in September.

Figures published by the Central Statistic Office show that passenger arrivals remain significantly lower than those seen in September 2019, when 1,871,100 passengers arrived on overseas routes.

However, last months traveller numbers saw more than a two-fold increase compared with September 2021 figures, when there were 810,100 arrivals.

Of the 1,726,100 passengers arriving in Ireland in September, 94.3% (1,626,800) arrived by air and 5.7% (99,200) arrived by sea, CSO Air and Sea Travel Statistics show.

This means the share of sea travel has returned to its September 2019 pre-pandemic level when 5.7% of passengers also arrived by sea.

More arrivals came via Great Britain, with 525,200 passengers, than via any other country last month.

Gregg Patrick, statistician in the Tourism and Travel Division, said: The (1,726,100) passengers, comprising foreign visitors arriving in Ireland and Irish overseas travellers returning home, represent a very substantial increase on September 2021, when 810,100 passengers arrived on overseas routes.

The increase is even more substantial when compared with September 2020 when just 254,400 passengers arrived on these routes.

However, passenger arrivals remain significantly lower (7.7%) than pre-pandemic September 2019, when 1,871,100 passengers arrived on overseas routes.

The recovery is seen in both modes of travel, air and sea, although the recovery in air travel is most pronounced as it has more than doubled when compared with September 2021.

The recovery is also spread across all major routes, with transatlantic traffic up most in relative terms with five passengers arriving on transatlantic routes in September 2022 for every one passenger in September 2021.

Among the continental routes, Spanish routes were the busiest, with 250,200 passengers arriving on these routes, an almost two-fold increase compared to September 2021.

Other important gateways for arrivals included the United States, France and Italy.

When we compare these passenger flows with September 2019, passenger arrivals embarking from Spain were 2.3% higher than pre-pandemic and arrivals embarking from France and Italy increased by 2.7% and 11.2% respectively.

However, passenger arrivals embarking from the United States decreased by 13.6% compared with September 2019.

In overall terms, Great Britain remained the most important departure country for overseas travel to Ireland, with 525,200 passengers arriving by air and sea routes from Great Britain, compared to just 252,500 in September 2021.

More than one-tenth of passenger arrivals (206,300) came or returned to Ireland on transatlantic routes, embarking in the United States or Canada.

Nearly four in every 100 passenger arrivals (66,600) came or returned to Ireland on other routes, embarking in Africa or Asia.
Almost 11,000 people have been recorded as homeless in Ireland, the highest figure ever recorded, new figures show.

A total of 10,975 people accessed emergency accommodation in September, a 1.6% increase on previous month, according to the Department of Housing statistics.

It is the third consecutive month where the homeless figures have reached a record high.

In total, there were 7,633 adults and 3,342 children in emergency accommodation in the last week of September.

Housing Minister Darragh OBrien described the situation as very challenging, adding the Government, local authorities and NGOs were making every effort to reduce homelessness.

Fully aware of the risks of homelessness faced by renters this coming winter, the Government has just legislated to protect renters who are facing homelessness by deferring any no fault tenancy terminations from taking place this winter, Mr OBrien said.

While this emergency measure is necessary and will provide assistance in the short-term, the long-term answer to our accommodation challenges, including combating homelessness, remains an increased and sustainable supply of new housing.

There is a record high number of 10,975 people living in emergency homeless accommodation This includes a record high number of:Adults (7,633)Adult Women (2,801)25-45 year olds (4,116)45-64 year olds (2,088)@DeptHousingIRL pic.twitter.com/96gWsKxFPO  Simon Communities (@SimonCommunity) October 28, 2022

Wayne Stanley of Simon Communities of Ireland said the figures were a shocking confirmation of the need for the moratorium on evictions introduced by Government this week.

Mr Stanley also said it should be seen as a call to action to get ahead of the crisis in the coming months.

That will require a new focus and ambition on issues such as vacancy, he said.

We believe that the moratorium on evictions will keep people, and families in particular, in their homes and protect them from ending up in emergency homeless accommodation or even on the street, over the winter period.

We have to be clear that it is a welcome response to the crisis, but it is not an answer to it.

The charity wants the Government to examine ways the 166,000 vacant homes identified in the latest census could be used to increase social housing stock.

Focus Ireland chief executive Pat Dennigan said the monthly figures are not an accurate reflection of the crisis due to near full emergency accommodation and that there is growing number of hidden homeless.

The September figures also report a total of 1,532 families with 3,342 children homeless. Child homelessness is up 43% compared with September 2021. Of the 1,532 families homeless in September 2022, 855 or 56% are from lone-parent families.  FocusIreland (@FocusIreland) October 28, 2022

Its a reality that the monthly homeless figures are now a reflection of people only in emergency accommodation, the actual number of people homeless is in fact considerably higher, he said.

Unlike many European countries even at the height of the homeless crisis over the last 10 years, Ireland managed to avoid families sleeping in tents or their cars, now this grim prospect is a reality.

More social and affordable housing is the long-term solution but in the short term we immediately need more emergency accommodation as homeless services such as Focus Irelands frontline team are being stretched to their maximum capacity.

The prospect is looking increasingly grim this winter unless there is an urgent response to avoid more trauma for families across the country.

He added that the eviction ban must be a catalyst to deliver lasting solutions.

While a no-fault eviction ban is necessary, whats also crucial is what the Minister for Housing will do for the five months while the ban is in place to tackle the underlying problem, he said.

We need measures to radically ramp up and accelerate delivery of social and affordable housing, meaningful policies and resources deployed to tackle vacancy, and a suite of measures to incentivise landlords to stay in the market.

We must avoid a repeat of what followed after the previous eviction ban during the Covid-19 lockdowns which saw a dramatic increase in homelessness when the measure was lifted.

Peter McVerry Trust chief executive Pat Doyle said he was disappointed with the figures, but hoped the upcoming eviction ban will help to stem the flow of people entering homelessness in Ireland.

Mr Doyle described the eviction ban as a vital part of tackling the problem and will allow the homeless sector time to address rising homeless numbers.

A no-fault eviction ban will keep vulnerable tenants in their homes during the coldest months of the year whilst also protecting landlords from anti-social behaviour, he said.

With winter starting next week, it is critical that those who are experiencing homelessness are supported and encouraged to engage with services.

We will be working with our partners to provide extra emergency beds for those who need them during this period. Our staff will work with anyone availing of the beds to provide the support they need to leave homelessness behind for good.
The Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has said he will call a snap Assembly election but has not set a date.

It had been widely anticipated that Mr Heaton-Harris would announce the date for an election on Friday, after a deadline to restore devolved government at Stormont passed at midnight.

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill has accused the Secretary of State of a U-turn and said he had left the people of Northern Ireland in limbo.

Mr Heaton-Harris said he would give more information next week and would meet with the Stormont parties.

He said he was faced with limited options.

Speaking in Belfast on Friday, he said: I am deeply disappointed we are where are are now.

This is a really serious situation. As of a minute past midnight last night, there are no longer ministers in office in the Northern Ireland Executive.

I will take limited but necessary steps to ensure public services do continue and to protect the public finances.

But there is a limit to what the Secretary of State can do in these circumstances.

Ms ONeill said: Today, he is doing a bizarre U-turn, one of which he obviously communicated to the media in advance of speaking to the local parties, from my understanding at least.

I think just think it is bizarre, it reflects the chaotic nature of the Tories, it is more dysfunction, it is spilling into our politics.

But you see for the workers and families tonight and the businesses that are struggling, the people here that are left without an Assembly, an Executive, there is not even a caretaker minister in place and we have a situation tonight where people just dont know what is going to happen next.

In a statement, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson urged the Government to focus on resolving the problem rather than dithering over an election.

The Government and the NIO talked up an election and now no-one knows what is happening, he said.

Parliament is sovereign and can of course legislate to keep ministers if it so wishes.

It is now clear the Secretary of States boss, the Prime Minister, has not yet decided how to proceed.

The Government should focus its time and energy on ensuring the protocol problem is dealt with and Northern Irelands place in the UK internal market is restored.

Our message to the Government continues to be that they need to get the protocol replaced and then we will have the basis for establishing a devolved government that unionists and nationalists can support.

The Government has undermined its own credibility in recent weeks, instead of focusing on the underlying problem.

Responsibility for running devolved departments will now pass to senior civil servants, although their powers are limited.

Mr Heaton-Harris told reporters he could rule out any joint authority approach.

I also want to address those who have talked about joint authority, he added.

It is something that we will simply not consider. It is not based on the consent mechanism that is threaded through the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

So we are where we are. I have limited options ahead of me.

I am extremely disappointed that the Executive has not reformed. The people of Northern Ireland deserve a fully-functioning devolved government. (1/2)  Chris Heaton-Harris MP (@chhcalling) October 28, 2022

Mr Heaton-Harris said he has held lots and lots of talks with all the parties and will meet with them again next week.

I hear it when parties say that they really do not want an election at all but nearly all of them are parties who signed up to the law that means I need to call an election, he added.

So youll hear more from me on that particular point next week.

Nearly all the parties who have been saying this wont help the situation actually signed up to the rules that make this situation happen.

Why call it now? Because I am legally bound to do so.

He also denied his decision not to call an election immediately was a U-turn.

He said he understood that the big impasse for the unionist community was the ongoing issues with the protocol.

But as I continually say, the atmosphere in those talks is completely changed in recent weeks and I am optimist and I really do believe that we can get somewhere on those too, he added.

Mr Heaton-Harris said he will also be considering his options to act on MLA pay.

He said: At a time when so many are struggling with the cost of living and fearful of what is to come, I understand peoples frustration that MLAs continue to draw a full salary when they are not performing all the duties they were elected to do.

Right now, the executive no longer has ministers in post to act for the people of Northern Ireland. That means no ministers to deliver the public services you rely on.

That means no ministers to manage the budget pressures affecting the funding of your hospitals, your schools, your doctors and nurses. So in the absence of an executive I will take limited but necessary steps to protect public finances and the delivery of public services.

During a visit to Thurrock, in Essex, earlier on Friday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told reporters: We do need to get the institutions in Northern Ireland back up and running and the sooner we can do that, the better.

That requires our Government to get people around the negotiating table and to resolve the issues on the protocol.

I think they can be resolved. I think there are amendments that can be made to the protocol without ripping it up.

But the Government needs to get people around the table and get that agreement because at the moment weve got a very difficult situation for people in Northern Ireland who are suffering as a result of the governments failure to convene this.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a $5 million grant to Lincoln University of Missouri to aid in the commercialization of industrial hemp for agricultural and environmental uses.

The grant is one of 70 projects the USDA is funding through its Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, an effort to expand markets by investing in partnerships to support Americas climate-smart farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. Announced at Lincoln last February by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the Climate-Smart program finances pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and employ cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse-gas benefits.

Lincolns Hemp Institute will lead the project, titled Scaling Up the Industrial Hemp Supply Chain as Carbon Negative Feedstock for Fuel and Fiber. Led by Hemp Institute Chair Babu Valliyodan, an assistant professor of molecular biology and genomics, the research team will develop ways to commercialize and market hemp crops that boost soil carbon sequestration and climate resilience. Carbon sequestration is the long-term storage of carbon in plants, soils, geologic formations and the ocean where the carbon has the immediate potential to become carbon dioxide gas. Hemp is an exceptional carbon sequester with the potential to store 2 to 3 tons of carbon in the soil for every acre of crop.

The project aims to provide value for monetized environmental services, including carbon dioxide removal via new genetics and management practices, increasing the sustainability of hemp as an annual crop in the United States. The research team will work with an assortment of farmers, businesses, advocacy groups and universities in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The US Embassy in Nigeria has updated its security alert in the capital, Abuja, due to a heightened risk of terrorist attacks in Abuja Federal Capital Territory (FCT), recommending that U
German output unexpectedly grew in the third quarter, delaying a recession that analysts still expect on the back of soaring inflation and a war-induced energy crisis.

Europes largest economy expanded 0.3% from the previous three months, defying analyst estimates of a 0.2% contraction. Growth was driven primarily by private consumption, the statistics office said Friday.

The data are absolutely stunning given so many indicators show that the economy has been slowing significantly for months," said Jens-Oliver Niklasch, an economist at LBBW, one of Germanys state-backed lenders.

There are probably two factors at play -- the reverberations of the Corona reopening and the cornucopia of the summer relief package -- which overcompensated the negative effects of the rise in energy prices and the Ukraine war."

While Niklasch still sees a recession as likely in the winter, he said it may not be as serious as initially feared.

Fridays report is likely to be the last piece of good news for some time. While Germanys government is devising subsidies for most natural gas consumption after Russia slashed shipments, the Bundesbank sees output shrinking considerably" this winter.

The numbers follow weaker gross domestic product reports from France and Spain earlier Friday. Both nations eked out growth of 0.2%.

Meanwhile, gauges of private-sector activity released this week by S&P Global showed October contractions for Europe, the UK and the US. Analysts polled by Bloomberg reckon Germany will drag the 19-nation euro zone into a recession next year.

Germanys industry-heavy economy is more exposed to soaring energy costs due to an over-reliance on Russia for deliveries. Gas supplies have become a means for the Kremlin to strike back at the West for sanctions over its war in Ukraine.

The fear now is of energy shortages, even as unusually warm weather grants households and businesses some breathing space. In addition, global demand is slowing, snarls in supply chains are proving stubbornly persistent and data later Friday are expected to show inflation stayed above 10% this month.

Covestro AG, a maker of polymers and high-performance plastics, cut its guidance this week after profit tumbled on the back of higher energy prices and weakening orders. The supplier to the automotive, electronics and medical industries is only able to pass on a small amount of its rising costs.

Sportswear maker Adidas AG, meanwhile, last week issued its second profit warning in three months, warning that unsold goods are piling up as demand dwindles across China and Western markets.

An gauge measuring business expectations stabilized this month, according to the Munich-based Ifo research institute that compiles it, suggesting some hope the economy can avoid the worst-case scenarios.

Even so, its very unlikely we will avoid a recession," Ifo President Clemens Fuest said. The German economy is shrinking at the moment but maybe at a slower pace than most people fear, and this is a bright spot."

Economists predict contractions of 0.4% and 0.5% in the fourth and first quarters, before growth resumes in the spring.
To improve its ability to counteract Chinese aggression and resolve coercion in "grey zones" such as disputed land borders, the Biden administration plans to deepen its defence ties with India, according to the US National Defense Strategy 2022, published on October 27.

Russia and China both represent serious challenges to crucial US national interests abroad and at home, with China being the most significant and systemic danger, the report says.

The Department's strategic direction is established in this Congress-mandated strategy review, which follows directly from President Joe Biden's National Security Strategy and supports US national security interests.

An unclassified defence policy that sits beneath President Biden's National Security Strategy, which was unveiled earlier this month amid rising Chinese aggressiveness, has just been made public by the US Defense Department.

Also Read: PM Modi: India is successfully dealing with enemies outside and inside

"The Department will advance our Major Defence Partnership with India to enhance its ability to deter PCR (People's Republic of China) aggression and ensure free and open access to the Indian Ocean region," the document read.

"The most comprehensive and serious challenge to US national security is the PRC's coercive and increasingly aggressive endeavour to refashion the Indo-Pacific region and the international system to suit its interests and authoritarian preferences," as per the document.

Regarding the Indo-Pacific Region, it says "The Department will also support Ally and partner efforts, in accordance with US policy and international law, to address acute forms of gray zone coercion from the PRC's campaigns to establish control over the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, and disputed land borders such as with India."

Also Read: Atmanirbhar Bharat: PM Modi gives example of 5-year-old child

The primary function of US nuclear weapons is to prevent nuclear assaults on the US and its allies, as stated in the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR). The US missile defence policy and strategy were evaluated as part of the Missile Defence Review, which was carried out in accordance with the President's and the Secretary of Defense's instructions.

The Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) and the Missile Defense Review are part of the National Defense Strategy (MDR). The US nuclear strategy, policy, posture, and forces are described in the Nuclear Posture Review, which was required by law and set the Pentagon's course of action.

(With ANI inputs)
Local 3 News spoke to Chief Deputy Brandon King who apologized for what was said.
By Qin An

The ROK Defense Ministry recently issued a statement that the ROK military participated for the first time in the multinational exercise Cyber Flag 23 hosted by US Cyber Command. The exercise was held in the US from October 24 to 28, involving 25 countries.

An annual multinational exercise held by the US Cyber Command since 2011, Cyber Flag aims to strengthen the cybersecurity cooperation between the US and its allies and partners. The ROK military also assigned troops to participate this time. The background and features of the exercise have captured extensive attention.

First, this is a Red-Blue confrontational cyber warfare exercise involving Americas main allies. According to the ROK military, the Cyber Flag is an important opportunity for intensifying the preparedness and partnership among the allies in response to cyber threats and will build stable and close cyber cooperation among American allies and partners. It was similar to the Cyber Offensive and Defensive Exercise that was organized by the US in Chinas Taiwan region in 2019. At that time, the US rallied more than ten countries, including Australia and Czech, and focused on the financial system, giving top priority to sustained and disruptive cyberattacks on key cyber infrastructure, the economy, and the society over landing operations.

Second, this is a cyber operation no less deterrent than a NATO military operation, which is inserting the Cyber Flag in Asia. That the news about ROKs participation in the exercise was announced by the military spoke well of the countrys intention to fully merge into the US-led cyber operation. In May this year, the ROK National Intelligence Service announced that it has become a formal member of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, the first Asian country to join the organization. On September 27, NATO Council announced its acceptance of Seouls request to designate the ROK embassy in Belgium as the countrys mission to NATO, making the ROK a vanguard of NATOs expansion to Asia.

Third, the US and NATO are whetting their claws to get ready for cyber warfare. Right before America pulled back its troops from Afghanistan on April 30, 2021, US Defense Secretary Austin said in his policy address that the withdrawal was made to get ready for the next war in cyberspace. In other words, the US military has already put waging a cyber war above traditional war. It is a favored approach to offshore balancing and can help the country start a proxy war while keeping itself at a safe distance.

ROKs first-time participation in the US-led multinational exercise Cyber Flag threatens an ever-closer Cyber NATO. In view of this, we must pay close attention to the following three aspects and earnestly get ready for military preparedness.

To begin with, we must be wary of surrounding countries, especially major IT powers, joining Americas cyber exercise. ROK is not only strong in IT, but also a vital chip manufacturer in the world. We must be wary of its current tendency and its impacts on the Korean Peninsula situation.

We must also take note of a more subtle change as the US is moving its strategic focus to and deploying more troops in the Indo-Pacific  its cyber warfare is also re-pivoted to the region. Here are two obvious trends  the shift to the Asia Pacific and the concentration on cyber warfare.

Moreover, as cyber infrastructure concerns national security and stability and smooth social operation in the information age, cyber warfare and cyberattacks will be more destructive. Ever since the US used Stuxnet to paralyze the centrifugal machines of Irans more than 1,000 nuclear facilities in 2010, the cyber bullies have been ready to leverage their tech advantages to launch cyberattacks. In 2013, the Snowden incident exposed Americas true color of putting everyone  from ordinary netizens to state leaders of allies  under indiscriminate surveillance.

Nowadays, the invisible cyber offensives and defensives have become so heated and complicated that key cyber infrastructure has long been a strategic fortress carefully defended by all countries. The Biden administration has just released the National Security Strategy labeling China as the biggest geopolitical challenge to the US, and now it is focusing on cyber warfare and trying to expand NATO to Asia. Against such a background, China must enhance our overall capability of cyber defense, create a realistic environment for cyber offensives and defensives, and be more prepared for real combat  there is a lot we must do.

(The author is deputy director of the Counterterrorism and Cybersecurity Committee of China Society of Police Law.)

Editor's note: Originally published on huanqiu.com, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.
Witnesses tell investigators they saw two suspects get into two vehicles which were parked in the victim's driveway and flee the scene.
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Longford is in mourning today following the sad news of the death of Cervical Check campaigner and brave mum of two Lynsey Bennett who passed to her eternal reward after her third battle against cervical cancer.

In a statement, her solicitor Gillian O'Mahony said, It is with great sadness that the family of Lynsey Bennett wish to announce that Lynsey passed away peacefully last night. Lynsey was a very special person.

Lynseys beautiful girls, father, sisters, family and friends are heartbroken at the passing of Lynsey at the young age of 34 years and would appeal for privacy at the moment. Funeral arrangements will be announced shortly.

Lynsey was first diagnosed with cervical cancer in January 2017. She had four smear tests between 2010 and 2016, and on each occasion she was informed they were negative.

After the smear test in 2016, she was told no abnormalities were found and she would be called for routine testing in three years' time.

Eleven months later, she went to her GP with bleeding, and in January 2017 she was diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer and she underwent both radiation and chemotherapy, as well as having a hysterectomy and a number of other surgeries.

After being given the all clear, there was just a 12% chance of the cancer coming back and, at the end of 2017, Lynsey was beginning to feel ill again.

A biopsy confirmed a second diagnosis in March 2018. More treatment and surgery resulted in Lynsey once again receiving the all-clear.

In November 2020, however, Lynsey received the devastating news that her cancer has not only returned, but that there is less of a chance of curing her due to the fact that the cancer is now in her lymph nodes and behind her stomach, along with a small tumour on her pelvis.

That same month, resilient Lynsey managed to secure an urgent High Court hearing over the alleged misinterpretation of her cervical smear slides taken under the national screening programme.

In late December, Lynsey posted a powerful, heartfelt and emotional This is for my girls Facebook video in the form of a letter addressed to An Taoiseach and political leaders, which went viral. "It is a letter to our government on behalf of all the children (my own, Zoe and Hailee, included) who have been and will be affected by the early loss of their mothers due to the cervical check scandal."

Lynsey was propelled into the media spotlight after she settled her case against the HSE over the reading of her cervical smear tests on February 3, 2021. The case was due to be heard at the High Court but was settled through mediation.

She said at the time she could now 'focus on my own fight to stay alive as long as I can'. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed and it was made without admission of liability.

Speaking outside court, Lynsey told the assembled media, I stand here today extremely grateful to everyone who has supported me and the girls since my first diagnosis in 2017  my family, friends, strangers, and of course my legal team.

"I send my love to all the women and their families who have fought and continue to fight our heartbreaking illness. I can now focus on my own fight to stay alive as long as I can.

"To my daughters, Zoe and Hailee, I hope I have done enough to secure you both a future free from financial worries and that even with me not here to guide you that you can both pursue your dreams and remember, Mammy loves you."

The Dail on February 4, 2021, heard that Lynsey was 'failed by the State', with Tanaiste Leo Varadkar saying he was 'sorry' Lynsey's case against the HSE was not settled sooner.

Sinn Fein Deputy Pearse Doherty said no woman should be forced to go to court to seek justice and still not even have an apology from the State or the HSE.

"On what is World Cancer Day, I extend my solidarity to Ms Lynsey Bennett and express my deep anger at what we saw yesterday - another woman and family failed by the State, another woman who was forced to go to the courts due to the failures associated with the CervicalCheck scandal and despite assurances that such would never happen again. It is a scandal. The Tanaiste gave a commitment to these women in 2018 and it is time that it was delivered upon. My thoughts are with Ms Bennett and her family today."

Womens Health campaigner Vicky Phelan also hit out at the absence of an apology from the HSE.

Two days following the court settlement, viewers of RTE One's The Late Late Show were captivated by the dignity, strength and honesty of inspirational Lynsey as she told her story to host Ryan Tubridy.

The following week, Lynsey travelled to Mexico for treatment for her cancer. A GoFundMe page and Christmas Tractor Run was organised to assist Lynsey with her treatment and she expressed thanks to the people of her home county.

I am so grateful. I will never forget the support during such a hard time for the entire country - not only Longford. You often hear people saying negative things about Longford but it just shows what fantastic people do exist in Longford. Because of them, I feel like it is possible to get my miraculous cure and its only thanks to all of them that Im able to step foot on this plane to Mexico and try and get myself better.

Caption: Una Healy and Lynsey at the Gossie Awards

Earlier this year, Lynsey travelled to Germany for treatment and in March, she was nominated for a Gossie Award in the Best Social Media Star category.

Im so honoured and humbled that I would even be considered, Lynsey said of her nomination. Im so excited about it. The other people in the category are huge names and generally all have well over 200,000 followers up to over 700,000 followers on their Instagram and who even knows what else on their other social media.

The awards took place on April 8 at the Convention Centre Dublin, with Lucy Kennedy hosting, and Lynsey was joined at the event by her good friend Una Healy.

Caption: Lynsey celebrating her 34th birthday

In July, Lynsey celebrated her 34th birthday. She tweeted, Celebrating 34 years, certainly a birthday that wasnt expected but a birthday that was worked extremely hard for, best bday present would be if I could have my Germany infusions allowed here to give me a chance to see 35.

Lynsey passed away peacefully last night and sympathy is expressed to her family and friends. May she Rest In Peace.
Bord na Mona officials met with farmers from the Killashee IFA Branch area recently to discuss farmer concerns over drainage, boundary and fencing issues.

The company has changed in recent times from its core business of peat production in Longford to reinstating the bogs for environmental purposes on behalf of the state.

The rewetting and rehabilitation process has changed from many years of water removal from the bogs to water management within the bogs which has potential impact on surrounding farmland if not managed correctly.

The core farmer concern was the management and cleaning of the boundary drains between bog and farmland and the farmers present made their points and concerns very clearly to the representatives of semi-state company.

Bord na Mona explained that the rehabilitation work is still in progress and waterways and drains in their possession will be maintained in order to function.

Conor Feighery, Community liaison Officer with Bord na Mona committed to continuing to meet affected farmers on their lands with the view to addressing any of these issues as they arise and encouraged the farmers to bring their concerns to him.

The meeting was organised by Maura Flynn, Killashee IFA, to facilitate the farmers in having a platform to put forward their issues to Bord na Mona and IFA thanked the Bord na Mona staff and politicians who attended.

IFA Deputy President, Brian Rushe, addressed the latter part of the Killashee Branch AGM, covering the many policy issues facing farmers in the county.

MAIN PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured at a recent meeting of Killashee IFA Branch are (Left to right) senator Micheal Carrigy FG, Longford IFA Chair Gavin White, FF Councillor Mick Cahill on behalf of Joe Flaherty TD, Doreen King Engineer BNM, Conor Feighery Liaison Officer BNM, Luke Hyland Engineer BNM, Brian Rush IFA Deputy President and Owen Johnston Chair of Killashee IFA
Met Eireann has issued a rain and thunderstorm warning for 16 counties.

The Status Orange warning from the Irish meteorological service covers all counties in Leinster as well as Cavan, Monaghan, Tipperary and Waterford  and comes into effect at 11pm on Thursday night.

It said that heavy rainfall with embedded thunderstorms is likely to cause flooding. The warning remains in place until 5.15pm on Friday. WEATHER DETAILS BELOW TWEET.

Status Orange  Rain and thunderstorm warning for Leinster, Cavan Monaghan Tipperary WaterfordMet Eireann Weather Warninghttps://t.co/Xg3aMJlyuS Heavy rainfall with embedded thunderstorms likely to cause flooding Valid: 23:00 Thursday 27/10/2022 to 07:00 Friday 28/10/2022 pic.twitter.com/QAY0va36p0  Met Eireann (@MetEireann) October 27, 2022

Met Eireann's National Outlook says clear spells at first tomorrow night. Rain will develop in the southwest, extending along southern coasts, then slowly pushing northwards. Lowest temperatures of 9 to 11 degrees in mostly moderate south to southeast winds.

National Forecast issued by Met Eireann on October 27 at 5:32 pm

Thursday evening / night: Mild and muggy this evening, most areas will be dry, however showery rain in the southwest will push into Munster and Leinster through the evening, turning heavy with a chance of thunderstorms . Moderate southerly winds will increase fresh and gusty.

Blustery tonight with rain becoming widespread and heavy, especially in the east with the chance of embedded thunderstorms, while some flooding is likely in the east. Rain will become confined to the north and east of the country later in the night. Lowest temperatures of 8 to 12 degrees in fresh and gusty south to southeast winds, veering southwesterly later. Increasing strong to gale force for a time along eastern and southeastern coasts.

Friday: Starting wet and blustery in the northeast as the heavy rain clears away. Drier brighter conditions will follow from the southwest, although showers will develop in the west through the morning, extending to all areas by afternoon and some will be heavy or thundery at times. Highest temperatures of 13 to 16 degrees in moderate to fresh southwest winds, fresher in the southwest and west.

Saturday: Rain over the southern half of the country will be heavy at times on Saturday morning, bringing a risk of flooding. The rain will clear northwards in the early afternoon to scattered showers. Highest temperatures of 13 to 16 degrees in moderate southerly winds.

Most places will be dry on Saturday night, there is a chance of heavy showers on coasts of the south and east, possibly bringing thunderstorms to coastal districts at times. Lowest temperatures 9 to 11 degrees with moderate to fresh southeast winds.

Sunday: Sunny spells and scattered heavy showers becoming widespread on Sunday afternoon. Highest temperatures of 13 to 15 degrees in moderate to fresh south to southwest winds, strong at times in the afternoon and around showers.

Current indications suggest the weather remains unsettled for Bank Holiday Monday and early next week with further spells of rain or showers. It'll be windy at times and temperatures are expected to fall back a few degrees to the more seasonal average.
Community, Charity & Cause

By Chris Boyle Published: October 28 2022

I was honored to join my colleagues at the Stony Brook School to commemorate the schools 100th year anniversary," Councilmember Kornreich said.

Pictured are (left photo) Councilmember Kornreich (left) with Head of School, Joshua Crane (right); (center photo) Councilmember Kornreich; and (right photo, center) are Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich; Assemblyman Steve Englebright; Head of School Joshua Crane; and Suffolk County Legislator, Kara Hahn.

Recently, Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich was honored to speak during the 100th Anniversary celebration of The Stony Brook School. The centennial year event included a ribbon-cutting ceremony that both celebrated their 100 years of impact in the Three Village community and inaugurated a new century of character education.

New York State Assemblyman Steve Englebright, Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn, and Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich presented proclamations that recognized the history and the impact that the school has had on the community. Three Village Chamber Trustee Bob Brown also presented the school with a certificate of congratulations.

Councilmember Kornreich said, I was honored to join my colleagues at the Stony Brook School to commemorate the schools 100th year anniversary. One way of defining community is a group of people with diverse characteristics who are linked by social ties, share common perspectives and engage in joint action. For a community to flourish, we need people with great character who do the best they can with what they have, and for the right reasons. The Stony Brook School has worked hard to cultivate leaders who are not just career driven but who put character before career. We are grateful for your enriching presence in Three Village and wish you well as you begin your next 100 years of growth and service.

Head of School, Joshua Crane said, "For 100 years, The Stony Brook School has held firm to its motto of Character Before Career. We are grateful for the vision of our founders and seek to build upon their legacy for our next 100 years. We trust that our impact will continue to be extended through our graduates serving and working on Long Island and abroad."
Massapequa Man Sentenced to Up to 15 Years in Prison for Fatal Drunk Driving Crash

Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: October 28 2022

John Cappello struck 74-year-old Manuela Brugueras vehicle head-on, killing her.

Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced a Massapequa man was sentenced to up to fifteen years in prison for a fatal drunk driving collision on Stewart Avenue in September 2020.

John Cappello, 31, pleaded guilty on April 27, 2022, before Judge Robert Schwartz to Aggravated Vehicular Homicide (a B felony); Manslaughter in the Second Degree (a C felony); and Assault in the Second Degree (a D felony). Cappello was sentenced today to seven to 15 years in prison.

John Cappello made a selfish choice to get behind the wheel at nearly three times the legal limit for alcohol. It was a choice that cost an innocent Manuela Brugueras her life, said DA Donnelly. Cappello careened into oncoming traffic and struck Brugueras vehicle head-on, destroying both of their vehicles. We hope that todays prison sentence gives some closure to Manuelas family. Our thoughts remain with them.

DA Donnelly said, according to the investigation, on September 22, 2020, at approximately 10:39 a.m. near the intersection of Stewart Avenue and Linden Avenue in Bethpage, the defendant, driving a Mitsubishi SUV while highly intoxicated, crossed the double yellow lines on Stewart Avenue and entered northbound oncoming traffic, crashing head-on into 74-year-old Manuela Brugueras Nissan SUV.

The defendant was extricated from the vehicle because of the severity of damage to his car.

Responding police discovered hypodermic needles and an open pint-sized bottle of blue Pinnacle vodka in the defendants vehicle.

Cappello was arrested at the scene of the crash by detectives of the Nassau County Police Department and was taken to Nassau University Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.

Brugueras was transported to Saint Josephs Hospital in Bethpage where she was pronounced deceased.
Community, Charity & Cause

By Chris Boyle Published: October 28 2022

Smoke alarms plus installation are free to residents who need them.

Today, New York State Senator Anna M. Kaplan (D-Port Washington) announced a partnership with The American Red Cross of Greater New York to help save lives by ensuring all families have access to free smoke detectors for their homes. Senator Kaplan previously brought the Red Cross initiative, known as Sound the Alarm, to the community, but installations were paused due to the pandemic. With installations now resuming, residents are encouraged to sign up to take advantage of this vital free resource.

Senator Anna M. Kaplan said "home fires happen more frequently than we'd care to think about, but there's a lot we can do to protect our families in the event of an emergency. Smoke detectors are a key tool to help families escape a home fire safely, and thanks to my partnership with the Red Cross, any family in our community can get smoke detectors installed in their home free of charge. I urge anyone who needs a smoke detector to sign up today."

According to the Red Cross, home fires are the nation's most frequent disaster. In the US, an average of 7 people die every day from a home fire, more than 30 people suffer injuries from home fires every day, and more than $7 billion in property damage occurs from home fires every year. Having working smoke alarms in the home can cut the risk of death by half.

Residents who wish to participate in the free program can visit soundthealarm.org/li to sign up for their free smoke detectors and to schedule an appointment with an installer.

Home fires claim seven lives every day in the U.S. but having a working smoke alarm can cut the risk of death by half. That is why we are so proud to partner with Sen. Anna Kaplan to help make homes safer across Long Island. Together, well meet with local families to install free smoke alarms, help them create a two-minute fire escape plan and share safety information on home fires and other local disaster risks, said Jose Dominguez, CEO, American Red Cross on Long Island. American Red Cross trained and dedicated team members work across Long Island every day to help prepare and respond to disasters big and small. We encourage every Long Islander to test their smoke alarm and contact the Red Cross if they need one.

About Sound the Alarm: Sound the Alarm is part of the national Home Fire Campaign, which the Red Cross launched in 2014 to reduce fire deaths and injuries with partners. So far, the campaign has reached more than 2.7 million people and saved more than 1,414 lives nationwide.

About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
Governor Kathy Hochul has announced that $50 million in State funding is now available to support safety enhancements, modernize operations, promote environmental resilience, and enhance regional economic competitiveness of the State's public-use airports. The funding, available through the Aviation Capital Grant Program, is part of New York State's historic commitment to support airports across the state, which serve as gateways to their communities and are engines for economic growth and prosperity.

"Our airports are not just travelers' first impression of New York State, but should be a lasting impression too, and it is critical that we provide them with a world-class airport experience," Governor Hochul said. "By making investments that will ensure our airports are as efficient and welcoming as possible, we are bettering the state's transportation infrastructure while also promoting tourism and driving economic growth across New York State."

Administered by the New York State Department of Transportation, prior projects funded through the Aviation Capital Grant Program have included the construction of new security and access control improvements, deployment of new automated weather monitoring systems, and the construction and rehabilitation of new and existing hangars and aircraft refueling facilities. These investments will serve to make the surrounding communities more economically competitive with neighboring states. In 2021, the program awarded $20.7 million for strategic infrastructure enhancements at 24 public-use airports across New York.

Funding under this program is in addition to and complements funding made available through the Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization competition, which earlier this year awarded $230 million to nine upstate airports for revitalization projects.

New York State Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, "By investing in our airports, New York State under Governor Kathy Hochul's leadership is taking critically important steps that will further establish the Empire State as a leader in global commerce and tourism. Aviation grants to local and regional airports not only increase safety, reinvigorate communities and stimulate the creation of well-paying jobs; they will also assure that our local communities stay connected and continue to grow as their economies prosper."

The Aviation Capital Grant Program is open to public-use airports listed in the 2018 State Airport System Plan. Eligible project activities include safety projects, preservation projects, new construction, and other projects that enhance business development and economic competitiveness. Projects will be selected through a competitive solicitation process and rated based on established criteria including economic benefits for surrounding communities and businesses; adherence to regional economic development plans; safety improvements; improved operational efficiency; and energy efficiency and emissions reduction. Previous grant awards have funded new airport hangars, airport terminal building renovations, taxiway resurfacing, security fencing, and fuel farm modernizations that improve security and spill prevention.

State Senator Tim Kennedy said, "This funding will continue to open up new opportunities for airports across New York, allowing facilities to modernize day-to-day processes and ultimately improve traveler experiences. I encourage transportation leaders to immediately identify applicable projects that could enhance operations, and to actively pursue this critical funding."

Assemblymember William Magnarelli, Transportation Committee Chair said, "Modernizing our local airports allows our upstate cities to continue to be a driver in economic development by drawing tourists and out of town businesses. The Aviation Capital Grant will provide the funds needed for our airports to meet the ever improving infrastructure, technology, security and safety standards of today."

The New York State Department of Transportation will be accepting applications for this funding opportunity through January 2023. Program guidance and applications may be found here.
Community, Charity & Cause

By Chris Boyle Published: October 28 2022

The site of the wall raise ceremony is the future home for Matt, a single father and U.S Marine Corps veteran, and his son, Jackson.

Habitat for Humanity of Long Island will raise the walls on a new affordable home alongside PSEG Long Island, BK Builder and veteran supporters from Team Rubicon and Southwire in East Hampton, New York on Monday, October 31st at 9:00 a.m.

The site of the wall raise ceremony, 50 Thomas Avenue, in East Hampton, is the future home for Matt, a single father and U.S Marine Corps veteran, and his son, Jackson who are currently living in a small basement apartment that is not suitable for their needs.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Habitat family, said Matt, who for the past 12 years has worked for The East Hampton Star, a local newspaper. Raising my son alone has been challenging in a small, crowded apartment. To actually help build our own house will be such a solid foundation for us and partnering with Habitat and being chosen for a house is a life-changing event.

The homeowner will fulfill 300 hours of sweat equity, helping to build his home and houses for other families in the program. In addition, they will go through financial preparation classes and volunteer for community service. Each homeowner will sign a 30-year mortgage with two percent interest, with Habitat for Humanity of Long Island holding a second mortgage.

Partnering with Habitat Long Island will enable us to stay in the same community and put down roots, said Matt. I look forward to getting the dog my son has been wanting for so long. Since he is an only child, a puppy will allow him to have someone to care for and keep him company.

This wall-raise is a Habitat Long Island 2022 Veterans Blitz Build; the home is sponsored by PSEG Long Island. The build partner is BK Builder, who will build this home with help from H.B. Millwork, Ned Steven Gutter Cleaning, Palermo Paving, Quackenbush Cesspools, Window World and other subcontractors in approximately three weeks.

Habitat for Humanity of Long Island Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director Lee Silberman said, We are grateful to each sponsor, supporter and volunteer helping to make this new home a reality. The Veterans Blitz Build program  which lets us build unique partnerships with builders, sponsors, and volunteer groups  accelerates completion of new-build projects like this one. This will be our 236th home on Long Island  we hope to have the opportunity to partner with other veterans in the future.

About Habitat for Humanity of Long Island:

Habitat for Humanity of Long Island, Inc. is an independently operated affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. Since 1988, Habitat Long Island has empowered hundreds of families to achieve their homeownership dreams through its affordable home ownership program, building 6-8 houses annually. Recognized as a four-star charity by Charity Navigator, Habitat Long Island works in partnership with thousands of Long Island volunteers and responsible, lower-income families of all races, religions and creeds, to build and renovate homes for those in need.
Egdon Resources PLC - Gloucestershire, England-based energy exploration and production company - Says it is disappointed by the reintroduction of the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing for shale-gas by Grant Schapps, the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Calls the reintroduction, which comes just a few weeks after the lifting of the ban, a "highly disappointing and illogical move".

Managing Director Mark Abbott says: "The decision prevents the immediate development of a safe and secure indigenous source of gas and if maintained, locks the UK into long term reliance on more carbon intensive LNG imported from Qatar, the shale-gas fields of the USA and elsewhere."

Current stock price: 2.67 pence, down 4.0% on Friday

12-month change: up 38%

By Holly Beveridge; hollybeveridge@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Plant Health Care PLC on Friday said it has made significant steps towards penetrating the European market as it signed agreements to register and distribute products in both Portugal and France.

Plant Health Care is a North Carolina, US-based provider of proprietary agricultural biological products and technology solutions focused on improving crop performance.

The company has signed an agreement with EDAF Unipessoal Lda to become the exclusive distributor in Portugal for its proprietary Pretec-containing fertiliser, Prezym, for use in fruit, vegetable and cereals crop production.

Pretec is a technology that induces natural defensive and metabolic responses in crop plants so that they suffer less harm from stresses like nematodes or disease during a growing season.

Plant Health Care expects to begin commercial sales of Prezym in the first half of 2023. This is the first sale of Pretec-based products in Europe.

"Today's announcement marks a significant milestone for Plant Health Care and our ambitious plans to grow our global footprint/market share," said Chief Executive Officer Jeff Tweedy.

"I am excited for our first sales of the Pretec technology in Europe which has the potential to grow considerably and transform the European farming industry towards a sustainable future with better crops delivering a higher yield for thousands of farmers."

Plant Health Care also said on Friday that its bio-stimulant, Harpin AB, has been successfully registered for use as a fertiliser in France by the Agence Nationale De Securitie Sanitaire.

ANSES is responsible for food, environmental and occupational health and safety. The company also called this development a major milestone, given that France is the largest agricultural producer in the EU.

Looking ahead, Plant Health Care expects to achieve revenue of USD30.0 million by 2025 through the launch of new products and by cultivating current and future distributor relationships.

Plant Health Care shares were trading 2.8% higher at 9.60 pence each in London on Friday afternoon.

By Holly Beveridge; hollybeveridge@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - GSK PLC on Friday said its majority owned ViiV Healthcare venture has received the European Medicines Agency's validation for its marketing authorisation application for HIV prevention, and said its MAA for respiratory syncytial virus adult vaccine has also been accepted.

The Brentford, London-based biopharmaceutical firm said the marketing authorisation application sought approval of cabotegravir, a long-acting injectable for pre-exposure prophylaxis to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV-1.

Kimberly Smith, head of research & development at ViiV Healthcare, said: "With approximately 100,000 people in Europe newly diagnosed with HIV each year, this submission is an important step forward in offering expanded options for HIV prevention.6 Long-acting prevention options, if used appropriately and at scale, could have the potential to transform the shape of the HIV epidemic and we look forward to continuing to work with community groups, governments and regulatory authorities to make this option available for those who need it."

Cabotegravir long-acting for PrEP is currently approved in the US, Australia and Zimbabwe as Apretude.

ViiV Healthcare is a global specialist HIV company established in November 2009 by GSK and Pfizer Inc.

Separately, GSK said the EMA has validated the marketing authorisation application for its respiratory syncytial virus older adult vaccine candidate.

It said the application was based on positive pivotal phase III data, which showed high overall vaccine efficacy against RSV lower respiratory tract disease in adults aged 60 years and above.

RSV is a common contagious virus affecting the lungs and breathing passages.

Last week, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour & Welfare accepted to review the application for GSK's respiratory syncytial virus vaccine candidate.

Shares were up 2.3% at 1,418.20 pence each on Friday morning in London.

By Xindi Wei; xindiwei@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Manchester, VT (05254)

Today

On and off snow showers this evening. Breaks in the overcast later. Low 23F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 30%..

Tonight

On and off snow showers this evening. Breaks in the overcast later. Low 23F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 30%.
Cristiano Ronaldo's future remains a question mark despite returning to the Manchester United line-up.

An exit during the January transfer window is the most likely scenario, with Argentine side Argentinos Juniors throwing their name in the mix to land his signature.

The team recently secured their spot in the next edition of the Copa Libertadores, and to celebrate, they've started a Twitter campaign to try and convince Cristiano Ronaldo to leave England and play for them.

A joke gone viral

It all started as a simple joke when the club began to celebrate qualifying for the 2023 Copa Libertadores. However, it quickly went viral.

As a result, club president Cristian Malaspina joined the campaign via his own personal Twitter profile: "Come on Cristiano, there is no money that equals playing in the Militoneta; neither the pastas of Chichilo, nor the pizzas of the old oven, nor the empanadas of La Farra. The Libertadores with El Bicho is at your fingertips. Call me".

How did the campaign start?

Although the origin of the campaign isn't clear, all signs point to Argentinos fans themselves starting the movement on Twitter. Many have encouraged the Portuguese striker to win the Copa Libertadores, a title that Lionel Messi has never been able to win.

The Argentine team is keen to have the success that Nacional had in signing Luis Suarez. That also started as a joke on social media, but it went so viral that it convinced the Uruguayan player to return to the club.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.


file photo Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to introduce currency notes with pictures of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Laxmi along with that of Mahatma Gandhi. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to introduce currency notes with pictures of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Laxmi along with that of Mahatma Gandhi.



"One Hundred and thirty crore people of the country wish that there should be a picture of Gandhi ji on one side and Shri Ganesh ji and Lakshmi ji on the other side of Indian currency", he said in the letter.



The letter further says that the country's economy is passing through a very bad phase. "Even after 75 years of independence, India is counted among the developing and poor countries. There are so many poor people in our country even today. Why ?", CM Kejriwal asked.



"On one hand we all countrymen need to work hard and on the other hand we also need the blessings of God so that our efforts are fruitful. Right policy, hard work and God's blessings will only make the country progress through their confluence", read the letter.



"I publicly demanded this in a press conference yesterday," Kejriwal said in the letter. Since then, there has been tremendous support from the general public on this issue, there is tremendous enthusiasm among the people about it. Everyone wants this to be implemented immediately, it added.






Arvind Kejriwal Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday visited the Ghazipur landfill site and launched a scathing attack on the BJP for the 'garbage mountain' ahead of the MCD elections. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday visited the Ghazipur landfill site and launched a scathing attack on the BJP for the 'garbage mountain' ahead of the MCD elections.



"If we don't clean Delhi in five years, don't vote for us", Kejriwal said on the site, and added further that the BJP workers will leave the party one day. "A day will come when BJP waalas will leave the BJP. A day will come when even Sambit Patra will say BJP is a gandi party. I'm a jaadugar (magician), I know how to win people's hearts," Kejriwal said.



Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party workers protested against CM Kejriwal's visit at the site with black flags and slogans. However, soon AAP workers also reached the spot and countered the BJP workers. The two sides came face to face and raised slogans against each other in Ghazipur.



Both accused each other for the mismanagement of garbage ahead of the MCD polls, which is likely to be held by the end of this year or in early 2023.



"BJP protested my arrival. They don't let anyone visit here, and deploy cops to protect this garbage mountain. Protest as much as you want, but remember Kejriwal is going to build schools, hospitals, and provide electricity to you. I want to urge the people, especially the supporters of BJP to forget their party and vote for me once for the cleanliness of Delhi. If I don't clean Delhi in the next five years, don't vote for me," Kejriwal said on the occasion.



"In the last 15 years, the BJP has littered the entire Delhi. Today I have come to see their Ghazipur garbage mountain.



"My appeal to all Delhiites is to vote for the cleanliness of Delhi in the municipal elections this time. Together we have to make Delhi clean and beautiful", Kejriwal tweeted after the visit.




A top Space Force official said the service needs more money to protect America's satellites as it faces a growing threat and rapid competition with China.

Gen. David "DT" Thompson, vice chief of space operations, told attendees at a Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies event in Arlington, Virginia, on Tuesday that there is a "tremendous need for growth" so the service can keep pace with China's technological advances.

"In 2023, you're going to see a significant increase in the resources for the United States Space Force and other space missions," Thompson said. "I can't talk about the current budget process that we're in, but you should not expect that emphasis and that understanding to change as we move into the future."

Read Next: Space Force on Notice as Russia Warns Commercial Satellites May Be a 'Legitimate Target'

The Space Force asked for $24.5 billion in its 2023 budget request, a 40% increase from the previous year. But amid rising tensions with China and newfound threats to satellites that are crucial to America and its allies, officials will likely be asking for even more in subsequent years.

Thompson said China is developing and fielding a wide range of technology such as jammers and lasers that could harm America's satellites. While he didn't go into detail about all of the Space Force's capabilities, he said China's development should be alarming.

"Are they better than us? Are they not as good as us? Will we win? Will they win? Are we at parity? I can't say that," Thompson said. "All I can say is that they are a serious challenge. They are a serious threat. They are serious about what they need to do. Their capabilities are close to ours. We simply need to do what we need to do."

One particular area of concern is China's openness about potentially targeting commercial satellites.

"The Chinese have indicated publicly that they would shoot down, or attempt to, any company, including, by name, SpaceX, if they helped Taiwan in a crisis," Seth G. Jones, senior vice president of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Military.com on Thursday. "It's an interesting question of how the U.S. would respond in that case, to an attack against a U.S. or a multinational space company, particularly one that was involved in supporting an ally or a partner of the U.S."

In the 2022 National Defense Strategy released this week, the Pentagon said China is "deploying counterspace capabilities that can target our Global Positioning System and other space-based capabilities that support military power and daily civilian life."

But the strategy did not address how the military would respond to an attack on a commercial satellite.

Some policy experts in Washington believe the Space Force is unequipped to take on space threats from China and Russia.

The Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think tank, said in its annual assessment of the military released Oct. 18 that the new service has not shown "that it is ready in any way to execute defensive and offensive counterspace operations to the degree envisioned by Congress when it authorized creation of the Space Force." The Foundation classified the Space Force as "weak."

China isn't the only looming threat in Space. A Russian Federation official indicated this week that commercial satellites could be considered legitimate targets. Satellites have helped Ukrainians with tasks from taking overhead photos to guiding offensive combat operations, Jones said.

Maj. Helen Annicelli, a spokesperson for U.S. Space Command, did not respond to Russia's threats directly in a statement to Military.com on Friday, but said the command is prepared to defend those commercial satellites.

"U.S. Space Command maintains its readiness 24/7 to protect and defend against threats to the space architecture," Annicelli said in an emailed statement. "Commercial space systems are an essential component of U.S. critical infrastructure and vital to our national security."

-- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.

Related: The First Shots in a Ukraine Conflict May Be in Space
HONOLULU  A former U.S. defense contractor in Hawaii accused with his wife of living for decades under stolen identities of dead babies will get a new attorney, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

According to prosecutors, Walter Glenn Primrose and Gwynn Darle Morrison are the real names of the couple who have been fraudulently living for decades under stolen identities, Bobby Fort and Julie Montague. Prosecutors say Primrose spent more than 20 years in the Coast Guard, where he obtained secret-level security clearance.

They have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, false statement in a passport application and aggravated identity theft.

Assistant Federal Defender Max Mizono filed a motion earlier this month asking to withdraw as Primrose's attorney, citing a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship.

During a telephone hearing Thursday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom Trader granted the request after having a private conversation with Mizono and Primrose about their relationship.

After returning to an open hearing, Trader said he found good cause to determine that it's no longer tenable for Mizono to continue representing Primrose.

Another attorney will be appointed to represent Primrose.

Prosecutors have suggested the case is about more than identity theft.

A search of the couples home in Kapolei, a Honolulu suburb, turned up Polaroids of them wearing jackets that appear to be authentic Russian KGB uniforms, an invisible ink kit, documents with coded language and maps showing military bases, prosecutors said.

Attorneys for the couple have said they are not Russian spies.
SAVANNAH, Ga.  A former Army sergeant faces life in prison after pleading guilty to a federal murder charge in the killing of a fellow soldier found dead in his barracks from dozens of cuts and stab wounds.

Byron Booker, 29, acknowledged as part of a plea deal that he killed 21-year-old Army Spc. Austin Hawk at Fort Stewart, Georgia, after plotting with another soldier whom Hawk had reported to superiors for smoking marijuana.

The June 2020 killing happened barely a month after Booker was honorably discharged from the Army after completing his time on active duty, according to court records. Prosecutors said Jordan Brown, a soldier from Booker's former unit, came to Booker complaining that Hawk had ruined his life by reporting him for drug use. Brown said he was being kicked out of the Army.

According to documents in the plea deal, Hawk was alone in his barracks room when Booker got him to open the door after midnight on June 17, 2020. Booker repeatedly slashed and stabbed Hawk with an unspecified sharp weapon. The medical examiner counted 40 wounds, including a fatal gash across Hawk's throat.

Booker appeared Tuesday before U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker in Savannah to plead guilty to a charge of premeditated murder of a member of the U.S. military. The charge carries an automatic sentence of life in prison.

Brown has pleaded not guilty to premeditated murder charges and other counts related to Hawk's death. Court records say Brown was in his own barracks room at the time of the killing. His case is still pending.
Troops and their families may finally be on track to have a private company manage their shipments of personal belongings during permanent change-of-duty station moves instead of the military -- a major overhaul designed to improve the troubled system.

For more than two years, the shift to private management has been snared in legal fights. But U.S. Transportation Command said Thursday it is restarting the handover of the household goods shipment system to a Texas-based company, HomeSafe Alliance LLC, after a federal claims court batted down the latest challenge to the $20 billion contract.

The company is now expected to take over the system by the summer peak season of 2024, according to Transportation Command, with the hope that HomeSafe Alliance can provide better service to troops who are often frustrated by delays, poor customer service, lost or broken belongings, and other problems.

Read Next: Meet the Vets Running for Congress, the Largest Group of Candidates Who Served in a Decade

"Our families deserve a safe and quality moving experience and with this ruling, we move closer to that goal," Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, who leads the command, said in a released statement.

Each year, more than 300,000 service members and dependents -- most often in the summer months -- make the grueling trek to a new assignment with permanent change of station, or PCS, orders in hand. The stressful moves entail shipping household goods around the globe, so troops have to undergo packouts with moving companies and delivery of their belongings at a new home on the other side weeks or months later.

About 950 private companies are involved in moving the shipments, but for now, the entire system is managed by Transportation Command. Under military management, the system has long generated dissatisfaction and frustration during the busy summer months, and that was amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic and the worker shortages it caused for moving companies.

The contract with HomeSafe gives the company responsibility for "complete door-to-door global household goods relocation transportation and warehouse services worldwide" for the military community, the command said. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims denied protests of the contract award this week in the latest legal development, what appears to be the end of a series of legal gambits by companies that lost out on the deal to make the military reconsider its decision.

With all potential contract extensions, the company could be handling troop moves for nine years. The plan is to begin a phased-in approach, with HomeSafe handling domestic shipments after next summer. Transportation Command said the soonest the company will fully take over is summer 2024.

"HomeSafe is committed to providing incredible customer service and resources to our service members, civilians, and their families. Combining our HomeSafe Connect advanced digital solution and global program management expertise, we will make the relocation process smoother for our military families," Alan Thompson, the company's CEO, said in a released statement following the court ruling.

Thompson said the company plans to reward quality performance by companies in the vast moving system and will help transform the moving industry. "The organization is dedicated to providing fast, easy, efficient relocation experiences using cutting-edge technology," the company said in the release.

That will include 24-hour customer service, an electronic dashboard to track shipments, and digital inventories of all household items, it said.

The $20 billion contract represents about 15% of domestic personal property moving and storage -- a massive slice of the industry pie -- and was originally awarded to another company, based in New Jersey, in April 2020. But the first award set off a protracted legal battle, eventually giving HomeSafe the advantage.

Earlier this year, the Government Accountability Office, or GAO, also rejected challenges to the contract lobbed by other competing companies over what is known as the Global Household Goods contract.

"The favorable decisions from both the Government Accountability Office and the Court of Federal Claims validate the integrity of the [Global Household Goods] program and award," Brig. Gen. Joel Safranek, director of the Defense Personal Property Management Office, said in a statement. "We're excited to resume the transition toward this vital reform effort to the household goods relocation program."

-- Travis Tritten can be reached at travis.tritten@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @Travis_Tritten.

Related: No Relief in Sight for Military Family Moves Snarled by Pandemic
Xi Jinping visits the site of the Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Oct. 27, 2022.Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, led members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on Thursday to visit Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was accompanied by Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) YAN'AN, Shaanxi, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Thursday stressed promoting the great founding spirit of the Party and the spirit of Yan'an, and striving in unity to fulfill the goals and tasks set by the 20th CPC National Congress. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, led Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi, members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, in a trip to Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The first stop for Xi and the other leaders on Thursday was the site of the Seventh National Congress of the CPC. The congress held in 1945 is of milestone significance in the history of the CPC, marking the Party's becoming more mature politically, ideologically and in terms of its organization, Xi said. Politically, the entire Party was united under the banner of Mao Zedong, and ideologically, the guiding role of Mao Zedong Thought for the whole Party was established and Mao Zedong Thought was incorporated into the Party Constitution, Xi said. Their next stop was former residences of Mao Zedong and other revolutionaries of the older generation. Comparing the revolutionary sites in Yan'an to a book worth reading forever, Xi said that they served as witnesses to the glorious journey of the Party in leading the Chinese revolution and exploring ways to adapt Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times during the Yan'an period. A guide gave an introduction about how the well-known revolutionary song "The East is Red" was written and became popular. Such songs extolling the Party and Chairman Mao were all created by the people spontaneously, which showed clearly that the people chose Mao Zedong and he enjoyed their support, Xi said. Thereafter, Xi and the other leaders arrived by vehicle at the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall to visit an exhibition on the 13 years of the CPC Central Committee in Yan'an. From 1935 to 1948, the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, of which Yan'an was the center, was the seat of the CPC Central Committee. It served as the center of political guidance in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and the general rear area of the Chinese people's struggle for liberation. In an important speech delivered after visiting the exhibition, Xi hailed Yan'an as a holy site of the Chinese revolution and the cradle of New China. He noted that it was in Yan'an that the Party's Central Committee and veteran revolutionaries, including Mao Zedong, led China's revolutionary cause from a low point into an upsurge, reached a historical turning point, and transformed the prospects of the country. Xi said he lived and worked in Yan'an for seven years, and his father also had worked in Yan'an. The spirit of Yan'an highlights the firm belief in the correct political orientation, the guiding principles of freeing the mind and seeking truth from facts, the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly and the enterprising spirit of self-reliance and hard work, Xi said. The spirit, and the glorious traditions and fine conduct developed and promoted during the Yan'an period, are all precious assets of the Party, and should be passed down from generation to generation, Xi stressed. He called on all members of the Party to promote the fighting spirit, strengthen the fighting capacity, resolutely overcome various difficulties and challenges ahead, and harness the indomitable fighting spirit to open up new horizons for the cause of the Party and the country. Xi Jinping delivers an important speech after visiting an exhibition on the 13 years of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in Yan'an at the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Oct. 27, 2022. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, led members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on Thursday to visit Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was accompanied by Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) Xi Jinping visits an exhibition on the 13 years of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in Yan'an at the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Oct. 27, 2022. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, led members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on Thursday to visit Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was accompanied by Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Xi Jinping visits a former residence of Mao Zedong in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Oct. 27, 2022. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on Thursday to visit Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was accompanied by Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Xi Jinping visits a former residence of Zhu De in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Oct. 27, 2022. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on Thursday to visit Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was accompanied by Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) Xi Jinping visits an exhibition on the 13 years of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in Yan'an at the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Oct. 27, 2022. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, led members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on Thursday to visit Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was accompanied by Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) Xi Jinping visits an exhibition on the 13 years of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in Yan'an at the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Oct. 27, 2022. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, led members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on Thursday to visit Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was accompanied by Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)
A special Halloween episode of Fire Watch is out today: A Halloween Occurrence and the Veterans Who Live to Scare. Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.

A military working dog dons safety glasses and a muzzle to help prepare for UH-1N training. (Airman 1st Class Stassney Davis/ U.S. Air Force)

Related: 13 Photos of Military Working Dogs Being Awesome

Troops jump from a C-130 during a training event over Bahrain and the Arabian Gulf (Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Anita Chebahtah/U.S. Navy)

Related: Pararescuemen Perform Free-Fall Jumps from the Back of a C-130

In what could fit right in with a dystopian sci-fi TV episode, an unmanned ground vehicle helps Marines distribute candy at Camp Hansens Halloween event in Okinawa. (Lance Cpl. Abigail Godinez/U.S. Marine Corps)

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The guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze approaches a burning civilian motorboat in the Gulf of Aden to render aid. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cryton Vandiesal/U.S. Navy)

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A sailor is greeted by his wife and newborn after returning home from deployment aboard the USS North Dakota. (Petty Officer 2nd Class Wesley Towner/U.S. Navy)

Related: Navy Says It Has Found the Source of Water Contamination Aboard Carrier, Leading to More Questions

A sailor dons a gas mask in preparation for nuclear, biological and chemical training. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sawyer Connall/U.S. Navy)

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-- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence.
The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration.

Of all the post-invasion excuses given for the Russian army's failures in Ukraine -- corruption, bad logistics, poor execution of a bad idea -- the most obvious one, to me, has gotten short shrift: The Russian army has virtually no sergeants -- or as retired Army Gen. Mark Hertling put it to me recently, "no functioning NCO corps."

U.S. veterans have to be gobsmacked as I was hearing this for the first time. From the moment screaming drill instructors "welcomed" us to basic training, the sergeants owned us. From making tight beds to marching in order to firing and cleaning weapons, they told us how to do it. We all lived in fear of being singled out for punishment on the order of Full Metal Jacket.

But as most of us eventually learned, the sergeants were really trying to teach us how to stay alive. In combat units especially, it's the guys with the stripes who make sure the troops stick together, change their socks, watch the other guy's six and do things right. Same in the Marines and Navy. Gunneys and petty officers make sure their people eat right, get sleep, write home, ace the drills and -- the big one -- don't freeze or run away when the shit hits the fan.

Maybe it's a peculiarly American trait, but our NCOs are taught to innovate when the battle plan inevitably goes awry. Baked into Russian military practice is the opposite: to wait for orders from above, often, as it turned out in Ukraine, from officers far from the scene. That accounts to Russian units paralyzed by partisan attacks on tank columns en route to Kyiv.

It's hard to imagine how a unit could operate without NCOs, much less win, on the battlefield. And yet the Russian army, for lots of reasons peculiar to its history and culture, has them in name only.

Only retired Army Gen. Mark Hertling seems to have raised the dearth of sergeants as one of the major reasons for the Russian army's poor performance in Ukraine.

"I've spoken about a 1000 times on [the] lack of NCO leadership in RU army," Hertling, commander of U.S. Army Europe from 2011-2012,texted me in response to my recent query. "It's been a leadership (which is part of the corruption) issue for the last twenty years. I saw it at every level. But there is no functioning NCO corps."

Hertling knows this first hand. He got his initial, up close and personal looks at Russian combat units and training methods in the 1990s, during the post-Soviet, U.S.-Russia thaw. During an exchange visit to Moscow he was invited to visit Russian units and sit in on classes for Russia's officer corps. He was taken aback at the treatment of the troops.

"The Russian barracks were spartan, with twenty beds lined up in a large room similar to what the U.S. Army had during World War II. The food in their mess halls was terrible," he recalled in a piece for The Bulwark conservative news site. What drill sergeants they had were "horrible," he said. Hazing was rampant.

Russian officer training was as bad. "The Russian training and exercises' we observed were not opportunities to improve capabilities or skills, but rote demonstrations, with little opportunity for maneuver or imagination," he went on. "The military college classroom where a group of middle- and senior-ranking officers conducted a regimental map exercise was rudimentary, with young soldiers manning radio-telephones relaying orders to imaginary units in some imaginary field location. On the motor pool visit, I was able to crawl into a T-80 tank -- it was cramped, dirty, and in poor repair -- and even fire a few rounds in a very primitive simulator ...."

The scales fell from his eyes. Hertling said he "came away from my first formal exchange with the Russian Army doubtful they were the ten-foot-tall behemoth we thought them to be." The revelation was affirmed by a second exchange visit.

Hertling's visits mirrored much of what the British journalist Andrew Cockburn had concluded from interviewing Soviet emigres and U.S. defense analysts more than a decade earlier. In a PBS documentary, a book and several magazine articles, Cockburn argued that U.S. weapons makers inflated the power and efficiency of the USSR's military forces to win bigger Pentagon contracts. A reviewer for Foreign Policy magazine called Cockburn's book, The Threat  Inside the Soviet Military Machine, "a welcome addition to a debate in which most of the literature is on the hawkish side of the scale."

Over the following decades, Hertling's disdain for Moscow's military product only deepened. "My subsequent visits to the schools and unitsreinforced these conclusions. The classroom discussions were sophomoric, and the units in training were going through the motions of their scripts with no true training value or combined arms interaction -- infantry, armor, artillery, air, and resupply all trained separately. It appeared that [Aleksandr] Streitsov [commander of the Russian Ground Forces] had not attempted to change the culture of the Russian Army or had failed."

Still, nuclear-armed Russia represented a threat, especially after Putin's 2008 invasion of Georgia and, six years later, Crimea. Putin was increasingly unleashing "hybrid war," an ugly mix of threats, political subversion, cyber attacks and coup plots, against former Warsaw Pact states.. Hertling grasped that the U.S. had to help Ukraine and the other former Soviet satraps, many now NATO members, sharpen their knives for the Russian threat. And that would require breaking the bad military habits of a generation. He persuaded the Obama Pentagon and NATO members to open a European training center for Ukrainian and other Eastern European troops.

Last February, it paid dividends. With Russian troops, tanks, artillery and aircraft poised to cross into Ukraine, U.S. intelligence and virtually every cable news "national security consultant" was predicting Putin's invasion would be a cake walk. But not Hertling. On CNN, he predicted the Ukrainians would eventually hold and prevail. It was not a popular position.

"I got some huge blowback on it from many in CNN," he told me. "And some retired guys -- Spider Marks, who's never served in Europe, told me I was crazy -- [and] some in different government agencies [critisized me]. But none had the experiences I had."

As Russian tanks rumbled down the highway toward Kyiv, U.S. intelligence, with its $50 billion annual budget spread across 17 agencies, somehow overlooked the Russian army's fatal flaws. It predicted the Russian army, with nary a sergeant helping its troops, tanks and artillery adjust on the fly against Ukrainian guerrilla attacks, would roll into Kyiv in a matter of days, a week or two at the most. When U.S. intelligence officials offered their mea culpas weeks later, they said they underestimated the Ukrainians' willingness to fight -- inexplicable after U.S. forces had been training their army for the past eight years.

According to another report, U.S. intelligence analysts, "did not recognize the significance of rampant corruption and incompetence in the Putin regime, particularly in both the Russian army and Moscow's defense industries." Current and former intelligence officials told The Intercept's James Rosen and Ken Klippsenstein that "U.S. intelligence missed the impact of corrupt insider dealing and deceit among Putin loyalists in Moscow's defense establishment, which has left the Russian army a brittle and hollow shell."

But Hertling had seen it all.

On Feb. 24, he tweeted, "Ukraine had a tough first day. Tomorrow will be tougher. Combined RU conventional, unconventional, cyber, air, arty & special ops tools will be tough to address. But Russia is still on the *offensive* so they have to act, and must continue to "move." They will wear down." He was right.

Thanks largely to the American trainers Hertling argued for decades ago, Ukrainian guerrillas and infantry units have continued to take the battle to the inferior Russian troops, watered down even further since last winter with barely trained, poorly equipped and fed conscripts. They're panicking. Never more has an army needed sergeants than the Russians do now. It's too late.

A couple weeks ago I lobbed a final, joshing question to the retired general. I asked him, "How did you get so smart?" He didn't dodge my cheeky question. He declined to go into details about his upbringing, inspirational figures or particular mentors, but in a back-channel Twitter exchange, he let his silver hair down a little.

"I'm a poor kid from Missouri who was given a chance to see the world and do some neat things," he said. "My career was a bit strange, not by design but by opportunities. I like people and learning about cultures, and I was both blessed and lucky."

"Oh," he added, "and I have a great wife and family who put up with my faults, and some friends and mentors that helped me learn and grow. That's really it in a nutshell."

And that was it. I'd overstayed my welcome so I bid him goodbye with thanks for his generous time.

Blessed and lucky indeed. The Ukrainians should erect a statue to Hertling when this thing is over. And maybe so should we.

This article by Jeff Stein originally appeared on Spytalk.co.
Long-time big leaguer Raul Ibanez has popped up from time to time as a managerial candidate. But he has thus far declined requests to interview and is doing so again during the current hiring cycle, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ibanez has come up most recently as a potential Giants target, with Shaikin noting the Cubs as another possible team with interest. But the 47-year-old says it simply is not the right time to consider such a committing position.

It seems that Ibanez remains content for the time being continuing to work in the Dodgers front office as a special assistant. That position has allowed him to continue living and working primarily from his home in Miami.

That takes one potentially interesting, fresh managerial candidate out of the picture for the numerous clubs seeking new skippers. Ibanez will surely once again show up on the managerial rumor circuit if and when he gives word that hed like to take on such a role.
Access to sanitary pads has become increasingly difficult in recent years for women and girls, especially those in rural areas.

Women's rights activist and Gender Officer at Savannah Women's Integrated Development Agency, Abdul Samed Khadija, has expressed worry about the situation and revealed that the problem is not just present in rural areas but is also prevalent in urban communities across the country.

"The fact that many organizations have been pushing to train girls on how to sew reusable pads is proof enough of the extent to which sanitary pad affordability has become quite difficult for women and girls," she said. The problem, she added, "exists in both urban and rural areas," although she acknowledged that "rural folks are the most affected."

According to her, the unfortunate situation hinders women's development in multiple ways and that it is a key factor in the rising rates of sexual and gender-based violence in the country.

"Accessibility issues for pads are crucial in gender-based violence. "Some girls engage in sexual activities with men not because they want to do so but to earn money to purchase pads," Miss Khadija revealed.

The pain associated with menstruation

For the majority of women, menstruation is a nightmare because it causes so many inconveniences. Along with that, it may also cause ailments and infections if appropriate precautions are not taken.

The known illness that menstruating women are more likely to experience are headaches, lower back pain, abdominal pain, sore breasts, mood swings, loss of appetite, and so on.

Why are sanitary pads inaccessible to most women and girls?

Sanitary pads should have been offered for free or, at the very least, sell at a reasonable price because, as many will agree, they are essential to the health and civility of women and girls. But that is not the case in Ghana, where sanitary pads are regarded as a luxury item rather than a necessity.

Sadly, sanitary pads fall under a category of imported products classified as luxury goods, which means they attract heavy taxes. At the time of filing this report, the overall tax rate on sanitary pads was 32.5%, which included a 20% luxury tax and a 12.5% VAT.

Rabiatu A. Asare-Mintah, a midwife based in Accra, reveals that women with heavy blood flow during menstruation use an average of 1.5 packs of pads each month, while those with light flow use an average of 1. Because, ideally, pads should be changed at least every four to six hours each day, she continued.

As part of the writer's research in filling this report, the average price of the pad in Tamale and most cities in the country ranges from GHC13 to GHC16. Meanwhile, rural areas charge a higher price than this. Quite shockingly, the average price in January 2022 was only GHC5 to GHC6, indicating an increase of more than 100%.

What Do Sanitary Pads Mean for Ghanaian Women?

For the over 6 million women and girls who menstruate in this country, a pad means everything to them. It serves as a source of energy for them to maintain comfort and serves as a lifesaver and protector of their dignity. It helps them stay hygienic and comfortable during this difficult period of menstruation.

Abdul-Rahaman Latifa, a student at Tamale Technical University, said she now spends GHC20 per month on pads. Because of her heavy flow, she uses 2 pads every day. Unfortunately, she is only able to manage with one in most cases because she cannot afford two due to the high prices. "Sometimes you become uncomfortable being in one pad for a whole day, but then you need to manage as the cost is now higher," she recounts.

Menstrual hygiene is still a major problem in Ghana, as observed by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). According to the organization, nine out of ten girls in the country miss class during their menstrual period.

What CSOs are saying about the taxes on sanitary pads

Civil Society organizations in the country are also concerned about the tax on this essential good.. There have been numerous protests and demonstrations across the nation by coalitions of CSOs, students, and girls' clubs over the past few years demanding the cancelation of the taxes.

According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), most girls miss four (4) days of school per month, which equates to 13 learning days lost in a term and 39 learning days lost in every academic year due to the lack of sanitary napkins or pads.

It is on the bases of this that some 14 civil society organizations formed the Coalition of CSOs Against Sanitary Pad Taxation. The group held a press conference on Monday, October 21, 2021, to demand that the government immediately exempt sanitary pads from taxation.

"The taxes on sanitary pads have made the product very expensive and inaccessible to many low-income households who must choose between the pads and competing needs," the coalition stated during the press conference.

The group continues to argue strongly that, the taxes are immoral and unjust. Part of the statement reads, "The fact that this tax is directly targeted at females for a natural occurrence in their reproductive process that they have no choice or control over makes the tax highly unjust and immoral."

Speaking on the taxes, the Executive Director of Renal Ghana Foundation, Mr. Nelson Richardson-Mandela, asserted that no action has yet been taken by the government to solve the problem.

According to him, charging women for their periods violates their human rights and has to be addressed. He predicted that, given present trends, the price of the pad could reach GHC20 before 2023.

The coalition includes Girls Not Bride Ghana, Africa Civil Society Alliance on Child Rights, Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, Muslim Family Counselling Services, Africa Education Watch, and Sung Foundation.

The other organizations are the Renal Ghana Foundation, Center for Youth Analysis, Global Media Foundation, Revenue Mobilisation Africa, Ghana Education Forum, Alliance of Feminine CSOs, Greater Accra Youth Network, and Ghana TVET Coalition.

The way forward on the taxes and alternative solutions

Learning from other countries that have waived taxes on pads for their women and girls to improve menstrual hygiene is the best way forward. African countries, such as Kenya, Rwanda, and South Africa, have paved the way for us to follow. Exempting pads from taxes will help to drastically lower the cost, which will ultimately enhance access for women and girls, improve their socioeconomic development and promote menstrual hygine.

Ghana should follow Kenya's great example, which abolished sanitary pad taxes as early as 2004 and has since budgeted about $3 million annually to provide free pads to low-income communities.

Along with the removal of the taxes, there should be a drive for the free distribution of pads to underserved communities. Even if the cost is minimal, many women and girls will still not be able to afford it, so the government must cater to them in its budget.

Alternatively, concentrating our efforts on reusable pads will also assist in easing the strain on our women and girls. The reusable pads are produced with materials that are easily accessible and, when made well, can last for many years. The government and non-governmental organizations should direct their energy in that area and help train women and girls how to sew reusable pads by themselves..
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has dug a rift between African countries and supporters in the West who are urging the continent to show solidarity with Europe.

The problems were on uncomfortable display this week at the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security, where the conflict was a major theme.

Russia's invasion is "an existential threat to the stability and integrity of our continent", French minister of state Chrysoula Zacharopoulou told the conference.

"That's why we expect solidarity from Africa," she said.

She pinned the blame on the Kremlin for soaring energy and food costs that have buffeted the world economy but hit African countries most of all.

"Russia is solely responsible for this economic, energy and food crisis," she said.

Senegal's President Macky Sall, who is also current head of the African Union, said Africa was "not against Ukraine," and Africans were not "insensitive to the situation" there.

But, like others at the conference, he said that many Africans felt that their own problems, such as security, the economy or health, were being ignored.

"Africans say that even while Ukraine is at war, is being invaded, is being attacked, Africa is under permanent attack from terrorism," Sall said.

"This is 2022, this is no longer the colonial period... so countries, even if they are poor, have equal dignity. Their problems have to be handled with respect."

'Western patronising'

Former Nigerien president, Mahamadou Issoufou, said it was disheartening to see so much support for the Ukrainian army, when the Sahel region from which he hails was scrambling to find funds to battle jihadists.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine caused cereal prices to soar, hitting many African countries. By Hugh RUTHERFORD (WFP/AFP)

"It's shocking for Africans to see the billions that have rained down on Ukraine while attention has been diverted from the situation in the Sahel," he said.

In contrast, he added, the G5 anti-jihadist force originally supposed to bring together troops from Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger, Chad and Mali had found it much harder to drum up $400 million.

Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop, who said his junta-ruled country this year left the G5 over it coming under too much "French pressure", also saw a disparity.

"For Ukraine, where they have asked Africa to take a stand, in just a few days they raised more than eight billion (dollars)," he said.

"It's a policy of double standards. All human lives -- black, white, red and yellow -- are equal."

Conference host Senegal, which has close ties with Western countries, caused a stir on March 2 by abstaining, like many other African states, from a UN General Assembly vote on a resolution demanding Russia stop using force against Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall this week told TV5 Monde the move had reflected the need to "seek a common African position" at a time when her country had just taken over the chair of the AU.

Nearly half of African countries either abstained or did not vote in a UN resolution on October 13 on whether to condemning Russian annexation of more Ukrainian territory.

Aude Darnal, a non-resident fellow at the Stimson Center, a US think tank on international security, said Africa had been seeking new partners in recent years.

"African states have sought to diversify their partnerships with other smaller and emerging powers, like India and Turkey" -- both at the forum -- "and great powers like China and Russia, all posing as equal partners," she said.

"There has also been growing fatigue towards a sense of Western patronising," she added.

African states were seeking "to protect and advance their interests and partnerships with all sides".

'Self-centred'?

But Niagale Bagayoko, the president of the African Security Sector Network (ASSN), dismissed the argument that the world had abandoned Africa as "very difficult to accept".

"Africa is at the heart of the international agenda," she said.

The anti-jihadist G5 Sahel force has struggled with funding and equipment shortages for years. By THOMAS SAMSON (AFP)

"If we really look at the budget for peacekeeping operations, external interventions, then apart from the Middle East, Africa over the past 10 years is the region that has received the most interventions, including sporadic interventions from the Americans."

She said she feared that recent reactions of African politicians "give the impression that Africans' only concern with a conflict that is having consequences on the whole world is its repercussions on their own security."

"It reminds me of Europeans who believe that the only point in being concerned by the conflict in the Sahel, for example, is to protect the (European) continent from migration."

The risk, she said, is that Western countries too could respond "in the same self-centred manner" when the next international call comes for investment to help Africa.
Mr. Michael Okeyere Baafi, Member of Parliament (MP) for New Juaben South and Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, has touted the achievement of the governing NPP over the opposition, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Despite the economic crisis, he said they still have experienced and abled men who are well vexed with ideas to save the country from the current situation.

Mr. Baafi argued while speaking on Accra-based TV3 that the current hardships would have been more worse than what Ghanaians face today. He noted that the situation would have pushed some citizens to sell their fellow human beings for survival.

He believes the Akufo-Addo-led NPP government must be applauded for managing the situation amidst the global economic crisis.

"Government needs to be commended for how we have been able to handle issues. If we say we have the men, it's true because we have been able to do a lot and are still doing a lot to stabilise the situation.

"Let me tell you, the NDC does not have the ideas to govern. By this time, if the NDC were in power, people would have been selling human beings in Ghana," the Deputy Minister argued.

Watch him below:
28.10.2022 LISTEN

The Minority Spokesperson on Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, continued his criticism of governments management of the economy.

Dr. Forson singled out a lack of transparency from the government with respect to Ghanas debt as the reason for Ghanas current economic crisis.

Let me say governments reckless fiscal behaviour and creative accounting is indeed the reason why we are where we are.

Government decided to hide critical debt numbers and national statistics from Parliament and the world to create the impression they are doing well. And that is why this [the economic crisis] is coming to all of us.

For example, Dr. Forson said the government was not forthright about the fiscal deficit when borrowing money.

He said the government came to Parliament with GH11.6 billion to finance a deficit of 3.9 percent of GDP, but indeed that was false.

They actually borrowed GH21.4 billion to finance a fiscal deficit of 7.1 percent of GDP. So they hid from Parliament an amount of GHS 10 billion and the Ghanaian people didnt know they borrowed in excess of what they had reported, Dr. Forson said.

The legislator believes Ghana will require a debt relief of around GH200 billion to make Ghanas current debt sustainable.

The government is currently seeking $3 billion from the International Monetary Fund to support the economy.

Government as part of processes for securing support from the International Monetary Fund is expected to restructure some of its debt.

By Citi Newsroom
The Minority spokesperson on Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, has taken a swipe at President Akufo-Addo and his economic management team as the government works to restructure the countrys debt.

Describing the move as a Mickey Mouse one, Ato Forson warned that the way and manner government wants to go about the debt restructuring will hurt Ghanaians.

Mr. President, please beware that, a Mickey Mouse form of debt restructuring will hurt Ghana big time. Your debt restructuring must not target domestic creditors. It will destroy us, he said at an event dubbed Building the Ghana We Want.

The public debt stock as of July 2022 was almost GH400 billion. Ghana currently cannot borrow on the internal markets as creditors doubt if the country could service its debts.

Ghana is currently seeking $3 billion in support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) amid worsening economic conditions.

There are reports that government is seeking to give its domestic debts a haircut, which could even affect some pension funds.

The truth is, Ghana cannot currently afford to repay its debt according to the finance agreement and provide public goods at the same time. Ghana is simply insolvent, in other words bankrupt.

Ato Forson said Ghana is in a deep mess because the managers of the economy failed to act.

For them, everything is about the next elections, they never accept responsibility. They always say, it wasn't me, it was the guy behind the tree. They live on another planet, and dont appreciate what the IMF will require from them, let alone start action. The ineptitude is unbelievable.

The legislator believes Ghana will require a debt relief of around GH200 billion to make Ghanas current debt sustainable.

Ato Forson believes the Ghanaian economy is suffering from Sovereign Insolvency Stress and Stagflation, Coupled with Acute Debt Overhang Syndrome (SIS-SADOSES).

citinewsroom
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it is looking too late now for any final fence-mending session between you and the anti-Atiku candidacy, a situation that has made the inner battle within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) difficult to overcome by you or your current in-house political enemies.

At least five irritated governors, some southern chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, which include Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Seyi Makinde (Oyo State), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia State), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State) and Samuel Ortom (Benue State), have openly poisoned your 2023 presidential election bid. The current disunity among the factions within the ranks of the party could make your candidacy irreparably troubled.

There are just a few weeks left before the election. To think there is going to be a genuine conversation about reconciliation is just a fantasy.

Mr. Atiku, this isn't just about your personality clashes with Wike; it's a full-fledged philosophical war in which you, as a Northerner, want to preside over the nation as a PDP presidential representative, while your other party faction sees it as unfair to the nation's southern geopolitical zone.

Dont run on divine wishes as the intractable crisis confronting PDP ahead of the 2023 general elections is enmeshed in the instrumentality of lack of godliness on your part to see the fairness of power shift to the South. That is the operating perception in Nigeria.

Unfortunately for you, while the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, appears to be on your side, the infighting between those who defected with him from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the original party members in Edo State only makes you weaker.

The lone south-south state, speaking of Delta State, under the governorship of your Vice-Presidential Candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, lacks the complete show of strength to save you.

In the Middle Belt of Nigeria, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has left you as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The current APC government in power, whose presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has all-round support from all northern and southern factions with Buhari, has a psychological distance from you because they have painted you to Nigerians as a Cameroonian, not a citizen of Nigeria, even when this is an exaggeration of facts. That means you should not be running in any Nigerian presidential election.

Mr. Atiku you recently gave a political shot yourself when you said this, "What the average Northerner needs is somebody whos from the North and also understands that part of the country and has been able to build bridges across the country. This is what the Northerner needs. It doesnt need a Yoruba or Igbo candidate. I stand before you as a pan-Nigerian of Northern origin."

This was a terrible national shame on your part, especially when it pertains to the people of the South-East the only zone in recent Nigeria yet to take its turn at the Presidency.

Even a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Abia State, Sampson Orji, openly declared his support for the Labour Partys presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

In an apparent subconscious manner, Governor Obaseki, a recent runaway politician to the PDP, in an apparent subconscious manner, although he continues to fluctuate, said, "I dont know whether you have them in your house. Just ask them, which party are you?; they will say Obidients; you understand. They do not want us; they are not talking about PDP or APC. They are looking for alternatives, and there are many. You see all of them queuing for their PVCs now. They are not looking at the direction of the PDP or APC now. They are looking for alternatives. "

Then, as part of his apparent subconscious distractions and uncertainties, nervous about the dying political fate of PDP's win, Obaseki just said, "God forbid, but should APC win and come to power in 2023, this country will break. APC has done much damage to this country... "

So, Mr. Atiku, looking at all these interconnected adverse factors around your person and candidacy, the odds are against you.

Your only chance of winning is if the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, becomes incapacitated or dies, which I hope does not happen, but even if it does, the entire Nigerian people see the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari as a complete economic, political, and legal disaster to the country, who has harmed the little democracy that was growing in Nigeria.

Mr. Atiku, many Nigerians have no doubt that you are a good man and have served your country in different ways in public service, but the political will of the nation, except for a few ethnic men and women, is not on your side. I know you love this young nation called Nigeria. If so, what do you have to lose by directly or indirectly patronizing the new collective voice of the people, we are talking about Peter Obi. Sir, this is the time to be on the right side of history. Show it boldly.

Unlike Obaseki, Mr. Atiku, do not allow Nigeria's democracy to collapse through any means. You helped plant the initial seeds of democracy in Nigeria in 1999. As you can see, under Muhammadu Buhari, many Nigerians believe that the political rights and civil liberties around the country have greatly deteriorated to their lowest point. Nigeria's democracy is at a dangerous inflection point. Obi is not perfect, but you will agree that he remains an ideal president for Nigeria. In fact, he is your political heir.

Mr. Atiku, Except for the presidency, God has long blessed you; but where the people have chosen to make Obi serve this country, you sir, can, in good faith, make it happen; and this you can do in the coming days and weeks; if you do, you will be fighting for a better, fairer, and brighter future for every Nigerian.

John Egbeazien Oshodi, who was born in Uromi, Edo State in Nigeria to a father who served in the Nigeria police for 37 years, is an American based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal Psychologist. A government consultant on matters of forensic-clinical adult and child psychological services in the USA; Chief Educator and Clinician at the Transatlantic Enrichment and Refresher Institute, an Online Lifelong Center for Personal, Professional, and Career Development. He is a former Interim Associate Dean/Assistant Professor at Broward College, Florida. The Founder of the Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and Behavioral Change in African Settings In 2011, he introduced State-of-the-Art Forensic Psychology into Nigeria through N.U.C and Nasarawa State University, where he served in the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. He is currently a Virtual Behavioral Leadership Professor at ISCOM University, Republic of Benin. Founder of the proposed Transatlantic Egbeazien Open University (TEU) of Values and Ethics, a digital project of Truth, Ethics, and Openness. Over forty academic publications and creations, at least 200 public opinion pieces on African issues, and various books have been written by him. He specializes in psycho-prescriptive writings regarding African institutional and governance issues. His most recent textbook publication is Concise Psychology: An Integrated Forensic Approach to Psychology for Global African Settings.

Prof. Oshodi wrote in via [email protected]
With the zeal to see quality healthcare delivery practised, Send Ghana took it upon itself to survey how the COVID-19 vaccine was carried out with funding from the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF).

On Thursday, October 27, the report was launched and discussed in a national stakeholders dialogue at the Tomreik hotel in East Legon, Accra.

The research was done to know citizens' experiences, opinions, and motivations for engaging in the vaccination, assess the extent of vaccination uptake, and how they adhered to the vaccination protocols.

It was also directed at assessing the distribution of cold chain and vaccination logistics, what influenced participation, to see if the health workers themselves were taking it and also understanding factors that influenced teachers and the health workers to take part in the vaccination.

Giving a preamble at the beginning of the program, Mrs. Harriet Nuamah Agyeman, who moderated the event, recalled that just a day after the Coronavirus disease had been declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO), Ghana recorded its first case.

Luckily for Ghana, it was the first country in the world to receive 600,000 doses of the COVAX vaccine on February 24, 2021.

The vaccination exercise, which commenced right after receiving the doses, targeted vaccinating 17.5 million Ghanaians, excluding pregnant women and teenagers and later extended to 22.9 million to include pregnant women and teenagers who were initially removed.

In his welcome address, the Deputy Country Director for Send Ghana, Mr. Emmanuel Ayifah, noted that it is very necessary to embark on research to see how people reacted to the vaccination to restructure new ones should any other pandemic take Ghana by storm or the various immunisation exercises.

Dirk Matthiesen, CEO of PTF, spoke from Washington DC via Zoom and congratulated Send Ghana on embarking on such an important initiative, wishing the research findings to be used for their intended purpose.

Mrs. Anita Asare Awuku, the Project Officer for Send Ghana, presenting the research findings, revealed that they focused on the Greater Accra and the Ashanti Regions and indicated that they interviewed 677 respondents out of a total of 720 people who had passed through the vaccination process.

According to Mrs. Anita, the majority of the interviewees disclosed that several participants, per their response, were informed by their family members and friends, and were also satisfied with the time spent.

Regarding education about its side effects, about 56 per cent of interviewees noted that they were educated by the health workers.

In summary, some citizens who had taken the vaccine at the time of the research intimated that they did so to protect their family and close relatives from contracting the vaccine, with a few confessing that they took it because it was mandatory.

On the other hand, people who had not yet taken it responded that it was because they were afraid of possible side effects, had less education, or were not sure about its effectiveness, including some health personnel and teachers.

The research was carried out in the district health directorates of Tema, Accra Metropolis, Ashaiman, La Nkwantanang Madina, Oforikrom, Obuasi East, Asokwa, and Obuasi.

At the end, Send Ghana made some recommendations to the Ghana Health Service (GHS), such as "The Ghana Health Service should convene refresher sessions for its staff on the NDVP. Although the monitoring findings show compliance was generally good, this is necessary to enhance high levels of compliance with the guidelines of the NDVP.

Following the presentation, the research book was officially launched by the Country Director, Mr. Emmanuel Ayifah and other representatives from partnering organizations.

The recommendations added, "Health Directorates are encouraged to sustain the vaccine promotion efforts/campaigns to contribute to the attainment of the country's herd immunity target. This is also necessary if set targets for the various districts are to be met.

As of July 2022, for instance, the Accra metropolis had fully vaccinated 46.2% of its target population. Thus, vaccination promotion and/or information and education campaigns will contribute in no small way to encourage more people to vaccinate."

The above recommendations and several others were made in the research copy and also by the stakeholders who attended the dialogue, some of whom were from the Ghana Health Service, some teacher unions, UNICEF, WHO, and media personnel, as well as the hosts, Send Ghana.

Speaking to climax the program, the Deputy Country Director for Send Ghana, Mr. Emmanuel Ayifah, appreciated the support they received from the PTF, the Ghana Health Service and other stakeholders.

He reiterated that they will make the findings very useful and also see to it that the detected errors are corrected. He also, on the sidelines, explained that the exercise was only based on the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions because those were the regions the disease dominated and also because of financial constraints.

The PTF commended Send Ghana for the initiative and urged them to continue with it to effect positive change in the health sector.

Send Ghana is a non-governmental organisation whose policy research and advocacy focus on pro-poor policy and development programme monitoring in Ghana, as well as service delivery through the promotion of livelihood security.
Standard Chartered Ghana PLC Board Chairman, Dr. Emmanuel Kumah

28.10.2022 LISTEN

The board chairman of Standard Chartered Bank Ghana PLC, Dr. Emmanuel Kumah has stressed that his outfit remains committed to empowering Ghanaian entrepreneurs through digitalisation.

He said this on day two of the 2022 Digital Banking, Innovation, and Fintech Festival by Standard Chartered Bank PLC held in Accra.

The much-anticipated festival kicked off on Wednesday, October 26, bringing together industry players, seasoned experts, and practical Fintech innovators from Africa, Singapore, and other parts of Asia.

The two-day event is a platform to showcase, engage, strategize, and discuss best approaches and policies as the continent moves towards a future-proof and dynamic digitised financial ecosystem.

Delivering a welcome address on day two on Thursday, Dr. Emmanuel Kumah disclosed that it has been specially dedicated to women in technology and young innovators.

He explained that the decision to make the dedication to women is significant because female entrepreneurs face many obstacles and structural inequities and inequalities which prevent them from scaling their businesses.

He said with Ghana having one of the highest rates of women-owned enterprises in the world, StanChart believes that a session specifically put together with a focus on women will provide the insights and opportunities for female techpreneurs looking to grow their businesses to foster a stronger and more dynamic startups echo system in Ghana and beyond.

Dr. Emmanuel Kumah stressed that with that in mind, Standard Chartered Bank PLC will continue to pave way for women entrepreneurs in the country to be empowered to benefit from the enormous benefits of using technology.

We at StanChart will continue to chart a journey towards digitisation and self-disruption in Africa while making it a priority to harness technology and the same time champion the next generation of entrepreneurs in Ghana and I dare say in Africa at large, the Standard Chartered Bank Ghana PLC Board Chairman assured.

Delivering a speech at Thursdays session on Tech, Gender, and Economic growth, British High Commissioner for Ghana, Harriet Thompson said while Tech offers enormous opportunities to unlock Africas economic growth, it will only be possible if women are included in that journey.

She emphasised that there is a need for women-led businesses to leverage the importance of technology to harness their benefits.

She also noted that supporting women-owned businesses is important to economic development.

We all have a role to play. These technologies need to be made accessible, the right education and sensitization should be given to ensure that even women in the remotest part of the country have the chance to enrich their businesses and contribute more to economic growth, Harriet Thompson.

To conclude her remarks, the British High Commissioner for Ghana expressed appreciation to Standard Chartered Bank PLC for putting together the Programme, adding that its benefits will be enormous in years to come.

She also commended the government of Ghana for investing in digitalisation. She indicated that the country is on the right path to realising the full benefits of the digital economy.

Among many things, the second edition of the Fintech Festival organised by Standard Chartered Ghana PLC for the two days highlighted opportunities available to Africa in the fintech space and how financial business models are enabling inclusive access to financial services across diverse product types for consumers.

The event brought together stakeholders in the fintech community to connect, collaborate and engage on issues relating to digitization, policy, innovation, and technology within the financial sector, is organized in collaboration with SC Ventures (Innovation and Fintech Investment Unit of Standard Chartered).
28.10.2022 LISTEN

Former President John Dramani Mahama is not backing down on calls for the dismissal of underfire Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.

He is also not accepting pleas from President Nana Akufo-Addo for Ofori-Atta to latch onto his position until the passage of the 2023 budget and the completion of Ghanas negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.

Speaking at a forum dubbed Building the Ghana We Want in Accra on Thursday, Mr. Mahama said President Akufo-Addo must let Ofori-Atta go.

Ive noted the draft motion of censure by the Minority against the Minister of Finance and the recent rebellion of G95 group (95 Majority Members of Parliament) calling for the removal of the minister. Ive also noted the statement of the Majority Leader of a so-called compromise reached that the minister will leave after he has completed the budget and the IMF negotiations.

I think this is untenable. Budget preparation and IMF negotiations are the results of teamwork. They are not the work of one individual. I fail to see how the absence of the minister will affect the preparation of the budget and the negotiation with the International Monetary Fund. There surely must be persons with the requisite experience in the NPP to carry on this work. After all, what happened to the mantra we have the men??

Following Ghanas current economic predicaments, John Mahama further asked President Akufo-Addo to take hold of the Economic Management Team to help boost confidence in the economy.

The president must not only replace his Finance Minister; he must also reconstitute and take control of the Economic Management Team himself.

citinewsroom
Leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has stressed the need for a collective effort to help the government address the hardships in the country caused by the mismanagement of the Ghanaian economy.

Addressing the nation on the state of the economy on Thursday, October 27, the former President said mothers are getting heartbreaks day in and day out because they are not able to feed their children like they used to.

Mothers suffer heartbreak each day because they cannot afford to feed their children like they used to. Countless young people with enormous potential are struggling to pursue their lifelong dreams because of financial problems. Small entrepreneurs are frustrated as they break their backs to keep their businesses open against great odds. This is not just an installment in cyclical hardships, and we should not pretend that it is, John Dramani Mahama said in his address.

In a call on Ghanaians in the midst of hardships, the 2020 presidential candidate of the NDC charged the citizenry to eat local foods and buy local goods to boost the economy.

Let us consciously eat more of our local foods  Rice, Cassava, Gob3 to support the economy, Mahama implored.

During his address, the former president also supported the appeal by President Akufo-Addo to the military.

He said although times are hard, the Ghana Armed Forces and the Security Services should remain loyal to the Constitution.

Together we can save Ghana and build the Ghana we want regardless of how bad the situation is. I still have hope that we can turn things around. Wholeheartedly, I believe in the resilience of our people.

Remain loyal to the state and the constitution. The current economic situation does not give excuses to engage in any acts that are unconstitutional, we can turn the situation around, ex-President Mahama emphasised.
Former President, John Dramani Mahama has charged the ruling government to put on hold all non-essential projects for the sake of the struggling Ghanaian economy.

He stressed that non-essential projects such as the National Cathedral, the 116 million euro new Accra International Conference Centre, and the Construction of New Embassy buildings for new Missions abroad must be suspended for now.

He insists that if the National Cathedral must be built, it must be done with private funds.

The public funding of the National Cathedral particularly at this time must stop. Being a Christian myself and deeply appreciative of the centrality of God in national affairs, I agree with most Ghanaians who believe that the project cannot constitute a top priority of government at this time, warranting further injection of scarce public funds.

If it must be built, it must be built with private funds, John Dramani Mahama said.

The 2020 presidential candidate of the opposition NDC was delivering an address to the nation at the UPSA auditorium on Thursday, October 27, when he shared these proposals.

Despite sharing in the idea that the Ghanaian economy reaching its worst state, the former President is also confident that things can get better.

During his address, John Dramani Mahama used the opportunity to call on Ghanaians to have hope and support the government.

Together we can save Ghana and build the Ghana we want regardless of how bad the situation is. I still have hope that we can turn things around. Wholeheartedly, I believe in the resilience of our people, ex-President Mahama stressed.
Kwame Pianim

28.10.2022 LISTEN

Economist and Ghanaian businessman, Kwame Pianim has said there is a need for President Akufo-Addo to take a bold decision and remove Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

According to him, he knows for a fact that because the Finance Minister is leading the negotiations with the IMF, things are not going well.

Ken Ofori-Atta is not a credible messengerSomebody who didnt want to be taking this route, how can you say he should lead it?

The IMF negotiation is not going well [and] I know this for a fact, Kwame Pianim shared in an interview with TV3.

He added that as a result, the IMF is waiting on President Akufo-Addo to act boldly for the sake of credibility.

What the IMF is waiting for is a bold, credible pronouncement from the president as he did over the Covid, the renowned economist indicated.

Despite several calls for Ken Ofori-Atta to be removed since the start of the year, President Akufo-Addo has always shot down such calls, insisting that the performance of the Minister has been excellent.

On Tuesday, the Majority Members of Parliament who have had enough of the Finance Minister piled pressure on President Akufo-Addo to remove him.

They threatened that if the President refuses to listen to their call, they will boycott businesses of the government in Parliament including the hearing of the 2023 Budget Statement next month.

However, after a meeting with the President, they agreed for Ken Ofori-Atta to remain at post to close the negotiations with the IMF.
More than 4,000 people have been displaced this year in northern Togo after the security climate worsened following jihadist attacks in neighbouring Burkina Faso, the government said.

Togo and its West African coastal neighbours Benin, Ghana and Ivory Coast are facing increased spillover and risk of attacks from jihadists operating across their frontiers with Niger and Burkina Faso.

"In total, 789 households representing 4,175 displaced people have been identified -- including populations from neighbouring countries who took refuge in Togolese territory," communications minister and government spokesman Akodah Ayewouadan said on television late Thursday.

Ayewouadan said the government was providing support including psychological care and education of displaced students in schools in host communities.

"The objective is first to secure these people, to ensure they continue to live in decent conditions and to eventually help their return," he said.

Among the displaced are Togolese who have fled their villages and also Burkinabe residents who had crossed the border to escape jihadist attacks.

The National Agency for Civil Protection (ANPC) in June identified in the prefecture of Tone in far north of Togo, more than 600 Burkinabe from Madjoari, in the south-east of Burkina Faso.

Togo. By (AFP)

Togo has suffered at least five terrorist attacks, including two deadly assaults since November 2021 in the far north of the country.

The country was hit in mid-July by a bloody attack carried out by "unidentified armed individuals", according to the army, which did not communicate a precise toll, speaking of "several dead and a few wounded".

Neighbouring Benin earlier this month said its army foiled a "terrorist" attack in the country's northwest, killing eight gunmen suspected of operating from across the northern frontier.

Benin's security forces have faced more than a dozen militant incursions since last year, as concerns mount over the spread southward of Islamic State group and Al Qaeda-linked violence from the Sahel.
An aspiring General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Elvis Afriyie Ankrah has called for a new direction to save Ghana from the brink of collapse.

He reiterated that Ghana is virtually collapsing in the hands of Nana Akufo-Addo and therefore there is an urgent need for a change in government.

According to him, this must happen to salvage the situation Ghanaians find themselves in.

He noted that the NDC will need new leadership to make this change a reality, hence, the reason he is contesting for the position of General Secretary.

He spoke to the media when he paid a courtesy call on the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osmanu Sharubutu on Thursday, October 27 2022, to receive his blessings ahead of the contest.

Justifying why he is fit for the position of General Secretary, he said he has directly been involved in party affairs and is very experienced in leading the party.

He recounted that he was a parliamentary candidate in the year 2000, and has served as deputy general secretary, a minister of state, and a director of elections amongst other roles in the name of the party.

He noted that the 8 souls that were lost in the 2020 elections under the watch of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) were unfortunate and unpardonable therefore the NDC needs a leader who is a fighter to be able to face NPP and win elections.

He said the chief Imam represents the pillars of the country and therefore he needs his blessings to win that contest.

Source: Classfmonline.com
The Majority Caucus has denied taking money from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to back down on their stance for the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to be removed as the substantive Minister.

Mr Andy Appiah Kubi, the New Patriotic Partys (NPP) Member of Parliament for Asante Akim Central Constituency in the Ashanti Region led some 87 MPs to state their claims about the abysmal performance of the Finance Minister and subsequently demanded his removal from office.

The NPP MPs last Tuesday organised a press conference in Parliament to state their claims for the Finance Minister to be removed from office. However, the MPs backed down on their stance after a meeting with the President on Wednesday.

Mr Appiah Kubi, spokesperson for the MPs denied taking money from the presidency when he spoke in an interview reacting to the rumour on some social media platforms that the 88 MPs took money from the president when they met with him.

The MP on Thursday, October 27, 2022, said: We were not motivated by material gains in heeding the president's plea for the finance minister to continue with the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund team.

We have not been induced with money to abandon the charge to have the Finance Minister removed.

Even though we have backed down on our claims we were not induced to do so. We are men of conscience, he maintained.

Source: Classfmonline.com
28.10.2022 LISTEN

Host of the Maakye morning show on Onua TV, Godsbrain Blessed Smart , popularly known as Captain Smart, has alleged that Ghana's Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has been kicked off the Economic Management Team (EMT), which he heads.

Captain Smart during the Monday, October 24th episode of the show emphatically stated with no proof that the VEEP has been kicked off the EMT over his opposition to the electronic transaction (e) levy.

Credible information available to theGhanaianVoice.Com at this time, however, indicates his claims are widely inaccurate.

Speaking on his show, Captain Smart said the Vice President was removed from his position due to his opposition to the passing of the e-levy.

Smart alleged that his absence from the government's economic management team is the reason why he has been left out of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.

Smart also alleged that the so-called 'Akyem Mafia' at the Presidency have sidelined the Vice President.

"He is the head of the economic management team yet not part of the IMF negotiating team, this is what I call Akyem mafiaism. Bawumia is a Northerner and hence has been abandoned. Mahama warned you but you did not listen. When you are dealing with Akyem Mafias you have to be careful if you're a Northerner or an Ewe. Peter Amewu has similarly been sidelined," Captain Smart thundered.

"Have you heard Bawumia talking about the e-levy? Bawumia kicked against the e-levy, Bawumia never supported the e-levy and Bawumia will never support the e-levy. But you know the problem? He cannot say that publicly,"

Smart went on to allege that funding for the Vice President's office has even been cut down. Making an example that these days, he doesn't have a convoy moving with him whenever he goes on official trips.

Despite Captain Smart's bluster, checks by theGhanaianVoice.Com refute the claim the Vice President has been removed from being chair of the Economic Management team. The Vice President remains in good standing with the Presidency and continues to dutifully and diligently dispatch his duties, which grow more and more each day.

Indeed, Bawumia remains one of the most active Vice Presidents in Ghanaian history , evidenced by his never-ending speaking engagements at events almost every single day, before even getting into his tireless work on projects he has personally adopted such as digitalisation.

Bawumia - A Man Of Focus, Commitment And Sheer Will

Captain Smarts insinuations against the Vice President fly in the face of his decades of demonstrated competence and strong, value-driven life.

Like many Ghanaians, Dr Bawumia received a disciplined upbringing in the home of his father, Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia.

At a very young age, the future Vice President was imbibed with values of hard work, dedication, selflessness and looking out for the less privileged.

These are values he would continue to hold on to and demonstrate amply throughout his time in public life.

Bawumia is incredibly hard-working, starting from his time as a lecturer at multiple universities and throughout his time at the Bank of Ghana.

The current Veep took things to another level though after entering politics and especially since becoming the 6th Vice President of the 4th Republic.

Bawumia worked tirelessly on the campaign trail with the NPP in three successive elections. He was everywhere, giving constant speeches and badgering their political opponents the NDC nonstop.

During the 2012 election petition, Bawumia's penchant for hard work was on display for all to see as he was cross-examined for hours on end every day, for weeks!

He turned up prepared and gave a stellar account of himself throughout the trial.

The Vice President's dedication has never been in doubt, either.

Throughout his life, he has dedicated himself to serving others without hesitation.

Every step taken in Bawumia's career has been in service to others, either imparting knowledge as a lecturer or serving the people as a technocrat or later, as a politician.

Bawumia has also been incredibly selfless, devoting a good portion of his efforts towards philanthropy.

On several occasions, he has stepped up to help out people in need with little fuss, such as when he settled the rent of late actor Psalm Adjeteyfio and built a 2-bedroom house for an ostracised shunned leper.

He has also made countless donations to charity organisations.

Dr Bawumias financial acumen or economic credentials need not be debated, as he has proven them over decades of public life.

Yes, Ghana is in the midst of a quadruple whammy, as Bawumia aptly put it, throwing everything out of whack - yet the Vice President retains his reputation in government circles and among the informed and is surely not going through anything resembling what the Onua TV host was attempting to portray.
28.10.2022 LISTEN

Ghana Montie, Is a True MORAL Revolution from a citizenry evolution not Outstanding, still? Whew, what should the nation do, just stand at nil? How come important men are impotent in Power Tents without Ideation and cannot ACT ? except out of corrupt self interest rather than national interest, even when political annihilation is staring their NPP smack in the face? They rather strive to protect their created "Ofori Attah" tin gods who they cannot dodge? Those who swore to disown corruption only to be consumed by it, are they not in charge with greed as their creed?

Are there no selfless National protective Fathers and Mothers with dominion to look after "yen ara y'asaase yi"; embrace the entire nation with vision and with grand causes to lead us to safety from insecurity and entrenched corruption which is the underlying issue why Ken Ofori Attah has been planted like an unshakeable, indispensable rock of offense, with a lost plot?

The resulting mismanagement and inflicted extreme hardship in the system is at knives edge, empowering seismic change by gingering up anger to rise up to a near crescendo of explosion for the sake of saving the future. What is the sacrifice going to be? Must the nation suffer while President Akufo Addo stick to his rusty guns by Ken Ofori Atta's untenable side in mutual protection? Must The whole governing corrupt system not be overhauled after egoistic nepotism & self_destructive abysmal failure?

What is a President who as Attorney General refused to prosecute the same Ken Ofori Attah when asked by the SFO to do so, going to do now !

What should happen to President Akufo - Addo who sees no evil, hears no evil and covers up evil even when evil is being done right in his face, if he finally finds strength in his voice to sack or ask his "consecrated" Ken Ofori Attah to resign when undue protracted damage is already done. Has "Kenbond" not been implementing the President's approved policies with the President's applause, and our disgust at their recalcitrance? How can one go without the other is the Presidential challenge!

Instead of heroes we have woes from those with egoes and power but cannot do...."won ntumi" .

Dear Ghana, Have I not been warning that there is a destructive force of nation wreckers within our politics including Presidents and would be Presidents ? How they collude to shortchange Ghana with covert operations! How they seek to destroy lives to protect their secrets and ambitions! Thank God for vindication that when things are terrible, insiders with knowledge must sacrifice and ACT to protect the national interest.

How interesting that 80 of the

majority MP"s who hitherto had eyes but could not see beyond rubber stamping obvious governmental malfeasance have suddenly "got religion" seeking Ken Ofori Attah's sacking, rather belatedly when they should NOT have approved him, twice, in the first place! Are these the men we have been waiting to see? Should we clap for them to do more than just seek to protect their political turf "to break the eight" that is receding into a mirage as we speak?

Now then, is the majority MP,'s with "U.K copy cat " clamor for Ofori Attah's head the beginnings of a dreaded "insider coup" that will spiral upwards to engulf the President who should not have appointed Ofori Attah, but did so, to spite a defrauded nation, with a fake Christian charade?

Will complicit MP's who have been culprits in corrupt misgovernance from both sides of the political divide ultimately stand firm to provide the spark that will ignite the purge for purity and goodness in our public space? They must begin with themselves, repeal cyclical 4 year pensions and hideous Presidential packages etc in article 71 mutual back- rubs as they seek to freeze nonsensical expenditures? Will we see some Ministerial and MP principled resignations for a cause celebre of not just Ofori Attah's sacking, but a fundamental redress of systemic dysfunction or is that too much to ask?

Will Ken Ofori Attah ever give an account of his databank divestiture initiated " Tiger Fund' witholdings of 15% of divested national entities and $15m SSNIT funds relating to Societe General which have been untraceable among other feats such as "Agyapa" conundrums and reckless conflict of interest borrowings that has Ghana stagnated in a debt stupor or is he just to be sacked?

Has the cedi, as the worse performing currency not Betrayed Veep Bawumia as being not credible? We feel lied to and duped by his " "strong" economic management team. The Ghana economy is utterly "shambollic' and the cedi has become "gyimi gyimi' and hatahata" after insane grabs from a leaking Ghana raft, adrift and sinking in a misgovernance mire led by Power bigots and their "mi amigo hirelings even as Ken Ofori Attah taunts us that we should not panic because they cannot feel our pain, read our intense anger or feel our hunger and utmost frustration. Is it economic freedom, is it economic justice when timely calls for redress were met with abusive mockery and overt impudence? oh Oman Ghana , due ne amane hunu", I shall not say I told you So!

Indeed, in a Ghana where all are suffering, yet Presidential daughters utilize multi -million dollar properties side by side in plush Cantoments for boutiques and restaurants, are they indulging pastimes or running businesses intended to turn profits? is that a shinning example of 1D1F, one constituency one million dollars to bring prosperity to the suffering masses?

Yes, Indeed Where is demonstrative leadership when the nation is being ravaged by Galamsey in a corruption inferno that is savage and indiscriminate? The heartless rape is the new national mis-development agenda with existential recriminations that should incite rage as the galamsey scavengers set loose like demons devour Ghana entrails for self enrichment and national impoverishment without control.

Starting from Truth, we need acknowledgment that we are doing things wrong.

We are not doing our best for our country. All our institutions are rotten in corruption. We are all trapped in a corrupt mediocrity tyranny, trying to see our "how far", cheating in our little corners while we complain, waiting for the next election fanfare, so that politicians will come with expected ill-gotten booties for our votes. The thievery on a massive scale is not sanctioned by ANY Democratic Ethic. It is sheer tolerated national destructive idiocy.

No wonder they disappear and treat the populace shabbily like the beggars the masses have become, for little drops of free education , give a dog a bone, whether they can afford to pay or not so that they can become grateful card holders and payback via votes .

We are in a dumb cyclical dump while sidetracked by an enforced e-levy because it is easy pickings not financial intelligence, it is indulgence without comprehensive coherence that has also failed the "Beyond Aid "prophets and landed us at IMF ailing for Aid

This is the Testament: That the ordinary men and women and even children should rise up and fight to reclaim what is Right. The frontier to fight is our dependence on Corruption

Ghana's 1992 Constitution clearly has bogus provisions that enable governance to become a super structure of corruption and oppression centred around one person, the President, with an institutional & citizen collusion that eats up development. Corruption is now the sad unity glue transcending political party, tribal, gender and age metrics in plundering development without reckoning ?

We have self -service leaders at all levels who raid us dry with little or no repercussion This is the foundation of corruption which the populace feel justified to copy or emulate for survival in a bottomless spiral. This is why The whole system needs "OVERTHROW!"

Please do not put words in my mouth or misquote me. IF what I have said with clarity is not clear enough, I am saying that the absolute disdain of good counsel, the corrupt big doings and mismanagement by those in nepotistic power with resulting severe unprecedented hardship is calling for a spontaneous implosion that will overwhelm us when we least expect it. who knows what the last straw that will invite the match stick that will ignite the fire which the President will attempt to douse on Oct 30th, 2022 at 8pm will be? Will he speak the Truth? Will there be a truce?

Copyright October 28 , 2022

Email : [email protected]

yahoo.com
In the lifespan of a government when it can no longer take effective decisions or roll out meaningful policies, projects and programmes. This period is the lame duck moment. Mostly a time for government officials to start drafting their handing over notes.

The period typically comes a year and half or a year to the next general elections and in the case of Ghana it would have been from the middle of next year 2023.

But unfortunately for President Akufo Addo, his lame duck period arrived rather too early as a result of, perhaps, his governance style and the less than satisfactory management of the economy and the excruciating hardships Ghanaians are currently experiencing.

Some Ghanaians may not be abreast with what happens during this period in governance. It is the time the government has finalised the set of development policies, projects, and programmes and rolled them out for implementation and monitoring for the past six years. Any government should be preparing to start commissioning or evaluating the various stages of these policies, projects and programmes.

In the last few years of a governments life, normally witnesses investor apathy, therefore the needed capital is not available. In fact this period sees some form of capital flight too, especially when investors are not too sure of the security of their investments.

Our development partners and donor agencies are withholding their grants and budgetary support with a wait and see attitude, and no access to concessionary loans. In this regard it has become difficult for the government to balance its books especially when the government has over borrowed and spent on consumption instead of investing in capital projects.

It is therefore interesting to hear government making insincere promises around this time knowing these will not see the light of day. As it is, government has becomes desperate and stampeded because there are so many agitations from labour unions and other trade unions for salaries, wages and allowances increments or better conditions of service.

Wherever the President, Vice President, First Lady or government officials go, there are requests for projects and other demands from Chiefs, Religious leaders, opinion leaders, students, and the youth, in many communities. We are currently seeing some of these agitations from communities across the country calling on the government to construct their roads, provide portable water, health and educational facilities. They know the government is about to leave office and are asking for their share of the national cake putting undue pressure on the budget.

The government cannot cope with the volume of requests, demands and pressure from labour unions and across board. That is the situation President Akufo Addo and his government is currently going through.

So be aware that from now until 2024 of January 7th 2025, when the he hands over power, there is absolutely nothing this government can do for Ghanaians in terms of policies to alleviate our sufferings, providing projects and programmes. Any promise now will just be for the cameras and just to take off pressure. Better still it would be a grand deception and also to create a challenge for the next government.

As to why the President still thinks he can accomplish anything meaningful in this lame duck period beats my understanding. He should be honest with the people and tell them the honest truth that there is not much he could do going forward. If the President has not yet rolled out major capital projects and commissioning same now, for almost six years, then we should lower our expectation or have none at all.

In 2015 through to 2016, former President Mahama started inspecting and commissioning massive capital expenditure projects across the country and was nicknamed by the then opposition NPP as Commissioner General, I believe we remember this. It was also the period he introduced policies that led to the high economic growth in 2017 and the cedi stabilization achieved.

Tbc

Seidu Kpebu

Twitter: @kpebu
Phishing

A Phishing attack is a type of social engineering attack that malicious attackers often use to steal sensitive data such as login credentials, credit card information, etc. Phishing is one of the biggest Cyber threats organizations face in the Cyber world. 80% of organizations fell for phishing attacks in 2021 according to Proofpoints 2021 state of the phish report. There are multiple ways threat actors carry out some of these phishing attacks. Let us look at the different phishing attacks out there.

Types of phishing

Email Phishing: This type of phishing attack is sent via emails asking you to perform some sort of action with some sense of urgency. This type of attack will normally require you to click on a link that redirects you to a fake website that might request some sort of login credentials. These fake websites are normally cloned versions of legitimate websites that are used to trick users into entering their login credentials.

Spear Phishing: This is a phishing attack that is targeted more at a single entity. Before attackers perform this type of attack, they normally have some sort of basic information about the victim. This kind of information could be their name, place of employment, Job title, email address, or specific information about their Job title. These types of phishing attacks are much more convincing since the attacker has some information about the victim.

Whaling: Here, the attack usually targets senior executives. It commonly uses the pretext of a busy executive who wants an employee to do them a favor and normally plays on an employees willingness to follow instructions from their boss.

Smishing and Vishing: The medium of communication here is via telephone. Smishing normally comes as a text message suggesting being from your bank alerting you of suspicious activity on your account. In the image below, the attacker sends a text telling the victim he has been involved in fraud and should follow the link to resolve the issue to prevent further damage.

Phishing attacks are nothing new. They have been around for decades. However, it is only recently that the frequency and effectiveness of phishing has skyrocketed. Now, more than ever before, businesses (and consumers) need to be on high alert when receiving emails or phone calls from people or companies they do not know. But how can you tell whether an email or phone call is a phishing scam? If you think an email might be a phishing attackfor example, if it asks you to give up personal information or click on a linkthen it probably is. Phishing scams almost always have obvious warning signs you can see with a bit of careful consideration. The good news is that the more aware you are of these signs of phishing emails, the less likely you are to fall victim to one of these malicious attacks.

Some Phishing Techniques

The sender is requesting your credentials

One of the most obvious signs of a phishing scam is when the email you receive requests for your login credentials or financial information. Unfortunately, this is a trick malicious actors use to gain access to your sensitive information and steal your identity. If you receive an email that asks you to enter login information, username, password, or credit card information, it is more than likely to be a phishing attempt. There are a few different ways that people try to get you to enter your credentials, including "customer service" emails from banks, utilities, or other companies you have an account with; emails from companies that you have an order with and are asking for your log-in information; or emails from companies with which you do not have any kind of account.

The email asks you to click on a link

Another common phishing attack technique is to entice you to click on a link in the email. Threat actors will often craft their emails, so they appear to be from a trusted source, such as your bank or credit card company. These emails may direct you to click on a link, usually to update your account information, and promise that doing so will help you avoid any problems. But that link may take you to a phishing website that will steal your information or, sometimes, have full control of your device via a zero-click attack when you visit their malicious website by clicking on the link sent to you. The same is true for emails from companies with which you have an account. If an email from your bank or credit card company directs you to click on a link, the best thing to do is contact them through their legitimate phone number or website to ensure that the email is authentic.

The emails language is awkward or poorly written

Another tell-tale sign that an email is a phishing scam is if it is awkwardly or poorly written. If you receive an email from a company, especially one you do business with, they will probably address you by your name. However, phishing emails rarely address you by name, or they will use a general salutation, such as "Dear User," "Dear Customer," or even "Hello." Phishing emails are often written in an overly formal or corporate style, which is typically a clear sign that something is amiss. Likewise, the tone of the email may sound off, or the language may be riddled with spelling or grammatical mistakes.

You are unfamiliar with the sender

Another red flag is if you do not recognize the sender of the email. If you receive an email from a company with which you do not do business, scrutinize it before taking any action; if the company has a wrong address or contact name, or if the email is from a person you do not know, it is likely a phishing scam. If you have an account with a company, but the name of the person emailing differs from the one listed on your account, it may be a phishing attack.

You were not expecting the email, or it was not requested but responded to beforehand

Finally, a sure-fire sign that an email is a phishing attempt is if you were not expecting it, or it was not requested but responded to beforehand. Companies will not send you an email out of the blue and expect you to know what they want. If you are expecting an email from a company, but you do not receive it, you should not send them an email asking when to expect it. You should always be careful when receiving unexpected emails from companies; if there is something you need to do or update, they will probably contact you through another means, such as a phone call or postal mail.

Conclusion

Phishing attacks are nothing new, in that they have been around for decades. However, it is only recently that the frequency and effectiveness of phishing attacks have skyrocketed. Now, more than ever before, businesses (and consumers) need to be on high alert when receiving emails from people or companies they do not know. But how can you tell whether an email is a phishing scam? If you think an email might be a phishing attackfor example, if it asks you to give up personal information or click on a linkthen it probably is. Phishing scams almost always have obvious warning signs you can see with a bit of careful consideration. The good news is that the more aware you are of these signs of phishing emails, the less likely you are to fall victim to one of these malicious attacks.

Author: Enock Augustt | Penetration Tester | Member, IIPGH

For comments, contact email [email protected] or Mobile: +233 (25) 686-7366
28.10.2022 LISTEN

Introduction

Health is a complete state of physical, mental and social wellbeing and not just the absence of disease or infirmity similarly sexual and reproductive health is crucial to the wellness of all regardless of social status. To achieve a good healthy sexual life is to have a responsible satisfying and safe sex that is free from disease, injury, violence or risk of death. It is at this backdrop the United Nations Agency on Sexual and Reproductive Health, (UNFPA) is mandated to ensure that there is no any unwanted pregnancy and beginning of unwanted life on this earth.

Challenges to Accessing Reproductive Health in the Upper West Region of Ghana

Reproductive health and healthy sexual life is important and in the good interest of the development of the upper west region. In the contrary socio-cultural implications in my region of upper west have silenced and relegated women to the background in the area of accessing sexual or reproductive health freely which is a roadblock to the achievement of SDG goal (3).

Womens right to reproductive health is for the woman to have the free hand to choose whether or not to produce, including the right to carry out a termination of an unwanted pregnancy at an appropriate hospital or health center or simply accessing safe abortion because procreative rights of women are integral to women rights. The 1960 criminal code (Act 29) (Section58) which was amended by PNDCl102 of 1985 act 29 permits an abortion to be performed under certain inhuman conditions; Pregnancy through rape, incest, mental retardation among others which may adversely affect the wellness of the mother.

The point need to be made that the World Health Organisation (W.H.O.) has projected (2021) that annually 45 percent of abortions are unsafe and 94% is taking place in developing countries including Ghana and for that matter the upper West Region. According to the W.H.O .unsafe abortion is a leading but preventable cause of maternal deaths and morbidity. When safer and legal access to abortion is restricted to women, especially young girls, they will resort to less-safer methods. Some of these less safe methods include inserting objects in the uterus and drinking of concoction in order to terminate such unwanted pregnancy. When women are able to control what happens to their bodies, they will be able to play a role in society whether as a member of family, the workplace and in government.

However, in the Ghanaian society abortion is perceived as a shameful and immoral act. The Pro-life conference of the Ghana Catholic Bishops has denounced strongly abortion and population control. The church believe that in every situation every man every woman must respect, protect and uphold the dignity and sanctity of every human life once it began from the moment of conception until its natural end. The Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference has further denounced the radical promotion of abortion and the use of condom and other forms of contraceptive. For most women including women who want to have children, procreative health is not an option; it is a basic health care that they need.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Reproductive health and healthy sexual life is a human rights issue that requires sustained advocacy, sensitization, education, information sharing among others. The key principle of the human dignity needs to be safe-guarded at all times. Therefore, like all rights, duty bearers such as government and other Development partners needs to do more to empower women and tackle the root causes of unwanted pregnancies such as poverty and low access to productive resources for women. Doing so will go a long way to ensure that Reproductive becomes a real human right and not mere rhetoric in development cycles.

By Gladys Wein, GBC, RUW, Wa.

([email protected])
Nkutu(Shea Butter) originates from the shea tree, Butyrospermum parkii, also called Vitellaria paradoxa. Shea butter is made from the nuts found on the tree by removing the outer shell. The nuts are crushed by hand so that they can be slowly roasted in the butter. It is smooth in texture and does not liquefy at room temperature; however, it will soften in your hands, making it easy to apply.

In making shea butter, Price, A(2022), notes that the butter is kneaded by hand in a large basin of water to separate the oils, also known as the fatty acids. These fatty acids are what provide restorative properties making it one of the best options for skin care and more. To get the final product, the shea butter is removed from the top and cooled until it hardens.

Shea butter has been used for topical purposes for centuries and some believe that unrefined shea butter was even used by Cleopatra and the Queen of Sheba! Today, shea butter for skin and hair usage is extremely popular, which is why youll find it so commonly an ingredient in cosmetic products.

Price further noted that the pure variety is edible and in African countries, its often used in food preparation along with other oils. Sometimes raw African shea butter is used in place of cocoa butter, but if you compare the tastes of shea butter vs cocoa butter, they are quite different. Shea offers a mild, nutty flavor.

Shea Butter Composition

It has been established that shea butter composition is based on where it is cultivated. The constituents of shea butter are what give it health importance such as:

linoleic, palmitic, stearic, and oleic fatty acids, ingredients that balance oils on your skin. The oil from the fruit of the shea tree contains about 4550 percent oleic acid, 3041 percent stearic acid , 59 percent palmitic acid, and 45 percent linoleic acid. The best shea butter is extracted using cold-pressed methods without added chemicals or preservatives.

vitamins A, E, and F, antioxidant vitamins that promote circulation and healthy skin cell growth. It has relatively high amounts of saturated fatty acids (like MCT oil ) when compared to other plant-sourced lipids, such as grapeseed oil , olive oil, and canola oil.

triglycerides, the fatty part of the shea nut that nourishes and conditions your skin

cetyl esters, the waxy part of the shea nut butter that conditions skin and locks in moisture

The Food and Drug Administration includes shea nut oil on its list of direct food substances affirmed as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS).

Shea Butter, supporting Literature

Some products made from Nkutu by Shea Sentials Ghana.

Anti-inflammatory Skin Moisturizer, eczema

Many skincare products on the Ghanaian market are loaded with synthetic chemicals which are unhealthy. Nkutu or Shea butter is a natural ingredient that works as a good skincare product. For instance, one study( Akihis et al. 2020) found that shea nuts and shea fat (shea butter) help to reduce inflammation. Furthermore, both shea nuts and butter have anti-tumor-promoting compounds called cinnamate esters (which are also found in cinnamon).

Another by Ho et al.(2015) suggests that shea butter could work just as well as medicated creams in treating eczema.

Anti-Aging

Shea butter is an excellent moisturizer. For instance, one study recognized in Price's article attests to the fact that raw shea butter can encourage tissue cell regeneration and soften the skin, which can help to decrease the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The study published in The American Journal of Life Sciences reported a clinical study involving 30 volunteers in which shea butter reduced many signs of aging. In another clinical study for dry, delicate, or aging skin, 49 volunteers applied shea butter twice daily and found that it averted photo aging. This is why shea butter is most often found in many natural anti-aging facial products.

Moisturizes Both Scalp and Hair

Price Annie's (2022) article explained that shea butter can also be used for hair and scalp conditions as it helps to seal in moisture, conditioning the scalp, alleviating dandruff, and providing overall protection from harsh climates  much like how coconut oil works for hair .

One study( Campo et al. 2017) found that West African shea made hair significantly more resistant to breakage.

Another, Micali et al. (2018) found that shea butter when used in combination with other moisturizers, could help decrease dandruff flakes and reduce the risk of flare-ups.

Relieves Windburn, Sunburn, and Harmattan Dry Skin

Price Annie's (2022) article also explained that raw shea butter is good to deal with itchy harmattan skin . Its moisturizing qualities penetrate deep into the skin, providing more moisturizing benefits and in addition averting windburn. Shea butter is also good for cracked and dry heels, hands, rough elbows, and knees.

For those using sunscreen agents, the best option is the local shea butter. This is a much healthier, nourishing choice because most sunscreens are loaded with harmful chemicals that penetrate the skin and enter the body. Price notes: While the SPF of this sunscreen is only about 6, it can provide some protection more naturally and is perfect underneath makeup. Its a shea butter moisturizer and sunscreen in one! Shea butter is also great for applying if you do get a sunburn.

Another study(Carayanni et al. 2011) suggests that shea oils could be beneficial for superficial (first-degree) skin burns , such as sunburn. This is because the sheas anti-inflammatory components may reduce redness and swelling. Its fatty acid components may also soothe the skin by retaining moisture during the healing process. Though, the researchers in this study established that the use of shea butter, aloe vera, and other natural products is common, more research is needed to assess their efficacy.

Could Reduce Stretch Marks

For those concerned with stretch marks, Nkutu is the best alternative as it averts this condition. Furthermore, shea butter helps deal with stretch marks due to its natural vitamin A content. Price has this to say: Because of its amazing healing properties and hydrating qualities, shea butter may reduce the appearance of stretch marks and another scarring. Some people also use it to naturally improve the appearance of cellulite by smoothing and softening the skin.

Averts Diaper Rash for Babies

Due to its inflammatory and antifungal properties that can help fight off yeast, Shea butter is considered a diaper rash ointment for babies. It also enhances blood circulation promoting cell regeneration while providing improved collagen production.

For instance, one study( Ayankunle et al. 2012) held the view that oral doses of shea bark extract can lead to decreased antimicrobial activity in animals. This means that shea bark could indicate possible antibacterial benefits in humans. Due to this, some held that topical application may decrease the amount of acne-causing bacteria on the skin.

Price notes: Both cell regeneration and collagen production are important to healing diaper rashes quickly. Since most children are exposed to a large number of chemicals through the numerous products found on the shelf, this is the perfect DIY diaper rash solution to help avoid those chemicals and ensure comfort and rapid healing for your baby

Arthritis Pains, Nasal Congestion

Kao et al.(2016) study on shea oil concentrate found that it can help reduce inflammation while also protecting joints from further damage. Although this study focused on knee joints, these potential benefits could extend to other areas of the body. One old study (Tella, A. 1979) suggests that shea butter may help alleviate nasal congestion . When used in nasal drops, shea butter may reduce inflammation in the nasal passages. It could also help reduce mucosal damage, which often leads to nasal congestion. These effects could be beneficial when dealing with allergies, sinusitis, or the common cold

Take Home

Studies have affirmed that Nkutu(Shea butter) reduces arthritis pain, helps alleviate nasal congestion, and fights skin diseases such as eczema. It has also been established shea butter's inflammatory and antifungal properties can help fight off yeast, hence, considered a diaper rash ointment for babies. Also, women concerned with stretch marks can use just Nkutu instead of wasting monies on other treatments to deal with stretch marks. Finally, Nkutu is a natural sunscreen agent we have in Ghana. Many companies are transforming our local Nkutu into an international brand and one such quality brand is Shea Sentials Ghana.

The writer is a Professor of Naturopathic Healthcare, President, of Nyarkotey College of Holistic Medicine & Technology (NUCHMT)/African Naturopathic Foundation. E-mail: [email protected] . Contact shea sentials Ghana(0249188306

References

Carayanni VJ, Tsati EG, Spyropoulou GC, Antonopoulou FN, Ioannovich JD. Comparing oil based ointment versus standard practice for the treatment of moderate burns in Greece: a trial based cost effectiveness evaluation. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2011 Dec 1;11:122. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-11-122. PMID: 22132709; PMCID: PMC3298496.

A.A. Ayankunle, O.T. Kolawole, A.A. Adesokan and M.O. Akiibinu, 2012. Antibacterial Activity and Sub-chronic Toxicity Studies of Vitellaria paradoxa Stem Bark Extract. Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 7: 298-304. DOI: 10.3923/jpt.2012.298.304

Del Campo R, Zhang Y, Wakeford C. Effect of Miracle Fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) Seed Oil (MFSO) on the Measurable Improvement of Hair Breakage in Women with Damaged Hair: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Eight-month Trial. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2017 Nov;10(11):39-48. Epub 2017 Nov 1. PMID: 29399260; PMCID: PMC5774910.

Micali G, Paterno V, Cannarella R, Dinotta F, Lacarrubba F. Evidence-based treatment of atopic dermatitis with topical moisturizers. G Ital Dermatol Venereol. 2018 Jun;153(3):396-402. doi: 10.23736/S0392-0488.18.05898-4. Epub 2018 Jan 24. PMID: 29368843.

Hon KL, Tsang YC, Pong NH, Lee VW, Luk NM, Chow CM, Leung TF. Patient acceptability, efficacy, and skin biophysiology of a cream and cleanser containing lipid complex with shea butter extract versus a ceramide product for eczema. Hong Kong Med J. 2015 Oct;21(5):417-25. doi: 10.12809/hkmj144472. Epub 2015 Aug 28. PMID: 26314567.

Kao JH, Lin SH, Lai CF, Lin YC, Kong ZL, Wong CS. Shea Nut Oil Triterpene Concentrate Attenuates Knee Osteoarthritis Development in Rats: Evidence from Knee Joint Histology. PLoS One. 2016 Sep 1;11(9):e0162022. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162022. PMID: 27583436; PMCID: PMC5008785.

Tella A. Preliminary studies on nasal decongestant activity from the seed of the shea butter tree, Butyrospermum parkii. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1979 May;7(5):495-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1979.tb00992.x. PMID: 89854; PMCID: PMC1429586.

Toshihiro Akihisa, Nobuo Kojima, Takashi Kikuchi, Ken Yasukawa, Harukuni Tokuda, Eliot T. Masters, Aranya Manosroi, Jiradej Manosroi(2020) Anti-Inflammatory and Chemopreventive Effects of Triterpene Cinnamates and Acetates from Shea Fat. Oils and Fats. Volume 59 Issue 6 Pages 273-280
The Police in Accra is investigating the violent clashes recorded at Ashaiman early on Friday morning.

In an official statement from the Ghana Police Service, it has confirmed that 29 suspects have been arrested for their involvement in violent clashes between two factions at New Tulaku, Ashaiman in the wee hours of October 28.

Preliminary investigations by the Police have uncovered that a misunderstanding between two rival factions at the New Tulaku meat market resulted in the attack.

In the end, six people sustained various degrees of injuries.

The injured persons are currently at the hospital receiving medical attention, and are all in stable condition, according to the medical authorities.

The police have since restored calm and increased visibility at Ashaiman and its environs.

The Police are assuring the general public that the investigation continues and all those involved will be brought to justice.
28.10.2022 LISTEN

The National Science and Maths Quiz is an annual content-based national level quiz contest for Senior High Schools in Ghana. The 2022 Science and Maths Quiz was held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. My interest kept rising from the Preliminary stages to the Grand Finale though I was not able to watch most of the contests due to my tight schedules. As usual, the Quiz featured many schools from various parts of the country. After many competitions, three schoolsPrempeh College, Presec (Legon) and Adisadel College (Adisco)emerged as finalists. Prempeh College had won the trophy for five times and were hoping to win it the sixth time. Presec had won it six times and were hoping to go past the six to break the seven. Adisadel College were hoping to win it another time after winning it in 2016. This brief paper examines the final contest from a Christological perspective.

Overview of the Final Contest

Like the other contests, the final contest involved five rounds. The first round ended this way: Prempeh College 16 points; Presec 15 points and Adisadel College 14 points. Though the scores were close, some supporters of Prempeh College began to jubilate because they were in the lead. The crowd that came from Kumasi and other places to the Great Hall to support Prempeh College was massive. But there was still a long way to go after the first round.

At the end of the second round, the one-point difference between the Amanfo Boys (Prempeh College) and the dade Boys (Presec) was no more; both schools had 21 points each and Adisco 13 points. For Prempeh and Presec, the contest was like starting all over again.

Prempeh College took a narrow lead again at the end of the third round (the Problem of the Day) with 28 points, followed closely by Presec 27 points and then Adisco 19 points. Both rounds one and three ended the same way for Prempeh College and Presec.

At the end of the fourth round Prempeh College was still leading with a margin of one point. Adisco had 32 points, Presec 40 and Prempeh College 41. There was only one round left. Some of the people close to me considered it a done deal for Prempeh College. Though Prempeh was not in a comfortable lead, one could predict that they could maintain the one-point difference and eventually emerge winners.

The miracle of dade happened in the fifth (that is, the last round) which comprised riddles. During round five of each contest, the contesting schools are given clues. The competing schools battle one another to find the solutions to the riddles. The school that gets the correct answer on the first clue gets five (5) points. Four points are awarded to the school that gets the answer on the second clue and the three points for getting the answer on the third to the last clue. Five riddles were given in the Grand Finale. The Presec Boys scored 9 out of the possible 25 points while the other schools scored nothing here. This is what made Prempeh College not win the trophy for the sixth time. At the end of the contest, Prempeh College had 41 points, Presec 49 points and Adisadel College 32 points.

All the three schools did very well and need to be commended. In the sections that follow, the paper analyzes briefly the final contest in the light of relevant aspects of Christology. Christology simply means the study of the person and works of Jesus, the Christ of God. Jesus Christ is at the centre of Christianity; Christianity stands or falls on his identity and works. In fact, a Christ-less Christianity is no Christianity at all.

Christology of the Sabbath Trophy

The English word Sabbath derives from the Hebrew word Shabbat meaning a rest, cessation from work. Its theological meaning is rooted in God's rest following the six days of creation. The creation account of Genesis 2 indicates that God used six days to create everything in the universe, visible and invisible. On the seventh day he rested; he blessed this day and made it holy (Gen. 2:2-3). To talk of God taking a rest does not mean that he was tired and needed a rest. God, being omnipotent, did not become tired; he simply ceased from his work of creation. The Sabbath also denotes the seventh day of the week, though it may occasionally refer to the Sabbath week (Lev. 23:15-16) at the end of every seven Sabbaths or fifty days, or the Sabbath year (Lev. 25:1-7) in which the land was to be free from farming activities.

The theological meaning of the Sabbath comes to bare in several biblical passages. First, Exodus 20:8-11 underlines a clear link between the Sabbath day and the seventh day on which God the Creator rested. Against this backdrop, Sabbath observance amounts to affirming God as the Creator and Sustainer of the world. Observing the sabbath underscores that the world and everything in it ultimately belongs to God. Secondly, the Sabbath gave Israel her identity. It served to remind Israel that they were slaves in Egypt and that, it was YHWH who brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm (Deut. 5:12-15). The Sabbath, therefore, reminded Israel of Gods saving presence with them. The Sabbath was a covenant marker as well (Exod. 31:12-17). The YHWH-Israel covenant relationship required Israels sanctification, and by keeping the Sabbath holy Israel is reminded continually that the God who sanctified the seventh day also sanctifies her. Thirdly, the Sabbath is a day of rest and worship given as a gift from the restless condition of slavery. The prohibition of work extended to all those living within Israel, including slaves and animals (Exod. 20:10), even during the plowing season (34:21).

As indicated earlier, the Presec Boys had won the contest for six times and were aiming at winning it for the seventh time. They made it and made their school proud. The seventh trophy of the dade Boys has actually given them a sigh of relief, at least as far as the 2022 contest is concerned. Like all other schools, Presec can now rest from their labors of the 2022 national contest. Having won the contest seven times, one can reason that Presec can now enjoy a Sabbath rest. This is not to say that Presec should not make preparations for future competition or that they should not work hard to win more trophies. Rather, it means that as far as the 2022 contest is concern, Presec have reached their goal and hence, having won for the seventh time, can say that they have achieved mastery over the Quiz. Against the backdrop that the number seven means fullness or completeness, the dade Boys can say that they are full; their seventh trophy has made their trophies complete. But just as the one has to resume their labor after the sabbath, the dade Boys will definitely resume preparation for the next contest as soon as possible. Thus, the idea of a Sabbath trophy for dade in no way suggests that Presec should relax and not strive for future glories in the Quiz.

When Christ finally said, It is finished (John 19:30), he meant he had completed the works of salvation for humankind. The Sabbath rest typified by Presecs seventh victory is just a foreshadow of the heavenly Sabbath that Jesus atonement sacrifice provides for believers. Hebrews 4 states that Jesus is the believers Sabbath rest. Everybody is, therefore, exhorted to enter in to the Sabbath rest provided by Christ. The book begins with the contention that Jesus is superior to angel, Moses and the Old Testament priests (Heb. 13). The writer then exhorts his audience not harden their hearts against Christ, as their fathers hardened their hearts against YHWH in the wilderness. The unbelief of their forefathers made God deny them (that generation) access to the Holy Land, saying, They shall not enter into My rest (3:11). In view of this, the writer pleads with his audience not to make the same mistake by rejecting Gods Sabbath rest in Jesus Christ (4:9-11).

Presecs Sabbath trophy is meaningless without having its full expression in the true Sabbath provided by Christ. Certainly, there is no other Sabbath rest besides Jesus for he alone satisfies the requirements of the Law, and provides the sacrifice that atones for sin. He is Gods plan for humanity to cease from the labor of their works. Given this understanding, Presecs seventh trophy should serve to remind everyone of Jesus who is actually the true Sabbath of God. Christ must be seen in the celebration of every success in life.

Soteriologically, the trophy symbolizes what the New Testament believer will inherit ultimately. All New Testament believers receive salvation (Acts 20:32; 26: 18; Gal. 3:18; Eph. 1:11-12,14; 5:5; Col. 1:12; 3:24; Heb. 9:15; 1 Pet 1:4). The ultimate trophy is salvation and smaller trophies, in the form of reward, will be given in heaven. Presecs trophy is, therefore, meaningless without making it reveal Christ and his salvation. The paper requires all readers to accept Christ and his salvation.

Christology of the correct answer

In the light of the Quiz, the contestants had labored since the beginning of the contest till the Grand Finale and continued to work hard to achieve victory. Various attempts were to answer different questions correctly. All the wrong answers symbolize all wrong human efforts to please God. Ever since sin entered the world human beings have made different attempts to maintain their relationship with God. This has resulted in the emergence of various man-made religions. From the Christological point of view, only Christianity is the answer to humankinds problem of sin. Jesus is the only correct answer to the question of how can humankind reach God. Jesus died on the cross to reconciled the world to God (Col. 1:19-20). All other religious traditions are human attempt to reach God; they do not provide salvation in the strict sense of the word. Jesus is the only way to the Father and so he says, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6 NIV).

Jesus was therefore seen in the contest as that answer that gave the contestant the full mark. Any answer that gave part of the mark did not represent Christ in that Christianity requires ones full devotion to Christ, not partial devotion. Partially correct and totally wrong answers represent that which falls short of what authentic Christianity is. It is actually no Christianity at all. In another sense, totally wrong answers represent natural humans; they have not accepted Christ and so consider spiritual things foolish. The natural person is born into the human family and lives in their natural state without being a child of God (John 3:1-8; Gal. 3:26; 1 John 2:22-23; 1 John 3:9-10; 1 John 4:3; 1 John 1:7). A partially correct answer symbolizes the carnal person, one who has been born again but into Gods family, but lives and behaves as a man in a natural state living according to his carnal or fleshly desires. The correct answer symbolizes the spiritual person, a born-again person whose life is led by the Holy Spirit.

Christology of hard work determination and focus

In life there is always victory to be won. However, victory does not normally come without difficulties. Thus, it is said that, no pain, no gain, no Good Friday, no Easter Sunday, no cross, no crown. All the schools met to compete for a single trophy. There was a victory to be won, but the battle involved was a difficult one. For a school to be the winner, there was the need to have the zeal, determination and perseverance to fight to the end. One needed the Never say die spirit; one needed Wokum apem a apem bba spirit and more importantly the Bonokympem (Bono-kyne-apem) morale to fight to the end and emerge victorious.

Christologically, Presecs victory is reminiscent of Christs victory on the cross. Both Presec and Christ won victories, but not without challenges. Right from his birth, Christ faced many challenges to prevent him from fulfilling his salvific mission on earth. Aside Herods plans to kill him at infancy (Matt. 2), Jesus faced many oppositions in his ministry to the extent that even his own people did not accept ministry. At a point, Christ willed that the cup of atonement passed from him (Luke 24:42). Yet, he persevered till the end, made his Father proud, purchased salvation for all humankind and consequently, acquired a name that is above all names (Philp. 2:9-11).

The Presec Boys had a similar determination in the contest. They were behind Prempeh College on three occasions (that is, in three rounds). This was definitely a discouraging situation. They could have thrown in the towel and allow Prempeh to take the trophy. However, with the Christological mindset that what has to be done has to be done now they preserved till the end and emerged victors.

Conclusion

From the discussion, one realizes that There are no shortcuts to the top of the palm tree (Cameroonian Proverb). Success in life requires determination, hard work and perseverance. One has to follow the normal path to rise through the ranks. The get-rich-quick attitude among contemporary African youth is unethical and must stop. Also, focus is important for one to succeed. The contestants were disturbed on many occasions by shouts and applauds (sometimes from the funs of their opponents). Yet, they remained focused till the end because they had a goal. Similarly, there is the need to focus on Christ to be able to hold on to the faith till the end. Present circumstances may weigh us, but with determination, hard work and focus, one can strive till the end by Gods grace. Life is not chacha (betting). The contestants worked and thought through their answers before giving them out. They prayed and relied on Gods grace to make their efforts fruitful. A life built around chacha has no future. Repent!!!
Former President, John Dramani Mahama has proposed that government should focus on supporting large-scale farming for the country to achieve food sufficiency.

Delivering an address on the state of the Ghanaian economy on the theme Building the Ghana We Want, the 2020 presidential candidate of the opposition NDC wants Ghana to revisit operation feed yourself.

It is said that out of adversity comes opportunity. Restriction of importation of some of these products, side-by-side with increased local production, is a realistic proposition that we need to begin to consider, former President John Dramani Mahama shared.

He continued, There must be prioritization and strategic investment in private commercial large-scale production of these commodities. We cannot sustain progress in agricultural production based on only support for small-scale producers. Government must support large-scale commercial agricultural production to achieve food self-sufficiency. We must look at the entire value from production to processing and marketing.

Among several other recommendations made, the former President also proposed that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo should cut the size of his government to save money.

John Dramani Mahama also wants all non-essential projects such as the 116 million Euro new Accra International Conference Centre and construction of new embassy buildings for new missions abroad must be suspended for now.

He emphasised that although he is a Christian, he said the public funding of the national cathedral, particularly at this time, must stop.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has indicated that Science, Technical, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education is critical in meeting the needs of the changing world.

He said STEM education was the future of the country and the world at large.

President Akufo-Addo said this in the Eastern Region when he commissioned Abomosu Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Senior High School last Saturday.

The model school, which is the first in Ghana, has 12 ultra-modern laboratories, two dormitories, bungalows for teaching and non-teaching staff, a dining hall, an assembly hall, an administration block, a classroom block as well as a library.

President Akufo-Addo said the government initiated this model of education to create room for children who are naturally gifted in science and mathematics to develop their capabilities to enable them to contribute their quota to national development.

He, therefore, encouraged parents and students to take advantage of it to develop their careers.

Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah, the Member of Parliament for the area on behalf of the chief and people expressed appreciation to the president for the project.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) branch in Germany (NPP Germany) has taken a swipe at US-based professor of applied economics at the Johns Hopkins University, Prof. Steve Hanke.

The Economist for several months has been advocating for Ghana to put together a currency board to deal with the continuous depreciation of the cedi.

Reacting to this and other comments by Prof. Steve Hanke on the Ghanaian economy, the NPP Germany says the US-based economist must not be taken seriously.

Its his nature to sit in his corner and propose what policies countries should implement to help their economic fortunes without providing any empirical evidence to support his claims. Prof. HANKE has on the past days opined that Ghana install currency board to save the cedi and he only said this without any clue of Ghanas framework when it comes to how the currency is handled alongside other matters within the economy, part of a press release by the NPP Germany has said.

The NPP Germany is of the view that Prof. Steve Hanke continues attacks on Ghanas government was deliberate.

This it insists is why the economist has set aside all the global financial crisis and its effects, the challenges Covid is having on even bigger economies, and make it seem as though it is just leadership crisis that is causing these shocks in the Ghanaian economy.

It is the priority of the government to work to stabilize the economy and not even hired professorial commentators will derail the government from focusing on the core mandate. To deliver is the goal and it shall surely be achieved, the NPP Germany release signed by Communications Director Nana Osei Boateng concludes.

Below is a copy of the release:

Press Release

Npp Germany

28.10.22

PROFESSOR HANKE SHOULD KEEP HIS MOUTH OUT OF GHANAS ECONOMY

Its his nature to sit in his corner and propose what policies countries should implement to help their economic fortunes without providing any empirical evidence to support his claims. Prof. HANKE has on the past days opined that Ghana install currency board to save the cedi and he only said this without any clue of Ghanas framework when it comes to how the currency is handled alongside other matters within the economy.

There are financial and economic bodies in Ghana to handle the currency situation. The Bank Of Ghana, the Economic Management Team, Ministry of Finance and several units within these bigger institutions handle different aspects of our monetary and fiscal policies. So where does a currency board come in and what will be its need if not to conflict other institutions already in operation. For Christ sake, the Cedi House does not house engineers and if Hanke has lost his pathway of practice he shouldnt think of using Ghana as his case study.

If not for shady reasons why does Hanke set aside all the global financial crisis and its effects, the challenges Covid is having on even bigger economies and want to make it seem as though it is just leadership crisis that is causing these shocks in Ghanas economy.

It is the priority of the government to work to stabilize the economy and not even hired professorial commentators will derail the government from focusing on the core mandate. To deliver is the goal and it shall surely be achieved.

God Bless Ghana, the Npp and Nana Akufo-Addo.

...Signed...

Nana Osei Boateng

Npp Germany Branch Communications Director.!!!!
The Ghana cedi has began gaining momentum against the United States dollar following actions by Members of Parliament (MPs) to censure Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister.

Mr Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, said the move had resulted in public confidence that action was being taken to save the cedi from further lost in value against the major international currencies.

The Speaker made the remarks in his ruling to dismiss an objection to the filing of a notice of Motion on a vote of censure on the Minister of Finance.

He said he had rightly admitted the motion, which had followed precedence of the House.

Just because people are given confidence that action is being taken, the cedi has gained some value, and Parliament should be commended, Speaker Bagbin said.

It had climbed to about 15 to a dollar but has dropped to around 13, that is a serious gain for this country.

And it's because there is some confidence being given to the people that action is being taken to rectify the wrongs.

He called for all hands on deck to ensure the cedi stabilised to benefit everyone.

Mr Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, Deputy Majority Leader, had raised an objection to the motion in the Order Paper of the House, which was sponsored by Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, and 128 other MPs.

He argued that a motion should not be accompanied by allegations and that if the House wanted to rely on those allegations, they must be factual.

GNA
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, have donated GHS100,000 to the Poppy Fund, established by the Veterans Administration, Ghana (VAG) to support the welfare of the veterans and their widows.

The donation was to support the completion of the veterans clinic under construction at Amasaman in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.

Vice President Bawumia, who launched the VAGs 2022 Appeal for Fund, in Accra, urged all well-meaning Ghanaians to support the Fund and also purchase the poppy to help the VAG raise funds for its activities.

The artificial poppy was adopted by the world in 1921, as a symbol of remembrance of the suffering and great sacrifices by soldiers during the First and Second World wars

The poppy has since become a universal symbol, which reminds the world of the horrors of wars and the importance to support the victims.

Vice President Bawumia noted that unlike Europe and other parts of the world, where the wearing of the poppy took centre stage at this time of the year, most Ghanaians, especially the young ones, seemed to know very little about it.

To strengthen our appreciation of our gallant war veterans and support their welfare through the poppy, I appeal to the Ghana Education Service, National Commission for Civic Education, and the media, to assist VAG to popularise the significance of the poppy.

The message should get to the public, particularly pupils and students in government schools, where knowledge of the poppy is almost non-existent, he stated.

Captain (Rtd) Ben Edmund Duah, the Executive Director, VAG, gave the assurance that the Administration would judiciously utilise the funds for welfare of members.

He said the construction of VAG's clinic at Amasaman would be completed by March, next year, to take care of the health needs of members.

He appealed to the public to give generously towards the Poppy Fund to support the welfare of members.

GNA
The retired Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) and Principals of Technical Institution (PTI), has organized an out-dooring of the association in Bolgatanga, in the Upper East Region, with the motto Service with Experience.

The two associations came into being about four years ago, and the out-dooring ceremony was to draw the attention of stakeholders in the education of the existence of the two associations, and the contributions they can offer to education delivery in the Upper East Region, and for that matter Ghana as a whole.

The association aims to bring together, all retired Heads of Senior High Schools and Principals of Technical Institutions, to foster fraternity through regular meetings on a rotational basis, to facilitate active participation in the activities of the association, create a common forum to have a familiar voice on issues of education in Ghana, give advice and technical support to heads of educational institutions who may need their input, to offer solidarity among members and to raise funds to support each other in times of need.

In a solidarity message, the Upper East Regional Chairman of NAGRAT, Charles Akunzebe, stated that NAGRAT is solidly behind them. He said the formation has been far too long but better late than never. He added that there are so many things happening that active CHASS cannot speak because they are afraid that they may be axed or drag them back to the classroom.

He added that once they have retired, they are fathers, mothers, and ground parents full of wisdom and knowledge and have nothing to fear. He urges them to do research about education delivery in the Upper East, write about it if they can, or better still, organize press conferences and speak about the issues as they are devoid of partisanship. He noted that NAGRAT is ready to support them financially.

Mr. Akunzebe lamented that, as far as education delivery is concerned in the Upper East Region, there are no textbooks, and school feeding is nothing to write home about. He stated that the performance of BECE and WASSCE is not the best. "As an association of retirees, these are issues that should be looked into and spoken to by the government so that they can come to the aid of our children," he stressed.

The Regional Chairman of CHASS Upper East Richard Akumbas Ayabilla expressed joy for the out-dooring of the association saying there is a lot they can bring to bear especially in this period of secondary education. "Secondary education is the bridged in on the education ladder, for any child to make it in education is at the secondary school level and, so the role they played before their retirement should not be underestimated for they have built the lives of many. it is they the retiree who thought them all."

In a keynote address, a retired educationalist Robert Akurugu Adjene advised all to avoid the blame game syndrome and focus on what each and everyone can bring on board to help change the already jammed educational system.
28.10.2022 LISTEN

The Tamale Technical University branch of the Dagbon Students Association (DASA) has scheduled Sunday 30th October, 2022 to hold a maiden Damba festival to end the second-semester examination.

The festival which will be held at the University is geared showcasing the rich culture of Dagbon and wake the younger generation from their slumber.

Chief of the Association, Naa Nurudeen addressing Journalists ahead of the event at the palace said resource persons have been contacted to deliver impactful messages which will positively transform the future of the students.

He called on individuals, philanthropists and corporate institutions to support the event, this he believed, will encourage other youth groupings to emulate what his outfit has started.

Read the full Statement from the Association below:

INVITATION TO TAMALE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY DAMBA FESTIVAL

The leadership of the Tamale Technical University branch of the Dagbon Students Association (DASA) is pleased to invite you as a special guest to the Association's maiden Damba festival, 2022.

This year's Damba festival which is under the theme: Promoting Dagbon Culture, and Economic Benefit of Damba: The role of Dagbon Students, will be held on Sunday October 30th, 2022 at the forecourt of the University HND Block at 1:00 pm prompt.

It is our hope that you will find time out of your busy schedules to honor this invitation.

Thank you.

Yours faithful

Mohammed Awal

General secretary

TaTU-DASA.
Tuzie Naa Inusah Alhassan of Tishigu has donated 20 plastic chairs to the neurosurgery ward of the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

Tuzie Naa said he was moved when he went to the Tamale Teaching Hospital for medical treatment.

He described how patients were lined up to meet consultants while standing. He was also informed of the neurosurgery ward's lack of adequate chairs for patients. "When I arrived at the ward, I noticed patients standing in line to see the doctor," Tuzie Naa explained.

Tuzie Naa Inusah Alhassan has also initiated processes to raise GHS70,000 to support the treatment of a patient at the TTH. He underscored the importance to support the health sector of the country especially the Tamale Teaching Hospital as it is the only tertiary facility serving the health needs of the people in the five northern regions and beyond. Chief Tuzie called on everyone to extend support to the hospital.

Receiving the donation on behalf of the hospital, Mr. Tanko Iddrisu, Deputy Director of Administration, thanked the chief for the gesture. According to him, the donation has arrived just in time because the chairs will serve the large number of patients who visit the ward. "This donation has arrived at a better time. We should make good use of the chairs," Mr. Tanko assured Tuzie Naa.

The Deputy Director of Administration also thanked everyone who donated, both individuals and organizations. He urged more of such donations to augment what the government and hospital management have provided.

Dr. Malcolm Dery, Mrs. Bugri Marese, Mr. Mbabilla Christian, Mrs. Adam Salamatu, and Prudence Boniface were among the staff of the neurosurgery ward who attended the ceremony.
A joint Police and Military operation by Kwahu South and East Assemblies has resulted in the arrest of four persons engaging in illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.

The operation was conducted on Thursday, October 27, at about 5:10 pm.

The Odikro for Akwaboa in Kwahu West Municipality of Eastern Region, Nana Kofi Osei, and three retired soldiers were arrested for allegedly engaging in illegal mining.

The four suspects were arrested at Nkwaakwaasem, a community in Kwahu East.

This was after they claimed ownership of a concession at Nkwaakwaasem, insisting that their company, TLG mining was duly registered to engage in mining.

From the information gathered from sources, the illegal miners working on the site managed to escape during the operation.

The excavator and other mining equipment they were using were confiscated in addition to some other movable equipment.

Tents that serve as a shelter for the illegal miners were set ablaze and destroyed by the joint Police and Military operation team.

The activities of these illegal miners and several others are responsible for the destruction of lands and pollution of the Pra River.

The Chief and three retired soldiers arrested after the operation are currently in custody at the Nkwatia Police station where they are assisting in investigations.
It is often said that "it is not only giants who do mighty things." This man's story epitomises this adage to a tee.

BIG DAWOOD is one of the philanthropists and peacemakers who has earned a well-deserved reputation for his generosity, integrity, and accomplishments in the security domain. One must serve in order to be great. BIG DAWOOD has served and is a man of great generosity and service.

His family and friends were taken aback by his most recent charitable endeavours. Simply put, they could not fathom how he was able to procure funds for the projects.

Could you believe that on his birthday, he pulled out a money box containing money he purposefully saved to help reach out to the masses, particularly the vulnerable? This move taken by him signifies that he is a man of great generosity, a man of service.

We are hitting the streets tomorrow to show love less privileged, he exclaimed with joy together with his family.

On his birthday, he embarked on a benevolence exercise by offering free bus rides to commuters of the Teshie-Nungua, Ashaiman, and Accra Mall routes.

The philanthropist, BIG DAWOOD recounts his experience driving his dads school bus when trying to acquire driving skills and make money with the bus as a trotro driver before commencing his career goals in the security industry. He claimed he wanted to revisit those days and be able to offer free rides to commuters who use public transport.

This gesture was made on Friday, 7th October 2022 and was a huge surprise to individuals who board the bus only to be told they didnt have to make any payments for their transportation; a huge relief to many amidst the economic challenges in the country. The passengers were also gifted chocolates as part of his expression of love towards the passengers.

As this gesture formed part of his birthday celebration, he also went ahead to cut his birthday cake with trotro drivers at the Ashaiman bus station.

Big Dawood also donated various items to the New Life Orphanage home in Nungua, where he also spent time with the children to encourage them.

These activities were also preceded by the sharing of about 5000 packs of food to the less privileged in various parts of the capital city.

After the kind gesture in Accra, then he moved to Suhum Otwe No 2 (kokobibiam) in the Eastern Region where he donated a mechanized borehole to residents to help address the long-standing water crisis in the area.

Over the years, BIG DAWOOD as a lover of children, has been embarking on charitable activities by donating snacks and educational materials to school children, as part of efforts to help improve teaching and learning.

He collaborated with My Voice for the Poor NGO (Europe) in 2021 to present over 3,000 textbooks to St. Peters R/C Basic School in Central.

BIG DAWOOD believes that in order to achieve high-quality education, both teachers and students must have access to quality learning resources. BIG DAWOOD's accomplishments as a businessman, negotiator, foreign relations expert, ambassador, land developer, and conflict resolution specialist speak for themselves.

Watch the full documentary Below :
The Majority Chief Whip in Parliament, Habib Iddrisu has reacted to former President John Dramani Mahamas address to the nation on the state of the Ghanaian economy.

According to the Chief Whip, the address on Thursday, October 27, was just a waste of everybodys time.

Mr. Mahama said nothing new yesterday, he wasted our time, we stayed glued to our TVs to watch something he had said at Harvard, smothering he had said in Accra several times, Habib Iddrisu shared in an interview with TV3 on the New Day programme on Friday.

Former President John Dramani Mahama delivered his address at the auditorium of UPSA last night where he touched on several issues including the state of the economy, the depreciation of the cedi, and recommendations to deal with the challenges.

Among many other things, he said the suffering has gotten to a level where mothers are even suffering to feed their children.

Mothers suffer heartbreak each day because they cannot afford to feed their children like they used to. Countless young people with enormous potential are struggling to pursue their lifelong dreams because of financial problems.

Small entrepreneurs are frustrated as they break their backs to keep their businesses open against great odds. This is not just an installment in cyclical hardships, and we should not pretend that it is, John Dramani Mahama said in his address.

To address the economic challenges facing the country, the 2020 presidential candidate of the NDC has implored President Akufo-Addo to cut expenditures and downsize his government.

He insists that if the National Cathedral must be built, it must be done with private funds.

The public funding of the National Cathedral particularly at this time must stop. Being a Christian myself and deeply appreciative of the centrality of God in national affairs, I agree with most Ghanaians who believe that the project cannot constitute a top priority of government at this time, warranting further injection of scarce public funds.

If it must be built, it must be built with private funds, John Dramani Mahama said.
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has warned the public to desist from purchasing 'fake' meters from unknown individuals.

According to the service provider, it is the only institution mandated by law to provide meters to the public, adding that, anybody who engaged in such acts would be made to face the law.

Dr Mark Owusu Ansah, the Regional Revenue Protection Manager, Accra West ECG, when the company embarked on an exercise to clamp down on 'fake meters at Adeiso, in the Upper West Akim District of the Eastern Region.

The exercise formed part of a two-weeks campaign to rid the system of fake meters and regularise such meter users to maximise revenue mobilisation.

It was carried out by the Accra West Region ECG in collaboration with the ECG Nsawam district office and the police.

During the exercise, the team uncovered two main types of meters regarded as 'fake,' with inscriptions Property of Ministry of Power and Property of Ministry of Energy.

Dr Ansah said the company was concerned with the influx of fake meters in the system, a situation which was negatively impacting revenue mobilisation of the power provider.

He said such fake meters allowed customers to use power free as they were unable to record any consumption.

The whole of the meter case is empty. What is in it is only this one and this one is not any circuit that can measure energy usage, it is only a display board. Within the metre is a bar that connects the output and input terminal directly.

So, in effect, these meters as seen it is like there is no meter at all, it is a direct connection. Whoever is using this meter is the same as whoever had connected power directly and using free. This meter cannot generate even one kilowatt hour of energy usage, he explained.

In terms of energy, our losses are not a secret, it is hovering around 30% plus, and all these things contribute to it because wherever we were about, you came to the field with us, wherever we removed these meters, none of them can even tell us they One Cedi to ECG since those meters were installed, the Revenue Protection Manager added.

In 2021, the Accra West Region alone lost close to GH4 million in nine months through illegal connection activities.

Illegal connection activities robbed the company of some 3.9 million kilowatts per hour (3.9mkWh) of power between the months of January and September 2021, resulting in a revenue loss of GH3.9 million to the company.

He said the company was, therefore, pursuing people behind the production and installation of such fake meters, assuring that it would not renege in its efforts to sanitise the system.

We are removing them from the field, and we are trying to reach the syndicates, and to stop the bleeding, we are encouraging the public, with the greatest of respect, to desist from people who come to them that 'I can give you meter.'

It is only ECG and through the SHEP programme that every customer can get a meter. If you take the pain to engage anybody privately in your home to get a meter, the moratorium period or management give is over. When we get you, you will have to face the law, he cautioned.

He urged the public to disabuse their minds that it was cumbersome to get meters from the offices of the ECG, saying people will it is cumbersome to get meter from ECG, but he will tell you, I can get some for you. So, if it is cumbersome how come he can get it and you can't.

Giving more details about the two-week campaign, Mr. Fred Baimbill-Johnson, the Public Relations Officer, Accra West Region, said the exercise was taking place in 12 other communities.

The communities are Daaman, Sakyikrom, Amoakrom, Duadekye, Ntoaso, Kofisah and Newton, are Akwamu, Oparekrom, Nkyenen-kyene, Amanfrom and Adeiso, all in the Nsawam district.

GNA
Ghana Physician Assistant Association says continuous delay in posting physician assistants to health facilities is derailing the country's effort to achieving universal health coverage by 2030.

The Association observed whilst some health facilities in hard-to-reach areas that are in dire need of the services of physician assistants, qualified PAs remain home awaiting placement.

Delay in getting financial clearance for qualified Physician Assistants is arguably the main reason for the large numbers of unemployed Physician Assistants. I want to use this opportunity to make a passionate appeal to the Ministries of Health and Finance to expedite the processes leading to the issuance of financial clearance and subsequent employment of these qualified healthcare cadres President of the Association, Emmanuel Yaw Appiah noted.

He was speaking at the 19th Annual General Conference of the Ghana Physician Assistants Association .

Most health facilities in the country are manned by physician assistants.

These cadre of healthcare professionals handle about 70% of the health needs of rural and underserved populations.

They consult, request for laboratory investigations, prescribe medication, and perform minor surgeries among other responsibilities.

But the Ghana Physician Assistants Association expressed concern over what they claim to be proper recognition.

Although the Physician Assistant remains a key player and actor in the health care delivery machinery especially at the Sub-district level, not much has been done through policy formulation and implementation to capacitate and resource the Physician Assistant to function effectively and efficiently at the Sub-district level, the fulcrum and vehicle for the attainment of Universal Health Coverage for all.

it is unfortunate to note that despite the many years of existence of the PA Profession, there has not been any properly established career progression pathway in the

profession. It is our hope that the current deliberations on-going amongst the officials of the

Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, Medical and Dental Council of Ghana, the Academia and Ghana Physician Assistant Association (GPAA) will bring about the establishment of clear career and academic pathways for the PA profession

The Association is also unhappy with what they described as unfavorable policies by their regulator, the Medical and Dental Council (MDC).

Most of our members are demanding that we exit the MDC and get a new regulatory body to that will supervise and manage the affairs of physician assistants. The MDC always formulate policies that serve the interest on medical officers at the expense of physician assistants. So there is huge pressure on leadership for a slip because of the kind of things the regulator has done, Mr Appiah said.

The 3-day conference which afforded members the opportunity to deliberate on their challenges and way forward into the future was themed Strengthening and Maximizing the sub district level for effective, efficient and equitable healthcare service delivery: The role of the stakeholder

3news.com
28.10.2022 LISTEN

A Governance Expert Professor Baffuor Agyeman-Duah has said he supports the call by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament to the President to sack Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry Charles Adu Boahen.

Prof Agyemang Duah said he personally made this call in the past when the economy started deteriorating.

Speaking in an interview with TV3s Alfred Ocansey on the Ghana Tonight show, the CEO of the Kufuor Foundation said I will be a hypocrite if I say I dont agree [with the calls] because personally, I have made this call over the past several months since the economic started nose down.

Pressure is being mounted on President Akufo-Addo by some Ghanaians including his own Members of Parliament, to sack the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and Mr Adu Boahen.

The Majority caucus in Parliament have threatened to boycott the presentation and debate on the 2023 budget statement if President Akufo-Addo does not remove Mr Ofori-Atta and Adu Boahen.

The NPP MPs believe that the prevailing economic situation in the country does not make it right for the two gentlemen to remain in office hence the President must ask them to go.

Addressing a press conference in Parliament on Tuesday, October 25, a lawmaker for Asante Akyem North, Andy Appiah Kubi said We are unhappy with the developments in the country, we consulted our constituents who also expressed same sentients.

We want the President to remove Ken Ofori and Chares Adu Boahen.

We are by this medium communicating our strong desire that the President changes the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State in the Finance Ministry without further delay.

We want to serve notice, and notice is hereby served that until such persons as aforementioned are made to resign or removed from office, we members of the Majority Caucus here in Parliament will not participate in any business of Government by or, for the president by any other Minster.

We hope that those of us in the back bench and members of the Majority caucus will abide by this prayer.

We are saying that if our request is not responded to positively, we will not be present for the budget hearing neither will we participate in the debate.

3news.com
Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu exposes the dirty bomb conspiracy by Ukraine and its western mentors

by M.K. Bhadrakumar

Something has got to change in Ukraine, for sure. The plea by 30 left-wing US lawmakers from President Joe Bidens Democratic Party on Monday seeking a negotiated settlement with Russia to end the Ukraine war is an extraordinary event.

In the US Congress, they form part of a nearly 100-member block called the Congressional Progressive Caucus  chaired by Pramila Jayapal, a representative from Washington state. They are a motley crowd of democratic socialists and self-styled progressive capitalists, but what the party bosses cannot ignore is that they stand in the way of the Trumpist juggernaut and their potential to defeat Trumpism can be crucial in 2024.

Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu with President Putin [ Photo: Kremlin]

Therefore, the Biden administrations low-key initial response to their plea on Ukraine cannot be taken as the last word. In the past 48 hours at least, there has been no tirade against them in the US commentariat.

They made four key elements in their letter addressed to President Biden:

Washington should explore vigorous diplomatic efforts in support of a negotiated settlement and ceasefire in the war in which the US has spent tens of billions of US taxpayer dollars in military assistance.

Such efforts should be front-loaded with direct talks with Russia.

A framework for peace should include incentives to end hostilities, including some form of sanctions relief, and bring together the international community to establish security guarantees for a free and independent Ukraine that are acceptable for all parties, particularly Ukrainians. [Emphasis added.]

The war is wide open, the western narrative notwithstanding. The alternative to diplomacy is protracted war, with both its attendant certainties and catastrophic and unknowable risks.

The signatories would have been aware that although the Biden Administration is pursuing a hardline policy, things can change if the midterms hand down a crushing defeat to the Democrats.

Several extraneous factors are also at work. For a start, German Chancellor Olaf Scholzs planned visit to China comes so soon after the unveiling of the US National Security Strategy in Washington which visualised China as the enemy. Europeans are dissenting.

The French President Emmanuel Macron called on the US to take the lead to engage with the Kremlin, echoing what Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has been demanding. There is discontent in Europe, hit hard by the economic crisis, that the American oil companies are war profiteering.

Lurking below the radar is the hidden truth that Ukraine is a basket case with a non-functioning economy. The US cannot expect the European allies to keep that economy afloat.

Meanwhile, a massive military Russian build-up signals plans to launch a major offensive in a few weeks from now aiming to end the war on Moscows terms.

However, dovetailing with all this is an unthinkable development casting shadows on the US-UK tandem navigating the Ukraine war, which may turn out to be the ultimate clincher.

What emerges is that the UK Defence Minister Ben Wallaces secretive visit last week to Washington was more in response to a summons from the White House than a British initiative. Wallace said in a dark tone as he was leaving that there were things to be discussed that were far too sensitive.

At any rate, following the flurry of phone calls on Saturday by Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu with his French, British and US counterparts regarding the possibility of Ukraine using a dirty bomb in the war, the foreign ministers of France, the US and the UK promptly issued a joint statement rejecting Russias transparently false allegations and called it a pretext for escalation.

Nonetheless, acting on the Russian allegation, the IAEA has been told to undertake an investigation. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Rafael Grossi, the agencys Director-General on Monday and welcomed the IAEAs readiness to visit Ukraine.

Blinken also spoke with Stoltenberg on Monday and, strangely enough, called for continued Western unity and support for Ukraine. But, interestingly, the State Department quietly removed from its website the US-UK-France joint statement.

This was when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov disclosed on Monday that Detailed information indicating the institutions that may be commissioned for this purpose was conveyed through the defence minister [Sergey Shoigu] during his contacts with his counterparts in the United States, Britain, France and Turkey. More contacts are planned between our defence ministries.

Lavrov added: Some of our partners have really suggested a discussion of the information we have at a professional military level. This is a kind of approach that we supported.

Could elements in Kiev be having their own Plan B to escalate the war and drag the US and NATO into it? There are no easy answers.

The bottomline is that constructive engagement has begun between Moscow on one side and Washington, London and Paris on the other. But its really touch-and-go. The Moscow daily Izvestia quoted the noted Russian military expert Vladislav Shurygin on Monday: What is a dirty bomb? To create it, all that is necessary is to dig up a barrel with nuclear waste from some power plant, put them in a capsule and then jerk 100 kg of TNT.

Shurygin explained: Even in this case, the infection will be in a radius of maybe 500 metres, maybe a kilometre. And then it all starts to sink into the soil If it is torn in the water or infect the water, then it will all sweep downstream, lie on the bottom and gradually go away. To make the waters of the Dnieper radioactive, I do not even know how much [water] would need to be drained out. Remember, Fukushima poisoned the sea for six months and no one even noticed it. The intention of the Ukrainian authorities is not very clear. If they want to blame it on us, it wont be easy; when we have clean bombs, why we would need dirty ones is completely unclear.

It is no secret that MI6 and SAS are in the driving seat in the Ukrainian military command in Kiev and in the front lines. The paradigm is something like the tail wagging the dog. MI6 calibrates the dynamics of the war while the CIA and Pentagon claim success for Bidens Russia strategy. MI6 has a whole history of that sort  be it in Iran or the Suez crisis  even in Hong Kong.

The current regime change in Westminster absolves the MI6 of accountability. Of course, Boris Johnson  Zelenskys best friend, guru and guardian  becomes a burnt-out case. He has discreetly withdrawn his hat from the ring and slunk away.

Kiev has been deprived of its last hurrah, as Russia nips the dirty bomb in its buds, clearing the pathway for its grand offensive to end the war. Whether the planned Russian offensive will go ahead would depend on any meeting between Biden and President Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali on Nov, 15-16.

The big question is whether this is a wake-up call for the one-dimensional men in the Biden Team. Perhaps, that is too much to expect. But there is no question that the 30 lawmakers stand vindicated.

Click here to read the writers personal blog
Physician assistants under the Ministry of Health (MOH) are demanding the establishment of a new council to regulate the activities of physician assistants in Ghana.

According to the physician assistants, the current council has not been helpful to the course of all physician assistants in the country.

Speaking in an interview on the mid-day news on Accra 100.5 FM on Friday, October 28 2022, the President of the Association of Physician Assistants, Mr Emmanuel Appiah said: We need a new regulating council to manage the affairs of members better.

His comments come after the Association's Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

He said members of the Association had not been fairly treated by the immediate past National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration led by then-president John Dramani Mahama.

He alleged the then-NDC administration thought Physician Assistants were nobody so they mistreated members.

We are demanding the establishment of a council to regulate the activities and offer guidelines for physician assistants, he stressed.

Classfmonline.com
The Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin has indicated that the address by former President John Dramani Mahama on the economy should not be taken seriously.

The 2020 presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Thursday, October 27, delivered an address on the state of the Ghanaian economy.

Having bemoaned the hardships in the country and the many challenges facing the economy, Mr. John Dramani Mahama proposed to the government to dismiss the Finance Minister, cut expenditures, and downsize to save money.

Reacting to the speech of the former President in an interview with Citi News, Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin stressed that John Mahama is being opportunistic  taking advantage of the current challenges facing the country to score political points.

He is not making these calls in good faith. He is making these calls in an opportunistic context as though he is an alternative but I want to underscore the point and make it clear that he is not an alternative.

My reason is that he was there when he faced challenges. How did he react to them? How did he respond to Ghanaians? Not in an escalating situation as we find ourselves today, the Effutu Member of Parliament shared.

Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin continued, He [Mahama] is making political statements, lets leave him to make his political statements. We are in political competition you know. So anything to say to as it were sway the minds of the people would be what he definitely would attempt to do.

We must always face reality and let him know, and let his party know that they faced lesser such challenges, yet they were suffocated. I repeat, they faced lesser challenges yet those lesser challenges suffocated them. So it isnt now that they will wake up and create the impression that they are coming in as new. Its the same old people. There is nothing new.

According to the Deputy Majority Leader, the entire speech delivered by the former President at the auditorium of UPSA was simply for political convenience.
A roadshow to educate the public to be cautious of media content, especially fake information (news) on social media, has been held at Makola in the Central Business District of Accra.

The programme was held under the auspices of UNESCO Ghana, DW Akademie, Penplusbytes, a non-profit organisation, the Department of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, and Media Information Literacy (MIL) Hub.

The roadshow also formed part of the activities marking the Global Media and Information Literacy Week held in Ghana, which began on October 24 and would end on October 31, 2022.

The MIL Week 2022 is on the theme: Nurturing Trust: A Media and Information Literacy Imperative.

Speaking to journalists in Accra, Ms Precious Ankomah, the Programmes Manager, Penplusbytes, said the public ought not to share false or fake information, but should probe well before sharing any information.

We are here today to educate the unlearned, to reach out to people who have not been reached out to. We are here to tell them to be conscious about their media consumption behaviour. They should click wisely on information they see, she said.

We are also here to educate them to think critically before clicking or sharing any information. So, you don't share anything you encounter. Maybe you ought to probe more before sharing. You can probe by finding out from someone who is learned and can give much information.

Ms Ankomah educated the traders on the dangers of sharing fake information or news on social media.

She said people had been scammed, defrauded, and even killed because they failed to cross check with credible sources when it came to information on WhatsApp, among others.

She cautioned the public on the implication of flouting cyber security laws in the country saying if one is found guilty, one could be jailed for 15 years.

Don't be a spreader of fake news, beware of fake news, she advised.

Fake news is false or misleading information presented as news. It often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person or entity or making money through advertising revenue.

It also involves news stories created to deliberately misinform or deceive readers.

GNA
The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), together with its partner, has installed the first solar-powered electronic radar speed sign on the Accra-Tema Motorway.

The radar speed sign will showcase to drivers using the Motorway the level of their speed as they move.

Mr David Osafo Adonteng, the Acting Director-General of NRSA, justified the installation during the launch of the device, saying, as we are already aware, speeding generally in Ghana contributes very significantly to road crashes, especially on certain roads within the country.

He said the roads were the Accra-Tema Motorway, the Accra-Kumasi highway and then Accra through Kasoa to Winneba and Cape Coast to Takoradi routes.

He said over 60 per cent of road crashes were attributable to speeding.

The Acting Director-General said the Road Traffic Regulation 2012 LI 2180 indicated that while on a highway and approaching settlement, where people lived, drivers needed to reduce their speed to 50km/hr or less.

Mr Adonteng said when drivers got to areas where there were schools, children, markets, churches and human interaction, they needed to drop the speed limit to 30km/hr.

It is only on this motorway that you can go on top speed but even not more than 100km/hr,  he added.

He said unfortunately, majority of drivers looked at the Motorway as an expressway to test their vehicle.

Most of these vehicles do not even have speedometer, especially the 'trotro' drivers, they do not have speedometers at all,  he noted.

Mr Adonteng said the Authority'recent research indicated that some buses, especially 207 and Sprinters, did not have speedometers, so the drivers were unaware when they drove on top speeds.

The Acting Director-General said the difficulty was that most vehicles that used the Motorway had tyre problems, which easily caused crashes when on top speed.

He said, if they are able to control speeds, then they are very likely to reduce the deaths and injuries and that is the more reason why we are working with the Ghana Highway Authority, the Department of Urban and Feeder Roads to install the road signs.

GNA
28.10.2022 LISTEN

The Liberia Youth Task Team of the Africa Youth Partnership to advocate an equitable recovery from the global COVID-19 pandemic, held its first National Dialogue on thematic area Education and Skills at the ICampus on Carey Street in Monrovia, Liberia.

This dialogue was held with five partners including development partners along with 36 participants from the disabled community, youth groups, advocates, journalists and students of Liberia to discuss the theme under review that would contribute to the development of those marginalized (At-Risk Youths, Visually Impaired and Physical Challenge) groups in Liberia.

The provision of vocational training is important particularly because it is one of the most significant pathways to economic empowerment for youth and other participants who have not had the opportunity to enter the higher education stream or other viable forms of economic survival. The adverse situation with regard to access to and provision of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for disadvantaged/marginalized groups is particularly disturbing when viewed from the precepts of inclusion, equal opportunity, economic empowerment, and general wellbeing. Vulnerable Groups are marginalized from mainstream educational and training provision due to various barriers generated by economic, social, and geographic fault-lines and physical disabilities and other specific constraints.

The National Dialogue started with a sharp overview from our Team Lead, Jacob B. Swee, Jr., during his presentation he stressed about the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe. He said that in Liberia, the disruption of the pandemic amplified many of the challenges that were already facing us, some of which he mentioned are: Increase in the prices of essential goods and services, Poverty, Food Insecurity, Upskill Struggles, Unemployment, etc.

He further lamented that amidst all those African government are yet to address and as such there are growing concerns about authoritarianism and the mismanagement of COVID-19 funds, thus leaving corruption, represented in the lack of transparency and accountability during the pandemic as a major impediment to inclusive and sustainable recovery for youth and others marginalized groups.

In addition, the dialogue welcomed Mr. Kollie Gray, Jr., as its Keynote Speaker. Mr. Gray is a wonderful personality with a strong academic background in the Mechanical Engineering department of the University of Liberia. As a long standing Automotive Trainer in the state with a specific reference to TVET, he pointed out the importance of this dialogue as its intends to make inclusion of various marginalized groupings in Liberia, and recommend to national government and development partners about ways through which these marginalized groups can be helped and contribute to society through all TVET programs across the country.

Mr. Gray thanked the Youth Opportunity and Transformation in Africa-YOTA through the Liberian Youth Task Team, Restless Development and the Ford Foundation for creating a platform where every citizen affected by the COVID-19 pandemic would be able to make their voices heard on the national scene.

The national dialogue also featured a panel discussion which had the below institutions as panelists:

1. GIZ

Mr. Johann Lieberich, Project Director, capacity development and sector.

2. Group of 77

Mr. Samuel K. David,

Branch coordinator.

3. Williette Safehouse

McCartherine S. Waykor

4. Liberia National Student Union

Mr. Abdulai Randolph Kemokai, Deputy Secretary

5. National Commission on Disabilities

Madam, Daintown Domah, pay-Bayee executive

6. Representatives from the Liberia National school union.

During the dialogue, there were major issues discussed.

1. GIZ

GIZ, a German organization that provides tailor-made cost-efficient and effective services for sustainable development, represented on the list of panelists by, Mr. Johann Lieberich, Project Director, Capacity Development & Transport Sector (CDTS).

He said GIZ is open to partner with organizations that support the sustainable development goals in aspect as they work to shape a future worth living around the world through their vision.

2. Group of 77

The Group of 77 is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues, represented by Mr. Samuel K. David, Branch Coordinator, answered a question that said, how did the Covid-19 Pandemic increase the harsh living conditions of people living with disabilities?

He answered by saying at the group of 77, there were lots of challenges experienced during the heat of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Some of these challenges include:

a. Social Challenges - which restricted movements across regions in Liberia?

b. Economic challenges - which also limited funding, etc.

3. Williette Save House

An organization that supports the training of people living with disabilities, said organization was represented by Mrs. McCatherine S. Waykor, Project Manager. During her deliberation she said, its their responsibility to provide training and recommendations for those trained to be employed by organizations.

They also encourage personal development, which is a person living with disabilities to keep seeking new opportunities and be available to it. It was a wonderful time spent discussing issues relevant to the growth and success of people living with disabilities, she stressed.

All thanks to the Liberia Youth Task team of the Africa Youth Partnership for their role in advocating for technical vocational education for people living with disabilities.

4. Liberia National Student Union (LINSU)

LINSU is a protective umbrella of all students in Liberia, its Representative said its role is to advocate for and on behalf of students. In the past years, she has been advocating for people living with disabilities, providing education to at-risk youths but hasn't been able to attend to the visually impaired and deaf but is hopeful this time to include them in some of its programs.

LINSU partners with other development organizations including Group of 77. It has an ongoing advocacy plan called the "refund Agenda" which aims to address all students and youth groups irrespective of age, gender and social status.

LINSU has a scholarship slot in all high schools (public and private) and hoping to include the visually impaired and deaf community. In recent, LINSU has launched the first edition of the National Youth & Student Summit-(NYSS). The NYSS is a signature project of the National Student movement with the foremost objective of contributing to the development of human capital of the young people and students of the republic in diverse professional disciplines, arts and culture, entrepreneurship, civic education and many others.

In its pilot phase, the 1st edition of the NYSS will gather not less than (300) young people and students from across the fifteen political subdivisions of the country, and its our target that the impact of the summit will grow chronologically by the years. In this program, LINSU vowed to make inclusive these marginalized groups fully represented.

5. National Commission on Disabilities (NCD)

National Commission on Disabilities is a governing body of all disabled groups across Liberia. . Representing NCD, Amb. Daintowon Domah Pay-Bayee said the Commission was founded in November of 2005 during with the administration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

It sole functions include:

a. seeking to support the welfare of people living with disabilities

b. Develop policies that would advocate for the good living conditions of people living with disabilities. Currently, NCD works with 78 organizations that are registered under the umbrella of the government to ensure that the voices of disabled groups are heard.

Challenges

a. Technical vocational education

b. Startup businesses

c. Accessibility

d. Interpreter for the deaf

e. NCD employment rates- for this aspect, according to the United Nations goal, for every 100 employees, there should be 4% of people living with disabilities but Liberia is still striving to reach this mark. The government of Liberia through the office of the NCD has been able to address a few of these challenges by increasing the budget allocated for the disabled community which currently stands at approximately $600,000.00 USD in the national budget.

The National Commission on Disabilities would want to see Adaptability. Adaptability builds on accessibility and acceptability and focuses on the extent to which TVET can be tailored to learners individual needs and adapt to changing trends in society and the world of work. This requires careful, self-critical analysis within TVET institutions about hidden exclusions in curriculum, facilities, language use by staff, etc. to check whether formal inclusion of the disadvantaged and marginalized is undermined by informal exclusions and discriminations.

Recommendations:

1. LYTT should extend the advocacy towards tertiary education for people living with disabilities and not only TVET.

2. Establish a mechanism to regularly compile within TVET (widening the current database), sex disaggregated data of training provision on access, retention, participation, etc.

3. Make the Database accessible to public and concerned agencies through links with the TVET database.

4. Conduct (commission) research on demographic and socio-economic profiles, aspects related to barriers for participation of disadvantaged women, girls and boys and tracer studies to identify strategies for increasing participation, and to monitor relevance, effectiveness, and impact of training programs.

5. Raise awareness on the services of TVET and job opportunities in both formal and informal sectors through special community based target group focused career guidance programs so as to increase participation of vulnerable women, girls and boys in mainstream TVET programs.

6. Conduct awareness programs to reach out to young women with higher secondary education promoting participation in technical training courses that provide higher income earning opportunities in the formal sector.

7. Establish partnerships with agencies supporting youth in entrepreneurship development and facilitating micro enterprise creation, etc.

At the Africa Youth Partnership, we challenge all to embolden young people to escalate their contributions to the African recovery agenda by spearheading a network of local catalytic solutions, supported by regional advocacy and policy influencing. We adhere to the fact that there should be no recovery efforts on the continent without the youths.

Source: Africa Youth Partnership  Liberia Youth Task Team
The first of the new American Ford class CVN (nuclear-powered aircraft carrier) has finally left for its long delayed operational stress test. This means two months at sea, operating as a fully functional aircraft carrier.

There seemed to be no end of problems that delayed this cruise, which is meant to demonstrate that the Ford, the first of a new class of carriers, is ready for decades of service.

The original deployment date was 2018 and many of the delays involved getting all the problems resolved for the 2022 cruise. Until last year, it was feared that 2024 might be a more realistic deployment date.

The last problem encountered was the need to borrow components from those stockpiled for the second Ford-class carrier, the Kennedy, to deal with the need to fix existing problems in the Ford. None of the borrowed parts are exotic, but the Ford did not have enough available to deal with all the needed modifications and repairs required to meet the 2022 deployment date. The parts problem was resolved in time to meet the 2022 deadline.

Ford underwent the three required FSST (Full Ship Shock Trials) test explosions in mid-2021 and examination of the Ford after the last explosion was described as successful, with less damage than expected. The Ford had developed a reputation for being the cause of unwanted firsts. This applies to the frequent delays in carrying out the Ford FSST. In early 2020 the navy asked for another delay in performing mandated shock tests because it was feared that, while most of the ship could probably handle the explosion, this would damage some of the equipment with problems that were still being fixed. An FSST was supposed to reveal what equipment was not sufficiently built or installed to handle shock as well as confirming that the hull and ship can handle the stress.

One of those sensitive systems was the new AWE (Advanced Weapons Elevators). These high-speed elevators were more sensitive to shock damage. The navy wanted to delay shock tests until the second Ford-class carrier entered service in the mid-2020s because, it admitted, it was unsure how badly shock tests would damage new systems and design features unique to the Ford class. Five of the seven elevators were fixed by the time the first shock test took place. Work was still under way with one of the radar systems that was not at risk because of FSST. The results of the first shock test were reassuring, but did add to the list of replacement components that the Ford builders did not have handy, thus the need to borrow those components from the Kennedy rather than wait for new ones to be manufactured and delivered.

A ship, especially a warship that has a lot of problems, is often referred to as a cursed ship. The USS Ford, the first of the class, has become a major disaster rather than a more effective new ship design. The number and severity of problems are certainly cursed at often enough by those who built or now serve on the Ford. It was not supposed to be that way.

Several innovative new technologies were supposed to have made the Fords more effective and cheaper to operate than the previous Nimitz class. Two of those new technologies; EMALS (Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System) catapults and the new AAG (Advanced Arresting Gear) that handles landings more effectively, were disappointing. The navy believes it has these problems solved and has carried out 10,000 launches with the problem-prone EMALS and AAG. Launch and recovery crews need more practice using these new systems and thats one thing the first cruise provides.

The AWE high-speed electromagnetic ammunition elevators, for getting explosive items to the deck more quickly, failed multiple times. All the elevators are operational and able to move more munitions from the magazines to the flight deck twice as quickly as the elevators used on the previous Nimitz CVNs.

There are lesser problems with the nuclear propulsion system, the new dual (X and S) band radar and several other systems have all combined to make the Ford unable to do the job it was designed for. The propulsion and radar problems were fixed.

The Ford flaws also caused some unexpected modifications to the new F-35C stealth fighter. This made it possible for the F-35C, the model designed for carrier operations on the existing Nimitz class CVNs, to survive using the cranky landing equipment unique to the Fords. Eventually the navy compiled a list of 60,000 lessons learned while building and trying to get the Ford ready for service. That ultimately meant Ford was four years behind schedule.

As of early 2020 the navy believed the EMALS problems were solved. Just to be sure the Ford underwent months of intensive use to confirm that the capability and reliability problems EMALS suffered from were indeed fixed. Many EMALS problems were fixed but some major ones remained. The worst of these is the fact that if one EMALS catapult develops problems, all four EMALS catapults are out of service until the malfunctioning one is fixed. That was not a problem with steam catapults. Testing and tinkering with EMALS had, by 2021, led to over 8,000 successful launches with EMALS and recoveries with AAG. Despite that, more work was required before the EMALS could match and then exceed the steam catapult when it came to handling heavy use, like during combat operations. An EMALS failure now only puts two catapults out of service until the problem is found and fixed. The two-month cruise is a final test to see if the EMALS is reliable enough for heavy use.

Fixing the AWE weapons elevators was still underway at the time of the FSST. At that point all eleven of the elevators were moving and that was progress but several of them were still not certified for regular use. By the end of 2021, all elevators were for service. That was tested when all eleven elevators were used to load 1,200 tons of munitions into the magazines. This required 1,400 trips by the elevators over nearly three days. This was much faster than using the older elevators found in the Nimitz.

The older elevator design, used successfully for decades on existing Nimitz class carriers, moves up to 2.3 tons of ammo from the magazines to the deck at a speed of 30 meters (100 feet) a minute. The new elevators each move 10.9 tons to the deck at 45 meters a minute. The new elevators were meant to increase the number of combat sorties by 30 percent over 24 hours. At the end of 2018, the navy said all the elevators would be working by July 2019. That did not happen because it turned out the elevators were not built to spec and major repairs were still underway to fix that. This was a problem that could have been avoided if the navy had built an elevator ashore to test the design before proceeding with the construction of the carrier. Many of the problems with the current errors are because construction was sloppy and not caught by quality control personnel.

The nuclear propulsion system problems were the kind that only get discovered once the ship is at sea for an extended period. To a certain extent that is also true with the new dual-band radar. The EMALS problems were more fundamental and even though a test EMALS was installed on land first and tested, it was not tested thoroughly enough. The AAG landing arrestor system also used new technology like EMALS and performed poorly at sea for the same reasons; sloppy design and testing. The AAG is now considered reliable. There are still questions about how well EMALS will perform once the Ford is declared ready for deployment. That means heading overseas with its Carrier Task Group escorts and operating at least as effectively as the older Nimitz class carriers it is to replace.

The nuclear reactor problems were fixed but there were still problems with the dual-band radar. In the meantime, the next Ford class carrier will revert to the two separate radar systems instead of the theoretically more efficient and less-expensive new design.

Some of the F-35C problems were minor in comparison. Sturdier jet blast deflectors had to be installed to deal with much higher heat levels generated. It was necessary to rearrange space on the hangar deck to provide secure limited access areas for work on highly classified F-35 components. The needed F-35C mods have already been made, tested, and approved on one Nimitz class carrier. This problem was mainly allocating enough time and money to do it for the first Ford class carrier and all subsequent ones.

The Ford was five years late. Much of those delays could have been avoided if many of these new technologies were not installed on the first of the Ford class. Originally these new technologies were to be introduced separately in the first three Fords. Those early CVNs could have the new tech installed during the major refurbishment/upgrade periods that take carriers out of service for a year or more every decade.

Before construction began on the USS Ford it was decided to try and save some money by introducing all this new tech in the first ship. That may still produce cost savings in the long run, but in the short run it exposed the navy and the shipyards that build its ships to more criticism for poor management and shoddy construction and testing practices. That is nothing new, its been happening more and more since the 1970s. That is a key problem that has not been fixed and keeps getting worse.

It wasnt until February 2018 that the navy confirmed that it was having major problems with the design and construction of its new EMALS catapults, then installed only in the newly completed USS Ford (CVN 78) and eventually the three other Ford-class carriers under construction. During the first sea trials, the Ford used EMALS heavily, as would be the case in combat and training operations, and found EMALS less reliable than the older steam catapult. EMALS was also more labor-intense to operate and put more stress on launched aircraft than expected. Worse, due to a basic design flaw, if one EMALS catapult became inoperable, the other three catapults could not be used in the meantime as was the case with steam catapults. This meant that the older practice of taking one or more steam catapults offline for maintenance or repairs while at sea was not practical with the EMALs design. The navy admitted that in combat if one or more catapults were rendered unusable, they remained that way until it was possible to shut down all four catapults for repairs.

The landing and recovery system also failed far more frequently than with steam catapults. In effect, these problems with launching and recovering aircraft made the Fords much less effective than the older CVNs. The navy has long had a growing problem with developing new ships and technology and the Ford is the worst example to date.

Some of the problems with EMALS were of the sort that could be fixed while the new ship was in service. That included tweaking EMALS operation to generate less stress on aircraft and modifying the design of EMALS and reorganizing how sailors use the system to attain the smaller number of personnel required for catapult operations. But the fatal flaws involved basic reliability. An EMALS catapult was supposed to have a breakdown every 4,100 launches but even after some initial fixes, in heavy use, EMALS failed every 400 launches. By the end of 2017, the Navy concluded that an EMALS equipped carrier had only a seven percent chance of successfully completing a typical four-day surge; which involves maximum aircraft launches for a major combat operation. Ford had only a 70 percent chance of completing a one-day surge operation. That was mainly because when one EMALS catapult went down all four were inoperable. In effect, the Ford-class carriers are much less capable of performing in combat than their predecessors. The navy said it would come up with solutions and it eventually did. Those fixes have been implemented and tested. The 2022 cruise will determine if EMALS is able to operate as effectively as existing steam catapults. Until that is validated the new Ford carrier is less useful than older CVNs.

There were no easy solutions. The most worrisome part of this is the apparent inability of Navy shipbuilding and design experts to come up with a solution for the problem they created. This EMALS catastrophe was avoidable and the problems should have been detected and taken care of before the Ford was on sea trials.

The EMALS disaster calls into question the ability of the navy to handle new, untried, technologies. That is not a new problem and has been around since World War II. In retrospect, not enough was done to test and address what are now obvious problems. The current solution was to delay the moment of truth if possible and then conclude that it was unclear exactly how it happened but that measures would be taken to see that it never happens again. That approach is wearing thin because more people understand it is just a cover for the corruption and mismanagement that has been developing within the industries that build warships. The navy has been having a growing number of similar problems with the design of the LCS, the DDG 1000 and a lot of smaller systems.

Meanwhile, there is a critical need for new carriers. The first ship of the new class of carriers, the Ford is about the same length (333 meters/1,092 feet) and displacement (100,000 tons) as the previous Nimitz class, but looks different. The most noticeable difference was the island set closer to the stern (rear) of the ship. The internal differences are much more obvious, including the power generation and electrical system. The Nimitz ships are rapidly wearing out and with the EMALS disaster, the Navy had to fix the problems or be forced to improvise and do without for a decade or more.

The Fords were not just replacements for the aging Nimitz class; they were designed to be cheaper to operate. There is a lot more automation and smaller crews. The Ford will be the first modern American warship built without urinals. There are several reasons for this. The Ford will have a smaller, by at least 20 percent, crew and more of them will be women. Currently, about ten percent of American warship crews are women, but the Ford crew will be at least 15 percent female. Since women sleep in all-female dormitories ("berthing areas"), a toilet ("head") will now be attached to each berthing area instead of being down the hall. Moreover, berthing areas will be more spacious because of the smaller crew and hold a third to half as many bunks as previous carriers. Finally, drain pipes for urinals more frequently get clogged than those coming from toilets. Eliminating the urinals means less work for the plumbers. There are a lot of other visible changes to enhance habitability and make long voyages more tolerable.

Before the EMALS crisis, the Ford was expected to cost nearly $14 billion. About 40 percent of that is for designing the first ship of the class, so the actual cost of the first ship (CVN 78) itself will be at least $9 billion and about the same for subsequent ships of the class. Except, that is, for the additional cost of fixing unexpected crises like the EMALS and high-speed ammo elevators. Against this, the navy expects to reduce the carrier's lifetime operating expenses by several billion dollars because of greatly reduced crew size. Compared to the current Nimitz class carriers, which cost over $5 billion each, the Fords will feel, well, kind of empty because of the automation and smaller crews. There will also be more computer networking, and robots, reducing the number of people (6,000) constantly moving around inside a Nimitz class carrier. The most recent Nimitz class ships have a lot of this automation already but adding EMALS was considered too expensive because of the major engineering changes to the power plant and electrical systems.

As early as 2018 the navy realized it needed a plan to deal with major delays in getting the USS Ford, and the other three Fords under construction, into service before older CVNs were scheduled to retire. Currently only two Fords have been built and the second one is still fitting-out (having all its equipment installed and tested). In mid-2019 the U.S. announced that it was not going to retire the aircraft carrier Truman (CVN-75), which entered service in 1998. Two months earlier the decision had been made to retire the Truman to save the cost of its mid-life upgrade and refueling (of the nuclear reactors). The mid-life upgrade costs $3.5 billion and takes five years to complete. At that point, Truman would be able to operate another 25 years. That would come to $20 billion in operating costs. By retiring the Truman, the navy would save about $24 billion over 30 years and that money would be used to build new, smaller, ships and buy new weapons. Retiring Truman early also allowed the navy to order and build two new Ford class CVNs at once, which would save time and money. The decision to keep Truman in service was not about money, but the fact that the new Ford class CVNs faced major problems that delayed these ships from entering service. Keeping the Truman was also about the seemingly intractable problems the navy has building ships and developing new designs. Keeping the Truman is seen as a positive move towards fixing some fundamental management problems. As of 2022, the plan to keep Truman in service stands. That may change because the five-year long refueling process does not begin until 2024. If the Ford performs well in the meantime, the Truman refueling could be canceled.
In todays Money Morning, Credit Suisse confirms what we all knew, and the European banks downfall distils the harsh lessons investors need to recognise in these challenging market conditions. Plus, the bigger topic is still energy. Learn how to stay ahead of the mainstream train wreck that is coming

Do you remember earlier this month when Credit Suisse was accused of a liquidity crisis?

If you missed it, my colleague Ryan Dinse covered it pretty well in this article.

Essentially, the famous investment bank came out of the blue with a message of reassurance. They wanted to squash some apparent social media noise that problems were growing behind the scenes.

A lot of the media seemingly lapped it up.

Here are two of my personal favourite headlines from ex-Washington Post and Financial Times reporter Paul Davies:

The first title is from 4 October, and the second came just three days later, on 7 October. And while Davies was certainly the most vocal advocate for Credit Suisse, he wasnt alone.

Many media outlets blamed anything and everything but the bank. And Im sure they felt justified in doing so as the story seemingly went away.

Or at least they thought it did

If it looks like a duck

Yesterday, Credit Suisse finally confirmed what was plainly obvious for anyone without bias to see.

A legitimate bank run is occurring, and management has been scrambling to get it under control. Even now, while they state that outflows have eased, they havent stopped. Depositors are fleeing this sinking ship before it truly does turn into the next Lehman moment.

Here is the banks own admission:

These outflows have partially utilized liquidity buffers at the group level and legal entity level, and we have fallen below certain legal entity-level regulatory requirements.

Dont for a second believe that the bank is accepting responsibility for the crisis, though. No, they still blame the negative social media and press coverage. To be honest, that is almost more damning. Because as an article in ZeroHedge bluntly quips:

Sorry, bank, but if all it takes for your liquidity to fall below legal regulatory requirements are a few tweets, then you probably shouldnt exist in the first place.

Thats why Credit Suisse is undertaking a radical restructure. 9,000 jobs will be cut by 2025, many of which will be gone before this year is over. US$1.5 billion has been secured from the Saudi National Bank. This is despite Credit Suisses supposed concerns over the Saudis involvement in killing Jamal Khashoggi.

But you know, outrage doesnt keep a bank in business  money does. Its just another example of the rampant hypocrisy youll find among these banking vultures.

In times like these, especially in the thick of a bear market, you cant afford to take anything at face value. Scepticism may not always be warranted, but ignorance will cost you far more.

Sign of the times

Of course, the collapse of Credit Suisse is merely a sideshow to some far bigger concerns. European stability as a whole is still not certain.

If were talking about global matters, then the biggest topic of them all continues to be energy. Because while banking is important, money supply and demand wont matter in a world where energy is too expensive for everyday people.

That sounds extreme, I know, but it is a real threat that my colleague Greg Canavan has been covering extensively. He continues to identify and warn his readers about the looming crisis in oil prices and supply.

You can read all about Gregs outlook in his comprehensive research report right here.

Even if youre not big on energy investments or have high hopes for renewable innovation like I do, it is still worth listening to what he has to say. Because as 2022 has proven, energy is the biggest issue facing everyone right now.

In Gregs own words:

You cannot conjure up results simply because idealistic politicians, activists, and bureaucrats wish it so. Well learn this the hard way.

Credit Suisse and its many investors have just been taught this harsh lesson.

Make sure you dont have to learn the hard way as well

Regards,





Ryan Clarkson-Ledward,

Editor, Money Morning

Ryan is also co-editor of Exponential Stock Investor, a stock tipping newsletter that hunts down promising small-cap stocks. For information on how to subscribe and see what Ryans telling subscribers right now, click here.
Battery tech developer Novonix [ASX:NVX] recorded $2.8 million in customer receipts in the September quarter as operating cash outflows hit $13.8 million.

Battery tech developer Novonix [ASX:NVX] recorded $2.8 million in customer receipts in the September quarter as operating cash outflows hit $13.8 million.

Novonix saw its cash balance dwindle by $33 million to $181.8 million at the end of the quarter.

Clearly, the recent selection for a US Department of Energy (DoE) grant comes at a great time.

NVX shares were down 5% late on Friday.

Source: tradingview.com

Novonix DoE grant

On Friday, Novonix summarized its activities and cash flows for the past three months to September 2022.

The quarter was bookended by the news that Novonix was selected for a DoE grant.

Novonix, along with ASX-listed Syrah Resources [ASX:SYR] and Piedmont Lithium [ASX:PLL], were beneficiaries of preliminary selection for grants issued by the US Department of Energy funded through the US$2.8 billion from the US Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

NVXs wholly-owned subsidiary  Novonix Anode Materials (NAM)  was selected for a US$150 million grant.

Importantly, however, DoE noted that Novonixs cost share would be US$877 million.

Currently, NAM is constructing a production site in the US that is expected to produce 10,000 metric tonnes of battery-grade synthetic graphite per year.

Novonix continues to burn cash

In the September quarter, Novonix recorded $2.8 million from customer receipts  this was more than offset by its operating expenses.

For instance, staff costs came in at $8.8 million and administrative costs at $3.6 million.

NVXs net cash outflows from operating activities came in at $13.8 million.

With the $19.2 million cash outflow from investing activities, NVX saw its free cash flow burn reach $33 million for the quarter.

Quarter on quarter, customer receipts rose 7.7%, while operating cash outflows rose 72.5%.

Overlooked ASX lithium stocks and the green future

The International Energy Agency (IEA) states demand for lithium will increase sixfold to 500 kilotonnes by 2030 and will need 50 more mines to cater for the incoming wave.

UBS and Macquarie have also expressed concerns over increasing demand and current production channels not yet forecast to meet demand.

Unsurprisingly, lithium stocks have been the talk of the ASX in 2021, with eight of the top 10 best-performing stocks on the All Ords being in the lithium sector.

Even with the ongoing push, escalating prices, and government support, lithium stocks entered a correction this year.

The easy money has clearly been made.

So, do any overlooked lithium stocks remain on the ASX?

According to our recent Money Morning research report, yes.

Discover three overlooked lithium stocks here.

Regards,

Kiryll Prakapenka,

For Money Morning
Ukraine wants longer range guided rockets from the United States. The United States still refuses but the pressure is building as it become more obvious that the lack of longer-range (300 kilometers) missiles like ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) could be decisive, just as the smaller GMLRS (Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System) missile and its 80 kilometers range have been. There are other longer-range missiles available from the United States. There is a longer range GMLRS called ER MLRS with a range of 150 kilometers. The manufacturer has offered to send pre-production ER GMLRS to Ukraine but that requires permission from the U.S. government.

Ukraine has been asking for the ATACMS since June. It is, like GMLRS, carried and launched from the HIMARS truck. There is also a successor to ATACMS called PrSM (Precision Strike Missile) with a range of 650 kilometers. This one, like ER GMLRS, are still in development but are ready for mass production and some development missiles are available for Ukraine to use.

GMLRS, ER GMLRS, ATACMS and PrSM are all developed and produced by Lockheed Martin. GMLRS has been a big seller with about 50,000 missiles produced so far. Ukraine is responsible for depleting American and other NATO nation stockpiles,

All four can be carried and launched from the HIMARS vehicle. All three variants are more expensive than GMLRS, which cost about $150,000 each. ER GMLRS doubles that price and PrSM cost about $1.5 million each. While HIMARS carries six GMLRS or ER GMLRS, it can only carry one ATACMS. The new PrSM is smaller that ATACMS but larger than GMLRS. That means HIMARS can carry two PrSMs.

The original ATACMS had a range of 300 kilometers and a 230 kg (500 pound) warhead. A planned replacement for ATACMS called Deepstrike was renamed Precision Strike Missile or PrSM. Deepstrike was designed to be capable of hitting targets 500 kilometers away and has more capable guidance system features. This includes an optional guidance system that allows PrSM to hit moving targets, especially ships at sea. The U.S. Navy is interested in this because the Marine Corps has already demonstrated that HIMARS can launch GMLRS from the deck of an amphibious assault ship, which has a flight deck similar to the larger nuclear carriers.

The ATACMS is a 610mm ballistic missile that is no longer produced. Its latest upgrades have been to the guidance system. In 2017 ATACMS was given the ability to hit moving targets, specifically ships at sea. ATACMS has sufficient range for that and the U.S. pioneered the development of terminal guidance systems for ballistic missiles in the 1970s (the Pershing mobile missile). Since then, the U.S. has developed similar guidance systems so that high-speed missiles can hit moving targets. It was not difficult to then develop a terminal guidance system for ATACMS that searches for a certain size ship and heads for it while moving at more than a thousand meters a second, which is faster than most bullets. The ATACMS guidance system has also received a proximity detonation capability so that it can be programmed to explode in the air above a target. All the current ATACMS needs is the GPS coordinates of the moving target (which can be on land or sea). Since max flight time (at max range) is only a few minutes it is easy to predict where the moving target will be based on aerial, satellite, or sonar detection. It takes less than a minute to update the guidance system and launch. If nothing else this will give potential naval foes something more to worry about and be a popular export item as well.

Most current ATACMS are armed with a 227 kg (500 pound) high explosive warhead. The U.S. used over 700 ATACMS, most of them in Iraq and Afghanistan combat operations and their performance was excellent, especially the guided ones. Nearly 4,000 ATACMS have been built since the mid-1980s and about 70 percent are still available for use. In addition to those used in combat about three percent were fired for training or testing.

Ukraine demonstrated that using longer-range missiles in HIMARS are much more useful in a near peer war than previously thought. The main reason American leaders give for not providing Ukraine with longer range missiles is the risk of the war escalating. Russia has already done that and the Ukrainians make the case that the longer-range missiles will help speed the end of the war.
SHANGHAI, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's research icebreaker Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, set off from Shanghai on Wednesday, marking the start of the country's 39th Antarctic expedition.

A total of 255 researchers will carry out investigations in the fields of atmospheric composition, water environment, sedimentary environment and ecosystem at the South Pole, and will arrive in two batches, with the second batch setting out on Oct. 31, 2022.

The expedition team is expected to return to China in early April next year.

With a total length of about 122 meters, a width of about 22 meters, a designed displacement of nearly 14,000 tonnes and an endurance of 20,000 nautical miles, Xuelong 2 is China's first domestically built icebreaker for polar research.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
(Natural News) Defining COVID-19 mRNA vaccines as pharmaceutical drugs has straightforward implications for their pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, clinical and post-marketing safety assessment. Only an accurate characterization of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines as pharmaceutical drugs will guarantee a safe, rational and individualized use of these products.

(Article by Dr. Joel S Hirschhorn republished from AllNewsPipeline.com)

So said a new brilliant and courageous analysis from Italian researchers at the Center for Research in Medical Pharmacology, University of Insubria that should be required reading by all in the medical and public health establishment. The title is Understanding the Pharmacology of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines: Playing Dice with the Spike?

No major medical journal would have published this article. And no American doctors or researchers would have the smarts and guts to write that COVID-19 vaccines represent pharmaceutical therapeutics more so than traditional vaccines. It should be recalled that CDC had to change the definition of vaccine so that the mRNA COVID materials or generic therapeutics could be legally defined as vaccines.

This should be emphasized: if these fake vaccines were legally classified as drugs, then they would not be protected from liability actions. The vaccine makers would not be fully protected. So significant considering the huge numbers of adverse health impacts and deaths that definitely are causally linked to the fake vaccines.

That these fake vaccines were and still are pushed by government agencies demonstrates the historic corruption of the entire medical and public health establishment. This has caused incredible harm to millions of people.

Here are some excerpts from this Italian study to give a good picture of its coverage. A major truth was emphasized, one that has helped explain why there have been so many adverse health impacts and deaths from the vaccines:

These products were presented from the outset as intrinsically safe, since it was believed that, similar to conventional vaccines, after intramuscular injection, most of the dose would remain in the muscle and the rest would drain through the lymphatic system, being eventually captured by antigen-presenting cells and B cells and undergoing complete elimination in a few tens of hours at the most. On this basis, the public was explicitly reassured by influential blogs as well as by academic institutional web pages that these products were not expected to exhibit any relevant systemic disposition and that the resulting S protein would remain attached to the surface of the cells and would not be released in the bloodstream and tissues to encounter ACE2 receptors and eventually induce organ damage. Step by step, however, it became clear that this was not the case.

Taken as a whole, evidence strongly supports the possible link between inappropriate expression of S protein in sensitive tissues and subsequent tissue damage.

a major explanation of adverse effects following COVID-19 vaccination could well be that mRNA vaccines induce in selected individuals excessive production of S protein, for too long and/or in inappropriate tissues and organs, and this occurrence is at present unpredictable, since systemic biodistribution and disposition of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine has so far never been considered an issue, and as a consequence it has never been studied as it would have actually deserved.

these products urgently need a proper conceptualization. Conventional vaccines contain antigen(s), which represent their active component, in turn exerting their effect by acting on endogenous targets (the immune system cells). On the contrary, mRNA vaccines do contain a molecule (the mRNA) which is unable to trigger any anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune response unless it is translated by endogenous cell metabolism into an active moiety, which is the viral S protein. In other terms, mRNAs contained in vaccines fully meet the definition of a prodrug as reported, for example, in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: a pharmacologically inactive substance that is converted in the body (as by enzymatic action) into a pharmacologically active drug, which is the case for vaccine-derived mRNA, converted into active S protein by ribosomes through their catalytic peptidyl transferase activity that links amino acids together, leading to protein synthesis. According to the conventional classification of pro-drugs, COVID-19 mRNA vaccines could be classified as type I prodrugs since they undergo intracellular conversion.

Read more at: AllNewsPipeline.com
(Natural News) The United States stockpiles of cold-stored orange juice have plunged by 43 percent in September from a year earlier. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data, this is the lowest level they have fallen into since 1977.

This is due to a combination of crop diseases across Floridas citrus groves and the wrath of Hurricane Ian, which destroyed even more crops and created a supply shortage that catapulted orange juice futures to as high as $2.18 per pound.

The USDAs forecast showed that 28 million boxes of Florida oranges could be produced in the 2022 to 2023 season, which would be the lowest output since 1943 and down 32 percent from last years already low production of approximately 41 million boxes.

Jack Scoville, vice president at PRICE Futures Group in Chicago, said they are also factoring in a very tight crop production situation, as the cuts had been pretty extreme. (Related: CROP COLLAPSE: Florida citrus crops DESTROYED by Hurricane Ian.)

Florida oranges served as the feedstock for most of the orange juice produced in the United States. However, the number of oranges available to be used for juice is now at record low because of the so-called greening disease, which can cause trees to bear smaller fruit with lower sugar levels. The outbreak has prompted farmers to ask the Food and Drug Administration to lower its sugar content standards for juice.

Scoville predicted that more Americans will switch to vitamin C supplements as the cost of orange juice steadily climbs. We were expecting a cut in production, but this is a very big cut, so the market is reacting accordingly, Scoville said.

Economists: Higher prices are the cure for higher prices

The poor weather in Brazil and Florida hurt the orange crop earlier this year. Brazil is the worlds largest orange producer and provides half of the worlds orange juice.

Still, economists say high prices are the cure for higher prices  that is to say, farmers can have more incentive to produce more of their crop when the price of the fruit is higher.

The forthcoming Brazilian crop is set to be far larger than last years. According to the USDA, Brazils 2021 to 2022 crop would be 15 percent higher compared to the previous year.

More recent USDA data also forecast that the Brazilian crop will yield 1.14 million metric tons, which is 20 percent more than the year before. If the forecast is correct, then the crop would be the highest since the 2018 to 2019 season.

While not all of the oranges will get converted into juice, the availability of oranges in itself is a key factor.

Total shipments of Brazilian orange juice from July to September, which marks the first quarter of the 2022 to 2023 harvest, closed with a volume of 276,212 tons. That represents an increase of 3.24 percent compared to the first three months of the 2021 to 2022 harvest.

In terms of revenue, CitrusBR said that exports totaled S520 million in the period, showing a growth of 23.11 percent compared to the $422.4 million registered in the same quarter of the previous harvest.

Visit WorldAgriculture.news for more stories related to orange shortages.

Watch the video below to learn how premium orange juice is made.

This video is from the Health with benefits channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Orange juice price hike looms after Hurricane Ian batters Floridas citrus orchards.

FDA takes stand for public health, resists industry pressures to increase allowable levels of toxic fungicide carbendazim in orange juice product imports.

From your favorite breakfast cereals to your orange juice, here is a list of foods that have tested positive for glyphosate contamination  (with editors note).

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

NBCNews.com

Forbes.com

FreshPlaza.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Could it be that Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines are shedding graphene and who knows what else onto the unvaccinated, destroying their bodies in a similar way to the fully vaccinated? According to Dr. Philippe van Welbergen, this is exactly what is happening.

Welbergen has taken a particular interest in the graphene component of the shots, which appear to be self-assembling inside peoples bodies as large fibers and unidentified structures that turn to clots.

In some cases, these clots are gaining magnetic properties that Welbergen and others believe are capable of facilitating an electrical charge. These are complex bio-structures, in other words. (Related: Evidence shows that covid vaccine vials do, in fact, contain graphene oxide.)

Up until now, it was mostly believed that these graphene-based clots stick with the person into whom they were injected. But there is now evidence to suggest that the unvaccinated might be picking them up as well via shedding.

If youre unvaccinated, stay away from the vaccinated as much as possible

The medical director of a place called Biomedical Clinics, Welbergen was one of the very first experts to warn the public about the blood damage caused by Fauci Flu shots.

Last year, he released images of blood samples that he captured under a microscope. Those images showed a disturbing presence of strange artifacts described as tube-like structures and particles that lit up and damaged many cells.

Many of Welbergens patients started to develop strange symptoms not long after covid injections were unleashed through Operation Warp Speed, which is why he first began investigating the matter.

Patients that got jabbed would complain about sudden bouts of chronic fatigue, dizziness, memory problems and even paralysis. Women well past reproductive age were suddenly having periods again as well.

The blood samples collected from these patients revealed that the graphene-generated structures had all but completely decimated every blood cell in sight.

Prior to Operation Warp Speed, Welbergen had never before seen such formations occurring in patients blood. They clearly started forming once the shots started going inside arms, though few besides Welbergen were brave enough to admit it (if they even noticed the change at all).

Welbergen would later appear on a South African community channel called Loving Life TV to discuss the matter in-depth. He showed his slides to viewers and explained what it was that was on them.

During the program, he also showed blood slides collected from vaccine-free patients, meaning those who refused the jabs. Sadly, some of those also showed signs of having been infected with vaccine toxins through shedding.

A few days before appearing on that program, Welbergen happened to notice what is described as a magnetic or electrical polarity effect occurring on different sides of the graphene fibers he had identified.

Almost every sample, he said, showed signs of this polarity, whereas prior to the release of the shots he had never before witnessed such a thing in all of his years of practice.

Dr. Philippes presentation is truly eye opening and horrifying  a must watch, especially for those who proclaim Covid injections are safe and are insisting people be injected, reports The Expose, which has published clips of the program for viewing.

The Covid injections are weapons of genocide and how the people who have designed them are still walking free is incredible.

In the comments, someone added to the conversation that he is simply astounded that any persons body can still function with these graphene clots embedded within them. It is only a matter of time, however, before those clots grow large enough to end the persons life.

Want to keep up with the latest news about covid shots? Visit ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

Expose-News.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) A German doctor who killed a woman he was having an affair with by sprinkling cocaine on his penis prior to oral sex has been ordered by a court to cover the costs of failed attempts by emergency services to save her life.

In 2019, Dr. Andreas David Niederbichler was sentenced to nine years in jail for aggravated rape and bodily harm leading to death over the incident and is currently receiving drug therapy. The 46-year-olds married lover died after overdosing on cocaine that he had placed on his penis before they got intimate.

The woman, a 38-year-old who has only been identified as Yvonne M., passed away after experiencing shortness of breath and collapsing. Her autopsy showed that she suffered from a fatal overdose of cocaine.

Although the doctor claimed the woman knew about the cocaine, a German court rejected his claims, and a judge has now ordered him to pay 13,280 for the medical treatment that was administered to Yvonne before she died.

He previously refused to pay the womans family a sum of money for compensation, including several thousand euros each for her husband and son and another several thousand to her family for funeral costs. Yvonnes husband and son sued the plastic surgeon after he refused to pay them financial compensation and cover funeral costs. A higher regional court sided with the family and ordered the doctor to pay the funeral costs and survivor benefits.

Yvonne, a hairdresser, was a patient of the doctor before they began the ill-fated affair. A friend told the media that she had a long-running affair with him and trusted him blindly, saying: Yvonne wanted to leave her husband for Niederbichler. He was like Christian Grey from Fifty Shades of Grey to her.

Her father believes he deliberately chose her to be his victim, telling German newspaper Bild: He promised to heal our daughter  now she is dead. She was very pretty and a patient of his. He operated on her twice for tendonitis.

Three other women have made similar claims against the doctor

Niederbichler, who was the head physician at Halberstadt Clinic in Saxony-Anhalt, sexually assaulted three women from September 2015 to February 2018. Investigators found that he had secretly placed cocaine in their toothpaste, lipstick and champagne glasses. The court was told that he had laced his penis on these occasions as well, but he denied drugging all of the women.

He told Bild: Yes, there were drugs. But I didnt drug any of the women without her knowledge. I was looking for a special kick and they took part.

He also claimed that Yvonne was an experienced cocaine user. He told the paper that he regretted following his lawyers advice to stay silent and wanted to prove that he was not criminally guilty of Yvonnes death. However, his appeals have already been thrown out and he has not presented new evidence that might lead to the case being reopened.

During his trial, judges were told that he used the internet to meet up with other women for sex, and he was accused of placing cocaine under his foreskin prior to sexual relations. Three other women he was involved with sexually reported that they felt lightheaded following their encounters with him; one of them was involved in two car accidents after a date with him, and another reported having nervous switches and passing out afterward.

Chief Prosecutor Eva Vogel said the doctor used the drugs to make his conquests more compliant with his sexual demands. Regardless of his motivation, he was certainly aware of the risks of cocaine use, and his acts have ruined numerous lives.

Sources for this article include:

DailyMail.co.uk

TheSun.co.uk
(Natural News) Media Research Center President Brent Bozell on Tuesday called for greater Big Tech accountability on Fox Newss America Reports as he highlighted MRC Free Speech Americas groundbreaking Google political search bias study.

(Article republished from NewsBusters.org)

They are manipulating the data because they have political agendas, Bozell said of Big Tech companies. Its just as clear as day.

Host John Roberts pointed out a key finding of the MRC report: [MRCs] analysis of twelve races shows that Republican websites in ten of those twelve races resulted in significantly fewer search results on Google.

Bozell then explained that in seven of the 12 Senate races that MRC analyzed, the Republicans had been pushed to page two.

Google controls 92.4 percent of internet searches worldwide, yet less than 1 percent of Google searchers click beyond the first page of search results, Bozell noted. This means that most people who use Google to search for the same Republican candidates included in MRCs research will not find the candidates campaign websites.

If you are somebody searching that Republican, that person doesnt exist because Google suppresses them, Bozell said. For all intents and purposes, the Republican candidate is a non-person.

MRCs study mirrored the following methodology for its Senate study: [Candidates name] Senate race 2022.

But even when Roberts and his colleagues put in more basic Google searches comprising just the state, the Republican candidates last name and the year, in five of those cases, the Democrat appeared in search results, but the Republican did not, Roberts noted.

So, its not just the way that [MRC is] searching thats bringing up skewed search results, Roberts said.

The Republican National Committee on Friday filed a lawsuit against Google for sending almost all GOP political fundraising emails to Gmail spam boxes at the end of the month, Bozell noted.

Google has had an agenda against Republicans, against Donald Trump, going back to 2016, Bozell said. Its been proven time and again. They have a liability protection. It needs to be addressed.

Bozell noted that, in addition to Google, Twitter and Facebook are biased against conservatives. He cited their censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story just 2 1/2 weeks before the 2020 presidential election.

Had Big Tech allowed more people to be informed about the Hunter Biden story, 9.4 percent of Joe Bidens voters would have abandoned him, according to an MRC poll completed in November 2020.Donald Trump wouldve won every single swing state in America, wouldve won 311 electoral votes  a landslide  if theyd only allowed the truth, Bozell said. Thats all.

Read more at: NewsBusters.org
(Natural News) The 30-year mortgage rate is now at 20-year high 6.94 percent, according to finance company Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporations (FHLMC) latest weekly survey. As per FHLMC, also known as Freddie Mac, the 30-year mortgage rate was at 6.92 percent last week and only 3.09 percent on average last year.

The report further indicated that rates are up two basis points from the previous week, with one basis point equal to one-hundredth of a percentage point, or one percent of one percent.

Mortgage rates slowed their upward trajectory this week, Sam Khater, chief economist at Freddie Mac, said in a statement. He added that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage continues to remain just shy of seven percent, which is adversely impacting the housing market in the form of declining demand.

This was confirmed by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) on October 20 as existing home sales dropped for the eighth straight month. Sales fell 1.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.71 million in September. The last time they fell to this level was in May 2020.

Residential real estate brokerage firm Redfin also said there is a huge decline in the number of sold houses last month at 25 percent year-over-year while new listings fell 22 percent. Those were the biggest decreases on record with the exception of the early months of the pandemic, the company said.

The U.S. housing market is at another standstill, but the driving forces are completely different from those that triggered the standstill at the start of the pandemic, the firms economics research lead Chen Zhao said in a statement.

Due to the high rates, buyers are getting more and more hesitant to file loans for houses based on the number of mortgage applications, which is currently at the lowest since 1997, the Mortgage Bankers Association said. (Related: Home buyers hesitate as US mortgage rates soar to 16-year high.)

America also dealing with housing shortages

Aside from rising mortgage rates, America is also dealing with housing shortages.

Analysts have estimated that there is a nationwide housing shortage of between two million to nearly six million newly built homes. Senior Economist and Director of Forecasting for the NAR Nadia Evangelou said their group estimated that theres a shortage of 5.5. million homes.

There doesnt appear to be any end in sight, Evangelou told USA Today.

The organization uses its housing shortage tracker to compare the supply and demand by the number of single-family housing permits issued for every two new jobs in 175 U.S. markets.

They found that both big and small cities are dealing with severe underbuilding, but the worst is happening in major cities.

Mike Kingsella, CEO of Up for Growth, a Washington, D.C.-based housing policy research nonprofit, told the news outlet that Los Angeles is among the most underproduced housing market in the U.S. with a shortfall of nearly 400,000 homes or about 8.4 percent. In July, his company released a study tracking more than 800 U.S. housing markets across the country from 2012 to 2019.

NAR also cited Los Angeles as one of the cities with severe housing shortages. The citys metro area had 247,400 new jobs compared to 11,206 single-family permits, Evangelou said.

HousingBomb.com has more stories related to Americas collapsing housing market.

Watch the below video that talks about the impending housing crash.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Fed interest rate hikes lead to rising fears of mortgage debt defaults, real estate collapse and recession.

Luxury home sales suffer biggest decline in 10 years, real estate firm reports.

Redfin: House sales decline in Sun Belt as buyers back out due to hefty prices.

UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING: US home rental rates set new record for 17th straight month.

Sources include:

MarketWatch.com

MorningStar.com

USAToday.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) A pediatric surgeon and medical school professor has recently spoken against treating gender dysphoria with surgery and hormonal interventions, calling both approaches medical atrocities and malpractices.

Dr. Michael Egnor, a professor of neurosurgery and pediatrics at the Renaissance School of Medicine of Stony Brook University in New York, said during an interview with the Federalist editor Emily Jashinsky that the issue of so-called gender transitions in modern medicine is an extraordinary medical atrocity that far too many medical professionals are supportive of. (Related: Promotional video urges confused teens to delay puberty using chemical hormone blockers.)

Something Ive come to realize with the growth of gender-affirming surgery and gender-affirming medical care is that were right in the middle of an extraordinary medical atrocity, and I really felt that I had to speak out, said Egnor.

The doctor compared the acceptance of todays gender-affirming medical practices with how the medical experiments conducted by the Nazis were also widely accepted.

Eugenics was taught in practically all medical schools for many years, said Egnor. Were doing bad things that people will be talking about in 50 years and we dont necessarily know what they are because were right in the middle of it.

In an article written for the Federalist, Egnor stressed that acting like people with gender dysphoria can only be cured with surgery is a violation of medical ethics.

As a person who trains new surgeons, Egnor pointed out that he emphasizes how some of the fundamental responsibilities of surgeons to their patients is to make an appropriate initial decision as to whether to operate and if surgery is in the patients best interest.

Egnor wrote: Surgery for so-called gender affirmation or ill-named sex reassignment grossly violates the ethical canons I have taught, that were taught to me, and that were taught to all surgeons until very recently. Such surgery entails radical and irreversible operations on normal healthy organs  mastectomy performed on normal breasts, amputation of the normal penis and scrotum  excision of the normal uterus and ovaries, among other procedures.

People with gender dysphoria need therapy and psychiatric care, not surgery

In the same article, Egnor wrote that what people with gender dysphoria need is not surgery or hormonal interventions but a lot of mental healthcare. He considers gender dysphoria to be a mental illness and not a physical one, and therefore all of the medical interventions to help people with dysphoria should be geared toward healing the mind.

Surgical removal of healthy organs is not a treatment for mental illness, he wrote. Gender dysphoria should be treated with psychiatric therapy.

The illness is mental  the patient does not feel like his or her sex and does not want to be his or her sex, Egnor continued. This of course can cause great suffering  it is a real illness  but the suffering is mental, not physical.

Egnor noted that it is a great indictment against the medical community that medical professionals that perform and sanction surgery and hormonal therapies for people with gender dysphoria.

Patients with gender dysphoria have a psychiatric illness, and our efforts at treatment of this condition should be directed to the psychiatric issues involved, for which there are good and established principles of care, wrote Egnor. It is the psychiatric care and social support of people with gender dysphoria that our resources should be devoted.

Learn more about unethical medical interventions at MedicalViolence.com.

Watch this clip from Newsmax questioning whether society really understands the consequences of supporting pro-transgender policies.

This video is from the News Clips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Boston Childrens Hospital doctor says gender confusion among children has skyrocketed, puberty blockers handed out like candy.

Senators warn AG Merrick Garland: Dont police speech against transgender surgeries on children.

Halloween queerfest for children sponsored by gender surgery center that profits from mutilating kids.

AMA goes all-in with child mutilations, wants DOJ to prosecute those who try to save children from gender-mutilating surgeries.

KIDS and TEENS are texting Miami plastic surgeon by her request on TWITTER to set up sex-organ-mutilation-surgery appointments (op-ed).

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

TheFederalist.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Russia is asking the United Nations (UN) to open a probe into United States-backed biological weapons research activities in Ukraine.

Since the beginning of Russias special military operation in Ukraine in late February, Moscow has asserted that the American-run biological research laboratories in Ukraine were engaged in biological warfare. Both the U.S. and Ukraine have denied these claims. (Related: Russian senator says state has proof Pentagon-run biolabs in Ukraine are military in nature.)

According to a draft resolution circulated to UN Security Council members on Tuesday, Oct. 25, Russia is invoking Article VI of the Biological Weapons Convention, alleging that banned biological activities are taking place in Ukraine.

Russia is asking the Security Council to establish a commission to investigate its claims, which include concerns that Ukraine is working with the United States in biolabs to develop biological weapons.

The draft resolution authorizes the Security Council to set up a commission consisting of its 15 members  the 10 non-permanent members and the five permanent ones, which include both Russia and the United States.

Once the commission is established, it would investigate all of Russias claims thoroughly and report to the council its findings on Nov. 30. This report would then be publicized to members of the Biological Weapons Convention at a review conference scheduled to be held from Nov. 28 to Dec. 16 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya, who presented Moscows demand for the creation of an investigative committee to the Security Council, provided some 300 pages of data proving the existence of biological weapons research laboratories in Ukraine and Kyivs collaboration with Washington in these labs.

Nebenzya claimed that they have obtained more evidence shedding light on the true nature of military biological activities of the U.S. and Ukraine on the Ukrainian territory, and all of this evidence has been presented to the Security Council.

The data analysis gives evidence of non-compliance by the American and Ukrainian sides with the [Biological Weapons Convention] provisions, said Nebenzya.

Washington, Kyiv deny bioweapons and biolabs claims

Both Washington and Kyiv have repeatedly ignored or otherwise resisted Russias attempts to investigate the existence and nature of the biological research laboratories in Ukraine. Nebenzya explained that neither nation has provided any necessary explanation for their refusal to answer Russian questions, nor have they taken immediate measures to remedy the situation.

Both Ukraine and the U.S. have dismissed all of Russias bioweapons and biolabs claims as disinformation and conspiracy. Washington claimed that, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, it has worked collaboratively to improve Ukraines biological safety, security and disease surveillance for both human and animal health by providing support to nearly 50 Ukrainian laboratories and other facilities.

Washingtons support for Ukrainian biological facilities allegedly focused on improving public health and agricultural safety measures at the nexus of nonproliferation.

Russia noted that in late August and early September, it called a formal meeting of all 197 state parties to the Biological Weapons Convention to discuss the activities at the biological laboratories in Ukraine.

Only 89 state parties to the convention sent representatives. Thirty-five of these states either outright dismissed Russian claims or expressed support for the kind of work the U.S. and Ukraine were conducting on Ukrainian soil.

Russias final report of that meeting noted that it was not possible to reach consensus on the questions we raised. Only seven nations  Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua, Syria and Venezuela  expressed support for Russia.

The questions raised in the meeting, according to Nebenzya, remain open and require resolution. This is why Russia is invoking Article VI of the convention. It gives state parties the right to request that the Security Council investigate these alleged violations of the international treaty.

Nebenzyas resolution noted that Article VI of the convention requires all involved state parties to cooperate in carrying out any investigation which the Security Council may initiate.

Learn more about Ukrainian biolabs at BiologicalWeapons.news.

Watch this episode of The War Room on InfoWars as host Owen Shroyer exposes the connection between Hunter Biden and the Ukrainian biolabs.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Russia says Pentagon running biowarfare facilities in Ukraine.

Fake news: MSM twists Russias recent report on US biolabs in Ukraine.

Russias investigation concludes that USA exploited Ukraine to develop illegal biological weapons.

Russian officials: American biolabs in Ukraine conducted illegal experiments on rivers and infected children with tuberculosis.

EXPOSED: Pentagon conducted deadly biological weapons experiments on allied soldiers in Ukraine and Georgia.

Sources include:

SHTFPlan.com

APNews.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Fourteen new cases of Ebola infections had been recorded in the Ugandan capital of Kampala since Friday, Oct. 21  an alarming development as the outbreak in the East African country entered its second month.

The patients are infected with the Sudan strain, which has no known cure. There is also no vaccine for it, which is why contact tracing and control of human flow are necessary to slow and stop the spread.

There had been four confirmed cases in the Kampala metropolitan area while nine others were identified as contacts of a fatality from Kassanda, one of two central districts at the heart of the outbreak.

Seven of the nine had been confirmed infected, according to Health Minister Ruth Jane Aceng. They were residents of Masanafu, a densely populated slum area in Kampala that lies near the Kasubi royal tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and not far from two of Ugandas main private universities.

President Yoweri Museveni ordered Kassanda and Mubende, the epicenter of the outbreak, to be put under lockdown while also imposing travel bans, curfews and closures of public places.

Fears that the disease could spread far from the outbreaks epicenter also compelled authorities to impose the said measures on two of five districts that reported cases after a man infected with Ebola sought treatment in Kampala and died in a hospital there.

A top official from the World Health Organization (WHO) said the outbreak was rapidly evolving, making the situation challenging for health workers. Moreover, Ugandan health authorities have so far confirmed 75 cases of Ebola since September 20, recording 28 deaths.

The official numbers, however, dont include those who probably died of Ebola before the outbreak was confirmed in a farming community about 93 miles west of Kampala.

According to the WHO, 50 percent of people who contract Ebola will die on average, with case fatality rates varying between 25 to 90 percent in past outbreaks. (Related: Ebola truth #11) Ebola can be easily harvested and released as a bioweapon  NaturalNews.com.)

The nine cases reported on Monday, Oct. 24, followed a similar pattern as all patients are contacts of an Ebola-infected patient who traveled from an Ebola hotspot and sought treatment at Kampalas top public hospital, Mulago.

Ebola outbreak not new in Uganda

Uganda has had multiple Ebola outbreaks, including one in 2000 that killed over 200 people. The 2014 to 2016 outbreak in West Africa killed over 11,000, which is the diseases largest death toll. Other African nations have also had Ebola outbreaks with more regularity compared to Western nations.

Residents in Kampala are worried.

Rebecca Nanyonga, a 27-year-old mother of two, said its getting scarier now that the city is recording cases. The government has not done much to sensitize Kampala residents on Ebola. Parties and music concerts are still held, yet the disease is in our midst, she said.

Ebola is spread through bodily fluids, with common symptoms being fever, vomiting, bleeding and diarrhea. Uganda typically combats the disease through tracing, containing and quarantining, but outbreaks are difficult to contain in urban environments.

There have been no treatments or vaccines for the Sudan strain of the virus yet, but the WHO has said that clinical trials could start within weeks on drugs to treat or prevent it.

Ronald Kibwika, a 45-year-old Kampala businessman, said he is putting back restrictions in his business and his home.

Anita Kwikiriza, a 31-year-old businesswoman, said: We are at the mercy of God if Ebola cases rise in Kampala, because most people dont take health precautions, and health services are still poor.

Visit Outbreak.news for more updates about the Ebola outbreak in Africa.

Watch the video below to learn more about the dangers of Ebola.

This video is from the Raw Life Health Show channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Uganda declares three-week lockdown in two districts amid new Ebola outbreak.

The incubation period lie about Ebola, and why America is vulnerable to an Ebola outbreak from infected migrants.

Ebola truth #1) No government in the world is prepared to handle an Ebola outbreak  NaturalNews.com.

Sources include:

SHTFPlan.com

France24.com

APNews.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Doctors in the National Health Service (NHS) of England are receiving training about gender unicorns and learning about gender identities such as neutrois, polygender, and genderf*ck, The Telegraph has revealed.

(Article by Mia Ashton republished from ThePostMillenial.com)

In the two-hour training session leaked to The Telegraph, doctors were shown the Gender Unicorn, a visual with sliding scales depicting male/female and man/woman as gender identities, which also uses the thoroughly unscientific termininolgy sex assigned at birth.

The visual, which is also used in classrooms all over the US and Canada as a means to teach young children about gender, also separates physical attraction from emotional attraction. This is done because the modern trans rights movement has redefined sexual orientation to gender orientation, largely for the benefit of heterosexual males who identify as women and believe themselves to be lesbians.

Redefining sexual attraction as emotional attraction opens up the opportunity for males who think they are lesbians to find themselves lesbian partners who feel no sexual attraction towards them whatsoever.

According to The Telegraph, later in the training sessions, doctors were given 11 examples of different gender expressions, including non-binary, polygender, demigender, androgyne, and genderf*ck, which the shocked group of assembled medical professionals was told means when people dont give a f*ck about gender.

A later slide in the training session provided by Devon Partnership NHS Trust used the derogatory term TERF (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist) to describe women who are critical of gender identity ideology, and named JK Rowling and Germaine Greer as examples.

The Telegraph reports that doctors were then told about kinks and how the BDSM community is closely linked to the trans community.

But the training session didnt quite achieve the aim it set out to accomplish.

The Telegraph quotes one doctor who was in attendance as saying it opened my eyes to how ridiculous this whole thing is.

It seemed that they were almost an apostate for the trans movement and they were very proud of the fact they had 3,800 people on the [gender clinic] waiting list, the anonymous doctor told The Telegraph.

They went down a list of gender identities and talked about genderf*ck, continued the doctor. People in the audience were smirking, they felt a bit uncomfortable. It was almost Alan Partridge-esque. Why did we need to be exposed to that language?

The anonymous medic went on to explain that approximately 50 percent of the members of that particular NHS trust are gender-critical so they were not going to fall for such training because they are not wet behind the ears, but expressed concern that some other trusts, which dont have as many gender-critical members, could be more influenced by sessions such as this one.

The timing of this training session, which reportedly took place two weeks ago, is surprising given that the gender services provided by the NHS have been under such intense scrutiny of late.

An independent review of the youth gender services at the soon-to-be-closed Tavistock clinic found that the clinic was not a safe or viable option for young people, in part because it had allowed ideology such as that displayed in this training session to guide the treatment protocol, rather than basing it on sound evidence.

Read more at: ThePostMillenial.com
(Natural News) The largest producer of chemicals, including crop and agriculture chemicals, is permanently downsizing in Europe amid an ongoing and ever-worsening energy crisis.

BASF, which had already cut fertilizer production in Germany back in July due to exceptionally high fuel costs, now says more cuts are necessary to keep the company afloat.

The European chemical market has been growing only weakly for about a decade [and] the significant increase in natural gas and power prices over the course of this year is putting pressure on chemical value chains, announced CEO Martin Brudermuller about the decision.

Regionally speaking, BASF can no longer compete due to energy costs that have skyrocketed to record highs. Companies with a presence in countries where energy remains cheap and plentiful now have a major competitive advantage against BASF, in other words.

During the first nine months of 2022, BASF reportedly spent 2.2 billion more than usual on natural gas to keep its production facilities intact. Those facilities produce not just fertilizers but also polymers, glues and other petrochemical-based materials.

In addition to hyperinflating energy prices, the European Union (EU), of which Germany is a member, is also imposing strict anti-fossil fuel restrictions that are rendering it next to impossible for companies like BASF to remain in business.

To combat this, Brudermuller says BASF has no choice but to cut costs throughout the region as quickly as possible and also permanently.

As BASF pulls out of Europe, company expands into communist China

All is not lost for BASF, though. Like many other multinational corporations, the company is massively expanding its operations in communist China even as it pulls out of the European market somewhat.

We are told that BASF invested in a 10 billion complex in China that will supposedly be run entirely on renewable energy. The facility is to be located in Zhanjiang, located in southern China.

The Asian markets are booming and welcoming all this new business while the European and Western markets are teetering on the brink. Is this just a coincidence, or was this all planned as part of the Great Reset?

BASFs expansion into China is coming under fire, not the least of which because the communist trading partner is notorious for its authoritarian structure of government.

Money speaks louder than morals, though. In fact, morals play almost no role at all in any of the decisions being made at the corporate level, whether at BASF or at one of its competitors.

We have a very, very profitable China business, Brudermuller bragged ahead of a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Half of the world market is there. What kind of risk does a company run into if it renounces half of the market?

Green energy is about dismantling the West

In case you have not figured it out yet, the obvious goal with all these crisis and their associated green push is to deindustrialize the West and move all production, assets and resources into China and other Asian countries.

From there, business will churn out cheap products at cheap prices while the West becomes increasingly more economically non-viable. It is a plan that has been in the works for some time now, and we are witnessing it all occur right before our very eyes.

The energy crisis is just the latest cover story for something that was already in motion all along. Communist China started stealing many American companies manufacturing facilities beginning in the 1970s and 1980s, and since that time the Chicoms have been gobbling up entire U.S. companies and industry sectors.

Now, the Far Easts green energy scams are cleaning up what little remains of the industrialized West, all under the guise of Russias invasion of Ukraine and the associated energy crisis.

As they downsize in Europe, theyre expanding in China. Almost as if China is behind the green movement and the push for ending fossil fuels in the West, one commenter wrote.

And as China builds massive amounts of nuclear plants, added another.

And Biden ships them oil from our reserves, interjected yet another.

Fossil fuels also allow for too much freedom, which is frowned upon in China and other countries where populations are heavily controlled by their extremely authoritarian government structures.

They need to keep everyone limited in what they can do so that everything has to cross the ocean a couple times and they get their taste each time, added another commenter.

And they also control the process so they can play their games. They can stop the supply chain once it is that vulnerable. They can also restore it with ease because there is an overproduction under normal circumstances.

Someone else added further than China is building hundreds of new coal plants as well, almost like they know climate change is a hoax.

Interested in keeping up with the latest news about the energy crisis? You can do so at Collapse.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheGatewayPundit.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) An Australian composer, songwriter, sound designer and disc jockey (DJ) who is internationally renowned for his work is speaking out about how his life has been ruined by Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination.

Tyson Illingworth, who recently wrote a guest post for Dr. Robert Malones Substack blog, says he never could have imagined finding himself struggling to live, all because of a shot that his government, in cahoots with Big Pharma, told him was safe and effective.

Illingworth took the double-dose Moderna injection series, which is made from messenger RNA (mRNA) technology that we know edits genes and alters DNA. (Related: Malone recently called out the CDC for tampering with data and committing major scientific fraud in approving covid jabs.)

It is important to know that I am pro-evidence-based science and thought the vaccine was safe for me, Illingworth writes. I believed whole heartedly that I was doing the right thing by getting vaccinated.

I had complete faith and trust in my countrys (Australia) leadership and medical system  that is until I suffered a severe adverse reaction that left me helpless, paralyzed, and with no help from doctors or my government.

Hospital workers rudely denied Illingworths covid jab injuries; there is no way this is the vaccine, they scoffed

Illingworth was living in California at the time when covid mysteriously appeared, prompting him to return home to Australia. In October 2021, he took the first injection of Moderna, which after just a few days started causing him unbearable shooting pain and paralysis in my hands and feet.

After contacting a well-respected spinal surgeon for advice, Illingworth was told that he had clearly suffered a catastrophic neurological failure, after which he was rushed to the hospital for a two-week stay.

I was in disbelief and became depressed because I couldnt believe the vaccine could do this to me, especially when we were all told it was safe and effective and if there was a reaction it would be minor, Illingworth laments.

It would turn into a major argument with hospital staff over what caused Illingworths neurological damage. He was insistent, based on the surgeons advice, that it was caused by the jab, but personnel at the medical facility scoffed at that idea.

There is no way this is the vaccine, one of them said in rude disgust.

Illingworth tried to get answers about whether or not he would ever have the ability to walk again, only to be given no clear answer because staff members were perplexed, he says, at what they were seeing.

It was a surreal and lonely experience learning how to walk again, I had no one to turn to who could understand me and give me answers, Illingworth writes.

Amazingly, Illingworth was advised by the hospital neurologist to get a second injection of Moderna after leaving because if you dont get the second one, he was told, the first will be redundant.

Illingworth obeyed that order and got jabbed a second time, which caused him to develop even worse symptoms. He could barely move; his hands were on fire; and it was a major struggle just to get through each day.

A few months later, Illingworth would have to be rushed to the hospital once again in the middle of the night because he was having trouble breathing and continued to develop fevers, uncontrollable shaking, and other disturbing symptoms.

Illingworth was once again mistreated as he was forced into a two-week isolation quarantine where he was yelled at by staff and treated like garbage. He survived, but not without lasting neuropathy  be sure to read Illingworths full story in his own words.

To keep up with the latest news about Fauci Flu shots, visit ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

RWMaloneMD.substack.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Over a year ago, I began publicly warning the world about the global famine implications of the loss of natural gas supplies for Europe. Through the Haber chemical process, natural gas is combined with atmospheric nitrogen (N2) to create ammonia (NH3), the key molecule for creating nitrogen-based fertilizers that grow the crops necessary to feed an estimated 4 billion people across the planet.

I warned that if natural gas supplies were not abundant in Europe  and to BASF in particular  that fertilizer production would plummet, and there would not be enough fertilizer to grow the crops to feed the world.

Several months ago, I met Michael Yon (MichaelYon.Locals.com), an international journalist and analyst who saw the exact same thing at about the same time. He visited with BASF executives in Germany, and he and recorded several interviews with me about the catastrophe that would unfold if BASF shuttered operations in Germany due to a lack of natural gas from Russia. (See our most recent urgent interview recorded last night, below.)

Since then, America destroyed the Nord Stream pipelines, semi-permanently cutting off Germany from Russian gas. This was the final nail in the coffin, following the USA / NATO effort on economic sanctions that ultimately resulted in Russias Gazprom cutting off all gas exports to Germany (and, effectively, the rest of Europe as well).

Now, in an announcement that Michael Yon, David DuByne and myself all warned was coming, BASF has announced they are partially shuttering operations in Germany and moving capacity to China, where the greenies dont have control over insane anti-energy policies (and where electricity prices arent 1000% above the norm).

From the Financial Times:

BASF has said it will have to downsize permanently in Europe, with high energy costs making the region increasingly uncompetitive.

The European chemical market has been growing only weakly for about a decade [and] the significant increase in natural gas and power prices over the course of this year is putting pressure on chemical value chains, chief executive Martin Brudermuller said on Wednesday.

Brudermuller said the European gas crisis, coupled with stricter industry regulations in the EU, was forcing the company to cut costs in the region as quickly as possible and also permanently.

Theres no way to sugar coat that. Its a permanent downsizing of BASF. And according to additional sources, this is just the beginning of BASFs abandoning Germany for good. The downsizing will continue to the point where theres hardly any production happening in Europe at all.

After all, what choice do they have? With natural gas pipelines destroyed (by the USA), economic sanctions against Russia still in place, and lunatic greenie cultists demanding an end to human civilization, BASF has concluded it can no longer operate in Europe, a continent dominated by an actual death cult of climate lunatics and power-hungry political zealots.

Europe dies from this day forward

Today is the pivot point. Europe dies from here forward, and it doesnt recover for generations. Its done. Almost nobody realizes this yet, but the dominoes are already falling.

Europe is rapidly plunging into a continent on a collision course with total collapse: no industry, no supply chains, no energy, no metals, no fertilizer and no food. The first world status of Europe will be a distant memory after just 2-3 winters without food and energy, and once Europes industrial infrastructure is shuttered, theres no easy way to bring it back online.

This is going to end in mass civil unrest, famine, pandemics and WAR. It will also see revolutions and the toppling of governments, currencies and entire economies. The house of cards is coming down.

Because Michael Yon also saw this coming, I invited him on last night for an emergency interview. You can hear that full conversation (about one hour) here:

Brighteon.com/bfe4e7d7-bf52-4edd-a2d8-cafd28b97a9e

 Dire implications of BASF shuttering operations in Europe

 The coming MASS STARVATION and FREEZING of Europe

 Why War, Pandemics and Famine always go together

 Germans are clear-cutting old growth forests for firewood

 Deindustrialization is here  steel plants shut down

 Crystal clear that FAMINE will sweep across Europe

 Mass human migration will be unleashed globally

 Why greenies are a SUICIDE cult

 Transportation infrastructure failues / diesel shortages

 Fertilizer shortages and crop failures in America

Full coverage and additional analysis in my Situation Update podcast

In addition to that interview with Michael Yon, todays podcast covers details about the transportation collapse thats worsening in the USA, the looming diesel shortage, the collapsing railroad union deal and much more.

 BASF announces permanent partial shuttering of operationsin Europe

 This will set off supply chain Armageddon across Europe

 No BASF = No fertilizer = NO FOOD

 Jim Cramer CRIES about plummeting META stock

 Tech stocks crater; Elon seizes helm of #Twitter

 Actor Tim Robbins admits truth about #vaccines

 Dont vote until Election Day!

 Worlds largest STEEL PLANTS shutting down in Germany

 Fertilizer SHORTAGE in America as exports go to Europe

 Arrogant vaccine pushers keep dying suddenly

 Second railroad union rejects deal

 UK power grid may be turned off on cold nights

 US oil refineries, once turned off, will NEVER come back online

 Huge flooding in Australia destroys wheat crops

 Interview with Michael Yon

 Interview with Kay Rubacek

Brighteon: Brighteon.com/4fc28281-03fb-4140-a659-d25ceb0bd76f

Bitchute: Bitchute.com/video/UHWsut95lKuV/

Rumble: Rumble.com/v1qazt9-situation-update-102822-the-day-that-europe-died.html

Banned.Video: Banned.video/watch?id=635bad5907bee4355f4bc5b5

Podcast: Healthrangerreport.com/situation-update-oct-28-2022-the-day-that-europe-died-basf-announces-permanent-output-reductions

See more news reporting on the world fertilizer supply at FertilizerWatch.com

Discover more interviews and podcasts each day at:

https://www.brighteon.com/channels/HRreport

Follow me on:

Brighteon.social: Brighteon.social/@HealthRanger (my breaking news gets posted here first)

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(Natural News) Independent virologist and vaccine expert Geert Vanden Bossche has a new message for the world about what is soon to come as a result of Operation Warp Speed.

An end-of-the-world situation is brewing, the former Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation employee says, that will certainly take down at least some of Western civilization. And the culprits, he insists, are the fully vaccinated.

Once antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) and other forms of vaccine-induced AIDS (VAIDS) run their course inside the bodies of the jabbed, healthcare systems everywhere will quickly become overwhelmed with sick and dying patients.

Entire hospital systems and health care groups will likely collapse under the weight of all that disease and death, which in turn will collapse society as we currently know it. (Related: In 2021, Bossche warned the world that trying to vaccinate out of a plandemic only promotes the creation and spread of new variants.)

Decision makers, in the WHO (World Health Organization), will be held responsible, accountable and liable for the dramatic consequence that this biological experiment on human beings could possibly entail, Bossche writes on his Voice for Science and Solidarity website.

Unvaccinated children are the only future for humanity, says Bossche

The genie is already out of the bottle, meaning there is no going back. All we can do, Bossche insists, is watch it all unfold and hope for the best  though there is little to be hopeful about with the way things are already going.

Bossche predicts that another wave of the Fauci Flu will sweep the Western world. It will be driven by the fully jabbed who have become walking spike protein factories polluting the world with the poisons they continue to shed.

Once this new wave emerges, it will all go down fast, Bossche warns. Fully jabbed people everywhere will come down with much more serious illnesses than previously due to the fact that their immune systems are now shot, leaving them defenseless.

This next wave, Bossche contends, will become more virulent as opposed to contagious, meaning it will be far deadlier than any previous strains, variants, or sub-variants.

The losses will be huge, Bossche is quoted as saying. Literally there is no immunity, no single protection left for the vaccinated.

The only real hope, Bossche says, is for unvaccinated children and others in the reproductive age of life to repopulate the world once the mass die-off that he predicts is coming runs its course.

Whether anything is left standing after such an event remains to be seen, but Bossche says it is about all there is to look forward to as Operation Warp Speed moves into the next phases.

Not everyone agrees with Bossche, including evolutionary biologist James Lyons-Weiler, whom we have covered here in the past. Vaccinated or not, Lyons-Weiler says that many people will be just fine should another coronavirus emerge to the degree Bossche expects.

Evolution simply wont allow the emergence of a virus that is both deadly and highly transmissible, Lyons-Weiler says. Certain viruses could potentially spread through humanity. In terms of the end of civilization, this is not the one.

Steve Kirsch, conversely, is more on the side of Bossche. Because Bossche has been extremely accurate in his predictions, according to Kirsch it is likely that an immune failure apocalypse is soon on the way.

I do agree that humanity is in grave danger and that many people are likely to die in the next few years, says Tess Lawrie, a physician-expert in evidence-based medicine and one of the founders of a group called the World Council for Health.

To keep up with the latest news about the plandemic, visit Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

AllNewsPipeline.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Noel Fritsch, founder and publisher of National File, lamented the fact that the objective of the vast majority of media companies in America today is to control and censor the news.

Most of these media companies dont even make money. In fact, their expressed purpose and their sole reason for being in existence is to control and to basically censor, because in the press you have omission and you have commission. These are the two biggest rules that the editorial takes  what do you cover and what you do not cover, Fritsch told host Pete Santilli during a recent episode of The Pete Santilli Show.

Santilli lauded National File for being one of the few exceptions to the norm. The mentioned that the outlet broke the story about Ashley Bidens diary and driving the news on a number of fronts in both the mainstream and conservative press.

Fritsch said their ragtag band of young guys is just getting over it by scrapping, hustling and fighting for original and breaking news stories. He praised his team for doing an outstanding work in terms of headline writing. But with the crackdown on headline writing already starting, Fritsch said that part of the job is now changing and evolving as well.

The publisher also took note that the global chamber of commerce is basically having a near-stranglehold over the information that can and cannot be released by the mainstream media.

Santilli said that has been the case for a long time and it has only gotten worse. News was always run by commerce and the news pages now are being filled with editorial content bought and paid for by the advertisers, he said.

The controversial radio talk show host added that there is a different feel now when it comes to great investigative journalism or news pieces compared to what people can find back in the day.

Fritsch agreed, saying that people are not seeing that kind of news stories that much anymore these days. He added that aside from the global chamber of commerce, the military-industrial complex and Big Pharma are also funding media companies now.

Corporate media is not covering consequential news stories

Santilli pointed out that the consequential news stories were not being covered by the corporate media. Americans need more outlets like the National File, which pay attention to what is really going on in the country and around the world, he said.

Fritsch mentioned that several news media outlets have been sold out to people with super high-level moneyed interests.

And what ends up being presented on TV every day is just window dressing. Its artifice almost in its entirety. And I think that most viewers, most Americans, most voters know in their gut that something is wrong. They know that instinctively that most of it is just total BS, Fritsch said.

They dont know exactly what it is though. And its hard to put your finger on because these folks are really good at kind of hiding the ball. They are playing their carnies and theyre playing hide the ball with what theyre doing.

Santilli said getting their viewership and readership educated about the new economic model is important, especially with flourishing news outlets attracting big advertisers who are promoting censorship and cancel culture.

The host pointed out that these big money movers are funding the operations because they can reach millions of people to promote specific agenda.

Fritsch agreed, noting that the entire corporate media is basically owned by six companies. He cited that crony capitalism has taken over the news media funded by wealthy individuals, corporations or organizations. (Related: Can mainstream news really be credible when six corporations control 90% of Americas media?)

Follow Journalism.news for more news related to the media industry.

Watch the video below to know more about the censorships in the media industry.

This video is from the Leona Wind channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Pete Santilli releases bombshell video exposing TRUTH about Ukraine: Ground Zero for the CIA Coup Upon America  watch at Brighteon.com.

Establishment media now openly pushing tech giants to censor all independent media.

Same indy media censored by social media giants uncovered truth about pedophile Jeffrey Epstein while the fake mainstream media covered it up.

GOP lawmakers sound alarm on media cartel bill that will allow big tech, big media to collude on more censorship.

Dr. John Diamond: People need to take the media from the enemys hands and make it a truth provider  Brighteon.TV.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

Brighteon.TV
(Natural News) It is being alleged that a secret data harvesting program was launched at the start of the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) plandemic by Democrats to target covid concerned Republicans for a reprogramming of their voting habits.

Someone put together a global positioning system (GPS) tracking module that kept a close eye on the movements of nearly two billion people worldwide. The targets were assessed to identify who was on the go more often than their neighbors.

Targets deemed to have flouted the governments Chinese Virus restrictions (i.e., lockdowns and stay at home decrees) were given a high covid decree violation score while those who obeyed what they were told received a low score.

A group called PredictWise then compiled the data on behalf of the left-wing political machine to send more than 350,000 covid concerned Republicans campaign ads related to virus prevention measures. (Related: The World Economic Forum [WEF] is similarly targeting the covid compliant for easy immersion into its planned social credit scheme.)

PredictWise understood that there were potential pockets of voters to target with Covid-19 messaging and turned high-dimensional data covering over 100 million Americans into measures of adherence to Covid-19 restrictions during deep lockdown, a white paper from the company states.

The campaign of then-Senate candidate Mark Kelly, who has since been elected to office, also used the data to identify 40,000 persuasion targets who were allegedly manipulated into voting for the guy because of his strong adherence to the covid religion.

What else is all that data being used for?

What appears to have happened throughout the covid scamdemic is that all sorts of Orwellian spying, surveillance, and tracking schemes were launched quietly and oftentimes secretly in the background to engage in this type of targeted manipulation.

In Australia, which saw even worse covid tyranny than what occurred in the United States, some citizens deemed non-compliant with virus orders were forced to wear electronic ankle bracelets  even if fully vaccinated.

It appears as though this same GPS tracking data was used to accomplish this police state feat, which numerous Aussie politicians bragged about proudly in statements about their covid response.

Conservative MP Jeremy Hunt out of the United Kingdom, who was recently promoted to become Chancellor of the Exchequer, spoke openly about the GPS tracking technology in relation to covid quarantine mandates in that country.

Daily contact with those asked to self-isolate  using GPS tracking to monitor compliance, if necessary, as happens in Taiwan and Poland, Hunt said.

We also know that law enforcement in the U.K. utilized surveillance drones to monitor and threaten the non-compliant who were seen, using the same GPS tracking data, traipsing out in the countryside during covid instead of hunkering down scared at home like they were commanded to do by the government.

In Australia, tracking drones were deployed to catch people who didnt wear masks outside and to keep track of cars that traveled further than 5km from home, further reports Summit.news about other uses for the GPS tracking technology.

In the comment section, someone wrote that the only reason any of this is still happening is because We the People, wherever we live in the world, are allowing it to happen.

If we stop letting them control us in our daily lives by the things we do and stop the dependency, they have nothing to control, this person wrote. Think about it!

We were played, wrote another, revealing that her husband was compelled to take the jab under the false belief that he would get really sick and possibly die if he refused.

The latest news about covid can be found at Hoax.news.

Sources for this article include:

Summit.news

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Norman Fenton, professor of Risk Information Management at Queen Mary University London, was able to obtain copies of contracts between European Union member Slovenia and Big Pharma Pfizer. The documents acquired via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request indicated protection of the pharma firm from any claim of adverse effects.

There are no benchmarks for success or efficacy of lowering disease symptoms, which were the sole critical endpoint of the clinical trials, Peter Halligan noted in his post about the documents on Substack.

According to Fenton, there were four different contracts dated December 10, 2020 and March 4, April 7 and Sept 28, 2021. The documents show the number of doses ordered per month, but the prices are redacted. He noted that even the latest contract contained this statement: The Participating Member State further acknowledges that the long-term effects and efficacy of the vaccine are not currently known, and that there may be adverse effects of the vaccine that are not currently known.

While thats a reasonable statement to include in the December 2020 contract, Fenton said it should have been updated in the succeeding contracts given all the data from hundreds of millions of doses that had been administered by then.

In his post, Halligan furthered that around 924,000 doses were agreed on by Slovenia and Pfizer, which could be enough for around 45 percent of the entire Slovenian population. He noted that Slovenia had diagnosed about 250,000 Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases using RT-PCR testing by mid-July 2021. Now, 15 months later, the number of cases skyrocketed to over 2.2 million.

No doubt there are multiple detections per person. Deaths with COVID-19 present as determined by the RT-PCR test were 2,500 at the end of 2020 and are now a little under 6,900, Halligan added. What hes trying to say is that the vaccines didnt work.

Slovenia blindly signed up for ever-evolving experimental vaccines

It is also important to note that Slovenia signed up a contract with Pfizer, which clearly states that the injections they are going to get are not the same as the injections used in clinical trials.

As the Gateway Pundit pointed out, there may be unknown adverse effects that could be beyond the adverse event rate during clinical trials. (Related: LEAKED: Video shows Israeli researchers discussing covid vaccine adverse events that were hidden from the public.)

The Participating Member State acknowledges that the Vaccine and materials related to the Vaccine, and their components and constituent materials are being rapidly developed due to the emergency circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to be studied after the provision of the Vaccine to the Participating Member States under the APA, the contract stated.

Simply put, Pfizer can poison every Slovenian with the COVID-19 vaccine and get away with it because of the one-sided contract.

Slovenia has a population of around 2.1 million. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest.

BigPharmaNews.com has more news related to governments conspiracy with Big Pharma to carry on the hazardous COVID-19 vaccines.

Watch the below video that talks about Pfizer documents proving that the companys COVID-19 vaccine causes system damage to the body.

This video is from the channel The New American on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Groundbreaking lawsuit filed against Peter Daszak, Ralph Baric over SARS-CoV-2 gain of function research and hazardous RELEASE.

Top 7 most UNEXPECTED adverse events from the gene-mutating COVID jabs.

OB/GYN says covid jabs are triggering massive, unprecedented adverse events in pregnant women, babies.

Nearly 1.3 million adverse events linked to COVID-19 vaccines, reveal VAERS reports.

Sources include:

NewsPunch.com

PeterHalligan.Substack.com

NormanFenton.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) National Grid CEO John Pettigrew did not mince words at the latest Financial Times Energy Transition Summit. In the event of reduced gas imports from Europe and the US, Pettigrew warned that National Grid would have no choice but to impose rolling blackouts across the UK during those deepest darkest evenings in January and February. The blackouts will be more frequent the colder the nightly temperatures get, putting hundreds of thousands of elderly people at risk. This news comes on the heels of leaked media scripts and simulations suggesting rolling blackouts across Europe this winter.

Great Britain will likely see nightly power outages this winter

The National Grid CEO said households across Great Britain should prepare for blackouts between 4PM and 7PM on the coldest weekdays this winter. National Grid, which oversees Britains electricity and gas systems, is preparing for unlikely power outage scenarios that are becoming increasingly MORE LIKELY with each passing day.

Of course, Russian leaders are not going to succumb their leverage and rescue the UK with their once dependable, steady supply of Russian gas. All of Europe, Canada and the US have spent most of the year escalating the Ukraine conflict and imposing war-time sanctions on Russia. And it looks like Great Britain could take the full brunt of the blow back this winter.

The rest of Europe is not going to have enough energy supplies to ship out to the United Kingdom. Businesses in Germany and France are already collapsing due to high energy costs, and the full scale of winter has yet to hit. Germany has already begun to prepare for energy shortages by bolstering special federal police squads that will be used to disperse riots and maintain order.

Even though there is a large electricity inter-connector between France and Great Britain, it too could be cut back. France is currently struggling to maintain their nuclear reactors. A large percentage of their nuclear energy will be shut down for maintenance due to widespread corrosion. When things get tight this winter, France will take care of their people first.

Biden regime is putting the US at risk, as dwindling energy reserves are shipped to Europe

Furthermore, the incompetence in Washington D.C. and the downright sabotage of the American energy sector has strained energy supplies across the United States, driving up fuel prices and putting the entire diesel supply at risk.

Even though Joe Biden is currently depleting US strategic petroleum reserves and shipping gas to Europe, there will not be enough supply to go around once the US North East runs into a cold snap. When the winter hits full force, US energy exports will be diverted back to US consumers. The US would have had more than enough energy to go around, had the Biden regime not declared war on American energy. By shuttering interstate pipeline projects, by blocking oil drilling operations, the Biden regime destroyed American energy independence. Over the next two years, American will not be able to effectively lead on energy, as world war intensifies.

As such, Great Britain will not be able to rely on the rest of the world for energy this winter, not on Russia, Europe, or the US. The country has handicapped itself by implementing the UN climate change Net Zero Strategy, which seeks an end to the use of fossil fuels. To make matters worse, the New British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reinstated the fracking ban in accordance with UKs Net Zero Strategy. UKs ban on fracking may have no immediate effect on the energy shortage this winter, but the continued fracking ban will contribute to further energy shortages in the years ahead. Europe, especially the UK, should prepare for a dark winter of blackouts, outages, looting and societal chaos.

Sources include:

Wattsupwiththat.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com

Breitbart.com
Ancient viruses dating back as far as 15,000 years ago were found in melting glaciers in Tibet, according to a new study led by the United States.

The so-called frozen creatures re-emerge from the cold storage of melting permafrost, likely brought about by human-induced global warming.

Scientists are aware of the risk little is known about these viruses, which can have catastrophic consequences in the future.

Melting glaciers pose a threat to the environment and ecology of its immediate surroundings.

However, the ice melt itself has alarmed scientists regarding ancient viruses, long thought to be dead, coming back to haunt us.

Still, more research is needed as these pathogens came from a different a period, a time when biological and climatic conditions are unfamiliar in today's world.

In recent years, multiple studies have shown that scientists have also awakened frozen viruses in different parts of the world, including a 30,000-year-old giant virus unearthed beneath the Siberian permafrost.

Previous reports have also indicated that these microorganisms are still potentially dangerous, since our immune systems could be unfamiliar with these viruses from the past.

Tibet Ancient Viruses

The new research was published in the journal Microbiome, highlighting that the ancient viruses emerging from the melting Tibetan glaciers, also called the Guliya ice cap in the Tibetan Plateau, consist of dozens of unique 15,000-year-old viruses, as well as microbes and phages.

Authors of the research postulated these microbes came from the atmosphere at the time of their deposit.

The research team also admitted that, out of the 33 viruses they have discovered, 28 viruses had never been seen before.

Amidst the uncertainty, these viruses would survive and thrive in extreme environments, according to Ohio State University microbiologist Matthew Sullivan, as cited by Science Alert.

The team used metagenomics techniques and new methods for maintaining the sterilized ice core samples, which aims to get a better understanding of what lies beyond the cold.

These methods allowed the researchers to determine the microbes potentially represent the atmospheric concentrations they possess when they were buried under freezing ice.

Also Read: Ancient Neanderthal Viruses Found in Modern Human DNA

Giant Virus Returns

In March 2014, scientists claimed an ancient virus has come back to life after being dormant under the Siberian permafrost for at least 30,000 years.

It was found frozen in a deep layer of the thick ice. After being thawed, the virus became infectious again.

Professor Jean-Michel Claverie, from the University of Aix-Marseille in France, stated it was the first time humanity has seen a virus that is still infectious even after considerable length of time, as cited by the BBC.

However, these findings are already conventional as previous research have shown that pathogens and other microorganisms can survive under extreme environments.

With regard to the giant virus, French scientists said the contagion no longer poses any threat to humans or animals.

Nevertheless, other viruses could be released as the frozen ground becomes exposed, the UK media organization reported.

Related Article: How Ancient Virus DNAs Are Guarding Marsupials From Modern Diseases
Weather forecasts have observed potential tropical activities in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas.

A tropical system or tropical storm could emerge from the brewing system before or in November.

This week, meteorologists have monitored three brewing systems in Bermuda, the Caribbean, and the north of Puerto Rico.

Meanwhile, the report said a potential system could develop in the United States.

In previous reports, portions of the U.S suffered from severe weather conditions and thunderstorms, including in South-Central, Northeastern, Midwest, and Northwest.

Weather experts noted the rollercoaster pattern of the weather in the country, while some parts experienced moderate to extreme drought.

According to NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center's latest update, the low pressure in the eastern Caribbean Sea, from northward to the southwestern Atlantic, unleashed disorganized showers and thunderstorms.

Residents in the nearby areas should stay on track for the low pressure as it could bring heavy rains and gusty winds.

Meanwhile, AccuWeather's latest forecast, on October 28, said that there was a low chance that a tropical development could emerge in Bermuda waters this weekend.

In addition, beaches near Bermuda should watch out for hazards resulting in gusty onshore winds, minor coastal flooding during high tide, and strong rip currents.

The AccuWeather report also noted that another system in the Caribbean could occur this weekend between Bahama and Bermuda waters.

Furthermore, AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno explained that a tropical system that could develop in the Caribbean's western part beyond next week could affect and become trouble for the U.S, such as Florida.

AccuWeather reported that the steering winds in the south to the north could allow any Caribbean system to affect the Gulf of Mexico or Florida Straits.

Halloween in the United States

In recent reports, American enjoying the coming Halloween in a few days would expect a rainy weather forecast.

The Halloween outlook in the U.S is expected to receive rain in New York, North Carolina, Bat cave, and Kentucky.

Meanwhile, cooler temperatures would arrive in Portland, Los Angeles, Houston, and Chicago.

The forecast said to bring umbrellas or rain protection as rain would be expected during the first week of November while many Americans enjoy Halloween.

Also Read: Flooding, Mudslides Could Emerge in Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands Due to Continuous Rainfall

Based on the weather's outlook, AccuWeather reported a mild to cool and the stormy weather pattern in early November in the United States.

The report said that cool and stormy weather would unleash in San Francisco, Billings, Seattle, and Los Angeles.

The cool weather would help alleviate the warming temperature, and also it would be beneficial for many farmlands that are suffering from drought.

Meanwhile, the mild temperature is expected in New York, Kansas City, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Jacksonville, Memphis, Houston, Charlotte, and Washington.

Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico

In addition, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico could experience flooding due to unrelenting rainfall.

According to the previous forecast, potential flash flooding and rising sea waters could occur in the said areas, causing travel delays for many residents.

Residents staying in the coastal areas should expect rising sea water levels and stay updated with the weather development.

Related Article: Halloween Weather Forecast: Rainy Weather Expected in U.S. But Not Monster Snowstorm

For more similar, don't forget to follow Nature World News.
Climate crisis is fueling the unusual warmer temperatures in the United Kingdom and Europe for the month of October, according to experts.

Temperatures are expected to further increase this coming Halloween weekend.

The non-season, abnormal warm weather comes several months after the historic heat wave that gripped the continent, causing heat-related illnesses and deaths, as well as wildfires.

Climate scientists still retain the aspect that the warm conditions are part of a natural weather pattern.

However, it is reportedly evidence that the global climate change and global warming are contributing to the unprecedented dry conditions.

In particular, scientists claimed the relation between the warm temperatures and the climatic phenomenon is not always linear but are connected.

In general, the climate experts believe that the climate event is aggravating not only weather events but also daily average temperatures.

Some meteorologists earlier this year also linked the massive heat waves or heat domes in the UK and Europe with the climate problem.

In previous studies, climate models show that the changing climate could further worsen extreme weather events in the future.

Climate Crisis and Warmer Temperatures

Part of the jet stream is a natural weather pattern but the impact is being exacerbated by the climate crisis since it gives us not only warmer temperatures but also higher rainfall when we receive one, according to climate change expert Peter Stott, as cited by The Guardian.

The Met Office said it will not only be warm in the UK but also to mainland Europe in the coming days.

However, the warm weather is expected to drop in November.

Also Read: Climate Crisis: Europe Suffers Worst Honey Production

2022 Europe Heat Waves

The New York Times reported that Europe in July was not prepared for the extreme heat fueled by global warming.

The long-held temperature records were also surpassed in the UK when it reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

Similar records were also shattered in some European countries like Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands when the extreme heat wave engulfed the continent, according to The Guardian.

The recent European heatwave killed over 1,500 people, with Portugal having the highest number of death toll of more than 1,000, Portugal authorities reported.

Meanwhile, the Carlos II Health Institute only placed the heat-related deaths in Portugal to 510, as cited by ABC News.

In the UK, at least five people drowned to death when attempting to cool off in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs during the peak of the heat dome.

Paris Agreement

In recent years, British, European leaders, and other countries have joined a global collective effort to mitigate the impact of climate crisis under the United Nations-led Paris Agreement, also known as the Paris Climate Agreement or Paris Treaty.

Under the agreement, member states are required to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to achieve the objective of decreasing the global temperature.

Nevertheless, a previous UN report this year highlight the unfulfilled pledges of member countries to lessen the heat-absorbing and environment-damaging greenhouse gases.

The Paris Climate Accords aims to lessen the world's temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius or pre-industrial levels.

One of the major demands of the treat is to lessen the burning of fossil fuels, an industrial human activity attributed to the climate crisis.

Related Article: Parts of Europe Are Experiencing Another Heatwave, and the Met Office Has Issued a Yellow Rain Warning
A Nazi patrol boat sank in the North Sea back in 1942 but toxic chemicals are still spewing from it even after 80 years, according to a new study led by Belgium. The historic Nazi shipwreck reportedly underwent toxic chemical leakage, affecting marine sediments and its immediate marine environment. Scientists are concerned there are environmental repercussions but, there is still a glimpse of positivity.

The new research confirms the sunken boat is still polluting the seafloor around it, affecting the microbiology and geochemistry of the seafloor around it. However, there are reported signs that marine life is adapting to the leakage, which includes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's) from the ship's fuel, heavy metals, and explosives. Furthermore, this is also likely the case for other wartime shipwrecks.

North Sea Nazi Shipwreck

The new paper about the discovered North Sea Nazi shipwreck was published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science on October 18, which highlights that historic shipwrecks like the old Nazi war ship form an anthropogenic landmark in a marine environment. Yet, its impact on local geochemistry and microbiology remains mostly unexplored.

To address this gap, the researchers sampled sediment and steel hull around the World War II Nazi shipwreck V-1302 John Mahn, located off the coast of Belgium at a depth of 115 feet. The research team found that PAH's level indicates the shipwreck is still "influencing" the surrounding sediments. However, the effect depends on which side of the Nazi wreck the seafloor is nearby.

Also Read: 'Ghost Ship' Sunken During World War II Resurfaced from the Depths Due to Volcanic Activities

Sign of Marine Life

The paper highlights that there are some signs marine life adapted to the capsized wreck, wherein some bacteria are still eating the sunken ship's metallic remains.

Furthermore, the new study has a premise based on past research, estimating that shipwrecks that have sunk during World War I and World Ward II may be around 2.5 million, weighing around 20.4 million metric tons of petroleum products, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

World War II Shipwrecks

The team suggests this chemical and geological phenomenon could also be the case for thousands of wartime shipwrecks in the North Sea, which is situated between the British Isles and the mainland Europe. Amidst the multitude of wrecks, the Belgian study has chosen the said Nazi vessel due to certain unique factors.

Project leader Maarten De Rijcke, who works as a researcher with the Flanders Marine Institute in Belgium, informed Live Science that they chose V-!302 John Mann since its position in the North Sea gives enough hydrological conditions. In addition, it is also away from shipping lines, within the range of good visibility, and located in an accessible depth.

In February 1942, the shipwreck of the German Kriegsmarine sank to the bottom of the North Sea. The John Mann was initially a German fishing trawler since its launched in 1927. Still, it became a World War II war boat under the control of Germany's Nazi Part, founded by the German Workers' Party.

Related Article: World War II Boat Emerges as Waters at Lake Mead Declines
For Kenyan farmers suffering from drought, thirsty elephants present a new dilemma. Due to increased competition for resources, residents in Taita-Taveta county have had to devise inventive methods of keeping wildlife at bay.

Elephants and Farmers

Francis Mutuku didn't worry about how he would provide for himself or a future family when he moved to Marungu, in Kenya's south-eastern Taita-Taveta district, 35 years ago.

Back then, he would harvest roughly 60 bags of maize and 20 bags of mung beans, which would be enough to have an excess to sell. The rains would fall on schedule.

However, Mutuku seemed sad when the Guardian encountered him on the same plot of the property last month. Because he is not sure when the rains will arrive, he cannot plant in the newly formed field quite yet. The third straight year of drought has impacted both people and animals.

According to experts, they are suffering because wealthy nations have contaminated the environment, adds Mutuku.

Elephants, in particular, have been drawn closer to farmers like Mutuku due to the drought in the Tsavo protected area. These animals are searching the region for food and water. An elephant that is fully grown may eat 200 kg of dry mass and 200 liters of water each day.

Two adult and seven baby elephants had visited Mutuku's house the week before our arrival, destroying his water storage tanks.

Also Read: Extreme Heat and Drought Pushed Desperate Elephants to Destroy Homes in China

Thirsty Giants

According to Rachel Kennedy, who lives near Mutuku, the movement of the elephants determines when her three children walk to and from school. The effects of the drought gradually reduce wild animals' dread of humans.

She claims, "When we plant, they come." "They still come even when we don't plant. Although they have grown accustomed to the noise, we beat the iron sheet roofing on our houses. They are not scared off when we shine flashlights on them. When confronted by a herd of 14 elephants, little can be done.

According to the previous year's wildlife census results, 37% of Kenya's elephant population, or approximately 15,000 elephants, reside in the Tsavo environment. In addition, despite the nation's efforts to increase the number of elephants, Najib Balala, the departing tourism minister, claimed earlier this year that the climate issue was killing "20 times more elephants than poaching."

Between January and June of this year, 179 elephants in Kenya perished due to drought; according to Balala, the country "had neglected to invest in biodiversity management."

Now, the local population is compelled to employ creative strategies to ward off roving elephants. "I feel compelled to keep water in the drinking trough intended for my cows so that elephants can drink and save the adjoining concrete tank from damage when they arrive. To prevent encounters with elephants, I relocated my cows to my ancestral home, which is more than 50 kilometers distant, claims Kennedy.

Taking Actions

Community development officer Mary Wangio Wanyika works for the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF). Her task includes educating the neighborhood's residents about conservation and assisting them in coping with the drought.

We have written policies and claims, Wanyika. "Let's go to the people, listen to them, and help them become more robust. We will converse, but if nothing changes on the ground, there is little we can do to help the woman who is hiking 20 kilometers in search of water. All initiatives must be centered on the people.

Related Article: Climate Change is Pushing Gentle Elephants to Turn Hostile and Attack Humans

For the most recent updates from the animal kingdom, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
According to information published by the UK MoD on October 28, 2022, the Royal Navys amphibious flagship visited Egypt as part of a busy autumn deployment in the Mediterranean. HMS Albion, leading the UKs Littoral Response Group (North), spent time in Alexandria before working alongside the Egyptian Navy.

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Royal Navy's amphibious transport dock HMS Albion. (Picture source: UK MoD)

On behalf of the British Embassy in Cairo, HMS Albion also hosted senior diplomatic and military personnel from Egypt and other partner nations during a reception and capability demonstration.

Guests were shown around a Wildcat Maritime Attack helicopter, saw a Puma remotely-piloted air system and were given a demonstration of a Dragon Runner bomb disposal robot.

Shortly after leaving Alexandria Naval Base, HMS Albion worked alongside Egyptian frigate ENS Taba, strengthening the knowledge of those on both ships.

The two warships carried out a series of manoeuvres, including a passing exercise, practising how two navies are able to safely communicate and cooperate when operating in close proximity to one another.

About the HMS Albion

HMS Albion is an amphibious transport dock of the Royal Navy, the first of the two-ship Albion class. Built by BAE Systems Marine in Barrow-in-Furness, Albion was launched in March 2001 by Princess Royal.

The Albion-class LPDs have a length of 176 metres (577 ft), a breadth of 28.9 metres (94 ft 10 in), and a draught of 7.1 metres (23 ft 4 in). They have a normal displacement of 14,000 tonnes (14,000 long tons; 15,000 short tons), 19,560 tonnes (19,250 long tons; 21,560 short tons) at full load and 21,000 tonnes (21,000 long tons; 23,000 short tons) when the dock is flooded. The ships have a crew of 325 and can accommodate up to 405 troops, including their vehicles and combat supplies, in overload conditions.

Designed as an amphibious warfare ship, Albion carries troops, normally Royal Marines, and vehicles up to the size of the Challenger 2 main battle tank. She can deploy these forces using four Landing Craft Utility (LCUs) and four Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel (LCVPs). A flight deck supports helicopter operations.
Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund (PIF) will set up five firms aimed at investing $24 billion in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Oman and Sudan, PIF announced at the sixth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII).

The newly set up FII Institute also announced investments in two innovative tech solutions designed to drive sustainability in agriculture and fishing. The first is a $579,430 investment in Dogtooth Technologies, a UK-based tech start-up that develops and sells autonomous fruit picking robots, helping to reduce crop wastage and cut CO2 emissions arising from fruit production.

The Institute is also investing $500,000 in Seafood Souq, featured in the United Nations Ocean Decade Special edition. Seafood Souq is a technology company offering a vertically integrated digital solution for global seafood trade, traceability and financing in support of the Blue transformation.

Membership Programme

In addition, the Institute launched its new exclusive Membership Programme, giving global investors and change makers a chance to join its growing community.

The FII Institute Membership Programme will provide members with exclusive access to its knowledge platform, which includes a wide range of reports and world-leading research from global universities and organisations.

Moreover, it announced the launch of the 'Algoritmi Prize' with support from global research publisher Springer Nature. The annual science and technology prize will celebrate artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics research that has the potential to produce real-world solutions that address global challenges.

15 firms take part in carbon credit sale

PIF and Tadawul Group announced the results of the VCM carbon marketplace to accelerate the transition to a carbon neutral future, which is integral to Saudi Arabia's efforts to achieve net-zero goals by 2060. Fifteen Saudi and regional entities took part in the largest-ever carbon credit sale, and credits were purchased by companies including Aramco, Olayan Financing Company and Saudi Arabian Mining Company.

The second day of FII opened with a conversation between CEO of the FII Institute, Richard Attias and Founding Partner of Trian Fund Management, Nelson Peltz, about how to ensure long-term success throughout the ongoing global changes.

The conversation was followed by a plenary discussion titled "The Pulse on Global Macrofinance" where Mohammed Al Jadaan, Saudi Minister of Finance; Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, Bahraini Minister of Finance and National Economy; and Steven Mnuchin, Managing Partner of Liberty Strategic Capital, shared their thoughts on how globalisation is impacting global markets.

The sixth edition of FII will conclude on Thursday October 27 with wrap-up discussions on sports, fintech, sustainability and the future of Africa.-- TradeArabia News Service
Reporter

Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey).
Reporter

Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 28 (UNI) Kuwait's Jazeera Airways will begin service from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on October 30.

The first phase of Jazeera's service in 2 days a week is in addition to Kuwait Airways, which operates 3 days a week in the same sector, a release said.

The flight departs Thiruvananthapuram on Mondays and Wednesdays at 2.50 am and reaches Kuwait at 5.55 am (Local time).

The flight departs from Kuwait at 6.25 pm and reaches Thiruvananthapuram at 2.05 am. A 320 aircraft with a capacity of 160 passengers will be used for the service. This will be Jazeera's second service to Kerala.

With the arrival of budget airline Jazeera, travelers from South Kerala and Tamil Nadu can travel to Kuwait at low cost. Booking for flight service has started.

UNI DS PRT
In a trial matching new treatments to cancer patients based on the genetic make-up of their tumors, 22% of the patients treated with the AKT inhibitor drug ipatasertib had their tumors shrink. This included patients with breast cancer and endometrial cancer as well as two rarer forms  anal and salivary gland. In the majority of the other patients (56%) their cancer remained stable, meaning their tumors neither shrank nor grew.

The research involved a small number of patients with advanced cancers. The results were presented today (Friday) at the 34th EORTC-NCI-AACR [1] Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Barcelona, Spain, by Dr Carolyn McCourt from Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, USA.

Ipatasertib is an AKT inhibitor, meaning that it works by blocking a protein called AKT. AKT helps healthy cells grow and multiply, but genetic changes in some tumors mean this protein can also allow cancer cells to grow and spread.

Although we have known about the role of AKT in cancer for decades, there are currently no AKT inhibitors that have approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. Recently, several clinical trials have tested AKT inhibitors either alone or in combination with other treatments with some success." Dr Carolyn McCourt, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, USA

The new research is part of a larger study, called NCI-MATCH, that aims to determine whether cancer patients can be treated successfully by selecting therapies that target gene abnormalities found in their tumors, rather than by cancer type. NCI-MATCH is co-led by the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group and the National Cancer Institute, part of the US National Institutes of Health.

In this part of the study, patients all had tumors with a very specific genetic alteration called AKT1 E17K. This mutation is estimated to be present in up to 4% of breast tumors, around 2% of endometrial tumors, and a small proportion of other solid tumors.

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The majority of the 32 patients treated with ipatasertib in the study had already tried at least three other types of treatment. During the trial, patients took ipatasertib orally once every day in cycles of 28 days and continued as long as they were well enough and the treatment continued to work.

In an estimated 44% of patients, their tumors did not grow for at least six months while taking ipatasertib.

The most common side effects that patients experienced were diarrhea and nausea.

Dr McCourt told the Symposium: "This is a relatively small patient population and we do not have a large number of each individual tumor type. However, we have found signs that this treatment could be working for some patients.

"We need to do more research to understand why some patients' tumors did not respond to ipatasertib, while other patients experienced a prolonged time when their disease remained stable on this treatment. We also need to investigate whether we can combine ipatasertib with other drugs to improve the outcome for more patients."

The research team plan to analyze tumor samples further to look for any other clues that could help predict which patients will or will not benefit from taking this treatment.

Professor Ruth Plummer from Newcastle University, UK, is co-chair of the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium and was not involved in the research. She said: "NCI-MATCH gives patients an opportunity to receive targeted therapies based on the genetic changes in their tumor, rather than where in the body their tumor began to grow. It is an important trial because it involves patients with many different types of tumors. This includes particularly rare types of cancer, for which no standard treatments currently exist. It also offers alternative options for patients with cancers that have not responded to current recommended treatments."
An article published in Science Advances suggests that a type of cancer treatment known as immune checkpoint blockade may be beneficial in certain cases of severe COVID-19. The creators of this therapy, which can successfully activate the immune system to fight cancer, won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

The findings reported by the authors were based on experiments involving cells from patients treated in intensive care units (ICUs) after being infected by SARS-CoV-2, and mice infected by MHV-A59 (murine hepatitis virus A59), another betacoronavirus.

"PD-1 blockade is one of the known immune checkpoint therapies and one of the therapies we analyzed in the study. It tells T lymphocytes [a type of white blood cell] to stop responding to infection after a time so that the response is not excessive. In cases of cancer, sepsis and severe COVID-19, however, PD-1 makes T cells stop functioning even before the disease has been resolved and must therefore be blocked," said Pedro Moraes-Vieira, one of the leaders of the study.

Moraes-Vieira is a professor at the State University of Campinas's Institute of Biology (IB-UNICAMP) in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and supported by FAPESP.

Another co-author is Gustavo Gastao Davanzo, a PhD candidate at IB-UNICAMP with a scholarship from FAPESP.

These are very expensive treatments, but we believe it could be a viable option because there aren't as many critical patients as there were at the start of the pandemic, provided further research confirms that it's safe for COVID-19 patients." Pedro Moraes-Vieira, Professor, State University of Campinas's Institute of Biology, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Murine coronavirus

The hypothesis tested in the study arose when Uruguayan researchers (co-authors of the article) observed that mice that did not express the protein TMEM176D responded more acutely to infection by MHV-A59. This protein regulates inflammasomes, protein complexes deployed by the innate immune system to trigger inflammation as a weapon against tumors, viruses and bacteria.

Inflammasome activation is more intense without TMEM176D. More inflammatory cytokines are released, including interleukin-1 beta (IL-1), which is known to play a role in severe COVID-19 (more at: agencia.fapesp.br/34732/).

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"Excessive release of IL-1 leads to T lymphocyte dysfunction, which we call T cell exhaustion," Moraes-Vieira said. "These cells are so strongly activated that they can no longer respond adequately. This is common in chronic viral diseases like severe COVID-19, as we found in a study conducted early in the pandemic."

An article on the study in question, published in 2020 in Cell Metabolism, is one of the most cited articles published in this journal in the last three years and motivated the Uruguayan team to propose a partnership (more at: agencia.fapesp.br/33296/).

In the trials involving mice, treatment with a PD-1 inhibitor restored T cell functionality. In addition, the researchers had access to blood from healthy donors and COVID-19 patients hospitalized at two institutions in Montevideo, Uruguay's capital.

Experiments involving healthy cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 were conducted at UNICAMP's Laboratory of Emerging Virus Studies (LEVE) headed by Professor Jose Luiz Proenca Modena, a co-author of the article, with support from FAPESP.

In trials involving human blood samples, only cells that came from patients in intensive care benefited from the administration of atezolizumab, a PD-1 inhibitor used in the study. This was because of inflammasome overactivation leading to exhaustion and dysfunction of adaptive immunity in these patients.

The findings should be considered with caution, the researchers warn. Studies involving cancer patients who were treated in this manner before contracting COVID-19 showed no benefits or pointed to negative results.

In one study, administration of the therapy before viral infection did not lead to an improvement in COVID-19. In another study, involving 423 patients, there were more cases of hospitalization and severe disease among those who had been given the inhibitor. On the other hand, a clinical trial of PD-1 inhibitors in sepsis patients showed the therapy to be safe. More research will therefore be needed to glean a deeper understanding of the effects of the treatment in the context of COVID-19.
Lancaster University is part of the Malaria Modellers in Africa consortium (MaModAfrica) which has been awarded a multi-million-pound contract by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

MaModAfrica is a partnership between 19 institutions from Africa, Europe, Australia and the US which are dedicated to building malaria modeling capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr Luigi Sedda from the Ecology and Epidemiology Group at Lancaster Medical School will support the development of MSc courses and a PhD program around geospatial modeling for optimal malaria surveillance and control.

This is exciting news for us that will contribute to the reputation of Lancaster Medical School as a world center of excellence for training and research in spatial epidemiology and tropical diseases. This latest award is instrumental in increasing the impact of current interventions against malaria and other infectious diseases in Africa which still kill more than one million people each year. Dr Luigi Sedda, Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Lancaster Medical School

The three-year initiative will develop transdisciplinary and transnational masters (MSc) and doctoral (PhD) academic programs, with the aim of increasing the number of academically trained malaria modelers in sub-Saharan Africa, bridging the gap between academic modeling and operational need, and creating an open, collaborative, sustainable platform of mathematicians, statisticians, geospatial modelers, translational scientists and decision makers.

Apart from Lancaster University, the other institutions involved include the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Universite dAbomey-Calavi in Benin, Polytechnic University of Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso, Swiss Center for Scientific Research in Cote dIvoire, Mount Kenya University, Manhica Health Research Centre in Mozambique, the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, Center for Impact Innovation and Capacity Building in HIS and Nutrition and University of Rwanda, Thies University and the University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar in Senegal, Malaria Atlas Project, Curtin University, and Telethon Kids Institute in Australia, the Clinton Health Access Initiative in US and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and Medicines for Malaria Venture in Switzerland.

During the program, 30 master students and 8 PhD students will be trained in malaria modeling for public health interventions. The programs will start in autumn 2023.

Dr Sedda said: We are looking forward to welcoming and hosting some of the students in the coming years.
We tend to eat, drink, and move less when we're feeling under the weather. And we're not alone-;most animals reduce those same three behaviors when they're fighting an infection.

Now, a new study pinpoints the cluster of neurons that control these responses, referred to as sickness behaviors. By provoking immune responses in mice, researchers demonstrated that a specific population of cells in the brainstem potently induce three telltale sickness behaviors. In addition, inhibiting these neurons blunts each of these behavioral elements of the sickness response. The findings, published in Nature, directly link inflammation to neural pathways regulating behavior, offering insight into how the immune system interacts with the brain.

We are still in the early days of trying to understand the brain's role in infection. But with these results, we now have a unique opportunity to ask: What does your brain look like when you're sick?" Jeffrey M. Friedman, Marilyn M. Simpson Professor at The Rockefeller University

Sickness behaviors have been shown to play an important role in an animal's recovery from an infection. Prior studies have bolstered that theory by demonstrating that animals forced to eat when they're sick showed a significantly increased mortality. "These behavioral changes during infection are really important for survival," says lead author Anoj Ilanges, a former graduate student in Friedman's lab, now a group leader at the HHMI Janelia Research Campus

But it has never been clear how the brain coordinates that near-universal urge to refuse meals and curl up under the covers with the onset of infection. So Friedman and Ilanges set out to map the brain regions behind sickness behaviors in mice.

The team began by exposing mice to LPS, a piece of bacterial cell wall that activates the immune system and potently induces sickness behavior. Shortly after an injection of LPS, there was a spike in activity in a brainstem region known as the dorsal vagal complex, among a population of neurons expressing the neuropeptide ADCYAP1. To confirm that they had found the right brain cells, the researchers then activated those neurons in healthy mice and they found that the animals ate, drank, and moved around less. In contrast, when the ADCYAP1 neurons were deactivated , the effect of LPS on these behaviors was significantly reduced.

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"We didn't know if the same or different neurons regulated each of these behaviors," Friedman says, "We found it surprising that a single neuronal population appears to regulate each of these components of the sickness response."

The authors were not, however, altogether surprised that this brainstem region was involved in mediating sickness behaviors. The dorsal vagal complex is one of a precious few physiological crossroads of the central nervous system, where an absence of the blood brain barrier enables circulating factors in the blood to pass information directly to the brain. "This region has emerged as a kind of alert center for the brain, conveying information about aversive or noxious substances that, more often than not, reduce food intake," Friedman says.

In the coming months, Friedman's team at Rockefeller intends to incorporate these findings into their overall goal of understanding the physiological signals and neural circuitry that regulate feeding behavior. They are specifically interested in understanding why even mice engineered to eat voraciously will nonetheless stop eating when exposed to bacterial infections.

Meanwhile, Ilanges plans to investigate what role other brain regions play in response to infections, expanding our knowledge of the brain's role during this critical process. "We looked at one region of the brain, but there are many others that become activated with the immune response," he says. "This opens the door to asking what the brain is doing, holistically, during infection."
Researchers at Oregon State University and Oregon Health & Science University have taken a key step toward improving and lengthening the lives of cystic fibrosis patients, who experience chronically clogged airways and a dramatically shortened life expectancy.

The team of scientists and clinicians has engineered inhalable lipid nanoparticles that can effectively deliver messenger RNA to the lungs, prompting lung cells to manufacture the protein that thwarts the disease.

Findings were published in ACS Nano.

The research was led by postdoctoral scholar Jeonghwan Kim and Gaurav Sahay, an associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the OSU College of Pharmacy who studies lipid nanoparticles, or LNPs, as a gene delivery vehicle with a focus on cystic fibrosis. Lipids are fatty acids and similar organic compounds including many natural oils and waxes, and nanoparticles are tiny pieces of material ranging in size from one- to 100-billionths of a meter.

Cystic fibrosis is a progressive genetic disorder that results in persistent lung infection and affects 30,000 people in the U.S., with about 1,000 new cases identified every year. More than three-quarters of patients are diagnosed by age 2, and despite steady advances in alleviating complications, the median life expectancy is still just 40 years.

One faulty gene  the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, or CFTR  causes the disease, which is characterized by lung dehydration and mucous buildup that blocks the airway.

In 2018, Sahay and other scientists and clinicians at OSU and Oregon Health & Science University demonstrated proof-of-concept for a new therapy: loading chemically modified CFTR messenger RNA into LNPs, opening the door to molecular medicine that could be inhaled at home.

The mRNA-loaded nanoparticles cause cells to correctly make a protein needed for the regulation of chloride and water transport, which is critical to healthy respiratory function.

In the current mouse model study, Sahay and collaborators including Kelvin MacDonald, an OHSU physician who treats cystic fibrosis patients, designed and manufactured nanoparticles with special features that allow them to more effectively ferry their molecular payload to lung cells.

Lipid nanoparticles have been successful in delivering mRNA in vaccines, but an inhalation-based mRNA therapy has continued to be a challenge. LNPs tend to break apart from shear stress during aerosolization, which leads to ineffective delivery." Gaurav Sahay, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, OSU College of Pharmacy

What's needed, he explains, are LNPs tough enough to endure nebulization and to penetrate sticky mucus yet maneuverable enough to execute a key move once inside a cell  they must escape from a compartment known as an endosome into the cytosol, where the delivered genes can perform their intended function.

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Sahay co-authored a paper in 2020 showing that LNPs with phytosterols  plant-based molecules chemically similar to cholesterol  were tens to hundreds of times better at performing the endosomal escape; the phytosterols changed the shape of the nanoparticles from spherical to polyhedral and caused them to move faster.

In the latest study, the researchers used the cholesterol analog beta-sitosterol with a PEG (polyethylene glycol) lipid to tackle the durability and maneuverability challenges.

"Increase PEG concentrations in the LNPs made for better shear resistance and mucus penetration, and -sitosterol created that polyhedral shape that facilitates escape from the endosome," Sahay said. "Inhaled LNPs resulted in localized protein production in the mouse lung without toxicity, either in the lungs or systemically, and repeated administration led to sustained protein production in the lungs."

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation supported this research, which also included Elissa Bloom, Christopher Acosta and Antony Jozic of the College of Pharmacy as well as scientists from Duke University.

To continue expanding the frontiers of LNP-based science and medicine, Sahay and four other faculty from Oregon State University recently launched the Center for Innovative Drug Delivery and Imaging, or CIDDI.

Hosted by the College of Pharmacy, CIDDI received a $700,000 grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to purchase equipment for a manufacturing facility in the field of translational nanomedicine  the merger of nanoparticle theory and technology in pursuit of preventing and treating disease.

The grant was awarded to Sahay and seven other investigators from OSU and OHSU. CIDDI is located at the Robertson Life Science Building, built in Portland's South Waterfront area to house scientists from Oregon State University, OHSU and Portland State University.

OSU and OHSU are providing an additional $600,000 of funding to further strengthen partnerships between Oregon's universities and provide next-generation translational nanomedicines for the benefit of Oregon and beyond, Sahay said.

Sahay and Oleh Taratula of the College of Pharmacy are CIDDI's directors, and pharmacy colleagues Olena Taratula, Adam Alani and Conroy Sun are also founding members.
Researchers at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) and UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (UCL GOS ICH) have used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to engineer donor T cells to try to treat seriously ill children with resistant leukaemia, who had otherwise exhausted all available therapies.

This Phase I trial, published in Science Translational Medicine, is the first use of 'universal' CRISPR-edited cells in humans and represents a significant step forward in the use of gene-edited cells for cancer treatment. As part of the trial the research team, built and applied a new generation of 'universal' genome-edited T cells, which builds on previous work that had used older, less accurate technology.

T cells were modified using CRISPR which makes a cut in the cells' DNA and insert a genetic code. In this case this piece of genetic code allows the T cells to express a receptor - called a chimeric antigen reception (CAR) - that can recognize a marker on the surface of cancerous B cells and then destroy them. The T cells were then gene-edited using CRISPR so that they could be used 'off the shelf' without any donor matching needed.

While a number of CAR T-cell therapies are now being provided by the NHS, they rely on collecting and engineering a patient's own cells. This is expensive and is not always feasible or possible in a short period of time. Genome editing is being investigated to allow donated cells to be pre-manufactured and used in multiple patients, aiming to reduce costs and make the treatments more accessible.

In specialist clean rooms at GOSH, researchers manufactured their banks of donor CAR T-cells using a single disabled virus to transfer both the CAR and a CRISPR guidance system, and then applied cutting-edge mRNA technology to activate the gene editing steps. Donors were all healthy volunteers from the UK and provided by the Anthony Nolan Registry.

The trial

Six children aged 14 months to 11 years with relapsed and treatment-resistant B-ALL have been treated up to February 2022. All of the children had previously been through standard UK treatments for B-ALL but had sadly seen their disease return multiple times.

Patients were infused with the edited cells that were expected to be active for around four weeks. This is long enough to hopefully achieve deep remission, a state where their cancer is dramatically reduced or undetectable. When successful, patients were then eligible to follow through with a bone marrow stem cell transplant to help re-establish a healthy immune system.

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Four of the first six children treated entered remission within 28 days, which allowed them to receive a stem cell transplant. Of those four children, two children remain in ongoing remission 9 months and 18 months after treatment respectively, while sadly two relapsed following their stem cell transplant.

In this study overall side effects were within expectations and were managed in hospital, with one patient requiring a short period of intensive care.

Professor Waseem Qasim, Consultant Immunologist at GOSH and Professor of Cell and Gene Therapy at UCL GOS ICH lead author, said:

"This kind of unresponsive leukemia is thankfully very rare, but we are pleased to be able to bring new therapies into play for some of the most difficult-to-treat childhood leukemias, especially when all other options have been exhausted.

"Whilst there are challenges to overcome, this study is a promising demonstration of how emerging genome-editing technologies can be used to tackle unmet health needs in some of the sickest children we see."

The children treated in this study were facing the worst possible prognosis with their disease. It is only possible for us to save more young lives though clinical trials, and we are forever grateful to all the families who have been involved in this study that will help more children in the future." Professor Ajay Vora, Consultant Hematologist and Leukemia specialist at GOSH

Dr Kanchan Rao, Consultant in Bone Marrow Transplant at GOSH said:

"This study adds to the growing body of evidence that genome-edited T cells can be a viable alternative to currently available treatments. Whilst this hasn't been successful in all cases, for some children in this study it has been life-saving."

The next step is for researchers to offer the treatment to more children, earlier in their treatment pathways when their cancers have not progressed so far.

Professor Qasim's team are based at the Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Disease in Childhood, a partnership between UCL GOS ICH and GOSH.

This research was funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research, the NIHR GOSH Biomedical Research Centre and the Medical Research Council. The research team wish to thank Anthony Nolan for providing the donor T-cells and all of the donors who donate to the register.
The prognosis for the sick child, who hadn't responded to standard treatment, was dire. But a team of Rutgers physicians believed there might be hope despite the conventional wisdom against pursuing any further treatment.

What happened over the course of the next few weeks in that autumn of 2020  described as a case study in the European Medical Journal  was notable and representative of a newer approach in successfully treating a mysterious disease, the physicians said.

The study highlights the medical case of a 5-year-old girl suffering from anti-NMDAR (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor) encephalitis, a rare, difficult-to-diagnose malfunction of the brain. Unresponsive to treatments, the child had been transferred to a rehabilitation center and been in a catatonic state for three months when a team of Rutgers physicians were called in to help.

The autoimmune disease believed to be triggered by both environmental and genetic factors has also been the topic of a bestselling book by New York Post writer Susannah Cahalan. She described her medical ordeal suffering from anti-NMDAR encephalitis and recovery in her 2012 memoir, "Brain on Fire." The title of the book, and the 2016 Netflix movie that followed, comes from a phrase used by Cahalan's treating physician to describe the catastrophic brain inflammation that ultimately rendered the reporter trance-like until she was cured.

"With autoimmune diseases, the body attacks a specific system it mistakenly identifies as foreign," said Vikram Bhise, an author of the case study and an associate professor of pediatrics and neurology and director of the Division of Child Neurology and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. "In the case of anti-NMDAR encephalitis, the body attacks the NMDA receptors in the brain. This causes a massive malfunction exhibited by a combination of psychiatric, cognitive and motor problems." (NMDA receptors are brain structures that play an important role in learning and memory.)

Bhise and two other Rutgers physicians entered the case after the child's mother requested a second opinion and the family's attending physician reached out to Bhise. The mother told the Rutgers team that, after a rapid phase of degeneration of mental state and body function, the child had remained immobile and unresponsive.

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Generally, time is of the essence in treating autoimmune diseases and the standard of care dictates that no treatment is useful if too much time has passed, Bhise said. Most of the time, any damage caused by the disease can't be undone.

Bhise instructed for the child to be admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit at The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and decided to try one more treatment.

I said, 'You know, a lot of time has gone by. But I think you still have to try these things.'" Vikram Bhise, Study Author

The child had been given a course of steroids, pooled antibodies and a long-term immunosuppressant. Bhise and his team decided to administer a series of blood plasma exchanges designed to reset the immune system by cleaning out all the inflammation in the bloodstream.

They saw progress almost instantly.

"Within one or two exchanges, the mom said, 'Hey, I think something's a little different,'" Bhise said. "I mean, no one knew this child better than her mom."

As they continued with the treatment, ultimately with nearly a dozen more plasma exchanges, the child improved steadily until she had made a full recovery.

"I think the lesson that we've learned here is that you can still treat this disease after time has passed," Bhise said. "You shouldn't stop trying. This is important to know so that other folks in the field do not prematurely give up when they see children  and probably adults as well  with difficult-to-treat anti-NMDAR encephalitis."

Other Rutgers physicians who were members of the medical team and authors of the case study included Yisha Cheng, a resident physician in pediatric medicine and a 2020 graduate of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; and Dalya Chefitz, a physician in the department of pediatrics and director of the division of pediatric hospital medicine at The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
New research from King's College London has found that seeing or hearing birds is associated with an improvement in mental wellbeing that can last up to eight hours.

This improvement was also evident in people with a diagnosis of depression  the most common mental illness worldwide  indicating the potential role of birdlife in helping those with mental health conditions.

Published in Scientific Reports, the study used smartphone application Urban Mind to collect people's real-time reports of mental wellbeing alongside their reports of seeing or hearing birdsong.

This project was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre and the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South London.

There is growing evidence on the mental health benefits of being around nature and we intuitively think that the presence of birdsong and birds would help lift our mood. However, there is little research that has actually investigated the impact of birds on mental health in real-time and in a real environment. By using the Urban Mind app we have for the first time showed the direct link between seeing or hearing birds and positive mood. We hope this evidence can demonstrate the importance of protecting and providing environments to encourage birds, not only for biodiversity but for our mental health." Ryan Hammoud, Lead Author, Research Assistant, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London

The study took place between April 2018 and October 2021, with 1,292 participants completing 26,856 assessments using the Urban Mind app, developed by King's College London, landscape architects J&L Gibbons and arts foundation Nomad Projects.

Participants were recruited worldwide, with the majority being based in the United Kingdom, the European Union and United States of America.

The app asked participants three times a day whether they could see or hear birds, followed by questions on mental wellbeing to enable researchers to establish an association between the two and to estimate how long this association lasted.

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The study also collected information on existing diagnoses of mental health conditions and found hearing or seeing birdlife was associated with improvements in mental wellbeing in both healthy people and those with depression. Researchers showed that the links between birds and mental wellbeing were not explained by co-occurring environmental factors such the presence of trees, plants, or waterways.

Senior author, Andrea Mechelli, Professor of Early Intervention in Mental Health at IoPPN, King's College London said: "The term ecosystem services is often used to describe the benefits of certain aspects of the natural environment on our physical and mental health. However, it can be difficult to prove these benefits scientifically. Our study provides an evidence base for creating and supporting biodiverse spaces that harbor birdlife, since this is strongly linked with our mental health. In addition, the findings support the implementation of measures to increase opportunities for people to come across birdlife, particularly for those living with mental health conditions such as depression."

Research partner & Landscape Architect Jo Gibbons, of J & L Gibbons said: "Who hasn't tuned into the melodic complexities of the dawn chorus early on a spring morning? A multi-sensory experience that seems to enrich everyday life, whatever our mood or whereabouts. This exciting research underpins just how much the sight and sound of birdsong lifts the spirits. It captures intriguing evidence that a biodiverse environment is restorative in terms of mental wellbeing. That the sensual stimulation of birdsong, part of those daily 'doses' of nature, is precious and time-lasting."

The study, 'Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment reveals mental health benefits of birdlife' was published in Scientific Reports.

This study has been funded by the Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London and the NIHR Applied Research Collaborative South London.
The University of California San Diego will be one of multiple sites assessing the safety and efficacy of tecovirimat as a potential treatment for human monkeypox. Marketed as TPOXX, tecovirimat is an antiviral currently approved for treatment of human smallpox in adults and children caused by the variola virus.

The Study of Tecovirimat for Human Monkeypox Virus (STOMP) is a Phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and led by the AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG), the world's largest and longest running HIV clinical trials network. The AntiViral Research Center (AVRC) at UC San Diego School of Medicine is part of ACTG.

There is an urgent need for MPOX treatments and this study will help us determine whether tecovirimat should be one of them. People living in the San Diego region who have confirmed or probable Mpox have the opportunity to make a huge contribution by participating in this study." Susan Little, MD, professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and infectious disease specialist at UC San Diego Health, co-director of AVRC and lead investigator of the UC San Diego site STOMP trial

The current monkeypox or MPOX outbreak emerged in the spring of 2022 and has since spread throughout the world, with more than 75,000 cases in 109 countries and more than 28,000 cases in the United States. The County of San Diego has documented 440 cases, as of October 22.

MPOX was first identified in 1958 and has caused an increasing number of infections annually in endemic countries, primarily portions of Africa. The current outbreak has been characterized primarily by increased person-to-person transmission. Close contact during sexual activity is believed to play an important role in the current outbreak. While most cases have been reported among men who have sex with men, women, children and men who have sex with women have also been infected. There are currently no therapies approved to treat human MPOX.

TPOXX is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat smallpox, but its safety and effectiveness against MPOX is unknown. The MPOX virus belongs to the same family of viruses as variola virus. MPOX symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder, and MPOX is rarely fatal. MPOX is not related to chickenpox.

The new trial, with more than 60 sites, will enroll more than 500 adults with MPOX virus infections. The trial will include people with severe disease and those at high risk of severe disease, including pregnant and breastfeeding persons, children and individuals with underlying immune deficiency and active inflammatory skin conditions who will receive open-label tecovirimat.

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Study participants with symptomatic MPOX virus infection who do not meet the criteria for the open-label cohort will be randomly assigned in a ratio of 2:1 to receive either tecovirimat or a placebo orally for 14 days.

Participants who are randomized in the double-blinded cohort who subsequently progress to severe disease will be offered the option to switch to open-label tecovirimat, as will participants who report persistent severe pain from MPOX virus infection.

All STOMP participants will be followed for at least eight weeks through a combination of virtual and in-person visits, and daily self-reports to determine if those receiving tecovirimat heal more quickly compared to those receiving the placebo. STOMP will also provide critical data on the optimal dosing and safety of tecovirimat in children and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Individuals who have presumptive or confirmed MPOX infections (testing positive within seven days) and who begin experiencing symptoms within 13 days are eligible. Testing will be provided by the study. Participants with presumptive MPOX who have not yet been tested are able to enroll as long as their study-provided test is positive. Participants must also have at least one active skin lesion that has not yet scabbed, a mouth lesion or proctitis (inflammation in the lining of the rectum).

"The ACTG has designed this study to give us the greatest possible insights into whether and how tecovirimat works against monkeypox, including whether the virus develops resistance to the treatment," said ACTG chair Judith Currier, MD, professor of medicine at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.

"An important part of that design is the inclusion of children and pregnant people. The study will also evaluate markers that may tell us that the drug is working so we can identify future promising drugs. Beyond addressing the current outbreak, this study has the potential to profoundly inform the treatment of individuals who acquire monkeypox virus in endemic countries."
America was unprepared for the magnitude of the pandemic, which overwhelmed many counties and filled some hospitals to capacity. A new paper in PNAS suggests there may have been a mathematical method, of sorts, to the madness of those early COVID days.

The study tests a model that closely matches the patterns of case counts and deaths reported, county by county, across the United States between April 2020 and June 2021. The model suggests that unprecedented COVID spikes could, even now, overwhelm local jurisdictions.

Our best estimate, based on the data, is that the numbers of cases and deaths per county have infinite variance, which means that a county could get hit with a tremendous number of cases or deaths. We cannot reasonably anticipate that any county will have the resources to cope with extremely large, rare events, so it is crucial that counties-;as well as states and even countries-;develop plans, ahead of time, to share resources." Joel Cohen, Rockefeller University

Predicting 99 percent of a pandemic

Ecologists might have guessed that the spread of COVID cases and deaths would at least roughly conform to Taylor's Law, a formula that relates a population's mean to its variance (a measure of the scatter around the average). From how crop yields fluctuate, to the frequency of tornado outbreaks, to how cancer cells multiply, Taylor's Law forms the backbone of many statistical models that experts use to describe thousands of species, including humans.

But when Cohen began looking into whether Taylor's Law could also describe the grim COVID statistics provided by The New York Times, he ran into a surprise.

Ninety-nine percent of counties' counts of cases and deaths between April 2020 and June 2021 conformed to a "lognormal" distribution of Taylor's Law, which predicts that the variance of cases or deaths in each location will be proportional to the squared mean of cases or deaths. For example, if the average number of cases per county is 50 in Arizona and 100 in California, this version of Taylor's Law would predict that the scatter of case counts in California would be four times larger than the scatter of case counts in Arizona. Similarly, if the case counts per county in those two states were 50 and 150, respectively, the scatter would be nine times larger in California.

The top one percent of counts of cases and deaths, however, did not fit the lognormal distribution. Instead, the high counts matched the Pareto distribution-;a model more often seen in economics than biology, in which extremely high values are rarely but regularly observed (think: income or wealth distribution). What made this particular Pareto distribution unique was that it also had infinite variance, implying that the scatter would increase beyond any finite limit, the more counts of cases or deaths observed. The challenge was to understand why even the top 1% of counts still conformed to Taylor's Law with the same exponent as the lower 99%.

"It was a puzzle," Cohen recalls. "And I sat on that puzzle, every so often taking it out, torturing it a bit, and putting it away. Until, one day, I called in the heavy artillery."

The remaining one percent

Cohen sent his computer simulations and unproved conjectures to Richard A. Davis of Columbia University and Gennady Samorodnitsky of Cornell University, asking for their input. A few months later, the two sent him some theorems: the missing proof that Taylor's Law would hold even for the Pareto-distributed top 1% of counties, with the same exponent as the 99% of lognormally distributed counties. "These theorems helped prove that Taylor's Law accurately describes all of the data," Cohen says. "The pandemic produced an orderly pattern of counts of cases per county and deaths per county. The unexpected part of that order was that, in the most extreme cases, there was no limit to how bad things could get."

Infinite variance, near-infinite trouble

Why the pandemic follows this hybrid (lognormal-Pareto) version of Taylor's Law so closely is unclear. One possibility is that Taylor's Law-;which describes the variance of many ecological systems, including infectious diseases like measles and Chagas's disease-;simply captures the nature of infection. If one patient infects two people (with some probability) and each of those two patients infect another two people (with some probability), we would expect cases to increase exponentially (with some probability), and occasional random events could cause infinite variance.

Cohen hopes that the study will sound an alarm for policymakers. An infinite variance of cases and deaths per county means that there is a very unlikely but possible scenario in which a COVID spike gets every individual in that county sick, or worse. Although the advent of vaccines makes such a scenario increasingly unlikely, areas in the United States and abroad with low vaccination rates still face the possibility of spikes that they cannot handle.

The math, Cohen says, suggests that COVID cases and deaths could far exceed the capacity of local jurisdictions to cope. "Governments had better be prepared to call in their friends," he says.
UW School of Energy Resources to Provide Funding for Nuclear-Related Research Proposals

The School of Energy Resources (SER) is requesting proposals for a funding opportunity for University of Wyoming faculty and staff members on nuclear-related research projects as part of an initiative to grow nuclear research capacity among the campus community.

The funding can be for stand-alone projects or used as cost share for projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) or other funding agencies. The deadline for proposal submissions is Thursday, Dec. 1. The selected projects will be notified by Thursday, Dec. 15.

SER has previously supported prep grants for faculty members receiving or pursuing sponsored research for nuclear-related projects through the Nuclear Energy Research Center, says Scott Quillinan, SER senior director of research. Some very valuable connections within the UW community resulted from our initial funding support, so we are looking forward to now expanding our efforts to help incentivize larger-scale projects as they relate to nuclear energy.

The opportunity will fund projects through July 2026 covering two research areas:

-- The first will seek to bolster laboratory-based nuclear research to be conducted on the selected project and future projects. Proposals will be considered that request laboratory or computational equipment that enhances nuclear-related research capacity at UW. Any laboratory equipment or computational capacity awarded under the request for proposals must be incorporated into a shared user facility that is accessible to another faculty member with nuclear-related activities and appropriate training. Two years of maintenance and operational costs can be included in the proposal budget.

-- The second is to support research or personnel focused on producing papers, data or other output to support a nuclear industry built in Wyoming, and to align with the states needs and nuclear energy goals as outlined by DOE. Funds in this area of interest can be used for research purposes including cost share; undergraduate and graduate student support; postdoctoral research support; research equipment; consumables; and other needs for the proposed research, such as faculty summer salary and travel expenses.

Proposals for up to $600,000 are welcome for the first area of interest and, for the second area of interest, will be considered up to $200,000.

We are grateful for the generous support from the Wyoming Legislature and its continued support of the SER mission, says SER Executive Director Holly Krutka. We anticipate that the proposals we receive will be highly competitive, but we look forward to aiding important nuclear research on campus that will have the potential to make a substantial difference moving forward.

The opportunity to use the money as cost-share for larger DOE-funded grants also will maximize the impact of the seed funding, Quillinan says.

There is a lot of money currently available through the Infrastructure Bill that supports nuclear energy research, he says. If there are UW faculty with the expertise that positions them to pursue some of those grants, we want to facilitate the matching costs that would otherwise be prohibitive in seeking the funding.

Selected proposals will be expected to provide SER with quarterly deliverables for the duration of the projects.

For more information about the request and for application submissions, download the full RFP here.

Proposals should be emailed to SER Project Specialist Tiffany Bishop at tbishop6@uwyo.edu with the subject Wyoming Nuclear Capacity Building, along with any other questions.
In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center assessed the immunogenicity associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) BA.5 bivalent messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine boosters.

The effectiveness of the mRNA vaccine against symptomatic as well as severe disease has decreased due to the emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants. Since BA.5 is currently the most prevalent SARS-CoV-2 variant that significantly evades neutralizing antibodies, bivalent mRNA boosters encoding the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 WA1/2020 and Omicron BA.5 spike (S) proteins have been created and approved. However, the immunogenicity of bivalent mRNA boosters incorporating BA.5 is still unknown.

Study: Immunogenicity of the BA.5 Bivalent mRNA Vaccine Boosters. Image Credit: Parilov / Shutterstock

About the study

In the present study, researchers assessed the cellular and humoral immune responses of individuals vaccinated with the original monovalent mRNA boosters and those vaccinated with the bivalent mRNA boosters.

Following Pfizer or Moderna bivalent mRNA boosting, individuals' neutralizing antibody (NAb) titers were measured using luciferase-based pseudovirus neutralization tests. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assays measuring binding antibody titers in individuals after monovalent or bivalent mRNA booster vaccination were also performed. Additionally, electrochemiluminescence (ECLA) tests for measuring binding antibody titers in individuals after boosting with monovalent or bivalent mRNA were conducted.

Results

Despite the possibility that most participants had developed hybrid immunity before receiving the booster vaccination due to the high incidence and mild severity of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection, participants had a median of three prior SARS-CoV-2 vaccination doses, while 33% had verified SARS-CoV-2 infection during the Omicron spike. The monovalent and bivalent mRNA boosters elicited the preferential increase of WA1/2020 NAb titers while decreasing the BA.1, BA.2, and BA.5 NAb titers. After monovalent mRNA boosting, median BA.5 NAb titers grew from 184 to 2829, while the titers after bivalent mRNA boosting increased from 211 to 3693. Similar NAb profiles were noted for the bivalent mRNA boosters developed by Pfizer and Moderna. After boosting with monovalent and bivalent mRNA vaccines, binding antibody responses found via electrochemiluminescence assay and ELISA were comparable.

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A slight increase was noted in the SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cell responses after boosting with monovalent and bivalent mRNA vaccines. Furthermore, after monovalent and bivalent mRNA boosting, median BA.5 CD8+ T cell responses rose from 0.027% to 0.048% and from 0.024% to 0.046%, respectively. On the other hand, median BA.5 CD4+ T cell responses improved after monovalent mRNA boosting from 0.060% to 0.130% and after bivalent mRNA boosting from 0.051% to 0.072%. After monovalent and bivalent mRNA boosting, the median BA.5 memory B cell responses were 0.079% and 0.091%, respectively.

Conclusion

The study findings showed that monovalent and bivalent mRNA boosters significantly elevated antibody responses but not T-cell responses. After monovalent and bivalent mRNA boosters vaccinations, BA.5 NAb titers were found to be equivalent, with a slight and non-significant trend supporting the bivalent booster. The researchers believe that immunological imprinting due to prior antigenic exposure may present a greater difficulty in generating robust immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants than currently acknowledged.

*Important Notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Several recent discoveries show that the accuracy of diagnosing coronary artery disease and predicting patient risk is improved with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) models developed by scientists in the Division of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine at Cedars-Sinai.

These advances, led by Piotr Slomka, PhD, director of Innovation in Imaging at Cedars-Sinai and a research scientist in the Division of Artificial intelligence in Medicine and the Smidt Heart Institute, make it easier to detect and diagnose one of the most common and deadly heart conditions.

Coronary artery disease affects the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood. If not treated, it can lead to a heart attack or other complications like arrhythmia or heart failure.

The condition, which affects roughly 16.3 million Americans aged 20 and older, is commonly diagnosed using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and computed tomography (CT) imaging. However, the images generated during the scan aren't always easy to read.

"We're continuing to show that AI can improve the quality of images and reveal more information, which makes for more accurate disease diagnoses," said Slomka, who is also a professor of Medicine and Cardiology and senior author of three studies that were recently published involving AI improving cardiac imaging.

Using AI to improve heart imaging

The first study, published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, uses AI technology for heart imaging that helps improve the diagnostic accuracy of SPECT imaging for coronary artery disease by advanced image corrections.

In SPECT imaging, it is important to have attenuation correction, which helps to reduce artifacts in heart images, making them easier to read and more accurate. However, it requires an additional CT scan and expensive hybrid SPECT/CT equipment, which is essentially two scanners in one.

While CT attenuation correction has been shown to improve diagnosis of coronary artery disease, it is currently only performed in a minority of scans due to additional scan time, radiation and limited availability of this expensive technology.

To help overcome these obstacles, Slomka and his team developed a deep-learning model called DeepAC to generate corrected SPECT images without the need of expensive hybrid scanners. These images are generated by AI techniques similar to those used to generate "deep-fake" videos and are able to simulate high-quality images obtained by hybrid SPECT/CT scanners.

The team compared the diagnosis accuracy of coronary artery disease using the non-corrected SPECT images-;which are used in most places today-;advanced hybrid SPECT/CT images, and new AI-corrected images in unseen data from centers never used in DeepAC training.

They found that AI created images that were near the same quality and allow similar diagnostic accuracy as the ones obtained with more expensive scanners.

This AI model was able to generate DeepAC images in a fraction of a second on standard computer software and could readily be implemented in clinical workflows as an automatic pre-processing step." Piotr Slomka, PhD, Director of Innovation in Imaging, Cedars-Sinai

Predicting major adverse cardiac events

In the second study, published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Imaging, the team demonstrated that deep learning AI makes it possible to predict major adverse cardiac events, such as death and heart attacks, directly from SPECT images.

Investigators trained the AI model using a large multinational database that included five different sites with over 20,000 patient scans. It included images depicting heart perfusion and motion for each patient.

The AI model incorporates visual explanations for the physicians, highlighting the images with the regions that are contributing to high risk of adverse events.

The team then tested the AI model in two separate sites with over 9,000 scans. They found the deep learning model predicted patient risk more accurately than the software programs used currently in the clinic.

"In the first study, we were able to demonstrate that AI can be used to perform important image corrections without the need for expensive scanners," Slomka said. "In the second, we show that the existing images can be utilized in a better way-;predicting patient risk of heart attack or death from images, and highlighting the heart features which indicate that risk, to better inform clinicians about coronary artery disease."

"These findings represent proof of principle for how AI can augment clinical diagnostics," said Sumeet Chugh, MD, director of the Division of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine. "AI-powered enhancements to SPECT imaging have the potential to improve the accuracy of diagnosing coronary artery disease, while doing it significantly faster and cheaper than current standards."

Reducing bias in AI models

The third study, published in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, describes how to train an AI system to perform well in all applicable populations-;not just the population the system was trained on.

Some AI systems are trained using high-risk patient populations, which can cause systems to overestimate the disease probability. To ensure that the AI model works accurately for all patients and reduce any bias, Slomka and his team trained the AI system using simulated variations of patients. This process, called data augmentation, helps to better reflect the mix of patients expected to undergo the imaging tests.

They found the models that were trained with a balanced mix of patients more accurately predicted the probability of coronary artery disease in women and low-risk patients, which can potentially lead to less invasive testing and more accurate diagnosis in women.

The models also led to lower false positives, suggesting that the system can potentially reduce the number of tests the patient undergoes to rule out the disease.

"The results suggest that enhancing training data is critical to ensuring that AI predictions more closely reflect the population that they will be applied to in the future," Slomka said.

The investigators are now evaluating these novel AI approaches at Cedars-Sinai and exploring how these can be integrated in clinical software and how they could be used in standard patient care.

The research was supported in part by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
In a recent study published in PLOS ONE, researchers evaluated to what extent prior infection and vaccination protected the residents and staff of the United States (US) California state prison system from breakthrough infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron sub-variant B.1.1.529.

Background

Prisons and jails are risky settings where many coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks have occurred during the ongoing pandemic. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) runs the second-largest US state prison system. They vaccinated their residents and staff such that 77.9% and 40.3% of their residents and staff had received a third (booster) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine dose by late August 2021.

Yet, they identified an Omicron case within the CDCR system in December 2021. Soon after, there was an outbreak among their residents and staff, coinciding with the time of the worldwide Omicron wave. Examining these two high-risk populations ensured reliable ascertainment of infection during the study period owing to their high levels of testing. CDCR runs a multilayered, voluntary reverse-transcriptasepolymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) testing program in response to detected COVID-19 outbreaks. Under this program, they mandatorily test all staff at least once weekly and staff that work in health care facilities at least twice weekly.

About the study

In the present study, researchers collected data from ~60,000 incarcerated persons and 17,000 prison staff in California during the Omicron outbreak period between December 24, 2021, and April 14, 2022, for the retrospective analysis of the risk of infection during the Omicron wave. They used weighted Cox models to compare the vaccine effectiveness (VE) and previous infection against the Omicron subvariant, B.1.1.529.

Notably, they considered previous infections that occurred in the study population before and during the period of Delta variant predominance. The models allowed the baseline hazard to vary according to prison, and inverse probability weighting reduced the confounding effects due to differences in baseline characteristics among cohort members.

The team computed covariate-balancing propensity scores per demographic, clinical, and carceral characteristics. They weighted residents per prison, COVID-19 risk score (0, 1, or 2), room type, gender, and age. Likewise, they weighted staff according to prison, position (custody or health care), age (18 to 55 years or more), and gender. The team estimated the extent to which mRNA vaccines protected against infection stratified by the number of doses that persons had received and whether they had had a previously documented infection before the start of the observation period.

Another arm of the study comprised a rolling matched-cohort design that evaluated the effectiveness of three vaccine doses in eligible prisoners relative to those who received only two doses. The researchers included only those residents in the study cohort who were imprisoned in a CDCR prison before January 1, 2021. Likewise, they covered correctional staff employed before January 1, 2021, and who had worked throughout 2021. Notably, by January 1, 2022, over 50% of the prisons had entered an outbreak phase, with the outbreak in the last prison commencing on January 18, 2022.

Study findings

Among 59,794 residents who met the study inclusion criteria, 16.7% tested COVID-19-positive during the study period. Likewise, 30.3% of 16,572 staff members tested COVID-19-positive during the study period. The median interval between the start of their last infection and the prison outbreak was 393 days for residents; among staff, the same was 367 days.

The effectiveness of the previous infection against Omicron infection among unvaccinated persons ranged from 16.3% to 48.9%. Likewise, VE estimates ranged from 18.6% to 83.2% with two vaccine doses and from 40.9% to 87.9% with three vaccine doses. A booster dose increased VE estimates to 25% for those with no previous history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and 57.9% for those infected before the period of Delta predominance.

The secondary analysis used an alternative design that likely corrected for the biases that would have biased estimates of VE downward. Thus, it more effectively provided estimates among persons who became eligible for a third vaccine dose. Nevertheless, the conservative estimates from both analyses indicated additional protection from a booster mRNA dose against confirmed infection, irrespective of previous infection history.

Another notable observation of the study was that the resident population had lower VE estimates than the staff population for most combinations of exposure history. As testing was neither compulsory nor routinely done for residents, undiagnosed prior infections could have diluted the VE estimates among residents.

Conclusions

To conclude, although mRNA vaccines and previous infection provided less protection against Omicron breakthrough infection(s) relative to earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants, boosters continue to provide additional protection even among previously infected persons. Thus, booster vaccination remains significant for highly vulnerable populations bearing a disproportionate burden of COVID-19.
Twenty early-career researchers from across Canada will receive $100,000 each in funding for innovative projects to better understand the brain, through one of Brain Canada's flagship programs Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research. In its third year, this signature program is anchored by a generous gift from the Azrieli Foundation, with support from the Alvin Segal Family Foundation, The Arrell Family Foundation, The Barry and Laurie Green Family Charitable Trust, and The Erika Legacy Foundation.

As a nation, we are among the world's five most active countries in neuroscience. By funding early-career research in conditions ranging from epilepsy to depression to multiple sclerosis, Canadian researchers will continue to contribute to major scientific advancements in brain science that will further the field both nationally and internationally." Dr. Viviane Poupon, Brain Canada President and CEO

The ultimate goal of the Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research program is to reduce the social and economic burden of neurological and mental health problems through prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment. This year, the 20 grant recipients are investigating a diverse range of brain disorders and diseases. From studying gene therapy for Huntington Disease, to examining the brain structures behind eating disorders in adolescents, to fighting memory loss, these forward-thinking leaders are contributing to significant improvements in the lives of people in Canada.

I am motivated to study the brain by my day-to-day interactions. Everyone knows someone who is impacted by a brain disorder." Dr. Lindsay Cahill, Assistant Professor at Memorial University and a 2021 Future Leader in Canadian Brain Research

Dr. Cahill, much like the 19 other 2021 Future Leaders, thinks outside the box. There is a gene therapy treatment for Huntington Disease, but it suppresses both mutated and healthy genes. Dr. Cahill wants to see if a similar therapy that targets only the mutated copy would be a more effective strategy to treat patients.

2021 future leaders in Canadian brain research

For this competition, a total of 116 candidates from across the country submitted letters of intent which were evaluated by a peer review panel. Forty-seven researchers were subsequently invited to submit full, comprehensive grant applications, with the 20 grant recipients chosen after a second round of peer review.

Grant Recipients:

Dr. Philippe Albouy, Universite Laval, Working Memory Dr. Lindsay Bodell, Western University, Eating Disorders Dr. Elie Bou Assi, Universite de Montreal, Diagnosing Epilepsy Dr. Vincent Breton-Provencher, Universite Laval, Learning & Decision-making Dr. Lindsay Cahill, Memorial University, Huntington Disease Dr. Carlos Camara Lemarroy, University of Calgary, Multiple Sclerosis Dr. Annie Ciernia, The University of British Columbia, Gut-Brain Interaction Dr. Michele Desjardins, Universite Laval, Cognitive Decline in Aging Dr. Catherine Duclos, Hopital du Sacre-Cur de Montreal, Safer Anesthesia Dr. Emma Duerden, Western University, Fetal & Neonatal Brain Development Dr. Alexandre Fisette, Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres, Brain Networks & Obesity Dr. Federico Gaiti, University Health Network, Brain Tumour Biology Dr. Rishi Ganesan, Western University, Delirium in Critically Ill Children Dr. Jiami Guo, University of Calgary, Cellular Response to Brain Injury Dr. Karl Klein, University of Calgary, Gene Mutation & Epilepsy Dr. Julien Muffat, The Hospital for Sick Children, Genetics of Brain Disorders Dr. Aislin Mushquash, Lakehead University, Accessible Youth Mental Health Support Dr. Shaun Sanders, University of Guelph, New Treatment for Brain Cancer Dr. Ashlyn Swift-Gallant, Memorial University, Sex Bias in Autism Spectrum Disorder Dr. Christoph Zrenner, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Brain Stimulation for Brain Disorders

Neuroscience eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

To learn more about this year's cohort of Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research and to read about their projects, visit braincanada.ca/directory-funded-grants

These Canadian-based projects have been made possible by the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada) and Brain Canada Foundation, and the Azrieli Foundation, the Alvin Segal Family Foundation, The Arrell Family Foundation, The Barry and Laurie Green Family Charitable Trust, and The Erika Legacy Foundation.

The CBRF increases Canadians' support for brain research and expands the philanthropic space for supporting brain research to achieve maximum impact. To date, Health Canada has invested over $130 million in brain research through the CBRF which has been matched by Brain Canada Foundation and its donors and partners.
Listeria bacteria are ubiquitous in the environment and consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes is one of the main routes for food-borne outbreaks. Healthy adults might not even develop any symptoms after eating contaminated food. Listeriosis can, however, cause serious health issues in pregnant women, new-borns and people with a weakened immune system. The incidence of listeriosis has been steadily increasing in Europe since 2008 with an observed upward trend in Spain since 1997.

Between July and end of October 2019, contaminated food was causing a large outbreak in the southern Spanish region Andalusia with 207 confirmed cases. In their outbreak report Fernandez-Martinez et al. describe the investigations to identify the cause of the infections and reasons for the rapid spread of infections (the median incubation period was 1 day) -; with a peak of 43 symptomatic patients notified on one day in mid-August 2019. During these investigations, prospective and retrospective active case finding was conducted.

Food source and molecular typing identified the source within 10 days

Following the detection of the outbreak in early August, epidemiological interviews and whole genome sequencing clarified the food source and the respective listeria strain within 10 days. The investigation included sampling of food and from the environment of potentially exposed surfaces in food establishments, including factories, markets and grocery stores, bars and restaurants. Some patients also provided food sample from their homes.

The regional health authorities issued a public health alert on 15 August after an initial three cases of food poisoning had been reported beginning of August. During the interviews with patients, most of them mentioned that they had bought stuffed pork at a variety of food establishments -; primarily supermarkets and bars. Based on those responses, trace-back investigation in a mentioned grocery store pointed to a specific facility where the stuffed pork was produced.

The grocery store sold pork from two different brands, each produced by a different company. One sample from those products tested positive for L. monocytogenes. Food production in the facility with a listeria-positive food sample was stopped and a recall order was extended to any meat or meat derivative produced there. The alert was successively amended to include any food item produced in this establishment.

While the facility distributed almost exclusively in Andalusia, the food recall affected an estimated 8 tons of meat products. After the product recall, listeriosis notifications dropped, suggesting that food products from other facilities did not play a significant role as potential source in this outbreak.

Specific post-exposure protocol for pregnant women: 30,000 women were interviewed

In total, 3,582 suspected cases were investigated, 207 confirmed and 3,059 considered as probable cases. In almost all patients (94%) with confirmed listeriosis, an invasive clinical form of the disease was observed and two in three (68%) had to be hospitalized. The authors also report three related deaths to this outbreak and among 34 pregnant patients, five suffered from miscarriages.

Fernandez-Martinez et al. describe the protocol for antibiotic post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in pregnant women with a history of stuffed pork consumption (after antimicrobial susceptibility testing excluded ampicillin-resistance in the outbreak strain). This included a follow-up evaluation whether the women developed symptoms of listeriosis.

Within several weeks of the outbreak, more than 30,000 pregnant women across Andalusia were interviewed by the authorities. Based on individual assessment, around 5% of those women were recommended to undergo PEP. According to the authors, the protocol was developed for this specific outbreak to limit the potential impact on pregnant women.

By the end of the outbreak in October 2019, more than 1,800 food establishments had been inspected, with L. monocytogenes contamination in 87 non-human samples. Most positive samples came from food products involving stuffed pork (n=76) and other pork derivatives (n=6).

As Fernandez-Martinez et al. note, ready-to-eat (RTE) products "can be eaten without previous heating and their consumption is on the rise, they are quickly becoming a relevant vehicle for listeriosis outbreaks. In Andalusia, stuffed pork is very popular locally, as it is a low-cost, traditional RTE food. It consists of a cold cut of roasted pork with garlic, spices and salt. Often consumed in summer and on special occasions, it constitutes one of the most popular 'tapas' and is a common ingredient in aperitives and sandwiches." According to their research, an outbreak with 200 or more confirmed cases in Europe dates back to 1992, when 279 confirmed cases of listeriosis related to jellied pork tongue consumption were recorded in France.

The authors advocate for "efforts to incorporate whole genome sequencing" in outbreak investigations and coordinate different sectors at regional and national levels are essential for the prevention and control of listeriosis.
Overall cancer death rates continued to decline among men, women, children, and adolescents and young adults in every major racial and ethnic group in the United States from 2015 to 2019, according to the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. From 2014 to 2018, overall cancer incidence, or new cases of cancer, remained stable for men and children but increased for women and adolescents and young adults. This year's report, published October 27, 2022, in Cancer, also highlights longer-term trends in pancreatic cancer, as well as racial and ethnic disparities in incidence and death rates for many individual cancer sites.

All of the findings in this report are based on data from before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today's report is good news in our fight against cancer and is a reminder of the importance of President Biden's Cancer Moonshot initiativeI'm deeply impressed by the progress we're making against cancer and firmly believe we can meet the President's goal of reducing the death rate from cancer by at least 50% over the next 25 years. We can and must end cancer as we know it." Xavier Becerra, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary

The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer is a collaborative effort among the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the American Cancer Society (ACS); and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR).

The report is based on a combined cancer incidence data set from NAACCR composed of data collected by CDC's National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, as well as mortality data from CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.

The report shows that from 2015 to 2019, overall cancer death rates decreased by 2.1% per year in men and women combined. Among men, death rates decreased by 2.3% per year; among women, death rates decreased by 1.9% per year. The annual declines in death rate accelerated from 2001 to 2019 in both men and women.

The declines in death rates were steepest in lung cancer and melanoma (by 4% to 5% per year) among both men and women. Death rates increased for cancers of the pancreas, brain, and bones and joints among men, and for cancers of the pancreas and uterus among women.

"The findings in this year's Annual Report to the Nation show our ongoing progress against cancer, continuing a more than two-decade trend in declining mortality that reflects improvements in preventing, detecting, and treating cancer," said Monica M. Bertagnolli, M.D., director of NCI. "The advances shown in the report underscore the importance of working together across society to develop effective, equitable approaches to tackle this complex disease. I look forward to working with all our partners in the cancer community to meet these challenges head-on, because people affected by cancerand that includes all of usare counting on it."

The report showed that cancer incidence rates were relatively stable in men and women combined from 2014 to 2018. Among men, incidence rates remained stable during this period, but among women incidence rates rose by 0.2% per year.

Over the same time period, incidence rates increased for three of the 18 most common cancers among men: pancreas, kidney, and testis. Incidence rates in men remained stable for seven of the most common cancers and decreased for the remaining eight cancers. For women, incidence rates increased for seven of the 18 most common cancers: liver, melanoma, kidney, myeloma, pancreas, breast, and oral cavity and pharynx. Incidence rates among women remained stable for four of the most common cancers and decreased for the other seven cancers.

In men, the greatest incidence rate increase was seen in pancreatic cancer, which increased by 1.1% per year, and the steepest incidence rate decrease was seen in lung cancer, which fell by 2.6% per year. In women, melanoma had the steepest increase in incidence, rising by 1.8% per year, and thyroid cancer had the sharpest decrease, falling by 2.9% per year.

"Through funding scientific breakthroughs and raising awareness about prevention and early detection, we are making progress against a subset of the more than 200 diseases we call cancer," said Karen E. Knudsen, M.B.A, Ph.D., chief executive officer, American Cancer Society. "However, for certain cancer types, concerning trends persist, and durable cures remain elusive for many people. We are committed to improving the lives of all cancer patients and their families, through accelerating research, increasing access to care through advocacy, and by providing direct patient support in communities across the nation, toward the shared goal of eliminating cancer as we know it."

Among other key findings of this year's report:

Overall cancer incidence rates during 2014 to 2018 were highest among non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people, followed closely by non-Hispanic White people and non-Hispanic Black people. Overall cancer incidence rates were lowest among non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander (API) and Hispanic people.

Incidence rates for all sites combined decreased among non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic API, and Hispanic men, but increased among non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic API, non-Hispanic AI/AN, and Hispanic women from 2014 to 2018. Incidence rates were stable among non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic AI/AN men and non-Hispanic Black women.

Among children younger than 15, overall cancer death rates decreased from 2015 to 2019, and incidence rates remained stable from 2014 to 2018. Overall cancer incidence rates were stable for non-Hispanic Black children over this period but increased for non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic API, non-Hispanic AI/AN, and Hispanic children.

Among adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 39, overall cancer incidence rates increased by 0.9% per year from 2014 to 2018. The overall cancer death rate decreased by 3.0% per year from 2001 to 2005, but the decline slowed to 0.9% per year from 2005 to 2019.

The incidence of breast cancer, the most common cancer among adolescents and young adults, increased by an average of 1.0% per year from 2010 to 2018.

The researchers noted that racial and ethnic disparities exist for many individual cancer sites. For example, from 2014 to 2018, incidence rates for bladder cancer declined in non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic API, and Hispanic men but increased among non-Hispanic AI/AN men. Incidence rates for uterine cancer increased among women of every racial and ethnic group from 2014 to 2018 except for non-Hispanic White women, who had stable rates.

From 2015 to 2019, prostate cancer death rates were stable among non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black men but decreased among non-Hispanic API, non-Hispanic AI/AN, and Hispanic men. Colorectal cancer death rates were stable among non-Hispanic AI/AN men but decreased in men of all other racial and ethnic groups. Among women, death rates for lung, breast, and colorectal cancer decreased in nearly every racial and ethnic group. The exceptions were non-Hispanic API women, among whom breast cancer death rates remained stable, and non-Hispanic AI/AN women, among whom breast cancer death rates increased and colorectal cancer death rates remained stable.

"Factors such as race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status should not play a role in people's ability to be healthy or determine how long they live," said Lisa C. Richardson, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDC's Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. "CDC works with its public health partnerswithin and outside the governmentto address these disparities and advance health equity through a range of key initiatives, including programs, research, and policy initiatives. We know that we can meet this challenge together and create an America where people are free of cancer."

This year's report includes a special focus on trends in pancreatic cancer incidence, death, and survival rates. Although pancreatic cancer accounts for only 3% of new cancer diagnoses, it accounts for 8% of cancer deaths and is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States for both men and women.

From 2001 to 2018, incidence rates of pancreatic cancer increased by 1% per year among both men and women, and from 2001 to 2019, death rates increased by 0.2% per year for both sexes. From 2001 to 2018, incidence rates of two common subtypes of pancreatic cancer, neuroendocrine tumors and adenocarcinomas, increased in both men and women, while unspecified subtypes and other pancreatic tumors decreased.

The report also describes survival improvements by subtype. For example, one-year relative survival of people diagnosed with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors increased from 65.9% to 84.2% between 2001 and 2017, and for people diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinomas it increased from 24.0% to 36.7%. Five-year relative survival also increased between 2001 and 2013, from 43.4% to 65.2% for people with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, and from 4.4% to 6.6% for people with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

These improvements in survival may be associated with improvements in therapy, the researchers said. No improvement was seen for unspecified and other pancreatic tumors, which tended to have a higher proportion diagnosed at older ages than the other types.

The researchers noted that the increases in survival for both adenocarcinomas and neuroendocrine tumors are tempered by the overall increase in the incidence of pancreatic cancer, which is generally attributed to the growing prevalence of obesity. And progress in treating pancreatic adenocarcinomas, which account for 80% of pancreatic cancer cases, remains incremental at best, the researchers said.

"Pancreatic cancer incidence and survival reflect both the underlying risk of disease as well as the difficulty of diagnosing pancreatic cancer at a treatable stage," said Betsy A. Kohler, M.P.H., NAACCR executive director. "As advancements in screening technology and effective treatments for early-stage disease become available, we are hopeful for greater improvements in pancreatic cancer survival, which historically has been a particularly lethal cancer type."
When a case of monkeypox was reported in Nevada's Humboldt County in August, it was the state's first detected occurrence of the virus in a rural area. Soon, cases were found in other rural counties  Nye, Lyon, and Elko  posing another hurdle for public health systems that have been worn thin by the covid-19 pandemic.

Experts say the response to the monkeypox virus in rural America may be affected by the patchy resources and bitter politics that are a legacy of the pandemic, challenges that some worry could allow sporadic infections to gain a foothold.

"Your embers turn into a forest fire really quickly," said Brian Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, a national nonprofit focused on public health policy. "The challenge is: Do we have the infrastructure in place in rural America for an adequate response to monkeypox, to covid, to whatever is next on the horizon?"

In Humboldt County, local officials galvanized quickly after monkeypox was reported. The local health board issued a news release encouraging residents to be cautious about physical contact and outlining what symptoms to look for  painful or itchy rashes, fever, and headache, among others.

"I don't think this is something we should be afraid of," Dr. Charles Stringham, the county's health officer, said in the news release, "but instead something that each of us can avoid by taking a few relatively simple precautions."

Local health officials are in a "primary prevention role," Stringham said during an interview. It's a role that includes educating the community about the virus, monitoring the person who tested positive, and checking in with local physicians.

State and local public health officials in Nevada said the response in Humboldt County, where nearly 18,000 people live, and similar efforts in other rural communities follow guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. State and local health leaders meet monthly to discuss public health issues, which of late have included the monkeypox virus. They said they're confident in local responses.

Still, some residents of rural Nevada said they have been confused about where to find vaccines or whether vaccines were available in their county.

Stevie Noyes, a resident of Winnemucca, Humboldt County's largest city, who identifies as pansexual, said she wouldn't know where to go to get a vaccine for monkeypox. She called a local retail pharmacy, where her family usually gets vaccines, in early September and was told the pharmacy didn't have monkeypox vaccines. The pharmacist didn't know where she could find one in town.

Noyes, a 34-year-old hairdresser, said she's not urgently concerned about monkeypox because no other cases have been detected in the county. Should the virus begin to spread, however, she said, members of the local LGBTQ+ community would lean on one another, rather than local county or health officials.

County and health officials "take a lot of heat from the town" on the politics of responding to public health issues, Noyes said. "What I see a lot is that political influence to where it does curb what's released and it does curb the steps that are taken."

Despite the venomous discourse Noyes has witnessed, Stringham said that in his experience, the monkeypox virus has not been difficult to respond to politically, especially compared with covid.

CDC data shows that non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic men who have sex with other men are overrepresented in infections across the country. LGBTQ+ advocates have said they're concerned that the government response wasn't reaching their communities even though they are disproportionately affected.

In larger cities, such as Las Vegas, officials have partnered with LGBTQ+ community centers to promote awareness and to distribute educational materials and vaccines. But there is no similar center in Humboldt County, where 57% of voters opposed a ballot question in 2020 that reversed a provision in the state's constitution that banned same-sex marriage. Statewide, the ballot measure was approved by 62% of voters.

Noyes said she's more concerned about prejudice than the virus and fears that because the virus has been linked to men who have sex with men, it could spark retribution against people who identify as LGBTQ+ in Humboldt County. "A lot of these people, the more you interact with them, the more emboldened and, I mean, eventually dangerous they become," she said.

Some people in Winnemucca have been outspoken about calling monkeypox a "gay virus" and making jokes on Facebook, she said.

In late September, Noyes helped host Winnemucca's second Pride festival. Immunize Nevada, a nonprofit organization focused on providing vaccines across the state, was there to provide information about covid-19 and monkeypox.

"We're hoping to combat it that way," Noyes said.

Kristy Zigenis, program manager for the state's immunization program, said responding to the monkeypox virus in rural places requires nuance. "If we were to hold a clinic in, say, a rural area, not all of those people might be ready to share with the world that they have participated in this behavior," Zigenis said.

She added that public health officials have encountered affected people in Clark County, the home of Las Vegas, who weren't prepared to share their sexual partners' names during contact tracing or couldn't identify their partners. "I think that probably crosses a bit into the rurals as far as what's going on with the case count," she said.

As of Oct. 26, there were 28,087 confirmed cases of the monkeypox virus nationwide, according to the CDC, and 298 in Nevada, putting the state in the second-highest tier for transmission. Most of the state's cases are in Clark County, where more than two-thirds of the state's residents live, but cases have been reported in four rural counties.

Because it's unclear whether monkeypox has spread beyond the one detected case in Humboldt County, Stringham said he's trying to provide enough messaging to keep residents informed, but not too much to cause burnout.

He said he thinks resources would be better directed toward prevention of covid, adding that the situation could change.

To make matters more difficult, the community health nurse, who is responsible for distributing the vaccine from a state-run clinic in Winnemucca, retired months ago, and her replacement, a nurse from Carson City, didn't arrive until October.

"We're working in a bit of a deficit in that respect," Stringham said.

During the interim, Zigenis said, Humboldt County residents who met the eligibility requirements to receive a monkeypox vaccine needed to see an administrative assistant in the Winnemucca Community Health Nursing Services office, where 100 doses of the Jynneos vaccine were available. The state agency would then dispatch someone to Humboldt County to administer the vaccine.

Experts say that gap is emblematic of the kinds of difficulties that officials in rural communities across the country face when responding to public health issues.

"The challenge is there may be people who aren't seeking primary care, so cases aren't getting picked up," Castrucci said. He added that the focus of resources on covid or monkeypox can cause other health issues to fall through the cracks, especially considering the lack of investment in local public health departments in rural America compared with departments in larger cities.
Xie Ruiqiang

The situation on the Korean Peninsula has heated up again recently. The US Carrier Strike Group had a joint military exercise with ROK Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self-defence Force (JMSDF) again in waters around the Korean Peninsula five years after the previous one. In response, DPRK held a massive training-exercise too that involved the mobilization of tactical nuclear troops, artillery, and air force.

The ROK Foreign Ministry revealed on October 13 that ROK and the US are discussing specific cooperative plans for strengthening and extending their deterrence, including deploying Americas strategic weapons in ROK at a proper time based on consultation. Because of this, ROKs internal debate on whether to redeploy tactical nuclear weapons or have nuclear sharing with the US has aroused global attention.

Asian Journal reported that some in ROK believed deploying nuclear weapons is the basic policy in response to the nuclear threats from DPRK, and some suggested a nuclear sharing plan that involved sending ROKs air force fighters like F-35 and F-15K that can throw B61-12 nuclear bombs to Guam and Hawaii for simulated N-bomb-dropping training. Chosun Ilbo published an article saying that the ROK side has already proposed to the US side to enhance and extend deterrence, share tactical nuclear weapons, and discuss the circular deployment of nuclear aircraft carrier strike groups and nuclear-powered submarines.

Speaking of the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol said they are carefully listening to and studying the various voices in ROK and the US. ROK Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul also made a statement on this topic on October 13. He believed that compared with redeploying tactical nuclear weapons, it is more important for the US to transfer its strategic weapons to ROK to pressure DPRK and bring it back to the table for dialogue.

According to ROK media, the US may redeploy tactical nuclear weapons in ROK in two ways: one is like NATOs nuclear sharing, and the other is the US deploying the weapons for its troops in ROK to operate.

With NATOs nuclear sharing mode, the US deploys tactical nuclear weapons in NATO members including Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey, which are also armed with fighter jets that can serve in nuclear and conventional operations alike, while the US military personnel are responsible for overseeing the nuclear bombs. When things have worsened so much that the use of nuclear weapons is unavoidable, they can be used after NATOs Nuclear Planning Group (NPG) reaches a consensus and with the approval of the US President and British Prime Minister.

The ROK has commissioned a large number of America-made fighters, including F-15K, F-16, and F-35A, all of which are able to drop B-61 nuclear bombs in the American air force system. Therefore, the technical platform wont be an issue and can be readily put to use with some minor modification, said military expert Han Dong.

Its worth noting that the nuclear sharing scheme proposed by ROK is different from the NATO model. According to Asian Journal, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration intends to achieve what NATOs nuclear sharing model does without redeploying tactical nuclear weapons on its soil.

Thats because a redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons in ROK will generate severe and long-term security impacts, said Zhao Tong, a senior fellow at Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy. That may not only trigger an arms race of such weapons in Northeast Asia but also send international efforts against nuclear proliferation down the drain.

Redeploying tactical nuclear weapons in ROK or nuclear sharing is a matter of immense significance, for which a consensus must be reached across ROK, within the US, and also between the two countries, said Zhao Tong. It also relates to the allies attitude, nuclear security, splitting of expenses, and the formulation of relevant policies over the use of the weaponsthere are just too many things to address.

Besides, redeploying tactical nuclear weapons or nuclear sharing is sure to cause a strong reaction in the surrounding countries, especially big ones. Will that provoke the DPRK to come up with more aggressive nuclear policies? How will the surrounding major countries react militarily? The US should think twice before doing anything and carefully evaluate whether that would be a worthwhile move, said Zhao Tong.

American experts are not very enthusiastic about the ROK governments nuclear sharing concept. Former ROK analyst Sue Mi Terry at CIA didnt think Washington will support Seouls vision of the redeployment because the current platforms are adequately deterrent against the DPRK.

Bruce W. Bennett, a senior researcher at the RAND Corporation, pointed out that it would be better to deploy nuclear weapons somewhere out of reach for DPRK. If deployed in ROK, they will be a striking target for it. He also recalled how the deployment of THAAD years ago had caused heated arguments within ROK, almost divided the society, and incurred objections from neighbouring countries.

Editor's note: Originally published on thepaper.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

His Holiness Mahabrahmrishi Shree Kumar Swami Ji, the founder of Bhagwan Shree Laxmi Narain Dham & World Humanity Parliament, will mark his presence at the Bahrain Dialogue forum scheduled for 2nd and 3rd November in Bahrain.

Bahrain Dialogue Forum, organised under the Patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa by the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Bahrain in cooperation with the Muslim Council of Elders, will contribute to further enriching the humanistic and civilized discussion on peaceful coexistence.

The forum will witness the valued participation of His Holiness Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, Professor Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, and several world religious leaders and leading intellectuals to discuss harmonious coexistence and tolerance among all humankind.

Mahabrahmrishi Shree Kumar Swami Ji has dedicated his life to embracing the secrets of ancient traditional science revealed in the holy scriptures of all faiths and enlightening humanity of their glory and divine benefits.

His Holinesss outstanding efforts have been proclaimed with the Ambassador of Peace award by the New Jersey State Senate, USA, Angel of Humanity award by the Mauritian President and Prime Minister, Master of Ancient Science award and Pride of World award by the British parliament, Scholar of Spiritual Science award and many such eminent national and international awards.

New York celebrates April 29 every year as Brahmarshi Shree Kumar Swami Ji Day. He has been a personal physician to many Presidents, Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers and Ambassadors of different countries. He has given a new direction to modern medical science by combining its knowledge with Ancient Traditional Science.

His Holiness will unfurl the secrets of Ancient Traditional Science at the following upcoming Ancient Traditional Science Yog conventions : 29th October 2022, (Saturday 6:00 pm onwards), Hotel Grand Excelsior, Kuwait Street, Mankool Bur, Dubai, 4TH NOVEMBER, FRIDAY; 5:30 PM TO 8:30 PM, Bramco Temple. 5TH NOVEMBER, SATURDAY, 6:00 PM TO 8:30 PM, Shrinathji Temple.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Westin City Centre Bahrain has won the award for Best Business Hotel in Bahrain at the recent Business Traveller Middle East Award 2022 held in Amman, Jordan.

The very best travel, tourism, and hospitality brands have been unveiled at a blockbuster gala ceremony at The Ritz-Carlton, Amman, Jordan.

The leading lights of the Middle East travel industry gathered to discover who amongst them had been crowned the finest in the region. World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward, and celebrate excellence across all tourism industry sectors.

The Westin City Centre Bahrain is the first-ever Westin Hotel to grace the Island. Thoughtfully devised with a host of novel and innovative facilities that include the citys first Heavenly Spa, guests are afforded the opportunity to sample the unique Westin feelgood promise when staying for business or leisure.

The Westin City Center Bahrain offers 200 guest rooms in Manama, including six Executive Suites and one Royal Suite.
VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to working in partnership with First Nations and managing a sustainable shellfish aquaculture sector in the Province of British Columbia. Innovation and collaboration is key to ensuring the long term sustainability of aquatic ecosystems and the continued viability of the fish and seafood sector in BC.

Today, the Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard, and Chief Councillor Nicole Rempel of the K'omoks First Nation announced that Baynes Sound and Lambert Channel in British Columbia is the location of a new, two-year collaborative initiative called Area-Based Aquaculture Management (ABAM). This pilot program will support new, sustainable aquaculture opportunities for both the K'omoks First Nation and partners within the region. It was co-developed in collaboration with the K'omoks First Nation along with other partners and members of the Baynes Sound and Lambert Channel region. This area is a significant shellfish aquaculture growing region in the province, and this ABAM pilot project  selected following a call for Expressions of Interest  will focus on shellfish production.

This area-based management approach will consider the unique social, cultural, environmental, and economic priorities and characteristics of the Baynes Sound and Lambert Channel region and provide opportunities for increased use of local Indigenous knowledge. This is a new approach where the federal government, Indigenous government and other levels of government, industry, and stakeholders work together in a collaborative way to plan, manage, monitor, and enhance shellfish activities in BC. The pilot will enhance opportunities for collaborative governance related to aquaculture, and is expected to result in improved outcomes that better respond to local environmental, social, and cultural realities.

Further information on the application process, timelines, and program criteria are available here: https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/abam-gaz-eng.html

Quotes

"This government is committed to advancing reconciliation and improving the sustainability of British Columbia's shellfish sector. We worked with the community to address concerns and increase Indigenous participation, which was integral for this new Area-Based Aquaculture Management program. Together, we are supporting the viability of shellfish aquaculture activities in British Columbia. I look forward to working in partnership on this road of reconciliation and towards a sustainable and prosperous fishery."

The Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard

"The K'omoks First Nation, as stewards of Baynes Sound, our 'breadbasket' since time immemorial, are pleased to move forward with DFO in this co-governance initiative and partnership as we move together toward reconciliation."

Hegus (Chief) Nicole Rempel, K'omoks First Nation

Quick Facts

Area-Based Aquaculture Management aligns with the Principles Respecting the Government of Canada's Relationship with Indigenous Peoples, which is rooted in section 35, guided by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)'s Calls to Action.

Relationship with Indigenous Peoples, which is rooted in section 35, guided by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)'s Calls to Action. In August 2021 , a Pilot Area Expression of Interest application form was shared with Indigenous communities, Provincial and local government representatives, and stakeholders in BC with a deadline to submit proposals by December 31, 2021 .

Associated Links

Stay Connected

Follow Fisheries and Oceans Canada on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Follow the Canadian Coast Guard on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region

For further information: Kevin Lemkay, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, 613-992-3474, [email protected]; Media Relations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 613-990-7537, [email protected]
Funding will allow Accelovant to expand production of key components used in the semiconductor industry

NORTH VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Semiconductors, often called chips or microchips, are critical to Canada's national security, economy and technological interests. Canadians rely on semiconductors every time we drive a car, take a plane, or use a telephone.

The Government of Canada recognizes that issues around semiconductor supply have an impact on all sectors of the economy and affects the production of automobiles, consumer electronics and medical devices.

Government of Canada announces over $1.1 million to Accelovant Technologies Corporation to position Canada as a global leader in the semiconductor industry (CNW Group/Pacific Economic Development Canada)

The Government of Canada is collaborating with Canadian businesses to strengthen Canada's position in the industry. Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources on behalf of the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister responsible for PacifiCan, announced $1,146,483 in funding to Accelovant Technologies Corporation.

This funding, provided through PacifiCan's Jobs and Growth Fund, will help Accelovant meet the global need for semiconductors. Accelovant will enhance their capacity to develop and export sensors needed by the semiconductor industry by increasing staff, purchasing new equipment, expanding their facility and growing their business.

Last year, the Government of Canada created PacifiCan, a dedicated federal regional economic development agency for British Columbia. PacifiCan promotes growth and diversification in British Columbia's economy by enhancing innovation, improving business competitiveness, and promoting inclusive growth.

Today's announcement is supporting the Government of Canada's priorities of becoming a leader in the semiconductor industry and helping innovative companies seize international markets while growing here at home.

Quote(s)

"Our government wants Canada to be a strategic global leader in the semiconductor industry and we recognize the importance of creating jobs and positioning local economies for long-term growth. Today's announcement will allow Accelovant to continue filling an important role in the global semiconductor market and position this innovative B.C. business as a key contributor to Canada's economy."

- The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada

"Today, the Government of Canada is supporting an important innovator in the superconductor space. The work that Accelovant is doing is not only driving innovation and helping to supply the world with the technology it needs, but it is also creating good jobs right here in North Vancouver. I look forward to following Accelovant's continued success."

- The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources

"We are delighted to receive this financial support from our federal government, which will enable us to satisfy the growing worldwide demand for advanced fiber optic sensing technology. Between the global chip shortage, the US Chips and Science Act to build strategic capacity in the US, and Canada's Semiconductor Action Plan, we have immediate need to scale Accelovant to meet demand. We are grateful to Ministers Sajjan and Wilkinson for their stewardship in securing this strategic funding, which will have a significant impact on the technology sector in Greater Vancouver, and help Canada establish a leadership position in this fast-growing sector."

- Michael Goldstein, Chief Executive Officer, Accelovant

Quick facts

Accelovant's flagship product is a fibre-optic, solid-state contact temperature sensor developed for semiconductor, industrial, and scientific measurement applications. Because fibre-optic sensors use light energy instead of electrical energy, they can be used in harsh environments where traditional technologies fail.

PacifiCan is the federal regional development agency dedicated to British Columbia . PacifiCan promotes growth and diversification in British Columbia's economy by enhancing innovation, improving business competitiveness, and promoting inclusive growth.

. PacifiCan promotes growth and diversification in economy by enhancing innovation, improving business competitiveness, and promoting inclusive growth. The Jobs and Growth Fund provides funding to businesses and organizations to help create jobs and position local economies for long-term growth.

Associated links

Stay connected

Follow PacifiCan on Twitter and LinkedIn

Toll-Free Number: 1-888-338-9378

TTY (telecommunications device for the hearing impaired): 1-877-303-3388

SOURCE Pacific Economic Development Canada

For further information: Haley Hodgson, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Pacific Economic Development Canada, [email protected]; Jillian Glover Communications Manager, PacifiCan, [email protected]
TORONTO, Oct. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Richardson Wealth Limited (Richardson Wealth), a wholly owned subsidiary of RF Capital Group Inc. (TSX: RCG) (RF Capital), is honoured to announce that eight of its advisors have been named to The Globe and Mail's Report on Business 2022 ranking of Canada's Top Wealth Advisors. In partnership with SHOOK Research, this annual list identifies the most effective and successful financial advisors in the country.

"Rahim Chatur, Tim Conlin, Marc Dalpe, Alexandra Horwood, Ida Khajadourian, Neil Kumar, Kyle Richie and Tyler Steele are all deserving of this extraordinary recognition because each of them is an exceptionally talented and committed leader. They are gamechangers who consistently exceed their clients' expectations," says Kish Kapoor, President and CEO, RF Capital.

The independent assessment, conducted by SHOOK Research, evaluates a range of quantitative and qualitative criteria to determine who is the best in the business. "Our list of top advisors is growing because at Richardson Wealth, our advisors are our clients. This mindset enables everyone at our firm to have a singular focus on building and fostering a best-in-class, advisor-centric, boutique culture. This lets our advisors concentrate on serving their clients in a manner that is tailored to their needs. That's why we are fast becoming the brand of choice for Canada's top advisors and their clients. It's that simple," says Kapoor.

About RF Capital Group Inc.

RF Capital Group Inc. is a TSX-listed (TSX: RCG) wealth management-focused company. Operating under the Richardson Wealth brand, the Company is one of the largest independent wealth management firms in Canada with $33.6 billion in assets under administration (as of September 30, 2022) and 20 offices across the country. The firm's Advisor teams are focused exclusively on providing strategic wealth advice and innovative investment solutions customized for high net worth or ultra-high net worth families and entrepreneurs. The Company is committed to maintaining exceptional fiduciary standards and has earned certification  determined annually  from the Center for Fiduciary Excellence for its Separately Managed and Portfolio Management Account platforms. Richardson Wealth has also been recognized as a Great Place to Work for the past three years, a Best Workplace for Women, a Best Workplace in Canada and Ontario, a Best Workplace for Mental Wellness, for Financial Services and Insurance, and for Hybrid Work. For further information, please visit www.rfcapgroup.com and www.RichardsonWealth.com.

SOURCE Richardson Wealth

For further information: RF Capital Group Inc., Rocco Colella, Managing Director, Investor Relations, Tel: (416) 941-0894; e-mail [email protected]
OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 28, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Today, the Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, issued the following statement regarding updated guidelines for foreign investments from state-owned enterprises in critical minerals sectors:

"Critical minerals are essential to powering the green, digital economy of tomorrow. Increasing demand and constrained supply of these all-important minerals are presenting Canada with a generational economic opportunity, and the Government of Canada is committed to seizing that opportunity while delivering on its ambitious climate goals.

"That is why Canada must build strategic resilience in the North American critical minerals supply chain with like-minded partners at home, within North America, and around the world.

"While we continue to welcome foreign direct investment that supports this goal, Canada will act decisively when investments threaten our national security and our critical minerals supply chains. To this end, Minister Champagne is providing additional direction with regard to the application of the Investment Canada Act in cases involving critical minerals and critical minerals supply chains.

"Starting today, significant transactions by foreign state-owned enterprises in Canada's critical minerals sectors will only be approved as of likely net benefit on an exceptional basis. As well, should a foreign state-owned company participate in these types of transactions, it could constitute reasonable grounds to believe that the investment could be injurious to Canada's national security, regardless of the value of the transaction.

"The federal government is determined to work with Canadian businesses to attract foreign direct investments from partners that share our interests and values. Canada's critical minerals are key to the future prosperity of our country. We will continue to encourage and work with Canadian businesses that require investment capital, by helping to identify and find partnerships that will serve in the best interest of Canadian businesses, workers, and the economy.

"Today's direction comes as the Government of Canada finalizes its Critical Minerals Strategy, which will position Canada as the global supplier of choice for critical minerals."

Associated link

Stay connected

Find more services and information at Canada.ca/ISED.

Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on social media.

Twitter: @ISED_CA, Facebook: Canadian Innovation, Instagram: @cdninnovation and LinkedIn

SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

For further information: Laurie Bouchard, Senior Manager, Communications, Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, [email protected]; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, [email protected]
One of the spokespersons for the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign organisation, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo, has expressed optimism that the...

One of the spokespersons for the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign organisation, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo, has expressed optimism that the partys candidate, Peter Obi, would emerge winner of the February poll.

The veteran Nollywood actor stated this when he featured on a programme on Channels Television.

According to him, the former Anambra Governor is ahead of other candidates battling for the top job.

He said, He has already won; check the analysis as I have always told you; take it by polls; there are three polls that have come out, ANAP, We-Together and Bloomberg; in the first one, he scored 23; in the second one 53 and in the third one he scored 75.

Soon and very soon, before the election reaches when the two candidates will unravel, and I am sure they are already unravelling, then it will now be Peter Obi and others.

Because then collectively at the polling poll, the candidates will not have up to five per cent, and whenever they dont get up to five per cent, they will be classified as others.
Festus Keyamo, minister of state for labour and employment, says the beneficiaries of the 774,000 special public works (SPW) scheme are no...

Festus Keyamo, minister of state for labour and employment, says the beneficiaries of the 774,000 special public works (SPW) scheme are not people from the moon.

On Wednesday, the senate committee on public account commenced an investigation into the SPW programme after lawmakers argued that nobody from their constituents benefitted.

The committee gave the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) two weeks to submit a comprehensive report of all beneficiaries across the 36 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

The SPW scheme is a federal government intervention programme coordinated by the NDE as part of the efforts to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 on citizens.

The programme was targeted at creating jobs for 774,000 Nigerians with a mandate of recruiting 1000 citizens from each LGA across the country.

Reacting to the senates decision on Thursday, Keyamo said the NDE will provide all the evidence, reports and processes of the exercise, adding that there was no corruption in the scheme.

I think they have asked the NDE to produce the register, so, they should wait. Can they conclude before seeing the register? they gave two weeks, the response would be made available to everyone including the press, he told TheCable.

The NDE will give every evidence, so, follow it up with the NDE, they are there to give all the reports, all the processes, so follow it up on the committee so we dont talk outside the committee.

There was no corruption at all. When you go there, they will make everything available. The people who were chosen are Nigerians too, theyre not from moon, and they are not from Cameroon. So, it will be made available to everybody, so just follow it up from there. The NDE is in charge, they will include every evidence and all the documents.

The minister added that the SPW programme has achieved all its set goals.

Keyamo had in May 2020 said about 10 percent of the federal governments 774,000 temporary employment slots will be allocated to political office holders in the country.

On June 30, 2020, the minister, after an argument with the lawmakers, said they were trying to blackmail him and hijack the SPW exercise.

TheCable, in 2021, published a report on how some beneficiaries of the scheme in parts of Sokoto, Kebbi, Oyo, Osun, Kwara and Niger states got paid despite doing nothing.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday stopped the execution of its own judgement which faulted the rendition of Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria ...





The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday stopped the execution of its own judgement which faulted the rendition of Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria and also set aside the terrorism charges against him.





Justice Haruna Tsanami in a ruling upheld the Federal Governments application and ordered that the execution of the judgment be put on hold.





The Federal Government had applied that the execution of the judgment be suspended pending the resolution of its appeal lodged at the Supreme Court.





Justice Tsanami in the brief ruling held that the counter affidavit filed against the Federal Government application by Kanus legal team was misleading.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday returned to Abuja after attending the First World Bio Summit in Seoul, South Korea. The presidentia...





President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday returned to Abuja after attending the First World Bio Summit in Seoul, South Korea.

The presidential aircraft carrying Buhari and members of his entourage landed at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja at about 4:10 am on Friday morning, NAN reports.

While in Seoul, Buhari presented Nigerias statement at the summit, where he expressed the countrys readiness to become a global hub for sustainable manufacturing and distribution of biological pharmaceuticals and vaccines to support initiatives to keep people safe.

The Nigerian leader also met with Ban Ki-Moon, the former United Nations Secretary-General, and the African Group of Ambassadors accredited to Korea on the sidelines of the summit in Seoul.

Buhari advocated increased Korean investments in Nigeria for mutual economic benefit.

He witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Daewoo Group and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd to rehabilitate the Kaduna refinery.

Before leaving Seoul, Buhari had an interactive meeting with the leadership and select Nigerian community members at the end of the summit on Thursday.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has called on the Nigeria Labour Congress and the management of Nigeri...

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has called on the Nigeria Labour Congress and the management of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to prevail on the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas to lessen their burden by reducing the loading fees.

The fuel marketers regretted that considering the high cost of diesel to power the station and coupled with the exploitation from private tank depot owners and NUPENG, as various of their associations had met and resolved to withdraw their services across the southeast part of the country, adding that they cannot cope under this harsh environment of doing business, caused by private depot owners and NUPENG.

This was contained in a release forwarded on Friday in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.

Continuing, IPMAN called on President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government to revive various moribund NNPC depots within the southeastern zone aimed at ensuring sufficient availability of premium motor spirit, otherwise known as fuel, at a regulated price for the consumers, and indeed, the generality of the populace residing within the eastern zone and its environs.

The Independent oil marketers in the southeast also threatened to withdraw their services over the increasing hike in the price of premium motor spirit in the southeast and the continued exploitation of union members by NUPENG.

The petroleum marketers lamented that the private depots are the cause of the hike in the price, stressing that they are buying from them at the cost of N185:00 per litre, adding that after other expenses the price would rise to N200 per litre.

The IPMAN was quoted partly, Its no longer news that premium motor spirit is sold at N200 per litre in the eastern part of Nigeria including Port Harcourt, Enugu, Owerri, Awka, Uyo, Cross River, Aba, Yenagoa, Markudi, Lokoja.

The real cause of the hike in price is the incessant increment in the price of premium spirit from private deport owners. A litre of fuel is being sold to us at the rate of N185 per litre. When you add transport and logistics including the exploitation by NUPENG in the name of the union fee which is over one hundred and twenty thousand naira (N120,00) per truck, the price will be more than N200 per litre.

Our business cannot thrive. Our various associations have met, and we have resolved to withdraw our services should they go on with the increment in petroleum price and unavoidable exploitation using the umbrella body (IPMAN).
The 237th/238th sessions of the Permanent Technical Committee (PTC) took place from 25 to 27 October 2022. The Meeting brought together a number of delegates from WCO Members, international organizations and the private sector to discuss, provide guidance and endorse issues on a wide range of topics.

In his opening remarks, the WCO Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, expressed his appreciation for having so many delegates in the meeting room for this first in-person only meeting after having tried different meeting formats since the PTCs last in-person meeting in October 2019. The Secretary General elaborated on some of the outcomes of the 2022 WCO Technology Conference and Exhibition which was held in Maastricht, the Netherlands the previous week. He also highlighted a number of emerging topics that the PTC would cover in this three-day meeting. Dr. Mikuriya reminded delegates that, under the relevant agenda item, they will have the opportunity to discuss the outcomes of the WCO Green Customs Global Conference held in June. He noted other agenda items, including the role of Customs in fragile and conflict-affected situations, Global Customs Data Exchange Platform, E-Commerce, etc. He also highlighted the importance of Coordinated Border Management and referred to the agenda items related to cooperation with other international organizations and stakeholders, such as the World Bank, the Universal Postal Union and the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH).

During the meeting, there were extensive deliberations on numerous topics. Regarding e-commerce, the PTC decided to amend the mechanism for the update and maintenance of the E-Commerce Package. The amended mechanism will no longer include annual reviews, but will focus on a 4-year periodic review process that will consider the entire Package, based on real-life implementation experiences of Members and stakeholders. The new mechanism will also provide the flexibility to fast-track amendments in situations that may require immediate action by the WCO and its Members to address emerging issues in the e-commerce environment. Furthermore, the WCO Guide to Stress Tests for Customs administrations was endorsed by the PTC. The meeting endorsed the list of WCO members of the WCO-UPU Contact Committee for 2022-2025 as well as the Revised PTC Work Programme 2022-2025.

Additional discussions noting the progress of work and providing guidance were held on: the current annual review of two annexes forming part of the E-Commerce Package; the proposed data set for the Global Customs Data Exchange Platform; the WCO Data Model's role in the harmonization of statistical data; the Guidelines on Cooperation between Customs and Port Authorities; the update of the Implementation Guidance for Section I of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation of the World Trade Organization (WTO TFA); and, the Time Release Study Online System Project

During his closing remarks, the Director of Compliance and Facilitation, Mr. Pranab Kumar Das, congratulated delegates for the successful completion of the meeting and also thanked Members who shared their national experiences with the PTC through their presentations adding that their inputs are instructive and beneficial to the PTC.

The next PTC meeting is scheduled for the week of 24 April 2023.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has approved the sum of N500million for community policing in Abuja as part of efforts t...





The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has approved the sum of N500million for community policing in Abuja as part of efforts to curb insecurity.





The funds will provide the logistics support for the Federal Government scheme in communities in the 8,000 square kilometers of the nations capital.





FCT Minister Muhammad Bello made the announcement during the FCT Security Committee meeting on Thursday in Gwarinpa I District.





Bello said the contribution was in recognition of the importance the government attaches to the project expected to suppress crimes and criminality in the territory.





The minister charged Chairmen of the six Area Councils in FCT to contribute at least N100million each to further boost the capability of the security agencies.





Bello urged stakeholders, including traditional rulers and residents, to ensure the sustainability of the community policing project.





This fund made available will strategically be used for the activities, training and payment of allowances to the volunteers of the community policing, he said.





Bello and members of the FCT Security Committee, also today, donated 60 operational vehicles to security agencies at the Eagle Square.





The Police Force got 20. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Armed Forces, Customs, Immigration, Correctional Services, Federal Road Safety Commission, among others, received the rest.





The FCTA approval and donations came days after the United States issued an alert of planned terror attacks in Abuja.
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There are plenty of ways to celebrate Halloween in New Orleans this weekend, whether you're looking for a parade or an at-home movie night.

How are you spending your weekend? If you need some ideas, we've got you covered.

Catch a parade

New Orleans is a city of parades, so Halloween weekend will be no different.

The Krewe of Boo rolled in last weekend, but catch up on those floats and throws through pictures or on reporter Doug MacCash's TikTok channel.

Plus, the 'Thriller' flash mob will once again take over Jackson Square on Halloween. Want to join in? There's an open rehearsal on Saturday.

There are a handful of other parades and second-lines planned for this weekend. Here are a few:

Want to carve a fancy pumpkin?

Those intricate and creative designs can be intimidating, so Doug MacCash broke down 10 tips to pumpkin carving success.

It's never too late to add some festive decor to your porch and pumpkins are still on sale at local groceries.

Check out the advice here.

Read up on some haunted Louisiana sites

From the Lalaurie House to the Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, New Orleans and Louisiana in general have their fair share of reportedly haunted spots.

Whether you believe these stories to be true or not, they can set the tone for a spooky Halloween night.

Host a spooky movie night

If you're planning to stay in, enjoy some Halloween treats and turn on a scary movie, this list of locally set films might help you make a selection.

You might be surprised that some of these movies were filmed in New Orleans. Plus, the list includes where to stream them.

Scope out the best of the decorated homes

Don't forget to catch those Halloween decorations before they disappear next week.

The skeleton house returned to St. Charles Avenue this year. There's always new punny twists to the skull and bones that grace the yard.

Plus, more supersized skeletons and witches popped up at homes across the New Orleans area this year.
Sleek Uptown home of Tim and Ashley Francis has a contemporary style that's focused on the artwork
Jerry Lee Lewis, the untamable rock n roll pioneer whose outrageous talent, energy and ego collided on such definitive records as Great Balls of Fire and Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and sustained a career otherwise upended by personal scandal, died Friday morning at 87.

The last survivor of a generation of groundbreaking performers that included Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard, Lewis died at home in Memphis, Tennessee, representative Zach Farnum said in a release.

Of all the rock rebels to emerge in the 1950s, few captured the new genre's attraction and danger as unforgettably as the Louisiana-born piano player who called himself The Killer." He was from Ferriday.

Tender ballads were best left to the old folks. Lewis was all about lust and gratification, with his leering tenor and demanding asides, violent tempos and brash glissandi, cocky sneer and crazy blond hair. He was a one-man stampede who made the fans scream and the keyboards swear, his live act so combustible that during a 1957 performance of Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On on The Steve Allen Show, chairs were thrown at him like buckets of water on an inferno.

There was rockabilly. There was Elvis. But there was no pure rock n roll before Jerry Lee Lewis kicked in the door, a Lewis admirer once observed. That admirer was Jerry Lee Lewis.

But in his private life, he raged in ways that might have ended his career today  and nearly did back then.

For a brief time, in 1958, he was a contender to replace Presley as rocks prime hit maker after Elvis was drafted into the Army. But while Lewis toured in England, the press learned three damaging things: He was married to 13-year-old (possibly even 12-year-old) Myra Gale Brown, she was his cousin, and he was still married to his previous wife. His tour was canceled, he was blacklisted from the radio and his earnings dropped overnight to virtually nothing.

I probably would have rearranged my life a little bit different, but I never did hide anything from people, Lewis told the Wall Street Journal in 2014 when asked about the marriage. I just went on with my life as usual.

Over the following decades, Lewis struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, legal disputes and physical illness. Two of his many marriages ended in his wifes early death. Brown herself divorced him in the early 1970s and would later allege physical and mental cruelty that nearly drove her to suicide.

If I was still married to Jerry, Id probably be dead by now, she told People magazine in 1989.

Lewis reinvented himself as a country performer in the 1960s, and the music industry eventually forgave him, long after he stopped having hits. He won three Grammys, and recorded with some of the industry's greatest stars. In 2006, Lewis came out with Last Man Standing, featuring Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, B.B. King and George Jones. In 2010, Lewis brought in Jagger, Keith Richards, Sheryl Crow, Tim McGraw and others for the album Mean Old Man.

In The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll, first published in 1975, he recalled how he convinced disc jockeys to give him a second chance.

This time I said, Look, man, lets get together and draw a line on this stuff  a peace treaty you know, he explained. Lewis would still play the old hits on stage, but on the radio he would sing country.

Lewis had a run of top 10 country hits between 1967-70, and hardly mellowed at all. He performed drinking songs such as Whats Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me), the roving eye confessions of She Still Comes Around and a dry-eyed cover of a classic ballad of abandonment, She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye. He had remained popular in Europe and a 1964 album, Live at the Star Club, Hamburg, is widely regarded as one of the greatest concert records.

A 1973 performance proved more troublesome: Lewis sang for the Grand Ole Opry and broke two longstanding rules  no swearing and no non-country songs.

I am a rock and rollin, country-and-western, rhythm and blues-singin motherf-----, he told the audience.

Lewis married seven times, and was rarely far from trouble or death. His fourth wife, Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate, drowned in a swimming pool in 1982 while suing for divorce. His fifth wife, Shawn Stephens, 23 years his junior, died of an apparent drug overdose in 1983. Within a year, Lewis had married Kerrie McCarver, then 21. She filed for divorce in 1986, accusing him of physical abuse and infidelity. He countersued, but both petitions eventually were dropped. They finally divorced in 2005 after several years of separation. The couple had one child, Jerry Lee III.

Another son by a previous marriage, Steve Allen Lewis, 3, drowned in a swimming pool in 1962, and son Jerry Lee Jr. died in a traffic accident at 19 in 1973. Lewis also had two daughters, Phoebe and Lori Leigh, and his survived by his wife Judith.

His finances were also chaotic. Lewis made millions, but he liked his money in cash and ended up owing hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Internal Revenue Service. When he began welcoming tourists in 1994 to his longtime residence near Nesbit, Mississippi  complete with a piano-shaped swimming pool  he set up a 900 phone number fans could call for a recorded message at $2.75 a minute.

The son of one-time bootlegger Elmo Lewis and the cousin of TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart and country star Mickey Gilley, Lewis was born in Ferriday, Louisiana. As a boy, he first learned to play guitar, but found the instrument too confining and longed for an instrument that the only the rich people in his town could afford  a piano. His life changed when his father pulled up in his truck one day and presented him a dark-wood, upright set of keyboards.

My eyes almost fell out of my head, Lewis recalled in Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story, written by Rick Bragg and published in 2014.

He took to the piano immediately, and began sneaking off to Black juke joints and absorbing everything from gospel to boogie-woogie. Conflicted early on between secular and scared music, he quit school at 16, with plans of becoming a piano-playing preacher. Lewis briefly attended Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Texas, a fundamentalist Bible college, but was expelled, reportedly, for playing the wrong kind of music.

Great Balls of Fire, a sexualized take on Biblical imagery that Lewis initially refused to record, and Whole Lotta Shakin were his most enduring songs and performance pieces.

Lewis had only a handful of other pop hits, including High School Confidential and Breathless, but they were enough to ensure his place as a rock n roll architect.

No group, be it (the) Beatles, Dylan or Stones, have ever improved on Whole Lotta Shakin for my money, John Lennon would tell Rolling Stone in 1970.

A roadhouse veteran by his early 20s, Lewis took off for Memphis in 1956 and showed up at the studios of Sun Records, the musical home of Elvis, Perkins and Cash. Told by company founder Sam Phillips to go learn some rock n roll, Lewis returned and soon hurried off Whole Lotta Shakin in a single take.

I knew it was a hit when I cut it, he later said. Sam Phillips thought it was gonna be too risque, it couldnt make it. If thats risque, well, Im sorry.

In 1986, along with Elvis, Chuck Berry and others, he made the inaugural class of inductees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Killer not only outlasted his contemporaries but saw his life and music periodically reintroduced to younger fans, including the the 1989 biopic Great Balls of Fire, starring Dennis Quaid, and Ethan Coens 2022 documentary Trouble in Mind. A 2010 Broadway music, Million Dollar Quartet, was inspired by a recording session that featured Lewis, Elvis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash.

He won a Grammy in 1987 as part of an interview album that was cited for best spoken word recording, and he received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2005. The following year, Whole Lotta Shakin was selected for the Library of Congress National Recording Registry, whose board praised the propulsive boogie piano that was perfectly complemented by the drive of J.M. Van Eatons energetic drumming. The listeners to the recording, like Lewis himself, had a hard time remaining seated during the performance.

A classmate at Bible school, Pearry Green, remembered meeting Lewis years later and asking if he was still playing the devils music.

Yes, I am, Lewis answered. But you know its strange, the same music that they kicked me out of school for is the same kind of music they play in their churches today. The difference is, I know I am playing for the devil and they dont.
The music has finally resumed in the Marrero Middle School band room, after a group of music foundations teamed up to replace the instruments Hurricane Ida damaged last year.

The Guitar Center Music Foundation, Save the Music Foundation and Music Rising gave the band the new instruments at a ceremony on Sept. 30. And the students got to debut them with a performance of When the Saints go Marching In with members of the Preservation Hall Collective.

For some of the band students, it wasnt their first time playing with the Preservation Hall Collective. Over the summer, some Marrero Middle School students and other local students recorded an album of jazz standards with Preservation Hall greats over the summer.

But without the bulk of their instruments, over the last year band director Jeremy Williams has had to stick to teaching the around 100 Marrero band students music theory. In a video by the Guitar Center, he said class just wasnt the same.

Music is not supposed to be about worksheets, Williams said. Its an organic experience that you feel, you live and you do it  but without an instrument, how do you do any of that?

The school provides instruments at no cost to its band students, as almost all of the schools students are considered economically disadvantaged by the Louisiana Department of Education. About half of the students at the Jefferson Parish middle school are Black, 23% are white and 18% are Hispanic.

+2 'Absolute devastation:' Ida leaves Marrero Middle School band without working instruments Ever since the school reopened after Hurricane Ida, the band room has been a lot quieter.

As the band has grown over the years, Williams told Gambit last year, he and his wife have found and purchased additional instruments so more students could play.

Replacing the instruments was a team effort. Artist Josh Wingerter held a fundraiser at his gallery last November to raise money for new instruments. He reached out to the Guitar Center foundation, which then gave students a new drum line, brass instruments and lockers in which to store their instruments. Music Rising and Save The Music Foundation donated several dozen instruments as well.

Myka (Miller, the executive director of the Guitar Center Music Foundation) is basically giving the entire band and each child a new voice and a new hope, Williams said.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story stated the students performed with members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, a touring band. They performed with members of the Preservation Hall Collective, which does not tour.
U.S. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, who is up for re-election Nov. 8, is over the moon for newly minted Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, despite  or perhaps because of  comparisons that have been made between her and fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.

Im a little excited about [Melonis] message, Scalise told Washington, D.C. reporter Matt Laslo, according to RawStory. Shes run on a campaign of standing up to this far-left wokeism and the anti-energy policies that are destroying a lot of European countries.

He continued, To have somebody pushing back on that far-left agenda in Europe shows: It's happening in Europe, and it's going to happen in America on Nov. 8."

Meloni, who has neo-fascist roots as a member of the Fratelli dItalia (Brothers of Italy) political party, ran on an extreme, nationalist campaign, railing against immigration and promoting family values messaging. She is the countrys first far-right leader since Mussolini.

Like many of his fellow Republicans, Scalise has become increasingly far-right in his policies, which have echoes of fascism. He has pushed back against wokeism  a vaguely defined term used by conservatives to describe environmental and pro-human rights movements or ideas  as part of a larger fight by his fellow party leaders to maintain white supremacy.

For Republicans like Scalise, family values is a code for forced birth, despite previously upheld American constitutional rights to privacy that once applied to abortion access.

In some ways, Scalises policies are actually more extreme than Melonis, as the House Whip and native of Jefferson Parish supports the nationwide ban on abortion.

Meloni, on the other hand, has said she would uphold an Italian law that protects the right to abortion, though she supports further limitations on access.

Scalise has also pledged his ongoing support for policies that disproportionately harm women, people of color, the LGBTQ community and the environment. He also vehemently opposes any form of gun control  despite being the victim of a mass shooting himself.

Scalise, who is expected to handily win re-election, has also come under renewed scrutiny for his support of the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, was not shocked by Scalises comments praising the neo-fascist leader.

Not surprising, he told Laslo. Theyre for authoritarian, non-democratic government.
NTV News 24 is a service of Nippon Television, Japan's leading broadcasting network. This page provides a selection of today's stories in English.
By Tong Yi and Hu Huiqi

The 21st Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent to Lebanon rushes to assemble in an unexpected emergency defense drill.

BEIRUT, Oct. 28 -- On October 26 local time, members of the 21st Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent to Lebanon participated in an unexpected emergency defense drill held by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Sector East, and further improved their response ability to emergencies.

During the drill, UNIFIL Sector East sent inspectors to check the personnel structure, weapons and equipment, medical supplies and materials in the two bunkers of the contingent one by one, who later communicated with the Sector East Command from the bunkers and reported the actual performance of the Chinese peacekeepers.

According to Miao Hongcheng, head of the medical contingent, since the deployment to the mission area at the end of July, the medical contingent has formulated a number of emergency plans, and regularly organized drills on the subjects of air defense, raid defense and mass casualty treatment according to the social situation in the mission area of Lebanon and the requirements of various tasks.

It is learned that the 21st Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent to Lebanon kept providing humanitarian medical aid to the local people within the past three months. So far, it has received more than 1,000 patients, completed a number of large-scale tasks, and won wide acclaim from the other UNIFIL peacekeepers and local people.
People can shop for holiday gifts at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart while raising money for a good cause.

St. Mary Medical Center Auxiliary is raising funds for students going off to college to study for healthcare careers by selling gifts for the Christmas season in November. It's also hosting The Nutman Company Sale from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. People can buy nuts, candies, chocolates and various snack mixes to benefit the 2023 scholarship fund that supports students pursuing professional careers in the medical field.

The Auxiliary will host a Highland Jewelers sale from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 4 at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart. The family-owned business will sell diamonds and other jewelry at the hospital. Then Usborne Books will sell children's books at the hospital from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 18.

A portion of the proceeds from those sales also will go to medical scholarships for students interested in becoming doctors, nurses or other healthcare professionals.

All the fundraisers will take place in Rooms 3 and 3A by the West Entrance at St. Mary Medical Center at 1500 South Lake Park Ave. in Hobart.
VALPARAISO  Bond was set at $1,000 cash Friday morning for a 45-year-old Portage man facing a felony domestic battery charge after allegedly hitting a 13-year-old girl in the face.

The girl was reportedly bleeding heavily after being hit by Joseph Soto, Portage police said.

Prosecutors had asked for a $1,500 bond during the initial hearing Friday morning.

Police said they were called to a Portage home early Tuesday evening where the girl's mother reported the alleged incident.

She said Soto, who has anger issues, had ordered the girl to move, shoved the girl and then hit her with a closed fist on the side of her face when the girl put up her hands in self-defense, according to the arrest report.

Before fleeing the home, Soto allegedly bumped the girl with his chest and said he hoped she would die, according to police.

Soto reportedly told police the girl shoved him first and then punched him on the side of his face, which triggered a "reaction" of him slapping her. He denied later bumping the girl or wishing her harm.

Soto is ordered to have no further contact with the girl while his criminal case proceeds.

A trial was set for March 20, with preliminary hearings Dec. 9, Jan. 13 and Feb. 17, according to Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer.
CROWN POINT  An Ohio man pleaded guilty Thursday in connection with a crash in 2020 on Interstate 65 in Crown Point that resulted in the death of a 14-year-old girl.

William L. Cromwell, 48, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty to driving while suspended resulting in death, a level 5 felony.

In exchange for his plea, Lake County prosecutors agreed to dismiss several counts, including causing death while operating a vehicle with a controlled substance in the blood, Lake Criminal Court records showed.

Cromwell admitted in his plea agreement he had a suspended driver's license when he struck a blue Honda that had come to rest in the northbound lanes of I-65 after the Honda's driver hit a deer July 27, 2020.

Sage Albert, 14, of Union, Ohio, a passenger in the Honda Fit, was killed in the crash.

According to charging documents, Cromwell was found to have cocaine in his system after the crash.

If Judge Salvador Vasquez accepts Cromwell's plea agreement, he could face a sentence of one to six years.

Cromwell was extradited to Lake County to face charges in the fatal crash in February after authorities in Ohio found him hiding in a home that belonged to his girlfriend, a former Cincinnati councilwoman, Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Jacquelyn Altpeter said at a July court hearing.

Cromwell's girlfriend, Yumorria Laketa Cole, was indicted on obstruction of justice charges, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

Cromwell's defense attorney, Roseann Ivanovich, said the former councilwoman is the mother of Cromwell's child and her charges were dismissed.

Vasquez scheduled Cromwell's sentencing for Dec. 1.
VALPARAISO  A 39-year-old Portage woman showed no apparent reaction Friday morning as charges in her child and animal neglect case were read to her and she was told she would be prohibited from having any contact with her 2-year-old daughter while her case proceeds.

The accused, Jamie Lynn Pressley, told the judge her child is currently in the care of the Indiana Department of Child Services and said her sister is seeking temporary custody of the girl.

When the girl was pulled from the Portage mobile home Monday night, she was so covered in dog feces she had to be cleaned several times, according to charging information.

"The feces were smeared on walls in the child's bedroom and on her things," the document reads.

Police said the child had been playing with and walking through the feces left behind by two dogs, who were not fed regularly and had been made to defecate inside the mobile home in the 300 block of Beige Avenue.

Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer left bond at $1,500 cash for Pressley and said the case was being transferred to Porter Superior Court Judge Christopher Buckley, who has an earlier case involving Pressley.

She was charged in that case with driving while suspended, possession of a controlled substance and speeding, court records show.

Pressley is charged in the new case with two felony counts of neglect of a dependent and two misdemeanor counts of neglect of an animal, records show.

Portage police said Pressley was found heavily intoxicated and asleep inside a mobile home when officers arrived shortly after 10 p.m. Monday after it had been reported she had not been to work since the Thursday prior.

Portage police officer Christopher Leer reported he was met with a "staggering stench that overpowered my senses" when entering the mobile home and found an abundance of trash and clutter throughout the interior and heaps of animal and suspected human feces.

He said he also found empty or partially consumed liquor bottles on the floor and within reach of the child, with Pressley asleep in a room with a pool of urine in the center.

Police said they also found two guns in the residence; one on top of the refrigerator was loaded with a round in the chamber.

Former Portage Police Chief Troy Williams said the living conditions were some of the worst he has seen in his 26-year career as a police officer.

"It should also be noted that at no time while I was in the presence of Ms. Pressley did she express any concern/care for her child, dogs or reason for the state of their home," Williams said.
VALPARAISO  Bond was set Friday morning at $25,000 cash for a 38-year-old man facing criminal accusations of sharing child pornography online, including images of girls under the age of 10 pictured with adult men.

Jeffrey Scott Rogers, who was living temporarily at the Whispering Sands Manufactured Home Community in Liberty Township, is charged with three felony counts of child exploitation. The most serious count carries a potential sentence of two to 12 years behind bars.

Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer approved the prosecutor's request for the $25,000 bond during an initial hearing Friday.

While Rogers said he could not afford the bond, the judge told him if he bonds out, he can not live with children under the age of 18 or anywhere near where children gather.

Rogers began to say he is no threat to children when he was cut off by a defense attorney.

An Indiana State Police officer, who works with the Indiana Crimes Against Children Task Force, said that in July she began investigating a tip received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The individual in question, who later turned out to be Rogers, was using the online site Reddit to download child pornography, a court document says.

The user was tracked down to an address within the local mobile home park, where police learned Rogers would visit and stay on occasion with a family member. It was confirmed he had been at the site during the time period in question of May 18 to July 5.

Police said they were told Rogers had up to four cell phones at a time. Using a search warrant, police took possession of the phones Tuesday and found at least one contained multiple pornographic images of female and male children.
CROWN POINT  A fifth-grade teacher accused of telling a student at an East Chicago Catholic school she had a "kill list" signed a no-contact order Friday without objection and agreed to stay away from the school property.

Angelica C. Carrasquillo-Torres, 25, appeared in a green jail uniform as she made a formal appearance in Lake Criminal Court with her attorney, Andreas Kyres.

Senior Judge Kathleen Lang, who was sitting for Judge Natalie Bokota, affirmed Carrasquillo-Torres' not guilty plea to one count of intimidation, a level 6 felony.

Carrasquillo-Torres had not posted bond, which remained set at $20,000 surety or $2,000 cash. That amount aligns with a bail schedule set by the felony court judges.

According to court records, a counselor was escorting two 12-year-old students to a classroom for recess detention at St. Stanislaus Catholic School, 4930 Indianapolis Blvd., about 12:45 p.m. Oct. 12 when one of the students said Carrasquillo-Torres wanted to kill herself and had a list.

The counselor told an assistant principal about the student's statement, and Carrasquillo-Torres immediately was separated from students and brought to the principal's office, documents state.

The counselor and assistant principal spoke to both of the students, who alleged Carrasquillo-Torres told one of them she wanted to kill herself and had a "kill list" but that he was at the bottom of the list. The second student overheard the conversation, records state.

During an interview with the assistant principal, Carrasquillo-Torres allegedly said, "I want to kill myself, staff and students, and I did also make a kill list."

When asked why she felt that way, Carrasquillo-Torres said, "I'm having trouble with my mental health and sometimes the kids do not listen in the classroom," court records allege.

Carrasquillo-Torres named only one student on the alleged list during her interview with the principal, but she never showed a list to administrators, documents state.
The U.S. Air Force says it is responsible for releasing records relating to the military service of Republican congressional candidate Jennifer-Ruth Green that may have included information not normally disclosable without Green's approval.

Ann Stefanek, Air Force chief of media operations, said Thursday in a statement to The Times: "Based on the preliminary findings of an investigation, it appears information from Jennifer-Ruth Green's service record was released to a third party by a junior individual who didn't follow proper procedures and obtain required consent."

"The Department of the Air Force takes its responsibility to safeguard private information seriously and the matter remains under investigation," Stefanek added.

The statement echoes a conversation two Republican Indiana congressmen said they had Tuesday with Air Force Inspector General Lt. Gen. Stephen Davis concerning access to Green's military records after the records were cited in an Oct. 7 Politico Magazine profile of Green and her campaign against U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, to represent Lake, Porter and northwest LaPorte counties in the U.S. House.

U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Fort Wayne, and U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon, R-Evansville, said Davis told them "the Air Force took full responsibility" for "improperly releasing" Green's records, and the person who did so "has been identified and will be held accountable."

"The Air Force completed its preliminary investigation and is currently investigating whether the leaker had a political or financial motive, whether the leaker acted alone, and if the Air Force needs to strengthen policies related to its handling of confidential records," the Hoosier congressmen said.

"No service member should have to fear that their confidential service records will be used against them. The Air Force must take immediate steps towards transparency for the sake of all veterans and service members," they added.

Banks and Bucshon claimed in their statement Green's Air Force records were obtained by an opposition research firm that potentially has connections to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

They did not identify the alleged opposition research firm or provide any evidence of DCCC connections.

Rather, they called on the Air Force to release any information it has regarding the financial relationship between the DCCC and the opposition research firm.

It's not clear why the congressmen believe the Air Force would have that information.

The Air Force has not said to whom Green's records were released. It also has not said whether the "junior individual" who released them did so inadvertently or maliciously.

Politico said it obtained some of Green's military records in connection with a request under the federal Freedom of Information Act.

The publication did not specify who filed the FOIA, or whether it knew the Air Force released more information than it should have, but Politico specifically noted in its article the records it received were provided by a person unaffiliated with Mrvan's campaign.

Mrvan also has said neither he, nor anyone working for his campaign, provided Green's military records to Politico.

Instead, a Politico executive told Fox News Digital additional documentation relating to incidents described in the profile was provided directly by Green's campaign.

The Politico article said Green failed to become an Air Force pilot after washing out of flight training and earned a "does not meet standards" performance review in connection with her leadership skills, professional qualities, and judgment and decisions, after Green mishandled her weapon and wandered away from a forward operating base.

According to Politico, the latter incident occurred when Green, an Air Force investigator evaluating the facilities at an Iraqi law enforcement training center in 2009, left a group of officers to climb into a guard tower where Green said an Iraqi service member grabbed her breast and exposed himself to her.

Politico said the poor-performance review stymied Green's Air Force career and she left active duty in 2012 as part of a general force reduction. In 2015, the California native joined the Indiana Air National Guard where she held a variety of positions until ending her service last month, records show.

Meanwhile, Green is continuing to blame Mrvan personally for her military records becoming public  even after the Air Force said it was responsible for their improper release.

"It's the worst of politics, and it's just the latest example that Hoosiers deserve better than Congressman Frank Mrvan," Green said.
HAMMOND  Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Thomas McDermott Jr. can spend Election Day hustling across Indiana for every possible vote since he's already cast his ballot in the 2022 general election.

On a warm and sunny autumn Friday, the five-term Hammond mayor visited the Lake County Superior Court building in his hometown to spend a few minutes selecting the individuals he wants representing him in government at the federal, state and local level.

McDermott said afterward that he voted for himself for U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, for U.S. House and "straight Democratic" for every other office on the ballot, including for his wife, Lake Circuit Judge Marissa McDermott, who is unopposed for a second six-year term on the bench.

He said voting early was easy, and McDermott urged all eligible Indiana voters to either get to an early voting site Saturday or next week, or be sure to visit their local polling place between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Nov. 8.

In particular, McDermott said first-time voters and women voters have a strong incentive to participate this year after the U.S. Supreme Court and the Republican-controlled Indiana General Assembly stripped women of their right to bodily autonomy by denying them access to abortion.

"I hope we have a huge turnout," McDermott said. "I have a feeling that Election Day we'll see a big surge."

McDermott also is optimistic about his chances of toppling U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., despite being massively outspent by the first-term Republican incumbent.

"I've left it all out on the field. Whatever happens Nov. 8, I can feel good about myself," McDermott said. "I've been all over the state. I've driven over 75,000 miles since we've started, shook thousands of hands, caught COVID once, got sneezed on dozens of times."

"I gave everything I can. I'm in a competitive position, and that's all you can ask for," he added.

Data from the Lake County Board of Elections show more than 17,000 Lake County residents, like McDermott, have cast an in-person early vote so far this year, and another 5,000 eligible voters already have returned their mail-in ballots.

No excuse is required to vote early in Indiana. Registered voters need only show up at any early voting site in their home county with a photo-identification card to obtain and cast their ballot prior to Election Day.

A complete list of Region early voting hours and locations is available online by searching "Northwest Indiana 2022 early voting sites" on nwi.com.
GARY  Prominent Gary attorney Tony Walker died at age 55 on Wednesday.

Friends and colleagues throughout Northwest Indiana remembered Walker as a dedicated advocate who worked tirelessly to better his community.

"Tony loved the city of Gary and he will not be forgotten. Tony played an invaluable role in our administration and his wise and honest counsel was always appreciated," Mayor Jerome Prince said in a statement.

Walker began practicing law in 1995, clerking for Indiana Supreme Court Justice Robert D. Rucker, then an Indiana Court of Appeals judge. He later joined the firm Mayer, Lyles & Godshalk before becoming chairman of the Walker Law Group.

Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Leanna Weissmann said she first met Walker in 2013, when she was appointed to the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission. The two became fast friends and worked together on a few of the Walker Law Group's appeal cases. In 2018, Walker and Weissmann's combined efforts led to a reversal on a Fourth Amendment search and seizure case at the U.S. Supreme Court.

"I am a better lawyer, judge and most importantly human, for having known Tony Walker," Weissmann said. "I will miss his keen intellect, unusual way of viewing the world, and his sense of humor. The legal community will not be the same with his passing."

Walker served on numerous boards and committees throughout his career, including the State Board of Education, the Gary Police Foundation and the Second Chance Foundation. He also served as chairman of the Urban League of Northwest Indiana Board of Directors and president of the Gary Public Library Board of Trustees. After Prince's election in 2019, Walker became a member of the mayor's transition team.

Walker worked as the chief of staff for Radio One, Inc. and chief operating officer and vice president of business and legal affairs for its gospel recording label, Music One. He was also the executive producer for multiple radio programs airing on WLTH Radio in Gary and hosted a weekly public affairs talk show for several years.

In a statement, Gov. Eric Holcomb said Gary "has lost a man who was doing good."

"Tony Walker was a leader, an advocate and a friend to the city he loved," Holcomb said. "He cared deeply for his community by honoring its past and planning for its future."

Prince said his heart goes out to Walker's wife, Muna, and their sons Miles, Ethan and Brandon.

Service arrangements are being handled by the Smith, Bizzell & Warner Funeral Home in Gary.
New Yorks top elections watchdog is investigating whether the campaign of Representative Lee Zeldin, the Republican nominee for governor, violated state law by coordinating with a pair of super PACs supporting his candidacy, according to two people familiar with the inquiry.

Michael L. Johnson, the chief enforcement counsel at the State Board of Elections, initiated the preliminary investigation following reporting by The Times Union of Albany and a formal complaint by the New York Democratic Party documenting individuals who may be working for both the super PACs and Mr. Zeldins campaign in a prohibited manner.

In recent days, Mr. Johnson asked the Board of Elections to grant him broad subpoena authority to compel cooperation from the campaign and the groups, Save Our State Inc. and Safe Together New York.

But before the board could vote on Mr. Johnsons request as a part of a long-scheduled regular business meeting on Tuesday, two Republican board members  a co-chairman and a commissioner  both unexpectedly said they could not attend, denying the body a quorum to vote on the subpoena, according to the people familiar with the events, who were not authorized to speak about it publicly.
Thirty percent of the revenue of American semiconductor companies comes from sales to China, which imported more than $400 billion worth of chips in 2021. China will have to rely on domestic chip producers now, which are expected to meet about 70 percent of its market demand by 2025.

To meet this challenge, China is turning to its strongest form of techno-nationalism, the juguo tizhi, or whole of the nation approach, whereby all national resources are mobilized to achieve a strategic objective. It was used in the past to reap Olympic gold medals but is now also designated for core technologies like quantum information and biotech.

China is placing large bets without expecting immediate returns. A torrent of resources has already flowed into leading-edge sectors: China invested as much as $11 billion in quantum computing between 2009 and 2011, compared with $3 billion by the United States. The government-led Big Fund in semiconductors has channeled almost a trillion renminbi (around $137 billion at current exchange rates) of private and public funding into the industry.

Even the central bank has introduced special low-interest loans on the order of 200 billion renminbi (almost $30 billion) for high-tech firms. Hundreds of national labs, which carry out the most advanced research, are being rolled out to boost basic research. More are sure to come amid a technology war.

Would Chinas state-led approach that worked really well for its industrialization prove equally effective for its innovation? The state can roll out infrastructure and coordinate supply chains, but can it pick out winners in technology?

So far, the state-led approach on technological innovation has been successful but also incredibly costly. China is now neck and neck on quantum with America and leading in some areas. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, the foundry and largest chip maker in China, started shipping seven-nanometer chips despite American sanctions; Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation, the state-owned memory chip producer, was on track to supply parts to be used in Apple iPhones before the embargo. Both benefited from billions of dollars of state funding and support.

The latest plan announced last month is to give the juguo system a new twist  a measured, smarter approach that leverages the power of the private sector and market mechanisms. While the state will continue to play the key role of mobilizing large amounts of funding for long, complex and uncertain investments, it will be left to the market and enterprises to determine what technologies are made, how to make them and where the resources flow.
Elon Musk is now the proud owner of Twitter. The danger here is not that we have a rogue billionaire in our midst  that has happened before, and it will happen again  but that this one will be in control of what he has rightly referred to as our digital town square.

Mr. Musk is the face of 21st-century tech-based, extreme capitalism, just as the robber barons, who built our railroads, and Andrew Carnegie, who supplied those railroads and the builders of modern American cities with steel, embodied the exuberant and expansive industrial capitalism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Mr. Musk has exploited the opportunities emerging in a rapidly disintegrating regulatory state apparatus and acquired a small army of investors and a fleet of lobbyists, lawyers and fanboys (known as Musketeers). He has sought to position himself as a tech genius who can break the rules, exploit and excise those who work for him, ridicule those who stand in his way and do as he wishes with his wealth because it benefits humanity. Hell rescue the planet with his electric cars and save Ukraine with his satellite systems  but he must be freed of government interference to do these good deeds.

For more than two centuries, American moguls like Mr. Musk have transformed our economy and our daily lives (and enriched themselves) by playing a winning game with governments. They sought and received from those governments enormous subsidies and protection, while demanding that they be left alone to conduct their business as they pleased. The railroad robber barons built their fortunes on government-supplied land on which they laid their tracks and then collected government subsidies for every mile of it.
The negativity in the culture reflects the negativity in real life. The General Social Survey asks people to rate their happiness levels. Between 1990 and 2018 the share of Americans who put themselves in the lowest happiness category increased by more than 50 percent. And that was before the pandemic.

The really bad news is abroad. Each year Gallup surveys roughly 150,000 people in over 140 countries about their emotional lives. Experiences of negative emotions  related to stress, sadness, anger, worry and physical pain  hit a record high last year.

Gallup asks people in this survey to rate their lives on a scale from zero to 10, with zero meaning youre living your worst possible life and 10 meaning youre living your best. Sixteen years ago, only 1.6 percent of people worldwide rated their life as a zero. As of last year, the share of people reporting the worst possible lives has more than quadrupled. The unhappiest people are even unhappier. In 2006, the bottom fifth of the population gave themselves an average score of 2.5. Fifteen years later, that average score in the bottom quintile had dropped to 1.2.

In an interview, Jon Clifton, the C.E.O. of Gallup, told me that in 2021, 21 percent of the people in India gave themselves a zero rating. He said negative emotions are rising in India and China, Brazil and Mexico and many other nations. A lot of people are pretty miserable at work. In the most recent survey Gallup found that 20 percent of all people are thriving at work, 62 percent are indifferent on the job and 18 percent are miserable.

Part of the problem is declining community. The polls imply that almost two billion people are so unhappy where they live, they would not recommend their community to a friend. This is especially true in China and India.
This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email transcripts@nytimes.com with any questions.

Hi everyone. Its Astead. Every week you listen to us. Now we want to hear from you. Were asking you to fill out a listener survey about The Run-Up at nytimes.com/therunupsurvey. Whether youve listened to all of our episodes or this is the first one youre hearing, we want to hear your feedback. Again, thats nytimes.com/therunupsurvey. Nytimes.com/therunupsurvey. Thanks.

Yeah. Where do you get your news from? Who do you trust?

[LAUGHS]: I appreciate it. I mean, were kind of asking similar types of questions as we did last time, but one of the things I remember from our previous call was that this time, you were pretty skeptical of participating or talking to media. Im curious. I want to start there. How do you consume your politics news?

Yeah. I mean, we tried to talk to everybody. We tried to talk to everybody. Anybody wholl talk to me, Ill talk back.

Did you have all  did you get a response from conservatives and liberals and everybody?

And were going back to talk to some of the voters and 

And tell me  and whats your first name? Is it Stephan, you said?

I want to thank you for picking up again, even though it was a surprise. Do you mind if we record this for our show?

Hi. Its Astead Herndon from The New York Times. Ill try to call you back later.

I dont trust anyone. I dont believe any, totally, of what I hear. I really dont accept  and my husbands the same way  we dont accept anything anymore. We question everything.

No. Its in the whole country. I find, I think, the behavior of most of  (VOICE FADES)

Is it just media where you have that skepticism or has that skepticism grown in a lot of areas?

Oh, no. We got married 40 years ago, I watched the NBC News Today Show every morning with Tom Brokaw and the cute little blonde. I cant think of her name. Every morning, thats who I watched. They were not so liberal or maybe I was not so conservative. I think both. I think weve both changed. I think theyve both totally gone to the left, and now Ive gone to the right.

Was it always like this or has that changed?

Today, in part one, grass-roots conservatives in their own words. From The New York Times, Im Astead Herndon. This is The Run-Up.

Usually in the lead up to a midterm election, the people you want to hear most from are swing voters. Theyre the ones most likely to decide an election and which party holds control of Congress, but the thing about the midterms this year, the thing that makes them historically important is that theyre about much more than which party wins. Theyre about how the parties are changing, what theyre becoming, and who they feel most accountable to.

Can you tell me a little more about your midterms vote in November, though? Is there any candidate youre deeply hoping pulls it out?

And then they probably wouldnt give me an honest answer, like it didnt matter to them or something like that, and thats fine, but just on their conscience, I would like for them to think about it and see what they think.

Let me tell you, we voice our intentions. And when they literally say whats on their mind, its for honesty is what theyre asking for. Its for people to actually  for the Democrat or the left side or whoever, whatever you want to call it  the left side just say, I want them to actually experience an abortion. I want them to be there and watch it on the screen and see what happens to that child, especially when its a late-term abortion. Thats what I would like to see. I would like for them to see.

Jesus, he was always searching for the truth. And I know prayer works. I know that it helps, and that helps me to feel like Im doing something for this country when I can pray for our country. And when we go  theres certain of us that go  I mean, many people in my church go to daily mass. I just try to go to one a week.

Oh, yes. Oh, now I do, absolutely. Oh, sure, sure. But its been manufactured. So how does religion affect me? I guess abortion is the main thing thats coming from my religion like that, but then again, its the truth issue.

I hope I dont. You talk about Black churches. Some of our best friends have been Black around here. And they dont understand, they dont understand  and Im in the deep, deep South  they dont understand why the rest of the country is acting like race is a big problem because they dont think here that they have an issue.

Oh, I dont I wouldnt say that, but Im curious do you think you come off as racist?

Well, let me just ask you one thing. When you brought up the Black thing, do I come across as racist?

 that would also be praying for the country. And yeah, and so I can see I understand how religion affects faith and the way people view politics. I guess Im asking you for you, is there a specific time when you felt like your religion compelled you to act politically? Or even in this moment, how is your religion shaping how you view the midterms?

No, its interesting because I do think about how religion shapes peoples political views. I mean, Im thinking about how its informed your conservative viewpoint. I grew up in churches, Black churches 

OK, well, didnt it move you to see how things could be?

OK. I guess I understand that. Im asking, really where did  and I dont want to say skepticism, whatever the stronger word you want to say there is  where did that begin?

Youre calling it skepticism. Its not skepticism. Im always looking for the truth. I search for somebody whos going to tell me the truth. Theres a deep, deep, deep unrest in this country. And at least, in my state, in my area people are very, very suspicious of what the governments going to do. The things that the government is doing, what the Justice Department  its just making no sense. So please, its too light to call it skepticism. Please dont do that.

Oh, its got to be, yeah, yeah. And that was just one time, yes.

Yes, pretty much. And I never voted for party. I even voted for Clinton the first time because I wasnt paying attention to  I was just really ignorant. I was not tuned in.

But I thought you were interested in Republicans around the Reagan era, but then you mentioned Obama. Where you voting for Republicans all through that time or were you still voting for Democrats?

So lets see. I probably changed in my 20s, which would have been in the maybe in the 80s, I guess, by the time Ronald Reagan was there. And he would say things that really, really, really made sense. He said, I used to be a Democrat, but the Democrat party left me. And I thought, well, I wonder what he meant by that. And then I started paying attention. And then what really, really got me was when Obama was in the White House and the whole health care thing. So that made me start  we started going to meetings.

When I pray my rosary  and I dont know if youre familiar. There are five decades to the rosary. Do you know what I pray for the first decade? My country. Thats how worried  the second decade is for my family  but this country, the way that the country is changing is really, really scary.

Mm-hmm. What would you say are the things that matter most to you?

motherhood was my greatest joy in life. Lets see, a wife, a daughter, a sister, very family-oriented. So I guess Im going to be your typical old-fashioned lady. I dont know. Ive only had one marriage, been married for 43 years. I mean, I believe in and family values. I believe in what comes from the gospel, so I try to live a straightforward and a Christian life.

How would you how would you describe yourself, just generally, to someone whos never met you?

No. Oh, deeply hoping, I would say Arizona, Kari Lake. I would say  oh whos the  oh, in Georgia, Herschel Walker. I hope those two really 

John McCain, his big thing was  and I reluctantly voted for him  his big thing was, I know how to work across the aisle. I dont want you to work across the aisle if its not right. I dont want you to compromise if its not the right thing to do. So I dont know what else to say. [LAUGHS]

Absolutely. Absolutely. Yes. Yes, absolutely. He talks like Trump in that he talks about his love of the country. I dont know if the left understands that about us. Thats what we love about Trump and lets see  who else talks like that? Oh, Jim Jordan, the representative. They truly  I feel like they truly, truly love this country.

And vote by sitting out. I guess I was asking you about all of those options. I mean, youre saying you would still make that affirmative choice for Walker.

The options  I have talked to people who are thinking about voting for Warnock and Kemp. Those voters are true in Georgia. Theres people who sit out the race entirely.

So what are the options? Dont vote? What are the options? Vote for Warnock?

I guess as my last question, I actually wasnt even  I mean, thats one piece of it, but Im also thinking about how much you talked about truth. And at minimum, Walker is a candidate that has not been honest about all sort of events from his life. And Im wondering how you square that view about the need for politicians and truth with the reality of a candidate that has not provided it.

So please dont put me  why dont I hate Herschel Walker because of this stuff thats coming out for him? I think right now  and obviously, out of the two, who would I vote for? Come on. Thats all you vote for is the best person, right?

And I think thats what the left gets wrong about the right. Those people who go out and protest at abortion  which Ive never done  at clinics, but I pray. I do pray that they close. I do because I do think abortions are wrong, but that doesnt mean that I think everybody whos had an abortion is wrong. People can make mistakes. My gosh, Ive made many, many mistakes in my life, but I can ask for forgiveness.

Im going to tell you. You have picked that one thing, and I dont know how much of that is true. I like what he says when he talks about being a patriot. I like what he says when he talks about what he wants to do for the country. I like that he is plainspoken, that he doesnt do a lot of fancy talking. I just like the way  I believe his heart, let me say that. I believe its heart.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Im just asking you a further  yeah.

Thats why I usually dont talk to people on the left because that is 

Now, you see, you picked that one instance, right? You see thats 

How do you square what you just told me about abortion with your enthusiasm for Herschel Walker?

Yeah. I think thatll probably be the way I come down. I wish we had better candidates. [CHUCKLES]

So to clarify, it seems like youre voting for Dickson and against Proposition 3. Is that right?

I think the bill is too broad in its reach. And I will probably vote against it, but if they were to clean it up and put forward a better bill  I understand abortion sometimes is necessary, I mean, in cases of where the mothers life is at threat and things like that, but I just think proposition 3 goes too far.

It could be construed as to allow abortion all the way up to birth and things like that. Im like, it needs to be better defined.

I am pro-life, but Im not militant about it. I might have considered voting for Proposition 3, but there are a lot of things  I think it goes way too far.

So the Supreme Court, I think what they did was absolutely correct. It was a ruling based on law, and it didnt really change anything. People say, oh, that took away womens right. No, it didnt. All it did was it put the discussion back in the states, where it should have been in the first place. It puts the power back in our hands.

Michigan also has an important abortion referendum on the ballot this year, right? Im curious of how you thought about the Supreme Courts decision. And then separately, do you have a plan on how youre going to vote in that referendum?

So she has one ad where she talks about, oh I got Michigans kids back to school. Technically true, but shes the one who took them out of school in the first place. And that was absolute disaster for my kids.

Yes. I dont like Whitmer at all, and I think shes been an ineffective in the state, but really, what was my  and this is so silly  but what was my deciding factor is she is running some of the most dishonest political ads that Ive ever seen.

Mm-hmm. Im going to ask my last couple of questions about Michigan. In that race between Dixon and Whitmer, have you decided?

I think  oh god. How to put it? I think the cultural concerns are largely overblown. Im not saying that racism and sexism and homophobia and stuff like that dont exist, but I dont think its as bad as people are trying to make. It we have made  just in my lifetime, we have made massive strides in cultural equity, acceptance for the LGBTQY+, I. Think I cant keep up. The acceptance there is a lot better now. And so I think weve made massive strides, but like I said, if we dont get our financial house in order first, everyones going to suffer.

But Donald Trump raised the deficit. Is it cultural? How do you balance those economic concerns with some of those cultural concerns?

Well, because they seem to think that money grows on trees. I mean, we cant keep spending a trillion dollars here, and a trillion dollars there and send $2 trillion to Ukraine or invest in gender studies and all that. I mean, we need to get our house in order.

Well, I think theres plenty of blame to go around. I dont think either side is blameless, but if I had to put the weight more solidly on one over the other, I would probably weigh it against the Democrats.

Who do you track that anxiety back to? Whose fault is that? And then in that same way, what do you expect going forward? Whats your look ahead?

Mm-hmm. Mean, I guess another question I have then is it seems like you have some anxiety about the direction of the country.

I have no choice. I think Biden is completely running the country in the wrong direction. And if they ran somebody like Manchin, I really liked Manchin. He stuck to his guns. He kind of waffled a little bit there at the end, but thats the kind of politician Im looking for, someone who is willing to go against their party if they believe that its not serving the interests of the public.

If its him and Biden again, you will vote for him again?

I think there are other people  I do like DeSantis. I do like some of the things DeSantis is doing. Governor Abbott is another one. Hes heading in the right direction. Really, I would just like to see Trump back off. I mean, like I said, I do not like the guy. And the only way I would vote for him in 24 is if its him and Biden.

I have this dream. And my dream is that Trump is playing the Democrats and that at the last minute, hes going to say, oh, no. Im not actually running. Im just going to throw my weight behind this guy, which would just be awesome because like I said, I am not a Trump fan.

Mm-hmm. Just thinking about Republicans, Im just curious of how you  I mean, you describe Trump as a narcissist, but Donald Trump is also very much the leader of the Republican Party. Im curious as to you, who believes both those things, how you wrestle with that.

I think its largely overblown. I mean, yes, it was a terrible thing that happened, but when you weigh it against the riots of the summer and all of the violence and stuff there, I dont think it was any serious attempt to overturn the government or they didnt go capture any Congressman or anything like that. I mean yeah, it was a riot that got out of hand. Do I think it was treason? No, not really.

No because regardless of why they want to do it, if they secure the elections, Im fine with that. Regardless of their motivation, Im fine with their goal. I guess I should put it that way.

 because you think that there has been fraud or you want the elections to be, quote, unquote, secure, them saying those statements doesnt turn you away from voting for them.

I get what youre saying. Youre making a distinction between what we have heard from some Republicans about there being enough fraud for the election to be stolen. Youre not sure about that. You kind of seem to say that thats probably not true but 

So the election denial part, it has no impact to me. I mean, theyre allowed their opinion. I dont give that much weight. Tudor Dixon has said at times that she didnt think it was a free and fair election, which I can agree with that statement. I dont think it was a free and fair election. I just dont think there was enough interference or enough fraud to overturn it.

Mm-hmm. So the Republicans who have been nominated, some in Michigan, who have denied the results of the last election or even defended the actions of January 6, what have you thought about those statements?

That having been said, I am a firm believer that we do need to secure our elections because whether or not there was enough fraud to overturn the election, any fraud is unacceptable.

I really want to believe that the election was not stolen. I dont think that the fraud could have been widespread enough to overturn it.

Mm-hmm. One of the big discussions for this midterms has been how Republicans have nominated candidates who, like Donald Trump, have denied the results of the last election. What have you thought about that?

And then the beginning of the Trump presidency, when all of a sudden you had half the Democratic caucus saying, oh, well, not my president and they started these endless ridiculous impeachment proceedings, and I think its just gotten worse.

I think, yes. I think that was the beginning a little bit of  and of course, it got worse under Trump. And then now with Biden basically saying, you know anybody who doesnt agree with me is  I cant remember how he put  it a threat to democracy, I think is what he said. Its just if you take the Obama years, that was, I think, the beginning of the breakdown to where the divisions started getting really deep, not only along racial lines, but also along political lines.

Were those moments of racial division during the Obama era  youre saying those are some of the reasons why you think some divisions spread through the country? Im trying to make sure I understand what youre saying about him.

his handling of some of the racial issues, I think he missed the prime opportunity to try to help bring more togetherness between the races. I mean, hes half white. His mother was white. And I think if he had stressed that more and tried to bring the sides together more rather than saying things like, that guy could have been my son. And its like, well, that drives a little bit of a wedge. I really think that was a missed opportunity there. And I wish he had filled that gap a little more.

I really liked Obama. I really liked some of his policies and some of the things  I mean, even the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act was, OK, were going to give you some time here. Well see if things work out, and maybe itll lead to a path to citizenship rather than just saying, oh well, hey just everybody come on in and do whatever you want.

In political journalism, you represent a type of voter that we know is super important, someone who voted for Barack Obama, but then went it over to Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020, particularly in states like Michigan. Im curious, before I ask about now, what led you to make that transition from Obama to Trump?

I voted for Trump both times. Im not a Trump fan, per se. I think hes a narcissist, but as compared to the disaster we find ourselves with now, I am definitely not a Biden fan. I wasnt when he was vice president, and Im sure as heck not enjoying what hes been doing since hes been a president.

And is that Trump in 2016 or do you mind if I ask about 2020? How did you vote in that?

No. I voted for Barack Obama, and I also voted for Donald Trump. So I tend to go after or go for who I feel can do the job best.

Do you typically have a party that you have associated yourself with or typically voted for?

Yeah. So Im a senior engineering technician. I am a Navy veteran, a father of four, just your typical, average guy, I guess. And I live in Jackson, Michigan.

Yeah. I really appreciate that. I just want to start kind of easy, learning more about you. What do you do for a living? And tell me just about yourself and what drives your interest in politics, if you have them.

Yes. Let me move from where Im at. But sure. Go ahead.

Thank you so much for picking up. I write about politics, and I host our politics podcast here at The Times called The Run-Up. We are calling some Americans who participated in Times political polling in the hopes that they have five, 10 minutes to talk with us about how theyre viewing politics right now. Do you have that time? Do you think we could chat?

Hello. My name is Astead Herndon. Im a reporter with The New York Times. I was looking for Michael Sprague.

astead herndon

Im talking about William Robertson, right?

william robertson

Correct.

astead herndon

Awesome. So the first thing I would ask is just where do you live and what do you do for a living?

william robertson

I live in Georgia, Acworth, Georgia.

astead herndon

You live in Acworth, Georgia?

william robertson

Uh-huh.

astead herndon

How many political ads are pummeling your television as we speak?

william robertson

Oh, man.

astead herndon

[LAUGHS]:

william robertson

Im sick of them. No matter which channel youre on, I mean, its insane.

astead herndon

Are you someone who considers himself a Democrat or a Republican? Whats your relationship to politics?

william robertson

Republican. Proud, proud, Black Republican.

astead herndon

A proud Black Republican? For how long.

william robertson

[LAUGHS]: Since the Reagan years.

astead herndon

Oh wow, so youre OG.

william robertson

[LAUGHS]:

astead herndon

Im curious as to how your relationship to politics has changed, if any, over the last couple of years. How would you describe the difference in politics from that Reagan era to now?

william robertson

To now? Oh my god. Now, the political landscape itself has changed. There was a time that  I dont know  in my mind, I guess, it was kind of like there was the people and then there was the government. And now its like, its just the government. The people dont matter anymore. And its just over the top, it really is. Its over the top.

astead herndon

How would you describe  when? I mean, do you trace that back to any point? When did the people, in your words, lose that voice?

william robertson

I think that the people lost their voice in the Obama terms, yes.

astead herndon

What do you mean? Why would you say that?

william robertson

It was, this is how were going to do it. Were the government. Just shut up, and do what we say. And thats it. I mean, its just like, thats it. I mean, I remember all of the discussions that I would have with friends doing Obamacare. And I would just simply make one statement, and people would go ballistic. And I would just simply go, who pays for it? I dont know if yall dont realize it or not, but the government is not a moneymaking machine. They make money one way, and thats from taxes. So who pays for it? And at that point, I think a lot  quite a few of my friends thought that I had  I had a few that would say, well, its obvious youve forgotten where you come from because of the fact that I just didnt go along with it. And then I used to  sometimes I would ask them, OK, so give me this then. Where is it written, where is the law that says if Im Black I have to vote Democrat? Because apparently, I missed that law. And now, I feel that a lot of the  especially the Black candidates that run on the Democratic side, they feel like its an automatic, that if Im Black, and Im a Democrat, then the Blacks are going to vote for me. And thats not the case at all. And its just like  I was talking with someone the other day about Stacey Abrams. I was just like, its not an issue of her being Black or woman. I just dont like her message.

astead herndon

Why not?

william robertson

Bottom line? Huh? Its because 

astead herndon

Im just saying, what specifically about her message rubs you the wrong way?

william robertson

What specifically about her message that rubs me the wrong way, its like the message from all the other Democratic candidates is that this is our plan, this is what we want to do, and thats that. And then Ill always go back to, who pays for it? I mean, who pays for it? We do. Were the ones that pay for it. So Im a former truck driver. So as a truck driver, its plain and simple. If I used to drive a truck and I was paying $2 a gallon for fuel, and now I got to pay $6 a gallon for fuel, I cant make any money. Im not out here driving just so that I have something to do to wear out my jeans. Actually, Im driving to provide for my family. I got to make money. And so what happens if the cost to move the goods go up, who pays for that? The shipper, the guy that Im going to go pick up your commodity from, Im going to charge him more. So hes going to charge the receiver more. And whos the receiver going to charge? The consumer. Its plain and simple. Everything comes by truck. So how do you bring the trucking costs down? You bring the trucking costs down by bringing down the cost of fuel. So lets look at what was going on. Biden takes office. He goes into office. Putin has got troops sitting on the border. Biden cuts the pipeline, says is going to kill fossil fuels. So where do we buy our oil from now? Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Russia. Got you over the barrel, dude. I can make my move. I can do whatever I want to, and theres nothing you can do about it because yall going to pay. If we are buying Russian fuel, Russian oil, then that means were fueling, were actually paying for Putins war 

astead herndon

I get that point.

william robertson

 while trying to supplement Ukraine. It dont work. [LAUGHS]

astead herndon

No, no, no, no. I get your point about fuel. I get your point about the economy, specifically, when it relates to trucking. Is that your top issue for you? Have your political decisions been economy-driven?

william robertson

Hey, Im feeling it, bud. Im feeling it. I mean, everything costs more now, everything. I mean 

astead herndon

How do you balance that reality of the economic choices youve been forced to make with other issues, with cultural issues, with democracy and the January 6 stuff we see? How do you balance the priorities that you have to weigh in order to make a voting decision?

william robertson

Well, when I look at Trump, from day one, it was their goal to do everything they could to hinder Trump. Look at what could have been accomplished if both parties would have actually worked with him versus working against him because Ill be honest with you. There were quite few Republicans that were in Washington at the same time that was doing everything they could to battle Trump as well. And sometimes I feel that the big message that theyre trying to get across to the American people that no one is talking about is, if youre an ordinary Joe, if youre not a part of the political circle in Washington, dont you come up here because this is what well do to you. Well destroy you, but yet, Ill ask my Black friends that are diehard Democrats, I go back to the old Reagan question. So are you better off today than what you were two years ago? And they go, no. And I go, well guess what? They go, what? You voted for this, so be quiet. Be quiet.

astead herndon

Yeah. Yeah, the Reagan question, again, though, was  if I remember it correctly  was specific to the economic point, right?

william robertson

Right. Mm-hmm.

astead herndon

And I get that, but people could be worse off in terms of the political environment around them. I want to ask a reductive question.

william robertson

OK.

astead herndon

At the basic level, a lot of people violently stormed the Capitol, some of which had Confederate flags, had nooses at the Capitol, and made it their explicit intention to block the transfer of power in the United States.

william robertson

Some people are crazy. Some people crazy.

astead herndon

How do you look at that, particularly as a Black man in Georgia? And it seems like youre saying, that still doesnt rise to the top of your voting priorities.

william robertson

No, it doesnt because I think there are more important issues thats affecting peoples lives day-to-day.

astead herndon

As a Black Republican, why do you think 85 percent of Black people vote for Democrats?

william robertson

I wish I knew the answer to that, man, because then I could figure out how to change their minds. I really do. I dont get it, man. I dont get it because I mean, I feel like sometimes, the Democratic Party is the most oppressive party that there is. I mean, and now its to the point  but heres the thing that scares the Democratic Party now. This is what scares them, is the fact that a lot of the Black vote is moving away from the Democratic Party. So now theyre getting nervous because lets face it, I mean, theyve made a lot, a lot of empty promises to the Black community.

astead herndon

Now, that parts undeniable.

william robertson

They really have.

astead herndon

That parts undeniable.

william robertson

Theyve made a lot of empty promises to the Black community. So eventually, you get to the point that there are Black people who just simply ask themselves, OK. Well, you know what? I can keep giving them my vote and expecting a different result or, you know what? I can try the other party and see what happens.

astead herndon

Youre in Georgia, a state that has a lot of critical races in this years midterms. You mentioned how you feel about Stacey Abrams. How do you feel about Herschel Walker?

william robertson

Well, you know what? Herschel aint my first choice, he really wasnt. I mean Calvin King was my man, but that dog didnt hunt, but thats OK. So now Ive got to get behind Herschel because Warnock? Naw. Naw, mm-mmm. Warnock, he says  I mean, heres a man that claims to be a pastor, but yet, youre a man of god, and you said that Gods OK with abortion, but you know what, Warnock? Im a Southern Baptist, born and raised, cornbread-fed brother. Where do you find that in The Bible because aint found it yet, you know?

astead herndon

And usually, I can see how you can make that argument. With a typical Republican on the other side, I could see how you would vote for that Republican, but in this race, we have evidence that Walker has helped pay for an abortion. How do you wrestle with those facts, as someone of faith, who seems to be voting for a candidate who has shown a hypocritical stance on that issue?

william robertson

Well, but you see, its kind of like I believe in redemption. If at that point in your life, at that stage in your life, that was a decision that you made. And now you realize that if I had to make that decision again today, it would be different, I can give you that. I can give you that. And if youre OK with the high gas prices, if youre OK with the high crime rates, and if youre OK that right now, the Democrat party thinks that its more important for us to try to indoctrinate your child at three years old, I mean, in kindergarten or third grade, that they can decide whether or not they can be a boy or a girl, if youre OK with all of that, then you vote for Warnock. If youre not OK with that, then youre going to have to vote for Walker because the only way that Washington is going to understand is that the people in power have to be taken out of power. Thats the only thing that wakes them up. Anything other than that, then its like a referendum to them. They just say, the people are OK with this. And now were just going to push the envelope even farther. If the Democrats win, I dont see the Democrats pulling back. I dont. Theyve gone too far, too far. And this is the thing, and this is how I look at it. Heres a basic question for you. How do you change the course of the nation?

astead herndon

You tell me. [LAUGHS]

william robertson

I mean, how do you change the course of the nation? Because you got to remember that when youre trying to change a nation, thats a long mans game. Thats a long mans game. It aint going to happen overnight. Old dogs like us know the old saying, you cant teach an old dog new tricks. So how do you change the course of a nation? You influence the mind of a child. Thats how you change the course of the nation.

astead herndon

I think youre implying something here that I would rather just  if thats what youre saying, then I want to know what youre saying. Are you saying Democrats are changing the country through children?

william robertson
The top Republican on the Senate health committee said in a report on Thursday that the coronavirus pandemic was most likely caused by a laboratory incident in China. The report offered little new evidence, however, and was disputed by many scientists, including those whose research suggests that the outbreak originated instead at a live animal market.

The report, released by Senator Richard M. Burr, Republican of North Carolina, grew out of a joint inquiry with the committees Democratic chairwoman that proponents of the effort hoped would add a measure of bipartisan credibility to a highly charged debate.

But the findings published on Thursday, while interim, bore only Mr. Burrs signature. And in relying largely on existing public evidence, rather than new or classified information, the report came as something of a letdown even to those who supported its conclusions.

One can only conclude from the circumstances that they met an impasse, said Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist at Rutgers University, referring to his disappointment that Republican and Democratic staff members working on the inquiry have not yet released a more complete, bipartisan report.
After months of waffling, lawsuits, verbal mudslinging and the near miss of a full blown trial, Elon Musk now owns Twitter.

On Thursday night, Mr. Musk closed his $44 billion deal to buy the social media service, said three people with knowledge of the situation. He also began cleaning house, with at least four top Twitter executives  including the chief executive and chief financial officer  getting fired on Thursday. Mr. Musk had arrived at Twitters San Francisco headquarters on Wednesday and met with engineers and ad executives.

The closing of the deal, which followed months of drama and legal challenges as Mr. Musk changed his mind about buying the company, sets Twitter on an uncertain course. Mr. Musk, a self-described free speech absolutist, has said that he wants to make the social media platform a more freewheeling place for all types of commentary and that he would reverse the permanent ban of former President Donald J. Trump from the service.

Mr. Musks open approach to speech on Twitter could exacerbate long simmering issues of toxic content and misinformation, affecting political debates around the world. Early tests will come within days, when Brazil elects its president and American voters go to the polls on Nov. 8 for the midterm elections. Twitter said it would prohibit misleading claims about voting and the outcome of elections, but that was before Mr. Musk owned it.
The Irish actor Gabriel Byrne has a genius for listening. On the HBO show In Treatment, playing a psychologist wrestling with his own internal conflicts, he spent minutes at a time in silence, as tides of concern and compassion flowed and ebbed across his handsome, craggy face. But Walking With Ghosts, his autobiographical one-man show at the Music Box Theater, directed by Lonny Price, finds him alone onstage, within a series of retreating golden frames. And so Byrne, with no one to listen to, kindles into speech.

The show is drawn, often verbatim, from Byrnes recent memoir of the same name. Slipping back and forth in time, the book traces the 72-year-old actors life from boyhood on the rural outskirts of Dublin to his eventual success. The wispy show, by contrast, follows a strict chronology, but even here Byrne favors association over causality, image over argument  offering a slide show of the mind, with little relation between and among the anecdotes. He claims to feel like an intruder in my own past. Emigrant, immigrant, exile. Yet his recollections are vivid and immediate. At times the form echoes Wordsworths The Prelude, a catalog of experiences that will go on to shape the mature artists mind and soul.

Walking With Ghosts has the texture of a vanity project. Nearly every autobiographical show does. And during a preview performance, the audience  In Treatment fans, perhaps, or devotees of Byrnes 1995 film The Usual Suspects  rewarded that vanity, laughing at jokes before Byrne delivered the punch lines, sighing sympathetically at the sad parts. But Byrne is a serious writer, rendering memory and image in the energetic vernacular of his childhood: slingeing along, stravaging, gobdaw. And he is a serious actor, too, which eases the self-indulgence. The script, while often mournful, allows him to show a playful side and a gift, neglected in Hollywood, for physical comedy. In one sequence, he imitates the oddballs of his boyhood. In another, he shows how the various actors in the amateur theater troupe he joined take their bows. Who wouldnt want to spend a clinical hour with this man? Or two, plus intermission.

And yet, the transition from page to stage feels undermotivated, incomplete. The lively language shifts easily enough from prose to monologue, and Byrne  with his wide, serious face, his bright, worried eyes, his voice like the growl of a polite bear  is compulsively watchable. What the show lacks (and this is true of the memoir, as well) is a sense of why hes examining his life now. In public. Why would a man lay himself bare like this, on Broadway? Its hard to discern because the show all but ignores the latter part of his life and acting career.
WASHINGTON  A full federal appeals court denied on Thursday former President Donald J. Trumps attempt to block Congress from gaining access to his tax returns, leaving in place a three-judge panels ruling that a federal law gives a House committee chairman broad authority to request them despite Mr. Trumps status as a former president.

But the terse unsigned order by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejecting Mr. Trumps request to rehear the case does not necessarily mean that Congress will obtain the records, which it has sought as it investigates his finances under its oversight powers. Mr. Trumps legal team has vowed to fight the congressional effort tooth and nail, and is very likely to appeal to the Supreme Court.

If the justices do not resolve the matter before the end of the year, and if Republicans retake control of the House  as polls indicate is likely  the House under G.O.P. control is virtually certain to drop the request. Mr. Trump has generally pursued a strategy of using the slow pace of litigation to run out the clock on various oversight and investigative efforts.

The House Ways and Means Committee, which requested the tax returns, had asked the appeals court to expedite treatment of the matter, but it did not. Nevertheless, in a statement, Representative Richard E. Neal, a Massachusetts Democrat who is the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, praised the decision.
President Vladimir V. Putin declared on Thursday that Russias battle was with Western elites, not with the West itself, in a speech seemingly aimed more at winning over political conservatives abroad than his own citizens.

Mr. Putin, addressing an annual foreign policy conference outside Moscow, appeared intent on capitalizing on political divisions in the United States and its allies that have only heightened since they began showering Ukraine with military aid to fend off the Russian invasion.

Many of the Russian leaders themes were familiar, but they took on particular resonance given the coming midterm elections in the United States and growing discontent in Europe over the costs of the war.

There are at least two Wests, Mr. Putin said.

One, he said, is a West of traditional, mainly Christian values for which Russians feel kinship. But, he said, theres another West  aggressive, cosmopolitan, neocolonial, acting as the weapon of the neoliberal elite, and trying to impose its pretty strange values on everyone else. He peppered his remarks with references to dozens of genders and gay parades.
Jose Martinez, a Spanish-born former star of the Paris Opera Ballet, has been appointed that companys director of dance. The Paris Opera Ballet said in a statement on Friday that he would take up the position on Dec. 5, almost six months after the surprise resignation in June of its previous director, Aurelie Dupont.

Martinez, 53, directed the National Dance Company of Spain for eight years after his retirement from the Paris Opera Ballet in 2011. He inherits a company bruised by the abrupt 2016 resignation of Benjamin Millepied, who brought the promise (and to some extent the implementation) of change, and by Duponts tenure, which was marked by a lackluster artistic program and an atmosphere of intense unhappiness among the dancers, revealed in a leaked internal questionnaire.

I think the company really needs stability, needs someone who is constantly available, who listens, Martinez said in a phone interview on Friday. Ive told the dancers and staff that I want to build a foundation of trust, to foster dialogue. Im not going to force any changes on them.

Martinez was among a shortlist of Paris Opera Ballet alumni in the running for the job, and his insider knowledge of the company is likely to have been attractive to the selection committee. The committee was made up of the contemporary dance choreographers Carolyn Carlson and Angelin Preljocaj, and the Nureyev-era former Paris Opera Ballet etoile Charles Jude; it was presided over by Bernard Stirn, the honorary president of the Operas board of directors. They interviewed eight candidates, before narrowing the selection down to four (two men and two women, according to a company news release).
LONDON  At the height of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, a statue in Bristol, in the southwest of England was pulled from its plinth, stomped on, graffitied and thrown into the river. Before the incident, Edward Colston, the British slave trader and merchant the sculpture depicted, was a name generally only known by historians.

But the toppling of the Colston statue forced into the mainstream conversations about who is represented by public art in Britain, and where Black Britons experiences fit within that.

Since then, numerous public sculptures of and by Black people have been erected across Britain. Last year, a bronze monument to Betty Campbell, the first Black woman to become a head teacher in Wales, was unveiled in Cardiff.
When the artist Steve Keene and his wife, Starling Keene, an architect, spent $140,000 on a dilapidated former auto body shop to live in, in Brooklyn in 1996, it was understood that he would use most of it for his studio space. His brightly painted works are typically not large, but they are numerous: Over the last 30 years, he says, hes created more than 300,000.

Sold them, too  most for $10 or less apiece. His images, with visible brushstrokes on plywood panels that he cuts himself, are done in rapid-fire multiples: lo-fi renderings of album covers, presidents, streetscapes and pastorals inspired by discount art books from the Strand, sometimes with a lyric or funny non sequitur on top  just to kind of slow you down, to look at it, he said. He spends upward of eight hours a day painting, up to 120 canvases at a time, 52 weeks a year. (He doesnt like to take vacations.) When the Keenes moved into the building, in Greenpoint, they built a nest for themselves in the back, a lofted area with a dorm-room fridge. The rest was easels.

Now, at 65, Steve Keene may still be New Yorks most prolific painter, and certainly the one most beloved in 90s indie-rock circles. A college radio D.J. in his native Virginia, he got his start showcasing his paintings in scuzzy bars during his favorite bands sets, and did album art and commissions for groups like Pavement, Silver Jews and the Apples in Stereo. He earned an M.F.A. in printmaking at Yale, perfected his sense of primary color as a commercial silk screener in New York  a job he hated, he said, though half of what I do is kind of based on that  and eventually attracted collectors like the restaurateur David Chang, who hung a 12-foot Keene at Momofuku in Toronto. His prodigious output and enduring D.I.Y. ethos is cataloged, for the first time, in The Steve Keene Art Book, out this month.
Whats up with all these young, equine-monikered bands totally nailing the sound and spirit of Gen X indie rock? Like Chicagos precocious Horsegirl (who, true to form, released an endearingly reverent cover of the Minutemen classic History Lesson Part 2 this week), the Pittsburgh quartet Feeble Little Horse know exactly how much noise belongs in their noise-pop, a balance they strike with ease on the shaggily infectious Chores. The vocalist Lydia Slocum sings, charismatically, of the in-house tensions of group living, like sparring over refrigerated leftovers and passive-aggressively asking roommates to pull their weight: You need to do your chores, you need to clean the floors, she sings on the chorus before adding, Sorry. The pigpen squall of guitars makes a gloriously greasy mess, but Slocums vocals cut through like vinegar. ZOLADZ

Natalia Lafourcade, Mi Manera de Querer
In 1937, workers with the Federal Writers Project (F.W.P.), a New Deal program for unemployed writers, were dispatched to collect the testimonies of the last surviving generation of American slavery. The surveys, devised by the white folklorist John Lomax, included questions that could fill in the historical record, such as Who were your masters?, How were you treated? and How did you learn that you were no longer a slave? But interviewees were also encouraged to provide details about Southern Black life that would presumably titillate white readers. They were asked about folk remedies (What charms did they wear and to keep off what diseases?), music (Tell about the baptizing; baptizing songs?) and ghosts. Do you believe in spirits? one questionnaire read. Another did not even bother to phrase it as a question, simply commanding respondents to tell about the ghosts you have seen.

In the end, more than 2,300 narratives were gathered, and scholars whove examined them have detected what seems to be a bias among the collectors in favor of ghost stories. In her book, Long Past Slavery: Representing Race in the Federal Writers Project (2016), the historian Catherine Stewart noted that, of the material on Black folklore collected in Arkansas, for example, superstitions and ghosts were the second largest categories, folk songs being the largest. In the Arkansas batch, there were 123 pages on ghosts and fewer than 20 on births. Across the slave narrative collection, the ghost stories stand out as literary marvels, showcasing Black storytelling prowess and deep spiritual engagement. But F.W.P. interviewers often took them literally, as the embodiment of the naivete and superstitious tendencies of Black folk. Back in Washington, the white editors in charge of assembling the narratives into anthologies saw the ghost stories as something that could provide color and human interest for F.W.P. publications.

Its no secret that F.W.P. slave narratives are compromised historical documents. Scholars have long discussed the various factors that affected their reliability, not least that the interviewers were overwhelmingly white. (Some were even related to the owners of the former slaves being interviewed.) However, the presence of an exoticizing white gaze does not diminish the objects themselves. Black spirituality might have been perceived through a racist lens, but there are other ways of seeing. The ghost stories  or hant stories, as they were colloquially called  were part of a belief system that, as the historian Lawrence Levine argued, prevented legal slavery from being spiritual slavery. In Black Culture and Black Consciousness: Afro-American Folk Thought From Slavery to Freedom (1977), Levine writes that the spirit world was an alternative to the one in which masters and overseers dominated. For the enslaved, it was a world they shared with each other and which remained their own domain, free of control of those who ruled the earth.

Though the last F.W.P. slave narratives were collected in 1939, the ghost stories continued to be extracted and reprinted much later, including in books like Ghosts and Goosebumps: Ghost Stories, Tall Tales, and Superstitions From Alabama (1981) and Slave Ghost Stories: Tales of Hags, Hants, Ghosts, & Diamondback Rattlers (2002). While the stories are by no means uniform in style or detail  some informants were more skilled storytellers than others  patterns do emerge. An unfulfilled yearning echoes across these stories, a palpable desire for divine justice in the absence of any earthly one. This is clear from the number of stories about slave owners being haunted by slaves. Jane Arrington, a former slave from near Raleigh, N.C., told her interviewer a tale her grandmother relayed to her about a slave named John May who was beaten to death by his masters but came back as a ghost to haunt them. The white men groaned in their sleep and told John to go away. They said, Go away, John. Please go away, Jane explained, adding, John wouldnt go away. In another story, a slave named Joe tries to attack his master with a fence rail, but the master kills him instead. Joe then haunts the trees by the masters home, shaking the branches whenever his favorite fruit, persimmons, are being collected.
He built a surveillance state with the state-of-the-art artificial intelligence technologies and numerous cameras. This week, the Dutch authorities said they were investigating reports that Chinese law enforcement agencies illegally operate in the Netherlands to police Chinese citizens overseas.

After Covid began to spread, Xis government applied its surveillance mechanisms to the lives of Chinas 1.4 billion people in the name of protecting their health.

Even as the threat from Covid has eased, Xi has insisted on the harsh policy known as zero Covid. Under it, the government still keeps tens of millions of people locked down, preventing travel and forcing the public to organize their lives around testing schedules.

A business executive in Shenzhen to whom I spoke called day-to-day life the Chinese roulette. You never know when your residential compound will be locked down for one infection. You never know whether you will be allowed to order grocery delivery or left hungry. You never know whether you will be allowed to go to the hospital when youre sick with illnesses other than Covid. You never know whether you will be sent to a quarantine camp. All in the name of protecting your health.

Rising dissent

Xi has all but silenced nearly all opposition. Some dissenters have been sentenced to long jail terms. Censorship has grown so harsh that people use a Chinese expression, ten thousand horses standing mute, to describe the fear of speaking out.

So few dare to criticize Xi publicly that days before the party congress, when a protester unfurled two banners on a highway overpass in central Beijing that denounced Xi as a despotic traitor, some hailed him as a hero.

To be sure, many people support Xis rule, and others are apathetic about politics, itself a consequence of censorship, indoctrination and terror.
Union supporters recently lost an election at an Amazon warehouse near Albany, N.Y., and the pace of unionization at Starbucks has dropped in recent months, though the union has won elections at over 250 of the companys 9,000 corporate-owned U.S. stores so far.

Workers at a second Apple store recently won an election in Oklahoma City, however, and unions have upcoming votes at a Home Depot in Philadelphia and a studio owned by the video game maker Activision Blizzard in upstate New York.

As of June, Trader Joes had more than 500 locations and 50,000 employees across the country and was not unionized. Early in the pandemic, the companys chief executive sent a letter to employees complaining of a current barrage of union activity that has been directed at Trader Joes and arguing that union supporters clearly believe that now is a moment when they can create some sort of wedge in our company.

The company has said it is prepared to negotiate contracts at its unionized stores. An employee involved in the union, Maeg Yosef, said the two sides were settling on bargaining dates.
Gautam Adani is four decades and billions of dollars removed from the hustling trader he became at age 15, when he quit school and left home for the diamond district of Mumbai.

But he is still in a hurry. In the past five years, Mr. Adani, an Indian industrialist, has seen his net worth skyrocket 1,440 percent, to around $120 billion, making him the richest man in Asia and one of the four wealthiest people on earth.

A sizable portion of that fortune has come from the mining, shipping and burning of coal, as India has doubled down on the fossil fuel to cheaply and reliably power its rapidly growing economy and lift millions out of poverty.

Mr. Adani, however, is also poised to be a decisive force in Indias green future, pledging tens of billions of dollars to develop renewable energy alongside his investments in coal. Much is riding on how well he strikes the balance.
But a recent poll in Britain, where the van Gogh painting was attacked, might tell a different story.

Some 66 percent of respondents said they supported nonviolent civil disobedience to protect nature. While the survey didnt explicitly mention throwing food, it was taken just days after the van Gogh got splashed. My first question was whether those surveyed skewed younger, since younger generations are especially, understandably, worried about the climate crisis. Yet slightly more than half of respondents were over age 45, meaning that quite a few older people said they were on board with nonviolent civil disobedience, too.

For my article, I interviewed a former AIDS activist who said the most potent forms of direct action tended to have clear connections with their targets, be they oil refineries, nuclear sites or government offices. The activists behind the soup and potato incidents told me that they felt theyd exhausted all such measures, including blocking roads to oil depots, to little effect.

When Phoebe and I threw the soup over Sunflowers, the main emotion that people felt, after the initial shock, was one of protection and defensiveness for such a beautiful depiction of life, Anna Holland, one of the soup-throwers, wrote in an email. We are asking that people feel that same protection for life itself: for real sunflowers, real people, real lives  not just the depiction of these things.

Now, she added, people are talking not just about what Phoebe and I did, but why we did it, which is the most important question to be asking.

On the other side, of course, there are growing concerns about what this means for priceless art, and for museums and their security measures. Targeting, and potentially ruining, some of the most treasured creations of humankind, critics say, is an utterly misguided way of highlighting climate threats to humankind. The art critic Jerry Saltz called the protests imperious and self-righteous in a Twitter post and said they reminded him of the Taliban. The art world needs to stand up to this, he wrote.
In When Soup and Mashed Potatoes Are Thrown, Can the Earth Win? Cara Buckley writes:

First it was cake smeared on the Mona Lisa in Paris, then tomato soup splattered across a van Gogh in London, and then, on Sunday, liquefied mashed potatoes hurled at a Monet in a museum in Potsdam.

What these actions shared, aside from involving priceless art and carbs, was the intentions of the protesters behind them. Desperate to end complacency about the climate crisis and to pressure governments to stop the extraction and burning of fossil fuels, they said they had resorted to such high profile tactics because little else has worked.

None of the paintings were harmed, as all were encased in protective glass. But the actions went viral and set off an international storm of outrage and debate. Were the activists misguided attention-seekers who harmed the climate movements legitimacy while doing nothing to help the Earth? Or did they force a spotlight onto everything at risk if significant climate action isnt taken fast?

Its unclear whether throwing food at artwork, which follows a long line of guerrilla protest tactics, was a success.

For the climate activists, the protests amounted to wins, insofar as they nabbed far more attention than anything theyd undertaken yet. Despite decades of lobbying, petitions, marches and civil disobedience, planet-heating fossil fuel emissions are at an all-time high, and the window to avert further climate catastrophe is closing.

We tried sitting in the roads, we tried blocking oil terminals, and we got virtually zero press coverage, yet the thing that gets the most press is chucking some tomato soup on a piece of glass covering a masterpiece, said Mel Carrington, a spokeswoman for Just Stop Oil, the group behind the Oct. 14 soup attack on van Goghs Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London. After tossing the soup, the two Just Stop Oil activists glued their hands to the wall. What is worth more, art or life? asked one, Phoebe Plummer, 21.

Ms. Carrington said the act was intended to elicit a visceral reaction, to force people to emotionally experience the potential loss of a masterpiece. When you think about it, this is what we face with climate collapse, she said. The loss of everything we love.
All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarques seminal World War I novel, has had several onscreen adaptations.

The book, which has sold up to 40 million copies since it was released in 1929, tells the story of the German soldier Paul Baumer and his comrades: high school boys who idealistically enlist only to be forced to adapt to the horrors of trench warfare by abandoning their own humanity.

All Quiet first arrived on the big screen in 1930, in a feature directed by Lewis Milestone that won two Oscars and still appears on lists of the best Hollywood movies. A 1979 CBS color version, starring Ernest Borgnine and Richard Thomas, strove for visual authenticity a few years after the end of the Vietnam War.

But Edward Berger, the director of a new, lavish version arriving on Netflix on Friday, said his film included a perspective that helped it capture the antiwar spirit of the original novel better than its predecessors: For the first time, a German-language team is behind the writing, directing and acting.
Did Fred Trump hang out in the hall at your school and give you a hard time?

That happened almost exactly as depicted in the movie. He would just sort of stand there with his arms like this. [Crosses arms.] I was like, who is this sort of evil clown figure? You. Whats your name? You a student at this school? Yes. That whole thing. I must have looked a little ridiculous. I had this attache case that my father had given me. I remember having this product Dippity-Do [hair gel] put in my hair and sort of shellacked it down. He targeted me immediately. What are your parents names? Irwin and Esther Gray? And youre a student at this school? Todays my first day. And I remember being terrified. Donald went to the school. Mary Trump [Donald Trumps niece], whos now been fairly courageous in speaking about her family, went to the school as well. My brother knew her; I didnt. She was a bit older.

And Maryanne Trump, she came just that once?

That was a speech to an assembly. I tried to see if I could ever find the exact transcript. I couldnt  I was relying on my memory and my brothers memory, and also a teacher Im very close with. She kept talking about how hard she had to work and what adversity she faced. I remember even at the time thinking it felt screwed up.

The Variety review accused you of using the character of Johnny. The story just kind of tosses him away, the review said. Hes there, in effect, to provide a lesson for Paul. How do you react to that?

I think its very lazy criticism. I dont toss him away  you know exactly what happens to him, and its horrible. And its also not the only thing the movies about. Part of the problem is you can reduce anything to that kind of conclusion if you want. What matters is nuance. When we make works of art, what matters are the details and the dedication that the creative people have to the humanity of the people or the subjects in the work. I ask myself: Do we know what Johnny wanted in life? What his dreams were? And the answers yes. Do we know what his external struggle was against those factors? Yes. Do we know what his internal struggle is? Yes. Do we know something about his background? Yes. To me, that means Ive acknowledged his humanity. And hes not used. I think the ending is quite open.
Its rare to see a robot film in which cabbage plays as big a role as it does here  I can see you rushing to find out where this gem is streaming already. Then again, the android in Jim Archers peculiar take on the Frankenstein myth, Brian and Charles, is among the weirdest in film history, high on a list that would also include the food-gathering Box from Logans Run. The singular Brian (David Earl), who lives in a small Welsh village, keeps coming up with such inventions as trawler nets for shoes. One day he outdoes himself and assembles some spare parts laying around the shed  a mannequin head, a washing machine  into a humanlike creature, and on a dark, stormy night, Charles (Chris Hayward) comes to life. Brians first words to him: Put. The cabbage. Down. Written by Earl and Hayward, the movie has a surreally comic vibe that is effectively matched by an artistic direction as coherent, in its way, as Wes Andersons. Dressed in a cardigan over a button-down shirt  an inspired detail considering that the garments are stretched over, well, a washing machine  the bespectacled Charles looks like your stereotypical odd uncle, or perhaps your stereotypical eccentric, and behaves as such. Those with a low tolerance for British whimsy may find their ceiling quickly here, but the movie can sneak in some sharp edges.
The Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, the Harlem preacher whose talent for oratory and political savvy was a force for social and racial justice, and who raised $1 billion to remake Americas most storied and influential Black neighborhoods, died on Friday at his Harlem home. He was 73.



His son Calvin O. Butts IV said the cause was pancreatic cancer.



In Mr. Buttss three decades as pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church, his work reflected the dramatic changes in how Americans confronted the nations history of racism. In New York, he challenged the white power structure and turned promises into action, creating educational, commercial and homeownership opportunities for Harlem residents.



He took inspiration from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s and by the dawn of the 21st century was a partner of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in attempting to create lasting change in Harlem and beyond.

Hired by the church when he was a 22-year-old seminarian, Mr. Butts helped deliver on the soaring sermons of its newly minted pastor, Samuel Proctor, and his immediate predecessor, the irreverent and flamboyant 11-term congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr.

Transforming his role into a bully pulpit, the urbane Mr. Butts also helped revive Harlem with housing  mitigating gentrification by reserving a portion for existing residents  a supermarket and other commercial development, and a high school.

Reverend Butts took the idea of building the kingdom of God literally, Mr. Bloomberg said in a statement after his death.
A climate event hits  Fiona, Ian, Sandy  and the wreckage is on a monumental scale. But it also strikes on a smaller, more intimate scale, in disrupted lives multiplied thousands of times over. How to measure the damage? In dollars or lost lives, certainly, or whole neighborhoods sunken in torrents of untamed water.

But also: a brother and sister huddling for warmth in an apartment without heat or electricity; a woman retrieving her furniture from her neighbors yard; a home aide helping a frail man onto an emergency cot; a rescue worker too fatigued to keep going, but keeping on anyway. When Hurricane Sandy hit New York City 10 years ago, leading to at least 43 deaths and an estimated $19 billion in damages, New York Times photographers fanned across the metropolitan area to document the devastated cityscape. But they also bore witness to the individual struggles of people trying to hang on to what they could.

The new normal was definitely not normal.

The city that the photographers ventured into during the storm and in the days afterward was not the one from a week earlier. Parts remained underwater or impassable. Whole areas were immersed in darkness. You could cross a block on Broadway in the mid-20s, and on one side, you would see a city without traffic signals, and on the other, one that appeared untouched by the storm. Everyone had a memory. Mine was of walking past a new apartment building, on the night of the storm, when a planter on a high terrace blew through the glass guardrail, showering pedestrians with glass splinters and the planters remains. My sons was of hearing that two of his friends were killed by a falling tree.

Every corner of the city experienced a different storm, a different level of wrath  and a different recovery. Communities not often in the news  the Rockaways in Queens, Midland Beach in Staten Island, where residents described the storm surge in language typically reserved for tidal waves  cried out for attention. Times photographers arrived to find New Yorkers whose lives might never be the same.
January 2019

Subway Repairs

A 15-month shutdown of the L train between Manhattan and Brooklyn was averted after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo swooped in with a last-minute plan to make repairs to a Sandy-ravaged tunnel on nights and weekends. (Status: Completed.)

February 2019

A Massive Sea Wall?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers releases list of options for protecting the metropolitan area from future storms. One is a six-mile-long set of gates stretching from Breezy Point in Queens to Sandy Hook in New Jersey, estimated to cost $119 billion. (Status: Canceled.)

March 2019

Different Mayor, Different Plan

Mayor Bill de Blasio lays out his new plan to climate-proof Lower Manhattan: extend the coastline two blocks into the East River at a cost of $10 billion. (Status: Revised.)

December 2021

A Taller Extension of Manhattan

Two days before Mr. de Blasio leaves office, the citys Economic Development Corporation issues a $7 billion plan to protect Lower Manhattan that would create a multilevel, public waterfront as high as 18 feet and extending 200 feet into the East River. (Status: In progress.)

September 2022

Make That 12 Gates

The Army Corps of Engineers unveils a new, $52 billion proposal for protecting the region from future storms: Instead of one long wall outside the harbor, the plan is to build 12 movable sea barriers across bays and inlets of New York Harbor.
Once he has the opportunity to do so, and the truth comes out, he is confident that the government will agree with him that he has done absolutely nothing wrong, Mr. Lustberg said.

Mr. Lustberg said Mr. Hanas firm, IS EG Halal, was awarded the halal certification contract that it has with Egypt, and which it is performing flawlessly, without any assistance whatsoever from any U.S. public official.

Telephone messages to IS EG Halals Edgewater headquarters were not returned.

Antranig Andy Aslanian Jr., a New Jersey lawyer who said he received a subpoena four months ago as part of the investigation into Mr. Menendez, said he and Mr. Hana once worked from the same office building in Fort Lee, N.J., and became close friends.

State records show that Mr. Aslanian, 83, registered IS EG Halal and was a member of its founding board of directors.

Mr. Aslanian said that during a meeting with Southern District prosecutors in Manhattan he was asked about IS EG Halal, his involvement with the company and whether he had a financial interest in its dealings. He said that he did not.

Howard M. Dorian, a New Jersey lawyer who shares office space with Mr. Aslanian, was the companys registered agent from May 2019 until June 2021, according to records filed with the New Jersey Department of the Treasury. Mr. Dorian could not be reached for comment.

To be certified halal, products must meet strict processing and preparation standards and cannot include ingredients that are prohibited by Islamic law, including pork or alcohol. Egypt imports roughly 300,000 metric tons of halal beef from retailers worldwide, according to U.S. government reports.
Others were even more blunt about the status of the Rockefeller model.

Thats over, said Al DAmato, the former Republican senator from New York. Thats over.

The shift in the Republican Party echoes the arc of Ms. Stefaniks political career.

A Harvard-educated striver from upstate New York, Ms. Stefanik was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress in 2014, running as a moderate in a district that had previously been represented by Representative Bill Owens, a centrist Democrat.

She rose fast in the ranks, banking right with the election of Mr. Trump as president in 2016 and quickly earning his approbation after she staunchly defended him during his first impeachment hearing.

By May 2021, she had effectively deposed Representative Liz Cheney to become chair of the House Republican Conference, making her the third-highest ranking Republican in that chamber. She voted against certifying the vote confirming President Bidens victory and now describes herself as Ultra MAGA and proud of it.

If, as is expected, Ms. Stefanik wins a fifth term next month, she will be the most senior member of the states Republican delegation. She is also the first New Yorker to hold a position of leadership in the Republican Party since Representative Tom Reynolds, from western New York, served as chair of National Republican Congressional Committee from 2003 to 2006. And shes proven a potent draw for donors, raising more than $10 million, often in small dollars, for congressional races and party committees nationwide, according to her campaign, while giving money to conservative candidates from Rhode Island to California.

Her influence on candidates has already been seen across the state, with candidates in races in Long Island trumpeting and raising funds off Ms. Stefaniks endorsement, including Nicholas J. LaLota, a former Navy lieutenant who is running to fill the seat vacated by Representative Lee Zeldin, who is running for governor, and George Santos, a financier who attended the Jan. 6 rally and is running in the Third Congressional District.
For Manhattanites who remember that days after the storm, the power was out from Midtown all the way to the Battery, Landers report contained another eye-opener: Much of the citys essential infrastructure lies in the floodplain, which will only expand with climate change. Just under 80 percent of the land for electric and gas utilities is in the floodplain now, along with airports, bridges, docks, rail yards, tunnels and highways, the report said.

So is 46 percent of the citys industrial and manufacturing area. And 17 percent of public housing is in flood zones.

It took days to realize that Sandy had killed 44 people in New York, mostly in modest sections of Staten Island like Ingenitos, and in Queens. Some who did not evacuate drowned in their homes. Some died trying to escape the wave that the storm drove in. Because Sandy was such a massive storm, it generated a massive surge, a city report said later. Some 17 percent of the citys land mass, 51 square miles, flooded.

Ingenitos husband and son were fortunate. They managed to get out. She said her husband gets himself all worked up now because he never wants to deal with that again.

When they saw the water coming up, my husband said, Come on, Brian, weve got to go, she said.

Parked in Ingenitos yard these days is a 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe. A clunker now, it was their escape vehicle then  and later a hauler.

That truck carried stuff, building supplies for the homes around here, she said. Flooring, toilets, everything. And mattresses: He had somebody put them in the truck and he brought them back to go to whoever was in need. All from emergency centers set up in the days after Sandy, she said.

And Ingenito herself? She rode out the storm at her sister-in-laws house on the other side of Staten Island.
When Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New York 10 years ago  flooding 17 percent of the citys total landmass and resulting in 43 deaths, thousands of evacuations and power outages that affected two million people  Northerners who had paid only passing attention to Gulf Coast weather events instantly saw how rising sea levels could really mess with them. About 70 percent of the buildings tagged by the city as severely impaired or outright destroyed were on or very near the coastline. It seemed, in those hellish, chaotic days following the storm, as people mucked out the lobbies of expensive condominiums in Dumbo and walked through the destruction in the Rockaways, that New Yorkers would finally retreat from the harbor.

But that is not what happened. Over the past decade, we have gone in a very different direction, populating the waterfront even more enthusiastically, especially along the East River in Brooklyn and Queens. According to the citys Department of Buildings, 225 permits have been issued for new apartment buildings in flood zones since Jan. 1, 2013. The effect of that has been to etch a kind of climate denialism into the skyline of one of the countrys most liberal places, punctuating how resistant we are to truly meaningful change, even as the city has pledged to reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050 and has committed to the principles of the Paris Agreement.

The most significant shift in how we have built after Sandy has been the implementation of more stringent rules for flood-resistant construction. New buildings now routinely place mechanicals higher up, often on the roof rather than in basements, where they might be gutted in the next ruinous storm. Sometimes lobbies and residential floors are raised above ground level, a standard practice in Miami. But older buildings are under no mandate to put these measures in place, which leaves 96.5 percent of them in the current floodplain unfortified. At the moment, we dont have a good framework for planning for the future, Brad Lander, the city comptroller, told me.

In the short term, at least, it is in the citys economic interest to indulge the fetish for the waterfront and allow continued development. As more and more buildings have appeared, the value of real estate in these threatened areas has climbed to around $176 billion, bringing in $2 billion in property taxes each year, during a period when the citys finances have been destabilized by the pandemic. All of this comes from a new report out of Mr. Landers office, which also makes clear that the expansion of the floodplain will put additional land in jeopardy. Without expensive protective infrastructure, that propertys value would go down or it would leave the tax rolls entirely, either because it could be abandoned or left to managed retreat programs of the kind that took shape after Sandy in Staten Island, where 473 homes in imperiled neighborhoods were torn down.
Moreover, a brief by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., under the auspices of which Thurgood Marshall argued Brown before the Supreme Court, warns that the plaintiffs position would transform Brown from an indictment against racial apartheid into a tool that supports racial exclusion. The egregious error in the courts majority opinion in Plessy, the legal defense funds brief explains, was not its failure to embrace a colorblind ideal but its failure to acknowledge the realities and consequences of persistent anti-Black racism in our society. For that reason, the brief argues, the Grutter decision honored Brown, not Plessy.

Some level of race-consciousness to ensure equal access to higher education remains critical to realizing the promise of Brown, the defense fund argues.

Grutter was a 5-to-4 decision. While the court was plainly not at rest on the question of affirmative action, it evidently did not occur to the justices in 2003 to conduct their debate on the ground of which side was most loyal to Brown. Each of the four dissenters  Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justices Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas  wrote an opinion. None cited Brown; Justice Thomas quoted Justice Harlans our Constitution is colorblind language from his Plessy dissent in the last paragraph of his 31-page opinion, which was mainly a passionate expression of his view that affirmative action has hurt rather than helped African Americans.

While the contest at the court over Browns meaning is new in the context of higher education, it was at the core of the 2007 decision known as Parents Involved, which concerned a limited use of race in K-12 school assignments to prevent integrated schools from becoming segregated again. In his opinion declaring the practice unconstitutional, Chief Justice John Roberts had this to say: Before Brown, schoolchildren were told where they could and could not go to school based on the color of their skin. The school districts in these cases have not carried the heavy burden of demonstrating that we should allow this once again  even for very different reasons. In his dissenting opinion, Justice Stephen Breyer called the chief justices appropriation of Brown a cruel distortion of history.

The invocation of a supposedly race-neutral 14th Amendment  as the former Reagan administration attorney general Edwin Meese III phrased it in his brief against the universities  goes to the very meaning of equal protection. That was clear earlier this month in the argument in the courts important Voting Rights Act case in the new term.

Alabama is appealing a decision requiring it to draw a second congressional district with a Black majority. Alabamas solicitor general, Edmund LaCour, denounced the decision as imposing a racial gerrymander that he said placed the Voting Rights Act at war with itself and with the Constitution. The Fourteenth Amendment is a prohibition on discriminatory state action, he told the justices. It is not an obligation to engage in affirmative discrimination in favor of some groups vis-a-vis others.

The newest member of the court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, pushed back strongly with an opposite account of the 14th Amendments origins. I dont think that the historical record establishes that the founders believed that race neutrality or race blindness was required, she said. The entire point of the amendment was to secure the rights of the freed former slaves.
There have been 40 school shootings in America causing injury or death so far this year. Thats the most on record. The latest took place in St. Louis this week, when a 19-year-old broke into his former school with an AR-15-style rifle and 600 rounds of ammunition. It took law enforcement less than five minutes to arrive, but in that time, two people were killed  a 10th grader and a 61-year-old physical-education teacher.

As Americas epidemic of gun violence grows, there have been calls to do more; one of the most controversial proposed remedies is arming teachers.

In 29 states, educators are already allowed to bring guns to schools. (Find your state here.) There are exceptions, restrictions and different requirements, but the fact is that there are currently teachers who are armed in the classroom.

To understand what educators are weighing when deciding whether to carry, Times Opinions First Person podcast team traveled to Utah, which has among the most permissive laws in the country when it comes to guns in schools. School districts in Utah are not allowed to ban firearms on their campuses, and there is no tracking of who is carrying and no requirement to train, beyond what is necessary for a concealed-carry permit.
The daily scenes of bedraggled families sloshing across the Rio Grande to reach Texas encapsulate the misery and unfairness of an immigration system that has devolved into a haphazard collection of breaches and barriers. Between October 2021 and June 2022, the first three quarters of the most recent fiscal year, the government accepted asylum applications from more than 150,000 people, mostly from Latin America, many traveling with their families. Often they seek or wait patiently for arrest as soon as they set foot in the United States, knowing that after a few days in federal custody, they will be released. More than 750,000 people are now waiting for the government to review their asylum claims, and the average wait time is more than four years, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. In the meantime, they can live in the United States and, after 150 days, apply for permission to work here.

The Government Accountability Office reported last month that the government was struggling to keep track of a significant portion of those released from custody. Between March 2021 and February 2022, Customs and Border Protection released 184,900 migrants seeking asylum. They were instructed to report to immigration offices in their destination cities, but as of March 2022, roughly one in four of those people had failed to do so.

The backlog of asylum claims has swelled even though the government, since March 2020, has used the pretext of a public health emergency to bar asylum claims from some of the nations that historically have numbered among the largest sources of migrants seeking to enter the United States, including Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. Between October 2021 and June 2022, the federal government invoked that rule, known as Title 42, to expel migrants 853,000 times along the southern border (although that number includes many people who were caught and expelled more than once). The Biden administrations efforts to end the use of the rule are currently tied up in federal court.

The capricious nature of the current system was on vivid display earlier this month. After allowing tens of thousands of migrants from Venezuela to enter the country in recent years, the Biden administration added Venezuela to the list of Title 42 countries, effectively barring new claims. That was an abrupt shift from an overly permissive policy to an overly restrictive one.

The basic problem is that the government does not have the resources to act justly. A bill introduced last year, the Bipartisan Border Solutions Act, would provide those resources. The core of the bill would expand the capacity of the immigration system to triage asylum claims. It provides funding for four new processing centers along the southern border where migrants seeking asylum could be detained for up to 72 hours and where they would undergo health screenings, background checks and an initial screening to determine whether they have a credible fear of persecution in their countries of origin. Individuals who do not meet the standard could be deported, with a limited right to appeal.
State by state, it is hard to draw a line between school closures and learning loss, since some states that stayed closed longest fared best, and vice versa. Earlier research showed a clearer relationship between school closures and learning loss at the district level, but at a news conference announcing the latest N.A.E.P. report, the commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics said, Theres nothing in this data that tells us there is a measurable difference in the performance between states and districts based solely on how long schools were closed.

In New York City, the nations largest school district, schools reopened in September 2020. There, average scores for reading fell by about a point for fourth graders and improved by about a point for eighth graders; in math, fourth-grade scores fell by nine points (statewide scores fell by 12) and eighth-grade scores fell by four points (statewide scores fell by six). In Los Angeles, the second-largest district, schools stayed closed through January 2021. There, average scores actually improved in fourth-grade reading, eighth-grade math and eighth-grade reading, where they improved by a robust nine points (to 257 from 248). Scores fell only in fourth-grade math (to 220 from 224).

In a vacuum, the pandemic declines look like bad news, if at a relatively small scale. But none of this happened in a vacuum. Ive mentioned the million deaths not to fearmonger about how much higher those numbers might have been without school closures  the scale of that impact is, I believe, an open question  but just to point out the enormous and widespread human impact of the disease itself. And that impact was much larger than measured simply by mortality. More than 3.5 million Americans were hospitalized, according to one estimate, and probably at least as many suffered from long Covid. In the spring of 2020, the countrys unemployment rate exploded, jumping to nearly 15 percent from about 4 percent; for a brief period in April, six million new jobless claims were filed each week. In a single quarter, U.S. GDP fell by 9 percent. Murder rates grew by 30 percent; deadly car crashes spiked, too. Overdose deaths rose 30 percent in 2020 and 15 percent in 2021. According to some research, rates of depression tripled in the United States when the pandemic first hit. Some 600,000 teachers left the profession.

This is the world in which American students  most of them learning remotely for many months, many of them for close to a year, and some for longer  fell off by a handful of points, on their reading and math exams, compared with their prepandemic peers.

The sudden onset of the pandemic has been the most catastrophic event in recent American history, making the expectation that there would not be something called learning loss bizarre, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor wrote recently in The New Yorker. The idea that life would simply churn on in the same way it always has only underscores the extent to which there have been two distinct experiences of the pandemic, she went on, emphasizing how much harder the pandemic was for the poor and marginalized to navigate, compared with those for whom its secondary effects were buffeted by wealth.

International comparisons offer another bit of context for test score declines. In England, schools closed in the spring of 2020, opening again in some places in early summer and across the country in the fall (with an Omicron interruption of about a month that winter of 2021). In retrospect, that would have been a plausible but relatively aggressive school reopening approach in the United States, where many schools stayed remote well into the 2020-2021 school year. It also resulted in a drop of six percentage points in proficiency scores, roughly comparable to the American experience. In other words, in England, with a close-to-optimal school reopening, they fared no better.

In the Netherlands, where schools were even less disrupted than in Britain, student performance fell by three percentage points  a bit better, but still below the standards set in prepandemic years. At the most extreme end of the spectrum, there is Sweden, which did not close schools at all, and which, some reporting has suggested, experienced no such declines. But the country also suspended its testing program, which means the data on which such claims might be based is pretty shaky.
When the giant Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico collapsed in December 2020, it punched a hole in astronomy.

For half a century Arecibo was the mightiest telescope on the planet. One thousand feet wide, it listened to radio signals from the stars  as well as from pulsars, planets, asteroids and more  for any hints of intelligent life, potentially Earth-killing objects and insights into the mysteries of gravity and space-time.

The demise of Arecibo also punched a hole in the pride and the economy of Puerto Rico, which has repeatedly been hit by hurricanes, earthquakes and widespread electrical outages. Since 1963, when the telescope was founded, generations of schoolchildren in the territory have trooped through the hills to a sci-fi setting: a gigantic, concave antenna, set like a mixing bowl in a mountain valley, with 900 tons of radio receivers suspended above it. There, young students could rub elbows with renowned scientists at work and be inspired by science, particularly astronomy. Many grew up to be astronomers themselves.

Those trips will continue, sort of. Last week the National Science Foundation, which owns the Arecibo Observatory, said it would spend $5 million to establish a world-class educational center at the site. The Arecibo Center for STEM Education and Research would include the Angel Ramos Science and Visitor Center, as well as an exhibition space, a laboratory, an office space, dormitories, an auditorium and a cafeteria.
When Janine Renae Lee and Janeine LeCorday Spencer met in 2006 at the Chevron Corporation in Concord, Calif., where each had worked, they quickly bonded over their commonality. Both were biracial Black women with a similar given name (though spelled differently, it was pronounced the same).

One day after work, Ms. Spencer invited Ms. Lee to happy hour at a local restaurant, and soon after a friendship evolved.

Ms. Spencer, who identifies as bisexual, was in a polyamorous marriage to a man then, and had one child. She had only moved to the area from Arizona two years before, and was glad to have a new friend.

Janine basically showed me all of San Francisco, Ms. Spencer said.

After a year, their feelings for each other began to grow beyond a friendship, but Ms. Lee put any ideas about a future with Ms. Spencer out of her head.
Taylor Many Scruggs was reading through Natalie Anne Labriolas profile on Hinge when an astrological prompt caught his eye.

Natalies said, Way to win my heart is to guess my sun, moon and rising signs, Mr. Scruggs said.

An astrology enthusiast himself, his interest was piqued. Though he didnt guess her Taurus sun or Sagittarius moon, he correctly noted her Scorpio rising. Soon enough she guessed his signs, correctly placing his Capricorn sun and Taurus moon before learning that he was actually a Pisces rising.

It was August 2019 and Ms. Labriola, a Los Angeles native, was living in the citys Rampart Village neighborhood. Mr. Scruggs, a native of Cincinnati, was in Brookside. Their first date, days after connecting online, was a late-afternoon picnic in Barnsdall Art Park, where Mr. Scruggs, 34, gave Ms. Labriola, 35, a tarot card reading.
Im finding it difficult to be 76 and busy, says the artist AA Bronson from his Berlin studio, where he also lives. The two dont really go together. Though hes not currently focused on producing new works, Bronson, who has devoted his career to pushing against negative queer representation through the production of confrontational, easily reproducible art, has been spending much of his time planning international exhibitions of his unapologetically political oeuvre. General Idea, the collective he formed with his late life partners Felix Partz and Jorge Zontal  together, the three Canadians were responsible for some of the most striking AIDS-related compositions of the late 1980s and the 1990s  is currently the subject of its biggest retrospective to date, at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. Bringing together the groups zines, multimedia installations and performances, the show will travel to Amsterdams Stedelijk Museum early next year before moving to the Gropius Bau exhibition hall in Berlin, where Bronson has lived with his husband, the architect Mark Jan Krayenhoff van de Leur, since 2013. (Bronson recently traveled to New York for the NY Art Book Fair, which he founded in 2006 during his time as executive director of the Printed Matter bookstore and artist space, and to visit the Drawing Center, in SoHo, which is displaying a selection of General Ideas lesser-known illustrations, of colorful masks and genitals on diary pages and sketchbooks, through Jan. 15.)

Despite his busy schedule, Bronson, in round glasses with his signature white beard draped over a black vest, is distracted by more pressing matters: The apartment hes been renting in Berlins Charlottenburg neighborhood for the past nine years has become a source of unrest. Bronson is convinced that the buildings new owner wants his tenants out so he can renovate the property. One of his tactics, or so the artist has surmised, was starting a flood on the unit above him that temporarily forced him to evacuate. We have a landlord who seems particularly focused on getting his own way, and hes tried various techniques to get us to leave, Bronson says. So far, were still here.
Elon Musk closes his purchase of Twitter and fires several top executives. Follow for the latest news updates.

SAN FRANCISCO  In August 2018, Elon Musk called Michael Dell for advice.

Mr. Musk, who was trying to take Tesla, his electric car company, private, quizzed Mr. Dell, who had done that very thing with his eponymous computer company in 2013, about the process and the best lawyers to use for the complicated transaction.

I was really asking him about  did he find being private was good? Mr. Musk recalled in a deposition about the Tesla effort. Did he regret going private?

Mr. Dell warned Mr. Musk that it was a very difficult process but that he was glad to have done it, according to court filings.
Forget about the endless drama, the bots, the abrupt reversals, the spectacle, the alleged risk to the Republic and all we hold dear. Here is the most important thing about Elon Musks buying Twitter: The moguls have been unleashed.

In the old days, when a tech tycoon wanted to buy something big, he needed a company to do it. Steve Case used AOL to buy Time Warner. Jeff Bezos bought Whole Foods for Amazon. Mark Zuckerberg used Facebook to buy Instagram and WhatsApp and Oculus and on and on. These were corporate deals done for the bottom line, even if they might never have happened without a famous and forceful proprietor.

Mr. Musks $44 billion takeover of Twitter, which finally became a reality on Thursday, six months after he agreed to the deal, is different. It is an individual buying something for himself that 240 million people around the world use regularly. While he has other investors, Mr. Musk will have absolute control over the fate of the short-message social media platform.

Its a difficult deal to evaluate even in an industry built on deals, because this one is so unusual. It came about whimsically, impulsively. But, even by the standards of Silicon Valley, where billions are casually offered for fledging operations  and even by the wallet of Mr. Musk, on most days the richest man in the world  $44 billion is quite a chunk of change.
In the 24 hours before Elon Musk closed his deal for Twitter on Thursday, thousands of new accounts were created on the social media service and joined a broader surge of new followers for some of the platforms most influential far-right accounts, according to research from Memetica, a digital investigations company.

The Twitter account of Kari Lake, a Republican candidate for governor in Arizona, gained 18,000 followers in the last 24 hours, a 600 percent increase from the usual number of new followers that Ms. Lake typically sees in a day, according to Memetica. Of those 18,000 new followers, over 3,100 were new to Twitter.

Representative Lauren Boebert, a Republican of Colorado, gained over 18,679 new followers in the last 24 hours, a 1,200 percent jump above normal, Memetica said. Nearly half of those new followers were also new to Twitter.

And Candace Owens, a conservative media personality, gained over 3,700 new followers in the last 24 hours, 300 percent above normal. Of her new followers, over 2,300 accounts were new to Twitter, according to Memetica.
It led to a catharsis for many on the tour, she said. People were on the verge of tears over immigration.

Part of the appeal of dark tourism is its ability to help people process what is happening as the world gets darker and gloomier, said Jeffrey S. Podoshen, a professor of marketing at Franklin and Marshall College, who specializes in dark tourism.

People are trying to understand dark things, trying to understand things like the realities of death, dying and violence, he said. They look at this type of tourism as a way to prepare themselves.

Mr. Faarlund, the photo editor, recalled one trip with his wife and twin sons: a private tour of Cambodia that included a visit to the Killing Fields, where between 1975 and 1979 more than 2 million Cambodians were killed or died of starvation and disease under the Khmer Rouge regime.

His boys, then 14, listened intently to unsparing and brutal stories of the torture center run by the Khmer Rouge. At one point, the boys had to go outside, where they sat quietly for a long time.

They needed a break, Mr. Faarlund said. It was quite mature of them.

Afterward, they met two of the survivors of the Khmer Rouge, fragile men in their 80s and 90s. The teenagers asked if they could hug them and the men obliged, Mr. Faarlund said.

It was a moving trip that also included visits to temples, among them Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, and meals of frog, oysters and squid at a roadside restaurant.
SEATTLE  In a high-altitude landscape parched by drought, U.S. Forest Service crews took advantage of some stable weather in eastern Oregon this month and prepared to burn off some thick underbrush and shrubbery at the edge of the Blue Mountains, part of an expanding strategy to remove forest fuel that can turn fires into conflagrations.

The target was a 300-acre tract of woodlands in the Malheur National Forest, adjacent to a private cattle ranch. But the controlled fire that the crew set on the afternoon of Oct. 19 jumped a containment line and charred through a portion of the nearby ranch. Two sisters from the family-owned Windy Point Cattle Company made their way through the smoke-filled landscape for a furious confrontation with the Forest Services burn boss, Ricky Snodgrass, and then dialed 911.

What happened next, federal officials say, was highly unusual in the modern history of the Forest Service and its programs for managing federal lands across the country. The Grant County sheriff arrived on scene, placed Mr. Snodgrass in handcuffs and sent him to jail.

The Forest Service chief, Randy Moore, has protested the arrest, declaring in a message to employees that he will not stand idly by without fully defending the burn boss and all employees carrying out their official duties as federal employees.
Senator Michael Bennet, Democrat of Colorado, and his Republican opponent, Joe ODea, battled over abortion rights and gun control on Friday night in a combative debate that was their last face-to-face meeting before the Nov. 8 election.

As someone vying to represent a state that has been the site of some of the nations worst mass shootings but who also embraces gun rights, Mr. ODea, a construction company owner, said he would support no new gun laws, while Mr. Bennet voiced support for an assault weapons ban and raising the age for the purchase of such weapons from 18 to 21.

We have plenty of laws on the books, said Mr. ODea, who said he favored strong enforcement of existing statutes and stationing more police in schools.

Mr. Bennet, who supported a recent bipartisan gun safety law, when asked if he would back an assault weapons ban, said, I think we have made enough of these weapons of war in this country. Both men said they would not back a 10-day waiting period on gun purchases.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is transferring a fresh infusion of cash to the campaign of Representative Tom Malinowski, he confirmed in a text message.

Committee officials who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the committees strategy described the money only as a six-figure investment, but Mr. Malinowski, the most vulnerable Democrat in New Jerseys congressional delegation, said he welcomed the help.

The transfer would allow Mr. Malinowski to purchase television advertising at cheaper rates than the group could secure on its own. It comes after a New Jersey political tipsheet claimed that the committee had left Mr. Malinowski to largely fend for himself  which he said was false. The committee previously assisted Mr. Malinowski with $95,000 worth of advertising.

Mr. Malinowski, who was first elected in 2018 and won re-election two years later by a few thousand votes, is in a tight rematch against Thomas Kean, Jr., the son of a popular former Republican governor. His district, an upscale suburban area of the state, grew slightly more friendly to Republicans after New Jersey Democrats redrew the states congressional map this year.
Ms. Jennings, who is from Tulsa, Okla., and has described herself as a Christian pastor and counselor, has fast become a leading voice in the election-denial movement. She first proposed sending observers to ballot boxes this spring, just weeks after joining Truth Social.

I have an idea, she wrote on April 19. In those states where they do not outlaw drop boxes, I think we have no less than 10 patriots standing around every one of those 24/7 for the duration of the voting period.

In podcast interviews, Ms. Jennings said she was inspired by a trailer for the film, 2000 Mules, released in May. The film, directed and produced by the right-wing pundit Dinesh DSouza, relied heavily on debunked research from True the Vote, a group focused on voter fraud. The film asserts that mules paid by the Democratic Party ferried illegal votes to ballot boxes, often in the dead of night. It was shown in more than 400 theaters and brought in some $1.4 million at the box office.

Ms. Jennings ideas spread quickly as her posts were shared by election deniers with large numbers of followers, including Mr. Trump and his former attorney, Sidney Powell. Ms. Jennings launched a website in May and, this summer, frequently promoted her plans on right-wing podcasts. She urged people not only to gather around ballot boxes, but to photograph voters and reveal their identities online.

I am FULLY STOKED that ballot trafficking mules are about to be completely doxxed and put on blast at every drop box across America VERY SOON, Ms. Jennings posted on Truth Social on Sept. 8.

Ms. Jenningss following on the platform has grown from barely 100 in April to more than 35,000.

Internal membership rolls show that roughly 4,500 people in 48 states have registered with Clean Elections USA, according to a report in Votebeat, a nonprofit news outlet. The group tells volunteers that the information they collect will be shared with True the Vote, which in turn works with Protect America Now, a group of sheriffs who have pledged to investigate election fraud, the report found.

It is unclear if Ms. Jennings has significant financial support. A fund-raiser she set up online in August had raised $3,600 as of Friday.
Senator Lisa Murkowski, a moderate Republican fighting for re-election in Alaska, defended her record against attacks from her Trump-backed challenger, Kelly Tshibaka, in a debate on Thursday.

Ms. Murkowski advanced to the general election in November with a nearly seven-point lead over Ms. Tshibaka, and both far outperformed their Democratic opponent, Patricia Chesbro.

But the senator has had to relentlessly campaign for political survival since she voted to convict Donald J. Trump in his impeachment trial after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Ms. Murkowski has continued to be a target of Mr. Trump, who visited the state in July for a rally with Ms. Tshibaka and this week criticized Ms. Murkowski during a tele-rally as one of the worst senators even imaginable.

The debate, hosted by Alaska Public Media, Alaskas News Source and KTOO, a local station, covered a range of issues, including the states response to the coronavirus pandemic, gun violence in schools, the management of the states fisheries and the response to climate change. Ms. Murkowski highlighted her bipartisan work on infrastructure, energy and gun legislation.
A spokesman for Ms. Pelosi, Drew Hammill, said in a statement on Friday that Mr. Pelosi underwent surgery after sustaining a skull fracture and serious injuries to his hands and right arm and was expected to make a full recovery.

It was Mr. Pelosi who had called 911 from a bathroom after the intruder broke through a back door of the home. He had a veiled conversation with a police dispatcher, who recognized the situation as dire, bringing a rapid police response, the San Francisco district attorney, Brooke Jenkins, said in a news conference late Friday.

A suspect has been charged.

A suspect, David DePape, 42, was charged by federal prosecutors with attempting to kidnap Ms. Pelosi and with assaulting a relative of a federal official, according to charging documents filed on Monday.

Later on Monday, Ms. Jenkins announced state charges. Mr. DePape was charged with six felonies: attempted murder, residential burglary, elder abuse, assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment of an elder and threatening family members of public officials. Ms. Jenkins, said on Twitter that Mr. DePape would be arraigned on Tuesday.

Mr. DePape was looking to interrogate Ms. Pelosi, who was not home at the time, on an unspecified political matter, according to the federal complaint. If she told the truth, he would let her go, but if she lied, he intended to break her kneecaps, forcing her to be wheeled into Congress as a lesson to other Democrats, Mr. DePape told police officers in an interview.
The senator was referring to a comment he made at a town-hall meeting in December suggesting that a standard gargle, mouthwash, has been proven to kill the coronavirus, a claim for which there is no firm proof, though experts say there is also little downside. Afterward, he defended his stance on a tour of local radio shows. In the recent interview with The New York Times, Mr. Johnson offered to provide evidence that he was right. So far, he has not done so.

Wisconsin Democrats long ago decided not to make Mr. Johnsons false assertions the focus of their campaign to unseat him. In part, thats because he has been making them for so long that they have become part of the firmament of the states politics.

In a rural state, people are listening to this, said Representative Mark Pocan, a Democrat from Madison who has spent years sparring with Mr. Johnson. Those no longer become viewpoints. They become facts and they become repeated facts and theyre part of allegedly whats reality here.

Despite all his practice, Mr. Johnson hasnt adopted the smooth tones or high-energy practiced outrage of professional radio personalities. He still sounds like an Up North tavern owner, speaking in long, folksy paragraphs with an upper Midwestern accent that stretches out his aaah sounds.

The shows have attracted a legion of loyal listeners across Wisconsin, though the public Nielsen radio station ratings do not report how many people are tuned in at specific times. Mr. Johnson appears on shows throughout the state, from the 50,000-watt station in Milwaukees 1.5-million listener market to stations with tiny signals in Wausau and programs syndicated on public radio stations across Wisconsin.

Ryan Seaman, 31, who works in construction, said he was a frequent caller to conservative talk radio shows in Milwaukee, where he lives.

They try to offer perspective on both sides without really giving too much of their input, Mr. Seaman said. Its not like theyre trying to force something down on you. Thats how I think the news should be. It should be fair, but accurate about whats going on.
Mr. Bolsonaro has also questioned the security of Brazils electronic voting machines since 2015, after a center-right presidential candidate disputed a narrow loss. Then a congressman, Mr. Bolsonaro began a crusade that the voting machines were vulnerable to fraud because they are not backed up by paper ballots.

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.

Mr. Bolsonaro is right that Brazils voting system is unique. It is the only country in the world to use a fully digital system, with no paper backups.

Computer-security experts who study the system say its design indeed makes it difficult to audit an election. But they also say the system has numerous layers of security to prevent fraud or errors, including fingerprint readers, tests of hundreds of machines on Election Day, outside experts inspection of the source code and the fact that the machines do not connect to the internet, significantly reducing the chances of a hack.

Since Brazil began using electronic voting machines in 1996, there has been no evidence that they have been used for fraud. Instead, the machines helped eliminate the fraud that once afflicted Brazils elections in the age of paper ballots.

But those facts have not mattered much to Mr. Bolsonaro or many of the more than 50 million Brazilians who voted for him in the first election round. In interviews, Mr. Bolsonaros supporters instead focused their attention on a series of anecdotal apparent abnormalities in the voting process and results, as well as many conspiracy theories: machines steal votes from Mr. Bolsonaro; machines come preloaded with votes; some machines are planted fakes; officials manipulate vote tallies; and the vote results show suspicious patterns.
Mr. Feura, Major Bourgeau and the girls adult male swimming companion all managed to reach dry land by swimming around the rip currents. But back on shore, the girl was repeatedly asking Captain Othman about another man she said had helped her in the water.

Wheres the other guy? she said. Wheres the other guy?

Doubts and Questions

Not everyone had seen Mr. Takahashi, and some who had were recovering from near-death experiences. So there was some confusion among the survivors about whether the mysterious snorkeler in red shorts even existed.

We started to doubt ourselves, which was crazy, Captain Othman said.

Captain Othman and Mr. Feura conveyed what they knew about the snorkeler to the local police through a bilingual Japanese woman who helped translate at the site. Helicopters were still circling the area when she and Mr. Feura and Major Bourgeau left the beach, Captain Othman said.

But representatives for the Coast Guard and the local police department told The New York Times this week that the authorities had not been aware on July 4 that another person might have been missing at Mermaids Grotto. The local fire department, which was also involved in the rescue, could not be reached for comment.

The discrepancy suggests that the survivors account of Mr. Takahashi could have been misunderstood, mistranslated or ignored. Another possibility is that what the survivors told police officers did not immediately reach search and rescue personnel. No one has been accused of wrongdoing, and it is not clear whether a longer search might have saved Mr. Takahashis life.

Neither the girl, her mother nor her partner could be reached for comment. Some details of the episode were reported earlier by Stars and Stripes, a newspaper that is partly funded by the Pentagon but is editorially independent, and by Japanese news outlets.

The Resolution

In the days after the rescue, Mr. Feura said, he hoped for the best because the missing man had been using snorkeling gear that might have helped him to survive.
One of the best-known Russian public figures who has often criticized the government has left the country, shocking many in a nation that has grown accustomed to steadily diminishing dissent.

Ksenia Sobchak, who has challenged President Vladimir V. Putin at the polls while sometimes appearing to accommodate his agenda, entered Lithuania on an Israeli passport, Lithuanias foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, told reporters on Thursday. Videos posted on social media hours earlier had appeared to show Ms. Sobchak, 40, crossing a border.

A day before Ms. Sobchaks departure, an executive at her media company was arrested and accused of extorting a Russian state firm. Security officers searched Ms. Sobchaks home this week, according to Russian state media. Ms. Sobchak did not respond to a request for comment, and she has not commented publicly on her departure.

One of Russias most polarizing figures, Ms. Sobchak exemplifies a generation of the countrys elite that has sought to build a public following while largely playing by the rules of a system built by Mr. Putin in over 20 years in power.
KYIV, Ukraine  Using his small blue crutches, Daniil Avdieienko, 7, gestured toward two deep brown stains on the cement floor of the entryway to his apartment building.

The patch on the right, just inside the door, was his blood, he explained. Then he pointed at the other blood stain: This is from my mother.

Daniil and his parents were running to a basement shelter in central Chernihiv, a northern city where fighting raged in the early days of the war, when shrapnel struck him in the back. Eventually, he had to have 60 centimeters, or nearly two feet, of his intestines removed. Seven months later he is still recovering from his wounds, and will likely need several more surgeries, as will his parents, both of whom suffered serious leg injuries.

But while his physical injuries are on the mend, he is still grappling with the psychological trauma of the attack.
If you are broadly aware that the upcoming midterm elections in the United States have major global implications, but youre not up to speed on the American system of government or youre having trouble following along, youre in the right place.

In the United States two-party system, control of two crucial bodies of government  the Senate and the House of Representatives  is essential for getting laws made, and it will be decided by a vote on Nov. 8. Democrats currently control both bodies and the presidency, and losing either the House or the Senate to Republicans would significantly decrease Democrats power in the next two years of President Bidens term.

Hundreds of elections will take place, but many candidates are considered shoo-ins and control in each body will most likely be decided by a few tight races.

I need the basics: What is decided in this election?

The Senate, which is now at a 50-50 deadlock but is controlled by Democrats because Vice President Kamala Harris casts the tiebreaking vote, has 100 members, with two from each of the 50 states. Not all 100 senators are up for re-election at once. This year, there are 34 seats up for grabs, and winners serve six-year terms.
View the cross-tabs for these surveys here.

Party I.D. is self-identified party, without leaners; independents include only self-identified independents. Party registration is the respondents party as listed on the voter file.

Party I.D. is self-identified party, without leaners; independents include only self-identified independents. Party registration is the respondents party as listed on the voter file.

The New York Times/Siena College poll of 431 likely voters in KS03 was conducted in English and Spanish on cellular and landline telephones on Oct. 1924, 2022. The margin of sampling error is +/- 5.2 percentage points. The margin of error accounts for the surveys design effect, a measure of the loss of statistical power due to survey design and weighting. The design effect is 1.2. Overall, 79 percent of respondents were reached on a cellular telephone, and less than half a percent of all interviews were conducted in Spanish.

Did you vote in the 2020 presidential election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden?

Do you consider yourself a Democrat, a Republican, an independent, or a member of another party?

What is the highest educational level which you have completed: [READ LIST]

Would you consider yourself: [IF biracial or multi-racial ask: What races would that be?]

Are you of Hispanic origin or descent, such as Mexican, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or some other Spanish background?

And thinking about your own personal finances, would you say that your personal financial situation is in excellent shape, good shape, only fair shape, or poor shape?

It does not matter either way

Would you rather vote for a candidate who thinks: [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1 AND 2] [READ LIST]

It does not matter either way

Would you rather vote for a candidate who thinks abortion should be: [READ LIST] [SHOW RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-4 IN REVERSE ORDER FOR  SAMPLE, ALWAYS KEEPING 5 LAST]

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as president? FOLLOW UP: Is that strongly or somewhat?

Economic issues such as jobs, taxes or the cost of living

Thinking about whether to vote for Democrats or Republicans for Congress this November, what types of issues are most important in deciding your vote? [READ LIST] [IF NEEDED: If you had to choose one]

(If no candidate selected or don't know) If you had to decide today, would you lean toward: [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1 AND 2] [READ LIST]

If this Novembers congressional elections were held today, which candidate would you be more likely to vote for: [IF NEEDED: If you had to decide today, are you leaning towards one candidate?] [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1 AND 2] [READ LIST]

If this Novembers congressional elections were held today, which candidate would you be more likely to vote for: [IF NEEDED: If you had to decide today, are you leaning toward one candidate?] [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1 AND 2] [READ LIST] (Including leaners)

Tell me whether you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable opinion of each of the following: Amanda Adkins

Tell me whether you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable opinion of each of the following: Sharice Davids

Thinking ahead to the November general election, are you almost certain that you will vote, very likely to vote, somewhat likely to vote, not very likely to vote, or not at all likely to vote?

Party I.D. is self-identified party, without leaners; independents include only self-identified independents. Party registration is the respondents party as listed on the voter file.

Party I.D. is self-identified party, without leaners; independents include only self-identified independents. Party registration is the respondents party as listed on the voter file.

The New York Times/Siena College poll of 399 likely voters in NV01 was conducted in English and Spanish on cellular and landline telephones on Oct. 1921, 2022. The margin of sampling error is +/- 5.9 percentage points. The margin of error accounts for the surveys design effect, a measure of the loss of statistical power due to survey design and weighting. The design effect is 1.4. Overall, 86 percent of respondents were reached on a cellular telephone, and 3 percent of all interviews were conducted in Spanish.

Did you vote in the 2020 presidential election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden?

Do you consider yourself a Democrat, a Republican, an independent, or a member of another party?

What is the highest educational level which you have completed: [READ LIST]

Would you consider yourself: [IF biracial or multi-racial ask: What races would that be?]

Are you of Hispanic origin or descent, such as Mexican, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or some other Spanish background?

And thinking about your own personal finances, would you say that your personal financial situation is in excellent shape, good shape, only fair shape, or poor shape?

It does not matter either way

Would you rather vote for a candidate who thinks: [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1 AND 2] [READ LIST]

It does not matter either way

Would you rather vote for a candidate who thinks abortion should be: [READ LIST] [SHOW RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-4 IN REVERSE ORDER FOR  SAMPLE, ALWAYS KEEPING 5 LAST]

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as president? FOLLOW UP: Is that strongly or somewhat?

Economic issues such as jobs, taxes or the cost of living

Thinking about whether to vote for Democrats or Republicans for Congress this November, what types of issues are most important in deciding your vote? [READ LIST] [IF NEEDED: If you had to choose one]

(If no candidate selected or don't know) If you had to decide today, would you lean toward: [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1 AND 2] [READ LIST]

If this Novembers congressional elections were held today, which candidate would you be more likely to vote for? [IF NEEDED: If you had to decide today, are you leaning towards one candidate?] [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1 AND 2] [READ LIST]

If this Novembers congressional elections were held today, which candidate would you be more likely to vote for? [IF NEEDED: If you had to decide today, are you leaning toward one candidate?] [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1 AND 2] [READ LIST] (Including leaners)

Tell me whether you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable opinion of each of the following: Mark Robertson

Tell me whether you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable opinion of each of the following: Dina Titus Check order

Thinking ahead to the November general election, are you almost certain that you will vote, very likely to vote, somewhat likely to vote, not very likely to vote, or not at all likely to vote?

Party I.D. is self-identified party, without leaners; independents include only self-identified independents. Party registration is the respondents party as listed on the voter file.

Party I.D. is self-identified party, without leaners; independents include only self-identified independents. Party registration is the respondents party as listed on the voter file.

The New York Times/Siena College poll of 398 likely voters in NM02 was conducted in English and Spanish on cellular and landline telephones on Oct. 2024, 2022. The margin of sampling error is +/- 5.5 percentage points. The margin of error accounts for the surveys design effect, a measure of the loss of statistical power due to survey design and weighting. The design effect is 1.3. Overall, 79 percent of respondents were reached on a cellular telephone, and 2 percent of all interviews were conducted in Spanish.

Did you vote in the 2020 presidential election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden?

Do you consider yourself a Democrat, a Republican, an independent, or a member of another party?

What is the highest educational level which you have completed: [READ LIST]

Would you consider yourself: [IF biracial or multi-racial ask: What races would that be?]

Are you of Hispanic origin or descent, such as Mexican, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or some other Spanish background?

And thinking about your own personal finances, would you say that your personal financial situation is in excellent shape, good shape, only fair shape, or poor shape?

It does not matter either way

Would you rather vote for a candidate who thinks: [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1 AND 2] [READ LIST]

It does not matter either way

Would you rather vote for a candidate who thinks abortion should be: [READ LIST] [SHOW RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-4 IN REVERSE ORDER FOR  SAMPLE, ALWAYS KEEPING 5 LAST]

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as president? FOLLOW UP: Is that strongly or somewhat?

Economic issues such as jobs, taxes or the cost of living

Thinking about whether to vote for Democrats or Republicans for Congress this November, what types of issues are most important in deciding your vote? [READ LIST] [IF NEEDED: If you had to choose one]

(If no candidate selected or don't know) If you had to decide today, would you lean toward: [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1 AND 2] [READ LIST]

If this Novembers congressional elections were held today, which candidate would you be more likely to vote for? [IF NEEDED: If you had to decide today, are you leaning towards one candidate?] [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1 AND 2] [READ LIST]

If this Novembers congressional elections were held today, which candidate would you be more likely to vote for? [IF NEEDED: If you had to decide today, are you leaning toward one candidate?] [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1 AND 2] [READ LIST] (Including leaners)

Tell me whether you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable opinion of each of the following: Yvette Herrell

Tell me whether you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable opinion of each of the following: Gabriel Vasquez

Thinking ahead to the November general election, are you almost certain that you will vote, very likely to vote, somewhat likely to vote, not very likely to vote, or not at all likely to vote?

Party I.D. is self-identified party, without leaners; independents include only self-identified independents. Party registration is the respondents party as listed on the voter file.

Party I.D. is self-identified party, without leaners; independents include only self-identified independents. Party registration is the respondents party as listed on the voter file.

The New York Times/Siena College poll of 415 likely voters in PA08 was conducted in English on cellular and landline telephones on Oct. 1920, 2022. The margin of sampling error is +/- 5.8 percentage points. The margin of error accounts for the surveys design effect, a measure of the loss of statistical power due to survey design and weighting. The design effect is 1.5. Overall, 56 percent of respondents were reached on a cellular telephone.

Did you vote in the 2020 presidential election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden?

Do you consider yourself a Democrat, a Republican, an independent, or a member of another party?

What is the highest educational level which you have completed: [READ LIST]

Would you consider yourself: [IF biracial or multi-racial ask: What races would that be?]

Are you of Hispanic origin or descent, such as Mexican, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or some other Spanish background?

And thinking about your own personal finances, would you say that your personal financial situation is in excellent shape, good shape, only fair shape, or poor shape?

It does not matter either way

Would you rather vote for a candidate who thinks: [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1 AND 2] [READ LIST]

It does not matter either way

Would you rather vote for a candidate who thinks abortion should be: [READ LIST] [SHOW RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-4 IN REVERSE ORDER FOR  SAMPLE, ALWAYS KEEPING 5 LAST]

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as president? FOLLOW UP: Is that strongly or somewhat?

Economic issues such as jobs, taxes or the cost of living

Thinking about whether to vote for Democrats or Republicans for Congress this November, what types of issues are most important in deciding your vote? [READ LIST] [IF NEEDED: If you had to choose one]

(If no candidate selected or don't know) If you had to decide today, would you lean toward: [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1 AND 2] [READ LIST]

If this Novembers congressional elections were held today, which candidate would you be more likely to vote for? [IF NEEDED: If you had to decide today, are you leaning towards one candidate?] [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1 AND 2] [READ LIST]

If this Novembers congressional elections were held today, which candidate would you be more likely to vote for: [IF NEEDED: If you had to decide today, are you leaning toward one candidate?] [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1 AND 2] [READ LIST] (Including leaners)

Tell me whether you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable opinion of each of the following: Jim Bognet [BOWg-net]

Tell me whether you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable opinion of each of the following: Matt Cartwright

Thinking ahead to the November general election, are you almost certain that you will vote, very likely to vote, somewhat likely to vote, not very likely to vote, or not at all likely to vote?

Methodology

Sample

The survey is a stratified response-rate-adjusted probability-proportionate-to-size sample of the L2 voter file. The sample was selected by The New York Times in multiple steps to account for differential telephone coverage and nonresponse.

To adjust for noncoverage bias, the L2 voter file for each congressional district was first stratified by statehouse district, party, race, gender, marital status, household size, turnout history, age and homeownership. The proportion of registrants with a telephone number and the mean expected response rate were calculated for each strata. The mean expected response rate was based on a model of unit nonresponse in prior Times/Siena surveys. The initial selection weight was equal to the reciprocal of a stratas mean telephone coverage and modeled response rate. For respondents with multiple telephone numbers on the L2 file, the number with the highest modeled response rate was selected.

Second, the probability of selection was weighted by the likelihood that a respondent would vote in the 2022 election, based on a model of turnout in 2018 and 2010 as a function of the respondents political and demographic characteristics.

Fielding

The sample was stratified by party, race and region and fielded by the Siena College Research Institute, with additional field work by ReconMR, IPOR at the University of Roanoke, and the PORL at the University of North Florida. Interviewers asked for the person named on the voter file and ended the interview if the intended respondent was not available.

In Kansas, Nevada and New Mexico, the instrument was translated into Spanish by ReconMR. Bilingual interviewers began the interview in English and were instructed to follow the lead of the respondent in determining whether to conduct the survey in English or Spanish. Monolingual Spanish-speaking respondents initially contacted by English-speakers were recontacted by Spanish-speaking interviewers.

Weighting

The survey was weighted by The Times using the R survey package. Survey weights were trimmed at the 99th percentile.

First, the sample was adjusted for unequal probability of selection by strata.

Second, the sample was weighted to match voter-file-based parameters for the characteristics of the likely electorate. The sample was also weighted to match census-based estimates for the educational attainment of the likely electorate.

The estimates for the characteristics of the likely electorate were based on multiple models. First, a model estimated the likely turnout by state, based on recent turnout and the competitiveness of the midterm race. Second, an individual-level model of turnout in 2010, 2018 and 2021 was used to estimate the probability that registrants would participate in the midterm election as a function of their demographic and political characteristics. Finally, the individual-level estimates were adjusted to match the expected turnout by state.

Third, self-reported vote intention was incorporated into the estimate of a respondents likelihood to vote. That was based on a model of validated turnout in Times/Siena surveys since 2016 as a function of self-reported vote intention and the pre-survey modeled turnout probability, including an adjustment for the higher turnout of survey respondents than nonrespondents.

Fourth, the final weight for the likely electorate was equal to the initial likely electorate weight, multiplied by the final turnout probability incorporating self-reported vote intention divided by the initial modeled turnout probability.

Parameters

The following voter-file-based targets were used to weight the sample to match the characteristics of registered voters and the likely electorate:

 Party (NYT classifications based on L2 data and, in states without party registration or primary vote history, a model of partisanship based on previous Times/Siena polls)

 Age (self-reported age or voter file age if the respondent refuses)

 Race (L2 model)

 Gender (self-reported gender or voter file gender if the respondent refuses)

 Marital status (L2 model)

 Homeownership (L2 model)

 Region (defined by the NYT)

 Turnout history (NYT classifications based on L2 data)

 Vote method in the 2020 elections (NYT classifications based on L2 data)

The following census-based targets were used to weight the sample to match the characteristics of registered voters and the likely electorate:

 Educational attainment (NYT model based on A.C.S. and C.P.S. data)

 White/non-white x four-year college graduation (NYT model based on A.C.S. and C.P.S. data)
The New York Times; video by CNA via Reuters

The New York Times; video by CNA via Reuters

It was the lone disruption in one of the most closely choreographed events in China: The countrys former top leader, Hu Jintao, was suddenly led out of the closing ceremony of the Chinese Communist Partys twice-a-decade congress.

The congress, where Chinas next leaders are anointed, is the single most important political event for a ruling party fixated on control. Every detail, whether it is the outcome of its elections or how servers pour tea, is planned. Nothing unscripted happens. Nothing unscripted is allowed to happen.

Reuters

Except this year, it did.

The roughly 2,000 delegates to the congress had just cast ballots for the partys prestigious Central Committee. Then, two men led Mr. Hu  who appeared reluctant to go  out of Beijings Great Hall of the People.

The moment, captured on video by journalists who had been allowed into the hall minutes earlier, prompted questions and wild speculation. Was Mr. Hu, 79, suffering from poor health, as Chinese state media would later report? Or was he being purged in a dramatic show by Chinas current leader, Xi Jinping, for the world to see?

This was an astonishing episode  even during the Mao period, you didnt see a dramatic disruption of the congress like this, said Victor Shih, a specialist in Chinese politics at the University of California at San Diego.

The world may never know the answer, given the utter secrecy around Chinese high politics. But a deconstruction of video footage provides additional details and context about the much-scrutinized moment.

In the minutes before Mr. Hu is led away, he appears to be reaching for a document on the table, where the top leaders and retired elders of the party preside.

The New York Times; video by CNA via Reuters

The man to his left, Li Zhanshu, the partys now outgoing No. 3 official, quickly intervenes, covering it with a red folder. He later slides the document away, speaking into Mr. Hus ear.

Its unclear what the document was, but all the officials appeared to have papers. A photo of one of the pages, taken later, seems to show that it was a list of names, with the words Central Committee.

Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

The congress was about to announce the new Central Committee, which would make clear that Mr. Xi had pushed out perceived moderates in favor of loyalists. The partys top leaders and retired elders historically have a great deal of influence over the selection.

The delegates had not yet voted on amendments to the party constitution, approving Mr. Xis report on the progress of the previous five years, or a report on internal party discipline. The amendments, revealed later, reaffirmed Mr. Xis importance as the core of the party.

Previous party meetings have been stages for political maneuvering and the humiliation of former leaders. In 1959, the party formally adopted a resolution denouncing Peng Dehuai, a high-ranking military official, after he criticized Mao Zedongs economic policies. During the Cultural Revolution, many leaders, including Mr. Xis father, Xi Zhongxun, were purged or publicly shamed. But those moments predated the internet age, and were clearly intentional.

Xi Zhongxun (above), the father of Xi Jinping, and Peng Dehuai (below) were two high-ranking Communist Party officials publicly shamed during the Mao era.

Its far from evident that Mr. Hus exit was planned, and many analysts have warned against drawing assumptions. The apparent chaos of the following moments led many to read the scene as unscripted.

Mr. Xi glances toward one side of the hall. An aide then comes over to Mr. Xi, who addresses him and taps a piece of paper. The aide bends over to say something to Mr. Hu  who had been watching the previous exchange out of the corner of his eye, seemingly listening.

CNA via Reuters

As Mr. Xi looks on, the aide grasps Mr. Hus right arm, as if trying to get him out of his seat. Mr. Hu pulls his arm back. The man tries to lift the former top leader from behind, under both arms, but again fails.

Agence France-Presse

Mr. Hu then reaches for the paper in front of Mr. Xi, which the top leader holds down.

The New York Times; video by Agence France-Presse

When the aide finally succeeds in coaxing Mr. Hu from his chair, Mr. Li, the No. 3 official, half-rises from his seat and appears to be moving to engage in the situation. Another official  Wang Huning, the partys then-No. 5 leader  tugs Mr. Li back down.

The New York Times; video by CNA via Reuters

Mr. Li and Mr. Wang represent a changing of the guard at the apex of power in China  the Politburo Standing Committee that was unveiled the next day.

2022 standing committee Mr. Xi appointed allies who are too old or inexperienced to take over for him. Seen as confidant Ties since the 80s Ties since the 00s Close aide Cai Qi, 66 Zhao Leji, 65 Xi Jinping, 69 Wang Huning, 67 Ding Xuexiang, 60 Li Xi, 66 Li Qiang, 63 2017 STANDING COMMITTEE Some members who were seen as less close to Mr. Xi retired early. Retired at 68 Retired at 72 Retired early Retired early Han Zheng, 68 Wang Huning, 67 Li Zhanshu, 72 Xi Jinping, 69 Li Keqiang, 67 Wang Yang, 67 Zhao Leji, 65 2022 standing committee Mr. Xi appointed allies who are too old or inexperienced to take over for him. Ties since the 00s Close aide Seen as confidant Ties since the 80s Cai Qi, 66 Zhao Leji, 65 Xi Jinping, 69 Wang Huning, 67 Ding Xuexiang, 60 Li Xi, 66 Li Qiang, 63 2017 STANDING COMMITTEE Some members who were seen as less close to Mr. Xi retired early. Retired at 68 Retired at 72 Retired early Retired early Wang Huning, 67 Li Zhanshu, 72 Xi Jinping, 69 Wang Yang, 67 Zhao Leji, 65 Han Zheng, 68 Li Keqiang, 67 2022 standing committee Mr. Xi appointed allies who are too old or inexperienced to take over for him. Seen as confidant Ties since the 80s Ties since the 00s Close aide Cai Qi, 66 Zhao Leji, 65 Xi Jinping, 69 Wang Huning, 67 Ding Xuexiang, 60 Li Xi, 66 Li Qiang, 63 2017 STANDING COMMITTEE Some members who were seen as less close to Mr. Xi retired early. Retired at 68 Retired at 72 Retired early Retired early Wang Huning, 67 Li Zhanshu, 72 Xi Jinping, 69 Wang Yang, 67 Zhao Leji, 65 Han Zheng, 68 Li Keqiang, 67 The New York Times; photographs by Tingshu Wang/Reuters, Jason Lee/Reuters

Mr. Li had reached retirement age, and was leaving. Mr. Wang is the partys chief theoretician and has served as an ideological adviser to both the current and former leader; he was promoted at this congress to the No. 4 spot, and is seen as close to Mr. Xi.

With the Politburo Standing Committee now filled with his allies, Mr. Xi will face little resistance to his agenda, which includes bolstering national security and reshaping the global order to better suit Beijings interests. None of the new leaders have the experience or are young enough to be considered potential successors to Mr. Xi.

As the two aides begin guiding Mr. Hu away from his seat, the older leader stops to say something to Mr. Xi. Mr. Xi nods briefly, without fully turning to look at him.

The New York Times; video by Reuters

Mr. Hu then pats Li Keqiang, Chinas premier, on the shoulder. Mr. Li nods, too, but also does not fully turn around.

The premier has long been seen as an ally and protege of Mr. Hu. He climbed the partys ranks in part through his leadership roles in the Communist Youth League, a party organization that Mr. Hu once headed.

At least two other people seated at the front table have longstanding associations with Mr. Hu. Wang Yang and Hu Chunhua  the outgoing No. 4 party member and a Chinese vice premier, respectively  were also affiliated with the Communist Youth League.

The New York Times; video by Reuters

The new lineup of top officials unveiled the next day excluded those three perceived proteges of Mr. Hu, breaking with a tradition of balancing different party factions in the leadership.

As Mr. Hu is escorted out of the hall, he passes behind 19 other high-ranking party officials seated at the same long table.

Almost none of them give any indication that anything out of the ordinary is occuring. A few are engaged in conversation. Most stare straight ahead.

HU JINTAO EXPRESSIONS DID NOT CHANGE HU JINTAO EXPRESSIONS DID NOT CHANGE HU JINTAO EXPRESSIONS DID NOT CHANGE The New York Times; photograph by Tingshu Wang/Reuters

Wu Guoguang, a professor at the University of Victoria in Canada who served as an adviser to a former premier of China, said he did not want to speculate about what had unfolded. But he said he was astounded by the officials chilly reaction.

Here was Hu Jintao, the former highest leader of your party and a man who had given so many of you political opportunities. And how do you treat him now? Professor Wu said in a podcast interview with the Times columnist Li Yuan. This incident demonstrated the tragic reality of Chinese politics and the fundamental lack of human decency in the Communist Party.

After Mr. Hus departure, the closing ceremony proceeded, with his empty front-row seat the only reminder of the disruption. To most people in China, the whole episode might never have happened. Chinese censors limited search results for Mr. Hus name on social media to posts from official accounts, none of which mentioned his exit. The state broadcasters news program that night showed footage of Mr. Hu voting, and then his empty seat later in the ceremony, without explanation.

Late Saturday evening, Xinhua, the state news agency, offered the first official acknowledgment of his exit, writing on Twitter that Mr. Hu was not feeling well and had been taken to rest. Now, he is much better, the post read. But Twitter is blocked in China, and neither Xinhua nor any other official news outlet posted a similar explanation within Chinas internet firewall, further fueling speculation about the incident.

Regardless of what happened, the symbolism was unmistakable. A former paramount leader, historically the only person with the stature to challenge a current one, was led offstage.

That left only one man in the spotlight: Mr. Xi, about to glide to his third term, the most powerful Chinese leader in decades.
A US woman recently went viral for dedicating herself to a very unusual hobby  cooking recipes etched into peoples gravestones as a unique way of remembering and celebrating their lives.

About a year ago, Rosie Grant was studying library science at the University of Maryland and interning in the archives of the Congressional Cemetery. At one point, she started a TikTok account and started sharing facts about her studies with the internet, and it was this foray into the world of cemeteries that led her to her first gravestone cooking recipe. It was for spritz cookies, featured only seven ingredients and included no instructions, but Rosie managed to use it to make something edible, and the experience just left her hungry for more gravestone recipes.

Photo: Rosie Grant

Cooking these recipes has shown me an alternative side to death, 33-year-old Rosie Grant said. It is a way to memorialize someone and celebrate their life.

After her original TikTok video of baking the gravestone recipe went viral, Grant started searching for similar recipes and managed to find a few all over the United States. She has spent the past year finding more gravestone recipes and she has stumbled upon a few gems.

In a Utah cemetery, Rosie discovered the final resting place of Kay Andrews, which has her fudge recipe engraved on the gravestone, this time with some simple but clear instructions. The fudge turned out great, but the real treat was learning Kays story, hearing her family talk about what made her special, and learning that the woman had always liked to share things with people.

Other recipes include the nut rolls etched into the gravestone of one Ida Kleinman, in Israel, or another American woman who has the recipe to a savory cheese dip etched into her gravestone. So far she has cooked 12 or 13 such gravestone recipes and she is already looking for more to share with her TikTok followers.

When were in mourning, food is very comforting to us, Rosie told TODAY. These recipes feel like a more tactile, all-senses-included way to remember someone rather than only using your memory. But when youre eating grandmas special cake or cookie or whatever it is, you feel a little bit more connected to her.

Rosie Grant told The Washington Post that she would love to visit all the gravestones whose etched recipes she has used so far, as a form of respect to the people buried there.



My goal is to go to all of them, she said. I would love to cook the recipe and taste it at their graveside as a cheers to this person who gave this gift to me and to everybody else.
In 1994, a man was involved in a serious car accident that should have left him with at least a few broken bones. But he suffered no fractures at all, because he had the densest, strongest bones anyone had ever seen.

When doctors looked at the X-rays of the man involved in the car accident  his name was never disclosed to the public  not only did they notice no fracture, but also that his bones seem to be unusually dense, eight times denser than normal, to be precise. This was unlike anything they had ever seen or even heard of before, so they referred the man to Karl Insogna, the director of the Yale Bone Center. Insogna performed additional tests, but after failing to discover a cause for this unusual bone density or any negative effects associated with it, he sent the man on his way. As fate would have it, a few years later, the researcher would come across a few people with similarly dense bones, which turned out to be distantly related to that remarkable man hed examined

Photo: Matthew Schwarz/Unsplash

Around the year 2000, Karl Insogna came across a Connecticut family who had very dense bones and unusually-square jaws, but otherwise normal skeletons. One of the family members, a doctor himself, had several hip replacement surgeries under his belt because his bones were so tough that doctors couldnt screw the prosthesis into them. Insogna was reminded of the remarkable individual he had met in 1994, and after tracing the familys origins determined that they and the car accident survivor from years past could be traced back to an extended kin group on the Eastern seaboard.

After analyzing their unusual traits, Karl Insogna started focusing on a region of chromosome 11 that seemed responsible for their incredibly dense bones. He wasnt the only one. A team at Case Western Reserve University had found a gene mutation called LRP5 which they had linked to bone density, and that turned out to be the key.

Photo: Cara Shelton/Unsplash

Then, a team from the Osteoporosis Research Center at Creighton University in Omaha discovered the exact same mutation in a Nebraska family whose 21 members, ranging from age 3 to 93, had never suffered a bone fracture their whole lives.

Before long, the LRP5 mutation had become big news among geneticists, several studies were being published on the subject, and families with the potential mutation from all over the United States were getting in touch with researchers. All of them seemed to have some variant of the LRP5 mutation.

Today, many questions about the LRP5 mutation remain unanswered, but with the advent of genome sequencing technology, scientists are hopeful that the discovery of these incredibly dense human bones could lead to new treatments or even a cure for debilitating conditions like osteoporosis.

In contrast to other bone mass mutations, this is gain in bone formation, not inhibition of bone breakdown, Prof. Insogna said. In osteoporosis, thats the Holy Grail.
Offaly native, Aisling Cleary, will feature in this weeks episode of OMG! What a Complete Education!, a new podcast series, co-hosted by Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling authors Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen.

The eight-part series, created by Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) features learners from across a range of programmes and initiatives within Further Education and Training (FET).

In this weeks episode, Cleary, from Birr, discusses her apprenticeship course in Laois and Offaly ETB with McLysaght and Breen, who both studied and met at Ballyfermot College of Further Education in Dublin.

Cleary originally graduated from the University of Limerick in 2015 with an undergraduate degree in Economics and Sociology. She went on to work in purchasing for Grant Engineering in Crinkle for almost seven years.

When the Covid-19 pandemic put pressure on the supply chain in 2021, Cleary saw an opportunity to develop new skills and understanding which were in demand. Through Further Education and Training, Cleary is now studying a two-year Masters in Supply Chain Operations through ULs apprenticeship programme.

Throughout the series, learners of all ages and backgrounds will share their experiences of Post Leaving Cert courses, apprenticeships, outdoor education and returning to education as adult learners.

Commenting at the launch of the podcast series, co-host Emer McLysaght said: The wonderful thing about co-hosting this podcast has been hearing so many different peoples stories and experiences from colleges and training centres right across the country. There are so many people, like us, who didnt know for sure where they wanted to go or how to get there, and found a way through a FET course and with the support of the staff behind those courses.

Co-host Sarah Breen added: It may sound cliche to say, but the people on this podcast are inspirational because they are regular people who have found a way to change their lives and get where they want to be through education. We all know someone who didnt have a great experience in school or didnt get the points they needed for a particular course, or who never got any qualifications at all. But hearing Aislings story, it shows listeners just how many opportunities there are out there!

Dr. Fiona Maloney, Director of Further Education and Training at ETBI, said: We initially had the idea for this podcast as we were aware, through our work with ETBs across the country, that there were thousands of learners and people involved in education who had really interesting and inspiring stories to tell about their education journey. Through this podcast we hope that people of all ages and backgrounds can see that there are education options available to suit everyone  no matter what your age, background or interests are.

Whether youre the parent of a school leaver just beginning their path with Further Education and Training; or a student yourself who has swapped a Higher Education course for Further Education to pursue your dream career, or if youre an adult learner developing reading, writing or numeracy skills  we hope OMG! What a Complete Education! encourages and inspires people across the country and opens their eyes to the endless education possibilities.

OMG! What a Complete Education! was created by ETBI in partnership with SOLAS. The latest episodes of the podcast are available on Spotify, Apple and all other podcast platforms.
The residents of Puckane will meet with Minister Roderic O'Gorman after the community expressed grave concerns about plans to accommodate refugee families in the small Tipperary village.

Labour TD, Alan Kelly has arranged a meeting between a delegation from the Puckane Community Group and Minister O'Gorman to express their concerns about the decision to place asylum seekers into 12 thatched holiday cottages in the village.

"There has been considerable concern amongst Puckane residents with the news that Double Property Group are intent on housing international protection residents in a number of holiday cottages in the village", Deputy Kelly told this newspaper on Friday (Oct 28).

"The chief concerns are based around the lack of services such as health, education and transport available in the village, which has less than 220 residents. The local community and the local Councillors have been looking for a meeting with Minister Roderic OGorman who is responsible for this area", Deputy Kelly said.

"Over the last two weeks Ive had several conversations with Minister OGorman to formulate those concerns and as a result he has agreed to meet a delegation from Puckane on Wednesday, November 7.

"I hope this can be a positive meeting where all concerns are raised and taken on board", Deputy Kelly said.

Following recent coverage of plans by a Dublin based property group to convert the village's 12 thatched holiday cottages to a permanent facility for accommodating people seeking asylum in Ireland, the Puckane residents group issued a statement outlining why they feel the property is unsuitable for the repurposing plans.

Strong objections to accommodating asylum seekers in Tipperary village

Double Property Group (DPG), a family run company, have over 25 years of providing properties to the government for social housing initiatives, but in recent years have diversified into the development of Direct Provision Centres and now Asylum Seeker Reception Centres.



After securing a tender in August of this year, DPG set on meeting the tender requirements by finding a development of 10 (minimum 2 bed) units for sale. The thatched cottages in Puckane were put on the market in the summer priced at 2-million.

The Puckane Community Group issued a statement critical of the plans and said "what has has ensued is a perfect example of complete lack of research, pitiful stakeholder engagement and ultimately a complete disregard for the ultimate wellbeing of

those they are supposed to accommodate and decimation of a local community".

'Major distress among Puckane residents' over asylum centre plans

The group representing the wider community say they are focused on three issues: Suitability for incoming residents; the decimation of Puckane's tourism potential and the unsustainable growth of a local community.
INDEPENDENT TD for Laois Offaly, Carol Nolan, has been informed that school children within the constituency who should be seen by the HSE dental service three times before age twelve are only seeing a dentist for the first time when they are well into secondary school.

Deputy Nolan was briefed on the crisis within Laois and Offalys dental health care system by the Irish Dentists Association after being invited to an emergency meeting held at the Park Hotel, Portlaoise.

I have been consistently raising the enormous challenges that people in Laois and Offaly are confronted with as they attempt to access even the most minimal levels of dental care, said Deputy Nolan.

However, even I was horrified to hear about how far the levels of service availability have degraded. We now know that children in Laois are not receiving the first of their three dental checks until they are in their fourth year of secondary school, while the situation in Offaly reveals that they are not being seen until second year.

From the data gathered by the Irish Dental Association it is now clear that Laois Offaly is the worst area in Ireland for accessing dental care. That is both a stark assessment and a source of shame for this Government, she said.

There needs to be an immediate commencement of discussions with the IDA to address the crisis in recruitment and retention of dentists. In addition to this an urgent ministerial direction to the Department of Health must be issued in order to commence independently chaired discussions with the IDA on a new scheme to replace the existing medical card scheme.

I will continue my efforts to try and bring about urgent reform of the current contract model, particularly as it applies to medical card holders and children who urgently require dental and orthodontic treatment, concluded Deputy Nolan.
The Government has agreed to double the payments people hosting Ukrainian refugees receive in a bid to tackle the emergency accommodation shortage.

From December 1, the monthly payment to people who volunteer as hosts will increase from 400 euro to 800 euro.

It is part of a range of measures approved by Cabinet ministers on Friday which are aimed at increasing the supply of accommodation available to people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

The Government last week warned that refugees could end up sleeping on the streets in Ireland due to the accommodation shortage.

Under the new plans, refugees will be offered accommodation only. They will be expected to use welfare payments to pay for their food and day-to-day expenses.

It is understood those living in hotels will also be charged for meals.

A refusals policy has also been introduced. It means refugees who refuse an offer of suitable accommodation will not be offered another option.

The Government said the measures were agreed in a bid to move from an emergency response to a more streamlined long-term approach due to the high numbers of people seeking refugee in the country including those seeking asylum under international protection rules.

To date, Ireland has accommodated up to 56,000 men, women and children from Ukraine  with thousands of children in primary and post primary school and also over 10,000 Ukrainians working.

A new 50 million euro community fund was approved in recognition that some communities have welcomed a significant number of arrivals from Ukraine.

The Minister for Rural and Community Development and Minister for Housing will work with colleagues to develop a programme of supports to ensure that levels of access to public services and community centre facilities for the local community are maintained and expanded.

Ministers also agreed to expand and accelerate the refurbishment programme and the rapid build modular homes programme.

This will include ensuring all available properties, including those with dormitory style configuration, are utilised.

The Government has agreed to substantially increase the number of these units next year.

A call for vacant homes will be launched. It will be led by local authorities with the aim of ensuring a more rapid turnaround of the mobilisation of the offers from the public.
AN intoxicated man let an unmuzzled dog run freely around JKL Street in Edenderry more than three years ago, Tullamore District Court heard.

Daniel O'Brien (24), Carrick Link Road, Edenderry, who appeared in custody before Judge Andrew Cody, pleaded guilty to a number of summonses brought by Garda Lesley Coss.

Sergeant James O'Sullivan told the court that on July 31, 2019 gardai responded to a call at Granary Court, Edenderry where Mr O'Brien had a large German Shepherd type dog.

The accused was very intoxicated and initially had a dog on a chain and refused to leave the area.

He went to JKL Street and let the dog off the chain to run freely around the street and the dog was not muzzled and did not have identification on him.

Mr O'Brien ran away from gardai, leaving the dog running around the street and the dog warden had to be contacted to collect the dog.

Sergeant O'Sullivan said the man had 11 previous convictions and was currently serving a sentence.

The previous day he had been in court in Naas and was convicted of violent disorder. Mr O'Brien told the court he had been sentenced to three years in prison, including 18 months suspended.

Previously at Kilcock District Court in 2019, he was convicted of public drunkenness and failing to appear in court twice.

Judge Andrew Cody said that because the offence before him had occurred in 2019 he could not take any more recent convictions into account.

He imposed fines totalling 150, 50 each for having no licence, having no muzzle and failing to control a dog with a chain or leash.
Northern Ireland is set to have a pre-Christmas Assembly election as the deadline to restore devolved government at Stormont has expired.
ODN 28 Oct 2022

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been confronted by a patient over nurses' pay, during a visit to a hospital in south London. Whilst..
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ODN 04 Nov 2022

Prime minister Rishi Sunak promises to create a "legacy to be proud of" at next week's COP 27 summit. Speaking at a reception..
Japan Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) and US Marines hold Resolute Dragon 22 joint exercise in early October.

Japan has recently joined with the US and its allies in multiple exercises and training in the Asia Pacific, and advanced the defense cooperation with Australia, India, and several NATO members. Foreign media reported that the Fumio Kishida administration seems more than willing to be the cats paw to help America maintain its global hegemony, and its military expansion will affect regional security.

Closely following in Americas steps

Fumio Kishida has been busy aligning with Americas strategy after he came into office. When he met with US President Biden in May this year, he said Japan would hear Americas suggestions on its new National Security Strategy. Japanese defense minister Yasukazu Hamada also said the suggestions from the US military would be reflected in Japans defense policy.

The JSDF and US military have been quite interactive with each other as their top officials are in constant exchanges. During the recent Resolute Dragon 22 exercise and the earlier Orient Shield 22 exercise, troops from both countries shared target position information and carried out successive assaults.

The JMSDF and JASDF have had frequent joint training with US troops. Japan has sent its Aegis combat ship to join the US aircraft carrier strike group, participated in US Navys maritime operations, and dispatched F-15 and F-35A fighter jets to escort Americas strategic bombers.

Tokyo also decided to commission more F-35As and invited the US to temporarily deploy its High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) in Kyushu to reinforce forward coordinated defense.

Strengthened foreign cooperation

As Americas important ally in the Asia Pacific, Japan, catering to NATO, India, and Australias plot for greater regional influence, has kept joining one after another small circle to tighten their relations.

In a recent meeting, Japanese and Australian leaders discussed certain parts of Japans National Security Strategy, including the use of military capabilities in grey zones and the development of attack capabilities against enemy bases.

In March, ships of JMSDF had a joint exercise with French navys Vendemiaire frigate permanently stationed in West Pacific and invited French naval ships to visit Japan. In May, the Japanese Defense Ministry released a notice about its plan to develop and build next-generation warplanes together with the UK. In September, three of Germanys Typhoon fighters entered Japans Hyakuri Air Base for the first time and had air battle training with three Japanese F-2 fighters. More than ten western countries, including the US and its allies like Canada, Australia and France, will assign ships to participate in JMSDFs ceremony in celebration of its 70th anniversary in November.

Besides, Japan and Canadas intelligence agencies have established the information-sharing mechanism by cooperating in the US alliances joint supervision of DPRK merchant ships, clearing the way for Japan to exchange intelligence with the Five Eyes.

Making waves in the region

It is generally believed that Japans reinforced military bond with the US under the pretext of cooperation will expose regional security to uncertainty.

On the one hand, Japanese military ships and planes have made frequent appearances in the Japanese Sea and the Philippine Sea in the name of joint exercise and training, making trouble for the region while bringing in complex external factors.

At the Japan-ASEAN Forum strongly promoted by Tokyo, some ASEAN countries strongly object to Japan adding fuel to flames on certain issues, and criticized its coveting over maritime interests. The joint military operations by JMSDF and the US Navy and Coast Guard at the Sea of Okhotsk are considered by Russia a violation of the Arctic shipping routes. Foreign media commented, despite Japans claim to preserve regional peace, its actions have in fact facilitated the military expansion and deteriorated the situation.

On the other hand, Japans accelerated military cooperation with the US and its allies has not only corroborated its out-going military development policy, but also invited a wolf into the house and put the Asia Pacific on high military alert.

Through the succession of military actions, Japan has basically abandoned the defense only policy and extended its military antenna to Europe, South Pacific and other regions. Its increasingly high-profile display of military capabilities will very likely escalate the risk of an arms race in the region.
Researchers say they solved a decades-old riddle this week by finding remnants of the stockade and therefore the site of a prison camp in York, Pennsylvania, that housed British soldiers for nearly two years during the American Revolutionary War.



The location of Camp Security was thought to have been on land acquired by the local government nearly a decade ago. On Monday, an archaeological team working there located what they believe to be the prison camp's exterior security fence.



The camp housed more than 1,000 English, Scottish and Canadian privates and noncommissioned officers for 22 months during war, starting with a group of prisoners who arrived in 1781, four years after their surrender at Saratoga, New York. By the next year, there were some 1,200 men at the camp, along with hundreds of women and children.



Fieldwork at the site, which also includes the lower-security Camp Indulgence, has gone on for decades, but the exact spot of Camp Security  where prisoners from the 1781 Battle of Yorktown, Virginia, were kept  had been unknown until a telltale pattern of post holes in a foot-deep trench was uncovered.



This has been a long project, and to finally see it come to fruition, or at least know you're not nuts, that's wonderful, said Carol Tanzola, who as president of Friends of Camp Security led fundraising for the project.



Lead archaeologist John Crawmer said the location site had been narrowed down after about 28 acres (11 hectares) were plowed for metal detection and surface collection of artifacts in 2020. That further reduced the search area to about 8 acres (3 hectares), where long exploratory trenches were dug last year.



Those trenches helped the team identify post holes that in turn led to the pattern of holes and a stockade trench that matched...
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas government has approved a hefty economic package that will include government funding of about 29 trillion yen (172 billion) to soften the burden of costs from rising utility rates and food prices.
The UKs banking sector contributed more taxes to the Government in the last financial year as concerns over the UKs future competitiveness grow, according to a new report.
Canada's police chiefs are urging the federal government not to rely on resource-strapped police forces to carry out a planned gun buyback.
Belgium Implements 200 Weekly Loss Limit by Royal Decree

Published October 28, 2022 by Brett C

A royal decree declared in July 2022 limits weekly losses for Belgian online casinos to 200. The ruling is codified into law and effective immediately.

Belgium lawmakers have been hard at work crafting new legislation to limit losses in the kingdom. By Royal decree, Parliament announced a 200 weekly loss limit in July 2022. It is now official. The Justice Minister, Vincent Van Quickenborne, suggested the weekly loss limit earlier in the year. Previously, Belgium restricted deposits to 500 weekly. The Belgium Gaming Commission announced the 500 weekly limit in April 2020 for players on all licensed gambling sites across the country. The public was urged to report gaming websites accepting more than the weekly deposit limit to the Gaming Commission.

The 200 weekly loss limit is per website, not per player across multiple websites. In other words, players can register and deposit at multiple licensed gaming sites in Belgium, each of which has a 200 weekly loss limit. Parliament nixed the global limit, and the individual limit applies to each operator. The Council of Ministers approved the lower limit in a draft law. These measures are part and parcel of a more comprehensive player protection framework to guard against reckless gaming and limit losses for players. The National Data Protection Authority approved the proposal and ratified it by the Council of State.

Online casino players and bettors can apply to raise their weekly loss limit on the proviso that they are not labelled as defaulters through the Central Individual Credit Register of the National Bank. If a player's record is clean, it is possible to raise the individual limit above 200 weekly.

The Belgian Gaming Commission released a statement on the matter:

Of course, there are ways for players to request a lower personal limit from the operators. To keep the fun in gambling, it is recommended that players spend at most 5% of their income on gambling activity. By acting responsibly, we can limit stress and losses resulting from gambling actions.

Additional security measures are in the works, notably proposals to implement a complete ban on gambling for non-lottery platforms. This particular proposal has resulted in tremendous controversy among lawmakers and the industry. The proposal to ban gambling for non-lottery platforms was announced in May 2022. This particular ban would apply to ads for chance-based games that are legally available across Belgium  land-based and online casinos. This proposal has evoked the ire of gambling industry enthusiasts who prefer a legal framework to impose supervision over the licensed market in the country.

These protection measures, including licensing and registration and weekly loss limits, are designed to combat gambling addiction in Belgium.
The moment God begins to be heard in the language of your mother tongue, the first thing that clicks is that God speaks my language, says Dr Misheck Nyirenda, a Global Translation Advisor who is cooperating on a project to assist Bilen speakers of Eritrea to translate the Old Testament Bible. Dr Nyirenda, who works with the United Bible Societies, explained that the ongoing project,  which began almost six years ago  was initiated by the Bible Society in Eritrea, it realized they needed expertise and requested the assistance of the United Bible Societies, an inter-confessional fellowship active in over 240 countries to ensure that everyone who wants to can access and engage with the Bible. Although he is not a Bilen speaker himself, he explained that the United Bible Societies had developed a software called Paratext, that ...

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After praying the Angelus on Sunday, 23 October, Pope Francis invited the faithful to join him spiritually in an interreligious prayer event at the Colosseum on 25 October, to invoke peace for Ukraine and the entire world. He also expressed his hope that a concrete path of reconciliation may be found to the war in Ethiopia. Earlier, the Holy Father had reflected on the days Gospel passage from Luke on the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. The following is a translation of his words.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Buongiorno!

The Gospel of todays Liturgy presents us a parable with two protagonists, a pharisee and a publican (cf. Lk 18:9-14), that is, a religious man and an avowed sinner. Both of them go up into the Temple to pray, but only the publican truly lifts himself up to God, because he humbly descends within his true self and presents himself as he is, without a mask, with his own poverty. We could say, then, that the parable lies between two movements, expressed by two verbs: to ascend and to descend.

The first movement is to ascend. Indeed, the text begins by saying: Two people went up into the temple to pray (v. 10). This aspect recalls many episodes in the Bible, where in order to encounter the Lord, one goes up to the mountain of his presence: Abraham goes up on the mountain to offer the sacrifice; Moses goes up Mount Sinai to receive the Commandments; Jesus goes up the mountain where he is transfigured. To go up, therefore, expresses the hearts need to detach itself from a dull life in order to go towards the Lord; to lift oneself up from the plateaus of our ego, to ascend towards God, freeing oneself of ones own I; to gather what we live in the valley, so as to bring it before the Lord. This is ascending, and when we pray, we ascend.

But in order to live the encounter with him and be transformed by prayer, to rise up to God, a second movement is necessary: to descend. Why? What does this mean? In order to ascend towards him, we must descend within ourselves: to cultivate the sincerity and humility of the heart that give us an honest outlook on our frailties and our inner poverty. Indeed, in humility, we become capable of bringing what we really are to God without pretence: the limitations, the wounds, the sins and the miseries that weigh down our hearts, and [capable] of invoking his mercy so that he may restore us, heal us, and raise us up. It will be he who raises us up, not us. The more we descend with humility, the more God raises us up.

Indeed, the publican in the parable humbly stops at a distance (cf. v. 13)  he does not come close, he is ashamed  he asks for forgiveness, and the Lord raises him up. Instead, the Pharisee exalts himself, self-assured, convinced that he is fine: standing up, he begins to speak with the Lord only of himself, praising himself, listing all the good religious works he does, and disdaining others: I am not like that person there. Because this is what spiritual arrogance does. But father, why are you talking to us about spiritual arrogance? Because we all run the risk of falling into this trap. It leads you to believe that 0ne is righteous and to judge others. This is spiritual arrogance: I am fine, I am better than the others: this person does this, that one does that. And in this way, without realizing it, you adore your own ego and obliterate your God. It revolves around oneself. This is prayer without humility.

Brothers, sisters, the Pharisee and the publican concern us closely. When we think of them, let us look at ourselves: let us confirm whether, in us, as in the Pharisee, there is the intimate presumption of being righteous (cf. v. 9) that leads us to despise others. It happens, for instance, when we seek compliments and always make a list of our own merits and good works, when we concern ourselves with how we appear rather than how we are, when we let ourselves be trapped by narcissism and exhibitionism. Let us beware of narcissism and exhibitionism, based on vainglory, that lead even us Christians, priests and bishops, always to have one word on our lips. Which word? I: I did this, I wrote that, I said it, I understood it before you, and so on. Where there is too much I, there is too little God. In my country, we call these people: me, myself and I, this is the name of those people. Once the people used to talk about a priest who was like that, self-centred, and they, jokingly, used to say, When he incenses, he does it backwards, he incenses himself. It is like that; it even makes you seem ridiculous.

Let us ask the intercession of Mary Most Holy, the humble servant of the Lord, the living image of what the Lord loves to accomplish, overthrowing the powerful from their thrones and raising the humble (cf. Lk 1:52).

After the Angelus, the Pope continued:

Dear brothers and sisters, today is World Missionary Day, which has as its theme: You shall be my witnesses. It is an important opportunity to reawaken in all baptized persons the desire to participate in the universal mission of the Church, through witness and the proclamation of the Gospel. I encourage everyone to support missionaries with prayer and concrete solidarity, so that they may continue their work of evangelization and human promotion throughout the world.

Registration for World Youth Day, which will take place in Lisbon in August 2023, begins today. I have invited two young people from Portugal to be here with me while I register too, as a pilgrim. I will do it now [clicks on tablet]. There, I have registered. You, have you registered? Do it And you, have you registered? Do it There, stay here. Dear young people, I invite you to register for this encounter in which, after a long period of distancing, we will rediscover the joy of the fraternal embrace between peoples and between generations, which we need so much!

Yesterday, Vicente Nicasio Renuncio Toribio and 11 companions of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, killed in hatred of the faith in Spain in 1936, were beatified in Madrid. May the example of these witnesses of Christ, who even shed their blood, spur us to be consistent and courageous; may their intercession sustain those who strive today to sow the Gospel in the world. A round of applause for the new Blesseds!

I am following the persistent situation of conflict in Ethiopia with trepidation. Once again, I repeat with heartfelt concern that violence does not resolve discord, but only increases its tragic consequences. I appeal to those who hold political responsibility to put an end to the suffering of the defenceless population and to find fair solutions for lasting peace throughout the country. May the efforts of the parties for dialogue and the search for the common good lead to a concrete path of reconciliation. May our prayers, our solidarity and the necessary humanitarian aid not fail our Ethiopian brothers and sisters, who are so sorely tried.

I am saddened by the floods that are affecting various countries in Africa and which have caused death and destruction. I pray for the victims, and am close to the millions of displaced persons, and I hope for a greater concerted effort to prevent these calamities.

I greet you all, people of Rome and pilgrims from various countries. In particular, I greet the Indonesian clerics and religious resident in Rome; the Peruvian community which is celebrating the feast of the Senor de los Milagros, the Fundacion Roman Academic Centre and the group from the Polish Diocese of Tarnow. I greet the faithful from San Dona di Piave, Padua, Pontedera and Molfetta, candidates for Confirmation from Piacenza, the Tiberiade group from Carobbio degli Angeli and the Nonviolent Movement from Verona. And today, at the start of a new government, let us pray for unity and peace in Italy.

The day after tomorrow, Tuesday 25 October, I will go to the Colosseum to pray for peace in Ukraine and in the world, together with representatives of Christian Churches and Communities and of World Religions, gathered in Rome for the meeting The Cry for Peace. I invite you to join spiritually in this great invocation to God: prayer is the strength of peace. Let us pray, let us continue to pray for Ukraine, which is so tormented.

I wish you all a happy Sunday. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch. Arrivederci!
The Working Document for the Continental Stage of the Synodal journey launched by Pope Francis in 2021, was presented during a press conference at the Vatican on Thursday, 27 October. The text, which is in English and Italian, is the outcome of the syntheses of consultations with the People of God which took place in the first phase of the synodal path. It will provide a frame of reference and serve as the basis for the work of the second stage. The following is a summary.

The newly presented Document is not just a summary or a report of local experiences but rather a working document that seeks to bring out the voices of the People of God. Indeed, it includes a series of tensions that emerged. However, we should not be afraid of them, but articulate them in a process of constant communal discernment, so as to harness them as a source of energy without them becoming destructive (DCS, 71). The first is listening as openness to welcome starting from a desire for radical inclusion. No one is excluded is, in fact, one of the key concepts of the text.

The Document reveals that many communities have understood synodality as an invitation to listen to those who feel exiled from the Church, those who feel denigrated, neglected, misunderstood, first and foremost women and young people who do not feel that their gifts and abilities are recognized.

Among those who ask for a more incisive dialogue and a more welcoming space are priests who left the ministry to get married, and those who for various reasons, feel a tension between belonging to the Church and their own loving relationships, such as remarried divorcees, single parents, people living in a polygamous marriage, [and] LGBTQ people. People request that the Church be a refuge for the wounded and broken, not an institution for the perfect, reads a contribution from the U.S. Meanwhile, from Lesotho there is a call for discernment from the universal Church: There is a new phenomenon in the Church that is absolutely new in Lesotho: same-sex relationships. [...] This novelty is disturbing for Catholics and for those who consider it a sin. Surprisingly, there are Catholics in Lesotho who have started practising this behaviour and expect the Church to accept them and their way of behaving. [...] This is a problematic challenge for the Church because these people feel excluded (DCS, 39).

In spite of cultural differences, substantial similarities can be seen across continents with regard to those perceived as excluded in society and in the Christian community. On the other hand, there is a pluralism of positions even within the same continent or country. Issues such as the Churchs teaching on abortion, contraception, ordination of women, married clergy, celibacy, divorce and remarriage, Holy Communion, homosexuality, LGBTQIA+ were raised across the Dioceses both rural and urban. However, with so many different views, it was not possible to provide a definitive community stance in many cases.

Numerous syntheses express regret and concern that the Church has not been able, always and everywhere, to effectively reach out to the poor on the peripheries  not only the destitute, but also the lonely elderly, indigenous people, migrants, street children, alcoholics and drug addicts, victims of trafficking, survivors of abuse, prisoners, groups who suffer discrimination and violence because of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality.

Many local churches report that they are facing a cultural context marked by a decline in credibility and trust due to the clergy abuse crisis. This is an open wound that continues to inflict pain on victims and survivors, on their families, and on their communities, reads the Document, citing the following contribution from Australia: There was a strong urgency to acknowledge the horror and damage, and to strengthen efforts to safeguard the vulnerable, repair damage to the moral authority of the Church and rebuild trust.

The call for a conversion of the Churchs culture  is linked in concrete terms to the possibility of establishing a new culture, with new practices and structures and attitudes, including the role of women, their vocation and their full participation in the life of the Church, the Document reads. This critical point exists in different forms, in all cultural contexts, and concerns the participation and recognition of laywomen and women religious. There is almost unanimous affirmation that many women feel sadness because their lives are often not well understood, and their contributions and charisms not always valued. The Church faces two related challenges, the Document states: although women are the majority of those who attend liturgy and participate in activities, men hold the most decision-making and governance roles.

Also prominent in the Document is the witness of faith lived to the point of martyrdom in some countries, where Christians, especially young people, face the challenge of systematic forced conversion to other religions. Many reports emphasize the insecurity and violence with which persecuted Christian minorities must contend. There is talk of fanaticism, massacres or even, as the Maronite Church affirms, forms of Sectarian and ethnic incitements degenerating into armed and political conflicts, which make the lives of so many faithful around the world particularly painful. Even in these situations of fragility however, Christian communities have been able to take up the invitation addressed to them to build experiences of synodality, to reflect on what it means to walk together.

Equally prominent is the commitment of the People of God to the defence of fragile and threatened life at all its stages, the Document says. It gives the example of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, for whom, part of synodality is paying special attention to women who decide to have an abortion due to fear of material poverty and rejection by their families in Ukraine, as well as carrying out educational work among women who are called upon to make a responsible choice when going through a difficult time in their lives, with the aim of preserving and protecting the lives of unborn children and preventing abortion, and caring for women with post-abortion syndrome.
On Monday morning, 24 October, the Holy Father received in audience, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, H.E. Mr Nicos Anastasiades, President of the Republic of Cyprus, who subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by H.E. Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.

During the cordial discussions, which took place in the Secretariat of State, appreciation was expressed for the good existing bilateral relations and the intention to develop further collaboration in sectors of mutual interest, including the reception of refugees.

In addition, mention was made of the process of reunification of the island and the situation in the western Mediterranean and the entire region, in the hope that ongoing problems may be addressed through dialogue.

Exchange of gifts

The Pope gave Mr Anastasiades an icon of Jesus the Good Shepherd, who knows His sheep and the smell of His flock. The Holy Father also presented Mr Anastasiades with a collection of papal documents.

In return, the Cypriot President gave the Pope a silver cup, modelled after those used in Cyprus in ancient times.
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Spencer McKee is OutThere Colorado's Director of Content and Operations. In his spare time, Spencer loves to hike, rock climb, and trail run. He's on a mission to summit all 58 of Colorado's fourteeners and has already climbed more than half.
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Nairobi, Kenya (PANA)  The Special Criminal Court in the Central African Republic (CAR) will issue its first verdict on Monday, an important step in justice efforts addressing atrocities committed in the country, Human Rights Watch said on Friday
Photo: (Photo : Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)

It has been 45 long years since lawmakers in the state of Michigan passed a law guaranteeing the right of parents to direct the education of their kids. State lawmakers now want to make sure parents know about this right.

A new law that was enacted last week requires the Michigan Department of Education and school districts to prominently post excerpts of the 1976 law in school offices and rooms where the boards of education meet.

They will also be required to post an excerpt from the Michigan Constitution affirming the importance of morality and religion as a premise for encouraging education.

State Rep. Annette Glenn sponsors bill

Republican state Rep. Annette Glenn of Midland, the one who sponsored the bill, said that this will serve as a visible and valuable reminder that parents have a fundamental right to direct the education of their kids.

The new law comes against a backdrop of politically charged and volatile school board meetings in the state of Michigan and around the United States, as community members and conservative groups challenge officials over how racism is taught in schools, what books are available there, and whether school districts should limit the participation of transgender girls in school sports.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the bill into law last week, according to Michigan Radio. Education officials have until January 1, 2023 to post the notices in school offices and administrative buildings, in rooms where school boards conduct their meetings, in the principal's office or chief administrator's office in every school, in the state board meeting room, and in every building operated by the Michigan Department of Education.

The law does not specify the size or format of the required notice that needs to be posted. The language also must appear in training materials that will be provided to employees of both the Michigan Department of Education and state Board of Education.

Read Also: Olympic Legend Michael Phelps Mourns the Death of His Dad

Polehanki voted no to the legislation

The Senate and House passed the legislation, 28-5 and 84-20, respectively, on September 28, the last scheduled voting day of the Legislature before the general election. All Republicans and some Democrats voted yes in each chamber.

State Senator Dayna Polehanki voted no. Polehanki, who is a former Michigan teacher of the year and a Livonia Democrat, told Chalkbeat Detroit that she is not buying into these efforts to elevate falsehoods that schools are not cooperating with parents. She added that to say schools are not cooperating with parents and then inserting some blurb from the constitution about religion and morality, that is just a pure political game to her.

Polehanki noted that it is a distraction from more important issues. She said that this does not raise test scores and it does not do anything to promote academic achievement. She added that it is just a purely political thing introduced at the last minute to fire up their base before the election.

Related Article: Missing Georgia Toddler Likely Dead and His Mother Is the Prime Suspect, Authorities Say
Photo: (Photo : Getty Images/Tiziana Fabi)

The two adult children of Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman are not intimidated by mental health conversations with their parents and even welcome them, making their father very proud.

Hugh Jackman was in New York City for a special screening of his latest movie, "The Son," hosted by Sony Pictures Classics & The Cinema Society. People got to talk with the actor about what his children feel about his new movie that touched on the issue of mental health.

The "Wolverine" star shared that he made sure to speak with his adopted children, son Oscar, 22, and daughter Ava Eliot, 17, about his participation in the film.

"It was very important that I talk to them about what it was about, what it meant to me and why I was doing it. When I saw the movie, I took them with me to see it and we had a long conversation. What I find amazing is the generation of 22 to 17-year-olds are totally fine having these conversations," expressed the dad of two.

He further added that the movie's story is cautionary as it deals with really difficult subjects, yet the way his children were open and engaged about it made him proud of them.

Recent project is 'deeply personal'

He was somehow surprised to know that it is his generation that is "a little more sheepish and shy" when it comes to discussions about mental health.

"The Son" is about divorced parents Peter, Jackman's character, and Kate, played by Laura Dern, who are struggling to help their troubled teenage son, played by Zen McGrath, with his mental health.

The 54-year-old actor declared that the movie was a "deeply personal" project for him, with his children being the same age as the son in the film.

Taking on the role of Peter in the movie gave the actor a different perspective of being a parent, and he is grateful for taking the role at this stage of his career as it is very timely for having children that are "either launching or getting ready to launch."

Read Also: Hugh Jackman Posts Photo Post-Skin Cancer Treatment, Warns People About Not Wearing Sunscreen

Vulnerability is key in parenting

In a separate interview with Reuters a month ago, Jackman expressed that being an actual father with teenagers helped him fulfill the needed character of his role. He said every parent can relate to being scared about what "the hell to do."

He further admitted that since the movie, he has changed his parenting approach and started sharing his vulnerabilities more with his children. Seeing their relief when he does, makes it worthwhile.

This statement consistently agrees with what his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, mentioned years back in an interview about raising their kids.

She expressed that lying to your children and yourself is impossible when one is a parent. They will "shine a light on every one of your flaws," and "Achilles heel." She reminds parents to look at themselves and be vulnerable.

Jackman, who recently revealed that he would be starring in Deadpool 3 alongside his best friend Ryan Reynolds, stated at the end of the interview how crucial mental health issues are in the here and now that it has already become a crisis all over the world.

He emphasized that no one is immune to it and stressed the importance and the need for a family to come together and talk about it.

Related Article: 'Wolverine' Star Hugh Jackman Banned From Working With Angelina Jolie, Says Wife
Photo: (Photo : Karen Ducey/Getty Images)

A Bentonville couple is suing the school district and numerous others after their five-year-old son was shockingly left inside a school bus for hours last month.

Michella and Michael Carpenter filed the lawsuit on October 24 in the Circuit Court of Benton County, with their young boy also mentioned by name. Named defendants included the school board president Eric White, transportation director Jason Salmons, school board vice president Kelly Carlson, school district superintendent Debbie Jones, route system specialist Jodi Cunningham, several school board members, and an unnamed administrative employee.

According to court documents, the boy's typical morning routine was boarding his school bus at around 6:15 a.m. His parents then received a call almost five hours later, telling them that the kindergarten student somehow had not unloaded from the school bus. Officials told the parents the child was at the transportation yard.

No attempt made to contact 911 to check on the boy

The suit noted that on a typical day, the boy would already be at school at around 7 a.m., according to KNWA. The child's mom stated that she was confronted by Chief Operating Officer Tanya Sharp and School Superintendent Debbie Jones at the doors of the transportation facility, with the two women wanting to talk to her before entering the building.

Her main priority was her son, though. She found him in the restroom as he was being attended to by a school nurse. According to the lawsuit, the child's skin was red and blotchy while his face was still flushed half an hour after his rescue, a direct result of him feeling the heat inside the school bus.

The filing stated that the school made no attempts to contact 911 despite the district's Director of Nursing and the attending nurse suggesting them to do so. The boy's mom took her son to an emergency room to ensure he was fine.

Read Also: Michigan Family Now Missing for Days in Abnormal Disappearance

Lawsuit alleges negligence by school bus driver

According to court documents, a preliminary physical examination conducted by the hospital staff on the boy showed abnormal indications of dehydration in his blood work. Bubbles also appeared in the child's urine which had an unusual dark color and pungent odor.

The filing added that because of the boy's school bus incident, he is now exhibiting distrust for adults, not including his own parents. He also refuses to ride the bus to school and has had to be transported by his parents since the incident each day to school. The suit also noted that sleep has been hard to come by for the child because of the incident.

The lawsuit targets the school bus driver, alleging negligence on his part. The filing said the driver violated the school board's policy by not walking inside the bus from the front to the back to check if there was still a child there. That is done to ensure that all students have gotten off the school bus after each trip, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

Related Article: Parents Worry After Florida Schools Ask Female Student-Athletes About Their Menstrual History
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Royal Schiphol Group will acquire a 40% interest in Maastricht Aachen Airport (MAA) in the Netherlands for 4.2m (US$4.1m).

With this collaboration, MAA intends to focus on the development of a sustainable, futureproof airport. Electric flying will be one of the main priorities. An environmental fund will be created with contributions from governments and companies. Royal Schiphol Group will also contribute 800,000 (US$796,000) to the fund.

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According to the companies, this cooperation is in line with the governments aviation policy, requests from parliament (Tweede Kamer) and the amendment of the Provincial Council of Limburg. On June 3, 2022, the Provincial Council (PS) of the Province of Limburg decided to keep the airport open, instructing the Committee of Regional Ministers to submit a proposal before the end of the year with a business case that gave substance to eight points. One of these points is that the governance structure must be adjusted, whereby the starting point is that the province is no longer the sole shareholder of MAA. The other conditions will then be finalized and the proposal submitted to the PS for approval on December 16, 2022.

Robert Carsouw, chief financial officer of Royal Schiphol Group, said, Our contribution to society is to connect the Netherlands with the rest of the world. Regional airports are an important element in this strategy. The idea that airports in the Netherlands form a single system, as expressed in the Dutch aviation policy, is very appealing to us. By collaborating intensively and investing in Maastricht Aachen Airport, we can share knowledge and expertise and make optimal use of the scarce capacity available in the Netherlands.

Jos Roeven, CEO of MAA, commented, We are very pleased that in Schiphol we have found the right strategic partner to invest in our ambition to make MAA an innovative and sustainable airport that is well embedded in its region.

Stephan Satijn, Limburgs Regional Minister for Economy, Land Management and Education, added, With the agreement in principle that has now been concluded, we are making enormous progress in the instruction we received from the Provincial Council of Limburg June 3 this year. We see Royal Schiphol Group as a professional partner that can help build the transition from MAA to a sustainable and futureproof airport that also contributes to the economy of Limburg and the national economy.
Inlaks, a foremost ICT infrastructure and systems integrator in Sub-Saharan Africa, and its partner Hyosung TNS have unveiled five ultramodern next-generation Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) to revolutionize banking services in Africa. Inlaks unveiled the highly advanced ATMs at its Roadshow-themed Self-Service Innovation Summit, in Accra, Ghana.



The five latest ATMs designed by Hyosung are Monimax 5600ST, Monisafe 500, Monimax 8600T, Manivalue 100, and Monimax 8800.



With advanced technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) components, one of the major features of these ATMs is the mobile contactless solution that enables customers to withdraw cash by simply tapping the ATM NFC reader with the bank-enabled NFC card or smartphone. Such innovation has become highly important in an era of continuous innovation where transactions without physical contact have become necessary.



Addressing participants at the programme, the Chief Executive Officer, Inlaks, Africa Operations, Kyari Bukar, highlighted the need to efficiently address banking customers complex and evolving challenges at a low cost.



Inlaks prioritizes customer needs by offering solutions that improve user experience. In the process, we reduce cost, maximise efficiency and productivity in service delivery. We will continue to invest in quality services and spearhead innovation for growth, and impact. Through this, we will improve financial inclusion through innovation.



The emerging contactless technology and the increasing need for digital banking services have propelled banking to an era of seamless cash withdrawals by customers from ATMs in a much faster, more secure, convenient, and fully contactless manner. Additionally, these ATMs accept and process cash in an online real-time manner which is three times faster and more efficient than a human teller. The event also featured ATM demonstrations by Inlaks Infrastructure Business Unit, Technical engineers who provided insights into the working process of the ATM machines.



During her presentation, Inlaks Country Manager, Yacoba Esther Amuah, enumerated how the company has partnered the banking sector over the years stating that Inlaks remains focused on core banking, data centre, e-banking solutions, and digital banking tools. She assured financial sector institutions of efficient nationwide service assistance.



Also speaking, Executive Director EBusiness & Infrastructure, Inlaks, Tope Dare, pointed out the lessons from COVID-19 by firms that have compelled innovation in various sectors.



The contactless ATMs introduced by Inlaks and Hyosung exemplify ingenuity. They are a response to challenges that warrant better solutions. We represent prominent brands in the financial services sector, and we are a market leader who have shown efficiency in various markets including Nigeria where we have a 47% market share of ATM support and distribution. We hope to replicate this success in Ghana and more sub-Saharan countries.



Providing extensive information about the new ATMs and their features, Sales Manager, Middle East & Africa, Hyosung TNS, Kevin Lee, said that Hyosung TNS is present in more than 35 countries and shipped around 760,000 units of ATMs worldwide. He stated that North America is its biggest market, with over 439,689 units of ATMs operational by various banks and financial institutions and successful implementation of Hyosung ATM solutions for client branch transformation, migrating teller transactions, and enhancing customer branch journey.



For over four decades, Hyosung had been a leading provider of financial and retail ATM solutions, including hardware, software, and ATM services. There were also presentations from other key personalities from the banking and financial services industry. UMB Manager for E-Banking Operations, Dr. Myles Christian Hagan, spoke about the Digital Wave in the Banking Sector, while the Chief Information Officer of Access Bank, Mr. Emmanuel Morka, addressed Current Industry Challenges with Cash Management. Chief Operating Officer of UBA, Mr. Felix Ugbebor, also tackled the Role of ATM Operations inbbrand Transformation.



About Inlaks



Inlaks is a leading systems integrator in Sub-Saharan Africa. With operations in Nigeria, Ghana, East Africa and other Sub-Saharan African regions, the company partners with leading OEMs in the technology industry to provide world-class information technology solutions that exceed the needs of its customers.



Over the years, Inlaks has built a reputation as the foremost ICT and Infrastructure Solutions Provider, helping customers effectively seize new market and service opportunities.



With an impressive customer base that includes several Central Banks in West and East Africa, as well as many other major customers in Nigeria, West Africa, and East African regions, Inlaks has become the dominant Information Technology Company in Africa.



Inlaks' customers cut across various segments including Banking, Telecommunication, Oil/Gas, Power, Utilities, and the Distribution sectors of the economy. For more information, please visit www.inlaks.com.

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 second edition of the Digital Banking, Innovation and Fintech Festival by Standard Chartered Bank PLC has kicked off bringing together industry players, seasoned experts and practical Fintech innovators from Africa, Singapore, and other parts of Asia.



The two-day event is a platform to showcase, engage, strategize, and discuss best approaches and policies as the continent moves towards a future-proof and dynamic digitized financial ecosystem.



In his keynote address at the opening session, H.E. Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, noted that to position Africa as a fintech innovation hub requires collaboration from all ecosystem players  banks, fintechs, telecom companies, governments, regulators and consumers.



He also commended ecosystem players for the support and collaborative efforts towards Ghanas digitalization drive.



The world is noticing Africas efforts, and we will keep going. Our progress is determined by our vision, by our resolve to build a stronger, resilient and a capable economy, by our readiness to learn and to make corrections, H.E. Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia added.



On his part, Bill Winters, Group Chief Executive, Standard Chartered PLC, emphasized that the Bank is directing investment to new platforms, partnerships and ventures that will shape the future of the business, a pivot that is already demonstrating clear evidence of success, the strong tech foundations we are building in CCIB, and CPBB business and investments in new platforms and ventures.



Highlighting the increasingly complex nature of technology requiring innovative approaches to solving problems, Mansa Nettey, Chief Executive of Standard Chartered Ghana PLC, said that the world over, digitalisation is not only re-defining how we do business, but keeps evolving at supersonic speed. Its important that we do not only keep up with the changing dynamic of client needs and innovation but build new business models underpinned by a structure that supports this digital era.



On the first day of the Fintech Festival, in a panel session on the topic, Powering Africas Digital Economy: Platforms | Players | Policy  which was also the main theme of this years Fintech Festival  panelists noted that digital technology has changed the way Africas financial service industry offers products and services to consumers.





Panelists on the session included Serigne Dioum, Chief Digital and Fintech Officer, MTN Group Ltd; Kwadwo Ntim, General Manager, Technology & Operations GhIPSS; Aparna J, Director of Partnerships, Proxtera, Singapore; Serigne Dioum, John Bosco Sebabi, Deputy CEO, Pan-African Payment and Settlement System; and Jiten Arora, Member SC Ventures & Global Head, Solv.



The Fintech Festival will run from 26th to 27th October 2022 and will highlight opportunities available to Africa in the fintech space and how financial business models are enabling inclusive access to financial services across diverse product types for consumers.



The event, which brings together stakeholders in the fintech community to connect, collaborate and engage on issues relating to digitization, policy, innovation, and technology within the financial sector, is organized in collaboration with SC Ventures (Innovation and Fintech Investment Unit of Standard Chartered).

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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The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Gas, Dr. Ben K.D. Asante, has said the Gas Challenge is one of the ways they want to bridge the gap between academia and the industry.



In an interview with Peace FM's Gifty Akoto at the Ghana Gas Quiz Challenge contest, he said the academia is mainly theory and awarded with a degree so he will encourage academic institutions to involve industries in the planning of the curriculum so that students will be able to have a fair idea on the industries, being it the energy sector, agricultural sector or the gas and oil sector.



Dr. Ben K.D. Asante explained that by doing so, it will enable students to fit into any industry they would want to and that is one of the importance of the Ghana Gas Challenge.



The Deputy Minister of Education, John Ntim Fordjour also said that it is through education which involves critical thinking, innovation and problem solving which can put Ghana ahead in these recent times of technology.



Speaking at the Ghana Gas Quiz Challenge contest which was held at the University of Ghana, he explained that the common chew and pour in academia will not help the current education System in Ghana but rather, Science, Engineering and Mathematics which is embedded in the STEM policy by the Government will take Ghana to the next level.



According to the Deputy Minister, the competition aids Ghanaians to understand the works of Ghana Gas and know the essence of Natural resources.



John Ntim Fordjour commended Ghana Gas for designing this competition to refine society on the domestic use of gas, the economic opportunities along the gas value chain, health and safety matters related to the use of gas.



The contestants of the University of Ghana (Propane), emerged winners with a 59 score of the Ghana Gas zone contest edition Challenge beating the Ghana Communication Technology University (Methane) scoring 39 and Tamale Technical University (Butane) also with an overall score of 38.



The winner spoke with Peace FM News on their preparations towards the contest and explained that they had to add their final examinations together with project work and had to prepare for the challenge as well.









Source: Gifty Akoto, Peace FM News









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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VPL Concrete Limited, a concrete batching firm on Wednesday, October 26 commissioned its newly established Plant in Accra.



VPL Concrete Ltd, is a wholly owned Ghanaian construction firm, registered under the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992), and headquartered in Accra.



The Company has invested in a modern, sophisticated, commercial and environmentally friendly concrete batching plant; a scientific additive laboratory and concrete transit, pumping tracks to batch, produce and supply laboratory-engineered ready mix concrete (RMC) of different strength grades for various construction projects.



Speaking to a team of Press men, the Board Chairman of the newly established construction firm, Nana Owiredu Wadie, the Nkosuohene of Kwahu  Nkwatia stated that Ghanas experience of growth in infrastructure has been driven by the investment in technology in the building and construction sector.



He added that the new firm is one of the many technological advancements that has been identified by the Board of the Company as having the capability to help standardise construction in the country.



Nana Owiredu Wadie further urged all stakeholders to work closely with the management and the Board to help achieve its objectives.



Managing Director of the VPL, Mr Komla Agbenyegah Ayivi recall that the VPL has been positioned to shape the future of generations and change the narrative of Ghanaian businesses not out  leaving their founders.



Mr Ayivi called on corporate bodies to recommend the VPL Concrete batching operations and share their insights and experiences in the building construction industry.



We invited you here first because we know you and we respect you, but to also, announced to you that we have an ultra-modern, efficient concrete batching plant thats opened for business. We want to shape the future of generations. We at VPL would like to change the narrative of Ghanaian businesses not out-leaving their founders but we cannot do this without your support and assistance and we are ready to take all the support and assistance we can get. How can you support us? One would ask. You can support us by ordering and using our ready-mix concrete (RMC) for your construction projects, you can as well recommend us to other contractors and developers. For our key partners Gyata Cement, Saint  Gobain, GOIL, Renalt Engineers, Cheshire Quarry and GHACEM and the various aggregate queries, we need your support as well. We need you to share your insights and experiences with us. We are open to learning from your experience in the market places. We would like to work with you in a way that would be mutually beneficial to our respective firms, the MD lamented.



Co-founder of the VPL Mr Eric Wadie, a building and construction contractor on his part added that he thought about the idea of adding value to construction. He stated that the VPL will be cost-effective, and be more tolerant to the environment and reduce pollution, and perhaps, thats what brought about the establishment of the VPL.



The plant is installed with two 100-ton silos with a combined storage capacity of 200 tons of cement at a time. This will enable the firm to run production for long periods at a full glare capacity.



The plant comes with twenty (20) cubic meter four-compartment bay aggregate storage bins with the capacity to store a combined total of eighty cubic meters of quarry materials at a time.



It has an overhead aggregate weigh hopper of (5000KG) connected to the aggregate transfer conveyor to the concrete mixer.



The batching plant has equipment and accessories controlled by highly sophisticated but user-friendly technology that ensures accuracy and efficiency in the operational process, leading to total quality control of fresh concrete production.

Source: myrepubliconline









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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Speaking with seminarians in Rome on Monday, October 26, Pope Francis said internet porn was a 'vice' shared between members of the church.



'It is a vice that many people have, many laymen, many laywomen, and also priests and nuns,' said the 85-year-old Pope.



'The Devil gets in that way. And I'm not just talking about criminal pornography like that involving the abuse of children, that is already degeneration. But pornography that is a little "normal', he continued.



He cautioned priests and nuns, saying: 'Dear brothers, be careful about this.'



The Pope made the remarks on Monday, according to ANSA.



Catholic priests and nuns are forbidden from watching pornography, with the Catechism defining sexual imagery as an 'offence against chastity' under article 2354.



In 2020, Pope Francis Instagram account appeared to 'like' a racy photo of a Brazilian bikini model dressed in stockings and suspenders. The model, Natalie Garibotto, said the pontiffs verified Franciscus account was among the thousands that liked the October 5 image.



The account subsequently 'unliked' the photo, shortly before the Vatican said it was launching an inquiry as the Popes social media accounts are managed by a team.



'At least Im going to heaven,' she joked after the incident drew attention on social media.









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 world, especially richer carbon polluting nations, remains far behind and is sliding from a climate crisis to a climate disaster, a United Nations report has warned.



According to Thursdays Emissions Gap report from the United Nations Environment Programme, the world is weaning itself from fossil fuels too slowly.



The report comes as different parts of the world such as South Korea, Japan, Pakistan, India and most recently Nigeria have experienced flooding in catastrophic proportions.



Instead of limiting warming to 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, the global goals set by 2015 Paris agreement, the way the world is acting now, warming will hit 2.8 degrees (5 degrees Fahrenheit) by the year 2100, the UN report said. Countries concrete pledges would bring that down to 2.6 degrees (4.7 degrees Fahrenheit). It's already warmed 1.1 degrees (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times.



That highly inadequate inaction means the window is closing, but not quite shut yet, on efforts to keep future warming to just a few more tenths of a degree from now.



Global and national climate commitments are falling pitifully short, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday. We are headed for a global catastrophe.



In all likelihood we will pass by 1.5, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen told The Associated Press in an interview. We can still do it, but that means 45% emissions reductions by 2030.



World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said the U.N. weather agency has calculated that theres a 50% chance that world will likely hit the 1.5 degree mark temporarily in the next five years and in the next decade wed be there on a more permanent basis.



Its really about understanding that every little digit (tenth of a degree of warming) that we shave off is a lesser catastrophic outlook, Andersen saidin a Thursday news conference.



Were sliding from climate crisis to climate disaster, Andersen said.



The emissions gap is the difference between the amount of carbon pollution being spewed between now and 2030 and the lower levels needed to keep warming to 1.5 or 2 degrees.



Guterres said the emissions gap is a by-product of a commitments gap. A promises gap. An action gap.



In 10 days, yearly international climate negotiations will begin in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, and in the run up to the United Nations conference, several reports highlight different aspects of the worlds battle to curb climate change. Wednesday, a different UN agency looked at countries official emission reduction targets. Thursdays Emissions Gap report looks at what countries are actually doing as well as what they promise to do in the future in various pledges.



The G20 nations, the richest countries, are responsible for 75% of the heat-trapping pollution, Andersen said, adding clearly the more those G20s lean in, the better we will be.



The report said G20 members are far behind in delivering on their promises to reduce emissions. Taking out the special cases of Turkey and Russia, current polices by G20 nations fall 2.6 billion metric tons a year short of the 2030 goal, the report said. Both Turkey and Russias targets for 2030 have higher pollution levels than current policies project and using their projections would make the G20 emissions gap artificially low, the report said.



Its critical that China, as well as the U.S. and other G20 countries, actually lead, Andersen said. She hailed the newly passed $375 billion American climate- as an example of action instead of just promises.



What were calling for is an accelerated pace because there are good things happening out there in a number of countries, but its just not fast enough and its not consistent enough, Andersen said.









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The Majority Caucus in Parliament has acceded to President Akufo-Addos appeal to allow Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, and Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, stay in office till after the IMF negotiation is done.



In a statement released by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Minister of Finance will stay until the conclusion of the round of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the presentation of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy in November, 2022 and the subsequent passage of the Appropriation Bill after which time the demand will be acted upon.



The Majority Caucus in Parliament threatened to boycott Parliamentary sittings if President Akufo-Addo does not relieve Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Presidency, Charles Adu Boahen of their positions.



Addressing a Press Conference on Tuesday, Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North, Lawyer Andy Appiah Kubi said the two need to be fired over their failure in dealing with the current economic challenges.



Failure to do this, they will stage a boycott.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The National Democratic Congress caucus in Parliament has dismissed claims by Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, that the bloc is in support of Johnson Asiedu Nketiahs chairmanship bid.



In an October 26, 2022 statement, the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrissu said the caucus has not met to decide on any candidate in the case of the chairmanship contest.



He added that the caucus has also not taken a position on any candidate contesting the elections.



The Leadership of the Caucus categorically denies the assertions by Hon. Ibrahim Ahmed and wish to state as follows: That the Leadership of the Caucus never met on the matter and have not taken any decision on the matter; that the Caucus has not met and has not taken any decision on any of the candidates contesting any position within the Party; that the Leadership and the Caucus has no position on any of the candidates vying for the respective positions in the Party, part of the statement read.



What Ahmed Ibrahim said



The Banda legislator, Ahmed Ibrahim, in an interview with Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV Tuesday, October 25, 2022 touted the achievements of Asiedu Nketiah citing how the outgoing General Secretary formed campaign teams to secure victory for some of the Members of Parliament in spite of intimidation and threats by the military in 2020 while executives like Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo were sleeping.



For this reason, he said "most of the majority of the NDC MPs are for Asiedu Nketiah. The number from 106 to 137 is because of Asiedu Nketiahs sterling performance during the campaign.



Meanwhile, the NDC caucus says Ahmed Ibrahim has rendered an apology on the matter and has further cautioned it members to desist from such pronouncements.











Source: ghanaweb.com









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Mr Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, former Member of Parliament for Ketu South, and General Secretary aspirant of National Democratic Congress (NDC), says when given the nod, he will improve the regional balance of the party.



The former Minister of Food and Agriculture and of Transport declared his intention to contest the position following the decision by the incumbent, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, to exit the post to join the chairmanship race.



Mr Kwetey, in an exclusive interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said a vote for him would be a vote for a trusted hand to deepen NDCs regional roots.



My track record as the Propaganda Secretary, the unforgettable role I played when I was sent to the strongroom in 2008 and in the collation of results of the party in 2012 leading to our success in both elections is there for all to see, he said.



Mr Kwetey said in this critical time when the party needed to hinge its campaign on the economy, he was the right man for the job.



But theres more. The NDC has people in top positions of the party coming from Savanna, Northern, Central and other regions. We (Volta Region) are the pillars of the NDC and we need to be represented in the five top positions of the party.



Ellecting me, a native of Ketu South and Volta Region as the Chief Executive Officer of the party will tell our people that were not just for voting.



Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the Member of Parliament for Ketu South, called for unity in the party and urged losers in the just-ended constituency executive elections not to despair because that was not the end of the road.



Lets be united for NDCs victory in 2024. We must be watchful to ensure that nothing untoward happens because in the end, it must be the interest of the party superseding that of individuals.





Source: GNA









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The Council of Elders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has cautioned the two principal officers of the party, the incumbent National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, and the General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, to be circumspect in their campaigns and adhere to the ground rules set by the party.

These, they said, included the use of decorous language, refraining from media attacks, breach of confidentiality and misrepresentation of decisions taken in relation to past actions of leadership.



The partys Council of Elders said the move was to ensure party cohesion and unity ahead of the 2024 general election.



This was contained in a press release issued and signed by the chairman of the NDC Council of Elders, Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, after a meeting in Accra yesterday[October 26, 2022].



The meeting



The meeting discussed, among other things, the issue of a national chairmanship contest between the incumbent and General Secretary which has engaged the attention of the rank and file, supporters and well-wishers of the party.



It, therefore, urged the two principal officers of the party, to reflect soberly on the situation and be mindful of the overall national interest.



In the interest of party cohesion, internal discipline and long-term stability, the Council urges all contestants for regional and national positions, especially the incumbent National Chairman and General Secretary to be circumspect in their campaigns by adhering to ground rules discussed and agreed upon, it said.



It is important and expected of the top hierarchy and all concerned that they respect the partys constitution and the rules and guidelines they themselves set in the conduct of internal elections. They should be the first to uphold party discipline.









Source: graphiconline.com









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The Majority Caucus in Parliament has accepted President Akufo-Addo's request for Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to conclude with some government businesses before acceding to their request to sack him.



It may be recalled that over 90 NPP MPs demanded that the Finance Minister and the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen be sacked for their inability to deal with current economic woes.



But in a meeting on Tuesday, the President asked that Ofori Atta be allowed to conclude talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and also present the 2023 Budget Statement of government in November.



In a statement signed by Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the NPP MPs have agreed that Ofori Atta will stay until the conclusion of the round of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the presentation of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy in November, 2022 and the subsequent passage of the Appropriation Bill after which time the demand will be acted upon.



Speaking to the issue on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', the Majority leader said apart from the statement, responses from the Whatsapp platform of the Majority caucus also indicate that they have accepted to wait.



"I believe everything will be okay" he assured.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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A former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman for New Juaben North constituency says the conduct of some Members of Parliament who recently demanded the dismissal of two Ministers of Finance is unacceptable.



Kwadwo Boateng Agyemang described the over eighty (80) NPP MPs as hypocrites who are only thinking about their selfish interests.



"Andy Appiah Kubi, Eugene (Boakye) Antwi from Subin, at the beginning of this government weren't they deputy Ministers? Was Ken Ofori-Atta not their Minister? At the time didn't they know he was not up to task . . .?" he rhetorically asked.



According to him all party members and NPP parliamentarians must be honest to the situation and defend the party with their blood.



He said the current situation is as a result of the Russian/Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic.



"We will not sit down for you to act in your selfish interests . . . in this era and current dispensation you are the MPs President Akufo-Addo has really taken care of in terms of all form or things, and especially because of the slim majority, so you blackmail him here and there, do they think we don't know? But because of the party interest we have also kept quiet and as a party people we are also close to the government and we know what is going on . . . the government of the day, the President has really taken care of you and you can't deny that . . ." he told Kwesi Aboagye in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show, 'Ghana Montie'.



"The party does not belong to the MPs . . . nobody asked you people to come and contest as Members of Parliament, you must know your responsibility within the party and your loyalty within the party . . . if you are not loyal to the party I beg you go and stand independent . . . " he added.



A group of over 80 MPs at a press conference led by Andy Appiah Kubi, MP for Asante Akim North called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to replace Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen.



The MPs claimed the two Ministers must be blamed for the economic crisis in the country.







Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









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View this post on Instagram A post shared by TV Africa Ghana (@tvafricagh)



Former President John Dramani Mahama believes that Ghanaians have what it takes to turn the countrys economy around if they consume more locally produced food including gobe (beans and fried plantain).



He was optimistic that the economy will get better if the citizenry consume whatever is produced locally.



Unfortunately, that project also stalled with the advent of the Akufo-Addo administration.



A resurrection of all these projects and ideas will not only create jobs for our youth and other able-bodied Ghanaians but will in the medium-term help Ghana attain and consolidate its status as a middle-income country.



We must plug the loopholes in our gold export industry to reap better returns from this extractive activity that is causing so much destruction to our environment.



It is trite knowledge that the figures we capture in respect of our gold exports are far lower than the quantity of the metal that leaves our shores.



Better accountability in this sector can yield hundreds of millions of dollars more for the national kitty.



It is said that desperate times call for desperate measures. There is no denying that we are in desperate times. While responsibility for the difficulties we face lies with the Akufo-Addo

and Bawumia government, there are things we can do as citizens in our own small way to minimize the suffering we are going through and help Government turn the situation around.



A good way to start will be to regulate and minimize our expenditure by sticking to only the things that we really need. As much as possible, we need to acquire and sustain a taste and preference for locally manufactured products. If we must buy consumables or food products, let us choose that rice or chicken that is produced locally so that it doesnt become necessary to find millions of dollars to import the same items.



Let us consciously eat more of our local foods like yam, and local grains. cassava, beans, local fruits, and vegetables. That way, we reduce demand for foreign currency, reduce the pressure on our currency and boost domestic production to create a win-win

situation.



The former President also advised the citizenry to cut down on non-essential foreign travel and cut down on expensive foreign products in their homes.



If there ever was a time to be thrifty, this is it! Even after an IMF programme has been agreed upon, the austerity of the next few years is going to be severe.



We save scarce family resources and use them for only the most priority expenditure, Mr. Mahama said when speaking at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on Thursday, October 27, 2022.



He expressed optimism that together we can save Ghana and build the Ghana we want regardless of how bad the situation is. I still have hope that we can turn things around. Wholeheartedly, I believe in the resilience of our people.



The NDC 2020 Presidential Candidate, therefore, urged the countrys security agencies to remain loyal to the state and the constitution. The current economic situation does not give excuses to engage in any unconstitutional acts, we can turn the situation around.



Ghana is facing economic challenges just as other countries are also doing.



The local currency, the Cedi is performing poorly against the Dollar.

Source: Daily Guide









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New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for the Nhyiaeso Constituency, Dr Stephen Amoah, has disclosed a major key that he believes will transform Ghana and make the lives of her citizenry better.



Speaking on Peace FM's "kokrokoo" programme, Dr. Stephen Amoah admitted that Ghana's economy is in bad shape but was hopeful with the right decisions and measures in place, the country will develop.



He argued that foreign imports are what is crippling Ghana's economy.



He was therefore of a strong conviction that Ghana will see great strides only when the nation stops the importation of agricultural produce and other items.



"People are complaining and they have the right to complain . . . the country has common areas of disturbing [I will say] interest [in quote]. We have basic problems that we have to admit, as a country, that NPP/NDC have all goofed.



"Our economy has ulcer from times immemorial till date because we import everything and that has affected employment. It has affected our currency performance. It has affected everything. Not until we get to the stage where any agricultural produce or product, we shouldn't import. We have no justification," he stated.



Dr. Stephen Amoah further noted that the development of Ghana is not contingent on the government alone but is the responsibility of every Ghanaian.



"We need revolution in our minds. We must change . . . we should be committing ourselves to the cause of this country to benefit everyone along the social stratification, whether poor or rich, young or old, dwarf or giant."





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has slammed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for refusing to remove Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, despite incessant calls on him from Ghanaians and some Members of Parliament of his party, the New Patriotic Party.



More than 90 NPP MPs are reportedly against the Finance Minister being still at post.



They argue that his continuous stay is jeopardizing the efforts of the government to revamp the economy.



Some Ghanaians together with the MPs are calling for a new person to head the Finance Ministry.



The MPs have threatened to boycott parliamentary business should the President refuse to sack Ken Ofori-Atta.



"If our request is not responded to positively, we will not be present for the budget hearing, neither will we participate in the debate," the Majority Caucus said on Tuesday.



The President, following the MPs' protest, held an emergency meeting with them to resolve the conflict.



He told them to allow the Finance Minister complete the country's deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).



Responding to the President during Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme Friday morning, the Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt wondered why it's so difficult for the President to remove the Finance Minister.



"So, if Ken Ofori-Atta is sent home, won't you find any person to do the job? What are you telling us?...Is he the only wise person in Ghana?", he questioned.



Mr. Pratt was irritated by the President's recalcitrance as he said, "we are saying this man is incompetent and he (President) says he should be allowed to do the budget first. Is this incompetent that should do the budget? When you do the budget, you will send it to Parliament for approval. Ghanaians also have to back the budget with their strength and spirit. The very person they say they don't like is who you are saying should do the budget, I just can't understand this!"





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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House Ways and Means Committee Democrats expect to immediately receive Trumps tax returns after he lost an appeals court decision.

Bloomberg reported:

Former President Donald Trumps tax returns must be turned over to a congressional committee, a federal appeals court ruled.

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected Trumps appeal of a lower courts ruling allowing the tax returns to be sent to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

The committee said in a tweet it expects to receive the tax returns and audit files requested immediately. Dylan Peachey, a spokeswoman for the committee, said additional details would released soon.

Trump is doing everything that he can think of to run out the clock and avoid Democrats getting his tax returns. Democrats have stated that the House Ways and Means Committee will review the documents and then the House will potentially vote on making them public.

The Justice Department ordered the Treasury Department to turn over the tax returns last year, but Trump sued to block the request. The Supreme Court has already ruled that Trump could not stop the Manhattan DA from getting his tax returns, and now he is out of options with blocking the Treasury Department from turning over the returns.

The great remaining mystery is what does Trump not want the American people to see in his tax returns.

Trump has been hiding his tax returns for years, but it looks like the clock has finally hit zero on his deception.
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Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D-PA) showed that he is the right choice to be Pennsylvanias next senator during an interview with MSNBCs Joy Reid.

Video of Fetterman talking about if his stoke recovery would impact his ability to do his job as a senator:

Fetterman said,  All of our doctors believe were absolutely ready to be fit to be serving. And one of the things we always remind everybody is that by January, I would be much better. But Oz will still be a fraud. And you know, I rely on the judgment, on real doctors, not a fake doctor like Dr. Oz who spent his entire campaign ridiculing and counting how many words I might miss, and again, I acknowledge that of course, any debate is (not) going to be easy for somebody in recovery. And we wanted  thought it was important to be there, and we showed up. And getting knocked down, I always got back up. And to me, thats really the essence of our campaign. Were running for any Pennsylvanian who got knocked down that has to get back up. Thats what were running on. 

Fetterman also talked about Ozs position on abortion:

.@JohnFetterman on Oz's Roe position, "You can't afford to give a clown a vote on Roe v. Wade. And he celebrated when Roe v. Wade fell, and this was really true point where he mentioned just what he actually believes about abortion. #TheReidOut pic.twitter.com/HjVlBcIsHB  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) October 27, 2022

Fetterman said, Its very critical, and its been very motivating. And actually to hear Dr. Oz speak about what he really believes about abortion, and the fact that it should be made by local political officials like Doug Mastriano is alarming and the fact that people realize what he believes and the kind of vote he would make if he was in the Senate. You cant afford to give a clown a vote on Roe v. Wade. And he celebrated when Roe v. Wade fell, and this was really true point where he mentioned just what he actually believes about abortion, and he believes that the choice belongs with people like himself or Doug Mastriano and does not lean with women and their real doctors.

Fetterman also said that if he was in the US Senate, he would vote against Lindsey Grahams national abortion ban legislation.

John Fetterman made it clear to Pennsylvania voters that he is the obvious choice to represent them in the US Senate. He hasnt dodged questions. The Lt. Governor hasnt hidden the recovery from his stroke. Fetterman doesnt try to sell Pennsylvanias voters himself like he is an untested supplement.

Fetterman is real and authentic, and he demonstrated in his interview with Joy Reid his fitness for the United States Senate.
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The intruder who broke into the home of Speaker Pelosi targeted her house and was looking for her.

CNN reported that the intruder was looking for Nancy Pelosi:

The assailant who attacked Paul Pelosi was in search for the Speaker of the House, a source tells @jamiegangel. The intruder confronted the Speakers husband in their San Francisco home shouting where is Nancy, where is Nancy?, according to the source.  Zachary Cohen (@ZcohenCNN) October 28, 2022

The AP confirmed the CNN report, The intruder who attacked Speaker Nancy Pelosis husband in their San Francisco home confronted him shouting, Where is Nancy, where is Nancy? according to a person briefed on the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.

Fox News tried to pass the attack off as a random crime initially, but the assault was not random.

The wheres Nancy line should sound familiar because it was the same thing that terrorists said on 1/6 as they breached the Capitol and searched for the Speaker of the House.

The attack at the Pelosi home was an assassination attempt against the Speaker of the House.

Republicans were demanding security for conservative Supreme Court justices because protesters were standing near their houses. Yet, somehow, the third highest-ranking official in the United States government has a home that can be breached by a hammer-wielding attacker.

Trump and his party have incited this type of hatred and violence, as the American people can now see what is really on the line when they go to the polls in less than two weeks.
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Fox News is using the violent assault of Paul Pelosi to push the GOP campaign talking points about crime.

Video:

Fox News instantly plugs the Pelosi home invasion and assault on Paul Pelosi into its GOP talking points, saying this shows that "crime hits everybody" and "this can happen anywhere, crime is random and that's why it's such a significant part of this election story." We'll see. pic.twitter.com/WfkGZUU7tX  Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) October 28, 2022

Bill Hemmer said, You think about crime and how we have been talking about this for the past two years. Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate here in New York, about a month ago he had a random shooting in his front yard. The point being depending on how the circumstances of the story work out, crime has hit everybodyPoint being this can happen anywhere. Crime is random, and that is why it is such a significant part of this election story.

There really is no low that Fox News wont sink to.

The reality is that it is unknown why the Pelosi home was broken into and Paul Pelosi was violently assaulted. It could have been a robbery. It might have been a political attack intended against the Speaker of the House and her family.

If the assault on Paul Pelosi was not a random act of crime but was carried about by someone with political motivations, Fox News will immediately stop talking about it because if it doesnt fit their right-wing propaganda narrative, it doesnt get said on the air.
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At a time when partisan divide is said to be what ails us (it isnt), candidates like former C.I.A. officer Evan McMullin tell a different story.

Its an American story. The kind of America we used to be and can be again, god-willing.

McMullin, who used to be a Republican, is taking on incumbent Republican Senator Mike Lee in Utah. Why am I writing about him on a liberal site? Is it just because there is no Democrat running? Im writing about him because liberalism is about progress dependent upon a healthy democracy, and that also works the other way around: The way to fight off democratic-backsliding is by showing that democracy works.

In order for democracy to work, we need to have at least two healthy parties having vigorous but honest intellectual debates about how to solve the problems we face.

Right now, we have only one party interested in governing and legislating. This is unsustainable. Not only because Democrats must do all of the heavy lifting in terms of actual policy (which does not translate to voters much let alone move them, no matter what anyone who loves politics thinks) and then be stuck answering the non-stop backseat driving and trolling of the party of no ideas, but because it also forces Democrats to become more and more the party of everyone. Sure, that seems more ideal than people voting Republican, but a healthy democracy cant survive without HONEST challenge.

This brings us back to Evan McMullin. Heres a guy who is conservative (not even sure what that means in American politics anymore other than reactionary and nasty, but McMullin seems to be at least reminiscent of the old-fashioned kind of conservative) even on abortion, and yet his fix for abortion is the practical fix  the one everyone who cares about actual data and reality adopts: The best way to reduce abortion is to provide increasing access to contraception.

McMullin got under Lees skin at their debate by saying, he would not be a bootlicker for Biden or Trump, which caused Trump election denier and supplicant Lee to protest too much, The suggestion that Im beholden to either party, that Ive been a bootlicker for either party, is folly.

Nah, McMullin nailed him properly and good. Lee is a Trump bootlicker, like most of the Republicans running right now.

There are currently 291 Republican election deniers on the ballot, 171 where GOP is favored to win. 48 are running in close races.

What kind of country will we wake up to after election day with election deniers prevailing?

Sure, there are a lot of things to bring up about McMullin that make him problematic for liberals. But we arent in a candy store and the danger looming over our country isnt imaginary. So it cant be a begrudging vote for McMullin; it must be full-throated.

Writing in the (intellectually honest) conservative The Bulwark, William Saletan wrote about McMullin in a column titled: What Does It Mean to be a Republican Today. He asks one of the most important questions of our time:

Why should voters support a Republican senator against an opponent who agrees with him on policy but not on subverting democracy? If economic, moral, and foreign-policy conservatism no longer define the party, what does? What does it mean to be a Republican in 2022, beyond conspiringor defending others who have conspiredto overturn elections when your party doesnt win?

McMullin is discovering that there are answers to that question. And theyre ugly.

He details McMullin, who has the typical Republican disagreement with President Biden and other Democratic leaders and ideas, holding Lee accountable for his sycophantic relationship with Trump, particularly the senators role in the scheme to recruit fake electors after the 2020 election.

McMullin said in the debate: That was the most egregious betrayal of our nations Constitution in its history by a senator.

The column highlights Lees and Fox News host Tucker Carlsons attacks on McMullin focusing on his being a closeted Democrat.

This attack has been lobbed at Mehmet Oz by Trump Republicans in Pennsylvania as well. Although that scenario is different because Oz is running against a Democrat, the point is the same: The Republican Party seems very disinterested in policy positions. Oz has embraced every Republican policy its possible to embrace, including efforts to hide those policies from the voters because they are extreme and irrational (e.g., Oz thinks local politicians should be involved in making abortion decisions for women), and still, Republican voters didnt trust him because they felt he was a secret Democrat.

Whats notable about these complaints is their pure partisanship. Theyre about McMullins associations, not about issues. Lee talks about the Democratic party the way red-baiters used to talk about the Communist party: Any association with it is suspect.

This is hardly contained to Utah; Trump conservatives generally see Democrats as evil groomers and pedophiles now. Democrats arent any kinder in their view of Republicans post-Trump, but that doesnt make both sides equally wrong. Republicans have become inherently dishonest opposition, demonizing in place of making cogent arguments for their positions.

Given all of this ugliness, how are we here again where youre reading an endorsement of Evan McMullin on a liberal site?

The answer to that is that we are more Independent than anything else, and by that we mean free of ties to any organization or funding. We view our first commitment as to our readers best interests. And Evan McMullin is in the readers best interest.

Not because we agree on every policy, but because McMullin is here to debate his conservative beliefs honestly and with a focus on practicalities. He values our democracy. He is a worthy and decent opponent, and we need more of those.

Just as plenty of Republicans have had to reject the party they loved (imagine the loss of that for a moment), so too must we all be willing to give up ideology over patriotism. Liberals in Utah have a chance to vote for someone they disagree with profoundly on some topics, but they know will do all he can to keep them safe from Trump terrorists imposing tyranny by stealing elections and will show up willing to do actual work. He even seems willing to listen to reason on important topics.

With our country in tatters after Trump, we have to all do our part to rebuild our country. Democracy is literally on the ballot.
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Speaker Pelosis office said that her husband Paul Pelosi is hospitalized after being violently assaulted in a home break-in.

The Speakers office said in a statement provided to PoiticusUSA:

Early this morning, an assailant broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco and violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi. The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation. Mr. Pelosi was taken to the hospital, where he is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery. The Speaker was not in San Francisco at the time.

The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time.

Speaker Pelosi was not at home, as she has been traveling before the midterm.

Thankfully, Paul Pelosi will make a full recovery. It is impossible to speculate the motive of the assailant until more is known. It could be a burglary gone wrong, or a darker possibility is that it was a politically motivated attack.

Law enforcement will be able to provide more information as they investigate.

Every American should wish Paul Pelosi a speedy recovery from such a horrifying and violent incident.
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There is no way quicker way to destroy democracy, with greater efficiency, than to introduce distrust regarding the integrity of the elections. Last night, Ron Johnson encouraged his voters to vote early if the county clerk is a Republican. Obviously, Johnson is already setting up a situation where he is casting doubt on early voting in heavily Democratic counties, especially Milwaukee County, where Trump and the MAGAs most strongly contested Bidens margin of victory:

From The Heartland Signal:

During a tele-town hall, Ron Johnson said that he only recommends early voting if you have a Republican county clerk running elections, casting doubt on Milwaukee Countys Democratic clerk.

I would recommend early voting particularly if you have a Republican election clerk, Johnson said when a caller asked if she should vote early. Im not sure Id recommend a Republican go vote in Milwaukee; I just dont know about the bipartisan observation of those early votes. It might be possible.

What he did not mention in the town hall was his involvement with the plot to deliver a fake list of electors to then-Vice President Mike Pence on Jan. 6, 2021. Despite his shaky past with election integrity, Johnson continued to lambast Democrats on the issue.

Similar to Pennsylvania, Johnson is in a very tight race with popular Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes, who has run a strong campaign. Barnes is a black man running in a state that is a nearly 50-50 mix of rural versus metro areas. Milwaukee and Madison comprise the two big blue dots in a state that is otherwise red from border to border. By casting doubt on the integrity of Milwaukees county clerk, Johnson is laying the groundwork to once again call into question early voting in Milwaukee, the states biggest city and area with the highest percentage of Black Americans. To make matters worse, Black Americans and Democrats generally are more inclined to cast their vote early because voting lines in urban-poor districts tend to be longer.

This was not a slip of the tongue. Nationwide, Republicans have pushed same day voting as somehow more trustworthy (While, bizarrely, saying paper ballots are the gold standard). It sets up a familiar dynamic. Republicans jump to an early lead based on election day votes, and then Democrats gain ground over the next day as early ballots are counted. If the pattern holds, we will hear GOP claims that the fact that counting early ballots takes more time ipso facto makes them unreliable.

If Ron Johnson loses by less than 20,000 votes, expect almost immediate lawsuits directed at the Milwaukee County Clerks office and endless accusations and anecdotes.

At the risk of sounding melodramatic, this is how democracy dies.
ARTS AND HUMANITIES: Cozy up to your favorite vampire in Covington
Two months before her hand-off to a new administration, Spearman sat down with The Post and Courier to reflect on her tenure, as well as her hopes and concerns for the future. Read moreExiting schools' chief Spearman reflects on teacher recruitment, mergers and takeovers
LADSON  I got my first full-on chin pimple in a long time, an unhappy circumstance that I think materialized due to the obscene amount of deep-fried food I ate on opening day at the fair.

But it was worth it.

The Coastal Carolina Fair is an annual tradition for this native Charlestonian who has spent many a middle and high school fall night devouring fizzling chunks of cotton candy and swinging in circles on high-flying amusement rides until dizzy.

This year I was on a different kind of mission. I was in search of the best new fair foods to try.

My fair food tour loop began from Gate 1 around 4 p.m. Oct. 27, when vendors had just settled in and weren't yet overwhelmed.

New to the fair this year is a special QR code you can scan on your phone near the entryway that will bring up a virtual map of all the rides and vendors. You can select the "food" category and type in a quick search term to locate some of the brand-new delicacies I discovered on my route around the lake.

Here are eight of the latest foods to grace the Coastal Carolina Fair that I tried:

Fall in a cup, $12

The whipped cream was nowhere to be found to top off my first sample, Moose Juice's fall in a cup, because it was still being scouted. But that was just fine. The caramel sour apple slush was surprisingly tasty, the tart flavors evening out as I continued to sip the neon green concoction. The green apple slush melds nicely with a caramel drizzle and the apple slices and caramel-coated cookie bits sprinkled on top. The boba straw helped suck up the candy spheres, adding for a nice surprise every few sips.

Tornado fries, $5

As I rounded the corner, a new flashing neon sign caught my eyes. This fair veteran knew it was new, and I had to try it. Tornado fries are visually what you might imagine: a spiral of fried potato on a stick, decked out with a variety of seasonings based on what you order. I requested the bacon, sour cream and chives flavor, and it did not disappoint. The consistency of the tornado fries was a mix between your classic french fries and potato chips. The only thing is it was a bit difficult to eat. The crunchier top of the spiral broke off in crumbles, but once I got the larger wedges of potato peeling off the stick, it was smoother sailing. It's a fun alternative to a basket of fries, though. Worth a try for only $5!

Deep-fried pumpkin spice rolls, $7

I love a fall theme, and while you can order a pumpkin funnel cake, I went for a new option that can be had in addition to the fair's famous deep-fried Oreos. The deep-fried Little Debbie pumpkin spice rolls should be ordered topped with chocolate sauce and powdered sugar. At least that's what my server told me, and I trust a fair vendor's expertise. It was absolutely delicious, with the melted, gooey pumpkin flavors inside balancing out the fried outer shell.

Oreo-coated turkey leg, $21

A regular turkey leg at the fair will cost you $18, but if you add an Oreo-sprinkle coating on top it rings up at $21. I recommend going with the plain turkey leg, though I tried this new concoction for the novelty. It looks like you dropped your turkey leg in a pile of dirt, and it doesn't taste much better. But I did overhear a few delighted customers, so who knows, maybe it's your thing.

Pickle pizza slice, $9

Rick's pickle pizza has been quite the hit at the Minnesota State Fair; Rick himself showed me a TikTok video of an hour-long wait of a winding line geared up for a slice. At the Coastal Carolina Fair, it isn't a new add, but I have to break my theme to reveal this apparently hidden secret. You must try the pickle pizza. It was my favorite food! The slice from a 20-inch thin-crust pizza has a white ranch base and is spattered with pickles and dill, served on a simple paper plate. The dill makes it, in my opinion. Absolutely a showstopper! Let's get the Charleston lines forming.

Bourbon-glazed chicken dinner, $18

This was the best full-meal deal at the fair. Two giant skewers of juicy, slightly charred bourbon-glazed chicken are served atop a cardboard container of mashed tater tots and grilled veggies. You can get onions, peppers and mushrooms in that mix. The chicken was simply divine; how are fair food stands serving up better meat than restaurants? I don't know, but it was some of the best chicken I've had, and the bourbon-glaze added just the right amount of flavor. Don't skip the mashed tater tots either.

Deep-fried bacon with syrup, $8

Piggy Tail's deep-fried bacon with syrup is a new delicacy at this year's fair. It was between this and trying a new fruit-filled playa bowl, and I went for the much-worse-for-you option, as one should at the fair! It tasted like a breakfast pastry, though less thick batter would've brought out the crunchiness and flavor of the bacon more, I do believe. The sweet syrup and powdered sugar on top turned the breakfast fare into dessert.

Franken Berry donut, $8

If you've got a sweet tooth, then you can't skimp on Fluffy's hand-cut donuts at the fair. These massive circles of glazed goodness are simply delicious, and they come with fun icing, flavors and a bevy of decorations. The unicorn donut is a classic sugar-rush option, with gold horn sprinkles. But I went for the special of the day, a Franken Berry donut with vanilla buttercream icing dipped in monster-shaped strawberry cereal and topped with green sprinkles and a plastic Frankenstein's monster face ring.

I wore that ring on my pinky, because of course it was child-sized. But hey, it still fit, so I'll take that as a win. I paired my donut with a hot chocolate, which will ring in at $4, and it was the perfect ending to a fair tour evening. Just please don't go on any wild rides after doing what I did. I doubt the results will be pleasant.
GEORGETOWN  A privately developed affordable housing complex on Lincoln Street could be on the way, given the Georgetown City Council's positive reaction to the idea at an Oct. 27 meeting.

The Marquis Complex, proposed by Will Moody of Georgetown-based real estate company Grimes and Associates, would generate 168 housing units with rents reduced through low-income housing tax credits.

Moody's proposal calls for four, three-story buildings  two each for families and residents age 55 or older  of 42 units each on property currently owned by the Georgetown Housing Authority, whose main office sits immediately south of the complex's proposed site.

Rent on the units would be kept below market rate through low-income housing tax credits, which have been administered by the federal government since 1986.

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development's database of projects benefited by low-income housing tax credits contains data on 3.44 million housing units. The program has been utilized in Georgetown before, including at Hickory Knoll and Georgetown Commons.

"The way this works is that the rent is reduced below market rate," Moody said. "For example, if the market rate rent is $1,000 (per month), then the tax-credited apartment will be $700 (per month). So the builder will be able to sell that $300 difference as a tax credit to corporations or investors."

Moody said income eligibility for the units is based off of area median income levels and "gets real technical." He added that a certain percentage of units must be available for renters making no more than 60 percent of area median income.

"These are the people who are working, but... regular market-rate rent is just hard for them," Moody said.

The process for approval to sell such tax credits is "competitive," Moody said, which makes site selection for such a project important.

The proposed Lincoln Street site is 10.4 acres, said Georgetown Planning and Community Development Director Tammy Kinsley, with planned accesses from Lincoln and North Merriman Road just above Manigault Court.

The Marquis Complex was considered at the August board meeting of the Georgetown Housing Authority, which Moody said would have to take the next step by declaring the Lincoln Street property surplus.

"My idea for ideal structure is this: Either the housing authority or the city retain the ownership of the property, which means that they will be the main beneficiaries of any profits that come from this," Moody said. "And to help spur this along, I'll personally go at-risk to hire the land surveyors, engineers and land planners to rezone this property as a master-planned development. That way there is no out-of-pocket expense for the city or housing authority."

Moody told the council that the complex would be managed privately, but based off HUD regulations. Among his reasons for bringing the proposal forward, he said, is the housing authority's proximity to the Faircloth Limit.

The Faircloth Limit is a concept outlined in the federal Housing Act of 1937 that limits public housing authorities to a certain number of housing units for which they can receive operating and capital funds from the federal government. The Georgetown Housing Authority's Faircloth Limit was 295 as of September 2021, according to HUD, and the GHA's Westside, Maryville South and North Street apartment complexes comprise 265 units.

The council did not take any action on Moody's proposal on Oct. 27. Moody described the proposal as "very preliminary" when asked by Councilman Hobson Henry Milton if a traffic study had been conducted for the property.

"All that would come out in the wash, for sure," Moody said.

Georgetown Mayor Carol Jayroe said the complex's proposed Lincoln Street site is in a good location for potential residents.

"I think we all realize there's a need, for sure," Jayroe said of Georgetown's affordable housing situation.
GREENVILLE  A coalition of organizations has received a $1.5 million federal grant to address policies and practices that worsen health disparities among racial and ethnic groups in Greenville County.

Social and economic factors influence health outcomes for different demographic groups. According to Greenville County data from the 2021 American Community Survey, families with White heads of households had a median yearly income around $77,000, while figures for families with Black and Hispanic heads households were about $42,000 and $49,000, respectively.

Finances and insufficient insurance hinder access to proper health care, while language barriers make it harder for Spanish-speaking households to receive proper care, Stacey Mills said at an Oct. 27 news conference celebrating the award.

Mills, executive director of the Greenville Racial Equity and Economic Mobility Coalition, said the group believes they can expand health care access and increase cultural competency in care.

It matters that people feel seen when they see each other, Mills said.

In the first year of the three-year project, researchers with Clemson and Furman universities will study the social and economic factors that lead to inequities, such as economic mobility, education and the built environment.

In the following years, the research will inform efforts by LiveWell Greenville, Hispanic Alliance and REEM to address barriers and improve health for Black and Hispanic residents of Greenville County. These organizations will hire new employees to work on the project.

As a community, we need to understand that health is a basic need and right for all people," said Adela Mendoza, executive director of the Hispanic Alliance. "That drivers such as poverty, housing, economic mobility, strongly affect health. That the stronger and healthier that all of our communities are, the stronger and healthier Greenville will be as a whole."

The grant was awarded by the federal Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health to 10 U.S. communities. Greenville is one of only two communities in the South  the other is Atlanta  that will implement a project. Other cities include Boston and Los Angeles.

Sally Wills, executive director of LiveWell Greenville, said they hope the program can serve as a model for communities across the South.

We know there is work to be done in the South, and if we can make it work here, we know that it can be scalable to our peers and our partners across the state and across the region, Wills said.
MYRTLE BEACH  Southwest Airlines is adding a nonstop flight from Myrtle Beach International Airport to Denver, Colo., in 2023 just in time for the start of the summer tourism season.

Airport officials said the new service will operate on Saturdays, beginning June 10. Tickets can be purchased at southwest.com.

"This market is one of our top underserved markets, and more flight options are needed to keep up with the growing passenger demand, said Scott Van Moppes, Director of Airports in a statement. We are so pleased that Southwest will help to fulfill that need, and we have no doubt that the new route will be highly successful.

Last year the airport had a record 3.2 million passengers coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic despite a historically slow fall tourism season. Total passenger traffic, which includes both arriving and departing passengers, was up nearly three times over 2020 and bested the airports previous record of 2.6 million in 2019.

As of September, nearly 2.4 million passengers have walked through the doors of the airport located on the south end of Myrtle Beach. October numbers have not been released yet by airport officials.

Denver International Airport is currently the farthest airport west of the Mississippi with air service from Myrtle Beach International. Airport officials said travelers looking to fly to other west coast destinations will benefit from added connectivity on the Southwest network with a layover in Denver.

Southwest launched its first South Carolina flights from Charleston International in March 2011. Service from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport followed a month later, and Myrtle Beach International came on board in May 2021.

New grocery shopping options

Florida-based Publix Super Markets has set the grand opening dates for two of its recently-constructed grocery stores along the Grand Strand, one in Carolina Forest and the other on the south end of Myrtle Beach.

The 45,000 square feet Carolina Forest location, located at the corner of Carolina Forest Boulevard and River Oaks Drive at 136 Sapwood Road, will open to customers on Nov. 2. It sits at the opposite end of Carolina Forest Boulevard where an existing Publix off of U.S. 501.

The popular grocery chain will open a similarly-sized store on Nov. 30 in the new Coventry Marketplace at the corner of Highway 17 and Coventry Boulevard in Myrtle Beach. Located at 955 Wood Duck Drive, the store sits a few miles away from Market Common.

After the two grocery stores open, there will be seven locations across Horry and Georgetown counties in North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Carolina Forest, Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island.

HTC executive honored

Horry Telephone chief executive officer Mike Hagg, who is retiring before the end of the year after 28 years at the telecommunications cooperative, was recently honored by the state of South Carolina.

Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette came to the Conway office on Oct. 21 and presented Hagg with the Order of the Palmetto for his contributions to the state, telecommunications industry and his community service background.

It is the highest civilian honor awarded by the Governor in the state.

Hagg was chief operating officer for the utility before being named CEO in 2010. He served in several different positions and departments since starting at the cooperative in 1994.

HTC serves more than 100,000 customers across Georgetown, Horry and Marion counties.

Im humbled, honored and blessed. I have been fortunate to have been surrounded by a lot of great people throughout my life and career, including my family, my coworkers and folks in the community, said Hagg in a statement. As long as we dont lose sight of why were here, to make our community a better place to live and raise our families, then well be alright.

In addition to HTC Hagg has served on several committees and boards throughout the area including Coastal Carolina University Educational Foundation, Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Authority, Myrtle Beach Sunrise Rotary Club, Northeast Strategic Alliance, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, South Carolina Telecommunications Broadband Association, Rural Telecom Insurance Corporation, and Telcom Insurance Group.

Have any Myrtle Beach/Georgetown business news to share? Reach Richard Caines at rcaines@postandcourier.com.
Adam Parker has covered many beats and topics for The Post and Courier, including race and history, religion, and the arts. He is the author of "Outside Agitator: The Civil Rights Struggle of Cleveland Sellers Jr.," published by Hub City Press.
In the age of cellphones and the internet, consumers often face a simple choice: convenience or privacy? Do we let Big Tech have access to our private communications and free email accounts because it's so easy? Once you've said yes  and who among us has not?  it's not a stretch to think t Read moreCommentary: Contact-tracing apps had good intentions. Then we got carried away.
The idea of creating housing villages for young teachers came to South Carolina 15 years ago, when then-S.C. Education Superintendent Jim Rex talked it up as a way to provide community for new teachers moving to rural communities, where they might otherwise feel isolated. A few districts loo Read moreEditorial: Pursue teacher housing plan  in the open, with attention to details
The nonfeasance of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison led to the losses taxpayers sustained in the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud, according to the Star Tribune story

Could Minnesota officials have stopped Feeding our Future fraud sooner? The story by reporters Jeffrey Meitrodt and Ryan Faircloth essentially answers the headline question in the affirmative. The headline question should have been reformulated as a declarative sentence: Attorney General Keith Ellison could have stopped Feeding Our Future fraud sooner.

Analyze this:

 Ellison blames the United States Attorney for not shutting down the fraud: [I]n statements to the Star Tribune this week, Ellisons office pointed the finger at federal authorities for taking 17 months to issue indictments. Call it the Freddie Prinze defense: Its not my job, man.

 Ellison declined an interview request.

 A Star Tribune review of state and federal records shows that Minnesota officials provided federal authorities with little or no evidence that Feeding Our Future was misappropriating government funds. The FBI had to build a case from scratch, obtaining records from hundreds of bank accounts and following the money to dozens of conspirators, according to search warrants filed in January.

 The Attorney Generals Office has broad authority to conduct civil fraud investigations and could have initiated its own probe or demanded the nonprofits bank records before the feds stepped in. Ellisons office began representing the Education Department in court when Feeding Our Future sued the department in November 2020 for blocking its expansion plans. If Ellisons office had used its investigative power to pull bank records, it could have found that the alleged conspirators paid at least $524,579 in bribes and laundered $3.2 million in program funds between July 2020 and March 2021, prior to the FBIs involvement, according to a Star Tribune review of the federal indictments.

 Ellison did not launch his own investigation into Feeding Our Future until February 2022, after the nonprofit ceased operations and had pocketed about $250 million in federal funds.

 Partners [in Nutrition] also brought its concerns to the Attorney Generals office in 2018 and 2019, according to records released this week by Ellisons spokesman. In the 2019 complaint. Partners Director Kara Lomen accused Bock of stealing electronic files, breaking recruitment rules and engaging in other illegal behavior. In response to both complaints, officials with the Attorney Generals Office suggested Partners officials take their concerns to other state and federal agencies, including the state Education Department, the Minnesota Secretary of State and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the meals program at the federal level.

 Though court records show that state regulators were suspicious about the growing volume of reimbursement claims from Feeding Our Future, the [Minnesota Department of Education] and its representatives at the Attorney Generals Office never directly accused the nonprofit of fraud.

 Two former senior members of the Minnesota Attorney Generals Office, both Democrats who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, were critical of Ellisons handling of the case. The two said the department could have used its broad investigative powers to collect bank records and other financial documents well before the feds got involved. They said that might have allowed the state to prove fraud and shut down Feeding Our Future before the bulk of payments were made.

This is me talking now. The Feeding Our Future Fraud was massive, open, and obvious. The perpetrators flaunted the fraud.

Ellisons nonfeasance was overdetermined. The perpetrators were almost entirely Somali immigrants  a core DFL constituency. Some were DFL contributors. Some were DFL officials. Ringleader Aimee Bock would cry discrimination if anyone tried to shut down the fraud. Ellison asked the United States Attorney to take the case long after he could and should have shut down the fraud. Now he blames the United States Attorney for not shutting it down faster.

Ellison also (absurdly) alleges that the United States Attorney prevented him from saying or doing anything about the fraud after he brought the case to them. The Star Tribune reporters omit that detail from their story today.

Over the 16 years that I have been writing about Ellison I have documented his shameless lying many times over. That too is open and obvious.

Todays Star Tribune story makes a contribution to the Ellison saga. Any intelligent reader can pass judgment on Ellisons refusal to do his job in this case.

The story adds another chapter to Ellisons history of shameless lying. Yet the Star Tribune is itself guilty of nonfeasance in Ellisons case. The paper has never pressed him on the lies on which he staked his political career. In September 2006, when Ellison was about to be elected to Congress, I had the Star Tribune in mind when I wrote Keith Ellison for dummies. I used dummies as a euphemism for something harsher.

The Star Tribune has never held Ellison to account or pressed him on the fabrications that undergird his career in politics. We can only hope he will be held to account on November 8.
As the Democratic Party claims Science to be the basis for the host of campaigns small and large, dictated by shifts within and among its intersectional constituenciesincluding abrupt reversal of directives from a few months earlierand demands that the professoriate join in support and in ostracizing whomever among them dissents, it places burdens on these associates such as even the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and Germanys National Socialist Party never placed on their academics. The Soviets worst abuse of science, requiring silence about or support for Trofim Lysenkos crackpot theory of transmissibility of acquired traits, was not as onerous as the contemporary American practice of requiring professions of faith in the subjectivity of human sexuality. Nor did Soviet apparatchiks ever punish doctors for their medical decisions, as Democrats have done by ostracizing doctors who dissent from their ever-changing political protocols regarding COVID.
Former CNN news anchor Isha Sesay stated on Thursday that she is pregnant and divorced.

It was the first time the renowned British Sierra Leonean broadcaster would go public with details of her private life.

In a lengthy pregnancy journal published on NBCs Today show, Ms Sesay revealed she was divorced and conceived at 46.

She also shared snippets on her Instagram page.

The anchor married Leif Coorlim, an award-winning journalist and executive editor of the CNN Freedom Project, in 2013.

They met in 2008 after working on a CNN series together in Atlanta; they were friends till 2011, when they began dating.

It is, however, unclear when they divorced as it was never made public.

Beginning her story, the British journalist of Sierra Leonean descent said she would never have thought of being divorced or having a child as a single parent.

She said, If youd told the 16-year-old me that at 46, Id be divorced, single and having a baby on my own  by choice!  Id have shuddered and firmly said, no!

 Back then, I had very definite ideas about the future course my personal life would take, and it didnt look like this. I imagined something way more straightforward and, dare I say it, conventional.

Career and Marriage

The London-born Journalist reminisced on her career trajectory, saying she was blessed to have spent decades as a journalist- 13 years on air for CNN International, travelling the world to cover global events and interviewing presidents, movie stars and world leaders.

Isha, whose first job was as a TV announcer on BBC Choice in 1999, said despite her accomplishments, she never quite attained her deepest desires.

I published a book, became a UN Goodwill Ambassador and started a nonprofit to help empower African girls, but in my quiet moments, the one thing I wanted the most, to become a mother, and it remained out of reach.

The broadcaster who covered Nigerias

The presidential election in April 2007, where she exclusively interviewed the then-outgoing president Olusegun Obasanjo and the newly elected president Umaru YarAdua, said her marriage was short-lived.

She said, A brief marriage to a kind man didnt result in children, and then the year I turned 40, my mum had a catastrophic stroke, leaving me no emotional space to contemplate anything other than caring for her. Six years went by, and a few months ago, I found myself in a bad relationship with a man who took about 12 hours to reply to all my texts, among other red flags.

She said her divorce led her to a self-discovery journey.

It was then, in the aftermath of our inevitable breakup, that it hit me. Not having a child would be the greatest regret of my life.

And with my biological clock ticking down, if I was waiting for the right man to come along before I did it, well, I might just find myself out of time, she said.

Having a Baby

Narrating her story, she highlighted the mental battles she fought.

She said it included how she would handle societys questions about her planned single parenthood, the endless meetings with various doctors, numerous blood tests, pelvic exams, bruising injections, nausea-inducing medication and unexpected fibroid surgery.

But perhaps most challenging of all has been the emotional dimension of this journey, especially surrounding my choice of a sperm donor.

The decision asked me to confront questions surrounding the importance of the race, ethnicity, religion and educational background of my childs father. Essentially, it forced me to re-examine my upbringing, values and worldview, she recalled.

Frustrations

The 46-year-old said her first in Vitro Fertilisation attempt was unsuccessful, and she cried for days afterwards before finding the strength to start the process again a few months later.

She also narrated how her body fought against it and how she lost hope and became impatient at her third trial.

But with each passing day, I grew more fearful and anxious about my chances of being able to carry a child successfully. Those feelings only intensified when my doctor decided to halt my second attempt mid-cycle because my body was responding negatively to the medication.

With two failed attempts to my name, I approached my third embryo transfer with relatively low expectations. In the two weeks that followed the procedure, my mind raced uncontrollably, and I battled the urge to take an early pregnancy test.

Ms Sesay said she derives joy from being able to describe herself as pregnant.

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Popular Nollywood actor Blossom Chukwujekwu is exploring new frontiers as he wraps up his debut production, Finding Dorothy.

A story of uncommon friendship and sacrifice, the film stars actors like Bolaji Ogunmola, Scarlet Gomez, Preacher Bassey, Inem King and Maggie Osuome.

Mr Chukwujekwu says that the film would be screening exclusively on the streaming platform Kingsview TV, as well as on its mobile app on Friday, October 28th, 2022

Speaking on the movie, the debutant producer says that Finding Dorothy speaks to Nigerians multi-layered challenges today.

In his words, Finding Dorothy is a movie that entertains and challenges its viewers imagination.

The world is in a seaming crisis today, and the best way to navigate the everyday challenges we face is by reminding ourselves not to lose our humanity. Fiding Dorothy is a film that speaks to this topic, exploring an exciting storyline, he said.

He further states that the movie reminds us that we are more united than we know or are made to believe.

That is why Ife, the lead character, is willing to lay aside class differences to search for her beloved help.

The film also explores other sub-themes like insecurity and the need for a just society, Mr Chukwujekwu added.

Finding Dorothy

In Finding Dorothy, Ife, a media consultant, returns home from work to find that her help, Dorothy, has gone missing.

She doesnt know what to think, primarily when there are indications that Ife may have run away.

Nudged by the need to find answers, Ife puts her job, and personal relationships on the line as she searches for Dorothy, determined to find her, no matter the price.

The actor says that he was commissioned to produce the movie for the Kingsview streaming platform, which prides itself in telling compelling stories.

Background

Born in 1983 in Benin City, Edo State, Mr Chukwujekwu began his tertiary education at the Mass Communications department of Anambra State University of Science and Technology.

He completed his studies at Benson Idahosa University, where was President of the Association of Mass Communication Students (AMCOS)

His first appearance in a movie was in the 2009 production, Private Storm.

Since then, he has starred in some of Nollywoods most acclaimed movies, including Flower Girl, Knocking On Heavens Door, Gbomo Gbomo, Ghana Must Go, Falling, Okafors Law, Black Rose, Oloture, Whos the Boss, Omo Ghetto: The Saga as well as The Set Up 2.

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In the past few months, two United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions in Africa have encountered violent protests from the local populations theyre meant to protect. Protesters in Mali and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) demanded the immediate withdrawal of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) and the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) from their countries.

While the demonstrations have distinct local drivers, they indicate the crisis facing UN peacekeeping operations in Africa and beyond. The situation is driven by two undercurrents: the missions limited operational effectiveness, especially against non-traditional threats such as terrorism, and the erosion of core UN peacekeeping principles. These are the host nations consent and the operations legitimacy in the eyes of local populations.

Amid the protests, momentum is gathering around UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterress call for a New Agenda for Peace that embodies a new effort to agree on more collective security responses and a meaningful set of steps to manage emerging risks. Mr Guterress appeal provides an excellent opportunity to assess UN peacekeeping based on a critical examination of the challenges that missions face.

MONUSCO was deployed to the DRC in 1999, and MINUSMA to Mali in 2013 following the onset of insurgencies in both countries. They were meant to support the host nations efforts to achieve stability and peace. Both received varied and, at times, limited acknowledgement and cooperation from the host governments.

MONUSCOs current mandate straddles two priorities: civilian protection and helping to strengthen state institutions. The mission includes 13,500 soldiers, 1,600 police and 2,970 civilians, with annual operational costs of over $1 billion.

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MINUSMAs four priorities are to support implementation of Malis peace and reconciliation agreement, help stabilise and restore state authority, protect civilians, and assist in providing humanitarian assistance. It comprises 13,289 soldiers and 1,920 police. Like MONUSCO, it is authorised to use all necessary means to implement its mandates.

Despite the presence of these peace missions and other parallel deployments by international actors, instability remains high in both countries. Escalating violence has caused immense suffering for civilians, who are now protesting against the missions.

In the DRC, the protests were spurred by complaints that MONUSCO failed to protect the population from attacks by armed militants. Similarly in Mali, MINUSMA was accused of doing little to protect people from attacks mainly by Islamic State-affiliated groups. Given that the two countries police and military have the primary responsibility for protecting civilians, laying the blame for insecurity on peace missions is ill-informed, some analysts believe.

Both missions under-prioritise political dialogue and a people-centred protection approach to peacekeeping, contrary to the recommendations of the 2015 Report of the High-Level Independent Panel on UN Peace Operations, and Action for Peacekeeping. So on one level, the protests are valid.

The two missions have also been embroiled in the murky national politics of their host nations. Local politicians have invariably whipped up anti-UN peace mission sentiments among some segments of the population.

Al Jazeera reported in July that The protests in DRC were driven by a faction of the youth wing of President Felix Tshisekedis [Union for Democracy and Social Progress] ruling party. UN officials claim the DRC mission has been a victim of a well organised disinformation campaign to stigmatise it and perhaps force its untimely departure.

Similarly, protests against MINUSMA were reportedly organised by Yerewolo Standing on the Ramparts, an anti-Western and anti-MINUSMA civil society movement that backs the military government which seized power in a 2020 coup. The protesters accused the peace mission of undermining Malis sovereignty. Yerewolo also organised protests against Frances military presence in Mali that might have contributed to the withdrawal of French soldiers in early 2022.

Global geopolitical rivalries have exacerbated local dissatisfaction with the peace missions. Africa has become a battleground in the shifting world order  in the case of Mali, pitting France against Russia. Yerewolo supports the presence of Russian paramilitaries and mercenaries in the country. During a 22 September rally in Bamako, protesters waved the flags of Mali and Russia and chanted slogans against MINUSMA.

The two missions have also had to deal with regional rivalries and tough security environments. In the DRC, Rwandas government is accused of stoking the flames of conflict. In Mali, the regional nature of terrorism and violent extremism in the Sahel presents challenges for the UN mission.

The protests amplify a growing sense of crisis in UN peacekeeping operations in Africa, raising vital questions about their future. Both missions have struggled to implement their mandates in the face of local resistance, little cooperation from host governments, and rising insecurity caused by insurgents and terrorists.

The demonstrations also expose the limitations of cardinal principles of UN peacekeeping, particularly consent, impartiality and the non-use of force. The consent of the main conflicting parties is essential to give peace missions legitimacy and freedom to implement their tasks. But that appears to be dwindling.

Solving the operational hurdles facing UN missions such as MONUSCO and MINUSMA requires political engagement between national and international actors and local civilians. This is vital to providing better protection, creating understanding and building confidence. Peacekeeping standards will need to be revised to incorporate these lessons.

As the UN crafts a New Agenda for Peace, the state of UN peacekeeping operations must be revisited. Guterress report recognises that collective peace and security are threatened by emerging risks, which traditional forms of prevention, management and resolution are ill-suited to resolve.

In amending the current peacekeeping approach, recognition must be given to the primacy of politics, the value of preventive diplomacy and a people-centred perspective. Planning for a New Agenda for Peace is a good starting point for revising principles and methods for effective peacekeeping.

Meressa K Dessu, Senior Researcher and Training Coordinator and Dawit Yohannes, Project Manager and Senior Researcher, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Addis Ababa

This article is published as part of the Training for Peace Program (TfP), funded by the Government of Norway.

(The article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish).

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President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians to be calm but vigilant amidst the travel advisory by several Western countries, warning of possible terror attacks in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

According to a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, Mr Buhari also advised the nations security establishment and entire citizens to continue being vigilant and careful with security, saying it is important to avoid panic.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the travel advisories, first by the US and UK governments, and then by other foreign missions.

They warned their citizens to avoid travelling to Nigeria, particularly Abuja, warning of a potential terror attack in the city.

The US has since suspended consular operations in Abuja nad advised its staff and their families to relocate from the Nigerian capital.

President Buhari, however, said the advisories do not mean an attack in Abuja is imminent. 

Read the full statement by Mr Shehu below.

President Muhammadu advises the nations security establishment and entire citizens to continue being vigilant and careful with security, saying it is important to avoid panic.

He urges citizens to remain calm. The recent changes in travel advice from the US and UK governments should not be a cause for panic.

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Nigeria is no exception in having terror threats listed in foreign governments travel advice to their citizens. UK and US travel advisories also state there is a high likelihood of terror attacks in many Western European nations. Indeed, the UK and US advice to their respective citizens for travel to one anothers countries contain the same warning. Unfortunately, terror is a reality the world over.

However, it does not mean an attack in Abuja is imminent. Since the July prison raid, security measures have been reinforced in and around the FCT. Heightened monitoring and interception of terrorist communications ensure potential threats are caught further upstream.

Attacks are being foiled. Security agents are proactively rooting out threats to keep citizens safe  much of their work unseen and necessarily confidential.

Nigerians safety remains the highest priority of government. Security services are working around the clock to keep harm at bay.

The President gives assurances that the government is on top of the security situation in country.

While noting, in addition, that security threats are real and have been with us for a long while, the nations military, the police and other security agencies have shown a capability to deal with it, as is evident from the fact that a majority of our partners, including the United Nations agencies in our midst have not seen the threat as being sufficient to warrant any form of panic or order citizen evacuations.

The President stresses that while being security conscious, being alert and careful is crucial, it is also important that responsible members of the society do not create situations leading to unnecessary panic.

President Buhari commends the military and other security agencies for the recent turn around in the nations security, and directs that additional precautionary measures be put in place and that these must not slacken now, and during the upcoming festive period.

President Buhari expresses optimism that given the on-going efforts on the part of the military and other security and intelligence agencies with the active support of the civilian population, the nation will emerge victorious against the current challenges facing it.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

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The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday halted the execution of its judgement which freed Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), of terrorism charges.

A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal had faulted the Nigerian governments forcible repatriation of Mr Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria last year June to face terrorism charges over the IPOB leaders separatist campaigns.

Oludotun Adefope-Okojie who led the appellate courts panel had on 13 October held that the federal government broke local and international laws by forcibly re-arresting and returning Mr Kanu to Nigeria.

But in a ruling on Friday, Haruna Tsanami leading a panel of the Court of Appeal, in Abuja, ordered that the enforcement of the judgment releasing Mr Kanu be put on hold.

The federal government had applied that the execution of the judgment is suspended pending the resolution of its appeal filed at the Supreme Court.

Mr Tsanami in the ruling held that the counter-affidavit filed against the government application by Mr Kanus legal team led by Mike Ozekhome was misleading.

Background

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the court earlier rejected the federal governments request for adjournment of the hearing of the application to halt Mr Kanus release from detention after striking out a seven-count charge pending before Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

In his submission, the federal governments lawyer, David Kaswe, argued that the application for a stay of execution of the judgement was based on national security.

If Kanu is released, he may not be available to face his charges in court because he had already jumped bail before.

Releasing him will increase the state of insecurity in the South-east, Mr Kaswe contended.

Mr Kaswe urged the appellate court to grant the federal governments application and not release Mr Kanu.

But in his response, Mr Kanus lead lawyer, Mr Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said the federal governments stay of execution application was a ploy to overrule the judgment of the appellate court.

My lords should not allow them because it will cause chaos and anarchy.

The release of Kanu will bring peace to the South-east, so there is no need to stay execution where there is no valid appeal, Mr Ozekhome said.

On the issue that Mr Kanu had earlier jumped bail, Mr Ozekhome argued that the IPOB leader did not jump bail but escaped for his life when his home in Abia State, South-east Nigeria, was invaded by federal troops.

Mr Ozekhome also predicated his objection on the grounds that Mr Kanu had a terminal illness and needed comprehensive medical attention outside of the State Security Service (SSS) custody.

The senior lawyer asked the court to dismiss the application for a stay of execution saying that he would not ask for cost.

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In separate attacks, terrorists on Thursday night in Zamfara State abducted the district head of Birnin Tsaba, Alhaji Hashimu, an employee of the Federal University Gusau, and a student.

Birnin Tsaba, which is in Zurmi Local Government Area, is one of the most terrorized areas of the state.

A resident of the area, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said the terrorists are demanding N5 million ransom and the release of their motorcycles.

The terrorists who abducted the district head are believed to be loyal to Dan Karami, who holds sway in Zurmi (Zamfara state) and Jibia (Katsina state).

The problem is that the district head is known to support security agents in their fights against the terrorists, the source said, So, I learnt that on Wednesday, some policemen and vigilante members caught some bandits conveying two new motorcycles into the forest. The terrorists were not even arrested because there was no evidence that they were terrorists.

While the suspects were not arrested, the motorcycles were seized by the security officials.

The source said Dan Karami got angry and sent a message to the district head who said he would not interfere to get the motorcycles back for the terrorists.

They went to his house around 3:15 a.m and took him. They didnt kill any but took the traditional ruler away.

He didnt protest his abduction because he knew it could lead to bloodshed in the area, the source added.

He said that the terrorists have spoken to some of the negotiators and they said only the release of their motorcycles and the ransom would make them release the district head.

Gusau attack

In Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, terrorists invaded Damba estate and took away an official of the information unit of the Federal University Gusau, Kabir Rabiu, and a student, Sulaiman Lawal, from separate houses. Two other residents were also abducted during the attack.

Many students of the school and those from the Federal College of Education in Gusau live in the area due to its proximity to their schools.

A local journalist, Abdul Balarabe, told PREMIUM TIMES that attacks in Damba are becoming constant, threatening the state capital which is supposed to be safe.

The thing that surprises me is that I went to Damba area in Gusau two days ago around 12 oclock at night and I saw a lot of security personnel deployed to the area, a resident of the estate told PREMIUM TIMES.

From the police to the army and civil defence in every corner, checking points everywhere but still, yesterday the bandits attacked the place.

The terrorists kept firing shots in the area and it was only after they left that the soldiers and policemen came, the resident said, asking not to be named for security reasons.

The police spokesperson in Zamfara state, Mohammed Shehu, did not respond to calls and SMS asking for comments about the abductions.

Zamfara is one of the states most affected by the activities of terrorists, called bandits by locals, in the North-west.

The terrorists exist in different groups with different leaders. Thousands of people have been killed and kidnapped in the state by terrorists.

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The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Enoch Adeboye, says prayer remains the best option for peace in Nigeria and for ending the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.

Mr Adebayo made this known when he paid a courtesy visit to the Borno Deputy Governor, Usman Kadafur, at the Government House, Maiduguri, on Thursday.

Mr Adeboye said he arrived in the state on Wednesday and led worshippers to seek the face of God over the state of security and other challenges facing the country.

A combination of physical and spiritual battle had become necessary to end the menace.

Mr Adeboye said that spiritual intervention was needed side by side with the current anti-terrorism efforts in order to defeat Boko Haram and other extremist groups threatening Nigerias peace and security.

There are problems that you cannot solve with just human ability, it takes God to get some of these bandits to get to surrender.

Because even if you offer them everything, some of them may still turn their back and go back to what they were initially doing.

We have come to pray on the land. My congregation and I have been praying. I believe God wants me to step on the land and cry and pray for the land and we have been praying since Wednesday, he said.

Mr Adeboye explained that Maiduguri was the 16th place where his congregation held prayers.

We went around the world. The Church was in 196 locations globally.

Sir, I thank the almighty God for this meeting as this is the first time in my life visiting Maiduguri. I had always wanted to come long before now but somehow it has not been possible.

My wife and I and some of our officials have come here and seen for ourselves that the governor and his wonderful government have been doing a lot under very difficult situations.

We believe that if things had been easier this government could have done a lot more for the people.

In our own little corner at the headquarters in Lagos, we have tried whatever little bit we could to show the government that we are particularly interested in Borno state, Mr Adeboye said.

Enumerating some of his churchs interventions, the RCCG leader said, We built a little primary school, a skills acquisition and vocational training centre where different trades like shoe making, sewing and other trades are being learnt.

We also built accommodation for some of the displaced families and also contributed to the hospitals by bringing machines for kidney dialysis, but much more than that, we have been praying.

We have been praying because before these troublemakers came, Borno was one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria. I remember in those days, anyone could go anywhere here at any time of the day and night.

Mr Adeboye noted that the state was known for peace.

I was particularly touched when the Boko Haram crisis erupted.

There are problems that you cannot solve with just human ability, it takes Gods intervention.

The welcome we got in Borno is genuine. Please, express my love and well wishes to our beloved government, he added.

Speaking earlier, the deputy governor acknowledged the support of Mr Adeboye and other Christian faithful.

He also concurred with Mr Adeboye, saying that there was a need to fervently seek the intervention of God to end the 13-year-old insurgency that has ravaged the state.

We are happy that men of God like you are visiting our state to pray so that God can forgive us and restore peace, he said.

The deputy governor lauded the church for donating skills acquisition materials, supporting the IDPs, as well as donating a dialysis machine, adding that it would go a long way in uplifting the living standard of the people.

(NAN)

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New Development Bank to deploy $30 bn from 2022-2026

From:english.eastday.com | 2022-10-28 06:42

On October 25, the New Development Bank (NDB), in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance of China, hosted a workshop under the theme of Scaling Up Development Finance for a Sustainable Future. The workshop was held in a hybrid format both at NDBs Headquarters in Shanghai and online. The workshop was participated in by representatives from governments, diplomatic missions, development finance institutions, academic institutions, private sector entities and other members of the development community.

China, the BRICS Chair of 2022, took the initiative to incorporate the NDB-related topics into the outcomes of this years summit. China is always willing to work with all parties to build NDB into a new type of Multilateral Development Institution of the 21st century, and make contributions to the sustainable development of the member countries, said H.E. Mr. Kun Liu, NDBs Governor for China, Minister of Finance, the Peoples Republic of China, in his address to the workshop.

Two moderated panel sessions, focusing on Mobilising Resources for Sustainable Development and Expanding Development Impact respectively, explored how the Bank can contribute to global growth and sustainable development by helping address the needs and aspirations of emerging market economies and developing countries (EMDCs) over the next five years.

The workshop also discussed various aspects of NDBs General Strategy for 2022-2026, which was approved by the Banks Board of Governors in May, 2022. Mr. Marcos Troyjo, president of NDB said that NDB intends to deploy USD 30 billion from its balance sheet through loans, equity investments, and other tailored instruments over the 2022-2026 strategy cycle. In the same period it will also extend 30% of total financing in local currencies; provide 30% of total financing to non-sovereign operations; co-finance 20% of projects with partner Multilateral Development Banks; and direct 40% of total financing to projects contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation, including energy transition.

The New Development Bank (NDB) is a multilateral development bank established by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) in 2015. The NDB was created to be a global multilateral development bank, and its membership is open to all members of the United Nations. In 2021, the NDB admitted Bangladesh, Uruguay, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt as new member countries. The NDB has a robust and diversified portfolio of infrastructure and sustainable development projects. Since its establishment, the NDB has approved over 90 projects with a total amount of approximately USD 32 billion. As of end of Q3 2022, the Bank has approved 19 projects in China with loans totaling USD 7.15 billion.

Ever since the initial COVID-19 outbreak, NDB has played an important role in addressing the urgent needs of its member countries. The bank has committed to providing up to USD 10 billion for the crisis-related Emergency Assistance Facility, including USD 5 billion for member countries most urgent needs, including health-related current expenditures and social safety nets, as well as USD 5 billion to support economic recovery.
The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Oladayo Amao, an air marshal, says the Force would take delivery of additional fighter helicopters from the Federal Government before the end of December.

Mr Amao disclosed this on Thursday during the Force operation seminar with the theme: Harnessing Nigerian Air Force Combat Experience in Joint Military Operations for Doctrinal Development, held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Nigeria had last year acquired 12 A-29 Tucano Jets from the United States.

Mr Amao said the new aircraft to be acquired would boost Nigerian air power employment and projection capabilities as well as air combat training.

He added that the new delivery would be in addition to the already acquired 38 new aircraft since 2015.

Mr Amao listed the aircraft being expected to include: 2 Agusta 109 Trekker multi-role helicopters, 2 Beechcraft King Air 360, 4 Diamond DA-62 surveillance aircraft, 3 Wing Loong II UCAVs and 6 T-129 ATAK helicopters.

Others include 2 CASA-295 medium airlift/surveillance aircraft, 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters and 24 M-346 attack aircraft.

Under Mr Presidents able leadership, the federal government has, since 2015, acquired 38 new aircraft to boost training and combat readiness of the NAF.

A few of these additional platforms are expected to be delivered to the Nigerian Air Force in December 2022 while others are to be delivered with effect from 2023, Mr Amao said.

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The air chief also disclosed that the operatives had neutralised the activities of terrorists in the country through intensive air interdiction of their locations and facilities.

According to him, the persistent strikes by the air force have not only degraded the resources of the bandits but have disrupted their supply lines and denied them their freedom of movement.

Mr Amao also congratulated the newly-winged young pilots and urged them to be prepared for the arduous task ahead in their operational environment.

Like I advised during the last winging ceremony, you must be relentless in the pursuit of excellence and professionalism, while working with your colleagues across other specialities in the service.

Let me use this opportunity to remind you that in the conduct of NAF operations, we must always adhere to laid down Rules of Engagement.

It is mandatory that we also protect civilians and minimise civilian casualties during our operations, he advised.

Mr Amao said he had set up a committee of officers to compile all allegations of accidental strikes on civilians as well as review the circumstances leading to such strikes in the course of operation.

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his unflinching support, through which the Nigerian Air Force achieved its current level of operational effectiveness.

In his remarks, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom commended the Nigerian Air Force for their relentless efforts in combating the insurgents.

Mr Emmanuel said that under the current leadership of the Chief of the Air Staff, the Nigerian Air Force was experiencing professionalism in securing the nation.

The governor said that no development could take place in an insecure environment and pledged his commitment towards the advancement of the Nigerian Air Force.

He lauded the Air Force for the choice of Akwa Ibom for the seminar, adding that the Force had lived up to its statutory responsibilities.

(NAN)

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called for more partnership with Civil Society Organisations (CSO) toward cleaning the nations voters register, ahead of 2023 poll.

INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, said this at the commissions quarterly meeting with the CSOs in Abuja on Thursday.

Mr Yakubu said 12,298,944 new voters successfully completed their registrations at the just concluded Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

He said that after a rigorous cleaning-up of the data using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), a total of 2,780,756 (22.6 per cent) was identified as ineligible registrants and invalidated from the record, as a result of double/multiple registrations, under aged persons and out rightly fake registrations.

He said that after the delisting of the ineligible registrants, a total of 9,518,188 newly registered voters has been added to the exiting 84,004,084 voters which gave Nigeria a total of preliminary 93,522,272 registered voters.

Mr Yakubu said that in accordance to the law, the commission would be publishing the hard copies of the new register at designated centres of the 8,809 Registration Areas (Wards) and 774 LGAs across the country and the entire register on its website from Saturday, 12 November to Friday, 25 November for claim and objections by Nigerians.

I will like to appeal to all Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the display to scrutinize the list and help us to clean it further so that the final register of voters for the 2023 general elections can be compiled and published.

We played our own part which is to do the initial cleaning up of the register, but the law required that Nigerians should help us and that is why were printing 9.3 million copies of the register and display same at the wards and local governments nationwide.

Let me once again appeal to civil society and Nigerians in general to please when we paste the list, check and scrutinise so that if there are still ineligible persons in the register kindly draw our attention to it so that at the end of the day well have a clearer and better register for the election, he said.

On the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), Mr Yakubu said that INEC was working to ensure the completion of printing of remaining PVCs for new voters and those that applied for transfer or the replacement of their lost or damaged cards.

He said that in the coming days, INEC would inform Nigerians of its plan to ensure a seamless collection of the PVCs.

Since the end of the CVR in July this year we have been working to ensure that citizens have a pleasant experience when they come to collect their cards including collaboration with civil society organisations for a pilot exercise in the Federal Capital Territory.

We have been doing a pilot of some of the civil society organisations and the FCT, we are exploring the possibility of scaling up the FCT pilot for nationwide application and we have been receiving separate letters from several civil society organisations offering to partner with the commission to ensure a seamless collection of the PVCs.

At this meeting we will discuss both the FCT pilot, what we are doing with the CSOs and any other proposal the CSOs have to help us.

This is our elections, it is not the INEC election. It is Nigeria elections. It is when we come together that we can have the kind of credible elections that We all expect.

It is not just for INEC alone. It is for all of us as Nigerians and we will make every information available to every conscientious individual or group that want to partner with the commission to deliver credible elections in 2023, he said.

He called for the continued support of the CSOs, saying the ultimate objective of the commission was to deliver a credible election in 2023.

Speaking on behalf of the CSOs, the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Women Trust Fund, Mufuliat Fijabi, expressed the organisations commitment to enhancing the process of election in Nigeria.

(NAN)

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The United States Government has conceded to a sentence of house detention for Ebony Mayfield, after she confessed to helping Air Peace founder, Allen Onyema, to perpetrate an alleged $20 million fraud.

She was charged in 2019 at the District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta under a law that provides for maximum five years jail term for her offence.

The sentencing guideline also provides for a mandatory imprisonment with full restitution of the gains derived from the alleged crime.

The US government accused her of signing and submitting fake documents between 2016 and 2018 to help Mr Onyema, owner of Air Peace, a major Nigerian commercial airline, to move $20 million from Nigeria to the US in a money laundering scheme.

But Ms Mayfield after pleading guilty, on 29 June, to the charge of signing fake documents to help facilitate the alleged fraud, applied to the trial court for a variance of sentence.

Ahead of her sentencing by the judge, Eleanor Ross, today (Friday), Ms Mayfield, through her lawyer, in the document, filed an application for downward review of sentence on 13 October.

Her lawyer, Manubir Arora, leaded with the judge in the court filing to sentence her to a conditional release instead of imprisonment.

He said the woman, who was arrested and charged in 2019, had tried to make amends for her actions by confessing to law enforcement when arrested, cooperating with federal authorities as the investigation continued, and finally, accepting responsibility.

In its response filed on 21 October the prosecution team led by Ryan Buchan, the US government requests that the court impose a sentence at the low end of the Guidelines Range.

More specifically, the government requests that the court impose a sentence of probation that includes six months of home detention

Supervised release

The US governments request is a concession to the defendants request for supervised release.

The defence team, in the request, asked for a probated sentence or what they called a conditional release for their clients, arguing that imprisonment is not the only form of punishment.

They stressed that probation alone is a viable alternative form of punishment.

If given probated sentence, Ms Mayfields lawyers said, her travel will be restricted and her associations will be regulated.

She will also be subject to random searches of her person and premises and subject to other special conditions such as house arrest and intermittent confinement.

In Ms Mayfields case, probation serves all the goals of sentencing even though the guidelines may call for imprisonment, her court filing said.

Confessions

Hoping to put this unfortunate series of choices behind her, she had confessed that Mr Onyema paid her a total of $20,000 for the part she played in the scheme between 2016 and 2018.

She conceded that she behaved irrationally by signing fake documents to help Mr Onyema carry out the money laundering and bank fraud involving $20 million.

She said her participation in the fraud had brought shame upon her family.

Alleged fraud

Mr Onyema engaged the bartender and nightclub dancer as a manager for his Atlanta, Gerogia-based Springfield Aviation Company LLC in 2016.

The Air Peace founder set up the firm to, purportedly, specialise in the wholesaling, trading, and sale of commercial aircraft and parts.

The US government said, Mr Onyema engaged Ms Mayfield to enter into aviation-related contracts on behalf of Springfield Aviation, despite her lack of education, training, or licensing in the review and valuation of aircraft and aircraft components.

In her plea bargain that she filed in June, she confessed to signing and submitting fake documents enabling a $20 million credit disbursement from Nigeria to US bank accounts, purportedly for Air Peace to buy five Boeing 737 passenger planes from Springfield Aviation.

The fake documents allegedly submitted by the conspirators, according to the US prosecutors, included fabricated purchase agreements, bills of sale, and valuation.

Both Air Peace, a major Nigerian commercial airline, and the purported aircraft seller, Springfield Aviation, are owned by My Onyema.

Prosecutors alleged that the aircraft referenced in the letters of credit and other fake documents submitted with respect to the deal were already owned by Air Peace. None of them ever belonged to Springfield Aviation, the prosecution said

They also alleged that Mr Onyema founded and used Springfield Aviation to facilitate large transfers of funds from his Nigerian bank accounts to the United States.

Mr allegedly moved about $15 million from Springfield Aviations account with a Wells Fargo Bank branch in Atlanta, Georgia, to his personal savings account with the same bank in 27 transactions in 2017.

The flagged 27 transactions took place between 22 March and 29 November 2017.

Mr Onyema and Air Peace Limiteds Head of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, are facing 36 charges at the District Court in Atlanta, in connection with the alleged $20 million fraudulent scheme.

Among the charges preferred against them are bank fraud, credit application fraud and money laundering.

Each of the flagged 27 online transfers carried out by Mr Onyema within nine months in 2017 involved values ranging from $100,000 to $1 million.

The transactions totalled $15.14 million.

Each of the 27 transactions stands alone as a charge of money laundering.

Under the money laundering charges, prosecutors alleged that both Messrs Onyema and Eghagha, aided and abetted by others, attempted to engage in a monetary transaction involving a financial institution, with effect on interstate and foreign commerce.

They alleged that each of the transactions involved more than $10,000 criminally derived from unlawful activities including bank fraud and credit application fraud.

In November 2020, the government of the state of Georgia dissolved Springfield Aviation over its failure to file its annual registration and/or failure to maintain a registered agent or registered office in this state.

Mr Onyema denied all the allegations of fraud levelled against him when the charges against him were unveiled by the US government in 2019.

Although he said the charges did not reflect his personality as a business owner, he and his co-defendant have yet to appear in court.

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The State Security Service (SSS) has confirmed that its officials conducted a search operation at an estate in Abuja. It, however, denied that the operation was conducted in partnership with American soldiers.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the search operation at the TradeMoore estate in Lugbe on Monday. Officials at the estate said two suspected terrorists were arrested during the operation. The chairman of the residents association at the estate said the operation was conducted alongside U.S. forces.

The SSS, which is believed to have led the operation, had kept mum about it, until Friday.

I can categorically tell you that we did not carry out any joint operation with American Soldiers as being widely reported in the media, Peter Afunanya, the SSS spokesperson, told PRNigeria.

Though we carried out an operation in an Abuja Estate with sister agencies, no foreign troops were involved, he said.

Mr Afunanya did not speak on the exact number of suspects arrested as well as their identity.

The operation at TradeMoore followed a travel advisory by the US and the UK governments advising their citizens to avoid Nigeria, particularly Abuja, due to fear of terrorist attack.

Since the Sunday advisory by the US, many other foreign missions have issued similar advisories, PREMIUM TIMES reported.

The Nigerian government has, however, advised citizens not to panic and said security agencies were working hard to prevent any attack.

The US Department of State in a further escalation of the threat approved the departure of its citizens willing to leave Nigeria due to the alert. The US embassy also suspended consular services in Abuja.

A popular mall, Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja, also shut down on Thursday citing security reasons.

However, the Nigerian government through the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, condemned the US and UK advisories. The government insisted that Nigeria, including the capital Abuja, is safe. Mr Mohammed said all countries including the US have their own challenges.

ALSO READ: SSS calls for calm amidst fears of terror attack in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has also urged Nigerians to be calm but vigilant.

According to a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, Mr Buhari also advised the nations security establishment and entire citizens to continue being vigilant and careful with security, saying it is important to avoid panic.

Nigeria is facing various forms of insecurity including attacks by Boko Haram and its affiliates in the North-east, armed bandits in the North-west and North-central and violent secessionists in the South-east.

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A group, ARDA Development Communication Inc. (ARDA-DCI), has urged sexual responders and journalists to identify their personal biases and assumptions before engaging with survivors of Gender-Based Violence.

Juliet Olumuyiwa-Rufai, a manager at Mirabel Sexual Assault Centre, told participants on Thursday in Lagos at the Interpersonal Communication and Counselling training on the Open Arms Project.

The project is a two-day training aimed at equipping school counsellors and responders of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence with the required skills to respond to survivors.

Mrs Olumuyiwa-Rufai said the abused should be addressed as survivors and not victims.

Use the word survivor instead of victim to address the abused, she said. You (the abused) have survived it to this point.

She urged participants to exude empathy, adding that every meeting with the survivor is an opportunity for the service provider to strengthen relationships with the survivors.

GBV responders must be respectful, show empathy, have listening and observation skills and be genuine with survivors, she said.

Do not coerce them, dont discriminate, dont be judgemental, respect their choices.

She urged journalists to refrain from describing survivors of gender-based violence in their reports.

READ ALSO:

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, she highlighted some challenges that they have encountered in service delivery.

Threats from community members, perpetrators and this discourages reporting, she said.

Funding, inadequate infrastructure, for instance, shelter, if you see a survivor that needs to be rescued but you dont have adequate shelter to help.

Untrained responders, impunity, harmful cultural practices that enable gender-based violence to thrive.

She explained that some such as the widowhood practice, children given as brides to offset the debt that their parents have incurred, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), naming and shaming of the survivors instead of instead of shaming the perpetrators.

The project manager, Tawakalit Kareem, said that the country currently has less than 40 sexual assault referral centres and it is not sufficient.

She said the organisation has partnered with some sexual assault referral centres in Lagos and Borno to ensure that survivors can access physical help.

She further said the trainees will be having a step down training at their various organizations.

Mrs Kareem also urged survivors to call 08000202020 to access help.

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South Africas government has expressed disapproval of a US alert warning of a possible terrorist attack in the former.

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa at a press conference on Thursday described as unfortunate the alert issued by the US which he said was done without consulting the South African government.

The US had Wednesday warned of a possible terrorist attack on Saturday in South Africa.

The US government has received information that terrorists may be planning to conduct an attack targeting large gatherings of people at an unspecified location in the greater Sandton area of Johannesburg, South Africa, on 29 October 2022, the US said in a statement.

In his reaction, President Ramaphosa said, It is quite unfortunate the US issued that type of warning without having any type of discussion with us.

Any form of alert will come from the government of the Republic of South Africa and it is unfortunate that another government should issue such a threat as to send panic amongst our people, Mr Ramaphosa was quoted as saying by AFP.

In its advisory, the US embassy in South Africa noted that it did not have further information regarding the timing, method, or target of the potential attack.

It advised its staff to avoid crowds of people and other large public gatherings in the greater Sandton area of Johannesburg during the weekend of 29-30 October.

In another response, the South African government said it noted the terror alert issued by the US.

It is the responsibility of the South African security forces to ensure that all people within our country feel safe, it said.

The government noted that law enforcement agencies continue to monitor for any threats to citizens, South Africa and its sovereignty.

Threats are assessed continuously and are acted upon to ensure the safety of all. Should the need arise, the South African government will be the first to inform the public about any imminent threat, the government assured South Africans.

About three days before its advisory in South Africa, the US also issued a similar alert in Nigeria, warning of a potential terror attack in the capital, Abuja. It also authorised the voluntary evacuation of its citizens from Nigeria and suspended consular services in the Nigerian capital.

Many other Western foreign missions have alerted their citizens to avoid travelling to Nigeria and advised those in Nigeria to be cautious since the US issued its advisory.

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For now all the victims of the conflict can do is utilise international instruments to seek justice outside of Liberia. Liberia is a member of the United Nations and signed the UN Human Rights Declaration and other global human rights charters. The current trail of Kunti K. is being held under the legal principle of universal jurisdiction, which states that crimes committed against all of humanity know no borders and can be tried anywhere in the world.

PARIS, France. The trial of former Ulimo battalion commander, Kunti Kamara aka Kunti K. has ended its third week. Kamara is being tried for crimes against humanity, torture, forced labour and acts of barbarism, in the town of Foya in Lofa County, Western Liberia, where the accused has admitted he was stationed for four months in 1993. More than a dozen Liberian witnesses appearing before the panel of three judges and six jurors have recounted terrifying stories of how Kunti K. and fellow Ulimo commanders, allegedly forced the civilian population, under harsh conditions, to trek hundreds of miles to and from the Guinean border with looted items, including dismantled parts of an electric plant, cars, motorbike engines and household items. The forced marches, as they are referred to by the court, often happened without food, water or rest stops and those who expressed or exhibited exhaustion were flogged or killed for slowing down.

The trial has heard testimonies from victims, as well as secondary witnesses of rape, gang-rape, looting, arson, murder, mass murder and cannibalism, all allegedly meted out to the population of Foya. The accused has denied all the allegations. He has admitted being a battalion commander of Ulimo but said his activities were limited to the battlefront. Kunti has also acknowledged knowing, and in some instances, interacting with Ulimo fighters whose names feature prominently in these proceedings. Among them are Ugly Boy, Fine Boy, Deku, Alieu Kosiah and Mohammed Dumbuyan, all of whom witnesses have cited as being responsible for allegedly committing some of the most horrifying crimes. Kunti said he reported to his commanders: Deku and Mohammed Dumbuyan.

I have had a front row seat at this trial, as I have at the trials of Mohammed Jabateh and Thomas Woewiyu in my adopted city of Philadelphia, USA. On some occasions, as in this one, I have been called on to testify about my role as a journalist during the first civil war, when I witnessed suffering that still haunts me. I am also called to testify about my role as one of nine commissioners on the countrys Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which heard the wrenching testimonies of 22,000 survivors of the brutal and depraved Liberian war.

The questions I am asked by lawyers, journalists and court watchers in every case are: Why is this trial happening here in Paris with French judges and juries or in Philadelphia with American judges and juries? Why is it not taking place at home in Liberia? And how do Liberians feel about these trials taking place so far away?

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States Congress passed a resolution affirming its support for the full implementation of the TRC recommendations and called upon the Government of Liberia to establish the war crimes court. Unfortunately, all such calls have been ignored. The Government of Liberia has indicated zero possibility that the war crimes court will happen.

This is what I tell them: It has been 19 years since the end of the Liberian civil war and the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) that paved the way for peace. As part of ensuring post-war stability, promotion of peace, national unity and reconstruction, the CPA called for the creation of institutions, including a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that would investigate what happened in Liberia. The TRC was tasked with advancing recommendations that were to address accountability, peace and reconciliation. It has been 13 years since the end of the work of the TRC and submission of its final report, with recommendations for how to move the country forward. Key amongst the recommendations was the establishment of a War Crimes Court to hold those bearing the greatest responsibility for the gross human rights violations committed during the war accountable. Till date, nobody in Liberia has been held accountable for the major crimes committed during in the war. There have been two democratically elected governments since then and neither has mustered the courage or the political will to implement the TRC recommendations.

As we all know, some of those named in the TRCs Final Report  including major warlords  are in government, holding high profile public offices, including in the House of Representatives and the Senate. These warlords and their cohorts also have economic strength, since their political positions afford them the opportunity to amass wealth at the expense of their victims, whom they now rule. They are some of the richest Liberians today.

This situation creates a precarious position for the creation of the war crimes court. Despite resounding calls for accountability from broad-based Liberians and members of the international community, the legislature, which has received two bills to create a court, has sat on its hands. In January 2018, eighty regional national and international civil society groups issued an open letter calling upon President George Weah to implement the TRC recommendations and establish the war crimes court. Later that year the United Nations Human Rights Committee also called on the Government of Liberia to establish a process to bring about accountability for past war crimes. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States Congress passed a resolution affirming its support for the full implementation of the TRC recommendations and called upon the Government of Liberia to establish the war crimes court. Unfortunately, all such calls have been ignored. The Government of Liberia has indicated zero possibility that the war crimes court will happen. The entrenched culture of impunity in Liberia, lack of political will and courage on the part of the current Liberian government means hope by the Liberian people for wartime accountability remains elusive.

Finally alleged perpetrators who once saw themselves as being invincible and untouchable are held accountable in a court of law. The trials says that Liberians have not been forgotten by the rest of the world. Once powerless, depressed and hopeless victims of the war are being resuscitated with hope that justice can occur, even if it is outside of Liberia and adjudicated by strangers. For now this justice is all they have.

Kunti K. is the second person being tried directly for crimes allegedly committed in Liberia. The first to answer for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Liberia was Alieu Kosiah, also a former Ulimo commander, who was arrested, tried, convicted by a Swiss court, and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. Kosiah is appealing his conviction. Jabateh aka Jungle Jabbah and Thomas Woewiyu, former Defence Minister of the NPFL of Charles Taylor, accused of committing similar crimes, were instead convicted for lying about their war time activities on their immigration forms to gain legal status in the United States.

For now all the victims of the conflict can do is utilise international instruments to seek justice outside of Liberia. Liberia is a member of the United Nations and signed the UN Human Rights Declaration and other global human rights charters. The current trail of Kunti K. is being held under the legal principle of universal jurisdiction, which states that crimes committed against all of humanity know no borders and can be tried anywhere in the world. For victims who continue to wait, hoping for justice, these trials represent their best hope for any iota of justice.

For such Liberians, these trials serve as validation of the pain and suffering at the hands of their abusers. Finally alleged perpetrators who once saw themselves as being invincible and untouchable are held accountable in a court of law. The trials says that Liberians have not been forgotten by the rest of the world. Once powerless, depressed and hopeless victims of the war are being resuscitated with hope that justice can occur, even if it is outside of Liberia and adjudicated by strangers. For now this justice is all they have.

Massa Amelia Washington is a former Commissioner with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia.

This commentary was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West African Justice Reporting Project.

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The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, on Thursday, commended Jigawa as the first state to be declared Open Defecation-Free (ODF), having met all requirements stipulated in the protocol.

Mr Adamu said this at a world news conference in preparation for the 2022 World Toilet Summit in November.

He said that Jigawa had blazed the trail and deserved commendation for its dedication to the work of becoming ODF.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the National Task Group on Sanitation had declared the state ODF during an announcement, virtually at the NTGS monthly meeting.

NAN reports that before attaining the ODF status, communities would have eliminated open defecation and imbibed total sanitation practices, which include personal, environmental and domestic hygiene.

The communities would have also had 100 per cent toilet use and increased ownership and sustainability of hygiene and sanitation services.

The minister also commended the Clean Nigeria campaign team and UNICEF for their steadfastness to the National Roadmap of making Nigeria Open Defecation Free by 2025.

According to him, the summit which Nigeria is hosting is a platform for stakeholders, development partners and high-level decision-makers to better strategise and address in-country sanitation challenges.

They will proffer solutions that will help to resolve the issues around open defecation. It is also a perfect opportunity to mobilise national engagement in the sector by different stakeholders, especially the private sector.

It is important at this point to effectively communicate the activities lined up for the summit to all Nigerians and the other stakeholders across the world.

With the hosting right granted to Nigeria, it is expected that it will be a massive boost to the campaign in such a way that the information about ending the menace of open defecation will be taken to all nooks and crannies of the country, Mr Adamu said.

He said Nigeria was not relenting in its efforts in ensuring that all the 774 local government areas in the country are open defecation free.

Mr Adamu said that the summit would showcase lively discussions on behavioural change, new sanitation projects and programmes.

He, however, said Nigeria needs all the support it can get in ensuring that all initiatives gain traction, recognising the significant role of the private sector in boosting the sanitation value chain.

The minister said this would create a circular economy across the value chain which could boost the countrys economic indices and have positive impacts across other sectors.

(NAN)

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Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Thursday, led heads of security agencies in the state on a visit to Nsukka-Ugwogo-Nike-Opi Road in Ekwegbe Community Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area.

The visit followed recent kidnap incidents along the road.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that gunmen on Sunday abducted scores of students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka who were returning to the institution for their resumed academic activities.

The gunmen also abducted an unspecified number of yet-to-be-identified travellers along the road.

Mr Ugwuanyi was accompanied by the General Commanding Officer (GCO), 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Umar Musa; the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ahmed Ammani; the Director, State Security Service in the state, H.M. Daluwa; and the Commander, 82 Division, Garrison Command of the Nigerian Army, M.K. Ibrahim, among others.

The GOC, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Mr Musa, who spoke on behalf of other heads of security agencies, told reporters during the visit that the people who attacked students and others on the highway are purely kidnappers.

READ ALSO:

He assured that the combined team of the security agencies would take further steps to rescue the abducted victims.

I assure you that we are going to go deep into the bush to pursue them and ensure they do not perpetrate more harm along the road, he said.

These criminals will be fished out and they will be dealt with.

Mr Musa, a major general, advised residents of the state not to spread falsehood through social media, but report any security breach to the security agencies for action.

We are here. You can see the deployment (of security agencies in this area). This state is peaceful, but once in a while you have criminal (attacks), he added.

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MADRID, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Brussels has become alert to Algeria's moves to further strengthen its ties with Russia and Iran. According to a study by the Instituto Coordenadas de Gobernanza y Economia Aplicada based on sources in the European Parliament, a large group of MEPs have warned that Algeria continues to violate human rights, as well as revealing that the African country could provide the Polisario Front with Iranian drones, which could be used against Morocco, thus increasing geopolitical tension in the area.

In a question in the European Parliament, Spanish MEP Antonio Lopez-Isturiz (EPP) said that a representative of the Polisario Front claimed that Iran will supply drones to the Polisario Front and asked what measures the EU will take to prevent the use of these drones and the escalation of conflicts in the region, asking about measures to prevent Iran from entering the Sahara and Sahel regions.

The use of such equipment in Western Sahara poses a serious risk to the already fragile security and stability of the region and the Sahel. Iran's influence in the region poses a clear risk to the 1991 UN ceasefire agreement and jeopardises the peace process, the work of the UN mission in Western Sahara and the diplomatic efforts of the UN Secretary-General's personal envoy to establish new talks with the parties. Further instability in the Sahara and the Sahel will negatively affect European security, especially those in the Mediterranean arc.

The Coordinates Institute's analysis also warns of joint Russian-Algerian naval manoeuvres, with warships from both countries, in the Mediterranean, which the Algerian government confirmed earlier this week.

The manoeuvres are in addition to other military exercises carried out by both countries in the past, both in the Caucasus and in Siberia. The Algerian army and the Russian army are also scheduled to carry out manoeuvres in the desert of the North African country in November.

Several MEPs from the European People's Party have submitted a written question to the Commission on these joint military manoeuvres. In the wake of Putin's invasion of Ukraine and against a background of increasing insecurity in the Sahel and Sahara regions, this military collaboration, according to the parliamentary question, "is extremely worrying not only for peace and security, but also for the interests of the West and the European Union".

The assessment also includes the letter that a group of MEPs have sent to the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, in which they warn that the Algerian regime is systematically acting against human rights and basic freedoms by persecuting activists who demand freedom and transparency.

Coordenadas Vice-President believes that now is the time to call for intense political and diplomatic action by Europe in the conflict, with one voice. Failure to confront this geopolitical reality now will be a serious problem in the very near future.

SOURCE Instituto Coordenadas
The joint venture which was announced earlier this year will operate under the name YFA Automotive Safety and will develop, produce, and commercialize inflators for automotive airbag applications. Prime Minister of North Macedonia Mr. Dimitar Kovacevski, ambassadors from both China and USA, and other high-ranking representatives participated in today's official founding ceremony at ARC's manufacturing site in Skopje, North Macedonia.

This joint venture includes state-of-the-art equipment and production lines spanning 22,000 square meters, which is shared with 400 employees from ARC Automotive in Skopje. The joint venture is looking to hire an additional 100 employees over the next few years in North Macedonia.

With the joint venture, ARC will further strengthen its footprint in Europe and better serve its customers and European OEMs. In addition, Yanfeng is expanding its safety product portfolio in Europe and further enhancing its expertise. As inflator devices are a core component of the airbag module, they are strategically important for Yanfeng. With this partnership, Yanfeng can offer all customers in Europe a complete range of inflators for all airbag applications, including driver, passenger, side curtain, and knee airbags, in addition to its other safety products such as steering wheels and seat belts.

"Our relationship with Yanfeng has been established for many years and I'm glad that both of our companies will work closely together in this new joint venture. We will primarily serve the European market, but plan to expand quickly over time to other markets. Thanks to this partnership we can accelerate our development activities, expand our customer base and grow together in all regions," said Alex Qin, CEO ARC Automotive Inc.

"Today marks an important milestone for our company on the way to the planned growth and localization of our production outside of China, as well as on the way to the globalization of our safety business," said Mike Hague, Vice President and General Manager of Yanfeng Safety Systems in Europe and North America.

For more information please contact:

Robert Knight

VP Sales & Marketing, ARC Automotvie

Tel.: +1 586 530 2545

E-Mail: [email protected]

About ARC

ARC Automotive, Inc. is a global manufacturer that produces a full complement of inflators for automotive airbag applications (driver, passenger, side, head, knee, seat, seatbelt, and curtain). With nearly 70 years of design expertise in inflator technology, ARC Automotive is committed to providing customers innovative, high-quality products and services.

For more information, please visit www.arcautomotive.com.

About Yanfeng

Yanfeng is a leading global automotive supplier, focusing on interior, exterior, seating, cockpit electronics and passive safety. Yanfeng has more than 240 locations and approximately 55,000 employees worldwide. The technical team of 4,200 experts is located at 10 R&D centers and other regional offices, with complete capabilities including engineering & software development, design and user experience, and test validation. Focusing on smart cabin and lightweight technology, Yanfeng supports automakers to explore future mobile spaces and provide leading cabin solutions. For more information, please visit www.yanfeng.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1929435/IMG_2365.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1929436/25102022_PVRSM_Kovacevski_YFA_Automotiv_3_960x719.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1929437/25102022_PVRSM_Kovacevski_YFA_Automotiv_6.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1817716/ARC_Logo.jpg

SOURCE ARC Automotive, Inc.
MUNICH, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co., Ltd. ("Zoomlion"; 1157.HK) is exhibiting a new series of tower cranes and pump trucks that are specially customized for the European market at the bauma 2022 trade show, taking place from October 24 to 30 in Munich, Germany.

"Zoomlion's global blueprint leverages our frontier technologies, extensive front-line service experience, and combines market insights from our European subsidiaries Wilber and CIFA to expand our localization and customization strategy, bringing more products to European customers that will better serve their needs and construction projects," said Fan Zhide, Assistant General Manager of Zoomlion Overseas Company.

The R-generation tower cranes are making their debut at bauma 2022. As a tailor-made product targeting the European market, R220-10S is a flat-top crane offering 15 boom length combinations to adapt to various construction conditions. The standard configuration comes with one-click superlift, in-load speed, zero-speed hovering and one-button debugging to achieve smooth operation and precise control enabling efficient construction.

Sharing the same technical advantages of R220-10S, the R90-5RE flat-top crane adopts a round tenon tower body with lower wind resistance that makes it ideal for small housing construction projects.

Wilbert, Zoomlion's subsidiary in Germany, is also exhibiting a series of products including the WT360 flat-top crane, which has industry-leading lifting capacity, operation accuracy and safety among products of the same class.

Zoomlion released several intelligent pump trucks developed and manufactured in Europe, including two high-end models 36X-5Z and 43X-5RZ that feature high-precision, efficient pumping control, adaptive material pumping and active boom shock absorption technologies to meet different pumping needs, improve pumping efficiency and adaptability, and ensure steadier operation and construction safety.

Its European subsidiary CIFA has also debuted the world's most advanced hybrid mixing concrete spreader at bauma 2022, alongside a presentation of its top pump truck products.

Zoomlion brings a total of 55 new products to bauma where half of the products are made in Europe. The company is also hosting a series of product releases, seminars and roadshows at booth FS905/2.

"2022 marks the 30th anniversary of Zoomlion, and we have grown into a globally leading construction machinery manufacturer. It is Zoomlion's commitment to continue developing in international markets with products and services that not only serve local customers, but also build a better future together," added Fan.

SOURCE Zoomlion
Wall Street Journal reporter's new book follows the harrowing Afghanistan deployment of storied unit Bravo Company

WHO:

Ben Kesling, Tim Kennedy, Dakota Meyer, Bravo Company unit members, Grill Your Ass Off

WHAT:

Multi-event celebration for the release of Bravo Company, the launch of Tim Kennedy Book Club, and a workout to promote veteran suicide prevention initiatives

WHEN:

Tuesday, November 1, 2022, 7:30 am  8:30 am

The Dash Gym (7:30 am workout)

488 Bailey Ln.

Spicewood, TX 78669

Tuesday, November 1, 2022, 12:00 pm  2:00 pm

Black Pearl Books

7112 Burnet Rd.

Austin, TX 78757

Tuesday, November 1, 2022, 7:00 pm  9:00 pm

Sheepdog Response

1754 Bagdad Rd.

Unit D

Cedar Park, TX 78613

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, November 1, Wall Street Journal reporter and veteran Ben Kesling will release his new book, Bravo Company, and mark the occasion with events throughout Austin. Bravo Company spotlights Bravo Company 2-508's harrowing deployment to the Arghandab River Valley and its aftermath.

Ben Kesling's Bravo Company releases on November 1, 2022.

Kesling's book shares the story of the war in Afghanistan through the eyes of the men of one unit, part of a combat-hardened parachute infantry regiment in the 82nd Airborne Division. A decade ago, the soldiers of Bravo Company deployed to Afghanistan for a deployment in Kandahar's notorious Arghandab Valley. By the time they made it home, three soldiers had been killed in action, a dozen more had lost limbs, and an astonishing half of the company had Purple Hearts.

"I wrote Bravo Company using the language of an infantryman so civilians and military families can better understand the realities of combat and what it means to return home," says author Ben Kesling. "I also wrote it so that soldiers who have been there might better understand their own experiences of war and of being a veteran. Few books take readers through the gritty truth of a combat deployment and then bring readers back home to see the aftermath of war."

The day's events will begin with a custom Workout Of The Day (or WOD) at The Dash gym, owned and operated by Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer. The workout, available locally and virtually, will reflect the power of physical activity and camaraderie as tools to prevent suicide.

The latest report released by the Pentagon on October 20, shows that while the suicide rate among Veterans is improving, there is still a clear need. 519 Veterans died by suicide in 2021 ( VA report ) and 278 through the second quarter of 2022. That is 278 too many. In fact, four times as many post-9/11 veterans have died by suicide than in combat.

Several members of Bravo Company will be participating in the workout. Those members and Meyer will be available for media interviews if requested.

Following the workout, Kesling will attend a book signing event at Black Pearl Books. Kesling will be available for media interviews, if requested.

The day's events will conclude with a parking lot party at Tim Kennedy's Sheepdog Response. Kennedy, a longtime advocate for veteran suicide prevention, is launching the Tim Kennedy Book Club, and has selected Bravo Company as its inaugural read. Kennedy will be available for media interviews, if requested. Veteran-owned Grill Your Ass Off, an outspoken supporter of veteran causes, will be providing food to event attendees. Kennedy and Grill Your Ass Off's Jason Murff will be available for media interviews, if requested.

Guests are encouraged to donate, if they feel compelled, to veteran service organizations The Independence Fund and TAPS .

Media Contact:

Caroline Arey, Strategic Messaging Director

[email protected]

(704)-608-8770

SOURCE The Independence Fund
NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The breakfast cereals market size in Europe is expected to grow by USD 1.40 billion from 2021 to 2026. In addition, the growth momentum of the market will accelerate at a CAGR of 4.93% during the forecast period, according to Technavio. This growth can be attributed to the increasing demand for breakfast cereals. However, fluctuations in food prices can hamper the growth of the market during the next few years.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Breakfast Cereals Market in Europe 2022-2026

View a comprehensive report summary that describes the market size and forecast along with the research methodology. The FREE sample report is available in PDF format

Breakfast Cereals Market in Europe 2022-2026: Scope

The breakfast cereals market in Europe report covers the following areas:

Subscribe to our "Lite Plan" billed annually at USD 5000 that enables you to download 5 reports and view 100 reports per month

Breakfast Cereals Market in Europe 2022-2026: Segmentation

Distribution Channel

Offline: The offline segment will be the largest contributor to market growth during the forecast period. The offline channel includes supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, and other retail stores. The sales of breakfast cereals in the region have increased. Consumers prefer these stores, as they have a wide variety of breakfast cereals under a single roof. These factors will drive market growth during the forecast period.



Online

Geography

UK



Germany



France



Italy



Rest Of Europe

Learn about the contribution of each segment summarized in concise infographics and thorough descriptions. View a FREE PDF Sample Report

Breakfast Cereals Market in Europe 2022-2026: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the Breakfast Cereals Market in Europe, including Alara Wholefoods Ltd., Associated British Foods plc, B and G Foods Inc., BellRing Brands Inc., Bobs Red Mill Natural Foods Inc., Cerealto Siro Foods S.L, Food For Life Baking Co. Inc., General Mills Inc., Kellogg Co., Mars Inc., Mornflake, mymuesli AG, Nestle SA, Orkla ASA, PepsiCo Inc., Post Holdings Inc., Pristine Organics Pvt. Ltd., The Hain Celestial Group Inc., and WW International Inc. are some of the major market participants. The key offerings of some of these vendors are listed below:

Alara Wholefoods Ltd. - The company offers breakfast cereal products such as super foods Muesli with wholegrain oats and barley.

The company offers breakfast cereal products such as super foods Muesli with wholegrain oats and barley. Bobs Red Mill Natural Foods Inc. - The company offers breakfast cereal products such as Oatmeal packets, Maple sea salt Granola, and peanut butter Granola.

The company offers breakfast cereal products such as Oatmeal packets, Maple sea salt Granola, and peanut butter Granola. Food For Life Baking Co. Inc. - The company offers breakfast cereal products such as wholegrain cinnamon and raisin, sprouted almond, and sprouted golden grain under the brand name Ezekiel.

The company offers breakfast cereal products such as wholegrain cinnamon and raisin, sprouted almond, and sprouted golden grain under the brand name Ezekiel. General Mills Inc . - The company offers breakfast cereal products under the brands Cheerios, Lucky Charms, and Reese's puffs.

The company offers breakfast cereal products under the brands Cheerios, Lucky Charms, and Reese's puffs. Kellogg Co. - The company offers breakfast cereals under the brand names Coco pops, Crunchy nuts, and Krave chocolate.

This report provides a full list of key vendors, their strategies, and the latest developments. Buy Now to gain access to exclusive vendor information

Breakfast Cereals Market in Europe 2022-2026: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026

Detailed information on factors that will assist breakfast cereals market growth in Europe during the next five years

during the next five years Estimation of the breakfast cereals market size in Europe and its contribution to the parent market

and its contribution to the parent market Forecasts on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the breakfast cereals market in Europe

Analysis of the competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of breakfast cereals market vendors in Europe

Related Reports

Frozen Breakfast Foods Market by Distribution Channel and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: This report extensively covers segmentation by distribution channel (offline and online) and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America). 40% of the market's growth will originate from Europe during the forecast period. The market share growth by the offline segment will be significant.

RTE Breakfast Cereal Market by Distribution Channel and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025: This report extensively covers market segmentation by distribution channel (offline and online) and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, MEA, and South America). 36% of the market's growth will originate from North America during the forecast period. The market share growth by the offline segment has been significant.

Breakfast Cereals Market In Europe Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 4.93% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 1.40 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 4.11 Regional analysis UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Rest of Europe Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Alara Wholefoods Ltd., Associated British Foods plc, B and G Foods Inc., BellRing Brands Inc., Bobs Red Mill Natural Foods Inc., Cerealto Siro Foods S.L, Food For Life Baking Co. Inc., General Mills Inc., Kellogg Co., Mars Inc., Mornflake, mymuesli AG, Nestle SA, Orkla ASA, PepsiCo Inc., Post Holdings Inc., Pristine Organics Pvt. Ltd., The Hain Celestial Group Inc., and WW International Inc. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, market growth inducers and obstacles, fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Browse Consumer Staples Market Reports

Table Of Contents

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Country Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 09: Parent market



Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 12: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 13: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 14: Data Table on Regional - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 15: Chart on Europe : Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 16: Data Table on Regional - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 24: Chart on Distribution Channel - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 25: Data Table on Distribution Channel - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Distribution Channel

Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Distribution Channel



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Distribution Channel

5.3 Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 28: Chart on Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 29: Data Table on Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 30: Chart on Offline - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Offline - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 32: Chart on Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 34: Chart on Online - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Online - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Market opportunity by Distribution Channel

Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by Distribution Channel ($ million)

6 Customer Landscape

6.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 37: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

7 Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 38: Chart on Market share by geography - 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Market share by geography - 2021-2026 (%)

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 40: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Geographic comparison

7.3 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 42: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 44: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 45: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.4 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 46: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 47: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 48: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 49: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.5 France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 51: Data Table on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 52: Chart on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 53: Data Table on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.6 Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 55: Data Table on Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 56: Chart on Italy - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 57: Data Table on Italy - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.7 Rest of Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on Rest of Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 59: Data Table on Rest of Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 60: Chart on Rest of Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 61: Data Table on Rest of Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.8 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 62: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.2 Market challenges

8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 63: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

8.4 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

9.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 64: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 65: Overview on factors of disruption

9.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 66: Impact of key risks on business

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 67: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 68: Matrix on vendor position and classification

10.3 Alara Wholefoods Ltd.

Exhibit 69: Alara Wholefoods Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 70: Alara Wholefoods Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 71: Alara Wholefoods Ltd. - Key offerings

10.4 Bobs Red Mill Natural Foods Inc.

Exhibit 72: Bobs Red Mill Natural Foods Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 73: Bobs Red Mill Natural Foods Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 74: Bobs Red Mill Natural Foods Inc. - Key offerings

10.5 Food For Life Baking Co. Inc.

Exhibit 75: Food For Life Baking Co. Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 76: Food For Life Baking Co. Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 77: Food For Life Baking Co. Inc. - Key offerings

10.6 General Mills Inc .

. Exhibit 78: General Mills Inc . - Overview

. - Overview

Exhibit 79: General Mills Inc . - Business segments

. - Business segments

Exhibit 80: General Mills Inc . - Key offerings

. - Key offerings

Exhibit 81: General Mills Inc . - Segment focus

10.7 Kellogg Co.

Exhibit 82: Kellogg Co. - Overview



Exhibit 83: Kellogg Co. - Business segments



Exhibit 84: Kellogg Co. - Key news



Exhibit 85: Kellogg Co. - Key offerings



Exhibit 86: Kellogg Co. - Segment focus

10.8 mymuesli AG

Exhibit 87: mymuesli AG - Overview



Exhibit 88: mymuesli AG - Product / Service



Exhibit 89: mymuesli AG - Key offerings

10.9 Nestle SA

Exhibit 90: Nestle SA - Overview



Exhibit 91: Nestle SA - Business segments



Exhibit 92: Nestle SA - Key news



Exhibit 93: Nestle SA - Key offerings



Exhibit 94: Nestle SA - Segment focus

10.10 Orkla ASA

Exhibit 95: Orkla ASA - Overview



Exhibit 96: Orkla ASA - Business segments



Exhibit 97: Orkla ASA - Key news



Exhibit 98: Orkla ASA - Key offerings



Exhibit 99: Orkla ASA - Segment focus

10.11 PepsiCo Inc.

Exhibit 100: PepsiCo Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 101: PepsiCo Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 102: PepsiCo Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 103: PepsiCo Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 104: PepsiCo Inc. - Segment focus

10.12 Post Holdings Inc.

Exhibit 105: Post Holdings Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 106: Post Holdings Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 107: Post Holdings Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 108: Post Holdings Inc. - Segment focus

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 109: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 110: Exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 111: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 112: Research methodology



Exhibit 113: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 114: Information sources

11.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 115: List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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Technavio Research

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Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Technavio
LENZING, Austria, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- We care for our planet and strive to tackle climate change; we care for our partners and strive to provide them with the very best sustainable nonwoven materials through our carbon neutral VEOCEL branded lyocell fibers; We care for our consumers, helping to design products which they can use without fear for environmental consequences.

At VEOCEL, care also means action. That's why we have always done everything we can to innovate and drive change across the nonwovens industry. To create a more environmentally friendly world, we believe in working tirelessly to transition our industry wholeheartedly toward sustainable and biodegradable materials which leave no impact on our environment after their use.

As Nelson Mandela once said, "there can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children". So, let's continue to work together to pave the way for a sustainable future for many generations to come.

Some latest VEOCEL brand stories include:

VEOCEL brand joins environmental advocates to expand the definition of "care"

On World Environment Day 2022, the VEOCEL brand announced the 'VEOCEL cares for the future' initiative. The global campaign strives to motivate millennials and Gen Z to explore the meaning of care through social media initiatives conducted in collaboration with VEOCEL's longtime partner, One Tree Planted.

Q&A with VEOCEL  Global Brand Ambassador Valeria Lipovetsky

In June this year, VEOCEL introduced Valeria Lipovetsky, a mother of three, public figure and a business owner, as the VEOCEL brand's first global ambassador. Valeria has been taking her 2 million Instagram followers on an educational journey with VEOCEL to discover how to live more sustainably and learn how the boundless love she has for her children drives her care for the future.

VEOCEL joins hands with new co-branding partners in Asia

Across key markets in Asia, VEOCEL continues to increase its portfolio of co-branding partners. They have all partnered with the VEOCEL brand to adopt wood based and biodegradable VEOCEL branded fibers for hygiene and care products.

Lenzing celebrates 40 years of cooperation with EDANA

The European Disposables and Nonwovens Association (EDANA) awarded the Lenzing group with a certificate for its 40-year long membership. Lenzing is a long-standing member of EDANA as they both share the same goals of fostering sustainable innovation and building an eco-friendly industry.

SOURCE VEOCEL
BOGOTA, Colombia, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL; NYSE: EC) informs that the Board of Directors elected at the Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting on October 24, 2022, held a meeting on October 27, 2022 in which it appointed Carlos Gustavo Cano Sanz as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Mauricio Cabrera Galvis as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Additionally, the Board of Directors approved the membership of its committees, which will be comprised as follows:

AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE

Sergio Restrepo Isaza (Chair)

Carlos Gustavo Cano Sanz

Santiago Perdomo Maldonado

BUSINESS COMMITTEE

Santiago Perdomo Maldonado (Chair)

Carlos Gustavo Cano Sanz

Esteban Piedrahita Uribe

Gonzalo Hernandez Jimenez

Gabriel Mauricio Cabrera Galvis

Sandra Ospina Arango

Saul Kattan Cohen

Sergio Restrepo Isaza

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

Esteban Piedrahita Uribe (Chair)

Carlos Gustavo Cano Sanz

Gabriel Mauricio Cabrera Galvis

Gonzalo Hernandez Jimenez

Monica de Greiff Lindo

COMPENSATION, NOMINATION AND CULTURE COMMITTEE

Mauricio Cabrera Galvis (Chair)

Monica de Greiff Lindo

Saul Kattan Cohen

HSE COMMITTEE

Sandra Ospina Arango (Chair)

Monica de Greiff Lindo

Sergio Restrepo Isaza

TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION COMMITTEE

Saul Kattan Cohen (Chair)

Esteban Piedrahita Uribe

Sandra Ospina Arango

Santiago Perdomo Maldonado

The Board of Directors appointed Maria Paula Camacho Rozo as Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Secretary General of Ecopetrol S.A., who will exercise this position as of October 27, 2022. Maria Paula has been in charge of this vice presidency since August 18, 2022. Ms. Camacho has a law degree from Universidad Javeriana, and a specialization in commercial law from the University of Paris II. She has 24 years of experience in the Ecopetrol Group, within which she has served as Secretary General for Cenit and Ocensa, and as Legal Manager of New Businesses and Corporate of Ecopetrol.

Finally, the Board of Directors expressed its support for the Company's management team, headed by its President Felipe Bayon Pardo.

Ecopetrol is the largest company in Colombia and one of the main integrated energy companies in the American continent, with more than 18,000 employees. In Colombia, it is responsible for more than 60% of the hydrocarbon production of most transportation, logistics, and hydrocarbon refining systems, and it holds leading positions in the petrochemicals and gas distribution segments. With the acquisition of 51.4% of ISA's shares, the company participates in energy transmission, the management of real-time systems (XM), and the Barranquilla - Cartagena coastal highway concession. At the international level, Ecopetrol has a stake in strategic basins in the American continent, with Drilling and Exploration operations in the United States (Permian basin and the Gulf of Mexico), Brazil, and Mexico, and, through ISA and its subsidiaries, Ecopetrol holds leading positions in the power transmission business in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, road concessions in Chile, and the telecommunications sector. This press release contains business prospect statements, operating and financial result estimates, and statements related to Ecopetrol's growth prospects. These are all projections and, as such, they are based solely on the expectations of the managers regarding the future of the company and their continued access to capital to finance the company's business plan. The realization of said estimates in the future depends on the behavior of market conditions, regulations, competition, and the performance of the Colombian economy and the industry, among other factors, and are consequently subject to change without prior notice.

This release contains statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements, whether made in this release or in future filings or press releases, or orally, address matters that involve risks and uncertainties, including in respect of the Company's prospects for growth and its ongoing access to capital to fund the Company's business plan, among others. Consequently, changes in the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements: market prices of oil & gas, our exploration, and production activities, market conditions, applicable regulations, the exchange rate, the Company's competitiveness and the performance of Colombia's economy and industry, to mention a few. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

For more information, please contact:

Head of Capital Markets

Tatiana Uribe Benninghoff

Email: [email protected]

Head of Corporate Communications

Mauricio Tellez

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Ecopetrol S.A.
NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner of the class action firm Monteverde & Associates PC (the "M&A Class Action Firm"), a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018-2021 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating Applied Genetics Technologies Corp. (AGTC), relating to its proposed acquisition by Syncona Limited. Under the terms of the agreement, AGTC shareholders are expected to receive $0.34 in cash plus potential future cash payments of up to $0.73 per share they own. Click here for more information: https://www.monteverdelaw.com/case/applied-genetics-technologies-corp. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.



About Monteverde & Associates PC

We are a national class action securities litigation law firm that has recovered millions of dollars and is committed to protecting shareholders from corporate wrongdoing. We were listed in the Top 50 in the 2018-2021 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. Our lawyers have significant experience litigating Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Class Actions. Mr. Monteverde is recognized by Super Lawyers in 2013 and 2017-2019 as a Rising Star and in 2022 as a Super Lawyer in Securities Litigation. He has also been selected by Martindale-Hubbell as a 2017-2021 Top Rated Lawyer. Our firm's recent successes include changing the law in a significant victory that lowered the standard of liability under Section 14(e) of the Exchange Act in the Ninth Circuit. Thereafter, our firm successfully preserved this victory by obtaining dismissal of a writ of certiorari as improvidently granted at the United States Supreme Court. Emulex Corp. v. Varjabedian, 139 S. Ct. 1407 (2019). Also, we have recovered or secured over a dozen cash common funds for shareholders in mergers & acquisitions class action cases.

If you own common stock in AGTC and wish to obtain additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.

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Attorney Advertising. (C) 2022 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC ( www.monteverdelaw.com ). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

SOURCE Monteverde & Associates PC
WAYCROSS, Ga., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For 26 years, used car dealership Gold Key Auto has gone without a .com on their website name. When the coveted domain name of www.GoldKeyAuto.com came up for sale, dealership owner Craig Johnson seized the opportunity to buy it.

"We jumped at the chance to own Gold Key Auto's .com domain name," Johnson said. "It was worth it to us to pay $2,500. I always cringed at the thought of someone looking for and not finding ustherefore not getting the first-class treatment that they get hereall because they didn't know our website address."

The Team The Dunk Tank

It's important to note that Johnson paid this high fee for a domain name, not a website. Many domain names can be purchased on places such as GoDaddy for as little as $10. Domain names with broad and generic terms can sell for crazy amounts of money. For example: Christmas.com sold for $3.15 million in 2021. The most expensive sale so far is Cars.com for $872 million.

In addition to securing their coveted new domain name, Gold Key Auto will help the community by donating $250 to the Waycross YMCA per car sold, beginning Mon., Oct 31 through its Dunk Tank Sale on Fri., Nov 4. Hours are 8:30 am - 6 pm. In addition to contributing to the YMCA, when they buy a vehicle customers will get a chance to throw bean bags at a target that will drop an employee into a large water tank. It will be a ton of fun for customers and employees.

Following the Dunk Tank Sale, Gold Key Auto will host a customer appreciation party on Sat., Nov 5, 11 am - 3 pm. Johnson and company will pull out all the stops with a mechanical bull, bounce house for kids, free food and non-alcoholic drinks, prizes for adults and kiddos, and other fun activities. Prizes include: iPads, a barbecue grill, Skip-a-Payment for in-house finance customers, remote control drone, a Georgia Bulldogs picture (worth $500) and more .

"We are rebranding ourselves as 'the fun dealership,'" Johnson said. "There is a new look and feel to everything. It was time. Our customers deserve a great experience."

In addition to a new domain name and a massive sale and party, Johnson is cutting a ribbon on a new buy-here pay-here dealership location next door that will cater to those in the community who don't want to  or can't get  traditional financing through banks. Gold Key Auto BHPH offers in-house financing to anyone with no credit, bad credit, recovering credit, and awesome credit.

Gold Key Auto is a long-time, stable business in Waycross, GA. Call Gold Key Auto at (912) 285-0075 for more information. Better yet, visit www.GoldKeyAuto.com . If you would like more information about this topic, contact Craig Johnson at 806-776-8400 or at [email protected]. For questions on the marketing importance of domain names and brands, contact Dealer Profit Pros .

SOURCE Gold Key Auto
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The threat of violent crime looms large for many young people around the world. New research finds that the stress from this threat puts female students at a long-term disadvantage in school and beyond.

A recent study highlights the gender inequity of standardized tests and finds that exposure to violence puts female students at a long-term disadvantage in school and beyond.

The study  co-authored by Maria Padilla-Romo, assistant professor of economics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Haslam College of Business, and Eunsik Chang (HCB Ph.D., '21), assistant professor of economics at Mississippi State University  examines how violent crime in a student's local area affects high-stakes test scores and subsequent school placement.

The team focused on Mexico City, where violent crimes are commonplace, and the school system uses an annual exam called the COMIPEMS as its sole means of assigning middle school students to public high schools. The researchers looked at students' COMIPEMS scores and at homicide and firearms injury records in the area over a period of three and a half years.

The data revealed a significant gender gap in test results. Exposure to violent crime within 0.1 miles in the week before the exam lowers female students' test scores by approximately 11 percent compared to female students not exposed to such an environment. Similar exposure has no such effect on male students' test scores.

The disparity is even more pronounced when violent crimes occur in neighborhoods that are usually considered relatively safe, Padilla-Romo points out. "The detrimental effects on girls' test scores are larger in areas where they are not used to seeing shootings and homicides," she says. "It's more of a shock for them."

Long-Term Impact on Education and Earnings

Lower COMIPEMS scores affect high school placement, putting girls who have been exposed to violent crime at a disadvantage. Approximately 19 percent of female students exposed to violent crime are subsequently assigned to less-preferred, lower-quality high schools than where they would have been assigned without that exposure.

Placement at less desirable high schools leads to further gender disparity in post-secondary education and career opportunities. Mexico City students at elite high schools enjoy privileges such as smaller class sizes, fewer students per computer and more college-educated teachers. Students at these schools also score better on a high-stakes graduation test. In the study, 3 percent of the female students who were exposed to violent crime before the COMIPEMS test lost the opportunity to be conditionally admitted to Mexico's most prestigious university, UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico), because they were not accepted to high schools affiliated with UNAM.

Padilla-Romo says the study provides valuable evidence in ongoing education policy debates around high-stakes standardized tests. "Our results highlight the shortcomings of relying on entrance exams to make admission decisions," she says. "Something as random as being exposed to violence  a fairly common event in many cities  the week before taking an admission test has detrimental effects not only on the exam score but on the educational trajectory thereafter."

Exacerbating Economic Disadvantages

The study suggests that girls at economically-disadvantaged schools may experience a longer impact of crime-induced mental distress. Female students in high-poverty schools who are exposed to violent crimes two weeks before the test perform significantly worse than female students at the same poverty level who do not. Regardless of poverty levels, male students' exam scores do not suffer due to crime exposure.

In school systems where so much rides on standardized test scores, even short-term shocks can have long-lasting consequences for girls' futures, the researchers conclude.

"These shocks affect the test scores, which affect placements and education quality, which affect future education and future earnings, especially for girls who are already at a disadvantage when taking high-stakes exams," Padilla-Romo says. "We have to rethink how admission decisions are made in many parts of the world, as many of these exams put historically marginalized groups at a disadvantage."

"When Crime Comes to the Neighborhood: Short-Term Shocks to Student Cognition and Secondary Consequences" is forthcoming in the Journal of Labor Economics. The paper can be accessed online.

SOURCE University of Tennessee, Haslam College of Business
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The visionary sixth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) ended today with more than 28 investment deals and agreements, totaling over $9 billion.

The FII Institute signed an agreement with Oxford Union which will provide members of the union with key data and information produced by the FII Institute and its partners. The agreement was signed by the FII Institute's Head of THINK, Safiye Kucukkaraca, and Oxford Union's Chair of Development Board, Michael Li.

CEO of the FII Institute, Richard Attias, said, "We are so proud of the FII conference this year. We had a record number of investment deals signed, and we hosted speakers and delegates from all over the world who were keen to build new partnerships. Under this year's theme  Investing in Humanity: Enabling a New Global Order  we sought to address the challenges confronting global leaders at this epoch-defining moment as we rebuild from the pandemic and confront challenges both old and intractable, and new and unpredictable. We look forward to welcoming our community next year at FII from 24-26 October 2023, which will be accessible only to FII members."

The final day of the three-day conference featured a summit titled 'An African Future' where ministers, investors, and entrepreneurs from across Africa and beyond came together to discuss areas of investment in the region. The summit focused on the investment potential in Africa noting that tech-startups in the region received investments totaling $1 million every hour last year. Discussions ended with agreement that the level of investment in Africa is set to grow and it would require improved infrastructure and policy to support its development.

The three-day conference hosted over 400 speakers and 6,000 delegates who took part in insightful discussions about the most pressing investment challenges relating to sovereign wealth funds, megacities, sustainability, gender equality, energy, and more. The event was attended by some of the best-known names in the policy and investment sphere.

Representatives from 16 leading institutions and various global management consultancies have partnered with the 6th edition of FII to provide insights about some real-world issues, including sustainable development and creating resilient energy systems, cryptocurrencies and the fin-tech ecosystem, the Metaverse, utilizing artificial intelligence to fight climate change, the connection between technology and culture, and the ever-changing tourism sector. In addition, 11 technology developers partnered with FII to introduce their latest innovations and solutions that aim to create a more sustainable and equitable future.

Ten regional and global media partners were present at the event, and more than 270 media representatives and journalists from all over the world are attending the FII to cover the event's exclusive sessions, conversations, agreements, and announcements, as well as join the conversations about the New Global Order.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The event factsheet can be found here.

About FII Institute

The Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute is a new global nonprofit foundation with an investment arm and one agenda: Impact on Humanity. Global, inclusive and committed to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles, we foster great minds from around the world and turn ideas into real-world solutions in five critical areas: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics, Education, Healthcare and Sustainability.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1811613/FII_Institute_Logo.jpg

SOURCE FII Institute
NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Flow Meter Market share is set to increase by USD 3.09 billion from 2022 to 2027. Moreover, the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 6.4% as per the latest market forecast report by Technavio. The market will also record a 5.36% Y-O-Y growth Rate during the forecast period.

To know more about the historical market size Request a Free Sample Report!

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Flow Meter Market 2023-2027

Flow Meter Market- Parent Market Analysis

Technavio categorizes the global flow meter market as a part of the Electronic Equipment & Instruments & within the global Information Technology industry.

The manufacturers of communications equipment, technology hardware storage and peripherals, electronic instruments and equipment, electronic components, consumer and industrial electronics products, as well as electronic manufacturing services, are all part of the global electronics market. This research report has extensively covered external factors that are expected to influence the parent market growth during the forecast period.

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Flow Meter Market Characteristics with Five Forces

The Global Flow Meter Market is fragmented and the five forces analysis by Technavio gives the accurate vision-

Bargaining Power of Buyers

The threat of New Entrants

Threat of Rivalry

Bargaining Power of Suppliers

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Flow Meter Market  Customer Landscape

The disruption threats are strategic in nature, and operational risks for suppliers have been mapped based on their negative business impact and probability of occurrence.

The potential for the customer landscape will be available with Technavio Reports  Buy Now!

Flow Meter Market- Segmentation Assessment

Geography Segment Overview

Technavio's market research report entails detailed information on regional opportunities in store for vendors, which will assist in generating sales revenues. The Global Cloud Data Warehouse Market as per geography is categorized into North America, Europe, South America, APAC, and the Middle East and Africa. The report provides an accurate prediction of the contribution of all regions to the growth of the Global Flow Meter Market size and actionable market understandings.

Regional Highlights:

Europe is the fastest-growing region in the global cloud data warehouse market compared to other regions. 29% growth will originate from Europe . When compared to other regions, Europe is the region in which the market for flow meters is expanding at the fastest rate. The principal contributors in Europe will be the highly industrialized nations of Russia , Germany , Italy , France , and the UK. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports into Europe are expected to rise by more than 60 billion cubic meters (BCM) by the end of 2022. During the forecast period, this trend will drive demand for flow meters in the oil and gas industry in Europe by necessitating the installation and availability of adequate transportation facilities for natural gas to meet the region's growing demand.

Type Segment Overview

Based on end-user, the Flow Meter Market is categorized into industrial, commercial, and residential segments.

Revenue Generating Segment - Water and wastewater, oil and gas, chemicals, power generation, food and beverage, paper and printing, and other industries are included in the industrial segment. The segment will grow due to the increasing investments and the start of new projects in the oil and gas, water and wastewater, and industries. During the forecast period, the segment's growth will also be fueled by factors like the ongoing exploration of new oil and gas fields and refinery units as well as an increase in onshore and offshore production activities. During the forecast period, technological advancements and the introduction of new products will fuel the segment's growth.

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Global Cloud Data Warehouse Market  Market Dynamics

Major Driver Boosting the Market

One of the major factors propelling the expansion of the global flow meter market is the advantages connected with flow meters. Additionally, flow meters are employed in university science and engineering programs for educational purposes. They are also employed in housing developments to monitor water usage. Engineers have developed liquid flow meters that, in any weather, can accurately measure liquid flow while withstanding extreme variables like shifting outdoor pressure and temperature.

In addition to measurements, the use of flow meters has other advantages, such as assisting in regulating fluid usage and velocity. Thus, the benefits associated with flow meters will boost the global flow meter market during the forecast period.

Major trends influencing the growth of glamping

The upstream sector's slow but steady recovery will fuel global market growth for flow meters. A flow meter measures each fluid as it passes through the separator and continuously assesses the amount of oil, water, and gas, as well as its flow, as it leaves the well. Therefore, using flow meters helps operators analyze the reservoir's contents more accurately.

With the price of crude oil rising, onshore rig utilization has increased significantly over the past year in many nations, indicating an increase in E&P activities and fueling demand for flow meters from the upstream oil and gas industry. The expansion of upstream oil and gas activities and new E&P activities will have a significant impact on flow meter demand throughout the entire oil and gas value chain during the forecast period

Major Challenges interrupting the market growth

The main obstacle to the expansion of the global flow meter market is the fluctuation in crude oil prices. Vendors that provide flow meters to the upstream and midstream phases of the oil and gas industry were significantly impacted in 2020 by the decline in the price of crude oil on a global scale.

The upstream sector took the biggest hit from the widespread withdrawal of investments brought on by the sharp decline in crude oil prices. Businesses saw a sharp decline in profitability, with many reporting sizable losses. This has been a significant challenge for the sector as shifts in the supply and demand of oil and gas can cause price changes that have an impact on the sector and its stakeholders.

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Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Technavio's in-depth research has direct and indirect COVID-19-impacted market research reports.

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Cloud Data Warehouse Market 2023-2027: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2023-2027

Detailed information on factors that will assist cloud data warehouse market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the cloud data warehouse market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the cloud data warehouse market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of cloud data warehouse market vendors

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The report extensively covers the electron microscope market segmentation by application (semiconductor, life science, material science, and nanotechnology), technology (SEM, TEM, and DBEM), End-user (industry, institution, and others), and geography (APAC, , , the , and , and ). The Advanced Carbon Dioxide Sensors Market is projected to grow by USD 261.73 million with a CAGR of 6.59% during the forecast period 2021 to 2026. The report extensively covers the advanced carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors market segmentation by product (NDIR and chemical), fitting (wall mount and retrofit), and geography ( North America , Europe , APAC, the Middle East and Africa , and South America ).

Flow Meter Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2022 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 6.4% Market growth 2023-2027 $3.09 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 5.36 Regional analysis Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and the Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution Europe at 29% Key consumer countries US, China, India, Germany, and UK Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive Strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled ABB Ltd., Apator SA, Azbil Corp., Badger Meter Inc., Electronet Equipments Pvt. Ltd., Emerson Electric Co., Endress Hauser Group Services AG, Forbes Marshall Pvt. Ltd, General Electric Co., KROHNE Messtechnik GmbH, Landis+Gyr AG, Max Machinery Inc., Omega Engineering Inc., Osaki Electric Co. Ltd., SICK AG, Toshiba Corp., Yokogawa Electric Corp., Honeywell International Inc., Schneider Electric SE, and Siemens AG Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and Market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market Overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Type



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 10: Parent market



Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 13: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2022

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027

Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 18: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2022 and 2027

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 19: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 20: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 21: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 22: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 23: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 24: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027

5 Market Segmentation by End-user

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 25: Chart on End-user - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 26: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

5.2 Comparison by End-user

Exhibit 27: Chart on Comparison by End-user



Exhibit 28: Data Table on Comparison by End-user

5.3 Industrial - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 29: Chart on Industrial - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 30: Data Table on Industrial - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 31: Chart on Industrial - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 32: Data Table on Industrial - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

5.4 Commercial - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 33: Chart on Commercial - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 34: Data Table on Commercial - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 35: Chart on Commercial - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 36: Data Table on Commercial - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

5.5 Residential - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 37: Chart on Residential - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 38: Data Table on Residential - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 39: Chart on Residential - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 40: Data Table on Residential - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

5.6 Market opportunity by End-user

Exhibit 41: Market opportunity by End-user ($ million)

6 Market Segmentation by Type

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 42: Chart on Type - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on Type - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Type

Exhibit 44: Chart on Comparison by Type



Exhibit 45: Data Table on Comparison by Type

6.3 Ultrasonic - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 46: Chart on Ultrasonic - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 47: Data Table on Ultrasonic - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 48: Chart on Ultrasonic - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 49: Data Table on Ultrasonic - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.4 Magnetic - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 50: Chart on Magnetic - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 51: Data Table on Magnetic - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 52: Chart on Magnetic - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 53: Data Table on Magnetic - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.5 Differential pressure - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 54: Chart on Differential pressure - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 55: Data Table on Differential pressure - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 56: Chart on Differential pressure - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 57: Data Table on Differential pressure - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.6 Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 58: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 59: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 60: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 61: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.7 Market opportunity by Type

Exhibit 62: Market opportunity by Type ($ million)

7 Customer Landscape

7.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 63: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

8 Geographic Landscape

8.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 64: Chart on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 65: Data Table on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)

8.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 66: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 67: Data Table on Geographic comparison

8.3 Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 68: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 69: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 70: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 71: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

8.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 72: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 73: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 74: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 75: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

8.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 76: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 77: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 78: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 79: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

8.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 80: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 81: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 82: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 83: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

8.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 84: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 85: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 86: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 87: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

8.8 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 88: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 89: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 90: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 91: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

8.9 US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 92: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 93: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 94: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 95: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

8.10 UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 96: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 97: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 98: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 99: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

8.11 China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 100: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 101: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 102: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 103: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

8.12 India - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 104: Chart on India - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 105: Data Table on India - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 106: Chart on India - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 107: Data Table on India - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

8.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 108: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

9.1 Market drivers

9.2 Market challenges

9.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 109: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027

9.4 Market trends

10 Vendor Landscape

10.1 Overview

10.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 110: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

10.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 111: Overview on factors of disruption

10.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 112: Impact of key risks on business

11 Vendor Analysis

11.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 113: Vendors covered

11.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 114: Matrix on vendor position and classification

11.3 ABB Ltd.

Exhibit 115: ABB Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 116: ABB Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 117: ABB Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 118: ABB Ltd. - Segment focus

11.4 Apator SA

Exhibit 119: Apator SA - Overview



Exhibit 120: Apator SA - Product / Service



Exhibit 121: Apator SA - Key offerings

11.5 Electronet Equipments Pvt. Ltd.

Exhibit 122: Electronet Equipments Pvt. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 123: Electronet Equipments Pvt. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 124: Electronet Equipments Pvt. Ltd. - Key offerings

11.6 Emerson Electric Co.

Exhibit 125: Emerson Electric Co. - Overview



Exhibit 126: Emerson Electric Co. - Business segments



Exhibit 127: Emerson Electric Co. - Key news



Exhibit 128: Emerson Electric Co. - Key offerings



Exhibit 129: Emerson Electric Co. - Segment focus

11.7 General Electric Co.

Exhibit 130: General Electric Co. - Overview



Exhibit 131: General Electric Co. - Business segments



Exhibit 132: General Electric Co. - Key news



Exhibit 133: General Electric Co. - Key offerings



Exhibit 134: General Electric Co. - Segment focus

11.8 Honeywell International Inc.

Exhibit 135: Honeywell International Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 136: Honeywell International Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 137: Honeywell International Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 138: Honeywell International Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 139: Honeywell International Inc. - Segment focus

11.9 KROHNE Messtechnik GmbH

Exhibit 140: KROHNE Messtechnik GmbH - Overview



Exhibit 141: KROHNE Messtechnik GmbH - Product / Service



Exhibit 142: KROHNE Messtechnik GmbH - Key offerings

11.10 Landis Gyr AG

Exhibit 143: Landis Gyr AG - Overview



Exhibit 144: Landis Gyr AG - Business segments



Exhibit 145: Landis Gyr AG - Key news



Exhibit 146: Landis Gyr AG - Key offerings



Exhibit 147: Landis Gyr AG - Segment focus

11.11 Max Machinery Inc.

Exhibit 148: Max Machinery Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 149: Max Machinery Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 150: Max Machinery Inc. - Key offerings

11.12 Omega Engineering Inc.

Exhibit 151: Omega Engineering Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 152: Omega Engineering Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 153: Omega Engineering Inc. - Key offerings

11.13 Osaki Electric Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 154: Osaki Electric Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 155: Osaki Electric Co. Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 156: Osaki Electric Co. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 157: Osaki Electric Co. Ltd. - Segment focus

11.14 Schneider Electric SE

Exhibit 158: Schneider Electric SE - Overview



Exhibit 159: Schneider Electric SE - Business segments



Exhibit 160: Schneider Electric SE - Key news



Exhibit 161: Schneider Electric SE - Key offerings



Exhibit 162: Schneider Electric SE - Segment focus

11.15 SICK AG

Exhibit 163: SICK AG - Overview



Exhibit 164: SICK AG - Business segments



Exhibit 165: SICK AG - Key offerings



Exhibit 166: SICK AG - Segment focus

11.16 Siemens AG

Exhibit 167: Siemens AG - Overview



Exhibit 168: Siemens AG - Business segments



Exhibit 169: Siemens AG - Key news



Exhibit 170: Siemens AG - Key offerings



Exhibit 171: Siemens AG - Segment focus

11.17 Yokogawa Electric Corp.

Exhibit 172: Yokogawa Electric Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 173: Yokogawa Electric Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 174: Yokogawa Electric Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 175: Yokogawa Electric Corp. - Segment focus

12 Appendix

12.1 Scope of the report

12.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 176: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 177: Exclusions checklist

12.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 178: Currency conversion rates for US$

12.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 179: Research methodology



Exhibit 180: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 181: Information sources

12.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 182: List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
DUBLIN, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Breast imaging Market Research and Forecast 2022-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global breast imaging market is anticipated to grow at a considerable CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period. The market was valued at $3.7 billion in 2019 and is anticipated to reach $5.6 billion in 2026. Breast imaging is the process of reproduction of the breast's form. It supports medical professionals to identify breast abnormalities and diagnose them with imaging technologies. There are various breast imaging techniques used for the diagnostic procedure such as mammography, breast tomosynthesis, MRI, ultrasound, and galactography.

The global breast imaging market is growing at a significant rate due to various factors such as increasing incidences and prevalence of breast cancer and the growing geriatric population across the globe. As per the WHO (World Health Organization), around 2.1 million cases were registered globally related to breast cancer in 2018 which is expected to reach more than 2.4 million cases in 2025.

Asia-Pacific had the highest cases of breast cancer with 911,000 cases, whereas 522,000 and 262,000 cases were registered in Europe and North America, respectively, in 2018. The growth in breast cancer is significantly generating the demand for breast imaging across the globe.

In addition, increasing investment and funding in research and development activities of breast cancer diagnostics and government initiatives to raise awareness among the people to propel the growth of the market. For instance, as per the National Cancer Institute research, around $574.9 million were funded in research of breast cancer.

Certain factors act as barriers to market growth such as the high cost of imaging systems, side effects related to imaging, strict government regulations, and lack of awareness among women about breast cancer in developing countries. However, emerging technologies for breast imaging, increasing demand for breast imaging from the Asia-Pacific region, improving healthcare infrastructure, and increasing spending on healthcare create future opportunities for the growth of the market.

Segmental Outlook

The global breast imaging market is analyzed by segmenting the market into ionizing breast imaging technologies and non-ionizing breast imaging technologies. Based on ionizing breast imaging technologies, the market is further segmented into analog mammography, 3D breast tomosynthesis, cone beam computed tomography (CB-CT), positron emission mammography (PEM), and molecular breast imaging. Whereas, based on non-ionizing breast imaging technologies, the market is categorized into breast MRI, breast ultrasound, optical imaging, and breast thermography. Moreover, the market is also segmented based on the breast imaging method into symptomatic and asymptomatic imaging.

Analog Mammography holds a significant share in the Market

The analog mammography held the major share in 2020 and is also anticipated to grow during the forecast period. Analog Mammography uses low-dose radiation to deliver high-quality X-rays and is capable of detecting tissue variations as small as 1-2mm in size. The X-ray beams are captured on film cassettes, and the result is an image depicting the breast from various perspectives and is then hung on a viewing screen. The factors such as raising awareness and various programs on breast screening have been contributing to the rapid market growth. When opposed to unscreened populations, these screening systems have been found to save lives. For instance, the National Breast Cancer Screening Programme in the Netherland was created for people aged 50 to 75 years. Women in this age group are invited for mammography once every two years as part of the initiative. Similarly, as per Breast Screen Australia, women aged 50-74 in Australia are required to get free mammography every two years as part of the government's nationwide screening scheme.

The Report Covers

Market value data analysis of 2020 and forecast to 2027.

Annualized market revenues ($ million) for each market segment.

Country-wise analysis of major geographical regions.

Key companies operating in the global breast imaging market. Based on the availability of data, information related to new product launches, and relevant news is also available in the report.

Analysis of business strategies by identifying the key market segments positioned for strong growth in the future.

Analysis of market-entry and market expansion strategies.

Competitive strategies by identifying 'who-stands-where in the market

Key Topics Covered:



1. Report Summary



2. Market Overview and Insights



3. Competitive Landscape



4. Market Determinants



5. Market Segmentation



6. Regional Analysis



7. Company Profiles



Companies Mentioned

ADANI Systems Inc.

Aurora Healthcare US Corp.

Agfa-Gevaert Group.

Bracco Imaging S.p.A.

Carestream Health, Inc.

CMR Naviscan Corp.

Cook Group Inc.

Dilon Medical Technologies, Inc.

FUJIFILM Holdings Corp.

General Electric Co. (GE Healthcare)

Hitachi Medical System

Hologic Inc.

Konica Minolta Inc.

Koning Corp.

Micrima Ltd.

Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Philips healthcare)

Planmeca Group

Shimadzu Corp.

Siemens Healthcare GmbH

SonoCine, Inc.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/18xmft

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
CHICAGO, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 22, Hillwood, a global real estate developer, broke ground on the Fox Valley Commerce Center, a four-building, Class A industrial development in Geneva, Illinois. The four buildings will be developed in two phases totaling 1,063,800 square feet. Phase one has two buildings with 266,760 S.F. in Building 1 and 272,160 square feet in Building 2, while phase two allows for a build-to-suit of up to 500,000 square feet. Construction of phase one is scheduled to be completed in late 2023.

"Our team [at Hillwood] is grateful for the partnership with the Weber Family and the privilege to transform this parcel of farmland into something that will benefit the community of Geneva. They saw the vision and fortitude this land could bring to the community and trusted us with making that vision come to life. Fox Valley Commerce Center will meet a rapidly accelerating demand for modern logistics facilities in the Midwest." said Don Schoenheider, executive vice president and Midwest market leader at Hillwood.

At the event, we heard from Don Schoenheider, the Honorable Kevin Burns, Mayor of Geneva and Mary Tripp, one of the daughters of the landowners. Tripp described her experience working with Hillwood, stating, "Over the past six years, we've tried to connect with different development companies but could never find the right fit until Hillwood. Their [Hillwood's] integrity, work ethic and people were a true blessing. I can't explain what a remarkable, pleasurable experience it was working with Hillwood in conjunction with the City of Geneva."

Harris Architects, Inc. is designing the Fox Valley Commerce Center, and FCL Builders is the general contractor. The Lee & Associates team of Nick Eboli, Jeff Janda and Andrew Block are marketing and leasing the property.

The 75-acre site acquired by Hillwood in July 2022 is located at 2088 Geneva Drive. Fox Valley Commerce Center is positioned between IL-38 and IL-64 and just nine miles from I-88 in the Central Kane & DuPage submarket. Fox Valley is close to DuPage County Airport and only 40 miles from Chicago. The site is within an hour's drive of Chicago and within a day's drive of more than one-third of the U.S. population. Geneva's pro-business attitude adds to the appeal for major tenants seeking a new location.

ABOUT HILLWOOD:

Hillwood is a leader in acquiring and developing high-quality industrial properties with 249.6M S.F. across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Europe. With over 138.8M S.F. capacity for future development, Hillwood pursues well-located functional land in the path of progress and has one of the largest land banks. Hillwood collaboratively builds successful partnerships with public and private landowners and other developers to execute and invest in a broad spectrum of industrial projects. As a privately held company, Hillwood possesses the depth of capital, market expertise, industry relationships, and a forward-thinking vision to buy and build industrial properties that meet evolving markets' logistics, distribution, and manufacturing demands. To learn more, visit our website, or about Hillwood U.S. Midwest

HILLWOOD MEDIA CONTACT:

Jennifer Cheek +1 972 220 2965

[email protected]

SOURCE Hillwood
360 Services Plus Sustainability Commitment Make This SoCal Company a Standout

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Impress Communications continues to pave the way in packaging with new sustainable solutions and full-service offerings, making it one of the rare few that can do it all.

Based in Los Angeles, California, this SoCal business is fully immersed in creating a cohesive brand experience for its clients. A solutions-driven team ensure that every project is brought to life with standout results - whether it's a label, turned-edge box, secondary packaging, banner, or helping a brand transition to fully sustainable Enviro+ Paper Board packaging. Visual identity, from conceptualization to the final tangible product, is taken care of with utmost thoughtfulness and expertise.

"We knew from the beginning that we had to be a comprehensive creative solutions center," says Impress Communications' CEO, Paul Marino. "Impress takes care of the complete packaging process, so brands have full visibility and control of their vision. There's no middleman or multiple vendors involved to finish one project."

He emphasizes how Impress isn't "just a packaging company," adding how it embodies a forward-minded and big-picture perspective through its unique approach. Well-roundedness is part of the company's strategy in making communication a success.

"Our 360 services guarantee the best possible experience not only for our clients but also for their customers," Marino says. "If you come to us not knowing where to start, we're here for you."

It's no surprise that clients turn to Impress for creative solutions. Any brand color can be matched (perfectly, Marino adds; there's no such thing as "close enough" or making Impress clients settle for less), and every ask is possible. Whatever is required  labels, corrugated and E-flute boxes, vacuum trays, short-run digital printing, branded merchandise, or gift-with-purchase accessories  is promptly delivered.

"Anything you could dream of customizing for your brand packaging, we've got," Marino says. "And if for whatever reason we don't, we'll make it happen and do it better than the rest."

ABOUT IMPRESS COMMUNICATIONS

Impress Communications is an industry trendsetter whose commitment to the environment inspires initiatives that are consistently in the interest of humankind. From state-of-the-art packaging engineering to dedicated logistics solutions, Impress Communications boasts decades of experience serving various industries  including e-commerce, cosmetics, food, and pharmaceutical brands.

SOURCE Impress Communications
October 28th - November 27th, 2022

NEW YORK , Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Korean Cultural Center New York is proud to announce a new film series as a part of its online Korean movie screening program for 2022, featuring one of Korea's most well-known and revered actors, Song Kang-ho. Korean Movie Night at Home's Master's Series: Actor Song Kang-ho will be held for one month from October 28th to November 27th, presenting a collection of 6 films that showcases his diverse and wide range as an actor, from historical dramas to action hits: Joint Security Area, Secret Reunion, The Face Reader, The Attorney, A Taxi Driver, and The King's Letters.

Master's Series: Song Kang-ho for Korean Movie Night at Home

Song Kang-ho, who was the first Korean male actor to win the "Best Actor Award" for his latest film The Broker at the 75th Cannes Film Festival this year, may be most internationally recognized for his role in the Oscar and Cannes-winning Parasite, but he has already garnered a reputation as a "national treasure" of Korea having starred in many of Korea's most acclaimed films across decades of his career.

Song Kang-ho is often praised for his ability to capture incredible depth for his wide range of characters with the smallest of details; he is an actor with a wide spectrum who can perform serious and heavy roles to comic, lighthearted ones with the same level of meticulousness and fluidity. His expressiveness is further heightened by his ability to ad-lib and to quickly move between different colors and tones for the characters he plays.

Korean Movie Night at Home: Actor Song Kang-ho presents a collection of films for all movie lovers to enjoy, providing a glimpse into the immense range of skill of Song as one of the most respected actors of today.

This online film screening is presented as a part of the Korean Movie Night at Home's Master's Series of 2022, featuring Korean actors who have distinguished themselves as masters of their craft. Following the success of Korean Movie Night New York's Master's Series featuring directors Park Chan-wook and Lee Joon-ik, this year highlights the Korean actors who have captured the hearts of audiences around the world.

Film List

Joint Security Area ( JSA)

Director: Park Chan-wook

Cast: Song Kang-Ho, Lee Byung-Hun, Shin Ha-Kyun, Lee Young-Ae, Kim Tae-Woo

Running Time: 110 min

Genre: Drama

Release Year: 2000

Synopsis

Set along the 'Bridge of No Return' in Panmunjom, the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. One day, a border guard is killed by a rifle bullet; the suspected marksman is a South Korean soldier (Lee Byung-Hun), who is found wounded in the middle of no-man's-land. This incident will have grave repercussions. Both North and South Korea regard the incident as an act of deliberate provocation. The North accuses the South of having committed a 'terrorist attack', while South Korea suspects the North of having attempted an 'abduction.'

(Synopsis courtesy of 815 Pictures)

Secret Reunion ()

Director: Jang Hun

Cast: Song Kang-ho, Kang Dong-won

Running Time: 116 min

Genre: Action, Drama

Release Year: 2010

Synopsis

A shoot out in the middle of the city brings together North Korean spy Ji-won and National Intelligence Service agent Lee. The operation to capture an assassin spy known as 'Shadow' ends in disaster and the agent Lee is dismissed from his post. Ji-won is also abandoned by his organization after being framed as a traitor.

6 years later, the two men run into each other but they hide their identities and decide to work together. As they live under one roof, they maintain a tight-rope tension and gradually develop an unusual friendship all the while trying to uncover each other's true motives. However, Ji-won receives an order from the organization that brings out Shadow for another mission. Lee and Ji-won must now choose whether to execute their orders or save one another from the inevitable.

(Synopsis courtesy of Showbox)

The Face Reader ()

Director: Han Jae-rim

Cast: Song Kang-ho, Lee Jung-jae, Baek Yun-shick, Kim Hye-soo

Running Time: 139 min

Genre: Period, Drama

Release Year: 2013

Synopsis

Nae-kyeong is the greatest face reader Joseon has ever known. He can see through people by looking at their faces. He lives with his son Jin-hyeong and his brother-in-law Paeng-heon in the mountains. After alluring courtesan Yeon-hong proposes an offer, he moves to Hanyang to read faces in the courtesan house. Nae-kyeong quickly becomes the "go-to face reader" in town and even the Vice Premier hears about the new face reader. He appoints Nae-kyeong to the government's Inspection Board. During his inspection, Nae-kyeong finds out about Prince Su-yang's plan to take the throne of his nephew. He decides to change the destiny of the country by changing what's written on Su-yang's face..

(Synopsis courtesy of Showbox)

The Attorney ()

Director: Yang Woo-seok

Cast: Song Kang-ho, Oh Dal-su, Kwak Do-won, Kim Yeong-ae, Song Young-chang

Running Time: 127 min

Genre: Drama

Release Year: 2013

Synopsis

This story is based on true events.

Song Woo-seok has no clients, connections, or a college degree, but his eye for business and appetite for money make him the most successful lawyer in town. But at the peak of his success, a local teenager is falsely accused of a crime, then beaten and tortured while waiting in jail. Shocked by these conditions, Song takes the case no one else will, and changes the course of his life.

(Synopsis courtesy of Well Go USA)

A Taxi Driver ()

Director: Jang Hun

Cast: Song Kang-ho, Thomas Kretschmann, Yoo Hae-jin, Ryu Jun-yeol

Running Time: 137 min

Genre: Drama

Release Year: 2017

Synopsis

In this powerful true story set in 1980, a down-on-his-luck taxi driver from Seoul is hired by a foreign journalist who wants to go to the town of Gwangju for the day. They arrive to find a city under siege by the military government, with the citizens, led by a determined group of college students, rising up to demand freedom. What began as an easy fare became a life-or-death struggle in the midst of the Gwangju Uprising, a critical event in modern South Korea.

(Synopsis courtesy of Well Go USA)

The King's Letters ()

Director: Cho Sung-kyu

Cast: Song Kang-ho, Park Hae-il, Jeon Mi-seon

Running Time: 110 min

Genre: Drama

Release Year: 2019

Synopsis

In the Joseon Dynasty, despite so many accomplishments he has made for the people, King Sejong's biggest goal is still remaining: the invention of original letters that can be read and written by all the people. But courtiers, who want to dominate knowledge and power, are against his will and discourage his belief. The frustrated King Sejong hears about a monk from Sinmi, a phonogram expert, and secretly brings him to the palace

(Synopsis courtesy of 815 Pictures)

Korean Cultural Center New York

Inaugurated in 1979, the Korean Cultural Center New York is a branch of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of the Republic of Korea. KCCNY works to promote cultural arts exchange and stimulate interest in Korean culture through various opportunities including exhibitions, concerts, film festivals, educational programs, and more. www.koreanculture.org

SOURCE Korean Cultural Center New York
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Calling all electricians, designers, and builders! There's still time to win a package of patio heaters valued at $20,000! But get in quick  the competition closes on November 11, 2022.

The giveaway is part of an exciting new Business Program launched by heating and furniture specialist MAD Design USA, whose brands include HEATSCOPE, Blinde Design and EcoSmart Fire. It's open to all trade professionals - and one lucky winner could win HEATSCOPE radiant heaters to support their projects for 1-year.

Win up to $20,000 in Heatscope Patio Heaters Tweet this HEATSCOPE Radiant Electric Heaters feature clean-cut, modern designs and colors seamlessly blending into any setting. With a low, modest glow, silent operation, and a space-saving design, HEATSCOPE patio heaters are discrete and help maintain a peaceful ambiance. With advanced infrared technology, HEATSCOPE directly reaches people, floors, and furniture with natural, sun-like warmth. The air remains cool and clean, but you enjoy a natural and pleasant temperature. HEATSCOPE Heaters feature a range of electric radiant patio heaters with comfortable sun-like warmth, silent operation and award-winning designs. (PRNewsfoto/Mad Design USA)

"This giveaway supports our trade professionals with the industry's best radiant heaters for a year, resulting in massive profits for their business," says Stephane Thomas, MAD Design USA Director. "Whether your project is in a large open space or in a covered area, HEATSCOPE radiant heaters provide the perfect eco-friendly solution for any style of outdoor or indoor living and entertaining space  year round. They're functional, efficient, fast heating and look great!"

HEATSCOPE radiant heaters combine modern, clean-lined low-profile design with sophisticated technology. They're made with advanced infrared technology, which means they spread warmth evenly over surfaces and people. It's similar to the comfortable warmth of the sun on your skin. "The air remains cool and clean, but you enjoy a natural, pleasant temperature," adds Stephane. "They're also weather-resistant, so are ideal for partially covered and semi-enclosed outdoor areas like patios and courtyards. They're discrete, stylish and space-saving  perfect for homes, restaurants, cafes, bars, retail spaces or wherever an effective, unobtrusive heating solution is needed."

MAD Design's giveaway is one of the highlights of their new electrician program, with other perks including:

Industry-leading discounts and free shipping on EcoSmart Fire electric fireplaces and HEATSCOPE radiant heaters.

Online business portal with 24/7 access to pricing, model specs, technical files and more!

Dedicated expert consultation with on-budget solutions tailored to each project.

Benefits of HEATSCOPE radiant heaters:

Energy efficient (2x the lifespan compared to the industry standard)

Design aesthetics

Easy installation (ceiling, wall and flush-mounted options)

Directional heating

Fast heating

Easy to use via wall-mounted control, Smartphone or home automation system

Soft ambiant light

No harmful emissions

Weather-resistant

Easy to clean and maintain

Entering the HEATSCOPE giveaway is simple:

Follow @HeatscopeHeaters on Instagram Enter the contest at heatscopeheaters.com/promos/patio-heaters-giveaway

Contact MAD Design to learn more about their range of partnership programs: (888) 590 3335.

SOURCE Mad Design USA
Findings Incorporate Data on Weeks Remote and ESSER Dollars per District, Allowing Leaders to Re-calibrate Their Recovery Plans

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona says recent scores "serve as a call to action."

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The Education Recovery Scorecard, a collaboration with researchers at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University (CEPR) and Stanford University's Educational Opportunity Project, released the first comparable view of district level learning loss during the pandemic utilizing the recently released 2022 NAEP data, and states who have publicly reported their district proficiency rates on their Spring 2022 assessments. These interactive district level maps include data from 29 states (plus DC)  where the necessary data was available.

CEPR Faculty Director Thomas J. Kane and Sean Reardon, Professor of Poverty and Inequality in Education at Stanford University and Director of the Educational Opportunity Project have used the 2022 NAEP scores to make state assessment results comparable. The new research, found on educationrecoveryscorecard.org, also incorporates data on weeks remote and the federal recovery dollars (ESSER) received per district, equipping state and local leaders with the information they need to re-calibrate their current recovery plans.

"The pandemic was like a band of tornadoes that swept across the country," said CEPR Faculty Director Thomas J. Kane. "Some communities were left relatively untouched, while neighboring schools were devastated. The Education Recovery Scorecard is the first high-resolution map of the tornadoes' path to help local leaders see the magnitude of the damage and guide local recovery efforts."

"One of the things we found is that even within a district, there is variability. School districts are the first line of action to help children catch up. The better they know about the patterns of learning loss, the more they're going to be able to target their resources effectively to reduce educational inequality of opportunity and help children and communities thrive," said Sean Reardon, Professor of Poverty and Inequality, Stanford Graduate School of Education.

In response to the findings, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said, "We must muster the political will at the state and local level to match the urgency and federal investment in our students through the historic $122 billion in the American Rescue Plan. The latest Nation's Report Card results must serve as a call to action to revisit our existing plans and scale up proven academic recovery strategies such as ensuring a robust and qualified teacher and leader workforce, intense and frequent tutoring aligned to high quality curriculum, and after-school and summer enrichment programming. While the recent data is alarming, catching our students up to the 2019 achievement levels is a low bar. We must aim higher. Our students should be leading the world."

The average U.S. public school student in grades 3-8 lost the equivalent of a half year of learning in math and a quarter of a year in reading.

Rather than rely on headlines about state achievement, parents and local officials need to understand how their local schools were affected. Six (6) percent of students were in districts that lost more than a year of learning in math, while 3 percent were in districts where math achievement actually rose.

The pandemic widened disparities in achievement between high and low poverty schools. The quarter of schools with highest shares of students receiving federal lunch subsides missed two-thirds of a year of math learning, while the quarter of schools with the fewest low-income students lost two-fifths of a year.

While many states and districts are using their portion of the $190B in federal aid to add tutoring and summer school and extended days, many of those efforts are not yet large enough to fully address the learning loss that has occurred. Using these estimates of achievement losses along with expected effect sizes for catch-up efforts and the share of students being served by each, districts now have an opportunity to make sure their plans are commensurate with their students' losses.

"We now see how much ground districts have to make up to get their students back on track. More than ever, we need district leaders to communicate with their communities on how they are using recovery funds to address those gaps," said Marguerite Roza, Director of the Edunomics Lab.

Civil rights leaders see this new research as a call to action for state leaders to rise up a much bolder, aggressive response.

"Learning losses among minority students over the last two years have put the long-term vitality of the nation at risk. Latino and African American students make up nearly half of all students, making it a national imperative to invest in their academic recovery," said Janet Murguia, the President and CEO of UnidosUS.

"If there is a sparkle of light during these dark times, it's our nation's historic infusion of funds through ARP and ESSER," said John B. King, president of The Education Trust. "To address unfinished learning, we implore district leaders to invest in evidence-based strategies, including increased access to strong, diverse teachers, targeted intensive tutoring, expanded learning time, and strengthening socioemotional supports and relationships weakened during the pandemic."

Kane said, "The whole village needs to hear the bell ringing, not just schools. Mayors should organize tutoring efforts at local libraries. Community organizations should plan school vacation academies and summer learning opportunities. Governors should be funding and evaluating innovative pilots to provide models that everyone could use. We cannot wait for the Spring 2023 state test results next fall to tell us that we underinvested in recovery efforts. Many are happy just to get back to normal, but normal won't help kids catch up."

The Education Recovery Scorecard is supported by funds from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Kenneth C. Griffin and the Walton Family Foundation.

About the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University

The Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, seeks to transform education through quality research and evidence. CEPR and its partners believe all students will learn and thrive when education leaders make decisions using facts and findings, rather than untested assumptions. Learn more at cepr.harvard.edu.

SOURCE Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University
Addition of Wealth Management Team Continues Ongoing Expansion of Firm's Nashville Office

Meridian is Led by Tennessee Native and Longtime Industry Veteran John Wade

NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. ("Oppenheimer")  a leading wealth manager, investment bank, and a subsidiary of Oppenheimer Holdings (NYSE: OPY) announced today the successful recruitment of the Meridian Wealth Group (Meridian), a Nashville-based wealth management practice. Meridian, led by John Wade, CFP, will join the firm's Private Client Division and work out of its Nashville office.

Phil Hall, Executive Director and Branch Manager of the Nashville office, said, "I'm excited to welcome John and the Meridian Wealth Group. He and his team have deep roots in this vibrant area of the country, so as we build out the Nashville office, I'm thrilled that they decided to bring their entrepreneurial spirit, tremendous record of success and reputation for exceptional client service to Oppenheimer. I look forward to partnering with them and providing them with the tools and resources to take their practice to the next level."

This announcement comes as Oppenheimer continues to expand its reach to serve the high-net-worth investing public in the country's fastest-growing and most economically vibrant markets. Since its opening in March of 2022, Oppenheimer's Nashville branch has been attracting area talent that appreciates the firm's devotion to building an entrepreneurial, fully immersive culture that rewards success.

Mr. Wade, who will serve as Executive Director, Investments, is a native of Tennessee and has over 20 years of financial services experience. Meridian works with clients to create, grow, protect and preserve wealth, and offers legacy planning services. Joining him on the team are Aaron Fiske, Director, Investments, along with two experienced associates. The entire team is dedicated to delivering clients the highest level of service.

Mr. Wade said, "Though we had several intriguing opportunities during our search for a new firm, what Phil and Oppenheimer are doing in Nashville stood out immediately, and we wanted to be a part of it. At Meridian, we're passionate about helping our clients pursue their lifelong financial goals through customized solutions, personalized service and a common-sense approach to investing. With Oppenheimer, we found a firm that is committed to allowing us to continue fulfilling our value proposition to clients while providing us with the additional tools, technologies and support resources we need to realize our long-term growth objectives."

Ed Harrington, Executive Vice President, Private Client Division, concluded, "Supporting practices so they can provide the best possible experience to their clients is what we do at Oppenheimer. The talented individuals at Meridian have built an impressive business based on hard work, integrity and a relentless focus on doing what is best for their clients. We are proud they chose to affiliate with us for their next chapter as we build our exciting new presence in Nashville. I can't wait to see all we can accomplish together in the coming years."

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (Oppenheimer), a principal subsidiary of Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (OPY on the New York Stock Exchange), and its affiliates provide a full range of wealth management, securities brokerage and investment banking services to high net-worth individuals, families, corporate executives, local governments, businesses and institutions.

Media Contacts:

Joseph Kuo / Michael Dugan

Haven Tower Group LLC

424 317 4851 or 424 317 4852

[email protected] or [email protected]

SOURCE Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
CEO and Co-Founder, Matt Liotta, Will Speak on a Panel Entitled, "Can the Charter Boom Last?" at the Event Held from October 31st - November 2nd

ATLANTA, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Volato , the most efficient way to experience a luxury private jet, is set to participate in this year's Corporate Jet Investor Miami (CJI Miami) from October 31st to November 2nd. Matt Liotta, the company's CEO and Co-Founder, will speak on Tuesday, November 1st at 5:20 PM ET as part of the panel discussion, "Can the Charter Boom Last?" He will be joined by panelists including Jim Segrave, CEO of flyExclusive; Greg Raiff, CEO of Elevate Aviation Group; Leona Qi, President of VistaJet; and Aadesh Bastra of Titan Aviation.

For the tenth year, CJI Miami will take place at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach and will provide the opportunity for more than 450 business leaders from across the industry to network, share, and build relationships. This must-attend event for the aviation sector consistently attracts senior-level and C-Suite leadership from OEMs, operators, brokers, financiers, law firms and technology platforms that are influential and leading the next advancements in business aviation.

The Volato team will be meeting with business leaders, potential investors, and other executives throughout the course of the event.

By tuning into the evolving market's needs and advancing operations, the company has evolved into a full-service, luxury private aviation company. Volato's business has grown significantly over the last year and now provides innovative new solutions across the industry. The team's attendance at CJI Miami comes on the tail of recent announcements, including a new relationship with Gulfstream and a fleet order of Gulfstream G280 aircraft.

For more information visit www.flyvolato.com

About Volato :

Volato is a full-service aviation company providing modern ways to enjoy luxury private jets through innovative, friendly, and sustainable solutions. Volato provides a fresh approach to fractional ownership, aircraft management, jet card and charter programs. Volato's fractional program uniquely offers flexible hours and a revenue share on every live mission for owners in a fleet of bespoke HondaJet Elites which are optimized for missions of up to four passengers, and Gulfstream G280's which are optimized for missions of up to ten passengers.

All Volato flights are operated by its DOT/FAA-authorized air carrier subsidiaries (G C Aviation, Inc., FlyDreams, LLC d/b/a Volato) or by an approved vendor air carrier.

Contact:

Teddy Burnette, 619-888-5217

SOURCE Volato
HEILBRONN, Germany, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global IT company has begun entering the Hungarian market on a full-scale. With this, local brands and publishers will gain access to the company's tools, gain a broader range of revenue channels, increase brand awareness, establish long-term business partnerships, and improve key business metrics.

Admitad develops and invests in advertising and monetization technologies, partner services, money management solutions, media buying and SmartShopping services. Now the company unites more than 30 thousand advertisers and tens of thousands of publishers from all over the world.

In this time of economic uncertainty, the CPA Cost per Action model - orders, installations and applications - is especially attractive for companies in Eastern Europe. It provides brands with the opportunity to clearly plan their advertising budgets, test new sales channels without risk, and generate additional revenue.

Over the past few years, Admitad has been studying the Hungarian market and has noticed the growing demand for affiliate marketing tools. Exodus of Ukrainian partners abroad and company scaling are also significant reasons for entering new markets. With a significant share of the affiliate marketing market in Ukraine, the company plans to bring to Hungary the best tools and practices of this industry.

Previously, the Admitad team has already worked with the local audience and saw a huge potential in local buyers and brands. The company managed to achieve excellent results in cooperation with competitors of Hungary partners that are close to Admitad geographically and are focussed on the digital industries and e-commerce. There are a number of well-known brands affiliated with Admitad that are familiar to Hungarian consumers, including Shein, Spartoo, among others. Using Admitad tools, they generate a 40% to 120% growth in local sales on average per year.

"Admitad will continue to strengthen its positions in Eastern Europe, and it is the most experienced Ukrainian team that will lead this process. This team will be able to apply all the accumulated expertise in working with Hungarian brands and online stores. First of all, the Admitad Partner Network and the Instant Payout service will become available in new markets," says Alexander Krivosheev, head of the Partner Network in the CIS.

Admitad accelerates the growth of medium and large businesses, as well as helps small businesses grow.

We invite you to send an application to [email protected] if you are interested in testing customer acquisition through affiliate marketing. Our team of experts will consult with you and recommend how affiliate marketing can be effective for your business, and how you can begin implementing it.

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SOURCE Admitad
Cutting-Edge Program to Help Fill the Dire Shortage of Behind-the-Scenes Heroes Who Perform Laboratory Testing that Informs Patient Diagnosis, Treatment

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A preeminent Jesuit research university and the world's leading provider of diagnostic information services are teaming up to fill a dire shortage of workers in a vital but little-known field.

Saint Louis University and Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX) are partnering to launch an accelerated bachelor's degree program in medical laboratory science. The 16-month program will combine online academic courses with intensive hands-on learning and clinical experiences in Quest's Lenexa, Kansas laboratory.

"Medical laboratory scientists are the hidden heroes who help save lives every day," said Amanda Reed, Medical Laboratory Science Program director and assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Health Sciences at Saint Louis University's Doisy College of Health Sciences.

Medical detectives

Medical laboratory scientists detect diseases ranging from COVID-19 to cancer.

Using sophisticated equipment and advanced technologies, an estimated 335,000 medical laboratory scientists across the United States perform 14 billion diagnostic tests each year to inform patients' diagnoses and treatment. This includes identifying pathogens that cause infections and abnormal blood cells that could be signs of cancer or other diseases. MLS professionals also perform glucose tests that lead to the diagnosis of diabetes, which affects an estimated 37 million Americans.

"We're excited to team up with SLU, a leader in educating the next generation of lab leaders," said Doug Hamilton, vice president, Laboratory Operations for Quest's Midwest Region. "The number of people currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in medical laboratory science will satisfy only half of the demand for these workers during the next 10 years.

One-third of our staff is currently at or above retirement age, making the need for MLS professionals even greater."

A growing need, dwindling programs

Despite performing lifesaving work and receiving great pay and benefits  the average annual salary for medical laboratory science graduates in the United States is $66,547, according to Burning Glass Technologies  these professionals are in short supply.

The field is projected to grow 17% by 2030, with about 12,600 openings for medical laboratory scientists during the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the same time, there are not enough colleges and universities investing in MLS education, Hamilton said.

A history of MLS education

SLU's collaboration with Quest is designed to fill these gaps with a rigorous program that exposes student to the inner workings of a busy medical laboratory.

SLU has a long history of educating medical laboratory scientists. The university's ground-campus MLS program in St. Louis was among the first in the nation and has achieved more than 85 years of continuous accreditation. There is a 100% job placement rate for students within six months of earning their bachelor's degree, and the program has a near-perfect pass rate on the national MLS board certification exam.

In Lenexa, students will gain analytical skills and technical expertise in clinical chemistry, medical microbiology, immunohematology, hematology and clinical immunology. After successfully completing the program, graduates will be eligible to take the national board of certification examination administered by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).

While most patients will never see a medical laboratory scientist, Reed said these professionals' impact on patient care is profound. "We impress upon our students that behind every blood draw and nasal swab is a person," she said.

The Lenexa program is geared to those with at least 60 college credit hours or a bachelor's degree in another field. There will be three start dates per year  spring, summer and fall  beginning in 2023.

For more information, visit https://medlabscience.slu.edu/.

About Saint Louis University

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 13,500 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University's diverse community of scholars is SLU's service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place.

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world's largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve healthcare management. Quest annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our nearly 50,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. https://www.questdiagnostics.com/

SOURCE Saint Louis University
QUZHOU, China, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This is a report from China.org.cn:

A Sinology camp for young scholars from various countries kicked off in eastern China's Zhejiang province on Oct. 23. The study camp aims to promote traditional Chinese culture and people-to-people exchange, and to introduce a culturally rich and economically prosperous Zhejiang to the world.

In the eight-day program, 15 young Sinologists from 18 countries and 15 international students of Sinology-related majors at Chinese universities are visiting Shaoxing and Quzhou, two cities with long history and rich culture in Zhejiang.

Their destinations include scenery spots, cultural sites, enterprises, as well as urban and rural communities to get a first-hand knowledge of China's culture, history, as well as its modernization drive.

During their time in Quzhou, they visited the Quzhou Confucius Ancestral Temple and the Chinese Confucianism Museum, experienced the city's intangible cultural heritages, including how to make white porcelain, and learned about the Go culture at the International Weiqi Cultural Exchange Center. They also toured traditional ancient villages including Dachen village and the Nianbadu ancient town.

The visitors also participated in a number of lectures, themed discussions, and seminars during their tour.

Zhejiang province was chosen as the destination for this year's Sinology camp because it has rich culture and history and is a major demonstration zone for China's high-quality development and common prosperity, said Jia Deyong, secretary general of the International Confucian Association, at the launch event of the camp.

Jia said he hopes the participants can understand a true and fascinating China by visiting Zhejiang.

The camp was co-organized by the International Confucian Association, the Quzhou municipal government, the Shaoxing municipal government, and Beijing Language and Culture University.

Sinology camp for young scholars held in Zhejiang

http://www.china.org.cn/china/2022-10/28/content_78490944.htm

SOURCE China.org.cn
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR), the world's premier commercial real estate organization for industrial and office brokers, recently inducted its 2022-2023 officers during its fall event CREate 360 in Dallas.

SIOR represents today's most knowledgeable, experienced, and trusted commercial real estate brokerage specialists, and these individuals are proven experts in their market and leaders in the industry.

SIOR, the world's premier commercial real estate organization for industrial and office brokers, inducted its new Board Tweet this

Patricia J. Loveall, SIOR, assumed the role of SIOR Global President. Loveall is an executive vice president and partner with Kidder Mathews in Seattle, Wash., and has been an SIOR industrial specialist since 1997.

David Lockwood, SIOR, assumed the role of SIOR President-Elect. Lockwood is executive vice president and COO of Colliers International in Columbia, S.C. and has been an SIOR office specialist since 1990.

Mike Ohmes, SIOR, an office specialist in Minneapolis, has been inducted as SIOR's Vice-President. After serving a one-year term as vice president, Ohmes will serve as president-elect for one year, and then step into the presidency of SIOR in the fall of 2024.

The following were inducted to serve two-year terms on SIOR's Board of Directors as members-at-large:

Damian Rivera , SIOR, an industrial & office specialist, Frisco, Texas

, SIOR, an industrial & office specialist, Laurie Tylenda , SIOR, office specialist, Albany, N.Y.

The following will serve a one-year term on SIOR's Board of Directors as members-at-large:

Taber Thill, SIOR, an office specialist, Las Vegas

Daniel Smolensky , SIOR, industrial specialist, Chicago

In addition, the following SIOR members were also inducted to serve as Regional Directors for a two-year term:

A complete list of current SIOR leadership can be found HERE.

To schedule interviews with SIOR elected officers or a regional member, please contact Alexis Fermanis at [email protected].

About SIOR (www.sior.com)

The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors  (SIOR) is the leading society for industrial and office real estate professionals. Individuals who earn their SIOR designation adhere to the highest levels of accountability and ethical standards. Only the industry's top professionals qualify for the SIOR designation. Today, there are more than 3,600 SIOR members in 722 cities and 45 countries. www.sior.com

Contact:

Alexis Fermanis | Sr. Director of Marketing & Communications | SIOR

[email protected]

SOURCE SIOR
Rosario Dawson, Malcolm Gladwell, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Ken Burns, Retta, Aly Raisman, Elaine Chao, Joy Harjo, and more join together in unprecedented show of unity to champion the Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation announced the inaugural members of its Council of Ambassadors, an honorary body of renowned leaders uniting across industries and political parties to champion the Foundation in its mission to build a monument in Washington, D.C. memorializing the early American movement for women's equality. The Council of Ambassadors will serve for the duration of the multi-year effort and the Foundation will add members throughout the life of the project.

This announcement follows the recent news from the Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation that all of the living First LadiesDr. Jill Biden, Mrs. Melania Trump, Mrs. Michelle Obama, Mrs. Laura Bush, Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Mrs. Rosalynn Carterwill serve together as Honorary Chairs of the organization. In their role as Honorary Chairs, the First Ladies will spearhead the Foundation's efforts to ensure that the 36 million people who visit our National Mall each year experience a deeper and more inclusive American story.

"There is something beautifully American about the way our Nation's leading voices are uniting in support of the Foundation's mission to elevate women out of the footnotes of history and into their rightful place in our country's commemorative landscape," said Anna Laymon, Executive Director of the Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation. "We are honored to have these distinguished Ambassadors standing alongside us in this historic work."

The 23 inaugural appointees to the Council of Ambassadors include: two Pulitzer-Prize winners; one Olympian; four New York Times bestselling authors; the longest-serving woman in congressional history; three former Cabinet members; two Emmy winners; one Grammy winner; one Poet Laureate; one Peabody Award winner; one Eisner Award winner; two winners of the Lincoln Prize; one winner of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award; seven congressionally appointed commissioners of the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission; six groundbreaking podcast hosts and producers; and more.

Inaugural Ambassadors of the Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation

David Blight, Pulitzer Prize Winning Author & Historian

Ken Burns, Filmmaker

Jovita Carranza, 44th U.S. Treasurer & 26th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration

Elaine Chao, 24th U. S. Secretary of Labor & 18th U. S. Secretary of Transportation

Susan Combs, Former Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, & Budget of the Department of the Interior

Rosario Dawson, Activist, Producer, & Designer

Malcolm Gladwell, New York Times Bestselling Author & host of Revisionist History

Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize Winning Author & Presidential Historian

Joy Harjo, 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States

Karen Hill, President & CEO of the Harriet Tubman Home

Kerri Hoffman, CEO of PRX

Kay Coles James, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia

Brad Meltzer, Historian & New York Times Best-Selling Author

Senator Barbara Mikulski (Ret), Longest Serving Woman in Congressional History

Nicola Miner, Philanthropist

Norah O'Donnell, Anchor & Managing Editor of the CBS Evening News

Monica Padman, Co-Host & Producer of the Armchair Expert Podcast

Aly Raisman, Gold Medalist & Advocate

Retta, Actress, Comedienne, & Author

Deborah Rutter, President of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Filmmaker & First Partner of California

Shaina Taub, Songwriter & Performer

Nina Totenberg, NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent

With the support of its Ambassadors , the Foundation will continue to advance the mission as mandated by the U.S. Congress in Public Law 116-217 to bring the Women's Suffrage National Monument to the heart of the Nation's Capital.

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION

The Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation leads the effort to fund, design, develop, and construct the Women's Suffrage National Monument, which will serve as a lasting legacy of the longest political movement in American history and honor the generations of women who lobbied, marched, picketed, and protested in their decades-long fight for equality. For more information visit www.womensmonument.org and follow us on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter .

SUPPORT

Amongst our most iconic monuments and memorials, American women's stories are missing. Today, fewer than 5% of statues in our Nation's Capital depict women. And we need your support. Like most monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C., the Women's Suffrage National Monument will be funded in its entirety through private donations. Learn more about our movement, donate , and be a part of making history.

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Womens Suffrage National Monument Foundation
NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Insight Partners published latest research study on " Influenza Vaccines Market Size, Share, Revenue, Growth Strategy, Industry Trends and Forecast to 2028  COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis  by Vaccine Type, Virus Type, Technology, Route of Administration, Target Group, and Geography," the global influenza vaccines market size reached from USD 7.47 billion in 2021 to USD 12.27 billion by 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% from 2022 to 2028. Increased government support to promote influenza vaccination and a rise in investment by top market players and governments worldwide are driving the market. However, the high cost of vaccine development is hampering the market's growth.

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Global Influenza Vaccines Market Report Scope, Segmentations, Regional & Country Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Size Value in USD 7.47 Billion in 2021 Market Size Value by USD 12.27 Billion by 2028 Growth rate CAGR of 7.4% from 2022 to 2028 Forecast Period 2022-2028 Base Year 2021 No. of Pages 209 No. of Tables 138 No. of Charts & Figures 80 Historical data available Yes Segments covered Vaccine Type, Virus Type, Technology, Route of Administration, and Target Group Regional scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; MEA Country scope US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Argentina Report coverage Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends Companies Covered Moderna, Inc.; SEQIRUS; Sanofi; GlaxoSmithKline plc; Hualan Biological Engineering Inc.; Emergent BioSolutions Inc.; Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation; Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd; Mylan N. V.; AstraZeneca Key Research Capabilities Global Market Assessment, Business Development Strategies, Competitive Landscape, Opportunity Analysis, Regional and Country Level Market Analysis, Market Entry Strategies, Market Dynamics, Risk and Return Assessments, Pricing Analysis, Market Size and Forecasting, Company Profiling, Value Chain Analysis, Expansion Strategies, SWOT Analysis, New Product Development Global Influenza Vaccines Market Forecast to 2028 - Latest COVID-19 Analysis https://www.theinsightpartners.com/covid-analysis-sample/TIPRE00004070/

Browse key market insights spread across 209 pages with 138 list of tables & 80 list of figures from the report, "Influenza Vaccines Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Vaccine Type (Quadrivalent Vaccines and Trivalent Vaccines), Virus Type (Influenza Virus Type A and Influenza Virus Type B), Technology (Egg-based and Cell-based), Route of Administration (Injection and Nasal Spray), and Target Group (Infants, Children, Adults, and Elderly)" in detail along with the table of contents: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/reports/influenza-vaccines-market

Global Influenza Vaccines Market: Competition Landscape and Key Developments

Moderna, Inc.; SEQIRUS; Sanofi; GlaxoSmithKline plc; Hualan Biological Engineering Inc.; Emergent BioSolutions Inc.; Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation; Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd; Mylan N. V.; and AstraZeneca are the key companies operating in the influenza vaccines market. The companies are taking up product innovation strategies to meet the evolving customer demands globally, allowing them to maintain their brand name in the global influenza vaccines market. A few of the recent developments in the influenza vaccines market are mentioned below:

In July 2022, GSK announced an agreement with the Government of Canada for pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccines to help protect Canadian adults and children. The 4-year agreement, spanning through March 2026, includes the supply of as many as 80 million doses of Arepanrix (adjuvanted pandemic influenza vaccine) in the event of an influenza pandemic(s) and a minimum of 4 million doses per year of Flulaval Tetra (seasonal influenza vaccine).

In July 2022, The US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) approved Sanofi's licensure request for vaccine approval for the upcoming 2022-2023 flu season, including Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent (Influenza Vaccine), Flublok Quadrivalent (Influenza Vaccine), and Fluzone Quadrivalent (Influenza Vaccine). This approval comes on the heels of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) preferential recommendation for adults 65+ including Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent and Flublok Quadrivalent.

In June 2022, Moderna, Inc. announced the first participants had been dosed in a Phase 3 study of the Company's seasonal influenza vaccine candidate (mRNA-1010). The trial is expected to enroll approximately 6,000 adults from countries in Southern Hemisphere.

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The influenza virus causes flu, a contagious respiratory illness that infects the nose, throat, and lungs. It can be mild or severe and sometimes may lead to death. Flu vaccination every year can help in preventing flu. However, this can be deadly, especially in high-risk groups. The aged population, pregnant women, and people with one or more chronic diseases or weak immune systems are at high risk. Influenza vaccines/flu shots protect against the 4 influenza virus subtypes that are most common. Most influenza vaccines are "flu shots" given with a needle, usually in the arm, but nasal spray flu vaccines are also available.

Increase in Government Support to Promote Influenza Vaccination to Drive Global Influenza Vaccines Market:

The governing bodies of various states and countries are supporting the promotion of vaccination through multiple activities and programs. For instance, the National Immunization Program (NIP) gives the Australian government a free seasonal influenza vaccine to those at risk of influenza-related complications. By 2022, enough vaccines would be secured to cover all risk groups eligible for a government-funded flu vaccine through the NIP. Below are a few more instances supporting the government support for influenza vaccination:

In July 2022, Public Services and Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi and Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced that the Government of Canada had signed a new contract with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to support a sustainable influenza pandemic readiness. The Government of Canada maintains pandemic influenza vaccine preparedness in the event of an influenza pandemic. It has a contract in place with GSK to provide seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccines since 2001. Pandemic influenzas are unpredictable but occur when a new strain of influenza virus emerges, spreads widely, and causes the disease.

In July 2022, Seniors and Long-term Care Minister Scott Johnston and Health Minister Audrey Gordon announced that the Manitoba government would expand the high-dose flu vaccine eligibility to include all adults aged 65 and over to ensure more Manitoba people are protected against influenza.

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The Victorian government proposed a grant and reimbursement program to help GPs and pharmacies improve access and uptake of the influenza vaccines by June and July 2022.

In June 2022, The New Zealand government expanded the access to free flu vaccines, with an additional 800,000 New Zealanders eligible from July 1, 2022. Children aged 3 to 12 years and people with severe mental health or addiction problems can now get a free dose of the flu vaccines.

Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC), and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, organized a media event, titled "Let's Stay Healthy Together" to kick off the 2021 government-funded influenza vaccination program. At the event, Director General Chou, Ambassador Tan, and Hsin Chiang were the first to be vaccinated to encourage eligible people to receive government-funded flu vaccines to get their flu vaccinations as soon as possible following the program.

In September 2019, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to promote the development of better vaccines to protect against seasonal flu and the potential for pandemic flu outbreaks.

In Oct 2021, with flu season approaching, the Provincial Government was encouraging all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to get a flu shot in the year 2021. Starting October 25, 2021, the Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) have begun hosting free flu vaccination clinics. People can also get the vaccine through their family doctor or local pharmacy.

The increasing government support to promote vaccination worldwide is driving the influenza vaccine market. The influenza vaccines market includes many small and big companies. Market players are adopting various strategies to increase their market shares; these include new product launches, regional expansion, and technological advancements.

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About Us:

The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials.

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If you have any queries about this report or if you would like further information, please contact us:

Contact Person: Sameer Joshi

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SOURCE The Insight Partners
PHOENIX, Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Two Arizona teachers were honored with the 2022 Economic Education Teacher of the Year award at the 9th annual Champions in Education event. The event was hosted by the Arizona Council on Economic Education (ACEE) with Signature sponsor Jacob Gold & Associates and Entrepreneur sponsor Valley Schools.

Economic Education Teachers of the Year with Presenter Jacob Gold, Keynote Speakers Bethann Bovino and Caroline Freund, ACEE President and CEO Elena Zee

"The Arizona community fought a long and resilient fight against COVID-19 and rallied around ACEE to support the future financial success of all students in Arizona. This event, during the National October Economic Education Month was sold out and reached a record number of fifty sponsors this year," said Elena Zee, President and CEO. "This accomplishment will prepare ACEE to expand programs and services to reach students statewide in financial, economic, and entrepreneurship education."

Elementary Economic Education Teacher of the Year John Vasey from Ridgeline Academy thanked ACEE for the professional development and resources. High School Teacher of the Year Jed Whetten from Red Mountain High School said "I absolutely believe that economics is life. When you can open students' eyes to the economic principles that are in play all around us, it is magical."

ACEE board member and event chair Jacob Gold remarked "Teachers are the real heroes" and led the entire audience to give all Arizona teachers at the event a standing ovation.

Two female economists and keynote speakers, Beth Ann Bovino, Chief U.S. Economist of S&P Global Ratings and Caroline Freund, Dean of UCSD School of Global Policy, credited their success to teachers and shared their journey to economics, the importance of economics study, innovation, and voluntary trade.

The event ended with teachers Elna Perkins from Grand Canyon High School, Chris Pondy from Boulder Creek High School, and Michele Bentivegna from Peoria Unified School District sharing impactful personal and student stories to attribute their success to ACEE and its donors.

ABOUT Arizona Council on Economic Education

The Arizona Council on Economic Education (ACEE) is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to economic and financial literacy and workforce development in Arizona. ACEE has served more than 2,000 public, charter, tribal, home, private, and juvenile detention schools; has a strong, affiliated academic base with universities and community colleges; partners with the Arizona Department of Education and the Federal Reserve Bank; and prepares teachers in teaching and students in developing personal finance, economics and career readiness skills.

SOURCE Arizona Council on Economic Education
Abbott's FreeStyle Libre honored as the "best of the best" since 1970 during the Prix Galien Golden Jubilee Awards

Revolutionary FreeStyle Libre technology has transformed the lives of approximately 4.5 million people1 living with diabetes globally

ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Galien Foundation, the premier global institution dedicated to honoring innovators in life sciences, named Abbott's FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring technology as the "Best Medical Technology" of the last 50 years during its Prix Galien Golden Jubilee Awards ceremony on Oct. 27 in New York City. The Prix Galien Golden Jubilee Awards recognize global innovations that have had the greatest impact on society since the Galien Foundation was founded in 1970.

Award winners were chosen across five categories from the 250 products awarded the Prix Galien, regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for biopharmaceutical and medical technology research, between 1970 and 2019. The FreeStyle Libre system was awarded the 2019 Prix Galien USA Award for Best Medical Technology.

"Abbott's FreeStyle Libre portfolio has revolutionized how people live with diabetes, eliminating the need for traditional fingersticks,2" said Jared Watkin, senior vice president of Abbott's diabetes care business. "Today, approximately 4.5 million people around the world use this life-changing technology to manage their diabetes and improve health outcomes, helping them live fuller, healthier lives every day."

"The Prix Galien Golden Jubilee Awards honor the global 'best of the best' innovations that have improved the human condition over the last 50 years," said Bruno Cohen, Chairman of the Galien Foundation. "The companies behind these amazing innovations have a bold passion for change, which has led to the development of life-saving products."

Over the years, Abbott has received 11 Prix Galien Awards for its innovations in pharmaceuticals and medical technology, including for Humira, MitraClip and FreeStyle Libre.

About Abbott:

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 113,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Connect with Abbott at www.abbott.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/abbott, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews.

Indications and Important Safety Information

FreeStyle Libre 14 day system: Failure to use FreeStyle Libre 14 day system as instructed in labeling may result in missing a severe low or high glucose event and/or making a treatment decision, resulting in injury. If readings do not match symptoms or expectations, use a fingerstick value from a blood glucose meter for treatment decisions. Seek medical attention when appropriate or contact Abbott at 855-632-8658 or FreeStyleLibre.us for safety info.

FreeStyle Libre 2 and FreeStyle Libre 3 systems: Failure to use FreeStyle Libre 2 or FreeStyle Libre 3 systems as instructed in labeling may result in missing a severe low or high glucose event and/or making a treatment decision, resulting in injury. If glucose alarms and readings do not match symptoms or expectations, use a fingerstick value from a blood glucose meter for treatment decisions. Seek medical attention when appropriate or contact Abbott at 855-632-8658 or FreeStyleLibre.us for safety info.

For U.S. important safety information on MitraClip, visit http://abbo.tt/MitraClipG4ISI.

1 Data on file, Abbott Diabetes Care. Data based on the number of users worldwide for the FreeStyle Libre portfolio compared to the number of users for other leading personal use, sensor-based glucose monitoring systems.

2 Data on file, Abbott Diabetes Care. Fingersticks are required for treatment decisions when you see Check Blood Glucose symbol, when symptoms do not match system readings, when you suspect readings may be inaccurate, or when you experience symptoms that may be due to high or low blood glucose.

SOURCE Abbott
LIMASSOL, Cyprus, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AdTech Holding, the Cyprus-based international lab, focused on creating startup ecosystems and innovations for AdTech and MarTech projects, informs that it's hosting the first Open HackAdTech Hackathon, in Limassol.

During November 26-27, the 2022 HackAdTech  an Open AdTech Hackathon with the largest prize pool in Cyprus  takes place. This contest launches four different challenges ranging from social to digital advertising, mobile apps, and analytics. All of which must be solved within the 2 days event.

AdTech Holding Hosts the first HackAdTech Hackathon in Cyprus

"The HackAdTech Hackathon is a real chance for everybody to express themselves  no matter if you are young, a professional of the field, or an expert, and even just barely starting. It is an opportunity to demonstrate your skills and creativity in resolving any of the four modern-day challenges."

Alex Vasekin, AdTech Holding CEO

For whom is HackAdTech dedicated?

The event is open for every programmers and developers, designers, data scientists, or aspiring IT specialists and technology enthusiasts to join and solve any of the four challenges.

Members have time to register until November 20 and form teams of up to five members that include a programmer by November 21, 2022. Then, between November 26 and 27 they'll have to implement their idea, which will only be deemed valid if the prototype is functional, effective, has business potential, and the presentation is clear and insightful.

Which innovations are we going to work on?

The best pitches and the winners of the 20,000 grand prize and also second and third prizes, will compete in the following challenges:

IT solutions to improve life in Cyprus and make the island even more comfortable

and make the island even more comfortable Digital advertising innovations

Mobile apps for monetization through digital advertising

Recommendations algorithm based on real user behavior analysis

For more information about the First Open HackAdTech Hackathon follow this link, or contact [email protected].

Contact:

Mari Yash

+35795989881

[email protected]

SOURCE Adtech Holding
TAIPEI, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allion USA-SGS has been recently accredited by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) as one of the world's first Matter Authorized Test Laboratories (ATL). As of today, we provide Matter certification testing and consulting services, supporting IoT vendors in the certification process and reducing time-to-market. Our goal is to help manufacturers produce high-quality products that meet consumer demands.

Allion USA-SGS supports the building of the new smart home ecosystem through Matter certification and consulting services.

Matter is an IP-based smart home protocol for interoperability between IoT devices beyond a single ecosystem. With its network based on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, and Thread, Matter not only enhances product privacy and security, it also provides a consistent standard for product evaluation. If a product is Matter-certified, it is compatible with all other Matter-enabled devices, allowing consumers to have new IoT experiences across brands which increases brand recognition and trust.

However, smart home products should also have other AV certification and validation tests to win consumers' trust. Certifications such as Amazon Alexa Voice Service, OCF, UPnP+, DLNA, HDMI, HDCP, HDR10+, 8K, and IMAX can show consumers that the product has undergone strict testing.

Besides certification tests, Allion USA-SGS arranges for user experience testing, also significant to products that support Matter. Quality of Experience (QoE) can be measured in the test environment (set up to simulate a real user's usage environment, such as the smart home, smart office or smart building). For smart home scenarios, Allion USA-SGS provides one-stop consultancy services including Ecosystem Interoperability & Real-World Testing, Mobile App Consultancy Service, Wireless Infrastructure Consulting Service (WICS), Security Evaluation, and Compliance & Certification.

As an authorized test lab of over 30 certifications, Allion USA-SGS can not only assist with Matter certifications, but also provide Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread, audio-video validations, and more. Allion USA-SGS provides brands a simple and convenient product certification process.

For further information on Matter or other related services, please refer to

https://www.allionusa-sgs.com/certification/matter_us/

Service Locations

Global: [email protected]

USA: [email protected]

Japan: [email protected]

China: [email protected]

About Allion USA-SGS

Allion USA-SGS is a global leader in certification testing, design validation, and engineering consultancy services. We offer professional services in research, design, quality, and production. Provided services include standard logo certification tests, customized engineering validation services, product ecosystem scenario testing, testing tool design, and consulting services.

SOURCE Allion USA-SGS
Applications Open for Elite Technologists to Enter Global Challenge with a $10,000 Prize Pot

NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Andela , the global marketplace for remote technical talent, has opened applications for its upcoming EPIC Tournament . In partnership with HackerEarth , and Payoneer, the tournament will see elite developers working in teams to prototype solutions that will positively impact the growing global remote workforce.

EPIC Tournament Hero EPIC Tournament Hero

Participants can be located anywhere in the world but must choose a country to represent within the 4 different regions: America, Europe, Middle East Africa, or Asia-Pacific. In line with Andela's focus on helping companies build remote engineering teams, coders will be hacking and designing products that will help solve the problems of the future of work. Consisting of two rounds, teams or individuals will first participate in the EPIC Coding Challenge, where they will be assessed on their coding abilities. The 3-hour challenge will see participants code their way up to the leaderboard.

A shortlist of 16 teams [four from each region] will get exclusive access to the EPIC Remote Worker Hackathon starting November 28, 2022, where they will spend ten days working on their hack ahead of presenting their solution to a panel of judges. Participants' final work will be judged based on their problem-solving and product-building skills, as well as Andela's EPIC values. They're encouraged to be:

Excellent in their various stacks

in their various stacks Passionate about their idea/solution which they will be presented

about their idea/solution which they will be presented To show Integrity and honesty when showcasing the solutions they will be providing

and honesty when showcasing the solutions they will be providing And to Collaborate to win against the other teams in the competition

The teams with the top three strongest solutions in terms of Creativity, Impact, Feasibility, and Scalability will be awarded prizes worth $10,000 in cash and swags from Andela and partners.

Speaking about the hackathon, Michael Starkenburg, Chief Product and Technology Officer, says: "Through the EPIC tournament, we are creating an experience that will help developers across the world to test their skills and collaborate with others while potentially developing meaningful solutions to positively impact the growing number of remote workers around the world. Hackathons encourage participants to tap into their creativity, and we look forward to the creative solutions technologists will come up with."

In recent years, the mainstream adoption of remote work has seen exponential growth, with 56% of global companies allowing remote work, while 16% of global companies are fully remote, according to an Owl Labs study. The hackathon will inspire solutions that can power the future of remote work globally.

Discussing the tournament, Carlos Carrascal, Senior Marketing Manager for Talent at Andela, says: "Talent exists all over the globe. Technology is creating more diverse and inclusive opportunities today than ever before - it doesn't matter where you were born, where you live, your age, or your gender. At Andela, we created the EPIC tournament as a space for engineers to showcase their skills, represent their country, have fun, and be part of the best team in their region - and the world."

Launched in 2014, Andela helps companies such as GitHub , Goldman Sachs , and Cloudflare build remote engineering teams by providing them with access to the world's best software engineers. Today, the Andela network represents engineering talent from over 100 countries.

Applications will close on November 26 2022, with the shortlisted teams evaluated at the live-streamed finale and award ceremony on December 13th, 2022. For more details and registration on the EPIC tournament, please visit here .

For additional information on Andela or interview requests, please contact Maria Adediran of Wimbart | at [email protected]

About Andela

Andela is a global talent network that connects companies with vetted, remote engineers in emerging markets. Hundreds of leading companies like GitHub , Cloudflare , and ViacomCBS leverage Andela to scale their engineering teams quickly and cost-effectively. A distributed organization spanning six continents, Andela is backed by investors, including Generation Investment Management, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Spark Capital, and Google Ventures.

SOURCE Andela
NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Since the debut of DEIJIDESIGN, a blooming luxury and elegant fashion line, at Flying Solo's "Ones to Watch" event at New York Fashion Week '22, the brand is taking the fashion world by storm. Available at DEIJIDESIGN.com and at Flying Solo's Flagship store in SOHO NYC, DEIJIDESIGN is marking itself as the essential wardrobe pop of color.

The black Octavia purse and Day in Paris, France. Day, wearing the Riva boots overlooking the breathtaking view of London, England. Day and the black Octavia purse in front of the Palace of Versailles in France. Day with the black Octavia purse by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Day visiting Duomo di Milano with the black Octavia purse in Italy. Day showcasing the black Octavia purse at the London Bridge.

This last month, DEIJIDESIGN accompanied LaRae Day, DEIJIDESIGN influencer and model, from New York throughout her post-NYFW '22 fashion events in Europe. Visiting London, Milan, and Paris, DEIJIDESIGN's Riva boots and black Octavia purse traveled the globe with Day all within the last month.

Day, 26, who has been an influencer, model, and content creator in the fashion industry since she was 20, states, "I visited over 15 different Airbnbs and hotels while I was in Europe. As someone who had to cram so much into [my luggage] DEIJIDESIGN's extraordinary craftsmanship and quality was attested to. Both the boots and purse held up without scratches," Day explains. "The beauty of DEIJIDESIGN was upheld against the wear and tear of my travels all across Europe," she further expresses.

Mark Schwartz, legendary designer to the Stars and DEIJIDESIGN's Creative Director as well as significant partner, has collaborated and designed directly for top luxury fashion brands such as Balenciaga, Gucci, Chanel, Charles Jourdan Hermes, and Marc Jacobs in addition to many others.

"DEIJIDESIGN is made with the finest Italian leather by premiere Italian artisans. The fact that the Riva boots and the Octavia purse withheld wear and tear during her travels truly concretes DEIJIDESIGN's commitment to the quality craftsmanship of our products," Schwartz clarifies.

While in New York at fashion week, Day showcased DEIJIDESIGN at Flying Solo's event. Additionally, she expressed her knowledge of the prestige surrounding Schwartz. She states on her Instagram that, "Oprah, JLo, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Julia Roberts, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, and other celebrities have requested personal footwear designs from Mark Schwartz, the Creative Director of DEIJIDESIGNIf designs from the Director of DEIJIDESIGN are good enough for Oprah and JLo, ya better believe they're good enough for me!"

After NYFW in September, Day made her way to London Fashion week, and with her the Riva boots and black Octavia purse traveled as well. "The Riva sneaker-boots and Octavia purse were such staples for me at New York Fashion Week that I brought them all the way to London, Milan, and Paris Fashion Week! DEIJI DESIGN truly produces only the highest quality merchandise as both these accessories held up miraculously throughout a full month of rigorous travel," Day explains on her Instagram.

After London, Day visited Italy with DEIJIDESIGN's Octavia and Riva boots.

In addition to paying homage to the relationship between the words Octavia and the country of Italy, Day expresses her thoughts on her Instagram. "The Octavia, named after Octavia of Rome, was right at home in Italy. Named after the faithful wife of Roman general Mark Antony, simple and chic, the Octavia is loyal to you in quality and style. Made to fit any outfit, DEIJIDESIGN is with you anywhere. Besides being royally luxurious, the Octavia has indeed been loyal to me in quality and style. Schwartz says, 'It's DEIJIDESIGN classic elegance at its finest.'"

On their website regarding their signature purse, DEIJIDESIGN states it is, "Designed as a leather pebbled purse with our DEIJIDESIGN emblem in golden brass on the front encompassing the classic DEIJIDESIGN look."

Of the Riva boots, Day says on her Instagram, "My Riva boots were with me every step of the way! They are the perfect representation of my own personal style - luxury with a touch of spunk, or, as DEIJIDESIGN would put it, 'Elegance with a Twist.' Their fine black Italian leather is the highest quality, and you know I'm a sucker for sneaker-boots, especially comfortable ones. However, I think it's the hot pink lining, just visible at the top of their lovely retro laces that made me fall in love with the shoes! Just like these Riva boots, 99% of my wardrobe pieces may be black, but pink will always be my spirit color. We made the perfect pair for this fall's major European fashion weeks because fashion week is THE place to proudly showcase personal style."

"All of DEIJIDESIGN's shoes are made to be incredibly comfortable. Whether it is our sneakers, such as the Black or White Rose, or our heels such as the Sophia and Aurora, which are a part of our Autumn '22 collection, DEIJIDESIGN makes you feel like you're walking on air," Schwartz elaborates.

Last but not least, Day traveled to Paris with her DEIJIDESIGN staples. "I've been manifesting traveling to Paris since I was a young girl," Day explains. "My entire house has been decorated with Eiffel towers and Parisian-everything for years. Photos of influencers in Paris have flooded my vision board for even longer!" she further clarifies.

As a Flying Solo representative, she walked in three events for Flying Solo during Paris Fashion Week '22. "I first met a few of the executives of DEIJIDESIGN at Flying Solo's New York Fashion Week show and I was fortunate enough to walk for DEIJIDESIGN in that show. I was also invited as an influencer/guest and press team member to cover Flying Solo's New York Fashion Week shows, so I wore my DEIJI DESIGN accessories to cover Flying Solo shows in NYC as well! Now, here in Paris, I wore my DEIJIDESIGN accessories to Flying Solo's shows at Paris Fashion Week, completing a full circle," Day explains.

Both Schwartz and Day agree that the photos captured in Paris of Day and DEIJIDESIGN together are their favorites, memorializing her travels throughout Europe. Through Day's gallery of images it is impossible not to notice the beauty of DEIJIDESIGN and the female form, which has always been the brand's intent. "DEIJIDESIGN focuses on the beauty of the natural world, and Day's photos, especially in Paris, confirms and substantiates that vision," Schwartz elaborates.

Day is also an integral part of the upcoming live streaming DEIJIDESIGN show, which is premiering on Instagram in the first half of November. Featured as a weekly segment, Day will participate as a host exchanging points of view regarding the fashion world with Creative Director Schwartz. Together they will discuss fashion world insights as well as DEIJIDESIGN products, and meet with other influencers and collaborators. As a viewer there will be opportunities to win free DEIJIDESIGN accessories, speak one-on-one with Schwartz and Day during Q & A's, as well as the chance to win one of Schwartz's masterpiece sketches.

A spokesman for DEIJIDESIGN states, "In addition to all of these features there is quite a lot more to be unpacked, but for now it's under wraps."

To view all of the breathtaking photos from London, Milan, and Paris follow DEIJIDESIGN's Instagram @deijidesign, and to also stay up to date on alerts regarding the show. To learn more about DEIJIDESIGN influencer and model LaRae Day visit her Instagram @larae.day.

SOURCE DEIJIDESIGN.com
-- Award recognizes 40th anniversary of groundbreaking first cloning of AAV plasmid --

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio), a wholly owned and independently operated subsidiary of Bayer AG, today announced that R. Jude Samulski, Ph.D., AskBio President, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, received the inaugural European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT) Founders Award in Edinburgh, Scotland, during the recent ESGCT 29th Congress.

R. Jude Samulski, PhD Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, AskBio

The Founders Award honors Dr. Samulski's contribution to the development of engineered recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors, which began 40 years ago with the cloning and rescue of infectious AAV from a recombinant plasmid.1 This work laid the foundation for subsequent developments of rAAV vectors capable of expressing foreign sequences, thereby enabling the use of AAV-based vectors for the delivery of various therapeutic genes into mammalian cells. The AAV inverted terminal repeat (ITR) sequences are an essential component of every AAV therapeutic drug. This and other breakthroughs made by Dr. Samulski have since contributed to three rAAV-based gene therapies becoming available for patients and many more in various stages of development.

"ESGCT created the Founders Award this year to mark the Society's 30th anniversary," said Professor Hildegard Buning, ESGCT Board President. "The award highlights benchmark milestones in gene and cell therapy. The Founders Award 2022 recognizes the first cloning of an AAV plasmid, which Dr. Samulski and his team accomplished in 1982. That tremendous breakthrough helped make gene therapy a reality and remains at the core of the field today, making this milestone a natural choice for this inaugural honor."

Dr. Samulski has worked with AAV for 40 years, and for 25 years he was director of the University of North Carolina Gene Therapy Center. Dr. Samulski is a former member of the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC), a committee tasked with assisting the FDA with gene therapy clinical trial approvals in the U.S. He also frequently serves as a gene therapy consultant to the FDA. In 2008, Dr. Samulski was recognized by the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) with the inaugural Outstanding Achievement Award. He was also invited by Pope Francis to the Vatican in recognition of his work in the treatment of Canavan disease. Dr. Samulski has played an integral role in advancing gene therapies into human clinical trials for hemophilia, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, giant axonal neuropathy, Pompe disease, congestive heart failure and others. He is the inventor of nearly 500 patented technologies related to AAV technology.

"I'm overwhelmed with this acknowledgment and humbled by the thought that ESGCT has considered my early research to represent such a prestigious milestone for the society," said Dr. Samulski. "I'm grateful to receive the ESGCT Founders Award during these exciting times for gene therapy and honored to be the first scientist to receive this recognition."

"Jude developed the foundational technology for making AAV-based gene therapy vectors and self-complementary AAV vectors," said Sheila Mikhail, CEO and Co-Founder of AskBio. "His groundbreaking work 40 years ago remains central to our industry's advances in gene therapy and to the development of AskBio's clinical stage pipeline. This tremendous honor reflects Jude's unmatched contribution to the science of gene therapy."

About AskBio

Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio), a wholly owned and independently operated subsidiary of Bayer AG acquired in 2020, is a fully integrated gene therapy company dedicated to developing life-saving medicines and changing lives. The company maintains a portfolio of clinical programs across a range of neuromuscular, central nervous system, cardiovascular and metabolic disease indications with a clinical-stage pipeline that includes therapeutics for Pompe disease, Parkinson's disease, and congestive heart failure. AskBio's gene therapy platform includes Pro10, an industry-leading proprietary cell line manufacturing process, and an extensive capsid and promoter library. With global headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and European headquarters in Edinburgh, UK, the company has generated hundreds of proprietary capsids and promoters, several of which have entered clinical testing. Founded in 2001 and an early innovator in the gene therapy field, the company holds more than 750 patents in areas such as AAV production and chimeric and self-complementary capsids. Learn more at www.askbio.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

1 Samulski RJ, Berns KI, Tan M, Muzyczka N. Cloning of adeno-associated virus into pBR322: rescue of intact virus from the recombinant plasmid in human cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982;79(6):2077-2081. doi:10.1073/pnas.79.6.2077

AskBio Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will," "intends," "potential," "possible" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include without limitation statements regarding AskBio's pipeline of development candidates, manufacturing technology and process. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond AskBio's control. Known risks include, among others: AskBio may not be able to execute on its business plans and goals, including meeting its expected or planned regulatory milestones and timelines, its reliance on third-parties, clinical development plans, manufacturing processes and plans, and bringing its product candidates to market, due to a variety of reasons, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, possible limitations of company financial and other resources, manufacturing limitations that may not be anticipated or resolved in a timely manner, potential disagreements or other issues with our third-party collaborators and partners, and regulatory, court or agency feedback or decisions, such as feedback and decisions from the United States Food and Drug Administration or the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Any of the foregoing risks could materially and adversely affect AskBio's business and results of operations. You should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. AskBio does not undertake any obligation to publicly update its forward-looking statements based on events or circumstances after the date hereof.

SOURCE AskBio
DUBLIN, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Asparaginase Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type, Application, End-Use Industry, and Geography" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global asparaginase market is expected to grow from US$ 564.01 million in 2021 to US$ 1,575.62 million by 2028. It is expected to grow with a CAGR of 16.1% from 2022 to 2028.

The rising incidence of leukemia and the significant growth in the pharmaceutical and food industry are the major factors boosting the market.

There is various research going on for the expansion of its application area in different industries, such as nanomedicine, biomedical engineering, and many more, which is contributing to the market growth. Furthermore, increasing allergic reactions from E. coli, derived L-asparaginase has increased the use of E. chrysanthemi derived L-Asparaginase.

Furthermore, the rising demand for better stability in the pharmaceutical industry to ensure efficient storage and transportation of drugs has further increased the R&D activities in the industry. There has been a rising inclination toward lyophilized drugs due to various advantages associated with lyophilized drugs. Thus, all the factors mentioned above are expected to drive the asparaginase market growth in the near future.

Moreover, the increase in population worldwide has further contributed to the growth of the pharmaceutical and food industries. The rising population is fueling the demand for food products and pharmaceuticals. As per the world bank data, the total population was estimated to be 7.84 billion globally in 2021, growing at the rate of 1.05% per year. Thus, an increasing population is contributing to the expansion in the food and pharmaceutical industries, driving the global asparaginase market.

Type Insights

Based on the type, the global asparaginase market is segmented into Escherichia coli (E. coli), Erwina Chrysanthemi, Pegylated, and others. The E. coli segment held the largest market share in 2021. It is anticipated to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The increasing demand for E. coli asparaginase in the cancer treatment and food processing industry promotes the growth of the global asparaginase market. Asparaginase-derived E. coli is used for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemias. Asparaginase E. coli is an enzyme that catalyzes L-asparagine into L-aspartic acid and ammonia. It helps in the production of oxaloacetate needed for cellular metabolism. Asparaginase from E. coli has an antitumor property that is used for the treatment of leukemias.

Application Insights

Based on application, the global asparaginase market is bifurcated into therapeutic, food processing, and others. The therapeutic segment held a larger market share in 2021. Furthermore, the same segment is expected to record a faster CAGR from 2022 to 2028. The increasing use of asparaginase enzyme in treating lymphoproliferative disorders and lymphomas is expected to drive the growth of this segment during the forecasted period. The asparaginase enzyme is also used as an antimicrobial agent to treat infectious and autoimmune diseases, among others.

End-use Industry Insights

Based on end-use industry, the global asparaginase market is segmented into healthcare and food manufacturing. In 2021, the healthcare segment held the largest share in the market. Furthermore, the same segment is expected to register the highest CAGR from 2022 to 2028. The growth of the healthcare segment is attributed to factors such as growing acute lymphocytic leukemia, lymphoblastic lymphoma, and growing research activities.

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Rising Incidences of Leukemia and Increasing Usage Application

Significant Growth of Pharmaceutical and Food Industry

Market Restraints

Side Effects Associated With Use of Asparaginase

Market Opportunities

New Product Launches and Approvals

Future Trends

Increase in R&D Activities and Investment by Market Players

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction

2. Asparaginase Market - Key Takeaways



3. Research Methodology



4. Asparaginase Market - Market Landscape



5. Asparaginase Market - Key Market Dynamics



6. Asparaginase Market- Global Analysis



7. Asparaginase Market Analysis And Forecasts To 2028 - Type



8. Asparaginase Market Analysis And Forecasts To 2028 - Application



9. Asparaginase Market Analysis And Forecasts To 2028 - End-use Industry



10. Global Asparaginase Market - Geographic Analysis



11. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Asparaginase Market



12. Asparaginase Market-Industry Landscape



13. Company Profiles



14. Appendix

Companies Mentioned

Servier Pharmaceuticals LLC

Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc

BioVendor R&D

Creative Enzymes

medac GmbH

Changzhou Qianhong Bio-pharma Co Ltd

United Biotech

Porton Biopharma

Taj Pharmaceuticals Limited

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/x3tcbp

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
CHICAGO, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Automotive Lighting Market is estimated to be USD 21.9 billion in 2022 to USD 28.5 million in 2027, at a CAGR of 5.3%, during the forecast period, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Growing vehicle production coupled with government regulations mandating adaptive lighting for enhanced safety and comfort is expected to boost the Automotive Lighting Market. The rising demand for premium vehicles is expected to drive the growth of advanced lighting systems.

Browse and in-depth TOC on "Automotive Lighting Market"

449  Tables

62  Figures

346  Pages

Download PDF Brochure:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id= 1133

The passenger Car segment is expected to be the largest and leading segment for the Automotive Lighting Market

Passenger cars are expected to be the largest segment of the Automotive Lighting Market. This is due to the rapid adoption of adaptive lighting. Moreover, increasing sales and popularity of premium and luxury vehicles with pre-installed adaptive headlights, adaptive taillights, and ambient lights are expected to boost the market growth. Bending and cornering lights is expected to have the largest market share due to utility it provides while cornering thus increasing ride safety. Automakers such as Mercedes-Benz and Audi are increasingly adopting adaptive lighting in their models. The Asia Pacific is the largest passenger car lighting market, holding the largest share in passenger car production. Although the Asia Pacific holds the largest market share, Europe and North America currently have a comparatively higher penetration of advanced lighting systems, LEDs, etc. Interior lighting such as ambient lighting have slow growth rates especially in Asia Pacific region and are expected to consolidate in higher cost variants and premium segment cars.

LED technology is expected to be the fastest-growing segment

LED technology is expected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period due to the multiple technical advantages of LEDs over conventional lighting technology. The benefits include less power consumption, enhanced visibility and safety, durability, design flexibility which gives better aesthetics, and environment-friendly, among others. Government regulations are a major driver boosting the adoption of LEDs in automobiles. For instance, since 2011, DLRs have been mandatory for all European passenger cars and pick-up vans, whereas they have been mandated for trucks and buses since 2012. However, the penetration is presently low in the Asia Pacific, however with increasing per capita income, government safety mandates and rising customer demand for more features the DRL systems are expected to grow in demand at considerable growth rate. This growth is driven by mostly passenger cars especially entry and mid segment SUVs which are becoming more feature rich in order to attract more consumers in the highly competitive market.

Passenger car is the largest LED market among all other vehicle types. But in the coming years, commercial vehicles penetration is expected to increase due to technological advancements and increasing adoption by automakers and OEMs.

LED is quite expensive as compared to Halogen and Xenon/HID headlamps. This is the main reason restricting its adoption, particularly in the Asia Pacific.

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The Asia Pacific to continue being the largest market of the Automotive Lighting Market

According to MarketsandMarkets analysis, Asia Pacific vehicle production holds ~60% of global vehicle production. Growing demand for premium and luxury vehicles in the Asia Pacific is a major factor driving adaptive lighting, with China and Japan being the largest markets. For instance, Chinas luxury car market has maintained strong growth in recent years despite the COVID-19 pandemic. According to data from China Passenger Car Association, in 2021, the cumulative sales of luxury brand cars, including Tesla, stood at 2.65 million units, a year-on-year increase of 5%. India is also experiencing growing SUV demand, further boosting the Automotive Lighting Market. According to Maruti Suzuki, the SUV segment has witnessed major growth in the last few years, with the SUV segments contribution going up to 40% in 2021-22. Additionally, stringent safety standards are expected to drive the Automotive Lighting Market further. Thus, the growing global sales of automobiles are expected to drive the growth of the automotive lighting industry.

Key Market Players

The key players Automotive Lighting Market are Hella (Germany), Marelli (Italy), Osram (Germany), Valeo (France), Continental (Germany), Philips (Netherlands), Bosch (Germany), Varroc (India), Hyundai Mobis (South Korea), Koito (Japan), Denso (Japan), North American Lighting (US), Renesas (Japan), Lumax (India), Aptiv (Netherlands), Grupo Antolin (Spain), Lear Corporation (US), Keboda (China), NXP (Netherlands), Gentex (US), FlexNGate (US), Federal-Mogul (US), Stanley Electric (Japan), Ichikoh (Japan), and Zizala (Austria).

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DUBLIN, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Branded Generics Global Market Report 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global branded generics market is expected to grow from $280.40 billion in 2021 to $303.10 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1%. The branded generics market is expected to reach $414.35 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 8.1%.



North America was the largest region in the branded generics market in 2021. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the branded generics market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.



The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases will drive the growth rate of branded generics market. Chronic diseases are long-lasting sicknesses that often cannot be healed, however, they are curable and controllable. Chronic diseases are increasing due to the increasing use of tobacco products, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, excessive use of alcohol, and others.

Customers across the globe are more inclined toward branded generics to treat chronic diseases as they purchase them at a lower cost than usual medications. For instance, in September 2020, according to a research report published by American Action Forum, chronic disease prevalence and costs are rising in the United States.

They are expected to keep rising as the disease prevalence among children and young adults rises. Chronic disease is a serious healthcare problem since the rising cost of chronic disease in the United States totals $3.7 trillion annually, which is around 19.6% of the country's gross domestic product. Thus an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases is expected to boost the demand for branded generics during the forecast period.



The strategic partnership is a key trend in the branded generics market. The companies operating in branded generics are entering into a partnership with relevant companies to leverage each other's resources and expand into new markets. In December 2021, Biocon Ltd, an India-based fully integrated biopharmaceutical company that develops affordable biosimilars, generic formulations & complex APIs, entered into a partnership with Tabuk Pharmaceuticals.

The partnership will open the door for Biocon's entry into the MENA area, which will now include Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Iraq. This will help create a robust worldwide portfolio of goods, either directly or through strategic alliances, to provide patients all over the world with access to inexpensive treatments. These medications' marketing authority will be held by Tabuk Pharmaceuticals, which is also in charge of their registration, importation, and promotion in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern nations. Tabuk Pharmaceuticals is a Saudi Arabia-based company that manufactures and markets branded and generic pharmaceutical products.



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Gain a truly global perspective with the most comprehensive report available on this market covering 12+ geographies.

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Create regional and country strategies on the basis of local data and analysis.

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Suitable for supporting your internal and external presentations with reliable high quality data and analysis

Scope

Markets Covered:



1) By Drug Class: Alkylating Agents; Antimetabolites; Hormones; Anti-hypertensive; Lipid Lowering Drugs; Anti-depressants; Anti-psychotics; Anti-Epileptics; Other Drugs

2) By Route of Administration: Topical; Oral; Parenteral; Other Routes of Administration

3) By Application: Oncology; Cardiovascular Diseases; Diabetes; Neurology; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Dermatology Diseases; Analgesics and Anti-inflammatory; Other Applications



Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Branded Generics Market Characteristics



3. Branded Generics Market Trends And Strategies



4. Impact Of COVID-19 On Branded Generics



5. Branded Generics Market Size And Growth



6. Branded Generics Market Segmentation

7. Branded Generics Market Regional And Country Analysis



8. Asia-Pacific Branded Generics Market



9. China Branded Generics Market



10. India Branded Generics Market



11. Japan Branded Generics Market



12. Australia Branded Generics Market



13. Indonesia Branded Generics Market



14. South Korea Branded Generics Market



15. Western Europe Branded Generics Market



16. UK Branded Generics Market



17. Germany Branded Generics Market



18. France Branded Generics Market



19. Eastern Europe Branded Generics Market



20. Russia Branded Generics Market



21. North America Branded Generics Market



22. USA Branded Generics Market



23. South America Branded Generics Market



24. Brazil Branded Generics Market



25. Middle East Branded Generics Market



26. Africa Branded Generics Market



27. Branded Generics Market Competitive Landscape And Company Profiles



28. Key Mergers And Acquisitions In The Branded Generics Market



29. Branded Generics Market Future Outlook and Potential Analysis



30. Appendix



Companies Mentioned

Pfizer Inc.

GlaxoSmithKline plc

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Mylan N.V.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/z9c5id

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Healthy Houston Collective includes a multipronged approach to addressing key disparities in the Houston area

HOUSTON, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bread of Life, Inc. announced the launch of the Healthy Houston Collective program, in partnership with the Quest Diagnostics Foundation, to improve access to affordable healthcare in underserved communities and reduce health disparities in Houston for more than 9,000 people.

"We are celebrating 30 years of service to this community and the only way we have been able to do this work is through partnerships like the private public collaboration with the Quest Foundation we are celebrating today," said Senior Pastor Rudy Rasmus, St. John's United Methodist Church & Executive Director, Bread of Life, Inc. "We are fighting for health equity. Every month we help thousands of families with food insecurities who continue to need our support and this initiative will help expand the opportunities for health equity in our city."

Bread of Life, Inc. (BOL), is a non-profit organization formed by St. John's Church in Houston. BOL provides a full spectrum of services and addresses inequities impacting individuals and families living in Houston and the surrounding area. BOL was awarded a $3.8 million-dollar grant from the Quest Diagnostics Foundation as part of Quest for Health Equity (Q4HE), a multi-year initiative of Quest Diagnostics and the Quest Foundation focused on providing a combination of donated testing services, education programs, and funding to support initiatives to close the gap in healthcare disparities in underserved communities across the U.S.

"The Quest Foundation is proud to announce the Bread of Life Health Houston Collective, one of our largest commitments to date through our Quest for Health Equity initiative," said Michael Prevoznik, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Co-Executive Sponsor of Q4HE, Quest Diagnostics. "At Quest we are fond of saying that health care is a team sport. We know that no one entity alone will be able to close the gaps in health care and we are committed to working together to help address critical health issues for underserved communities in Houston."

Funds will support the BOL Healthy Houston Collective, which is a multi-year initiative focused on addressing healthcare disparities in underserved communities in Houston and Harris County through four program areas: the Community Care Program, the Bread of Life Academy and Eco-Life Staffing, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) collaborations, and the Community Based Organization (CBO) Regranting Program.

"The Healthy Houston Collective will help underserved Houston communities bridge the gap between the residents and the health care system that so often leaves the community behind," said Pastor Yvette Tarrant, CEO, Bread of Life, Inc. "We are currently in a public health crisis and I'm happy and hopeful to be joining forces with Quest to bring health services, training for healthcare workers, testing and job opportunities to under-resourced communities."

The Community Care Program utilizes certified Community Health Workers who live within underserved communities to help connect their neighbors to the healthcare system. While they are not doctors or healthcare professionals, they serve as powerful advocates. The Community Health Workers will work with and empower individuals by addressing social determinant barriers and support with long-term health gains through health education and connections to services.

Through the Community Care Program, BOL is collaborating with the Patient Care Intervention Center, a nonprofit organization that leverages technology, health data sharing, and public health best practices to empower patients and providers to achieve enduring health outcomes and financial sustainability. This data driven approach will be used to develop specific strategies to improve patients' outcomes.

"Seventy percent of our health is influenced by things we are not always aware of; things like education, employment, economic stability and access," said Dr. Sarah Simmons, Director of Health Outcomes, Bread of Life, Inc. "The Healthy Houston Collective is our solution to make an impact in our community, through strong community partnerships we will be able to collaborate to utilize the great resources that already exist in Houston and make them available to the people who need them."

In conjunction with the University of Houston Community Health Worker Initiative, the Bread of Life Academy for health careers provides training for phlebotomists and community health workers. This affords graduates stable employment opportunities and supports the local healthcare system needs. These graduates will receive additional support from the community partner Community Care Cooperative to offer ownership and economic mobility opportunities. Quest has also paved the way for certified Community Health Workers to help supplement 75 Quest locations with staffing for either short-term or long-term employment opportunities.

The BOL Healthy Houston Collective includes an FQHC collaboration with charity clinics to provide greater access to quality healthcare. By adding a larger and more diverse network of FQHC partners, the BOL Community Health Workers will be able to support patient social needs to help improve health engagement and outcomes.

In response to providing grassroots community-based programs that align with the larger community needs, the BOL Healthy Houston Collective is also adding a CBO Regranting Program to support nutrition and behavioral health services. According to the Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, more than 500,000 Houstonians live in food deserts, or low-income areas where the nearest grocery store in an urban area is more than a mile away. One of the CBO Regrants that will target senior citizens facing this issue is a partnership with Lucille's 1913. Lucille's 1913 operates as a non-profit entity, and their "Better Measure Program" will provide nutritious meals to 100 homebound seniors during a 90-day period. Community health workers along with other health professionals will visit the homes of those in the program to identify barriers, conduct diagnostic tests and collect data to gauge the effectiveness of the program.

"We are proud to be a part of this important initiative and have the opportunity to provide nutritious meals for homebound seniors to help improve their health," said Dr. Robertine Jefferson, CEO, Lucille's 1913. "Our program includes delivering culturally relevant meals to best support diverse communities in a way that recognizes their backgrounds and empowers them to choose healthy options that align with their traditions and cultural preferences."

The BOL Healthy Houston Collective is partnering with the following professional entities supporting the four areas of this program: University of Houston Community Health Worker Initiative; Professional Healthcare Education Services; Eco-Life Staffing; Avenue 360 Health and Wellness (FQHC); Vecino Health Center; Christ Clinic; Lucille's 1913; and the Community Care Cooperative.

About Healthy Houston Collective, A Project of Bread of Life, Inc.

St. John's Church was established in 1992 under the leadership of Pastors Rudy and Juanita Rasmus with a simple mission to serve hot nutritious meals to homeless men and women in the downtown Houston area. In 1994, the church formed the Bread of Life, Inc. (BOL), a non-profit organization that provides a full spectrum of services and addresses inequities impacting individuals and families living in Houston and the surrounding area. Nearly 30 years later, BOL is still focused on supporting underserved communities and restoring hope in Houston through its program areas. BOL has had a huge impact in the Bayou City in the expanse of homelessness, hunger, disaster relief, as well as boosting health outcomes and continues to help create an improved quality of life for the people of Houston. Bread Of Life, Inc. (breadoflifeinc.org)

About Quest for Health Equity

Quest for Health Equity is an initiative of Quest Diagnostics and the Quest Diagnostics Foundation focused on providing resources, funding, testing services and education to address health disparities in underserved communities across the U.S.

About the Quest Diagnostics Foundation

The Quest Diagnostics Foundation was formed in 2001 to promote the benefits of healthcare and wellness, drive the prevention, early detection, monitoring and treatment of disease, and educate the general public and healthcare professionals on healthcare issues. Together with Quest Diagnostics, the Foundation sponsors Quest for Health Equity.

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world's largest database of clinical lab results, Quest's diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest Diagnostics annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our nearly 50,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.

SOURCE Quest Diagnostics
NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The car rental market size is expected to grow by USD 93.17 billion during 2021-2026 according to the latest market research report by Technavio. The growth of the travel and tourist sector is a major driver of the automobile rental market, but there are some issues, such as the expansion of car-sharing services that may restrain market expansion. Request Free Sample Report.

Car Rental Market: Regional Analysis

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Car Rental Market 2022-2026

The car rental market in North America is moderately integrated with the key vendors in this region being Enterprise Holdings, Avis Budget Group Inc. (Avis), and Hertz. One of the major factors contributing to the growth of this region is low fuel prices, which have reduced the cost of transport by rental cars. In addition, Mexico is also benefiting from the arrival of international tourists and the presence of domestic tourists. The car rental market in the US is highly consolidated as the top players account for a major share of the market. However, there are small operators whose revenue generation is low as they are mostly operated in regional places. Download Free Sample Report.

Car Rental Market: Major Driver

The expansion of the travel and tourist sector is one of the main factors supporting the growth of the vehicle rental business. To stop the spread of COVID-19, numerous nations throughout the world imposed lockdowns and limitations on travel and tourism-related activities. The travel and tourist sector has recovered thanks to the creation of COVID-19 vaccinations, though. The limitations placed on various public transportation systems helped in raising the demand for automobile rentals in various nations. India decided to prolong its ban on regular international flights until March 2021. Therefore the expansion of the worldwide vehicle rental market is expected to be driven by the revival of tourism, particularly domestic tourism.

Car Rental Market: Key Trend

The rise of intermediaries is one of the significant market trends driving the growth of the vehicle rental industry. Earlier customers used to call service providers on the phone to reserve rides and accept the price proposed. The benefit of many established rental brokers is that they act as demand aggregators and mediators between customers and operators. Because of these middlemen, customers benefit from the cheap prices they must pay when renting cars. This will further fuel the expansion of the automobile rental market during the forecast period. Buy Sample Report.

Car Rental Market: Major Challenge

Owing to the lack of long-distance travel for many business trips, business car rentals are expected to face strong competition from ride-sharing operators, whose options are flexible and affordable. Furthermore, the number of people using car-hailing services has grown in recent years, due to the increasing cost of owning a private car and the lack of parking space for a self-drive rental car. The major car-hailing service operators, such as Uber and Lyft, have heavily invested in advertisements across digital, television, and print media to increase brand awareness, which is expected to hinder the global car rental market's growth during the forecast period.

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Related Reports

Automotive Rental and Leasing Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The report extensively covers the automotive rental and leasing market segmentation by type (passenger car rental, truck utility trailer, recreational vehicle rental and leasing, and passenger car lease) and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and the Middle East and Africa).

Online Clothing Rental Market Growth, Size, Trends, Analysis Report by Type, Application, Region and Segment Forecast 2022-2026: The report extensively covers online clothing rental market segmentation by end-user (women, men, and children) and geography (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa)

Car Rental Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 18.66% Market growth 2022-2026 $93.17 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 17.68 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution North America at 38% Key consumer countries US, China, Germany, Italy, and France Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Al Futtaim Group Co., Aspark Holidays Pvt. Ltd., Autorent Car Rental LLC, Avis Budget Group Inc., Carzonrent India Pvt. Ltd., CENTAURO RENT A CAR S.L.U, DriiveMe Ltd., Drivezy Inc., Enterprise Holdings Inc., Europcar Mobility Group SA, Expedia Group Inc., Getaround Inc., Green Motion International, Hertz Global Holdings Inc., Localiza Rent a Car SA, Mex Rent a Car, Movida Participacoes SA, OK Group, SIXT SE, Turo Inc., and Zoomcar India Pvt. Ltd. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table of Contents

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market Overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Type



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Mode of Booking



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Rental Category



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 10: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 11: Parent market



Exhibit 12: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 13: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 14: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 15: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 17: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 18: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 19: Five forces analysis - Comparison between2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 20: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 21: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 22: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 23: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 24: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 25: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by Type

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 26: Chart on Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Type

Exhibit 28: Chart on Comparison by Type



Exhibit 29: Data Table on Comparison by Type

5.3 Economy cars - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 30: Chart on Economy cars - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Economy cars - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 32: Chart on Economy cars - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Economy cars - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Executive cars - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 34: Chart on Executive cars - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Executive cars - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 36: Chart on Executive cars - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Executive cars - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Luxury cars - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 38: Chart on Luxury cars - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Luxury cars - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 40: Chart on Luxury cars - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Luxury cars - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.6 SUVs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 42: Chart on SUVs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on SUVs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 44: Chart on SUVs - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 45: Data Table on SUVs - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.7 MUVs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 46: Chart on MUVs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 47: Data Table on MUVs - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 48: Chart on MUVs - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 49: Data Table on MUVs - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.8 Market opportunity by Type

Exhibit 50: Market opportunity by Type ($ billion)

6 Market Segmentation by Mode of Booking

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 51: Chart on Mode of Booking - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 52: Data Table on Mode of Booking - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Mode of Booking

Exhibit 53: Chart on Comparison by Mode of Booking



Exhibit 54: Data Table on Comparison by Mode of Booking

6.3 Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 55: Chart on Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 56: Data Table on Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 57: Chart on Offline - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 58: Data Table on Offline - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.4 Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 59: Chart on Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 60: Data Table on Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 61: Chart on Online - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 62: Data Table on Online - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.5 Market opportunity by Mode of Booking

Exhibit 63: Market opportunity by Mode of Booking ($ billion)

7 Market Segmentation by Rental Category

7.1 Market segments

Exhibit 64: Chart on Rental Category - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 65: Data Table on Rental Category - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

7.2 Comparison by Rental Category

Exhibit 66: Chart on Comparison by Rental Category



Exhibit 67: Data Table on Comparison by Rental Category

7.3 Air transport - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 68: Chart on Air transport - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 69: Data Table on Air transport - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 70: Chart on Air transport - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 71: Data Table on Air transport - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.4 Local transport - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 72: Chart on Local transport - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 73: Data Table on Local transport - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 74: Chart on Local transport - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 75: Data Table on Local transport - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.5 Outstation transport - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 76: Chart on Outstation transport - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 77: Data Table on Outstation transport - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 78: Chart on Outstation transport - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 79: Data Table on Outstation transport - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.6 Other transport - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 80: Chart on Other transport - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 81: Data Table on Other transport - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 82: Chart on Other transport - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 83: Data Table on Other transport - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.7 Market opportunity by Rental Category

Exhibit 84: Market opportunity by Rental Category ($ billion)

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 85: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

9 Geographic Landscape

9.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 86: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 87: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

9.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 88: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 89: Data Table on Geographic comparison

9.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 90: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 91: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 92: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 93: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 94: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 95: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 96: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 97: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 98: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 99: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 100: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 101: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.6 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 102: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 103: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 104: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 105: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 106: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 107: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 108: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 109: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 110: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 111: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 112: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 113: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.9 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 114: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 115: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 116: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 117: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.10 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 118: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 119: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 120: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 121: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.11 Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 122: Chart on Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 123: Data Table on Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 124: Chart on Italy - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 125: Data Table on Italy - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.12 France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 126: Chart on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 127: Data Table on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 128: Chart on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 129: Data Table on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

9.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 130: Market opportunity by geography ($ billion)

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10.1 Market drivers

10.2 Market challenges

10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 131: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

10.4 Market trends

11 Vendor Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 132: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

11.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 133: Overview on factors of disruption

11.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 134: Impact of key risks on business

12 Vendor Analysis

12.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 135: Vendors covered

12.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 136: Matrix on vendor position and classification

12.3 Avis Budget Group Inc.

Exhibit 137: Avis Budget Group Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 138: Avis Budget Group Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 139: Avis Budget Group Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 140: Avis Budget Group Inc. - Segment focus

12.4 Carzonrent India Pvt. Ltd.

Exhibit 141: Carzonrent India Pvt. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 142: Carzonrent India Pvt. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 143: Carzonrent India Pvt. Ltd. - Key offerings

12.5 Enterprise Holdings Inc.

Exhibit 144: Enterprise Holdings Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 145: Enterprise Holdings Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 146: Enterprise Holdings Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 147: Enterprise Holdings Inc. - Key offerings

12.6 Europcar Mobility Group SA

Exhibit 148: Europcar Mobility Group SA - Overview



Exhibit 149: Europcar Mobility Group SA - Business segments



Exhibit 150: Europcar Mobility Group SA - Key news



Exhibit 151: Europcar Mobility Group SA - Key offerings



Exhibit 152: Europcar Mobility Group SA - Segment focus

12.7 Expedia Group Inc.

Exhibit 153: Expedia Group Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 154: Expedia Group Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 155: Expedia Group Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 156: Expedia Group Inc. - Segment focus

12.8 Hertz Global Holdings Inc.

Exhibit 157: Hertz Global Holdings Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 158: Hertz Global Holdings Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 159: Hertz Global Holdings Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 160: Hertz Global Holdings Inc. - Segment focus

12.9 Localiza Rent a Car SA

Exhibit 161: Localiza Rent a Car SA - Overview



Exhibit 162: Localiza Rent a Car SA - Business segments



Exhibit 163: Localiza Rent a Car SA - Key offerings



Exhibit 164: Localiza Rent a Car SA - Segment focus

12.10 Movida Participacoes SA

Exhibit 165: Movida Participacoes SA - Overview



Exhibit 166: Movida Participacoes SA - Business segments



Exhibit 167: Movida Participacoes SA - Key offerings



Exhibit 168: Movida Participacoes SA - Segment focus

12.11 SIXT SE

Exhibit 169: SIXT SE - Overview

- Overview

Exhibit 170: SIXT SE - Business segments

- Business segments

Exhibit 171: SIXT SE - Key news

- Key news

Exhibit 172: SIXT SE - Key offerings

- Key offerings

Exhibit 173: SIXT SE - Segment focus

12.12 Turo Inc.

Exhibit 174: Turo Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 175: Turo Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 176: Turo Inc. - Key offerings

13 Appendix

13.1 Scope of the report

13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 177: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 178: Exclusions checklist

13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 179: Currency conversion rates for US$

13.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 180: Research methodology



Exhibit 181: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 182: Information sources

13.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 183: List of abbreviations

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
MILAN, Italy, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Board of Directors of CESI (Centro Elettrotecnico Sperimentale Italiano, Italian Experimental Electrotechnical Center) SpA, chaired by Guido Bortoni, appointed Domenico Villani as the new CEO of the company. Villani takes over from Matteo Codazzi, who leaves the company to pursue new professional opportunities.

Domenico Villani, the new ceo of CESI

Domenico Villani, who joined CESI in 2006, has so far held the roles of Executive Vice President of the Testing, Inspection and Certification Division and Chief Executive Officer of IPH GmbH and FGH E&T GmbH - the two German companies of the Group - of KEMA BV Arnhem, in Holland, and of ZKU, in Prague. Villani is also a member of the Board of Directors of CESI USA, as well as Vice President of CIGRE Italia and Advisor of the Italian Electrotechnical Committee (CEI) and of the Circular Evolution Association. Previously, he worked at Siemens, VATech and Schneider Electric.

"I wish to thank the shareholders for the trust they have placed in me. After many years, it was decided to directly select a CESI manager for this role; this is an important signal of consideration for the capabilities of CESI, a solid company with interesting development prospects. The energy sector is changing rapidly and is offering us several opportunities. The skills and dedication of our people put us in the best conditions to achieve these goals," commented the new CEO.

Matteo Codazzi wished to extend his appreciation to the shareholders and his colleagues in CESI: "My thanks go to the shareholders and the Board of Directors who in recent years, with their trust, gave me the opportunity to carry out my assignment in the best possible way. A special thought goes to all my colleagues: working with all of them has been a real privilege for me. Indeed, it is first and foremost due to their commitment that CESI has proudly transformed itself from a center of technological excellence into an actual multinational service provider supporting the energy transition, with offices and laboratories all over the world."

Finally, with regard to the change, President Bortoni stated: "I congratulate the new CEO, Domenico Villani, and I thank Matteo Codazzi, also on behalf of the entire Board of Directors, for the efforts he devoted to CESI. I am also pleased that the shareholders voted for the appointment of Domenico, a manager with much experience of the company, since he comes from CESI's interna corporis (from within CESI). I am confident that he will be able to lead the company as a whole, and also value the Consulting Division, "sister" of the Testing Division where he carried out his professional work. As of now, I assure my convinced support to the new CEO, to whom I extend my personal best wishes, as well as those of all the Board."

For over sixty years, CESI (Centro Elettrotecnico Sperimentale Italiano) has been offering its customers, located in more than 70 countries around the world, services in the field of innovation, digitization, testing and engineering, as well as consultancy in the electric power sector and in civil and environmental engineering. In particular, through its KEMA Labs Division, the Group is world leader in the independent activities of testing, inspection and certification of components and systems for the electric power and digital sector. Finally, CESI is among the few companies in the world which develop and produce advanced solar cells for space applications.

The company's key clients are Power Generation Companies (GenCos), Transmission and Distribution System Operators (TSOs and DSOs), international producers of electrical and digital components and systems, private investors, public institutions (governments, public administrations, local authorities) and regulatory authorities. In addition, CESI works in close cooperation with international financial institutions, such as World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Inter-American Bank, Asian Development Bank and Arab Fund.

CESI has offices in Milan, Arnhem (NL), Berlin and Mannheim (GE), Chalfont and Knoxville (USA), Prague, Dubai, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai (China), Santiago de Chile.

www.cesi.it

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1932443/CESI_Logo.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1932502/Domenico_Villani.jpg

SOURCE CESI
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Chevron posted refining profits of $2.5 billion dollars in the third quarter, almost doubling their haul from the same quarter the year before. Half that amount came solely from US refining operations, according to the company's financials. But consumers will only learn how much of Chevron's profit specifically came from California when a new state refiner transparency law kicks in, Consumer Watchdog said today.

Chevron is the only one of California's five big oil refiners that does not report its per gallon profits from West Coast refining quarterly.

"California's new refiner transparency law will pull the curtain back on Chevron's huge hidden windfall profits," said Liza Tucker, Energy and Environment director of Consumer Watchdog. "We don't know how much Chevron made per gallon of gasoline yet, which is key to figuring out how much they will owe California back for their windfall profits should the legislature enact such a reform. But we will find out once the new Oil Refiner Cost Transparency Act kicks in this January."

The transparency law, SB 1322, requires monthly reporting of refiners' California-specific profits per gallon. This will give the state a way to monitor for price gouging in real time and, if a price gouging rebate is enacted, to give the excess profits back to drivers in the form of rebates.

In Chevron's 3rd quarter investor presentation, the company's Chief Financial Officer Pierre Breber noted that market demand for oil and gas was unprecedented. "We are in a market that we have not seen in my career in terms of tightness in supply and demand," he said. Covid pushed some refineries to close around the world and others to switch to making renewable diesel, Breber said. A few refineries in California are in fact offline and being converted to making that fuel.

"Overall, Chevron is making more money by making less gasoline," said Tucker. Its downstream U.S. operations reported earnings of $1.29 billion in the third quarter, lifted by higher margins on refined products, up from just over $1 billion in last year's period. But Chevron decreased crude oil inputs by 13% in the third quarter compared to a year ago, primarily due to refinery "planned turnarounds."

Consumer Watchdog estimates that the amount of windfall profits to be returned to consumers by refiners reported so far this year is now almost $1.5 billion, excluding Chevron's windfall profits, which will only be reported at the end of the year. View the calculation. The formula used to calculate windfall profits is every dollar in profit made above 50 cents per gallon, which has only been hit by an refiner three times over the last 21 years  each time by Chevron. View the historical profits report here.

"Chevron is the biggest refiner in the state and is also the most opaque on providing data on profits per gallon," said Tucker. "That's why the transparency law was a crucial first step and why it is so important to have the legislative session in December that Governor Newsom has called for to set a cap and authorize rebates," Tucker said.

Chevron posted a third-quarter net profit of $11.2 billion, almost doubling the $6.1 billion in the same quarter last year. Operating profits specifically from oil and gas rocketed up by 81% in this quarter over the same quarter last year to $9.3 billion.

Refiners Valero and PBF Energy reported quarterly earnings earlier this week that did provide date to estimate refining profits per gallon. PBF Energy hit 78 cents per gallona profit about 50% higher in California than anywhere else in the country that it operates.

Valero's Western region profits that come only from California refineries topped 60 cents per gallon.

SOURCE Consumer Watchdog
Sci-tech Innovation to Be Important Guarantee

BEIJING, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from Science and Technology Daily:

According to the 20th CPC National Congress report, Chinese modernization is socialist modernization pursued under the leadership of the CPC. It is the modernization of a huge population, the modernization of common prosperity for all, the modernization of material and cultural-ethical advancement, the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature, and the modernization of peaceful development.

The report details the strategic direction the CPC will take to fulfill its mission in the new era.

As one of determining factors to realize Chinese modernization, a high level of science and technology self-reliance and self-strengthening is a major task and an important guarantee for the Chinese path to modernization.

The modernization of a huge population requires a comprehensive, systematic and diversified high-quality sci-tech supply. With a population of more than 1.4 billion people, China has the most diversified industrial, market, consumption and social needs structure.

Chinese modernization is in need of not only frontier technologies, but also other various sci-tech supply. While striving to address the issues of bottleneck technologies, China should also take measures to make sci-tech advancement more accessible and beneficial to ordinary people.

The modernization of common prosperity for all requires improving allocation mechanisms of innovation resources. Common prosperity is not the prosperity of a few people, nor is it uniform egalitarianism. In future public governance of science and technology, the issues of efficiency and equity should be reconsidered and re-positioned.

Gearing up for common prosperity, the improvement of a national innovation system should focus on allocation at three levels. For the primary allocation, the equity and accessibility of sci-tech elements should be improved. For the secondary allocation, the central and local government's roles and responsibilities in sci-tech innovation should be explored and improved. For the tertiary allocation, social financing mechanisms should be improved and social sci-tech investment channels expanded.

The modernization of material and cultural-ethical advancement requires balancing sci-tech development and scientific spirit cultivation. Sci-tech innovation culture is an important component of developing socialist advanced culture, and inheriting excellent traditional Chinese culture. It is also a key factor to promote the all-round enrichment of things and the all-round development of people.

To advance all-round innovation with sci-tech innovation as its core, new kinetic energy, new industries, and new business models should be explored, cultivated, and developed. Meanwhile, the self-confidence and self-strengthening of sci-tech innovation culture should be boosted, the scientist spirit should be promoted, and the public's scientific literacy should be continuously improved.

The modernization of harmony between humanity and nature requires making resources and energy constraints as a prerequisite to choose a right technological path. Ecological environment and natural resources are an important factor to adjust sci-tech development, while resource conservation and environment friendly are inherent requirements of high-quality development.

Compared with the old path of "abatement after pollution" taken by earlier industrialized countries, China is actively advancing the construction of both material and spiritual civilization, and pursuing a model of sustainable development featuring increased production, higher living standards and healthy ecosystems.

The modernization of peaceful development requires China playing a greater role in global innovation governance. Compared with the old way of war, colonization, and plunder taken by some countries, Chinese modernization is dedicated to peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit. Striving to build a human community with a shared future, it attaches great importance to sci-tech innovation.

At present, the world is at a crossroad again, with significant changes taking place in global economic competition and cooperation. China needs to develop an open and innovative ecology with international competitiveness, advance an institutionalized opening up in sci-tech innovation, and make new breakthroughs in international cooperation.

(By Li Zhe, Niu Qin & Li Linxu)

SOURCE Science and Technology Daily
$0 premium plans available in 11 counties, including Pittsburgh area

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cigna is expanding its Medicare Advantage (MA) presence to western Pennsylvania for the first time, offering $0 premium plans with attractive extra benefits in 11 counties. These plans will be available to Medicare-eligible customers during Medicare's Annual Election Period (AEP), which begins Oct. 15 and continues through Dec. 7. They will be effective Jan. 1, 2023.

"We have been providing Medicare beneficiaries in other areas of Pennsylvania with access to quality, affordable Medicare Advantage plans for some time," said Jamie Benedict, president for Cigna Medicare in Pennsylvania. "We are thrilled to expand into western Pennsylvania to give residents more choices to find the plan that fits their health needs, lifestyle and budget."

The plans are available in Lawrence, Butler, Clarion, Armstrong, Beaver, Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland counties in western Pennsylvania, including the Greater Pittsburgh area, and Crawford, Mercer and Venango counties in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Medicare Advantage plans are popular with people who qualify for Medicare because they include benefits that original Medicare does not.

A number of plans are offered in western Pennsylvania to appeal to every lifestyle, budget and health status. Plans include: Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO) and Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO), both with a $0 premium; the Cigna Preferred Plus Medicare (HMO) and Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO), with more robust benefits for a premium; Cigna True Choice Savings Medicare (PPO), with a $0 premium and featuring a $25 monthly rebate on the customer's Part B premium, and Cigna TotalCare Plus (HMO D-SNP), which is a plan for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid that includes a $45 monthly allowance for the purchase of healthy foods.

All plans also include the following:

Hearing, vision and dental benefits

A fitness benefit, including a fitness tracker

Meal delivery following a hospital discharge

An allowance for certain over-the-counter (OTC) health-related purchases

The Healthy Today flex card, which can be used at participating retailers to redeem benefits and incentives, such as wellness incentives and OTC dollars

PPO plans provide coverage at out-of-network providers, giving customers more freedom and flexibility. Higher cost shares may apply.

Cigna also offers MA plans in southeastern Pennsylvania, including the Philadelphia area. Medicare Supplement plans and stand-alone prescription drug plans are offered across all of Pennsylvania.

For more details about Cigna's Medicare plans, please visit www.CignaMedicare.com.

About Cigna

Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health services company dedicated to improving the health, well-being and peace of mind of those we serve. Cigna delivers choice, predictability, affordability and access to quality care through integrated capabilities and connected, personalized solutions that advance whole person health. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Evernorth companies or their affiliates, and Express Scripts companies or their affiliates. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products.

Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has over 190 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.

All Cigna products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation. The Cigna name, logos, and other Cigna marks are owned by Cigna Intellectual Property, Inc. Cigna contracts with Medicare to offer Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO plans and Part D Prescription Drug Plans (PDP) in select states, and with select State Medicaid programs. Enrollment in Cigna depends on contract renewal. Some content may be provided under license.  2022 Cigna

Media Contact: Doug Bennett Jr.

Phone: (812) 557-5312

[email protected]

Y0036_23_848207_M

SOURCE Cigna
BOZEMAN, Mont., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Zoot Art Gallery in Bozeman is pleased to announce its upcoming exhibit of contemporary paintings by Bozeman Artist Carrie French.

Carrie French's work meanders along the border between representation and abstraction and reflects her impressions of place while examining the implications of a changing world. A native of Bozeman and graduate of MSU's School of Art, her color palette mirrors the Gallatin Valley's rivers, lakes, mountains and fields, while her imagery reaches for connection between spaces both urban and rural.

Zoot Art Gallery presents local artist Carrie French

The exhibit will be on view from Nov. 1  Nov. 30, 2022, and an opening reception will be held Friday, Nov. 4th, 2022, from 5-7 pm at the Zoot Enterprises, 555 Zoot Enterprises Lane, Bozeman, MT.

Open to the public, the corporate exhibit space hosts rotating works by Montana artists for the enjoyment of employees and the community. The gallery has an expansive open area for sculpture and boasts over 100 square feet of vertical exhibit surfaces. One exhibiting artist described it as "...arguably the finest gallery space in the area."

All work sold through the gallery is commission-free, and underwriting is provided for opening receptions. The exhibits of Montana-only artists rotate approximately every three months and are selected by the Zoot Committee for the Arts.

Public hours are 9 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday. For more information, visit the Zoot art gallery website at zootartgallery.com or contact Carol Lehmann, Gallery Coordinator, at [email protected].

About Zoot

Zoot Enterprises, Inc. is a global provider of advanced origination, acquisition and decision management solutions for financial institutions. We offer comprehensive and flexible platforms for specific business needs, including loan origination, fraud detection and prevention, data acquisition, and more. https://zootsolutions.com/

MEDIA CONTACT

Carol Lehmann

Gallery Coordinator

555 Zoot Enterprises Lane

Bozeman, MT 59718

[email protected]

SOURCE Zoot Enterprises
SHANGHAI, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) ("Daqo" or the "Company"), a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry, today announced that it will hold its annual general meeting (the "AGM") at Daqo New Energy Corp. Shanghai Office, 29th Floor, Huadu Building, No. 838, Zhangyang Road, Pudong District, Shanghai 200122, People's Republic of China on December 9, 2022 at 10 A.M. (Beijing time).

Holders of record of the Company's ordinary shares at the close of business in the Cayman Islands on November 8, 2022 will be entitled to attend the AGM and any adjournment or postponement thereof in person. Holders of the Company's ordinary shares or ADSs may obtain a hard copy of the Company's annual report on Form 20-F from its website at http://www.dqsolar.com, by emailing the Company's Investor Relations Department at [email protected], or by writing to:

Daqo New Energy Corp. Shanghai Office

29th Floor, Huadu Building

No. 838, Zhangyang Road

Pudong District, Shanghai 200122

People's Republic of China

Attention: Investor Relations Department

About Daqo New Energy

Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) ("Daqo" or the "Company") is a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry. Founded in 2007, the Company manufactures and sells high-purity polysilicon to photovoltaic product manufactures, who further process the polysilicon into ingots, wafers, cells and modules for solar power solutions. The Company has a total polysilicon nameplate capacity of 105,000 metric tons and is one of the world's lowest-cost producers of high-purity polysilicon.

SOURCE Daqo New Energy Corp.
COP President-Designate, H.E. Sameh Shoukry , oversaw preparations for COP27 ahead of the conference taking place in Sharm El Sheikh , Egypt , from 6 th -18 th November

, oversaw preparations for ahead of the conference taking place in , , from 6 -18 November Meetings held with the UNFCCC and Presidency Designate officials to review preparations

Preparations on track to welcome the world to Sharm El Sheikh , Egypt , with over 30,000 delegates, to come together and deliver action on climate change

SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- H.E. Sameh Shoukry, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and COP27 President-Designate underlined that Egypt is "ready" to host the world leaders, delegates and climate stakeholders under the banner of "Together for Implementation," following an on ground review of preparations for COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt,

COP27, which gets underway on November 6 and hosts a World Leaders Summit on November 7 and 8, is expected to be among the largest gatherings of climate stakeholders ever hosted at a COP with over 30,000 delegates registered.

H.E. Sameh Shoukry, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and COP27 President-Designate, checking on the preparations for COP27.

Speaking about the conference preparations H.E. Shoukry said: "The Egyptian COP27 Presidency is ready to host the world climate community in Sharm El Sheikh this November. As COP27 Presidency we are doing our utmost to create a conducive environment for successful negotiations and ambitious, credible and concrete outcomes."

"We will set the scene in which we hope that all state and non-state actors will come together with a collaborative and constructive mindset to deliver on climate action. I'm confident that the international community will rise to the occasion and ensure a successful and impactful COP27. We will continue to urge the international community to take the transformative decisions needed to respond to the gravity of the climate emergency we live."

H.E. Shoukry toured the site this week meeting with UNFCCC and COP27 Presidency Team officials to oversee the final touches at the site ahead of the conference.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Press images for use with this story can be found here.

COP27 Presidency:[email protected]

+20 (0)2 23588326

www.cop27.eg

Twitter: @COP27P

"Act Now" video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0k-EXPLmm4

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1931787/COP27_President.jpg

SOURCE COP27
INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- APTURA Group, a 100% employee-owned holding company, has announced the launch of its latest brand APTEK (APTURA TECHNOLOGIES). This brand is intended to bring dedicated and wholistic service to commercial openings by providing electronic safety, security, and convenience solutions. From its launch, APTEK plans to provide, service, and install Access Control, Auto Operators, Video Surveillance, Touchless Automatic Doors, Intercoms, Burglar Alarms, Networking, Fiber Installation, and Termination.

Ron Couch, CEO of APTURA Group commented, "We are excited to launch APTEK - our new brand focused on electronic solutions for our customers. We have been growing our electronic security business for years and now have the scale to establish a dedicated division to support our clients across our 9 locations."

APTEK is launched - a one-stop solution to all security needs, from access control to video surveillance offerings Tweet this

"We are very pleased to announce the launch of APTEK," said Jay Manzo, President of APTURA Group. "Our group has collaborated on this initiative for quite some time, and we are now ready to actively serve the access control needs of our customers on an expanded level. APTEK has the capability to integrate all products for a total opening solution, addressing the security and safety needs in our customers' facilities."

APTEK prides itself on being unique in the market. Todd Bowman, Vice President of Sales of APTURA Group explained, "What makes us unique in the market is our ability to coordinate the safety and security of all doors in the facility. Our access control experts work in conjunction with our mechanical and automatic door experts to ensure every opening in our customers' facility is safe, secure, and convenient."

Damir Husejnovic, National Director of APTEK, is telling customers to be excited. He adds "APTURA Technologies is here to serve valued customers with a one-stop solution to all security needs, from access control to video surveillance offerings. Customers can now count on APTEK not only for electronic solutions, but also for doors, frames, hardware, and much more  all from one provider!"

APTURA TECHNOLOGIES also intends to provide other mechanical safety and security solutions including commercial door, frame, and hardware products, high security key systems, toilet partitions and accessories, and space management solutions, in partnership with other APTURA Group companies.

APTEK is headquartered in Indianapolis with plans and intentions to serve the nation.

You can visit the official APTEK website here to learn more.

SOURCE APTURA GROUP
Updated Curriculum and New Corporate Travel Advisor Training in Store for 2023

IRVING, Texas, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Travel Leaders of Tomorrow, the leading travel advisor training school that is part of travel industry powerhouse Internova Travel Group, will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2023 with plans to refresh its curriculum and introduce a new training module for corporate travel advisors.

Currently, Travel Leaders of Tomorrow offers two programs: Independent Learner and Virtual Campus. Independent Learner is an online-only program where students can go through lessons at their own pace. Travel Leaders of Tomorrow's most popular option, the Virtual Campus, brings together cohorts of students for instructor-led sessions, guest lectures, virtual study halls and a final business plan presentation. Since its inception, Travel Leaders of Tomorrow has had over 2,000 people finish the course and become travel advisors, both as independent consultants and employees for existing travel agencies.

Throughout the pandemic, the demand for Travel Leaders of Tomorrow remained. "The popularity of becoming a travel advisor has grown in recent years, and Covid did not affect interest in the profession," said Jackie Friedman, CTC, CTIE, Dean of Travel Leaders of Tomorrow. Friedman is also President of Nexion Travel Group, North America's premier host agency that is part of Internova Travel Group. "In fact, the pandemic brought to light the horrors of travel disruption, raising the value of travel advisors, who stepped in for clients and saved the day."

Many people also learned new skills during quarantine. The travel slowdown allowed new advisors to focus on their training and go through programs like Travel Leaders of Tomorrow. "It was actually a very good time for people to start their career in travel," continued Friedman. "Our students have always been strong, but over the last few years, new entrants to the industry have brought a tremendous amount of passion and hope. Attributes like a love of travel, a desire to be in a helping profession, and a passion for being a small business owner makes the travel advisor profession very attractive to a variety of people. We are finding that Travel Leaders of Tomorrow attracts people who might have never even considered this as a professionyet they have all the right attributes and just need some education and support to becomes successful travel advisors."

Travel Leaders of Tomorrow's participants come from a wide variety of backgrounds, from recent college graduates to those pursuing an encore career after retirement. Its flexible schedule is especially popular with those currently working a day job and looking for a side gig. Approximately 50% of the people who have gone through the program are under the age of 40.

Savannah Hill, owner of The Savvy Travel Agency went through the program in 2016, and attributes much of her success to it. ""As a new travel advisor, I needed guidance and education," Hill said. "Travel Leaders of Tomorrow gave me a framework for learning the travel industry and a support group of fellow new advisors. Their faculty were also a key part of my development, teaching the curriculum that helped me understand how to run a travel agency."

"Young people see this as a viable career, and they are some of our strongest graduates," notes Friedman. "Because of their age, they often have a younger clientele, meaning that more and more of Millennials and Gen Z are seeing travel advisors are a very normal and expected part of booking travel."

In celebration of Travel Leaders of Tomorrow's upcoming 10th anniversary, anyone who attends the New York International Show on Oct. 29 or 30, and visits the Travel Leaders of Tomorrow booth (Booth 738), is eligible to receive $100 off the first education module. To learn how to become a travel advisor, please visit www.TravelLeadersofTomorrow.com.

About Travel Leaders of Tomorrow

Started in 2013, Travel Leaders of Tomorrow, the award-winning travel advisor training program, is a joint initiative between Internova Travel Group and select travel industry partners to attract new talent into the travel agency community and ideally place them in Internova Travel Group's wholly-owned, franchised or member based agencies. Education is offered in two learning tracks: Virtual Campus, which includes virtual study and weekly lessons from travel industry experts, and Independent Learner, which allows students to take the course at their own pace, with lessons and quizzes provided online.

About Internova Travel Group

Internova Travel Group is one of the largest travel services companies in the world with a collection of leading brands delivering high-touch, personal travel expertise to leisure and corporate clients. Internova manages leisure, business and franchise firms through a portfolio of distinctive divisions. Internova represents more than 70,000 travel advisors in over 6,000 company-owned and affiliated locations predominantly in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with a presence in more than 80 countries.

CONTACT:

Berit Griffin

[email protected]

651-442-5173

SOURCE Travel Leaders of Tomorrow
MAJURO, Marshall Islands , Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gate.io, one of the world's largest and oldest cryptocurrency exchanges, attended Blockchain Week in Busan (BWB) from October 27 to 29 in the City of Busan, South Korea. At the event, Gate.io's CEO and Founder, Dr. Lin Han, introduced the Gate.io solution to connect blockchain technology to the real world with a keynote speech, and signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement with the City of Busan to joinly boost blockchain infrastructure.

Bridging Blockchain with the Real World

The keynote focused on "bridging blockchain with the real world," in which Dr. Lin Han presented Gate.io's solutions to connect blockchain with everyday life. Moreover, he also shared several key updates about the brand:

Gate.io's vision for blockchain and solutions that connect blockchain to daily life: showcasing its ecosystem of trading products and services, including digital asset payment infrastructure, asset selection, unique portfolio margin account, and more.

Globalization and compliance: the progress of Gate.io's global expansion and regulatory compliance in key regions such as Canada , Hong Kong , Malta , Lithuania , and UAE

Social responsibility and charitable commitments: Gate.io introduced Gate Charity to leverage blockchain for social impact and philanthropy worldwide.

Investment and innovation: boosting blockchain innovation through investment with Gate.io's startup incubator Gate Labs and venture capital arm Gate Ventures, focusing on Web3 and emerging decentralized infrastructure.

MoU Agreement with Busan, South Korea

The signing of the MoU represents an agreement between Gate.io and the City of Busan to jointly develop blockchain infrastructure locally, including support for establishing and operating the Busan Digital Asset Exchange. This agreement marks a new milestone in Gate.io's commitment to growing and developing the emerging blockchain industry in South Korea.

In addition, Dr. Lin Han discussed the city's blockchain initiatives in a roundtable talk with CEOs from several cryptocurrency exchanges, and Gate.io showcased its ecosystem at its exhibition booth to 20,000 attendees from around the world.

SOURCE Gate.io
DUBLIN, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Fiber Reinforced Polymer Rebars Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Resin Type, Fiber Type, and Application" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) rebars market is expected to grow from US$ 215.88 million in 2021 and is projected to reach US$ 421.02 million by 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.2% from 2022 to 2028.



Reinforced concrete is a composite material that can perform its designated functions only if an adequate bond exists between the reinforcement and concrete. Generally, a steel reinforcing bar is used as reinforcement in concrete structures. FRP rebars have great potential to overcome challenges such as structural and durability deficiencies.

FRP rebars have several advantages over conventional steel; it has higher tensile strength and fatigue resistance and lower creep deformation and unit weight. FRP rebars have been used as internal reinforcements for concrete structures. Their primary advantages over common reinforcing steel rebars rely on their lightness, durability, mechanical properties, and electromagnetic neutrality. For this application, interfacial properties between the rebars and surrounding concrete play a significant role in the mechanical performance of the reinforced concrete structure.



Based on application, the market is segmented into highway bridge and construction, marine structures and waterfronts, water treatment plants, and others. In 2021, the highway bridge and construction segment held the largest share in the market. Increased government spending on infrastructure development projects such as highways has led to the dominance of the highway bridge and construction segment.



Based on geography, the fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) rebars market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), South & Central America (SAM), and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). In 2021, North America dominated the market. Growing construction activities with increased government spending on infrastructure development led to the dominance of North America in the fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) rebars market.



The chemicals & materials industry faced unprecedented challenges upon the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The shortage of raw materials and manpower, the shutdown of factories, and other operational difficulties associated with COVID-19 safety protocols adversely affected the fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) rebars market. The lockdown measures heavily impacted the supply and production of FRP rebars.

As the construction industry is susceptible to economic cycles, construction companies and workers were particularly exposed to the consequences of a sharp decline in economic activity amid the pandemic. Operational shutdown in the construction industry varied by location and project type, depending on the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the timing and stringency of containment measures.

According to European Commission, construction output in the European Union grew by 3.9% in January 2022 compared to December 2021; construction production in Europe similarly increased by 3.9%. Nevertheless, the successful implementation of mass vaccination drives in 2021 resulted in a rise in business activities. With economies reviving their operations, the demand for FRP rebars is expected to rise globally in the coming years as key FRP rebars manufacturers have started resuming their operations, along with restoring their normal production capacities.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Key Takeaways



3. Research Methodology



4. Global Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Rebars Market Landscape



5. Global Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Rebars Market - Key Market Dynamics



6. Global Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Rebars - Market Analysis



7. Global Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Rebars Market Analysis - By Resin Type



8. Global Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Rebars Market Analysis - By Fiber Type



9. Global Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Rebars Market Analysis - Application



10. Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Rebars Market - Geographic Analysis



11. Impact of COVID-19



12. Industry Landscape



13. Company Profiles



14. Appendix



Companies Mentioned

Owens Corning

Kodiac Fiberglass Rebar

Marshall Composite Technologies, LLC-

Tuf-Bar

Armastek USA

Pultron Composites

FiRep Inc.

Pultrall, Inc.

Schock Bauteile GmbH

Dextra Group

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/450mve

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
Non-Profit Founded by Jessica Seinfeld Reaches $80m In Donated Goods; Celebrates Continued Growth of Training Program; New Community Center in Los Angeles

NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Good+Foundation today marks its 21st anniversary and the launch of a new fundraising drive and engagement campaign to support the organization's efforts to dismantle intergenerational poverty. Founded in 2001 to distribute essential goods to help families raise children, today Good+Foundation is a national nonprofit that delivers millions of dollars annually in brand-new items to under-resourced families, trains thousands of social workers, and has emerged as a leader in addressing the key factors of cyclical poverty.

Good+Foundation donated more than $80m worth of goods to over a million families, with $10.6m of goods distributed in 2021 to nearly 300,000 families in partnership with 116 grantee organizations. That same year, Good+Foundation met 99.45% of all requests for critical gear and supplies  including cribs and strollers. To mark the organization's anniversary, Good+Foundation will be celebrating key milestones in the organization's history every day for 21 days, as part of a fundraising campaign anchored by a pledge from Johnson & Johnson.

Good+Foundation marks 21st anniversary with campaign to dismantle intergenerational poverty. Tweet this

"As we mark our 21st anniversary, Good+Foundation has arrived as a bold, intersectional advocate for dismantling intergenerational poverty," said Katherine Snider, CEO, Good+Foundation. "We are deeply engaged with frontline communities in piloting solutions to tackle the root causes of poverty, now more than ever."

Good+Foundation works to dismantle multigenerational poverty in several ways: Through in-kind grantmaking; through a microgrant program; through advocacy, and through the Good+ Training Academy, which increases the capacity of individuals and agencies who want to invest in utilizing a trauma-informed lens to successfully support caregivers and families. In Los Angeles, Good+ is training every social worker in the L.A. Department of Children and Family Services on father-inclusion and the personal biases that can impede what's best for the child.

"Over the last 21 years, the Good+Foundation model has strategically evolved to drive the greatest possible impact, from a focus on babies and moms to households and now to the whole family, caregivers, service providers and the whole community," said Jessica Seinfeld, Founder and Chairperson of the Good+Foundation Board of Directors. "I'm enormously proud of the work of the growing Good+Foundation staff, and of the organization's growth into a leading national anti-poverty organization."

A hallmark of the organization is Good+Foundation's focus on fathers, and on father absence as a key factor in cyclical poverty. Good+Foundation believes that the more that is invested in fathers, and in their capacity to be engaged co-parents, the greater the impact on children and families.

Over the next 21 days, Good+Foundation will be sharing stories of impact and key milestones transformed by the organization's work on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages. A six-figure fundraising campaign has been catalyzed by initial investments from Johnson & Johnson and the Board of Directors.

"This is a moment to focus on the impact our evidence-based approach has had on intergenerational poverty over the last 21 years," said Snider.

GOOD+FOUNDATION BY THE NUMBERS

Since its founding, Good+Foundation donated tens of millions of diapers  2,218,608 alone in 2021. Good+Foundation has donated more than $80 million worth of critical goods  including cribs and strollers  to millions of families.

worth of critical goods  including cribs and strollers  to millions of families. 97% of Good+Foundation families are low income; 94% are people of color.

In 2021, Good+Foundation distributed $10.6m in goods to nearly 300,000 families, in partnership with 116 grantee organizations.

in goods to nearly 300,000 families, in partnership with 116 grantee organizations. In 2021, Good+Foundation met 99.45% of critical gear requests including: 1,113 Strollers, 969 Car Seats, 836 Breast Pumps, 656 Feeding Seats, 640 Front Carriers, 400 Playpens, 349 Safety Gates, and 389 Cribs.

In 2021, Good+Foundation Training Academy trained 6,921 social workers and other frontline workers for a total of 1,715,641 training hours.

By the end of 2022, Good+Foundation will have provided over $836,000 in micro-grants to help parents cover the cost of groceries, rent, medical expenses and other essentials.

in micro-grants to help parents cover the cost of groceries, rent, medical expenses and other essentials. In 2021, Good+Foundation donated goods to 116 grantee partners in Los Angeles, CA ; New York, NY ; Baltimore, MD ; Chicago, IL ; Houston, TX ; Lowell, MA ; San Antonio, TX ; San Francisco, CA ; Seattle, WA ; Vancouver, BC ; and Washington DC .

; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and . Good+Foundation recently opened a new 6700 square foot community and training center located in South Los Angeles . From this new facility, Good+Foundation will continue to distribute millions of dollars worth of essential caregiver goods annually to our partners. The center also serves as a hosting space for volunteer groups, and adds significant capacity to the Good+ Training Academy.

Good+Foundation is a leading national nonprofit that works to dismantle multi-generational poverty by pairing tangible goods with innovative services for low-income fathers, mothers and caregivers, creating an upward trajectory for the whole family. Good+ supports mothers and children, and devotes attention to non-custodial and formerly incarcerated fathers to address one of the root causes of cyclical poverty: father absence. Today, the organization partners with a national network of social service programs to pair goods  such as cribs, car seats and diapers  with life skills training, employment assistance, financial literacy, co-parenting classes and more. By giving fathers tools, dignity and opportunities to re-engage with their families, Good+ is improving outcomes for children.

Website: https://goodplusfoundation.org/

Instagram: @goodplusfdn

Twitter: @goodplusfdn

Facebook: @goodplusfdn

Youtube: @goodplusfdn

Linkedin: @goodplusfdn

MEDIA CONTACT:

Alexander Bryden

[email protected]

908.400.7056

SOURCE Good+Foundation
NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Harbor Group International, LLC ("HGI"), a privately-owned international real estate investment and management firm, today announced it has provided a $90 million senior mezzanine loan to Extell Development Company ("Extell") to finance the construction of 1520 First Avenue, a 30-story, 420,000 rentable square foot office building in Manhattan's Upper East Side. HGI, alongside InterVest Capital Partners, Rexmark and Pacific Western Bank, contributed to the loan financing, which totaled $425 million. Construction of the mixed-use medical office and retail space is expected to be completed in 2025.

Upon completion, the building will feature over 390,000 rentable square feet of medical space, of which 196,000 rentable square feet is pre-leased to the Hospital for Special Surgery, an internationally renowned musculoskeletal health and surgery center. The scale and location of the site are ideal for tenants seeking trophy medical space on the Upper East Side. The property will also feature ground floor and lower-level retail space.

"Across the country  especially cities with a high concentration of residents  there's an increasing need for world-class medical space," said Richard Litton, President, HGI. "To support this demand, we are pleased to finance the development of a specialized office space designed to accommodate the unique needs of medical tenants and their patients."

The building's First Avenue location in the heart of the Upper East Side's medical corridor is near several transit options, including three MTA bus stops adjacent to the property and the MTA 6 subway line within walking distance, offering both tenants and patients with convenience and accessibility. The Upper East Side contains one of the highest concentrations of hospitals in the country, positioning the property as an attractive leasing option, blocks from leading hospitals, attractions and New York's Central Park and East River.

About Harbor Group International

Harbor Group International, LLC, and its affiliates control an investment portfolio of $18 billion including 4.9 million square feet of commercial space throughout the United States and the United Kingdom and 60,000 apartment units in the United States. In addition to its corporate headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, HGI maintains offices in New York, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and Tel Aviv.

About Extell Development Company

Extell Development Company is a globally recognized owner and developer responsible for building over 25M+ gross square feet in past and future development since the company was founded in 1989. Extell develops and manages multiple asset classes including commercial, residential, hospitality, education and mixed use. The Company will have closed $4 billion of new financings in 2022.

About InterVest Capital Partners

InterVest Capital Partners (fka Wafra Capital Partners) is an SEC registered investment adviser based in New York, focused on asset-based lending, leasing, and other structured finance verticals, as well as real estate debt and equity investments.

About Rexmark

Rexmark is a real estate investment manager headquartered in New York City focused on debt and equity investments throughout the United States and Europe. The firm leverages its extensive real estate expertise, comprehensive market knowledge and broad network of relationships to source, underwrite and execute attractive transactions.

About Pacific Western Bank

Pacific Western Bank is a commercial bank with over $41 billion in assets headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with an executive office in Denver, Colorado. The Bank is focused on relationship-based business banking to small, middle-market, and venture-backed businesses nationwide. The Bank offers national lending products including asset-based, equipment, and real estate loans and treasury management services to established middle-market businesses on a national basis.

Media contact:

Morgan McGinnis

[email protected]

SOURCE Harbor Group International, LLC
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hisense, a leading global home appliance and consumer electronics brand, has launched a new premium smart fridge with impressive features in South Africa.

The first H750FSB-IDS Product Reveal was revealed at House & Home in Menlyn Mall, Pretoria on 26th, Oct. Both the management from Hisense and House & Home attended the ceremony.

"We are, as the Hisense team professionally and personally, very excited to launch one of our most innovative and luxurious Hisense products in South Africa. This innovation goes far beyond just refrigeration, it seamlessly integrates into families' lives and daily activities - ensuring no important moments are missed due to life's chores. We don't just sell appliances, Hisense positively impacts the environments in which our products live. " said Ms. Vivi, the MD of Hisense South Africa.

The H750FSB-IDS Smart Touchscreen Multi-Door Refrigerator has features that enhance family moments. This is the value that Hisense product technology brings to the homes of our customers.

Keep your food fresh

It has a Food Inventory feature that allows you to effortlessly manage your food by naming all the items within your fridge and setting expiration dates. The Hisense PureFlat Smart fridge will then notify you when your food is expiring to minimise food waste.

Your food will also stay fresher for longer thanks to the fridge's three cooling compartments. These independently control the temperature and humidity for different types of foods.

Additionally, the third of these compartments has a temperature range from -18 degrees to +5 degrees, allowing it to function as a fridge or freezer.

When combined with the Hisense H750FSB-IDS's antibacterial guard, up to 99.99% of bacteria are eliminated - ensuring your food is always in the best possible condition.

Smart features

The Hisense H750FSB-IDS is just as smart on the outside as it is on the inside.

Its large touchscreen can be used to create a shopping list which syncs to your smartphone, making it easily accessible while out of the house. If you're struggling to create a shopping list because you're unsure what to cook, the Hisense H750FSB-IDS is equipped with over 150 recipes to help you easily plan your upcoming meals.

These recipes can be viewed on the large touchscreen while you are cooking, too.If you are cooking while the latest rugby game is on, you can watch it on this display by mirroring your smartphone to the fridge.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1932224/IMG_3624.jpg

SOURCE Hisense SA Sales Holdings (Pty) Ltd
Study finds government support and talent development are crucial in driving the growth of green fintech

HONG KONG and SINGAPORE, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, GoImpact, an ESG and Sustainability education firm, together with The Chinese University of Hong Kong's Business School ("CUHK Business School") released the findings from their working paper, Exploring the Green Fintech Ecosystem in Asia: Insights from Five Economies in APEC. This study finds that government support plays a vital and essential role in facilitating green fintech development, while talent shortage is a common concern in the five economies in the region.

Derived from three elements  environment, finance, and technology  the industry report defines green fintech as financial activities that utilize green technologies that bring better environmental outcomes.

Industry experts from five APEC economies, namely Hong Kong SAR, China ("Hong Kong"), Indonesia, the Republic of Korea ("Korea"), Singapore and Thailand, have urged policymakers to establish a conducive environment for green fintech to flourish. According to them, governments can help through offering incentive schemes for startups to develop in this area and spearhead the change by setting sustainable regulatory frameworks and mandating disclosures, reporting, and thresholds.

The study also suggests that financial institutions should embrace the sustainable agenda to achieve the triple bottom line: profit, people, and the planet. Given the current competitive banking environment and the global shortage of green talent, financial institutions should utilise their unique positions in the business ecosystem to develop more in-house sustainability talent to promote the sustainability agenda, the report further explains.

Key findings from the study include the following:

Green fintech startups in Asia have already provided many different types of green fintech, such as green digital payment, green digital investment solutions, digital green analytics, green crowdfunding, green risk analysis, green digital lending, green digital asset solutions, and green regtech. Regulations on ESG disclosure play an important role in advancing the green fintech ecosystem. Supporting evidence comes from case examples in Hong Kong SAR that suggest that green reporting startups grew at a faster pace since the requirement of ESG reporting for all listed companies came into effect in 2020. As the Green FinTech ecosystem develops, cooperation and partnerships will become more mainstream. There are already several successful collaborations in Asia , including Project Genesis in Hong Kong SAR, Climate Impact X and Project Greenprint in Singapore , and a carbon offsetting program by Gojek and Jejak.in in Indonesia. Governments in Asia are aware of the importance of a green economy and have set roadmaps and initiatives to help the economy transition into a more sustainable one: for example, The Republic of Korea's Green New Deal and Thailand's Sustainable Finance Initiatives. Financial institutions have already provided several green fintech services, including biodiversity-screened equity indices, tokenized carbon credits trading platforms, robotic platforms for ESG investment, green certificates, and ESG credit rating systems. Sustainability-related education is imperative to building a mature green FinTech ecosystem. It will raise awareness, push the demand for green finance, and cultivate the talent needed for green FinTech Development in Asia . The four-pronged approach required to build a well-functioning green FinTech ecosystem is: boost demand for green services; increase supply of green services; mobolize resources; and strengthen policies.

The study examined policies, markets, and opportunities regarding fintech's role in driving green finance in the five selected APEC economies through desk research, interviews, as well as focus group discussions involving green fintech startups, government and quasi-government organisations, green fintech-related associations, and financial institutions, and found that both Hong Kong and Singapore are in the stage of scaling up and accelerating to mature levels in terms of green fintech development compared to the past two years.

Prof. Kalok Chan, Wei Lun Professor of Finance at CUHK Business School, said, "It is our great pleasure to partner with GoImpact to explore the Green Fintech ecosystem in Asia. This research paper offers a glimpse of trends and insights for the five Asian economies in terms of Green Fintech Ecosystem health, government initiatives and supporting institutions. As one of the leading business schools in Asia, we will also continue cultivating talents with a socially responsible mindset and equipping them with the skills and knowledge to make a positive impact for the betterment of the Green Fintech industry."

Ms. Helene Li, CEO and Co-Founder of GoImpact, said, "The intersection of Capital and Technology is the sweet spot driving the adaptation of Sustainability. We are proud to partner with CUHK Business School on this study that aims to bring a better understanding of the diverse landscape in Asia and a more collaborative lens in working together on this timely agenda."

Li will speak about adopting an active ESG approach for inclusive and green finance at the 2022 Hong Kong Fintech Week on October 31, 2022 to share more insights on the global fintech industry.

Download Information

Exploring the Green Fintech Ecosystem in Asia Working Paper is available for download from: https://bit.ly/3SzGIjf

About GoImpact

Bridging the great divide between the talk and action, accelerating the Sustainable Development agenda from intention to implementation  GoImpact means impact made easy and actionable.

GoImpact is an ecosystem developed to connect the dots and provide action enablers built around 3 key pillars  GoLearn (education); GoNetwork (structured advocacy); GoInvest (deal flow platform for sustainable investments).

Through our integrated learning platform in partnership with top tier education institutions and accreditation channels, we seek to establish a common baseline of Sustainability learning, made easy, for many.

Website: https://www.goimpact.today/home

About CUHK Business School

CUHK Business School comprises two schools  Accountancy, and Hotel and Tourism Management  and four departments  Decision Sciences and Managerial Economics, Finance, Management, and Marketing. Established in Hong Kong in 1963, it was the first business school to offer BBA, MBA and Executive MBA programmes in the region. Today, CUHK Business School offers 10 undergraduate programmes and 20 graduate programmes including MBA, EMBA, Master, MSc, MPhil, DBA and Ph.D. The School currently has over 4,600 undergraduate and postgraduate students from over 20 countries/regions.

In the Financial Times Executive MBA Ranking 2022, CUHK EMBA was ranked 24th in the world. In Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2022, CUHK MBA was ranked 50th. CUHK Business School has the largest number of business alumni (over 40,000) among universities/business schools in Hong Kong  many of whom are key business leaders.

Website: https://www.bschool.cuhk.edu.hk/

SOURCE GoImpact
Partners Numerix Development For A Greener, New Imo State

NEW YORK & OWERRI, Nigeria, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has approved Holistic Green Strategies for a Greener and New Imo State, as the state officially goes green in November 2022.

The Government of Imo State had appointed and signed a Joint Venture Partnership Agreement for Carbon Credits, Carbon Finance, Carbon Revenues and Carbon Emissions Reduction with NUMERIX DEVELOPMENT LIMITED and SUMMIT INNOVATIVE & SYNERGY LIMITED in Nigeria; under a Strategic Green Partnership Initiative.

In a statement from GREENPLINTH AFRICA LIMITED, Strategic Partners to NUMERIX DEVELOPMENT LIMITED, the Managing Partner of the Joint Venture; the Green Initiative covers all MDAs and the Private Sector in Imo State, thus reducing the Carbon Footprint, Ecological Footprint and Technological Footprint of all stakeholders in the south-eastern state of Nigeria.

Under the Strategic Partnership Agreement, Numerix Development Limited is expected to develop the Carbon Finance Component of all existing and future projects in Imo State and also midwife the HOPE GREEN REVOLUTION for a Greener and New Imo State.

According to Engr. Babatunde Aina, Managing Director/CEO of Numerix Development Limited, the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma will officially flag-off the Hope Green Revolution and also declare Imo State as a Green State in November, 2022.

Speaking further, he revealed that the Imo State Government will also officially announce that 2% of the state's annual budget will henceforth be committed to Holistic Green Initiatives, Emissions Reduction and Race towards Zero Carbon in Imo State. Aina further disclosed that Nigeria is fully committed to the Global Green Transition Agenda as demonstrated by President Muhammadu Buhari, and that Imo State, being the very first Subnational to wholly go green in Africa, is a pride to the nation.

The official flag-off of the Hope Green Revolution is scheduled to hold in the state capital, Owerri on Tuesday, 1st of November 2022 by 10.00 am (WAT) in the Government House.

The event with the theme "GREEN TRANSITION AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN AFRICA" will highlight the strategic and key Importance of Accelerated Green Financing to Sustainable Green Growth in the continent.

The flag-off ceremony is expected to bring together, Strategic Stakeholders in Climate Finance, Investment, Environment, Sustainability, Energy, Green Growth and other relevant sectors in Nigeria and Africa.

Some of the immediate take-off projects under the Strategic Green Partnership Initiative are Clean Cooking Technologies Deployment, All-encompassing Retrofitting, Innovative Economic Tree Planting & Nurturing, Training and Capacity Building for Green Jobs Creation and Imo State Carbon Credit Train for improved Economic Prosperity  leaving no one behind.

Contact:

Mr. J. U. Passion

***@greenplithafrica.com

Photos:

https://www.prlog.org/12938274

Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE GreenPlinth Africa LTD
Global Provider of Electronic Trading Technology to Provide Market Data and Execution

CHICAGO, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InfoReach, Inc. a global provider of high-performance electronic trading technology for capital markets, announced today it will provide market data and execution for MexDer, the derivatives exchange for Mexican financial benchmarks. This integration will enable MexDer, a subsidiary of Bolsa Mexicana de Valores (BMV), one of the largest stock exchanges in Latin America with a 127-year history to tap into new markets. All MexDer listed derivatives products are central counterparty (CCP) cleared by the nationally rated, triple A Mexican derivatives clearinghouse ASIGNA.

Request a Demo

"As a part of InfoReach's expansion of its Trade Management System for LATAM broker-dealers we are pleased to integrate with a complete set of order types supported by MexDer." said Allen Zaydlin, CEO, of InfoReach.

"We are thrilled to be collaborating with InfoReach for market data and execution," said Jose Miguel De Dios, CEO, MexDer. "This will provide us with the synergies needed to expand our reach into other markets and provide exceptional value to our clients."

Request a Demo

About InfoReach:

InfoReach is an independent provider of multi-asset broker-neutral software solutions for electronic trading, including OMS and EMS platforms for global equities, futures, options, forex, and fixed income. InfoReach's team delivers high-performance technology with high-touch support. InfoReach tailors the buy-side and sell-side client systems to accommodate current and future needs. They are configurable to provide unique adaptations without adding development time and costs.

For more than 25 years, InfoReach has helped clients to improve their trade execution process and performance with efficient design and support of consolidated trading tools and a global connectivity network. InfoReach is a privately held company headquartered in Chicago, with offices in New York, Amsterdam, and Sao Paulo. For more information, visit www.inforeachinc.com Follow us on Twitter @InfoReach and check our blog for informational content.

About MexDer:

MexDer is the derivatives subsidiary of Bolsa Mexicana de Valores (BMV), the financial exchange operator in Mexico that operates full-service cash and derivatives exchanges, with equities and fixed income securities listings. A self-regulated entity, MexDer along with Asigna, its triple-A rated clearinghouse, offers liquid, transparent Mexican benchmark products based on interest rates, foreign exchange, and stock indexes. For more information, visit www.mexder.com.mx

SOURCE InfoReach, Inc.
Renovation contractor spearheaded build-out of fourth retail location for the California clothing brand at iconic Sportsmen's Lodge site.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Apparel brand THE GREAT. has opened its newest location at the iconic Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City, California. The location marks the fourth for the California retailer, which also has locations in West Hollywood, Venice, and Newport Beach. Interserv LP, a Los Angeles and New York-based renovation contractor completed the full build-out of the project.

Interserv LP completes renovation and build-out of fourth retail location for the California clothing brand THE GREAT. Tweet this Interserv completes work on new Studio City, California location of clothing brand THE GREAT. (Pictured: Interior of Studio City retail location)

"We're beyond thrilled to have been a part of this project," says Victor Garcia, President of Interserv LP (www.interservlp.com). "I could not be more proud of our team for the gorgeous work completed. It was truly a collaborative effort, and it was an honor bringing [THE GREAT. co-founders] Emily and Meritt's vision for their newest retail location to life."

The new retail outlet is part of a $100 million redevelopment project at the Sportsmen's Lodge site, anchored by established upscale tenants including Equinox, Erewhon and Fred Segal. Work on the retail space included full tenant improvement (TI) build-out of core and shell space (including framing, drywall, and paint), mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) work, concrete floor finish, awnings, and exterior storefront design.

Reflecting the soulful approach to softness and comfort with a tightly edited take on classic Americana that THE GREAT. brand represents, the Interserv LP team took great care to incorporate soft colors, unique, high-quality textural materials, and a welcoming atmosphere into the final result. Sold at over 200 of the world's best stores and online destinations, the industry favorite multicategory clothing brand includes a children's offering, a robust knits range, a full vintage-inspired footwear collection, and exclusive vintage finds reinvented with hand-embroidery.

ABOUT INTERSERV LP:

For over 30 years, Interserv (www.interservlp.com) has been dedicated to the philosophy of "beating budgets and beating deadlines" while creating memorable experiences for clients and customers. As a leading interior renovation contractor, Interserv has provided project management and quality workmanship for a variety of clients from the hospitality, restaurant, and retail industries. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, it is part of the Peak Companies (peakcorp.com), a network representing a group of companies providing a comprehensive array of commercial and retail real estate services nationwide including mortgage lending, loan servicing, short sale services, foreclosure services, insurance, real estate brokerage and escrow services.

CONTACT

Interserv LP / The Peak Companies

+1 (310) 556-6800

[email protected]

www.interservlp.com

SOURCE Interserv LP
NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Investor ESG Software Market by Deployment (On-premise and Cloud) and Geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and the Middle East and Africa) - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026" report has been added to Technavio's offering. With ISO 9001:2015 certification, Technavio is proudly partnering with more than 100 Fortune 500 companies for over 16 years.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Investor ESG Software Market 2022-2026

The potential growth difference for the investor ESG software market size between 2021 and 2026 is USD 525.71 million. To get the exact yearly growth variance and the Y-O-Y growth rate, Request a FREE PDF Sample Report

Key Market Dynamics

Market Driver: The steady growth in corporate data volumes is driving the growth of the market. Digitization has many benefits, such as more efficient resource planning, which has increased the adoption of digital technologies. Many organizations are compelled to store this data securely to improve efficiency at a low cost. Hence, a cost-effective cloud-based information management infrastructure offers a viable option is such cases. It offers advantages such as minimal IT infrastructure support and the ease of leveraging cloud-based data across organizations. Such factors are expected to drive the adoption of investor ESG software among organizations during the forecast period.

Digitization has many benefits, such as more efficient resource planning, which has increased the adoption of digital technologies. Many organizations are compelled to store this data securely to improve efficiency at a low cost. Hence, a cost-effective cloud-based information management infrastructure offers a viable option is such cases. It offers advantages such as minimal IT infrastructure support and the ease of leveraging cloud-based data across organizations. Such factors are expected to drive the adoption of investor ESG software among organizations during the forecast period. Market Challenge: High initial capital investments are challenging market growth. High expenditure is required to replace existing infrastructure with EHS infrastructure. Hence, a large amount of capital is needed for infrastructure investments in EHS solutions, which limits the growth of the global investor ESG software market. The difficulty in integrating ESG software with the ERP systems of enterprises is another significant challenge in the market. ESG standards are involved in most of the operational activities of an enterprise. The advantages of EHS standards can be achieved by integrating them with an ERP system. However, this integration is challenging, as the IT infrastructure of a company may not support the investor ESG software. These factors may challenge the market growth during the forecast period

To learn about additional key drivers, trends, and challenges available with Technavio, View our FREE Sample Report right now!

Market Segmentation

By deployment, the on-premise segment will be a significant contributor to market growth during the forecast period. Many users are adopting on-premises-based investor ESG software, as it helps reduce energy use. Moreover, on-premises investor ESG software provides high system security when compared to public cloud offerings. These factors are driving the growth of this segment.

Get lifetime access to our Technavio Insights! Subscribe to our Basic Plan billed annually at USD 5000

By geography, North America will be the leading region with 42% of the market's growth during the forecast period. The US is a key country for the investor ESG software market in the region.

Find additional insights into the contribution of all the segments and regional opportunities in the report. Buy Now for detailed segment information

Some Companies Mentioned

Cority Software Inc.

Diligent Corp.

Dynamo Software Inc.

EKA Software Solutions

Emex Software Ltd.

EnHelix Inc.

Envizi

FactSet Research Systems Inc.

Fincite GmbH

Goby Inc.

Greenstoneplus Ltd.

Intelex Technologies

IsoMetrix group of companies

Locus Technologies

Open Invest Co.

Refinitiv

Sphera Solutions Inc.

Vervantis Inc.

Wolters Kluwer NV

Workiva Inc.

Want your report customized? Speak to an analyst and personalize your report according to your needs

Related Reports

Geomarketing Software Market by Deployment, Location, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The increasing adoption of technologically advanced mobile devices is driving the market. The increased number of mobile subscribers led to an increase in the generation of location-based data from smart device users. Factors such as improvements in user interfaces in mobile apps and the use of location-enabled mobile devices have increased the adoption of marketing software.

Third-Party Logistics Software Market by Deployment and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: Rising private equity (PE) investments in the logistics industry are driving market growth. In the logistics industry, PE investments help in asset acquisition, which is needed for a strong asset-based business model. PE investments help companies expand their business operations and produce synergies from joint ventures (JVs) and strategic partnerships.

Investor ESG Software Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 12.87% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 525.71 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 12.41 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 42% Key consumer countries US, China, Japan, Germany, and France Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Cority Software Inc., Diligent Corp., Dynamo Software Inc., EKA Software Solutions, Emex Software Ltd., EnHelix Inc., Envizi, FactSet Research Systems Inc., Fincite GmbH, Goby Inc., Greenstoneplus Ltd., Intelex Technologies, IsoMetrix group of companies, Locus Technologies, Open Invest Co., Refinitiv, Sphera Solutions Inc., Vervantis Inc., Wolters Kluwer NV, and Workiva Inc. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, market growth inducers and obstacles, fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Browse Information Technology Market Reports

Key Topics Covered

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Deployment



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 09: Parent market



Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 12: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by Deployment

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 24: Chart on Deployment - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 25: Data Table on Deployment - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Deployment

Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Deployment



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Deployment

5.3 On-premise - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 28: Chart on On-premise - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 29: Data Table on On-premise - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 30: Chart on On-premise - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on On-premise - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Cloud - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 32: Chart on Cloud - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Cloud - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 34: Chart on Cloud - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Cloud - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Market opportunity by Deployment

Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by Deployment ($ million)

6 Customer Landscape

6.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 37: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

7 Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 38: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 40: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Geographic comparison

7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 42: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 43: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 44: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 45: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 46: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 47: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 48: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 49: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 50: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 51: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 52: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 53: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 55: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 56: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 57: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 59: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 60: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 61: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 62: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 63: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 64: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 65: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.9 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 67: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 68: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 69: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.10 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 71: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 72: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 73: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.11 France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 75: Data Table on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 76: Chart on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 77: Data Table on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.12 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 79: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 80: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 81: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 82: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.2 Market challenges

8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 83: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

8.4 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

9.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 84: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 85: Overview on factors of disruption

9.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 86: Impact of key risks on business

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 87: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 88: Matrix on vendor position and classification

10.3 Cority Software Inc.

Exhibit 89: Cority Software Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 90: Cority Software Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 91: Cority Software Inc. - Key offerings

10.4 Diligent Corp.

Exhibit 92: Diligent Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 93: Diligent Corp. - Product / Service



Exhibit 94: Diligent Corp. - Key offerings

10.5 Dynamo Software Inc.

Exhibit 95: Dynamo Software Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 96: Dynamo Software Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 97: Dynamo Software Inc. - Key offerings

10.6 EnHelix Inc.

Exhibit 98: EnHelix Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 99: EnHelix Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 100: EnHelix Inc. - Key offerings

10.7 FactSet Research Systems Inc.

Exhibit 101: FactSet Research Systems Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 102: FactSet Research Systems Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 103: FactSet Research Systems Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 104: FactSet Research Systems Inc. - Segment focus

10.8 Fincite GmbH

Exhibit 105: Fincite GmbH - Overview



Exhibit 106: Fincite GmbH - Product / Service



Exhibit 107: Fincite GmbH - Key offerings

10.9 Goby Inc.

Exhibit 108: Goby Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 109: Goby Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 110: Goby Inc. - Key offerings

10.10 Greenstoneplus Ltd.

Exhibit 111: Greenstoneplus Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 112: Greenstoneplus Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 113: Greenstoneplus Ltd. - Key offerings

10.11 Refinitiv

Exhibit 114: Refinitiv - Overview



Exhibit 115: Refinitiv - Product / Service



Exhibit 116: Refinitiv - Key offerings

10.12 Wolters Kluwer NV

Exhibit 117: Wolters Kluwer NV - Overview



Exhibit 118: Wolters Kluwer NV - Business segments



Exhibit 119: Wolters Kluwer NV - Key offerings



Exhibit 120: Wolters Kluwer NV - Segment focus

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 121: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 122: Exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 123: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 124: Research methodology



Exhibit 125: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 126: Information sources

11.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 127: List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
JENNIE-O team members and Carla Hall visit Blue Grass Elementary School today

WILLMAR, Minn., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The makers of the Jennie-O turkey brand  category leader and trusted brand for turkey products  announced a partnership with esteemed chef, cookbook author and beloved TV personality Carla Hall . The team will honor school cafeteria staff of Blue Grass Elementary School in Knoxville, Tenn. As part of this partnership, Jennie-O and Hall will visit schools across the nation to honor these unsung heroes by hosting School Cafeteria Takeovers.

The makers of the Jennie-O turkey brand announced a partnership with esteemed chef, cookbook author and beloved TV personality Carla Hall. The team will honor school cafeteria staff of Blue Grass Elementary School in Knoxville, Tenn. As part of this partnership, Jennie-O and Hall will visit schools across the nation to honor these unsung heroes by hosting School Cafeteria Takeovers.

"This partnership with the Jennie-O brand is very special to me and really hits close to home because we are recognizing some of the hardest working people in school districts  those who prepare school breakfasts, lunches and after-school meals for kids and are an essential part of the school day. I know how incredibly hard they work and I'm excited to let them kick up their feet for once, as we cook for them and provide a time of rest and relaxation," Hall said. "Our children need proper nutrition to focus, learn and play, and I'm so grateful that school cafeteria staff and Jennie-O turkey products provide the protein and nourishment that kids need to succeed."

Hall and the Jennie-O brand team worked together to develop a delicious menu featuring Jennie-O turkey for the school cafeteria staff. During the School Cafeteria Takeovers, Hall will lead a baking tutorial of her famous biscuits with school cafeteria staff and treat them to a fabulous meal. Additionally, the brand will bring in local businesses to offer refreshments and other relaxing amenities for school cafeteria heroes, and finally, staff will receive heartfelt notes of gratitude from the student body.

"Our school nutrition staff are tireless workers and are truly irreplaceable members at Blue Grass. They love our students deeply and serve them with a smile daily," said Dr. Casey Cutter, principal of Blue Grass Elementary. "We rarely get to celebrate them the way they deserve to be celebrated and we are so thankful to Carla Hall and Jennie-O brand for providing us with an opportunity to do just that!"

"We are so thankful to work with Carla Hall to celebrate the unsung heroes of every school  the school cafeteria staff," said Renee Cool, brand manager at Jennie-O Turkey Store. "They work tirelessly and take such amazing care of children, so, for one day, we want to pamper them and show our appreciation for all they do with a delicious Jennie-O turkey meal and relaxation."

In addition to Blue Grass Elementary School in Knoxville, the Jennie-O brand team and Hall will also visit:

Nov. 17, 2022 : Los Angeles

: Feb. 2023 : Houston

: May 2023 : Detroit

As part of the School Cafeteria Takeovers program with Hall, the makers of the Jennie-O brand will provide $25,000 to four additional schools throughout the year to help fulfill wish lists for cafeterias in need of new equipment and supplies.

Jennie-O is the leading turkey provider to school districts in the United States.

Jennie-O is the leading turkey provider in 9 of the top 10 school districts in the nation.

Jennie-O serves more than 5,000 school districts in the U.S.

Jennie-O has the largest variety of K-12 turkey products in America.

The Jennie-O sales team has more than 100 years of combined experience in servicing K-12.

90 percent of USDA-donated turkey is processed by Jennie-O.

For more information about Jennie-O turkey products, including recipes, nutritional information and where to buy, visit JennieO.com or follow the brand on social media at Facebook.com/JennieOTurkey, Instagram.com/JennieO, TikTok.com/@jennieobrand and Twitter.com/JennieO.

ABOUT JENNIE-O TURKEY STORE

For over 80 years, the Jennie-O brand has been helping consumers live well by eating well. As the category leader, Jennie-O turkey is the trusted brand for quality turkey and a source of expertise. We provide a full portfolio of delicious, nutritious turkey proteins and inspiration for everyday meals or special occasions. Known for our bright green awning evoking the nostalgia of a local farmer stand, our round logo with a touch of yellow and our distinct name from our founders' daughter Jennifer, the Jennie-O turkey brand has the right amount of small-town friendliness paired with leading company expertise and quality. For more information, visit JennieO.com.

ABOUT HORMEL FOODS  INSPIRED PEOPLE. INSPIRED FOOD.

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $11 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include Planters, SKIPPY, SPAM, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin's, Wholly, Hormel Black Label, Columbus, Jennie-O and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named on the "Global 2000 World's Best Employers" list by Forbes magazine for three years, is one of Fortune magazine's most admired companies, has appeared on the "100 Best Corporate Citizens" list by 3BL Media 13 times, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement  Inspired People. Inspired Food.   to bring some of the world's most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit https://www.hormelfoods.com/and https://csr.hormelfoods.com/.

Contact:

Media Relations

[email protected]

SOURCE Jennie-O Turkey Store
NCL Awards 100 Educators Across the U.S. and Canada with a Free Cruise Aboard Norwegian Prima and Donates Nearly $170,000 to Schools and Teachers Around the Country

GRAMMY Award-Winning Artist Kelly Clarkson Performs Onboard as Part of Norwegian's Giving Joy Award Ceremony

GALVESTON, Texas, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel, commemorated the debut of its all-new Norwegian Prima, and the brand's first-ever voyage from Galveston, Texas, with an exclusive concert by GRAMMY Award-winning artist Kelly Clarkson.

The ship also served as the special venue for this year's Norwegian's Giving Joy awards ceremony, during which the Cruise Line and Clarkson recognized 100 teachers with a free cruise, and nearly $170,000 for the top three Grand Prize winners and their schools.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and GRAMMY Award-winning artist and godmother of Norwegian Encore, Kelly Clarkson, hosted an exclusive concert on board Norwegian Prima to celebrate the ships debut in Texas, and to honor the 100 winners of Norwegians Giving Joy campaign which recognizes teachers for the meaningful work they do every day. Kelly Clarkson with Top Three Grand Prize Norwegian's Giving Joy winners and Christine Da Silva Norwegian Prima makes her inaugural debut in Galveston, Texas. Norwegians Giving Joy top three grand prize winners embrace after learning they have each won nearly $40,000 donated by NCL partners.

Norwegian's Giving Joy program recognizes deserving educators for their unwavering commitment to bringing joy to the classroom. To celebrate these incredible individuals, and their often-times undervalued profession, as well as to kick-off Norwegian Prima's first voyage from Texas, Norwegian Cruise Line hosted a showstopping award celebration. Special guests included NCL President and CEO Harry Sommer; Norwegian Bliss Godfather Elvis Duran, American radio personality and host of "Elvis Duran and the Morning Show;" and superstar and godmother to Norwegian Encore, Kelly Clarkson, who delivered a stellar performance of her chart-topping hits including "Miss Independent," "Stronger," and "Since You've Been Gone."

"It was such an honor to celebrate the 100 deserving winners of Norwegian's Giving Joy program at Norwegian Prima's inaugural sailing, which embarked from my home state of Texas!" said Clarkson. "Teachers are our true everyday unsung heroes, and they play an integral role in our society, not only shaping the future of their students, but the future of their communities as well. I couldn't miss the opportunity to participate in this program and give a special performance before they set sail on the trip of a lifetime!"

To conclude the Norwegian's Giving Joy Award Ceremony, Sommer, unveiled the top three Grand Prize winners who received the most votes, awarding them with donations for their schools.

The Grand Prize winners are:

Patricia Hosmer from Bayonne High School in Bayonne, N.J. ($25,000)

from Bayonne High School in Theresa Schrager from Falcon Cove Middle School, Fla. ($15,000)

from Falcon Cove Middle School, Fla. Anthony Stirpe from New Rochelle High School in New Rochelle, N.Y. ($10,000)

In addition to the expected donations to their schools, each of the Grand Prize winners received a big surprise  nearly $40,000 each in prize money thanks to Norwegian Cruise Line partners, who were moved by the ethos of Norwegian's Giving Joy annual teacher recognition program and inspired to participate. To see the complete list of participating sponsors, click here.

"Norwegian Prima's debut in Galveston was extra special," said Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. "We really did it bigand what better place to do it big than in Texas. We introduced our new, magnificent ship to a market new to NCL, we welcomed 100 unbelievably deserving teachers to experience her, awarded the Grand Prize winners with nearly $40,000 in surprise prize money in addition to a donation for their school  and we put on an unforgettable celebration with two of our NCL godparents, Elvis Duran and Kelly Clarkson."

The annual program is designed to highlight the connection between travel and education and to recognize teachers for their unwavering dedication to inspiring students every day. To date the program has awarded 230 teachers across the U.S. and Canada with free cruises and donated over $350,000 to schools and educators since 2019. To learn more about this year's 100 winners and their heart-warming stories, and to support those in your communities, click here.

For more information about the Company's award-winning 18-ship fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, please contact a travel professional, call 888-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784) or visit www.ncl.com.

SOURCE Norwegian Cruise Line
RESTON, Va., Oct. 28, 2022 Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.36 per outstanding share of common stock of Leidos Holdings, Inc. The cash dividend is payable on December 30, 2022, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 15, 2022.

About Leidos

Leidos is a Fortune 500 technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. The company's 44,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $13.7 billion for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Media contact:

Melissa Lee Duenas

(571) 526-6850

[email protected]

Investor Relations:

Stuart Davis

(571) 526-6124

[email protected]

SOURCE Leidos
The company provides personalized sessions regarding all aspects of college admissions provided by undergraduates and experienced consultants

The company currently has a launch promotion providing the first mentoring sessions for free for any new users.

Linkstory's goal is to have 100,000 users by the end of 2023

LEWES, Del., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With the vision to democratize college admissions consulting to anyone of need, Ed tech startup, Linkstory, has successfully soft launched its online mentoring service in September, 2022. Linkstory attempts to solve the problem of the daunting and unclear college admission process. As the subjective factors of admissions (essays and extracurriculars) become more important, the opaqueness continues to rise, which makes it more difficult for students to figure out their applications to their dream schools. By offering mentoring services to focus on personalized subjective factors at an affordable price (~$50/session), Linkstory hopes to bring about transparency to the admissions market.

Linkstory

Democratizing the changing college admissions process

Linkstory's main goal is to improve accessibility and uncover the opaque criteria for the college admissions market. Linkstory will offer services, such as one-on-one mentoring services for general consulting, interviews, and resume proofreading. These services are all provided remotely and within the platform, which makes the process hassle-free for students around the globe.

By the end of 2022, the company also plans to launch an AI-based essay analysis tool to help students improve their college essays. This revolutionary algorithm is backed by thousands of accepted student essays from top universities.

"There is a huge potential for the 15 million high school students who are aiming for their next step after high school," says Linkstory's founder, Kenny Youn. "The current college admissions trend is shifting more and more towards the personalities of these students and we hope to bring the best out of them by becoming their companion along their journey. Youn reiterates, "It does not have to end just at high school, we also have career advisors who will help these students with their job applications and interviews as they also enter the job market after graduating from college."

Recent studies conducted by Linkstory showed that U.S. students and parents spend an estimated $6,000 every year on some form of college consulting, mainly due to the shortage of high school guidance counselors. On the contrary, the average price of a mentoring session on Linkstory is drastically lower at around $50, which is less than half of the prices offered by other services. Additionally, each and every mentor on Linkstory goes through rigorous background checks and quality control for their sessions. With around 1,000 mentor applications per month, Linkstory maintains a high standard of mentors with just around 5% mentor acceptance rates. Linkstory is currently holding a launch campaign where all new users can experience their first mentoring session for free.

About Linkstory

Linkstory is an online college admissions consulting platform launched in 2022 by founder Kenny Youn. Linkstory provides one-on-one live mentoring services to high school students, which cover a wide range of topics regarding secondary school admissions on a pay-as-you-go basis. An experienced pool of mentors gives valuable recommendations to the students.

Current investors for Linkstory include KVIC (Korea Ventture Investment Corp.) with many other renowned angel investors based in Seoul, which accumulated to around $1 million in seed funding*. Linkstory currently has over 200 mentors who specialize in admissions, and is growing rapidly each month with more future potential.

*$1 million based on the U.S. dollar  Korean Won conversion rates on 21 Oct 2022.

Contact:

Minjin A. (Digital Marketing Manager)

Linkstory

+1 302-775-7581

[email protected]

https://linkstory.me/

SOURCE Linkstory
Little Words Project will be available in 900 Target Stores and on Target.com

MOUNTAINSIDE, N.J., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This October 2022, Little Words Project, the Original Word Bracelet brand, will be sold in 900 Target locations nationwide and on Target.com beginning October 28th.

Little Words Project, the Original Word Bracelet brand, will be sold in 900 Target locations and on Target.com Tweet this Little Words Project - New at Target

Adriana Carrig, CEO of Little Words Project, founded the brand in 2013 with the intention of creating a movement about kindness and positivity. After experiencing bullying and negativity throughout her life, she started making bracelets in college to foster community and encouragement in her sorority. It didn't take long for her to realize that this simple act of kindness could become a business. She started making bracelets out of her parents' basement and is now at the helm of a rapidly growing and much-loved brand. Entering Target is a huge step for the business, helping to propel their mission of spreading kindness to the masses.

Little Words Project bracelets feature an inspirational word that is meant to uplift the wearer, and eventually be passed on to someone else who needs it more. This pay-it-forward movement has fostered an extremely engaged and loyal community. In recent years, celebrities have quickly become advocates for the brand including celebrities like Alicia Keys, Kourtney Kardashian, Paula Abdul, Lizzo, Eva Longoria and many others.

Since launch, the brand has seen explosive growth with no end in sight. After grassroots marketing efforts resulted in 4x ecommerce growth in 2020, the brand is continuing to grow 2x YoY from 2021 through 2023. Their boutique wholesale business has doubled revenue year over year, and their social channels (Instagram) are achieving +63% follower growth year over year. In 2021, the brand launched its first flagship brick and mortar store in Manhattan's West Village and, this year, has self-funded the expansion of 5 additional locations (Georgetown, Nolita, Miami, Boston and Pier Village on the Jersey Shore). Giving back is also at the heart of Little Words Project's core values. To date, Little Words Project has raised over $150k for a range of charitable causes from cancer, mental health, LGBTQIA and anti-bullying efforts.

"From the moment we had our first meeting together, I just knew we were meant to bring Little Words to the Target guest. Designing this exclusive collection has been such a dream, and I know our customers will show up at Target in droves to shop us there. This is definitely a pinch-me moment," says Adriana Carrig, Founder and CEO of Little Words Project.

The exclusive collection of Target bracelets and phone charms are available at select Target stores and online at Target.com, at their standard retail pricing of $25. Each store included in their distribution will feature a full branded endcap, serving as a destination for Target guests to immerse themselves in the feel-good brand while building their exclusive bracelet stack.

All of this, plus so much more, accomplished all of this with no outside investment.

https://www.target.com/b/little-words-project/-/N-q643lendbin

www.littlewordsproject.com

Follow Little Words Project on Instagram here.

About Little Words Project

Founded in 2013 by recent college graduate Adriana Carrig, from her parents' basement, Little Words Project creates handcrafted word bracelets with words of kindness and motivation. The brand has a cult following of loyal customers and boasts celebrity fans including Lizzo, Eva Longoria, Kourtney Kardashian, and more. In 2021, LWP opened its flagship location on Bleecker Street in Manhattan's West Village with plans to expand nationwide. In 2022, Little Words Project has raised over $150k for charity and continues its commitment to giving back through its Little Words, Big Impact initiative.

SOURCE Little Words Project
DUBLIN, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Medical Device Testing Services Market - Forecasts from 2022 to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global medical device testing services market is estimated to surge at a CAGR of 14.79% from a market value of US$32.434 billion in 2020, to achieve a market value of US$85.156 billion by the end of 2027.

The presence of companies offering varied medical device testing services fuels the market growth in the forecast period. For example, companies offer medical device testing services for biocompatibility testing, biological safety, chemical characterization, analytical chemistry, environmental monitoring, and long-term and accelerated shelf-life testing.

Furthermore, with the growing need for testing the quality and reliability of medical devices, the market for medical device testing services holds strong growth opportunities during the forecast period.



Companies also offer medical device testing services that provide full support right from the device concept designing design to post-market applications. These services are highly beneficial due to stringent regulations for product development; hence, any defect in a medical device or inability of a medical device to serve the required medical purpose would lead to product disqualification. Therefore, strict regulations for device development and approval contribute to surging market demand during the forecast period.

By applying its unique combination of solutions that include medical device testing, regulatory, reimbursement, quality consulting, and clinical research services, the company offers support throughout the full development continuum, from bench to actual patient applications. The company's offices are located across the Asian, European, and North American regions and support fast-track market introduction in the world's major markets.



Geographically, North America is projected to hold a significant market share. At the same time, the Asia Pacific region is estimated to be the fastest-growing market in the global medical device testing services market during the forecast period.



The growing medical device industry will continue to surge and drive the market demand during the forecast period and the emergence of novel and innovative medical devices.



The global medical device industry is projected to grow steadily during the forecast period. Industrial growth is further supported by the growing demand for innovative medical devices, including wearables and innovative health services like health data. This is mainly because lifestyle diseases are gaining momentum with time due to the adoption of unhealthy living conditions. Hence, this is creating a high demand for the development of portable medical devices to keep a constant check on the vital parameters, further providing robust market growth prospects during the forecast period.

Governments around the globe are working on cutting healthcare costs (especially on lowering the number of hospital visits) and demand greater value regarding improved patient outcomes. Companies are expected to step out of their traditional device manufacturing to achieve this. Instead, a need for integrating services and data intelligence coupled with their products is being realized to deliver holistic solutions, further bolstering the B2B activities and strengthening the creation of the new business-to-consumer (B2C) activities.

This will further require the manufacturers to adopt different strategies in the form of mergers & and acquisitions and strategic partnerships and collaborations. The medical device companies will ultimately play a bigger role in the value chain and will get an opportunity to interact with the end consumers closely. This would further aid in increasing the company's revenues and, in turn, would contribute to lowering the number of hospital visits.



By utilizing the various medical device testing strategies, it is expected of a medical device manufacturer that the company checks every functionality of its medical device right from the concept designing stage to the post-market applications. In the case of any defect being found, it would lead to huge losses to the company.

Hence, with the growing medical device industry, medical device testing services hold importance to assist in properly manufacturing the device. Testing services can be provided in-house or can be outsourced. Furthermore, with the surging number of chronic diseases worldwide, the market is projected to hold strong growth prospects and develop novel medical devices through continuous innovations and technological advancements.



Segmentation:

By Type

Medical Device Testing Solution

Certification & Auditing

Scientific Support Services

By Services

Cardiovascular Device Testing

Orthopedic Implant Testing

Microbiological Analysis

Shelf-Life Testing

By Sourcing Type

In-House Testing

Outsourced Testing

By Geography

North America

USA

Canada

Mexico

South America

Brazil

Argentina

Europe

UK

Germany

France

Spain

Middle East and Africa

and UAE

Israel

Saudi Arabia

Asia Pacific

Japan

China

India

South Korea

Thailand

Indonesia

Taiwan

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Research Methodology



3. Executive Summary



4. Market Dynamics



5. Medical Device Testing Services Market Analysis, by Type



6. Medical Device Testing Services Market Analysis, by Services



7. Medical Device Testing Services Market Analysis, by Sourcing Type



8. Medical Device Testing Services Market Analysis, by Geography



9. Competitive Environment and Analysis



10. Company Profiles



Companies Mentioned

SGS SA

Intertek Group plc

Bureau Veritas

DEKRA

Eurofins Scientific

The British Standards Institution

Nelson Laboratories, LLC (A Sotera Health Company)

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7rnu3

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Increase in awareness of clinical documentation for the provision of quality patient care, rapid development of the e-health industry, and increase in government expenditure on healthcare drive the growth of the global medical transcription software market.

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Medical Transcription Software Market by Deployment (Cloud Based, On Premises), by Type (Voice Capture, Voice Recognition), by End User Facilities (Hospitals and Clinics, Diagnostic Centers, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021- 2031". According to the report, the global medical transcription software industry generated $1.6 billion in 2021, and is anticipated to generate $7.0 billion by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 15.5% from 2022 to 2031.

Prime determinants of growth

Increase in awareness of clinical documentation for the provision of quality patient care, rapid development of the of e-health industry, and increase in government expenditure on healthcare drive the growth of the global medical transcription software market. However, low adoption of medical transcription software in underdeveloped countries restricts the market growth. Moreover, high growth potential in emerging markets is expected to present new opportunities for the market in the coming years.

Download Free Sample Report- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/31904

Covid-19 Scenario

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic had a positive impact on the global medical transcription software market, owing to surge in the number of coronavirus patients that created an enormous demand for digital documentation.

The launches of new products and services by key players during the COVID-19 period positively impacted the growth of the medical transcription software industry. For instance, in March 2020 , ZyDoc announced the launch of its free COVID-19 EHR documentation services to all healthcare providers and hospitals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

, ZyDoc announced the launch of its free COVID-19 EHR documentation services to all healthcare providers and hospitals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, in April 2020 , Nuance Communications, Inc. announced the Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX) solution for telehealth, in response to the overwhelming increase in virtual visits sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, an increase in the adoption of medical transcription software for medical documentation of COVID-19 patients boosted the growth of the medical transcription software market.

The cloud-based segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on deployment, the cloud-based segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for around three-fourths of the global medical transcription software market, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Moreover, the same segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 15.8% from 2022 to 2031, owing to an increase in the adoption of cloud-based software by various healthcare systems and availability of cloud-based software in the market by various key players.

The voice recognition segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on type, the voice recognition segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for more than two-thirds of the global medical transcription software market, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Moreover, the same segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 15.7% from 2022 to 2031. This is attributed to the various benefits of voice recognition, such as higher accuracy, lower costs, and greater flexibility.

For Purchase Inquiry- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/31904

The hospitals and clinics segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

Based on end user facilities, the hospitals and clinics segment accounted for the largest share in 2021, contributing to nearly three-fifths of the global medical transcription software market, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. Moreover, the same segment is expected to portray the largest CAGR of 16.0% from 2022 to 2031, due to an increase in the adoption of medical transcription software by hospitals and clinics to transcribe patient notes by voice dictation.

North America to maintain its dominance by 2031

Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2021, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global medical transcription software market, and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period. This is attributed to the surge in demand for better healthcare facilities, rise in the demand for medical transcription solution, and government reforms for the acceptance of medical transcription in the region. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 17.2% from 2022 to 2031. This is owing to the increase in prevalence of chronic diseases, rise in awareness related to the use of medical transcription services, and surge in healthcare expenditure.

Leading Market Players: -

3M Company,

Company, Amazon Inc,

Aquity Solutions,

DeepScribe, Inc.,

Dolbey System, Inc.,

Global Medical Transcription,

iMedX,

Microsoft Corporation,

SMARTMD,

ZyDoc Medical Transcription

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players of the global medical transcription software market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

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When We All Vote released a video featuring celebrity talent on Vote Early Day ahead of more than 100 events taking place as a part of the Party at the Polls program

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, on Vote Early Day, When We All Vote released a video message from Co-Chairs Michelle Obama, Chris Paul, Liza Koshy and Bretman Rock and Ambassadors Lynn Whitfield and Jeannie Mai emphasizing the importance of this year's midterm elections and the power of voting. In the video, they remind viewers that their votes will directly impact the future of healthcare, education, public safety and more.

To increase voter turnout, When We All Vote's Party at the Polls program is hosting more than 100 events at or near polling locations across the country to bring communities together to celebrate voting with music, food and fun activities.

"We know that voter turnout in the midterms has historically been lower than the general election, and our Party at the Polls program is a proven way to help change that," said Stephanie L. Young, Executive Director of When We All Vote. "With only 10 days until Election Day, we've already broken records for voter turnout, and When We All Vote will continue our efforts to bring the party to the polls and make sure more voters cast their ballots."

Parties at the polls are posted at whenweallvote.org/partyatthepolls . Events include:

HBCU Voting Squad Events: As a part of When We All Vote's VOTE LOUD HBCU Squad Challenge, launched by Michelle Obama and Chris Paul earlier this year, HBCU students at 20 schools will host parties at the polls.

As a part of When We All Vote's VOTE LOUD HBCU Squad Challenge, by and earlier this year, HBCU students at 20 schools will host parties at the polls. Quince to the Polls in San Antonio, TX tomorrow : When We All Vote will join Harness, Jolt Initiative, America Ferrera , Rosie Castro , Terri Castillo , 15 future Latina leaders and more for a celebration of Latino voter engagement featuring traditional Quinceanera dress and transportation, speeches from San Antonio leaders, musical performances, carnival games, food and voter information.

: When We All Vote will join Harness, Jolt Initiative, , , , 15 future Latina leaders and more for a celebration of Latino voter engagement featuring traditional Quinceanera dress and transportation, speeches from leaders, musical performances, carnival games, food and voter information. Philly Votes in Philadelphia, PA today: When We All Vote will join PA Youth Vote, Just Act, the Philadelphia City Commissioners, Committee of Seventy, first-time student voters and more for a march from Love Park to City Hall to celebrate voting early with free food, music, circus performers, brass bands, DJs and more.

When We All Vote will join PA Youth Vote, Just Act, the City Commissioners, Committee of Seventy, first-time student voters and more for a march from to City Hall to celebrate voting early with free food, music, circus performers, brass bands, DJs and more. Votelanta Music Festival with The People's Uprising in Atlanta, GA today : Headlined by Gucci Mane and Omeretta, and hosted by Hot 107.9's Manni Supreme and Spelman alumna Princess Tatyanna, Votelanta will include celebrity and influencer appearances, student performances, free food and snacks in an innovative voter engagement event to encourage young adults ages 18-25 to vote early and attend with their "I Voted" sticker.

: Headlined by Gucci Mane and Omeretta, and hosted by Hot 107.9's Manni Supreme and Spelman alumna Princess Tatyanna, Votelanta will include celebrity and influencer appearances, student performances, free food and snacks in an innovative voter engagement event to encourage young adults ages 18-25 to vote early and attend with their "I Voted" sticker. MTV's Vote Early Gameday in Detroit, MI today: This family fun rally with the Detroit Pistons ahead of today's game against the Atlanta Hawks will get the community ready to vote and will feature Pistons Dancers, the Extreme Team, Pistons mascot Hooper and other local dignitaries, in addition, to live music and food and beverage vendors.

In celebration of Vote Early Day, When We All Vote is calling on people to follow these steps to make a plan to vote early in their state:

First, head over to whenweallvote.org/voterhub to check their voter registration status, find their polling place or dropbox location and learn what's on their ballot.

to check their voter registration status, find their polling place or dropbox location and learn what's on their ballot. Then, build their voting squad by texting three friends and asking them to make their plan to vote.

Finally, share their early voting photos with their squad on social media using #VotingSquad.

Watch When We All Vote's full video message here. A full transcript of the video is included below.

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Mrs, Obama: Hey, everyone! We need to talk about what's on the ballot in this year's midterm elections.

Bretman Rock: We're talking about decisions about our healthcare, our schools,

Chris Paul: our safety

Liza Koshy: our future.

Mrs. Obama: This fall, when we head to the polls, we get to choose who represents us.

Liza Koshy: That includes all 435 members of the House of Representatives, 35 out of 100 Senators, and many, many of the elected officials in your local and state governments.

Bretman Rock: And no matter which candidates we support, no matter which issues speak to us,

Mrs. Obama: the most important thing to remember

Chris Paul: is that our vote

Lynn Whitfield: is our voice

Jeannie Mai: and our power.

Mrs. Obama: It allows us to build the communities we can thrive in.

Liza Koshy: That starts though by going to WhenWeAllVote.org

Lynn Whitfield: and make a plan to make your voice heard

Jeannie Mai: in the midterm elections.

Chris Paul: Because if we want to have our voices heard, we've got to show up.

Mrs. Obama: Thanks, everybody.

ABOUT When We All Vote:

When We All Vote, an initiative of Civic Nation, is a leading national, nonpartisan initiative on a mission to change the culture around voting and to increase participation in each and every election by helping to close the race and age gap. Created by Michelle Obama, When We All Vote brings together individuals, institutions, brands, and organizations to register new voters across the country and advance civic education for the entire family and voters of every age to build an informed and engaged electorate for today and generations to come. We empower our supporters and volunteers to take action through voting, advocating for their rights, and holding their elected officials accountable.

In 2020, When We All Vote ran a robust, multifaceted campaign and reached more than 100 million people to educate them about the voting process and get them registered and ready to vote. The initiative also led in voter education, registration, and volunteer engagement and as a result, 512,000 people started or completed the voter registration process, and nearly 500 media, corporate, and nonprofit partners joined its efforts.

Michelle Obama launched When We All Vote in 2018 and is joined by fellow Co-Chairs Stephen Curry, Becky G, Selena Gomez, Tom Hanks, H.E.R., Liza Koshy, Jennifer Lopez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monae, Chris Paul, Megan Rapinoe, Shonda Rhimes, Bretman Rock, Kerry Washington and Rita Wilson.

When We All Vote is a key initiative within Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) organization, and works with Civic Nation Action, a 501(c)(4). These organizations are homes for changemakers who inspire, educate, and activate people around the issues that will define this generation.

ABOUT Civic Nation:

Civic Nation is a nonprofit ecosystem for high-impact organizing and education initiatives working to build a more inclusive and equitable America. Civic Nation shifts culture, systems and policy by bringing together individuals, grassroots organizers, industry leaders and influencers to tackle some of our nation's most pressing social challenges. Six initiatives are a part of the Civic Nation family: When We All Vote, United State of Women, ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, End Rape On Campus, It's On Us and We The Action. Learn more here .

SOURCE When We All Vote
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is announcing a new initiative called Women Mean Business to encourage women donors to support the school through philanthropy. The goal is to raise $50 million to go toward increasing access to a Michigan Ross business education, enhancing its top-ranked academic programs, and advancing impactful research at the school.

Gifts of $1 million or more from women will be included in Women Mean Business, and those gifts can be in any area that is of interest to the donor, such as student scholarships, faculty research, or educational programming. The school has already received five gifts from esteemed Ross alumnae, including three new gifts totalling $6.5 million, toward the initiative.

"Michigan Ross is fortunate to have so many accomplished alumnae who are committed to giving back, and we are thrilled to celebrate their transformational gifts to the school through the Women Mean Business initiative," said Sharon F. Matusik, Edward J. Frey Dean of Business. "Their tremendous support, along with the support of other successful women business leaders, helps Ross attract top students to our school, maintain our world-class academic excellence, and inspire more women to pursue careers in business."

New gifts to Michigan Ross are from Sandra J. Mann, BBA '77, who gave $3 million; Lara Yates, BBA '91, who made a planned gift of $2.5 million; and Michele T. Takei, MBA '74, who bequeathed $1 million to the school.

The $2.5 million gift from Yates will be used to establish the Lara Wiklendt Scholarship Fund, an endowed scholarship to support Michigan Ross BBA students in the undergraduate chapter of the student organization Michigan Business Women.

"I am passionate about helping women equalize the playing field in business and about helping them to succeed on a grand scale," said Yates. "This is what I intend to accomplish through the Lara Wiklendt Scholarship."

Takei said she has seen the impact that gifts to Michigan Ross can have on students. Her $1 million bequest will be added to the Michele T. Takei and Edward W. Unkart Fellowship Fund, which she established with an original gift in 1999, and provides scholarships to women in Michigan Ross MBA programs.

"I am incredibly grateful to have received an MBA from the Ross School of Business, and I am honored that I can help other women do the same through our scholarship," she said. "I think the Women Mean Business fundraising initiative is an exciting opportunity to harness our collective power to make a long-term positive impact on the school and its students."

So far, three other Michigan Ross alumnae have contributed to the Women Mean Business initiative, with gifts totalling over $11 million. One of those alumnae is Jane Okun Bomba, MBA '89, with her husband Gary Bomba, who committed $2 million in support for Ross students and faculty. Others who have contributed to the initiative are an anonymous alumna, who committed $5.1 million, and an anonymous alumni couple who gave $4 million.

Women Mean Business debuts a year after the school announced Foundations For Success , with the goal of increasing access to its top-ranked business programs and supporting students. Ross has already received over $50 million toward that initiative.

To learn about ways to support Michigan Ross, go here .

About Michigan Ross

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a diverse learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today's dynamic global economy. The Ross School of Business mission is to build a better world through business. Through thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and innovation that improve business and society.

Michigan Ross is consistently ranked among the world's leading business schools. Academic degree programs include the Bachelor of Business Administration, Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA (Evening, Online, and Weekend formats), Executive MBA, Global MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Business Analytics, Master of Management, Master of Supply Chain Management, and PhD. In addition, the school delivers open-enrollment and custom executive education programs targeting general management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management. For more information, visit MichiganRoss.umich.edu.

SOURCE Stephen M. Ross School of Business
TAIPEI, Taiwan, Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tech brands including Microsoft and Google have achieved 100% renewable energy across their own operations, but their supply chains are still fueled primarily by coal, gas and oil, according to a new report by Greenpeace East Asia and Stand.earth.

Brand ranking for global decarbonization

"Tech brands like Microsoft and Google have made progress toward greening their own operations, but their supply chains in Asia are extremely polluting. Suppliers that manufacture components of our cell phones and computers, such as TSMC and Samsung Electronics, primarily use electricity that is generated from coal and other fossil fuels. Brands like Microsoft and Google talk a lot about climate action, but in reality their supply chain carbon footprint has continued to grow. Consumer electronics brands must provide incentives and support for their suppliers to transition to renewable energy," said Greenpeace East Asia campaigner Xueying Wu.

Researchers ranked decarbonization efforts by 10 of the world's top consumer electronics brands and 14 of their largest suppliers. [1] In 2021, the combined electricity consumption of all ranked companies exceeded 170,000 GWh, more than that of Argentina. [2] On average, 77% of electronics industry emissions are generated from the supply chain. [3]

Key findings:



Suppliers to Microsoft, Google and other major consumer electronics brands rely heavily on fossil fuels. Researchers studied 14 of the largest suppliers to major consumer electronics brands and found that only four reported a renewable energy usage rate that exceeded 10%. In 2021, the median renewable energy usage rate for all 14 suppliers was 5%.

Researchers studied 14 of the largest suppliers to major consumer electronics brands and found that only four reported a renewable energy usage rate that exceeded 10%. In 2021, the median renewable energy usage rate for all 14 suppliers was 5%. Microsoft is backsliding on supply chain emissions. In 2020, Microsoft pledged to reduce its emissions, including its supply chain, by more than half within a decade. The following year, Microsoft's supply chain emissions increased by 23%. [4]

In 2020, Microsoft pledged to reduce its emissions, including its supply chain, by more than half within a decade. The following year, Microsoft's supply chain emissions increased by 23%. [4] Apple is the only major tech company that has issued a 100% renewable energy target for its supply chain and has made significant progress toward this goal. However, Apple has not disclosed detailed energy and emissions data for its supply chain.

However, Apple has not disclosed detailed energy and emissions data for its supply chain. In 2021, TSMC and SK Hynix, two semiconductor manufacturing giants that supply Apple and Microsoft, reported renewable energy usage rates of only 9% and 4%,

respectively. By contrast Apple and Microsoft have all achieved 100% renewable energy across their own operations.

By contrast Apple and Microsoft have all achieved 100% renewable energy across their own operations. Emissions from key semiconductor manufacturers are on the rise. Since 2019, emissions have increased from Samsung Electronics (26.1%), TSMC (17.5%), Intel (13.5%), and SK Hynix (11.7%), four of the world's top semiconductor manufacturers by revenue. Collectively their clients include Apple, Microsoft and Google, among other brands.

Electricity use from the global tech sector is projected to grow by more than 60% between 2020 and 2030. [5]

"All electronics brands, including suppliers, must achieve 100% renewable energy by 2030. Consumer electronics brands should require their suppliers to set renewable energy and emissions reductions targets and create incentives to ensure that these goals are met. Suppliers must select high-impact renewable energy sourcing methods to meet their targets," said Stand Earth Global Climate Campaign Director Gary Cook.

Notes



[1] Samsung Electronics is a major consumer electronics brand and semiconductor manufacturer. For this reason, it appears in both the consumer electronics brand category as well as the supplier category of the report.

[2] IEA. (2022). Electricity Information. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://www.iea.org/countries/argentina

[3] World Economic Forum, & Boston Consulting Group. (2021). Net-Zero Challenge: The supply chain opportunity. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://www.weforum.org/reports/net-zero-challenge-the-supply-chain-opportunity/

[4] Smith, B. & Joppa, L. (2022). Official Microsoft blog published online March 10, 2022: 'An update on Microsoft's sustainability commitments: Building a foundation for 2030'. Retrieved September 14, 2022, from https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2022/03/10/an-update-on-microsofts-sustainability-commitments-building-a-foundation-for-2030/

[5] Andrae, A. S. G. A. (2020). New perspectives on internet electricity use in 2030. Engineering and Applied Science Letters. 3. 19-31.

SOURCE Stand.earth
CHICAGO , Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Military embedded systems market is estimated to be USD 1.6 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 2.5 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2022 to 2027 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Growth of this market can be attributed to the rise in upgradation programmes for land vehicles in US, developments in the Navigation & Communication systems for Naval & Airborne platforms, and Developments in Space sector.

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Browse in-depth TOC on "Military Embedded Systems Market"

222  Tables

63  Figures

276  Pages

Major players in the Military embedded systems market include Curtiss-Wright Corp. (US), Mercury Systems (US), Kontron (S&T AG) (Austria), AMETEL (US), and General Dynamics Corp. (US). The report covers various industry trends and new technological innovations in the Military embedded systems market for the period, 2018-2027.

Increased focus on cloud computing and wireless technologies

The trend of cloud and wireless technologies is increasing at a rapid pace in the defense industry. The integration of the cloud with embedded systems can offer various advantages for mission-critical applications, due to which the demand for embedded systems is growing continuously. For a long time, military embedded systems were standalone systems. Since the evolution of wireless connectivity, the situation has changed completely. Short-range protocols, such as RFID (radio frequency identification) and NFC (near-field communication), and long-range protocols, such as LTE (long term evolution), WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access), and WLAN (wireless local area network), are going to witness wide military applications in the near future. Currently, the trend is shifting toward the system on chip architecture and the application of short-range protocols. The current serial data rate is about 20/25 Gbits/S per link, and when it reaches 40/50 Gbits/S, it creates signal impairment. Signal integrity engineers are developing new technologies to increase the data rate limits on boards and electrical backplanes. As technology in military embedded systems matures, many military personnel will need a fast and secure network to stay connected at all times during critical missions. Therefore, the use of wireless technology is fueling the demand for embedded systems in the defense industry. According to the article published on May 2022, The US Army is in the midst of a significant shift in how it buys, builds and delivers technological capabilities to warfighters. At the crux of those plans is a cloud infrastructure called cArmy that can deliver communications, tools and sensor data so commanders can have a clear digital picture of the battlespace and make crucial decisions more quickly.

By Application, Communication & Navigation Segment Is Projected to Grow at Highest CAGR During Forecast Period

Digitization of communications is a crucial part of defense programs and is associated with the transformation of military forces across the world. Digital technology makes more efficient use of the spectrum bandwidth for communications. Communication refers to both the communication medium and communication devices used in the information transfer process, which is vital from the military perspective. Computers and radio networking technologies for communication require the use of technologically advanced embedded systems with easy upgradation capability. Military communication applications require a high level of reliability and security for improved situational awareness. Fielded communication modules, such as soldier-borne radio communications and software-defined radio-based data links, are often signal processing-intensive, power-constrained, and have strong security requirements. For these reasons, there is a high demand for advanced military embedded systems for uninterrupted communications. And this demand is driving the communication & navigation systems market.

The communication & navigation segment is estimated to be USD 288 million in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 477 million by 2027, at the highest CAGR of 10.6%.

By Military Embedded Systems Installation Type, New Installation segment accounts for the largest share of the total market in 2022.

The new installation segment refers to the procurement and installation of military embedded systems, which are integrated with various naval weapon systems, radar systems, command and control, electronic warfare systems, and communication systems to enhance the connectivity and coordination of maneuvering forces at the tactical level. Countries like the US and the UK are allocating defense budgets for the new installation of advanced military embedded systems, which are anticipated to drive this segment globally. The growing emphasis on the deployment of advanced military embedded systems across various defense platforms is driving the military embedded systems market.

The new installation segment is estimated to account for a larger share of the military embedded systems market in 2022. This segment is estimated to be USD 1,141 million in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 1,832 million by 2027, at a CAGR of 9.9%.

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North America region accounts for the largest market share in Military embedded systems market

North America is estimated to account for a share of 37% of the military embedded systems market in 2022. The market in this region is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.0% during the forecast period. North America is a developed market for military embedded systems. Increased investments in defense equipment and warfare capabilities and the implementation of network-centric infrastructure have contributed to the market growth in this region. The major countries in this region are the US and Canada, with the US leading the military embedded systems market in North America. The US is a technologically superior country with a huge potential for investment in military electronics.

North America is the major hub for technologically advanced applications. The US is a technologically advanced country with a huge potential for investment in embedded system technologies. Increased investments in next-generation communication technology and integrated warfare capabilities contributed to the market growth in this region.

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA and commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman are targeting 5:50 a.m. EST, Sunday, Nov. 6, for launch of the company's 18th resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Live coverage of the launch from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia, will air on NASA Television. Watch live beginning at 5:30 a.m. on the agency's website at:

www.nasa.gov/live

Loaded with approximately 8,200 pounds of research, crew supplies, and hardware, Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo spacecraft will launch on the company's Antares rocket from Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. It will arrive at the space station on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

NASA TV coverage of rendezvous and capture will begin at 4:30 a.m. EST followed by installation coverage at 7:30 a.m. At about 5:50 a.m., Expedition 68 NASA astronaut Nicole Mann will capture Cygnus, with NASA astronaut Josh Cassada acting as backup. After Cygnus capture, ground commands will be sent from mission control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston for the station's arm to rotate and install it on the station's Unity module Earth-facing port.

Highlights of hardware and space station research facilitated by samples and equipment aboard this Cygnus are:

a facility and study that attempt to advance the 3D biological printing of human tissue in space

a study taking advantage of microgravity to better understand catastrophic mudflows that can occur after wildfires

Uganda and Zimbabwe's first satellites developed as a part of the BIRDS program, an interdisciplinary project for non-space faring countries

and first satellites developed as a part of the BIRDS program, an interdisciplinary project for non-space faring countries an investigation into how microgravity influences ovary function

an experiment that studies if changes space-grown plants undergo to adapt to microgravity can be transmitted through seeds to the next generation

hardware to be installed outside the station in preparation for the installation of Roll-Out Solar Arrays

The Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled to remain at the space station until late January 2023 when it will depart, disposing of several tons of trash during a destructive re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.

This Cygnus is dubbed the S.S. Sally Ride in honor of late NASA astronaut, physicist, and first American woman to fly in space, Sally Ride. Ride spent 14 days across two space shuttle missions performing science experiments, making observations of Earth, deploying satellites, and conducting technology demonstrations. She was an advocate for diversity and representation in science and dedicated much of her life to inspiring young people, particularly young women, to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math fields.

Prelaunch Briefing

A prelaunch briefing will be held at 1 p.m. EDT, Saturday, Nov. 5, and may be viewed on NASA Television and the agency's website. Participants will include:

Joel Montalbano , manager, International Space Station Program, NASA

, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA Heidi Parris , associate program scientist for the International Space Station

, associate program scientist for the International Space Station Steve Krein , vice president, Civil and Commercial Space, Northrop Grumman

, vice president, Civil and Commercial Space, Northrop Grumman Kurt Eberly , director, Space Launch Programs, Northrop Grumman

, director, Space Launch Programs, Northrop Grumman Roosevelt "Ted" Mercer, Jr., CEO and executive director, Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority

Jeff Reddish , range chief, NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

Accredited media may attend the briefing in-person at the NASA Wallops Visitor Center. Media who wish to participate by phone must contact Kiana Raines at [email protected] by noon on Friday, Nov. 4, for dial-in information.

Additionally, media and the public can submit questions on social media using #AskNASA.

NASA TV Coverage

Sunday, November 6:

5:30 a.m.  Launch coverage begins

 Launch coverage begins 5:50 a.m.  Launch window opens

Tuesday, November 8:

4:30 a.m.  Rendezvous coverage begins

 Rendezvous coverage begins 5:50 a.m.  Capture of Cygnus with the space station's robotic arm

 Capture of Cygnus with the space station's robotic arm 7:30 a.m.  Cygnus installation operations coverage

Public Participation

Members of the public can also participate in the journey through a variety of activities including registering to attend this launch virtually. NASA's virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following a successful launch.

Live coverage and countdown commentary will begin at 5:30 a.m. EST Sunday, Nov. 6, and air on NASA Television and the agency's website, as well as YouTube, Twitter, and NASA's App.

Learn more about Northrop Grumman commercial resupply missions at:

https://www.nasa.gov/northropgrumman

SOURCE NASA
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA will host a media teleconference at 12 p.m. EDT Thursday, Nov. 3, to discuss the status of its Artemis I flight test that will launch the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The uncrewed mission will send the Orion spacecraft beyond the Moon and back to Earth before future missions with crew.

Audio of the call will livestream on the agency's website at:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

Briefing participants include:

Jim Free , associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters

, associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters Cliff Lanham , senior vehicle operations manager, Exploration Ground Systems Program, Kennedy

To participate by telephone, media must RSVP no later than two hours before the briefing to: [email protected].

NASA is planning to roll the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Friday, Nov. 4, at 12:01 a.m. ahead of launch.

The agency continues to target launch for Monday, Nov. 14, with liftoff planned during a 69-minute launch window that opens at 12:07 a.m. EST. A launch on Nov. 14 would result in a mission duration of about 25-and-a-half days with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean Friday, Dec. 9.

Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence, and serving as a steppingstone to send astronauts to Mars.

For updates, follow along on NASA's Artemis blog.

SOURCE NASA
Findings Incorporate Data on Weeks Remote and ESSER Dollars per District, Allowing Leaders to Re-calibrate Their Recovery Plans

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The Education Recovery Scorecard, a collaboration with researchers at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University (CEPR) and Stanford University's Educational Opportunity Project, released the first comparable view of district level learning loss during the pandemic utilizing the recently released 2022 NAEP data, and states who have publicly reported their district proficiency rates on their Spring 2022 assessments. These interactive district level maps include data from 29 states (plus DC)  where the necessary data was available.

CEPR Faculty Director Thomas J. Kane and Sean Reardon, Professor of Poverty and Inequality in Education at Stanford University and Director of the Educational Opportunity Project have used the 2022 NAEP scores to make state assessment results comparable. The new research, found on educationrecoveryscorecard.org, also incorporates data on weeks remote and the federal recovery dollars (ESSER) received per district, equipping state and local leaders with the information they need to re-calibrate their current recovery plans.

"The pandemic was like a band of tornadoes that swept across the country," said CEPR Faculty Director Thomas J. Kane. "Some communities were left relatively untouched, while neighboring schools were devastated. The Education Recovery Scorecard is the first high-resolution map of the tornadoes' path to help local leaders see the magnitude of the damage and guide local recovery efforts."

"One of the things we found is that even within a district, there is variability. School districts are the first line of action to help children catch up. The better they know about the patterns of learning loss, the more they're going to be able to target their resources effectively to reduce educational inequality of opportunity and help children and communities thrive." Sean Reardon, Professor of Poverty and Inequality, Stanford Graduate School of Education.

In response to the findings, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said, "We must muster the political will at the state and local level to match the urgency and federal investment in our students through the historic $122 billion in the American Rescue Plan. The latest Nation's Report Card results must serve as a call to action to revisit our existing plans and scale up proven academic recovery strategies such as ensuring a robust and qualified teacher and leader workforce, intense and frequent tutoring aligned to high quality curriculum, and after-school and summer enrichment programming. While the recent data is alarming, catching our students up to the 2019 achievement levels is a low bar. We must aim higher. Our students should be leading the world."

The average U.S. public school student in grades 3-8 lost the equivalent of a half year of learning in math and a quarter of a year in reading.

U.S. public school student in grades 3-8 lost the equivalent of a half year of learning in math and a quarter of a year in reading. Rather than rely on headlines about state achievement, parents and local officials need to understand how their local schools were affected. Six (6) percent of students were in districts that lost more than a year of learning in math, while 3 percent were in districts where math achievement actually rose.

The pandemic widened disparities in achievement between high and low poverty schools. The quarter of schools with highest shares of students receiving federal lunch subsides missed two-thirds of a year of math learning, while the quarter of schools with the fewest low-income students lost two-fifths of a year.

While many states and districts are using their portion of the $190B in federal aid to add tutoring and summer school and extended days, many of those efforts are not yet large enough to fully address the learning loss that has occurred. Using these estimates of achievement losses along with expected effect sizes for catch-up efforts and the share of students being served by each, districts now have an opportunity to make sure their plans are commensurate with their students' losses.

"We now see how much ground districts have to make up to get their students back on track. More than ever, we need district leaders to communicate with their communities on how they are using recovery funds to address those gaps," said Marguerite Roza, Director of the Edunomics Lab.

Civil rights leaders see this new research as a call to action for state leaders to rise up a much bolder, aggressive response.

"Learning losses among minority students over the last two years have put the long-term vitality of the nation at risk. Latino and African American students make up nearly half of all students, making it a national imperative to invest in their academic recovery," said Janet Murguia, the President and CEO of UnidosUS.

"If there is a sparkle of light during these dark times, it's our nation's historic infusion of funds through ARP and ESSER," said John B. King, president of The Education Trust. "To address unfinished learning, we implore district leaders to invest in evidence-based strategies, including increased access to strong, diverse teachers, targeted intensive tutoring, expanded learning time, and strengthening socioemotional supports and relationships weakened during the pandemic."

Kane said, "The whole village needs to hear the bell ringing, not just schools. Mayors should organize tutoring efforts at local libraries. Community organizations should plan school vacation academies and summer learning opportunities. Governors should be funding and evaluating innovative pilots to provide models that everyone could use. We cannot wait for the Spring 2023 state test results next fall to tell us that we underinvested in recovery efforts. Many are happy just to get back to normal, but normal won't help kids catch up."

About the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University

The Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, seeks to transform education through quality research and evidence. CEPR and its partners believe all students will learn and thrive when education leaders make decisions using facts and findings, rather than untested assumptions. Learn more at cepr.harvard.edu.

SOURCE Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University
NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The nuclear-decommissioning services market size in Europe is expected to grow by USD 5.78 billion at a CAGR of 10.19% during the forecast period of 2021-2026. Technavio report is compiled on research from a mix of primary interviews and secondary research, along with analytical tools that have been used to build the forecast and predictive models.

Nuclear Decommissioning Services Market In Europe: Vendor Landscape

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Nuclear Decommissioning Services Market in Europe 2022-2026

The nuclear-decommissioning services market in Europe is fragmented, with the presence of multiple international, regional, and country-specific vendors. International vendors have gained expertise in decommissioning services due to their involvement in projects located in different geographies.

In a few countries, the government has mandated that the decommissioning will be taken care of by government-operated vendors such as the Spanish National Organization of Radioactive Waste (ENRESA) and Electricite de France S.A. (EDF). Industrial collaboration is encouraged in the nuclear-decommissioning services market as multiple vendors corroborate with other vendors by sharing technologies, equipment, and expertise.

The report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors, including AECOM, Ansaldo Energia Spa, Babcock International Group Plc, Bechtel Corp., EDF Energy Ltd., ENRESA, GD Energy Services Ltd., GE Hitachi Energy, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Jadrova a vyradovacia spolocnost AS, James Fisher and Sons Plc, Nuvia Inc., Orano SA, SNC Lavalin Group Inc., Studsvik AB, Veolia Environment SA, and Westinghouse Electric Co. LLC.

Find additional highlights on the growth strategies adopted by vendors and their product offerings, Download Free Sample Report.

Nuclear Decommissioning Services Market In Europe: Market Segmentation

By Application

Research reactors



Power reactors play a substantial role in the entire energy mix of the European nations, making them extremely important to those countries. Operators award contracts to companies providing decommissioning services once a power plant's life cycle is over. Power reactor decommissioning takes years and involves a significant investment, which is paid for by both the local government and the operators.



Power reactors

By Type

PWR



PWRs have two separate circulation systems, one for the turbine and the other for the reactor, also known as the primary and secondary coolant circuits. The primary coolant circuit is used to cool the reactor core using the circulation of coolants such as water. In the secondary coolant circuit, the pressure is comparatively low, due to which the water evaporates and is routed through the turbines toward the generator. The generator creates electricity using the kinetic energy of the steam. Afterward, the steam is condensed back by removing the excess heat using cool water through the tubes in the condenser. This water is then sent back to the steam generator for reuse purposes.



BWR



Others

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The nuclear-decommissioning services market in Europe research report presents critical information and factual data about nuclear-decommissioning services in the Europe industry, with an overall statistical study of this market based on market drivers, market limitations, and its future prospects. The widespread trends and opportunities are also taken into consideration in the nuclear-decommissioning services market in Europe study.

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Nuclear Decommissioning Services Market In Europe Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 10.19% Market growth 2022-2026 $5.78 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 9.92 Regional analysis Europe Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled AECOM, Ansaldo Energia Spa, Babcock International Group Plc, Bechtel Corp., EDF Energy Ltd., ENRESA, GD Energy Services Ltd., GE Hitachi Energy, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Jadrova a vyradovacia spolocnost AS, James Fisher and Sons Plc, Nuvia Inc., Orano SA, SNC Lavalin Group Inc., Studsvik AB, Veolia Environment SA, and Westinghouse Electric Co. LLC Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table of Content:

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market Overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Country Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Application



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Type



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 08: Parent market



Exhibit 09: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 10: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 11: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 12: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 13: Data Table on Regional - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 14: Chart on Europe : Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 15: Data Table on Regional - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 16: Five forces analysis - Comparison between2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 17: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 18: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 19: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 20: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 21: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 22: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by Application

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 23: Chart on Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 24: Data Table on Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Application

Exhibit 25: Chart on Comparison by Application



Exhibit 26: Data Table on Comparison by Application

5.3 Research reactors - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 27: Chart on Research reactors - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 28: Data Table on Research reactors - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 29: Chart on Research reactors - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 30: Data Table on Research reactors - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Power reactors - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 31: Chart on Power reactors - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 32: Data Table on Power reactors - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 33: Chart on Power reactors - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 34: Data Table on Power reactors - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Market opportunity by Application

Exhibit 35: Market opportunity by Application ($ million)

6 Market Segmentation by Type

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 36: Chart on Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Type

Exhibit 38: Chart on Comparison by Type



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Comparison by Type

6.3 PWR - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 40: Chart on PWR - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 41: Data Table on PWR - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 42: Chart on PWR - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on PWR - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.4 BWR - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 44: Chart on BWR - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 45: Data Table on BWR - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 46: Chart on BWR - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 47: Data Table on BWR - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.5 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 48: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 49: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 50: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 51: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.6 Market opportunity by Type

Exhibit 52: Market opportunity by Type ($ million)

7 Customer Landscape

7.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 53: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.2 Market challenges

8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 54: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

8.4 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

9.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 55: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 56: Overview on factors of disruption

9.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 57: Impact of key risks on business

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 58: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 59: Matrix on vendor position and classification

10.3 AECOM

Exhibit 60: AECOM - Overview



Exhibit 61: AECOM - Business segments



Exhibit 62: AECOM - Key offerings



Exhibit 63: AECOM - Segment focus

10.4 Ansaldo Energia Spa

Exhibit 64: Ansaldo Energia Spa - Overview



Exhibit 65: Ansaldo Energia Spa - Business segments



Exhibit 66: Ansaldo Energia Spa - Key news



Exhibit 67: Ansaldo Energia Spa - Key offerings



Exhibit 68: Ansaldo Energia Spa - Segment focus

10.5 Babcock International Group Plc

Exhibit 69: Babcock International Group Plc - Overview



Exhibit 70: Babcock International Group Plc - Business segments



Exhibit 71: Babcock International Group Plc - Key offerings



Exhibit 72: Babcock International Group Plc - Segment focus

10.6 Bechtel Corp.

Exhibit 73: Bechtel Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 74: Bechtel Corp. - Product / Service



Exhibit 75: Bechtel Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 76: Bechtel Corp. - Key offerings

10.7 EDF Energy Ltd.

Exhibit 77: EDF Energy Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 78: EDF Energy Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 79: EDF Energy Ltd. - Key offerings

10.8 ENRESA

Exhibit 80: ENRESA - Overview



Exhibit 81: ENRESA - Product / Service



Exhibit 82: ENRESA - Key offerings

10.9 GE Hitachi Energy

Exhibit 83: GE Hitachi Energy - Overview



Exhibit 84: GE Hitachi Energy - Product / Service



Exhibit 85: GE Hitachi Energy - Key offerings

10.10 Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.

Exhibit 86: Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 87: Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 88: Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 89: Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. - Segment focus

10.11 Studsvik AB

Exhibit 90: Studsvik AB - Overview



Exhibit 91: Studsvik AB - Product / Service



Exhibit 92: Studsvik AB - Key offerings

10.12 Westinghouse Electric Co. LLC

Exhibit 93: Westinghouse Electric Co. LLC - Overview



Exhibit 94: Westinghouse Electric Co. LLC - Key offerings

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 95: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 96: Exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 97: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 98: Research methodology



Exhibit 99: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 100: Information sources

11.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 101: List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact Us:

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SOURCE Technavio
Clinical program broadens access to ketamine-assisted therapy for an underserved population

VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Numinus Wellness Inc. ("Numinus" or the "Company") (TSX: NUMI) (OTCQX: NUMIF), a mental health care company advancing innovative treatments and safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies, today announced the launch of its Ketamine for Chronic and Serious Medical Illness Program. This new program will be introduced first in Numinus' clinics in Utah, British Columbia and Quebec. The Company intends to expand the program to other clinics in later months.

"Chronic and serious medical illness encompasses a wide range of diagnoses, from terminal cancer to chronic pain. In the US alone, six million people could benefit from palliative care, but current treatments have gaps that leave patients struggling to cope with distress," said Dr. Neil Barclay (MD), VP, Product and Protocol Development, Numinus. "Numinus' program addresses this gap by providing safe, evidence-based ketamine-assisted therapy that is specifically designed for this patient population and serves as an adjunct to patients' existing treatment."

Numinus' program will offer ketamine-assisted therapy alongside additional community support, and has a targeted focus on improving patients' physical, emotional, mental and spiritual suffering caused by their illness. Care will be provided by health care professionals who are specifically trained in chronic and serious medical illness. They will work with each patient's existing health care team to ensure they receive an integrated experience.

"Many patients develop adjustment disorders, including depression and anxiety, as they go through the various stages of chronic and serious medical illness," said Dr. Paul Thielking (MD), Chief Science Officer, Numinus. "Ketamine-assisted therapy has significant evidence showing efficacy in addressing these symptoms, and Numinus recognizes the opportunity to alleviate suffering while expanding our model of accessible care to more populations."

To raise further awareness of the positive impact of psychedelic-assisted therapy for those facing palliative and serious illness, Numinus is presenting the Salt Lake City premiere of Dosed 2: Trip of a Lifetime on November 8, 2022 -- a documentary following the journey of a patient undergoing psychedelic-assisted therapy to treat end-of-life distress.

Additionally, since Numinus' acquisition of Novamind earlier in 2022, integration has continued as planned, including the latest consolidation of the Murray and Salt Lake City clinics to streamline clinic operations and enhance the patient experience. By combining two nearby locations, Numinus expects to provide an expanded service offering to clients in the region, while also reducing operating costs.

About Numinus

Numinus Wellness (TSX: NUMI) helps people to heal and be well through the development and delivery of innovative mental health care and access to safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies. The Numinus model - including psychedelic production, research and clinic care - is at the forefront of a transformation aimed at healing rather than managing symptoms for depression, anxiety, trauma, pain and substance use. At Numinus, we are leading the integration of psychedelic-assisted therapies into mainstream clinical practice and building the foundation for a healthier society.

Learn more at numinus.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Disclaimer

Neither Numinus Wellness Inc., nor any of its subsidiaries is a professional corporation licensed to practice health services. In jurisdictions where health services may only be provided by a corporation if that corporation holds a valid permit to do so, Numinus and its subsidiaries operate in a management services function to affiliated professional corporations, who provide health services to patients. Numinus and its subsidiaries do provide health services directly to patients in those jurisdictions where authorized to do so.

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs regarding future performance are "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expects", "does not expect", "is expected", "believes", "intends", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", "believes" or variations of these words, expressions or statements, that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be" taken, will occur or will be realized. Such forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual results, events or developments to differ materially from the results, events or developments expected and expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, dependence on obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals, including the acquisition and renewal of federal, provincial, state, municipal, local or other licenses, and any inability to obtain all necessary government authorizations, licenses and permits to operate and expand the Company's facilities; regulatory or policy changes such as changes in applicable laws and regulations, including federal, state and provincial legalization, due to fluctuations in public opinion, industry perception of integrative mental health, including the use of psychedelic-assisted therapy, delays or inefficiencies or any other reason; any other factor or development likely to hamper the growth of the market; the Company's limited operating and profitability track record; dependence on management; the Company's need for additional financing and the effects of financial market conditions and other factors on the availability of capital; competition, including that of more established and better funded competitors; the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the global economy; the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; and the need to build and maintain alliances and partnerships, including with research and development companies, customers and suppliers. These factors should be carefully considered, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Despite the Company's efforts to identify the main risk factors that could cause actual measures, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, other risk factors may cause measures, events or developments to materially differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to revise forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new facts or any other reason, except as required by applicable laws.

SOURCE Numinus Wellness Inc.
KINGSTON, ON, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - okwrite Technologies Inc., an award-winning content marketing company, announced it is under new ownership. The company is now led by Kingston business mogul Rick Frasso , a momentous shift for the company, which was ranked as the #1 Content Marketing company in Canada in 2021 (under Clutch) and a Top 20 company globally. In line with the announcement, the company has also released a brand refresh, which includes a refreshed logo and website.

Frasso has decades of experience as an entrepreneur, running successful Kingston businesses like Response IT and Website Design Kingston. Frasso's impact includes the promotion of Camille Croteau, Ph.D. (Kinesiology, Western University), to Chief Operating Officer. Croteau, who has over five years of editing, marketing, and writing experience, is a member of Editors Canada , ACES , and academic associations.

"Camille is the right choice to lead okwrite down the path we have been heading," says Rick Frasso. "We look forward to her leadership and dedication to our clients, employees, and the community."

"I am very excited to take on this new role at okwrite," said Croteau. "I love working for okwrite because we pride ourselves on producing high-quality content at affordable prices. We already have a great business model and a team of talented, hard-working individuals. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do."

In addition to Croteau's new role, Poet Erin Foley will assume the role of Editor in Chief, and staff writer Amy White will also assume the role of Head of Growth.

okwrite is a Canadian content marketing company that provides written content, including blogs, web copy, and newsletters, and Content Marketing Managed ServicesTM, a product that streamlines blog creation by offering strategy, client support, and blog posting. As part of this new ownership, the company expects natural changes to the pricing model and increases in production quality.

About okwrite

okwrite is a leader in content marketing services. okwrite offers the best digital experience on your website and emails while growing your digital and email marketing campaigns. With a team of full-time and contract writers, copy-editors, content strategists, delivery experts, and marketing gurus, all based in Canada, the US, and the UK. The company also offers partner services, including digital marketing services.

SOURCE okwrite
PEORIA, Ill., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OSF HealthCare and Bradley University are have created a new Innovation for Health (IFH) partnership aimed at generating scholarly research that can translate into practical solutions to improve individual and community health.

Designed to create a robust, collaborative research community, the new agreement is between employees at two of Peoria's largest and most impactful nonprofit institutions: Bradley University and OSF HealthCare. Significantly, Bradley will be the first private university to enter into a formalized research partnership with OSF HealthCare. The two anchor institutions have a shared history within the Peoria community; Lydia Moss Bradley was instrumental to the founding of both organizations.

"We believe expanding academic collaborations can assist OSF HealthCare with breakthrough innovations," CEO Bob Sehring Tweet this

The IFH partnership will connect faculty scholars from Bradley's five colleges with clinical researchers through OSF Innovation Labs and other OSF HealthCare providers to address health care challenges within and beyond the greater Peoria area. OSF Innovation is an arm of OSF HealthCare, comprised of designers, engineers, data scientists, performance improvement specialists and other experts who work tirelessly to find the best ideas that will bring the greatest value to patients and communities.

The formalized relationship will leverage Bradley's expertise in the health and natural sciences. It will also create opportunities for Bradley University faculty in business, engineering, education, computer science, interactive media, communications, the humanities, the social sciences, and other areas to contribute to solutions-based research focused on the social determinants of health (factors influencing health outside of a medical setting), health literacy, rural health, and dimensions of cancer treatment and prevention.

Financial support

The OSF-Bradley agreement represents a $5 million dollar commitment over five years. The partnership commits each entity to contribute $500,000 each year to provide annual funding opportunities in the fall and spring for innovative, interdisciplinary projects addressing important health care challenges. The first request for proposals with awards up to $50,000 will be announced soon.

"We believe expanding academic collaborations can assist OSF HealthCare with breakthrough innovations, including new medical devices, digital solutions, improved work processes and new service models," said CEO of OSF HealthCare Bob Sehring. "Bradley University is a natural partner because of its proximity to our headquarters, but more importantly, because we can tap into the expertise and ideas incubated and accelerated through Bradley's Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation as well as the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center , also housed at the university."

"For OSF HealthCare, the expanded partnership will support the needs of researchers, medical educators, clinicians and most importantly, patients," added John Vozenilek, MD, vice president and chief medical officer, OSF Innovation and Digital Health. "We'll now have additional resources and a formal process to focus strategically on ideas and novel approaches to significantly impact medical education and simulation, prevention and treatment. Additionally, we're excited about the prospects of developing digital health solutions and novel approaches to improve access to quality patient care and to reduce health care costs, which is vitally important, particularly for our most vulnerable populations."

The newly signed agreement comes as Bradley University celebrates 125 years of giving students practical skills to contribute to the modern world as founder Lydia Moss Bradley desired. Given Bradley's strong commitment to experiential learning, the partnership will also allow faculty to engage their talented students in impactful applied research. Conceivably, students could participate in projects that encompass a variety of disciplines, such as nursing, data security, game design and development, health literacy, psychology, social work and biomedical engineering.

Bradley University President Stephen Standifird, PhD, said expanded collaboration supports the Bradley mission and strategic plan. It also should improve the pipeline and recruitment of future employees for both institutions.

"We want to foster innovation and creativity through collaboration and build powerful alliances that can help each organization," said Standifird. "Bradley's faculty represent curious, industrious and socially conscious individuals who have an entrepreneurial mind-set. Together, we can explore solutions to some pressing needs in health care. In addition, our strategic plan embraces the contributions of each of our colleges and units. They can facilitate learning experiences for our students that will benefit the broader Bradley community while advancing thought-provoking, practical, and interdisciplinary scholarship."

Blazing a Trail

A Trailblazer Challenge will be the first effort under the Innovation for Health or "IFH" umbrella, crowdsourcing ideas for later development, while serving as a catalyst for building a connection between Bradley faculty, OSF clinicians and members of the innovation team.

Christopher Jones, PhD, vice president for strategy and innovation at Bradley University, said faculty are poised to make significant contribution to solutions that'll make a difference, not only for health care in Peoria, but for health systems throughout the country and beyond.

"Peoria has been at the epicenter of some amazing developments such as mass production of life-saving penicillin ," said Jones. "This collaborative work could also serve as an economic engine, potentially generating intellectual property the two institutions can share, as well as new opportunities that align with the goals of Peoria BioMade , Distillery Labs , Peoria Next and other entities advancing discovery, innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth in the region."

The agreement provides opportunities for Bradley alumni and other community stakeholders to contribute financially or offer their talents for research, pilots and prototypes that ultimately could attract additional resources through local, state and federal grant dollars.

As a testimony of their visionary philanthropy and as a reflection of their ongoing commitment to innovative health care, Kevin and Lisa Schoeplein and OSF HealthCare Foundation have worked together to create the Kevin and Lisa Schoeplein Innovation Endowment. This will help fund collaborative work with Bradley University, including the best projects emerging from Trailblazer Challenges.

Bradley University affiliate faculty member and director of the OSF Innovation Design Lab, Scott Barrows, is excited about having a reliable source of funding to spur ongoing collaborative research.

"We have seen the importance of health literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to expand options to reach those who can be easily influenced by disinformation and misinformation," stressed Barrows. "This agreement will accelerate and expand our capabilities to advance community health education, and to develop and test solutions that improve health outcomes in Greater Peoria and Central Illinois."

The Innovation for Health partnership is built upon successful models. Since 2014, OSF has partnered with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria (UICOMP) to fund 124 research projects with grants totaling $8.3 million. Those Jump ARCHES efforts are aimed at improving patient outcomes and reducing health care costs. In 2021, OSF formalized a research partnership and made a significant financial commitment with the University of Illinois Chicago through the Community Health Advocacy (CHA) grant program to address health and wellness challenges in urban communities.

More assets such as photos, video/audio clips connected with this news release are available on the OSF Newsroom.

OSF HealthCare is an integrated health system owned and operated by The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, headquartered in Peoria, Illinois. OSF HealthCare employs nearly 24,000 Mission Partners in 150 locations, including 15 hospitals  10 acute care, five critical access  with 2,089 licensed beds, and two colleges of nursing throughout Illinois and Michigan. The OSF HealthCare physician network employs more than 1,500 primary care, specialist and advanced practice providers. OSF HealthCare, through OSF Home Care Services, operates an extensive network of home health and hospice services. It also owns Pointcore, Inc., comprised of health care-related businesses; OSF HealthCare Foundation, the philanthropic arm for the organization; and OSF Ventures, which provides investment capital for promising health care innovation startups. More at osfhealthcare.org.

OSF Innovation was launched in 2016 and includes a multidisciplinary team that inspires, mentors and partners to transform care for patients and providers. With expertise in everything from ideation to commercialization, the division designs agile solutions, connecting everyday needs with inventive approaches and bold advances. More at osfinnovation.org.

Bradley University is a top-ranked, private university in Peoria, Illinois, offering nearly 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students opportunities, choices, and resources to build their futures. Innovation, action, and collaboration drive Bradley students to generate ideas and create solutions that remake the world around them. Bradley's comprehensive array of undergraduate and graduate academic programs includes business, communications, education, engineering, fine arts, health sciences, liberal arts and sciences, and technology. More at BradleyU.

Contacts:

Colleen Reynolds | Media Relations Coordinator, OSF HealthCare | cell: (309) 825-7255

Teri Thompson | Interim Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Bradley University | cell: (765) 414-7242

SOURCE OSF HealthCare
OXE Marine AB (publ)

Interim Report

Third Quarter 2022

HELSINGBORG, Sweden, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Results presented in the interim report are consolidated from 16 February 2022 to 30 September 2022 following the completion of the acquisition of Diesel Outboards and Outdoor Network Manufacturing on 16 February 2022. Consolidated results include legal entities; OXE Marine AB (Sweden), OXE Marine INC (US) and OXE Marine Manufacturing INC (US). Furthermore, consolidated results do not have comparative figures as it is the first year of preparing consolidated financials. Where illustrated in the text, graphs and tables, prior year figures relate to OXE Marine AB only.

Third Quarter 2022

Consolidated Net turnover amounted to SEK 39.1 m .

. Consolidated Gross Profit amounted to SEK 10.1 m with a gross margin of 26%.

with a gross margin of 26%. Consolidated EBITDA amounted to SEK -10.7 m .

. The consolidated result for the quarter amounted to SEK -20.1 m .

. Consolidated EPS and Diluted EPS amounted to SEK -0.08 .

January - September 2022

Consolidated Net turnover amounted to SEK 116.3 m .

. Consolidated Gross Profit amounted to SEK 28.7 m with a gross margin of 25%.

with a gross margin of 25%. Consolidated EBITDA amounted to SEK -37.1 m .

. The consolidated result for the period amounted to SEK -64.2 m .

. Consolidated EPS and Diluted EPS amounted to SEK -0.25 .

Significant events during the Third quarter

There were no significant events during the reporting period.

Significant events after the reporting period

OXE Marine AB (publ) conducted tests of the OXE300 on a popular recreational boat, shows that the gasoline alternative consumes 50 percent more fuel.

A word from the CEO

Q3 2022 was a true 'roller coaster'. Year to date our sales have increased 100% relative to 2021 with Q3 2022 sales increasing by 49% relative to Q3 2021. In addition, we set a new record for P&A sales as well as improving the gross margins from last quarter.

July and August were very slow months, impacted by both summer vacations and disturbances in the supply chain hampering our performance. Towards the end of August and through September the intensity in the business increased. And then, the quarter finally ended with Hurricane Ian in USA impacting our team in Florida, our customers, and our ability to strike a fine balance between the supply and demand. At the end of the day  what matters is that all our colleagues, customers and friends in the business are all safe, and our thoughts are with the ones who were not that lucky. We're now back to 'business as usual' in Q4.

During the quarter we saw a continued trend of an increase in the number of buying customers. We had more than 15 different buying customers, some new and the majority repeat customers. We are seeing customers who have run well over 1000 hours who have also ordered their second generation of engines for the same application. Compared to a year ago this is a significant improvement and very positive as we are starting to see a meaningful step by step increase in the population of engines in many different applications, with many different customers, from commercial work boats, tourism, fish farming, taxi boats and governmental users; and in many different locations around the world. We appreciate this belief in us and our disruptive products and our highest priority is ensuring our users receive the service and support they need where we have extensive plans to continue to develop the lifecycle support concepts. No doubt - the OXE engines continue to have a positive impact on the marine environment.

Each new application gives us valuable insights into the performance of the engines, and valuable feedback for future product development. Since the beginning of the year, we have been developing our routes to market  working with distributors, dealers, OEM and boatbuilders as well as fleet customers and governmental bodies. This enables us to sharpen our offering and provide the right level of support and service to the end user.

The work we have carried out on the supply chain, investments in tooling and selecting and setting up strategic partners has enabled us to grow to date in a steady manner. We do however see a need to increase the supply chain capacity and capabilities further to keep up with the growing demand for the OXE engines.

Playing in the arena of "transition technology" we already today probably deliver the world's most environmentally friendly high-performance outboard engine. During the quarter this was further proven in performance tests where we had a leisure application which normally runs with twin gasoline 300HP. We ran extensive tests with twin OXE300's and under the same conditions performed not only with higher top speed and cruising speed, but also significantly reduced fuel consumption, as the gasoline outboards consume more than 50% fuel, limiting the range and costing the end user more money. Running OXE300's on this application would save the user approximately SEK 1,000 per hour. There are several other reference applications that indicate that running an OXE instead of gasoline equivalent outboards would more half the fuel consumption.

Apart from the fuel savings, we also ran this application exclusively on fossil free HVO100 which translated into reduced net CO 2 emissions of 92%. We therefore believe the OXE is the best solution on the market today for the environmentally conscious user who also has high demands on performance, fuel savings, range and reliability. And we know this is only the beginning.

Our consolidated sales amounted to SEK 39 m, an increase of 49% relative to Q3 2021. Year to date sales amounted to SEK 116m, an increase of 100% relative to 2021 Q3 YTD. We have sold more in the first three quarters this year than we did the entire 2021. With this comes very low accounts receivable considering the volume growth, a sign of the collaboration we are developing with our customers. We also saw a healthy improvement in gross margin to 26% compared to the previous quarter.

The Parts & Accessories segment of our business continues to grow with SEK 9.5 m sales, a 90% growth relative to Q3 2021. In addition, this quarter saw the first delivery of our trademarked containerized life cycle support concept, "C-CRES" to a US governmental organization.

We have focused very hard on keeping our cost base low, improving processes, productivity, and teamwork and this now starts to yield results. The Swedish headcount has reduced by over 30% since Q1 2021 while over the same period our sales have grown 25% consistently quarter on quarter. This demonstrates the transformation happening in the organization, where the 30 colleagues today working in Sweden and 18 in the US are in sync and aligned in building the OXE of the future. Adding to this, we see a great interest in joining our team where we in a responsible way will continue to add new members to the team adding new capabilities and competencies.

Anders Berg, CEO

This disclosure contains information that OXE Marine AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation (EU nr 596/2014). The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person, on 28-10-2022 07:00 CET.

CONTACT:

Certified Adviser

FNCA Sweden AB is Certified Adviser for OXE Marine AB (publ). Contact details to FNCA Sweden AB: tel. +46 8 528 00 399, e-mail [email protected].

For further information, please contact:

Anders Berg,

CEO,

[email protected],

+46 70 358 91 55

Jonas Wikstrom,

Chair of the board,

[email protected],

+46 70 753 65 66

OXE Marine AB (publ) (NASDAQ STO: OXE) has, after several years of development, constructed the OXE Diesel, the world's first diesel outboard engine in the high-power segment. The Company's unique patented engine-to-propulsion power transmission solutions have led to high demand for the Company's engines worldwide.

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/16067/3654290/1644883.pdf OXE Marine AB - Q3 2022 INTERIM REPORT https://news.cision.com/oxe-marine-ab/i/q3-2022-interim-report,c3105313 Q3 2022 INTERIM REPORT

SOURCE OXE Marine AB
NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD).

To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:

https://claimyourloss.com/securities/rite-aid-corporation-loss-submission-form/?id=33092&from=4

The lawsuit seeks to recover losses for shareholders who purchased Rite Aid between April 14, 2022 and September 28, 2022.

Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until December 19, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.

According to a filed complaint, Rite Aid Corporation issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) despite representations to the contrary, the number of new members that the Elixir pharmacy benefit management 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 Elixir's pharmacy benefit management services business; and (iii) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

JAKUBOWITZ LAW

1140 Avenue of the Americas

9th Floor

New York, New York 10036

T: (212) 867-4490

F: (212) 537-5887

SOURCE Jakubowitz Law
BELOIT, Wis., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Louis Pinkham, Chief Executive Officer of Regal Rexnord Corporation (NYSE: RRX), announced that the Board of Directors, at its regular quarterly meeting held on October 28, 2022, declared a dividend of $0.35 per share. The dividend is payable on January 13, 2023, to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 30, 2022. The company has paid a dividend every quarter since January 1961.

Regal Rexnord Corporation is a global leader in the engineering and manufacturing of industrial powertrain solutions, power transmission components, electric motors and electronic controls, air moving products, and specialty electronics, serving customers throughout the world. Through longstanding technology leadership and an intentional focus on producing the most energy-efficient products and systems, Regal Rexnord helps create a better tomorrow  for its customers and for the planet.

Regal Rexnord is comprised of four operating segments: Motion Control Solutions, Climate Solutions, Commercial Systems and Industrial Systems. Regal Rexnord is headquartered in Beloit, Wisconsin and has manufacturing, sales, and service facilities worldwide. For more information, visit RegalRexnord.com .

SOURCE Regal Rexnord Corporation
CHICAGO, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RF signal chain components market size is projected to grow from USD 39.0 billion in 2022 to USD 72.9 billion by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.3% from 2022 to 2027 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The key factors contributing to the growth RF signal chain components market growing investments in 5G infrastructure, increasing demand of RF components from defense sector and rising demand for smartphones. However, high cost of GaN-based RF devices is hindering the growth of RF signal chain components market. Increasing number of trade legalizations due to geopolitical factors possesses a huge challenge to the industry. However, growing focus on RF equipment from automotive sector and increase in number of space programs worldwide is the biggest opportunity in the market space during the forecast period.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=234495624

Browse in-depth TOC on "RF Signal Chain Components Market"

164  Tables

59  Figures

262  Pages

Increased demand for consumer electronics to drive market growth

Increasing demand for low-noise amplifiers from the smartphone industry, the rising adoption of long-term evolution (LTE) technology, the surging adoption of E band to meet the increasing bandwidth requirements of the space, defense, and wireless communication infrastructure sectors, and the growing defense expenditure of different countries globally are the factors leading to the increased adoption of low-noise amplifiers in the RF signal chain components market. Low-noise amplifiers are used in smartphones to improve the reception of weak signals and enhance smartphone data transfer rates. To enhance the mobile broadband experience for customers, telecom operators are continuously developing their 4G networks by deploying LTE-advanced technologies. Additionally, low-noise amplifiers are used as an important block in designing receivers for LTE networks.

K band use by meteorologists, police, and law enforcement agencies to boost market growth

K band frequencies range from 18 to 27 GHz with wavelengths from 1.11 to 1.67 cm. Meteorologists mainly use this band to gather cloud and weather-related information, while the police and law enforcement agencies measure the speed of automobiles. Several non-law enforcement radar sources operate in this frequency range, including automatic door openers and some blind-spot monitoring systems installed on vehicles. This has given the K band a reputation for a high percentage of false alerts, leading to recommendations for disabling it entirely to reduce false alerts.

High input power survivability eliminates requirement for power limiters

Gallium nitride (GaN) is an emerging alternative for pure silicon in the field of semiconductors and electronics due to its high brightness emissions and intensities in opto-semiconductors, high power efficiency, superior high-frequency handling capacity, and flexibility to be used along with various substrates such as silicon, sapphire, and silicon carbide (SiC). Gallium nitride is a very hard and mechanically stable semiconductor material with a wide bandgap, high heat capacity, and thermal conductivity. In September 2019, Qorvo, Inc. announced that Lockheed Martin had selected one of its gallium nitride power amplifiers to manufacture the Q-53 radar system of the US Army.

Rise in demand for carrier frequencies to provide high-quality telecom infrastructure

Increased data consumption with advancements in portable electronic technology in the form of voice and data, as well as streaming, uploading, and downloading of videos, have been witnessed. As a result, there is a rise in demand for carrier frequencies to provide high-quality wireless communication infrastructure. These carrier frequencies are expected to provide large bandwidth and micro or pico-cellular networking structure. RF signal chain components such as switches are vital in addressing these challenging requirements. Furthermore, increased data requirements challenge the capacity of backhauls. The deployment and adoption of 5G infrastructure are expected to lead carrier frequency operators to resort to microwave backhauls. RF power amplifiers are used to cater to the requirements of microwave backhauls. Power amplifiers also play a vital role in the radio front end due to their increased impact on a systems power consumption and linearity. As a result, the demand for RF power amplifiers is expected to increase in the future with the expansion of wireless infrastructure across the world.

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Asia Pacific to hold largest market share during the forecast period

Asia Pacific is a major producer of consumer electronics such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, televisions, etc. Asian countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, and India are also witnessing the commercial deployment of the 5G network. Samsung, Huawei, Vivo, Honor, OPPO, Xiaomi, and OnePlus are among the leading providers of 5G-enabled smartphones in the region. The rising demand for these smartphones is expected to fuel the demand for RF signal chain components market during the forecast period.

The key players operating in the RF signal chain components market are Qorvo, Inc. (US), Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Japan), Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (US), Broadcom (US), Analog Devices, Inc. (US). The players in this market have adopted various strategies to expand their global presence and increase their market shares.

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RF Semiconductor Market by Device (Filter, Power Amplifier, Switch, Low Noise Amplifier), Frequency Band, Material (GaAs, GaN, Si) Application (Consumer Devices, Automotive, Telecommunication, Aerospace & Defense), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
BANGALORE, India, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RISE , one the top upcoming EduTech players in India, hosted the largest cybersecurity hackathon in India, with over 22,000 participants, in collaboration with ThriveDX, the leading global cybersecurity education powerhouse. The winners got jobs at top companies and all gained cybersecurity skill sets necessary for the future four million open positions in cybersecurity.

Get Set Hack by RISE - Finale

Cybersecurity skills are crucial for all organizations, and lacking talent to fill those positions leaves organizations vulnerable. Students in India, spanning from rural areas to big cities, participated in RISE's hackathon challenge that lasted two months. The majority of the students had no previous cybersecurity experience, and after taking a few courses in the renowned ThriveDX bootcamp, they were able to learn critical skills and participate in the hackathon.

The hackathon had over 22,000 participants, of whom 29% were women. Almost all of the students came from smaller cities and universities, proving that cybersecurity is one of the best technical fields for anyone and everyone without any experience in a technical field. All tiers of universities participated in the hackathon and some of the winners even came from lesser-known universities, demonstrating that grit and dedication can lead to winning solutions  regardless of the university.

Vaibhavi Paliya from Lucknow, the 4th rank holder in the hackathon said, "I learned a lot of great things as a beginner. Things like what we need to learn about cybersecurity, cryptographic functions, how to secure our files, little tasks of forensics like file forensics or data forensics. It was really fun for me and the incentives offered by RISE and ThriveDX were really great."

"There are 4 million unfilled cyber jobs needing to be filled. With a mission to make cybersecurity education and careers more accessible, ThriveDX's Cybersecurity Bootcamps reskill individuals seeking careers in cybersecurity with the tools and know-how to land an entry-level job. It was so rewarding to know that 22,000 students not only participated, but winners received job offers from top companies in India," said Roy Zur, CEO of ThriveDX Enterprise Division.

"Cybersecurity as a career has immense potential not only in India but globally, and RISE wanted to drive enhanced awareness about and around this amongst the young tech talent in the country," said Gaurav Bhatia, CEO of RISE. "The hackathon was an endeavor towards that direction. It was heartwarming to see that a lot of young talent came from Tier 2 cities and there was good participation by women and men alike. This is important in cybersecurity as a paucity of female talent comprises only 25% of the global cybersecurity workforce."

This hackathon also had 10 hiring partners, offered 25 internships and 25 full time job opportunities for the winners, as well as various scholarships for those participating.

"One of our favorite parts was that 29% of all the participants identified as female in the hackathon. The gender disparity in tech in India is very stark. When we look at Cybersecurity, the difference is bigger with only 21% of Cybersecurity professionals in India being women. Having identified this gap at RISE, we want to promote women in tech through special scholarships for women and offer them opportunities to succeed," said Khyaati Jain, V.P Operations & Strategy, RISE.

To share insights on navigating a career in the tech industry, the latest cybersecurity trends, and how digital transformation is influencing how organizations address cyber risk, ThriveDX will be hosting a free virtual on Nov. 2-3, 2022. ThriveDX will welcome the world's top industry leaders, talent experts and professionals from companies like Google, Microsoft, HubSpot, CompTIA, Amazon and other industry leaders. They'll share insights on navigating a career in the tech industry, the latest cybersecurity trends, cybersecurity healthcare use cases, developer use cases and ethical hackers' practical experiences. Register for free at https://thrivedx.vfairs.com/ . All sessions will be recorded and available to Summit attendees following the live broadcast. For more information and about the general services offered by RISE and ThriveDX, visit https://risewpu.com and https://thrivedx.com .

About RISE

Founded in April 2021, RISE has been set up with a mission to encourage and empower students across cities, strata, and societies to be socially and culturally aware leaders of the world.

They help students to transform & succeed in the fields of technology, data science, analytics, artificial intelligence, public policy, cybersecurity, finance & accounting, fintech, global business administration, marketing research, and more.

RISE also works with Universities and other higher education institutions by providing full stack services which enable them to go digital and increase their reach across geographies.

Besides, and more significantly, RISE also provides scholarships for women in tech and discounted courses for the underprivileged. Each course is affordable and, crucially, is curated and taught by industry experts, thus increasing the chances of employability.

Based out of Pune, with offices in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, and boasting an 80-member strong team, RISE is targeting a fourfold growth both in the number of courses and students in the coming financial year.

About ThriveDX

ThriveDX is the #1 global leader in cybersecurity education, and an expert in providing cybersecurity training to upskill and reskill lifelong learners. Our teams are made up of military trained cyber experts, industry veterans and seasoned educators united to close the worldwide skills and talent gap in cybersecurity. Operating in two divisions  education and enterprise  ThriveDX's award-winning solutions exist to bridge the skills gap and impact the talent shortage in the cybersecurity and overall tech industry.

The Education sector partners with top-tier academic institutions, enterprises, and government branches globally to offer advanced, professional development programs in cybersecurity and digital technology. The Enterprise branch (formulated by companies formerly known as Cybint Solutions, Kontra Application Security, Lucy Security, ThriveDX Labs, and HackerU Pro), is a suite of products and services that cater to non-technical employees, developers, IT professionals and anyone in between. For more information, visit https://thrivedx.com/ .

SOURCE ThriveDX
NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) between April 14, 2022 and September 28, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than December 19, 2022.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Rite Aid securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Rite Aid class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=9388 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than December 19, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) despite representations to the contrary, the number of new members (i.e., "lives") that Elixir's (a subsidiary of the Company) pharmacy benefit management ("PBM") services business was adding during the selling season ending on January 1, 2023 was in material decline; (2) 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 Elixir's PBM services business; and (3) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Rite Aid class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=9388 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.rosenlegal.com

SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
Latest team to join from Merrill opens East Coast office for California-based partner.

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanctuary Wealth, home to the next generation of elite advisors, announces the opening of an East Coast office by Quorum Private Wealth, a Sanctuary partner firm with more than $1 billion AUM headquartered in Danville, CA, and led by Managing Partners Mike Barry and Kelly Milligan. Heading up the New York City metro office will be Dylan O'Shea, CFP, an 11-year Merrill Lynch veteran.

"We help our partners grow in the way that best suits their business needs, both organically and inorganically through tuck-ins and mergers and acquisitions," said Jim Dickson, CEO and Founder of Sanctuary Wealth. "Dylan O'Shea is a perfect match for Quorum Private Wealth."

"Becoming Sanctuary Wealth partners early last year was the best move we could have made for our team and our clients," explained Managing Partner Kelly Milligan, CPFA, CPWA, C(k)P, CRPC, Quorum Private Wealth. "The support and resources available to us at Sanctuary have allowed us to grow even faster than anticipated. We have a significant client base on the East Coast and are excited to welcome Dylan O'Shea as a partner with boots on the ground in the New York City Metro area."

Dylan O'Shea joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2011, and during his tenure there he rose to the position of Wealth Management Advisor, First Vice President. Prior to that, he earned an undergraduate degree at Loyola University Maryland and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University while teaching full-time in Baltimore City Public Schools. Dylan was awarded the Certified Financial Planner designation (CFP) by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards in 2016 and the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor designation from the NAPA National Association of Plan Advisors. In 2022, he obtained the Chartered SRI CounselorSM designation (CSRIC).

Joining O'Shea at Quorum Private Wealth East will be Wealth Associate Sunny Springer. She is a service-oriented financial professional with experience helping individuals and small companies with a wide range of financial needs, who most recently was a financial advisor with Certified Financial Services in Paramus, NJ.

"I looked at all the options available to me as an advisor looking to grow beyond what was available in the wirehouse environment. With Quorum Private Wealth and Sanctuary Wealth, I'll be able to do so much more for my clients," said Dylan O'Shea, Partner at Quorum Private Wealth. "I reported to Paul Sullivan when I was at Merrill, who now runs the East Coast for Sanctuary out of their New York office, and Kelly Milligan was an extremely well-respected financial advisor and chair of Merrill's Advisor Council to Management. I'm honored to work with them and the rest of the incredible teams at both Quorum and Sanctuary."

"Quorum Private Wealth has a dynamic and growing business. They are truly best in class. Dylan will benefit from their credentials, experience, and infrastructure," said Vince Fertitta, President, Wealth Management at Sanctuary Wealth. "Dylan has built a highly successful practice of his own serving a similar clientele. Together they can continue to grow their cross-country business backed up by the technology, investment insights, solutions, and professional support available to them as a Sanctuary Wealth partner firm."

For more information about Quorum Private Wealth, please visit: www.quorumpw.com.

About Sanctuary Wealth

Sanctuary Wealth (sanctuarywealth.com) is the advanced platform for the next generation of elite advisors, who have the entrepreneurial spirit to build and own their own practices and desire the freedom to deliver the tailored service their clients deserve. Sanctuary Wealth's ecosystem of partnered independence provides a complete technology and operations platform, as well as support from a community of like-minded advisors and the resources of invaluable affiliated businesses. Currently, the Sanctuary Wealth network includes partner firms in 27 states across the country with approximately $25 billion in assets under advisement. Sanctuary Wealth includes the fully owned subsidiaries; Sanctuary Advisors LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser, Sanctuary Securities, Inc. a FINRA member broker-dealer as well as Sanctuary Alternative Holdings, Sanctuary Asset Management, Sanctuary Insurance Solutions, Sanctuary Global, and Sanctuary Global Family Office.

CONTACT: Michaela Morales

JConnelly

973 224 7152

[email protected]

SOURCE Sanctuary Wealth
Attorney Timothy S. Hart gives tips on how to forestall lawsuits on tax collections.

ALBANY, N.Y., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tax collectors are known to be extremely aggressive in pursuing individuals they believe have erred on their tax liabilities. While you may want to handle the case alone, you may find yourself quickly getting in over your head -- even if you're completely on the right side of the law. You have a fighting chance with an Albany IRS tax collection attorney who has been at it for a while and is clever with negotiations.

Going Around Tax Collection Lawsuits

Timothy S. Hart Law Group

Debt collection lawsuits are severe, with some creditors using devious means to achieve a potentially higher settlement. Regardless of a creditor's end goal, the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was enacted to protect debtors. Unfortunately, not many people know of this law, which is why private and public creditors often employ devious means to get their money.

Debt collection cases require creditors to prove that the debtor owes the said amount of money, and that is one of the several pressure points a New York tax attorney can exploit. These pressure points include:

The inability of the creditor to provide credible paperwork confirming a debtor's status

Falsified credit figures and billing histories that do not tally

Creditor not suing for debt collection within the New York statute of limitations

statute of limitations Creditor not proving without reasonable doubt that it has a legal interest in the case

Debtor being a victim of identity theft within the time frame of credit collection

Debt collector has employed any of the forbidden tactics contained in the FDCPA.

Consequences of Ignoring a Lawsuit Collection

Timothy S. Hart, the founder of the Timothy S. Hart Law Group, says, "Innocent debtors who ignore a lawsuit are more at risk than if they had actually shown up with a lawyer. This is because the court will only hear one side of the story." Hart explains that in that situation, the court will most likely rule against the debtor, even if there are loopholes in the collector's lawsuit.

How Soon Can You Be Done with Collection Lawsuits?

The key to lawsuits is the presence of valid evidence and its presentation. Your New York tax attorney can get the case dismissed if evidence invalidates the debt. However, the case can be negotiated out of court if the proof is valid and might attract sanctions beyond repaying the debt.

Timothy S. Hart is the founding attorney and owner of the Timothy S. Hart Law Group. He has helped companies and individuals navigate their tax problems through settlements and out-of-court negotiations. Contact Timothy S. Hart and his team at any of our Albany and New York offices at (518) 213-3445 or (917) 382-5142 to avoid further embarrassing calls from tax collectors.

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE Timothy S. Hart
SOUTH BEND, Ind., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Strawberry Fields REIT, an owner and lessor of skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and long-term acute care hospitals, in the Midwest and Southern U.S., has begun trading on the OTC Markets Group Inc. ("OTCQX") under the symbol "STRW". OTCQX is an operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities.

"My partners and I invested significant time and energy to build our company, starting with the acquisition of 33 properties in Indiana and Illinois from 2005 through 2014. Since 2014, we have since expanding our regional footprint to where we are today with, 74 standalone facilities and four dual-purpose properties," explained Moishe Gubin, Chairman & CEO of Strawberry Fields REIT.

"This is the right time to move to a public platform. Utilizing this platform will allow our company to leverage the benefits of a public market with the ability to easily raise equity and access to corporate bonds," added Gubin. "Our move to the OTCQX will enhance our ability to grow our portfolio and continue to serve the aging U.S. population. This is a passion of mine and my partners, that was key to us building our company."

Strawberry Fields REIT currently owns and leases properties in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

Gubin continued "Despite the current economic environment; with a variety of issues including staffing challenges, rising labor costs, and regulatory challenges, our Operators continue to perform well. This enabled Strawberry Fields REIT to continue its active investing and management approach."

"We have good regional coverage  in a market that we know very well  and good tenants that work very hard. Our public status will help us bolster our plans to continue to grow and invest in properties that serve our oldest populations," concluded Gubin.

Across the Strawberry Fields REIT portfolio, average facility occupancy is 65.1%, as of June 2022. The current payor mix is 73% Medicaid, 13% Medicare, 8% insurance and 6% private. Average facility size is approximately 130 beds.

SOURCE Strawberry Fields REIT LLC
STOCKHOLM, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

Highlights for the third quarter

Continued momentum for the US smokefree business and the strong USD drove sharp increases in Group sales and earnings. Other businesses of the Group faced tough comparisons and some challenging market conditions.

Group sales increased by 21 percent to 5,782 MSEK (4,778). In local currencies, Group sales increased by 5 percent for the third quarter.

Group operating profit increased to 2,400 MSEK (2,075).

Operating profit from product segments increased by 15 percent to 2,412 MSEK (2,099). In local currencies, operating profit from product segments 1) declined by 1 percent for the third quarter.

In local currencies, operating profit grew by 12 percent for the Smokefree product segment. For the Cigars product segment, operating profit declined, impacted by lower volumes. The Lights product segment faced particularly tough conditions and reported a steep decline in operating profit.

Profit after tax increased to 1,778 MSEK (1,540).

Earnings per share increased by 18 percent to 1.17 SEK (0.99).

1) Excludes Other operations and larger one-time items.

For the full report: www.swedishmatch.com/Investors/Financial-reports/Interim-reports/

Swedish Match telephone conference

A telephone conference will be held today, Thursday, October 28 at 2:00 p.m. (CET), (1:00 p.m. UK time). At this time we will review and comment on the results. Participants will include Lars Dahlgren, Anders Larsson, and Johan Leven.

Listen to the telephone conference: www.swedishmatch.com/Investors/Presentations/Webcasts-and-audiocasts/

Telephone conference presentation: www.swedishmatch.com/Investors/Presentations/

Contacts:

Lars Dahlgren, President and Chief Executive Officer

Phone +46 8 658 0441

Anders Larsson, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President Group Finance

Phone +46 10 139 3006

Johan Leven, Vice President Investor Relations

Phone +46 70 207 2116

This information is information that Swedish Match AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 08.15 a.m. CET on October 28, 2022.

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE Swedish Match
CHICAGO, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE: TDS) and United States Cellular Corporation (NYSE: USM) will be webcasting their third quarter operating results conference call on November 4, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. central time.

The companies will release their financial results on November 3, 2022 after market close.

To listen to the webcast, please visit the events & presentations pages of investors.tdsinc.com or investors.uscellular.com. The presentations will be webcast both live and on-demand. It is recommended that you register at least 15 minutes before the beginning of the presentation to register, download and install any necessary multimedia streaming software.

About TDS

Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS), a Fortune 1000 company, provides: wireless; broadband, video and voice; and hosted and managed services to approximately 6 million customer connections nationwide through its businesses, UScellular, TDS Telecom, and OneNeck IT Solutions. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Chicago, TDS employed approximately 8,900 associates as of June 30, 2022.

For more information about TDS and its subsidiaries, visit:

TDS: www.tdsinc.com

UScellular: www.uscellular.com

TDS Telecom: www.tdstelecom.com

OneNeck IT Solutions: www.oneneck.com

SOURCE Telephone and Data Systems
IAWF Public Visibility Initiative for the Plight of Women in Iran Expands with New Billboards in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cutting hair in solidarity, women's rights, women's empowerment, leadership, and togetherness these are a few of the themes and initiatives discussed at the recently sold-out Iranian American Women Foundation (IAWF)'s conference that took place in San Francisco on October 16, 2022, in dedication to Mahsa Amin.

As the largest Iranian women's nonprofit in the United States, IAWF continues to support and honor the brave women who lost their lives in the name of freedom in Iran and continue to risk their lives for women's rights.

"To date, IAWF has taken over three billboards in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington D.C." Tweet this LOS ANGELES Photo credit: Shahab Ettekal WASHINGTON D.C. Photo credit: NSGIran NEW YORK

During the conference, over a hundred women cut their hair as a symbol of solidarity and support for the women of Iran fighting for their basic human rights. This hair was placed in white envelopes and sent to the UN Mission of The Islamic Republic. A video of these moments and photos can be seen HERE.

Cutting of hair is a symbol of protest and mourning in ancient Persian tradition, found in Ferdowsi's ancient book of epic Persian poetry, Shahnameh, one of the world's longest epic poems written between c. 977 and 1010 CE.

Dr. Nina Ansary, IranianAmerican historian, author, and human rights activist, was the keynote speaker, and focused on the current uprising in Iran at the Women's Leadership Conference held in San Francisco. The entire day was focused on women's rights, women's empowerment, and women's financial independence. Mahsa Hakimi, Founder of Hakimi Law, San Francisco Art Commissioner and San Francisco Planning Dept Equity Advisory Counsel, spoke on a panel about the importance of activism and how it can help a movement in society.

Since its inception in 2012, IAWF has hosted multiple leadership conferences, with over 10,000 participants from around the globe. Mariam Khosravani is the Founder and CEO of IAWF, an educational nonprofit organization based in Irvine, CA with chapters in Northern California, New York, Los Angeles, and Orange County.

VISIBILITY INITIATIVES

IAWF has made it a priority to raise awareness and visibility regarding Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old woman who died in police custody, as well as the countless brave Iranian women risking their lives in the movement for women's rights and freedom.

IAWF has taken action toward this goal by pursuing public visibility of the Iranian Women's Rights Movement through aligning with major companies and/or buildings, putting together vigils, purchasing advertisements or billboards, visiting schools, and much more.

The visibility initiative holds true to IAWF's core values to "Inspire, Empower, and Connect" Iranian women around the world. Through public visibility, IAWF aims to uplift the voices of Iranian women in order to bring national and international attention to their efforts in fighting for freedom.

To date, IAWF has taken over three billboards in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington D.C., installed as a result of the generous contributions of its supporters, all with the goal of bringing awareness to the plight of women in Iran.

The digital billboards names Mahsa Amini and many others who have lost their lives in their fight for freedom. The words and/or hashtag #womenlifefreedom can be seen on all three billboards.

IAWF's most recent billboard in Los Angeles launched Monday, October 25, and can be seen at the corner of Olympic and Sepulveda with the hashtags #womanlifefreedom and #endviolence. The billboard will be on display for at least four weeks.

IAWF sponsored a mobile digital billboard in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, October 22. The digital billboard truck joined demonstrators and circled the National Mall. The intention for Saturday's efforts was to bring maximum awareness to the community at large; a direct extension of IAWF's visibility initiatives.

Located in the heart of Times Square at 1500 Broadway & West 43rd, the billboard site is in front of one of the busiest subway entrances in the country. The billboard was placed in mid-October and will be on display until December 31st, 2022, airing approximately every 15 minutes from 6am to 2am. The digital billboard can be viewed HERE or at the location listed above.

About Iranian American Women Foundation (IAWF):

The mission of the Iranian American Women Foundation is to provide a platform for empowerment and networking among Iranian American women and to provide mentorship to younger generations of Iranians locally and globally. Since its inception in Orange County, CA in 2012, the organization has empowered, inspired, and connected thousands of women nationwide and globally. It has served as a home away from home; a community that celebrates creative, innovative, tenacious, and competitive women who are problem solvers and a force for the greater good. With more than 6,000 members nationwide, the organization showcases the diversity of America, celebrates the confluence of the American fabric and Iranian heritage, and propels women forward into new, dynamic professional leadership arenas. Website: https://www.iawfoundation.org Instagram: @iawfoundation

Media Contact:

Roxie Sarhangi

[email protected]



SOURCE IAWF
COLUMBIA, Md., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mexico Fund, Inc. (NYSE: MXF) announced today that the Board of Directors of the Fund (the "Board" of the "Fund") and Impulsora del Fondo Mexico, S.C. ("Impulsora"), the Fund's investment adviser, have renewed the Funds Expense Limitation Agreement ("ELA") between the Fund and Impulsora. The ELA was initially announced on March 12, 2019, with the objective to support the long-term performance of the Fund and to further the interests of Fund stockholders by continuing to deliver a competitive investment vehicle providing exposure to Mexican equities.

Under the ELA, the Fund and Impulsora have committed to a 1.40% ordinary expense ratio (excluding amounts payable via the performance adjustment factor under the Fund's Investment Advisory Agreement, taxes, interest, brokerage fees and any non-recurring expenses), for fiscal year 2023, beginning on November 1, 2022, through October 31, 2023, so long as Fund net assets remain greater than $260 million. Impulsora will waive fees and/or reimburse expenses (excluding amounts payable via the performance adjustment factor under the Fund's Investment Advisory Agreement, taxes, interest, brokerage fees and any non-recurring expenses) to the extent necessary so that the Funds ordinary annual expense ratio does not exceed 1.40% in the period. When Fund net assets are below the threshold of $260 million, Impulsora will still waive fees in an amount necessary to maintain the expense ratio of the Fund's variable ordinary expenses at 1.20%, in addition to the amount of $520,000. These figures represent the expense ratio of the Fund's variable ordinary expenses and the maximum amount of the Fund's fixed ordinary expenses necessary to maintain a total ordinary operating expense ratio of 1.40% when Fund net asset are $260 million.

About The Mexico Fund, Inc.

The Mexico Fund, Inc. is a non-diversified closed-end management investment company with the investment objective of long-term capital appreciation through investments in securities, primarily equity, listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange. The Fund provides a vehicle to investors who wish to invest in Mexican companies through a managed non-diversified portfolio as part of their overall investment program.

This release may contain certain forward-looking statements regarding future circumstances. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Fund's current expectations and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements including, in particular, the risks and uncertainties described in the Fund's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results, events, and performance may differ. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Fund undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to these forward looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. The inclusion of any statement in this release does not constitute an admission by The Mexico Fund or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material.

SOURCE The Mexico Fund, Inc.
A roundup of the week's most newsworthy consumer and retail industry press releases from PR Newswire

NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering the consumer and retail industries stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

Read more of the latest consumer-related releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNcnsmr on Twitter.

Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News

These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists.

Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers and freelancers have access to the following free features:

Customization: Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more.

Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story.

Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Subject Matter Experts: Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles.

Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Related Resources: Read and subscribe to our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, for media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more.

About PR Newswire and PR Newswire for Journalists

For more than 65 years, PR Newswire has been the industry leader with the largest, most comprehensive distribution network of print, radio, magazine, television stations, financial portals and trade publications. PR Newswire has an unparalleled global reach of more than 200,000 publications and 10,000 websites and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages.

PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) is an exclusive community that includes over 20,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers who are logging into their PRNJ accounts specifically looking for story ideas. PR Newswire thoroughly researches and vets this community to verify their identity as a member of the press, blogger or influencer. PRNJ users cover more than 200 beats and verticals.

For questions, contact the team at [email protected].

SOURCE PR Newswire
A roundup of the week's most newsworthy energy industry press releases from PR Newswire

NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering the energy and natural resources industry stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

Read more of the latest energy-related releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNenergy on Twitter.

Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News

These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists.

Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers and freelancers have access to the following free features:

Customization: Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more.

Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story.

Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Subject Matter Experts: Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles.

Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Related Resources: Read and subscribe to our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, for media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more.

About PR Newswire and PR Newswire for Journalists

For more than 65 years, PR Newswire has been the industry leader with the largest, most comprehensive distribution network of print, radio, magazine, television stations, financial portals and trade publications. PR Newswire has an unparalleled global reach of more than 200,000 publications and 10,000 websites and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages.

PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) is an exclusive community that includes over 20,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers who are logging into their PRNJ accounts specifically looking for story ideas. PR Newswire thoroughly researches and vets this community to verify their identity as a member of the press, blogger or influencer. PRNJ users cover more than 200 beats and verticals.

For questions, contact the team at [email protected].

SOURCE PR Newswire
LANCASTER, Ohio, Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Trilogy Health Services is excited to announce the official groundbreaking of its newest campus in Lancaster, Ohio. The ceremony included Trilogy leadership as well as City of Lancaster Mayor David Scheffler, Lancaster-Fairfield County Chamber President Travis Markwood, and Dean of Campus and Community Relations, Ohio University-Lancaster, Jarrod Tudor.

The 113-room campus will offer a variety of care options including Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care and Post-Acute Healthcare services.

"We're excited to offer a new, best-in-class living option for the seniors who call Lancaster their home," Trilogy Health Services President and CEO Leigh Ann Barney said. "Whether they're looking for personalized care, a compassionate staff, or amenities that meet their every need, our residents will enjoy a fulfilling lifestyle where no two days are ever quite the same."

Built using Trilogy Health Services' two-story Village Center model in partnership with DMK Development Group, the new community will feature 25 Independent Living apartments, 23 Assisted Living units as well as 18 Assisted Living Memory Care units, 35 Skilled Nursing beds, and 12 Skilled Memory Care beds.

The community will feature a mix of studio and one-bedroom apartments and amenities including a full-service bistro, multiple dining areas, complete with a Certified Executive Chef, an activity room, a salon, multi-purpose room as well as a state-of the art physical therapy room and resident fitness center. It is expected to open in early 2024.

The project will represent a total community investment of $22 million and is expected to create over 200 construction jobs, as well as over 125 permanent jobs once the community is open.

The newest Trilogy campus is close to several other senior living communities, including Violet Springs Health Campus in Pickerington in as well as The Oaks at Bethesda and the Oaks at Northpointe in Zanesville. Trilogy has a total of 33 locations in Ohio.

To learn more about Trilogy Health Services, visit www.trilogyhs.com. Search available jobs openings by visiting www.trilogyjobs.com

Trilogy Health Services is an industry-leading operator of nearly 130 senior living communities throughout four states, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. The company has the honor of providing over 10,000 seniors with world-class clinical support, innovative lifestyle programs, and a culture built on the tenets of servant leadership and hospitality. Trilogy employs over 14,000 team members, is a certified Great Place to Work, one of Glassdoor's Top 100 Best Places to Work, and was named one of FORTUNE's Best Places to Work in Aging Services. To learn more about Trilogy Health Services, visit www.trilogyhs.com. To learn about job openings at Trilogy, visit www.trilogyjobs.com

SOURCE Trilogy Health Services, LLC
SINGAPORE, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- XT.COM, the world's first socially infused trading platform, is thrilled to announce the listing of PLI on its platform in the Main & Web3 zone and both the PLI/USDT and PLI/BTC trading pairs will be open for trading from 2022-10-29 10:00 (UTC).

Users can deposit PLI for trading at 2022-10-28 10:00(UTC)

Withdrawals for PLI will open at 2022-10-30 10:00 (UTC)

About the PLI Token

PLI token is an XRC20 token and part of the XDC ecosystem. The PLUGIN utility token would serve as a part of the payment system on the PLUGIN platform. Users requesting data would have to make payments in Plugin's PLI tokens as a fee to the client contract. The farmer hosting node would also receive payments in Plugin PLI tokens. Users who want to utilize the data feed from the Plugin Ecosystem would have to purchase PLI tokens on exchanges. Before users request data or any value of assets from the data feed, they have to fund the contract using their XinPay wallet.

There are 500 Million tokens existing as PLI's total supply. When PLUGIN is the industry-standard oracle service provider; there will be a high demand for PLI tokens to fulfill contract requests. Additionally, the Proof of Burn mechanic functions to eliminate tokens from circulating supply so there needs to be a constant allowance of new PLI tokens created.

About Plugin

The Plugin network is a decentralized Oracle platform with the core objective to provide cost effective solutions for Smart Contracts on the XDC network ecosystem. Plugin ensures that external, off-chain information required for Smart Contracts is obtained from multiple, reputable sources in a decentralized and secure manner. The decentralized oracle network helps eliminate single points of failure in regards to real-time data inputs for Smart contracts that depend on it. The Plugin decentralized oracles network is designed to not only enhance, but extend the capabilities of smart contracts by applying three basic resources in computing systems: networking, storage, and computation.

The supporting attributes which make the Plugin decentralized oracle network possible include: High level of security, decentralized architecture to ensure single points of failure do not occur, censorship resistance, preventative measure to ensure malicious acts do not occur, and a user friendly interface for ease of development and operation. Plugin is also committed to DeFi applications including: Decentralized insurance, Stable currencies, decentralized prediction markets, decentralized synthetic assets, decentralized exchanges and derivatives trading, and a decentralized identity system.

Website: https://goplugin.co/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/goplugin

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/4ATypYHudd

About XT.COM

By consistently expanding its ecosystem, XT.COM is dedicated to providing users with the most secure, trusted, and hassle-free digital asset trading services. Our exchange is built from a desire to give everyone access to digital assets regardless where you are.

Founded in 2018, XT.COM now serves more than 6 million registered users, over 500,000+ monthly active users and 40+ million users in the ecosystem. Covering a rich variety of trading categories together with an NFT aggregated marketplace, our platform strives to cater to its large user base by providing a secure, trusted and intuitive trading experience.

As the world's first social-infused digital assets trading platform, XT.COM also supports social networking platform based transactions to make our crypto services more accessible to users all over the world. Furthermore, to ensure optimal data integrity and security, we see user security as our top priority at XT.COM.

Website: https://www.xt.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/XTexchange

Telegram: https://t.me/XTsupport_EN

SOURCE XT.com
Colombo, Oct 28 : Sri Lanka reiterated that that the Indian Ocean should not be an area of conflict or the "playground" for world military powers.

"This Ocean as a vital channel of sea communication facilitates a large volume of energy, raw material and food supply between the East and the West, thus it is imperative that we keep it safe. We don't want this to be an area of conflict and war or the playground of world military powers," State Defence Minister Premitha Bandara Tennakoon said.

Bandara represented Sri Lanka at the recently concluded Defence Ministers' Conclave 2022 at the India's premier biennial global defence exhibition - DefExpo2022 - at Gandhinagar, in India.

Welcoming the partnership between India and Sri Lanka in the defence sphere, the minister noted that the DefExpo 2022 provided a great opportunity for a deeper understanding of the nature of transformation in modern warfare across five dimensions.

"As Indian Ocean nations, ensuring maritime security plays a pivotal role in our development process as this great ocean is our lifeline with the rest of the world. We should also strive to further strengthen maritime diplomacy across the Indian Ocean to converge with that of other oceans," the minister stressed.

He said that the countless arrests of large scale smuggling rackets most importantly dangerous drugs, arms and people smuggling in this region is a result of shared intelligence between regional countries.

State Defence Minister's comment followed, President Ranil Wickremesinghe who wowed last that Sri Lanka would not participate in any military alliance, and does not want the problems of the pacific coming in to the Indian Ocean.

Addressing the nation on September 14, President Wickremesinghe clarified that Sri Lanka would stay out of any big power rivalry and any of these rivalries would not lead to conflict in the Indian Ocean.

"The geo-politics of the Indian Ocean has unfortunately made Sri Lanka the punching bag for Hambantota," Wickremesinghe said referring to China-run port in Southern most point of the island.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Kiev, Oct 28 : Ukraine's Black Sea ports have shipped 9 million tons of foodstuffs under a key grain deal signed in July, the country's Infrastructure Ministry has said.

A total of 397 vessels loaded with agricultural products have departed from the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny since the deal took effect on August 1, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement by the ministry.

On Thursday alone, seven vessels carrying 102,000 tons of foodstuffs left Ukrainian ports for countries in Asia, Europe and Africa, said the statement posted on Facebook.

On July 22, Ukraine and Russia separately signed a deal with TArkiye and the United Nations in Istanbul to resume food and fertiliser shipments from Ukrainian ports to international markets via the Black Sea.

The agreement is due to expire in November, and Ukrainian officials have said that Kiev is interested in extending the deal and expanding the range of goods for exports.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi, Oct 28 : IIT Bombay is the best educational institution in India, as per the 'QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2023'.

In the rankings, released in London recently, IIT Bombay was evaluated as India's top higher education institution for its excellence in employability, social concern, and environment.

IIT Bombay was featured in the 281-300 rank range, followed by IIT Delhi (321-340 rank) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at the third rank (361-380).

Apart from this, IIT Bombay was also included in the world's top 100 institutes based on the employability of its graduates.

IIT Delhi was ranked for its employability and environment while Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was ranked for gender equality and removing other inequalities.

In terms of competition and academic freedom, Delhi University ranked fourth in India.

Globally, the University of California was declared the top university, followed by the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia in second and third ranks respectively.

The US dominates the rankings with 135 ranked universities (19.2 per cent of the total). Of these, 30 universities are included in the top 100.

Similarly, the UK was ranked second with 67 British universities being included in the rankings.

After the US and the UK, Australia and Germany are at the forefront of this ranking.

The students and teachers of JNU are excited by the university's performance in the rankings.

JNU Vice Chancellor Professor Santishree D. Pandit said that she congratulates the students and teachers of JNU "for fulfilling the dream of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi".

In the rankings, IIT Kharagpur was featured in the 551-600 rank range. IIT Kharagpur has secured the highest in continuous and regular research efforts. IIT Kharagpur has taken many special initiatives to improve lifestyle and health which are being appreciated globally.

IIT Roorkee was included in the 451-500 rank range of the list.
Lucknow, Oct 28 : Domestic tourism in Uttar Pradesh has grown by 27 per cent in 2021-2022 -- as per a survey by the Union Tourism Ministry - casting aside the shadow of the pandemic.

Uttar Pradesh has also emerged as the second biggest contributor, after Tamil Nadu, with over 16 per cent share in the national pie.

Against 8.6 crore tourists in 2020-21, Uttar Pradesh was visited by 10.9 crore people in 2021-22.

The state also made it to the top ten states witnessing foreign tourist visits in 2021. It ranked seventh in the category and accounted for over 4 per cent share of the total foreign tourists.

Principal Secretary, Tourism, Mukesh Meshram said, "While the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor has become a magnet, the Ram Temple in Ayodhya will be the next big thing that will draw pilgrims. Tourist facilities in Mathura are also being revamped in a big way." Tour operators feel that the state will no longer be known for the Taj Mahal alone.

"Till now it was the Taj Mahal that was the major tourist attraction in UP, but with Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and now the Ram temple as well as Mathura, the number of attractions are increasing and so will the tourist footfall," said a tour operator Harish Saklani.

Industry experts and officials at the state tourism department said that the numbers speak for the fact that the sector was slowly limping back to normal. They also noted that the projections for the current year indicate further improvement.

They further claimed that within a couple of years, the state will become the number one destination in the domestic sector.

Prateek Hira, member of the tourism and medical value travel committee, said, "In India, pilgrimage drives the domestic tourism industry and UP being the birthplace of Ram and Krishna is a natural puller. Better roads and air connectivity in UP is also fuelling the weekend pilgrimage market which is sure to show up in the years to come." The Uttar Pradesh government is also coming up with a new policy framework to boost the tourism sector in the state as the government is seeing tourism as a key contributor to the state's dream of becoming a one-trillion dollar economy.

The proposed new policy has broadened its canvas which will give a chance to smaller players. Alongside, it has proposed to give industry status to the tourism sector projects - often described as a magnet from the investment point of view.
Tehran, Oct 28 : Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has said that Iran's expansion of economic and trade ties with Belarus can help minimise the impact of sanctions imposed by the US and West on both countries.

Qalibaf made the remarks in a meeting with visiting Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei in the capital of Tehran, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a report by the Iranian official news agency IRNA.

He also urged unity of all the countries under the "cruel sanctions" of the US-led West.

Qalibaf noted that in the wake of the economic war that has been waged by the West, the Eurasian Economic Union member states are required to expand cooperation among themselves, and to this end, practical steps are needed and cumbersome bureaucracy and paperwork should be eliminated.

"We are witnessing the West's double-standard behaviour as terrorists are perpetrating acts of terror in the Middle East. This comes as the West and the US were the ones to have created the Islamic State in the region," he said, pointing to a "terrorist attack" on a holy shrine in southern Iran on Wednesday that killed 15 and injured 19.

For his part, the Belarusian minister condemned the attack, calling for punishing those behind the attack.

Makei noted that Belarus, which adopts independent domestic and foreign policies, is opposed to imposing sanctions and "illegal" pressures on any countries.

Belarus sees Iran as its friend and will make efforts to move toward forming a more strategic partnership with Tehran, he added.
Lucknow, Oct 28 : Two police personnel were attacked in separate incidents in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow.

A group of men attacked a sub-inspector when he was patrolling a village of Banthra on Wednesday. Two persons including a minor were held in the case.

In the second incident, a head constable was assaulted by bike-borne men in Para.

A video of the incident had also gone viral prompting senior police officials to register a case and launch a manhunt to arrest those who had assaulted the cop.

In the first incident reported from Banthra, sub-inspector Gaurav Bajpai said that he was in Hindu Khera when he saw a group of men gambling and fiercely arguing.

Bajpai stopped there to quiz them. "While I was questioning them, a youth later identified as Ashish Maurya and his men came close to me. They started arguing and then they attacked me," he said.

DCP Central, Aparna Rajat Kaushik said that an FIR had been registered and Ashish Maurya had been arrested along with a minor. "We have launched a manhunt to nab the others," she said.

In the incident reported from Para, a police head constable Srikant was thrashed while conducting a checking drive near Bishop Hospital under Mohan Road outpost of Para police station.

In his FIR, Srikant said four unidentified bike-borne men manhandled him on being stopped.

"They first abused me and then thrashed me before speeding off the scene," he said.

ADCP South Zone, Manisha Singh said that an FIR had been registered and efforts were on to nab the accused.
London, Oct 28 : Britons have slammed US talk show host and comedian Trevor Noah, who took a hilarious dig at them saying, "racists" were offended by UK's first Prime Minister of colour Rishi Sunak.

In the two-minute 52 second clip from The Daily Show, titled "Unpacking the Backlash to Rishi Sunak", and viewed more than a million times, Noah is seen targeting British people who he claims were unhappy with Sunak's appointment due to his Indian heritage.

Former UK Chancellor Sajid Javid slammed the clip on Twitter, saying: "Simply wrong. A narrative catered to his audience, at a cost of being completely detached from reality." "Britain is the most successful multiracial democracy on earth and proud of this historic achievement," Javid tweeted.

In the video posted on his Twitter handle, Noah played a clip from a British radio show in which a caller explained why a non-white person should not be the Prime Minister of UK, to which Noah replied: "This is a good point. Can you imagine white English people trying to rule countries where no one looks like them!" In his sarcastic best, Noah further said: "This could be a good thing for you people. After 400 years, you finally get to legitimately blame a brown person for your country's problems. You're living the dream!" "Dear America. There is no racist backlash against Sunak. Vast majority have no issue.

"He was recently the most popular politician in the UK! Racist abuse is confined to a small fringe who are amplified on Twitter, mirrored in a small fringe who think everybody in the West is racist," said Politics professor Matthew Goodwin, who took to Twitter to denounce Noah's claims.

"This is absolutely barking mad. A fantasy 'backlash' based upon nothing more than projection and wish-fulfilment," Sunday Times columnist Alex Massie tweeted.

Earlier this week, Sunak, 42, became the first British Asian Prime Minister in history and the youngest in more than 200 years.

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer "welcomed" the appointment of Sunak as "the first British Asian Prime Minister", describing it as a "real milestone for our country".

"3 women PMs and now our first person of colour, old enough to have seen them all and love it... Good luck, Rishi, what a great country we live in, not sure what planet Trevor Noah inhabits or observes," a twitter user from UK, Muiry29, wrote.

The funnyman from South Africa had recently announced that he is stepping down as the host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show in the US.
Beirut, Oct 28 : Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah announced the end of his armed group's "exceptional" mobilisation against Israel after Lebanese and Israeli leaders finalised a US-brokered maritime demarcation deal.

"The mission was accomplished," Nasrallah said in a televised speech on Thursday.

He said the agreement a great victory for Lebanon and its population, reports Xinhua news agency.

Lebanese authorities were careful not to take any steps that may be perceived as normalization with Israel, Nasrallah noted.

Technically, Lebanon and Israel have remained in a state of war.

"What was signed by President Michel Aoun is not an international treaty, and it is not a recognition of Israel," the Hezbollah leader said.

Hezbollah is a Lebanese armed group and political party backed by Iran.

Israel and Lebanon signed a landmark deal on Thursday, setting the maritime boundary for the first time and giving the green light to lucrative gas explorations in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Earlier in the day, Lebanese President Michel Aoun signed in his palace a letter approving the agreement.

Later, Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a similar letter in Jerusalem, following a special government meeting in which the ministers approved the deal.

No signing ceremony was held as the agreement is not a normalization deal between the two countries, which have been technically in a state of war since the statehood of Israel in 1948.

Instead, low-level Israeli and Lebanese delegations submitted signed letters of approval in the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Naqoura.

While Lapid said the agreement was a "tremendous achievement", Lebanon's top negotiator and deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab told reporters that the deal marks "a new era".

However, Aoun said later that the deal does not mean the "normalisation of relations with Israel".

The deal, backed by Israel's military, National Security Council and Defence Ministry, is believed to have ended the immediate threat of conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah.

It covers an area of about 860 sq.km claimed by both countries, where natural gas fields have been discovered.

Israel will keep its control over the Karish natural gas field and receive 17 per cent of the profits from the unexplored Qana natural gas field, which under the deal will be under Lebanese control.

The field would be explored and exploited by the French energy corporation Total, raising hopes it would alleviate Lebanon's economic crisis.
London, Oct 28 : Arsenal player Pablo Mari, who is currently on loan with Serie A side Monza, was the victim of a heinous attack on Thursday as he was stabbed in a shopping mall in Assago, Italy.

Mari was among five people taken to hospital, with one of them - a man aged 30- dying later. A sixth victim did not need hospital treatment.

According to a report in Sky Sports, Mari, who is understood to be conscious and not in a serious condition, was among six people attacked at a shopping centre in the Italian city.

Confirming the news, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said that Mari "seems to be OK".

"I know (club technical director) Edu has been in touch with his relatives," said Arteta after Thursday's 2-0 defeat at PSV Eindhoven in the Europa League.

"He is in hospital. He seems to be ok. I will get a briefing now about what happened." Arsenal issued a club statement on Thursday night: "We are all shocked to hear the dreadful news about the stabbing in Italy, which has put a number of people in hospital including our on-loan centre-back Pablo Mari. We have been in contact with Pablo's agent who has told us he's in hospital and is not seriously hurt. Our thoughts are with Pablo and the other victims of this dreadful incident." The agent of the on-loan Arsenal player confirmed that the injuries sustained by Mari weren't serious. Monza Chief Adriano Galliani told Sky Italy, as quoted by Reuters, that Mari had a fairly deep wound on his back but his life is not in danger and the Spanish international should recover quickly.

"Pablo Mari had a fairly deep wound on his back, which fortunately did not touch his vital organs such as the lungs or others. His life is not in danger, he should recover quickly," Galliani was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

Mari joined Arsenal in January 2020, initially on loan, before making his move permanent during the summer transfer window that year. Since then, the Spanish defender has been sent out on loans to Udinese and Monza, where he will be spending the 2022-23 season.
Washington, Oct 28 : US President Joe Biden marked the four-year anniversary of the attack at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue, saying "we grieve this deadliest act of antisemitism in American history".

In the morning of October 27, 2018, a gunman stormed the synagogue and gunned down 11 people and injured six others, including four police officers who responded to the scene.

In a statement released by the White House on Thursday, Biden said that "we stand with the (Jewish) community in resolving to combat antisemitism and hate in all of its forms".

"As we witness an ugly increase in antisemitism in America, I established the first Ambassador-level Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism and appointed the renowned Holocaust expert Deborah Lipstadt to the role." The President also claimed that his administration worked with Congress to secure the largest-ever increase in funding for the security of synagogues and other religious institutions.

He also stressed on his determination to "tackle the scourge of gun violence that has stolen lives from Pittsburgh to Poway, from Newtown to Charleston, from Buffalo to Uvalde, and from countless other communities in between".

"I am committed to building on that progress by banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines... We've done it before, and we can do it again," Biden was quoted as saying.

Antisemitic incidents in the US have been on the rise for years, with 941 incidents in 2015 and 2,717 tracked in 2021 by the Anti-Defamation League, reports CNN.
Sambhal : , Oct 28 (IANS) Samajwadi Party MP Shafiq-ur-Rehman Barq has demanded resignation of Uttar Pradesh minister Gulab Devi for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "reincarnation of God", saying that her comment was an attempt to elevate her status.

Gulab Devi, the BJP MLA from Chandausi and minister of state for secondary education, had on Wednesday said that Modi was an "incarnation" of God and could remain in his post as long as he wished.

The Chandausi Assembly segment falls under Barq's Sambhal parliamentary constituency.

"Modiji is like an avatar. He is a person of extraordinary talent. No one can compete with him. If he wishes, he can remain the prime minister till he is alive," she had said.

Reacting to her comment, Barq said that the minister should resign and begin worshipping the Prime Minister. He further said that it seemed an attempt to improve her status.

Barq also slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's suggestion to print images of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on currency notes, saying, "Such statements are nothing but political gimmick." Kejriwal had, on Wednesday, appealed to the Prime Minister to print images of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh on new currency notes for India's economic progress and prosperity.

"The entire country will be blessed if currency notes have the images of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi," he had said.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : Imagine Marketing Limited, the parent company of consumer electronics brand boAt, is raising Rs 500 crore from its existing shareholder, an affiliate of Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity fund and new investor Malabar Investments.

The investment, said the company, will enable it to accelerate its plans to attain leadership in the smartwatches category, scale up its business both within and outside India and further strengthen its R&D and design capabilities.

"The new funding will allow us to invest significantly to disrupt the smart watches spaces with more innovative products. And we are thrilled that investors continue to have strong conviction and confidence in the boAt story," said Aman Gupta, Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer, of boAt.

The company is making significant progress in diversifying its manufacturing footprint via partnerships with various leading electronics manufacturing services (EMS) players in India, including Dixon, with whom it has also created a manufacturing joint venture.

A significant proportion of boAt's products are now being produced in India (1 million units every month currently).

The company said it is also planning to take the boAt brand overseas.

"Through boAt labs (our 120-person in-house R&D team) and our acquisition of KaHa Technologies, (a world-class wearables technology and IoT platform, with 64 patents and patent applications), we are developing the next generation of products," informed Sameer Mehta, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of boAt.

boAt closed FY 2022 with net revenue of approximately Rs 3,000 crore with 100 per cent YoY growth.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 28 : A month after the Popular Front of India (PFI) was banned and its top leadership arrested, an NIA team nabbed its former secretary C.A. Rauf from his house at Pattambi in Palakkad district of Kerala early on Friday.

Considered a hugely influential leader among the cadres of the now-banned organisation, Rauf was in hiding for a while.

Based on a tip-off, the Kochi team of the NIA reached Rauf's residence in the middle of the night and took him into custody.

Dressed in a white shirt and a white dhoti, Rauf was seen carrying a small white bag and waved out to his family while being taken away by the probe agency officials.

He has been taken to the Kochi office of the NIA and being questioned.
New York, Oct 28 : Adding on to the Diwali cheer among Hindu-Americans, a new 87-foot tower at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Cary was inaugurated by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper in presence of hundreds of devotees.

The completion of the tower, which is named "Tower of Unity and Prosperity", comes 13 years after the temple construction started in 2009, and is now the tallest of its kind in North America, according to temple leaders.

"What a wonderful day this is, especially in times of trouble... walking into this temple with reverence and leaving your worries on the outside for just a while... That's something we all need to do, but then we can always leave the temple with even more determination than ever to address those worries, and to make sure we're doing something about it," Governor Cooper said addressing the community, CBS17 reported.

Approval for the tower was granted in 2019, and construction began in April 2020, "right at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic", Lakshminarayanan Srinivasan, general secretary of the temple's board of trustees, told Raleigh News & Observer.

According to Srinivasan, the "donate a brick" program, which invited Indian-Americans from across the country to donate whatever they could to help see through the tower's completion, around $2.5 million from more than 5,000 donors.

Srinivasan said that there are additional plans for expansion, including an assembly hall that would be built next to the temple. He added that there are plans to build fountains and a "manicured landscape" to surround the temple.

The temple is modeled after the famous Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, and is known to be the largest Hindu temple in North America.

Sri Venkateswara Temple came into being after there was a growing demand in 1988 by Indians living in Triangle area of North Carolina, who wanted the grandeur and minutely detailed artwork of South Indian temples reproduced here.

Fourteen artisans were brought in from India to hand-carve the temple's decorative Hindu idols out of cement.

The expansion of the temple comes at a time when the Indian population in the Triangle area, also known as Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, is growing.

According to Indian American Impact, 425,000 Asian Americans live in North Carolina with Indian-Americans making up the largest ethnic group.

According to 2021 census estimates, over 51,000 Indian-Americans lived in Wake County in North Carolina, and 57,000 in Wake, Durham and Orange counties combined.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Baghdad, Oct 28 : The Iraqi Parliament has approved the new cabinet lineup presented by Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani.

Up to 253 lawmakers attending Thursday's session raised their hands to show approval of the new ministers when Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi read out their names one by one, reports Xinhua news agency.

Parliament voted with an absolute majority to grant confidence to 21 ministers out of 23, as the voting for the ministers of environment and housing was postponed due to political disputes.

It also voted in favour of Fuad Hussein as Deputy Prime Minister while keeping his position as minister of foreign affairs. They also voted for Hayyan Abdul Ghani Abdul Zahra as Deputy Prime Minister and minister of oil, and Mohammed Ali Tamim as another Deputy Prime Minister and minister of planning.

Al-Sudani read out his government program, which includes combating administrative and financial corruption, addressing the unemployment problem, supporting the poor, vulnerable and low-income people, as well as improving public services.

It also includes economic reforms, especially in the agricultural, industrial and banking sectors, in addition to supporting the private sector.

The program also focuses on addressing the outstanding issues between Baghdad and the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan.

Al-Sudani promised to exert every effort to succeed in end their suffering, while pledging to build a strong economy capable of achieving qualitative change in services.

After the new cabinet was approved, al-Sudani and the cabinet members were sworn.

For his part, President Abdul Latif Rashid congratulated al-Sudani and expressed confidence in the latter's ability to face the challenges in the country.

Meanwhile, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) issued a statement that hailed the approval of al-Sudani's cabinet and reaffirmed "its steadfast commitment to supporting the government and people of Iraq".

On October 13, Rashid tasked al-Sudani with forming a new government after the latter was nominated by the Coordination Framework, the largest parliamentary alliance.
Chennai, Oct 28 : More arrests in connection with the October 23 Coimbatore car blast case is likely to take place on Friday, sources in the Tamil Nadu police said.

The sources added that the police have already zeroed in on some persons who had given logistical and other support to the accused in the case.

While addressing the media earlier in the day, Coimbatore City Police Commissioner, V. Balakrishnan said the accused were planning a series of killings and destruction of some institutions in Coimbatore and adjacent areas.

Friday's development comes after an FIR was registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the case.

Meanwhile, the NIA's Deputy Inspector General (DIG) K.B. Vandana is already in Coimbatore and has conducted several rounds of meetings with the Tamil Nadu Police officers.

On October 23, Jameesha Mubin, a 25-year-old engineering graduate, was killed in the car explosion.

He was previously questioned by the NIA in 2019 regarding his social media contact with the main accused in the Easter Day bombings in Sri Lanka.

The probe agency is also investigating whether C.A. Rauf, the Kerala state secretary of the banned Islamist organization, Popular Front of India (PFI) who was in hiding ever since the outfit was banned, had any role in motivating the youngsters including Mubin to take the extreme terror steps.

The NIA sleuths late Thursday night arrested Rauf from his residence in Pattambi located in Kerala's Palakkad district.

The Tamil Nadu police had immediately after the car blast arrested five accomplices of Mubin which included Mohammed Thalka, son of Nawab Khan who is the brother of Al-Umma founder and the main culprit in the Coimbatore serial bomb blast of 1998, February 14 in which 56 people died and 200 people injured.

The others arrested are -- Mohammed Azharuddin, Mohammed Riyaz, Firoz Ismail, and Mohammed Navas Ismail.

All the six arrested are foisted with the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act (UAPA).
Srinagar, Oct 28 : The Kashmir Valley is famous and known all over the world in terms of its beauty and at the same time it is also unique in terms of its seasons. Where the view of winter is spectacular, during this time the traditional way of living, clothing and manners of the people also take a unique form.

Image Source: IANS News

In order to protect themselves from the bitter cold during winters, the people of Kashmir use a special device for warmth, which is called Kangri in the local language. In these days of cold, Kangri remains the support of the people in the traditionally dressed pheran.

Image Source: IANS News

Kashmiris have been using Kangri since centuries. Traditionally, it is actually a beautiful basket made of flexible beed twigs with a handle and inside a thick ring (matki) of baked clay called 'kandal' in Kashmiri.

Burning coals are placed in the kangri, which stays hot for seven to eight hours, and everyone carries it easily from one place to another inside their furn, a long coat made of woollencloth, to keep themselves warm.

Image Source: IANS News

Kangri is a part of Kashmiri tradition. Without it, the harshest days of winter become more difficult.

The kangri makers make attractive and beautiful kangris of different designs and they are sold not only at the shops but also by peddlers. There, customers also buy kangri with great gusto.

Image Source: IANS News

Along with the kangri business, the potters who make the pottery required for it also earn a good amount of money.

A person dealing in kangri said that the price ranges from Rs 200-900. However, the rate depends on the texture and material.

Image Source: IANS News

A 'dallan' i.e. wood, is attached to the kangri with a cord which serves to increase the heat by inverting the coals.

Kangri serves as a portable heater for people in the sub-zero temperatures of Kashmir.

Image Source: IANS News

During winters, power outages are common in the Kashmir Valley, making all modern heating devices pale in comparison to the traditional kangri.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Jaipur, Oct 28 : The Gehlot government in Rajasthan has announced Umesh Mishra as the 35th DGP of the state.

The state government issued orders in this regard at 11.30 p.m. on Thursday.

A 1989 batch IPS officer, Mishra will take over the charge of DGP from ML Lather upon the latter's retirement on November 3.

Mishra has received the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Services.

Mishra, a resident of Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, has served as ADG, DG. He had also worked in ACB and ATS-SOG.

It is said that the Congress could overcome the 2020 political crisis in the state due to his crucial help.
Hyderabad, Oct 28 : Cyberabad police on Friday served notices to three accused arrested for allegedly trying to poach four MLAs of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji Swamy have been directed to appear before police within 24 hours.

They are likely to be questioned at the Moinabad police station, where a case was registered against them after they were arrested from a farmhouse on Wednesday night while trying to lure TRS MLAs with offers of huge sums of money, important positions and contracts.

The accused were served notices under section 41 of the Criminal Procedure Code. This came hours after a city court dismissed the police plea to send them to judicial custody.

The police produced the accused before a judge at his residence in Saroornagar on Thursday night.

The judge rejected the police petition for sending the accused to judicial custody, citing lack of evidence. He observed that the Prevention of Corruption Act does not apply to the case as there is no evidence of bribe money.

The judge told police to issue notices to the accused under Section 41 of Criminal Procedure Code for questioning.

Following the court order, the police released all the accused.

The three men, said to be close to some top BJP leaders, were arrested from a farmhouse at Moinabad on Wednesday night while they were trying to lure four MLAs of the TRS with offers of money.

On a complaint by one of the MLAs, Pilot Rohit Reddy, police registered an FIR against Ramachandra Bharati of Delhi, Nanda Kumar of Hyderabad and Simhayaji Swamy of Tirupati.

According to the complainant, the accused offered him an amount of Rs.100 crore. They also offered to give Central government civil contract works and other high central government positions for monetary benefits and lured him to join BJP.

The MLA told police that they warned that if he does not join the BJP, there will be criminal cases and raids by ED/CBI and the Telangana government led by TRS will be toppled by them.

The accused offered bribes of Rs 50 crore each to three other MLAs to join BJP.

On a tip-off by Rohit Reddy, Cyberabad police reached the farmhouse and arrested the three accused.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : Swadeshi Jagran Manch has written to the Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change urging him to intervene and ensure that no GM mustard seed is allowed to be planted, now or ever.

In a letter to the Minister Bhupender Yadav, RSS' economic wing SJM sought attention towards Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), Government of India's regulatory body for gene technologies and said that it is continuing to function in an irresponsible fashion.

"In its last meeting on October 18, 2022, they have cleared a GM food crop for cultivation in farmers' fields in India, that too a herbicide tolerant mustard variety, after running the pretence of a review of GM mustard," the SJM said.

"This is to bring to your notice that nothing has changed from May 2017 when GEAC's green signal for this unsafe GM mustard had to be stopped by the Government of India, keeping in mind various concerns and serious issues pertaining to this GM mustard. Not a single additional test has been done, nor a single question been answered scientifically about the safety or efficacy or need of this GM mustard," said Dr Ashwani Mahajan, National Co Convenor, SJM.

"We are confident that as a person who has carefully studied the adverse impacts of GM crops and also published opinion pieces on the same in the past, you will intervene immediately in this matter, and ensure that no GM mustard seed is allowed to be planted, now or ever," he said.

It needs to be remembered that GM mustard has never been tested as a herbicide tolerant crop at all, while even the development of this glufosinate-tolerant crop was in violation of India's pesticides regulations. The yield data was rigged and evidence about this has been shared with the regulators by alert citizens and experts. Importantly, major mustard-growing states of India were opposed to GM crops in general, and this particular GM mustard and had not even allowed for field trials to take place, the SJM said.

"As you know, mustard is a very important crop in our agriculture and in our food chain. For lakhs of bee-keepers in the country, mustard crop is a source of livelihood, while mustard crop itself benefits from honeybees' activity in terms of yield improvements. Mustard is eaten directly too in Indian cuisine and mustard oilseed cake is used in organic soil amendments. The fact that such a crop has been exploited for any genetic modification is in itself highly objectionable, and this has happened with DBT funding at that," the letter said.
Islamabad, Oct 28 : Pakistan and China have agreed to execute the Mainline-1 (ML-1) railway project at an estimated cost of $10 billion.

The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) also decided to undertake business-to-business deals under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), The News reported.

Pakistan will also request for the rollover of deposits and rescheduling of its $27 billion debt.

During the meeting, Pakistan assured China of taking several initiatives for the security of Chinese working under CPEC projects.

Both sides have agreed to expand their cooperation in information technology and it was decided that Chinese companies will establish research centres in Pakistan to explore new avenues in this sector.

Pakistan and China held the 11th JCC meeting virtually but both sides could not sign the minutes of the meeting.

It was expected that the minutes of the meeting will be signed during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who, along with a high-powered delegation, will be visiting China from November 1, The News reported.

The CPEC meeting was held in Islamabad with both sides expressing satisfaction over the ongoing projects under CPEC while several other projects were proposed.

The meeting was co-chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and Vice Chairman National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC), China, Lin Nianxiu.

Under the leadership of PM Shehbaz, CPEC has emerged as the topmost national priority, said the Minister, in his welcome address.

The meeting was also informed that another 3,100 MW, which has achieved 90% milestone for FC (700 MW Azad Pattan HPP, 1,124 MW Kohala Hydel Project and 1,320 MW Thar Coal Block-I), will be finalised at the earliest so as to get closer to the envisaged target of 1,7000 MWs.

The projects in motorways and highways of around 888km were also highlighted to be constructed with both Chinese and local financing (another 853km under construction through local financing).

The KKH-Thakot-Havelian, one of the flagship projects of this sector, has received international recognition.
Chennai, Oct 28 : In a suspected witchcraft act, head was severed from the body of a ten-year-old girl who was buried in a cemetery here, police said on Friday.

The girl had succumbed to the injuries she sustained when an electric post fell on her.

Tamarind powder and flowers were found strewn near her grave.

Krithika died on October 14 and the body was buried the next day at the Chitravadi cemetery in Chengalpattu district in Tamil Nadu.

Two days ago, the locals noticed that the place where Krithika was buried was ploughed.

Krithika's parents lodged a complaint with the police that some suspicious activity could have taken place on the grave. After the complaint was lodged, police reached the spot and dug out the grave only to find head missing from the body.

A senior officer at the Chengalpattu police station told IANS: "It was a gruesome sight and the body was headless. It seems that some people who are practicing witchcraft would have severed the head of the little girl and the investigation is on. We are following some leads and will reach the culprits soon." He said that following the recent "human sacrifice" incident in Kerala, the police were keeping a close watch on sorcerers and some people masquerading as priests and doing illegal acts like witchcraft under the guise of pleasing the gods, including certain crude forms of worship.
Kanpur, Oct 28 : The lower jaw of a stray cow was blown to bits as she chewed a cracker bomb thrown in the garbage.

The incident took place in Kanpur's Kakadeo area but came to light only when some people posted photographs of the cow bleeding profusely from the mouth.

Animal activists searched for the severely injured cow and gave her first aid.

The police, when contacted, said that the matter had been brought to their notice and they were investigating the same.
Ahmedabad, Oct 28 : Mahendrasinh Vaghela, son of veteran Gujarat politician Shankersinh Vaghela, joined the Congress in the presence of party leaders here on Friday.

Before the 2017 Assembly elections, Mahendrasinh Vaghela, who was then the MLA of Bayad, had quit the party along with this father.

Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee President Jagdish Thakor welcomed Mahendrasinh Vaghela into the party at the state unit office.

Addressing the media, Mahendrasinh Vaghela said: "I want to fight against politics of hate. I was never comfortable in the BJP. Although I had joined the BJP, in the last five years I never participated in any of the party's functions, events or programmes. Now I am back in the Congress, and will work for the party." He further said that neither was there any commitment from the Congress, neither has he made any demands, adding that he will take up whatever assignment is given to him by the party.

Mahendrasinh Vaghela also claimed that he has worked for the Congress and party leaders for almost 27 years and will gel well with them once again.
Hyderabad, Oct 28 : In another twist to the case relating to the alleged attempt to buy four MLAs of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Cyberabad police on Friday approached the Telangana High Court challenging the order of a lower court refusing remand of three accused arrested in the case.

The police sought early hearing by moving lunch motion but the court asked for a regular petition.

The police challenged the judgment of the ACB Court judge, who ordered the release of all three accused - Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji Swamy.

The three men said to be close to some top BJP leaders were arrested from a farmhouse at Moinabad on Wednesday night while they were trying to lure four MLAs of the TRS by offering huge sums of money, important positions and contracts.

The police produced the accused before the judge at his residence in Saroornagar on Thursday night.

The judge rejected the police petition for sending the accused to judicial custody, citing lack of evidence. He observed that the Prevention of Corruption Act does not apply to the case as there is no evidence of bribe money.

The judge told police to issue notices to the accused under Section 41 of Criminal Procedure Code for questioning.

On the judge's orders, police released all the three accused. They were subsequently issued notices directing them to appear before police within 24 hours.

They are likely to be questioned at Moinabad police station, where a case was registered against them under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Corruption Act.

On a complaint by one of the MLAs Pilot Rohit Reddy, police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Ramachandra Bharati of Delhi, Nanda Kumar of Hyderabad and Simhayaji Swamy of Tirupati.

According to the complainant, the accused offered him an amount of Rs 100 crore. They also offered to give central government civil contract works and other high central government positions for monetary benefits and lured him to join BJP.

The MLA told police that they warned that if he does not join the BJP, there will be criminal cases and raids by ED/CBI and the Telangana government led by TRS will be toppled by them.

The accused offered bribes of Rs 50 crore each to three other MLAs to join BJP.

On a tip-off by Rohit Reddy, Cyberabad police reached the farmhouse and arrested the three accused.
Moscow, Oct 28 : The world faces "probably the most dangerous" decade since the end of World War Two, Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned.

He made the remarks on Thursday while addressing the annual Valdai forum after a series of recent military defeats in Ukraine and growing public anger at home over a drive to mobilise some 300,000 Russians for the war effort, reports the BBC.

In a wide-ranging speech, he sought to justify Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a move that has left his country internationally isolated.

Putin also accused the West of nuclear blackmail against Russia to force allies to turn away from Moscow.

The day before his address in Moscow, Putin had overseen routine nuclear exercises that involved a supposed nuclear strike in retaliation for an enemy's massive nuclear attack.

"We've never proactively said anything about Russia's possible use of nuclear weapons. We've only responded with hints to comments voiced by the leaders of Western countries," the BBC quoted the President as saying.

Putin singled out former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss for suggesting during an August campaign event that she would be ready to press the nuclear button if circumstances required her to do so.

The President said he was surprised the UK's allies did not object: "What were we supposed to do? Keep silent? Pretend that we didn't hear it?" He also repeated his recent attacks on the West, and what he called its "dangerous, bloody and dirty game" of denying countries their sovereignty and uniqueness, the BBC reported.

The West's "undivided dominance" over world affairs was now coming to an end, Putin asserted.

"We're at a historical frontier. Ahead is probably the most dangerous, unpredictable and at the same time important decade since the end of World War Two." The West was no more able to be in charge, but was "desperately trying" to do so, the President said, adding that the "future world order is being formed before our eyes", and accused the West, led by the US, of trying to destroy Russia.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Chennai, Oct 28 : Tamil Nadu police sleuths are questioning two leaders of a little-known organisation 'Islamiya Prachara Peravai' at Ervadi in Ramanathapuram district.

The questioning of Abdul Khader, state general secretary of the 'Islamiya Prachara Peravai', and another person Mohammed Hussein Manpai, which commenced on Thursday evening, is continuing.

Mohammed Hussein, according to Tamil Nadu police officers is now running a travel agency and a catering unit. However, he was associated with the organisation while Abdul Khader is a full-time activist of the said organisation.

Sources in the Tamil Nadu police told IANS that the police team has zeroed in on these two people after questioning the six arrested who are the associates of deceased Jameesha Mubin.

Coimbatore City Police Commissioner V. Balakrishna had already told media persons that the deceased Mubin and his associates were planning to carry out a major attack in Coimbatore city to destroy key installations, including Railway station and District collectorate and kill people.

On February 14, 1998, serial bomb blasts had rocked Coimbatore killing 56 people and injuring 200 others. Coimbatore is a sensitive city as it has also witnessed many communal clashes in the last few years.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has already taken over the case and Tamil Nadu police are extending its support to the sleuths of the NIA.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday criticised the UN Security Council for failing to act when it comes to taking action against terrorists.

"When it comes to proscribing some of these terrorists, the Security Council has regrettably been unable to act in some cases because of political considerations. This undermines our collective credibility and our collective interests," Jaishankar said at the Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee meet in Mumbai.

He further said that in a month's time, "we'll be observing the 14th anniversary of ghastly attacks on Mumbai in November 2008".

"While one of the terrorists was captured alive, prosecuted and convicted by the highest court in India, key conspirators and planners of the 26/11 attacks continue to remain protected," the Minister added.

The two-day meet began earlier in the day at the Taj Mahal Hotel, one of the sites of the deadly 26/11 attacks.

Jaishankar, who paid tributes to the victims of the attacks, said that "it was not just an attack on Mumbai, it was an attack on the international community".

"Nationals of specific countries were identified before being murdered. As a result, the commitment of each and every member state of the UN to combat terrorism stood publicly challenged," he said.

Jaishankar said that there was need to send out a message that the international community will never give up on holding terrorists accountable and delivering justice.

"26/11 will never ever be forgotten," he added.
Ahyderabad, Oct 28 : Union Minister for Tourism and Culture, G. Kishan Reddy on Friday demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or by a sitting judge into the MLAs poaching case.

He said the BJP had nothing to do with the alleged attempt to lure four MLAs of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) with an offer of money.

The Union Minister said the BJP has already approached the Telangana High Court seeking a probe by the CBI.

He told reporters in New Delhi that the order of a court refusing remand of the three persons arrested by the police show how the case was registered in an irresponsible manner and without evidence.

An ACB Court judge on Thursday night ordered release of all three accused - Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji Swamy.

The three men said to be close to some top BJP leaders were arrested from a farmhouse at Moinabad on Wednesday night while they were trying to lure the four MLAs with offers of huge sums of money, important positions and contracts.

The police produced the accused before the judge at his residence in Saroornagar on Thursday night.

The judge rejected the police petition for sending the accused to judicial custody, citing lack of evidence. He observed that the Prevention of Corruption Act does not apply to the case as there is no evidence of bribe money.

Kishan Reddy alleged that it was a drama enacted by the TRS before Munugode Assembly by-election to target BJP.

He said the TRS was trying to project as if joining BJP is a crime or some unconstitutional act. He, however, clarified that there was no need for BJP to offer Rs.100 crore to TRS MLAs to make them defect to BJP.

Kishan Reddy, an MP from Secunderabad, remarked that BJP does not have money like KCR and his family. "KCR has money and that's why he has purchased an aircraft," he said.

The BJP leader alleged that it was KCR who encouraged defections and lured MPs, MLAs and other elected representatives from various parties with money and posts.

"If anybody has to be sent to jail it is KCR and his family," he said.
Islamabad, Oct 28 : Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan admitted that he had offered an extension to the tenure of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa when the then opposition was "conspiring" to topple his government.

"I repeatedly warned Gen Bajwa that if this no-confidence motion succeeds it will have a direct impact on the economy and no one would be able to control it as the economy will go into a tailspin," The Express Tribune quoted Khan as saying in an interview with a local TV channel on Thursday.

The PTI Chairman said he told the army chief that if the then opposition was offering him an extension then he could do the same.

His statement came after DG ISI Lt Gen Nadeem Najum revealed at the unprecedented press conference that the army chief was offered an indefinite extension for his tenure in front of him earlier in March this year.

In the same interview, Khan also asked the top leaders "as to why did they hold a press conference to discuss political matters if they were "political".

Commenting on PTI leader Faisal Vawda's press conference, the former premier expressed regret saying he was not expecting such statements which left his part leaders bewildered and shocked.

In Wednesday, Vawda appeared on state-owned broadcaster PTV and placed himself at the forefront and "tried to damage" the party's upcoming long march to Islamabad and denounced his claims that the protests would witness "bloodshed".

He claimed that the establishment had no role in the killing of senior journalist Arshad Sharif, adding that the name of the conspirators would be revealed soon.

He said that the killing of the senior journalist was not an accident and his murder was planned in Pakistan.

"I've made a video and named people... If I'm killed the personalities involved will also be killed in three to five hours."
Mumbai, Oct 28 : The wolves are howling in unison as after 'Param Sundari', Kriti Sanon is back to shaking a leg on the first song from her upcoming movie 'Bhediya', titled 'Thumkeshwari'.

The funky dance number sees Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon swaying to Ganesh Acharya's choreography. But, the major takeaway from the song is Shraddha Kapoor, who also features grooving to the upbeat number.

Sharing his thoughts on the track, Varun Dhawan said in a statement: "Thumkeshwari is a number that's tailor made to burn the dance floor. I thoroughly enjoyed performing to its funky tune. The song's lyrics are a catchy delight, and I am sure fans are going to have a gala time dancing to the track."

Image Source: IANS News

'Bhediya' belongs to the horror-comedy universe of producer Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films and Shraddha featuring in the song takes the viewers back to the 'Stree' days and piques the interest of the audience behind this appearance of her in the song and if she will have a cameo in the film as well.

About working on the song, Kriti said: "I had an absolute ball shooting for 'Thumkeshwari'. I was sharing screen space with Varun after a very long time and we have never worked on this kind of a grand track together. This was quite the memorable experience."

Image Source: IANS News

Composed by Sachin-Jigar and penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, who also wrote the lyrics for 'Param Sundari', Thumkeshwari is a peppy number crooned by the music directors themselves along with Ash King and Rashmeet Kaur.

Presented by Jio Studios and Dinesh Vijan, 'Bhediya' is a Maddock Films production, directed by Amar Kaushik, produced by Dinesh Vijan.

Image Source: IANS News

The film, which also stars Deepak Dobriyal and Abhishek Banerjee, will have a pan-India theatrical release in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil in 2D and 3D on November 25.

-- Syndicated from IANS
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the 'Chintan Shivir' of Home Ministers of States, through video conferencing, in New Delhi on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. (Photo: PIB/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the 'Chintan Shivir' of Home Ministers of States, through video conferencing, in New Delhi on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. (Photo: PIB/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the 'Chintan Shivir' of Home Ministers of States, through video conferencing, in New Delhi on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. (Photo: PIB/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Oct 28 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that Maoism in all its forms has to be eliminated to strengthen the internal security of the country.

The government has already adopted zero tolerance policy against terrorism, now it is high time that the urban Naxals or the Maoists holding pens were destroyed to safeguard the younger generation from being misled, he added.

Prime Minister Modi was virtually addressing the Ministry of Home Affairs MHA)'s Chintan Shivir in Surajkund, Haryana organised to discuss problems related to internal security.

As the government has been focusing on the Maoist-affected districts, the Maoists with pens are increasing their intellectual circle to the places from where they can create a distorted mentality in the coming generations, which would further be responsible for a rift in society, he stated.

Maoism has to be dealt with intelligently by experts. "Their faces look different and they work differently and the security agencies need to understand this," the PM stated, adding that the Maoists also get foreign help.

Addressing the Chief Ministers and Home Ministers of the states, he said that the government is also taking strict measures to end malpractices of money laundering and corruption in the country. All the states are understanding the gravity of destroying the ground network of terrorism.

To achieve the desired result, perfect coordination between the states and central agencies is a must as it is a fight to be fought jointly.

He said that due to development in Jammu and Kashmir and North East, the militants are returning to the mainstream. It is also important to pay attention to border security.

Prime Modi suggested that the officers should spend a day in the border areas to grasp the reality there. In the end, he expressed hope that a collective roadmap would be formed during the discussion in which everyone would be able to work together.
Kolkata, Oct 28 : The Calcutta High Court, on Friday, postponed till November 1 the hearing on a plea seeking permission to continue agitation in front of West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) office in Salt Lake.

Hearing a plea filed by candidates deprived of the primary teachers' posts, a division bench of Justices Amrita Sinha and Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee, which is a vacation bench, said that the matter will be heard by a regular bench of the court only on Tuesday (November 1).

To recall, on the late night of October 20 (technically October 21), following a sudden police action, protesters agitating in front of WBBPE office against the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of primary teachers in the state, were removed, which evoked massive protests from all sections of the society and opposition political parties in the state.

The police removed them armed with an earlier order of the Calcutta High Court that Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 has to be maintained in front of the WBBPE office.

At the same time, the agitators filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court seeking permission to continue with their agitation in front of the WBBPE office, the hearing for which was slated on Friday.

The counsels for the petitioners, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya and Priyanka Tibrewal appealed to the division bench for hearing the matter on a fast-track basis. However, the state's advocate general, Soumendra Nath Mookherjee, objected to that claiming the state government is yet to receive a copy of the appeal from the petitioners.

Finally, after hearing both sides, the division bench said that the matter will be heard by a regular bench on November 1.
Jaipur, Oct 28 : The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Friday constituted a two-member fact finding team to look into the matter of girls being auctioned off to settle disputes over loan repayments in Rajasthan's Bhilwara.

In a statement, the NCW said: "It has been further reported that in many settlements of the village, girls are sold for prostitution on stamp paper. In some cases, their mothers are subjected to rape on the diktats of caste panchayats for the settlement of disputes.

"The Commission has taken cognizance of the reported crime which is extremely appalling and traumatizing. The Commission has constituted a two-member fact finding ream to look into the matter. Chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to Chief Secretary, government of Rajasthan to take urgent action in the matter and apprise the Commission of the action taken.

"The Commission has also written to the Director General of Police, Rajasthan to immediately invoke relevant provisions in the FIR and to arrest all the accused at the earliest. A copy of the letter has also been sent to Superintendent of Police, Bhilwara." On Thursday, the National Human Rights Commission India (NHRC) had also sent a notice to the state government in connection with the same matter.

In a statement, the NHRC said that it had taken "suo motu cognizance of a media report that in a half dozen districts of Rajasthan, the girls are sold on stamp paper and if not, their mothers are subjected to rape on the diktats of cast panchayats for the settlement of disputes".

"Reportedly, whenever there is a dispute between the two parties particularly involving financial transactions and loans etc, the girls aged between 8-18 are auctioned to recover money. These girls are being sent to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, Delhi and even foreign countries and subjected to physical abuse, torture and sexual assault in slavery. The media reports have documented the ordeal of many victims of such horrendous crimes.a "The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to human rights violations of the victims of the such abominable practice. Accordingly, it has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of Rajasthan calling for a detailed report in the matter, along with an action taken report, measures already taken and if not, proposed to be taken to prevent such gory incidents," the statement added.

Meanwhile, the NHRC issued another notice to the Director General of Police, Rajasthan, to submit a detailed report mentioning the initiation of criminal prosecution against the perpetrators of such crime and their abettors/sympathizers.

"It must also contain the status of cases, including the registration of FIRs, charge-sheet, arrest, if any, in such incidents and the mechanism initiated to apprehend the people involved in such systematic crimes of flesh trade in the State. The report must also mention steps being taken or proposed to be taken against the public servant(s), who purported to have neglected perpetually prevention of such incidents. The response from both the Chief Secretary and DGP is excepted within four weeks." The NHRC has also asked its Special Rapporteur Umesh Kumar Sharma to visit and inspect the affected areas and submit a comprehensive report at the earliest, preferably, not later than three months.

Citing a media report dated October 26, it said that the "caste panchayats in Rajasthan are committing this crime like Syria and Iraq where the girls are enslaved".

"Reportedly, in Bhilwada, whenever there is any dispute between the two parties, they instead of going to the police, approach the Caste Panchayats for its settlement. It becomes the starting point of making the girls slave, if they are not sold, their mothers are ordered to be raped."
Mumbai, Oct 28 : As the 'Dabangg' star Salman Khan is back after recovering from Dengue, he will be seen dropping harsh truth bombs in the 'Shukravaar Ka Vaar' episode on the controversial 'Bigg Boss 16'.

On the upcoming episode, before Salman hits MeTV, the master of the coveted house announces a poll titled 'Mujhe Guardian Ki Zarurat Hain'.

As the name suggests, this poll requires all the housemates to cite the contestant who they think needs a guardian to play their game in the house. Ankit Gupta and Sumbul Touqeer get the most votes from the housemates and are made to sit behind a blackboard that reads 'Mujhe Guardian Ki Zarurat Hain'.

With the conclusion of this poll, the 'Shukravaar Ka Vaar' is ready for the arrival of Salman Khan, who will drop a blitzkrieg of truth bombs.

On the receiving end of Salman's 'vaar', Ankit and Sumbul are cautioned that they're hardly involved in the house and have insufficient visibility on the show. After this caveat, it will be interesting to watch how the guardian-needing duo up their game in the coming episodes on Colors.

The course of reality checks continues on this 'vaar' as the 'thappad' segment makes a comeback on the show. If all the housemates agree with Salman's opinion of the contestant sitting on the slap throne, the contestant will have to bear the consequences.

Latest updates on Bigg Boss Season 16

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Mumbai, Oct 28 : Acclaimed sitar player, composer and Grammy-nominee Anoushka Shankar, who is the daughter of sitar legend Pandit Ravi Shankar, is returning to India after 2 years for a three-city tour in support of her new music releases in December.

The tour will start on December 11 at Good Shepherd Auditorium in Bengaluru, followed by Shanmukhananda Auditorium in Mumbai on December 16 and culminating at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi on December 18. It will see the 7-time Grammy-nominated artiste presenting 'The Anoushka Shankar Project' which she has been performing live since 2007.

Anoushka will be seen navigating through experimental and exciting new sonic vistas throughout her performance and presenting an invigorating perspective on Indian classical music.

Elaborating on the India tour and her new music releases, Anoushka Shankar shared, "I'm beyond excited to finally return to India to perform after such a long gap. I feel I'm in a different place musically and creatively now, and I can't wait to share this new and exciting show with my audiences in India. I'm blessed to have a group of truly exceptional musicians joining me this time and I hope people enjoy the music".

In the first half of the evening, Anoushka will be joined by British electronic musician Gold Panda (aka Derwin Decker) in interpreting the legacy of the legendary Pandit Ravi Shankar. The duo will form a collaborative bridge between the electronic and classical instrumental worlds inspired by and referencing several of the late maestro's compositions.

In the second half of the evening, a quintet of musicians comprising clarinettist Arun Ghosh, Carnatic percussionist Pirashanna Thevarajah, drummer Sarathy Korwar and upright bassist Tom Farmer will accompany Anoushka for an inventive exploration of selected works from her own repertoire including her recently released digital album 'Between Us'.

As a mark of respect and as a reflection of her outrage, on December 16 - the 10th anniversary of the horrific Nirbhaya gang rape, Anoushka will be releasing a reimagined version of her 2013 track 'In Jyoti's Name' from her album 'Traces Of You'. Titled 'In Her Name', she will be performing the world premiere of this new song on its release day at the Mumbai show. This extended arrangement will include other, powerful female voices and has a specially written poem by acclaimed poet Nikita Gill.

Talking about 'In Her Name', Anoushka Shankar added, "How is it that ten years after the heartbreaking gang rape and murder that sent shockwaves of horror around the world, we are still inundated by stories of women who are attacked, murdered, policed, and unable to live in freedom and safety? The same ripping feeling in my gut that I felt in 2012 manifests over and over when I read of any one of these precious losses of life. With 'In Her Name', we have tried to broaden the lens across the current global female experience, fighting for safety, for freedom from fear and for freedom of choice".
October 28 : The release date for Hrithik Roshan's upcoming film, Fighter, has been postponed once again. The film, which also stars Deepika Padukone and Anil Kapoor, was initially set to be released in September but will now be released at a later date.

Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan took to his social media and dropped a new poster for the upcoming epic ariel drama Fighter. Along with the poster, the actor also unveiled the film's release date.

Sharing the poster on his social media, Hrithik Roshan wrote, "25th January 2024- see you at the theatres! #Fighter"

The new poster for the Sidharth Anand directorial has got fans even more excited about the movie. The poster features aircraft shooting explosives, and the makers are promising a massive spectacle that will be unlike anything audiences have seen before. The Fighter will be the first Indian film franchise to explore the genre of aerial action.

Meanwhile, Hrithik Roshan was last seen in the film Vikram Vedha alongside Saif Ali Khan. The actor made his comeback to the big screens after three-year hiatus. Apart from'Fighter,' the actor Krrish 4 is in the pipeline.
Srinagar, Oct 28 : GOC Chinar Corps Lt Gen ADS Aujla paid rich tributes today to Rifleman Kulbushan Manta who made the supreme sacrifice on Friday in a joint cordon and search operation of Army and Jammu and Kashmir police in village Washran in North Kashmir's Baramulla district.

Rifleman Kulbushan Manta had suffered gunshot wound and had been evacuated by helicopter to 92 Base Hospital, Srinagar.

"The Braveheart breathed his last at 12.30 p.m. on Oct 27," army said.

Late Rifleman Kulbushan Manta was twenty seven years old and had joined Army in 2014.

He belonged to village Gaunth of Kupvi (ST) Tehsil, Shimla District in Himachal Pradesh. He is survived by his wife.

"The mortal remains of Late Rifleman Kulbushan Manta are being taken for last rites to his native place in Himachal Pradesh, where he would be laid to rest with full military honours. In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved family and remains committed to their dignity and well being," army said.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : Delhi Police has arrested a man who allegedly ran his car over people following an argument with a bike rider, injuring three persons.

The incident occurred on Wednesday in Delhi's Alipur area. The accused has been identified as Nitin Maan, a resident of Alipur.

According to a senior police official, a police control room (PCR) call was received on Wednesday regarding the incident following which a police team rushed to the spot.

"On spot, which was in Nehru Enclave area, neither the complainant nor any eyewitness was found. It was surfaced at spot that the injured had been shifted to hospital for treatment," said the official.

"Police team reached hospital and collected MLCs of three persons injured in the incident," said the official.

"Statement of eyewitness and complainant Raj Kumar was recorded, who stated that on Wednesday, at about 9 p.m. he along with his family members were present outside his house when one man in Hyundai Creta started arguing with one boy," said the official.

"Upon seeing this, Kumar moved towards the driver and tried to pacify him. But the accused drove his car rashly and recklessly injuring three persons," said a police official privy to the investigation.

"On the basis of statement, a case under sections 279 (rash driving) and 337 (causing hurt by endangering life) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at Alipur police station and accused driver was arrested," he said.

"During investigation and on basis of emerging facts, section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC was added and accused was arrested again," said the official.
Chennai, Oct 28 : The delay in releasing funds from the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has led to schools in Tamil Nadu not being able to properly carry out maintenance work before the onset of the monsoon which is slated to arrive in the state on Saturday.

The SSA scheme provides Rs 10,000 for schools having sanctioned strength of 1 to 30 students, while others with 31 to 100 students will be granted Rs 25,000.

The schools with students between 101 to 250 will get Rs 50.000 and those with 251 to 500 students will receive Rs 75,000.

Meanwhile, schools with more than 1,000 students will get Rs 1 lakh.

The funds are used for maintenance works, including minor repairs in the schools buildings, installing drinking water facilities, electricity maintenance works, and purchasing teaching-learning materials.

The money sanctioned by the SSA will have to be spent within the academic year and in most of the times, the funds are released during the fag end of the financial year. This leads to funds being spent for unnecessary requirements.

A headmaster of a primary school in Tiruchirapally told IANS: "Most of the schools require this money so that basic minimum repair works ahead of the monsoon is completed. This includes minor school building maintenance work, repairs for electricity connection, water connectivity, and lights and switches in classrooms." However, sources in the state education department told IANS that in the previous academic year, the money was sanctioned in March and August and it was spent properly on the maintenance of the school building as well as electric connections.

The delay, according to the department, is due to certain issues with the newly-opened single nodal accounts.
Gandhinagar, Oct 28 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday announced Rs 630 crore relief package for crop loss due to heavy rainfall during monsoon season.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall lashed Saurashtra, Central and South Gujarat region in July and August, which damaged crops.

The state agriculture department had conducted a survey to assess the crop damage in the same months.

The relief package will be given to Chhotaudepur, Narmada, Panchmahal, Navsari, Valsad, Dangs, Tapi, Surat, Kutch, Junagadh, Morbi, Porbandar, Anand and Kheda districts.

Patel in a statement said, "Some eight lakh farmers of 2,554 villages of 50 Talukas in 14 districts will benefit from the relief package. Crops standing on 9.25 lakh hectares of agricultural land were washed out due to very heavy rains." The relief will be released in accordance with the State Disaster Response Fund criteria. If more than 33 per cent of the crop is damaged, farmers will be entitled for the compensation.

Per hectare, a farmer will be paid Rs 6,800 and to the maximum limit of two hectares.

For banana growers, per hectare compensation amount will be Rs 30,000 and for maximum of two hectares of land.
Kolkata, Oct 28 : A special CBI court on Friday rejected an application by a correctional home in Kolkata for the virtual appearance of former Minister Partha Chatterjee in connection with the multi-crore West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) scam and instead ordered his physical presence on October 31.

The state's former education minister was supposed to be physically present at the court on Friday. However, the authorities of the Presidency Special Correctional Home, where he is being housed, made an appeal for his virtual presence.

However, the letter of appeal from the correctional home the court on Friday morning.

However, complications then started as the link for the virtual hearing started malfunctioning.

At the same time, the court took strong objections to the letter of appeal claiming that it was unwarranted since in the previous hearing, it had ordered for physical presence of the accused on Friday.

Finally, the special court of CBI ordered Chatterjee's physical presence by 10.20 a.m. on October 31.

Despite the former minister being ready for a physical appearance, the correctional home authorities have insisted on his virtual presence on security grounds.

In its first charge sheet on the scam filed recently, the CBI had pinpointed Chatterjee as the principal mastermind behind the conspiracy.

Similarly, Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is conducting a parallel probe in the matter, also filed its charge sheet in which it held Chatterjee as the prime conspirator.

He was arrested by ED in of July and he is currently under judicial custody.
San Francisco, Oct 28 : Encrypted messaging platform Telegram has announced to hold an auction for usernames through a marketplace built on top of the TON Blockchain for both individual accounts and channels.

According to TechCrunch, the concept was first brought up in August by Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, who noted the potential for "a little bit of Web 3.0 to Telegram." "I am really impressed by the success of the auction TON conducted for their domain/wallet names. Wallet.ton was sold for 215,250 Toncoin ($260000) while casino.ton was sold for $244000," Durov was quoted as saying in the report.

"If TON has been able to achieve these results, imagine how successful Telegram with its 700 million users could be if we put reserved usernames, group and channel links for auction," he added.

Telegram and TON Foundation use a separate website (fragment.com) as a hub for these auctions. Users can access the website using Telegram, the Tonkeeper app or their TON-based wallets.

The website will assist users to connect their accounts to the purchased handles, the report said.

Each handle that is placed up for bid will have an additional hour for final bidding and will end in a week.

The company sets a $10,000 Toncoin minimum auction value for four-character handles, which at the time of writing is equal to about $18,400.
Bhopal, Oct 28 : A 23-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped in Madhya Pradesh's Tikamgarh district, and six accused have been arrested in this connection, police said on Friday.

In her complaint, the victim told the police that she had come to Tikamgarh around one month back and she got familiar with one of the accused, who helped her find a flat on rent.

The complaint further alleged that on October 26, one of the accused came to her rented flat and asked her to accompany her to a party venue in the district.

The victim claimed that as she was familiar to the man, she agreed to go for the party, however, when she reached the venue, five more persons were also present there. After partying, they started molesting her under the influence of alcohol.

The victim said that she resisted and decided to leave for her home but the accused took her to an isolated place and gang-raped her.

Later, the victim lodged a complaint at the police station.

"The incident occurred on October 26 and all the accused were arrested. The woman had come to Tikamgarh a month ago," said Sub-Inspector Raghuraj.

Police have registered a case under sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 294 (obscene acts and songs), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 376 (rape), 377 (Unnatural offence), and 506 (criminal intimidation).
Chennai, Oct 28 : Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, the country largest car maker, closed the second quarter of FY23 with a higher net profit of Rs 2,061.5 crore.

In a regulatory filing on Friday, the company said it earned total operational revenue of Rs 29,930.8 crore and a net profit of Rs 2,061.5 crore for the quarter ended on September 30.

For the previous year's corresponding period, Maruti Suzuki's total operational revenue stood at Rs 20,538.9 crore and a net profit of Rs 475.3 crore.

During the quarter under review, the company had sold 517,395 vehicles -- domestic 454,200 units, exports 63,195 units.

Shortage of electronic components impacted production by about 35,000 vehicles in this quarter.

The same period previous year was marked by acute shortage of electronic components and consequently the company could sell a total of 379,541 units comprising 320,133 units in domestic and 59,408 units in export markets.

Pending customer orders stood at about 412,000 vehicles at the end of this quarter out of which about 130,000 vehicle pre-bookings are for recently launched models, the company said.

"Maruti Suzuki Q2 performance was better-than-street estimates. It s new models - New Brezza, New Baleno, and Vitara have been gaining g ood traction. Pending customer orders stood at about 412k vehicles at the end of the quarter, of which 130k units for the newly launched models. The company has addressed white spaces in its portfolio through the launch of Brezza and Grand Vitara," said Mansi Lall, Research Associate, Prabhudas Lilladher Pvt Ltd According to Lall, higher competition in the SUV space and slow revival in the entry segment still remains a concern.

Production levels for the company are almost back to normal levels as the chip issue is largely addressed.

"However, market share gains remain key for Maruti, due to the competitive intensity in the UV space. Maruti has lost significant market share over the last few years (41 per cent in Sep-22YTD vs 51 per cent in FY19)," Lall said.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday pitched for 'One Nation, One Uniform' for poilce, saying that the states should also think about bringing changes in the laws made before Independence.

During MHA's Chintan Shivir, which is being held at Surajkund, Haryana to discuss problems related to internal security, through video conferencing on Friday, he said that all states should consider doing something to the police uniforms on the lines of One Nation, One Ration Card.

"This would ensure quality product and easy recognition of policemen. Even though it could take time, the idea should be discussed," he added.

Addressing the Chief Ministers and Home Ministers of the states, Modi said that there have been many law reforms in recent years, which have helped in creating peace and order in the country.

"At the same time, many provisions related to trade and business have been removed from the criminal category. The government has also reduced the burden of the future by abolishing more than 1,500 old laws," Modi stated.

He added that laws like UAPA have given strength to systems against terrorism.

Modi said that next 25 years will be for creating an 'amrit peedhi' in the country by imbibing the resolutions of 'Panch Pran', which include creation of a developed India, freedom from all colonial mindset, pride in heritage, unity and citizen duty. These can be accomplished only with the efforts of everyone. He added that this should be the motive behind governance.

The decisions and policies of the people related to law and order are very important to create a favourable environment in the states. The entire system of law and order have to be credible, he said.

He gave the example of National Disaster Response Force's (NDRF) image that has been created at the time of natural calamities. "When the police reach the spot, people feel that the government has arrived. In the pandemic too, policemen worked while risking their lives. Policemen are dutiful, there is just a need to create perception among the citizens," he said.
Greater Noida, Oct 28 : Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's schedule for his Greater Noida visit on October 31 has been released. According to this, the CM will reach Greater Noida on October 31 and will welcome President Droupadi Murmu on November 1 at an event to be held at the Expo Centre.

According to the schedule, Adityanath will reach Knowledge Park in Greater Noida around 4.30 p.m. to inaugurate the country's largest and the state's first data centre park, following which he will stop for the night in Greater Noida.

President Murmu will reach Expo Mart on November 1 for the Seventh India Water Week, where Yogi Adityanath will welcome her.

After this, the CM will inaugurate the water treatment plant in Knowledge Park 4 of Greater Noida.

He will also address the gathering at Sharda University while launching a Gangajal project and a LED light project. He will leave for Lucknow at 5 p.m.
Mumbai, Oct 28 : The 'Khiladi' of Bollywood Akshay Kumar's latest release 'Ram Setu' and Hindi film star Ajay Devgn's 'Thank God', which clashed as the box-office, has raked in Rs 35.40 crore and Rs 18.25 crore respectively since their release on October 25.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to Twitter, here he shared the box-office numbers for both movies.

For 'Ram Setu', he shared: "#RamSetu is holding well in mass pockets, which is driving its biz... But biz at multiplexes/urban centres - which contribute a large chunk - is lacklustre... Weekend biz [Fri to Sun] will be the decider...Tue 15.25 cr, Wed 11.40 cr, Thu 8.75 cr. Total: ? 35.40 cr. #India biz." The story of 'Ram Setu' revolves around an atheist archaeologist turned believer, Dr Aryan Kulshrestha (Akshay Kumar), who must race against time to prove the true existence of the legendary Ram Setu before evil forces destroy the pillar of India's heritage.

For Ajay Devgn, Sidharth Malhotra and Rakul Preet Singh-starrer 'Thank God': "#ThankGod is on a declining spree... The 3-day total is shockingly low, more so during #Diwali period... An upturn on Sat and Sun is very important... Tue 8.10 cr, Wed 6 cr, Thu 4.15 cr. Total: ? 18.25 cr. #India biz." 'Thank God' is a fantasy comedy drama film directed by Indra Kumar. It is an official remake of the Danish film 'Sorte Kugler'.
Odisha CM asks Collectors to take care of centres run by Missionaries of Charity Image Source: IANS News

Bhubaneswar, Oct 28 : Inaugurating golden jubilee celebration of the establishment of Dhauli Shanti Stupa (Peace Pagoda) near Bhubaneswar in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday called upon all to work together to create a safer world for future generations.

Joined by hundreds of monks from Japan, the US, Ukraine and Kazakhstan to celebrate the occasion, Patnaik said that peace has no alternative.

It has its significance in all ages. Peace is the only option to achieve the goals of a better and beautiful world, he added.

"Let us work together to spread the message of peace and create a safer world for our future generation," he said.

Delving into the glorious history of Odisha, he said that the pages of the state's history starts with Dhauli and the Kalinga war. Although, the war ended with massive bloodshed, Dhauli continues to sing the moral victory of the entire humanity. It is this place where Ashoka realised the futility of war and bloodshed, and embraced Buddhism, said Patnaik.

In fact, he said, Dhauli changed the course of world history by spreading the message of global peace and harmony.

He further said that the 50th year commemoration of the establishment of Dhauli Shanti Stupa is a matter of great pride, glory and joy for all. This is the land that transformed Emperor Ashoka to Dharmashoka.

The Shanti Stupa stands here as a monument symbolising and spreading the message of peace, harmony and progress, he stated.

The Chief Minister further said that Dhauli Peace Pagoda is a great creation of modern architecture. It bears the testimony of Indo-Japanese friendship that stands for global peace and mutual cooperation. The place will continue to spread the message of peace for all in the time to come, he added.

He offered tributes to Fujii Guruji of Japan, the founder and preceptor of Nipponzan Myohoji, for his invaluable contribution in building the 'Biswa Shanti Stupa' at Dhauli.

The Odisha government has taken steps for beautification and holistic development of Dhauli Shanti Stupa to make it an international tourist destination, he said.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister announced construction of an in-stream storage on the Daya River at Basantpur with an estimated cost of Rs 95 crore. The tender process for the project has already been started, he informed.
Hyderabad, Oct 28 : In another twist in 'MLAs poaching' case, an audio of telephonic conversation between the main accused and a TRS MLA surfaced on Friday.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leaked the audio of purported conversation between Ramachandra Bharati, alias Satish Sharma alias Swamiji, and Pilot Rohit Reddy, the MLA who tipped-off the Cyberabad police about the attempt to buy him and three other MLAs resulting in the arrest of three alleged agents of BJP.

The names of BJP general secretary B. L. Santhosh and 'Number two' figured in the telephonic conversation about the deal to buy the MLAs.

The conversation, which was also joined by second accused Nanda Kumar alias Nandu, took place before the accused met four TRS MLAs at a farmhouse near Hyderabad on Wednesday.

During the conversation, Swamiji is heard telling Rohit Reddy that once the abulk' is ready, ASantosh can come to Hyderabad to finalise it. Swamiji also informed Rohit that Santosh had gone to Ahmedabad with 'Number two'.

"Can you share the names with number two," asked Swamiji when Rohit Reddy was reluctant to share the names of other MLAs ready to switch loyalties.

Swamiji also assured the MLA that the Centre will give complete protection from the Centre. "It is our responsibility to take care of you. When you are under our scanner, you don't have to worry, including from ED to the income tax. We have good experience in Bengal," the MLA was told.

Ramachandra Bharati of Delhi, Nanda Kumar of Hyderabad and Simhayaji Swamy were arrested by the police during a raid on a farmhouse at Moinabad near Hyderabad on Wednesday night.

The accused said to be close to some top BJP leaders were trying to lure four MLAs of the TRS with offers huge sums of money, important positions and contracts.

In his complaint to police, Rohit Reddy alleged that they offered Rs 100 crore to him and Rs50 crore each to three other MLAs.

The incident triggered tremor in state politics ahead of the November 3 by-election to Munugode Assembly seat as the TRS claimed a conspiracy by BJP to topple its government had been foiled.

The saffron party, however, denied the allegations and claimed that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao orchestrated a drama to tarnish its image for electoral gain in Munugode.

The police produced the accused before a judge at his residence on Thursday night with a petition to remand them to judicial custody.

The judge, however, rejected the police petition for sending the accused to judicial custody, citing lack of evidence. He observed that the Prevention of Corruption Act does not apply to the case as there is no evidence of bribe money.

The judge told police to issue notices to the accused under Section 41 of Criminal Procedure Code for questioning.

On the judge's orders, police released all the three accused. They were subsequently issued notices directing them to appear before police within 24 hours. The police also moved the Telangana High Court challenging the order of the lower court.
Faridabad, Oct 28 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said the Central government should issue directions to financial institutions for blocking bank accounts even during a holiday in case of a cyber crime.

"Sometimes when a person reports cyber crime, immediate action is not taken because of weekends or public holidays. To keep a check on such crimes, the banking system should remain active round-the-clock," he said while speaking during the second day of the Chintan Shivir in Surajkund.

Presently, the fraud victims have to suffer financial losses because of the non-blocking of bank accounts in spite of getting timely information during holidays, said the Chief Minister while sharing his views on the topic of cybercrime discussed during the first session of the last day of the two-day Chintan Shivir.

The second day of Chintan Shivir started with the virtual address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Chintan Shivir was held under the chairmanship of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Surajkund.

State Governors, Chief Ministers, Home Ministers, Director Generals of Police and other delegates held discussions relating to law and order and internal security of the country. After the Prime Minister's address, the topic of cybercrime was discussed.

Later in his address, Khattar said in the era of information technology, the cases of cyber crimes have also increased. Moving ahead in this direction, cyber desks have been set up in every police station. As many as 29 new cyber police stations are being opened across the state.

"Besides, we are also running several awareness camps to make people aware of cyber crimes through helpline number 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in portal," said the Chief Minister.

He said about 46,000 complaints related to cybercrime have been received in the state, in which 22,000 cases have been resolved and justice has been delivered to the victims while taking strict action against the criminals.

The Chief Minister also demanded to expand the scope of investigation of complaints in cyber crimes by amending Section 70 of the Information Technology Act.

He said 10 centres have been opened in the state for central police forces and work is in progress to set up three new centres. The state is also ready to provide land for setting up additional training or group centres for central police forces, he said.

About the police modernisation fund, the Chief Minister said the state government has made full use of this fund. Along with this, the Centre should also give a special package for the modernisation of Haryana Police and necessary resources.

He said the security agency in the state is constantly working to keep a check on drug smuggling. Commendable work has been done in collaboration with other adjoining states to stop smuggling through neighbouring countries.

Along with putting the criminals involved in drug smuggling behind the bars, the work of punishing them financially is also being done. The Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and Systems (CCTNS) project has also been implemented in Haryana.

To prevent crimes against women, 33 new police stations and 239 helpdesks have been set up at the sub-division levels in the state. Free legal aid is also being provided to women. Also, the women's helpline has also been integrated with dial 112, added Khattar.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has taken over the investigation into the Coimbatore blast case, has recovered incriminating documents and bomb making material from the house of Jameesha Mubin who died in the Coimbatore blast.

A search operation was conducted at the house of the deceased Jamesha Mubin, during which 109 articles were seized, including notebooks, in which their missions regarding Jihad were mentioned, an official of the NIA said.

"We recovered black powder, potassium nitrate, Black powder nitroglycerin, PETN powder, aluminium powder, sulphur powder, sterile surgical were recovered," the official said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had on Thursday ordered NIA to take over the probe after which it registered an FIR.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had recommended a NIA probe into the case.

Mubin, a 25-year-old engineering graduate, was killed in the car explosion on October 23.

He was previously questioned by the NIA in 2019 regarding his social media contact with the main accused in the Easter Day bombings in Sri Lanka.

The probe agency is also investigating whether C.A. Rauf, the Kerala state secretary of the banned Islamist organisation, Popular Front of India (PFI) who was in hiding ever since the outfit was banned, had any role in motivating the youngsters including Mubin to take the extreme terror steps.

The NIA sleuths late Thursday night arrested Rauf from his residence in Pattambi located in Kerala's Palakkad district.

Immediately after the car blast, the Tamil Nadu police have arrested five accomplices of Mubin which included Mohammed Thalka, son of Nawab Khan who is the brother of Al-Umma founder and the main culprit in the Coimbatore serial bomb blast of 1998, February 14 in which 56 people died and 200 people injured.

The others arrested are -- Mohammed Azharuddin, Mohammed Riyaz, Firoz Ismail, and Mohammed Navas Ismail.

The arrested have been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Islamabad, Oct 28 : Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday said that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud would soon visit Pakistan, adding that the Crown Prince has expressed his willingness to support development projects in the country, media reports said.

The premier's remarks came days after he concluded a three-day trip to Saudi Arabia during which the two leaders resolved to upgrade bilateral ties and fraternal bonds, Dawn reported.

Speaking at the passing out parade of the Specialised Training Programme (STP) batch of the National Police Academy in Islamabad, Sharif talked about his meeting with the Saudi Prime Minister earlier this week.

"Earlier this year, a team from the Saudi Development Fund visited Pakistan. During a meeting with me, they complained about delays in projects in Pakistan caused by the previous government," he recalled.

"Trust me, it was very embarrassing. But I asked for some time and got approvals for all the delayed projects within 48 hours," Sharif said, Dawn reported.

The Prime Minister said that during his meeting with Prince Salman, he had apologised for these delays.

"He (Prince Salman) said that the people of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are closely bound together in a relationship. 'We are like one family and I am ready to do everything'... These were his words.

"The Saudi prince also told us to work on projects and to facilitate them without any worries," Sharif said, elaborating that the projects included an oil refinery which is worth $10 billion.

Hence, he added, when Prince Salman visits Pakistan, "I want all of you to welcome him warmly because he comes from a brotherly country".

Sharif also said that in the last few years, Pakistan's relations with friendly countries had suffered and promised that he is making all-out efforts to mend ties.
Hyderabad, Oct 28 : Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay on Friday swore at Yadadri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple that his party is not involved in the attempt to "buy" MLAs of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

Sanjay, along with scores of BJP leaders, reached the shrine at Yadagirigutta and swore at the feet of the deity in the presence of priests, claiming that his party is in no way involved in "MLAs poaching" case.

He dared Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to come to the temple to swear that he had not scripted the poaching drama.

He had earlier asked the TRS chief to fix the date and time. Since there was no reaction from the TRS leader, Sanjay announced that he will visit the temple on Friday to take the pledge.

Sanjay, who is also a Member of Parliament, left for the temple from Munugode where he was campaigning for the November 3 by-election.

Police had made tight security arrangements to prevent any untoward incident. There were speculations that he may be arrested by the police on the way to the temple but he was not stopped.

However, supporters of the ruling party took out a rally in Yadagirigutta urging Bandi Sanjay not to spoil the sanctity of the Yadadri Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple by visiting it for political challenges.

More than a thousand TRS activists participated in the rally holding black flags and raising slogans "Bandi Sanjay down down" and "Go back Bandi Sanjay".

After taking the pledge at the temple, Sanjay alleged that the TRS made a false allegation to tarnish the image of the BJP. He termed it a conspiracy by the TRS in view of Munugode by-election.

The BJP leader also alleged that the TRS resorted to the cheap tactic due to fear of defeat in the by-election. He said despite all the conspiracies by the TRS, the BJP will win the by-election with a huge majority.

The MP said the TRS made the allegation without any evidence. "It did not even produce any evidence in the court," he said referring to the court order refusing remand for the three accused arrested in the case.

Sanjay demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the case to bring out the truth. He said the BJP had already approached the High Court seeking CBI investigation.

Cyberabad police had arrested three alleged agents of BJP from a farmhouse near Hyderabad on Wednesday night while they were trying to lure four MLAs of TRS with offers of huge sums of money.

Ramachandra Bharati of Delhi, Nanda Kumar of Hyderabad, and Simhayaji Swamy of Tirupati were arrested by the police during the raid conducted following a tip-off of TRS MLA Pilot Rohit Reddy.

In his complaint to police, Rohit Reddy alleged that they offered Rs 100 crore to him and Rs 50 crore each to three other MLAs.

The police produced the accused before a judge at his residence on Thursday night with a petition to remand them to judicial custody.

The judge, however, rejected the police petition, citing lack of evidence. He observed that the Prevention of Corruption Act does not apply to the case as there is no evidence of bribe money.

The judge told police to issue notices to the accused under Section 41 of Criminal Procedure Code for questioning.

On the judge's orders, police released all the three accused. They were subsequently issued notices directing them to appear before police within 24 hours. The police also moved the Telangana High Court challenging the order of the lower court.
Chandigarh, Oct 28 : To scientifically utilise the plastic material which otherwise is not recycled, Punjab's Bathinda Municipal Corporation has started constructing roads from it.

Punjab Local Government Minister Inderbir Singh Nijjar on Friday said the introduction of the use of plastic in road construction, an effective solution to the waste has been found with reduced cost.

In Jujhar Singh Nagar, the road from Bajwa House to the Main Street and street number 3-A and 3-B roads have been constructed by using plastic waste.

He said 1,000-running-foot-long road has been constructed by using eight per cent plastic waste in bitumen.

The minister said the use of plastic for the road construction will help solving problem of its menace.

He said by using plastic for the construction of roads, the roads will be made of better quality than before.

Along with this, the cost of road construction will also reduce.

He said soon in other municipal committees and corporations the use of plastic for road construction will start.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : The Congress has reportedly told the Election Commission that the electorate should decide on the issue of "freebies".

In a reply to the poll panel on October 20, the Congress has given, pointwise, its preliminary objections on the matter on grounds of jurisdiction, enforceability, definition on freebies and others, and sought time for personal hearing.

"The Election Commission has sought, by way of the proposed amendment, to limit campaign promises to only those that are 'possible to be fulfilled'. Again, this is a woolly formulation. Every single party will claim that their promises are enforceable and given that the requirement proposed is to give a 'broad formulation'" for how the promise will be achieved the threshold isn't a difficult one to clear... which again brings us back to the concern that this is a redundant exercise," said the reply made by senior party leader and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh.

"It is important to remember that even assuming without conceding that something needs to be done about any issue, it does not follow that that issue is justiciable or liable to regulation by constitutional bodies, be it courts or the Election Commission. Freebies, howsoever defined, appear to fall in this category," it said.

It said that freebies "are part of the dialectics of a vibrant democratic system. They are relatable to the give and take thrust of politics. They depend on the wisdom, the discernment and analysis of the electorate which should never be taken to be less than acute".

"It is really something which is to be decided, be it pre-election or post-election, be it by way of electoral punishment or electoral acceptance and reward that the electorate decides the wisdom of such poll promises or campaign assurances and equally decides their breach and non-compliance. Neither the Election Commission, nor the government, nor indeed even the courts, have jurisdiction to justiciate and regulate such issues. It would therefore be best for the Commission to desist from doing so."
New Delhi, Oct 28 : A 40-year-old member of the Nasir gang, who was absconding for the past two years, has been arrested from the Seelampur area in the national capital.

The accused was identified as Nadeem alias Kaliya, a resident of Jafrabad.

Police said that Nadeem was previously found involved in eight cases, including murder, under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and Arms Act.

The court had also issued a non-bailable warrant for his arrest.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast) Sanjay Kumar Sain that on October 27, specific inputs were received regarding the presence of Nadeem in the Seelampur area.

"Acting on the inputs, a trap was laid and after a brief chase and scuffle, a police team succeeded in apprehending him. On his cursory search, one semi automatic pistol loaded with six cartridges was recovered from his possession," the DCP said.

"During interrogation, he confessed to his crime and further revealed that he has been hiding in Rampur in Uttar Pradesh for a very long time. But after his wife's death, he shifted to Suiwalan near Daryaganj in a rented flat and was living there for the last one month," the DCP added.
Chennai, Oct 28 : Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi on Friday wondered why it took four days for the M.K. Stalin-led state government to recommend an NIA investigation into the October 23 Coimbatore car blast case.

Speaking at a programme in Coimbatore, Ravi, a former IPS officer, also questioned how the monitoring agencies failed to pick up on the blast even as the perpetrators of the crime were on the radar for long.

He also said that the car blast was an attempt to unleash a major terror act and this was proved after a huge quantity of raw materials required for making IEDs was seized.

The Governor said that these were ample evidence that the terrorists were about to strike in Coimbatore.

"We know that terrorists are enemies of everyone and friends of none and we know that terrorists do not work in isolation and are part of a larger network. What they were doing was part of a larger conspiracy. Coimbatore is a known place for harbouring terrorists for a long time. They have been trained and taken to Iraq, Syria and Afghanisthan," R.N. Ravi said.

Stating that India was on the cusp of development and moving forward, he said the adversaries of the country do not like the progress the country was making.

"These adversaries do not have the capacity to take on India upfront, hence they were resorting to tactics like terrorism," Ravi said, adding: "They are trying to create problems in the country and using terrorism as a tool to achieve their goals." "It's a proxy war, the most sinister and secret way.... We need to be very alert." The Tamil Nadu Governor also called upon the authorities not to "go soft" on terrorists, and take decisions at a faster pace.
Chennai, Oct 28 : BJP's Tamil Nadu unit President K. Annamalai on Friday told the Madras High Court that his party had not given any call for a bandh on October 31 in Coimbatore.

Advocate R.C. Paul Kanagaraj, appearing for Annamalai told a division bench of Justices Paresh Upadhyay and D. Bharatha Chakravarthy said that the party was yet to decide on the form of protest.

While responding to a public interest litigation petition filed against the statements made with respect to the bandh, the lawyer said that the issue was premature as the party was yet to take a decision.

The court observed that it would wait and watch the form of protests the party will be carrying out on October 31 and adjourned the hearing of the PIL to November 1.

It told Additional Advocate General J. Ravindran that it would be the duty of the state to maintain law and order.

Coimbatore-based businessman, Vengadesh had filed a PIL, telling the court that BJP leaders had called the bandh to condemn the state government for its alleged negligence in investigating the October 23 car blast in Coimbatore.

Noting that the state police had arrested six individuals in connection with the blast case and that the state had recommended the case to be investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the petitioner contended that even after all such measures were taken, BJP leaders were pressuring the traders and businesspeople to down their shutters on October 31 in solidarity with the bandh call.
Mumbai, Oct 28 : Raising many eyebrows, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday directly accused the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) of 'political considerations' which prevents the global body from acting against terror.

"When it comes to proscribing some of these terrorists, the Security Council has regrettably been unable to act in some cases because of political considerations. This undermines our collective credibility and our collective interests," Jaishankar said here without mincing words.

He was speaking at an informal briefing of the Counter Terrorism Committee of the UNSC in Mumbai -- exactly a month ahead of the upcoming 14th anniversary of the 26/11, 2008 Mumbai terror strikes.

Jaishankar said that while one of the (10) terrorists in that attack was captured alive, prosecuted and convicted by the highest court in India, the key conspirators and planners of the 26/11 terror mayhem remain protected and unpunished.

Without naming any country, the EAM said that "our real tribute to the victims will be to rededicate ourselves to combating and eliminating the menace of terrorism... and this by stronger determination and joint action", as terrorism poses a serious threat to international peace and security and to the entire humanity.

"We must rise above our political differences to address this scourge. The battle against terrorism must be fought on all fronts, all situations and all places. We cannot be found wanting in our efforts. As the UN Secretary-General stated, 'Terrorism is pure evil one with which we can never compromise'," said Jaishankar.

He said it is incumbent on all responsible members of the international community to remember the trauma of every terror victim across the world and to persevere in the efforts to bring the perpetrators of terrorism to justice, and boost the multilateral efforts by the UN to address the terror threat holistically and collectively.

Jaishankar said together "we should send out the message that the international community will never give up on holding terrorists accountable and delivering justice... 26/11 will never ever be forgotten".

On his part, Jaishankar presented a five-point formula to grapple terror by the horns, with the UN's coordination with other bodies.

These include targeting 'terror financing' to hit back at and counter terrorism with the UN joining hands with others like the FATF and Egmont Group, transparent and effective functioning of the UNSC sanctions to ensure they not rendered worthless for 'political reasons'.

"Objective and evidence-based proposals for listing of terrorist groups, especially those that curb their access to financial resources must be seen through," he urged.

Jaishankar sought international cooperation and concerted action against terrorists and their sponsors, by dismantling their safe havens, sanctuaries, training grounds, financial and ideological plus political support structures to weed out the terror plague.

He also said terrorism's well-established nexus with 'transnational organised crime, illicit drugs and arms trafficking' must be recognised and multilateral efforts must be made to break them.

The EAM said over the years, the terror groups have diversified their funding portfolios by exploiting the new or emerging but anonymous technologies like 'virtual currencies' for raising funds or financing their activities, more of which will be deliberated in Delhi on Saturday.

He remembered the UNSC's condemnation of the 26/11 terror attacks -- "The Members of the Council underline the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice and urged all States to cooperate with the Indian authorities in this regard. All acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation".

Present at meeting on Friday -- held at the Hotel Taj Mahal Palace, one of the sites targeted in the 26/11 terror attacks -- were the current UNSC President Michael Moussa Adamo who is also the Foreign Minister of Gabon, UN Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ruchira Kamboj, Ministers, heads of delegations of the UNSC Member-States and civil society stakeholders from across the world.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)
Kohima, Oct 28 : President Droupadi Murmu would visit Nagaland on November 2 and 3, on her second visit to the northeastern region after assuming office, officials said on Friday.

Officials said that the President would attend a number of events while the state government would accord her a civic reception at Capital Cultural Hall in Kohima on November 2.

The state government has invited Presidents and other leaders of the 22 tribal organisations to attend the civic reception wearing their traditional shawls.

President Murmu earlier this month visited Tripura (October 12-13) and Assam (October 13-14) and laid foundation stones and inaugurated a slew of projects.
Islamabad, Oct 28 : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Swati on Friday held two military officials responsible for his custodial torture and called for them to be removed from their posts, the media reported.

Swati, who was arrested earlier this month in a case registered against him over a controversial tweet thought to be against the armed forces, made the remarks at a press conference in Islamabad ahead of the PTI's long march, the Dawn reported.

Since his arrest, Swati has alleged he was stripped and tortured. Last week, PTI Chairman Imran Khan decried Swati's "custodial torture" in a press conference alongside him. The Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights also condemned it.

During his presser on Friday, the PTI leader alleged "Major General Faisal" and "Sector Commander Fahim" were the "two culprits" behind his abuse and custodial torture. He did not reveal their full names in his presser, Dawn reported.

He revealed the names with the "expectation" from the nation, courts, president and parliament members that a proper investigation would be conducted and the officials would be "removed from their positions".

Swati referred to "a few individuals of the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence)" as the "masters of the black and white of this country, as no institution is safe from the blackmailing of those people".

He also demanded "the infamous ISI political wing be buried"" as it was responsible for the country's "insult and notoriety" rather than being the army's flag carrier, Dawn reported.

At the same time, the PTI leader acknowledged the professional expertise of the ISI and appreciated soldiers and generals, calling Pakistan "a living body whose soul is its people and the ISI".

He insisted that he was "not insulting the brave army, but correcting them", which was permissible under the Constitution.

During the press conference, he also showed the torture marks present on his hands "15 days after the incident".

According to him, the speech for the conference was written by Swati himself as per the advice of his lawyers -- something the politician revealed he almost never does.

He further said that he had presented his case to the Supreme Court a few days ago in the presence of his lawyers and the journalist community, Dawn reported.
Patna, Oct 28 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar skipped the internal security meeting called by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in Delhi.

The reason for avoiding the meeting could be sour political relations between Nitish Kumar and BJP.

Nitish Kumar, who was injured recently during the inspection of Chhath Ghats on the banks of Ganga river in Patna, is avoiding any such meetings or events.

The internal security meeting was held for two days on Thursday and Friday in New Delhi where Chief Ministers and Home Ministers of all the states were invited. Besides Nitish Kumar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Benerjee, Odhisa's Naveen Patnaik, Tamil Nadu's M.K. Stalin and Jharkhand's Hemant Soren maintained distance from it.

Instead of Chief Ministers and Home Ministers, these states sent the chief secretary, DGP or other ministers to attend the meeting.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah discussed the issues of terrorism, communal extremism, cyber crimes, narcotics and other issues in the meeting and appealed to every state representative for the coordination.
Lhasa, Oct 28 : Protests against strict Covid-19 restrictions in Tibetan capital Lhasa have spread to at least four different areas of the city, prompting "scuffles" with authorities in some cases, media reports said.

Many of the protesters are ethnic majority Han Chinese migrant workers, who likely obtained permission to reside in Lhasa for jobs that pay daily wages, RFA reported.

Sources in the city, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns, said that the migrant workers have been demanding that local authorities issue them permits to return to their homes in eastern China because they have been unable to earn a living during the nearly three months of lockdown in the city, the report said.

In the footage from one video obtained late on Wednesday, a man claiming to be a police officer could be seen pleading with the protesters in Mandarin to return to their homes, saying their concerns have been relayed to senior officials.

On Wednesday, scores of people had taken to the streets in what appeared to be Chengguan district's Chakrong area in eastern Lhasa, as well as the Payi area of the city, based on videos obtained by sources in the region.

By Thursday, the protests had spread to include the districts of Lhalu and Kuang Ye, with newly obtained video footage showing crowds growing more restless. In one such video, protesters appeared to engage in a yelling and shoving match with the authorities, while in another, a group of people appear to push a large iron gate off of its hinges, RFA reported.

Sangay Kyab, a Tibet expert based in Spain, told RFA that Chinese authorities likely did not resort to violence to crack down on the protests in Lhasa because they were related to Covid restrictions, and because Beijing doesn't want the situation to escalate.

Sakar Tashi, a Belgium-based China and Tibet watcher, took it a step further, suggesting that the authorities wouldn't have responded as peacefully to a protest held exclusively by Tibetans.

"Han people in Lhasa protested against the epidemic control policy. Tibetans are also involved. Most who led & participated were Han -- if it were Tibetans, it would have been bloodily suppressed long ago," he wrote in a Twitter post.

Reports of the protests in Lhasa -- believed to be the largest in the city in more than a dozen years -- came days after the government of the Tibet Autonomous Region issued a statement announcing that a harsh Covid-19 lockdown in Lhasa would be "loosened".

The lockdown in Lhasa began in early August as Covid numbers there and throughout China continued to climb, RFA reported.

Lhasa residents have said on social media that the lockdown order came without enough time to prepare, leaving some short on food, and making it difficult for those infected with the virus to find adequate treatment.
Washington, Oct 28 : Portugal became the latest nation to open a probe into allegations that China has been running "illegal police stations" in the country just as Ireland ordered Beijing to shut down its "overseas Chinese police service centre" in Dublin, media reports said.

Portuguese police launched an investigation into China's alleged overseas police "service stations", the Attorney General's Office confirmed to the Expresso newspaper on Thursday.

The authorities are paying "special attention" to the Chinese Embassy in Lisbon after Portuguese lawmakers raised concerns about a report by human rights group -- Safeguard Defenders -- in September that Chinese authorities operate 54 "police stations" overseas, including three in Portugal, RFA reported.

A growing number of governments, including Canada, the UK, Spain and the Netherlands, are investigating reports about Chinese police offices overseas that are accused of coercing emigrants to return home to China to face criminal charges or silencing dissent abroad, RFA reported.

Until now, no cases of immigrants living in Portugal having been forced to travel to China are yet known, the Expresso quoted a police source as saying.

Also on Thursday, Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs ordered the so-called Fuzhou Police Service Overseas Station in Dublin city centre to close, Irish media reported.

The office opened earlier this year and Chinese authorities said it offered services to Chinese citizens in Ireland such as driving license renewals.

However, Ireland's Foreign Ministry said Chinese officials have never sought permission to set up the station in Dublin.

"The Department noted that actions of all foreign states on Irish territory must be in compliance with international law and domestic law requirements," the Irish Times quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying.

"On this basis, the Department informed the Embassy that the office on Capel Street should close and cease operations." The Chinese Embassy confirmed that the office has now ceased operations, RFA reported.

The Irish statement came after the Dutch government said it would probe service centers in the Netherlands in response to two reports run by broadcaster RTL Nieuws earlier this week.

"Appropriate action will be taken. We take this very seriously," a Dutch foreign ministry spokesperson told the station.

In an investigation that appeared to confirm earlier allegations by Safeguard Defenders, the RTL reports quoted Dutch lawmakers as calling for the immediate closure of the offices.

Free People's Party MP Ruben Brekelmans said the offices were "another example of the Chinese government's infiltration of the Netherlands." "The Chinese repression model must not be allowed to infiltrate the Netherlands," Brekelmans said via his Twitter account.

In Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Brenda Lucki described the Chinese overseas service centers in January as "a growing problem," with a probe already under way.

In the UK, the China Research Group of Conservative MPs called for an investigation into "concerning" reports about Chinese police stations. Safeguard Defenders alleged there are three such stations in the U.K. including two in London and one in Glasgow, RFA reported.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : The government has given in principle approval to 61 projects of ethanol production to achieve the target of 20 per cent ethanol blending with petrol by 2025.

Department of Food and Public Distribution has said that these projects will add 257 crore litres to ethanol production capacity of the country.

All of these projects already have land and environmental clearances, official sources said.

An investment of around Rs 7,000 crore is expected from these projects.

Out of 257 crore litres, 186 crore litres capacity is expected from grain-based distilleries, they added.

A NITI Aayog expert committee on ethanol blending in its report last year had said that by achieving 20 per cent blending with petrol, Rs 30,000 crore of foreign exchange can be saved annually.

Also it will improve air quality, lower carbon emissions and increase farmers' income, the report had said.
Kolkata, Oct 28 : Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari on Friday appealed to Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman to reject fresh loan applications from the state government.

Referring to a fresh application for Rs 10,000 crore of market borrowing made by the West Bengal government to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), he said that since the state government has reached its borrowing limit under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, all fresh borrowing applications should be rejected.

Adhikari has also claimed that the state government is currently reeling under an accumulated debt burden to the tune of around Rs 6,00,000 crore.

In his message, the BJP leader has also alleged that although the state government has made the fresh borrowing application for the purpose of infrastructure development in the state, in reality it would spend the amount for payment of salaries and wages as well as payments under dole scheme like Lakshmir Bhandar, the monthly dole scheme for women of the state ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000.

"Needless to say, there are many fake workers in Local Bodies & most of the Laxmi Bhandar beneficiaries are not eligible to receive any doles. If this loan is allowed then valuable funds of the Govt of India will go astray by sheer misuse of the Public Funds," he said.

He ended his message with a piece of advice for the state government that it should try to increase its own revenue generation by modifying land policy and creating a congenial environment for setting up industries and drawing investments to revive the economy, create employment, and reduce debt burden.

Reacting to the message, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member, Santanu Sen said such notes are natural for a politician like Adhikari "who is anti-Bengal and anti-Bengali".

"This is not the first time that he is appealing to the Union government to stop payments to the West Bengal government. Previously too he had objected to payment of central dues under various heads to the state government," he said.

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New Delhi, Oct 28 : Calling for major reforms in abortion laws, marches and vigils have been planned in Dublin on Saturday to mark the 10th death anniversary of Savita Halappanavar -- the Indian-origin dentist who died on this day after being denied an abortion in Ireland.

Savita, 31, died on October 28, 2012 from septicemia -- an infection she contracted after she was denied an abortion during a miscarriage. She was 17 weeks pregnant then, and was admitted to the University Hospital Galway.

Her death sparked protests and outrage across the country over strict abortion laws, and subsequent repealing of the Eighth Amendment that banned termination of pregnancies in Ireland.

"It's really important to remember Savita's death," Orla O'Connor, director of the National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI), told Irish Times.

The NWCI along with the Union of Students in Ireland is supporting the march organised by socialist feminist group Rosa.

"I think the march is very important, because we appeal to people to remember Savita and say never again should any woman die or suffer who has asked for an abortion," Ruth Coppinger, a Rosa member, told Irish Examiner.

Despite the Eighth Amendment being repealed, the organisers of the forthcoming march said there are still some issues remaining with provision of termination in Ireland.

"Today we remember #Savita, ten years after her appalling and needless death - a direct result of cruel misogynist abortion laws. Despite progress since then, far too many pregnant people throughout the island of Ireland are still having to travel for reproductive healthcare," Paul Sceeny, a twitter user from Ireland, wrote.

A vigil has also been organised in the Irish Embassy in London on Saturday in the memory of Savita.

"Women & girls from Ireland, North & South, still being forced to go to England to access abortion when the law fails them," Cara Sanquest, Labour Councillor for Queen's Park, Westminster, tweeted.

Savita and her husband Praveen had made three requests in all for an emergency termination, according to a report in The Guardian, but were told that since this is a Catholic country, they cannot terminate the pregnancy as the foetus was still alive.

Praveen said the requests were turned down even though Savita told the doctor that she was a Hindu and not an Irish citizen.

Savita arrived in Galway, Ireland, in July 2008 from Belgaum, Karnataka. In July 2012, she was granted a licence to practise in Ireland, and in the same month, she was delighted to learn she was pregnant.
Mumbai, Oct 28 : With several mega-projects deserting Maharashtra for Gujarat, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Friday called the government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis 'agents' of Gujarat.

Continuing to target the ruling alliance of Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (BSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) continued to target Shinde-Fadnavis for allegedly working in the interests of Gujarat at the cost of Maharashtra.

"Since past over 8 years, the BJP at the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been scuttling the state's interests by shifting major industries, investments and institutions to his home state, and now the treacherous Shinde-Fadnavis regime here is acting like 'agents' of Gujarat," Congress' Maharashtra unit president Nana Patole said here.

Attacking Shinde-Fadnavis, SS (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray said the manner in which so many big deals are slipping out of the state proves that "industrialists have lost faith in the 'Khokha' (slang for crores of rupees) regime".

"The CM is busy with festivals and celebrations... after this government of traitors came to power, the 'engine' has failed," said Thackeray Jr.

NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto accused Industry Minister Uday Samant of 'either lying or suffering from amnesia' by blaming the erstwhile MVA government for the loss of the Rs 22,000-crore Tata-Airbus to Gujarat.

"He promises that much bigger projects will come here to compensate for the losses of other deals, but its clear his excuses and creating deliberate confusion to hide his failures which are hitting the people of the state now," Crasto said.

Maharashtra Congress General Secretary Sachin Sawant reiterated that the Shinde-Fadnavis duo is working all-out to make Gujarat prosperous at Maharashtra's expense, and they have no guts to raise their voice before Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Now, Samant is claiming that the Tata-Airbus MoU was signed one year ago, but it was signed with the Centre and not Gujarat government. Now, even Arcelor-Mittal, which has a plant in Pune (Maharashtra), has announced a Rs 60,000-crore project in Gujarat," said Sawant.

Hitting out, Patole said the Shinde-Fadnavis regime is playing treason with the people of Maharashtra by enriching Gujarat, especially since Modi is worried that his home state lags behind this state.

"Ever since he became the PM major projects like the IFC, Marine Academy, Diamond Bourse, the Vedanta-Foxconn, the bulk drugs park, Tata-Airbus deal and others have gone to Gujarat. When the MVA ruled, it had stopped many projects from shifting there, and that's why the BJP installed a puppet government to do their bidding," said Patole.

Sawant added that the Centre had shown Dholera to the Tata-Airbus for its aircraft projects, but now its happening in Vadodara, which proves that Dholera is unsuited for such business, and the prospects of Maharashtra are being deliberately undermined.

On Thursday, NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase had slammed CM Shinde for being 'ineffective' as the state keeps losing one huge project after another.
South Africa: President Ramaphosa attends Lesotho PM inauguration

President Ramaphosa has commended the people of the Kingdom of Lesotho for their determination to forge a stable and peaceful country.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the countrys newly elected Prime Minister Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane, in Maseru on Friday.

On behalf of the Government and the people of South Africa, I offer warm congratulations on your appointment as the Prime Minister of our sister country, Lesotho, a fellow member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Our congratulations go to all Basotho for the successful exercise of their democratic right on 7 October 2022. I wish to commend the people of Lesotho for their shared determination to restore peace and stability and to forge a just and prosperous future for the Kingdom, he said.

The President reflected on the deep ties between South Africa and Lesotho spanning back to the Apartheid era where some South Africans fled to the land-locked country.

For many, [Lesotho] became a place of refuge and safety. After gaining its independence in 1966, the Basotho Kingdom became an essential sanctuary for many South African freedom fighters driven into exile by the apartheid regime.

We acknowledge with gratitude the solidarity and the hospitality of the Basotho, and recognise the sacrifices that were made in the pursuit of our freedom. This warm and welcoming nature of the Basotho continues to this day.

The strong bonds between our two nations are founded on family ties, shared language, history and culture. Our pasts are inseparable. Our futures are intertwined, he said.

President Ramaphosa said Lesotho itself has had to deal with a difficult path towards the restoration of peace, security and stability over the past eight years.

In December 2014, SADC entrusted me with the task of Facilitator in the Kingdom of Lesotho to assist with the promotion of peace and stability and constitutional reform. After I was elected President of South Africa, this task was taken forward by a Facilitation Teamto promote open and transparent dialogue, to allow the Basotho to express their own views about the Lesotho they want.

We recall how His Majesty King Letsie III, the former Prime Minister, SADC and the Basotho celebrated the successful culmination of the National Dialogue, which led to the establishment of the National Reforms Authority, he said.

The President commended the National Reforms Authority for piloting legislative reforms despite facing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The work of the National Reforms Authority is best captured in the Draft Eleventh Constitutional Amendment Act  the Omnibus Bill  which was presented to the 10th Parliament before its dissolution in July 2022. The reforms contained in the Draft Omnibus Bill lay a solid foundation for the future of the Basotho.

We therefore welcome the commitment of the incoming government to give priority to the finalisation of this important work. We believe that the issue of justice and reconciliation is within the grasp of the Basotho, he said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-10-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Chandigarh, Oct 28 : Punjab Police have arrested four shooters of the Davinder Bambiha gang, including two assailants of Uttarakhand Mining Trader from Mohali, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.

Mining trader Mehal Singh (70) was shot dead outside his house on October 13.

The operation was jointly carried out by the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), Counter Intelligence (CI) Punjab, the District Police of Udham Singh Nagar Uttarakhand, the Special Cell Delhi and the District Police of Mohali.

The arrested persons are Sadhu Singh, Jagdish Singh, alias Disha, Manpreet Singh, alias Mani, Jaspreet Singh, all resident of Mansa district.

The police have also recovered one .30 caliber pistol along with two magazines and seven cartridges; one 9 mm pistol along with one magazine; and one Turkey-made 9 mm machine-pistol along with three magazines, including one magazine of 31 cartridges capacity and 19 cartridges and one Apache motorcycle from their possession.

DGP Yadav said during investigations it has come to light that accused Sadhu Singh and Manpreet Singh along with their associates killed trader Mehal Singh on the directions of gangsters-turned-terrorists Arshdeep Singh, a.k.a. Arsh Dalla, and Sukhdool Singh, a.k.a. Sukha Duneke.

The two arrested persons have provided them weapons, logistics support and conducted recce of deceased's house.

He said the arrested persons were further hatching conspiracy to commit crimes in Punjab and neighbouring states.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : Amid rising CNG fares in Delhi over the last few months, the Delhi government on Friday approved the revised fare for auto rickshaws and taxis in the capital city.

The new fares wil be applicable once these are notified in the coming weeks. The last revision in auto rickshaw fares was done in 2020 while for taxis - the black and yellow taxis, economy taxis and premium taxi, the last happened nine years back in 2013.

After many representations from the auto rickshaw and taxi associations to Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, a 13-member Committee was formed in May this year to review and recommend the fare in the wake of increasing rate of CNG.

The committee recommended revising the fare for black and yellow and economy taxis, which was then reviewed and approved by the Delhi government, but was against changing the existing fare for the premium taxi category to avoid them being too expensive for the users.

According to the government decision, a commuter taking an auto will have to pay Rs 30 instead of the existing Rs 25 for the first 1.5 kilometres. For every subsequent kilometre, the pasenger will have to pay Rs 11 in place of the existing Rs 9.

For taxis, for the first kilometre, there is no change in rates for both AC and non-AC vehicles. Subsequently, the per kilometre charge has been hiked from Rs 14 to Rs 17 for non-AC vehicles and from Rs 16 to Rs 20 for AC vehicles.

However, there is no change in the waiting charges and it will remain at the existing Rs 30 per hour.

The Transport Minister said: "Under the leadership of CM Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi has always been committed to be empathetic to the people driving autos and taxis in Delhi. We have seen the fuel prices in India have gone up in the recent months which has impacted the profits of the drivers. The increased cost led them to further drive less km which ultimately impacted the supply on road for the citizens of Delhi traveling to their offices or home. The revised fares will help them to support their families and will also provide convenience to the passengers with increased availability of auto rickshaws and taxis in the city."
Kolkata, Oct 28 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Sukanya Mondal, daughter of Trinamool Congress strongman and the party's Birbhum district president, Anubrata Mondal, directing her to be present at the agency's headquarters in Delhi on November 2 for questioning in connection with the agency's ongoing probe into the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal.

Anubrata Mondal's chartered accountant, Manish Kothari has also been asked to be present at ED's Delhi office on the day along with relevant documents pertaining to the assets of the Mondal family.

To recall, Sukanya Mondal was supposed to appear at ED's Delhi office on October 27. However, she did not turn up citing some personal reasons.

Meanwhile, a lower court in Delhi on Friday remanded Sehgal Hossain, bodyguard of Anubrata Mondal to eight more days in ED custody.

On Friday the ED counsel had also sought the permission of the court to summon Hossain's mother and wife to Delhi for questioning, putting them face-to- face with Hossian.

ED sources said Sukanya Mondal was supposed to be questioned on the companies wherein she is named the director as well as the rice mills in which she is the "partner".

The two companies -- ANM Agrochem Private Limited and Neer Developer Private Limited -- are already under the scanner of both ED and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is also conducting a parallel probe into the cattle smuggling scam.

In both firms, Sukanya Mondal is one of the two directors and the central agency sleuths believe that these two corporate entities are basically shell companies meant for channelising the crime proceeds.

Recently, the CBI had submitted a charge sheet where it said that Sukanya Mondal's annual income increased from Rs 3.10 lakhs in the 2013-14 financial year to Rs 1.45 crore in 2020-21.

Apart from that she also has a fixed deposit worth Rs 3 crore.

Sources further said that their officers also want to question Sukanya Mondal on certain properties which were registered under her name, and were purchased at prices much lower than the prevailing market rates only to be sold off later at much higher prices.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : Grievance redressal panels would soon be set up by government to hear users' appeals against content moderation decisions taken by social media entities like Meta and Twitter.

In a gazette notification issued on Friday, the government has amended the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, to facilitate setting up of such grievance committees.

Under the new Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2022: "The Central Government shall, by notification, establish one or more Grievance Appellate Committees within three months from the date of commencement of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2022." According to the Gazette notification: "Each Grievance Appellate Committee shall consist of a chairperson and two whole time members appointed by the Central Government, of which one shall be a member ex-officio and two shall be independent members".

As per the new rules, any user aggrieved by a decision of an intermediary's own grievance officer can appeal to the government-appointed Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) within a period of 30 days.

The GACs will have to resolve the issue within 30 days.

The committees will adopt an online dispute resolution mechanism to ensure that the entire process can be completed digitally.

The amended law makes it mandatory for intermediaries to upload a report after complying with each GAC order.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : A woman, working as a housemaid, was shot dead in north Delhi's Wazirpur on Friday afternoon, and a manhunt has launched to apprehend the accused, police said.

The deceased was identified as Salma, 45, a resident of the JJ colony in Wazirpur. Police said that earlier she used to work in a parlour in Karol Bagh and presently she was working as house maid.

"At around 1.10 p.m, a police control room (PCR) call regarding a murder was received at Bharat Nagar police station following which a police team rushed to the spot," said a senior police official.

"On spot, the woman was found lying on the third floor of the building with gunshot injuries. She was rushed to the hospital where she was declared dead," the official added.

"The crime scene was inspected by the police team and three empty cartridges were recovered from the spot. A case under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at Bharat Nagar police station," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Northwest, Usha Rangnani, said.

"The accused has been identified and efforts are being made to nab him at the earliest. Further investigation is in progress," she added.
Guwahati, Oct 28 : After three Swedish nationals, seven German nationals will be deported from India on Saturday for flouting visa rules in Assam, officials said on Friday.

Golaghat district Superintendent of Police Ramandeep Kaur told IANS over phone that the process is now on to deport the seven Germans through Kolkata or New Delhi.

Another district police official said that the foreign nationals came to Assam on October 25 and visited some tourist spots including Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR).

"They attended some religious events in Tinsukia and Karbi Anglong and were halted and detained in Golaghat. We restrained them from doing so. They came to Assam on a tourist visa and flouted visa norms by attending religious gatherings," the official said, adding that they would be fined $500 each for visa rules violation.

The Germans' Indian companion Mukut Borda from Jharkhand was also detained from a resort near KNPTR.

They had plans to visit different areas of Assam, but they were stopped by the police.

"The German nationals are now in Kaziranga.They would be taken to Guwahati and then to Kolkata or Delhi for deportation," the official stated.

The detained Germans were identified as Christian Reiser, Michael Erich Schaper, Merten Asmus, Cornelia Von Oneimb, Hinrich Luppen-Von Oneimb, Christa Olearius and Lisa Aimee Bloem.

Earlier, on Wednesday three Swedish nationals were picked up from a religious gathering in Dibrugarh district and deported the next day for visa rules violation.

The three-day prayer meeting at Ghinai (Naharkatia) in Dibrugarh district was organised by the United Church Forum, a body of around 12 different churches, with due permission from the district administration.
Patna, Oct 28 : Three Bihar Police personnel, who were part of a raid team, were injured after villagers attacked them in the state's Gaya district on Friday.

A joint team of Atri and SC/ST police stations went to Kujur village under Atri police station to arrest former Mukhiya Mukesh Singh, who, along with four of his associates, had allegedly physically assaulted MNREGA employee Devendra Kumar a few days ago. The victim had registered an FIR against Singh in SC-ST police station.

When the team, headed by SC/ST police station sub-inspector Vikram Ram, raided Singh's house, his wife informed them that he was not present. Police officials, on the other hands, suspected that Singh was inside the house, and tried to break the lock of one of the rooms.

Singh's wife informed him about the incident. Singh, at that time, was participating in a cultural programme held in the village. When he heard about the incident, he. along with a large number of villagers present in the programme, came back home 1and attacked the police team.

Three police personnel sustained injuries in the attack - and the condition of two is said to be critical. The villagers also snatched a rifle from the police team as well.

Atri SHO Diwakar Kumar said that senior officials of the district were informed about the incident.

"The process of identifying the accused is currently underway. Raids are on to nab Singh and other accused," he said.
Patna, Oct 28 : Levelling a serious allegation on state police, BJP leader Samrat Chaudhary on Friday alleged that a team of Gopalganj police went to extort liquor mafia when boat mishap took place in which one of the constables drowned to death in Gandak river recently.

"The police of Bihar are having a nexus with liquor mafias. As a result, liquor is available at every place in the state. The liquor operation is taking place in Bihar under the protection of state police. The team which went for the raid recently was actually demanding extortion from liquor mafias when a boat mishap took place and one cop drowned to death in Gandak river," Chaudhary said.

A police team of Jadhawapur received information about the illicit operation of liquor in Rajwa village on October 26. Accordingly, a police team on a boat went there. When it reached the middle of Gandak river, the boat overturned. The other police personnel managed to come out of the river but one of the constables Rajesh Kumar (36) could not swim and drowned.

The deceased was a native of Dobhi in Gaya district and deployed in Jadavpur police station of the district.

Chaudhary said that liquor has been banned in Bihar since 2016 but it is available at every place in the state.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : Reserve Bank of India's ombudsmen should ensure that consumer complaints are resolved quickly and in a fair manner, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Friday.

Adressing the Annual Conference of RBI Ombudsmen in Jodhpur, he said that the RBI ombudsmen and regulated entities (REs) must identify the root causes of persisting customer complaints and take necessary systemic measures to correct them.

The central bank governor said he was concerned about rising customer grievances, despite the RBI's efforts to resolve them.

Some specific areas which have reported most complaints, include mis-selling, disproportionate service charges, and very high penal rates.

Das also raised the matter of intimidating tactics used by representatives of financial institutions, citing media reports.

He also expressed concern over various methods of payment frauds being used by undesirable entities like phishing, vishing, fake links and websites, and remote-access apps.

"What is of concern is that still a large number of complaints pertain to traditional banking," Das said.

"This calls for serious review of the working of the customer service and grievance redress mechanism in the regulated entities," he added.

The root cause of the persistence of such grievances should be analysed and corrective measures taken, Das emphasised.

At the same time though, he added that the ombudsman offices should be sensitive and judicious in their approach.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : In a fresh affidavit filed in the Supreme Court in connection with the Kerala gold smuggling case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had written a letter to the Prime Minister but when the investigation progressed and the role of his own then Principal Secretary was detected, the state machinery turned against the agency.

The affidavit said: "Even though a letter was sent by the CM of Kerala to the PM, when the investigation progressed and the role of his own then Principal Secretary was detected, the state machinery turned against the ED and registered false cases by influencing the accused and making efforts to derail the investigation and trial." The ED said one of the key accused, who was then the Principal Secretary, M. Sivasankar, is continuing in a key high-ranking position in the government of Kerala even today and if the trial continued in Kerala, the high profile accused will influence the accused persons and witnesses and thereby derail the fair and independent trial of the case.

"The above two points clearly explains the mala fide action taken by the state against the ED and mala fide inaction of not taking any action against the actual culprits. Furthermore, the influence of a Principal Secretary to the CM of the state over the state machinery has to be given due consideration and cannot be discounted," it added.

The ED said after coming out on bail, IAS officer Sivasankar has been influencing other accused and is using the state machinery to fabricate false evidence against the investigating officer and the investigating agency. "The very fact that the state government constituted a commission of inquiry to inquire into an investigation conducted by a central investigating agency demonstrates that powerful persons involved in the case who are holding high offices in the Government of Kerala, are willing to misuse the state machinery and powers in order to thwart and derails proceedings in the case," it added.

On October 10, the Supreme Court issued notice to Kerala government on a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate seeking transfer of the trial in the gold smuggling case from Kerala to Karnataka.

The ED has alleged that "free and fair trial" of the case is not possible in Kerala due to the close nexus between the accused and top officials and functionaries in the Kerala government.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, referred to the averments made by Kerala government in its impleading application that the statements of accused Swapna Suresh regarding the involvement of those holding high political offices created riots in the state. Mehta added these statements are enough to conclude that free and fair trial is impossible in Kerala.

Mehta submitted that Kerala Police lodged an FIR against ED alleging fabrication of evidence, which was quashed by the Kerala High Court, and also cited allegations made by accused Swapna Suresh and other accused regarding pressure exerted by the Kerala Police.

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Chennai, Oct 28 : The special public prosecutor for the Tamil Nadu government in the Kodanad heist-cum-murder case on Friday filed an intimation memo before Udhagamandalam district sessions judge P. Murugan, informing that the case has been taken over by the CB-CID (Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department).

It may be noted that after the case was handed over to the CB-CID, the DGP of the elite wing, Mohammed Shakeel Akthar, conducted an investigation at the Kodanad estate on October 26 and questioned the estate management.

Advocate K. Vijayan, representing the 10 accused in the case, said that the defence had appealed to the judge to pass orders to provide a copy of the intimation memo filed by the prosecution. The lawyer also said that two of the accused, Sayan and Walayar Manoj, were present in the court for the hearing.

It may be noted that an armed gang had broken into the Kodanad estate jointly owned by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister late J. Jayalalithaa and her aide V.K. Sasikala in April 2017. The gang led by the former driver of Jayalalithaa, Kanagaraj, had entered the estate at midnight and killed the security guard, Om Bahadhur. Another guard, Krishna Thapa, was grievously injured and the gang, according to the police, had decamped with a few costly watches.

Five days after the incident, Kanagaraj was killed in a road accident on the Salem-Chennai national highway. On the same day, another truck hit the car in which Sayan, another accused, and his family members were traveling in Palakkad, Kerala. Sayan's wife and daughter died on the spot, while Sayan escaped unhurt.

A computer operator of the Kodanad estate, Dinesh Kumar, committed suicide at his residence a few months later. The DMK had promised that if elected to power, it will launch a fresh probe into the Kodanad heist-cum-murder case.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : In its ongoing operation against gangsters, the Delhi Police's Special Cell has arrested four sharpshooters of Pakistan's ISI-backed terror module, an official said on Friday.

The arrested accused have been identified as Lakhwinder Singh alias Matru, 31, Gurjeet alias Guri, 21, Harmander Singh, 26, and Sukhdev Singh alias Sukha, 28.

These criminals were operating on the behest of Canada-based gangster-turned-terrorist Lakhbir Singh 'Landa' and Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorist Harvinder Singh 'Rinda'.

The end objectives of both Rinda and Landa are to execute the tasks which may lead to a resurgence of terrorism in Punjab, for which ISI is backing them with Chinese grenades, AK-47 and MP-5 rifles and loads of ex-China Army stock star pistols.

According to DCP, Special Cell, Manishi Chandra, the first arrest came on September 24 when hardened criminal Matru was nabbed from Delhi's Sarai Kale Khan.

"After his interrogation, on October 13, the movements of Gurjeet alias Guri were established near ISBT Kashmiri Gate, Delhi, and he was apprehended," he said.

"Guri revealed that Harmender and Sukhdev Sukha were overseeing a major chunk of cross-border operations for Landa and Rinda. "Both Harmender and Sukhdev were arrested from Punjab's Moga on October 18," the DCP said.

Few days ago, another dreaded member of the same syndicate -- Deepak alias Tinu -- who fled from custody of Punjab Police on the intervening night of October 1-2, was arrested from Rajasthan's Ajmer. He was found in possession of five highly explosive Chinese hand grenades.

Meanwhile, the interrogation of the arrestees revealed that Harmender and Sukha coordinated the dropping of arms and ammunition through drones from across the border, on behest on the ISI.

"AKs, MP-5s, grenades and Star/Beretta pistols that were dropped through drones have been seized while a substantial amount is yet to be recovered," said the DCP.

"The hydra was the ISI-supported Rinda-Landa network. While both the rival criminal groups are fighting a bloody turf war in India, both of them are sourcing their weapons and drugs from Rinda and Landa," said a senior police official.

Not only weapons but several newly-minted criminals are also being used by these rival gangs as mercenaries without any affiliation to one particular group.

The greater conspiracy of ISI and ISI backed terrorists Rinda and Landa is to create unrest among Indian masses on religious and communal lines, the official added.
Bhubaneswar, Oct 28 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday urged S.N. Subrahmanyan, CEO & MD, L&T to explore the option to set up units in aerospace and defence manufacturing and green hydrogen sectors in Odisha.

While L&T has an eminent presence in Odisha, the company may explore to develop common industrial facilities such as water and effluent treatment plants for upcoming industrial hubs such as Paradip, Gopalpur, and Dhamra, Patnaik said.

Odisha is home to all major minerals and metals. Hence, he urged Subrahmanyan that the metallurgical and material handling arm of L&T can set up an office in Bhubaneswar.

The company has also been requested to upgrade Mindtree's Global Learning & Software Delivery Centre in Bhubaneswar to a development centre.

Stating shipbuilding is one of the priority sectors in Odisha with three major ports Dhamra, Paradip and Gopalpur, the CM suggested the company CEO to develop services such as refits, repairs, and midlife upgrades for defence and commercial vessels.

Talking about opportunities in the education sector, he said that L&T can introduce its school adoption programme in villages near infrastructural hubs to enhance the quality of education for the children of workers.

Further, he suggested the company to set up a mega structure fabrication facility in the state for supply to its construction sites.

Patnaik urged Subrahmanyan to consider the above factors to expand his company's presence in the state and also enter new verticals of business to gain from Odisha's ever-growing industry landscape.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : A man has been arrested here for allegedly stabbing a 20-year-old youth to death following a heated argument between them, the police said on Friday.

The arrested individual has been identified as Arman, a resident of Azadpur. He has been apprehended within 16 hours of the incident.

Police said that they have also recovered a knife, used in commission of crime, from the possession of the accused.

"On October 27, at around 9 p.m., a call was received at Adarsh Nagar police station regarding a stabbing incident near Lal Bagh area in Azadpur following which a police team rushed to the spot," said Usha Rangnani, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (northwest).

The victim -- Sabir, a resident of Lal Bagh, was taken to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead, said the DCP, adding a case under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code was registered and investigation was taken up.

"As there was no CCTV footage of the incident, it was a completely blind case. A police team, tasked to crack the case, started analysing CCTV cameras of nearby areas to identify the suspect while another team started collecting local intelligence which led to the arrest of the accused, Arman," said the DCP.

"On questioning, Arman disclosed that he stabbed the victim after they had a heated argument when he made some remarks to a female friend of the deceased," the police officer said.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : The 9th annual India Sweden Innovation Day 2022 concluded successfully on October 27. The day-long event was organised in association with the Embassy of India to Sweden & Latvia, Sweden-India Business Council (SIBC), and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The event was a massive success with over 1,000 participants from across the globe. About 350 esteemed delegates attended the Innovation Day 2022 in person while more than 700 marked their presence online.

The main highlight of the event was the implementation of the partnership, principles of co-funding, co-development, co-creation towards mutual benefits, and making full use of complementary strengths.

The 9th India Sweden Innovation Day also encompassed comprehensive sessions with relevant stakeholders in domains such as sustainable urban development and safe transportation, life science, energy, environment, health, and science and technology.

Since industry 4.0 is at the forefront of driving sustainable industrial growth across the globe, the event laid considerable emphasis on exploring its potential in the development and adoption of smart technologies for enhanced efficiency and socio-environmental sustainability.

The keynote speakers during the inauguration included Tanmaya Lal, India's Ambassador to Sweden; Martin Lundstedt CEO, Volvo Group; Jitendra Singh, Indian Minister for Science and Technology; Peter Carlsson Founder and CEO, Northvolt; Anna Kinberg Batra Chairman, Swedish Space Corporation & Senior Executive Advisor, Sweden-India Business Council and Jan Thesleff, Ambassador of Sweden to India.

Speaking on the occasion the new Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden and Minister for Energy, Business and Industry, Ebba Busch, said: "It's an honour to inaugurate the 9th India & Sweden innovation day & as a minister for energy business & Industry. I will look forward to future discussions on how to deepen the collaboration between our countries. The relationship between India & Sweden is stronger than ever and innovation partnership has really become a cornerstone of our bilateral collaboration. This collaboration aims to solve bigger challenges in areas such as green transition, clean energy, health & transportation." "India is rapidly becoming an innovation powerhouse climbing from rank 81 to 40 global innovation index in just a few years. Also, Swedish companies have been operating in India for many decades employing over 200 thousand people directly and 2.2 million indirectly. Swedish companies continue to invest and partner with the Indian research and innovation ecosystem," added Busch.

Commenting on strengthening the ties between the two nations, Tanmaya Lal, Ambassador of India to Sweden and Latvia said, "Innovation is the key for not only growth and sustainability but also to manage global challenges such as pandemics to climate change. Sweden is the leader of innovation and sustainability and India too is climbing rapidly in the global innovation ratings. India is the reservoir of engineering, Research and development and entrepreneurial talent. The scale and speed of innovative technological solutions for sustainable development that are now coming out of India offers huge possibilities of collaborations. In this context this annual day series brought together the researchers, businesses and investors and government agencies. We thank all the participants for joining this discussion and accelerating an inclusive green transition for our collective sustainable future." The India Sweden association will not only help analyse and develop technology and solutions that sustainably impact humanity in the greatest way, but will also address health, and safe transport to security and better quality of life through acceleration, innovation, and solutions between the countries with the power of technology.

Jitendra Singh, Minister for Science and Technology, said: "The continuation of this event for the last 8 years itself reflects an effective partnership between India and Sweden. Both the governments and industries in the two nations are developing a technology-oriented ecosystem for a win-win situation.

"I am delighted that innovation cooperation is the fastest growing element in the world today along with bi-lateral relationship between India and Sweden. In 2018, Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi visited Sweden to deepen the collaboration through joint declaration on innovation partnership for a sustainable future. This partnership aims to increase the impact of bilateral collaboration in innovation science and technology.

"The partnership highlights several areas including smart cities, transportation e-mobility energy, green technology, new materials, space, circular economy, bio-waste economy, health and life sciences. India Sweden innovation partnership bridges institutions, R&D industry and also creates entrepreneurs to address global challenges in line with the UN sustainable development goals," he further added.

Speaking on lowering down the carbon footprints, Hakan Kingstedt Chairman, Sweden-India Business Council stated: "Accelerating green transitioning and driving innovation partnership to the next level is the most important agenda of this association. We are here today to tie one more knot, taking the friendship of India and Sweden ahead. Furthermore, Sweden is a leader in innovation in Europe. We are in a transition mode to lower the carbon footprints and it is quite interesting to see that our industries are redeveloping all over Sweden. From green steel technology, hydrogen storage, electric battery systems to electric buses, cars and new traffic systems, Sweden is an exciting place to be in right now. At last, I would like to take an opportunity to wish both the countries in this association." Commenting on the successful completion of the 9th edition of the Innovation Day, 2022, Jan Thesleff, Sweden Ambassador to India said: "The vast and powerful political administrations, agencies, corporate sector, and academic sector in the event today were excellent examples of the Swedish Indian collaboration. We are moving towards a relationship that will be driven by both parties. We assessed our accomplishments, and now, with assistance from Indian organisations and the Indian government, we are examining the possibilities of the built-up areas for future collaboration. Our objective places a strong emphasis on innovation and sustainability. This event's goal is to create projections on how we can connect these alliances and facilitate cooperation between Indian partners and Swedish investors.

Pressing on the importance on sustainable solutions, Martin Lundstedt, CEO, Volvo Group stated: "With innovation in transportation being a long-term goal of both Sweden and India, we are moving in the direction of being considerably more sustainable. It is an important factor in prosperity. Infrastructure, transportation, and logistics are essential to the plan's effective execution.

"We are aware that a developing society's GDP, per capita, and economic growth are closely related to these factors. Our goal is to provide long-term solutions to development problems, such as more efficient transportation and infrastructure logistics. The two nations also agreed to fund the joint innovation projects within AI, Health, Clean Tech, Smart Cities and Safe Mobility," added Lundstedt.

Commenting on the strengthening ties between India and Sweden, Robin Sukhia, President, Sweden-India Business Council SIBC said: "India Sweden Innovation Day 2022 is a testament to the commitment of both the nations to promote sustainable industrial development and green transition via technological excellence. With the world grappling with climate change today, it is imperative for governments and industry to strategically collaborate and foster innovation and technology adoption to ensure green economic development. The India Sweden Innovation Day serves as the stepping stone in this direction to strengthen government and industry collaboration for green transition." Elaborating more on the importance of green transition and the importance of strategic events like India Sweden Innovation Day, Ludvig Lindstrom, Head of Innovation Accelerator, said: "The India Sweden innovation accelerator has been in existence for 10 years reflecting our commitment to sustainability and green transition. This is constantly being strengthened through the flow of new companies, industries and academic partners joining our initiative. We at Sweden Business center are working constantly with organisations like CII to deliver high impact value to reflect our commitment towards green transition and sustainable economic development." Commenting on the collaboration of Index, Per-Olof Marklund, CTO, SAAB, Business Area Aeronautics said: "The defence industry has been a bit conservative, but the technology which is needed today in a fighter jet is more available in the open market within the defence industry. Collaborating with a start-up and finding ideas that may be used in the defence industry and applying them in our industry is the key to be successful in the future. Index in itself is about cooperating with three other companies that are vastly different from our industry. We have a logistics industry, an agricultural company, and a defence company.

"We don't have that much in common on paper but if you look at the idea that come in then we have a lot in common and we always get new ideas from each other and boost each other in this process," added Per-Olof Marklund.

The one-day event acknowledged the importance of the various facets of climate change, and both countries laid out specific actions to quicken the transition to a greener economy by putting cutting-edge digital technology and artificial intelligence to use.

Furthermore, both countries had extensive discussions and used technology to develop climate-friendly solutions. The summit also concentrated on fostering rapid economic expansion and addressing the pandemic's residual consequences.

This year the summit provided an opportunity to discuss the international situation and response to the challenges towards sustainability as well as regional and global issues of mutual importance including climate action, technological development and economic growth.

The event also addressed the need of rigorous work towards the UN sustainable development goals with innovation, radically improved technology, business models and work practices to bring the transformative change.

Sanjoo Malhotra, Chief Executive Director of India Unlimited, provided additional information about the 9th India Sweden Day Innovation Day 2022, stating: "The 9th Innovation Day brought together the prominent industry leaders from different verticals to connect and co-create ideas and solutions on driving green transition via digital transformation, green-oriented technologies, supportive government policies, and extensive studies on benefits of a sustainable and green future for the industry".

The event was themed ''Accelerating India Sweden's Green Transition'', under which both the countries discussed the prospects of accelerating green transition via innovation and by harnessing the power of climate-positive technology, next-generation digitalization. India Sweden Innovation Day 2022 was hosted by India Unlimited.
New Delhi, Oct 28 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday arrested the Director of a Ludhiana-based private company in an ongoing investigation of a case related to an alleged bank fraud of Rs 1,530.99 crore, an official said.

The accused was identified as Neeraj Saluja, Director of SEL Textiles Ltd.

The CBI had registered a case immediately in 2020 against SEL Textiles Ltd. and others, including its Director Saluja, unknown public servants and private persons on the allegations of bank fraud.

SEL Textiles Ltd. having its units at Malout, Nawanshahr (Punjab), Nemrana (Rajasthan) and Hansi (Haryana) was into the business of manufacturing of yarns and fabrics.

"The accused had cheated the consortium of 10 banks, led by Central Bank of India to the tune of Rs 1,530.99 crore. Huge amount of bank loans were diverted by the the accused to its related parties and subsequently adjustment entries were made. It was also alleged that the accused had shown procurement of machineries from non-reputed suppliers and thereby over-invoiced the bills. Huge amount of primary security against cash credit limit i.e. stock, finished goods etc. were allegedly disposed off by the accused to misappropriate bank money as sale proceeds of goods sold were not deposited with the bank," the CBI official added.

Searches were earlier conducted at the premises of the accused which led to recovery of several incriminating documents. LOCs against the accused had been opened. During investigation, the CBI had examined several persons.

Saluja was found to be evasive in his replies during investigation.

The accused was produced on Saturday before the competent court at Mohali (Punjab).
Shillong, Oct 28 : Many people including two journalists were injured when a rally taken out here on Friday by the Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) turned violent, the police said.

The police are yet to confirm how many people were injured during the rally organised against unemployment in Meghalaya.

The violence began as soon as the rally started to march on the Guwahati-Shillong road leading to Khyndailad.

According to an eyewitness, while it looked like any other normal rallies, some members of the FKJGP, many of them masked, punched, kicked and pushed passers by indiscriminately, causing panic and huge traffic jams.

At Dhankheti junction, people were beaten up with flag poles while shopkeepers downed shutters as panic gripped the hill city.

Mostly non-tribals were targeted in the attacks.

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that police have been asked to take necessary action.

FKJGP President Dundee Khongsit while apologising for the incident said he did not expect that such an untoward incident would take place.

"We have told our members before the rally that this is a peaceful rally. Our demand is to fill up vacant posts in the government departments as there are more than 7,000 posts lying vacant in different departments," the tribal leader told the media.

"However, the state government is not paying attention to the serious unemployment problem in the state," he added.
New Delhi, Oct 29 : A portion above the main gate leading to the iconic 'Katra Neel' located at Chandni Chowk in the national capital has collapsed. This door of Katra Neel and the portion of the gateway built above it is nearly 165-years-old.

Katra Neel located in Old Delhi is an important part of Indian history where the initial war of India's independence movement was fought against the British. Many people were martyred at the Katra Neel. At present, this place is known as the wholesale market of sarees and ladies suits.

According to the Katra Neel Resident Welfare Association, this upper part of the gateway collapsed on its own on Friday morning. However, no person was hurt in this accident. At present, the policemen who came here have put up barricades. Along with this, the concerned department has also been informed about the repair of this historical structure.

Local shopkeepers of Katra Neel said that all the shops in the area were closed at the time when the upper part of the gateway was damaged and no one was hurt as there was no movement of people at that time. Built in 1857, Katra Neel is an unprotected heritage.

Prasad Yadav, a businessman who runs a shop in Katra Neel, said that along with the police, the Delhi Fire Department has also been informed about the accident. At present, the police and fire department have put barricades on the entry from this gateway going towards Katra Neel.
Jakarta, Oct 29 : Health Ministers of the G20 members launched a "Call to Action on Financing for Tuberculosis Response" to tackle the second leading cause of death from infectious diseases after Covid-19.

The launch was carried out on Thursday during the second G20 Health Ministerial Meeting held on October 27-28 in Indonesia's Bali, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We have taken concrete actions to increase financing to combat tuberculosis (TB). We are very serious about it," Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told a press conference on Friday.

The initiative calls on G20 members to mobilise resources to close capacity gaps, accelerate the development of new tuberculosis vaccines, and control infections.

Suvanand Sahu, Deputy Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership of the UN, said the biggest challenge to ending tuberculosis is the lack of funding, both domestically in each country and internationally.

"Because of the lack of funding, existing tools to fight tuberculosis are not reaching all those who need them and new tools are not fast-tracked through the research pipeline," said Sahu, who was present virtually at a press conference on Thursday before the opening of the meeting.

The initiative of the G20 members has great potential to pursue the world's target to end tuberculosis by 2030, he added.

This is the first time in history that tuberculosis became a topic at the G20 meeting. It is being discussed in detail since March at the Indonesian presidency and will be continued next year under the host India.

The WHO estimates that 10.6 million people will fall ill with tuberculosis worldwide in 2021, including 1.6 million who will die. Nearly 50 per cent of the global tuberculosis cases are from G20 members.
With Air, I hope to reach-out to all of those people who are missing that emotional flavor of old-school trance music and give them the message that its coming back with a bang!

Emotional. Euphoric. Intense. The music of Toronto-based electronic dance music (EDM) DJ and producer, Maurya Sevak, aims to uplift. Sevak's latest release appears on the newly-launched New York-based record label, Queenpin Recordings, a sub-label of the legendary Black Hole Recordings imprint. The track is titled, "Air" (Queenpin Recordings) and it's out on October 28th, 2022.

Speaking to what inspired "Air," Sevak stated, "Air is a track very close to my heart as it takes me back to my roots of trance music. Growing-up listening to classics like Children by Robert Miles," "Mirage by Armin van Buuren, and Elements of Life by Tiesto, I was inspired to create a record of my own. With Air, I hope to reach-out to all of those people who are missing that emotional flavor of old-school trance music and give them the message that its coming back with a bang!"

Describing the recording process and the studio hardware and software that he used to compose and record "Air," Sevak went on to state, "I used many different plugins, but the ones that really brought life to the track were Xfer Records' Xfer Serum, which is where the main Air piano lead melody comes from, and Native Instruments' Symphony Series String Ensemble, which is where all of the orchestral strings come from. What makes Air different from my previous releases is that its a trance track. Ive put out progressive-house, future rave and big-room sub-genres before, but this is my first trance record, so I'm really excited about it!"

Stream or download Maurya Sevak's "Air" (Queenpin Recordings | Black Hole Recordings), here: https://queenpin.complete.me/air

Queenpin Recordings is a New York City-based electronic dance music (EDM) record label founded in 2022 and is a sub-label of the legendary Netherlands-based imprint, Black Hole Recordings. Founded by veteran EDM music publicist, EMILY TAN, under the tutelage of dear friend and long-time colleague, Black Hole's Arny Bink, Queenpin aims to bring a diverse array of electronically-based music to today's discerning music lover. Queenpin Recordings is a wholly owned subsidiary of EMILY TAN MUSIC PUBLISHING (ASCAP).

For more information, contact EMILY TAN MEDIA RELATIONS, +1(917) 318-3758, EmilyTan@EmilyTanMediaRelations.com. Visit https://www.EmilyTanMediaRelations.com.

# # #
Two companies and two industry executives were honored with Auto Finance Excellence Awards at the 22nd Annual Auto Finance Summit in Las Vegas today.

Tricolor Auto Acceptance and Vroom were presented with Excellence Awards at the Auto Finance Summit. Additionally, Melinda Zabritski, Senior Director of Automotive Financial Solutions at Experian, and Ian Anderson, Group President of Westlake Financial, both received Excellence Awards for leadership and their contributions to the auto finance industry.

The Auto Finance Excellence Awards are presented annually by Auto Finance News, the industrys leading publication on vehicle lending and leasing, and by Royal Media, publisher of Auto Finance News and the Auto Finance Summits producer. Today was the 18th annual presentation of the Excellence Awards.

Tricolor Auto Acceptance was presented with an award for Community Service for being committed to providing affordable loans to people with little-or-no credit history, and specifically to those borrowers of Hispanic descent. Tricolor is now making loans in five states and operates 55 retail hubs, with a specific focus on markets in Western states along the U.S.-Mexican border and in Las Vegas.

Vroom received an award for its acquisition of United Auto Credit and Integration of auto financing into its sophisticated, mobile-first e-commerce strategy. Last February, Vroom, the used car e-commerce platform, closed on its $300 million acquisition of UAC to establish Vrooms captive financing arm. UAC was founded in 1996 and specializes in nonprime financing. It had a total managed portfolio of around $550 million. Vroom has dedicated itself to integrating UACs technology and proprietary loan origination system onto its platform, to enable fast loan decisioning and improved digital transactions.

Melinda Zabritski, Senior Director of Automotive Financial Solutions at Experian, received a leadership award for her contributions to the industry. Melinda has worked in the credit industry since 1998, and for more than 16 years, Melinda has dedicated herself at Experian to improving understanding and knowledge of the auto finance industry through data and analysis. She has become arguably the industrys leading voice on credit performance, loan terms, credit tier market share, EV financing, and much more. The 2022 Excellence Award recognizes Melindas remarkable service, determination, and dedication to the auto finance industry.

The final leadership award was presented to Ian Anderson, Group President of Westlake Financial, for his leadership. Since 2005, Ian has spearheaded the day-to-day operations at Westlake. Ian joined Westlake more than 17 years ago, with a very distinct vision: to revolutionize auto finance with technology. Today, Westlake, a subsidiary of Hankey Group, is a Top 30 auto finance company that is expected to end 2022 with $18.6 billion of outstandings, with a goal of hitting $20 billion in 2026. Westlake has completed a long effort to become a full-spectrum lender and it is now spreading its wings beyond auto finance  recently launching a Westlake-branded credit card and starting to make loans on medical procedures and even for solar panels. This Excellence Award recognizes Ians achievements and contributions throughout his career.

The awardees today exemplify the ingenuity and determination of the auto finance industry. We congratulate all the winners, and hope they inspire continued accomplishment in the industry, said JJ Hornblass, Executive Editor & Publisher of Auto Finance News and Chairman of the Auto Finance Summit.

ABOUT THE AUTO FINANCE EXCELLENCE AWARDS

The Auto Finance Excellence Awards, presented annually since 2004, recognize achievement and contribution to the automotive finance industry. Recipients are chosen from nominations by members of the industry and after the consideration of the editorial team at Auto Finance News. The goal of the Awards is to recognize members of the industry for their hard work, persistence, skills, and/or lifetime efforts in automotive lending and leasing. The awards are presented by Auto Finance News (http://www.AutoFinanceNews.net), the industrys leading information resource, at the annual Auto Finance Summit (http://www.AutoFinanceSummit.com). Both Auto Finance News and the Auto Finance Summit are services of Royal Media (http://www.royalmedia.com), a New York-based information company.
Regional law firm Sommer Udall is swapping its downtown Santa Fe location of 42 years for a prominent office building at 2000 Old Pecos Trail. The move comes as Sommer Udalls lease ends on Marcy Street and the 20-person team relocates to a former Coldwell Banker location.

Marcy Street has been our home for many decades, but were excited for the opportunities and conveniences that our new office affords, said Kurt Sommer, managing partner of Sommer Udall. Our new building offers better access for clients visiting from all areas of northern New Mexico, private parking, additional space for our growing team and a more modern, welcoming design that showcases our deep roots in the state.

Built in 1990, the two-story office includes 25 private offices, large conference rooms, a central courtyard and a separate suite for a subtenant.

The move marks a new chapter in the firms history as it gets ready to celebrate 70 years and a reputation as one of the preeminent law firms in northern New Mexico. Sommer Udall was founded in 1953 by Joseph A. Sommer and has earned several recognitions, including a Best Lawyers 2022 Lawyers of the Year award.

The firms nine attorneys and supporting staff moved in October and have resumed operations as normal. The practice serves individuals, businesses and banking institutions in the areas of estate planning, probate, real estate, federal and state taxation, business formation and planning, commercial litigation, construction defects litigation, employment law, personal injury defense, insurance coverage and mediation and arbitration. Sommer says they are currently exploring options to expand and invite new specialized attorneys to the team.

Our goal is to zealously advocate our clients interests and serve our regional community by offering unmatched insights and judgment, he said. Our main focus is to move a clients case forward expeditiously, pragmatically and in as cost-effective a manner as possible.

About Sommer Udall Law Firm

Sommer Udall Law Firm, founded in 1953, is a law firm that provides services of probate lawyers in Santa Fe. The group of lawyers provides out-of-state counsel and legal assistance to clients with issues in warrant challenging a will or trust, filing of wills and trusts, and other probate and estate administration matters. This regional law firm also has dedicated lawyers with diverse practice areas, including real estate, banking and loan documentation, commercial litigation, mediation, arbitration, administrative law, banking, and tax law. Learn more at http://www.sommerudall.com.
Now in its 24th year, The Womens Image Awards celebrate male and female media artists who create dimensional female media images, which also advance positive public opinion about the value of women and girls. The Womens Image Awards ceremony is Thursday, November 10, 2022 in at the glorious Wilshire Ebell 1200 seat-theater in Los Angeles. Says WIN founder Phyllis Stuart, each year we are honored and truly humbled to celebrate the significant accomplishments of all our nominees and honorees whose outstanding media also helps increase the value of women and girls.

WHAT: The Womens Image Awards 24

WHERE 4401 W 8th St, Los Angeles, California

WHEN Thursday November, 2022 RED CARPET 6:30PM / Ceremony 8PM

The Womens Image Awards 24 film and television nominees:

Documentary Film

Who Is Ghislaine Maxwell? (Starz)

Introducing, Selma Blair (Discovery+)

Janet Jackson (Lifetime)

Dream On (ESPN)

Made For Television Movie / Limited Series

Gaslit Will (Starz)

Zoeys Extraordinary Christmas (The Roku Channel)

1883 Season 1, Episode 1 (Paramount+)

List of A Lifetime (Lifetime)

Actress Made For Television Movie / Limited Series

Julia Roberts Gaslit King George

Faith Hill 1883 Racing Clouds

Isabel May 1883 The Weep of Surrender

Betty Gilpin Gaslit Tuffy

Drama Series

P-Valley Mississippi Rule (Starz)

The Cleaning Lady TNT (Fox)

Hightown Great White (Starz)

Power Book III: Raising Kanan Back In The Day (Starz)

Actress Drama Series

Patina Miller Power Book III: Raising Kanan Paid In Full

Natascha McElhone Halo Solace

Caitriona Balfe Outlander Sticks and Stones

Shannon Thornton P-Valley White Knights

Comedy Series

Shining Vale Chapter 8 - We Are Phelps (Starz)

Hacks I Think She Will (HBO MAX)

Welcome to Flatch RIP Cynthia (Fox)

Home Economics Camping Tent $39.99 (ABC)

Actress Comedy Series

Courteney Cox Shining Vale Chapter 8 - We Are Phelps

Jean Smart Hacks I Think She Will

Mira Sorvino Shining Vale Chapter 8 - We Are Phelps

Holmes Welcome to Flatch That Old Flatch Magic

Animation Program

HouseBroken Whos A Bad Girl? Part 2 (Fox)

Its Pony Saving Horse (Nickelodeon)

Actress Animation Program

Lisa Kudrow HouseBroken Whos A Bad Girl? Part 2

Jessica DiCicco Its Pony Saving Horse

Reality Series

Love On The Spectrum Episode #2.6 (Netflix)

Why Not Us Southern Dance "Its Showtime, Boo" (ESPN)

Drama Series Writer

Tash Gray Power Book III: Raising Kanan The Cost of Business

Toni Graphia Outlander The World Turned Upside Down

Rebecca Cutter Hightown Great White

Katori Hall P-Valley White Knights

Comedy Series Writer

Emily Schmidt Welcome to Flatch On The Hooky

Julieanne Smolinski Home Economics Camping Tent, $39.99

Jenny Bicks Welcome to Flatch RIP Cynthia

Show Producer

Miranda Kwok, Melissa Carter The Cleaning Lady TNT

Nikki Toscano The Offer

Jennifer Flanz The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Season 27, Ep. 87

Rebecca Cutter Hightown Great White

Scripted Show Director

Ryan Case Home Economics Camping Tent, $39.99

Monica Raymund Hightown Fresh As A Daisy

Christina Alexandra Voros 1883 The Fangs of Freedom

Alethea Jones Shining Vale Chapter 5 - The Squirrel Knew

Non-Fiction Show Director

Dawn Porter 37 Words Part 1

Kristen Lappas Dream On

Nicole Newnham 37 Words Part 4

Allison Glock Home Field

About The Womens Image Awards

To advance the value of women and girls, since its 1993 founding by actor and filmmaker, Phyllis Stuart, (Wild Daze, Becoming Bert Stern), Women's Image Network, (WIN), has produced The Women's Image Awards to celebrate artists whose work depicts dimensional female media images. 

For information please email Asst1@TheWINAwards.com or call 310-229-5365.
Ashlee's Toy Closet, in partnership with Stellar MLS Realtors of Punta Gorda-Port Charlotte-North PointDeSoto Inc., Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association, Venice Area Board of Realtors, Luminary Hotel, King of Freight, and Lig Rentals, brings toys to Florida children who have been impacted by Hurricane Ian.

"Stellar MLS is honored to be a part of this cross-country show of support to make a difference and bring smiles to the children impacted by Hurricane Ian. The Stellar team will be onsite at both locations helping to distribute new toys to kids from infants to middle school aged kiddos," said Merri Jo Cowen, CEO of Stellar MLS.

Ashlees Toy Closet, a nonprofit organization with the goal of Helping the littlest victims of Hurricane Ian in a big way, will be distributing toys on a first-come, first-served basis at the locations and times listed below. Families must present parental IDs, proof of address and loss, and all children must be present to receive toys.

10/28/2022 Port Charlotte

Location: Punta Gorda Association of Realtors

Address: 3320 Loveland Blvd

Port Charlotte, FL 33980

Time: 3 pm - 6 pm (or until out of toys)

10/29/2022 Fort Myers

Location: The Luminary Hotel

Address: 2200 Edwards Drive

Fort Myers, FL 33901

Time: 10 am - 1 pm (or until out of toys)

Ongoing Fundraiser can be found on Facebook at Ashlees Toy Closet, Inc.

About Ashlees Toy Closet, Inc.: A 501c(3) nonprofit based in Reno, Nevada, founded by then 8-year-old Ashlee Smith after experiencing the loss of her toys in a house fire. Her dad, a firefighter, was on the Angora Fire in Lake Tahoe and sent her a photo it showed a burned home, but Ashlee only noticed the burned toys. Ashlee told her mom she had to help because she knew exactly how the kids felt. Thus, sparking Ashlees Toy Closet, and for the past 15 years, she and her organization have collected & donated over 5 million toys worldwide. The organization is dedicated to replacing smiles, security & outlook with a simple toy. Learn more at ashleestoyclosetnv.org.

About Stellar MLS: Headquartered in Altamonte Springs, FL, Stellar MLS (Stellar) is Floridas largest multiple listing service (MLS) company, with nearly 77,000 customers in Florida and Puerto Rico. Offering a comprehensive suite of the industrys best products and world-class customer service, Stellar MLS is committed to helping brokers and agents thrive in tomorrows competitive real estate market. Learn more at stellarmls.com.
Flow Automotive Invests in Orbee "Investing in and leveraging Orbee across all our customer-related systems is an important step in centralizing, expanding, and activating our data assets for the benefit of our customers experience and privacy," stated Eric Flow, President of Management Services at Flow Automotive.

Flow Automotive, a third generation 65 year old automotive group based in North Carolina with over 45 franchise dealerships, invests in Orbee, a leading provider of data management, marketing analytics, and automation solutions for the automotive industry.

Flow Automotive has a strong discipline for building processes for their digital marketing and data systems. Their development of digital offerings including Drive Flow, Flow Offer to Purchase, Flow Express, FlowGarage, and the Flow App, positions them as one of the most tech-oriented and forward-thinking automotive groups. The time and energy Flow has invested in their digital infrastructure makes their investment into Orbee a great fit for both organizations - one that helps automotive dealerships close more sales through an improved customer experience while also benefiting from increased efficiencies and differentiation brought on by digitization.

Our organization has experienced over six decades of transformation in our industry, and we are absolutely confident that the future of value creation for our customers will be driven by leveraging data to create differentiated customer experiences, both in the store and online, stated Eric Flow, President of Management Services at Flow Automotive. Investing in and leveraging Orbee across all our customer-related systems is an important step in centralizing, expanding, and activating our data assets for the benefit of our customers experience and privacy. The biggest threat to dealers isnt the EV transformation or Autonomous Vehicles. It is the inability of most dealers to utilize data, software, and systems to provide customers with a well-executed differentiated experience that is on par with the retail experiences they commonly have everywhere else in their lives.

Orbee has built a proprietary marketing cloud that allows dealerships to collect, centralize, and protect data that is generated from all their online and offline channels. By combining data silos, the automotive retail industry can overcome the challenges of understanding the complete shopper lifecycle and tailoring their experiences and interactions to each buyer. Historically, dealerships do not have access to the data being collected about their own shoppers in a single actionable system.

This investment from an automotive group that is already so technologically advanced in the industry really validates what Orbee has been building over the years, stated Atul Patel, CEO of Orbee. The collaboration with Flow Automotive is far beyond just an investment and we plan to learn a lot together to combine Flows 65 years of experience with Orbees powerful marketing capabilities to serve as an example for the rest of the market.

About Orbee, Inc.

Orbee provides digital marketing analytics, data, and automation solutions to the automotive industry. Franchise and independent dealers and large dealership groups utilize the Orbees platform to measure marketing investments with campaign analytics, understand shopper behaviors with its customer journeys, manage and control their first and third-party data with tag management, reach buyers everywhere with omnichannel marketing, leverage 1:1 engagement with personalized messaging, comply with safeguard data laws with regulatory compliance and enable their tech teams with powerful APIs and SDKs. The company partners with dealer-centric media agencies, service providers, and OEM programs to expand the reach of its powerful technologies. To learn more about Orbees powerful marketing technology, please visit orbee.com and follow Orbee on LinkedIn. Connect with Orbee in person by visiting us at upcoming events.

About Flow Automotive

Founded by the Flow family in 1957, Flow Automotive Companies today includes 45 franchises in North Carolina and Virginia. The group defines itself by three principles: A covenant with customers that it is worthy of their trust; a community of people working towards a common vision; and a commitment to work towards the common good in every city in which it does business. It supports non-profits, sports, higher education, arts, and music in those communities. It employs over 1,800 people. It is focused on bringing transformative digital processes into the retail automotive space in order to better serve its customers.

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Our country was built by immigrants, and the people who come every day to the US from around the world are valuable members of our community, noted BDV Solutions founder and CEO Britt Vergnolle.

BDV Solutions, a tech-enabled, turnkey provider of labor shortage solutions to U.S. employers and employment-based immigration services to foreign nationals, today launched its inaugural Scholarship Program, BDV Believes, offering $2000 educational scholarships to five applicants who are seeking help funding their US education.

Created to assist US immigrants in reaching their educational goals, the scholarship is open to non-immigrant visa holders and Green Card holders and their family members who are enrolled or are enrolling in some type of educational program, including certificate programs and professional training courses. BDV is also accepting applications from international students.

To apply, applicants should submit a 3-5 minute video that answers the following questions:



Where are you from and why did you want to come to the US?

What impact has your immigration experience had on your life?

What does community mean to you and how do you contribute to your community?

Applicants must submit proof of enrollment in or acceptance to an educational program.

Our country was built by immigrants, and the people who come every day to the US from around the world are valuable members of our community, noted BDV Solutions founder and CEO Britt Vergnolle. This scholarship program is one way we can show our appreciation for their contributions and help deserving global citizens to get the education they deserve.

Applications are being accepted beginning today until December 15 at scholarship@bdvsolutions.com, and winners will be announced in January 2023. For more information and to submit an application, please visit https://www.bdvsolutions.com/scholarship.

About BDV Solutions Headquartered in Greenville, SC, BDV is the largest independent company in the U.S. that specializes in closing the countrys chronic and growing unskilled labor gap utilizing the EB-3 visa program. The company is uniquely positioned to assist U.S. companies and foreign nationals navigate the complex U.S. immigration system. More information can be found at http://www.bdvsolutions.com
This year, we hope food donations surpass all our previous collections so we can help reduce hunger across the country this holiday season.

Roto-Rooter, the largest plumbing and drain repair service in North America, is pleased to announce their fourth annual Giving Thanks Food Drive, a popular event to help people and animals in need.

This years Giving Thanks Food Drive runs from November 1 through November 30. Customers can donate two cans or non-perishable goods in return for major discounts up to $75 off any plumbing or drain service at participating locations. Donations will be collected by the technician at the time of service, then distributed to local food banks or pet shelters in time for the upcoming holiday season.

Roto-Rooter locations across the country compete for the honor of having the highest local donation levels and making a positive impact on their local communities.

Our Giving Thanks Food Drive is a win-win for everyone involved,' says Paul Abrams, spokesman for Cincinnati-based Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup. Our customers get a great deal on our world-class services, and of course, local communities all over the country receive much-needed assistance during the holidays.

Canned goods will be accepted as donations, but Roto-Rooter technicians also accept useful non-perishable products such as unopened bagged food. Roto-Rooter kindly reminds donors to make sure items are not past their expiration dates.

This year, we hope food donations surpass all our previous collections so we can help reduce hunger across the country this holiday season, adds Abrams. Since 2019, we have collected over 100,000 items.

To schedule your professional plumbing or drain repair service, please call 1-800-GET-ROTO or visit Roto-Rooters website.

About Roto-Rooter:

Roto-Rooter was established in 1935 and is the largest provider of plumbing repair and sewer & drain cleaning services in North America. Roto-Rooter also provides water damage cleanup services in most of its locations. For more information about Roto-Rooter, please visit http://www.rotorooter.com.
Low-carbon, climate-resilient economies are imperative for the future, as is providing quality health care and financial well-being, said Abts Chief Climate Officer Eric J. Reading. Abt is excited to promote both through this alliance with USAID, Power Africa, and private sector partners.

More than 100,000 public health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to reliable electricity and almost all of them lack access to an internet connection. Millions of people seeking care and treatment in Africa are at risk because they cant depend on refrigeration for medical commodities like vaccines, the presence of lights d for births or emergency surgeries at night, or the digital connectivity for communications and modern records management that modern medicine relies on. In short, insufficient power denies access to life-saving care.

To address this challenge, U.S. Agency for International Developments (USAID) Power Africa has selected Abt Associates to lead the Healthcare Electrification and Telecommunications Alliance (HETA). This new Global Development Alliance was launched under the White House Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. The five-year, $47 million program will leverage significant private sector resources to install reliable, renewable power and provide mobile network and internet access for 10,000 health facilities across sub-Saharan Africa.

Abt is implementing HETA with partners RESOLVE, bechtel.org (Bechtels social enterprise), and Orange (founding alliance members), alongside a growing number of companies, organizations, and foundations in the healthcare, energy, and telecommunications sectors. Together with Power Africa and the USAID Bureau for Global Health, USAID country missions, African government partners, and alliance members, facilities will be outfitted to provide renewable energy and digital connectivity to improve healthcare service delivery and support U.S. climate commitments made at the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations 26th Climate Change Conference of Parties in the last year.

The systems will include solar, battery, and other innovative energy technology, and incorporate mobile network access through cell towers and other infrastructure to connect clinics and hospitals. The HETA model will generate energy thats surplus to facilities demand, allowing for nearby businesses and homes to access the excess electricity. Power will also be provided to cell towers to provide reliable mobile access.

The sale of surplus power will generate revenue for system maintenance, incorporating financial sustainability into the program beyond USAIDs investment. Electricity off-take also turns health facilities into hubs for local development, giving people access to the power and connectivity they need to start or grow businesses, stimulate incomes, and create new communities of connection.

HETAs long-term vision looks beyond 10,000 facilities. Part of HETAs mission is to design an alliance that can continue without USAID funding support. Abt, USAID, and HETA partners are already looking to build the funding base and governance structures to create this independent organization.

Low-carbon, climate-resilient economies are imperative for the future, as is providing quality health care and financial well-being, said Abts Chief Climate Officer Eric J. Reading. Abt is excited to promote both through this alliance with USAID, Power Africa, and private sector partners to leverage private capital to put energy in the service of development.

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About Abt Associates

Abt Associates is a global consulting and research firm that combines data and bold thinking to improve the quality of people's lives. We partner with clients and communities to advance equity and innovationfrom creating scalable digital solutions and combating infectious disease, to mitigating climate change and evaluating programs for measurable social impactand more.

http://www.abtassociates.com

About Power Africa

Power Africa is a U.S. Government-led partnership that harnesses the collective resources of over 180 public and private sector partners to double access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa. Power Africa, in partnership with Sustainable Energy for All, launched the United Nations Multilateral Health Facility Electrification Compact in 2021). The Health Electrification and Telecommunications Alliance (HETA) is a public-private partnership under USAIDs Global Development Alliance with a goal to electrify 10,000 health facilities by 2030 to provide clean, reliable electricity generation capacity and digital connection to health facilities across sub-Saharan Africa. For more information about Power Africa, please visit: https://www.usaid.gov/powerafrica. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, and Medium.
KaSandra Winters; who is an Illinois native and a mother of one and studied at JJC of Joliet, Illinois Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice, presently residing in the state of Texas, has completed her new book Borris the Bully: a heartwarming childrens story inspired by her passionate anti-bullying advocacy and a desire to help children learn the fundamentals of respect for one another, regardless of race, gender, or culture.

Borris is a bully at Talking Toodles farm. Borris discovers his size is bigger than all the other animals at Talking Toodles Farm; therefore, he bullies his way for food, water and hay taking a large space in the barn for sleeping, leaving all the other animals nowhere to sleep.

The animals at Talking Toodles Farm take a stand against Borris and decides to tell Farmer Farley of Borriss behavior. Farmer Farley explains to Borris that being a bully isn't nice.

Borris learns a valuable lesson about being a bully. Borris learns (nobody likes a bully). Borris apologizes to all the animals for his behavior.

Published by Page Publishing, KaSandra Winterss engrossing book is an excellent addition to any home- or school-based childrens library.

Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase Borris the Bully at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing understands that authors should be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.


San Francisco | Sacramento | Stockton Criminal Defense Lawyer This is a tremendous relief for Mr. Rutan. Instead of years behind bars, he is free. He gets to see his child.

The Rosenfeld Law Firm announced today that a man facing charges of rape and violation of a restraining order has had all the charges against him dismissed as a result of the efforts of California criminal defense attorney Ken Rosenfeld.

According to the Superior Court of California, County of Placer (Case #62-176083), Rutan had initially been accused of raping and impregnating an immigrant woman from Albania he had met online. A permanent restraining order (PRO) was consequently placed against Rutan who was accused of violating his PRO by appearing at the womans home and was placed in jail. Although advised by his then-attorney to plea to sexual battery and receive its lower penalties (as per California Penal Code 243.4(a)), Rutan, acting on a second opinion received from Rosenberg just prior to his appearance in court, refused to plea. Rutan retained Rosenfeld as his defense attorney. Rosenfeld, supported by the discoveries of a private investigator, successfully showed not only that the woman in question had been seeking a green card and claimed she was raped only after Rutan refused to marry her, but also that the restraining order violation was the result of a setup orchestrated by the woman. As a result, all charges against Rutan were dismissed.

Rosenfeld said his client was relieved to put the matter behind him.

This is a tremendous relief for Mr. Rutan, said Rosenfeld. Instead of years behind bars, he is free. He gets to see his child.

About The Rosenfeld Law Firm

With offices in Sacramento, San Jose, and Palm Springs, The Rosenfeld Law Firm provides aggressive defense of a wide range of high-profile criminal defense cases. California criminal defense attorney Ken Rosenfeld defends such cases as first-degree murder and sex offense cases, and also provides DUI defense. In addition to mental health criminal defense, The Rosenfeld Law Firm also practices federal criminal defense and juvenile defense, as well as appellate law and prison law. As a skilled criminal law commentator, Rosenfeld makes regular appearances on KTXL TV and FOX40's Ask an Attorney. Rosenfeld was named Litigator of the Year by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers.

For more information, please contact Ken Rosenfeld directly at (916) 447-2070, or visit http://www.therosenfeldlawfirm.com.

Press release writing by WebSiteText and Proofreading Services by The Proofreaders. Ken Rosenfeld recommends Brian Murphy, Wrongful Death Attorney for Elder Abuse & Nursing Home Malpractice Lawsuits.
Back Row: Jason Slinkard, Tyler Ward, Samuel Ward, Gabrielle Horne, Hannah Porta, Joshua Bares, Dr. Josh Gray Front Row: Gabrielle Mellor, Reva Keller, Helena Usey, Sophia Parigi, Jamie Allen During the 2022-2023 school year, Cornerstone Chemical awarded $13,250 to local students planning to pursue bachelors degrees in STEM-related fields. Among other community initiatives, the Cornerstone Scholarship Program is helping to promote higher ed learning and build Louisianas future leaders.

Cornerstone Chemical Company, a New Orleans area based chemical manufacturing company, awarded scholarships to ten students seeking bachelors degrees in STEM-related fields. Each student received $1,000 in scholarship funds. Cornerstone also honored five high school students who attended the Louisiana Youth Seminar (LYS) this summer at Louisiana State University.

Dr. James Gray, superintendent of Jefferson Parish Public Schools, said, Im excited about the Cornerstones scholarship programs. Cornerstones commitment to investing in our children, our youngest citizens, helps move our district forward and advance our community as a whole.

Each of the ten students receiving the scholarship is either from the Greater New Orleans region, attending an accredited Louisiana university or a child of a Cornerstone employee. All recipients are enrolled at their universities to earn a STEM-related degree. The applicants were evaluated on their academic excellence and involvement within their communities and schools. Amongst the scholarships distributed, five of the recipients are children of Cornerstone employees, reinforcing our support of our team and their families success today and into the future. The scholarship is one of many ways Cornerstone supports the New Orleans community.

Cornerstone sponsored five local high school students to attend LYS, a weeklong summer leadership camp at LSU in Baton Rouge. LYS seeks to immerse young adults into leadership exercises and events to help build Louisianas future leaders. The seminar is attended by high school juniors and seniors from all around Louisiana.

2022 Cornerstone Scholarship Recipients:



Joshua Bares is an alumnus of Archbishop Rummel High School and is now a student at the University of New Orleans, majoring in earth and environmental science.

Gabrielle Horne is an alumna of Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy and is currently majoring in computer science at Southeastern Louisiana University.

Reva Keller is an alumna of St. Mary Dominican High School and currently attends Nicholls State University, where she is studying health sciences. Reva is working towards becoming an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

Gabrielle Mellor is an alumna of Archbishop Chapelle High School and is currently attending Louisiana State University and majoring in psychology. Her goal is to be a child and adolescent clinical psychologist at a pediatric hospital.

Joshua Nguyen is an alumnus of Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy and is currently majoring in mathematics and economics at Rhodes College.

Hannah Porta is an alumna of Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy and is majoring in chemical engineering at Louisiana State University.

Madilyn Sanderson is an alumna from Mount Carmel Academy and is currently studying speech pathology and audiology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Helena Usey just graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School and plans to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study mechanical engineering.

Tyler Ward is an alumnus of Dutchtown High School and is currently majoring in biology and psychology at Louisiana State University.

Samuel Ward is an alumnus of Dutchtown High School and is a student at William Carey University, where he is majoring in osteopathic medicine and hopes to become a physician in the future.

Louisiana Youth Seminar (LYS) Scholarship Recipients:



Jerzey Brown is a student at John Ehret High School and also attends classes at Cuillier Career Center.

Sophia Parigi is a student at Thomas Jefferson Academy for Advanced Studies.

Shirdariyon Williams is a student at West Jefferson High School.

Andy Le is a student at East Jefferson High School.

Silvia Garcia is a student at Riverdale High School.

Cornerstone is accepting applications for next years recipients. For more information and to apply, learn more about Cornerstones scholarship program.

Headquartered in Metairie, Louisiana with more than 500 employees, Cornerstone Chemical Company is an industry-leading manufacturer of high-quality intermediate chemicals, including acrylonitrile, melamine, sulfuric acid and other products used for a variety of end market applications. Cornerstone demonstrates their commitment to the community through education. For more information about Cornerstone, visit http://www.cornerstonechemco.com or read about Cornerstones involvement in the New Orleans and Louisiana communities.
Vinos de Jerez is thrilled to announce the 9th Annual International Sherry Week will be taking place November 7-13th, 2022. This years festivities will be the worlds largest wine celebration of fortified wines from Spain.

International Sherry Week is celebrated every year and it brings together the vibrant worldwide community of Sherry-lovers in a myriad of innovative and inspirational global events across four continents. New aficionados and seasoned experts in these unique wines from Southern Spain will discover more about the extraordinary variety of flavors and aromas of this wonderfully versatile wine, while learning about it, and enjoying it with great company at bars, restaurants, and wine stores across the world.

During this week in more than 30 countries, tastings, talks, masterclasses, pairings menus, wine-by-the-class promotions, and guided cooking experiences will be held by wine educators, restaurateurs, and bodegas - to ensure that wherever you are, wine enthusiasts can indulge their passion with a glass of Sherry. In the US, the activities will include the ones below:

Partnership with Mina Group: Mina Group, through their recognized restaurants and bars across the US, will offer an exclusive Sherry Wines promotion from November 7th to 13th. For one week, a selection of Sherry wines by the glass and a cocktail based on Sherry will be served to please all palates.

Virtual Tasting Event with Binnys Beverage Depot: November 9th, 2022 at 1 pm EST - Join Alicia Barrett, Wine Educator at Binnys and President of Vinos de Jerez, Cesar Saldana, for an in-depth tasting and conversation on Instagram live, where they will share their passion and vision for Sherry wines. Binnys will also have promotions for the whole duration of Sherry Week.

International Sherry Week invites all restaurants and retailers to join the global celebrations of Spains unique Sherry Wines during this week. To participate, register your event that features at least one or more Sherry Wines from the D.Os of Jerez-Xeres-Sherry or Manzanilla Sanlucar de Barrameda for free here. There is no limit to the number of events you can register/host.

For more information about International Sherry Week, please visit https://www.sherry.wine/sherryweek.

To find International Sherry Week events near you visit https://www.sherry.wine/sherryweek/events.

About Sherry Wines: Sherry is a fortified wine which can only be produced in the "Sherry Triangle"  formed by the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria, and Sanlucar de Barrameda in the province of Cadiz, south-western Spain. The Consejo Regulador's role is to protect the Denomination of Origin (DO) Jerez-Xeres-Sherry and Manzanilla-Sanlucar de Barrameda, ensuring that no wine from any other geographical area is sold as Sherry wine. DO Jeres-Xerez-Sherry and Manzanilla-Sanlucar de Barrameda is the oldest DO in Spain, and has 2,800 wine-growers. Wine has been produced in the area since Roman times, and Sherry has been exported around the world since the 16th century
Entech Ranks #240 on Channel Futures 2022 MSP 501 "Entech is honored to be recognized once again among the tech industrys most prestigious list of managed service providers worldwide... A tremendous testament to our teams commitment to doing what matters for our client partners in Southwest Florida; a motto we live by every single day.

Entech, a leading Managed Technology & Cybersecurity Service Provider, has been named as one of the worlds premier managed service providers in the 2022 Channel Futures MSP 501 rankings.

"Entech is honored to be recognized once again among the tech industrys most prestigious list of managed service providers worldwide," said Jake Spanberger, the companys Chief Executive Officer. We ranked #240 on this years list, up from #464 in 2021a tremendous testament to Entechs growth over the last year and our teams commitment to doing what matters for our client partners in Southwest Florida; a motto we live by every single day.

For the past 16 years, managed service providers (MSPs) from around the globe have submitted applications to be included on this prestigious and definitive listing. The Channel Futures MSP 501 survey examines organizational performance based on annual sales, recurring revenue, profit margins, revenue mix, growth opportunities, innovation, technology solutions supported, and company and customer demographics.

MSPs that qualify for the list must pass a rigorous review conducted by the research team and editors of Channel Futures. It ranks applicants using a unique methodology that weighs financial performance according to long-term health and viability, commitment to recurring revenue and operational efficiency.

This years list once again attracted a record number of applicants, making it one of the most competitive in the surveys history. Winners were recognized on the Channel Futures website and were honored at a special ceremony at the Channel Futures MSP Summit + Channel Partners Leadership Summit, Sept. 13-16, in Orlando, Florida.

Since its inception, the MSP 501 has evolved from a competitive ranking into a vibrant group of innovators focused on high levels of customer satisfaction at small, medium, and large organizations in public and private sectors. Today, many of their services and technology offerings focus on growing customer needs in the areas of cloud, security, collaboration, and support of hybrid work forces.

The 2022 Channel Futures MSP 501 winners are the highest-performing and most innovative IT providers in the industry today, said Allison Francis, senior news editor for Channel Futures. The 501 has truly evolved with the MSP market, as showcased by this years crop of winners. This is also the fifth consecutive year of application pool growth, making this years list one of the best on record.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 2022 winners, and gratitude to the thousands of MSPs that have contributed to the continuing growth and success of the managed services sector, said Kelly Danziger, general manager of Informa Tech Channels. These providers are most certainly driving a new wave of innovation in the industry and are demonstrating a commitment to moving the MSP and entire channel forward.

The complete 2022 MSP 501 list can be found here.

Background:

The 2022 MSP 501 list is based on confidential data collected and analyzed by the Channel Futures editorial and research teams. Data was collected online from Feb. 1-April 30, 2022. The MSP 501 list recognizes top managed service providers based on metrics including recurring revenue, profit margin, and other factors.-

About Channel Futures:

Channel Futures is a media and events platform serving companies in the information and communication technologies (ICT) channel industry with insights, industry analysis, peer engagement, business information and in-person events. We provide information, perspective, and connection for the entire channel ecosystem. This community includes technology and communications consultants, integrators, sellers, MSPs, agents, vendors and providers.

Our properties include the Channel Futures MSP 501, a list of the most influential and fastest-growing providers of managed services in the technology industry; Channel Partners events, which delivers unparalleled in-person events including Channel Partners Conference & Expo, the MSP 501 Summit and Channel Partners Europe; and Allies of the Channel Council (ACC) and DEI Community Group, our initiatives to educate, support and promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in the ICT channel industry. Channel Futures is where the world meets the channel; we are leading Channel Partners forward. More information is available at channelfutures.com.

Channel Futures is part of Informa Tech, a market-leading B2B information provider with depth and specialization in ICT sector. Every year, we welcome 14,000+ subscribers to our research, more than 4 million unique monthly visitors to our digital communities, 18,200+ students to our training programs and 225,000 delegates to our events.

About Entech:

Entech is a leading Managed Technology & Cybersecurity Service Provider serving Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, Bradenton, and Tampa Bay. Priding itself on exceptional customer service, Entech unites people, process, and technology to keep companies on the move and data as secure as it is flexible. At its core, Entech is a family business thats been doing what matters for more than two decades. We are passionate about partnerships, fanatical about fast IT support, and unwaveringly committed to results. Learn more at http://www.entechUS.com or reach out to our team at (239) 230-0282.


"My vision is to make the technology and information accessible and work with the key stakeholders in these regions so there is an ecosystem of people who can help support the further development and implementation of this knowledge, said Antonio Moreira, 2022-2024 ISPE Foundation Board Chair.

The ISPE Foundation announced Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Gilead) is partnering with the Foundation to establish a new Technology Without Borders initiative. This new program was created to fill a critical gap in the availability of ISPEs Guidance Documents and the necessary training to adopt this guidance into practice in countries where socioeconomic conditions or language barriers may otherwise limit access.

Gileads generous support of the Technology Without Borders program will be applied towards the translation of biotechnology-relevant ISPE Guidance Documents and delivery of the respective technical training to the local workforce, academia, and key stakeholders in Brazil. ISPE International will fully manage the dissemination of all Guidance Documents and deliver all training.

A capable and skilled workforce is required for medicines developed by the pharmaceutical industry across the globe and the ever-advancing technologies used in their development. Often, they need access to Guidance Documents, training, and information in various languages, facilitating the transmission of this knowledge, said Antonio Moreira, Vice-Provost, Academic Affairs, University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the 2022-2024 ISPE Foundation Board Chair. My vision for the Technology Without Borders program is to not only make the technology and information accessible but then to work with the key stakeholders in these regions so there is an ecosystem of highly skilled people who can help support the further development and implementation of this knowledge.

Gilead is committed to bringing transformative medicines to patients worldwide and is pleased to partner with the ISPE Foundation on the Technology Without Borders initiative to support these efforts, said Joydeep Ganguly, Senior Vice President of Corporate Operations at Gilead Sciences. Educational equity and knowledge exchange are critical to the success of the pharmaceutical industry. We are delighted to partner with ISPE on a program that enables broad access to core engineering standards and best practices, making them more readily available in emerging economy markets.

About the ISPE Foundation

The ISPE Foundation, the philanthropic arm of ISPE International, is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization that supports ISPEs interests across the globe. Specific programs within the foundation include Workforce of the Future, Women in Pharma, and the Global Knowledge Exchange.

The ISPE Foundation is supported by an International Board of Directors and a global staff of association professionals and advisers under the leadership of Board Chair Dr. Antonio Moreira and ISPEs President & CEO, Thomas Hartman. As an indication of their level of commitment, 100% of Board Members have contributed donations to support Foundation initiatives. Funded by the generosity of our donors, the Foundation champions programs that create opportunity, diversity, and success within the global pharmaceutical industry.

About Gilead

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, intending to create a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis, and cancer. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California, USA.
Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP If you would like to know more about the Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLC lawsuit, please call (800) 568-8020 today to speak to an experienced California employment attorney.

The San Francisco employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action complaint alleging that Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLC violated the California Labor Code. The Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLC, class action lawsuit, Case No. C22-02161, is currently pending in the Contra Costa Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here.

According to the lawsuit filed, Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLC allegedly failed to fully relieve Plaintiff and other California Class Members for their legally required thirty (30) minute meal breaks. Employees were also allegedly required, from time to time, to work in excess of four (4) hours without being provided the legally required ten (10) minute rest periods. The California Supreme Court defines off-duty rest periods as time during which an employee is relieved from all work related duties and free from employer control.

Additionally, Defendant allegedly failed to provide employees with complete and accurate wage statements which showed, among other things, the correct gross and net wages earned. California Labor Code  226 provides that every employer shall furnish each of his or her employees with an accurate itemized wage statement in writing showing, among other things, gross wages earned and all applicable hourly rates in effect during the pay period and the corresponding amount of time worked at each hourly rate.

If you would like to know more about the Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLC class action lawsuit, please call (800) 568-8020 today to speak to an experienced California employment attorney.

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.

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Little One Misses His Home: a sweet story of Gods promise. Little One Misses His Home is the creation of published author Natalie Reeder.

Reeder shares, Heartwarming and honest, Little One Misses His Home is a tale of enduring hope that teaches children their story has only just started, with many more exciting adventures to come  even after heartbreak.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Natalie Reeders new book will encourage young readers to discuss their feelings when coping with life-changing events.

Reeder shares in hopes of aiding young readers in both their personal and spiritual journeys.

Consumers can purchase Little One Misses His Home at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Little One Misses His Home, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
A key differentiating factor is our proprietary technology. We've upgraded our systems to automate crypto admin functions that many other administrators handle manually  enabling us to deliver more accurate reporting much faster and more economically."Sumit SharmaNAV Assistant Vice President

NAV Fund Administration Group, a leading provider of administrative services to alternative asset managers, was announced as Best Fund Administrator  Digital Assets at the Hedgeweek US Services Awards in New York City on October 27. The firm also won Best Fund Administrator honors at both the Hedgeweek US and EU Digital Assets Awards earlier this year.

NAV was one of the first administrators to work with crypto clients in the early days and we continue to develop solutions that address the unique requirements crypto fund managers and their investors require, said NAV VP  Accounting & Digital Rajat Jain. Our services are well-honed at this point  offering accuracy, quick reporting, responsiveness, expertise with crypto, and institutional appeal  a full package of services attractive to crypto fund managers.

More than 500 fund managers and other key industry participants were surveyed to compile a nominee shortlist, followed by an online poll of the entire Hedgeweek userbase to determine the winner.

One of the key differentiating factors for NAV is our proprietary technology. We made numerous upgrades to our systems in 2021, many of which automated crypto admin functions that many other administrators handle manually  enabling us to deliver more accurate reporting much faster, said NAV Assistant Vice President Sumit Sharma. We offer high-value fund administration services with a very economical fee structure. With both traditional and DeFi markets recently taking a significant dip, cost-effective services are critical to overall fund profitability. CLICK HERE for more info about NAV Cryptocurrency Services

Beyond crypto fund support, NAV has offered fund administration services across all alternative asset fund types and strategies for more than 30 years. The latest award marks NAVs sixth Best Administrator award in 2022 - including Best Fund Administrator  Technology at the With Intelligence HFM US Services Awards; Best Fund Administrator for Small/Start-Up Funds at the Fund Intelligence Operations & Services Awards; and Best Fund Administrator at the HFM US Quant Services Awards  in addition to the previously cited Hedgeweek Best Fund Administrator honors at the US and EU Digital Assets Awards.

About NAV Fund Administration Group

Founded in 1991, NAV is a privately owned fund administrator recognized for its innovative and cost-effective technology and service solutions. A dynamic team of more than 2,250 professionals provide services to 2,000+ funds across the globe -- including hedge fund, private equity fund, and cryptocurrency fund clients -- while maintaining a 99% client retention rate. The company is headquartered in the United States, with four facilities in India supporting Back Office and Middle Office services, and locations in Australia, the Cayman Islands, Mauritius, and Singapore with additional jurisdictional services worldwide. NAV ranks among the top global administrators by number of funds, servicing more than $180 billion AUA.

About Hedgeweek

Launched in 2002, Hedgeweek covers hedge fund industry news for investors and fund managers. It provides news, features, research, awards and events for the global hedge fund industry. Hedgeweek is part of Global Fund Media Ltd, which publishes six specialist newswires covering all asset classes within the institutional investor marketplace.
I am pleased to announce that this group of accomplished professionals have been promoted to principal, said Michael J. Novogradac, managing partner of Novogradac. Its exciting to see our leadership team here at Novogradac continue to grow and shape the future of the firm.

National accounting and consulting enterprise Novogradac on Sept. 1 elevated 11 managers to principalJessica Acosta of the Portland, Oregon, office; Jason Blumenstock of the Toms River, New Jersey, office; Nicole Crites, Dat Ksor and Luc Le of the metro Seattle office; Karl Majors and Jon Mullet of the Dover, Ohio, office; Charles McCall, Stephanie Naquin and Jimmy Pokorny of the Austin, Texas, office; and Doris Yu of the Long Beach, California, office.

I am pleased to announce that this group of accomplished professionals have been promoted to principal, said Michael J. Novogradac, managing partner of Novogradac. Its exciting to see our leadership team here at Novogradac continue to grow and shape the future of the firm.

Acosta specializes in tax compliance, planning and consulting services for multistate partnerships, trusts and high-net-worth individuals. Acosta has experience working with various real estate clients, including the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC), opportunity zones (OZ) transactions and investment partnerships. She is also experienced in the taxation of wineries and vineyards. Acosta received a bachelors degree in economics and German, as well as her masters degree in accounting, from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is licensed as a certified public accountant in California and Oregon.

Blumenstock specializes in the firms public housing authority (PHA) auditing group. Blumenstock began auditing PHAs in 2009 and has been the manager on numerous PHA audits, including the Grand Junction Housing Authority (Grand Junction, Colorado), the Housing Authority of the County of Monterey (Monterey, California), the Virgin Islands Housing Authority (St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands), the Housing Authority of the City of Durham (Durham, North Carolina), the Housing Authority of the County of Marin (San Rafael, California) and many others. Blumenstock also specializes in planning and performing audits in accordance with the requirements of the Uniform Guidance, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) consolidated audit guide, and nonprofit organization audits. Blumenstock is a graduate of Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, where he earned a bachelors degree in accounting and has more than 12 years of experience auditing governmental entities. He is licensed as a certified public accountant in New Jersey.

Crites provides audit and tax services for real estate partnerships in the affordable housing industry. She specializes in future rent and income limit estimates, financial modeling and valuation of partnership interests. Crites received her bachelors degree in accounting and finance from University of Washington. She is licensed in Washington as a certified public accountant.

Ksor provides audit and tax services to real estate partnerships in the affordable housing industry with an emphasis in low-income housing tax credits (LIHTCs). He also specializes in LIHTC property compliance reviews, tax credit applications, feasibility analysis and has contributed several articles on tax credit property compliance to the Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits. He received his bachelors degree in accounting from University of Washington and masters degree in professional accountancy from Central Washington University. He is licensed in Washington as a certified public accountant.

Le joined Novogradac in 2012. He has significant experience in providing audit and tax services for real estate transactions as well as performing LIHTC property compliance testing. Le received a bachelors degree in business administration with concentrations in accounting and finance from the University of Washington and is licensed as a certified public accountant in Washington.

Majors specializes in federal and state new markets tax credits (NMTCs), renewable energy tax credits (RETCs), historic rehabilitation tax credits (HTCs) and the opportunity zones (OZ) incentive. Majors has provided consulting and financial modeling services for more than 175 tax credit transactions with cumulative development financing exceeding $2.5 billion. He works with real estate developers, community development entities, syndicators, lenders and investors on the structuring, financing and syndication of NMTC, RETC, HTC and OZ transactions. He also provides his clients with traditional accounting services such as financial statement audits, tax return preparation, final cost certification audits and transaction document reviews. He earned a bachelors degree in accounting and a masters degree in business administration from Walsh University. He is licensed in Ohio as a certified public accountant.

McCall joined Novogradac in 2012. He has extensive experience in providing audit and tax services in the real estate industry. His experience includes accounting, auditing, forecasting and compliance of developments subject to the requirements of the LIHTC and HUD. He has assisted many clients with federal and state HTCs and tax-exempt bond financed transactions, including those subject to the Rental Assistance Demonstration program. McCall received a masters degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from Middle Tennessee State University and is licensed as a certified public accountant in Texas.

Mullet has several years of experience in providing tax, consulting, various attestation and audit services to real estate partnerships. He specializes in the LIHTC industry, including entities subject to the auditing requirements of HUD and has extensive experience with upper-tier tax credit equity funds, tax credit syndicators and operating partnerships. Mullet received his bachelors degree in accounting from Ashland University. He is licensed in Ohio as a certified public accountant.

Naquins work includes consulting with state agencies, equity providers, lenders, attorneys, developers and on-site staff on topics related to multifamily compliance of Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 42, IRC Section 142, the HOME program, National Housing Trust Fund, HUD multifamily programs and other locally administrated affordable housing programs, with a focus on holistic compliance. Her team is responsible for reviewing thousands of tenant files annually for compliance across the country. Naquin frequently presents to statewide and national audiences. She also presents the Novogradac Property Compliance Workshop, develops educational/training material and writes for various publications, including a regular compliance article in the Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits. Naquin was previously the director of multifamily compliance with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, where her team oversaw all aspects of compliance monitoring, physical inspection and compliance administration. Naquins certifications include the National Center for Housing Management Certified Occupancy Specialist, the National Association of Home Builders Housing Credit Certified Professional and the Novogradac Property Compliance Certification.

Pokorny joined Novogradac in 2013. He has significant experience in providing audit and tax services in the real estate industry. In addition, he specializes in assisting development owners with compliance of various HUD programs, as well as preparing cost certifications and other various HUD/LIHTC engagements. Pokorny received his bachelors degree with a concentration in accounting from Sam Houston State University and is licensed as a certified public accountant in Texas.

Yu provides tax, attestation and consulting services to developers, investors, housing authorities, nonprofit organizations and partnerships within the affordable housing and community development real estate sector. She specializes in affordable housing, with an emphasis in LIHTC, auditing requirements of HUD and LIHTC property compliance testing. She has extensive experience with cost segregation studies for rental real estate properties. Yu graduated with a bachelors degree from the University of California, Berkeley and is licensed in California as a certified public accountant.

About Novogradac

Novogradac, which has been in business for more than 30 years, has grown to more than 720 employees and partners with offices in more than 25 cities. Tax, audit and consulting specialty practice areas for Novogradac include affordable housing, community development, historic rehabilitation and renewable energy. For additional information on Novogradacs personnel and areas of expertise, visit http://www.novoco.com or call (415) 356-8000.
Attendees will learn about the basics of immune receptor profiling, as well as how immunosequencing can be applied to advance drug discovery and develop targeted therapies. The featured speaker will discuss how to use immunosequencing in pre-clinical mouse models to identify biomarkers and prioritize drug candidates.

Join Patrick Raber, Ph.D., Director, Immune Medicine at Adaptive Biotechnologies, for the live webinar on Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific.

For more information, or to register for this event, visit Optimizing Pre-Clinical Drug Development through Immune Receptor Sequencing in Mouse Models.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

ABOUT ADAPTIVE BIOTECHNOLOGIES

Adaptive Biotechnologies is a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on harnessing the inherent biology of the adaptive immune system to transform the diagnosis and treatment of disease. We believe the adaptive immune system is natures most finely tuned diagnostic and therapeutic for most diseases, but the inability to decode it has prevented the medical community from fully leveraging its capabilities. Our proprietary immune medicine platform reveals and translates the massive genetics of the adaptive immune system with scale, precision and speed. We apply our platform to partner with biopharmaceutical companies, inform drug development and develop clinical diagnostics across our two business areas: Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) and Immune Medicine. Our commercial products and clinical pipeline enable diagnosis, monitoring and treatment for diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders and infectious diseases. Our goal is to develop and commercialize immune-driven clinical products tailored to each individual patient.

To learn more about Adaptive Biotechnologies, visit http://adaptivebiotech.com/

ABOUT XTALKS

Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (life science, food and medical device companies, private and academic research institutions, and healthcare centers, among others) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps life science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers.

To learn more about Xtalks, visit http://xtalks.com

For information about hosting a webinar, visit http://xtalks.com/why-host-a-webinar/

Contact:

Vera Kovacevic

Tel: +1 (416) 977-6555 x371

Email: vkovacevic@xtalks.com


Our goal is to prevent as many instances of domestic and intimate partner violence in Central Florida as possible. We want to empower anyone experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence to seek help.

Central Florida Bonding announces its newest blog entitled, Domestic Violence Awareness. This Orlando, Florida bail bonds agency shares resources for preventing intimate partner violence.

Most importantly, we want to empower anyone experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence to seek help, Hadi Khouri, owner of Central Florida Bonding, states. Research indicates residual stress from the pandemic and the recent hurricane have combined to increase domestic violence rates across central Florida.

Victims can also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 24 hours a day at 800-799-7233. Victims in Central Florida can contact the Harbor House, a 24-hour confidential crisis hotline, at 407-886-2856.

October marks the 35th annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). Health experts recommend taking time during this month to consciously work to reduce your stress levels. You can reduce your stress by taking a walk, exercising, changing locations, going outside, reading, listening to music or doing other activities you find relaxing.

It is important to find ways to destress every day and especially during stressful times, Khouri said. Research shows added stress contributes to domestic violence and reducing stress levels contributes to a decrease in domestic violence crimes.

Domestic and intimate partner violence can happen to anyone. Intimate partner violence accounts for 15 percent of all violent crimes, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. It occurs within every type of family and relationship. Domestic violence occurs with all ages, races, economic levels, education levels, and religions.

Our goal is to prevent as many instances of domestic and intimate partner violence in Central Florida as possible, Khouri said.

Because domestic violence crimes vary, the penalties for domestic violence also vary. Penalties will be based on the crime committed, if the defendant has any prior offenses, or if there were any children present when the crime was committed.

The charges could be a misdemeanor or felony with the possibility of jail time, fines, required counseling, or restraining prohibiting the defendant from having contact with his/her victim. If the convicted defendant owns a firearm, they could have their concealed weapon permit revoked or lose the right to own, possess or use a firearm.

Being convicted of domestic violence goes on your record and may prevent you from obtaining employment in some fields.

If you are facing charges of domestic violence and need a bail bond agency, Central Florida Bonding encourages people to call 407-841-3646. They have been serving Central Florida since 1979. Defendants can rely on Central Florida Bonding to guide them through the ins and outs of the bail bond process. They are available to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. When in need, defendants, their friends, or family members are encouraged to call 407-841-3646 for fast bail.

All of the bail bond agents at Central Florida Bonding are experienced, knowledgeable, and licensed. They are ready to assist with paperwork, can explain the ins and outs of the bail bond process, and can answer questions regarding the criminal justice system.

This Orlando bail bond agency is located at 2911 39th Street, Suite 300, Orlando, FL 32839, and serves all of Central Florida including Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Volusia, and Lake Counties. Defendants have benefited from the expertise of Central Florida Bonding since 1979.

In addition to offering bail bonds for domestic violence, Central Florida Bonding also bonds defendants from jail for drugs, drug trafficking, assault, battery, traffic violations, road rage, child neglect, DUI, BUI, DWI, and other charges. When defendants read the Google Reviews for Central Florida Bonding its clear to see they are the best bail bonds agency in Orlando, Florida. Currently standing with 44 five-star Google reviews, Central Florida Bonding is highly regarded among their clients. For more information or to post bail quickly, call Central Florida Bonding at 407-841-3646.
Dawn is an impactful senior leader and these awards, while impressive and well-deserved, come as no surprise, said Kevin J. Keane, Executive Chairman at PKF OConnor Davies.

PKF OConnor Davies, LLP, one of the nations largest accounting, tax and advisory firms, is proud to announce that Dawn Perri, Partner and the Firms Chief Human Resources Officer, has been selected as one of Crains New York Business Notable HR Leaders. In addition to this recognition by the leading voice of the New York metropolitan business community, Perri is a recipient of 914INC. Magazines 2022 Women in Business Awards honoring the most successful businesswomen in Westchester County, New York. These dual accolades underscore Perris transformative leadership and unwavering commitment to enacting positive change throughout the Firm and her local community.

Dawn is an impactful senior leader and these awards, while impressive and well-deserved, come as no surprise, said Kevin J. Keane, Executive Chairman at PKF OConnor Davies. Her recognition by Crains and other notable publications is a direct reflection of her tireless efforts to improve our culture, grow our team and deepen our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Perri brings over 25 years of experience to her role spearheading the human resources efforts of the Firms 18 offices and over 1,400 team members. A member of the Firms Leadership Team and the winner of the 2021 Ovation Award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) by the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA), Perri was instrumental in cultivating a robust DE&I program for the Firm and hiring its first DE&I manager. In addition, she is credited with launching the Firms Summer Friday Pilot Program, enhancing its bonus and benefits program and expanding its recruitment team. Outside of the office, she is a board member of the White Plains Youth Bureau.

To be recognized for my work and impact is an immense honor, Perri said. My goal has always been to ensure our Firm is one of our industrys top workplaces, where all feel confident, valued and accepted for who they are. These two awards have only strengthened my dedication to that work and have been made possible by the support of our incredible HR team.

Crains New York Business list of Notable HR Leaders encompasses innovators across the New York metropolitan area who are effecting change in their firms human resources departments. Honorees are recognized for revolutionizing new approaches to acquiring and retaining employees, enhancing company culture, and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. Furthermore, leaders must demonstrate involvement in either community and/or philanthropic activities, mentoring programs, or diversity and inclusion initiatives. Honorees were profiled in a special edition of Crains New York Business published on October 17, 2022.

914INC. Magazines Women in Business Awards is an annual celebration of the most enterprising, influential and inspirational female executives, entrepreneurs, and government and nonprofit leaders in the Westchester County region. Honorees will be featured in the November/December issue of 914INC. Magazine and at a special event on November 17, 2022, at the Sleepy Hollow Conference + Convention Center.

About PKF OConnor Davies, LLP

PKF OConnor Davies, LLP, is a full-service certified public accounting and advisory firm with a long history of serving clients both domestically and internationally. With roots tracing to 1891, the Firm has 18 offices in the United States and abroad. In the U.S., offices are located across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Florida, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, where PKF OConnor Davies has recently merged in Boston-based DGC and expanded its footprint in the New England market. The Firm also has an office in Mumbai, India.

PKF OConnor Davies employs more than 1,400 professionals who provide a complete range of accounting, auditing, tax and management advisory services. The Firm is led by over 150 partners who are closely involved in the day-to-day management of engagements, ensuring a high degree of client service and cost effectiveness.

The Firm is a top-ranked firm, according to Accounting Todays 2022 Top 100 Firms list and was recently recognized as one of Americas Best Tax and Accounting Firms by Forbes. PKF O'Connor Davies was named one of Vault's 2022 Accounting 50, a ranking of the 50 best accounting employers to work for in North America and ranked among the top 50 most prestigious accounting firms in America in a complementary Vault survey.

PKF OConnor Davies is the lead North American representative of the international association of PKF member firms. PKF International is a network of legally independent member firms providing accounting, tax and business advisory services in over 400 locations in 150 countries around the world. With its tradition, experience and focus on the future, PKF OConnor Davies is ready to help clients meet todays ever-changing economic conditions and manage the growing complexities of the regulatory environment. For more information, visit http://www.PKFOD.com.
Its been exciting to witness the Firms growth over the last few years, and the expansion of our Shelton office underscores our momentum, said Eric Hendlin, Partner-in-Charge of the Firms Shelton office.

PKF OConnor Davies, LLP, one of the nations largest accounting, tax and advisory firms, is excited to announce the new location of its Shelton, Connecticut, office, opening at One Corporate Drive, Suite 725. Situated only a short distance away from the offices current location at Four Corporate Drive, Suite 488, the relocation provides much-needed space for the Firm to expand its team and welcome a greater number of clients. The move is the latest effort by the Firm to grow its operational footprint in the New England market and signals its continued position as the premier provider of accounting, audit and advisory services in the region.

Its been exciting to witness the Firms growth over the last few years, and the expansion of our Shelton office underscores our momentum, said Eric Hendlin, Partner-in-Charge of the Firms Shelton office. Our new location has been especially designed to accommodate a greater number of employees. We look forward to welcoming even more team members to the Firm as we continue expanding our work in the New England market.

Located in northeast Fairfield County, the Firms Shelton office provides accounting, advisory, consulting and tax services to privately and closely-held businesses, individuals, and families. In addition, the team delivers specialty tax planning and solutions to high-net-worth business owners and family offices. The offices new location will continue to feature hallmarks of the Firms industry-leading employee experience, which includes collaborative and connected workspaces.

PKF OConnor Davies continues to expand through organic growth and acquisitions on the East Coast and beyond. It has supported this growth with a strategic combination of promoting from within coupled with an ongoing focus on top-tier external hires.

About PKF OConnor Davies, LLP

PKF OConnor Davies, LLP, is a full-service certified public accounting and advisory firm with a long history of serving clients both domestically and internationally. With roots tracing to 1891, the Firm has 18 offices in the United States and abroad. In the U.S., offices are located across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Florida, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, where PKF OConnor Davies has recently merged in Boston-based DGC and expanded its footprint in the New England market. The Firm also has an office in Mumbai, India.

PKF OConnor Davies employs more than 1,400 professionals who provide a complete range of accounting, auditing, tax and management advisory services. The Firm is led by over 150 partners who are closely involved in the day-to-day management of engagements, ensuring a high degree of client service and cost effectiveness.

The Firm is a top-ranked firm, according to Accounting Todays 2022 Top 100 Firms list and was recently recognized as one of Americas Best Tax and Accounting Firms by Forbes. PKF O'Connor Davies was named one of Vault's 2022 Accounting 50, a ranking of the 50 best accounting employers to work for in North America and ranked among the top 50 most prestigious accounting firms in America in a complementary Vault survey.

PKF OConnor Davies is the lead North American representative of the international association of PKF member firms. PKF International is a network of legally independent member firms providing accounting, tax and business advisory services in over 400 locations in 150 countries around the world. With its tradition, experience and focus on the future, PKF OConnor Davies is ready to help clients meet todays ever-changing economic conditions and manage the growing complexities of the regulatory environment. For more information, visit http://www.PKFOD.com.
Ken Rosenfeld, Named 2022 Litigator of the Year Its an incredible honor to be recognized again as Litigator of the Year by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers.

The Rosenfeld Law Firm today announces that criminal defense attorney Ken Rosenfeld has been named by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers (AIOTL) as Litigator of the Year for 2022. The distinction, awarded annually, recognizes the top trial attorneys in the nation who meet the highest standards for proficiency and ethical practice of the law. Less than .03 percent of litigators are nominated each year for selection into the American Institute of Trial Lawyers.

Recognized by the AIOTL for his ability to provide aggressive criminal defense across a range of high-profile cases at the state and federal level, Rosenfeld also has the organizations nod for 2022 Litigator of the Year as a result of his accomplishments as an appeals lawyer in the California Courts of Appeals, the California Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. Rosenfeld shares his extensive legal knowledge both as a criminal law commentator and a California bar examination educator teaching constitutional law, evidence, and professional responsibility. A member of the American Bar Association and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, he is licensed to practice law in the State of California. His criminal defense law firm, The Rosenfeld Law Firm, also practices juvenile defense, prison law, and mental health law.

The AIOTL, an invitation-only professional organization of American trial attorneys, utilizes a rigorous selection process involving peer nominations and third-party research of criminal and civil trial lawyers from each state. Attorneys chosen as Litigator of the Year have met top standards for elite practice of the law and have consistently demonstrated knowledge, skill, experience, and success as trial lawyers.

Its an incredible honor to be recognized again as Litigator of the Year by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers, said Rosenfeld, who was previously awarded the recognition in 2020 and awarded Best Law Firm in 2021.

About The Rosenfeld Law Firm

With offices in Sacramento, San Jose, and Palm Springs, The Rosenfeld Law Firm provides aggressive defense of a wide range of high-profile criminal defense cases. California criminal defense attorney Ken Rosenfeld defends such cases as first-degree murder and sex offense cases, and also provides DUI defense. In addition to mental health criminal defense, The Rosenfeld Law Firm also practices federal criminal defense and juvenile defense, as well as appellate law and prison law. As a skilled criminal law commentator, Rosenfeld makes regular appearances on KTXL TV and FOX40's Ask an Attorney. Rosenfeld was named Litigator of the Year by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers.

For more information, please contact Ken Rosenfeld directly at (916) 447-2070, or visit http://www.therosenfeldlawfirm.com.

Press release writing by WebSiteText and Proofreading Services by The Proofreaders. Ken Rosenfeld recommends Brian Murphy, Wrongful Death Attorney for Elder Abuse & Nursing Home Malpractice Lawsuits.
The Gospel with a Twist and more...I Bet You Never Heard It Like This!: an impactful collection of spiritually charged writings. The Gospel with a Twist and more...I Bet You Never Heard It Like This! is the creation of published author Shirley Collins, a native of Louisiana who now resides in Texas. Collins is the youngest of nine siblings and was the first in her family to attend college and receive a degree. Her father, a World War I veteran, worked for the East Carroll Parish Highway Department, and her mother was a housewife who also worked part-time at the school cafeteria. Her family includes five generations that number well over three hundred9 siblings, 48 grandchildren, 100 great grandchildren, 128 great-great-grandchildren, and 30 great-great-great-grandchildren.

Collins shares, I Bet You Never Heard It Like This!

For those who are spiritually inclined and well-versed on quoting scriptures from the Bible, you will be enlightened to hear it from an amusing perspective. For those who think the Bible is dull and boring and have little or no interest in reading it, this book will change your mind!

The biblical references are included not only to validate the facts but also to ignite your curiosity to examine the full intriguing stories and their miraculous outcomes.

Then, theres more. The selections will touch every emotion in your being, from deep soul-searching to laughter and tears of joy. It will invite you to reflect on incidents or precious moments in time like hearing a favorite love song that vividly takes you back to a special place or that special someone.

You will find favorite passages to read over and over again. Occasionally, you will find yourself reciting excerpts, in thought as well as general conversationthe same as you often do with famous lines from prominent movies, such as Forrest Gump, Gone with the Wind, The Color Purple, Tyler Perrys character Madea, etc.

You will not dare put this book upon the shelf to collect dust. Instead, you will want to keep it by your bedside or at a moments reach. It will have a lasting impression on all ages, for all occasions, for years to come.

This collection of knowledge also teaches lessons of trust, faith, and perseverance. In the midst of our trials and tribulations, there will be a time of joy!

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Ps. 30:5 KJV).

Check out The Gospel with a Twist and allow it to explore your mind!

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Shirley Collinss new book will empower and inspire as readers reflect on the carefully presented messages within.

Collins shares in hopes of imparting some life lessons on a variety of topics that will challenge, empower, and rejuvenate readers in their spiritual journey.

Consumers can purchase The Gospel with a Twist and more...I Bet You Never Heard It Like This! at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about The Gospel with a Twist and more...I Bet You Never Heard It Like This!, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
HeatSource Low Carbon Heat Technology Expo Decarbonising heating systems, whether that is an industrial process or district heating, is one of the more complex areas to eliminate carbon. I am really excited to have the opportunity to meet with people from all different sectors and discuss how we can help.

Star Renewable Energy will be exhibiting at The Low Carbon Heat Technology Expo on 17th November at Hamilton International Technology Park.

Organised by Scotlands Low Carbon Heat Network, HeatSource, the Low Carbon Heat Technology Expo will bring Scottish based suppliers of low-carbon heat technology and renewable heat experts closer to organisations up and down the supply chain.

The event will welcome an array of speakers from the public, private, domestic and non-domestic sectors to discuss decarbonisation plans across both new-build and retrofit applications of low-carbon heat and energy projects, providing attendees with a better understanding of the pipeline of activity and potential markets in this space.

At their stand, Star Renewable Energy will provide information and advice on a range of recently installed water source heat pumps for district heating networks across the UK.

One such example is the ground-breaking 5.2MW district heat pump in Clydebank which provides low carbon heating and hot water for buildings at Queens Quay. The project is the largest of its kind in the UK and was awarded the Heat Pump City of the Year Award 2021 by the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA). The water source heat pump system abstracts heat from the River Clyde in Glasgow to heat a range of residential blocks, offices and leisure centres via district heating, producing an 80% lower carbon footprint than burning gas and sometimes more

Star will also demonstrate the benefits of the recently installed 3MW water source heat pump at Castle Park Energy Centre in Bristol. The heat pump takes water from the nearby floating harbour and uses it to generate heat and hot water for local businesses and residents. The heat network is supplying over 1000 properties with low-carbon heat and continues to expand to new areas across the city. The impressive project also received European Heat Pump City of the Year 2022 status.

Nicky Cowan, Star Renewable Energy Manager, said Decarbonising heating systems, whether that is an industrial process or district heating, is one of the more complex areas to eliminate carbon. I am really excited to have the opportunity to meet with people from all different sectors and discuss how we can help 

Attendees at the event will also hear from a host of sustainability and net zero experts including:



Sharon McKendry, Heat of Net Zero Transition  Scottish Enterprise

Kathryn Dapre, Head of Sustainability  Cala Group

Sherina Peek, Acting Policy Manager - ALACHO

Tbc, Sustainability Team  Glasgow City Council

Callum Rae, Senior R&D Engineer  PNDC (Power Networks Demonstration Centre)

HeatSource supports industry across all areas of the supply chain to grow their capacity and capability within the renewable heat sector. Tickets for their Low Carbon Heat Technology Expo are available free of charge at

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/heatsource-low-carbon-heat-technology-expo-tickets-407364828167

To find out more about Star Renewable Energys award-winning low carbon heating technology visit https://www.neatpumps.com/
Incarcerated women participate in the Peace Education Program in Brazil. A comprehensive new study shows the program is having remarkable benefits. The study analyzed the impact of the Peace Education Program on 5,276 incarcerated individuals in Brazilian correctional facilities. 99.7% of participants reported benefits, and the study concludes that the program is making a very positive impact on almost all incarcerated peoples lives.

The Peace Education Program has a wide range of remarkable benefits for incarcerated people, including reducing anxiety, increasing self-understanding and self-improvement, and enhancing hope and appreciation for life, according to an extensive new study.

Conducted by Ace Insights, an independent market research company, the study analyzed the impact of the program on 5,276 incarcerated individuals in Brazilian correctional facilities. Noting that the quantitative findings are extremely robust, 99.7% of participants reported benefits, and the study concludes that the Peace Education Program is making a very positive impact on almost all incarcerated peoples lives.

On October 25, the study results were presented at the International Corrections and Prison Association Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida. The conference is one of the premiere gatherings of corrections professionals and experts in the world. More and more of them are embracing the Peace Education Program as an empowering resource for positive change, both for themselves as well as the incarcerated people they serve.

Demonstrating its cross-cultural relevance, 300,000 people in 80 countries and in 40 languages have participated in the Peace Education Program to date, including 100,000 people in 775 correctional facilities.

The innovative workshop series gives people an opportunity to reflect on their own humanity, increasing self-awareness in support of resilience, empathy and wellbeing. TPRF Founder Prem Rawats video presentations are at the heart of the workshops, encouraging participants to explore the ten themes of Peace, Appreciation, Inner Strength, Self-Awareness, Dignity, Choice, Hope, Clarity, Understanding and Contentment.

The most recent study on participants in prisons in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil adds to a growing body of evidence of the programs successful results. Other studies have shown similar positive impacts for people in correctional facilities across 4 continents, as well as for participating high school and university students in the U.S., U.K., New Zealand, and Colombia.

Its wonderful to see that the new study on the impact in Brazil confirms what weve found elsewhere across the globe: this program can help transform lives no matter how challenging the circumstances, says Peace Education Program Director Willow Baker. It was an honor to present the study and more information about the Peace Education Program this week at the ICPA conference and to meet so many dedicated people who want to make a positive difference in the field of corrections.

The Peace Education Program workshops can be offered in person, virtually, or on inmate tablets by ViaPath and Edovo (tablet versions currently available in the U.S. only). The Prem Rawat Foundation makes the workshop materials available free of charge.

To implement the program at correctional facilities in Brazil, The Prem Rawat Foundation partners with the Prison Education Foundation (FUNAP), a state foundation under the Secretariat of Penitentiary Administration in charge of helping inmates to rehabilitate and reintegrate into society through educational, labor, cultural and legal assistance initiatives.

The Peace Education Program is just one of the ways that TPRF advances dignity, peace and prosperity by addressing fundamental human needs.

TPRFs Food for People program has served over 4.7 million nutritious meals to disadvantaged children and elderly people in India, Nepal and Ghana.

Since Prem Rawat founded TPRF in 2001, it has given over 160 grants totaling over $5.7 million to a variety of partner NGOs in 40 countries to help victims of natural disasters, COVID-19 and other traumas.
Dr. David Caba Molina is a co-author of a study that suggests cultural competency in safety-net setting may contribute to improved colorectal cancer outcomes for Spanish-speaking patients. "If providers can engage in a conversation with their patients and patients feel more connected and cared for with the shared language, then patients are more likely to follow the care pathway set out for them."  Dr. David Caba Molina

A recently published study identifies Spanish-speaking status as a protective factor for patients who received colorectal cancer care in a safety-net hospital (SNH) setting. Findings suggest that other SNHs and healthcare settings could include and engage Spanish-speaking patients to improve their care outcomes, authors say.

Researchers from Loma Linda University Health, University of California Riverside (UCR), and Riverside University Health System (RUHS) published their study, Spanish-speaking status: A protective factor in colorectal cancer presentation at a safety-net hospital, in the Journal of Surgical Research last week. The study adds to a growing body of knowledge about how minority individuals experience cancer care in the U.S. healthcare system  especially in the context of an SNH, facilities with decreased levels of monetary compensation, an increased uninsured or public insurance burden, and a lower income patient population.

Findings revealed that compared to patients who spoke other languages, Spanish-speaking patients at this SNH located in Riverside, CA, were more likely to have engaged in care that improves colorectal cancer outcomes, such as being initially seen by a surgeon in an outpatient setting, undergoing an elective operation, and receiving a definitive tumor resection. These study outcomes depart from prior studies associating Hispanic ethnicity with lower colorectal screening rates and Spanish-speaking status with poorer colorectal cancer outcomes.

Cultural competence between Spanish-speaking staff and Spanish-speaking patients may partly explain these unexpected findings, says David Caba Molina, MD, a surgical oncologist at LLU Cancer Center and a co-author of the study.

Some hospitals are culturally molded to serve particular communities, something I call cultural competency, he says. The location can impact the patients being served, as well as the employees and care teams serving the patients. In some instances, we construct a form of cultural competency without even intending to do so, but it can help a patient population.

Caba Molina and researchers reviewed data from colorectal cancer patients who had been seen by the SNH Riverside University Health System's (RUHS) surgical service. Records from the three years between September 2016 and December 2019 provided information about patients' demographic data, cancer stage, acuity and intervention variables, and follow-up status. Of the 157 patients analyzed, about 54% were men, 58% had colon cancer, nearly 43% primarily spoke Spanish, and almost 53% of patients presented with late-stage (III or IV).

Researchers then performed statistical comparisons to investigate whether patient-reported primary spoken language bore significant associations with other characteristics, including insurance type, stage, cancer type, surgery class (elective versus urgent), initial surgeon contact setting (outpatient clinic versus inpatient consult), operation (resection versus diversion), and follow-up.

Compared to patients who spoke other languages, Spanish-speaking patients at this SNH were more likely to have been initially seen by a surgeon in an outpatient setting rather than an initial inpatient consult, undergo an elective rather than urgent operation, and received a definitive tumor resection rather than diversion.

The SNH studied is a network including primary care and satellite clinics; Caba Molina says findings reveal how patients were processed into the system in a way that allowed them to follow a smooth path toward their treatment: they were seen at a primary care setting, identified as high-risk, underwent diagnostic tools, and consulted with a specialist for treatment. In addition, Caba Molina says another unexpected outcome of the analysis associated Spanish-speaking status with a lower likelihood of emergent presentation  trending towards earlier stage (I-II) presentation.

Although this safety net setting is known to carry a large burden of uninsured and indigent patients, we now know that this traditionally marginalized population of Spanish-speaking patients is not at higher risk of not receiving proper care for colorectal cancer, he says.

A possible underlying reason Caba Molina and authors cite to explain the findings is the culturally competent nature of the ancillary staff working at this facility in Riverside County, CA, where native Spanish-speakers make up 34.5% of the population.

"If providers can engage in a conversation with their patients and patients feel more connected and cared for with the shared language, then patients are more likely to follow the care pathway set out for them," Caba Molina says.

Whether or not this language-specific protective factor is only significant in the SNH setting warrants further investigation in other SNHs and different hospital settings, authors say. In the meantime, Caba Molina says he hopes studies like these can show care settings what is achievable while encouraging further research about ways to better care for traditionally underserved populations.

Theres a lot of ground left to cover in terms of understanding how at their conception, hospitals can be nurtured to serve these traditionally marginalized populations and reduce these disparities, he says.

To learn more about research at LLU, visit researchaffairs.llu.edu or call 909-558-8544.
California Mental Health Attorney Ken Rosenfeld This was quite an ordeal for our client. With mental health issues, he was left to atrophy in prison for a year, is now without a felony conviction, and is completely free. No probation, no jail time. Now hes with his family.

The Rosenfeld Law Firm announced that a mental health client unlawfully incarcerated for a year has been freed, thanks to the efforts of the firms mental health attorneys. In the Superior Court of California, County of El Dorado (Case #P20CRF0130, July 22, 2022), the repeated intercession of California Mental Health Attorney Ken Rosenfeld on behalf of client Thomas Pearce resulted in all charges being dismissed and the felony strike against him being reduced to a misdemeanor.

Accordingly, Thomas Pearce was arrested and put on probation multiple times (RE: County of El Dorado Calendar). Following an inability to stand trial due to mental health reasons, Pearce received mental health evaluations that diagnosed him with severe mental health issues and recommended mental health services; Pearce was nevertheless released into society without said services. Subsequently, Pearce was arrested for violating a protective order involving a family member, and, pursuant to California Penal Code 1203.3 PC, faced felony charges.

According to the Judicial Branch of California, County of El Dorado, Online Criminal Case Index, Pearce pled guilty to this felony strike and was again placed on probation. A subsequent arrest for probation violation brought into question Pearces mental competency to stand trial, and after a stint in a mental health facility to restore competency, Pearce was determined competent to stand trial and was later sent to jail. Upon the involvement of Rosenfeld and Mental Health Attorney Ron Irwin, wherein Pearces criminal acts were shown to be the result of underlying mental health issues, it was determined that Pearces previous jail time not only satisfied the term of care to dismiss all charges, but also exceeded by a year the maximum amount of jail time legally allowed for his offenses, Pearce was immediately released. Rosenfeld proceeded to successfully negotiate the reduction of Pearces felony conviction to a misdemeanor.

Rosenfeld said he was pleased that The Rosenfeld Law Firm was able to quickly get Pearce out of jail and give him the kind of legal assistance their mental health client needed.

This was quite an ordeal for our client, said Rosenfeld. This kid with mental health issues, left to atrophy in prison for a year, is now without a felony conviction and is completely free. No probation, no jail time. Now hes with his family.

About The Rosenfeld Law Firm

With offices in Sacramento, San Jose, and Palm Springs, The Rosenfeld Law Firm provides aggressive defense of a wide range of high-profile criminal defense cases. California criminal defense attorney Ken Rosenfeld defends such cases as first-degree murder and sex offense cases, and also provides DUI defense. In addition to mental health criminal defense, The Rosenfeld Law Firm also practices federal criminal defense and juvenile defense, as well as appellate law and prison law. As a skilled criminal law commentator, Rosenfeld makes regular appearances on KTXL TV and FOX40's Ask An Attorney. Rosenfeld was named 2020 Litigator of the Year by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers. For more information, please contact Ken Rosenfeld directly at (916) 447-2070, or visit http://www.therosenfeldlawfirm.com.

Press release writing by WebSiteText and Proofreading Services by The Proofreaders. Ken Rosenfeld recommends Brian Murphy, Wrongful Death Attorney for Elder Abuse & Nursing Home Malpractice Law
VXI Global Solutions COO Jared Morrison. "Continued investment in infrastructure and the talent in the Philippines, which has a ton of potential, must be continued to be put on the world stage, he said.

Jared Morrison, COO of VXI Global Solutions was recognized with the Expatriate Executive of the Year award in the recent 13th Asia CEO Awards last October 11, 2022, at the Manila Marriott Hotel. Over 400 nominations were received and reviewed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Philippines for this years event.

It's been a real honor and privilege to have a front-row seat to the birth of the industry, the creation of the young middle class of professionals, and the development of an economy, said Morrison in his acceptance speech. More than that, it's been a privilege to work with many incredible Filipinos over the years.

The criteria for judging that Morrison won include Management Achievement, Financial Contribution, Recognition, Pioneering Achievements, Social Commitment, and Cultural Integration.

In a post-event interview, Morrison expressed his viewpoint about the Philippines becoming a premiere destination for global enterprises. "Continued investment in infrastructure and the talent in the Philippines, which has a ton of potential, must be continued to be put on the world stage, he said. Results matter, and as the world sees what's possible from the Philippines, then there will be more investment and opportunities coming to it.

Morrison also provided his best advice for aspiring leaders: It is not about you; it is about the people that you serve and the people that you lead. Servant leadership is one of the best things that one can learn as a young leader. You are not the bossyou are there to lead, to serve, and to help them become the best version of themselves.

Aside from winning the Expatriate Executive of the Year award, VXI is also in the Circle of Excellence for the following categories: Global Filipino Executive of the Year for SVP and Country Manager Eppie Titong, Executive Leadership Team of the Year, Top Employer of the Year, Service Excellence Company of the Year, and Wellness Company of the Year.

The Asia CEO Awards is the largest business awards event in the Philippines and one of the largest events of its kind in the Asia Pacific region. It brings together the senior leadership of the country to recognize the accomplishments of individuals and organizations that have done the most to develop the economic capacity of the Philippines. Members of the Board of Judges, a group of prominent leaders from the private and public sectors, receive nominations for organizations and people they believe demonstrated outstanding leadership achievement in various awards categories. It also promotes the Philippines as the premier business destination for global enterprises. The event is considered a must-attend occasion for business leaders active across the region. Please visit asia-ceo-awards.org for more information.

PRESS CONTACT

VXI Corporate Communications

comms@vxi.com

About VXI Global Solutions

VXI Global Solutions is a BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) leader in customer service, customer experience, and digital solutions. Founded in 1998, the company has 40,000 employees in more than 40 locations in North America, Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean. VXI delivers omnichannel and multilingual support, software development, quality assurance, CX advisory, and automation & process excellence to the world's most respected brands.

VXI is backed by private equity investor Bain Capital and is one of the fastest growing, privately held business services organizations in the United States and the Philippines, and one of the few US-based customer-care organizations in China.

For more information, visit http://www.vxi.com.
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In case of an error in a news alert transmitted to subscribers and on Twitter, the correction is made by issuing another alert promptly and specifying why this is being done. For Twitter, the corrected tweet goes with an explanatory line on the earlier post, pointing to the mistake made, the correction and informing that it has been deleted. The same rule will apply to any other social media platform to be used in future by PTI.

Mistakes in PTI copies and alerts are identified through different avenues  readers pointing out errors on social media platforms or through direct communication with the office and reporters, rejoinders from officials or parties concerned and those caught by the journalist and other colleagues after the story is published. The editorial team concerned begins the task of investigating the matter as soon as the feedback comes in. This could require going back to the information source, whether it is an official or a document, and sometimes accessing other resources such as a subject expert to ascertain the actual fact. Once that is done, the story or alert is immediately corrected.

A Contact Us page on the PTI website -- https://www.ptinews.com/ContactUs.aspx -- lists addresses and telephone numbers of the head office as well as regional and bureau offices across the country for the benefit of readers and subscribers.

With a legacy of 72 years of service, PTI is recognised as Indias most trustworthy, unbiased, and credible source of news. This is reflected in its daily body of work, with every story steadfastly objective and transparent in its sourcing. It has been a core contributor towards building a free and fair press in the country. Fact checking is embedded in its day-to-day editorial operations and is integral to the DNA of the organisation, which relies on a vast network of journalists, stringers, and experts across various subjects to source and verify each story.

To continue the mantra of accuracy and ethical journalism, PTI this year launched a Fact Check Desk to filter the flow of misinformation over the Internet and create fact check stories on a range of topics/claims. For any complaints on fact check stories, readers can reach out to the team using the link https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/factcontact.aspx?mod=6 . The desk promptly acknowledges and issues a correction according to PTI's Correction Policy and the IFCN guidelines. For updated/corrected stories, a disclaimer is appended to the original report with the details on the modification made/updated information.
ALA officials this week expressed thanks to 54 U.S. Representatives who sent a letter this week urging House negotiators to support federal funding for library buildings. The letter comes as Congress prepares to negotiate the fiscal year FY2023 funding bills, with the clock ticking on a stopgap funding measure that will expire on Dec. 16.

Specifically, the lawmakers are urging their house counterparts to support the inclusion of a $20 million to be distributed by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for library and museum renovation and construction projects. If passed, it would be the first federal funding to modernize library buildings nationwide in some 26 years.

"Public libraries and museums remain a cornerstone of our communities and backbone of the nations education system," the latter reads. "Every American should have a library near them that provides the best in educational opportunities, workforce development, mental health resources, access to high-speed Wi-Fi and, of course, books." The letter, which has bipartisan support, was spearheaded by Reps. Andy Levin (D-MI-9) and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13),

In a statement, ALA President Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada thanks the lawmakers.

The American Library Association thanks Representatives Levin and Espaillat and all the congressmembers who have pledged their support for improving Americas library buildings," Pelayo-Lozada said, adding that the funding would "help libraries across the country provide great library spaces that serve the needs of everyone in our communities."

ALA officials are urging library supporters to contact their representatives and thank them for supporting library funding, or, if they have not yet signed on, urge them to do so.
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NOTE: If you had a previous PW subscription, click here to reactivate your immediate access. PW site license members have access to PWs subscriber-only website content. If working at an office location and you are not "logged in", simply close and relaunch your preferred browser. For off-site access, click here. To find out more about PWs site license subscription options, please email Mike Popalardo at: mike@nextstepsmarketing.com.
Kanye West has been sued for breach of contract in Florida for allegedly failing to pay for a rental space he wanted to use as a recording studio.

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The suit said West agreed to rent the space for 25 days at $5,000 per day and then failed to pay the total of $145,813 owed.

According to the lawsuit, the parties agreed to the rental "via telephone and text message."

The suit was filed by Surface Media, LLC. The company said in the suit that the space is in the Miami Design District and it is "a shoppable showroom with a curated art collection, design objects, and furniture that also serves as a unique rental space for private events."

According to Surface Media, record producer and rapper Charles Misodi Njapa, also known as 88-Keys, served as an agent with the authority to act on West's behalf in renting the space.

The lawsuit seeks the $145,813.00 in damages and "any other relief the court deems just and proper."

West had discussed customizing the space to fit his needs, which included moving art pieces and furniture from the space and bringing in other art pieces and furniture to match his desired color scheme, according to Surface Media.

"My client pulled off what was essentially an overnight transformation of its art studio into a recording studio for Ye and accompanying artists," Jonathan Smulevich, an attorney representing Surface Media, told the Miami Herald.

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"In doing so, no request was too big or too small - Ye asked, and they delivered - and my client incurred significant costs and expenses to deliver."

West has not commented on the lawsuit.

It's the latest trouble for West, who tweeted anti-Semitic remarks in October, triggering the severing of lucrative business deals with Adidas and other companies.
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Students at the University of Georgia celebrate Halloween in many ways, including carving pumpkins, showing off costumes, eating lots of candy and showing up to some of their favorite haunts with their friends. For a small population, the month of October was also a time to pick up a creative job. At Zombie Farms, a haunted trail outside of Athens, actors dressed in costumes jump out at customers as they walk through the woods. For eight nights this year, students transform into terrifying clowns.
Members of All Souls Church in Brattleboro make wreaths and other holiday decorations on Monday, Nov. 28, 2022, for the annual Holiday Bazaar that will be held on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The bazaar has been going on since the late '70s and people can also buy handmade g
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Rep. Leslie Goldman (D-Windham 3) of Rockingham is seeking reelection to fill one of the two seats available in the newly redistricted Windham-3 which includes all of Westminster, Rockingham and Brookline. She can be reached at lgoldman@leg.state.vt.us. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media.
Kate Paarlberg-Kvam is executive director of Community Asylum Seekers Project in Brattleboro. She wrote this commentary for CASP as well as The Vermont-New Hampshire Asylum Support Network, Bridge to Rutland, Chittenden Asylum Seekers Assistance Network, Randolph Area Asylum Seeker Support, Project Home in Keene, N.H., Supporting and Helping Asylees & Refugees in Norwich, Central Vermont Refugee Action Network in Montpelier, and Northeast Kingdom Asylum Seekers Assistance Network in St. Johnsbury. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media.
The Candlelight Party called on the Ministry of Interior to put an end to political intimidation.

Supporters of Candlelight Party shout slogans from a vehicle during a rally on the last day of campaigning for the commune elections in Phnom Penh, June 3, 2022.

UPDATED at 2:00 p.m. EDT on 11/01/2022



Cambodias main opposition Candlelight Party on Friday called on authorities to stop trying to force local officials to publicly condemn Hun Sens exiled political rival Sam Rainsy.

In a statement, the party urged the Ministry of Interior to advise local authorities to stop intimidating activities to ensure that the upcoming 2023 general election can be free and fair.

Sam Rainsy is a co-founder of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which was the previous main opposition party before the countrys Supreme Court dissolved it in 2017. He has been living in self-exile in France since 2015, when he fled a series of charges his supporters say are politically motivated.

Cambodia has convicted and sentenced Sam Rainsy in absentia several times during his exile, including handing him a life sentence this month on bogus claims that he attempted to cede four Cambodian provinces to a foreign state.

Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia since 1985, threatened last week that he would dissolve any party that associates with Sam Rainsy and accused those who support him of being against Cambodias king.

Several Candlelight Party members who were elected to local commune council seats in elections this summer were then told to sign petitions declaring they rebuke Sam Rainsy.

This is a serious violation against the constitution and universal declaration on civil and political rights and freedom of expression, the Candlelight Party statement said. The party is gathering evidence and will file an official complaint, vice president Thach Setha said.

RFA was unable to reach Ministry of Interior Spokesman Khieu Sopheak for comment Friday.

One Candlelight Party commune councilor told RFAs Khmer service that when he refused to sign the statement, he was asked by his colleague from Hun Sens ruling Cambodian Peoples Party, or CPP to appear at the commune office to declare his stance in regards to Sam Rainsy.

I told [the commune chief] that I am waiting on orders from the party but he said he also received his orders from the top, said Sorn Meang, who sits on the council of Da commune in the southeastern province of Tbong Khmum.

This is a threat against another commune councilor, he said

Chhoy Mao, the commune chief told RFA that he did ask Sorn Meang about Sam Rainsy but denied he forced him to sign or say anything.

Only the CPP councilors placed their thumbprint next to their names, but none from the Candlelight Party did, he said. I explained the reason but [Sorn Meang] said he was waiting for orders.

On Thursday, the Candlelight Party said that political dialogue between Hun Sen and the party has resumed after the party issued a public statement to distance itself from Sam Rainsy by condemning those who insult the king, without naming any specific person.

Hun Sen posted that statement on Facebook with a comment saying he appreciated the party for following his request.

CPP spokesman Sok Ey San denied that the party had instructed party activists to threaten the Candlelight Party. However, he said those who refuse to condemn Sam Rainsy are insulting the king.

There is no threat, he said. People nationwide have condemned [Sam Rainsy] and those who disagree have revealed their stance on the nation, our religion, and our king.

Local authorities have abused the Candlelight Partys commune councilor rights, according to Soeung Seng Karuna, spokesperson for the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association.

He said allegations over the king stemmed from political conflict between the CPP and the dissolved opposition party.

In a democratic countries they value free thoughts, ideas and political affiliations, he said. The authorities are abusing people by preventing them from making free decisions and trying to affect their political will.

Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.

Correction: Fixed spelling of Chhoy Mao's name.
'This is the day I was hoping for for a long time,' said Yeang Sothearin, whose family lives in Vietnam.

Cambodias Supreme Court on Friday returned the passport of former Radio Free Asia Khmer news anchor Yeang Sothearin, opening the door to his visiting his father and sister  both of whom are ailing  in Vietnam.

His passport was seized when he was taken into custody in November 2017, along with Uon Chhin, an RFA photographer and videographer. They were charged with illegally collecting information for a foreign source after RFA closed its bureau in the capital of Phnom Penh in September of that year amid a government crackdown on independent media.

This is the day I was hoping for for a long time, Yeang Sothearin said. "I am very happy that I got my passport back. It's been five years. I haven't seen my parents and relatives.

He said his sister is dying from an illness and that he plans to leave Cambodia to visit her and the rest of his family on Saturday. Yeang Sothearin and his family are part of the ethnic Khmer Krom community in Vietnam.

Earlier in June, a lower court in Cambodia denied Yeang Sothearins request to get his passport back, and at the time, he told RFA that he intended to appeal the decision to the countrys highest court. At the time, he was worried the decision would make him unable to visit his family for a long time.

Since their arrest, the two former RFA journalists have been charged with additional crimes. They face between seven and 15 years if convicted of the first charge.

Yeang Sothearin and Uon Chhin are out on bail, but they remain in legal limbo after several courts have rejected a series of appeals. The Supreme Court heard Yeang Sothearins case on Oct. 26 and was scheduled to issue a verdict on the issue of his passport on Nov. 2 but released the decision Friday instead.

Presiding Judge Kong Srim issued a verdict citing the cases long delay since 2017, adding that Yeang Sothearin has cooperated with the court and that his sister's health is in critical condition. However, the judge warned that if Yeang Sothearin tries to avoid the court in the future, he will be re-arrested.

Speaking to RFA, Yeang Sothearin said that he believed the courts decision resulted from Prime Minister Hun Sens personal intervention.

Nop Vy, the Executive Director of the nonprofit CamboJa, told RFA that it welcomed the decision and urged the court to consider dropping all cases against journalists.

Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Nawar Nemeh.
U.K., Spain and Netherlands among countries investigating claims the stations are used to force Chinese to go home.

Human Rights group Safeguard Defenders alleged that Chinese police run 54 service stations in 30 countries across five continents.

UPDATED AT 01:53 A.M. ON 10-28-2022

Portugal became the latest nation to open a probe into allegations that China has been running illegal police stations in the country just as Ireland ordered Beijing to shut down its "overseas Chinese police service center" in Dublin.

Portuguese police launched an investigation into China's alleged overseas police "service stations", the Attorney Generals Office confirmed to the Expresso newspaper on Thursday.

The authorities are paying special attention to the Chinese Embassy in Lisbon after Portuguese lawmakers raised concerns about a report by human rights group Safeguard Defenders in September that Chinese authorities operate 54 police stations overseas, including three in Portugal.

A growing number of governments including Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands are investigating reports about Chinese police offices overseas that are accused of coercing emigrants to return home to China to face criminal charges or silencing dissent abroad.

Until now, no cases of immigrants living in Portugal having been forced to travel to China are yet known, the Expresso quoted a police source as saying.

The circled sign by the doorway on a business on Capel Street in Dublin, Ireland, reads Fuzhou Police Overseas Service Station, Dublin, Ireland. CREDIT: Google Street View





Also on Thursday, Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs ordered the so-called Fuzhou Police Service Overseas Station in Dublin city center to close, Irish media reported.

The office opened earlier this year and Chinese authorities said it offered services to Chinese citizens in Ireland such as driving license renewals.

However, Irelands Foreign Ministry said Chinese officials have never sought permission to set up the station in Dublin.

"The Department noted that actions of all foreign states on Irish territory must be in compliance with international law and domestic law requirements," the Irish Times quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying.

"On this basis, the Department informed the Embassy that the office on Capel Street should close and cease operations.

The Chinese Embassy confirmed that the office has now ceased operations.

China denies reports

The Irish statement came after the Dutch government said it would probe service centers in the Netherlands in response to two reports run by broadcaster RTL Nieuws earlier this week.

"Appropriate action will be taken. We take this very seriously," a Dutch foreign ministry spokesperson told the station.

In an investigation that appeared to confirm earlier allegations by Safeguard Defenders, the RTL reports quoted Dutch lawmakers as calling for the immediate closure of the offices.

Free People's Party MP Ruben Brekelmans said the offices were "another example of the Chinese government's infiltration of the Netherlands."

The Chinese repression model must not be allowed to infiltrate the Netherlands," Brekelmans said via his Twitter account.

In Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Brenda Lucki described the Chinese overseas service centers in January as "a growing problem," with a probe already under way.

In the U.K., the China Research Group of Conservative MPs called for an investigation into concerning reports about Chinese police stations. Safeguard Defenders alleged there are three such stations in the U.K. including two in London and one in Glasgow.

Safeguard Defenders reported in September that China is carrying out "illegal, transnational policing operations" across five continents, targeting overseas critics of the Chinese Communist Party for harassment, threats against their families back home and "persuasion" techniques to get them to go back to China.

The Chinese foreign ministry denied Chinese police are operating out of offices in Europe. Spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular news briefing in Beijing on Thursday that Chinese public security authorities strictly observe international law and fully respect the judicial sovereignty of other countries.

"The allegation is simply untrue," another spokesman, Wang Wenbin, said on Wednesday.

He added that the purpose of the service centers is to help overseas Chinese nationals, who have not been able to return home because of the COVID-19 pandemic, to have their driving licenses renewed and receive physical examinations.

Canadian journalist Jonathan Manthorpe said there are at least three service centers in Toronto, describing China's claims about them as "absolute nonsense," and adding that they enable Chinese law enforcement agencies to operate overseas.

This story from Oct. 27 has been updated throughout to add further details.

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie
Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, founder of Sam Yan Publishing House, complained to Thailand's Matichon TV station that he was repeatedly threatened by CCP agents with bids of 2 million baht and the shutdown of the business.

A pro-democracy publishing house in Thailand was approached by a Chinese businessman who wanted to pay it to shut down to boost his relationship with Beijing in the wake of the ruling Chinese Communist Party congress, its editors said in a statement.

A private investigation agency contacted Sam Yan Press in May with an offer of two million baht from a Chinese businessman who wanted to buy the company in order to shut it down, the publishing house said in a statement on its website dated Oct. 26.

"They said that the Chinese businessman was keen to make good relations with the Chinese government. We were in utter disbelief and thought it was a fraud. Therefore, we completely ignored the messages from the agency and continued with our causes," the statement, signed by the press' editorial board, said.

By September, the approaches had gotten far more persistent, with agency staff tracking Sam Yan Press founder and prominent Thai democracy activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal down at his home and at a Buddhist temple where he was in retreat as a monk.

"Our team members also received calls from the agency and more messages stating the urgency of this offer," the statement said. "This posed a serious threat to our independence, security, and freedom of expression."

The agency told the editors at Sam Yan Press in a face-to-face meeting that a Chinese businessman named as Huang Chengde was offering them two million baht in cash for an official letter stating that the press had been dissolved.

"We strongly rejected the offer, making it unmistakably clear that we would not be co-opted for the money," the editors said, adding that they will continue to translate and publish works in line with their core values of promoting democracy in Thailand.

"We encourage all press, media, and international publishing sectors to stand up against the regimes attempt at censorship and resist the manipulation and domination of independent organizations," the statement said.

Chinese business owners in foreign countries have cropped up in the past as unofficial representatives of Beijing, especially where the Chinese Communist Party hopes to wield covert influence beyond its borders.

In 2019, Sweden's foreign ministry recalled its ambassador to China after she was accused of holding a meeting between two unnamed Chinese businessmen and the daughter of detained Hong Kong bookseller Gui Minhai without official authorization.

Ambassador Anna Lindstedt was later charged by Swedish prosecutors with "arbitrariness during negotiations with a foreign power," specifically linked to a meeting with Angela Gui during which she was "in contact with persons representing the interests of the Chinese State."

Screenshots of the initial email to Sam Yan showed that it included the possibility of the publishing house restarting six months later under a new name.

The main motivation for the purchase was Huang's desire for "good relationship" with the Chinese government.

RFA contacted the Chinese embassy in Thailand for comment on the story, but no reply had been received by the time of writing.

Sam Yan was founded by a group of college students in 2017, and was a participant in the regional Milk Tea Alliance of pro-democracy movements and anti-Beijing protests.

It has published books by Hong Kong, mainland Chinese and Taiwanese authors, including 2014 Hong Kong protest leader Joshua Wong, late 2010 Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo and jailed Uyghur academic Ilham Tohti.

A recent tweet from Sam Yan Publishing House. Credit: RFA screenshot

Standing in solidarity

Milk Tea Alliance supporter Ken Wu, vice president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA), said progressive organizations should stand in solidarity with Sam Yan.

"Organizations like Sam Yan that promote democracy, freedom and human rights, and support anti-authoritarian movements like the Milk Tea Alliance are going to be rejected by a totalitarian state like the Chinese Communist Party," Wu told RFA.

"If totalitarian states get that powerful, they don't stop at limiting freedom of speech in their own country," he said. "They also extend their clutches overseas and try to totally eliminate anything that could threaten their stability."

Wu said Beijing likely fears regional publishers with a progressive bent, for fear that their books will find their way back to China.

China has jailed or detained several Hong Kong booksellers including Gui Minhai in recent years for selling political books banned in China to its citizens. Gui turned up in police custody in China after disappearing from his holiday home in Pattaya, Thailand.

Wu said that given the fact that Southeast Asian countries are typically economically dependent on Beijing, the attempt to take down a progressive Thai publishing house was "worrying."

A Chinese national currently seeking asylum at UNHCR in Bangkok, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said there has been a huge spike in Chinese espionage activities in Southeast Asia in recent years.

The Thai authorities have proven themselves willing to cooperate with Beijing in repatriating exiled dissidents, where they have gone on to face trial.

Australia-based rights activist Lu Ruichao said making such scandals public is the only way to respond.

"Keep the electronic evidence, and if that's not available, take photos or video, and give it to the media and law enforcement agencies," Lu said.

Lu said he had been followed by several Chinese consular officials in Perth after attending an event marking the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre -- a taboo topic for Beijing -- in June 2020.

The officials had also tried to put pressure on local police to delete the report he made, prompting Lu to take the story to the local media.

Lu said he hasn't experienced anything similar since blowing the whistle on the incident.

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Lockdowns are also reported in other major cities including Hohhot, Wuhan and Zhengzhou.

Authorities in Shanghai on Friday ordered more than a million of its residents into lockdown and mass testing, amid reports that some 200 million people are currently under some form of pandemic-related restrictions affecting their daily lives due to Chinese leader Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy.

The announcement for Shanghai's Yangpu district prompted fears that at least some of the city's 25 million residents could see a return to the food shortages and barriers to medical care seen during the citywide lockdown earlier this year.

Since the end of the ruling Chinese Communist Party congress at the weekend, zero-COVID restrictions have been "clearly stepped up in a rising number of cities, as containing COVID remains a key performance measure for local officials," Reuters quoted a research note from Japan's Nomura Securities as saying.

China on Friday reported 1,337 new COVID-19 cases  most of them asymptomatic. Eleven of those were in Shanghai.

Protests over COVID-19 restrictions in the Tibetan capital Lhasa spread to at least four different areas of the city Thursday, prompting scuffles with authorities in some cases, sources told Radio Free Asia, as ethnic Chinese migrant workers demanded permits to return home from the region.

Shanghai disease prevention worker Tao Li said nobody from Xinjiang, Tibet or Inner Mongolia is currently allowed to enter the city.

"Shanghai is concealing high numbers of positive tests in new arrivals, with about 20 cases a day," Tao said. "If you test positive coming into the city, you have to go to a designated public health hospital at Jinshan, but it's full now, so a lot of people are sleeping in the corridors and near the toilet entrances."

"They're charging 2,000-3,000 yuan (U.S. $275-415) per bed per day," she said. "If you want a room to yourself you need to go through the back door [have connections]."

A health worker takes a swab sample from a man to test for COVID-19 in the Huangpu district in Shanghai on October 24, 2022. Credit: AFP

Hohot in week 3 of lockdowns

A resident of Hohhot, regional capital of Inner Mongolia, which borders the independent country of Mongolia, said people there are running out of supplies after lockdowns that have been going on for more than 20 days.

"At first I thought it would last a week, then it extended to 10, then 20, then 25 days," the resident, who gave only the surname Bai, told RFA.

"I've no idea when it will be lifted; I've asked all around, but they're not saying. There are new cases every day," he said.

An employee who answered the phone at the Hohhot municipal government hotline on Thursday declined to comment on the lifting of restrictions.

"There is no notification [on that] at the current time," the employee said.

Bai said residents are now facing skyrocketing food prices and supplies that are fast running out.

"There are six people in our family," he said. "Right now we still have some rice, and maybe enough noodles for a couple of days, but there is nothing to go with it; I just made the last dish today."

"A pound of vegetables usually costs three or four yuan, but that has now doubled or even tripled, and meat is so expensive that I can't buy it," Bai said. "Rice is now eight yuan a pound, when it used to be five yuan a while ago."

He said residents are increasingly fractious, with shouting matches breaking out in the middle of the night and the constant sound of ambulance sirens going back and forth. Only white-clad disease prevention workers in full protective clothing can be seen on the streets.

Police in Hohhot's Xincheng district said in an Oct. 26 statement that two people had been placed under administrative detention, which can be handed down to perceived "troublemakers" by police for up to 15 days without need for a trial, for violating COVID-19 restrictions.

A resident of the city's Saihan district who gave only the surname Yang said many residents are now completely dependent on online food deliveries.

"Fortunately, we have some food stocked up in our freezer, meat and eggs, along with rice, flour, grain and oil as well," Yang said.

Inner Mongolia reported 263 confirmed cases and 1,919 asymptomatic infections on Oct. 26.

Yang believes there were many more cases in his local area than were reported officially, however. "It's all being covered up," he said.

Lockdowns in multiple other cities

Meanwhile, a college student living in the central city of Wuhan who gave only the surname Fang said a number of residential compounds in Qiaokou, Jianghan and Hanyang districts are currently under lockdowns affecting around a million people.

"A lot of communities in Hankou have been locked down, including in [my district] Qiaokou, Jianghan and Hanyang," Fang told RFA. "It's pretty exaggerated given that there were 24 cases reported."

"The scenic areas at Donghu and Moshan have also been closed. They're pretty big with plenty of open space, so there was no risk, but they closed them anyway," she said.

"Small businesses, supermarkets large and small and stalls are no longer allowed to sell vegetables, particularly in Qiaokou, which is near Tongji Hospital," Fang said. "I heard a patient there brought the virus back from Xinjiang."

Authorities in the southern city of Guangzhou reported 73 new cases on Thursday, and imposed restrictions on residential communities in Haizhu, Yuexiu, Tianhe and Liwan districts.

And 36 colleges and universities in the southeastern city of Fuzhou are currently under lockdown, with partial restrictions in place in Lanzhou, Xining, Zhengzhou, Datong and Xi'an.

Taiwan-invested Apple supplier Foxconn said some employees at its Zhengzhou factory had been affected by the outbreak there, but denied online rumors that 20,000 people had tested positive at the plant.

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
The bodies were discovered as locals cleared out the burned buildings two days after the attacks.

UPDATED at 12:23 p.m. EDT on 10/28/2022.

Myanmar military troops launched a combined ground and air attack on offices of anti-junta administrators and rebels in war-torn Sagaing region this week and 11 bodies have been recovered from the scene, local sources told RFA on Friday.

There were contradictory accounts from the two sides on what happened in Tuesday's raid on Hpa Lan Pin village in Pale township.

An official from the anti-junta People's Administration Group said junta troops arrived by land and air, attacking its office near Hpa Lan Pin. The 11 bodies were found when locals were cleaning up the remains of the office on Thursday after the military column left, according to the official from Pale township, who did not want to be named for security reasons.

We have been cleaning the area since yesterday and found 11 bodies in the burned office buildings of the Peoples Administration Group, the official said.

Children were found among the bodies  I strongly believe [they] were shot dead by the junta troops," he said, adding that the ages and names are still being verified.

According to the official, the 11 were pro-junta prisoners of the local People's Defense Force, who had been freed by the junta forces but then ran into junta troops who, in the confusion, shot them.

When the junta column stormed the office, the detainees were released and put in a vehicle but they were met by junta troops dropped from a military helicopter, the official said.

The junta troops fired repeatedly at the detainees  People who were shot and injured, but were still alive, were taken to the militarys Northwest Regional Command by helicopter."

According to a junta statement Wednesday, seven women, including the detained wife of an army officer, four children and 15 men managed to escape when troops raided a PDF camp near North Yama dam at Hpa Lan Pin. on Tuesday.

It said others were injured when the PDF blew up the offices up as they fled the junta troops. The military said it rounded up the fleeing locals and gave them medical treatment.

The Pale township People's Administration Group said it was junta troops not the PDF that burned down the office. It said the people who had been held in accordance with human rights standards and rules issued by the shadow National Unity Government.

RFA contacted junta officials for the Sagaing region for further comment without success.

Sagaing is a center of Myanmar's civil conflict. An independent research group, the Institute for Strategy and Policy, reported this month that some 1,512 civilians have died in Sagaing in the 21 months since the military coup that toppled a civilian government.

According to an Oct. 1 report by the United Nation Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, a total of 545,200 civilians have fled their homes in Sagaing due to insecurity and fighting during the same period.

This story has been updated with edits throughout.
Analysts say the militarys jets and attack helicopters are helping it keep rebel forces at bay.

Two Myanmar jet fighters fire missiles during a combined exercise of the Myanmar army and air force near Magway, Jan. 31, 2019.

The bombing of a concert in Kachin state last weekend that killed more than 60 people showed the brutal advantage the Myanmar military retains in its struggling campaign for control of the country: its air power.

Junta forces have faced a number of setbacks since ousting the democratically elected government in a coup 20 months ago. Between 12,000 and 15,000 of its soldiers may have been killed, according to a Stimson Center report. Thousands of troops are believed to have defected. The countrys economy is in shambles, pushing poverty rates to a 10-year high.

But the militarys superior arsenal, which includes heavy artillery in addition to its jets and attack helicopters, has made up for missteps on the ground and make it tough for rebel forces, including Peoples Defense Force militias aligned with the shadow National Unity Government and anti-junta ethnic armies, to mount significant offensives of their own.

The junta is reliant on its airpower and its artillery to offset the limitations of its infantry forces, and it relies on bombardments and airstrikes to drive the PDFs and the EAO forces away from its main bases and cities, says Lucas Myers, who has written about the conflict as program coordinator for the Wilson Centers Asia Program in Washington.

Rebel forces are struggling to be able to take ground when faced with artillery and airpower, he added. That's their main limitation on the battlefield.

Kachin strike

The Oct. 23 strike in Kachin state in Myanmars far north killed at least 66 attendees of the concert to celebrate the anniversary of the Kachin Independence Organization, according to a KIO statement. The group is the political wing of one of Myanmars most powerful ethnic insurgencies, which has been fighting for greater autonomy for the region for decades.

Most of the dead were KIO officers, but 17 civilians were also killed, according to the group, which said the death toll could rise. At least 61 people were initially wounded in the attack, which the State Administration Council (SAC), as the junta calls itself, said came in retaliation for Kachin fighters and PDF militias attacking military forces in the area. A few of the wounded later died as residents said roadblocks set up by military forces hampered aid efforts.

Analysts said the strike is part of the militarys ruthless counterinsurgency strategy, which has seen it target civilian supporters of anti-junta forces through a scorched earth campaign. More than 36,000 homes have been burned down, at least 1 million people have been displaced, and more than 2,000 civilians killed.

But airstrikes like the one in Kachin havent overpowered the juntas many enemies, and in some cases seem to have spurred on resistance, leaving an uncertain balance of power between an expanding, though fractionalized, opposition and a more heavily armed military.

Myanmars air arsenal

Myanmars air force has more than 100 combat-capable aircraft and is looking to acquire more, according to Akhil Kadidal, an analyst at Janes, a defense intelligence firm based in the United Kingdom.

Its fleet includes Mi-35 gunships, attack helicopters built by Russia that can ferry troops in and out of combat, and small jets like Russian Yak-130s and Chinese-made K-8s and Nanchang A-5Cs. The strike in Kachin state reportedly was carried out by Yak-130s, which are typically used as training aircraft. About 70% of its air arsenal are planes, according to Kadidal.

Myanmar received two, more capable Sukhoi SU-30SM fighters from Russia earlier this year, with another four still to be delivered. The junta reported that the leader of the SAC, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, visited the Irkustsk Aviation plant in Russia last month, itself an indication of the value the junta places in its air power.

In Myanmars past conflicts, the military has hedged its use of air power against rebel groups, which have historically been arrayed in border regions, Kadidal said. Bombardments risk sparking a mass exodus into neighboring countries  Thailand, China, Bangladesh and India -- or striking civilians in those countries.

A Myanmar Air Force Mi-35 attack helicopter launches a salvo of rockets during the 'Sin Phyu Shin' joint military exercises near Pathein city in the Irrawaddy delta region, Feb. 2, 2018. Credit: AFP





Pressure from all sides

But the SAC now relies on its air power as it fights on several fronts at once. It has battled Rakhine, Chin, Kachin, Shan, Karenni and Karen ethnic forces and dozens of pro-democracy militias recruited from Myanmars ethnic Burman majority. Previously safe supply routes in the countrys interior are now routinely attacked.

Airpower allows the regime to exert its offensive power over long distances, Kadidal said. Military pilots flew 13 air combat operations in October, Kadidal said.

The result has been the aerial bombardment of locations not under the control of the regime's ground forces, he said.

Zachary Abuza, a U.S. National War College professor who specializes in Southeast Asian politics and security issues, said during an online presentation on Myanmar presented by the Stimson Center think tank, that National Unity Government and affiliated ethnic groups control about 50% of the country.

The SACs main air advantage comes from its attack helicopters, which can fire its weapons at close range and transport troops in and out of fights, Abuza said.

While the Oct. 23 attack in Kachin state is thought to have resulted in the single-most casualties from an air attack since the coup, helicopters have been the source of numerous atrocities in the conflict.

Attack helicopters were part of a Sept. 16 strike on a village school in Sagaing that killed at least seven students between 7 and 16 years of age. Two helicopters hovered above and attacked us from both sides. For an hour, there was nothing we could do, one parent who witnessed the attack told RFA Burmese, speaking on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

A January attack in Gahe village in Sagaing's Indaw township killed 5, including four siblings, the youngest of whom was 5 years old, RFA Burmese reported.

The following month a helicopter fired on a graduation ceremony for PDF recruits in Myinmu townships Pa Dat Taing village. Terrified residents who scattered during the strike discovered 11 charred bodies upon their return.

Calls for help

In February, a report from the U.N. special rapporteur on Myanmar accused the military of bombing villages indiscriminately and called for an arms embargo against the regime. It noted the delivery of Russian-made unmanned aerial vehicles and Chinese-made K-8 attack aircraft and transport planes that were delivered to the junta after the coup. According to the U.N., more than 40 member states, mostly Western nations, currently have arms embargoes against Myanmar.

The SACs air advantage has also led to calls for international assistance, through surface-to-air missiles -- known as manpads, for man-portable, air defense systems -- and a no-fly zone akin to NATO operations in the Balkans in the early 1990s.

But analysts say there is little appetite for either denying Myanmars military access to the air or arming rebels on the ground. A no-fly zone would require support from regional countries, all of which have hedged their bets in the conflict.

Myers of the Wilson Center said that China, which has been a junta ally, would likely object to any arming of rebel forces by Western countries.

That leaves attacking air forces when they are stationary.

The best way for an insurgent group to take out air assets is on the ground, Abuza said at a Stimson Center event.

The NUG has been doxing military pilots -- publishing their addresses  as part of an assassination campaign. Abuza said the house of a pilot was recently bombed. Rebel forces also need to attack junta supply routes, he said. The jet fuel the aircraft needs is transported over land on trucks, not via pipelines.

A diminished capability?

The strength of Myanmars air force may also diminish on its own, Abuza told RFA in a separate interview. Russias ability to provide spare parts for its helicopters, which break down frequently, are likely to be hard to come by, given the sanctions against it and its own equipment needs for the campaign in Ukraine.

Kadidal at Janes said the Myanmar military is likely to have acquired Kamov Ka-29 Helix utility-attack helicopters. The junta hasnt officially announced a purchase, but a Ka-29 was photographed on Oct. 19 participating in combat operations in the Yinmarbin township in the Sagaing, he said.

Despite being outgunned, rebel groups remain optimistic about their chances, in part because theyve noticed signs the SACs advantage in weapons may be dissipating, according to Michael Martin, an expert on Myanmar who for many years reported on the country for the Congressional Research Service in Washington. He met opposition fighters from several combatant groups on a trip this month to India and Thailand.

Soldiers from the Karen National Liberation Army in eastern Myanmar, the nations longest-running insurgency, are increasingly finding 500-pound bombs that havent exploded on impact.

Theyre duds, said Martin, who is now an adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington. And when examined, they find that they are using a cheaper and less effective fuse.

Other fighters told him junta jets sometimes just fly overhead without dropping any munitions, which they take as a possible sign of supply issues, he said.

Even so, he said, they hope for better tools to strike back at the militarys air advantage.

Each group fighting in each theater certainly would like to have better equipment, better weaponry -- and particularly if they could deal with the aircraft that the SAC is sending out, they think victory is feasible in a not-too-distant future.
The scene after Myanmar military aircraft attacked a concert in Hpakant township, Kachin state, where hundreds of people were celebrating the 62nd anniversary of the founding of the Kachin Independence Army/Kachin Independence Organization, Oct. 24, 2022.

Myanmar junta soldiers are warning local residents and aid group workers against providing medical treatment to people who were injured during a bombing of a concert in Hpakant township, Kachin state, last weekend, or holding large prayer services for those who were killed in the attack.

They arent allowing funeral services for the victims who died, a Hpakant resident said. They said that they were going to arrest anybody who gives medical treatment to the injured victims. They wont even allow prayer services. They have issued strong orders that only family members can be with the dead, restricting other people from joining. Their orders are that vicious.

Troops threatened to arrest survivors or anyone who helped treat the injured under the countrys Unlawful Association Act, which carries a minimum two-year sentence, the resident said.

RFA reached out to the juntas local administration officials and officers at the area military base but received no response.

About 300 civilians and soldiers from the Kachin Independence Army were gathered at the event last Sunday night when junta planes attacked. The Kachin Independence Organization, the political association representing ethnic Kachins in northern Myanmar, reported this week that 63 people died in the attack.

An aid worker said the number killed had risen to 66 after three people later succumbed to their injuries. RFA Burmese reported that junta soldiers blocked access to the site of the attack, preventing the injured from being treated at a local hospital.

The junta has said the strike was in response to attacks against its forces in the region. The KIA is one of several ethnic armies in Myanmar that, along with dozens of militias known as Peoples Defense Forces, are fighting the military junta, which deposed a democratically elected government in February 2021.

Gruesome scene

Another Hpakant town resident who witnessed the bombing said that the number of casualties is expected to rise. He described a gruesome scene of victims in and around the concert stage where the audience had gathered to hear music in celebration of the KIAs 62nd anniversary.

Some people were blown away in pieces. Flesh and heads were blown away, to over 100 feet in distance, the witness said. Some people were blown apart too badly to identify who they were.

Those who escaped that night, like me, are still in shock. We cant believe what happened. Some even arent sure if they died or if their soul is alive  they are that traumatized by the attack.

The relief volunteer who told RFA that three additional victims died on Oct. 26 said they may have lived had they been treated at a hospital.

The dead were civilians, the volunteer said. Even in our village, we are not allowed to have a big funeral service. We are not allowed to even assemble a tent for the funeral. We can only have a brief funeral service for a female victim who died in our village today.

The KIO said they were continuing to try to identify victims and that the death toll could increase.

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Written in English by Jim Snyder.
Beijing remains the most consequential strategic competitor but the US also sees Russia as an acute threat.

U.S. Marines practice a reconnaissance patrol during Exercise Hedgehog 22 in Saaremaa, Estonia, May 20, 2022.

UPDATED at 6:36 p.m. EDT on 10/28/2022

The U.S. Defense Department has released its long-awaited 2022 National Defense Strategy, identifying China as the overall pacing challenge while Russia remains an acute threat to the United States.

The 80-page document, released two weeks after the White Houses National Security Strategy and the first by President Bidens defense policy team, aims to provide a clear picture of the challenges we expect to face, and will set the Departments course for decades to come.

The PRC remains our most consequential strategic competitor for the coming decades, said secretary of defense Lloyd Austin, referring to China by its official name, the Peoples Republic of China.

Austin said he reached this conclusion based on the PRCs increasingly coercive actions to reshape the Indo-Pacific region and the international system to fit its authoritarian preferences, alongside the awareness of the PRCs intentions and the rapid modernization of Chinas military.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III conducts a press briefing at the Pentagon, Oct. 27, 2022. CREDIT: U.S. Department of Defense

President Biden previously noted in the National Security Strategy that China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order, and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do so.

Meanwhile, Russia can't systemically challenge the United States over the long term, Austin told a press conference in Washington D.C. on Thursday.

However, he acknowledged that the Russian aggression does pose an immediate and sharp threat to our interests and values, especially with Putins reckless war of choice against Ukraine.

And thats why the National Defense Strategy bluntly describes Russia as an acute threat, and we chose the word acute carefully, the defense secretary said.

The National Defense Strategy was released alongside the Nuclear Posture Review and the Missile Defense Review which describe the U.S. nuclear and missile defense policies respectively.

A classified version of the document was presented to the U.S. Congress in March.

U.S.s Number 1 competitor

The document outlined four priorities of the Defense Department with the top one being defending the homeland, paced to the growing multi-domain threat posed by the PRC.

Mentioned at least 90 times throughout the text, China is seen as seeking to undermine U.S. alliances and security partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.

Beijing has been using its growing military capabilities and economic influence to coerce its neighbors and threaten their interests.

The document mentioned Chinas policy and activities towards Taiwan that risk miscalculation and threaten the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.

The Department will support Taiwans asymmetric self-defense commensurate with the evolving PRC threat and consistent with our one China policy, it reaffirmed.

However, a key objective of the National Defense Strategy is to dissuade the PRC from considering aggression as a viable means of advancing goals that threaten vital U.S. national interests, it said.

Conflict with the PRC is neither inevitable nor desirable.

The U.S. Defense Department therefore supports efforts to develop terms of interaction with China that are favorable to our interests and values.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins conducts a Taiwan Strait transit on Sept. 20., 2022. CREDIT: U.S. Navy

While the U.S. has substantial experience in dealing with Russia in terms of nuclear crisis management, the strategy said, it has made little progress with the PRC despite consistent U.S. efforts.

Beijing could possess at least 1,000 deliverable nuclear warheads by 2030, according to the Pentagon, and there are growing concerns about deepening relations between China and Russia.

Although diverging interests and historical mistrust may limit the depth of their political and military cooperation, the PRC and Russia relationship continues to increase in breadth, the document warned.

Together, China and Russia now also pose more dangerous challenges to U.S. homeland security, it said.

Building deterrence capacities

While maintaining a safe nuclear deterrent and taking steps to reduce the risks of a nuclear war, the strategic paper said the U.S. will continue to modernize our nuclear forces, the ultimate backstop to deter attacks on the homeland and our Allies and partners.

In the fiscal 2023 budget, the Defense Department made a request for U.S.$34 billion to sustain and modernize our nuclear forces.

The National Defense Strategy also emphasized collaboration with allies and partners to build joint capability, co-development of technology, combined planning and greater intelligence and information sharing, said Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

The document, however, has met with some criticism.

Doug Lamborn, a Republican Congressman and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, wrote on Twitter that the new defense strategy reflects the harrowing truth that the Biden Administration is overwhelmed by the sheer number of threats they must confront and appears fundamentally unprepared to make the necessary decisions.

The Pentagons arguably most important document outside of the budget request is little more than a boiled-down reduction of every speech and press conference that Biden administration officials have given in nearly two years since taking office, Kevin Baron, executive editor of Defense One, a defense-focused publication, wrote.

China also hit out at the document, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin telling a regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday that it "smacks heavily of Cold War and zero-sum mentality," adding that it "uses nuclear weapons as tools to advance [Washington's] geopolitical agenda."

"Nuclear blackmail will not work on China," Wang warned, adding that Beijing has "the capability and confidence" to protect its national security interests.

Updated to include comments by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.
Videos posted to social media show huge traffic jams of Chinese migrant workers leaving Lhasa for China following protests that began Oct. 26, 2022, over COVID-19 lockdowns.

Han Chinese migrant workers are streaming out of Lhasa after demanding permission to return to their homes amid a harsh COVID-19 lockdown in the Tibetan capital, creating snarled traffic jams as far as the eye can see, Radio Free Asias Tibetan service has learned.

Protests broke out in Lhasa on Wednesday over COVID-19 restrictions in the city and had spread to at least four different districts by Thursday, prompting scuffles with authorities in some cases. RFA was able to confirm that many of the protesters were ethnic majority Han Chinese migrant workers who likely obtained permission to reside in Lhasa for jobs that pay daily wages, but have been unable to earn a living during three months of lockdown in the city.

Sources told RFA that the protests  believed to be the largest in Lhasa in nearly 15 years  had largely dispersed by the end of the day on Thursday after officials agreed to begin processing requests by migrant workers to leave the region for their homes in eastern China.

On Friday, RFA obtained video showing migrant workers leaving en masse, resulting in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the few routes leading east out of the city.

In one video, a man can be heard saying that he and others began their drive eastwards at around 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, but hadnt even made it to the outskirts of Lhasa well into Friday.

Many Chinese migrant workers and other daily wage earners travel to Tibet during the summer months for jobs in construction, shops and restaurants. They regularly leave the region before the cold of winter starts to set in. Sources in Lhasa confirmed that the subjects of the videos obtained by RFA are migrant workers who had been unable to earn an income amid the harsh lockdown in the city.

In addition to Han Chinese migrant workers, Tibetans from outside Lhasa have also reported being refused the right to return to their homes from the city in recent weeks, and it was not immediately clear whether authorities might grant them similar permits.

Calls to authorities in Lhasa seeking comment on the state of the lockdown and whether Tibetan migrants would be allowed to return to their homes went unanswered Friday.

Getting permits

In a related development, authorities in the Tibetan town of Shigatse announced Wednesday that in order to obtain a permit to return to eastern China, applicants must submit requests one week before their intended departure and test negative for COVID-19 at least three times within 72 hours ahead of their trip.

Reports of the protests in Lhasa came days after the government of the Tibet Autonomous Region issued an Oct. 24 statement announcing that a harsh COVID-19 lockdown in Lhasa would be loosened.

The lockdown in Lhasa began in early August as COVID-19 numbers there and throughout China continued to climb.

Lhasa residents have said on social media that the lockdown order came without enough time to prepare, leaving some short on food, and making it difficult for those infected with the virus to find adequate treatment.

Formerly an independent nation, Tibet was invaded and incorporated into China by force more than 70 years ago, following which the Dalai Lama and thousands of his followers fled into exile in India and other countries around the world.

Beijing has accused the Dalai Lama of fomenting separatism in Tibet.

Translated by Kalden Lodoe. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which promotes press freedom, has called on Vietnam to release journalist Le Manh Ha and other journalists.

The CPJ issued the appeal on Oct. 26, a day after the People's Court of Tuyen Quang province sentenced freelance journalist to eight years in prison and five years of probation on charges of making, possessing, disseminating or propagating information, documents and items aimed at opposing the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

In a press release posted on the CPJ's website, Shawn Crispin, the organization's senior representative in Southeast Asia, called for the release of the journalist and others imprisoned for publishing their views.

Vietnam must stop equating independent journalism with criminal conduct and release all journalists they wrongly hold behind bars, he said.

Vietnams one-party regime detained 23 journalists at the beginning of December last year, according to the CPJ. Since then, eight more have been arrested on charges of opposing the State of Vietnam.

Vietnam mirrors Chinas treatment of journalists

Speaking to RFA, Crispin said Vietnams repression closely mirrors Chinas and, on a per capita basis, the county has now jailed more reporters than China.

Vietnam is one of the most repressive places in Asia for citizen journalism, witnessed by a large number of reporters now languishing behind bars, he said.

The one -party communist regime uses many vague laws to silence journalists in order to prevent any news that it deems critical of the government, party, and state.

The abuse of those laws makes it nearly impossible for independent journalists to report on topics of public interest, including the environment, politics and human rights.

Crispin said democratic countries should force Vietnam to change and focus on freedom of the press before providing aid to Hanoi.

Commenting on the outcome of the trial, former officer of the General Department of Military Intelligence Vu Minh Tri told RFA the Party and State see journalists such as Ha as a genuine threat to their power.

People like Le Manh Ha, Nguyen Lan Thang. were the sparks that started the big sparks in the struggle for freedom and human rights that could burn down the totalitarian dictatorship, so it's not surprising that they were condemned so severely."

However, according to Tri, the heavy sentence proves that the government is scared and exhausted.

The more the people 's freedoms are suppressed, including the right to freedom of speech, the more it shows the fear of the government and the end of the global dictatorship. The cure is drawing near.

Imposing heavy sentences on activists does not scare people as much as the authorities want, but on the contrary makes more people unhappy, the former military officer said.

Tri expressed his admiration for the commitment of freelance journalists and activists such as Le Manh Ha, Nguyen Lan Thang and Tran Huynh Duy saying they have not been brought down by the prison regime, rather it has made them stronger.

Le Manh Ha learned the law to defend his familys land rights claim after the construction of a dam forced his family to relocate with very little compensation.

He used social networks such as Facebook and YouTube to disseminate legal knowledge and speak out against social injustices. He also handed out copies of the Vietnamese Constitution to people in Tuyen Quang, where the dam was built.

He was arrested in mid-January 2021 on charges of "conducting propaganda against the state," one of the more commonly used laws. to silence objections.

During a two-day trial earlier this week, he was sentenced in a manner his lawyer said did not adhere to the standards of a fair trial.

The lawyer said the verdict was based on an indictment built on the subjective views of the assessor of the Department of Information and Communications, who was absent from the trial.

He said the representative of procuracy did not dare to argue with lawyers while the court panel paid little attention to Has defense.
The visit, the first by a foreign leader since Xis reelection, signals close ties between the two nations.

Vietnams top leader Nguyen Phu Trong will travel to China on Sunday to visit President Xi Jinping, the first foreign leader to do so since Xis re-election to a third five-year term last weekend.

The two countries have had territorial disagreements in the South China Sea but are generally considered allies. The two men are expected to discuss strengthening ties and underscore their will to cooperate on a variety of issues.

The three-day visit will also be Trongs first trip abroad since he suffered a stroke in 2019.

Xis re-election last Sunday at the Chinese Communist Partys national congress signals that there will be little change in Chinas foreign policy, and it is an opportunity for Vietnam to reaffirm that it has no intention to counter China by allying with a third nation, such as the United States, Vu Xuan Khang, an International Security Ph.D. candidate at Boston College, told RFAs Vietnamese Service.

Despite territorial disagreement in the [South China] Sea, the Communist Party of Vietnam attaches significance to its comradeship with the Communist Party of China and hopes that the two sides can maintain their good relationship in the future, said Khang.

China, meanwhile, extended the invitation to make sure the Asian neighbors continue their dialogue and avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, Khang said.

China doesnt want to have conflicts with Vietnam as the Taiwan issue is way more important, he said.

China may use the meeting to draw Vietnam closer and deter Hanoi from getting too close to Washington, Nguyen The Phuong, a marine security expert, told RFA.

Vietnam needs China more than China needs Vietnam, especially when it comes to economic issues, said Phoung. But he said Xi chose Trong to be the first leader to visit since the end of the congress as a gesture to show that China does value the relationship.

Containers are transferred from a truck to cargo ship at the international cargo terminal of a port in Hai Phong city, Vietnam, Aug. 12, 2019. Vietnams import-export activities heavily depend on China, says researcher Nguyen The Phuong. Credit: AFP

Recently, Vietnams relations with western countries, especially with the U.S., have improved rapidly, he said. From Chinas perspective, letting Vietnam freely get closer to western countries is also a strategic threat.

Beijing has several tools at its disposal to prevent Hanoi from falling into Washingtons orbit, Phoung said.

Economically, Vietnams import-export activities heavily depend on China, especially in terms of raw material imports and border trade, he said. Therefore, by creating economic pressure only, China would already be able to send the message that Vietnam should not go too far.

Additionally, China would be able to put pressure on Vietnam by increasing military presence in the South China Sea. It can also persuade the Vietnamese Communist Party that a closer relationship can help maintain the partys power, Phoung said.

Ironing out disagreements

The two countries have also tangled over the Mekong River, as China has built a series of dams in the Upper Mekong that have adversely affected Vietnam and other downstream countries in Southeast Asia. But the visit will likely seek to avoid any overt conflicts as the two sides try to smooth over relations, a researcher who requested anonymity for safety reasons told RFA

Vietnam will perhaps not mention the Mekong very much. However, it will try to put forth the Eastern Sea issues to resolve differences through negotiation by the two countries, he said, using the Vietnamese term for the South China Sea.

Phuong said these issues would be secondary to maintaining their harmonious relationship.

If mentioned at all, the two sides would still emphasize dialogue and cooperation and not promote an image of insurmountable challenges in Vietnam-China relations, said Khang.

Instead, the two sides will likely play up strategies for building the party and fighting corruption. They may have differences in foreign policy, but the two countries have many things in common when it comes to domestic policy, he said.

These commonalities include the mechanism of party leadership, state management, a socialism-oriented market economy, and economic development based on export and foreign investment, Khang said.

Translated by Anna Vu. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
The coaches of the U.S. and Iranian soccer teams have said that they do not want to get caught up in a game of political football when their sides clash for a chance to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup.

"I envision the game being hotly contested for the fact that both teams want to advance to the next round -- not because of politics or because of relations between our countries," U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said ahead of the November 29 showdown at Al-Thumama Stadium in Qatar.

"Our preparation starts with a good rest, refresh the minds, and put all the complementary and garbage things outside of our minds," said Carlos Queiroz, the Portuguese head coach of Iran's national team.

But as the two coaches attempt to keep the focus on the playing field with either team assured of advancing to the next round with an outright victory, a political fever pitch looms over the game pitting two countries that severed relations more than 40 years ago and are open rivals on the world stage.

The World Cup has been a showcase of discord in Iran since the tournament kicked off on November 20, with Tehran's deadly crackdown on ongoing anti-government demonstrations leading to fresh U.S. sanctions against Iranian officials and dividing the country's fan base.

The Iranian team has faced immense pressure from the authorities and protesters alike to take sides amid the demonstrations, which are seen as one of the greatest threats to Iran's clerical establishment since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

The nationwide demonstrations erupted following the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian-Kurdish woman who died shortly after she was arrested for allegedly violating the state-mandated requirement that women wear the hijab, or head scarf.

According to rights watchdogs, at least 450 people have been killed and more than 15,000 detained in the government crackdown.

Some fans have honored Amini's memory by wearing "Mahsa Amini-22" shirts in a nod to her age when she died.

In an apparent sign of solidarity with demonstrators, members of the Iranian team did not sing the country's national anthem ahead of their first game, a 6-2 loss to England that was blamed partly on outside distractions. But the players did join in singing what anti-government demonstrators have called the "blood anthem" ahead of the second game, a 2-0 win against Wales on November 25.

While that result was cause for mass celebration, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reported from Qatar that a group of pro-government fans who waved the flag of the Islamic republic harassed and intimidated a group of Iranian supporters who aired their grievances against the clerical regime.

Following the Wales match, a former coach of the U.S. team, Jurgen Klinsmann, came under fire for his postgame comments. Speaking as a pundit on the BBC, Klinsmann said the Iranian team "worked the referee." "They work the linesman and fourth official, they are constantly in their ear," he said. "There were a lot of incidents we didn't see. This is their culture, they take you off your game."

Queiroz -- who coached Iran during two stints from 2011 to 2019 and was once hired by U.S. Soccer to develop a road map for the United States to win a World Cup by 2010 -- responded with a torrent of tweets defending Iranian culture and his team. He said Klinsmann's comments were a "disgrace to football."

Just days before the decisive group match, the U.S. Soccer Federation triggered a row when it temporarily displayed Iran's green, white, and red flag without the emblem of the Islamic republic in a social-media post.

The Iranian government responded angrily, with Iran's hard-line Tasnim news agency calling for the U.S. team to be kicked out of the World Cup and suspended for 10 games.

The post was eventually removed, with U.S. Soccer explaining that the intention had been to show "support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights" by displaying the Iranian tricolor without the emblem for 24 hours.

Back in Iran, former members of the Iranian national soccer team have apparently been punished for supporting the ongoing demonstrations.

Voria Ghafouri, who has been an outspoken critic of the Iranian establishment and was surprisingly left out of this year's World Cup squad, was reportedly arrested on November 24, just days after expressing sympathy for Amini's family and calling for an end to the violent crackdown on protesters in his and Amini's native western Kurdistan region.

Iranian state media reported that the 35-year-old Ghafouri had been arrested for "insulting the national soccer team and propagandizing against the government."

Ghafouri earlier this month tweeted that "it is better to die standing than to live kneeling." In June, he was accused by an Iranian official of being a Kurdish separatist after the player tweeted the word "Kurdistan" twice.

Iranian media reported that Ghafouri has been released on bail. But rights groups said he had been transferred from western Iran to a prison in the capital, Tehran.

Pressure has also been placed on an Iranian soccer legend, Ali Daei, who said he chose not to travel to Qatar due to the government's crackdown and said on social media on November 28 he had received "numerous threats against myself and my family in recent months and days."

The Black Reward hacktivist group, which has targeted Iranian government institutions and infrastructure, added to fears that Tehran was targeting fans by leaking recordings this week purporting to reveal an Iranian pro-government militia commander saying that Qatar had provided a list of Iranians who had purchased tickets to the World Cup, allowing the Iranian authorities to identify 500 individuals known for anti-government activities.

While Iran could progress with a draw on November 29, it cannot afford to lose if it wants to advance to the last 16. The United States has no option but to win.

The U.S. players have said they were unaware that U.S. Soccer had planned to publish its controversial flag post, while also publicly declaring their support for women's rights.

The day before the big match, U.S. coach Berhalter was apologetic for the flag post but also insistent that he was not focusing on the controversies leading up to it.

"Of course, our thoughts are with the Iranian people, the whole country, the whole team, everyone, but our focus is on this match," he said on November 28.
ALMATY  Growing up in Esil, a predominantly Russian-speaking town in northern Kazakhstan, Aleksei Skalozubov didnt feel the need to speak Kazakh, the countrys state language.

The situation didnt change much after he moved to Almaty for work after graduating from university with an agriculture degree. Everyone communicated in Russian where Skalozubov lived -- his family, friends, classmates, colleagues, and clients.

But Skalozubov, 25, says it didnt feel right that he couldn't speak Kazakh, the native language of the country that three generations of his family have called home.

The issues of identity, language, and patriotism come -- or have returned -- to the forefront in Kazakhstan, especially among its sizable ethnic Russian populations after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

The war has also unleashed an unprecedented interest among Russian-speakers in Kazakhstan to learn Kazakh, Skalozubov says. He adds that he has used the opportunity to realize his dream of opening a free Kazakh-language school, a plan he first announced on social media in March.

Offers of support poured in, with several teachers and others volunteering to teach Kazakh for free. Young entrepreneurs, culture centers, and other organizations offered their spaces to be used as classrooms rent-free. Others helped with the costs of printing teaching materials and brochures.

Skalozubov says he initially thought a maximum of about 40 people would join his language classes, which began on April 15. He was surprised when some 300 people expressed interest. Soon the project -- now called Batyl Bol! (Be Courageous!) -- spread to other cities across Kazakhstan.

Unorthodox Methods

Skalozulov prefers to call his meeting places a Kazakh-language club instead of describing them as schools or classes. He wants the clubs to be a place where people learn Kazakh in an informal setting and focus on the words and phrases they use in their everyday lives.

I tried to speak Kazakh with waiters. I already knew the Kazakh grammar in theory very well, but I lacked real-life practice.

With no experience teaching, Skalozubov has used his own life experiences with the Kazakh language as a tutoring method in the club. Kazakh was part of the teaching curriculum at his school and university, and he also briefly enrolled in a private language class. Despite learning a relatively strong vocabulary, Skalozubov says he didnt speak Kazakh.

The schools were more about grammar than actual practice speaking, Skalozubov recalls.

Skalozubov says he started speaking Kazakh when he moved to a mainly Kazakh-speaking neighborhood near Almatys Central Mosque in 2019.

Most of the people around were religious ethnic Kazakhs, and most of the workers in a cafe that I frequented were fluent both in Kazakh and Russian, he recalls. I tried to speak Kazakh with waiters. I already knew the Kazakh grammar in theory very well, but I lacked real-life practice.

His language clubs offer plenty of practice to their members.

The format of the club is arranged so that people start talking straight away. We use dialogues that are vital in our daily lives, such as shopping in a grocery store or buying food in a cafe, Skalozubov explains.

Most of Skalozubovs students are ethnic Russians who have lived in Kazakhstan most of their lives, as well as ethnic Kazakhs who went to Russian schools and dont speak their own language well.

Russian remains an official language in the former Soviet country, where even many ethnic Kazakhs -- including government officials -- speak Russian more fluently than Kazakh, although that situation has recently been changing.

Anastassiya Rochshupkina, a 22-year-old journalist from Almaty who joined the Kazakh-language club in April, says she wasn't able to speak Kazakh, despite learning it in school.

Previously, I studied grammar. Here, we are learning how to say or ask for something in Kazakh in shops or restaurants, she says. After classes, we often go out to eat together, and we order food in Kazakh. Now, I communicate in Kazakh on public transport, too. It has now become much easier for me to speak Kazakh.

Changing Attitudes

The clubs became instantly and unexpectedly popular as thousands of Russian-speakers in Kazakhstan decided to learn Kazakh, a trend Skalozubov and some club members link to the political atmosphere created by the Kremlins war in Ukraine.

Batyl Bol! clubs now operate in Oral, Pavlodar, Semey, Shymkent, Talghar, Taraz, Qaraghandy, and the capital, Astana.

Skalozubov has become more active on social media since the war in Ukraine began, criticizing the Russian invasion and saying that he calls Kazakhstan his home country and would fight for it if needed.

Skalozubov got many positive reactions and connected with many like-minded people -- including many ethnic Russians in Kazakhstan -- through social media.

Rochshupkina says the war in Ukraine significantly changed [her] attitude toward learning Kazakh.

You began to think about how the Russian colonization affected local languages in the Soviet states, she told RFE/RL. Before, we probably regarded Kazakh as a somewhat secondary language that you didnt have to learn. Now, I realize that Kazakh is important, that it is part of my life in Kazakhstan, and that if dont learn Kazakh I would be like a stranger here.

Among the newest members of the Kazakh-language club are some Russian citizens who either fled their country to avoid being sent to fight in Ukraine or due to other complications the war put on their lives.

Orkhan Mamedov, 30, joined the language club in Almaty in July, shortly after moving there from Russia. An ethnic Azerbaijani, Mamedov finds learning Kazakh relatively easy, as both of the languages are in the Turkic group.

A computer engineer, Mamedov works remotely and doesnt necessarily need Kazakh for his work. His job only requires knowledge of English and Russian.

In Almaty, you can still survive without Kazakh if you speak Russian, but for me learning Kazakh is a way to get adapted and accepted in this society. Its important for me to be able to speak with the locals in their own language, he said.

The Kazakh-language club doesnt offer complex grammar lessons.

Skalozubov says his program focuses on everyday conversations and doesnt try to prepare its customers for school exams or work in Kazakh.

The club is open for everyone aged at least 14 years and doesnt require registration.

RFE/RL Kazakh Service correspondent Petr Trotsenko contributed to this report.
Dozens of media organizations, journalists, and civic activists stopped working for three hours on October 28 to protest the Kyrgyz government's decision to block the page of RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, known locally as Radio Azattyk, for two months.

The Kyrgyz government made the decision on October 26 after RFE/RL refused to take down a video of one of its news programs that reported on clashes at the border with Tajikistan.

The government claimed the video, produced by Current Time, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, "predominantly" took the position of the Tajik side.

The decision was based on the Law on Protection from False Information, a piece of legislation that drew widespread criticism when adopted in August last year.

RFE/RL President and Chief Executive Officer Jamie Fly rejected the accusation, saying the broadcaster "takes [its] commitment to balanced reporting seriously" and that after a review of the content in question, "no violation of our standards" was found. RFE is appealing the decision.

In solidarity with RFE/RL, independent Kyrgyz media outlets on October 28 posted a black screen on their web pages from 0900 to 1200 local time with the caption: "No News Today. Media Under Pressure In Kyrgyzstan," and also refused to cover news stories about the government for the whole day.

Among the participants in the boycott were Kaktus.media, Kloop.kg, 24.kg, T-Media, TV1, NEXT TV, 3rd channel, April TV, Bulak.kg, Politklinika.kg, TemirovLive, and media MediaHub.

"The Ministry of Culture and Information of Kyrgyzstan made an illegal decision to suspend the website of Radio Azattyk. The media community of Kyrgyzstan calls on the authorities to stop the pressure on freedom of speech and the freedom of the press and the criminal prosecution of journalists, bloggers, civil activists, and other citizens who freely express their opinions," the media community said in a statement.

The Kyrgyz government's decision was criticized by rights groups and Kyrgyz lawmakers; rights activists who have called for the government to repeal it.

Human Right Watch (HRW) on October 28 urged the Kyrgyz authorities to rescind the measure against RFE/RL, saying in a statement that Kyrgyzstan "should stand up for, not undermine," independent media.

It is standard journalistic practice to provide information from both sides of the conflict, said HRW's Syinat Sultanalieva.

The blockage of [Radio Azattyk] is a blatant attempt to control and censor independent journalism in Kyrgyzstan in violation of the countrys international human rights obligations, particularly with respect to freedoms of expression and of the media, Sultanalieva said.

On October 27, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called the move against RFE/RL "a flagrant act of censorship."

Kyrgyz authorities must immediately lift the block on Radio Azattyk and repeal the [Protection from False Information Law], which gives state officials carte blanche to quash inconvenient reporting through wholly opaque decisions on alleged inaccuracy, CPJ said in a statement.

On October 27, dozens of Kyrgyz media outlets published an open letter calling on the Kyrgyz government to immediately cease all pressure on freedom of speech and freedom of the media and to withdraw the Protection from False Information Law.

Earlier this month, threats were made against RFE/RL journalists during a demonstration in Bishkek at the office of RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service. Most of the participants of the action covered their faces, avoided the camera, and refused to answer questions about their demands.

Ilimbek Israilov, the organizer of the demonstration, threatened to spray gasoline on RFE/RL reporters and use force against them. Israilov is known for his involvement in the organization of numerous rallies to support the former deputy chief of the Customs Service, Raimbek Matraimov.

In 2019, an investigation by RFE/RL, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, and Kloop implicated former deputy chief of the Customs Service Raimbek Matraimov in a corruption scheme involving the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars out of Kyrgyzstan.
A UN disarmament official and the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations have rejected a Russian complaint filed with the UN Security Council demanding an investigation into U.S. "military biological activities" in Ukraine.

The accusation, raised by the Russian Foreign Ministry on October 27, is "pure fabrication brought forth without a shred of evidence," U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council.

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.

She also said she wanted to set the record straight that neither Ukraine nor the United States has a biological weapons program.

The UN's deputy high representative for disarmament affairs, Adedeji Ebo, also addressed the question, telling the Security Council that the United Nations is "not aware" of any biological weapons program in Ukraine.

"We are aware that the Russian Federation has filed an official complaint...regarding allegations of biological weapons programs in Ukraine," Ebo said.

"As high representative Izumi Nakamitsu informed the council in March, and May of this year, the United Nations is not aware of any such biological weapons programs," he said.

He also said United Nations had no mandate or technical capacity to investigate the claim.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier on October 27 that "during the course of the special military operation [in Ukraine] evidence and material that shed light on the true nature of the U.S. military-biological activities on Ukrainian territory were obtained."

The ministry said it was left with no choice but to file a complaint with the chairman of the UN Security Council to launch an international investigation" into "the military-biological activities of the United States in Ukraine," according to a ministry statement.

The complaint was filed with a draft resolution to the Security Council, it said.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, Russia accused the United States of funding research into the development of biological weapons aiming to "establish a mechanism for the stealthy spread of deadly pathogens."

The United states and Ukraine denied the existence of any laboratories to produce biological weapons in the country.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in March that it was simply not true the United States was holding chemical and biological weapons in Europe.

Based on reporting by AFP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says about 4 million people across Ukraine have been hit by power restrictions that Ukraines energy companies have been forced to impose because of damage to infrastructure caused by Russia's bombing campaign.

Zelenskiy said in his nightly address on October 28 that the areas affected include the Kyiv and Kharkiv and the regions around the two major cities.

Authorities in Kyiv said the cuts would have to be stepped up to "unprecedented" levels.



Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said the city's energy supply system on October 28 was operating in emergency mode. He said it would take two to three weeks to eliminate an electricity deficit ranging between 20 percent and 50 percent.



Earlier on October 28, the press service of the Ukrenergo national energy company said in a statement that emergency outages of four hours a day or more had resumed in the Kyiv region.



Oleksiy Kuleba, governor of the capital region, said on Telegram that residents could expect to see tougher and longer power outages compared to earlier in the war, while Oleh Synehubov, governor of the Kharkiv region in northeast Ukraine, announced that daily one-hour power outages would begin on October 31 across the province.



The measures are necessary to stabilize the power grid because Russia continues shelling Ukraines energy infrastructure, he said on Telegram.

Ukraine says about one-third of its power stations have been destroyed since Russia launched the first wave of targeted infrastructure strikes on October 10.

Ukraine and its allies have said many of the strikes have been carried out by drones supplied by Iran with the goal of depriving Ukrainians of heat for their homes in the coming winter.



Moscow and Tehran have denied the accusations.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he demanded Iran stop sending the weapons to Russia in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart.



Kuleba said on Twitter that he demanded Iran to immediately cease the flow of weapons to Russia used to kill civilians and destroy critical infrastructure in Ukraine during the call on October 28 with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

The United States announced $275 million in fresh military aid to Ukraine -- in part because of Russia's attacks on the country's civilian infrastructure.



U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the aid is the 24th drawdown of U.S. arms and equipment for Ukraine since August 2021.



"The United States will continue to stand with more than 50 allies and partners in support of the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence with extraordinary courage and boundless determination," Blinken said.



The United States also is working to provide Ukraine with air-defense capabilities, he said, adding that two initial U.S. NASAM air-defense systems are ready for delivery to Ukraine next month and that the United States is working with allies and partners to enable delivery of their air-defense systems to Ukraine.



In Moscow, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin in a televised meeting that the military had met its mobilization target of 300,000 soldiers.



The partial mobilization, which prompted some Russian men to leave the country, was announced on September 21.



According to Shoigu, 82,000 recruits are already in Ukraine, and 41,000 of them were deployed to military units. Shoigu said that no additional conscription is planned.



In his video address, Zelenskiy expressed doubt that the mobilization was truly complete, saying the poor performance of Moscow's forces meant "very soon Russia may need a new wave of people to send to the war."

With reporting by Reuters and AP
Ukraine's military says Russia is massing troops on the right bank of the Dnieper River as both sides appear poised for what could be a key battle for Kherson in Ukraine's south, while Russian officials claim all civilians were evacuated from the city.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on October 28 that Moscow has sent in up to 1,000 recently mobilized soldiers to make up for personnel losses suffered at the hands of an ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kherson region.

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.

"The command of the Russian occupying forces, in order to avoid panic among the personnel, is trying by all means to hide the real losses of servicemen.... There is a strengthening of the enemy group on the right bank of the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region with mobilized servicemen numbering up to 1,000 people," the General Staff said in a statement.

Ukraine has pushed ahead with an offensive to reclaim the Kherson region and its capital of the same name, which Russian forces captured during the first days of the war.

Ukrainian forces were surrounding Kherson from the west and attacking Russias foothold on the right bank of the Dnieper River.

However, tough terrain and bad weather held up the Ukrainian Army's main advance in Kherson, officials said.

Kherson, one of four partially occupied provinces that Russia proclaimed to have seized last month, controls the only land route to the Crimean Peninsula that Russia illegally annexed in 2014 and the mouth of the Dnieper that bisects Ukraine.

Sergei Aksyonov, the Russia-installed governor of Crimea, said on October 28 that President Vladimir Putin's first deputy chief of staff, Sergei Kiriyenko, has visited Kherson.

Kiriyenko, one of the most powerful officials in the Kremlin, visited the ferry port that is evacuating people from the right bank of the Dnieper ahead of the expected Ukrainian offensive, Aksyonov said.

"The work on organizing the departure of residents has been completed," he said.

Aksyonov's statement came a day after Russia-appointed officials in Kherson said that more than 70,000 people had left the city, including members of the Moscow-installed regional administration.



The Ukrainian military said on October 28 that forces had killed 44 Russian soldiers in the past 24 hours, adding that its forces had destroyed an ammunition depot and a hangar with equipment.

The claim could not be independently verified.

However, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said 23 of his soldiers were killed and another 58 wounded in a Ukrainian artillery attack this week in Kherson. The comments were unusual as pro-Moscow forces have rarely admitted to major battlefield losses.

WATCH: A local official told Russian conscripts "You are not cannon fodder" in a video published online recently. The men responded by angrily shouting that, actually, that's exactly what they are. The incident, in the Ardatovsky district some 360 kilometers east of Moscow, followed a stream of videos in which Russian conscripts complain of old equipment and poor training.

In the eastern region of Donetsk, Russian shelling killed four local residents, Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the region's military administration, said on October 28.

Russian air strikes, drone attacks, and shelling of Ukraine's energy infrastructure were forcing electricity cuts in the capital, Kyiv, and other places, officials said.

Air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat told a briefing on October 28 that Ukraine has shot down more than 300 Iranian Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drones so far. The drones have become a key weapon in Russia's attacks on crucial Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Iran has denied Ukrainian and Western accusations that it is supplying drones to Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukrainians will not be cowed by such tactics.

"Shelling will not break us -- to hear the enemy's anthem on our land is scarier than the enemy's rockets in our sky," Zelenskiy said in his regular video address on October 27 as he stood outside in the dark next to the wreckage of a downed drone.

WATCH: Ukrainian troops are targeting Russian-launched drones, fighter planes, and helicopters, using Soviet-era antiaircraft systems with limited radar capabilities. They also use Western-supplied, shoulder-launched missiles like the Stinger, but factors such as the weather can have a major impact on their effectiveness.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials quoted by Reuters and the Associated Press said the United States is preparing a new $275 million package of military assistance for Ukraine to bolster its counteroffensive against Russian forces.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there are no major new weapons in the U.S. package, which is expected to be announced as early as October 28.

Instead, the U.S. aid is largely aimed at restocking thousands of rounds of ammunition for weapons systems already there, including for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, known as HIMARS, which Ukraine has been successfully using in its counteroffensive against Russia.



White House national-security spokesperson John Kirby declined to confirm details of the package in a CNN interview, saying only that a new tranche of weaponry for Ukraine would be announced "very, very soon."

With reporting by AFP, BBC, Reuters, and guardian.co.uk
Carlotta Berry, PhD, continues to be recognized for her achievements in academia and as a professional engineer, along with her efforts to support, encourage and mentor future STEM professionals.

Carlotta A. Berry, PhD, the Dr. Lawrence J. Giacoletto Endowed Chair for Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been recognized among Indianas 2022 Women of Influence Award recipients by the Indianapolis Business Journal for being statewide leaders in education, business, law, and public service.

Berry is among four award winners featured on the cover of the publications special Women of Influence issue, along with a profile story, and joined this years 21 awardees at a special recognition event in Indianapolis on Thursday, October 27.

We are thrilled to honor them as part of our 16th annual Women of Influence class, not only because of the great work they are doing for their companies and organizations but also because of the impact they are having in the community and on other women as mentors and trailblazers. I am inspired by their tenacity and passion, stated Nate Feltman, chief executive officer of IBJ Media and IBJ publisher, about Berry and this years other honorees.

Berry was recognized for her achievements in academia and as a professional engineer, along with her efforts to support, encourage and mentor future STEM professionals, including those from underrepresented minorities in engineering and robotics.

A member of the Rose-Hulman faculty since 2006, Berry has brought her technical expertise and interests in mobile robotics and enhanced human-robot interfaces into the classroom. The Giacoletto Endowed Chair also has allowed her to showcase excellence and innovation in multidisciplinary robotics education, research, and outreach.

Berry currently co-directs Rose-Hulmans multidisciplinary robotics program, which provides students the opportunity to earn a minor in robotics to recognize their experience and knowledge of robotics-related materials. Her work as an Open Source Hardware Association Trailblazer Fellows is allowing Rose-Hulman students to create a low-cost open source mobile robot platform that can be used for outreach, education and research.

Her role as a mentor has included Berry helping start Black In Engineering and Black In Robotics organizations that are bringing awareness to systemic racism in STEM, and building community and connection among higher education allies. She also founded an education consulting firm, NoireSTEMinist, to provide workshops to make career fields in robotics and engineering more accessible and attractive to people of all ages and backgrounds. Berry has developed an international social media following with her regular robotics- and engineering-related videos, including a popular Kitchen Table Circuits series that uses household items to teach basic electrical circuit concepts.

At Rose-Hulman, Berry co-founded the Building Undergraduate Diversity (RoseBUD) program, which encourages students from marginalized and minoritized groups to pursue STEM careers

The Women of Influence Award is the latest recognition Berry has received for her academic and outreach efforts. She has received the Society of Women Engineers Distinguished Engineering Educator Award, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers 2023 Undergraduate Teaching Award, and the 2022 Distinguished Educator Award from the American Society of Engineering Educations (ASEE) Electrical and Computer Engineering Division. She also is an ASEE Fellow, been listed among the 30 Women in Robotics You Need to Know by robohub.org and one of INSIGHT Into Diversitys Inspiring Women in STEM, along with being among the first group of college educators participating in the Open Source Hardware Associations new Trailblazer Fellows Program.

Learn more about Berrys professional background and activities in her faculty at www.rose-hulman.edu/academics/faculty/berry-carlotta-berry123.html.
Zack Beck, Oceansides elected, part-time city clerk, has accepted the same job in Escondido, an appointed, full-time position. He will begin his new duties in January.

Beck, 31, was elected city clerk in Oceanside in 2012 and re-elected without opposition in 2016.

Escondido has been looking for someone to replace longtime City Clerk Diane Halverson, who retired in October.

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Beck, an Oceanside native, will make $118,844 in his new position, the same as Halverson was making. That is far more than the roughly $23,000 he was making in Oceanside, which made the position part-time and cut the compensation at the height of the recession, the same year he was first elected.

It will be a change, Beck said Tuesday.

Hes bright, energetic and he knows the business inside and out, said Escondido City Manager Jeff Epp, and he comes from a great organization.

The city clerks office has a multitude of duties, including overseeing local elections, organizing city council agendas, staff reports and minutes, and responding to public records requests.

The clerk also maintains campaign and economic interest statement filings, helps with the recruitment and appointments to boards and commissions, and administers the Citys records management program and off-site imaging system.

Beck sent a letter to Oceansides mayor and city council members Tuesday announcing his plans to resign effective Dec. 31.

To the amazing team members in the Oceanside City Clerk Department, thank you for your wonderful work and sacrificial service. To the City Council, staff and constituents of Escondido, California, I look forward to serving you to the best of my ability with integrity, accuracy and independence.

Beck said Tuesday he was very excited to come to Escondido. He plans to continue living in Oceanside with his wife for the time being but he said that could change.

He said he is familiar with Escondido having served there as the youth pastor at Gateway Community Church.

Im very familiar with the different high schools out there, he said.

My wife and I love North County San Diego and feel very connected and committed to North County, he said. One of the reasons he was attracted to the Escondido job was because it would let him stay in the region, he added.

jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones
Case in Brief

R. v. Ndhlovu

The Supreme Court finds the mandatory and lifetime registration on the sex offender registry unconstitutional.

This ruling has important implications for the registration of sex offenders.

The Sex Offender Information Registration Act (SOIRA) came into force in 2004. It created a national sex offender registry. To place an offender on the registry, a Crown prosecutor had to apply for a SOIRA order. The judge would then decide to grant the order or exclude the offender from the registry. Judges had discretion to determine if the effect of the order on the offenders privacy or liberty would exceed the public interest in protecting society.

In 2011, Parliament changed the law. It removed the discretion of the Crown and the sentencing judge to exclude an offender from the registry. Since then, section 490.012 of the Criminal Code has required the mandatory registration of anyone found guilty of a sexual offence. This means the personal information of every sex offender must be added to Canadas national registry. Section 490.013(2.1) also imposed a mandatory registration for life, for those who committed more than one such offence.

In 2015, Eugene Ndhlovu pled guilty to two counts of sexual assault against two people at a party four years earlier when he was 19-years-old. The trial judge sentenced him to six months in jail, to be followed by three years of probation. After reviewing Mr. Ndhlovus history and the evidence, the judge found he was unlikely to re-offend. However, due to the legislative changes in 2011, Mr. Ndhlovu was automatically subject to a lifetime registration on the national sex offender registry.

After his sentencing, Mr. Ndhlovu challenged the constitutionality of sections 490.012 and 490.013(2.1) of the Criminal Code. The judge concluded that those provisions violated section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the Charter), which guarantees everyone the right to life, liberty and security of the person.

The Crown then asked the court to decide if the provisions could be acceptable under section 1 of the Charter. That section permits courts to find otherwise unconstitutional laws justifiable in a free and democratic society. The judge concluded that sections 490.012 and 490.013(2.1) could not be saved by section 1. She then declared the provisions to be without force or effect and did not order Mr. Ndhlovu to register himself. The Crown appealed that decision to the Court of Appeal of Alberta. It found the provisions were constitutional. Mr. Ndhlovu then appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Supreme Court allows the appeal.

Sections 490.012 and 490.013(2.1) of the Criminal Code are unconstitutional.

Writing for a majority of the judges, Justices Andromache Karakatsanis and Sheilah L. Martin said the two provisions of the Criminal Code violate section 7 of the Charter in a way that cannot be justified in a free and democratic society. These provisions infringe on the right to liberty protected under section 7 of the Charter, because registration has a serious impact on the freedom of movement and of fundamental choices of people who are not at an increased risk of reoffending. Registering offenders who are not at risk of committing a future sex offence is disconnected from the purpose of registration, which is to capture information about offenders to help police prevent and investigate sex offences.

As such, the majority has declared the provisions unconstitutional. They said the declaration of invalidity for section 490.012 will take effect in one year. The finding for section 490.013(2.1) takes effect immediately and is considered invalid from the time it was enacted in 2011.

As for Mr. Ndhlovu, the judges granted him an exemption to section 490.012 pending its declaration of invalidity. This means he does not have to register in the sex offender registry.
The annual ozone hole over the South Pole reached an average area of 23.2 million km2 (8.9 million square miles) between September 7 and October 13, 2022, according to scientists from NASA and NOAA.

The ozone layer is a portion of Earths stratosphere that protects our planet from the Suns ultraviolet rays. It thins to form an ozone hole above the South Pole every September.

Chemically active chlorine and bromine in the atmosphere, derived from human-produced compounds, attach to high-altitude polar clouds each southern winter.

They then initiate ozone-destroying reactions as the Sun rises at the end of Antarcticas winter.

Researchers measure the growth and breakup of the ozone hole with instruments aboard NASAs Aura satellite, the NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP and NOAA-20 (previously known as JPSS-1 while in development) satellites.

On October 5, 2022, those satellites observed a single-day maximum ozone hole of 26.4 million km2 (10.2 million square miles).

When the polar Sun rises, NOAA scientists also make measurements with a Dobson spectrophotometer, an optical instrument that records the total amount of ozone between the surface and the edge of space  known as the total column ozone value. Globally, the total column average is about 300 Dobson Units.

On October 3, 2022, the researchers recorded a lowest total-column ozone value of 101 Dobson Units over the South Pole.

At that time, ozone was almost completely absent at altitudes between 14 and 21 km (8 and 13 miles)  a pattern very similar to last year.

Some scientists were concerned about potential stratospheric impacts from the January 2022 eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai volcano.

The 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption released substantial amounts of sulfur dioxide that amplified ozone layer depletion. However, no direct impacts from Hunga Tonga have been detected in the Antarctic stratospheric data.

Over time, steady progress is being made, and the hole is getting smaller, said Dr. Paul Newman, chief scientist for Earth sciences at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center.

We see some wavering as weather changes and other factors make the numbers wiggle slightly from day to day and week to week.

But overall, we see it decreasing through the past two decades.

The elimination of ozone-depleting substances through the Montreal Protocol is shrinking the hole.

_____

This article is based on text provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The Lucy LOng Range Reconnaissance Imager (LLORRI) aboard NASAs Lucy spacecraft captured new close-ups of the lunar surface on October 16, 2022, several hours after it flew by the Earth for the gravity assist.

Launched on October 16, 2021, Lucy is on a 12-year-journey to study the Jupiter Trojan asteroids, an ancient population of asteroid fossils that orbit around the Sun at the same distance as Jupiter.

Itll be the first spacecraft to visit these remnants from the early Solar System, helping scientists hone their theories on how the planets formed 4.5 billion years ago and why they ended up in their current configuration.

Lucy takes its name from the fossilized human ancestor  called Lucy by her discoverers  whose skeleton provided unique insight into humanitys evolution.

To reach the Jupiter Trojans, the spacecrafts trajectory includes three Earth gravity assists to boost it on its journey to these enigmatic asteroids. The first of these events occurred on October 16, 2022.

At its closest approach, the flyby took the spacecraft within 360 km (224 miles) of the Earth, passing below the altitude of the International Space Station.

The LLORRI instrument aboard Lucy captured several images of the Moons surface between 6.5 and 8 hours after it flew by the Earth.

The first image (above) was taken while the spacecraft was between our planet and the Moon, so it shows a perspective familiar to Earth-based observers, centered near the terminator of the last quarter moon.

The view includes the rugged, heavily cratered, Southern Highlands near the bottom of the image, and the ancient, lava-filled impact basin Mare Imbrium near the top. The bright, fresh crater Copernicus is conspicuous near the left edge.

Lucy was an average of approximately 230,000 km (140,000 miles) from the Moon when this image was taken.

The second image, which was captured about 6.5 hours after the spacecraft flew by the Earth, is of a 1,200 km (800 mile) wide patch near the center of the last quarter moon.

Many familiar craters are visible, including the relatively fresh crater Arzachel just left of center.

The prominent fault scarp called the Straight Wall is visible cutting across the lava plains to the lower left of center.

The image was taken while Lucy was between the Earth and the Moon, approximately 260,000 km (160,000 miles) from the Moon, so it shows a perspective familiar to Earth-based observers.

The third image was captured about 8 hours after Lucy flew by the Earth for the gravity assist.

It shows a roughly 1,000-km- (600 mile) wide swath of lunar terrain, dominated by the ancient, lava-filled impact basin Mare Imbrium.

The Apennine Mountains, part of the Imbrium basin rim, which were the landing site for the Apollo 15 mission in 1971, dominate the lower-right portion of the image.

Lucy was approximately 230,000 km (140,000 miles) from the Moon when the image was taken.

_____

This article is based on text provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Cyprus: Vote on UNFICYP Mandate Renewal Resolution*

Tomorrow (28 July), the Security Council is scheduled to vote on a draft resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for another six months, until 31 January 2023. The UK, the penholder on Cyprus, circulated a first draft of the resolution on 18 July and members held one round of negotiations on 20 July. After passing silence yesterday afternoon (26 July), the draft text was put in blue.

The negotiations on the draft resolution appear to have been smooth, reflecting the Councils united support for UNFICYPs work. The draft text in blue renews the missions mandate without making any changes to the missions core mandate and tasks, which were most recently outlined in resolution 2618 of 27 January. Some language was modified to reflect recent developments.

The political process in Cyprus has traditionally been the central focus of UNFICYP mandate renewal negotiations. Over the past six months, there has been no meaningful progress on the political front and no direct formal engagement between the Cypriot leaders in the context of unification talks. The last informal meeting of the five-plus-one formatwhich convened Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, and representatives of the three guarantor powers (Greece, Turkey and the UK) under UN auspiceswas held in late April 2021. The meeting failed to establish agreement between the two delegations to proceed with formal negotiations.

Discussions regarding the appointment of a UN envoy on Cyprus to succeed Jane Holl Lute, who resigned in September 2021, also remain deadlocked due to disagreements among the Cypriot parties over the title, role and mandate of Lutes successor. The draft resolution in blue urges the sides to renew their efforts to secure a settlement based on a bicommunal, bizonal federation (BBF) with political equality and reiterates the Councils support for the Secretary-Generals proposal for a UN envoy to lead further engagement in the search for common ground for the resumption of formal negotiations.

Despite stalled progress on the political front, effective cooperation between the sides through the Technical Committee on Gender Equality resulted in agreement on an action plan to ensure womens full, equal and meaningful participation in peace talks. To this end, the action plan proposes that all delegations in meetings leading up to and taking part in the settlement process include no more than two-thirds of any gender. This principle also applies to the appointment of co-chairs and members of working groups and technical committees supporting the peace talks. The plan also envisions strong engagement with civil society, including women and youth organisations, to solicit their views on the peace talks. The draft text in blue welcomes the adoption and launch of the action plan and urges the leaders of both sides to support the Technical Committee on Gender Equality to ensure that the action plan is effectively implemented.

The reports of the Secretary-General on UNFICYP (S/2022/533) and his mission of good offices in Cyprus (S/2022/534), issued on 5 July, emphasise the growing socioeconomic disparity between the two Cypriot communities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. It appears that during negotiations, Russia objected to the inclusion of previously agreed language welcoming the Secretary-Generals reports because of their reference to the war in Ukraine. As a result, the draft resolution uses taking note rather than welcoming in reference to the two reports.

Another matter raised in the Secretary-Generals UNFICYP report is the deployment of additional military surveillance equipment on both sides of the buffer zone. In recent months, UNFICYP engaged with both sides on the Secretary-Generals proposal to unman the military positions along the ceasefire lines in return for UN validation that each sides surveillance technology is not deployed inside the buffer zone or capable of seeing beyond it. However, according to the UNFICYP report, the sides response has so far not allowed for tangible progress. The draft resolution in blue regrets this lack of progress and reiterates the Councils support for the Secretary-Generals proposal.

Council members also apparently discussed how to address the continuing activity in the coastal city of Varoshaa demilitarised area separating the two sides on the island. On 6 October 2020, Ankara announced that it would open the coastline of Varosha, prompting the Security Council to adopt a presidential statement (S/PRST/2020/9) reaffirming the status of Varosha and calling for the reversal of this course of action. On 20 July 2020, Turkish and Turkish Cypriot leaders announced the further reopening of a section of Varosha, prompting the Council to adopt yet another presidential statement (S/PRST/2021/13) condemning the announcement and calling for the reversal of all steps taken on Varosha since October 2020. The Secretary-Generals latest report on UNFICYP notes that no steps were taken toward such a reversal. The draft resolution in blue apparently regrets that recent actions have not been in line with calls for immediate reversal and reiterates the need to avoid unilateral actions that could lead to further tensions on the island and undermine the prospects for a peaceful settlement.

On 21 May, an UNFICYP vehicle was reportedly attacked by unidentified assailants while patrolling the buffer zone. No peacekeepers were harmed in the incident. UNFICYP issued a statement on 23 May condemning the attack and stressing that attacks against peacekeepers constitute a serious crime under international law. It appears that this incident, and the broader issue of ensuring the safety of UN peacekeepers, was raised by Special Representative and head of UNFICYP Colin Stewart during his briefing to the Council on 18 July. The draft text in blue condemns the 21 May attack and expresses concern over criminal activities reported in the buffer zone and the risks they pose to peacekeeper safety and security.

During the negotiations, it appears that Council members also discussed the tensions in the eastern Mediterranean. The Secretary-Generals report on his mission of good offices in Cyprus reiterates that the islands natural resources should benefit both communities and constitute a strong incentive for the parties to urgently seek mutually acceptable and durable solutions to disagreements related to natural resources and ongoing or planned energy cooperation projects in the region.

____________________________________________________________________

*Post-script: On 28 July, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2646, renewing the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for another six months, until 31 January 2023.
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Delaware is joining a growing list of states that require employers to automatically enroll their workers in a state-sponsored retirement savings plan, unless the employer already provides retirement benefits.

The state is taking steps to implement the new law, which Gov. John Carney signed in August. Covered employees can begin to participate and make contributions on Jan. 1, 2025.

The law establishes the Expanding Access for Retirement and Necessary Saving (EARNS) Program to allow workers to voluntarily put money in a portable Roth individual retirement account (IRA). This is a state-sponsored savings plan funded by employees, facilitated by employers and overseen by the state.

California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington have similar laws on the books. Programs in Colorado and Virginia are set to start in 2023.

"Each state administers their programs a little differently, and some require employers to certify that they are in compliance," said Michael Kreps, an attorney with Groom Law Group in Washington, D.C. "Employers [in Delaware] should be on the lookout for more information as the program gets closer to going live."

New Requirements

Private employers are subject to the Delaware law's provisions if they have five or more employees, have been in business in Delaware for at least six months, and don't offer retirement benefits.

Covered employers must:

Register with the program and provide the relevant information about their employees.

Offer all covered employees the choice to contribute to the IRA or opt out of the program.

Provide educational materials and disclosures to employees.

Timely remit employees' contributions.



Employers will not be considered fiduciaries or liable for program design, educational materials or disclosures.

Employers that don't comply with the law could be fined up to $250 per employee per year with a maximum total penalty of $5,000 per year.

Employees who do not opt out will be automatically enrolled in the program at the default rate (between 3 percent and 6 percent of compensation). Alternatively, employees may specify the amount they prefer. Employees have the right to modify their contribution rate or terminate their participation in the program at any time. Employees may change investments for future contributions, existing balances or both.

Workers don't qualify for the EARNS Program if:

They work for the federal government, state or a county in Delaware.

They are covered under the federal Railway Labor Act.

They make contributions to a Taft-Hartley multiemployer pension plan.

They are under the age of 18.



"The biggest challenge with the existing programs in other states has been making sure employers are aware of the new requirements and understand how to comply," Kreps said. "For the smallest employers, it can sometimes be a bit of a challenge to determine whether they are subject to the requirement, as the five-employee threshold isn't always as clear as it sounds. Delaware will eventually have to establish rules specifically addressing part-time and out-of-state employees. That will probably take a year or two."

What about employees who are working remotely in Delaware for an employer based in another state? "That will likely depend on the manner in which the [Delaware EARNS] Program Board interprets the terms 'covered employer' and 'covered employee,' " said Marcia Wagner, an attorney with Wagner Law Group in Boston. The board will need to determine "whether an entity is engaged in business within Delaware if its only connection with Delaware is that it has at least five of its employees working remotely in Delaware," she added.



Lack of Retirement Savings



Many Americans work for small employers that don't offer retirement benefits. Forty-seven percent of private-industry workers participated in a defined-contribution retirement plan in 2021, according to the Employee Benefits Research Institute.

More than one-third of workers in Delaware (38 percent) do not have access to employer-sponsored retirement benefits, and 54 percent of employers within the state do not offer retirement plans, according to the new legislation.

"Because there are documented wealth gaps in Delaware, disproportionately impacting women and people of color, a state-facilitated savings plan aims to alleviate barriers small employers face in offering options, close the wealth gap among low- to modest-wage earners and keep Delaware competitive with neighboring states by attracting talented workers to Delaware," the legislation stated.


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A jury recently granted a $3.3 million award in a disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by a former legislative analyst for the Missouri House of Representatives.

On Sept. 30, the Circuit Court of Cole County entered a final judgment in the case against the Missouri House of Representatives and Daniel Adam Crumbliss, who was chief clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives at the time of the lawsuit. The jury found that the state failed to accommodate the analyst's disabilities, unlawfully fired him based on his disabilities and retaliated against him for requesting accommodations.

The analyst was fired in 2017 after he requested workplace accommodations based on his anxiety and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. He claimed Crumbliss retaliated against him after he said that he would speak to the Missouri Commission on Human Rights.

The analyst said his disabilities interfered with sleeping, concentrating, thinking and interacting with others, but he said he was fully capable of completing the essential functions of his job. He requested a quieter work area and the ability to work from home some days and asked to bring in a third party specializing in accommodations to discuss the situation. He claimed his employer didn't evaluate his need for accommodations or engage in an interactive process to determine reasonable accommodations, as required by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The analyst's direct boss questioned his work ethic and how seriously he was taking his job at a meeting several weeks before he was fired, according to court documents. The state argued that he was fired due to insubordination and refusal to do his job and cooperate with his team.

"After litigating employment cases for over 30 years, my opinion is that juries are increasingly intolerant when the jury believes the employer did not do the right thing," said Mark Neuberger, an attorney with Foley & Lardner in Miami.

ADA Requirements

The ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against workers with disabilities or retaliating against disabled workers for requesting workplace accommodations.

"Even if an employer has a process or a policy in place, if an employee doesn't know how to use it or a manager isn't educated about their obligations under the law, it can go awry," stated Michelle Barrett Falconer, an attorney with Littler in San Francisco.

"Many employers fail to take the time to go through the interactive process with the person seeking an accommodation because the employer is afraid of what the employee may ask for. This is a mistake," Neuberger said. "Employers should be willing to have the discussion and should be willing to offer other reasonable accommodations. Under the ADA, the accommodation doesn't have to be the one the employee wants. It just has to be one that offers them the opportunity to do their job."

Consider alternative work assignments if possible. "There's a whole laundry list of alternate schedules, transfer of marginal job duties, etc.," Falconer said. "One thing I find is often overlooked is the idea of reassignment. Is there another job that we would have available to him for which he is qualified? Before you go to separation, there really is this obligation to think about transfer or reassignment to a different role. That's the No. 1 big flag that comes up."

Reassignment is an accommodation of last resort, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

"When you're looking at that potential reassignment or transfer, a couple of things to keep in mind: The [EEOC] has generally taken the position that you need to find something that is as equivalent as possible. Sometimes there's not a similar, equivalent job. You don't have to promote the person. You could, if something is available and they're qualified," she added.

Training managers is important because "this area of law is complicated, oftentimes counterintuitive to managers and full of potential potholes for companies to fall into, especially when the employee's condition also implicates the Family and Medical Leave Act, disability insurance and workers' compensation," Neuberger said.

The Job Accommodation Network, a service of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, offers tips and resources for employers about ADA compliance and accommodations.


Digital Payments Solution Infibeam Avenues has received in-principle approval authorisation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a payment aggregator.

The move will enable its flagship brand, CCAvenue, to scale offerings and help onboard a greater number of micro-entrepreneurs onto its fold. The approval will also allow Infibeam to further expand its reach across multiple business segments for both online and offline digital transactions.

Its a vital development as it energises our vision and mission to build Indias biggest digital payment infrastructure companyWith regulators entrusting faith in us, we promise to ourselves to make all Indian kiranas and merchants Digital, Credible & Bankable(DCB), said Infibeam Avenues managing director Vishal Mehta.

Infibeam joins a growing list of more than 185 fintech firms, including big names such as CRED, Razorpay and Google Pay, which have submitted proposals to acquire the payment aggregator licence.

Of these, players such as Razorpay, Mswipe, Pine Labs, Stripe and Cashfree Payments have already received an in-principle nod for the licence. Interestingly, giants including MobiKwiks Zaakpay, Swiggy, Zomato, and Google Pay could likely see their licences rejected, according to a report.

Founded in 2007 by Sachin Dalal, Vishal Mehta and Neeru Sharma, the Gandhinagar-based startup provides end-to-end ecommerce payment solutions to enterprises and retailers. It also provides marketplace software technology to large enterprises and institutions, including state-backed Government eMarketplace (GeM) and Jiomart.

The startup claims to have processed transactions worth INR 2.8 Lakh Cr in FY22, catering to more than 6.4 Mn merchants on the platform. The startups core payment gateway business claims to offer more than 200 cross-border payment options enabling payment processing in 27 international currencies across the globe.

It largely competes with startups such as Billdesk, PayU and Razorpay in the payments gateway space.

Infibeam Avenues reported a consolidated profit after tax (PAT) of INR 23 Cr in Q1 FY23, up 69% YoY from INR 13.4 Cr during the same period last year. Its revenue from operations rose 93% on a yearly basis to INR 418.3 Cr in Q1 FY23, driven by growing momentum of the digital payments space.

Not just India, Infibeam Avenues also operates internationally in countries including United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Australia and the United States

Unveiled by the RBI in March 2020, the payment aggregator framework mandates all payments gateway operators to have a licence in order to acquire merchants and to deploy digital payments solutions.

As a result, many have lined up to acquire a licence but so far close to 100+ applications have been rejected by the RBI, citing stringent licence norms.

Interestingly, fintech majors such as Razorpay and Cashfree, which have been under the pens of authorities for connection to the illegal Chinese lending app case, have also been granted the payment aggregator licence. On the other hand, players such as Zaakpay have seen their applications being rejected for flouting certain rules including know your customer (KYC) norms.

RBI, in its recently released Payments Vision 2025, said that it targets increasing the number of digital payment transactions by more than 3X by 2025.
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The NSW government has bowed to pressure to hold an inquiry into the states workplace safety regulator SafeWork NSW, after revelations it was slow to act on safety warnings.

The alleged tardy response from the regulator includes a case where SafeWork NSW delayed inspecting a site when a man died after a 23 tonne skip loader reversed over him.

NSW Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello announces a review into SafeWork. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

It had received four separate alerts about waste management company Aussie Skips two years before the fatality, including two a month before the tragic event, a parliamentary committee heard on Friday.

SafeWork received a notification  known as a request for service (RFS)  from a subcontractor on April 23, 2018, then a separate anonymous tip on May 4, 2018, 20 days before the fatal accident. But it didnt do an onsite inspection of the Aussie Skips site until May 24, the day the father of two died.
Christine Centenera,pictured with Josh Goot in 2015, is one of Australias hottest fashion exports. Credit:Caroline McCredie It was Centeneras relationship with Ye that resulted in her meeting the late Louis Vuitton designer Virgil Abloh, with whom she became extremely close, working on a number of shows for the prestigious French fashion house. However, her friends in Sydney have been left wondering what the future holds for Centeneras relationship with Ye, which has weathered previous controversies. However, none have been as damning as the latest scandal, which has seen: Adidas cancel its huge US$1.5 billion partnership deal with Ye; GAP, Balenciaga and talent agency CAA drop the rapper; and JPMorgan Chase reportedly unbank him. Financial surgery needed As former celebrity nose surgeon William Mooney faces a drug possession charge after allegedly buying cocaine in Bondi Beach on Saturday night, PS can reveal the corporate doctors have been called in to undertake emergency financial surgery on the disgraced medicos ailing Face Plus Medispa empire.

Corporate records show Mooney is a shareholder in a string of cosmetic clinics, offering everything from botox injections to skin tightening procedures from Bondi to Bankstown. They are now in the hands of administrators WLP Restructuring as Mooneys powers as a director have been frozen. Dr William Mooney was issued with a court attendance notice for possessing a prohibited drug and is due to appear at Waverley Local Court on December 6. Creditors were told COVID had affected the profitability of the clinics, though their core business may be profitable. There was no mention of the publicity Mooney has attracted over the past four years. Creditors include the Australian Tax Office, landlords and employees, collectively owed several million dollars. In April, following a 2018 investigation by the Heralds Kate McClymont, Mooney was struck off for one year after a tribunal found his negligence had resulted in the deaths of two patients. Hed also lied about a relationship with a third patient and provided a false medical certificate to cover up his failure to attend mandatory drug testing for cocaine use.

Last Saturday at about 10.15pm, police noticed Mooney, 56, and Marlee Lusio, 22, acting suspiciously on Blair Street in Bondi Beach. During a subsequent search, police allegedly found a bag of cocaine on Mooney. Lusio allegedly had 11 bags of cocaine and $3000 cash. She was charged with two counts of supplying a prohibited drug, dealing with the proceeds of crime and breach of bail. Meanwhile, the website of Mooneys Rhinoplasty Sydney practice currently tells visitors: After 20 years William Mooney is stepping away from clinical practice for a short while. He looks forward to returning to your care in due course. No one was answering the phone when PS called. No expense spared for Barbie girl

All roads lead to Melbourne this weekend for spring racing, but judging by the enormous marquee being erected on the Pratt family mansion, Raheen, in Kew, it appears theres another grand celebration afoot. Barbie girl: Georgia Geminders wedding is this weekend at the Pratt family estate in Kew. Credit:Eamon Gallagher The million-dollar-plus party is for the late cardboard king Richard Pratts granddaughter Georgia Geminder and her wedding to fellow Melbourne rich kid Matthew Danos on Sunday. Designers JAton are reportedly creating her wedding gown, and the festivities promise to be quite a spectacle if her Barbie-themed hens party is any indication. She arrived in her own Barbie packaging box before handing out some X-rated drinking straws for her fellow hens to slurp their cocktails. Serial liar and catfisher gets more jail time

It was a heartbreaking drama that had more twists, turns and tragedy than anything TV heart throb Lincoln Lewis ever got to do on the small screen, and with deadly results. Indeed, it would certainly make an absorbing book or television series, which is no doubt sure to follow. Soap star Lincoln Lewis. Credit:Tammy Law For years, the Home And Away actors identity was used  largely unbeknown to him and without his consent  by Lydia Abdelmalek, 32, to catfish her victims and stalk multiple women and their families before she was eventually caught out and ended up behind bars. This week her sentence appeal resulted in her being given four years imprisonment at the County Court of Victoria, an increase of one year and four months on the original sentence handed down about three years ago. Despite the content of some of the material being reflective of a fictional soap opera, it was not fantasy. It was real and impacted real people, Judge Claire Quin told the court. What may begin as lighthearted can quickly escalate and have significant consequences for the psychological wellbeing of those to whom the ruse is directed. It was persistent and malicious.

Judge Quin noted Abdelmalek had shown no remorse or insight into her offending. One of the victims took her own life due to the stalking. On Tuesday Lewis posted on Twitter: Its finally over. Loading Its hard finding the proper words or to articulate the feeling of relief that the cruel and horrendous actions committed by this person starting over a decade ago has finally ended with justice prevailing. I hope the sentence helps provide the victims, their families and those affected with some closure that can now help everyone heal and move forward, he said.

Lastly, I hope all of this opens conversations when talking with friends or between parents and their kids about staying safe online. Social media is great but always make sure you know who youre talking with and especially, always look out for each other. Marinas trashion gains traction One mans trash is definitely another womans treasure judging by Coogee artist Marina DeBris and her latest Haute Mess creation. Her evening gown made of rubbish has made its way to the pages of high-end glamour bible Harpers BAZAAR Australia. Trashion: Marina DeBris latest creation has made it into the pages of Harpers Bazaar Austalia. Credit:Alice Wesley-Smith/Harpers Bazaar Australia
Finland was recently named the happiest country in the world in the World Happiness Report for the fifth year running. Its embassy in Washington, D.C. decided to hold a party to celebrate that fact, which is how I came to be standing in front of a poster which quite reasonably claimed to teach me 50 things you dont know about Finland.

The Finnish ambassador hypothesised that Finns are happy because they care for one another. Credit:Getty Images

What I dont know about Finland could fill volumes, and Ill assume you feel the same way, so here are some things I learnt: Finnish children start school at age seven; Finns are the worlds biggest coffee drinkers; there are more saunas than cars in Finland. If you didnt think Finland sounded like a nice place to live beforehand, and you werent seduced by the gorgeous brutalism of its glass-walled embassy, this information could surely sway you.

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The Finnish ambassador stood up to welcome guests at the evening with some dry humour. We are not the happiest because our largest land border is with Russia, he said. Nor are we happy because it can get to minus 50 degrees in winter. No  he hypothesised that Finns were happy because they cared for one another.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The global Mormon church has overstated the amount it gives in charity by more than $US1 billion ($1.56 billion), apparently to make itself appear more generous than it actually is, and the US-based church is now under scrutiny over an alleged international tax minimisation scheme that involves Australia-based church entities. The Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called the Mormons) has built an extraordinary pile of tax-free wealth by requiring its 16 million members to tithe, or pay 10 per cent of their income to the church. But its own accounts show it actually gives to charities less than 1 per cent of what it receives. In addition, the church runs a $US100 billion, tax-free investment fund, Ensign Peak Advisors, which has quietly built up major stakes in blue-chip firms and now has multibillion-dollar investments in Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Google owner Alphabet. It also invests in major weapons manufacturers including Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Russell M. Nelson (centre) waves as he arrives during the twice-annual church conference in Salt Lake City in April 2022. Credit:AP Ensign Peak is supposed to be used to fund charitable and other spending, but former insiders alleged it was almost entirely used to stockpile cash and investments. The Mormon church will have you believe that its a religion that dabbles in business, but the evidence clearly shows that they are a business dabbling in religion, said former Mormon and whistleblower Ryan McKnight.

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The church denies this, saying through a spokesman: The Church of Jesus Christ is not a financial or profit-making institution and uses its resources to carry out its divinely appointed mission. Global giving The extent of Mormons charity overstatement is shown in 15 years of previously unreleased financial reports, which have been uncovered as part of a joint six-month investigation and collaboration by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and 60 Minutes. In public statements, the church has claimed its global giving through its charity arm, Utah-based Latter-day Saint Charities increased by $US1.35 billion between 2008 and 2020. The church says it funds programs through organisations such as the Red Cross, Water For People and the World Food Program. But an analysis of the Latter-day Saint Charities own accounts  which have never been released or reported previously  show it only provided $US177 million in total charitable support over the same period, a discrepancy of $US1.18 billion ($1.82 billion). Latter-day Saint Charities uses global accounting firm PwC as its auditor. A church spokesman did not directly answer questions about the discrepancy but maintained that its public statements offered the best summary and insight into its charitable spending.

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Former member Lars Nielsen, who helped expose the existence of Ensign Peak in 2019, said it was unclear what was happening to the money being collected by the church. How is this possible, that they seemed to be getting billions of dollars every year, and theyre never spending it on anything charitable or educational or religious  None of it was going to any of these programs. It was a black hole, he said. Ex-Mormon Lars Nielsen who helped expose the Churchs $US100 billion investment fund, Ensign Peak Advisors. Credit:Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Nielsens twin brother, David, worked at Ensign Peak and shared details on its operations with Lars which were first reported by The Washington Post in 2019. The brothers then worked together on a US Internal Revenue Service complaint. In a rare interview as part of this joint investigation, Lars Nielsen said he was driven by the need to tell the truth, which he attributes to his strict upbringing in Mormonism. Lars said in the late 2010s, while his brother still worked at Ensign Peak, the fund was earning as much as $US7 billion in interest. The churchs charity accounts now show that its charitable spending was about 0.28 per cent of the interest, or $US20 million at around that time. He said his brother was unclear about what the money was being stockpiled for. Do we need it to rebuild the country after the second coming and theres the day of reckoning and burning when people havent been paying their tithing? he asked. The best answer he ever got was, the Lord is in charge and he is preparing, and our job is to be ready for him when he calls us to that. A church spokesman said its commercial investments were for the singular purpose of inviting and helping people to come unto Christ.

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Ensign Peak works daily with the Churchs treasury department to ensure the Churchs financial needs are met. That includes providing humanitarian assistance, missionary work and building and maintaining worship houses, the spokesman said. But Nielsen said the churchs behaviour was totally unethical and absolutely a case of fraud  a claim rejected by the church. But then how do they rationalise that unethical behaviour? Well they say, Well, we are going to use it, and were going to use it when the Lord tells us to do it. You dont need to question us about that because we have divine authority. So, they skirt that ethical issue. The tithe Mormonism is a US religious movement that began in the 19th century. Mormons are required to pay 10 per cent of their gross income in tithing, a significant financial impost on followers. Nielsen said this was hard on poorer Mormons, particularly in the developing world, describing it as an extremely regressive tax. One of the greatest shames of my life was that as a missionary, he had pushed a poverty-stricken Mexican woman to pay 10 per cent of her modest income in tithes.

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She decided to forgo her tortilla money so that she could give something to the church. An analysis of the financial accounts of the Utah-based Latter-day Saint Charities show that as the Mormon church was raising many billions in tithing and investment income each year, its level of direct cash support back to the charity was just $US10 million a year. Its accounts show that it provided in-kind support such as office space, some management costs and administrative support that was worth an extra several million dollars a year. The accounts of the Australian arm of the church appear to show significant charitable giving, but its unclear how this fits with the global picture. University of Tampa sociology professor Ryan Cragun, a former Mormon and expert on the religion, said the lack of giving by the church was shocking. Professor Cragun said the overstatement of its charitable giving may be in response to scandals over the extent of the churchs wealth. More than anything I would say the audience is actually their own members, he said. Its smoke and mirrors for the members to convince them that no, you can trust us as a good charitable organisation, when in reality, they are anything but a good charitable organisation.

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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 For six years, Pitcairn descendant Neil Snowy Tavener didnt tell anyone that he believed he had found evidence of an ancient Polynesian settlement on Norfolk Island that could solve part of the Pacifics most enduring enigma. Did the Polynesians ever live there for long periods? And if so, why did they leave? Archaeologists describe Norfolk as one of the Polynesian mystery islands because it was uninhabited when discovered by Captain James Cook in 1774. Describing the island as a paradise, with distinctive pine trees once thought to be useful for ship masts, Cook declared it for the British Crown. Neil Snowy Tavener with Dr Amy Mosig Way (left) and Nicola Jorgensen (right) at the new dig site on Norfolk Island. Credit:Wolter Peeters Snowy, as Tavener likes to be called, waited years to find someone he trusted with his secret. That paid off this week when Norfolk Island woman Nicola Jorgensen, who is undertaking a masters in archaeology at the University of Sydney, embarked on a dig funded by the Australian Museum Foundation with local volunteers. Before anyone even began digging, Jorgensens mother Deb  one of many locals volunteering  found the edge of an adze (a type of ancient cutting tool) lying in the soil in plain sight. Along with other finds at the dig, Jorgensen said the new site provided evidence of extensive occupation by Polynesian ancestors across the island, solving part of the mystery. It is more than just a fleeting settlement, she said.

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The dig is part of the Australian Museums first in-depth scientific expedition to Norfolk, a comprehensive health check on the islands biodiversity that involves dozens of scientists studying its flora and fauna over several years. We were blown away, said Jorgensen. It is a tangible link to the islands Polynesian heritage, and it is cool that it was sparked by local knowledge. There is so much mystery, in terms of Polynesian settlement. We dont know where they came from or where they went after they left Norfolk. There are just a lot of questions that need answers. Dr Amy Mosig Way, an Australian Museum archaeologist who specialises in stone artefacts and who lectures in archaeology at the University of Sydney, said the find was conclusive. It confirms without a doubt that we are sitting on a Polynesian settlement. And whats really exciting is up to this point, weve only had one other site. This weeks discovery, located in the hills of the national park, was a long way from the first site found in 1995 in the sand dunes of Emily Bay. It was in a completely different context, she said. It extends and expands on what we know.

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The Australian Museum expedition, the first phase of an ongoing program, includes a comprehensive survey of the island, which is 1700 kilometres north-east of NSW. The local community was playing an essential role helping scientists, said the Australian Museums chief scientist Professor Kris Helgen. When Norfolk was colonised as a penal settlement in 1788, the presence of feral bananas and Polynesian rats suggested prior occupation. Over time there were other clues, including a skull, a burial site and other stone chips and adzes. But not enough to suggest continuous occupation. Dr Amy Mosig Way, an archaeologist at the Australian Museum, documents her finds. Credit:Wolter Peeters During the 1995 dig at Emily Bays sand dunes, Australian archaeologists discovered the first signs of pre-European settlement: a Polynesian house and prayer centre, a marae, and a hearth. This first site seemed to disprove claims that the Polynesians had been accidental callers, but it was not quite enough to suggest continual settlement. Jorgensen and Mosig Way believe the new site could date back to 1250-1300 AD, when New Zealand was settled by the Polynesians, who sailed the Pacific using the stars, winds and currents to navigate. Carbon dating over the next few months is expected to provide more information.

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The new adze was so sharp it cut the plastic bag in which Jorgensen had stored it. Snowy said he had a spooky reaction when he picked it up. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and my blood ran cold, to think of the significance, and that it had lain there undisturbed for someone to find and explain. Snowy Tavener holds a Polynesian adze at the archaeological dig site. Credit:Wolter Peeters The new site continued to yield more finds, including another adze made of basalt, a volcanic stone. Polynesians used these small axes to make canoes and for other woodwork. Most visitors come to the island to see the Georgian colonial buildings built during successive penal settlements but most Norfolk residents regard themselves as Polynesian rather than English, and the Indigenous owners of the land. The dig is part of the Australian Museums first in-depth scientific expedition to Norfolk. Credit:Wolter Peeters We connect very strongly with our Polynesian foremothers, said Arthur Evans, an island elder whose great-grandmother was three when she arrived on Norfolk from Pitcairn Island.

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Were a very matriarchal society, he said. Even though Australians and New Zealanders are interested in our Bounty history, Im not. I am interested in my Polynesian history. The most important history on Norfolk today is that of the Indigenous people, and that is us. There was the British arriving here, thats part of the oldest history, but it is not part of our history. If we ever asked about the buildings here, family would say, Oh, thats just the convicts. Most Norfolk Islanders are descended from Fletcher Christian, who led the mutiny on His Majestys Armed Vessel Bounty under William Bligh, and nine mutineers, who sailed to Pitcairn to escape retribution. They arrived on the empty Pitcairn with five Polynesian men, one boy, 12 women and a baby girl. Nearly three generations later in 1856, the entire Pitcairn community of 194 people sailed another 3700 kilometres to settle on Norfolk, after the penal colony was abolished. Today, there is a strong push on the island for self-determination and recognition of Pitcairners as Polynesian, and the traditional owners of the land. Theres also a resurgence in Maori-style drumming, and the revival of the Pitcairn language in schools and traditional navigation. Snowys find was inspired by a trip to Pitcairn, where he had seen evidence of similar axe-making techniques. Walking the track back home in Norfolk, he spotted basalt chips, enough to tink two together that looked like those near toolmaking sites on Pitcairn where people would gather to chip away at a chunk of rock. Theyve got a real distinctive clink, almost like a metal. They dont go clunk, but tink tink tink.

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This story is part of the October 29 edition of Good Weekend. See all 20 stories .

Novelist Alex Miller, 85, has won two Miles Franklin Literary Awards. His wife, Stephanie, 69, was a university academic. From 2018 to 2020, Alex suffered from a mysterious degenerative illness. She was 21, I was 38, says Alex Miller of when he first met Stephanie. I thought shed think I was a dirty old man. Credit:Josh Robenstone Alex: We met in 1975. Id just come back from Paris and I applied to do this paid Dip-Ed thing, and so did Steph. I saw her on the first day and I just thought, Oh f, thats her. Thats the one. It was the look she gave me: utter contempt and derision. It absolutely won me! I thought, Youve got strength. Loading She was 21, I was 38. I thought shed think I was a dirty old man, so I didnt do anything. One night, some students went to the pub, and both of us thought, If the other one goes, Ill go. So we went, and then we both thought, If the other one stays, Ill stay. So we sat there until we were the only ones left at the table. Then I said, You could be cold sitting over there. Why dont you come a bit closer? That was my line. And she got up and came round to me  not a word of conversation  and we kissed. And it went on, and on, and on.
A man has been charged in connection with a series of distressing acts involving a number of women and children across Sydneys inner west, including allegedly sexually touching a four-month-old baby in a pram.

Gursimran Singh was arrested after a number of similar reports were made to police during Wednesday afternoon and he was charged on Thursday with sexually touching and intimidating the women and children.

Police allege Singh began the offending about 12.15pm on Wednesday when he approached two women  both aged 22  in Drummoyne and sexually touched one of them. The 38-year-old allegedly made numerous inappropriate comments to the woman before leaving.

About 1.30pm, he allegedly approached a 20-year-old woman in a park on Henley Marine Drive at Drummoyne, following her until he was confronted by one of her family members.

About 3pm, police allege he approached a 33-year-old woman outside a day-care centre in Leichhardt and made inappropriate remarks to her. He then allegedly followed her in his car through multiple streets.
After a winter spent living in the bare bones of a gutted house in North Lismore, Brian Burgin wants to follow the sun.

I miss the beach, the retired truck driver said on Friday, although I cant go on to the beach any more; Ive only got one leg. I havent had a swim since I took my leg off. I was a heavy smoker, my arteries got buggered.

Brian Burgin of North Lismore recounts his story to Anthony Albanese and Dominic Perrottet on Friday. Credit:Natalie Grono

The 65-year-old, who is in a wheelchair, moved to Lismore from the Gold Coast five years ago because it was the only place where he could afford a house for cash. But after barely surviving the flood of February 28, he feels his time in Lismore is up. He is hoping the new $800 million buyback and repair package announced on Friday will give him a way out.

Im thinking of heading up Townsville way. Anything below that is cold in winter ... Im a sook when it comes to the cold. And this winter, the cold was especially bad.
The cultural moment, a renewal of the line in the sand that had been drawn and rubbed away over so many decades, was asserted. And yet Lehrmann, the accused at the centre of this incident, must still remain innocent in the eyes of the law and the jury. Open justice and the private nature of the jury system were already set against each other.

Lehrmanns counsel argued that he could not, after all this, receive a fair trial. The ACT Supreme Court, in a judgment published on Wednesday while the jury still deliberated, deemed that he could. Instead, for the fortnight since the 12 members of the jury retired to deliberate, the weight of public judgment has fallen on them. Do they get a fair trial? Who is arguing on their behalf? When a juror misbehaves, the entire system comes under attack.

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Given how few firsthand advocates they can have, it is something of a marvel that juries have survived some 900 years. In much of the world, the idea of the jury is stronger than ever. Japan, which knew it had a problem when 95 per cent of criminal trials were resulting in convictions, adopted a modified jury system by cherry-picking the best of the French inquisitorial jury (where the tribunal can cross-examine witnesses) and the Anglo-Saxon adversarial system (where the cross-examinations take place before a silent jury). In populations subjected to authoritarian rule, citizen juries and open justice are a cherished dream.

Yet here, where we have juries, an atmosphere of distrust is already in place between the citizenry and the 12 chosen to represent them. Dramatised television productions show dysfunctional juries, on the Tolstoyan principle that all happy juries are alike while all unhappy juries are unhappy in their own way. If your world was shaped by such dramas, you would think everyone is getting murdered and life consists only of scripted conflict, but that doesnt stop many of us from believing this is what juries are like. This then feeds media, both social and mainstream, which magnify disagreement and manufacture a point of view that juries fail.
High-profile cases such as the Bruce Lehrmann trial highlights how problematic sexual assault trials in the 21st century are.

Our criminal justice system is world-class when it comes to dealing with traditional serious criminal charges such as murder. Murder trials usually offer the jury plenty of evidence upon which to base their decision; the weapon, physical injuries, eyewitnesses, a history of disagreement between the accused and the victim.

Bruce Lehrmann (centre) leaving court in Canberra on Tuesday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

In contrast, there is usually no weapon, no physical injuries, no eyewitnesses and in most cases a prior relationship between the accused and the complainant. Sexual assault trials often boil down to one persons word against the other. When the test is whether a criminal charge has been proven beyond reasonable doubt, it is understandable how jurors struggle with their task.

Added to the juries difficult task, is the wrongful influence of sexual assault myths and misconceptions in the community. Myths reflect views about how the world works, and what typical behaviour is. These views are false and are contradicted by research. For example, there is a perception that if a complainant delays in reporting a rape they have an ulterior motive for bringing the complaint.
Opposition Leader accuses Prime Minister of bullying Coalition MP

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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 It seems a strange question for the interim Queensland Chief Scientist to pose, but Professor Bronwyn Harch wants scientists and laypeople alike to ask themselves: Who cares about science? The question is not rhetorical. Harch, who took up the role in an acting capacity this month, is a data scientist with a history of work translating research into practical applications. She says her focus throughout her career, and something shell bring to bear in her new role, is making sure science benefits people. I get a bit pointy with people sometimes, someone will be telling me about their science and I say, Who cares about your science? Some people get a bit affronted, but it makes them think, in the end, whos going to be using it? I want them to think about the whole process, from discovery research to getting something into an end-users hands. One of Harchs formative experiences was working at the CSIRO on a south-east Queensland water quality project for the Queensland government.

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To get that done we had to have all the scientists from the universities on board, we had to have all the applied demonstrations of the analytics and tools the CSIRO was doing, she says. Queenslands Chief Scientist wants all researchers to ask how their science can benefit Queenslanders Credit:iStock But the Queensland government was the one who had to actually implement all this research, so we worked with them to get that done. Those processes are in use to this day, which she says still gives her great pride. Harch has previously worked with QUT, where she was the executive director of the Institute for Future Environments and focused on developing discovery research into practical applications. She had a similar direction when she was the deputy vice-chancellor and vice-president (research and innovation) at the University of Queensland until recently. But she sees great value in pure discovery research, too, because it often leads to solutions to problems before the problems even become apparent. As an example, she points to the accumulation of work by scientists around the world, including many in Queensland, on ways to combat viruses, which allowed them to pivot immediately when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

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Loading I think over the pandemic a lot of people who work in fundamental science were really validated, because you never know when these fundamentals can be applied in a different way. Thank goodness we had so many scientists who were working on things ahead of this. They werent thinking, oh no, COVID-19 is coming down the pipe, they were working on vaccine development, they were working on airborne infection control, wastewater detection. And when the COVID context arrived, they were able to immediately switch their focus to applying their research to the problem at hand. The role of Queensland Chief Scientist was created in 2003 and the officeholder gives high-level strategic scientific advice to the state government, as well as sitting on the Forum of Australian Chief Scientists which helps develop national science policy. Harch is taking over for six months, while the state government seeks a full-time replacement for her predecessor, Professor Hugh Possingham.

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Possingham hung up his boots, as he put it in August, after nearly two years in the role, much of it during the disruption of the pandemic. He had been a passionate advocate for more community engagement with science, especially around environmental sustainability and wildlife conservation. Former Chief Scientist Professor Hugh Possingham. Credit: Harch wants to continue that work in the role, which she hopes will extend beyond the six-month interim period. Im very aware that Im standing on the shoulders of giants, and Hugh was a great mate and colleague of mine, she says. To be able to come into this role, which extends right through government to amazing scientists and schoolkids, Im really hoping that I do get the job for the longer term. Science Minister Meaghan Scanlon says the government will undertake an extensive recruitment process to have a permanent Chief Scientist appointed by the end of April 2023.

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Unions will have veto power over multi-employer pay deals in a legal change foreshadowed by Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke, even if bosses strike an agreement with workers without union involvement.

Consultations over the Secure Jobs, Better Pay reforms have been likened to wrestling with smoke by Australian Industry Group head Innes Willox, while Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry head Andrew McKellar described the bill tabled on Thursday as a Trojan horse for strikes.

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has foreshadowed changes to the new Secure Jobs, Better Pay bill. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Burke foreshadowed an amendment in his second reading speech on Thursday that would ensure workplace agreements cannot be put to a vote of employees without the agreement of employee organisations who are bargaining representatives.

Willox said during a press conference on Friday that this had set off alarm bells across industries.
The Press Council considered whether its Standards of Practice were breached by an article published in The Sydney Morning Herald headed Rebel starts spreading the news in print and online on 11 June 2022.

The article, published in the Heralds Private Sydney (PS) gossip column, reported that Australian actress Rebel Wilson had posted on Instagram to announce she was in a relationship with American-based fashion designer Ramona Agruma.

In response to complaints received, the Council asked the publication to comment on whether the article complied with the Councils Standards of Practice, which require publications to take reasonable steps to avoid intruding on a persons reasonable expectations of privacy without sufficient justification in the public interest; and to avoid causing or contributing materially to substantial offence, distress or prejudice, or a substantial risk to health or safety, without sufficient justification in the public interest.

The Council noted the complaints raised concerns that the columnists request for a response for information about Ms Wilsons same-sex relationship could be perceived as a threat to out her as gay. The complaints also raised concerns that Ms Wilson was forced to out herself on social media due to the request and that the article criticised her for not responding to the request.

In response, the publication conceded that it breached the Councils General Principles relating to privacy and avoidance of harm.
Indonesia is the latest country to dangle a lure for foreigners seeking to live abroad but you had better check your bank account before plotting a new life on the beaches of Bali.

Widodo Ekatjahjana, the countrys acting director general of immigration, announced the launch of a second-home visa at an event in the picturesque island destination this week. Foreign nationals or former Indonesian citizens can stay for five or 10 years under the new visa. But theres a big catch.

A beach side bar in Canggu, Bali. Credit:Bloomberg

To apply, visitors need to show proof of the equivalent of nearly $US129,000 ($200,000) in the bank. They also must have a passport valid for at least 36 months and include a resume in their application. The policy goes into effect on December 24.

It wasnt clear exactly who is the target of the new visa in Indonesia, other than wealthy visitors. The announcement doesnt specify what type of activities visa holders will be expected to participate in other than investment and other activities.
Australian women and children returning home from Syrian detention camp

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London: An extremely devious osteopath has become the first woman in England to be jailed for life on live television for beheading a church friend.

Australia-born Jemma Mitchell, 38, was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 34 years for killing 67-year-old Mee Kuen Chong in a plot to get her hands on her estate in June last year.

Australia-born Jemma Mitchell. Credit:Alamy

She attacked Chong, who was also known as Deborah, at her home in north-west London, before cutting off her head and putting her remains in a suitcase, which she then drove 400 kilometres to Salcombe in Dorset.
The dinner conversation focused on issues like reproductive rights and strategizing how to best leverage their audiences for the midterms, several attendees said. We felt very excited, very optimistic, Spehar said. A lot of the creators talked about how they didnt get a lot of civics education in school. They were excited to learn about the structure of government and see it in person. Loading That lack of familiarity with government also apparently applied to their audiences. After the group solicited questions about the midterms on Instagram Stories, one influencer, Nia Sioux, 21, an actress and creator with 8.3 million followers on TikTok, realised her young followers were confused by references to midterms in her posts. They thought she was speaking about her UCLA midterm exams. She rephrased her posts to clarify she meant the midterm elections. The trip was organised with the help of Daniel Daks, the founder of Palette, a talent management firm. The DNC contacted Daks because he had previously organised influencer efforts for the 2020 Biden campaign.

The DNC paid Palette a retainer, which was used to cover the creators travel costs and expenses, and is not compensating them directly for the videos they post. Content creators have platforms that can reach millions, and were excited about this collaboration as part of our effort to reach young voters to remind them of the stakes in this election and how to make a plan to vote, said Shelby Cole, deputy chief mobilisation officer at the DNC. Their first stop Monday was to the Supreme Court. The group filmed content on the steps of the building and created videos reiterating the importance of the court in deciding issues like abortion rights and same-sex marriage. Former president Barack Obama also met with the content creators. Credit:The Washington Post/Eric Elofson Ropeline Media Then they met with Obama in his D.C. office. The former president spoke to them about the importance of these midterm elections, calling a Democratic victory in November crucial. Afterward, the creators filmed one-on-one TikTok videos with him. DCCC leadership welcomed the creators to the organisations offices on Monday. The influencers held a meeting with high-level DCCC staffers who projected the midterm election battleground map on to a large screen and outlined key districts they hoped the TikTokers could help them sway. They also instructed the group on effective messaging strategies.

To a group of people who consider a video that gets only 400,000 views a flop, Daks said, being told that many elections come down to fewer than 5000 votes was eye opening. Loading Mattie Westbrouck, 22, an online creator with more than 10.2 million followers on TikTok, said that it was their first time in D.C. and that the trip was a big learning experience. The one takeaway was that the Michigan 3rd District was really important because thats where young voters matter the most, Westbrouck said. Im going to try to promote content to reach those voters best. After a long Monday, the influencers dined with DNC staffers at Brasserie Liberte, a French restaurant in the citys Georgetown neighbourhood. On Tuesday, the group received a private tour of the Capitol. As they walked through the halls, a tour guide explained the branches of government and how the House and Senate operate. They saw the House chamber and Speaker Nancy Pelosis office, though the congresswoman was not there. At one point, a creator pointed out that there were images of corn etched into the columns right before the old Senate chamber and the group joked about the its corn TikTok meme.

It was incredible to see the creators interpret the government through the lens of internet culture, Daks said. Next, it was off to the White House for a news conference where President Biden received a covid booster. The TikTokers had a brief encounter with the White House press corps, some of whom tried to sit in their seats. Nobody in our group was recognised by the press, Spehar said. After they tried to steal our seats, they didnt have any other questions or curiosity about why we were there or who we were. The content creators met with Vivek Murthy, the US surgeon general. Credit:V Spehar/The Washington Post The trip to the White House was arranged directly, not through the DNC. Biden has embraced TikTok creators throughout his presidency, often hosting briefings with them on key issues such as the war in Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic. After the news conference, Biden ushered the content creators into the Oval Office for an hour-long private meeting.

Creators said that during the meeting, Biden recounted his personal story and explained why he got into politics. He showed the creators family photos and asked if any of them would consider running for office. Some creators said it was something theyd consider. He personally walked them through the West Wing and encouraged them to get the coronavirus vaccine booster. Loading It felt like a little room tour but by the president, Westbrouck said. He didnt mention the election or voting, Spehar said. We know people listen to trusted messengers, and as an increasing number of young people turn to Instagram, TikTok and other platforms for news and information, we need to engage with the voices they trust directly, said Rob Flaherty, the White House director of digital strategy.

Young people are increasingly getting their news and information from content creators on TikTok, surveys show. The percentage of people who consume news on TikTok has tripled since 2020, and over 26 per cent of adults under 30 regularly get news on TikTok, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Centre. The DNC opened a TikTok account in March, making it the only U.S. political party on the platform. The DNC employs a full-time content strategist dedicated solely to TikTok, building out the groups platform through posting news clips, explainers and trending memes. In all my years in politics, Ive never seen a single strategy that could flip a state on its own, said Madeline V Twomey, founder of digital consulting firm Rufus and Mane who also worked to organise the trip. TikTok is that strategy - it impacts culture and politics in a way that no other media reaches. Were seeing more politicians and the party establishment start to embrace this new medium and incredibly effective way of reaching young people, said Aidan Kohn-Murphy, founder of Gen Z for Change, a group that was formerly known as TikTok for Biden. Were seeing a lot of campaigns and party organisations start to embrace the tactics that digital organisers have been saying work for years. In 2020, TikTok for Biden assembled a coalition of more than 500 TikTok creators to endorse Biden in his election campaign against Trump.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Grisha Heyliger Marten, the wife of the founder of the United People's Party has officially resigned from the party the Heyliger founded.

Heyliger Marten made the announcement on Thursday afternoon on a Facebook live video. In opening the live, Heyliger Marten thanked the six Members of Parliament that voted against removing her, she said those six members of parliament never flip-flopped and remain consistent with their support of her.

Heyliger Marten said for the past 12 years since the UPP was founded, she campaigned for five elections. Heyliger said even though her slogan in 2020 says stand up, she never dreamt of standing up for herself, she said she was told that its politics deal with it, she was called dumb publicly and was threatened for following the rules of order.

Heyliger Marten said she was chastised, and persons even tried to weaponize her husbands legal battles against her. The founders wife said she was lied to and today there are men within the UPP that can act and speak in a despicable manner while women are to remain submissive when spoken to.

She said she did not only stand up for herself in parliament on Thursday but in fact, stood up for all women that have been demonized and called angry Black women.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Board of financial supervision Curacao and Sint Maarten (Cft) in recent discussions have urged Sint Maarten to adopt the 2022 budget amendment and the 2023 budget within short term. The 2022 budget amendment contains an amount of ANG 15.4 million in investments, whereby Sint Maarten wants to use the loan subscription by the Netherlands. Targeted investments contribute to sustainable economic growth. Furthermore, the Financial Supervision Act for Curacao and Sint Maarten states that Sint Maarten must have an approved balanced current budget for 2023 before December 15th, 2022.

The economy of Sint Maarten grew by 8 percent in 2021. The International Monetary Fund expects economic growth of 7.5 percent for the year 2022. The growth is largely driven by the recovery of tourism. Sint Maarten should use this economic recovery in the coming years to improve public finance and meet loan-repayment obligations.

2022 and 2023 budgets

Sint Maarten proposed an amendment to the 2022 budget in June with a reduced deficit of ANG 99 million on the current budget. The progress report for 2022 shows that the income and expenses are developing more favorably. The Kingdom Council of Ministers has recently determined that a deficit of ANG 40 million is allowed for the current budget 2022. Sint Maarten received ANG 24 million in liquidity support in 2022. The Kingdom Council of Ministers has also indicated that a balanced current budget must be achieved by 2023. Sint Maarten must repay a loan of ANG 73.5 million in 2025. It is therefore important that the country achieves surpluses in 2024 and 2025. According to the Financial Supervision Act Curacao and Sint Maarten, there must be an established budget before December 15, 2022. Sint Maarten has indicated that it will submit a draft budget for 2023 to Parliament as soon as possible so that the budget can be adopted in time.

Investments

Sint Maarten made minimal capital investments in 2022. The 2022 budget amendment includes an amount of ANG 15.4 million in investments, of which ANG 10 million is for road infrastructure. Targeted investments in infrastructure contribute to sustainable economic growth. Sint Maarten wants to make use of the subscription by the Netherlands for these investments. The Cft, therefore, urges Sint Maarten to quickly adopt the 2022 budget amendment, so that this procedure can be started. Sint Maarten also wants to make investments in 2023 and later years. The investments on the capital budget must be matched with the investments that are financed from the Trust Fund. The Cft has insisted that Sint Maarten produce a multi-year investment plan and that Sint Maarten uses the experiences with the World Bank and the National Recovery Program Bureau in tenders.

Increase of tax benefits

Internationally seen, Sint Maarten's tax revenues are low at around 17 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Sint Maarten needs to increase its tax revenues so that surpluses can be generated. The Cft advised Sint Maarten to speed up the introduction of a casino tax and taxation on the private import of goods. Sint Maarten is also in the process of implementing the lodging tax on the rental of homes to tourists. During the meetings with the Minister of Finance and the Tax Transformation Steering Group, the Cft emphasized that modernization of the tax system and the Tax Administration is necessary to improve compliance.

Health care and social security

In 2022 Sint Maarten took the first steps to ensure the implementation of savings in the healthcare system. The ZV/OV wage limit has been raised and the legislation regarding the introduction of generic medicines is being implemented. The Cft discussed the intended reforms and the importance of a realistic multi-year forecast with the Minister of Health, Social Development, and Labor. The Cft advises Sint Maarten to implement the necessary reforms quickly, in order to reduce the deficits of the health care funds and to prevent the country from having to make a structural contribution to the health care funds. For example, the personal contributions of civil servants should be more in line with those of the private sector.

Financial management

Sint Maarten is taking steps to improve its financial management and adopt the annual accounts. Sint Maarten has caught up with the backlog with regard to the annual accounts and has cleared various (suspense) accounts. The 2019 and 2020 annual accounts will be adopted in November 2022. The review of the budget process has been completed and an analysis of the financial work processes will be concluded shortly. The Cft emphasizes the importance of implementing and safeguarding the revised work processes as quickly as possible. This way the quality of the financial management can be improved in a structural way. The 2021 annual accounts are expected to be adopted at the end of 2022.

On October 25, 26, and 27, 2022 the Cft members spoke with the Governor, the Council of Ministers, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Health, Social Development and Labor, and the financial committee of the Sint Maarten Parliament. The Cft also spoke with the representatives of the Steering Committee of the Recovery, Reconstruction, and Resilience Trust Fund, the Tax Transformation Steering Committee, the Financial Management Steering Committee, and the Social and Health Insurance Implementing Agency.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Central Committee meeting on October 28, 2022.

The Central Committee meeting is scheduled for at 10.00 hrs. in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of Finance will be present.

The agenda points are:

1. Approval provisions President of Parliament to participate in the Plenary Session of Eurolat in Brussels, Belgium from November 30  December 2, 2022 (IS/049/2022-2023 dated September 30, 2022)

2. Ontwerp van Landsverordening tot wijziging van de Landsverordening begroting 2022 (Landsverordening begrotingswijziging 2022) (IS/104/2022-2023 d.d. 21 oktober 2022) (ZJ 2022-2023-164)

(Draft National Ordinance amending the National Ordinance Budget 2022 (National Ordinance budget amendment 2022) (IS/104/2022-2023 dated October 21, 2022) (PY 2022-2023-164))

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.sx and www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament
PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning, and Infrastructure (Ministry of VROMI), announces that there will be a temporary road closure of a section of the Keys Road between Keys Road Lane 2 and Nipple Cactus Drive

The temporary closure will be from Monday, October 31, 2022, until Friday, November 04, 2022, between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm in connection with road repair work.

The civil works will be carried out by Washington Construction Company N.V.

Traffic heading to Sun Cactus Drive, Moon Cactus Drive, Sedums Cactus Road, and the surrounding area will need to take Chin Cactus Road or King of the Road.

Motorists are advised to adhere to the detour signs set-up in an effort of redirecting vehicles toward alternative traffic routes.

Ministry VROMI apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Honorable Minister Egbert Doran recently attended the High-Level Forums for Caribbean Ministers Responsible for Water and Waste in the Bahamas hosted by the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CCWA) under the theme, From Global Resolution to Regional Solutions: Lets End Plastic Pollution!

I was honored to take part in the High-Level Forums where we shared regional water and waste strategies and received insight into new technologies and innovation. Being able to participate in these discussions opens the doors for effective collaboration within the Caribbean to solve our common challenges,  said Doran.

Over the conference, a constant phrase used was purpose-driven, which the minister stated that it adds to his belief that now is the time for all of us to put our words into action. Sint Maarten has been making great progress as an island with the water infrastructure and water supply. The average Non-Revenue Water is about 45% throughout the Caribbean and Sint Maarten has reduced her water loss from 39% to approximately 22 % over the last several years. The island enjoys a 24-7 water supply that is of good and potable quality.

According to Doran, the forum highlighted that there is a great interest by financiers to aid many of the islands in our region in addressing the non-Revenue water loss. Addressing the Non-Revenue Water loss directly correlates with the carbon footprint as fossil fuels are used to produce water. We will continue to strive as we build on this progress to make a better future for our children and the next generation, the minister stated.

One of the main challenges that Sint Maarten faces as an island, which is shared with several other Caribbean nations, is proper waste disposal. Doran said, As we transition into an Integrated Solid Waste management system on Sint Maarten, it was a great experience to learn from our other islands within the region on their best practices and pitfalls. As the Government, we do not need to reinvent the wheel. While there are things that have been allowed to fester for too long, we can be purpose-driven and make a difference now.

As part of the regional cooperation, eighteen representatives from across the region signed a statement of acknowledgment to further strengthen the regional collaboration and approach in addressing their shared challenges. It is always an honour to represent our island of Sint Maarten and this conference was no exception. I was able to forge relationships with several ministers within our region, namely my colleague ministers from St. Kitts, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, Commissioner of St. Eustatius, and the host, Minister Sears from the Bahamas, stated Doran.

Doran declared, As the Government, and the Minister that is vested with the portfolio of VROMI, I am deeply committed to seeing our beautiful Sint Maarten being a clean island. This can only be achieved if we are all determined to make the changes needed to improve our environment. He further encouraged the community, saying, We do not have to wait on the regulations to force us to do what is best for ourselves, for our children, and for our environment. Let us reduce, reuse, recycle, stop littering, and properly dispose of our waste. Teach our children to do the same. The change begins with me, it begins with you. The change we need begins with us.

The Ministry of VROMI is working on plans for the Integrated Solid Waste Management on the Sint Maarten project. This is part of the programme to improve the countrys environmental profile in the near future.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Sixty participants have completed Orientation Day sessions toward becoming Facilitators of a new Positive Parenting Support Program (PPSP). The PPSP training will continue in the coming weeks. Once participants complete the required minimum hours, they will receive a certificate as PPSP Facilitators with Continuing Education Units from The University of the West Indies Open Campus.

The certified PPSP Facilitators will be able to provide parenting classes guided by the PPSP. The parenting classes will help parents and caregivers increase their knowledge and understanding of positive child development practices, improve communication, increase the opportunities for bonding between parents and caregivers and reduce harsh parenting practices.

The Secretary General of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport (MECYS), Mrs. Shermina Powell-Richardson opened the training sessions: Many things that we are experiencing currently are unprecedented. We must find solutions to continue to support children and ensure their healthy development. We cannot do this without their parents and caregivers. By implementing more accessible parenting programs such as the PPSP, we can provide support to parents and caregivers in providing knowledge and building a network around them."

The Program, which is tailor-made for Sint Maarten, has been a long-term goal and initiative led by the Department of Youth (MECYS) and implemented with technical support from UNICEF in the Netherlands. The curriculum for the PPSP is developed through extensive research and data collected through dozens of focus-groups discussions and stakeholder interviews by a collaborative team of The University of the West Indies Open Campus, through the Caribbean Child Development Centre (CCDC), in partnership with Parenting Partners Caribbean (PPC).

Of the sixty certified PPSP Facilitators, twenty will be selected to continue their certifications and become Master Trainers. Master Trainers will be able to train others to become PPSP Facilitators, ensuring the continuality and accessibility of parenting classes on Sint Maarten.

The PPSP is part of the Child Resilience and Protection Project (CRPP), financed by the Government of The Netherlands, through the Sint Maarten Trust Fund, administered by the World Bank.

Updates on this project can be followed on www.facebook.com/departmentofyouthsxm & www.facebook.com/unicefsxm. Those interested in contributing to or requesting information about this project can contact the Department of Youth by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Calibre Provides Update and Confirms No Material Impact on Operations

Calibre Mining Corp. (TSX: CXB; OTCQX: CXBMF) (aCalibrea or the aCompanya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/calibre-mining-corp/ ) A is pleased to announce that, further to its press release dated October 25, 2022, following discussions with its advisors relating to the sanctions imposed on the Nicaraguan General Directorate of Mines by the United States Treasury Department on October 24, 2022 (the aSanctionsa) and an internal review of its current and future planned operations, the Company confirms that the Sanctions do not have a material impact on its Nicaraguan operations. The Libertad and Limon complexes are operating to plan, and the Company is on track to meet our 2022 consolidated annual production guidance of 220,000 a 235,000 ounces gold.

Calibre reiterates its commitment to its assets in Nicaragua, and particularly to its employees and host communities.A Calibre operates these assets in a way that is protective of people, respectful of cultural heritage and that contributes to economic development, while acting as a steward of the natural environment.A The Company will continue to strive to deliver sustainable value for all stakeholders through responsible operations and a disciplined approach to growth.

Calibre will continue to monitor its operations with the assistance of its advisors to ensure that the Company continues to comply with all relevant laws and regulations, including any sanctions that may result from Executive Order 13851, as well as international standards and best practices.

About Calibre Mining Corp.

Calibre is a Canadian-listed, Americas focused, growing mid-tier gold producer with a strong pipeline of development and exploration opportunities across Nevada and Washington in the USA, and Nicaragua. Calibre is focused on delivering sustainable value for shareholders, local communities and all stakeholders through responsible operations and a disciplined approach to growth. With a strong balance sheet, no debt, a proven management team, strong operating cash flow, accretive development projects and district-scale exploration opportunities Calibre will unlock significant value.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release includes certain aforward-looking informationa and aforward-looking statementsa (collectively aforward-looking statementsa) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are identified by words such as \expect\, \plan\, \anticipate\, \project\, \target\, \potential\, \schedule\, \forecast\, \budget\, \estimate\, \intend\ or \believe\ and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions \will\, \would\, \may\, \could\, \should\ or \might\ occur.A Forward-looking statements necessarily involve assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond Calibrea?s control. For a listing of risk factors applicable to the Company, please refer to Calibrea?s annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2021, available on www.sedar.com. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Calibrea?s forward-looking statements such as potential sanctions implemented as a result of the United States Executive Order 13851 dated October 24, 2022.

Calibrea?s forward-looking statements are based on the applicable assumptions and factors management considers reasonable as of the date hereof, based on the information available to management at such time. Calibre does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or managementa?s beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable securities laws. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements.
Cypress Development engages thyssenkrupp nucera for design and engineering of chlor-alkali plant in feasibility study

Cypress Development Corp. (TSXV: CYP) (OTCQX: CYDVF) (Frankfurt: C1Z1) (Cypress or Company  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/cypress-development-corp/ ) is pleased to announce the selection of thyssenkrupp nucera USA, Inc. (thyssenkrupp nucera) to provide the design and engineering for the chlor-alkali plant as part of the ongoing Feasibility Study on the Companya?s Clayton Valley Lithium Project in Nevada, USA (Project). The chlor-alkali plant is an essential component which will allow the Project to self-generate two key reagents required for processing lithium-bearing claystone through to a Li2CO3 (lithium carbonate) product.

aThe Companya?s selection of thyssenkrupp nucera is another important step towards completion of the Feasibility Study for the Projecta?s production of lithium carbonate. Their experience and proven track record as an electrolysis technology company with worldwide knowledge in the chlor-alkali field will add to our Feasibility Studya stated Bill Willoughby, President, and CEO of Cypress Development.

thyssenkrupp nucera USA Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of thyssenkrupp nucera AG & Co. KGaA, an international company that offers world-leading technologies for high-efficiency electrolysis plants, which includes chlor-alkali electrolysis, HCl electrolysis, and alkaline water electrolysis. thyssenkrupp nuceraa?s scope in the chlorine electrolysis business includes the supply and services around engineering, supply of all major plant equipment, supervision of the erection and commissioning activities, training of the operating personnel as well as holistic 360-degree service solutions for the entire lifecycle of a plant.

thyssenkrupp nuceraa?s scope of work will include the development of a facility concept for treatment of the recovered brine stream from Cypressa? process and ensure compatibility with the membrane electrolysis cells of a chlor-alkali plant. Standardized and proprietary e-BiTACv7 BiPolar type membrane cell electrolyzers from thyssenkrupp nucera serve as the heart of the chlor-alkali plant to generate the key reagents HCl (hydrochloric acid) and NaOH (sodium hydroxide) required to process the lithium ore. The NaCl (sodium chloride) and H2O (water) molecules present in the recovered brine are electrolyzed to produce Cl2 (chlorine), H2 (hydrogen) and the sodium hydroxide, where then outside of the cells, the chlorine and hydrogen molecules are combined to produce hydrochloric acid.

Feasibility Study Update

The Companya?s Feasibility Study on the Project commenced in March 2022 under the direction of Wood PLC (Wood), with support from Global Resource Engineers, Continental Metallurgical Services, WSP USA Environment & Infrastructure Inc., and Cypress.

Progress on the Feasibility Study is advancing as planned. Wood and the supporting teams have completed or are near completion of several key items, including resource and reserve estimates, mine plan, processing plant design, and tailings and waste storage facilities.

Positive results from test work conducted at Saltworks Technologies Inc. (Saltworks) (see news release dated September 19, 2022), where high purity lithium carbonate was made at Saltworks from concentrated lithium solutions produced at Cypressa? Lithium Extraction Facility in Nevada.

Saltworks has since completed a second phase of testing which examined the production of lithium from the blowdown-brine stream collected during the lithium carbonate concentration in the first stage of testing. We are pleased to report these results are positive and confirm the viability of an increase in lithium recovery via re-concentration of the blowdown-brine and production of additional lithium carbonate solids. Results from third-party laboratory analysis are pending for lithium carbonate quality obtained during this test. This step has the potential to significantly reduce the volume required to be recycled back to the upstream direct lithium recovery (DLE) plant and reduce size and capital cost of the DLE plant.

Based on the progress and results from Saltworks, Cypress is focusing on lithium carbonate as the end-product for the Feasibility Study and has engaged Saltworks to provide the engineering and design for the final steps in producing lithium carbonate. Based on timelines for the major components and cost analysis, as well as to allow thyssenkrupp nucera sufficient time to complete its design and optimization studies, the Company expects the Feasibility Study to be completed in the second quarter of 2023.

Qualified Person

Todd Fayram, MMSA-QP, is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has approved of the technical information in this release.

About Cypress Development Corp

Cypress Development Corp. is a Canadian based advanced stage lithium company, focused on developing its 100%-owned Clayton Valley Lithium Project in Nevada, USA. Cypress is in the pilot stage of testing on material from its lithium-bearing claystone deposit and progressing towards completing a Study and permitting, with the goal of becoming a domestic producer of lithium for the growing electric vehicle and battery storage market.

ON BEHALF OF CYPRESS DEVELOPMENT CORP.

WILLIAM WILLOUGHBY, PhD., PE

President & Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Spiros Cacos | Vice President, Investor Relations

Direct: +1 604 764 1851 | Toll Free: 1 800 567 8181 | Email scacos@cypressdevelopmentcorp.com

www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger & Marc Ollinger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be \forward-looking statements\.A Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions and are identified by words such as aexpects,a aestimates,a aprojects,a aanticipates,a abelieves,a acould,a ascheduled,a and other similar words.A All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management\-s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration, and development successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for further information.
EMQ Announces Availability of EMQX Enterprise on VMware Marketplace

Posted by Publisher Networking

MORGAN HILL, CA, Oct.27, 2022 a EMQ, the worlda?s leading provider of open-source IoT data infrastructure, today announced that its enterprise-level, cloud-native MQTT messaging platform EMQX Enterprise is now available on the VMware Marketplace and deployable to the VMware Cloud. That means it is now easier for customers to purchase and deploy this \ready-to-go,\ highly secure and scalable messaging platform to run their enterprise IoT applications.

As a growing number of companies move towards developing more agile and modern software applications, the use of containers and micro-services has dramatically increased. VMware Marketplace is a one-stop shop for VMware validated and certified ecosystem solutions from independent software vendors that enable customers to find, test, buy, and deploy software that runs on VMware-based clouds. With EMQX Enterprise in VMware Marketplace, developers have the convenience of directly deploying IoT ecosystem solutions to VMware environments such as VMware Tanzu or VMware Cloud, while also experiencing the convenience of features such as notifications, reporting, and analytics.

EMQ serves as the trusted IoT data foundation for global customers seeking flexible, scalable and secure IoT solutions to navigate the multi-cloud era and build the IoT future. EMQX Enterprise, designed by EMQ, is the worlda?s most scalable cloud-native IoT messaging platform with an all-in-one distributed MQTT broker and SQL-based IoT rules engine. It powers high-performance systems delivering sub-millisecond latency and reliable data movement, processing, and integration for business-critical IoT solutions. In the meantime, EMQX Enterprise can integrate IoT data seamlessly with over 40 cloud services and enterprise systems, including VMware Cloud, AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Confluent Kafka, MongoDB, Oracle, SAP, and time-series databases.

\EMQ is a global leading provider of open-source Edge/IoT message platform. Based on the successful cooperation of VMware and EMQ on edge computing over the past 5 years, we are glad to expand it further to Multiple Cloud Edge collaborations. EMQ\-s enterprise-grade message platform EMQX Enterprise is successfully launched on VMware Marketplace, which means that hundreds of thousands of corporate customers around the world can easily adopt this Tanzu-based SaaS service and practice holistic management on messages in Multi Cloud Edge era. This is a solid step towards digital transformation for relative industries,\ said Alan Ren, Head of Global Research and Innovation Engineering and Ecosystem at VMware.

aWe are delighted to collaborate with VMware and host our enterprise-level MQTT messaging platform in VMware Marketplace. Having EMQX Enterprise in VMware Marketplace allows our customers to build highly agile IoT data infrastructure on VMware, addressing the needs of modern IoT applications and accelerating time to market,a said Feng Lee, Founder and CEO at EMQ. aEMQ has long advocated embracing cloud-native concepts. All EMQ offerings support flexible, multi-cloud deployment options. Together with VMware, we are looking forward to delivering more innovative cloud-based services and bringing a deeper level of value to our customers, helping them to drive a smoother and more cost-effective digitalization journey.a

Now, with the latest update to version 5.0, EMQX becomes the first-ever product to implement MQTT over QUIC, and ensures reliable IoT connectivity even in a weak, lossy, spotty network environment. EMQ is continuously delivering compelling new capabilities that help customers quickly deploy EMQX Enterprise clusters on VMware Tanzu Kubernetes, VMware Cloud and other mainstream public clouds in the shortest possible time. EMQX is trusted by customers globally across a broad range of industries including the Internet of Vehicles, Industrial IoT, Carriers, Finance, Energy, and Smart City.

Get Started with EMQX Enterprise on VMware Marketplace, please visit: https://marketplace.cloud.vmware.com/services/details/emqx-enterprise-1?slug=true
Netwrix Study: 86% of Cloud Attacks in the Healthcare Sector Result in Financial Losses or Other Damage

The healthcare sector is twice as likely to face data breach consequences as any other industry surveyed

FRISCO, Texas, October 27, 2022 a Netwrix, a cybersecurity vendor that makes data security easy, today announced additional findings for the healthcare sector from its global 2022 Cloud Security Report.

61% of respondents in the healthcare industry suffered a cyberattack on their cloud infrastructure within the last 12 months, compared to 53% for other verticals. Phishing was the most common type of attack reported.

aThe healthcare sector is a lucrative target for attackers because the chances of success are higher. The first two years of the pandemic exhausted the industry. With patient health being the main priority for these organisations, IT security resources are often too stretched and are focused on maintaining only the most necessary functions,a comments Dirk Schrader, VP of Security Research at Netwrix. aPlus, the high value of data gives cyber criminals better opportunities at financial gain: they can either sell stolen sensitive medical information on the dark web or extort a ransom for aunfreezinga? the medical systems used to keep patients alive.a

An attack in the healthcare sector is more likely to result in financial consequences. 32% of respondents from other industries report that an attack had no impact on their business, while only 14% of healthcare organisations say the same. Unplanned expenses to cover security gaps and compliance fines are the most common types of damage that the healthcare sector faces due to a cyberattack.

aHealthcare organisations plan to increase the share of their workload in the cloud from 38% to 54% by the end of 2023. Fast cloud adoption should be accompanied by relevant security measures and special attention to internet-of-things (IoT) devices and systems; for example, compromise of respirators or IV infusion devices can lead to physical harm to patients,a adds Schrader. aNetwork segmentation will help prevent one compromised device from impacting the entire system. IT teams must also strictly limit who a humans and machines a can access what data and systems according to the least-privilege principle, and regularly review and right-size those access rights.a
Bir Lehlou (Sahrawi Republic), October 27, 2022 (SPS)- The Polisario Front issued a communique after the Security Council adopted, today resolution 2654 (2022) whereby it decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 October 2023.

In its resolution, the Security Council recalls and reaffirms all its previous resolutions on Western Sahara and reaffirms its commitment to assist the two parties, the Frente POLISARIO and Morocco, to achieve a just and lasting solution that will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara while recognising the important role played by MINURSO on the ground and the need for it to fully implement its mandate. Nevertheless, the Security Council has failed once more to empower MINURSO with practical measures to ensure the full implementation of its mandate as established in Security Council Resolution 690 (1991).

The Polisario Front affirmed in its communique that the continued inaction of the Security Council in the face of the aggressive and persistent attempts by the occupying state of Morocco to obstruct and undermine the mandate of MINURSO and to forcibly impose a fait accompli in the Sahrawi Occupied Territories leaves the Sahrawi people with no other option but to continue and intensify their legitimate armed struggle to defend their inalienable and non-negotiable right to self-determination and independence.

The communique concluded saying while reiterating its commitment to contributing constructively to a peaceful, just, and lasting solution to the decolonization of Western Sahara in accordance with the principles of international legality and relevant resolutions of the United Nations and the African Union, the Frente POLISARIO reaffirms strongly that the Sahrawi people will continue to use all legitimate means, including armed struggle, to defend their inalienable and non-negotiable right to self-determination and independence and to restore sovereignty over the entire Territory of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

The full text of the Communique:

"Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro (POLISARIO)

Communique

[Bir Lehlou, Sahrawi Republic - 27 October 2022] On 27 October 2022, the Security Council adopted resolution 2654 (2022) whereby it decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 October 2023.

In its resolution, the Security Council recalls and reaffirms all its previous resolutions on Western Sahara and reaffirms its commitment to assist the two parties, the Frente POLISARIO and Morocco, to achieve a just and lasting solution that will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara while recognising the important role played by MINURSO on the ground and the need for it to fully implement its mandate. Nevertheless, the Security Council has failed once more to empower MINURSO with practical measures to ensure the full implementation of its mandate as established in Security Council Resolution 690 (1991).

The continued inaction of the Security Council in the face of the aggressive and persistent attempts by the occupying state of Morocco to obstruct and undermine the mandate of MINURSO and to forcibly impose a fait accompli in the Sahrawi Occupied Territories leaves the Sahrawi people with no other option but to continue and intensify their legitimate armed struggle to defend their inalienable and non-negotiable right to self-determination and independence.

In this regard, the Frente POLISARIO categorically rejects again the inaction of the Security Council, particularly some of its influential members, and its deplorable silence and unjustifiable reluctance to hold the occupying state of Morocco accountable for its continued illegal occupation of parts of our country, for breaching and torpedoing the 1991 ceasefire and related military agreements on 13 November 2020 and for its continuing aggression on the Sahrawi Liberated Territories.

Instead of adopting a balanced, unequivocal, and consistent approach to deal with the peace process and the realities on the ground, the Security Council has opted for destructive ambiguity that deepens the prevailing impasse in a way that will only lead to impairing the mission of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara, aggravating the operational environment of MINURSO, and exacerbating the already tense situation on the ground.

The Frente POLISARIO reaffirms that the United Nations-the Organisation of the African Unity Settlement Plan remains the only mutual agreement accepted by the two parties, the Frente POLISARIO and Morocco, and approved unanimously by the Security Council in its resolution 658 (1990) and resolution 690 (1991) whereby the Council established, under its authority, MINURSO to hold a free and fair referendum without military or administrative constraints to enable the people of Western Sahara to exercise their inalienable right to self- determination and independence.

In this context, the Frente POLISARIO recalls its decision of 30 October 2019 to reconsider its engagement in the peace process as a whole, and strongly and unequivocally reaffirms that it will not participate in any peace process based on any approach that deviates, in both form and substance, from the United Nations-the Organisation of the African Unity Settlement Plan, which is the raison detre of MINURSO and the basis of its mandate, or seeks to override the UN recognised legal nature of the question of Western Sahara as a decolonisation case.

The Frente POLISARIO further underlines that no one should therefore have any illusions that a genuine, credible, and viable peace process could start and advance in Western Sahara without ending the impunity with which the occupying state of Morocco has been allowed to undermine the United Nations-the Organisation of the African Unity Settlement Plan, obstruct the self-determination referendum, and eventually breach and torpedo the 1991 ceasefire and plunge the region into yet another spiral of violence and instability.

While reiterating its commitment to contributing constructively to a peaceful, just, and lasting solution to the decolonisation of Western Sahara in accordance with the principles of international legality and relevant resolutions of the United Nations and the African Union, the Frente POLISARIO reaffirms strongly that the Sahrawi people will continue to use all legitimate means, including armed struggle, to defend their inalienable and non-negotiable right to self-determination and independence and to restore sovereignty over the entire Territory of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

SPS 110
New York (United Nations) 28 October 2022 (SPS)- Kenyas Permanent Representative to the UN, Amb. Martin Kimani, affirmed in his countries explanation of abstention on the new UN Security Councils resolution on Western Sahara, Yesterday, that the resolution shifts from the initial mandate and will not help resolving this case of decolonisation.

This resolution continues a gradual but noticeable shift away from the mandate and will not assist the parties to achieve a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution as originally intended, he said, adding that unfortunately, the constructive proposals we made during the negotiations that speak to the core matter of the mandate were not taken on board.

He further underlined that the UNs recognition of the right to self-determination through a properly implemented referendum is the UN Charter under its Article 20 holding that all peoples shall have the unquestionable and inalienable right to self-determination.

He also recalled that the African Union, which counts both parties as its members, should not be ignored by any UN process, if only in adherence to Chapter VIII (eight) of the Charter, calling on the UN Personal Envoy, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, to make every effort to cooperate with the African Union to find ways to bring all parties to a common position protective of peace, security, and the holding of the agreed referendum.

Following is the full text of the Explanation of Vote of Kenya following its abstention yesterday on the new resolution adopted by the UN Security Council on the conflict in western Sahara.

Esplanation of vote

The renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara

Ambassador Martin Kimani

Permanent Representative

Thursday 28th October 2022

Kenya fully supports the work of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara and that of the Secretary-Generals Personal Envoy. This was reflected in our affirmative vote on Resolution 2602 in October 2021 in our hope that the parties would engage the Personal Envoy in a way that returns MINURSO to its core objective of implementing a referendum for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. Unfortunately, progress has been limited. This resolution continues a gradual but noticeable shift away from the mandate and will not assist the parties to achieve a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution as originally intended. Unfortunately, the constructive proposals we made during the negotiations that speak to the core matter of the mandate were not taken on board. For this reason, we have voted to abstain. We are concerned that this resolution does not substantively reflect the Security Councils commitment  as reflected in Resolution 2602 and previous resolutions  to provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara in the context of arrangements consistent with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, and noting the role and responsibilities of the parties in this respect. Underlying the UNs recognition of the right to self-determination through a properly implemented referendum is the UN Charter under its Article 20 holding that all peoples shall have the unquestionable and inalienable right to self-determination. Equally, key to the African Unions recognition of Sahrawi and its full membership is the Constitutive Acts Article 3(h) to promote and protect human and peoples rights in accordance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and other relevant human rights instrument. These are foundational principles for both the United Nations and the African Union. We stand by them, as Kenya, not to alienate any party; we do so in the conviction that they will protect all parties and the region from conflict and suffering. And that they are sorely needed in different regions of the world.

Mr President,

We further observe that the African Union, which counts both parties as its members, should not be ignored by any UN process, if only in adherence to Chapter VIII (eight) of the Charter. The Personal Envoy should make every effort to cooperate with the African Union to find ways to bring all parties to a common position protective of peace, security, and the holding of the agreed referendum.

Mr President,

Kenya enjoys warm ties of friendship with both Morocco and Western Sahara. We aspire to further strengthen these ties through cooperation on matters of common interest at bilateral and multilateral levels. We understand the complex and contentious nature of this situation and reaffirm our commitment to making every effort to help the parties to find a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise. We urge all the parties to engage in good faith with the Secretary-Generals Personal Envoy to achieve the long-delayed exercise of its right to self-determination by the people of Western Sahara.

Thank you. (SPS)

090/500/60 (SPS)
New York (United Nations) 28 October 2022 (SPS)- South Africas Deputy Permanent Representative, Amb. Xolisa Mabhongo, recalled the UN Security Council, in a statement to the Media yesterday after the latters adoption of a new resolution on Western Sahara, that the mandate of the UN Mission in this last colony is to organise a referendum on self-determination for the Saharawi people.

I wish to underscore my countrys unequivocal and strong support for the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). We call upon the Council in this regard to ensure that MINURSO executes its core mandate, in a fair and balanced manner. This mandate was created thirty years ago, pursuant to Security Council resolution 690 (1991), to facilitate the holding of a referendum in Western Sahara to enable its people to realise their right to self-determination, he said.

He further recalled the role that should be played by the African Union, to which both Morocco and the Saharawi Republic, are member states.

Following is the full text of the Media statement by South Africa yesterday:

MEDIA STATEMENT

Ambassador Xolisa Mabhongo, Deputy Permanent Representative of South Africa at the Media Stakeout following the UN Security Council Consultations on United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)

27 October 2022

Ladies and gentlemen of the media. Thank you for your attention today, my name is Xolisa Mabhongo, and I am the Deputy Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations.

Following the UN Security Councils adoption of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), let me take this opportunity to reiterate this morning South Africas position.

At the outset, let me reiterate our support for Mr Staffan de Mistura, the UN Personal Envoy of the Secretary General for Western Sahara in his efforts as he executes his mandates to facilitate an UN-led political process that will result in the resumption of a political process, to support the parties negotiations and towards the holding of a free and fair referendum on the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

As the international community is aware, on 18 October 2022, South African President Ramaphosa received the President of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, H.E. Mr Brahim Ghali, on a State Visit to South Africa. During their discussions, the two Heads of State emphasised the need for SADR and the Kingdom of Morocco, as Member States of the AU, to engage in dialogue to overcome the current political impasse. This would prepare conditions for a just and durable solution to the conflict, in line with the relevant AU-UN decisions and resolutions and the objectives and principles of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, as well as the decisions of the 14th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU on Silencing the Guns in Africa.

To this end, South Africa has always and will always support efforts to achieve a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. As Council members and the international community is aware, the primary mandate of MINURSO and its reason for being, as established in Security Council resolution 690 (1991) and subsequent resolutions, is the holding of a free and fair referendum on self-determination for the people of Western Sahara as well as the attainment of their fundamental freedoms and human rights. Let me add that, and as underscored jointly by our Heads of States, MINURSO should be given the mandate for monitoring, protecting, and reporting on Human Rights, and protecting the natural resources from illegal exploitation.

I wish to underscore my countrys unequivocal and strong support for the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). We call upon the Council in this regard to ensure that MINURSO executes its core mandate, in a fair and balanced manner. This mandate was created thirty years ago, pursuant to Security Council resolution 690 (1991), to facilitate the holding of a referendum in Western Sahara to enable its people to realise their right to self-determination.

Both the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and the Kingdom of Morocco are Members of the African Union and are bound by its decisions. In this regard, we take this opportunity to reiterate that, in line with the AU Assembly decision adopted at the 14th AU Extraordinary Summit on Silencing the Guns which took place on 6 December 2020, both parties as Member States of the AU must prepare conditions for a new cease-fire, in close coordination with the AU Peace and Security Council in line with all relevant provisions of its Protocol, to reach a just and durable solution to the conflict." (SPS)

090/500/60 (SPS)






The Museum of the Iron Gates Region and the Center for Turkish Studies - Faculty of History, University of Bucharest, are organizing on Saturday, in the Multifunctional Pavilion, on the occasion of the National Day of the Republic of Turkey, the event Adakale Lives, dedicated to the memory of the submerged island Ada Kaleh, which will include a round table and the opening of a photo-documentary exhibition, all marking 54 years since the evacuation of the population from the island.

Museographer Victor Bunoiu declared for AGERPRES that the Museum of the Iron Gates Region is thus starting the Patrimonium Drobetense monthly conferences, through which specialists from museums and cultural institutions from the county, but also from the country, will bring to the attention of the general public the cultural heritage of Mehedinti.

"Our goal is to make more and more people know the stories of the area and to realize that the archaeological, architectural, ethnographic, natural, industrial or even gastronomic heritage is not something abstract, which concerns only specialists in the field. On the contrary, it is an asset of all of us, part of our identity and we are responsible to know it and protect it," says Victor Bunoiu, Agerpres informs.

The Director of the Center for Turkish Studies of the University of Bucharest, Silvana Rachieru, points out that 54 years ago the history of Ada Kaleh Island ended under the waters of the Danube.

"The island, located in the Turnu Severin area, was submerged in 1970, as a result of the construction of the Iron Gates Dam. In 1968, the islanders lived their last spring on Ada Kaleh (the Fortress Island, in Turkish). The inhabitants, around 680, mostly of Turkish ethnicity, were evacuated and had a choice between settling in Romania or Turkey. Today, we meet members of the Ada Kaleh community in Orsova, Turnu Severin, Constanta, Alba Iulia, Bucharest, but also in Istanbul, Edirne, Ankara, Izmir, Eskisehir. They even established a virtual communication channel, a Facebook page called ADAKALE yasiyor!/ ADAKALE lives! The history of the island, but also the course of the community there are the subjects of the complex meeting that we propose to the public, at the end of October," points out Silvana Rachieru, in a press release of the Museum, sent to AGERPRES on Friday.

In the first part of the meeting, the exhibition of cultural goods from the heritage of the Museum of the Iron Gates Region, the Ada - Kaleh fund, pieces classified in the Fund and Treasury legal categories will be presented.

"Integrated to the purpose of this event, the exhibition is an ethnographic narrative that can also be considered a representative history of the isolated Turkish-Muslim community, a crossing of more than 100 years that shows how inventive the inhabitants of the island were, how much they loved beauty and what crafts had Turkish ethnicity," explains Florentina Pleniceanu, head of the Ethnography and Folk Art Section of the Museum of the Iron Gates Region.

The exhibition Adakale lives! was the messenger of the story of the islanders who chose Turkey as their new home, in an itinerant project, organized between 2014 and 2015, by the Romanian Cultural Institute Istanbul, in Izmir, Canakkale, Thessaloniki, Edirne and Istanbul, and in 2018, in Bucharest, in an event coordinated by the Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Institute and the Center for Turkish Studies. In 2021, the exhibition was hosted by the Venice Humanities Institute of Culture and Research.
There's a war on the border, and it is incumbent on us to ensure national security and, given the circumstances, the reform of the defence industry is not only imperative, but also urgent, Economy Minister Florin Spataru wrote in a Facebook post on Friday.

"The Ministry of Economy will finalise, by the end of the year, a strategy for the local defence industry after seven years in which this industrial segment no longer had a strategy based on a solid, pragmatic, updated document and configured to the new realities we are facing. There's a war on the border and it is incumbent on us to ensure national security and, given the circumstances, the reform of the defence industry is not only imperative, but also urgent," Spataru maintains, told Agerpres.

Spataru participated on Friday in Dambovita County in an event on the 54th anniversary of Automecanica Moreni.

"Happy anniversary, Automenica Moreni! The 54th anniversary comes in a very important geopolitical context that challenges us to mobilise and especially to act in regards to the reform of the defence industry," Florin Spataru also said.

In a speech at Automecanica Moreni the minister spoke about the need to upgrade the factory and make it profitable.

"From November 1, a number of young people will come to work at Moreni, because we are starting to bring young people back to this plant. But I think we still have a lot of things to do (...) and we will have to discuss with our final beneficiary, the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) how to bring these actions, on our part and on the part of MapN, towards a final objective, ensuring a capability at Moreni for the SMFT Army Staff, for mobile carriers, whether we are talking about maintenance or production. Those at Moreni know that they will have my unconditional support," the Economy Minister said.

Also attending the event at Moreni were ambassador of Ukraine in Bucharest Ihor Prokopchuk; Iulian Chifu - adviser to the prime minister; chair of the Dambovita County Council Corneliu Stefan; local administration officials; lawmakers, and Defence Ministry (MApN) officials.

Automecanica Moreni was founded in 1968, under the name of IAM mainly specialising in the manufacture of wheeled armoured vehicles. During its 54 years in business, it produced over 15,000 vehicles, most of them bound for export to the ex-Soviet countries, the former German Democratic Republic, Algeria, Bangladesh.

Automecanica Moreni is a subsidiary of Romarm.
The state-owned plant Automecanica Moreni could produce a 4x4 armored carrier, as several companies have conducted audits and are interested in developing this capability here, the Economy Minister Florin Spataru said on Friday in Moreni - Dambovita County.

"My expectation is that following the various audits conducted by several companies interested in developing this capability here, the Automecanica management takes action to ensure compliance with these standards and that production subsequently starts as soon as possible. This is an example, there are several companies interested in a cooperation, and the Ministry of Economy, as a shareholder in Automecanica Moreni, will provide all the financial and operational support for this to happen," said Florin Spataru, Agerpres informs.

At this moment Automecanica Moreni does not produce any type of carrier, it only provides maintenance services, along with the manufacturing of metal constructions for civil use, the Minister of Economy said.

Minister Florin Spataru participated on Friday in Dambovita County in an event marking the 54th anniversary of Automecanica Moreni. In the speech delivered at the plant, the Minister spoke about the need to modernize and render the facility profitable.

Ukraine's ambassador in Bucharest Ihor Prokopchuk, advisor to the Prime Minister Iulian Chifu, local officials, MPs, representatives of the National Defense Ministry were also present at the event.

Automecanica Moreni was founded in 1968, under the name of IAM, mainly specializing in the manufacture of wheeled armoured vehicles. During its 54 years in business, it produced over 15,000 vehicles, most of them bound for export to the ex-Soviet countries, the former German Democratic Republic, Algeria, Bangladesh. The company's website states that the products manufactured by Automecanica Moreni have participated in many security, stability and peace-keeping missions in various countries such as Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan.

Automecanica Moreni is a subsidiary of Romarm, standing under the authority of the Ministry of Economy.
Romania is living its best time in its entire history, with a GDP four times higher than in 1989, but it is witnessing a demographic cataclysm, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana said on Thursday.

"How does this end of an era and the beginning of a new historical cycle affect us? To try to answer, we will have to look carefully at the economic model that we have developed in our country in the last decades and understand what I would call the Romanian paradox. From the point of view of the economic cycle, Romania is living its best times in its entire history. Today we have a GDP four times higher than in 1989. And yet, we are witnessing a demographic cataclysm, with the population reaching the 1960s figures. On an area the size of the UK, we will end up being the country with the lowest population density in Europe," Geoana told a "Future of Europe" conference organised by the National Bank of Romania and the Bucharest University of Economic Studies - Faculty of International Economic Affairs, told Agerpres.

He added that, overall, the economy is growing, but development gaps between regions and social categories are greater than before accession to the EU. Romania has the second fastest economic growth in Europe, but that has not translated into poverty alleviation. Geoana pointed to a World Bank study according to which approximately 45% of Romania's population lives in the countryside, where poverty is 20 percentage points higher than in urban areas. This strong duality is visible in unequal opportunities and unequal access to markets, a fact that no longer happens in any of the other European Union countries.

"What is the use of regaining ground compared to the European average, if the human development indicators remain among the worst in Europe? It is not surprising that young people continue to emigrate. It is not surprising that the intellectual elite choose to fulfill their professional career in another country. We are happy maybe because the immigrants from the Middle East or Africa do not choose to stay in Romania, but the causes of their choice must give us food for thought for any future policy related to demography, attracting or retaining the workforce. If we are to say something important briefly we see how the economy is growing, we have all the security guarantees, but the country is becoming more fragile and vulnerable from the inside. That's why I think we can call this situation the Romanian Paradox," said Geoana.

Speaking about the causes of the "Romanian paradox," he mentioned, first of all, the illusion that through Euro-Atlantic integration we have reached the "end of history" for Romania and that, through the effect of traction and spread of ideas, institutions, rules, capital and technology, we will be propelled towards the hard core of Europe.

"It is not understood that being tugged along means being left behind and that the one who imitates will never be better than the original. I myself was one of those who thought that the avatars of history were over for my country when we were raising Romania's flag at NATO or signing the conclusion of accession negotiations in 2004, by the way, without the verification mechanism, and with automatic and unconditional accession to the Schengen Area and the Eurozone 5 years after accession. At that time, I thought that, together with the Euro-Atlantic integration of Romania, our generation's mission was over. I was wrong. Our real mission is only now beginning, in these moments of transformation," Mircea Geoana said.

He mentioned some objectives that should be pursued: fully valuing relevance and strategic location; rethinking and transforming the role and capacity of the state to exercise its essential functions; a new economic model and a renewed social contract, with innovation as the main driver of development; repopulating Romania; rebuilding Romania's reputation in the eyes of its own citizens and the world.

According to Geoana, the construction and promotion of an "articulated and credible" country brand cannot be achieved with today's institutions and resources. It must be built in the same logic of strategic partnership between the public, private and civic areas. Geoana pointed out that models exist, all that is missing is a vision, the appropriate resources and a method.
Minister of Health Alexandru Rafila talked, on Friday, in his speech delivered at the Aspen Healthcare Summit, about the need for prevention in the context of the National Cancer Control Programme, told Agerpres.

The Health Minister explained that this programme has been recently passed by Parliament as a law and "it should provide, within reasonable time, the access to modern investigation and therapeutical resources, the cancer being obviously a public health problem."

"It is clear that this integrative approach was needed and it is a very good thing. You should know that I don't fear we don't succeed in a reasonable time to put in motion the mechanism to make the access to diagnostics and treatment possible. I believe I am less optimistic not in terms of the end result, but in terms of the duration regarding the prevention programmes, because here, we're not talking about administrative decisions, but a shift of mentality which should address both to general population and professionals in the healthcare area," Alexandru Rafila showed.

He talked about the balance between prevention and treatment.

"This change of mentality, to change the balance from the treatment area to the area of prevention, is sometimes difficult to achieve and I think that we all have to work on this," the Health Minister said.
The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs that on Thursday, a number of 90,947 people entered Romania through border points throughout the country, of whom 8,406 were Ukrainian citizens, decreasing by almost 4 percent compared to the previous day, told Agerpres.

According to a release sent to AGERPRES on Friday, approximately 190,800 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, with more than 54,400 means of transportation, completed the control formalities at the border crossing points nationwide, both on the way in and on the way out.

As of 10 February 2022 (the pre-conflict period), a number of 2,688,262 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania.

In the relevant areas - the border crossing points and the "green border," the border policemen discovered 52 illegalities (24 offenses and 28 contraventions) committed by both Romanian and foreign citizens, with the amount of fines enforced exceeding 9,700 RON.

On Thursday, a number of 23 foreign citizens were not allowed to enter the country because they didn't meet the requirements stipulated by the law, while a number of 21 Romanian citizens were not allowed to leave the country for various legal reasons.
The Minister of Investments and European Projects, Marcel Bolos, declared in Tulcea, on Friday, that he supports the development of territorially integrated investments (TII) and local action groups (LAG) and mentioned that Romania could have in the 2021-2027 financial year seven TIIs, told Agerpres.

Minister Bolos signed, on Friday, at eastern Tulcea City Hall, the financing contract for a regional project for the development of the water and sewerage infrastructure in the county, which has a total budget of around 250 million euros. During the press conference that followed the event, the minister expressed his displeasure because of the problems reported on the Danube Delta TII activity.

Asked if the Danube Delta TII will continue to operate in the period 2021-2027, the government official mentioned that it will no longer have the same scope.

"This taught us that we must have well-developed implementation capacity, functional structures, avoid unpleasant situations, that the European anti-fraud bodies are looking for us. My advice to those who want to do TIIs, and I support them, is to take care of the implementation mechanisms, because extraordinary opportunities are being lost for certain regions and areas of Romania to develop and, at the same time, for the local communities to have great benefits," the minister also said.

He added that, besides the TII Valea Jiului, five other areas in the country expressed their desire to have such a mechanism.

Regarding the LAG, Bolos mentioned that it reduced its initial allocation for 2021-2027, of 250 million euros, because the performance and implementation capacity were lacking.

"This legislation for both LAGs and TIIs is part of our concern, along with the European Funds Code. I hope that at the beginning of the next year we will put it up for debate and that it will be the rule book on the basis of which we manage the funds. We have these two priorities, LAG and TII," Minister Bolos mentioned.
The degree of absorption of European funds in the 2014 - 2020 financial year currently recorded by Romania stands at 64.7 percent, Minister of Investments and European Projects Marcel Bolos told a press conference on Friday, in Tulcea, told Agerpres.

He voiced his regret that the non-reimbursable financing has not resulted in a road and utility infrastructure developed at the national level and that Romania is confronted with the risk of losing over 9 billion EUR.

"Now we have 64.7 percent, but in the latest updates the degree of absorption may be a little higher. We have 9.2 billion EUR at risk of being decommitted, compared to 12 billion EUR when we took over the mandate. We took steps to reduce this risk. This year, we adopted a set of measures to prevent a possible massive loss of money which we anticipated for the end of 2023," Minister Marcel Bolos stated.

The official brought to mind that, this year, the European Commission supported the member states through a package of measures aimed at granting vouchers for energy poverty intended for vulnerable people and families, and this and two other categories of measures enforced by Romania, namely the grants for the working capital and the measures regarding the increase of labor force's employment, will lead to the increase in the degree of absorption of the European funds.

"With these three categories of measures, we will be better off and I hope to exceed, to stand between 90 and 95 percent in terms of absorption. My regret as a minister is the fact that this money, instead of seeing it on transport infrastructure or water, sewerage, because we did not prepare it ahead of time in the beginning of the 2014-2020 programming period, we are in this situation where we have to find alternatives to avoid losing money," the Investments and European Projects Minister stated.

At the same time, he underscored the importance of a modern road infrastructure for the development of communities.

"The Moldavian highway, which has 319 kilometers and 4 billion EUR, currently undergoes a process of concluding work contracts and the commitment of the Ministry of Transport is that by the end of the year, these contracts be concluded and I hope with all my heart for the region of Moldavia that the project be implemented. It is vital for the development of Moldavia and Romania, because otherwise the imbalances will not decrease, but will deepen," Minister Bolos stated.

The minister signed, on Friday morning, at the Tulcea City Hall, the funding contract of a regional project for the development of the water and sewerage infrastructure in the county, which has a total budget of approximately 250 million EUR.
Investments represent the healthy solution to overcome this crisis, and the amounts available in new photovoltaic and wind power production capacities amount to 457 million euros, the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Energy George Niculescu told Friday's Solar Energy Bucharest Summit, told Agerpres.

"I will start by telling you a few words about the measures that the Ministry of Energy is taking in the short term and in the medium and long term to combat the energy crisis we are in. A crisis that, from my point of view, is centered on two levels and we are talking about security of supply and prices. In the short term, the Government of Romania, through the Ministry of Energy and together with Parliament, introduced a series of measures to protect a good part of domestic consumers and non-domestic consumers in terms of the large increases in electricity and natural gas prices. (...) the healthy solution to address this crisis is investment. For a very long time we have not seen such sums available to be invested in new capacities electricity production and I want to refer to the call for projects that the Ministry of Energy concluded on May 22, of 457 million euros, for the installation of approximately 950 megawatts from photovoltaics and from wind. Because we are at a conference on photovoltaic, I must mention that there are 753 projects, I hope I am not mistaken, in the evaluation at the moment," said Niculescu.

According to the official, investments are also needed in energy transport capacities from the place of production to consumers.

As to a possible overtaxation of the new electricity production capacities, the state secretary from the Ministry of Energy argued that such a measure is not taken into account.

The Employers' Organization of Energy Producers from Renewable Sources in Romania (PATRES) organizes on Friday the Solar Energy Bucharest Summit, the first regional event addressed to the solar energy industry.

Equipment makers and suppliers of solutions for the production of solar energy from other countries, such as China, Italy, Spain, Germany, Turkey, Ukraine and the Netherlands, are present at the event.
The MoldArte project, financed by EUNIC through the European Spaces for Culture programme, finalised on Friday at the Mihai Eminescu National Theater in Chisinau, inform the organizers in a press release sent to AGERPRES.

"It is an assessment moment when we present the activities organized in 2022 within this project financed by EUNIC Global and organized by the Romanian Cultural Institute, the Goethe Institute and the Austrian Embassy in Chisinau, partners in the EUNIC Chisinau cluster. It is important that the moldarte.eu platform remains open to all cultural organizations and professionals who want to sign up. This very valuable tool sheds light on the cultural scene in the Republic of Moldova at the European level. I assure you that we will continue to capitalize on this resource and we will also make it available to our colleagues with the ICR representation offices worldwide, in order to promote, on appropriate occasions, the cultural actors and initiatives from here on the international level," said Liviu Jicman, president of the Romanian Cultural Institute, at the closing conference of the event.

Held between March and October, both online and physically, the project brought to the public's attention over 50 events (conferences on topics of local interest, workshops and research visits, development of a platform with articles, interviews, podcasts, resources, opportunities).

There were research visits to Soroca, Balti and Chisinau, September to October,aimed at developing collaborations and joint initiatives.

At the closing conference of the event, organized by the Romanian Cultural Institute in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut Bucharest, the Embassy of Austria in the Republic of Moldova and the Delegation of the European Union in the Republic of Moldova, Liviu Jicman (the president of the Romanian Cultural Institute), Joachim Umlauf (the director of the Goethe-Institut Bucharest), Paulus Adelsgruber (representative of H.E. Stella Avallone, ambassador of Austria in Chisinau and president of the EUNIC Moldova cluster), Vasili Braga (Executive Director at Creative Industries Association in Moldova), Andriano Marian (founder of the Moldovan National Youth Orchestra) and Mirela Spataru (artistic director of MoldArte).
The European Union has shown a very courageous, very correct decision of solidarity, cohesion and has extended a helping hand to the Republic of Moldova, but also to the Ukrainian people, the President of the Moldovan Parliament, Igor Grosu, said on Friday at the meeting with Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, thanking Romania for always being with his country, Agerpres informs.

"It is an event full of hope, especially in the current conditions in which we have an invasion, an unjust war waged against our neighbour, Ukraine. The European Union proved a very brave, very fair decision, of solidarity, cohesion and extended a helping hand to the Republic of Moldova, to the Ukrainian people. (...) We also have to thank Romania for being with us all the time by us. I know all the steps taken at the level of the Presidency, the Government, the Parliament, at the diplomatic level and at the Royal House in supporting our aspiration", said the President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Grosu, at the meeting with His Majesty Margareta and Prince Radu.

At the same time, the President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova thanked for the support provided by Romania in the context of the energy crisis.

"Unfortunately, the Russian Federation resorts to harsh and inhumane gestures in relation to the energy infrastructure and the innocent population: women, children, the elderly. Romania was with us. It was the first to help us. (...) We hope to get over this winter. I think the time has come and we will do everything necessary to become even more energy independent, to stop being blackmailed with gas and electricity," said Igor Grosu.

He predicted that in the current geopolitical context and the energy and heat crisis, a new wave of refugees from Ukraine is expected.

"We are prepared. A part will stay with us, but another will go to Romania: women, children, old people. This is the profile of the new wave. We will do our best to support them," Igor Grosu said.

Her Majesty Margareta expressed her support for the Republic of Moldova through various projects.

"We want to help as much as possible with our voice, with our power. We came here, we talked to the people here. I think we can speak with a stronger voice. There are some projects we can do. There are projects that we can do and there are things called soft power. It is important that we have the energy and the history behind us and the love for this country. We want to be more useful than usual in this unique historical moment. We want to develop some practical ideas, if possible," said the Custodian of the Crown.

Prince Radu declared, for his part, that he will support the case of the Republic of Moldova in front of the Western chancelleries regarding the accession to the European Union, "just as we did for our country when it entered the EU".

"HierMajesty and I understand very well how urgent and important this moment is that does not often come in history as a chance. We are very aware, based on the experience we had with Romania's accession to the European Union, how important it is to always be everywhere, to talk to all strata of society, with all the thoughts coming from civil society and the economic environment to the political one. The West's understanding of our part of the world is very little. Less than we could imagine in such a connected world of communication. Very little is known, very little is understood about the mechanism of this corner of the world. We are very happy to make it known. We do not have a mandate of 4 years, nor 8, nor 12. It is given by the One Above, not by the voters. So we are very happy to do this day by day, as we did for our country when it entered the EU. In our visits we would like to support the accession to the EU," Prince Radu stressed.

Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, paid a visit to Chisinau on Friday, together with His Royal Highness Prince Consort Radu, during which they had a series of meetings with officials from this country.
The NATO Battle Group in Romania has a new commander, Colonel Alexandre Feligonde, the Romanian Land Forces announced.

The change of command ceremony, between the commander of the 8th Parachute Regiment of Marine Infantry, colonel Cristophe Degand, and the commander of the 1st Armored Regiment (1st Chasseur Regiment), colonel Alexandre Feligonde, took place on Friday, at the headquarters of the Getica National Joint Training Center from Cincu, Agerpres informs.

The event took place in the presence of the Chief of Staff of the Land Forces, Major General Iulian Berdila, and the Commander of the Multinational Command of the Southeast Division, Brigadier General Dorin Toma.

The Romanian NATO Battle Group was established starting in May, by transforming the allied multinational elements within the NATO Response Force, deployed in our country.

The establishment of battle groups in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary is part of the set of measures adopted by NATO to strengthen the deterrence and defense posture in the medium and long term, as a result of the military conflict triggered by the Russian Federation in Ukraine.

At France's proposal to take over the role of the framework nation, the French battalion deployed in Romania, considered the spearhead of NATO's Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), currently forms the Battle Group for Collective Defense (CDBG) on the national territory, integrating, relationally, effectives of Belgium and the Netherlands. The main forces of the CDBG are deployed in the National Joint Training Center Getica in Cincu, where they will carry out missions and training activities, together with structures of the Romanian Army.
Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca on Friday stated that following talks in Brussels, the conclusion was reached that "adjustments" need to be operated on the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), while showing that there is no time for renegotiation, because it would mean a waste of time and resources, told Agerpres.

"Basically, after all these discussions, the result, the conclusion is that we need to make some adjustments, since we don't have time for renegotiation, because it would mean a loss of both time and resources and, basically, the commitment to implement this PNRR and to do it in such a way that we can achieve the full absorption of financial funds, from grants and loans, will not be achieved 100pct. As such, our commitment is to do everything possible, so that together with the technical staff from the ministries, those who are coordinating reforms and the technical staff from the Commission, we agree and manage to find those solutions to ensure the fulfillment and implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan," Ciuca said at the beginning of the Government meeting.

He said that there was a discussion "in principle" about the ceiling of 9.4pct of GDP assumed by the PNRR for pensions.

"I agreed with the president [Ursula von der Leyen - editor's note] that this indicator can be replaced by indicators of fiscal discipline, based on the World Bank study, and the technical details related to the manner in which it will be done will be established at the level of the specialist committees," said the PM.

Regarding decarbonization, it was agreed that, in the current context, it is necessary to take measures at the level of the European Union to ensure energy security, the head of the Government mentioned.

"Romania has coordinated and will continue to coordinate with the European Commission in all the decisions that have been taken and will be taken in the future in order to be able to guarantee energy security and in this way, according to its own plan regarding decarbonization, on December 31 we will be able to stop production at two energy groups, each of 300 mW. These two groups, as we agreed, could be placed as technical backup, so that they will be available to be restarted as many times as it will be needed to ensure energy and balance of the system," said Ciuca.

The Prime Minister stated that during his visit to Brussels, elements of transport infrastructure were also discussed.

"Basically, all these discussions were agreed in the sense that changes within the PNRR can be technically agreed. And here I come and present an example. Under the PNRR, we undertook to complete the M4 subway line, while keeping in mind that this is not yet a mature project and there is not enough time for it to be completed by 2026, which means that there is a possibility that this line can be replaced by another, which can be completed and ensure the absorption of the money," explained Nicolae Ciuca.
President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu expressed on Friday her gratitude for the involvement and support of the Royal House of Romania for Moldova's EU accession bid.

The meeting this Friday between President Maia Sandu and Custodian of the Crown of Romania, Her Majesty Margareta, focused on Moldova - Romania relations, as well as on the complicated situation the Republic of Moldova and the entire region are going through.

Maia Sandu took this opportunity to thank for Romania's continuous and generous support to the Republic of Moldova, to help it withstand the crises, Agerpres informs.

"I also expressed gratitude for the involvement of the Royal House of Romania in promoting in the European capital cities our aspirations for Euro integration. We felt this involvement when we acquired EU candidate status, we further count on the support of the Royal House in the next steps towards accession. European integration is our chance to remain part of the free world," Maia Sandu emphasized, as cited in a release.

According to the cited source, the Moldovan head of state also discussed with Her Majesty Margareta about education, health and social projects backed by the Royal House of Romania, and voiced appreciation for the Crown Custodian's openness to promoting investments and strengthening bilateral economic ties.

"I strongly believe that these virtual bridges will be joined by the real bridges that we will build over the Prut River, bringing our countries and citizens even closer," President Maia Sandu also said.

Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania, and her spouse Prince Radu are on a visit to Chisinau on Friday.
AGERPRES special correspondent Daniela Malache reports: His Royal Highness Prince Consort Radu paid a visit to the "Alexandru cel Bun" Armed Forces Academy in Chisinau on Friday, where he had a meeting with a delegation led by the commanding rector of the Academy, colonel Iurie Girnet, and the state secretary of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Moldova, Sergiu Plop, told Agerpres.

Discussions were held regarding the perspectives of collaboration between the Royal House of Romania and the Academy of Armed Forces in Chisinau and the educational spaces of the didactic-scientific subdivisions, the reading rooms of the library and the Linguistic Center of the Academy were visited.

On this occasion, rector Iurie Girnet presented the institution's missions, study process, scientific activity and international cooperation.

"The Military Academy has an active cooperation in the field of international cooperation. The Military Academy participates annually in national and international applications. We strive for the majority of students to participate in these applications, in order to gain experience in this field. We are members of the consortium of security and defense universities (...). Our students study in specialties that are few in the national army. We also have different academic mobility programs, especially with the military institutions in Romania," declared the rector.

Prince Consort Radu emphasized that nothing has changed regarding the attachment of the Royal House to the field of national defense.

"The Royal House has always seen the relationship with the army as probably the main link with the institutions of the country. These hundred years that have passed have never been simple, they have not been easy, but the Crown has not necessarily taken into account the political circumstances or military dangers. It was, as much as it could, loyal to the national identity, regardless of how the political configuration of the moment looks like. It was fortunate for the Royal House to have had King Ferdinand, Queen Maria or King Mihai," stated Prince Radu.

Prince Consort Radu also said that the National Defense University of Bucharest organizes twice a year, at the Elisabeta Palace, meetings with students who want to get the royal family's direct opinion on what the realities of the EU look like in the field of military and university education.

Such a link could also be established with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova.

Her Majesty Margareta, the Custodian of the Crown, is visiting Chisinau on Friday, together with Prince Consort Radu, having scheduled meetings with the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and the President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Grosu.
PSD (Social Democratic Party) leader Marcel Ciolacu on Thursday stated, in Craiova, that the energy price must be regulated, so that there will be one single price, and the governors must come up with a solid package for vulnerable householders, so that they can survive the winter, told Agerpres.

"I believe, as I said before, that energy and the price for energy must be regulated, we need to have one single price. For vulnerable householders, we must come up with a solid package to overcome this winter and this period of energy crisis, where again it is not our fault that someone signed to close certain production capacities. It is not our fault that certain measures were not taken at the right time or, when prices were liberalized, Romanians were told that they would see the price goes down. Look, it didn't go down, it went up," said Ciolacu.

He pointed thus to the moment when the Minister of Labour, Marius Budai, first announced the increase in pensions.

At the same time, Ciolacu stated that the PSD will never allow the Isalnita Thermal Power Plant to close and end up as scrap metal.

"I saw that there are all kinds of plans to switch to gas or photovoltaic generation. Very good, that's a very good thing. I saw instead this morning that in Germany a wind farm built in 2001 is now underway of dismantling, precisely to expand the exploitation of the lignite mine in the area. I don't know how good or bad the people in Germany are doing, but that means being dynamic, that means knowing what is happening in your country, that means having leaders who I make decisions in real time, I don't make decisions based on slogans or what someone else asks us to do," said the PSD president.

On the other hand, he referred to the law initiated by PSD that allows the construction of small hydropower plants in protected areas, which USR (Save Romania Union) challenged with CCR (Constitutional Court of Romania).
Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said on Friday that he discussed Romania's accession to the border-free Schengen area at meetings with European officials on his recent visit to Brussels, Belgium, adding that here are still things to be clarified bilaterally for the Netherlands to be convinced that Romania is meeting the conditions to be accepted in the border-free area, told Agerpres.

"We discussed the Schengen subject, which is currently being analysed at the level of specialist committees. We benefited from the findings of the verification commission that carried out its activity October 10-12, findings that were positive and allowed procedures to continue, so that we can have the meeting of the JHA Council and have an analysis as relevant as possible, based on merit, because Romania has done everything that was necessary to meet the requirements of the Schengen acquis. Romania will clarify bilaterally with the Netherlands aspects that are necessary so that it can convince them that it is really meeting the conditions to be accepted in the Schengen area. I would like to emphasise that we will continue to show the same openness and keep the dialogue open at the level of specialists, at the level of the management of the relevant ministries, so that we can transparently put on the table all the data that is needed to remove any doubt about what Romania has done in order to meet all these requirements," Ciuca said at the beginning of a government sitting on Thursday.

He added that on his visit to Brussels, the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism (CVM), under which Romania's progress with judiciary reform is monitored, was also discussed.

"As far as the CVM is concerned, we had a discussion, a discussion that was very well argued by Mr Predoiu, and I also presented the steps taken at the governmental level, at the parliamentary level, so that the laws will go through the entire process of public and parliamentary debate, be approved and to comply with all the requirements put forth by the Commission and be consistent with the requests that after the analysis the CVM will be lifted," Ciuca also said.
Her Majesty Margareta, the Custodian of the Crown, is paying a visit to Chisinau on Friday, together with His Royal Highness Prince Consort Radu, told Agerpres.

The visit takes place following a telephone conversation at the end of June with the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. In the then discussion, the support that the Romanian Crown has given, since 2013, to the effort of the Republic of Moldova to integrate into the European Union, as well as the historical link between the Royal House and the sister country was mentioned.

Also, the Custodian of the Crown and the President of the Republic of Moldova discussed concrete ways of continuing the support given by the Royal Family for the country's accession to the EU.

During Friday's visit to Chisinau, Her Majesty Margareta and Prince Consort Radu will have a series of meetings with the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, the President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Grosu, and Colonel Iurie Girnet, the rector (commander) of the ''Alexander the Good" Armed Forces Academy.
As many as 439 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, down 39 from the previous day, with over 11,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Friday, told Agerpres.

Of the new cases, 95 were in re-infected patients, who tested positive more than 90 days after the first time they recovered from the disease.

Most of the newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in Romania since the previous reporting were recorded in Bucharest City - 116, Timis County - 23, and Cluj County - 18.

The highest 14-day notification rate is in Bucharest City - 0.87, followed by Cluj County - 0.65.

As of Friday, 3,285,833 cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Romania.

- Hospitalisations -

As many as 775 people with COVID-19, up four from the previous reporting, including 53 minors, are hospitalised in Romania at specialist care facilities.

Out of the total number of hospitalised patients, 103 are in intensive care, including three minors.

Of the 103 patients admitted to ICU, 92 are unvaccinated against COVID-19.

- Deaths -

According to the ministry, five Romanians, two men and one woman, are reported dead in the last 24 hours.

Of the five deaths, one was recorded in the age group 50-59 years, one in the age group 60-69 years, one in the age group 70-79 years and one in the age group over 80 years.

All deaths were in patients with comorbidities, and two deaths was in a vaccinated patient.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 67,179 people diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania.
Romania's population reached 21.943 million people on July 1, 2022, by domicile, down by 0.5pct against July 1, 2021, according to data provided by the National Statistics Institute (INS), published on Friday.

According to the INS, the urban population and the female population are in the majority (56.2pct and 51.2pct, respectively). The phenomenon of demographic aging has grown, with the elderly population of 65 years and over surpassing the young population of 0-14 years by 672,000 people (3.860 million compared to 3.188 million people), told Agerpres.

On July 1, 2022, the urban residential population counted 12.337 million people, down from July 1, 2021 (0.6pct). The female population on July 1, 2022 counted 11,234 million people, down by over 51,000 people compared to the same date of the previous year.

The demographic aging process has grown compared to July 1, 2021, by the increase (by 0.2 percentage points) of the share of the elderly population (65 years and over) and by the slight decrease (by 0.1 percentage points) of the share of young people (0-14 years).

The demographic aging index increased from 119.3 (on July 1, 2021) to 121.1 elderly people per 100 young people (on July 1, 2022).

The average age of the population was 42.1 years, 0.1 years higher than on July 1, 2021. The median age was 42.6 years, an increase of 0.2 years compared to July 1, 2021.

On July 1, 2022, the largest share in the total population was held by the 50-54 age group (9.0pct). Among males, the share of this age group was 9.2pct, and among females 8.8pct. The share of the 0-4 year old group was 4.6pct, lower than that of the 5-9 year old group (4.8pct) and the 10-14 year old group (5.1pct).
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) awarded a 14 million US dollars grant to support RoPower Nuclear SA (RoPower), the Project Company for the development of small modular reactors (SMR), recently established by Nuclearelectrica and Nova Power&Gas, told Agerpres.

According to a release of SN Nuclearelectrica SA, the grant will be used for the front-end engineering and design (FEED) study to advance the development project of Romania's first SMR nuclear power plant.

"The preliminary study will include key project development elements such as a layout and plot plan for the site, a budget estimate, and an environmental impact analysis execution plan. The FEED study builds on a recently completed 1.2 million US dollars USTDA study that identified suitable sites, technology options, and a licensing roadmap for the SMR project. The FEED study will incorporate the recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) SEED (Site and External Events Design) mission requested by Nuclearelectrica in august 2022," according to the release.

CEO of Nuclearelectrica Cosmin Ghita said that through this new grant provided by the USRDA, Romania is seen as a trustworthy and experienced partner to implement the first SMR of Europe.

"The first power plant based on the NuScale SMR design is expected to begin operation in the United States by the end of the decade. The USTDA-funded FEED study will facilitate the deployment of this design to Romania by focusing on its adaptation to site-specific requirements at the preferred site Doicesti Power Station, which is the location of a former coal-fired power plant," the release informs.

Nuclearelectrica mentiones that the SMR plant, which would also be the first one in Europe, will contribute to the achievement of Romania's clean energy transition and energy security goals. RoPower, Nuclearelectrica's SMR project company, selected Oregon-based NuScale Power OVS, LLC, in order to carry out the FEED study. The U.S. Department of State contributed funding toward USTDA's grant award.
AWARDS

The following received Distinguished Alumni Awards from the University of Missouri-St. Louis:

Shawntelle Fisher, founder and CEO of The SoulFisher Ministries;

Steve Hamilton, chairman and CEO of CSI Leasing;

Dick Jung, author and former executive director of the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington;

Dawn King, a geodetic earth scientist at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency;

Marcela Manjarrez, former chief communications officer for Centene Corp.

Candace Hall, an assistant professor and graduate program director in the Department of Educational Leadership at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.

Barry-Wehmiller CEO Bob Chapman was awarded the Tharseo CEO of the Year Award by the Society for Human Resource Management Foundation.

EXPANDING

New Jersey-based Imperial Dade, a distributor of food service packaging and janitorial supplies, opened a new 40,000-square-foot logistics hub in Hazelwood.

HELPING OUT

Making an Impact Foundation, Impact Strategies charitable foundation, raised more than $20,000 at its first annual sporting clay event to support community groups focused on community, healthcare, education and children.

Bank of America awarded $270,000 in grants to 10 St. Louis nonprofits.

OPENINGS

Unleashed Fitness opened a new location:

516 South Fifth Street, St. Charles

Hi-Pointe Drive-In opened its spin-off restaurant, A Little Hi:

15069 Manchester Road, Ballwin

Urology of St. Louis opened a new location:

1343 North Service Road East, Warrenton

Visiting Angels of Greater St. Charles opened a new office:

3555 Veterans Memorial Parkway, St. Charles

PROJECTS

Affinia Healthcare and Gateway Region YMCA celebrated the groundbreaking of a new 15,000-square-foot health center in Ferguson. The facility is expected to open in 2023, with 23 medical exam rooms, four dental operating rooms and two behavioral health exam rooms.

Impact Strategies completed the interior build-out of 10 additional bedrooms for Covenant House Missouris short-term shelter program.
Matt Hancock, the U.Ks scandal-prone former health secretary, sought an unlikely form of redemption: attempting to win Im A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here  a grueling, often gruesome reality TV show set in the Australian jungle. Hancock led Britains response to COVID-19 in the first year of the pandemic, telling people to stay away from others to protect the health service, then breaking his Governments own rules, when video emerged of him kissing and groping an aide he was having an affair with. Viewers have upended expectations by voting Hancock through to the show's final, but he finished third.
Tony Messenger Tony Messenger is the metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Tony Messenger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Nobody is going to accuse U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming of being soft on crime.

Fleming, a Republican, has been the top Justice Department official in the Eastern District of Missouri since she was appointed to the job in December 2020 by then-Attorney General William Barr.

On Tuesday, the day after the deadly shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis, Fleming and other federal law enforcement officials joined Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and various faith leaders for a vigil. It was originally scheduled to honor the 100 young people lost to gun violence in St. Louis since 2019. But the tragic death of 15-year-old Alexzandria Bell at her school elevated the events somber tone.

Heres what Fleming said about gun violence:

Prosecution alone is not the answer. We need more gun safety education. I think thats quite obvious.

Theres nothing particularly earth-shattering about that statement. But consider both the source and the context. Sitting a few spots from Fleming was Jones. As mayor, shes been vocal about using some money previously dedicated to police budgets to reduce poverty. She wants more resources to address mental health. She pushed to reduce the jail population. Shes also talked about increasing pay for police officers, as well as other city employees. Jones, a Democrat, has repeatedly praised the law enforcement response to Mondays shooting as brave, fast, courageous.

How might some of Jones critics respond if she had been the one to say prosecution alone is not the answer? What if U.S. Rep. Cori Bush said it? Or Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner?

The words would still ring true, but the response might depend on ones opinion of the messenger.

Thats what makes discussions of law enforcement so difficult. Narratives are generalized. People retreat into their camps or bubbles. Nuance is frowned upon.

School shootings, however, provide a different lens to evaluate such issues. The horror of children mowed down by bullets scares us all. We imagine our own children, in our own schools, wherever they are, in that situation. We ask why. We are grateful for lives saved. We are unified in our unbridled desire for schools to be safe harbors  though we still divide when it comes to the solutions.

It struck me while sitting in the interfaith service with Fleming and Jones that there is much we can learn watching leaders of Christian, Catholic, Jewish and Muslim traditions laboring to find common ground.

The most minor of differences within organized religions can lead to splits. So when people with completely different worship traditions get together to learn from each other and pray together, there is a powerful unifying spirit at play.

Had Bell been shot in the streets of south St. Louis, and her assailant then shot by police, imagine how different the headlines and community response would have been. Rising homicides would have been blamed on Jones. A quick police trigger might have been criticized. The Back the Blue vs. Defund the Police debate would have spun on repeat, with people not actually talking to each other. But because it was a school, a place where we all share a common experience, the tragedy in many ways brings us together.

There were several heroes at Central Visual and Performing Arts that kept the body count low, starting with health teacher Jean Kuczka, who gave her life to protect her students. Teachers, administrators, students and security guards put into practice the intruder trainings that are now sadly commonplace in schools. St. Louis police applied the lessons first taught after the Columbine shooting in 1999, the ones theyve trained on multiple times, the same lessons not followed recently by officers in Uvalde, Texas.

Now comes another hard part: responding to the multiple mental health needs in the community. Not just the needs at one high school, but at dozens, where the trauma will run high for a period of time as St. Louis recovers from the tragedy.

Those services, by the way, will cost money, just as the gun locks that Flemings office donated to try to reduce gun violence do. That money has to come from somewhere, and elected officials of good faith will have to work together to figure out how to help a community heal while making sure a strong police response can be replicated when the next tragedy occurs.

Providing for the public safety of St. Louisans takes more than prosecution. Fleming is right about that. It takes loving teachers, courageous cops, empathetic mental health workers, better gun safety, strong neighborhoods, communities of faith  and all of these disparate groups working in concert.

That last part might be the biggest challenge of all.
ST. LOUIS  A man was charged with murder Wednesday in connection to a fatal September shooting on the St. Louis riverfront.

George D. Gholston, 30, of St. Louis, was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder and two weapons offenses in the Sept. 5 killing of Nicholas Taylor.

Taylor, 30, of Ferguson, was shot multiple times at 48 North Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard, just north of the Gateway Arch.

Charging documents allege that Gholston shot Taylor in the back of the neck as Taylor was walking away from a confrontation. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Surveillance footage shows Gholston's car driving away from the area, charging documents say.

At least one witness also identified him in a photo lineup as the shooter, according to court documents.

Two others, a 25-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman, were also shot in the altercation, police said at the time.

Gholston was denied bail Thursday.

He has a prior felony conviction for second-degree robbery from 2010, according to court records.
ST. LOUIS  A Ferguson man was sentenced on Thursday to life in prison for second-degree murder.

In addition to murder, Teraz L. Bateman, 25, was found guilty of first-degree robbery and two counts of armed criminal action by a jury on Aug. 31.

Co-defendant Earl Payne, 24, entered a not-guilty plea in September and had his bond revoked by a judge. A 17-year-old was also charged in the homicide, but his juvenile records are not public.

The victim in the case was Charles W. Lagrone III, 22, who prosecutors say was shot and killed in a botched drug deal on Aug. 9, 2019 in the 5000 block of Goodfellow Boulevard.

Prosecutors say Bateman set up the drug deal and had two others rob Lagrone.

On Thursday, Bateman said he was wrongly convicted and planned to appeal, according to a press release from the 22nd Judicial Court.

He was on probation at the time for charges including tampering with a motor vehicle, unlawful use of a weapon and marijuana possession.

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris contributed to this article.
ST. CHARLES COUNTY  St. Charles County has agreed to settle for about $850,000 two lawsuits from county attorneys contending they were sexually harassed by former police Chief David Todd.

Associate County Counselor Holly Magdziarz and Assistant County Counselor Megan E. Murray filed separate suits in 2020 claiming the former chief for years made sexually explicit comments, sent vulgar text messages and inappropriately touched them at work.

The county agreed to settle Magdziarzs case for $450,000 in August, according to documents released this week through a public records request.

The county settled Murrays case in June 2021 for $350,000, plus eight months of continued pay and benefits while she was on leave worth more than $50,000, according to the settlement.

The county did not admit fault in either case.

Mary Enger, a St. Charles County spokeswoman, said in a written statement that the county denies all allegations of wrongdoing.

Given the nationwide increase in sexual harassment cases against high-profile figures, and the risks inherent in any litigation, the county was directed by its insurance company to settle this case, Engers statement reads.

The statement continued: We work to maintain a safe environment, and provide mandatory harassment training for all county employees.

Todd was in county law enforcement for 42 years, becoming the first chief of the newly formed St. Charles CountyPolice Department in 2014. He resigned in February 2020.

Magdziarz and Murray were assigned legal work related to the department or the former sheriffs department, according to their lawsuits.

Magdziarz claimed in the suit that when she was 8 months pregnant, Todd introduced her to members of a regional SWAT team and said, Boys, this is Holly. Get a good look at her and make sure its not yours.

She also alleged Todd said the police department was lucky to have such a smart lawyer, but smoking hot doesnt hurt either.

Murrays suit said Todd sent text messages with sexually explicit images, discussed her sex life and told her to sleep with a rich man to pay for breast implants.

One of Todds texts said, I see breasts in your future, according to her suit.

Both lawsuits said the women alerted other officials about Todds conduct, including County Executive Steve Ehlmann and Director of Administration Joann Leykam, as well as current and former county counselors. None put a stop to the conduct, the lawsuits claimed.

Magdziarzs suit also alleged that a former county counselor made demeaning comments about women and that after she complained to leaders, the county removed case files from her computer and blocked her access to others.

Attorneys for Todd did not reply to a request for comment Thursday. His annual salary upon retirement was $141,271.

In 2019, St. Charles County settled a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission case from longtime police officer Stephanie Fisk for $500,000.

Magdziarz was represented by attorneys with Dobson, Berns & Rich. Murray was represented by attorney J.C. Pleban, who said Thursday that his client was satisfied with the settlement.
The teen who carried out the fatal shootings Monday at a St. Louis high school had a list of names he planned to target, wanted to be the deadliest school shooter in U.S. history and planned his assault for weeks, he wrote in a notebook that police found in his car after the attack.

Orlando Harris, 19, said in the notebook that he knew he had mental health problems but felt that none of the medical professionals he worked with was taking his concerns seriously.

Harris killed two people and injured seven others in the attack at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School and Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience.

He began his assault about 9:10 a.m. Monday, armed with an AR-15-style rifle and about 600 rounds of ammunition. Less than 20 minutes after he entered the campus at South Kingshighway and Arsenal Street, he was killed by police.

Physical education teacher Jean Kuczka, 61, and sophomore Alexzandria Bell were killed in the attack.

The notebook contained a lengthy account of Harris intentions and planning, sources told the Post-Dispatch. It also included:

 A list of names he wanted to target. Neither Kuczka nor Bell were named on the list. Harris graduated from CVPA in May.

 Harris was aware of his mental problems, but felt that none of the mental-health professionals he had worked with was taking his concerns seriously.

 Harris was vying to be the deadliest school shooter in U.S. history and was aware of the possibility that he could die as a result of the attack.

 Harris had begun a countdown that began at least three weeks before the shooting, with days specifically noted in descending order.

Police are investigating the fact that the AR-15 Harris used in the attack  which had been taken from him and given to a third party  ended up back in Harris possession and then placed in a storage facility.

The gun was removed on Oct. 15, nine days before the school attack, from Harris house in the 7000 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in south St. Louis. His mother had found it at the house and wanted it removed.

Harris family had been increasingly worried about his mental state in the weeks leading up to the attack, police said, and at one point had him committed.

St. Louis police maintain that the department did not have the authority to take the gun because Missouri does not have a red flag law that would have allowed confiscation.

The police who responded to the call from Harris mother supervised the transfer of the gun to a third person, known to the family. That person took the gun away from the house.

The gun somehow ended up back in Harris possession. Police are looking into the possibility that Harris put it in a nearby storage facility, returning to retrieve it sometime before the shooting.

An employee at the Extra Space Storage in Shrewsbury on Friday referred questions to a company spokesperson. Harris had rented a small unit there. Security footage captured him returning to the facility a few days after he rented it.

A spokesperson for Extra Space said the company turned over the footage to the FBI, referred all questions to the agency, and said guns and ammunition are not allowed to be stored at company facilities.

FBI descended on the facility later Monday morning  just a few hours after the shooting.

St. Louis police declined to comment about the contents of the notebook or the involvement of a storage facility.

The Post-Dispatch also has reported that the AR-15 used in the attack was bought from a private dealer after an FBI background check blocked his attempted purchase from a licensed dealer in St. Charles.

Involuntary commitment to a mental health institution is one of the triggers that can block the purchase of firearms at licensed dealers.
FERGUSON  Reality hit home for Cadena Brim and her daughter Veronica Russell, a senior at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School.

Russell was shocked and distraught after her classmate and a teacher at her school were killed in a mass shooting by a former student on Monday on the CVPA and Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience campus. Brim encouraged her daughter to write it all down, and she did.

Russell transformed her thoughts, feelings and emotions into a letter outlining her outrage with Missouri gun laws directed to U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and St. Louis Public Safety Director Dan Isom.

Russell hadnt received a response, but accepted a request to participate on Bushs gun violence and school safety town hall at St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley on Thursday. As a panelist listening to the conversation about bullying, she stood and read her letter.

What exactly have we gained from the use of assault rifles? The deaths of innocent children, the deaths of animals, terrorist attacks, fear and nothing more, said Russell, to applause. Do you think that St. Louis deserves another stain on its history?

The Democratic congresswoman sought to shift responsibility to Republicans who oppose gun restrictions in the U.S. Senate and at the state level.

I am going to implore everyone thats in our state Legislature that has made the decision that they do not want to tighten up on our gun laws, I am asking that you come and speak that to our youth, Bush said. Come and meet with them in their faces and tell them that you will not tighten up and tell them why.

Other high school students from St. Louis-area schools participated in the panel and said they wanted more resources dedicated to mental health. A counselor on the panel recommended mandatory mental health classes in schools.

New York Rep. Jamaal Brown, who serves as vice chair for the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor, moderated the second panel, where some school officials highlighted their new approach to bullying and safety such as restorative justice, a practice when an offender and victim meet.

Another school administrator said counseling was added to their schools suspension process because sending students home for infractions was not solving the problem.

When a question asking if the solution to mass school shootings was arming teachers with guns, panelists said no. St. Louis Public School board member Alisha Sonnier said it would be traumatizing, and pointed out another influence on school violence.

You cannot have school safety if you dont have community safety, Sonnier said.

We really have to get to a place as a world and society that we see that guns are the problem and not the solution.

A moderator posed an audience question about cost effective activities for youths to express themselves physically and emotionally.

Russell yelled out from the front row of the audience: Thats what Central was! she said.

It should not have taken my school for you all to understand that this is a problem, Russell said. No words could ever reiterate what the school meant to us before screams filled our classrooms and bullets flew through our halls.
The boy was hit in the leg. He told police he did not know exactly where he was when he was shot, and he did not know who shot him.
MARYLAND HEIGHTS  The plan to downsize the Archdiocese of St. Louis will cut more deeply than first reported, with at least half of the parishes slated to close.

The latest figures from the archdiocese, outlined at a series of parish listening sessions currently underway, show the number of parishes could drop from 178 to between 71 and 90.

In response to the reorganization plan  called All Things New by the archdiocese  a group of parishioners is planning to fight back.

More than 400 Catholics from Perryville, Mo., to Warrenton gathered recently at a hotel conference room at Westport Plaza to plot a response to the upcoming changes.

When the archdiocese announces the reorganization plan in May, these parishioners say they will be ready to appeal all the way to the Vatican under canon, or church, law.

Folks are waking up to learn more about their faith including canon law, said Ken Battis, who helped found stlcatholics.org in response to All Things New. We ought to be asking the question of why we have to make the most fundamental, sweeping changes in our history.

St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski intends to follow the requirements of canon law as promised when he took the Oath of Fidelity, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese said Friday.

Maps of potential mergers have been presented at listening sessions that started in mid-October at every parish, where attendees say many of their questions have gone unanswered. Feedback from the listening sessions and a follow-up survey of parishioners will be reviewed by archdiocesan leaders between January and April before final decisions are made, according to the spokeswoman.

Archdiocesan leaders have said the downsizing is necessary as both the number of Catholic faithful and the priests to serve them have dwindled in recent decades. But parishioners have emerged from the meetings upset by the maps showing changes for virtually every church.

A few of the proposed changes include:

 Converting St. Gianna in Wentzville to a Hispanic parish, to attract Spanish-speaking Catholics from around St. Charles County without geographic boundaries. The archdiocese cited a new meatpacking plant with 1,300 jobs coming to Warren County as a factor in the decision.

 Merging St. Ambrose, in the Hill neighborhood of St. Louis, with at least three other parishes including St. James the Greater in Dogtown, Epiphany of Our Lord in Lindenwood Park and St. Joan of Arc in North Hampton.

 Reducing parishes in north St. Louis County from 21 to six or seven; and the nine parishes in north St. Louis city down to two or three.

 Slashing parishes in rural counties  the area roughly composed of Ste. Genevieve and Perry counties will drop from 14 parishes to two or three; the border area of Franklin and Warren counties will be reduced from 16 parishes to as few as four.

The changes are dramatic, in part, because the archdioceses goal for each parish is a minimum of 1,800 Catholic households with an average weekend mass attendance of 1,000. Currently, many parishes are much smaller.

Efforts elsewhere

After hearing the proposals, local Catholics met last week with canon law advisers from Ohio-based St. Joseph Foundation, who recommended that the group organize parish by parish to defend their viability.

Resisting a plan to merge or close parishes can take several forms  including protests or vigils, civil lawsuits and appeals to Vatican courts.

Once the parish mergers are announced, appeals have to be filed within 10 days with the process taking as long as 12 years. There have been some successes including a 2012 ruling by the Vatican to reopen 28 parishes in the Midwest and East Coast.

The movement to save U.S. parishes got a boost in 2020 when the Vatican published guidance that says a lack of priests, declining finances or demographic changes in a diocese are not legitimate reasons for closing a parish.

But efforts by parishioners to overturn a bishops decision regarding closures have more often failed, including yearslong vigils at nine Boston churches. St. Frances X. Cabrini in Scituate, Massachusetts, was the last to fall in 2016 after a 12-year vigil by parishioners and a legal battle that ended when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case, according to the National Catholic Reporter.

Another Ohio group fighting parish closures, FutureChurch, points to St. Stanislaus Kostka Polish Catholic Church in north St. Louis as an example of a pathway to survival independent of the archdiocese.

During a previous reorganization of St. Louis parishes in 2003, St. Stanislaus refused to turn over its property to the archdiocese. The archbishop at the time, Raymond Burke, removed the congregations archdiocesan priests and declared the church in schism. The priest who came to St. Stanislaus from the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau was excommunicated.

A lawsuit from the Archdiocese of St. Louis followed, which ended in 2012 with a decision for St. Stanislaus as the legal owner of the church. Assistant pastors at the 250-member church now include a married woman and two married men, including one who is gay.

It is clear that there is a great need to begin discussion of best ways for reserving vital parishes until such time as the Vatican finally accepts the need to open ordination to all those called to it, reads the Save Our Parish Community toolkit from FutureChurch, which supports allowing lay pastoral leaders in the short-term and married men and women in the long-term to fix the priest shortage.

Similar parish reorganizations have already been implemented in other cities and states, including Making All Things New in 2014 led by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York and Ballwin native.

In St. Louis, All Things New has been met with rallies and vigils for nearly a year from groups like Save Rome of the West, with the latest on Saturday in front of Archbishop Mitchell Rozanskis residence in the Central West End.

Canon law for closing or selling church property is separate from the rules for parishes. Churches can be demolished or relegated to profane but not sordid use, which is generally taken to mean nothing immoral or scandalous.

Essentially we cant stop a parish closure from happening, we cant even stop a merger from happening, (but) we can keep the churches in the hands of the people, said Jason Bolte of Save Rome of the West. This is not Starbucks. This was given for the sole purpose of giving glory and honor to God.

The last major restructuring across the Archdiocese of St. Louis came in 2005, when 31 parishes were closed. In all, 116 parishes have closed since 1883. The most recent was Holy Trinity in St. Ann in 2020. The Holy Trinity property sold in March for $656,000 to Jubilee World Community Church, according to St. Louis County records.

Separate plans for consolidating Catholic grade schools will be announced in January, but the fight to save schools is also underway. Rosati-Kain and St. Marys high schools in St. Louis, slated for closure in May, are hosting open houses this week to recruit freshmen classes for fall 2023.

A group of more than 500 supporters recently formed the nonprofit Rosati-Kain Forever to develop a five-year plan to keep the school open in the Central West End.

The group has asked for Rozanskis blessing to reopen as the independent Catholic school Rosati-Kain Academy.

Originally posted at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28.
Credit alert reader Jonathan Fisher for calling us out in a letter to the editor Monday for what he regarded as a reversal of editorial policy regarding Amendment 3 on the Nov. 8 ballot. Fisher contrasted our current position  that legalization of recreational marijuana should be left to the Legislature instead of embedding it in the state constitution  with our position in 2018 when legalization of medical marijuana was on the ballot. We supported the 2018 measure by saying that a constitutional amendment would prevent the Legislature from meddling with it.

Was that a flip-flop? It was, and yet it wasnt. But Fisher was right to raise the question as to why we failed to explain the apparent reversal.

The issue is whether changes in law are best carried out by the Legislature after thoughtful deliberation versus amending the state constitution by popular vote. The advantage of letting lawmakers debate and pass laws is that they can go back and make the necessary tweaks when a laws inevitable shortcomings become apparent. When an amendment is passed by a statewide vote, it becomes part of the constitution and can only be changed by yet another statewide popular vote.

Rare is the law in Missouris history that has not needed some kind of legislative tweak, and its almost certain that Amendment 3 will need adjustments. Had the legalization measure been offered as a statewide ballot proposition, it would have been subject to subsequent legislative fixes. Instead, as an amendment, it would be etched in stone.

The writers of such amendments typically include provisions in the full version of the measure that arent detectable in the radically condensed version that appears on the ballot. That was exactly the case in 2018 when Missourians approved Amendment 2 to legalize medical marijuana. Only afterward did it become apparent that the measure would empower (and enrich) certain special interests.

Once burned, twice shy. This years Amendment 3 also contains fine-print provisions apparently designed to serve special interests over the general public. Thats why were urging voters to reject this amendment  yet demand that the Legislature finally pass its own legalization measure.

In 2018, we wrote that the issue isnt about marijuana, but our Legislature  which has a history of arrogantly reversing ballot propositions voters pass but that legislators dont like. If voters legalize medical marijuana via Prop C, lawmakers could reverse it because its a mere statutory change. But both amendments would legalize it by changing the state constitution, tying legislators hands.

We took it on faith that the sponsors of the 2018 Amendment 2 had pure intentions. We were wrong and have spent subsequent years calling them out for sneaking that measure past voters. The same interests are behind this years measure. We wont be fooled again, and Missourians shouldnt either.
Regarding "Teacher and teen killed in shooting at south St. Louis high school. Suspect is dead." (Oct. 25): One of people who died at the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School shooting was a teenage girl, just like me. She went to school 20 minutes away from where I do.

I am mourning, angry and exhausted. I believe not one member of Congress grew up having to do active shooter drills at his or her school. I have  since kindergarten. You would think that maybe after the Capitol riot last year, members of Congress would understand how scary it is, how mentally draining it is, to feel unsafe in the place you go every single day.

Sens. Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley should work on passing the Protecting Our Kids Act. This act (along with passing many more key gun control measures) would ensure no one under the age of 21 can purchase a firearm. The gunman at the CVPA shooting was 19. If this law had been passed, that teenage girl might be alive today.

Celia Ross  Richmond Heights
The Rev. Rodrick Burton was watching television with his wife as news broke of the shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School south of Tower Grove Park. His phone rang.

It was St. Louis Alderwoman Pam Boyd.

"They need clergy," she told him.

Burton rushed to the school to see what he could do. St. Louis police Maj. Ryan Cousins found him and asked him to pray with Keisha Acres, the mother of Alexzandria Bell, the 15-year-old student killed by the gunman. Burton told the story Tuesday evening at an interfaith gun safety vigil that had been planned long before St. Louis added its name the growing list of cities that have suffered through school shootings. Leaders from a variety of faiths gathered at Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church to remember the more than 100 children lost to gun violence in St. Louis since 2019.

They were there, in part, to recognize our shared responsibility for the crisis.

"It is we who have allowed this to happen," said Maharat Rori Picker Neiss, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis. "We have failed our children."

Bell is the latest victim, and because of the attention given to school shootings, perhaps the most prominent.

"What was most shocking to me is something the mother said to me," Burton recalled Tuesday night. "She said, 'All I want right now is all of my daughter's belongings.'"

Shortly after Acres' daughter was slain on the floor of a school building, the weight of her death had set in. Her mother wanted to hold her daughter's things and keep them close.

It's a helpless feeling, shared by parents of children from Littleton, Colordao, to Newtown, Connecticut. It's an emotion felt by all communities that have their names turned into social media hashtags.

"I feel helpless," Mayor Tishaura O. Jones told the gathering.

It's a statement that fit the moment but is striking for its vulnerability. Jones leads a city that regularly deals with gun violence, and now she has to deal with the microscope that follows a school shooting.

She's heard from mayors whose cities are on the same list that St. Louis has joined. They've shared the playbook on how a mayor deals with what is to come.

Missouri, though, is diffierent than some of those places, Jones said Tuesday night, because the state has among the weakest gun safety laws in the country.

The mayor often finds herself at war with state political leaders over how to deal with violence in the city. The problem is guns, Jones has said often, but there are few legislative tools the leader of the state's economic engine has at her fingertips  other than to do what the faith leaders were doing at this event: preach gun safety.

The churches, synagogues and mosques in the city will have access to more than 500 gun locks, most of them donated by the U.S. Attorney's office and the ATF. They are tools that will prevent the occasional unintentional shooting, such as one last month, when 21-monthold Khori Patterson found an unsecured firearm in his parents' home and shot and killed himself.

Pushing gun safety is one thing the mayor's office, in conjunction with the interfaith leaders and groups like Moms Demand Action, can do to try to make a difference, to put faith into action.

"Gun violence is a public health crisis," Jones said.

And that's the same whether it's a child playing with a gun at home, a child not being safe in their school, or a child mowed down in the cross-fi re of bullets that are too often a staple of life in some neighborhoods.

So it was for Xavier Usanga last year, one of the names and faces at the vigil that faith leaders asked St. Louisans to remember. Xavier was 7 when he was shot and killed in his backyard while he played with his sisters. He was killed by a stray bullet, but that made his death no less tragic than the others.

Janice Munier, a Catholic nun, recalled Xavier's smile as she urged those at the vigil to turn mourning to action, to "stir up the courage" to tackle gun violence in St. Louis.

Like the St. Louis police officers who charged toward gunfire on Monday, Jones and the faith leaders encouraged us to find the bravery to do what we can, one gun lock or one gun safety law at a time.

"The time for talk is over," said Monsignor Dennis Stehly, the vicar general of the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis. "The time for action is now."
Is Event Streaming Ready for AR?

How prepared are general participants in business meetings, fundraising events, or product launches for encompassing various forms of Augmented Reality (AR)? Chris Pfaff, CEO, Chris Pfaff Tech Media, Producers Guild of America (PGA), VR AR Association (VRARA), speaks with Beth Norber, Director of Accounts, Mainstream Media about some of the challenges her organization is facing in terms of getting their clients up to speed with incorporating AR, VR, and the overall umbrella of Extended Reality (XR) immersive experiences into their event streams.

What are you doing in terms of the hybrid, sort of XR and the 2D world? Pfaff asks Norber. Is that more of a demand for you now?

There are many clients that are asking for the AR and there are some specific platforms that are particularly well suited for this, Norber says. Sometimes we're layering in some elements of VR. Those are largely for some of the in-person events on the AR side using platforms [such as] spacial.io and gather.town. However, she notes that these events dont scale very well, especially depending on the client and the budget. I think that it really is the gaming companies, the Amazons, the tech companies, the media companies that are on the leading edge of that for their events, she says.

Norber highlights that while the lines are becoming blurred between media events, product launches, and other types of events, the bread and butter presentations of their clientele such as business meetings and fundraisers may not be fully ready for XR integrations. I don't know that their audiences are totally open to some of that, she says. Yet they see it, they know it's out there. Are they ready for it themselves? Is the client ready for that, to think about such an immersive, integrated experience? We're trying to lead them there [using] baby stepsand accessibility is always, always, always at the forefront of our mind and our client's minds in terms of how accessible these types of experiences are. In terms of literally just internet speeds and some of the basics, right? But big brandsare leading the way.

And are you working with in-house agencies or are we talking more Fortune 1000 companies? Pfaff says. Because, of course, from an event standpoint, historically you've got some of the biggest (certainly in North America) companies like SAP and Salesforce and Oracle and Microsoft, a lot of classic enterprise software sales. Is that still the issue? Or have we seen more of a take up from, let's say, CPG companies?

I think it's still that the highest tier of companies is pushing the boundaries when it comes to these events, Norber says. They're the ones that can do those big, branded events, co-branded with the YouTubes or the Fortnite or the big headline artist. That is going to be that biggest draw. But she says that some smaller companies are willing to take the financial and technological risks involved with incorporating XR. It is definitely something that feels really exclusive, feels really in demand for a certain clientele, she says. And again, it'll trickle down to I think most of the events that we're all seeing on a daily basis.

Learn more about AR in streaming events at Streaming Media West 2022.

Watch full-session videos from Streaming Media Connect 2022.

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Mr. Larssen continued, "Our partner is ambitious, delivers quality and has significant financial resources to pursue its objective of becoming a major supplier of foodstuffs in their region. With this agreement, we will become the de-facto design, construction management and post-commissioning service provider on all of their intended projects. This is a major partnership for us that will have us be busy for many years to come."

New York

The Company recently announced it had completed its first harvest in New York with its partner Hempire. The harvest has now been pre-processed. Our cannabis will now be further processed into vapes and edible products, to be sold to social equity dispensaries. As mentioned, the Company is in discussions with many of the applicants, with licenses anticipated to be granted shortly.

Terry Booth, CEO stated "This marks a very important Milestone for AUDACIOUS, our focus on the east coast is now being executed."

LOOS - Continues to Sell Out

The Company's shot brand, LOOS, continues to do well in California, driven by the quality of its offering, as well as the fact that the Company's products are available through EAZE, the world's largest legal cannabis delivery service. The most recent product batch has now sold out, with a new product run planned shortly. Additionally, the Company has engaged with a new distributor, YBL, who were behind the Kwikeaze shot brand achieving market leadership.

Anthony Bendana, LOOS co-founder, commented, "With the switch to YBL and new planned production runs, we are well positioned to target the number one market position in shots in California. We already are building strong brand recognition, and with these new developments, we should be well positioned to grow, not only in California, but also in other jurisdictions as the Company continues to expand."

Mr. Natural

The Mr. Natural brands most recent production run was the largest to date & is expected to be sold out shortly. Both the RSO and flower products have been in great demand with veterans and other medical cannabis consumers suffering from P.T.S. and similar conditions. The Company is sourcing new raw material suppliers to scale up sales of the Mr. Natural brand in order to meet continuously growing demand.

Funding

The Company announced a funding relationship with LDA in December 2021. While the Company has utilized some of the facility, it has switched gears to secure alternative sources of capital, including the recently announced credit facility provided by Terry Booth-owned Lola Ventures.

Terry Booth, CEO, commented, "I have nothing but good to say about our funding partners at LDA. They have come through for us on the terms discussed. However, the nature of the instrument is such that we were able to secure terms better suited for our shareholders at this time. The Company is also pursuing other major sources of capital to accelerate our growth. We are grateful to the LDA team and do not exclude further collaboration with them in the future."

In addition, the Company is pleased to announce it has expanded its facility with Lola Ventures to provide funding of up to $4 million, the previous facility was $2.5 million.

Cease Trade Order

The Company is still under a Cease Trade Order. An update from our Audit team says the financial reporting required is progressing in a satisfactory manner. The company will keep shareholders informed with respect to its late filings.

About AUDACIOUS

AUDACIOUS is a next-generation MSO growing the cannabis industry of tomorrow from the ground up, led by industry pioneer Terry Booth and an accomplished management team with proven industry track records. With operations that range from providing industry-leading sustainable cultivation design and optimization to retail storefronts, growing flower in-house, and manufacturing award-winning brands, AUDACIOUS has products and solutions for everyone. Quickly expanding through innovative partnerships and collaborations, AUDACIOUS is forging the inclusive cannabis community of tomorrow, today. Learn more about AUDACIOUS here.

Terry Booth, CEO

[email protected]

For further investor information, please contact:

Marc Lakmaaker

T: +1.647.289.6640

[email protected]

[email protected]

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute "forward-looking information" withinthe meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. 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. Forward looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the Company's continued ability to satisfy the information guidelines set out in NP 12-203, the duration of the MCTO and the completion and anticipated timing of the Company making the Annual Filings and Interim Filings.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including, without limitation, information based on the current state of the Annual Filings and Interim Filings; the Company's belief that its external auditor will complete its audit and release its audit opinion in a timely manner that will allow the Company to file the Annual Filings; that the unaudited financial statements prepared by management of the Company will not differ materially from audited financial statements once available; and the ability of the Company's management to execute its business strategy, objectives and plans. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties arising from any delay in filing the Annual Filings and Interim Filings; the Company's ability to satisfy the requirements of NP 12-203; the revocation of the MCTO and replacement with a cease trade order; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's operations and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release represent the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities regulations.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Australis Capital, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:
VANCOUVER BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 27, 2022 / World-Class Extractions Inc. (CSE:PUMP)(FRA:WCF)(OTCQB: WCEXF) (the "Company" or "World-Class"), is pleased to report the operating and financial results for its year ended April 30, 2022.

Highlights

 The Company was an innovation-driven company previously operating through its wholly-owned subsidiary Soma Labs Scientific Inc. ("Soma Labs") based in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia and partially-owned subsidiary, Pineapple Express Delivery Inc. ("PED") based in Burlington, Ontario. Soma Labs was a designer, manufacturer, and supplier of extraction and processing equipment and solutions. PED specializes in compliant and secure delivery of government regulated products, including legal cannabis delivery within select provinces in Canada and liquor delivery in certain jurisdictions in Saskatchewan. During the year ended April 30, 2022 both Soma Labs and PED were disposed of. See Note 4 of the audited financial statements recently posted on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com for more details relating to the dispositions.

 At the annual general and special meeting of the Company held on April 29, 2022, the shareholders approved a special resolution to change the Company's business. The proposed change of business would refocus the Company's business operations from a cannabis and hemp company to an investment company focused on the raising of money and investing in the cannabis and cannabis related sectors without getting involved in the mind and management of the investee companies. The proposed change of business is subject to regulatory approval.

Financial (audited)

 General and administrative expenses for the year ended April 30, 2022 were $1,058,711 compared to $2,217,748 for the year ended April 30, 2021, a decrease of 52%.

 The Company had cash as at April 30, 2022 of $2,534,189 (April 30, 2021 - $2,377,635) and current assets of $2,696,164 (April 30, 2021 - $4,615,345) to settle current liabilities of $215,749 (April 30, 2021 - $5,027,537).

 The net loss and comprehensive loss for the year ended April 30, 2022 was $8,219,850 (as compared to April 30, 2021 of $4,486,318). $6,603,721 of the $8,219,850 can be attributed to the loss from continuing operations.

Rosy Mondin, CEO of World-Class stated: "Management is currently strategically re-positioning the Company to capitalize on the opportunities ahead in the pursuit of shareholder value. Upon regulatory approval, World-Class intends to operate as investment company focused on investing in the cannabis and cannabis related sectors."

On August 15, 2022, World-Class announced (the "Default Announcement") that, for reasons disclosed in the Default Announcement, the filing of the Company's audited financial statements for the financial year ended April 30, 2022, and the related management's discussion and analysis, and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer certificates (collectively, the "Annual Filings") would not be completed by the prescribed deadline of August 29, 2022.

As a result of this delay in filing of the Annual Filings, the Company's principal regulator, the British Columbia Securities Commission, granted a temporary management cease trade order (the "MCTO") to the Company on August 30, 2022. The MCTO prohibits all trading by the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, and such other directors, officers and persons as determined by the applicable regulatory authorities, in securities of the Company until the MCTO is revoked. As the Company's has now filed the Annual Filings, it will apply to the British Columbia Securities Commission for a Revocation Order of the MCTO.

About World-Class Extractions Inc.

World-Class is an innovation-driven company and has been approved by its shareholders to change its business from a company focused on the cannabis industry to that of an investment issuer with a focus on the life sciences industries (the "Proposed Change of Business"). Subject to regulatory and Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") approval with respect to the Proposed Change of Business, World-Class intends to focus its business on investing in private and public companies with strong intellectual property, exceptional management and high growth potential that may be strategically positioned in the global market.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

WORLD CLASS EXTRACTIONS INC.

Rosy Mondin

Chief Executive Officer

[email protected]

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release, which has been prepared by management.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "achieve", "could", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "outlook", "expect", "project" and similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes or that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements in respect of the Company's ability to obtain approval from the CSE for the Proposed Change of Business, statements relating to expected benefits of the Proposed Change of Business to the Company and its shareholders or statements relating to the completion of the Proposed Change of Business and direction of the business and future plans or prospects of the Company following the Proposed Change of Business.

Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management of the Company at the date the statements are made based on information then available to the Company. Various factors and assumptions are applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to and involve a number of known and unknown variables, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Such factors, among other things, include regulatory and other approvals or consents; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and political and social uncertainties.

No assurance can be given that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. The Completion of the Proposed Change of Business and subject to a number of conditions, including the CSE acceptance and approval. The transaction cannot be completed until the required approvals has been obtained. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Additional information regarding risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's business are contained in the Company's management discussion and analysis filed on its issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the listing statement to be prepared in connection with the Proposed Change of Business, any information released or received with respect to the Proposed Change of Business may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative.

SOURCE: World Class Extractions Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:
LIMA, Peru--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. (Buenaventura or the Company) (NYSE: BVN; Lima Stock Exchange: BUE.LM), Perus largest publicly-traded precious metals mining company, today announced results for the third quarter (3Q22) and nine-month period ended September 30, 2022. All figures have been prepared in accordance with IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) on a non-GAAP basis and are stated in U.S. dollars (US$).

Third Quarter 2022 Highlights:

3Q22 EBITDA from direct operations was US$ 22.2 million, compared to US$ 39.5 million reported in 3Q21.

3Q22 Operating Cash Flow reached US$ 16.1 million, compared to US$ -464.3 million in 3Q21. The 3Q21 Operating Cash Flow figures include a US$ 544.2 million payment to SUNAT, the Peruvian tax authority.

3Q22 net loss was US$ 19.8 million, compared to a US$ 91.9 million net loss for the same period in 2021.

3Q22 exploration at operating units increased to US$ 20.7 million, compared to US$ 17.1 million in 3Q21. This increase was aligned with the Companys revised strategy to increase its focus on exploration in order to extend LOM.

Buenaventuras cash position reached US$ 288.0 million as of September 30, 2022. Net Debt decreased to US$ 448.1 million with an average maturity of 3.6 years.

3Q22 capital expenditures were US$ 37.2 million, compared to US$ 23.9 million for the same period in 2021. 3Q22 CAPEX includes US$ 5.2 million related to the San Gabriel Project and US$ 7.3 million related to the Yumpag Project.

Construction related activities at San Gabriel are gradually and progressively resuming. Buenaventura has therefore updated its CAPEX guidance for San Gabriel and now expects this to reach approximately US$ 65.0 million by year end 2022.

Financial Highlights (in millions of US$, except EPS figures):

3Q22 3Q21 Var 9M22 9M21 Var Total Revenues 195.4 220.4 -11% 578.4 647.1 -11% Operating Income -20.0 -13.6 47% -52.0 -16.6 213% EBITDA Direct Operations 22.2 39.5 -44% 396.3 144.6 174% EBITDA Including Affiliates 78.2 171.3 -54% 669.8 511.9 31% Net Income -19.8 -91.9 -78% 535.1 -39.3 N.A. EPS -0.08 -0.36 -78% 2.11 -0.15 N.A.

(*) As of September 30, 2022, Buenaventura had a weighted average number of shares outstanding of 253,986,867.

For a full version of Compania de Minas Buenaventura Third Quarter 2022 Earnings Release, please visit: https://www.buenaventura.com/en/inversionistas/reportes-trimestrales/2022

CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION:

Compania de Minas Buenaventura will host a conference call on Friday, October 28, 2022 to discuss these results at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time / 10:00 a.m. Peru Time

To participate in the conference call, please dial:

Toll Free US:

+1-844-282-4460

Toll International:

+1-412-317-5611

Passcode:

Ask to be joined into the Compania de Minas Buenaventuras call.

Webcast:

https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=ePiv0NsG

If you would prefer to receive a call rather than dialing in, please register via the following link. Please use this option 10-15 minutes prior to conference call start time:

Call Me Link: https://hd.choruscall.com/?callme=true&passcode=&info=company-email&r=true&b=9

Passcode: 6916745

Participants who do not wish to be interrupted to have their information gathered may have Chorus Call dial out to them by clicking on the above link, filling in the information, and pressing the green phone button at the bottom. The phone number provided will be automatically called and connected to the conference without any interruption to the participant. (Please note: Participants will be joined directly to the conference and will hear hold music until the call begins. No confirmation message will be played when joined.)

Company Description

Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. is Perus largest, publicly traded, precious metals company and a major holder of mining rights in Peru. The Company is engaged in the mining, processing, development and exploration of gold and silver and other metals via wholly owned mines as well as through its participation in joint exploration projects.

Buenaventura currently operates several mines in Peru: Tambomayo*, Orcopampa*, Uchucchacua*, Julcani*, La Zanja*, El Brocal and Coimolache.

The Company owns 19.58% of Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde, an important Peruvian copper producer.

For a printed version of the Companys 2021 Form 20-F, please contact the investor relations contacts on page 1 of this report or download the PDF format file from the Companys web site at www.buenaventura.com.

(*) Operations wholly owned by Buenaventura

Note on Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and related conference call contain, in addition to historical information, forward-looking statements including statements related to the Companys ability to manage its business and liquidity during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Companys results of operations, including net revenues, earnings and cash flows, the Companys ability to reduce costs and capital spending in response to the COVID-19 pandemic if needed, the Companys balance sheet, liquidity and inventory position throughout and following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Companys prospects for financial performance, growth and achievement of its long-term growth algorithm following the COVID-19 pandemic, future dividends and share repurchases.

This press release may also contain forward-looking information (as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that involve risks and uncertainties, including those concerning the Companys, Cerro Verdes costs and expenses, results of exploration, the continued improving efficiency of operations, prevailing market prices of gold, silver, copper and other metals mined, the success of joint ventures, estimates of future explorations, development and production, subsidiaries plans for capital expenditures, estimates of reserves and Peruvian political, economic, social and legal developments. These forward-looking statements reflect the Companys view with respect to the Companys, Cerro Verdes future financial performance. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors discussed elsewhere in this Press Release.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221027006192/en/

Contacts in Lima:

Daniel Dominguez, Chief Financial Officer

(511) 419 2540

Gabriel Salas, Head of Investor Relations

(511) 419 2591 / [email protected]

Contact in NY:

Barbara Cano

(646) 452-2334 / [email protected]

Company Website: www.buenaventura.com

Source: Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A.
BETHESDA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Enviva Inc. (NYSE: EVA) (Enviva), the worlds leading producer of sustainably sourced wood biomass, today issued the following statement in response to a public letter from 550 global scientists sent to the Presidents of the European Commission, European Parliament, and European Council outlining numerous climate benefits of woody biomass and sustainable forest management:

Enviva applauds 550 global scientists for their letter highlighting the important role that woody biomass from sustainably managed forests can play in climate change mitigation, delivering a fossil fuel-free energy future, and maintaining healthy forests. This includes sustainably sourced woody biomass from healthy forests in the U.S. Southeast. The views of these highly respected scientists align with Envivas mission and approach to fighting climate change, and we appreciate their public stance.

Importantly, as the EU progresses its discussions on the Renewable Energy Directive, we believe these expert perspectives, based on science and deep expertise in forest management and ecology, will help inform the policy debate surrounding the use of woody biomass in meeting the EUs climate targets.

Enviva remains committed to responsible forest stewardship and supplying sustainably sourced wood bioenergy, providing our customers the opportunity to reduce their lifecycle carbon emissions and address climate commitments.

The full letter, Scientist Letter regarding the need for climate smart forest management, is available here.

About Enviva

Enviva is the worlds largest producer of industrial wood pellets, a renewable and sustainable energy source produced by aggregating a natural resource, wood fiber, and processing it into a transportable form, wood pellets. Enviva owns and operates ten plants with a combined production capacity of approximately 6.2 million metric tons per year in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi, and is constructing its eleventh plant, in Epes, Alabama. The Epes plant is projected to add 1.1 million MTPY  approximately an 18% increase  to Envivas production capacity, and is expected to be the worlds largest wood pellet production plant once constructed. Enviva sells most of its wood pellets through long-term, take-or-pay off-take contracts with creditworthy customers in the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Japan, helping to accelerate the energy transition and to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors like steel, cement, lime, chemicals, and aviation fuels. Enviva exports its wood pellets to global markets through its deep-water marine terminals at the Port of Chesapeake, Virginia, the Port of Wilmington, North Carolina, and the Port of Pascagoula, Mississippi, and from third-party deep-water marine terminals in Savannah, Georgia, Mobile, Alabama, and Panama City, Florida.

To learn more about Enviva, please visit our website at www.envivabiomass.com. Follow Enviva on social media @Enviva.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221027006162/en/

Maria Moreno

[email protected]

+1-301-657-5560

Source: Enviva Inc.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- First BanCorp. (the Corporation) (NYSE: FBP), the bank holding company for FirstBank Puerto Rico, announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 per share on its outstanding common stock. The dividend is payable on December 9, 2022 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 25, 2022.

About First BanCorp.

First BanCorp. is the parent corporation of FirstBank Puerto Rico, a state-chartered commercial bank with operations in Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Florida, and of FirstBank Insurance Agency, LLC. Among the subsidiaries of FirstBank Puerto Rico is First Federal Finance Limited Liability Company, a small loan company. First BanCorps shares of common stock trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol FBP.

Safe Harbor

This press release may contain forward-looking statements concerning the Corporation. The words or phrases expect, anticipate, intend, look forward, should, would, believes and similar expressions are meant to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are subject to the safe harbor created by such sections. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Corporations ability to pay dividends on the Corporations Common Stock in any future periods. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and contingencies that may cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and contingencies include, but are not limited to the factors described in the Corporations most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, in its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Corporation undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements, except as required by securities laws.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005075/en/

First BanCorp.

Ramon Rodriguez

Senior Vice President

Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations

(787) 729-8200 Ext. 82179

[email protected]

Source: First BanCorp.
BOWLING GREEN, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Holley Inc. (NYSE: HLLY), the largest and fastest growing platform in the enthusiast branded performance automotive aftermarket category, today announced the date for the release of its third quarter 2022 financial results.

Third Quarter 2022 Results

Holley will host a conference call and live webcast on Monday, November 14, 2022, at 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss the Companys third quarter 2022 financial results. The Companys earnings release for the third quarter 2022 will be issued after the market closes on Monday, November 14, 2022, and will be available on the Investor Relations page of the Companys website at investor.holley.com.

Hosting the call will be Holley Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer, Tom Tomlinson, Interim Chief Financial Officer, Steve Trussell, and Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and New Ventures, Vinod Nimmagadda.

Date: Monday, November 14, 2022 Time: 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time Dial-In #: United States: 1-877-407-4019 (Toll Free) United States: 1-201-689-8337 (Toll) Access Code: 13733382

Alternatively, the conference call will be webcast at:

Event URL: https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=6NeEuBdr

For those unable to participate, a telephone replay recording will be available until Monday, November 21, 2022. To access the replay, please call 877-660-6853 (Toll Free) or 201-612-7415 (Toll) and enter confirmation code 13733382. A web-based archive of the conference call will also be available at the Companys website.

About Holley

Holley Inc. (NYSE: HLLY) is a leading designer, marketer, and manufacturer of high-performance products for car and truck enthusiasts. Holley offers the largest portfolio of iconic brands that deliver innovation and inspiration to a large and diverse community of millions of avid automotive enthusiasts who are passionate about the performance and personalization of their classic and modern cars. Holley has disrupted the performance category by putting the enthusiast consumer first, developing innovative new products, and building a robust M&A process that has added meaningful scale and diversity to its platform. For more information on Holley, visit https://www.holley.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221027006193/en/

Investor Relations

Ross Collins or Stephen Poe

Alpha IR Group

312-445-2870

[email protected]

Source: Holley Inc.
CUSIP #: 55608D101

Statement Pursuant to Section 19(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Macquarie Global Infrastructure Total Return Fund Inc. (NYSE: MGU) (the Fund), a closed-end fund, paid a monthly distribution on its common stock of $0.13 per share to shareholders of record at the close of business on October 21, 2022.

The following table sets forth the estimated amount of the sources of distribution for purposes of Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the related rules adopted thereunder. The Fund estimates the following percentages, of the total distribution amount per share, attributable to (i) current and prior fiscal year net investment income, (ii) net realized short-term capital gain, (iii) net realized long-term capital gain and (iv) return of capital or other capital source as a percentage of the total distribution amount. These percentages are disclosed for the current distribution as well as the fiscal year-to-date cumulative distribution amount per share for the Fund.

Current Distribution from: Per Share ($) % Net Investment Income 0.0000 0.00% Net Realized Short-Term Capital Gain 0.0000 0.00% Net Realized Long-Term Capital Gain 0.1300 100.00% Return of Capital or other Capital Source 0.0000 0.00% Total (per common share) 0.1300 100.00% Fiscal Year-to-Date Cumulative Distributions from: Per Share ($) % Net Investment Income 0.5565 38.59% Net Realized Short-Term Capital Gain 0.4024 27.91% Net Realized Long-Term Capital Gain 0.4831 33.50% Return of Capital or other Capital Source 0.0000 0.00% Total (per common share) 1.4420 100.00%

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this 19(a) Notice are only estimates and not for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Funds investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

Presented below are return figures, based on the change in the Funds Net Asset Value per share (NAV), compared to the annualized distribution rate for this current distribution as a percentage of the NAV on the last business day of the month prior to distribution record date.

Fund Performance & Distribution Information

Fiscal Year to Date (12/01/2021 through 9/30/2022) Annualized Distribution Rate as a Percentage of NAV^ 6.81% Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV^^ 6.29% Cumulative Total Return on NAV* (6.42%) Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5 Year Period Ending 9/30/2022** 2.31%

^ Based on the Funds NAV as of September 30, 2022.

^^ Cumulative distribution rate is the cumulative amount of distributions paid during the Funds fiscal year ending November 30, 2022 based on the Funds NAV as of September 30, 2022.

*Cumulative total return is based on the change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions for the period December 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022.

**The 5 year average annual total return is based on change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions and is through the last business day of the month prior to the month of the current distribution record date.

The payment of dividend distributions in accordance with the distribution policy may result in a decrease in the Funds net assets. A decrease in the Funds net assets may cause an increase in the Funds annual operating expenses and a decrease in the Funds market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Funds net asset value per share. The distribution policy may also negatively affect the Funds investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the dividend distribution. The distribution policy may, under certain circumstances, cause the amounts of taxable distributions to exceed the amount minimally required to be distributed under the tax rules, such excess will be taxable as ordinary income to the extent loss carry forwards reduce the required amount of capital gains distributions in that year. The Board of Directors has the right to amend, suspend or terminate the distribution policy at any time. The amendment, suspension or termination of the distribution policy may affect the Funds market price per share. Investors should consult their tax advisor regarding federal, state, and local tax considerations that may be applicable in their particular circumstances.

While the NAV performance may be indicative of the Funds investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholders investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholders investment in the Fund is determined by the Funds market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Funds shares in the open market. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Funds investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Funds Managed Distribution Plan.

Furthermore, the Board of Directors reviews the amount of any potential distribution and the income, capital gain or capital available. The Board of Directors will continue to monitor the Funds distribution level, taking into consideration the Funds net asset value and the financial market environment. The Funds distribution policy is subject to modification by the Board of Directors at any time. The distribution rate should not be considered the dividend yield or total return on an investment in the Fund.

The Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in the Fund involves risks, and the Fund may or may not be able to achieve its investment objective for a variety of reasons. The following summarizes some of the Funds risks but does not purport to be a complete listing of all of the risks. Investors should carefully review the Funds Prospectus and consult their own advisers.

The Fund is also subject to risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. Industry Concentration and Infrastructure Industry Risk. The Fund will be concentrated in the infrastructure industry, and will be more susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting that industry than a fund that is not concentrated in a specific industry. Non-U.S. Investment Risk. A majority of the Funds investments will be in non-U.S. issuers and a substantial portion of the trades executed for the Fund will take place on foreign exchanges. Investments in securities and instruments of non-U.S. issuers involve certain considerations and risks not ordinarily associated with investments in those of U.S. issuers. Emerging Markets Risk. In addition to non-US investment risk, investments in emerging markets may expose the Fund to heightened risks that may be more volatile than investments in developed markets. Use of Derivatives and Hedging. The Fund may use derivatives and employ a variety of hedging techniques. Derivatives can be illiquid, may disproportionately increase losses and may have a potentially large impact on the Funds performance. Certain of the investment techniques that the Fund may employ for hedging or to increase income or total return will expose the Fund to additional risks. Leverage Risk. The Fund expects to employ leverage as part of its investing strategy. The use of leverage will increase the volatility of the Fund and increase risk to investors. Any difficulty in maintaining the Funds leverage could cause a diversion of cash flow and/or require liquidation of some portion of the Funds portfolio. Restrictions imposed as a result of any leverage may directly or indirectly inhibit the Funds ability to take actions that otherwise may be taken in an unleveraged portfolio of similar assets.

Delaware Management Company is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Macquarie Group Limited (MGL). Other than Macquarie Bank Limited ABN 46 008 583 542 (Macquarie Bank), any Macquarie Group entity noted in this document is not an authorized deposit-taking institution for the purposes of the Banking Act 1959 (Commonwealth of Australia). The obligations of these other Macquarie Group entities do not represent deposits or other liabilities of Macquarie Bank. Macquarie Bank does not guarantee or otherwise provide assurance in respect of the obligations of these other Macquarie Group entities. In addition, if this document relates to an investment, (a) the investor is subject to investment risk including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and principal invested and (b) none of Macquarie Bank or any other Macquarie Group entity guarantees any particular rate of return on or the performance of the investment, nor do they guarantee repayment of capital in respect of the investment.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005339/en/

For further information, please contact:

Investor/Broker Inquiries

Tel: 866 567-4771

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.macquarieim.com/mgu

Media Inquiries

Lee Lubarsky

347 302-3000

[email protected]

Source: Macquarie Global Infrastructure Total Return Fund Inc.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- New Found Gold Corp. (TSXV:NFG | OTCQB: NFGFF) ("New Found" or the "Company") announces that the venue for its annual general meeting of shareholders (AGM) has been changed to Suite 2600, 595 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia. As previously published, the AGM will be held at 10:00 a.m. PT on Thursday, December 8, 2022.

The AGM will be convened with the minimum quorum of shareholders as stated in the by-laws of the Company. Social distancing measures will be in place; therefore, there will be limited space for shareholders to attend in person. In order to mitigate risks to the health and safety of the community, shareholders, employees, and other stakeholders, due to continuing concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, shareholders are encouraged to vote their proxy by mail, internet, or telephone and to listen to the live AGM via conference call using the dial-in number to be provided in the notice of meeting and management information circular.

Shareholders are reminded that there will be a number of voting methods available to them in advance of the AGM which will be outlined in the "Voting Instructions" section of New Founds management information circular which will be mailed to shareholders and be found on the Companys SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com and on the Companys website, https://www.newfoundgold.ca/investors/?tab-agm, on November 10, 2022.

The deadline to vote in advance of the AGM will be Tuesday, December 6, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. PT or not later than 48 hours before the time of any adjourned AGM (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays).

The Company will provide a dial-in number to the AGM so that shareholders or proxyholders can listen to the live AGM. Shareholders listening to the live AGM will only be entitled to vote by proxy and will only be counted in quorum if they send their proxies to the Company, as described above. The dial-in number for the live AGM is an accommodation for shareholders and proxyholders who wish to hear the live AGM without attending in person because of COVID-19.

About New Found Gold Corp.

New Found holds a 100% interest in the Queensway Project, located 15km west of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, and just 18km from Gander International Airport. The project is intersected by the Trans-Canada Highway and has logging roads crosscutting the project, high voltage electric power lines running through the project area, and easy access to a highly skilled workforce. The Company is currently undertaking a 400,000m drill program at Queensway, now approximately 71% complete. The Company is well funded for this program with cash and marketable securities of approximately $62 million as of October 2022.

Please see the Companys website at www.newfoundgold.ca and the Companys SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Contact

To contact the Company, please visit the Companys website, www.newfoundgold.ca and make your request through our investor inquiry form. Our management has a pledge to be in touch with any investor inquiries within 24 hours.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005118/en/

New Found Gold Corp.

Per: "Collin Kettell"

Collin Kettell, Chief Executive Officer

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +1 (845) 535-1486

Source: New Found Gold Corp.
AALST, Belgium--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

Ontex Group NV (BSE: ONTEX), a leading international provider of personal hygiene solutions, will release its Q3 2022 results at 07:00 CET / 06:00 GMT on Thursday, November 10, 2022. Management will host a webcast for investors and analysts on the same day at 13:00 CET / 12:00 GMT. Click on the link below to attend the presentation from your laptop, tablet or mobile device.

https://channel.royalcast.com/landingpage/ontexgroup/20221110_1

A replay of the webcast will be available at the same link shortly after the conclusion of the live presentation, and remain available on the same link for one year.

Would you wish to participate to the Q&A session at the end of the call, please contact [email protected] before the date of publication. Note that the Q&A session is restricted to professional investors and analysts only.

About Ontex

Ontex is a leading international provider of personal hygiene solutions, with expertise in baby care, feminine care and adult care. Ontexs innovative products are distributed in more than 110 countries through leading retailer brands, lifestyle brands and Ontex brands. Employing some 9,000 people all over the world, Ontex has a presence in 21 countries, with its headquarters in Aalst, Belgium. Ontex is listed on Euronext Brussels and is part of the Bel Mid. To keep up with the latest news, visit ontex.com or follow Ontex on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005418/en/

Enquiries

Investors Geoffroy Raskin +32 53 33 37 30 [email protected]

Media Maarten Verbanck +32 492 72 42 67 [email protected]

Source: Ontex Group NV
Company executives slated to speak at several notable insurance industry events

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Plymouth Rock Assurance proudly announces its string of continued recognition with insurance industry honors from Forbes, NU PropertyCasualty360 and The Insurance Library Association of Boston.

Plymouth Rock Celebrates Industry Recognition

Plymouth Rock Assurance was ranked 10th among 35 insurers in Forbes Americas Best Insurance Companies 2023 in the Auto Insurance Product category. This was Forbes second annual Statista survey of America's Best Insurance Companies where more than 15,000 participants evaluated their auto, renters, homeowners, term-life and permanent-life insurance providers. The companies were rated on overall satisfaction in the categories of financial advice, customer service, transparency, digital services, price/performance, damage/benefit and whether respondents would recommend the company to friends and family.

In August, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mary Boyd was named the 2022 Insurance Professional of the Year by The Insurance Library Association of Boston. Founded in 1887, The Insurance Library enriches the insurance and risk management community by preserving the history of insurance, offering unsurpassed research services, providing and supporting education, and facilitating engagement. In its 20th year, the annual Insurance Professional of the Year Award is presented to a person who demonstrates leadership and exemplifies qualities that engender an understanding of and respect for the risk management and insurance industry. Boyd was recognized at the 20th presentation of the Insurance Professional of the Year Award ceremony on October 28, 2022, at the InterContinental Boston. This recognition makes Boyd the youngest recipient of the award.

Additionally, Road Rewards, Plymouth Rock Assurances rewards-based safe driving program, has been named to NU PropertyCasualty360 Luminaries Class of 2022 in the category of technology innovation. The NU PropertyCasualty360 Luminaries program honors innovation in insurance. Honorees are selected based on their ability to bring fresh thinking and practices to some of the most impactful issues in the insurance industry. The technology innovation category honors companies that are pacesetters who push the industry forward in terms of digitization and modernization.

Plymouth Rock Leaders Sharing Insights Across the U.S.

On Tuesday, October 25, Howard Goldberg, Vice President of Customer Solutions, presented at Digital Insurance Connect, at the Hyatt Regency in Austin, Texas. The event is a private, invite-only event customized for senior-level digital marketing & CX leaders from North Americas top insurance companies, agencies and brokers. Goldberg joined a panel to discuss the Evolving Omnichannel Strategies to Engage the Modern Consumer, Improve Customer Experience and Drive Operational Efficiencies, alongside other industry thought leaders.

Second on her list of recent accomplishments, Mary Boyd was announced as the keynote speaker at Digital Insurances Women in Insurance Leadership Conference, being held November 8, 2022, at the Radisson Blu Aqua in Chicago, Illinois. The event honors the transformative women leaders who are bringing the industry into the connected future. Boyds keynote fireside chat will provide an in-depth conversation on Boyds career path, challenges and changes within the insurance industry.

Chief Product Officer of Plymouth Rock Home Assurance, Amanda Smith, will also be recognized at the conference as a Women in Insurance Leadership: Next 2022 honoree. The Women in Insurance Leadership: NEXT awards recognize up and coming female leaders in the insurance industry.

Weve experienced some truly exceptional success in 2022 and Im so proud of all of our recent industry recognition, said Mary Boyd, Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation President and CEO. Im honored to be named the 2022 Insurance Professional of the Year by The Insurance Library Association of Boston and am equally proud to be working alongside such an incredible team that continues to demonstrate why Plymouth Rock delivers More Than Just Insurance to our customers and agents. I'm excited to see what we can accomplish in 2023!

About Plymouth Rock

Plymouth Rock was established to offer its customers a higher level of service and a more innovative set of products and features than they would expect from an insurance company. Plymouth Rocks innovative approach puts customers convenience and satisfaction first, giving them the choice to do business the way they want  online, with a mobile app, by phone, or by contacting their Plymouth Rock agent. Customers can chat, text, or email to get answers quickly and easily. Plymouth Rock Assurance and Plymouth Rock are brand names and service marks used by separate underwriting, managed insurance, and management companies that offer property and casualty insurance in multiple states. Taken together, the companies write and manage more than $1.7 billion in auto and home insurance premiums across Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Each underwriting and managed insurance company is a separate legal entity that is financially responsible only for its own insurance products. You can learn more about us by visiting plymouthrock.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005389/en/

Media

Kerri Doherty

Public Relations and Communications Specialist

[email protected]

Office: 617-428-1495

Source: Plymouth Rock Assurance
Attleboro, MA manufacturing facility honored for reducing landfill waste

VERNON HILLS, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rust-Oleum has been honored with an Environmental Merit Award from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA New England selected Rust-Oleums manufacturing facility in Attleboro, Massachusetts, for making outstanding contributions to protect New England's environment.

Rust-Oleums plant in Attleboro is one of the world's largest refiners of seedlac, used to make shellac. Shellac, which comes from the secretions of an insect, does not release toxins or microplastics.

Among unavoidable wastes is "Red Mud," a residual consisting of portions of seedlac. Over 18 months, Rust-Oleum diverted almost a million pounds of this non-toxic waste to composting facilities instead of sending it to landfills. Composters were initially skeptical of this unfamiliar material, so a two-year testing program was implemented to alleviate any environmental impact concerns.

Tony Ferri, environmental health & safety manager at Rust-Oleum, led the project. He hopes Rust-Oleums success inspires other New England companies to reduce landfill waste and costs while promoting environmental stewardship in their communities.

The efforts on this project by Tony and his Attleboro team have resulted in the avoidance of more than 25 tons per month of landfill waste, which is remarkable, said Dave Herrington, vice president of environmental health & safety, RPM Consumer Group. This is a great accomplishment and shows our commitment to environmental stewardship.

The plant in Attleboro manufactures Zinsser B-I-N Shellac-Based Primers, among other products, and is one of 10 Rust-Oleum manufacturing facilities in the U.S.

For over fifty years, New England EPA's Environmental Merit Awards Program has honored teachers, citizen activists, business leaders, scientists, public officials, and others who have made outstanding contributions on behalf of the region's public health and natural environment.

About Rust-Oleum

For more than a century, Rust-Oleum has been a global leader in manufacturing innovative coatings that empower do-it-yourselfers and professionals alike across categories, including small project paints, cleaners, primers, automotive, industrial, high performance coatings and wood care. Its wide breadth of brands and products include such trusted names as Rust-Oleum, Stops Rust, Painters Touch, Universal, EpoxyShield, Varathane, Zinsser, Watco, MultiSpec, X-I-M, Krud Kutter, RockSolid, Wipe New, Testors, Seal-Krete, Modern Masters, Moldex, Whink, Miracle Sealants, Roto-Rooter, Mean Green, Concrobium, and Gator Finishing Products. Visit rustoleum.com for more information. Follow Rust-Oleum on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005395/en/

Vincent Pierri

847-997-6294

[email protected]

Source: Rust-Oleum
Rooted in shared values of racial equity, webinar series to support historically under-served entrepreneurs on journeys to start and grow their businesses

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Surdna Foundations Inclusive Economies Program and U.S. Small Business Administrations (SBA) Office of Womens Business Ownership announced today a three-part webinar series to support women of color entrepreneurs and business owners.

The webinar series, which kicks off on October 31, will expand access to resources and learning opportunities for women entrepreneurs on their journeys to start and grow their businesses. The webinars will spotlight lessons from seasoned thinkers and doers supporting entrepreneurs to navigate the start-up space as women of color. They will also offer information about the resources and technical assistance available to entrepreneurs through the SBA and other initiatives.

We are honored to partner with the Small Business Administration on this webinar series highlighting the wisdom and lessons of Surdnas visionary grantee partners, said Patrice R. Green, Director of the Inclusive Economies Program at the Surdna Foundation. We hope this series will help women of color entrepreneurs tap into resources to grow their businesses, learn together, and prevail against the headwinds of longstanding racial biases in our economy. Our goal is to help these entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of running a business so they can do what they do best: create new jobs, invigorate communities, and deliver outstanding products and services."

Mondays session, taking place from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. EST, will spotlight resources for Latinx and Hispanic women business owners. Each subsequent webinar will highlight the experiences of and support available to different communities that have been historically under-served. The webinars are free, and all interested parties are encouraged to attend. The upcoming webinar schedule is as follows:

Small business owners are pillars of our communities and key drivers of our economy. The SBAs leadership and nationwide team live out our mission each day by working collectively to advocate for small businesses and empower the spirit of entrepreneurship within every community, said Donald M. Smith, Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Womens Business Ownership at the SBA. The Office of Womens Business Ownership is proud to partner with the Surdna Foundation on this critical initiative to expand and deliver necessary resources to foster the participation of women entrepreneurs in the economy, especially those who have been historically under-served or excluded.

For more information on the webinar series and to register to attend, please visit our series page.

About The Surdna Foundation

The Surdna Foundation is a private, national family foundation that seeks to foster sustainable communities in the United States  communities guided by principles of social justice and distinguished by healthy environments, inclusive economies, and thriving cultures. Surdnas Inclusive Economies Program encourages the creation of an equitable economy in which people of color can maximize their potential as leaders, creators, and innovators across sectors. Learn more: https://surdna.org/programs/inclusive-economies/.

About The U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221027006213/en/

Amel Alyamani

[email protected]

(929) 567-4152

Source: Surdna Foundation
Results driven by higher global pulp prices, increasing sales volume and a favourable exchange rate

NEW YORK & SAO PAULO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Suzano, the worlds largest hardwood pulp producer, announces record quarterly results for the third quarter of 2022 (3Q22).

Net revenues R$14.2 billion, an 32% increase on 3Q21

Adjusted EBITDA of $8.6 billion, a 36% increase on 3Q21

Operating cash generation of R$7.2 billion, an 37% increase on 3Q21

Net income of R$5.4 billion versus a net loss of R$959 million in 3Q21

Strong pulp volumes during the quarter, while paper sales declined marginally Pulp sales totalled 2.8 million tons, a 5% increase on 3Q21 Paper sales totalled 331,000 tons, a 2% decline on 3Q21

Operating costs excluding downtime, were R$883/ton, an increase of 3% on 2Q22

These strong quarterly results mainly reflect Suzanos continued operational excellence and is supported by higher global pulp prices, increased sales volume and a favourable exchange rate. While Suzanos revenues were positively impacted by the FX rate during the period, the companys operating cash generation demonstrates strong resilience to rising input costs. As a result, the ratio of net debt to adjusted EBITDA ended the quarter at 2.1 times in US dollars, compared to 2.3 times at the end of 2Q22.

Walter Schalka, CEO of Suzano, commented:

I am very grateful to our workforces efforts which has helped deliver another successful and record-breaking quarter, supported of course by favourable market conditions. The cash generated throughout the period will allow us to continue executing on our ambitious long-term capital allocation strategy.

Since the beginning of the year to end of September 2022, Suzano invested R$11.2 billion. This falls in line with Suzanos full year 2022 capital expenditure guidance of R$16.1 billion. Moreover, the company has recently launched a third share repurchase programme and announced the acquisition of Kimberly-Clarks tissue business in Brazil.

These initiatives are in addition to others rolled out this year, including the distribution of R$1.8 billion as dividends to shareholders, a R$2 billion investment to acquire forestry assets, the disbursement of R$1.9 billion in share repurchase programmes, the intensification of environmental and social initiatives to fulfil its Commitments to renewing life, the creation of Suzano Ventures, and the construction of a textile fibre plant in Finland in partnership with Spinnova.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221027006180/en/

Hawthorn Advisors

Jamie Plotnek

[email protected]

Source: Suzano
BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Terreno Realty Corporation (NYSE: TRNO), an acquirer, owner and operator of industrial real estate in six major coastal U.S. markets, announced today that it has executed an early lease renewal for 66,000 square feet in Rancho Dominguez, California with a provider of third-party logistics in the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico. The lease, which was to expire in April 2023, will now expire May 2026.

Terreno Realty Corporation acquires, owns and operates industrial real estate in six major coastal U.S. markets: Los Angeles; Northern New Jersey/New York City; San Francisco Bay Area; Seattle; Miami; and Washington, D.C.

Additional information about Terreno Realty Corporation is available on the companys web site at www.terreno.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. We caution investors that forward-looking statements are based on managements beliefs and on assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. When used, the words anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, intend, may, might, plan, project, result, should, will, seek, target, see, likely, position, opportunity, outlook, potential, enthusiastic, future and similar expressions which do not relate solely to historical matters are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions and are not guarantees of future performance, which may be affected by known and unknown risks, trends, uncertainties, and factors, that are beyond our control, including risks related to our ability to meet our estimated forecasts related to stabilized cap rates, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, our tenants and the national and local economies, and those risk factors contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and our other public filings. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, estimated, or projected. We expressly disclaim any responsibility to update our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. Accordingly, investors should use caution in relying on past forward-looking statements, which are based on results and trends at the time they are made, to anticipate future results or trends.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221027006172/en/

Jaime Cannon

415-655-4580

Source: Terreno Realty Corporation
WESTLAKE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Charles Schwab Corporation today announced its Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz as a director, effective immediately.

Schwab-Pomerantz is currently a managing director at Charles Schwab & Co., leading the firms efforts across financial literacy, community service and philanthropy. She is also a recognized personal finance expert and author, known for her popular investing advice column Ask Carrie. She originally joined the firm in 1983 and began her tenure in client-facing and product roles. She has served as Board Chair of the Charles Schwab Foundation since 2014 and as Board Chair of Schwab Charitable since 2012. She is Chair of the National Board of Governors for Boys & Girls Clubs of America and serves on the Board of Directors of the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. She has advised two presidential administrations on financial literacy, as a member of the Advisory Council for Financial Capability under President Barack Obama and as an advisor to the Advisory Council for Financial Literacy under President George W. Bush.

We are fortunate to have Carrie join the Schwab Board, said Walt Bettinger, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Charles Schwab Corporation. She brings a life-long passion for helping both investors and communities thrive, as well as recognized expertise in guiding investors towards financial wellbeing  an important element of the firms long-term success.

Schwab-Pomerantz will serve on the Boards Risk Committee. She will join the class of directors whose term expires at the Companys annual meeting of stockholders in 2023. She will retire from her current executive role in the firm and step down as chair of the Charles Schwab Foundation and Schwab Charitable boards in the first half of 2023.

About Charles Schwab

The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE: SCHW) is a leading provider of financial services, with 33.9 million active brokerage accounts, 2.3 million corporate retirement plan participants, 1.7 million banking accounts, and $6.64 trillion in client assets. Through its operating subsidiaries, the company provides a full range of wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services to individual investors and independent investment advisors. Its broker-dealer subsidiaries, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., TD Ameritrade, Inc., and TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc., (member SIPC, www.sipc.org), and their affiliates offer a complete range of investment services and products including an extensive selection of mutual funds; financial planning and investment advice; retirement plan and equity compensation plan services; referrals to independent, fee-based investment advisors; and custodial, operational and trading support for independent, fee-based investment advisors through Schwab Advisor Services. Its primary banking subsidiary, Charles Schwab Bank, SSB (member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender), provides banking and lending services and products. More information is available at www.aboutschwab.com.

TD Ameritrade, Inc. and TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc. are separate but affiliated companies and subsidiaries of TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation. TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Charles Schwab Corporation. TD Ameritrade is a trademark jointly owned by TD Ameritrade IP Company, Inc. and The TorontoDominion Bank.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005078/en/

MEDIA

Mayura Hooper

Charles Schwab

Phone: 415-667-1525

INVESTORS/ANALYSTS

Jeff Edwards

Charles Schwab

Phone: 415-667-1524

Source: The Charles Schwab Corporation
PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

In accordance with Article 5 of EU Regulation n 596/2014 (Market Abuse Regulation), detailed information is available on the website of Tikehau Capital (Paris: TKO): https://www.tikehaucapital.com/fr/shareholders/regulatory-information

Name of the issuer Issuer Identity Code (LEI) Trading Day ISIN Aggregated

volume per

day (number

of shares) Weighted

average price

per day Market

(MIC Code) TIKEHAU CAPITAL 969500BY8TEU16U3SJ94 21/10/2022 FR0013230612 4,929 24.1935 XPAR TIKEHAU CAPITAL 969500BY8TEU16U3SJ94 24/10/2022 FR0013230612 4,874 24.8690 XPAR TIKEHAU CAPITAL 969500BY8TEU16U3SJ94 25/10/2022 FR0013230612 4,778 25.5156 XPAR TIKEHAU CAPITAL 969500BY8TEU16U3SJ94 26/10/2022 FR0013230612 1,228 25.9645 XPAR TIKEHAU CAPITAL 969500BY8TEU16U3SJ94 27/10/2022 FR0013230612 5,010 25.3820 XPAR TIKEHAU CAPITAL 969500BY8TEU16U3SJ94 27/10/2022 FR0013230612 233 25.2000 CEUX TOTAL 21,052 25.0472

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005160/en/

Tikehau Capital

Source: Tikehau Capital
Biohaven Ltd. (NYSE: BHVN) today announced advancements in the development of its MoDE extracellular target degrader platform technology licensed from Yale University for various disease indications, including, but not limited to, neurological disorders, cancer, infectious and autoimmune diseases.

In 2021, Biohaven entered into a worldwide, exclusive license agreement to develop and commercialize the MoDE platform based on ground-breaking research conducted in the laboratory of Professor David Spiegel at Yale University. Under the license agreement, Biohaven acquired exclusive, worldwide rights to Yale's intellectual property directed to its MoDE technology, which pertains to the clearance of disease-causing proteins and other biomolecules by targeting them for lysosomal degradation using multi-functional molecules.

Professor Spiegel commented: "Targeted protein degradation (TPD) has emerged as a promising and exciting therapeutic strategy, however, the majority of existing TPD technologies to date rely on the ubiquitin-proteasome system that targets intracellular proteins. To address this limitation, our lab developed MoDEs, a class of modularly designed, bifunctional synthetic molecules, which are capable of mediating the degradation of extracellular proteins through the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR). MoDE molecules mediate the formation of a ternary complex between a target protein and the ASGPR, which is expressed primarily on hepatocytes, and the target protein is then endocytosed and degraded by lysosomal proteases. The MoDE platform is differentiated from existing approaches, such as Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTAC), in that it does not rely on ubiquitin ligases, and allows for a broad range of targets to be degraded."

Through the novel approach, Professor Spiegel demonstrated the modularity of the MoDE technology by synthesizing bifunctional molecules that induce the degradation of both antibody and pro-inflammatory cytokine proteins. When initially published, the data obtained by the Spiegel Lab represented the first experimental evidence that non-proteinogenic, synthetic molecules could be employed for the TPD of extracellular proteins both in vitro and in vivo.

The MoDE platform discovered at Yale University is described in a peer-reviewed publication entitled "Bifunctional Small Molecules that Mediate the Degradation of Extracellular Proteins" (Nature Chemical Biology 2021, 17, 947953) and in various Yale University patent applications, including applications published as WO 2019/199621 and WO 2019/199634, both of whom are based on provisional applications filed in 2018. Subsequent to the Yale patent filings, others have referred to such multifunctional molecules for extracellular protein degradation as "ASGPR Targeting Chimeras" (ATACs) (see, for example, https://endpts.com/an-ra-backed-startup-atacs-a-novel-challenge-looking-to-spur-protein-degradation-outside-the-cell) or "Lysosome-Targeting Chimeras" (LyTACs) (see, for example, https://endpts.com/going-where-protacs-cant-versant-unveils-50m-bet-on-carolyn-bertozzis-lytac-tech-with-a-seasoned-biotech-exec-at-the-helm). Both Yale and Biohaven continue to expand the intellectual property portfolio underlying the platform with a series of new applications filed worldwide that disclose and claim various aspects of the multifunctional degraders and methods for their use. Since entering into the license agreement with Yale in 2021, Yale has filed more than eight additional patent applications covering this technology.
HIIs (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has been awarded a $2.4 billion U.S. Navy fixed-price-incentive contract for the detail design and construction of amphibious assault ship LHA 9. The award includes options, that if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to $3.2 billion. Ingalls was awarded the original long-lead-time material contract for the fourth ship in the America (LHA 6) class on April 30, 2020.

Ingalls shipbuilders are ready to build the Navys newest LHA, said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson. We understand how important this work is, and consider it an honor to be given the opportunity to deliver this capability to the fleet. We value our partnership with the Navy and all of our critical supplier partners.

Construction on LHA 9 is scheduled to begin in December 2022.

Ingalls has a long tradition of building large-deck amphibious ships that are operated by the Navy and Marine Corps. The shipyard has delivered 15 large-decks, including the Tarawa-class, LHA 1-5; the Wasp-class, LHD 1-8; and most recently the America-class, LHA 6 and LHA 7. The third of the America-class, Bougainville (LHA 8), is currently under construction.

The America-class is a multi-functional and versatile ship that is capable of operating in a high density, multi-threat environment as an integral member of an expeditionary strike group, an amphibious task force or an amphibious ready group. LHA 9, like Bougainville, will retain the aviation capability of the America-class design while adding the surface assault capability of a well deck and a larger flight deck configured for F-35B Joint Strike Fighter and MV-22 Osprey aircraft. These large-deck amphibious assault ships also include top-of-the-line medical facilities with full operating suites and triage.
By Sabrina Valle

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp on Friday smashed expectations as soaring energy prices fueled a record-breaking quarterly profit, nearly matching that of tech giant Apple.

Its $19.66 billion third-quarter net profit far exceeded recently raised Wall Street forecasts as skyrocketing natural gas and high oil prices put its earnings within reach of Apple's $20.7 billion net for the same period.

As recently as 2013, Exxon ranked as the largest publicly traded U.S. company by market value - a position now held by Apple. Exxon shares rose 3% to $110.70, a record high that gave it a market value of $461 billion.

Oil company profits have soared this year as rising demand and an undersupplied energy market collided with Western sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. U.S. exports of gas and oil to Europe have jumped and promise to set all-time profit records for the industry.

The top U.S. oil producer reported a per-share profit of $4.68, exceeding Wall Street's $3.89 consensus view, on a huge jump in natural gas earnings, continued high oil prices and strong fuel sales.

"Where others pulled back in the face of uncertainty and a historic slowdown, retreating and retrenching, this company moved forward, continuing to invest," Chief Executive Darren Woods told investors. Its quarterly profits "reflect that deep commitment" as well as higher prices, he added.

Exxon led record gains among oil majors in the second quarter and has leapfrogged Shell Plc and TotalEnergies SE with earnings almost twice as big from continued bets on fossil fuels as competitors shifted investment to renewables. (Graphic: Exxon posts third quarter record-breaking results Exxon posts third quarter record-breaking results, https://graphics.reuters.com/EXXONMOBIL-RESULTS/zgvomxgdwvd/chart.png)

Exxon banked $43 billion in the first nine months of this year, 19% more than in the same period of 2008, when oil prices traded at a record level of $140 per barrel.

Earnings from pumping oil and gas tripled last quarter while profit from selling motor fuels jumped tenfold compared with year-ago levels. Natural gas sales to Europe and soaring demand for diesel fuel led the company's better-than-expected results.

"The refining businesses - both in the U.S. and international - was the star performer," said Peter McNally, an analyst at Third Bridge.

Those rising fuel profits have renewed calls by U.S. President Joe Biden for companies to invest the windfall from this year's energy price run-up in production rather than buy back their own shares.

Exxon will maintain its $30 billion share buyback through 2023 while increasing dividends, Chief Financial Officer Kathryn Mikells told Reuters. On Friday, it declared a fourth-quarter per-share dividend of 91 cents, up 3 cents, and will pay $15 billion to shareholders this year.

Exxon said its U.S. oil and gas production from the Permian Basin was near 560,000 barrels of oil and gas per day (boepd), a record. Production for the year will increase about 20% over 2021, said CEO Woods.

"We're optimizing and adjusting our development plans," he told analysts, with the full-year production gain below the 25% increase Exxon had forecast in February.

Results also were helped by an almost 100,000-boepd increase over the previous quarter in Guyana, where Exxon leads a consortium responsible for all output in the South American nation.

But its withdrawal from Russia reduced its overall production forecast for the year by about 100,000 barrels per day. Exxon said its Russian assets were expropriated.

"We are going to end up at about 3.7 million barrels a day for the full year," Mikells said, down from a 3.8 million bpd goal set in February.

(Reporting by Sabrina Valle; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa, Jonathan Oatis and Marguerita Choy)
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen at its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland March 24, 2021. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo/File Photo

By Saeed Azhar

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Credit Suisse Group's newly created investment bank, CS First Boston, will advise on mergers and acquisitions, raise capital for clients through equity and debt markets, and provide leveraged finance as part of its core offerings, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters."CS First Boston will be global with a presence in all regions where it has a competitive advantage," David Miller, global head of CS First Boston, wrote in a memo to staff.

The unit will be carved out of the Swiss lender.

"Over time, CS First Bostons structure will evolve to become an independent standalone investment bank, enabling it to attract third party capital and include employee ownership," Miller wrote. The move to become "an M&A boutique with capital markets expertise" will start immediately, he wrote.

The Swiss investment banking and capital markets business will be moved to the company's Swiss Bank to offer services in its home market, according to the memo.

Credit Suisse announced on Thursday it would raise 4 billion Swiss francs ($4 billion) from investors, cut thousands of jobs and shift its focus from investment banking toward rich clients as the bank attempts to put years of scandals behind it, sending its shares sliding.

The company's plan to scale back its investment bank and reallocate capital to its global wealth management business will involve substantial execution risk, according to Fitch Ratings.

However, if the restructuring is successful, it could make Credit Suisse's earnings less volatile, Fitch said. The bank has traditionally allocated a bigger share of capital to investment banking than its global peers, according to the ratings agency.

Ken Hao, chairman and managing partner of private equity firm Silver Lake, said it looks forward to working with CS First Boston.

"We have worked with the team at CS First Boston for many years, and they have provided innovative financing solutions for Silver Lake portfolio companies such as Dell, Alibaba and Broadcom," he told Reuters via email.

CS First Boston will maintain strong ties to Credit Suisse Group, according to the memo. The unit will work with the Swiss bank's markets business, particularly in cash equities, equity derivatives and securities research, it said.

It will also work closely with Credit Suisse's wealth management business to offer share-backed lending and structured credit to clients in Asia.

(Reporting by Saeed Azhar in New YorkEditing by Lananh Nguyen and Matthew Lewis)
FILE PHOTO: Rapper Kanye West makes a point as he holds his first rally in support of his presidential bid in North Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. July 19, 2020. REUTERS/Randall Hill

(Reuters) - Twitter-owner Elon Musk said on Friday that he did not have a hand in reinstating rapper Kanye West's account, which was suspended by the micro-blogging site earlier this month for posting anti-Semitic remarks.

The billionaire said Twitter had restored the account of the rapper, now known as Ye, before the completion of the social media platform's $44 billion takeover late on Thursday. "They did not consult with or inform me," Musk said in a tweet.

Ye, who has over 30 million followers on Twitter, has courted controversy in recent months by publicly ending major corporate tie-ups and making outbursts on social media against other celebrities.

On Oct. 8, Musk tweeted "Welcome back to Twitter, my friend!" when Ye posted on the platform for the first time in two years after his Instagram account was restricted for anti-Semitic posts. Twitter later locked his account and removed one of his posts.

Musk took ownership of Twitter with brutal efficiency on Thursday, firing top executives but providing little clarity over how he will achieve the ambitions he has outlined for the influential social media platform.

Musk, however, said on Friday that Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with "widely diverse viewpoints".

"No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes," he added.

Earlier in October, Ye agreed in principle to buy Parler, the social media platform popular among U.S. conservatives.

(Reporting by Nivedita Balu and Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Chavi Mehta; Editing by Maju Samuel and Anil D'Silva)
FILE PHOTO: Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu attends a ceremony to declare the annexation of the Russian-controlled territories of four Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, after holding what Russian authorities called refer

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday said that the "partial mobilisation" of 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine that Russia announced in September was complete, with tens of thousands of them already sent to the combat zone.

Speaking at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin broadcast on state television, Shoigu said: "The task set by you of (mobilising) 300,000 people has been completed. No further measures are planned."

Shoigu said that of the 300,000 mobilised reservists, 218,000 remained in training, while 82,000 had been deployed to the conflict zone, of which 41,000 were on active service with their units.

"I want to thank them for their dedication to duty, for their patriotism, for their firm determination to defend our country, to defend Russia, their homes, their families, our citizens and our people," Putin said.

In future, Shoigu said, recruitment for the Ukraine campaign would be based on volunteers and professional soldiers, rather than mobilising more of Russia's several million reservists.

Putin declared a "partial mobilisation" of 300,000 reservists on Sept. 21, after a series of military defeats saw Russian forces routed from east Ukraine's Kharkiv region and under increasing pressure in the southern Kherson region.

The move touched off an exodus of military age men from Russia, with tens of thousands heading for countries including Georgia, Armenia and Kazakhstan, which allow Russians to enter without visas.

Over 2,000 people arrested at anti-mobilisation protests across Russia. There was public outcry over cases of men being mobilised despite medical exemptions, or a lack of military experience.

Responding to Shoigu, Putin acknowledged problems with mobilisation, saying that they were "inevitable", and said that the Ukrainian campaign had shown the need for "corrections" to Russia's armed forces.

Putin said: "Based on the experience of conducting the special military operation, we need to think over and make corrections to the way all components of the armed forces, including the ground forces, are constructed."

Russia's armed forces have struggled in the eight months since Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine, in what Moscow calls the "special military operation".

Russian armed forces abandoned an attempt to seize Kyiv and other northern Ukrainian cities in April, before losing ground in the south and east to Ukrainian counter-attacks since August.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by John Stonestreet/Guy Faulconbridge)
FILE PHOTO: Twitter app is seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

CAIRO (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Holding Company and the private office of Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal said on Friday that they will continue their ownership of Twitter shares valued at $1.89 billion after Elon Musk's takeover of the social media company, according to a statement tweeted by Prince Alwaleed.

Elon Musk took ownership of Twitter Inc on Friday and the self-described free speech absolutist has said his desire is to see the company have fewer limits on content that can be posted on the influential social media platform.

Alwaleed's Kingdom Holding is 16.9% owned by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund chaired by crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal rose to international prominence after making a big successful bet on Citigroup Inc(C.N)in the 1990s and he was an early investor in Apple Inc.

The prince has also made hundreds of millions of dollars by investing in companies such as Uber Technologies Inc to Twitter Inc.

(Reporting by Lilian Wagdy, Writing by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by David Goodman and Louise Heavens)
CHATSWORTH, CA, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire  Cavitation Technologies, Inc. ("CTi" or the "Company") (OTCQB: CVAT), a leading ESG driven company, which designs and manufactures innovative flow-through nano-technology systems for fluid processing applications worldwide, is pleased to announce that it has appointed James W. Creamer III to the position of Chief Financial Officer effective October 21, 2022.

Jim has served as Chief Financial Officer for several publicly traded and private companies since 2005 following a fifteen-year investment banking career. Since 2011, Jim has been the Principle of Corporate Solution Advisors, LLC which offers outsourced, fractional CFO services to small, growth-oriented companies in various industries including technology, video game development, mining, oil & gas, and real estate. Between 1990 and 2005, Jim held positions as Vice President of Commercial Banking at Vectra Bank Colorado, Vice President of Investment Banking at J.P. Turner & Company, Director of Equity Research at Global Capital Securities and Vice President of Institutional Fixed Income Sales at Hanifen Imhoff, Inc.

Jim received a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Arizona State University and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

Neil Voloshin, CEO of Cavitation Technologies, Inc., commented, We are pleased to welcome Jim to the team as our new CFO. His experience and leadership will help the Company significantly at this critical time of our growth strategy.

About Cavitation Technologies, Inc.

Founded in 2007, the company designs and manufactures innovative flow-through devices and systems, as well as develops processing technologies for use in edible oil refining, renewable fuel production, water treatment, and alcoholic beverage enhancement. The company's patented Nano Reactor systems and various technologies have over 48 patents issued and filed both domestically and abroad. https://www.cvatinfo.com/.

Follow us on Twitter for real time updates: https://twitter.com/CavitationTech

Like us on Facebook to receive live feeds updates: https://www.facebook.com/ctinanotech

Forward Looking Statement

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "should," "potential," "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the Company's expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors including, among others, the state of the economy, the competitive environment and our ability to perform as anticipated and other factors described in our most recent Form 10-K and our other filings with the SEC, including subsequent periodic reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurances that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release will in fact transpire or prove to be accurate. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

Cavitation Technologies, Inc.8187180905[email protected]

Source: Cavitation Technologies, Inc
New Autism and IDD Care Awards recognizes professionals in the space making an impact - increasing access to care, improving quality care, and more.

Fort Lauderdale, FL, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CentralReach, the leading provider of Autism and IDD Care software, announced the winners of the companys first-ever Autism and IDD Care Awards at its 4th annual CR Unite Autism and IDD Care Conference, held October 24-27 in San Diego, California. The conference brought therapy providers, special educators, and supported employment agencies together for the first time to discuss the future of autism and IDD care at home, school, and work.

The Autism and IDD Care awards recognize outstanding professionals embracing technology to transform and scale autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) care. Honorees included therapy practice owners, clinicians, registered behavior technicians, special educators, supported employment professionals, and administrative staff.

As the prevalence rates of ASD continue to rise, so does the demand for quality care for individuals of all ages, said Chris Sullens, CEO of CentralReach. At this years conference, we recognized 86 influential leaders who use the CentralReach Autism and IDD Care Platform to provide imperative support to the individuals and families they serve. Congratulations to all the honorees who are creating lasting change and we look forward to seeing how they will continue to shape the future of care.

Four of the 86 honorees were also asked to participate in a panel discussion about their individual approaches to the autism and IDD care gap and how they were deploying ways to increase access to quality care. The panelists included were:

For a full list of this years Autism and IDD Care Award honorees, please visit: https://centralreach.com/about/autism-idd-care-awards/.

About CentralReach

CentralReach is the leading provider of autism and IDD care software, providing the only complete, end-to-end software and services platform that helps children and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) - and those who serve them - unlock potential, achieve better outcomes, and live more independent lives. With its roots in Applied Behavior Analysis, the company is revolutionizing how the lifelong journey of autism and IDD care is enabled at home, school, and work with powerful and intuitive solutions purpose-built for each care setting.

Trusted by more than 130,000 professionals globally, CentralReach is committed to ongoing product advancement, market-leading industry expertise, world-class client satisfaction, and support of the autism and IDD community to propel autism and IDD care into a new era of excellence. For more information, please visit CentralReach.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chalice Brands Ltd. (CSE: CHAL) (OTCQB: CHALF) (the Company or Chalice Brands), a premier consumer-driven cannabis company specializing in retail, production, processing, wholesale, and distribution, announces that its interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Richard Lindsay, has resigned his position. Mr. Lindsay joined the company in an interim contract role to help get the Company through the 2021 audit. He has accomplished the majority of the work related to the audit and accordingly has resigned his position.

I would like to thank Richard for his hard work as interim CFO of Chalice over the past few months. We wish him luck in all his future endeavors," commented Jeff Yapp, President and Chief Executive Officer of Chalice Brands.

Chalice Brands expects to announce the appointment of a new Chief Financial Officer in the near future.

About Chalice Brands Ltd.Chalice Brands is a premier consumer-driven cannabis company specializing in production, processing, wholesale, distribution and retail, with 16 owned dispensaries in and around Portland, Oregon. The Company is committed to developing a dynamic portfolio built around the recognized brands of Chalice Brands, including Chalice Farms, Left Coast Connection, Homegrown Oregon and Cannabliss & Co., with a focus on health and wellness. Visit investors.chalicebrandsltd.com/ for regular updates.

Investor Relations:John VargheseExecutive ChairmanChalice Brands Ltd.971-371-2685[email protected]

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Source: Chalice Brands Ltd.
DEINOVE (Euronext Growth Paris: ALDEI), a French biotech company, pioneer in the exploration and exploitation of bacterial biodiversity to address the urgent, global challenge of antibiotic resistance, announces having filed today a declaration of cessation of payments ("declaration de cessation des paiements") and a request for receivership proceedings (procedure de redressement judiciaire) of the Company with the Montpellier Commercial Court.

The employee representative bodies were notified in advance.

The purpose of these proceedings is to evaluate all solutions that could enable the Company to continue its business activity, maintain employment, and pay off its liabilities under the best possible conditions, and also to initiate a process to attract investors within the framework of a recovery plan by way of continuation or a sale plan.

The Company will continue its current activities during the observation period.

The Company will inform the financial markets of the decision of the Montpellier Commercial Court.

Under these conditions, DEINOVE has asked Euronext to suspend the listing of its shares (ISIN: FR0010879056) on Euronext Growth from October 28 before the opening of trading, pending the publication of a press release and until further notice. Given the uncertainty regarding the outcome of the steps taken by the Company, the suspension of the listing of the Company's shares (ISIN: FR0010879056) is maintained until further notice.

ABOUT DEINOVE

DEINOVE is a French biotechnology company pioneering the exploration of a new domain of life, unexplored at 99.9%: the microbial dark matter. By revealing the metabolic potential of rare bacteria or still classified as uncultivable, it tackles a global health and economic challenge: antimicrobial resistance.

The new therapies discovered and developed by DEINOVE target superbugs (microbes that have become resistant to one or more antimicrobials) that cause life-threatening infections which are now spreading at high speed.

This breakthrough approach gave rise to one of the worlds first specialized micro-biotechnology platforms and a unique collection of nearly 10,000 rare strains and thousands of bacterial extracts. Today, DEINOVE is conducting several development programs, of which its first antibiotic candidate is currently evaluated in a Phase II clinical trial in severe Clostridioides difficile infection, one of the worlds first emergencies. The Company has also developed new bacterial micro-factories that address the other issue in the race against antimicrobial resistance: the industrial production of these rare and low concentrated compounds with often too complex chemical structures to be generated by chemical synthesis.

Located at the heart of the Euromedecine park in Montpellier, DEINOVE has been listed on EURONEXT GROWTH (ALDEI  code ISIN FR0010879056) since 2010. The Company has 45 employees and relies on a network of world-class academic, technological, industrial and institutional partners.

CONTACTS

Investors



Mario Alcaraz



Chief Financial and Administrative Officer



+33 (0)4 48 19 01 00



[email protected]



Media



ATCG Partners



+33 (0)9 81 87 46 72



[email protected]

Attachment
SALISBURY, N.C., Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Food Lion Feeds  along with associates and customers  joined together to donate more than $66,000 for ongoing disaster relief to support communities impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Ian. This amount includes a Food Lion Feeds $30,000 donation on top of the amount customers donated at the register from Oct. 5  18. Food Lion Feeds was founded in 2014 by Food Lion, an omnichannel grocery retailer, to address food insecurity in the towns and cities it serves.

The destruction from Hurricane Ian is devastating, and we are grateful for the support of our associates and customers who contributed to this relief effort in helping our neighbors begin their journey of recovery, said Kevin Durkee, Manager, Food Lion Feeds, Food Lion.

During the two-week period, Food Lion offered customers at its more than 1,100 stores across 10 states the option to make a cash donation at the register to support neighbors and communities in the path of Hurricane Ian. So far in 2022, Food Lion Feeds has provided more than $160,000 in donations to the American Red Cross to support recovery efforts from flooding in Eastern Kentucky and hurricane devastation in Florida.

In addition, Food Lion Feeds delivered two semi-trailers full of much-needed essentials from South Carolina to Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida, the largest hunger-relief network in Southwest Florida. The delivery included pallets of water, canned soup, canned vegetables, rice, dried beans, macaroni and cheese, antibacterial wipes, baby food and pet food.

For more ways in which Food Lion cares for the towns and cities it serves, visit foodlion.com/feeds.

About Food LionFood Lion is an omnichannel retailer committed to nourishing its neighbors during the moments that matter most. More than 82,000 associates across 1,100+ stores deliver an easy, fresh and affordable shopping experience throughout 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. Through its Count on me culture, Food Lion fosters a sense of belonging for all associates, promoting a diverse and inclusive environment that has supported LGBTQ+ equality for nearly two decades. Food Lion is the only company in the country to be named an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for 21 consecutive years. It also pioneered a food rescue program to support food-insecure neighbors. Through Food Lion Feeds, the retailer has donated more than 970 million meals to individuals and families since 2014 and has committed to donate 1.5 billion meals by 2025. Founded and based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit foodlion.com.

CONTACTS: Food Lion Media Relations 704-245-3317 [email protected]

Source: Food Lion
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- K92 Mining Inc. (K92 or the Company) (TSX: KNT; OTCQX: KNTNF) announces that it has filed a technical report (the Technical Report) containing an Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for its Kainantu Gold Mine Project (the Kainantu Project) in Papua New Guinea. The Technical Report, titled, Independent Technical Report, Kainantu Gold Mine Integrated Development Plan, Kainantu Project, Papua New Guinea dated October 26, 2022, with an effective date of January 1, 2022, was prepared by Evan Kirby BSc (Hons), FSAIMM; Dr Matthew Helinski PhD (Geotechnical); Patrick McCann BASc (Mining); Ralph Holding, CPEng, FIEAust; Sandra Hunter BSc (Hons), FAusIMM(CP); Shane McLeay B.Eng (Mining, Hons), FAusIMM; Tara Halliday B.Eng (Environmental), FAusIMM, GAICD, Simon Tear BSc (Hons), EurGeol, PGeo IGI, EurGeol; and Andrew Kohler BAppSc (Geol), PGCert (Geostatistics), MAIG. Refer to the Companys news release dated September 12, 2022, for a summary of the key results, assumptions and estimates contained in the Technical Report. The Technical Report was prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and is available under the Companys SEDAR profile (www.sedar.com) and on the K92 website at www.k92mining.com.

About K92

K92 Mining Inc. is engaged in the production of gold, copper and silver at the Kainantu Gold Mine in the Eastern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea, as well as exploration and development of mineral deposits in the immediate vicinity of the mine. The Company declared commercial production from Kainantu in February 2018, and commenced an expansion of the mine based on an updated Preliminary Economic Assessment on the property. A maiden resource estimate on the Blue Lake porphyry project was completed in August 2022. K92 is in a strong financial position and is operated by a team of mining company professionals with extensive international mine-building and operational experience.

On Behalf of the Company,

John Lewins, Chief Executive Officer and Director

For further information, please contact David Medilek, P.Eng., CFA at +1-604-416-4445

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation: (i) the results of the Kainantu Project DFS, and the Kainantu 2022 PEA, including the Stage 3 Expansion, a new standalone 1.2 mtpa process plant and supporting infrastructure; (ii) statements regarding the expansion of the mine and development of any of the deposits; and (iii) the Kainantu Stage 4 Expansion, operating two standalone process plants, larger surface infrastructure and mining throughputs.

All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, although not always, identified by words such as expect, plan, anticipate, project, target, potential, schedule, forecast, budget, estimate, intend or believe and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions will, would, may, could, should or might occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our ability to control, that may cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, without limitation, Public Health Crises, including the COVID-19 Pandemic; changes in the price of gold, silver, copper and other metals in the world markets; fluctuations in the price and availability of infrastructure and energy and other commodities; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; volatility in price of our common shares; inherent risks associated with the mining industry, including problems related to weather and climate in remote areas in which certain of the Companys operations are located; failure to achieve production, cost and other estimates; risks and uncertainties associated with exploration and development; uncertainties relating to estimates of mineral resources including uncertainty that mineral resources may never be converted into mineral reserves; the Companys ability to carry on current and future operations, including development and exploration activities; the timing, extent, duration and economic viability of such operations, including any mineral resources or reserves identified thereby; the accuracy and reliability of estimates, projections, forecasts, studies and assessments; the Companys ability to meet or achieve estimates, projections and forecasts; the availability and cost of inputs; the price and market for outputs, including gold, silver and copper; inability of the Company to identify appropriate acquisition targets or complete desirable acquisitions; failures of information systems or information security threats; political, economic and other risks associated with the Companys foreign operations; geopolitical events and other uncertainties, such as the conflict in Ukraine; compliance with various laws and regulatory requirements to which the Company is subject to, including taxation; the ability to obtain timely financing on reasonable terms when required; the current and future social, economic and political conditions, including relationship with the communities in jurisdictions it operates; other assumptions and factors generally associated with the mining industry; and the risks, uncertainties and other factors referred to in the Companys Annual Information Form under the heading Risk Factors.

Estimates of mineral resources are also forward-looking statements because they constitute projections, based on certain estimates and assumptions, regarding the amount of minerals that may be encountered in the future and/or the anticipated economics of production. The estimation of mineral resources and mineral reserves is inherently uncertain and involves subjective judgments about many relevant factors. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The accuracy of any such estimates is a function of the quantity and quality of available data, and of the assumptions made and judgments used in engineering and geological interpretation, Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance, and actual results and future events could materially differ from those anticipated in such statements. Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actual results to differ materially from those that are anticipated, estimated, or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Source: K92 Mining Inc.
ANGUILLA, British West Indies, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KMT-Hansa Corp. (the Company) would like to provide an update.

Change of Auditors

The Company has changed its auditors from Harbourside CPA (Former Auditor) to Buckley Dodds CPA (Successor Auditor). The Former Auditor resigned as the auditor of the Company and the board of directors of the Company appointed the Successor Auditor as the Companys auditor in each case effective as of October 26, 2022.

There were no reservations or modified opinions in the Former Auditors reports on the Corporations financial statements during the period that the Former Auditor acted as the Corporations auditor. In addition, there are no reportable events, including disagreements, consultations or unresolved issues (as defined in National Instrument 51-102  Continuous Disclosure Obligations (NI 51-102) between the Corporation and the Former Auditor.

In accordance with NI 51-102, the notice of change of auditor, together with the required letters from the Former Auditor and the Successor Auditor, have been reviewed by the board of directors of the Corporation and filed on SEDAR.

Directors and Officers

The Companys current board of directors consist of Messieurs Robert Duffield, Louis Guiraud, Winfield Ding, Donald Wu and Jay Vieira.

The current officers of the Company are Jay Vieira, President and Ankit Gosain, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary.

Yunnan Land Lease Agreement

Further to the Companys press release of December 18, 2019, the Company entered into major farming land lease agreement (the Lease Agreement) with Yuanjiang Hani Yi and Dai Autonomous County People's Government (collectively, the Lessor) whereby the Company intended to lease approximately 5,000 acres in Yuanjiang, Yunnan Province, China from the Lessor.

The Lease Agreement was conditional on the Company obtaining a legal opinion as to the validity and legality of the Lease Agreement. As no such legal opinion was obtained, the Company has decided to not proceed with the proposed transaction and has cancelled the Lease Agreement.

China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park

Further to the Companys press release of December 18, 2019, the Company entered into two (2) agreements dated December 4, 2019 for the purchase of rights to use an aggregate of approximately 125 acres of land within the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park (the Property) with each of Guangxi Hemp Biotech Co. Ltd. and Tou Kit Ming Sing Investment Ltd. (the Park Transaction) for an aggregate purchase price of $200,700,000.

Closing of the Park Transaction was conditional on the Company obtaining formal valuation of the Property from an arms length third party and title opinions. As no such valuations reports and legal opinion was obtained, the Company has decided to not proceed with the proposed transaction and has cancelled the Park Transaction.

QXCENTURY Ventures Ltd. Letter of Intent

Further to the Companys press release dated August 27, 2019, the Company announced the execution of a non-binding letter of intent dated August 15, 2019 between the Company and QXCENTURY Ventures Ltd. (QXC) whereby KMT agreed to acquire 50% of the issued and outstanding securities of QXC (the QXC Securities) for an aggregate purchase of US$5 million.

The Company has decided to not pursue the purchase of the QXC Securities and the parties have executed an agreement to terminate the letter of intent.

HDD Investment Holdings Corp.

Further to the Companys press release dated August 27, 2019, the Company announced the execution of a non-binding letter of intent dated August 15, 2019 between the Company and HDD Investment Holdings Corp. (HDD) whereby the Company agreed to acquire HDD's Lumuwan Forest Farm party (the Property) for an aggregate purchase price of CAD$745,734,571.

The Company has decided to not pursue the purchase of the Property and the parties have executed an agreement to terminate the letter of intent.

Pure Global Cannabis Inc.

Further to the Companys press release dated September 27, 2019, the Company announced the execution of a Joint Development Agreement with Pure Global Cannabis Inc. (Pure Global) on September 19, 2019 (the Pure Global Agreement). Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, Pure Global, through its wholly owned subsidiary, PureSinse Inc., was to act as the Companys management and development partner with respect to the processing, extraction, cultivation and manufacturing of hemp and hemp related products on the Company's holdings in the province of Yunnan.

On March 19, 2020, Pure Global obtained an order (the Order) from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) granting it protection under the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada) (CCAA) to allow it to stabilize and restructure its business and financial affairs. As a result of the Order, the Pure Global Agreement became null and void.

Shareholders Meeting

The Company held its annual and special meeting of shareholders on October 21, 2022. The record date for the meeting was September 16, 2022. Shareholders as at the record date approved the following matters:

(i) The appointment of auditors. (ii) The election of Messieurs Robert Duffield, Louis Guiraud, Winfield Ding, Donald Wu and Jay Vieira as directors of the Company. (iii) The Companys rolling 10% stock option plan. (iv) The voluntary delisting of the Companys common shares from the NEX and a new listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange.

Current Operations

The directors have initiated a review process to explore, review and evaluate a broad range of strategic alternatives. The Boards strategic review process will encompass an evaluation of the Companys current strategic direction, operations, market valuation and capital structure and will consider appropriate alternatives for the Company which may include one or more of the following: continuation as a standalone public company, strategic investor investment, acquisition by or a merger that may involve all or part of our business or assets and any other strategic alternatives that may be identified during its strategic review.

For further information please contact:

Jay VieiraDirector and Chief Executive Officer Email: [email protected]

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Source: KMT-Hansa Corp.
WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Baystate Financial, a general agency of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance company (MassMutual), and the International Association of Fire Fighters-Financial Corporation (IAFF-FC) announced a Wealth Management Initiative, whereas IAFF members will have direct access to insurance, investments, financial planning, and financial education through Baystate Financial and some other MassMutual firms located nationally. IAFF members will receive personalized attention and accessibility to financial services and a financial education curriculum.

With over 331,000 members across the United States and Canada, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is the country's largest organization of professional fire fighters, paramedics, and emergency services personnel.

The Wealth Management Initiative will be introduced in markets throughout the United States by the end of the year to IAFF members. Initial markets include MassMutual firms located in New England (Baystate Financial), California (Capstone Partners and MassMutual Northern California), and Florida (Coastal Wealth).

"Our members will greatly benefit from the opportunity to build a personalized financial plan based on their own goals and timeline, with as much or little engagement as desired," said IAFF General President Edward Kelly. "Our fire fighters and emergency responders deserve the opportunity to financially protect and secure their and their families' futures and this opportunity enables them to take the steps to achieve this."

"We are proud to partner with the IAFF-FC to bring IAFF members and their families financial strategies to assist in making timely decisions at each stage in life," said Dave Porter, Managing Partner of Baystate Financial. "We are committed to delivering the personalized attention and accessibility IAFF members deserve."

About MassMutual Northern California

One of the largest wealth management and financial services firms in Northern California with 200+ financial professionals, seven locations, and 16 support teams. They are fully equipped to give clients a personalized analysis to create and implement solutions that suit them best. Learn more: https://northerncalifornia.massmutual.com/

The IAFF-FC has established an agreement with MML Investors Services, LLC (MMLIS). The IAFF-FC is not a client of MMLIS but does endorse MMLIS and its representatives to offer IAFF members financial wellness, information, products, and services. The IAFF-FC is compensated for its endorsement and will receive 20% of any gross commission or fee resulting from an IAFF member's purchase of insurance, investments, or investment advisory services through MMLIS or its representatives. As a result, the IAFF-FC has an incentive to endorse MMLIS and its representatives. The IAFF-FC intends to use a portion of earned commissions or fees to further the IAFF behavioral health and wellness program offerings. Securities products and investment advisory services are offered through representatives of MML Investors Services, LLC(MMLIS), Member SIPC, and a Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) subsidiary, 1295 State Street, Springfield, MA 01111. CRN202508-2841252

Contact Information: Alyssa Garcia Marketing Director [email protected] 9168783314

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Featured Image for MassMutual Northern California Featured Image for MassMutual Northern California

Source: MassMutual Northern California
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ranchero Gold Corp. (Ranchero or the Company) (TSX.V: RNCH) is pleased to provide an update of exploration efforts underway at its 100%-owned Santa Daniela gold project as well as an update of corporate activities.

Highlights:

Completion of its regional reconnaissance program at Santa Daniela

Identification of five priority targets for follow-up exploration including detailed mapping, systematic sampling, and drone-based magnetic surveys

Appointment of Jesus Noriega and Omar Gonzalez as Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), respectively

Exploration Update

Ranchero announces that it has completed its review of the nine priority targets that were previously identified at its highly prospective Santa Daniela gold project (refer to Press Release dated May 25, 2022). Initial field work of these nine targets consisted of first level mapping (1:5000 Scale) and initial geochemical sampling.

Five of the targets investigated have shown evidence of gold mineralization, related alteration and lithologies known to host significant gold deposits in the district. The exploration team at Ranchero believes that the San Francisco, Carboneras Sur, Carboneras Este, Rincon and Moritas Este targets are of particular interest and demonstrate excellent exploration potential (Figure 1).

Subsequent field efforts currently underway will include detailed mapping, systematic sampling and drone-based magnetic surveys designed to identify potential mineralized host rocks below surface.

Figure 1: Priority Targets at the Santa Daniela Gold Projecthttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9e92daca-7b7a-46db-a85c-298cd75856ee

Management and Board Changes

Ranchero announces that William Pincus has resigned as CEO and Director and Reena Sall has resigned as CFO, replacing them will be Jesus Noriega as Interim CEO and Omar Gonzalez as CFO. William Pincus will remain with the Company as an advisor as part of the Technical Advisory Team that was formed earlier in 2022. Chris Bradbrook has resigned from the Board of Directors.

The date of resignation of both the CEO and CFO as well as the date the replacements were appointed was October 14, 2022. Chris Bradbrooks resignation date was on October 25, 2022.

Mr. Noriega is based in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. He is the General Manager of Rancheros wholly owned subsidiary in Mexico. Mr. Noriega is an operations manager with over ten years of experience managing service companies in the mining industry. He is an industrial engineer with Masters Degrees in Business Management and Organizational Management from the Universidad del Valle de Mexico.

Mr. Gonzalez has over 20 years of experience in audit and assurance in South America, including five years of public and private audit practice, financial analysis, and corporate development in Canada. He is bilingual in English and Spanish and has led many assurance and non-assurance engagements for companies in the energy, mining and natural resources, real estate, manufacturing, and consumer business sector. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant in Ontario and Venezuela and holds a Bachelors Degree with major in Accounting from the Santa Maria University.

Share Issuance

Ranchero announces that it will issue 194,367 shares as debt settlement with two vendors as follows:

MI3 Communication Financiere Inc.  67,200 shares for investor relations services; and

EAS Advisors LLC  127,167 shares for capital markets services.

Ranchero will also issue Mr. Pincus 330,769 shares in accordance with his employment agreement. The total shares issued will be 525,136 and are subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange.

Qualified Person

Scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by William Pincus, CPG, who is a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101.

About Ranchero

Ranchero is a gold exploration and development company currently focused on its 100%-owned Santa Daniela project located in Sonora, Mexico. The Santa Daniela project consist of a large land package in excess of 22,200 hectares within Mexicos Sierra Madre Occidental - a newly emerging gold belt. The Santa Daniela project is also near a number of major gold mining operations in the region. Maiz Azul is the Companys most advanced prospect where exploration efforts are underway.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company:

Jesus NoriegaInterim Chief Executive Officer+52 1 662 437 8520[email protected]

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as expects or does not expect, is expected, anticipates or does not anticipate plans, estimates or intends or stating that certain actions, events or results  may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, the final acceptance of the TSXV to the Transaction.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: risks related to regulatory approval, including the approval of the TSXV. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statement will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipate in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or managements estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Figure 1 Priority Targets at the Santa Daniela Gold Project

Source: Ranchero Gold Corp.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rover Metals Corp. (TSXV: ROVR) (OTCQB: ROVMF) (FSE: 4XO) (Rover or the Company) announces that further to its release of October 20, 2022, the Company has received approval from the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV) to consolidate its outstanding common shares (the Common Shares) on the basis of one (1) post-consolidation Common Share for each six (6) pre-consolidation Common Shares (the Consolidation). The Company currently has 157,585,212 Common Shares issued and outstanding and following the completion of the Consolidation will have 26,264,202 Common Shares issued and outstanding. Effective at the opening October 31, 2022, the common shares of the Company will begin trading on a consolidated basis.

There will be no name change and no ticker symbol change in connection with the Consolidation and shareholder approval is not required.

Judson Culter, CEO at Rover Metals, states a consolidation of our Companys securities is necessary to position Rover for growth and success with our new critical mineral projects. Both the Lets Go Lithium Project, and the IML Zinc-Copper Project require Phase 1 and Phase 2 Exploration Programs. Additionally, the Companys existing gold projects require expanded Phase 2 Exploration Programs. Management and the Directors of the Company believe that the timing is right for a consolidation as the Company will need to finance future exploration at all of its mineral resource projects.

About Rover Metals

Rover is a publicly traded junior mining company that trades on the TSXV under symbol ROVR, on the OTCQB under symbol ROVMF, and on the FSE under symbol 4XO. The Company is now developing a diverse portfolio of mineral resource projects: (1) Nevada Claystone Lithium; (2) Zinc-Copper-Lead-Silver in NT, Canada; as well as (3) Gold in NT, Canada. The Company is exclusive to the mining jurisdictions of Canada and the U.S.

You can follow Rover on its social media channels:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rovermetalsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rover-metals/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoverMetals/ for daily company updates and industry news, andYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJsHsfag1GFyp4aLW5Ye-YQ?view_as=subscriber for corporate videos.Website: https://www.rovermetals.com/

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Judson Culter Chief Executive Officer and Director

For further information, please contact: Email: [email protected] Phone: +1 (778) 754-2617

Statement Regarding Forward-Looking InformationThis news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Rover's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur. There can be no assurance that such statements prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Any factor could cause actual results to differ materially from Rovers expectations. Rover undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Source: Rover Metals Corp.
Washington, DC, Oct. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Engaging Christian Cooperation to Strengthen Families:

UPFs Pacific Christian Leadership Conference Celebrates 1st Anniversary - QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES

On Oct. 26, 2022, some 120 religious leaders from the Asia Pacific region celebrated the first anniversary of the Pacific Christian Leadership Conference (PCLC), an ecumenical organization under the umbrella of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) that promotes Christian unity and interfaith cooperation.

Christian leaders from many nations joined in prayers for peace and discussed ways to assist Christianity in fulfilling its destiny as a beacon of freedom, faith, and family throughout the world. They focused on ways to develop good character in youth and strengthen the institution of marriage, which are the keys to building stable and loving families. The conferences theme was drawn from Ephesians 4:2-3: With all humility and gentleness, with patience bearing with one another in love, make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Peace is when all Christian clergy come together in front of heaven, by the love of Jesus Christ, the heavenly love, said Rev. Masaichi Hori, chair of the PCLC Executive Committee, in his opening remarks at the Luxent Hotel in Quezon City, Philippines.

We are foremost sons and daughters of God...we are one human family under God, UPF International Director General Dr. Yun Young-ho said in remarks delivered by Dr. Julius Malicdem, vice chair of the PCLC Executive Committee.

UPF, a global non-profit organization with consultative status at the United Nations, promotes interreligious cooperation as part of its peacebuilding efforts. The PCLC and its affiliate, the World Christian Leadership Conference (WCLC), was co-founded by Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon and her husband, the Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon.

In Dr. Moons video remarks, she said that despite the suffering and chaos that has befallen humanity throughout history, God never gave up His dream of seeing His children live in the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

Throughout history, religions have guided human beings, she said. Now, however, it is obvious they have reached their final destination. This means the hope of humanity is to actually fulfill the original ideal that God had at the beginning of creation. God, our Heavenly Parent, wanted our first human ancestors to become true parents  ancestors of goodness connected to God as a couple.

Dr. Moon and her late husband began the international Marriage Blessing movement in the 1960s to unite millions of couples from diverse backgrounds and usher in a new era of peace through cross-cultural families centered on God. Dr. Robert S. Kittel, co-chair of the PCLC Executive Committee, said that its core mission is to help churches revive the Christian spirit in all societies and become peacemakers. We know...unsolved familial wars fester and grow beyond the family, he said. They are the foundation and fuel that turn into social, racial, civil, national, and even world wars.

The PCLC sessions focused on how Christianity can instill high moral standards and a sense of altruism, empathy, and kindness in young people, and how churches can strengthen marriage and family as building blocks of a heavenly community.

Among the conference speakers were: Bishop Grepor Butch Belgica, Presidential Adviser for Moral Transformation and Religious Affairs Office of the President, Republic of the Philippines; Bishop Dr. Ki Hoon Kim, Chairman, World Christian Leadership Conference; Most Rev. Nolly C, Buco, Auxiliary Bishop from the Dioceses of Antipolo in the Philippines; Rev. Dr. Luonne Rouse, National Co-Chair, American Clergy Leadership Conference; Bishop Joharni Bendoy, Evangelical Bishops Conference of the Philippines; Rev. Jimmy Sormin, Executive Secretary, Communion of Churches in Indonesia; Min. Joshua Holmes, National Co-Director, Young Christian Leadership Conference/Assistant Pastor, Manhattan (USA) Family Church; Ptr. Raniera Pene. Minister and Youth Leader, The Ratana Church of New Zealand; Rev. Ronnie D. Sodusta, Regional Vice President, Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU)-Asia Pacific Region 2; Msgr. Joseph Lalo, Priest, Eastern Catholic Church: Neo Monastic of St. Thomas, Philippines; Hon. J. Uduch Sengebau Sr., Vice President, Republic of Palau; Mrs. Wendy Francis, National Director for Politics, Australian Christian Lobby; Msgr. Pedro Gerardo Santos, Parish Priest of St. Andrew the Apostle Parish, Makati City, Philippines; Abp. Antonio J. Ledesma, Archbishop-Emeritus of Cagayan de Oro, Philippines; Rev. Gregory Stone, Secretary-General, PCLC Executive Committee; Rev. Yutaka Yamada, Sub-Regional Director, FFWPU-Oceania; and Rev. Demian Dunkley, President, FFWPU-Asia Pacific Region 1.

The PCLC nations include Australia, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

ASIA PACIFIC Media contacts:

Pacific Christian Leadership Conference Southeast Asia Office (Quezon City, Philippines): Tel: 632-8924-1833

Email: [email protected]

Pacific Christian Leadership Conference Oceania Office (NSW, Australia): (61-2) 9211-9978

Email: [email protected]

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William Selig Universal Peace Federation 240-274-1744 [email protected]

Source: Universal Peace Federation USA
NBI-1117568 is an Investigational, First-in-Class, Muscarinic M4 Selective Agonist

TOKYO and CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sosei Group Corporation (the Company; TSE: 4565), the world leader in G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) focused structure-based drug design (SBDD) and development, notes its partner Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. (Neurocrine) announced the first patient has been randomized for its Phase 2 placebo-controlled, inpatient clinical study evaluating the efficacy, safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of investigational compound NBI-1117568 in adults with schizophrenia. NBI-1117568 is an investigational, muscarinic M4 selective acetylcholine receptor agonist believed to be a key regulator of neurotransmitters impacted by schizophrenia.

Initiation of this Phase 2 study for NBI-1117568 brings forward a first-in-class, orally active, highly selective investigational M4 agonist as a potential treatment for schizophrenia, a serious and complex psychiatric syndrome impacting 0.5-1.0% of the U.S. population and approximately 20 million people worldwide, said Eiry W. Roberts, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Neurocrine Biosciences. The differentiated profile of NBI-1117568 in terms of its selectivity as an M4 agonist may provide an opportunity for efficacy in treating the symptoms of psychosis with a potentially different side effect profile.

The NBI-1117568 Phase 2 multi-arm, multi-stage study will enroll approximately 200 adults and is being conducted at 15 centers throughout the United States. The placebo-controlled study will evaluate multiple active dose levels of NBI-1117568. The primary outcome measure will be the change in total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) score from baseline to Week 6. For more information about this study (NBI-1117568-SCZ2028), visit ClinicalTrials.gov.

About Muscarinic ReceptorsMuscarinic receptors are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) found in multiple tissues including the brain, cardiovascular system, and gastrointestinal tract. Selective activation of M4 and M1 receptors in the brain is a clinically validated approach to treating cognitive and neuropsychological symptoms of neurological diseases, including Schizophrenia, dementia associated with Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, and others.

Until now, attempts to develop medicines that selectively target M4 and M1 receptors have been unsuccessful because of side effects caused by the activation of M2 and M3 receptors. Highly selective M4 or M1 agonists that do not activate M2 or M3 therefore are highly sought after and expected to have the potential to address major unmet medical needs with blockbuster potential.

About the Agreement with Neurocrine BiosciencesSosei Heptares and Neurocrine entered a collaboration and licensing agreement in November 2021 to develop novel muscarinic receptor agonists for the treatment of schizophrenia, dementia and other neuropsychiatric disorders.

Under the terms of the agreement, Neurocrine gains development and commercialization rights to a broad portfolio of novel clinical and preclinical subtype-selective muscarinic M4, M1 and dual M1/M4 receptor agonists discovered by Sosei Heptares. Neurocrine is responsible for development costs associated with the programs globally, except for M1 agonists being developed in Japan. Sosei Heptares retains rights to develop M1 agonists in Japan for any indication, with Neurocrine receiving co-development and profit share options.

Sosei Heptares is eligible to receive R&D funding plus development, regulatory and commercial milestones of up to US$2.6 billion, with further product royalties, provided the criteria under the agreement are satisfied.

About Neurocrine Biosciences Neurocrine Biosciences is a neuroscience-focused, biopharmaceutical company with a simple purpose: to relieve suffering for people with great needs, but few options. We are dedicated to discovering and developing life-changing treatments for patients with under-addressed neurological, neuroendocrine, and neuropsychiatric disorders. The company's diverse portfolio includes FDA-approved treatments for tardive dyskinesia, Parkinson's disease, endometriosis* and uterine fibroids*, as well as over a dozen mid- to late-stage clinical programs in multiple therapeutic areas. For three decades, we have applied our unique insight into neuroscience and the interconnections between brain and body systems to treat complex conditions. We relentlessly pursue medicines to ease the burden of debilitating diseases and disorders, because you deserve brave science. For more information, visit neurocrine.com, and follow the company on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. (*in collaboration with AbbVie).

About Sosei HeptaresWe are an international biopharmaceutical group focused on the discovery and early development of new medicines originating from our proprietary GPCR-targeted StaR technology and structure-based drug design platform capabilities. We are advancing a broad and deep pipeline of novel medicines across multiple therapeutic areas, including neurology, immunology, gastroenterology, and inflammatory diseases.

We have established partnerships with some of the worlds leading pharmaceutical companies and multiple emerging technology companies, including AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Genentech (Roche), GSK, Kallyope, Neurocrine Biosciences, Novartis, Pfizer, Takeda and Verily. Sosei Heptares is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan with corporate and R&D facilities in Cambridge, UK.

Sosei Heptares is the corporate brand and trademark of Sosei Group Corporation, which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (ticker: 4565). Sosei, Heptares, the logo and StaR are trademarks of Sosei Group companies.

For more information, please visit soseiheptares.comLinkedIn: @soseiheptaresco | Twitter: @soseiheptaresco | YouTube: @soseiheptaresco

Enquiries:

Sosei Heptares  Media and Investor RelationsHironoshin Nomura, Chief Financial Officer Shinichiro Nishishita, VP Investor Relations, Head of Regulatory DisclosuresCandelle Chong, SVP Investor Relations and Corporate StrategyJapan: +81 (0)3 5210 3399 | United Kingdom: +44 (0)1223 949390 | [email protected]

MEDiSTRAVA Consulting (for International Media)Mark Swallow, Frazer Hall, Eleanor Perkin+44 (0)203 928 6900 | [email protected]

Forward-looking statementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the discovery, development, and commercialization of products. Various risks may cause Sosei Group Corporations actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including: adverse results in clinical development programs; failure to obtain patent protection for inventions; commercial limitations imposed by patents owned or controlled by third parties; dependence upon strategic alliance partners to develop and commercialize products and services; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approvals to market products and services resulting from development efforts; the requirement for substantial funding to conduct research and development and to expand commercialization activities; and product initiatives by competitors. As a result of these factors, prospective investors are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Source: Sosei Group Corporation
HOUSTON, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vantage Drilling International ("Vantage" or the "Company") today announced that it will host a conference call at 10:00 AM Eastern Time on November 10, 2022 to discuss operating results for the third quarter of 2022. Vantage will release earnings before the market opens on November 10, 2022. Vantage's earnings release will be posted to the Vantage website at www.vantagedrilling.com.

To access the conference call, U.S. callers may dial toll free 866-966-5335 and international callers may dial +1 212-999-6659. Please call five minutes ahead of time to ensure proper connection. A replay of the conference call will be available for two weeks following the call and can be accessed by dialing 866-583-1035 for U.S. callers and 44 (0) 20 3451 9993 for international callers. The access code for the replay is 9596381#.

About the CompanyVantage, a Cayman Islands exempted company, is an offshore drilling contractor, with a fleet of two ultra-deepwater drillships and two premium jackup drilling rigs. Vantage's primary business is to contract drilling units, related equipment and work crews primarily on a dayrate basis to drill oil and natural gas wells globally for major, national and independent oil and gas companies. Vantage also markets, operates and provides management services in respect of, third-party owned drilling units. www.vantagedrilling.com.

Contact Info:Douglas E. StewartChief Financial Officer and General CounselVantage Drilling International c/o Vantage Energy Services, Inc.777 Post Oak Blvd. Suite 440Houston, Texas 77056Tel: +1 281 404 4700

PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/21e7cf24-8530-4f07-9fa3-ffd3c86dcdeb

Source: Vantage Drilling International
OTTAWA, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yesterday, at the Closing Ceremony for the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition, which took place from October 23 to 26, 2022, in Lucerne, Switzerland, Korae Nottveit from Calgary, Alberta was awarded a gold medal in cooking.

The 2022 WorldSkills Competition Special Edition includes 62 Skill Areas, and over 1,000 competitors from around the globe who are vying for the title of international champion. In order to represent Canada at the WorldSkills Competition, competitors had to win the right through the 2022 Skills Canada National Competition, in Vancouver, this past May. Canada is participating in a total of 27 Skill Areas that are being hosted in 11 countries.

The 46th WorldSkills Competition was initially scheduled to be hosted in Shanghai, in October 2022. However due to lockdowns and ongoing pandemic prevention and control restrictions in China, hosting the event was not possible in 2022. Following the decision, WorldSkills Members and Global Partners began discussions on alternative opportunities for the Competitors that were preparing for WorldSkills Competition 2022. WorldSkills International and its member countries and regions came together to create the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition.

Thanks to the commitment of WorldSkills Partners and Members, 62 skill competitions will be hosted in 29 events, in 26 cities, in 15 countries and regions between September 7 and November 26, 2022.

The WorldSkills Competition is a great way to inspire youth from around the world to pursue a career in the skilled trades and technologies. Getting youth interested in pursuing skilled trade and technology careers to build our future workforce is crucial for our countrys economy, said Shaun Thorson, Chief Executive Officer, Skills/Competences Canada.

The WorldSkills Competition, which is typically held every two years, is the worlds largest professional education event and represents the gold standard of excellence in skilled trades and technologies. The WorldSkills Competition inspires young competitors to reach new heights, helping them turn their passion into a profession. WorldSkills Competitions create a global platform to help young people change their lives through skills. #SkillsChangeLives.

About Skills/Competences CanadaSkills Canada was founded in 1989 as a national, not-for-profit organization with partner Skills Canada organizations in each of the provinces/territories that work with employers, educators, labour groups and governments to promote skilled trade and technology careers among Canadian youth. Its unique position among private and public-sector partners enables it to work toward securing Canadas future skilled labour needs while helping young people discover rewarding careers. Skills Canada offers experiential learning opportunities including skilled trade and technology competitions for hundreds of thousands of young Canadians through regional, provincial/territorial, national and international events, as well as skilled trade awareness programs. Headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Skills/Competences Canada is the Canadian Member organization of WorldSkills.

Follow Skills/Competences Canada on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

MEDIA CONTACT: Michele Rogerson, [email protected], T. 343-883-7545 ext. 509.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8294e67d-fc0d-4aae-a2b3-f5d0ab2cde7c

WorldSkills Team Canada 2022 Competitor Brings Home a Gold Medal in Cooking Korae Nottveit, 23, of Calgary, Alberta celebrates winning a gold medal in Cooking at the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Source: Skills/Competences Canada
Canuck Roofing is teaming up with restoration and insurance companies to help repair, restore, and replace roofs for commercial and residential buildings after storms, fires, winds, and floods cause devastating damage.

Burnaby, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 28, 2022) - Canuck Roofing is pleased to announce that they are working closely with restoration and insurance companies to help restore commercial, residential, and multi-family properties damaged by natural disasters. As a company that provides professional emergency roofing solutions, its experience and expertise provide transparency and stability in a time of crisis. From strata councils and property managers to home and business owners, Canuck Roofing makes an uncertain time manageable. To ensure every roof is restored back to its original condition or better, all materials used for the repairs and replacements are of the highest quality in the industry.





Canuck Roofing Works Closely with Restoration and Insurance Companies to Get Residents Back into Their Homes After Damaging Natural Disasters

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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To create a smooth and seamless process, the team has to first identify all potential problems, damages, and resolutions. This is achieved through in-depth inspections and detailed reports. Once the identification is complete, the company devises a plan to repair or replace all necessary areas of the roof. All of which are backed by strong workmanship and material warranties.

The company guarantees professional, punctual, and tidy services for their clients. To ensure clarity on all sides, the team provides a roof repair schedule for clients ahead of time to coordinate with their needs.

As a company that specializes in both residential and commercial roofing, they have recently expanded their team to offer services to more strata and property management companies. This includes the certification to repair, replace, and maintain all types of roofing, such as torch-on roofing, asphalt shingles, and more.

Established in February 2008, Canuck Roofing has worked with homeowners, strata corporations, and various insurance companies to restore, replace, and fix roofs for commercial and residential buildings damaged by storms or fires. As a company that cares about its clients, its services are always reliable, transparent, and of the highest quality. In a time of disaster, Canuck Roofing strives to be the helping hand clients can depend on.

About Us: Canuck Roofing was founded in 2008. Since then, the company has worked closely with restoration and insurance companies to restore, replace, and fix roofs for commercial and residential buildings following storms or fires. While working closely with their clients, they ensure integrity, quality of work, and 100% transparency throughout the entire process.

Contact Info:

Name: Will Franklin

Email: [email protected]

Organization: Canuck Roofing Ltd.

Address: 4310 Norfolk St, Burnaby, BC V5G 4J9

Phone: (778) 772-1969

Website: https://canuckroofing.ca

Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcJTRGtKEAQ

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/142278
Assays Anticipated Mid-November through December

Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 28, 2022) - Mayo Lake Minerals Inc.(CSE: MLKM) (Mayo or the Company)is pleased to review its early summer diamond drill hole ('DDH') program at its 45 square kilometre Carlin-Roop Silver Project in the Keno Hill Silver District of the Yukon. A total of 1,070 metres of diamond drilling was completed in eight DDHs. They were targeted on the Carlin West Zone (Figure 1) as delineated from prospecting, detailed geochemistry and geophysics following the results from four separate holes drilled in 2020 and 2021. The DDHs were concentrated along the southwest flank of the recently expanded Carlin West Ag in soil anomalous zone (see press release Oct 25, 2022).

Splitting, logging, and sampling of all DDHs was subsequently completed with 832 samples forwarded to Bureau Veritas Commodities Canada ('BVC') in Vancouver for assaying. BVC indicates that they are working through their backlog of samples and should begin supplying results in mid-November

Keno Hill Quartzite (KHQ), quartzitic metasediments (MSD), graphitic schists (GSH) and greenstone (G) (metamorphosed gabbro and diorite) were the common lithologies drilled (Table 1). KHQ, in some cases interbedded with MSD and GSH, are dominant in holes MLM22-010-013. Interbedded MSD and GSH are the predominant lithologies in MLM22-005-009. Greenstone was noted at depth in MLM22-009, 010 and 013. Extensive silicification was noted in MLM22-005-011. Quartz veining is extensive throughout most of the core and all DDHs contain veins and disseminations of pyrite.

Table 1: Summary of lithologies, structures, mineralization, alteration and samples for Mayo Lake's 2022 diamond drill holes at Carlin West

Lithologies MLM22 005 006 007 009 010 011 012 013 KHQ (m) - 3.8 - - 47.5 53.8 24.4 33.2 KHQ + MSD + GSH (m) 10.2 12.9 - 26.1 71.4 60.4 45.5 32.5 MSD (m) 25.5 12.5 67.8 3.0 3.9 44.0 - - GSH + MSD (m) 79.9 88.4 50.0 75.4 24.4 26.4 17.2 12.9 GSH (m) - - - - 4.4 22.7 1.4 - G (m) - - - - 5.4 - - 22.5 G + KHQ (m) - - - 9.0 - - - - G + GSH + MSD (m) - - - - - - - - Quartz veins common (m) 3.5 - 12.3 - 9.6 2.9 1.4 - Other; clay, schist (m) - - - - - 1.2 - - Alteration and Mineralogy Silicification (m) 38.3 41.0 36.0 45.7 10.9 46.8 - - Chloritization (m) - - - 3.0 52.0 10.9 8.4 - Pyrite and pyrrhotite present (m) 31.0 9.2 44.7 34.6 35.6 44.1 13.4 32.1 Total length 120.0 121.0 121.7 119.0 174.5 158.0 92.0 107.6 Samples for analysis # 78 78 106 110 150 132 75 66 KHQ - Keno Hill Quartzite; MSD - Metasediments, primarily quartzite; GSH - Graphitic schist; Greenstone

Galena and sphalerite, common indicators of Keno Hill Style Mineralization were encountered in 6 out of 8 holes. Occurrences of galena and sphalerite were generally in narrow stringers or coatings in voids in quartz veins (Figure 3). Holes also contained considerable pyrite mineralization (Figure 4) which is less common in the Keno Camp except at the Husky Southwest and Husky Mines. Husky Southwest was also notable for having only rare galena occurrences and particularly hard to recognize ore zones (Cathro 2006, The History and Geology of the Keno Hill Camp). One hole, MLM22-010, appears to have ended with the last 5cm in a mineralized vein structure containing laminated siderite and sulfosalts.

Tyrell Sutherland, VP- Exploration stated "Numerous structures with potential to yield silver mineralization were intersected in all holes drilled this summer. The positive identification of galena sphalerite, siderite and probable silver bearing sulfosalts along with abundant pyrite enables comparison to the Husky Southwest deposit in the Keno Camp. Husky Southwest mineralization was notoriously difficult to identify in drill core, so we are eagerly awaiting assays from Carlin West."

This year's detailed soil sampling, which extended and better defined the Carlin West anomaly, has broadened the area to be drill tested in future drill programs. The AJ anomaly, 400m to the north, which has grabs containing up to 412g Ag/t, remains to be tested in future drill programs. The AJ anomaly is defined over 300m of strike length making it comparable in size to the Carlin West anomalous zone.

Sample Analysis, Collection and Quality Control.

Drill core was transported from drill sites at Carlin West to a secure location in Keno or Whitehorse where a preliminary logs and photo verification of the drill core was completed. Blanks and standards were inserted at alternating intervals every 25 samples. The samples were then sealed in poly bags and each bag was identified with the insertion of one part of a three-part sample tag. Samples were delivered to the BVC preparatory laboratory in Whitehorse. Pulps for analysis were prepared and then shipped to the BVC analytical laboratory in Vancouver, B.C. for analysis and assay where 15g of each sample are being analysed by Aqua regia digestion, ICP-MS analysis (BMV AQ201) for 36 elements (Ag, Al, As, Au, B, Ba, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, Hg, K, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sr, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Zn) BVM is compliant under ISO/IEC 7025 and ISO 9001. All processes during preparation and analysis of a sample are subject to rigorous QA/QC control. In addition, a number of blanks and commercial standards were inserted at regular intervals. A review of the results and the quality control revealed no irregularities.

Figure 1: Drill holes in relation to expanded Carlin West silver in soil anomaly showing prospecting samples from Mayo Lakes 2021 season.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5471/142241_im.jpg





Figure 2: MLM22-007 60-69m quartz veining. Pyrite stringers disseminated pyrite occasionally present. Host rock is metasediment.



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https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5471/142241_img1.jpg





Figure 3: Galena coating fractures from MLM22-05 at 102m



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5471/142241_im2.jpg





Figure 4: Pyrite in siderite veins in hole MLM22-10



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5471/142241_im3.jpg



Qualified Person (QP) Statement: Field work was directed by Tyrell Sutherland, M.Sc., P. Geo. This press release has been prepared by Tyrell Sutherland and Vern Rampton, Ph.D., P. Eng. in their capacities as QPs under the guidelines of N.I. 43-101.

- END OF PRESS RELEASE -

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES

For additional information contact:

Vern Rampton, President & CEO; 613-836-2594; [email protected]

Tyrell Sutherland, M.Sc., P. Geo., VP Exploration; 613-884-8332; [email protected]

Darrell Munro, BB.A, LL.B Corporate Administrator; (613) 836-2594; [email protected].

For further information please refer to our web-site. http://www.mayolakeminerals.com/

About Mayo Lake Minerals Inc.: Mayo is actively engaged in the exploration and development of five precious metal projects in the Tombstone Plutonic Belt of the Tintina Gold Province. The properties cover 249 square kilometres in the Yukon's Mayo Mining District and lie within the traditional territory of the Na-Cho Nyk Dun First Nation. The Company has a history of eleven years of exploration in the Mayo area and is presently focusing on its flagship Carlin-Roop silver project lying within the Keno Hill Silver District. The eastern sector of the Silver District has recently been the site of numerous silver discoveries by Metallic Minerals and Mayo, itself. Two active mines: Victoria Gold's Eagle Gold Mine and Hecla Mining's mines lie near-by in the Mayo Mining district.

Cautionary statement: This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, which are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected. There can be no guarantee that Mayo Lake will be able to obtain a public listing as scheduled in this document. Mayo Lake undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/142241
BOSTON, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Electric vehicle markets are growing globally  in total IDTechEx's latest master electric vehicle report "Electric Vehicles: Land, Sea & Air 2022-2042" finds 35.7 million electric vehicles (EV) were sold in 2021 and predicts this will rise to over 74 million by 2030.

While electric cars will remain the largest electric vehicle market for the foreseeable future in terms of battery demand and market revenue generation, most transport sectors are facing a transition. In this article, IDTechEx summarizes key developments in non-automotive sectors, showing each sector's global battery demand (in 2021) for relative scale. For reference, battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars demanded approximately 280GWh globally in 2021.

Electric Air Taxis/ Electric Vertical Take-off & Landing (eVTOL) 

The future of electric air taxis, or electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL), is perhaps the most uncertain due to high regulatory barriers as well as technical. This is a low-volume, high-value market where aircraft will rely on high-cost and cutting-edge technologies to reach new heights with regard to performance and safety. For example, IDTechEx expects that lithium-metal and solid-state batteries, axial flux motors, and carbon fiber materials will play an important role in eVTOL markets.

From IDTechEx's review of the most promising eVTOL companies, 21 have presented timeline information about when they are looking to begin commercial eVTOL production, plans which are highly dependent on flight certification. Several companies have said they are a couple of years into what they think will be a five-year certification process. However, the certification standards are not yet fully in place, and significant technological and funding issues create uncertainty. Most eVTOL manufacturers are targeting 2023 for the start of commercial operations, and the IDTechEx report provides forecasts in unit sales and battery demand through 2042.

Electric & Hybrid Marine 

In the commercial marine sector, batteries are starting to saturate early adopter segments, such as ferries, and reach their limitations in others, such as the short and deep-sea vessels (which produce the majority of the sector's emissions). While battery demand will still grow  the addition of a battery to any powertrain for load management is generally beneficial  it cannot be the sole solution in seagoing sectors.

Meanwhile, policy focus is shifting from localized emissions to greenhouse gases, with new technical and operational ship requirements coming in from 2023. Upcoming IMO policy includes an 'Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI)' and the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII). EEXI ensures a ship is taking technical steps, in terms of how it is equipped and retrofitted, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. CII is a measure of the carbon emissions per amount of cargo carried per mile and targets reducing emissions operationally. The measures are expected to become mandatory from 2023, with the first ship ratings given in 2024.

The new regulations are driving interest in e-fuels, ammonia, and hydrogen as the industry scrambles to find multiple silver bullets. Indeed, fuel cell projects are gathering momentum, with system deliveries ranging up to 3.2MW and some potential supplier order pipelines reaching 200MW. Most projects thus far have been for inland vessels and some short-sea vessels. The greatest challenge is the same as that which is plaguing the adoption of fuel cells in the automotive market  the buildout of low-cost green hydrogen infrastructure.

Electric Vehicles in Construction  1GWh

There are relatively few strong market drivers for electric vehicles in construction. Broader commitments to climate change are spurring some countries, like Norway and Holland, or companies, like Volvo, to set their own targets. Health and safety concerns, like the impact of diesel particulate exhaust emissions on construction worker health, and noise, could be equally important drivers. Yet, much of the early electric construction vehicle development has been through retrofitting, a necessary development phase but not an economically sustainable strategy in the long term. OEMs need to design large EVs from scratch and manufacture at volume to realize economy-of-scale savings.

The largest construction machine market sectors in twenty years are Mini-Excavators, Excavators, and Loaders, but electrification development is initially focused on smaller compact machines (mini-excavators/compact loaders). These have comparatively short operating hours and low energy consumption, which explains the relatively low battery demand today (~1GWh). Like maritime markets, overall, most emissions are generated by the heavy excavator segment, which is, therefore, an important sector to electrify.

Electric Trucks  4.3GWh

Tesla, Daimler, VW, and Volvo are all investing heavily in battery-electric trucks. Tesla is famous for announcing a battery-electric long-haul class 8 truck, with CEO Elon Musk recently stating that its first deliveries will be to Pepsi by the end of 2022. While there are far fewer trucks than cars globally to convert to electric, they use much larger batteries (several hundred kWh) and accounted for 4.3GWh annually in 2021.

A smaller minority  Toyota, Hyundai, and Nikola  have chosen to focus their efforts on fuel cell trucks as the powertrain of the future. Despite issues with the efficiency and cost of hydrogen as a fuel, FCEV remains in the conversation as a technology for long-haul trucking applications, where a greater range is required, though the viability of this technology is dependent on the production of low-cost green hydrogen.

Today, city trucks in China are predominantly hitting the roads as Chinese manufacturers leverage their experience in electric buses and battery production. Given the Chinese government's strong support for the entire EV industry, it is likely that this is where the most significant deployment of EV trucks will be seen in the following years. As the increasing numbers of cities and nations around the world phase out of diesel and petrol-fuelled vehicles by 2030 and the cost benefit and ability of the technology to deliver the required daily duty cycles are demonstrated, the electrification of truck fleets is likely to happen rapidly.

Electric Two-wheelers  9GWh

Sales of electric two-wheelers have long been dominated by the approximately 25-30 million annual unit sales of low powered lead-acid battery electric two-wheelers in China, but this is a saturated market. Historic growth outside of China is driven by Europe and India, markets affected by the pandemic in 2020 but which recovered in 2021.

Often, two-wheelers are the low-hanging fruit when it comes to electrification. With small batteries typically under 4kWh (compared to over 50kWh for a battery-electric car), they have a relatively low upfront cost to consumers and lend themselves to new business models such as battery swapping. Electrification of two-wheeler markets, for example, of the 15 million annual motorcycle sales in India, is key to reducing pollution in countries where the car is not the dominant transportation mode. Overall, Li-ion battery demand for electric two-wheelers in 2021 was 9GWh, and IDTechEx expects this to grow rapidly as China transitions from lead-acid and growth accelerates in other parts of the world.

Electric Buses  12GWh

Tier 1 cities in China were the first to adopt electric buses, driving rapid growth between 2012-2016, but now many of these markets are saturated. In 2018, Beijing and Shanghai had 9,368 pure electric buses constituting 55% of the combined fleet, all initially powered by a 50% purchase subsidy. The saturation of Tier 1 cities in China has caused global electric bus sales to decline for the past five years, offset only slightly by growth from Tier 2 and 3 cities in China. Today, subsidies have been greatly reduced.

Future growth in the near term is driven by Europe. The European electric bus market is highly fragmented and, over the past few years, has relied on Chinese OEMs, which still accounted for a quarter of unit sales in 2021 - in fact, BYD and Yutong have consistently been market leaders since 2019. A local supply chain underpinned by European OEMs will be key and will slowly drive mid-term growth in global electric bus markets up from 12GWh.

IDTechEx Research

To learn more, please see the IDTechEx report "Electric Vehicles: Land, Sea & Air 2022-2042" (www.IDTechEx.com/EV).

This research forms part of the broader electric vehicle and energy storage portfolio from IDTechEx, who track the adoption of electric vehicles, battery trends, and demand across land, sea and air, helping you navigate whatever may be ahead. Find out more at www.IDTechEx.com/Research/EV. About IDTechEx IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Subscription and Consultancy products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information, contact [email protected] or visit www.IDTechEx.com.

Images download: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/itj2nt1wu8pas27/AACOwR3SiYtvhRdxJZhqm5mRa?dl=0

Media Contact: Natalie Fifield Digital Marketing Manager [email protected] +44(0)1223 812300 Social Media Links: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/IDTechEx LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/idtechex/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IDTechExResearch

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SOURCE IDTechEx
Abbott's FreeStyle Libre honored as the "best of the best" since 1970 during the Prix Galien Golden Jubilee Awards

Revolutionary FreeStyle Libre technology has transformed the lives of approximately 4.5 million people1 living with diabetes globally

ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Galien Foundation, the premier global institution dedicated to honoring innovators in life sciences, named Abbott's FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring technology as the "Best Medical Technology" of the last 50 years during its Prix Galien Golden Jubilee Awards ceremony on Oct. 27 in New York City. The Prix Galien Golden Jubilee Awards recognize global innovations that have had the greatest impact on society since the Galien Foundation was founded in 1970.

Award winners were chosen across five categories from the 250 products awarded the Prix Galien, regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for biopharmaceutical and medical technology research, between 1970 and 2019. The FreeStyle Libre system was awarded the 2019 Prix Galien USA Award for Best Medical Technology.

"Abbott's FreeStyle Libre portfolio has revolutionized how people live with diabetes, eliminating the need for traditional fingersticks," said Jared Watkin, senior vice president of Abbott's diabetes care business. "Today, approximately 4.5 million people around the world use this life-changing technology to manage their diabetes and improve health outcomes, helping them live fuller, healthier lives every day."

"The Prix Galien Golden Jubilee Awards honor the global 'best of the best' innovations that have improved the human condition over the last 50 years," said Bruno Cohen, Chairman of the Galien Foundation. "The companies behind these amazing innovations have a bold passion for change, which has led to the development of life-saving products."

Over the years, Abbott has received 11 Prix Galien Awards for its innovations in pharmaceuticals and medical technology, including for Humira, MitraClip and FreeStyle Libre.

About Abbott:Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 113,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Connect with Abbott at www.abbott.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/abbott, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews.

Indications and Important Safety Information

FreeStyle Libre 14 day system: Failure to use FreeStyle Libre 14 day system as instructed in labeling may result in missing a severe low or high glucose event and/or making a treatment decision, resulting in injury. If readings do not match symptoms or expectations, use a fingerstick value from a blood glucose meter for treatment decisions. Seek medical attention when appropriate or contact Abbott at 855-632-8658 or FreeStyleLibre.us for safety info.

FreeStyle Libre 2 and FreeStyle Libre 3 systems: Failure to use FreeStyle Libre 2 or FreeStyle Libre 3 systems as instructed in labeling may result in missing a severe low or high glucose event and/or making a treatment decision, resulting in injury. If glucose alarms and readings do not match symptoms or expectations, use a fingerstick value from a blood glucose meter for treatment decisions. Seek medical attention when appropriate or contact Abbott at 855-632-8658 or FreeStyleLibre.us for safety info.

For U.S. important safety information on MitraClip, visit http://abbo.tt/MitraClipG4ISI.

1 Data on file, Abbott Diabetes Care. Data based on the number of users worldwide for the FreeStyle Libre portfolio compared to the number of users for other leading personal use, sensor-based glucose monitoring systems.2 Data on file, Abbott Diabetes Care. Fingersticks are required for treatment decisions when you see Check Blood Glucose symbol, when symptoms do not match system readings, when you suspect readings may be inaccurate, or when you experience symptoms that may be due to high or low blood glucose.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/abbotts-freestyle-libre-is-named-best-medical-technology-in-last-50-years-by-the-galien-foundation-301662009.html

SOURCE Abbott
Human Rights Coalition  Working to End Forced Labour and AIM-Progress member companies release step-by-step guide for repayment of worker-paid recruitment fees

Around one-fifth of all people in forced labour exploitation in the private economy are in situations of debt bondage, which can be caused by paying recruitment fees

New Guidance is designed to be used by all employers throughout the consumer goods value chain

PARIS and AMSTERDAM, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Human Rights Coalition  Working to End Forced Labour (HRC), in partnership with AIM-Progress, has today released new "Guidance on the Repayment of Worker-paid Recruitment Fees and Related Costs" to support corporate action around the topic of remediating worker-paid recruitment fees. As workers in global supply chains  particularly migrant workers  may be coerced to pay fees to recruitment agencies in order to secure jobs, they are at risk of falling into debt bondage, which may lead to cases of forced labour. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), around one-fifth of all people in forced labour exploitation in the private economy are in situations of debt bondage.

This Guidance is intended to be a practical tool for all businesses to help ensure their recruitment and employment practices respect the CGF's Priority Industry Principles (PIPs), which were launched in 2017 and define the most common, yet problematic, employment practices which can lead to cases of forced labour. The PIPs state:

Every worker should have freedom of movement.

No worker should pay for a job.

No worker should be indebted or coerced to work.

Today's Guidance is a powerful tool to support companies respect these Principles, particularly the second  no worker should pay for a job  as well as the Employer Pays Principle, in their employment practices. The Guidance is designed to be updated as the global sustainability landscape evolves, businesses enhance their human rights due diligence (HRDD) systems, and more actors undergo the remediation process. With its step-by-step guidelines for how to repay workers for any recruitment fees and related costs, the HRC and AIM-Progress invite all relevant actors from different sectors to use this Guidance as a tool to strengthen their HRDD approach, especially in areas where recruitment fees are a common practice, to ensure responsible recruitment of workers worldwide.

The Guidance was released during a session at the CGF's annual Sustainable Retail Summit about "Industry Action on Responsible Recruitment to Fight Forced Labour" featuring Didier Bergeret, The Consumer Goods Forum; Heidi Koester Oliveira, Mars, Inc.; Anbinh X. Phan, Walmart; Benjamin Gatland, The Heineken Company; and Rosey Hurst, Impactt. The Guidance is derived and aligned with Impactt's "Principles and Guidelines for the Repayment of Migrant Worker Recruitment Fees and Related Costs."

As an initiative of 30 of the world's largest consumer goods manufacturers and retailers, the HRC is committed to helping achieve fair and decent working conditions worldwide by eradicating forced labour from its supply chains. The work of the HRC continues the CGF's long history of engagement on the issue of forced labour within consumer goods supply chains by building on the CGF's Social Resolution on Forced Labour, the first of its kind in the industry; its Priority Industry Principles; and ongoing relationships with key stakeholders in the industry.

AIM-PROGRESS is a global initiative of fast-moving consumer goods manufacturers and their common suppliers with a mission is to positively impact people's lives and ensure respect for human rights, while delivering value to our members and their supply chains. This is done across four areas: human rights priorities and respective Working Groups, the Regional Hubs, Mutual Recognition work stream to create synergies in approaches, and the Capability Building work stream to equip our members with knowledge and ability to execute strong responsible and sustainable sourcing programmes.

Didier Bergeret, CGF Director of Sustainability, said, "With the ILO releasing new calculations on modern slavery that show more people worldwide are in cases of forced labour compared to 2016, all employers have a responsibility to step up actions to ensure their workers are recruited and employed fairly. This Guidance offers step-by-step advice for businesses on how to address the important topic of recruitment fees."

Louise Herring, Executive Director of AIM-Progress, said, "Responsible recruitment is a central focus of AIM-Progress's and its members' work on human rights. We recognise that providing practical guidance, alongside hands-on support, to suppliers and recruitment intermediaries is critical for improving supply chain practices. We hope this Guidance will support further collaboration between supply chain partners to remediate and tackle the root causes of recruitment fees."

Heidi Koester Oliveira, Global Director, Social Impact, Mars, said, "Responsible recruitment is not the norm in certain global supply chains, and that's why Mars is working with major brands and retailers to shift systems, support suppliers, and show that progress is possible. We believe that vulnerable workers can be recruited responsibly  without bearing fees and expenses  when the true cost of recruitment is shared across the value chain. This Guidance can support companies in addressing recruitment fees where they are identified, so we can move forward to focus on government advocacy and new systems, controls, and commercial levers to eliminate this practice."

Rachel Cowburn-Walden, Global Head of Sustainability, Human Rights, Unilever, said, "Unilever supports the launch of this Guidance which includes practical steps that, when implemented, will help workers, reduce business risks and create a more responsible recruitment industry."

Rosey Hurst, Founder of Impactt, said, "We welcome the launch of this Guidance which has the potential to drive remedy at scale across global supply chains and make a significant contribution to reducing debt bondage and repaying hundreds of millions of dollars to workers who have paid fees".

The full guidance is available here. To learn more about the work of the HRC, visit www.tcgfsocial.com.

About the Human Rights Coalition  Working to End Forced Labour

The CGF Human Rights Coalition  Working to End Forced Labour (HRC) is a CEO-led Coalition of Action from The Consumer Goods Forum. As an initiative of 30 of the world's largest consumer goods companies, the HRC is committed to helping achieve fair and decent working conditions worldwide by eradicating forced labour from its supply chains. The work of the HRC continues the CGF's long history of engagement on the issue of forced labour within consumer goods supply chains by building on the CGF's Social Resolution on Forced Labour, the first of its kind in the industry; its Priority Industry Principles, and ongoing relationships with key stakeholders in the industry. For more information about the HRC, visit www.tcgfsocial.com.

About The Consumer Goods Forum

The Consumer Goods Forum ("CGF") is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 3.5 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises more than 55 manufacturer and retailer CEOs. For more information, please visit: www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.

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SOURCE The Consumer Goods Forum
The Atlanta-based law firm donated more than $75,000 over the last two years to fund program with Girls, Inc. of Atlanta to provide licensed therapists and mental health counseling targeting local high school teens

ATLANTA, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of National Stress Awareness Day, Witherite Law Group and 1-800-TruckWreck are donating $42,000 to Girls Incorporated of Greater Atlanta to fund mental health programs for youth in metro Atlanta, which includes providing licensed therapists at schools to provide counseling services. The Wellness program will kick-off on Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at 2 p.m. at Global Impact Academy, 155 Shaw Drive, Fairburn, GA 30213. The event will feature a mental health, stress awareness and emotional wellness workshop for 150 students, which will provide resources and tools for stress reduction, suicide prevention, bullying and other stressors that kids and teens face every day. The workshop will be led by Tristan Marsh, licensed therapist. There will also be remarks by Girls, Inc. CEO, Tiffany Collie-Bailey, followed by an official check presentation by Amy Witherite, founder of Witherite Law Group and 1-800-TruckWreck.

Girls, inc Atlanta and Witherite Law Group to host a mental health workshop for Atlanta high students on National Stress Awareness Day

The mental health and social and emotional wellness program at Global Impact Academy is provided through programming funded by Witherite Law Group. In 2021, Witherite Law Group donated $33,000 to Girls, Inc. of Greater Atlanta and this year they are donating $42,000. The funding also provides a licensed therapist to provide counseling services, which are available to all students and families at the school.

"Educating youth, especially the next generation of leaders is a priority for our corporate culture at 1-800-TruckWreck and Witherite Law Group," said Amy Witherite. "Mental health and social emotional wellness are of paramount concern and providing resources for teens now will help provide better outcomes for their future."

The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that looked at 85,102 suicides in 14 states from 2015 to 2020. The journal says that in Georgia, there were around 106 suicides in 2020 in kids ages 10 to 19. That number increased from 88 suicides from the previous six years.

In addition to suicide, anxiety, and mental illness, thousands of kids experience youth violence daily, according to CDC. Youth violence negatively impacts youth in all communities. The workshop will address the stress that many teens face and provide tools for dealing with it.

"There is a clear deficit in mental and emotional resources in our community. Thanks to the ongoing support from Witherite Law Group, Girls, Inc. was able to implement healthy interventions through a two generational approach where we teach Wellness and Social & Emotional techniques to the students and the parents, ensuring greater success within the school, home, and community," Tristan Marsh, Wellness & Family Engagement Director, Girls, Inc. of Greater Atlanta.

The donation from Witherite Law Group also funds an after-school program whose main participants are from underserved communities across Metro Atlanta and are living in extended stay hotels. The Marietta Economy Extended Stay Hotel After-School Program was developed in partnership with Girls, Inc., Witherite Law Group and three extended stay hotels across metro-Atlanta. The program serves students from Clayton, Cobb and Fulton Counties, including Atlanta Public Schools.

For more information, please visit girlsincatl.org.

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SOURCE Witherite Law Group
LONDON, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At a press conference in Male, Maldives on 22nd October 2022, Judge Malcolm Simmons said: "Judicial performance evaluation programmes identify gaps in judicial skills and knowledge, increase transparency, consistency and accountability of the judicial system, improve case and court management, and promote greater public understanding of the courts. They are an essential tool in improving the quality of the judiciary and the effectiveness and efficiency of the justice system."

The judicial performance evaluation policy was drafted by Judge Malcolm Simmons. Following the successful conclusion of a pilot project earlier this year, all judges and magistrates in the Maldives will now be subject to a performance review every two years. The evaluation process will identify gaps in knowledge and skills and assist the Judicial Academy in delivering training courses to meet identified training needs. The new evaluation policy will focus on legal reasoning, impartiality and integrity, professionalism, communication and case management. Judges will be assessed against a judicial competency framework. Judges who consistently fail to meet acceptable standards may be removed from office.

"Judicial performance evaluation will serve to enhance public confidence in the administration of the justice system," said Judge Simmons.

Since 2017 Judge Malcolm Simmons has advised senior judiciary and those responsible for the administration of justice. Judge Simmons has significant experience in major justice and rule of law projects in the Maldives and Asia. He conducted an assessment of the provision of judicial training; drafted the current training curriculum for judges; developed the policy to evaluate judges and magistrates; conducted training of trainer's programs in, amongst other programs, criminal practice and procedure, judicial case management, ethics and conduct, legal reasoning and judgment writing, sexual and gender-based violence and civil procedure. He also drafted the Criminal Courts Bench Book.

His Honour Judge Malcolm Simmons is the resident judge in the Falkland Islands, Acting Supreme Court Judge and His Majesty's Coroner for the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands and British Antarctica. He previously served as an international judge hearing war crime and serious and organised crime cases. He is particularly well-known for his judicial reform work and has more that 20 years of experience training judges, prosecutors and lawyers. He has worked in judicial reform projects in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Pakistan and Maldives.

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SOURCE Judge Malcolm Simmons
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kansas City Life Insurance Company recorded net income of $4.3 million or $0.45 per share in the third quarter of 2022 compared to a net loss of $6.0 million or $0.62 per share in the third quarter of 2021. Net income totaled $1.1 million or $0.12 per share in the first nine months of 2022 compared to a net loss of $2.4 million or $0.25 per share in the first nine months of 2021.

The largest factors in the improvement in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the third quarter of 2021 were decreases in policyholder benefits, interest credited to policyholder account balances, and operating expenses. These were partially offset by a decline in premiums, net of reinsurance.

The improvement in the first nine months of 2022 compared to one year earlier reflected decreases in policyholder benefits, interest credited to policyholder account balances, and operating expenses. These were partially offset by decreases in premiums, net of reinsurance, and investment revenues, as well as an increase in the amortization of deferred acquisition costs.

Kansas City Life Insurance Company (OTCQX: KCLI) was established in 1895 and is based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Company's primary business is providing financial protection through the sale of life insurance and annuities. The Company operates in 49 states and the District of Columbia.

Please refer to our Quarterly Report for the period ended September 30, 2022, for additional information, which is available at www.kclife.com.

Kansas City Life Insurance CompanyCondensed Consolidated Income Statement(amounts in thousands, except share data) Quarter Ended Nine Months Ended September 30 September 30 2022 2021 2022 2021 Revenues $ 119,998 $ 121,282 $ 353,808 $ 368,417 Net income (loss) $ 4,315 $ (6,006) $ 1,124 $ (2,388) Net income (loss) per share, basic and diluted $ 0.45 $ (0.62) $ 0.12 $ (0.25) Dividends paid $ 0.14 $ 0.27 $ 0.55 $ 0.81 Average number of shares outstanding 9,683,414 9,683,414 9,683,414 9,683,414

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SOURCE Kansas City Life Insurance Company
NCL Awards 100 Educators Across the U.S. and Canada with a Free Cruise Aboard Norwegian Prima and Donates Nearly $170,000 to Schools and Teachers Around the Country

GRAMMY Award-Winning Artist Kelly Clarkson Performs Onboard as Part of Norwegian's Giving Joy Award Ceremony

GALVESTON, Texas, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel, commemorated the debut of its all-new Norwegian Prima, and the brand's first-ever voyage from Galveston, Texas, with an exclusive concert by GRAMMY Award-winning artist Kelly Clarkson.

The ship also served as the special venue for this year's Norwegian's Giving Joy awards ceremony, during which the Cruise Line and Clarkson recognized 100 teachers with a free cruise, and nearly $170,000 for the top three Grand Prize winners and their schools.

Norwegian's Giving Joy program recognizes deserving educators for their unwavering commitment to bringing joy to the classroom. To celebrate these incredible individuals, and their often-times undervalued profession, as well as to kick-off Norwegian Prima's first voyage from Texas, Norwegian Cruise Line hosted a showstopping award celebration. Special guests included NCL President and CEO Harry Sommer; Norwegian Bliss Godfather Elvis Duran, American radio personality and host of "Elvis Duran and the Morning Show;" and superstar and godmother to Norwegian Encore, Kelly Clarkson, who delivered a stellar performance of her chart-topping hits including "Miss Independent," "Stronger," and "Since You've Been Gone."

"It was such an honor to celebrate the 100 deserving winners of Norwegian's Giving Joy program at Norwegian Prima's inaugural sailing, which embarked from my home state of Texas!" said Clarkson. "Teachers are our true everyday unsung heroes, and they play an integral role in our society, not only shaping the future of their students, but the future of their communities as well. I couldn't miss the opportunity to participate in this program and give a special performance before they set sail on the trip of a lifetime!"

To conclude the Norwegian's Giving Joy Award Ceremony, Sommer, unveiled the top three Grand Prize winners who received the most votes, awarding them with donations for their schools.

The Grand Prize winners are:

Patricia Hosmer from Bayonne High School in Bayonne, N.J. ($25,000)

Theresa Schrager from Falcon Cove Middle School, Fla. ($15,000)

Anthony Stirpe from New Rochelle High School in New Rochelle, N.Y. ($10,000)

In addition to the expected donations to their schools, each of the Grand Prize winners received a big surprise  nearly $40,000 each in prize money thanks to Norwegian Cruise Line partners, who were moved by the ethos of Norwegian's Giving Joy annual teacher recognition program and inspired to participate. To see the complete list of participating sponsors, click here.

"Norwegian Prima's debut in Galveston was extra special," said Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. "We really did it bigand what better place to do it big than in Texas. We introduced our new, magnificent ship to a market new to NCL, we welcomed 100 unbelievably deserving teachers to experience her, awarded the Grand Prize winners with nearly $40,000 in surprise prize money in addition to a donation for their school  and we put on an unforgettable celebration with two of our NCL godparents, Elvis Duran and Kelly Clarkson."

The annual program is designed to highlight the connection between travel and education and to recognize teachers for their unwavering dedication to inspiring students every day. To date the program has awarded 230 teachers across the U.S. and Canada with free cruises and donated over $350,000 to schools and educators since 2019. To learn more about this year's 100 winners and their heart-warming stories, and to support those in your communities, click here.

For more information about the Company's award-winning 18-ship fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, please contact a travel professional, call 888-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784) or visit www.ncl.com.

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SOURCE Norwegian Cruise Line
Little Words Project will be available in 900 Target Stores and on Target.com

MOUNTAINSIDE, N.J., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This October 2022, Little Words Project, the Original Word Bracelet brand, will be sold in 900 Target locations nationwide and on Target.com beginning October 28th.

Little Words Project, the Original Word Bracelet brand, will be sold in 900 Target locations and on Target.com

Adriana Carrig, CEO of Little Words Project, founded the brand in 2013 with the intention of creating a movement about kindness and positivity. After experiencing bullying and negativity throughout her life, she started making bracelets in college to foster community and encouragement in her sorority. It didn't take long for her to realize that this simple act of kindness could become a business. She started making bracelets out of her parents' basement and is now at the helm of a rapidly growing and much-loved brand. Entering Target is a huge step for the business, helping to propel their mission of spreading kindness to the masses.

Little Words Project bracelets feature an inspirational word that is meant to uplift the wearer, and eventually be passed on to someone else who needs it more. This pay-it-forward movement has fostered an extremely engaged and loyal community. In recent years, celebrities have quickly become advocates for the brand including celebrities like Alicia Keys, Kourtney Kardashian, Paula Abdul, Lizzo, Eva Longoria and many others.

Since launch, the brand has seen explosive growth with no end in sight. After grassroots marketing efforts resulted in 4x ecommerce growth in 2020, the brand is continuing to grow 2x YoY from 2021 through 2023. Their boutique wholesale business has doubled revenue year over year, and their social channels (Instagram) are achieving +63% follower growth year over year. In 2021, the brand launched its first flagship brick and mortar store in Manhattan's West Village and, this year, has self-funded the expansion of 5 additional locations (Georgetown, Nolita, Miami, Boston and Pier Village on the Jersey Shore). Giving back is also at the heart of Little Words Project's core values. To date, Little Words Project has raised over $150k for a range of charitable causes from cancer, mental health, LGBTQIA and anti-bullying efforts.

"From the moment we had our first meeting together, I just knew we were meant to bring Little Words to the Target guest. Designing this exclusive collection has been such a dream, and I know our customers will show up at Target in droves to shop us there. This is definitely a pinch-me moment," says Adriana Carrig, Founder and CEO of Little Words Project.

The exclusive collection of Target bracelets and phone charms are available at select Target stores and online at Target.com, at their standard retail pricing of $25. Each store included in their distribution will feature a full branded endcap, serving as a destination for Target guests to immerse themselves in the feel-good brand while building their exclusive bracelet stack.

All of this, plus so much more, accomplished all of this with no outside investment.

https://www.target.com/b/little-words-project/-/N-q643lendbin

www.littlewordsproject.com

Follow Little Words Project on Instagram here.

About Little Words Project

Founded in 2013 by recent college graduate Adriana Carrig, from her parents' basement, Little Words Project creates handcrafted word bracelets with words of kindness and motivation. The brand has a cult following of loyal customers and boasts celebrity fans including Lizzo, Eva Longoria, Kourtney Kardashian, and more. In 2021, LWP opened its flagship location on Bleecker Street in Manhattan's West Village with plans to expand nationwide. In 2022, Little Words Project has raised over $150k for charity and continues its commitment to giving back through its Little Words, Big Impact initiative.

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SOURCE Little Words Project
Childhood Domestic Violence Association and Halloween Campaigns First to Utilize QRad to Engage Commuters

NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OUTFRONT Media (NYSE: OUT), one of the largest out of home media (OOH) companies in the U.S., today is introducing "OUTFRONT QRad," a new creative capability for its Liveboard digital out of home ("DOOH") assets that allows audiences to engage, participate and shape what is being displayed on the screens.

OUTFRONT QRad is a new content control capability which allows audiences to engage with ads by triggering creative changes directly on OUTFRONT's Liveboards. Active, on the go commuters can simply scan a QR code and select pre-set creative options to choose their own ad journey. This is the newest example of how QR codes are being incorporated into OOH campaigns to make them more interactive and successful. According to a recent survey, over 40% of subway riders have scanned a QR code on an ad on a digital screen to receive incentives, offers, coupons or other valuable information and would scan again.*

OUTFRONT has partnered with a leading nonprofit to develop the first ever out of home campaign to raise awareness of childhood domestic violence - the experience of growing up living with domestic violence. The OUTFRONT QRad-driven campaign, Change the Ending, begins with several teaser statements that appear to have been drawn and written by a child saying: I Should Have Stopped It, It was my fault, I Lived in Fear, My Dreams Were Broken and others. Each visual includes the tagline Change the Ending. To do so, commuters passing by scan a QR code which reveals the new "changed endings" for them  It Wasn't My Job to Have Stopped It!, It wasn't my fault, I Lived Happily Ever After! and All My Dreams Came True. The campaign was developed in partnership with the Childhood Domestic Violence Association.

"Of all the adversities one can face in their childhood home, childhood domestic violence is amongst the least known, even among the 1+ billion alive today who have experienced it," said Brian F. Martin, founder of the Childhood Domestic Violence Association. "We applaud OUTFRONT for understanding that awareness is the first step towards resiliency and through their efforts, awareness will increase."

The Change The Ending campaign began in October, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month and will run throughout the year around the country on OUTFRONT DOOH assets, with the QRAD-specific creative running on the Brightline rail in Miami and the Minneapolis Skyway system.

OUTFRONT Media's Chad Shackelford, VP Head of Digital Creative shared: "OUTFRONT QRAD significantly ratchets up the effectiveness of campaigns by delivering a new type of interactive engagement in DOOH. By employing OUTFRONT QRad, we believe brands can achieve deeper levels of 1:1 engagement including, but not limited to ecommerce activations, increased lead generation, and social media awareness."

Additionally, beginning this week, Moments by OUTFRONT (the company's award-winning content platform) will utilize OUTFRONT QRad for a fun-filled Halloween interactive trivia game  The FaBOOlous Creature Quiz. Participating commuters can select answers to trivia questions about legendary creatures on their mobile devices and those answers will be reflected in the DOOH content on the Liveboards in their subway station in real time. Participants will also receive additional information about the featured legendary creature. NYC's subway environments are the perfect engagement zone for audience experiences like The FaBOOlous Creature Quiz, as riders spend time on the subway platforms waiting for their trains, providing significant dwell time for ads. This campaign will be running on digital assets throughout the NYC transit system until November 2.

About OUTFRONT Media Inc.

OUTFRONT leverages the power of technology, location and creativity to connect brands with consumers outside of their homes through one of the largest and most diverse sets of billboard, transit, and mobile assets in North America. Through its technology platform, OUTFRONT will fundamentally change the ways advertisers engage audiences on-the-go.

OUTFRONT Media Contacts: Don Ciaramella / Matt Biscuiti Courtney Richards The Lippin Group OUTFRONT Media +1.212.986.7080 (646) 876-9404 [email protected] / [email protected] [email protected]

* MFour NYC Subway Audience Survey (May 2022).

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SOURCE OUTFRONT Media Inc.
MIAMI, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- /Parkwest Publications/ -- announces its reorganization after its original owner retired, and celebrates the new distributions of Award Publications and Red Robin Books.

With a new Parkwestpubs.com website a new automated 3PL warehouse (B2C and B2B), and new Inventory Management software, we have enhanced our service to individuals ordering on the many internet sales channels like Shopify, Amazon, and Walmart; preschool organizations; schools from K-8 and our many reseller friends in the book trade (wholesale and retail)  book lovers everywhere.

PARKWEST IS BACK, offering bright, colorful, entertaining, early-learning books for young children many of them superbly illustrated by world-renowned illustrators, many others of them  award winners. They provide comprehensive fun, discoveries, and inspiration for a great start to a child's life of accomplishment and enjoyment. The important element in this great start is Award Publications' special Read Along with Me series: beautifully illustrated traditional stories and fairy tales designed for parents and child to enjoy together - parent reading out loud, with child listening and reading the pictures from a comfortable lap - to help their youngest to learn to read.

Supporting this start, there are other enjoyable stand-alone series, specially created graded readers to encourage and develop reading skills to re-enforce a perfect start to any child's reading journey. As well, attractive hardcover titles in collectible series of short stories, 12 in each book, with clear text and illustrations throughout, are especially suited for preschool groups for the ongoing development of reading skills and boosting of reading confidence. There are also very popular picture storybooks with audio CDs read by professional storytellers and while a good number are illustrated by world-renowned artists such as Rene Cloke and Val Biro, all are beautifully illustrated and designed to provide reading enjoyment and learning achievement.

Along with 100 more confidence-building picture storybooks, Parkwest is rolling out over 500 colorful, fun educational early-learning books a great variety, including first topics books, coloring books, including copy coloring, color by numbers, dot to dot, coloring 123 and ABC, puzzle fun, color-in mazes, dot to dot count and color, dot to dot ABC and color, magic painting, glitter paper dolls, Big & Easy (for those just learning to color) awesome activities, word searches, crosswords, dinosaur coloring, fairies coloring, mermaids coloring, how to draw, I can count, I can spell, my first picture alphabet, my first: alphabet,- words,- counting,- writing; my first one hundred words, my first picture dictionary, picture atlas, pirates, 'Children's Books of' - keeping safe; first aid skills;success at school; healthy habits; manners; protecting the planet; money sense; dental health; healthy eating; making friends; values; happiness

And books for babies: Newborns only respond to big, bright visual objects, and Parkwest's Picthall and Gunzi's range of high-contrast color image books captivate babies and help the visual part of their brains develop.

www.parkwestpubs.com

FOR A VISUAL TASTE OF PARKWEST BOOKS SEE OUR GALLERY OF COLORFUL, EXCITING BOOK COVER ART, CONTROL-CLICK OUR WEBSITE LINK ABOVE & SCROLL DOWNTO JUST PAST THE CATEGORIES INDEX BUTTON. CONTROL-CLICK & SCROLL !

Contact: Brian Squire, Parkwest Publications, LLC., PO Box 310251, Miami, FL 33231 [email protected]

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SOURCE Parkwest Publications
Mark Gordon of Ascent Fund and Michael Hoban of Chevron New Energies join Raven SR Board of Directors

Election of new directors provides continued strategic direction from committed investors

PINEDALE, Wyo., Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Raven SR Inc. (Raven SR), a renewable fuels company, announced today the election of Mark Gordon of Ascent Fund and Michael Hoban of Chevron New Energies to its Board of Directors. Gordon succeeds David Wu, co-founder and president of Ascent Fund, and Hoban succeeds Michael Ruddock, hydrogen business development manager at Chevron.

Ascent Fund and Chevron are strategic investors in Raven SR, a privately held U.S.-based company developing renewable fuels projects around the globe. Its non-combustion, waste-to-energy technology produces hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuels, synthetic liquid fuels (diesel, Jet A, mil-spec, JP-8), additives and solvents (such as methanol, butanol, and naphtha).

"We truly appreciate the ongoing commitment of our investors and their representative members of the Raven SR Board as we prepare to scale up our commercially ready advanced renewable fuels and continue our geographic expansion with customers and partners around the world," said Matt Murdock, CEO of Raven SR. "Mark and Michael both bring valuable and unique perspectives from extensive financial and commercial experiences in the energy transition toward more sustainable fuels."

Michael Hoban is general manager of hydrogen supporting the U.S. West Coast of Chevron New Energies. He is engaged in accelerating Chevron's lower carbon business prospects, including the commercialization of hydrogen transportation, power, industrial, and other difficult-to-abate sector opportunities.

Previously, Hoban served as general manager for hydrogen at Iwatani, where he was responsible for the hydrogen operations and infrastructure development in California. Prior to joining Iwatani, Michael held various engineering, operations, and project positions with Shell, including a role supporting hydrogen transportation infrastructure for Shell New Energies. He holds a B.S. in Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, an M.S.in Energy Systems and Policy from the University of Iceland, and an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley Haas School of Business.

Mark Gordon is chief investment officer and co-founder of Ascent Funds. He is a former CFO for Hyzon Motors Inc., which is also a strategic investor in Raven SR.

Previously, Gordon was a senior portfolio manager at Janus Henderson, where he managed the Alphagen Energy Funds, and prior to that, he was a senior analyst at Paulson & Co., responsible for the energy sector. In addition, Gordon previously was a portfolio manager at Soros Fund Management, where he ran an energy and natural resources fund for three years, and also spent eight years at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, rising to the roles of portfolio manager and managing director. He holds an MBA (honors) from the University of Chicago, with concentrations in Analytic Finance and Economics, a M.A. from Stanford University and a B.A. from Brown University (honors). Gordon is a chartered financial analyst.

About Raven SR

Raven SR, headquartered in Wyoming, transforms biomass, mixed municipal solid waste, bio-solids, sewage, medical waste, and natural or biogas into renewable fuels. Using its proprietary, non-combustion, non-catalytic "Steam/CO2 Reformation" technology, Raven SR dependably produces a hydrogen-rich syngas regardless of feedstock utilized. Raven SR, led by co-founders Matt Murdock and Matt Scanlon, is committed to adding value to local resources and communities while responsibly reducing greenhouse gases and achieving a low carbon economy. By using modular systems and producing low air emissions, their systems can be located closer to customers and feedstock, creating local fuel from local waste for local mobility. Visit https://ravensr.com/.

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SOURCE Raven SR Inc.
GREAT FALLS, Va., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to battle, the effects are felt on and off the battlefield. Ripley's Hero, James Vasquez (Twitter @JMVasquez1974), understands the impact civilians and soldiers face due to the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine. As a result, James left his comfortable life in Connecticut in March 2022 and began voluntarily fighting alongside the Ukrainian Military Forces.

Now returning to America for one month for his Sights of Freedom North American Tour, James is doing more than question-and-answer events. This week, at the corporate office of Ripley's Heroes, James is spending time inspecting and repackaging hundreds of kids' coats, mittens, gloves, and hats to get them ready to ship to Poland. When he returns to Ukraine, he will personally drive the children's winter essentials down to the war-inflicted areas and pass out the essential cold-weather gear. "This war is not just affecting soldiers. A lot of people didn't have the means to flee their homes. With the increase in civilian infrastructure attacks, many families will be without heat and electricity during frigid times," said James. Ukraine's temperature during November fluctuates between 30-54 degrees, with some days and nights being even colder. And without stores stocked with supplies, these winter essentials are needed.

James is also overseeing the production of $15,000 worth of high-quality body armor that will go to the Ministry of Defense and the units sponsored by Ripley's Heroes fighting on the front lines.

In addition, James will be testifying before the Helsinki Committee, an independent U.S. government agency created by Congress in 1975 to monitor and encourage compliance with the Helsinki Final Act and other Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) commitments.

Finally, James will be wrapping up his Sights of Freedom North American Tour on October 29, 2022, with an open question-and-answer meet and greet at the Ukraine House in the Washington, DC, area. The fundraising event is 6-8 pm. There is a $25.00 suggested donation to attend; however, all are welcome.

Ripley's Heroes provides critically needed non-lethal and humanitarian resources to qualified and experienced heroes who have interrupted their own lives and put themselves in harm's way to help save others. Donations accepted at www.RipleysHeroes.org.

For more information, contact [email protected].

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SOURCE Ripley's Heroes
NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sightly announced today that it has signed one of Suzy's top sales executives to help lead its venture into enterprise intelligence software for marketing and media teams.

The company has named Emily Korengold to the position of Vice President of Enterprise Sales. She will report directly to Adam Katz, Chief Revenue Officer and General Manager of Sightly, and serve on the Sightly leadership team.

By landing a pivotal player who orchestrated the integration of Suzy's consumer insights platform into some of the world's most iconic brand organizations, Sightly signals its commitment to bringing its groundbreaking market and cultural intelligence platform to market over the next months, expanding on the company's long-standing position as a premier digital media activation partner.

Korengold brings an intimate knowledge of strategic brand intelligence needs from relationships she built with PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, Mars, Nestle, Walmart and others, helping them make smarter, more data-driven decisions.

"I've been impressed by Emily's record for years and watched as she delivered phenomenal results for one major brand after another in the market research technology space," said Katz. "Her success speaks for itself, and we're beyond thrilled she's chosen us now, as we roll out our tech that dynamically centralizes brands' unique mentalities and drives their media and marketing in powerful new ways."

Data from Sightly's platform helps each brand navigate polarizing moments in real time based on its distinctive profilei.e., to make instant decisions, instead of having to scramble when culturally relevant events happen.

Korengold added, "Sightly has been on my radar for awhile. I've kept my eye on them as the business evolved, and this couldn't be a more perfect moment to come on board. My vision has always been to help brands drive strategic results in real time across their organizations, and Sightly's platform deliversnot only the insights but decisive action as well. It's the ultimate in data-driven decision making."

About Sightly

Sightly is the leader in real-time marketing and intelligence, as driven by each brand's unique perspective, positions and audiences. Its revolutionary Brand Mentality platform combines speed with values, so companies can respond instantly and authentically to viral moments without sacrificing ROI.

Brands and agencies access the software via self-service or its full-service approach to media planning, buying and fine-tuning, which extends across YouTube, CTV & OTT, live streaming video, TikTok and all premium publishers. Learn more at http://www.sightly.com.

Media Contact: Mackenzie Gavel, Kite Hill Public Relations, [email protected]

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sightly-taps-former-suzy-exec-emily-korengold-to-drive-intelligence-software-push-301662092.html

SOURCE Sightly Enterprises, Inc.
PHOENIX, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sky Wellness's D Oh GeeTM and EquineXO have been announced as winners of the 2022 World CBD Awards for Best Pet Range. The company was recognized for its best-selling CBD pet wellness products, including CBD Dog Oil Drops, CBD Daily Duck Bites, CBD Daily Turkey Chewies (also the winner of the 2022 Product of the Year award by Kantar in the CBD Pet category), CBD Horse Supplement Granules, CBD Horse Muscle & Joint Rub, and CBD Horse Bites. The World CBD Award certificate of excellence was given to Thom Brodeur, CEO of Sky Wellness on Thursday, October 20, 2022, during the organization's annual gala and awards ceremony, this year held in Barcelona, Spain.

"To see our work recognized by such an esteemed organization and awards program is an honor," said Sky Wellness CEO Thom Brodeur. "13 finalist placements and this win for our D Oh Gee and EquineXO pet brands speak to our team's dedication to the science and compliance rigor required to meet this important market need of CBD for pets. This is the second award this year for D Oh Gee, a remarkable product line with sell-throughs leading in all the channels we are in."

The event celebrated excellent CBD and Hemp products that have been deemed safe, compliant and effective. Brands across the globe were nominated and honors were awarded to "those who go the 'extra mile' making the industry a safe and respected marketplace; showing they operate with integrity, transparency & ethical business practices," according to the World CBD Awards' website. Of the brands nominated this year, 160 were selected as finalists across 33 categories, with Sky Wellness holding four coveted positions for Sky Wellness, CBDaF!, EquineX and D Oh Gee. In addition to D Oh Gee and EquineXO winning for Best Pet Range, the following 10 Sky Wellness products were also named finalists:

Sky WellnessTM CBD Sleep Gummies 500mg 20ct + CBN + MelatoninSky WellnessTM CBD Immunity Softgels 750mg + 30ct CBG + ElderberrySky WellnessTM CBD FACIAL SPA OIL 100MG + TEA TREE OILSky WellnessTM CBD Relax Tincture 1000mg Tropical SmoothieSky WellnessTM CBD Relax Vape Cartridge 225mg Blueberry

CBDaF!TM Gummies 600mg 30ct Fruit FlavorsCBDaF!TM Energy Softgels 600mg 30ct + CBG + Caffeine CBDaF!TM Disposable Pen 200mg Pineapple Express CBDaF!TM Disposable Pen 200mg Granddaddy Purple CBDaF!TM Cartridge 1mL 400mg Pineapple Express

The awards were based on a unique evaluation process utilizing an independent group of judges made up of scientists, physicians, and professionals in the CBD/Hemp industry. Transparency and ethics were noted as essential aspects of the judging method, and brands were asked to send non-branded samples for blind testing to ensure a completely unbiased assessment. The scoring matrix for each category broke down into the following for accurate and fair evaluation of each product:

30% - Lab report result20% - Research panel report20% - Physical Testing (Touch, Smell, Taste, Texture and feel)20% - Application and supporting documents10% - Aesthetics and safety report

This year's theme is "we can do better" and Sky Wellness's collection of premium CBD products is leaning into that concept through a strong focus on high-quality production, transparency in safety and testing results, plus diligence with consumer education WINS. Sky Wellness and its brands also offer product knowledge training for all their retail partners and associates. The company has seen numerous awards and accolades for its efforts since its launch in 2019. The recognitions have also been reflected in company sales, which are seeing triple-digit, year-over-year growth.

"In an extremely competitive industry, we're grateful for the recognition of our brands and portfolio excellence in this ever-growing CBD marketplace," says Brook Bacon VP of Marketing and GM of Pet Products. "The CBD World Awards is globally recognized for brand innovation, plus safety and testing, which have been a core focus for all of our portfolios. This award will be a distinctive and influential tool for our ever-growing consumer base and retail partners."

Complete product information on D Oh Gee and EquineXO, along with laboratory testing results on every product can be found online at www.skywellness.com. The collection is also available through retail partners Tractor Supply, Handshake.com, Wagtopia, Mid-States Distributing, and at select Circle K locations.

ABOUT SKY WELLNESS

Sky Wellness is the leading challenger brand in the CBD industry. With a portfolio of five brands: Sky Wellness, CBDaF!, D Oh Gee, EquineX , and RipD, the company makes, markets, and sells more than 100 affordable, premium THC Free, Isolate and Full Spectrum Hemp-derived CBD products designed to elevate health, enhance well-being, and make people and their animals feel better. Each product is made only from the highest quality raw materials in the cleanest, safest, certified facilities, all verified via rigorous third-party testing. The goal of Sky Wellness is to make customers feel better by optimizing wellness outcomes through the benefits of Hemp-derived CBD. Available online at skywellness.com and at nearly 3,600 Convenience & specialty retail locations nationwide. By the end of 2022, Sky Wellness's portfolio of CBD brands will be available in more than 10,000 C-Store, Grocery, Drug, and specialty retail locations across the United States and online through more than a dozen of the most popular CBD eCommerce sites and marketplaces.

PRESS CONTACTMai Vu[email protected] 646-729-5969

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sky-wellnesss-d-oh-geetm-and-equinex-wins-2022-world-cbd-awards-for-best-pet-range-301662029.html

SOURCE Sky Wellness
OMB APPROVAL UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 OMB Number: 3235-0145 Expires: Febuary 28, 2009 Estimated average burden

hours per response ....10.4 SCHEDULE 13G Under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. 2 )* Mana Capital Acquisition Corp. (Name of Issuer) Common stock, par value $ 0.00001 (Title of Class of Securities) 56168P104 (CUSIP Number) October 26, 2022 (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)

Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule is filed:

o Rule 13d-1(b)

y Rule 13d-1(c)

o Rule 13d-1(d)

* The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting persons initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be filed for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Act) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).

1

CUSIP No. 56168P104 1. Names of Reporting Persons. I.R.S. Identification Nos. of above persons (entities only). Feis Equities LLC 2. Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (a) o (b) o 3. SEC Use Only 4. Citizenship or Place of Organization State of Illinois Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With 5. Sole Voting Power 0 6. Shared Voting Power 0 7. Sole Dispositive Power 0 8. Shared Dispositive Power 0 9. Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person 0 10. Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions) o 11. Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (9) 0.00% 12. Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) OO-Limited Liability Company

2

CUSIP No. 56168P104 1. Names of Reporting Persons. I.R.S. Identification Nos. of above persons (entities only). Lawrence M. Feis 2. Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (a) o (b) o 3. SEC Use Only 4. Citizenship or Place of Organization U.S.A. Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With 5. Sole Voting Power 0 6. Shared Voting Power 0 7. Sole Dispositive Power 0 8. Shared Dispositive Power 0 9. Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person 0 10. Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions) o 11. Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (9) 0.00% 12. Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) IN

3

Item 1.

The name and address of the principal executive offices of the Issuer are:

Mana Capital Acquisition Corp.

8 The Green, Suite 12490

Dover, Delaware 19901

Item 2.

This statement on Schedule 13G is being filed by:

(a) Name of Person Filing

(i) Feis Equities LLC

(ii) Lawrence M. Feis

(b) Address: The address of the business office of each of the Reporting Persons is: 20 North Wacker Drive Suite 2115 Chicago, Illinois 60606 (c) Citizenship/Place: Citizenship is set forth in Row 4 of the cover page for each Reporting Person hereto and is incorporated hereto by reference for each Reporting Person. (d) Title of Class of Securities: Common stock, par value $ 0.00001 (the Shares) (e) CUSIP Number: 56168P104

4

Item 3. If this statement is filed pursuant to 240.13d-1(b) or 240.13d-2(b) or (c), check whether the person filing is a:

(a) o Broker or dealer registered under section 15 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78o).

(b) o Bank as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c).

(c) o Insurance company as defined in section 3(a)(19) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c).

(d) o Investment company registered under section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C 80a-8).

(e) o An investment adviser in accordance with 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E);

(f) o An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F);

(g) o A parent holding company or control person in accordance with  240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G);

(h) o A savings associations as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813);

(i) o A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-3);

(j) o Group, in accordance with 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J).

Item 4. Ownership

The information required by Items 4(a)-(c) is set forth in Rows 5-11 of the cover page for each Reporting Person and incorporated by reference herein.

The percentage set forth in row 11 of the cover page for each Reporting Person is based on 8,125,000 shares of common stock outstanding as of August 8,2022, as reported by the Issuer in its 10-Q filing for the period ending June 30, 2022, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission August 10, 2022.

5

Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class

If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of securities, check the following y

Item 6. Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person

Not applicable.

Item 7. Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding Company

Not applicable.

Item 8. Identification and Classification of Members of the Group

Not applicable.

Item 9. Notice of Dissolution of Group

Not applicable.

Item 10. Certification

By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect.

6

SIGNATURES

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

Date: October 27, 2022 Date: October 27, 2022 FEIS EQUITIES LLC By: /s/ Lawrence M. Feis Managing Member LLC LAWRENCE M. FEIS By: /s/ Lawrence M. Feis

7

EXHIBIT INDEX

Ex. Page No. A Joint Filing Agreement 9

8

JOINT FILING AGREEMENT

The undersigned hereby agree that the statement on Schedule 13G with respect to the common stock of Mana Capital Acquisition Corp. dated as of October 27,2022 is, and any amendments thereto (including amendments on Schedule 13D) signed by each of the undersigned shall be filed on behalf of each of us pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of Rule 13d-1(k) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

FEIS EQUITIES LLC

By: /s/ Lawrence M. Feis

Managing Member LLC

LAWRENCE M. FEIS

By: /s/ Lawrence M. Feis

Date: October 27, 2022

9
TICKERS: AEM, WEX; WEXPF

Source: Streetwise Reports (10/28/22)

The results from the first two holes of a nine-hole drilling campaign at this company's Nevada flagship project have surpassed expectations.



Junior explorer, Western Exploration Inc. (WEX:TSX.V;WEXPF:OTC) is reporting very encouraging assay results from the first two holes drilled at the Doby George deposit of its Aura gold project in northern Nevada, according to one investment manager.

The company intersected 20.88 meters of 1.41 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) and 23.63 meters of 3.27 g/t Au at hole DGC789, including 7.32 meters of 5.27 g/t Au.

At hole DGC790, it intersected 54.56 meters of 2.08 g/t Au, including 6.4 meters of 4.70 g/t Au.

The company also has the backing of big names like Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., which owns 18% of the company.

The results are promising, Marceau Schlumberger, managing partner of the family investment vehicle Golkonda LLC, told Streetwise Reports. Golkonda is the largest investor in Western Exploration at 66%.

These were higher grade (results) than what I had expected, Schlumberger said. It basically confirms the high-grade and continuous nature of this deposit.

Doby George Project. Source: Western Exploration Inc.

Western Exploration Chief Executive Officer and Director Darcy Marud told Streetwise Reports that the company was excited to see grades in excess of 2 g/t that are fully oxidized right near the surface.

The results make it a good time to invest in the company, he said.

I think everybodys realized that weve got a couple of good assets, but you need to really do the work and demonstrated to everybody that your belief can be backed by results, not just talking, Marud said. I think were starting to deliver those results.

The Catalyst

The Phase 1 drill program at Doby George involved nine large-diameter core holes drilled between July and September. A total of 1,138 meters were drilled. Results from seven of those holes are still expected in the coming weeks.

You cant say what theyre going to be until you get the results, Marud said of the remaining holes. But I wouldnt be surprised if theyre not similar to what were seeing now.

More than 1,200 drill holes have been completed on the Aura project totaling more than 200,000 meters. At Doby George, 827 drill holes were completed for a total of 115,217 meters, of which Western completed 74 drill holes for a total of 22,642 meters.

Marud said Gravel Creek was why Agnico invested in Western Exploration. The major also provides technical support to the company and has invested about US$14 million in it since 2017.

Western Exploration is looking to finish a preliminary feasibility study (PFS) next year on a 5,000 to 7,000 tonnes per day (tpd) open pit heap leach mine there.

The company also has the backing of big names like Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. (AEM:TSX; AEM:NYSE), which owns 18% of the company.

It also plans to drill in 2023 on its new Gravel Creek discovery, with a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) to follow in 2024.

The goal is to grow the more than 1-million-ounce (Moz) Au and 10-Moz silver (Ag) resource at Aura, which is made up of the Doby George, Wood Gulch, and Gravel Creek deposits. It's 100% owned by Western and is about 32 kilometers north of the Jerritt Canyon Mine, which has been in operation since 1981.

Gravel Creek Brought in Heavy Hitter Agnico

Precious metals mineralization at Aura was initially discovered at Doby George in the 1960s, but it wasnt until the 1980s that Homestake Mining Co. discovered the Wood Gulch deposit. It produced about 646,000 tons at 2.87 g/t Au and 3.1 g/t Ag, with recoveries of 65% Au and 30% Ag.

At Gravel Creek, 458 drill holes were drilled for a total of 89,388 meters, of which Western completed 131 holes for a total of 62,441 meters.

Marud said Gravel Creek was why Agnico invested in Western Exploration. The major also provides technical support to the company and has invested about US$14 million in it since 2017.

Western hopes to connect the Gravel Creek and Wood Gulch deposits, creating a much larger footprint with the potential for 2 to 5 Moz Au.

The area is an under-explored area of Nevada, which with 5.58 Moz Au, hosted 84% of U.S. gold production in 2019. The state has historical production of more than 185 Moz Au.

The stock has also been surging. TMX Money rated Western Exploration No. 18 out of the top 50 companies with the largest price gains by dollar value on the TSX Venture Exchange in the past three months  on Wednesday, it was up CA$0.49 over 90 days.

Ownership and Share Structure

Golkonda LLC, a syndicate of dozens of high-net-worth investors, owns about 66% of the company, and Agnico owns 18%. Management and directors own about 2.8%, and other institutions own about 5.6%, the company said.

Western Exploration has a market cap of CA$45.69 million and has about 30.7 million shares outstanding, 10.4 million of them free floating. It trades in a 52-week range of CA$2.55 and CA$0.96.



Want to be the first to know about interesting Gold investment ideas? Sign up to receive the FREE Streetwise Reports' newsletter. Subscribe

Disclosures:

1) Steve Sobek wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC. He or members of his household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. He or members of his household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None.

2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Western Exploration Inc. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees.

3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the decision to publish an article until three business days after the publication of the article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Western Exploration Inc. and Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., companies mentioned in this article.
One of the Air Forces newest high-tech units performed its first field test Friday, putting unmanned aerial systems with interchangeable payloads through their paces in the increasingly drone-laden battleground of the Middle East.

Task Force 99 was established Oct. 13 at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, and its eight airmen are tinkering with off-the-shelf drone systems, Lt. Col. Erin Brilla, the units commander, said Thursday.

The unit is striving to make a proof of concept within 30 days for drones that can swap out their payloads when needed, Brilla said, adding that Task Force 99 plans to expand to 10 to 15 airmen next year.

The Air Force unit resembles the Navys Task Force 59, which has tested commercially available, relatively inexpensive unmanned surface vessels on missions in Middle East waters since its founding last year.

One of the groups initial tasks is looking for cheaper ways to detect Irans aerial drones, Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, head of 9th Air Force (Air Forces Central), said in September.

Neutering Iranian unmanned aircraft, which have had an outsized impact in wars in the Middle East and most recently in Ukraine, is a priority for the Air Force in the region, Grynkewich told Stars and Stripes in July.

Task Force 99 plans to collaborate with the Navys task force as well as a future Army unit as part of an umbrella organization that also includes regional U.S. allies such as Bahrain or Jordan, Brilla said.

Another organization, the 386 Air Expeditionary Wing, launched a two-person satellite innovation cell at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait on Wednesday, that will partner with Task Force 99s airmen at Al Udeid.
The protected military personnel records of an Air National Guard officer who is running for a House seat in Indiana were incorrectly released by an Air Force employee, a service spokeswoman said Thursday.

An initial investigation revealed a junior individual within the Air Force Department was likely responsible for the wrongful release of military records for congressional candidate Jennifer-Ruth Green to an unnamed third party, said Ann Stefanek, an Air Force spokeswoman.

Green, a 2005 Air Force Academy graduate and Iraq war veteran, is a Republican running for Indianas 1st Congressional District seat. She served 12 years on active duty as a special agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and she is now a lieutenant colonel in the Indiana Air National Guard.

Some of her records from her time on active duty, which by law should have been protected from public release, were published in a Politico Magazine article on Oct. 7 and revealed she was a sexual assault survivor.

Watch the latest video at foxnews.com

Green has said in a statement and a subsequent interview with Fox News that she had not planned to share publicly that she had been sexually assaulted while serving in Iraq, an incident which was detailed in the released service records. The records also included negative performance reviews, which should not have been released without Greens consent, according to law.

Stefanek said the individual who released Greens records did not follow proper procedures and obtain required consent.

The Department of the Air Force takes its responsibility to safeguard private information seriously and the matter remains under investigation, she said.

Stefanek declined to provide additional information about the employee suspected of providing the records, including whether the person was a civilian employee or a uniformed service member or what repercussions the individual could face. Citing the ongoing investigation, she said she could not offer further details.

Reps. Larry Bucshon and Jim Banks, both R-Ind., said this week that Lt. Gen. Stephen Davis, the Air Force inspector general, told them that he was working to determine whether the person who released the protected information had a political or financial motive, whether the leaker acted alone, and if the Air Force needs to strengthen policies related to its handling of confidential records.

Greens campaign has called for the individual to be held criminally responsible for releasing the records. Stefanek declined to say whether the ongoing probe could lead to criminal charges.

Federal law protects the full military records of service members from public release until they have been discharged from the military for 62 years. The public can obtain certain information earlier about veterans who were discharged via federal open records requests. That information typically would include their most recent service photograph, their dates of service, their ranks, locations and units in which they served, and awards they received during their time in service. However, information including performance reviews or records of non-criminal punishments are protected from release to ensure a veterans privacy, according to the National Personnel Records Center, which oversees the personnel records of veterans.

Greens campaign issued a statement accusing her opponent in the congressional race, Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Ind., of obtaining the records and providing them to Politico to smear her military career. Her campaign staff has not made public any evidence that they might have that shows Mrvan or any of his allies was responsible for the leak. Green's campaign did not immediately respond Friday to emailed questions about the incident.

Mrvan's campaign has denied any involvement in a leak of Greens protected military records. Politico said in a statement that it had obtained Greens records via a public records request, which were provided to Politico by a person outside the Mrvan campaign.

Bucshon and Banks, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, claimed an opposition research firm provided the protected documents to Politico. They called on the Air Force to make public any information it has discovered about the firms links to the Democratic Party. The lawmakers did not name the firm.

Green is locked in a close race with Mrvan for the House seat representing northwestern Indiana, which has been held by Democrats for decades, according to The Associated Press. If elected, Green would become the only Black female Republican in the House and only the second in its history.
This story has been corrected

TOKYO  The Air Force will withdraw its two squadrons of F-15 fighters on Okinawa over two years starting Tuesday and replace them with rotational squadrons of more advanced fighters, an Air Force spokeswoman said Friday.

The Department of Defense will commence a phased withdrawal of F-15C/D Eagles deployed to Kadena Air Base, spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in an emailed statement provided by Kadena to Stars and Stripes on Friday evening.

Published reports Thursday and Friday said the rotational aircraft will come initially from F-22 squadrons in Alaska.

The decision affects about half the fleet of the aging U.S. fighters stationed in Japan and comes as the U.S. grapples with a rapid military buildup by China. Some questioned the move as sending the wrong signal about U.S. military commitment in the region at a critical time.

The message to China is the U.S. is not serious about reversing the decline in its military forces, David Deptula, former vice commander of Pacific Air Forces and a retired F-15 pilot, told the Financial Times newspaper for a report Thursday. This will encourage the Chinese to take more dramatic action.

The Air Force is retiring its aging F-15C/D fleet of aircraft that has been in service more than 30 years, Stefanek said.

The transition to more capable aircraft at Kadena exemplifies our continued commitment to enhancing our posture and building on the strong foundation of our Alliance with Japan, she said.

DOD will maintain a steady presence at Kadena by rotating units of newer and more advanced fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft to backfill the F-15s as they retire, she said. Her statement did not address where the rotational aircraft would come from.

While we have not made a decision on the long-term solution, all of the proposals under consideration include advanced capabilities that are superior to the F-15C/D, Stefanek said. Until that decision is made, DoD will continue to use the Global Force Management process to provide backfill solutions that maintain regional deterrence and bolster our ability to uphold our Treaty obligations to Japan.

The U.S. plan calls for as many F-22s as there are F-15s currently at Kadena to deploy there for about six months starting in early November, a spokesman for the Japanese Ministry of Defense told Stars and Stripes by phone Friday. A greater number of F-22s may be deployed temporarily, the ministry spokesman said.

The plan by the U.S. side does not weaken deterrence but is being conducted to maintain and to strengthen deterrence and response capability of the Japan-U.S. alliance as the security environment is becoming increasingly severe, the spokesman told Stars and Stripes Friday by phone. And we believe it is necessary for the Japan-U.S. alliance.

Government spokespeople in Japan customarily speak to the media on condition of anonymity as a requirement of their position.

The Financial Times first reported the story, followed by Defense News on Friday. Both reports relied on multiple, anonymous sources.

Kadena Air Base on Okinawa is home to 48 F-15C/Ds of the 18th Wings 44th Fighter Squadron Vampires and the 67th Fighter Squadron Fighting Cocks. The Air Force also has F-16 Fighting Falcons at Misawa Air Base in northeastern Honshu, the largest of Japans four main islands.

The F-15, built by McDonnell Douglas, has an unmatched record of 104 kills and zero losses since it entered service in 1976. The Eagle can travel 1,875 mph, more than twice the speed of sound, according to the Air Forces official website.

Initial Air Force plans call for replacing the two Okinawa squadrons with rotating units of F-22 fifth-generation stealth fighters based in Alaska, according to the Financial Times report.

Its too early to know if the rotational presence will be temporary or simply an interim measure until a new generation of fighters is positioned permanently on Okinawa, Ralph Cossa, president emeritus of the Pacific Forum think tank in Hawaii, said in an email Friday.

The Air Force may save money by rotating squadrons through Kadena rather than supporting the families of permanently stationed forces, but unaccompanied tours often mean morale problems, he said.

Tokyo might also see this as a reduction in U.S. commitment even as Okinawans may see it as less burden, he said.

Islanders protest regularly about the presence of U.S. forces, whose facilities take up a significant portion of Okinawan land.

A base realignment plan calls for thousands of Marines stationed on the island to relocate to new facilities on Guam that are being funded by the Japanese government.

The idea of withdrawing a permanent force doesnt sound very good, according to James Brown, an international affairs expert at Temple Universitys Japan campus.

The move may push forward the argument that Japan needs to do more to defend itself and supplement the alliance with the U.S., he said.

It could, however, be seen as modernizing U.S. air assets in Japan, he told Stars and Stripes by phone Friday. The first F-15s arrived at Kadena in the 1970s.

You cant leave the F-15s there forever, he said. This rotational approach as a short-term solution is about the best there is as an option.

The F-15s departure will mean fewer dependents living on Okinawa, but it wont necessarily lead to better community relations, he said.

Maybe it is better to have people there for longer who have a better understanding of the community and cultural norms in Japan, he said. With rotational forces you have more newcomers.
Finding that perfect gift for a special someone isnt always easy, especially for those who procrastinate. With Christmas just under two months away, a short trip to a market or fair at which high-quality, unique or quirky gifts can be purchased combines fun with foresight.

For gourmet tastes

The upscale spa town of Baden-Baden makes an ideal backdrop for a fair celebrating refined tastes in regard to eating, drinking and serving at the table. The Genussmesse fine, on through Oct. 30 at the citys Kurhaus, offers gourmet foods, wine and handmade and designer goods. Exhibitors will tempt with items such as chocolate, honey, spirits, oils, salami, cheese, coffee and spices; clothes, cosmetics and fashion jewelry are also offered. Tickets at the door go for 12 euros; those up to the age of 12 enter for free. Online: tinyurl.com/299hscr2

For military memorabilia collectors

For collectors of military memorabilia, a good place to be is Belgium, where large and small fairs take place throughout the year. Ciney Militaria, billed as Europes largest fair of its kind, takes place 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 30 at the city of Cineys expo grounds. Some 600 exhibitors from throughout the Continent are expected to attend. Adult tickets go for 15 euros at the door. Online: cineyexpo.be

The Antwerp & Kortrijk Militaria fairs are indoor events featuring some 150 stands manned by vendors from across Belgium and Europe. The goods include uniforms, helmets, spare parts, medals, flags, posters, authorized weapons, books and vintage equipment. Fairs take place at the Antwerp Expo on Nov. 20 and at the Kortrijk XPO on Dec. 11. Opening hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and admission costs from 6 to 10 euros, depending on time of entry. Online: gentmilitaria.be

For vintage fashionistas

Vinokilo, a company that organizes the sale of high-quality used clothing by weight, makes buying second-hand into an event by staging multi-day shopping events in eclectic venues to the accompaniment of live or DJ music and food and drink. An afternoon or evening of vintage and good vibes can be had at the Stuttpark in Stuttgart Nov. 3-5. Event hours are noon-8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Tickets go for 3 euros, payable by card only. Stuttpark is located at Kegelenstrae 19. Other upcoming Vinokilo events take place in Frankfurt Nov. 8-12 and in Cologne Nov. 18-19. Online: vinokilo.events

For world travelers

The Bazar International de Luxembourg is a fundraising event that aims to financially support and promote charities from all corners of the world. The volunteer-run organization seeks to help some of the worlds neediest, including victims of poverty, violence or social isolation, particularly women and girls. Each year in the run-up to Christmas, the group sets up the social and shopping event. About 60 countries are represented at stands selling their most typical products including food and drink, artwork, jewelry, clothing, Christmas decorations and other surprises. Dance and musical performances add fun, color and multi-cultural allure. After shopping for gifts, visitors can mingle over warm or cold beverages and snacks. The fair takes place Nov. 11-13 in Halls 7 and 8 of the LuxExpo. Entry is free. Hours are 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Fri. (for drinks and snacks); 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat. and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. Online: bazar-international.lu

For lovers of games and hobbies

The Stuttgarter MesseHerbst, a massive trade fair thats open to the public, puts on sale and display the type of goods best enjoyed during autumn and winter. Set up as eight separate fairs under one roof and accessible with a single ticket, a range of interests are addressed here. Eat & style will appeal to lovers of fine food and drink; Spiele offers games, toys and puzzles; Kreativ is the place to find a new hobby or handicraft or improve the mastery of an old favorite pursuit. Other sections highlight pets, rocks and minerals. BRAWO offers the chance to get acquainted with and try out various brass and wind instruments or listen to a big band concert. The fairs run Nov. 18-20 (four of these fairs will open Nov. 17); tickets costs 15 euros for weekday entry and 17 euros for weekend visits. Children ages 15 and under enter free. Online: tinyurl.com/4vkffeyb

For antiques collectors

The Antiques Fair in Prague, arranged by the Czech Antique Dealers Association, happens twice annually. The fairs autumn edition is slated to take place at the Karlovo namesti in Novomestska radnice (New Town Hall) Nov. 24-27. Close to 50 exhibitors will be showing and selling their wares across five halls, to include jewelry, home decor and more. Adult entry costs 120 Czech Koruna (about $4.80). Online: asociace.com/english/antique-fair

For lovers of unique design

The Marche de Nuit in Frankfurt am Main turns shopping into a late-evening social event. Around 100 exhibitors display goods including textiles, jewelry, photographic arts, glassware, graphic design, upcycled products and more. Food and music creates an atmosphere appealing to a young, hip crowd. Events take place on a monthly basis in the Zoo-Gesellschaftshaus at Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1; the next planned date is Nov. 26. The market runs from 6 p.m. to midnight; tickets go for 6 euros. Online: nachtmarkt-frankfurt.de
Summer on Okinawa brought more mom-and-pop and father-and-son restaurants out of hiding and back to business.

Thank goodness, because I found a luxury burger spot  the Ishigaki Island Kitchen Bin in Chatan town  that rekindled its griddle in July after 2 years of COVID-19 closure.

This burger shop is special because its beef and other ingredients are sourced from Ishigaki, a small island south of Okinawa that is famous worldwide for its premium-quality beef, or tokusen Ishigaki gyu in Japanese.

Ishigaki beef comes from fattened black cattle bred in Okinawa. Its a higher-grade meat with marbled fat that gives you a melt-in-your-mouth kind of experience.

The Island Kitchen has three burgers to choose from: bacon, avocado and mozzarella. Each costs about 1,430 yen (about $9.90). Make it a double for another 550 yen; add a side of fries, onion rings or homemade potato chips and a drink for 480 yen.

I ordered at the counter, sat at a table in the back and within five minutes my double bacon cheeseburger meal set had arrived. The meat and melted cheese were perfect. The cheese and buns are homemade, and you can taste the freshness with each bite.

There is self-serve soft ice cream made with ginger and imported from Hokkaido, Japans northernmost island. The self-serve drink bar has tea, coffee, juices; bottled beers are available on request.

The restaurant has inside seating at four tables that each seat four. More seating is available outside.

The burger shop is a father-and-son operation that they named for their home island. The son, Eito Arashiro, 33, graduated from high school on Ishigaki and moved with his father to Chatan, where they opened the burger place in 2007.

Most of the customers are Japanese tourists followed by Americans on Okinawa with the U.S. military. A few locals patronize the shop, too, he said.

Be prepared to get your hands messy. These burgers are tall and ooze with toppings.

Ishigaki Island Kitchen Bin

Location: 11-21, Chatan 1-Chome Chatan, Nakagami-gun 904-0116 Okinawa Prefecture

Directions: Just outside Camp Fosters Gate No. 2 and across from Araha Beach. Head toward the beach along the road that runs parallel with the water. Look for the big yellow building.

Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday 10:30 a.m.  6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m.  7 p.m. Closed Tuesday.

Dress: Casual

Information: Phone: 098-936-7587; Online: kitchenbin.on.omisenomikata.jp and Facebook.com/ishigakijimakitchenBin. Phone orders and takeaway are available.
WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service)  Congressional Democrats and the Biden administration are demanding a free and fair election in Brazil on Sunday, floating consequences for the Trump of the Tropics, Jair Bolsonaro, if he refuses to recognize the outcome of a democratic election.

The Brazilian president has said he will not respect the results if he does not come out on top in the runoff election against former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, leading some to question whether Jan. 6-like violence could erupt.

The United States and Brazil are linked economically and politically as the two largest democracies in the Western Hemisphere, with strong trade relationships in commodities that range from aircrafts to oranges.

Climate change is also front of mind for U.S.-based Brazil observers as voters head to the polls. Under Bolsonaro, deforestation of the Amazon surged. The worlds largest rainforest, an indispensable natural resource that Lula has pledged to protect, absorbs greenhouse gases that warm the atmosphere.

The Senate last month unanimously warned via a resolution pushed by Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt., that the U.S. government could reconsider its relationship with the neighboring democracy if a new government comes to power through undemocratic means, including a military coup.

After the U.S. underwent its own turbulent transition of power in 2021, culminating in a violent attack on the Capitol, American lawmakers are worried about the future of Brazil under pressure from the same election-denying forces and political violence.

The margin between the two candidates is narrow. Lula received around 48.4 percent to Bolsonaros 43.2 percent in the first round of voting on Oct. 2, leading analysts to predict either could clinch a victory, though only Lula is expected by some to potentially win big.

Bolsonaro has laid the groundwork for an election challenge. At a campaign event in August, he outlined three possible election outcomes: Being arrested, killed or victory.

Taking a page out of former President Donald Trumps playbook, he has questioned the integrity of Brazils electronic voting system for months.

Voting is mandatory for Brazilians over 18 years old, and their system is widely viewed to be one of the safest and most reliable in the world. When polls close, the system churns out the results from all precincts, even those deep in the Amazon, in hours, meaning Brazilians are expected to know who their next president is before they go to bed Sunday.

But Bolsonaro has suggested Brazil should instead rely on paper ballots.

Ryan C. Berg, director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, called Brazils voting system an extraordinary machine. He said he remains convinced of the systems security, despite the fact that Brazil is still a developing country.

The Biden administration said it is monitoring the elections and has faith in the strength of Brazils democratic institutions.

As a partner democracy to Brazil, we will continue to follow the elections with the full expectation that they will be conducted in a free, fair, transparent, and credible manner, with all relevant institutions operating in accordance with their constitutional role, a spokesperson for the National Security Council said.

Serious consequences

But congressional Democrats are not so sure Brazils democratic safety nets will hold.

Iman Musa Jadallah, advocacy director for the Washington Brazil Office, one of several groups that met with Sanders over the summer, said the legislation he sponsored along with five Senate Democrats sends a strong signal. House Democrats drew up a similar resolution, but it remains in committee.

Jadallah is not concerned that no Republicans signed on to the legislation. A bipartisan measure would have been ideal, she added, but the fact that no Republican was willing to explicitly oppose [the Senate bill] is pretty significant.

Democrats also warned President Joe Biden in a letter  led by Sen. Patrick J. Leahy , D-Vt., and co-signed by Bob Menendez and Gregory W. Meeks , chairmen of the Senate and House foreign policy panels, respectively  that Bolsonaro had threatened to go to war to prevent a stolen election.

The 39 Democrats urged Biden to make it unequivocally clear to Brazils president that such unprecedented threats would be met with serious consequences.

They recommended that the Biden administration review Brazils status as a global NATO partner and a major non-NATO ally, as well as Brazils accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The letter and the Senate resolution, which passed by unanimous consent on Sept. 28, both suggested that defense and security cooperation could be on the chopping block if Bolsonaro refuses to relinquish the presidency.

Those warnings may not have caught Bolsonaros eye. But they would speak to a very important part of his base, said Berg.

Membership in intergovernmental organizations and security cooperation with the United States indicates that Brazils made it on the international stage, the CSIS analyst explained.

So I do think that those are serious consequences if the Congress is indeed serious about revoking them if theres any funny business in the election, Berg said.

But as for a violent uprising that U.S. lawmakers fear could mimic the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on their own seat of government, Berg doesnt see that scenario playing out.

Brazils democratic system lacks the certification process that drew Trumps supporters to Washington in hopes of disrupting the counting of electoral votes to allow him to hold on to power.

I dont envision some kind of citizen uprising that allows for Bolsonaro to remain in the Palacio da Alvorada if he loses. I do not discount at all that there could be election-related violence  there already has been  in this election and there most likely will be after the election as well, Berg said.

Such violence will more likely continue to unfold in individual incidents, Berg added, likely in urban areas.

Jadallah, with the Washington Brazil Office, an independent advocacy organization, is equally concerned about political violence. She points out that gun sales have been on the rise in Brazil under Bolsonaro, who loosened restrictions on civilian ownership, raising concerns about the potentially deadly nature of any political unrest.

Bit more fragile

Whether that would manifest into an event like Jan. 6, Jadallah doesnt know. She said Bolsonaros supporters could attempt to invade the Superior Electoral Court in Brasilia, for example, although how that would stop Lula from taking power if he is the winner is unclear.

The U.S. has very solid democratic institutions. And here in Brazil, we tend to think that they are a little bit more fragile. Were not so sure that we would be able to come out of an event like that, Jadallah said.

It is difficult for experts to forecast just what shape an election challenge by Bolsonaro would take. Jadallah says she absolutely believes he will question the results if he loses, but like Berg she emphasized that Brazilians trust their voting system, the same system that elected Bolsonaro in 2018.

With that in mind, the right-wing populist could aim his attacks at preelection procedures. Berg said those could, for example, target Brazils Supreme Federal Court, such as recent rulings to allow two separate probes related to his election fraud claims.

My gut feeling is that arguments against the actual vote count arent going to get him very far, he added.

In response to Bolsonaros fiery rhetoric, some election watchers have questioned whether he would call on the military to help him hold on to power. In doing so, he is jeopardizing the constitutionally-mandated neutrality of the military, the Leahy letter stated, flagging that the head of the Brazilian Navy has echoed Bolsonaros election fraud claims.

But in Brazil, like in the United States, the military is under civilian control. Berg doubts Bolsonaro could muster enough support at the upper ranks of the Armed Forces to mobilize a military coup.

No matter who comes out on top Sunday or the fallout, questions will remain over what Brazils future holds. Neither candidate has cast a vision for how to overcome the countrys economic woes, leaning instead, in the increasingly polarized political environment, into nostalgia for a Brazil they claim has been lost.

Its disappointing for the country of the future, Berg said, which Brazil is often referred to, to have no talk about its future.

2022 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Visit cqrollcall.com .

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii  Roughly 6,000 troops began moving into positions throughout the Hawaiian Islands over the past week as a prelude to a 10-day training scenario simulating what warfighters could expect in a conflict with China.

This is intended to be the most immersive training environment we can create, so the most realistic training environment short to combat, Brig. Gen. Jeffrey VanAntwerp, deputy commanding general for operations for the 25th Infantry Division, told reporters during a conference call Thursday. The commander of U.S. Army Pacific, Gen. Charles Flynn, also took part in the call.

The training is part of the Armys Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center, which operates large-scale combat training centers in Hawaii and Alaska, as well as one that is deployable throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

The combat centers possess personnel and equipment capable of providing exercises of the kind soldiers would get at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., or the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif.

Regional combat centers were used for the first time in Hawaii last fall and in Alaska for the first time earlier this year.

Flynn touted the time and money saved in no longer having to send troops and equipment to training centers on the mainland.

I mean, theres a reason why we have a training center in Europe, and we dont bring tactical forces back from Europe to the continental United States to train, Flynn said. We just never created a combat training center out here in the Pacific, but we have now.

The deployable combat center has been to Indonesia twice and is scheduled for Australia during Talisman Sabre in July.

Why? Because the Australian army is creating a combat training center much like the ones that we have here in the Pacific, Flynn said.

The core element undergoing training in Hawaii, which formally begins on Monday, is the 25th Divisions 2nd Brigade Combat Team.

But the scope and sweep of the training is joint and international. Three infantry companies from Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand are participating, VanAntwerp said.

Also joining are Marines from the Hawaii-based 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, a U.S. Navy destroyer, the 1st Special Forces Group and the Air Force in terms of lift, fires and defensive counter air, VanAntwerp said.

Among the training sites on Oahu will be Bellows Air Force Station, Dillingham Army Airfield, Kahuku Training Area, Kawailoa Mountain Ranges, Helemanu Plantation and Schofield Barracks East and South Ranges.

On Hawaii Island, troops will train at Pohakuloa Training Area, a 132,000-acre site used by the joint services for live-fire drills.

The Pentagon on Thursday released a declassified version of the 2022 National Defense Strategy, which maintains that China and its expanding military pose the greatest threat to U.S. security.

Flynn, without mentioning China, said the drills would prepare soldiers for conflict in tropical jungles and archipelagos found throughout the Indo-Pacific.

These are scenarios that are left without designated names, Flynn said. So, we look at all the threats that we have in the region here, and we create a scenario that challenges our leaders, soldiers, commanders and organizations to operate against any adversary and any threat that might emerge here.

VanAntwerp said that the opposition force in the combat training is a free-thinking adversary able to leverage whatever technology or concepts could confound or stymie an Army force.

The readiness center has enabled a higher-end adversary by enhancing GPS jamming capability, increasing the power of radio-frequency jamming and adding more unmanned aircraft systems big and small, he said.

Weve also given them what we see with most of our adversaries, which is a good amount of artillery, long-range artillery, long-range rockets, [and] very capable integrated air defense, he said.
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from its eastern coast toward the East Sea, or Sea of Japan, South Koreas military said Friday.

The missiles were launched from North Koreas eastern Kangwon province at 11:59 a.m. and 12:18 p.m. Friday, according to a message to reporters from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Joint Chiefs estimated the missiles flew 143 miles at a peak altitude of 15 miles.

"Our troops are currently maintaining a full readiness posture and strengthened surveillance and heightened security, working closely together with the U.S.," the Joint Chiefs said.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in a news release said it is consulting with allies in the region about the launches.

"While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, the missile launches highlight the destabilizing impact of the [North Korea's] unlawful [weapons of mass destruction] and ballistic missile programs," the release said Friday. "The U.S. commitments to the defense of the [South Korea] and Japan remain ironclad."

The communist regime has test launched more than 40 missiles so far this year, an annual record. It last fired a missile and over 100 artillery rounds on Oct. 14. A North Korean missile soared over Aomori prefecture in northern Japan on Oct. 4.

North Koreas latest launch comes weeks after U.S. and South Korean forces conducted a series of joint military exercises. Naval forces from the two countries drilled in anti-submarine warfare in September, preceded by the large-scale Ulchi Freedom Shield command-post exercise that was restarted after a five-year pause.

On Monday, around 240 aircraft and thousands of troops from the U.S. and South Korean militaries are scheduled to begin a five-day, large-scale air exercise. Around 1,600 sorties will be conducted by a multitude of different fighter jets, including the Marine Corps' F-35B Lightning II, according to a news release from U.S. Forces Korea.

North Korea's state-run media outlets frequently describe the U.S.-South Korean military exercises as an existential threat to its survival and justify its own missile and nuclear tests as a deterrent. U.S. and South Korean officials have said for months that North Korea is prepared to conduct its first nuclear test since 2017 and warned the regime faces severe repercussions if it does so.

"Broadly speaking, a seventh nuclear test, should it happen, would constitute a grave escalatory action and seriously threaten regional stability, international stability, security in the region and it would also undermine the global non-proliferation regime and efforts that are being undertaken," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said in a news briefing in Washington on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong of South Korea and Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori of Japan met in Tokyo to reaffirm their countries' commitment in addressing North Korea's provocations.
Fresh from securing another term - if not life tenure - as China's paramount leader, Xi Jinping on Thursday led a symbolic field trip of his newly appointed top lieutenants to the historical revolutionary base of Yan'an, the cradle of Mao Zedong's Communist Party takeover of the nation.

Standing in the cave from which Mao led his Red Army troops, China's most powerful leader in decades delivered a warning about the need for loyalty, hard work and sacrifice. The party must carry forward the Yan'an spirit, Xi told the assembled leaders, which he described as primarily one of "pioneering self-reliance and arduous struggle."

According to Xi, that wartime ethos is needed today as much as in the 1940s, when the Communists fought first the Japanese invasion and then a civil war with the ruling Nationalist Party.

The nature of the battle for which Xi is preparing can be divined from the backgrounds of the country's two dozen most senior leaders, selected at the twice-a-decade political meeting that just concluded. His choices reflect a focus on developing advanced military and technological capabilities so that Beijing can withstand any pressure from the United States and its allies, particularly when it comes to enforcing territorial claims over Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy of 23 million.

"Xi is emphasizing that he succeeds the tradition of Mao," said Guoguang Wu, a senior research scholar at the Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions. "Under his leadership, just like under Mao's leadership in the 1940s, the party will be able to gain whatever they would like to."

Despite China's growing global clout, Xi still worries that slowing growth and deep links with Western industrialized economies will weaken the party's hold on power, said Wu, who worked as an adviser to reformist Chinese leader Zhao Ziyang in the 1980s until he was deposed during the 1989 Tiananmen protests. "Xi has huge ambition. In his own words, he would like to bring China back to the center of the world stage. For that purpose, China is not strong enough."

During the meeting, Xi underscored the severe challenges facing China. He elevated security concerns alongside economic concerns and he called for the country to be "united in struggle" to overcome hardships.

The meeting cemented Xi's role in setting the policy agenda. His former rivals, Li Keqiang and a one-time would-be successor, were both pushed out, indicating that alternative political networks had been erased. And most of the 13 individuals promoted to join the 24-member Politburo not only have strong personal ties to Xi but technical expertise or experience relevant to his policy priorities of advanced technologies, security and military power.

Five - Ma Xingrui, Zhang Guoqing, Li Ganjie, Liu Guo Zhong and Yuan Jiajun - have worked in the state-run military-industrial complex responsible for China rapidly gaining on the United States in space flight and for the People's Liberation Army's expanding arsenal of conventional and nuclear missiles.

Yuan, the current Zhejiang party boss who studied aerospace in Germany, led a program that in 2003 sent the first Chinese astronaut into space. Liu majored in the design and manufacturing of fuses for artillery systems at East China University of Science and Technology and later worked in one of China's earliest bomb and missile factories before switching to a political career.

The promotions reflect Xi's "focus on scientific and technological expertise as a critical input for China to innovate itself out of the middle-income trap and out of Western chokeholds on core technologies," said Neil Thomas, senior China analyst at the Eurasia Group.

Xi talks often about how officials must re-create the hard-won breakthroughs in satellite and nuclear weapon technologies from the early days of the People's Republic, which were essential to keeping China from being pushed around by other nuclear-armed nations.

The other major issue that looms over the Politburo appointments is Taiwan, with 15 of the two dozen members having some kind of links to the island, either through managing cross-straits business ties - the carrots of Beijing's effort to compel unification - or as part of the army that may one day be charged with bringing it back into the fold should it ever formally declare independence.

Cai Qi, one of the more surprising additions to the elite seven-member Politburo Standing Committee, visited Taiwan in 2012 when he was working under Xi as a local official in Zhejiang and called for China to engage and shift political allegiances in the independence-leaning south of the island.

Cai, whose work with Xi across two provinces helped him skip stages of promotion to become Beijing party boss in 2017, wrote positively about meeting with an elderly relative, encouraging Taiwanese investment in China and getting along well with politicians from the more China-friendly Kuomintang party that ruled Taiwan at the time.

Much of this experience with Taiwan could merely reflect Xi's own career path: He spent many years in Fujian and Zhejiang, two coastal provinces with deep business ties to Taiwan. An exception, however, is He Weidong, leader of the Taiwan-focused Eastern Theater Command. The 65-year-old general's rise from not even being a member of the 370-odd Central Committee to a seat on the Politburo represents the more menacing side of Xi's Taiwan agenda.

Shen Ming-Shih, the director of national security research at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, a think tank in Taiwan, said the personnel changes appear to show that Xi is "losing patience" over Taiwan and is pushing a "tough Taiwan strategy that does not care about the deterioration of cross-strait relations."

The decision to retain Zhang Youxia, 72, despite an informal age limit of 68, is probably driven by Xi's desire for combat experience at the top of the PLA. Zhang, the oldest Politburo member, fought in China's 1979 war with Vietnam.

Another norm-breaking decision was to make Chen Wenqing, China's current spy master, a Politburo member for the first time since the Ministry of State Security was created in the 1980s. Chen became the youngest deputy secretary in the corruption watchdog that Xi used to purge graft and rivals.

The promotion indicates that "the spies have come to power" in Xi's China, much like the KGB in the Soviet Union, said Wu, the Stanford scholar. "Now it seems that Xi Jinping really wants to use the system to control not only social forces, but also to play a role in the surveillance of the political elite and in foreign relations," he said.

Hung Yao-nan, a China studies scholar at Tamkang University in Taiwan, said that Xi's emphasis on security reflects a dilemma of his highly centralized rule. Hung calls it the "Mao Zedong trap," whereby Xi will either need to make internal control ever more stringent, like Stalin, or pursue rampant nationalism and aggression.

"With Xi Jinping at the center of an ever smaller decision-making circle, it is becoming easier to make the bad decisions," he said. In his speeches, Xi often warns that the whole world must fight against divisions and entering a "new Cold War" but, to preserve personal control, "he has built the wall by himself," Hung said.

The Washington Post's Lyric Li in Seoul, Theodora Yu in Hong Kong and Vic Chiang in Taipei contributed to this report.
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine  When Russian tanks rolled into the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson last spring, the young couple decided it was time to leave.

They fled to Kyiv, where Anton got a job driving a taxi and soon Nastya became pregnant. But she missed her mother, who had been left behind. So, last month, newly married Nastya did the unthinkable: She went back.

Back into Russian-occupied territory. Back into a city teetering on the edge of chaos, where both sides are preparing for what could be one of the fiercest battles in the now eight-month-old war. Back into the maw of a Russian military accused of committing atrocities.

Anton could not follow. And it was the Ukrainian side that blocked him.

"They won't explain why," he said Monday in a camp for internally displaced people in Zaporizhzhia, 200 miles from Kherson. "They just keep turning me around."

Anton spent last weekend trying to reach Nastya, who suddenly stopped answering her phone.

"Sweetheart, I'm worried," he texted. "Write me call me immediately when you get this."

He received only silence.

Almost 15 million Ukrainians  a third of the population  have been forced from their homes since Russia invaded in February, according to the United Nations, many leaving loved ones behind. Among the displaced are the Kherson residents now desperate to return home despite the danger and uncertainty of life under Russian occupation and the acute risk of being trapped in heavy fighting.

The seemingly crazy decision to go back, by Anton, Nastya and others like them, highlights the impossible choices that war throws at ordinary people, who are caught in a conflicting swirl of allegiances and emotions. Is it better to be safe while friends and relatives remain in harm's way? Or should all be together in the line of fire?

In Zaporizhzhia, an industrial city now infamous for the nearby nuclear power plant and for being the capital of a region that Russia claims to have annexed but does not fully control, countless people who fled Kherson or surrounding towns and villages are queuing to return for their relatives.

Their mission is growing more desperate, and also more dangerous, as Ukrainian forces prepare an expected assault to retake Kherson, the first key city seized by Russia after the start of the invasion on Feb. 24. Ukrainian troops have been advancing on the city from the north and west, and the Russians have been in retreat, and consolidating positions on the east bank of the Dnieper River, which splits the city.

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said "Russian terrorists" were planning to blow up the dam at the nearby Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant to flood Kherson and the surrounding area. Russia claims that Ukraine is planning to sabotage the dam, and over the weekend, occupation officials announced they were relocating as many as 60,000 people  roughly one-fifth of Kherson's prewar population.

For months, people fleeing Kherson and nearby towns have arrived in Zaporizhzhia, often after harrowing, multiday journeys through dozens of checkpoints and across contested territory. They are welcomed at a converted big box store and then housed at a former hotel complex. Theoretically, they are supposed to stay for a few days before moving on. Some, however, remain for weeks  not because they can't find other accommodation but because they are waiting for permission to go back.

Konstantyn Buhlyai, a 38-year-old potato farmer from the town of Chaplynka, roughly a two-hour drive from Kherson city, had just marked a month in Zaporizhzhia. Buhlyai had previously sent his wife and two children to live in Utah via a religious group his wife found online. But as a man of military age, he cannot leave Ukraine. Nor can he return to his town to retrieve his parents.

Ihor Samoylychenko, 45, also has spent the past month waiting to return, in his case to Kherson city, where a neighbor had been taking care of his two children, ages 8 and 10. He has put his name into an electronic queue for permission to return but has no clue how long it will take.

Samoylychenko, a truck driver, had used his 4.5-ton vehicle to take three families out of Kherson before returning with humanitarian aid. But when he tried to ferry a second batch of families, he was stopped in Zaporizhzhia. Regional Ukrainian officials would not let him return to Russian-occupied territory.

Samoylychenko wrote a letter to the Zaporizhzhia governor and to a local official at the crossing point, asking to be allowed to go home to his children and ailing mother. But the local official denied his request, citing martial law that restricts the movement of civilians.

Regional officials blamed the travel restrictions on the National Guard, which did not respond to a request for comment. It was unclear whether the restrictions were in place to prevent people's willingly or unwittingly providing the Russian authorities with information, or a result of safety concerns, or were merely a feature of wartime bureaucracy.

As the fighting around Kherson intensified, Samoylychenko has grown more desperate.

"Zaporizhzhia says we can't go because they fear for our lives," he said as he leaned against his bunk in the converted hotel complex. "But I'll sign anything, I'll waive any risk; just let me go back."

On the bed across from him, another angry parent stirred uneasily.

Svetlana Yeremenko said she had arrived in Zaporizhzhia more than a month earlier after a 24-hour trip from her occupied town of Velyka Lepetykha, across the front line, so that her older son, 22-year-old Ivan, could have an operation. But she had left behind her elderly mother, husband and younger son, age 12.

"We can't get permission to go back," Yeremenko said. "They say there is a waiting line, but it's so long it never gets to us."

It was a bitter irony, the two parents said, that it wasn't the Russians but fellow Ukrainians who were keeping them from their families. They said they had no sympathy for the Russian occupiers, or illusions about what awaited them if they were allowed back. Living under Russian control, they said, they had felt like second-class citizens in their own homes. People who refused to work under Russian occupation were fired, and those who agreed to take Russian passports were given cushy jobs and lump sum payments, they said.

"What they are trying to implement is that you're either with us or you're not," Samoylychenko said. "If you're with Ukraine, then it's, 'Dosvidaniya.' "

Yeremenko and Samoylychenko said they had also heard rumors of Russians raping, torturing and killing local people, stories that echoed accounts now being investigated in newly liberated towns.

The road back is also dangerous. Last month, a convoy of cars waiting to return to Russian-occupied territory was hit by a suspected Russian missile, killing more than two dozen people and injuring scores.

Yet, life in Zaporizhzhia has its own risks. There have been explosions near the welcome center. Consequently, internally displaced people are no longer allowed to gather there, volunteers said. And just a week ago, a suspected Iranian drone was shot down above the hotel serving as a shelter. The explosion shattered some windows, and glass still littered the parking lot outside. "We are kind of safe here, but our families back home are not," Samoylychenko said. "We're living on the edge."

Without word from his pregnant wife, Anton was at risk of going over that edge. The couple had met about a year earlier at their job building small airplanes. Nastya worked on designing the planes, and Anton built them. They began flirting, then dating, and on New Year's Day this year, he proposed.

"What, are you an idiot?" she said before hugging him and saying yes. Russia invaded less than two months later, sweeping into southern Ukraine from occupied Crimea. Within a few days, the Russians had taken Kherson.

Anton and Nastya fled to the capital, where they found an apartment and he found a job. Soon, they learned she was pregnant.

But Nastya worried about her mother, and wanted to get her out of Kherson. "She was saying, 'I want to go home, I want to go home,' " Anton recalled. He thought it was such a bad idea that he took her to Bucha, Irpin and Hostomel: suburbs near Kyiv where Russian soldiers were accused of committing atrocities.

"I showed her the mass graves," he said. "And I told her it could be repeated."

Nastya was undeterred. So last month, the couple traveled to Zaporizhzhia by train. But they could not go home together; Anton was told he could not accompany her. When he said goodbye, he thought he would quickly win permission and rejoin his pregnant wife. But now it has now been almost a month, and he is living and volunteering at the hotel turned shelter: 200 miles from his wife and soon-to-be first child.

On Saturday, she sent him a photo of her baby belly.

"Oh my god," he replied. "Amazing."

And then the photos stopped.

Anton called her once, twice, nine times, but there was only silence.

"My sunshine I love you endlessly," he texted. "Please you and mom be careful, when you read my message please call me immediately and write."

He tried not to think of all the things that could have happened. And then, on Sunday, a text.

"Bunny, hello," she wrote.

"Everything okay???" he replied. "I was worried. Almost didn't sleep."

As with many in Kherson, her internet service had been cut. Anton scrambled to find a way to call her, but neither cellphones nor Facebook nor other apps worked. Finally, he remembered using Skype years ago and gave it a try. Suddenly, her phone began to ring and Anton could feel his heart leap.

"Hello?" he said. "Are you alive?"

Nastya's reply was the same one as 10 months earlier, before the war and their separation and the baby he prayed he would one day get to see.

"What, are you an idiot?" she said, and burst into tears.
Phoenix police said Thursday that they have made an arrest related to a break-in that took place at the Phoenix campaign office for Arizona Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs earlier this week. A spokesperson for Hobbs, Arizona's secretary of state, implicitly blamed Hobbs's Republican rival, former television news presenter Kari Lake - a charge Lake scoffed at as "absurd."

Phoenix police confirmed they responded to a burglary call at Hobbs's campaign office on Tuesday afternoon and that unspecified items were taken during the night. Detectives were checking security cameras to try to identify the suspect, police spokesman Phil Krynsky said. In surveillance images obtained from the Hobbs campaign by The Washington Post, a young man wearing shorts and a green T-shirt can be seen inside the building.

Phoenix police did not identify the person arrested and said they would release more information later Thursday.

"Secretary Hobbs and her staff have faced hundreds of death threats and threats of violence over the course of this campaign. Throughout this race, we have been clear that the safety of our staff and of the Secretary is our number one priority," Hobbs campaign manager Nicole DeMont said in a statement late Wednesday.

Lake told CNN that the Hobbs campaign's statement was "absolutely absurd."

"And are you guys buying that? Are you really buying that? Because this sounds like a Jussie Smollett part two," Lake told CNN, referring to the actor who was found guilty of falsely reporting a hate crime. "She's trying to deflect from her own abysmal campaign and the fact that you know, nobody even knows where her campaign office is."

Lake and Hobbs have been engaged in a bitter campaign for governor, and polls have shown the two locked in a tight race. Lake, who was endorsed by Donald Trump, has embraced and spread the former president's false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Trump and his allies, including Lake, have especially questioned the results in Arizona, where Joe Biden narrowly defeated him - the first time a Democrat took the state since 1996.

As secretary of state, Hobbs defended the election process in Arizona as the person in charge of certifying Biden's victory in 2020. She has called Lake a threat to democracy and earlier this month referred an incident of alleged voter intimidation to the U.S. Justice Department and the Arizona attorney general.

"There's a group of people 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," said the report, which was written by a voter in the Phoenix suburbs and obtained by The Washington Post. "They took . . . photographs of our license plate and of us and then followed us out the parking lot in one of their cars continuing to film."

While Hobbs has defended the use of drop boxes as a safe and secure way to ensure ballot access, Lake has encouraged doubts and expressed support for citizen surveillance.

In July, Lake posted on Twitter a photo of a drop box she said was in northern Arizona. "Potential Mules beware: we are watching drop boxes throughout the state," she said. "Smile . . . you might be on camera!"

The Washington Post's Yvonne Wingett Sanchez contributed to this report.
The Pentagon released a trio of documents Thursday outlining the United States' national defense strategy, its nuclear posture and its policy regarding missile defense - a much-anticipated public accounting of how the Biden administration plans to counter threats from adversary nations at a time when war and the threat of compound conflicts are escalating.

The documents - which Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin referred to as "the department's North Star" - reflect an outlook he has long been voicing: that China is the main, "pacing" challenge for the United States.

Russia, the documents acknowledge, presents a more "acute" threat, particularly because its president, Vladimir Putin, is actively waging a war in Ukraine and threatening to employ nuclear weapons in combat. But as Austin put it, Moscow still "can't systemically challenge the United States over the long term."

While the assessments are largely in keeping with positions the Defense Department has previously outlined, there are nonetheless a few items that are likely to inspire controversy - in part because of global developments that aren't directly addressed in the 80 unclassified pages.

The 2022 Nuclear Posture Review offers a notable assessment of Iran's nuclear ambitions. It puts some hotly debated weapons systems on the chopping block - including a nuclear gravity bomb and a submarine-launched nuclear missile with staunch defenders in Congress.

Perhaps most strikingly, the authors acknowledge that the documents were not updated since March - when the classified versions of them were shared with Congress - despite a war in Ukraine that was in its infancy when they penned their assessments.

1. Russia's nuclear threat

The Pentagon flags Moscow's Ukraine invasion as the example that "underscores that nuclear dangers persist, and could grow, in an increasingly competitive and volatile geopolitical landscape." It notes that Russia has brandished the threat of nuclear weapons "as a shield behind which to wage unjustified aggression against their neighbors."

But while the documents are explicit in stating the Pentagon's objectives, its prescriptions for tamping down the crescendo of the nuclear drumbeat emanating from the Kremlin are general in nature. The document speaks about the need for "integrated deterrence" and ensuring that the United States and its allies continue to "maintain a very high bar for nuclear employment," to reduce the risk of escalation. It acknowledges that "changes in U.S. strategy and force posture may be required" to achieve deterrence - but does not contemplate the specifics of what that would look like.

Part of that may be due to the fact that the documents released Thursday are only the unclassified version of the Pentagon's reviews. But while the Russian threat is "acute," the Pentagon does not seem to believe that a game-changing move from the Kremlin is imminent. Austin threw cold water Thursday on the idea that nuclear or other radioactive weapons will be used in the Ukraine conflict anytime soon.

"We have not seen anything to indicate that Putin has made a decision to use a dirty bomb," he said.

2. China on the horizon

While Russia's invasion of Ukraine has unlocked the Pentagon coffers, China's long-term nuclear ambitions have spooked the Defense Department to the greatest degree. The National Defense Strategy calls China the "most comprehensive and serious challenge to U.S. national security," while the Nuclear Posture Review states that "by the 2030s, the United States will, for the first time in its history, face two major nuclear powers as strategic competitors and potential adversaries."

Or as Austin put it to reporters Thursday, China remains the one adversary "both with the intent to reshape the international order and increasingly the power to do so."

But the Pentagon acknowledges that it is still looking for answers about how to address the challenge posed by Beijing and ensure it does not lead to war.

The documents note that China and Russia, despite sometimes diverging objectives, maintain a troubling alliance - particularly given the "sophistication" of China's missile technology and its demonstrated ability to try to "close the gap" with the United States. When it comes to nuclear warheads, the Nuclear Posture Review notes, China is on pace to have at least 1,000 by the end of this decade.

The writers of the document are frank in their acknowledgments of where Beijing has eluded Washington's best efforts to rein things in. The United States "has made little progress" with China when it comes to arms-control frameworks, the document notes - a problem exacerbated by Beijing's resistance to participating in international negotiations. And while the Missile Defense Review stresses that the Pentagon "will continue to rely on strategic deterrence," the Pentagon admits a few paragraphs later that is difficult, given China's "efforts and activities to contest the rules-based international order."

3. Iran's atomic ambitions

When it comes to Iran, the Defense Department's new policy-setting documents and the Pentagon's leaders are occasionally in conflict.

"Iran is moving ahead on its nuclear program, supporting dangerous armed proxies and even exporting drones that Russia has used to terrorize Ukrainian civilians," Austin told reporters Thursday, in touting the newly released reports.

That's not precisely the sentiment expressed in the reports' pages.

Though the Pentagon writes that Iranian nuclear activities "are of great concern" and that it remains Defense Department policy "to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon," the Nuclear Posture Review also states plainly that "Iran does not today possess a nuclear weapon and we currently believe it is not pursuing one."

That's not just an aberrant phrasing, either. The National Defense Strategy is careful to distinguish between Iran's capacities and its intentions, stating that "Iran is taking actions that would improve its ability to produce a nuclear weapon should it make the decision to do so."

That decision, though, by the Pentagon's own assessments, has not been taken.

4. North Korea tough talk

Unlike Iran, the documents paint North Korea's ventures as menacing in nature. The Missile Defense Review states that the hermit kingdom "continues to improve, expand, and diversify its conventional nuclear missile capabilities, posing an increasing risk to the U.S. homeland and U.S. forces in theater, as well as regional Allies and partners." The report notes recent missile tests, including some weapons Pyongyang claims have hypersonic capabilities, and reminds that "most of North Korea's ballistic missiles have an assessed capability to carry nuclear payloads."

The Nuclear Posture Review also sounds an alarm, stating that while North Korea is not a threat on the level of Russia and China, "it poses a persistent threat and growing danger to the U.S. homeland and the Indo-Pacific region as it expands, diversifies and improves" its nuclear, ballistic missile and military capabilities.

The response is all tough talk. "Any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its Allies and partner is unacceptable and will result in the end of that regime," the Nuclear Posture Review states, in one of the most unequivocal throw-downs in the document. "There is no scenario in which the Kim regime could employ nuclear weapons and survive."

5. Shelving unnecessary nukes

The military is retiring two models of nuclear weapon, despite protests from members of Congress who have tried to save them from the chopping block. The first, the B83-1 gravity bomb, has over a megaton of capacity - a punch that makes it a potentially useful tool for obliterating hard, underground targets. But the bombs, which have been in the arsenal since the 1980s, are becoming expensive to maintain - and, the Pentagon says, simply aren't as versatile or uniquely equipped to command privileged status anymore.

The other is a submarine-launched cruise missile known as the SLCM-N (the "N" stands for "nuclear"), approved during Donald Trump's presidency - and which was the subject of fierce controversy on Capitol Hill after the Biden administration indicated in its budget proposals this year that it planned to ax funding for the program.

The SLCM-N comes in on the opposite end of the nuclear spectrum from the B83-1 - with its lower yield, it is considered a "tactical" nuclear weapon. Supporters of the SLCM-N have questioned why the administration would decommission it mid-development at a time when concern is growing that Russia could use its vast arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine. But administration officials insist it is an unnecessary, duplicative weapon and are determined to scrap it, no matter the blowback.

"It has zero value," for Russia and Ukraine, a senior defense official said Thursday on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive program decisions, noting that even if the SLCM-N were fully funded, "it would not arrive until 2035."

6. Strategic ambiguity

The Pentagon's policy documents are, together, a quadrennial vitals check on where U.S. strategic defense stands and where it ought to be going. They lay out departmental philosophy on critical national security threats and what defenses should be invested in to meet them.

Except the United States' nuclear policy remains publicly undefined in some key respects. The writers of the Nuclear Posture Review defer to President Joe Biden and his advisers to determine whether there should be updates to the policy governing the use of nuclear weapons if and when deterrence fails - a possibility that Biden has stated is nearer than at any point since the Cuban missile crisis.

The document also states that while "moving toward a sole purpose declaration" remains a goal, the options its writers considered - including adopting a "No First Use" doctrine - "would result in an unacceptable level of risk." As a result, it will be left to future Pentagon strategists and the White House to contemplate any eventual moves to articulate potential limits to how far the United States is prepared to go in its developing arms race with China and Russia.
The Pentagon will send some $275 million in new weapons and equipment to Ukraine marking the 24th time that the United States has sent military aid from its own inventory to support the countrys efforts to repel Russias invasion.

The latest shipment  expected to arrive in Ukraine in the coming weeks  will primarily include ammunition, including rocket and precision-guided artillery rounds, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Friday. The Pentagon has now provided some $18.5 billion of its own weapons to Ukraine under President Joe Bidens authority to transfer U.S. supplies to aid the Ukrainian war effort, she said.

The shipment comes as Russia has poured thousands of conscripts with little fighting experience onto battlefields in Ukraine to bolster front-line efforts in the countrys east and south regions after a series of setbacks in recent weeks. Pentagon officials have said weapons packages are typically tailored to the Ukrainians current needs.

The latest aid includes 500 Excalibur precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds, 2000 155mm remote anti-armor mine systems, more than 1,300 anti-armor weapons, more than 2.75 million rounds of small arms ammunition, and an unspecified number of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems or HIMARS  rockets, Singh said. The tranche also includes 125 Humvees and four satellite communications antennas, which Singh said would bolster Ukrainian command and control capabilities.

The Pentagon has lauded Ukraines use of HIMARS on the battlefield, telling reporters that the weapons were critical in rolling back Russian forces in the countrys east and south in recent months. The Pentagon has provided 20 of the rocket systems, which can strike targets up to 50 miles away. Ukraine has used HIMARS to strike Russian command and control and logistics nodes deep behind its front lines.

But Ukraine has also repeatedly asked the United States and other NATO nations for longer-range artillery weapons. The Pentagon has denied those requests to date. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday dismissed Ukraines need for longer-range rockets. He told reporters at the Pentagon the HIMARS ammunition that Ukraine has been using could reach any target it needed to strike in the country, including on the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, and Ukraine has pledged to take back.

Austin said what the Ukrainians really needs is an advanced air defense capability, which the United States has been working to provide them. Austin said he expected to provide short-range air defense systems known as NASAMS, or National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, to Ukraine by early next month.

NASAMS are developed by U.S.-based Raytheon Technologies and Norways Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace, and can strike down incoming ballistic missiles, fighter jets and drones, according to the manufacturers.

That capability will be critical for Ukraine, which has seen Russian missiles increasingly target its critical infrastructure in recent weeks as Russian forces continue to retreat. The Associated Press reported Friday that rolling blackouts had continued across the country, which has seen more than 30% of its power stations destroyed in Russian missile and artillery attacks.

Singh said Friday that a training problem was already in place for Ukrainian troops to learn to operate the NASAMS.

Once it has been completed, the system will be ready for delivery to Ukraine, and we anticipate that that training program will conclude soon, she said.

Singh declined to provide more specific information about the program, citing operational security concerns.
Researchers say they solved a decades-old riddle this week by finding remnants of the stockade and therefore the site of a prison camp in York, Pennsylvania, that housed British soldiers for nearly two years during the American Revolutionary War.

The location of Camp Security was thought to have been on land acquired by the local government nearly a decade ago. On Monday, an archaeological team working there located what they believe to be the prison camp's exterior security fence.

The camp housed more than 1,000 English, Scottish and Canadian privates and noncommissioned officers for 22 months during war, starting with a group of prisoners who arrived in 1781, four years after their surrender at Saratoga, New York. By the next year, there were some 1,200 men at the camp, along with hundreds of women and children.

Fieldwork at the site, which also includes the lower-security Camp Indulgence, has gone on for decades, but the exact spot of Camp Security  where prisoners from the 1781 Battle of Yorktown, Virginia, were kept  had been unknown until a telltale pattern of post holes in a foot-deep trench was uncovered.

"This has been a long project, and to finally see it come to fruition, or at least know you're not nuts, that's wonderful," said Carol Tanzola, who as president of Friends of Camp Security led fundraising for the project.

Lead archaeologist John Crawmer said the location site had been narrowed down after about 28 acres were plowed for metal detection and surface collection of artifacts in 2020. That further reduced the search area to about 8 acres, where long exploratory trenches were dug last year.

Those trenches helped the team identify post holes that in turn led to the pattern of holes and a stockade trench that matched stockades at other 18th-century military sites, Crawmer said.

Next spring, Crawmer and other researchers hope to determine the full size of the stockade and perform a focused search for artifacts within and around it.

"Was it circular or square, what's inside, what's outside?" Crawmer said. "As we do that, we're going to start finding those 18th-century artifacts, the trash pits. We'll be able to start answering questions about where people were sleeping, where they were living, where they were throwing things away, where the privies are."

Crawmer said there is evidence the vertical posts that formed the security stockade were not in the ground for very long and that they may have been dug up and reused after the camp was closed in 1783.

A contemporaneous account of camp life by a British surgeon's mate said there was a "camp fever" that might have killed some of the prisoners, and a list of Camp Security inmates was located in the British National Archives. No human remains have been found at the site.

Historians confirmed local lore about the general location of Camp Security and Camp Indulgence after a 1979 archaeological study of a small portion of the property produced buckles, buttons and other items associated with British soldiers of the period. That survey also found 20 coins and 605 straight pins that may have been used by prisoners to make lace.
The woman - who first arrived here in 2006 on a student visa - married the Latvian man one week after the expiry of her visa and seven months after they first met

An Indian national suspected of being involved in a sham marriage with a Latvian man has failed in her High Court bid to quash a decision by the Minister for Justice refusing her a residence card.

This follows High Court judge, Mr Justice Cian Ferriter dismissing the couple's judicial review challenge against the Ministers order.

Mr Justice Ferriter ruled that the woman and the Latvian man she married in 2012 have not made out a case in unlawfulness in the Ministers decision to refuse the woman the residence card in 2018.

The woman - who first arrived here in 2006 on a student visa - married the Latvian man on September 19th 2012 one week after the expiry of her visa and seven months after they first met in February 2012 while they moved in together in April 2012.

As a result of the marriage the woman was allowed to remain as she was a family member of an EU citizen residing here and was granted her residence card in April 2013.

In September 2017, the woman applied for a renewal of the residence card and in a voluntary interview under caution by members of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) in February 2018, the Latvian man admitted that the marriage was a sham marriage.

The man admitted that he had not been in a real relationship with the woman and that he had married her to enable her to get visa papers and that they had not lived together.

He also admitted that, during the currency of the marriage to the woman, he had been in a relationship with a Latvian woman and that she had become pregnant following his marriage to the Indian woman.

The child was born in August 2013, making it clear that the child was conceived during the course of the Latvian mans marriage to the Indian woman.

The man told the GNIB that the Indian woman said to him when they first met that they could get married so that she could get a visa.

In answer to a question as to whether he accepted that his marriage the first applicant was a marriage of convenience, he answered yes.

As a result, the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service Division of the Department of Justice informed the Indian woman that the Minister proposed to refuse the residence card on the basis that she was involved in a marriage of convenience.

In response, solicitors for the Indian woman asserted that the marriage was genuine.

The written submission enclosed a signed statement from the Latvian man which asserted that this relationship was truly based on love and our marriage is genuine.

The statement asserted that the man cheated on his wife with his ex-girlfriend and that the Indian woman found out about this and the birth of the Latvian man's child which understandably started the trouble in the relationship.

The statement stated that they started living separately at the end of 2013 and that they tried to get back together in around 2016.

The documentation provided included evidence of joint travel to Latvia in February and April 2016, documents evidencing the applicants joint assessment for tax purposes in 2014 and wedding photographs and various letters of support.

However, the Dept refused the residence card in July 2018 after concluding that the marriage was not a genuine marriage based on the Latvian mans admissions to the GNIB.

In dismissing the womans judicial review challenge, Mr Justice Ferriter has found that there was no failure of the Minister, through her official, to properly engage with the evidence stating that I do not believe there has been any want of fair procedures made out.

Mr Justice Ferriter stated that the accelerated nature of the relationship, the fact that the Latvian man had fathered a child by another woman during the course of the relatively short marriage relationship and was in a relationship with that woman - along with the absence of a body of evidence supporting an ongoing intimate emotional relationship between the applicants, such as texts, photos, regular romantic social outings - very much supported the account of the marriage given by the Lativan man at interview.
Significant damage was caused to the vehicle as the suspects fled the scene in a van

A man in his 20s is due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice this morning after a car fire at a home in Cabra Dublin 7.

The man was arrested by gardai and later charged after an incident of criminal damage in the early hours of Thursday morning, October 27.

At approximately 12.30am, gardai were alerted to a car fire at a residence in Cabra.

Significant damage was caused to the vehicle as the suspects fled the scene in a van.

A short time later, while conducting a checkpoint on the Navan Road, Dublin 7, gardai observed a vehicle driving dangerously, gardai said.

The van failed to stop for gardai when signalled to do so. Following a managed containment operation, the van came to a stop on the River Road in Ashtown.

All three occupants of the vehicle were arrested and taken to Blanchardstown Garda Station where they were detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.

The offending vehicle was seized by gardai for a technical examination.

One male (aged in his 20s) has since been charged and is due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice this morning, Friday 28th October, gardai added.

A male (aged in his 20s) and a female (aged in her 30s) were later released without charge and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Investigations are ongoing.
Kyle Walsh pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary and making a threat at his former partners home

A man who threw a brick at his ex-partner's door and threatened her in a spasm of jealousy has been warned not to harass or unnecessarily contact her again or he will go to prison

Kyle Walsh (30) of Killinarden Heights, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary and making a threat at his former partners home, on December 30, 2019.

The court heard that in a spasm of jealousy, Walsh had thrown a brick and entered through the front door of his formers partners home. He made threats to kill her before leaving the house.

Judge Martin Nolan said it had been a frightening and serious offence.

The judge said looking through the probation report it seems the defendant had an attitudinal problem which he has to deal with. He noted that the events took place three years ago and had not occurred again. Walsh has no relevant previous convictions.

He said he hoped Walsh had realised what he did wrong and that it can never be repeated.

The judge said the mitigation was clear, noting Walshs plea, cooperation and good work history.

Judge Nolan said the question was should he imprison Walsh. He noted complicating factors in Walshs personal circumstances and that this behaviour had not reoccurred.

He said that it would probably be unjust to imprison him, but it had been a close-run thing.

Judge Nolan imposed two and half years imprisonment which he suspended in full. He ordered him to have no unnecessary contact with the injured party.

He told Walsh that if there was any harassment, bad blood or aggression towards the woman he would be brought back to court. He warned Walsh if there was any repetition he would go to jail.
These are servants of the people carrying out very dangerous work and we need to make sure that they can do that work without fear of being assaulted.

There have been renewed calls for people who assault gardai to be sent to prison, after shocking new figures revealed that 2,267 members of the force have been assaulted on active duty since 2013.

In 2020, there were 205 reported assaults, 241 the following year, while there have been 196 so far this year.

Aontu leader Peadar Toibin says people who assault gardai must be sent to prison.

We in Aontu have created a new bill that would guarantee a custodial sentence - a minimum custodial sentence - for anybody who assaults a Garda, an ambulance worker or a fire service worker, he told Newstalk.

These are servants of the people carrying out very dangerous work and we need to make sure that they can do that work without fear of being assaulted.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said that any assault on a Garda was an assault on an entire community.

The Government said that anyone convicted of assaulting a Garda can be jailed for up to seven years, under current laws.

Last month, the Garda Representative Association (GRA) revealed there has been a 57pc increase in assaults against its members over the past five years - soaring from just over 700 assaults in 2016 to 1,096 attacks in 2021.

The GRA said it was clear the justice system needed to adopt a get-tough approach to those who endanger members of the emergency services simply trying to do their jobs.

GRA official Frank Thornton said mandatory sentences for such offenders was long overdue.

"Mandatory sentencing is long overdue to act as a real deterrent for those who initiate these assaults on all frontline emergency staff such as gardai, hospital, paramedic and our firefighting colleagues," he said.

"The statistics as revealed by the Department of Justice from the past five years reveal a telling insight to the reality of life on the frontline."

Mr Thornton said it was very worrying to see such an increase in assaults against Gardai since 2016 - and warned the courts had to reflect how unacceptable it was for emergency service members to be targetted.

"There is no excuse for unprovoked assaults, as members of An Garda Siochana we are entitled to expect that we will return to our families after each day on duty in the same condition we left our families and homes in."

Almost half the injuries suffered by on-duty Gardai are the direct results of assaults against them - almost 1500pc the rate of injury suffered by other professionals in the course of their duties.

"I believe if, as a society, we want to retain an unarmed police force then we must protect members of An Garda Siochana through mandatory sentencing on all assaults on gardai - and court penalties which adequately acknowledge this."

Representative groups for firemen, paramedics and medical professionals have also expressed concern at the increasing number of violent attacks they are subjected to in the course of their duties.
Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy wants to create a new experience

Pupils from St Joseph's Maryland, Dublin 8, at the Live Crib in the Mansion House previously. Photo: Gareth Chaney   Gareth Chaney

The live animal crib outside Dublins Mansion house will not be going ahead this Christmas for the first time in 27 years despite weeks of preparation.

Lord Mayor of Dublin, the Green Party councillor Caroline Conroy, brought the subject to yesterday mornings Dublin City Council meeting.

The removal of live animals of the Nativity crib received full support from members of DCCs Protocol Committee.

The Irish Farmers Association (IFA), which supplies the animals, has expressed its disappointment and said it received no communication on the decision despite weeks of preparations

The farmyard crib has been a joint initiative between the council and the IFA since 1995, and usually runs throughout the month of December.

The festive crib on Dawson Street is a specially constructed life-size stable, with donkeys, sheep and goats.

The stable has become a Christmas tradition in recent years, drawing large crowds to its official opening. In past years the animals were brought in each morning at 9am and returned around 6pm to a farm in Co Wicklow.

Dublin City Council acknowledged that the live crib played a valuable part in the citys celebrations.

However, protocols introduced since the Covid pandemic mean the animals must now be viewed behind a Perspex screen.

The effects of Covid on how we approach events mean that the scene must now be viewed from behind a Perspex barrier. The Lord Mayor wants to create a new experience that will allow children to be part of the scene rather than just looking at it, a council spokeswoman said.

The details of this are to be finalised and will be announced later, it will include a Nativity scene and allow everyone to feel like they are part of a Christmas in 1715 when the Mansion House was first purchased.

Richard Guiney, chief executive officer of Dublin Town, said the removal of the animal crib is disappointing and the atmosphere it helps to creates.

Its part of the overall city experience. People do come to the city for things like the Christmas lights, the atmosphere, the whole vibe of the city and families coming in to meet Santa Claus.

Mr Guiney added that the live animal aspect adds to making the city a more attractive location.

It is a nice addition to the city. Theres one time of the year that I think the city is very child-friendly is at Christmas. Kids love the lights and the whole atmosphere.

I think its the one thing we do very well in Dublin is Christmas, its a nice place to be in the run-up, he said.

Meanwhile, the IFA has said preparations were already under way for the city farmyard that was due to open in six weeks time.

A spokesman for the IFA said: IFA has had no communication from the Lord Mayors office about any change in the arrangements for the Live Animal Crib. Our partnership stretches back to the mid-90s and is a hugely popular part of the pre-Christmas tradition in Dublin.

Design plans for this years Nativity have not yet been finalised, but Dublin City Council said it will complement the capitals Winter Lights Festival.
A suspect in a fatal stabbing was found by gardai hiding under a duvet as he cowered in the bedroom of a woman related to him, the Sunday World can reveal.

The man has been in custody since he was arrested in relation to outstanding bench warrants against him and has not yet been questioned by detectives about the murder.

These arrest warrants relate to charges connected to sinister threats against him.

Sources say gardai are not looking for anyone else in relation to the murder of Stefan Nivelles Posschier (65), who was killed near his Co Westmeath home on Monday.

It is understood the suspect in the case had a high dependency on cannabis but was not known to gardai for involvement in serious offences.

Yesterday gardai gave more details about their investigation and made a public appeal for information.

Gardai in Mullingar are investigating all the circumstances surrounding the death of Stefan Nivelles Posschier, 65 years, a spokesman said in a statement.

Shortly after 6pm on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, gardai were alerted to the discovery of a body of a male at a house in Rattin, near Kinnegad, Co Westmeath. The man, now known to be Stefan Nivelles Posschier, was violently assaulted and died as a result of his injuries.

A post-mortem examination was conducted yesterday by State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan at Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore. The results are not being released for operational reasons.

An incident room has been established at Mullingar garda station and the investigation is being carried out under the direction of a senior investigating officer.

A family liaison officer has been appointed and continues to keep the family informed of the investigation, added the garda statement.

Investigating gardai at Mullingar would like to speak to any person that met with or saw Stefan or interacted with him on social media on the days prior to the discovery of his body on the afternoon of Tuesday October 25.

Investigating gardai can be contacted at the incident room in Mullingar garda station on 044 9384000, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or through any garda station. No arrests have been made at this time.

However, it is understood gardai are not looking for anyone else in relation to their investigation and are working on the theory that there may have been a row with the victim.

Mr Posschier was originally from Belgium but had been living in the area for around 20 years.

He also went by the stage name Stefan De Guylian when working as a medium, clairvoyant and shamanic healer. Mr Posschier also did tarot readings in towns across the country.

On Tuesday, Garda headquarters announced details of the tragedy and confirmed that an investigation was under way.

The scene at the property in Rattin near Milltownpass remained sealed off last night as the garda investigation continued.

A date for the victims funeral has not been announced.
The idea was to get rid of Jackie McDonald and take over the areas under his control

Reporter Hugh Jordon at the murder scene in Antrim of Liam Christie.

UDA South Belfast Brigadier Jackie McDonald, was believed to a target for drug dealers because of stance against drugs   Jim McDowell

Murder victim Liam Christie  brutally gunned down in Antrim three days ago  once plotted with a Russian Mafia hitman to kill UDA leader Jackie McDonald, the Sunday World has learned.

We have been told Christie conspired with a professional assassin from Eastern Europe to take out McDonald because of the UDA chiefs anti-drugs stance.

It is believed Russian wholesale suppliers, who at the time were delivering vast quantities of drugs into Belfast, were apparently angered by the UDA leaders repeated attacks on loyalists dealing in drugs.

You cant be a loyalist and a drugs dealer, McDonald had told supporters at a Remembrance Day parade.

But once Christie agreed to supply back-up, a murder plot was hatched to take out McDonald. It is understood Christie  who was once a member of the Continuity IRA  offered to provide transport and other logistical aid to allow a professional Russian hitman to carry out the killing and quickly disappear again down south.

The idea was to get rid of Jackie McDonald and take over the areas under his control, said our source.

But the blueprint for murder on the streets of south Belfast was scrapped after a UVF man stepped in, telling Christie: If this goes ahead, the police will be down on top of everyone like a ton of bricks.

Our source added: It was called off because it would attract heat from the police 24 hours a day.

Yesterday, Jackie McDonald told the Sunday Worldhe was unaware of a Russian Mafia plan to kill him.

UDA South Belfast Brigadier Jackie McDonald, was believed to a target for drug dealers because of stance against drugs   Jim McDowell

But he repeated his belief that drugs dealers are bringing death and destruction to communities in Northern Ireland.

We see the result of drugs every single day now, he said.

A 44-year-old father of three, Liam Christie was found dead in a bedroom of his house at Craighill on Antrims Ballycraigy estate on Thursday.

It is believed he was shot around 2am when neighbours heard shots, although his body wasnt discovered until 9am.

Relatives of the dead man later claimed Christies body had been badly mutilated before he was shot three or four times, although this is still unconfirmed.

Christie was originally from Alliance Avenue in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast, but he had been living in Antrim for a number of years.

It is known that the north Belfast man built up a major drugs empire in the town where he controlled a number of so-called grow houses. And he was also well known as a major supplier of drugs at open-air events in Belfast.

Liam Christie controlled a small army of drugs dealers who worked at the big music concerts, said one of our sources.

Crime sources say that despite being a Catholic, Christie survived in the staunchly Protestant area because he operated with the blessing of a well-known drug dealers in Co Antrim.

They are known to have a close connection to the Loyalist Volunteer Force, which broke away from the UVF more than 25 years ago.

Reporter Hugh Jordon at the murder scene in Antrim of Liam Christie.

Sources close to Christie say he had run up huge debts with one of the Antrim-based dealers who allowed him to operate from Ballycraigy.

It looks as though Liam had a huge bill and couldnt pay his debts. These people dont mess about. You either pay your bill or you suffer.

He added: The nature of the murder suggests it was a warning to others not to try the same thing.

At a press conference on Friday, Detective Inspector Rachel Wilson declined to speculate on a motive for Christies murder.

At this stage of the investigation, I dont think it would be appropriate to comment any further, said the detective.

The PSNI officer explained that Christie had only moved into the terrace house at Craighill a matter of weeks ago.

But she insisted police were keeping an open mind on the motive. And the police also said they wouldnt be commenting on whether there was any paramilitary involvement in the killing.

Det Insp Wilson said: This was a brutal killing and Im appealing for information to help bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice.

I would appeal to anyone with information  no matter how insignificant they think it might me  to bring it to the police by either calling 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A police presence remained at the crime scene throughout yesterday as officers continued to search for forensic evidence.

A green steel door on the property  which opened outwards as a security precaution  remained closed.

And a single bunch of flowers was tied to a gatepost and Liam Christies family car remained in the driveway behind the police security cordon.

hjordan.media@btinternet.com
Dacre Stoker says the family are still haunted by Dracula and feel a responsibility to give people a good scare.

Bram Stokers great grand nephew has revealed people often mistook his house for the vampire Draculas on Halloween.

Dacre opened up about his familys spooky roots on the RTE Radio Ones Ryan Tubridy Show this morning, saying the Dracula legacy still haunts the Stokers.

His great grand uncle and famous Dub Bram Stoker wrote the iconic blood-suckers story 125 years ago.

Trick-or-treaters have often appeared at his door to ask: Oh, what are we going to get, are we going to get candy or are you going to take our blood?

"It got a little tiring after a while but you know it was a little tongue and cheek but that was okay because with that comes some responsibility later on, to hold up your own end and give them a good scare every now and then, he said.

"I have tried to do that you know in my later life with some of my research."

Read more Parents are being warned of unsafe and flammable Halloween costumes

He said people were expecting the Addams family when they approached their house in Canada on Halloween night.

The Canadian is Brams youngest brothers great grand son and has written both a prequel and a sequel to Dracula.

He said Bram was inspired to write the story by his mother, who told him the tale of people who were crawling out of graves in Sligo.

"People were being buried prematurely because they were being misdiagnosed, Dacre told Brendan Courtney this morning.

"All the doctors and nurses had died from the cholera so people who were taking care of the ill were, as she said, half-drunk.

"People would be thrown into the big pit at the end of town alive, without really knowing if they were dead or not.

"And some of them did live and they would crawl their way out of the grave.

Bram Stoker, author of Dracula

"I am sure this had some effect on Bram's dark sense of imagination, he said.

Dacre explained the Vampire Scare definitely had a big influence on his great grand uncle, though Bram didnt live to see the big success his novel would become.

125 years later, the Bram Stoker Festival is about to kick off this weekend in Dublin.

Now entering its 10th year, the festival draws inspiration from the author, the Dublin of his time and his Victorian Gothic novel Dracula.
The Epic Te Puke Ghost Story Treat Trail is set to spook out the town on Monday, October 31, as Te Puke retailers, shoppers and residents join in the fun to win EPIC dollars.

Everyone is being encouraged to dress up as a ghost and follow the trail around the main Te Puke shopping area looking for digital ghosts.

The trail features local ghost stories written as part of a writing contest run by Epic Te Puke. Each business hosting a ghost is also hosting a local ghost story entry.

Bring your phone, and be into win $200 EPIC dollars when you scan and collect five digital ghosts, says Epic Te Pukes Rebecca Larsen. Read the stories while you Trick or Treat for a spooktacular Halloween.

Digital ghosts

The digital ghosts will be hiding in the stories behind QR codes for people to collect and be in to win $200 EPIC Dollars.

We have loads of excellent ghost stories now loaded onto our TePukeOnline.nz  blog.

Local author Piper Mejia, who specialises in horror and sci-fi genres, is judging the stories that will be displayed around the trail.

Piper is an advocate for New Zealand writers and literature and is a co-founder of Young NZ Writers  a non-profit dedicated to providing opportunities for young NZ writers.

Were excited that Piper is helping us judge the ghost story entries for the Treat Trail, says Rebecca. Well done to everyone who has entered. All stories will be on the trail, on Monday, October 31 with digital ghosts to collect.

Haunted hall

Adding to the Halloween delight on the night, EPIC Te Puke has been collaborating with Andy Gowland-Douglas from Tapuika Group, aka Halloween Queen, and Cathy Dale from WPIC Te Puke and Te Puke War Memorial Hall to deck out the local hall for Halloween.

Were so excited about this! Enter the Haunted Te Puke War Memorial Hall if you dare, says Rebecca.

Andy Gowland-Douglas from Tapuika Group, aka Halloween Queen with Rebecca Larsen from EPIC Te Puke, and Cathy Dale from WPIC Te Puke and Te Puke War Memorial Hall. Photo: Supplied.

The Te Puke Halloween Treat Trail will start at Nordic Mobility and run around town heading toward Oxford St, crossing and then back to Marigolds Cafe. Spot prizes have been donated by Countdown and McDonalds.

Epic Te Puke Ghost Story Treat Trail runs 3pm-5pm on October 31. Start at the Te Puke Library and follow the trail. Read the stories while you trick or treat. Costume theme: Ghosts.
A first offender drug dealer has paid a significantly high price for his crimes having been sentenced to 4 years and 2 months jail.

Samuel James Clement, 26 from Christchurch, has been jailed for trying to smuggle more than 2 kilograms of MDMA (Ecstasy) and 2 kilos of the horse tranquiliser, ketamine, into New Zealand.

The ketamine smuggling failed in 2020 thanks to the work of Belgium Customs officers who intercepted it hidden within a packet of protein supplement.

NZ Customs officers caught the smuggled ecstasy shipment, again two years ago, when it arrived at the Auckland International Mail Centre from Belgium. The drug was hidden inside hot/cold gel packs.

National Drug Intelligence Bureau estimates say the ketamine could have been worth up to $800,000 on the street.

The MDMA ecstasy had an estimated street value of around $460,000.

Investigations also found Clement was involved in what the court said was significant drug dealing involving ketamine, ecstasy, cocaine and cannabis.

Once again, Customs work with an international border enforcement partner and their combined investigations skills have ensured the price for this offender is significant jail time and more than a million dollars worth of attempted drug dealing has been stopped.
A leaked letter from Bay of Plenty District Health Board chief medical officers claims patients are choosing to die rather than commence life maintaining treatment due to a lack of available options in the region.

The letter says patients have to travel to Hamilton three times a week for haemodialysis due to the lack of facilities in the BOP, and it's not an exaggeration to state patients are choosing to die rather than undertake this burden on their quality of life.

Signed by 30 health specialists in the Bay of Plenty back in December 2021, the letter also outlines patients with bowl cancer have been on waiting lists for months longer than recommended times leading to palliative rather than curative treatment plans.

The letter set out to express significant concern regarding the state of resources for the effective delivery of the planned care at Bay of Plenty District Health Board.

Both Minister of Health Andrew Little and Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller suggest their opposing parties have "under funded" the Bay of Plenty District Health Board, despite a large growth in population.

Speaking on how the DHB got to this state, Minister of Health Andrew Little says when the Labour Government took office in 2017 we inherited a mess.

Minister of Health Andrew Little speaking at Tauranga Hospital earlier this year. Photo: Taylor Rice/SunLive.

As the doctors said in their letter, the health system was under funded for years, despite record population growth, says Little.

Weve addressed that by increasing the health budget by nearly 45 per cent, to a record $24 billion per year.

Weve got a $7 billion hospital rebuilding programme under way, there are 20 per cent more doctors and nurses working in public hospitals now than there were in 2017, with big recruitment campaign underway to train and hire more. Were also putting more money into medicines and mental health.

Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller says the health system was performing well prior to Labour taking office, and points to the publicly reported BOP DHB targets and performances for the end of 2017, which were in the 2018 BOP DHB quality account.

Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller. Photo: Taylor Rice/SunLive.

I was completely guttered and emotionally impacted when I read the letter. As a local MP, you put a lot of pressure on the Government to advocate for your community.

When you see the specialists in the community saying people are dying because of the lack of resources and would be kept alive in other places, it is an absolutely devastating thing for this community to read and a complete indictment on this Government.

We had specific targets which needed to be met. If a DHB missed it, the report was there every quarter showing what it was, says Muller.

We put huge pressure on [the health system]. These targets no longer are made public since 2018, and a number of them no longer exist. That was done by this Government who say the targets no longer work and they are philosophically opposed to them.

We werent perfect in our nine years, but man did we change the focus of the hospital to be transparent about what it was doing, what its KPIs were, and everyone in the community could see it.

Now, apart from the poor people who have been affected by it personally, we only got to find out the tragic state of Tauranga Hospital through a leaked letter signed by 30 specialists who are saying it is completely unacceptable.

Muller says a National Government will absolutely reinstate a similar public KPI system for New Zealands health system.

Wed have an absolute focus on working with the health professions to ensure they have the resources necessary to do their jobs.

This Government is spending millions in setting up new, Wellington bureaucracies to run health in this country. It is just like what they are doing with mental health. The Government spent $1.9 billion on mental health which was audited three months ago, and showed the mental health provision has not improved in this country despite the spending.

The same happens here, the money goes in, gets lost in the system and its not getting to the people that need it. That has to change.

On the concerns with bowl cancer patients facing delays for months in the letter, Little says the previous Government set up a bowl screening programme that was barely funded and had no plan.

Minister of Health Andrew Little points to 15 years of under funding as being the root of the problem.

We have put $203 million into the programme and rolled it out across the county, with Bay of Plenty joining in June this year.

At the time the letter was written, 88 per cent of patients in the Bay of Plenty DHB region who received treatment for upper and lower GI tumours did so within the target of 31 days. The situation in the BOP has got better since then; in August this year, 96 per cent were treated within 31 days.

Little says the letter raises concerns about Bay of Plenty people not getting the same level of care as those in other areas, which is a key reason why the Government wanted to merge DHBs across the country.

The reason we changed the health system was that too many district health boards we under-performing and not providing consistent levels of care.

The system changed on July 1, and we now have the ability to have the same standards of care in every hospital.

Little says while he didnt expect the system to have changed within four months, he is satisfied with the progress to date.

Muller says he fundamentally disagrees with Andrew Little on the topic of centralising health.

Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller disagrees with the Government's decision to centralise the health system. Photo: File/SunLive.

I do not believe centralising health and bureaucratising it in Wellington will lead to more immunisations, shorter stays in Tauranga Hospital ED, faster cancer treatments in Tauranga, it belies belief that he thinks a centralised system would work better.

Under their watch, they have seen a collapse in the quality of service provided to the most vulnerable in this city.

A spokesperson for Te Whatu Ora, Health New Zealand says the letter was written in December last year, when Margie Apa hadnt formally taken up the role as interim Chief Executive.

That didnt happen until February this year, says the spokesperson.

She saw the letter when she was in BOP earlier this month, she wouldnt want to downplay the concern clinicians have, she discussed with the team there that solutions are across the system, no silver bullet.

The spokesperson says they made Ministry of Health chief medical officer Andrew Connolly aware of the media interest, and he says the letter highlights why we need to change and why the taskforce didnt focus only on elective operating.
Imagine if you had to pledge loyalty to the Chinese state just to use a bathroom mirror or a lightbulb.

There is a chance you already have but did not know it.

Hidden in the terms and conditions of a range of smart devices - everyday devices that can be controlled remotely via the internet - are a number of odd conditions.

Led among them is that you promise not to use the device in any act that includes "opposing the basic principles determined in the Constitution".

In another, earlier version this term reads, "the PRC [People's Republic of China] Constitution".

Another condition you unwittingly agree to when you install the online app that runs the smart device, is that you won't use it to engage in "destroying religious policy of the state and advocating heresy and feudalistic superstition".

A total of nine (occasionally 10) conditions - virtual word-for-word copies of each other - are written into the User Agreement or Information Content Standard of companies selling "Internet of Things" (IoT) devices.

This is a huge growth market, with 12 billion IoT connections worldwide and counting as of 2020.

It's a market China dominates.

However, a 10-minute online search by RNZ turned up a dozen non-Chinese companies with these same type of conditions, including a UK one selling a mirror that can talk to you - some such mirrors have, strangely, built-in high-resolution cameras - and a German firm that sells lights.

RNZ first found the conditions amid the fine print for an app from an Australian company, Mirabella, after a local consumer came across them.

Mirabella was the only firm to respond to RNZ's queries - to say it had changed the conditions.

"The Terms of Use for the Genio App have been recently updated," its development manager John Hoang says by email.

"Some terms that were included by the App developers have been removed as they are inappropriate for Australia and New Zealand," he says.

Genio controls doorbells, cameras, smart appliances and the like from a smartphone.

Its previous service agreement for a 'Mi-Light Smart Platform' had, at point two, a condition of not "endangering state safety, disclosing state secret, subverting state power and sabotaging state unity".

And at point three, it was not "damaging state honor and benefit".

Hoang says the app and its appliances and devices are only meant to be used in accordance with laws in the country where they are being used.

The local consumer who raised the alarm, says: "There's some weird stuff in there", adding they are worried if it means China is penetrating people's routers or phones.

It is not unheard of for End User License Agreements (EULAs) such as these, to be a playground for companies.

Apple, for instance, had terms prohibiting its iTunes service being used to make nuclear or biological weapons, while Amazon is quite OK with its cloud computing service being used to combat a zombie apocalypse.

But the terms have legal power.

Twitter used them to ban Donald Trump and get rid of screes of QAnon pages.

Years ago, privacy campaigners tried to get Americans to care, with the Electronic Frontier Foundation warning the agreements "are efforts to bind consumers legally to a number of strict terms - and yet you never sign your name".

The new pledges of fealty, in order to run a smart lightbulb or heatpump, appear to have serious origins.

The "PRC" wording occurs in a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) notice about China regulating in 2004 to prohibit registration of any Internet domain names that infringed on any of the nine conditions, that appear in the same order and with mostly the same language as in the smart devices pledges.

The SEC filing refers to not disseminating "rumours, disrupt social order or sabotage social stability".

Abetting a murder or terror, slander and "coarseness" are also not on, then or now.

There is one noticeable change between 2004 and 2022: The old conditions say it is not on to "incite ethnic hatred or discrimination or damage ethnical unity", while the 2022 terms rephrase that as "inciting national hatred and discrimination and sabotaging national unity".

New regulations in 2013 spread this stand against prohibited content through into Chinese manufactured smart devices.

Consumer New Zealand did not know anything about the terms, but its counterpart in Australia, Choice, said it would be looking into it.

China's unrivalled hold on the IoT market is the subject of serious research, and speculation, about how it is also uniquely placed to disrupt it - and not just your kitchen mixer, but the hefty side of IoT which encompasses water, transport, waste, CCTV, traffic lights and emergency services.

A 2018 report for the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission said Beijing was funding a lot of research into IoT security vulnerabilities - to protect itself, but also for exploitation.

"It should be considered 'dual-use', in that such knowledge can directly feed into unauthorised efforts to access, surveil, or penetrate IoT devices," it says.

Just a few days ago, the head of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre warned the tech was becoming "an attractive target for a range of threat actors ... The threat posed by nation states is particularly acute".

Lobbyists and others have been using these fears as a rallying cry for the US and other Western countries to do much more to lead the way in setting international tech standards, where China has been leaving them for dead.

-Phil Pennington/RNZ.
A rahui in place in on a Coromandel Beach following the beaching of a dead sperm whale has now been lifted.

The 16-metre sperm whale beached at Matapaua Bay on Saturday, October 22.

A rahui was placed over Wharekaho Beach five days ago.

In a statement to SunLive today, the Department of Conservation says the flensing process of the deceased sperm whale at Matapaua beach has now been completed and the rahui lifted.

The materials flensed from the whale, named Puhiwai Rangi, will be used for traditional Matauranga Maori and cultural practices, with the remainder of the whale being buried, says a DOC spokesperson.

Flensing is the removing of the blubber or outer integument of whales, separating it from the animal's meat.

DOC and Ngati Hei woud like to thank Ngatiwai, Hori Parata and his team, Hauraki iwi, the people of Matapaua, Whitianga and Coromandel, Rae and Eddy (Roadworx), John from Trojan Marine, Project Jonah (who were consulted by DOC on arrival at the site), Thames-Coromandel District Council, Waikato regional Council, and New Zealand Police. 

Questions asked since the whale was found deceased:

Q. Why was the whale moved?

A. The original site of the decreased whale was logistically difficult to operate within and it would not have been possible to bury the whale there.

Q. Why wasnt the whale disposed of at sea?

A. Disposal at sea would have created a maritime safety issue. The whale may have also returned to shore at a later date.

Q. Why was a rahui placed?

A. Rahui was put in place to protect the public  there was short term contamination at the site and also the risk of marine predators being attracted to the area.

Q. How much did the operation cost?

A. Final costs are not available. Costs are shared by DOC and Ngati Hei. A lot of time was donated to the kaupapa by iwi and the community who supported.

Q. Was there much disturbance to the dunes?

A. The dunes and their biodiversity values were protected during the process and three dotterel chicks hatched during the event.

Information on sperm whales can be found on the DOC website here: Sperm whales: New Zealand marine mammals (doc.govt.nz)
A breast cancer survivor from Katikati is urging people in the Bay of Plenty to support Breast Cancer Foundation NZs Pink Ribbon Street Appeal on October 28-29.

Jenny Webb was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001, and shes also seen her sister and many of her friends go through the disease too.

I paddled in Wellington in the first mixed cancer dragon boat in the Wellington dragon boating competition, says Jenny. I was still having treatment at the time, and I had amazing support from others in the team.

I made many friends, but unfortunately Ive been to many of their funerals. Its for them that the Pink Ribbon Street Appeal is so very important to me, and Im encouraging others to get involved too.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for New Zealand women aged under 65  every year around 190 women are diagnosed with it in the Bay of Plenty.

Volunteers Talia Cooper and Geneva Gill. Photo: Supplied.

Each October, around 10,000 volunteers take to the streets to raise vital funds for Breast Cancer Foundation NZs work in research, education, advocacy and patient support.

Breast Cancer Foundation NZ chief executive Ah-Leen Rayner says the Pink Ribbon Street Appeal is one of our biggest fundraisers but last year it couldnt go ahead in many places due to Covid-19 restrictions.

As a charity that receives no Government funding, thats taken a huge toll on our programmes at a time when were facing increasing demand for our support services.

Its only thanks to the goodwill of New Zealanders that we can be there for patients during their treatment and recovery, fund innovative research to find new breakthroughs and educate women about the importance of early detection.

So please, show your support by giving two hours to shake a pink bucket, or donate generously to a Pink Ribbon collector near you.

People can sign up for a two-hour collection shift in their area at pinkribbonvolunteer.org.nz.
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View My Garage





re: Owning a Fiat Abarth Punto - A car with character. EDIT : 50,000 km completed!





1. Throttle body issue - first surfaced in November 2020 Fluttering sound from throttle body region. RPM fluctuations in low (up to 2000) range. Check Engine Light Engine scan with multi-brand tool at local FNG showed Throttle drive (self compensation) error (P1689) and Turbo vacuum valve error (P0039).



I took the car to Mysore FASS in December 2020. Their scan showed ignition related errors. No other errors were recorded. They attributed the engine jerkiness to bad spark plug and replaced all four spark plugs. The throttle body error was ignored. unfortunately for me, the fluttering sound could not be replicated at FASS. Check Engine light was cleared.

In late January 2020, the RPM fluctuations and CEL reappeared. Fluttering sounds were back on-and-off. i also felt loss of boost. Drove back to Mysore FASS. Their scan again showed generic ignition failure error in all four cylinders (P0300). along with it there was a turbo vacuum valve related error. They said they will replace all ignition coils and the solenoid valve under warranty, then check for errors again and investigate the throttle body issue. I tried to convince them to repair / replace the throttle body. However, they were adamant that they will not be able to obtain warranty approval without documented errors.

As parts were not in stock, I left the car and returned home. It took a month for the parts to arrive. I was told that the issues were resolved and that there was no errors / sounds related to throttle body. I could not immediately go to Mysore due to work related issues. Was finally able to go to Mysore in second week of March. It was late evening when I reached Mysore. The Check Engine Light was gone, the car seemed to drive normally during the short test drive I took. I decided to stay back for a night to make sure everything was OK before I drove back home. This turned out to be good decision. Next morning, when I cranked the engine, the Check Engine light was back on. I decided I will not waste time with Mysore FASS and immediately drove to Bangalore.

A fellow Abarth Owner put me in touch with a Service Advisor in KHT Fiat Service Center at Mahadevpura (KHT Whitefiled). Left the car there after explaining issues in detail. To their credit, this FASS investigated the issue thoroughly and confirmed that there was indeed an issue with the throttle body. It was replaced under warranty. This took another 15 days as approvals and parts had to be obtained. As I was unable to travel at that time, I requested my friend, Abarth Owner to check the car. Thanks to him, I could confidently ask my brother who lives in Bangalore to take delivery of the car.

Thus, it took three months to diagnose and fix the problem which I was all long convinced that it had to do with the throttle body.



Expense: I had to pay for the NGK Iridium spark plugs - about Rs.5000 IIRC. All the rest of the work was under warranty.

Current status: Resolved. No further issues.





2. ABS wheel sensors - two wheel speed sensors were replaced (under warranty) as they threw errors in November 2020, within a period of few weeks.

Expense: None. Under warranty.



3. Brake caliper servicing and pad replacement

I noticed a mild screeching sound from the rear right brakes in December 2020. It turned out that the caliper was partially jammed and the brake pad had worn out disproportionally on this side. I had the Callper serviced, the caliper pin replaced and changed the rear brake pads. Went in for EBC Ultimax 2

Expense: Rs.4000. These are cheaper than the stock replacement. Similar quality and brake feel.









Third year Service (45K Kms)  at 34,500 kms



After the throttle body was replaced in April 2021 at KHT, Bangalore, the car was with by brother there. As the second wave of COVID19 forced travel restrictions I have been unable to get the car back. I had borrowed my brothers 2013 Figo when I left the Abarth in Bangalore. With my brother working from home and hardly stepping out, the car has seen less than 100 kms running in last four months. I was planning to travel to Bangalore in first week of September to bring the car back. Since it was nearly 1 months since the last scheduled service, I decided to have the car serviced last week at KHT Fiat, Mahadevapura. Car was picked up and dropped by FASS. Mr. Satish, the same Service Advisor who had supervised the throttle body replacement handled the service too. Kudos to Mr. Satish for his professional approach. The following work was done:

Engine oil replacement (Selenia-K 5W40, OEM spec synthetic oil) Oil filter replacement Fuel filter replacement Air filter replacement AC (Pollen) filter replacement Cleaning of brakes Rethreading of one engine cover bolt hole - One of the engine cover bolts was not fitting correctly. This was probably due to incorrect tightening earlier. The bolt hole had to be rethreaded in a lathe. AC cleaning  this was the only additional service that was recommended. I consented as the AC had not been cleaned in last three years. Refixing of front door inner handles  there was some pla that had developed in the inner door handles. So had them checked and refitted.

Wheel alignment was not done during this service as I had got it done about 3000 km previously.



Service cost: Rs. 8800 (including consumables).

Overall, the experience with KHT Fiat Mahadevapura has been good.



Modifications

1. Centre arm rest for the driver

I had the Linea armrest installed. This is a direct fit. It requires replacement of the entire centre console. Had the beige upholstery fabric dyed black to match interiors. In the Linea, the USB port is placed on the centre console, however, In the Abarth punto it is on the AVN facia. Hence the cut-out for it in the centre console needs to be covered with a lid-line element. Unfortunately, Fiat did not ship that when we ordered required parts. I have not been able to acquire it yet. I am hoping to fix this soon.



2. Painting the brake calipers

The brake calipers have been painted red to match the red highlights of the Abarth livery. Heat resistant paint has been used.







So, an unusual year with low running, but eventful nevertheless! I am hoping to have the car back in Mangalore next month. I have missed the car much in last few months.



A few picture before I sign off...











Cheers! In the last one year since the 30K / 2nd year service, the car's average running has reduced significantly. This was mainly due to the COVID-19 situation. In this period, there have been a few issues which took some time to be fully addressed.- first surfaced in November 2020Engine scan with multi-brand tool at local FNG showed Throttle drive (self compensation) error (P1689) and Turbo vacuum valve error (P0039).I took the car to Mysore FASS in December 2020. Their scan showed ignition related errors. No other errors were recorded. They attributed the engine jerkiness to bad spark plug and replaced all four spark plugs. The throttle body error was ignored. unfortunately for me, the fluttering sound could not be replicated at FASS. Check Engine light was cleared.In late January 2020, the RPM fluctuations and CEL reappeared. Fluttering sounds were back on-and-off. i also felt loss of boost. Drove back to Mysore FASS. Their scan again showed generic ignition failure error in all four cylinders (P0300). along with it there was a turbo vacuum valve related error. They said they will replace all ignition coils and the solenoid valve under warranty, then check for errors again and investigate the throttle body issue. I tried to convince them to repair / replace the throttle body. However, they were adamant that they will not be able to obtain warranty approval without documented errors.As parts were not in stock, I left the car and returned home. It took a month for the parts to arrive. I was told that the issues were resolved and that there was no errors / sounds related to throttle body. I could not immediately go to Mysore due to work related issues. Was finally able to go to Mysore in second week of March. It was late evening when I reached Mysore. The Check Engine Light was gone, the car seemed to drive normally during the short test drive I took. I decided to stay back for a night to make sure everything was OK before I drove back home. This turned out to be good decision. Next morning, when I cranked the engine, the Check Engine light was back on. I decided I will not waste time with Mysore FASS and immediately drove to Bangalore.A fellow Abarth Owner put me in touch with a Service Advisor in KHT Fiat Service Center at Mahadevpura (KHT Whitefiled). Left the car there after explaining issues in detail. To their credit, this FASS investigated the issue thoroughly and confirmed that there was indeed an issue with the throttle body. It was replaced under warranty. This took another 15 days as approvals and parts had to be obtained. As I was unable to travel at that time, I requested my friend, Abarth Owner to check the car. Thanks to him, I could confidently ask my brother who lives in Bangalore to take delivery of the car.Expense: I had to pay for the NGK Iridium spark plugs - about Rs.5000 IIRC. All the rest of the work was under warranty.Current status: Resolved. No further issues.- two wheel speed sensors were replaced (under warranty) as they threw errors in November 2020, within a period of few weeks.Expense: None. Under warranty.I noticed a mild screeching sound from the rear right brakes in December 2020. It turned out that the caliper was partially jammed and the brake pad had worn out disproportionally on this side. I had the Callper serviced, the caliper pin replaced and changed the rear brake pads. Went in for EBC Ultimax 2Expense: Rs.4000. These are cheaper than the stock replacement. Similar quality and brake feel.After the throttle body was replaced in April 2021 at KHT, Bangalore, the car was with by brother there. As the second wave of COVID19 forced travel restrictions I have been unable to get the car back. I had borrowed my brothers 2013 Figo when I left the Abarth in Bangalore. With my brother working from home and hardly stepping out, the car has seen less than 100 kms running in last four months. I was planning to travel to Bangalore in first week of September to bring the car back. Since it was nearly 1 months since the last scheduled service, I decided to have the car serviced last week at KHT Fiat, Mahadevapura. Car was picked up and dropped by FASS. Mr. Satish, the same Service Advisor who had supervised the throttle body replacement handled the service too. Kudos to Mr. Satish for his professional approach. The following work was done:Wheel alignment was not done during this service as I had got it done about 3000 km previously.Service cost: Rs. 8800 (including consumables).Overall, the experience with KHT Fiat Mahadevapura has been good.I had the Linea armrest installed. This is a direct fit. It requires replacement of the entire centre console. Had the beige upholstery fabric dyed black to match interiors. In the Linea, the USB port is placed on the centre console, however, In the Abarth punto it is on the AVN facia. Hence the cut-out for it in the centre console needs to be covered with a lid-line element. Unfortunately, Fiat did not ship that when we ordered required parts. I have not been able to acquire it yet. I am hoping to fix this soon.The brake calipers have been painted red to match the red highlights of the Abarth livery. Heat resistant paint has been used.So, an unusual year with low running, but eventful nevertheless! I am hoping to have the car back in Mangalore next month. I have missed the car much in last few months. Last edited by cogWheel : 29th August 2021 at 18:12 .
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TL;DR: Mobile game makers will soon be facing a storage war as Sony and Microsoft begin plans to bring triple-A titles to phones and tablets. With these big-budget titles come larger file sizes thanks to high-quality assets, voice acting, and longer narratives. Meanwhile, fewer and fewer device owners are opting to upgrade storage because of the higher costs.

Mobile gaming is currently facing an oncoming dilemma. Owing to the high price of storage upgrades, customers are more frequently opting for minimum storage when buying new mobile devices. Bloomberg notes that most flagship phones start at 128GB of storage, with upgrades costing up to 50 percent more.

According to International Data Corporation (IDC), migration to phones with more storage has steadily declined since 2017, with most owners (41.9 percent) opting for 128GB models in 2021. Only 2.3 percent of buyers have opted for 512GB or 256GB (14.3 percent) phones. So the vast majority of device owners have less than 128GB of storage space to spare for games, meaning they will soon become more selective in the titles they choose to download as games get bigger.

We are already seeing a file-size expansion taking hold. For example, the smash hit Genshin Impact requires 20GB of storage (the smaller 120MB app store download is only an installer). Many other titles, including PUBG Mobile (15GB) and Diablo Immortal (24GB), have similar demands. These higher-than-average storage requirements equate to nearly one-fifth of the 128GB mark, and that's not taking into account room for the operating system, pictures, and files that most people have on their mobile devices.

It parallels the 2018/2019 console storage wars, with games like Grand Theft Auto V, CoD: Black Ops III, and Red Dead Redemption 2 requiring anywhere from 70-105GB. Those games chewed up the PS4's and Xbox One's default 500GB drives extremely fast, requiring users to upgrade their storage, which isn't too hard.

Unlike consoles, mobile device storage isn't easily upgraded. Some Androids do have microSD expansion slots, which helps, but Apple device owners are stuck with what they bought. Regardless, mobile gaming storage needs are only going to continue growing.

Microsoft's Activision Blizzard King yet-to-close acquisition gives the House Windows Built a lucrative revenue stream from its King mobile gaming division (Candy Crush). However, it also opens the door for bringing high-profile games from Activision and Blizzard to the mobile arena  Call of Duty: Mobile is already there. The prospect is not just possible, it's probable, considering Sony already voiced its intention to break into the market with its newly formed (again) mobile gaming division.

These developments also paint a somewhat bleak picture for smaller studios and independent developers. For years, mobile devices have been indy studios' best friend. Phones' and tablets' more modest resource requirements have somewhat held competition from big-league PC and console producers at bay. The mobile gaming environment is changing, and with gamers becoming more selective, indies may have a hard road ahead.
Uber's Tesla rental program is a success based on the latest report from the ride-hailing service provider.

(Photo : Photo credit should read DENIS CHARLET/AFP via Getty Images)

A picture taken on October 1, 2019 shows the logo of Uber app displayed on a tablet screen, in Lille, northern France. (Photo by DENIS CHARLET / AFP)

The mobility company launched this project with Hertz back in 2021.

Now, the ride-hailing firm detailed the results of its Tesla rental program's performance during the operation's first year.

"With the growth of this program, the total amount of avoided emissions have correspondingly grown," said Uber via its official report.

Uber's Tesla Rental Program a Success!

According to Teslarati's latest report, Uber's latest analysis report highlighted the performance of its Tesla rental project in terms of completed trips and other metrics.

(Photo : Photo by Peter Summers/Getty Images)

In this photo illustration the Uber logo is displayed on a phone in front of Tower Bridge on November 25, 2019 in London, England. Transport for London announced today, Monday, that Uber's license won't be renewed after it expires at the end of this month, November. Uber announced that they will appeal the decision.

Also Read: Uber vs. Lyft vs. Gig Economy: How the Battle Over Workers Will End, According to Analysts

From October 2021 until August 2022, the EV rental program of the mobility service provider completed more than five million trips.

Its rented Tesla units were able to run over 40 million miles and were tested in 30 different U.S. markets.

When it comes to carbon emissions, the project was able to prevent more than 19k metric tonnes of carbon emissions.

Before the program started, 95% of the drivers who entered the program hadn't experienced using electric cars before.

Now, more than 77% of them said that they are considering staying in Uber's Tesla rental program. Some of them even shared their interest in buying EVs.

All these details just show how successful Uber's Tesla rental program really is.

Is Uber Benefiting from It Financially?

The official analysis report of Uber didn't provide any detail regarding the Tesla rental program's effects on its revenues.

The company only highlighted the program's performances in driver satisfaction, sustainability, and equitable access.

But, if Uber continues this EV rental project, it just suggests that the ride-hailing company is generating enough revenue to sustain the program.

Previously, we reported that Uber's bus and train bookings were being trialed in the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, over 15,000 Uber drivers recently rented Tesla vehicles through Hertz.

For more news updates about Uber and its ongoing Tesla rental program, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: DoorDash, Uber Gig Workers to Benefit From New DOL's Proposed Rule But Ride-hailing Companies Will Not

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Elon Musk, the soon-to-be "Chief Twit," wrote an open letter on Thursday to address Twitter's advertisers about the bird app's future before his $44 billion acquisition deal is expected to be finalized on Friday, Oct. 28.

(Photo : ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is reflected in his car as he arrives to visit the construction site of the future US electric car giant Tesla, on September 03, 2020 in Gruenheide near Berlin. - Tesla builds a compound at the site in Gruenheide in Brandenburg for its first European "Gigafactory" near Berlin.

Despite his earlier statements to reconsider Twitter's content moderation methods and his support for "free expression," Musk said in the letter that he doesn't want the platform to turn into a "free-for-all-hellscape where anything can be said with no consequences."

Dear Twitter Advertisers pic.twitter.com/GMwHmInPAS  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 27, 2022

"Free Speech for All"

Musk previously stated that he wants to loosen content limitations and that he will lift the permanent bans placed on accounts that have been kicked off the network, such as former President Donald Trump, who was banned from Twitter after violating rules of violent incitement during the Capital Riot on January 6.

His earlier "free speech for all" sentiments for the app drew concerns from activist organizations, alleging that Musk will turn Twitter into a "megaphone to extremists" by reversing measures on banning users who spread hate speech and misinformation.

But more importantly, it has also raised concerns about the platform's core ad sale business since advertisers might be reluctant to have their paid posts alongside controversial tweets.

Hence, Musk's open letter on Thursday may be the billionaire's effort to minimize or put these concerns to rest. CNN noted that in 2021, Twitter's advertising income totaled $4.5 billion, or approximately 89% of its overall revenue.

"In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all, where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences," the richest man in the world wrote in his open letter.

"Fundamentally, Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise ... Let us build something extraordinary together."

Read Also: Elon Musk Wants to Close Twitter Deal by Friday, Oct. 28, Asks Banks for Help

Will Musk Finally Complete the Deal?

The letter is the most recent implication that the billionaire, who has spent months attempting to back out of the agreement, is finally close to completing the acquisition of Twitter.

Musk visited Twitter's San Francisco headquarters on Wednesday and spoke with staff members, reportedly informing them he does not intend to reduce Twitter's workforce by 75%, despite earlier claims.

The New York Stock Exchange website also stated that trading in Twitter shares will be halted on Friday as Musk has until October 28 to complete the deal.

Reuters reported that the lawyers representing the billionaire had given equity investors such as Binance, Sequoia Capital, Qatar Investment Authority, and other firms the necessary paperwork for their financing pledge.

Twitter and the investors now expect that the deal will be completed at the agreed-upon share price of $54.20.

Twitter's shares were up slightly in premarket trade at $53.92 compared to Musk's offer price of $54.20 per share on Thursday.

It is worth noting that the stock price of the social media business has increased by around 65% since it fell to a four-month low in July.

Related Article: Elon Musk Twitter Deal Update: Billionaire Got Pre-Trial Deposition Delay, But Not a Discount

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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Progress 81 engines on the International Space Station (ISS) fired for 5 minutes and 5 seconds as part of a Pre-Determined Debris Avoidance Maneuver (PDAM) to move the complex further away from the expected path of a fragment from Russian Cosmos 1408 debris.

At 8:25 p.m. EDT, the thrusters were fired, and the maneuver had no effect on station operations. It was anticipated that the fragment would have passed the station without the move within around three miles, according to a blog post by NASA.

(Photo : NASA/Getty Images)

The International Space Station (Iss) Is Backdropped Against The Blue And White Horizon Scene Of Earth And The Blackness Of Space Following Separation From Discovery June 3, 1999.

Avoidance Maneuver

The PDAM left the station in an orbit measuring 264.3 x 255.4 statute miles, elevating it by 2/10 of a mile at apogee and 8/10 of a mile at perigee.

The space agency operates with extreme caution when it comes to avoidance maneuvers. It claims that without the action, the space debris from a Russian satellite would have been 3 miles closer to the ISS, which could spell disastrous effects.

According to NASA, Russia produced 1,500 pieces of debris when it destroyed that spacecraft as part of an anti-satellite weapon test in November 2021.

Interesting Engineering noted that at the time, American officials denounced the missile test as destructive and warned against Kessler Syndrome, which would cause space debris to grow exponentially.

Small particles of debris create more debris when they hit with larger pieces of space shrapnel, increasing the likelihood of further collisions.

Russia is not the only country to be accused of escalating the space debris issue. China has recently been under fire for letting the rocket cores from its Long March 5 launch vehicle degrade into hazardous space debris that could have fallen on populated areas.

The astronomical community has also criticized the US corporation SpaceX, and they have even banded together to demand greater control of the private company's satellite mega-constellation launches.

Read Also: NASA Will Allow Spacewalks Outside the ISS Again After 7 Months

The Space Junk Problem

According to NASA, there are over 500,000 bits of space debris that are between 1 cm and 10 cm in diameter and about 25,000 pieces that are larger than 10 cm in orbit. These debris fragments fly across orbit at up to 33,000 mph, traveling faster than a bullet.

Currently, 30,000 objects larger than 4 inches (10 cm) in Earth orbit are being monitored by the U.S. Global Surveillance Network. Additionally, the European Space Agency said that there are currently one million particles traveling at a speed of 0.4 inches (1 cm) around the planet.

A recent study that was published in Nature Astronomy predicted the probability of fatalities from falling rocket debris during the next ten years.

The authors used mathematical modeling of rocket part inclinations and orbits in space, population density below them, and 30 years' worth of satellite data to determine the locations of rocket debris and other space trash when they came back to Earth.

The researchers discovered that during the next ten years, space debris falling back to Earth will cause slight but significant harm. However, southern latitudes are more likely to experience this than northern ones.

According to the study, there are roughly three times as many chances of a rocket body crashing at the latitudes of Dhaka, Bangladesh, Jakarta, Indonesia, or Lagos, Nigeria than in New York, Moscow, and Beijing.

Related Article: NASA Astronaut Snaps a Stunning Lightning Strike in the Gulf of Thailand

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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Tesla Cyberquad ATV for Kids is in for a recall, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced, citing safety standard violations.

It turns out that there has been a single incident wherein an adult rode the ATV for young folks, wherein a 36-year-old figured in an injury.

(Photo : FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk verbally reacts in front of the newly unveiled all-electric battery-powered Tesla Cybertruck with broken glass on windows following a demonstation that did not go as planned on November 21, 2019 at Tesla Design Center in Hawthorne, California.

Tesla Cyberquad ATV for Kids is Now Being Recalled

The giant electric vehicle (EV) maker of ultra billionaire Elon Musk introduced its Cyberquad ATV for Kids late last year or in December 2021.

As per the latest report by Engadget, Tesla first teased the Cyberquad during the unveiling of the Cybertruck electric pickup. The automaker teased it as a full-blown ATV that adults could ride on.

However, the EV maker debuted a Cyberquad for Kids last year, which looks entirely similar to its standard counterpart.

(Photo : Tesla Cyberquad for Kids website)

Teslas Cyberquad silently launches, but it is for kids only. It comes two years after Elon Musk announced its adult version.

But this time, the ATV for Kids is now being recalled by the firm that made it possible, the Radio Flyer.

Radio Flyer released a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page for the recall of its Cyberquad on its website. It notes that owners of the ATV for Kids should surrender their motor controller to the American toy firm.

Engadget notes in its report that the Cyberquad would be completely disabled without the motor controller.

And by returning it, the toy company says that those who bought it are entitled to a full refund of up to $1,900. On top of that, the firm also vows to reimburse the cost of disposing of the whole thing and giving back the controller.

Read Also: Elon Musk: Tesla Robots Could Help AI Surpass Human Intelligence | Making AGI Possible?

Are There Any Safety Concerns?

The Consumer Product Safety Commission disclosed in its recall notice that the ATV violated the federal safety standards.

According to a recent news story by Teslarati, the CPSC states that the Cyberquad goes against the "federal mandatory safety standard requirements for youth ATVs."

To be more precise, the commission reveals that the maximum tire pressure and mechanical suspension violated the federal safety standards.

And here's where it gets worse. The CPSC also disclosed that the Cyberquad lacked any CPSC-approved ATV action plan. Without it, a manufacturer could not "import, sell, or distribute ATVs."

Radio Flyer says that Tesla was involved in the development of the Cyberquad for Kids. Aside from merely selling it, the giant automaker also consulted about the appearance of the toy. But for the rest of it, Radio Flyer has been responsible.

The notice also shared an incident wherein an adult and an eight-year-old child rode the supposedly single-rider Cyberquad. In turn, the 36-year-old woman got bruised during the accident.

Related Article: Tesla's Cyberquad Silently Launches for Kids ONLY-How to Get One

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Written by Teejay Boris

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
For the first time ever, the German Armed Forces deployed a shipboard laser weapon designed to combat drones.

The German frigate Sachsen successfully engaged drones at close and extremely close range on August 30, 2022, in the Baltic Sea close to Putlos Major Training Area, according to a press release.

(Photo : TRW/Getty Images)

WHITE SANDS, NM - NOVEMBER 4: A beam director element of a Tactical High Energy Laser(THEL) is seen November 4, 2002 in White Sands, New Mexico. The Army and TRW announced that for the first time a high-energy laser weapon tracked, locked onto and fired a burst of concentrated light energy photons that shot down an artillery shell in flight.

High-energy Laser Weapon Systems

The laser weapon demonstrator was created by the High-Energy Laser Naval Demonstrator working group ("ARGE"), which was composed of MBDA Deutschland GmbH and Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH.

Future Navy high-energy laser (HEL) weapon systems will be particularly helpful in fending off drones and drone swarms as well as engaging in close-quarters combat with speedboats.

Rheinmetall noted that the system can also be built to provide more power, enabling it to shoot down mortar shells and guided missiles.

Both Dr. Markus Jung, in charge of laser weapon development at Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH, and Daniel Gruber, project manager for the naval demonstration at MBDA Deutschland, were on site to watch the test campaign with the frigate.

They came to a successful conclusion after looking back on the integration and test phase of the weapon.

"Solid teamwork between the two ARGE partners played a key role in helping us integrate a fully functional, high-performance demonstrator onboard the frigate", Gruber said in a statement.

"Close cooperation with the command team of the Sachsen enabled direct communication with the future user. This way, ideas from the Navy could be directly incorporated or implemented during subsequent development."

Dr. Thomas Baumgartel, project manager for the naval demonstration at Rheinmetall Waffe und Munition GmbH, was also pleased with the test's result.

The demonstrator's main parts, according to him, are "truly high tech". Long years of research at both of the participating companies led to this success. Numerous system components of the demonstration were created especially for the project and were assembled in this form for the first time, according to Baumgartel.

Read Also: Russia Is Reportedly Developing A Laser Weapon That Sabotages Spy Satellites

Testing Until 2023

However, the high-energy laser weapon does not stop there as its testing will continue until mid-2023. The succeeding test campaigns will include new scenarios to evaluate the demonstrator's capabilities.

Additionally, the outcomes will reveal what needs to be accomplished to develop a fully functional, operational laser weapon.

The ARGE integration team completed the naval demonstrator's joint integration and test phase with a successful factory acceptance test at Rheinmetall's Unterlu proving site in November 2021. After that, the demonstration was mounted on the frigate Sachsen in Kiel.

The first test campaign was conducted at Eckernforde Bay in July 2022, not far from the Technical Centre for Ships and Naval Weapons, Marine Technology and Research, WTD 71, in Surendorf, operated by the Bundeswehr.

Related Article: US Air Force Receives First 'Fighter-Mounted Laser Weapon' That Can Combat Hypersonic Missiles!

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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao claimed that Google is promoting crypto phishing websites.

(Photo : Photo credit should read TORSTEN SILZ/DDP/AFP via Getty Images)

A woman works on her computer as on the wall behind is seen the logo of web search engine Google at Frankfurt's international book fair, on 23 October 2005, the fair's last day.

Zhao (also known as CZ) said that when CoinMarketCap is searched on Google, malicious websites with ad tags appear in the front.

If this is true, then Google must fix this issue since cryptocurrency phishing websites may fool many people.

"Google displays phishing sites when users search CMC. This affects users adding smart contract addresses to MetaMask using these phishing sites," said CZ via his official Twitter post.

Google displays phishing sites when users search CMC. This affects users adding smart contract addresses to MetaMask using these phishing sites. We are trying to contact Google for this, and in the meantime alerting users about this through social channels. pic.twitter.com/3q4860Jl4H  CZ  Binance (@cz_binance) October 27, 2022

Binance CEO Claims Google Promotes Crypto Phishing Websites

According to Coin Telegraph's latest report, CZ shared what he discovered on Thursday, Oct. 27.

(Photo : Photo by ERIC PIERMONT/AFP via Getty Images)

Blockchain and cryptocurrency Binance founder and CEO Chinese-born Canadian Changpeng Zhao, also known as CZ, poses during an interview at the technology startups and innovation fair in Paris on May 16, 2022. (Photo by Eric PIERMONT / AFP)

Also Read: Binance's BNB Chain Resumes Operations After Losing $570 Million in Cross-Chain Bridges

What he discovered regarding the search results for CoinMarketCap is quite alarming.

If you need to become more familiar with this website, CoinMarketCap is the world's most-referenced price-tracking web page for crypto assets.

In April 2020, Binance was able to acquire this website.

Since CoinMarketCap is now more popular than before, the crypto exchange company is worried that its search results would direct users to scams and other fake ad websites.

Is This a Bug?

As of press time, Google has yet to confirm if the issue with CoinMarketCap results is actually a bug.

But Zhao said that they are making efforts to contact the search engine giant so that this problem would be solved as soon as possible.

The CEO added that they are already informing consumers through social channels. If ever you search for the CoinMarketCap website, double-check the links before you click them.

CZ said that one of the websites misspelled the crypto data aggregator's name. Instead of "coinmarketcap," the phishing site uses the word "coinomarketcaap."

So, if ever the spellings on the website you are accessing are incorrect or looks suspicious, the best thing you can do is disregard them.

You can click here to see further details about the latest Google CoinMarketCap search issue.

In other news, South Korean authorities want to cancel the Terra Crypto founder's passport.

Meanwhile, Binance co-founder Cahnpeng Zhao said that they want to add more to the company's workforce.

For more news updates about Binance and other crypto companies, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Binance CEO, Other Crypto Bosses Find 'Tide is Turning' on Regulation for Cryptocurrency as Some Governments Start Positive Approach

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Written by: Griffin Davis

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China's Mengtian space station module is reportedly getting ready to launch on a Long March 5B rocket on October 31 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the island of Hainan, reported first by Space.com.

Mengtian, the third and final module for China's Tiangong space station, will be a significant event as it finally breathes life into the country's Tiangong space station.

Many people are looking forward to the historic launch, but on the other side of the coin, experts are also concerned about its aftermath.

This is because Long March 5B core stages return to Earth unguided after completing their missions, and determining where they land is like playing a guessing game.

Hence, space debris monitors will likely spend a lot of effort trying to predict where the core stage's fiery descent will take place.

Bigger than a School Bus

It is anticipated that the Long March 5B core stage weighs about 23 tons (21 metric tons). That is rough twice the mass of a typical school bus or a Boeing 737 when it is empty, according to Space.com.

Around 20% to 40% of the core stage is expected to survive reentry and reach the surface, according to experts, but it is also whether it will reach the surface of land or ocean.

A Long March 5B's debris fell in Cote d'Ivoire in 2020, causing damage to several structures. Earlier this year, some of the debris landed in Indonesia and Malaysia, according to Harry Boneham, an analyst for aircraft at the analytics firm GlobalData.

The Long March 5B's core stage is intended to reach orbit rather than re-enter the atmosphere soon after takeoff. Due to the core stage's inherent tendency to fall out of orbit a week or so after launch, prior missions of the large rocket have resulted in uncontrollable reentries, endangering the safety of people on the ground.

It is worth noting that this is China's strongest rocket and the country's only choice at the moment for heavy-lift launches. Only two additional Long March 5B launches, including the Mengtian mission, are officially scheduled.

China also intends to launch the Xuntian space telescope using the large booster in 2023.

Read also: China Shenzhou 14 Crew Shares Photos Captured Aboard Tiangong Space Station

Space Junk Problem

Earlier today, the Progress 81 engines on the International Space Station (ISS) fired for 5 minutes and 5 seconds as part of a Pre-Determined Debris Avoidance Maneuver (PDAM) to move the complex further away from the expected path of a fragment from Russian Cosmos 1408 debris.

According to NASA, Russia produced 1,500 pieces of debris when it destroyed that spacecraft as part of an anti-satellite weapon test in November 2021.

The US company SpaceX has also drawn criticism from the astronomical community, calling for more control over the private company's satellite mega-constellation launches.

NASA said there are over 500,000 bits of space debris between 1 cm and 10 cm in diameter and about 25,000 pieces larger than 10 cm in orbit. These debris fragments fly across orbit at up to 33,000 mph, traveling faster than a bullet.

Currently, 30,000 objects larger than 4 inches (10 cm) in Earth orbit are being monitored by the U.S. Global Surveillance Network. Additionally, the European Space Agency said that there are currently one million particles traveling at a speed of 0.4 inches (1 cm) around the planet.

Related Article: [UPDATE] China Completes Final Module of Tiangong Space Station Ahead of October Launch

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
As the United States military warned North Korea that using nuclear weapons "will result in the end of that regime," the latter launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Friday, according to a report by AP.

This marks North Korea's first launch of ballistic weapons in two weeks.

"Grave Provocation"

The Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul said in a statement that the South Korean military discovered the two launches on Friday from the eastern coastal Tongchon area of the North. It claimed that both missiles traveled 230 kilometers (140 miles) in flight, reaching a maximum height of 24 kilometers (15 miles).

According to the statement, South Korea vehemently rejects the launches, calling them "a grave provocation" that threatens regional stability and contravenes U.N. Security Council's resolutions prohibiting North Korea from engaging in any ballistic activity.

The launches, according to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, showed the "destabilizing impact" of North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.

The Japanese Defense Ministry reported that it had also seen the launches and was still examining the kind of missiles employed as well as their flight data.

The foreign ministry of South Korea reported that shortly after the launches, its senior nuclear envoy spoke on the phone separately with his counterparts in the United States and Japan.

The ministry said that the three reiterated their demands for North Korea to halt conducting weapons tests and resume talks. They also decided to deepen trilateral coordination in the country, as per AP's report.

The North conducted back-to-back launches on the final day of the South's annual 12-day "Hoguk" field exercises, which this year also included an unknown number of American troops.

The launches were the North's first ballistic missile tests since Oct. 14, and the South Korean and American air forces intend to conduct a significant training exercise the following week as well.

Although Seoul and Washington claim their exercises are defensive in character, North Korea views their regular drills as preparation for an assault on the North.

Read also: North Korea's Leader Kim Jong Un Oversees Long-range Cruise Missiles Test, Sends Warning to 'Enemies'

Vigilant Storm

The "Vigilant Storm" aerial drills, which will take place next week from Monday to Friday, will feature roughly 140 South Korean and about 100 American aircraft, according to AP.

The planes include advanced fighter jets from both countries, including the F-35, the South Korean Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Since the end of September, North Korea has fired a volley of missiles into the ocean in what it has described as mock tests of tactical nuclear weapons systems intended to hit targets in South Korea and the U.S.

North Korea claims that its testing was done to serve as a warning following several South Korea-U.S. military exercises.

Any nuclear assault by North Korea against the U.S. or its allies and partners "will result in the end of that regime," according to a Thursday, Oct. 27, a report by the Pentagon's National Defense Strategy.

Related Article: The US Warns Russia of 'Catastrophic' Repercussions if it Uses Nuclear Weapons Against Ukraine

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
There have been cases of monkeypox reported in eight endemic and five non-endemic countries since the beginning of this year.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Africa (CDC Africa), 6 883 cases of monkeypox have been reported in some 13 African countries.

CDC Africa said that 173 deaths had been reported in 2022, with a case fatality rate of 2.5 percent. Of the total number of monkeypox cases reported, 5 992 are suspects and 891 are confirmed cases.

Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria are the eight endemic countries having reported cases.

While Egypt, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa and Sudan are the five non-endemic countries, the health agency said.

Some 13 #African countries have reported 6,883 #monkeypox cases since the start of 2022, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) disclosed on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/jM5DcA734n  CGTN Africa (@cgtnafrica) October 27, 2022

With the disease declared a global public health emergency by WHO, CDC Africa has called on African countries to strengthen laboratory diagnostic capabilities and genomic sequencing capacity for monkeypox.

The health agency also asked African states to develop and distribute risk communication messages, both general and tailored to vulnerable communities and population groups.
[Pick] I took care of you all my life... Son in his 40s who murdered his mother for nagging him
State wildlife officials say they seized these antlers from a man accused of hunting out of season.
The higher education union is calling for Sydney University to reinstate controversial lecturer Tim Anderson after a court found he was unlawfully sacked over comments about Israel and other matters - including superimposing the Nazi swastika on the Israeli flag in a lecture slide.

Federal Court Justice Thomas Thawley ruled Anderson was exercising his intellectual freedom and accepted the lecturers argument that he created the swastika graphic for academic purposes, to encourage critical analysis and point out comparisons between fascist systems.

Former Sydney University academic Tim Anderson has won a victory in his battle against the University of Sydney. Credit:Facebook

While he acknowledged the imagery would be offensive to many people, Thawley said the context meant it should not be considered vilification intended to incite hatred of Jewish people.

Thawley found the university had not established that Anderson breached a clause in his workplace agreement obliging him to exercise intellectual freedom with the highest ethical, professional and legal standards.
Queensland handled the pandemic better than the rest of the world and better than many parts of Australia, experts say, but there are still lessons to be learned.

The Queensland government announced this week the emergency declaration that underpinned the states response to the coronavirus pandemic since early 2020 would stop as of Tuesday, November 1.

Vehicles from NSW queue on the Pacific Highway trying to enter Queensland during border restrictions in December 2020. Credit:Dan Peled

Health Minister Yvette DAth told Queensland parliament emergency powers were no longer needed as the pandemic was entering a new phase.

We can know that the actions of every Queenslander have meant that we have been able to weather the impact of this virus better than almost any other place in the world, she said.
Manslaughter charges laid against trucking company manager Simiona Tuteru following the Eastern Freeway crash that killed four Victorian police officers have been dropped on the eve of his Supreme Court trial.

Tuteru, from Frankston, ran the Connect Logistics trucking company when employee Mohinder Singh crashed into the officers on April 22, 2020.

Simiona Tuteru arrives at court last year. Credit:Simon Schluter

The 51-year-old was arrested and charged with four counts of manslaughter in the months that followed.

On Friday, prosecutors told Supreme Court Justice Lex Lasry the case would not proceed.
One of Victorias largest dams has reached full capacity and is spilling water for the first time in 26 years as rain continues to drench the state.

The Thomson Dam in West Gippsland, nearly a three-hour drive east of the city, holds more than half of Melbournes water supply.

The reservoir is currently 100 per cent full and has reached the dams spillway for the first time since 1996, Melbourne Water confirmed on Friday.

Spillways are designed to safely transfer excess water during extreme weather events or during prolonged periods of rainfall that cause a reservoir to fill.
Statements made earlier this week by WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch sparked anger when he said police were investigating whether the tragedy was a vigilante attack gone horribly wrong but did not speculate on the potential motive. It may be a case of mistaken identity, it may be a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I wouldnt want anyone in the community to jump to any conclusions at this time other than that we have charged a person, he said. Were not operating on any principles of racism or motivation at this point, other than to say we believe there was a damage incident that occurred, and thats resulted in the [alleged] murder of a very young boy. I do understand the high public interest, this is a devastating outcome to have a young boy killed on the streets in Western Australia, its absolutely horrific. On Friday, Albanese said the incident was a terrible tragedy.

This attack, that clearly is racially motivated, just breaks your heart, he told reporters. We are a better country than that, and my heart goes out to the family and the friends. WA Premier Mark McGowan earlier urged caution after a jury was dismissed in the ACT trial of Bruce Lehrmann, who is accused of raping Brittany Higgins in Parliament House. Its before the courts, courts will decide these things, Mr McGowan said regarding the alleged murder of Cassius. You dont want to intervene in these things. Youve seen something happen over east today whereby people say or do something they shouldnt, and trials are abandoned.

Im not going to do that. The premier said the teenagers death was extremely sad. Cassius Turvey died after a violent attack. This photo is published with permission of the family. Credit:Facebook I just feel so much for the family of that little boy. He looked like a beautiful little boy, he said. They are going through a lot and its unimaginable, really.

On Friday, Blanch warned against making statements which could prejudice court proceedings but admitted he regretted that his words had upset the community. I regret the impact of my words, he said. Cassius was an innocent victim of a violent attack, resulting in his death, he said. All leaders in our community should be focused on stopping racism in our community. But when it comes to this case, we must be extremely careful not to prejudice the investigation, he said at a press conference. I think all leaders in this community should be very mindful that to get the right justice for Cassius, we must not preempt the facts and evidence provided at court. The community would not accept a commissioner of police damaging a judicial process because I had views before they were found in court. That is not my role as commissioner, that is not the role of police.

But Aboriginal leaders have voiced frustration at the police response, saying the alleged murder has left Indigenous people anxious and distressed. Community representative Hannah McGlade, who works for Curtin University on issues of justice and race discrimination, said the Aboriginal community was concerned the police response had not been adequate, and that a tone is being set. Cassius mother Mechelle Turvey. She said the refusal by police to talk openly about the issue of racism, even when a child had died, was extremely disappointing. She compared the police response to that of the kidnapping of Cleo Smith.

When Cleo was abducted a police task force was established and it got the attention the case deserved, she said. Why doesnt the killing of a young boy deserve that kind of attention? Greens senator Dorinda Cox stated publicly that her heart broke for Cassius family, friends and community. He was only 15 years old when he was senselessly killed, she said. He was a young leader who will be remembered as a vibrant, caring, jokester with a beautiful smile who loved school and his family.

Cassius mother, Mechelle Turvey, described her son as a vibrant, caring and funny boy with a beautiful smile. Open letter from Indigenous leaders We have come together as a Noongar Nation. Lets make this a fight for all of us, for change. We are hurting, our people are hurting for a long time. We are standing straight and tall, for our children and young people. Cassius was the most beautiful young man you could ever meet. Instead, hes being portrayed differently. Our kids arent bad, but they are portrayed as bad. None of the kids are bad, they have a right to walk the streets. We need to be a Voice for our young people. You see them locked up in prison, you dont see them for who they really are. It seems like our state government just wants kids locked up. This is our chance to come together for our children. There were several people involved in this very serious attack on our children. Only one has been charged with murder. Why is that? Why did Perth Childrens Hospital release Cassius from hospital after just 5 days? We know that if a white child was killed like this it would be different. Cassius was not in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was in his school uniform with his friends in broad daylight. They set upon him with weapons. We want our children to stand up to racism. Its very real in this community. We must respond to this as a Hate crime. Thats what it was. The Premier and Police Commissioner are telling us to be quiet. We know attacks on our children are real. They are minimizing this horrific killing of young Cassius. This is wrong and dangerous especially as our people are not selected for juries. We as a Noongar Nation are outraged by this mindless, inhumane, cowardly racist act against an innocent child. We call on Government to meet us now. The Noongar Nation.Enough is Enough. Signed: Jim Morrison, Dawn Wallam, David Collard, Donna Nelson, Justin Kickett, Hannah McGlade Im heartbroken for my son; 15 years of age; for no reason, I have lost him, she said. Im just appalled at some of the violence going on in our communities. A GoFundMe page which called on Australians to stand up against injustice, discrimination and racism has raised close to $380,000 for Cassius family in just four days.
The Dover Heights home of missing fraudster Melissa Caddick sold on Friday afternoon after a one-month sales campaign and ahead of its original expressions of interest deadline on Monday.

The sale price was not disclosed by the court-appointed receiver of Caddicks assets, Bruce Gleeson, but for the sake of Caddicks victims it was hoped to sell for more than $10 million.

The Dover Heights home of Melissa Caddick sold on Friday afternoon. Credit:

Contracts were exchanged this afternoon with a settlement period of 12 weeks, said Gleeson, principal at Jones Partners.

Until settlement has occurred, we will not be disclosing the sale price. However, we believe the sale price achieved is a strong result given the current market conditions and will make a significant contribution towards the pool of funds available for investors.
Nablus: Israeli forces killed two Palestinian militants on Friday, Palestinian sources said, in what the Israeli military said was a response to a shooting at soldiers in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli military said its forces shot at two suspicious vehicles after a passing car fired at one of its posts near the city of Nablus, which has been the focus of a surge in violence in the West Bank over recent months.

No soldiers were injured and troops were searching for additional suspects, it said.

A boy cries while mourners take the last look at the body of Ramzi Zabarah, 35, at the family home during his funeral in the West Bank near Nablus. Credit:AP

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the dead men as Emad Abu Rasheed, 47, and Ramzi Zabarah, 35, both from Askar refugee camp near Nablus. It said a third man was wounded.
It takes a village to make a musical, but that village is exactly what David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori were trying to run away from. The two writers had worked together on Shrek the Musical  a massive production even by Broadway standards  and, for their next project, wanted to do something much more compact.

They settled on another adaptation, this time of one of Lindsay-Abaire's plays. Kimberly Akimbo, which premiered in New York in 2003 via Manhattan Theatre Club, is the life-affirming story of a teenager with an aging disorder that makes her look 70, and her wacky, self-absorbed family.

Acclaimed as a play, Kimberly Akimbo is even more well-regarded as a musical. It won practically every off-Broadway award in sight for its 2021 run at the Atlantic Theater Company, and now makes it Broadway premiere at the Booth Theatre with a cast led by Victoria Clark.

Here, Lindsay-Abaire (book/lyrics), Tesori (score), director Jessica Stone, and choreographer Danny Mefford tell us about building and rebuilding this quirky world.

David Lindsay-Abaire, Jeanine Tesori, Jessica Stone, and Danny Mefford

( Tricia Baron)

This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Whose idea was it to turn Kimberly Akimbo into a musical?

Jeanine Tesori: We did Shrek together, and then after we got out of the hospital[Laughs]

David Lindsay-Abaire: Shrek was hard. It was wonderful in many ways, but there were a lot of cooks in the kitchen.

Jeanine: It was a brand, so there wasn't a lot of  there was some freedom, but not what we really wanted. So, this time, we wanted to do something on our own terms, on our own timeline.

David: I obviously had an amazing time working with Jeanine, and I said "Boy, I wish we could do a musical again, but I wish we could do it like how I write a play." And she said, "What do you mean?" And I said "It's just me. I'm by myself, and it's bad for as long as it needs to be bad and no one's giving me notes until I'm ready to show it to them." With Shrek, we were constantly showing people things before it was finished. Jeanine said, "Well, we can do that. It'll just be me and you, and what about adapting one of your plays?" She was the one that said, "I think Kimberly Akimbo feels like a musical."

How did Jessica and Danny come on board?

Jessica Stone: I was directing David's play Ripcord in Boston, and I wanted to make sure that I did right by him because I know he is a Boston boy, so I reached out to him, and we just got to talking. He mentioned that he was working on an adaption of Kimberly Akimbo and I just remember thinking that it was an amazing idea. It's one of my favorite plays of his. And that was the end of that. I just thought it was a great idea.

David: I could feel your enthusiasm.

Jessica: I just thought it was cool to have coffee with David, and frankly, I had a really fun time that day. He came to Boston for opening night, and I'm not going to say we instantly bonded, but

David: We instantly bonded. It didn't hurt that she did an expert production of my play. You know, tonally, my plays can be a little weird, and Jessica just knew how to maneuver the comedy of it and grounding it in a very real place. I just thought "Oh, that's a keeper." When David Stone mentioned her for this, it seemed like a great match.

Jessica: And Jeanine had suggested Danny because he choreographed Fun Home.

Danny Mefford: I got an email that I will never forget, that said, "David Stone and Jessica Stone, parentheses, no relation, would like to meet with you about a new David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori project." At that moment I was like "I have to get this job." You know what I mean? Like, this is my job. I came into the meeting and felt an immediate rapport. Having worked with Jeanine before, I knew we're both interested in the way music operates inside of a musical, and I've loved David's plays for a long time.

Jessica: Part of the bond that continues to this day with all of us is a sensibility around humor. Comedy is used to safely explore our darkest experiences and our darkest instincts, and laughter and tears are very tightly wound and bound to each other. And I think we all, in terms of tone and sensibility and taste, we all feelyou know, when something gets sweet, we all feel it needs a little lemon juice.

Bonnie Milligan and the cast of Kimberly Akimbo at the Atlantic Theater Company

( Ahron R. Foster)

Obviously, the Atlantic engagement last year was the run of any writer's dreams: great reviews, sold out, every award you can think of. How do you then shake that all off to prepare the show for Broadway, knowing that the project is already so acclaimed?

Jeanine: Haven't you met us?

Jessica: The neurosis runs deep.

Jeanine: I mean, you just begin again. Everybody at this table is a story hound. I learned a long time ago from a mentor that nothing is neutral. So now we're focusing. And those small things mean a lot. Just yesterday, Danny was like "Does this agree with what they're singing? Do I change it?" That's 45 minutes of work. Being able to do that this time has been a gift.

David: The challenge is also not to break it. The reception was amazing and wonderful and exactly what you want it to be, but I think we're all humble slash insecure enough to quickly put it aside. Now we want to get back in there and look at the B moments and get them to an A minus. Can we strip that away? Can we sharpen this? Can we center her more here? The surgical work that we now have the luxury of getting to do is really exciting, but there's also the fear of making sure you don't cut an artery while you're in there.

Danny: I'm thinking of this Octavia Butler essay where she talks about positive obsession, and she says that if you are an artist and you look at something and you think even a little bit that it could be better, you're not being true to yourself if you don't try. I think about that ton in making a new musical.

Jeanine: That's exactly what it is.

Danny: All the great musicals I have worked on, every single person involved, until they were told "Get your hands off it," are obsessed.

Jessica: And it was Jerome Robbins who said that you don't stop working, you just run out of time.

This was one of our first shows back from the pandemic when we saw it at the Atlantic; the Broadway production is bound to be the same for some people. What do you want the audience to take away from the show? Or how do you want people to interpret it?

David: It's tricky, because if you talk about the plotit's about a girl with an aging disease. But the main thing is, it's a fun show that's life-affirming and hopefully has deep emotional resonance for people, and it's about living in the moment and finding yourself and appreciating all the good stuff.

Jessica: It's about the choices that you make with the time you have here.

David: That's so much better, Jessica.

Jessica: I did what I could.
Hey guys, there's a new musical where Andrew Rannells sings about God! No... not The Book of Mormon  this one is more recent. No... not the movie version of The Prom  this one is onstage in London. London, I hear you ask? So what's the point in making a song and dance if it's all the way over there?

Well, it turns out the team behind Tammy Faye is pretty stellar  Elton John, Jake Shears, James Graham, and Rupert Goold, as well as choreographer Lynn Page and designer Bunnie Christie. The group, all of whom naturally have Broadway in their veins, have come together to tackle the eponymous '80s televangelist icon, whose annual mascara budget probably exceeded that of most NYC not-for-profits.

What's more, it's a musical that (pun intended) John seems to have more faith in  after confessing his new version of The Devil Wears Prada is not fit for further consumption just yet. You can see why. Dipping his toe into the wellspring of gospel and '80s bombast, he churns out a healthy dose of catchy, cockle-warming earworms, peppered across a three-hour run-time, aided immeasurably by assured lyrics from long-time collaborator Jake Shears (he of Scissor Sisters and being-simultaneously-filthy-and-gorgeous fame).

Tammy Faye's title is deceptively understated for a musical full of flamboyance, primary-colored costumes and bigger wigs than backstage at a Drag Race convention. It's also, notably, not interested in a cynical take down of institutionalized religion: Do not expect a lampoon here. As is his norm, Graham uses the tale of Tammy Faye Bakker and her sexually confused husband, Jim, to dive headfirst into a plethora of uncomfortable paradoxes that typify televangelism  the direct link between preaching and profit, the manipulation of faith for fortune, and the Bakkers' ambitions ultimately leading to their undoing.

Interestingly, the pair can sometimes feel like cogs in a wider machine  Graham succeeds (as he did in making the founding of a newspaper into a thriller, or in transforming a provinicial British political palaver into a heart-warming rom-com) in layering on political takes (shady backroom deals with Reagan) and nods to trickle-down economics. The shadow of contemporary evangelical stances on issues like abortion and, of course, homosexuality, are clear as day.

The evening is helped by a mighty cast  there's a wealth of multi-roling going on from a talented ensemble juggling more zany '80s costumes than an episode of Cheers. Amongst the to-ing and fro-ing, central turns still stand out: Zubin Varla (a mighty Judas back in the day) makes meaty work of evangelical preacher and political schemer Jerry Falwell  a Salieri to the Bakker's Mozart. In a role that could so easily have become a self-interested caricature, Varla imbues the man with a narcisistic zealotry  ironclad in his belief that doing what benefits him will benefit conservative Christians everywhere. One first-act number, "Satellite of God," felt like a memorable mash-up between "Stars" and "Satellite of Love."

As mentioned, the show sees Rannells coming to the UK stage for the first time, providing fine comedic form as Jim, all bluster and thinly veiled innuendo as he watches his Heritage USA empire crumble. But, mon dieu, it's the central turn that is utterly spellbinding. Katie Brayben teases out all the contradictions in Tammy's personality  a sincerity seemingly at odds ith her showy ostentatiousness, a conviction in aiding minorities almost as devout as her commitment to killer lashes (this is probably a good time to acknowledge miracle-workering costume designer Katrina Lindsay and wig, hair, and make-up supervisor Suzanne Scotcher). What's more  Brayben's got the sort of voice you'd thank the stars for  rocking through John and Shears' music with effortless poise  especially in the storming 11-o'clock number "If You Came to See Me Cry."

It may need some polishing before it comes to Broadway, but my prediction is that Shears, John, Graham, and co may find more critical success on the other side of the pond compared to this initial Almeida run. In the UK, an increasingly secular country, Christianity can feel a bit like Pokemon Go  a lot of people were really, quite intensely into it a while ago, and now a smaller group of people commit to it in earnest. It's that unexpected earnestness that lingers long after the rousing closing number  for all her sins, Tammy Faye was a woman of faith  and sometimes that's all you need.
Batavia, NY (14020)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 30F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 30F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
The U.S. Census logo appears on census materials received in the mail with an invitation to fill out census information online in San Anselmo, Calif., on March 19, 2020. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

2020 Census Errors Affect Elections, Aid Blue States, Hurt Red States

Republican-leaning states have been shortchanged at least three congressional seats and Electoral College votes because their populations were undercounted in the 2020 census. Democrat-leaning states received at least one extra seat and vote because of census overcounts and kept at least two that they should have lost, according to an analysis of the Census Bureaus post-census survey.

The bureau acknowledged the errors but stated that theres no way to correct them until the next census in 2030.

Several experts and at least one lawmaker have expressed concern over the errors.

Its consistently undercounting red states and consistently overcounting blue states, said Hans von Spakovsky, head of the Election Law Reform Initiative at the conservative Heritage Foundation.

He called it a very odd coincidence, noting that so far, the Census Bureau hasnt really explained how and why they made these mistakes.

It appears that the first to sound the alarm over the issue back in June was Fair Lines America (FLA), a conservative-leaning nonprofit focused on redistricting issues.

Its obviously concerning that theres a pattern in the error of the census, said Adam Kincaid, executive director of FLA and the National Republican Redistricting Trust.

The Census Bureau identified 14 states with statistically significant errors in the census count. Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texasall Republican-dominated, except for Illinoiswere undercounted. Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Utahall Democrat-dominated save for Ohio and Utahwere overcounted.

For comparison, no state saw a significant error in the 2000 and 2010 censuses.

The 2020 error pattern still holds when including states in which the miscount didnt reach statistical significance. Among all 50 states and the District of Columbia, only two Democrat-leaning states registered an undercount: Illinois and Maryland. On the other hand, 12 Democrat-leaning states saw overcounts of at least 1 percent, compared to five Republican-leaning states: Alaska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Utah, and West Virginia. States with no clear-cut leaning, such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, tended to have relatively accurate counts.

Unanswered Questions

The 2020 Census was unprecedented in several ways. Due to COVID-19 policies, census workers were initially blocked from knocking on the doors of people who didnt respond to the census online or by mail. A large number of people temporarily moved during the lockdowns. Access was limited at facilities where the virus was spreading particularly fast, such as nursing homes, as well as prisons to some extent. College students were largely sent home.

The Census Bureau tried to fill gaps in coverage by guessing how many people lived in a given location by using administrative records, such as drivers license data. All these factors presented additional challenges that could explain why this census was particularly inaccurate.

However, such factors dont answer why the errors benefited Democrats so consistently, Kincaid and von Spakovsky said.

Some of the states with the most protracted lockdowns, such as Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Connecticut, where census workers would have been expected to have the greatest troubles overcoming COVID-related restrictions, had some of the most accurate counts.

The bureau has yet to fully explain what methods it used to navigate those challenges. For example, how did it ensure that the administrative records it used in fact reflected reality?

We dont have good answers for those things, Kincaid said.

His group tried to obtain further data and answers from the bureau through Freedom of Information Act requests, but most of the information was denied on confidentiality grounds, he said.

What the pattern suggests is that there is some sort of issue with the methodology that seems to favor blue states over red states, and I continue to believe that its important for the Census Bureau to open up its books and be more transparent, Kincaid said.

The lack of transparency is particularly pernicious when combined with the lockdown challenges that seem to have made the process more opaque.

It opened the door for more bias, whether intentional or unintentional, Kincaid said.

Von Spakovsky urged Congress to launch investigations into the matter and get answers from the bureau so we can decide whether this was intentional bias or whether it just was bad procedures and bad practices. Its got to be one or the other.

You certainly cant have this happen again, and Congress needs to figure out whether theres any way they can fix this, he said.

So far, there appears to be only one lawmaker asking questions about the issueRep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas).

He called the issue deeply concerning for the legitimacy of our Democracy, in an Oct. 24 letter to Census Bureau Director Robert Santos.

This wasnt a coincidence because things like this dont just happen. The swamp in Washington has an agenda. They want Democrats in power and wont let anything get in their way, Nehls said in an Oct. 24 statement.

We must get to the bottom of what happened. When Republicans take back the House majority, we will use our oversight authority to investigate the Census Bureau and determine how and why these significant errors happened to ensure this doesnt happen again.

The Census Bureau didnt respond to emailed questions.

Attempts to reach National Democratic Redistricting Committee for comment were unsuccessful.
Alan Dershowitz: Partisanship Is Destroying Principles in America

How dare they call themselves progressives, Alan Dershowitz says. They are regressives. They are reactionaries. They are repressors.

In a recent episode of EpochTVs American Thought Leaders, host Jan Jekielek and Harvard law professor emeritus Dershowitz discuss his latest book The Price of Principle: Why Integrity is Worth the Consequences, which argues that unprincipled partisanship has taken over the United States.

One of the top constitutional lawyers in the country, and a self-described liberal Democrat, Dershowitz has been excoriated by both the right and the left for defending highly unpopular public figures. Here, he shares his thoughts on systemic racism, due process, civil liberties, and the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States.

Jan Jekielek: The Price of Principle raises exactly the kinds of questions Ive been struggling with. Has partisanship completely taken over?

Alan Dershowitz: Partisanship has taken over, but its an utterly unprincipled partisanship. If you dare to put principle before partisanship, youre canceled. Your group wont have anything to do with you. You have to be 100 percent partisan, no matter what the principles are. People claim principle, but theyre using it in a partisan way. Its the opposite of principle. Its doublespeak. Today, if youre a principled person, youll be punished for it. Nobody wants principle or consistency.

Mr. Jekielek: You have a chapter in the book about systemic racism. Essentially, its partisanship masquerading as principle, isnt it?

Mr. Dershowitz: It is. Meritocracy is a dirty word. You cant use meritocracy. Thats white supremacy. There has to be racial advantage. But when theres racial advantage, theres racial disadvantage. Look at the Harvard case. Whos suing Harvard? Its Asian students, who are discriminated against because of quotas for black students. That case is going up to the Supreme Court, which I think will decide it the right way. But you know what will happen? All the major universities will cheat. Theyll still have racial quotas, but theyll describe them as something else.

Mr. Jekielek: Do you see these Harvard student quotas as a form of racism?

Mr. Dershowitz: No, its an attempt to eliminate racism. But its a very awkward attempt, and it introduces new elements of racism. Its not going to work in the end. We arent a systemically racist country. Were a systemically anti-racist country.

The killing of George Floyd was inexcusable and horrible, but that event dramatically transformed us. The transformation was already occurring, but that one event changed it quickly, and the result isnt equality. The result is to introduce a new kind of inequality and an anti-meritocratic approach.

Todays woke generation looks for opportunities. They find events and use them to project their narrative. I tend to agree with a lot of their points of view, but they think the ends justify the means. Their utopia is going to be achieved, and so we dont need the barriers of equal protection, due process, and free speech. Why do you need free speech if you already know the Truth with a capital T? Why do you need due process?

The left loves it when somebody they identify with is released, but they dont want to apply the same due process standards to former President Donald Trump, or to a white person accused of oppressing blacks. I dont like it when that happens, but Ill defend anybody who the government is after. The more unpopular you are, the more likely I am to want to defend you.

And how dare they call themselves progressives? They are regressives. They are reactionaries. They are repressors. They want to stop due process and free speech and equal protection.

Mr. Jekielek: Three principles have dominated your life. Im going to read them, because I found this very valuable. Number one: freedom of expression and conscience. Number two: due process, fundamental fairness, and the adversary system of seeking justice. Number three: basic equality and meritocracy.

Mr. Dershowitz: Yes. The one thats the most unpopular today is the adversary system. If you want to appreciate defense lawyers like me, go to Iran, Russia, China, or Cuba, where people cant get defense lawyers. People say Im a horrible person because I defended O.J. Simpson or Leona Helmsley. Yes, and Im going to continue to do that, just the way John Adams defended those who were accused of the Boston Massacre. Its the essence of our system, yet its very unpopular. People love me when I defend people they like and hate me when I defend people they dont like.

Mr. Jekielek: You cite Judge Oliver Wendell Holmes, who says: Im on the side of law. Im not on the side of justice. It isnt necessarily obvious why these things are different.

Mr. Dershowitz: Ill give you an example. To convict somebody, you have to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. What if hes guilty, but theres no evidence of reasonable doubt? A guilty person goes free. Thats not justice. Thats the law. Thats a good law. Its better that 10 guilty go free, than one innocent be wrongly convicted. That emanates from the Bible, from Abrahams arguments with God over the sinners of Sodom. But its not justice, and I have produced injustice on some occasions.

Yes, I have occasionally gotten guilty people off. I dont lose any sleep when I do that. I lose sleep when an innocent client gets convicted. Thats only happened a few times in my life, but it has destroyed me, because then I say its my fault. Thats why I fight so hard against that happening.

Mr. Jekielek: You said there were three things that made you a pariah in certain social circles.

Mr. Dershowitz: Representing Trump was number one. That put me on the margins of academia. Number two was representing Jeffrey Epstein. And the third, as the result of representing Epstein, I was accused by a woman named Virginia Giuffre, whom I never met and never heard of, of having sex with her on seven occasions, including in front of my house in a limousine. Her own lawyer admitted on tape that she was wrong. Her other lawyer admitted she was wrong. We discovered emails they tried to suppress, which revealed she never knew me, yet people believed it.

The people on the left dont believe the sexual charges against me. They attack me because of the Trump business. Others attack me because if Ive been accused, then I must be guilty. But Ive clearly proved her [Giuffre] to be a serial liar. Im suing her, and it will be resolved in court.

Note: American Thought Leaders contacted Virginia Giuffre about Dershowitzs allegations against her, but didnt immediately receive a response.

Mr. Jekielek: Lets return to this element of systemic racism. Theres a lot of evidence that anti-Semitism is on the rise in this country, both anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. Whats the relationship? Please talk about this, because you have some very good ideas about it.

Mr. Dershowitz: Its clear that America in the 1920s and 1930s was a systemically anti-Semitic country. Jews werent allowed to work on Wall Street or in many law firms. They werent allowed into certain clubs. That was pure anti-Semitism, and that disappeared with the Second World War. Whats come after that, largely from the hard left, is a new disguise for anti-Semitism called anti-Zionism.

Heres just one example: We hear arguments that Zionists have too much control over the American media, but The New York Times is an anti-Zionist newspaper. The Washington Post is certainly not pro-Zionist. At any rate, Zionism is becoming a euphemism for Jew. If you say youre anti-Zionist, you can get away with it, because thats political, not racial.

Of the social movements, for example, the Womens March was headed by a virulent anti-Semite. Black Lives Matter was headed by anti-Semitic people. The Million Man March on Washington had Louis Farrakhan as a sponsor.

Mr. Jekielek: In The Price of Principle, you say, My loyalty to the family comes first, even ahead of some of these other things. But even in the family now, theres this partisanship, with people not talking to each other. Whats the way out?

Mr. Dershowitz: Theres no clear way out. This trend toward the new McCarthyism on the hard left is going to be enduring because its being taught to our future leaders in universities.

I see it having a longer pendulum swing than many other things. McCarthyism in the 1950s was gone in 10 years. Left-wing McCarthyism will last many years longer. So, Im not optimistic.

Im going to end with a description of a pessimist and an optimist. In Israel, a pessimist is somebody who says, Oy vey. Things are so bad, they cant get worse. The optimist says, Yes, they can.

And so Im partly a pessimist, and partly an optimist. Things can get worse. But, I believe, along with Martin Luther King Jr., that the arc of justice moves in the right direction, but we need to help it. It doesnt just move. We need to help it. I wrote The Price of Principle to stimulate that sort of debate and discussion.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Jan Jekielek Senior Editor Follow Jan Jekielek is a senior editor with The Epoch Times and host of the show, "American Thought Leaders." Jans career has spanned academia, media, and international human rights work. In 2009 he joined The Epoch Times full time and has served in a variety of roles, including as website chief editor. He is the producer of the award-winning Holocaust documentary film "Finding Manny."
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith Calls on Prairie Provinces to Unite

EDMONTONAlbertas newly elected Premier Danielle Smith has written a letter to the premiers of Saskatchewan and Manitoba requesting a meeting to create new economic alliances between the Prairie provinces rather than waiting for federal action.

In her Oct. 24, 2022, letter, Smith said one of the first priorities in her new role is to harness the initiative of provinces rather than waiting for federal action. She wrote that the war in Ukraine has highlighted a global crisis in energy, food security, and affordability and that the federal government seems unaware of the urgency.

I believe it is incumbent on our provinces to play a leadership role in expanding and advocating for greater market access, Smith said. She also asked Saskatchewan and Manitoba to work together with Alberta to expand the capacity of the Port of Churchill rail and port systems.

The Port of Churchill, in Churchill, Man., is a privately owned port on the Hudson Bay in a town accessible only by train or plane. It is the only seaport that connects with railways and the only Arctic deep-water port in Canada.

Smith acknowledged that expansion is costly but said investors have made it clear there is growing interest in responsibly produced energy and agricultural products. According to Smith, Arctic operations are more viable than before.

Smith requested that the three premiers meet in Churchill to discuss the port as well as energy, food security issues, pipelines, and infrastructure improvements to existing rail lines and highways. Smith said this is an opportunity for the Prairie provinces to become more competitive, take a larger role globally, and address food and energy shortages.

On Oct. 27, Smith also praised Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moes announcement that his government would introduce the Saskatchewan First Act, a piece of legislation meant to protect the sovereignty of the provinces economic future and natural resources.

Its great to see other provinceslike Saskatchewan, follow Albertas lead in defending provincial existing constitutional division of powers, a spokesperson for Smith said in a statement to The Epoch Times.

Smith has also announced that work has begun on her proposed Sovereignty Act for Alberta, which was a campaign promise the new premier made during the leadership race. The proposed legislation is meant to oppose federal legislation deemed harmful to the province.

Rachel Emmanuel contributed to this report.
Australia to Deploy Military Personnel to Europe to Aid in Ukrainian Conflict

Australia will deploy a contingent of 70 military personnel to the United Kingdom and gift a further 30 Bushmaster armoured vehicles to Ukraine as part of its continued support for the war effort.

The military personnel will join Operation INTERFLEX to provide infantry and cyber training in January 2023. Operation Interflex is a multi-national military operation to train and support the Ukrainian reserve force, which has had little on-field training.

The Department of Defence has stated that no Australian military personnel will enter Ukraine.

Appearing on ABC Breakfast television on Oct. 27, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said that Australia was aware longer term support would be required now.

Were mindful that Ukraine needs to now be supported over the longer term if were going to put Ukraine in a position where it can resolve this conflict on its own terms, Marles, who is also the defence minister, said. And so this tranche is very much focused on that, both in terms of making sure that we are helping in a UKled initiative in respect of training but also extending the line of Bushmasters that we will be providing to Ukraine.

Australia to Support Ukraine as Long as it Takes

Marles also said Australia was willing to provide support to Ukraine for as long as it takes, in a separate interview to ABC Radio.

I think it is important to observe that no one would have imagined the way in which Ukraine has been able to resist the Russian aggression, and its heroic really that they are in the position that theyre in now and all that theyve achieved over the course of the year, but it does now take us to a conflict which is protracted, which is going to go on for a long time, he said. And weve been very mindful for a while now that we need to be providing support to Ukraine over the long term.

The new round of support takes the Australian support package to Ukraine to a total of approximately $655 million (US$422.8 million) in support, including $475 million in military assistancethis makes Australia one of the largest non-NATO contributors to the eastern European war effort.

Ukrainian MP Andrii Osadchuk told ABC on Oct. 27 that the Ukrainians were very thankful for Australias assistance because every day the country is consuming huge amounts of military resources to defend itself against the Russian offensive.

We spend, I think, at least 10 to 15,000 shells per day when Russians are spending 50,000 shells per day, Osadchuk said. So were extremely thankful for everything that Australia is doing for Ukraine.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the country would provide unequivocal bipartisan support.

We will continue to stand up for freedom and democracy, he said. This is a not just about Ukraines sovereignty, [and] the brave people of Ukraine are defending international law, rules and norms.
Australian Parliament House Assault Trial Implodes

Commentary

What a circus. This week the Brittany Higgins/Bruce Lehrmann rape trial imploded when the jury was dismissed due to misconduct by a juror. The case seemed to be heading for a hung jury after five days of deliberation, during which not a single question was put to the judgewhich suggests that the jury was battling over beliefs rather than wrestling with understanding the evidence.

But then one juror appears to have taken it upon themselves to do their own research, coming up with an academic paper described by the judge as a discussion of the unhelpfulness of attempting to quantify the prevalence of false complaints of sexual assault and a deeper, research-based analysis of the reasons for both false complaints and scepticism in the face of true complaints.

The paper apparently turned up in the jury room during tidying by sheriffs officers, who accidentally knocked this jurors document holder onto the floor, exposing the offending item.

The judge concluded the juror had breached her carefully explained instructions requiring jurors to rely only upon the evidence presented to the court.

That was enough for the whole thing to be called off. The Higgins/Lehrmann trial has been aborted, and the jury dismissed. A new date, Feb. 20, 2023, has been set for a retrial.

Announcing her decision, the judge gave strict orders for media silence prior to the new trial date but made an exception for reporting about the mistrial.

Higgins then tearfully addressed the media after the decision, reading a prepared speech, which led to Lehrmanns lawyers referring Higgins to the court and to federal police. They are also seeking urgent legal advice about whether Higgins could be charged with a criminal offence for the speech which breached laws around fair trials.

Media Coverage of the Trial

These latest twists in the ongoing saga provide further proof of the near impossibility of fair treatment for the accused in the trial, given the medias involvement.

Despite the judges media blackout, theres no doubt the media mob will continue their merry way, flaunting media ethics about the presumption of innocence with endless articles presenting their alleged version of events.

Brittany Higgins leaves court in Canberra, Australia, on Oct. 14, 2022. (Martin Ollman/Getty Images)

Even after the jury started their deliberations last week, Elle Magazine ran an article that said the court system should not allow defence teams to undermine the credibility of the alleged victims.

Additionally, the next day, the Sydney Morning Herald was happily writing about Higgins comments in the trial which alleged that political pressure had made her too allegedly frightened to go to the police.

And then, The Guardian, came up with a most peculiar article that contended courts were silencing assault victims while privileging the accuseds right to privacy and reputation.

And in doing so, it appears that these media may have tossed aside any notion of fair treatment and presumption of innocence for the accused. Something our justice system is premised upon.

Meanwhile, conservative media in Australia, particularly the smaller players like Sky News Australia or The Spectator, know all too well that Higginss team could potentially engage in defamation suits to silence anyone who presents an alternative view of the situation.

It means commentators like myself simply cant afford to stick their necks out in public over this one.

So it has been maddening sitting back and watching as the media operators control the narrative throughout this whole saga forgetting the presumption of evidence.

So it goes on.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) Intelligence Collection Vessel Haiwangxing operating off the north-west shelf of Australia in an image supplied on May 13, 2022. (Courtesy of the Australian Department of Defence)

Australias Defense Budget Hits 20-year High

In its first budget in nearly a decade, Australias Labor government has announced it will follow through with the previous governments pledge to spend $270 billion (US$174billion) in military capability upgrades by 2030.

Under the new budget, defence spending will rise to $48.7 billion this year and eventually reach over two percent of GDP, a level not seen since the late 1990s.

The $270 billion defence spending will include the procurement of nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS security treaty, a trilateral security pact between Australia, the UK, and the United States, as well as hypersonic missiles, advanced cyber and artificial intelligence capabilities, ground defence missile systems, and drone air and sea warfare, reported The Daily Telegraph.

At the same time, the budget allows for a significant increase in available flight hours for all RAAF and RAN military aircraft, including Australias leading F-35 strike fighter.

Their operations will almost double to 12,500 flight hours over the next 12 months, while more ANZAC class frigates and Hobart class destroyers will sail into the sea.

In addition, Australia has emphasized increased aerial surveillance, and the P-8A Poseidon fleet will make greater efforts to carry out intelligence-gathering missions in the region.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said that the budget would allow Australia to restore its place in the region as a diligent and dependable partner.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers delivers his Budget Address at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Oct. 25, 2022. (Martin Ollman/Getty Images)

After nearly a decade of neglect and disrespect, we are restoring our role as a diligent and dependable partner and friend to our Pacific neighboursfor a stable, peaceful and more prosperous region, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said in his budget speech on Oct. 25.

He added that the Australian Defence Force will be well positioned to meet our security challenges over the next decade and beyond.

Pacific To Receive Increased Funding

The budget also spells out the urgency the federal government is feeling to shape Australias strategic direction and deter actions that infringe on the national interest. This will include over $147 million to advance security and engagement in the region, including the establishment of the Australian Pacific Defence Academy and multinational military and police training.

There will also be $1.4 billion worth of additional development aid, with $900 million for the Pacific region, and a new Office of Southeast Asia will be set up to coordinate whole-of-government efforts and deepen regional engagement.

Response to Beijings Threat in the Pacific

The budget comes amid a growing international concern over a potential attack on Taiwan by China after the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), a congress held every five years.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (front) walks with members of the CCPs new Politburo Standing Committee, the nations top decision-making body, as they meet the media in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 23, 2022. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinese leader Xi Jinping said at the opening of the Congress that the regime would never renounce the use of force to achieve unification of Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy that the communist regime has long regarded as a renegade province.

We will never promise to renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all measures necessary, Xi, who has successfully claimed a record-breaking third five-year term in office, told over 2,000 hand-picked CCP delegates in Beijing.

It was at this time that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida signed a joint security pact (pdf) in Perth on Oct. 22 to consult on contingencies that threaten their national security interests amid growing concerns over ChinaTaiwan tensions.

The Australia-Japan relationship is unique and of benefit to the whole region given our shared values and interests, Albanese said in a statement.

While China was not mentioned in the joint declaration, the move appeared to be a response to the CCPs growing military presence in the Indo-Pacific and provocations against Taiwan.

Australias Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L) shakes hands with Japans 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 devoted significant space of this years annual defence 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.

Nearly Half of Aussies Support Defending Taiwan

Meanwhile, a new poll shows that almost one in two Australians support Australia sending troops to help defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion by Beijing, a much higher percentage of the population than in Japan and the United States.

According to an online poll by YouGov commissioned by the U.S. Studies Centre, University of Sydney, nearly half of the respondents (46 percent) among a sample of 1,068 Australians said they agreed or strongly agreed that Australia should send military forces to help the United States defend Taiwan, with 18 percent strongly agreeing.

Susie Su, a senior Taiwanese journalist, based in Sydney, believes that its mainly because Australia and Taiwan share the same values of freedom, democracy, and human rights.

In fact, Taiwan and Australia do not have formal diplomatic relations, and the population of Taiwanese immigrants in Australia is far less than that of Chinese, Su told The Epoch Times.

The main thing that binds them together is values. The more democratic and liberal a country is, the better it is at identifying which [other countries] are more democratic and liberal. Such recognition is mutual.

Royal Australian Navy submarine HMAS Rankin is seen during AUSINDEX 21, a biennial maritime exercise between the Royal Australian Navy and the Indian Navy in Darwin, Australia, on Sept. 5, 2021. (POIS Yuri Ramsey/Australian Defence Force via Getty Images)

Su referred to the latest farce at the communist partys congress.

Whats the worlds impression of the CCPs 20th National Congress? The former leader of the country, Hu Jintao, was taken away from the scene, and his whereabouts are still unknown. Xi Jinping is now an emperor, she said.

This gives the world a shadow of Nazi dictatorship on the horizon, and Australia is no exception.

Since Australia has the AUKUS military alliance with the UK and the U.S, and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with the U.S., Japan, and India, it can be seen that Australia has already clearly understood its role in the security issues in the Asia-Pacific region.

Aldgra Fredly contributed to this report.
President Joe Biden announces student loan relief in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Aug. 24, 2022. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden Administration Sued Over Student Loan Debt Plan

A Louisiana attorney filed a lawsuit against the Biden administrations student loan debt forgiveness plan, representing yet another legal challenge against the program.

Attorney Tommy Badeaux filed (pdf) the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans and accused the White House of infringing on the Constitutions separation of powers clause by forgiving billions of dollars in debt without any action from Congress. He was joined by the Pelican Center for Justice and the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, according to the groups.

You cant carte blanche cancel half a trillion dollars of debts owed to the taxpayers without consulting them, Daniel Erspamer, CEO of the Pelican Institute, in a news release announcing the lawsuit. Thats bad policy. And in this instance, its also illegal and unconstitutional. Congress and the people they represent shouldve been involved in a decision that will affect millions of Americans and do nothing to lower the cost of getting an education.

President Joe Bidens proposal would forgive up to $10,000 in federal student loans for those making less than $125,000 a year for individuals or $250,000 for married couples or heads of households, and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients who meet the income threshold. The White House could reportedly start processing requests for loan forgiveness as soon as this weekend.

The suit said that before Bidens order, there was no public comment period, which they argue is required after any regulatory action that gets added to the Federal Register under federal law.

The Administration used a law that was meant to protect service members as a means to usurp the entire legislative and administrative process, said James Baehr, Special Counsel at the Pelican Institute. Congress is where this debate shouldve occurred. But, under pressure from progressive activists, the Biden Administration hijacked a good law to produce a terrible policy in a brazen act of executive overreach.

Other Lawsuits

A group of Wisconsin taxpayers last week filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court to put an end to the loan forgiveness plan. The emergency request was filed with Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who handles emergencies from Wisconsin and has the option to act on her own or refer the petition to the nine-justice court, but Barett later rejected their request.

Several related lawsuits have been filed against the Biden administration. The six Republican-led states of Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Carolina filed a suit in September to block the program, arguing that Biden doesnt have the power to issue debt relief without an act of Congress.

Also, the Libertarian Pacific Legal Foundation sued the U.S. Education Department in a federal court in Indiana in September. A judge denied the request to pause the federal program.

The White House has not responded to a request for comment.
An improvised roadblock at an intersection in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, during a multi-departmental protest on Oct. 26, 2022. (C. Calani/The Epoch Times)

Bolivians Say Economic Shutdown Is About Freedom From Socialist Government and Resources

Empty streets and closed store-fronts and offices stretch as far as the eye can see in Santa Cruz, Bolivias largest city. The normally traffic-clogged avenues remain vacant, save for the occasional biker or motorcycle.

The reason things have come to a standstill is because residents have erected roadblocks at dozens of intersections throughout the city, paralyzing transport and everyday commerce since Oct. 22.

The civil strike, more than a standard protest, is a symptom of an enduring struggle for Santa Cruz residents. Known affectionately as Crucenos, locals in the region initiated a voluntary, department-wide economic shutdown to coerce a fair share of resources from the countrys entrenched socialist government.

What sparked the rebellion was a delayed national census.

An official census is something few residents of Western nations are willing to lose sleep over, let alone money. Though in Bolivia, the delayed censusinitially scheduled for 2020has become the crux of a political battle. The Movement for Socialism (MAS) party leader and President Luis Arce is locked in a standoff with the right-wing regional government and demonstrators in Santa Cruz.

A row of cars stop at a makeshift barricade near Ventura Mall in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on Oct. 26, 2022. (C. Calani/The Epoch Times)

Political opposition and strike organizers want the national census to happen in 2023 v. 2024, with results available before the next presidential election in 2025. An official census will give the department more representatives in both the upper and lower houses of government. It also forces Arces administration, by law, to distribute more money to Santa Cruz due to its rapidly growing population.

The Amazonian department of Santa Cruz is Bolivias economic dynamo. It generates 72 percent of the nations food supply and contributes to nearly 30 percent of the countrys gross domestic product.

Moreover, the department is a high-performing energy producer. Last year, it shattered domestic fossil fuel production records. Liquid hydrocarbon manufacturing climbed to more than 14 thousand barrels per day, while natural gas rose to 16 million cubic meters per day.

Many Crucenos believe the departments production power, combined with a right-leaning regional government and capitalist work ethic, is why MAS is dragging its feet on an official census.

Because with the admission of a growing population, more money, and politicians, comes more power.

Beyond politics, some locals in Santa Cruz say the economic shutdown is really more about freedom than a census.

Ramiro Santiago is a 65-year-old businessman and hobby rancher who moved to Santa Cruz from Cochabamba because of the friendly locals. He told The Epoch Times, The problem is politics. The government doesnt want to give us our fair share of resources.

Ramiro Santiago stands in front of the department flag for Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on Oct. 26, 2022. (C. Calani/The Epoch Times)

Santiago is one of the strike leaders and patrols a roadblock near a critical traffic artery on San Martin Avenue. He believes Arces government has developed a hunger for power and if Crucenos dont act now, the situation will get worse.

Santa Cruz is no stranger to fighting ruling governments.

In 2019, it led a nationwide movement to remove former socialist President Evo Morales from office after a contested general election. At the time, Morales had run for and, arguably, won an unconstitutional fourth term in office. This is regardless of losing a referendum that would have allowed him to hold a fourth term in 2016.

Today, Arcethe former minister of the economy under Moralesis running the country.

The main goal of this government is to cut our freedom, Santiago stated resolutely.

Yet the battle against Arces administration comes at a high cost to Crucenos. After six days of total economic shutdown, locals are starting to feel the pinch. Gas stations are running out of fuel. In the few hours allocated for food shopping, shelves in grocery stores are increasingly more bare.

Its a real sacrifice for everybody. You can see all the businesses are closed, a protester who asked to be called Rodrigo told The Epoch Times.

A portable shade canopy with chairs stands in front of a large shopping mall, allowing demonstrators some respite from the 95 degree heat. From here, Rodrigo keeps an eye on several improvised roadblocks made from broken chunks of concrete, police tape, and tree branches. On a typical day, he works as a lawyer in the departmental capital.

People navigating a roadblock in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on Oct. 26, 2022. (C. Calani/The Epoch Times)

Theyre [MAS government] violating their own law. They dont want to do the census because theyll have to give more money to this region, he said.

And while some Crucenos feel Arce is ignoring their efforts, the impact of Santa Cruz grinding to a halt has been felt nationwide. The minister of productive development, Nestor Huanca, on Oct. 26 announced the suspension of food exports from Bolivia to protect local supply chains until the civil strike ends.

Early negotiations between Santa Cruz officials and Arces representatives had broken down on Oct. 22 due to inflexible demands on both sides. However, Arce said a definitive solution for the delayed census would be announced after meeting with representatives from all nine departments in Cochabamba on Oct. 28.

And while some Santa Cruz residents hope for a solution, others say nothing good will come from the meeting.

First, the conflict is in Santa Cruz, not Cochabamba. If we are going to get off on the right foot, that meeting should be here, Santiago said.

Rodrigo shared the sentiment. He said Arces refusal to come to Santa Cruz is, mocking us and our effort.

The civil strike has already moved beyond the borders of Santa Cruz and is quickly gaining national support. Protest organizers from the departments of La Paz, Beni, Tarija, Cochabamba, and Chuquisaca have organized supportive marches and demonstrations for a 2023 census.

A closed shopping center and grocery store in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, during a civil strike on Oct. 26, 2022. (C. Calani/The Epoch Times)

In the government capital La Paz, a peaceful march supporting Santa Cruzs strike for a 2023 census was met with violent opposition from MAS supporters on Oct. 26. Pro-MAS actors launched rocks and fireworks at the peaceful protesters. Police eventually arrived and dispersed the attackers with tear gas.

On Oct. 27, local media reported another MAS sympathizer attack on 2023 census demonstrators in the wine-growing region of Tarija.

Police confirmed one civilian casualty as a result of violent clashes between 2023 census supporters and MAS party advocates in the town of Puerto Quijarro on Oct. 22.

Opponents of the strike in Santa Cruz are mostly MAS party backers, many of whom are not able to withstand the inflated prices and commodity scarcity thats impacting the poorest sectors of the country.

But Crucenos vow to stand their ground despite the attacks.

Well go on as long as we can handle. The people want to be heard, protest organizer Christian Gutierrez told The Epoch Times.

Gutierrez and his group control the blockade at one end of the bridge across the Pirai River, where a cluster of motorcycles bars access, and men on foot evaluate if and what vehicles may pass.

A biker walks his motorcycle past a roadblock at the end of a bridge in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on Oct. 26, 2022. (Autumn Spredemann/The Epoch Times)

Ambulances, essential workers, and residents with personal emergencies are generally allowed to pass without issue.

At the other end of the bridge, civil-strike supporter Jose Miguel moves a recycled shipping pallet, to allow a motorcycle to pass through the barricade. Ive been out here every day now. Im committed to this for as long as it takes, Miguel told The Epoch Times.

We need peace between Bolivians. Were peaceful people here, said Rodrigo.

He, like many Crucenos, hopes Arce will be reasonable with the census date.

We didnt vote for him, but hes our president, and he needs to find a solution. Thats the thing about democracyyou might not like someone, but if thats what the majority chooses, you have to stick with it.
Brazil's president and candidate for reelection Jair Bolsonaro leads a motorcade in Belford Roxo, near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Oct. 27, 2022. (Ricardo Moraes/Reuters)

Brazilian President Bolsonaro to Appeal to Top Court Ahead of Sundays Election Runoff

BRASILIABrazils President Jair Bolsonaro plans to appeal to the Supreme Court over a national electoral authority ruling that rejected his campaigns complaint about radio station ads, three days before a runoff election vote on Sunday.

We will take this to the last consequences, within the limits of the Constitution, to uphold the findings of our audit, the conservative president told reporters late on Wednesday.

He said his lawyers would file an appeal against the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE) that threw out a complaint by the presidents campaign that radio stations have been giving more spots for ads by his rival former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

In its ruling on Wednesday, the TSE asked Brazils top public prosecutor to investigate the possible intention of the Bolsonaro camp to disrupt the election in its final days.

Lula said the ads claim was a sign of despair and put it down to the incompetence of Bolsonaros campaign handlers.

Opinion polls this week show Lula is leading by 5 or 6 percentage points and Bolsonaro has not managed to narrow the race in its final week.

Bolsonaros allies accuse pollsters of systematic bias against the president, noting that he won nearly 10 percentage points more in the first round of voting on Oct. 2 than polls had shown during the campaign.

The president has repeatedly criticized the countrys electronic voting machines for allegedly being open to fraud, without providing evidence.
Brittany Higgins, a former Liberal Party staff member addresses the media at the National Press Club on February 09, 2022 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Brittany Higgins Sexual Assault Trial Aborted Following Juror Misconduct

The trial of the man accused of sexually assaulting former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has been aborted without a verdict after a jurors misconduct.

Chief Justice Lucy McCallum wrote in her decision that at least one juror had accessed research material outside of what was provided to the jury during the trial.

During a routine tidying of the jury room, one of the officers accidentally bumped one jurors folder onto the floor.

When the officer picked it up to place it back, he noticed the title of the academic paper suggested the topic might be sexual assault, which was later confirmed.

It is neither possible nor helpful to speculate as to the use to which this information might have been put in the jury room if any, McCallum said. [However], at the very least, the fact that the paper was located and taken into the jury room by the juror indicates that it may have influenced that jurors contribution to the jurys deliberations.

The unfairness to both parties is manifest.

In her opening remarks to the jury during the trial, McCallum gave specific instructions that personally undertaking any further research or inquiries was absolutely forbidden.

You must rest exclusively on the evidence you hear in this courtroom, she told the jury in her initial instructions.

McCallum also reminded the jury after each day of the trial to refrain from searching for any keywords online, such as Brittany Higgins, even though there had been high media coverage on the trial.

In a footnote, the chief justice wrote that she following the discharge of the jury, she had been informed by the officers that the same juror was also in possession of two additional academic articles on the topic of sexual assault.

Medias Active Involvement in Rape Trial

The case has been scheduled for a trial in February 2023, meaning it is still an active court case.

However, following the decision, Higgins chose to speak to the media outside of the ACT supreme court, which was broadcasted live on Australian television.

The lawyers of Bruce Lehrmann, the man charged with allegedly raping Higgins, have referred her public comments to the court and the federal police over concerns it may amount to contempt of the court.

I urge all media to show restraint in reporting this matter and in particular in republishing the statements made by the complainant, Lehrmanns defence barrister Steve Whybrow wrote in a statement.

Previous extreme media attention and involvement in the case had delayed the trial after television host Lisa Wilkinson delivered a speech that openly referred to and praised the complainant in the present trial, McCallum said in June.

The public at large is given to believe guilt is established. The importance of the rule of law has been set at nil, she said, adding that while a delay in the case has a corrosive effect on evidence, the overriding principle is that the trial needs to be fair.

Brittany Higgins (L) and Lisa Wilkinson attend the marie claire International Womens Day breakfast at est. on March 8, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Wilkinson had been nominated for a Logie for her reporting of Higgins allegation and had been warned by crown prosecutor Shane Drumgold that further public commentary surrounding the matter could lead to the trial being delayed, the court heard.

However, upon receiving her award at the Logies on June 19, the TV presenter mentioned and thanked Higgins for sharing her story.

No Room for Media in Jurys Judgement

Joseph Fernandez, adjunct associate professor at Curtin Universitys School of Media, Creative Arts, and Social Inquiry, previously told The Epoch Times that there is absolutely no room for the media to participate in the jurys judgement. None whatsoever.

He said the media serves only to inform people as to what is going on in the courts and that intense or distorted publicity can influence juries and prejudge a persons guilt or innocence.

The sentiment was echoed by Jason Bosland, director of the Centre for Media and Communications Law at Melbourne Law School, who told The Epoch Times that media coverage could also interfere with a criminal trial by influencing the recollection or reliability of witness testimony.

Nina Nguyen contributed to this report.
Flooding is shown by helicopter around Maitland, Australia, on July 8, 2022. (David Swift-Pool/Getty Images)

Building on Floodplains Over: Leaders

Governments have called an end to housing developments on floodplains as a major buyback scheme is unveiled for people affected by catastrophic flooding in the New South Wales (NSW) Northern Rivers.

The $520 million (US$335 million) buyback scheme is the centrepiece of an $800 million package co-funded by the NSW and federal governments to give 2000 flood-impacted residents the opportunity to raise, repair or retrofit their houses.

For homes in the most at-risk areas of Lismore and the surrounding Northern Rivers region, governments will offer to buy the home and land from the owner.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the package offers a way forward for communities devastated by repeated flooding this year.

This is the biggest agreement of its kind, ever, in response to a very significant event, he told reporters in Lismore on Friday.

But Albanese said governments couldnt keep allowing homes to be built in harms way as climate change fuelled an increase in natural disasters.

We need to respond as governments, not political parties, he said, standing alongside NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.

We need to do better on planning, but we also need to do better than thinking we can just do the same thing over and over again.

The premier will lead a discussion at an upcoming national cabinet meeting about improving planning to ensure floodplain developments dont continue.

Mr Perrottet said rebuilding with resilience in mind would avoid past mistakes, adding the days of developing floodplains in the state were over.

Ive already spoken to the planning minister in relation to this, he said.

It makes absolutely no sense for us to make this announcement today and then still continue to develop on floodplains  its not going to happen anymore in NSW, I can tell you that.

Funding from the program will be open to residents impacted by the floods in February and March in the Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed local government areas.

The voluntary buyback scheme will be offered from Monday to homeowners in the most vulnerable parts of the Northern Rivers, where renewed flooding continues to pose a serious risk.

They will be offered money to raise, repair or retrofit their property, or sell it to the government based on expert assessments of the damage, its safety risks and potential future flood levels.

Almost everyone who has been significantly affected and would qualify for this program would have already had an assessment, Perrottet said.

Those eligible will be given a payment based on a valuation of the home and land.

Up to $100,000 will be available to raise homes and up to $50,000 for retrofitting in cases where flood risk can be mitigated by better building.

The state government will also spend $100 million buying new land in flood-safe locations for new developments with the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation.
Restaurateur and member of the West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Roozbeh Farahanipour walks near his restaurant in Los Angeles on Nov. 18, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Cafe in Los Angeles Vandalized After Memorial for Iranian Women Goes Viral

The Persian Gulf cafe in Westwood was a recent target of vandalism after the owner, Roozbeh Farahanipour, set up a memorial in the restaurant honoring women who have been killed in Irans protests.

According to Farahanipour, while he was giving public comment Oct. 18 to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors supporting its advocacy for women in Iran, he learned the door to his cafe had been vandalized. He told The Epoch Times he f ound out when his wife, who also works at the cafe, informed him through a text message.

He said surveillance footage showed a car driving up to the cafe in the 1300 block of Westwood Boulevard and then someone throwing an object at the cafe entrance, shattering its glass door. He said he was unable to see the cars license plate or what the object was thrown at the door. The entrance is now boarded up, he said, and could take weeks to repair.

The Persian Gulf cafe in Westwood, Calif., was the target of vandalism on Oct. 18, 2022, after the owner, Roozbeh Farahanipour, set up a memorial in the restaurant honoring women who have been killed in Irans protests. (Courtesy of Roozbeh Farahanipour)

Farahanipour said he believes the attack was carried out by sympathizers of the Islamic Republic, since the incident happened a few days after photos of the memorial gained publicity on several national media outlets. He said he filed a report with the Los Angeles Police Department, but the suspect is still at large, and he is skeptical will ever be found.

Theyre not going to solve anything, he said, because prioritizing violent crimes will come first.

The memorial honors 22-year-old Mahsa Amini who was killed last month at the hands of Iranian morality police for improperly wearing a hijab. Her death has sparked protests in support of women in Iran across Los Angeles and Orange County.

According to the U.S.-based human rights group Human Rights Activists in Iranor HRANAthe regime turned violent on its own local protesters, killing more than 200 people, many of whom were women and children. Protesters and organizers have been arrested, HRANA reported too, as the government has used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse crowds.

This is a normal thing with the regime, Farahanipour told The Epoch Times. All the time, they try to cut the voice of the people, or voice of the residents and demonstrations.

For Farahanipour, this is nothing new, he said.

Im fighting against this regime for almost my entire life, Farahanipour said.

The Persian Gulf cafe in Westwood, Calif., was the target of vandalism after the owner, Roozbeh Farahanipour, set up a memorial in the restaurant honoring women who have been killed in Irans protests. (Courtesy of Roozbeh Farahanipour)

According to Farahanipour, who is also the president of the West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, he has been a victim of the abuses of the Islamic regime in his homeland of Iran before he received political asylum in the United States. In 1999, Farahanipour said he was tortured in prison for leading a student activist group battling for democracy in the country.

We [will] never feel safe and feel comfortable until this regime gets overthrown by the people, he said.

Restaurateur and member of the West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Roozbeh Farahanipour at his restaurant in Los Angeles on Nov. 18, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

According to Farahanipour, hes been targeted in different ways by the regime over the last 20 years.

During the grassroots resistance movement that began in 1998, he said he was imprisoned in solitary confinement for 36 days and repeatedly tortured at the hands of the Islamic militia. His testimony, he said, is now included in the United Nations Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Despite the vandalism, Farahanipour said he will not remove the memorial, which sits on one of the cafes tables.

Restaurateur and member of the West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Roozbeh Farahanipour sets up a memorial for Mahsa Amini and other women killed at the hands of the Iranian government, at one of his restaurants in Westwood, Calif. (Courtesy of Roozbeh Farahanipour)
While President Joe Biden cheers the economy, warning signs emerge as mortgage rates hit a two-decade high. What do the latest GDP numbers say?

Republican Liz Cheney, after being ousted by voters, is now working against Republicans efforts to win the majority this November. The Trump critic has just endorsed a Democrat.

A China affairs expert joins us to discuss the Chinese Communist Partys latest congress and leader Xi Jinpings remarks on America.

Major corporations are funding employees abortion costs. Whats behind the move, and why? A senior counsel from Alliance Defending Freedom joins us to discuss.

White House chief of staff Ron Klain is found to have violated the Hatch Act. What did he do, and how is the government watchdog responding?

The U.S. Navy and Army conducted nearly a dozen hypersonic weapon experiments Wednesday, including a rocket officials say would give the United States a competitive advantage.

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BUY Jan 6 DVD: The Real Story of Jan. 6 Documentary102 Minutes, Color), Promo Code [Steve] for 20% off.
China Expanding Nuclear Arsenal to Threaten US: New Defense Strategy

Communist China is developing its nuclear forces to threaten the United States and shield its authoritarian ambitions, according to the Biden administrations newly published National Defense Strategy.

The new National Defense Strategy document (pdf), released on Oct. 27, highlights Chinas communist regime as the most comprehensive and serious challenge to U.S. national security and directs political and military leaders to act urgently to sustain and strengthen U.S. deterrence against the regime.

Of particular note is the documents advisory that China is developing new nuclear weapons in order to threaten the United States, possibly by preparing for a nuclear first strike.

The PRC is increasing its capability to threaten the United States and our Allies and partners with nuclear weapons, the strategy states, using an acronym for the official name of communist China, the Peoples Republic of China.

The range of nuclear options available to the PRC leadership will expand in the years ahead, allowing it potentially to adopt a broader range of strategies to achieve its objectives, to include nuclear coercion and limited nuclear first use.

The strategy also warns that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which rules China as a single-party state, has aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putins Russia and that the need to deter two nuclear powers simultaneously would test the limits of U.S. nuclear capabilities.

The PRC has embarked on an ambitious expansion, modernization, and diversification of its nuclear forces and established a nascent nuclear triad, the guidance states. The PRC likely intends to possess at least 1,000 deliverable warheads by the end of the decade.

The United States and its Allies and partners will increasingly face the challenge of deterring two major powers with modern and diverse nuclear capabilitiesthe PRC and Russiacreating new stresses on strategic stability.

Experts have long warned that the CCPs nuclear breakout could undermine U.S. deterrence efforts, as the capabilities and posture of U.S. nuclear forces were designed specifically to counter Russia alone.

To that end, the strategy also states that the CCP is engaged in acute forms of gray zone coercion against the United States, its allies, and its partners. Moreover, it states that the regime is attempting to dramatically expand its overseas military presence by establishing new bases and signing new security treaties.

The PRC and Russia now pose more dangerous challenges to safety and security at home, even as terrorist threats persist, the strategy reads.

The strategy also states that the CCP is engaged in a systemic and increasingly aggressive effort to challenge and undermine the United States. By doing so, the regime could reshape the global order to suit its interests and authoritarian preferences.

As such, the document states, the CCP is dramatically expanding and modernizing its military wing, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). Moreover, this growth is being pursued for the explicit purpose of targeting U.S. and allied defenses.

The PRC has expanded and modernized nearly every aspect of the PLA, with a focus on offsetting U.S. military advantages, the strategy states.

The PLA seeks to target the ability of the Joint Force to project power to defend vital U.S. interests and aid our Allies in a crisis or conflict.
Chinese Embassy Issues Threats to UK Over Manchester Consulate Incident

The Chinese embassy in London issued a threat to the UK government on Thursday as Chinese diplomats may be expelled over the alleged assault of a Hong Kong protester at the Consulate General in Manchester.

In a YouTube video titled Online Press Conference on the Violent Harassment of the Chinese Consulate General in Manchester, Charge daffaires Yang Xiaoguan said, protecting shelter to the Hong Kong independent elements will only, in the end, bring disaster to Britain.

Yang also cited the trade relations between the UK and China, before saying a few number of people are trying to provoke confrontation between the countries, adding, this is dangerous and this is bad for both sides.

It comes after a British minister said Chinese Diplomats at the Consulate General in Manchester will be prosecuted or face diplomatic consequences if police find they have committed crimes when beating Hong Kong pro-democracy protester Bob Chan.

Beating Protester at Consulate General

Chan, who was attending a protest outside the consulate on Oct. 16, was dragged onto the consular ground and beaten by a group of masked men who came from the consulate to take a banner by force. The banner depicts a caricature of Chinese leader Xi Jinping as an emperor wearing no clothes.

Some of Chans hair was ripped off. He also sustained minor injuries on his head and body.

A man who appeared to be a consular staff member was filmed lying on the ground and being kicked several times during the scuffle. By Oct. 19, the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) on said they had not received reports of other injuries.

Consul General Zheng Xiyuan was seen at the scene, kicking and knocking over banners and pulling Chans hair.

He later admitted to pulling Chans hair, telling Sky News it was his duty because the protester had insulted his country and his leader. He also claimed that a man had threatened his colleagues life.

The GMP has launched an investigation into Chans alleged assault.

Following Zhengs admission, some MPs called on the government to immediately declare Consul General Zheng Xiyuan persona non grata.

In response, then Foreign Office minister Jesse Norman told MPs, If the police determined that 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.

Threats on Sino-British Trade

Yang on Thursday described the protesters as Hong Kong independent elements, a label commonly used in the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) domestic propaganda. Similar labels are also used on Uyghur and Tibetan dissidents and Taiwanese who do not follow the CCPs narrative.

He also said Hong Kong independence is an activity aimed at splitting China and condemned by the 1.4 billion Chinese people, another routine response to dissenting voices and external criticisms.

Yang drew a parallel between the UK and Hong Kong migrants and the farmer and the stake in Aesops tales, saying, protecting shelter to the Hong Kong independent elements will only, in the end, bring disaster to Britain.

He urged the UK government to solve this issue according to the merit of decision and not to make wrong decisions under political pressure from a few people, and said the embassy had requested the British side to provide enough protection for the Chinese diplomatic missions in the UK in the future.

He cited the two countries membership and the U.N. Security Council, and listed the mutually beneficial trade relationships between the UK and China, accusing a few number of peoplea commonly used phrase to describe dissident groupsof provoking confrontation.

In 2020, the Chinese authorities disrupted the exports of Australian beef, wine, barley, lobster, timber, iron ore, and cotton soon after the Australian government led the charge for an inquiry into the origins and handling of the early outbreak of the novel coronavirus, which emerged from Wuhan, although Beijing denied that its targeting Australia.

Victoria Kelly-Clark contributed to this report.
A sign points the way to a ballot drop box inside a secure perimeter of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in downtown Phoenix on Oct. 25, 2022. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

Citizens Group Founder Responds to Suit Seeking to Block Ballot Drop Box Monitoring in Arizona

Melody Jennings, the founder of the election integrity group Clean Elections USA, has responded to a civil lawsuit alleging that she, her group, and 10 other unnamed defendants engaged in a conspiracy to commit voter intimidation in violation of federal law, an accusation she says is untrue.

The plaintiffs in the case are the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and Voto Latino, both nonprofit organizations.

The two nonprofits are represented by a team of 10 attorneys, including the Elias Law Group.

Attorney and Democratic political strategist Marc Elias is widely credited with engineering Joe Bidens election victory over incumbent President Donald Trump in 2020.

A Maricopa County Elections Department staff member counts ballots in Phoenix, Ariz., on Oct. 31, 2020. (Courtney Pedroza/Getty Images)

The Arizona issue arose earlier this month as Jennings helped to mobilize a group of grassroots volunteers to watch over absentee ballot drop boxes in Maricopa County and at locations in seven other states, including Pennsylvania and Michigan.

This is a spiritual battle. It is not against flesh and blood, Jennings told The Epoch Times in a phone interview on Oct. 26, the day the first pleadings of her case were to be heard in the U.S. District Court of Arizona.

Jennings, a self-described nobody, said she appreciated the ongoing prayers of supporters from around the country, whom she calls intercessors.

She said that she was preparing to enter into a David versus Goliath conflict.

Im in the space of a warrior-like calm, she said.

The allegations made against us in this litigation are false, Jennings wrote in a public statement. All activities supported by Clean Elections USA are lawful and designed to support lawful elections.

We look forward to defending against this partisan effort to undermine election monitoring.

Jennings, who isnt a resident of Arizona, told The Epoch Times: CEUSA is a decentralized grassroots movement that I started in April.

After seeing the teaser of the movie 2000 Mules, I began asking people what we ordinary people can do about this besides passing memes back and forth on the internet.

We are aware and awake now. Weve got to get our country back.

Supporters of President Donald Trump in front of the Maricopa County Election Department while votes are being counted in Phoenix on Nov. 6, 2020. (Olivier Touron/AFP via Getty Images)

Jennings currently has 35,000 followers on Truth Social.

She said that after much prayer and meditation, she came up with the idea of getting groups of concerned and patriotic citizens together to watch for any potential absentee ballot box stuffing in the midterm elections.

Our people are trained and break no rules, she said, referring to conduct such as voter suppression, voter intimidation, or even electioneering activities, which are prohibited by law within a certain distance from where voting is taking place.

In Arizona, we are careful to maintain the 75-foot distance from the drop box. We work at outdoor boxes only.

We encourage our people not to go alone for safety reasons. We are 100 percent law-abiding.

Jennings stated that CEUSA is very cautious about infiltrators and provocateurs sent by the opposition to try to incite something.

Our teams, usually of 10, are trained not to engage with voters or others. We want a boring night, she said.

The 64-page complaint, dated Oct. 24, states that over a span of four days, three Maricopa County voters submitted complaints of voter intimidation near both of the countys two outdoor drop boxes.

It alleges that the defendants have either actually or attempted to intimidate, threaten, or coerce Arizonans who are trying to vote, something Jennings strongly denies.

We gather together peaceably. We sit around on lawn chairs, eat snacks, talk, read, and conduct Bible studies, while keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity around the drop boxes, she said.

In the petition for preliminary injunction, the plaintiffs attorneys assert that theres no need for citizens groups to watch over absentee ballot drop boxes because election officials are already monitoring drop boxes and have not reported any issues.

Jennings disputes assertions that there have been no suspicious incidents, citing instances where cars have pulled up to a drop box with their license plates covered.

In the complaint, the plaintiffs attorneys call citizen efforts to monitor absentee ballot drop boxes to deter election fraud a paranoid conspiracy. They characterize the movie 2000 Mules as a propaganda film and repeatedly assert that there are no mules.

Moviegoers discuss the film 2000 Mules in Sterling Heights, Mich., on May 2, 2022. (Steven Kovac/Epoch Times)

A mule is a person who engages in ballot harvesting for money, often using absentee ballot drop boxes to deposit stacks of ballots.

The plaintiffs attorneys allege that legitimate voters are being targeted by drop box watchers.

The complaint is based on federal civil rights and voting rights laws, which, it alleges, the defendants have violated.

Jennings told The Epoch Times that absentee ballot drop box watchers are lawfully exercising their constitutional rights and are intimidating nobody.

Plaintiffs contend that federal standards dont necessitate proving a defendants intent to intimidate voters and that a voter feeling uncomfortable as a result of someones presence may constitute intimidation.

The complaint contains photos of two alleged drop box watchers who showed up armed and wearing some tactical gear on two evenings this month.

Arizona is an open-carry state.

The plaintiffs lawyers argue that federal law says that the mere presence of a drop box watcher may be perceived by a voter as intimidation and are asking the court to require that the watchdog groups remain out of sight of the boxes.

They also contend that a person, present or not present, who takes any action, makes any internet post, or even makes verbal comments supporting and encouraging drop-box-watching activities may be considered part of the conspiracy.

Resolution by a federal court of the clash of rights raised in the Jennings case may have nationwide implications.

In an Oct. 28 email to The Epoch Times, Jennings said she is waiting on the judge to decide.
Shipping containers at the Port of Oakland in Oakland, Calif., on July 21, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Container Shipping Prices Continue to Fall, with Major Shipping Companies Cancelling Voyages

Container shipping rates continued to fall in October due to declining demand. The Shanghai (Export) Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) has fallen for 17 consecutive weeks. Shipping companies have started to discontinue services or cancel voyages.

Athough container shipping prices dropped overall since the beginning of 2022, they began a continuous slide in July, and the decline accelerated into September. On Sept. 23, the SCFI, released by the Shanghai Shipping Exchange, fell to 2,072.04 points, down 10.4 percent week-on-week and about 60 percent from early 2022.

The trend continued into October. On Oct. 14, the SCFI dropped to 1,814 points, down over 70 percent from early 2022.

The rate of decline varied depending on the route. The 40-foot container rate from Shanghai to the west coast of North America dropped the most, from a high of $8,117 in February to $2,097, a drop of nearly 80 percent. The standard box price rate from Shanghai to Europe dropped from a high of $7,797 in January to $2,581, a drop of nearly 70 percent.

As a result of an oversupply of containers, many shipping companies are canceling voyages. According to data released by Drewry, a maritime consultancy, in the five weeks from Sept. 19 to Oct. 23, 122 sailings were canceled out of a total of 750 scheduled sailings on major trans-Pacific, trans-Atlantic, Asia-North Europe, and Asia-Mediterranean routes, a cancellation rate of 16 percent. Of these, 101 sailings were canceled by the worlds three largest shipping alliances combined.

COVID-Related Spike Settles

What is causing sea freight costs to continue to fall?

A manager at a Chinese shipping company who spoke to The Epoch Times under the pseudonym Du, believes the drop is in reaction to the earlier cost increase, which was extreme and reflected unusual conditions.

Last year, under the influence of the pandemic, the supply chain was broken due to lockdowns and work stoppage. The ports were full of containers that could not be shipped out, Du told The Epoch Times.

Some middlemen could make $10,000 by selling a ChinaU.S. slot during peak season, which also drove up freight rates.

Everyone was lined up waiting for boxes  At that time, the goods could not be shipped at all, so freight rates are still rising, even higher than the cost of goods.

In an August 2021 report by state media China Central Television, the shipping arm of a Shenzhen-based technology company said that since the second half of 2020, shipping rates have fluctuated daily. For instance, the price of shipping a container to Amazon ranges anywhere from 30,000 yuan (about $4,149) to 50,000 yuan (about $6,915).

Self-Monitoring Within the Industry

Actions within the industry also helped prices. At a time when the global sea freight quotes were soaring, CMA CGM S.A., the worlds third-largest container shipping company, announced it would stop all spot rate increases until February 2022.

The Group is prioritizing its long-term relationship with customers in the face of an unprecedented situation in the shipping industry, the company said in a statement on Sept. 9, 2021. The freeze affected all services operating under its brands CMA CGM, CNC, Containerships, Mercosul, ANL, and APL.

Supply and Demand Dampens Prices Further

While easing of COVID-related supply chain issues and shipping congestion lowered prices, the drop is also due to supply and demand, according to manager Du.

Theres a shortage of goods. Many factories were affected by the power restriction policy some time ago, so they could not deliver goods normally. The whole market is out of goods. Naturally, the container prices cant be hyped up, he said.

This side [China] is still insisting on the Zero-COVID policy, scaring all foreigners away. [They] all transferred to Vietnam and India to invest in factories.

Many foreign trade processing enterprises [in China] did not have any orders in the second half of the year. This time [it] is really decoupling.
Despite Chinas Vast Capacity in Cyber Warfare, It Is an Unknown Quantity: UK Expert

An expert on cyber warfare told a webinar in London that China has a vast capacity but is an unknown quantity when it comes to execution.

Daniel Moore, the author of a new book called Offensive Cyber Operations: Understanding Intangible Warfare, said the recent experience of the Ukraine conflict had shown that Russian cyber warriors with vast technical capabilities could be let down on the operational side.

Moore was speaking on Friday at a webinar hosted at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, by Conrad Prince, a former Director General for Operations at GCHQ.

Asked how China could use cyber warfare to assist its forces to invade Taiwan, Moore said China had vast capacity  to accumulate zero day vulnerabilities.

Moore, who is also the Threat Intelligence Manager at Meta, said: Now, one of the interesting things about the Chinese is that they are in part an unknown quantity when it comes to execution. We have seen their intelligence operation fairly frequently and its very good. But as said, the capacity to execute and the effects to the intended consequence is challenging and untested largely for them.

He said the whole Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) was uniformly building up for conflict in Taiwan but he said: A maritime invasion is probably one of the most intricate, complex strategic operations that one can try to accomplish, especially for an adversary that literally dedicates its entire military expenditure for this.

So how do you successfully do this in part you can try to maybe reduce the capacity of the defender to understand that youre coming also through cyber operations targeting command and control networks, surveillance assets, intelligence networks, and even civilian infrastructure to produce their resilience and capacity to respond, added Moore.

He said the Taiwanese military was kitted out with super high-tech U.S. cyber technology which creates a massive attack surface for an adversary.

Small toy figures with laptops and smartphones are seen in front of a Viasat Internet logo in this illustration, on Dec. 5, 2021. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters)

Moore said the Russian invasion of Ukraine had proved that no matter how great a countrys cyber warfare was, it could be let down by poor strategy.

Moore said Russian hackers had managed to put the ViaSat network out of action, crippling Ukraines military communications for a while.

Capacity for Technical Brilliance

Clearly, there is capacity for technical brilliance, Moore said of the Russians. Where it falls apart is on the operational side.  The Russians always fail operationally almost with 100 percent consistency in almost every single thing that they do.

He said the Ukrainians had succeeded in creating a compelling narrative and he said the Russians, who used to be powerful as in creating a tapestry of connected narratives had failed in persuading the global community, or indeed many Russians, of the validity of their cause.
A Toyota logo is displayed at the 89th Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva on March 5, 2019. (Pierre Albouy/Reuters)

Down on Chips, Toyota Goes Back to Basics With Car Keys

TOKYOToyota Motor Corp. has discovered that even keys can be too smart for their own good.

The worlds top-selling carmaker said on Thursday it would replace one of the two electronic smart keys it delivers in Japan with a mechanical one for the time being as it races to get cars to customers in Japan.

As the shortage of semiconductors continues, this is a provisional measure aimed at delivering cars to customers as quickly as possible, Toyota said in a statement, apologizing for the inconvenience.

As for the second smart key, we plan to hand it over as soon as it is ready, it added.

A global chips shortage has caused a severe delay in car production and shipments, with many buyers having to wait years to get theirs delivered.

Toyota has been hit particularly hard this year, with natural disasters and other disruptions adding to their troubles.

Last week, the maker of Toyota and Lexus models warned that it would probably be unable to build the 9.7 million vehicles it had initially forecast for the current business year.
Drunk Driver Goes Airborne, Destroys Multiple Cars in San Diego

EL CAJON, Calif.A suspected drunken driver is accused of destroying six cars Oct. 28 in the El Cajon area of San Diego.

El Cajon Police responded to a call that a vehicle crashed into multiple parked vehicles in the 1200 block of El Cajon Boulevard just after 12:30 a.m., authorities said.

The suspected drunken driver veered off the road, hit another vehicle then went airborne and landed on top of at least six other vehicles, damaging them all, according to ABC 10.

The suspected drunken driver and passenger got out of their vehicle and left the scene, but officers caught them a short time after the incident, police said.

Both the driver and passenger were taken to the hospital with unknown injuries. The names of the suspects have not been released and police are investigating the incident.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk smiles as he addresses guests at the Offshore Northern Seas 2022 (ONS) meeting in Stavanger, Norway, on Aug. 29, 2022. (Carina Johansen/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk Buys Twitter, Fires Top Executives

Tesla CEO and worlds wealthiest person, Elon Musk, is now in charge of the social media platform Twitter.

The company will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange beginning on Oct. 28, according to a recent delisting notice, as the firm will be taken private.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and CFO Ned Segal have been fired, according to multiple media reports.

Musk tweeted The bird is freed late Thursday night, and then let the good times roll a few hours later.

 let the good times roll   Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022

The purchase brings to an end an unusual corporate takeover fight that has been a roller coaster ride for nearly seven months.

Musk shared a video of himself on Wednesday walking into Twitter headquarters carrying a sink, tweeting let that sink in. He also changed his social network bio to Chief Twit.

Before Musk arrived at the San Francisco-based headquarters, CNN obtained an email that was sent to all staff members.

As youll soon see or hear, Elon is in the SF office this week meeting with folks, walking the halls, and continuing to dive in on the important work you all do. If youre in SF and see him around, say hi! For everyone else, this is just the beginning of many meetings and conversations with Elon, and youll all hear directly from him on Friday.

But the celebratory nature after a seven-month battle between the billionaire entrepreneur and the social media corporation might end prematurely as hell still have plenty of hard work ahead, says Jason Moser, senior analyst and lead advisor at The Motley Fool.

Entering Twitter HQ  let that sink in! pic.twitter.com/D68z4K2wq7  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 26, 2022

The buyout will be remembered as one of the most crucial deals in the history of mergers and acquisitions because of how much public attention it drew.

The entire ordeal began earlier this year when it was discovered that Musk purchased a sizable stake in the company to become the largest shareholder. He was invited to serve as a member of the board of directors, which he eventually declined. Instead, the billionaire CEO proposed to purchase the company for $44 billion, or $54.20 per share.

The price offered by Musk represented a 38 percent premium to the companys closing stock price on April 1. This was the final trading session before Musk revealed his roughly 9 percent stake in the company. Some had thought the figure was too expensive, especially considering that he faced zero competition.

My strong intuitive sense is that having a public platform that is maximally trusted and broadly inclusive is extremely important to the future of civilization, Musk said at the TED2022 Conference in Vancouver in April. I dont care about the economics at all.

The social media outlet eventually agreed to the takeover bid, but Musk attempted to abandon the deal over his concerns regarding the prevalence of bots and fake accounts. He believed that the number of spam bots was greater than the 5 percent Twitter disclosed. Twitter filed a lawsuit against Musk to force him to make good on his acquisition.

Earlier this month, Musk changed his mind, confirming in a letter to Twitter that he will move ahead with his original offer. The surprise reversal occurred just weeks before both parties were scheduled to appear in a Delaware Chancery Court. Many legal experts purported that it would have been difficult for Musk to win the case.

Musk had recently addressed the Twitter situation during a third-quarter Tesla earnings call, saying that he is excited.

I think its an asset that has just sort of languished for a long time, but has incredible potential, although obviously myself and the other investors are overpaying for Twitter right now, he added.

So, now that Musk is in control and not beholden to anyone, can he turn around the struggling website?

Whats Next for Twitter

Last week, The Washington Post reported that Musk plans to lay off 75 percent of Twitters workforce. By doing more with less, it would indicate stronger cash flow and greater profitability, market analysts say. It might also be a remedy to its stagnating revenue growth troubles and bloated corporate cost structure.

While theres no question that Musk possesses a unique skill set and likely has some great ideas to improve the platform, it also seems that there are no quick fixes given the challenges the company and the service face today, Moser told The Epoch Times.

However, Bloomberg reported that Musk denied previous reports, saying that he does not intend to cut 75 percent of staff.

Musk could also face some opposition as he has become the target of left-wing organizations since his takeover plans were reported. Media reports revealed in May that George Soros, Clinton and Obama staffers, and European governments were behind the campaign that urged big corporations to boycott Twitter after Musks acquisition.

Critics suggest that Musks concept of supporting and bolstering free speech on the de-facto town square by buying the company will result in hate speech and the spread of misinformation.

Market experts have noted that advertisers might have concerns about where Twitter is heading under Musks control. But he attempted to assuage worries in a message posted to Twitter with the words Dear Twitter Advertisers. Musk pushed back against claims the website would be inundated with misinformation and hate speech as he plans to reduce content moderation. He agreed that Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!

The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence, he wrote. There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.

He added that he didnt buy Twitter to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love.

Media outlets also reported last week that the Biden administration was contemplating national security reviews for Musks ventures, including the Twitter acquisition. The White House, however, has denied those allegations.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks before unveiling the Model Y at Tesla's design studio in Hawthorne, Calif., on March 14, 2019. (Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)

Elon Musk Forms Council, Announces No Major Content Decisions

Elon Musk said Friday hes forming a council to oversee Twitters content moderation decisions a day after he acquired the firm for $44 billion.

The Tesla CEO said that Twitter would form the council with widely diverse viewpoints. He did not provide any names or a timeframe.

No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes, Musk wrote. His Twitter post did not say what accounts, if any, would be reinstated.

Musk has long been critical of the companys content moderation policies, accusing the firm of exhibiting a left-wing bias in its decisions. Reports on Thursday indicated that Musk fired Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and other top executives, including Vijaya Gadde, Twitters general counsel and the head of its content moderation. There has been speculation that Gadde was the individual who was ultimately responsible for former President Donald Trumps deplatforming from Twitter.

A Twitter spokesperson told CNN in October 2021 that decisions regarding bans are made by the Twitter Trust and Safety team, which was headed by Gadded.

In May, Musk said that he could reverse Trumps ban, saying that kicking the former president off the platform was a morally bad decision and extreme.

I think that was a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice, said Musk, according to The Associated Press.

Other than Trump, a number of other prominent right-wing figures have also been suspended in recent years, including political consultant Roger Stone, former Trump national security advisor Lt. Gen Michael Flynn, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, InfoWars host Alex Jones, former Trump White Houses chief strategist Steve Bannon, former federal prosecutor Sidney Powell, Project Veritas founder James OKeefe, and the personal account of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

As for Trump, he said earlier this year that he would prefer not to return to Twitter and indicated he would remain on his own platform, Truth Social. In a statement, the 45th president said Friday that hes pleased with Musks purchase of Twitter and said the platform is in sane hands and will no longer be run by Radical Left lunatics.

Trump did not address whether he would return to Twitter, a social media platform that he used with significant effect. Before he was suspended, Trump had amassed nearly 90 million followers.

Twitters content moderation team claimed that Trump was banned for comments he made on Jan. 6, 2021, and alleged they were responsible for the breach at the U.S. Capitol. Last year, the former president filed a lawsuit against Twitter and Facebook, while refuting claims that he encouraged violence.

Twitter must now work hard to rid itself of all of the bots and fake accounts that have hurt it so badly, Trump also wrote Friday. It will be much smaller, but better.
Sandra McCulloch, a lawyer with Patterson Law, representing many of the families of victims and others, addresses the Mass Casualty Commission inquiry into the mass murders in rural Nova Scotia on April 18/19, 2020, in Truro, N.S. on Sept. 20, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan)

Emails Reveal NS RCMP Concerns About Conflict of Interest in Hiring of Spouses

The inquiry investigating the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting has released emails detailing conflict of interest concerns raised about two members assigned last year to an RCMP team providing information to the inquiry.

The emails focus on the husbands of Assistant Commissioner Lee Bergerman, the commanding officer in Nova Scotia at the time, and Halifax RCMP Chief Supt. Janis Gray.

In May 2021 after the two men were named to the inquiry liaison team, National Police Federation president Brian Sauve recommended to RCMP officials that they reconsider the move due to public interest and scrutiny surrounding the public inquiry.

A few days later, Deputy Commissioner Brian Brennan said in an email that he had requested an immediate review of the conflict of interest concerns by the RCMPs professional ethics office.

Supt. Kerry Petryshun, an officer responsible for assessing the concerns, wrote in an email on June 4, 2021 that Bergerman ought to have known that hiring her husband, a retired RCMP officer, on a contract was prohibited and would be viewed as a conflict of interest.

In July 2021 the two men were removed from the RCMPs inquiry team.
Scottish Government Minister and Scottish Green Party Co-Leader Patrick Harvie (left) and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaking at a press conference in Bute House in Edinburgh, on June 14, 2022. (Russell Cheyne/PA)

Emergency Rent Freeze and Eviction Ban Becomes Law in Scotland

Temporary state-dictated rent controls become law until at least March 2023 in Scotland.

The Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) Act gives ministers temporary power to cap rent increases for public and private rented properties, as well as for student accommodation.

The Scottish government says this is to help with the cost of living crisis. The Bill received Royal Assent on Friday, understood to be the first piece of Holyrood legislation to be given so by King Charles III.

The emergency law applies to in-tenancy rent increases, with the cap set at zero percent from 6 Sept. 2022 until at least 31 March 2023, effectively freezing rents for most tenants during this period.

It will not be possible to give notice of a rent increase whilst the cap is at zero.

Enforcement of eviction actions resulting from the cost crisis are prevented over the same period except in a number of circumstances such anti-social behaviour and criminality.

Damages for unlawful evictions have been increased to a maximum of 36 months worth of rent.

Landlords will be allowed to apply to a Rent Officer (part of Rent Service Scotland) to increase rent if they can prove that they face increased costs, such as mortgages.

All-Time high

According to CityLets, 2022 saw average rents in Scotland rise 8.3 percent, at 981 per month, which was a new all-time high for the country.

Organisations such as Scotlands tenants union Living Rent argue that the situation for Scotlands renters is now unsustainable and untenable.

On Oct. 3 the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants Rights and Green Party co-leader Patrick Harvie said: The cost-of-living crisis is an emergency situation demanding an emergency response.

People who rent their homes are more likely to live in poverty or be on low incomes than homeowners. As such they are particularly exposed to rising prices, and it is imperative that we bring in support for them urgently, he added.

Harvie said that we know that many landlords have been doing what they can to protect their tenants, but some tenants are being hit with large rent increases that are hard to justify.

This legislation aims to protect all tenants from substantial increases, balancing the protections that are urgently needed for tenants with safeguards for those landlords who may also be impacted by the cost crisis, he added.

Temporary Protections to Become Permanent

Propertymark, along with the Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL), National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) and Scottish Land and Estates (SLE) are currently seeking legal opinion on the legislation.

Timothy Douglas, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Propertymark, the professional body for property agents across the UK, told The Epoch Times: Its unfair to suggest letting agents and their landlords have been routinely increasing rents at a time when many tenants are facing a further strain on their finances.

They too will be are exposed to the effect of the cost-of-living pressures as a result of rising mortgage costs, he said.

We know the Scottish Government is committed to a system of rent controls and was already considering a ban on winter evictions. Whats most alarming is that this feels like deja vu with the potential for these new temporary protections to become permanent as has been the case with others introduced during the pandemic, added Douglas.

Douglas warned that this emergency legislation must not be allowed to effectively become a pilot scheme that enables Ministers to wave through longer-term rent controls without meaningful consultation with the property sector.

The most effective solution to issues of affordability is to pursue policies that can help to provide more homes across all tenures, rather than continuing the constant assault on private landlords, who already have enough reasons to exit the market, he said.

PA Media contributed to this report.
This week, we feature two splendid novels about boys friendships: one set in tumultuous Afghanistan and the other in Brooklyn, New York, in the 40s.

Fiction

A Tale of Friendship and Redemption

The Kite Runner

By Khaled Hosseini

Originally published in 2003, this emotionally deep novel immerses readers in a country in chaos and a friendship strained by class divides and a guilty conscience. Amir and Hassan are torn apart by an act of childhood violence that haunts both of them for decades.

Riverhead Books, 2013, 400 pages

Friends, Faith, and Family

The Chosen

By Chaim Potok

Set in 1940s Brooklyn, this novel offers a banquet of themes: father-and-son relationships, boys coming of age, Jewish history and customs, the impact of the Holocaust, and the birth of Israel. Two friends are sometimes at odds with each other: secular Jew Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders, the son of a Hasidic rebbe. In their journey to manhood, they face their families love and strife as they forge their outlooks on world-changing events that will mark them for life. This is a highly recommended read.

Simon & Schuster reissue, 2022, 272 pages

History

War Through the Ages

The Shape of Battle: The Art of War: From the Battle of Hastings to D-Day and Beyond

By Allan Mallinson

This book examines six battles that shaped British and world history. All six, each described in a stand-alone section, focus on Britains fighting forces: Hastings in 1066, Towton in 1461, Waterloo in 1815, Sword Beach in 1944, Imjin River in 1951, and Helmand in 2009. Mallinson proves to be a marvelous guide to all six battles, describing each period in clear language. His descriptions of the battles are also easily understandable, even by those unfamiliar with the tactics and weapons used.

Pegasus Books, 2022, 378 pages

Biography

The Man Behind Neiman Marcus

Stanley Marcus: The Relentless Reign of a Merchant Prince

By Thomas E. Alexander

Neiman Marcus is Texass signature department store and the first place where Texas and high fashion converged. This is a biography of the man who turned Neiman Marcus into the aristocrat of department stores. Insider Alexander, who was with the company for nearly 20 years, presents an entertaining and informative look at the history of a highly respected luxury store and the life of the colorful man most responsible for its greatness.

State House Press, 2018, 280 pages

Education

An Alternative to Todays Education System

Battle for the American Mind: Uprooting a Century of Miseducation

By Pete Hegseth with David Goodwin

Over the decades, progressives have steadily and successfully taken over the nations public education system, from classrooms to school boards. The authors say that parents can radically reorient their childrens learning. Classical Christian teachings, rooted in virtue, faith, and excellence, can be our hope for future generations.

Broadside Books, 2022, 288 pages

Classics

Good Verse Never Grows Old

150 Most Famous Poems: Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, and Many More

Collected by Poetry House

For some people, reading this collection will be like stepping into a party attended by old friends. For others, those less familiar with poetry, these works may be strangers on first acquaintance but will quickly win the readers admiration and affection. Robert Frosts The Road Not Taken, John Masefields Sea Fever, Ella Wheeler Wilcoxs Solitude, and Emily Dickinsons Im nobody. Who are you? are just a few samples from this treasury of delights. This is a great book for family read-alouds or for solitary pleasures.

Vervante, 2020, 350 pages

For Kids

Mystery in the Wilderness

Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving

By Eric Metaxas

After making landfall far off-course, the Pilgrims survive with the help of Squanto, a Native American and former slave who speaks English and was taught Christianity. Was this a string of coincidences or a true miracle from God? This book is for those aged 5 to 10.

Thomas Nelson reprint, 2012, 40 pages

A Delightful Classic

The Trumpet of the Swan

By E.B. White

In this beautifully written story, Louis the trumpeter swan cant make a sound. He doesnt let that hold him back, however. Packed with humor and solid character values, this is a delightful story and a great option for developing readers.

HarperCollins anniversary edition, 2020, 272 pages

Dustin Bass Follow Dustin Bass is the host of EpochTV's "About the Book," a show about new books with the authors who wrote them. He is an author and co-host of The Sons of History podcast

Jeff Minick Follow Jeff Minick lives and writes in Front Royal, Virginia. He is the author of two novels, Amanda Bell and Dust on Their Wings, and two works of nonfiction, Learning as I Go and Movies Make the Man.

Mark Lardas Follow Mark Lardas, an engineer, freelance writer, historian, and model-maker, lives in League City, Texas. His website is MarkLardas.com

Anita L. Sherman Follow Anita L. Sherman is an award-winning journalist who has more than 20 years of experience as a writer and editor for local papers and regional publications in Virginia. She now works as a freelance writer and is working on her first novel. She is the mother of three grown children and grandmother to four, and she resides in Warrenton, Va. She can be reached at anitajustwrite@gmail.com
A medic prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Netanya, Israel on Jan. 5, 2022. (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)

EU Drug Regulator Recommends Adding Heavy Menstrual Bleeding as mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Side-Effect

The European Unions drug regulator on Friday said it is recommending adding heavy menstrual bleeding as a side effect to both Pfizers and Modernas COVID-19 vaccines, according to an advisory panel meeting.

The European Medicines Agencys (EMA) safety committee said that heavy menstrual bleeding should be added to the product information as a side effect of unknown frequency of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines Comirnaty and Spikevax, referring to the Pfizer and Moderna shots.

It defines heavy menstrual bleeding, or heavy periods, as bleeding characterized by more volume or duration that interferes with the persons physical, social, emotional, and material quality of life, noting that cases of heavy menstrual bleeding have been reported after the first, second, and booster doses of Comirnaty and Spikevax.

Menstrual disorders in general are quite common and they can occur for a wide range of reasons, it said. This includes some underlying medical conditions. Any person who experiences postmenopausal bleeding or is concerned about a change in menstruation should consult their doctor.

The panel said it has found no evidence showing that COVID-19 vaccine-linked menstrual disorders impacted fertility or reproduction. The EMA said that a review showed that the vaccines dont cause pregnancy complications for pregnant women or their fetuses.

The Committee reiterates that the totality of data available confirms that the benefits of these vaccines greatly outweigh the risks, the EMA said.

Studies

This year, several studies have established a link between the COVID-19 vaccines and a change in menstrual cycles.

Our findings are reassuring; we find no population-level clinically meaningful change in menstrual cycle length associated with COVID19 vaccination. Our findings support and help explain the self-reports of changes in cycle length. Individuals receiving two COVID-19 vaccine doses in a single cycle do appear to experience a longer but temporary cycle length change, Dr. Alison Edelman of the Oregon Health & Science University and other researchers wrote earlier this year.

While the study did not find vaccination associated with changes in the length of periods, the researchers said their findings raise questions about other possible changes in menstrual cycles, such as menstrual symptoms, unscheduled bleeding, and changes in the quality and quantity of menstrual bleeding.

In September, a study published in the British Medical Journal by the same group of researchers evaluated about 20,000 vaccinated and 5,000 unvaccinated women around the world, obtaining their data from a period-tracking app called Natural Cycles.

The vaccine, they again found, can change or extend the menstrual cycle. Women who got the shot experienced approximately a one-day delay in getting their periods, compared with women who did not get vaccinated.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Pipe systems and shut-off devices at the gas receiving station of the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline and the transfer station of the OPAL long-distance gas pipeline in Lubmin, Germany, on June 21, 2022. (AP/Stefan Sauer)

Europe Cant Count on US Gas to Counter Growing Supply Deficit from Russia Next Year: BloombergNEF

Europe has been able to fill its storage tanks and maintain an adequate capacity for the moment. Disruption of flow from Russia, however, will offset the current supply from the United States and lead to significant inventory deficits in 2023.

According to Bloomberg analysis, there are two issues pertaining to U.S. supplies. One is the limited amount of supply, which is not expected to grow much in the next few years. Second, the fact that energy majors and traders have secured most of the countrys exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and largely locked in future supplies. This means they can sell the supplies to whoever pays the highest, which could mean China, as the nation rises from COVID-19 lockdowns and economic restrictions.

For Europe to remain an attractive market for traders, it needs to pull about 70 percent of global spot supplies, mainly from the United States.

U.S. supply is particularly price sensitive and will flow to the premium market, which Europe will remain unless Asian demand picks up, Bloomberg analyst Arun Toora said, according to the outlet. However the year-on-year increase is not sufficient to offset a total cut in Russian piped supply with under half of these volumes met by LNG increases.

The United States has now become the top LNG supplier to the European Union and the United Kingdom, and sends about 60 percent of its supply to the region.

As the heating season of winter approaches, Europe has managed to fill its gas supply storages to 93.8 percent capacity, exceeding its Nov. 1 goal of 80 percent ahead of time. Refilling the tanks next year without Russian gas, though, remains a challenge.

Considering that 43 percent of gas can go anywhere according to contracts, if Europe imports 60 percent of spot LNG, it will fall behind and only manage to refill capacity to below 70 percent by the end of summer, according to Bloomberg analysts.

European Gas Suppliers

The pace of gas exports from the United States to Europe increased rapidly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Europe imported 83 percent of its natural gas last year.

Until the second half of 2021, Russia accounted for nearly 50 percent of gas imports into the region. By August 2022, that number was reduced to 17.2 percent, while imports from other countries went up to 82.8 percent.

For the first half of 2022, Norway covered over 22 percent of gas imports into Europe, Algeria over 10 percent, along with LNG imports of over 25 percent from the United States, Qatar, and Nigeria.

Russia supplied 155 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas to Europe before the war. U.S. LNG imports increased from 22 bcm in 2021 to almost 40 bcm from January to August 2022.

The 27 member countries within the European Union consumed 412 bcm of gas last year, mainly for household heating and industrial processes. More than 30 percent of European homes use gas for heating.

Besides the regular suppliers, Europe is also exploring options of importing gas from other countries.

While Norway has been raising production capacities to meet European needs, southern, central, and western regions can import gas from Azerbaijan.

In the coming years, we will at least double the production and export to Europe. We have the resources, Azeri President Ilham Aliev told reporters last month.

Via the Trans-Adriatic pipeline, 8 bcm of Azeri gas was brought into Italy. Azerbaijan is planning to increase European imports by 40 percent, to 11.2 bcm in 2022.

Faced with the unprecedented energy crisis, European countries have planned on reducing the overall use of electricity by at least 5 percent during peak hours, capping revenues of electricity producers, and securing a solidarity contribution from fossil fuel businesses.
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) (2nd L) speaks during a news conference with members of the group, including (L-R) Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.), Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.), about immigration on the U.S.-Mexico border outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on March 17, 2021. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

EXCLUSIVE: Republicans Call for Investigation Into Politically Motivated CDC Decisions During COVID

Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) are leading a GOP call for investigations into politically motivated decisions made by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a letter exclusively obtained by The Epoch Times, Roy and Biggs, joined by Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) called on Republican leaders to add the issue to a growing list of potential investigations if Republicans take the House.

The letter is addressed to Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and

Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.).

The letter comes in the wake of a unanimous vote by the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to add COVID-19 vaccines to the standard immunization schedule for children.

All members of the ACIP voted to add the Moderna, Pfizer, and Novavax vaccines to the 2023 schedules, asserting that the vaccines, despite waning effectiveness, can still prevent severe disease. While technically the vote was only a recommendation, that recommendation is highly likely to be approved by the CDC.

This vote came after a Pfizer executive admitted that their COVID-19 vaccines were not tested for preventing transmission.

We view this as COVID is here to stay, said Dr. Matthew Daley, one of the advisers on the ACIP. When I think about the routine immunization schedule as a pediatrician, I think of it as an opportunity to prevent serious disease and death. And if something is added to the schedule, its because I feel like the benefits continue to strongly outweigh the risks.

This decision, Biggs and Roy warned, will continue to undermine Americans freedom and protect vaccine manufacturers from legal liability.

This decision is concerning for multiple reasons and will only put the well-being of American families with school-aged children at further risk of their healthcare freedom while protecting pharmaceutical companies from any liability related to vaccine injuries, the lawmakers wrote.

In response to the decision, Roy and Biggs called for the CDC to be added to a growing list of federal agencies to be investigated for misconduct by Republicans.

If Republicans are once again entrusted with the majority of the House of Representatives, congressional committees with oversight of the CDC should immediately begin investigations, host hearings, and hold accountable those involved in politically motivated decisions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the duo wrote. This latest decision is but just one example.

Unwarranted

Citing several statistics showing that children are at minimal risk from the disease, and in some cases are more at risk from the vaccine, Roy and Biggs called the recommendation by the ACIP unwarranted.

The decision to include such a revision in the childhood immunization schedule is unwarranted, the lawmakers wrote.

For instance, the lawmakers noted CDC statistics showing that those aged 017 years old infected with COVID are at minimal risk for hospitalizations, with rates of hospitalization never exceeding 4.8 percent throughout the pandemic. During several months, hospitalization rates for 017-year-olds were as low as 0.3 percent according to the same data.

Further, the lawmakers cited evidence from medical studies showing that children aged 019 years had a 0.0003 percent mortality rate from COVID-19, or three deaths per million infections. Other research showed that in 100 percent of cases, children who died from COVID-19 had co-morbidities.

Additionally, the lawmakers warned, studies show that children have an increased risk to COVID-19 vaccine side effects.

After a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, one study found, boys aged 1217 years were more likely to have an adverse cardiac event than to be hospitalized.

In men under the age of 40, another study showed, incidents of myocarditisinflammation of the heart musclewere more likely after a second dose of the vaccine than after getting COVID-19 itself.

Further adding to the dubitability of claims about vaccine safety, Biggs and Roy noted, is information from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

VAERS data shows that as of Oct. 14, 2022, there have been 57,166 reports of adverse events in children after they were given the vaccine. Of those, there are 161 reported deaths, 528 reported permanent disabilities, and 1,962 cases of myocarditis.

Despite research showing that natural immunity is more effective for preventing transmission of COVID-19 among children than vaccines, Biggs and Roy noted, the CDC does not have guidance including natural immunity for this age.

CDC Guidance Has Been Wrong Before

Biggs and Roy also warned against too readily accepting CDC guidance, noting that past CDC recommendations have had devastating consequences on childrens mental health.

CDC guidance has been wrong beforeleading to terrible outcomes for children, the duo wrote.

The Manhattan Institute estimates that guidance from the CDC calling for school closures led to around 100,000 public schools shuttering in-person classes for at least eight weeks.

Because of the consequences these decisions had on childrens development, Biggs and Roy said, We now face a devastating mental health and substance abuse crisis among Americas youth.

In 2020, CDC data shows, 1,006 teenagers died from drug- or alcohol-related causesnearly twice as many as died in 2019. By contrast, 199 people under the age of 17 died from COVID-19 that year.

CDC data shows that 1,006 teenagers died from a substance abuse event in 2020.

Actively Misled the American People

Further, Biggs and Roy accused the CDC of misleading the American people.

The CDC has also actively misled the American people throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, they wrote.

The lawmakers cited the CDCs controversial decision to change the definition of vaccine from producing immunity to producing protection.

In March 2022, the agency also chose to withhold hospitalization data by vaccine status, saying that the data might be misinterpreted. In June, the CDC reportedly decided to withhold information about the spread of COVID-19 in hospitals out of fears of embarrassing the hospitals.

In view of these factors, Biggs and Roy called for CDC leaders to be questioned and fully scrutinized by Congress.

This recent decision by the CDC to include COVID-19 vaccines in the childhood vaccine scheduleand thereby pressuring states to implement this recommendationshould be questioned and fully scrutinized by Congress, they wrote.

No child should ever be faced with losing his or her education over a clearly and undeniably politicized vaccine, they continued. Every parent should have the full freedom to choose whether it makes sense for his or her child to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Decisions such as these are personal and do not require the recommendation of the federal government.

In closing, the lawmakers wrote: As you consider the numerous failures of the public health apparatus, we strongly urge you to immediately investigate and hold to account the people responsible for brazen political decisions with the potential to impact our children with irreversible harm.

The U.S. government should respect the decisions of American families, and not pressure States to issue an ultimatum that jeopardizes childrens access to primary and secondary education. Congress should ensure this is the case.

The proposal by Roy and Biggs is the most recent in a line of potential investigations that Republicans could pursue if they retake the House.

Other proposed investigations could look into Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosis (D-Calif.) role in leaving the Capitol unprepared on Jan. 6, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkass handling of southern border security, and Hunter Bidens business dealings with Ukrainian energy firm Burisma.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a "Save America" rally to support Republican candidates running for state and federal offices in the state at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio, on Sept. 17, 2022. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

Federal Appeals Court Denies Trump Bid to Keep Tax Returns Shielded From House Committee

Supreme Court could still intervene if Trump decides to appeal

Former President Donald Trump has lost an appeal to keep six years of his income tax returns shielded from the House Ways and Means Committee, amid a longstanding battle between the Democrat-led House and Trump over his financial records.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump nominee, had in December 2021 dismissed Trumps effort to block the Department of the Treasury from turning over his tax returns to the House committee.

The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Thursday denied Trumps request to rehear his appeal of McFaddens decision. The appeals courts decision had no noted dissents.

The latest development comes after a three-judge panel on the same federal appeals court in August unanimously denied Trumps appeal of the decision and upheld McFaddens decision.

The overall lawsuit stems from a request from Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), first made in 2019 and resubmitted in 2021 after President Joe Biden took office, seeking six years of Trumps tax returns, starting the year before Trump took office.

The Department of the Treasury, citing a Department of Justice legal opinion, refused to comply with the initial request. But the Department of Justice reversed course in July 2021, finding the new request was valid. The Treasury Department, which includes the IRS, then signaled it would comply. Trump sued in November 2021, and appealed McFaddens decision the following month.

Trump argued at the time that the House Ways and Means Committee, led by Neal, did not have a legitimate legislative purpose for pursuing his returns. Neal contended that the purpose was to ensure the IRS-run Presidential Audit Program has no flaws.

Following Thursdays decision, Neal said in a statement that lawmakers must begin our oversight of the IRSs mandatory presidential audit program as soon as possible.

Trumps attorney in the case, Cameron T. Norris, has not issued a public comment on the ruling.

Presidents and presidential candidates are not required by law to disclose their tax returns, although it is a common practice. Trump is a rare exception, being the only president in modern U.S. history to have declined to publicly release his tax returns.

A separate lawsuit involving the House Oversight Committee is also seeking records of Trumps tax returns. In September, the committee announced that it could obtain some but not all of the documents it requested.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Federal Judge Releases Reasons for Rejecting Travel Vaccine Mandate Lawsuits

The federal court judge who last week rejected four travel vaccine mandate lawsuits citing mootness, released her rationale for doing so on Oct. 27, saying there is no important public interest to justify hearing the cases.

The Applicants have substantially received the remedies sought and as such, there is no live controversy to adjudicate, Justice Jocelyne Gagne wrote in her decision, due to the mandates and other public health measures having been repealed.

There is no important public interest or inconsistency in the law that would justify allocating significant judicial resources to hear these moot Applications.

Gagne also said the court should not prevent or dictate future government actions.

When the Liberal government made the announcement the vaccine mandate for domestic travel would be lifted on June 14, its messaging was centred around the word suspension and that the mandate could be brought back depending on circumstances.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also recently encouraged Canadians to get booster doses to avoid new restrictions.

Shortly after Ottawa abandoned the domestic travel vaccine mandate by letting an interim order expire, the attorney general filed a mootness motion against the four lawsuits.

The lawsuits involve businessmen Karl Harrison and Shaun Rickard, PPC Leader Maxime Bernier, former Newfoundland premier Brian Peckford and co-applicants, and Quebec lawyer Nabil Belkacem.

Their arguments included that the interim orders were unconstitutional and in breach of their charter rights, and that the court should rule to prevent such measures from being implemented again.

Some applicants also argued that natural immunity should be recognized on the same footing as having been fully vaccinated, in the context of a mandate.

The attorney general argued that the applicants had already obtained the ultimate remedy in the lifting of the mandate, that there was no live controversy, and that judicial resources should be spared.

Justice Gagne essentially agreed with all the arguments brought forward by the government.

In my view, the situation is as likely to improve as it is to worsen by the time the hearing of these Applications on their merits is over. The Applicants argument is highly speculative and does not support their position that the controversy is still ongoing, Gagne wrote about the possibility of new mandates being imposed in the future.

Harrison criticized the ruling and said all the applicants will appeal.

Six million Canadians, deprived unconstitutionally of protected rights for nearly a year and subjected to discrimination, will be as offended as we are that this judge felt that their concerns were not worth the cost of a 5 day hearing in the Federal Court, he said in a statement to The Epoch Times.

The issues here are no more moot than is the behaviour of an abusive spouse who beats their partner for a year, and demands absolution for doing no more than temporarily stopping whilst threatening to start all over again some time in the future.

Harrison said the applicants intent is to not only challenge Justice Gagnes ruling, but also the way the mootness doctrine is applied in Canada.

The legal proceedings for the cases revealed that federal public health officials never made a direct recommendation for a vaccine mandate, that ethics were not considered before imposing the mandate, that the risk of in-flight transmission of a respiratory virus was assessed as low by the government, and that the measure was used to drive vaccine uptake.
First Stage of Scotlands Gender Reform Self-ID Bill Passes Despite Nine SNP MPs Defying Party Whip

Politicians have voted to back the general principles of the ruling Scottish National Partys upcoming legislation that will allow someone to legally change gender by making a statutory declaration.

In the stage one debate of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, the legislation passed by 88 votes to 33, with four abstentions.

In total, nine Scottish National Party MPs defied the whip and voted against the Bill. This included Ash Regan, John Mason, Stephanie Callaghan, Fergus Ewing, Kenny Gibson, Ruth Maguire, and Michelle Thomson. Annabelle Ewing and Jim Fairlie abstained.

A womens rights group called the bill absolutely reckless.

The bill will allow individuals to change their sex by simply making a statutory declaration.

The age people can apply to the gender recognition process will be reduced from 18 to 16. Furthermore, the time period applicants need to live in the acquired gender will be reduced from two years to three months, with the requirement for a medical diagnosis and evidence removed.

There will be no requirement under the bill for an applicant to undergo surgery or hormone therapy and itll also simplify the process to change sex on birth certificates.

Significant Concerns for Womens Safety

Community safety minister Ash Regan quit hours before legislation saying: my conscience will not allow me to vote with the government at the stage one of the Bill this afternoon.

For Women Scotland is a Scottish campaign group that says that the proposed reforms raise significant concerns for womens safety. They point out that the bill opens up the process to get a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) from the less than 1 percent of the population with an appropriate medical diagnosis to potentially 100 percent.

Susan Smith, co-director of For Women Scotland, told The Epoch Times the more people have talked about this, the more people have got out there, the more concerns people have.

There has come a point certainly for some of the politicians, where its dividing people who actually care about womens rights from the others who are putting their careers ahead of that, said Smith.

MPs have faced horrid harassment over this, despite this no public statement from the first Minister. She speaks a lot about the suffering about trans people and has never once acknowledged whats happened to many women, said Smith.

One of the SNPs most high-profile MPs, Joanna Cherry has been vocal on self-ID, fearing this will impact on womens safety. In an Edinburgh Fringe event in August, Cherry claimed that neither Nicola Sturgeon nor SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford gave her any support after she received rape threats because of her gender-critical views.

For Women Scotland is challenging the Scottish government with judicial review as they say said Scottish ministers have made a clear error in law by attempting to create a category of legal sex separate from a persons biological sex.

The case is to be heard later this year in November.

We believed quite strong[ly] that it was absolutely reckless of them to start to debate this before this was known, said Smith, adding that they are legislating blind.

Why do you we have a mechanism to do this anyway, we dont let people self-declare anything else? said Smith.

People have to go through tests for all sorts of things, citizenships, disability, etc. You cant just rock up and say I want a blue badge [a scheme that allows people with severe mobility issues, who have difficulty using public transport, additional parking rights].

Gender Fluidity

Richard Lucas, leader of the new socially conservative political party the Scottish Family Party, told The Epoch Times that the problem with the bill is that it reinforces the philosophy of gender fluidity.

The more this philosophy is promoted through the government, the law, to education, through wider culture, then the more, in particular, young people are going to be deceived by it and are ultimately going to be induced to go down a path that is ultimately going to be very harmful to them, said Lucas.

A Scottish government spokesperson told The Epoch Times by email: Our support for trans rights does not conflict with our continued strong commitment to uphold the rights and protections that women and girls currently have under the 2010 Equality Act, which includes a number of exceptions which allow for trans people to be excluded when this is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

Those exceptions are important and the Scottish Government supports them. The Gender Recognition Reform Bill does not make changes to Equality Act or to those exceptions, he added.

There is overwhelming support for the Bill, with over two-thirds of the Parliament and members of all five parties voting in favour of Stage 1, said the Scottish government spokesperson.
Florida Father Sues After Teacher Allegedly Hung Gay Pride Flags, Proselytized to Students

A Florida father has sued his sons middle school and school district for allegedly advocating for homosexuality as an alternative way of life, which he argues violates a new state law that bans classroom discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Francisco Frank Deliu filed a lawsuit on Oct. 12 after his 7th-grade son told him that his computer science teacher hung LGBT flags in their classroom and used a search engine to find websites about homosexual lifestyles and proselytized to the students, according to court filings obtained by WPTV.

The main reason I filed this case was because I believe the school has violated the law and want to stop them before they go further, Deliu told Fox News on Thursday, adding that his legal action has made parents aware and so may just yet turn into a political movement.

We have to protect our children from overreach by the unelected bureaucrats, he added.

The lawsuit states that Deliu, an Orthodox Christian who fled Romania in 1980 to escape religious and political persecution by the communist Ceausescu regime, views homosexuality as a sin.

Dr. Deliu is a libertarian who lives by a live and let live creed. He respects the rights of others, but also demands they not encroach upon his rights, the lawsuit states.

Floridas Parental Rights in Education Act, seen as controversial by some, prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation in kindergarten through third grade, as well as instruction that isnt age-appropriate.

It has sparked a wave of action by Florida parents who have urged their school districts not to teach left-wing socialist ideology, including gender ideology, but instead focus on English, math, and science.

The Lawsuit

Deliu alleges that an initial complaint he filed with Emerald Cove Middle Schools principal on Sept. 16 was dismissed, and the principal refused to justify her decision or put it in writing.

The lawsuit states that the school agreed to Delius demand to move his son to another computer class pending anticipated legal action.

The School did not keep its promise and, instead, unilaterally and without notice to Dr. Deliu moved his son into an art class, the lawsuit states.

Stock image showing the entrance of a classroom. (Jazmine Thomas/Shutterstock)

Deliu alleges the school board has delayed acting on his complaint for over four weeks, which he claims prejudices his sons education. The father said his son has missed four weeks of his elected computer science education to instead be forced into an art class that does not benefit his career and thereby educational aspirations.

The lawsuit states that on Sept. 23, a school board representative gave Deliu the misleading impression that she was investigating his complaint and that three days later, he was advised the matter was referred to the Office of Professional Standards to investigate.

Deliu alleges that the board has refused to communicate with him about his complaints since Sept. 27. He alleges the school board, district, principal, and teacher have acted contrary to law.

Father Laments School Spending Time, Money on Gay Pride

During an interview with Fox News, Deliu claimed that he was met by police at the schools entrance when he went to ask for his son to be removed from the art class after a second teacher allegedly hung an LGBT flag in a different classroom.

The father expressed disappointment that schoolchildren in Asian countries, who he said remain focused on math and science, are scoring higher than their American counterparts.

Meanwhile, our schools are spending time, money, and resources on gay pride and homosexuality. This will not end well, Deliu said.

Parents are responsible for cultural, moral, political, and social education. Schools are responsible for that which the parents are unable to teach due to lack of skills or abilities, i.e., physics or calculus. We need to ensure those lines are not crossed, and I hope my case helps set this clear precedent.

Deliu, who noted he previously represented a gay refugee as a lawyer, said hes not anti-homosexuality but conceded that some extremists might portray him that way. He said that the issue for him is instead about the separation between parent and state.

The School District does not typically comment on pending litigation, however, we look forward to the facts in this case unfolding during the process, said the School District of Palm Beach County in a statement obtained by The Epoch Times.

This article has been updated with the school districts statement.
The shadow of a man is cast on a photograph of heroin and fentanyl during a news conference at Capitol Hill in Washington on March 22, 2018. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Florida Law Enforcement Officers Seize Enough Fentanyl to Kill States Entire Population

In the past few months, Florida law enforcement officers have seized enough fentanyl to kill the states entire 22 million population.

Attorney General Ashley Moody announced massive seizures of illicit fentanyl pouring into Florida after being smuggled across the southern border as her office continues to fight the Biden administration in court over its immigration policies.

Moody on Wednesday warned the influx of fentanyl into the U.S. and Florida will only get worse. Even though Florida law enforcement have confiscated enough fentanyl to kill everyone in the state, this indicates even more drugs are out there, Moody said, adding, its not hard to imagine how much is being sold on our streets undetected.

Two milligrams, the weight of a mosquito, is considered a lethal dose. One kilogram has the potential to kill 500,000 people, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration estimates.

While Florida law enforcement is doing a tremendous job interdicting deadly drugs, if [President Joe] Biden will not do his job and secure the border, our state will be overrun and the death toll from fentanyl overdoses will continue to increase, Moody warned.

Earlier this month, the Polk County Sheriffs Office seized the greatest amount of fentanyl in county history of 11 pounds, enough to kill 2.7 million people.

That was after law enforcement officers working in multiple counties seized enough fentanyl to kill nearly half of Floridas population after they shut down a major drug trafficking operation run by gang members affiliated with Mexican cartels.

Also this month, Clay County Sheriffs deputies seized 8.35 kilograms and Hernando County Sheriffs deputies seized 1.2 pounds of fentanyl.

In September, Jacksonville Sheriffs Office seized 3 kilograms of fentanyl; Flagler County Sheriffs Office seized 219 grams, Fort Walton Beach Police and Okaloosa County Sheriffs deputies seized 48.6 grams.

In August in Polk County, the Central Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force seized 192 grams of fentanyl; Palm Bay Police officers seized 412.7 grams, and Hernando County Sheriffs deputies seized 252.9 grams. In July, Lake County Sheriffs deputies seized 2 pounds of fentanyl, and Flagler County Sheriffs deputies seized 180 grams; in June, Lee County Sheriffs deputies seized 0.5 kilograms.

In just two operations, Hernando County Sheriffs deputies seized enough fentanyl to kill over 325,000 people. In one, a man who was arrested was a convicted felon whod served time in prison.

In Clay County, the sheriffs office and the AGs Office of Statewide Prosecution thwarted an operation whereby dealers were shipping blue and purple fentanyl bricks from California to Florida. Enough fentanyl was seized to kill more than 4.18 million people or the population of 18 Florida counties.

In Jacksonville, the sheriffs office announced its Narcotics Unit seized 3 kilos of fentanyl, 1.26 kilos of cocaine, and over 6,000 counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl, enough to kill 1.5 million people.

In Flagler County, a Palm Coast man who was arrested had enough fentanyl to kill over 100,000 people, or the population of three cities in the county, the sheriffs office said.

In Fort Walton Beach, a man who was arrested had enough fentanyl to kill everyone in the town.

A two-year multi-agency operation that culminated in August in Polk County led to the arrests of 85 people who were charged with 355 felonies and 93 misdemeanors. Their combined criminal histories include 690 previous felonies, 712 previous misdemeanors, and 194 felony convictions, according to the sheriffs office. Law enforcement officials confiscated nearly $10 million worth of methamphetamines, over $1.4 million worth of cocaine, among other drugs, including 6.8 ounces of fentanyl.

A yearlong investigation in Lake County resulted in law enforcement seizing two pounds of fentanyl and eight pounds of cocaine among other drugs. That was after they conducted a four-month investigation targeting high-level drug traffickers that led the seizure of more than 3 pounds of fentanyl and 22 pounds of meth, among other drugs.

A 10-week Flagler County Sheriffs operation focusing on meth trafficking on the west side of the county resulted in 14 arrests of offenders with multiple previous felony convictions. In Lee County, officers made 52 arrests resulting from an operation that led to the confiscation of several pounds of drugs including fentanyl.

At a press conference in June, Sheriff Carmine Marceno said the operation was a result of hours and hours, and days and months of investigations that are built up.

His office made 95 arrests related to narcotics in the first six months of 2022, he said.

By Bethany Blankley
Trays of election ballots are seen at the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Election Warehouse in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Nov. 15, 2018. (Michele Eve Sandberg/AFP via Getty Images)

Florida Officials Looking Into Allegations of Widespread Ballot Harvesting Operation

Democrat blows the whistle in a sworn affidavit

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is considering investigating an alleged long-running and widespread ballot harvesting operation among black communities in the central part of state.

Law enforcement officials are considering probing the matter on the recommendation of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis new election crimes unit, the Office of Election Crimes and Security (OECS), officials confirmed.

DeSantis new election crimes body was established this year in an effort to hold individuals in the state accountable for voter fraud.

Law enforcement officials confirmed they are looking into the matter in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times.

The Florida Department of State has received a complaint regarding alleged ballot harvesting in Orange County, which is currently under review to determine if an investigation is warranted, the statement read.

In a separate statement to Just the News on Wednesday, the department stated that it was made aware of the issue around Sept. 1, 2022.

After further inquiry, OECS received additional information related to the allegation on October 17, 2022, and performed a preliminary investigation, the statement read. Since OECS is an investigative entity and does not [have] authority to make arrests, the office forwarded the complaint to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for possible violation of section 104.0616, Florida Statutes, it added.

Since the 2020 presidential election, Republican lawmakers and experts have repeatedly raised concerns over alleged voter fraud that may have swung votes in favor of President Joe Biden.

The conservative election integrity group True the Vote in late 2020 said it had found overwhelming evidence of ballot trafficking across key states in the United States, including Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

GOP lawmakers have accused Democrats of ignoring the issue, which they say presents an obvious threat to elections across the country.

Democrat Blows the Whistle

In late August, former Orange County Commissioner candidate Cynthia Harris, a Democrat, filed a sworn affidavit with the office of Floridas secretary of state alleging the ballot harvesting operation, according to a Just the News report.

In the affidavit, Harris reportedly said voting activists in Orlando were being paid $10 for each third-party ballot they collected.

Harris told Just the News she was concerned about the broken chain of custody with ballots collected by third parties.

You know, its just utterly ridiculous that people dont understand that once that ballot leaves your hand and its not placed in the mailbox, or its not directly given to the supervisor of elections, you dont know where it goes, she said.

The probe into the alleged ballot harvesting comes shortly after an Arizona Democrat and school board member was sentenced to 30 days in prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to one count of ballot abuse.

Guillermina Fuentes, a 66-year-old former mayor of the town of San Luis, was accused of being involved in a ballot harvesting scheme during an August 2020 municipal election in which she allegedly illegally collected early ballots from four individuals that were not family members.

Under Arizonas anti-ballot harvesting law, it is a felony to hand in early ballots for individuals who are neither family nor household members unless the person handing in the ballot is the voters caregiver.

Bill Pan contributed to this report.
Wiley Nickel is the Democratic nominee for North Carolina's 13th Congressional District, which analysts see as a key race on election night, suggesting how many other elections will go. He faces Republican Bo Hines. Here Nickel speaks in Raleigh after winning his primary May 17. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

Four Key House Districts to Watch on Election Night: Analysts

On Nov. 8, every race for the House of Representatives will be in play as the two parties grapple for control of Congress. Republicans are favored, but the big question now is by how much. So some districts will count more than others as bellwethers signal more significant trends at work, political analysts say.

Some key districts are suburban, others exurban, as cities generally trend blue and rural areas trend red. There are some seats left open by retirement or by incumbents forced to move because of redistricting, and thus no candidate has the inherent advantages incumbency provides.

Some are seats leaning Republican in districts Joe Biden won comfortably only two years ago. If a Republican takes one of those, it sends a message to Democrats.

In some races, analysts watch to see if an incumbent who flipped the seat from the other party in the last election can hold on to it. And they watch others to observe key demographics at work.

Bo Hines, Republican nominee for North Carolinas 13th Congressional District, is running against State Sen. Wiley Nickel in a race many will be watching on election night. Here he speaks at a rally for former U.S. President Donald Trump on April 9, 2022 in Selma, N.C. (Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

House races can be significant question marks. Fewer polls are taken, as most are thought to be partisan and therefore less reliable.

Watching bellwether districts was more critical in the days before exit polling, Charles Bullock, University of Georgia political science professor, told The Epoch Times.

Here are four districts political analysts believe will indicate whether there will be a red wave this yearand if so, how big it will be:

North Carolinas 13th District is an open seat in the suburbs and outskirts south of Raleigh. Running against each other are Democrat Wiley Nickel, a veteran state legislator, and Republican Bo Hines, Trump-endorsed and making his first run for office. The seat was vacated by Republican Ted Budd to run for Senate, but redistricting moved it to an entirely new territory.

What makes this race interesting, says political analyst Geoffrey Skelley of the FiveThirtyEight political forecasting website, is it being precisely in the middle of congressional districts ranked from most Republican to most Democratic. Its the tipping point. Which way it goes on election night will suggest how many other districts will go.

If you look at how the 2020 election results break down in that district; if you took the presidential and U.S. Senate and governors races and took all the votes, it would be 52 to 48 Democratic, Michael Bitzer, a political science professor at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina, told The Epoch Times.

But in this environment, its more a 50-50 or 51-49 Republican district. Its kind of a canary in the coal mine. If the Democrats can win that seat, they can probably stem any Republican tide. If the Republicans win it, the margin would indicate the likely size of the Republican wave coming through.

It will also be one of the earliest competitive seats well have results from, Skelley said in a discussion on his websites podcast. The polls close at 7:30 p.m. EST. If its very close, its a decent sign for Democrats that theyll not have a terrible night. If Bo Hines is winning by a larger margin, it suggests a good night for the GOP.

Each candidate represents what his party wants right now in North Carolina. Nickel is the relatively moderate Democrat who plays well to party voters in the states smaller cities and suburbs but also to swing voters, while Hines has an endorsement from Donald Trump, essential for Republicans in the rural counties they dominate.

Bullock said an incumbent moving on represents an opportunity for the opposing party, because an incumbent has a personal following that makes him harder to beat. With an open seat, a district reverts to its usual partisan split, giving analysts a better idea of whats going on there.

University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock. (Courtesy of Charles Bullock)

Iowas 3rd District. This district stretches from Des Moines south, and southwest toward Omaha, Nebraska. It includes Des Moines suburbs and fast-growing exurbs as well as rural areas. Democratic incumbent Cindy Axne has won the seat twice without reaching 50 percent of the vote. And, after redistricting, the district voted narrowly for Donald Trump over Joe Biden in 2020.

Its the second most likely tipping point after North Carolinas 13th Congressional District, said analyst Nathaniel Rakich in the FiveThirtyEight podcast. Rakich said its a good seat to watch because it has two reasonably strong candidates in the incumbent Axne and Republican state Sen. Zach Nunn.

Ads in the race have mainly featured national issues like abortion and crime, rather than local ones.

Its the epitome of an everyday American average Joe congressional district, Rakich said in a podcast on his website. Republicans will have to beat some tough Democratic incumbents to have a majority or at least a sizeable majority.

With the addition of Republican-trending rural counties, the district has become a little easier for Republicans than it had been in two previous races against Axne.

Rep. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa), is in a close race with Republican State Sen. Zach Nunn for Iowas 3rd Congressional District in Des Moines and the southwest part of the state. Here she speaks in Washington on Jan. 29, 2019. (Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

Texass 15th District, stretches from southeast of San Antonio south to McAllen and the Mexican border. FiveThirtyEight analyst Galen Druke said hell be watching this race between Republican insurance agent Monica De La Cruz and businesswoman Michelle Vallejo, a Democrat, because 80 percent of district voters are Hispanic.

Monica De La Cruz, (R-Texas) believes her progressive opponents radical views will not sit well with traditional Hispanic voters. (Photo courtesy of Monica De La Cruz)

The open seat has been represented by Democrat Vincente Gonzalez, who opted to run in the neighboring 34th Congressional District.

Druke said his two big questions nationally were what would happen to upscale districts trending Democratic since 2016, and what would happen with Latino voters.

Because this district is heavily Hispanic, analysts can get a quick read on election night about how that demographic is voting, Druke said. Analysts cant make that call on election night watching districts with fewer Hispanics because they dont have a demographic breakdown yet.

Hispanic voters shifted 8 points toward Donald Trump in 2020. One thing Druke said hell be watching for is whether they revert to the mean or whether, alternatively, Republicans hold their gains among the demographic. Polls suggest the latter. Druke noted the Hispanic vote isnt monolithic and depends on factors such as country of origin and how long voters or their families have been in the United States. Hispanics in the Rio Grande Valley have been there since before the state of Texas and tend to be more conservative than, say, Puerto Ricans in New York City, Druke said.

Social conservatism as well as issues like immigration, energy, and border security, may affect the Hispanic vote in south Texas, Shawn Donahue, a political science professor at the University at Buffalo, told The Epoch Times.

A lot of people are related to border agents or are border agents themselves.

Californias 27th District was chosen by FiveThirtyEight editor Maya Sweedler because its a suburban-exurban district that trends Democratic by 8 points. Meanwhile, its represented by a Republican, Mike Garcia, who won a special election in 2020 and then again in that years general election. Hes in his third match against the same opponent, Democrat Christy Smith, whom he defeated by only 333 votes in 2020s general election.

California Republican Mike Garcia, who won a special U.S. House election, in a campaign file photo. (Cynthia Smalley/Mike Garcia For Congress via AP)

It would be a stretch seat for Republicans normally, Sweedler said. But if Garcia is running hot on election night, it will be notable for Republicans. She said it is the only congressional seat in Los Angeles County currently held by a Republican.

Im curious if Garcia can hang on to this, she said.

The 27th, since redistricting, has become more difficult for a Republican, losing the conservative Simi Valley. On the previous map, most of the area has been in the 25th Congressional District, which Garcia represents. The 27ths current Representative, Judy Chu, this time is running in the 28th Congressional District.

Born to Mexican parents and raised in the area, Garcia is a former Navy fighter pilot who worked for Raytheon. According to the Los Angeles Times, he is conservative, having co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act, a national ban on abortion, and some types of birth control.

Smith, a former California Assemblywoman, has worked for the U.S. Department of Education and, according to the newspaper, is an outspoken supporter of abortion rights.
Syrian refugees prepare to return to Syria from Wadi Hmayyed, on the outskirts of the Lebanese border town of Arsal, Lebanon, on Oct. 26, 2022. (Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)

Future Unclear for Syrian Refugees as Lebanese Repatriations Begin

ARSAL, LebanonHundreds of Syrian refugees returned home from Lebanon on Wednesday, the first day of repatriations organized by Beirut, their mood more subdued than celebratory amid concerns over a scheme that rights groups say may involve elements of coercion.

Lugging suitcases, power generators, fridges, and even chickens and mostly skirting around watching media, some 700 Syrians who had agreed to cross over gathered from early morning in a desolate northeastern border zone.

Lebanese authorities say the repatriations, under a revived program coordinated by General Security, the agency responsible for safeguarding its borders, are voluntary.

But while frontlines in Syrias 11-year war are now largely inactive, the United Nations says flare-ups in violence and the risk of detention mean large-scale returns remain unsafe.

Lebanon is home to more than 800,000 Syrians registered with the U.N. refugee agency, who fled the conflict unleashed in 2011 after protests against President Bashar Al-Assad.

In 2018, Lebanon launched a mechanism to bring down that number, which had peaked at 1.2 million, providing funding for General Security to repatriate refugees who registered a desire to return home, after checking they were not wanted by Syrian authorities.

Around 400,000 Syrians returned home through that system before it was paused when COVID-19 broke out. Outgoing Lebanese President Michel Aoun revived it this month and it resumed on Wednesday.

The scheme has been criticized by rights groups including Amnesty International, which said its research showed that some past returnees had been subject to rights violations.

Amnesty has also said refugees may not have accurate or complete information on the level of risk in their hometowns, meaning the repatriations may not be free and informed.

Much of Syria remains in ruins, with homes and public infrastructure, including power stations, schools and water services, devastated.

However, Lebanon is itself in the throes of a financial meltdown that has pushed hundreds of thousands of residents into poverty, leaving many Syrian expatriates facing an unenviable choice.

Omar al-Borraqi, one of very few returnees willing to speak to Reuters on Wednesday, said that, after nine years in Lebanon, emotional and financial factors had played a role in his decision.

There were so many reasons that we didnt go back [earlier], he said as he sat in a lorry preparing to return to his hometown near Damascus.

Now God has made it easier for us.

By Mohammad Azakir
Georgia Prosecutor Urges Supreme Court to Allow Questioning of US Senator

A prosecutor in Georgia investigating possible crimes related to the 2020 presidential election is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to allow questioning of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

Graham cannot show that hes likely to suffer irreparable harm, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, a Democrat, told the nations top court, pointing to rulings against Graham on the district and appeals court levels.

In the course of several months of litigation, the district court has observed that Senator Graham has misconstrued its holdings, plainly misrepresented Supreme Court analysis, misunderstood or attempted to avoid the objective facts, dismissed inconvenient facts as irrelevant, and advanced arguments bereft of any meaningful support,' Willis wrote in a brief to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The Eleventh Circuit then observed that the Senator has argued that he should be afforded legislative immunity for actions that could not qualify as legislative activities under any understanding of Supreme Court precedent.'

The Senator has presented many of these same arguments in his application to Your Honor, she added.

A special grand jury convened at the request of Willis to investigate possible crimes related to the election sent a subpoena earlier this year to Graham for his testimony. His challenges were largely denied by lower courts, prompting him to file an emergency application to the Supreme Court.

Thomas blocked the subpoena, at least temporarily, on Oct. 24 as he considers arguments from both sides.

Because the application cannot meet the threshold for a stay, Thomas should deny the request, Willis argued.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in Washington on May 25, 2022. (Ting Shen/Pool/Getty Images)

Grahams position hinges on the U.S. Constitutions Speech or Debate Clause, which says that members of Congress shall not be questioned in any other Place for any speech or debate they engage in, in either congressional chamber.

The privilege protects only activities which are connected to actual legislative acts of the congressional member, Willis said. While lower courts ruled Graham must answer questions, they also said some areas were off-limits because of the clause.

Portions of the calls Graham shared with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, are an example because they dont fall under the clause, the courts ruled. Willis urged Thomas not to diverge from the earlier rulings and claimed that the grand jury is in jeopardy of never questioning Graham if it does because it was empaneled to sit only until April 2023.

Should Your Honor stay the application of the district courts order until after all available appeals are exhausted, it is highly unlikely that the Grand Jury will be able to receive testimony in that timeframe, even if he is ultimately unsuccessful on appeal. And even if matters before the Eleventh Circuit were to move expeditiously, and then this Court were to deny certiorari with all due haste, there is essentially no possibility that the Grand Jury could receive Senator Grahams testimony in time to pursue any investigative leads derived therefrom before the end of its term, she said.

The filing met the Oct. 27 deadline set by Thomas when he received the application from Graham. Theres no set timeline for a ruling. Thomas can either decide the matter himself or refer it to the full court.
When in southern Spain, I cant resist popping into the British colony of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is hardly signposted in Spain, as if Spain wishes the British colony didnt exist. (Drivers follow highway signs to La Linea, the last Spanish town.) But when you see that famous Rock of Prudential standing boldly above the sea, you know its here to stay.

The 30,000 people living along a 2.5-square-mile lip of land under the famous and strategic rock are happily English. And quirky Gibraltar is determinedly not Spanish. But while over 90 percent of its citizens chose to stay with Britain in a 2002 referendum, almost 96 percent chose to stay with the European Union during the 2016 Brexit referendum, showing the complicated position the colony faces going forward.

Along with being not Spanish, the colony is part British and part Gibraltarian. They have the big three-pronged English electrical plugs, their own currency (its the pound sterling but, like Scotland, they have their own version), and their own Web domain (gi). Gibraltars Anglican Church is proudly headquarters of the Anglican Church in Europe (not very centrally located for the business of administering that vast parish).

The people have that typical British correctness  I got lectured by the woman at the tourist board for not giving them advance notice of my visit. They recently tried to change the name of what for many centuries has been known as the Moorish Castle to the Medieval Castle (but it is Moorish so it didnt stick).

Gibraltars economy, once dominated by the military, is now based mostly on tourism. And that includes quickie weddings  only 48 hours notice is required and its legally British. Sean Connery got married here. And, of course, Beatles fans remember from the Ballad of John and Yoko, that Mr. and Mrs. Lennon, too, got married in Gibraltar near Spain.

While the British military presence is now dwarfed by the British sun-seeker presence, the colony is encrusted with military souvenirs  stout ramparts, war memorials, and 30 miles of defense-related tunnels drilled into its rock. As you drive the military roads that switchback to the summit of the rock, you notice big, rusted iron rings spiked into the pavement every 20 yards  designed to enable soldiers to hoist up the giant cannons that once helped the Brits seal off the Mediterranean.

The town of Gibraltar is pretty humble. Spaniards come for duty-free sugar, tobacco, and booze. For sightseers, the attraction here is the rock itself with its viewpoint on the summit, gregarious apes (actually a gang of about 200 tailless monkeys  whose presence here supposedly assured the continued British control of the colony), and siege galleries. Several hundred yards of the tunnels (drilled for military purposes over the centuries) are open, giving tourists a chance to hike across the face of the rock and actually peer out of the cannon holes back at Spain. A cable car lifts visitors to the summit, or you could join a taxi tour instead. Gibraltars taxi drivers are trained to give a fun circuit around the rock with several stops, grand views, and  the highlight for many  some fun with those precocious monkeys. The lift and the 90-minute taxi tour each cost about $40.

Old England seems to permeate the island. As we drove high above the port, my taxi driver pointed down to a tiny breakwater and said, Thats where they pickled Admiral Nelson after the Battle of Trafalgar. (While he won, Nelson died, too. According to legend, his body was preserved in a barrel of spirits for the trip back to London.)

The Gibraltar business sense is quirky. The hotels are twice as expensive as those across the border in Spain (and not as comfortable). For a decade Ive said, English food is no longer as bad as its reputation. Now Ill add: except in Gibraltar. And the businesses pad their bottom line by gouging anyone who comes in and spends euros. Gibraltar business people say, Sure, we take euros. Later you realize it comes with about a 20 percent loss in the exchange rate.

Nevertheless, tourism is booming. Midday the pedestrianized main street (which locals call Main Street) is a virtual human traffic jam. And more planes are landing in the colony than ever before. While that only comes to a handful of planes a day, its now more important than ever that when you walk across the military airstrip that marks the border between Spain and this quirky remnant of the British Empire  you look left, right, and up.
Gov. Whitmer Defends Offering $715 Million to CCP-Linked Company

The governor of Michigan did not contest an accusation by her challenger that she cemented business ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as part of her effort to develop Michigans economy and defended the move as an effort to increase economic development.

The exchange between Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Republican challenger Tudor Dixon occurred during a televised debate on Oct. 25, which aired on WXYZ-TV.

I will fight for every dime to come to Michigan so I can make your life better, Whitmer claimed.

Dixon was quick to retort, however, and accused the Whitmer of offering massive amounts of taxpayer monies to CCP-controlled companies in order to get them to develop facilities in Michigan.

You should be careful of where all of your dimes go if Gretchen Whitmer is in charge, Dixon said. Because she just offered $715 million of your taxpayer dollars to a Chinese corporation to come to the state of Michigan.

The accusation was an apparent reference to the Whitmer administrations approval of $715 million in grants and tax exemptions for Gotion Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of China-based Guoxuan High-Tech Power Energy Company.

Guoxuans chief executive is one Li Zhen, a Chinese billionaire who served in a leadership role for a regional affiliate of the CCP, which is believed to be a part of the regimes propaganda-oriented United Front Work Department.

The U.S. taxpayer monies handed over to the company by the Whitmer administration are expected to result in the creation of a new EV battery plant on a 523-acre parcel of land in Michigan.

Though the administration has promised the factory will bring 2,000 new jobs to Michigan over 10 years, there is no guarantee that that will happen, nor that the jobs will go to the people of Michigan or even American citizens.

She can tell you all she wants that she is improving economic development and keeping automotive jobs here, Dixon said, but were hearing that battery plants are going outside of Michigan unless theyre owned by the Chinese and have strong ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

Your tax payer dollars are not safe with Gretchen Whitmer.

Dixons claim is in line with laws (pdf) in communist China which require that Chinese companies or foreign companies with a majority stake owned by Chinese interests must maintain a CCP cell within the company to advocate for the Party.

Whitmer did not deny the accusation but instead said that her administration was making historic progress when it comes to economic development by creating such incentives.
Gunfire in Chicago Alley Kills Boy Who Was Washing His Hands

CHICAGOA 7-year-old boy was killed by a stray bullet while washing his hands in the bathroom of his familys Chicago home on Wednesday night, police said.

Police said the shooting happened in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the citys West Side. The boy was apparently getting ready for bed when someone fired multiple shots in a nearby alley and a stray bullet struck the child in the abdomen, Deputy Police Chief Ron Pontecore said.

The boy was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died, police said. He was later identified by the Cook County Medical Examiners office as Akeem Briscoe.

Police arent sure what prompted the shooting, but Pontecore said authorities do not believe anyone in the home was the intended target. Officers found several shell casings in the alley.

Detectives are examining private video footage from the area in the hopes of identifying a suspect. Pontecore said he hoped whoever killed the boy would come forward.

Own up to what you did, we have a very distraught mother, he said.

The shooting followed a violent weekend in which nine juveniles were among at least 51 people who were shot. Ten of those victims died, including one juvenile, a 16-year-old boy.

Briscoes death also added another name to the bleak list of innocent young Chicagoans who have been killed by shootings in recent years. The victims include numerous small children who have been gunned down while sitting in gang-targeted cars, an 11-year-old girl who was struck by a stray bullet during a slumber party, and a 19-year-old college student who was killed on his parents front porch after being mistaken for a member of a rival gang.

As of Sunday, 306 juveniles were shot in Chicago this year, according to police department statistics. Forty-nine juveniles have been the victims of homicides but the news affairs office said it could not immediately say how many of those victims were shot.
Eating too fast is a common problem for many people nowadays, owing to a busy lifestyle. For instance, a busy delivery driver can finish his lunch while waiting for two red lights. However, eating too fast can contribute to a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease, and may lead to other conditions.

Eating Too Fast Can Increase the Risk of Heart Disease and Diabetes

Do you pay attention to how many times you chew your food during each meal? Do you only chew very few times before swallowing your food? Beware because this small habit can slowly undermine your health, leading to dangerous chronic diseases.

While eating, ones stomach stretches and expands with the incoming food. This stretching motion will send a signal of satiety to the braina process that takes about 20 minutes.

If one eats too fast, ones brain does not receive the signal of satiety in time. One will continue to consume too much food before he/she feels full.

As a result, one will not only consume too much food but also take in an excess amount of sugar and fat. This will lead to a higher fluctuation of blood sugar levels, leading to insulin resistance in the long run.

Many studies have shown that eating too fast can contribute to obesity, high blood lipids, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

One meta-analysis found that eating too fast has a positive correlation with being overweight. Compared with slow eaters, fast eaters have twice as much of a chance of becoming overweight. The mean difference in the body mass indices (BMIs) between them was found to be 1.78 kg.m(-2).

A 2019 study showed that eating speed was positively correlated with the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia in 792 men and women aged 55 to 80 who were at high risk for cardiovascular diseases. Those who ate fast were 59 percent more likely to develop hypertriglyceridemia than participants who ate slower.

Hypertriglyceridemia is a type of hyperlipidemia. In addition to causing heart diseases, hyperlipidemia is also closely related to chronic diseases such as stroke, hypertension, and diabetes.

Dr. Liu Chungpin, a cardiologist and director of Yuping Clinic in Taiwan, shared that eating too fast could increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Fast eaters could experience chest tightness and chest pain after meals.

He explained that right after a meal, blood flow would be diverted to the stomach, leaving relatively less for the heart. Therefore, eating too fast would increase the burden on the heart. People with weak hearts, including those with stenocardia and coronary heart disease, would have an increased chance of angina pectoris after a meal.

In some cases, chest tightness may not be a heart problem. Some people eat too fast or have chest tightness after eating too much. It may be due to gastric acid reflux. As the esophagus is located right behind the heart, the discomfort caused by acid reflux feels very similar to that of the heart.

In addition, a large study conducted in Japan in 2019 pointed out that eating too fast was an important risk factor for Type 2 diabetes in the Japanese population. Another study showed that people who ate fast are 152 percent more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those who ate slowly.

Dr. Liu also stressed that in the case of some patients, their blood sugar levels remained high or they could not lose weight. Some patients stated, I did not eat a lot. I only ate very little. As more details were revealed, it turned out that these people were eating too fast.

Eating Too Fast Disturbs Autonomic Nervous System and Endocrine System, Causing Obesity

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, people who eat too fast are not only prone to being overweight and diabetic but their autonomic nervous system and endocrine system are also affected. When the situation persists, their constitution can become obesity-prone.

Traditional Chinese medicine has the theory of the five elements, where the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water constitute the myriad of things in nature, including the human internal organs. A systematic understanding of physiological and pathological mechanisms and inter-relationships between internal organs can be derived from the theory.

The element wood is characterized by an intrinsic nature to reach upwards and all around. The wood element corresponds to the liver and gallbladder, as well as the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nerve is responsible for maintaining the normal functions of the organs, such as blood circulation, digestion, metabolism, and endocrine dredging.

The element earth nurtures all things and corresponds to the spleen and stomach. The human body obtains nutrients through digestion and absorption from the spleen and stomach, which in turn nourish other organs.

Traditional Chinese medicine speaks of earth stagnation and wood depression. Chia-Ling Li, director of Aroma Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic in Taiwan, explained that when a person ate too fast or too much for a prolonged period of time, his/her spleen and stomach would be burdened with too much food and water, which could cause earth stagnation, or accumulation. Earth stagnation would further cause wood depression, which would then affect the autonomic nervous system, as well as digestion, metabolism, and the endocrine system.

For example, bile can help decompose and metabolize fats. Eating too fast will prevent the autonomic nerve from dredging bile, thus clogging the gallbladder meridian. Insufficient bile secretion will slow down fat metabolism, causing obesity.

When nutrients cannot be utilized or metabolized in the body, fat will accumulate in the body and become phlegm, and the accumulated liquid will become dampness, forming a phlegm-dampness constitution. According to traditional Chinese medicine, obesity and metabolic syndromes are related to the phlegm-dampness constitution.

A phlegm-dampness constitution will lead to an interesting phenomenon, in which fast eaters become obese while not eating much. Li said with a smile, If you talk about this concept with a doctor of Western medicine, he or she will definitely consider it nonsense, wondering how can one become obese when consuming so few calories? However, it has indeed been observed that such cases do exist in her patients. It happens because metabolic and digestive problems are related to a phlegm-dampness constitution.

Suffering From Insomnia or Soreness and Dont Know Why? You Might Be Eating Too Fast

Li, who also specializes in complex gastrointestinal conditions, shared that some diseases and symptoms that seem to be unrelated to the intestines or stomach are actually related to eating too fast.

Insomnia: Eating too fast can disturb the autonomic nervous system. Some patients suffer from insomnia, along with discomfort along the gallbladder meridian. These patients can obtain better sleep by improving their digestive function and dredging their gallbladder meridian. There is no need for sleeping pills.

Soreness on the outside of the thigh: Some patients suffer from soreness on the outside of their thigh for no apparent reason. When taking their pulses, Li found that the patients gallbladder meridians were clogged. She asked the patients how fast they ate, and they told her that they usually took only 10 to 15 minutes to finish a meal. As a result, their body manifested soreness, rather than endocrine disorders.

There are 12 meridians in the human body. The gallbladder meridian lies on the outer side of the thigh. According to traditional Chinese medicine, pain can be a result of a clogged or blocked meridian. The clogging of the gallbladder meridian had caused the pain on the outer side of the patients thigh.

Bitterness and sweetness in the mouth: Some people taste a sense of bitterness or sweetness in their mouths when they are not eating. This is a condition that can be a result of eating too fast. Eating too fast can clog the gallbladder meridian or accumulate phlegm and dampness, resulting in a change of taste in the mouth. Bitterness in the mouth is possibly caused by the clogging of the gallbladder meridian, whereas sweetness in the mouth can be a manifestation of phlegm.

Continuous hiccups: Eating too fast can easily lead to hiccups or abdominal bloating, which usually heals on its own. However, one patient continued to hiccup for several months, while no abnormality could be found with standard hospital examinations. He eventually came to Li for help. She knocked on the patients stomach and found that he was not bloated. She then checked his pulse and learned that his gallbladder meridian was clogged.

It turned out that this patient also ate fast on a regular basis. Based on her diagnosis, Li made a prescription to unclog the patients gallbladder meridian, together with acupuncture practice on the acupuncture points of his gallbladder meridian. The patients hiccups were soon cured.

Eat SlowerIt Helps Lose Weight and Reduces Waist Circumference

Eating too fast will bring about many problems, and there is only one way to improve it, that is, to eat slower.

Here are some tips to help you slow down when you eat:

Dont eat while watching television or browsing the internet on your cell phone. Such distractions can cause people to forget about chewing, how much theyve eaten, and even how the food tastes.

Dont wait until you are very hungry to eat. Hunger usually causes one to eat too much or too quickly.

Chew your food at least 10 times, preferably 15 times, before swallowing.

Add some high-fiber fruits and vegetables to your meals. The high-fiber content in the food requires one to chew thoroughly before swallowing.

Alternating between chewing solid food and drinking soup can slow down your eating rate.

Set aside 20 to 30 minutes for each meal so that you can properly enjoy your meal.

It can be difficult to break ones eating habits. However, thinking about the immediate benefits this simple change can bring can help you during this process.

A study released by Kyushu University in Japan found that eating slowly could prevent obesity. The study pointed out that slow eaters were less likely to gain weight than fast eaters, and that eating slowly was associated with a lower BMI and smaller waist circumference.
Almost everyone dreams, even if they dont remember their dreams. The practice of lucid dreaming has shown benefits when applied to waking life. Research has shown that if you can remember your dreams, you may be able to control what you dream about using techniques to induce lucid dreaming.

When Do You Dream

Scientists hypothesize that your dreams help process emotions, conflicts, and memories from your day. They talk about two stages to your sleep: non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Dreams are associated with REM sleep, and a person switches between the NREM and REM stages several times before waking up.

The first half of your sleep is mostly NREM or restful sleep, during which the body is repaired and restored. The second half is REM or dreaming sleep, which helps to reactivate the mind, improving learning and memory. You can experience several REM phases per night. The final phase can last an hour or less and occurs in the early morning before you wake up. Brain research indicates that your mind can perform psychological healing during REM sleep, which thus holds the greatest potential for lucid dreams.

What Are Lucid Dreams?

References to the phenomenon of lucid dreaming date at least to the time of Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher, and his treatise On Dreams. Later works in the 19th and early 20th centuries, including Friedrich Nietzsches writings and texts from Tibetan Buddhists, also reference lucid dreaming.

The term lucid dream was reintroduced by Dutch psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden in his 1913 book A Study of Dreams, which was most likely inspired by earlier works of St. Denys from France. Many students of lucid dreaming regard Denys as the father of modern lucid dream research.

Those engaged in lucid dream research also use the terms conscious awareness and conscious dreaming in their descriptions of lucid dreaming because in that state of mind, the dreamer is aware hes dreaming while hes in the dream. Dreams can be controlled during this state. When youre awake, your senses dictate your reality. In lucid dreams, when consciousness arises, the sensations become intensified and lifelike. Youre still asleep, but you recognize that youre in a dream.

Whats the difference between vivid dreams and lucid dreams? Vivid dreams can be mistaken for lucid dreams; however, in vivid dreams, faces, sounds, colors, and traumatic scenes are more intense. Because of this, you will often remember them. Lucid dreams can be vivid, but vivid dreams arent always lucid. You cant control vivid dreams like you can lucid dreams.

Benefits of Lucid Dreaming

Some people have been lucid dreamers for a long time. There are even societies and groups that compare their lucid dream experiences. One of the attractions is that lucid dreams have been known to help dreamers in their waking lives. These benefits include the feeling that you can control your waking life like you can your lucid dreaming life. This heightened sensation is empowering as well as addictive. Others report having less anxiety, better motor skills, more creativity, and even the ability to improve their problem-solving skills due to lucid dreaming.

How to Experience Lucid Dreaming

For best results, follow these recommendations:

First, if youre sleep-deprived, it will be challenging to remember your dreams, so be sure to have sufficient good quality sleep for several days before trying these techniques.

Second, you must be able to recall your dreams before trying lucid dreaming. You should be able to remember and write down at least one dream every morning for several weeks.

Third, you need to be relaxed when you go to bed so that you can fall asleep within 10 minutes.

So, how can you experience lucid dreams for yourself? Although several techniques exist to help induce lucid dreaming, there are two that have shown the best results. These two methods, referred to as cognitive techniques, have the most research and include reality testing and mnemonic induction.

MILD Technique

The Stanford University work of mapping mindbody relationships during the dream state by Stephen LaBerge resulted in the introduction of the MILD technique, which stands for mnemonic induction of lucid dreams. Its very effective and ideal for beginners.

MILD involves creating a memory along the lines of Next time Im dreaming, I will remember Im dreaming as a trigger. Over time, this memory will start to reside in your REM, triggering a lucid dream while you sleep. There are a few variations on this technique.

In his book Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming, LaBerge details his work, his study of Tibetan dream yogis, and his experiments.

Reality Testing Technique

Reality testing is the practice of noticing differences in your environment throughout the day that are different from your dreams. Its based on the idea that as noticing this difference becomes habitual, it will eventually become part of your dreaming life, thus triggering lucid dreams. This method is relatively subjective and consequently more difficult to practice.

Research Example

A study published in Frontiers of Psychology in 2020 looked at different methods of inducing lucid dreams. The International Lucid Dream Induction Study, conducted by Denholm Aspy of the University of Adelaide in Australia, looked at six techniques to induce lucid dreaming.

Participants were asked to record their dreams and improve recall for a week, and then were taught a method to induce lucid dreaming and test it for a week. Recruited through the internet, 355 men and women, aged 18 to 84, from various countries participated. All six techniques were somewhat effective, especially in improving dream recall; however, the MILD technique and the senses-initiated lucid dream technique showed the best results.

There are challenges to studying lucid dreaming. Doing so in a laboratory setting is difficult because there are too many variables. Standardized procedures for testing and measuring lucid dreams also need to be created. Effective and reliable induction methods also need to be in place, and it can take time for participants to learn them well enough to know how effective they are and gain insight on lucid dreaming itself.

Future Applications

Lucid dreaming has shown some potential for helping both children and adults deal with recurring nightmares. Aspy calls this lucid dreaming therapy.

As an example of the application of this technique, he told Medical News Today: Lets say youre being attacked by someone in a nightmare. You could try to talk to the attacker. You could ask them, Why are you appearing in my dreams? or What do you need to resolve this conflict with me?'

There may also be help for those suffering after traumatic incidents such as those with post-traumatic stress disorder, since they often experience nightmares.

Theres also some potential to help people to deal with phobias such as a fear of flying or a fear of spiders.

Doubts and Risks

Because current studies have had mixed results, theres concern among the medical community about the harm lucid dream practices may cause, especially those that require the participants to wake up for a period of time in the night and return to sleep. Some scientists feel theres a risk of disturbing the balance between sleep- and wake-promoting neurotransmitters. Others think that continuous lucid dream induction may result in fragmented sleep, adverse effects on health, and even possible psychotic mental states due to the brains difficulty distinguishing between reality and dreaming.

Until you have mastered control over your lucid dreaming, experienced lucid dreamers caution others to avoid such topics as flying, spinning, tempting fate, or focusing on negative thoughts such as violence or aggression. The consequences of using these for lucid dreams are questionable and have yet to be studied.

Before trying lucid dreaming on your own, be sure youre aware of the benefits, risks, and induction methods. If you have any doubts or questions, see your health care provider or sleep specialist first.
Mainstream media outlets continue to steadfastly naysay or refuse to acknowledge the unprecedented number of people who have been hurt by COVID-19 injections. Despite what is beginning to seem like willful blindness, there is little doubt that these injections are causing some people harm.



According to peer-reviewed scientific literature, COVID-19 injections have a myriad of serious side effects, some of which are lethal. Recent research has shown an elevated risk of sometimes very serious heart problems, neurological disorders, facial paralysis, and even psychosis. In a peer-reviewed study published in August, Italian microscopists found that 94 percent of vaccinated people who were being seen for a health issue presented with abnormal blood.

Injuries by Injected mRNA

What is the mechanism or the mechanisms by which people are getting injured by injected mRNA? While medical doctors and scientific researchers have proposed several theories, the most scientific answer to this question is that no one really knows for sure. However, much of the research suggests that it is the spike protein itself that is dangerous to the body, whether that protein comes from the original virus, a mutated form of the virus, or the mRNA injections themselves.

For example, one team of researchers, led by MIT senior scientist Stephanie Seneff (with whom Jennifer has co-authored two articles for the Epoch Times), proposed in a June 2022 peer-reviewed article published in the journal Food Chemistry Toxicology, that the many alterations in the vaccine mRNA hide the mRNA from cellular defenses and promote a longer biological half-life and high production of spike proteins. In doing so, these scientists argue, the mRNA vaccines impair the bodys natural immune response.

This profound impairment of immune function comes about because the vaccines harm type 1 interferon signaling, according to these researchers.

Type 1 interferons are cytokine proteins that are messengers in the body that can signal to the body that it should mount an antiviral response. Impairing type 1 interferon signaling has diverse adverse consequences to human health, the scientists explained, which includes disrupted protein synthesis and cancer surveillance.



In other words, their theory posits that vaccine-derived mRNA makes the body less able to recognize other diseases, including cancer.



We expect to see a stark rise in cancers in the next five years, thats the prediction, said Peter McCullough, a Texas-based cardiologist, and immunologist who also believes that the unprecedented rise in sudden deaths among young athletes and other young people may in large part be linked to heart problems caused by the vaccines. But, McCullough added, he would like for this prediction to be wrong.



What Are These mRNA Injections, Anyway?

Are mRNA injections actually vaccines? When public health authorities realized that these injections were not stopping the spread of SARS-CoV-2, which is what we would expect from a typical vaccine, they changed the definition of vaccines.



At the same time, many medical professionals, including Dr. Henry Ealy, a naturopath based in Phoenix, Arizona, argue that the injected mRNA is not a vaccine but a gene therapy.



On the CDC website it states that mRNA vaccines do not change human DNA. In an article updated in July of 2022, Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines, the CDC busts the myth that COVID-19 vaccines alter human DNA.

According to the CDC: Both messenger RNA (mRNA) and viral vector COVID-19 vaccines work by delivering instructions (genetic material) to our cells to start building protection against the virus that causes COVID-19.



After the body produces an immune response, it discards all the vaccine ingredients just as it would discard any information that cells no longer need. This process is a part of normal body functioning.



The genetic material delivered by mRNA vaccines never enters the nucleus of your cells, which is where your DNA is kept. Viral vector COVID-19 vaccines deliver genetic material to the cell nucleus to allow our cells to build protection against COVID-19. However, the vector virus does not have the machinery needed to integrate its genetic material into our DNA, so it cannot alter our DNA.



In a talk he gave in Sedona, Arizona (where Jennifer Margulis was also a headlined speaker), Ealy pointed to several recent research articles that shed light on how the mRNA injections work inside a human being.



As Ealy pointed out, the CDCs contention, that the mRNA injections do not alter human DNA, has recently been scientifically proven to be false.



Apparently, when CDC scientists updated their fact page, they were unaware of the February 2022 study published in the journal Current Issues in Molecular Biology by Swedish researchers at Lund University. This in vitro study (which means that it was done in a laboratoryin glassand not in an animal or a human) found that mRNA from the BNT162b2 injection was, indeed, taken into human liver cell line Huh7. Inside the cells, the mRNA can be subsequently reverse-transcribed into DNA.



The researchers stated: Our study shows that BNT162b2 can be reverse transcribed to DNA in liver cell line Huh7, and this may give rise to the concern if BNT162b2-derived DNA may be integrated into the host genome and affect the integrity of genomic DNA, which may potentially mediate genotoxic side effects. At this stage, we do not know if DNA reverse transcribed from BNT162b2 is integrated into the cell genome. Further studies are needed to demonstrate the effect of BNT162b2 on genomic integrity, including whole genome sequencing of cells exposed to BNT162b2, as well as tissues from human subjects who received BNT162b2 vaccination.



At the same time, a study published in April 2021 showed that SARS-CoV-2 RNAs (from SARS-CoV-2 infection, not from vaccines) can be reverse-transcribed and integrated into the genome of human cells.



Despite their call for more science to study what effect, if any, the reverse transcription of mRNA into DNA has on the human genome, the Swedish authors conclusions clearly show that reverse transcription into DNA happens in the liver cell line in the lab: Our study is the first in vitro study on the effect of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 on the human liver cell line. We present evidence on fast entry of BNT162b2 into the cells and subsequent intracellular reverse transcription of BNT162b2 mRNA into DNA, they wrote.



Are Vaccine Components Biopersistent?



In addition, the CDCs contention is that after the body produces an immune response, it discards all the vaccine ingredients just as it would discard any information that cells no longer need. This process is a part of normal body functioning is also untrue.



Several studies have shown that vaccine components are bio-persistent, lasting in the human body for weeks or even months post-vaccination. One such peer-reviewed study, published in the journal Biomedicines by a team of Romanian scientists in July 2022, uses qPCR to track circulating mRNA in the blood at different time points after BNT162b2 injections. The scientists found that the vaccine-associated synthetic mRNA lasted for at least two weeks in the blood of a cohort of healthy subjects.



Last month, scientists at New York Universitys Long Island School of Medicine published research that detected mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in human breast milk up to 45 hours after taking the injection, as we explained in this article.



A Novel Way to Heal From Injection Injuries

As part of his practice, Ealy has started working with people who have experienced devastating health outcomes after mRNA injections and also with families whose children have been severely injured by vaccines.



In his talk, he explained that he and his patients are learning as they go. No doctor has all the answers, but Ealy is working hard to find ways to help vaccine-injured patients.



We dont know, its one of the most important things for a doctor to say, Ealy said. I dont know but I know I want to help.



Ealy said that he and his team of experts have found an approach, based on autophagocytosis, to help the body heal from injection-induced injuries. Your cells are designed to heal, Ealy said. But you must put them in the optimal position to do so.



His protocol, which is individualized for each patient, includes fasting (when it is not medically counter-indicated) to induce autophagocytosis; nutrient-dense supplementation, to help to heal on the cellular levelin particular the mitochondria, the organelles inside the cell that are responsible for energy production; and detoxification to reduce the body burden of toxicants.



One of Ealys patients, who gave him permission to share her videotaped story, found that her health started going haywire after she received a second Moderna shot.



Her legs, arm, and wrists started to hurt. In addition to joint pain and muscle fatigue, she experienced heart palpitations, and blood work revealed that her hormone levels were dangerously abnormal. However, her condition improved dramatically after she followed Ealys healing protocol.



Every time I did the three-day water fast, I always felt so good, the patient, Leanna, said. After about three cycles of fasting, followed by eleven days of nutritional healing, she felt she had recovered her health.



As Ealy explained in his talk, healing from vaccine-induced adverse health outcomes involves optimal nutrition and supplementation, detoxification, and supporting the bodys natural healing process at the cellular level, all of which are connected.



But, Ealy said, though he has taught thousands of healthcare providers over the years and treated thousands of patients as well, he has only healed one person: himself.



Im responsible for me, youre responsible for you, he said, later adding: We like for people to participate in their own healing.

Jennifer Margulis Follow Jennifer Margulis, Ph.D., is an award-winning journalist and author of Your Baby, Your Way: Taking Charge of Your Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Parenting Decisions for a Happier, Healthier Family. A Fulbright awardee and mother of four, she has worked on a child survival campaign in West Africa, advocated for an end to child slavery in Pakistan on prime-time TV in France, and taught post-colonial literature to non-traditional students in inner-city Atlanta. Learn more about her at JenniferMargulis.net
According to the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pregnant women should be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, the main research work to back up this policy was the influential CDC-sponsored article by Shimabukuro et al. (2021), published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which has been corrected after wide criticism. In the published correction, the authors stated that No denominator was available to calculate a risk estimate for spontaneous abortions because, at the time of this report, follow-up through 20 weeks was not yet available for 905 of the 1224 participants vaccinated within 30 days before the first day of the last menstrual period or in the first trimester. Furthermore, any risk estimate would need to account for the gestational weekspecific risk of spontaneous abortion.

Therefore, there is essentially little assurance of the COVID-19 vaccine safety on women during pregnancy, particularly for those exposed in early pregnancy in their first trimester. But the articles abstract and conclusions did not reflect the correction regarding the risks in the first trimester, and neither did CDC change its policy accordingly.

Although many doctors have called for a halt to COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women since last year, the CDC and FDA have never responded to this officially. Recently, in an educational conference hosted by Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC Alliance), Dr. James Thorp, a renowned obstetrician, and gynecologist, presented additional observations regarding some vaccine-related risks for pregnant mothers, their fetuses, and even newborn babies when taking milk from vaccinated mothers. Some of his patients have also come to him for help after experiencing different side effects after their vaccination.

One important cohort study that Dr. Thorp highlighted in his speech found that among its 11 participants, who were lactating mothers, mRNA from COVID-19 vaccines was found in the breast milk of five individuals, accounting for 45 percent of the entire cohort. These participants received the vaccination within six months of their delivery.

Dr. Thorp has seen at least three newborns, who were completely healthy at the time of their birth, who passed away after being breastfed by their recently vaccinated mothers. Of course, these examples cannot prove a causal relationship between the COVID-19 vaccines and the infants deaths. However, the observation that the mRNA from the COVID-19 vaccine existed in the breast milk of lactating mothers suggested that mRNA vaccine components can not only accumulate in ovaries in females but also have the potential to be passed onto infants via breastfeeding. Therefore, this issue should be raised to the public to warn people about the potential risks. Further investigations need to be carried out to find the reasons behind these deaths.

Mothers vaccination may also negatively affect their unborn fetuses. Judicial Watch, a foundation focusing on accountability and integrity in law, politics, and the government, has obtained the trial data from Modernas COVID-19 vaccine animal experiments, thanks to the Freedom of Information Act. Moderna conducted these experiments to meet the FDAs reproductive toxicology requirement. According to these Moderna documents, some lab rat fetuses ended up with malformed wavy ribs, after their mothers vaccination, with a fetal prevalence of 4.03 percent.

These experiments have also shown that the COVID-19 vaccines mRNA and spike protein can travel through all barriers in a mother rat to enter its fetus. Furthermore, mother rats experienced toxicity during gestation, and a high level of antigens was found in their bodies. This implies that their bodies had become toxic. In addition, the vaccines could cause the rats to lose their fertility and their ability to use their hind legs.

Some bone malformations can even be lethal. Again, although clinically speaking, it cannot be proven that the COVID-19 vaccines have caused deadly fetal malformation, however, the mothers of such deformed and deceased infants did receive COVID-19 vaccines before such conditions developed.

COVID-19 Vaccines Might be Related to Altered Menstrual Patterns and Other Adverse Events

A paper authored by Dr. Thorp and his colleagues and posted on Preprints.org, a preprint server, compared the relative rates of adverse event reports between COVID-19 and seasonal influenza vaccines. These adverse events occurred after vaccination, although causational relationships have not been verified.

In this paper, a relative rate (RR value) greater than 1 means that more adverse events are reported after COVID-19 vaccinations than flu vaccinations. Among all the listed adverse events, menstrual abnormality has a RR value of 1192, ranking at the top. The other listed adverse events, including miscarriage, fetal malformation, and fetal cardiac disease, all have a RR value greater than 1.

Therefore, in comparison with the influenza vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines are associated with a significant increase in adverse events, including menstrual abnormality, miscarriage, fetal chromosomal abnormalities, fetal malformation, fetal cardiac disorders, fetal growth abnormalities, fetal placental thrombosis, and fetal death and stillbirth.

Given such a long list of serious adverse events, Dr. Thorp once again called for a halt to the recommendation of COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women, until long-term data becomes available.

Since 2021, many people have been reporting that unexpected menstrual patterns started taking place after their COVID-19 vaccination, including people who had had menopause.

For people who had a regular menstrual cycle before their vaccination, 42 percent started to bleed more heavily than before, 44 percent had no change, and 14 percent didnt experience an increase in menstrual flow. Of course, to females, the heavier the menstrual flow, the more damage it causes to their bodies.

For people who typically didnt have menstrual cycles, 71 percent were using long-acting reversible contraceptives, 39 percent were undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapies, and 66 percent were postmenopausal people reporting breakthrough bleeding.

Among 270 vaccinated people who were on gender-affirming hormone therapies and had breakthrough bleeding, in 20.37 percent of the cases, their breakthrough bleeding took place after the second dose of vaccination; and in another 12.96 percent of the cases, their breakthrough bleeding occurred after both doses.

Among 1,545 vaccinated people who were on long-acting reversible contraceptives and had breakthrough bleeding, in 28.16 percent of the cases, their breakthrough bleeding took place after the second dose of vaccine; and in another 33.79 percent of the cases, their breakthrough bleeding occurred after both doses.

Among 238 vaccinated people who had had menopause in the past and had breakthrough bleeding, in 38.24 percent of the cases, their breakthrough bleeding took place after the second dose of vaccine; and in another 18.49 percent of the cases, their breakthrough bleeding occurred after both doses.

Among 102 people who had regular menstrual cycles and adenomyosis, after vaccination, 54.9 percent had a heavier flow, while another 27.45 percent reported no change in menstrual flow.

And among 2,498 people who had regular menstrual cycles and menorrhagia, after vaccination, 44.28 percent had a heavier flow, while another 40.19 percent reported no change.

Among 661 people who had regular menstrual cycles and endometriosis, after vaccination, 51.13 percent had a heavier flow, while another 34.34 percent reported no change in menstrual flow.

Among 1,193 people who had regular menstrual cycles and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), after vaccination, 46.19 percent had a heavier flow, while another 39.23 percent reported no change.

Among 792 people who had regular menstrual cycles and fibroids, after vaccination, 49.12 percent had a heavier flow, while another 35.86 percent reported no change.

Therefore, although the purpose of receiving COVID-19 vaccines is to prevent COVID-19 infection, these components of the vaccines can affect the frequency and volume of females menstrual flows. For people who have underlying diseases such as endometriosis and PCOS, the changes in their menstrual flows would become more obvious than for people who dont have underlying conditions. As their reproductive systems are affected, the secretion of their hormones, in general, would also become affected.

These observations suggested that the COVID-19 vaccination is associated with significant changes in the production and secretion of hormones, and/or the regulation of menstrual cycles in womens bodies. As there are no long-term follow-up studies for these women who suffered from these adverse events, it is not clear whether there are potential long-term injuries or permanent damages to the female reproductive system. It is possible that when the spike proteins and the related lipid nanoparticles are cleared from the ovaries, the adverse effects would stop. However, more long-term studies are needed to confirm this.

A Surge of Decidual Cast Shedding Has Been Reported Since COVID-19 Vaccination Started

According to another paper by Dr. James Thorp, Tiffany Parotto, and their colleagues, there was a sharp rise of decidual cast shedding (DCS) cases taking place in 2021, after the implementation of COVID-19 vaccines.

DCS has previously been considered a rare gynecological condition. It takes place when the uteruss mucous lining sheds intact with a shape similar to that of the uterine cavity, and the cast made from this process is triangular. Less than 40 DCS cases were reported over the last 109 years. However, during the 7.5-month period from May 16 to December 31, 2021, at least 202 women experienced this condition.

Tiffany Parotto is the CEO and president of MyCycleStory.com, an independent research study collecting data about womens irregular menstrual experiences since the use of COVID-19 vaccines in an effort to understand these vaccines potential effects on the female body.

292 women reported having experienced DCS when filling out the studys online survey, accounting for 4.83 percent of a total sample size of 6,049 survey participants. The majority of these 292 respondents were non-Hispanic Caucasian females, with a mean age of 36.1 years. Among them, 94.3 percent considered themselves healthy, and 96.2 percent started experiencing menstrual irregularities or other health issues in 2021. Specifically, 88.6 percent of these 292 respondents had regular menstrual cycles in the past, and suddenly, they started experiencing DCS, a serious yet rare condition.

At the same time, search trends on Google showed that web searches for decidual cast shedding increased by 2,000 percent from the first quarter of 2021 to June 2021. This also proves that there was an unprecedented increase in DCS cases in 2021, and it can still be the case in 2022, as more people received COVID-19 vaccines since the conclusion of this survey. Obviously, more research is needed to investigate the underlying causes of this sudden jump in DCS cases.

Possible Causes for Gynecological Adverse Events after COVID-19 Vaccination

So what are the possible causes of these post-vaccination gynecological and pregnancy-related adverse events?

The majority of COVID-19 vaccines are delivered with a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation. After vaccination, the mRNA enters the cells and produces spike proteins by using materials within the cells. The spike proteins are supposed to trigger an immune response, which then produces neutralizing antibodies to prevent the body from being infected by the SARS-COV-2 virus.

However, according to a study published in 2021 in the journal Cell Press, LNPs are highly inflammatory. This study performed intradermal and intramuscular injections of LNPs into lab rats, which produced inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in these rats. And when intranasal injections were made, in addition to robust inflammatory responses, severe illness cases and deaths were also observed in lab rats. Furthermore, according to Pfizers study, after entering the human body, LNPs can travel to and accumulate in different organs, including the liver, spleen, adrenal glands, and ovaries.

As LNPs can deposit in ovaries in large quantities, they might contribute to some of the aforementioned gynecological conditions. However, the mechanisms regarding LNPs effects on the human body havent been studied in depth.

The use of LNPs, whose side effects still havent been thoroughly studied or comprehended, was seriously debated and still under further study before the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. However, the emergency situation of the pandemic control measures provided health agencies and vaccine producers an unprecedented opportunity to bypass this serious issue. Was this merely an oversight?

To date, there have been few reported cases of injury from the COVID-19 vaccines in the mainstream media. However, there are still many sources of information that are available to show that the vaccines can potentially cause harm to humans. These sources include independent studies such as the aforementioned MyCycleStory.com, some concerned physicians such as Dr. Peter McCullough, Dr. Daniel Nagase, and Dr. Theresa Long (a flight surgeon who specially trained in the U.S. Defense Military Epidemiological Database [DMED], some adverse event tracking organizations (e.g. the UK governments Yellow Card reporting on the safety issues of the COVID-19 vaccines, the European Medicines Agencys [EMA] EudraVigilance system, the WHOs VigiAccess, and the CDCs Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System [VAERS]), as well as vaccine producers own reports (e.g. Pfizer 5.3.6 post-marketing analysis).

Recommendations to Global Policy Makers

As the subsequent repercussions of the COVID-19 vaccination have far exceeded peoples previous expectations, the authorities should look into pausing the vaccines implementation, until more investigations and research are conducted on their side effects and potential risks.

Although, as aforementioned, miscarriage is one type of adverse effect after COVID-19 vaccination, so far, no government or health authorities have launched any investigations into claims of miscarriage due to vaccination. And even if the vaccine producers have been conducting such investigations into their own products, it would be merely part of their post-marketing surveillance. Such surveillances degree of rigorousness depends entirely on these pharmaceutical companies own standards, as the supervisory capacity of the regulatory authorities is even more limited in this area.

Given all the facts and potential risks regarding COVID-19 vaccines, physicians and national policymakers should take a conservative approach in recommending COVID-19 vaccines to pregnant mothers and women with underlying gynecological diseases.

Previously, some vaccines with less severe adverse effects than those of COVID-19 vaccines have been halted, including the 1976 swine flu vaccine that was removed from the market after over 25 reported deaths (according to some sources, the estimated number of deaths was 32) and the 1998 rotavirus vaccine that was removed due to a small number of non-fatal intussusception cases.

Currently, the World Council for Health recommends the halting of COVID-19 vaccine use in pregnancy until long-term safety data become available. However, the CDC and the UKs National Health Service (NHS) still strongly recommend pregnant mothers get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Some of the previous assumptions about the SARS-CoV-2 virus at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic were erroneous. For instance, it was previously thought that pregnant women are at a greater risk for complications of COVID-19 infections. However, according to a large-scale study published in 2021 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the examination of a cohort consisting of 1,062 pregnant and 9,815 nonpregnant patients hospitalized with the COVID-19 infection or viral pneumonia showed that the in-hospital death rate among pregnant patients and nonpregnant patients were 0.8 percent and 3.5 percent respectively. Thus, pregnant patients were less like to die than nonpregnant patients. Possible reasons might be that the pregnant patients were generally younger than nonpregnant ones. Additionally, pregnant patients were also less likely to have hypertension, diabetes, chronic pulmonary disease, or other comorbid conditions.

Furthermore, the use of vitamins, supplements, and some repurposed drugs, like Ivermectin, are safe and effective in treating COVID-19 infections.

Therefore, national legislators of health policies should consider the conservative approach of not recommending COVID-19 vaccination to pregnant individuals, until reliable long-term safety data become available. It is time to halt the recommendation of COVID-19 vaccines, including all the booster shots, to pregnant women. The medical field and health agencies should still adhere to the fundamental ethical principle of Do No Harms.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.
Garry Pang Moon-yuen outside the West Kowloon Court in Hong Kong on Nov. 29, 2021, in this photo taken from video. (Alice Fung/AP Photo)

Hongkongers Who Clapped in Court Jailed on Sedition Charges

HONG KONGTwo Hong Kong residents, including a pastor, were found guilty of sedition and sentenced to jail Thursday for clapping and criticizing a judge during a previous trial over a banned vigil in the city.

The Rev. Garry Pang Moon-yuen and Chiu Mei-ying, a housewife, were arrested in April for disturbances during a court hearing in January in which a leader of a group that organized a vigil commemorating the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) 1989 massacre of pro-democracy protesters in Beijings Tiananmen Square was sentenced for inciting others to join the prohibited event last year.

Hong Kong is undergoing a political suppression following widespread pro-democracy protests in 2019 and the imposition of a sweeping National Security Law in 2020, with many prominent democracy activists arrested and jailed.

In addition to the National Security Law, a growing number of dissidents have been charged with sedition under a colonial-era law.

Instead of being charged with contempt of court, Pang and Chiu were accused of uttering seditious words. Pang reportedly told the judge You have lost your conscience and Chiu reportedly accused the magistrate of not complying with the law and deciding the case arbitrarily.

Magistrate Cheng Lim-chi convicted the two for attempting to make others feel hate and contempt toward the administration of justice, saying their comments were definitely not a slip of tongue.

Pang was also found guilty on an additional charge of acting with seditious intention for YouTube videos he published between 2020 and this year. In the videos he criticized how judges handled other cases, the court heard.

He was sentenced to one year in prison for his two convictions, while Chiu was ordered to serve a three-month jail term.

Sedition is punishable by up to two years in jail for a first offense and three years for a subsequent offense.

For decades, Hong Kong and nearby Macao were the only places in China allowed to commemorate the Chinese armys violent suppression of student protesters demanding greater democracy in Beijings Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989. Hundreds, if not thousands, were killed.

This past June, authorities banned the annual commemoration for a third consecutive year in what was seen as a move to snuff out political dissent and a sign that Hong Kong is losing its freedoms as the CCP tightens its grip over the city.

The World Justice Project announced on Wednesday that Hong Kong has fallen three places to 22nd in the world in its latest Rule of Law Index.
Ignacy Feliks Dobrzynski  Grand Trio in A minor Op. 17

I. Allegro moderato

CUORE PIANO TRIO

Zuzanna Magorzata Budzynska  violin

Jadwiga Roguska  cello

Szymon Ogryzek  piano

Sept. 24, 2019, Concert Hall of the Podparpacka Philharmonic in Rzeszow, Poland

Thumbnail PC: Natalia Adach

www.konkursmuzykipolskiej.pl

Credit:

YT: Zuzanna Budzynska  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRZla6WM2-si0pFU4XEjZnA

website  https://www.cuorepianotrio.com/

website  https://konkursmuzykipolskiej.pl/en/

The National Institute of Music and Dance is delighted to invite musicians of all nationalities to submit their bids in the third edition of the International Competition of Polish Music. The Competition showcases music by eminent Polish composers working in and outside of Poland.

The International Competition of Polish Music is an opportunity to discover Polish music, especially from the 19th and 20th centuries, in all its glory, including lesser-known and underperformed pieces. We encourage pianists and chamber ensembles from around the world to explore the richness of Polish music and present their repertoires during the competition.

Participants may select their respective competition repertoires from among works by 60 Polish composers. Additionally, each participant will be able to perform a piece by a deceased Polish composer from outside of the competition list.

The 2023 edition features an expanded prize pool, which will include six main prizes in each category:

1st prize  20,000 euro

2nd prize  10,000 euro

3rd prize  8,000 euro

4th prize  6,000 euro

5th prize  4,000 euro

6th prize  2,000 euro

The remaining finalists will be awarded equal honorable mentions of 500 euro each.

The competition is organized by the National Institute of Music and Dance in cooperation with the Artur Malawski Podkarpacka Philharmonic. Financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.

https://konkursmuzykipolskiej.pl/en/

Konkurs Muzyki Polskiej  KMP

konkursmuzykipolskiej.pl

More information about the National Institute of Music and Dance can be found here:

short: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SuxdiCOtmQAnUQIZMgH_9vCY-kfF0kFu/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=111837134613199120023&rtpof=true&sd=true

long: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rKuEbgiWsaOih2hDJviMSyLi4j-uc2oY/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=111837134613199120023&rtpof=true&sd=true

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A 3D printed Facebook's new rebrand logo Meta in front of displayed stock graph in this illustration taken on Nov. 2, 2021. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters)

Investors Punish Zuckerberg as Costly Metaverse Pitch Falls Flat

Wall Street is losing patience over Meta boss Mark Zuckerbergs enormous and experimental bets on his metaverse project that helped drive up the companys overall costs by a fifth in the third quarter.

Investors rushed to dump Meta Platforms Inc.s stock after hours, pushing it down 20 percent and wiping $67 billion off its market value after the company posted its fourth straight decline in quarterly profit.

The Facebook-parent said its overall expenses could rise as much as 16 percent next year and anticipates that operating losses at Reality Labsthe unit responsible for bringing the metaverse to lifewill grow significantly next year.

One Meta shareholder had recently voiced concerns calling the companys investments super-sized and terrifying. Analysts on Wednesday called them confusing and confounding and Metas inability to cut costs extremely disturbing.

On a post-earnings conference call, Jefferies analyst Brent Thill asked executives: I think kind of summing up how investors are feeling right now is that there are just too many experimental bets versus proven bets on the core  I think everyone would love to hear why you think this pays off.

In the JulySeptember quarter, losses at Reality Labs ballooned to a whopping $3.67 billion from $2.63 billion a year earlier. Revenue nearly halved.

It would be a mistake for us to not focus on any of these areas that will be fundamentally important to our future, Zuckerberg said on the call.

I know that sometimes when we ship a product  people say: Hey, youre spending all this money, and youve produced this thing, and I think thats not really the right way to think about it.

Were doing leading work that will become  eventually mature products at different cadences in different periods of time over the next five to 10 years.

Big Gamble

The metaverse  feels like a one big gamble given the economic crisis, said Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at PP Foresight, adding that the journey ahead was going to be long and painful.

People are not rushing out of their seats to buy a VR headset or even watch 360 degree videos  The new device still feels like an expensive toy, he said.

At a time when other tech companies such as Microsoft and Google-parent Alphabet are cutting jobs or slowing hiring, Metas headcount surged 32 percent in the third quarter from the end of the second.

In an open letter to Zuckerberg on Monday, Meta shareholder Altimeter Capital Management called on Meta to streamline by cutting jobs and capital expenditure.

The fund suggested Meta cap annual investments in the metaverse to $5 billion instead of the current $10 billion.
Italian health care workers who have been suspended for rejecting COVID-19 vaccines will soon be able to return to work, the European countrys top health official said on Oct. 28.

Orazio Schillaci, who was appointed by Italys newly formed ruling coalition to lead the Ministry of Health, said his administration is working on a measure that would reinstate unvaccinated doctors and nurses before the end of the year.

Six months after the suspension of the state of emergency and in consideration of the level of COVID-19 contagion, Health Minister Orazio Schillaci considers it necessary to initiate a progressive return to normality in activity and behavior, based on criteria of responsibility and respect for the laws in force, a statement on the ministrys website reads.

Schillaci also announced that the ministry will no longer provide a daily bulletin with numbers of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. Instead, that information will be updated on a weekly basis.

The announcement, at least in part, is tied to the worrying shortage of medical personnel, according to the ministry.

The changes mark a departure from the policies of Schillacis predecessor, Roberto Speranza, who allowed hospital employers to suspend without pay any employee who refused to get vaccinated.

Under Speranza and previous Prime Minister Mario Draghi, whose government imploded in the midst of an energy crisis and a worsening economic outlook, all public and private sector workers must get a COVID green pass before they go to work. Italians who ignore the order and go to work without proof of vaccination or a negative test or recovery from the virus are suspended on no pay and fined up to 1,500 euros (about $1,500).

The green pass policy was considered to be among the most restrictive in Europe. While some European countries have made COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for their health workers, none have implemented a vaccine passport system for all employees.

We are making these choices in order to restrict the unvaccinated as much as possible, as this is what is causing the burden on our hospital system, Speranza told media outlets earlier this year.

The new prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has vowed to not inherit the Draghi administrations pandemic response, saying that despite the harsh restrictions placed on millions of citizens, the country nevertheless suffered the highest COVID-19 death and infection rates in Europe.

Something clearly didnt work there, Meloni said on Oct. 25 in her very first speech to parliament as prime minister. Thats why I want to say that in no way will we imitate this model.
An Alberta judge has ruled that the provincial government's February public health order removing mandatory masking for students in schools was unreasonable" because the decision was not made by the chief medical officer of health. (The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes)

Judge Rules Alberta Politicians Were Unreasonable in Lifting Mask Mandate

EDMONTONAn Alberta judge has ruled that the provincial governments February public health order removing mandatory masking for students in schools was unreasonable because the decision was not made by the chief medical officer of health (CMOH).

In an Oct. 26 decision, Court of Kings Bench Justice Grant Dunlop stated that the Public Health Act required CMOH Dr. Deena Hinshaw to make these decisions, not a government cabinet committee.

Five families that believe their children are immuno-compromised, along with the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL), a provincial trade union representing teachers, requested a judicial review of the CMOH order rescinding masks and a government letter advising school boards they could no longer impose masking on children.

The Alberta government announced that masking requirements for children in schools and on school buses would be removed effective Feb. 14.

On Feb. 8, Education Minister Ariana LaGrange wrote to schools advising, School authorities cannot deny their students access to in person education due to their personal decision to wear or not to wear a mask in schools.

LaGrange said it was time to relax COVID-19 protocols.

When it comes to our children, there are many important factors to consider when they attend school, including seeing the facial expressions of teachers and classmates, having the ability to be animated and joyful, and considering the mental health impacts that come along with public health measures such as masking, she wrote.

Justice Dunlop ruled that removing mandatory masking was a decision of the governments priorities and implementation cabinet committee rather than Dr. Hinshaws own decision. He added that the ministers letter to school boards was not a regulation and caused widespread misunderstanding.

The clear intention of the Public Health Act is that the orders of the Chief Medical Officer of Health be based on that officers judgment, wrote the judge in his decision.

The parents raised a Charter of Rights and Freedoms legal argument, alleging that lifting the mask mandate discriminated against disabled children and deprived them of life, liberty, or security.

Dunlop did not agree on this point, ruling the parents and the AFL had not proved any charter rights were violated, as there was no evidence before the court that the children were at increased risk of severe outcomes or complications from COVID. He noted that the parents swore affidavits as to their own understanding of their childrens vulnerability but that this was not admissible without expert medical evidence that could be cross-examined.

AFL president Gil McGowan praised the decision and told reporters the court made it clear the CMOH must make public health decisions and could not delegate that decision-making. He added that teachers were afraid to be at work without mask mandates in place. McGowan told the Calgary Herald that the ruling suggests school boards can choose to adopt their own protections again, leaving open the possibility of a return to mandatory masking in schools.

The government has said it is reviewing the decision.

Savannah Johannsen, a spokesperson for Alberta Education, told The Epoch Times in an email that the applicants failed to prove there was a Charter breach. Evidence did not establish the applicants children, or any other children were at increased risk of severe outcomes or complications from COVID-19.

The Government of Alberta moved forward with a plan to safely lift public health measures, in line with other provinces and other countries, based on the best available evidence, including advice from the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Johannsen wrote.

We will continue to make public health decisions based on the evidence.

Albertas new premier, Danielle Smith, told reporters she will be replacing Hinshaw with new public health advisers.
Kari Lakes Former TV Station Declares Lakes Opponent Winner 2 Weeks Before Election

The television station that used to employ Arizona Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake on Oct. 27 called the race for Lakes opponent, despite the fact the election wont be held until November.

A graphic displayed by Fox 10, the TV station, said that Katie Hobbs, the Democrat nominee, won the election with 53 percent of the vote.

The graphic was shown during a newscast at about 5:50 p.m. local time.

Fox 10 acknowledged airing the graphic, blaming what happened on a test gone wrong.

The graphic showed test results for the upcoming election, the broadcaster said. These were generated by the Associated Press which distributes results to clients.

This graphic was never meant to go on airthe numbers were only part of a test. The station has taken steps to make sure this cannot happen again, it added.

Lake said the graphic may have been a retaliatory move because it happened shortly after she held a press conference urging reporters to do their due diligence to check claims by Arizona Democrats that a person who broke into Hobbs campaign office was linked to Lake.

Arizona Secretary of State and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs speaks at a press conference calling for abortion rights outside the Evo A. DeConcini Courthouse in Tucson, Ariz., on Oct. 7, 2022. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

State Rep. Jake Hoffman, a Republican, said in response that he would introduce a bill in the future addressing the situation.

While I understand the need for internal planning by news stations, errors like this that are broadcast live to the public pose a legitimate threat to our Republic and serve only to undermine the confidence that Arizonans have in the integrity of their vote, Hoffman said in a statement. What if this had happened on election night of the day before the election? The impact to our democratic process would be devastating.

The legislation would hold news outlets accountable should they interfere with Arizonas election and/or disenfranchise Arizona voters like this in the future, Hoffman said.

The midterm election is slated to take place on Nov. 8.

Early voting has already begun in Arizona.

Lake, 53, has never before held office. She worked for Fox 10, or KSAZ-TV, for 22 years before leaving in March 2021. She launched her campaign several months later.

Hobbs, 52, was elected Arizona secretary of state in 2018. Before that, she was part of the Arizona legislature.
A vehicle displaying political advertising makes it's way past Labor Party supporters at a pre-polling booth in the suburb of Wanneroo in Perth, Australia on May 16, 2022. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Law Professor Cynical of Attempts to Legislate Truth into Political Advertising

The former head of the then-Australian Broadcasting Authority has expressed concerns over the federal Parliaments attempts to legislate truth into all political advertising, a move that comes amid disillusionment with political discourse in general, as well as information censorship around issues like climate change.

David Flint, also a constitutional law professor, said it was not possible or desirable to legislate truth.

The problem with regulating truth can be seen in the abuse exercised by some social media platforms in removing material and advertising claimed to be misinformation,' he told The Epoch Times in an email.

It will be recalled that during the 2020 U.S. general election, news concerning Hunter Bidens laptop was disallowed and suppressed on the ground that it was Russian misinformation, a conclusion supported in writing by an array of security experts,' he said.

The reports of misinformation proved to be completely untrue. This was indeed Hunter Bidens laptop.

He also noted such legislation could contravene implied political communication rights in the Australian Constitution and under international treaties. However, a recent High Court case, Cameron v Becker, appeared to affirm South Australias truth in political advertising laws, according to the Parliamentary Library.

Media Organisations Split on Truth Laws

Creina Chapman, CEO of the Australian Communications and Media Authority, said implementation of such a law would be extremely tricky noting the myriad platforms political parties can advertise on and the timeframes around elections.

As we know, there is hyperbole, exaggeration and opinion. We need to be very clear about distinguishing between opinions and facts and those types of things, she told the Federal Election Inquiry on Oct. 18.

While Caroline Fisher, associate professor at the University of Canberra, was supportive of a federal law modelled on South Australias amendments to its Electoral Act stating that it is an offence for an inaccurate and misleading statementalleged to be a factto be included in a political ad.

Its not going to rule out all forms of untruth, but I think it does send a strong signal and it does put up some guardrails around the extent to which people can lie, she told the Inquiry. I think it could limit some of the more extreme forms of lying.

One that I theorised with a colleague is particularly strategic lying. Lying has become a very disturbing and advanced spin technique, and it could help bring that back a little bit. So I would be very strongly in favour of us introducing that federally.

A Double-Edged Sword

While legislating truth into law could compel political parties to focus on proper policy debates in their campaigns, a major side-effect would be the chilling of discussion on contentious issues like climate change and COVID-19 policywhich attract censorship on major social media platforms and frequent debunking articles from news organisations.

Only one year after Australia implemented some of the harshest COVID-19 lockdowns in the world are local researchers beginning to question the efficacy of those measures.

Whereas during the pandemic years, even medical professionals faced censure and were slapped with penalties for discussing views inconsistent with COVID-19 orthodoxy.

Chris Cooper, executive director at Reset Australia, even called for an independent body to be established to analyse and report on social media activity focused on identifying bots, fake accounts, and astroturfing.

While the [Australian Electoral Commission] did incredible work stepping up this year in doing more of that monitoring and analysis, their scope is limited, he said. It leaves the Australian public with no-one really looking at how misinformation and disinformation is amplified and at how coordinated campaigns between political actors and campaigning organisations are being run.

Yet Natasha Eves, the regulatory affairs manager at Free TV Australia, said the matter was very complex.

It would require a huge amount of effort to interrogate whether something was correct under forward estimates or other matters and would be a serious imposition and compliance burden on broadcasters, she said.

We have a role in the Australian competition and consumer law in relation to factual claims, but were certainly not interposing ourselves in relation to matters of opinion or emphasis. That would be a very different matter and, even in relation to factual claims, would require and in fact impede much political communication by political parties.
Authorities gathered to honor 14 Los Angeles Police Department officers, one of them posthumously, for acts of heroism and sacrifice at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on Oct. 20, 2022. (Carol Cassis/The Epoch Times)

Los Angeles Police Department Honors Officers for Bravery and Heroism

Showcasing raw body-cam footage of its officers successfully saving the lives of numerous victimsincluding the narrow save of a pilot by police seconds before a train slammed into the wreckage of his crashed planethe Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) honored officers at its annual ceremony on Oct. 20.

Theres no harder job in America today than being a police officer, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said while opening the Above and Beyond Awards event. Its a tireless and thankless job.

Authorities gathered to honor 14 Los Angeles Police Department officers, one of them posthumously, for acts of heroism and sacrifice at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles on Oct. 20, 2022. (Carol Cassis/The Epoch Times)

One such scene shown during the luncheon was that of Mission Area officers Nicole Minarik and Miguel Alarcon after stopping a gang member driving a stolen car in the Mission area in July of 2018. During the encounter, the suspect produced a handgun and fired at Minarik, striking her in the leg.

[The suspect] ended up shooting me in the femur, which broke it. But I didnt know it at the time, I just thought I had been shot, Minarik said in her video statements screened at the luncheon.

After Minarik fell to the ground, the suspect then turned his attention toward Alarcon and fired a single round, missing him. Alarcon then shot and killed the suspect, potentially saving both the officers lives.

Minarik survived and received the Purple Heart, while Alarcon was awarded the Medal of Valor for bravery.

Los Angeles Police Department officer Nicole Minarik (R) is among the 14 officers honored for their acts of heroism and sacrifice at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on Oct. 20, 2022. (Carol Cassis/The Epoch Times)

LAPD also honored Foothill Division patrol officers Christopher Aboyte, Damien Castro, Robert Sherlock, and Sgt. Joseph Cavestany for saving the life of pilot Mark Jenkins, whose plane crashed in January on a portion of the Metrolink railroad in Pacoima.

We didnt really have time to think at that moment. We just acted, Sherlock told The Epoch Times.

The pilot had become trapped inside his plane, and a train was fast approaching.

Seconds before the train collided with the plane, officers pulled the pilot out. As they quickly shuffled back, the train ran head-on into the downed plane, destroying it just yards away. All four officers received the Medal of Valor.

It was like a scene from a movie, master of ceremonies and Fox 11 news anchor Elex Michaelson said during the ceremony.

Authorities gathered to honor 14 Los Angeles Police Department officers, one of them posthumously, for acts of heroism and sacrifice at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on Oct. 20, 2022. (Carol Cassis/The Epoch Times)

Additionally, Southwest division SWAT officers Andrew Rea and Rodney Williams were honored with the Medal of Valor and Purple Heart, respectively, for their heroism involving a barricaded suspect in March 2021 near the University of Southern California.

In that incident, police responded to a call of a man under the influence of narcotics firing a rifle in the air who later barricaded himself into a home in the neighborhood. After hours of negotiations failed, police lobbed tear gas into the home, at which time the suspect shot Williams in the chest. Rea then pulled his colleague, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, to safety.

The suspect then exited the house shooting indiscriminately and shot Williams again, this time in the face. Ultimately, the suspect was killed by another officer at the scene.

Eight other officers and sergeants were additionally awarded for their service, during the event at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles on Oct. 20, 2022. (Carol Cassis/The Epoch Times)
Police work on the scene outside of a King Soopers grocery store where a shooting took place in Boulder, Colo., on March 22, 2021. (David Zalubowski/AP Photo)

Man Who Filmed Shooting Response Acquitted of Obstruction

BOULDER, Colo.Dean Schiller had just left a Colorado supermarket after shopping last year when he heard gunshots and saw three people lying face down. The independent, part-time journalist, began livestreaming on his YouTube channel, before officers arrived, and later refused dozens of police orders to move away.

He would later learn that a friend who worked at the store was one of the 10 people killed inside the King Soopers store in the college town of Boulder. The suspect, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 23, is accused of killing customers, workers, and a police officer who rushed into the store to try to stop the March 22, 2021, attack.

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, accused of killing 10 people at a Colorado supermarket in March, is led into a courtroom in Boulder, Colo., on Sept. 7, 2021. (David Zalubowski/AP Photo)

On Wednesday, jurors acquitted Schiller of obstructing police, a misdemeanor, after Schillers lawyers argued that being a temporary distraction does not equate to keeping police from doing their job.

In closing arguments, defense attorney Tiffany Drahota told jurors the case was not about being polite to the police, or about the courage shown by police that day or honoring the lives of those lost in the shooting.

You can mourn the victims of the King Soopers shooting and still find Dean Schiller not guilty, she said.

Pictures of the 10 victims of a mass shooting in a King Soopers grocery store are posted on a cement barrier outside the supermarket in Boulder, Colo., on April 23, 2021. (David Zalubowski/AP Photo)

Prosecutors argued Schiller ignored 60 commands to move farther away from the store over 1.5 hours, becoming a distraction from police efforts to save lives and secure the crime scene. Deputy District Attorney Myra Gottl said his priority was to keep streaming to gain more viewers on his channel.

It was a calculated decision to get attention and he liked it, she said in closing arguments at the trial that had opened Tuesday.

Clips of the video shown in during Schillers trial showed several officers telling him to move back for his safety and for officers safety. At one point he does get behind the police tape eventually strung around the store but refuses to cross to the other side of the street. He also curses at some officers and flips them off when he tries to gain access from a different direction.

Law enforcement officers sweep the area outside of a King Soopers grocery store, which was the site of a shooting in Boulder, Colo., on March 22, 2021. (Kevin Mohatt/Reuters)

While Drahota pointed out that Schiller was not arrested, Deputy District Attorney Ryan Day said that a commander had testified that police did not have time to do that and keep him secure while responding to the shooting.

After the verdict, Schiller, who has often recorded police activity in Boulder, said he felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest. He said his prosecution made it hard to fully mourn the loss of his friend, Denny Stong, who worked at the store and who lagged behind him in leaving because he knew so many people there. He said he was responding to a need from the public in livestreaming the shooting response.

It wasnt that I was creating something. It was real news and I needed to show people as long as they wanted to watch, said Schiller. He added that his heart has not been into filming as much since losing Stong and being prosecuted.

In a statement, District Attorney Michael Dougherty said that police responded to an incredibly challenging and difficult crime scene and said his office prosecutes those who obstruct and interfere with law enforcements responses to crises.

Schillers case is part of a larger judicial reckoning taking place around the United States about how far people can go film police while officers work.

In July, a Denver-based U.S. appeals court that oversees four Western and two Midwestern states became the seventh appeals court to rule that people have a right protected by the First Amendment to film police while they work. In September, a federal judge blocked enforcement of a new Arizona law restricting how the public and journalists can film police.

The prosecution of the man charged in the supermarket shooting has been on hold since December after a judge ruled that he was mentally incompetent to stand trial. Alissa is being treated at a state mental hospital. During a hearing last week, Judge Ingrid Bakke said there was still a substantial probability he could be treated to be made competent in the foreseeable future, an outlook she first shared in March.

By Colleen Slevin
Republican Mayra Flores, a legal immigrant from Mexico, is focusing on the twin issues of improving the economy and border security in hopes of flipping Texas Congressional District 34 red. (Courtesy of Mayra Flores)

Mexican-Born Republican Rejected for Admission to All-Democrat Hispanic Caucus

The all-Democrat Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) on Oct. 26 rejected Mexican-born Rep. Mayra Flores (R-Texas) from admission because shes a Republican.

Flores is the first ever Mexican-born congresswoman, but CHC guidelines prevent Republicans from joining due to past policy disagreements.

Sebastian Roa, the caucuss communications director, defended the decision.

Rep. Flores Extreme MAGA values and their attacks on Latinos and our nations democracy on January 6 do not align with CHC values, Roa said.

The caucus, which was founded in the 1970s, was initially bipartisan. However, in the 1990s Democrats bucked Republicans from the committee as punishment for their support of the U.S. embargo on communist Cuba.

Disappointed by the support of Hispanic Democrats for the brutal Cuban regime, which has long suppressed dissent against its communist rule, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) in 2003 formed an alternative caucus named the Congressional Hispanic Conference.

Flores has made her support for President Donald Trump clearincluding his positions on border security and abortion.

Though Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) is the sole pro-life Democrat in the lower chamber, Floress position on abortion aligns more closely with the attitudes of many Hispanics, many of whom are Catholic. The Catholic Church explicitly opposes abortions in almost every case.

Flores won a special election in mid-2022 that led to the seat formerly held by retired Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas) flipping to GOP control. However, in just under two weeks Flores will face off again against Rep. Vincente Gonzalez (D-Texas) to hold onto the seat.

God, Family, and Hard Work

Following her rejection from the caucus, Flores expressed disappointment but not surprise at the decision.

As the first Mexican-born American Congresswoman, I thought the Hispanic Caucus would be open [to] working together, Flores said in an Oct. 26 Twitter post announcing the rejection. This denial once again proves a bias towards conservative Latinas that dont fit their narrative or ideology.

The next day, Flores expanded on her thoughts in another Twitter post.

My thoughts after the rejection by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, maybe Im not the right type of taco, Flores wrote.

In another post, Flores wrote: Why am I not surprised?!? Once again, the party of inclusion does it again

This has to be something from one of those comedy or sarcastic websites out there, yes? Or is it true? Fox News host Laura Ingraham asked Flores during a sit-down town hall with Flores and two other GOP Latina candidates.

Its true, Flores replied. I was born in  Mexico. On June 14 I became the first Mexican-born congresswoman ever elected and thats not good enough for them.

This shows theyre not there for the Hispanic community, theyre just there for their party, Flores added.

Flores told Ingraham that the rejection was not even delivered in person, but was instead transmitted to her over a phone call.

But you know, Flores said, I dont need them. The Hispanic community doesnt need them. We are the real voice  of the Hispanic community and we stand for the values that we were raised with: God, family, and hard work.

Conservatives Deride Rejection

Following Floress announcement that she had been rejected, conservatives quickly derided the CHC for playing partisan politics.

In a tweet, Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) blasted the decision, noting past decisions by other Democrat-dominated racial caucuses.

They blocked @RepDonaldsPress from joining the Congressional Black Caucus, Nehls wrote, citing a similar decision from the Congressional Black Caucus to keep Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) out of the caucus. Now they rejected @repmayraflores from joining the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

The open racism of the Democrat Party knows no bounds, Nehls added.

Donalds told The Epoch Times that the rejection indicates that these groups are more about party affiliation than race.

Last time I checked, Im Black, and Mayra is Latina, Donalds said. These Democrats care more about the (R) than our race.

Mayra Flores has a higher net favorability among Hispanics than AOC, who is a member, Turning Point USA founder and conservative commentator Charlie Kirk noted in an Oct. 27 Twitter post.

Polling from Fox News shows that U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores has a higher approval rating among Hispanics than Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Flores was rejected from joining the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, of which Ocasio-Cortez is a member, because shes a Republican.

Conservative commentator Brigette Gabriel echoed Kirks sentiments.

Flores is the first ever female Mexican-born member of the House, Gabriel said on Twitter. What happened to the party of tolerance and acceptance?

Though Democrats have long held a stronghold over the Hispanic vote, Republicans have begun to close the gap in recent years.

In 2020, over a third of American Hispanics broke with Democrats and voted for President Donald Trump, despite the best efforts of several mainstream media outlets and Democrats to paint Trump as racist against the group. The results placed doubt upon Democrats assumption that Hispanics are in favor of several Democrats effectively-open border policies.

It remains to be seen how Hispanics will vote in the midterms. Still, Floress successful flip of her majority-Hispanic Texas district earlier this year is a reassuring sign for Republicans as they seek to retake the House after four years in the minority.
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces march during the Calgary Stampede parade in Calgary on July 8, 2016. (The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh)

EXCLUSIVE: Military Officers Decry Base Living Conditions, Say Retention and Mental Health at Risk: Leaked Memo

In a recently leaked Canadian Armed Forces memo, military officers decried poor on-base living conditions for students at the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics (CFSCE) in Kingston, Ont., saying its threatening student mental health and retention.

The corner of a four-person room cannot be made your home, reads a briefing note titled Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics Accommodations, saying that live-in students at the CFSCE are inadequately housed.

The Oct. 11 briefing note, which was leaked to The Epoch Times, was authored by a captain and reviewed by a lieutenant-colonel. It said the military school is entitled to category II living standards, which consists of single rooms with access to internet, telephone and cable and enough storage space for personal effects and bulk items.

In CFSCEs reality, quarters currently comprise of four-person rooms with poor HVAC, insufficient personal storage, frequently broken shared facilities, and no privacy. There are no kitchenettes, cable connections, private bathrooms or access to bulk storage, said the note.

The memo said that improving student living accommodations needs to be done as quickly as possible, as the current conditions are causing students to drop out at a much higher rate than other military trades.

The key aggravating factor is time, the memo said, adding that a large number of CFSCE students leave the school after just a year or 18 months, negatively impacting the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

Whats at stake is the mental health and retention of CAF members.

Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre said on Oct. 15 that the Canadian military needs a whole-of-society effort to get CAF recruitment numbers back to a sustainable level.

CAF reportedly has about 10,000 empty positions right now.

We need to rebuild the Armed Forces, we need to get the numbers back up, Eyre told The Canadian Press.

Weve got to do it with a sense of urgency and priority because it is affecting our ability to respond around the world.

The Epoch Times contacted the Department of National Defence for comment but didnt immediately hear back.

Public Yet Restrictive

Referring to the CFSCEs current four-person rooms, the briefing note said, It is not a place where you trust you and your things are safe, adding that members lack privacy.

Members must live public yet restrictive lives where everything is on hold. They cannot disconnect from work and their mental health deteriorates. These living conditions have contributed to broken relationships, divorce, depression, voluntary releases and substance abuse to name a few.

The memo said about 150 single rooms will be needed to adequately house CFSCE students who will be on base for six or more months. The memo added that achieving these standards would require major capital construction projects and lengthy timelines.

This reality does not divest L1s from their responsibility to develop plans, project initiatives or agreements to ensure the provision of the appropriate accommodation,' it continued, stressing that the CFSCE is an important first impression of the CAF for the students that arrive for DP1 training.

This briefing note presents an opportunity to take steps in the right direction.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
Musk Now Owns Twitter; What Does This Mean for Free Speech?

News Analysis

The bird is freed, Elon Musk posted on Twitter on Oct. 27 after finalizing his purchase of the company.

After a months-long battle with the social media giant, billionaire Elon Musks bid to acquire Twitter is now complete. But what does it mean for his crusade to keep free speech alive in the Twitterverse?

Bloomberg confirmed that Musk, whos set to take on the role of CEO, will reverse lifetime bans of users.

In an exchange with the popular Twitter account Catturd, Musk revealed that he will be digging in more today to look at shadow bans, search bans, and ghost bans.

Musk has previously noted he might diminish the companys content moderation policies. At the same time, in a recent letter shared on Twitter, titled Dear Twitter Advertisers, he assured businesses that he doesnt want the website to turn into a free-for-all-hellscape where anything can be said with no consequences.

Twitter logo and stock graph are seen through a magnifier displayed in this illustration taken Sept. 4, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

He did send a message on his first day by terminating three key top-level executives at the San Francisco-based firm: CEO Parag Agarawal, finance chief Ned Segal, and chief content moderator and head of legal policy Vijaya Gadde.

Gadde led the charge to ban former President Donald Trump, prohibit political ads, and censor the Hunter Biden laptop story.

Musk is moving swiftly to make changes to Twitters operations, and hes transparent about his actions on the network.

Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints. No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes, he stated in a tweet on Oct. 28.

Let Freedom Ring

For many users who feel theyve been the targets of censorship and shadow banningthe practice of blocking a user in a way that is not noticeable to the individualthe entire saga was a victory.

Boy it makes me happy to see Elon Musk at Twitter HQ after 13 years on this platform getting censored and shadowbanned and taking away followers. LET FREEDOM RING! posted Emily Miller, an author and D.C.-area journalist.

Alex Berenson, a former New York Times reporter and author who was banned from the platform for a year because of his vaccine skepticism, is optimistic that Musk can return Twitter to its roots as a First Amendment haven.

That doesnt mean no censorship. Twitter must have censorship  of child pornography, of specific incitements to violence, of doxxing and harassment and the kinds of speech the First Amendment doesnt allow online, he wrote on Substack.

But I would expect that many of the guidelines and the strike policies around Covid and other topics of political and cultural importance will vanish quickly. And I would hope that those of us who are currently being censored WILL BE ALLOWED ON TO OFFER OUR VIEWS.

Francis Pileggi, managing partner of the Wilmington, Delaware, office of law firm Lewis Brisbois, thinks this is a positive development because of how monolithic social media has become in recent years. Ultimately, he hopes that the purchase will now influence other social networks to at least consider being less restrictive and less prejudiced against views that they dont think are popular.

Im hoping that Twitter will be much more even-handed and much more flexible, he told The Epoch Times.

Despite the widespread optimism that Musks purchase of the website has elicited, it remains unclear what blueprint the Tesla and SpaceX CEO will look at to ensure that Twitter is a free-speech zone.

The Media Research Center has identified more than 4,500 instances of censorship on big tech platforms, with conservative content being the primary target. Twitter was involved in 54 percent of the censorship cases, the right-leaning media watchdog group found.

Bill Flaig, an investment manager, founded the American Conservative Values ETF two years ago to invest in companies supporting conservative beliefs and values.

We believe that Twitter has long been hostile to conservative values, in particular suppressing our voices on their platform, and we have refused to invest in them, Flaig told The Epoch Times.

Mr. Musk has recognized this and the significant business opportunity to be gained by bringing conservative customers back to the platform. Whether Mr. Musk is motivated by altruism or profit is open to debate. Im confident its the latter.

More Challenges Coming for Elon Musk?

There is now concern that Musks efforts could hit a roadblock.

Bloomberg reported on Oct. 21 that the Biden administration is considering a security review of Musks Twitter takeover. Officials are weighing their options and tools that can be used to permit the federal government to assess Musks ventures. The report suggested that the White House could utilize a law governing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Since a component of Musks $44 billion purchase of Twitter includes foreign investors in his consortium, some speculated that this could potentially trigger a CFIUS review.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters during a briefing on Oct. 25 that she was unaware of any such discussions. She was also asked if President Joe Biden had any concerns regarding Musks Twitter acquisition or his comments on Russia.

On the first piece, on the Twitter purchase, thats something that we would not comment on from here. We do not comment on transactions, she said. On his comments about Ukraine and giving up territory, I know that Mr. Musk has been very, very vocal about that. Hes a private citizen, with a private company, and our position and the governments position has been very clear, as I have laid out many times here before on how we see that process movingit is up to Ukraine.

Musk was widely criticized for his recent peace proposal on Twitter to resolve the UkraineRussia military conflict. He suggested that there should be another set of U.N.-supervised elections in annexed regions. Musk also recommended that Crimea remain formally part of Russia, with the water supply to Crimea staying intact. Plus, Ukraine would be a neutral state, according to Musk.

Meanwhile, Pileggi is unsure whether the courts would allow the administration to participate in such a review.

As far as we know, from the last two years, whether or not the president can do something and whether or not its upheld in the courts as being legal are two different questions, he said. So he can try to do a lot of things. Whether or not the courts will uphold it as being an authorized or justified or lawful exercise of his authority is a different question. So I dont think theres anything that he should lawfully, rightly be able to do to block.

Musk has been a vocal critic of Biden and the Democrats.

Speaking on a podcast in May, Musk argued that the president has failed to get much done.

Its hard to tell what Biden is doing, to be totally frank, he stated. The real president is whoever controls the teleprompter. The path to power is the path to the teleprompter. I do feel like if somebody were to accidentally lean on the teleprompter, its going to be like Anchorman.'

Andrew Moran Follow Andrew Moran has been writing about business, economics, and finance for more than a decade. He is the author of "The War on Cash."
Musks Bird Is Freed, Twitter Pledge Gets Cool Reception In EU, Where The Bird Will Fly By Our Rules

The European Commission has warned Tesla CEO Elon Musk that he must comply with EU rules after the billionaire acquired the social media platform, Twitter.

In Europe, the bird will fly by our rules, Thierry Breton, the EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, wrote on Twitter on Friday morning, just hours after Musk posted that the bird has been freed, in reference to Twitters iconic logo.

Musks completion of the deal came just hours before a Delaware judges deadline to finalize the move on Friday following months of legal back-and-forth between the Tesla CEO and Twitter executives. The deal was set to go to trial if the two sides hasnt reached an agreement by then.

The platform will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange starting on Oct. 28, according to a recent delisting notice.

Back in May, Musk and Breton met to discuss key issues, including the Digital Services Act (DSA), an EU regulation aimed at stemming the spread of illegal content and disinformation online while simultaneously making advertising more transparent.

In a video posted on Twitter of the meeting, Musk said the DSA was exactly aligned with my thinking and that he and Breton were very much of the same mind.

Anything my companies can do that will be beneficial to Europe, we want to do that, Musk said.

I Did It to Try to Help Humanity

There has yet to be an official announcement of Musks takeover of Twitter but the businessman shared a video of himself on Wednesday walking into Twitter headquarters while carrying a sink, tweeting, let that sink in.

He has also changed his Twitter bio to read: Chief Twit: with a location tag stating Twitter HQ.

Late on Thursday, Musk wrote a post addressed to Twitter advertisers in which he explained his reasoning behind the purchase of the platform, stating that it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence.

There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society, Musk wrote. That is why I bought Twitter. I didnt do it because it would be easy. I didnt do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love.

However, the businessman cautioned that the social media platform obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences.

In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all, where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences, just as you can choose, for example, to see movies or play video games ranging from all ages to mature, Musk said.

Elsewhere, multiple reports state that Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and CFO Ned Segal are no longer working in their roles, although neither has yet to make official statements regarding the matter.

Andrew Moran contributed to this report.
Nearly 20 Percent of Seattle Shootings Happened Near Homeless Encampments

Data released by the city of Seattle reveals that homeless encampments are seeing a significant percentage of shots fired in 2022.

According to the latest update from the One Seattle Homelessness Action Plan, nearly 20 percent of all citywide shootings/shots fired through September were connected to an unauthorized encampment or a homeless person.

Out of 573 reports of shootings and shots fired, the city states that 101 reports were in connection to homelessness. That represents about 18 percent of total cases being near encampments throughout Seattle.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrells office said in a statement that the 101 reports represent an average of three shots fired per week in connection to homeless camps.

The King County Regional Homelessness Authoritys Partnership for Zero Campaign is a collaboration of city officials to find solutions to homelessness. Its initial focus is in Downtown Seattle and the Chinatown International-District.

Felicia Salcedo, the executive director of We Are In, previously stated that the two districts represent the largest concentration of the homeless in King County.

Out of the 573 reports of shootings and shots fired through the first nine months of the year, 61 occurred in the Downtown and Chinatown districts combined, according to the Seattle Police Departments crime dashboard. That represents 10 percent of the total number of cases of shootings and shots fired throughout the city.

Earlier in October, Seattle announced an emergency operations center was up and running. It is located in the heart of the Chinatown District where tents are visibly prominent.

Marc Dones, the CEO of the authority, said the command center has already identified over 300 units of available housing and to date has engaged with over 650 people in need.

By Spencer Pauley
Interim Nye County Clerk Mark Kampf works on his phone in an office where early votes are being counted in Pahrump, Nev., on Oct. 26, 2022. (John Locher/AP Photo)

Nevada County Pauses Hand Vote Count After Supreme Court Says Process Illegal

A Nevada countys hand count of mail-in ballots was put on pause on Thursday after the states Supreme Court ruled the process was illegal, after previously giving it the green light.

Nye County began counting mail-in ballots on Wednesday after the state supreme court last week ruled that it be conducted in a way that prevents the public release of early results before polls close to in-person voting.

Some 60 volunteers have begun the unprecedented hand-count process, during which multiple teams of five people were split up and placed in separate rooms to count batches of 50 ballots by hand at a Nye County office building in Pahrump, 60 miles west of Las Vegas, according to local reports.

In each room, a volunteer read the results from each ballot out loud while a verifier watched, and a tallier marked down the results on sheets of paper.

Yet after volunteers had wrapped up the second day of hand-counting the ballots on Thursday, the Supreme Court issued a three-page opinion clarifying a previous order.

The court stated that the ability of observers to hear the read-aloud selections on ballots violates state law, under which the public release of early voting results before polls close to in-person voting on Nov. 8 is prohibited.

Therefore, observers may not be positioned so as to become privy to the ballot selections and room tallies, the court wrote. The specifics of the hand-count process and observer positioning so as not to violate this mandate is for respondents and the Nevada Secretary of State to determine.

ACLU Hails Win

The court did not specifically order a halt to the recount but its opinion appeared to side with arguments made by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada (ACLU) in an earlier motion in which the organization sought to block the hand count from going ahead, citing concerns over the election results being made public before election day.

Following the courts three-page opinion, Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, who is in charge of elections, ordered that the hand count of ballots stop immediately. Cegavske also asked Nye County Clerk Mark Kampf to confirm to her office Thursday night that the hand count process had ended.

ACLU said in a statement that Nye Countys attorneys had informed the organizations legal staff that the hand count process had been stopped. Sadmira Ramic, ALCU of Nevadas voting rights attorney, called the end to the hand count a victory for all who believe in democracy.

The Epoch Times has contacted Cegavskes office for comment.

Nye County Clerk Mark Kampf announced back in September plans to hand count ballots cast in the county, which is home to more than 33,000 people, alongside electronic voting machines.

The pause to Nye Countys hand ballot comes after The Cochise County Board of Supervisors in southeastern Arizona voted 21 on Monday to count ballots cast in next months elections by hand.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
New Australian Design to Cut Airport Checkpoint Queues in US

Australian researchers have come up with a design to improve airport security checks in the United States (U.S.), which may soon mitigate long airport waiting times.

Micro-X, an Australian tech company, has partnered with the Design Health Collab at Monash University to streamline crucial airport security checkpoint processes across the U.S. and increase aviation passenger safety.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) awarded two contracts to Micro-X in September, one to extend its development contract for the Miniaturised CT Baggage Scanner and the other to continue its Passenger Self-Screening Checkpoint design.

The two DHS contracts are now valued at US$4.5 million.

The baggage scanner extension, which is contracted for an additional US$0.44 million, will deliver a second functioning prototype in early 2023 while the DHS is testing the first prototype.

Baggage scanner. (Supplied)

The integrated system allows scanning passengers and their possessions simultaneously while meeting the strict safeguards of travel security.

The design also uses a much smaller CT scanning system than those currently used in airports, allowing more checkpoints to operate, reducing queues and frustrating bottlenecks, according to a statement of Monash University.

Dr Nyein Chan Aung, the lead design researcher from Monash University, said implementing the new imaging technologies could transform the airport security experience for both travellers and staff.

This new system design reconsiders every element to serve the user, including the industrial design, floor plan layout, lighting, ergonomics, materials, and user interfaces, he said.

The checkpoint aims to maintain effective security while improving the throughput and passenger and operator experience.

The new design will also offer a pre-warning prompt, which alerts passengers of forgotten objects in their pockets to help them avoid annoying alarms when they go through on-person screening.

Undertaking a user-centred design approach is critical to the success of new technologies and ensuring that the workflows allow for optimal system performance while maintaining ease-of-use, convenience, and dignity for passengers from all walks of life, Aung said.

A revolutionary security checkpoint design by Monash Universitys Design Health Collab may soon mitigate long airport wait times. (Supplied)

Dr Brian Gonzales, a chief scientist of Micro-X and the CEO of the companys U.S. subsidiary, said that for world-class scanning technology to be effective, they need to be combined with great design.

The interface between the checkpoint system and the person is what makes the technology work for humans, he said.

People need to have a good experience, and the design needs to consider peoples wellbeing, movement, and flow.
New BC Premier Eby to Be Sworn in Nov. 18, With Liberals and Greens Decrying Delay

David Eby will be sworn in as British Columbias new premier on Nov. 18, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin conducting the swearing-in ceremony at Government House in Victoria.

Eby, 46, will become B.C.s 37th premier, replacing retiring Premier John Horgan, who has held the office since 2017.

A statement Thursday from the Office of the Premier says further details about the ceremony will be released soon.

Eby became premier-designate last week after being acclaimed as leader of the New Democrats, about four months after Horgan announced his impending retirement for health reasons.

Eby ended up as the only candidate for the job, after the NDP disqualified challenger Anjali Appadurai for what it said were breaches of party membership sign-up guidelines.

The premiers office says the scheduled Nov. 7 to 11 break of the fall legislative session will be extended leading up to the swearing-in, and Eby will meet the assembly as premier in the week of Nov. 21.

Eby, a former attorney general and housing minister, has said he wants to sit as premier during the current session, which is scheduled to conclude Nov. 24.

He said he wanted to start work as soon as possible on key issues.

The Opposition BC Liberals and Greens both said Eby is taking too long to arrive at the legislature as premier.

David Eby said he was going to hit the ground running but instead, hes hitting the brakes on the valuable time we could spend working to solve the major concerns of British Columbians, Opposition Liberal house leader Todd Stone said in a statement.

If he wanted to, David Eby could be in his seat in the legislative chamber today, Stone said. How can people have any faith in his big promises to tackle crime, health care, housing and more when hes not even willing to carry out the rest of the fall legislative session?

Green house leader Adam Olsen also said Eby is taking too much time.

He has been absent from the house and now hes cutting a week of session, it is increasingly looking like premier-designate David Eby does not want to be asked questions or be held accountable, Olsen said in a statement.

Horgan said Eby will bring experience and a strong approach to pressing B.C. issues, including health care, affordability and housing.

The objective for the next government, for David Eby, will be to continue to make progress on these files and Im excited that Davids understanding of the housing issue is going to be a real asset, Horgan said in an interview.

Eby said this week he couldnt say when a possible cabinet shuffle would occur but hes being briefed by the public service on major issues facing the province, the state of its economy and how the government could respond.
The P4 laboratory on the campus of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China, Hubei Province, China, on May 13, 2020. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

New Senate Report Reveals Deep CCP Involvement With Biosafety Concerns at Wuhan Lab

News Analysis

According to a new Senate minority report, the COVID-19 pandemic was most likely the result of a research-related incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in Wuhan, China.

The report was written by the Republican minority on the Senate Committee on Health Education, Labor and Pensions. The fact that the Democrat majority was not involved in it underlines the stark political divide on what should be a purely scientific issue.

Much of the evidence in the Senate minority report was already in the public domain but there are a number of startling new revelations, including the existence of a WIV document acknowledging that a biosafety problem had occurred at the WIV sometime before November 2019.

The report begins by looking at the possibility of a natural origin for the COVID-19 virus. The issues raised in the report mirror known criticisms and questions, including why no host animal has been found and how the virus is supposed to have traveled a thousand miles across Chinafrom bat caves in Yunnan to Wuhanwithout leaving a trace.

The report then discusses the evidence pointing to a lab leak. Again, the report restates widely known clues, such as the fact that the WIV had been constructing synthetic coronaviruses for many years, that the lab mysteriously deleted its database of viruses, and that the COVID-19 virus contains an extremely unusual Furin Cleavage Site which the Wuhan lab had proposed to insert into existing coronaviruses in 2018.

The report also raises concerns surrounding the timing and nature of certain acquisitions by the Wuhan lab, including an order for highly specialized incineration equipment in November 2019.

However, the reports real breakthrough appears to be the identification of a number of internal WIV documents that point both to deep Chinese Communist Party (CCP) involvement in running the lab and to the existence of grave biosafety problems at the lab.

It is not known when or how the Senate Committee received this information. The Senates report merely states that the relevant documents are on file with staff.

The first internal WIV report that is cited in the Senate report deals with efforts to improve biosafety at the lab and claims that those efforts were hampered by a stranglehold problem, which apparently meant a lack of access to advanced foreign biosafety technologies and materials. This June 2019 WIV report is titled Xiang Shuilun Examines the Wuhan Institute of Virologys Work of Establishing a Red Flag Party Branch, whereby Red Flag Party Branch means a branch of a committee of the CCP, presumably a regional committee of the CCP.

The same report also states that during a June 2019 meeting, WIV leadership had instructed WIV officials that addressing the stranglehold problem was critical to pushing forward the construction and () development of science and technology for the nation. The June 2019 WIV report also lamented that limited access to key foreign biosafety technologies forced the researchers to develop biosafety methods and construct equipment to remedy shortfalls.

It is not clear from the Senate report what the distinction between WIV leadership and WIV officials is. Leadership may denote CCP overseers while officials may refer to those who run the lab on a day-to-day basis. It was recently revealed that the WIVs nominal vice director, Yuan Zhiming, is a CCP official overseeing biosafety at the lab.

The Senate report also reveals that in July 2019 the WIV leadership led a series of internal meetings on problems of operations in management at the WIV. The deputy director of the WIVs top-security labbiosecurity level 4 (BSL-4)issued a report on biocontainment equipment shortages and the impact of meeting the research goals of the government.

The Senates source for these alarming statements is an internal WIV report from July 2019 titled Wuhan Institute of Virology Convenes Study by the Party Committees Plenary Central Group and Special Investigation and Study Meeting of the Educational Theme Never Forgetting our Original Aspiration and Keeping Firmly in Mind our Mission. Reference to the Party Committees Plenary Central Group suggests that the CCP played a far greater role in directing the labs affairs than previously known.

According to the Senate minority, the same July 2019 internal WIV report also complained about major problems at the BSL-4 lab including hardware and technological aspects of the laboratory facilities and the management of biosafety. The report directed the institutes senior personnel to prioritize solving the urgent problems we are currently facing.

Notably, the biosafety concerns appear to have centered around the WIVs BSL-4 lab while, by their own admission, the WIV carried out its coronavirus experiments in lower biosafety BSL-2 and BSL-3 facilities. If the BSL-4 lab had serious problems with maintaining biosafety and procuring biosafety equipment, the implication is that matters were even worse at the lower-level biosafety labs.

While the timing of these secret reports in June and July 2019 precedes the earliest known date for COVID-19 to have possibly leaked from the labwhich likely would have been in September or October 2019they are highly relevant to the outbreak of the pandemic as they highlight that there were known, and very serious, biosafety problems at the WIV.

There is also a revelation in the Senate report that concerns events after the virus likely leaked out of the Wuhan lab. An internal November 2019 WIV report warned that once you have opened the stored test tubes, it is just as if having opened Pandoras Box. These viruses come without a shadow and leave without a trace. Although [we have] various preventive and protective measures, it is nevertheless necessary for lab personnel to operate very cautiously to avoid operational errors that give rise to dangers. Every time this has happened, the members of the Zhengdian Lab Party Branch have always run to the frontline, and they have taken real action to mobilize and motivate other research personnel.

The November 2019 report is titled Keep Firmly in Mind Your Responsibilities, Hold Fast to the Mission, Be a Pioneer for our Nation in the Realm of High-Level Biosafety  The Achievements of the Zhengdian Lab Party Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Wuhan Institute of Virology.

The phrase every time this has happened suggests that the lab had already suffered a series of biosafety failures that the CCPs Zhengdian Lab Party Branch allegedly had to deal with.

On Nov. 19, 2019, seven days after the November 2019 WIV report was issued, a senior Chinese Academy of Sciences biosafety and biosecurity official visited the WIV to give important oral and written instructions from Chinese leadership in Beijing to the WIV regarding the complex and grave situation facing [bio]security work.

While most of the evidence presented by the Senate minority mirrors things we already knew, the statements gleaned from internal WIV documents had not been previously published, and point to far greater CCP involvement with the WIV and far more serious biosafety problems at the lab than previously known. They also raise the prospect of early and comprehensive CCP involvement in covering up the origin of the pandemic.
Newsom Joins Ribbon-Cutting for New Fullerton Homeless Center

Gov. Gavin Newsom joined local officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony of a new homeless services center in Fullerton Oct. 27.

The Homeless Outreach and Proactive Engagement, or HOPE, Center connects social workers with local law enforcement to work together on getting people off the street.

Youve seen a 23 percent reduction in your point-in-time count [of homeless] in this countyone of the best-performing counties in the state, and its because of the leaders here today, Newsom said at the ceremony. Lets keep up the good work.

Orange Countys homeless population has decreased by nearly 17 percent since 2019, according to a county report in May. Newsom said this achievement can be a model for other places in the state.

I believe success leaves clues, he said.

Fullerton Police Chief Bob Dunn said at the ceremony that his department has been collecting names of chronically homeless individuals in order to better keep track of people who fall out of the system, and to shore up those areas with money or programs or nonprofits.

This effort is aided by data with help from experts at the California StateFullertons social sciences department, Dunn said.

Newsom said it could take years for a homeless person to finally accept help from volunteers or social workers.

He praised the county for its efforts to send out vans of social workers to meet with transients to aid them.

Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton) was also praised for her work on the issue over the years.

According to Quirk-Silva, nearly 40 individuals died on the street each month, and the number keeps growing.

We have to keep those numbers of people dying on our streets down. And thats only going to happen with collaboration, communication, and compassion, she said.

Newsom also praised state Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) for leading the way for the new center.

Also at the ceremony, Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) praised Newmans persistence on the issue, adding that it was a great day for Orange County, a testament to innovation, to leadership, to compassion and collaboration.

Newman said at the ceremony, Todays ribbon-cutting builds on five years [of efforts to create] an innovative and promising model to address the root causes of homelessnessusing data-centric, evidence approaches.

In the spring of 2017, Newman met with multiple area police chiefs and city managers to discuss ways to address homelessness, he said.

Out of that meeting, the group worked on a regional, multi-city collaborative approach to the issue.

And were doing it without arrests, Newman said. We are making progress without having to arrest our way out of it, and thats a change that makes a huge difference.

City News Service contributed to this report.
The gas leak in the Baltic Sea from Nord Stream photographed from the Coast Guard's aircraft on Sept. 27, 2022. (Swedish Coast Guard via AP)

Nord Stream 1 Operator Sends Ship to Survey Pipeline Damage

BERLINA ship chartered by the operator of the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline has arrived at the site of last months explosions under the Baltic Sea to survey the damage, the company said Thursday.

Undersea explosions late last month ruptured Nord Stream 1, which until Russia cut off supplies at the end of August was its main supply route to Germany. They also damaged the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which never entered service as Germany suspended its certification process shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

Investigators in Sweden, Denmark, and Germany are looking into what happened. Danish officials last week confirmed that there had been extensive damage to the pipelines and that the cause of the damage was powerful explosions.

The leaks occurred in international waters but within the exclusive economic zones of Denmark and Sweden. Investigators havent yet given any information on who might have been responsible.

Nord Stream 1 operator Nord Stream AG, in which Russias Gazprom has a majority stake, said a specially equipped vessel has arrived at the location of the damage in Swedens exclusive economic zone. It said survey work on the damaged area is expected to take three to five days.

The Swiss-based company said it is still awaiting a Danish decision on permits for damage assessment in that countrys exclusive economic zone.

The Swedish Armed Forces confirmed to Swedish broadcaster SVT that a Russian ship was on site to carry out investigations for Nord Stream.

We have known about their plans for some time, said Jimmie Adamsson, the navys head of communications. Since it is international water, no permission from the Swedish authorities is needed to carry out this type of investigation.

Separately, the Swedish Navy said on Twitter that it was carrying out supplementary bottom surveys at the site of the gas leaks using minesweepers. It said that work was not part of the criminal investigation, but didnt elaborate.
People watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a railway station in Seoul, after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles according to South Korea's military, on Oct. 28, 2022. (Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images)

North Korea Fires Two Missiles Into Sea on Final Day of South Koreas Drills

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) off its east coast on Friday, according to South Koreas military.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the two launches came from the Norths Tongchon area around midday.

The launches on Friday were North Koreas first ballistic missile tests since Oct. 14, and came on the final day of South Koreas annual 12-day Hoguk field exercises, involving an unspecified number of U.S. troops.

Seoul and Washington say the drills are defensive and are aimed at countering Pyongyangs threats. The South Korean and U.S. air forces also plan to carry out large-scale training exercises next week.

Meanwhile, Pyongyang sees these drills as preparation for an attack or invasion, and regards them as provocative. It has said that its recent missile launches were in protest against the joint exercises.

The two missile firings on Friday come amid recent heightened military tensions. North Korea and South Korea on Oct. 24 exchanged warning shots off the Korean west coast, accusing each other of breaching their maritime borders.

North Korea has also fired hundreds of shells in recent days in inter-Korean maritime buffer zones that had been established by the two sides in 2018 to reduce frontline military tensions. North Korea said the artillery firings were in reaction to South Korean live-fire exercises at land border areas.

In response to the two SRBM launches Friday, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command highlighted the destabilizing impact of North Koreas illicit nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, but said that it didnt pose an immediate threat to the United States or its allies.

Our military is maintaining full readiness posture, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. It said the country has boosted its monitoring and security and is closely coordinating with the United States.

North Korea has conducted a record number of tests this year, including short-range missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and others.

The United States and its allies fear that North Korea could be preparing to resume testing nuclear bombs for the first time since 2017.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has said that North Korea has completed all the technical preparations needed for an underground blast at its Punggye-ri test site, which was officially shuttered since 2018. North Korea held six nuclear tests there from 2006 to 2017.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Undated photo of Parliament Buildings, often referred to as Stormont, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. (Paul Faith/PA)

Northern Ireland to Hold Snap Election After Deadline Passes to Form Executive

Northern Ireland is set to hold a snap election, months after the last assembly election, after the deadline passed to form a functioning parliament and a government.

It comes after a last-ditch effort to restore the Northern Ireland Assembly and to produce a Northern Ireland Executive failed on Thursday owning to the Democratic Unionist Partys (DUP) refusal to participate.

Chris Heaton-Harris, the UK central governments Northern Ireland secretary, confirmed on Friday that he is going to be calling an election.

Heaton-Harris was widely expected to set a date for the election on Friday, but instead, he told reporters in Belfast that he will talk to Northern Irelands party leaders next week, adding, But I will be calling an election because I am legally bound to do so.

The minister said he is deeply disappointed about the political impasse.

Its unclear whether the institutions can be restored after a new election, as the DUP has vowed to block their formation until the UK government takes decisive action to remove trade barriers between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Powersharing

Under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended decades of sectarian fighting among Irish nationalists and pro-UK unionists, the legislative and executive power in Northern Ireland must be shared between the largest unionist party, DUP, and the largest republican party, Sinn Fein.

The executive stopped fully functioning in February after then-First Minister, DUPs Paul Givan resigned in protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol, which automatically triggers the removal of Sinn Feins Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill.

Northern Ireland First Minister Paul Givan speaking to the media at the ICC in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Dec. 15, 2021. (Brian Lawless/PA)

Following an assembly election on May 5, in which Sinn Fein surpassed the DUP to become the largest party in the assembly for the first time, the DUP refused to participate in forming a new executive or nominating an assembly speaker unless the UK government deals with the Protocol.

The assembly cannot carry out its function until a speaker is elected. Following a legislative change earlier this year, executive ministers, who were previously allowed to stay in post for two weeks after an election, can now remain for 24 weeks before a new election has to be called.

The deadline passed on Thursday night.

Northern Ireland Protocol

The Northern Ireland Protocol, part of the UKs Brexit deal, left Northern Ireland in the E.U.s single market to avoid a hard border between the region and the Republic of Ireland. But it has effectively put a trade border in the Irish Sea, separating Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson blamed the UK government for the collapse of the executive, telling BBC Radio Ulster on Friday that Westminster could have further extended the deadline.

I think the government would be within its rights to say given that those six months have elapsed and progress hasnt been made that we need a further period to sort this out, get a solution on the protocol that restores Northern Irelands place within the UK internal market and that will see the institutions restored immediately, he told BBC Radio Ulster.

He also said the protocol is harming Northern Irelands ability to access medicines and equipment, contending that recently caused a three-week wait for life-saving cardiac surgery in a Belfast hospital.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4s Today Programme, Donaldson said the DUP stands ready to play its part and will form an executive as soon as that solution is found.

Asked if the Northern Ireland Protocol is resolved, would the DUP be in an executive with Sinn Fein, Donaldson said: Yes, I have said just as we respect the mandates that other parties have been giving, we only ask that our mandate is respected.

Undated file photo of DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson. (Liam McBurney/PA)

Sinn Fein lawmaker Conor Murphy said the DUPs tactic is clearly not working.

The chaos and the infighting that is going on within the Tory government means their focus is entirely on themselves, and if there is a negotiation with the E.U., that will take place because the British government want[s] it to take place not because the DUP are punishing the people of the north by preventing them having their own institutions, he told BBC Radio Ulster.

The DUP action is harming only the people that they represent and we all collectively represent and is serving no purpose other than to do that.

Murphy said a new election will be a verdict on the DUPs actions in the last nine months.

On his second day in office, the UKs Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told his Irish counterpart Micheal Martin that his preference remained a negotiated outcome, according to a Downing Street spokeswoman.

A Northern Ireland Protocol Bill that aims to override parts of the protocol, brought forward by Liz Truss as one of her last acts as the foreign secretary, is currently being scrutinised in the House of Lords.
A sign for the Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons is displayed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on July 6, 2020. (Mark Lennihan/AP Photo)

Oklahoma Attorney General Sues Biden Admin Over Refusal to Transfer Death Row Inmate to State Custody

The state of Oklahoma is suing the Federal Bureau of Prisons over the bureaus refusal to transfer a death row inmate set to be executed in December into Oklahomas custody.

John Hanson, 58, was sentenced to death in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, for the 1999 murders of Mary Bowles, 77, and Jerald Thurman, 44.

His death sentence was initially overturned before being reinstated with a deadline of Dec. 15, 2022.

Hanson is currently being held at a federal prison in Pollock, Louisiana, serving a life sentence for numerous federal convictions that predate his state death sentence.

He has a clemency hearing set for Nov. 9, which will be his last chance to secure clemency before being given a lethal injection.

In August, Tulsa County District Attorney Stephen A. Kunzweiler asked that the inmate be transferred to state custody so that his execution could be conducted by the December deadline. But in September, the Bureau of Prisons reportedly responded to the request by saying it was not in the publics best interest to do so.

Specifically, it stated that federal law authorizes the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to transfer a prisoner who is wanted by a State authority to that State authoritys custody if it is appropriate, suitable, and in the publics best interest but that the Designation and Sentence Computation Center (DSCC) has denied the request for transfer, as it is not in the publics best interest, Fox News reported.

Biden Pushes to Abolish Death Penalty

On Monday, Oklahoma Attorney General John OConnor and Kunzweiler filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas against the Federal Bureau of Prisons and two directors, asking that Hanson be handed over to Oklahoma authorities.

Ive never in my 33 years as a prosecutor encountered this level of refusal to transfer an inmate from one jurisdiction to another, Kunzweiler told The Associated Press.

President Joe Biden pushed for the death penalty to be abolished during his campaign. In July 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the administration would put federal executions on hold while undertaking a review of the Justice Departments policies and procedures.

The Department of Justice must ensure that everyone in the federal criminal justice system is not only afforded the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States but is also treated fairly and humanely, Garland stated at the time. That obligation has special force in capital cases.

In a statement to Fox News, the Bureau of Prisons said: Based on privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not comment on inmates conditions of confinement, to include transfers or reasons for transfers. Therefore, we have no information to provide.

The Epoch Times has contacted the Bureau of Prisons for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Families join the Freedom Convoy protest in downtown Ottawa after police distributed arrest notices to truckers and their supporters occupying Wellington St. and the Parliament Hill area on Feb. 16, 2022. (Richard Moore/The Epoch Times)

Ottawa Police Distributed Memo Falsely Claiming Foreign Extremists Funded Freedom Convoy

The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) sent around a memo that claimed the Freedom Convoy was funded by foreign extremists just one week before the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14.

Funding appears to be coming from a host of U.S. and international sources, read the memo titled Examining U.S. Support and Funding for the Canadian Trucker Convoy, emailed to then-OPS chief Peter Sloly on Feb. 7 and obtained by Blacklocks Reporter.

The report was prepared for Sloly by a UK think tank called Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD).

The Institute claimed the Freedom Convoy received support from right wing politicians, organizing groups, and content creators in the United States, such as Former President Donald Trump, political commentator Ben Shapiro, and politician Marjorie Taylor Greene.

The convoy is attracting violent and harmful content and commentary from TikTok users particularly in posts that target Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the memo said.

A CSIS briefing transcript from February, introduced as evidence to the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC) on Oct. 18, showed that the Canadian spy agency found no evidence of foreign influence on the Freedom Convoy protest.

There [are] no foreign actors identified at this point supporting or financing this convoy, said CSIS Director David Vigneault in his briefing during a Feb. 6 teleconference.

CSIS has also not seen any foreign money coming from [other] states to support this.

Supt. Pat Morris, head of the Ontario Provincial Polices (OPP) Operations Intelligence Bureau, also recently told the POEC that he thought claims of Russian or American influence on the Freedom Convoy to be problematic.

Morris told OPP Deputy Commissioner Charles Cox in an email sent on Feb. 22 that public discourse surrounding the Freedom Convoy is providing a very different picture than what law enforcement collectively gathered.

In his testimony before the commission on Oct. 19, Morris said, I saw that information, those assertions, foreign influence, money, etc., being played out by a number of people and talked about. And I would challenge that.

My point in this email was to make this point, which I believe is an ethical and moral point, and a point premised in law.

88 Percent

ISD also wrote in its memo that Trump mentioned the convoy in an email to supporters.

The Trump sons also joined in with Donald Trump, Jr. by praising the convoy on Facebook, said the memo. Meanwhile Eric Trump claimed media were deliberately not covering the convoy and described media as the enemy of the people.'

Juan Benitez, president of the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe, told the House of Commons finance committee on March 17 that 88 percent of donations made to the Freedom Convoy originated in Canada and 86 percent of donors were from Canada.

When you looked at the foreign contributions and the less than 20 percent of foreign donorsor whatever number, maybe 22 percentwere there any large donors that would have stuck out and would have raised red flags in trying to influence the outcome of this protest? asked Conservative MP Ed Fast.

No, we did not discover that, Benitez replied. Once we reviewed the donations, we did not identify significant donations or patterns that were there.

GoFundMe removed the Freedom Convoys crowdfunding account on Feb. 4 for violating its service terms. While active, the Freedom Convoy account raised over $10 million.

GoFundMes General Counsel Kim Wilford told the finance committee in March that the largest Freedom Convoy donation through the platform was from a Canadian.

It was in the amount of $30,000, she said.

Liberal MP Sophie Chantal asked Benitez during the committee meeting about the source of the donations.

I say this because we know that Russia and all other money launderers hold bank accounts in every country under several shell companies, Chantal said.

Benitez replied saying there was virtually no, perhaps a handful at most, of donations from Russia.

In our opinion, and from the evidence that we see, there was no coordinated effort there to have any kind of contribution or impact.

Noe Chartier, Omid Ghoreishi, and David Wagner contributed to this report.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks in a neighborhood impacted by Hurricane Ian at Fisherman's Wharf in Fort Myers, Fla., on Oct. 5, 2022. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

Outlets Falsely Report Clarence Thomas Dined With Ron DeSantis Day Before Striking Down Roe v. Wade

Several news outlets falsely reported that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas had lunch with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis one day before he helped strike down Roe v. Wade.

Raw Story and the Independent published the reports, citing emails obtained by the American Oversight group.

The outlets said the emails showed Thomas, a George H.W. Bush appointee, and DeSantis, a Republican, dined on June 23, one day before Thomas and other justices struck down Roe v. Wade in their decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization.

But the emails actually showed Thomas and DeSantis met for lunch in 2021.

Raw Story corrected its story.

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Clarence Thomas had lunch with Ron DeSantis one day before the controversial Dobbs decision. The lunch was scheduled for June 23, 2021, not June 23, 2022, Raw Story says in its correction.

The headline was changed from Clarence Thomas had lunch with Ron DeSantis one day before abortion rights struck down: emails to Emails reveal communications between Clarence Thomas and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Independent retracted its story.

I am legitimately so sorry. I was not trying to mislead. I am legitimately embarrassed and humiliated. I never wanted to do anything malicious. I am so apologetic. I should have double-checked the dates, Eric Michael Garcia, the author, wrote on Twitter.

Raw Story and the Independent did not respond to requests for comment.

Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas speaks during an event in Washington on Oct. 21, 2021. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

A reprint of one of the articles on Yahoo was also taken down.

Id suggest checking dates on emails before chasing a narrative so hard you forget what year it is, Taryn Fenske, a spokesperson for DeSantis, said.

The emails included messages from an assistant for Thomas making plans for him to dine with DeSantis, a possible 2024 contender, in Washington in June 2021.

Other emails obtained by American Oversight indicate that DeSantis and Thomas have been in regular contact.

Ginni Thomas, the wife of Justice Thomas, said in one of the messages that her husband has been in contact with DeSantis on various things of late.

The pair spoke together at a Florida Federalist Society

DeSantis has spoken out in support of some Supreme Court decisions, including the majority opinion penned by Thomas that struck down a New York gun law.

From what I have seen, I think it was a great decision by Justice Thomas, DeSantis told reporters during a press conference. Very rarely does he do anything that is not correct. I think hes been a fantastic justice.
Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), arrives for a reception honoring Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his wife Mareva Mitsotakis in the East Room of the White House on May 16, 2022. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Paul Pelosi Attacker Identified; Police Say He Tried Killing Speakers Husband

The man who broke into the home of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tried to kill her husband, authorities said Oct. 28.

The suspect, David DePape, is being booked into jail on charges including attempted homicide, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott told a press conference.

DePape will also face assault with deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary, and several other additional felonies, Scott said.

It wasnt clear whether DePape has retained a lawyer.

Interim San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said shes working with police and is prepared to file appropriate charges.

DePape broke into the Pelosi home in San Francisco early Friday, authorities said. Officers responded at approximately 2:27 a.m. and, upon arrival, observed Paul Pelosi, 82, and a man grappling over a hammer.

The suspect pulled the hammer away and violently assaulted Paul Pelosi. Officers tackled the suspect and took him into custody. They also rendered aid to Paul Pelosi.

Both DePape and Paul Pelosi were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Paul Pelosi is expected to make a full recovery, the office of Nancy Pelosi, also 82, said.

The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time, her spokesman, Drew Hammill, said in a statement.

The motive for the attack is still being determined, according to Scott.

Authorities declined to answer any questions.

Nancy Pelosi was in Washington at the time of the break-in, according to her office and the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP).

The FBI and the USCP are assisting local police with the probe.

Members of Congress React

A number of Nancy Pelosis colleagues said they were hoping Paul Pelosi recovers quickly.

All of us are deeply disturbed to hear about the home invasion and assault on Paul Pelosi, and we pray for his speedy recovery. Violent attacks are abhorrent and every criminal who commits such acts should be prosecuted to full extent of the law, said Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), vice chairman of the House Republicans.

My thoughts are with Speaker Pelosi and her family as her husband, Paul, recovers from the vicious, unconscionable attack in their home last night. This violence is unacceptable, and it should shock all decent Americans. Please join me in praying for Pauls speedy recovery, said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.).

Others said they were upset and wanted the perpetrator convicted.

I am angered by the attack on Paul Pelosi in his home, and am grateful to the law enforcement officers who responded. Political violence is unacceptable, and the perpetrator will be held accountable, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) said in a statement.
Petition Filed to Recall LA City Councilman Kevin de Leon Over Audio Leak

A group of residents filed a notice of intent to recall Los Angeles Councilman Kevin de Leon Oct. 27 amid growing calls for him to resign.

De Leon is one of two remaining councilmen who are under fire after a recording of racist comments made by three councilors in 2021 was released online earlier this month.

This is the fourth grassroots attempt to recall the embattled councilman. His spokesman told The Epoch Times despite the newest effort, de Leon would keep moving forward important projects and issues that threaten the communities and the lives of his constituents.

After three failed attempts, yet another recall that distorts his record will not distract the Councilmember or his office from continuing to serve the people of Council District 14, de Leons spokesman Pete Brown said.

Council President Nury Martinez, Councilmen Gil Cedillo and de Leon, and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera participated in the recorded discussion about the citys redistricting.

Martinez was heard on the recording making several disparaging remarks about a fellow councilor and other ethnic groups. She resigned Oct. 12 from the council following a massive public uproar that reached the White House.

The recording was posted on Reddit Oct. 9 by an anonymous user but was removed shortly after. Herrera resigned from his position the following day.

Protestors demonstrate 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 Oct. 12, 2022. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

De Leon and Cedillo have defied a growing chorus of officials who have called for them to resignincluding Mayor Eric Garcetti, Gov. Gavin Newsom, and President Joe Biden.

The two councilors were censured by the city council Oct. 26the first time since at least 1911, the clerks office told City News Service.

The recall notice was signed by five residents in de Leons district, including Pauline Adkins, who participated in two prior recall attempts. Adkins filed but later dropped the third recall.

Adkins did not immediately return a request for comment.

In the notice of intent, the organizers cited de Leons refusal to resign over the scandal as the reason for launching the recall effort, according to City News Service.

Even though the City Council has called for his resignation, and have stripped him of his committee assignments, Kevin de Leon has refused to resign, the statement reads. He currently cannot represent the stakeholders of Council District 14.

The organizers need to collect signatures from 21,006 registered voters in the district15 percent of the totalin 120 days if the petition is certified.

Cedillo cannot be recalled because there is not enough time before his term expires in December. De Leons term runs until December 2024.
Following in the footsteps of Chairman Mao Zedong, one of the most brutal communist leaders the world has seen, is history about to repeat itself with Xi Jinping?

In this special report, we look at what Xi Jinpings third term means for China and the world, what America can expect going forward, and if the free world is about to be embroiled in war.

Joining us to help shed light on this topic are China economic analyst Antonio Graceffo; Jon Pelson, author of Wireless Wars: Chinas Dangerous Domination of 5G and How Were Fighting Back; and Bradley Thayer, founding member of the Committee on the Present Danger: China and co-author of Understanding the China Threat.

Have other topics you want us to cover? Drop us a line: chinainfocus@ntdtv.org

And if youd like to buy us a coffee: https://donorbox.org/china-in-focus

Subscribe to our newsletter for more first-hand news from China.

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Project Veritas Is Under (Constant) Attack

Commentary

The more successful that Project Veritas becomes, the harder the American establishment fights to shut down the nonprofit investigative news enterprise.

Its most recently successful sting operation resulted in a New York City Hall staffer being fired for discussing the utter ineptitude of the mayoral administration of Eric Adams. The influx of illegal immigrants being transported to the city from the southern U.S. border has been ineffectively handled, as the staffer made clear. The staffer also disparaged first responders who lost their jobs due to vaccine mandates.

One of the most telling parts of that story, however, is the statement from Adamss press secretary, Fabien Levy, regarding the incident. After brushing aside the importance of the low-level staffer, Levy went on to say the following:

Lets also not forget that, time and again, Project Veritas has lied to spin false narratives and deceive the American people. This is an enterprise run by a convicted criminal and one that admitted to lying about their identity and their intent just to secretly record and have conversations with this now-former employee.

This is a common accusation hurled at the group by those who seek to discredit the material it produces. Project Veritas, the organization run by James OKeefe, has regularly exposed the left-wing agenda of the various individuals who inhabit the spaces of U.S. politics, education, and news.

The service it provides is essential in the current cultural environment. OKeefe supplies explicit video evidence of what everyone already implicitly knows to be true: Theres a largely decentralized, radically motivated effort to subvert the traditional, faith-based social fabric of the United States (often associated with conservative values).

Its not just happening in newsrooms and big tech offices.

Its not just happening in halls of power in your towns and (obviously) Washington.

Its happening in your childrens classrooms.

Project Veritass infiltration tactics allow it to shine a light on the dark underbelly of whats really going on in the United States. Much like the service provided by Libs of TikTok, Project Veritas holds a mirror up to the radical elements in American life. It exposes the public to the current information war that were all currently engaged in, whether we know it or not.

The operations that are most effective at forcing the left to stare at their own reflections are the ones that are most vehemently attacked.

Thats why there are constant efforts to try to silence Libs of TikTok, Project Veritas, and similar media sources. Tucker Carlson is abhorred by his enemies, not simply because he sheds light on issues theyd rather remain in the dark, but because of his effectiveness in exposing the hypocrisy of the American left. The cries of selective editing are hard to take seriously when Carlsons show runs a montage of every outletfrom CNN, MSNBC, ABC, and every other corporate acronym news sourcerepeating the exact same talking points, virtually verbatim.

Selective editing and misrepresentation are, of course, the criticisms most often leveled at Project Veritas by its detractors, as well. What about-ism is cheap, so we wont bring up the fact that selective editing is obviously the M.O. of every one of the media outlets listed above. OKeefe and his reporters secretly record various individuals expressing what they really believe and the agendas theyre trying to push. The fact that they arent aware that theyre being recorded goads them to speak openly and without inhibition. For those who know they are doing something that would be strongly objected to if openly espousedsay, trying to turn your children into low-testosterone soy-socialiststhis is a death knell.

Project Veritas videos include its undercover reporters question, as well as the answer. The context is provided so that viewers know whats going on. Nobody cares if the pleasantries or small talk necessary to set the mood are cut out. The latter is obviously implied in an undercover video so that the person who doesnt know theyre being recorded feels comfortable opening up about their true views. Misrepresentation is clearly a cope for the fact that they were caught.

These malicious actors writhe at the sight of their own reflection. As a result, they do everything they can (usually short of actually challenging the substance of the arguments) to shut down the dissenting outlets.

James OKeefe, founder of Project Veritas, at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 12, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

They collude to cancel them on social media.

They attempt to boycott them financially, pressuring every single one of their sponsors, and denounce them as racists and bigots.

They doxx themand their relatives as wellin an attempt to intimidate them into silence.

And, of course, they engage in lawfare in a last-ditch attempt to have the government forcefully shut down the dissenting opinions.

For proof of that, look to the year-long secret investigation into Project Veritas, including at least 19 clandestine subpoenas, by the U.S. Department of Justice, the highest law enforcement body in the land.

Back in November 2021, the DOJ raided the home of three Project Veritas journalists and seized more than 40 electronic devices. Information on the raid was made available to one single source, The New York Times.

Nothing is off limits when it comes to the lefts hidden agenda to destroy this countrys social fabric.

It should subsequently be no surprise that Project Veritas lost a trial in federal court on Sept. 22. One of its members infiltrated a Democratic consulting firm called Democracy Partners. The firm subsequently sued Project Veritas for trespassing under misrepresentation. The jury in the trial found Project Veritas guilty of breaching a fiduciary duty, which amounted to fraudulent misrepresentation. Its left-wing enemies are celebrating the outcome.

The case brought against Project Veritas is part of a broader attempt to discredit its investigations. It wont work.

As OKeefe stated after the verdict was handed down: Journalism is on trial, and Project Veritas will continue to fight for every journalists right to news gather, investigate, and expose wrongdoingregardless of how powerful the investigated party may be. Project Veritas will not be intimidated.

Its easy to call someone a conspiracy theorist when they tell you about a general effort underway to attack religion and tradition in this country. Pulling up a Project Veritas video makes it undeniable. For that reason, the legal attack underway against the group should be of concern to every freedom-loving American who wants to know whats really going on behind the scenes in our institutions. The truth will always be worth defending.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Bullet holes on the wall and blood on the ground after gunmen attacked the Shah Cheragh shrine in the southern city of Shiraz, Iran, on Oct. 26, 2022. (Mohammadreza Dehdari/Iranian Students' News Agency, ISNA via AP)

Protest-Hit Iran Faces Renewed Threat of Terrorism

More than a dozen Shiite pilgrims were killed this week when a gunman opened fire on a religious shrine in Irans south-central city of Shiraz.

The attack, for which the ISIS terrorist group has purportedly claimed responsibility, came amid ongoing anti-government protests that have roiled Iran since mid-September.

On Oct. 26, a gunman entered the Shah Cheragh shrine in Shiraz and opened fire, killing more than a dozen people before being overpowered and detained by security forces.

Shiite Muslims, who account for most of Irans population, view the shrine as the countrys second holiest site.

Speaking shortly afterward, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi vowed that the attack would certainly not go unanswered.

Experience shows that Irans enemies, after failing to create a split in the nations united ranks, take revenge through violence and terror, Raisi said.

Later the same day, the ISIS terrorist group issued a statement via its Amaq News Agency claiming responsibility for the killings.

In 2017, the group claimed responsibility for a pair of deadly bombings that targeted Irans parliament building and the tomb of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who founded the Islamic Republic in 1979.

A placard with a picture of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian woman who died in police custody, is held high at a protest in Berlin on Sept. 28, 2022. (Markus Schreiber/AP Photo)

Protests Continue

This weeks shrine attack occurred amid ongoing anti-government protests in Iran that have continued intermittently in several parts of the country for the past six weeks.

Protesters have reportedly torched police cars and attacked government buildings, while security forces have been accused of using lethal force to break up demonstrations.

On Sept. 30, Iranian officials said 19 people, including security personnel, had been killed when a police station came under attack by militants in the southeastern city of Zahedan.

But human rights groups challenge the Iranian account, with Amnesty International stating that at least 66 peopleincluding demonstrators and bystanderslost their lives in the incident.

Sporadic violence continued last week. On Oct. 26, Irans official news agency, IRNA, reported that a member of the elite Revolutionary Guard Corps had been killed by rioters in the western city of Malayer.

Protests first began on Sept. 16, when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody. She had initially been detained by police in Tehran for wearing inappropriate attire.

While police say she died of sudden heart failure, others allege that she suffered abuse at the hands of police, leading to her death.

Despite promises by authorities to investigate, protests quickly spread from Tehran to other Iranian cities, including Esfahan, Tabriz, and Mashhad.

Iranian officials have blamed the unrest on external enemies, including the United States and Israel, while providing little evidence for the claims.

Within the past six weeks, several foreign nationals have been detained in Iran for allegedly taking part in the demonstrations.

A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republics morality police, in Tehran, Iran, on Sept. 19, 2022. (WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)

Politically Motivated

Since the protests began last month, U.S. officials have openly supported the demonstrators, accusing Tehran of committing human rights abuses.

In an Oct. 16 interview, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Washington had adopted a range of aggressive actions to try to support the protesters in Iran.

The next day, the European Union imposed sanctions on Iranian officials and agencies that it claims are guilty of human rights violations.

Tehran responded on Oct. 27, summoning the German ambassador and accusing Berlin of inciting riots.

Iran also imposed its own raft of sanctions on EU officials, media agencies, and nongovernmental organizations that it accuses of provoking the ongoing unrest.

The EU, for its part, dismissed the Iranian sanctions as politically motivated.

In a related development, the White House accused Russia this week of helping Iran contain the wave of anti-government protests.

Western capitals and their allies in Kyiv also accuse Iran of supplying Russia with combat drones used in the continuing conflict with Ukraine.

Our message to Iran is very, very clear, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Oct. 26. Stop killing your people, and stop sending weapons to Russia to kill Ukrainians.

Both Tehran and Moscow deny Western claims that Russia is using Iranian drones to strike targets in Ukraine.

On Oct. 27, Russias TASS news agency reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin had sent a note of condolence to his Iranian counterpart in connection with this weeks shrine attack.

Putin reportedly stressed Moscows readiness to step up cooperation with Tehran on issues related to counter-terrorism.

On the same day, Raisi was quoted by IRNA as saying that ISIS claimed the attack, but this raises the question of who created the terror group and supports it to sow discord among countries of West Asia.

On Oct. 28, security forces in Shiraz thwarted a bomb attack and arrested the culprit, according to reports in the Iranian press.

Police sources were quoted as saying that the culprits identity would be released to the public following investigations.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Police and protesters face off as authorities move to end the Freedom Convoy demonstration against vaccine mandates, in Ottawa on Feb. 18, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Cole Burston)

RCMP Commissioner Hinted Ministers Considered Using the Emergencies Act in Early February: Text Messages

RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki told her Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) counterpart in early February that the federal government was losing or had lost confidence with Ottawa Police Services (OPS) management of the Freedom Convoy, and hinted Liberal ministers were considering using the Emergencies Act.

Between you and I only, GoC [Government of Canada] losing/lost confidence in OPSwe gotta get to safe action/enforcement, Lucki wrote in a text message to OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique on Feb. 5.

Cause if they go to the Emergency Measures Act, you or [I] may be brought in to leadnot something I want.

The text messages were entered as evidence at the Public Order Emergency Commission on Oct. 27.

Carrique replied to Lucki he had just finished a meeting with his team and had reached out to Peter for a call, presumably then-OPS chief Peter Sloly.

Carrique asked if Lucki was available for a call but she replied she was on a call with ministers.

Trying to calm them down, but not easy when they see cranes, structures, horses, bouncing castles in downtown Ottawa, Lucki said.

Any suggestions for calming them?

You dont want to be on this call. Not good.

Freedom Convoy

The Freedom Convoy trucker-led protest arrived in Ottawa on Jan. 28 and settled downtown.

OPS assessed before the convoys arrival that it would only remain for the weekend, despite OPP intelligence suggesting it would be there for the long haul.

City authorities and elected officials at different levels said the protest was an insurrection or that it represented unprecedented violence.

On the same day Lucki spoke about the mood of Liberal ministers, Carrique sent her an End of Day Status Report, presumably produced by his subordinates.

Narrative is not aggressive or violent, it says. Crowd mood described as festive, no issues to report.

The report indicates that protest organizers were in contact with police, advising them of their plans or making requests.

Organizers advised [redacted] that they will ensure emergency routes will remain open, and there will be attempts to remove the wooden structure, says the report.

Organizers describe that they are committed to keeping interactions with police positive.

The only issues highlighted in the report came from the Parliamentary Protective Service, which was concerned about fireworks being launched due to the presence of fuel canisters in the area, and that it had observed a significant amount of open alcohol being consumed within the protest zone.
RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki is seen during a news conference in Ottawa on April 20, 2020. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

RCMP Commissioner Suggests Minister Blair Asked Her to Express Support for Emergencies Act: Text Messages

A text message exchange between RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki and her Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) counterpart suggests that Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair asked Lucki to express support for the use of the Emergencies Act (EA) a few days after it was invoked.

Has Minister Blair hit you up for a letter to support the EA? Lucki wrote to OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique on Feb. 19.

No, he has not. Should I expect to hear from him? Carrique replied.

The exchange was entered as evidence before the Public Order Emergency Commission on Oct. 27, the day Carrique was testifying in person before the commission.

The RCMP told The Epoch Times it would not comment on matters related to the inquiry until RCMP officials testify.

Annie Cullinan, communications director for Minister Blair, denied he requested a letter from Lucki.

Minister Blair was not in contact with OPP Commissioner Carrique to solicit a letter of support, nor did he request one from Commissioner Lucki, Cullinan said in a statement to The Epoch Times.

On Feb. 25, a few days after that exchange between the two commissioners, Lucki testified before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU).

Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino was also testifying during the same meeting.

Mendicino told the committee that last winters cross-country protests and blockades met the threshold under the Emergencies Act and that the decision to invoke it were informed by non-partisan professionals, including the [RCMP] commissioner, whos with us today, as well as other branches of law enforcement.

NDP MP Alistair MacGregor sought to verify this claim with Lucki.

We heard the minister say that it was the professional opinion of law enforcement that these powers were needed. I received a briefing on two occasions, repeating the same, MacGregor said.

Commissioner Lucki, with all of the events that you saw over those first two weeks with the occupation of Ottawa and the blockades, in your professional opinion, was the declaration of public order emergency necessary under the Emergencies Act, and can you please state why?

Lucki didnt say whether she thought it was necessary or not, but said there are existing authorities under the Criminal Code, the provincial entities and the Ontario emergency act. There were injunctions by the City of Ottawa.

She added that some measures implemented by the act were used, as the designation of a no protest zone.

We used it as a big deterrent to people against coming into the area. Yes, in fact, we did use the measures that were put in the Emergencies Act, along with other authorities that we had, Lucki said.

Lucki did not share with the committee the same opinion she had provided the government on at least two occasions before the Trudeau government invoked the Emergencies Act.

On Feb. 13, Lucki prepared speaking notes for the Incident Response Group, which includes the prime minister and other relevant ministers and officials, saying that not all tools had been exhausted before invoking the act. The notes were not delivered according to evidence heard at the commission on Nov. 15.

In the early hours of Feb. 14, the day the act was invoked, Lucki told Mendicinos chief of staff the same information.

I am of the view that we have not yet exhausted all available tools that are already available through the existing legislation.

Coordination Before Attending Commons Committee

The text messages between Lucki and Carrique revealed by the commission cover the period from Feb. 3 to Feb. 24 and shed light on Luckis stance towards the public safety committee. She told Carrique to coordinate before accepting the committees invitation.

Hi Brenda, sent you an email from the PSNSC [Public Safety and National Security Committee] inviting the OPP to testify this Friday [Feb. 25], and indicating that RCMP and OPP will be separate panels. Any insight into the process that you (or your team) can provide, would be greatly appreciated, wrote Carrique on Feb. 22.

My team has been working through these various appearances and will get back to you. In the meantime, dont respond until we work it through. Our thought is to have police all together, replied Lucki.

Carrique testified before the public safety committee on March 24.

The Emergencies Act was an extremely valuable tool. This was identified as a threat to national security, Carrique told the committee.

These tools made our operation very effective, and in the absence of having those tools, we could  not have been as effective as we were.

Carrique provided another point of view at the Public Order Emergency Commission on Oct. 27.

It had been revealed earlier at the commission that OPP intelligence only considered the events a potential threat to national security, and even that language was problematic for Supt. Pat Morris who heads the outfit that produced that assessment, the OPPs Provincial Operations Intelligence Bureau (POIB).

Morris told the commission he had issue with the language since neither CSIS nor the RCMP Integrated National Security Enforcement Team considered the Freedom Convoy a threat to national security.

Carrique told the commission he had total confidence in Morris as the foremost intelligence authority in Ontario, and said there had been no credible threat to national security.

Carrique also told the commission he agreed with Lucki that not all tools had been exhausted before invoking the Emergencies Act.

Clarification Sought

MPs have taken note of Carriques different stances and have asked him to testify before the public safety committee to explain the discrepancies.

This committee has to  seek clarification on why those two wildly different testimonies were given, said MacGregor on Oct. 24.

Im quite troubled that the very same police force is giving one answer to the public order commission but a completely different answer earlier [in] the year to a committee of the House of Commons.

The NDP supported the Liberal governments invocation of the Emergencies Act and some of its MPs said the Freedom Convoy was an insurrection.

Editors note: This article was updated with comments from the RCMP and the office of Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair. This article has also been updated to reflect the fact that RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki prepared speaking notes for the Incident Response Group on Feb. 13, 2022, and that those notes were not delivered.
Republicans Celebrate Early in Franklin, TennesseeBut What Next?

Commentary

A full house of GOP loyalists at Franklin, Tennessees Jamison Theatre Wednesday night on Oct. 25 was in an upbeat mood.

They were there to hear talk show host Clay Travis, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and former Maury County mayor Andy Ogles, the front-runner in the newly-redistricted Tennessee 5th Congressional District.

Some will remember Ogles from the unique and well-attendedin person and across the country on Epoch TVprimary debate The Epoch Times staged with domain experts rather than reporters asking the questions.

Travis was the first to speak. He has, deservedly, become something of a local herohe lives only two miles from the venuenot just for the tremendous national success of the Clay & Buck radio show but for personally confronting Williamson County officials as one of the parents in the uproar over what is being taught in the supposedly excellent schools of the rich Republican county (CRT, premature sexuality, gender craziness, and so forth).

Travis got a heros welcome and spoke with a relaxed fluency honed from having admirably replacedfor over a year now, I thinkthe acknowledged greatest of all radio personalities, Rush Limbaugh.

He then introduced Andy Ogles who was similarly welcomed. Recent developments have been good to Andy because, though I am reluctant to admit it, more important to his victory than The Epoch Times debate was his strong stance as mayor of Maury County against the vaccine mandates.

As increasing numbers of people are beginning to understand, just saying no, as Ogles did for his city and county, to the COVID-19 dictates of Dr. Anthony Fauci et al. was not only brave at the time, but also the correct and, most of all, healthy decision.

Wednesday nights audiencemaskless, of coursegot that. Meanwhile, Ogles had improved his stump speech since I had last seen him. Already a member of the Freedom Caucus, he looks to be a force in Congress that Tennessee can be proud of.

Last on the bill was the most familiar face of all, Sen. Cruz of Texas, fresh off a rather amusing sojourn as a guest on the most unconsciously misogynistic show on television, The View. He was booed there, not surprisingly before he could even open his mouth, causing Whoopi Goldberg to have to hush the audience so he could speak, which he did admirablythe ladies were, to say the least, in over their heads arguing with himand also to a far more politically sympathetic audience in Franklin.

But then the evening in Franklin took a very slight turn that was interesting.

For Cruz, this stop to support Ogles was part of his multi-state Take Back America Tour. He has also just published a new book on one of the most important, if not the most important subject of our times: Justice Corrupted: How the Left Weaponized Our Legal System.

Besides some kind things to say about Ogles, Cruz delivered what seemed like his stump speech in Franklin, hitting the usual conservative talking points of attack, like Bidens 87,000 new IRS workers, suggesting they would be put to better use at the border.

But after a bit, there was a small ripple of discontent from the audience. Something was missing. What Cruz was saying wasnt enough.

What was the GOP actually going to do if it took over the Senate and the House?

There are, after all, two Republican partieswith some variations, of coursethe more traditional, consisting of those who are sometimes referred to as Republicans in name only, or RINOs, and those you might still call the Tea Party conservatives. Even as staunch a conservative as Cruz, the latter apparently think, could go further, could do more.

This was made clear when some in the audience started to call out January 6  What about January 6? referring, of course, to those still locked up in what some think of as an American Gulag and the source of a government witch hunt.

Cruz, a bit surprised, seemed to mutter to himself but did not reply.

Then came McConnell  Mitch McConnell, this time about the man who might again be Senate Majority Leader and around whom there is much controversy, not just about his relationship with China but also about how he disperses campaign money.

Recently, there were accusations McConnell had withheld funds from Donald Bolduc in New Hampshire and Blake Masters in Arizonaboth of whom were close in the pollswhile delivering to Alaskas Lisa Murkowski, who voted to impeach Trump and is anathema to much of the GOP rank-and-file.

Cruz did not respond to this either. Perhaps it was the wrong time and place.

In any case, the evening ended well, even with this sign of discontent, as many accepted Cruzs invitation to sign his Take Back America tour bus and have their names displayed across the country.

The next morning I drove up to Westhaven, a Norman Rockwell-like community outside Franklin, to visit a weekly mens group I had been meaning to attend consisting of conservative activists of a certain age for the book I am writing about the internal refugees from blue states to red.

They were engaging and knowledgeable folks, most of whom were immigrants from California and New York, and other places looking for red state freedom in Tennessee, sometimes successfully and sometimes not.

Several had attended the Jamison Theatre event the previous night and agreed it was generally fine but also left something to be desired.

I recognized one of the men as having been positioned close to me near the front.

I was the one who called out Mitch McConnell, he said proudly.

As a nonpartisan public charity, The Epoch Times does not endorse these statements and takes no position on political candidates.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, on Oct. 28, 2022. (Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/Handout via Reuters)

Russia Announces Completion of Call-Up for Ukraine

FRONTLINES NORTH OF KHERSON, UkraineRussia announced on Friday it was finished calling up reservists to fight in Ukraine, having drafted 300,000 people in a month, with more than a quarter of them already sent to the battlefield.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was shown on state television informing President Vladimir Putin that 82,000 reservists were now deployed in the conflict zone and another 218,000 had entered training.

The task set by you of (mobilizing) 300,000 people has been completed. No further measures are planned, Shoigu said.

Putin had ordered the partial mobilisation last month after his forces suffered setbacks on the battlefield.

Authorities have acknowledged some mistakes in drafting in some people who were too old or unfit, but said they would be resolved.

Putin ordered the call-up in September at the same time as he endorsed plans to annex Ukrainian lands.

Western military analysts have said the call-up could help ease Moscows shortages of manpower along the 1,000-km (600-mile) front line, but the military value of the draft will depend on whether Moscow can properly equip and train the reservists.

One of the wars most consequential battles is now looming in the south, with Ukrainian forces having advanced this month towards Kherson.

The city sits at the mouth of the wide Dnipro River that bisects Ukraine, and the surrounding region controls land approaches and water supply to Crimea.

The Ukrainian advance appears to have slowed in recent days, however, with Kyiv blaming poor weather and tough terrain.

The enemy troops dug into muddy trench lines north of the city exchanged rocket, mortar, and artillery fire.

Ukrainian soldiers manning a 120 mm mortar hidden in bushes loosed high explosive rounds in thundering bursts of flame at Russian positions around a grain silo less than a kilometer away.

Russia has ordered civilians out of a pocket of land it controls on the west bank of the Dnipro River, which includes Kherson city. Kyiv says the evacuation of the area is cover for a forcible deportation of civilians by Russian forces, which Moscow denies.

Sergey Aksyonov, the leader of neighboring Crimea, under Russian control since 2014, said work had been completed on moving residents seeking to flee Kherson to regions of Russia ahead of Ukraines expected counter-offensive.

Ukraines general staff said hospital and business equipment was being removed from the area, while extra Russian forces were being deployed in empty homes.

By Jonathan Landay
Undated handout photo of the NKT Victoria laying underwater cables off the coast of Caithness, Scotland. (Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks)

Russians More Likely to Tap Cables Than Cut Them: UK Defence Analyst

Undersea cables to Shetland Islands have been damaged twice

A British defence analyst says the recent damage to an undersea telecommunications cable off the coast of Scotland is unlikely to have been carried out by the Russians, who are more likely to be fitting devices that would extract information.

Extra police officers were sent to the Shetland islands after an undersea telecommunications cable was damaged twice, leaving residents without phone and internet connections until it could be repaired a few days later.

Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described the situation as very serious.

But Tim Ripley, a defence analyst and author of Little Green Men: The Inside Story of Russias New Military Power, said he doubted the Russians were responsible and said, pure sabotage can be self-defeating.

He said: If you cut all these cables what purpose does it serve? It might give you instant gratification but your crimes become public. But tapping them and using the information to give yourself a significant advantage is the way they work.

Ripley said: There are two schools of thought. One is that you want to cut cables to isolate countries from the internet but there is also a view that its better to monitor them and gain intelligence so you can work out what they are doing and plant false information and that is a more sophisticated intelligence operation.

He told The Epoch Times, Going by the behaviour of the Russian and Chinese intelligence agencies that is the way they would operate.

This is not a new phenomenon. In the First World War the British and Germans were tapping each others cables. It was easier in those days because they were just copper wires and the messages were a lot simpler, said Ripley.

Five years ago Rishi Sunakwho became Prime Minister this weekauthored a report for the Policy Exchange think-tank which referred to undersea cables as indispensable yet insecure internet infrastructure.

The report said 97 percent of global communications, and an estimated $10 trillion of daily transactions, relied on undersea cables, rather than satellites.

Existential Threat to Our Security

Sunak wrote at the time: A successful attack on the UKs undersea cable infrastructure would be an existential threat to our security. Yet the exact locations of these cables are both isolated and publicly availablejugulars of the world economy which are a singularly attractive target for our enemies.

He added: As we debate our future defence priorities, protecting the freedom of the seas and all the lanes of communication on and under them is paramount. Britain and our NATO allies must ensure that our maritime capabilities get the investment they need.

Sunak now leads a government that is planning to beef up the way Britain defends the undersea infrastructure from attack from hostile powers, especially Russia.

Chinas HSU001 underwater drones are seen during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2019. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)

Earlier this month, at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced a commitment to procure two specialist ships to patrol and protect undersea cables.

Wallaces speech came days after the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic were sabotaged.

Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said claims Moscow was to blame for the sabotage was predictably stupid but he said, This looks like some kind of terrorist act, possibly at the state level.

Wallace said by the end of 2022 the Royal Navy would purchase a multi-role survey ship for seabed warfare which would be kitted out and fully operational by the end of 2023.

The second ship would be built from scratch at a British shipyard but might not be operational for several years.

Ripley explained: The first one will be leased from the oil industry, it will be a converted oil industry support ship. The second one could take several years to build, it depends if they want it to have bells and whistles.'

He said the ships would be kitted out with cranes so they could drop underwater dronesknown as unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs)which could reach the bottom of the North Atlantic and check the cables for damage or tampering.

Ripley said minesweepers were currently doing that job but they are designed to operate only in coastal waters, rather than out in mid-ocean.

Ripley said, There is a huge need nowadays to monitor the seabed to make sure these cables have not been interfered with or something has not been placed next to them which might detonate at a later date.

Russians Equipped With James Bond-Style Vessels

He said: The Russians have got ships with James Bond-style moon pools. These are hulls in the bottom of a vessel which allow underwater drones to be launched in secret.

Ripley said: They have converted two nuclear-powered ballistic submarines into them. They took the missile tubes out and created a launch bay for UUVs. That is why everyone has twitched.

Russias President Vladimir Putin, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, and Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Nikolai Yevmenov attend the Navy Day parade in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on July 25, 2021. (Sputnik/Aleksey Nikolskyi/Kremlin via Reuters)

He said the Russians have a number of underwater survey ships which are capable of cutting cables and pipelines, but he said: If you commit an act of sabotage on a pipeline or a cable you dont want your fingerprints on it. If your underwater survey ships passes over a pipeline and it then leaks or is cut, everybody knows you are responsible. But if you plant a device and two years later it detonates, youre in the clear.

Ripley said Britain and America controlled most of the internet infrastructure on land so they had little need to sabotage it underwater, but he said that does not mean they were entirely innocent.

In 2018 Belgian prosecutors claimed, that between 2011 and 2013, GCHQ had hacked into the telecoms giant Belgacom on the order of British government ministers.

Ripley said: GCHQ was found with its fingers in the cookie jar. The Belgian authorities accused them of unauthorised interference with the internet infrastructure in Belgium. They were allegedly trying to monitor jihadis in Belgium.
Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud, speaks at the Future Investment Initiative conference, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 25, 2022. (Ahmed Yosri/Reuters)

Saudi Blasts Release of US Oil Reserves as an Attempt to Manipulate Markets

The Saudi Arabian energy minister indirectly slammed the decision by the Biden administration to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) as an attempt to manipulate markets.

This is the latest spat between Riyadh and Washington over crude production.

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman did not directly mention President Joe Biden over the tapping of the U.S. emergency oil stocks, according to a story in the Agence France-Presse.

However, the prince did refer to the recent move by the Biden administration to drain another 15 million barrels from the SPR onto the market through December, which will be expensive to replace.

Back in late March, the White House announced a plan to release 1 million barrels of oil per day from the reserve for the next 180 days.

The reserve once held more than 640 million barrels, according to Forbes, but it has since been depleted to below 260 million barrels, its lowest level since 1984,

People are depleting their emergency stocks, had depleted it, used it as a mechanism to manipulate markets while its profound purpose was to mitigate shortage of supply, Prince bin Salman told investors in Riyadh on Oct. 25, according to AFP. However, it is my profound duty to make it clear to the world that losing emergency stock may become painful in the months to come. Biden and Americas Oil Crisis

The release was the final portion of a program to release 180 million barrels of oil in response to an energy crisis caused by Russias invasion of Ukraine and the administrations own green energy policies.

Since Biden took office, his administration has virtually declared war on the domestic fossil fuel industry to fight climate change.

Drilling and exploration in U.S. territory has slowed, while new regulations and the cancellation of the Keystone Pipeline have made the United States once again dependent on foreign imports.

The United States has reverted from net exporting its vast reserves of fossil fuels to net importing, while recklessly draining its strategic petroleum reserves, leaving the country vulnerable in a real crisis, Michael Wilkerson, a strategic advisor and investor, told The Epoch Times.

Bidens critics have also slammed his move to tap oil from the critically depleted SPR before the midterm elections, characterized as a cynical political move.

It is unacceptable for the Biden administration to use our emergency oil reserves as a political tool to temporarily lower gas prices ahead of the election, wrote Rick Perry, a former energy secretary and Texas governor, in a FOX News opinion column.

At every turn, this administration has chosen to undermine and impede American energy production. Biden has favored buying foreign oil over working with American companies here at home, and has chosen short-term solutions, like depleting the SPR or pleading with OPEC, over long-lasting change, blasted Perry.

Relations between Washington and the worlds largest crude exporter have been strained since Biden took office.

The Saudis Anger Washington Over Moscow

The latest play by the Biden White House comes after a decision in early October by the Saudi-led cartel to cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day from November.

President Biden had privately urged the Saudi crown prince to wait until after the midterms to cut oil production, according to a Wall Street Journal report, and warned him that rejecting the offer would be a clear sign of siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The United States and its allies have been putting pressure on countries around the world to cut ties and trade relations with Russia, in an effort to isolate it over its invasion of Ukraine.

The Saudis, along with other key oil exporters, have decided to stick with Moscow, even at the expense of their ties with Washington.

The crown prince has even cozied up to Putin and Xi Jinping, as ties between the Gulf State kingdom and the United States become increasingly frigid.

OPECs move this month surprised the administration, which accused the Saudis of aligning with Russia over its longstanding American ally.

Prince Abdulaziz hit back against that assessment at the Riyadh summit.

I keep listening, are you with us or against us? Is there any room for, We are for Saudi Arabia and for the people of Saudi Arabia?

I think we as Saudi Arabia decided to be the maturer guys and let the dice fall, when asked by AFP about improving relations with Washington.

Members of the Washington establishment have proposed retaliatory measures against the Saudis, such as new legislation to punish them and their fellow OPEC members for alleged price fixing.

A bill called No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act (NOPEC) has been floating around on Capitol Hill, with some bipartisan support, according to The New York Times.

The Group of Seven nations are also planning to cap Russian oil sales at an enforced low price, which has angered Riyadh.

Saudis Attempt to Diversify Away From Oil Exports

Hundreds of CEOs and investors are in the Saudi capital for the three-day Future Investment Initiative (FII), a World Economic Forum- style conference created to illustrate the kingdoms geopolitical strength.

The FII, also known as Davos in the Desert, was launched in 2017 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to entice foreign investment, as the desert nation attempts to diversify away from its revenue-dependency on crude exports.

Nearly 400 American CEOs are expected to participate, but in an ominous sign, no representatives from the U.S. government were invited, unlike in years past, according to AFP.

The United States, while simultaneously begging bankrupt and decrepit Venezuela for help, will still have to buy oil from the Saudis for the foreseeable future. And the Saudis will happily sell it, but on their terms. In less than two years, the United States has gone from being a price-setter to a cap-in-hand price-taker. We have absolutely no leverage, and OPEC knows it, said Wilkerson.

Meanwhile, at the summit, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon remarked to AFP about his optimism regarding future ties between Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Saudi Arabia and the United States have been allies for the last 75 years. .. Theyll work it through, and that these countries will remain allies going forward.
Save Our Democracy Is the New Russia Collusion

Commentary

At this point, it would save everyone time if Democrats could simply point to a policy agenda item that isnt going to save democracyif such a thing exists.

If Republicans vote, they are killing democracy. If they dont vote, they are killing democracy. The only way to save democracy, writes The Washington Posts Max Boot, is to empower one-party rulea position that probably sounds counterintuitive to anyone with a middle-school education.

Now you need to vote to literally save democracy once again, contends President Joe Biden, or we will lose our fundamental rights and freedoms like the right to choose, the right to privacy, the right to voteour very democracy.

Chilling stuff. But it doesnt end there. You will remember that by failing to reform the filibuster, which would entail authorizing the thinnest of fleeting majorities to shove through massive generational reforms without any national consensus or debate, we are also killing democracy. This has been the position not only of left-wing pundits and The New York Times editorial board but also senators tasked with defending their institution. I wonder if they will support this democracy-saving fix next session, as well?

Then again, if we dont nationalize the economy to avert a climate crisis, we are also killing democracy.

Weve got to save democracy in order to save our species, Jamie Raskin explains. And if we dont empty the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to temporarily keep gas prices low to help Democrats win in 2022, we are killing democracy. We find ourselves in a situation where keeping gas prices low is key to preserving and strengthening the future of our democracy, MSNBCs Chris Hayes says.

We must allow the president to unilaterally create trillion-dollar spending bills and break existing private sector contracts by fiat. For democracy. We must pack the court to save democracy. We must create a Ministry of Truth to help with strengthening democratic institutions. We must vote for a Pennsylvania candidate who cant cobble two consecutive coherent sentences together because the fate of our democracy is at stake, says our former President Barack Obama.

If the Supreme Court empowers the public to vote on an issue like abortion, unmentioned anywhere in the Constitution, it is degrading our democracy. If the court protects rights that are explicitly mentioned in the Constitution from the vagaries of the political process, it is also undermining democracywhich is convenient.

The only way to save democracy is to allow one party (guess which one?) to federalize elections so they can compel states to count mail-in votes that arrive 10 days late, legalize ballot harvesting, force the overturning of dozens of existing voter ID laws, allow felons to vote, create onerous burdens to chill speech, and empower bureaucrats to redraw congressional districts. Otherwise well, you know.

Youll remember last year, when left-wingers were arguing that Mike Pences support for basic voting IDbacked by around 80 percent of the American public and implemented in virtually every free nationheralded a permanent authoritarian rule. President Biden called Georgias moderate voter law odious, pernicious, vicious, unconscionable, a subversion and suppression, the 21st-century Jim Crow and the sure sign of an emerging autocracy. In 2022, early voting in Georgia is shattering records.

Then, of course, there are the nefarious election deniers. You know, The Big Lie? If Democrats believed election denial was an existential threat to American democracy, they probably wouldnt be perennially engaging in it. The American left hasnt accepted the legitimacy of a Republican presidential election win since 1988. Democrats save democracy by pumping millions into the primary campaigns of election-denying Republicans to try and set up a more favorable general election.

Just last week, Hillary Clinton, one of numerous prominent Democrats who wouldnt accept the legitimacy of the 2016 presidential election, claimed that right-wing extremists already have a plan to literally steal the next presidential election. This is the kind of preemptive election denialism Democrats have been engaged in for nearly two decades. Democrats dont lose elections; they are victims of gerrymandering or voter suppression or structural problems or too much free speech or Fox News or Russian gremlins.

Beginning in 2016, the Democratic Party descended into the politics of hystericism. It began with a mind-bending tale of a second-rate power stealing our democracy with a few Facebook ads and a Manchurian candidate. The collective psychotic break that followed was bolstered by an unethical political media and a corrupt investigation into the president that was predicated on an opposition-research document filled with fictions, distortions, and Russian disinformation. Democrats wanted to cripple the president. They succeeded.

Since then, a large swath of the left has become so reliant on infantile fearmongering that they seem incapable of debating any issues or dealing with the reality of an opposition party. When theyre not slandering political opponents as (semi-)fascists or racists or misogynists or homophobes or transphobes or death cultists, theyre engaging in cloistered pseudointellectual debate-club discussions on saving democracy.

Democrats, who have spent years delegitimizing the Supreme Court and rule of law, undermining legislative norms, cheering on unprecedented and blatant executive abuses and using the DOJ to target their political enemies, among other democracy-destroying behaviors, do not occupy any high moral ground. And while democracy was once just a transparently silly euphemism for stuff we want, it has since evolved into a rhetorical device that denotes a decisively illiberal mindset.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A view of the Hume Weir at sunrise in Albury on February 23, 2007. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Secret Water Buyback Fund Criticised by Australias Farm Groups

Australian farm groups have criticised the Albanese governments opaque water buyback plan saying the move is cause for concern for communities along the Murray-Darling Basin.

This follows the release of the recent federal budget (pdf) in which funding allocations to meet water-saving targets for the Murray-Darling Basin were undisclosed due to commercial sensitivities.

Communities are nervous about the governments approach to this issue, and the number concealed in the budget will send a shiver down their spine, National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson said, reported the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Water buybacks have been a controversial issue since the Murray Darling Basin Plan was legislated in 2012, with Victoria, New South Wales (NSW), the federal opposition, National Farmers Federation and the National Irrigators Council staunchly against the move.

While the budget states that the financial implications to the Labor governments Murray-Darling Basin were undisclosed, it has been reported that the funding could be used by the Commonwealth to purchase water from farmers.

Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek has previously said that voluntary buybacks are on the table in relation to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, which Plibersek has also hinted at extending. She said the 2024 deadline in delivering the 450 gigalitres, through efficiency measures, in full by June 2024 was next to impossible.

Since the plan was legislated in 2012, more than 2,100 gigalitres of water have been relocated back into the environment. Under the plan, the basin states agreed to remove 2,750 gigalitres of water from irrigated agriculture and relocate that back into the basin by 2024.

These have mostly come from infrastructure upgrades and water buybacks.

Support and Opposition for Buybacks

At the same time, South Australian Labor Water Minister Susan Close and South Australia Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young have both voiced support for the water buybacks.

For the first time, South Australia can feel some confidence that were finally going to get the plan delivered, Close said.

Hanson-Young said that if license holders have water to sell, then they should be allowed to.

However, NSW Irrigators Councils chief executive Claire Miller said water prices could soar if the Commonwealth were to enter the market.

Miller added that water buybacks were triggering for basin communities and farmers, as it is a reminder of what occurred in 2009 and 2012, where the government just rode roughshod over the communities to buy back water.

In 2008, then-water minister Penny Wong announced the federal governments $50 million allocation to purchase water from irrigators, which was a downpayment on the future of the Murray River and a first in the nations history, reported the ABC.

However, there were community concerns over job losses due to the departments choice to purchase water of the best value. Then from 2015, direct negotiation between the department and entitlement holders was utilised.

In reference to the recent budget allocation, Plibersek said that action backed by spending is urgently needed to get the plan back on track.

The budget also states that measures to meet the environmental water-saving target would be partially offset by redirecting funding from within the Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water portfolio.

Meanwhile, an independent report by Water for the Environment Special Account (WESA) (pdf) has found that up to $10.8 billion could be spent to meet the 450 gigalitre target if the 2024 deadline was removed.
Visitors pass tulips at the world-renowned Dutch flower garden Keukenhof, in Lisse, Netherlands, on April 12, 2022. (Peter Dejong/AP Photo)

The Netherlands Investigates Two Chinese Police Stations Operating Illegally in the Country

The Dutch government is investigating at least two undercover Chinese police stations operating in the Netherlands in violation of its sovereignty, said the Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson.

According to a recent publication (pdf) by the human rights NGO, Safeguard Defenders, overseas Chinese police service stations, or 110 Overseas, are found in dozens of countries across five continents.

In the Netherlands, one Chinese service station was located in Rotterdam by the Fuzhou public security department, and the other in Amsterdam by the Qingtian County police.

Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Maxime Hovenkamp said, Officially we take it seriously, and the Chinese government didnt inform the Netherlands of the stations via diplomatic channels, in a telephone interview with the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times on Oct. 26.

The Dutch government is investigating the purpose and the work of the stations before appropriate action is taken, according to Hovenkamp.

She emphasized, So lets make it per definitionThats illegal.

So far, at least four countries, including Canada and Spain, are probing offices operated by Chinese law enforcement agencies in their territories, said the human rights NGO, Safeguard Defenders.

Threat to Dissidents

Chinese dissident Wang Jingyu who took refuge in the Netherlands has first-hand experience with the 110 Overseas.

In February, someone from the Rotterdam service center volunteered to provide aid for him and asked him to meet at the Rotterdam Centraal railway station.

He was suspicious about the intention and rejected the idea. Since then, hes been receiving harassing calls constantly, he told The Epoch Times on the 25th.

Wang Jingyu, a Chinese dissident in exile in the Netherlands. (Provided by Wang Jingyu)

He said, I thought I was safe here, but theyve been following me everywhere.

He explained that the Chinese embassy made a false bombing threat about him to the Dutch police who later identified the threat as a false claim. The incident was previously confirmed by two Dutch media, RTL Nieuws and Follow the Money.

Hovenkamp told The Epoch Times that the Dutch police and the Ministry of Justice are investigating the issue, but she does not have the details to cover.

The Service Station in Rotterdam

Recently, a resident of Amsterdam was informed of a Chinese police station in Rotterdam.

Zhang Yanhua, a Chinese national and also a Falun Gong adherent in Amsterdam, was on her mission to raise awareness of the regimes persecution campaign against Falun Gong, a cultivation rooted in ancient Chinese history and culture, to tourists at the Dam Square.

A man approached her and spoke of the Chinese service station in Rotterdam, Zhang told The Epoch Times on Oct. 26.

He warned that theres a Chinese service station in Rotterdam and they work to persuade overseas dissidents with deceptive rhetoric and convince them to go back to China; consequently, some of them could not return to the Netherlands, Zhang recalled.

The man explained to Zhang he just left Hong Kong because of the loss of freedom in Hong Kong.

Zhang said the man emphasized that those who work in the service station are all Chinese police, but they came with a different affiliation.

Mr. Zhao, a Chinese national studying toward a doctoral degree in the Netherlands, told The Epoch Times on Oct. 27 that hes aware of the agency. At one point in time, he was hoping to renew his Chinese ID card through the service station in Rotterdam. But, he was informed that the service was limited to Chinese people native to Fuzhou.

Considering the huge cost to set up police stations around the world, he is suspicious of the true intention behind the setup of these overseas stations when the service is so limited.

The picture shows the overseas service station by the Fuzhou Public Security Bureau in Rotterdam on Oct. 26, 2022. It is located in an apartment at Van der Sluysstraat 370. The service station has no signs but is publicized to be directly connected to the Fuzhou police. (The Epoch Times)

Regimes Denial

In a press conference on Oct. 26, Agence France-Presse (AFP) posed a question about the two illegal police stations in the Netherlands to the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.

Wang said that the overseas police stations are overseas Chinese service centers, with the purpose to help overseas Chinese nationals renew their driving licenses and receive physical examinations; a solution during the time of the pandemic.

The Epoch Times could not reach the Chinese service center in Rotterdam for a comment. The Chinese embassy in the Netherlands avoided discussing the issue, saying that it only provides assistance to Chinese people in need. Calls to the political section and the secretary of the ambassador went unanswered.

Trans-national Policing

According to Safeguard Defenders report, the two Chinese service stations in the Netherlands were dispatched from Fuzhou and Qingtian.

Fuzhou is a city in Fujian, a province on the southeastern coast of China. The Fuzhou public security sector launched the first 110 Overseas of the province in January 2022, according to Chinese state media reports.

By January 2022, Fuzhou police had established 30 overseas service centers, including the one in Rotterdam. The service center is allegedly located in an apartment building at Van der Sluysstraat 370, Rotterdam.

In Amsterdam, the service station was created by the public security bureau at Qingtian County of Lishui City. As of February 2021, it claimed to have established 46 stations in 39 cities across 29 countries since 2018, according to Chinese state media reports.

A Chinese report in January 2020 revealed that the service station in Madrid, Spain, successfully convinced a Chinese suspect to return to Qingtian County.

In August 2022, the regimes mouthpiece CCTV claimed that between April 2021 and July 2022, the overseas police had successfully returned 230,000 fraud suspects back to China through alleged persuasion, without providing any further detail.

Li Yan contributed to this article.
The Rise of the Biomedical Security State

This essay is adapted from the forthcoming book, The New Abnormal: The Rise of the Biomedical Security State (Regnery Publishing, Nov. 1).

History doesnt repeat itself, said Mark Twain, but it often rhymes. This is among the reasons we look to the past, straining as best we can through the deepening fog of time to discern lessons for our own day. Analogies to the events that came before are always imperfect, but nevertheless often useful for understanding our present moment. Thus, only a historical myopia can explain why its become so common to describe the events involving the COVID pandemic as unprecedented, even though pandemics have tended to occur every hundred years or so. This nearsightedness is also perilous given, for instance, the World Economic Forums Great Reset Initiative and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations recent pledge to spend $200 million on developing international biometric-based digital identifications.

Consider prior regimes for which the pretext of public safety during an emergency paved the way for excessive state-sanctioned powers and to, in some cases, totalitarianism. Going back centuries, whenever the Roman Republic faced an acute existential threat, such as an invading army, the Senate would appoint a dictator with immense and far-reaching authority. Over a period of three-hundred years, dictators were appointed on ninety-five occasions. Upon termination of the crisis, each was required to quickly relinquish their authority. And they did so every timeexcept once, and that marked the beginning of imperial overstretch, and, ultimately, the collapse of the Roman Republic.

We should also recall that it was the unabashedly named Committee of Public Safety that carried out the French Revolutions infamous Reign of Terror. Now I recognize that almost anyone who draws an analogy to the Third Reich is met with the charge of hyperbole. But one would be remiss not to mention Nazi Germany when specifically discussing historical cases of state-sanctioned authoritarian power being used in the name of public safety. It remains a sobering, instructive, and undeniable fact that Nazi Germany was governed for virtually the entirety of its existence under Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution, which allowed for the suspension of German law in times of an emergency.

If these historical examples seem alarmist, consider that Australia rounded up citizens exposed to COVID, including asymptomatic people, and shipped them to detention facilities against their will. Videos of Australian detention centers made their way onto social media before tech censors dutifully scrubbed them from the internet. Canada likewise built detention facilities for infected and exposed persons.

Authoritarian measures during the pandemic went beyond detention of suspected or actual cases. The Medical Indemnity Protection Society (MIPS) is the singular authority for providing medical malpractice insurance in Australia. MIPS published 12 Commandments to help physicians avoid disciplinary notifications by the countrys governing agency. MIPS Commandment #9 ominously warns Australian doctors that mentioning findings of a published scientific study not consistent with public health messaging could potentially result in them losing their ability to practice medicine.

Likewise, in the United States, the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), an authority on medical licensure and physician discipline, passed a policy in May 2022 on disciplining physicians for misinformation and disinformation that will guide all state medical boards and, in turn, the nations physicians they license. It might even become state law. Stunningly, the very first example of non-compliance cited involves the FSMBs Oct. 6, 2020 assertion about the efficacy of cloth masksan assertion later shown to be false. If the FSMB genuinely wanted to combat falsehoods, it would start by addressing the ones it promulgated during the pandemic. It could then move on to those disseminated by our public health authorities, who routinely flip-flopped on The Science.

My home state, California, took up the FSMBs suggestion to codify its recommendations. I recently traveled to Sacramento to testify against this legislation in the State Senate. The law empowers the state medical board to discipline physicians for spreading misinformation, defined as statements that contradict the current scientific consensus (an ill-defined legal standard). Undermining its own central claims, the text of Assembly Bill 2098 made multiple statements about COVID that were already outdated by the time I arrived in the capital, becausedespite what our bureaucratic overlords positscience constantly evolves. Alas, the controversial bill was ultimately voted into law last month, passing strictly along party lines.

Fortunately, biomedical authoritarianism is meeting additional resistance. Both physicians and patients in California oppose AB 2098 because they recognize that a doctor with a gag order is not a doctor that can be trusted. They also understand that censorship is anathema to scientific progress. Along with other physicians in California, I will soon file a lawsuit in federal court challenging AB 2098 on First Amendment free-speech grounds. I am confident that this lawwhich undermines the medical-informed consent process, and, ultimately, harms patientswill not withstand judicial scrutiny. The burgeoning grassroots medical-freedom movement constitutes the necessary corrective to what has with frightening rapidity become the new abnormal.

From RealClearWire

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The Success of Norwegian Prison Systems

The Norwegian prison system is highly effective at rehabilitating offenders, with the country achieving one of the lowest recidivism rates globally.

Norwegian Correctional Services employ a prison system that is quite different to a lot of countries, emphasizing the future reintegration of prisoners and emphasising measures to ensure a smooth transition back into society.

In Norway, according to the University College of Norwegian Correctional Services, recidivism rates were down to 15 percent of offenders committing a new offence within two years of release in 2017. Comparatively, in Australia, during 2020-21, 45.1 percent of offenders who left the system in 2018-19 returned to jail within two years of release, and in the U.S. 44 percent of offenders were arrested within a year of release in 2018.

Success of Prisoner Rehabilitation in Norway

Criminologist and senior research fellow from the Australian National University Clarke Jones, PhD, told The Epoch Times that in Norway, offenders are allowed out to work during the day and can usually maintain employment. He said that they still have to return and be locked away at night, but their main contact with society is maintained.

However, the Senior Advisor of the Directorate for Norwegian Correctional Services Communication staff, Marianne Endresen said, in an email to the Epoch Times, that this is more the exception than the rule.

Maintaining the opportunity to go to work during the sentence can exceptionally be granted if the sentence is served in a prison with a low security level or you have been given permission to complete the sentence with electronic monitoring, Endresen said,

Inmates in Norwegian prisons therefore usually do not have the opportunity to leave the prison area to continue their work outside the prison, and it is almost never possible if you are serving time in a high-security prison.

But within the prison walls, the Correctional Service wants to offer the opportunity for relevant work training, such as carpentry, mechanics, hairdressing, music production etc as part of the rehabilitation process.

Jones said that offenders in Norway are still at a loss of liberty, and they are punished through this loss of liberty as well as through the offense being put on their record, but they maintain their connection to society, which is crucial.

The punishment is the restriction of liberty only, said Endresen. She said that offenders maintain the same rights as every citizen that lives in Norway.

Endresen said that the vision of the Norwegian Correctional Service is Punishment that makes a difference. She said that the services social mission is to execute remand in custodyimprisonment until bail hearing, trial sentencing, etc. and penal sanctionscriminal punishment in a manner that satisfies society and stops criminal offences.

A system must be in place that allows offenders to change their pattern of criminal behaviour, Endresen said.

For the individual, execution of the sentence can result in changes to various factors, such as negative behaviour, patterns of behaviour, attitudes and mindset. The change will have positive consequences for the convicted person.

Jones said that offenders in Norway are also allowed intimate contact with their romantic partners, and the same is true for inmates in the Philippines, who are permitted conjugal visits. He said that this allowance has a great bearing on the level of tension within a prison.

Norway still has high security facilities for offenders that are problematic to themselves, or a danger to staff or a danger to other offenders. So, they still recognize that some offenders are very difficult to deal with.

But in general, thats a very open prison system. And I think thats highly successful and thats reflected in the low recidivism rates, he said.

Rates of Recidivism

Endresen said that it should be noted that the topic of recidivism is controversial since method choices and variables may majorly impact the result.

The fact that different countries have different approaches to some types of crimes will also have impact on the recidivism rate, she said.

For example, in some jurisdictions it is common to be incarcerated for speeding, while other countries will convict the offender to for example community sentence or home detention with or without electronic monitoring.

A general view of barb wire at the former Reading prison building in Reading, England on Sept. 1, 2016. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

The Principle of Normality

Endresen said that the principle of normality conveys that life in prison should resemble the persons life outside as much as possible.

Offenders are seen as citizens, with the same individual rights as other citizens except the right to liberty, he said.

Thus, inmates retain right of access to society in terms of voting rights, media access, organizational rights; access to public services like health, school, social benefits, etc.

This also includes the right to execute basic elements of a private life in terms of family life and religion.

Endresen said that the possibility to implement the principle of normality is of course limited by security reasons, order in the institution, and personnel, infrastructural and financial resources, but the basic principle is there. She said that any derivation from the principle would need to be based on argumentation.

You need a reason to deny a sentenced offender his rights, not to grant them.

Endresen said that the principle of normality could also be appreciated as a measure to ensure safer release. She said that it should be easier for offenders to transition from imprisonment to freedom, when there is a smaller difference between life inside and outside of prison.

In accordance with the principle of normality, progression through a sentence should be aimed as much as possible at returning to the community. The more closed a system is, the harder it will be to return to freedom, she said.

She noted that the offender will gradually proceed towards release from high security prisons to lower-security prisons and possibly through halfway houses.

Release on license is stimulated and the Correctional Service will use their discretionary powers to arrange for a process where serving the sentence is adjusted to individual risks, needs and resources.

Endresen said that the principle of normality supports executing sentences with a humane approach. She said that the penalty would be felt as a penalty, but it will be executed in a way that reduces the negative impact that incarceration can have.

The principle of normality has had a broad political support in Norway, under different governments.

Import Model

Endresen said that the Norwegian Correctional Service is designed around the import model.

This means that prisons do not have their own staff delivering, for example clerical, medical, educational, employment, social or library services. These services are imported from the local community, she said.

For example: Teachers who teach in prisons are paid and hired by the local school authorities, not the Correctional Service.

The responsibility of the Correctional Service in providing these types of services is regulated through the Execution of Sentences Act  4 (Administrative cooperation).

Endresen said that based on the import model, the authorities, which help people outside of prisons, are also responsible for helping the people inside of prisons.

When an inmate is released, the responsibility of the Correctional Service is transferred to the municipality in which the person lives.

The import model ensures a better continuity in the deliverance of services, as the offender will have had the opportunity to establish contact with the relevant institutions during his time in prison.

As a general notion, the Correctional Service in many ways is a mirror of society as such. The close cooperation with public service providers is possible due to the public welfare model in Norway.

A general view of barb wire at the former Reading prison building in Reading, England on Sept. 1, 2016. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Importance of Maintaining Identity

Clarke said that one of the things that he noticed in Norwegian prison systems is the preservation of a persons sense of identity when they go inside a system.

He said that rehabilitation is more successful when prisoners can maintain family contact or contact with their own children and when its not the shock and awe of going into a system.

When we incarcerate in Australia or in the US, you go in, youre stripped of identity, you become a number, youre thrown into a cell, and youre not released, Clarke said.

Its very hard to see your family, very hard to move, remain in contact with your family. Youre left idle with very little to do. Youre not really kept occupied. Its a very, very boring and mindless thing to have to be incarcerated.

I dont mean we should get offenders comfy couches and cushions and flat screen TVs, he said. But the environment in which theyre in will determine the success of the type of regime or the type of prison or jail regime.

Maintaining a Sense of Community

Clarke said that maintaining a sense of community, keeps inmates active inside and helps them learn new trades and skills, so that when they are released, they are more likely or able to reintegrate into society and get a job.

He said that in Norway offenders are allowed back out into society and of course, if they do the wrong thing, then they are be punished accordingly, but inmates are given a level of trust.

They maintain their identity, they maintain their occupation, not always but mostly they maintain an occupation and once again, they maintain that family contact.

He said that there is also a level of community tolerance because the community understands that with this incarceration model, people are still safe.

Obviously, serial sex offenders will be dealt with differently. They would have to undergo, I would imagine, fairly intensive type programs and those sorts of situations.

So, they still address those serious offenders, but theres less use of incarceration than what we would have in a lot of the western systems.

A general view through the bars of Birmingham Prison in Winson Green in Birmingham, England, on Aug. 20, 2018. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Security

Endresen said that the security recipe used by the Norwegian Correctional Service consists of constantly progressing, fixed, and organizational means. She said that the service puts a lot of emphasis on properly training their staff, with recruits undergoing a two-year education, in which consciousness about ethics, values and attitudes plays a central role.

Establishing a respectful relation to the inmates is also basic for the risk assessment and is part of the dynamic security of the prison. Compared to many other countries, we also have a high ratio of staff.

Every inmate in a Norwegian prison is assigned a contact officer, who will have a special responsibility for guiding and advising that particular inmate.

Endresen said that its important to note that the concept of reintegration is present throughout the sentence. Therefore, the highly qualified prison officers, workshop overseers, reintegration coordinators and probation office staff etc. all play an important role in the process of reintegration.

It is important to note, however that dynamic security alone is not sufficient to ensure a healthy and safe prison environment.

Dynamic security must be backed by a serious disciplinary code for dealing with bad behavior, and sanctions must be a part of the system.

The Norwegian Correctional Service considers each case individually and takes into account a number of factors.

Endresen said that when a convicted person arrives at the prison, its pertinent to consider the nature of the offence, the sentence length, previously committed crimes, behaviour during previous imprisonment and other apt information.

Similar evaluations are also carried out in several other contexts, for example, in relation to leave, release on parole, escorted leave etc,  she said.

Rehabilitation Programs

Endresen said that the Norwegian Correctional Service offers a wide range of programs with themes such as substance abuse, violence, mental health, everyday skills, and family and relationships.

We have programs specifically designed for women or men, but none specifically designed for young adults. But the programs are designed in such a way that you can benefit from them regardless of age.

She said that offenders also have the opportunity to study and that in every prison in Norway, its possible to attend education and other activities.

Inmates have the same rights to education and training as other Norwegian citizens.

Endresen said that convicted individuals have a duty to actively participate during the execution of a sentence and special criminal sanctions.

The duty to take an active part may include work, service beneficial to the community, training, programmes or other measures that are likely to counteract new criminality.

She said that this duty doesnt apply to individuals remanded in custody and may cease in the event of illness or disability.

The Country Governor in Vestland holds the position as the national executive agency for education and training of persons that are under the supervision of the criminal services.

Endresen said that the county authorities are academically and administratively responsible for supplying education in prisons, while the local upper secondary schools are practically responsible for teaching the prisoners.
Tesla head Elon Musk (L) talks to the press near Berlin on Sept. 3, 2020. Former U.S. President Donald Trump (R) arrives to give remarks during a Save America Rally in Illinois on June 25, 2022. (Maja Hitij/Getty Images; Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)

Trump Says Twitter Now in Sane Hands, Doesnt Commit to Going Back

Former President Trump on Friday praised Elon Musks acquisition of Twitter but did not say whether he would use the platform again.

I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands, and will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs that truly hate our country, Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday morning. Twitter must now work hard to rid itself of all of the bots and fake accounts that have hurt it so badly. It will be much smaller, but better. I LOVE TRUTH!

His post did not say if he would join Twitter if Musk decides to lift a ban on the former presidents account in January 2021. Twitter content moderators alleged that Trump violated its policies for his comments around the Jan. 6 Capitol breach.

After Musk announced he would buy the platform, Trump told news outlets that he would not rejoin and would prefer to stay on Truth Social, his own social media company. However, some lawmakers and strategists have speculated that he would be forced to use Twitter if he again runs for president in 2024.

Throughout his 2016 campaign, Trump used Twitter extensively and would often shift mainstream media attention to topics that he favored. Before his ban, the former president had amassed more than 80 million followers.

Musks bid to acquire Twitter came after months of back-and-forth between the two parties, including a lawsuit against Musk, as the Tesla CEO accused the company of hiding information about bots and automated accounts. Musk has described himself as a free speech absolutist and has criticized Twitters content moderation policies in the past.

Reports indicated that Musk fired CEO Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer Ned Segal, content moderation chief Vijaya Gadde, and others. Gadde was the Twitter executive that publically supported the decision to suspend Trump last year.

The reports, citing anonymous sources, said that the top executives were quickly escorted out of the firms San Francisco headquarters on Thursday afternoon. Neither Musk nor the others have publicly commented on the matter.

The bird is freed, Musk wrote on Twitter on Thursday, without elaborating.

Earlier in the day, the new Twitter owner told advertisers that the company obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences, according to a post he made. Under the deal, Musk is taking Twitter private, which means that the current board of directors and public trading of the stock will end.
Elon Musk's Twitter profile on a smartphone placed on printed Twitter logos, on April 28, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters)

Twitters Top Executives Are Set to Exit With $100 Million Payout as Musk Takes Over

After Elon Musk fired Twitters top three executives immediately after his takeover, they were granted multimillion-dollar payouts on their way out.

The former executives are set to collect more than $100 million in severance and payouts of previously granted equity awards.

CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, and Vijaya Gadde, Twitters top legal and policy executive, were among those fired. Sean Edgett, who had been general counsel at Twitter since 2012, was also escorted out of the building.

The owner and founder of Tesla closed the deal on Oct. 27, after spending months trying to pull out of the agreement with Twitter.

Musk became the official owner of Twitter for $54.20 per share, or about $44 billion.

Musk Cleans Up Twitters Executive Suite

Agrawal, who was the CEO for less than a year, is eligible to receive roughly $50 million, according to Bloomberg News.

Other Twitter executives were among those fired after the takeover, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.

Ned Segal and Vijaya Gadde are expected to take about $37 million and $17 million, respectively.

Agrawal, 38, who had been at Twitter for almost a decade before become CEO, has had a tempestuous relationship with the new owner.

Musk surprised the world with his bid to acquire Twitter in the spring.

After the Tesla CEO expressed hesitancy over the deal due to his lack of confidence in Twitters management, Aragwal attempted to force Musk to purchase the social media company with a lawsuit.

Gadde, meanwhile, was notorious for being responsible for the censorship and banning practices at the social media company. She actively used her position to censor conservatives or any views that she personally opposed, while hurting Twitters brand image.

The head of legal, policy, and trust even called former President Donald Trump, on her own Twitter feed, ill informed, evasive, puerile and deceptive, and later banned him from the platform.

The New Boss Arrives

After Musk confirmed his takeover, he wrote in a tweet, The bird is freed, and immediately updated his Twitter description to Chief Twit.

Musk arrived at Twitters San Francisco headquarters this week, meeting with workers and holding impromptu discussions with them, Business Insider reported.

He arrived carrying a sink, and posted the scene on Twitter, announcing: Entering Twitter HQlet that sink in!

Musk will be attending an all-hands meeting at Twitter today, after rumors that the new owner would cut 75 percent of the staff, which he has since refuted, according to Bloomberg.

The deal puts an end to Twitters six-month legal dispute against Musk, after he was initially reluctant to take over the company, as the Delaware Court of Chancery will likely drop it now that he is the new owner.

Earlier this year, Musk was able to secured some debt financing from a number of investment banks and several high-profile investors, including venture capital firms and tech CEOs.

Were excited to be able to help Elon realize a new vision for Twitter. We aim to play a role in bringing social media and Web3 together in order to broaden the use and adoption of crypto and blockchain technology, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said in a statement, reported CNBC.

Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange, was one of Musks first backers, and confirmed to CNBC that it will fulfill its role as an equity investor in the purchase.

Musk Hints at Future Plans While Reassuring Advertisers

Musk addressed some of the changes at Twitter after his takeover of the social media giant.

Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences! Musk wrote in a tweet, reassuring advertisers with the words, Dear Twitter Advertisers.

The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence, Musk said in his post.

There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far-right wing and far left-wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.

Twitter should be a platform that both follows the laws of the land and is warm and welcoming to all, where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences, he continued.

Fundamentally, Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise, Musk added.

Many advertisers were worried that Musks conflict of interest as owner of Tesla would force him to scale back content moderation and restrict ads on the platform, The Wall Street Journal reported.

As a free speech advocate, Musk said that he also intends to scrap lifelong bans on users and allow people previously booted off the platform to return, which likely would include Trump.

Like many former top executives at major companies, the former Twitter bosses were entitled to severance pay equal to a years salary and payouts of unvested equity awards upon termination, according to the terms of the company severance package.

Twitter will also cover their health insurance premiums for a year, estimated to be about $31,000 each.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaking during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London, on Oct. 26, 2022. (PA Media/House of Commons)

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Wont Attend Cop27 Climate Summit: Downing Street

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will not be attending the Cop27 climate summit in Egypt next month, Downing Street has confirmed.

A Number 10 spokeswoman said on Oct. 27: The prime minister is not expected to attend Cop27 and this is due to other pressing domestic commitments including preparations for the Autumn Budget. The UK will be fully represented by other senior ministers as well as the Cop president Alok Sharma.

Liz Truss, Sunaks predecessor, had been expected to attend the U.N. climate conference to be held in Sharm el Sheikh.

Downing Street insisted that Sunaks absence from the summit does not signal a downgrading of climate change as a priority by his government.

The spokeswoman said: We remain committed to net zero and to leading international and domestic action to tackle climate change. The UK is forging ahead of many other countries on net zero.

Sunak has been sending mixed signals about his governments energy and environmental policies.

The new prime minister has restored the moratorium on fracking only weeks after Liz Trusss government lifted the ban.

But he has demoted climate minister Graham Stuart and Cop26 President Alok Sharma, who have been stripped of their Cabinet seats.

Labour Fury

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer joined environmental campaigners in criticising Sunaks move.

Britain showing up to work with world leaders is an opportunity to grasp, not an event to shun, he said.

Shadow climate change secretary Ed Miliband criticised the decision as a massive failure of leadership.

But Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, who served as energy secretary under Truss, said the prime minister is right not to go to Cop27.

The cost of living wont be solved in Sharm el Sheikh where each hotel room for the conference is 2,000 a night, he wrote on Twitter.

Just a Gathering

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey also defended Sunaks decision, arguing he will show global leadership rather than attending just a gathering of people in Egypt.

She insisted the big political iterations of the summits only take place every five years, with next months being more low key.

Coffey said she and several senior government ministers will be attending but was unclear on whether King Charles would too now that there has been a change of leadership.

Buckingham Palace confirmed earlier this month that the king will not be attending the Cop27 summit after the king sought advice from then Prime Minister Truss.

Talking to Sky News on Oct. 28, Coffey said: I think its up to him. I know that he takes an interest in this particular issue, but its up to him.

PA Media contributed to this report.
UK Shale Gas Firm Slams PM Sunak for Restoring Fracking Ban

The chief executive of the UKs first shale gas company has criticised Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks decision to restore the ban on fracking, saying it beggars belief.

Fracking, which has been effectively banned in the UK since 2019, is a sensitive issue for the ruling Conservative Party.

While some senior Conservatives support fracking as a way to boost the UKs energy supplies, many Tory MPs face strong opposition to the practice in their constituencies.

Liz Truss lifted the fracking ban in September during her brief spell as prime minister, as she argued it would strengthen the countrys energy security following Russias invasion of Ukraine.

But after Sunak took office, he said that he was committed to the ban, as it was part of the Conservative Partys 2019 general election manifesto.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a statement after taking office outside Number 10 in Downing Street, in London, on Oct. 25, 2022. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Beggars belief

Francis Egan, chief executive of fracking firm Cuadrilla, said the move has no rational scientific justification.

He said Sunak, while running for leadership of the Conservative Party, had said that scientists have concluded that fracking is safe and seismic activity is not out of the ordinary.

Egan said: In the middle of an energy and cost-of-living crisis, when the UK and Europe is increasingly reliant on shale gas shipped across the Atlantic and liquified gas from Qatar to keep the lights on, it beggars belief that our government should reintroduce a moratorium on exploring for and producing our own shale gas.

He said the shale gas industry has the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs across the North of England, generate billions in private sector investment, and provide local councils with much-needed tax revenue.

He added that Sunaks decision will prevent communities from benefitting from their own natural resources.

Great Shame

Business Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed on Oct. 27 that the fracking ban was being re-imposed, just a little over a month after it had been lifted.

In his written statement, Shapps said that forecasting the occurrence of large earthquakes and their expected magnitude owing to shale gas extraction remains a challenge with significant uncertainty.

He said the government would again take a presumption against issuing any further hydraulic fracturing consents and this is an effective moratorium.

But Egan rejected the governments view, pointing to the risks of depending on foreign energy supplies.

By turning our back on our huge onshore gas resources, responsibility for this countrys ongoing gas supply has been transferred by politicians to the whims of dictators and the uncertainties of international supply lines and prices, he said.

The consequences of outsourcing energy supply are all too apparent, its a great shame that the political foresight and willpower to address this are currently lacking.

PA Media contributed to this report.
While His Classmates Were at Prom, He Fought in World War II: Major Billy C. Hall

When Major Billy C. Hall left high school to fight in WWII, he was so young that his recruiter had to lie about the vets age on his application.

Men like [Hall] arent just the greatest generation, friend and fellow veteran Dwight Hanson said. Theyre men of legend.

With 27 years of service spanning three warswhich earned him a bronze star and other honorsthe 96-year-old Hall is one of the few remaining veterans alive who fought in World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam wars.

At 15, he joined the Marines, made his way to Japan, and enlisted shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

That was my growing-up phase. I grew up in the Marine Corps, Hall told The Epoch Times.

Billy Hall at 16 years old. (Courtesy of Billy Hall)

At the time, Hall served as a radio gunner on the southwestern Pacific island of Guadalcanal, alongside allied efforts to drive the Japanese back into the Pacific. There, the teenager served in a dive bomber squadron where he operated two single 30-caliber machine guns against enemies, among other duties.

Already skilled in radio and communications, Hall also taught morse code to soldiers older than him during this time.

By the time he was 17, Hall had already flown over 150 combat missions on land and sea, shooting down enemy targets and launching torpedoes.

During one mission, Hall and his pilot narrowly escaped death after a Japanese hostile shot a 20-millimeter explosive round of ammunition right into Halls gas tank. However, in a one in a billion miracle, the round was discovered to be a dud.

Those rounds are highly explosive. The fact that it went straight into our gas tank should have blown us out of the air, Hall said.

Hall received the Air Medal with three stars for his acts of heroism in flight after WWII, but his military service didnt end there.

Shortly after, he joined the California Army National Guard to serve as an Infantry and Communications officer during the Korean War.

In one incident during the conflict, his squadrons communication lines were being cut by enemy forces on the ground.

Using his creativity, Hall devised a way to solve the issue by using bazookas to fire phone wires high into the air to hang them from hilltops on either side of their valley, thus preventing enemy forces from cutting the wires from below.

His innovation earned him a Bronze Star, along with an Infantry Combat Badge and a Korean Service Medal.

Hall later realized that his unit was not expected to make it out alive. He discovered this, he said, when hearing that at the time, monitors in charge of preventing troops from revealing their location in their letters home suddenly stopped censoring this information.

Hall said this was because his superiors received word that enemy forces were to annihilate his unit, and thus allowed soldiers to share where they were so that families would know where to find [their] bodies.

After the Korean War, Hall remained in the army and trained as a helicopter pilot with the Army Air Corpslater known as the U.S. Air Force.

In 1966, he served 50 missions in the Vietnam War including inserting troops, medical evacuations, and more. He retired a year later and was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal.

Hall spent seven of his nearly 30 years of service in front-line combat and continues to share his story with younger generations across the state, including at his American Legion Post in Newport Beach.

His son served in Vietnam and died following his battle with cancer years later.

Billy Hall visits his sons grave at the Punch Bowl in Hawaii. (Courtesy of Billy Hall)

Having traveled throughout the U.S. and the world in his RV, Hall now resides in Orange, having retired from a career in communications working with the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce and Santiago Canyon College in Orange, among others.

He has also volunteered for multiple veteran associations and Civilian Air Patrol, a non-profit aimed at providing relief and locating lost individuals during disasters.
White House Vows Response If Russia Attacks US Satellites; Putin Blames West for Ukraine War

Any response on U.S. infrastructure will be met with a response, the White House said on Thursday after a senior Russian foreign ministry official said Western commercial satellites could become legitimate targets for Russia if they were involved in the war in Ukraine.

White House spokesman John Kirby, speaking to reporters, added that publicly available information shows Russians have been trying to pursue anti-satellite technologies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin showed no regrets on Thursday for his war in Ukraine, insisting that the special military operation was still achieving its goals and the Wests dominance over world affairs was coming to an end.

Inveighing against the West for more than three-and-a-half hours in a question-and-answer session at an annual foreign policy conference in Moscow, Putin appeared confident and relaxed.

Asked if there had been any disappointments in the past year, Putin answered simply: No, though he also said he always thinks about Russians lost in Ukraine.

Putin accused the West of inciting the war in Ukraine and of playing a dangerous, bloody, and dirty game that was sowing chaos across the world.

The historical period of the Wests undivided dominance over world affairs is coming to an end, the 70-year-old former KGB spy said. We are standing at a historical frontier: Ahead is probably the most dangerous, unpredictable and, at the same time, important decade since the end of World War Two.

Nuclear Blackmail

In his speech, Putin played down a nuclear standoff with the West, insisting Russia had not threatened to use nuclear weapons and had only responded to nuclear blackmail from Western leaders. He and other Russian officials have repeatedly said in recent weeks that Russia could use nuclear weapons to protect its territorial integrity, remarks interpreted in the West as implicit threats to use them to defend parts of Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed. Scores of countries have condemned the move as illegal.

He also repeated Russias latest allegationthat Ukraine was planning to use a so-called dirty bomb to spread nuclear material, which the United States, Britain, and France have called transparently false. Putin said the Ukrainians would carry out such an attack to blame Russia.

A suggestion by Kyiv that the Russian charge might mean Moscow plans to detonate a dirty bomb itself was false, he said.

We dont need to do that. There would be no sense whatsoever in doing that, Putin said.

U.S. President Joe Biden expressed skepticism on Thursday about Putins comment that he had no intention of using a nuclear weapon in Ukraine.

If he has no intention, why does he keep talking about it? Why is he talking about the ability to use a tactical nuclear weapon? Biden said in an interview with NewsNation.

Hes been very dangerous in how hes approached this, Biden said.

In an interview earlier on CNN, Kirby said it was possible Russia was considering the use of a dirty bomb and was setting up a pretext to blame Ukraine. But he said the United States still had not seen any signs that was necessarily the case.

They often blame others for that which they are doing themselves or about to do. So thats why we have to take that seriously, Kirby said of Putins allegations.

Ill also tell you that were not seeing any signs, even today, that the Russians are planning to use a dirty bomb or to even make preparations for that.
A cryptocurrency ATM is seen here in a Miami convenience store on May 12, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Wild West of Crypto Readies for Tax Laws

The wild west of cryptocurrency is starting to gain the acceptance and understanding of lawmakers.

Robert Francis, managing director at trading platform eToro Australia, said the explicit acknowledgement of crypto in the Australian federal budget was a first, with new tax laws to be introduced to parliament.

He said the budget had provided investors and the industry with clarity on where the Australian government stands on digital asset classes in comparison to foreign currency and traditional markets.

It shows a step forward towards crypto and blockchain technology integration in the traditional financial system, Mr Francis told AAP on Friday.

Blockchain creates a digital ledger of transactions and is the technology that underpins the currencies.

Leigh Travers, CEO of digital currency exchange Binance Australia, said the budgets investment of $13.5 million to fund talent-spotting for critical and emerging technologies was also a positive step.

He warned a talent shortage will hit Australia as Web 3.0, the next version of the World Wide Web takes hold.

If we dont act now, leveraging widespread backing from government and industry players, Australia will miss out on the multi-billion dollar opportunity, he told AAP.

The Australian Taxation Office estimates more than one million taxpayers have traded crypto assets since 2018.

The ATOs advice that investors keep good records of their transactions  and subsequent profits and losses  is as relevant as ever, Mr Francis said.

University of NSW School of Information Systems and Technology senior lecturer Eric Lim told AAP the latest federal budget signalled acceptance that cryptocurrencies were here to stay.

There is a general impression that its the wild west and that many of these entities are mavericks and resisting regulation, he said.

But the cryptocurrency industry was very welcoming of good and fair regulation, Dr Lim said.

Thats what they want because it allows them to progress, it allows them to build with this clarity in mind and what they need to do to comply with regulations, he said.

The budget includes new laws to clarify that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies wont be treated as foreign currencies for tax purposes, which will be backdated to take effect from July 1, 2021.

This maintains the current tax treatment of digital currencies, including the capital gains tax treatment where they are held as an investment, H&R Block spokesman Mark Chapman said.

The budget papers say the measure will remove legal uncertainty following the decision by El Salvadors government to adopt bitcoin as legal tender.

The Reserve Bank will continue researching the viability of a central bank digital currency, which could be used for digital transactions between banks and international trading partners.

But digital currencies issued by the Australian government wont be included in the new tax treatment.

The Treasury will continue to map digital assets, while the Australian Securities and Investments Commission looks at how to regulate them as financial products and services.
A Big Challenge for the Free World: Former US General Responds to Chinese Leaders Third Term

In clinching an unprecedented third term, Chinese leader Xi Jinping is showing the world his vision of China: one that is more aggressive and at odds with the values of the free world, according to retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert Spalding.

China is going to be much more aggressive, both militarily and with regard to foreign policy, and I think this is going to be a big challenge for the free world, Spalding, who served as a senior director for strategic planning at National Security Council under Trump administration, told Newsmakers, a co-production by The Epoch Times and NTD.

One clear instance of a power play in Spaldings eyes was the removal of Xis immediate predecessor Hu Jintao over the weekend from the conference hall during the National Peoples Congress, as Xi stacked the key leadership positions with loyalists.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) looks on as former President Hu Jintao is helped to leave early from the closing session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, at The Great Hall of People in Beijing, on Oct. 22, 2022. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Hu, who is turning 80 in December, was escorted out from the first row, in front of more than 2,000 people in attendance, despite his visible consternation. A staffer at one point tried to lift him from his seat.

To Spalding, that scene evoked memories of Barack Obamas 2016 trip to China for the Group of 20 summit meeting, where the former president was denied the typical red carpet welcome and instead forced to go through the back of his place upon arrival.

U.S. officials had insisted at the time that it was just logistics, but such statements just belies an understanding of what the Chinese Communist Party would do, he said.

Then President Barack Obama arrives on Air Force One for the 2016 G20 State Leaders Hangzhou Summit at the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou, on Sept. 3, 2016. (Etienne Oliveau/Getty Images)

In terms of scripting these events, theyre highly scripted. Theyre highly choreographed, every movement is known, he said.

In the case of Obama, Beijing wanted to embarrass him, and in the case of Hu, by having an attendant physically lift him up and lead him away, the flexing of political muscle was unmistakable, said Spalding.

That was the message that Xi is in charge, and he will brook no disagreements with his policies.

Still, Spalding sees one bright side to Xis expansion of power. The good news is that we actually can see very clearly what kind of nation China will be, he said. Its going to be totalitarian. Its not going to be market-based.

This might help spur a change in the business community that has been pushing back hard against a tougher stance on China, according to Spalding.

Now, as the business community understands that theres no longer money to be made in China, youre going to have to go somewhere elsewhich means free societies such as America, he said.

And Spalding believes the rebuilding of economic power should be a priority for America.

Thats whats going to serve us over the long haul with regard to this cold war with China.
Shahu belonged to a family of tiatrists and developed the basic interest and passion observing his father Pedro Almeida perform in the village tiatrs and Carnival fells. He was a clever student in school and it was on account of this clever nature, his friends and batchmates called him Shahu; a name of the Maratha King that led people to know him more as Shahu Almeida than his actual name Francisco Almeida.

From a tender young age, he had a passion for drums and drummed to glory for beat groups and dance bands like Magic Touch, The News, Human Status and Black Lace. Shahu turned his attention towards the keyboards, firmly believing that keyboard was the musical instrument of the future.

With his father belonging to the tiatr fraternity, Shahu was naturally inclined towards tiatr music and he approached tiatr directors for a break.

His desire to perform and contribute his share to tiatr music saw him ascending the ladder of success playing music for several tiatr band groups.

Migration led Shahu to Kuwait towards the dawn of the new millennium. Though in a distant land far away from his own, Shahu did not give up on his music. He was of the firm belief that music was a gift given to him by God and with a grateful and thankful heart he began playing the keyboard for the church services there.

When God is part of your journey new avenues open up. Shahu began playing for the tiatr troupes visiting Kuwait. When Mini Mario went to Kuwait with his tiatr Ho Bazar Koslo?, he was faced with visa rejection of his entire band. Here Shahu came to his rescue. He was given the musical notations just a day in advance and Shahu put in his hard work and worked to see the tiatr getting successful. Since Shahu could manage the musical band on his own, visiting troupes found it financially viable and soon Shahu and his music became a household name not only in Kuwait but way back here in Goa too.

Shahu provided music to the tiatrs of many music directors like Jose Rod, Cajetan de Sanvordem, Rosary Ferns, Michael DSilva, Laurente Pereira and others.

Performing for others and helping them in staging their tiatr productions, Shahu dreamt big and decided to stage his own musical shows. With the support of his wife Clemmie, daughter of the legend Cajetan de Sanvordem, Shahu staged his first Musical Show in 2011 under the title Tiatrist. The success was hard-earned and the enthusiasm and good feedback he received made him venture yet again two years later with his musical show Goencho Rakhonnddar. His next presentation titled Tiatristponn Devachem Dennem came in 2016. Tumkanch Lagon Ami, Konknni Machiechi Seva and Ugddas Dovrun Gele followed in the next 3 years.

With the Covid pandemic looming large, Shahu had his next musical show Ixtta, Ugddas Tuzo, online in 2021. His musical show Sodanch Jivo Urtolo held in the Indian Community School Auditorium Salmiya Kuwait on October 21 saw the Konkani music-crazy fans enjoying his brand of Goan music with encores. 
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The convener of Join The Restructuring Campaign (JTRC) in Nigeria, Mr. Izuoma Ibe speaks on the need for Nigerians to join in the Atiku campaign to restructure and devolve powers in Nigeria.

To an average Nigerian, how will you explain devolution of powers?

Thank you, devolution has to do with the decentralization of political powers to others levels of government other than concentrating powers on the federal government. In Nigeria today, the constitution concentrates so much powers on the executive list thereby making the state and local government to depend on the federal government such that they cannot function outside the detects of Abuja. This is inappropriate for a country which operates a federal system. That we run a federal system should allow powers to be driven locally, thereby allowing the governed to contribute to policy making. Therefore, devolution power is the decentralization of the excess powers vested on the federal government, and sharing this powers among the federating states.

Dont you think Nigerians are seeing the devolution call as distasteful?

No! The future of Nigeria depends on the devolution of powers. If you think closely, you will realize that the reasons for chants of marginalization which later took a posture of calls for secession is as a result of poor distribution of powers and resources across the federating states. Questions abound; why would governors depend on monthly allocations from federal government opposed to the reality that the federal government should depend on the states in a federal arrangement? Why is a state governor a chief security officer of his state but cannot enforce security powers, cannot take firm security steps without the influence of the Inspector General of police who is on the federal cadre? Why are local contents, downstream, on the exclusive list? These are abnormalities in a federal system of government which Nigeria claims to run. Nigerians dont consider devolution distasteful.

To effect devolution, the constitution has to be tampered with. Do you think that will be easy?

First, Nigeria operates a written constitution. A written constitution is amendable. That said, the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria has at several times undergone amendments. It is not a new thing in our socio-political journey. Recall that in 2014, then president Jonathan convoked a national conference where the issue of restructuring/devolution was dealt with. That conference availed Nigerians the premise to lend their views. Their views were in favor of devolution. The current administration of president Buhari is also adding and removing from the constitution. Recently, power generation and distribution was removed from the exclusive list to the concurrent list. Had the APC worked hard to implement the 2014 confab report, you and I wont be discussing this issue. But until Nigeria is returned to a true federal status as bequeathed to us by our founding fathers, the abnormalities which we experience today in Nigeria wont abate. Devolution is possible.

The devolution agenda coming from Atiku Abubakar, Nigerians see it as another deceit like APC did in 2018.

Lucky enough, APC has a candidate in this election, Bola Tinubu. So, Tinubu has a manifesto which stems from APC. Atiku Abubakar is the candidate of the PDP. You can see the difference. Atiku did not promise and fail to keep to that promise. Buhari and APC did.

But Atiku was in the APC then

Many Nigerians were there, possibly you too supported and voted for APC/Buhari in 2019 because they were believable. Only Atiku couldnt have supported Buhari. That they left APC is because the party failed to keep to its promises. So, we cant blame Atiku just because he is one of the popular faces who supported Buhari. Rather, Nigerians should consider the consistency and readiness of Atiku on the restructuring and devolution campaign.

Peter Obi of the Labour Party seems to appeal more to the electorates than Atiku, TInubu and others.

Every presidential candidate in the 2023 election have their supporters. These supporters cut across the 36 states of Nigeria including the FCT. If you look back to 2015, some Nigeria had this surge of opposition to status quo. The same is playing out in 2022/23. I cant discredit Peter Obi. Even if I try, it will be a feather weight. It is not my style. I pay attention to substance. Atikus campaign is of substance. Atiku not only tells you what he wants to do but tells you in practical terms how he is going to do it. Atiku doesnt hype a national problem, rather he reels out solutions to them. Atiku does not look at Nigeria from a tribal lens, he sees Nigeria as one hence his easy access to the length and breadth of Nigeria. Centrally, any candidate who is not talking about restructuring and devolution is only telling Nigerians that his government will maintain the same pattern of Buharis administration.

Why do you think so?

It is obvious because if you dont devolve power such that we have State Police activated, policing cant be localized in Nigeria. You know that policing is a local job. I can confidently tell that because the locals are not involved in the policing of our communities, crime, terrorism and the likes are abounding. Secondly, if you do not devolve power such that federating states control their local contents, state governors will continue to depend on the federal government. You will agree with me that such governing arrangement comes with lots of red tapes which slows down governance. How about eroding of the Local government? You and I need the return of local government administration. We need the primary healthcare to return.

So how far have you gone with mobilizing Nigerians on the campaign for restructuring/devolution?

We have done a lot since 2018. The campaign has been organic. We have been volunteering for Atiku Presidential Campaign since 2018. So far, through the coordination of our very activestate representatives, we have taken the campaign to five states, Kwara, Ogun, Oyo, Rivers and Kano. I can tell you that much is put in to this campaign.

Do you have words to send out to Nigerians, especially your supporters on this restructuring campaign?

Sure. It simple. We should keep on with the call for a restructured federal republic of Nigeria where powers are devolved to the federating states so we can have a federation that syncs with best practices of federalism. And to our state coordinators, Adelaja in Ogun, Mohammad in Kano, Mira in Rivers, Senator in Kwara and King in Oyo, keep on the great works. On restructuring, we stand!
Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria, Friday, Oct 28, 2022: The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) is reacting to recent Nigerias Abuja (Federal Capital City) terror warning by the Government of the United States through its Embassy in Nigeria by observing that the present Government of Nigeria is making peaceful change impossible and violent change inevitable and riotously clearing road for emergence of Biafra Republic and others. It is our further observation that the rising jihadist terror threats ahead of Nigerias crucial Presidential Poll and others are not accidental as the present Nigerian Government had since its inception in 2015 behaved through its policies and actions as if its cardinal governance mission is to promote State Jihadism. The indices on the ground have also practically shown that apart from increase in the number of Islamic Jihadist groups and regionalization and internationalization of same using Nigerian landscapes or spaces, the Islamic Jihadists also made far much inroad or encroachment into Nigerias state power, territories and regions than in the previous years before mid 2015.

There are no fewer than 15 Islamic jihadist groups presently operating or assembling in the country. There are also scores of embryonic others littered across the country. As at May 2015, Nigeria had only three well known Islamic Jihadist groups: Boko Haram, Ansaru and ISWAP. Locally and regionally assembled Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen became full blown and widespread Islamic Jihadist terror group after their state actor radicalization and romance with the present Government of Nigeria which started in late 2015. By 2016, they started moving southward and middle belt ward in widespread under Government security establishments watch and protection, using the existing centuries old cattle grazing routes. As if the above was not enough, the Nigerian Government and its security establishments dangerously embarked on sundry jihadist animal husbandry plans camouflaged in different names including Military Ranching, RUGA, National Livestock Transformation Plan, Waterway Control Plan, etc. The pluralistic and secularism doctrine of the countrys security forces was also dealt a heavy blow under the present Government of Nigeria which also introduced ethnic and religious domination in their command and rank and file structures leading to rabid operational crudity and partisanship or segregated and discriminatory policing and soldiering.



The Government of Nigeria is also wholly responsible for riotous militarization of the Old Eastern Nigeria and self reactive emergence of different non state actor armed fighting parties including sophisticated armed street criminal entities and politically armed groups including subversive armed elements secretly funded by Government and its security agencies to imitate or counterfeit the violent version of the activities of the like of the Eastern Security Network or ESN. The present Government of Nigeria cannot extricate itself from being remotely responsible for violent and conquest occupation of no fewer than 400 (a 2020 Retired DIG says 336) locations in the Southeast alone by Islamic Terror Fulani Herdsmen and their foreign recruits armed with AK-47s, etc. The number of defenseless citizens and civilian properties wantonly destroyed in Old Eastern Nigeria by Nigerian security forces since August 2015 has never been recorded since the Nigeria-Biafra Civil War of 1967-70. The massive military crackdowns and other locally and internationally prohibited acts by Nigerian Government in Old Eastern Nigeria against quiet and street protesting members of the Eastern civil population are totally responsible for resort to radical self helps including taking up arms by the aggrieved segment of the old Regions population.

Politically, the same Government of Nigeria and political extremists within its folds are stopping at nothing both openly and clandestinely to force majority of Nigerians out of participating and voting in the 2023 General Polls especially the Presidential Election fixed for 25thFeb 2023 and robotically install a conman and Jihad enabler as next president. Through the Government controlled INEC, no fewer than 77.4m citizens of independent voting age have been massively disenfranchised from participating and voting in the referenced 2023 Polls. This is more so when the National Register of Voters is strongly alleged or believed to be littered with estimated 20m ghost names, minors and migrants. Also out of the so called 93.5m registered voters, only 44m are independently estimated to possess Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) as it stands today.

Nigerian Government Is Riotously Championing Biafra Independence More Than Agitators Do

It must be clearly noted that the present Government of Nigeria is a riotous proponent of Biafra Independence in Nigeria or any part thereof. This, the Nigerian Government has been doing since late 2015 through its divisive and annihilative policies and actions above highlighted. In our independent rating, the Nigerian Government is found to be practically and riotously championing the Biafra Independence above the Biafra Agitators by 70%-30% margin or ratio. The Nigerian Government had since late 2015 deployed and applied segregating, exclusionist and annihilative policies of structural violence, physical violence and cultural violence against the Old Eastern Nigerian population and their territories, properties and collective dignity and ethnic identities. Through structural violence, the Old Eastern Region and its population have been politically excluded from the mainstream scheme of things including denial of proportionate political office, military office, policing office, diplomatic office and bureaucratic office appointments and proportionate allocation of resources and other discriminatory economic policies. Through physical violence, the defenseless population of the Region have been targeted and unleashed with industrial scale physical violent attacks leading to wanton destruction of several thousands of defenseless lives and properties; and through cultural violence, they have been denied and deprived of their rights to ethnic identity, existence and development as well as their rights to freedom of worship, conscience and thought.

Three Options Before Nigeria Ahead Of 2023

Nigeria and Nigerians under the riotous political midwifery of the present central Government are left with three options ahead of 2023. One: should the Nigerian Government and its friendly Islamic Jihadists decide to scuttle the countrys democracy and its crucial 2023 Presidential Poll by riotously and violently matching and taking over Abuja and the countrys Seat of Power (Aso Rock), then that will be violent bye-bye to the territory of Ms Dame Flora Louise Shaw called Nigeria and welcome to fragmentation and birth of Republic of Biafra and embryonic others. This option can be likened to the aftermath of the violent Yugoslav Revolution of 1991-2001 and turbulent emergence of Republics of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and North Macedonia. Two: should the Nigerian Government toe the path of wisdom by directing INEC to panel-beat gross damages the Commission has inflicted on 2023 Presidential Poll process by flushing out estimated 20m fake identities, minors or underage and illegal migrants from the National Register of Voters and mandatorily issue PVCs to 29.5m registered voters presently without PVCs and provide enabling environment for them to vote conscientiously in the 2023 Presidential Poll; then Nigeria will be ushered into a new democratic socio-legal era and better positioned to discuss and agree on better national identity and cohabitation formula for the country and this can be linked to the Valvet Revolution of 1989 in former Czechoslovakia leading to peaceful emergence of Republics of Czechs and Slovakia. Three: should the present Government of Nigeria toe same path as referenced above under Option Two, then there may most likely be replication of the Berlin Wall Option of 1989 or peaceful and cohesive unification of East and West Germans; capable of allowing Nigeria to come up with better co-existential and national cohesive strategies agreed upon by the countrys existing ethnic and religious groupings or nationalities through electoral college representation or representatives.

For: International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria

Principal Officers:



/s E. Umeagbalasi

Emeka Umeagbalasi, Criminologist/Researcher, Board Chair



/s C. Umeche

Chinwe Umeche Esquire, Head, Democracy and Good Governance Program @Intersociety



/s U. Igboeli

Obianuju Joy Igboeli Esquire, Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law Program @ Intersociety



/s C.Udegbunam

Chidinma Udegbunam Esquire, Head, Campaign and Publicity Department @ Intersociety

Contacts: Mobile Phone: +2348174090052, Email: [email protected] , Website: https://intersociety-ng.org
President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja after attending the First World Bio Summit in Seoul, South Korea.

The President and members of his entourage landed at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja at about 4.10 a.m. on Friday.While in Seoul, the Nigerian leader presented Nigerias Statement at the summit where he expressed Nigerias readiness to become a global hub for sustainable manufacturing and distribution of vaccines and biological pharmaceuticals to support initiatives to keep all of mankind safe.

The president also held a bilateral meeting with his Korean counterpart, Mr Yoon Suk-Yeol at the Presidential Palace on the sidelines of the summit.

Buhari met with the former United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon as well as the African Group of Ambassadors accredited to the Republic of Korea on the sidelines of the summit in Seoul.

The Nigerian leader, who granted audience to representatives of strategic Korean companies and industries in Seoul, advocated increased Korean investments in Nigeria for mutual economic benefit.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the summit.

Buhari also witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd and Daewoo Group for the rehabilitation of the Kaduna refinery.

Before departing Seoul, the president had an interactive meeting with the leadership and select members of the Nigerian Community as part of his engagements at the end of the summit on Thursday.

(NAN)


Nigeria's Police chief, Usman Alkali Baba, psc(+), NPM, fdc, CFR, has countered the USA embassy's alarm of terror attack in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Baba said in a statement released by the Force spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi on Thursday night that there is no imminent or impending attack on the nations capital as raised by the United States.

Adejobi who released the following emergency numbers 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883 nationwide with a view to avert any attack by the terrorists, added that the IGP explained that the Nigeria Police Force is working in collaboration with other security agencies, to ensure the safety of all residents within the country.

The IGP has also ordred all Strategic Police Managers in charge of Commands and tactical formations within the country to beef up security in their respective jurisdictions, especially in the FCT.

Adejobi added that the IGP similarly directed that all emergency numbers across the country should be activated to full capacity for a 24/7 prompt response.

According to the spokesperson, the IGP also directed that the combatant officers and men should be on standby to respond to emergency situations and distress calls.

Residents within the FCT are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious or abnormal occurrence and persons to the Police through the emergency lines, the statement further said

Baba also dispelled the fear of residents in the FCT and advised them to go about their lawful businesses and normal social lives/engagements, saying all hands are on deck to nip any security threat in the bud and respond to distress calls promptly.

Adejobi said the police also ordered that the combatant officers and men should be on standby to respond in case of emergency situations and distress calls.

The statement added, Residents within the FCT are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious or abnormal occurrence and persons to the Police through the following emergency lines: 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883.

The IGP, however, allayed the fear of residents in the FCT and admonishes them to go about their lawful businesses and normal social lives/engagements, saying all hands are on deck to nip any security threat in the bud and respond to distress calls promptly.

Baba said the Nigeria Police was committed and fully prepared to eliminate all threats, as well as protection of lives and property of all residents of the country.
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, today called on the Department of State Services, DSS, to adhere to court orders and release its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

IPOB in her statement, alleged that the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, is about to fall to sponsored terrorists.

The group was reacting to the terror alert issued by the United States, United Kingdom, Canadian, and Australian embassies, on the possibility of a terrorist attack in Abuja.

The warning said the attack targeted government buildings, worship centres, schools, and large crowds.

Amid the terror alert, Kanu is locked up at the DSS facility in Abuja despite a court ruling ordering his release.

However, the spokesman of IPOB, Emma Powerful, in a statement, said: The attention of the global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by the great leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU has been drawn to the possible fall of Abuja to the Nigerian state-sponsored terrorists in the coming days.

The US and UK security intelligence reports concerning the fall of Abuja and Nigeria to the terrorists are real, but Nigeria compromised security agencies, particularly their Military and DSS, are busy chasing armless and peaceful citizens of Biafra in Biafraland.

The ability and preparedness of the Nigeria security forces, especially the Military (Army, Navy & Airforce) to defend the territorial borders of Nigerian has been greatly sabotaged and deteriorated to a level that will allow any foreign invader to walk into Nigerias capital with little or no resistance from the military.

The Nigerian State has carefully positioned these terrorists to overrun Abuja once they feel that power will slip out of their hands during the upcoming charade they call an election, and they will, on behalf of the Fulani take over the reins of power in an invasion commando style as it happened in Afghanistan.

We are very much aware that the Fulani-controlled Federal Government of Nigeria has concluded every arrangement to hand over the Government of Nigeria to their sponsored terrorists in the coming days.

IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been in the know of this sinister plan and have been hammering on it, but some so-called Biafran elites and other ethnic groups have refused to listen and heed the clarion call by IPOB, and its leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU to divide Nigeria to save all of us from this ugly situation.

American and British governments have shut down their Embassies and have started evacuating their citizens in Abuja and its environs. If youre still in Abuja and still thinking this warning is a joke, you will have yourself to blame.

IPOB state unequivocally that the Nigeria Government and Malami must adhere to and implement the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which declared Kanu a free man discharged and acquitted of all spurious allegations and charges.

We are warning the Fulani Government to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu urgently.
Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State has been given seven-day ultimatum to address the seven years unpaid outfit allowance of members of the state Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN).

This was contained in a bulletin issued on Friday by the leadership of the association as its expressed dismay at the failure of the governor to offset their outfit allowance since he came on board seven years ago.

The Nigerian Voice understands that the association had earlier issued a 21-day ultimatum to the governor.

It was however learnt that the legislative activities would have been paralysed following the expiration of the earlier ultimatum, but for the intervention of Joseph Albasu Kunin, the Speaker of the House of Assembly.

Meanwhile, the association vowed to crippled legislative activities after the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum, while urging the governor to do the needful

The State PASAN chairman, Ibrahim Bala Yusuf, said, Following the expiration of the twenty one day ultimatum issued to the leadership of this Assembly on issues that borders on the outfit allowance of the staff of this Assembly, the leadership of this great union has no option than to issue another seven day ultimatum to the executive government.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has rubbished viral reports that its operatives and some American troops carried out a raid against some terrorist elements in Abuja, Nigerias capital city.

Peter Afunanya, the spokesperson of the DSS debunked the report on Friday, describing it as false.

Afunanya clarified that a sting operation in an Abuja estate by the DSS but did not involve any American or other foreign security forces.

He explained that the DSS operation in Abuja was carried out in collaboration with other Nigerian security agencies.

Afunanya was quoted saying: I can categorically tell you that we did not carry out any joint operation with American Soldiers as being widely reported in the media.

Though we carried out an operation in an Abuja Estate with sister agencies, no foreign troops were involved.

Earlier, the officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) with some American soldiers were reportedly said to have arrested two suspected terrorists in Abuja.

The suspected terrorists were said to have been arrested in Trademore Estate, Phase 3, located in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday.

The arrest came days after the United States and the United Kingdom raised alarm over the possibility of terror attacks in the nations capital.
Israeli arrested at Phuket airport with bullets in baggage

PHUKET: An Israeli man has been arrested at Phuket International airport after he was found carrying 55 bullets in his luggage.

crimetourismtransportSafetypolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Friday 28 October 2022, 01:12PM

The man arrested, Israeli national Gal Schmuel Farjun, 29, had arrived in Phuket on a domestic flight. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Sakhu Police were informed of the discovery at about 12:30pm on Wednesday (Oct 26), report police. Bullet like objects were found inside a grey Samsonite suitcase Israeli national Gal Schmuel Farjun, 29. A subsequent search of the suitcase found that it contained 55 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition. Officers questioned Farjun, who had arrived in Phuket on a domestic flight. He reportedly admitted that the bullets were his. No reason was given as to why he was carrying the ammunition. Police confirmed that Farjun was taken to Sakhu Police Station for further questioning and was charged for illegal possession of and illegally carrying the ammunition.
Phuket man nabbed with methamphetamine, ammunition

PHUKET: Police have arrested a man in Wichit after finding him in possession of methamphetamine pills (ya bah), crystal methamphetamine (ya ice) and ammunition.

crimedrugspolice

By The Phuket News

Friday 28 October 2022, 04:05PM

Mr Daoruang point at the pieces of evidence seized from him in the arrest. Photo: Wichit Police

Mr Daoruang point at the pieces of evidence seized from him in the arrest. Photo: Wichit Police

Mr Daoruang, 32, also known as Bird (family name not disclosed) was arrested in a commercial building in Moo 1 of tambon Wichit last Tuesday (Oct 25), Wichit Police reported on Facebook.

The arrest was conducted by officers of the Royal Thai Police and the Region 8 Police, the report added.

The suspect, registered as living in Chalong, was found in possession of seven ya bah pills as well as 31.63 grams of ya ice and one round of ammunition of an undisclosed caliber. No firearm was reported as seized.

Mr Daoruang was taken to Wichit police station and charged with illegal possession of a category 1 illegal drug with intent to sell and with illegal possession of ammunition.
Thais eager to welcome Chinese coming via rail

BANGKOK: Thai tourism should benefit from the Laos-China high-speed railway, with at least 3 million Chinese travelling via this channel once the mainland permits outbound travel, according to the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta).

tourismChineseeconomics

By Bangkok Post

Friday 28 October 2022, 12:43PM

Chinese tourists visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok. Photo: Bangkok Post / file

Laos may not have the capability to support a large scale of tourists, in terms of facilities or accommodation. Thailand must take this opportunity to serve the overflow coming across the land border, said Adith Chairattananon, honorary secretary-general of Atta, reports the Bangkok Post.

About a million Chinese entered Laos in 2019, with 80% coming by air.

He estimated the number could reach 4-5 million next year, mostly by land through the Laos-China railway connecting Kunming and Vientiane, assuming Chinas borders are fully reopened by that time.

Atta already proposed to the government an exemption for the visa-on-arrival fee of B2,000 to draw more tourists. The National Economic and Social Development Council is vetting the proposal.

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, visa-free travel added 16.6% growth to travel demand, said Mr Adith.

Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, president of Atta, said tour agents should not hope for a return of Chinese tourists this year, instead waiting until Chinas Two Sessions meeting finishes in March next year for a clearer policy on domestic and international affairs. Two Sessions is regarded as the most important annual political gathering between the National Peoples Congress and the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference.

He said despite border closures, Thailand still has Chinese travellers who reside in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Laos and Cambodia visiting the country.

Speaking at the Atta monthly meeting yesterday (Oct 27), Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the agency will use its fiscal 2023 budget to actively promote the inbound market.

TAT was allocated a budget of B937mn, up by 88.7% from 2022.

Mr Yuthasak said the number of roadshows and trade shows this year could match the tally in 2019. As of Oct 25, foreign arrivals totalled 7.3mn.
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18:00 | Lima, Oct. 26.

"This is a confidence boost for our country, for macroeconomic policy. It recognizes that political noise has not generated an impact on the country's macroeconomic fundamentals," he told Andina news agency.









The government official stressed that this announcement means an opportunity to craft an agenda which allows the economy to reactivate and increase potential GDP.





"It leaves us calm in the sense that this rating reflects the current moment in Peru," he emphasized.





However, the economist acknowledged that there is an institutional challenge. He went on to add that there are issues which can be improved.





Short-term goal





Deputy Minister Contreras stated that the short-term objective is to regain our rating (downgraded by another rating agency).





"We want to be 'BBB+' once again. Thus, we are working on giving confidence to investors, creating an environment of stability, and proposing measures that contribute to potential growth," he expressed.





In that case he said political stability is key to improving the credit rating.





"If we see it from an international perspective, more than 30 countries have suffered downgrades in their credit ratings. So, the fact that S&P maintains the rating outlook reflects the progress and the implementation of the measures from the Peru Boost Plan , which we hope will be approved at Congress soon. This way we will continue to give positive signs for the recovery of confidence," he indicated.





Unlocking of investments





It will also give economic agents more peace of mind, which would favor the unlocking of investments as it allays fears, Contreras said.





(END) SDD/MVB
Westerly, RI (02891)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low near 30F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low near 30F. Winds light and variable.
If I launch as a limited company instead, how should I pay myself?

I'm launching a business soon but I'm not sure whether to set up as a sole trader

I have just set up my consultancy business after a few decades of working in another business. Its a difficult time, but I am confident I have saved enough and built my network to see me through these difficult times.

However, I am not sure whether I should set up as a sole trader or a limited company. What is the difference between the two?

If I set up as a limited company, should I pay myself in dividends to lower my tax burden? And which is the best to claim expenses on? I will be working from my home office, so my outgoings are smaller.

I'm launching my own consultancy but I'm not sure whether to set up as a sole trader

Dave Fishwick, This Is Money's business doctor replies: There is no universal answer as to whether being a sole trader or a limited company is better.

The decision depends on factors such as the expected income of the business and your circumstances. Some advice from a qualified accountant should always be sought on any specific accounting issues.

You mention you have saved up a decent nest egg and have lots of contacts, and I personally think this is a great way to start a business.

You will have enough money to pay the bills while you get a chance to get to grips with all the initial problems and challenges that you will inevitably face.

I also like the fact that you are confident in your ability. Confidence and self-belief are incredibly important when starting any business or new challenge in life.

Try not to worry too much about getting everything absolutely perfect from day one.

As a general guide you should consider starting as a sole trader until you have a better idea of your ongoing level of income. The business should be cheaper to run, and you can always establish a limited company at a later date.

Accounting costs are generally higher in a limited company because there are more regulations to comply with.

Limited companies are taxed independently of their owner, and there are tax benefits when profits are higher.

As your income increases, you may find it more cost-efficient to have limited status to avoid the highest rates of income tax which apply to sole traders.

Dividend payments can be a tax-efficient way of drawing money from a limited company, as theyre taxed at a much lower rate.

Generally the expenses that can be claimed when trading as a sole trader or limited company are the same.

However, extra care may be needed when running a limited company to avoid expenses potentially being counted as benefits-in-kind.

Ask Dave Fishwick a business or career advice question Self-made millionaire and entrepreneur Dave Fishwick is our new columnist responding to your questions about business and careers. Dave has a hugely successful minibus and vehicle business based in Lancashire and rose to fame with his BAFTA-winning television series, Bank of Dave, which saw him battle the big banks. He is ready to answer your questions, whether you own a business, thinking about starting one or have general career questions. In his spare time, he likes to give talks to inspire people to be the best they can. A Netflix movie about Bank of Dave is set to air at the end of the year/start of 2023 and he has been a friend to This is Money for the last decade. He now wants to impart some of his wisdom and advice to our readers. If you would like to ask Dave a question, please email him at bankondave@thisismoney.co.uk Dave will do his best to reply to your message in a forthcoming column, but he won't be able to answer everyone or correspond privately with readers. Nothing in his replies constitutes regulated financial advice. Published questions are sometimes edited for brevity or other reasons.

One of the main benefits of being limited is that it protects your personal assets; you only stand to lose your investment in the business. Should the company fail or legal action is taken against it, you shouldnt be personally liable for the losses from your finances unless youve given personal guarantees on loans.

As a sole trader, you and your business are legally the same. You can therefore be held personally liable for any debts and liabilities incurred from the running of your business. This includes taxes, so there is more risk should things go badly.

Some businesses find being limited gives more credibility with clients. It can also be easier to qualify for credit and accounts with financial service providers such as payment providers.

I havent quoted any figures here because theyre easily found online, and though they might be correct at the time of writing, they may well change in the upcoming budget.

The tax system is complex enough to navigate without it constantly changing. It would be helpful if the new government could maintain a period of stability so that businesses can plan for the future.

Regular changes to the system add an extra cost burden, particularly on smaller companies.

Small businesses are already at a disadvantage to large corporations who can afford teams of in-house accountants.

High rates of taxation affect small and medium-sized businesses far more as large corporates can use complex accounting systems and move profits offshore, gaining, in my opinion, an unfair competitive advantage.

I think it is vital for the new government to remember that while big corporations are more visible and have a louder voice, sole traders and small businesses are the backbones of the economy.

Most people employed in the UK are either sole traders or work in small businesses and contribute massively to society.

Good Luck, and let me know how it all goes.
BP will no doubt fan flames of the windfall tax row next week with another round of bumper profits on the back of high oil and gas prices.

Rival Shell this week posted quarterly profits of more than 8billion which, although lower than its record second quarter, allowed it to dish out an additional 3.5billion in share buybacks as well as a 15 per cent dividend hike.

BP investors will be hoping the FTSE100 giant can replicate these payouts, considering the group is better placed to take advantage of higher energy prices due to spending cuts and debt repayments.

But next Tuesday's figures for the third quarter are likely to spark fresh calls for a windfall tax on the industry.

There will be interest in whether BP beats its second quarter profit of 7.4billion.

Investors will also be eyeing new share buybacks. BP has already unveiled 6.4billion of stock repurchases this year.

Its focus on costs will likely keep a lid on production rises which, while good for green campaigners, may provide little comfort to households and motorists hoping for energy prices to fall and lower bills.

Shareholders will also be keeping an eye on whether the group has managed to reduce its debt due to the oil price boom.

BP's debt is now 60 per cent lower than its peak of 50billion reached in the first quarter of 2020.

Finally, activists and investors may look to BP boss Bernard Looney for updates on the firm's transition to renewable energy ahead of next month's Cop27 climate summit in Egypt.
Rough facility, which was closed in 2017, will operate at 20% of its capacity

The UK's largest gas storage plant has been reopened, helping to potentially increase supply during winter, but it will only work at 20 per cent of its capacity.

Centrica, which owns the Rough gas storage facility off the east coast of Yorkshire, made its first injection of gas into the site today after it was shut for storage purposes for five years.

The British Gas owner said the increase in gas supply would help 'reduce or stabilise costs' for households this winter, but added it would not be a 'silver bullet' for the country's energy security.

Re-opened: Rough gas storage plant will add 50% to the UK's gas storage volumes

Rough will be able to store up to 30billion cubic feet of gas for UK homes and businesses this winter, according to Centrica.

The company said the gas should be enough to heat 1million homes, or 3.5 per cent of the UK's housing stock, for 100 days this winter, based on last year's consumption.

However, on a winter cold day, when there's more demand, the reserves could be enough only to meet 1 per cent of gas demand, it admitted.

Centrica had closed the plant in 2017 due to 'economic' reasons, with the Government refusing to help and Britain increasingly relying on imports of liquefied natural gas from countries including the US, Qatar, Peru and previously Russia.

Analysts warned at the time that closing Rough was a bad decision as it would increase the volatility of winter gas prices.

Before it was closed, Rough represented more than 70 per cent of UK storage and supplied 10 per cent of peak winter demand; now it will add 50 per cent to the UK's storage volume.

Centrica has been in talks with the Government over the past year about reopening the facility as the UK faces warnings of blackouts amid the energy crisis exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.

Rough is not a silver bullet for energy security, but it is a key part of a range of steps which can be taken to help the UK this winter Centrica CEO, Chris O'Shea

Gas prices hit record highs this year following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the UK particularly exposed to price volatility and blackouts due to its low gas storage space.

Britain still has some of the lowest gas storage levels in Europe at nine days, compared to Germany at 89 days, France at 103 days and the Netherlands at 123 days.

It is also heavily reliant on gas to produce electricity, having derived about 40 per cent of its electricity by burning gas in 2021.

Gas prices have now fallen back by over 60 per cent since the end of August thanks to a mild start to the heating season and a surge in the amount of gas stored across Europe ahead of winter.

However, they are expected to soar back up in the coming months as demand is set to rise when it gets colder.

UK gas prices: The market price of gas has dropped by more than 60% since August

'Rough will help to balance the UK's gas market, injecting gas into the facility when prices are low and putting that gas back into the UK's gas network when demand is higher,' Centrica said.

'The flexibility in Rough allows cheaper gas to be stored ready for winter, helping to reduce or stabilise costs for UK energy consumers,' it added.

Centrica chief executive, Chris O'Shea, said the longer term plan was still to turn Rough into 'the world's biggest methane and hydrogen storage facility', but for now it would be used as gas storage.

'In the short term we think Rough can help our energy system by storing natural gas when there is a surplus and producing this gas when the country needs it during cold snaps and peak demand,' O'Shea said.

'Rough is not a silver bullet for energy security, but it is a key part of a range of steps which can be taken to help the UK this winter.'
Shares in Centrica rose after it reopened Britain's largest gas storage facility amid moves to prevent blackouts this winter.

The British Gas owner said its Rough site would operate at around 20 per cent of its previous capacity and add 50 per cent to UK reserves.

It is the first time in five years that Centrica has pumped gas into the site. The firm said Rough can store up to 30billion cubic feet of gas for homes and businesses over this winter and 2023.

Boost: Centrica said its Rough site would operate at around 20 per cent of its previous capacity and add 50 per cent to UK reserves

It comes as the Government looks to ramp up domestic energy sources amid blackout warnings as the Ukraine war hits supplies.

Centrica boss Chris O'Shea said: 'In the short term, we think Rough can help our energy system by storing natural gas when there is a surplus and producing this gas when the country needs it during cold snaps and peak demand.

'Rough is not a silver bullet for energy security, but it is a key part of a range of steps which can be taken to help the UK this winter.'

Yet the site off the Yorkshire coast is expected to meet only 1 per cent of demand on a cold day. Credit Suisse said the 'economics of storage is highly attractive' as gas prices are expected to rise. Shares gained 5 per cent, or 3.5p, to 73.2p.

The FTSE 100 was down 0.37 per cent, or 26.02 points, to 7047.67 and the FTSE 250 fell 0.91 per cent, or 165.25 points, to 17,916.67.

Banking stocks took a hit following NatWest's bleak results. Shares in Lloyds fell 3.5 per cent, or 1.5p, to 41.3p while Barclays was down 2.5 per cent, or 3.8p, to 146.4p and Standard Chartered slid 3 per cent, or 16.2p, to 519.6p.

Meanwhile, mining giant Glencore fell 0.9 per cent, or 4.3p, to 496.8p even though it lowered forecasts for the year on zinc, nickel and coal production following a series of setbacks.

Zinc production in the three months to September was affected by supply problems in Kazakhstan linked to the war in Ukraine.

And worker strikes at mines in Canada and Norway hit nickel production, while severe flooding in Australia affected Glencore's coal output.

Gambling firm Flutter met some of its largest investors following a backlash over executive pay at its annual general meeting earlier this year.

The owner of Paddy Power and Betfair said it will provide an update on discussions over a new policy when its annual report for the year is published.

Shares slid 2.7 per cent, or 310p, to 11245p. Shares in fashion retailer Asos fell 11.3 per cent, or 73p, to 573p following a broker downgrade.

Construction firm Grafton Group appointed the former boss of aviation firm Swissport International AG as its chief executive. Eric Born will replace Gavin Stark at the helm of the builders' merchant next month. Shares sank 3.3 per cent, or 23.4p, to 692.6p.

And Computacenter fell 4.1 per cent, or 79p, to 1829p after the tech hardware seller warned it would prioritise investments in IT and cyber-security over profit in the short term. The group said such investments are vital for its 'long-term success'.

Computacenter also said its supply chain challenges and high levels of inventory would persist through to next year.

IGas Energy criticised the Government for re-imposing the ban on fracking in the middle of an energy crisis.

The group said it was 'shocked and disappointed' at the decision, adding that the U-turn 'risks driving investment away'. But its shares rose 8.3 per cent, or 2.3p, to 30p.

Elsewhere, United Oil & Gas celebrated a positive result after it drilled a well in the Western Desert in Egypt.
include_once "/home/jwreview/public_html/$theme/includes/sidebar.php"; ?> You've no doubt noticed that lots of pundits are opining all over themselves in these last few days before the election. Listen to them. Read them. Agree or not? Here is what some have been saying in the runup to Election Day.

Mark Penn, chairman of the Harris poll wrote the following. "The midterms will almost certainly bring a Republican House, but that alone will not solve the problem. The midterms will also mark the beginning of the next presidential campaign, and the next president will undoubtedly be the one who has a credible plan for restoring prosperity to America after the mess that has been created."

Lanny Davis, long time Democrat operative wrote in the Hill, "It's not too late.?The World Series still remains for ads -- and for all Democratic funding groups, from the congressional committees to the grassroots? -- to fund this focused message: The Republicans imply that Democrats are soft on crime and they are tough on crime.?That is a lie -- and they know it is a lie. To me, the best person to repeat that message on these ads in a quiet, live statement into the TV cameras on election eve 2022 would be the president who represents?decency, goodness?and integrity, even?to?many Republicans who disagree with his policies: Joe Biden."

Now read Conrad Black, writing in The Epoch Times, "All indications now are that the Democrats are finally about to pay for using hate of Donald Trump as a substitute for governing for two years, just as, for four years prior to that, they used Trump hate as a substitute for normal opposition. The entire fabric of myths, frauds, and defamations that the national political media have conveniently held up as a safety net for the Democratic Party and this terribly incompetent administration is about to disappear."

And Politico writes, "And with democracy itself under threat in these midterms, a handful of Democrats are actually predicting high Black turnout: "People are going to show up at record, handsome, historic form in this midterm election," said Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist who has joined the Democratic National Committee on its national bus tour to get out the vote."

Don't forget this one by Charles Lipson, "On criminal justice issues, Americans see sharp differences between the two major political parties. They know Republicans have long favored more support for law enforcement, more funding, and more policies like "broken windows" policing, which seek to reduce crime by punishing minor offenses before the perpetrators succeed and move on to larger ones. They know Democrats have consistently opposed these policies and dismantled them in cities they govern. They can see the results for themselves.

Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

The Democrats' message on crime is failing for another reason: They control the cities where crime is rampant. Voters around the country see the connection, and it hurts Democrats everywhere. Voters want to change policies. They want much better public safety, fairly administered. They are sick of virtue signaling, wishful thinking, and criminals released to repeat their offenses. That's what they are saying to pollsters. Soon, that's what they will say at the ballot box."

Actually none of what is said or written really matters much. You can speculate all day long and it means nothing. The only thing that means anything is voting.

Yes, I know that the Dems have changed the rules of voting in the past couple of election cycles, increasing the time allowed for when votes can be counted, where ballots can be dropped off, and lots of other things that give Dems the edge.

Until the rules are rolled back to before the pandemic, better oversight is used when counting, and voter I.D.'s is established across the nation, elections will stay heavily on the side of the cheaters, namely the Democrats.

All the more reason why Republican and Independent voters need to get out in droves and vote. If turnout is strong enough against the Dems, they can be defeated. But don't take anything for granted.

Vote, vote, vote, vote!

(COMMENT, BELOW)
The defence giant behind anti-tank weapons Britain has sent to Ukraine posted rising profits as nations re-arm in the face of more military threats.

Saab, which makes the Next-generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW) that has played a major role in Ukrainian resistance to Russia's invasion, said earnings rose 13.6 per cent to 45million in the third quarter of the year.

The Swedish firm, which builds everything from warships and fighter jets to missiles and radar systems, said it would continue to benefit from increased defence spending in the coming years.

Easy to use: The 27.5lb rocket launcher is dubbed the ultimate tank killer and the UK has sent more than 5,000 to Ukraine

'It's a multiple-year growth opportunity that we see in Europe and elsewhere, at least until 2030,' said Saab chief executive Micael Johansson.

The 27.5lb rocket launcher is dubbed the ultimate tank killer and the UK has sent more than 5,000 to Ukraine.

Their lightness makes them easy to carry and use. A soldier can be trained to use them in less than a day.

Military analysts believe that the weapons were critical to the defeat of Russian advances in the early stages of the war.
A showdown between the Government and banks is on the cards as industry bosses push against higher taxes on the sector.

As Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt look to plug a hole in the country's finances, banks have emerged as a possible target.

The Prime Minister and Chancellor are looking at keeping the 8 per cent bank surcharge, even after corporation tax rises from 19 per cent to 25 per cent next April. This would push taxes on bank profits to 33 per cent.

Showdown: Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is looking to plug a hole in the nation's finances

When Sunak was Chancellor, he promised to cut the surcharge to 3 per cent so when corporation tax rose to 25 per cent, banks would pay 28 per cent.

Another option would be to tax profits lenders make on money stored with the Bank of England.

But NatWest boss Alison Rose said: 'Banks based in the UK already pay a considerable amount of tax, more than any other sector and more than any of our peers in other locations around the world.'

She added that 'consistency and certainty' in tax and regulation was needed but she conceded a windfall tax was 'ultimately a decision for the Government'. Earlier this week HSBC chief executive Noel Quinn rejected suggestions banks should temporarily pay more tax to help fill the hole in UK finances.

'I would hope there isn't a windfall tax, but that's a matter for the Chancellor to decide,' he said.

Barclays boss CS Venkatakrishnan has warned higher levies on banks could hammer competitiveness.

He said a 'predictable tax regime' was key to London's success as a global financial centre.
Los pueblos no estan alejados, los que estan lejos, son sus autoridades, autoridades que no conocen la realidad de su pueblo, indico el presidente @PedroCastilloTe ante cientos de pobladores en la Plaza San Francisco del distrito y provincia de #Requena en Loreto. pic.twitter.com/ml9XMwdCPK
[October 27, 2022] Strategy Analytics: Apple Hits Best Third Quarter Global Smartphone Market Share in Twelve Years in Q3 2022

According to new research from Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments fell -9% YoY to 297 million units in Q3 2022. Samsung topped the global smartphone market with a healthy 22% share in Q3 2022. Apple ranked the second place with 16% share, the highest third quarter performance over the past twelve years. Xiaomi, OPPO (including OnePlus) and vivo stayed in the top five list. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221027006196/en/ Exhibit 1: Global Smartphone Shipments & Marketshare in Q3 2022 Source: Strategy Analytics, Inc. Linda Sui, Senior Director at Strategy Analytics, said, "Global smartphone shipments fell -9% YoY to 297 million units in Q3 2022. This is the fifth consecutive quarter of annual decline by smartphone volumes. Inventory adjustments and geopolitical issues adversely impacted smartphone market in the third quarter of this year. Meanwhile, unfavorable economic conditions continued to weaken consumers' demand on smartphones and other non-essential products." Woody Oh, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, "We estimate Samsung shipped 64 million smartphones and topped the global smartphone market with a healthy 22% share in Q3 2022. It slightly outperformed the total market and declined -7% YoY by shipment volumes. Demand tilted towards low- cost A and M series, while the newly launched Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 help the company strengthen the leadership in foldable segment. Apple shipped 49 million iPhones worldwide, up +6% YoY, for 16% global marketshare in Q3 2022. This is the highest third quarter market share for Apple over the past twelve years, at the expense of leading Chinese brands who are hampered by the sluggish performance in both home and overseas market. Apple had a good quarter, led by newly launched iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, while the demand for iPhone 14 remained mixed." Yiwen Wu, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, added, "Xiaomi shipped 40.5 million smartphones and took third place with nearly 14% global marketshare in Q3 2022, slightly up from one year ago. Xiaomi outperformed other major Chinese brands and registered -8% annual decline rate, thanks to the well diversified regional footprint. However, Xiaomi continued suffering from the geopolitical uncertainties in Europe. China and India market also delivered a mixed bag for the Chinese brand. OPPO (OnePlus) held fourth spot and captured 10% global smartphone marketshare during Q3 2022. Vivo stayed fifth with 9% global smartphone marketshare in Q3 2022. OPPO (OnePlus) and Vivo both posted a double digit annual decline rate and lost ground in most markets, as 4G and 5G competition intensified sharply in China and other markets." Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, "Global competition among other major smartphone brands, beyond the top-five, was fierce during Q3 2022. Transsion, Honor, Realme, Lenovo-Motorola and Huawei ranked the top ten list but delivered mixed results this quarter. Transsion maintained the sixth position and saw a healthy growth in Central Eastern Europe and Central Latin America region, but smartphone shipments posted double digit annual decline rate this quarter blaming the soft performance in Asia Pacific and Africa Middle East region. Honor's impressive resilient journey also hit a pause and delivered annual decline due to the pull back in China in Q3 2022. Realme registered a double-digit annual decline and lost ground in all regions except Central Eastern Europe where it benefited from the industry reshuffle. Lenovo-Motorola stayed in the top ten list but also delivered an annual decline while it witnessed a solid growth in Asia Pacific region mainly in India. Huawei in contrast posted an annual growth by smartphone shipment this quarter, mainly driven by the healthy demand of 4G enable smartphones in China, such as Nova 10 series, P50 and Mate 50 models. Among top ten brands, there are eight Chinese brands. However, all these Chinese brands combined posted -13% annual decline, underperforming total market and the top two players." Linda Sui, Senior Director at Strategy Analytics, added, "We forecast global smartphone shipments to decline -9% to -10% YoY in full-year 2022. Geopolitical issues, economy downturn, energy shortage and price hike, exchange rate volatility, and Covid disruption will continue to weaken consumer demand during the last quarter of 2022. All these headwinds would continue through the first half of next year, before the situation eases in the second half of 2023. Samsung and Apple would continue to outperform and remain top two places. Chinese brands need to stabilize the performance in China market and explore new growth engine to terminate the falling track." About Strategy Analytics Strategy Analytics, Inc. is a global leader in supporting companies across their planning lifecycle through a range of customized market research solutions. Our multi-discipline capabilities include: industry research advisory services, customer insights, user experience design and innovation expertise, mobile consumer on-device tracking and business-to-business consulting competencies. With domain expertise in: smart devices, connected cars, intelligent home, service providers, IoT, strategic components and media, Strategy Analytics can develop a solution to meet your specific planning need. For more information, visit us at www.strategyanalytics.com. For more information about Strategy Analytics Wireless Smartphone Strategies Service: Click Here







1 Numbers are rounded.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221027006196/en/

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[October 27, 2022] SALT iConnections Asia to Convene Top Alternative Investment Leaders in Singapore Next Month

More than 150 allocators confirmed to attend NEW YORK and SINGAPORE, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SALT, a premier global thought leadership forum, and iConnections, the largest capital introduction platform and app, today announced details of the upcoming SALT iConnections Asia conference, taking place November 14-16 at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. SALT is returning to Singapore to host its annual Asia event for the first time since 2013. This year's event will convene the world's leading alternative investment managers, entrepreneurs and policymakers for three days of thought leadership, roundtables and networking. This year's agenda will feature keynotes and c-suite panels: Analyzing macro trends in a fragmented region

Sharing family office insights on alternative assets

Discussing the untapped potential of digital assets in APAC

Covering fundraising opportunities in Asia's alternatives industry

alternatives industry Decoding Asia's investment playbook for private equity and venture capital

investment playbook for private equity and venture capital Mapping out the geopolitical landscape Over 150 allocators from across the globe are currently confirmed to attend, including from Bank of Singapore, Blackstone, GIC, Partners Capital, Northwestern University and UBS. Nearly half of registered allocators represent single family or multi-family offices, over 20% are fund of funds and additional primary institutional investors include endowments, foundations, pensions, sovereign wealth funds, governments and asset managers. Speaker highlights include: Debra Ng , Partner, Albourne Partners

, Partner, Albourne Partners Gilman Louie , Chief Executive Officer, America's Frontier Fund

, Chief Executive Officer, America's Frontier Fund Kher Sheng Lee , Managing Director, Co-Head of APAC and Deputy Global Head of Government Affairs, AIMA

, Managing Director, Co-Head of APAC and Deputy Global Head of Government Affairs, AIMA Bob Diamond , Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Merchant Capital

, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Merchant Capital Kim Rosenkilde , Group CIO, Aviva Singlife

, Group CIO, Aviva Singlife Joe Marenda , Global Head of Digital Assets Investing, Cambridge Associates

, Global Head of Digital Assets Investing, Cambridge Associates Bonnie Y , Director, External Portfolio Management, CDPQ

, Director, External Portfolio Management, CDPQ Nydia Zhang , Investment Director, Ferretto Capital

, Investment Director, Ferretto Capital Parag Khanna , Founder & Managing Partner, FutureMap

, Founder & Managing Partner, FutureMap Roman Matla , Director, APAC  Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Google

, Director, APAC  Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Google Charmaine Chin , Managing Director, Hedge Fund Solutions Group (BAAM) and Head of Asia Manager Selection

, Managing Director, Hedge Fund Solutions Group (BAAM) and Head of Manager Selection Norbert Ling , Credit Portfolio Manager, Invesco

, Credit Portfolio Manager, Invesco Punk 6529 , NFT Collector, Investor, Thought Leader

, NFT Collector, Investor, Thought Leader Adam Watson , Partner & Co-Head of Asia Pacific , Partners Capital

, Partner & Co-Head of , Partners Capital Kai-Fu Lee , Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Sinovation Ventures

, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Sinovation Ventures Antony Lewis , Director, Blockchain, Temasek



Out Leadership, Out Leadership's founder and CEO Todd Sears will be presenting at the conference about Out Leadership's new Return on Equality ESG Initiative.

Out Leadership's founder and CEO will be presenting at the conference about Out Leadership's new Return on Equality ESG Initiative. Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) , the global representative of the alts industry with 2,100 corporate members collectively managing over $2 .5T in over 60 countries.

, the global representative of the alts industry with 2,100 corporate members collectively managing over .5T in over 60 countries. Standards Board for Alternative Investments (SBAI) , a global active alliance of asset managers and allocators dedicated to advancing responsible practice, partnership and knowledge.

, a global active alliance of asset managers and allocators dedicated to advancing responsible practice, partnership and knowledge. 100 Women in Finance, a global organization committed to gender equity in finance by promoting diversity, raising visibility, and empowering women to find their personal path to success. "We look forward to hosting the most important investors, thought leaders and entrepreneurs in the APAC region next month and bringing SALT back to Singapore," said John Darsie, Managing Director of SALT. "Singapore and APAC are an increasingly important region for both LPs and GPs, and we're excited to partner with iConnections to offer further opportunities for networking and introductions."

iConnections CEO Ron Biscardi added, "We are proud to continue our partnership with SALT to bring top-quality content and LP-GP networking to Singapore." More details about the conference and how to register can be found here. Follow SALT on LinkedIn and Twitter to stay up to date. About SALT

SALT is a global thought leadership forum focused on innovation and investing founded in 2009 by Anthony Scaramucci and SkyBridge Capital. Its mission is to empower big ideas by connecting people and capital. SALT's flagship events bring together the world's foremost investors, creators and thinkers for high-level collaboration and networking. First airing in May 2020, SALT Talks is a digital media series featuring conversations with leading entrepreneurs. For more information please visit https://www.salt.org/ and follow SALT's Twitter and LinkedIn for content and updates. About iConnections

iConnections is a software-powered community connecting the investment management industry. iConnections' platform and app allows managers to securely share company information with allocators, who can seamlessly evaluate and engage with relevant managers. The scalable technology powering iConnections can be used for all types of bespoke investor events. In an increasingly digital world, iConnections has reimagined how the investment industry connects. Visit https://iconnections.io to learn more. Media Contacts

Prosek Partners, on behalf of SALT

[email protected] Diana Arakelyan

Chief Marketing Officer, iConnections

[email protected] SOURCE SALT

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]




Within this framework, the main market was the United States, with purchases worth US$88,890, thus accounting for 54% of the total.





This traditional product associated with the Lord of Miracles festivity  reached 15 countries.





The second place in the ranking was occupied by Japan, with $16,879 (accounting for 10%); followed by Chile ($12,556), the Netherlands ($11,474), and Italy ($9,353). These three countries represented 8%, 7%, and 6% of the total, respectively.





Spain (US$8,688), Belgium, Canada, Australia, Venezuela, Switzerland, Panama, the United Kingdom, Aruba, and Singapore completed the ranking. It must be noted that Venezuela (+637%) and Australia (374%+) registered higher growth rates.





The company Belmont Foods Peru led the list of shipments abroad. Industria Panificadora San Jose, CV Eximp, Peruvian Collcas Foods, Gerald & Camila Export, Comercializadora El Granero, Comercial El General, Oriundo Trading, Peruchef Trade, and JM Importadora Exportadora y Servicios also stood out. The first three companies accounted for 43% of the total shipped.





According to Adex Data Trade Commercial Intelligence System, this flagship dessert was mainly exported in 250-gram and 500-gram boxes.





Turron like the panettone is a nostalgic product demanded by the Peruvian community whose members emigrated to various foreign countries.





Although both products are consumed during almost the entire year, the peaks of sales abroad are marked in the case of Turron during the period from August to October; and that of Panettone between October and December.





History





The month of October is not only popular for commemorating the Lord of Miracles , but also for high consumption of the traditional Turron de Dona Pepa whose recipe is attributed to Josefa Marmanillo. She was a slave in the 17th century who lived in the Valley of Canete and became popular for being a great cook.





When a strange illness paralyzed her arms, Marmanillo decided to travel to Lima to join the Lord's procession and begged him to release her from that illness a request that was granted to the lady.




[October 27, 2022] Otis and Cambodia Academy of Digital Technology Announce Winners of STEM Robotic Competition

Otis volunteer mentors and students from the Cambodia Academy of Digital Technology proposed innovative solutions to tackle urban mobility issues. PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: OTIS), the world's leading company for elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation, and service, announced the winners of a robotics competition held in partnership with The Asia Foundation (TAF) and CADT (Cambodia Academy of Digital Technology), a top institute that provides higher education, professional training, Research & Development, and innovation for digital technology. Students supported by the experts from the academy's digital makerspace and Otis volunteer mentors from across Southeast Asia developed innovative science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) solutions under the theme of Urban Mobility. A total of 53 students from the Telecoms and Networking and Computer Science faculties took part in the challenge, where they explored timely urban issues, including traffic congestion, road safety, healthcare access, and environmental cleanliness. "We truly appreciate this four-month program which enabled our students to improve their digital skills and problem-solving abilities under the theme of Urban Mobility. This contest encouraged our students to come up with creative and innovative ideas to solve pressing urban issues and also provided an opportunity for STEM technology to be embedded into our school curriculum," said H.E HEAN Samboeun, Vice President of CADT. "I am very proud of the students and our Otis mentors who have worked together over the past four months to put together these creative concepts," said Manivannan, K., Managing Director of Vietnam and Malaysia, Otis. "Through the live demonstrations and working model prototypes, the students showcased how their STEM solutions would operate in real lie and bring benefits to the communities they live in."



This program is part of Otis' Commitment to Change, amplifying its ongoing commitment to STEM and vocational education, by joining with community and business partners to invest in and build a diverse talent pipeline. It is also one of the many ways that Otis is contributing to its 2030 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals of impacting 15,000 students globally through STEM-focused programming and dedicating 500,000 colleague volunteer hours in support of vibrant communities, STEM education and social equity efforts. The winners of the challenge are:

First Place: First Aid Robot The winning student team conceived the 'First aid robot'  a robotic machine that can provide around-the-clock health care to the public. Powered by a smart monitor and solar energy, the robot dispenses first aid kits on demand so that those in need can receive immediate medical attention. It can also make public announcements to raise awareness in communities on healthcare issues. Second Place: Smart Dashcam Students developed a product called 'iDash,' a portable dashcam that mounts to motorcycle helmets. In the event of a crash or accident, an alert is immediately sent via a mobile app to alert the rider's emergency contacts. It also features a video recording function to ensure evidence is consolidated centrally for follow-ups and investigations. Third Place: Smart Parking Lot One of the key challenges drivers face across cities in Cambodia is finding available parking lots with charging stations. Despite a 70 percent increase in usage of electric motorbikes, as shown by statistics from the United Nations Development Programme, many carparks do not provide charging stations for electric vehicles. To overcome this challenge, the students proposed a solution leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT) to detect available parking spaces for drivers while simultaneously charging their vehicles for greener and smarter energy usage. The final contest and award ceremony was opened by H.E HEAN Samboeun, Vice-President of CADT, welcomed by Mr. Manivannan, K., Managing Director of Malaysia and Vietnam, Otis, and closed by H.E Dr. SENG Sopheap, President of CADT, in the presence of representatives from all three organizations. "I would like to extend my appreciation to the volunteer mentors from Otis and partners from The Asia Foundation who imparted their professional expertise and valuable project management and communication skills to our students," shared H.E Dr. SENG Sopheap, President of CADT. "We look forward to more opportunities where we can co-create with our industry partners to advance the entrepreneurial ambitions of our students in CADT." About Otis Otis gives people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. The global leader in the manufacture, installation and servicing of elevators and escalators, we move 2 billion people a day and maintain more than 2.1 million customer units worldwide  the industry's largest Service portfolio. You'll find us in the world's most iconic structures, as well as residential and commercial buildings, transportation hubs and everywhere people are on the move. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 68,000 people strong, including 41,000 field professionals, all committed to meeting the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @OtisElevatorCo. SOURCE Otis

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[October 27, 2022] 2022 Digitisation in Traditional Medicine World Summit successfully held in Macau

Joint discussion on digitisation with credit initiative between China and ASEAN countries MACAU, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Here is the report from Macau business By Tony Lai: A conference about digitisation of the industry of Traditional Complementary Medicine (TCM) was held in Macau on Friday (Oct.,21,2022), facilitating innovations in the sector and strengthening the city's platform role for it. The 2022 World Summit of Digitisation in Traditional Medicine, organised by the Macao TCM Kampo Experience Centre under the authorisation of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies (WFCMS), attracted over 200 guests from mainland China, UK, Macau, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and other regions who attended the event online and offline.



Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U underscored the importance of the Chinese Medicine industry for the city's economic diversification beyond gaming in her remarks at the opening ceremony of the summit. The authorities would roll out measures and policies to enhance the competitiveness of the exports of locally branded TCM products, she addressed. Chun Yuan Chiang, President of the Macao TCM Kampo Experience Center behind the event, also said that Macau has advantages in the development of the TCM industry, given its reputation for quality products to consumers.

He added that the Macao TCM Kampo Experience Center inked an cooperation pact with State Key Laboratory (SKL) of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine at the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) to establish a digital centre of SKL entrusted with applying big data, artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies to certification of quality of TCM ingredients and products. Huang Luqi, Deputy Head of the China National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, as well as health officials from Thailand and Malaysia, also spoke in the summit, addressing a variety of topics, including digitisation of traditional medicines, TCM-based tourism and financial services. In addition, Macau Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong also attended the gala of the summit held on Friday night. MACAU BUSINESS Original Article Link:

https://www.macaubusiness.com/summit-bolstering-digitisation-in-traditional-chinese-medicine-held-in-macau/ SOURCE Macau business

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[October 28, 2022] GoFloaters, Hybrid Workplace Platform Startup, Raises Seed Funding led by Loyal VC

The fund raised will be used to strengthen GoFloaters hybrid workplace solution for teams CHENNAI, India, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GoFloaters , the leading hybrid workplace platform in India, today announced it has secured an undisclosed amount in seed funding. The funding is led by Loyal VC , a Canada-based global venture fund with 220+ investments across 50+ countries. Funds will be primarily utilized to strengthen and accelerate its unified hybrid workplace solution - WorqFlexi. GoFloaters has built a one-of-a-kind unified hybrid workplace platform aimed at helping teams to work and collaborate in-person from anywhere. GoFloaters customers include the SaaS unicorn Chargebee, Wingify, world-class fintech Branch International, edtech startup Kraftshala, IT services company Ignitho, Incubyte, NotionPress to name a few. "GoFloaters outperformed great companies from around the world to earn this recent investment by Loyal VC," said Kamal Hassan, Managing Partner, Loyal VC. "They have done an impressive job of building up partnerships India-wide to offer an innovative new real estate model to corporations. We are delighted to work with them, and to support them through our network of global mentors as they grow in India and beyond," Mr Hassan added. Founded by Shyam Sundar Nagarajan and Srivatsan Padmanabhan in 2017, GoFloaters pioneered the concept of low-cost coworking desks with work cafes. GoFloaters currently offers 2000+ on-demand coworking spaces, meeting rooms and long-term offices across 40+ cities in India including a solid presence in Tier 2 & 3 towns. GoFloaters has curated these work and meeting spaces by partnering with over 250 coworking providers including WeWork, Cowrks, 91Springboard, AWFIS, Indiqube and OYO. "In the post-pandemic world, office space needs have been radicalized. 'The Great Resignation' and 'Quiet Quitting' movements signaled the demand for healthier work-life balance. Employees no longer want to commute to office campuses. They want alternatives to beat isolation,productivity issues and other work-from-home challenges. With company support, employees want workspaces on the go that are outside of home but closer to home. They want flexible spaces to meet, collaborate and bond without returning-to-office. All this together has expedited the adoption of on-demand flexible coworking, meeting and hybrid workplaces, which we have been advocating since long," said Founder and CEO, Shyam Sundar Nagarajan, GoFloaters. He added, "GoFloaters is helping companies seamlessly transition to a hybrid workplace model with WorqFlexi, a unified hybrid workplace solution."



Congratulating on this significant milestones, R U Srinivas, Sr. VP, People Success, Chargebee, added, "In a post-Covid world that's still figuring out work models that keep employees at the heart of its success, GoFloaters has been a great partner in helping us adapt to the changing needs and demands of the people that contribute to our business's success. At Chargebee, we have been continuously developing an operating format that provides flexibility, convenience, and compliance  both for our people and the business. We have implemented what we call the Adaptive Workplace Model - a sustainable operating format that gives our people, who are spread over 22 cities in India, the fluidity to do their best work, while being adaptive to business needs and external environments. Our experience with GoFloaters, to that end, has been great from the beginning with a data-driven approach and extremely proactive support." "GoFloaters made the whole process simple and convenient for us," said Vineet A, Executive General Manager, GAIN Credit. He added, "Providing our teams across India the flexibility to work near their home location and collaborate in person was crucial for employee experience and business. Working with GoFloaters, we set up on-demand collaboration hubs in Noida, Gurugram, and Bengaluru."

GoFloaters' innovative platform helps businesses and teams book a space of their choice and helps the management to provision, monitor and measure the outcome of their hybrid workplace strategy. The platform also offers Virtual Offices in select cities. GoFloaters has grown 100% month on month post pandemic. More than 80% of its booking comes from B2B teams for meeting spaces, offsites, in-person interactions and day offices for teams. About GoFloaters GoFloaters is a hybrid workplace platform. Workspaces can easily be booked online through the app or web  meeting rooms by the hour or a day and coworking desks for a day. GoFloaters also offers long-term office spaces in India and Virtual Office services. About Loyal VC Loyal VC is a global venture fund with 220+ investments across 50+ countries. The fund is designed to minimize systemic bias inherent in the investment process, unlocking greater returns. The Loyal Startup Index Fund has delivered strong returns since its launch in 2018, thanks to its collaborative, staged investment process, its network of over 500 global advisors, and its partnerships with the Founder Institute, the world's largest pre-seed accelerator, and INSEAD, rated the #1 non-US business school for unicorn founders by Pitchbook. Loyal's global start-up index fund is inclusive of a diverse, often mission-driven, group of entrepreneurs. To date, over 30% of the portfolio have a woman CEO, almost 30% are from emerging markets, and around 80% address one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). Learn more at: https://loyal.vc/ Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1931512/GoFloaters_CoFounders.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1931513/GoFloaters_Logo.jpg

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[October 28, 2022] Chinese Companies Remain Committed to Digital Transformation, but at a Slower Pace, According to Accenture Report

Accenture's digital enterprise evolution roadmap helps companies anchor future digital transformations SHANGHAI, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from Accenture (NYSE: ACN) shows that Chinese companies have been making steady progress in digital transformation over the past five years, with 17% of them, "Champions," making decisive investments in adopting and scaling digital technologies to drive continuous business transformation, compared to just 7% in 2018. However, the overall pace of enterprise digital transformation in China in 2022 has eased amid a more complex business landscape. "Over the past five years, Chinese companies have been successfully using digital technologies to raise competitiveness and create value in new ways," said Samantha Zhu, chairperson of Accenture Greater China. "In the current environment, as companies manage internal and external challenges including market volatility and supply chain disruptions, maintaining productivity while also upskilling their workforce is key, and it's critical that they continue to invest in digital technologies to strengthen their core and drive continuous innovation." The China Digital Transformation Index research, now in its fifth year, is a cross-industry framework that assesses companies across nine industries on their digital adoption and maturity. In 2022, 574 companies were surveyed. The research shows that there has been a slight increase of 1% point in the number of companies qualifying as Champions since last year, however the average score measuring digital proficiency declined for the first time in five years from 54 to 52 between 2021 to 2022, out of a total achievable score of 100. Champions are also generating more than 50% of their current revenues from business activities that were implemented in the last three years. All companies were measured on a range of metrics that look at how they are using digital technologies to drive innovation, enhance operations and create new opportunities for growth. The research found that across the board, companies are prioritizing data-driven operations, but are less focused on research & development (R&D), as indicated by a 28% drop in score in providing customized products and services. Champions, in particular, are dveloping smart products or services 8X more than others score-wise and are driving R&D through collaborative digital platforms more than 2X higher.



The research also found that while most business leaders surveyed said they would increase their digital investments in the following one to two years, they would do so more pragmatically and prudently by paying attention to the immediate financial returns of digital projects. To help companies successfully translate digital investments into financial performance, Accenture launched a digital enterprise evolution roadmap that enables individual companies to manage their transformation process. As the first such roadmap based on the index, it defines stages from the perspective of purpose, experiences, operations and technology.

"Sustainable, purpose-led, high quality growth companies and the continued modernization of industries is the key to China's future economic development. During our 35 years in China, we have worked closely with our clients to enable the various stages of their transformation and believe that this new roadmap will help them better track and manage the progress of their digital transformation efforts, unlock the value of digital, and achieve total enterprise reinvention," added Ms. Zhu. The report listed six key areas of action that will help Chinese companies strengthen their digital transformation: Leverage open innovation for long-term growth: By developing a full suite of innovation capabilities across their ecosystem of customers, partners and suppliers, companies can reshape their competitive advantage  from improving technology, products and services to supporting industrial upgrades and sustainable development.

By developing a full suite of innovation capabilities across their ecosystem of customers, partners and suppliers, companies can reshape their competitive advantage  from improving technology, products and services to supporting industrial upgrades and sustainable development. Lead with human centricity: Shift the focus from optimizing touch points to offering value by developing products and services that meet customers' essential needs and providing human-centric experiences with the help of digital technologies.

Shift the focus from optimizing touch points to offering value by developing products and services that meet customers' essential needs and providing human-centric experiences with the help of digital technologies. Build platforms for a diversified workforce: Lead with the combination of technology adoption and talent to improve workforce resiliency and enable a timely response to evolving business needs. Upskilling people in the digital environment will greatly improve operational efficiency and help drive innovation.

Lead with the combination of technology adoption and talent to improve workforce resiliency and enable a timely response to evolving business needs. Upskilling people in the digital environment will greatly improve operational efficiency and help drive innovation. Enhance data-driven intelligent operations : Accelerate data aggregation to ensure the quality and availability of the data on the cloud and pave the way for seamless data flow to support more frequent and complicated decision-making processes.

: Accelerate data aggregation to ensure the quality and availability of the data on the cloud and pave the way for seamless data flow to support more frequent and complicated decision-making processes. Develop resilience through transparency: Gain full visibility across production lines, customers and suppliers by deploying analytics and artificial intelligence. Secure a resilient supply chain to predict potential risks and act on them in real-time.

Gain full visibility across production lines, customers and suppliers by deploying analytics and artificial intelligence. Secure a resilient supply chain to predict potential risks and act on them in real-time. Realize the full potential of tech: As new digital technologies continue to emerge, companies need to leverage them in combination to further accelerate reinvention and achieve synergy in products and services innovation, management and ecosystem development. About the Accenture China Digital Transformation Index The Accenture China Digital Transformation Index is a cross-industry framework that assesses a company's rotation progress based on 52 key metrics of four-level indicators. The study surveyed 574 Chinese companies in nine industries, including electronic components and materials, high-tech electronic manufacturing, automotive and engineering machinery, medical and pharmaceutical, fast-moving consumer goods, logistics and aviation, traditional retail, chemicals/building material and metallurgy. About Accenture Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Technology and Operations services and Accenture Song  all powered by the world's largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 721,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com. SOURCE Accenture

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[October 28, 2022]

Community polls show 84% of residents on the Port au Port peninsula in Western Newfoundland are against World Energy GH2's mega wind turbine project

PORT AU PORT PENINSULA, NL, Oct. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - On October 25, 2022 The Environmental Transparency Committee hosted a public meeting in Sheaves Cove.

The purpose of the meeting was to reveal polls conducted by the residents regarding the proposed wind turbine project by World Energy GH2 called Project Nujio'qonik.

Approximately 190 residents and MHA Tony Wakeham were present. World Energy GH2 declined an invitation to attend.

1,027 residents were polled in the following format: a street address, date signed and witnessed by a Commissioner of Oaths.

The polls read as follows:

Yes, I support the proposed wind farm project for the peninsula

No, I am against the wind farm project for the peninsula

Undecided

The LSD of Sheaves Cove conducted polls at their community centre.

50 residents participated

100% (50) No

The Town of Cape St. George conducted polls at their office in the town hall.







76% (142) No

20% (37) Yes

4% (8) Undecided

The LSD of Ship Cove, Lower Cove and Jerry's Nose conducted polls door to door.

90 residents participated

92% (83) No

7% (6) Yes

1% (1) Undecided

The LSD of Campbell's Creek conducted polls door to door.

17 residents participated

82% (14) No

18% (3) Yes

The Town of Port Au Port West conducted polls door to door.

129 residents participated

53% (69) No

42% (54) Yes

5% (6) Undecided

The LSD of Piccadilly Slant and Abraham's Cove conducted polls door to door.

160 residents participated

82% (131) No

9% (15) Yes

9% (14) Undecided

The LSD of Piccadilly Head conducted polls door to door.

83 residents participated

78% (65) No

12% (10) Yes

10% (8) Undecided

The LSD of Black Duck Brook and Winter Houses conducted polls door to door.

39 residents participated

84% (33) No

13% (5) Yes

3% (1) Undecided

The LSD of Mainland conducted polls door to door.

194 residents participated

99% (192) No

1% (2) Yes

The LSD of Three Rock Cove conducted polls door to door.

78 residents participated

96% (75) No

4% (3) Yes

Based on these 10 communities 84% of residents are against the project.

The Environmental Transparency Committee is a grassroots volunteer-based community organization dedicated to preserving the environment, ecosystem & integrity of Port au Port Peninsula in Western Newfoundland.

SOURCE Environmental Transparency Committee
[October 28, 2022] 2022 MDB Sustainable and Digital Development Business Opportunities Seminar

Three multilateral development banks inject funds into Taiwan digital industry manufacturers for their overseas portfolio growth TAIPEI, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) held the 2022 "MDB Sustainable and Digital Development Business Opportunities" seminar on October 28, 2022, intending to assist Taiwan's digital industry in connecting with international platforms to avail themselves of the opportunities to expand their smart application businesses overseas. Executives from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) attended the event where they shared opportunities that could lead to further development for Taiwanese digital businesses. One of the event's key objectives was to help system integrators export product and service solutions to international markets by working in collaboration with international organizations. At the event, executives from the ADB shared their experiences with Taiwanese companies on the development and business opportunities related to Earth Observation (EO) and Geographic Information System (GIS) networks. The EBRD elaborated on its experience with digital transformation, energy management, and implementation of net-zero emissions while the CABEI took part in sharing the challenges of achieving sustainable development through digital programs. "In the past, we regularly organized collaborative exchanges with international organizations such as the ADB, EBRD, and CABEI, with the focus on building platforms that connect Taiwan's digital industry with opportunities in international markets and attract funding that can assist Taiwanese companies in growing their exports," said Tai-Shan Yu,director of the Emerging and Cross-Domain Division of the Administration for Digital Industries, Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA).



Taiwan contributed to the ADB's Domestic Resources Mobilization Fund (DRMF) in July 2022, with the Ministry of Finance subsequently taking on the mission of working with local manufacturers to access the fund to promote Taiwan's experience in smart finance and smart tax management; in such areas as taxpayer registration, electronic payment tax collection, and property valuation systems. During the sharing session, experts from the ADB gave presentations on how the EO and GIS networks can be applied to sustainable development anywhere. Taiwan will continue to have the opportunity to participate in DRMF, opening up the path to further opportunities for the country's digital industry to participate in international cooperation on sustainable development. In recent years, Taiwan's digital industry has successfully tapped into the resources and project support from the EBRD to jointly promote Taiwan's solutions and experience in electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, electronic toll collection, traffic control centers, and other smart transportation solutions. In early 2023, a delegation from the EBRD will visit Taiwan and tour the demonstration facilities of several of the sector's key players, as a key step in establishing a framework for cooperation. At the event, the EBRD shared what it foresees in terms of the future for digital transformation, energy management, net-zero emissions, and other areas where the bank sees collaborative opportunities.

The industry's key players have already promoted smart transportation, smart vehicles, and related smart applications to CABEI, and received a positive response. Both sides have agreed to conduct a feasibility analysis at the initial stage and subsequently, participate in planning smart applications for electric bus fleets and EVs in general in Central American countries in concert with Taiwanese automakers. CABEI also opened its doors to the sector joining future meetings and exchanges on environmental and social welfare issues afflicting Central America. At the event, CABEI shared its insights into the challenges of integrating GIS into applications leveraging digital technologies as a means for achieving sustainable development as well as for coming up with solutions to reverse or mitigate the problem of greenhouse gases. "The Ministry of Digital Affairs is committed to supporting the System Integration Promotion Alliance (SIPA), in a move to encourage domestic and overseas industry, and governmental partners to work together to plan and implement digital governance, smart cities, and digital integration programs anywhere and everywhere where such cooperation is welcome as well as to assist the country's system integrators in exporting their products and services to international markets," Yu said. "We look forward to seeing this sharing session serve as the stepping stone which Taiwan's digital sector becomes the hub for the global digital solution supply value chain, assisting Taiwanese manufacturers in creating digital services and digital system integration solutions that address yet unresolved issues facing companies and organizations worldwide, and generally speaking, serve as a vehicle for the growth of Taiwan's digital services sector." Taiwan's digital service industry can identify seven key fields where it has made considerable achievements: smart governance, smart transportation, smart manufacturing, smart healthcare, smart education, smart agriculture, and smart energy and environment. The industry plans to continue expanding its presence overseas by sharing its experience with the three major international banks that attended the event, to attract more capital injection to respond to major issues such as climate change, social welfare, energy conservation, and carbon reduction, as well as wealth disparity. The industry expects to play an irreplaceable role in contributing to green and environmentally responsible development worldwide. SOURCE Institute For Information Industry (III)

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[October 28, 2022] Bob's Discount Furniture Commits to a Season of Hunger Relief

Bob's Discount Furniture, one of the fastest growing omnichannel furniture retailers in the country, today announced that the company has donated $169,000 to food pantries and hunger-relief organizations across the country and partnered with U.S. Hunger to pack 20,000 meals for New England residents. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005061/en/ Bob's Discount Furniture employees lending a helping hand at Bob's headquarters in Manchester, CT for meal packing event (Photo: Business Wire) Bob's Charitable Foundation was responsible for the generous $169,000 gift that was shared to 169 food assistance organizations located nea 164 Bob's furniture store locations and five distribution centers nationwide. As part of the company's focus on relief efforts on Tuesday, October 25th over 150 Bob's employees assembled at the company's headquarters to pack 20,000 meals for U.S. Hunger, which distributed the meals to the Midwest Food Bank of New England.



"The holidays are a time for giving, and for the ninth consecutive year, we are proud to support the local food pantries in the communities we serve," said Bill Barton, CEO of Bob's Discount Furniture. "So many U.S. households are struggling with food insecurity today and by partnering with U.S. Hunger on the food packing initiative we hope we are able to provide some additional assistance and care to those in our communities that need it." A staple in each Bob's Discount Furniture store is the Bob's Cafe, which is another way that Bob's gives back to the community. Throughout the year, Bob's Cafe Collections for a Cause collects donations from customers in-store and matches donations by 100%, donating to a different charity each quarter. In addition to participating in U.S. Hunger's meal packing event, Bob's Cafe Collections for a Cause resulted in a $10,000 donation being made to U.S. Hunger.

"During this season of giving, we are excited to support food pantries in our communities," said Bob Kaufman, president emeritus and co-founder of Bob's Discount Furniture. "We know that many people struggle to feed their families and we're hoping these donations help provide meals to those in need during this holiday season." About Bob's Discount Furniture

Founded in 1991, Bob's Discount Furniture is one of the fastest growing furniture retailers in the country. Keeping true to its founding principle that everyone deserves quality furniture, Bob's provides unsurpassed value with honesty and integrity. Through all the work that happens behind the scenes, Bob's engineers this value, offering its discount on a wide variety of stylish, quality furnishings, mattresses, and home accents. With 164 furniture stores across 24 states, the Manchester, Connecticut-based company has become the 10th-largest U.S. furniture chain. The company also offers a unique and enjoyable shopping experience, featuring cafes in each store with complimentary gourmet coffee, ice cream, cookies, and candy. Bob's is committed to supporting local communities through a variety of charitable giving efforts. Bob's Discount Furniture Charitable Foundation has anchored the company's philanthropic work for more than 20 years. Additionally, the Bob's Outreach program was created as a separate entity to help schools and children-related charities. In total, Bob's and its Foundation donate more than $2.75 million to charities through these programs each year. For more information on Bob's charitable programs, visit Bob's Cares, and follow Bob's on Twitter @MyBobs, on Facebook, and Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005061/en/

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[October 28, 2022] Marijuana Strategic Ventures, Inc. (OTC: MSVI) Now Mushrooms Inc., Announces Positioning for Global Acquisitions and Shareholder Update

ESTERO, Fla., Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marijuana Strategic Ventures, Inc. (the Company)(OTC: MSVI) now Mushrooms Inc., Announces Positioning for Global Acquisitions and Shareholder Update.

Direction: The Company is pleased to announce that the resources that were allocated for the development and sales of Telogenix, a company developing nutraceutical mushroom products, has been re-allocated to the development of the Companys own proprietary provisional patent technology and mushroom related business acquisitions. Acquisitions: The Company is in the final stages of setting up a Dublin, Ireland office to head the acquisition of mushroom related business in the EU. This office is headed by Andrii Bruznia, who is a Ukrainian refugee with an extensive leadership background in global marketing and growth. Andrii delivered project management and business consulting services to scale 100+ projects for international clients such as HubSpot, Deluxe Marketing Solutions, Virgin, General Electric, Peace Corps, Franklin Covey, Oxford University Press, Harvard University, Vodafone, H&M, Marriott, National Geographic, Starbucks, Disney, Walmart and Victorias Secret. Working with clients from over 40 countries, Andrii has proven his ability in start-up launches, life cycle management, and has proven outcomes using Earned Media and Paid Media. His achievements include consultation services to the Head of the Ukrainian Business Support Center to win $4M Peace Corps grant to develop the economy of Ukraine, winner of 10 educational, economic, scientific and business development awards for the development of the Ukrainian financial system and growth of the economy. He was selected by the Ukrainian Executive Committee as official interpreter in negotiations between former US Ambassador to Ukraine (Carlos Pascual) and the Mayor of Mykolaiv (Vladimir Chajka). His lists of experience and achievements continues, and Mushrooms Inc. is proud to have him on the team. Andrii graduated with his MBA from the Wisconsin International University, with his MA in Finance and BA in Economics from European University of Finance, Management and Business. Andrii Bruznia, Director of Acquisitions says, I am looking forward to this new chapter in my life and the life of my family, as I join the Mushrooms Inc. team. This position will allow me to implement my skills in business and communication to unite Mushroom related companies with an opportunity for growth. I have spent a majority of time understanding the success and expansion potential of companies on both large and small scales and implementing solid pathways to financial gain. Because of this, I believe I am able to assess the acquisition value for both Mushrooms Inc. and the potential acquisition companies, bringing forth a mutually beneficial union. Innovation: We have focused our US resources on the prototype development of our textile innovation. Crossing borders to better understand and develop this new product is enabling for a broader perspective, privacy of formulation and is adding years of technological research to the team. We look forward to sharing the progress and ask for the patience of our shareholders in updates due to the nature of the work with its patent potential. Kimberly Carlson, CEO, stated, Working with mycelium to grow replacements for plastic and textiles is an amazing opportunity for Mushrooms Inc. to join a market with significant growth potential in its early stages, to be the first publicly traded company in the industrial mushroom market in the US, and to allow early supporters of regenerative agriculture to grow with us as investors. Name and Ticker Change: The Company is still in the process of the name and ticker change with FINRA. We are awaiting approval now. In The Media:

We have garnered media attention with the filing of the provisional patent with some links below:

https://www.ecotextile.com/2022082429755/materials-production-news/mycelium-innovator-files-for-patent.html https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/22/08/g28598932/marijuana-strategic-ventures-inc-otc-msvi-now-mushrooms-inc-announces-filing-of-provisional-patent



https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/markets/stocks/MSVI/pressreleases/9171363/marijuana-strategic-ventures-inc-otc-msvi-announces-updates-for-mushrooms-inc-health-product-production-provisional-patent-and-business-plan-development/ https://www.yahoo.com/now/marijuana-strategic-ventures-inc-otc-123000305.html

https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/fiber-world/2022/08/marijuana-strategic-ventures-inc-now-mushrooms-inc-announces-filing-of-provisional-patent-for-novel-mycelium-thread/

Myco Technology with Mushroom Textile Applications https://www.tevonews.com/fibres-yarns-news/3233-mycelium-innovator-files-for-patent https://darik.news/nevada/msvi-now-mushrooms-inc-announces-provisional-patent-filing-for-novel-mycelium-thread/648803.html https://6park.news/nevada/msvi-now-mushrooms-inc-announces-the-filing-of-a-provisional-patent-for-a-new-mycelium-thread.html https://startuplist.africa/startup/mycelium https://topnewsguide.com/2022/08/24/marijuana-strategic-ventures-inc-otcmktsmsvi-stock-gains-on-filing-of-provisional-patent/ https://www.wallstreet-online.de/nachricht/15850263-marijuana-strategic-ventures-inc-otc-msvi-now-mushrooms-inc-announces-filing-of-provisional-patent-for-novel-mycelium-thread https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/MSVI About Mushrooms Inc. (MSVI) New Venture - Mushroom Technology Development On June 28, 2022 Marijuana Strategic Ventures filed a name change to Mushrooms Inc. with the Nevada Secretary of State, to reflect the Companys new business direction towards the mushroom industry. The Company is currently processing the official name and ticker symbol change corporate actions with FINRA while our newly amplified management team implements our industrial mushroom market and mushroom related business acquisition plan. Mushrooms, Inc. is a publicly traded company on the OTC Markets with the stock symbol MSVI. We anticipate that the new ticker symbol for its Common Stock will be MYCO. We chose the trading symbol MYCO which is a prefix that denotes a relationship to fungus. From the Greek mykes, meaning fungus. The vision for Mushrooms, Inc. is to support the growth of the mushroom industry through collaboration, innovation and development. Creating and supporting environmentally beneficial product innovation is at the heart of Mushrooms, Inc. Our current focus is on the industrial application of Mycelium for the creation of carbon neutral products for the building and health care industries. Research and Development is the path to achieving great innovation and the pioneers are the ones we look to for their fortitude and enduring dedication to the world of mycology. The working relationships we foster will result in scientifically proven products that advance health of body, mind and environment. For more information, email [email protected] or visit www.mushroomsinc.com Safe Harbor Statement This release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, we can give no assurance or guarantee that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of words like "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "intend," or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including but not limited to: adverse economic conditions, competition, adverse federal, state and local government regulation, international governmental regulation, inadequate capital, inability to carry out research, development and commercialization plans, loss or retirement of key executives and other specific risks. To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, including statements as to revenue projections, business strategy, outlook, objectives, future milestones, plans, intentions, goals, future financial conditions, events conditioned on stockholder or other approval, or otherwise as to future events, such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. Corporate Contact: Mushrooms, Inc. CEO: Kimberly Carlson

Tel: (877) 379-5400

email: [email protected]



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[October 28, 2022] The Galien Foundation Honors 2022 Prix Galien Award Recipients

Winners receive the ultimate recognition for innovation that improves the human condition NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Prix Galien USA Committee honored excellence and innovation in life sciences during the Prix Galien USA Forum and 16th annual Prix Galien Awards Gala last night at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The USA Committee, composed of 10 renowned leaders from the biomedical industry and academia, including two Nobel Laureates, honored winners in the following categories: "Best Biotechnology Product," "Best Pharmaceutical Agent," "Best Medical Technology," "Best Digital Health Solution," "Incubators, Accelerators and Equity," and "Prix Galien Startup." Winners of the Prix Galien Golden Jubilee were also awarded for "Best Biotechnology Product," "Best Pharmaceutical Product," "Best Medical Technology," "Best Orphan/Rare Disease Product," and "Best Vaccine." The Golden Jubilee Awards were presented by Sharon Stone, American actress and spokesperson for the American Foundation for AIDS Research since 1995. Worldwide, the Prix Galien is regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for the life science industry. The 2022 Prix Galien USA Award Winners







Best Biotechnology Product Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Inmazeb (atoltivimab, maftivimab, and odesivimab-ebgn) Best Pharmaceutical Agent Amgen Inc. LUMAKRAS Best Medical Technology Cala Health Cala Trio Best Digital Health Solution Exscientia Exscientia's end-to-end AI-driven precision medicine platform

Incubators, Accelerators and Equity BioLabs / LabCentral Prix Galien Startup: Pharma/Biotech Aurion Biotech Prix Galien Startup: Medtech Quantum Surgical Prix Galien Startup: Digital Health Akili Interactive The 2022 Prix Galien Golden Jubilee Award Winners Best Biotechnology Product Gold Medal Roche / Genentech Herceptin (trastuzumab) Silver Medal Merck & Co., Inc KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) Bronze Medal AbbVie HUMIRA (adalimumab) Best Pharmaceutical Product Gold Medal Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation GLEEVEC (imatinib mesylate) Silver Medal Merck & Co., Inc ZOCOR (simvastatin) Bronze Medal GlaxoSmithKline AUGMENTIN (amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium) Best Medical Technology Gold Medal Abbott FreeStyle Libre 14 Day Flash Glucose Monitoring System Silver Medal Edwards Lifesciences Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra transcatheter heart valve system Bronze Medal Roche Diagnostics cobas HPV test Best Orphan/Rare Disease Product Gold Medal Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Kymriah Silver Medal Biogen/Ionis SPINRAZA (nusinersen) Bronze Medal Vertex Pharmaceuticals KALYDECO (ivacaftor) Best Vaccine Gold Medal Merck & Co., Inc GARDASIL & GARDASIL 9 Silver Medal Pfizer PREVNAR 13 Bronze Medal Sanofi Pasteur MSD Vaxelis 6-in-1 Infant Vaccine The Roy Vagelos Pro Bono Humanum Award for Global Health Equity was presented to Stanley T. Crooke, M.D., Ph.D., founder and CEO of the n-Lorem Foundation for his nearly 50 years of dedication to a novel, clinically endorsed concept of using synthetic oligonucleotides to control the expression of genes and proteins that impact disease. "On behalf of the Prix Galien USA Awards Committee, we thank all nominees and winners for their continued ingenuity and perseverance in the advancement of science, healthcare, and wellness, globally," said Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann, Chair of the Prix Galien USA and Prix Galien International Award Committees and former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "The Prix Galien Awards exist to celebrate and recognize the immense efforts and achievements of its participants, which has been truly demonstrated by this year's distinguished cohort." "The nominees and winners of the Prix Galien Awards represent the very best in modern scientific discovery and innovation. Their sterling efforts to ensure future generations benefit from a healthier way of life is highly commended and we thank all innovators for their tireless dedication," said Bernard Poussot, Director, Roche Holding, Former Chairman and CEO, Wyeth, Prix Galien Startup, Digital Health and Incubators, Accelerators and Equity Committee Chairman. "The Prix Galien Awards have a long history of recognizing the best products in biopharmaceutical and medical technology, with industry leaders carefully evaluating nominees and selecting the most impactful innovators," said Bruno Cohen, Chairman of The Galien Foundation. "Members of the Awards Committees, and all members of The Galien Foundation, applaud the unwavering commitment of each winner and award nominee in their quest to provide a healthier future for the next generation." Prix Galien Awards Committee 2022 Pharma, BioTech, and MedTech: Sue DESMOND-HELLMANN, M.D., M.P.H.

Former Chief Executive Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Committee Chair Richard AXEL, M.D.

Nobel Laureate, Co-director, The Kavli Institute for Brain Science; Professor, Columbia University Medical Center Linda BUCK, Ph.D.

Nobel Laureate, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center member; Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington Laurie GLIMCHER, M.D.

President and CEO, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School Mary-Claire KING, Ph.D.

American Cancer Society Professor of Genome Sciences and Medical Genetics, University of Washington Robert S. LANGER, M.D.

David H. Koch Institute Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cato T. LAURENCIN, M.D., Ph.D.

University Professor, University of Connecticut Steven J. LESTER, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer, Mayo Clinic-ASU MedTech Accelerator Michael ROSENBLATT, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer, Flagship Pioneering Marc TESSIER-LAVIGNE, Ph.D.

President, Stanford University Elie WIESEL

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Boston University, Honorary Founding President, In Memoriam Digital Health, Start-up, Incubators, Accelerators and Equity: Bernard POUSSOT

Director, Roche Holding, Former Chairman & CEO, Wyeth

Committee Chair Roch DOLIVEUX

Honorary CEO, UCB Mikael DOLSTEN, M.D., PH.D.

Global R&D President, Pfizer Jean-Pierre GARNIER

Former CEO, GSK Alex GORSKY

Executive Chairman, Johnson & Johnson Penny HEATON, M.D.

CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute Francois MAISONROUGE

Senior Managing Director, Evercore Partners Joel S. MARCUS

Executive Chairman & Founder, Alexandria Sheri MCCOY

Former CEO, Avon Products, Former Vice-Chairman, Johnson & Johnson Elias ZERHOUNI, M.D.

Former Global Head of R&D, Sanofi Incubators, Accelerators, and Equity Subcommittee: Gil BASHE

Managing Partner, Chair Global Health, Finn Partners

Sub-Committee Jury Chair Ron COHEN, M.D.

Founder, President & CEO, Acordia Therapeutics Jamey EDWARDS

Former CEO, Emergent Medical Associates Amir KALALI, M.D.

Chairman & Chief Curator, CNS Summit/Co-Chair, Decentralized Trial Research Alliance Michelle LONGMIRE, M.D.

Co-Founder & CEO, Medable Inc. Cheryl PEGUS, M.D.

Executive Vice President of Health & Wellness, Walmart James PRUTOW, J.D., MBA

Advisory Partner  Life Sciences, Molecular Diagnostics, Global Healthcare, PwC Consulting About the Galien Foundation The Galien Foundation fosters, recognizes and rewards excellence in scientific innovation to improve the state of human health. Our vision is to be the catalyst for the development of the next generation of innovative treatments and technologies that will impact the state of medical practice and save lives. The Foundation oversees and directs activities in the US for the Prix Galien, an international awards program dedicated to progress through innovative medicines development, with chapters in 14 countries and Africa. The Prix Galien was created in 1970 by Roland Mehl in honor of Galien, the father of medical science and modern pharmacology. Worldwide, the Prix Galien is regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in biopharmaceutical research. For more information, visit https://www.galienfoundation.org/ . Follow the Foundation on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/GalienFoundation/

https://twitter.com/GalienFdn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-galien-foundation/ Media Contact:

Kara Bradley

Finn Partners

[email protected]

646-213-7243 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-galien-foundation-honors-2022-prix-galien-award-recipients-301662219.html SOURCE The Galien Foundation

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[October 28, 2022] Contrast Security Co-Founder and CTO Jeff Williams Named Top Cybersecurity Influencer

The Enterprise Security Tech Cyber Influencer Top 10 List recognized Williams for his contributions to the Application Security community that empower security and development teams to get secure code moving LOS ALTOS, Calif., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Contrast Security (Contrast), a world leading code security platform company purposely built for developers to get secure code moving swiftly and trusted by security teams to protect business applications, today announced that its Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Jeff Williams has been named to the Enterprise Security Tech Cyber Influencer Top 10 List for his efforts to improve the security of the world's software for more than 25 years. Contrast Security's Jeff Williams named Top Cyber Influencer by Enterprise Security Tech "It is an honor to be named a Top 10 Cyber Influencer by Enterprise Security Tech. In 2014, we started Contrast with the vision of a world where we can trust software with the most important activities of humanity, and along the way initiated several leading open-source projects," Williams said. "Looking back I'm proud of the strides we've made, but it is critical to remember that the software market is changing fast. Insecure software needs to be eliminated, and the White House Executive Order is a great step forward in forcing companies and agencies to disclose what organizations have done to secure their code and software supply chain," said Williams. "I'm looking forward to more collaboration between the private and public sectors and more overall cyber transparency. I truly believe that everyone has the right to know whether the software we trust with our finances, healthcare, government, military and social life is secure." Williams has contributed to the application security (AppSec) community by being involved with the following activities: Founded Aspect Security in 2002 with the understanding that the AppSec market was so important that a consulting business would flourish. Aspect was acquired by Ernst & Young in 2017.

Created The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), which is dedicated to securing the world's software. Helped the foundation establish its board, started chapters and conferences, and volunteered as Global Chair for nine years.

Created dozens of open source projects, including the OWASP Top Ten, WebGoat, ESAPI, OWASP ASVS, and OWASP Cheat Sheets which have influenced millions.

Invented the use of instrumentation for security, including interactive application security testing (IAST) and runtime application self protection (RASP) and earned seven patents for the technology with Arshan Dabirsiaghi in 2010. These innovations helped lead to the launch of Contrast in 2014 to help large enterprises solve AppSec problems. Today, Williams gives back to the security community by championing Contrast's sponsorship of almost two dozen open source projects, including integrations and free security tools. He helped launch CodeSec , which brings enterprise-level security testing right to developers' laptops for free. He reglarly speaks at large software development and security conferences, including but not limited to API World, DevOps Summit, JAXLondon 2022, NIST, BlackHat, QCon, OWASP, RSA, JavaOne, LASCON and PivotalOne.



"We need leaders in the cybersecurity industry now more than ever," said Jack Campbell, Managing Editor, Enterprise Security Tech. "The industry is bogged down by the daily cat and mouse game with cyber criminals, so we need industry leaders that are forward-looking and have a vision for how we can move the industry forward and solve macro security problems. We're honored to be able to recognize these leaders for the value that they are bringing to the market and their dedication to moving the cybersecurity industry forward." Williams has been recognized for his contributions to the industry and has had the privilege of being named a Bronze Winner of the 16th Annual Info Security PG's 2020 Global Excellence Awards for Chief Technology Officer of the Year for the Security Software category, Cybersecurity Excellence's Bronze Winner for the Cybersecurity Professional of the Year and SC Media's Reboot Leadership Award in the "Thought Leaders" category in 2019. To learn more about Williams and his leadership with Contrast, please visit the Contrast website or read his latest Forbes Tech Council articles here .

About Enterprise Security Tech: Enterprise Security Tech is a specialized cyber media company with a global presence. The Enterprise Security Tech blog is a cybersecurity blog written for CISOs, CIOs, and security-minded CEOs that brings together critical news, expert insights, and product information to help security leaders make informed business decisions. Enterprise Security Tech is also home to The Cyber Jack Podcast , which brings listeners the latest cybersecurity insights via security experts from around the industry. For more information about Enterprise Security Tech, visit our website . About Contrast Security (Contrast): A world leading code security platform company purposely built for developers to get secure code moving swiftly and trusted by security teams to protect business applications. Developers, security and operations teams quickly secure code across the complete software development life cycle (SDLC) with Contrast to protect against today's targeted application security (AppSec) attacks. Contrast also makes security testing available to all developers for free with CodeSec . Founded in 2014 by cybersecurity industry veterans, Contrast was established to replace legacy AppSec solutions that cannot protect modern enterprises. With today's pressures to develop business applications at increasingly rapid paces, the Contrast Secure Code Platform identifies 3x more actual vulnerabilities resulting in faster remediation without the noise of time-consuming false positives. Contrast's platform solutions for code assessment, testing, protection, serverless, supply chain, APIs and languages help enterprises achieve true DevSecOps transformation and compliance. Contrast protects against major cybersecurity attacks for its customer base which represents some of the largest brand-name companies in the world, including BMW, DocuSign, AXA, Zurich, SOMPO Japan and American Red Cross, as well as numerous other leading global Fortune 500 enterprises. Contrast partners with global organizations such as AWS, Microsoft, IBM Cloud, Guidepoint, Deloitte and Carahsoft, to seamlessly integrate and achieve the highest level of security for customers. The growing demand for the world's only platform for code security has landed the company on some of the most prestigious lists including the Inc. 5000 List of America's Fastest Growing Companies and has designated Contrast as one of the fastest growing companies on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 List . Learn more: https://www.contrastsecurity.com/

Follow us: Blog | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook Media Contact:

Laura Asendio

Public Relations Manager

Contrast Security

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/contrast-security-co-founder-and-cto-jeff-williams-named-top-cybersecurity-influencer-301661861.html SOURCE Contrast Security

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YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The United States is set to provide additional military aid to Ukraine soon, said John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator at the White Houses National Security Council, reports TASS.

Youll see some additional security assistance being provided to Ukraine from the United States through our drawdown authorities, Kirby told CNN, adding that his country has already provided over 20 aid packages to the Kiev government. And I think very, very soon youll see another one from the United States.

The Associated Press news agency reported earlier in the day the US administration had approved another package of military aid to Ukraine, worth $275 million. According to unnamed officials cited in the report, the formal announcement is expected within 24 hours. The new delivery will include mostly ammunition from the Pentagons coffers, including HIMARS rockets. It will not include weaponry that has never been supplied to Ukraine before.
INVESTOR ALERT: Law Offices of Howard G. Smith Announces Investigation of Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (BW) on Behalf of Investors

Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces an investigation on behalf of Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. ("B&W" or the "Company") (NYSE: BW) investors concerning the Company's possible violations of federal securities laws.

On October 27, 2022, B&W revised full year 2022 adjusted EBITDA, expecting $70 million to $80 million. The Company explained that the reduction was due to "delay of revenue recognition on certain projects" caused by "global supply chain pressures and shortages caused by geopolitical issues and te war in Ukraine."







On this news, B&W's stock fell $2.97, or 37.2%, to close at $5.02 per share on October 27, 2022, thereby injuring investors.

If you purchased B&W securities, have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020 by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005098/en/
[October 28, 2022] Calibrate Honored by Goldman Sachs for Entrepreneurship

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) recognized Isabelle Kenyon, Founder & CEO of Calibrate, as one of the Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs of 2022 at its Builders and Innovators Summit in Healdsburg, California. Kenyon founded Calibrate in 2020 with a mission to change the way the world treats weight. As the first doctor-guided metabolic health company, Calibrate is setting the standard for treating obesity with a digital program that combines medication with behavior change to improve metabolic health and deliver long-term, sustainable results. Calibrate is the first and only outcomes-based model in obesity treatment and the first program with a guarantee backed by clinically-reviewed results data, helping its members achieve, and maintain, their metabolic health goals. "Our vision is to put you in control of your health, and as the first doctor-guided metabolic health program of its kind, we've helped thousands of members to achieve their health goals," said Kenyon. "Calibrate is changing th way the world treats weight by bringing decades of proven metabolic science to everyone, everywhere."



"We were delighted to recognize Isabelle Kenyon as one of the most exceptional entrepreneurs of 2022," said David M. Solomon, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. "They have made extraordinary contributions to a wide range of fields, and all of us were looking forward to meeting with these innovative thinkers." In addition to honoring the most exceptional entrepreneurs, the Summit consisted of general sessions and clinics led by seasoned entrepreneurs, academics, and business leaders as well as resident scholars.

About Calibrate Calibrate is on a mission to change the way the world treats weight. As the first outcomes-based model in obesity treatment, Calibrate is setting the standard of care with a digital program that combines medication with behavior change to improve overall metabolic health, allowing people to sustain long-term weight loss results after medication. Calibrate is the first and only program to guarantee results backed by clinically reviewed data. Recognized as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and by Fast Company's World Changing Ideas, the Employer Health Innovation Roundtable Traction Award Winner, and Goldman Sachs Builders & Innovators in 2022, Calibrate has raised $127.6M in cumulative funding from leading healthcare and consumer investors, including Founders Fund, Tiger Global, Threshold Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, Optum Ventures, and Redesign Health. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005343/en/

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[October 28, 2022] FBT Bank & Mortgage and FHLB Dallas Award $16K to Pine Bluff Nonprofit

FBT Bank and Mortgage and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) awarded Home Again Pine Bluff with $16,000 in Partnership Grant Program (PGP) funds. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005361/en/ Representatives from FBT Bank and Mortgage and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas awarded $16,000 in Partnership Grant Program funds to Home Again Pine Bluff. (Photo: Business Wire) The award, which includes a 3:1 match of funds from FHLB Dallas, was celebrated during a ceremonial check presentation today at one of the nonprofit's rehabbed homes in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Home Again Pine Bluff rebuilds and remodels homes for low-income families. It also provides educational resources employment assistance. "We're very thankful for this critical funding from FBT Bank and Mortgage and FHLB Dallas to continue our mission of transorming lives" said Matt Mosler, executive director of Home Again Pine Bluff.



The nonprofit will use the funds to continue its programs, which include matching clients with financial mentors, providing resources for employment and more. "This partnership with FHLB Dallas allows FBT Bank and Mortgage the opportunity to assist Home Again Pine Bluff to continue pulling those it serves out of poverty and into self-sufficiency," said Daniel Pledger, vice president of FBT Bank and Mortgage.

In 2022, FHLB Dallas awarded $400,000 in PGP grants, and its members provided an additional $158,985 for an impact of $558,985 in its five-state District of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas "The matching-grant nature of the PGP makes for an impactful partnership with our members, including FBT Bank and Mortgage, to help further the important causes of community-based organizations such as Home Again Pine Bluff," said Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. See the complete list of the 2022 PGP grant recipients. For more information about the 2022 PGP grants and other FHLB Dallas community investment products and programs, please visit fhlb.com/pgp. About FBT Bank & Mortgage FBT Bank and Mortgage is a full-service bank established in 1931. Now operating in five locations, FBT Bank and Mortgage is focused on the communities it serves, offering state-of-the-art products and services while delivering personalized attention to customers. To learn more, go to fbtbank.com. About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $77.7 billion as of June 30, 2022, serves approximately 800 members and associated institutions across our five-state District of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. FHLB Dallas provides financial products and services including advances (loans to members) and grant programs for affordable housing and economic development. For more information, visit our website at fhlb.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005361/en/

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[October 28, 2022] CBSA signs Mutual Recognition Agreement with the European Union to enhance supply chain security and facilitate trade

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Strong partnerships between customs organizations and businesses enhance the security and integrity of our global supply chain. Today, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced the signing of a Mutual Recognition Agreement with the European Union's (EU) Taxation and Customs Union (TAXUD) to honour each other's Trusted Trader programs. The signing took place during a Canada-EU Joint Customs Cooperation Committee meeting in Brussels, Belgium. This agreement will contribute to increasing security of the international supply chain, facilitating trade at the border, and strengthening the economic competitiveness of Canadians doing business with the EU. Members of Canada's Trusted Trader program, Partners in Protection (PIP), will have their goods treated as low risk and cleared by EU Customs faster, ultimately saving time and money at the border. The CBSA will do the same for members of the EU's Trusted Trader program, which is referred to as their Authorized Economic Operator program. This will also allow the CBSA to focus its resources on areas of higher or unknown risk and protect Canadians by preventing contraband from entering the country. The CBSA establishes mutual recognition with customs organizations around the world so countries can recognize each others' program members as low risk and honour similar benefits. It signifies that countries apply similar security standards and validation processes when approving program applicants. The key goal of mutual recognition is to strengthen trust and security in the supply chain to prevent criminal activity, such as cargo theft and pilferage, and smuggling contraband. Mutual recognition also contributes to trade by streamlining processing at the border for certified trusted traders. Border management is a shared international responsibility. Threats and opportunities arising from global migration and trade are dealt with most effectively by working together. Expanding the international network of accedited low-risk companies allows customs administrations to focus on targeting shipments of higher or unknown risk.



Quote "The Canada Border Services Agency is pleased to have signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement with the European Union, Canada's second-largest trading partner. This agreement will enhance international supply chain security, facilitate trade between Canada and Europe, and strengthen the economic competitiveness of Canadian businesses."

Erin O'Gorman

President, Canada Border Services Agency Quick Facts The EU is one of the largest economies in the world and Canada's second-largest trading partner after the United States .

second-largest trading partner after . The EU is a large, dynamic market of 450 million consumers that offers tremendous opportunities for Canadian businesses in a wide range of sectors.

The Canada-EU Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement has significantly expanded commercial opportunities between the parties.

In 2021, the value of trade in goods between the EU and Canada was approximately $88.2 billion .

was approximately . In addition to this agreement with the EU, the CBSA has established mutual recognition with the customs administrations of Australia , Hong Kong , Israel , Japan , Mexico , New Zealand , Peru , Singapore , South Korea and the United States . Associated Links Partners in Protection: Mutual recognition

Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

Doing business in the European Union Follow us on Twitter ( @CanBorder ), join us on Facebook or visit our YouTube channel . SOURCE Canada Border Services Agency

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[October 28, 2022] Ledyard Financial Group Declares Quarterly Dividend

Ledyard Financial Group (Ticker Symbol: LFGP) announced a regular quarterly dividend of $0.21 payable December 2, 2022, to shareholders of record as of November 18, 2022. Ledyard Financial Group, Inc., headquartered in Hanover, New Hampshire, is the holding company for Ledyard National Bank. Ledyard National Bank, founded in 1991, is a full-service community bank offering a broad range of banking, investment, and wealth management services. Ledyard Financial Group, Inc. shares can be bought and sold through the NASD sanctioned "OTC Markets" under the trading symbol LFGP. Shares may be traded through an individual's broker. For more information, please refer to the "Investor Relations" section of the bank's website at www.ledyardbank.com or contact the bank's Chief Financial Officer, Peter Sprudzs at [email protected]



Forward-Looking Statements: Statements concerning future performance, developments or events, expectations for growth and income forecasts, and any other guidance on future periods constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from stated expectations. Specific factors include, but are not limited to, loan production, competitive pressure in the banking industry, balance sheet management, net interest margin variations, the effect of changes in equity prices on assets under management, the ability to control costs and expenses, changes in the interest rate environment, financial policies of the United States government, and general economic conditions. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any such factors.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005373/en/

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[October 28, 2022] Plymouth Rock Assurance Ranked 10th in Forbes' America's Best Insurance Companies 2023, Among Other Industry Accolades

Plymouth Rock Assurance proudly announces its string of continued recognition with insurance industry honors from Forbes, NU PropertyCasualty360 and The Insurance Library Association of Boston. Plymouth Rock Celebrates Industry Recognition Plymouth Rock Assurance was ranked 10th among 35 insurers in Forbes America's Best Insurance Companies 2023 in the Auto Insurance Product category. This was Forbes' second annual Statista survey of America's Best Insurance Companies where more than 15,000 participants evaluated their auto, renters, homeowners, term-life and permanent-life insurance providers. The companies were rated on overall satisfaction in the categories of financial advice, customer service, transparency, digital services, price/performance, damage/benefit and whether respondents would recommend the company to friends and family. In August, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mary Boyd was named the 2022 Insurance Professional of the Year by The Insurance Library Association of Boston. Founded in 1887, The Insurance Library enriches the insurance and risk management community by preserving the history of insurance, offering unsurpassed research services, providing and supporting education, and facilitating engagement. In its 20th year, the annual Insurance Professional of the Year Award is presented to a person who demonstrates leadership and exemplifies qualities that engender an understanding of and respect for the risk management and insurance industry. Boyd was recognized at the 20th presentation of the Insurance Professional of the Year Award ceremony on October 28, 2022, at the InterContinental Boston. This recognition makes Boyd the youngest recipient of the award. Additionally, Road Rewards, Plymouth Rock Assurance's rewards-based safe driving program, has been named to NU PropertyCasualty360 Luminaries Class of 2022 in the category of technology innovation. The NU PropertyCasualty360 Luminaries program honors innovation in insurance. Honorees are selected based on their ability to bring fresh thinking and practices to some of the most impactful issues in the insurance industry. The technology innovation category honors companies that are pacesetters who push the industry forward in terms of digitization and modernization.



Plymouth Rock Leaders Sharing Insights Across the U.S. On Tuesday, October 25, Howard Goldberg, Vice President of Customer Solutions, presented at Digital Insurance Connect, at the Hyatt Regency in Austin, Texas. The event is a private, invite-only event customized for senior-level digital marketing & CX leaders from North America's top insurance companies, agencies and brokers. Goldberg joined a panel to discuss the "Evolving Omnichannel Strategies to Engage the Modern Consumer, Improve Customer Experience and Drive Operational Efficiencies," alongside other industry thought leaders.

Second on her list of recent accomplishments, Mary Boyd was announced as the keynote speaker at Digital Insurance's Women in Insurance Leadership Conference, being held November 8, 2022, at the Radisson Blu Aqua in Chicago, Illinois. The event honors the transformative women leaders who are bringing the industry into the connected future. Boyd's keynote fireside chat will provide an in-depth conversation on Boyd's career path, challenges and changes within the insurance industry. Chief Product Officer of Plymouth Rock Home Assurance, Amanda Smith, will also be recognized at the conference as a Women in Insurance Leadership: Next 2022 honoree. The Women in Insurance Leadership: NEXT awards recognize up and coming female leaders in the insurance industry. "We've experienced some truly exceptional success in 2022 and I'm so proud of all of our recent industry recognition," said Mary Boyd, Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation President and CEO. "I'm honored to be named the 2022 Insurance Professional of the Year by The Insurance Library Association of Boston and am equally proud to be working alongside such an incredible team that continues to demonstrate why Plymouth Rock delivers More Than Just Insurance to our customers and agents. I'm excited to see what we can accomplish in 2023!" About Plymouth Rock Plymouth Rock was established to offer its customers a higher level of service and a more innovative set of products and features than they would expect from an insurance company. Plymouth Rock's innovative approach puts customers' convenience and satisfaction first, giving them the choice to do business the way they want - online, with a mobile app, by phone, or by contacting their Plymouth Rock agent. Customers can chat, text, or email to get answers quickly and easily. Plymouth Rock Assurance and Plymouth Rock are brand names and service marks used by separate underwriting, managed insurance, and management companies that offer property and casualty insurance in multiple states. Taken together, the companies write and manage more than $1.7 billion in auto and home insurance premiums across Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Each underwriting and managed insurance company is a separate legal entity that is financially responsible only for its own insurance products. You can learn more about us by visiting plymouthrock.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221028005389/en/

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[October 28, 2022] Guatemala's Mining Association Adopts Towards Sustainable Mining

GUATEMALA, Guatemala City, Oct. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Gremial de Recursos Naturales, Minas y Canteras (GRENAT), the national mining association in Guatemala, today announced its adoption of Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM), a made-in-Canada corporate social responsibility performance system that improves environmental and social practices in the mining sector. As a result, GRENAT and its affiliated companies will adopt a set of indicators that will allow them to measure and publicly report on the most integral aspects of its mining industry, including those focused on environmental stewardship and effective community engagement. "Since its origins, mining has been constantly evolving. And this evolution would not be complete without including responsible actions to help our planet, take care of our natural resources, and of course, our communities," said Valery Zurita, Executive Director of GRENAT. "Joining TSM will allow us to create an even more responsible model of mining for Guatemala and keep evolving in the right direction, in line with our commitment to national development and the creation of prosperity for new generations." GRENAT joins ten other mining associations around the world, the fourth in Latin America together with Brazil, Colombia and Argentina, in adopting the TSM standard. Guatemala's mining chamber will tailor TSM's performance areas to reflect the unique aspects of its mining industry and commits to implementation in the next five years. TSM is a globally recognized sustainability program that supports mining companies in managing key environmental and social responsibilities. TSM was the first mining sustainability standard in the world to require site-level assessments and is mandatory for all comanies that are members of implementing associations. Through TSM, eight critical aspects of social and environmental performance are evaluated, independently validated, and publicly reported against 30 distinct performance indicators.



"We feel privileged that Guatemala has chosen TSM to drive positive change in its mining sector and are very proud of TSM's increasingly international reach," said Pierre Gratton, President and CEO of the Mining Association of Canada, a TSM partner. "The past several years have witnessed TSM's adoption by other mining associations around the world and the program is now in the process of being implemented in Canada, Norway, Finland, Spain, Botswana, Brazil, Argentina, the Philippines, Australia and Colombia, allowing us to say that TSM is a truly global standard." Performance in TSM is evaluated across a set of detailed environmental and social performance standards, including climate change, tailings management, water stewardship, Indigenous and community relationships, safety and health, biodiversity conservation, crisis management and preventing child and forced labour. TSM helps drive performance improvement where it counts  at the site level  and contributes to securing support for mining activities from the communities where it operates.

"Adherence to the TSM standard has been fundamental for the Colombian mining sector as it has allowed our member companies to enhance their awareness of sustainability indicators and develop a work strategy to improve their performance," said Juan Camilo Narino, President of the Asociacion Colombiana de Mineria, a TSM partner. "TSM is essential to our social license to operate and we congratulate Guatemala's mining association on its adoption of the standard and for starting on its journey in sustainable mining." To ensure TSM reflects the expectations of civil society and industry stakeholders, it was designed and continues to be shaped by an independent, multi-interest advisory panel. As part of its implementation, GRENAT will implement a similar advisory body to provide this valuable oversight function. About TSM The Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) initiative is a globally recognized sustainability program that supports mining companies in managing key environmental and social responsibilities. Mining companies are expected to report regularly on the implementation of each protocol. In addition, their activities will be evaluated by an external auditor every three years. Please visit www.TSMinitiative.com. About GRENAT The Guild of Natural Resources, Mines and Quarries -GRENAT-, part of the Chamber of Industry of Guatemala, was created in 1985 with the purpose of overseeing the operation of Responsible Mining and its promotion as an engine of economic and social development for Guatemala. For Grenat, Responsible Mining is understood as operations that are carried out within the framework of the law, acting with transparency, ethics, and defense of human rights to bring economic and social development to the communities. www.grenat.gt SOURCE Towards Sustainable Mining

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[October 28, 2022] PS Julie Dabrusin Delivers $1.6 Million in Federal Support for CanREA's Electricity Transition Hub

TORONTO, Oct. 28, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Fighting climate change and delivering a net-zero future requires a clean Canadian electricity grid powered by low-carbon energy. That is why the Government of Canada is investing in solutions that create sustainable jobs, scale clean energy technology while reducing emissions. Today, Julie Dabrusin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Member of Parliament for TorontoDanforth, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced an investment of nearly $1.6 million for the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) to establish the CanREA Electricity Transition Hub (the Hub). The new Hub will help Canadian utilities and system operators build capacity to increase the deployment of cutting-edge clean power, storage, and grid technologies.. Through developing a resource library known as the Electricity Transition Hub Electronic Resource (ETHER), the Hub will deliver the knowledge and tools required to drive change and pursue the most efficient transition to decarbonized, expanded, well-integrated, reliable electricity grids to support electrification and Canada's ambitious climate goals. The Hub will also share knowledge through quarterly reports and meetings, including an annual Hub Summit. The Hub has 13 founding utility and system operator participants, including Alberta Electric System Operator, BC Hydro, City of Medicine Hat, EPCOR, Essex Power Corporation, Fortis Inc., Manitoba Hydro, NB Power, Ontario Power Generation, Qulliq Energy Corporation, SaskPower, Toronto Hydro and Utilities Kingston. CanREA, utilities and system operators will also contribute to this project, bringing the total investment to over $1.9 million. The Government of Canada is supporting utilities and system operators to fulfill their responsibility to deliver abundant renewable energy and grid modernization solutions that will ensure affordable and reliable energy for Canadians, while accelerating Canada's transition to a net-zero economy by 2050. Quotes "We are working with energy system operators and utilities from across the country to deliver a net-zero future. Today's investment of $1.6 Million in CanREA's Electricity Transition Hub will enable collaboration on clean energy deployment and grid modernization across te country. Congratulations to CanREA and all those involved in this important work."



The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson

Minister of Natural Resources "During today's Electricity Transformation Conference in Toronto, I was pleased to announce that the Government of Canada is supporting our utilities and systems operators to deliver the clean technologies we need to reach net-zero. This support for the Canadian Renewable Energy Association's Electricity Transition Hub is an important step on the path to a prosperous net-zero future."

Julie Dabrusin,

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and Member of Parliament for TorontoDanforth "CanREA is very excited to launch the Electricity Transition Hub. It is a unique entity that supports electricity system participants and helps them build capacity to accelerate the energy transition. CanREA is uniquely positioned to gather global knowledge on wind energy, solar energy and energy storage integration, and then to translate these resources effectively to be relevant in all of Canada's different regions and electricity systems." Phil McKay

Senior Director, Electricity Transition Hub, CanREA "We want to thank Natural Resources Canada for its generous support of CanREA's Electricity Transition Hub. The renewable energy industry has a critical role to play in helping Canada meet its net-zero commitments, and we must build new wind energy, solar energy and energy storage projects at an unprecedented pace. Now is the right time to bring together Canada's electricity utilities, system operators and the renewable energy industry for capacity-building activities related to the deployment and integration of these technologies within electricity grids. There is not a moment to waste." Robert Hornung

President and CEO, CanREA Quick Facts Federal funding for this project is provided by Natural Resources Canada's $1.56-billion Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways (SREPs) program. This program will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by enabling increased renewable energy capacity that will provide essential grid services while contributing to Canada's net-zero targets by 2050, which will improve public health by creating cleaner, more breathable air.

(SREPs) program. This program will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by enabling increased renewable energy capacity that will provide essential grid services while contributing to net-zero targets by 2050, which will improve public health by creating cleaner, more breathable air. Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy ensures Canada will remain a world leader in clean power. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting local solutions and community-driven projects that will build a clean energy future for all. Together, we are building healthier, greener and more energy-resilient communities for future generations.

ensures will remain a world leader in clean power. The Government of is committed to supporting local solutions and community-driven projects that will build a clean energy future for all. Together, we are building healthier, greener and more energy-resilient communities for future generations. This investment is yet another step in reaching Canada's target of a net-zero grid by 2035. And just like investments in everything from clean energy to nature protection, today's announcement is part of achieving Canada's ambitious climate change goals to build a cleaner, healthier and affordable future for all Canadians.

target of a net-zero grid by 2035. And just like investments in everything from clean energy to nature protection, today's announcement is part of achieving ambitious climate change goals to build a cleaner, healthier and affordable future for all Canadians. The CanREA Electricity Transition Hub's 13 inaugural participants include:



Alberta Electric System Operator



BC Hydro



The City of Medicine Hat



EPCOR



Essex Power Corporation



Fortis Inc.



Manitoba Hydro



NB Power



Ontario Power Generation



Qulliq Energy Corporation



SaskPower



Toronto Hydro



Utilities Kingston Associated Links Canadian Renewable Energy Association

Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program (SREPs)

2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan) SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

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[October 28, 2022] Government of Canada Launches Initiative to Support Ukraine-Based Scientists

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - As a direct result of Russia's unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine, many scientists, particularly women, are abandoning their research projects and scientific careers. In response to this crisis, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, has announced the launch of a new initiative to help Ukraine preserve and rebuild its science and research capacity in the natural resource sectors. Through the CanadaUkraine Science Partnership, scientists from Ukraine willing to come to Canada can submit their resume through a newly created website. This program will provide temporary employment to Ukrainian scientists fleeing the war by leveraging its regional lab network, relationships with academia and existing relations with Ukrainian science institutes. Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has received 39 applications since publishing the website on August 31, 2022. NRCan is aiming to hire five Ukraine-based scientists by December 2022 and up to 20 scientists by the end of this fiscal year. NRcan will connect scientists fleeing the war with temporary research opportunities in Canada, where they will bring their knowledge and expertise to the natural resource sectors including, but not limited to, oil and gas, critical minerals, forestry, marine geoscience and earth observation. The CanadaUkraine Science Partnership is the first initiative of the Supporting Scientists in Crises Abroad: CanadaInternational Science Partnerships program and is part of the Gvernment of Canada's efforts to address present and future global crises, with an emphasis on helping preserve science capacity around the world.



Quotes "In response to unjustifiable Russian aggression, Canada is taking action today to help preserve Ukraine's scientific capacity. By welcoming Ukrainian scientists to Canada for a period of up to three years, we can provide meaningful and important research opportunities for individuals forced by this ongoing conflict to leave behind their careers and their homes."

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson

Minister of Natural Resources Quick Facts: Eligibility: Scientists, post-graduate students and subject matter experts who have fled or are fleeing Ukraine following the Russian invasion, including:

following the Russian invasion, including:

Highly qualified individuals with experience in the natural resource sectors



Students who are seeking placements at Canadian academic institutions to continue their research

Application process:



Applicants are encouraged to apply online through the CanadaUkraine Science Partnership website.

website.

Once the application is received and accepted, the applicant will be added to a pool of eligible candidates. CanadaUkraine Science Partnership



The applicant's skills and knowledge will be matched to the list of available opportunities at NRCan and our partners. If a position does not meet NRCan's matching criteria, CVs will be shared with partner organizations to find matching opportunities whenever possible. Associated Links To apply, visit: CanadaUkraine Science Partnership

Supporting scientists in crises abroad: CanadaInternational Science Partnerships Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan ( http://twitter.com/nrcan ) SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

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[October 28, 2022] Unused School Building in Bradford West Gwillimbury to be Turned into Community Hub

BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY, ON, Oct. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, Tony Van Bynen, Member of Parliament for NewmarketAurora, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, and His Worship Rob Keffer, Mayor of Bradford West Gwillimbury, announced over $5.3 million to retrofit an unused elementary school in Bradford West Gwillimbury. "Investing in green upgrades to public infrastructure makes sense for our environment, our communities, and our economy," said Tony Van Bynen, Member of Parliament for NewmarketAurora, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. "The retrofits to this unused elementary school will reduce operational costs and GHG emissions while also providing an easily accessible community centre for the residents of Bradford West Gwillimbury." "We are honoured to be selected as one of the recipients of the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) Program," said His Worship Rob Keffer, Mayor of Bradford West Gwillimbury. "As one of the fastest growing municipalities in Canada, we have and will continue to experience an increased demand for community services, including our local Helping Hand Food Bank. This significant contribution toward Bradford West Gwillimbury's future Community Hub will support the revitalization of this ~28,000 ft2 building into a centralized community and social service hub that all residents can enjoy." The Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury will transform the former school by upgrading the infrastructure and equipment with energy efficient alternatives, redoing the building envelope, increasing wall insulation, installing a new roof with insulation, and putting in high-quality energy-saving windows. These improvements will reduce the facility's energy consumption by an estimated 67.6% and greenhouse gas emissions by 83 tonnes annually. The building will be repurposed as a community centre for underserved populations, providing a centralized, easily accessible location for a variety of social services such as a food bank. This multi-purpose facility will be a welcoming, inclusive place for vulnerable community members to go when they need a helping hand. It will contribute to building a better, more equal community. By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing our country's economy, incresing the resiliency of our communities, and improving the lives of Canadians.



Quick facts The Government of Canada is investing over $5.3 million through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program.

is investing over through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program. The Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program is an integral part of Canada's Strengthened Climate Plan, providing $1.5 billion over five years towards green and accessible retrofits, repairs or upgrades of existing public community buildings and the construction of new publicly accessible community buildings that serve high-needs, underserved communities across Canada .

Strengthened Climate Plan, providing over five years towards green and accessible retrofits, repairs or upgrades of existing public community buildings and the construction of new publicly accessible community buildings that serve high-needs, underserved communities across . At least 10 percent of funding is allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres.

Provincial/territorial governments, municipal or regional governments, public sector bodies, not-for-profit, and Indigenous organizations interested in the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program are invited to apply on the Infrastructure Canada website.

website. Applicants with large retrofit projects to existing community buildings or new community building projects with total eligible costs ranging from $3 million to $25 million were accepted through a competitive intake process which closed on July 6, 2021 . A second intake is anticipated later in 2022, however, the date has not yet been determined. Details about the second intake will be published to the Infrastructure Canada  Green and Inclusive Community Buildings' website as soon as they become available.

to were accepted through a competitive intake process which closed on . A second intake is anticipated later in 2022, however, the date has not yet been determined. Details about the second intake will be published to the Infrastructure Canada  Green and Inclusive Community Buildings' website as soon as they become available. Applicants with small and medium retrofit projects to existing community buildings ranging in total eligible cost from $100,000 to $2,999,999 will be accepted and funded on a rolling intake basis.

to will be accepted and funded on a rolling intake basis. Announced in December 2020 , Canada's Strengthened Climate Plan includes 64 new measures and $15 billion in investments towards a healthy environment and economy. Associated links

Green and Inclusive Community Buildings:

https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/gicb-bcvi/index-eng.html Investing in Canada Plan Project Map:

https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html Strengthened Climate Plan:

https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/climate-plan/climate-plan-overview.html Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

Web: Infrastructure Canada SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

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YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Members of Parliament of Armenia met with members of the Canada-Armenia Friendship Group in the Parliament of Canada, MP from the ruling Civil Contract faction Gevorg Papoyan said in a statement on social media.

We presented the details of the latest Azerbaijani aggression, the Azerbaijani atrocities and anti-humanist actions, the MP said. We agreed to deepen the parliamentary ties including through bilateral mutual visits, he added.
[October 28, 2022] infinitii ai reports financial results and operational highlights for fiscal year 2022

46% annualized increase in average monthly revenue from contracted and subscription customers includes contribution from largest sale in corporate history to Los Angeles County. Expanded product portfolio positions the Company for future growth. VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - infinitii ai inc. ("infinitii ai" or the "Company") (CSE: IAI) (FSE: 7C5) (OTC: CDTAF), a leader AI-driven predictive analytics software for Smart City water and Smart Industry infrastructure applications that rely on time-series data, today released its annual financial and operational highlights for its fiscal year ending June 30, 2022. A complete set of June 30, 2022 Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion & Analysis has been filed at www.sedar.com . Trusted since 2014 to provide environmental monitoring to many of the largest water infrastructure utilities in the U.S and Canada, infinitii ai (formerly Carl Data Solutions Inc.) has evolved into a leader in AI-driven predictive analytics for industrial and Smart City infrastructure applications that rely on time-series data. The Company services customers via a trusted partner network that includes engineering and IT services companies like AECOM, Core & Main, Kerr Wood Leidal Ltd., K2 Geospatial and CSL Services Inc. Management commentary "infinitii ai has undergone a business transformation and transition that now positions us for sales growth with a vastly expanded 15-product portfolio for Smart City Water Infrastructure and Smart Industry infrastructure," said CEO Jean Charles Phaneuf. "In fiscal year 2022 we secured the Company's largest recurring revenue sale ever to Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, a California water agency that services 5.6 million people in 78 cities and unincorporated areas. This, along with other sales to new and existing customers, contributed to a 46% increase in average monthly revenue from contracted and subscription customers over the course of this past fiscal year." Fiscal year 2021 was a transformation year with a $5.6 million Private Placement, a new senior management team, and completion of the $4.65 million Digital Supercluster Fresh Water Data Commons ("FWDC") project that created significant intellectual property for the Company. Fiscal year 2022 was a transition year that included the launch of infinitii auto i&i, a Machine Learning ("ML") software product Beta-tested with AECOM and now used in York Region's flow monitoring program  one of North America's largest and most advanced flow and rainfall monitoring programs. The product resulted from the implementation of a lean product development approach that creates products faster based on in-depth customer engagement with Beta product candidates. Expanded product portfolio On Oct. 4, the Company rebranded Carl Data Solutions Inc. as infinitii ai inc., changing its stock ticker symbol on the CSE from CRL to IAI. On Oct. 5, infinitii ai launched an expanded product portfolio marketed under the umbrella of the infinitii dataworks platform. The 15-product portfolio takes advantage of Intellectual Property developed for the FWDC project as well as years-long R&D efforts and is focused on providing ML capabilities for Smart City water and Smart Industry infrastructure customers. "From its inception through fiscal year 2021 and most of fiscal year 2022 the Company had a single product offering called FlowWorks. Moving forward, infinitii ai now has a total of 15 well branded, clearly differentiated and separately priced products in its portfolio," said Phaneuf. "Because they can see clear differentiation and associated productivity benefits between these offerings, initial reaction from existing and prospective customers is promising. More revenue per customer sale and higher growth for the Company overall is the goal of these new branding and product initiatives." A highlight of the 15-product portfolio is infinitii face pro, a new streaming analytics application for data transformation that allows users to add logic and algorithms for real-time processing to manage and operationalize production-ready ML data models. Luis Falindo, Senior Data Scientist at Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd. stated that infinitii face pro "is an industry-disrupting innovation that will provide better data-driven insights for making faster, more informeddecisions, particularly with real-time and forecasting applications."



In addition to infinitii face pro, the infinitii dataworks platform includes the following products for Smart City water infrastructure customers: infinitii flowworks  a powerful suite of time series data monitoring, analysis and reporting tools for Smart City water infrastructure customers. It efficiently manages monitoring systems, performs real-time analysis, checks flow monitoring status and sets alarms through a single interface

 a powerful suite of time series data monitoring, analysis and reporting tools for Smart City water infrastructure customers. It efficiently manages monitoring systems, performs real-time analysis, checks flow monitoring status and sets alarms through a single interface infinitii flowworks+  including all the features of infinitii flowworks, flowworks+ adds manual Inflow & Infiltration (I&I) pump station calculator, rainfall Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) analysis, infinitii face and infinitii api connect

 including all the features of infinitii flowworks, flowworks+ adds manual Inflow & Infiltration (I&I) pump station calculator, rainfall Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) analysis, infinitii face and infinitii api connect infinitii flowworks pro  including all the features of infinitii flowworks+, infinitii flowworks pro adds infinitii face pro for advanced ML calculations and infinitii api pro for extended data integration points and unlimited data transactions

 including all the features of infinitii flowworks+, infinitii flowworks pro adds infinitii face pro for advanced ML calculations and infinitii api pro for extended data integration points and unlimited data transactions infinitii face  is the "flowworks advanced calculation engine" (face) that creates new data from incoming channels using math, statistics and logic equations for real-time analysis

 is the "flowworks advanced calculation engine" (face) that creates new data from incoming channels using math, statistics and logic equations for real-time analysis infinitii auto i&i  provides tools for detailed analysis of storm events, letting you see how the storm event proceeded over time, and how this relates to your RDII (rain derived infiltration and inflow) during a storm event

 provides tools for detailed analysis of storm events, letting you see how the storm event proceeded over time, and how this relates to your RDII (rain derived infiltration and inflow) during a storm event infinitii auto qa/qc (in Beta)  performs Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) on any sensor data shifts or outliers that may distort results or falsely trigger alerts. Machine Learning models provide different courses of action based on data identified from sensor errors

 performs Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) on any sensor data shifts or outliers that may distort results or falsely trigger alerts. Machine Learning models provide different courses of action based on data identified from sensor errors infinitii api connect  is the interface that flowworks+ uses to read, write or update all data and source information stored in flowworks. Data transaction rates apply

 is the interface that flowworks+ uses to read, write or update all data and source information stored in flowworks. Data transaction rates apply infinitii api pro  allows developers to extract site, channel and data point information for their sites using a RESTful web service. It grants further integration points and unlimited data transactions

 allows developers to extract site, channel and data point information for their sites using a RESTful web service. It grants further integration points and unlimited data transactions infinitii cso predict  predicts sewer/stormwater and Combined Sewage Overflow (CSO) events at discharge points in a sewer/stormwater system. Identifies when and where a collection system's overflows will take place up to seven days in advance

 predicts sewer/stormwater and Combined Sewage Overflow (CSO) events at discharge points in a sewer/stormwater system. Identifies when and where a collection system's overflows will take place up to seven days in advance infinitii flood risk forecast (in Beta)  combines hydrology modelling with Machine Learning and precipitation data for predicting flood events at discharge points. Identifies when and where a flood event will take up to seven days in advance The infinitii dataworks platform also includes the following products for Smart Industry infrastructure customers:

infinitii real time monitoring  with advanced data transformation and Machine Learning algorithm creation capabilities. Includes data ingestion, data hosting, email notification and alerts, reporting, unlimited number of users, maintenance and upgrades, and a custom dashboard

 with advanced data transformation and Machine Learning algorithm creation capabilities. Includes data ingestion, data hosting, email notification and alerts, reporting, unlimited number of users, maintenance and upgrades, and a custom dashboard infinitii advanced calculation engine  is a data science application used for discovery of patterns or prediction of events in large data-sets. Using its extensive API, the application supports Python and R scripts for code-based experimentation and model development, and ML Ops teams can use it to deploy Machine Learning to manage and operationalize production-ready models. Common uses include complex data transformation, forecasting, anomaly detection, predictive maintenance and failure prediction

 is a data science application used for discovery of patterns or prediction of events in large data-sets. Using its extensive API, the application supports Python and R scripts for code-based experimentation and model development, and ML Ops teams can use it to deploy Machine Learning to manage and operationalize production-ready models. Common uses include complex data transformation, forecasting, anomaly detection, predictive maintenance and failure prediction infinitii auto qa/qc (in Beta)  performs Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) on any sensor data shifts or outliers that may distort results or falsely trigger alerts. Machine Learning models provide different courses of action based on data identified from sensor errors

 performs Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) on any sensor data shifts or outliers that may distort results or falsely trigger alerts. Machine Learning models provide different courses of action based on data identified from sensor errors infinitii api pro  allows developers to extract site, channel and data point information for their sites using a RESTful web service and grants unlimited data transactions Financial highlights and year-over-year results for fiscal year 2022 The Company made steady progress with increasing software license revenue over the course of fiscal year 2022. Due to the Company's ability to secure larger annual contracts from its customers, average monthly revenue from contracted and subscription customers has increased by 46% from the beginning to the end of the fiscal year.

For the year ended June 30, 2022 , the Company generated $1,617,758 in total revenues compared to $2,631,340 in its previous fiscal year as the Company commenced its work with the Digital Supercluster FWDC project, which was responsible for $1,181,032 in revenue.

, the Company generated in total revenues compared to in its previous fiscal year as the Company commenced its work with the Digital Supercluster FWDC project, which was responsible for in revenue. Operating expenses declined every single quarter as management made judicious use of cash to focus on new product initiatives. Total comprehensive loss for the year decreased by $2,218,139 from $4,651,880 in the year ended June 30, 2021 to $2,433,741 in the year ended June 30, 2022 . Operational highlights for fiscal year 2022 On January 25 , the Company announced it had made the largest sale in its history. It is a two-year contract renewable on a recurring annual basis with Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, a California agency that services 5.6 million people and is the USA's largest producer of recycled water.

, the Company announced it had made the largest sale in its history. It is a two-year contract renewable on a recurring annual basis with Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, a agency that services 5.6 million people and is the largest producer of recycled water. On February 23 , the Company executed a technology integration and co-marketing agreement with K2 Geospatial ("K2") making it possible for K2 Geospatial's 350 Smart Cities, municipalities, seaports, airports and road authorities across North America to take advantage of the Company's predictive analytics technology for time-series data while allowing the Company's customers to deploy K2's agnostic and scalable Geographic Information System mapping software.

, the Company executed a technology integration and co-marketing agreement with K2 Geospatial ("K2") making it possible for K2 Geospatial's 350 Smart Cities, municipalities, seaports, airports and road authorities across to take advantage of the Company's predictive analytics technology for time-series data while allowing the Company's customers to deploy K2's agnostic and scalable Geographic Information System mapping software. On April 1 , the Company secured its second-largest recurring revenue sale ever to another large American Smart City through a partner with a national footprint in water infrastructure projects.

, the Company secured its second-largest recurring revenue sale ever to another large American Smart City through a partner with a national footprint in water infrastructure projects. On May 4 , the Company launched its infinitii auto i&i software product after Beta testing by its infrastructure engineering services integration partner AECOM in cooperation with the Regional Municipality of York. The first of the Company's new generation of predictive analytics software products, infinitii auto i&i uses ML technology to detect storm events so municipal water utility engineers can quickly see which areas of their systems are most impacted, with predictive detection of deterioration on infrastructure systems. About infinitii ai inc. Trusted since 2014 to provide environmental monitoring to many of the largest water infrastructure utilities in the U.S and Canada, infinitii ai (formerly Carl Data Solutions Inc.) has evolved into a leader in AI-driven predictive analytics Smart City water and Smart Industry infrastructure applications that rely on time-series data. The company services customers via a trusted partner network that includes engineering and IT services companies like AECOM, Core & Main, Kerr Wood Leidal Ltd., K2 Geospatial and CSL Services Inc. infinitii ai software performs real-time analysis, checks flow monitoring status, sets alarms through a single interface, accepts all types of data from any source and offers predictive (what will happen) and prescriptive (what should happen) analytics. Whether it's real-time, historic, wireless, satellite, SCADA or public data sets including USGS, NOAA and weather forecasts  it doesn't matter where the data originates, infinitii ai transforms raw data into actionable information. Visit www.infinitii.ai to learn more. The Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release. Forward-looking statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of infinitii ai, including the expectation of future revenue growth. Although infinitii ai believes that the expectations and assumptions upon which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because infinitii ai can provide no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. infinitii ai disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE infinitii ai inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[October 28, 2022] NexJ Systems Reports Third Quarter 2022 Results

TORONTO, Oct. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - NexJ Systems Inc. (TSX: NXJ), delivering intelligent customer management software to the financial services industry, today announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2022. Third Quarter Summary The Company continued its planned transition from a perpetual license model to a more predictable subscription license model generating $1.47M in license and subscription revenue for the first three quarters of the year, an increase of 50% as compared to $977K in the first three quarters of the previous year

in license and subscription revenue for the first three quarters of the year, an increase of 50% as compared to in the first three quarters of the previous year $4.03M of revenue for the third quarter as compared to $4.04M in the third quarter of the previous year

of revenue for the third quarter as compared to in the third quarter of the previous year $840K in Adjusted EBITDA loss for the third quarter as compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $370K in the third quarter of the previous year

in Adjusted EBITDA loss for the third quarter as compared to Adjusted EBITDA of in the third quarter of the previous year $658K of net loss for the third quarter as compared to $180K of net income in the third quarter of the previous year

of net loss for the third quarter as compared to of net income in the third quarter of the previous year $11.47M in revenue for the nine months as compared to $11.74M in the previous year

in revenue for the nine months as compared to in the previous year $2.12M in Adjusted EBITDA loss for the nine months as compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $596K in the previous year

in Adjusted EBITDA loss for the nine months as compared to Adjusted EBITDA of in the previous year $2.91M in net loss for the nine months as compared to $282K of net loss in the previous year

in net loss for the nine months as compared to of net loss in the previous year For the first three quarters of the year, approximately $1.9M of expense contributing to the net loss for the same period related to the office lease payments and one time lease termination costs as the Company rationalized its real estate requirements during the second quarter and will realize costs savings in excess of $2.2M per year going forward On August 29, 2022, the Company and N. Harris Computer Corporation ("Harris") announced the parties have entered into an arrangement agreement by way of a statutory plan of arrangement under the CBCA (the "Acquisition"). Under the terms of the Acquisition, Harris will acquire all of the outstanding common shares on a fully diluted basis of the Company for a cash consideration of $0.55 for each common share of the Company, with the transaction expected to close in November 2022 subject to customary regulatory and shareholder approvals







NexJ Systems Inc.















Third Quarter Financial Results















(Expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)











(Unaudited)



















Quarter ended September 30,

Nine months ended September 30,



2022

2021

2022

2021

















Revenue

$

$

$

$ License and subscription fees

568

539

1,468

977 Professional services

1,529

1,502

4,256

4,560 Maintenance and support

1,933

1,997

5,743

6,203



4,030

4,038

11,467

11,740 Cost of revenue

1,113

920

3,545

2,877 Gross profit

2,917

3,118

7,922

8,863

















Operating Expenses















Research and development

1,803

1,329

5,148

4,210 Sales and marketing

547

572

1,623

1,654 General and administrative

1,407

847

3,269

2,403



3,757

2,748

10,040

8,267

















Adjusted EBITDA

(840)

370

(2,118)

596

















Share-based payment expense

4

10

17

64 Depreciation and amortization

51

229

960

671 Lease termination costs

-

-

467

- Income (loss from) operations

(895)

131

(3,562)

(139)

















Foreign exchange loss (gain)

(233)

(66)

(353)

84 Finance income

(6)

(6)

(38)

(15) Finance expense

2

23

(262)

74 Net income (loss) for the period

(658)

180

(2,909)

(282)



Non-IFRS Measures This news release includes certain measures that have not been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") such as Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin which are used to evaluate the Company's operating performance as a complement to results provided in accordance with IFRS. The Company believes that Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are useful supplemental information as it provides an indication of the results generated by the Company's main business activities prior to taking into consideration how those activities are financed and taxed and also prior to taking into consideration asset depreciation and the other items listed below. The term "Adjusted EBITDA" refers to net income (loss) before adjusting for share-based payment expense, depreciation and amortization, lease termination costs, deferred share unit expense, restructuring costs, foreign exchange loss (gain), finance income, finance costs, and income taxes. "Adjusted EBITDA margin" refers to the percentage that Adjusted EBITDA for any period represents as a portion of total revenue for that period. The term Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are not measures recognized by IFRS and do not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS. Therefore, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Investors are cautioned that Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin should not be construed as an alternative to net income (loss) as determined in accordance with IFRS. About NexJ Systems Inc.

NexJ Systems provides Intelligent Customer Management to the financial services industry. Our award-winning CRM is designed to help Wealth Management, Private Banking, Corporate and Commercial Banking, and Insurance firms revolutionize their business. Powered by artificial intelligence, our products help drive productivity, boost client engagement, and increase revenue. With users in over 60 countries, our customers benefit from our deep expertise across financial services verticals, strategic investment in innovation, and commitment to their success. Based in Toronto, NexJ has clients throughout North America, Asia Pacific and in Europe. For more information about NexJ visit www.nexj.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 416-222-5611. Join us on LinkedIn, follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, or like us on Facebook. NexJ Forward-looking Statement

Certain statements in this press release, including statements about the financial conditions, and results of operations and earnings, may contain words such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "aim", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "seek", "believe", "potential", "continue", "is/are likely to", "could", "should", "target", "envision", and other similar language and are considered forward-looking statements or information under applicable securities laws. These statements are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the operating environment, economies and markets in which the Company operates. These statements are subject to important assumptions, risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, and the actual outcome may be materially different. The Company's assumptions, although considered reasonable by the Company at the date of this press release, may provide to be inaccurate and consequently the Company's actual results could differ materially from the expectations set out herein. Actual results or events could differ materially from those contemplated in forward-looking statements as a result of the following: (i) the future performance, financial and otherwise, of NexJ; (ii) the ability of NexJ to protect, maintain and enforce its intellectual property rights; (iii) the acceptance by the Company's customers and the marketplace of new technologies and solutions; (iv) the Company's growth and profitability prospects; (v) the estimated size and growth prospects of the CRM market; (vi) the Company's competitive position in the market and its ability to take advantage of future opportunities in this market; (vii) the Company's ability to attract new customers and develop and maintain existing customers; and (viii) the demand for the Company's product and the extent of deployment of the company's products in the marketplace. Forward-looking statements may also include, without limitation, any statement relating to future events, conditions or circumstances. The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) out ability to successful integrate and manage acquired businesses, offerings and people; (ii) our dependence on a limited number of customers and large project size; (iii) fluctuation in our quarterly operating results; (iv) our dependence on key personnel, and ability to attract and retain talent; (v) our compensation structure; (vi) risks associated with managing large and complex software implementation projects; (vii) uncertainties and assumptions in our sales forecasts, including the extent to which sales proposals are converted into sales; (viii) risks associated with our ability to design, develop, test, market, license and support our software products on a timely basis; (ix) market acceptance of our products and services; * commercial success of products resulting from our investment in research and development; (xi) our success in expanding sales into new international markets; (xii) competition in our industry; (xiii) failure to protect our intellectual property or infringement of intellectual property rights of third parties; (xiv) reliance upon a limited number of third-party software products to develop our products; (xv) defects or disruptions in our products and services; (xvi) currency exchange rate fluctuations; (xvii) lengthy sales cycles for our software; (xviii) general economic conditions; and (xviii) failure to manage our growth successfully. For additional information with respect to risks and other factors which could occur, see the Company's most recently filed Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2021 dated March 8, 2022, and other securities filings with the Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intention or obligations to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.



NexJ Systems Inc.





Condensed Interim Statements of Financial Position





(Expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)





(Unaudited)















September 30, 2022

December 31, 2021







Assets







$

$ Current assets:





Cash and cash equivalents 4,511

5,489 Accounts receivable 1,087

5,457 Prepaid expenses and other assets 852

1,334 Total current assets 6,450

12,280







Non-current assets:





Property and equipment 381

612 Right-of-use assets 245

951 Goodwill 1,753

1,753 Contract assets 33

88 Total non-current assets 2,412

3,404







Total assets 8,862

15,684







Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity













Current liabilities:





Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 2,299

2,023 Deferred revenue 3,740

6,592 Lease liabilities 114

1,152 Total current liabilities 6,153

9,767







Non-current liabilities:





Accrued liabilities 68

62 Deferred revenue 5

328 Lease liabilities 84

83 Total non-current liabilities 157

473







Total liabilities 6,310

10,240







Shareholders' equity:





Share capital 83,485

83,485 Share purchase loans (3,598)

(3,598) Contributed surplus 8,752

8,735 Accumulated other comprehensive income 751

751 Deficit (86,838)

(83,929) Total shareholders' equity 2,552

5,444







Total liabilities and shareholders' equity 8,862

15,684 NexJ Systems Inc.













Condensed Interim Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)











(Expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts)











(Unaudited)































Three months ended September 30,

Nine months ended September 30,

2022

2021

2022

2021















Revenue $

$

$

$ License and subscription fees 568

539

1,468

977 Professional services 1,529

1,502

4,256

4,560 Maintenance and support 1,933

1,997

5,743

6,203

4,030

4,038

11,467

11,740 Cost of revenue 1,113

919

3,546

2,874 Gross profit 2,917

3,119

7,921

8,866















Expenses:













Research and development 1,803

1,328

5,149

4,223 Sales and marketing 547

573

1,623

1,657 General and administrative 1,462

1,087

4,244

3,125 Lease termination costs -

-

467

-

3,812

2,988

11,483

9,005















Income (loss) from operations (895)

131

(3,562)

(139)















Foreign exchange gain (loss) 223

66

353

(84) Finance income 6

6

38

15 Finance expense (2)

(23)

262

(74)

227

49

653

(143)































Net income (loss) for the period (668)

180

(2,909)

(282)















Other comprehensive income (loss):













Items that will not be reclassified to profit or loss:













Unrealized income (loss) on equity securities -

6

-

(1) Income (loss) for the period and













comprehensive income (loss) (668)

186

(2,909)

(283)















Earnings (loss) per share













Basic and diluted (0.03)

0.01

(0.14)

(0.01)















Weighted average number of common shares













outstanding, in thousands













Basic 21,076

21,067

21,076

21,059 Diluted 21,076

21,105

21,076

21,059 NexJ Systems Inc.





Condensed Interim Statements of Cash Flows





(Expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)





(Unaudited)















Nine month ended

Nine month ended

September 30, 2022

September 30, 2021















Cash flows from (used in) operating activities: $

$ Loss for the period (2,909)

(282) Adjustments for:





Depreciation and amortization of property and equipment 112

156 Depreciation of right-of-use assets 848

515 Changes in contract assets 55

(46) Share-based payment expense 17

64 Loss on disposal of fixed assets 71

- Finance income (38)

(15) Finance expense (262)

74 Foreign exchange loss (gain) (133)

22 Change in non-cash operating working capital:





Accounts receivable 4,370

2,112 Prepaid expenses and other assets 482

184 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 282

171 Deferred revenue (3,175)

(1,793) Net cash flows from (used in) operating activities (280)

1,162







Cash flows from (used in) financing activities:





Payment of lease liabilities (910)

(839) Interest paid (7)

(4) Proceeds from exercise of stock options -

9 Net cash flows used in financing activities (917)

(834)







Cash flows from (used in) investing activities:





Purchase of property and equipment (5)

(32) Proceeds from disposal of fixed assets 53

- Interest received 38

15 Net cash flows from (used in) investing activities 86

(17)







Effects of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents 133

(22)







Increase in cash and cash equivalents (978)

289







Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 5,489

5,426







Cash and cash equivalents, end of period 4,511

5,715







Supplemental cash flow information:





Acquisition of property and equipment not yet paid -

10 SOURCE NexJ Systems Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Americans constantly face a barrage of robocalls  to the tune of 4.2 billion robocalls alone in September. As a defense strategy against bad actors of robocalls, the Federal Communications Commission implemented the STIR/SHAKEN protocol to combat illegally spoofed robocalls. Its designed to improve the accuracy of robocall blocking and consumer warning tools, aid enforcement officials in tracing calls back to the originators, and provide consumers with more reliable caller ID information. Ultimately, its supposed to undercut spoofing scams.

Voice service providers are required to implement and use STIR/SHAKEN on their IP-based networks. Extensions were granted for the IP-based implementation requirements with facilities-based small voice service providers until June 30, 2023, and for providers that are unable to receive the certificate required to participate in STIR/SHAKEN.

However, the FCC (News - Alert) ran into a hurdle. STIR/SHAKENs caller ID authentication standards only technologically work on IP-based phone networks and not on non-IP networks. That includes calls that pass through non-IP networks at any point from origination to termination.

Voice service providers place encrypted digital certificates on messages as they pass from network to network. Non-IP networks cannot add or maintain this digital information on calls. This basically means that any call generated by or passing through a non-IP network does not carry STIR/SHAKEN verification information, such as information regarding as to who generated the call. A gap is created in the caller ID authentication scheme, decreasing the effectiveness of the technology. Bad actors notice this and will exploit it.

This prompted the FCC to begin a proceeding to consider ways to combat illegally spoofed robocalls that pass through non-IP networks. Though the number of non-IP phone service users continues to dwindle, the FCC has an obligation to protect all Americans. As such, the FCC is asking for comment on the prevalence of non-IP technology in the countrys phone networks and the impact this technology has on the illegal robocalls problem.

It also seeks input on alternative technological or policy solutions to enable caller ID authentication over non-IP networks, including two standards developed by the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions. One standard would allow non-IP providers to send and receive caller ID authentication information via the internet on a separate track from the call itself. The second standard would carry more limited information with the call even on non-IP systems.

The Notice of Inquiry put out by the FCC will also study the nexus between non-IP caller ID authentication and the IP transition generally, and on specific steps the FCC will take to encourage the industrys transition to IP.

If all goes as planned, the FCC will move closer to achieving ubiquitous implementation of STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication.Edited by Erik Linask
Right now we share a quick compilation of local crime stories and more info on worsening Kansas City metro violence.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

Study: Kansas City ranks No. 1 for highest homicide rate increase ( NewsNation) - Crime has remained a significant issue in the minds of voters since the beginning of the year. It's why President Joe Biden addressed the issue in his State of the Union address in March and why it's ranked as one of the most popular topics on a NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ poll earlier this month.

Grandview man admits to using Snapchat to sell drugs, possessing gun stolen from police KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Grandview, Missouri, man admitted to using his Snapchat account to sell drugs in addition to possessing a gun that had been stolen from a Grain Valley police officer. Antonio Johnson, 20, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

'The city is failing': Leaders denounce homicides as KC approaches second deadliest year With 18 homicides so far this month in Kansas City, local leaders gathered Thursday to bring attention to the alarming violence rate and offer solutions. The city has suffered 141 homicides in 2022. It is on pace to become the second deadliest year on record, according to data tracked by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings.

Kansas City detectives attempting to identify person of interest in Tuesday night homicide Detectives are attempting to identify a person of interest in a homicide that occurred near 57th and Troost late Tuesday night. One man died and two women were sent to the hospital around 11:30 p.m. in the shooting KCPD is investigating. [/twitter]Officers found a man and woman who had been shot in front of a building.

America's crime wave is not a right-wing myth The most memorable moment of Tuesday's fiery debate between New York governor Kathy Hochul and her Republican challenger, Lee Zeldin, centred on crime. After Zeldin hammered Hochul on bail-reform laws that put criminals back on the streets, one of the main themes of his campaign, Hochul seemed to admit more than she might have wished.

Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools Board to consider partnership to put Narcan into schools KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City, Kansas, Public School District's Board of Education is expected to consider an item Tuesday night regarding a partnership between the Unified Government Public Health Department and KCKPS to integrate Narcan, an antidote for opioid overdoses, into schools. UGPHD created a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Aug.

'Journey of healing': Fundraiser started for 18-year-old paralyzed in deadly KC shooting Family members of an 18-year-old paralyzed in a Sunday afternoon shooting that left his friend dead in Kansas City's Northland have started a fundraising effort to help pay for the surviving teenager's medical expenses as they expect he may never walk again.

Kansas City-area clergy, KCPD, stand together with grieving mother against domestic violence KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Trinity Temple Church in Grandview is mourning the loss of a member of their flock - 23-year-old EraShae Johnson was shot and killed 10 days ago. EraShae's mother pleaded for justice Thursday as she stood next to pastors and police.

Kansas City anti-crime activist Alvin Brooks at 90: 'I hope we raised some questions' In honor of Alvin Brooks' decades of public service, he's set to receive the prestigious Henry W. Bloch Humans Relations Award on Sunday. Brooks, 90, has won awards in the past, but he said this one is just different. "It's sort of like the granny of them all, I think," said Brooks.

Developing . . .
Recently . . .

Sketchy local protest groups have joined nationwide protests at the homes of elected officials.

In Kansas City, this is a great way to undermine support and turn donors away.



Following a widely reported attack . . . We can't help but agree with Mayor Q.

Here's what he had to say . . .



So far the tweet isn't getting much resistance.



Read more about the inciting incident via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Assailant tried to tie up Paul Pelosi in home attack and shouted, Where is Nancy? sources say Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked at the couple's home in San Francisco early Friday morning, the Democratic speaker's office said in a statement. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Nancy Pelosi's husband 'violently assaulted' after break-in An assailant broke into the couple's California home on Friday morning, a statement says.

Paul Pelosi 'violently' attacked with hammer in targeted SF break-in, suspect in custody SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco house was broken into early Friday morning and her husband, Paul Pelosi, was "violently assaulted," according to the House Speaker's spokesperson. Nancy Pelosi was not home or in San Francisco at the time of the attack.

Developing . . .
Right now we take a second to catch up with prog blogs, right-wing screeds and all manner of politically charged content that's are worth a peek but doesn't really qualify as news.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

TKC Blog Community Noted As Much Three Months Ago . . .

Here's why all eyes are on the Jackson County executive race on Nov. 8 Over the past seven years, Jackson County has seen three different county executives. After then-County Executive Mike Sanders resigned at the end of 2015  and went to prison in 2018 for corruption  Fred Arbanas served for one week as interim executive until Frank White Jr. was appointed to the role in January 2016.

Show-Me Library Crackdown

Missouri Proposes New 'Protection of Minors' Rule for Libraries Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft last week announced a new proposed rule he says will protect minors in the state's libraries. But librarians and freedom to read advocates fear the unwieldy new rule is another example of the ongoing, nationwide political attack on the freedom to read being waged under the guise of parental rights.

Trans Life Lessons

Rose Hill students taught there are five genders in dual credit college course - The Sentinel A Rose Hill high school student who has been taking concurrent (sometimes called "dual credit") courses at Butler County Community College said he was required to answer a question on how many genders exist with "five" as part of a test for his intro to Psychology course.

Real Life Scare For Elected Official

Man indicted for threatening to kill Kansas Representative Jake LaTurner, harm other members of Congress TOPEKA ( KSNT) - Newly released court documents reveal a man's alleged plot to kill Kansas Congressman Jake LaTurner. Chase Neill has been indicted in federal court on a felony charge of threatening a federal official. The indictment alleges that in June of this year, Neill left a voicemail message saying he would kill LaTurner.

College Profs Panicked

Restructuring of classes, college degree offerings at Emporia State University in Kansas sparks panic among some professors over 'suspended' tenure A journalism professor ominously suggests that restructuring and layoffs at Emporia State University may be "a political maneuver to end tenure," and that "I may be fired for writing this." Nonsense, says the university. It's simply cutting some class and degree offerings, and expanding others, to accommodate a changing market - while also adjusting to a staggering 24% enrollment decline since 2017.

Show-Me Health Surveillance Spike

Kids in the Midwest will get more blood screenings under EPA plan to deal with lead threat * Missouri Independent A study shows about half of children in the United States have detectable levels of lead in their blood, despite federal regulations that ban or restrict its use. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted a new strategy to reduce exposure, particularly in low-income and communities of color that are disproportionately affected.

Tech Troubles Democracy

JoCo poll workers warned about potential Konnech identity theft - The Sentinel Election workers for Johnson County from June 2016 to October 2022 are being cautioned to monitor their personal information amid concerns of identity theft by Konnech, Inc., the county's election management software contractor. The company is currently under investigation.

World According To KC Stoners

KC Voices: Missouri taxpayers should be extremely concerned about Amendment 4 We've been asking members of the KC community to submit stories about their thoughts and experiences in all walks of life. If you've got a story you'd like to share with our readers, please send it to brock@thepitchkc.com for consideration.

SHOW-ME WEED BUDS!!!

Opposition to Missouri marijuana amendment creating strange political bedfellows * Missouri Independent Same for the Missouri NAACP and Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. But this year, each is part of an ideologically scattershot constellation of organizations and elected officials that have come out of the woodwork in recent weeks to urge Missourians to reject a marijuana legalization proposal appearing on the Nov.

Newsflash: People Change

Northeast Missouri used to vote Democratic - until national politics overwhelmed the local Making Sense of the 6th - As Missouri has quickly swung from bellwether to deeply and reliably conservative, this series, a collaboration between St. Louis Public Radio, KCUR and the Midwest Newsroom, attempts to hear from voices on the ground in Missouri's 6th Congressional District, which spans the northern third of the state, to understand changes in the political landscape.

Rock Chalk GOP Denial Alleged

Kansas Republican candidates say they will accept election results - with caveats - Kansas Reflector TOPEKA - Kansas Republican candidates on the November ballot say they will accept the results of the election whether they win or lose, though some have added caveats to this acceptance. In Kansas, several lawmakers have called into question voter integrity, and election deniers forced a recount of votes in the August primary over the rejection of an abortion amendment to the Kansas Constitution.

Show-Me Suburban Progressive Uptick

Meet the candidates in the 29th and 34th Missouri House Districts In a Missouri House district in Lees Summit, Democrat Kemp Strickler is hoping to reclaim a legislative seat that has long been the property of Republicans. But hell have to defeat Republican J.C. Crossley on Nov. 8.

Newspaper Fact Checks Presidential Claims For Once

Missouri's Eric Schmitt is not running for president. Staff error led to brief speculation No, Eric Schmitt isn't running for president. A clerical error on the Missouri Republican Senate nominee's October campaign filings caused brief speculation that Schmitt, the state attorney general, was eyeing a bid for president. On routine campaign documents filed with the Federal Election Commission Wednesday, Schmitt's Senate campaign put "President" on the spot under "Office Sought."

Golden Ghetto Loves Democracy

Advance voting in Johnson County, Kansas pacing ahead of early turnout in August primary Johnson County Election Commissioner Fred Sherman announced Wednesday that the county saw 19,000 advance ballots cast in just three days. That puts it 15% ahead of the record advance voting in August.With more early voting locations - 16 in all - plus more than 100 polling locations on Election Day, he expects to see a quarter of a million votes cast in the county by Nov.

And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
Again . . . We think it's worth repeating a truism for perspective on this situation . . .

There are far greater and more immediate dangers to the community than Halloween fear of Jack the Ripper and the threat of sex dungeons highlighted in the New York Post.



Also . . .

The Star claims to speak to the concerns of "young, Black women" but I'm not even sure they have any on staff.

What's sad about this story is that neither activist hacks nor mainstream media outlets want to acknowledge that the very real danger of sex crime and violent death on local streets impact drug-addicted Black women living in desperate circumstances . . . Their plight is so tragic and hopeless that most don't even mention it.

Again, for the record, police have disputed social media garbage serial killer rumors no less than FOUR TIMES since a controversial "bishop" broadcast a TikTok to followup one of his questionable real estate schemes.



Anyhoo . . .

Here's another political screed from the newspaper which attempts to score political points in lieu of sharing anything resembling the truth with readers . . .



"History underlies this case. Kansas Citians have claimed before that a serial killer was killing women on the East Side  and turned out to be right. Terry Blair was convicted in 2008 of six murders. And given a long record of mistrust, its no surprise that members of the Black community believe police might ignore their claims that Black women are going missing."

Police should recognize the fear now rampant in their community . . .



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
There's not much that would connect these people . . . And whatever it was . . . Kansas City won't get and probably doesn't deserve the full deets.

Here's what we know for now . . .



A KCPD investigation determined that on or about Oct. 1, Kevin Ray Moore caused the deaths of Stowers Institute researchers Camila Behrensen and Pablo Guzman-Palma by way of an intentionally set fire in the area of 41st & Oak on Oct 1.



Due to the efforts of KCPD and, in particular, the Crime Lab, KCPD used phone and computer data, surveillance videos, ballistic testing as well as DNA tests to determine the cause of the deaths of Behrensen and Guzman-Palma and to determine that Moore was the suspect, the prosecutors office said.



Moore, 42, is now deceased.



According to the authorities, Moore died as part of a murder-suicide on Oct. 16. His body and the body of his victim -- Misty Brockman -- were subsequently found in the woods in Clay County just west of Worlds of Fun. That investigation is ongoing.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Authorities: Man whose body was found in Clay County had killed researchers in fire KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - According to the authorities, a man whose body was found in Clay County following a murder-suicide was responsible for the deaths of two researchers at the beginning of October. The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office shared the news on Thursday afternoon. A KCPD investigation determined that on or about Oct.

From the Courthouse . . .

KCPD investigation identifies who murdered two researchers near 41st and Oak



The Jackson County Prosecutors Office applauds the efforts of Kansas City Police Department detectives and the KCPD Crime Lab in solving the double homicide that occurred on or about October 1, 2022 in an apartment near 41st and Oak in Kansas City, Missouri.



This office also expresses its deep condolences to the families of the victims, Camila Behrensen and Pablo Guzman-Palma, as well as to their colleagues and friends at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.



A Kansas City Police Department investigation has established that on or about Oct. 1, 2022, Kevin Ray Moore, dob: 5/25/1980 (now deceased), caused the deaths of Behrensen and Guzman-Palma and intentionally set their apartment on fire.



Due to the efforts of KCPD and, in particular, the Crime Lab, KCPD used phone and computer data, surveillance videos, ballistic testing as well as DNA tests to determine the cause of the deaths of Behrensen and Guzman-Palma and to determine that Moore was the suspect.



KCPD has determined that on Oct. 16, 2022, this suspect, Kevin Ray Moore, died as part of a murder-suicide in Clay County which remains under investigation.

##################



Developing . . .
He's on record . . .

PETE MUNDO WILL PERFORM NUDE RUN IF REP. SHARICE DAVIDS WINS BY 14 POINTS!!!

Here's a statement for context from the challenger . . .



ADKINS REFUTES NEW YORK TIMES POLL



OVERLAND PARK, Kan.  Amanda Adkins, Republican nominee for Congress in Kansas Third District, spoke out against a poll released by the New York Times last night in a desperate attempt to depress momentum as the race for KS-03 remains in a dead heat with only days until the election.



Nancy Pelosis Super PAC wouldnt be spending millions in a last ditch effort to save Davids if these numbers were even close to accurate, Adkins stated yesterday. What accurate polling would tell you is that Davids votes for Bidens disastrous economic policies are costing families over $8,700 more this year, and that will be top of mind to voters as they go into the voting booth on November 8th.



Kansas pundits also refuted the accuracy of the poll: Nobody I know thinks the #KS03 is a 14-point race, tweeted KMBC anchor Kris Ketz. Even The Kansas City Star quoted a Democrat strategist: I dont know what model the Times is using but this is going to be a very tight race. Our polls show it's a true toss-up at this point. Given Nancy Pelosis House Majority PACs recent $650,000 investment, it appears they do not feel a win for Davids is guaranteed.



This poll is the latest deceptive tactic used by the Democrats in an attempt to move the needle in what FiveThirtyEight still ranked a toss up race yesterday before the poll was released. For months, Davids has been lying about Adkins position on abortion as well as her involvement in the Kansas legislatures education policy making. Groups supporting Davids have also lied about a bipartisan bill she helped pass which would have given patients ownership of their records and data, and they have even propped up a third party candidate to trick voters right before election day.



Despite the New York Times claiming that voters do not care about the economy and that they favor Davids, polls across the country have shown that the economy is the top issue leading up to the midterms and that Republicans are on the rise on the generic ballot. The economic suffering and public safety issues currently affecting Kansas families cannot be ignored. These disasters have no other cause than Bidens failed policies - which Davids supports one hundred percent of the time - and even the poll admits that fifty one percent of Kansans somewhat or strongly disapprove of Biden. Fortunately, Kansans will elect a new congresswoman in twelve days who will vote for Kansans, not party leadership, and work to solve the issues impacting KS-03.



Adkins spoke to voters via Facebook LIVE this morning about the debates, upcoming campaign stops this weekend, and the growing momentum. A recording of the LIVE can be viewed here.



###

Developing . . .
More deets on this tragic case emerge as this ALLEGED creeper was formerly a celebrated suburban leader in educational excellence.



Check the quote . . .



"Hileman is accused of sexual relations with one student in the 2017-2018 school year and a different student in the 2022-2023 school year . . . Hileman was a Scholastic Teacher of the Year in 2004, nominated for Lifechanger of the Year in 2019, and featured in a video highlighting his work in 2018."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Former Scholastic Teacher of the Year appears in court on charges of unlawful sexual relations OLATHE, Kan. - Keil Hileman, a middle and high school social studies and archaeology teacher, sat in a wheelchair during his first court appearance Thursday. Johnson County prosecutors charged Hileman , a former Scholastic Teacher of the Year, with six counts of unlawful sexual relations.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Russia will continue the mediation efforts for the signing of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly Valentina Matviyenko said at the meeting with the Azerbaijani Speaker of Parliament Sahiba Gafarova.

Russia has acted and will act as a mediator and will provide support so that the two countries come to the signing of the peace treaty, Interfax quoted Matviyenko as saying.

Valentina Matviyenko reminded that Russian President Vladimir Putin in his speech during the Valdai conference has stated that Russia will support any decision that will contribute to the establishment of peace in the region, and of course, the interests of both countries must be taken into account.

Both Armenia and Azerbaijan should find solutions over border delimitation and problematic issues, Matviyenko said, adding that the parliamentary cooperation will also be used for achieving this goal.
Actually, this guy did all of the hard work . . .



He went SWIMMING IN A POTHOLE this week.

And then he offered EPIC followup tonight . . .



That's really nice but TKC likely won't ever take credit for ANYTHING on the Internets.

Whilst we don't really believe in online influence . . .



What we hope is that this blog community has EMPOWERED our readers in Kansas City to complain and do so with a bit of snark and fun.

That's what this guy did and he seems to have earned some attention from 12th & Oak.

Another local angle . . .

We're not even at the outset of pothole season . . . Local streets are only going to become more challenging as it gets colder.

Developing . . .
Help! I need makeup advice for defining mature eyes. Ask The Kit
Nearly 40 years after the high-profile murders of two Toronto women, police announced they have arrested and charged a man with the 1983 slayings of Susan Tice and Erin Gilmour  the latest decades-old cases to be cracked using genetic genealogy.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Elon Musk has completed his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter, a source familiar with the deal told CNN Thursday, putting the worlds richest man in charge of one of the worlds most influential social media platforms.

Elon Musk tweeted "the bird is freed", in an apparent reference to the deal closing.

Musk fired CEO Parag Agrawal and two other executives, according to two people familiar with the decision. Twitter declined to comment, CNN reports.

Musk on Thursday also fired CFO Ned Segal and policy head Vijaya Gadde, according to the two sources.
Robin Honderich, pictured with John, at their beloved family cottage on Georgian Bay. His father "had such steely resolve (about) how important it was for democracy and for society, to have a strong newspaper in Canadas biggest city." - Honderich family
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan received today Ambassador of Austria to Armenia Alois Kraut and military attache, Colonel Thomas Ahammer, the ministry said.

Suren Papikyan congratulated the Ambassador on the National Day of Austria.

At the request of the Ambassador, the Armenian Defense Minister presented the current situation resulting from the latest Azerbaijani military aggression.

The opportunities of developing the Armenian-Austrian cooperation in the defense sector were discussed during the meeting.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received the delegation of the France-Armenia Friendship Group of the French parliament led by Anne-Laurence Petel, the PMs Office said.

Pashinyan praised the fact that in recent years the relations between Armenia and France have received a new dynamics, the result of which is the frequent mutual visits at various levels. At this period we have been repeatedly convinced that France is a friendly country for us and always stands by Armenia in difficult situations, the PM said, adding that the government of Armenia is interested in consistently developing the bilateral mutual partnership in all areas.

Anne-Laurence Petel thanked for the warm welcome and as representative of the ruling party said that France is ready to continue its support to Armenia to overcome the challenges.

During the meeting the sides discussed the processes happening in the South Caucasus region, the steps to eliminate the consequences of the aggression of Azerbaijan and the ongoing activity of the EU Mission in Armenia. The PM highlighted the key role of France as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair country.

Views were exchanged on further steps to increase the volumes of economic ties and trade turnover between the two countries. A number of issues relating to the expansion of cooperation in infrastructures, telecommunication, energy, air transportation, investments, agriculture, healthcare, science and education were discussed.
Russia's actions in Ukraine fall under the definition of the international crime of genocide.

"Each week of Russia's war of aggression brings new reports of destruction and death. Last weekend in Ukraine began with Russian missile attacks, again targeting critical civilian infrastructure. On that day, October 22, Russia launched 36 missiles. According to the Ministry of Energy, the Russian occupiers damaged up to 40% of Ukraine's energy infrastructure," Yevhenii Tsymbalyuk, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna, said during the OSCE Permanent Council meeting, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

He also drew attention to reports of the Russians mining one of the largest Ukrainian energy facilities  the Kakhovka HPP. If it collapses, 80 settlements, including Kherson city, could be flooded, and the Zaporizhzhia NPP would be left without water for cooling.

"There is an increasing number of reports coming on the forced deportation of local residents, especially children, from Kherson region. In addition, the Russian Federation continues to kill Ukrainian children, born and unborn. Two days ago, two people, including a pregnant woman, were killed in another missile attack on Dnipro. An 8-year-old boy from Bakhmut lost his father and seven months pregnant mother during shelling," the ambassador said.

According to him, since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and as of October 26, 430 children were killed and at least 822 children were injured. And these are not final data, since a significant territory is captured by Russia.

"At the same time, more and more traces of Russian crimes are being discovered in the liberated territories. Currently, 22 torture chambers have been discovered in Kharkiv region. This is what genocide looks like," said the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna.

He recalled how the international convention defines the signs of this terrible international crime: "Killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."

Tsymbalyuk emphasized that Russia's actions in Ukraine fell under the definition of this crime. "Deliberate attacks on critical civilian infrastructure of Ukraine, forced deportation and adoption of Ukrainian children, sexual violence, torture, indiscriminate shelling, etc.  all Russias actions fall under the definition of this crime," he said.

The Ukrainian diplomat pointed out that the trial of Felicien Kabuga for crimes committed during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, which began this fall in The Hague, was a reminder of how dangerous misinformation and incitement to aggressive genocide are. "The recent case with Russia Today, whose presenter urged last weekend to throw Ukrainian children into the river or burn them in the house, is indicative in this regard, but not an isolated one. The top Kremlin propagandists continue to call for the destruction of entire Ukrainian cities," Tsymbalyuk said.

On February 24, Russia began a new stage of the war against Ukraine  a full-scale invasion. The invaders shell and bomb the Ukrainian cities and villages, torturing and killing civilian population.

ol
The Armed Forces of Ukraine retain control of the situation in the South Buh direction. On October 27, Ukrainian soldiers destroyed dozens of enemy troops.

This is reported by Ukrinform with reference to Operational Command South.

During the day of battles, the assault and army aviation carried out 16 strikes on the manpower, equipment and weapon clusters of the invaders.

In turn, the missile and artillery units performed about 130 fire missions. Russian losses amounted to: 44 soldiers, a tank, two mortars, and three armored combat vehicles.

"Two ammunition depots and a hangar with enemy equipment were destroyed in the Beryslav district," said the Command.

As of October 28, the aggressors continue shelling the positions of Ukraines forces, using MLR systems, barrel artillery, and mortars. In addition, they shelled, communities in:

Bashtanka district of Mykolaiv region;

Beryslav district of Kherson region; and

Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk region.

There were no casualties reported as a result of enemy attacks.

Enemy aircraft attacked six times over the past day. In response, Ukrainian aviation made 16 strikes on areas where the enemy's manpower, equipment and weapons were concentrated.

In addition, an effective hit on a pontoon crossing with Russian military equipment on it was confirmed

According to the data of OC South, there are 11 Russian warships and cutters maneuvering along the coast of the temporarily occupied Crimea in the Black Sea.

In particular, Russia keeps 4fourKalibr cruise missile carriers deployed  two underwater and two surface vessels. Twenty-four enemy missiles are ready for launch. In addition, there are two large landing craft at sea.

"The occupiers continue to launch missile and artillery attacks on civilian objects and critical infrastructure, and the threat and kamikaze drones being deployed in large numbers remains in place. So do not expose yourself to danger, be alert, aware, and careful. Be sure to respond to air raid alert signals. Take care of your own life and the lives of your loved ones," emphasized OC South.

As the agency previously reported, in two days, Russia launched more than 30 kamikaze drones over Ukraine.
Russia reinforced its groups on the right bank of the Kherson region with poorly equipped and insufficiently trained soldiers who are not capable of conducting offensive operations.

According to Ukrinform, the UK Ministry of Defense said this in its latest intelligence update published on Twitter.

"Russia has likely augmented some of its units west of the Dnipro River with mobilized reservists. However, this is from an extremely low level of manning," the agency said.

It said that in September 2022, there was a huge lack of personnel for combat units of the Russian army in the Kherson region. In particular, some companies consisted of six to eight people. Given that additional staffing took place at the expense of poorly trained and equipped soldiers, the leadership of the Russian army decided to concentrate their efforts on the defense of occupied positions.

"In the last six weeks, there has been a clear move from Russian ground forces to transition to a long-term, defensive posture on most areas of the front line in Ukraine. This is likely due to a more realistic assessment that the severely undermanned, poorly trained force in Ukraine is currently only capable of defensive operations," the ministry said.

It added that even if Russia succeeds in consolidating long-term defensive lines in Ukraine, its operational design will remain vulnerable.

"To regain the initiative, it will need to regenerate higher quality, mobile forces which are capable of dynamically countering Ukrainian breakthroughs and conducting their own large-scale offensive operations," the ministry said.

British intelligence earlier said Russia was unlikely to be able to form combat-ready units in Belarus.
Between September 17 and October 23, more than 3,700 people, including 614 children, were evacuated from the territories where active hostilities are ongoing.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Presidents Office, said this at a briefing, Ukrinform reports.

"As of now, evacuation is underway from territories where active hostilities are taking place. Over the past month, 3,719 people, including 614 children, 216 persons with disabilities, were evacuated," he said.

The deputy head of the Presidents Office urged residents in dangerous regions do not delay evacuation. He emphasized that Russian terrorists are doing everything possible so that Ukrainians remain without electricity, gas and water supply this winter. In the areas where active hostilities are ongoing, the probability that this can happen is much higher than in relatively calm areas.

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YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a meeting with Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock.

The Police Chief of Armenia Vahe Ghazaryan also participated in the meeting, the Prime Ministers Office said in a press release.

PM Pashinyan welcomed Secretary General Jurgen Stocks visit to Armenia and attached importance to the continuous development and expansion of cooperation between the Armenian police and Interpol.

PM Pashinyan expressed conviction that the discussions during the visit will convey new momentum to the partnership of over three decades and will further increase the effectiveness of joint work in fighting crime.

Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock highly appreciated the level of cooperation with the Armenian police and spoke about upcoming joint programs and the partnership agenda.
Now Russia is trying to make the Kherson region literally an exclusion zone. The world must react to this. Ukraines Foreign Affairs Ministry and all representatives are informing international organizations and partners about the new escalating step of Russian occupiers.

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:

Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

Ive just finished speaking with the students and educational staff of Yale University, one of the leading universities in the US and the world. Its graduates have a significant influence on decision-making - political, business, at the level of public and international organizations.

It is with appeals like this to representatives of Yale University that we expand the circle of those who understand what is happening in Ukraine and help us protect freedom.

I will continue this work next week. We will continue to expand our capabilities, in particular through informal diplomacy - through the public in partner countries, through the student community, through professional and business communities.

I held talks today with Giorgia Meloni, head of the Italian government. I congratulated Mrs. Prime Minister on her appointment, and discussed opportunities for strengthening our cooperation in various areas, including security, economy, diplomacy, and in particular, the integration of our country into European and Euro-Atlantic structures.

I held several meetings with the military regarding the current situation on the frontline, our active actions.

Today the enemy reports about the alleged completion of their mobilization... About the alleged needlessness of new waves of sending Russian citizens to the front.

We feel completely different on the frontline. Although Russia is trying to increase the pressure on our positions by using mobilized people, they are so poorly prepared and equipped, so ruthlessly used by the command that it allows us to suggest that Russia may soon need a new wave of sending people to war. We are preparing for this - we are preparing for the fact that the current Russian leadership will look for any new opportunities to continue the war. In particular thanks to its accomplices in Iran.

That is why we are working with our partners every day to strengthen our air defense, our other defense capabilities. Every day we strengthen the protection of our critical infrastructure, primarily energy.

As of this time, many cities and regions of our country use stabilization blackout schedules - about 4 million Ukrainians face restrictions now. Kyiv and the region, Zhytomyr region, Poltava region, Rivne region, Kharkiv region, Chernihiv region, Sumy region, Cherkasy region, Kirovohrad region. Emergency blackouts are also possible in other regions. We are doing everything so that the state has the opportunity to reduce such blackouts.

The occupiers added another challenge - in the occupied territory. Virtually, they are dismantling the entire healthcare system there. The occupiers have decided to close medical institutions in the cities, take away equipment, ambulances - just everything... They put pressure on the doctors who still remained in the occupied areas for them to move to the territory of Russia.

First of all, this concerns the Kherson region. Russia is turning the Kherson region into a zone without civilization, without elementary things available in most countries of the world. Before the arrival of Russia, this region, like all other regions of Ukraine, was completely normal and safe, all social services for people were guaranteed there... Life was guaranteed there.

And now Russia is trying to make the Kherson region literally an exclusion zone. The world must react to this. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all our representatives inform international organizations and partners about this new escalating step of the occupiers.

And I want to appeal now to all our people in these occupied cities and districts: please do everything to help each other - despite any actions of the occupiers. The Ukrainian flag will return. We will return normal life. But you need to endure this time. The time when even formally the occupiers confirm that they cannot stay on the territory of Ukraine, and therefore they already try to steal medical equipment and enslave medical personnel.

I thank the United States of America - another package of military aid to Ukraine was announced today. Its volume is 275 million dollars. Much needed items for our defenders that allow us to liberate our territory step by step. It's not just what helps us advance on the battlefield, it's what enables us to guarantee people their fundamental right to life.

Today I want to thank Canada - our long-standing and sincere partners. For an unprecedented act regarding the issue of Canada's sovereign bonds, all funds from the placement of which will be directed to help Ukraine. The amount is half a billion dollars. And these bonds will be available for investment not only in Canada, but also around the world. This is an extremely powerful example for all our partners.

Canada is the first country to offer such a support tool. Thank you, Justin, Mr. Prime Minister! Thank you, Chrystia Freeland, a true friend of Ukraine!

Glory to all who help Ukraine fight for freedom!

Glory to all our heroes!

Glory to Ukraine!
LLC Gas Supply Company Naftogaz Trading will start purchasing gas for the autumn-winter period within the framework of a special budget program worth UAH 12.7 billion.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said this at a government meeting on October 28, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

As to the heating season, UAH 12.7 billion is envisaged in the budget program for the purchase of gas for this winter. Today we will approve that the company Naftogaz Trading will purchase gas within this budget program," Shmyhal said.

He noted that more than 14 billion cubic meters of natural gas, which have already been pumped into storage facilities, would be enough for a stable heating season under normal conditions.

"Unfortunately, there will unusual conditions this winter. Therefore it is necessary to have additional resources and reserves," Shmyhal stressed.

As reported, Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, Oleksiy Chernyshov, said that Ukraine would be able to accumulate 15 billion cubic meters of natural gas by mid-November, which should be enough for the autumn-winter period.

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Morally and politically, Russia has already lost the war against Ukraine, the European Union said this in a statement at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council.

We reject Russias transparently false allegations that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory, attempting to create a pretext for further escalation, reads the statement.

It is noted that on the contrary, it is clear from reports in recent weeks that Russia is continuing to use massive and indiscriminate missile and drone attacks targeting civilians as well as civilian objects and infrastructure across Ukraine, including critical energy infrastructure.

Yet, despite the mounting evidence, we hear the blatant lie from the Russian Federation that it is only targeting military objects. In reality, the more the Russian army is being pushed back and defeated on the battlefield, the more it seems to be targeting civilian objects in an attempt to terrorise Ukrainian society and weaken its resolve. The EU continues to condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms, the statement says.

At the same time, it is stressed that the killing of civilians and the systematic shelling of critical infrastructure; cutting off civilians from basic services such as water, electricity and heating as winter approaches is a gross violation of international law.

The EU remains unwavering in its support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and demands that Russia immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraws all of its troops and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, including the illegally annexed Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the statement says.

Morally and politically, Russia has already lost this war. And increasingly, it is losing on the battlefield as well. Ukraine will prevail and we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, the statement says.

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Czech ministers during their visit to Kyiv on Monday, October 31, will discuss the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine and issues related to Ukrainian refugees staying in the Czech Republic.

This is reported by Ukrinform with reference to Radio Prague International.

As noted, in connection with the ongoing Russian military invasion of Ukraine, the joint meeting of the two cabinets is set to see strict security measures. So far, the administration of the Czech government has not made public the exact composition of the delegation, which is expected to include six ministers. Details about logistics and the exact time of departure of the ministers from the Czech Republic will not be disclosed.

Read also: Czech Republic calls for creation of international tribunal for Russian crimes in Ukraine

About a third of Petr Fialas government will head off to Kyiv. According to the prime minister's earlier statements, the composition of the delegation, among other things, depended on the requests of the Ukrainian side on the subject of negotiations. According to the Blesk newspaper, the delegation is likely to include Minister of Internal Affairs Vit Rakusan, Minister of Finance Zbynek Stanjura, Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavsky, and Minister of Defense Yana Chernokhova.

In a similar format, the Czech government regularly conducts negotiations with partners from Poland, Slovakia, and Israel.

"We will continue the consultations we held with the Prime Minister during our visits to Kyiv. At the meeting, we will discuss the participation of Czech non-governmental organizations and companies in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, as well as support for its integration into the EU," Jan Lipavsky said earlier.

A week ago, Zbynek Stanjura said that in addition to helping Kyiv, the possible arrival of more Ukrainian refugees to the Czech Republic will be on the agenda of the upcoming talks.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Czech Republic has exported almost $2 billion worth of military equipment to Ukraine.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, demanded in a call with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian that Iran immediately stop supplying Russia with weapons, which are being used to kill civilians and destroy critical infrastructure.

The head of Ukrainian diplomacy reported the news on Twitter, according to Ukrinform.

Today, I received a call from Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, during which I demanded Iran to immediately cease the flow of weapons to Russia used to kill civilians and destroy critical infrastructure in Ukraine, Kuleba tweeted.

As reported earlier, Deputy Ambassador of Ukraine to the UN Khrystyna Hayovyshyn told a meeting of the Security Council that the investigation into the supply of Iranian drones to Russia must be launched immediately.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have shot down more than 300 Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drones since September 13.

Russia employs swarms of these one-way attack drones to attack Ukraines critical energy infrastructure, causing significant damage, which has already resulted in rolling blackouts across multiple regions.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine hopes for fruitful cooperation with the new Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni.

Zelensky wrote about this on Telegram, as reported by Ukrinform.

"During the call with Giorgia Meloni, I congratulated her on the appointment as Prime Minister of Italy. I am hopeful for further fruitful cooperation. We talked about the integration of Ukraine into the EU and NATO, as well as the current situation in our country," the president wrote.

Zelensky also invited the newly-appointed head of the Italian government to visit Ukraine.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the leader of the Brothers of Italy party, Giorgia Meloni, 45, officially took the oath of the head of the Italian government on Saturday, October 22, becoming the first female prime minister in the country's history.

The head of the Italian government during her first address to parliament on Tuesday, October 25, said Italy would not give in to Russias energy blackmail, vowing continued support for Ukraine.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Great Britain is already working with the UK Government on the visit of the newly-appointed Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, to Ukraine.

Ambassador Vadym Prystaiko announced this on the air of the national telethon, Ukrinform reports.

"He found time to immediately call President Zelensky. I know that it was a very good call, during which, in particular, it was agreed that Rishi Sunak would pay a visit to Ukraine. When will this happen specifically? We are already working on this with our colleagues from the British government," the diplomat said.

Read also: Zelensky congratulates Sunak on taking office as British PM

As reported, on October 24, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, was elected new leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of Great Britain. On October 25, he held talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.

Photo: Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street
Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva has had a phone call with Christian Danielsson, Minister for EU Affairs of the recently elected Government of the Kingdom of Sweden, headed by Ulf Kristersson.

The relevant statement was made by the Office of the President of Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The parties exchanged views on the situation with Russias armed aggression against Ukraine and agreed on the need to increase international pressure on the aggressor country and make every effort to preserve European unity on the issues related to the international isolation of the Russian Federation, increased sanctions pressure, and the achievement of full independence from Russian energy resources.

Zhovkva noted Swedens strong political and practical support for Ukraine in defending independence, as well as readiness to actively participate in Ukraines post-war reconstruction.

The main focus was on Ukraines accession to the European Union and the priorities of Swedens Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2023. The parties coordinated their positions on achieving Ukraines progress on the European integration path and agreed to deepen the dialogue in this regard.

Swedens Presidency of the Council of the EU should be marked by the start of negotiations on Ukraines accession to the European Union and serve as a driving force for continued and comprehensive support for Ukraine by the European community, Zhovkva stressed.

The parties agreed on the need for Ukraines further integration into the EU internal market and the implementation of necessary reforms. Swedens experience in this regard is especially valuable for Ukraine.

We expect that we will be able to use Swedens practical experience of joining the European Union to achieve further progress on the European integration path, Zhovkva added.

A reminder that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg noted Swedens significant contribution to Euro-Atlantic security, welcomed its fast accession to NATO and thanked for the aid provided by Sweden to help Ukraine fight against the Russian armed aggression.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

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In Latvijas Kara muzejs (Latvian Military Museum), a presentation was held of the two books exploring arious aspects and consequences of the Soviet occupation, drawing analogies with the ongoing war of aggression Russia is waging on Ukraine.

This was reported by an Ukrinform correspondent.

Both books were published in the Russian language in order to show the Russian-speaking audience data and analytics that could be controversial to them although important in the current conditions,

The book entitled "Crimes of the Soviet Occupation Army in Latvia. 1940-1991." authored by an acclaimed archivist and historian Janis Riekstins (he was also one of the authors of the book "Ukrainas vesture / History of Ukraine", published earlier this year, where one of the chapter is dedicated to the Holodomor). Riekstins reviewed material dating back to the occupation period, written in Russian, selecting 72 pieces for the book. As the author himself and other participants of the presentation noted, individual documents that list the facts of robberies, looting, and violence are very similar to what is currently happening in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The author separately noted that while working on the publication, he tried to get access to SMERSH (Soviet military counterintelligence) archives, but it turned out to be impossible. All of them are stored in Russia, remaining classified (Russian historians have access to them either).

A presentation of books about the Soviet occupation took place in the Latvian Military Museum / Photo: Oleg Kudrin, Ukrinform

Another book, entitled "Industry of Latvia before and after the restoration of independence," is a collection of reports from the conference bearing the same name, held earlier in Riga. The information was summarized and elaborated by Ruta Pazdere, the head of the board of the Latvian Society for the Study of the Occupation. During her report at the presentation, she told that in 1920-1930, Latvia was among the 12 leading European nations in terms of industrial development.

The publisher of both books is the Ministry of Justice of Latvia. The head of the Ministry of Justice, Janis Bordans, also attended the event. Addressing the participants, he drew a direct parallel between the Soviet occupation of the 20th century and the aggressive wars waged by Russia in the 21st century against Georgia and Ukraine, including the capture of territories.

The presentation was attended by experts, scholars, and general public, in particular the Ukrainian diaspora. Both books are available for free.
A family that lost their home to the floods transports what remains of their house by dugout canoe in the Far North of Cameroon.  UNHCR/Moise Amedje Peladai

GENEVA - UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is warning of surging needs for more than 3.4 million displaced people and their hosts in the face of recent destructive flooding in Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Cameroon.

Nigeria is facing the worst floods in a decade. Hundreds of lives have been lost, over 1.3 million people have been displaced, and more than 2.8 million have been impacted, according to UN estimates, as farmlands and infrastructure have been submerged.

Floodwaters in northeast Nigeria have swept through sites for internally displaced people and host community villages in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States, forcing people to higher ground.

UNHCR and partners have been providing shelter and essential aid to thousands of families, including 14,900 tarpaulin sheets and 550 kits with basic household items. In Taraba State, heavy rain has cut off affected communities in Baissa town from humanitarian assistance.

Chads Government has declared a state of emergency after floods affected more than 1 million people. In the south, heavy rains have caused the Chari and Logone rivers to burst their banks, submerging fields, killing livestock, and forcing more than 90,000 people to flee their homes and seek refuge in N'Djamena. In Cameroon, more than 63,000 people were affected by the flooding from the two rivers in the districts of Kousseri, Zina, Makari, Blangoua and Logone Birni.

UNHCR, local authorities, and other partners are rushing to provide humanitarian assistance in N'Djamena and have identified two sites to shelter disaster survivors.

In the countries of the Central Sahel  Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso  above-average rains and flooding have killed hundreds, displaced thousands, and decimated over one million hectares of cropland.

Some 379,500 internally displaced people live in Burkina Faso's flood-affected areas  in the Sahel, Central North and Northern regions. Over 32,000 people have been affected by flooding in the Diffa region of Niger, and more than 13,000 have been displaced. This year, more than 41,000 people have been affected by flooding throughout Mali, compared to 10,511 in 2021.

The climate crisis is happening now  destroying livelihoods, disrupting food security, aggravating conflicts over scarce resources and driving displacement. The link between climate shocks and displacement is clear and growing. Worsening climate shocks in the Sahel in particular have fueled drought and flooding, lowered crop yields and contributed to a general deterioration in public services for one of the world's worst displacement crises. Temperatures in the Sahel are rising 1.5 times faster than the global average. This is exacerbating underlying challenges States face to manage rapidly growing populations, a reversal of development gains and encroachment by non-state armed actors.

Beyond the Sahel, we are witnessing the worst drought in 40 years and the threat of famine in the Horn of Africa, a devastating cyclone season in Mozambique and historic floods for a fourth consecutive year in South Sudan and Sudan. Extreme weather across the African continent in 2022 has killed hundreds and forced millions to flee their homes.

Countries and communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis need urgent support and financing to build defenses, to adapt, and to minimize the most harmful consequences.

Meantime, humanitarian operations in West and Central Africa are dangerously and chronically underfunded. In Chad, only 43 per cent of the funds UNHCR needs in 2022 have been received. Our 2022 operations in Burkina Faso are just 42 per cent funded. With less than two months left, we have received 39 per cent of the funds needed in Nigeria and 53 percent in Niger.

UNHCR is appealing to all donors for urgent support to our life-saving work in West and Central Africa.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. At a press briefing following the plenary session of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, the Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan said that he has introduced his colleagues on the current situation in South Caucasus, presenting in particularly episodes relating to the latest Azerbaijani aggression against Armenias sovereign territory, the Parliaments press service said.

Alen Simonyan said that the military aggression of Azerbaijan on September 13, 2022 has been carried out in the sovereign territory of Armenia and has violated the internationally recognized borders of Armenia.

We think that the use of force or threat of force distorts the ongoing processes in the region aimed at establishing peace and security in South Caucasus. The political assessment of the situation, which will be presented by our partners, is also important for Armenia, the Speaker said.

He stated that the Parliament of Armenia is attaching importance to the cooperation within interparlimentary organizations. The Armenian MPs are represented in all ten standing committees of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly.

Alen Simonyan assured that the Armenian delegation will continue actively participating in the CIS IPA joint work in the future as well aimed at modernizing the legislation, cooperating in humanitarian and cultural spheres.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin says the only possible way to peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is the strict observance of all the provisions of the joint statements signed by the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

As you know, traditionally Russia has always paid attention to the stability on that direction and has supported our Armenian friends from the early times in ensuring the security of the Armenian people, Putin said during the online special session of the CSTO Collective Security Council. As for the Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization, we today do everything possible to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the relations between Yerevan and Baku. All know that not so long ago both Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as Russia, we all were part of one state. We have a huge number of connections with Yerevan and Baku, and not taking into account this is just impossible, the Russian leader added.

He stated that the situation is quite difficult now, but emphasized that they cannot remain aloof from the problems and contradictions existing between the countries close to Russia and they are ready to always contribute to their peaceful resolution.

Undoubtedly, the only possible and real way to peace can be the strict observance of all the provisions of the well-known joint statements of the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Putin said.

He stated that it is possible to achieve a stable normalization of the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan thanks to the consistent implementation of the agreements on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border delimitation, unblocking of regional communications and solving the humanitarian problems. Putin said he has discussed this issue with the Armenian Prime Minister for many times and understood that the Armenian partners fully agree with this.

The problem is how to find that solutions, its not easy, but they could be found only in this way. In the future it will allow to reach a peace treaty, Vladimir Putin said.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMEENPRESS. Lawmakers from the Renaissance group of the National Assembly of France are planning to adopt a resolution which envisages certain sanctions against Azerbaijan, will condemn the Azeri aggression against Armenia and will call upon Azerbaijan to return occupied Armenian territories and return to negotiations, French lawmakers visiting Armenia told their counterparts at a meeting in Yerevan, the Armenian parliaments press service reported.

French legislators Guillaume Kasbarian, Anne-Laurence Petel, Luc Lamirault, Mohamed Laquila and Sarah Tanzilli informed about the initiative during a meeting with representatives of the Armenian Parliaments Armenia-France Friendship Group.

The Renaissance group - previously known as La Republique En Marche group - is a parliamentary group in the National Assembly of France including representatives of La Republique En Marche!  the political party of President Emmanuel Macron which is now known as Renaissance (RE) party.
Lochgilphead Front Green The Front Green is Lochgilpheads core public space, a key part of the original composition of the eighteenth-century planned settlement, forming a green waterfront edge at the head of Loch Gilp. Argyll Street, the main spine of the planned settlement, offers a framed view south down Loch Gilp across the Front Green, with the war memorial as a visual focus. Historically the Front Green was the hub of community activity, hosting markets and civic events. However, with rising sea levels, it was subject to regular coastal flooding, and had become increasingly boggy and unusable.

Consequently, over time activity was displaced to more peripheral locations around the town. Erz were appointed by Argyll and Bute Council in late 2018 to lead the project to regenerate the Front Green. A carefully structured process of community engagement took place through 2019 to inform the detailed brief and design of the space. This was focused around a series of well attended consultation events on the Front Green. Alongside dialogue with the community, the technical design response to coastal flooding was explored. The level of the Front Green has been raised, informed by projections for changes to sea level and with consideration to wider flooding and drainage impacts. The raised and redesigned Front Green basically sits above a large storage tank to hold water in storm and flood events, which is released back to Loch Gilp when sea levels drop.

The project experienced an extended programme through tender and construction stages, as a result of the pandemic, with completion in summer 2022. The regenerated Front Green incorporates a new play area, a large flexible open grass space, a new active travel route and re-establishes the avenue of trees along the A83 / Poltalloch Street edge. Large landmark signage announces Lochgilphead along the A83 to encourage visitors to stop, thereby increasing footfall and supporting local business. One of the major design moves has been the creation of a new public square on the axis of Argyll Street, that responds to the 18 th Century urban design. The public square creates a new setting for the war memorial and a unique civic space with a remarkable view down Loch Gilp.

The square is intended to re-establish the Front Green as the focus of civic life and incorporates infrastructure to facilitate markets and events. The square is defined to one edge by a linear steel and timber screen structure, that helps to generate human scale, provides local wind shelter and also helps embed the existing toilet block. The square is surfaced with locally quarried Greenstone, which is unique to the area and evident in historic landmark buildings in Lochgilphead and Inverary. This material combined with whin stone is used in various formats to introduce subtle variation in the ground plane, responding to offset relationships in the broad Argyll Street axis.

The colour of the Greenstone square has a delightful complementary relationship to the changing colours of the water and sky of Loch Gilp. The area around the war memorial had become a focus for a range of historic and cultural markers including: an historic stone fountain, memorial benches, information panels, the flagpole and the towns Christmas tree. This cluttered arrangement has been addressed through the design, giving each of these valued items its own space and new setting. The flagpole defines a corner of the square, the Christmas tree will sit within the square, the fountain has been set within a grid of trees and a new bespoke map board and community information panel are incorporated into the linear screen. The detailed design of the Front Green is focused on simple, clean lines and edges.

The raised level to reduce flood risk to the Front Green generates a new constructed edge to the waterfront. Levels have been carefully considered, to make the edge comfortably sittable and to avoid any physical barrier, creating a simple foreground and infinity edge to views down Loch Gilp. Since the opening of the Front Green it has been heavily used and early signs are that the project will succeed in returning the space to its role as the hub of public life in Lochgilphead.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. On October 28, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Paruyr Hovhannisyan received the delegation of deputies of the French National Assembly, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

Welcoming the visit of the delegation of French MPs to Armenia, the Deputy FM thanked for their exceptional solidarity with Armenia and the Armenian people, as well as for their continuous and active pro-Armenian activities.

Paruyr Hovhannisyan emphasized the contribution of the French deputies in strengthening the unique Armenian-French relations.

The parties also discussed issues related to the expansion of the Armenian-French bilateral agenda, including economic, parliamentary and decentralized cooperation.

During the meeting, regional security and peace issues were touched upon. The Deputy Minister presented to the French MPs the situation created as a result of the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan on the sovereign territory of Armenia, highly appreciating the addressed assessments and firm position of the French side.
October 28 2022

A notorious eyesore in Glasgow city centre has been lined up for a much-needed facelift by Unite Students as part of fire safety requirements.

The Blackfriars student housing complex on High Street will be recladded to remove combustible insulation, delivering an 'aesthetic improvement' to the area in the process. Works will see non-compliant external wall substrates removed and replaced by new external cladding to sit more harmoniously alongside the Collegelands development.

In a design statement, LMA Architects wrote: "The existing building consists of a feature curved tower element in stone to the main road. Beyond that, it is made up of effectively a single mass, material and fenestration pattern on a low plinth, and overall appears very cellular and expansive.

"There is very little articulation or rhythm in the elevations, and the overclad, essential for safety purposes and current standards, presents an opportunity to improve the facade appearance, not only in material but with an overall considered design approach, similar to many such buildings around Glasgow."

Intended to minimise the cell block appearance plain terracotta panels will break up the body of the facade with anthracite vertical elements, establishing a clear top, middle and bottom to alleviate the monotony. The upper floors will be finished in aluminium.
(@FahadShabbir)

LONDON, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Oct, 2022 ) :British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will not attend next month's COP27 climate summit in Egypt, his office said Thursday.

Sunak will not take part in the summit due to "other pressing domestic commitments," said a spokesperson for 10 Downing Street.

The spokesperson said the autumn budget was among Sunak's top priorities but the government remained committed to its climate policies.

The UK will be represented by Alok Sharma, the president for COP26, and other secretaries.

Sunak's decision was an "embarrassing reflection" of the government's failure to deliver on its COP26 commitments, Ed Miliband, the Labor party's shadow secretary of state for climate change, told the BBC.

COP27 will take place this year in Sharm el-Sheikh from Nov. 6-18.
Regional chief, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for South Asia, George Laryea-Adjei after visiting flood-affected areas in Pakistan on Friday said climate devastation in Pakistan was the ominous precursor of catastrophes to come

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Oct, 2022 ) :Regional chief, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for South Asia, George Laryea-Adjei after visiting flood-affected areas in Pakistan on Friday said climate devastation in Pakistan was the ominous precursor of catastrophes to come.

"As the catastrophic climate disaster continues to upend the lives of millions of children in Pakistan, it is the most vulnerable boys and girls who are paying the steepest price.

"The children I have met here have lost everything: loved ones, cherished schoolbooks, the only homes they ever knew, their schools, their sense of security," the UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia in a news release said.

"As the flood waters and the media attention recede, the crisis in Pakistan has become an acute child survival crisis. Frail, hungry children are fighting a losing battle against severe acute malnutrition, diarrhoea, malaria, dengue fever, typhoid, acute respiratory infections, and painful skin conditions. As well as physical ailments, the longer the crisis continues, the greater the risk to children's mental health.

"Nearly 10 million children need immediate, lifesaving support. Hundreds have already lost their lives. Over 1 in 9 children here suffer from severe acute malnutrition a life-threatening condition. Panic-stricken parents are searching for food to bring even a simple meal home to their children.

"In a camp in Sohbatpur, Balochistan, I met Farida, who had fled her beloved home with her five children when the floods struck. She was worried sick about her one-year-old daughter, Rasheeda, who was visibly frail and weakened by acute malnutrition.

"Their story is one among millions. As winter looms, boys and girls crammed inside flimsy tents, when they are lucky enough to have one, will continue to succumb to diseases which in normal times are preventable and treatable.

"The boys and girls of Pakistan desperately need our support to survive. And yet the international appeal for Pakistan remains severely underfunded. Hundreds more children will lose their lives in the coming weeks if international support does not come in to scale up interventions. But this story of climate devastation is not only the story of Pakistan.

"In 2022 alone, climate-induced floods have ravaged Pakistan, Bangladesh, northern India and Afghanistan, leaving over 15 million boys and girls in need of assistance.

"Extreme heatwaves have scorched the crowded cities of the region, with temperatures climbing up to 48 degrees.

Glaciers have continued to melt in Pakistan and Bhutan, while landslides in Nepal have swept away children's homes and rising sea levels continue to threaten the very existence of Maldives.

"Children have played no part in creating the climate catastrophe in South Asia, yet they are the ones paying the biggest price. This climate catastrophe is threatening the health, wellbeing, and the very survival of over 616 million boys and girls who call this region their home.

"Governments must urgently protect the critical water, sanitation and hygiene, health and education services on which boys and girls so direly depend. They must also urgently make sure every boy and girl has the skills and knowledge they need to survive and thrive in a climate-changed world.

"But first and foremost, global leaders must urgently limit global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This is the only way to save children's lives.

"Without urgent global action, the climate devastation we have seen in Pakistan will, I fear, only be a precursor of many more child survival catastrophes to come."
(@FahadShabbir)

Pakistan People's Party Central Punjab Secretary General and Parliamentary Leader in the Punjab Assembly Syed Hassan Murtaza has said that Imran Khan is attempting to create unrest and chaos in the country in the name of a long march

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Oct, 2022 ) :Pakistan People's Party Central Punjab Secretary General and Parliamentary Leader in the Punjab Assembly Syed Hassan Murtaza has said that Imran Khan is attempting to create unrest and chaos in the country in the name of a long march.

In a statement issued here on Friday, he said the PTI chairman wanted exemption from the constitution and law by launching his 'Haqiqi Azadi' (real independence) march.

He said the PTI leadership itself confirmed at a press conference what was said by the military leadership on Thursday.

Murtaza said that Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry and Shah Mehmood Qureshi accepted the realities, stated by the military leadership in their presser.
Imran Khan, Pakistan's former Prime Minister and chairman of Tehreek-e-Insaf party, is leading a march of his supporters toward the country's capital of Islamabad to demand a snap parliamentary election, media reported Friday

NEW DELHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th October, 2022) Imran Khan, Pakistan's former Prime Minister and chairman of Tehreek-e-Insaf party, is leading a march of his supporters toward the country's capital of Islamabad to demand a snap parliamentary election, media reported Friday.

The protest march kicked off in the eastern city of Lahore on Friday and is expected to reach Islamabad on November 4 after passing through a number of major cities, according to Pakistani broadcaster Geo TV.

"Its (the march's) only aim is to free my nation and turn Pakistan into a free country... The time has come to start the journey for real freedom," Khan was quoted as saying by Geo tv during the march.

Khan was ousted in mid-April amid a spiraling economic crisis after the parliament held a vote of no-confidence in his government. Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmakers boycotted the vote.

Since then, numerous protests have been held in Pakistan calling for a snap election amid public discontent with the economic situation in the country under the government headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who replaced Khan. Khan himself has insisted that his ousting was orchestrated by foreign powers.

The Election Commission of Pakistan said that new election will not be held until May 2023.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Oct, 2022 ) :Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday expressed gratitude to the United States for additional $30 million flood relief assistance for the flood-affected people of Pakistan.

"Grateful to U.S. govt for the announcement of an additional $30 million in humanitarian assistance for flood victims," he said in a tweet.He mentioned that with the onset of winter, the challenges of food, health and shelter still persisted.

Shehbaz Sharif urged the international community to show urgency in contributing to the UN flash appeal on relief assistance for the flood-struck people of Pakistan."World should promptly contribute to UN aid appeal to mitigate the impact of tragedy," he said.U.S. Ambassador Donald Blome on Thursday announced an additional $30 million in humanitarian assistance to support flood-affected populations in Pakistan.

This new funding brings the United States' total assistance to Pakistan for flood response, food security, and disaster preparedness and capacity-building efforts to $97 million this year. The new funding, according to a press statement by the U.S. embassy, will expand efforts to address immediate needs, scaling up assistance to the most affected communities and enabling USAID to reach more than 4 million people. With the additional funding, the U.S. government, through USAID, will provide life-saving food, nutrition, and health assistance to mitigate increased food insecurity and malnutrition resulting from the impact of the floods, as well as curb the rise of diseases resulting from stagnant flood waters.

The new funding will also provide shelter supplies to help families rebuild as well as winterization kits to help families prepare as cold weather approaches.
Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) has established Qamar-uz-Zaman Incubation Center (QIC) to facilitate the fresh graduates and entrepreneurs with brilliant business ideas

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Oct, 2022 ) :Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) has established Qamar-uz-Zaman Incubation Center (QIC) to facilitate the fresh graduates and entrepreneurs with brilliant business ideas.

The center was inaugurated by the Vice Chancellor (VC) PMAS-AAUR, Prof. Dr. Qamar-uz-Zaman.

This center has the capacity to support 10 groups of entrepreneurs with exciting business ideas and they would be trained to establish new businesses.

On the occasion, the representatives of Punjab Information Technology (IT) board were also present who would be the collaborators of PMAS-AAUR to run this incubation center.

In this center, the incubators working on different business ideas would not only be provided financial support, but they would also benefit from the supervision and guidance of different experts from industry and academia in their respective working areas.

Prof. Dr. Qamar-uz-Zaman on the occasion appreciated efforts of Prof. Dr. Yaser Hafeez Director, University Institute of Management Sciences (UIMS), Dr. Irfan Assistant Director UIMS, and the whole team for their tiring efforts in establishment of this center.

He highlighted the need of the academia industry partnership and emphasized that such centers and applied research work in collaboration with the industry partners is the key to success in today's world.

He said that such centers were need of the time to promote new businesses.

These centers could attract the young graduates to transform their business ideas into successful business, he added.
(@Abdulla99267510)

Ambassador Blome made the announcement during a visit in the Shikarpur district of Sindh.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Oct 28th, 2022) US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome has announced an additional 30 million Dollars in humanitarian assistance to support flood-affected populations.

According to a statement issued by the U.S.

Embassy in Islamabad, Ambassador Blome made the announcement during a visit in the Shikarpur district of Sindh.

The Ambassador also travelled to Makhno village where the flood-affected community is living in emergency shelter kits.

This new funding brings the United States total assistance to Pakistan for flood response, food security and disaster preparedness to 97 million dollars.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th October, 2022) Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov discussed on Friday with Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali the issue of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"An exchange of views took place on the current state of affairs regarding the JCPOA on the Iranian nuclear program, as well as on a number of other relevant international topics of mutual interest," the ministry said in a statement.
(@FahadShabbir)

Former Swedish defense minister and current chairman of the parliament's defense committee, Peter Hultqvist, proposed on Friday that the three Nordic countries integrate their armies into a unified force amid tensions with Russia

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th October, 2022) Former Swedish defense minister and current chairman of the parliament's defense committee, Peter Hultqvist, proposed on Friday that the three Nordic countries integrate their armies into a unified force amid tensions with Russia.

"Russia will remain a problem for all of Europe and the Western world for a long time," Hultqvist told Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter. "It has become a very important task to organize the armies of Finland, Sweden and Norway on the Scandinavian Peninsula in such a way that in practice they act as one army."

Hultqvist added that Finland, Sweden and Norway could take collective responsibility for protecting each other's borders.

In particular, he proposes sending the Swedish military to the Finnish border with Russia.

According to the Swedish lawmaker, even after the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, tensions with Russia will not disappear.

On May 18, three months after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine, Finland and Sweden submitted their NATO membership applications, abandoning decades of neutrality. Their accession protocols have been ratified by all NATO members except Hungary and Turkey.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The Collective Security Treaty Organization issued a statement regarding the results of the extraordinary session of the CSTO Collective Security Council, which was chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. ARMENPRESS reports, the statement notes that during the session CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas presented information about the work of the mission of the Organization sent to the Republic of Armenia by the September 15 decision of the CSTO Collective Security Council, related to the escalation of the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, where on the night of September 13, 2022, clashes with the use of heavy weapons and drones took place, resulting in many casualties.

"The members of the Collective Security Council, reaffirming the Organization's commitment to strengthening peace, international and regional security and stability, collectively protecting the independence and territorial integrity and sovereignty of the CSTO member states, discussed the existing situation in the region and joint measures to provide assistance to the Republic of Armenia.

There was a clear belief that the existing contradictions and disputed issues should be settled by political-diplomatic means, including within the framework of the agreements outlined in the trilateral statements adopted by the Prime Minister of Armenia, the President of Russia and the President of Azerbaijan on November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021, reads the statement.

Based on the results of the session, the members of the CSTO Collective Security Council presented a number of recommendations regarding the revision of the relevant draft decisions.
MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th October, 2022) The accumulation of freight and passenger vehicles persists at the border points from Belarus to neighboring EU countries as the latter's border services have significantly reduced the daily quota of crossings, the Belarus State Border Committee said on Thursday.

"Polish checkpoints are still the busiest. The largest congestion of trucks on the way to the European Union is recorded at the Polish checkpoints Bobrowniki (Berestovica) and Kukuryki (Kozlovichi). Employees of these border crossings allowed only 28% of the daily norm of heavy trucks to cross the border. Border control services of Lithuanian and Latvian checkpoints (let pass) an average of 47% of trucks," the agency said.

At the same time, EU-bound passenger cars experienced delays only at the Polish checkpoints of Terespol (Brest) and Bobrowniki, as the Polish border service allowed in 46% and 12% of the average flow of cars respectively.

As of 07:00 GMT, 940 trucks were waiting to enter Poland, 1,060 to Lithuania, and 450 to Latvia.

In 2021, Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland reported an increase in the number of illegal migrants from the middle East and Africa detained after attempting to cross from Belarus. The EU countries accused Minsk of orchestrating and facilitating a migration crisis.

Belarus' border guards, in turn, reported that their counterparts in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland were forcibly pushing illegal migrants into Belarusian territory. The human rights organization Amnesty International accused the Lithuanian authorities of mistreating refugees from the Middle East and Africa.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the forming of a new government in Iraq and the inclusion of three women in ministerial positions, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Friday

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th October, 2022) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the forming of a new government in Iraq and the inclusion of three women in ministerial positions, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Friday.

"The Secretary-General welcomes the formation of a new government in Iraq, led by Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani. He takes note of the appointment of women to three of the 21 ministerial positions filled on 27 October," Dujarric said in a statement.

The UN Secretary-General hopes the remaining two cabinet positions will be filled swiftly, Dujarric added.

Iraq is governed by a law that stipulates a power sharing system whereby the cabinet posts are shared among the ethnic groups in the country.

Iraq held early elections in 2019 after anti-government protests erupted in the country. However, the forming of a new government was delayed for more than a year due to infighting among the rival groups.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th October, 2022) Russian President Vladimir Putin has allegedly not shown any interest in a dialogue with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, White House Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said on Thursday.

"Mr. Putin has shown, contrary to his rhetoric, absolutely no interest in dialogue with President Zelenskyy in this war. Quite the contrary, everything he's doing, shows that he wants to continue to prosecute this war," Kirby said during a press briefing.

Kirby underscored that the decision to start any negotiations with Russia on any potential peace agreement belongs to Zelenskyy.

Earlier on Thursday, Putin said at the Valdai International Discussion Club that Kiev publicly refused to implement the Minsk agreements with support from its Western "supervisors" and noted that the Ukraine conflict is in a way a "civil war."

On February 24, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk requested help to defend them from intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Ministry of Defense said the operation is solely targeting Ukraine's military infrastructure.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The delegation of Armenia, led by the Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Armenia Armen Grigoryan, will participate in the 10th meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Councils of the CIS member states on November 2-3, ARMENPRESS reports Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made the relevant decision on October 28.
A view of Manama, the capital of Bahrain (Vladimir Zhoga)

As Pope Francis prepares to depart for Bahrain on 3-6 November, the Director of the Holy See Press Office offers an overview of the Popes 39th Apostolic Journey abroad, which aims to strengthen interreligious dialogue and encourage local Catholics.

By Devin Watkins

Pope Francis returns to the Middle East on 3-6 November for the second time in a few short years for a visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

His 39th Apostolic Journey abroad brings him to his 58th country visited as Pope.

At a press conference at the Holy See Press Office on Friday, Matteo Bruni offered reporters an overview of the papal visit.

The Director of the Holy See Press Office pointed out that Pope Francis will be the first Pope to visit Bahrain.

Step along path of interfaith encounter

He said the papal visit will focus on the twin themes of encounter and "encouragement" for Catholics in the region.

Pope Francis will attend the closing ceremony of the first-ever Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence, which will see around 200 interfaith leaders gathered to promote fraternity.

As the Pope encounters religious leaders, his historic signing of the Document on Human Fraternity in 2019 in Abu Dhabi will form the background for continuing to improve interfaith relations.

The visit represents a precious step along the path of fraternity and interreligious dialogue, said Mr. Bruni.

Mr. Bruno noted that warboth in Europe and in various countrieswill form another backdrop to the Popes encounter with religious leaders.

The goal, he added, is to continue the search for allies in a common desire for peace in our world.

Pope Francis, noted Mr. Bruni, was invited to attend the Bahrain Forum and visit the Middle Eastern country by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Encouragement for Catholics in the region

Yet, the papal visit is not merely focused on interreligious dialogue.

As the shepherd of the Universal Church, Pope Francis travels to Bahrain to meet with the Catholic community, a majority of whom are foreign-born.

Of the roughly 80,000 Catholic faithful, around 1,000 Catholics are Bahraini citizens, making it one of the few Gulf states to have a local Christian population.

Most Catholics are expatriate workers hailing from India, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, as well as Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan.

Of the Popes seven public encounters on the 4-day visit, four are meetings with various sanctions of the local Catholic Church, including young people, clergy and religious, and Catholics from neighboring countries.

As Pope Francis visits Bahrain next week, local Catholics and leaders of other religions await his words of hope and encouragement on the path to peace in our world currently marred by conflict.
The final day of the Caritas conference on "The full face of humanity: women in leadership roles for a just humanity" features testimonies highlighting the harsh realities women face every day, while offering an attempt to forge solutions to a global problem.

By Francesca Merlo - Paris

The second day of the conference The Full Face of Humanity: Women in Leadership for a Just Society kicked off at the UNESCO Headquartes in Paris with a panel made up of people representing Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Witht these five women and men, talks began on this final day of conference, with as its aim to grasp some of the core issues discussed on Thursday which hold women and girls back, thus inhibiting their empowerment, and to discuss potential solutions to those issues.

Friday saw panel discussions on economic independence, health, nutrition and food security, but also on how to equip women with the necessary tools for leadership. Some panelists asked the question: "What are they keys to opportunity?"

Hunger and nutrition

The first to speak, via video message, was a nutritionist from Venezuela, Susana Raffalli.

Amongst the poignant statements she shared - such as women being 8 cm shorter than men when both face malnutrition - was her description of this conference as the voice of the hungriest women and girls on earth.

Tackling social and cutural norms

Marthe Wandou spoke next, as an advocate for women's rights and winner of the Right Livelihood Award. She stressed the importance of not only giving young girls a chance, but also of giving women a second chance.

Ms. Wandou discussed the reality in her geographical area, Cameroon, with the rise of Boko Haram, as well as other terror groups which bring violence, sexual violence, fear, displacement and death. Unfortunately, she noted, as in some other African countries, certain areas of Cameroon present strong cultural and traditional beliefs which hold back the fight for equality, as lack of education and discriminatory views of women impede their progress and keep them away from opportunities.

This point was picked up on shortly after by Dr. Marianna Zanette, an Italian gynecologist who has spent many years working in Sierra Leone, as well as other Western African countries.

Women facing health issues often do not know what to do or to whom to turn, she said. In rural villages, women cannot do much without the permission of their husbands. If they do get permission to go to a hospital, often they do not have the means to get there and once they do get there they face incompetent or slow treatment. Often, the easiest solution is to turn to a traditional healer, who, as Dr Zanette notes, lack medical training.

Christine Allen, Director of CAFOD, used the term systemic barriers to describe some of these issues. As a moderator, Philip Pullela from Reuters noted: "The only way to overcome these systemic barriers is with a systemic response."

Empathy and other lessons

As well as speaking of the reality in his region, the Middle East, Karam Abi Yazbeck, Regional Coordinator for Caritas MONA, spoke about having lost his father at a young age and so growing up with his mother and three sisters.

His mother became his first model of a leader, and she taught him unconditional love, and empathy. He noted that his mother and sisters taught him not only the skills necessary to live well, but also the behaviours and attitudes proper to a well-rounded adult and leader.

Solving one's own problems is not enough

Another touching testimony came from Mariam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, a witness and advocate for women's rights.

Ms. Ibrahim is a Sudanese Christian who was imprisoned for converting to Christianity. She was sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging and was imprisoned along with her 9 month-old son.

Whilst in prison she found out she was pregant with her daughter, and for this reason her execution was postponed. She gave birth in chains, and thanks to the international community she was freed and now lives in the Unites States with her family.

She told participants at the conference that she is often asked why she does not just sit back, relax and enjoy her life with her family, and she replied that whilst imprisoned she received the support that she knows all suffering women deserve, but that sadly that is not the case.
People in a Seoul railway station watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test. (AFP or licensors)

North Korea fired two missiles into the sea on Friday, coinciding with military exercises by United States and South Korean troops. Seoul urged Pyongyang to return to talks, which could take place without preconditions.

By Alastair Wanklyn - Tokyo

North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the sea on Friday, coinciding with the close of military exercises by United States and South Korean troops.

The missiles flew aout 230 kilometers, a range that could hit most major cities in South Korea.

The Souths military called it a grave provocation which undermines peace.

The United States military said the launches highlight a destabilizing impact of Pyongyangs nuclear weapons and missile programmes.

The U.S. military command on Thursday released a report which said if Pyongyang uses nuclear weapons against the U.S. or its allies, it will result in the end of that regime.

The foreign ministry in Seoul urged Pyongyang to return to talks. Earlier this week, Washington reiterated the offer of talks without preconditions.

Exercises involving U.S. and South Korean troops have been under way. North Korea typically frames those drills as preparations for invasion. A new round of exercises is scheduled next week, thisone involving around 240 warplanes.

Meanwhile, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Thursday monitors have been observing preparations for a nuclear test explosion by North Korea.

If that happens, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said, it would underscore an incredibly concerning rate of progress by Pyongyang on building nuclear weapons.

Senior diplomats from Seoul, Tokyo and Washington met in Tokyo on Wednesday. They announced plans to step up deterrence, but gave no details.
On the sidelines of a Caritas-sponsored conference on women in leadership, Cameroonian activist and NGO founder Marthe Wandou speaks about helping girls to be leaders, and the threat to womens rights posed by instability and violence.

By Joseph Tulloch and Francesca Merlo



Marthe Wandou is a Cameroonian activist and founder of the NGO ALDEPA, which works for the empowerment of girls and women, as well as the 2021 winner of the Right Livelihood Alternative Nobel Prize.

She spoke to Vatican News Francesca Merlo on the sidelines of a two-day conference on womens leadership in Paris, sponsored by Caritas Internationalis, UNESCO, and the Holy See, and discussed the importance of preparing girls for leadership, as well as the threat of gender-based violence in parts of Africa.

Girls as leaders

In her address to conference attendees, Ms. Wandou spoke of the importance of starting with young girls in order to reach women. She elaborated on this theme in her interview with Vatican News.

For us, it's very important to start with girls, she said, to make sure that tomorrow we have different women who can stand as a leader.

We train them on the leadership skills  What is the profile of a leader and how they can also take the position of a leader? So we have in the school, we put in place what we call the childrens government  We encourage girls to take positions like the Prime Minister or Minister of Defence  Women have never been put at that position in our country. So we want to show  that its possible and also to make girls understand that if a woman has confidence, she can also play the role.

The results of this programme, and other initiatives run by ALDEPA, are encouraging, she said.

Girls who are in this program, who are receiving the training, we see that firstly they have self-confidence. And secondly, they are not afraid to face people in their communities.

Threat of violence

Ms. Wandou also spoke of the threat posed to women in Cameroon by various conflicts in the region.

Women and children represent among 60% of the 70,000 Nigerian refugees in the far north of the country who are fleeing the terrorist group Boko Haram, she said, and about 70% of the 300,000 internally displaced Cameroonians fleeing separatist conflict.

These refugees, says Ms. Wandou, are very vulnerable, because they dont have anything. As a result, often girls are sold, because families who have many children think that by sending a girl to a marriage they can receive money to support the family needs.

A further issue is trauma. Boko Haram itself has impacted women's life in terms of rape, in terms of trauma, because many women saw their husband killed in front of them  Some women also have been raped by Boko Haram groups. So the situation is that we have many types of trauma in front of us.
Vietnams digital economy has seen significant growth over the last decade and is expected to be valued at US$57 billion by 2025. The countrys digital...
Tuberculosis case numbers increased from 2019 to 2021, reversing years of progress as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted access to treatment and testing, the World Health Organization said Thursday.

"For the first time in nearly two decades, WHO is reporting an increase in the number of people falling ill with TB and the drug-resistant tuberculosis, alongside an increase in TB related deaths," said Tereza Kasaeva, director of the U.N. health agency's global TB program.

A WHO report released Thursday stated that more than 10 million people got tuberculosis in 2021, a 4.5% increase from 2020. Roughly 450,000 cases involved individuals infected with the drug-resistant TB strain, a 3% increase from 2020 to 2021. Most of these cases were reported in India, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines.

The COVID-19 pandemic "continues to have a damaging impact on access to TB diagnosis and treatment," WHO said. COVID-19 restrictions, such as lockdowns and physical distancing, resulted in fewer people being diagnosed and getting the necessary treatment. With fewer people being diagnosed and treated for TB, more patients unknowingly spread the disease to others. As a result, more than a decade of progress was lost, said Dr. Mel Spigelman, president of the nonprofit TB Alliance.

Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that attack the lungs. The disease is mainly spread through the air and, after COVID-19, tuberculosis is the world's deadliest infectious disease. It primarily affects adults, particularly those who are malnourished or immunocompromised, in developing countries. More than 95% of cases are in developing countries.

The downturn of the global economy during the pandemic worsened the problem, as families faced unbearable costs due to their treatment, especially in developing countries.

Dr. Hannah Spencer, with Doctors Without Borders in South Africa, suggested lowering the prices of tuberculosis treatment to no more than $500 to help low-income patients. WHO also suggested that more countries should cover the cost of TB diagnosis and treatment.

"If the pandemic has taught us anything, it's that with solidarity, determination, innovation and the equitable use of tools, we can overcome severe health threats," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a news release Thursday. "Let's apply those lessons to tuberculosis. It is time to put a stop to this long-time killer."

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Amnesty International called on the United Nations Thursday to take decisive action on Iran, following the killings of at least eight protesters and mourners Wednesday and Thursday in at least four provinces.

The recent protests began in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody after being arrested for wearing her headscarf improperly.

The Iranian authorities reckless and unlawful use of firearms against protesters, including live ammunition, reveals yet again the tragically high cost of international inaction, Heba Morayef, Amnesty Internationals director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement. All member states of the UN Human Rights Council must take decisive action now and immediately convene a special session on Iran in order to prevent further loss of life.

Amnesty said that on Wednesday and Thursday, Irans security forces intensified their use of unlawful force  including by shooting firearms with live ammunition, metal pellets and teargas  against protesters and mourners who had gathered in Kurdistan, West Azerbaijan, Kermanshah and Lorestan provinces.

Morayef said, The UN Human Rights Council must make clear to the Iranian authorities that their crimes under international law will not go uninvestigated  or unpunished  by establishing an independent reporting and accountability mechanism on Iran.

The ongoing failure to enact such mechanism, despite widespread unlawful killings of protesters since the nationwide protests of December 2017-January 2018 is indicative of how such brutal tragedies in Iran, Morayef said, have seemingly become normalized.

She said, It is long overdue for the international community to hear the cries of victims families and human rights defenders for justice.
The US administration has approved another package of military aid to Ukraine, worth $275 million, the Associated Press news agency has reported.

October 28, 2022, 09:37 US to announce another military aid package to Kiev, worth $275 million

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 28, ARTSAKHPRESS: According to unnamed officials cited in the report, the formal announcement is expected within 24 hours.

The new delivery will include mostly ammunition from the Pentagons coffers, including HIMARS rockets. It will not include weaponry that was never supplied to Ukraine before.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that, in response to a request from the Donbass republics, he made a decision to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine. He underscored that Moscow does not plan to occupy Ukrainian territories, instead planning to demilitarize and denazify the country. In response, the West started introducing sweeping sanctions against Russia and shipping weapons and military vehicles to Kiev already worth tens of billions of dollars at this point.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other Russian officials have repeatedly warned about the possibility of Western-supplied weapons spreading from Ukraine to other regions. Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said Western attempts to militarize Ukraine are posing a direct threat to European and global security.
The Philippines would face difficult choices during a Taiwan-China conflict that could pit its growing interest in Chinese investment against its long-term relationship with its treaty ally, the United States, according to analysts.

Manila might also find itself drawn into a conflict, whether it chooses to or not, due to the country's proximity to Taiwan, they say.

The Philippines' most populous and northern, island, Luzon, is separated from the main island of Taiwan by the 250-kilometer-wide Luzon Strait, while some Filipino and Taiwanese outlying islands are even closer. It also lies on the strategically important and disputed South China Sea, much of which is patrolled by China's maritime militia and navy.

By virtue of its geography, U.S. allies may vie for access to the Philippines' remote islands as listening stations, said Gregory Poling, director of the Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"China has radically changed the status of forces in the South China Sea, which means the U.S. and Japan don't control the southern end of the Taiwan Strait anymore. At best, we can monitor and try to interdict in the northern half, which makes the Philippines all the more important," Poling told VOA. "It's the only piece of territory close enough from which you could hypothetically both monitor and maybe even strike Chinese assets in the southern half of the Strait."

Similarly, the U.S. might seek to rotate military personnel and ships through the Philippines as part of its 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement and 2014 Enhanced Cooperation Agreement with Manila.

Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez recently said in an interview that Manila might allow the presence of U.S. troops in the Philippines during a conflict "if it is important for us, for our own security," although he also called for more dialogue between China and the United States.

U.S. forces could also use a shipyard at one of its former naval bases on the west coast of Luzon, purchased by the American private equity firm Cerberus Capital in May.

Under former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Manila moved deliberately away from the United States, Taiwan's main backer, toward China, and threatened to cancel the Visiting Forces Agreement, which eases access to the country for U.S. military personnel.

In the past two years, however, "the dial was already shifting back towards greater US-Philippines military cooperation" as Duterte's six-year term came to an end, Susannah Patton director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute in Australia, said by email. It has continued to do so under new President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos -- with plans to extend the Balikatan, Salaknib, and Kamandag joint military exercises between the United States and the Philippines.

In October, the United States, in turn, approved $100 million in foreign military financing to the Philippines, on top of regular military sales.

"Compared to Duterte era, definitely the military in the Philippines feels less constrained in holding these military exercises with the U.S.," said Bob Herrera-Lim, a political and economic risk adviser with the New York consulting firm Teneo, specializing in Southeast Asia. Many Philippine elites and military leaders also "feel greater affinity for the US than China," he said.

One reason may be the Philippines' frequent run-ins with China in the South China Sea, where Beijing continues to lay claim to the disputed Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, even after an international tribunal ruled in Manila's favor in 2016. The ruling, notably, has been rejected by Taipei as well.

China's maritime militia regularly harasses Philippine fishing boats and has blocked resupply missions to marines living aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded ship on a disputed South China Sea shoal.

Still, Chinese investment in three major railway projects has continued, despite political tensions, said Joshua Espena, a resident fellow at the Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation.

The greater Philippines public also shares some distrust of the United States, its one-time colonizer, seen as having a history of abandoning allies at crucial moments, such as the Philippines in 1942, South Vietnam in 1975, and Afghanistan in 2021, Espena said. The United States has also stayed neutral during several South China Sea crises, a point remembered within the Philippines.

In a Taiwan-China crisis, the greater public may find themselves facing a humanitarian disaster, said Espena, as Taiwan is home to nearly 160,000 Filipinos.

"The Department of National Defense Officer-in-Charge Jose Faustino Jr. mentioned in public its " detailed contingency plan "before the Philippine Senate hearing last August [that] it anticipates a humanitarian crisis to accommodate Taiwanese, overseas Filipinos, and other nationals," Espena said by email. "But he carefully mentioned that this contingency plan, should it need our commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, would have to be carefully done according to our constitutional processes."

Poling said as the United States and the Philippines continue to negotiate their military and security ties, now may be the time for Manila to gain a more equal footing with the U.S., which often treats it like a "junior partner." However, Manila may in turn find it harder to stay neutral in conflicts like Taiwan-China when it has more responsibilities toward the U.S., he said.

"In an unequal alliance, the Philippines didn't have to do anything, it just had to provide the Americans with access and the Americans provided money in exchange," Poling said. "Now, an equal alliance means if we're going to go to the mat for the Philippines, the Philippines has to go to the mat for Americans, and that's going to be a controversial thing to socialize within the Philippines."
The Minsk City Court has sentenced journalist Ales Lyubyanchuk to three years in prison amid a crackdown on independent media and civil society in Belarus under authoritarian ruler Alexander Lukashenko.

The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAZh) said Thursday that Judge Alena Ananich had sentenced the journalist after finding him guilty of creating an extremist group and taking part in its activities.

BAZh demanded that Belarusian authorities immediately release Lyubyanchuk, saying his incarceration was "retaliation for his journalistic activities."

Lyubyanchuk, who cooperated with various media outlets, including Poland's Belsat news agency, actively covered nationwide mass protests sparked by an August 2020 presidential poll that Lukashenko said he won but the opposition said was rigged.

He was arrested several times over his coverage of the protests at the time and subsequently stopped his journalistic activities. However, in late May, Lyubyanchuk was arrested.

The Minsk-based Vyasna (Spring) human rights center has recognized him as a political prisoner.

The sentence came a day after the court sentenced noted investigative journalist Syarhey Satsuk to eight years in prison on charges of bribe-taking, inciting social hatred and abuse of office.

Satsuk, who also has been recognized by Belarusian human rights organizations as a political prisoner, rejected all the charges, calling them groundless.

Currently, 32 Belarusian journalists are in custody, many of whom have been jailed since the August 2020 presidential election.

Thousands have been detained during countrywide protests over the results, and there have been credible reports of torture and ill-treatment by security forces. Several people have died during the crackdown.

Lukashenko, in power since 1994, has refused to negotiate with the opposition, and many of its leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country.

The United States, the European Union and several other countries have refused to acknowledge Lukashenko as the winner of the vote and have imposed several rounds of sanctions on him and his regime, citing election fraud and the crackdown.
Nigerian security forces dismantled a terror cell and arrested 35 suspected members of the militant group Islamic State West Africa Province, including five commanders, Nigerian daily newspapers reported Friday.

Abuja, the capital, remained on guard, with some shops closing temporarily as a precaution.

Australian and Canadian embassies in the city were the latest to issue terror warnings; U.S. and British embassies on Sunday had told their citizens to be on alert and avoid crowds across Nigeria but especially in Abuja.

The foreign missions said government buildings, places of worship, schools, markets, shopping malls, bars and hotels were among possible terrorist targets.

The U.S. State Department ordered family members of U.S. employees to leave the Nigerian capital.

Security guards patrolled Friday near a huge shopping complex in Abujas Jabi district. The complex had closed Thursday because of security threats.

Workers and shoppers were not allowed into the premises, and the street was blocked off to car and foot traffic.

Abuja Police Public Relations Officer Josephine Adeh said authorities were stepping up security measures.

"We're doing all we can. ... We've strengthened our security, even though there's no cause for concern, no cause for alarm. We don't have any threat in our country," she said.

Concerns about terror attacks have been growing in Nigeria. Militant groups have been pushing their operations beyond bases where they have been active for years.

In June, authorities blamed Islamic State West Africa Province for a church attack in southwest Nigeria that killed 40 worshippers.

One month later, the group claimed responsibility for attacking a correctional facility in Abuja and freeing hundreds of inmates. While hundreds of the escapees have been recaptured, many others remain on the loose, including more than 60 high-profile terror suspects.

Security analyst Chidi Omeje said authorities were trying to assure citizens of their safety.

"Our government on its part, naturally you should expect them to play down the situation," Omeje said. "Every government would like to project a good image of itself."

But Omeje said citizens must take the foreign missions' warnings very seriously.

"Citizens must at this point begin to think for themselves what to do, because I don't want to believe that America, the U.K. and all other countries who have come up with this alert are just being mischievous. These are countries that have robust intelligence assets. We should not play with what they're informing us."
Members of the Canadian Parliament have urged the government to expedite the resettlement to Canada of Uyghur refugees now living in third countries.



The Parliament voted Tuesday on a motion from Conservative MP Garnett Genuis to reaffirm its recognition of the Uyghur genocide in China and to call for special immigration measures to assist Uyghur refugees at risk of deportation to China from third countries.

"House of Commons thankfully endorsed that motion," Genuis told VOA.



Almost 50,000 Uyghur refugees are living in Turkey, and smaller numbers of Uyghurs who fled China are in countries such as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, from where Uyghurs were deported to China in recent years.



Another motion, debated Wednesday in Parliament, calls on Ottawa to expedite the entry of Uyghur refugees.

"[My motion] calls on Canada to welcome 10,000 Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities over two years starting in 2024," Sameer Zuberi, chair of Parliament's Foreign Affairs subcommittee on international human rights, told VOA. "It builds on the House of Commons' formal recognition in February 2021 that a genocide has been taking place against the Uyghur people."



Genocide designation



Canada became the second country to recognize China's treatment of Uyghurs as genocide in February 2021. The U.S. was the first country to designate human rights violations against Uyghurs in China as genocide in January of the same year. Other legislative bodies in Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Ireland have made similar determinations since.

The government of Canada has sanctioned four individuals and one entity for their roles in human rights violations in Xinjiang.



A report by the Canadian Parliament's Foreign Affairs subcommittee on international human rights published in October 2020 contained recommendations calling on Canada to uphold basic human rights of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

"One of the recommendations of this report is for the department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to expedite the entry into Canada of Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities," Zuberi said. "If passed by the House of Commons, my motion will give life to this recommendation."



According to Mehmet Tohti, executive director of Ottawa-based Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project, most Uyghur refugees who live in third countries are in danger of being sent back to China.



"Uyghurs who fled to countries like Turkey are vulnerable for being repatriated to China," Tohti told VOA. "Countries like Turkey where most Uyghur refugees live depend on China economically and that can influence those countries' decision on how to deal with Uyghur refugees, like intimidating them to return to China."



Detention, deportation



According to a report released in June 2021 by the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs and Uyghur Human Rights Project, there were 1,546 cases of detention and deportation of Uyghurs in at least 28 countries between 1997 and March 2021.



"[M]ost notably in much of the Middle East and North Africa with 647 cases, and in South Asia with 665 cases," the report said. "The dataset contains 1,151 cases of Uyghurs being detained in their host country and 395 cases of Uyghurs being deported, extradited or rendered back to China."

"Uyghurs' futures in those countries are far from certain. They do not have safe refuge," Zuberi said. "In the spirit of Canada's proud humanitarian tradition, where Yazidis, Syrians, Afghans and recently Ukrainians have been welcomed, I am hoping that Canada can again step up and resettle vulnerable Uyghurs."



According to Zuberi, after Wednesday's hour of debate of his motion at Parliament, there will be a second hour of debate in December, followed by a vote in mid-December or early February.



If endorsed, the bill requires that within 120 days following the adoption of the motion, a report must be completed on how the refugee resettlement plan would be implemented.



Human rights



Canada's Immigration Ministry spokesperson, Remi Lariviere, said Canada is "deeply concerned about the serious human rights violations in Xinjiang affecting Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities, as outlined in a recent U.N. report.



"The Government of Canada remains committed to providing protection to vulnerable individuals in need of resettlement," Lariviere told VOA in an email. "Our resettlement programs are available to those most in need of protection around the world, including Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities who have fled persecution in China."



In August, the U.N. Human Rights Office asserted in a report on human rights in Xinjiang that China "may have committed crimes against humanity" against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups, including arbitrary detention, credible allegations of torture, forced labor, forced sterilization, sexual violence and adverse conditions of detention.



China claimed the U.N. report was based on "disinformation and draws erroneous conclusions" about human rights in Xinjiang.



According to Lariviere, Canada relies on referrals from the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR), other designated referral organizations and private sponsorship groups to identify refugees in need of resettlement.



"Our first priority is the safety of Uyghur refugees. We therefore cannot provide any details on our efforts or plans since it could put this vulnerable population at risk," Lariviere said.
A Cypriot delegation in Lebanon on Friday for talks on maritime border delineation between the two countries said any disputes during that process could be easily resolved.

"There is no problem between Lebanon and Cyprus that cannot be resolved easily," said Cypriot special envoy Tasos Tzionis, after meeting with outgoing Lebanese President Michel Aoun.

Lebanon and Cyprus reached a maritime border agreement in 2007, but it was never ratified by Lebanon's parliament and therefore never went into force.

Cyprus delineated its maritime exclusive economic zone vis-a-vis Israel in 2010. Lebanon and Israel officially delineated their contested sea boundary Thursday, following years of U.S.-mediated indirect talks.

Aoun said the next step following that achievement would be defining Lebanon's maritime boundaries with northern neighbor Syria and resuming talks with Cyprus to the west.

A planned visit this week to Damascus by a top Lebanese delegation was indefinitely postponed after the Syrian government told Beirut it was "not the right time."

Lebanon's deputy speaker of parliament and border negotiator Elias Bou Saab said Friday said Syria was still the priority.

"We will not delineate with Cyprus until we communicate with Syria," Bou Saab told reporters at the presidential palace.
The Biden administration has revised a program that protected from deportation hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children, in hopes of satisfying one of the arguments made by Republican-led states in federal courts that the program was not created properly.

Biden officials issued the new version of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as DACA, in late August, and it takes effect Monday. It went through a period of public comments as part of a formal rulemaking process to increase its odds of surviving an ongoing legal battle.

Those supporting the program say the new rule does not change anything from the 2012 memo issued under the Obama administration that created DACA. The program's future still lies in the hands of the courts after Monday, when DACA officially becomes a federal regulation.

Through the codifying of DACA, the government tried to really resolve all that, [but] it doesn't take care of the issue of the other arguments that the states are making, which is that they're losing money, Felix Villalobos, affirmative services unit director at RAICES, a nonprofit immigrant-rights group, told VOA.

In 2018, Texas and other Republican-led states sued the federal government, arguing that DACA had harmed states financially because they were spending resources on education, health care and other services on undocumented immigrants, who were allowed to remain in the country illegally.

They also argued that only Congress has the authority to grant immigration benefits.

Yet, on October 20, a coalition of dozens of influential corporations, including Apple, Amazon, Google and Microsoft, sent a letter to Republicans and Democrats in Congress urging a bipartisan solution for the almost 600,000 immigrants who are enrolled in DACA.

They said ending the program or not having a permanent solution for DACA recipients would harm communities and businesses that would lose people who have become productive members of the U.S. economy.

When the last DACA recipients work permit expires, the U.S. will have lost more than 500,000 jobs, and the U.S. economy will lose as much as $11.7 billion annually  or roughly $1 billion monthly  in wages from previously employed DACA recipients. (To put this into perspective, in Texas alone, 400 health care workers and 300 teachers will be forced out of their jobs each month), the letter says.

Analysis from the Washington-based independent think tank Migration Policy Institute found that DACA holders contribute nearly $42 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product each year and add $3.4 billion to the federal balance sheet.

According to immigration experts, the average DACA recipient has lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years. To meet the DACA programs requirement, an applicant must be enrolled in high school, have a high school diploma or its equivalent, or have served in the U.S. military.

Those with criminal histories  a felony, a serious misdemeanor or three misdemeanors  are not eligible for DACA. They also must have been younger than 31 on June 15, 2012, have moved to the U.S. before they turned 16, and have lived continuously in the U.S. since June 15, 2007.

Current DACA recipients are still protected from deportation, are allowed to work and can renew their DACA requests every two years as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) continues to process requests for those who meet the original requirements and have not left the country since their last renewal.

Because of the current court order, USCIS is not accepting new applications.

Legal challenge

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ordered on October 5 that the lower court review Bidens revisions to DACA.

The three judges upheld Texas-based U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen's initial finding that DACA was illegal and agreed the program had not undergone public notice and comment periods required under the federal Administrative Procedures Act. Hanen left the program in place for those already benefiting from it, pending the appeal.

"A district court is in the best position to review the administrative record in the rulemaking proceeding," according to the opinion of 5th Circuit Chief Judge Priscilla Richman.

Hanen has the case back to look at the new version and make another decision. A new hearing has not been announced.

And so, the case still remains alive, Villalobos of RAICES said.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose office filed the 2018 lawsuit, said in a statement that this lawsuit was about the rule of law  not the reasoning behind any immigration policy.  The district court recognized that only Congress has the authority to write immigration laws, and the president is not free to disregard those duly enacted laws as he sees fit.

Since 2001, about 11 versions of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act have been introduced in Congress. The measure provides a pathway to legal status for undocumented people who came to the U.S. as minors.

Despite bipartisan support, every time the bill has been introduced, it has failed to become law.

What everybody expects to happen is that this will continue to go until the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has ruled very narrowly in the past and has been able to establish that the program should continue, Erendira Rendon, from the Chicago-based Resurrection Project, told VOA. And so, it is possible that DACA does end up being canceled altogether, including for people that already have DACA.
Residents in Tanzanias commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, are struggling with water shortages after authorities announced rationing because of a drop in the level of the citys main water source, the Ruvu River.

Dar es Salaam's water authorities said they would shut off piped water to the city's nearly 6 million people every other day until water levels recover. But rain has been sparse in Tanzania, as it has in neighboring East African nations, and meteorologists are warning of a prolonged dry season.

That spells trouble for Elizabeth Maemo, who used to earn huge profits from her small street restaurant in Dar es Salaam. Now, she is losing money because of the drought and the increase in the price of water.

Currently, she said, "I buy one bucket for 700 shillings, and I use around 15 gallons a day. I can say that in my business the scarcity of water has affected me a lot." Maemo, 52, added that "I have lost many customers, as they have no faith in the water I am using."

Authorities said the water supply from the Ruvu River has dropped from 466 million liters to about 300 million liters a day, whereas the city normally consumes an estimated 500 million liters a day.

Residents are now relying on a local network of boreholes and wells. Those without a source of water nearby are left with no option but to buy from private vendors  and with demand high and supply low, prices have risen.

Suphian Msofe, one of the private vendors, said that "for the six years that I have delivered water across Dar es Salaam, this is the moment Im generating a huge profit. But when you look at the water that we sell, it is salty and not suitable for drinking. It can at least be used for cooking and washing services."

With global warming causing frequent heat waves, activists say the city needs a long-term solution to its water challenges.

Frowim Mshumbus is an environmental activist from the One Planet network, which advocates steps to tackle climate change. He said commercial activity along the Ruvu River has contributed significantly to lower water levels. "What I think should be done to solve the challenges," he said, "is to educate people about the importance of these water sources and the best way to protect them."
On November 1, Israel holds an unprecedented fifth election in less than four years with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vying for a comeback.

Caught in an election cycle since 2019, the same year in which Netanyahu was indicted for corruption on charges he denies, voters hope to break the deadlock between the most dominant politician of his generation and his many rivals.

Will Netanyahu win?

Unclear. Surveys show no sweeping victory for Netanyahu or for his main rival, centrist Prime Minister Yair Lapid.

Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party, though stagnating in the polls, is predicted to emerge as the largest in parliament.

Along with allied far-right and ultra-religious factions supporting him for premier, the hawkish Netanyahu, 73, appears on the cusp of a ruling parliamentary majority.

In the last four votes, however, Netanyahu failed to lock down the rightist coalition he sought.

Who else is in the race?

Lapid, 58, is a former TV host and finance minister who entered politics on the wings of a social-economic protest movement about a decade ago. His "There is a Future" party, second in the polls, has shown some upward momentum. But his camp of allied parties spanning right to left is smaller than Netanyahu's bloc.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz heads the center-right "Zionist Union" predicted to win far fewer seats than Netanyahu and Lapid's parties. But that has not stopped former military chief Gantz, 63, from proclaiming himself the only candidate who can break the Netanyahu deadlock by forming new alliances and heading a broad government that will extract Israel from four years of unprecedented constitutional crisis.

Who else matters?

Itamar Ben-Gvir. An ultranationalist lawmaker who may be Netanyahu's kingmaker and test Israel's foreign relations if made a minister. Convicted in 2007 of racist incitement and support for a group on both the Israeli and U.S. terrorist blacklists, Ben-Gvir, 46, says he has since matured. A joint ticket of Ben-Gvir's party and other factions, including a far-right party "Jewish Power," is predicted to come in third and his growing popularity has caused some alarm at home and abroad.

Israel's Arab minority, whose vote can tip the election.

About a fifth of the population and under-represented in parliament, many in the community identify with or as Palestinians. They have long lamented discrimination and treatment as second-class citizens. A low turnout could remove an obstacle to Netanyahu and hand him a clear victory. A high turnout may help Lapid - whose outgoing coalition included an Arab party for the first time in Israel's history.

Why another election?

Lapid and his coalition partner Naftali Bennett ended Netanyahu's record 12-year consecutive reign in June 2021, by patching together an unlikely group of rightist, liberal and Arab parties which was fragile from the start. Less than one year into its rule, the coalition lost its razor-thin majority to defections. Rather than wait for the opposition to vote them out, the government dissolved parliament, triggering an election.

What is this round about?

Netanyahu. While his indictment on bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges has united rivals against him, his loyal base of supporters has been unwavering, clamoring for the comeback of a leader seen as strong and savvy with international clout.

Netanyahu's critics loathe the idea of a man they see as corrupt and destructive returning to the helm, where they fear he will bend Israel's legal system to avoid conviction.

Netanyahu has been touting his security and economic credentials. But with dim prospects of peace talks with the Palestinians restarting any time soon, and world powers' nuclear talks with Iran faltering - security and diplomacy have been largely swept aside.

According to surveys, soaring living costs are a top concern for Israelis, but with little difference in candidates' policy, such issues are unlikely to sway voters either way.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday said Russia had completed the mobilization of 300,000 reservists drafted to fight in Ukraine, and that 82,000 of those conscripted already had been sent to the front and another 218,000 were in combat training.



The announcement, made during a televised meeting at the Kremlin, ostensibly concluded the divisive mobilization drive in Russia, the first since World War II. The draft prompted thousands of men to flee Russia and fueled anti-war protests in the country.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon announced Friday that it would provide $275 million in additional military assistance to Ukraine. Sabrina Singh, the Pentagons deputy press secretary, said the package would include HIMARS ammunition, hundreds of 155mm precision-guided artillery rounds, remote anti-armor mine systems, armored vehicles and small arms.



Ukrainian gunners are facing ammunition shortages on the battlefield in areas stretching from Mykolaiv to Kherson. For every one shell that we send, they [Russians] send back five, Hennadyi, a Ukrainian gunner, told a Reuters reporter.



According to the general staff of Ukraines armed forces on Friday, Russian forces had shelled 30 settlements in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kherson and Mikolaiv oblasts. The governor of Luhansk said Friday that Ukrainian troops were largely in control, though, of a key road that links two Russian-occupied districts in the east of the country.



Ukrainian troops are slowly pushing eastward into the Luhansk region, aiming to take the Russian-occupied towns of Svatove and Kreminna, 45 kilometers to the south. The towns are the primary settlements in districts with the same names.



"The road from Svatove to Kreminna is practically under the control of the armed forces of Ukraine. Our soldiers are advancing daily," Serhiy Gaidai, governor of the Luhansk region, said on national television.

In other news, during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian on Friday, Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba demanded that Tehran stop sending kamikaze drones to Russia. The drones have been used by Russia forces to target Ukrainian infrastructure. Iran denies the charge.

European crisis

Elsewhere Friday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned of tougher, rough years ahead, for his country and Europe.

In an address dubbed a "state of the nation" speech, the German president said the war in Ukraine had led to the deepest crisis in a reunified Germany. He pointed to an energy crunch, soaring costs of living and increasing poverty rates.



This crisis demands that we learn to be modest again," Steinmeier said during the speech at his official residence, Bellevue Palace, in Berlin. He pledged Germanys commitment to support Ukraine and its partnership with NATO and European Union allies.



In his daily address to the nation on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, standing by what appeared to be a downed drone, said the aggressor [Russia] continues his terror. We are again attacked from the sky by a flock of their crows.



More than 30 drones were launched in two days, the president said. The defenders of our sky prevented the enemy's vultures from breaking into the rear of the country and downed 23 Shaheds [Iranian drones]. In addition, the Kh-59 guided air missile, two Ka-52 attack helicopters and another Su-25 attack aircraft were turned into scrap metal.

Zelenskyy said that during this time period, Russia carried out 4,500 missile strikes and more than 8,000 air raids. But we are fighting; we will shoot down more.



It was not immediately clear if there had been any casualties.

In his speech, the Ukrainian president marked the anniversary of the liberation of Ukraine from the Nazi Germany in 1945, and he paid tribute to the Ukrainians who fought and defeated Nazism in 1945 as he pledged to expel Russia from Ukraine.

Britains Defense Ministry delivered a report Friday on Russias capabilities in Ukraine. In the report posted on Twitter, the ministry said some Russian units in Ukraine had been manned with mobilized reservists and that the units were understaffed.

In September 2022, Russian officers described companies in the Kherson sector as consisting of between six and eight men each. Companies should deploy with around 100 personnel, the update said.

The update said Russian ground forces in Ukraine were transitioning to a long-term, defensive posture on most areas of the front line in Ukraine ... likely due to a more realistic assessment that the severely undermanned, poorly trained force in Ukraine is currently only capable of defensive operations.

'Dirty bomb'



Director General Rafael Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday that inspectors were to arrive and start working within a couple of days at two facilities in Ukraine that Russia alleged were diverting nuclear material to make a "dirty bomb."

"I had a very comprehensive discussion with [Ukrainian] Foreign Minister Kuleba about this," Grossi told reporters at the United Nations in New York. "He came to the conclusion, and I agreed, that the best way to dispel any doubt is to allow the inspectors in."

For several days, Russian officials have alleged without evidence that Ukraine is planning to develop and use a so-called dirty bomb in its conflict with Russia. Ukraine and its Western allies have strongly denied the allegations and suspect they are being made as a pretext for some type of escalation in the war in Ukraine, possibly a "false-flag" operation by Moscow.

Dirty bombs combine conventional explosives with radioactive material and are designed to spread radioactivity that can cause death and contamination.

"In this case, there has been a very clear indication from a very high official of the Russian Federation about work  clandestine work, in fact  to divert nuclear material," the IAEA chief told reporters after he met privately with the U.N. Security Council.

He said IAEA inspectors would be looking to see if fuel at the facilities had been reprocessed in some way to extract two isotopes  caesium and strontium  that are used in making radiological bombs.

VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin and U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
The search for sustainable peace in South Sudan hit another obstacle this week as infighting erupted within the ruling SPLM party. Riek Machar, the countrys first vice president, was expelled from his position as SPLM vice chairman. The dismissal pours cold water on years of efforts to heal rifts among South Sudans top leaders  the same rifts that caused the countrys civil war.



Riek Machar was the partys first vice chairman, a spot that placed him in a strategic position to claim the SPLM presidency if President Salva Kiir, who is also SPLM chairman, were to opt out of party politics.



Kuol Atem, SPLM secretary for political affairs, said this week that Machar and party Secretary General Pagan Amum have been taken off the party register because they are trying to build up their own parties.



Though his office is just less than 200 meters away from the SPLM national secretariat and the same distance from the President Saliva Kiirs, he continues to organize his party as we are all eyewitness to that effect. Comrade Pagan is busy with Real SPLM Party, abroad and the Rome process; and SPLM is being held hostage.



Though associated with the SPLM in Opposition (SPLM-IO), Machar insists that SPLM-IO is not a registered party and thus he never ditched the mother party as claimed by Atem.



Puok Both Baluang is the acting press secretary in the Office of First Vice President.



The decision made by President Salva Kiir faction to dismiss comrade Riek Machar and comrade Pagan Amum, from SPLM and alsoas first deputy chair of the party and secretary general of the party, it is unconstitutional based on the SPLM constitution. They are elected members. Such dismissal or replacement is only possible if there is a national convention of SPLM, not a faction.



There are 14 registered political parties in South Sudan, according to records at the Political Parties Council. However, in reality there are more than 50 parties operating in Juba alone.



That includes several factions of the SPLM, including Machars, Amums and President Kiirs. The last, which is the original SPLM party, is known as SPLM-in-Government.



It was a split between Kiir and Machar that triggered South Sudans six-year civil war in December 2013.



Abraham Kuol Nyuon, an associate professor of political science at the University of Juba, says the removal of Machar and Amum from their positions in the main party is ultimately a dispute over which faction is legitimate.

So this removal is about the ownership of the party symbol, it is about the ownership of the emblem and it is about the ownership of the party of SPLM."



Analysts say parties with the SPLM tag will likely have an advantage with voters in the next elections, slated for late 2024.



South Sudan is currently run by a transitional government, which recently extended its mandate by another two years.



Professor Kuol says the country should expect such bickering at party levels in the run up to the elections.
Russia will continue the mediation efforts for the signing of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly Valentina Matviyenko said at the meeting with the Azerbaijani Speaker of Parliament Sahiba Gafarova.

October 28, 2022, 12:15 Russia to continue mediation efforts for signing of peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan  Matviyenko

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 28, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: " Russia has acted and will act as a mediator and will provide support so that the two countries come to the signing of the peace treaty, Interfax quoted Matviyenko as saying.

Valentina Matviyenko reminded that Russian President Vladimir Putin in his speech during the Valdai conference has stated that Russia will support any decision that will contribute to the establishment of peace in the region, and of course, the interests of both countries must be taken into account.

Both Armenia and Azerbaijan should find solutions over border delimitation and problematic issues, Matviyenko said, adding that the parliamentary cooperation will also be used for achieving this goal.
More than a month of protests continued Friday in Iran with protesters clashing with security forces in the southeastern city of Zahedan.

Video footage on social media showed protesters Friday in the city, which is close to Iran's southeastern border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, calling for death of the "dictator"Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneiand the Basij militia, which has played a major role in the crackdown on demonstrations.

Amnesty International reports 66 people were killed in Zahedan on September 30 when security forces cracked down on anti-government rally there.

The Associated Press reports Irans state-run IRNA news agency Friday carried a statement from the provinces security saying the police chief another police official in Zahedan have been dismissed over their handling of the September 30 protest.

Nationwide protests and strikes, now in their fifth week, started after the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for an alleged dress code violation. Protesters in cities across the country have opposed the mandatory wearing of hijabs by women and called for changes to Irans political system.

Meanwhile, large crowds were marching across cities in Iran to condemn a mass shooting at a Shiite Muslim shrine in the southern city of Shiraz after Wednesday evening prayers that state media said killed at least 15 worshippers. It is an attack claimed by the Sunni extremist group Islamic State.

Iran's president on Thursday claimed "riots" sparked by Amini's death paved the way for "terrorist" attacks.

Also on Friday, the chief spokeswoman for the U.N. Human Rights Office told reporters Friday the group has received information that protesters arrested by security forces in Iran are being treated poorly, and their families have been harassed.

Responding to a question during a news briefing in Geneva, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said their team has received reports from multiple, credible sources that authorities were moving injured protesters from hospitals to detention facilities. There also were reports of ill treatment of detained protesters, including denial of medical care to those in places of detention.

She said the human rights office calls on Iran to ensure all protesters are given the medical attention they need.

International observers say the ongoing demonstrations have become the greatest threat to the countrys theocratic government since the 2009 Green Movement demonstrations.

Women continue to remove their hijabs during the street protests as international pressure grows on Irans government over its crackdown on demonstrators.



Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Iraqi lawmakers approved a new government on Thursday ending more than a year of deadlock, but still faces many challenges.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani,52, who previously served as Iraq's human rights minister as well as minister of labor and social affairs, will head the new government.

Sudani's picks for 21 ministries passed during a parliament vote on the Cabinet. He named the former head of the state-run South Gas Co., Hayan Abdul Ghani, as oil minister, kept Fuad Hussein as foreign minister for a second term, and Taif Sami as finance minister.

Sudani vowed to reform the economy, fight corruption, improve deteriorating public services, combat poverty and unemployment among other things.

He also promised to amend the election law within three months and hold early parliamentary elections within a year.

"The epidemic of corruption that has affected all aspects of life is more deadly than the corona pandemic and has been the cause of many economic problems, weakening the state's authority, increasing poverty, unemployment, and poor public services," Sudani said in his speech in parliament ahead of the vote.

Sudani is the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc known as the Coordination Framework, an alliance of Iran-aligned factions. He took over from former prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who had been leading a caretaker government, after anti-government protesters took to the streets in their thousands in 2019, demanding jobs and the departure of Iraq's ruling elite.

They accuse the political class that took over after the 2003 U.S. invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein of corruption that has driven the country into dysfunction and economic ruin.

Thursday's parliament vote comes a year after an election in which populist Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was the biggest winner but failed to rally support to form a government.

Sadr withdrew his 73 lawmakers in August and said he would quit politics, prompting the worst violence in Baghdad for years when his loyalists stormed government buildings and fought rival Shiite groups, most of them backed by Iran and with armed wings.

Sadr, who has not declared his next move, has a track record of radical action, including fighting U.S. forces, quitting Cabinets, and protesting governments. Many fear protests by his supporters. Sadr appeared to oppose Sudani's candidacy because he is an ally of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The yearlong political paralysis has left Iraq without a budget for 2022, holding up spending on much-needed infrastructure projects and economic reform.

Iraqis say the situation is exacerbating a lack of services and jobs even as Baghdad earns record oil income because of high crude prices and has seen no major wars since the defeat of Islamic State five years ago.

"The government will be facing very tough challenges and have put forward a very ambitious program, which could help stop the bleeding and get back on track if this program is implemented," said Farhad Alaaldin, chairman of the Iraq Advisory Council, a policy research institute.
For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine.

The latest developments in Russias war on Ukraine. All times EDT.

11:30 p.m.: Russian forces in the occupied Ukrainian region of Kherson are engaged in mass theft of medical equipment and ambulances in an effort to make the area uninhabitable, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday.

Ukrainian troops are gathered near Kherson, prompting Russian-installed officials to evacuate many residents. Kherson is one of the four regions Moscow claims as part of Russia.

"The occupiers have decided to close down medical institutions in towns, take away medical equipment, ambulances, everything. They are putting pressure on doctors who still remain... to move to the territory of Russia," Zelenskiy said.

"Russia is trying to make the Kherson region a no man's land," he added in an evening video address, saying pro-Moscow forces realized they could not hold onto the city and were therefore taking what they could, he added.

10:39 p.m.: As Russia is escalating its war against Ukraine Kremlin propaganda is becoming more aggressive.

According to the Kyiv Independent, Russian propagandists are gloating over the suffering and deaths of Ukrainian civilians caused by Russian attacks.

The initial taboo on using the word "war" has been lifted, and Kremlin mouthpieces are now portraying the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a "holy war" and a repeat of the so-called "Great Patriotic War," a Soviet term invented to glorify the USSRs conflict with its former ally Nazi Germany during the World War II.

Russian propagandists are now routinely calling for total war, wiping Ukrainian cities off the map, continuing the destruction of civilian infrastructure, murdering civilians, and even killing Ukrainian children.

Russian propagandists on TV and social media pose as individuals with independent opinions, but act as a coordinated network. The people behind the calls to destroy Ukraine are usually employed by state-owned or pro-Kremlin media.

Often, they spread similar narratives at the same time, implying that they are coordinated.

9:09 p.m.: In his evening video address, Zelenskyy questioned Russias commitment to ending its draft of 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine. Today the enemy reports about the alleged completion of their mobilization... About the alleged needlessness of new waves of sending Russian citizens to the front, he said.

The Ukrainian president said those reservists are so poorly prepared and equipped, so ruthlessly used by the command that it allows us to suggest that Russia may soon need a new wave of sending people to war. Zelenskyy said, Ukraine is preparing for this based on The fact that the current Russian leadership will look for any new opportunities to continue the war. In particular thanks to its accomplices in Iran, said the Ukrainian president.

That is why we are working with our partners every day to strengthen our air defense, our other defense capabilities. Every day we strengthen the protection of our critical infrastructure, primarily energy, he added.

8:15 p.m.: Canada will sell a government-backed, 5-year bond to raise money for Ukraine, the first country to do so. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday, Canada will impose new sanctions on 35 Russian individuals, including Gazprom executives, Reuters reports.

"Canadians will now be able to go to major banks to purchase their sovereignty bonds which will mature after five years with interest," Trudeau told an annual meeting of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress in Winnipeg.

Trudeau did not say when the bonds would go on sale.

"These funds will go to support the Government of Ukraine so they can continue to support the Ukrainian people," Trudeau added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Trudeau on Twitter, saying the bond "will allow everyone to contribute to our victory."

In a statement Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the proceeds will "help the (Ukrainian) government continue operations, including providing essential services to Ukrainians, like pensions, and purchasing fuel before winter."

7:04 p.m.: Reuters reports faulty oxygen equipment may have caused the fatal crash of a Russian military jet in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, Sunday, TASS news agency cited investigators as saying on Friday.

Two pilots were killed when the plane crashed into a two-story house. At the time officials said the plane, a Sukhoi Su-30 fighter, was a test flight.

According to Russia's state Investigative Committee investigating possible violations of air safety rules, the crew had lost consciousness.

"The investigation is checking whether the onboard oxygen equipment malfunctioned and caused the two pilots to lose control," the agency quoted a committee spokesperson as saying.

The Su-30 is built at Irkutsk's Aviation plant. Investigators are questioning workers there to see whether they broke rules when maintaining the oxygen equipment, the report said.

6:16 p.m.:

5:35 p.m.: When the Nord Stream gas pipelines ruptured near the island of Bornholm last month, residents felt the Ukraine war move a lot closer, exposing the isolation of Denmarks easternmost point and renewing fears of Russian aggression, Reuters reported.



The rocky Baltic Sea island of about 40,000 people has a strategically important location between Denmarks capital Copenhagen and the Russian city of Kaliningrad.



The situation with Nord Stream 1 and 2, it renewed our crisis awareness, and there are many residents who might think it came a little bit close, said Ulrik Skytte, Chief of Bornholms Home Guard, a volunteer branch of the Danish military. The seriousness has dawned on all of us, and therefore Bornholms location in the Baltic Sea has become much clearer and much more important, Skytte told Reuters on Almegard military base near Ronne, Bornholms largest town.



World leaders called damages to the pipelines, which connect Russia and Germany under the sea, an act of sabotage, but it still remains unclear who might be behind the detonations.



4:54 p.m.: Kremlin-appointed officials in an occupied region of southern Ukraine have urged residents not to switch to daylight saving time along with Kyiv and the rest of the country, The Associated Press reported.



In the Zaporizhzhia region, the old time remains. The clocks will not go back in 2022, the administration on Friday said in a post on its official Telegram channel.



The Russian-installed mayor of Enerhodar, where the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant is located, called on residents to ignore the time switch in a separate video message posted on Telegram.



We live in the Russian Federation, and our city lives by Moscow time, Alexander Volga said in the video.



The Zaporizhzhia region is one of four Ukrainian provinces that Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed last month and subsequently put under Russian martial law. Kremlin-backed officials in occupied areas have sought to replace the Ukrainian currency with Russias ruble, and to align local laws with Russian legislation.



Russia switched to permanent winter time in 2014. The move came after nationwide surveys found that Russians largely disapproved of an earlier government decision to put clocks on year-round summer time, and struggled to adjust to long hours of darkness in the mornings.

4:06 p.m.:



3:18 p.m.: Russia's finance ministry has significantly cut expectations of taxable oil production for 2023, according to the draft budget for the next three years, in the expectation Western sanctions will mean an overall decline in output and refining volumes, Reuters reported.



Selling oil and gas has been one of the main sources for Russian foreign currency earnings since Soviet geologists found reserves in the swamps of Siberia in the decades after World War Two.



In comments to Reuters, the finance ministry said it drew its assumptions on the economy ministry's projections of exports and other parameters.



2:30 p.m.: Ukrainian troops are largely in control of a key road that links two Russian-occupied districts in the east of the country, Reuters reported Friday, quoting pro-Kyiv officials.



After taking swathes of territory in a lighting offensive, Ukrainian forces are now slowly pushing their way east into the Luhansk region and aim to seize the Russian-occupied towns of Svatove and Kreminna, which lies 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Svatove. The towns are the primary settlements in districts of the same names.



"The road from Svatove to Kreminna is practically under the control of the armed forces of Ukraine. Our soldiers are advancing daily," Serhiy Gaidai, governor of Luhansk region, told national television.



A Russian-backed separatist official on Wednesday reported heavy fighting in the Kreminna and Svatove districts, which have been at the frontline since Ukrainian forces routed Russian troops from neighbouring Kharkiv region in September.



2 p.m.:

1:25 p.m.: Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the military to improve training for the newly mobilized reservists and provide them with necessary equipment and supplies, The Associated Press reported.

Putin told Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday that the military needs to make sure that all 300,000 reservists who have been called up are trained and provided with what they need for combat to make people feel confident when they need to go to combat.

Activists, Russian media and The Associated Press have reported that many of those called up have been told to procure basic items such as medical kits and flak jackets themselves and failed to receive training before being sent to combat.

Shoigu acknowledged that problems with supplies existed in the initial stages but told Putin they have now been solved and the reservists have received all the necessary items.

Putin ordered Shoigu to submit his proposals for reforming the ground troops and other parts of the military on the basis of their performance in Ukraine.

1:05 p.m.:



12:55 p.m.: Tens of thousands of Czechs have used a national holiday to rally again in the capital against the pro-Western government and its support for Ukraines fight against the Russian aggression, The Associated Press reported.

The rally on Friday follows another two at Pragues central Wenceslas Square in September.

With soaring energy and other prices among the issues, the key demand by the protesters was the resignation of the coalition government led by conservative Prime Minister Petr Fiala and opposed the countrys European Union and NATO membership.

The government has dismissed those demands and several ministers are planning to visit Ukraines capital Kyiv on Monday.

12:40 p.m.: Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he had received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian on Friday and that he had demanded that Tehran stop sending weapons to Russia.

Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Iran of sending 'kamikaze' drones to Russia which have then been used to devastating effect by Russian forces in strikes targeting Ukrainian infrastructure. Iran denies the charge.

"I demanded Iran to immediately cease the flow of weapons to Russia used to kill civilians and destroy critical infrastructure in Ukraine," Kuleba said in a tweet.

12:25 p.m.: At a Pentagon briefing Friday Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said the U.S. is announcing a new security assistance package for Ukraine valued at up to $275 million. VOAs national security correspondent Jeff Seldin shared the details on Twitter.

12:10 p.m.: The mayor of Ukraines capital Kyiv said Friday that regular electricity supply to the city will likely be restored within 2-3 weeks, The Kyiv Independent reported.

Vitali Klitschko said that some 20-30% of the citys electricity supply was affected, adding that the restoration of normal electricity supply may soon be possible if Russia does not continue to target Ukraines critical infrastructure, according to the media organization.

The Kyiv Independent quoted Klitschko as saying Kyiv has received new air defense equipment, which he hopes means there will be no more (Russian) attacks and provocations with kamikaze drones.

11:45 a.m.:



11:30 a.m.: Russia announced on Friday it was finished calling up reservists to fight in Ukraine, having drafted 300,000 people in a month, with more than a quarter of them already sent to the battlefield, Reuters reported.

The announcement appears to bring to a close a divisive mobilization drive that had seen tens of thousands of Russian men flee the country and brought the first sustained public protest against the war.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was shown on state television informing President Vladimir Putin that 82,000 reservists were now deployed in the conflict zone and another 218,000 had entered training.

The task set by you of (mobilizing) 300,000 people has been completed. No further measures are planned," Shoigu said.

11:15 a.m.: The U.N. Childrens Fund (UNICEF) said Friday that it delivered over 2 million COVID vaccines to Ukraine, as part of the U.S. governments COVAX program. Ukraines Ministry of Health confirmed receipt of the vaccines, according to The Kyiv Independent, and distribution will be countrywide.



10:55 a.m.: The head of the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, spoke Friday at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peaces nuclear conference on a range of issues including nuclear risk and the war in Ukraine. Speaking about visiting local staff at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power facility, he said, I was moved - but not surprised - seeing these people work in these conditions.

Repeating his frustration at the slow pace of establishing a demilitarized zone around the Zaporizhzhia facility, Grossi said, Establishing a protection zone around a nuclear power plant is as self evident as anything can be. How can you shell a nuclear power plant, for Gods sakes? And it is happening.

Grossi pledged to carry out all verification missions without any political influence, and said it is essential to work with nuclear inspectors who are technologically capable.

When you work in non-proliferation, you have to do it in the fundamental ethical belief that science should be used for good, always, Grossi said, when asked what advice he would give youth considering going into his career field. This is not a business for few, but a business for all, noting that more people from a greater diversity of backgrounds are needed to enter the field in the future.

10:40 a.m.: Ukrainian authorities on Friday announced further rolling blackouts in and around the countrys largest cities amid ongoing Russian strikes targeting energy infrastructure, The Associated Press reported.

The press service of Ukrenergo, the sole operator of Ukraines high-voltage transmission lines, said in a statement that emergency outages of four hours a day or more had resumed in the Kyiv region.

The capital regions governor, Oleksiy Kuleba, said on Telegram on Friday that residents could expect to see tougher and longer power outages compared to earlier in the war.

Oleg Syniehubov, the governor of the Kharkiv region in northeast Ukraine, announced on Telegram that daily one-hour power outages would begin Monday across the province, including the regional capital, which is Ukraines second-largest city.

He said the measures are necessary to stabilize the power grid, because the enemy continues shelling (Ukraines) energy infrastructure.

10:25 a.m.:

10:15 a.m.: Finland and Sweden are committed to joining the NATO military alliance simultaneously, the Nordic neighbors prime ministers said on Friday, according to Reuters.

Sweden and Finland launched their bids to join NATO in May in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but ran into objections from Turkey, which accuses the two of harboring what it says are militants from the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and other groups.

All NATO members except Turkey and Hungary have ratified the applications.

"It is very important for us, of course, that Finland and Sweden would join NATO hand in hand," Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin told reporters, adding that she had discussed Turkey's concerns with its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Prague recently.

9:50 a.m.:

9:20 a.m.: Ukraines finance minister says the country needs $38 billion a year for post-war reconstruction, The Kyiv Independent reported Friday.



The media organization reported Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko as saying that the Ukrainian government can take the funds necessary for Ukraine's reconstruction from the state budget, but it must look for other sources too.



"We are currently looking for resources for critical recovery... We are talking about roughly $38 billion a year," The Kyiv Independent quoted Marchenko as saying.



Marchenko also said the government could use Russian money which has been seized within Ukrainian territory for future repair works, it reported.



8:55 a.m.:

8:25 a.m.: Ukraine has shot down more than 300 Iranian Shahed-136 'kamikaze' drones so far, air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat told a briefing on Friday, Reuters reported.



The drones have become a key weapon in Russia's arsenal during its war in Ukraine and have often been used in the past month to target crucial energy infrastructure.



Iran has denied Ukrainian and Western accusations that it is supplying drones to Russia.

8:10 a.m.:



7:50 a.m.: Turkish defense company Baykar is planning to complete the construction of its manufacturing plant in Ukraine in two years, Reuters reported Friday, quoting its chief executive. The company became highly renowned for their drones' success in thwarting Russian forces.

The aerial drones supplied to Ukraine by Baykar were instrumental in Ukraine's defense against Russian armor and anti-aircraft systems in the first few weeks of the Russian invasion.

Its Bayraktar TB2 drone gained so much prominence with the public that Ukrainians composed a song about it and some allies launched unprecedented crowdfunded campaigns to buy more.

As part of an agreement between Turkey and Ukraine, signed just before Russia's Feb. 24 invasion, Baykar had agreed to build its second manufacturing plant in Ukraine.

7:35 a.m.: Ukrainian troops are targeting Russian-launched drones, fighter planes, and helicopters, using Soviet-era antiaircraft systems with limited radar capabilities. They also use Western-supplied, shoulder-launched missiles like the Stinger, but factors such as the weather can have a major impact on their effectiveness. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has this report.

7:10 a.m.: Sweden has ordered additional investigations to be carried out of the damage done last month to the two Nord Stream pipelines, the prosecutor in charge of the case said in a statement on Friday, according to Reuters.

Sweden and Denmark have both concluded that four leaks on Nord Stream 1 and 2 were caused by explosions, but have not said who might be responsible. World leaders have called it an act of sabotage.

"I've decided together with the security police to carry out a number of additional investigations at the scene of the crime," lead prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said.

6:45 a.m.:

6:30 a.m.: The U.S. and its Western allies have dismissed Russias claims that banned biological weapons activities are taking place in Ukraine with American support, calling the allegation disinformation and fabrications, The Associated Press reported Friday.

Russias U.N. ambassador said Moscow will pursue a U.N. investigation of its allegations that both countries are violating the convention prohibiting the use of biological weapons.

The dispute came Thursday in the third U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine-related issues that Russia has called since Tuesday. This one focused on a 310-page document that Russia circulated to council members this week alleging there is military biological activity in Ukraine with support of the U.S. Defense Department.

The document includes an official complaint to the council, allowed under Article VI of the 1972 biological weapons convention, and a draft resolution that would authorize the Security Council to set up a commission to address Russias claims.

6:15 a.m.:

5:27 a.m.: According to the UK Ministry of Defences latest intelligence update, "In the last six weeks there has been a clear move from Russian ground forces to transition to a long-term, defensive posture on most areas of the front line in Ukraine."

The Ministry added that, "This is likely due to a more realistic assessment that the severely undermanned, poorly trained force in Ukraine is currently only capable of defensive operations."

5:02 a.m.: The Associated Press reports that fighting is heating up around the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. The city has stayed in Ukrainian hands, stymying Moscows efforts to capture the entire Donbas region.

Taking Bakhmut would rupture Ukraines supply lines and allow Russian forces to press on to the key Ukrainian strongholds of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

According to the AP, the line of contact is now on the citys outskirts, and mercenaries from the Wagner Group are leading the charge.

4:38 a.m.:

4:01 a.m.: Ukraine's military says Russia is massing troops on the right bank of the Dnieper River as both sides appear poised for what could be a key battle for the city of Kherson in Ukraine's south, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Oct. 28 that Moscow has sent in up to 1,000 recently mobilized soldiers to make up for personnel losses suffered at the hands of an ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kherson region.

Kherson, one of four partially occupied provinces that Russia proclaimed to have seized last month, controls the only land route to the Crimean Peninsula that Russia illegally annexed in 2014 and the mouth of the Dnieper that bisects Ukraine.

3:44 a.m.: AFP reports that evacuations from occupied Kherson, organized by Russias forces during a Ukrainian counter-offensive, have been completed, according to Sergei Aksyonov, the Moscow-appointed head of Crimea.

The work to organize residents leaving the left side of the Dnipro (river) to safe regions of Russia is completed," Aksyonov said on Telegram late Thursday night.

3:30 a.m.: As Reuters reports, a Russian officials threat to strike Western satellites aiding Ukraine could open an entirely untested area of international and space law.

Senior foreign ministry official Konstantin Vorontsov told the United Nations that, as a response to the extremely dangerous trend of Western satellites helping Ukraine, Quasi-civilian infrastructure may be a legitimate target for a retaliatory strike."

"Theres always been a sense that this could happen, but never has somebody actually said that they might do that out loud, Michelle Hanlon, co-director of the University of Mississippi School of Law's Air and Space Law program, told Reuters.

In response to the threat, Iridium chief executive Matt Desch said that, Space has gotten to be quite messy."

Ukraine relies on Elon Musks SpaceX Starlink network of roughly 3,000 satellites to provide broadband internet. U.S. communications company Iridiums satellite network aids communications devices across Ukraine and firms like the U.S. Maxar capture sophisticated satellite imagery of the war as it unfolds.

2:50 a.m.:

2:15 a.m.:

1:40 a.m.: On Friday, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said that Seoul has not provided any lethal weapons to Ukraine, Reuters reported.

The statement came in response to a remark Russian President Vladimir Putin made at a conference in Moscow on Thursday. Putin had said that such a decision would destroy their bilateral relations.

"We have been in solidarity with the international community for peaceful, humanitarian aid to Ukraine and have not provided any lethal weapons, but that's in any regard a matter of our sovereignty," Yoon told reporters when asked about Putin's remark.

A U.S. ally, South Korea has maintained that it would not provide Ukraine with lethal aid, and has sought to avoid antagonizing Russia, both for economic reasons and the influence that Moscow can exert with North Korea.

12:47 a.m.:

12:15 a.m.: When Hurricane Ian tore through western Cuba in late September, causing an island-wide blackout, it left the government grappling with a deepening energy crisis and simmering discontent among Cubans, The Associated Press reported.

It also once again thrust the Caribbean island into the middle of an escalating tug-of-war between its seaside neighbor, the United States, and ally, Russia.

At a time when Cuba is urging the Biden administration to ease U.S. sanctions that it says stifle hurricane recovery efforts, Russian oil has flooded into the island, providing relief to debilitating blackouts.

Russia has shipped an estimated $352 million in oil to Cuba since the start of the Ukraine war, the biggest inflow from Russia this century and enough to cover about 40% of the shortfall in the island's supplies, according to independent estimates. The sales also potentially alleviated the weight of international sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

In an increasingly complex geopolitical situation, the island nation has been left with its hands tied.

12:05 a.m.:

Some material for this article came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Israelis head to the polls next week for an election that could return former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to power.

Netanyahu, Israels longest-serving prime minister, has taken to the campaign trail to rally support for his Likud party, while also facing corruption charges.

Tuesdays election will be Israels fifth election in four years.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid replaced Netanyahu just last year after eight parties cobbled together a coalition government.

Polls are predicting that Likud will come out ahead of Lapids Yesh Atid party in next weeks vote, but that does not guarantee the former prime minister an automatic pathway to his old job.

Both parties will have to convince smaller parties to join them in a coalition that will result in a majority of seats in the Knesset, Israels parliament, a process that could take weeks.
A new study of United Nations contracts in Syria finds a large share of donor funds went to companies owned by individuals with troubling human rights records, highlighting the challenges of delivering needed humanitarian aid in a country dominated by what many say is a corrupt and oppressive government.

The U.N., while welcoming many of the recommendations of the report, expressed concern that unsubstantiated generalizations about its work might damage its reputation and undermine donor trust. It did not specify what was unsubstantiated in the report.

The report, compiled by U.K.-based non-governmental organization Syrian Legal Development Program (SLDP) and the Observatory of Political and Economic Networks (OPEN), was released this week in an event at the Washington-based Middle East Institute.

Participants in a panel that discussed the report included a former senior Syria researcher at Human Rights Watch and a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The investigators looked at the top 100 private and public-private suppliers to the U.N. in 2019 and 2020 in Syria. Using the official Syrian gazette that lists local companies and open-source intelligence, researchers found that nearly 47% of U.N. procurement funds went to risky or highly risky suppliers.

The report defines a person or entity as risky if they have been involved in conflict-related human rights abuses or have worked closely with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or the Syrian military since the war started in 2011.

The research shows that during the reviewed period, nearly 23% of U.N. donor funds, amounting to almost $68 million, went to companies owned by individuals whom the U.S., EU or the U.K. have sanctioned for human rights abuses in Syria.

Eyad Hamid of SLDP told VOA, The procurement process goes through different stages. We were advocating for incorporating the human rights of persons in these processes all along, and this is just to provide the proof that there is a need to do that.

UN contracts in Syria

Syria is the biggest recipient of U.N.-funded aid programs.

The report claims to cover 94% of private suppliers that won U.N. contracts in Syria. Karam Shaar of OPEN told VOA the findings present a broad picture of the problems that exist in international aid contracts there.

Among highly risky companies that won contracts is Desert Falcon LLC. Its co-owned by Fadi Saqr, the commander of the Syrian National Defense Forces, who was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2020.

Another highly risky entity, the Syrian Olive Oil Co., won a World Food Program contract worth over $25 million, according to the report. Some of the companys co-owners are under EU and U.K. sanctions for their support of the Assad regime in the brutal civil war.

The U.N. does not have to abide by sanctions imposed unilaterally by a country or alliance.

The Assad government is also known to artificially inflate its currency. The researchers said this enables government-linked contractors to make huge profits while a large majority of Syrians live in poverty due to the decade-long war.

We cannot afford to lose one more dollar to the al-Assad regime, one more humanitarian dollar to be diverted, Shaar said.

According to the report, the U.N. agencies did not reveal the name of the suppliers for over $75 million worth of procurements or 20% of the contracts given in the two-year period under review. The agencies cited security or privacy as the reason.

In a written response to VOA, the U.N. said public disclosure standards are carefully established to maintain confidentiality on certain sensitive information and to protect the U.N. (and therefore the people we assist) from risks of politicization of data. It said such data can be accessed if the U.N. or a member state seeks an audit.

Based on interviews with local and international staff of various U.N.-related aid agencies, the report alleges U.N. entities allowed corruption and nepotism in procurement staff and allowed the Assad regimes supporters to be hired in local offices in a bid to maintain access to vulnerable Syrian communities.

The U.N. said its Syria team had discussed the findings with the reports authors and had conveyed reservations with regards to the overall characterization of the context, as well as some of the findings and recommendations.

Reports implications

Charles Lister, director of the Syria Program at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, told VOA the reports findings confirm a long-held suspicion that the problems in the U.N.s aid apparatus in Syria are not limited to a few isolated incidents but are systemic and demand change.

I think that poses some fundamental questions about the U.N.'s either capability or willingness to do real due diligence and to ensure that it is indeed doing no harm, which is obviously a motto that it stands by, said Lester, who is also on OPENs advisory council.

Conflict zones around the world pose complexities and limitations for aid agencies. Local staff can face serious consequences for highlighting issues such as corruption while foreign staff can have their visas delayed or revoked.

Access is key for the U.N. and Lister believes the agency knows that in order to operate inside Syria it requires the support of the Syrian regime.

The authors of the report said they do not want aid to Syria to stop. However, they are urging donor countries take an active role in knowing how their aid dollars are being used in Syria.

SLDPs Hamid said he hopes that engagement with donors and civil society will minimize, if not eliminate the humanitarian funds falling into the hands of human rights abusers in the country.

The U.N. said its entities may have specific due diligence measures and reporting agreements with donors that help ensure maximum accountability for resources.

It acknowledged that many recommendations of the report are in line with the enhanced risk management and due diligence practices the U.N. country team has adopted since 2020.
Residents in Tibets regional capital of Lhasa took to the streets to protest harsh COVID-19 measures, a rare demonstration in the heavily policed city.

Video footage showed hundreds of people, including both native Tibetans and Han Chinese migrants, taking part in the demonstrations.

The videos, reportedly shot Wednesday, were shared on Chinese social media sites Douyin and Weibo before being taken down by authorities.

There was no sign of violence during the protests, which are believed to be the first demonstrations in Lhasa since 2008, when Tibetans took to the streets to protest the Chinese governments treatment of the group.

Chinese authorities violently suppressed the 2008 demonstrations.

This weeks protests appeared to take place during the day and the night.

Lhasa has been locked down for more than two months as part of the governments zero-COVID policy.

The policy has led to strict measures across the country whenever COVID-19 cases rise, from Shanghai in the east to Tibet in the West.

Rare protests have also broken out in cities such as Shanghai, where the entire city was placed on lockdown for two months during the summer.

On Friday, authorities in Shanghai ordered mass COVID-19 tests for residents in the citys downtown Yangpu district  1.3 million people  and ordered them to remain in their homes until at least the results are known.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.
North Korea fired a pair of ballistic missiles Friday, South Koreas military said, Pyongyangs latest move ratcheting up tensions with the United States and its allies.

The North launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast around midday, according to an alert by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The missiles were launched from the Norths Gangwon Province, which borders the South, the statement said. It provided no further details about the launch.

In a statement, the U.S. militarys Indo-Pacific Command said the launch does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, but highlighted the destabilizing impact of North Koreas weapons program.

North Korea has test-fired a record-high 46 ballistic missiles in 2022. The launches defy United Nations Security Council resolutions, which prohibit any North Korean ballistic missile activity.

Pyongyang is also widely expected to conduct another nuclear test soon  its first since 2017.

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency said Thursday another North Korean nuclear test would be the latest confirmation that North Koreas nuclear program is moving full steam ahead in a way that is incredibly concerning.

We hope it doesnt happen, but indications unfortunately go in another direction, said Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

A nuclear test would worsen tensions between North and South Korea, which are already engaged in a dangerous cycle of retaliatory displays of military strength.

Four days ago, the two Koreas exchanged warning shots near a disputed area off their west coast, after the South detected a North Korean merchant ship crossing the de facto sea border.

South Korea this week is wrapping up a major annual field military exercise. On Monday, South Korea and the United States will begin a separate, five-day, large-scale joint air drill.

The exercise, dubbed Vigilant Storm, will involve 240 aircraft, including each countrys most advanced fighter jets, according to a statement from South Koreas Ministry of National Defense.

U.S.-South Korea military exercises have intensified this year as North Korea increases its weapons tests. North Korea views the drills as a serious provocation, while U.S. and South Korean officials say the drills are necessary to respond to the North Korean threat.

While North Korea appears intent on provoking a sense of crisis, to what end is not clear. According to analysts, Pyongyang has a longstanding strategy of periodically ratcheting up tensions in order to create leverage ahead of negotiations with the United States and its allies.

But North Korea has consistently rejected recent U.S. and South Korean offers of dialogue. In September, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said there would be absolutely no denuclearization, no negotiation and no bargaining chip to trade.

North Korea has many other possible motivations for conducting weapons tests, including developing new capabilities, demonstrating deterrence, and signaling resolve to its own people.
South African investigators have arrested the former head of the country's national power provider, Eskom, on corruption charges. South African analysts say while this is a significant step toward tackling state graft, it won't fix the country's worsening energy crisis.

Matshela Koko, the former head of state power provider Eskom, was charged Thursday with multiple counts related to corruption, fraud and money laundering.

The lawyer leading the charge for the National Prosecuting Authority, Andrea Johnson, said in a statement, This arrest is about accountability and rule of law  it is imperative for the country and its people that we serve without fear, favor or prejudice.

Kokos wife, two stepdaughters and other officials under his tenure also were charged in the complex case, which involves more than $121 million in power station construction contracts.

Analysts say the charges show growing momentum in efforts to tackle widespread corruption in state institutions.

I think what this sends out is [the message] that if you are in a position of power and authority and you commit corruption, that the precedent has been clearly set that you can and will be held accountable, said Gareth Newham, head of justice and violence prevention for the Institute of Security Studies in Pretoria. So, it's a very important principle that has now been established, and one of those lacking for too long in South Africa.

Eskom was just one institution targeted in state graft  called state capture  under the nearly decade-long tenure of former president Jacob Zuma that was investigated by a judicial inquiry.

Among the inquirys recommendations was to strengthen the National Prosecuting Authority.

Current President Cyril Ramaphosa has done just that, by adding an independent directorate to the authority and giving it more resources, as part of his anti-corruption mandate.

Newham said the investigation into Koko exemplifies the potential of a strengthened public prosecutor.

I think it shows that the hard work that has been undertaken within the National Prosecuting Authorities since the beginning of 2019 is starting to pay off, he said.

Koko has maintained his innocence, and his arrest doesnt mean a political win for Ramaphosa.

Analysts point out that other high-ranking officials implicated in the graft inquiry continue to hold offices under Ramaphosas watch.

He has the authority as the president of the country, as the leader of the administration to remove certain people now on all levels of government which he's not doing, said Ina Gouws, a political scientist at the University of the Free State.If he's waiting for the National Prosecuting Authority to do his job for him, when it comes to getting rid of caterers who are implicated in corruption, then you can imagine how badly that goes for the country.

The trial, set to take place in March, will not fix Eskom and the countrys energy crisis.

The utility is billions of dollars in debt and implementing daily blackouts due to breakdowns at power stations.

The recovery of funds from the likes of people that have been arrested recently is quite frankly, trivial at this stage, said Clyde Mallinson, an independent energy expert. If Eskom had an infinite budget, as we speak, and if they had an infinite amount of coal, we would still be where we sit at the moment, because it's time that we've lost.

While the public may welcome the prospect of accountability for corruption at Eskom, Mallinson said they cant expect the blackouts to end any time soon.
The husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was attacked and severely beaten with a hammer by an assailant who broke into the couple's San Francisco home early Friday, searching for the Democratic leader and shouting, "Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?"

The assault on the 82-year-old Paul Pelosi injected new uneasiness into the nation's already toxic political climate, just 11 days before the midterm elections. It carried chilling echoes of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, when rioters chanted menacingly for the speaker as they rampaged through the halls trying to halt certification of Joe Biden's victory over Donald Trump.

Speaker Pelosi, who was in Washington at the time of the California attack, arrived in San Francisco late Friday. Her motorcade was seen arriving at the hospital where her husband was being treated for his injuries.

"This was not a random act. This was intentional. And it's wrong," said San Francisco Police Chief William Scott.

At an evening news conference, Scott hailed a 911 dispatcher's work  after Paul Pelosi called for help  as "lifesaving." The chief appeared to hold back tears, his voice breaking at times, as he strongly rejected violence in politics.

"Our elected officials are here to do the business of their cities and their counties and their states. Their families don't sign up for this," Scott said. "Everybody should be disgusted about what happened this morning."

Forty-two-year-old David DePape was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, elder abuse and burglary, and remained in the hospital late Friday, police said. Paul Pelosi underwent surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands, and his doctors expect a full recovery, the speaker's office said.

Biden quickly called Speaker Pelosi with support and later delivered a full-throated condemnation of the "despicable" attack that he said had no place in America.

"There's too much violence, political violence. Too much hatred. Too much vitriol," Biden said Friday night at a Democratic rally in Pennsylvania.

"What makes us think it's not going to corrode the political climate? Enough is enough is enough."

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell tweeted he was "horrified and disgusted" by the assault.

The nation's political rhetoric has become increasingly alarming, with ominous threats to lawmakers at an all-time high. The House speaker and other congressional leaders are provided 24-hour security, and increasingly more other members now receive police protection. This, as crime and public safety have emerged as top issues for voters in the election.

In San Francisco on Friday, police were called at about 2.30 a.m. to the Pelosi residence to check on Paul Pelosi, said Scott.

Scott confirmed that the intruder gained entry through the rear door of the home, which is in the upscale Pacific Heights neighborhood. Investigators believe the intruder broke through glass-paneled doors, according to two people familiar with the situation.

Paul Pelosi called 911 himself after telling the intruder he had to use the restroom, where his phone was charging, according to another person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it. The person said the intruder confronted the speaker's husband shouting, "Where is Nancy?"

Scott said the dispatcher figured out there was "something more" than she was being told, resulting in a priority dispatch and faster police response. "I think this was lifesaving," he noted.

Inside, police discovered the suspect, DePape, and Paul Pelosi struggling over a hammer, and told them to drop it, Scott said. DePape yanked the hammer from Pelosi and began beating him with it, striking at least one blow, before being tackled by officers and arrested, Scott said. The FBI and Capitol Police are also part of the joint investigation.

Police said a motive for Friday's intrusion was still to be determined, but three people with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press that DePape targeted Pelosi's home. Those people were not authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing probe and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The speaker had returned to Washington this week after being abroad and had been scheduled to appear with Vice President Kamala Harris at a fundraising event Saturday night for the LGBTQ group Human Rights Campaign. Pelosi canceled her appearance.

On Friday, Harris said, "I strongly believe that each one of us has to speak out against hate, we have to speak out against violence obviously, and speak to our better selves."

An address listed for DePape in the Bay Area college town of Berkeley led to a post box at a UPS Store.

He was known locally as a pro-nudity activist who had picketed naked at protests against laws requiring people to be clothed in public.

Gene DePape, the suspect's stepfather, said the suspect lived with him in Canada until he was 14 and was a quiet boy.

"He was reclusive," said Gene DePape, adding, "He was never violent."

The stepfather said he hadn't seen DePape since 2003 and tried to get in touch with him several times over the years without success.

Lawmakers from both parties reacted with shock and expressed their well-wishes to the Pelosi family.

"What happened to Paul Pelosi was a dastardly act," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "I spoke with Speaker Pelosi earlier this morning and conveyed my deepest concern and heartfelt wishes to her husband and their family, and I wish him a speedy recovery."

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy reached out privately to the speaker "to check in on Paul and said he's praying for a full recovery," spokesman Mark Bednar said.

But some Republicans declined to pause from politics.

Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin, at a campaign stop for a congressional candidate, said of the Pelosis, "There's no room for violence anywhere, but we're going to send her back to be with him in California."

In 2021, Capitol Police investigated around 9,600 threats made against members of Congress, and several members have been physically attacked in recent years. Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., was shot in the head at an event outside a Tucson grocery store in 2011, and Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., was severely injured when a gunman opened fire on a Republican congressional baseball team practice in 2017.

Members of Congress have received additional money for security at their homes, but some have pushed for yet more protection as people have shown up at their residences.

Nancy Pelosi, who is second in line of succession to the president, has been viciously lampooned in campaign ads by Republicans and outside groups this election cycle. Her protective security detail was with her in Washington at the time of Friday's attack in California.

Often at her side during formal events in Washington, Paul Pelosi is a wealthy investor who largely remains on the West Coast. They have been married for 59 years and have five adult children and many grandchildren.

Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor driving under the influence charges related to a May crash in California's wine country and was sentenced to five days in jail and three years of probation.

The Pelosi home in the wealthy neighborhood has been the scene of several protests in the past few years. After Nancy Pelosi was seen on video getting her hair done at a salon while many were shut down during the coronavirus pandemic, stylists protested outside with curling irons. Members of the Chinese community protested recently before Pelosi's trip to Taiwan.

During debates over the federal stimulus package, protesters scrawled anarchy signs in black paint across the garage door, along with "cancel rent," and "we want everything." They left a pig's head on the driveway.

Yet the dominant feelings Friday were of support and concern.

"We have been to many events with the Pelosis over the last 2 decades and we've had lots of occasions to talk about both of our families and the challenges of being part of a political family. Thinking about the Pelosi family today," tweeted Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

At the Capitol, Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the Senate president pro tempore and third in the presidential line of succession, said he had known Paul Pelosi "forever." He said, "It's just horrible."
Chinese veterinary experts have been invited to Taiwan, zoo officials said Friday, for a rare visit between the two sides after a male panda that symbolized an era of warmer ties was moved into end-of-life care.

Relations between China and Taiwan have been on ice since 2016 with Beijing severing official communications and government visits between the two sides scrapped.

But Taiwan has made an exception after Tuan Tuan, a male panda that was gifted to the island by Beijing in 2008, fell ill in recent weeks and looks to be entering his twilight days.

Taipei Zoo said the Chinese vets will stay for seven days and observe, rather than conduct, health checks.

"The main purpose is to visit Tuan Tuan and see his present condition," Eve Wang, Animal Section Chief of Taipei City Zoo told reporters.

"They expressed their desire to come in person to visit Tuan Tuan. I also think it will be a very meaningful trip," she added.

It is not clear when the vets will arrive, but Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said Wednesday they were processing their visa applications.

Tuan Tuan and his breeding mate Yuan Yuan were given to Taiwan by Beijing at a time when relations between the two neighbors were more cordial.

In a nod to the Chinese Communist Party's goal of one day taking Taiwan, their names combined mean "reunion" or "unity".

The couple became huge stars in Taiwan and Yuan Yuan has since given birth to two female cubs.

"He (Tuan Tuan) was small and so cute when he first got here," said Heng Ling-lin, who brought her children to Taipei Zoo to sign get-well notes.

"He was like everybody's baby," she told AFP.

"It breaks my heart now to see him like this."

'Panda diplomacy'

China only loans pandas to foreign zoos which must usually return any offspring within a few years of their birth to join the country's breeding program.

But Taiwan was granted an exception as part of a brief charm offensive China launched in the late 2000s and was fully gifted both Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan and any offspring they had.

Vets first noticed Tuan Tuan, 18, was ill in August when he began suffering seizures and appeared increasingly unsteady and lethargic.

Subsequent scans showed he had a brain-lesion, and he was placed on anti-seizure medication.

Earlier this week Taipei Zoo said they suspected Tuan Tuan had a brain tumor and he was moved into palliative care.

Beijing has long deployed "panda diplomacy" and the gift of Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan was a move seen to endorse the presidency of then Beijing-friendly leader Ma Ying-jeou.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to one day bring the self-ruled democratic island back into the fold, by force if necessary.

Relations took a dive in 2016 when President Tsai Ing-wen was elected.

Beijing loathes Tsai because she views Taiwan as an already sovereign nation and not part of "one China."

Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has since ramped up economic, military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan.
Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan held a meeting on October 28 with EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar.

October 28, 2022, 12:46 Armenian Security Council Secretary holds meeting with EU Special Representative Toivo Klaar

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 28, ARTSAKHPRESS: Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin was also present at the meeting, the Office of the Security Council said in a press release.

The sides discussed the course of the ongoing steps within the framework of the EU monitoring mission. The sides also discussed the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations process.
Managers of a Bangkok publishing house known for its releases critical of China say they were twice approached by representatives of a Chinese businessman offering them large sums of money to shut down their business.

The representatives, who identified themselves as employees of a private investigative firm, reportedly told the publishers that their client was not acting on behalf of the Chinese government but was hoping to curry favor with authorities in Beijing.

Sam Yan Press is an independent publisher founded in 2017 by student activists at Bangkoks Chulalongkorn University and managed by five individuals. It is known for books and translated works focusing on freedom of speech, human rights and democracy, which include critical views on the Chinese central government.

Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, a Thai activist and founder of Sam Yan Press, told VOA he received an email in May from a Bangkok investigator who wanted to arrange a meeting between the publishers and a Chinese businessman. Netiwit said he and his team ignored the communication, believing it to be fraud.

In July, according to an online posting by the publishing group, the investigator approached another member of the management team with an email saying the Chinese businessman wanted to offer Sam Yan Press 4 million baht ($105,540) to shut down the operation.

The businessmans purpose, the investigator explained, was to show the Chinese government that he had influence in Thailand.

In September, the groups posting said the management team received yet another email from the investigative firm. This time they were offered $52,770 (2 million baht) if they would sign a dissolution document shutting down the business.

After consulting a lawyer, the Sam Yan team arranged a meeting where, the posting said, a representative of the investigation agency confirmed the email offer. It was rejected by the student activists, who said it would be a betrayal of what they stand for.

They said that [they wanted] an official document of the dissolution of the company, just the document, said Jirapreeya Saeboo, the managing editor of Sam Yan Press, who was at that meeting.

They would deliver the document to the client, which is the Chinese businessman, just to have [Chinese officials] thinking he has influence in Thailand in order to make good relations with the Chinese government," she told VOA.

The management team received additional email from the investigative firm on October 2 asserting that the businessman was not a member of the Chinese government and containing a copy of his passport. Sam Yan Press again rejected the offer.

Sam Yan Press named SkyInter Legal as the Bangkok-based private investigation agency that contacted them with both proposals.

VOA has repeatedly contacted SkyInter Legal seeking comment about the allegations but has yet to receive a reply.

I think its because we have been publishing Thai books about Chinese politics and about the dissidents, about Hong Kong, Joshua Wong, about the repression in Xinjiang and recently about Taiwans independence, Jirapreeya said.

We actually feel intimidated, but we will not change, we will still continue publishing and updating about Chinese politics and other issues as well as we did before. But we will have to train more about how to secure ourselves.

There have been concerns over China's growing influence in Thailand in recent years, from politics to trade.

Pravit Rojanaphruk, a veteran journalist with the news website Khaosod English said he worries that the incident could affect relations between the two countries.

Its hope[d] that China will be astute enough to not resort to less than honorable tactics for its bad PR in the eyes of Thais. Thailand is a friend of China. Do not ruin cordial and warm ties by trying to bully Thais who think differently. Respect press freedom. This is Thailand, not China," he said in an interview.

Wasana Wongsurawat, an associate professor at Chulalongkorn University, doesnt believe the approach was commissioned by the Chinese government.

My feeling was that the reality is we live in a society where if the Chinese Communist government wanted Sam Yan Press disappeared, they could easily make them disappear. I dont think this businessperson, whoever he is, came with a mandate from the [Chinese Communist] party, Wongsurawat said.

"This offer of 2 million baht, or 4 million baht seems really bizarre. I dont believe for a moment that money is going to be produced if Sam Yan Press decided to shut down. If you follow the intimidation tactics of the Chinese state across the world, you dont hear about this too much, she added.

Krittapas Chedjaroenrat, the executive editor of Sam Yan Press, said the publisher felt it was necessary to publicly announce the unusual approach to raise public awareness.

Otherwise, he said, We dont know in the future if we  [will] still be safe. For the best, I think we should publish, to at least guarantee to society and acknowledge we have faced this before.

A timeline of the events has been published on the Sam Yan Press Twitter account, as well as a full statement on its website.
A commission of independent U.N. experts examining rights violations and atrocities in the war in Ethiopias Tigray region says that without an end to the fighting, the risk of further atrocity crimes is growing.

Atrocity crimes are imminent unless there is a cessation of hostilities, commission member Radhika Coomaraswamy told reporters Friday at the United Nations.

The U.N. International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia warned in their report delivered Thursday to the General Assembly committee that deals with human rights, that Ethiopian, Eritrean and Tigrayan forces have all committed violations in the hostilities that began two years ago. Commission Chair Betty Murungi said several of these violations rise to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The report outlines the dire humanitarian situation in the northern Tigray region, where 6 million people have been cut off from supplies and services by the federal governments blockade.

We focused first on the dire humanitarian situation in Tigray and found that the widespread denial and obstruction of access to food, medicine and basic services amounted to a crime against humanity, as well as the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare, said commission member Steven Ratner, an American law professor.

The three-member commission created by the Human Rights Council last December also found that the federal government targeted civilians in Tigray with shelling, air strikes and drone attacks.

Addis Ababa has rejected the commissions report.

Ethiopias U.N. ambassador, Taye Atske Selassie, told the General Assembly committee Thursday the report is incoherent and sketchy and is intended to intensify political pressure against his government.

The commission is merely an instrument that will later serve as justification for intervention and sanctions, Selassie said.





The commission found that Tigrayan forces also committed serious crimes, including large-scale killings of Amhara civilians, rape and sexual violence, extrajudicial killings, torture, looting and destruction of civilian property.



To the degree that there have been allegations of isolated wrongdoing by Tigray forces, the Government of Tigray takes those allegations seriously and will ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice, the regional authorities said in a statement when the U.N. commissions report was first published in September.





The report says rape has been perpetrated on a staggering scale since the fighting began in November 2020. Survivors in Tigray have implicated the Ethiopian National Defense Force, Eritrea Defense Forces and the Amhara militia, Fano. Women were raped, gang raped, held as sex slaves and violated with objects.



Sexual violence by Tigrayan forces was documented in areas of neighboring Amhara, where some survivors testified that their rapists told them they were avenging the rape of Tigrayan women and girls.



While the commission said grave violations of international law have been carried out, they did not go so far as to deem it a genocide.



We didn't have a pattern in which we could at this point say that genocide was happening or could not be happening, said Coomaraswamy, a lawyer who has investigated atrocities in her native Sri Lanka and in Myanmar.



But we do say that because of the indicators that are now present at this particular moment in Ethiopian history, and with what is going on at the moment, that there is a possibility that atrocity crimes  that could include genocide  can happen unless the international community, the African Union, stop the cessation of hostilities, she said.



On Tuesday, African Union-mediated peace talks began in South Africa between the federal government and Tigrayan leaders. The commission welcomed the talks, saying it hopes they will lead to an end to the fighting, the resumption of humanitarian access and the return of peace and security for the people.



The commission spent a week in Addis Ababa in July and hoped to receive permission for unfettered access to Tigray, which regional authorities support. But the Ethiopian federal government so far has not granted their request.



A war without witnesses, as you know, can be terrible, commission member Coomaraswamy emphasized.
The U.S State and Treasury departments announced Friday the United States is imposing economic sanctions on the Iran-based 15 Khordad Foundation for issuing a multimillion-dollar bounty on author Salman Rushdie, which led to an attack on him in August.



In 1989, following the publication of Rushdies novel The Satanic Verses, which some Muslims found blasphemous, then-Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the authors death, leading to attacks on Rushdie and those associated with him.



The fatwa was reaffirmed by Irans current Supreme Leader in 2017 and was republished by Iranian state-controlled media as recently as August 2022.



In a statement, the U.S. Treasury Department said the 15 Khordad Foundation has maintained the bounty on Rushdie and as recently as 2012 increased its bounty on the author from $2.7 million to $3.3 million. They said the organization has advertised its offer, claiming the entire sum would be given immediately to anyone who assassinated Rushdie.



In the statement, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson said, The United States will not waver in its determination to stand up to threats posed by Iranian authorities against the universal rights of freedom of expression, freedom of religion or belief, and freedom of the press.



Rushdie, 75, was attacked August 12 as he prepared to speak in a lecture hall in Chautauqua, New York, outside the city of Buffalo. He was stabbed in the face, neck and torso and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he underwent several surgeries.



In a simultaneous statement Friday, the U.S. State Department said the original fatwa was designed to incite terrorism and violence. It went on to say, The United States condemns such incitement and the attack on Rushdie in the strongest terms as a blatant assault on freedom of speech and an act of terrorism. Todays action is another clear signal that we will not stand by in the face of it.



The authors agent said he lost sight in one eye and lost the use of one hand as a result of the attack. A 24-year-old New Jersey resident, Hadi Matar, was arrested and charged with attempted murder and assault in connection with the attack.



Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Canadian counterpart expressed support Thursday for the demonstrators in Iran who have taken to the streets to protest the death of a young woman who died while in police custody after being arrested for wearing her headscarf "improperly."

Blinken said Thursday in Ottawa that he and Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly have exchanged views on the matter.

"We're working together to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its vicious crackdown on brave young women who continue to come out into the streets to demand their rights, more than 40 days now after the killing of Mahsa Amini," Blinken said.

Joly said, in the joint news conference, "Canada salutes all Iranians who are fighting against tyranny, and we stand with the women and girls who are bravely defying the regime. The message is simple: women rights are human rights. We have a moral obligation to support the brave women of Iran and hold those persecuting them accountable."

Blinken also said that he fully supports the statement that Joly and 11 other female foreign ministers issued earlier in the week about Iran's repressive regime.

That statement said in part, "We, as women foreign ministers, are gathered in solidarity with the courageous Iranian women engaging in their right of peaceful assembly and advocating for their human rights. We recognize that Iranian women are also fighting for a better future for all Iranians and we have the moral obligation to support them. We strongly support the vital work of human rights defenders, in particular women human rights defenders, who ensure people around the world are free to exercise and enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms."
The White House says the Biden administration supports the people of Iran and their right to peaceful protests  and that there may be cooperation between Iran and Russia in cracking down on Iranian protesters. VOA Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.
Despite recent changes in the Biden administration's immigration policy and its tightening of border restrictions, Venezuelan migrants who cross into the U.S. illegally continue to turn themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol agents. VOA News reporter Jorge Agobian spoke with some of those migrants.
CAPE TOWN  Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has urged the South African government to deny entry to a Russian billionaire's megayacht, warning that allowing it to dock in the country could lead to sanctions.

Steel and mining tycoon Alexei Mordashov is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The U.S., European Union and allies have been seizing property of Russian oligarchs close to Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine.

The $500 million megayacht Nord left Hong Kong after that city was accused of giving safe haven to those who've been sanctioned. It is expected to arrive in South Africa on November 8 or 9. Although it is not known exactly where it will dock, the popular port of Cape Town is said to have people with the skills required to maintain the vessel.

"The position of the South African government on the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine and the illegal war being perpetrated there has been nothing short of spineless and embarrassing," said Hill-Lewis, a member of the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, which controls the municipality but remains subject to national policies set by the African National Congress ruling party.

"In this case," he added, "they had an opportunity to put some of that right by standing up for principle, by standing up for international law and enforcing sanctions by refusing entry to Mr. Mordashov and his enormous luxury yacht."

Hill-Lewis said he will continue to object.

"This is an enabler of Putin's war and of Putin's regime, and he should be stopped. He should not be welcome. But unfortunately, they have missed an opportunity, and they have decided to muddle through sitting on the fence without taking any clear principled position on this matter," he said. "I will certainly stand up for the basic principle that Cape Town and South Africa should not be offering safe harbor to international criminals."

South Africa has abstained from voting on every United Nations resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which started in February.

FILE - South Africa's ambassador to the U.N., Mathu Joyini, speaks at the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, New York, March 1, 2022.

After the most recent vote earlier this month, South Africa's ambassador to the U.N., Mathu Joyini, said South Africa remains steadfast that dialogue, mediation and diplomacy is the only path that will lead to a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya discussed Mordashov's yacht at a media briefing this week.

"South Africa's obligations with respect to sanctions relate to only those specifically adopted by the United Nations. Currently, there are no U.N.-imposed sanctions on the particular individual," Magwenya said. "Therefore, South Africa has no legal obligations that the U.S. and EU have decided to impose within specific jurisdictions. For as long as individuals abide by our immigration laws, we have no reason to prevent their entry into South Africa."

Brooks Spector, a political analyst and associate editor of The Daily Maverick, said the South African government should be condemning the war.

"If it had been me and I were in charge, which I'm not, I would've said, 'No, the ship can't dock until we have proof that it has no relationship to the war effort or other transgressions,' and that would've put a stop to the immediacy of it and perhaps postponed if off to the distant future as a port visit," Spector said.

He said in this instance, the South African government's expressed desire to take a neutral stance is damaging its reputation.
Columbus Mavhunga

BULAWAYO, ZIMBABWE  Hundreds of Zimbabweans turned out Tuesday for rallies against Western sanctions that the government has long blamed for the countrys economic troubles.

The sanctions, some of which date back 20 years, were imposed in response to alleged election rigging and rights abuses under former President Robert Mugabe, who died in 2019. The United States and Britain maintain the targeted sanctions are not the cause of Zimbabwe's problems.

About 500 Zimbabweans gathered in the city of Bulawayo on Tuesday for an anti-sanctions rally organized by the ruling ZANU-PF Party.

One of the demonstrators, Mabutho Moyo, said U.S. and British sanctions caused the collapse of Zimbabwes economy because industries could no longer get lines of credit.

People lose jobs, and the loss of jobs leads to poverty, Moyo said. And poverty, ultimately, to high mortality rates, as you have seen in Zimbabwe. But as [Zimbabweans], we have remained resilient. We have not allowed ourselves just to cry. And through the leadership of comrade Emmerson Mnangagwa, we are not going to beg for anyones support.

Zimbabwes Vice President Constantino Chiwenga read a speech for President Mnangagwa that was aired on national television.

The sanctions regime undermines the tenets of the human factor approach of nations in pursuit of social sustainable economic development. They are an attack on the freedoms and on the sovereignty of Zimbabwe, Chiwenga read. Further, the illegal sanctions defy the fundamentals and precepts of international law. They challenge the notions of equality of nations and values of global governance enshrined in the United Nations Charter.

U.S., British and European Union officials have long rejected Zimbabwes accusations, saying that the sanctions target individuals and certain companies rather than state institutions.

They say mismanagement of the economy is the key factor behind Zimbabwes long economic slump, which dates back to 2000.

Last week, James OBrien, the U.S. State Departments sanctions coordinator, told an online press briefing that U.S. sanctions are not hurting Zimbabwes economy, as they do not affect banks.

A much bigger problem, he said, is the tax revenue lost from billions of dollars in black market, cross-border transactions that take place each year.

On Tuesday, the British embassy in Harare released a statement saying its sanctions list had only five people for human rights violations and serious corruption.

It added that these measures do not affect trade or economic measures. Trade between the U.K. and Zimbabwe was $175 million last year, and we are working hard to increase this.

The embassy said, We want Zimbabwe to succeed. Anything to suggest that the U.K. wants to harm Zimbabwe is simply false.

Harare-based independent political commentator Rejoice Ngwenya also doubts the sanctions have much of an effect.

Zimbabwe is doing enough business with China and the rest of the world not to even worry who is sanctioning, Ngwenya said. We have enough business associations with other countries, and we have been able to attract enough mining from other countries other than the countries of the West. So, corruption, bad governance and inability to run a simple economy is what is causing economic problems in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe declared October 25 Anti-Sanctions Day and Mnangagwas government called for the protests, asking regional bloc Southern African Development Community (SADC) to support it.

The government said Zimbabwe is still being punished for the land reform program under Mugabe in 2000, which forcefully displaced white commercial farmers from their land and gave it to Black Zimbabweans.
Russia has launched its annual nuclear exercise against the backdrop of heightened rhetoric from Moscow hinting at the use of a nuclear weapon against Ukraine. President Joe Biden has warned Moscow that the use of tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine would be a very serious mistake, as VOAs Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.
THURSDAY, Oct. 27, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The best way to get back to feeling more normal after breast cancer surgery is to get moving, experts say.

One surgeon offers some post-surgery suggestions for arm stretches and light aerobic exercise.

"People who return to everyday activity sooner after surgery tend to heal better and have fewer complications," said Dr. Alastair Thompson, section chief of breast surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

"If you have had surgery to the chest wall, the breast or the armpit, exercising the arm gently is a good way to improve shoulder mobility and reduce swelling," he said in a college news release.

Thompson recommends gentle stretches. Start by touching the top of your head. Reach behind your back. Reach toward the ceiling.

Yoga may also provide helpful stretching, but Thompson said its important to remember that the area around the surgery site may be less flexible.

Aerobic exercise can stimulate the muscles, bones, heart and lungs.

"Walking is a good light exercise, and you don't need anything other than a pair of comfortable shoes to do it," Thompson noted. "It can be on the treadmill or around your neighborhood, as long as the area is well-lit, and the path is safe under foot."

If you're a runner, take some time to work back to your usual pace. Give yourself at least five to seven days to recover, then start with a gentle walk and increase from there, he suggests.

"Try to do a bit more each day to get back to normal, but don't overdo it," Thompson said. "Everyone is different, so use your own judgment. Be in charge of your own recovery."

Patients should check with their own doctors about exercising after surgery. Those who are struggling with mobility may be referred to a physical therapist.

More information

The American Cancer Society has more on breast cancer surgery.

SOURCE: Baylor College of Medicine, news release, Oct. 27, 2022
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili, evaluated the visit of the Head of Government of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili to Hungary."The official visit of the Prime Minister of Georgia to Hungary has ended. Hungary is our country's prominent supporter of Euro-Atlantic integration. Accordingly, this visit was of special importance," he said.According to him, the mentioned visit will bring concrete tangible results on the path of Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic integration. In addition, the minister noted that the existing successful cooperation between the two countries will move to a new level."In the bilateral relations that we have established over the years, we will have new concrete impulses that will bring our two countries even closer, cooperation will be even stronger," Darchiashvili explained, emphasizing that trade and economic relations, as well as cooperation in the educational field, will be Georgia's and priority directions for strengthening ties between Hungary."We had very interesting and in-depth discussions on strengthening and deepening relations. I am sure that after this visit, we will have even more dynamic, more result-oriented cooperation. We count on Hungary as a strong supporter of our country.In order for Georgia to successfully continue moving in the direction of its foreign priorities, Hungary, together with other partners, will be one of the countries that will be able to support and help our country in a very loud and effective way," said Ilia Darchiashvili.Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili wrote on social media that the Abkhazian language is in danger of extinction:"Today, when the Abkhazian language is in danger of disappearing, the Abkhazian language day should be a day of reflection for us, Abkhazians and Georgians, because there is no survival of the Abkhazians without the survival of the Abkhazian language," President wrote.According to President Zourabichvili's explanation, the Abkhazian language faced the threat of extinction for the first time in its many thousand years of existence."It is symbolic that the river Engur, which separates us today, was called the underground river of wisdom in the Sumerian language. Wisdom should bring us closer to each other, lack of wisdom has led us to disaster, and in its many millennia of existence, the Abkhazian language has faced the threat of extinction for the first time.Georgia, while deepening its European integration, should be able to make the survival and development of the Abkhazian language an important topic of the common European cultural agenda.As I stated last year in "UNESCO" regarding the establishment of the International Day of Caucasian Languages, it is possible to save the Caucasian languages, including the Abkhazian language, only with the involvement of the international community", wrote President Zourabichvili.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a meeting with Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock, the Prime Minister's Office informs

October 28, 2022, 15:07 Armenian Prime Minister holds meeting with Interpol Secretary General

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 28, ARTSAKHPRESS: PM Pashinyan welcomed Secretary General Jurgen Stocks visit to Armenia and attached importance to the continuous development and expansion of cooperation between the Armenian police and Interpol.

Pashinyan expressed confidence that the discussions taking place within the framework of Stock's current visit to Armenia will give a new impulse to the Armenia-Interpol cooperation that has been going on for almost three decades, and will further increase the effectiveness of their joint work in the fight against crime.

Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock highly appreciated the level of cooperation with the Armenian police and spoke about upcoming joint programs and the partnership agenda.
Iraq's parliament has expressed a vote of confidence in the new cabinet, breaking a year-long political stalemate. It is the first government since 2005 that does not include members of the bloc of an influential Shiite cleric, news.am informs.

October 28, 2022, 17:02 Iraqi parliament expresses vote of confidence in new cabinet

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 28, ARTSAKHPRESS: A majority of the 253 deputies present voted to appoint 21 ministers, with two positions, the Ministry of Construction and Housing and the Ministry of the Environment, still vacant.

The cabinet headed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani did not include representatives of the bloc of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr for the first time since 2005.

Iraq held early elections more than a year ago in response to massive anti-government protests that began in Baghdad and southern Iraq in October 2019. Protesters called for an overhaul of the political system created after the U.S. invasion in 2003, the AP reports.

After elections that gave the al-Sadr-led alliance a majority, the political struggle delayed the formation of a government for more than a year. Much of this was due to the political rivalry between al-Sadr and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
The West is seeing to push Russia out of the negotiation process at all costs. Konstantin Zatulin, a member of the Russian State Duma and Director of the Institute of CIS Countries, noted this in his address at the Lazarevsky Club meeting being held in the format of a Yerevan-Moscow videoconference, news.am informs.

October 28, 2022, 16:52 Zatulin: West seeks to push Russia out of negotiation process at any cost

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 28, ARTSAKHPRESS: According to the Russian MP, the West is working on the Camp David model. Thus, the negotiations on the Middle East continued for many years, the USSR and the US were the main mediators, but at a certain phaseand sensing the predisposition of the Egyptian president at the timeWashington decided to break this scheme by signing a deal between Egypt and Israel, and forgetting about the interests of Syria and Palestine.

"Absolutely the same situation is today. I would advise everyone who signs such deals not to forget how it all ended for the leaders of the above-mentioned countries," warned the Russian lawmaker.
The power supply situation in Ukraine will improve, if Kiev recognizes Russia's demands, put forward within the framework of the special military operation and the results of referendums, the deputy head of Russias Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, wrote in his Telegram channel on Friday, Tass informs.

October 28, 2022, 17:54 Power supply may be restored, if Kiev recognizes Russias new regions  Medvedev

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 28, ARTSAKHPRESS: "The road to the stability of energy supply is different. It requires recognizing the legitimacy of Russia's demands within the framework of the special military operation and its results, reflected in our Constitution. Then the power supply situation will get better," he said, following the Ukrainian authorities decision to import electricity from Slovakia.

Medvedev believes that "the Kiev regime's purchase of electricity from Slovakia will lead to further energy price hikes for both Europeans and Ukrainians, but will not bring about the desired stability of the Ukrainian power supply system."
Italy set to drop daily covid bulletin and allow return of unvaccinated medical staff.

The Italian government is set to approve measures allowing for the re-integration of "No Vax" doctors and nurses currently suspended because they refused to get vaccinated against covid.

Under the measures, announced on Friday by Italy's new health minister Orazio Schillaci, suspended medical workers would be able to return to work before their suspension expires at the end of this year.

The move, which comes six months after Italy exited the covid state of emergency, is being taken "in light of the worrying shortage of medical and health personnel" and "considering the trend of covid infections", according to a statement on the ministry website.

In addition, fines imposed on those who failed to comply with compulsory vaccinations would be cancelled, as part of a "gradual return to normality".

The health ministry is also set to replace the daily bulletin of covid cases, deaths and hospitalisations with a weekly update, however it said it would make the data available at any time to relevant authorities.

A former rector of Rome's Tor Vergata University, Schillaci joined Giorgia Meloni's cabinet to replace Roberto Speranza who served as health minister throughout the covid pandemic, under the administrations of both Conte and Draghi.

Photo Adnkronos
All Saints Day, or Ognissanti, on 1 November is a public holiday in Italy.

This year the national holiday - also known as Tutti i Santi - falls on a Tuesday meaning that the country's schools and public offices will be closed.

Many businesses and schools in Italy will also take the Monday off, resulting in a four-day "ponte" weekend.

The celebration of all the saints is followed on Wednesday 2 November by All Souls' Day, a Catholic tradition of mourning the dearly departed.

In Italy this is a particularly important day, when people gather to visit family graves.

The capitals three main cemeteries - Verano, Flaminio and Prima Porta - will be open on 1 and 2 November from 07.30-18.00.

The Non-Catholic Cemetery in the Testaccio district is open on both days from 09.00-17.00, with last entry at 16.30.

For details about visiting Romes cemeteries see city website. Photo credit: DedMityay / Shutterstock.com.
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In this Sundays presidential runoff, Brazilian voters will choose between reelecting incumbent Jair Bolsonaro or bringing back former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Neither man is the answer to the challenges facing Latin Americas largest democracy. Brazilians must at least hope for an outcome that doesnt make things worse. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Though some polls had suggested Lula might prevail in the elections first round on Oct. 2, Bolsonaro beat expectations by forcing a runoff, with his congressional and gubernatorial allies also performing well. The race has been tight enough that a contested result remains a possibility. Bolsonaro has previously cast doubts on the integrity of the countrys electoral system and has said he would accept the result if voting is clean. A prolonged post-election dispute would paralyze the economy, widen social divisions and undermine the incoming government from the start.

That Bolsonaro is within even striking distance of a second term is astonishing. If the Covid-19 pandemic was a governance test for leaders globally, Bolsonaro failed it. He shirked a centrally coordinated response, minimized the gravity of the illness, championed bogus treatments and cycled through health ministers. Close to 700,000 Brazilians have died, the second-worst absolute toll after the US.

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Such mistakes mightve been more excusable if the president could point to substantive achievements in other areas. Thats not the case. A climate change skeptic who has portrayed environmental concerns as a threat to sovereignty and development, Bolsonaro hollowed out agencies responsible for monitoring the Amazon and protecting indigenous rights; in the first six months of 2022, deforestation hit a record high. While the government made a start on much-needed pension reform, it has failed to carry out other urgent changes, such as overhauling the tax code and reducing the size of the public service. In the run-up to the election, Bolsonaro embraced fiscal profligacy with tax cuts and cash handouts.

All the while, he has left Brazils democracy weakened, making unfounded claims about voter fraud and politicizing the armed forces. A second term would further embolden Bolsonaro to stoke divisions and feed culture wars, while continuing to attack institutions. At a time when Brazil needs to concentrate on revving up growth while reducing public debt, he has not done enough to suggest he could pull off that balancing act.

He may win all the same. Thats in part because Lula is an imperfect alternative. While beloved by many poorer Brazilians, the former union leader is loathed by others. A graft investigation that landed him in prison for two years, before the countrys supreme court annulled his conviction, is still fresh in many voters minds. Lulas previous time in office coincided with rising commodity prices, making it far easier to carry out transformational social policies without the risk of fiscal strain. Amid a food crisis that now has 33 million Brazilians going hungry, Lulas reputation as a champion of the poor has rallied his core supporters. But middle-class voters are likely to be a harder sell.

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One things certain: The winner of Sundays election will quickly need to dispense with sloganeering and reach beyond his electoral base  a fractious legislature leaves no alternative. After a divisive campaign, that will be easier said than done. But Brazils future, and the stability of the region as a whole, depends on it.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 What Brazils Election Says About Authoritarians: Eduardo Porter

 Even a Lula Win Might Not Restore Brazils Forests: David Fickling

 Brazil Has a Model For Schools Fighting Covid: Clara F. Marques

The Editors are members of the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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Vladimir Putin has faced setbacks on the battlefield in Ukraine, but he might be happy to hear of cracks in the relationship between French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight After a canceled summit and a not-quite-convincing handshake and working lunch, the two leaders are struggling to rekindle the magic of Franco-German unity. And there is barely concealed joy from some quarters that the European Unions policymaking engine is sputtering. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen tweeted: Macron constantly follows Germany, but Germany doesnt follow Emmanuel Macron.

Not to mention the told-you-so tone of those who deny the existence of such an engine in the first place. Skeptical commentators have cast the idea of a Paris-Berlin axis as a largely fictitious object, conjured by pro-Europeans as a way to mask Frances decline and Germanys rise since the turn of the millennium. Paris proposes, Berlin disposes.

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We should be careful not to exaggerate the Macron-Scholz cold snap. France and Germany are at the heart of Europe, but they rarely beat in unison. Before the Iraq War, Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schroeder were frequently at odds. After the financial crisis, Greeces woes led to several showdowns between Angela Merkel and her French counterparts. And as recently as 2019, it looked like Macrons European integration plans would also founder on the rocks of opposition from Madame Nein.

But nor should we celebrate the wrinkles in the relationship. Agreement among the EUs 27 members is hard enough when its two biggest economies see eye-to-eye  consider the months of negotiation to make a plan for pandemic recovery funds a reality. When they dont, things can feel gridlocked, as they currently do in Brussels.

Pierre Sellal, former French ambassador to the EU, describes the relationship as necessary, not sentimental. Whenever France or Germany try to go against or around the other, it never ends well, he tells me.

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A lot of the issues currently dividing the two countries are long-running ones: Germanys preference for a US security umbrella over Frances preference for French-led or European projects, its energy model based on fossil fuels versus French nuclear, and a tendency to put its own trade interests above its allies  such as its agreement to sell a stake in a Hamburg port to Chinas Cosco Shipping Holdings Co.

But if these divides are flaring up now, its because Paris and some other capitals feel Berlin is failing to grasp the extent to which it has blundered strategically in so many areas. After having endured lectures from Germany throughout the euro-zone crisis, France and others mighthave felt schadenfreude at seeing its economy laid low by a dependence on Russian gas and Chinese exports.

And as a painful recession now looms, there is widespread angst over Germanys refusal to change its approach. Paris and its partners have for months been pushing Berlin to accept more joint borrowing as a way to cushion the energy blow. Yet the response from Germany has so far been to prioritize its own national plans, such as domestic aid of up to 200 billion euros ($200 billion) or preparing a trade visit to China.

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The answer to these issues is not to write off the relationship itself as being anachronistic or broken. There arent any viable replacements for this European engine, even at a time when the center of gravity is shifting East. France has cultivated ties with the UK on defense matters and with Italy on economic matters, but coalition-building can only go so far.

France and its partners should keep prodding Germany in a less selfish direction, but Paris should also fixate less on Berlins problems and a little more on changing its approach. In the best Gaullist tradition, Macron has spread the gospel of strategic autonomy and geopolitical awakening, but talk of NATOs brain-death look especially mistaken today. Pariss backing of nuclear energy has been a good choice, but one undermined by the industrial-policy failures of utility EDF. On issues from supporting Ukraine to domestic economic reforms, France can do more to lead by example.

And the two sides should work to understand each others limits. Scholz and his coalition are untested and hesitant, increasing the temptation to play to a domestic audience; Macron is bogged down in parliamentary gridlock at home, making Germany a tempting punching bag. The current discontent feels like more than a momentary blip, but France and Germany should also recognize this is not the time to give Putin reasons to be cheerful.

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More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Macron and Scholz Need a Grand Bargain on Energy: Lionel Laurent

 To Ease Putins Gas Grip, France Wants Welders: Lionel Laurent

 44 European Leaders Gather. What Could Go Wrong?: Andreas Kluth

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Lionel Laurent is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering digital currencies, the European Union and France. Previously, he was a reporter for Reuters and Forbes.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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Airbnb wont report its third quarter results until Nov. 1, but some hosts have been noticing a sharp fall in bookings over the last few months. If short-term bookings dry up, it could mean trouble for anyone relying on Airbnb income to defray the costs of owning a second home. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Its understandable if a sudden decrease in rentals has caught hosts by surprise. For the last few years, investing in vacation rentals seemed like excellent way to earn additional income. Yes, there are loan costs and maintenance costs, and your capital is tied up in property. But mortgage rates were low and property values seemed to keep going up.

Even so, there are at least four major risks any Airbnb host has to consider if they still expect to earn money from their property as the economy slows down.

First, theres the risk of making overly optimistic financial assumptions. Turnover costs, unexpected cancellations, and dead times during seasons that arent popular would lower revenue forecasts. A host might only be able to rent a property out for, say, 100 days a year. Projected costs must also include hiring a professional property management costs fees of say 15% if you wont manage the rental yourself and Airbnbs fee of roughly 14%. Its also easy to underestimate property maintenance costs. Being a top host means furnishing the space like a corporate hotel, with new linens, furniture, and fancy coffee makers. Short-term guests are hard on a property, generating higher-than-usual maintenance expenses.

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The second risk is a sudden drop in demand. Tourism is particularly vulnerable to disaster events like hurricanes, wildfires and even algal blooms. Tourists have lots of choices; if a destination is suddenly less attractive, they can easily cancel their trip or shorten their stay.

This brings me to risk number three: political risk. As short-term rental platforms have experienced rapid growth, local governments have been pushed by hotels and housing advocates to impose limits. For example, New York has passed laws restricting short-term rentals, making it harder for hosts to rent out rooms in apartment buildings. Other cities have followed suit.

Finally, theres oversupply. You might have a great place in an attractive location; but if the supply has outgrown demand, there could be a nosedive in rents or a lack of bookings. In large cities with high housing costs, lots of hotels, and lots of other Airbnb hosts, it is tougher to command a price premium.

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Smaller cities may not necessarily be a better bet. In late January 2020, I remember visiting Sedona, Arizona, and chatting with a New Jersey couple who had also been enchanted by the red rock wonderland. They were sorely tempted to buy a house and rent it out on Airbnb for the weeks they wouldnt be there. But Sedona is one of the worst places to be an Airbnb host, according to AirDNA, an analytics firm that ranks the best places to invest in short-term rentals. It rates Sedona poorly due to high housing prices, low demand and a large number of listings on the market already.

Hosts looking to get out of the business have three options: sell, rent to a long-term tenant, or move in.

Housing prices are falling, but supply is still tight, so depending on how much the property has appreciated, selling might not be a bad option. Leasing the property long-term might be the best choice in some markets, especially where rental prices are high. Moving in is a very personal choice with a lot of accompanying costs.

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Of course, not every Airbnb host is renting out their vacation home. Some are renting out their only home and using the extra income to balance their budgets. I know an LA family  two adults and two teens  who move in with friends and rent out their home when they need back-to-school clothes or a car repair. A more predictable source of income might be a long-term roommate, but that comes with legal complications  long-term renters have more rights  as well as privacy considerations.

Even if Airbnb itself reports another quarter of impressive earnings, if the hosting math isnt working for you, it may be time to cut your losses.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Feeling Pinched? Sometimes Your 401(k) Can Help: Alexis Leondis

 Think Homeowners Will Stay Put? Austin Suggests Otherwise: Jonathan Levin

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 I May Buy Because the Rent Is Just Too Damn High: Erin Lowry

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Teresa Ghilarducci is the Schwartz Professor of Economics at the New School for Social Research. Shes the co-author of Rescuing Retirement and a member of the board of directors of the Economic Policy Institute.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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Britains new prime minister notably promised integrity, professionalism and accountability at Downing Street. But with the (re)appointment of Suella Braverman as Home Secretary, Rishi Sunak has opened himself to the charge that he failed at the first hurdle. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The Home Secretary is a darling of the partys Brexiteer wing. The barrister daughter of immigrants, she shot up the ranks of the Tory party to become attorney general under Boris Johnson. She is also a former chair of the European Research Group that doomed Theresa Mays Brexit deal and premiership and helped elevate Johnson to prime minister.

In her own leadership campaign this summer, Braverman pledged to cut taxes and restore efficiency to government, suspend Britains net-zero 2050 target, end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights and deliver Brexit opportunities. At the Tory Party conference, she described the prospect of seeing a front-page photograph of a flight deporting illegal immigrants as her obsession.

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When that leadership campaign fizzled, she backed Liz Trusss and got rewarded with the Home Office. In that earlier stint, Braverman threatened to derail trade talks with India when she complained that Indians were the migrant group that most overstayed their visas. She denounced Guardian-reading, tofu-eating wokerati as responsible for disruption caused by protestors.

A day later, she was forced to resign for sending a confidential ministerial document to an MP over her private email. There are conflicting accounts of how serious this security breach was and whether Bravermans apology and resignation should draw a line under the affair. Unsurprisingly, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has demanded a full investigation. More unusually, former Conservative Party Chair Jake Berry, who was sacked by Sunak, has publicly accused Braverman of multiple breaches of the ministerial code, significantly worse than the minor oversight that Braverman claims.

Whether Berry is genuinely outraged at Bravermans breach or just really unhappy that hes been kicked out of the tent is unclear but perhaps beside the point. His intervention keeps the issue live. Is an apology all it takes to hold a job in Sunaks cabinet after a breach of the ministerial code? Expect Labour to keep that theme going.

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Bravermans appointment speaks to Sunaks desire to keep a noisy right-wing faction onside as he seeks to rebuild party unity and make some difficult economic decisions. But it increasingly looks like a lose-lose. In keeping her, he signs up to an illiberal immigration policy that undermines his broader economic vision and Britains global standing. In shuffling her out, hed anger the right of his party and confirm suspicions that her appointment showed poor judgment.

Truss reportedly wanted higher immigration numbers baked into growth forecasts to give the government more room for tax cuts, while Braverman wants to return to the Tories old pledge to reduce immigrant numbers to the tens of thousands, which was never realistic. Sunak is likely to clash with Braverman too. Though he took a tough line on immigration during the summer leadership race and does not want limits lifted, hes resisting setting targets.

That leaves the party trapped in a policy that neither appeases anti-immigrant factions nor serves the economy. Despite a new points-based immigration system, the Home Office is struggling to deal with backlogs, and sponsors are finding the process bureaucratic and expensive. Businesses have been lobbying hard for higher immigration numbers as Britain faces a major worker shortage. Hospitality, construction and other industries say staffing shortages are costing them billions of pounds in lost business (which also means lost tax revenue for the Treasury).

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Immigration has distributional effects that cant be ignored, but higher levels of migration would likely provide a modest boost to GDP growth; and immigrants bring fiscal benefits, paying in more to the Treasury than they receive in benefits. Often the bigger benefits come with the second generation, too.

Yet although public attitudes toward immigration are more pragmatic and nuanced these days, the Tory view seems to be that nobody ever lost votes by promising to reduce the numbers.

Still, the Home Offices signature policy on that front  a scheme to deport asylum-seekers arriving in boats to Rwanda  could prove an embarrassment for Sunak. The policy has been subject to a number of legal challenges and is unlikely to have much impact on migrant numbers. Britains international standing wont be helped either by Sunak threatening to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (after the Strasbourg-based court that enforces the convention intervened to prevent the first deportation plane to Rwanda).

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And all of that is before considering the rising rates of violent crime and sexual offences that the Home Office will be expected to address. Should the controversy over her resignation drag on, Sunak might be forced into an earlier reshuffle than he was counting on.

A cynic might suggest thats the whole point. The Home Office is often known as the graveyard of political careers (Theresa Mays long stint there before becoming prime minister is a notable exception). A Machiavellian reading might be that Sunaks appointment is a gesture to the Braverman wing of the party but one that gives himself an out in the event that she stumbles badly.

If so, that may be too clever by half. If she fails, Sunaks judgment will be called into question. Far from appeasing the partys right, Bravermans appointment would only whet its appetite. Either way, these two children of immigrants have set sail for an immigration policy that looks certain to backfire.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Therese Raphael is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion covering health care and British politics. Previously, she was editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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Some epidemiologists and demographers predict the trend of older, sicker and poorer people dying at disproportionate rates will continue, raising hard questions about the trade-offs Americans are making in pursuit of normalcy  and at whose expense.

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The Cayuga County Legislature has passed a resolution to participate in Operation Green Light to recognize veterans during the Veterans Day holiday.

As part of the national effort, the Cayuga County Office Building at 160 Genesee St. will be illuminated with green spotlights from Monday, Nov. 7, through Sunday, Nov. 13.

Local residents and businesses are encouraged to participate in Operation Green Light by changing a bulb to a green one. Participants are encouraged to continue shining the light as long as they'd like, and share their participation on social media using the hashtag #OperationGreenLight.

"By shining a green light, Cayuga County government, businesses and residents will let veterans know they are appreciated," said Kevin Swab, director of the Cayuga County Veterans Service Agency, in a news release.

Another goal of the effort is raising awareness of the challenges faced by veterans and the resources available to them and their families at the county, state and federal levels. The Cayuga County Clerk's Office's Return the Favor program, for instance, makes veterans aware of local businesses that offer discounts. The list is available online or by visiting the clerk's or Veterans Service Agency offices.

For more information, visit cayugacounty.us/365/veterans-return-the-favor-program or call (315) 253-1271.
Elon Musk has become Twitters new owner, firing top executives he had accused of misleading him and providing little clarity over how he will achieve the lofty ambitions he has outlined for the influential social media platform.

Musk terminated Twitter chief executive Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer Ned Segal and legal affairs and policy chief Vijaya Gadde, according to people familiar with the matter. He had accused them of misleading him and Twitter investors over the number of fake accounts on the social media platform.

Elon Musk is making big changes after completing his deal to buy Twitter. Credit:Bloomberg

Agrawal and Segal were in Twitters San Francisco headquarters when the deal closed on Friday morning (AEDT) and were escorted out, the sources added.

Twitter, Musk and the executives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
We transported to the left bank the remains of the holy prince that were in St Catherines Cathedral, Saldo said in an interview broadcast on Russian television. We transported Potemkin himself. Local Ukrainian activists confirmed that the church had been looted and that, along with the bones, statues of venerated Russian heroes had been removed. By the count of historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of the book Catherine the Great and Potemkin, it was the ninth time Potemkins restful peace had been interrupted. Montefiore said in an interview that shortly after his books publication in 2000, the Kremlin contacted him to say how much Putin admired his work. But Montefiore said Thursday that Putins reading of history was deeply flawed and that his war has reduced to ruins Ukrainian cities such as Mariupol and Mykolaiv that Potemkin and early Russian imperialists helped to build. (The term Potemkin village was coined to describe an impressive facade constructed to hide an undesirable state of affairs, although Montefiore says the term was incorrectly ascribed to the prince, whose achievements in present-day Ukraine were real.) Potemkin would have despised Putin and everything he stands for, he said. Potemkin and Catherine, he said, regarded that area as a cosmopolitan window onto the Mediterranean, populated by a vibrant mix of people of different ethnicities and national backgrounds.

The destruction of the cities that Potemkin helped build, he said, has cast Putin in the role of destroying those earlier triumphs. Loading The plundering of Potemkins grave is of a piece with Russias efforts to obliterate Ukrainian identity. Russian forces have destroyed and systematically looted Ukrainian treasures, including Ukrainian Orthodox churches, national monuments and cultural heritage sites. They sent specialists to abscond with gold antiquities from the Scythian culture dating back 2,300 years. As of October 24, UNESCO, the United Nations agency, had documented damage and destruction in more than 200 cultural locations. But the bones of Potemkin, a famed military commander and statesman, have added resonance for the Kremlin. Montefiore, who chronicled the outrageously libertine lifestyle and exuberant political triumphs of Potemkin and Catherine, noted the special place in history the pair hold for Putin and the ultranationalists, as they try to meld the gilded majesty of the Romanov empire with the grim glory of a Stalinist superpower into a peculiar modern hybrid.

Russian rulers have not always viewed the legacy of Potemkin and Catherine admiringly  a fact underscored by the story of what has happened to Potemkins remains over the centuries. When Potemkin died in 1791, the grieving empress ordered a grand funeral and had his body brought to Kherson, where it was displayed uncovered in a specially constructed tomb in a crypt, Montefiore wrote. By the time Catherine died in 1796, it had become something of a pilgrimage site, infuriating her son and successor, Paul I, who ruled Russia until his assassination in 1801. He ordered that Potemkin be buried in an unmarked grave, with some reports suggesting that he directed a local official to smash and scatter Potemkins bones in the nearby Devils Gorge. For years, it was unclear if the orders were carried out. It was not until 1818 that a search of the crypt established that the remains were still there. In 1859 and again in 1873 the grave was opened again to determine that the remains were indeed those of the great prince. A telltale triangular hole in the skull, left there as part of the embalming process, established that they were.

As the Bolshevik Revolution raged, the crypt at St. Catherines was opened yet again and, as Montefiore noted in his book, there were yellowed photographs of revolutionaries holding up the remains. Loading In 1930, a young writer visited St. Catherines, which the Communists had renamed Khersons Anti-Religious Museum. He found two strange exhibits holding the skull of Catherine IIs lover Potemkin and the bones of Catherine IIs lover Potemkin. Soon after the discovery, the remains were buried yet again in the crypt. The grave was opened again in the 1980s by officials seeking to confirm the identity of the remains.
AUBURN  One of two people facing charges connected to the death of a developmentally disabled 17-year-old girl pleaded not guilty in Cayuga County Court Thursday.

Brian Burns, 35, was in front of Judge Thomas Leone for an arraignment, on charges of second-degree manslaughter, a class C felony, and first-degree endangering the welfare of a disabled/incompetent person, a class E felony. Burns and his fiance, Jennifer M. Klino, were both charged by the Auburn Police Department with the endangering count in April following the death of Jennifer Klino's daughter Bryleigh Klino, who died in February at the age of 17.

APD Capt. Kyle Platt said in April the investigation was ongoing and confirmed Burns and Klino's charges were related to Bryleigh's "untimely death," but said he couldn't talk about specifics. Bryleigh suffered from Rett syndrome, a neurological disorder that affects a person's ability to walk, talk, eat and breathe. Records filed in the cases with Auburn City Court said she was bedridden at the time of her death.

Jennifer Klino was indicted on the same charges as Burns. In court Thursday, it was confirmed Burns would plead not guilty to the two charges. Cayuga County Senior Assistant District Attorney Heather De Stefano said after court that a grand jury added the manslaughter counts after the couple were initially charged because the final autopsy report for Bryleigh didn't come in until the beginning of September.

Auburn mother, fiance charged in death of developmentally disabled teenager An Auburn mother and her fiance are facing criminal charges stemming from an investigation into the death of a developmentally disabled 17-yea

In court Thursday, De Stefano recommended that bail for Burns should be set at $50,000 cash or $100,000 bond. She noted that Bryleigh was disabled and referenced Jennifer Klino.

"Their direct inaction led to the death of this child," De Stefano said.

Clifton Carden III, of the Syracuse-based law firm CDH, said the information in Burns' indictment did not support the idea that Burns' direct action lead to Bryleigh's death. Carden also noted Burns was present in court Thursday.

Leone ultimately allowed Burns to remain free on pre-trial release, but Burns will need to follow several conditions. His next day in court is Dec. 1.

Acting Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci said after court that Jennifer Klino is scheduled for arraignment on the indictment Nov. 3.

Also in Court

 An Auburn man was sentenced in court Thursday morning.

Vincent Ferris, 25, was sentenced by Leone to one to three years in state prison for a count of failure to notify of an internet identifier, which he previously plead to. De Stefano said Ferris, a registered sex offender, did not notify the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services that he had an email address.

 Michael A. Peterson, 41, was before Leone for a conference and bail application, with a charge of first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child. De Stefano said after court that Peterson's attorney argued for bail reduction, which was denied.
AUBURN  An Auburn woman charged with murder from a March shooting death is scheduled to go to trial in Cayuga County Court early next year.

Shameek Copes, 28, of 1 Jefferson St., Apt. 1, facing counts of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, is currently set for a Jan. 9, 2023 trial start date. She went before Judge Thomas Leone for motion arguments in court Thursday, when the trial date was announced.

The Auburn Police Department charged Copes in the shooting of John Wesley Smith III, 37, of Syracuse, who was found dead in front of Swifty's Tavern in Auburn around 1:40 a.m. March 15. Copes entered not guilty pleas to the murder charge and the weapon possession charge. At the time, acting Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci said Copes was "caught on video shooting and killing the victim."

Rome Canzano, Copes' attorney, argued in court Thursday for several motions he filed, including a change in trial venue and moving into a different jurisdiction. After court, Canzano expressed concern "with regard to drawing an objective jury pool, people not having an opinion," given the media coverage around "this alleged event."

Cayuga County Chief Assistant District Attorney Chris Valdina argued in court the county has had plenty of "high-profile" trials over the years and the court doesn't have the authority to grant that request, since the appellate division would have to rule.

After court, Grome Antonacci said "there is no indication that we wouldn't be able to get a fair and impartial jury." Valdina argued that the county has had other cases "you think are getting a lot of publicity" but once jury selection starts, potential jury members haven't heard of the case.

Leone ruled against that Canzano's motion, as the appellate division would have the authority for that request.

In court, Canzano also argued for Copes to not be tried with her co-defendants, Adrian Agee and Junnell Copes, both of Auburn. Agee and Junnell Copes were arraigned in April on felony charges related to Smith's death, Grome Antonacci said then. Agee was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence, while Junnell Copes was charged with criminal possession of a weapon.

Junnell Copes is related to Shameek Copes. Canzano argued in court Thursday that Junnell Copes' case is not related to Shameek's. Grome Antonacci argued against that.

"Junnell Copes was the catalyst for this incident," she said. She noted after court that Junnell "fired several rounds" into the ground at the area of Swifty's Tavern immediately before Shameek began shooting. During court, Leone did not grant or deny the motion connected to Junnell Copes' case but indicated he would make a decision at a later date.

Grome Antonacci and Valdina said after court that Agee previously pleaded guilty to the weapon possession count and the hindering prosecution charge. During the investigation, Valdina added, law enforcement recovered an "unrelated weapon," a loaded pistol, on Agee's property, adding that law enforcement also determined Agee hid the murder weapon in a public storm drain.

Canzano also argued for a motion to move Copes from the Cayuga County Jail. Canzano said after court Copes has had issues in the jail making it necessary for her to be moved. While Leone denied that request, the judge is allowing Canzano to provide him with supplemental information. Canzano also said Copes "has demanded a speedy trial." Later, Leone, Canzano, Grome Antonacci and Valdina all went to the judge's chambers for a conference, which lasted over 35 minutes. Canzano said after court they discussed when a trial could be held "and other matters associated with the case."

After the conference, both sides spoke in court about the possibility of Copes receiving bail. The prosecution argued against bail while Canzano argued for it, saying her family, friends, significant other and mother all reside in the county. Leone denied Copes bail, remanding her back to jail. The prosecution and defense also argued on different motions Canzano filed for, such as for Leone to review the minutes of the grand jury for Copes' indictment.

Copes was also denied bail and remanded back to jail when she was in front of Leone in August. Grome Antonacci previously noted Copes is facing maximum sentences of 25 years to life in state prison for the murder charge and 15 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision on the weapon count, running concurrently.
In the days leading up to President Joe Biden's visit to central New York, U.S. Rep. John Katko received an invitation from the White House.

The invitation: For Katko, R-Camillus, to ride with Biden, a Democrat, on Air Force One to Syracuse.

Katko accepted.

"Any time I can get with the president of the United States to have an opportunity, one-on-one, to advocate for my district, I'm going to take it," Katko told The Citizen on Thursday. "We had a lot of time together. It was great."

That time  Katko estimated it was 30 to 45 minutes  was partially spent talking about the reason they were traveling to central New York: Micron's announcement earlier this month that they will invest $100 billion over 20 years to build a massive semiconductor manufacturing facility in Onondaga County.

Biden signed legislation in August that provides $52.7 billion to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing. Katko advocated for the bill's passage and broke with Republican leaders to support it. When Biden signed the bill, Katko attended the White House ceremony.

The chips legislation wasn't the only topic during their conversation. They discussed their families and their Irish heritage, Katko said.

"It was just very nice, very rewarding and we were both very excited about what the (CHIPS and Science Act) means for central New York and what Micron means for central New York," he added. "We both knew it was going to be a really good day when we landed."

When Biden took the stage at Onondaga Community College, he began recognizing other elected officials that joined him  Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. But he also gave Katko a shoutout.

"John is a Republican, and I like him a lot," Biden said. "I've been in the Congress for a long time. (He served in the U.S. Senate.) This is how we used to be. We used to work together like you've worked together with me and the delegation. Thank you very much. I'm, quite frankly, a little sorry you're leaving. Thanks for what you done."

Katko, who is not seeking reelection this year after serving four terms in Congress, called Biden's remarks "really cool." The Syracuse-area Republican has a reputation for his willingness to work with Democrats on key issues.

Before passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, Katko worked with Biden and other Democrats on the bipartisan infrastructure legislation that was signed last year.

"That is emblematic of what bipartisanship is all about is that when you work with the other side and instead of vilifying them, you work with them and do the best you can with them, good things happen," he said. "(Micron) is a good example. Federal, state and local, we all put down our swords and we all worked together and it worked out great. That's the way it's supposed to be and that's what people want."
Hindustan Motors, once famous for its iconic Ambassador cars, is set to return as an electric two-wheeler manufacturing company soon. The carmaker, owned by industrialist CK Birla, is closer to its rebirth after finalising its proposed electric two-wheeler project in collaboration with a European partner. Both companies have completed their financial due diligence. The duo will now start finalising the technical aspects of the joint venture which is expected to take another few months. Hindustan Motors is expected to formally return to the Indian market some time next year and will restart its facility located in Uttarpara, near Kolkata, in West Bengal.

News agency PTI quoted one of the officials from Hindustan Motors (HM) saying, "The due diligence between HM and the European company is now complete. The name of the foreign partner will be announced shortly." Currently, the two companies are busy to finalise the structure of the joint venture, including the proportion of equity to be held by each company. The entire process is expected to completed by February 15 next year. After officially forming the joint venture it will take around six months to start the pilot run of the EV project.

According to the HM official, the two companies will put around 600 crore at stake as initial investment for this upcoming electric vehicle project. As of now, the investment is only for electric two-wheelers. A decision to re-enter the four-wheeler space will be taken later. "The EV two-wheeler would be manufactured on 98 acres of land at the Uttarpara plant after modernisation, as it is lying defunct for several years," he said.

Hindustan Motors had shut down the plant eight years ago which had around 2,500 employees working at that point of time. The carmaker decided to stop production due to low productivity, growing indiscipline, critical shortage of funds, lack of demand for its core product, the Ambassador, and large accumulation of liabilities.

Ambassador, which once was the first choice as official car for bureaucrats and politicians, can still be seen in use as taxi in cities like Kolkata. It was modelled on Britains Morris Oxford, and was the first car to be made in India. HM had sold around 2,200 units of Ambassadors in the last financial year before it decided to shut operations in March, 2014.

First Published Date:
China's monthly registrations of locally-made passenger vehicles ("PVs") reached 1,804,485 units in Sept. 2022, rising 9.13% from the previous year, while dipping 1.06% from the previous month, according to the data compiled by Gasgoo Auto Research Institute ("GARI").

For the first nine months of 2022, there were 14,223,955 domestically built PVs registered across the Chinese mainland, representing a 3.39% decrease from a year earlier, 1.58 percentage points fewer than the drop in Jan.-Aug. volume.

Regarding the Sept. registrations of China-made PVs, Volkswagen still outshone other brands, while BYD surpassed Toyota to the runner-up place and it was also the highest-ranking local brand of China. Compared to the previous-month rankings, Tesla moved up 10 spots to the 6th place with only full-electric vehicle registered. The three German luxury brandsBMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi ranked 10th, 12th, and 13th, respectively. AION was listed at the 20th place with 23,040 vehicles registered.

The top two best-performing PV models by Sept. registrations were both battery-electric vehicle (BEV) models, namely, the Model Y and the Wuling Hongguang MINIEV. Compared to the Aug. rankings, the Nissan Sylphy dropped two spots to the third place among all PV models.

Apart from the Model Y and the Wuling Hongguang MINIEV, there were still five new energy vehicle (NEV) models among the top 20 models by Sept. registrations, including two BEVs (the Model 3 and the Dolphin), and three BYD-branded PHEV models (the Song PLUS DM-i, the Qin PLUS DM-i, and the Han DM).

Regarding the Jan.-Sept. registrations, the top four PV models were the same as that of the rankings by Jan.-Aug. registrations. The BYD Song PLUS DM-i outnumbered the Haval H6 by around 12,700 units. Tesla's Model Y was honored the best-selling SUV model. Besides, three models under German luxury brandsthe BMW 3 Series, the BMW 5 Series, and the Mercedes-Benz GLC, were included in the top 20 models list by Q1-Q3 registrations.

Regarding regional distribution in Sept., Shanghai still registered the most homemade PVs, outselling the runner-up, Beijing, by 31,084 units. Compared to the previous month, Guangzhou's No.3 and Hangzhou's No.4 places remained unchanged. Chengdu plunged to the 13th place from the 5th in August.

Among the top 20 cities by Sept. PV registrations, there were 10 provincial capitals. Such metropolises as Shenzhen, Chongqing, and Tianjin were all on the top 20 cities list.

The top-ranking city by Jan.-Sept. 2022 PV registrations was still Shanghai, but Chengdu fell to the fourth place due to its slide in the rankings by Sept. registrations. The No.2-No.6 cities all recorded a Q1-Q3 registration volume between 300,000 units and 400,000 units.

In Sept., China's monthly locally-made new energy passenger vehicle (NEPV) registrations hit a new high of 538,806 units, surging 66.06% over a year ago and also rising 12.53% over a month ago.

By specific powertrain solutions, BEVs posted a registration volume of 406,636 units in Sept., accounting for 75.47% of the country's total NEPV registrations. The PHEV registrations reached 132,166 units (including 23,814 REEVs).

Notably, there were 4 fuel cell vehicles registered across the Chinese mainland last month.

Of the NEPVs registered in the first three quarters of 2022, 77.49% and 22.51% were contributed by BEVs and PHEVs (including REEVs), respectively.

Regarding the NEPV registrations in Sept., BYD was streets ahead of other brands. It had 166,744 NEPVs registered last month, which were even more than the sum of the No.2-No.5 occupants.

NETA ranked highest among Chinese NEV startups in terms of Sept. NEPV registrations. Li Auto, NIO, and Leapmotor all saw their respective registrations exceed 10,000 units last month, while XPeng failed to have over 9,000 vehicles registered.

With respect to Sept. registrations, the Model Y and the Hongguang MINIEV outperformed other NEPV models. On the top 20 NEPV models list, there were nine from BYD brand, six of which entered the top 10 rankings. The NETA V features the highest Sept. registrations among those under Chinese NEV start-up brands.

In terms of Jan.-Sept. 2022 registrations, four models from Chinese NEV startupsthe Li ONE, the NETA V, the XPeng P7, and the Leapmotor T03came into the top 20 NEPV models list. Both the Model Y and the Model 3 gained a seat on the top 10 list.

Shanghai were the only city whose NEPV registrations exceeded 30,000 units in Sept. Notably, NEPVs accounted for up to 52.34% of Shanghai's PV registrations in the month. Both Hangzhou and Shenzhen recorded an NEPV registration volume of over 24,000 units last month.

In Jan.-Sept. 2022, there were six cities with over 100,000 NEPVs registered each, of which the first three citiesShanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhouhad NEPV registrations exceeding 130,000 units.
PHILADELPHIA  Just like the Reading Fightin Phils players get called up to the big league, some of the front office staff at FirstEnergy Stadium are getting the call to work at Citizens Bank Park. It's all hands on deck as the Phillies get ready to host games three, four and five of the World Series.

"We were one of the first ones they called and they said, 'Hey can you send somebody down?' and I was like, 'I'm going to take a shot at that, yeah for sure,'" said Angel Martinez, a food and beverage intern at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Martinez volunteered to help out at Citizens Bank Park for the last series and plans to do so again next week.

"The atmosphere was just insane," said Martinez.

He worked at one of the bars near home plate and said he had a perfect view of the Harper home run as well as other monumental moments.

"As I was interacting with customers, they were getting just as excited as I was when I heard the crack of the bat and all this happen, so, it was wild."

"Wild" is a common adjective among R-Phils employees describing the experience.

"The atmosphere is just wild," said Ricky Bruno, the Fightins' operations manager. "Philadelphia fans are one of a kind."

Bruno also got called to work at Citizens Bank Park during the National League Championship Series and called the experience a full-circle moment, knowing Phillies stars like Alec Bohm and Rhys Hoskins once stood on the FirstEnergy diamond.

"Just knowing that they were here a couple years ago and now they're in the World Series," Bruno said, "that says a lot about the Phillies farm program and how good some of these kids really are."
Hong Kong: Spirit of CPC congress outlined

The Civil Service Bureau today held a session on the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Central Government Offices, with Chief Executive John Lee as keynote speaker.

The session aims to enable participants to have a deeper exploration and understanding of the spirit of the 20th National Congress and the positioning and role of Hong Kong.

The CPC's 20th National Congress concluded victoriously on October 22 in Beijing.

The National Congress approved a report presented by Secretary General Xi Jinping on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee, which stressed that the one country, two systems principle is a great innovation of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Addressing the session, Mr Lee said the 20th National Congress has conducted a thorough review of the party's major achievements and invaluable experience in the new era, providing in-depth analysis on the international and domestic development, and formulating an action plan for the next five years development.

It drives planning and deployment for the countrys endeavours from a strategic perspective, bearing profound immediate importance and milestone historical significance, Mr Lee added.

He noted that the 20th National Congress report highlighted the advancement for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernisation.

It provided a systematic elaboration on the new ideas, new thinking, and new strategies on the one country, two systems principle, mentioned the support for Hong Kong in growing its economy, improving peoples livelihood as well as resolving deep-seated issues and problems in economic and social development.

The report also outlined giving full play to Hong Kongs strengths and distinctive features for better integration into Chinas overall development.

It is an important guide for the city to promote a transition from chaos to order, and now advancing from stability to prosperity, the Chief Executive added.

An accurate understanding on the essence of the 20th National Congress would help facilitate our understanding of our countrys policies and the steady and successful implementation of one country, two systems, so that we can better leverage on our strengths and characteristics for a better Hong Kong.

Mr Lee hoped that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Governments top echelons and civil service could have an in-depth understanding of the spirit of the 20th National Congress.

They should also continue to adopt the four musts and the four proposals raised by the Secretary General as a governance blueprint in contributing to the country and Hong Kong with their strengths, he added.

Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung told participants that the positioning of the Hong Kong SAR in the country is based upon the citys edge, and it should better integrate itself into the countrys overall development.

She expressed hope that the Heads of Departments would encourage colleagues to learn more about the country, adding that the Civil Service College will also organise training programmes on contemporary China and the holistic view of national security.

The session was attended by more than 130 officials comprising Secretaries of Departments, Directors of Bureaus, Executive Council members, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments.

This story has been published on: 2022-10-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Approval of an Adani Group port expansion in India has been heavily criticised by an influential government auditing agency. Dahej is in an ecologically sensitive set of estuaries that form the lifeblood of local fishing communities However, the Modi government has approved Adanis proposal to expand the Dahej port without putting in place measures to protect the ecosystem. The controversy occurs at a time when PM Modi has become increasingly vocal about the need to protect Indias environment.

Indias premier government auditing agency, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, has indicted the Adani Group for environmental violations in the expansion of a seaport in the western coastal state of Gujarat. CAG is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modis close confidante, Girish Chandra Murmu.

In a report tabled in the Parliament of India on 8 August 2022, CAG has stated that the Adani Group failed to enunciate any mitigation measures for endangered coastal ecology while it expanded the capacity of the Dahej Port in Gujarat in a joint venture with the government-owned oil and gas company Petronet LNG.

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ONTARIO, CanadaAirturn 2, a product of the manufacturer and supplier of sex toys and adult novelties, OTouch, takes home the title for "Product of the Year: Masturbator" at eroFAME 2022. This award is only one of 45 prestigious EAN Erotix Awards.

The Airturn 2 is a suction masturbator that mimics the feeling of oral stimulation. Inspired by the OTouch mission to "reach out and touch the world with passion," Airturn 2 is designed with patented suction technology providing a realistic blowjob and intercourse feeling with heat and vibration modes to reach orgasms. The low-noise device is waterproof and comes with a discreet case. It includes five different sucking functions, six vibration patterns, and a USB-compatible charging port. Its specially designed studs and ribbed waves embedded in the sleeves generate a tingling sensation that surrounds the penis for added pleasure.

The EAN Erotic Award Show in cooperation with the EroFame Global Trade Convention was held in Germany earlier this month. The event showcased and honored innovative companies in the adult industry related to sex toys, hobbies, pharmaceuticals, cinema, publishing, fashion, and leisure, among others.

Said CEO of TW Trade Tony Wang, "We are deeply grateful to EAN for this wonderful recognition. OTouch is dedicated to ensuring the aesthetics and innovation of our products, emphasizing the user's pleasure experience, and the Airturn 2 is no exception. We are pleased with the results we've achieved, and we will continue to provide high-quality products to our customers."

Brian Herbstman of the US distributor of OTouch, Freedom Novelties said, "Our hats are off to the OTouch team for this recognition. We are delighted to bring Airturn 2 to our North American customers, and invite all retailers nationwide to include OTouch in their catalogs to keep expanding the variety of sex toys available to people with penises."

For more information about Airturn 2, view its features here.

US retailers interested in distributing OTouch products through Freedom Novelties, visit the company's B2B portal.

For more information, visit freedomnovelties.com.
READING, Pa.  Preparations are underway ahead of an emotional ceremony that's set for Saturday. A Berks County-based foundation will host a nondenominational memorial service to lay to rest the cremated remains of babies that have gone unclaimed.

The process began Thursday afternoon, as members of the Berks County Coroner's Office transported the cremains from Bern Township to Charles Evans Cemetery in Reading.

"We are transferring the cremains of seven infants that are unclaimed here at the coroner's office," said George Holmes, Berks County's chief deputy coroner.

For years, the ashes of infants have remained unclaimed at the coroner's office.

"Unfortunately, some of these infants got here through either the parents being addicted or through neglect due to substance abuse or mental illness," Holmes said.

This weekend, those seven souls will have a resting place. The unclaimed infants will be laid to rest in a columbarium at Charles Evans Cemetery.

Coroner John Fielding said his staff had been wanting to do something with the cremains for some time.

"There was an idea floating in the past that we should just take them and bury them in the potter's field," he said. "We didn't think that was appropriate, because you can't get at things without an exhumation, and that's a lot of trouble."

But thanks to the Reading-based Adalyn Rose Foundation, a space was created.

Adam and Chloe Ciferri formed the foundation in honor of the stillborn baby they lost in 2017. When the couple learned of the unclaimed cremains, they offered to supply funds to have them released to the families.

"If that was the barrier that was keeping the babies from their families, we would supply the cost to release the remains," Adam Ciferri said.

But no families claimed the infants.

"Maybe the grief for them was too much to bear," Adam said. "...when they found out they weren't able to claim the babies, I offered to hold a funeral for them to lay them to rest."

The coroner waived all the fees to release the cremains. The foundation had personalized, handmade urns for each infant. They'll be placed in the columbarium, which has each of the babies' names etched on the door.

"We're getting them laid to rest in a way that, if the families ever do come forward, they would be able to be reunited," Adam said.

"Loss is universal," Holmes said, "so when we have an event like this, it gives people a chance to connect, maybe to grieve even, but also to understand and perhaps move past.

The coroner's office staff said the infants will finally get their dignified ending.

The ceremony will begin at Charles Evans Cemetery at 10 a.m. this Saturday.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Allentown branch of the NAACP is calling on the Pennsylvania Board of Education to take over all operations of the Allentown School District.

The statement came after the district's Board of Directors voted to hire Carol Birks as an interim superintendent at a special meeting Thursday night.

The group also said it is demanding a forensic audit of the district.

Birks will receive a $850 per day salary. She will work three days a week until Dec. 16. Thereafter it will become full-time employment. Birks was the only candidate who applied.

The organization says it also wants a reason why the district decided to part ways with Superintendent John Stanford last week. No explanation was given, other than that it was a mutual decision between Stanford and the district.

Friday is Stanford's last day.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Allentown School District Board of Directors hired Carol Birks as interim superintendent Thursday night at the Administration Building.

The vote was 8-0. Director Lisa Conover was absent.

Birks will receive a $850 per day salary. She will work three days a week until Dec. 16. Thereafter it will become full-time employment. Birks was the only candidate who applied.

She serves currently as regional superintendent and chief schools officer with Booker T. Washington Academy in New Haven and Hamden, Conn., according to the district.

"I am very excited and very humbled by the opportunity to serve as your acting superintendent," Birks said. "I want to thank the school board of directors for entrusting me with the opportunity to continue to educate and empower students and to support the adults entrusted in their care."

During her speech, Birks explained why she wanted to lead ASD.

"My 'why' for wanting to come to Allentown is deeply rooted and personal," she said. "I am Allentown."

Birks grew up in Bridgeport, Conn., a city similar to Allentown. She told the board she came from a "modest" background.

"Research would suggest that someone like me would never have been able to sit here before you assuming such a prestigious role," she said. "But it was because of, I hope I don't offend anyone, prayer, a caring community, great teachers and people who believed in me. Because I had those opportunities in my life, I have been relentless about ensuring that young people who live in conditions like I grew up, students of color, students who grew up in urban centers, that they have equal access and equitable opportunities like all other students."

"I know she will do well by our school district," Director Phoebe Harris said. "I know that she is a game changer and not just any old game changer. She understands what it is like to work in an urban school district such as ours. The problems that we have, and the students that we have. She will give to our students what is desired and what is needed. She is what we need."

Director Patrick Palmer read a letter from Conover. The letter indicated that she remained "disturbed about her main concern that we have grossly neglected our children, wasted school district funds as well as taxpayer money by the board majority's recent decisions. It created a domino effect that could have been avoided."

Conover continued to discuss taxpayer costs.

"We are now seeking to pay for an interim superintendent, meaning one servicing in the meantime, placeholder, provisional, temporary - at an additional rate. It would have been advantageous to this district, students, taxpayers, stakeholders and overall community to support the full-time, talented, skilled, knowledgeable, dedicated, leader who was motivated to improve the lives of others."

The director added her comments were not against Birks. However, she questioned whether ASD "was setting her up to fail." Further, Conover added Birks applied previously for the position and was "presented tonight to accept this position when she was the only one interviewed. Why? Our children have once again have taken a massive educational hit. We cannot afford just an interim, aka, placeholder."

Birks replaces former Superintendent John Stanford, who officially will leave the district Oct. 28 after the board approved a separation and release agreement with him Oct. 20.

Prior to the vote, President Nancy Wilt indicated that "at no time were executive sessions held without the knowledge and invitation to all board members."

Stanford accepted formally the position Sept. 23, 2021 and began employment in November. He became the fourth superintendent that year, taking over for Acting Superintendent Jennifer Ramos, who replaced Interim Superintendent Marilyn Martinez, who took the job after former Superintendent Thomas Parker resigned that April.

Stanford's deal ran through June 30, 2026 and paid him $230,000 in annual compensation. His severance package, when combined with salary, totals more than $400,000 for less than one year's work.

Stanford had spent more than 20 years working in public education, nonprofit and public policy positions before arriving at ASD. He was employed 15 years in the Columbus City Schools, hired initially as a lobbyist. Eventually he was promoted to chief operating officer in 2011, where he was in charge of all non-teaching operations. A year later, he became the district's deputy superintendent and later became interim superintendent. The Columbus Board of Education eliminated him as a finalist for the permanent job in 2018.

While at Columbus Stanford oversaw the implementation of the district's enterprise resource planning deployment, the creation and launch of a central enrollment center, the execution of a strategic plan and the creation and application of a third-grade reading program while at CCS.

Stanford has spent time in politics, serving as executive assistant for education to former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland. He also received educational administrator awards including the School Boards Association Central Region's exemplary school employee award six years ago and a 2009 Samuel I. Hicks Executive-in-Residence award from the Ohio University's College of Education.

He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Central Michigan University and holds law and doctorate degrees from The Ohio State University.
Democrat Mark Pinsley and Republican Jarrett Coleman engaged in rigorous verbal conflict during a WFMZ-TV debate Thursday morning at Factory LLC in Bethlehem.

The candidates are vying to represent Pennsylvania's 16th Senate District in the Nov. 8 general election. The district is currently represented by Republican Patrick Browne, who earlier this year was defeated in the Republican primary by Coleman.

Business Matters host Tony Iannelli served as the debate's moderator. It is scheduled for broadcast at 7 p.m. on Oct. 31.

Republicans hold a district registration advantage. When asked if to compensate he had to move to the political center Pinsley said no, that's the wrong way of considering it. He noted his views, not Coleman's views, were most held by people.

"We're in the majority," Pinsley said. "Most people want abortion access. Most people want gun control. You have to stand your ground."

Coleman, a relative political novice, when asked by Iannelli to introduce himself to voters, Coleman said he was an airline pilot. His career afforded him the opportunity to visit many states. This experience informed Coleman of which states' governments "work for the people, and where people work for their government."

He said, if elected, he would make sure the government worked for the people.

Crime is consistently cited by voters as a concern. Both men acknowledged this was accurate, but varied on how to combat it.

Pinsley said Republicans were politicizing the issue, particularly by their focus on major Americans cities such as Philadelphia. This amounts to a "political stunt" done by "closet racists." He added "safety is a major issue" and he would make people more safe.

While Coleman was labeled a "close racist," Pinsley was accused of attempting to "defund the Allentown Police Department." Coleman said "this is not a time to be soft on crime." He specifically indicated "no cash bail is dangerous."

Iannelli turned the questioning to gun control. Coleman said he supported the Second Amendment with "some common sense" provisions. Pinsley accused Coleman of supporting weapons such as the AR-15. He noted these weapons "destroy people." Pinsley noted that he had served in the military and was more aware of what these weapons could do than Coleman.

The two men then argued with each other who was, and who was not, an "election denier." Pinsley said Coleman denied President Biden's 2020 victory, while Coleman said Pinsley denied President Trump's 2016 victory.

The contentiousness failed to improve when the topic turned to abortions. Coleman said he was pro-life, "but I understand exceptions." He then said Pinsley was so "extreme that he will fight to have an abortion up to birth." Not only this, Coleman said, but he'd have taxpayers pay for it.

Pinsley denied that he was extreme, and said that he supported the Roe vs. Wade 1973 ruling.

"I stand by Roe versus Wade," Pinsley said.

When asked why they should be elected, Pinsley said "we are a creative people" and collectively we could end "toxic partisanship." Coleman responded by saying also that people "needed to work together" but that voters "know what is working and what's not working" and needed the courage to change the latter.

Pinsley is the controller of Lehigh County. Coleman is a member of the Parkland School District Board of Directors.
Development proposals for apartments in the Lehigh Valley are smashing records, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Executive Director Becky Bradley said Thursday.



"We've already had more apartments proposed than in 2019 and 2020," Bradley said during a virtual LVPC meeting. Through the third quarter, the commission has reviewed plans for 2,705 apartments total, more than in the full years of 2019 and 2020. The 2021 total was 3,403.



Apartment development has soared in Northampton County, with plans for 1,514 units reviewed so far this year. That's four times the 377 reviewed in 2019. Total housing units, which also includes single-family homes, townhouses and more, has hit the 2,495 mark so far, more than any of the previous three years total.



Total Northampton County units reviewed are on pace to almost double over 2019, according to the report, which is available on the commission's website.



In Lehigh County, plans for 1,199 apartments have been submitted for review year-to-date, "on pace to reach roughly 1,598, continuing several years in which developers are making them an increasingly large part of the new housing market," according to Bradley's third-quarter report and year-end outlook.



Non-residential development reviews are also way up. That gain is led by industrial proposals, and that mostly means warehouses. So far this year, the commission has seen 23.7 million square feet of industrial proposals, and "that's more than in 2019, 2020 and 2021," Bradley said.



"Regionwide, the total non-residential square footage reviewed in 2022 is already nearly 1 million square feet more than 2019s full-year total, with industrial square footage up by 75%," the report said.



The commission also reviewed comments by its professional staff on Willow Brook Farm, a residential development at Bullshead and Willowbrook roads in Allen Township. Phases three and four, up for consideration Thursday, include 256 apartments, 225 townhouses and 27 single-family homes.



"One thing this community needs more of, and that's a variety of housing," LVPC Chairman Steven Glickman said.



The appointed commissioners added a note that the township should consider the cost of maintenance of roads.



Vice Chairman Chris Amato noted that the development is across from Wayne A. Grube Memorial Park, named in honor of a former member of Northampton County Council.



The park "is one of the crown jewels of Northampton County," Amato said, adding something he has said earlier about the LVPC's non-binding recommendations: "I hope we're being listened to."



Comments from the staff touch upon pedestrian safety, access to the park and trails, and a need for Allen Township to coordinate land-use decisions with neighboring North Catasauqua borough. The full commission approved the comments, which will be sent to the township and borough.



The commission also favored a proposed zoning change in Pen Argyl Borough in the Slate Belt that would allow existing buildings within the light industrial, commercial district to be converted into apartments.



An amendment modifying parking requirements for certain uses, and conditionally allowing existing buildings within the IL Light Industrial, Commercial District to be converted into apartments, was discussed.



According to the commission's report, the use of existing buildings "helps to prevent sprawl, preserve existing farmland by taking away development pressure, and mitigate environmental stress" by not covering more land with buildings and parking lots.



Glickman also asked the commission to remember Malissa Davis, a Bethlehem Township commissioner and former member of the LVPC. Davis died Oct. 14 at age 78.



Final approval of items discussed Thursday is up to municipalities. The LVPC's professional staff reviews plans for large projects in Lehigh and Northampton counties. The staff recommendations are discussed by the appointed commissioners, who may alter them. After the reports are approved by the commissioners, they are sent to municipalities for consideration.



The commission's next meeting will be held virtually Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. Details about the agenda and a link to the meeting will be posted on the LVPC website.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - As the Phillies get set to battle the Astros in the World Series, it's impossible not to notice all the Lehigh Valley IronPigs connections on the big club's roster.

Several of the IronPigs who have either formerly or currently graced Coca-Cola Park will be playing Friday night with the Phillies at the World Series.

"We're pumped because a lot of these IronPigs players wore uniforms at one time, it's great to see," Mike Ventola with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs said.

Former Pigs now in the Bigs include:

"At first base, Rhys Hoskins, a former IronPig," Ventola said. "Then you go to shortstop, Bryson Stott. Third basemen, Alec Bohm."

Plus, Bryce Harper, Brandon Marsh and Gene Segura all rehabbed with the Pigs this season.

"So you have your center fielder, your DH and your second basemen wore Iron Pigs uniforms at one time too," Ventola said.

In fact, Ventola says so many of the team's current and former players are on the Phils roster right now: "I feel like 75 to 80 percent of the roster have worn an IronPigs uniform at one time," he said.

And fans can't wait to see them in action from afar.

We asked them at the Trunk or Treat event at the stadium Thursday.

"It puts Pennsylvania on the map, especially Allentown, it's huge. So go Phillies!" fan Shalon Buskirk said.

"I can't wait to see Darick Hall and Nick Maton. I already knew him from here, all of them," fan Jayce Grenawalt said.

Ventola says those Pigs are sure to pack a punch.

"Aaron Nola is made for this moment to be a Game 1 starter. I think another former IronPig that's going to make a big impact is Zach Eflin," Ventola said.

The Phillies square off against the Astros in Houston at 8:03 p.m. EST Friday.
EASTON, Pa. - The movie about one of the Lehigh Valley's most notorious serial killers is now streaming on Netflix. The Good Nurse shows how Charles Cullen was linked to the deaths of dozens of patients, including at several local hospitals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

"I was still in the throes of being very embarrassed and feeling a lot of shame for not seeing it, and also for adoring someone that was such a monster," said Amy Loughren, who is played by Jessica Chastain in the film.

But The Good Nurse has been healing for Loughren. The portrayal allowed the real-life whistleblower to forgive herself.

She didn't see what her fellow Somerset, New Jersey nurse and friend was up to until she was approached by detectives.

"That really played into my guilt, because he did a lot of things right in front of me. I questioned those things in the moment. He was just such a good nurse," said Loughren. "You don't go from, 'hm, that wasn't a decision I saw coming'...to, 'oh, my gosh, I think he's harming someone.' You wouldn't think that."

When the single mom was asked to go undercover, it was scary.

"There were other very brave nurses before me who did speak out, and some of them were fired," said Loughren. "If he's murdering this many patients in the hospital, is he murdering people outside of the hospital?"

But her bravery led to the halt of his cycle of killings.

"I wanted to believe that he was a mercy killer. He was not. I saw the evidence," said Loughren. "He chose medications to brutalize them."

Cullen was put behind bars in 2003 and given 11 life sentences.

"Being a whistleblower is not easy," said Loughren. "Doing the right thing, as hard as it is, it's worth it every single time."

Even after all of this time, Loughren stays in touch with the detectives involved, who she says lead the investigation with their hearts.

"I talk very frequently with Danny Baldwin and Tim Braun, the detectives who put their entire careers on the line to catch this killer," said Loughren.

Loughren eventually visited Cullen in prison, quickly realizing she'll never get the answer so many want: why?

"He found out that I was a confidential informant and all connections stopped," said Loughren. "People can love dark people and still hold them accountable, and that was the biggest message I wanted to get out there."

A documentary release on this case is also on the horizon. The Good Nurse book was published in 2013.

"The choice was imperative for not just my life, for so many lives, and people who are struggling in life can still do the right thing, even though it's hard," said Loughren.

Loughren is now a grandmother and enjoying retirement in Florida.
LOS ANGELESThe newly released Nave Nipple Clamp Set by Zalo was featured on RollingStone.com this week as a Latest Launch in the magazines RS Recommends section of its website.

In the article titled Worth the Buzz: ZALOs Latest Vibrating Nipple Clamp is First of Its Kind, writer Nishka Dhawan describes Nave clamps as powerful, easy to use and highlights how the set oozes luxury.

While the majority of pleasure products are designed for stimulating genitals, RollingStone.com noted how Zalos latest development is redefining that idea by building a sex toy made entirely for stimulating your nipples.

Unlike any standard nipple clamp set, Nave offers eight vibration modes, which can even be controlled remotely using the Zalo Remote Pro app. Each Nave nipple clamp is concealed by a layer of silky-smooth liquid silicone and features Zalos innovative EasyClamp technology. The Nave clamps easily expand by gently pinching them at the bottom sides to latch onto the body and for easy removal. The set also includes an additional pair of clamp tips to accommodate different nipple sizes. One of the tip size options is suitable for nipples with a diameter of 8-15mm, and can also be used by people that have given birth.

Nave is designed to satisfy a variety of nipple sizes and easily clamps on to stay secure while youre getting it on in the bedroom, Dhawan writes. The toy is available in four colors, including a gorgeous emerald green that screams luxury. It also has an ultra-quiet motor and can be controlled remotely through the Zalo Remote Pro app for some long-distance fun.

The new state-of-the-art app allows users to share the control of Nave with a partner from afar and adds more stimulating functions with nine additional Classic vibration modes, as well as the ability to sync vibrations to music and movements such as shaking it or by tapping or swiping on a mobile device screen.

RollingStone.com also highlighted the high-quality material of the Nave Vibrating Nipple Clamps and their versatility.

The material on the toy itself is silicone, which means its both waterproof and silky smoothand wont feel abrasive on your sensitive areas. Plus, its not just built for your nipples, feel free to use this toy on other erogenous zones too."

Inspired by the sleek and striking appearance of the ancient goddess Nephthys, Nave features dual motors in both of its cat ear-like tips that will surround each nipple with powerful vibration when its clamped.

For more information about Nave Vibrating Nipple Clamps, click here.

Visit ZALOUSA.com to check out the full Legend Series, along with other premium quality bestsellers.
Last night Disney held a special event at Banking Hall in London to celebrate its forthcoming centenary under the banner of 100 Years of Wonder and we were on hand to find out what Mickey and his friends have lined up.

Hosted by Emma Willis and showcasing the best of upcoming Disney Plus offerings and Disneyland Paris celebrations  alongside a presentation of the entire "Part Of Your World" musical number performed by Halle Bailey from the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid just for the fans in attendance  the evening also saw the announcement of a plethora of UK-based events throughout 2023.









Disney100: The Concert will tour the UK next spring bringing with it the Hollywood Sound Orchestra, cinema screens and live solo artists to perform seminal musical moments from the past 100 years. It will include songs from the likes of Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast and Encanto and also highlights from Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar.

The tour will launch at the Glasgow OVO Hydro on 31 May 2023, before visiting Leeds First Direct Arena (1 June), Liverpool M&S Bank Arena (2 June), The O2 in London (4 June), Manchester AO Arena (5 June), Birmingham Resorts World Arena (6 June), Cardiff International Arena (7 June) and Bournemouth International Centre (8 June).

In addition, Disney100: The Exhibition will be heading to the ExCeL in London in autumn 2023, featuring rarely seen original artworks, artefacts, costumes, props and other memorabilia from the comapny's archives.

Finally, London has also been chosen to debut an "immersive multi-sensory experience" set in the worlds of The Lion King, Lilo and Stitch, Alice in Wonderland and Mickey Mouse. Entitled Wonder of Friendship  The Experience, the attraction will be 1000 square metres in size with a location and dates still to be revealed.
Did you know Taylor Swift was in the running for the Les Miserables movie?

The news will be discussed tonight on The Graham Norton Show, where Swift appears with Eddie Redmayne (who, ten years ago, she actually auditioned alongside). Apparently it didn't go all too well.

Swift explained: "Basically I was up for two roles  I had the look of Cosette and the range vocally of Eponine, so it was established I was there for a good time but not for a long time, I wasn't going to get the role...But, they asked if I would like to go to London to do a screen test with Eddie, who is one of my favourite actors, and I thought This isn't an experience I am going to get again in my life,' so I said yes."

The trip to the UK involved a bit of costume work, as it turned out. Swift added: "When I got there they put me in full 19th century street urchin costume and told me they were going to paint my teeth brown and I was like, You are going to do that after I meet Eddie Redmayne right?' But no, they made me look like death and it became a nightmare. When I met Eddie I didn't open my mouth to speak."

As it turned out, Redmayne didn't have the best experience during the audition either: "I thought we would just be singing off each other  I didn't know we would be in each other's arms...My overriding memory of it is that I had had pizza and garlic dough balls beforehand and all I could think about was my garlic breath while Taylor was dying in my arms and I was trying to show emotion."

The role eventually went to Samantha Barks, who is currently wowing audiences in Frozen in the West End. Swift went on to collaborate with director Tom Hooper on the Cats movie.
What is a life? Is it just the skin and bones of the human body? Or is it the experiences and memories of a life lived? These are the themes that David Farr explores in his new play A Dead Body in Taos currently stopping at Wilton's Music Hall as part of a UK tour.

Sam has travelled from her home in the UK to identify the body of her 70 year-old Mother in the New Mexico town of Taos. It's a mother-daughter relationship that has long since broken down with Kath having abandoned her daughter to live in "the quietest place on earth" following a mental breakdown. In the pocket of Kath's dead body is a note, addressed to her daughter, with the vague message "Don't grieve. I'm not here".

Whilst in her self-imposed exile it transpires that Kath has been uploading all of her memories, feelings and thoughts to The Future Life research facility as part of their Life after Death program. Kath has chosen an image of her younger self from 1986, the year that she gave birth to her daughter, with which Future Life have created a 3D model of her that lives within a starkly illuminated frame. It appears that Kath lives on  despite there being a dead body. Farr's script refers to her as Kath Cyborg  it's all a bit Star Trek.

Rather than intelligently and emotionally exploring the ethics or indeed the psychological effects of all this, Farr instead chooses to spend too much time in flashback to Kath's beginnings. Most of the first act follows the life of the radical and politically motivated Kath. She is a troubled young woman and an activist who hot-headedly leads anti-war and anti-capitalist protests - some with deadly outcomes. The treatment of her lovers and an angry reaction to a bizarrely out of place scene at a meditation commune all just make us like Kath less and less.

Gemma Lawrence's Sam makes sturdy work of a daughter that has not felt the love of a Mother for most of her life  but we don't see her grapple with the emotional torment anywhere near enough. As she spends more time with her virtual Mother it is fascinating to see them bond more closely than they ever had done in real life  I wanted to invest more time in exploring the possibilities of reconciliation and forgiveness.

Eve Ponsonby gives a fearless but abrasive performance as Kath that is high energy but low sensitivity - it is easy to see why Sam doesn't hold much in the way of feelings for her. As her cyborg version, Kath comes close to humility and an expression of love towards the end, but Ponsonby retains her electronically monotone voice and prevents any kind of emotional connection.

It could be a beautiful exploration of grief and how our modern lives inhabit a digital world that leaves footprints behind forever. Is keeping an avatar version of your loved ones long after they have passed a comfort, or is it simply delaying the inevitable  is it more than anything, a barrier to the grieving process? They are all questions that frustratingly never get answered or even given room for much discussion and thought.
Sometimes in ghost towns Im not sure if the chill on my neck is just the weather.

My best ghost town ghost story comes from last summer. I was at Miners Delight, Wyoming, a tiny little settlement on South Pass thats now little more than a few decrepit buildings in a meadow. I was alone. But while exploring, I heard a noise I couldnt place. It sounded like footsteps echoing out of the towns old saloon. I checked as well as the ruined watering holes collapsed floorboard would allow, and found nothing and nobody.

What was it? Id love it to be some sort of spirit still tending the mines. But its an old building. Even new houses tend to shift and make weird noises.

See, thats my problem. I want to believe in ghosts. Id love to have a promise that something happens to us when we die, even if its everlasting torment or being forced to stay forever in some old town we once lived in. Something is better than nothing.

But I cant. Im stubbornly rational. Id suspend it if I could.

My skepticism about ghosts does not expand to ghost towns. Whenever theres a collapsing building, or an abandoned church, or any bit of history out on the margins thats been nearly forgotten, Im there.

With that in mind, I set out to explore three oft-overlooked central Montana ghost towns: Gilt Edge, Maiden and Kendall. Theyre all in Furgus County about a two hour drive from Billings. Lewistowns tourism bureau at enjoylewistown.com has a handy list of the areas ghost towns, and they published a helpful brochure with a map and a short history of each settlement written by local expert Jerry Hanley.

There are some mysteries about Gilt Edge, and the most prominent of them is how the towns name was spelled. The road that branches off of Highway 87 between Grass Range and Lewistown splits it to Gilt Edge, but the official Montana State Highway Map calls the settlement Giltedge, all one word.

You wont find any answers in the old buildings.

On the wide, upward reaching plains that turn into the foothills of the Judith Mountains, Gilt Edge is now little more than a couple ruins on a privately owned working ranch. You can only look from the road.

Theres an old house, its siding long gone. Its partially collapsed into the earth and now the roof slopes. The bricks that were once hand placed on its chimney are now scattered across the roof, in a seemingly eternal state of falling.

Gilt Edge feels like its napping. But this place used to boom. Calamity Jane visited here. In one old photo, shes drinking a pint of beer with Teddy Blue Abbot  the cowboy now immortalized in bronze on the courthouse lawn in nearby Roundup.

This place used to breathe. Now it sighs, as the wind whips through the empty buildings. Theres a handsome brick structure on a hillside. Its got big windows and ornamental designs on its corners. Cattle now graze around it. Per the no trespassing sign, theyre the only ones who get to gaze into the windows and wonder what used to be.

These places were built to defy nature, but now nature is taking back over. One building is little more than front walls, a wooden cross rises where the door would have been. Folks came here for the wealth buried in the hills. In Gilt Edge, it was gold. When the metal disappeared, the people followed shortly after.

From Gilt Edge, turn onto Maiden Road and go deeper into the Judiths. After a nice drive through Maiden Canyon, youll start coming across mines again.

You could drive right on past Maiden pretty easily. Theres even less there than in Gilt Edge. In the 1880s, the Judiths were dotted with tent towns scattered around mining claims. Maiden was one of the few that stuck around long enough to build anything more permanent.

People still live in Maiden. Its an easy drive to Lewistown, and modern houses are among the ruins. And they are truly ruins, mostly just stone foundations with private property signs. Maiden is tightly packed into a thin valley, and its burned more than once. The wood turned to ash, but the stones and the memories remain.

Continue on Maiden Road until you hit Highway 191, and then head north to Hilger. North Kendall Road heads west from Hilger. Kendall ghost town is about six miles up that road, into the North Moccasin Mountains, another of the island ranges that break up central Montana's prairies.

Kendall is, in some ways, the jewel of Fergus Countys ghost towns. Its the best documented, partially due to the work of John Foster, a writer whose parents lived in Kendall in the early 1900s. Foster dedicated a lot of his life to preserving Kendalls legacy. A lot of his writing wound up in the Lewistown News Argus, a newspaper that got its start in Maiden before moving to the bigger, more permanent settlement. Foster died in 2018, but a collection of his writing was released in 2020, and his essay Kendall: Twentieth Century Ghost Town, published in the spring 1974 issue of Montana: The Magazine of Western History.

Foster told the story of Kendall as a living place. But the town itself, owned by the Boy Scouts and open for public exploration, is barely clinging to life. Theres an old store, crumbling into decay. Signatures are carved into softening mortar that lines the old walls. Best preserved is the old bank. Theres a tall sandstone tower in the middle of the ruin. Its still together for a good reason. Thats the vault, where the gold pulled from the mountains above Kendall was turned to currency. Theres an old Presbyterian church. Its steeple is long gone, but the tall walls its gabled roof once stood on are still there.

Near the church, theres a more modern open air chapel, with pews around a stage covered by an a-frame. The old Kendall bandstand has also been rebuilt. A plaque nearby notes that it was reconstructed in memory of an Eagle Scout who died in Vietnam in 1967. His story now belongs to Kendall, too.

The rest is foundations. Walking through an old ghost town can feel like actual ghost hunting, searching for clues that life used to be here, like the unnatural sunken impressions left by the structures that were once here. One of those foundations held the Jones Opera House, an ornate space for music and public art.

Most ghost towns are filled with brothels and saloons, places for young men with too much money and not much to do. Kendall has a bandshell and the ruins of an opera house. People wanted to hear music here. They valued art. Theres a sophistication in Kendall that other Western ruins lack. It was gold that brought people here, but it was the town that kept them.

For a while, at least. Pictures show that Kendall once stretched for blocks. Its gone now, but thats explained. When the gold mines shut down, Kendalls settlers packed up for Hilger, which had the fortune of being on the railroad line. Anything that could be moved, like wood, was.

In 1911, the Kendall State Bank became the First State Bank of Hilger Foster wrote in his Montana: The Magazine of Western History piece. The Kendall Miner became the Hilger Herald.

The rest was left to decay. Thats the cycle of life out here.

But theres something special here. Foster felt it. Visit and youll feel it, too. Kendall imprints.

As I got ready to leave, I noticed how the whole place reeked of the sweet stench of decaying leaves. Rain was on the horizon, and if it dropped a few degrees itd turn to snow. Natures yearly death was on its way to Kendall. But the town didnt seem to mind. Its made it through over 100 winters. Whats a few more?

If there is such a thing as ghosts, its much more plausible that theyre a sort of memory imprinted on specific places, like when you close a notebook after writing in it and the ink smears on other pages. Maybe long finished plays play on in places like this, echoing off the sandstone walls until they too crumble back into dust.

Its true that you can get an uneasy feeling in places like this. But its not ghosts or ghouls, its that ruins like Gilt Edge, Maiden and Kendall are testaments to our own fallibility. Men worked here and lived here. They made money. Lots of it. And used it to build great theaters and saloons, along with hotels for the guests that would surely come.

Its all gone now. You can parse the ruins, but thats it. Theres no show. Nowhere to stay. You can only visit.

When you leave Gilt Edge, Maiden and Kendall, you take some of it with you.
Fall has come to Billings in earnest, and so with autumn leaves quickly filling yards, city residents are encouraged to stuff them in the municipal green yard waste bin, bag them up for special collection or take them to one of six new drop-off containers at Billings city parks.

Just don't rake them into the street.

The city stopped sweeping up leaves raked into the gutters of Billings streets in 2011 and began asking residents to bag the leaves that didn't fit in their green yard waste bin to be collected each week alongside their garbage.

With continuing staffing shortages, Billings' Solid Waste Division will be picking up those bagged leaves once a month, said Debi Meling, the city's Public Works director.

"We are actually going to double the number of trucks we send on extra routes the month of November to try to get everything collected," she said.

The city sends three different trucks around to Billings neighborhoods  two of them are automated with a single driver and come weekly to pick up trash and yard waste bins. The third, with a crew of two, comes monthly to pick up extras, like bagged leaves or bundled tree limbs.

"I think many if not most of the larger cities in Montana have now gone exclusively to automated pick up and no longer pick up extras at all," Mayor Bill Cole said in an email. "The once-per-month hybrid was intended to be a compromise between those two extremes."

Cole and Meling explained the new policy in an email exchange with a city resident upset that bagged leaves were no longer being collected each week.

Along with the new pickup schedule, the city announced earlier this week it will have collection bins at six parks for residents to drop off their bagged leaves. Those parks are Castle Rock Park, Clevenger Park, Veterans Park, Dehler Park, Poly Vista Park, and Amend Park.

"By providing leaf containers at parks, we want to give our residents the ability to dispose of their leaves in a cost effective manner which will help to keep our rates low," Meling said. "Right now, a residential property pays just over $12/month for all three trucks that come to your home."

The city is working to maintain a specific balance between personnel costs and relatively low fees for garbage and yard waste collection.

"Our drivers collect well over 1,000 containers per day  some up to 1,300 per day," Meling said. "They do not have time to get out of their vehicles and collect anything manually and still be able to collect the remainder of the Citys garbage. If they stop to manually collect extra material, we would need significantly more drivers and trucks, thereby increasing the fees that we have to charge."
WAUKON  A former Waukon woman has been sentenced to jail and probation for organizing an unapproved charity raffle in Minnesota.

On Monday, Mindy Jo Jones, 42, also known as Mindy Riley, was sentenced to up to 21 months in prison suspended to 120 days in the Fillmore County Jail with work release and five years of supervised probation. If she successfully completes probation, she will not have to serve the prison time.

As part of the sentence, Jones, currently of Waterloo, was barred from holding a fiduciary responsibility over charities or charitable gambling or similar activities.

Jones had operated the Tin Rust and Harmony gift shop in Harmony, Minn., in 2021 when she collected funds for a raffle that offered a John Deere UTV as a prize. But the vehicle was never donated or paid for, and the non-profit sponsor changed from a Minnesota arts center cancer charity that never approved the fundraiser to an Iowa veterans group whose nonprofit status was pending.

She pleaded to one count of theft by swindle in August 2022 as part of a deal that dismissed other Minnesota charges.

Jones still faces trial for 14 counts of theft and bad check charges in Minnesota in connection with $34,000 in checks issued by her store to pay for merchandise.

She is also awaiting trial in Iowa for misdemeanor theft for a bad check for $1,142 that was passed in Waukon in January 2022.

The Minnesota gift shop has since closed. Jones operated a second Tin Rust and Harmony store in downtown Waukon that was destroyed in a February 2022 fire.
JUNEAU  Dodge County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Sciascia found probable cause on Wednesday against a Milwaukee man who is accused of neglect in connection to the death of his 3-year-old son.

Frank Pleester, 35, Milwaukee, faces three felony counts of neglecting a child (consequence is bodily harm) along with a misdemeanor obstructing charge. For each of the felony counts, he could face up to three years of initial confinement along with three years of extended supervision.

Jamie Hildebrandt, 35, was sentenced July of 2021 to 10 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision for neglect that led to the death of their toddler son in Lomira.

Hildebrandt and Pleester are the parents of three children. Dodge County Human Services has already concluded its investigation and returned the other two children back to Pleester.

Their 3-year-old son died March 6, 2020. An autopsy by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner found multiple blunt force trauma injuries, including contusions to the boys head, chest, back and upper and lower extremities. He had abrasions to his head, face, chest and upper and lower extremities, a large subgaleal scalp hemorrhage and injuries to the childs pancreas and an area of his stomach.

Hildebrandt, who spoke to officers in 2020, had admitted to accidently stepping on the boy when he was in the bathroom. Hildebrandt said she thought she had stepped on the boys ribs but they did not feel broken. She then helped the boy to his bed and put make-up foundation on him when she put him back to bed.

Hildebrandt said she did not check on the boy until her mother came to her home.

According to the criminal complaint, the boys grandmother found the boy and contacted police.

A pediatrician was brought in by the Dodge County Medical Examiners Office and diagnosed that the injuries were consistent with child physical abuse and there would have been concerns for general neglect and chronic malnutrition for the boy.

A woman, who had the child living with her at times, told police that she had questioned if the boy was being fed enough and injuries he had suffered. Pleester told law enforcement that he did notice his son acted differently and was more social when staying with that woman.

When Pleester talked to police, he denied knowing anything about any of his childrens medical information and said that Hildebrandt was responsible for that. Hildebrandt did not have access to a vehicle. Pleester said that Hildebrandts mother or a neighbor could transport the children to the doctor.

Pleester admitted to knowing that Hildebrandt had been abusive to the boy in the past. Pleester told law enforcement that he threatened to do the same to Hildebrandt as she did to the child.

You want to hit the kids, Ill show you. If thats how you want to look, you can look like that too, Pleester said to law enforcement, according to the criminal complaint.

Pleester told police that he told Hildebrandt that she had to stop treating the 3-year-old differently than the other children. Pleester admitted knowing that Hildebrandt used heroin.

Family members had asked Pleester to leave Hildebrandt because of her drug use and not caring for the children. They also offered to watch the children while he was at work, but he refused. Pleester told law enforcement that he had stayed with his parents about a year earlier because of Hildebrandts drug use. He returned when she was sober, but she went back to using drugs.

Pleesters arraignment hearing is scheduled on Jan. 4.
FOND DU LAC  Voters will have a unique chance on Nov. 8 to vote for renovations and other upgrades on the Moraine Park Technical College campuses.

It is a rare question that has not been asked by the technical college since the 1990s, but is well needed, Moraine Park Technical College President Bonnie Baerwald said.

I really want the voters to be informed and encouraged to go out and vote, Baerwald said. It is an investment in the economic health and workforce development for our entire community whether you have attended Moraine Park or have not.

The question on the ballot reads:

Shall the Moraine Park Technical College District, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds or promissory notes in an amount not to exceed $55,000,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of capital expenditures for the purchase or construction of buildings, building additions, remodeling and improvements, site improvements, the acquisition of sites, and the purchase of fixed and other equipment at District locations, including, but not limited to, advanced manufacturing facilities at the Fond du Lac and West Bend Campuses, a health and human services facility at the Fond du Lac Campus, and a regional fire training facility?

Baerwald said a vote in favor of the referendum is a vote in favor of community development and building a stronger community.

The stronger the community is the more it will grow, Baerwald said.

A larger tax base has an impact on the tax levy and will lower the amount that individuals spend into the future, Baerwald said.

This is an investment, Baerwald said.

The investment is in the community and creating a workforce which will help bring and keep people in the area, Baerwald said.

If we dont provide for our future workers, they will go elsewhere, and they may not return, Baerwald said.

The two neighboring technical school districts to Moraine Park, Madison College and Fox Valley Technical College, have both had successful referendums.

The proposed plan would have property taxpayers paying $21 per $100,000 for property taxes for no more than 20 years.

However, Baerwald said the district would be borrowing the $55 million over a few years which would reduce the cost.

We wont borrow it all up front, Baerwald said. It would be $20- or $25 million the first year, $18 million the second year and the remainder during the third year.

With the most recent 10-year master plan for the districts facilities, more than $27 million in projects were found that needed to be done over the next 10 years. Baerwald said that by state statute the district is only allowed to do remodeling projects and capital expansion additions to the tune of $1.5 million per project. The current list would take more than 20 years to create what is already needed in area workplaces.

The projects being proposed are:

1. Fond du Lac  An addition of an automation, innovation and robotics (AIR) center and an extensive remodel in the B-wing to include the integration of the welding and fabrication labs currently located in the E-wing.

2. Fond du Lac  An extensive remodel of the E-wing to create a new health simulation suite and an addition on the east for future childcare and health services programming.

3. West Bend  An addition of an AIR Center to include additional spaces for a new conference center and main entrance. The AIR Center addition would also include the creation of a welding and fabrication space.

4. Dodge County  The college is exploring the purchase of land in the district, hopefully in Dodge County, to build a new fire training center that will serve the 40-plus fire departments within the district. Baerwald said that they are considering land in Horicon.

The Moraine Park district includes Dodge, Fond du Lac, Green Lake and Washington counties, and small portions of surrounding counties. The College, with campus locations in Beaver Dam, Fond du Lac, and West Bend, plays a critical role in training more than 12,000 students each year for industry-critical jobs.

Moraine Park students pursue degrees in many high-demand areas, including information technology, cybersecurity, accounting, nursing, respiratory therapy, advanced manufacturing, and website and graphic design.
RACINE  The Wisconsin Elections Commission ruled last month that the van the City of Racine was using to conduct early voting was not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. So, the city stopped using that van and got a new one, this time with a wheelchair lift.

Republicans are planning to challenge the new van.

Were doing everything we can to put an end to this, Ken Brown, chairman of the Republican Party of Racine County, said Wednesday. Brown said he plans to file a complaint with WEC alleging the new vehicle still fails to comply with ADA regulations.

Advocates for Wisconsinites who have disabilities, however, think the van is a good thing.

You cannot take it for granted that your polling place is accessible, said Barbara Beckert, director of external advocacy for Disability Rights Wisconsin.

I think its a wonderful thing, Beckert said of Racines Mobile Election Unit. Anything that makes it easier and makes the voting process more inclusive is a good thing."

After WEC told Racine to stop using its original van, Beckert said she received a call from Racine Mayor Cory Mason; the mayor was seeking advice on how to continue the program to serve Racinians who have disabilities.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, 31% of Wisconsinites are non-drivers, although that percentage includes those younger than 16 years old.

Doesnt that blow your mind? Thats a lot of people, she said. Theres a lot of people who cannot drive themselves, and for that reason it can be really difficult for someone to get to their polling place on an Election Day  Having absentee voting is really essential.

Likewise, in her decision that concluded the first MEU was against the law, WEC Administrator Meagan Wolfe spoke highly of the concept behind Racine's voter van. Wolfe wrote that the MEU may even increase the participation of disabled voters by providing a mobile service that can be stationed at care facilities and in neighborhoods in which such voters reside, giving them access to registration and voting services that do not require accessible vans or other forms to transit." But, that wasn't enough to overpower the consensus that the van did not comply with federal law.

From one van to another

The City Council approved the purchase of the original van in summer 2020.

It was paid for using grant money provided to the city by the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a nonprofit funded by philanthropist Priscilla Chan and her husband, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Republicans have repeatedly challenged those grant funds, but courts have repeatedly affirmed the grants were and still are legal because there are no laws stopping cities from accepting donations to support election efforts.

The original Mobile Election Unit is now effectively in storage. City Clerk Tara McMenamin said the city will figure out what to do with it after the November midterm elections.

The city did not have to buy another van to restart its Mobile Election Unit efforts. The new vehicle is a converted paratransit bus, which the city says makes it complaint with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The WEC ruled Sept. 30 that the original van was not ADA compliant. The city had tried to make the vehicle handicapped-accessible by setting up a portable doorbell outside. A voter who could not walk up the stairs into the van instead could ring the doorbell, alerting election workers that there was someone who needed assistance. WEC said that wasnt enough to make the vehicle compliant with federal law.

Despite the wheelchair lift, Brown said the new van might not be ADA-compliant, either, although no official complaints have been filed.

The challenge that idled the original mobile unit was filed March 9 by Racine resident Sandra Morris and former city alderman/mayoral candidate Sandy Weidner. But because the state's decision was not issued until late last month, the vehicle was used to conduct the first three elections of 2022 before being declared illegal. It also was used for voter registrations in 2021.

Brown, along with the conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, filed a separate challenge to the Mobile Election Unit in August. That challenge says the vehicle is vulnerable to ballot-box stuffing, and unfairly benefits Democrats. The city rejected Browns argument. The WEC has not issued a ruling.
A Pennsylvania woman who was killed alongside her daughter in a car crash involving Wisconsins state Senate minority leader was driving at 100 mph seconds before the collision, according to police documents made public Thursday.

Among the documents is an inspection of the vehicle driven by Alyssa Ortman, 27, who was killed along with her 5-year-old daughter, Khaleesi Fink, in the July 22 crash. Details of the vehicle inspections were first reported by the Ashland Daily Press. Other documents show that state troopers reported finding a vape pen in Ortmans car that was believed to contain Delta8, a compound similar to marijuana. Results of a drug screen are still pending.

Democratic Sen. Janet Bewley, 70, of Mason, had just pulled onto a highway into the path of Ortmans car when the two vehicles collided. Ortmans car then spun across the median of a highway and into the path of another vehicle.

Police have previously reported that Bewley was distracted by a hands-free mobile phone at the time of the crash. And in an interview with police, Bewley said she had had cataract surgery on one eye the day before the crash but that her eyesight was fine. Ashland County District Attorney David Meany said Thursday his office hasnt made a decision on whether to file any charges.

Bewleys office issued a statement Thursday that didnt address the speed finding, but instead thanked law enforcement and first responders.

This has been a heartbreaking event for the community. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be focused on the individuals involved, their families and their loved ones, it said.

Ortmans mother had not responded to a telephone message left Thursday afternoon.

Earlier this month, the father of Khaleesi Fink, Brandon Fink, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Bewley. He also alleged that Ortman and the driver of the third vehicle acted negligently. His attorneys declined to comment after the police inspection report became public.
A Billings man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for trafficking drugs and kidnapping children, among other crimes.

Angelo Corey Stackhouse, 52, was convicted earlier this year of seven federal offences, including two counts of kidnapping, multiple counts of drug distribution and one count of transporting a person with intent to engage in illegal sex acts. Victims abused by Stackhouse were as young as 10 years old, according to court documents.

Put simply, Stackhouse is unable to follow the laws of society and represents  and will continue to represent  an ongoing threat to society. He has shown a disregard for the rights of others, namely women, through his willingness to engage in violent and potentially deadly behavior, federal prosecutors wrote in their sentencing recommendation.

As early as the winter of 2020, according to court documents, Stackhouse started trafficking drugs into Billings. During a trip to Denver to pick up a shipment of cocaine, he brought a 20-year-old woman with him. While in Denver, Stackhouse gave the woman cocaine while he and others sexually assaulted her, court documents said.

In September 2020, he kidnapped a girl in Billings. He sexually abused her in a Billings hotel room, according to court documents, and warned her not to tell anyone what happened.

In April the following year, he deceived another girl living on the Crow Reservation into getting into a vehicle with him. He brought her to a hotel room, and was subjecting her to similar abuse, choking her and trying to take her clothes off. He stopped, court documents said, when the girl asked, What if someone did this to your daughter?

Stackhouse, who has at least one daughter, according to court records, was indicted in May 2021. Although he reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in December of that year, the agreement was dropped when Stackhouse maintained his innocence on the kidnapping charges. The case went to a bench trial in June 2022, with several victims testifying against Stackhouse, including children he abused.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters found Stackhouse guilty of all seven charges filed against him.

Through his sentencing, Stackhouse continued to deny that he sexually abused the two girls he kidnapped, and his defense attorneys asked Judge Watters to give him 27 years in prison. The sentence would keep Stackhouse in prison into his 70s, his attorney argued, and would prevent the government from having to care for an elderly man until he dies.

Watters gave Stackhouse two life sentences, one for each kidnapping conviction.

The Montana Department of Justices Division of Criminal Investigation, along with the FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Billings Police Department and Yellowstone County Sheriffs Office all contributed to the case that led to Stackhouses conviction. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen lauded Stackhouses sentencing in a statement released Thursday.

As a result of the great work of our investigators this human trafficker will spend the rest of his life behind bars, he said.

Earlier this year, two of the largest investigations into sex trafficking in Montana came to an end with the sentencing of Louis Gregory Venning and William Maurice Newkirk. Venning and Newkirk were sentenced to 30 and 27 years in prison, respectively, for drug and sex trafficking.
The good news is that more people have voted early this year compared to other midterm elections. That means more people are paying attention and becoming involved in making our democracy representative of the majority of Americans.

In the midterms, we have the privilege of voting for the U.S. Representative we want to represent us in Congress. In Wisconsins 2nd Congressional District, U.S. Mark Pocan, D-Black Earth, is up for reelection. He has served us faithfully in Washington and will continue to do so when reelected. As the owner of a small business, he understands the importance of local businesses and votes for bills that support them and the average working person. He has also supported bills that would raise the minimum wage, encourage investment in infrastructure and job creation and many others that were meant to help average working people.

And, as we all know by the never-ending television campaign commercials, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, is also up for reelection and is opposed by Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes. The differences between the two are stark, with Barnes supporting hard-working people and pledging to lower their taxes. Because of his policies, Barnes has been supported by union workers, Planned Parenthood, and many more organizations that represent the interests of the majority of Americans.

The same goes for incumbent Gov. Tony Evers.

Unlike his opponent, Tim Michels, a rich businessman whose father started and grew the construction business the candidate now co-owns with his brothers, Evers has had to work hard on his own to succeed. He didnt inherit it from his father. He began as a teacher and worked his way up to be a principal, district superintendent, deputy superintendent of Wisconsins Department of Public Instruction, and was elected state superintendent in 2009. In 2018, he ran and was elected to be Wisconsins governor with Barnes as his running mate.

Since he was elected, Evers has proposed legislation that would legalize medical and recreational marijuana, increase the absurdly low state minimum wage, and grant public workers collective bargaining rights. All of those proposals have been blocked by the Republican-run Legislature. If that doesnt indicate how people should vote, I dont know what will.

As for Michels, voters should ask why all three of his children attended schools in New York and Connecticut. So, is Michels a Wisconsin resident, an absentee father or both? He most likely feels at home at all three of his properties including a multi-million-dollar house and lot in Hartland, a $17 million mansion in Connecticut, and an $8.7 million New York City penthouse. The strange thing is, according to a May 2, article in Urban Milwaukee, his wife Barbara listed their $17 million Connecticut home as her residential street address when she made a campaign donation in December 2021. So, is he an absentee husband as well? Only his family knows for sure.

Another important race is for Wisconsin attorney general. The incumbent, Josh Kaul, was elected in 2018, and made sure his department erased the backlog of sexual assault kits that accumulated under the previous administration. According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice website Kaul has worked to address the opioid epidemic, gun violence, clean water and climate change. From all accounts, hes a good man who works hard for all of us.

With so much depending on the results of the Nov. 8 election, its more important than ever for concerned citizens to make every effort to vote and convince others to do the same. And despite making it harder to vote in many places, Republicans are being surprised at the increased turnout in early voting. Thats despite their decision to outlaw drop boxes throughout the state.

Remember, people can vote in person at designated locations after Oct. 25. For full information about where and how to return Wisconsin ballots, see https://myvote.wi.gov. Take advantage of your freedom to vote. Some people dont have that choice.
18th African Investigative Journalists Conference

When: Monday, 31 October 2022 - Wednesday, 02 November 2022 Where: Online Event

Start time: 8:00 Enquiries: aijc@journalism.co.za

Wits University hosts Africa's best journalists

Over 40 African countries will be represented at the 18th African Investigative Journalists Conference at Wits University About 350 journalists are expected at the event which will showcase great stories, discuss key issues, train in cutting-edge tools and technologies, and encourage cross-border collaboration. Among the themes to be addressed are artificial intelligence for newsrooms, digital forensic tools, safety for reporters and investigating the environment, health, finance and business, mining, migrancy and insurgencies. View link for the full programme. Anyone wanting to attend should contact anton@harber.co.za.
After long periods of poor service in rural Montana, CenturyLink has been given 45 days by Montana utility regulators to come up with a solution.

Rural Montana customers of CenturyLink have gone without service for weeks at a time, according to the Montana Public Service Commission, particularly in Wibaux County, where the corporate descendent of Qwest Corporation also doesnt provide internet speeds fast enough to support video streaming.

Wibaux County officials first asked the PSC to do something about CenturyLink in June 2021, citing failures in 911 services posing a risk to public safety.

Commissioners on Tuesday issued the 45-day period for CenturyLink to produce a service solution to nagging rural customer service issues in the near term while the company address bigger infrastructure problems.

CenturyLink is suggesting that its affected customers receive satellite phone service, which the company indicates it would pay for, for up to two years as CenturyLink addresses the causes of its poor rural service. The company has done the same in Wyoming, where similar problems with rural service have occurred.

CenturyLink tells regulators there arent enough customers in its rural Montana service areas to justify improvements to decades-old infrastructure that it acquired from Qwest and is now antiquated. PSC analysts say the equipment dates back to the 1980s. Officials from Wibaux County say the phone equipment is even older, dating back to Rocky Mountain Bell, a casualty of antitrust litigation against AT&T in 1983.

At the same time, CenturyLink has asked commissioners to waive Montanas out of service rule for telecommunications utilities. The rule requires telecommunication utilities to repair 90% of service issues within 24 hours. Regulators first suggested imposing the rule a year ago, but havent as CenturyLink argues against enforcement.

I think its deplorable in that customers of CenturyLink have not only been without adequate phone service for quite some time, but there is no reflection, as far as Im aware, of any compensation on their bills for lack of service, said Commissioner Tony ODonnell who represents south central and southeast Montana. I think this constitutes an unfair business practice, that people have been charged for something that they havent been getting. Were not talking about an outage, an hour here, an hour there, small things. Were talking, in some of the comments that I have read, for weeks at a time. I think CenturyLink needs to come up with a resolution to this, that they should have suggested a long time ago when they found themselves in this situation.

ODonnells reference to CenturyLink customer complaints offers a rare glimpse into the nature of documents commissioners agreed not to disclose to the public at CenturyLinks request. The company had argued that the complaints were sensitive business information that could be used by its competitors if made public.

However, PSC analysts have sharply summarized CenturyLinks Rural Montana problems for some time. Last December, analyst Gary Duncan explained that CenturyLinks Montana customer base had shrunk significantly in areas where the company had competitors, while rural customers unable to shop around for a better deal were stuck.

What has happened with CenturyLink is that CenturyLink has gone from something like 400,000 subscribers in Montana down to I think 60,000 subscribers, Duncan explained. So, in the major urban areas served by CenturyLink. You know, customers have all sorts of choices. They can get voice over internet protocol service from Spectrum. They can get cellular service. They have multiple choices, and theyve simply left CenturyLink.

What has happened with CenturyLink is there are pockets out there in rural areas served by CenturyLink where customers dont have any choices, such as the case in Wibaux. Those customers dont have cell service. They probably have, if they have broadband at all, its very limited and is provided through CenturyLink, Duncan said. And its my perception from the last service quality case that we did that CenturyLink has basically been very reluctant to spend any money serving those pockets of customers. The two pockets of customers we identified last time was Wibaux. The other one was with Wolf Creek. In both cases, they submitted plans to us to improve service in those areas. And we required reports and supposedly they did fix the service. But I think its obvious, in the case of Wibaux at least, all they did was slap on a Band Aid.

Brad Johnson, the commissioner for Lewis and Clark County and the Flathead Valley, said this week that the future of legacy wireline systems like CenturyLinks is questionable. Federal funding intended to improve telecommunications services in rural areas is focused on broadband, meaning fiber optics.

But the lack of competition in CenturyLinks rural Montana service areas is exactly what Montanas out of service rule was created to address, argues Montana Consumer Counsel Jason Brown.

Attempting to persuade commissioners not to waive the out of service rule, Brown argues CenturyLink could use the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a key 2021 infrastructure bill of President Joe Biden, to make upgrading CenturyLinks equipment in rural Montana more affordable.

CenturyLink could substantially mitigate these costs, however, through federal funding made available by Congress through IIJA, he argued.

Several of the broadband service issues facing CentryLink fit the purpose of the Infrastructure Bill, according to Brown.

The $1.2 trillion bill, dubbed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act included $42.5 billion for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program. Those funds were specifically given to states for unserved and underserved areas.

The companys failure to date to invest in a modern network for all Montana customers should not be rewarded with a waiver that allows CentryLink to provide inferior service to certain customers indefinitely, Brown argued in comments aimed at CenturyLinks request for a stay.

However, CenturyLink has been in a prolonged argument with the State of Montana over the laws created by the Legislature concerning federal rural broadband funding. Specifically, legislators require companies produce 20% of the funding for broadband projects receiving federal money. CenturyLink tells the state that there isnt enough revenue in rural areas to even cover the required 20% buy-in.

The same point was made in March by attorney Adam Sherr for Lumen Technologies, CenturyLinks corporate parent. The company was arguing that it be allowed to use 100% federal funding to get fiber to the home, or FTTH to rural Montana customers in sparsely populated areas. Otherwise, the improvements would be too expensive. Sherr spoke directly about service improvements in Wibaux County.

There are only 39 living units in the areas Lumen explored, an area 138 square miles in size, and the total cost of construction would exceed $7 million, for an average cost per living unit of over $180,000, Sherr said in a letter to Chad Rupe, manager of the state Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Program. At 80% funding, there is simply no reasonable way for Lumen to pursue funding, as the payback period would likely exceed 100 years, and that assumes all 39 customers opt for Lumens FTTH offering rather than subscribing to satellite services already available to them.

The federal government has made a substantial amount of funding available to Montana for rural broadband development. The state started accepting applications last February for the first $266 million in federal rural broadband money available. More funding expected to come. As recently as Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced another $759 million in grants to rural areas for broadband development.
Click the photo and watch the video.

CHANGSHA, Oct. 27 (Xinhua)  Blindfolded and each holding a blind crutch, a group of children were moving to the beat in perfect coordination in a rehearsal room in Changsha, the capital of central China's Hunan Province.

All the young dancers, also students of a special education school, are visually impaired. Soon they will be performing at the opening ceremony of the upcoming provincial games for the disabled.

Founded in 1908, Changsha Special Education School is one of the oldest such schools in China. It provides preschool rehabilitation, nine-year compulsory education, and secondary vocational education to students with visual and hearing impairments, mental retardation, and developmental disorders.

Based on its rich teaching experience, the school has released a series of research results introduced to over 300 similar schools nationwide, according to Nie Bing, Party secretary of the school.

In 2005, the school established the "Dream of Wings" art ensemble with musical instruments, vocal music, dance, and other extracurricular training to encourage students' comprehensive development.

Zeng Liyuan, head of the troupe, believes by engaging in such training, students can improve physical coordination, build self-confidence, and gain a sense of accomplishment.

It also gives special children chances to display their talents in the spotlight. Over the years, these students have brought back dozens of trophies from art competitions held at home and abroad.

This photo taken on May 20, 2022 shows students with hearing impairments attending class at Changsha Special Education School in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. [Xinhua]

For the visually impaired dancers, the whole learning and practicing process was quite challenging, especially at the beginning, recalled Chen Lu, dance director of the art ensemble.

"To learn the movements and postures precisely, the students had to touch the instructors' body to imitate and try to form muscle memory after countless repetitions. They also need to prick up their ears to figure out their moving directions while changing formations," said Chen.

Nian Nian, a 13-year-old dance troupe member, used to be self-abased due to his severe visual impairment. But things have changed since he started dancing two years ago.

"I made many friends in the troupe," he said. "I'm a slow learner, but the troupe members and instructors never gave up on me and kept practicing with me, encouraging me to do my best."

China has attached great importance to the education of disabled children. Counties with a population of more than 300,000 have special education schools, and the enrollment rate of disabled children in compulsory education is above 95 percent, according to the Ministry of Education.

Earlier this year, the central government put forward an action plan asking to accelerate the high-quality development of special education during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

It also requires the enrollment rate of disabled children in compulsory education to reach 97 percent in 2025.

This photo taken on Oct. 14, 2022 shows a teacher instructing a student during a preschool rehabilitation class at Changsha Special Education School in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. [Xinhua]

The school in Changsha has established tailored vocational courses to prepare students for their future career development. They include fashion design for hearing-impaired students, traditional Chinese medicinal physical therapy for the visually impaired, and domestic services courses for students with mental retardation and development disorders.

"By attending the courses, children can learn in advance what skills they should master in doing a certain profession," said Zeng Qianlan, a teacher at the school.

Li Haixia, whose son is learning baking at the school, found the child has become happier since the course started.

"My son loves baking. He delighted the whole family during the past Mid-Autumn Festival by bringing home self-made mooncakes, and they tasted so good," Li said cheerfully.

(Source: Xinhua)
BEIJING, Oct. 27 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday sent a congratulatory message to the annual Gala Dinner of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.

Xi congratulated Evan Greenberg, vice chair of the national committee and chair of Chubb Limited and Chubb Group, on receiving an accolade at the gala, and extended his appreciation to the committee and its members for their longstanding dedication to the growth of China-U.S. relations and the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various areas.

Noting that the world today is neither tranquil nor peaceful, Xi said closer communication and cooperation between China and the United States, both as major countries, will help bring greater stability and certainty to the world, and promote world peace and development.

China stands ready to work with the United States to find the right way to get along with each other in the new era on the basis of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, which will benefit not only the two countries but also the whole world, Xi said.

Xi said he hopes the committee and all those who care for and support China-U.S. relations will continue to play an active role and help bring the bilateral relations back to the track of sound and steady development.

Also on Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden sent a congratulatory message to the Gala Dinner of the committee.

(Source: Xinhua)
Chen Yulan drives a reaping machine to harvest rice at her plantation in Xinyunshan Village in Liuyang City, Hunan Province. [China Daily]

Hunan cooperative helping lift fellow villagers out of poverty

As Chen Yulan used her mobile phone, a drone began to fly slowly above the rice field, spraying pesticide. Standing at the edge of the field, Chen smiled and chatted with her husband, Qu Junzhi, about this year's harvest.

"The drone flies automatically and avoids obstacles, and it takes less than 10 minutes to spray 6,666 square meters of rice fields," said the 44-year-old farmer from Xinyunshan Village in Liuyang City, Hunan Province. "It saves a lot of labor."

In addition to knowing how to control the drone, Chen is a skilled tractor driver and operator of agricultural machinery  like the harvesters, rice-seedling transplanting machines she uses in her rice fields during the busy season  and is deeply tanned from long hours in the sun.

With the support of advanced technology and agricultural machinery, she is able to manage 86.67 hectares of farmland by herself, and she is also at the forefront of efforts to lead 120 village households to prosperity.

She said she has now realized her dream of no longer having to work as a migrant, as she is able to earn more from farming in the village.

In response to the national call to bolster food security, she has been growing double-crop rice on some 60 hectares of land, 20 hectares of single-crop rice and 4.66 hectares of tobacco. She also plants vegetables in her greenhouses in the offseason to make more money.

In August, the Hunan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs listed 60 cooperatives as modern agricultural machinery demonstration cooperatives, and the Silei Agricultural Machinery Cooperative, which is now run by Chen, was the only one in Liuyang City included on the honor roll.

When Chen quit her job in Guangdong Province and returned to look after her family in 2009, becoming an agricultural machine operator was the last thing on her mind. Chen, who had left her village to find work at the age of 18, said that she returned home when she had not been happy with her job outside, which involved a great deal of travel.

Xinyunshan is an important farming village, where people mainly grow rice, tobacco and vegetables. At first, Chen did farm work with her husband, but quickly realized that changes had to be made. "The fundamental way out for agriculture lies in mechanization," she said.

At first, she worked from dawn to dusk.

"Spraying for insects was terrible. It was done manually at the time, and it was hard work pulling the long spraying tube, especially as women aren't as strong as men," she said.

The spraying was so tiring that she once cried after returning home.

Chen Silei, her 16-year-old daughter, recalled that her mother would be exhausted and hardly able to move after finishing a day's work. "As her daughter, I also had to help with the farm," she said.

Chen Yulan was not willing to accept her economic situation.

Chen controls a drone to spray pesticide at her plantation. [China Daily]

In 2017, she set up the Silei Agricultural Machinery Cooperative with five other households to mechanize rice production and offer agricultural services to neighboring farmers.

After years of development, the cooperative has grown to 30 members with 40 sets of agricultural machinery valued at over 5 million yuan ($730,000).

Today, a drone can spray 13.33 hectares of farmland a day, which saves a lot on costs, as labor is expensive.

"Working on the farmland has become easier since we started using the agricultural machinery," she said.

As she has become more wealthy, Chen has sought to help other villagers. The cooperative employs 40 villagers during the busy season, paying 450,000 yuan in wages each year.

"Chen has not only become rich through modern agriculture, she's also created employment opportunities and is helping the other villagers make money, too," said Li Fuzhen, deputy Party secretary of Xinyunshan, adding that Chen has become a leader of the village's agricultural development.

As the government has increased its support for rural agricultural development through initiatives such as financial subsidies and land use rights, Chen feels she should work harder to repay society.

She said the cooperative plans to improve its agricultural services, strengthen its ability to help more villagers become wealthy, and play a major role in rural vitalization and agricultural modernization in the years to come.

Chen also plans to build a rice cultivation demonstration base that integrates cultivation, planting, management, harvesting, processing, storage and marketing to realize the development of the whole industrial chain from seeding to harvesting and marketing in the future. She is also looking to develop her own organic rice brand.

(Source: China Daily)
The beautiful State of Kentucky is one of Americas most scenic and culturally rich places, that will surely make for some of the best holiday experiences. Indeed within the famed Bluegrass State, an assortment of charming river towns can also be found, where relaxation, raw nature, and unique history can all be enjoyed. From fun on the water, to glimpses of wildlife, and special cultural discoveries, Kentuckys most charming river towns are a must for anyone who is searching for authentic Americana.

Read More7 Most Beautiful Towns In Kentucky

Louisville

The buildings and streets of downtown city center in Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville is Kentuckys largest city, but also serves as a most charming river side community. Situated alongside the mighty 1,600 kilometre long Ohio River, Louisville was founded in 1778 right in the midst of the American Revolutionary War. It continues to offer tourists and residents alike a unique blend of modern and historical life. Home to a population of some 633,000 inhabitants, one can enjoy a bustling city and a relaxing atmosphere, creating a seeming contradiction. Yet Louisvilles very character is this special marriage between major city and quaint river town.

The Historic Louisville Metro Hall old building in downtown Louisville, Kentucky

Enjoy time alongside the waterfront, go sailing or swimming, or simply gaze at the beautiful surroundings for a tranquil afternoon. And then perhaps explore the towns eclectic range of restaurants, galleries, and theatres, many of which are of course located near the water. Watch the famed Great Steamboat Race in May and be sure to watch the majestic fireworks display over the Ohio River on major holidays like Independence Day.

Read MoreLouisville, Kentcuky

Newsport

Colorful architecture in Newport, Kentucky

Just a 90 minute drive from Louisville, the town of Newport is located right at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking Rivers, respectively. Settled in the 1790s, this town of 14,150 residents enjoys a humid climate which sees hot summers and mild winters, always ideal for river side enjoyment. Partake in activities like swimming and boating, or simply stroll and sit along the waters edge for wonderful scenic views.

Aerial View of the Ohio River and Adjacent Cincinnati, Ohio and Newport, Kentucky

And of course fulfilling ones appetite is always a delight in Newport, where such well known restaurants like Bar Louie gives guests a great panorama to enjoy with ones meal. Meanwhile do not forget to stop at the Newport Aquarium with over 20,000 animals housed inside!

Augusta

Houses along the Ohio River in Augusta, via Wikipedia

Right on the Ohio Rivers southern bank, Augusta is another charmingly beautiful Kentucky town founded in the years following the American Revolution. Established as a trading post in 1786, this modern community of just over 1,000 residents is indeed a quaint and alluring slice of small town river life.

Augusta ferry on the Ohio River

Enjoy a most special and nostalgic ride on the Ohio River with the famed Augusta Ferry (in operation since 1798!), tour some of the cute riverside houses, or just stroll and sit along the waters edge for a true spot of contemplation.

Paducah

Sailboat marina on the bank of the Ohio River in Paducah, Kentucky

Seat of McCracken County, Paducah is situated right at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers. Formally established in 1830, this town of some 27,000 people is truly a historically charming locale, made even more special by the serenity of the river side. Tour the citys downtown, much of which has been designated a National Historic Landmark or spend an afternoon at the numerous arts and crafts stores all around.

Row of colorful, historic buildings on the main street in the downtown area of Paducah, Kentucky

Paducah is home to the National Quilt Museum, and a walk or drive through town will surely ensure that its stunning painted wall murals are seen. And of course spending some time near the water by swimming, boating, or simply gazing, will always be a great way to unwind.

Cadiz

Courthouse in Cadiz, Kentucky

Cadiz is situated along the Little River, a 93 kilometre tributary of the might Cumberland River, and serves as the seat of Trigg County. Near the famed Land Between the Lakes recreation area, this humble town of 2,540 residents is a favorite spot for kayaking and shore line jogging. But besides its river side attraction, Cadiz is also a great spot for local American history.

A real pioneer town, visitors can explore a number of historic buildings like the County Courthouse and the Victorian mansion, The Fairholme (1890). Or perhaps just take in some great Kentucky Bluegrass music at the popular Lakeland Jamboree every weekend.

High Bridge

High Bridge park in Kentucky

One of Kentuckys smallest communities, High Bridge is home to a population of just 268 residents, and is situated the 418 kilometre long Kentucky River. Site of the well known High Bridge of Kentucky, built in the 1870s, the views and quaintness of this river town make it one of the States most idyllic places. Spanning a distance of 1,125 feet and standing 275 feet tall, the railway Bridge dominates High Bridges skyline, making for a most unique pit stop on any road trip. And though it may not have an abundance of activities to offer, the towns warm hospitality and rustic Kentucky charm shine through for all who pass by.

The "Bluegrass State" of Kentucky is a beautiful place of nature, culture, and history. For tourists looking for some of the best the State has to offer, its river towns are surely places not to be missed. Whether its a relaxing retreat along the river's edge, a tour of the historic districts, or a simple boat ride on the water, these Kentucky river towns offer plenty of fun, learning, and leisure for everyone.
The state Libertarian party on Thursday pushed back on assertions that their western congressional district candidate is coordinating with Democrats to divert votes from Republican Ryan Zinke.

The third party, through western district candidate John Lamb, has gotten more visibility this election cycle compared to those past, in part due to more than a dozen appearances with Democratic House candidate Monica Tranel at candidate forums, most of which were engineered by Tranel's campaign.

This week, a conservative news website published a story titled "Montana Libertarian, Democrat candidates coordinate to spoil Ryan Zinke's campaign."

The Montana Libertarian Party issued a statement on Thursday in response to that story, saying they are being used as the club with which the two major parties are beating each other.

None of this is new, the two big parties manipulate you and prod you along like cattle to the slaughter using lies and fear, Montana Libertarian Party Chair Sid Daoud said in the release. We expect even more of these Left-Right schoolyard tricks between now and the election.

The article on the right-wing Breitbart website did not include a direct allegation of coordination made by the Zinke campaign. Zinke's campaign did not respond by press time to a phone call and an email asking if it was.

In a phone interview on Thursday, Daoud called hypocrisy on Republicans, raising the state GOP's $100,000 bankroll to get the Green Party on the ballot in 2020.

"How did Republicans not just stay outraged at that, that was [$100,000] of their own donations," Daoud said.

The story includes a text from a Democratic campaign volunteer to a potential voter who responded "not a chance" to the prospect of voting for Tranel. The volunteer, in their reply, urged the voter to consider voting for Lamb.

The Montana Democratic Party on Thursday said it has not spent any time boosting Lamb's candidacy, and added the text exchange was not part of the party's strategy but a volunteer trying to carry the conversation forward.

"The text urging a voter to consider Lamb was sent by a Democratic campaign volunteer, and is not part of our texting script," party spokesperson Hadley Stack said in an email on Thursday. "It shouldn't be a surprise that many of our volunteers think that Ryan Zinke is the worst possible person to represent our state, and Montana voters will make this clear on November 8th."

Tranel's campaign said Thursday it was a ploy by Zinke "to distract voters from his disastrous past and historic unpopularity."

Lamb has explained his appearance at Tranel's campaign forums as an opportunity to get in front of voters, and Daoud said Lamb isn't "riding Tranel's coattails" on the campaign trail. Tranel's campaign said Zinke was invited to a forum in each county of the western district, but declined. Zinke in an earlier interview with the Montana State News Bureau called the events a "political ploy."

Daoud said Lamb has actually benefitted from both major campaigns since the primary election, with Zinke attacking the third-party candidate, rather than ignoring him, on his Libertarian credentials.

"When Ryan Zinke attacks him, it brings him into the news cycle as well," Daoud said.

Political analyst and University of Montana Journalism School Director Lee Banville said major parties have loaded support on third parties before. Consider 2012, when Libertarian Senate hopeful Dan Cox pulled in 30,000 votes, while Democratic Sen. Jon Tester defeated Republican challenger U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg by 18,000. That year a hunting and angling group supporting Tester spent nearly $700,000 in mailing costs for ads against Rehberg, the Ravalli Republic reported.

The text in question and the Tranel events featuring Democratic and Libertarian candidates don't necessarily prove coordination, Banville said, but it does show a mutually beneficial arrangement for the two candidates to siphon votes from the frontrunner. Just last week, political watchers hedged their predictions for Zinke, changing their ranking of the race from a "likely" Republican victory to just "leaning" toward a GOP success.

"The enemy of the enemy is my friend," Banville said. "Is John Lamb allowing himself to be used by the Democratic Party? Maybe, but if it's serving the interests of his party, can you blame him?"
The man who pulled former Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police officer Michael Fanone into the crowd of violent rioters on January 6, 2021, yelling "I got one!" was sentenced October 27 to 90 months behind bars.
Heather Hill says she has changed the ringtone on her phone for whenever her husband, Scott, calls.

It now plays the theme song from Jaws.

Scott Hill was snorkeling Tuesday afternoon on Kalapaki Beach on the island of Kauai when he felt something tug at the flipper on his foot as he swam through water that he said was a little cloudy.

The 51-year-old Helena resident didnt think much of it, returned to the beach and noticed a half-moon shaped chunk of his flipper was missing.

He is now believed to be the survivor of an encounter with what experts think was an 11-12 foot tiger shark. But testing is still underway.

Hill was oblivious to what happened until he showed his relatives who live in Hawaii what happened. They took the fin to the states division of aquatic resources, who told Hill that their expert believes it was a tiger shark but wants to do more DNA testing.

They were pretty excited, Hill said, (Shark attacks do) not happen very often, they are pretty rare.

It sounds like I got away with something, he said, adding it was probably lucky he did not see attack as he doesnt know if he would have panicked. He added that tiger sharks are usually blamed for such incidents. "They are like the dump truck of the ocean."

His wife, Heather, said she was in the water as well, but some distance from her husband.

I had my eye on him, she said, adding he is one of those guys that goes off a lot on his own.

Heather Hill said he came up to the shore and eventually asked her if she noticed the fin.

I wont tell you what I said, Heather said.

Heather Hill said her husband said right away that maybe he should go buy a lottery ticket.

She said another relative showed them the fin and said the sharks teeth were about 1 inch in diameter.

That is when I slowly started to think Crap, Heather said.

Aaron Swink, with the division of aquatic resources, said what happened to Hill is actually described as a "shark incident."

But he adds: "His fin was definitely bitten by a shark. Its a very clear bite."

"The fin saved his life, or saved his toes," he said.

The Hills returned to the water Wednesday and went swimming in an area where the water was clearer.

Scott Hill said he had a little nervousness, but otherwise did fine.

I didnt let it ruin my time here, he said.

Hill, the owner of Design+Craft Inc. in Helena, said Hawaii officials have said they will return his fin to him when they are done testing so that he can keep it as a souvenir.

I consider myself lucky, he said, adding that in the future he will try to pay more attention to his surroundings and not go off into murky water.

Heather Hill said shark encounters are pretty rare in Hawaii, adding there have been about 230 since 1900, and we are one of them.

She said the Hawaiians call October Sharktober.

I know a lot more about sharks than when I got here, Heather said.
Dedicated Wrexham doctor wins award for going above and beyond during pandemic

A Critical Care Consultant has won an award for his vital work during COVID-19 supporting patients and staff at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

Dr Andy Campbell not only worked throughout the COVID-19 pandemic on the Critical Care Unit, but he also took on the role of Clinical Lead for the unit, being an inspirational leader during the most difficult and challenging time.

He was announced as the winner for the COVID-19, Response and Recovery Individual Award at the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Boards (BCUHB) 2022 Staff Awards night last week.

Nominator Helen Williams, Matron for Critical Care Unit, said: Before the first wave there was a high level of anxiety and worry, exacerbated by the horrors shown on the news and social media that were taking place in Critical Care Units around the world.

Dr Campbell provided support, reassurance and guidance around the clock to the Critical Care team.

This continued through the years that followed. His leadership and dependability have seen the team through and unimaginably demanding time.

Throughout the pandemic he proved to be an invaluable support professionally, but also personally to the whole Critical Care Team. He committed copious time to ensure that all staff were as safe and prepared as possible for the unknown, and made himself available 24/7 for advice whether on duty or not.

Dr Campbell has been a true representation of a member of staff going above and beyond and displaying Betsi values in day-to-day practice. As a Critical Care service as a whole, we are immeasurably grateful for everything he did and continues to do for all our staff and our patients and families.

During the peak of the pandemic Dr Campbell made a huge personal sacrifice by moving out of the family home to distance himself from his wife and two young boys and limit their contact risk.

Alison Pawley, BCUHB Branch Secretary for award sponsor Unite, said: All three finalists, as well as hundreds of other NHS staff working in North Wales, have shown immense sacrifice, contribution and devotion to caring for others over the last few years.

I was delighted to present Dr Campbell with this award. His contribution sums up the selfless, caring qualities which make up the very best of the NHS.

Jeremy Nash, Chief Executive Officer for overall award sponsor Centerprise International, said: I was delighted to hear the outstanding stories of kindness, care, compassion and bravery in the face of adversity shown by the finalists at the BCUHB awards.

This is the fourth year that Centerprise International has sponsored these awards, and year-on-year we continue to be amazed at the lengths NHS staff in North Wales go to to support both patients in the area and their colleagues.

Congratulations not just to tonights winners, but to everyone who was shortlisted for this years awards.
The Brazilian presidential run-off, due to take place on Sunday, October 30, is unfolding under the shadow of an unprecedented parallel vote count and audit of the countrys electronic voting machines being conducted by the countrys military. The armed forces command has essentially aligned itself with the false claims of ballot fraud used by fascistic President Jair Bolsonaro to justify his announced refusal to concede a likely defeat.

Military Police chiefs meeting wth Electoral Court on Brazils elections [Photo: Alejandro Zambrona/Secom/TSE]

Bolsonaro has for four years claimed that only voting fraud in favor of his 2018 elections adversary, Fernando Haddad of the Workers Party (PT), blocked his victory in the first round. Since then, anticipating the results of the hatred generated by the sweeping attacks on workers living standards he implemented on behalf of national and foreign capital, Bolsonaro has relentlessly attacked the Brazilian electoral system and enlisted the military in these attacks.

In the last days before the run-off, after Bolsonaro trailed former PT president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the first round by 6 million votes, the situation is more dangerous than ever. The military has remained silent on their audit, while Bolsonaro repeats his claims that he will not accept the results unless the military proclaims its agreement with them, despite having no constitutional role in the matter.

More gravely, when asked last week by both the Supreme Court and the Court of auditors to release its report, the Defense Ministry replied it would not make public any partial analysis before the full conclusion of its audit, and that this would only happen after January 5, that is, after the inauguration of the next president, set for January 1.

The entire course of the closed door negotiations between all those declaring Bolsonaro a fascist and an existential threat to Brazilian democracy, first and foremost the Congressional opposition led by Lula and the PT, has so far succeeded only in elevating the military to the role of final arbiter of the elections, whatever the results of Sundays run-off.

Now, while Bolsonaro claims the results of the first round are suspect and calls on his fascist supporters to lay siege to voting sites in the second round, the military effectively declares it will not recognize the election results until after the inauguration of the next government, if ever.

Such a declaration represents an ominous threat, given both the Brazilian militarys bloody history and the intractable crisis of world capitalism, which finds a particularly sharp expression in Brazil. Backed by US imperialism, Brazilian generals ousted the bourgeois-nationalist Labor Party government of Joao Goulart in 1964, promising clean elections a year later, before shutting down Congress, abolishing political parties and habeas corpus, purging the Supreme Court and killing, torturing and sending into exile thousands of oppositionists. This reign of terror would last for 21 years and serve as a breeding ground for even bloodier coups across the continent, claiming hundreds of thousands of victims.

The rapid acceptance by the Brazilian ruling class of the fascistic Bolsonaro, a former Army captain and unabashed apologist of the dictatorships political executions, as the leading candidate and later president, signaled clearly that this history was not, after all, past as claimed by the PT and the corporate media. Now the military announces loud and clear that they are arrogating to themselves the right to rule on the legitimacy of civil authorities, which could rapidly evolve into a renewed dictatorship.

As the recent developments clearly expose, such dangers cannot be fought by a vote for the bourgeois opposition to Bolsonaro, that is, Lula and the PT. The main goal of the opposition, which has sworn their fealty to Brazilian capitalism in countless meetings with big business and foreign emissaries, is to chloroform public opinion in the face of the crisis engulfing Brazilian and international capitalism which drives the growth of fascist forces internationally.

The oppositions goal is to provide a lifeline to the moribund Brazilian bourgeois-democratic regime, in order to prevent an assault from below, effectively paving the way for a redoubled assault by the right wing.

Under these conditions, the militarys refusal to rule out election fraud, providing Bolsonaro with key support for his fascistic calls to overturn the results, is being completely ignored by the opposition. Hours before a public rally in the historic Catholic University Theater in Sao Paulo on Monday, gathering dozens of intellectuals and artists, Lula declared that he believes Bolsonaro will call him and concede defeat on Sunday night.

Lula reacted similarly after news on Wednesday night that Bolsonaro had made a hasty return from the campaign trail to the capital, Brasilia, to meet with the military chiefs before announcing he would challenge the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) for allowing radio stations to suppress his legal advertisement schedules. Bolsonaros announcement was yet another step in his carefully developed coup plans, but Lula dismissed it as a sign that the president is psychologically broken.

Such declarations by the foremost leader of the self-proclaimed Brazilian left and anti-fascist opposition are politically criminal. In the face of the plans for a coup that are underway, the PTs only argument is that it should be returned to power as the best means to contain and disrupt the working class opposition to a renewed dictatorship with the use of its allied union apparatus and pseudo-left identity politics.

With the military placing a sword over the head of the next administration, one can only expect that, if elected, the PT will move further to the right, deepening the turn to religious, militaristic and law-and-order reaction that has been the hallmark of the run-off election.

This turn started with Lulas pious declaration of ultra-right pro-life, anti-abortion convictions, and deepened with his calls for billionaires and businessmen to declare their open support for the PT as the best alternative for improving Brazils relations with world imperialism. What followed were promises to evangelical churches supporting Bolsonaro that they will hold sway over social policies in a new PT government, as announced by Lula in a Letter to the Evangelicals of October 19.

Now the PT is fully focused on presenting itself as the last line of defense of the police apparatus. It has seized on a standoff last Sunday between Bolsonaros fascist supporter Roberto Jefferson and the Federal Police, in which Jefferson fired 50 rounds from an assault rifle and hurled three stun grenades against a squad poised to arrest him outside of his home in the countryside of Rio de Janeiro.

Jefferson was the first of the ultra-right elementssuch as Bolsonaro himselfto break from the PTs ruling coalition after Lula was elected for the first time in 2002. Jefferson then, as now, led the corrupt Brazilian Labor Party (PTB), and denounced the PT government for paying monthly stipends in exchange for votes in the Brazilian House, including for the approval of its hated pensions reform. He was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2012 for taking part in the scheme himself, leaving prison 15 months later. He later steadily steered the PTB towards fascistic forces, becoming a Bolsonaro loyalist and sponsoring, in July 2021, the mass entry into the party of members of the traditional Brazilian fascist movement, the Integralistas.

He was arrested soon after on the orders of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who now leads the Electoral Court, as a threat to the state, under the sealed so-called fake news inquiry. Placed under house arrest due to poor health, he repeatedly violated the sentences terms, including by keeping the arms cache used to repel federal officers.

Jefferson fully embodied Bolsonaros coup strategy, going on social media, in violation of judicial orders, to complain about the anti-fake news measures of the Electoral Court, which days before had ordered the withdrawal of hundreds of pro-Bolsonaro videos and news pieces from social media, and forbidden the far-right Jovem Pan radio from reproducing them. Knowing his provocation would bring a renewed arrest warrant, Jefferson started broadcasting the arrival of the police and later exposed a pool of blood from one officer hit in the head by fragments of a stun grenade. As a result, by the time police reinforcements arrived and were finally able to seize him, his house was surrounded by Bolsonaro loyalists.

Bolsonaro then dispatched his Justice Minister, Anderson Torres, who negotiated Jeffersons surrender by phone from the nearby city of Juiz de Fora. While Bolsonaro later condemned Jefferson as an outlaw to be punished, the protection offered to him with the use of the Justice Ministry sends a clear message to the presidents fascist supporters who have been summoned to seize voting sites on Sunday.

Predictably, the PTs reaction was to show solidarity with the police and double down on the lie that Bolsonaro is the sole source of fascist violence in the country, with Lula declaring that this never happened in Brazilian politics, as if the dictatorship the PT was born opposing had never existed.

Workers must be warned that, should Lula and the PT be returned to power on Sunday, the terms of their inauguration and future government will be dictated by the far-right and the military. They will use a PT administration as cover for not only imposing harsh austerity and far-reaching attacks on democratic rights, but also to rearm themselves for a future seizure of power.

While its success is far from inevitable, it can only be countered by forging a new leadership in the Brazilian working class based upon the struggle to put an end to the source of poverty, dictatorship and warinternational capitalism. This means building a Brazilian section of the International Committee of the Fourth International.
For more information on the campaign of Will Lehman for UAW president, visit WillForUAWPresident.org.

Over the last few days, supporters of Will Lehmans campaign for president of the United Auto Workers visited several auto plants in Ohio and Michigan. Teams handed out hundreds of copies of Lehmans statement opposing the elimination of the third shift at the Stellantis Warren Truck Assembly Plant and other layoffs and spoke to workers about why they voted for Will or planned to when they got their ballot.

Lehman campaign at Dana plant in Toledo, Ohio [Photo: WSWS]

Toledo, Ohio Dana auto parts plant

Last year, the United Auto Workers and the United Steelworkers union rammed through a four-and-a-half-year contract on 3,500 workers at auto supplier Dana, which workers had initially voted to reject by 90 percent. For a month and a half, the unions ignored the overwhelming vote by members to launch a strike, which would have quickly shut down major auto plants.

The union bureaucrats launched a campaign of intimidation, threatening some workers with violence and conspiring with management to fire others in order to beat back opposition and get the deal ratified.

Campaigners spoke with workers at the Toledo, Ohio, Dana plant about why they were voting for Will. Sierra, a worker whos been at Dana for five years, said, I think hes the man thats going to lead us and get the power back on the floor. Hes our voice and I think hes what we need as a union to get us together and keep us going. She added, Well have someone thats for us, about us and cares.

Dan, a worker with two years at the plant, said, We rejected the last contract because we need more money. Im getting paid $18 an hour by a billion-dollar company. People are very angry. The union is supposed to represent us, but it doesnt. I like what your candidate is saying.

Toledo Dana workers read Lehman flyers [Photo: WSWS]

Jeff, a worker with five years, said, I voted for Will because he is the right guy to drive out the corrupt officials who ripped off our money, which we never got back. None of the UAW officials are now in prison. I agree with the rank-and-file committees hes fighting forbut it is going to take a real fight. We voted down the first contract by 4350. Then they said the second deal passed with only 375 workers out of 800 in the plant voting. The fix was in.

Im tired of the union now catering to Dana. We want someone to fight for us, not them, Bob said. They dont enforce anything in the contract. Whatever is good for the company, thats what the union does.

Brandon, a young Dana worker of two years, said, We just got the union book. We didnt get the full contract of what we voted on until a year after voting on itits bad.

When asked what issues are important to workers in the plant, he responded, The first step is getting new union reps. Theyre all working for the company, not us. We also definitely need to be making more money. Dana is a Fortune 500 company, yet theres no compensation for the money we make for them. Meanwhile, everything is getting more expensive.

A Dana worker who had just started at the plant this week said she is making only $15 an hour.

Dana workers added that they get one 15-minute break during the day and a 25-minute lunch break during an eight-hour day. If there isnt a safety violation for two months, workers then get an extra 15-minute break.

After campaigners spoke to many workers, UAW Local 12 officials at the Dana plant called management to remove Lehmans team, in a clear violation of both the rights of the rank-and-file candidate to bring his views to UAW members and for workers to hear them.

Stellantis Toledo Jeep Assembly plant

Campaign at Toledo Jeep plant [Photo: WSWS]

A worker with 10 years at the Stellantis Toledo Jeep plant in northwestern Ohio said, I voted for Will because he wants change. Im sick of the corruption. The union acts like management. We had a big change in the local union, with a cleaning out of the house. But as soon as these guys got in, they were brainwashed and now they only do what management wants. Dont get me talking about safety in the plant. We havent had a fire drill in three years. If there was a fire in there you couldnt evacuate because of all the machinery and parts in the way and it would be a catastrophe.

Mike, whos worked at Toledo Jeep for six years, said he had already cast his vote for Lehman, explaining, Out of everybody on the ballot, hes the only one that brought up everything that we need to get back. Before we can get better, we have to get back what we had. Hes fighting for everything everybody wants.

Robert, a supplemental employee (SE, formerly temporary part-time or TPT) who had transferred from the Belvidere Assembly Plant in northern Illinois, said that conditions for transfers and SEs are very poor at the plant. I didnt ask to get shipped off here.

Many workers spoke out about and denounced the layoffs by Stellantis in Detroit.

Industrial Park in Highland Park, Michigan with Magna International, Forvia (formerly Faurecia) and Yanfeng auto parts suppliers

Sandy, an auto parts worker, told campaigners she was voting for Lehman because I like the truth. I like truth to stand in front of injustice, to stand in front of everything. Because weve fallen and weve got to get up! Hes honest and hes saying what everybody else is thinkingand thats important.

Another worker at parts maker Yanfeng said about conditions in his plant, Right now, everythings been slow. People have been laid off, and unfortunately for people that are inside, were working at least three or four stations.

My goal is to feed my family, he continued.

GM Lansing Delta Assembly

A General Motors worker at the Lansing Delta assembly plant said, We should put the billion in assets in the [UAW] strike fund in our hands. This place is in sad shape and a lot needs to be fixed. Managers are pitiful and have no idea how to operate this production business.

Workers dont have a say right now. They say we do but we dont. We know what were doing. We tell them what needs to be done and they dont follow us. Will sounds good. Ill vote for him.

Another worker said, I like what Will has to say. When I watched the debate, [current UAW President Ray] Curry was shaking in his boots. Hes the least likeable person.

Ford Dearborn Truck Plant

On Tuesday afternoon, a campaign team handed out 1,300 fliers to workers at the Ford Dearborn Truck Plant.

One worker said he already was planning to vote for Will. When I hired in, you had one job like shooting a gun or installing a bracket on the truck. Now you might have four or five different operations you have to do on every vehicle.

Kathy said she has eight years at the plant and supports Wills fight against the union apparatus, saying, The union represents the company.

She described conditions in which most jobs are overloaded. The company is squeezing more and more out of every worker to extract more profit to pay for a new production facility that will produce the new electric truck.

When I speak to my union rep about the overwork, he just says that the workload should even out after the new building is finished. But I dont believe it.

She continued, We need to keep the power with the workers. Last week we were talking about supporting Will. I am supporting everybody like me.

For more information on the campaign of Will Lehman for UAW president, visit WillForUAWPresident.org.
The following open letter to Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes (BMWED) President Tony Cardwell was drafted and approved by the Railroad Workers Rank-and-File Committee (RWRFC). Contact the RWRFC by sending an email to railwrfc@gmail.com, texting (314) 529-1064 or filling out the form at the bottom of this page.

Sign up for the committees text information network: Text rail to (866) 847-1086.

The Railroad Workers Rank-and-File Committee is holding its fourth public meeting this Sunday, October 30, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time, The unions say they wont sanction a strike. That decision rests with workers, not the bureaucracy! Register for the event here.

Informational picket by railroaders in Kansas City, Kansas [Photo: WSWS]

Dear Mr. Cardwell:

We are writing to respond to your open letter of October 26 to the BMWED membership, in which you attacked anonymous fringe groups with dangerous ideas of unsanctioned work stoppages. We feel all the more obliged to respond because your letter sums up the bureaucratic arrogance of the officials at all 12 unions, not just at the BMWED.

You did not mention who you were referring to, but it is obvious that the target of the letter is the Railroad Workers Rank-and-File Committee. We have been organizing and campaigning among our coworkers to build democratic structures to give railroaders the means to countermand your endless bureaucratic delays of our right to strike. This includes your extension of the status quo until five days after Congress reconvenesapproximately November 19following members rejection of your tentative agreement two weeks ago.

First of all, let us say that even though you refuse to identify us, there is nothing anonymous about us. We conduct our work publicly, holding well-attended online public meetings, organizing informational pickets and distributing and discussing our statements with our coworkers. This is in naked contrast to you, Mr. Cardwell, and the officials in all 12 unions, who conduct your business outside of the view or control of the rank and file.

In your letter, you declare: Not only is an unsanctioned work stoppage illegal, but an uncoordinated strike is short-sighted and will not produce the result that at least one anonymous group is claiming. You continue: Unions that have engaged in illegal strikes have been hit with catastrophic financial penalties.  BMWED will not support or condone an illegal work stoppage and our bylaws prohibit strike wages or other benefits for an illegal strike.

We condemn this statement in the strongest possible terms. This is nothing more than a naked attempt to scare our coworkers back into line, that you felt the need to say it indicates that the sentiment for strike action is overwhelming, and that workers are tired of being told what they can and cant do by unaccountable officials.

Your statement is an open declaration that you and the BMWED leadership are prepared to act as strikebreakers, siding with the companies and the government against us. You threaten legal and financial penalties and the withholding of strike pay for any unsanctioned strikeunsanctioned because you, Mr. Cardwell, will refuse to sanction it. You then try to cover your tracks by claiming the union is prepared to sanction coordinated self-helpi.e., not necessarily a strikeat some point in the future, but the rest of your letter makes clear you are determined to make sure that this never occurs.

What gives you the right to claim sole authority to sanction a strike? Workers have already sanctioned it long ago. BMWED workers voted by 99 percent in favor of a strike; in BLET, 99.5 percent; in the IAM, 80 percent. Workers have spoken again and again with one voice that we are prepared to strike for what we need and deserve. But you and the bureaucracy in the other unions have simply ignored this. In the IBEW, there is even evidence to suggest that the contract was passed through fraud. It is not up to you and your fellow bureaucrats to override us and tell us what to do.

What you say about a strike being illegal is a flat-out lie. For three years, you have had the anti-strike provisions of the Railway Labor Act as a convenient cover for your inaction. But all of that went away on September 16, with the end of the last cooling-off period. There are, at present, no legal limits to striking or any other form of self-help which workers are under. We repeat, for the benefit of our coworkers: We can now legally strike at any time.

It is true that Congress would try to intervene with anti-strike legislation. But that has not happened yet, and we should be putting ourselves in the strongest possible position to answer this threat. The ideal period to strike is right now, in the final weeks before the midterm elections, when Congress is in recess and the political cost of congressional intervention would be greatest.

By extending the strike deadline to five days after Congress reconvenes, you are doing the exact opposite, putting Congress in the strongest possible position to answer our strike threat. All of the other unions are also delaying until after the midterms. The BLET even invited Nancy Pelosi, who already drew up anti-strike legislation in the House, to its national convention in early October. There is no other explanation for this except that you want the threat of Congressional intervention hanging over our heads, to give yourselves ammunition to ram this deal through and frighten workers with the threat of illegality.

You make the significant confession in your letter that the extension of the strike deadline is not due to any legal reason at all, but a secret agreement which you worked out with the carriers. This stipulation, you write, was a condition of the carriers agreeing to the TA which workers voted down. To our knowledge, this is the first time this has ever been admitted publicly. Your announcement of the extension on October 10 declared only that the rejection results in a status quo period and that there could be no self help until after the 19th, without explaining why or on whose authority. You wanted to create the impression among workers that it was due to some obscure legal requirement, perhaps under the terms of the RLA.

Mr. Cardwell, no genuine workers representative ever would have agreed to this, much less concealed it from us. Little wonder this has dragged on for three years. Why would the carriers ever budge if the other side of the table was prepared to make such concessions? The NCCC [National Carriers Conference Committee] said on October 19 that it refuses to consider any changes to sick leave or anything else that deviates from the framework set by the Presidential Emergency Board. And why would they, if they know you will never sanction a strike, and you are allowing them and Congress to dictate what workers can and cant do?

We have to give up all of our demands, while the carriers give up virtually nothing. What stipulations did you require from the carriers? Nothing. If the negotiating process were controlled by rank-and-file workers, it would go something like this: Give us our sick days, COLA, lower the years of service for vacation, leave our health care alone. Stipulate to that, and we wont walk out.

If your arguments that it is illegal for us to strike were true, then that could only mean that America is a dictatorship where workers have no rights, with yourselves acting as policemen. We cannot deny the fact that the government is controlled by the rich and has always sided with them against workers, but we still have First Amendment rights, whether you recognize it or not.

In conclusion, Mr. Cardwell, we inform you that workers patience is at an end. We are tired of being bureaucratically denied the rights entitled to us by the Constitution and that every other American enjoys.

You accuse the RWRFC of being a fringe group. You are the fringe, Mr. Cardwell, not us. We have voted to strike and to reject your garbage contracts. We, the workers, outnumber you 1,000 to 1. The RWRFC was formed to give voice and organization to railroad workers against the attempts to bureaucratically silence us.

You say in your letter: Workers must be wary of a group throwing disruption grenades from behind a wall of secrecy. We agree wholeheartedly! Only that applies to you, not to us.

Mr. Cardwell, on behalf of our 120,000 coworkers, we give you the following instructions: If you are not willing to abide by the will of the membership, then get out of the way.

But if there is one thing your letter did, it makes the following crystal clear: We, the rank and file, must take control of this situation ourselves. Brothers and sisters everywhere, organize your own networks, get your rail yards on the same page, share this letter and prepare to fight.

Sincerely,

The Railroad Workers Rank-and-File Committee
Nurses in Joliet, Illinois in 2020 [Photo: WSWS]

Pat Meade, treasurer for the St. Joseph Nurses Association and the community liaison, with 35 years of experience at the Joliet, Illinois hospital, told the World Socialist Web Site on Wednesday on Monday that a fourth nurse was suspended for defying orders at Ascension Saint Joseph Medical Center emergency room to assume their duties despite dangerous staffing shortages.

Last Friday, four nurses were escorted off the premises for refusing to work under unsafe conditions. They had explained to the managers that they were willing to clock in only if management would ensure they had adequate staffing. Meade said that means having at least 12 to 14 nurses per shift in the emergency department (ED). That night only four were assigned.

The next day, when three of the nurses returned to take their shift, they were barred from entering and told they had been suspended pending an investigation. A rally was held in front of the ED that night with approximately 100 nurses in attendance in support of their colleagues.

Hannah Puhr, who was the charge nurse for the day shift in the ED that Friday, provided more crucial details in an interview with WJOL, a local news channel, on Wednesday. She explained that the day was busy and staffing issues have been a chronic problem at Ascension. When they reviewed the night shift nursing assignment, they realized the night shift had only four nurses scheduled and that included a charge nurse and another nurse that had picked up a shift.

Essentially, there were only three nurses technically to take care of the patients [that night]. This is ridiculous; absolutely unacceptable. There were 51 patients in the emergency room. There was also about 30 in the waiting room and the rest were in the main side of the ER.

She continued, I felt like we had to do something. I contacted the INA [Illinois Nurses Association] because this was a very unsafe situation; very dangerous. If you could imagine had we had a critical patient or a code come in, there wouldnt even be enough nurses to run that code, the cardiac arrest, that night. So, I talked to the night shift. They came in for their shift. They were willing and ready to work. They were waiting to clock in until management or upper management had secured safe staffing for their patients.

Puhr added that management simply didnt care about what the nurses had to say, or listen to the nurses grievances. And because they didnt clock in, security was called, and they were quickly removed like criminals or hooligans. The day crew remained beyond the end of their shift until management could scrounge about seven peopletwo St. Joe nurses, two supervisors, one Kankakee Ascension nurse, one floor nurse and a nurse-managerbefore allowing them to leave.

This was purposeful intimidation used to warn nurses that the health system wouldnt tolerate any dissent on the part of staff. Meade, who attended the rally, admitted she too had received a warning from management for being there in support of the nurses.

In response to the question why there were only four scheduled she responded, Is there a shortage, do people not want to work, or is the medical center just trying to save money?Puhr said that the staffing shortages have been an ongoing issue, with mass exodus of nurses from St. Joes ever since Ascension took over in 2018.

In our discussion, Meade explained that prior to the July 2020 16-day strike, there were around 750 nurses. The figure has dropped to 650 and the hospital continues to steadily lose nurses. Retention is poor because nurses are treated poorly. You have agency nurses making triple your salary standing next to you. Why arent they using that money to take care of their nurses? She noted that younger nurses arent staying because they can get eight or ten more dollars per hour at another hospital.

She also reported that the hospital was late in providing the raises that were agreed to in the 2020 contract. There have been constant problems with paying out wages and bonuses. When the payroll system was hacked last year and the health system shifted to using paper, this led to major discrepancies that on occasions saw nurses wages garnished for supposed overpay.

But the issue of staffing has been at the crux of the nurses grievances against the hospital. There have been more than 160 Assignment Despite Objection (ADO) forms filled just on the issue of patient acuity and staffing shortages. An ADO form is a documentation tool used by nurses to object to an unsafe, or potentially unsafe, patient care assignment.

Puhr said that since the pandemic there has been cutting of resources, constant downgrading the quality of the products we use to take care of our patients. And the market value that they are now waging the nurses is ten dollars less than the average in Illinois. I understand that this is an ongoing issue everywhere in America  there is short staffing, they are busy  I mean, nurses arent asking for more money. They are asking for appropriate pay. We have been demanding this and asking this of the hospital. They have continued to refuse to raise wages.

It has been a longtime tenet of the nursing profession that if they believe a patient care assignment is unsafe, they have a legal and professional obligation to inform the health system. The purpose of this is to protect nurses if the health system does not address the situation and an untoward event occurs that causes harm or injury to a patient.

Pat Meade said that the Friday event was not simply a spontaneous action on the part of nurses. She thought it stemmed from a similar situation that occurred a couple nights before in the intensive care unit (ICU) that served as the trigger event. On the Tuesday before, when the ICU nurses took their shift, they were assigned three patients instead of two. They protested that these were unsafe conditions and the chief nursing officer stepped in to address the situation.

But the next day, the staffing was one nurse for four patients. The situation grew volatile, and the nurses came to an agreement to accept a one to three assignment. No one was suspended but the event must have received high level attention and informed the decisions to suspend the emergency room nurses.

Meade explained that the 2020 contract did not incorporate an acuity piece in the terms of agreement, that is a clause specifically mandating safe staffing ratios. And the contract stipulates that the nurses cannot go on strike; there is a no-work stoppage clause. And these rules are in effect until July 2023.

Now management is using the no-strike clause and the lack of minimum staffing rules in the 2020 contract as a virtual slaves charter, threatening to discipline nurses who refuse to work under grossly unsafe conditions. Many of the victimized nurses have multiple certificates in critical care and trauma. If they accepted their assignments short-staffed it would mean taking responsibility for any onerous outcomes to patients under their care.

Meade said the suspended nurses are currently undergoing the investigative process where they are sitting with human resources and nursing administrations to discuss the terms of the contract and the events of the night in question. Meade said one of the nurses with 17 years at Ascension, who had been working seven days a week, ten to 12 hours a shift, to fill in for the short staff began weeping, asking how they could do this to him.

Ascension only offered the following statement to the media obscured in the usual legalistic jargon, saying Joliet [Ascension Saint Joseph] is committed to working in partnership with nurses while also respecting the terms of our labor contracts. In doing so, we are conducting a thorough investigation of recent events. However, Timothy Nelson, a spokesman for the health system, has said the nurses union is engaging in illegal work stoppages. He added, While the hospital is dealing with nursing shortage issues that all hospitals are currently facing, the Illinois Nurses Association (INA) has decided to promote and encourage nurses at the hospital to not work their scheduled shifts.

In truth the decision by the nurses not to work under unsafe and dangerous conditions was a byproduct of the rank-and-file nurses responding spontaneously to an untenable situation. It has been the previous sell-out contracts negotiated with the support of the INA that have tied the hands of nurses and sanctioned disastrous and dangerous understaffing. The health system is now responding by threatening retaliation against nurses in order to send a message to the rank-and-file that such action will not be tolerated.

In order not to be isolated and victimized, health care workers at St. Joes must not leave their struggle in the hands of INA bureaucrats. They must turn out and seek the widest possible support from health care workers in Illinois, nationally and internationally, who are increasingly working under the same intolerable conditions. We encourage nurses and other health care workers to share your stories with the WSWS Health Care Workers Newsletter. Your names will be kept confidential.
Its probably safe to say that everyone has a date that left a permanent mark on their lives; mine happened Oct. 24, 1970, when I married Renee. She was 18 and I was 20 years old and with numerous reasons our wedding party didnt give us much chance to survive the first year of our marriage.

Today we have now survived 52 years of marriage and although we havent seen much of our wedding party since, those who are still around have to be amazed because Renee and I sure are.

Like all married folks our relationship has had all sorts of challenges. Ours started out with a pregnancy that delivered us a son, Sean, who arrived four months after our wedding ceremony. Sean arrived in February and suffered from undeveloped lungs.

Sean was never allowed to leave the incubator and neither of us was allowed to touch him so all we could do is watch him convulse in his incubator. The poor guy couldnt catch a breath and 27 hours later he sadly passed away. As you can imagine our relationship was filled with stress. On top of this I was working full time and a full-time student. Eventually both of us ended up working at the state hospital in Jamestown and at one point we separated only to decide that wasnt a good idea either. Once I completed school we bought a 1961 Volkswagen van converted it into a cheap camper and left for parts unknown. We lived in it and traveled for a year, ending high up in the mountains of Colorado. We both got jobs and settled there until Renee became pregnant again. We decided to move back home to raise our family. Melissa came along and our lectures on parenting became more realistic as she taught us more about parenting than we ever knew.

Five years later Ben showed up and we noted that some children have two speeds, off and full. He was a handful and both my loyal readers know that today I somehow became an assistant in his carpentry career.

I should say here its taken a while for me to get used to taking his orders.

Shortly after Bens arrival we decided that it would be a good idea for me to get a masters degree, so we moved to Missoula where I attended the University of Montana.

In our second year there Abe decided to show up. So we moved to Montana with two kids and moved back home with three.

By the way, it didnt take long for us to discover that two kids were easy to care for, but three made us think that any number after three children wouldnt make any difference with the ensuing chaos.

So here we are some 50 odd years later and the kids have not only grown up, but theyve also made us grandparents and to top it off one of our grandkids is about to turn us into great-grandparents.

Looking back at over 50 years of our lives is not an easy task. Like all couples weve had our struggles and challenges but at no point have we decided that it would be best for us to separate, rather Renee and I have grown to the point where weve become one.

For us life has been a wonder-filled gift that has caused us to do a lot of wondering and the key term here is us.

And here we are in whats called our golden years, were both retired and quite grateful that we have each other.

We both know that love really is all there is, so happy anniversary Renee and heres hoping the rest of you are as happy as we are.
Kindergarten teacher Karen Drolet, left, works with a student at Raices Dual Language Academy, a public school in Central Falls, R.I., Feb. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

On Monday, the National Center for Education Statistics released the results of the 2022 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), which was given to fourth and eighth grade students last spring. The results show a large decrease in English and math proficiency since the test was last administered in 2019.

Forty-three out of 53 states and other jurisdictions tested by the NAEP saw a decline in fourth-grade math skills. For eighth grade, only two jurisdictions did not see a statistically significant decline. For fourth grade reading, 30 jurisdictions saw a decline, while 33 jurisdictions saw a decline in eight grade reading.

On average, between 2019 and 2022, fourth and eighth grade reading both showed a three-point decline, fourth grade math a five-point decline and eighth grade math an eight-point decline. NAEP is scored on a 0 to 500 scale.

Many government officials, news reports and commentators quickly blamed remote learning during the pandemic as the cause of the declines. But in Los Angeles, one of the few school districts to maintain remote learning options throughout the 20202021 school year, showed gains between 20192022 on NAEP in fourth grade reading (two points) eighth grade reading (nine points) and eight grade math (one point). Florida, fully open for in-person learning since the 20202021 school year, saw a four point drop in eighth grade reading, seven point drop in eight grade math, five point drop in fourth grade math and no change in fourth grade reading.

Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, the federal agency that administers NAEP, noted, Theres nothing in this data that tells us that there is a measurable difference in the performance between states and districts based solely on how long schools were closed.

Students who took the 2022 assessment were also asked whether they attended remote school during the 202021 school year. The NAEP report noted that higher performers on the test (scoring at or above the 75th percentile) who learned remotely during the 202021 school year reported having more frequent access to a desktop computer, laptop, or tablet all the time; a quiet place to work available at least some of the time; and a teacher available to help them with mathematics schoolwork about once or twice a week or more compared to lower performers (those below the 25th percentile).

In other words, remote learners with adequate resources and support were generally able to perform better on the assessment. If the government had provided laptops, internet access and enough teachers, adequately trained, to provide support, remote learning could have been successfully implemented in the spring of 2020 as a temporary measure, along with all necessary public health measures, to eliminate COVID-19.

Instead, in order to save Wall Street, limited and haphazard public health measures were steadily abandoned in the late spring and summer of 2020, with the result that more than two years later, the pandemic has not only not ended but new vaccine-resistant mutations are emerging.

Austerity in education long predates the pandemic. During the Obama administration, there was a net loss of 300,000 school employees, despite K-12 enrollment increasing during his presidency. But the pandemic has laid bare the real state of education in the United States.

Decades of funding cuts have led to massive increases in class sizes, reductions in school nurses and counselors, woefully inadequate pay for essential school personnel, a curriculum increasingly devoted to rote teaching to the test, especially in math and reading, along with the elimination of art, music, theater, field trips and other culturally enriching experiences. The pandemic has only accelerated many of these trends, and tens of thousands of teachers have left the profession.

Just this academic year, school districts across the country have cut hundreds of millions of dollars from their budgets. New York City cut $215 million, Minneapolis, $27 million, various districts across California each faced budget deficits of tens of millions of dollars, and the Kansas City school district had a $28 million deficit.

At the federal level, the fiscal year 2022 budget provided $76.4 billion to the Department of Education, less than 10 percent of the Pentagon budget. In 2022 alone, the United States has provided to Ukraine at least $50 billion in weapons and other financial assistance, two-thirds the total federal spending on education.

Further exacerbating the crisis in education are the health effects of COVID-19 on students and school personnel. A study published in Nature from May showed that 70 percent of US children had been infected, some 51 million children, and the CDCs inadequate statistics show that 1,506 children have died from the virus. While no state or federal agency tracks the number of school workers who have died, the Twitter account School Personnel Lost to Covid shows that, as of August 1, 2,422 school workers have died.

The health impacts are worsening, and countless children and school workers will suffer from Long COVID, which can cause serious long-term health problems, including brain damage and sudden death from heart attacks and strokes. A study published October 20 in Pediatrics looked at 15,000 children hospitalized with COVID-19 and determined that 7 percent experienced neurological complications, including seizures.

Many of those afflicted with Long COVID complain of brain fog and the inability to concentrate for even short periods of time, with obvious negative implications for learning.

Millions of students, repeatedly exposed to COVID-19, will likely suffer health impairments of one degree or another. Students will continuously have their education disrupted by illness. When the Omicron wave hit last winter, schools routinely combined classes to fill in for missing teachers infected with the virus, or even packed students into auditoriums or cafeterias with no instruction taking place.

Now, with all mitigation measures dropped for the 20222023 school year and a new wave of COVID-19 variants likely to soon swoop over the country, children and school workers will continue to be exposed to the virus, and the same cycle of education disruption seen with the Omicron wave will repeat itself.

Compounding the long-term health problems from COVID-19, according to the Imperial College of London, an estimated 229,500 US children have lost at least one primary caregiver to COVID-19. A study published in April by JAMA Network compared education outcomes for siblings, where one child experienced a parental death before finishing K-12 education and the other after.

The results showed that experiencing parental death before finishing school was associated with lower school performance and, further, that losing a parent at a younger age was associated with lower grades within a family.

Until all necessary public health measures are put in place to contain and eliminate COVID-19 on an international scale, along with a massive infusion of education funding, high quality education for all remains impossible. To address both the pandemic and the education crisis, it is necessary that the working class take up the struggle against the subordination of health and education to private profit.
The amendment to paragraph 130 of the penal code (incitement of the people), decided in a cloak-and-dagger action, is an unprecedented attack on the fundamental rights of freedom of expression and assembly. In view of the rapid return of German militarism, any expression of doubts about the deafening war propaganda and any opposition to the war policy are to be made punishable offences.



Specifically, the legislation will be amended to include a paragraph stating that it is punishable by up to three years in prison to publicly or in an assembly condone, deny, or grossly trivialize genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes. Officially, this will implement a 2008 EU decision to combat racism, so the alleged statement must be likely to incite hatred or violence against a national, racial, religious or ethnic group, against parts of the population or against an individual because of his or her affiliation with it, and disturb the public peace.

The amendment to the law, which was passed with the votes of the Social Democrats (SPD), Liberal Democrats (FDP), Greens and Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU), was deliberately worded in such a way that no limit is placed on the time and place of the aforementioned crimes, nor did they have to be finally established by a court. Such a limitation had been made possible by the EU Framework Decision, but the traffic light coalition of the SPD, FDP and Greens, together with the CDU/CSU, deliberately did not use it, as the parliamentary Legal Affairs Committees recommended resolution on the law explicitly states. Even if such a statement is made in a non-public meeting, it can still be prosecuted.

SGP placards against war and the return of fascism [WSWS Media] [Photo: WSWS]

This means that it does not matter when or where war crimes or genocide took place, or whether they have a connection to Germany or not. Since they also do not have to be established judicially, suspicion about a propaganda claim can also suffice. It suffices if police officers, prosecutors or judges declare them to be true.

At the same time, the law provides the German judiciary practically unlimited leeway, through undefined legal terms, as to when it will prosecute supposedly illegal statements and when it will not, when trivialization is present, when this is gross, and when a statement is suitable to disturb the public peace (an actual disturbance is not required).

Despite all the denials from the Ministry of Justice, which point to EU infringement proceedings against Germany from last year for failing to implement the 2008 EU decision, the reason for the tightening of the law is obviously the Ukraine war. It was literally decided in a cloak-and-dagger action, public discussion was apparently to be avoided, as the Suddeutsche Zeitung vividly described:

There had been no major announcement; instead, Marco Buschmanns (FDP) Ministry of Justice had given an initially non-public formulation aid to the Legal Affairs Committee. The committee had then attached the text to an inconspicuous reform bill on the Federal Central Register on Wednesday. So it was able to move quickly: On Thursday evening shortly before 11 p.m., the traffic light factions in the Bundestag, together with the Christian Democrats, had already given their final approval.

Now, only the Bundesrat, the second chamber, must agree on November 25; after ratification by the Federal President and publication in the Federal Law Gazette it then comes into force.

The reason for the haste and stealth with which this law is being rushed through is the fear and anger of the ruling class that NATOs proxy war in Ukraine against Russia, despite incessant propaganda, is rejected by broad sections of the population. Many working people are not driven by the desire for victory over Russia, but by concerns about rising living costs and fear of war. The answer of the ruling class is to criminalize the rejection of atrocity propaganda against Russia.

The significance of the law, however, goes far beyond the Ukraine war. In most wars and civil wars around the world, allegations of war crimes and genocide play a central political role. Sometimes they are true, but only a pretext; often they turn out to be lies.

Thus, in order to justify the war against Iraq, real past crimes of the Hussein regime, such as poison gas attacks against Kurds during the war against Iran, were brought up, but tales of atrocities were also invented, such as that Iraqi soldiers tore Kuwaiti babies out of incubators. NATOs war of aggression against Yugoslavia, which violated international law, was preceded by propaganda about an alleged horseshoe plan by Yugoslav President Milosevic, who was allegedly planning genocide against the Kosovo Albanians. Similar propaganda was used to justify the war against Libya to overthrow and assassinate Libyan leader Gaddafi. The examples could be continued.

In future, using the new law, anyone who questions the war propaganda of the ruling class can be prosecuted. Hatred and the denial of war crimes against Germanys enemies, on the other hand, will continue to go unprosecuted. No state attorney will prosecute Ukrainian nationalists for glorifying Nazis like the Azov regiment or the fascist Stepan Bandera and incitement against Russian orcs.

The prosecution of opponents of war has a long tradition in Germany. Socialist leaders August Bebel and Wilhelm Liebknecht were sentenced to two years imprisonment for their criticism of the 1870 Franco-Prussian War. Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht were locked up in a penitentiary for their opposition to the First World War. The Nazis eventually imprisoned hundreds of thousands of Communists and Social Democrats in concentration camps in order to conduct World War II.

In the name of the fight against incitement of the people, of all things, the ruling class is reanimating this tradition. The new law is part of comprehensive attacks on basic democratic rights aimed at suppressing widespread opposition to war and social devastation.

For example, in the capital Berlin authorities banned all Nakba Day demonstrations marking the destruction of Palestinian society and homeland in 1948. In many parts of Berlin this year, it was forbidden to commemorate the liberation from fascism in World War II by the Soviet Union with Soviet flags at Soviet memorials and monuments on Liberation Day, May 9. In a ruling against the left-wing daily Junge Welt in March, the Berlin Administrative Court justified allowing publications to be spied on, harassed and discriminated against by the secret service if they advocated against capitalism and for a socialist society.

Previously, the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) had been placed under secret service surveillance and included in its annual report as being hostile to the constitution. When the SGP took legal action against this, the federal government justified its action against the party on the grounds that the SGP took a stand against nationalism and militarism and was fighting for an egalitarian, democratic and socialist society.

After two courts joined in this scandalous revival of the Nazis Gesinnungsjustiz (prosecution for ideas or beliefs), the SGP filed an appeal with the Supreme Court. With the SGPs campaign, it is not only defending its own democratic rights, but also placing itself at the forefront of the struggle against the growing authoritarian tendencies, most recently expressed in the new paragraph 130 legislation. We therefore call on all WSWS readers to sign our petition on Change.org and become an active supporter of the SGP today.
Flowers, stuffed animals and candles are piled around a memorial at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas Monday, May 30, 2022, to honor the victims killed in last week's school shooting. [AP Photo/Jae C. Hong]

Texas is sending public school students home with DNA kits designed to identify their children in case of an emergency.

The program is part of a bill passed in 2021, which took effect in April 28 of that year. It provides to all school districts and open-enrollment charter schools inkless, in-home fingerprint and DNA identification kits to be distributed through the district or school on request to the parent or legal custodian of any kindergarten, elementary, or middle school student. The kits can be stored at home and submitted to federal, state, tribal or local law enforcement to to help locate and return a missing or trafficked child.

The Texas Education Agency said in a statement that it is collaborating with the Safety Blitz Foundation, National Child Identification Programs, Education Service Centers and school systems on the effort. The program is allocated $5.7 million total for the 2022 and 2023 fiscal years.

The bill was passed after the Santa Fe school shooting and a year before the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 fourth graders and two teachers dead following more than an hour of law enforcement inaction. Many childrens bodies were so shot up that they had to be identified by DNA swabs.

The Texas Education Agency in a statement attempted to dissuade concerns about the purpose of the kits, saying The kits are designed to assist law enforcement in locating and returning a missing or trafficked child and are not distributed as a means of victim identification following a mass casualty incident. It noted that while it is the first time the school systems were involved in such an effort, that Texas has facilitated a statewide child ID program since 2006 through direct distribution to parents.

MSNBC interviewed some Texas parents who were clearly concerned about the potential for the kits to provoke parents.

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, Tracy Walder said. 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?

Education Week ran a similarly themed article titled Texas Schools Are Sending DNA Kits Home to Parents. Why This Is a Communications Mess. The issue centered on by the article is the optics of sending out the kits, not why school massacres have increased drastically over the past decades.

The Education Week article extensively quoted nationally recognized school safety expert Kenneth Trump, whose main concern was that without proper communication  adults are likely to misinterpret the kits to mean that school and government leaders think there is a high probability there will be a school shooting.

The response of Republicans, who control the Texas state government, to the rising epidemic of school shootings is to call for the militarization of schools, flooding them with more police and even arming teachers. The state has transferred nearly $900 million for public safety initiatives across Texas with $400 million to be divided among districts in an as yet unknown manner for security including upgrading doors, windows, fencing, communications and other safety measures in school buildings according to a news release. Fifteen million of the $900 million is going to Uvalde to rebuild after the Robb Elementary shooting.

The response of the Democrats, however, is little better. Democrats downplay the social roots of the rise of mass shootings. In their own way, they present it as primarily a law enforcement rather than a social problem, to be resolved solely through laws restricting access to guns.

This obfuscation mirrors the Biden administrations downplaying of the pandemic, which it falsely claims to be over, and its elimination of all remaining public health restrictions in schools and workplaces. As a result, record numbers of children are being hospitalized.
The Committee reviewed new notifications of legislation submitted by Brazil, Canada, Djibouti and the United Kingdom. It continued its review of the legislative notifications of Cameroon, India, the European Union, Ghana, Liberia, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

As is the usual practice in the Committee, delegations raised questions about the practices of other members in reviewing their semi-annual notifications on anti-dumping actions, which cover the initiation of investigations, the imposition of provisional and final anti-dumping measures, and the review of existing anti-dumping measures.

With respect to the semi-annual reports covering the period 1 January - 30 June 2022, 45 members notified the Committee of anti-dumping actions taken in this period, 16 reported no new anti-dumping actions in this period, while 53 members made a one-time notification indicating they do not have an investigating authority or apply any anti-dumping measures.

The Chair of the Committee, Mr Juan Carlos Estrella of Ecuador, urged members that had not submitted reports of actions to do so promptly. The Chair welcomed members' extensive use of the new anti-dumping portal to submit their semi-annual reports and informed members of the WTO Secretariat's same-day presentation on the WTO's new Trade Remedies Data Portal.

Questions were raised by several delegations regarding actions contained in the semi-annual reports of Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, the European Union, India, Israel, the Republic of Korea, Morocco, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and Viet Nam.

With respect to the semi-annual report submitted by Ukraine, Ukraine referred to the inability of its domestic producers to participate in investigations as they are situated in the areas occupied by the Russian Federation and are under attack by Russia. Seven members took the floor to commend Ukraine's efforts to notify, and condemned Russia's actions in Ukraine. The Russian Federation contested Ukraine's explanations and the other members' statements, which it considered to be outside the WTO's mandate.

In addition to the semi-annual reports, the WTO's Anti-Dumping Agreement requires members to submit without delay  on an ad hoc basis  notifications of all preliminary and final anti-dumping actions taken. Ad hoc notifications reviewed during the meeting were received from Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Korea, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, South Africa, Chinese Taipei, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uruguay and Viet Nam. In this connection, questions were raised regarding a notification submitted by South Africa.

Next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled to take place in the week of 1 May 2023.
A 16-year-old Mandan boy is charged as an adult in the fatal shooting of a South Dakota man and the related shooting of another person in Bismarck.

Jesse Taylor Jr. is charged in South Central District Court with murder in the death of Maurice Thunder Shield, 28, of McLaughlin, South Dakota, court records show. An aggravated assault charge stems from allegations that he shot another person. The person is identified only by initials.

Taylor faces a possible life sentence if convicted on the murder charge. He appeared briefly in court Friday via a video link and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Judge Douglas Bahr set bail at $250,000 cash. It wasn't immediately clear where Taylor was being held.

Defense attorney Justin Balzer declined comment to the Tribune outside the courtroom.

Bismarck police on Sept. 23 responded to a report that a person had been shot in the chest at Motel 6. Thunder Shield was unresponsive and witnesses were performing CPR when police arrived. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Taylor and Thunder Shield knew each other, police said. Taylor allegedly fled and was arrested in Warren, Minnesota, that evening.

A judicial referee in moving the charges from juvenile jurisdiction to adult court noted Taylor had a limited juvenile history but didnt comply with probation and admitted to committing other offenses while on probation. He has pending juvenile petitions for carrying a concealed weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm and carrying a weapon in a vehicle; for months he couldnt be located to face those charges, the document states.
To,

Shri Bhupender Yadav ji

Honble Minister of Labour & Employment Govt of India

Shram Shakti Bhawan

Rafi Marg, New Delhi 110001

28th October 2022

Sub: Submission by the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions on certain issues pertaining to Labour and Working People of India, requesting urgent intervention.

Dear Sir,

The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Independent Federations/Associations, in its meeting held on 23rd September 2022 in New Delhi, unanimously resolved to draw the following serious issues of the working people of India and their united movement for your urgent intervention and immediate action:

1. Holding Indian Labour Conference (ILC): The last ILC - i.e., the 46th Session of the highest tripartite forum was held on 20-21st July 2015. Since then ILC has not been held during the last seven years, although it is binding on the Government to hold it at least once every year. We urge you to ensure that it is convened at the earliest. And for deciding the agenda of ILC, the meeting of the Standing Labour Committee, comprising representatives of all Central Trade Unions and Employers Organisation also needs to be convened immediately.

2. The unanimous recommendations of 42nd, 43rd, 44th and 45th ILCs, regarding the formula for deciding Minimum Wage, on the issue of same wage and benefits for the contract workers doing the same or similar jobs as the regular workers, treating the Scheme Workers (Anganwadi, mid-day-meal, ASHA etc) as workers with attendant benefits of statutory minimum wage and social security - were all reiterated by the 46th Indian Labour Conference. But no action has been taken by the Govt to implement these recommendations despite being a party to those recommendations. Immediate steps are required to be taken to ensure implementation of those unanimous recommendations of successive ILCs.

3. Scrap the Labour Codes: The four Labour Codes have been enacted by repealing 29 existing Labour Laws, thereby drastically curtailing whatever rights and protective provisions were there for the workers in those 29 Labour Laws. The Labour Codes impose more derogatory working conditions on the workers and almost open-endedly empower the Govts and employers to further curtail labour rights and benefits arbitrarily at their whims and fancies. Suspension of labour laws by certain State Governments has not shown any economic gains either. All the Central Trade Unions have been consistently opposing the Labour Codes almost in one voice and submitted, both jointly and individually, written letters/ memoranda detailing their reasoned objections to the various provisions in the drafts circulated by the government, that are against the interests of the workers. We collectively urge upon you not to notify and implement the Labour Codes. We demand that they should be scrapped. The entire issue should be revisited and renegotiated with the trade unions representing the workers.

4. Withdraw Essential Defence Services Act, 2021as assured on the floor of the Lok Sabha by Shri Rajnath Singh, the Raksha Mantri.

5. Structured meeting jointly with all the central trade unions: During the intervening period, you had meetings one to one with most of the Central Trade Unions. Almost every Central Trade Union has demanded to hold structured joint meetings with all the Central Trade Unions at regular intervals, which is not being done by the Govt for quite a long period. We urge upon you to start the practice of regular structured meetings with Central Trade Unions to deal on the issues/problems faced by the workers.

6. Increase in Minimum Pension in EPS-1995: Increase in minimum pension under EPS-95 is long overdue, the last hike being in on 1-9-2014, that too mostly notionally. The issue has been discussed in the tripartite CBT of EPFO number of times but no action has been taken by the Govt in that regard. We urge upon you to please initiate action in the matter increasing the minimum pension admissible to all pensioners under EPF-95 in consultation with the trade unions.

7. Universal Pension Scheme for the Unorganised Sector workers: The Govt must alsoput in place a fully funded scheme to ensure universal pension to vast section of unorganised sector workers, as the much propagated contributory New Pension Scheme has been proved to be a total failure in ensuring the pension rights for the unorganised sector workers.

8. Scrap NPSRestore Old Pension Scheme for both central and state government employees: We demand that the New Pension Scheme imposed on the Govt employees both at the Centre and in the States be scrapped and the Old Pension Scheme be restored at the earliest.

9. Complete Stoppage of the Move to Privatise the PSUs: Scrap the National Monetisation Pipeline Scheme: The measures being taken by the government to privatise the public sector undertakings, and also government departments through corporatisation are not at all in the interest of our national economy. The trade unions have been opposing and agitating against these measures. We are also strongly opposed to the latest National Monetisation Pipeline Scheme aimed at handing over the entire infrastructure sectors of the economy to private corporates virtually free to earn revenue from them without their making any investment. We urge upon the Govt through you to refrain from such destructive exercises of privatization and NMP.

10. There are many other burning issues. The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions has been agitating /struggling since long on the 12 point charter of demands of which you are aware. We urge upon you to initiate dialogue with the Central Trade Unions to consider those demands at the earliest.

Almost all the Central Trade Unions, while meeting you one to one have already presented most of the above issues. We urge upon you to please intervene and initiate steps to resolve those long standing issues in consultation with the Trade Unions in the interests of fairness and propriety.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

TUCC SEWA AICCTU LPF UTUC INTUC AITUC HMS CITU AIUTUC
A Bismarck-area state lawmaker and his business partner say North Dakota's state auditor didn't perform due diligence in a review of a building cost overrun incurred under late Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem.

State Auditor Josh Gallion said he stands by the critical investigative report released last month, but noted time constraints amid a busy audit season while completing the work requested by state lawmakers.

Vogel Law Firm, which represents Stealth Properties LLC co-owned by Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck, and C.J. Schorsch, provided the Tribune on Friday afternoon with more than 800 pages of documentation regarding the project. Stealth's attorney says the records show Dockter's and Schorsch's companies involved in the building project "acted honestly and consistent with their legal and contractual duties."

Dockter told the Tribune, "We feel we didn't do anything wrong from top to bottom."

Recipients of Stealth's response to the report are current Attorney General Drew Wrigley and the chairman of the Legislature's audit committee, which has probed the overrun. Members of the panel said the report raised questions of trust and double billing.

Wrigley said his office will evaluate Stealth's response over the weekend, notably for how its records might impact the office's rent agreement for the building at 1720 Burlington Drive in south Bismarck.

He said he also will provide Stealth's response to Montana state investigators whom he tasked earlier this month with probing the cost overrun, as requested by the Legislature's audit committee.

The cost overrun Wrigley has said is $1.8 million is really $1.2 million, according to Stealth's response.

Also, the Attorney General's Office overpaid nearly $225,000 on costs, according to Stealth's response.

Project costs have yet to be fully reconciled, according to Schorsch, who said the $1.8 million was based on subcontractors' cost estimates. He has attributed the overrun to coronavirus pandemic delays, overages and change orders. Some caulking, a trash enclosure and small items remain to be completed, Schorsch said. Reconciliation, or harmonizing the finances, will take place "as soon as possible," he said.

Dockter, according to the report, sought a state tenant to lease the building before Stealth Properties purchased it. He also was campaign treasurer to Stenehjem in 2016 and 2018.

Dockter said he owns 12.5% of the building, a "minority interest," and he called the lease fair.

"We have our lives outside of the Legislature. We have businesses," he said.

Dockter said he and Stenehejm were friends, "but it didn't have anything to do with" the building. He said the attorney general leasing the building stemmed from a "casual conversation" in 2019 with the director of the state crime bureau, a part of the Attorney General's Office, and that Stealth would have purchased the building regardless of whether the AG leased it.

"This worked out, and they could save money on rent, and so they made a decision," Dockter said. Former Chief Deputy Attorney Troy Seibel mostly handled the building project, he said.

The report also cited $322,005 in payments without invoices to Frontier Contracting, another Dockter-owned company that worked on the project. Schorsch said Gallion's team didn't ask for the invoices in dispute.

Gallion's office received records from the Attorney General's Office, and met with Dockter and Schorsch "several times," the auditor said.

"If there was additional information available, my question is why they didn't provide it during those interactions," the state auditor said.

Dockter said Gallion's team "never once asked us on any of these discrepancies" despite numerous emails and three meetings.

Gallion, who released the critical report to state lawmakers last month, said he stands by it but noted its review occurred within a 90-day window to meet lawmakers' deadline amid a busy season of major audit projects.

"Had we had additional resources and additional time, we would have enjoyed looking into additional areas," Gallion said.

The report said Frontier had no contractor's license.

Dockter said a contractor's license is held by D & S LLC, doing business as trade names Parkway Property Management and Frontier Contracting, all of which are companies he and Schorsch co-own.

"The city of Bismarck won't give you a building permit, you can't even start" a project without a contractor's license, Dockter said. D & S will change its forms to acknowledge which entity is providing contracting services, he said.

KFGO political talk radio host Joel Heitkamp, a Democratic former state senator, recently filed a complaint against Dockter with the state Ethics Commission, citing Dockter's involvement in the building.

The board earlier this month took the unprecedented step of hiring an attorney as a special assistant attorney general for legal advice as to seven complaints, contents of which are confidential.
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The Republican and Democratic candidates for secretary of state agree that elections are fair in North Dakota, but say more should be done to instill public confidence during a period of skepticism about election results.

Michael Howe is the Republican candidate and Jeffrey Powell is the Democratic candidate for the secretary of state position, the states top election official whose office also handles business registrations.

Al Jaeger has been secretary of state for 29 years, and voters will choose his successor in the Nov. 8 election.

Both candidates agree that North Dakotas elections are well run and there is no history of voter fraud, but said skepticism that arose in other states during the 2020 presidential election  which then-President Donald Trump falsely claimed was stolen  spilled over into the state.

Powell was blunt about assigning primary responsibility for the distrust in elections, which he said has been drummed up by the false allegations raised by Trump and echoed by many Republicans, amplified by GOP-friendly news outlets including Fox and Breitbart.

The threat to voter rights, in fact, is what prompted Powell, who is director of student life at Mayville State University, to seek the office of secretary of state.

I have always cared about elections, I have always cared about democracy, he said. Voting rights in North Dakota may soon be under assault in the same way they are in lots of other states.

Howe, who said he believes Joe Biden won the presidency in a fair election, wants to strengthen public confidence in the elections system by opening the blinds and providing more transparency into how votes are counted.

Howe, who lives in West Fargo, represents District 22 in the North Dakota House. Elected in 2016 and 2020, he serves on the House Appropriations Committee and also is involved in his familys seed business northeast of Casselton.

I maintain we have the best election process in the United States, Howe said.

He added: I want to preserve and protect North Dakotas election integrity, and make North Dakota the top state for starting a business.

In the past, Democrats also have alleged that elections were unfair, Howe said. I think Republicans, Democrats, anyone seeking office should speak out about what are the facts, he said.

Despite multiple court challenges, Trump failed to prove any election fraud, Howe said. At some point you have to win a court case in order to give credence to the allegations, he said.

The key to restoring public confidence in elections, Howe and Powell agreed, is through education and awareness.

Howe suggested a possible election lab to demonstrate how elections are handled, while Powell said more can be done online. The state has an excellent primer on the election process, but it isnt engaging, Powell said.

It is a really terrific document, he said. We need to find a way to make that more alive.

Both candidates agree that more should be done to ease the process of business registrations. The Secretary of States Office adopted a one-stop business registration website, but a small number of registrations still are done on paper, a requirement Howe said he would work to eliminate through improved technology if elected.

In his academic administration role, Powell said he works closely with developers on websites, and said a better website would improve both election information and business registration by making the site more user friendly.

The process of getting an initiated measure on the ballot should be reexamined in light of problems that arose in a ballot measure to adopt term limits for the governor and lawmakers that will appear on the November ballot, both candidates agree.

The North Dakota Supreme Court decided the measure should be placed on the ballot in spite of findings by Jaegers staff and a judge that there were thousands of invalid signatures and evidence of fraud.

But the justices ruled that Jaeger erred in throwing out all signatures tied to a notary who signed off on petitions with large numbers of invalidated signatures.

The state needs a workable law that doesnt unduly impose requirements that make it too difficult to get an initiated measure on the ballot, but guards against fraud, Powell said.

I think theres a lot in the initiated measure process that needs to be looked at, he said, including the number of signatures needed to get a measure on the ballot. I look forward to being involved.

Policymakers should examine the question of what number of fraudulent signatures would disqualify a petition, Howe said.

Thats a conversation the Legislature has to have along with the attorney generals office, he said.
As the war in Ukraine continued to escalate, the Bezhenar family made the difficult decision to leave the country in July. They had to leave everything behind  their business, their home, and even their pets, which devastated their 10-year-old daughter.

"We could not take any animals that we have," Maria Bezhenar, a mom of three, told CBS News. "We asked my brother-in-law to watch over the animals and the youngest one, Agnessa, she was crying every time. She says, 'I want to go back home. My animals are there, my cats are there.' And we couldn't help her."

Bezhenar and her husband, Aleksander, first moved to Romania with their three daughters, Eleanor, Agnessa, and Angelina, as well as Bezhenar's mother. They could only stay temporarily, so, they decided to move to the United States. They promised Agnessa they would adopt a cat once they got there.

10-year-old Agnessa was devastated to leave behind her beloved cat, Arsenii, when her family fled Ukraine. / Credit: Maria Beznehar

Bezhenar found a program, UkraineTakeShelter.com, which helps refugees find housing in the U.S., and she connected with Geoffry Peters in Cloverdale, California.

Peters has dedicated his life to working for charities, and is now on the board of a fundraising agency for nonprofits. His newest mission was helping a family from Ukraine move to the U.S.

"Can you imagine your life being turned upside down and you have to leave a country you've never left before, ride on an airplane you've never done before? Arrive in a new country, learn a language," Peters told CBS News. "I mean, it's like starting from scratch, only it's on steroids. It's like everything moving 100 miles an hour."

Geoffry Peters offered a home to the Bezhenar family after meeting them through a website that connects Ukrainian refugees with housing. / Credit: Maria Beznehar

Peters had a second home for the Bezhenars and helped them expedite their move to the U.S. But they arrived a little too quickly  Peters and his wife were on vacation when they got there in July.

"The house was an empty house," he said. "So, we contacted all of our friends in the community here in Cloverdale, California and literally they furnished the entire house from top to bottom. Beds for every person in the family, kitchenware, utensils, plates."

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His grandchildren greeted the family with signs at the airport and drove them to Cloverdale, where they saw how generous the community had been, Bezhenar said, calling the moment "unbelievable."

Eventually, Peters and his wife arrived home and met the Bezhenars, and they formed a connection. "When we saw them, they became like our father and mother. I call him 'adoptive father,'" Bezhenar said.

Since coming to the U.S., the family has made many changes. They've gotten their California drivers licenses. The girls have enrolled in school  the two eldest in junior college. And Aleksander is working to restart his career selling and installing wallpaper. They even adopted a new cat, but Agnessa still felt one thing was still missing  their beloved cat, Arsenii.

As fate would have it, Bezhenar befriended a flight attendant on the way to the U.S.. She kept in touch with her and asked if she knew anyone who could help.

"I asked her if she knows something about the cats, how cats can fly and what documents cats need. And she says, 'I don't really know about this, but my friend who is another flight attendant from Hawaii, she must know everything about that,'" Bezhenar recalls.

A flight attendant connected the family with an animal rescue. Someone from the rescue was in Greece on vacation, and offered to travel to pick up Arsenii and bring him to San Francisco, where the family reunited with their beloved pet. / Credit: Maria Bezhenar

That second flight attendant knew people who worked for an animal rescue. They contacted someone from the rescue, who was already in Europe on vacation. She volunteered to tack on some extra travel  to pick up Arsenii, bringing him to all the way to California.

"She just decided to travel to Bucharest to do everything needed for the cat, and she brought the cat back to Greece and from Greece to Montreal and from Montreal to Seattle and from Seattle to San Francisco. That was a long journey," Bezhenar said.

This time, the Bezhenar family were the ones waiting at the airport with signs: "Welcome home Arsenii." Agnessa cried tears of joy.

They left many things behind in Ukraine, but in California, they gained family. "We are surrounded by good people here," Bezhenar said.

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Georges Melies' Le Manoir du diable (1896) deserves much reverence for its impact on scary movies over the years, and even though the silent film is only a few minutes long, The House of the Devil marks the beginning of the horror genre. Released as The Haunted Castle in the United States, Melies' motion picture is the precursor to all haunted house movies.

Films in the following century like The Cat and the Canary (1927), The Old Dark House (1932) and Rebecca (1940) certainly presented creepy, decrepit manors, but their walls were haunted by earthly threats. However, The Uninvited (1944) creates the supernatural template by which horror films like The Haunting in Connecticut (2009), Crimson Peak (2015) and Hereditary (2018) still follow today.

Now, enjoy EW's list of the 20 best haunted house films of all time.

20. <i>The Amityville Horror</i> (1979)

Not even Fixer Upper's Chip and Joanna Gaines can salvage your house when its walls start bleeding. George Lutz (James Brolin) and his wife Kathy (Margot Kidder) get the deal of a lifetime when they buy a home in the quaint, seaside town of Amityville, NY  but their new digs come with a sordid history and house full of haunting horrors.

The Amityville Horror, a somewhat underrated flick, is based on the real-life Lutz's unsubstantiated claim that the house was actually haunted. The Dutch Colonial-style home still stands in Amityville, but its address has been changed from 112 Ocean Ave. to 108 Ocean in order to throw off curious tourists.

You'll also enjoy The Skeleton Key (2005).

THE AMITYVILLE HORROR

19. <i>The Curse of the Cat People</i> (1944)

Irena isn't Casper, but she certainly is a friendly ghost, and she still haunts her husband Oliver Reed (Kent Smith) and his new wife, Alice (Jane Randolph). However, Irena only allows Oliver and Alice's daughter, Amy (Ann Carter), to see her when the Reeds' lonely child wishes for a friend.

The film marks the first directing credit for Robert Wise (later of The Sound of Music, and The Day the Earth Stood Still glory), since he was uncredited for directing additional sequences in The Magnificent Ambersons two years prior. While virtually every character  and performer  from 1942's Cat People returns, The Curse of the Cat People is, to this day, argued by most film historians as being a sequel in name only.

Story continues

You'll also enjoy Cat People (1942).

THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE

18. <i>Paranormal Activity</i> (2007)

Do not wait around for the entity haunting your house to fully possess your girlfriend. Don't do it! Filmmaker Oren Peli's supernatural take on the found-footage phenomenon finds a young couple (Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat) haunted by an unseen force, as the audience watches the couple chronicle the ghost's movements via their home security cameras.

The movie cashed in on the found-footage phenomenon that The Blair Witch Project proved to be a potential gold mine. Paranormal Activity grossed over $193 million worldwide, and it only cost $15,000 to produce. Steven Spielberg saw the original cut of the film prior to its release in which Katie dies, and convinced Peli to reshoot the more ominous ending where Featherston simply goes missing.

You'll also enjoy The Blair Witch Project (1999).

Paranormal Activity 1st movie

17. <i>Beetlejuice</i> (1988)

Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam (Alec Baldwin) Maitland might be dead, but they don't have any intention of sharing their home with its new residents, the Deetz family (parents Catherine O'Hara and Jeffrey Jones with goth-icon daughter Winona Ryder). When the Maitlands' attempts to frighten the Deetzs away fail miserably, Barbara and Adam turn to the mysterious and mischievous Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) to rid them of the living.

Keaton's portrayal as the unscrupulous "ghost with the most" garnered him a Saturn Award nomination, even though he appears on screen for less than 15 minutes, and the actor acknowledges Beetlejuice as his favorite film from his own library of work.

You'll also enjoy The Addams Family (1991).

BEETLEJUICE, from left: Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, 1988.  Warner Brothers /courtesy Everett Collection

16. <i>The Others</i> (2001)

While the living and dead coexist in Beetlejuice, The Others teaches horror fans a different life lesson: Sharing isn't always the answer. Grace (Nicole Kidman) and her two children, Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley), live together in a gothic country house in the aftermath of World War II, but it seems increasingly likely their Bailiwick of Jersey home is haunted.

The Others offers scary movie enthusiasts one of the genre's most memorable twists, and it's unlikely the filmmakers really wanted audiences to laugh at the very last shot of the film. It's hard not to chuckle, though, and the comedic moment certainly lends itself to the storytelling. The Others marked also the final time Kidman worked with her then-husband, Tom Cruise (executive producer), prior to their divorce.

You'll also enjoy The Sixth Sense (1999).

THE OTHERS

15. <i>House on Haunted Hill</i> (1958)

The eccentric millionaire, Fredrick Loren (Vincent Price) is throwing a party, and he promises each of his guests $10,000. The catch: They have to spend the night in a haunted house and survive until morning. Filmmaker William Castle couldn't afford to pay Price the salary the actor had become accustomed to, so he offered him a percentage of the profits to land the horror movie maestro as a cast member.

House on Haunted Hill also features one of Castle's vaunted gimmicks: Emergo. When the skeleton terrorizes Mrs. Loren (Carol Ohmart) on screen, a plastic skeleton would swoop over the heads of audiences all across the country. Ever the showman, Castle wanted to give moviegoers something even better and more exciting than 3D could ever deliver decades later.

You'll also enjoy The Tingler (1959).

HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL

14. <i>Scrooge</i> (1951)

While there have been many fine adaptations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol , Alastair Sim's performance as the miserly, penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge elevates this version to must-see status. With Christmas soon approaching, Ebenezer's old friend Jacob Marley (Michael Hordern) returns from the grave to offer Scrooge a chance at redemption through the haunting of three spirits.

Invariably and inexplicably, A Christmas Carol is absent from many best-of haunted house lists, but Dickens' tale is the preeminent example of this type of supernatural story. Now, despite the positive critical and fan response to this 1951 version, there is a famous bit of dialogue omitted from this particular film: "If I could work my will, every idiot who goes about with Merry Christmas on his lips should be boiled in his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart."

You'll also enjoy A Christmas Carol (1938).

SCROOGE, (aka A CHRISTMAS CAROL), Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge, 1951 scrooge1951-fsc10(scrooge19

13. <i>Poltergeist</i> (1982)

The real estate market is always a monster, but the Freeling family lucks out and gets a good deal on a nice house. There's just one little catch: The home was built on a Native American burial ground. And those spirits are not happy about the new tenants. Poltergeist pairs two Hollywood heavyweights,with Steven Spielberg behind the story and Tobe Hooper in the director's chair  and the result is pure movie magic.

The infamous TV scene, with Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke), is well-known, but it's nothing compared to what happens to the television in the last shot of the movie. No spoilers here, but viewers are bound to roll with laughter. Drew Barrymore auditioned for Spielberg for the role of Carol Anne, but despite not landing the part, it was her Poltergeist tryout that led to her being cast in E.T.

You'll also enjoy Poltergeist (2015).

POLTERGEIST

12. <i>A Tale of Two Sisters</i> (2003)

Filmmaker Kim Jee-woon's heartbreaking horror film gives audiences valid reasons to avoid adultery. Su-mi (Im Soo-jung) returns home from a mental facility after her mother dies, but there's a strange family dynamic between her father and stepmother, Eun-joo (Yum Jung-ah). Su-mi is also very protective of her younger sister, Su-yeon (Moon Geun-young).

The film's twist is one of those watercooler moments that rivals any horror movie ending. Without spoiling the climax, A Tale of Two Sisters uses the haunted house motif almost as a window dressing to obscure the psychological aspects at play in this immensely enthralling, supernatural flick.

You'll also enjoy The Abandoned (2006).

A TALE OF TWO SISTERS

11. <i>The Conjuring</i> (2013)

Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) and her husband, Ed (Patrick Wilson), are paranormal investigators hellbent on helping the Perron family as they're haunted in their own farmhouse. The Warrens were real people who dedicated their lives to exploring the paranormal (or as some see it, duping the vulnerable), and they also investigated the real-life mystery of the Amityville house purchased by George and Kathy Lutz.

The Perrons, too, were not just characters, and The Conjuring is based on what happened to them in their Rhode Island home. The Perrons often visited the set while the film was being shot, and Farmiga and Wilson met with the Warrens to further their understanding of the characters they were portraying.

You'll also enjoy The Conjuring 2 (2016).

The Conjuring

10. <i>The Orphanage</i> (2007)

Thomas Wolfe said, "you can't go home again," but Laura (Belen Rueda) doesn't heed the novelist's advice. Rather, Laura takes her family back to the closed orphanage she was adopted from with the hopes of reopening to help disabled children. But things take a bizarre turn when her son, Simon (Roger Princep), goes missing.

The Orphanage received a standing ovation when it premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, and producer Guillermo del Toro makes a cameo as the doctor attending to Laura in the emergency room. Filmmaker J. A. Bayona found inspiration for The Orphanage from watching The Innocents and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

You'll also enjoy Orphan (2009).

THE ORPHANAGE

9. <i>We Are Still Here</i> (2015)

One hundred twenty years of haunting and horror isn't going to stop Anne Sacchetti (Barbara Crampton) and her husband Paul (Andrew Sensenig) from buying a rural home, but perhaps they're blinded by the death of their son, Bobby. It isn't long before the couple realizes the house is alive  and it is hungry for a blood sacrifice.

We Are Still Here is loaded with homages to other horror films, and one of the most obvious is the appearance of the home's original residents, the Dagmars. They look like the vengeful ghosts in John Carpenter's The Fog (1980), and the stair scene is a clear nod to Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) trudging up the staircase in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

You'll also enjoy Spellbinder (1988).

WE ARE STILL HERE

8. <i>The Haunting</i> (1963)

Very few horror films evoke a creepier vibe than 1963's The Haunting, even with its black-and-white cinematography. Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson) assembles a team to investigate the paranormal activity of the Hill House in Massachusetts  but escaping the haunt unscathed may prove futile.

The film is based on the 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House by author Shirley Jackson. Director Robert Wise was coming off his immense success with West Side Story (1961), which he co-directed with Jerome Robbins, and another west-sider joined him for the Hill House horror. Actor Russ Tamblyn, who portrayed Riff in West Side Story, tackles the role of Luke Sanderson.

You'll also enjoy 1408 (2007).

THE HAUNTING, Russ Tamblyn, Richard Johnson, Claire Bloom, 1963

7. <i>The Ghost and Mrs. Muir</i> (1947)

Lucy Muir (Gene Tierney) starts her life anew when she buys a cottage in a quaint, seaside village, but her house is purported to be haunted by a seaman, Captain Daniel Gregg (Rex Harrison). The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is by far the most romantic of the haunted house films, and its storytelling  rather than fright and fear  makes it one of the top supernatural tales of all time.

Natalie Wood portrays Lucy's daughter, Anna, when she's a child, and the actress shot to stardom later that same year by appearing in Miracle on 34th Street. The screenplay for The Ghost and Mrs. Muir was also adapted by Amanda Duff, and she claimed Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn were originally courted to play the lead roles.

You'll also enjoy Ghost (1990).

THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR

6. <i>Lake Mungo</i> (2008)

Alice Palmer's (Talia Zucker) drowning isn't the end of her tragedy when it comes to her family trying to cope with their loss and move on. Instead of closure, the Palmers are plagued by unexplained sightings of Alice, and, later, an even more mysterious, bloated-faced doppelganger emerges.

Lake Mungo is chilling from start to finish, employing a mockumentary and found-footage style of filmmaking to exude an atmosphere of realism and tension that is supremely frightening to the senses. The fun of Lake Mungo, without spoiling the film's well-executed jump scare, is its use of modern technology to frighten audiences when they least expect it.

You'll also enjoy The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014).

Lake MungoCredit: Lionsgate

5. <i>Hausu</i> (1977)

Gorgeous (Kimiko Ikegami) and her friends find themselves facing off against a haunted house that murders its victims like a serial killer straight out of a slasher film. The same studio that produced the Godzilla franchise, Toho, masterminds one of the most horrifying and disturbingly humorous psychedelic films to date.

Hausu's over-the-top subject matter isn't for everyone, but horror fans  particularly of Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness  will find the movie resonating with them. The success of Jaws inspired Toho to make Hausu, and none of the lead actresses were trained thespians. Rather, the seven women were all models.

You'll also enjoy House (1985).

Best Japanese horror movies

4. <i>The Evil Dead</i> (1981)

Before becoming the "this is my boomstick" housewares expert of S-Mart, Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) makes the unfortunate mistake of spending his vacation in a haunted house with some friends. There, they find the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis in the cabin, also known as the Book of the Dead, and all hell breaks loose into two sequels, a remake, and TV series Ash vs Evil Dead.

If you don't know what the "tree scene" is, you'll never get that imagery out of your head after watching The Evil Dead for the first time. It's one of the most appalling and unforgettable scenes to appear in any horror film, ever. The Evil Dead was the feature film debut for both Campbell and his best friend since high school, director Sam Raimi.

You'll also enjoy Army of Darkness (1992).

THE EVIL DEAD, Bruce Campbell, 1981

3. <i>The Uninvited</i> (1944)

Rick (Ray Milland) and his sister, Pamela (Ruth Hussey) make the spur-of-the-moment decision to buy a lovely seaside home, and, as a result, Rick meets and becomes quite taken with young Stella (Gail Russell). The Uninvited is one of the first full-length haunted house films, making it a cornerstone model moving forward for all other movies to follow.

While Martin Scorsese called it one of the scariest movies of all time, The Uninvited kindles a wonderful romance between Rick and Stella. In fact, the serenade Rick writes and plays for his love, "Stella by Starlight," was composed specifically for the movie. However, it became a sensation when lyrics were later added, and it was even performed by Frank Sinatra.

You'll also enjoy The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945).

THE UNINVITED

2. <i>The Innocents</i> (1961)

Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr) is hired to be a governess for Flora (Pamela Franklin) and her older brother, Miles (Martin Stephens) once he returns from boarding school. While Giddens takes an almost instant liking to Flora, she soon fears the children's secretive bond when Miles returns. And things grow even more disconcerting when Giddens begins seeing things and hearing voices.

The film is based on Henry James' 1898 horror novella, The Turn of the Screw, and both Truman Capote and William Archibald won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay for their work on the story. Jack Clayton directed and produced The Innocents, and he later went on to direct Hollywood icon Robert Redford in The Great Gatsby in 1974.

You'll also enjoy Carnival of Souls (1962).

THE INNOCENTS, Deborah Kerr, 1961, TM & Copyright 20th Century Fox Film Corp./courtesy Everett Coll

1. <i>The Changeling</i> (1980)

It's hard to have your car break down on the side of the road and not think about The Changeling. John Russell (George C. Scott) watches helplessly as his wife and daughter are cut down by a tow truck in the snow. Russell moves on and buys a house once owned by the family of Senator Carmichael (Melvyn Douglas), but he soon realizes he's not as alone there as he previously felt.

The character of John Russell is a music composer, but Scott wasn't musically inclined. Even so, the actor practiced the piano pieces Russell plays so that he could actually tickle the ivories on screen. Also, the actress who portrays historical society agent Claire (Trish Van Devere) was Scott's wife in real life, and they made five feature films while they were married, as well as a made-for-TV movie and a play.

You'll also enjoy The Omen (1976).

THE CHANGELING, Trish Van Devere, 1980,  Associated Film Distribution/courtesy Everett Collection

Related content:
deer trapped in sewer

Troy Fire department

Move over alligators; a new animal is taking to the sewers.

According to Oct. 27 Facebook post from the Troy Fire Department, several of the Alabama department's firefighters received an unusual call "a few nights ago" about a deer stuck in a sewer.

The firefighters responded to the call and found a male deer peeking out of a storm drain  seemingly doing his best impression of Pennywise, the clown from It, in time for Halloween.

The Troy Fire Department shared a photo of the deer looking out the storm drain and a video of firefighters rescuing the wild animal on social media.

"This deer found himself in a tight place with no way out! You never know what the next call will bring. The guys are always happy to help! Best job ever!!" the department captioned the Facebook post.

RELATED: Virginia Dog Saves Fawn From Drowning and Refuses to Leave Its Side: He 'Kept Caring For It'

The video from the rescue shows the firefighters using straps to pull the deer  who has a blanket over his face  out of the sewer through a manhole near the storm drain. The firefighters place the animal on the grass nearby and help him get untangled from the straps and blanket.

The clip ends with the deer standing up and sprinting off into the woods while firefighters look on.

RELATED: The Australian Firefighters Calendar Is Back with Heroes Holding Kittens, Dogs, Koalas and More

This deer is not the first animal to accidentally end up in the sewer. In July, rescuers found a New Jersey foster dog that had been missing for days stuck in a sewer.

Firefighters, public works employees, and community members banded together to save Dylan, an 8-year-old coonhound, and get him medical help. Dylan was adopted soon after his rescue.
Arizona Gubernatorial Katie Hobbs Speak's At The Women's March In Phoenix - Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

The campaign headquarters of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs was burglarized earlier this week, Phoenix police and a campaign official said Wednesday.

Police officers were called to Hobbs headquarters in midtown Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon, Arizona Central reports.

More from Rolling Stone

Secretary Hobbs and her staff have faced hundreds of death threats and threats of violence over the course of this campaign. Throughout this race, we have been clear that the safety of our staff and of the secretary is our No. 1 priority, said Nicole DeMont, the campaign manager for Hobbs, in a statement. For nearly two years Kari Lake and her allies have been spreading dangerous misinformation and inciting threats against anyone they see fit.

Sarah Robinson, a spokeswoman for the Hobbs campaign, assured that no one at the office was present at the time of the break-in. Police are currently investigating the incident. Information was learned that items were taken from the property sometime during the night, police said in a statement. No suspects have been identified. This is still an active investigation with detectives checking all security cameras in attempts to identify and locate the subject involved.

Earlier this month, Lake misrepresented Hobbs stance on abortion, claiming the Democratic candidate is for abortion right up until birth.

If you are in the hospital in labor, the abortionists are for giving you an abortion, if you desire one, Lake said, using a Republican (and Trump) talking point, which wildly exaggerates the rare circumstances under which abortions occur later in pregnancy.

In response, Hobbs said the Republican misrepresented her position. I dont support the 15-week ban, Hobbs said in a Face the Nation interview. But let me just say that Kari Lake is entirely misconstruing my position on this issue. You and I both know that late-term abortion is extremely rare. And if its being talked about, its because something has gone incredibly wrong in a pregnancy. A doctors not going to perform an abortion late in a pregnancy just because somebody decided they want one. That is ridiculous. And shes saying this to distract from her incredibly extreme position.

Story continues

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The former Las Vegas politician who is charged with murdering a prominent investigative journalist who had exposed problems in his office won't face the death penalty if convicted.

Robert Telles, who had been the elected Clark County Administrator, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to the charge of murder with use of a deadly weapon on a victim 60 years or older on which he was indicted last week, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

Telles, 45, was removed from his elected office in October after his September arrest for the murder of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German, 69. German was found suffering from multiple stab wounds outside his home on Sept. 2.

RELATED: 'It Was Beyond Shocking: Black-ish Star Describes How She Helped Bring Down Fraudster Boyfriend After Discovering His Lies

During the hearing, Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Pamela Weckerly told the judge that their office did not plan to send Telles' case to the state's death penalty review board, which oversees the decision to seek capital punishment in any case, according to the paper. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson told the Review-Journal that the case was not eligible for the death penalty because there was no "aggravating circumstance" as defined by Nevada law.

Robert Telles in court

Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles is escorted into court on Sept. 8, 2022, in Las Vegas. Photo: AP

There are only 15 such aggravating factors in the statute, which are mostly limited to murdering someone in the commission of another crime. The fact that German was over 60 or that prosecutors have accused Telles of "lying in wait" for German are not considered aggravating factors making Telles eligible for the death penalty under Nevada law.

Telles made the plea accompanied by private counsel, according to the Associated Press, though he'd initially been assigned two public defenders. The change came after the Review-Journal reported last week that Telles and his wife own five rental properties in Arkansas as well as a $600,000 home in Las Vegas.

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Telles' law license was suspended last week, the paper reported, over allegations that he withdrew more than $195,000 from his client trust account at the beginning of 2022 when he ended his private practice that focused on probate and estate planning.

Oxy App

The Review-Journal reported that Telles' former deputy and political rival, Assistant Public Administrator Rita Reid, as well as five of his former colleagues from the Public Administrator's office, attended Telles' plea hearing wearing buttons with Jeff German's face. German's reporting on Telles and the office  which included allegations of bullying and hostility toward employees as well as an inappropriate workplace relationship  were allegedly the motivation for the murder.

We just really want to be here for Jeff, Reid told the paper. He was there for us at a very difficult time, when everyone really couldnt believe how bad it might be in the office.

Telles is set to appear in court again on Nov. 3.
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On October 24, Hollywood said an emotional goodbye to Leslie Jordan, who died in a car crash at the age of 67. According to reports, the actor may have experienced a medical emergency behind the wheel. While his most recent role was playing head baker Phil on the sitcom Call Me Kat, fans are remembering him for his work on a different show.

More than two decades ago, in February 2001, Leslie made the first of 15 total appearances on the NBC series Will & Grace. He portrayed wealthy New York City socialite Beverley Leslie opposite Megan Mullally's character Karen Walker. Folks may remember him for uttering the now iconic line: "Karen Walker. I thought I smelled gin and regret."

While viewers always wished he would reunite with his Will & Grace castmates, NBC made their dreams come true before his death. In a September 6 video on Instagram, Leslie and Megan reunited to repeat their famous lines all over again. "Still frenemies 20 years later ," the show captioned the clip.

Despite the Instagram Reel being shared on social media a month ago, the snippet started making the rounds on social media again. Many took the opportunity to pay tribute to the actor and his comedic timing.

" love you so much! And I miss you even more," one person wrote. "One of The ULTIMATE in dynamic comedy pairing! ," another follower noted. "I love this so much. Writing, delivery, all of it  Perfect!!!" a different fan added.

Fans weren't the only ones reminiscing about Leslie's work. The cast of Will & Grace paid their own tributes to the late actor, wit Megan being particularly poignant.

"My heart is breaking. I really cant believe it," she wrote on Instagram. "Leslie Jordan was, hands down, one of the greats. People use that expression a lot, and Im not sure its always applicable. There arent that many people who are truly great at anything. but Leslie was flawlessly funny, a virtuoso of comedy. His timing, his delivery, all apparently effortless. You cant get any better than that."

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She continued: "I was just with him last month. The Prestigious National Book Festival was showcasing Leslie and his best-selling book in Washington D.C., and hed asked me to come interview him for his event ... Love you, Leslie. Miss you already. And one thing I know for sure there will never ever be another you."

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Longtime viewers of Today have gotten used to seeing Craig Melvin in action during the shows third hour since 2018. However, fans grew concerned after the broadcaster was missing from the program for a few days with no explanation. Keep scrolling to find out what really happened to Craig.

What Happened to Craig Melvin?

On Thursday, October 27, Craig was absent from Today. Viewers were not given reasoning about why he was not sitting at the news desk that morning. Instead, Sheinelle Jones, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb took over the news desk, dishing out headlines to the NBC crowd. The following day, the Dateline anchor still did not return to the daytime series. After growing concerns from fans, Craig finally addressed the reason behind his absence from Today on social media on Friday, October 28.

Got my book and my java. Ready for some civic responsibility. Jury duty here we come, he captioned a photo on Twitter.

Craig shared the same photo of his coffee and book on Instagram with the caption, You say Fri-yay! I say jury duty. Ready to serve or maybe sent home before lunch??

Today Anchor Craig Melvin's 5 Interesting Facts About Him

In the comments section on both posts, fans were happy to finally get answers about why NBCs leading man hasnt been on the program.

My family has really been missing you this week! one comment read. Glad to finally be informed of the cause of your absence.

This isnt the first time Craig missed shows in October 2022. On Monday, October 17, and Tuesday, October 18, the newscaster was once again replaced by Sheinelle at the main desk. The Wofford College graduate did pose for a photo on his wife Lindsay Czarniaks Instagram account that week, enjoying their adventures in Newport, Rhode Island, for a quick getaway.

Is Craig Melvin Leaving Today?

While Craig has not announced any plans to leave Today, he did make one huge career announcement in March 2022. The journalist left his 11 a.m. weekday morning slot at MSNBC to focus more on his duties at NBC News and Today.

Story continues

"Im so very thankful for the opportunity to really have had a front-row seat to so much history: tumultuous campaigns, elections, natural disasters, far too many mass shootings and of course, a global pandemic," he said during his last appearance on MSNBC. "So many of the stories Ive covered here, and the people that Ive met on assignments, have moved me in myriad ways  some days sad, angry, confused, but always hopeful."

In addition to focusing on his hosting role on Today, Craig is a dedicated dad of two kids, Delano and Sybil. The proud parent missed an episode of the show back in August 2022 for the sweetest reason  sending his little ones off to their first day of school.

You would be hard-pressed to find anyone more excited about going to kindergarten than Sibby Melvin yesterday, he gushed during a segment days later. She was ready.
A judge has rejected an attempt by the federal Justice Department to limit the scope of North Dakota's legal claims as the state pursues $38 million from the U.S. government to cover the costs of policing the prolonged Dakota Access Pipeline protests.

Thursday's ruling by U.S. District Judge Dan Traynor in Bismarck and court filings surrounding the issue also indicate that at some point opposing attorneys will be arguing whether the matter is too political in nature for the court to decide.

Thousands of American Indian and environmentalist opponents of the $3.8 billion pipeline thats been moving Bakken oil to Illinois since June 2017 gathered in southern North Dakota in 2016 and early 2017, camping on federal land and often clashing with police, resulting in 761 arrests over six months. Traynor referred to the protests as "gigantic federally created mayhem."

North Dakota in July 2019 sued over policing costs, contending the Corps allowed protesters to illegally camp without a federal permit. The Corps has said protesters werent evicted due to free speech reasons.

The Justice Department in 2020 asked Traynor to dismiss the lawsuit, but he rejected the request in August of that year. Federal attorneys earlier this year maintained that since that ruling favorable to North Dakota, state attorneys were improperly trying to expand their claims to include federal agencies other than the Corps. Justice attorneys asked Traynor to limit the claims only to that of the Corps allegedly failing to follow a mandatory permit process.

"The state has taken a far more expansive view of its claim, suggesting at certain times that it is contesting the entire federal response to the DAPL protests," Justice attorney V. William Scarpato III wrote. He added later that limiting the scope of the state's claims to the permit matter "would help the court achieve a just, speedy, and inexpensive resolution of this case. It would focus the issues remaining ... all to the benefit of the court's resources and those of the North Dakotan and American taxpayer."

North Dakota Special Assistant Attorney General Paul Seby in a response called the Justice Department's argument a "last-ditch attempt." He said the state has always maintained that Justice, the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Interior Department and the U.S. Marshals Service were "involved in the United States' actions allowing and encouraging the unpermitted, and thus unlawful, occupation of federal lands by the DAPL protesters."

Traynor ruled in favor of the state.

"The (Corps') failure to follow the permitting procedure opened the gates to North Dakota being damaged by the United States, its agencies, and third parties," the judge wrote. "The (Corps) created a liability mess. It let protestors and other hapless federal agencies exacerbate the damages and then left North Dakota to clean it up."

Attorney General Drew Wrigley in a statement Friday said he was "very pleased to see the court agree with North Dakota that the United States can be held responsible for the multi-million-dollar disaster it created or encouraged.

Justice Department spokeswoman Deborah Takahara told the Tribune the agency had no comment on the ruling.

Political question?

Left unresolved is the question of whether the matter is suited for a court decision.

The "political question doctrine" refers to the idea that "an issue is so politically charged that federal courts, which are typically viewed as the apolitical branch of government, should not hear the issue," according to Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute.

The Justice Department has raised the issue of a potential political question defense in the policing costs lawsuit. Scarpato wrote that North Dakota's alleged expansion of claims raises "complex and thorny issues of the political-question doctrine."

Federal attorneys have not yet asserted the defense, saying it's premature until they know more about the state's claims. But "at latter stages of the case when the state presents evidence ... the United States will assert the political question as appropriate," Scarpoto wrote.

Previous payments

Then-President Donald Trump in 2018 denied a state-requested disaster declaration to cover the states DAPL policing costs. The Justice Department eventually did give the state a $10 million grant for policing-related bills. Texas-based pipeline developer Energy Transfer Partners chipped in $15 million.

The late Wayne Stenehjem, attorney general at the time, maintained the $25 million shouldn't impact the federal governments responsibility for the $38 million total state cost. He said its up to the Corps to prove that it deserves an offset for the Justice Department grant, and that the federal government is not entitled to take advantage of a donation from a private party.

Stenehjem said that any money the state gets for protest policing costs would go toward compensating agencies that paid out money and repaying money borrowed from the state-owned Bank of North Dakota, with any extra going into the states general fund.
Hayao Miyazaki

Its been a long life. Dont we deserve some good news? Thankfully, we have a modest morsel of positivity to end the week on. Hayao Miyazakis upcoming final feature is inching toward completion, per The Film Stage. At a press conference for the new Ghibli Park in Japan, Studio Ghibli president Koji Hoshino said that Miyazkis film, How Do You Live?, has progressed very smoothly and it seems that it is nearing completion.

Ghibli has been in a very difficult situation for the last three years due to the coronavirus, Hoshino said. I think there was a difficult situtation where we were wondering how to overcome this crisis, but like everyone else, the situation is gradually showing signs of improvement.

Read more

Hoshino said that Miyazaki insists, This time is the last. The director previously declared his 2013 masterpiece The Wind Rises as his final work but came out of retirement for How Do You Live? Based on a 1937 novel by Genzaburo Yoshino, a childhood favorite of Miyazaki, How Do You Live? follows a 15-year-old boy in Tokyo mourning the death of his father. His loss, coupled with the overwhelming atmosphere of Tokyo, sends the boy into an existential crisis. Yes, this does sound like a Miyazaki film.

In March 2021, Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki told Sight And Sound that the film was about half-done and that the completed work would run 125 minutes. He also noted that Hayao nearly directed Earwig And The Witch before the producer convinced him to take on How Do You Live?

As mentioned, this is but a morsel. However, any news about a new Miyazaki movie is worth knowing about. Even better, we could be seeing a new Miyazaki sooner than we think. Though, like his other movies, How Do You Live? is hand drawn, so its probably better not to rush these things.

Story continues

We are still hand-drawing everything, but it takes us more time to complete a film because were drawing more frames, Suzuki told EW in 2020. So, there are more drawings to draw than before. Back when we were making My Neighbor Totoro, we only had eight animators. Totoro we made in eight months. [For] the current film that Hayao Miyazaki is working on, we have 60 animators, but we are only able to come up with one minute of animation in a month. That means 12 months a year, you get 12 minutes worth of movie.

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Big Cats Get Halloween Treats

Animal Defenders International

Halloween arrived early at the Animal Defenders International Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa.

The 455-acre sanctuary is home to dozens of animals rescued by Animal Defenders International (ADI), including a group of tigers and lions saved from illegal circuses.

Before arriving at the sanctuary, the big cats lived in cages without proper care as part of illegal circuses in Peru, Colombia, and Guatemala. Now, the animals enjoy large enclosures  designed to replicate life in the wild  at the sanctuary, where there is room to roam, explore, and celebrate.

RELATED VIDEO: Pets Dressed Up for Halloween

On Oct. 27, ADI shared that the former circus cats started celebrating Halloween at the sanctuary this week with tasty treats. For the festivities, the lions' and tigers' caretakers gave the animals carved pumpkins stuffed with catnip.

RELATED: Smithsonian's National Zoo Welcomes Two Newborn Cheetah Cubs

Based on photos from the jack-o'-lantern delivery, the big cats were in the Halloween spirit. Shots of the animals show the tigers and lions rubbing, biting, and sniffing the gourds, much like how a house cat treats a catnip mouse.

Big Cats Get Halloween Treats

Animal Defenders International

The pumpkins are part of the enrichment program set up at the ADI sanctuary to keep animals active, curious, and content. The former circus animals enjoy catnip bags, tires, hay bales, and giant play balls throughout the year.

RELATED: Halloween Cat Decorations Freeze Labrador Dog Spooked by Felines in His Tracks

Big Cats Get Halloween Treats

Animal Defenders International

"These animals suffered a lifetime of cruelty and deprivation in the circus, so it is a special joy to see them having fun and living life to the full in their forever home at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa  Happy Halloween!" Jan Creamer, president of ADI, said in a statement.

To learn more about ADI's work and support its mission to save wild animals from cruelty worldwide, visit the organization's website.
A man eyed for at least four murders in New Mexico has pleaded guilty to a fifth murder in New Jersey.

Sean Lannon, 47, will serve 35 years behind bars for the 2021 murder of Michael Dabkowski, 66, who was beaten to death in his South Jersy home, according to NJ.com. The sentence comes as part of a plea deal with the Gloucester County Prosecutors Office, which Lannon submitted before Superior Court Judge John Eastlack on Wednesday.

It will be 30 years before Lannon is eligible for parole in New Jersey. He's facing four more murder charges in New Mexico.

The investigation that culminated in Lannon's guilty plea began after the Feb. 1, 2021 disappearance of 21-year-old Matthew Miller from the small town of Grants, New Mexico  about 80 miles west of Albuquerque. Initially, New Mexico authorities thought Sean Lannons ex-wife, Jennifer Lannon, 39, and her alleged paramour, Jesten Mata, 40, might have had something to do with the disappearance of Miller, who was an alleged drug dealer they knew, according to NJ.com.

Sean Lannon Pd

Sean Lannon Photo: Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office

Sean and Jennifer Lennon had legally divorced in 2019, but reconciled later that year and returned to sharing a home in Grants with their three children, according to NJ.com. Friends and family told the outlet that the couple's drug habits, which included meth, heroin and prescription opioids, drove both their divorce and their reconciliation

But soon after Millers disappearance, investigators could not account for Jennifer Lannon or Matas whereabouts either. Jennifer Lannon's mother, Sharon Whitman, told investigators that Sean Lannon had started picking up her daughter's phone in December and that she had last heard from Jennifer on Jan. 9.

Police now believe that Sean Lannon killed her sometime around Jan. 17, 2021, and then lured Mata and Miller to the home in the subsequent weeks.

RELATED: Oklahoma Friends Were Chopped In Half At Their Waist Before Dumped In River, Victim's Mother Says

Story continues

Lannon  who was staying at a friend's in Albuquerque with the children  was interviewed by investigators in Grants on Feb 12, 2021 and claimed that Jennifer and Mata were both drug users who had headed for Arizona to score drugs with Miller, per an arrest affidavit obtained by the Albuquerque Journal. He added that another acquaintance, Daniel Lemos, was violent and had the capacity to get rid of bodies, and the Grants police eventually announced Lemos was a suspect, according to NJ.com.

But Sean Lannon's story about Lemos turned out to be untrue, and then witnesses came forward accusing Sean Lannon of asking to borrow an electric saw. The witness, who also saw Lannon stash a gun and Jennifer's identification, told police that Lannon killed his ex-wife over her alleged affair with Mata, who was also a suspected drug dealer, according to the Journal and NJ.com.

Sean Lannon was arrested on Feb. 24 for allegedly assaulting a friend's daughter  who occasionally babysat the Lannon children  the prior fall. The office of the district attorney for New Mexicos 13th Judicial District, however, felt there was not probable cause to charge him for the murders of Jennifer Lannon, Mata and Miller, according to NJ.com, and he was released on March 2.

Jesus V Medrano Iii

On March 5, 2021, Albuquerque International Sunport airport security was alerted to the smell of decomposition from a pickup truck parked on the rooftop of the airport parking garage. In the bed of the vehicle were plastic bins containing the dismembered remains of Jennifer, Mata and Miller, all of whom had been shot to death.

The he pickup trucks owner, 60-year-old Randall Apostalon, was beaten to death and found wrapped in a tarp in the front seat.

Lannon had boarded a flight for Philadelphia the previous day with his three children, per the affidavit and, from there, headed for South Jersey to visit first his mother and sister and then Jennifer Lannon's family. He ultimately left the children with his relatives, according to NJ.com, and, on March 7, went to visit Michael Dabkowski  who he'd referred to as a Big Brother  at Dabkowski's East Greenwich Township home, about 20 miles south of Philadelphia.

RELATED: Texas Mom Sentenced To Life After 'Bed-Ridden' 7-Year-Old Daughter Dies While She's Partying

Michael Dabkowski was found beaten to death with a hammer on March 8; his wallet and SUV were missing.

U.S. Marshals arrested Lannon on March 10, after he was spotted driving Dabrowskis vehicle in St. Louis.

Lannon allegedly confessed to bludgeoning Dabkowski, who had claimed had sexually abused him as a child and taken and kept pictures of the crime, according to NJ.com. Dabkowski's family and friends don't believe that, and police say that Lannon's claims were never substantiated.

He also allegedly told police that he killed his ex-wife, Mata and Miller, weaving a bizarre tale of justification.

A police handout of George Wagner IV

He alleged claimed that, in late January 2021, he came home and found Jennifer and Mata having sex, and said that the pair allegedly drugged the children so they would sleep, according to the Journal and NJ.com. Mata left, he allegedly told investigators, and Jennifer allegedly started freaking out believing that the children were dead.

He claimed that Jennifer allegedly tried to take her own life by overdosing on heroin, but, when the drugs didnt kill her, he shot her in the head with Mata's gun.

He also allegedly claimed to police that he'd planned to turn the gun on himself before hearing one of the children cry out, according to the Albuquerque outlet. Instead, he allegedly said, he put Jennifer's body and the bloody bedclothes in a large plastic storage tote and left it in the backyard.

RELATED: I Was A Monster: Killer Of Teen Who Disappeared During Spring Break Trip Is Sentenced To Life In Prison

Lannon said he lured Mata to the home about a week later and Miller a week after that.

Lannon said he killed Miller because Mata showed him photos of Miller and Lemos  the man Lannon told police he thought killed all three  of sexually abusing one of Lannons children.

At this time, we dont have any evidence to support any kind of child abuse or anything inappropriate with the children," Grants Police Det. Sgt. Robert Turney told NJ.com in April 2021.

Oxy App

The defendant allegedly admitted to dismembering and storing all three victims remains on his property and then at several storage locations in the following weeks, sometimes enlisting the help of others  who were reportedly unaware of the bins contents  to move them.

Lannon allegedly told authorities he paid Apostalon to use his truck and move the containers on Feb. 24  just hours before his arrest on the unrelated battery charges  but beat him to death after the pair argued over money, according to NJ.com.

And, he allegedly told authorities that he was headed back to New Mexico to kill Lemos as well.

Lannon has since allegedly claimed to have also murdered 11 drug dealers in the Grants, New Mexico area, though police have found no evidence of that  and no bodies.

New Mexico authorities plan to serve Lannon with an arrest warrant and bring him back to New Mexico to face murder charges following the end of the New Jersey prosecution, according to NJ.com.

His sentencing for Dabrowskis death is scheduled for Dec. 21.
One of the lowest moments in Matthew Perry's life coincided with his very famous fling's crowning achievement.

In his new memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing (out Nov. 1), Perry recalls being in rehab and watching his ex-girlfriend Julia Roberts win the Best Actress Oscar for Erin Brockovich.

The only thing he could do was make a joke: "I'll take you back," he said to the TV screen.

Matthew Perry attends Venice Family Clinic's Silver Circle Gala at Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel on March 9, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images for Venice Family Clinic); Julia Roberts winning Best Actress for her role Erin Brockovich ?2001 Vincent Zuffante_Star File (Photo by Terry McGinnis/WireImage)

Mike Windle/Getty; Terry McGinnis/WireImage Matthew Perry; Julia Roberts

While detoxing in Marina del Rey in California, Perry remembers seeing Roberts' name called at the 2001 Academy Awards and her kissing her then-boyfriend Benjamin Bratt before walking to the stage to accept her award.

"As she made her speech, a voice rose in that room in that rehab, urgent, sad, soft, angry, pleading, filled with longing and tears, arguing with the universe while God calmly tapped his cane on the hard, cold world," Perry writes. "I made a joke. 'I'll take you back,' I said. 'I'll 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. And I was lucky to have them. They were saving my life."

Perry notes that he was "incredibly happy" for Roberts but also "grateful" for himself that he had made it to another day. "When you are at the bottom, the days are long," he writes. "I didn't need an Oscar, I just needed one more day."

Perry and Roberts had started dating before that with the help of a quantum physics paper. The movie star would agree to do a guest spot on Friends only if she could be in a Chandler storyline and if Perry wrote her a thorough explanation of quantum physics. Perry wrote it, the two struck up a friendship via fax, and they eventually started dating.

Story continues

Perry, however, let his insecurities get the best of him and broke up with the Pretty Woman two months into their romance.

"Dating Julia Roberts had been too much for me," Perry writes. "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, unloveable. 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 can't begin to describe the look of confusion on her face."

Perry's new memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, is out Nov. 1.

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Milcho Manchevski perfectly performed the role of art house celebrity at the Tokyo International Film Festival on Thursday, when he gave a masterclass that was eloquent, humorous, defiant and vaguely threatening.



He is in Tokyo, not only as a star guest, but also as director of competition film Kaymak. The film, which Manchevski describes as a love story for grown-ups, is a darkly comedic tale of two middle class couples in North Macedonia. There is commentary about intra-European politics and religion, but mostly it stirred Tokyo audiences with some uncompromising sex scenes.



More from Variety

The session started quietly enough with the Before the Rain director showing a five-minute short film he made in Cuba that uses extreme slow motion. The concept was about trying to bring the viewer to a position where theyre not sure whether the image is moving or not, he said. The exercise, he said was intended to help the audience reflect on story, emotion and our mental process while watching.



The funny thing is the film has won a number of awards, but my favorite probably is the award for editing. Because theres only one cut, he deadpanned.



The Tokyo festivals programming director Ichiyama Shozo was on hand to praise and tease the director into indiscretions. But Manchevski didnt need much prodding.



All the short films I was doing were sort of trying to buy time and trying to learn the craft, he tossed out when asked about Before the Rain, an astonishing first feature which won Venices Golden Lion. And for those of you who are students of filmmaking who want to be filmmakers, my recommendation is to shoot, shoot, shoot. Shoot more. Make films rather than talk about them.



Before the Rain is constructed as three separate parts, which are seemingly simple and seemingly separate, but eventually merge into a complex whole.



Story continues

After dashing off the script in his adopted New York home Manchevski pulled the film together quickly in large measure due to the support of the now defunct British Screen. But once it all got rolling there were a lot of problems stemming from poor organization and the film was almost cancelled, Manchevski recalled. The Macedonian producers ended up doing the work that English producers could not.



The film lost another key financier, the U.K.s Channel Four two weeks into production. That was followed by the exit of acclaimed cinematographer, Darius Khondji. He felt it was too difficult to achieve. Its good that he pulled out because otherwise wed still be there, said Manchevski without a flicker.



Winning [the Golden Lion] certainly influenced my career. Overnight, everything changed. One day, I was pretty much unemployed. The next I was getting offers from Robert Redford and Brad Pitt, he said.

It took me a few years to realize that I cannot make the kinds of films that I wanted to make within the Hollywood studio system. It just wasnt for me. I appreciate much better the European relationship that audience has with the artist.



Manchevskis second film Dust with a budget of 10 million ($12 million) came seven years later. It wasnt really a matter of the budget. It was a matter of matching the budget with an unconventional script, he explained.



In the beginning, Miramax, Harvey Weinsteins company was financing the film and Robert Redford was producing. Then I had a disagreement and took the project back. I not we.



It took me six years to finance it again, this time as a European coproduction based in London, but that at least meant that there was not going to be interference from producers and distributors in the creative decisions, said Manchevski.



Remembering that the Tokyo masterclass audience may not be familiar with the intricacies of European co-productions, Manchevski dispensed a mix of solid advice, zinging one-liners and other insightful trips down memory lane.



I like new challenges. I think, especially for artists, that keeps you awake and keeps you alive, Manchevshi said in response to a question about genre infidelity. And as an artist, its essential that you play like a child. But then youre very disciplined in executing.



Pretty much every nationality is violent to each other [in Dust], he said shooting down a lazy question that appeared to seek a pat generalization. It is not the nations, but the individuals. Macedonians, Turks, Greeks, Americans all blow each others brains out, he said to gasps from the audience.



However, Bergman said film is great medium for ritualizing violence. Not glorifying, but ritualizing violence. The question is what do you do with it?  said Manchevski. A film that makes violence seem repulsive serves a social function, unlike an action film which makes it seem fun.



Another audience softball got batted back with a telling insight into Manchevskis process. After urging an aspiring actor to hone his craft skills, Manchevski unpacked more of his answer. We always spend a lot of time on casting. Many months, in which we are essentially looking at their craft skills. Then we rehearse before filming for about three weeks. So that by the time we get to the set everything is pretty much set, said Manchevski. [An actors] energy and looks are somewhat important, but not so much.

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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex hosts the Rugby League World Cup 2021 draws for the men's, women's and wheelchair tournaments at Buckingham Palace

Karwai Tang/WireImage Prince Harry

Prince Harry has shared how he plans to use the proceeds from his upcoming book.

The Duke of Sussex's memoir, titled Spare, will be released on Jan. 10, 2023. The 416-page book will see Harry telling his story with "raw, unflinching honesty," publisher Penguin Random House said in a statement, adding that the book is "a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief."

Proceeds from the book and audiobook are expected to be donated to charity.

During an appearance at an August 2021 polo match benefiting his charity Sentebale in Aspen, Colorado, Prince Harry announced that he committed $1.5 million of the proceeds from his memoir to the organization. Harry co-founded Sentebale in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help children affected by HIV in Africa.

"This is one of several donations I plan to make to charitable organizations, and I'm grateful to be able to give back in this way for the children and communities who gravely need it," he said in a statement.

RELATED: Everything to Know About Prince Harry's Upcoming Memoir: 'I'm Writing This Not as the Prince'

Prince Harry book

Credit: PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE The book jacket of Prince Harry's memoir 'Spare'

Prince Harry said, "The Sentebale Polo Cup is critical to securing the funds needed to advance this important mission, and I'm thrilled to be able to support Sentebale, both in person and financially through a separate charitable donation to meet this immediate need."

He also noted, "Our refocussed mission at Sentebale is about addressing the most immediate needs of vulnerable children in Southern Africa, helping them access vital health services, receive necessary care, and build skills to be more resilient and self-sufficient in the future."

"Sentebale is grateful for his personal contribution, which will allow the organization to continue operating at full scale and continue providing critical services to at-risk youth in Southern Africa," the charity said in a statement.

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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex speaks at the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup

Chris Jackson/Getty Prince Harry

According to the official website for Spare, Prince Harry will also give 300,000 to WellChild. He has been a patron of the organization that works to support seriously ill children and their families since 2007, and Meghan Markle joined him at the annual awards in 2018 and 2019.

At the 2019 awards, Prince Harry and Meghan attended for the first time as parents themselves, having welcomed son Archie Harrison, now 3, earlier that year. Harry revealed in his speech that they knew Meghan was pregnant during their visit the previous year (they had yet to publicly share their news), making their visit even more emotional.

"Last year, when my wife and I attended, we knew we were expecting our first child  no one else did at the time, but we did  and I remember" he said before his voice trailed off.

The prince then put his head down and momentarily paused to collect himself as the crowd supportively applauded him.

"I remember squeezing Meghan's hand so tight during the awards, both of us thinking what it would be like to be parents one day," he went on. "And more so, what it would be like to do everything we could to protect and help our child should they be born with immediate challenges or become unwell over time. And now, as parents, being here and speaking to all of you pulls at my heartstrings in a way I could have never understood until I had a child of my own."

The couple was due to attend the annual WellChild Awards in London on Sept. 8 when Harry's grandmother Queen Elizabeth died.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex meet four-year-old Mckenzie Brackley during the annual WellChild awards

Victoria Jones/WPA Pool/Getty Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at WellChild Awards in 2018

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Although the Duke of Sussex's memoir was largely written before the Queen's death, PEOPLE confirms that he will acknowledge her death in the book. The book's release date  which was scheduled for late this year  was delayed in the wake of Queen Elizabeth's death.

Prince Harry's author biography states he "is a husband, father, humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist. He resides in Santa Barbara, California, with his family and three dogs." Harry and Meghan relocated to her home state in 2020 after stepping back as working members of the royal family. They have two children  son Archie Harrison, 3, and daughter Lilibet Diana, 1  and three dogs  Guy, Pula and Mia.
Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was "violently" attacked at his home in San Francisco overnight.

"Early this morning, an assailant broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco and violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi," reads a statement from Drew Hammill, spokesman for the Speaker.

The statement added that Pelosi, 82, was taken to the hospital, "where he is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery."

San Francisco area news station KGO-TV heard from sources that a hammer was involved in the attack, which reportedly happened between midnight and 2 a.m. local time.

RELATED: Paul Pelosi Pleads Guilty to DUI Charge in California Court

The Speaker was in Washington, D.C. with her protective detail at the time of the attack, according to the U.S. Capitol Police, which has partnered with the FBI and San Francisco Police to conduct an investigation. The assailant is in custody and that investigators are working to find a motive for the attack.

Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi. Paul Pelosi, and Nancy Pelosi attend the 2019 Time 100 Gala, celebrating the 100 most influential people in the world

Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

"The President is praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi's whole family," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Friday morning. "This morning he called Speaker Pelosi to express his support after this horrible attack. He is also very glad that a full recovery is expected. The President continues to condemn all violence, and asks that the family's desire for privacy be respected."

For more on this story, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.

"The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time," wrote Hammill.

This is a breaking story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is reportedly undergoing brain surgery hours after being attacked by an intruder at the couple's San Francisco home early Friday morning.

NBC Bay Area reports that Paul "was taken to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and undergoing brain surgery" as of Friday afternoon, with a source telling the outlet he was in stable condition after being treated for facial injuries. The outlet further reports that Secret Service agents were stationed at the hospital, as well.

In a statement issued Friday morning, the speaker's spokesperson said Paul was "expected to make a full recovery" after an intruder broke into the couple's San Francisco home early Friday morning, reportedly in search of the House speaker.

RELATED: Nancy Pelosi's Husband Paul 'Violently Assaulted' with Hammer in His San Francisco Home Overnight: Reports

Armed with a hammer, they were unable to locate her  so they instead violently attacked Paul, 82, who was in the residence.

Nancy Pelosi and Paul Pelosi attend the 23rd Annual Mark Twain Prize For American Humor at The Kennedy Center

Paul Morigi/Getty Images

CNN correspondent Jamie Gangel reports that the intruder "confronted the speaker's husband" and shouted, "Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?" Sources told Gangel that the assailant also tried to tie Paul up to await Nancy's return.

For more on this story, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.

According to U.S. Capitol Police, Nancy, 82, was in Washington, D.C. with her protective detail at the time of the attack.

Sources tell @CNN's @jamiegangel Pelosi assailant tried to tie up Paul Pelosi "until Nancy got home," according to two sources familiar with the situation. When SFPD arrived, the assailant said he was "waiting for Nancy" according to the sources.  Whitney Wild (@WhitneyWReports) October 28, 2022

The assailant was taken into custody and multiple agencies  the U.S. Capitol Police, the FBI, and the San Francisco Police  have partnered to determine a motive for the attack.

Story continues

Following the news of Paul's assault, President Joe Biden called the speaker to show his support.

"The President is praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi's whole family," wrote White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement. "He is also very glad that a full recovery is expected. The President continues to condemn all violence, and asks that the family's desire for privacy be respected."

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.

Nancy is second in the line of succession for president and has previously been a target of violent threats by supporters of former President Donald Trump, who has often directed ire at her and dubbed her "Crazy Nancy."

On Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters descended on the U.S. Capitol, many were in search of the speaker, occupying her office, stealing her property and defacing her belongings. One rioter left a note atop a police vehicle saying, "PELOSI IS SATAN."

After Friday's violent attack, Nancy's spokesperson said, "The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Thursday was caught on a hot mic weighing Democrats chances of winning in battleground states that could determine control of the chamber, saying Georgia was going downhill.

Schumer apparently was unaware he was being recorded as he greeted President Joe Biden on the airport tarmac in Syracuse, New York, where the president campaigned for Gov. Kathy Hochul (D).

The state where were going downhill is Georgia, Schumer said, referring to the tightening race between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and scandal-plagued Republican Herschel Walker.

In response, Biden noted that former President Barack Obama is due to campaign in Georgia with Warnock and Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate for governor, on Friday to help energize Democrats.

Despite the challenges, Schumer told the president our early turnout in Georgia is huge, huge.

Warnock maintains a consistent yet narrowing lead in the race, according to polling aggregation site FiveThirtyEight. Earlier this week, a second woman came forward alleging that Walker, who opposes abortion without exceptions, paid for her to have an abortion after she became pregnant during a six-year relationship with him in the 1990s.

Schumer to Biden on the midterms:



"It looks like the debate didn't hurt us too much in Pennsylvania as of today, so that's good...we're picking up steam in Nevada...The state where we're going downhill is Georgia. It's hard to believe that they will go for Herschel Walker." pic.twitter.com/6fypr4BeY1  JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) October 27, 2022

Schumer also assessed this weeks Pennsylvania Senate debate between Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz, saying Fettermans stumbling performance in the wake of a stroke didnt seem to shift the race.

Story continues

It looks like the debate didnt hurt us too much in Pennsylvania, so thats good, Schumer said.

Fetterman continues to lead in the polls, but Oz appears to be closing the gap, according to FiveThirtyEight. In a TV interview two days after the debate, Fetterman defended his decision to face his Republican rival.

I acknowledge that any debate isnt going to be easy for somebody in recovery, we thought it was important to be there and we showed up, he told MSNBC.

Schumer added that Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, considered one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats this cycle, is picking up steam in Nevada.

Cortez Masto is running against Republican Adam Laxalt, a former state attorney general who has peddled Trumps 2020 election lies.

Schumer also referenced another race where Democrats are having trouble, but it was unclear which candidate he was referring to.

That seat, were in danger in that seat.  Well see, Schumer said.

Democrats enter the 2022 final stretch knowing the implications for Bidens remaining term if Republicans win control of either chamber of Congress. Polls favor the GOP to win the majority in the House, but show a dead heat in the Senate, according to FiveThirtyEight.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
Russia has expanded some of its units with mobilised reservists west of the Dnipro River due to an extremely low level of manning, the UKs Ministry of Defence said.

The river runs through much of Kherson, a strategically important Russian-held city where Ukrainian Armed Forces have made advancement along the west bank of the river.

In September, Russian companies in the Kherson sector consisted of between six and eight men  but should deploy with around 100 personnel.

In recent weeks, Russia has transitioned to a long-term, defensive posture on the frontline in Ukraine, most likely due to being severely undermanned and poorly trained, the defence ministry said in an intelligence update.

It added that even if Russia consolidates long-term defensive lines in Ukraine, its operational design will remain vulnerable.

Russia will need to regenerate higher quality and mobile forces capable of dynamically countering Ukraines offensive to regain the initiative, the update concluded.

Key Points

Putin says world facing most dangerous and unpredictable time

Zelensky says Russia has carried out nearly 4,500 missile strikes

UN to probe Russias dirty bomb claim

South Korea denies sending lethal weapons to Ukraine

Russia has lost almost 70,000 troops, says Ukraines Armed Forces

08:52 , Aisha Rimi

Latest figures from Ukraines Armed Forces estimate around 69,700 Russian troops have died since Russias invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.

These are the indicative estimates of Russias combat losses as of Oct. 28, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/g4hkS8oBxi  The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) October 28, 2022

Top Putin aide visits Kherson

08:22 , Aisha Rimi

Vladimir Putins first deputy chief of staff, Sergei Kiriyenko, has visited the Russian-controlled Ukrainian city of Kherson, the Russian-installed governor of Crimea said.

Story continues

He visited the ferry port which is evacuating people from the right back of the Dnipro ahead of an expected Ukrainian offensive, said Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed head of Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.

"The work on organising the departure of residents has been completed," Mr Aksyonov said.

Mr Kiriyenko also visited the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and spoke to staff at the station.

Inside Bakhmut, the city being bombed to ruins by Russias forces

08:07 , Aisha Rimi

Shelling and missile strikes are so constant and intense that a lull seems unnatural. But it is in these brief periods of relative calm that residents left in this broken city emerge from underground refuges to seek sustenance.

Time is short for those who come to get food and water, as well as for volunteers handing out supplies. Russian drones fly overhead and gatherings of people have frequently been targeted for strikes. There is anxiety among those in the queue, and relief when they get to leave with their ration.

Kim Sengupta has more:

Life can end suddenly here: Inside Bakhmut, the city being bombed to ruins

ICYMI: Zelensky accuses Putins commanders of crazy tactics to escalate war

07:57 , Aisha Rimi

Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Vladimir Putins commanders of using crazy tactics to escalate the war in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president was referring to Bakhmut, which lies on a main road leading to the Ukrainian-held cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

Russian forces have repeatedly tried to seize the city, and are now attempting to accelerate the invasion through drastic measures, he said.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain has more:

Zelensky accuses Russian commanders of crazy tactics to escalate war in Ukraine

Russian forces shell Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

07:02 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russian troops shelled areas of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast using Grad missile launchers and heavy artillery, governor Valentyn Reznichenko said.

In Nikopol city, dozen high-rises and private residences along with several power lines were damaged in the attack.

US to send additional $275m in military aid to Ukraine

06:43 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The US is sending Ukraine a new $275m package of weapons and other aid, in a move to bolster the effort to drive Russian forces out of key.

Officials said there are no major new weapons in the package, which is expected to be announced on Friday, according to the Associated Press.

Instead, the US aid is largely aimed at restocking thousands of rounds of ammunition for weapons systems already in use, including for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.

Putin hits out at Liz Truss over comments on nuclear weapons

06:29 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Vladimir Putin accused Liz Truss of being a bit out of it over comments she made about nuclear weapons.

The Russian president hit out at the former prime minister as he sought to defend his country from the criticism of Western leaders since the invasion of Ukraine.

It comes amid concerns that with Russia struggling to make ground in Ukraine, Mr Putin could turn to nuclear weapons.

Weve never said anything proactively about possible use of nuclear weapons by Russia. We have only hinted in response to those statements that the Western leaders have made, he said, according to a live translation on Sky News.

Dominic McGrath has more.

Putin accuses Liz Truss of being out of it over comments on nuclear weapons

South Korea denies sending lethal weapons to Ukraine

06:12 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol said that Seoul has not provided any lethal weapons to Ukraine, after Russian president Vladimir Putin said such a decision would destroy their bilateral relations.

We have been in solidarity with the international community for peaceful, humanitarian aid to Ukraine and have not provided any lethal weapons, but thats in any regard a matter of our sovereignty, Mr Yoon told reporters.

The US ally has maintained that it would not provide Ukraine with lethal aid and has sought to avoid antagonizing Russia due to Moscows influence over North Korea.

We are putting efforts to maintain peaceful, good relations with every country in the world, including Russia, Mr Yoon added.

Russia deployed over 30 drones in two days, says Zelensky

06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia has launched more than 30 drone attacks on the war-torn country in just two days.

Since February, Moscow has carried out nearly 4,500 missile strikes and over 8,000 air raids, the president said in his nighttime address.

Standing beside what appeared to be a downed Iranian Shahed drone, Mr Zelensky pledged to clip the wings of Moscows air power.

He said: Enemy planes will fall. Enemy helicopters will fall. Shaheds will fall.

UN to probe Russias dirty bomb claim

05:56 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi said he is sending inspectors to two locations in Ukraine where Russia alleged that activities related to the possible production of dirty bombs was taking place.

He said the inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency would be traveling this week to the two sites, following a written request from the Ukrainian government.

Russias UN ambassador alleged in a letter to Security Council members this week that Ukraines Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences in Kyiv and Vostochniy Mining and Processing Plant have received direct orders from (Volodymyr) Zelenskys regime to develop such a dirty bomb.

World faces most dangerous and unpredictable time, says Putin

05:55 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russian president Vladimir Putin said the world is facing the most dangerous decade since World War II as Western powers power struggle to prevent their crumbling of global dominance.

The historical period of the Wests undivided dominance over world affairs is coming to an end, Mr Putin said at the Valdai Discussion Club, a conference of international policy experts.

We are standing at a historical frontier - Ahead is probably the most dangerous, unpredictable and, at the same time, important decade since the end of World War II.

He accused the West of playing a dangerous and dirty game and seeking to escalate the war in Ukraine.

05:17 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Good morning and welcome to The Independents live coverage of Russias war on Ukraine.
Theres been a rush on clinical strength deodorant by business owners around the state.

-- Julie Mears, owner of a Bottineau clothing store, joking about burnout as businesses in rural North Dakota communities struggle to find workers.

q q q

"I enter this next phase of my life with a deep commitment to being the best husband, father, grandfather, son and brother possible."

-- Bismarck Public Schools Superintendent Jason Hornbacher, announcing his retirement at the end of the academic year, after more than 30 years with the district in various capacities.

q q q

We are suffering.

-- Rhonda Counts, an employee at the Sky Dancer Casino on the Turtle Mountain Reservation, telling Gov. Doug Burgum how the casino has had to shutter some of its gambling offerings and cut jobs since electronic pull tabs were legalized in 2017.

q q q

Unless there is a significant geopolitical event or supply disruption of some sort, it will revert back.

-- North Dakota Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus, predicting that oil prices will fall below a benchmark that triggers higher oil tax collections in the state.

q q q

"There are just a lot of reasons here, and they stink."

-- Political talk radio host Joel Heitkamp, explaining why he filed an ethics complaint against Bismarck state lawmaker Jason Dockter, who was named in a critical probe into a building cost overrun incurred under late Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem.

q q q

"Nineteen counties -- that's pretty staggering."

-- Tom Peters, an Extension agronomist and weed control specialist at North Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota, commenting on the potentially devastating weed Palmer amaranth being found in 19 counties in a four-year span.

q q q

Talon Metals announcement that it intends to move components of its nickel processing operations to North Dakota acknowledges the risks that this proposed mine poses to our community and land. A change in location (for the facility) does not eliminate concerns about the impact that a nickel mine ... will have on the environment, surrounding communities, and our bands cultural practices.

-- Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, describing the tribe's opposition to a nickel mine in Minnesota proposed by a company that plans to build a processing plant in North Dakota's Mercer County.

q q q

We expected declines, given the disruption everyone experienced during the pandemic, but that doesnt make these results easier to see. We must work diligently to take the necessary steps to help all students, across all grades, to achieve. This is a time to focus not just on recovery but on progress.

-- State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler, after North Dakota student scores on a standardized test known as the nations report card declined, mirroring a national trend attributed to COVID-19 disruptions.

q q q

"We certainly think it's important to have these conversations with the governor to have ideas to move the needle on getting more people to move to North Dakota because, as we know, we have 30,000 to 40,000 jobs unfilled at this point in time, so I think the governor's thinking is in the right direction."

-- Rep. Mike Lefor, R-Dickinson, who chairs the House Industry, Business and Labor Committee, after Gov. Doug Burgum proposed more than $70 million worth of proposals to boost North Dakota's workforce.
The University of South Carolina has announced a new branding mark to go along with its iconic tree-and-gates academic logo.

University officials said Wednesday it is simplifying its branding marks while also introducing a new spirit mark for USC.

The brand update becomes effective on Jan. 4, 2023, but some changes will take place immediately. The school will maintain and replace signs in phases.

College football South Carolina football has 'tunnel vision' vs. Missouri after first ranking since 2018

The university said the updated brand standards will include these guidelines:

The iconic tree-and-gates will remain as the official academic logo. It becomes the official mark for academic branding.

The university will introduce a new block-letter USC spirit mark that embraces the universitys unrivaled spirit and includes 1801, the year of its founding. The spirit mark will provide versatility in promoting the university in non-academic settings.

The university will be referred to as the University of South Carolina, USC, South Carolina or Carolina in editorial and marketing materials.

Athletics logos, including the Block C logo, will not be changed.

Jeff Stensland, assistant vice president of Institutional Relations and Public Affairs, said it is no secret (the old brand UofUSC) was never fully adopted by the college's audience.

"It's great that the change announced today has been extremely well received across the board, especially by alumni who are really embracing the news," Stensland said.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: New spirit mark issued for University of South Carolina
Zelenskyy gave his nightly address from a pitch-dark Kyiv as Russian strikes force blackouts on Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the nation on October 27, 2022. Office of the President of Ukraine

Ukraine is facing a shortage of energy supply after continued Russian strikes on its power plants.

Zelenskyy illustrated the point by giving a speech outside in the dark capital city.

Posing next to a shot-down Russian drone, he pledged to "clip the wings of all metal monsters."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave his nightly video address in darkness as Ukraine was forced into blackouts by Russian attacks on its power grid.

Ukraine is facing an extreme shortage of energy after Russian forces launched a series of airstrikes on power stations and gas and water supplies this month.

Standing in a dimly-lit square, Zelenskyy opened his speech on Thursday by addressing the nation as "warriors of light."

"We are not afraid of the dark," he said. "The darkest times for us are not without light, but without freedom."

Though no location was given, Financial Times correspondent Christopher Miller said it was filmed in Kyiv, the capital.

Last week, Russian forces used 40 cruise missiles and 16 Iranian-made drones to strike Ukrainian cities far from the front. The attacks plunged more than 1.4 million Ukrainian households into darkness, Zelenskyy's office said.

Parts of Kyiv were left without power, as was the northern city of Zhytomyr while power plants in other areas were also hit, Ukrainian officials said.

During his nightly address, Zelenskyy also posed alongside what he said is a drone shot down by Ukrainian forces.

Standing by the wreckage that resembled one of the Shahed-136 "suicide" drones supplied to Russia by Iran, he pledged to "clip the wings of all metal monsters, no matter how many of them and from where they fly in the direction of Ukraine."

Ukraine's power utility, Ukrenergo, recently urged people to ration their electricity consumption, warning that power outages could last up to 10 hours a day in areas where power lines are still intact.

In Kyiv, some residents have left food and water supplies in elevators in case people get stuck in them during a blackout, The Guardian reported.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Is there anything more appealing than a small town with a cute main street? They almost beg you to walk a little slower, smile at everyone you pass, and spend the day wandering in and out of local shops and businesses. It almost feels like stepping back in time or into a Hallmark movie. Luckily, such places still exist, even in our modern era. Whether you're looking for a weekend getaway or a quick day trip, small towns offer a chance to escape the noise of the city and truly relax. To help you plan your next small-town getaway, we went to the experts for their picks for the small towns with the cutest main streets.

READ THIS NEXT: The 8 Most Charming Towns in the U.S. for a Fall Getaway.



The Best Main Streets in Small-Town America

1. Custer, South Dakota

Custer looks as if it was ripped from the screen of an old-time western movie. Founded as a gold mining town in 1875, Custer is the oldest community in South Dakota's legendary Black Hills. Today, Custer's main street is lined with historic buildings and businesses including the Gold Pan Saloon, a local watering hole dating back to the town's beginnings.

"Custer, South Dakota has exploded in recent years as a place that visitors and locals alike want to be," says Katlyn Svendsen of the South Dakota Department of Tourism. "On the edge of Custer State Park and the Black Hills National Forest, this mountain town is a playground for nature seekers and is bustling with some of the hottest restaurants in the state. Downtown you'll find art, vibrant restaurants, locally owned shops, and a charm that speaks to what once was and what could be again."

Along with being the gateway to Custer State Park, Custer is also a short drive from Mount Rushmore and the awe-inspiring Crazy Horse Memorial.

2. Fish Creek, Wisconsin

The tiny town of Fish Creek is located on Wisconsin's scenic Door County Peninsula. Often referred to as the Cape Cod of the midwest, the county is adored for being home to many picturesque small towns on the shores of Lake Michigan including Fish Creek.

Story continues

"The main street in the historic waterfront village of Fish Creek along Door County's west coast takes folks back to a bygone era as they stroll down bustling streets of shops and restaurants in this Lake Michigan resort town," says Jon Jarosh of Destination Door County. It's got a plethora of unique shops, and galleries full of paintings, sculptures, and pottery crafted by local artists.

3. Oxford, Mississippi

Oxford Mississippi has a rich history dating back to 1837, and period architecture helps bolster its claim to being home to one of the cutest main streets in the U.S.

"Oxford, Mississippi has been touted as the 'Cultural Mecca of the South,' evidenced by multiple James Beard Award-winning chefs, unique shopping, and a vivacious atmosphere that can only be found in 'America's Best College Town,'" says Kinney Ferris, executive director of Visit Oxford. "The historic Square, located in the heart of the destination, is our gathering place, offering visitors and locals alike an authentic Oxford experience as they walk around it, browsing art galleries, boutiques, restaurants, and bookshops."

For more travel advice delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

4. Sylva, North Carolina



Nick Breedlove, Executive Director of the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority says Sylva, North Carolina is home to one of the cutest main streets in the U.S. "From the fall foliage and charming bookstores (including a rare finds bookstore) to antique stores and eclectic restaurants, Sylva's Main Street is idyllic," he says. "Downtown is anchored on one end by the historic Jackson County Courthouse, and I always recommend visitors take the 107 steps to the top for stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountainsit is the most photographed courthouse for good reason!"

Breedlove also says be sure to have a meal at ILDA, the artisan passion project of husband and wife team, Michelin-trained chef Santiago Guzzetti and sommelier Crystal Pace, when visiting downtown Sylva.

5. Yountville, California

Napa Valley is known for being home to picture-perfect small towns set among the rolling vineyards and farms that make it one of the best wine destinations in the world.

"Yountville is truly the most stunning town in Napa Valley, with a one-of-a-kind charm that resonates throughout the entire community," says Luke Magnini, managing director of the luxury downtown hotel The Estate Yountville. "Its enchanting tree-covered walkways, outdoor sculptures, and slow-paced living make it the perfect choice for a Wine County escape."

Downtown Yountville's main street is home to 15 tasting rooms along with incredible shops, galleries, and restaurants.

6. Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Eric Ruth with the Delaware Tourism Office says Rehoboth Beach has one of the cutest main streets in the country. The town is also famous for its diversity.

"Rehoboth Avenue is a street that's a little bit quirky: always very friendly, and ready to offer something for everyone, from families to LGBTQ travelers," says Ruth. "It's the kind of place where the sheer breadth of experiences can be pleasantly startlingone minute you're enjoying an ice cream cone as you watch the waves come in, the next you're spending the evening at a drag bingo show or eating caviar."

7. Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

"Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia has an especially charming main street named Duke of Gloucester Street, lined with historic buildings like taverns, a bakery, courthouse, and apothecary," Steve Prohaska, a travel expert with See The Best Places. "Visiting early in the morning before the tourist crowds arrive feels like being transported back to 18th-century America, where you'll be greeted by convincing actors in period costumes and hear the clop-clop of horse-drawn carriages on the cobblestone street."

He suggests popping into R. Charlton's Coffeehouse to sample hot chocolate or freshly baked cookies in a historic bakery. "Later in the day, you'll have the chance to watch and listen to a fife and drum performance."

READ THIS NEXT: The 8 Best 3-Day Weekend Trips in the U.S.



8. Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Larry Snider, VP of Operations of Casago Vacation Rentals, is wild about Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

"This town is set in the Ozark Mountains and is known for its winding streets that cater to the hilly terrain," says Snider. "The entire town is on the National Register of Historic Places and is filled with adorable shopping and restaurants."

Snider also shares this fun fact: There are no traffic lights in Eureka Springs since no two streets cross perpendicularly. In addition to being home to a cute main street, the area is also a haven for people seeking opportunities for outdoor recreation like camping, fishing, and mountain biking.

9. Natchez, Mississippi

Natchez, Mississippi is one of the best towns in the South to explore on foot. The pedestrian-friendly downtown owes its roots to Natchez's historic main street, offering an overwhelming array of shops such as ArtsNatchez and Darby's, eateries including Pearl Street Pasta and Biscuits and Blues, museums, and historic home tours.

Nearby Bluff Park offers majestic vistas of the Mississippi River and brilliant sunsets in the evening. "We love sharing the unique atmosphere of Natchez," says Jessica Cauthen of Visit Natchez. "Our downtown is diverse and abundant with architectural beauty and vibrant culture, and a spirit that is optimistic, curious, and adventurous."
Thai mango sticky rice with coconut

Growing up, I associated the coconut with two things: auspicious Indian ceremonies and tropical beach holidays. My experiences with the fruit were limited to annual vacations or occasions on which my family enjoyed South Indian food (which as a North Indian wasnt very often). Beyond that, coconut was always relegated to the shredded bagged flakes added to cakes and cookie bars, and at a processed price. A recent trip to Thailand, however, expanded my understanding of what coconut can be.



As an Indian American, Ive seen the coconut literally broken (either stepped on or driven over) during festivals, wedding ceremonies, and momentous occasions like buying a car or starting a new business, in line with Hindu traditions. When there isnt a custom attached to its use, the coconut sometimes graces our family dinner table; the flesh (known as copra in Gujarati) can be ground up and made into a chutney and accompanied with dosa and idli, a South Indian regional food, or used as a grated garnish on sweets.

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How Thai cuisine incorporates coconut

In the Land of Smiles, I learned to appreciate the versatility of the coconut and see it incorporated into Thai dishes in ways I never tasted before. Coconuts are a ubiquitous commodity in Thailand; the nation is one of the top 10 coconut producers in the world, producing close to a million metric tons annually. As such, communities rely on the coconut for everyday use, making it an integral part of Thai cuisine at roadside street shops and fine dining establishments alike.

All parts of the coconutcream, milk, water, and fleshare embedded in the framework of Thai dishes. Many curries, including massaman, green, Panang, and yellow, incorporate coconut cream or coconut milk into the base, due to its rich texture and fruity, nutty notes, as well as the fact that its usually thicker than other types of milk.



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Coconuts subtle sweetness also lends a pleasant counterbalance to otherwise spicy dishes. Phad Maprow Khub Kruang Gaeng, a Southern Thai dish, is composed of freshly grated stir-fried coconut with Phuket curry paste, which itself is a burst of garlic, lemongrass, and pepper. While high in fat content, coconut is nutritiously rich in fiber and moderate in carbs and protein; most people cook with unsweetened coconut meat as part of a balanced diet.

As an immense sweets lover, I was also excited to discover how coconut plays a part in desserts. Mango sticky rice, for instance, is a traditional Southeast Asian dessert made with rice, fresh mango, a drizzle of coconut cream, and palm sugar. Theres also the traditional Sangkaya, a coconut egg custard made from coconut cream, eggs, and sugar that is steamed and enjoyed hot or cold, often as street food.

The widespread use of coconut extends beyond cuisine, too. Because of its perceived purity, coconut milk is used to wash the faces of the dead in Buddhist funeral preparations, and its presented as an offering in both Buddhist and Brahman ceremonies. Coir, the fiber on the husk of the coconut, is harvested for use in crafts, weaving, and gardening; the durable yarn and string produced from coir can be woven into baskets or burnt for fuel.

Its all a far cry from the shredded desiccated flesh we sprinkle over our baked goods here in the United States. After Thailand opened my eyes to the many wonders of the coconut, Im excited to highlight the fruit in more of my own cooking, whether it functions as the workhorse or the showstopper.





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The digital economy has entered the fast lane and is progressing at a high speed under a new wave of technology and China has been at the forefront in terms of scale for several years. From 2012 to 2021, the volume of the countrys digital economy grew from $1.52 trillion to more than $6.25 trillion and the proportion of the digital economy in overall GDP rose from 21.6 percent to 39.8 percent.

But even amid this explosive growth the online retail industry has been slowing, with declining profits since the era of the traffic dividend has come to an end. At a stage when consumer demands are becoming more focused and personalized, online retail is returning to being a commodity operation. Against this background, how can Chinas digital retailers evolve to grow beyond relying on sheer scale?

More from WWD

With the largest digital consumer market in the world, all industries in China have seen the need to revise their internet thinking. Now the pace of digitally enabled industry iterations is leaping forward even faster.

According to the Digital Retail Report by The Boston Consulting Group, the migration of global consumers to digital channels has advanced three to four years ahead of expectations in recent years due to both technological developments and external pressures. The construction of new infrastructure and payment systems provides a foundation for digital industrialization in China, while the telecom network helps boost the entire economy.

Chinas digital retail is regularly ranked first in the world in terms of popularity alone: the online fashion retailing platforms represented by Taobao, JD and Pinduoduo, and the social retailing channels represented by TikTok effectively link the lower tier markets and industrial clusters. International luxury e-commerce platforms represented by Net-a-porter and Farfetch have also won their target user groups with precise marketing strategies.

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Data show that in 2021, total online retail sales of physical goods in China exceeded $1.39 trillion, an increase of 12 percent year-over-year; the cumulative number of live broadcasts on mainstream e-commerce platforms reached 24 million with a cumulative total of more than 120 billion views; mobile payment reached 151.228 billion times, an increase of 22.73 percent year-over-year. Digital consumption is gaining popularity year-over-year, forming a unique mega market advantage based on a huge user base.

Online has accounted for an increasing share of Chinas overall retail market.

E-commerce, as one of the key segments of digital retailing, has cultivated the online consumption habits of a wide range of users. The client-end choice has pushed back the business-end channels, making retail organizations reconfigure and optimize on the basis of traditional business and internet business, paying attention to digital sales, supply chain and procurement; data-driven product management, and other aspects to optimize the retail experience with technical support.

The new demand has led to a deeper integration of the upstream and downstream of the retail sector, which has also triggered a rapid iteration of consumption patterns and supply structures, turning digital retailing from an alternative path into a must-go.

Since 2012, the booming development of internet+ has led to the continuous upgrading of information consumption. By the end of 2021, Chinas online retail sales reached $1.82 trillion, making the countrys digital consumption market scale the largest in the world.

As an important transaction vehicle for online retailing, co-branded platforms delivered strong results over the past few years. Stimulated by multiple shopping festivals such as June 18 and Double Eleven, online consumption has gradually become irreplaceable. In fiscal 2021, Alibabas ecosystem Gross Merchandise Value reached $1.13 trillion, up another $150 million from the previous year, with the average annual spending of Taobao and Tmall users at $1,277.70. JDs GMV reached $132.2 billion in the same year, up 27.6 percent year-over-year, with about 570 million active users.

Founded in 2015, Pinduoduo has grown to total revenue of about $13.04 billion in 2021, up 58 percent year-on-year, with around 860 million active users, the largest among the key players. The platform moved to launch its online shopping platform Temu in the U.S. in September, competing for market share against Amazon.

Despite the COVID-19-related lockdowns in China and the inability of consumers to travel, Chinese luxury consumption is bucking the trend against the backdrop of a volatile global economic environment and thanks to the surge in luxury spending online. According to data released by cross-border e-commerce technology firm ESW, cross-border e-commerce sales of luxury goods grew by 17 percent in the first half of this year, followed by South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.

In the more segmented area of luxury online transactions, online spending in the Chinese market also stands out. According to an analysis by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, the global online market for luxury goods sales will reach $91 billion by 2025, while the Chinese luxury goods market is expected to continue to grow by more than 10 percent over the next five years. Mainstream online business platforms such as Tmall and JD are actively leveraging international fashion weeks to enhance their influence in the industry and expand their resources through investments and acquisitions. The huge purchasing potential and the strength of e-commerce platforms will continue to boost the international position of Chinas luxury market.

The information revolution of the 21st century undoubtedly brings infinite possibilities in retail, from big data prediction to precise marketing, from online boutiques to virtual try-on, from e-commerce shopping festivals to livestreaming sales to social retailing and even metaverse retailing. Technological development and innovative sales not only bridge the gap between online and offline retail but also help break down regional barriers and promote the flow of resources. A unified and open market system is the basis for innovation and development, while high-tech practices are the inner force to promote market vitality, both of which complement each other and are indispensable.

Taking Farfetch as an example, it has been pursuing a digital-first strategy since its Chinese website launched in 2014, followed by its flagship store in Tmall in 2021. Referring to turning competition into synergy with local online giants such as Tmall and JD, Farfetch chief executive officer Jose Neves expressed his agreement of the bilateral cooperation to WWD, saying, These platforms can attract traffic for major foreign companies and let more people know about [the brands].

Farfetchs flagship store on Tmall.

In fact, since 2017, more and more international fashion brands have chosen Chinese e-commerce platforms as the primary location for localization and digital transformation, attracting consumers with new product debuts, limited-edition collections, customization services and other benefits. Tmall Luxury features more than 200 international brands, and these brands have debuted more than 30,000 new products a month on average over the past year. JD Luxury attracted nine high-end luxury brands represented by Dior and Bulgari under LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton and the single-day turnover of many brands during the most recent shopping festival was four times the norm.

In addition to the introduction of international brands, the increasing growth of Chinese design is also gaining momentum year-over-year.

The main channels for Chinese products to go abroad are via online platforms and self-management. The former is mostly a two-way choice between designer brands and overseas platforms, such as local designer Huishan Zhang selling dresses and showing designs on Net-a-porter. Self-management mostly relies on exposure in magazines and events, the introduction of popular bloggers to generate extensive discussion on social media and eventually attracting fans to their own websites.

Successful cases include JW Pei, a newcomer in the handbag industry that has gained Gen Z consumers in Europe and the U.S. with sustainable materials and popular styles; Mukzin, a brand with innovative Chinese styles that attracts many European and the U.S. artists and celebrities, and the fast-fashion leader Shein that has gained significant market share against the likes of H&M, Zara and others.

From 2015 to 2020, the compound annual growth rate of Chinas cross-border e-commerce reached 15.6 percent, during which time Sheins growth increased by 189 percent. Last May, the number of downloads of Shein software briefly surpassed that of Instagram and Amazon, jumping to the top of all categories of app downloads in the U.S. In the first half of 2022, Shein had 22.4 million downloads in the U.S., ranking first in the shopping app category

Shein, which was founded in 2008, utilizes an intelligent system to detect trends and collect user feedback in real time thanks to its founder Xu Yangtians search engine optimization experience. The system can calculate and guide production on the supply side from the bottom up.

In terms of product development, the finished products led by consumer preferences and market insights are highly welcomed by Gen Z. In terms of sales and supply chain, the front-end sales and back-end stocking cooperate to create a very short shipping cycle and a very low inventory backlog. In terms of marketing, different products are promoted according to local conditions in different regions, and cooperation with KOL and KOC helps to increase exposure. It is reported that in the first half of 2022, Sheins sales reached about $15.38 billion.

In the first half of 2022, Sheins downloads in the U.S. ranked it first in shopping apps.

C-pop is also blooming on the world stage. Take the new Chinese style brand Mukzin as an example. The company uses clothing as a way to show traditional culture as well as intangible cultural heritage. The brand has staged shows in London, Milan and New York Fashion Week ever since the launch of the Chivalrous Woman collection in Paris in 2018. The company has also gained a group of overseas fans who love the New Orientalism aesthetic.

Mukzins show during New York Fashion Week in 2020.

When talking about its overseas retail strategy, founder Feng Guang said that, in addition to cooperation with department and multibrand stores, Mukzin relies on its own website to drive e-commerce. Traffic to its site mostly comes from online search, so continued exposure through international fashion weeks and the fashion media is key. For brands planning to go abroad, he stressed that overseas consumers pay significant attention to the shopping experience, and mature CRM tools can help maintain customer flow and fan screening to achieve accurate reach. In addition, the best method of going abroad is to look inward first to discover the brands own style as well as competitive barriers in the overseas market, before finding ones own breakthrough.

Both the unicorn Shein, which is worth an estimated $100 billion, and the C-pop brand Mukzin demonstrate the two-way empowerment of Chinese design, Chinese manufacturing and overseas expansion, and the front and back-end industry chain of digital retail in the new era.

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Elon Musk is the new owner of Twitter, giving the Tesla billionaire control of one of the worlds most powerful megaphones.

Late Thursday evening, Musk tweeted: "The bird is freed."

Multiple news outlets reported late Thursday that, after months of legal wrangling and public acrimony, Musk had closed the $44 billion deal and fired top executives including the company's CEO Parag Agrawal.

Twitter chairman Bret Taylor removed that title from his Twitter bio.

.

On Wednesday, Musk changed his Twitter bio to "Chief Twit" shortly before walking into Twitter's San Francisco headquarters carrying a porcelain sink. "Let that sink in," he tweeted.

With the deal completed, Twitter is once again a private company. Its shares stopped trading nearly nine years after it went public under the symbol TWTR on the New York Stock Exchange.

Twitter purge? Top Republican lawmakers lost followers after Elon Musk revived Twitter bid

Twitter shake-up: The night after Musk takeover, a congressional Twitter shake-up: Republicans gain followers, Democrats lose them

How much did Musk buy Twitter for?

Musk agreed to buy Twitter in April and take it private before trying to get out of the deal, claiming Twitter misrepresented the number of spam and fake accounts on its platform, which Twitter denied.

Twitter sued Musk to complete the purchase. Earlier this month, Musk offered to buy Twitter at the original price of $54.20 a share. A Delaware Court of Chancery judge delayed the trial that had been set for Oct. 17 to give the two sides more time to reach a deal.

Did Elon Musk overpay for Twitter?

Musk has acknowledged he overpaid for Twitter.

"The $44 billion price tag for Twitter will go down as one of the most overpaid tech acquisitions in the history of M&A deals on the Street in our opinion," Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives wrote in a research note Thursday. He put the value of Twitter at closer to $25 billion.

"Although obviously myself and other investors are overpaying for Twitter right now," Musk recently said, "the long-term potential for Twitter is an order of magnitude higher than its current value."

Story continues

Why did Musk buy Twitter?

On a Tesla earnings call earlier this month, Musk said he was excited about the Twitter situation. He described Twitter as a platform with incredible potential that had languished for a long time.

Musk has predicted he will double revenue in three years, though he has offered few specifics on how he would do that. He has said he would like to get away from Twitter's heavy reliance on advertising.

Twitter logo is seen at the company's San Francisco headquarters

According to Musk, Twitter could help accelerate his plans for X, the everything app that, like Chinas WeChat, he envisions will combine messaging, video, payments and commerce.

For now, Twitter faces a shaky future.

The Musk deal will saddle Twitter with an estimated $13 billion of debt. Analysts say Twitter may have to make annual interest payments of more than $1 billion.

Billionaire Elon Musk is pictured walking during a presentation.

Morgan Stanley and Bank of America were among the banks that provided debt financing for the Musk takeover. Equity investors included Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Marc Andreessen and Oracle founder Larry Ellison.

Twitter faces slowing economy, ad sales

Musk clinched the Twitter deal as the long struggling company ran headlong into a business whipsaw: a struggling economy slowing demand for digital advertising.

Alphabet said Tuesday that quarterly Google ad sales decelerated dramatically, creating a drag on profits. Facebook parent company Meta reported a similar drop in ad sales on Wednesday.

Twitter logo on a mobile phone

Twitter, which relies on advertising for 90% of its revenue, has pushed to find other sources of revenue such as subscriptions. But those products like Twitter Blue have not gained much traction.

The deal comes at a time when Twitter is struggling to keep its most active users engaged, according to internal Twitter research viewed by Reuters. Heavy tweeters have been in decline since the start of the pandemic, a Twitter researcher wrote in a paper: Where did the Tweeters Go?

Twitter braces for deep cuts under Musk

Twitters previous management already planned to slash payroll by about $800 million and make deep cuts to infrastructure including data centers by the end of 2023.

Reports of more austere measures under Musk  including laying off 75% of the companys 7,500 workers  circulated before the deal closed.

Fellow entrepreneur Jason Calacanis suggested cutting the number of Twitter employees to some 3,000, according to messages he and Musk exchanged.

A dramatic workforce reduction could undercut Twitters ability to curb harmful content and safeguard users data.

"The easy part for Musk was buying Twitter," Ives said. "The Herculean task will be fixing it in the years to come."

Will Twitter bring back Trump, banned accounts?

Critics of the deal say they fear Musks relaxed approach to content moderation will bring back extremist content and controversial figures banned for spreading conspiracy theories and hateful views including former president Donald Trump.

Madison Avenue is worried. Kieley Taylor, global head of partnerships at GroupM, a leading ad-buying agency that represents blue-chip brands, told the Wall Street Journal that Trump's return would be a red line for some brands.

In a tweet addressed to Twitter advertisers Thursday, Musk said its important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, but it obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!

Conservatives, who accuse Twitter and other mainstream social media platforms of selectively targeting conservatives and silencing their voices, celebrated the Musk deal, anticipating a swift return to the freer-flowing expression of Twitter's early days.

How Musk's Twitter could affect politics, midterms

In recent years, Twitter and other social media platforms have become more consequential, as have the people who run them, according to Joan Donovan, co-author of "Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America."

Tech leaders are political gatekeepers who use social media ownership as a proxy for political influence, says Donovan, research director of Harvard Kennedy Schools Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy.

With no regulations governing the integrity of civic information, Musks ownership of Twitter could shift the political landscape.

Twitter is not a public space. It is run by a small group of people and, in this case, with Musk taking over, hes turning content into culture wars. We are going to see battles over who gets to stay, who has to go and whose information is prioritized, Donovan told USA TODAY.

Ultimately when we think about Twitter as a place for geopolitics, we are at the mercy of Musk deciding what kind of propaganda is going to flow through that platform and how it is going to be moderated.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Elon Musk officially owns Twitter. What's next for social media giant?
This is an excerpt from Incoming, BuzzFeed News morning newsletter dedicated to making sense of this chaotic world we live in. Join the club here.

The deal is done: Elon Musk finally owns Twitter

"I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love." BuzzFeed News; Carina Johansen / NTB / AFP via Getty Images

After months of legal back-and-forth and public drama, Elon Musk became the owner of Twitter on Thursday night.

CEO Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal, and head of legal, policy, and safety Vijaya Gadde have been fired, according to the Washington Post. The closure of the deal and the firing of top executives were not immediately communicated internally to Twitter employees. One staffer told BuzzFeed News they learned about the deal closing by seeing a tweet from @PopCrave.

Twitter employees have not been thrilled about their new boss. After a report emerged that Musk planned to fire up to 75% of the workforce, Twitter employees drafted an open letter demanding fair treatment under the new regime. On Wednesday, Musk carried a porcelain sink into Twitters San Francisco office and reportedly told workers he did not intend to cut three-fourths of them.

Musk also explained his rationale for purchasing the platform: I didnt do it because it would be easy. I didnt do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love.

She was a journalist with lifelong ties to Putin. Then she fled.

Ksenia Sobchak, a Russian journalist and Vladimir Putin's rumored goddaughter, has fled to Lithuania. Russian intelligence has ordered Sobchak's arrest due to her ties to Ostorozhno Media, a news group in Russia that continued to criticize the Kremlin after war broke out, the Guardian reports.

SNAPSHOTS

A 27-year-old's death reveals the potential health risks of working in the cannabis industry. Lorna McMurrey died three days after being admitted to the hospital on Jan. 7 for occupational asthma due to exposure to ground cannabis.

Share your personal finance questions with us. "Money  making it, spending it, sharing it, borrowing it, investing it  is complicated," reporter Venessa Wong writes. "My hope is this column will be a safe place to both ask for nuts-and-bolts advice on how to navigate big and small financial issues as well as an outlet for processing difficult feelings about money and class."

Story continues

Fans are defending Taylor Swift against the backlash toward her "Anti-Hero" music video, after a clip of her discussing her past eating disorder resurfaced. The National Eating Disorders Association helpline is 1-800-931-2237; for 24/7 crisis support, text NEDA to 741741.

Five terrifying true stories of murder on Halloween. 

The man who dragged a police officer into a crowd of rioters on Jan. 6 has been sentenced

Trump supporters clash with police and push barricades to storm the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Roberto Schmidt / AFP via Getty Images

Albuquerque Cosper Head will serve more than seven years in prison for dragging a police officer into a violent crowd during the Capitol riots. It's the second-longest sentence so far for a participant in the insurrection.

Head, a 43-year-old construction worker from Johnson City, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to assaulting Officer Michael Fanone in May 2022. Court documents allege that Head "forcibly dragged Officer Fanon into the riotous mob, isolating him as the crowd violently assaulted the officer. ... Head continued to restrain Officer Fanone while another rioter applied a taser to the base of the officers skull." As a result of the assault, Fanone had a heart attack and sustained a traumatic brain injury. He resigned from his job in December 2021.

More than 100 police officers were injured at the Capitol on Jan. 6. So far, about 900 people have been charged with federal crimes for their behavior during the insurrection, according to the Associated Press.

IMAGE OF THE DAY

The Orb: Under the Same Sun installation sits alongside the Giza pyramids necropolis during the Art DEgypte exhibition Forever is Now on Oct. 27, 2022. Fadel Dawod / Getty Images

Quiz yourself on the good news that happened this week

Two words: Reptile. Monogamy. Auscape / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The US government is giving $1 billion to about 400 school districts for what clean energy initiative?

A. Wood-free desks

B. Compostable pencils and notebooks

C. Vegan cafeteria lunches

D. Electric and low-emissions school buses

What is MACS0647-JD?

A. The name of Elon Musk's new child

B. The military code for when nude photos leak

C. A galaxy far, far away

D. The scientific name for a honeycrisp apple

Research has found that many lizards participate in long-term monogamous partnerships. How long is one of the longest-recorded lizard relationships?

A. 19 months

B. Six years

C. Nine years

D. 27 years

Correct answers  and the full quiz  await you here.
Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar

Can Rep. Paul Gosar broker peace between Ukraine and Russia? Probably not.

But that didnt stop the conservative lawmaker from inviting the warring nations' leaders to Phoenix to seek mediation and de-escalate the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

In a one-page letter dated Oct. 25 to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Gosar, R-Ariz., described himself as a "non-combatant peace activist" who had seen enough bloodshed between both countries.

Gosar called on the support of the United Nations and its Peacemaker program to help provide the framework for peace talks in Phoenix, which he believes is "far enough away from the conflict."

"Peace must prevail but does not currently seem to be an option," Gosar wrote to Putin and Zelenskyy. "Therefore, I'm inviting you both to Phoenix, Arizona where we can begin conversations to de-escalate nuclear tensions, terminate the war, and end the death and destruction plaguing both your nation."

Since Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine in late February, more than 13 million Ukrainian citizens have been driven from their homes, thousands of soldiers from both sides have died and suggestions of a potential nuclear strike from Moscow have escalated tensions with the U.S. and other Western nations.

Second thoughts: Progressive House Democrats rescind letter, signed by Grijalva, urging peace talks with Russia

Despite Gosar's desire for peace between the two countries, he has continued to remain a critic of sending additional aid to support Ukraine's defense efforts.

The Republican congressman voted against all three aid packages to Ukraine, adding up to more than $65.9 billion in military, economic and humanitarian assistance, and recently tweeted that the U.S. "must say NO to further escalation with Russia, NO to never-ending aid to Ukraine, and NO to nuclear war."

Gosar's letter to Putin and Zelenskyy came roughly one week after he sent a separate letter to President Joe Biden in which he asked the White House to refrain from participating in its annually recurring nuclear exercise "Steadfast Noon" in conjunction with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to "prevent further escalation."

Story continues

In that letter, Gosar urged Biden to reconsider his administration's diplomatic hands-off approach to dealing with the war in Ukraine, arguing it's time for "America to flex its global leadership position as a force for peace." However, the White House has ignored Gosar's  and some liberal Democrats'  pleas.

"There is nothing about Ukraine, without Ukraine," the White House said Wednesday during a news briefing. "Our job, as we see it today ... is to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs on the ground as we see this war happening in Ukraine."

The Arizona Republic's efforts Thursday seeking additional comment from Gosar were not successful.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rep. Paul Gosar invites Putin and Zelenskyy to peace talks in Arizona
Easterly is the author of three books: The Elusive Quest for Growth : Economists Adventures and Misadventures in the Tropics (2001); The White Mans Burden: Why the Wests Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good (2006), which won the 2008 Hayek Prize; and The Tyranny of Experts : Economists, Dictators, and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor (2014), [3] which was a finalist for the 2015 Hayek Prize. [4] Discussants: Simon Maxwell, Director, ODI Bob Picciotto, Independent Consultant & Former Vice-President, World Bank

William Easterly began by positioning his argument as the polar opposite of Jeffrey Sachs' argument that 'success in ending the poverty trap will be much easier than it appears' (set out in 'The End of Poverty') and Bono's statement that 'it's up to us' in introduction to that book.

He agreed with a speech by Gordon Brown (UK Chancellor of the Exchequer) that it is a tragedy that half of all malaria deaths could be prevented with medicines that cost 12 cents. But he argued that the bigger tragedy is that the West has already spent $2.3 trillion on foreign aid in the last five decades and malaria victims are still not getting 12-cent medicines. He said that when Sachs and others argue that more should be spent on aid they are missing a fundamental point: the real scandal is that the money spent is not reaching the poor.

He questioned the logic of doubling aid spending (which has happened in 1960, 1973, 1990 as well as 2005) and large-scale plans arguing that these allow donor countries to avoid the issue of how much money actually reaches the poor; and so the tragedy continues.

He criticised large-scale plans such as the Millennium Project Plan (with its 449 interventions), Millennium Development Goals and Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers on the grounds that they depend on poorly incentivised collective action; they have too many indicators and goals; and their success depends also on factors beyond the control of donors. Fundamentally, nobody is responsible for any one result and without such responsibility few achievements can be reached. He also criticised big plans for being publicity stunts, popular with politicians.

He characterised the problem in terms of lack of knowledge. Top level planners do not and cannot have enough information to plan out the end of world poverty. It goes back to an old debate on central planning vs markets.

He outlined 4 elements in what is wrong with big plans. There is:

Lack of 'customer' feedback from recipients of aid;

Lack of incentives in the collective action model

Lack of accountability in donors

Lack of omniscience - planners cannot have complete information

He posed the question: what are the alternatives to large-scale plans? He argued that the free market has good feedback mechanisms which create incentives and accountability. A system of democratic accountability also manages to create feedback mechanism. However, markets and democracy are not a panacea. Historical evidence suggests they have to be homegrown. Nevertheless, markets and democracy should inspire the West to respond to what aid recipients need.

He presented evidence that 42 years of aid plans have not ended poverty. The countries with the highest average aid over this period have seen a mere 0.4% growth in income. Research on aid and growth has failed to find any robust result that aid raises growth. Structural Adjustment Loans (SALs) have failed. 15 African countries received an average of 24 SALs each and their average rate of income per head growth has been negative: -0.4% per year.

He moved on to ask what the alternatives to SALs are. He proposed that entrepreneurial people who work to change things on the ground are the way forward. He gave the examples of a Ghanaian expatriate who send up Ashesi University in Accra; the Mexican government official who first started a small scale programme to pay families to keep their children in school which expanded nationwide into the Oportunidades programme; and Mohammed Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank.

He concluded that lending for structural adjustment should be discontinued, utopian large-scale plans should be abandoned and there should be fewer task forces and reports. Donors need to develop a way of working that includes feedback, accountability, independent evaluation of aid, incentives and cooperation with small scale initiatives.

Robert Picciotto began by pulling out five main messages from the book:

Global poverty is a scandal

Aid can work

Aid quality matters more than aid quantity

Aid is most effective when it is innovative and provides incentives for change

The aid industry must reform.

He stated that Easterly is right to debunk aid effectiveness research built on cross country regressions; remind readers about the perils of externally induced policy reforms; describe development as a microeconomic phenomenon; and puncture the exaggerated claims of aid advocates.

However, he criticised Easterly for providing comfort to the miserly approach to development of most OECD countries; perpetuating unhelpful myths about the development enterprise; and keeping silent about the distorted non aid policies of donors that help keep poor countries poor.

He argued that aid volumes are, in fact, not large: $2.3 trillion in fifty years is less than $9 per capita per year which works at about 4 cents per capita for the 3 billion poor living on less that $2 a day. As a comparison, US military expenditure is 20 times more that the total OECD aid budget.

He then moved on to cite achievements over the last 30 years: a reduction in poverty, an increase in life expectancy, decrease in infant mortality, increase in literacy, and decrease in chronic malnutrition. Although aid did not do it all, it helped.

He responded to Easterly's criticism of celebrities getting involved in the aid debate by arguing that there is nothing wrong with making aid 'cool' again or dreaming about 'a world free of poverty'. The MDGs capture universal human aspirations.

He challenged the idea that government is always the problem and the market is always the solution, raising the issue of fragile states (where one third of the world's poor live). He questioned the assumption that domestic small scale voluntary initiatives are best, pointing out that the voluntary sector is often less accountable than government and the difficulty of scaling up small projects without official aid support. He argued that development results from a mixture of planning and grassroots programmes.

He concluded that his main criticism of the book is what it omits: development is not just about aid; foreign direct investment, merchandise exports and remittances are all factors. We need to look at the overall framework for development. The next step would be for Easterly would be to 'move beyond his aid bashing phase and apply his ferocious debating skills and his sharp analytical mind to the non aid dimensions of the relations between rich and poor countries. This is where the true challenge of development cooperation lies in the 21st century'.

Easterly responded by disagreeing that aid is more accountable than domestic programmes and clarified that he did not mean to give the impression he was recommending universal privatisation of aid; rather that aid workers should try to think more in market terms.

Simon Maxwell gave comments from the point of view of a consumer, an academic and a European.

As a consumer, he said the book is an excellent read and entertainingly written.

As an academic, he said he had some quibbles; mainly that Easterly is biased in his use of information to support his position (despite criticising others for doing so). He questioned Easterly's attempt to adopt a stance in opposition to the mainstream discourse on aid, pointing out the day to day thinking and work at ODI actually is along the same lines as the arguments in the book. This led him to a point about the responsibility of think tanks to engage with politicians and offer solutions. He said the danger of this book is that it will be seized by those who want to reduce development aid and asked the audience to consider if it is a good idea to argue for not increasing aid. Taking a message to politicians that aid doesn't work will simply result in them cutting it.

As a European, he pointed out that if the arguments in the book can be characterised as conventional European wisdom and Europe wants to be helpful in the development debate, Europeans need to advance the conversation. He criticised Easterly's list of small-scale projects as insufficient to take the debate forward. He said the private sector can only have a successful role if the infrastructure and public goods that entrepreneurs require are in place. He argued that there is a need for large-scale plans, for example in a situation like Darfur.

He concluded that work in places like ODI does offer policymakers options - not perfect ones, but it is better to engage in solving the problem of global poverty than take the Easterly line of turning our backs on it.

Easterly responded that support for aid is fragile and that is will shatter when big promises are not kept. The challenge is to redirect zeal to holding actors in the aid system accountable in terms of whether the money actually improves the lives of poor people. He emphasised that the volume of money spent on aid is not a measure of success.

The discussion covered the following points:
Photo: Run For Something

A week and a half before the 2022 midterm elections, there has been a lot of anxiety and uncertainty around the electoral process. Not only have there been a rash of voter intimidation tactics that early voters have experienced in states like Arizona, but there has also been extreme misinformation around the voter process, lessening peoples confidence in the voting process around election results.

This is why Run For Something political director Quentin Savwoir has been adamant about his organizations fight to preserve Democracy. Since 2017, theyve helped get 600 people elected to office. Their Clerk Work initiative is looking to recruit and train up to 5,000 election administrators within the next two years.

Read more

Figures like Savwoir have committed to the challenging work on the ground to make sure our Democratic processes dont fall into the hands of figures who will only use it to their advantage.

The political director spoke to The Root about how Run For Something is fighting back against misinformation campaigns, how the organization is preparing its candidates against possible violence, and how vital the discussion is to preserving democracy.

The Root: Voters across the country have been rightfully focused on which party will control the House and Senate after midterm elections. However, its equally important to look at local and state representatives. These people will be certifying election results and ensuring voting registration forms are up to speed.

Many candidates tried to overturn or reject the results of the 2020 Presidential election. How does the mission of Run For Something intend to impede this so that we dont backslide into a dangerous place?

Quentin Savwoir: Run For Somethings mission is to build a bench of future political leaders under the age of 40. They are also people of color that are, quite frankly, progressive and believe in the value of having a more equitable world. I think with our clerk work initiative, we have taken on this challenge.

Story continues

Im not just recruiting people to run for down-ballot office and local election administrator. Its also been a matter of educating the public about why the office of election administrator is so important. For a long time, weve focused on those high-level offices like the Presidency or the Senate. The reality is that local election administrators protect our society and our way of life. If we dont have pro-democracy people running elections, its a disruption no matter where you come from.

Many people believe that to run; you have to have some special degree or Ph.D. Not at all. You have to care about an issue in your community that you want to improve. In the case of an election administrator, you have to care about safe, fair, and accurate elections. It doesnt require much more than that.

TR: In recent weeks, there has been a noticeable uptick in threats against voters and poll workers. In Arizona, there was an instance of voter intimidation referred to the DOJ. The NYPD put out a bulletin to be on high alert for the possibility of violence against election workers. How do you prepare your candidates to protect themselves against this?

QS: Thats one that I wrestled with in trying to figure out what is the best thing to share with our candidates. As a community organizer, I wonder how I best show up for people administering our elections. I think the most important thing that any of us can do is to speak out against misinformation and the seeds of distrust that are sown in our process.

A lot of times, we shy away from having those challenging conversations that might make folks uncomfortable. Confrontation does not have to equal violence. It can just mean, okay, we have a difference in understanding. I appreciate your perspective, and Im holding on to my own because thats what a functional democracy does. A functional democracy says you can have your idea, and I can have my idea. Then well see as these ideas compete which view prevails. I think as adults, citizens, and Americans; we dont do a good enough job of having challenging conversations.

I tell the people I work alongside to be uncomfortable or be comfortable having challenging conversations about democracy and speak in favor of fair, accurate, insightful elections. We want to ensure our candidates are attentive to their surroundings; If they encounter an intimidating voter, weve provided tips on language to use when they are verbally confronted. Seek assistance if you feel like youre being violently threatened from local law enforcement thats present or other community members. The tips and suggestions we have been providing havent been innovative. Its just been reaffirming the things central to how we function as adults. Thats what democracy is.

TR: In speaking about misinformation, Im sure that is something Run For Something candidates have had to fight back against. With this election circle, the lie that the 2020 Presidental election was stolen is still pervasive. Youve even had some candidates say they will reject results outright. In your opinion, what is the best thing we can do to combat misinformation?

QS: I think the first important thing is setting public expectations. There are a lot more states now that do vote by mail than in previous cycles. The days of finding out the election results the night of are behind us. This is mainly because we want to ensure that things are being done fairly and accurately. We also need to realize democracy doesnt do well on autopilot. It requires us to have conversations and be able to say something that is not valid. Having any civil society is being able to agree on fundamental things. The minute that we decide that we dont care about one another enough to engage in what could be a conflicting conversation, thats when you start to see the slow deterioration of democracy.

From there, well find the fertile ground to have more challenging conversations, which will, over time, suppress this fire of misinformation thats gotten out of hand in our country. I dont know that its something thats going to go away overnight. It makes me grateful for the work that Run For Something is doing and for identifying pro-democracy candidates. These candidates believe in accessible election cycle elections and accurate elections. It takes courage to run for office when misinformation is everywhere.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

More from The Root

Sign up for The Root's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
More human remains have been found at Lake Mead, the sixth set discovered this year.

The United States largest reservoir has dropped to a record low due to intense and persistent drought conditions in the West, revealing long-hidden corners of the lakebed.

Divers spotted what appeared to be a human bone on 17 October and officials subsequently confirmed it human remains, a representative for Lake Mead National Recreation Area told The Independent in a statement.

The bones were found in the Callville Bay area of the lake, and no foul play is suspected at this time, the statement added.

The new discovery means that a total of six different bodies have been discovered at Lake Mead this year.

In May, a body in a barrel was found at the reservoir. The identity has yet to be confirmed but officials suspect that it may be a murder victim from the 1970s or 1980s based on the clothing and items in the barrel.

The body in the barrel has prompted speculation about the individual potentially being a victim of mob violence around Las Vegas at the time. Some of the other remains could be the result of people who drowned or otherwise died along the lake over the past few decades.

At least one set of remains from Lake Mead have been identified. Officials said that remains found in May, were those of Thomas P Erndt who reportedly drowned at the lake twenty years ago.

The drought at Lake Mead has also revealed artefacts like a Second World War-era boat.

The barrel where a body was found on the shore of Lake Mead earlier this year (Fox 5 News)

The reservoir was formed in the mid-20th century after the construction of the Hoover Dam along the Colorado River. It spans the Nevada-Arizona border, providing water to cities like Las Vegas and hosting boaters and tourists along its shores.

In recent years, the reservoirs shoreline has rapidly receded due to drying up of the Colorado River after intense drought and heavy water use.

The area around Lake Mead is experiencing severe drought, according to the US government drought monitor, leaving the area in danger of water shortages.

Story continues

The US West is in the grips of a two-decade megadrought, which one recent study estimated is the driest period in the region for at least 1,200 years. The same study found that 42 per cent of that dryness has been caused by human-driven climate change.

As a result, Lake Mead is just 28 per cent full. Lake Powell, which spans the Arizona-Utah border behind the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado, is at 25 per cent capacity.

Drought has also driven water levels on the Mississippi River to record lows in places, stranding barges intended to carry goods up and down the key supply route.

As the planet continues to heat up, drought conditions are likely to become more common in western and central North America, according to the most recent report from the UNs climate science panel.

Globally, droughts that occurred once every 10 years will happen more than twice as often as the world reaches 2 degrees Celsius above 19th-century temperatures, the report notes.

The world is on track to warm by about 2.7C by the end of this century, according to the Climate Action Tracker, an independent analysis of global climate policy.
Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said his agency "did not fail" the Uvalde community in its response to May's devastating shooting. Associated Press

On Thursday, families of Uvalde shooting victims called for Texas DPS chief Steve McCraw to resign.

But McCraw said his agency "did not fail" Uvalde in the police response to May's shooting.

McCraw earlier said he would resign if the DPS had "any culpability" in the bungled response.

Texas' state police chief on Thursday rejected calls for him to resign, saying his agency "did not fail" Uvalde in the haphazard law enforcement response to the Robb Elementary School shooting.

"If DPS as an institution, as an institution, failed the families, failed the school or failed the community of Uvalde, then absolutely, I need to go," said Steve McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, or DPS.

"But I can tell you this right now. DPS as an institution, right now, did not fail the community, plain and simple," McCraw said.

He was addressing parents and relatives of the shooting victims at a Public Safety Commission hearing in Austin, where he was confronted on why police waited more than 70 minutes to enter the fourth-grade classroom to neutralize the shooter.

Two teachers and 19 children were killed during the attack.

Several family members called for McCraw to resign as they spoke emotionally on the podium. Republican state senator Roland Gutierrez, who joined the meeting, also called for McCraw to step down.

Responding to them, McCraw said he wouldn't say that the DPS is "without fault."

In a meandering 15-minute speech, he slammed various elements of law enforcement's actions at the shooting  as he has repeatedly done in the past  and apologized for relaying incorrect information to the public in the aftermath of the attack.

"I don't expect ever, ever forgiveness," McCraw said.

McCraw told CNN last month that he would be "the first to resign" if his agency was shown to have "any culpability" in the bungled response to the shooting.

On October 21, the DPS fired Sgt. Juan Maldonado, the highest-ranking state trooper to initially respond to the Uvalde shooting, per The Texas Tribune. The sacking came after a DPS investigation into its officers' conduct at the school.

Story continues

Maldonado is the first Texas state trooper to be fired because of the shooting, The Tribune reported.

Brett Cross, the uncle of Uziyah Garcia, one of the killed children, challenged McCraw on his comment to CNN.

"Your officers were in there within 10 minutes, correct? Are they not representatives of your department? Therefore they failed, therefore DPS failed," Cross said. "Therefore there is culpability. Therefore if you are a man of your word, you would retire."

"Are you a man of your word?" Cross asked McCraw.

"Absolutely," McCraw said.

"Then resign," Cross said.

McCraw later appeared to incite further anger among the families when he told one of them: "I'm sorry for your loss."

"You did not just say that," one woman in the crowd can be heard saying.

Several victims' families also voiced their frustration with how local authorities failed to provide them with prompt and accurate information about the police response to the massacre.

"Every single time, it seems like a lie after a lie, misinformation, a roadblock after roadblock. You can't begin the healing process," said Jesse Rizzo, an uncle of Jacklyn Cazares, a 10-year-old who was shot and killed in the school.

The DPS launched an internal review of its troopers' actions in July, two months after the shooting occurred. According to a report by the Texas House, 91 state troopers were identified at the scene out of the 376 law enforcement officials who responded to the shooting.

The Texas DPS did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
Hot Chikn Kitchn, which specializes in Nashville-style hot chicken sandwiches, recently opened its first Sarasota location.

You gotta love fall in Florida, especially here in Sarasota and Manatee counties where we celebrate the start of cooler weather by feasting on one of the Sunshine State's most famous foods. Yes, stone crab season started Oct. 15 and I was in the historic commercial fishing village of Cortez dining on delicious claws that very afternoon for my recent story on the "best local seafood restaurants serving fresh Florida stone crab."

In fact, many of the places you'll want to visit for claws and other tasty seafood plucked straight from the Gulf of Mexico are among the best waterfront restaurants in Sarasota, on Anna Maria Island and, yes, in Cortez overlooking north Sarasota Bay.

12 best local seafood restaurants serving fresh Florida stone crab

Best waterfront restaurants in Sarasota: and what to eat and drink there!

Best waterfront restaurants on Anna Maria Island: and what to eat and drink there!

In addition to visiting the many excellent seafood restaurants in Sarasota and Manatee, fall is also an ideal time to dine at one of the newly opened places in the area. Because we all know how traffic will increase after the holidays when all the snowbirds and tourists come here to escape their dreadful winters up north!

So let's take a look back at five of the most exciting restaurant openings of the past month or so. You'll find new places to try in Sarasota as well as Bradenton and Venice. These restaurants, which were initially reported on by my colleagues Jimmy Geurts and Lee McCall, serve everything from New York-style deli food to Indian cuisine.

Best waterfront restaurants in Cortez Village: and what to eat, drink there!

Best waterfront restaurants in Venice area: and what to eat, drink and there!

Best waterfront restaurants in Bradenton: and what to eat and drink there!

Ticket Newsletter: Sign up to receive restaurant news and reviews plus info on things to do every Friday

Meshugana now serving New York-style Jewish deli food in Sarasota

Meshugana Deli is now open in Sarasota.

For those of us who crave genuine New York-style Jewish deli cuisine, there is now Meshugana Deli. Open since Oct. 25, the to-go deli at 6609 Superior Ave. in Sarasota invites folks to try some authentic Jewish deli sandwiches by placing your order at meshuganafla.com for pickup or stop by to place an order. Meanwhile, Sarasota's Jewish soul food maven Sol Shenker likely won't be opening his deli, in the former Overton spot in the Rosemary District, until early next year. He originally hoped to open this fall.

Story continues

Continue reading: New to-go restaurant serving Jewish deli food opening in Sarasota

Turmeric Indian restaurant opens in downtown Sarasota

Turmeric Indian Bar & Grill is at 1001 Cocoanut Ave. in Sarasota. The location has housed numerous restaurants and bars over the years, with Broadway Bar remaining perhaps the best known.

For years, Broadway Bar at 1001 Cocoanut Ave., near downtown Sarasota and the Rosemary District by the Broadway Promenade anchored by Publix, ranked as one of my favorite watering holes. In 2014, it reopened as the equally appealing Starlite Room, then was briefly a couple of Mexican restaurants before going vacant. Now, though, the handsome, brick, multi-story building appears primed for a comeback with the recent opening of Turmeric Indian Bar & Grill. Led by Chef Sarabjit Singh, the restaurant notes that its food is "cooked with traditional methods and passion" and "the regional specialties are the same that are served at the best tables in India." For more information, visit turmericsarasota.com.

Continue reading: A new Indian food restaurant opening in landmark downtown Sarasota building

Blue Surf American Grill opens in Bradenton

Blue Surf American Grill is at 5820 Ranch Lake Blvd., Bradenton.

Located at 5820 Ranch Lake Blvd. in east Bradenton near Lakewood Ranch, Blue Surf American Grill serves an enticing mix of seafood and pasta dishes, as well as salads and sandwiches. Plus, you can build your own pizza or opt for an artisan flatbread. They also serve craft cocktails, such as the Pumpkin Spice Moscow Mule that they posted to social media on Oct. 21. For more information, visit facebook.com/BlueSurfAmericanGrill.

Continue reading: American grill with seafood and craft cocktails opens between Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch

Nashville-style Hot Chikn Kitchn

restaurant opens in Sarasota

Fans of Nashville-style hot chicken sandwiches will want to try this fast-casual joint dubbed Hot Chikn Kitchn. Founded in Virginia, the first Florida location recently opened at 2045 Bahia Vista St. in Sarasota. In addition to the hot chicken sandwich, popular items include the loaded fries and chicken & waffles. For more information, visit hotchiknkitchn.com.

Continue reading: Nashville-style hot chicken restaurant opens first Florida location in Sarasota

Sarasota-based Food + Beer opens first Venice location

Left to right: Kona Blue, Double Cheeseburger and the Down the Hatch burgers at Food + Beer, which has two locations in Sarasota, one in Bradenton, and now a new one in Venice.

One of my favorite restaurants, the locally owned Food + Beer recently opened its first Venice location (at 301 S. Tamiami Trail), following two in Sarasota and one in Bradenton. I'm a big fan of their burgers, wings, and chicken sandwiches  and just about everything else on their menu, teeming with cleverly produced comfort foods including their hand-cut fries showered with Old Bay and blackening seasoning. For more information, visit eatfooddrinkbeer.com.

Continue reading: One of the best restaurants in Sarasota, Bradenton opening new location

Who lives here? 21 celebrities with homes in Sarasota and Manatee

More recent columns by Wade Tatangelo about restaurants in Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice

Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida-Georgia Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network.

Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida-Georgia Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Best new restaurants to try: Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice area near me
Executions, sex assaults and forced movements of civilians  the invasion of Ukraine has led to a steady stream of war crimes allegations against Russia's military, senior officials and President Vladimir Putin.

For Ukraine's war crimes investigators, the challenges sometimes look insurmountable: They must analyze crime scenes even as bombs are falling. They must prove soldiers had not just wartime motivation but criminal intent. They need to demonstrate beyond doubt that an attack wasn't an accident.

So far, Ukraine's effort to prosecute tens of thousands of alleged war crimes has mostly netted ground troops and tank crews.

Yet much of the destruction of Ukraine by Russia has come in the form of falling missiles and artillery shells. These have blasted apartment high-rises, schools, shopping centers, train stations and other settings across the country, in attacks Ukraine says were intentionally directed at civilian buildings with no military value  making the very launching of those missiles a war crime.

For investigators, that raises a unique challenge.

How can an investigator inside a war-torn country find and identify a specific criminal  perhaps a faceless Russian military technician  who might have launched missiles or given an order from behind a computer hundreds of miles away?

A new investigation from the online intelligence group Bellingcat claims it has made some progress in answering this question. Its findings may prove vital to the future of Ukraine's war crimes prosecutions.

War crimes trials could lead to international courts. But could they lead to Putin?

Reddit AMA: What does justice look like for Ukraine's war crimes victims?

The Backstory: How USA TODAY followed the trail of war crimes in Ukraine

What did Bellingcat find?

The report, titled "The Remote Control Killers Behind Russias Cruise Missile Strikes on Ukraine," lays blame on a secretive group of Russian military engineers whose educational and professional backgrounds are in missile programming.

Story continues

The group, composed of three dozen technicians, works from two locations: Russia's ministry of defense headquarters, in Moscow, and its Navy headquarters, in St. Petersburg. They are part of an armed forces unit called the "Main Computation Center of the General Staff."

Bellingcat believes that these military engineers are directly responsible for programming the flight paths of at least a portion of the Russian missiles that have killed hundreds of Ukrainian civilians and damaged or destroyed residential and non-residential buildings and infrastructure all across Ukraine since the war's outset.

Investigators examine the destruction in Borodyanka, Ukraine.

How good is the proof?

It's not watertight. It is highly suggestive. Bellingcat discovered, through cellphone metadata analysis, a spike in contact among individual members of the "Main Computation Center of the General Staff" and their superiors during times when Russia is known to have launched missile strikes that hit civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. "These strikes, that hit non-military targets, suggest either that the missiles failed to follow their pre-programmed flight path, that targeting was based on defective intelligence information, or that civilian harm was intentional," Bellingcat concluded.

Part of a Soviet-era OTR-21 Tochka ballistic missile on Oct. 14 in Kunie, Ukraine.

Bellingcat identified members of the unit, including its commanders, by examining open-source information about graduates from Russian military institutes that specialize in missile engineering and programming. It then matched these names against leaked job and phone data about them that it acquired through Russia's underground data markets. This yielded matches between some of the graduates and those with employment links to the "Main Computation Center of the General Staff."

All of the unit's personnel were directly contacted by Bellingcat for comment and further corroboration. One person revealed additional "contextual information" about how the group does its work, the report says.

Bellingcat partnered with Latvian website The Insider and German magazine Der Spiegel for this work. Bellingcat published the names of those it believes are part of the unit.

If this is accurate, what happens to these people?

The short answer is if they don't ever leave Russia or there isn't a new government willing to work with Ukrainian and international prosecutors, probably not a lot.

Ukraine is committed to trying the majority of its war crime cases in its own courts. But to hold a trial, the country needs to have an actual defendant in custody.

The same goes for any potential international hearings, whether at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, or at a United Nations-appointed tribunal.

There are also unresolved legal questions about Bellingcat's findings. The group unearthed a clear correlation between an uptick in communication among members of the "Main Computation Center of the General Staff" and certain Russian missile launches. It did not definitively prove intent  that the unit's missile operators deliberately sought to hit civilian targets  or that its strikes weren't an honest mistake.

Prosecutors typically look for evidence of both to prove a war crime took place under international law.

Want to know more? Find out what you missed

War crimes in Ukraine may be unprecedented. So is the nation's push for swift justice

It's 6 mos. since Russia launched its war on #Ukraine. UA is also marking its #IndependenceDay amid fears of renewed Russian strikes. Our in-depth story on UA's complex effort to get justice for war crimes https://t.co/kp5fHuOvye



Visuals by @jakoscielniak

Editing by @jsusong  Kim Hjelmgaard (@khjelmgaard) August 24, 2022

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Internet group tries to help Ukraine identify Russians firing missiles
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is responsible for delivering mail to every person in the countrywhether they live in the bustling heart of New York City or remote parts of Alaska. But the fact that hundreds of millions of people rely on the same service is something scammers are all-too-eager to capitalize on. Now, the USPS is altering customers about an increasingly common tactic being used by con artists. Read on to find out what the agency says you should never be paying more than $1.10 for.

READ THIS NEXT: If You Get This in the Mail, Return It to the USPS Immediately, Officials Say.

Scammers frequently target USPS customers.

Scammers often gain the trust of victims by masquerading as a well-known company or agencylike the USPS, which is no stranger to finding its name at the center of schemes. According to the Postal Service, common scams aimed at its customers include unsolicited texts claiming there has been a problem with your shipping address and fake emails about delivery attempts from the agency.

But those are just a small snapshot of a much larger problem. "Every year, millions of Americans nationwide are targeted by scams connected to the U.S. Postal Service," the agency's Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) branch explains on its website.

Now, the USPS is warning customers about a rising scheme they should be on the lookout for.

Pay attention to how much you're being charged for one USPS service.

The USPS charges different fees for its services, and many of us just pay them without thinking twice about the costs. But when it comes to changing your mailing address with the agency, it's extra important to pay attention to the exact price you're being charged. According to the USPIS, customers are only required to pay a $1.10 fee when applying online for a change of address (COA) request. The purpose of the fee is to "verify the customer's identity" when the request is not being made in person, the USPS explains.

If you're being asked to pay anything more than that, you're being scammed. "Postal Inspectors are finding that some postal customers paid more for a change of address on other websites," the USPIS explained on its website. "These sites can charge up to $40 to change the address and, in some cases, the changes never get made."

Story continues

RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter.

The agency recently warned that COA scams are on the rise.

The Postal Service says it processes around 98,000 address changes daily. And out of the nearly 36 million change of address requests processed by the USPS in 2021, more than 20 million were submitted online. Unfortunately, the increased preference for online services may be aiding to an increase in COA scams. Customers can easily get tricked into submitting a request somewhere else and not on the Postal Service's Moversguide websitewhich has the official application for online COA requests.

According to the Postal Service, scams involving address changes have risen significantly recently. The newest data from the agency's Office of Inspector General (OIG) indicates that there has been a 167 percent increase in the number of fraudulent COA requests granted by the USPS. Online cases of COA fraud and attempted identity theft increased from just 8,857 in 2020 to 23,606 in 2021, according to the OIG's report.

Many customers have complained about falling victim to this scheme.

The Better Business Bureau's (BBB) has received a number of customer complaints on its website about postal address change scams since April 2021.

"I used a postal change service and it charges me $99.95 without my knowledge or consent of the charge or a confirmation email of the charge," one complaint made on Oct. 24 reads. "I go to contact the service and there is no contact and I click on other links on the site and server is not found. This is a scam."

If you realize you have gone through a third party website to submit a COA request, the USPS advises you to first contact that company. "If you are charged more than $1.10, please refer back to the website where you entered your COA or dispute the charge with your credit card company," the agency says.
America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia has been named as the 2022 Bank of America Neighborhood Champion for their work in the Savannah community removing economic barriers and advancing economic opportunity.

As part of the program, America's Second Harvest will receive $50,000 in grant support and an opportunity for engagement in virtual leadership training delivered by experts in the nonprofit sector on topics like human capital management, increasing financial sustainability and storytelling.

More on America's Second Harvest: As communities suffer from food insecurity, Savannah organizations offer bridge to healthy eating

Where are the grocery stores?: Nearly 14% of Chatham residents need food assistance

Also: In West Savannah, a heavy food desert, the community steps up to meet their neighbors' needs

Nonprofits are the backbone to our local community as they are on the ground working closely with individuals, families and community members to understand the obstacles many are experiencing and developing programs and services that will help alleviate or eliminate these barriers, helping them chart a path toward economic opportunity, said Patrick ONeil, president, Bank of America Savannah. Its important that we direct not only capital, but the necessary resources and training to help position these nonprofits and their leadership team for long-term success as they grow strategically and make a positive impact.

Patrick ONeil, president, Bank of America Savannah, left, and Mary Jane Crouch, executive director of America's Second Harvest. The organization was named as the 2022 Bank of America Neighborhood Champion for their work in the Savannah community removing economic barriers and advancing economic opportunity.

Established in 1981 in Savannah Georgia, Americas Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia is a locally inspired, volunteer-driven nonprofit food bank and community partnering organization. America's Second Harvest serves as the food safety net for tens of thousands of children, senior citizens, low-income families, and people with disabilities who are at risk for hunger throughout Coastal Georgia.

Beyond the books: Live Oak Libraries' patrons use their library cards for endless possibilities

We are honored to be chosen as the 2022 Bank of America Neighborhood Champion for Savannah. Bank of America has been a longtime supporter of ours and understands the importance of our mission to lead the effort to end hunger and improve lives. In Chatham County alone, there are over 36,000 of our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. Through corporate donations and volunteer hours well spent, Bank of America has been truly instrumental in our efforts to provide the most basic of human needs that being food, said Mary Jane Crouch, Executive Director, Americas Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia.

America's Second Harvest will receive $50,000 in grant support from Bank of America and an opportunity for engagement in virtual leadership training delivered by experts in the nonprofit sector on topics like human capital management, increasing financial sustainability and storytelling.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Bank of America awards $50,000 grant to America's Second Harvest
As Halloween approaches, people are looking to Netflix to provide the scares.

Luckily, the streaming giant has plenty to choose from when it comes to horror  although, as with anything, not all scary movies are created equal.

Trust in the guidance of your fellow horror lovers and find seven of the best-reviewed horror films on Netflix below just in time for Halloween this weekend.

1. Creep 2 (100 per cent)

While the gruesome horror film was released in 2017, many viewers are just now discovering it thanks to its place on Netflix.

The sequel follows on from the 2004 cult favourite Creep, a found-footage psychological horror film (also on Netflix) directed by Patrick Brice, who co-wrote the story with Mark Duplass.

In the original, Duplass plays a stranger who hires a videographer (Brice) to film him for a day, explaining that the idea behind the video is to pass it down to his unborn son. From there, things take a sinister turn.

The sequel sees the return of Duplasss character. Similarly, he puts out an ad for a videographer and lures YouTuber Sara (Desiree Akhavan, best known for the 2018 film The Miseducation of Cameron Post) to his remote cabin.

His House is leaving Netflix  but will be available on BBC iPlayer (BBC)

2. His House (100 per cent)

This horror film mostly flew under the radar when it was released in 2020. His House  written and directed by British director Remi Weekes  stars Wunmi Mosaku and Sope Dirisu as a refugee couple from South Sudan who struggle to adjust to their new life in an English town with a sinister presence. Matt Smith also stars, and creature actor Javier Botet  though, well leave his role a surprise.

In a four-star review for The Independent, film critic Clarisse Loughrey wrote: Weekes here crafts a horror film in dual, clashing palettes  you get twice the scares, in a sense. The film is leaving Netflix on 29 October so watch it while you can!

3. Under the Shadow (99 per cent)

Another horror that may have passed you by is Under the Shadow, a Persian-language 2016 film that has been called both intelligent and terrifying by viewers.

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Set in Tehran during the Eighties, the film follows a mother and daughter who are haunted by a malevolent presence. A review for IndieWire praises the movie for giving jump scares and old tropes a fresh spin. Fans of The Babadook and A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night are likely to enjoy this one.

Kate Siegal in Hush (Netflix)

4. The Old Ways (95 per cent)

This 2020 folk-horror film stars Brigitte Kali Canales as a Mexican-American reporter who returns to her hometown near Veracruz looking for a story about witchcraft. When she arrives, however, she is kidnapped by locals, including a witch who believes she is possessed by a demon.

While well be sure to steer clear of spoilers, suffice to say that the ending is a memorable one.

5. Hush (93 per cent)

Its a home invasion thriller with a twist. Kate Siegel plays a deaf writer whose solitary life in the woods is interrupted when a masked killer appears in her window one night.

The film is directed by Netflix favourite Mike Flanagan, who is behind horror hits including The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and most recently, The Midnight Club (which broke a record for the most jumpscares in a single episode of television).

Madeline Brewer as Alice in Cam (Netflix)

6. Cam (93 per cent)

Its hard to describe Cam for two reasons. Firstly to do so would spoil a remarkable twist, and secondly, youre not quite sure how.

A doppelganger horror for the digital age, Cam is set within the world of webcam porn. The Handmaids Tale star Madeline Brewer plays Alice, a cam girl who discovers an exact replica of herself online. The techno-thriller is a disturbing, salacious and suspenseful romp thatll have you thinking about the films end long after the credits roll.

7. Coming Home in the Dark (92 per cent)

This New Zealand psychological-thriller is based on a 1995 short story of the same name by Owen Marshall.

A school teacher Alan Hoaganraad (Daniel Gillies) is forced to confront a brutal act from his past when an encounter with a pair of drifters takes him and his family on a nightmarish road trip. Reviews have commended the film for being beautifully shot and superbly acted.

Gerald's Game (Netflix)

8. Geralds Game (91 per cent)

There are plenty of Stephen King adaptations out there  many of which have found a home on Netflix  but Geralds Game is among the best.

Director Mike Flanagan triumphs in this excellent adaptation of Stephen Kings 1992 novel of the same name. The Haunting of Hill Houses Carla Gugino gives a stand-out performance as Jessie, a docile housewife whose husband whisks her off to the country for a sexy weekend getaway. When Gerald dies from an unexpected heart attack, Jessie is left stranded in handcuffs without water, food or any possibility of rescue. Sleep-deprived and dying, Jessie is forced to reckon with her inner demons  and a looming bogeyman who may or may not be real. Geralds Game is an intelligent, absorbing psychological thriller.
Libby German and Abby Williams were found dead on Valentines Day 2017 (Supplied)

A 50-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the 2017 murders of two girls in Delphi, Indiana.

Richard Allen was taken into custody on Friday by authorities, more than five years after the murder of Abby Williams and Libby German.

Mr Allen has not yet been charged, according to local news reports, but law enforcement sources have described the arrest as a major development, according to Fox 59.

Indiana State Police have said they will hold a press conference on Monday.

Abby and Libby disappeared on 13 February 2017 after going to meet a man at Monon High Bridge, an abandoned rail bridge, just outside the town of Delphi.

Their bodies were discovered the next day.

Several suspects have been linked to the high-profile cold case, but this is the first time Mr Allen has been identified in connection to the girls murder.

Breaking more to come


2022-10-28 20:29 

All eyes were on China's 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party last week, especially on the expected tradition-breaking third term for Xi Jinping.

From hundreds to millions of people in some sort of COVID lockdown, to the delay of third-quarter economic numbers, the country did everything it could to ensure the important set of meetings went smoothly.

What comes next? And where is Canada in its relations with China?

A year ago when Meng Wanzhou, Michael Korvig and Michael Spavor returned home, many predicted that even if a return to normal wasnt in the offing, there would at least be increased bilateral interaction. However, interaction remains minimal, with a couple dozen frozen dialogues still very much on ice.

This is a pity, because it puts Canada on the back foot relative to its like-minded competitor countries. Take the U.S., which has been encouraging Canada and other allies to join it in opposing China on many fronts. My U.S. colleagues tell me that U.S.-China relations are worse than theyve ever been, yet the U.S. sends nine per cent of its exports to China, while Canada sends only 4.5 per cent of its global exports there. Key products that are in demand by Chinas growing middle class, like pet food and meat, are moving smoothly from the U.S. but are encountering market access issues from Canada. There is no good reason for this, but as U.S. officials frequently meet with their Chinese counterparts, I expect the U.S. is demanding its voice be heard, and we are not.

While 4.5 per cent of Canadian exports going to China doesnt sound like a lot, it is seven times the countrys exports to India. The ranks of middle-class Chinese are growing, consuming and are interested in Canadian products and services, and while products like seafood, meat and grains are top of mind, lets not forget that educational services are Canadas No. 1 export to China and one that, pre-pandemic, helped 140,000 young Chinese citizens each year better understand how we do things in Canada.

Education is a great example of diversification, with Chinese students making up only 26 per cent of international students in Canada. A study commissioned by the Canada China Business Council (CCBC) in 2021 shows that exports to China create value to Canada of at least 2.2 times the actual export dollars, and China accounts for one-third of global growth, meaning that each year it creates demand equivalent to a Saudi Arabia or two Malaysias (or a new Canada every three years). Growth in China outstrips that anywhere else in the world, so while companies are diversifying, they also know that finding demand equivalent to Chinas is not easy.

Canadas prosperity depends on it engaging with as many countries as possible, including (and especially) China. We often hear that Canada is a trading nation, and our 66 per cent trade-to-GDP ratio puts Canada behind only Germany among G7 economies. That ratio in the U.S. is only 25 per cent; we are much more dependent on trade with the world, so its incumbent on us to be competitive everywhere we do business, including China.

And thats the problem: Canadas competitiveness lags behind like-minded Western countries when it comes to China. For many industries, business with China is not going well, as shown by CCBCs 2021 business survey. Canadian companies are less profitable and less optimistic than their counterparts in the U.S., Europe and the U.K. Companies in those countries are being granted market access and are breaking down barriers, while Canadian companies have little hope of catching up as long as bilateral channels remain frozen. Chinas zero-COVID policy, which disrupts regular business travel, also disproportionately impacts Canadian firms, many of which rely on travel for business development. Companies with teams and operations in China are faring better.

Resumption of bilateral discussions is the only way Canada can hope to catch up. Many of the frozen dialogues allow us to voice concerns on security, interference and other issues. One of the easiest  and for the business community, the most important  is the resumption of the Canada-China Economic and Financial Strategic Dialogue, which will help both governments address a growing list of commercial challenges, many of which can easily be crossed off the list if such dialogue takes place.

China is a complicated country, with many issues that Canada rightfully disagrees with. Canada needs to make a conscious choice to engage and use its relationship with China to explain its point of view, to push on issues it feels strongly about, but also to build the countrys prosperity. A bilateral relationship with such a large country needs to encompass multiple tracks, including channels that allow us to share with China why Canada sees things differently.

Speaking out on issues is important, but even more important is speaking with China on these issues. While returning to business as usual may not be possible, reopening channels of communication and engaging in productive dialogue needs to happen.

We can fight for what we think is right, while also fighting for our own position. If were falling behind our competitors in profitability and market access in China, it will impact our competitiveness everywhere in the world.

Sarah Kutulakos is the executive director and COO of the Canada China Business Council.
Grandmother Goes to Work, Gets Eaten by Giant Python

A tree tapper at an Indonesian rubber plantation was swallowed whole by a 22-foot-long python on Sunday.

Jahrah, 54, went to work that morning as usual near the village of Betara in Indonesias Jambi province, located on Sumatra Island. Her husband grew concerned when she didnt return to her family that afternoon, according to a report from the BBC. A search party was called after the husband found his wifes headscarf, jacket, and sandals. The search party soon located one sated and very bloated python.

During the search the team found a giant python, measuring seven meters [22 feet] in length, which we suspected had preyed on the victim, Betara Jambi police chief AKP S Harefa said in a statement to local media outlets.

They python was killed and sliced open, revealing the intact remains of the woman.

The victims body was not destroyed when we found her inside the snake, meaning that she had only been recently swallowed whole, Harefa concluded.

While extremely rare, two similar deaths by pythons in Indonesia were reported in 2017 and 2018. Mary-Ruth Low, conservation & research officer for Wildlife Reserves Singapore, told the BBC young pythons usually dine on rats and other small animals, but look for larger prey as they grow older and larger.

In essence, they can go as large as their prey goes, said Mary-Ruth Low, conservation & research officer for Wildlife Reserves Singapore, told the BBC.

She said it was not uncommon for pythons to eat animals as large as a cow.

Pythons typically squeeze their prey to death, then swallow the deceased body whole.
An Idaho man charged with multiple felonies in connection with a series of anti-LGBTQ attacks was found not competent to stand trial on Wednesday and was ordered by a judge to be committed to a facility to have his competency restored.

Boise resident Matthew Lehigh, 31, was arrested earlier this month.

Police say that officers responded to a hit-and-run on Oct. 12 just after 2 p.m., when evidence showed a male driver [yelling] a threat and a homophobic slur at two women, investigators said in a news release.

The two victims were standing next to their vehicle when the suspect intentionally drove his car at them. The women were able to move out of the way, but the suspects car struck the victims vehicle.

One of the victims, Vegas Shegrud, told local television station KTVB-TV that she was afraid for her life.

He couldve killed us, she said. It could get so much worse. Im grateful it didnt.

She said that she first heard him yelling at her when she was manually unlocking her cars door.

He said, Im gonna run you over, you fking [slur], Shegrud said. He gripped the steering wheel... When I turned around, he backed out of his parking spot. And at some point, I decided he was really going to run me over.

The suspect, who fled the scene, was later identified as Lehigh.

Detectives said that they had been searching for him since a suspect driving that same vehicle was involved in a similar incident, which happened just four days prior.

Lehigh was arrested the next day on three felony counts of aggravated assault and a misdemeanor of malicious injury to property.

According to KTVB-TV, he was later also charged with arson, accused of burning an LGBTQ flag in the North End of Boise.

He appeared in court on Wednesday, when his lawyer said that a doctor found that Lehigh may not be competent to stand trial in this case.

His case is currently listed as inactive, but pending.
Phoenix Police Department

A 36-year-old man has been arrested in connection to a break-in at the Phoenix campaign headquarters of Katie Hobbs, the Democratic nominee for Arizona governor, local authorities said Thursday.

The suspect was identified as Daniel Mota Dos Reis by the Phoenix Police Department. Reis was recognized by a patrol officer in surveillance images taken at Hobbs offices after he was arrested on Wednesday in a separate commercial burglary case.

Reis was identified as transient by KTAR-FM. A Facebook account seen by The Daily Beast that appeared to belong to the 36-year-old identified him as a Phoenix resident originally from Luanda, the capital city of Angola. Information on the page reflected that he had worked various jobs in finance and accounting, and had at one point apparently been studying for a masters degree in business administration.

In one Facebook post from May, he made a cryptic reference to being in danger. Im under threat in the United States of America, he wrote. What a situation. Im starting to get worried.

After his re-arrest on Thursday, Reis was booked into Maricopa County Jail on one count of third-degree burglary, police said. An investigation into the case is ongoing.

After the Monday night burglary was reported to Phoenix authorities, officers reviewing surveillance video spotted an unidentified man in a green shirt strolling out of Hobbs downtown offices. During his initial arrest, Reis had been carrying a backpack with tools used for burglaries, according to The Arizona Republic. He also had a new camera on his person, the newspaper reported.

Police said that multiple items had been taken from Hobbs campaign headquarters, but did not provide details.

Last night the @katiehobbs campaign gave me these photos from the break in. Police have just confirmed there was an arrest in the case, but have not released the identity of the person, so we are still choosing to blur these photos. @FOX10Phoenix pic.twitter.com/MmzMaj38y6  Marissa Sarbak (@MarissaSarbak) October 27, 2022

Hobbs campaign manager, Nicole DuMont, said Thursday afternoon that the candidates team was very thankful to the police. In her statement, DuMont tied the break-in to the rhetoric of Hobbs opponent, Republican Kari Lake, saying that her refusal to condemn the threats that have become common in our politics continues to stoke chaos.

Story continues

Our campaign to stop Kari Lakes dangerous chaos from becoming our new reality and to build a safer, more prosperous state will not miss a beat in fighting for Arizonans, DuMont said, according to KJZZ.

Police have not released any motive for the burglary or any evidence linking the suspect to the election or Lakes campaign.

DuMont echoed a Wednesday evening statement from Hobbs that read in part: Secretary Hobbs and her staff have faced hundreds of death threats and threats of violence over the course of this campaign. Lets be clear: for nearly two years Kari Lake and her allies have been spreading dangerous misinformation and inciting threats against anyone they see fit.

That night, Lake strongly denied the allegation of a link to KTAR. That is absolutely absurd, she told the outlet. Are you guys buying that? I cant believe she would blame my amazing people, blame me for something like that.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

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When Janet Folger Porter moved back to Ohio in December 2010, she invited some of her closest friends to her new home in suburban Cleveland.

Her guests sipped coffee, made small talk and shared a breakfast of bacon and eggs. Meanwhile, Porter set up a white board in front of the fireplace. On it, the hostess wrote two words: Heartbeat Bill.

Porters gathering was a business meeting. And Porter, as everyone in the room knew, was in the business of banning abortion.

This is how we can do it, she told her guests.

Porter planned to get a law passed that would ban all abortions in Ohio after about six weeks gestation, when embryonic cardiac activity can be detected. There would be no exceptions for rape or incest.

It represented a bold challenge to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that guaranteed a right to abortion. If Porter's law passed, it also would be one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the nation, an idea so radical that even Ohio Right to Life and the states top Republicans would spend years opposing it.

Faith2Action president Janet Folger Porter speaks in the atrium of the Ohio Statehouse in 2011.

Yet today, the bill is the law of the land in Ohio. Considering the similar bans enacted in 23 other states after the Supreme Court overturned Roe in a 6-3 decision this summer, Porters vision is no longer extreme in the world of Republican politics  its the norm.

The story of how a onetime bellwether state like Ohio led a slow, determined push to steadily weaken and then nearly eliminate abortion rights is in many ways a case study for what has happened around the country. Long before the Supreme Court reversed Roe, anti-abortion activists like Porter recognized that demographic shifts and gerrymandered statehouse districts would entrench Republican majorities and allow them to push abortion restrictions that polls show are unpopular with most Americans.

The consequences came just a month after the Supreme Courts decision, when a 10-year-old rape victim had to leave Ohio for an abortion in Indiana because her pregnancy had gone beyond the six-week limit. Nevertheless, members of Ohios Republican-dominated legislature have pressed forward with plans for a near-total abortion ban either this year or next.

Story continues

We are often viewed as a bellwether, said David Pepper, former chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party. I think we have become a bellwether in how an out-of-control statehouse can basically destroy your state.

But 12 years ago, as Porter scribbled ideas on the white board, Ohio was a swing state that had gone for Barack Obama and would send a mainstream Republican like Rob Portman and a progressive Democrat like Sherrod Brown to the U.S. Senate. Democrats controlled most statewide offices, including governor.

That Ohio didnt work for Porter, the founder of the right-wing Christian group Faith2Action. She was a longtime culture warrior who opposed gay marriage, promoted false claims questioning Obamas birthplace and compared abortion to the execution of children during the Holocaust.

She was tired of watching fellow Republicans settle for measures such as licensing restrictions for clinics and waiting periods for patients  moves that made it harder, but not impossible, to get abortions.

She said in a recent interview that shes been guided by the words of Martin Luther: If we are not fighting where the battle is hottest, we are traitors to the cause.

She told her houseguests it was time to take on Roe. To succeed, theyd launch what amounted to a decadeslong insurgency, a movement to change Ohio politics from the top down.

Theyd have to start with their own Republican Party. Over time, the fight would become personal, as Porter and her allies adopted tactics that some said were as divisive as they were effective.

"I wanted them to see, these people are crazy. They're not gonna quit," Porter said. We were not gonna give up until this bill became law."

Emboldened GOP allows fetuses to 'testify'

About three months after the gathering at Porters house, she sat in a packed hearing room at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus for a March 2011 hearing. The fetuses were ready to testify.

Two pregnant women would take turns on an ultrasound machine set up in the house chamber so lawmakers could see and hear inside their wombs. The hearing was among the first for the heartbeat bill, which a team of lawyers and activists Porter assembled had written in the weeks following the meeting at her home.

The bill would require people seeking abortions to undergo ultrasounds to detect cardiac activity. If it was there  and it usually was at about six weeks  a doctor who performed an abortion would face criminal charges and up to a year in prison.

Anne Renouf helps string red heart balloons along the south side of the Ohio Statehouse in 2011 in support of the six-week abortion ban, known by supporters as the heartbeat bill.

Democrats, who unanimously opposed the bill, condemned the ultrasound hearing as a shameless stunt.

But there was nothing they could do about it. The Ohio House had flipped to a 59-40 Republican majority after two years of Democratic control. Energized by opposition to the Affordable Care Act and the Tea Partys anti-government agenda, many of the new Republican members had little in common with Ohios moderate Republicans.

This new group of Republican lawmakers helped elect Bill Batchelder  a member of a conservative group of lawmakers known as the "Caveman Caucus"  as speaker of the House, and they were more likely than moderate Republicans to embrace legislation like Porters heartbeat bill.

After Obama, Republicans statewide felt ignored, said Clarence Mingo, an Ohio Republican and former Franklin County official who has pushed back against extremism in his party. The result of that was a shift to hard-right conservative thinking.

Still, the newly remade Ohio GOP was not yet strong enough to impose its will at the statehouse. Some of Porter's fellow Republicans worried the courts would reject her six-week ban as unconstitutional, potentially strengthening Roe instead of weakening it. And they feared moderate voters might object to such strict abortion limitations.

Porter had little patience for Republicans who didnt share her zeal for the cause. Theyre pro-life pretenders, she said. They use babies to get elected instead of using elections to save babies.

As the House opened hearings on her bill, Porter and her team flooded the offices of Republican lawmakers with calls and emails. In the months to come, theyd send them red balloons shaped like hearts, teddy bears that played a heartbeat recording, and more than 2,000 red roses with cards that said, Bring this bill to a vote before the roses and babies die.

But she expected that the fetus testimony would have the greatest impact.

When the hearing began, one of the pregnant women took a seat near a large video screen. She leaned back in the chair, a hospital gown covering her torso, as a nurse ran an ultrasound wand over her belly.

A pregnant Erin Glockner, left, is given an ultrasound by Julie Aber of Ashland Care Center during a committee hearing at the Ohio Statehouse in 2011. Anti-abortion advocates presented live ultrasounds to lawmakers in support of a bill that would outlaw abortion when cardiac activity can be detected.

The lights dimmed and a fuzzy, black and white image of a fetus appeared on the video screen. Someone aimed a laser pointer at the pulsing tissue in the center of the picture.

The hearing room was silent  except for a rapid dub-dub-dub that matched the rhythmic movement on the screen.

Everyone was watching and listening. Porter had a masters degree in communications and had done plenty of public relations work in her career, including for Ohios Republican governor, John Kasich. But shed rarely seen anything grab peoples attention like this. Even a Democratic House member who opposed the bill said the presentation brought back fond memories of her own pregnancy.

Porter was thrilled.

What we saw today was the beating hearts of these babies, she told reporters after the hearing.

To save those babies, she said, lawmakers needed to pass her bill.

She felt certain it was just a matter of time.

Clinic lawyer fears Ohio's turn to the right

A week later, civil rights lawyer Al Gerhardstein walked into the same hearing room to deliver a different message.

A Cincinnati resident whod spent much of his career defending abortion clinics, Gerhardstein knew Porters six-week ban violated the constitutional standard set by Roe. He also knew that was the point.

This was Ohio, after all, the birthplace of Right to Life and a frequent testing ground for anti-abortion legislation.

Cincinnati attorney Al Gerhardstein has spent much of his career fighting in court against Ohio abortion restrictions.

For years, Gerhardstein had watched activists like Porter chip away at Roe in Ohios legislature and courtrooms, imposing rules like 24-hour waiting periods, mandatory ultrasounds and limits on the use of pills to induce abortion.

This death-by-a-thousand-cuts approach was the brainchild of John and Barbara Willke, a Cincinnati couple who founded the nations first Right to Life chapter in the late 1960s. The Willkes werent firebrands like Porter. They were devout Catholic grandparents who lectured college students about abstinence, went on "Donahue" to talk about fetal development and came up with billboard slogans like Abortion stops a beating heart.

John and Barbara Willke, founders of Cincinnati Right to Life, in 2000.

But the Willkes, who mentored Porter when she was a budding activist in college, also worked behind the scenes, writing anti-abortion laws and lobbying politicians to pass them. Their mission was to keep up a steady attack on Roe  one voter, one law, one court ruling at a time.

It was a brilliant strategy, Gerhardstein said.

While he respected the Willkes approach, Gerhardstein fought them at every turn, representing Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinic operators. To him, the clinics were more than clients. They were on the front lines of a battle to protect a womans right to make decisions about her own health and body.

Born and raised Catholic, Gerhardstein appreciated the religious and moral objections to abortion, especially among Catholics who formed the vanguard of the early Right to Life movement.

Yet he also felt the government shouldnt impose those beliefs on millions of women who wanted for themselves something different.

Before his first case involving an abortion clinic in the 1980s, Gerhardstein called his mother, Carolyn, who had worked for years in Catholic hospitals as an obstetrics and gynecology nurse. He asked how she felt about him taking on the case.

He said she told him she was glad he was doing it. Shed seen many patients, before Roe, whod been victims of botched abortions theyd attempted on their own or with unqualified practitioners. By the time some got to the hospital, they were in terrible shape.

It wasnt about some abstract right, Gerhardstein said of how his mother viewed the abortion debate. It was about what she saw.

Activists like Porter were aggressively going after that right. Even John and Barbara Willke, who died in 2015 and 2013, respectively, abandoned their incremental approach and supported Porters push for a six-week ban years before Right to Life and others would follow suit.

Right to Life founder Jack Willke, left, with Faith2Action President Janet Porter in the atrium of the Ohio Statehouse in 2011.

Gerhardstein saw the rationale behind the shift. Ohio was moving to the right. Republicans now controlled not only the statehouse, but the redistricting process that would allow them to gerrymander districts and tighten their grip on power. The heartbeat bill, Gerhardstein believed, showed that Republicans planned to use that power to topple Roe at the Supreme Court.

This was the final plunge, he said. It was a direct attempt to challenge the constitutionality of Roe v. Wade.

Gerhardstein began his testimony at the hearing in 2011 by warning lawmakers the bill they were considering was unconstitutional. But he also urged them to think about the consequences if the heartbeat bill ever became law and Roe one day fell.

It would strip away a womans right to follow her doctors advice, he said, or even to follow her conscience. It would replace her judgment with theirs.

Trust women to make their decisions, Gerhardstein said.

A moderate pushes back on 'no exceptions'

When Stephanie Kunze came to Columbus as a freshman member of the Ohio House in 2013, the heartbeat bill was stuck. It had passed the House two years earlier, but thats as far as it got.

Republicans in the Ohio Senate refused to bring it to a vote, and Gov. Kasich said hed veto the bill if it ever reached his desk. They said the bill wouldnt survive a court challenge and would mire the state in costly litigation for years.

Sen. Stephanie Kunze drops off campaign literature in suburban Columbus during her 2020 reelection bid.

Kunze, a Republican from suburban Columbus, who describes herself as pro-life with exceptions, had her own problems with Porters bill  mainly the lack of exceptions for rape, incest or serious fetal abnormalities. It was, she said, an impractical way to legislate something thats important to families and women.

Kunze, the mother of two daughters, was passionate about curbing infant mortality and advocating for survivors of sexual violence. But when she arrived at the statehouse, the heartbeat bill was getting most of the attention.

Porter was lobbying hard for another vote in the House so she could try again to get the Senate and Kasich on board. She had enough votes to win, but not enough to override a Kasich veto.

That increased pressure on moderate Republicans like Kunze. Without getting them on board, Porters bill couldnt get past the governor.

Most of Kunzes Republican colleagues in the House didnt share her concerns about the bill and were in no mood to compromise.

After the 2012 elections, they didnt have to.

While Kunzes House district was politically competitive, redistricting had placed many of her fellow Republicans in safe districts, where primary elections were the only elections that mattered. In those districts, voters who represented the activist wing of the Republican party often rewarded politicians for stances that once seemed radical.

Extreme gerrymandering is so toxic, said Kathleen Clyde, a Democrat who served in the House from 2011 to 2018. It gives legislative leaders this outsized view of their own place in our government and of their own power.

But there was little Democrats could do. Republicans controlled the redistricting process, and now those same Republicans were dealing with a new political dynamic: Ohios most consequential legislative battles no longer were being fought by Democrats and Republicans, but by conservative Republicans and more-conservative Republicans.

Those fights intensified as Republican lawmakers debated Kasichs 2013 budget, clashing on issues from Medicaid expansion to a new oil tax. They then packed several new abortion restrictions into the budget late in the process, with no time for public input.

One measure required abortion providers to perform ultrasounds and predict the fetus likelihood of surviving to full term.

Ruth Clevenger waves an American flag during a protest at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus in 2013. The rally was organized to draw attention to legislation that will affect Ohio laws dealing with women's health care.

Abortion rights activists erupted. They swarmed the statehouse, shouting, Shame on you! as Republican lawmakers approved the abortion measures. They then bombarded Kasichs office with 17,000 letters urging him to veto them.

The governor let the new restrictions stand, giving abortion hard-liners almost everything they wanted. Kunze, who voted for the budget, called it one of the most pro-life budgets in state history.

But it didnt include the heartbeat bill.

That meant Porter and her allies soon would be back, trying again to flip moderate Republicans to secure a veto-proof majority.

Porter made a list. And Kunzes name was on it.

Turning up the pressure: No more 'Mr. Nice Guy'

The way Porter saw it, Republicans were wasting an opportunity. By early 2015, they held lopsided majorities in both the Ohio House and Senate, and voters had overwhelmingly sent Kasich back to the governors office for a second term. They could do what they wanted.

Yet Senate President Keith Faber wouldnt bring her heartbeat bill to a vote; Kasich still vowed not to sign it; and Ohio Right to Life still wouldnt get behind it.

Porter was sick of it. These Republicans had been running for years on anti-abortion platforms. They were, in Porters view, hypocrites and liars. No better than Democrats, who at least didnt pretend to be on her side.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich smiles while signing the new two-year state budget during a ceremony at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus in 2013.

She and her top lieutenant, Lori Viars, decided to get tougher.

Playing Mr. Nice Guy wasnt helping, Viars said. We had to make their lives miserable.

Republicans who didnt back the bill, like Kunze and Kasich, found themselves on online lists under the headline, Meet the Republicans responsible for abortion in Ohio.

Direct mail campaigns featuring photos of rhinos accused them of being RINOs, or Republicans In Name Only. Television ads and emails lampooned them, and their voicemail boxes filled with messages from Porters allies. Some faced primary challenges from candidates Porter endorsed.

Porter had helped make strict abortion restrictions a fundamental principle of Ohios Republican Party, and accusations of being insufficiently anti-abortion could be fatal in a GOP primary.

Every Republican lawmaker in the state can tell you who is their Right to Life group in their district, said Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue.

The primary challenges may have been Porters most effective weapon. Over several election cycles, she rounded up candidates to run at least a dozen times against members of the House and Senate in Republican primaries.

When she couldnt find someone to run in the primary against Republican State Senator Larry Obhof in 2016, Porter did it herself.

Neither she nor her endorsed candidates ever won, but that wasnt the only goal. The real purpose, Porter said, was to make abortion a campaign issue and to force Republicans to spend cash to defend seats they thought were safe because of redistricting.

They hate working to keep their job, Porter said. We made them pay for their inaction.

She also did her best to embarrass them. Her most creative attack was a 2014 TV ad that took aim at Kasich, Faber and Batchelder, who at the time was reluctant to bring the heartbeat bill up for another vote in the House.

In the ad, the three most powerful Republicans in Ohio appeared as cartoon figures unwilling to prevent the states 20,000 annual abortions.

We regulate how and where we kill babies, said the cartoon Batchelder.

Yes, said the cartoon Faber, now we only kill a stadium full of Ohio children each year!

Then all three cartoon politicians looked on happily as school buses filled with children  meant to symbolize the number of abortions performed in Ohio each day  drove off a cliff and burst into flames.

Not long after the ad ran, Porter met with a friend whod recently chatted with a House member. The lawmaker said hed always be willing to put Porters bill up for a vote.

Because I dont want a cartoon made of me, the lawmaker said.

Tactics create divide in anti-abortion movement

By early 2016, Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis had been saying the same thing about the heartbeat bill for five years: It was a good idea, but the timing wasnt right.

He knew this made Porter and her allies unhappy, because they told him so at every opportunity. He also knew his stance put him and Right to Life in an awkward spot, because arguing against a bill that would end most abortions wasnt the kind of thing anti-abortion activists usually did.

I understand the passion to want to end abortion, Gonidakis said. I want to end it yesterday.

Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis, pictured in 2022 at the Ohio Statehouse, played a central role in reshaping abortion access in Ohio for more than a decade.

The problem wasnt the bill, he said. The Supreme Court in 2016 still had a slim majority that could be counted on to uphold Roe. Gonidakis feared a defeat at the Supreme Court would further affirm Roe, making it even harder to overcome.

Hed seen it happen before, in 1992, with Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Activists hoped it would end Roe. Instead, the court upheld the right to abortion and ruled states could not create an undue burden preventing someone from obtaining one.

At the end of the day, Gonidakis said, nine men and women get to make the decision on this.

After five years of debate, Gonidakis and Porter had come to represent a growing divide within Ohios anti-abortion movement, a divide created in part by the heartbeat bill.

Porter was the outsider who saw little room for compromise, an insurgent who would rather storm the palace gates than petition for change. Gonidakis was the insider, the steady hand who wanted to move cautiously and change the system from within.

After working as a lawyer, a campaign manager and a lobbyist, Gonidakis understood the system better than most. Hed run the political campaigns of two Ohio Supreme Court justices and served as a top deputy to former Republican Attorney General Jim Petro.

Hed also been appointed by Kasich to one of three seats on the states medical board not held by a doctor, a position that gave him influence over the way Ohios abortion restrictions were enforced.

Gonidakis said he and Porter were working toward the same goal, just in different ways.

Porter caused division in the movement, Gonidakis said. We just didnt believe in vilifying other pro-life people like she did. She made no friends in her approach.

As 2016 ended, though, Gonidakis and Porter found common ground in Donald Trumps surprising win over Hillary Clinton in the presidential election, a win he secured by flipping Midwestern states like Ohio. Trumps victory was the biggest of any president in Ohio since George H.W. Bushs election in 1988.

No matter which side theyd been on in the fight over the heartbeat bill, anti-abortion activists celebrated. Trump immediately would nominate an anti-abortion justice for a seat Republicans had refused to let Obama fill. And if more nominees followed, the court soon could overturn Roe and clear the way for Ohios six-week ban.

Trump transforms courts: 'It is within our grasp'

Theres a man goin round, takin names

And he decides who to free and who to blame

A band played "The Man Comes Around"  a Johnny Cash song about the fate of mankind on Judgment Day  at Cincinnati Right to Lifes annual dinner in October 2018.

It felt like a victory party. The emcee praised anti-abortion activists as patriots. A Catholic priest led a prayer thanking God for Donald Trump and his Supreme Court nominees.

Meg DeBlase, then the director of Right to Life in Cincinnati, shared the crowds enthusiasm. Porters six-week abortion ban had passed the Ohio House and Senate. In a few weeks, Kasich would likely be replaced by a new Republican governor, Mike DeWine, who had pledged to sign the bill into law as soon as it landed on his desk.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine greets a young attendee during the Greater Columbus Right to Life remembrance of Roe v. Wade at the Ohio Statehouse in 2019.

Ohio Right to Life was behind the bill now, too. Trump was making good on his promise to fill the court with conservative justices, improving the bills prospects and giving activists hope that Roe could be overturned.

DeBlase had been involved in the anti-abortion movement since she was a child. She went to the National March for Life in Washington with her parents and prayed often with protesters outside Cincinnatis Planned Parenthood clinic.

She sensed the movement had more momentum than ever. The number of abortion clinics in Ohio had fallen from 16 to 11 in just eight years, as Republican-backed abortion restrictions had made it increasingly difficult for clinics to operate.

For DeBlase and the others who attended the dinner in 2018, a total ban on abortions felt like a real possibility.

Just think about it, DeBlase told the crowd when she took the stage. It is within our grasp.

Tightening rules burden clinics and patients

Dr. David Burkons needed a better way to treat his patients.

He was struggling in early 2021 to comply with the array of rules the state had imposed on his three abortion clinics in northern Ohio. Even though Porters six-week ban was still tied up in court, the existing regulations often felt overwhelming.

Few frustrated him more than the rules dictating how his patients could receive abortion-inducing pills.

The treatment was safe and effective early in pregnancy. But Ohio law required patients to visit clinics in person, undergo an ultrasound, sign consent forms, receive a booklet about adoption, wait another 24 hours and then return to the clinic to receive the pills.

Those rules were part of the incremental change strategy the Willkes adopted at Right to Life decades earlier. Such requirements buried clinics in bureaucracy and confused patients, so much so that, by 2019, a survey found that one in 10 women in Ohio thought abortion was illegal.

Burkons didnt consider the rules medically necessary. The real goal, he believed, was to make it as difficult as possible for to get abortions.

Hed been dealing with this sort of thing since graduating medical school in 1973, the same year of the Roe decision. Burkons performed abortions as part of his gynecology practice and later at his three clinics in northern Ohio.

In the years that followed, Ohio became one of the most prolific producers of anti-abortion legislation in the nation, with more than a dozen rules and restrictions covering patient care, insurance, licensing and other matters.

They kept passing rules that really had nothing to do with patient safety, Burkons said.

He considered rules governing abortion-inducing pills especially onerous. Some patients drove for hours to see him, leaving behind jobs and kids. If they missed the appointments, they risked getting so far into their pregnancies theyd need surgical abortions.

Then inspiration struck. Burkons bought lockboxes  like the ones real estate agents use to hold house keys  and put the pills inside them. He gave the boxes to his patients and told them to call the next day after the 24-hour waiting period had passed. He would then provide the code needed to open the boxes so they could take their pills without making another trip to the clinic.

But Burkons knew more obstacles would come. By the end of 2021, President Trumps three nominees to the Supreme Court had shifted the courts balance so far to the right that he feared Roe could fall.

If it did, Ohios six-week ban on abortion almost certainly would go into effect. Lockboxes would no longer be enough.

After Roe falls, a 10-year-old must leave Ohio

A few days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, a 10-year-old girl from Ohio became a cautionary tale for life in a post-Roe America.

Shed been impregnated by her rapist and sought an abortion. But at just over six weeks, she was beyond the limit imposed by Porters heartbeat bill. She and her family traveled to Indiana for treatment.

Abortion rights activists made her case a rallying cry, and President Joe Biden lamented the cruelty of Ohios law, which went into effect now that Roe had been overturned. Republicans, meanwhile, questioned the girls story and suggested that journalists made the whole thing up.

Another lie, tweeted Jim Jordan, a U.S. congressman from north-central Ohio.

There is not a damn scintilla of evidence, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said.

The girls tragic story was confirmed days later, when the man accused of raping her appeared in court.

Porter maintained that her heartbeat bill had produced a desired outcome.

"We punish rapists, not babies, she said. There's no reason to execute an innocent child for the crime of her father."

Porter noted that Ohios six-week ban allows exceptions if the womans life is in danger, but some have questioned how those exceptions would be approved and whether a 10-year-old could get one.

Lost in the uproar over this one girls case was the fate of hundreds of others whose lives had been upended by the fall of Roe and the imposition of Ohios six-week abortion ban.

After years of worrying about the threat to Roe, abortion providers struggled to adapt to an America without it. Its not theoretical anymore, said Catherine Romanos, a doctor at a Dayton clinic.

Clinics had to cancel scheduled abortions with barely a days notice. Women scrambled to find alternatives. Burkons said he had to cancel a scheduled abortion for a 15-year-old girl whod come with her mother to his clinic the previous week. She was 13 weeks pregnant. He never heard from her again.

Hes also unsure what happened to many of the patients whod left his office with abortion-inducing pills in lockboxes the day before Ohios ban went into effect. If they were more than six weeks pregnant, Burkons wasnt allowed to give them the codes to unlock their boxes the next day.

Some begged for the numbers, he said, but he couldnt help. Ohios new law wouldnt allow it.

Burkons said many of the lockboxes that were supposed to be mailed back to him never arrived.

I have a feeling there were people who took hammers and chisels to the boxes, he said.

Not done yet: Republicans consider a total ban

Today, almost four months after the fall of Roe, Ohio remains a bellwether in the nations abortion wars.

The states six-week abortion ban, still known to many as the heartbeat bill, is again tied up in court. A common pleas judge in Cincinnati halted enforcement in September, saying Ohios constitution may protect health care decisions like abortion. Yost, the state attorney general, is appealing that decision.

Mari Schoen hugs a fellow supporter as they celebrate the overturning of Roe v. Wade outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Columbus in June.

In the days after Roe was overturned, Ohio Republicans began discussing the possibility of a total ban on abortions in Ohio. Critics of the Supreme Court's decision warned of harsher action to come and decried Justice Clarence Thomas's concurring opinion, which seemed to raise the possibility that same-sex marriage and access to contraception could be banned under the same legal principle that toppled Roe.

More recently, with the midterm elections looming, Republican politicians on the ballot have largely stayed silent on abortion restrictions. Polls show most Americans  and most Ohioans  oppose restrictions like Ohios six-week ban.

Not all conservatives are hesitant to talk, though. Porter continues to speak about the need for tougher abortion laws, while also promoting conspiracy theories about a stolen 2020 election and that Trump remains the real and rightful president.

At the Christian Patriot Rally in Houston in September, Porter spoke in front of a video screen that displayed giant, side-by-side photos of President Biden and Adolf Hitler.

For Porter, though, the political fights always are in service of her primary mission.

Theres nothing that compares with the importance of that issue, she said of banning abortions.

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe, Porter threw a party in the same house where she and her guests conceived the heartbeat bill more than a decade earlier.

A celebratory banner still hangs on the wall: Roe is dead. Babies will live. Thank you, Jesus.

But the excitement that day wasnt just about the Supreme Courts ruling. It was about what comes next.

In Ohio, anything seemed possible.

This story includes previous reporting by The Columbus Dispatch, The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Cleveland Plain Dealer and The Associated Press.

Dan Horn is a reporter for The Cincinnati Enquirer and the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at dhorn@enquirer.com or on Twitter @danhornnews. Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau. She can be reached at hbemiller@dispatch.com or on Twitter @haleybemiller.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ohio abortion law started as a fringe idea. Post-Roe, its reality.
By Lizbeth Diaz

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Ana Villalobos remembers what she went through to get from Venezuela to the United States: going hungry, sleeping in the open and crossing rivers and forests with her young son.

She cries upon reflecting on the journey, knowing it bore no fruit. Now, Villalobos is asking for a humanitarian flight to return to her homeland.

Tens of thousands of Venezuelan migrants are now stranded in Mexico or its southern neighbors after a new plan was announced by the United States that, in practice, has closed the door to Venezuelans fleeing on foot.

Dozens of Venezuelans like Villalobos and her eight-year-old son arrived on Tuesday night at a migrant house in Mexico City funded by the Catholic Church while awaiting a seat on a humanitarian flight.

"I want to return to my country because they shut the door on us, in our faces," the 27-year-old said.

Related video: Biden administration turning to Trump-era Title 42 to expel Venezuelans

Villalobos, a single mother, left the western Venezuelan state of Zulia a few months ago with her only son.

After working for a few months in Colombia, she managed to save enough money to start the long journey to the United States, even crossing the dangerous Darien Gap, an almost-impassable mountainous rainforest between Panama and Colombia.

In recent years, 7.1 million Venezuelans have left their country, according to United Nations figures, escaping the protracted economic and social collapse of the once-prosperous oil nation.

Human rights advocates have criticized the fact that Mexico continues to sign agreements with the United States when it does not have space to receive more migrants or displaced nationals who also hope to migrate to the United States.

"Everything seems easy to them, simply saying 'leave them here,' but where? In the streets?" said Luis Carbajal, director of the Human Mobility Pastoral movement in the Archdiocese of Mexico.

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'IT'S ALWAYS 'NO''

A dozen migrants interviewed by Reuters at a shelter in Mexico City said that their nation's embassy had told them that it would seek support from the Mexican government to launch humanitarian flights to Caracas.

A first flight returning Venezuelan migrants from Mexico departed on Tuesday, two Mexican officials told Reuters. Travelers paid a reduced rate of $200 per person, the officials said.

Since 2018, the government of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro has implemented a voluntary repatriation plan called "Return to the Homeland" to facilitate the return of migrants who lack the means to do so themselves.

Through June of this year, some 30,000 Venezuelans had returned home from 19 Latin American countries, according to government figures.

The Mexican foreign ministry told Reuters a flight paid for by the Mexican government carrying Venezuelan migrants was scheduled to leave on Wednesday.

The announcement was made while dozens of Venezuelans protested outside Mexico's foreign ministry in Mexico City, demanding help.

"It's been terrible because it's always 'no' in Mexico. I can't work, the doors are closed to us, we can't leave, we can't enter, they don't let us cross into the United States," said Kerlyn Mora, a Venezuelan migrant at the protest.

(Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Indiana State Police plan a Monday morning news conference to update the investigation of the Delphi murders and who might have killed Libby German and Abby Williams on Feb. 13, 2017.

A news release published about 12:35 p.m. Friday did not indicate what the update might be. The news conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at the Delphi United Methodist Church. The Journal & Courier will cover the news conference and publish the information shortly after the meeting at jconline.com.

Fox 59 in Indianapolis is reporting that a man named Richard Allen, 50, was arrested and booked into the Carroll County Jail on suspicion of murder in connection to the girls' killings. Fox 59 reported that the man was moved to a state facility for his safety.

The latest:Delphi man charged with murder in killings of Libby German and Abby Williams

The Indianapolis news outlet attributed the information to "sources."

The Journal & Courier called the Carroll County Jail. No one answered.

The Journal & Courier called Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby several times and left voicemails. He did not respond.

Indiana State Police Sgt. Jeremy Piers said he cannot confirm if an arrest was made in the case.

Indiana laws require police to release the identity of anyone arrested, as well as anyone incarcerated at a jail or prison within 24 hours of the arrest. The name, age, and address of the person arrested, as well as the crimes he is suspected of committing, is required by law to be released.

Piers still refused to release information, saying that any update will be released Monday.

The Journal & Courier filed a request Friday afternoon to inspect public information with Indiana State Police and Leazenby. They are required to respond within 24 hours of the request.

Recently on the case:Podcast examines if water search be linked to Delphi murder investigation

Kelsi German, Libby's older sister, tweeted Friday morning, "Just know how grateful I am for all of you. No comments for now, any questions please refer to the Carroll county prosecutor's office. There is tentatively a press conference Monday at 10 am. We will say more then.

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"Today is the day," she wrote.

Just know how grateful I am for all of you. No comments for now, any questions please refer to the Carroll county prosecutors office. There is tentatively a press conference Monday at 10am. We will say more then.



Today is the day  Kelsi German (@libertyg_sister) October 28, 2022

The news conference comes almost six years after the killings.

There was no school on Monday, Feb. 13, 2017, which was an unusually warm day with spring-like temperatures. Abby spent Sunday night at Libby's house. On Monday afternoon, the two went hiking on the trails east of Delphi around the Monon High Bridge, which spans Deer Creek.

Libby's family became concerned when the girls did not show up at the rendezvous site for their ride home. Family members started a search that night, which was joined by many in the Delphi community.

The next morning, the search resumed with search parties fanning out along the trails and the creek.

A search party found Libby and Abby's bodies along the Deer Creek, about a quarter of a mile east of the Monon High Bridge. The land where the girls were killed was owned by Ron Logan.

Previously:Possible suspect in Delphi murders on police radar since the killings

Police suspected Logan for a while because his alibi of his location on the afternoon of Feb. 13, 2017, was a lie, according to search warrant probable causes confirmed in May to be authentic.

Logan was later arrested for violating his probation and sent to prison to serve a suspended sentence. He has since died.

Police also interviewed Kegan Kline, a man awaiting trial in Miami County for child exploitation and child pornography charges. A transcript of detectives' interview with Kline indicated that Libby had contact with Kline's catfish social media account titled anthony_shots.

HLN reports: HLN reports: ISP told man 'anthony_shots' profile was last communication with Libby

Kline indicated in an interview with Headline News that police said the person on anthony_shots account was the last person to communicate with Libby.

A check of online court records indicates that Kline has not been charged with anything connected to the girls' killings.

However, police can ethically make false statements to manipulate a suspect to reveal information useful to an investigation, and police have not confirmed that the person on Kline's account actually communicated with Libby via the catfish account, which Kline admitted to owning.

On the account, Kline used a male model's photo and he pretended to be that person.

Days after the killings, police released photos of a sketch of a possible suspect, but two years later, police released a second sketch of a possible suspect. The two sketches were strikingly different.

Police explained that the second sketch was based on additional information and more refined than the initial sketch.

Police have been tight-lipped about the investigation, so Monday's news conference can be considered unusual.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Indiana police announce Delphi murders update Monday on 2017 killings
Horror films are a staple of any Halloween celebration, and no one does horror like Asians.

Whether youre looking for a slasher gorefest steeped with blood or a psychological horror that will leave you sleeping with the lights on, let NextShark be your guide through the macabre, the paranormal and the grotesque this Halloween season. From South Korea to the Philippines, here are 10 films  in no particular order  guaranteed to leave you squirming in your seats.

Content warning: Many of the films below are extremely graphic. Viewer discretion is advised.

I Saw the Devil (2010) - South Korea

More from NextShark: BLACKPINK performs Shut Down on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Director Kim Jee-woons acclaimed action-horror film I Saw the Devil is a shockingly violent revenge story.

The film stars Lee Byung-hun as Kim Soo-hyeon, a highly trained National Intelligence Service agent whose fiances dismembered body is found floating in a river. Choi Min-sik of Oldboy fame plays Kyung-Chul, the sadistic serial killer who deservedly finds himself the target of Byung-huns bloodlust.

I Saw the Devil is a gruesome, pessimistic game of cat-and-mouse that manages to both disturb and excite, and its conclusion will leave you pondering the ramifications of revenge and whether it has any true winners.

More from NextShark: Director Paul Thomas Anderson defends racist Licorice Pizza scene that made viewers gasp

Bedevilled (2010) - South Korea

Bedevilled is the rare slasher film that makes you empathize with the killer and despise the protagonist.

More from NextShark: 'Outsize, empty, mute Asians': 'Virtually Asian' video essay critiques portrayals of Asians in popular sci-fi

Jang Cheol-soos directorial debut follows Hae-won, a cold, apathetic woman who, after being fired from her bank job, decides to visit her childhood friend at her home on an underdeveloped island. There, she reunites with Bok-nam (Seo Young-hee), a friendly housewife who is worked like a slave by her husband and brutally abused by her family and neighbors.

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When Bok-nam is finally pushed too far, she goes on a violent killing spree that may leave viewers conflicted on who to root for.

More from NextShark: To All the Boys author Jenny Han reveals Taylor Swifts influence on her writing

The Sadness (2021) - Taiwan

Possibly one of the most gratuitously violent films many will ever see, The Sadness is not for the easily queasy or the faint of heart.

A pseudo-zombie movie, the film takes place in Taipei as the city rapidly spirals into chaos by a viral pandemic that turns people into sadistic killers hell-bent on causing as much suffering as possible. As their neighbors succumb to the infections, a young couple fight to reunite with one another before they fall victim to the vicious infected roaming the streets  or become infected themselves.

Incantation (2022) - Taiwan

A found footage psychological horror, Incantation is so unsettling that the film became the subject of a TikTok trend this year where viewers challenged each other to watch the entire film without pausing or looking away.

Incantation is narrated by a woman named Li Ronan (Hsuan-yen Tsai), a mother trying to cure her 6-year-old daughter, Dodo (Huang Sin-ting), of a horrible supernatural affliction. She asks the viewer to memorize a symbol and chant an incantation throughout the film, claiming that participation in the prayer will send blessings to Dodo and help lift the curse. As the film travels back to before Dodos birth, viewers are shown the source of the curse and what Ronan goes through to cure her.

A shocking revelation will leave viewers with a sense of dread that remains long after the credits roll.

Dream Home (2010) - Hong Kong

Another femme-fatale slasher for the list, Pang Ho-cheungs Dream Home is a macabre social commentary on Hong Kongs inflated property market, which has drawn comparisons from viewers to the 2000 cult classic slasher American Psycho.

Dream Home stars Josie Ho as Cheng Lai-sheung, a woman with aspirations to buy her own apartment in Hong Kongs Victoria Harbour. She is forced to work two jobs to work multiple jobs to support herself and her terminally ill father, and the bank is only willing to offer her a 70-percent mortgage at astronomical payment rates.

As an increasing number of obstacles continue to impede her from purchasing her dream home, Lai-sheungs frustration reaches a boiling point that sees her going on a rampage in the very apartment building she so badly wishes to live in.

Perfect Blue (1997) - Japan

A critique of consumerism and idol culture, Perfect Blue is an animated psychological thriller about a J-pop idol named Mima (Junko Iwao, Bridget Hoffman) who leaves her group to become an actor.

Pursued by an obsessive stalker and disturbed by a website written by an imposter that journals intimate details of her life, Mimas mental stability begins to decline. She starts to confuse her performances with reality, and this is further exacerbated by a series of murders related to her work as an actor, worsening her hallucinations and causing both Mima and the viewer to question whether she is the one responsible for the killings.

Audition (1999) - Japan

Audition is the ultimate cautionary tale about ignoring red flags.

The film follows Shigeharu Aoyama, an aging widower whose son encourages him to find a new wife. With the help of a film producer friend, Shigeharu holds a fake casting call for young women to audition to be his new wife. Creepy methods aside, Shigeharu is captivated by a woman named Asami Yamazaki. Although all of the references Asami provided lead to a dead end, Shigeharu pursues her, which will eventually lead him to discover Asamis true nature the hard way.

Audition is a horror classic, with disturbing elements of body horror and brutal torture that inspired films like the Hostel series.

Tumbbad (2018) - India

Shot in the real Maharashtra village of the same name, Tumbbad plays on local folktales to craft a frightening narrative that feels both nightmarish and precautionary.

The villagers of Tumbbad have angered the gods by building a temple dedicated to Hastar, a god who was to be forgotten by history after stealing gold from his mother, the Goddess of Prosperity. A man named Vinayak learns of a well that harbors Hastar, which promises riches but threatens to turn any person who touches it into a horrible monster. The desperate man and his son devise a method to distract the forgotten god and steal gold from its loincloth, but greed may prove to be too strong a temptation.

Macabre (2009) - Indonesia

A cult classic slasher film clearly inspired by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Macabre nails every aspect of the genre fans expect to see.

When a group of friends are tricked by a woman into taking her to her familys home in the middle of nowhere, they quickly learn that the family plans to have them for dinner  literally.

Led by the terrifying matriarch Dara (Shareefa Daanish), the family tear into the unsuspecting Good Samaritans, who try desperately to escape their cannibalistic captors.

Kuwaresma (2019) - Philippines

Kuwaresma is a film fueled by familial dysfunction that excels in dispensing discomfort.

Returning home after the death of his twin sister, Luis Fajardo (Kent Gonzales) quickly gets the sense that something isnt right. His parents refuse to discuss the circumstances of his sisters death, and hes visited at night by her ghost, who both blames Luis for leaving her and guides him closer to the truth.

Fans of the paranormal and the uncomfortable dysfunction of Ari Asters 2018 film Hereditary can enjoy (or suffer through) the best of both in Kuwaresma. Although the film does admittedly get a bit convoluted, John Arcilla and Sharon Cuneta, who play Luis parents, carry the film with incredible performances that will leave chills down your spine.

Featured Images (left to right) via YouTube, YouTube, YouTube, YouTube
Redesigning how chocolate is made

To indulge in the purity of cocoa flavors , Barry Callebaut has redesigned the farming, fermentation, and roasting of the cocoa bea ns

The second generation of chocolate by design puts 'cocoa first, sugar last'. Whereas Dark chocolate is only made from cocoa and sugar, Milk chocolate contains dairy as well

With the second generation of chocolate, Barry Callebaut aims to accelerate the industry effort to address the changing consumer preferences and consumers' desire to indulge more mindfully

VENICE, Italy, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Barry Callebaut, the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, announced today, more than 140 years after the emergence of the first generation, the introduction of the second generation of chocolate. Enabling brands and artisans to be fit for what consumers desire: food and drinks paying homage to nature's flavors, while supporting them to live more healthily.

Barry Callebaut introduces the second generation of chocolate

Traditional techniques, future-proof engineered

The distinct flavor characteristics of the cocoa bean, cultivated during farming and awakened during the fermentation and roasting processes, are fundamental to the new chocolate.

Barry Callebaut redesigned the making of chocolate  known as the Cocoa Cultivation & Craft principle (CCC)  to recognize the special qualities of each cocoa bean and coax out the nuances of flavor. With initial efforts dating back to early 2000, Barry Callebaut gained new insight from a long-term research program in collaboration with the Jacobs University Bremen, Germany. Advanced detection technologies, combined with new sensory methods, enable the identification of unique characteristics in the cocoa beans.

Peter Boone presents redesigned farming, fermentation, and roasting of the cocoa beans to indulge in the purity of cocoa flavors.

To indulge in the purity of cocoa flavors

By applying the CCC principle, Barry Callebaut could redefine chocolate completely: 'putting cocoa first, sugar last'. Moreover, to experience the nuances of cocoa flavors, the recipe of the second generation of chocolate is as pure as it can be and contains 60-80% more cocoa. Dark chocolate contains two ingredients: a minimum of 75% cocoa to which only sugar is added. Milk chocolate has a minimum of 55% cocoa, as well as containing milk and sugar.[1]

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The new product design is not only testament to nature's flavors, but also to the mindfully living consumer. The chocolate contains 50% less sugar than 80%+ of the chocolate consumed across the world.

The chocolate taste ranges from a natural and rich cocoa flavor, balanced with low sweetness to more complex flavor profiles. By introducing the second generation of chocolate, Barry Callebaut aims to inspire and support brands and artisans to define their next generation of chocolate creations in confectionery, bakery, pastry, desserts, and ice-cream.

Peter Boone, CEO of Barry Callebaut Group, explained: "The second generation of chocolate addresses perfectly the changing consumer preferences and consumers' desire to indulge more mindfully. It will inspire and support brands and artisans to craft their next-generation chocolate creations and is testament to our leadership in shaping the future of chocolate indulgence."



Mindful indulgence is on the rise

While looking for joyous moments and pleasure in life, more and more consumers today want to live in harmony with their body, mind, and environment. Accordingly, the chocolate subcategory related to mindful indulgence has been growing +6.0%, outpacing the +1.8% growth of the total 2016-2021 market.[2]

Chocolate produced according to the CCC principle has been successfully validated through a quantitative consumer concept and product test by independent global research agency MMR Research Worldwide[3] in the US, the UK, and China, indicating a positive consumer appeal and purchase intent.

Since 2017, Barry Callebaut has deepened its consumer insights and accelerated its innovation effort with the introduction of Ruby chocolate, WholeFruit chocolate and the first nutraceutical fruit drink, Elix. With the introduction of the second generation of chocolate, Barry Callebaut confirms its purpose to create chocolate happiness and to make sure it keeps being the world's favorite indulgent treat for today's and tomorrow's generations. It takes about 12  18 months before consumer brands and artisans introduce their applications.

About Barry Callebaut Group ( www.barry-callebaut.com ):

With annual sales of about CHF 7.2 billion (EUR 6.6 billion / USD 7.9 billion) in fiscal year 2020/21, the Zurich-based Barry Callebaut Group is the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products  from sourcing and processing cocoa beans to producing the finest chocolates, including chocolate fillings, decorations and compounds. The Group runs more than 60 production facilities worldwide and employs a diverse and dedicated global workforce of more than 13,000 people.

The Barry Callebaut Group serves the entire food industry, from industrial food manufacturers to artisanal and professional users of chocolate, such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakers, hotels, restaurants or caterers. The global brands catering to the specific needs of these Gourmet customers are Callebaut  and Cacao Barry , Carma and the decorations specialist Mona Lisa  .

The Barry Callebaut Group is committed to make sustainable chocolate the norm by 2025 to help ensure future supplies of cocoa and improve farmer livelihoods. It supports the Cocoa Horizons Foundation in its goal to shape a sustainable cocoa and chocolate future.

[1] For reference, the current industry average contains 30-40% cocoa for Milk and 45-50% cocoa for Dark chocolate and contains 6-9 ingredients [2] Euromonitor International Limited [2022]  All rights reserved, 2016-2021 data, scope of the sub-category contains products labeled: allergen-free, natural, plant-based, sugar solutions, BC proprietary estimates. [3] MMR Research Worldwide Quantitative Consumer Study 2021.

Follow the Barry Callebaut Group:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Facebook

YouTube

Flickr

(PRNewsfoto/Barry Callebaut Asia Pacific)

SOURCE Barry Callebaut Asia Pacific
Elon Musk enters Twitter headquarters carrying a sink this week (AP)

Elon Musks takeover is underway after he fired three top executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal, according to the Washington Post.

The billionaire is also said to have sacked chief financial officer Ned Segal, and Vijaya Gadde, head of legal policy, trust, and safety, and general counsel Sean Edgett, as he moved ahead with his $44bn purchase of the social media company.

The Tesla CEO had until Friday to complete his deal for the San Francisco-based platform or face a court battle to try and back out of the purchase.

Mr Musk arrived at the companys headquarters on Thursday carrying a sink and met with engineers and advertising executives before the firings became public on Thursday evening.

The worlds richest person renewed his attempt to buy the company earlier this month after trying to back out of the purchase.

Mr Musk agreed to buy the company for $54.20 a share in April, but by July had indicated that he had changed his mind, citing bot and spam issues.

Twitter then sued him in Delaware Chancery Court to force the deal to go through. In his letter to Twitter, Mr Musk agreed to pay the full price but said that was contingent on securing the necessary funding to pay it.

The intention of the company is to close the transaction at $54.20 per share, Twitter said in a statement after receiving the letter.

During Teslas quarterly earnings call last week, Mr Musk admitted that he was obviously overpaying for San Francisco-based Twitter.

But he said that he was excited about the Twitter situation and described the company as an asset with incredible potential that has sort of languished for a long time.

Mr Musk has suggested that buying Twitter is the first step in creating an everything app he calls X, which could be modelled after Chinas WeChat.

He has also hinted that the platform will protect free speech and allow the return of banned users such as Donald Trump, whose account was locked after the January 6 insurrection by his supporters.
[See update at bottom of post.]

Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, 82-year-old Paul Pelosi, was violently attacked this morning after an intruder broke into the couple's San Francisco home. Ms. Pelosi was in Washington D.C. during the attack.

"Early this morning, an assailant broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco and violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi," said spokesperson Drew Hammill, according to the New York Times. "The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation."

Mr. Pelosi is "being treated for bruising, severe swelling and other injuries after being severely beaten in the head and body, according to Reuters, which, along with CNN, reports the intruder used a hammer to attack Pelosi. Fortunately, Pelosi is expected to make a full recovery.



From the New York Times:

The San Francisco Police Department responded to a report of a home break-in at about 2:27 a.m. on Friday, a spokesman for the department, Officer Robert Rueca, said in a statement. "During this incident an 82-year-old male victim was attacked, and the suspect was taken into custody," he said. The Pelosis have owned a three-floor red brick townhouse in San Francisco's exclusive Pacific Heights neighborhood since 1987. In January 2021, after Congress passed a stimulus bill, their home was vandalized with graffiti, and a pig's head was left on the sidewalk. The vandalism occurred before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. In the months since that attack, members of Congress from both parties have experienced a surge in threats and confrontations, including stalking, armed visits to their homes and assaults. The motive for the attack on Mr. Pelosi was not clear on Friday morning, and there was no immediate indication that the attack was politically motivated.

UPDATE 10:50am, via CBS NEWS: Before the violent attack, the suspect  42-year-old David Wayne Depape from Berkeley  shouted, "Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?" The San Francisco Police Department says he will be charged with "attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and several additional felonies," according to CBS.

From CBS:
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The visionary sixth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) ended today with more than 28 investment deals and agreements, totaling over $9 billion.

FII Institute Logo

The FII Institute signed an agreement with Oxford Union which will provide members of the union with key data and information produced by the FII Institute and its partners. The agreement was signed by the FII Institute's Head of THINK, Safiye Kucukkaraca, and Oxford Union's Chair of Development Board, Michael Li.

CEO of the FII Institute, Richard Attias, said, "We are so proud of the FII conference this year. We had a record number of investment deals signed, and we hosted speakers and delegates from all over the world who were keen to build new partnerships. Under this year's theme  Investing in Humanity: Enabling a New Global Order  we sought to address the challenges confronting global leaders at this epoch-defining moment as we rebuild from the pandemic and confront challenges both old and intractable, and new and unpredictable. We look forward to welcoming our community next year at FII from 24-26 October 2023, which will be accessible only to FII members."

The final day of the three-day conference featured a summit titled 'An African Future' where ministers, investors, and entrepreneurs from across Africa and beyond came together to discuss areas of investment in the region. The summit focused on the investment potential in Africa noting that tech-startups in the region received investments totaling $1 million every hour last year. Discussions ended with agreement that the level of investment in Africa is set to grow and it would require improved infrastructure and policy to support its development.

The three-day conference hosted over 400 speakers and 6,000 delegates who took part in insightful discussions about the most pressing investment challenges relating to sovereign wealth funds, megacities, sustainability, gender equality, energy, and more. The event was attended by some of the best-known names in the policy and investment sphere.

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Representatives from 16 leading institutions and various global management consultancies have partnered with the 6th edition of FII to provide insights about some real-world issues, including sustainable development and creating resilient energy systems, cryptocurrencies and the fin-tech ecosystem, the Metaverse, utilizing artificial intelligence to fight climate change, the connection between technology and culture, and the ever-changing tourism sector. In addition, 11 technology developers partnered with FII to introduce their latest innovations and solutions that aim to create a more sustainable and equitable future.

Ten regional and global media partners were present at the event, and more than 270 media representatives and journalists from all over the world are attending the FII to cover the event's exclusive sessions, conversations, agreements, and announcements, as well as join the conversations about the New Global Order.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The event factsheet can be found here.

About FII Institute

The Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute is a new global nonprofit foundation with an investment arm and one agenda: Impact on Humanity. Global, inclusive and committed to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles, we foster great minds from around the world and turn ideas into real-world solutions in five critical areas: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics, Education, Healthcare and Sustainability.

SOURCE FII Institute
IAWF Public Visibility Initiative for the Plight of Women in Iran Expands with New Billboards in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cutting hair in solidarity, women's rights, women's empowerment, leadership, and togetherness these are a few of the themes and initiatives discussed at the recently sold-out Iranian American Women Foundation (IAWF)'s conference that took place in San Francisco on October 16, 2022, in dedication to Mahsa Amin.

LOS ANGELES Photo credit: Shahab Ettekal

"To date, IAWF has taken over three billboards in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington D.C."

As the largest Iranian women's nonprofit in the United States, IAWF continues to support and honor the brave women who lost their lives in the name of freedom in Iran and continue to risk their lives for women's rights.

During the conference, over a hundred women cut their hair as a symbol of solidarity and support for the women of Iran fighting for their basic human rights. This hair was placed in white envelopes and sent to the UN Mission of The Islamic Republic. A video of these moments and photos can be seen HERE.

Cutting of hair is a symbol of protest and mourning in ancient Persian tradition, found in Ferdowsi's ancient book of epic Persian poetry, Shahnameh, one of the world's longest epic poems written between c. 977 and 1010 CE.

Dr. Nina Ansary, IranianAmerican historian, author, and human rights activist, was the keynote speaker, and focused on the current uprising in Iran at the Women's Leadership Conference held in San Francisco. The entire day was focused on women's rights, women's empowerment, and women's financial independence. Mahsa Hakimi, Founder of Hakimi Law, San Francisco Art Commissioner and San Francisco Planning Dept Equity Advisory Counsel, spoke on a panel about the importance of activism and how it can help a movement in society.

Since its inception in 2012, IAWF has hosted multiple leadership conferences, with over 10,000 participants from around the globe. Mariam Khosravani is the Founder and CEO of IAWF, an educational nonprofit organization based in Irvine, CA with chapters in Northern California, New York, Los Angeles, and Orange County.

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VISIBILITY INITIATIVES

IAWF has made it a priority to raise awareness and visibility regarding Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old woman who died in police custody, as well as the countless brave Iranian women risking their lives in the movement for women's rights and freedom.

IAWF has taken action toward this goal by pursuing public visibility of the Iranian Women's Rights Movement through aligning with major companies and/or buildings, putting together vigils, purchasing advertisements or billboards, visiting schools, and much more.

The visibility initiative holds true to IAWF's core values to "Inspire, Empower, and Connect" Iranian women around the world. Through public visibility, IAWF aims to uplift the voices of Iranian women in order to bring national and international attention to their efforts in fighting for freedom.

To date, IAWF has taken over three billboards in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington D.C., installed as a result of the generous contributions of its supporters, all with the goal of bringing awareness to the plight of women in Iran.

The digital billboards names Mahsa Amini and many others who have lost their lives in their fight for freedom. The words and/or hashtag #womenlifefreedom can be seen on all three billboards.

IAWF's most recent billboard in Los Angeles launched Monday, October 25, and can be seen at the corner of Olympic and Sepulveda with the hashtags #womanlifefreedom and #endviolence. The billboard will be on display for at least four weeks.

IAWF sponsored a mobile digital billboard in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, October 22. The digital billboard truck joined demonstrators and circled the National Mall. The intention for Saturday's efforts was to bring maximum awareness to the community at large; a direct extension of IAWF's visibility initiatives.

Located in the heart of Times Square at 1500 Broadway & West 43rd, the billboard site is in front of one of the busiest subway entrances in the country. The billboard was placed in mid-October and will be on display until December 31st, 2022, airing approximately every 15 minutes from 6am to 2am. The digital billboard can be viewed HERE or at the location listed above.

About Iranian American Women Foundation (IAWF):

The mission of the Iranian American Women Foundation is to provide a platform for empowerment and networking among Iranian American women and to provide mentorship to younger generations of Iranians locally and globally. Since its inception in Orange County, CA in 2012, the organization has empowered, inspired, and connected thousands of women nationwide and globally. It has served as a home away from home; a community that celebrates creative, innovative, tenacious, and competitive women who are problem solvers and a force for the greater good. With more than 6,000 members nationwide, the organization showcases the diversity of America, celebrates the confluence of the American fabric and Iranian heritage, and propels women forward into new, dynamic professional leadership arenas. Website: https://www.iawfoundation.org Instagram: @iawfoundation

WASHINGTON D.C. Photo credit: NSGIran

NEW YORK

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SOURCE IAWF
ALBANY, N.Y.  Former president Barack Obama is hitting the airwaves in support of Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The 44th president of the United States will be featured in a new radio ad Hochuls campaign released on Friday encouraging New Yorkers to head to the polls and vote for the Democratic incumbent.

My friend, Governor Kathy Hochul, is the best person for the job, hands down, Obama says in the one-minute spot. Kathy knows how to get things done. Shes a strong leader who has met the moment and fought for you.

The high profile endorsement from the former president comes a day before early voting begins.

Hochul is contending with a tighter-than-expected race against Republican challenger Lee Zeldin, with recent polling shows the conservative congressman within striking distance of the sitting governor.

Both candidates are pounding the pavement, rolling out high-profile supporters and flooding the airwaves with new ads in the final weeks of the campaign ahead of the Nov. 8 election.

In the newly released ad, Obama touts Hochuls bona fides and lists off accomplishments on a range of issues.

Kathy is strengthening the economy, investing in public safety, and getting illegal guns off the streets, he says. And you can count on her to protect abortion rights, voting rights and everything else you care about.

So dont sit this one out. Your vote matters, he adds.

Hochul, who replaced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo last year, is aiming to be the first woman elected governor of the Empire State.

The Buffalo natives ties to Obama include her pick to head the states Department of Financial Services.

The governor tasked Adrienne Harris, a former special assistant for economic policy to the White House under Obama, to serve as superintendent of the state agency overseeing insurance, financial services and banking regulations.

Meanwhile, Zeldin, a Long Island lawmaker with close ties to former president Donald Trump, announced that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will appear at a rally in Suffolk County on Saturday.

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DeSantis was originally scheduled to appear a fundraiser with Zeldin over the summer but had to drop out of the event to attend services for a Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent killed in the line of duty.

In addition to Obama, Hochul is joining forces with former secretary of state and senator Hillary Clinton next week, City & State first reported.

Clinton will join the governor, along with Attorney General Letitia James, Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., and state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, at a get out the vote Womens Rally Thursday at Barnard College in Manhattan.


A purple ribbon signifies domestic viiolence awareness.

ROCKFORD  City officials will team with social service providers to tap a federal grant that trains men and boys as allies in the fight against domestic violence and sexual abuse.

The nearly $350,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women grant will be used to create educational programs that encourage men and boys to work as allies with women, girls and marginalized communities to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and sex trafficking.

"Too many American children carry the burden of trauma after being exposed to violence at such a young age," U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, said in a news release. "Often, these kids are left without support to cope with their experience."

The project will develop and implement a train-the-trainer program for community organizations or programs to incorporate education and/or training into their existing work with male clients to prevent violence against women and girls. Partners in this grant include the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, Rockford Park District, The Wright Way and the LIAM Foundation.

Rockford is also the recipient of a separate $843,521 grant over 36 months from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to create a Community Healing Center at the Boys and Girls Club on Kilburn Avenue.

Similar to the Family Peace Center model, this Center will be a multiagency facility where children exposed to violence and their families can get healing and supportive services that promote trauma recovery, youth development, and violence prevention and interventions.

Partners include Winnebago County Juvenile Probation, the Citys Health and Human Services Department, Rockford Police Department, Boys and Girls Club, Region 1 Planning Council, Carrie Lynn Childrens Center, Family Peace Center, RAMP, Winnebago County States Attorneys Office, The Wright Way and Youth Services Network, according to a news release.

We are thrilled to be bringing more than $1 million dollars to our community for crime prevention and intervention efforts for our youth, Mayor Tom McNamara said in the release.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Federal grants combat domestic violence in Rockford
Sam Williams Opens Up About His Gay Identity for the First Time: 'It Is Scary, But It Feels Good'

Thomas Crabtree Sam Williams

Sam Williams is opening up about his sexuality and hopes it helps other small-town exports to feel less alone.

In an upcoming episode of Apple Music's Proud Radio with Hunter Kelly, Williams detailed the inspiration behind his new "Tilted Crown" music video, which chronicles his upbringing as Hank Williams Jr.'s son and sees him kiss another man  his boyfriend  on camera for the first time.

The country star, 25, explained that he planned on including references to his sexuality in a video for his song "Snow Angels" that never came to fruition. When director duo Alexa and Stephen Kinigopoulos were conceptualizing the "Tilted Crown" music video, they felt it was important to include a gay kiss to tell the story of his life.

"At first I kind of thought that, 'I'm tackling something else with this.' And I thought that maybe that's for another project," said Williams. "But again, I felt like I was promoting invisibility, like I wasn't being visible and wasn't being myself. And I just thought it was the perfect opportunity to just show who I was."

RELATED: Hank Jr.'s Son Sam Williams Redefines Country Outlaw as He Keeps Going for Late Sister Katie

Asked about the details of his identity by host Hunter Kelly, Williams explained that he uses "he/him" pronouns and said, "I identify as gay, and I've never said that to anybody else. I mean, people at my label know and people in my personal life know, but this is the first time that I've ever been, besides a show or two, that I've ever been this public about it. And it is scary, but it feels good."

Sam Williams Opens Up About His Gay Identity for the First Time: 'It Is Scary, But It Feels Good'

Thomas Crabtree Sam Williams

The Paris, Tennessee native explained that growing up in a small town led him to spend a lot of "energy" pushing against his true feelings in order to hide his sexuality and "fit in" with other kids.

"It's exhaustive, and I think that... if I was a kid, and I was younger, and I saw somebody like myself doing an interview like this and just saying that, 'This is who I am and I'm proud to be who I am,' that it would have been impactful for me," explained Williams. "So I think at the end of the day, that's one of the most important reasons why I'm being so open."

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In addition to his identity, the "Tilted Crown" video touches on Williams' relationship with his late sister, Katie, who was killed in a car crash in June 2020. During his Proud Radio interview, the musician spoke about informing Katie of his gay identity before her death.

Sam Williams Opens Up About His Gay Identity for the First Time: 'It Is Scary, But It Feels Good'

Courtesy UMG Nashville Sam Williams

"I told her a few months before then  in Alabama of all places  on the back of a four-wheeler. We were driving on a four-wheeler about to go eat somewhere, and I just felt called to  and I just felt like I had to, like I was hiding so much," he recalled, noting that Katie was "so emotional."

"I think that she could see pain that I was in from hiding that and just had no idea. And I was like, 'There's been some situations that have made me uncomfortable and I just want you to know.' And I could just see that there was such a pain there of not knowing," explained Williams.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

According to the performer, telling his manager about his sexuality was another milestone moment, as "it's a big deal" when you're a public figure. "Some people choose to wait a lot longer to show their true selves and some people choose to never and to never say neither nor," said Williams. "And that was a big moment for me because I still felt accepted and I still felt worthwhile. Like people's investment in me was worth it and no matter who I loved didn't play a part in that."

Sam Williams Opens Up About His Gay Identity for the First Time: 'It Is Scary, But It Feels Good'

Courtesy UMG Nashville Sam Williams

Since the video for "Tilted Crown"  which appears on his new deluxe album Glasshouse Children: Tilted Crown  was released earlier this month, Williams said the response has been "extremely positive." Furthermore, he's appreciated viewers' interpretations of the older man character who acts aggressively with the young child (who seemingly represents Williams) and urges him to act more manly.

"That's not necessarily playing my dad, that's playing society as a whole... pointing young kids in direction of like, 'This is what girly girls do. You wear this pink bow and you go to Sunday service.' Or, like with little boys, 'You go hunting...' [or] 'This is what you're supposed to be doing, son,'" he explained, noting that so many children experience that type of control.

However, Williams further clarified that the characters' relationship is more symbolic than specific. "My relationship with my dad wasn't really like that at all. He didn't push me to be in music. He pushed me go to hunting, I do have to give him that. He did push me to go hunting," he said. "I just wanted to clear that up just in case... It's a little bit hard for me to watch because it's just so honest, and it just brings back so much, and it's all there on the surface."

Tune in and listen to the episode in full this Sunday, Oct. 30 at 2 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. ET or anytime on-demand at apple.co/_ProudRadio on Apple Music Country.
It looks like Sarah Hyland is enjoying every minute of her honeymoon with new husband, Wells Adams, in the Maldives. From the looks of the snapshots she posted on Instagram, her tropical vacation has been filled with crystal blue waters, lots of sunshine, and a cheeky moment or two.

The 31-year-old actress looked completely relaxed in her stunning string bikini that showed off her toned behind. Her skin glowed under the hot sun as she gave a sexy stare (yes, Adams was manning the camera) while she was lounging in the pool on her stomach. The former Bachelor star highly approved of the photo he took, jumping in the comments, Thats my WIFE!!!! It sounds like the marriage is off to a great start for the adorable duo.

More from SheKnows

Despite the stunning new images, the former Modern Family star has been open about her struggles with body image after two kidney transplant surgeries. She discovered that being accepting of [her] scars has helped her love her body more. Its still a struggle to this day, but you really just have to be able to own yourself. There is a beautiful, silent power when you present to the world that you love yourself as you are, Hyland told Refinery29. Being vulnerable is sometimes the most powerful thing you can be, so having scars and going through a lot of medical issues has only made me stronger.

With Adams by her side and fighting off any critical internet trolls, Hyland revealed that its been super transformative on [her] mental state and confidence to know he has her back. It sounds like she found the perfect man to share her life with.

Click here to read the full article.

Before you go, click here for more celebrities whove spoken out about being body-shamed.

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emu-tiktok-story.jpg - Credit: iStockphoto/Getty Images

The emu is a large, long-necked, flightless-yet-powerful bird, related to the ostrich and native to Australia. Though they can be raised for their meat, feathers, eggs, and oil, they are also often kept as farm pets and help protect other domesticated animals from predators. Thats because  I can tell you from briefly living next to a farm that had one  theyre rather intimidating, with strong legs, a dinosaurian gaze and a tendency to sharply peck at anything theyre curious about. (The Aussies lost an actual war against them, if you want an idea of how tough they are.)

The birds unusual appearance and temperament have also, in recent years, made them stars on the internet. One you may have come across on TikTok is a vicious character appropriately named Karen. She lives at Useless Farm, in the village of Hartington, Ontario, with a menagerie of other creatures who have no jobs nor provide any sellable goods. Their owner, Amanda, runs the place with her husband Adam and their two sons on top of a full-time government services job.

More from Rolling Stone

Amandas massively popular TikTok account  5 million followers and counting  features entertaining clips of all her useless animals, but Karen is a fan favorite. The farms website describes her as an absolute bitch and notes that she hates Amanda with every fiber of her being. While her mate, Stanley, is very cuddly and affectionate, even to the point of wearing silly costumes without protest, Karen prefers to disrupt any attempt at video recording by rushing at Amanda while hissing. Only a firm hand held up to her neck will halt the attack, as demonstrated here:

@useless_farm Replying to @franniet413 she did her undergrad at Juilliard and she never missed the opportunity to tell people about it smh  original sound  Useless Farm

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@useless_farm Replying to @Nattasha_b try getting any work done with this dedicated queen around smh  original sound  Useless Farm

Useless Farm is supported by donations and a merch store, and seems by all indications to be a legitimate labor of love. The TikTok and YouTube channels provide a good laugh while enticing viewers worldwide to buy tote bags or chip in on maintenance costs. A perfectly nice arrangement.

That brings us to the other emu, who is mired in a far more complicated tale of digital clout and infamy. His name is Emmanuel, and he lives on Knuckle Bump Farms in South Florida, owned by Taylor Blake and her partner, Kristian Haggerty. The social accounts for this hobby farm appeared in January and have amassed large followings in less than a year  over 900,000 on Instagram and 2.4 million on TikTok. Blake, too, keeps emus (and rheas, a related bird), of which Emmanuel Todd Lopez is the best-known.

Unlike Karen, he appears to have a loving relationship with his caretaker. But hes not without his mischievous side, either, and occasionally goes after Taylors phone while shes filming. Emmanuel, dont do it is her catchphrase in these situations. This summer, Taylor even appeared on the Tonight Show to act out a similar scene with Jimmy Fallon.

In the way of internet shorthand, both Amanda and Taylor are colloquially referred to as The Emu Lady, and why not? They are making very similar viral content with their emus. One might even wonder if Taylor, who got started a couple years after Useless Farm went online, was imitating Amandas schtick, consciously or not. Rolling Stone has reached out to both women to ask if theyve viewed each others content, and if so, their opinion of it.

In an email, Amanda replies that she was just asked to be in a New York Times article with Taylor, and declined. Ive been doing this for almost three years and have had the farm for longer. I love what I do  I have so much fun. To be honest, she says, this is more than just silly emu lady stuff.

Why would she turn down a major dual-profile with Taylor?

Well, the Florida farmer  who currently identifies as a Jesus loving, mildly funny, lesbian  has had several personae on social media. From mid-2020 through 2021, her Instagram documents extensive cross-country trips in a camper with Haggerty with lush nature shots bearing hashtags like #lifeontheroad and #offgridliving, unmistakably the aesthetic of a would-be travel influencer. Before that, from 2019 into 2020, she had some success making comedy videos as a Karen character (not to be confused with the emu Karen), a southern divorcee and mother of two who flipped the trope of the reactionary white woman by voicing progressive or woke opinions. In her final monologue for that series, she urged followers to demand justice for George Floyd.

Long before that, however, she was using the N-word on Twitter, claiming to be both African American and Native American, and arguing that the best way to defeat racism was to stop talking about it. At each phase of her continual reinvention, critics have once again circulated screenshots of her offensive comments dating back to 2011. That year, she tagged comedian Chelsea Handler, asking to be adopted because I am a skinny white girl than [sic] can impersonate fat black girls.

If you want my comment on what Taylor did and said, here it is: its disgusting, Amanda tells Rolling Stone. Plain and simple. Its important to me that everyone feels welcomed in our little online corner of the internet called Useless Farm  free from judgement and hate.

cant believe some of yall werent on twitter for the era of the first tweet pic.twitter.com/jsScl18hA1  Micah (@micahhomgg) July 20, 2022

Nevertheless, Taylor went on amassing a fandom with Emmanuel and Knuckle Bump Farms  until she was faced with a totally new scandal. On Oct. 15, she announced on Twitter that shed lost 99% of her birds to avian influenza after a flock of wild geese had invaded the farm. Then it appeared Emmanuel had fallen sick as well, but, while tending to him, Taylor went on kissing and snuggling with him as usual, causing alarm among medical experts who warned that she might contract the virus herself, which in turn could lead to a deadly pandemic flu among humans. Boghuma Kabisen Titanji, an infectious diseases researcher, called it a bad idea. Taylor defended herself in part by explaining that Emmanuel freaks out whenever we approach him wearing a mask.

In contacting Taylor, Rolling Stone sought any further comment on the avian flu backlash or her apparent history of racist tweets. She has yet to respond.

Thank goodness we havent experienced [avian flu] at Useless Farm, Amanda says, and we are very careful to follow all guidelines from our vets and Health Canada.

I am as captivated by Emmanuel the Emu as many on the on the internet & hope it recovers, but being face to face with a bird w avian flu is a bad idea  this is how zoonotic transmissions occur, this is why entire farms cull sick birds.

We live with the threat of pandemic flu. https://t.co/Orpz8Gu2mu  BK Titanji #IAmAScientist (@Boghuma) October 16, 2022

Though shed consented to have the state put down other likely infected birds, Taylor chose to have Emmanuel tested. She announced on Oct. 22 that he didnt have the flu after all, and was evidently suffering from stress during the crisis at the farm. Always trust your intuition! she tweeted.

Emmanuel Todd Lopez tested negative for Avian Influenza at 2 separate labs, swab, fecal and blood. He does not have the virus, and is not actively shedding the virus God is good! Thank you for the prayers, the kind words, and the support. Always trust your intuition!  eco sister (@hiitaylorblake) October 22, 2022

Whatever the chorus of outrage on social media over how Taylor handled the incident, Floridas own Commissioner of Agriculture, Nikki Fried  whom Taylor personally thanked for her help during the flock die-off  didnt have a problem with it. In fact, she took Emmanuels new diagnosis as an opportunity to promote a brewery that makes a sour beer named after him, even wearing a T-shirt of the iconic bird.

After finding out the amazing news about Emmanuel Todd Lopez, I stopped by @trippinganimals brewing co. to try the new Emmanuel Dont Brew It!



We are all so happy and proud of you @hiitaylorblake! https://t.co/3SYDSXm7nh pic.twitter.com/vaq9LuxvT4  Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) October 22, 2022

To the conspiracy-minded, it may sound like a suspiciously pat resolution to a potential public health disaster. And for the moment, Taylor is only posting updates about Emmanuels recovery on Twitter, leaving the TikTok and Instagram accounts for Knuckle Bump Farms dormant. Once hes his old self again, she could well face another round of call-outs for her past controversies, even as normies who like her farm videos remain blissfully unaware of any such context. Or she could piss the internet off in a completely novel way.

Thankfully, as the discourse moves forward, you will enjoy a clear understanding of which Emu Lady is which, why one has been repeatedly canceled, and where your loyalties should lie. Unlike those people struggling under the misapprehension that there is just one Emu Lady.

explaining the emu drama over the last week like no babe there are two tiktok emu girls. the cool one has the mean emu. the racist one is the one who kept kissing her emu after the rest of her farm birds got bird flu. here's the twist he didn't even have bird flu, it was stress.  morgan sung (@morgan_sung) October 22, 2022

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Sue Sartor and Riley Sheeheys colorful collaboration is the stuff of party dress dreams.

Courtesy of Sue Sartor and Riley Sheehey

A quick scroll through Virginia artist Riley Sheehey's whimsical watercolors and Louisiana designer Sue Sartor's feminine dresses on Instagram, and it's easy to see that they're a match made in aesthetic heaven. Even so, it wasn't until the two creatives met during a 2021 Zoom call with Southern Living's annual group of New Southern Tastemakers that they discovered just how much their styles aligned: Sheehey, without realizing Sartor would be on the call, wore one of the designer's signature blockprint dresses. Now, the pair have partnered to launch a special collection of four party-worthy pieces that feel just right for the holiday season.

Courtesy of Sue Sartor and Riley Sheehey

The collaboration took root at Illumination Charleston, an event Southern Living co-hosted in South Carolina last year. Sartor and Sheehey's booths were positioned next to each other at the holiday market. "We started chatting and realized we had a mutual love for so many things and an affinity for botanicals and florals," says Sartor. "We were kind of speaking the same language and then fell in love with each other as people."

From there, they began building a mood board for a collection of Sartor's signature dresses, going back and forth sharing inspiration from pressed flowers to chinoiserie vessels. "Riley got the paintbrush out and the magic was happening," says Sartor.

They settled on a series of florals, from chrysanthemums to dahlias. "We wanted to make something that would be good for fall and holiday, so I did a little bit of research and figured out what kind of flowers bloom that time of year," says Sheehey.

Courtesy of Sue Sartor and Riley Sheehey

The result was an intricate floral pattern that required Sartor's artisan partners in India to hand-cut six different screens to replicate the details and colors of Sheehey's artwork. "Sue texted me a video of people screenprinting the flowers and I just gasped," says Sheehey. "It's so cool to see something that I've done in watercolors being brought to life by other artists in a totally different medium." Adds Sartor, "They hand-mix the color too. It's all organic, vegetable dyes and flower petals that have been crushed down."

Story continues

Their collaboration's resulting four dresses feel inherently celebratory, just like their individual brands. "Everything about what Riley and I do is joyous and optimistic," says Sartor.

You can pre-order dresses from the Sue Sartor x Riley Sheehey collection from suesartor.com.

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Read the original article on Southern Living.
After several years of planning, the Severyn brothers are ready to start laying the infrastructure to build their Sawyer's Landing project at Muir Woods in the spring, even as they continue growing their portfolio through another acquisition.

But at $79 million, Sawyer's Landing is going to cost their Severyn Development a lot more than originally planned.

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Following more than a year of review, the Amherst Planning Board last month approved the brothers' proposed residential and office project in the Muir Woods area of town  another major component of reuse for the vast swath of land that has been owned by Ciminelli Real Estate Corp. north of Dodge Road and the Lockport Expressway.

The multi-phase project  which has shifted in scope and grown sharply in cost since it was originally proposed  envisions 236 residential apartments, townhomes and duplex units and 30,000 square feet of commercial space at 1081 North French Road. That's 48 more units and one building more than the early plan.

The plan by Sutton Architecture and Carmina Wood Design now entails:

 Two four-story, 55-foot-tall mixed-use buildings close to Dodge Road, each with 45 apartments and 15,000 square feet of commercial space. That's 90 apartments between them.

 A four-story apartment building with 36 units in the northwest portion of the site

 22 two-story attached duplex townhomes in the central northwest part of the property, for a total of 44 units

 27 detached duplex homes with two-car garages on small interior or corner lots, in the central northeast area of the site, or 54 units

 Two single-story apartment buildings with six units and attached garages in each, for another 12 units, in the northeast part of the land.

The apartments in the two mixed-use buildings  which were previously envisioned as five-story structures  will be aimed mostly at single, professional adults over age 55, while the rest of the community will feature a blended demographic mix.

"That's our target, to get people from all walks of life," said Will Severyn, who co-owns the company with his brother, Alex. "It creates a healthier community."

The apartments include a mix of one- and two-bedroom units, averaging about 900 square feet in size, with average rents of about $1,650 per month. Amenities include a dog park and a bike path that will connect to the town bike path, and Severyn said a gym is interested in some of the commercial space, along with a pizza shop and an ice cream business, providing "retail that services the existing community."

The project  the cost of which rose 65% from $48 million  will use 17 acres of a 29-acre property that Severyn is buying from Ciminelli. That is part of the 326-acre property that Ciminelli has been trying to develop.

Severyn still needs town approval in December to subdivide its property into 52 parcels to facilitate the development, which will involve three to four phases of construction over two years, based on market conditions. Infrastructure development will start in the spring, followed by 18 months of construction starting in fall 2023, Severyn said.

Meanwhile, the Severyns also spent $15.05 million to acquire a portfolio of 116 apartments and 2,400 square feet of commercial space in Amherst, Silver Creek and Syracuse from John Cerio,a Syracuse native who now lives in Western New York and who had built or renovated the buildings before deciding recently to retire. The brothers have been working on the deal since March, after Cerio reached out to them.

"I had purchased some other properties from him in the past," Severyn said. "When he was ready to retire, he offered these for sale and we were right there waiting."

The purchase includes three multi-family apartment complexes in Amherst, at 97-151 Creekside Drive, 491 and 499 Burroughs Drive and 46-58 Getzville Road, behind Daemen College. The deal also includes a renovated school at 48 Main St. in Silver Creek and a mixed-use historic renovation project in the Armory Square section of Syracuse. All are fully occupied, Severyn said.

He said Severyn Development will make minor improvements over time, but otherwise just add the new units to their holdings for seven to 10 years. Severyn Development now has 350 units under management. "We're trying to get more experience in multi-family," he said.
People line up to drop their primary election ballots at the drop box across the street from the Yakima County Courthouse Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022 in Yakima, Wash.
Santiago Ochoas reporting for the Yakima Herald-Republic is possible with support from Report for America and community members through the Yakima Valley Community Fund . For information on republishing, email news@yakimaherald.com.
RIA Novosti: Yesterday, Russian President Putin said it is wrong for the US to undermine its relations with China on the Taiwan question. Putin also said that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. Whats the foreign ministrys comment?



Wang Wenbin: We deeply appreciate President Putins statement. I would like to stress that the one-China principle is a prevailing consensus in the international community and a widely recognized basic norm in international relations.

Beijing Daily: Lesothos new Prime Minister Sam Matekane will be inaugurated on October 28. Do you have any comment? Whats Chinas expectation for China-Lesotho relations going forward?

Wang Wenbin: China congratulates Mr. Sam Matekane on his inauguration as Lesothos new Prime Minister which will soon take place. We wish Lesotho greater achievement in national development under his leadership. Lesotho is Chinas good friend and good partner. China is ready to work with the new government in Lesotho to continue to cement friendship and mutual trust, deepen cooperation across the board and bring our bilateral relations to a new level.

Shenzhen TV: The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) recently released a report saying that worsening climate change has significantly increased the risks of natural disasters for Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the total average annual losses from the climate-related hazards are estimated at billions of dollars. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: Climate change is a global challenge. The Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are one of the regions most seriously threatened by climate change. China takes very seriously the unique situation and concerns of PICs on climate, and has actively helped PICs mitigate the impact of climate disasters and build response capacity. We have launched the China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Change Cooperation Center. We have signed five project documents with PICs on giving them material assistance on climate change under the framework of South-South cooperation, and trained nearly 100 professionals for PICs specializing in climate response. These are the contribution China has made to PICs capacity-building efforts on climate change. In September, Chinas special envoy on climate change Xie Zhenhua and diplomatic envoys from PICs in China had an in-depth exchange of views on policies and actions to address climate change, expected outcomes of the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and South-South cooperation on climate change. The meeting has produced positive outcomes. China will further enhance dialogue and exchanges with PICs to coordinate positions and expand cooperation in order to uphold the common interest of developing countries.

China is a doer on ecological progress and climate governance. China has voluntarily assumed international responsibilities commensurate with our national conditions, and unswervingly followed a development path that prioritizes ecological conservation and pursues green and low-carbon growth. In the past decade, China accounted for 30% to 50% of global energy conservation, energy efficiency improvement, renewable energy development, and green transportation and construction. The Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) stressed that China will work actively and prudently toward the goals of reaching peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality, and get actively involved in global governance in response to climate change. This demonstrates once again Chinas firm determination to pursue green development and promote harmony between humanity and nature.

Protecting the Earth is the shared responsibility of the international community and requires cooperation and a common response. Developed countries need to shoulder their historical responsibility, significantly increase their emission reduction efforts, earnestly honor their commitments, and provide financial, technological and capacity-building support to developing countries. China will continue to deepen South-South cooperation on climate change, and contribute its strength to building a clean and beautiful world.

AFP: The Saudi Foreign Minister and Mr. Wang Yi had an online meeting yesterday. According to video footage from the meeting, the Saudi Foreign Minister said his country is preparing for a visit of President Xi Jinping very soon. Can you confirm such a visit is planned and do you have more details on this?

Wang Wenbin: With regard to your question, I have no information to offer at this moment.

Follow-up: So you dont deny it? You dont deny the report?

Wang Wenbin: I already gave my answer.

CCTV: Yesterday, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. I have noted that, according to the readout, the two sides exchanged views on the Ukraine issue. Can you share more details?

Wang Wenbin: Yesterday, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi exchanged views with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the Ukraine crisis in a phone conversation. The Russian side said that it is willing to have dialogue and resume negotiations with countries including Ukraine and the US. The Chinese side welcomed this and expressed the hope that parties concerned will step up diplomatic efforts and deescalate the situation as soon as possible and eventually resolve the crisis through negotiations and other political means. The two sides also exchanged views on prohibiting the use of weapons of mass destruction. China underscored the need to avoid further escalation and prevent humanitarian disasters.

TASS: President Vladimir Putin said yesterday at the Valdai International Discussion Club meeting that Russia is largely shifting cooperation to Asian countries. He also stressed that Russia considers China a close friend and Russia can look into helpful cases in Chinas development course and put them into practice. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: We highly appreciate the positive remarks by President Putin on China-Russia relations.

Faced with a world of change and disorder, China-Russia relations have maintained the momentum of robust development. As each others largest neighbors and comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era, China and Russia have advanced relations on the principle of non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of any third party with a purpose of promoting the development of the two countries and benefiting the two peoples. China will continue to share governance experience and advance exchanges and cooperation with Russia. China and Russia will firmly support each other in pursuing a development path suited to our respective national conditions, and staunchly support each others development and revitalization. We will always be each others development opportunities and global partners, and contribute more to world peace and development.

RIA Novosti: Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that Russia supports the accession of Saudi Arabia to BRICS. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: As the BRICS Chair this year, China actively supports the process of BRICS expansion. At the 14th BRICS Summit on June 23, BRICS leaders reached an important consensus on BRICS expansion and expressed support for the discussion on the standards and procedures of the expansion. After the meeting, many countries expressed the desire to join BRICS cooperation. China will work with other BRICS members to jointly advance the expansion process so that more partners will join the BRICS family.

Dragon TV: On October 27 local time, the US Department of Defense released the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR). Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: We noted that the US 2022 Nuclear Posture Review hypes up major-power competition and bloc confrontation and smacks heavily of Cold War and zero-sum mentality. It uses nuclear weapons as tools to advance its geopolitical agenda. This is clearly against the worlds desire to prevent a nuclear war or nuclear arms race.

I need to highlight the fact that the US has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, and continues to upgrade its nuclear triad and selectively advances the international nuclear arms control process only when doing so serves to suppress the countries it sees as rivals. Whats behind the US policy is its hegemonic logic of seeking absolute military superiority, which could stoke a nuclear arms race.

The US claims it would use nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear or non-nuclear strategic attack and seek to develop or forward-deploy non-strategic nuclear weapons. The US has placed more importance on the role of nuclear weapons in national security policy and lowered the threshold for using nuclear weapons, which has gradually become a source of risks for nuclear conflict.

The US has been hyping up the so-called nuclear threat from certain countries, tailoring nuclear deterrence strategies targeting these countries and calling for nuclear sharing that violates the NPT. It has also tried to reinforce its extended deterrence commitments to its allies in the Asia Pacific. The US moves have undermined mutual trust between major countries, stoked nuclear arms race and confrontation, stimulated nuclear proliferation, and seriously harmed regional and international peace and stability.

I need to stress that in this latest NPR, the US has made irresponsible remarks and accusations as well as groundless speculations on Chinas normal modernization of its nuclear forces. The US has brazenly tailored a nuclear deterrence strategy against China. China is seriously concerned about and firmly opposed to such a move. Let me make it clear that we have the capability and confidence to safeguard our national security interests. The USs nuclear blackmail will not work on China.

China urges the US to abandon the Cold War mentality and the logic of hegemonism, pursue a rational and responsible nuclear policy, fulfill its special and primary responsibility in nuclear disarmament, and play its due role in maintaining global strategic stability and world peace and security.

AFP: Elon Musk took control of Twitter and fired its top executives today. As many Chinese diplomats and the foreign ministry use Twitter, how do you see the move?

Wang Wenbin: We know that its not just Chinese diplomats who use Twitter. We have no comment on the business activity.

CCTV: According to a poll conducted recently by CGTNs think tank among 4,700 young people under 30 worldwide, 84.7% of respondents agreed that countries development path should be suited to their national conditions, and they believed that no modernization model should be regarded as the only model, nor is there a single standard for modernization that fits all. The surveyed young people in the world appreciate the Chinese path to modernization. What is Chinas comment?

Wang Wenbin: The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China announced that we will advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. Chinese modernization greatly enriched the theories of modernization and expanded its practice. It is a major breakthrough in both theory and practice made by Chinese Communists, and an important contribution of the Chinese nation that enriches the human civilization.

Chinese modernization will provide a strong source of support for world peace and stability. China does not tread the old path of war, colonization, and plunder taken by some countries, and instead pursues the path of peaceful development. We stand firmly on the right side of history, pursue our own development as we strive to safeguard world peace and development, and make greater contributions to world peace and development through our own development. Chinas development strengthens the worlds force for peace. No matter what stage of development we reach, we will never seek hegemony or engage in expansionism.

Chinese modernization will create a broad space for promoting progress of human civilization. Modernization enjoyed by over 1.4 billion people will provide an unprecedented driving force for the development of the world. Our modernization is achieved by following a development path suited to Chinese conditions, which means there is more than one path to modernization. For any of the vast developing countries, it is entirely possible to find a development path suited to their national conditions as well. Modernization should not be a privilege of a few countries, but an equal right that all nations can earn through hard work.

Chinese modernization will make important contributions to global sustainable development. China is fully committed to sustainability and harmony between humanity and nature. China believes that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets and has acted on it. We will continue to pursue a model of sound development featuring improved production, higher living standards, and healthy ecosystems. We will take an active part in global climate governance and contribute more to building a beautiful China and a beautiful world.

Under the leadership of the CPC, we will firmly stay on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, strive for Chinese modernization and great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, build a human community with a shared future, and create a new form of human advancement.
The state Health Department has issued a $10,000 fine to an oft-penalized Western New York nursing home where earlier this year a resident fell to her death from a third-floor window.

The fine against Safire Rehabilitation of Northtowns in the Town of Tonawanda is related to an inspection completed Feb. 10, two days after Judith Schrecengost, 78, was found dead in the courtyard directly below Room No. 306 at the 2799 Sheridan Drive facility.

Inspectors reached the conclusion that Schrecengost, a great-grandmother who was born and raised in Niagara Falls, got out of a third-floor window that opened wider than it should have because of an improperly installed bolt. Further, investigators pieced together the incident and determined Schrecengost was not seen by staff for several hours before they realized she was missing.

The fine was issued to Safire Northtowns on Aug. 29, but not posted in state records until this month.

This is the facility's second fine tied to the inspection following Schrecengost's death: Safire Northtowns also received a nearly $53,000 federal penalty over the summer due to the investigation's findings.

Town of Tonawanda nursing home hit with $53,000 federal fine after resident death The fine against Safire Rehabilitation of Northtowns is tied to an inspection completed two days after 78-year-old Judith Schrecengost was found dead in the courtyard at the Sheridan Drive facility.

Safire spokesperson Michael Balboni did not immediately comment on the state Health Department fine.

He previously told The Buffalo News that Safire filed a correction plan, which was accepted by the Health Department, and fixed problems with the windows. The correction plan included installing additional window limiters, as well as educating staff on policies for reporting a potential missing resident and possible accident hazards immediately.

It is also possible that Safire could face a lawsuit from Schrecengost's survivors.

Michael Scinta, an attorney from the Brown Chiari law firm who is representing Schrecengost's family, said Thursday that the plan is to file a lawsuit by the end of 2022.

Details emerge in death of great-grandmother who fell from Tonawanda nursing home window It was a freezing February evening when 78-year-old Judith Schrecengost moved toward a third-floor window at the Town of Tonawanda nursing home where she lived, squeezed through an opening and plummeted to the ground.

Since Jan. 1, 2016, Safire Northtowns has received $78,500 in fines from the Health Department.

The 100-bed nursing home is owned by a downstate group, which purchased the former Sheridan Manor in late 2015 and renamed it Safire Rehabilitation of Northtowns. Richard Platschek, Judy Landa, Solomon Abramczyk and Robert Schuck are the key investors in the limited liability companies that own Safire Northtowns and its sister facility, Safire Rehabilitation of Southtowns in Buffalo.

The two Safire facilities have one-star federal ratings, or "much below average," a measurement based on three sources: health inspections, staffing and quality measures.

Safire Northtowns also is in its sixth month as a candidate for the federal Special Focus Facility program that identifies the country's poorest-performing nursing homes and inspects them twice as often as other facilities in an effort to boost resident care.

If it is selected as a Special Focus Facility, the nursing home would get a full, on-site inspection of all Medicare health and safety requirements every six months that could recommend progressive enforcement until it either improves and graduates from the program or is terminated from Medicare and Medicaid.

Just last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid announced revisions to the Special Focus Facility program, designed to increase scrutiny, hold facilities accountable and improve resident care.
Hungarys largest drug seizure of all time took place this September, in the Csepel free port in Budapest, police just recently announced.

A worker at the port noticed that the top of a container shipped from Ecuador was damaged. As workers moved to weld it shut, they noticed that it contained suspicious packages, so they notified the police.



Budapest police found 71 packages, each weighing approximately one kilogram, which the expert examination showed to contain highly pure cocaine.



As the criminals would have diluted the drug five to seven times before it was released onto the street, the quantity confiscated has a street value of Ft 10-14 billion.



Police are investigating the shipment.



National Police also announced that they had impounded Ft 600 million worth of drugs and detained 109 people in their biggest drug raid to date following an operation that took several weeks.



Photo courtesy: police.hu
Now on until 19 February 2023. A large-scale exhibition presenting some 50 autograph paintings of Cretan-Spanish master El Greco opened in Budapests Museum of Fine Arts.

Featuring altogether 70 works, it is the first comprehensive exhibition on the oeuvre of El Greco (1541-1614) ever organised in Budapest, Laszlo Baan, the director of the museum, said at the opening.



This show has been long overdue also because the Budapest Fine Arts Museums collection preserves the largest number of El Greco paintings in Europe after Spain, he said. Baan noted that the newly acquired title, Portrait of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, one of the first pictures El Greco painted after arriving in Spain, is also on display.



Purchased at a Christies auction in June, the oil-on-canvas has been added to the five El Greco paintings preserved in the museums exceptional Spanish collection. Janos Csak, the minister for culture and innovation, told MTI that more than 40 titles are on loan from public, private and church collections in Europe and overseas.



Leticia Ruiz Gomez, curator of the exhibition, said the first painting visitors encounter is Saint Sebastian, which was an excellent allegory of Grecos life and the exceptional journey that took him from Crete through Venice and Rome to Spain.



The exhibition will run until February 19 next year.



More about the exhibition:

The exhibition seeks to present an all-embracing overview about the oeuvre of El Greco (15411614), one of the foremost masters in the history of European art, while allowing an insight into the full complexity of forms he applied and his astounding stylistic development.



The Museum of Fine Arts  whose exceptional Spanish collection preserves the most works by El Greco in Europe after Spain  will host the first large-scale Hungarian exhibition devoted to the master, thus settling a long-term debt to the public.



The displayed works are loaned from the worlds most prestigious public collections, including the Museo Nacional del Prado and the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, the Musee du Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery in London and the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.



Besides featuring El Grecos oeuvre, the exhibition seeks to evoke the environment in which the master lived, studied and worked in an attempt to provide the context for how he drew on the various influences, such as the teachings of Italian masters and the models he adopted, and how he built them into his works.



The exhibition will also feature works by two of El Grecos closest followers: those by his son, Jorge Manuel Theotokopulos, and those by Luis Tristan.



The eighty or so pieces, including more than forty autograph masterpieces will allow visitors to gain a comprehensive insight into El Grecos unrivalled art.



Fine Arts Museum Budapest

Address: 1146 Budapest, Dozsa Gyorgy ut 41.

Phone number: +36/1-469- 7100



MTI Photo
Deputies say in the affidavit filed with the court, the conditions in the residence were deplorable. In the kitchen, there were fly feces on the ceiling and walls and trash scattered everywhere. In the stairwell leading to (childrens) bedrooms, there was a brown substance on the wall along with pet hair and what appeared to be food debris on the stairs. In the upstairs bathroom there was trash and more animal feces on the ground. One (childs) bedroom was located in the basement of the residence. Her bedroom along with the laundry room were flooded and there were dog feces scattered across the floor. There was no place in the room where you could stand where there was not standing water. The area rug next to the bed, the items under the bed and the couch in her room were soaked in water. Based off water stains on the side of the couch, it appears the water level was as high as six inches at one time. The basement had an odor of mildew and mold. (One child) stated the water has been in the basement for a while and the dog feces have been in the basement for a while as well.
YORK  Isaac Z. Franco, 43, of Las Vegas, Nevada, has pleaded not guilty to one count of possession of a controlled substance in a case where it is alleged he was caught by York County Sheriffs deputies with methamphetamine, heroin and Carisoprodol while in York County.

His arraignment was held this week in York County District Court.

The case began in the middle of the night when a deputy with the York County Sheriffs Department stopped Francos vehicle on Interstate 80, three miles east of the York exist. The vehicle, according to court documents, was stopped because of alleged speeding.

Franco was the driver of the vehicle.

The deputy noted inconsistencies between Francos depiction of his travels and the details provided by his passenger, Kimberly Hansen.

The deputy had dispatch run a check on Franco and it was discovered he had a suspended license, along with a criminal history involving dangerous drugs and assault, court documents indicate.

York County Sheriff K-9 Justice was deployed around the vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics.

During a search of the vehicle, the deputies allegedly found 16 Carisoprodol Soma pills; 6.1 grams of methamphetamine; 5.9 grams of a dark brown sticky substance with a vinegar-like aroma believed to be heroin which field tested positive as such; one clear glass pipe containing a white crystal substance; two bongs containing heroin residue.

Deputies say both Franco and Hansen allegedly admitted to knowing about the illegal narcotics.

A jury trial for Franco has been scheduled for Feb. 22.
A 16-year-old boy admitted Friday in Erie County Court that he possessed a loaded gun at Bennett Community School last year.

The teenager pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony, Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn said.

On Dec. 16, 2021, Buffalo police responded to Bennett Community School on Main Street to investigate the report of a gun inside of the school. Students and teachers sheltered in place as police searched the building. Officers found a loaded, illegal pistol inside of the teen's backpack, according to the district attorney.

The boy, who was 15 when he was arrested, pleaded guilty to the only charge in the indictment against him.

Judge Susan Eagan promised the teen in July that she would grant him youthful offender status and sentence him to probation if he pleaded guilty to the felony.

The juvenile, who now lives in Rochester, is scheduled to be sentenced at 2 p.m. Jan. 6. He remains free on $25,000 bail.

Anyone who commits or threatens to commit a crime at any school in Erie County will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, the district attorney said.
Air India Express, India's international budget airline, has announced the launch of a direct international flight from Vijayawada to Sharjah from October 31. A press release from the operator said the inaugural flight is scheduled to take off on October 31 at 06.35 PM. The inaugural fares for the Vijayawada-Sharjah sector begin at Rs 13,669, while those for the Sharjah-Vijayawada sector begins at AED 399.

Aloke Singh, CEO of Air India Express, said, "We are happy to announce the debut international service of Air India Express between Vijayawada and Sharjah. After the pandemic's two arduous years, the India-Gulf aviation sector has seen a smart recovery, bouncing back to almost pre-pandemic levels. For those travelling to UAE, particularly to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, the direct service to Sharjah will be a huge benefit, with a well-timed flight."

Currently, Air India Express is the only airline that offers international services in and out of Vijayawada. In addition to Sharjah, Air India Express flies from Vijayawada to Muscat and Kuwait with a B737-800 NG aircraft, offering affordable travel, a buy-on-board meal service, pre-ordered hot meals, and in-seat power for charging mobile devices.
Ahead of the winter schedule India, India's aviation regulator DGCA has granted approval to budget airlines SpiceJet and IndiGo for wet leasing of planes. India's homegrown budget airline SpiceJet has received aviation regulator DGCA's approval for wet leasing five Boeing 737 Max planes for up to six months. The airline has already deployed two of the aircraft on different routes, while three more will be inducted shortly. SpiceJet already has Boeing 737 Max planes in its fleet.

To cater to rising demand in the winter schedule which begins from October 30, SpiceJet and IndiGo have received approval for their proposals to take planes on wet lease. Under wet lease arrangement, planes are leased along with operating crew and engineers. Generally, wet leasing of planes is allowed for short periods to tackle supply constraints and ensure that airfares do not surge significantly.

The approval for taking the planes on wet lease was given by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) earlier this month. Also, IndiGo has received DGCA nod for wet leasing wide-body Boeing 777 planes, which are largely operated on long and ultra long-haul routes, for up to six months.

However, the regulator rejected the airline's proposal to keep them in the fleet for up to two years, saying the move could become diversion of traffic rights in collusion with a strong foreign carrier that will mainly feed the latter's hub abroad with more passengers from India, sources said earlier in the day.

Sources at IndiGo said the airline has written to the civil aviation ministry seeking extended tenure for aircraft that will be taken on wet lease.

With PTI inputs
Aviation regulator DGCA has allowed IndiGo to wet lease wide-body Boeing 777 planes from Turkish Airlines for up to six months and has rejected the domestic carrier's request for leasing the aircraft for up to two years. IndiGo, along with SpiceJet, submitted a request to DGCA for wet leasing planes ahead of the winter schedule. Along with IndiGo, DGCA has also granted nod to SpiceJet to wet lease 5 Boeing 737 Max planes, of which, the company has already leased 2 planes. IndiGo, on the other hand, has only narrow-body planes in its fleet, and for the first time, has decided to lease wide-body aircraft to operate more flights on international routes to meet rising demand.

IndiGo has a codeshare agreement with the Turkish Airline and once inducted, IndiGo will join Vistara and Air India as the only airline in India to have wide body planes for international operations. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) turned down the request of the country's largest airline to wet lease the aircraft for a longer period, citing that the move could become diversion of traffic rights in collusion with a strong foreign carrier that will mainly feed the latter's hub abroad with more passengers from India, the sources said.

Currently, there are also supply issues from engine makers Pratt & Whitney and CFM as a result of which many Airbus A320 planes of IndiGo and Go First are on the ground. The sources said DGCA has permitted IndiGo to wet lease wide-body aircraft from Turkish Airlines for three months and the period can be extended by another three months.

Generally, wet leasing of planes is allowed for short periods to tackle supply constraints and ensure that airfares do not surge significantly. Under wet lease arrangement, planes are leased along with operating crew and engineers.

On October 12, PTI reported that IndiGo will soon be leasing up to four wide-body Boeing 777 planes to cover the shortfall in its international operations. According to the sources, wet leasing of an aircraft essentially means an Indian airline is only issuing tickets for aircraft being operated by the carrier from which the planes have been taken.

At present, bilaterals between India and Turkey provide for only two flights daily to be operated by airlines from either side. IndiGo has a fleet of more than 275 planes and flies to 26 international destinations. It is also the country's largest domestic airline with a market share of 57.7 per cent in September.

With PTI inputs
Kuwait's Jazeera Airways is all set to begin its flight service from the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala from October 30, said the company in a statement. The first phase of service, starting on October 30, will be 2 days a week. The flight will leave from Kuwait at 6.25 PM (Local time) and reach Thiruvananthapuram at 2.05 AM, it said. The company will deploy Airbus A320 aircraft with a capacity of 160 passengers for the service and this will be Jazeera's second service to Kerala. Kerala is a huge market for airlines operating flight services to the Gulf countries.

Jazeera's service is in addition to Kuwait Airways, which operates 3 days a week in the same sector, an Airport statement said here on Thursday. The flight departs from Thiruvananthapuram on Mondays and Wednesdays at 2.50 AM and reaches Kuwait at 5.55 AM (Local time).

With the arrival of budget airline Jazeera, travellers from South Kerala and Tamil Nadu can travel to Kuwait at low cost. Booking for flight service has started, the Airport statement added.

Interestingly, Thiruvananthapuram International Airport also happens to be one of the top 3 busiest airports in India due to large numbers of travellers between Kerala and Guld countries including Kuwait, UAE, Dubai and Sharjah.

With agencies inputs
New Delhi: The Bhediya mania has begun! Jio Studios and Dinesh Vijans creature comedy has been the talk of the town ever since its thrilling trailer, and now, the makers have released the first song from the film.

Thumkeshwari is a funky dance number that sees Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon flaunt some masala moves as they sway to Ganesh Acharya's killer choreography.

Sharing his thoughts on the track, Varun Dhawan says, Thumkeshwari is a number thats tailor-made to burn the dance floor. I thoroughly enjoyed performing to its funky tune. The songs lyrics are a catchy delight, and I am sure fans are going to have a gala time dancing to the track.

The biggest highlight of Thumkeshwari is the sensational special appearance from Stree alumni Shraddha Kapoor. Looking like a desi diva, Shraddha is a sight to behold as she shakes a leg with Varun. Having earlier worked with director Amar Kaushik in Stree, we also wonder if theres more to Shraddhas glimpse!

The song showcases Kriti Sanon at her breathtaking best as she sizzles in many vibrant hues. Her terrific thumkas will surely send fans into a frenzy!

About working on the song, Kriti says, I had an absolute ball shooting for Thumkeshwari. I was sharing screen space with Varun after a very long time and we have never worked on this kind of a grand track together. This was quite the memorable experience.

Talking about the track, composers Sachin-Jigar say, Thumkeshwari exudes the kind of fun and enjoyable vibe that Bhediya is all about. With an addictive tune, thumping beats and catchy lyrics, this is a song tailor made for the dance floors.

Composed by Sachin-Jigar and penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, Thumkeshwari is a peppy number that is also a treat to the eyes. The song's vocals have been crooned by Sachin-Jigar along with Ash King and Rashmeet Kaur.

With an epic set, stellar costumes and that extra special Stree magic, this is a snazzy melody meant to be enjoyed in all its uber-cool glory.

If Bhediyas first track is anything to go by, looks like a wild and raging album awaits audiences!

Jio Studios & Dinesh Vijan present, Bhediya. A Maddock Films production, directed by Amar Kaushik, produced by Dinesh Vijan and starring Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, Deepak Dobriyal and Abhishek Banerjee among others, is releasing in cinemas Pan-India in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil in 2D and 3D on 25th November 2022.
Mumbai: Celebrating India's 75th Republic Day, the action-packed large-screen spectacle by Viacom18 Studios and Marflix Pictures, is set to release on 25th January 2024. Fighter will see Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone as Indian Air Force pilots. The film also stars Anil Kapoor in a major role. Turning producer with Fighter, Director Siddharth Anand, who is known for helming Indias biggest action films is pulling out all stops to set up this massive spectacle, set to grip audiences with a never before big screen experience. The film, paying a tribute to India's armed forces, is perfectly timed to open during the Republic Day weekend.

A first on many accounts, Fighter will be Indias first aerial action film. Its also the first time Hrithik Roshan shares screen space with Deepika Padukone. With Producer & Viacom18 Studios COO Ajit Andhare's vision of bringing an international-scale action film to Indian cinema, the film intends to appeal to a global audience with its story deeply rooted in India.

Shot across the world, it promises state-of-the-art techniques and technology in the making of the film.

Brace yourselves for a first-of-its-kind visual treat on January 25, 2024.
New Delhi: Business magnet and Telsa CEO Elon Musk acquired the social media giant Twitter Inc on Friday October 28. As per reports, Musk also terminated top executives viz Twitter Chief Executive Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and legal affairs and policy chief Vijaya Gadde for misleading him and providing little clarity over how he will achieve the lofty ambitions he has outlined for the influential social media platform.

Posting a video of him entering the Twitter headquarters in California USA, Elon Musk wrote on the microblogging site- "Entering Twitter HQ  let that sink in!" Musk also updated his Twitter bio writing "Cheif Twit."

Elon Musk takes over Twitter

Entering Twitter HQ  let that sink in! pic.twitter.com/D68z4K2wq7 October 26, 2022

After acquiring Twitter, the space enthusiast and founder of SpaceX in an open letter to advertisers wrote "Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!"

The 'Twitter buyout deal' saga started earlier this year when Musk offered to buy the social media giant at the price of $54.2 per share however, he retracted from his Twitter deal saying Twitter misled him by not revealing the exact numbers of bot accounts. In that response, Twitter sued Elon Musk for cancelling the deal.

Twitter received Musk's letter and intended to close the deal at the original price. Meanwhile, Musk asked to dismiss the shareholder lawsuit against him regarding the cancellation of the deal and subpoenaing the social media companys former CEO. Earlier Musk stated on Twitter would accelerate his aim to create an everything app called X.
Chhath Puja 2022: Chhat puja has begun and people are all set to bring in the festivities with great enthusiasm and excitement. From fasting to not consuming the slightest drop of water for the good health of kids. The Sun God and Chhathi Maiya are two deities worshipped during this puja and are generally celebrated in the eastern UP region, Bihar and parts of Nepal as well. Find some wishes, greetings and messages you can share with your family or colleagues and share the love and zeal of the festival.

- The morning sun has risen, and we have to take the name of Chhath Maiya all day, next morning will bring new happiness in life, and Chhath Maiya will fulfil all your desires.

- May You Be Showered With Good Health and Wealth on the Auspicious Festival of Chhath. Happy Nahay Khay!

- Let us pray to Sun God at sunrise and sunset, standing in the river and thanking them for all their blessings to make this the most memorable and meaningful Chhath Puja for all.

- May Chhathi Maiya is always there to bless us and Sun God is always there to guide us towards a happier life. Warm wishes on Chhath Puja.

- This Chhath Puja, May You Be Showered With Chhati Maiyya and Surya Devtas Choicest Blessings. Happy Nahay Khay!

- Chhath Puja Is About Sincere Devotion, Perseverance, Faith and Ones Belief. May You Be Showered With Happiness and Prosperity. May the Warm Rays of the Sun God Light Up Your Life. Happy Nahay Khay!

- May Chhath Mata is always there to keep you on the right path and always bring you happiness and smiles in life. Wishing a very Happy Chhath Puja to my dear ones.
New Delhi: Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland has welcomed India's offer to share its path-breaking Unified Payments Interface (UPI) technology with other members countries, hailing the move as potentially transformational. UPI is an instant real-time payment system which facilitates inter-bank peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions. The transaction is done through mobile in easy steps. Besides, there are no charges applicable for the UPI transaction so far.

ALSO READ | Elon Musk fires Parag Agrawal after takeover; Netizens react with funny memes

Moreover, it has played a key role in the country making a transition to a cashless economy. The inexpensive medium for cashless transactions has been gaining traction month-on-month basis.

Payment through UPI has crossed a milestone of Rs 11 lakh crore in September, as per the data released by National Payments Corporation of India. An offer was made by India at the Commonwealth Bank of Governors meeting on October 12. This generosity is very welcome, Scotland told PTI in an interview.

ALSO READ | 'Didn't buy Twitter for money but...': Elon Musk tells advertisers

India's willingness to share its technology with others, makes it different from other countries, she noted. We do think that India is a very bright spot. But the brightest spot is the willingness that India has to share that technology. The Indian bank has indicated in our government bank governance meeting, that they are willing to share the technology for this UPI with other member states. You know that (this) costs a lot of money to develop. This openness and generosity is very welcome, the secretary general of the 56-nation group said.

But India's innovation has given hope to many of those member states. Because not only has India developed these new techniques, but she has been willing to share them with others as public good. This has been potentially transformational. Because India has seen and tested some of these developments, which other countries are now thirsting for, and India's been willing to share. So, it is a bright spot, she observed.

Commonwealth law ministers will be meeting in Mauritius. One of the opportunities we're going to be talking about is not just digital trade, but how do we transform the justice system, and take better advantage of digitisation in all of our countries, she said.

The Commonwealth member nations, she observed, are looking forward to adopting the digital payment system. Because the fact that now, India has raised millions of its people out of poverty. By giving these direct payments in their hand you've been able to get the immediacy, women have benefited enormously from this. Because they don't get the money transferred to other people, they're getting it right here, she added.
New Delhi: After two successful seasons, the latest season of the hit Amazon Original Four More Shots Please! is high on drama, fun, glamour, and sass. As the flawsome four  Siddhi (Maanvi Gagroo), Anjana (Kirti Kulhari), Damini (Sayani Gupta), and Umang (Bani J)  continue with their perfectly imperfect lives with new adventures, more mistakes, and a whole lot of fun, here are 5 reasons why you must watch this show!



More Love And Drama

The new season of Four More Shots Please! addresses all that was left unsaid in the finale of the second season  Damini's relationship with Jeh gets more intense and she goes through a miscarriage; Anjana gets romantically involved with a married man, unaware that his isnt an open marriage as he proclaims. Umang decides to let the Punjaban out as she fights for her own father's approval while Siddhi is reeling from the death of her father in the worst way possible and makes life difficult for her mother.

Exotic travel spaces

In the series, we see a variety of fancy locations. The foursome has been giving major travel goals to girl gangs to plan their next vacation. We see these four women overcome their difficulties and have fun across many places, including Istanbul, Turkey where they celebrate Maanvis birthday, and Punjab, where they learn how to shoot a rifle.

Major life goals

This season, the audience gets to see how these four friends motivate and push each other to get better. Siddhi is all about leading a carefree, self-sufficient life. Anjana puts her best foot forward by moving on from her past, focusing on her work, and taking the lead in the organisation, whereas Damini rises above her difficulties and shines despite a setback in her personal and professional life. Despite parting ways with the love of her life, Umang inspires us to live on and starts a fitness center of her own

The Stellar Male Cast

The show has always had a fabulous male cast including Prateik Babbar, Neil Bhooplam, Rajeev Siddhartha, and Samir Kochhar who are reprising their respective roles. To add to that, acclaimed actors Jim Sarbh, Rohan Mehra, and Sushant Singh are joining this Amazon Original in this new season. This is reason enough to tune in to the new season!

Major BFF Goals

These girls have found true love in each other, despite their romantic interests keep on coming and going through the two seasons. The four friends have certainly had their share of arguments, fights, and disagreements, but when it comes to being there for one another, these women never hesitate to drop all they are doing to help their buddy in need!
Staff and trustees of an upstate New York health foundation erupted in jubilation Thursday when they learned that MacKenzie Scott  who helped Jeff Bezos create Amazon  bestowed $9 million on the organization to help them address its work with racial and health inequities in the Buffalo-Niagara and Syracuse regions.

We think its deserving but we were still gobsmacked, Cheryl Smith Fisher, chair of the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York Board of Trustees, told those with ties to the foundation who gathered in the Buffalo office and online in central New York.

Scott, an American novelist and philanthropist married to Bezos for 25 years, provided the grant, one of hundreds she has is given since the couple divorced in July 2019.

She wields a fortune estimated at $33 billion and has vowed through the Giving Pledge to donate most of it.

An intermediary who works on Scotts behalf reached out to Health Foundation President Nora OBrien-Suric by email six months ago to ask if the foundation would be interested in receiving a grant aligned with its mission.

A series of emails and a phone call followed, during which OBrien-Suric provided financial and strategic information about the foundation, which traditionally gives away money. It never fundraises, so the process was rare. The other exception was four years ago, when the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation gave $2 million to create a staff position focused on caregiving initiatives.

I figured this must be some older person who wanted to leave a bequest, OBrien-Suric said of the latest gift.

She was told in a phone call last month that the foundation would receive a $9 million gift in stock to help you continue to do what you're doing, but needed to keep the donation private until this week.

I fell off my chair, OBrien-Suric said. I was stuttering, incoherent. I said, Is this the reaction that you usually get? She said, Oh, yeah, everybody reacts this way. 

Scott and her team chose the foundation for the unsolicited gift after a review of nonprofits across the country. She provides her donations with minimal need for paperwork and no strings attached.

The private, independently operated Health Foundation seeks racial, socioeconomic and health equity in the 16 counties it serves: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties in Western New York, and Cayuga, Cortland, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego and Tompkins counties in the Syracuse region.

It focuses on five key goals:

 Support age-friendly initiatives to create communities where older adults and people of all ages can thrive.

 Expand the availability of trauma-informed care for children and older adults.

 Improve access to quality maternal health care.

 Strengthen the ability of community organizations, including their ability to work with those in the health system.

 Advocate for legislative and regulatory improvements to make high quality, affordable health care available to all.

The foundation formed in 2001 when Univera Healthcare merged with Excellus, a BlueCross BlueShield company, into a health insurance combination that serves both regions. OBrien-Suric took the helm in summer 2017, when the foundation had a $115 million endowment designed to support the most vulnerable older adults and youngest children across the counties.

Smith Fisher  counsel to law firm Magavern Magavern Grimm LLP, chancellor of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York and a former assistant U.S. attorney  became chair of the 20-member Board of Trustees in 2019.

The two women have since steered a determined effort to address the lack of health resources based on race and economics, including disparities that fall along racial lines in most urban communities they serve, as well as challenges in rural areas where the rates of uninsured people are among the highest in the state, and most of the counties face critical shortages of health care providers.

In Buffalo, three of five Black people die prematurely  twice the rate of their white counterparts, OBrien-Suric said. In Onondaga County, the rates are similar, and Black people in the county were hospitalized for Covid-19 at almost three times the rate of white residents during the height of the pandemic.

This money to me is a reward for having done what we did in 2019, which is to say we're going to call out race for what it is, that it does affect health, that there are health inequities, Smith Fisher said. This will sharpen our focus on inequity.

Scott makes few public statements about her philanthropy and hasnt granted an interview since going on two spending sprees totaling nearly $6 billion during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. It included $8 million to the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo and $20 million to the United Way of Greater Rochester.

This month, she also gave $84.5 million to Girl Scouts of the USA and its 29 local councils.

In a 2020 post on the online site Medium, Scott said her advisers use a data-driven approach to find organizations with strong leaders and successful track records in communities with high poverty rates, pronounced racial inequality and access to local philanthropy that often falls short of needs.

She is not, by all reports, an extrovert, Time magazine reported in a profile last year in which she declined an interview. The people who are close to her know that she prefers to stay out of the spotlight.

Scott became well-known in philanthropy circles in 2020 and her grants quickly became significant in two ways, OBrien-Suric said. She was giving unrestricted funds, practicing trust-based philanthropy, and giving to organizations that were on the ground having a significant impact and on social issues.

OBrien-Suric became leader of the foundation in 2017, when it had a $115 million endowment designed to support the most vulnerable older adults and youngest children across 16 counties upstate.

The foundation endowment contained $153 million at the start of the year and $131 million as of this week, she said.

Trustees, with recommendations from OBrien-Suric and the 11-member foundation staff, will decide how the $9 million donation fuels their work.

Even if we added to the endowment, it will add significantly to the amount we have to distribute each year, Smith Fisher said. From an organizational point of view, I would like to think that it won't change anything about what we do, except provide more money to be an agent of change.

Private charitable foundations must spend at least 5% of their endowment each year.

With the donation, OBrien-Suric said, we hope people will look at our strategic plan and realize that we do focus on racial and socioeconomic equitable justice and that we may get a lot of people saying, Were looking for community partner. 

Kent Olden, 38, an East Buffalo native who attended Morehouse College in Atlanta as an undergraduate, became communications content manager with the foundation in 2020. He already knew Scott for her longstanding financial support of historically Black colleges and universities before he learned Thursday that her generosity will support his professional mission.

It is extremely exciting and humbling, Olden said. We never really anticipated the things that we come in to do every single day catching the eye of such a global leader and to know that it did, it's reassurance that we are doing exactly what we are here to do.
Mumbai: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar paid to tribute to victims of the 26/11 Mumbai attack as part of the two-day anti-terrorism meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) starting Friday. The first segment of the Special Meeting of the UN Security Council`s Counter-Terrorism Committee is at Hotel Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai today. A wreath-laying ceremony also took place at one of the main sites that saw the dastardly terror attacks of 26/11/2008.

Speaking at the UNSC meeting at the Taj hotel, Jaishankar said, "18 members of the Indian Police Forces, 12 members of the Taj hotel staff and security were martyred in the line of duty."

"As we pay tribute to them at the 26/11 memorial site, we salute their valour and their resolve," he said. In his speech, Jaishankar pointed out that it was not just "an attack on Mumbai, it was an attack on the international community."

"Nationals of specific countries were identified before being murdered. As a result, the commitment of each and every member state of the UN to combat terrorism stood publicly challenged," he said.

Addressing the UN members, the external affairs minister said, "Together, we should send out the message that the international community will never give up on holding terrorists accountable and delivering justice. 26/11 will never ever be forgotten."

On November 26, 2008, ten terrorists trained by the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) carried out a series of coordinated attacks against multiple targets in Mumbai including the Taj Mahal hotel, the Oberoi hotel, the Leopold Cafe, the Nariman (Chabad) House, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station, killing 166 people.

The UN CTC meeting, under New Delhi`s chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), is taking place in Mumbai and New Delhi on October 28 and October 29, respectively.

Addressing a special press briefing on the UNSC CTC, Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday said, "There is no better place to open the series of important discussions than Mumbai, a city, which reflects the best of India in terms of its economic development in recent years.

The fact that the CTC has agreed to begin its deliberations in Mumbai is a message in itself."Verma further said, "Overarching theme would be `Countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes.` It will begin with a tribute to victims of terrorism," said Verma.

The meeting will reportedly focus on the use of the internet, payment mechanism, and drones by terrorists. Secretary (West) Verma said the larger purpose of this unprecedented meeting in India of the Counter-Terrorism Committee in Mumbai would resonate with the rest of the world.

"...Because in 2008, what happened was an attack on what would be the identity of India in the financial and commercial space city," he said.

Speaking at the same press conference, India`s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj said that there is a great need to speak with a united voice and with a common voice, as we counter the scourge and menace.
Pune/Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray has made a big attack on the Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra after Rs 22000 crore Tata-Airbus C-295 transport aircraft facility project went to Gujarat. Aaditya Thackeray said that "with this, Maharashtra lost another big-ticket project to Gujarat." He also asked the Shinde government why the project that was supposed to come up in Maharashtra went to the neighbouring state.

He accused the Shinde government of not being serious about the state's progress and criticised it for "failing to protect the state's interests". The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra, however, countered him saying that the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government did not do anything to follow up on the proposed project.

A consortium of Airbus and the Tata group will manufacture C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Vadodara in Gujarat, the Defence ministry said on Thursday, announcing the Rs 22,000 crore project where a military plane will be produced in India for the first time by a private company. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday lay the foundation stone for the manufacturing facility of the European defence major and the Indian conglomerate, in what is billed as a major boost to the domestic aerospace sector.

In September this year, CM Shinde's loyalist Uday Samant, who is currently the Industries Minister, had said that the Tata-Airbus aircraft manufacturing project would come up near Nagpur in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.

Speaking to reporters here in Shirur tehsil in Pune district, Thackeray asked, "Will the state government give answers to why these projects are going out? This is the fourth project which has gone away from Maharashtra since the traitor government has come to power in the state. They always boast that they have a double-engine government, but although one engine of the central government is working, the state government's engine has failed."

Thackeray was in Shirur to inspect the losses that farmers have suffered due to heavy rains. He added that the previous MVA government led by his father Uddhav Thackeray had managed to bring investment to the state even during the pandemic, but this government has failed to do so.

"CM Shinde goes to Delhi on a regular basis. But he goes there for himself and not for Maharashtra. I never heard him saying that the Tata-Airbus project should come to Maharashtra. Projects including Vedanta Foxconn, Bulk Drug Park, Medical Device Park, and now Tata Airbus have gone to Gujarat," he alleged.

He said he was not sad because the project was going to some other state. "The question is why is it not coming to our state. Why this new government is not able to bring projects to the state? In the last few days, CMs from other states are coming to Maharashtra and interacting with the local industrialists here to seek investments, but our CM goes to Delhi, and he does so for himself," he said.

The Worli MLA said that big and small projects used to come to Maharashtra because of merit. "But today, despite having the merit, these projects are going to the other state," he said.

Due to the current state government, Maharashtra has lost one more project. The state government is not at all serious about Maharashtra's progress, Thackeray alleged.

He also asked the state government to immediately announce a wet drought in the state and provide help to farmers. He visited farmers in Malthan village area in Shirur tehsil and inspected the crops that suffered due to the heavy rains.

"We have given a slogan - 'Give or leave', which means the state government should either provide help to farmers or step down," he said.

Countering his allegations, BJP legislator Praveen Darekar said, "The deal (for Tata-Airbus project) was inked a year back, and one should find out who was in power at that time. The previous government did not do anything on it, including no correspondence with the Union government to facilitate this project in the state. The opposition should not make such baseless allegations."

Maharashtra BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said, "PM Modi made an announcement of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', which was followed by the Airbus Defence and Space S.A. Spain entering into an agreement to supply 56 C-295 MW transport aircraft and it was approved by cabinet committee on security."

Last month, a blame-game had erupted in Maharashtra following the announcement that a joint venture semiconductor project of the Indian conglomerate Vedanta and Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn, proposed to be set up near Pune city earlier, would come up in Gujarat.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress, all constituents of the MVA, have sought to corner the Shinde-BJP government over the Rs 1.54 lakh crore plant going to Gujarat.
Karnataka: A new circular has been released by Karnataka for the survey of all Arabic schools operating inside the state that are overseen by the state education department. In the state, there are 203 aided and unaided schools and pre-university colleges that teach Arabic, most of which are located in northern Karnataka and the coastal regions. In the state of Karnataka, Arabic schools recently underwent a survey.

BC Nagesh told ANI, We decided to conduct a survey of those schools & found that majority of Arabic schools aren't following whatever is prescribed by the State Education dept. We asked Asst Commissioner to review it&will take action after getting reports.

Around 200 Arabic schools are registered with Karnataka Education Board. We received complaints that students of these schools aren't capable of competing with students of other schools as they don't have a proper standard of education: BC Nagesh, Karnataka School Education Min pic.twitter.com/pEkK88F5ll October 28, 2022

The Assistant Commissioner has been ordered to look into the Arabic Schools' lack of a proper educational standard despite their registration with the Karnataka Education Board. BC Nagesh told ANI, Around 200 Arabic schools are registered with Karnataka Education Board. We received complaints that students of these schools aren't capable of competing with students of other schools as they don't have a proper standard of education.

Karnataka | We decided to conduct a survey of those schools & found that majority of Arabic schools aren't following whatever is prescribed by the State Education dept. We asked Asst Commissioner to review it&will take action after getting reports: BC Nagesh, School Education Min pic.twitter.com/ec6VGxU6Aj  ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2022

The survey of these Arabic schools in the state of Karnataka produced a different result, showing that they do not adhere to the required educational standards. The Assistant Commission has been requested by the Karnataka Education Minister to investigate the situation, and appropriate action would be taken.
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who created a political flutter with his appeal to incorporate images of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on currency notes, has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushing forward the demand. Claiming that the Indian economy was not in good shape, Kejriwal had on Wednesday said the country needed a lot of effort to get the economy back on track along with the "blessings of our gods and goddesses". It's a wish of 130 crore Indians that there should a picture of Mahatma Gandhi on one side of currency notes and the photos of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on the other side, he wrote in the letter on Thursday.

"Tremendous support has been received on this issue. There is massive enthusiasm among the people and everyone wants this to be implemented immediately," Kejriwal claimed.

Also Read: 'Why not BR Ambedkar's picture': Congress questions Arvind Kejriwal on 'Lakshmi-Ganesh on currency notes' row

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener said in the letter that Indian economy is passing through a very bad phase and India and is listed among developing countries despite 75 years of Independence. "On the one hand, all countrymen need to work hard and on the other, we also need blessings of the deities so that our efforts bear fruits," Kejriwal wrote.

      130                 -         pic.twitter.com/OFQPIbNhfu  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 28, 2022

The country will progress only with a confluence of correct policy, hard work and blessings of the gods, he said.

Kejriwal's demand has evoked sharp reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which called it an unsuccessful attempt to hide the "ugly anti-Hindu face" of the AAP in view of upcoming elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
Chandigarh: Four shooters of the Bambiha gang--including two killers of a Uttarakhand trader--were arrested from Mohali's Zirakpur in a joint operation by Punjab, Delhi and Uttarakhand Police. The operation was carried out by the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), Counter Intelligence (CI), Punjab Police, Udham Singh Nagar Police of Uttarakhand and the Special Cell of the Delhi Police. Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the accused were identified as Sadhu Singh; Jagdish Singh, alias Disha; Manpreet Singh, alias Mani; and Jaspreet Singh, alias Lock, all residents of Mansa district in Punjab. Police also recovered three foreign-made pistols, including a Turkey-made 9 mm automatic machine pistol along with ammunition.

During the investigation, it has come to light that Sadhu Singh and Manpreet Singh along with their associates killed Uttarakhand mining trader Mehal Singh at the directions of gangsters-turned-terrorists Arshdeep Singh, alias Arsh Dalla, and Sukhdool Singh, alias Sukha Duneke. Two other arrested persons had provided them with weapons, and logistics support and conducted a recce of the victim's house said Yadav in a statement here.

Also Read: Human Trafficking Gang busted in J&Ks Budgam; 3 arrested, 14 women victims rescued

Mining trader Mehal Singh (70) was shot dead outside his house at Kundeshwari village in Kashipur on October 13, said police. Yadav said the accused were further hatching a conspiracy to commit heinous crimes in Punjab and neighbouring states. A case under relevant sections of the IPC and Arms Act has been registered against the accused.

Also Read: 'So much effort...': Ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly opens up on Jay Shah's equal pay announcement for women cricketers
Chhath Puja 2022 is knocking on the door. But 'Bihari Babu' is missing. Similar posters against Asansol TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha were seen in different areas of the village. At the bottom of the poster is written, 'Bihari Janata Asansol'. Asansol, near the Bengal-Jharkhand border, has many non-Bengalis. Political pressure has started around this poster in seven or eight places. Trinamool Councilor Salim Ansari of Ward No. 66 claims that these are the work of crazy people. He comes to Asansol every month.

Shatrughan Sinha Missing Poster

BJP Mocks Bihari Babu

However, the BJP camp did not stop mocking at it. All India vice-president of BJP Dilip Ghosh said, "He used to travel abroad even as a minister. It's the same as an MP. Those who like him have to accept it. That's why he couldn't stay in the BJP. Because, working here, you have to do politics with people. At the party he went to now, many leaders and workers are missing. Many have gone inside. People of that culture belong to his party."

Big Win for TMC

Trinamool candidate Shatrughan Sinha won from Asansol, a two-time BJP winner in the by-election. By fielding him, Trinamool not only wrested victory from the BJP in Asansol constituency for the first time, but also broke BJP's record of victory margin. Shatrughan won from Asansol by a margin of more than 3 lakhs. Shatrughan Sinha said after the election results, "The crown of this victory will be on the head of the Chief Minister of the state, Mamata Banerjee. The credit of the victory goes to the people of Asansol." The candidate also thanked the Trinamool workers of Asansol for this victory.

Barring only 1967, from 1957 to 2009, the Asansol Lok Sabha seat was won by the CPM, not the Congress. In 2014, in the atmosphere of a Modi-storm across the country, BJP candidate Babul Supriya won this center for the first time by 70 thousand 480 votes. Trinamool won 5 of these 7 assembly constituencies in the 2021 assembly elections. BJP won 2. Then Trinamool alone won 91 seats in Asansol municipality out of 106 wards in the by-polls.
New Delhi : Ahead of the Nahai Khai of the Chhath, Delhi BJP President Aadesh Gupta visited the oldest Yamuna Chhath Ghat of Delhi called the ITO Yamuna Ghat for assessment of the arrangement on Thursday. "This is the oldest Chhath Ghat of Delhi and there is no arrangement so far. It is the total accountability of the Delhi Government. Due to the Covid pandemic, there were no Chhath celebrations on the bank of the Yamuna river in the last two years and this year too, no arrangement has been made so far. So, due to mismanagement, no Chhath celebrations be made this year too, "said Aadesh Gupta during the inspection. He further accused the Aam Aadmi Party of lying and said that their leaders are experts at spreading propaganda.

During elections, their leaders become Hindu and before that, they make fun of the Hindu Gods and goddesses. "Meanwhile, Delhi Chhath Puja Samiti President Shiva Ram Pandey said that they have been working for Chhath Ghat for more than a month but are still unaware of the location. "We have been working for Chhath Ghat for the last month, and we still don`t know if this year`s Chhath will take place on the bank of Yamuna or not.

Also Read: Delhi LG VK Saxena is hungry for CHEAP PUBLICITY: AAP on Chhath Puja row

Kejriwal says Chhath will take place on the bank of Yamuna Ghat. But LG (Vinay Saxena) didn`t allow it. We got permission on Wednesday but the picture is not clear. Amid the politics of two parties, Chhath Puja and the people of UP and Bihar are stuck," he said.

Also Read: 'Chhath Puja celebration only at designated ghats': Delhi LG warns Arvind Kejriwal against 'misleading and pre-mature publicity'

The Delhi Chhath Puja Samiti President further added that they have been celebrating Chhath at the ITO Yamuna Ghat since 1984. "We started Chhath on this Ghat in 1984. For a few years, we celebrated Chhath by our own arrangement. Later, we urged former CM Shila Dikshit. Then she built Ghat, all arrangements were taking place on the time in her regime, which is not happening now," he added.
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address Chintan Shivir of Home Ministers of states at Surajkund in Haryana on Friday via video conferencing. The two-day Chintan Shivir began at Surajkund in Haryana on Thursday. Home Secretaries and Director Generals of Police (DGPs) of the States and Director Generals of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) & Central Police Organisations (CPOs) are also attending the Chintan Shivir.

The Chintan Shivir of Home Ministers is an endeavour to provide a national perspective to policy formulation on internal security-related matters, in accordance with the Panch Pran announced by the PM in his Independence Day speech.



Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the first day of the Chintan Shivir yesterday. In his address, Shah said, this Chintan Shivir is being organized to provide a common platform to face challenges before the Nation such as cyber-crime, the spread of narcotics and cross-border terrorism in unison. He said today the nature of crimes is changing and they are becoming borderless, which is why all States will have to battle these by having a common strategy.



Shah said that the areas affected by Left Wing Extremism, Jammu and Kashmir, and the North East, which were once hot spots of violence and unrest, are now becoming hot spots of development. He said the security situation in the Northeast has improved significantly in the last eight years and since 2014 there has been a 74 percent reduction in insurgency incidents, 60 percent in casualties amongst security forces and about 90 percent in civilian casualties.

Apart from this, efforts have been made to establish lasting peace in the region by signing of agreements with the NLFT, Bodo, Bru, and Karbi Anglong under which more than 9,000 militants have surrendered. Shah said, with the restoration of peace in the North East, AFSPA has been withdrawn from more than 60 percent areas.

Highlighting the improvement in the situation in the LWE-affected areas, Mr. Shah said the incidents of violence in these areas have come down by 77 percent and deaths in these incidents have reduced by more than 85 percent. He said after the abrogation of Article 370 in J&K on 5th August 2019, a new beginning of peace and progress has begun there.

Shah said that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has followed a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other agencies are being strengthened to achieve a decisive victory over it.

He informed that before 2024, efforts are being made to set up an anti-terror network by setting up NIA branch in all the states. Shah said that to achieve a decisive victory in the fight against terrorism, the legal framework is being strengthened, under which provision has been made to declare individual terrorists by amending the NIA and UAPA laws. He said that the NIA has been given extraterritorial jurisdiction and along with this the agency has also been given the right to confiscate the property acquired/related to terrorism.

Shah said that by 2024, a target has been set to establish branches of NIA in all the states of the country. He said that today most of the security hotspots in the country have become almost free from anti-national activities due to mutual cooperation and coordination between the Centre and the states.



Shah said cybercrime is a big threat to the Nation and the world today and the Ministry of Home Affairs is ready to fight against it. He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs is continuously working on reforms in CRPC, IPC, and FCRA, and soon their revised blueprint will be tabled in Parliament.

Shah said the States should make maximum use of forensic science to increase the conviction rate and the Central Government has provided all possible help by forming the NFSU. He also emphasized that border States will have to make more coordinated efforts with Central agencies and security forces to ensure border security and coastal security. The Union Home Minister said there is a need to make proper use of all resources of internal security available to fight challenges before the Nation.
Patna: Bihar BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal on Friday (October 28) asserted that Chirag Paswan is an "NDA ally" and he will be campaigning for saffron party candidates for the November 3 by-polls to Mokama and Gopalganj assembly seats in the state. Jaiswal made the averment at a press conference he addressed here and claimed that Paswan, who is a Lok Sabha member from Jamui, will canvass for BJP candidates next week.

"We treat all parties that have fought elections in alliance with us and supported us in the Presidential polls as NDA partners. Chirag Paswan very much fits the bill and he will be campaigning on October 31 and November 1," the BJP leader said.

The son of Dalit stalwart Ram Vilas Paswan, Chirag Paswan headed the Lok Janshakti Party founded by his father till it came apart last year following a rebellion by uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras who rallied along all other LJP MPs.

Chirag Paswan had caused a flutter in the 2020 assembly polls when he rebelled against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was then still in the NDA.

Vowing to oust Kumar's JD(U) from power, Paswan, who swears by his loyalty towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had fielded candidates, many of them BJP rebels, in all seats contested by the chief minister's party.

The JD(U), which is now with the 'Mahagathbandhan' (Grand Alliance) that includes RJD, Congress and the Left parties, alleges that the "Chirag model" was used by the BJP to weaken it despite being an alliance partner and a similar attempt was made through another "agent", former Union minister RCP Singh.

Jaiswal also announced that the BJP will file a petition in the High Court seeking the cancellation of the nomination of Mohan Gupta, the RJD candidate in Gopalganj where by-election has been necessitated by the death of Subhash Singh, a four-term MLA belonging to the saffron party.

"We recently submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission highlighting that Gupta has concealed information relating to a case of liquor smuggling lodged against him in Jharkhand. Contesting an election by him in a dry state is scandalous. The EC, however, did not act on our complaint. So we will move the court when it reopens on November 1," the BJP leader said.

He also reiterated that in Mokama, gangster-turned-politician Anant Kumar Singh, whose wife seeks to retain for RJD the seat falling vacant upon her husband's disqualification, attempts were being made to "intimidate voters".

"Yesterday there were a couple of dacoities in the main market of Mokama. The dacoits were henchmen of Anant Singh whose main intention was to warn people of dire consequences if they dared not to support their leader," alleged Jaiswal.
New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge paid tribute to B R Ambedkar and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on Friday, visiting their memorials and mazaars. Following his visit to Ambedkar's memorial here, Kharge tweeted a quote from the former law minister and chief architect of the Constitution- "Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics, Bhakti or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship." "Visited Dr B. R. Ambedkar Memorial in Delhi today and paid floral tributes to Babasaheb," Kharge, who took over as Congress president on Wednesday, said in a tweet and posted photos of himself paying tribute to Ambedkar at the memorial.

Kharge also paid floral tributes to India's first Education Minister at his Mazaar (grave)' here. "Paid floral tributes to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad at his mazaar in Delhi. A revolutionary freedom fighter and India's First Education Minister, he believed in our country's democratic and secular credentials and strongly opposed the idea of partition on religious lines," Kharge said on Twitter. Ahead of his taking over as Congress chief, Kharge had visited Rajghat on Wednesday and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi.

Also Read: It can't regulate issues like freebies: Congress Jairam Ramesh on ECI

He also paid tributes to former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and former Deputy Prime Minister Jagjivan Ram at their memorials. On Wednesday, Kharge became the Congress' first non-Gandhi president in 24 years, citing Rahul Gandhi's "daro mat" slogan to energise workers and declaring that the party will demolish the government's "system of lies, treachery, and hatred." Kharge, 80, defeated Shashi Tharoor to become the Congress president to succeed Sonia Gandhi.

Paid floral tributes to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad at his mazaar in Delhi.



A revolutionary freedom fighter and India's First Education Minister, he believed in our country's democratic and secular credentials and strongly opposed the idea of partition on religious lines.  Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) October 28, 2022

(With PTI inputs)
Half of women have dense breasts. They are more likely to have them if they are younger, pregnant or breastfeeding, taking hormone replacement therapy or have a lower body weight.

These women have a higher chance of getting breast cancer. Researchers dont know why.

The density doesnt raise the risk for breast cancer, but it can be harder for radiologists to find small tumors while reading mammogram images because both density and tumors show up in shades of white.

Doctors may suggest breast ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) when there are doubts an abnormality might be cancerous. Now there is another device in Western New York that can give women more assurance.

SonoCine, an automated whole breast ultrasound screening exam, became available this month at OWM Integrative Wellness in downtown Buffalo.

It's such a game changer, as far as women's health and cancer prevention, said Dr. Leonard Kaplan, an osteopathic physician who founded and owns the concierge practice.

The FDA approved the device in 2008 as a supplement to mammography, not to replace it. In clinical trials, the robotic device was 300% more accurate than mammography in detecting cancers 1 centimeter or less in size, when they are generally easier to treat.

It is somewhat common for women with dense breasts or breast implants to have questionable findings on a mammogram, Kaplan said, resulting in recommendations that they get further testing.

SonoCine qualifies. The device takes video and hundreds of scans in tiny fractions across the breast tissue, including in the armpits and under the breastplate that mammograms sometimes miss.

Patients can wear a camisole as Kaplan guides the ultrasound device with help from an automated computer program that assures greater accuracy. Tight compression to get more precise imagery is unnecessary. The visit and test last about 30 minutes.

Cancer looks white on an X-ray, and so does breast tissue, Kaplan said as he demonstrated SonoCine. On this ultrasound, the breast tissue is gray, but the tumor is black, so it's a very high contrast.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among American women, expected to account for almost 290,000 new cases this year, roughly 30% of total cancers. Researchers estimate 43,250 women will die from the disease this year. They also project 2,710 new cases in men and 530 deaths.

SonoCine also can provide another source of surveillance in consultation with an oncologist for those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery, Kaplan said.

There's no radiation, he said.

The unit is more common on the West Coast and in Florida, Kaplan said, but remains uncommon in the Northeast. The closest ones to Buffalo he knows about are in Chicago and St. Louis.

The screening costs $450. Scans are sent by secure email to radiologist in Florida versed in breast imaging. As with a mammogram, results come the next day.

Some insurances cover part of the cost if a cancer specialist decides an ultrasound screening is needed, Kaplan said. Patients must submit the paperwork to their insurer for approval.

If a woman chooses on her own to do this instead of mammography, they won't cover it, Kaplan said, but women who avoid mammograms because they feel uncomfortable with the screening process may see this as a worthwhile investment in their preventative health.

A script is not required. Learn more at owmintegrativewellness.com or call 716-626-6301.
New Delhi: Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta on Friday (October 28) has written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to declare a dry day on Chhath Puja. According to him, this will maintain the sanctity of Delhi and the festival. Today Delhi Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot also visited Hathi Ghat on the banks of the Yamuna near ITO on Friday to assess preparations for Chhath Puja. Chhath Puja, which involves fasting women offering 'arghya' to the Sun god in knee-deep water, will be held on October 30 and 31. The festival is extremely popular among Purvanchalis (people from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh who live in Delhi).

"Today we have written to the Chief Minister of Delhi to declare a dry day on 'Chhath Puja' to maintain the sanctity of Delhi and the festival," says Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta. Gahlot issued orders to expedite remaining work, including inspections of sanitation, lighting, water supply arrangements, and the digging of temporary ponds, according to officials. "I took stock of the preparations for Chhath Puja and all the arrangements are in place. All the government agencies and departments -- be it irrigation and flood control, Delhi Jal Board, PWD (Public Works Department) -- all are working in coordination to ensure best arrangements," Gahlot told reporters after the visit.

Also Read: BJP vs AAP ahead of Chhath Puja: Parties spar over spraying of chemical in Yamuna - WATCH!

On Wednesday (October 26) Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena approved the practice of performing Chhath Puja at designated ghats along the Yamuna. The Delhi government is building 1,100 ghats for Chhath Puja this year. Officials previously stated that the revenue department is the nodal agency for Chhath Puja arrangements and that all other governments and civic agencies are working in close coordination to ensure the success of Chhath Puja.

"Today we have written to the Chief Minister of Delhi to declare a dry day on 'Chhath Puja' to maintain the sanctity of Delhi and the festival," says Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta pic.twitter.com/4SA8FYeti7  ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2022

(With agencies inputs)
New Delhi: It is not a secret that Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most popular leader across the nation. Since the past two Lok Sabha assembly elections, citizens of India have been electing PM Modi and calling him a world-class leader which is ardently disliked by some of the opposition leaders. There are many instances where PM Modi gets trolled over futile issues. Today, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, diligently liked by the same trollers and opposition leaders, have called PM Modi a patriot and called himself a fan of his.

In today's DNA, Zee News' Rohit Ranjan makes an analysis on Prime Minister Narendra Modi being a world-class leader.

It is possible that some people in our own country do not agree with the statement given by Vladimir Putin on PM Modi but it is always evident in various summits and official tours that PM Modi shares a strong bond with leaders from across the globe. Even after remaining neutral in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, when Prime Minister Modi bluntly warned Putin that "this is not the era of war," Vladimir Putin did not turn his back on India. In the past, he has consistently expressed support for Russia-India relations. India has also demonstrated its friendship on numerous occasions.

Morning Consult, a US-based research firm, released a survey which issued a rating about the popularity of leaders across the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned out to be the top in this year's rating. A survey conducted by the same research in January revealed that PM Narendra Modi is the most popular leader in the world. It is important emphasising that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image in the world is that of a trustworthy leader. Today, when Vladimir Putin lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India, we should be sceptical of it being propaganda. Watch tonight's edition of DNA for more in-depth information and other details.
Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court on Friday, October 28, 2022, stayed the Prayagraj Development Authority's order for the demolition of a private property which was let out for running a hospital, which was recently charged with laxity and sealed following the death of a dengue patient. The family of the patient had alleged sweet lime juice was transfused to the patient instead of platelets. The district authorities dismissed the allegation but said the platelets transfused to the patient were stored in an improper way. A bench comprising Justice S P Kesarwani and Justice Vikas Budhwar passed the order on a writ petition filed by the owner of the property, Malati Devi.

The counsel for the petitioner submitted that she has let out 18 rooms along with two shops to one Shyam Narayan at a rent of Rs 50,000 per month for 10 years. Narayan operates Global Hospital. The counsel also submitted that on account of certain lapses by the aforesaid tenant, his hospital has been sealed by the Chief Medical Officer, Prayagraj.

For the first time, the petitioner received a notice dated October 19 on October 21 from the zonal officer of the Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) in which it is mentioned that an order for demolition of the house was passed on January 11, 2022, whereas neither any notice nor any order of demolition had been received by her.

It has been stated that the construction over the land in question was made by the petitioner at the time when the area in question was not within the limits of the PDA and as such there was no sanctioned map of the property.

Also Read: Poorly-preserved platelets, not mosambi juice: UP official denies allegations against Prayagraj hospital

The counsel submitted that the petitioner is ready and willing for compounding illegal structure, if any, as per Section 32 of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973 provided a reasonable opportunity is given to her.

The court observed, "In view of the statement made by the learned counsel for the respondent, we do not find any good reason to keep the writ petition pending and to call for counter affidavit."

"For all the reasons aforestated, this writ petition is disposed of giving liberty to the petitioner to file an objection within two weeks before the respondent raising all her grievances, along with a map of the house in question," the court said.

The court directed that for a period of six weeks or till the order as aforesaid is passed by the respondent whichever is earlier, no coercive action shall be taken by the respondents against the petitioner either pursuant to the demolition notice/ order or pursuant to the impugned sealing notice.

After a video claiming that sweet lime juice was transfused to the patient instead of platelets went viral on social media, the district administration swung into action and the hospital was sealed on October 20. The patient, Pradeep Pandey, was shifted to another hospital, where he died after his condition deteriorated.

Prayagraj District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Khatri has said the report of the sample collected from the hospital revealed that platelet, and not sweet lime juice, was transfused to the patient. He, however, charged Global Hospital with laxity in the transfusion process, saying the reports showed the platelets were stored in an improper way which might have led to clotting.
Srinagar: A Human Trafficking Gang has been busted by J&K Police on Friday, October 28, 2022, by arresting three persons in Central Kashmirs Budgam district. In a handout, police said that acting upon information of human trafficking being operational in the district, a police team of police station Budgam raided a particular place in village Dulipora and rescued 14 women victims (including some minors) from the house of one namely Shamim Ahmad Bhat son of Ab Rehman Bhat resident of Dulipora Parthan and adjacent places.

The statement further stated that accordingly, Shamim Ahmad and the other two accused namely Shagufta wife of Bashir Ahmad Wani and Asmat wife of Shafiq Ahmad Wani both residents of Dulipora Parthan were arrested.

Also Read: Terrorist killed in encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam; another held alive in Baramulla

During preliminary investigation, it has been found that the arrested three accused persons are involved in human trafficking by means of procuring the girls from different places and exploiting them in Budgam district and other parts of the valley, they said.

Further investigation into the case is going on and more arrests are expected. Meanwhile, the rescued human trafficking victims have been shifted to Nari Niketan Rehabilitation Centre, Chadoora and the process for their rehabilitation has been initiated, reads the statement.
For the last two days, there has been a lot of discussion in political circles about the transfer of the Tata Airbus project to Gujarat. The opposition has started holding the ruling party responsible for this. Speaking in this regard, Shiv Sena MLA Aaditya Thackeray has criticized the ruling Eknath Shinde government in the state. Aaditya Thackeray criticized that "It can be seen that the industry has no faith in the Khoke government. Will the Industries Minister resign even after 4 projects escape from Maharashtra?". On this, the state's Agriculture Minister Abdul Sattar has given a strong reply to Aaditya Thackeray. This time he has mentioned Aaditya Thackeray as 'CHOTA PAPPU'.

After it became clear that the Tata Airbus manufacturing project would be done in Gujarat, Aaditya Thackeray criticized the state government. "The Khoke government spent yet another project outside Maharashtra. Since the month of July, I have been continuously demanding that the 'Tata Airbus Project' should not be moved out of Maharashtra. But it happened again. Why are the projects in Maharashtra going on continuously for the last three months?" Aaditya Thackeray asked this question.

Meanwhile, Abdul Sattar responded by referring to Aaditya Thackeray as 'CHOTA PAPPU'. "Actually, I am surprised by Aditya Thackeray. When did that project go? How did it go? What was the date? If they see this closely, they will realize everything. The project moved to Gujarat on 21 September 2021. Who was the Chief Minister then? His father was the Chief Minister. Those who were speaking were cabinet ministers then", said Abdul Sattar.

Sattar further added, taunting Aaditya Thackeray, "Wasn't the exchange with them fair in this transaction? People have started asking questions about this too. If Chhota Pappu had said what he is saying now, then this situation would not have arisen today."
New Delhi: IIT Bombay is the best educational institution in India, as per the `QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2023`. In the rankings, released in London recently, IIT Bombay was evaluated as India`s top higher education institution for its excellence in employability, social concern, and environment. IIT Bombay was featured in the 281-300 rank range, followed by IIT Delhi (321-340 rank) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at the third rank (361-380).



Apart from this, IIT Bombay was also included in the world`s top 100 institutes based on the employability of its graduates. IIT Delhi was ranked for its employability and environment while Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was ranked for gender equality and removing other inequalities. In terms of competition and academic freedom, Delhi University ranked fourth in India.

Top Universities in world

Globally, the University of California was declared the top university, followed by the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia in second and third ranks respectively.



The US dominates the rankings with 135 ranked universities (19.2 per cent of the total). Of these, 30 universities are included in the top 100.



Similarly, the UK was ranked second with 67 British universities being included in the rankings. After the US and the UK, Australia and Germany are at the forefront of this ranking.



The students and teachers of JNU are excited by the university`s performance in the rankings.



JNU Vice Chancellor Professor Santishree D. Pandit said that she congratulates the students and teachers of JNU "for fulfilling the dream of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi".

IIT rankings in world

In the rankings, IIT Kharagpur was featured in the 551-600 rank range. IIT Kharagpur has secured the highest in continuous and regular research efforts. IIT Kharagpur has taken many special initiatives to improve lifestyle and health which are being appreciated globally. IIT Roorkee was included in the 451-500 rank range of the list.
Chennai: It is an irony that people of the country need to be re-introduced to its different types of cultures and traditions, said Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Friday. The connection between Varanasi and Tamil Nadu is over 1,000 years old and in Tamil epics like Silapathikkaram and Manimegalai the link has been widely mentioned, the Governor said at an event here. The Governor was making these observations at the curtain-raiser to mark the one-month-long Kashi-Tamil Sangamam scheduled from November 17 in Varanasi. "Even in science and technology, Kashi (Varanasi) and Kancheepuram have been discussed as they were the great centres of astronomical studies," he said.

However, the Governor said it was an irony that the people of India need to be informed about their own country. "It is an irony today that we need to introduce Bharat to our own people," he said and recalled the recent interaction held with postgraduates and doctorates at Raj Bhavan. The students evinced interest to know about the diverse culture. Urging people to participate in large numbers in the Kasi-Tamil Sangamam, he said, 'The Brahmanda Purana says that the Kasi (Varanasi) and Kancheepuram are the two eyes of Lord Shiva."

Also Read: Take prompt action against culprits: DCW chief urges Rajasthan CM over girls auctioning case

The Kashi-Tamil Sangamam is a bold experiment by a bold leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the event has got nothing to do with politics. Director of Indian Institute of Technology-Madras professor V Kamakoti said the event would provide the people of Tamil Nadu an opportunity, especially to those who have not visited Varanasi and surrounding areas to explore and understand the deep academic, cultural and societal relationships between the two places. IIT-Madras and Banaras Hindu University are the knowledge partners for the event which endeavours to bring the deep academic, economic, social and cultural relationships between Kasi and Tamil Nadu, he said.

Also Read: AAP announces set up of 2 bodies of Kashmiri-displaced people in Jammu
KCET Counselling 2022: Karnataka Examinations Authority, KEA is scheduled to announce the UGCET or KCET 2022 first round of counselling seat allotment results today. The results for the courses in engineering, agriculture, and other related fields will be made public. Candidates who registered and participated in KCET counselling will be able to view the seat allocation results after 2:00 PM. Candidates who were given seats must exercise their options as specified on the webpage as soon as the final seat allocation outcome is made public. The option exercise will begin tonight at 6 p.m. Candidates must complete the selections by October 30 at 4 p.m. In addition, between October 29 and November 2, 2022, they will need to pay the registration fee and download their admission orders depending on their selections.

KCET Counselling 2022: Heres how to check

Visit the official website of KCET cetonline.karnataka.gov.in

On the homepage, click on the entry tab

Look for the UGCET 2022 result link

Key in your login details

Your result will be displayed on the screen

Check and take printouts for future reference.

Candidates should be aware that admission will only be confirmed once all eligibility requirements and rules established by the relevant authorities have been satisfied.
A Muslim cleric was sent to judicial custody after being arrested for allegedly molesting a 5-year-old girl inside a madrasa in Madhya Pradesh`s Khandwa, according to an official on Friday. The accused was identified as Maulvi Abdul Samad of Emanual Madrasa in the district located in Zakaria Masjid of Khanshawali, Khandwa.

According to the police, the matter came to light when the 5-year-old complained of chest pain to her parents, following which they registered a complaint at the Moghat police station. The police arrested the accused and produced him before the court."A case has been registered upon the complaint of the victim`s mother.

The accused Maulvi Abdul Samad was arrested and produced before the court," the police said.The court sent the accused to jail.There is tremendous anger among the Muslim people regarding this matter that they have demanded strict punishment by sending such clerics to jail. People have also demanded the closure of such mosques.
The Delhi High court on Friday adjourned the hearing on the bail plea of Sharjeel Imam for six weeks at the request of his counsel. He is an accused in the larger conspiracy of the February 2020 Delhi riots.In this case, the High Court dismissed Umar Khalid`s appeal against a lower court order denying him bail.Special Bench comprising justices Sidharth Mridul and Rajanish Bhatnagar adjourned the hearing on bail of Sharjeel Imam for December 16, 2022 at the request of Advocate Ahmad Ibrahim.

Ahmed Ibrahim sought an adjournment for six weeks for the preparation of the case.

All other matters related to bail applications of other accused for November 18, 2022. Special public prosecutor Amit Prasad argued on the plea against bail granted to Ishrat Jahan in the matter.

Amit Prasad submitted that the bail order is illegal. The trial court had admitted that there is a bar of UAPA and 437 Cr.P.C. but still granted bail as the accused is a woman.The bench said that for cancellation of bail you will have to show that there is a violation of bail conditions and whether this appeal is maintainable or not.A Delhi Court on April 11, 2022 dismissed the bail plea of Sharjeel Imam in a larger conspiracy case connected with the Northeast Delhi Violence of February 2020.

He was booked under sections of UAPA and IPC for rioting, sedition, giving provocative speeches, and conspiracy with other offences.It is alleged that Sharjeel Imam was the first person to act after passing of the resolution by the Cabinet Committee to present the Citizen Amendment Bill (CAB) in both houses of Parliament on 4 December 2019 and Muslim Students of JNU (MSJ) was formed over the following days and propagated the idea of disruptive chakka jam.JNU scholar Sharjeel was arrested on January 28, 2020.Additional Session Judge at Karkardooma Court had dismissed the bail plea of Sharjeel Imam observing, "On the perusal of the charge sheet and accompanying documents, I am of the opinion that the allegation against the accused Sharjeel Imam is prima facie true.

"The Court also noted in the order that since there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accusation against the accused are prima facie true, hence, the embargo created by Section 43D of UAPA applied for a grant of bail and also, the embargo contained in Section 437 Cr.P.C.Advocate Tanvir Ahmed Mir argued that no case of conspiracy is made out as there has to be a meeting of minds, which is not the case here. The prosecution has taken bits and pieces like one Whatsapp group MSJ or one photograph of 8 December 2019. The said meeting does not show that any discussion or riots took place. Even the statement of witness BOND at best, states that the accused along with Umar Khalid urged the students to do chakka jam. He had no connectivity with any of the co-accused persons.

Counsel for the accused also argued that the speeches of the accused shows that he only called for peaceful protest or chakka jaam which has been in India for years. The speeches must be read in totality. The accused is wrongly labeled as religious extremist.Advocate Mir further argued that the accused is not named in the FIR. Neither is UAPA made out nor is Section 124-A (Sedition) IPC. He was arrested on 28 January 2020 and he cannot be held accountable for any meeting or event subsequent to that leading upto riots.

There is no chain of events required in any conspiracy and the entire allegation cannot amount to terrorist act under UAPA. On the other hand, opposing the bail plea Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad referred to the statement of Romeo (protected witness) that on 15 December 2019 the protest against CAA/NRC was started at Shaheen Bagh by Sharjeel Imam, Sarjil Usmani, Amanatullah and others. The said protest was organized from Al - Habibi Masjid. They used to give provocative speeches.

They provoked people to come out of their houses and to do chakka jam at different places to pressurise the government. Sharjeel Imam said that numerous Shaheen Bagh have to be created in the country.SPP Amit Prasad had submitted that Sharjeel Imam was a member of the Whatsapp group of MSJ. Sharjeel participated in the protest call/agitation by UAH at Jantar Mantar on 7 December which was attended by accused Umar Khalid (MSJ, UAH and DPSG), Yogender Yadav, accused Khalid Saifi (UAH and DPSG)Amit Prasad argued that Sharjeel Imam went to the Khureji protest site on 15 January 2020 and gave a speech for mobilisation.

The accused was arrested on 28 January, however, in a case of conspiracy, it is not necessary that all accused persons should play all the roles in the entire sequence and it is enough that one accused takes part in the conspiracy and does acts in pursuance of it.

There are statements of witnesses Bond, Romeo, James, Tahira Daud, which talk about the role of accused Sharjeel Imam.According to Delhi Police, 53 people died and hundreds were injured during the northeast Delhi Violence in February 2020.
A $1.4 billion stadium planned for Orchard Park would bring the Buffalo Bills into the modern era of stadium design, with larger concourses, more comfortable seating and a partial roof.

Renderings of new Buffalo Bills stadium show nod to the past: 'It's a celebration of Western New York' The tall, strongly vertical structure is designed with a partial roof and a perforated metal exterior that allows fans approaching from the plaza to get a peek at the inside of the stadium, which is scheduled to open in 2026.

But without a plan to encourage development around it, some say, it will continue to sit in a neighborhood with little spin-off impact.

Weve really got to make this thing work the first time around, said Erie County Legislator John J. Mills, R-Orchard Park. Weve got one bite at the apple for the next 30 years.

A second public meeting on the environmental review for the Bills new stadium Thursday evening was overshadowed by the release of stadium renderings earlier in the day. But it was the need for business development around the stadium that took center stage at the meeting held inside the Orchard Park Community Activity Center on California Road.

Several speakers talked about the need to develop a plan to drive economic growth in the area. The current stadium has been in Orchard Park for 50 years and the area around it has seen minimal trickle-down development. The new stadium would be across the street on Abbott Road.

Mills has spoken with officials in Orchard Park and Hamburg, which borders the stadium, and believes there needs to be coordination with those towns and the team to bring development and business to the area around the stadium.

Plans for the new 1.35-million-square-foot facility  designed by architectural firm Populous  call for a 60,100-seat stadium, which is about 10,000 fewer seats than in the current Highmark Stadium. It will be part of an approximately 252.5-acre complex and will include the existing stadium property and portions of the ECC South Campus.

Scott Radecic, a former Bills linebacker whos serving as the project executive for Populous, has said the stadium will be intimate but intimidating and incorporate more usable space in the facility, with larger concourses and more comfortable seating than what Highmark Stadium offers. The new stadium will be shorter in length and width but steeper and higher and include a canopy to protect fans from the elements.

The environmental review process isnt expected to be completed until at least December and the Bills continue to negotiate with Erie County and the state in finalizing the stadium deal.

Don Lorentz, executive director for the Orchard Park Chamber of Commerce, said the town and village do not see much economic gain from having the Bills in town because of a lack of hotels in Orchard Park and because of missing synergy between the team and the place where it plays.

Community groups calling for transparency in Bills stadium benefits plan Community advocates feel left out of the negotiations for a community benefits agreement tied to the new $1.4 billion Buffalo Bills stadium planned for Orchard Park.

Is that what we want to continue for the next 30 years or do we want people to see the beautiful village and town of Orchard Park and all of the things we have going on? asked Lorentz, who also would have preferred that the stadium be domed so it could host year-round events.

Others asked that Erie County and local representatives develop an economic plan and properly zone land around the stadium to create business and jobs in the area.

Stadiums have been economic drivers and thats important to a low-income county such as Erie County, Orchard Park resident Rich Lester said. It is imperative that a longer-term business plan is made, given the importance of the Buffalo Bills for the entire county.

The lack of hotel rooms in Orchard Park will be most noticeable when thousands of workers come to the area during the construction phase of the stadium project, Mills said.

Lorentz added hes disappointed that the chamber hasnt had the opportunity to speak with the Bills yet about the new stadium.

Neighbors of the project, both residents and one business owner, expressed concerns the potential impact the stadium could have on their properties.

Ardwin Carducci, the owner of LaGalleria Event Venue, which is one of the properties that would most closely abut the new stadium, said hes lost business due to potential clients worries about how the dust and noise from construction would affect their future events there. Hes been in business on Southwestern Boulevard for 52 years.

Were Bills fans and were glad that theyre there, but this is hurting us, he said. Well be greatly affected.

As stadium talks continue, tentative deal for Bills becomes flashpoint in race for NY governor While criticizing the Buffalo Bills stadium deal during a debate Tuesday, Republican Lee Zeldin said the Bills never threatened to leave Western New York and Gov. Kathy Hochul was not a careful steward of taxpayer money.

Neighbors who will now be even closer to the stadium also continue to be anxious about having their yards torn up on game days and public urination that occurs on these properties.

Mills asked that further studying of pedestrian traffic for all events held at the stadium be done and again made a case for the need for sidewalks on Southwestern Boulevards route to the stadium.

Public comments can continue to be submitted through Nov. 2 and county officials expect to post answers by Nov. 23. Thursday night was only a listening session. The first session, called the public scoping meeting, was held July 14.

The stadium renderings Bills fans have been eagerly awaiting were released Thursday morning, and one fan, a former urban planner himself, expressed how impressed he was at the meeting Thursday.

The renderings were spectacular, Richard Whipple of Amherst said.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (October 28) virtually addressed the Chintan Shivir of home ministers of states at Surajkund, Haryana. Addressing the Shivir via video conferencing, PM said in next 25 year the country will create the 'Amrit Peedhi' following the resolutions of 'Panch Pran'. PM Modi also

"The next 25 years will be for the creation of an 'Amrit Peedhi'. This 'Amrit Peedhi' will be created by imbibing the resolutions of 'Panch Pran' - creation of a developed India, freedom from all colonial mindset, pride in heritage, unity and most importantly, citizen duty," said PM Modi.

Underlining the importance of PM Modi said that the Chintan Shivir of HMs in Surajkund is an excellent example of cooperative federalism. States can learn from each other, take inspiration from each other and work together for the betterment of the country.

Emphasising the need for coordination between agencies of all states and central agencies to check crimes PM said with increasing technology crimes are not limited to boundaries and criminals have the power to commit crimes beyond border hence coordination between agencies of all states and between central and state agencies essential to stop the crime.

#WATCH | "For safety & rights of law-abiding citizens, stringent action against negative forces is our responsibility...Small piece of fake news can kick up a storm across the nation...We'll have to educate people to think before forwarding anything, verify before believing it.." pic.twitter.com/NHF3emMq5S  ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2022

Supporting PM Modi's statement Home Minister Amit Shah at the event said many crimes like terrorism, narcotics smuggling, money laundering, infiltration; drones being used to smuggle arms and narcotics are happening from across the border and as long as there is no equal response from police and central agencies on these issues.

Shah asserted that if all states do not come together to fight these then it would be impossible to fight back the criminals. The chief ministers of eight states and home ministers and deputy chief ministers of 16 states gathered at the event, which is being chaired by Amit Shah.

The event was attended by Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Kerala, Assam, Goa, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Manipur and Tripura-- all having charges of Home Ministry in their respective states.

Besides, Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Nagaland; Governor of Rajasthan; Home Ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Odisha, Telangana; Finance Minister of Jharkhand among others took part in the event which is organized with the objective to prepare an action plan for the implementation of `vision 2047` and `Panch Pran` announced in the Independence Day speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Amritsar: A 'jatha' of SGPC on Friday departed for Pakistan to participate in a programme to mark the centenary of the Shaheedi Saka Panja Sahib' event on October 30. The event took place on October 30, 1922, at Hasan Abdal railway station, close to the sacred shrine of Panja Sahib. Several Sikhs from Panja Sahib had blocked the railway track to stop a train carrying Sikh prisoners from Amritsar to Attock (now in Pakistan) as they wanted to serve them food. When the station master refused to stop the train, some of them sat in the middle of the track. The driver brought the train to a screeching halt but 11 Sikhs were injured. Two of them succumbed to injuries later and have been hailed as martyrs of Saka Panja Sahib'.

Prominent among those who left for Pakistan included Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, former president of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Gobind Singh Longowal and head 'granthi' of Akal Takht Giani Malkit Singh. Speaking to the media before the departure of 'jatha', Longowal said the SGPC is jointly organising the event with the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) on October 29 and 30.

Also Read: LG not serious about air pollution: AAP furious on delay in Red Light On, Gaadi Off campaign

The centenary events and congregation of Saka Panja Sahib hold great importance, therefore, governments should grant visas to pilgrims with an open heart. Rejecting visas to pilgrim members of special 'jatha' on this occasion is not good, he added. Notably, the SGPC had sought visas for 157 pilgrims but got the same for 117 people. Apart from visiting Gurdwara Panja Sahib, the 'jatha' will also pay obeisance at Gurdwara Nankana Sahib and Gurdwara Dehra Sahib, Lahore, and return to India on November 1, said an SGPC official.

Also Read: BJP vs AAP ahead of Chhath Puja: Parties spar over spraying of chemical in Yamuna - WATCH!
New Delhi: Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chief Swati Maliwal on Friday, October 28, 2022, wrote to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot seeking action against the culprits for auctioning of girls on stamp papers to settle disputes over loan repayments in the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan.

"It is reported in the newspaper that girls as young as 8 years old are being openly auctioned on a stamp paper in over half a dozen districts of the state. The report has stated that whenever there is a dispute between two parties particularly involving financial transactions and loans, people approach caste-based panchayats to settle the matter. These panchayats settle financial disputes and recover the money by auctioning young girls belonging to the lender families. The girls are then sent to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, Delhi and even abroad and subjected to physical abuse, torture and sexual assault. If the families refuse to sell their girls, their mothers are subjected to rape on the diktats of the local caste panchayats!," Maliwal`s letter read.

The DCW chief asked the state government to punish the culprits and prevent such incidents in the future.

"Firstly, strong directions must be issued to the Police to ensure the strictest action in the matter against those involved in these criminal activities. Secondly, steps must be taken against the public servant(s)/ officials who have allowed such criminals to prosper and failed to do their duty to protect the women and girls of the state," the letter read.

Also Read: 'Human rights violation': NHRC issues notice to Rajasthan Govt over auctioning of girls on stamp papers

Thirdly, steps should be taken to ensure that such incidents no longer take place in the state. Finally, the girls that have been sold in the past must be tracked immediately. Once they have been located, steps must be taken by the Government for their rescue and rehabilitation.

"This is one of the most shocking and painful cases and this racket is probably being run by influential people. I look forward to prompt action by your Hon`able self," she added in the letter.

According to reports carried in media on October 26 this year, caste panchayats in Rajasthan were committing this crime like in Syria and Iraq where girls are enslaved. Reportedly, in Bhilwada, whenever there is any dispute between the two parties, instead of going to the police, the caste panchayats are approached for a settlement. It becomes the starting point of making the girls slaves. If they fail to honour their commitments, there are orders for the mothers of the girls to be raped.
Narayanpet (Telangana): Amid the MLA poaching controversy, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has hit out at the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stating that both parties are two sides of the same coin and are against democratic values and indulge in politics of money. The Congress MP accused both the TRS and BJP of horse-trading and toppling governments. "I would like to say clearly here that, for us, BJP and TRS are the same. They are two sides of the same coin. They both work together. You need to understand this. They help each other. TRS helps BJP in Delhi and BJP helps TRS in Telangana. Both parties are against democracy and indulge in the politics of money. They do money politics by buying MLAs and both parties work to topple the government," said the Congress leader in Narayanpet.

Notably, TRS had alleged that the BJP is attempting to poach the MLAs by luring them with money and contracts. in which the Cyberabad Police had arrested three persons at a farmhouse in Ranga Reddy on Wednesday evening, after being informed by the TRS MLAs about the poaching bid, which the leaders alleged was done by the BJP. However, Telangana`s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court rejected the request of Cyberabad Police to remand the three accused to judicial custody.

Also Read: TRS MLAs Poaching Row: Court rejects remand of 3 accused

The BJP has moved to the Telangana High Court seeking a CBI probe into the allegations. Moreover, Union minister and BJP leader G Kishan Reddy refuted the TRS MLAs` poaching allegations and said it shows the fear the TRS is looming under and demanded the probe be conducted by sitting High Court judges.After a gap of four days, Rahul Gandhi resumed the `Bharat Jodo Yatra` from Makthal in Narayanpet district on Thursday.

Congress party's Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed in Narayanpet district of Telangana pic.twitter.com/awiBYN1xoK October 28, 2022

Rahul Gandhi started the march on Friday from Yeligandla in Narayanpet district of Telangana. Today is the third day of the yatra in the state. The yatra will halt at Mahabubnagar tonight. The Yatra which began on September 7 from Kanniyakumari will cover a further distance of 2,355 km in its 3,570-km march.The Andhra Pradesh leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra concluded on October 21.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra was launched on September 7, 2022, and will cover as many as 12 states.The Yatra started from Kanyakumari and will end in Kashmir nex year by covering 25 km every day.It is the longest march on foot by any Indian politician in the history of India, the Congress claimed earlier in statement.
Hyderabad: A local court here has rejected the remand of three people who were arrested by Cyberabad Police on charges of allegedly trying to coax four TRS legislators into defecting, over not following the procedure of issuing a notice before the arrest. Based on a complaint by Pilot Rohith Reddy, one of the legislators, cases under relevant sections-criminal conspiracy, offering bribe and Prevention of Corruption Act-1988- were filed against the trio-Ramachandra Bharatia Satish Sharma, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji Swamy on October 26 night. They were arrested on Thursday and later in the night produced before a judge of a court for anti-corruption cases.

The judge instructed the police to issue notices under Section 41 Cr PC and ordered the release of the accused.

Also Read: 'Entire drama scripted by KCR': BJP on TRS' allegation of poaching bid

As per the FIR copy, Rohith Reddy alleged that the accused offered him Rs 100 crore and in return, the legislator had to leave the TRS and contest as a BJP candidate in the next Assembly elections.

They also offered him civil contract work from the central government besides higher positions and monetary benefits. The accused also threatened that if he does not heed, ED and CBI cases will be filed against him. They also warned that the TRS government in the state will be toppled.
Mumbai: Equity benchmarks ended higher on Friday helped by buying in index major Reliance Industries along with fresh foreign fund inflows.

Extending its previous day's rally, the 30-share BSE benchmark climbed 203.01 points or 0.34 per cent to settle at 59,959.85. During the day, it jumped 376.33 points or 0.62 per cent to 60,133.17.

On similar lines, the broader NSE Nifty advanced 49.85 points or 0.28 per cent to end at 17,786.80 .

In the Sensex pack, Maruti, Reliance Industries, NTPC, Power Grid, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bajaj Finserv, Titan and Kotak Mahindra Bank were the major winners.

Shares of Maruti climbed nearly 5 per cent after the company announced its earnings.

Maruti Suzuki India on Friday reported an over four-fold increase in consolidated net profit to Rs 2,112.5 crore in the second quarter ended on September 30, 2022, riding on record sales.

Tech Mahindra, Tata Steel, Sun Pharma, ICICI Bank and State Bank of India were among the laggards.

Elsewhere in Asia, markets in Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong ended lower.

Stock exchanges in Europe were trading in the negative territory in mid-session deals. Wall Street had ended on a mixed note on Thursday.

International oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 0.84 per cent lower at USD 96.15 per barrel.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) turned buyers on Thursday as they bought shares worth Rs 2,818.40 crore, as per exchange data.
New Delhi: This year Bollywood saw many big names turning a host for Diwali. From Ayushman Khurrana, Kriti Sanon, Ramesh Taurani to Bhumi Pednekar, Manish Malhotra and Ekta Kapoor among others - all hosted grand Diwali parties for their industry pals. So, paps on duty had a rush time clicking celebs from one party to another. But thankfully, after 2 years of lull due to the covid-19 pandemic, we saw our celebs celebrating in a full glam avatar.

Ace comedian-actor Kapil Sharma was also spotted at Krishan Kumar's big Diwali bash along with his wife Ginni Chatrath. While posing for paps, Kapil took his wife by surprise in the most romantic way - he kissed her and photographers cheered on their favourite celeb couple. Take a look here:

Kapil married his college sweetheart Ginni on December 12, 2018, in Jalandhar, Punjab. Their wedding was a grand affair and later they hosted a starry reception in Mumbai for industry friends and colleagues.

The duo welcomed their bundle of joy, baby girl Anayra on December 10, 2019, and baby boy Trishaan on February 1, 2021.

Kapil is currently seen hosting his popular comedy show 'The Kapil Sharma Show' fresh season.
New Delhi: On Thursday, a former freelance television producer testified that Paul Haggis assaulted and attempted to rape her at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

According to Variety, Jurors in a lower Manhattan courtroom watched a video deposition of the woman from 2019, who recalled feeling physically and emotionally threatened at the time of their encounter.

Variety further reported that the woman claimed that Haggis, the Oscar-winning writer and director of `Crash,` sexually pursued her before she fled into her apartment building following the TIFF event.

Variety quoted her testimony - "It made me feel like he was somebody not only to be emotionally feared, he was somebody to be physically feared," she said.

She added, "my personal well-being was in jeopardy. It was a terrifying feeling."Paul Haggis was under police detention in a hotel in southern Italy since June after an unnamed British woman told police that the director twice had non-consensual sex with her while he was in Italy to participate in an arts festival in the tourist town of Ostuni.

Haggis originally came to Italy to attend the Allora Fest film festival, which he was involved in organizing and where he was due to hold a number of masterclasses when the anonymous complainant flew in to join him. After her police complaint and Haggis`s subsequent arrest came to light the festival went ahead without the director earlier this month, as per Variety.

Haggis is also facing a court case in the United States, where he is being sued by film publicist Haleigh Breest, who alleges Haggis raped her in January 2013. Breest originally filed the lawsuit in December 2017, although proceedings were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

So far, four more women, all of whom prefer anonymity, have accused Haggis of assault. Attorneys for Breest are attempting to prove that Haggis` alleged rape of Breest is part of a pattern of behaviour.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Karnataka on November 11, where he will launch several developmental projects, including flagging off south India's first Vande Bharat Express train which will run between Chennai and Mysuru via Bengaluru. This will be the fifth Vande Bharat Express train to run in the country. PM Modi earlier flagged off India's fourth Vande Bharat train between New Delhi to Amb Andaura in Himachal Pradesh.

The other three Vande Bharat trains run between New Delhi - Varanasi, New Delhi - Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (J&K) and between Gandhinagar and Mumbai. The Vande Bharat Express, also known as Train 18, is a semi-high-speed, intercity, electric multiple-unit train operated by the Indian Railways. It is an advanced version of Vande Bharat compared to the earlier ones, being much lighter and capable of reaching higher speed in shorter duration.It accelerates to 100 km per hour in just 52 seconds.

During his visit, Modi will also inaugurate the second terminal of the Kempegowda International Airport built at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore to handle an additional 2.5 crore air passengers.

With agencies inputs
New Delhi: Samantha Ruth Prabhu is one of the most talented and hardworking actresses in the Indian film industry, and her presence on-screen has always won over audiences thanks to her dedication to her craft. The actress recently released the trailer of her upcoming film 'Yashoda' and which has been receiving praise from fans all over the country.

Samantha, who plays a solo lead in the film, can be seen in some high-octane action sequences and has started taking over the internet, especially in the Hindi market.

While the country's leading lady has been spreading her magic in the south, the trailer has drawn a large number of her northern fans to show their support for her performance. Since the trailer's release, netizens have flooded the comments section with their love and best wishes.



Here are some of the comments of the star's fans:

sam you choose superb concept,and your acting is too good ,I am awaiting for movie and all the very best @Samanthaprabhu2 October 27, 2022

Samantha Garu you really good great actor

Good film yashoda Trailor

November 11th yashoda cinema rellize

Waitting

God bless u Samantha Garu  BirudalaDasaradharami Reddy (@BirudalaReddy) October 27, 2022

Furthermore, a few days ago, superstars from various languages took to social media to release the trailer for 'Yashoda.' Varun Dhawan launched it in Hindi, followed by Vijay Deverakonda in Telugu, Suriya in Tamil, Rakshit Shetty in Kannada, and Dulquer Salmaan in Malayalam.

Samantha's film will be released in theatres on November 11th. The multi-industry superstar will also be seen in Citadel, Khushi, Shaakuntalam, and an unannounced Hollywood project.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has compiled an impressive record of achievement in the 14 months she has served as New Yorks 57th governor: a far-seeing state budget; a powerful response to a massacre in Buffalo; a fair deal to keep the Bills in Buffalo; and, yes, a focus on dealing with crime. On her own merits, the Democrat has earned a full term in the governors office. The weaknesses of her Republican opponent only underscore the fact.

Hochul quickly made the office her own last year after the sudden resignation of Andrew Cuomo  even considering her mistaken appointment of the soon-to-be-indicted Brian Benjamin as her No. 2. She is the first woman to hold the post, the first upstate governor in more than 100 years and the first from Buffalo since Grover Cleveland in 1882.

The former congresswoman and Erie County Clerk has shown herself to be simultaneously even-keeled and tough as nails. She is proving that an upstate woman has just what it takes to lead a large, diverse, unwieldy state.

Until recently, Hochul held a commanding lead over Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin of Long Islands Suffolk County. Her advantage has narrowed dramatically as Zeldin  like Republicans around the country  hammer Democrats about crime and, in this state, over bail reform. Both, of course, are legitimate issues, but both are being distorted.

Consider the narrower issue of bail reform. It was approved when Cuomo was governor, and for good reason. Meant to ensure a criminal suspect shows up for court proceedings, bail often punished cash-poor individuals who were accused but not convicted of an offense. Many states, red and blue, have recognized this flaw in cash bail and have eliminated or at least revised it.

The law was important, but it had weaknesses, and Hochul this year wrested changes from the Democratic Legislature, where some members resisted furiously. The state budget was six days late because of it.

Recently, in Buffalo, a woman was killed in front of her children, reportedly by her estranged husband, who was free on cashless bail. Many say he was on the street because of failures of the bail reform law. They may be right, but if so, the blame belongs to the Legislature, not Hochul.

As to crime, generally, it has definitely gone up in New York  and in red and blue states around the country. It is telling that the FBIs just updated annual Uniform Crime Report cites the nations five most dangerous states. In ascending order, they are Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee and Alaska  all of them red. New York doesnt even rank in the top 20. Its right in the middle on violent crime and the 10th safest in nonviolent crime.

What separates those states from New York? Plenty, but prominent among the factors is a commitment to reasonable gun control. Republican states  and Republican candidates, including Zeldin  howl about crime, but theyre content to let just about anyone have any kind of firearm and take it wherever they want. But, as the Brennan Center reports, more than 75 percent of murders in 2020 were committed with a firearm.

When an 18-year-old opened fire in a Buffalo supermarket in May, Hochul responded with tougher gun laws. When the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a century-old law on guns, Hochul summoned the Legislature into special session and signed a new law. Thats acting on crime.

Theres more to Hochuls record, including her significant role in luring microchip manufacturer Micron to a Syracuse suburb. The economic benefits will radiate around the state, including into Western New York.

The deal for a new stadium is hardly inexpensive, but it is in line with similar recent projects. Zeldin claims hell reopen negotiations, if elected. That will hurt the team and this entire region and, actually, could send the Bills packing.

It is a serious issue because Zeldin has shown himself to be reckless. He is among the election deniers who, only hours after a violent insurrection, voted to reject electors pledged to Joe Biden. In doing so, he and other Republicans did the bidding of the rioters who laid siege to the Capitol that day. Some police officers died. For that, Zeldin has forfeited the support of anyone who values democracy. His opposition to abortion may be, for now, a non-issue, but its a significant deviation from what New Yorkers support.

Hochul is doing good work for the residents of this state. They should keep her.

  

Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing.
Elon Musk's wives and girlfriends: Billionaire Elon Musk has completed his USD 44 billion takeover of Twitter and fired the social media company's four top executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal and legal executive Vijaya Gadde. The world's richest man, Musk reportedly closed the deal to buy Twitter on Thursday. The maverick billionaire has had a colorful life, including a happening dating history. Here's a look at Elon Musk's love life and its timeline:

Justine Musk (nee Wilson): Elon Musk met Justine in the late 1990s at Canada's Queens University in Ontario. The couple had an on-off relationship for about a couple of years before tying the knot in 2000. The couple had 5 kids - twins and triplets - and went on to divorce after 8 years of marriage in 2008.

Talulah Riley: Actress Talulah Riley, who appeared in films like Pride & Prejudice (2005) and Inception (2010), and TV series Westworld (20162018), got married to Elon Musk after two years of meeting. In 2012, the couple divorced but they remarried again in 2013! They divorced again in 2016.

Also read: Elon Musk acquires Twitter - check live updates

Amber Heard: Just after Musk's separation from Riley and Amber Heard's divorce from Johnny Depp, the two dated for around a year in 2016. Thanks to a demanding work schedule, they split in 2017. According to reports, Musk, in an Instagram comment, cleared the air and reportedly said, "Btw, just to clear up some of the press storms this weekend, although Amber and I did break up, we are still friends, remain close, and love one another."

Grimes: Musk began dating musician Grimes in April 2018 and the couple made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Met Gala just a few weeks later. The couple drew maximum limelight when they named their baby X  A-12, which no one coupld pronounce! Later they changed the name to X AE A-XII to adhere to Californian law. While they split in September 2021, it was later discovered that the couple had welcomed a baby via surrogacy in December that same year.

Shivon Zilis: A top executive at Musk's startup "Neuralink", Zilis had a relationship (whichwas not known till recently) with Musk and the couple has two children who have reportedly taken Musk's second name.

Natasha Bassett: The Austalian actress is reportedly Elon Musk's current girlfriend! Bassett has been seen Austin Butler's upcoming Elvis biopic, and several media reports claim they've been on-off for years. The duo have not confirmed the relationship but have been spotted together frequently.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has completed his ambitious USD-44 billion takeover of Twitter. Soon after he gained control of the micro-blogging platform, Musk fired Twitter's four top executives including CEO Parag Agrawal and legal executive Vijaya Gadde, claimed several reports. Musk, the richest man in the world, had promised to transform Twitter by loosening the service's content moderation rules, making its algorithm more transparent and nurturing subscription businesses. Musk, who is the CEO of Tesla, has a net worth of around $222 billion or around Rs 18 lakh 20 thousand 400 crores.

Elon Musk's most of the earnings comes from Tesla and SpaceX. Going forward, Twitter's revenue will also get added to his income. However, it may be noted that since Twitter is going private, the sale of its shares is suspended from trading with effect from Friday.

It may be recalled that Musk had reached out with a $44 billion deal to buy Twitter on April 25. The outspoken billionaire has said he wanted to own and privatize Twitter because he thinks it's not living up to its potential as a platform for free speech.

Musk, whose full name is Elon Reeve Musk, was born in South Africa's Pretoria. He was born into a wealthy family and had a knack for technology and entrepreneurship from a very young age. According to reports, he wrote and sold video game codes when he was just 12 years old. He wanted to settle in America and since his mother was born in Canada, he got a Canadian passport when he was around 17 years old. Musk became a US citizen in 2002.

Also Read: WhatsApp Outage: Meta submits report to IT Ministry following 'technical error'

Musk had founded a web software company named Zip2 along with his brother Kimbal which was sold for $307 million four years later. He also co-founded an online bank X.com which later became PayPal after merging with Confinity. He founded SpaceX in 2002. Musk invested in Tesla Motors in 2005 and became its largest shareholder and chairman of the board of directors.
New Delhi: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan reprimanded Sumbul Touqeer in the 'Weekend Ka Vaar' episode of 'Bigg Boss 16'. He called her a "tag along" and that she is not visible in the show.

In a promo video doing the rounds on social media, Salman is angry with Sumbul after seeing her game in the previous weeks. He asks her to stand and go behind the sofa and then go towards the bedroom area.

"Aaj ki tareek main aap misaal bani hui ho. For somebody jo peeche padhi rehti, hai tag along karti hai, roti rehti hai, shikaayete karti rehti hai. Sumbul peeche nazar aati hai. (In today's date you have become an example. For someone who is behind people and is a tag-along. Someone who complains and cries. Sumbul cant be seen)," Salman said.

He added: "What have you done in the house? You said such big things like 'I am so strong'. You cant be seen in the house."

Later the actor was joined by the cast of 'Phone Bhoot' on the episode. Salman was also seen dancing with Katrina on 'Tip tip barsa paani'.
The Hague: After a series of attacks on art and famous paintings by climate activists across Europe, another such incident has come to the fore. Three climate activists, on Thursday, targeted famous Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer`s masterpiece `Girl with a pearl earring` with glue and other kinds of liquid. However, before the activists could cause any damage to the painting, they had to face the music.

In a video posted on Twitter, a man could be seen pouring red tomato salsa-like liquid over the other protestor in the frame who tried gluing his head to the wall before being escorted out of the premises by the authorities.

The man could be heard screaming, "How do you feel when you see something beautiful and priceless being apparently destroyed before your eyes? Do you feel outrage? Good. That is the feeling when you see the planet being destroyed before our very eyes."

Men target the 'Girl with a pearl earring' painting in Hague

And the Climate crazies have done it again, These people are insane!

The Girl With The Pearl Earing pic.twitter.com/AV18VAyZnP October 27, 2022

Both men wore T-shirts that read "Just stop oil" - the same group whose members spilt soup over Van Gogh`s world-famous `Sunflowers` painting in London, and vandalised King Charles III`s wax statue in Madame Tussauds.

Two climate activists smeared chocolate cake over the wax statue of Britain`s King Charles III at London`s Madame Tussauds Museum just two days ago.

Claude Monet`s famous painting in Germany`s Museum Barberini became the target of members of climate protestors a day prior. Two environmental protestors threw mashed potatoes over the piece of art. Talking about the latest target - `Girl with a pearl earring` is often called the `Mona Lisa` of the North!

Since 1902, the work has been in the collection of the Mauritshuis in The Hague and has been the subject of numerous literary and cinematic adaptations. It was oil-painted by Vermeer in 1665.
The 27th Conference of all the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)  or Cop27, for short  will be held in the Egyptian coastal resort of Sharm El-Sheikh from 6 and 18 November.

Egypts foreign minister Sameh Shoukry will lead the summit of world leaders, climate organisations and activists, with environment minister Yasmine Fouad serving as the events ministerial coordinator and envoy.

Following on from last years gathering in Glasgow, Cop27 will again see the participants come together to thrash out the big questions about safeguarding the future of our planet.

This years Cop marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the UNFCCC and Egypts president, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, has expressed his optimism about the chance of further landmark agreements being reached between nations in 2022.

We now have a much clearer understanding of the extent of the potential climate crisis and what needs to be done to address it effectively, he said in advance of the summit.

The science is there and clearly shows the urgency with which we must act regarding rapidly reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, taking necessary steps to assist those in need of support to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change, and finding the appropriate formula that would ensure the availability of requisite means of implementation that are indispensable for developing countries in making their contributions to this global effort, especially in the midst of the successive international crises, including the ongoing food security crisis exacerbated by climate change, desertification and water scarcity, especially in Africa that suffers the most impacts.

I deeply believe that Cop27 is an opportunity to showcase unity against an existential threat that we can only overcome through concerted action and effective implementation.

A rather more cynical view of the summit was offered by celebrated climate activist Greta Thunberg on a recent edition of The New Statesmans World Review podcast. She said: As it is now, the Cops are not designed to reshape our entire system. It is not designed to actually represent the people. It is designed, to a large extent, to represent lobby groups and nations and become a platform for nations and greenwashers, polluters, to simply say, Oh, we are doing enough and we have gathered here because we care about the environment.

Story continues

For example, during Cop26, the fossil lobbyists had a bigger representation than any nation. So, as it is now, it is not meant to actually make a difference and, as long as the general level of awareness is so low as it is today, they will get away with it. All they do is that they gather some time every few years and they make new targets and pledges only for them to break them and then make new ones and so on.

So unless we educate people and inform people about what is actually happening and create this big movement of people demanding change, pressure from the outside, the Cops will not make a difference.

Liz Truss had been set to attend Cop27 before he resignation as prime minister. It is not yet clear if her successor, Rishi Sunak, will travel to Egypt for the talks.

The conference will take place in a spectacular location.

Sharm El-Sheik is known for its Red Sea reefs and grand Sinai mountains and Egypt is keen to emphasise its status as a green city that has achieved major strides in the adoption of sustainable accommodation, transportation, energy, waste management and tourism operations.
MEXICO CITY, October 27, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent), the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of "a" (Excellent) and the Mexico National Scale Rating of "aaa.MX" (Exceptional) of Tokio Marine HCC Mexico Compania Afianzadora, S.A. de C.V. (TMHCC Mexico) (Mexico City, Mexico). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect TMHCC Mexicos balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).

The ratings also reflect TMHCC Mexicos affiliation with its parent company, Houston Casualty Company (HC), in terms of reinsurance protection, ERM and capital commitments. Limiting the ratings is the inherent risk of a company of recent creation implementing its business plan, and the volatility of Mexicos economy.

TMHCC Mexico is the Mexico-based surety subsidiary of HC; the company received regulatory approval for operations in April 2019 and issued its first policy in July 2019. HC and TMHCC Mexico also have a sister company, Tokio Marine Compania de Seguros, S.A. de C.V. (TMX), which is domiciled in Mexico. TMHCC Mexico takes advantage of TMXs corporate structure, which provides additional support to the operation.

The company is developing its presence in Mexico through a predominant mix of construction and commercial administrative surety, strongly backed by a comprehensive reinsurance program largely placed with its parent company.

TMHCC Mexicos very strong balance sheet strength assessment is derived from its strongest risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). To achieve its business targets, the company has been capitalized with MXN 81.8 million (USD 4.3 million) as of July 2019 and might require more capital contributions as the operation evolves.

The adequate assessment of TMHCC Mexicos operating performance reflects the successful track record of its seasoned management and underwriting team, and the operational leverage the company gains from being integrated into the Tokio Marine Group. However, due to the companys short history of operation, business plan implementation has to evolve for AM Best to evaluate the companys operating performance adequately.

Story continues

As of year-end 2021, gross written premium stood at MXN 357 million, continuing the trend of surpassing the originally projected business volume, and presenting a positive bottom-line result of MXN 9.8 million. Despite the significant variation in business volume, the company reports strict compliance with underwriting discipline and with its business model, coupled with several large policies.

As of June 2022, TMHCC Mexico posted negative bottom-line results, mainly due to an adjustment to the ceded commission rate, which is still above market levels. The companys loss ratio stood at 3.6%, consistent with 2021.

Positive rating actions are not expected in the medium term. Negative rating actions could take place if the company experiences a deterioration in its risk-adjusted capitalization from weak operating performance or capital outflows, or if AM Best determines that the strategic importance of the Mexico subsidiary to the Tokio Marine group has decreased.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Bests Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Performance Assessments, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright  2022 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221027006005/en/

Contacts

Olga Rubo, FRM

Senior Financial Analyst

+52 55 1102 2720, ext. 134

olga.rubo@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey

Manager, Public Relations

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159

christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

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The Great British Baking Show judge Prue Leith addressed the backlash surrounding the show's controversial "Mexican Week" episode.

Audiences have lambasted the season 10 episode for perpetuating racial stereotypes and cracking insensitive jokes, but in a recent interview with The New Yorker, Leith said the baking competition did not mean to offend. "There would have been absolutely no intention to offend," she said. "That's not the spirit of the show."

Later, Leith heralded the feel-good nature of the baking competition series. "The whole phenomenon of Bake Off is, to me, absolutely extraordinary," Leith said. "This is rather a cliche thing to say, but I do think that it is a force for good, most of the time. Everything we do in life is a bit stressful  we are always short of time, we're short of money, there are all sorts of horrible things happening all over the world."

THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF

Everett Collection Prue Leith on 'Great British Baking Show'

Yet, Leith continued, "Bake Off is this safe space where the worst thing that can happen is somebody will drop their bake. And everybody will be sympathetic! Nobody will cheer, nobody will say, 'Oh, good, you're out of the way, and now I'm going to win.' There's none of that nastiness that you sometimes get in competitions."

In the "Mexican Week" episode in question, the bakers were tasked with preparing pan dulce, steak tacos with homemade tortillas, and tres leches cakes. The cold open, featuring hosts Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas in sombreros and ponchos, sparked backlash for the quips that followed: "I don't feel like we should make Mexico jokes," Fielding said. "People will get upset." Lucas responded, "What? No Mexico jokes at all? Not even Juan?"

The juan and only Matt & Noel welcome you to Mexico Week!  #GBBO pic.twitter.com/A4aX43H5rd  British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) October 4, 2022

Audiences also rolled their eyes at the bakers' mispronunciation of words like pico de gallo, while others decried the way one contestant peeled an avocado.

Story continues

There are many offensive moments in the Great British Bake Off's "Mexican week" ep, but on the very minor side, peeling an avocado like a potato is sending me pic.twitter.com/RqdTZTvoSd  Malena Carollo (@MalenaCarollo) October 7, 2022

The show previously sparked backlash back in 2020 for a "Japanese Week" episode, wherein audiences also accused the bakers and hosts of cultural insensitivity. The bakers were criticized for using Indian and Chinese flavors in their Japanese bakes, among other criticisms, and Lucas came under fire for calling katsu curry "cat poo curry."

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

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Mr. Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ),

Dear friends from the media and Sierra Leone-China friendship organizations,

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,





Good morning!

Im happy to see you again at this information salon. Hope everything goes well. As you may be aware, last week the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was successfully concluded and a new central leadership body was elected on October 23. This is an important congress held at a critical moment when China, the world's most populous and largest developing country, is embarking on a new journey to build a comprehensive socialist modern country, and will also have a positive impact on the world against the background of the current international situation full of instability and uncertainty and the serious challenges to global peace and development. Id like to take this opportunity to introduce some highlights and the significance about the Congress.

First, the congress summarized China's past achievements. In the past decade, China has experienced three major events: first, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, second, socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a new era, and third, the completion of the historical task of eradicating poverty, and achieving its first centenary goal -- building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. With the implementation of the new development concept, nearly 100 million rural poor people have been lifted out of poverty. China's economy now accounts for 18.5% of the world economy, ranking second in the world. The scale of manufacturing industry and foreign exchange reserves rank first in the world. The "Belt and Road Initiative" has become a popular international public product and platform for international cooperation. China has become a major trading partner of more than 140 countries and regions, ranking first in total trade in goods, attracting the highest foreign investment and outward investment in the world. China's development has made a positive contribution to world peace and development.

Second, the congress clarified China's future tasks. China will adhere to the leadership of the CPC, promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese modernization in a comprehensive manner, build a strong socialist modern country and achieve the second centenary goal--to build the country into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful in the middle of this century. The Chinese modernization is the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature, and of peaceful development. It creates a new form of human civilization, expands the way for developing countries to modernize, and provides a brand-new choice for other countries that wish to accelerate development while maintaining their independence.

Third, the congress pointed out the way forward. China will never seek hegemony or engage in expansionism. China stands firmly against all forms of hegemonism and power politics, the Cold War mentality, interference in other countries' internal affairs, and double standards. China remains firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace. It has always decided its position and policy on issues based on their own merits, and it has strived to uphold the basic norms governing international relations and safeguard international fairness and justice. China will adhere to the policy of opening up, firmly pursue an open strategy of mutual benefit and win-win situation, and continuously provide new opportunities for the world. China has put forward Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, calling for the promotion of the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom for all mankind, and is willing to join hands with all countries in the world to create a better future for mankind.

Fourth, the congress has injected confidence and momentum into the world. The fact that President Xi Jinping continues to serve as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee reflects the collective will of the world's largest ruling party with more than 96 million members and 1.4 billion Chinese people, and provides a solid guarantee for the huge ship of China to cut through the waves and make steady progress. As the largest developing country, the continuity, stability and sustainability of China's domestic and foreign policies are a boon to the world. A responsible, honest, caring and responsible China will surely inject strong stability and positive energy into the chaotic world.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

China is the largest developing country and Africa is the continent with the largest number of developing countries. The 20th CPC National Congress also give an opportunity for China and Africa to further strengthen cooperation and solidarity.

In the past decades, Chinese leaders have kept close contacts with their African counterparts. Now, the Chinese government has vigorously promoted the implementation of the outcomes of the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which brought about new and tangible benefits for the two sides.

Meanwhile, we can see that China-Sierra Leone friendship is also shining and promising. In July this year, H.E. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a telephone conversation with Sierra Leonean Foreign Minister Honorable David Francis, exchanged ideas in depth on the implementation of the important consensus reached by H.E. President Xi Jinping and H.E. President Julius Maada Bio, and injected new energy into the further deepening of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership between China and Sierra Leone.

This year, China-Sierra Leone cooperation in all areas such as education, human resources development, mining, agriculture, infrastructure construction, fight against COVID-19 pandemic, health and sanitation, peace and security has yielded laudable results. New batches of testing kits and COVID-19 vaccines donated by China have been delivered to Sierra Leone. China- aid mobile clinics have been put into use and benefiting tens of thousands of Sierra Leoneans across the country. The reconstructed Wilberforce barracks has been commissioned. The rice aid, agricultural machinery, water bowsers, fire engines, engineering equipments and traffic boat donated by China have been transported to Sierra Leone.

Under the Chinese government assistance programs, the construction of the Foreign Service Academy is to be completed soon and the overhaul of the National Stadium is making smooth progress. Many more community development projects have been carried out for the well-being of the Sierra Leonean people.

This year, Sierra Leone, as always, has stood firm in adhering to the one-China principle and supporting China's legitimate efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. In the international arena, Sierra Leone has been working closely with China on issues of common interests. It is of no doubt that China and Sierra Leone are reliable friends to each other.

I firmly believe that, under the great leadership of CPC, China and Sierra Leone will continue to treat each other with sincerity and mutual trust, work hand in hand for common development, and support each other in good faith.

To conclude, I assure you that China will continue to work with Africa, Sierra Leone in particular, to grasp the opportunity offered by the 20th CPC National Congress and build an even stronger China-Africa Community of Shared Future.

Long live China-Sierra Leone friendship. Thank you!




Brita Olsen is the state director for Wisconsin Family Friendly Action PAC.

Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.
TILDEN  The mission: to find every grave on record in the Tilden Lutheran Cemetery. The problem: two graves were missing.

According to findagrave.com the Tilden Lutheran Cemetery had a certain number of perpetual residents. The two that couldnt be found were ancestors of Travis Hakes and Martin Treptow.

Treptow and Hakes began to clean and photograph headstones early this year. But they realized, in the process, that two graves they thought belonged to two quintessential family members werent there. The two, freshly cleaned graves belonged to other family members.

When we cleaned the graves we found out they were two different people. They were two little children, Treptow said. They happened to be the children of William and Paulina Kressin.

While doing research for a book hes writing, Treptow realized that he and Hakes couldnt find the gravestones for Mathilda Albertina Caroline Treptow Dallman and her husband William Gustav Dallman.

But there were pictures of their grave markers on findagrave.com.

Treptow said he felt dismayed in not being able to find those two graves. Treptow and Hakes wanted to find the missing pair of ancestors. They knew they existed. But they didnt know where on the property their headstones were.

As he thought it through, Treptow realized that graves are frequently overrun by bushes. Treptow said he remembered going to a cemetery in Cadott where his cousins are buried. An overgrown bush became a bit of a discussion between Treptow and his cousin.

I told him to get in there and clean that out, Treptow said.

When Treptow and Hakes realized that they couldnt find two headstones at the cemetery in Tilden, they looked to the bushes.

Hakes decided to measure the length from one plot to another. He said the plots were pretty much the same distance from each other. So he took his measuring stick and went in each direction. As it turns out, the two missing graves were exactly where they belonged, under a lilac bush that had overgrown.

Hakes and Treptow waited until a family of birds had left the bush. They didnt want to disturb the nest, they said.

The bush died early this fall.

Treptow said he took that as a sign. Thats where they needed to look. Mother Nature was telling them where to go seeking.

They went in and began to cut back the lilac bush.

They brought in shovels and brushes to begin looking for the missing headstones.

We did a little scraping and all of a sudden clink. We found the first stone. We measured over and clink, we found the second stone, Treptow said.

These lilac bushes were probably planted here in honor of Mathilda and William way back in the early 1900s and simply overgrew, Treptow said. I think thats probably quite common in cemeteries. Nature takes over. Its hard to keep up with Mother Nature sometimes.

Hakes and Treptow are fourth cousins. Between the two, they are related to nearly everyone at the cemetery.

We realized we were related to more than 75% of the residents of the cemetery, Treptow said.

The cemetery is easy to drive by. Its not very large. But it means something to locals like Hakes and Treptow. And the responsibility of maintaining the place is a family affair.

Hakes runs the cemetery committee. Hakes said he mostly just mows the lawn, cleans up debris and maintains the fence.

The cemetery has been taken care of by Kressin, Dallman, Gehring, and Kelm family members since 1945. It is currently cared for by descendants of John Kressin.

There are about 40 people buried in the cemetery.

The cemetery used to have a church associated with it. But the church moved to Bloomer decades ago.

In 1945 the church sold the cemetery land to Tilden Lutheran Association for $1.00. The Association was officially formed and recorded in Chippewa County on May 7, 1945.

Although the signage for the Tilden Lutheran Cemetery has the date 1886 on it, the cemetery has been in existence since 1869, Treptow said. And possibly earlier.

Treptow has become an aficionado of family history in recent years. His great-uncle, also named Martin Treptow, was awarded a Purple Heart for his actions in WWI, at a ceremony in Bloomer in July of 2022. The process of getting that Purple Heart awarded to his ancestor helped Treptow  he began to research his ancestors and what they had accomplished.

Treptow and Hakes have kept busy cleaning up the cemetery. Now, all of the family members that Treptow and Hakes thought were buried at Tilden Lutheran Cemetery have been found.

In the last few years, the living Martin Treptow has become a family history buff.

People think Im a nut for caring about this. But I do. These are my ancestors, Treptow said.
Setting Sail for New Horizons at This Years Viscom Technology Forum Published: 28 October 2022 by Tyler Hanes by Tyler Hanes

HANOVER, GERMANY  Viscom AGs Technology Forum has a reputation for offering participants wide-ranging content with valuable practical relevance in a compact format. Looking at the big picture is a key aspect as well. Held at the beginning of October, the event on Viscoms campus in Hanover, Germany, again offered extensive opportunities to experience cutting-edge inspection solutions for electronics manufacturing live and discuss important topics with fellow specialists, just as before the pandemic. Those unable to attend the Forum in person had the chance to participate in the interactive online program.

How much can our experience help us in a time when changes are happening faster than we were used to in the past? Why do we need a culture today in which its also okay to make mistakes? In his talk Never get lost  the art of making difficult decisions, well-known keynote speaker Peter Brandl discussed at this years Viscom Technology Forum how we can establish more clarity and direction in order to actually achieve the goals we have set for ourselves. Brandl noted that many projects take on an incredible dynamic of their own. Discussions center on problems and difficulties, and everything goes around in circles without moving forwards.

Brandl is a consultant, pilot, author, and entrepreneur, and he highlighted various decision-making pitfalls to be avoided. Some examples include entrenched habits or the familiar bubble that happens online in particular, where were soon surrounded only by people who have opinions and attitudes similar to our own. Brandl urged his listeners to be more prepared to take risks and to build teams that bring together various strengths and affinities.

One hotly debated issue that requires clear decisions and rapid action in our current times is the question of which climate strategies are the right ones. Karsten Schischke from the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration offered a fascinating insight into this issue at the Viscom Technology Forum. His talk focused on approaches that can be effectively put into action in companies today, from their own production through to the delivery chain. These considerations should take into account the companys own vehicles, heating using fossil fuels, process emissions, electricity consumption, and upstream and downstream activities. At the same time, Schischke also specifically addressed PCB manufacturing and mentioned related influencing factors such as the number of layers in the product or the energy mix the company uses at its production site.

Both Brandl and Schischke as well as the speakers from Viscom presented their topics in the traditional way, live in front of an audience. In 2021, the Viscom Technology Forum had to be held completely online. It goes without saying that no one involved in the planning could be completely certain that COVID-19 wouldnt put the in-person component of this years hybrid event at risk at the last minute. However, the provisions in place together with appropriate preventive measures made it possible to successfully link this event back to those held in the years prior to the pandemic, and Viscom was able to present a wide range of innovations in front of a large audience of interested attendees.

We showed our best side and can be proud of how weve moved forward. Thats something that becomes particularly clear at an event like this, says Carsten Salewski, Head of Sales, Marketing, and International Business at Viscom.

This years motto was New Horizons in Electronics Production  an Innovative Approach to Automation with Smart Inspection, AI and Process Networking. A corresponding English version of the two-day event was held online directly afterward.

The chosen motto intentionally brings to mind that quality control needs to always stay one step ahead of market requirements in the production of cutting-edge electronics, an area that never stands still. The Viscom Technology Forum responded by offering concrete solutions that open up new horizons. One example is a cleverly designed status monitoring solution for the inspection systems and associated peripheral equipment being used, such as offered by Viscom as part of its modular vConnect platform. This creates the conditions for forward-looking action in keeping with modern predictive maintenance. Central IT management and efficient handling of large quantities of data are other elements in this comprehensive toolbox which was examined from various perspectives during a presentation.

Artificial intelligence is one of many terms that comes up in connection with vConnect. The Viscom Technology Forum 2022 placed a separate focus on this topic. Customers had the chance to discover what AI is capable of on production lines today during one of the workshops on offer. Whether its verifying inspection results or segmenting voids  artificial intelligence can provide production staff with effective support in detecting errors and helps to make their work more flexible. Other topics covered in the wide range of talks, workshops, and meet-the-expert sessions included, for example, the use of ECAD data as the basis for creating inspection programs, 3D layer analyses and volumetric display in the area of manual and automated X-ray imaging, the right way to handle radiation loads in inline X-rays with the help of a special dosing server, ensuring the repeat accuracy of 3D AXI inspection results or rapidly transferring 3D AOI data via the open IPC CFX interface.

The industry itself wasnt the only source of interest in the Viscom Technology Forum. The field of politics was also represented by well- known figures from Germanys Social Democratic Party, with member of the Bundestag and party head Lars Klingbeil, member of the Bundestag Adis Ahmetovic, deputy chairman of the parliamentary group in the state parliament of Lower Saxony Stefan Politze, and president of the Hanover region Steffen Krach making a visit to the event. An intensive discussion focused on various aspects, including where policymakers can provide effective support to companies like Viscom. In addition, a short tour provided a vivid look at Viscoms way of working and the special features of the inspection systems produced by its employees.

Those at the Viscom Technology Forum who were interested in taking a detailed look behind the scenes of the company had the chance to go on an extensive tour that offered an exclusive insight into production and logistics. Items on the agenda included, for example, a visit to the competence center for microfocus X-ray tubes, where a wide range of closely interlinked tasks have been located since June 2019, ranging from development, to production and final approval, and all the way to custom adaptations of the tubes. The center is home to three radiation shielding rooms for conducting fatigue and stress tests on the products. Meanwhile, tailored tours focusing on innovation at Viscom provided a compact look at the current highlights of the 3D SPI, 3D AOI, 3D AXI, 3D MXI, 3D Bond, and CCI inspection technologies. Key information was provided directly at each of the inspection systems in the form of a quick overview.
According to Statista, the number of mobile devices operating worldwide last year stood at almost 15 billion, up from just over 14 billion in the previous year. That figure is expected to reach 18.22 billion by 2025. This seemingly unstoppable growth is driven, in part, by the growth of remote working, as more employees work from home, work only part-time in the office, and are traveling in between.

Statista also points out that improvement in wireless network and increased 5G speeds are driving growth, including the buildouts of more private enterprise 5G networks. In North America, for example, it is expected that there will be 218 million 5G connections, up from 10 million in 2020, equating to around 48 percent of all mobile connections in North America. Globally, this figure should reach 20.1 percent by 2025.

This is good news, except for potential unintended consequences that occur with security breaches, which are also expected to multiply.

In our work-from-everywhere world, organizations need to centrally manage every mobile device in an efficient way, said Nick Heddy, Chief Commerce Officer of Pax8. The MSPs we serve with our B2B Cloud Marketplace are searching with increasing intensity to find the best ways to create frictionless end-user experiences and reduce cyber threats while managing to the lowest Total Cost of Ownership.

Pax8 has been introducing new cloud security solutions, including those which make it possible to monitor, manage and analyze mobile devices, including in businesses with BYOD environments. One of the solutions MSPs are employing via the Pax8 Cloud Marketplace is IBMs (News - Alert) popular Security MaaS360 with Watson, with evolved threat management capabilities, including native, advanced features all built into the product.

Weve proven to hundreds of MSPs and thousands of their customers that they and their end customers can merge efficiency and effectiveness by managing any existing endpoints, including mobile devices, laptops, desktops, wearables, and ruggedized with threat management capabilities, said Clint Adams, head of Product Management for the MaaS360 (News - Alert) platform.

IBM Security MaaS360 with Watson is a trusted enterprise mobility management solution to more than 5,000 customers worldwide  from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses. IBM MaaS360 makes working in a mobile world simple and safe by delivering comprehensive endpoint security and management for applications, documents, emails, and devices.

IBM recently introduced a broad range of new features on the MaaS360 platform and, according to Adams, there was a strong case for the convergence of Endpoint Management and Security Platforms, especially in our work-from-anywhere world, behind the most recent investments in enhancing the platform.

Companies are challenged with multiple endpoint security tools or dashboards that limit the ability of SOC analysts and IT admins to effectively mitigate and deal with threats, Adams explained.

UEM-based Threat Management offers an opportunity to de-silo management and security functions, reducing complexity in the number of endpoint solutions while enhancing integration and aligning risk mitigation approaches.

MaaS360 Threat Management provides a unified view of device, users, threats, and vulnerabilities in one Admin experience that can easily be used by the IT Admin and SOC functions, with a simplified configuration of security policy, and the publishing and deployment of that policy, with no additional agents to deploy, or separate systems to manage, Adams said.

With IBM MaaS360 with Watson, IBMs industry-leading AI engine, MSPs and IT teams leverage augmented threat management capabilities that include centralized policy, plus new detection and responses such as phishing and insider threats.

As part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month every October, experts, including Adams, are taking the opportunity to bring to light the importance of adopting the best technologies and practices that  by necessity  need to be increasingly intelligent and automated.

The platform includes:

Unified Endpoint Management

Provide best-in-class UEM/Modern Management coverage across all endpoints

Enable co-existence with traditional endpoints management tools for laptop/desktop management

Enable support for purpose-built and industry-focused use cases

Expand admin and enable end-user experience management

Expand Device, App, and end-user Analytics and Automation

Comprehensive Endpoint Security

Expand security detection, prevention, and response on mobile endpoints with Threat Management

Expand Security Analytics to enable response based on User and Device risk posture

Enable Zero Trust and XDR use cases via integrations with the IBM Security stack

Since the cyber security landscape is so dynamic, and since dark actors are so well-funded, we added many advanced features recently, the identification of high-value insider threat/zero trust detections, consolidated policy and response definition in a centralized policy context, and an enhanced, full-functioned Security Analytics Dashboard, many levels up from the original Risk Dashboard, Adams said.

The company has also provided API-based integration opportunities.

IBMs work with Zscaler demonstrates the Threat Telemetry Enrichment in the growing realm of ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access), offering Threat Intelligence, Network Threat Detections (Phishing, Anomalies, Data Leak/Exfiltration), Network Gateway (News - Alert) and Access Control/ZTNA, along with Threat API and Threat Telemetry feeds.

MaaS360 can use Zscaler to augment detections and responses and can enrich and correlate telemetry to allow for greater visibility of insider and mobile threats in the enterprise.

Distributors, including Pax8 and the MSPs they support, will benefit from additional features by the end of this year, including MaaS360 Mobile Threat Management Roadmap milestones, including New Detections/Responses, Security Dashboard/Analytics/Integration, and Risk-Based Conditional Access.

Working with cloud marketplace distributors like Pax8, and the MSPs and the customers they serve, we are even more proud of the work we are doing, Adams said. The threats keep coming in volume and velocity, and billions of dollars  if not trillions  are being spent each year by criminal organizations that continue to exfiltrate valuable data, in some cases including private information, or who can hold organizations hostage within minutes to getting into their environment, more and more often through mobile devices. The market is growing because the need is so great, and the stakes are so high.

Edited by Erik Linask
CKCU and the Ottawa International Writers Festival present: Writers Festival Radio! Poet and playwright David OMeara sits down with two-time Governor Generals Literary Award winner and 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize nominee Jordan Tannahill to discuss The Listeners, a propulsive literary page-turner about a family torn apart by a mothers obsession with a sound that no one else can hear. One night, while lying in bed next to her husband, Claire Devon suddenly hears a low hum. This innocuous sound, which no one else in the house can hear, has no obvious source or medical cause, but it begins to upset the balance of Claires life. When she discovers that one of her students can also hear the hum, the two strike up an unlikely and intimate friendship. Finding themselves increasingly isolated from their families and colleagues, they fall in with a disparate group of people who also perceive the sound. What starts out as a kind of neighbourhood self-help group gradually transforms into something much more extreme, with far-reaching, devastating consequences.

Royal Boost

Sandy Crawley - Dancing Alone - Dancing Alone Kellylee Evans

Merry Go Round - Dancing Alone - Dancing Alone Frankly Stoned

Suzie Vinnick - Dancing Alone - Dancing Alone Alison

Neville Wells - Dancing Alone - Dancing Alone Worry Worry

Mike Evin - Dancing Alone - Dancing Alone
OMAHA -- A 27-year-old Omaha man charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the slayings of his grandmother and great-grandmother has been booked into the Douglas County Jail.

Gage Walter, who was extradited from Des Moines on Tuesday, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Marceline Teeters, 93, and her daughter, Linda Walter, 70. He also is charged with three counts of use of a deadly weapon (not a firearm) to commit a felony and one count of attempted first-degree murder.

Walter was arrested Aug. 14 in Winterset, Iowa, after being pursued there in a stolen vehicle by West Des Moines police. Walter had been driving a PT Cruiser taken from the homicide scene, an Omaha police spokesman said.

A spokesman for the West Des Moines Police Department said the PT Cruiser had been spotted in West Des Moines, and officers pursued it to a church in Winterset, where police said Walter barricaded himself inside before surrendering about an hour later. Walter was charged with eluding and burglary in that case, but Iowa prosecutors dismissed those charges to allow for his extradition to Omaha from the Polk County Jail.

Brenda Beadle, the chief deputy in the Douglas County Attorneys Office, said Walter fought his extradition. He was ordered returned to Omaha following an extradition hearing Monday in Polk County, she said.

We had to get a governors warrant (for Walters return) because his attorney fought it, Beadle said. We have 90 days, but we wanted to get him back here as soon as possible.

The two women were found dead Aug. 13 inside their home at 1610 Frederick St. Omaha police said a disturbance had occurred, with someone yelling outside the home, which led a third party to make the 911 call.

Chris Walter, Walters father, said his son is mentally ill and has a long history of drug use. Gage Walter was released from the Sarpy County Jail about three weeks before his grandmother and great-grandmother were killed despite his fathers warnings to authorities that his son was a danger to the community.

I told his attorney that (Gage) is going to hurt someone, Chris Walter said following his sons arrest. Then he attacked and killed the two people who loved him the most in this world. I didnt know he was going to hurt them, but I knew it would be someone.

Tuesday, Chris Walter said the family will be following the case throughout the court system.

We are happy there is progress with Gages case, he said. We want justice to be served so we can move on with our lives and the family can start to heal.
A proposal to once again livestream meetings of the Mechanicsburg Area School Board is under consideration for possible implementation later this year.

At a school board meeting Tuesday night district officials presented draft revisions to existing district Policy 006  Meetings that would authorize the district to post upcoming school board meetings online through a public livestream.

The board was both appreciative and supportive of the proposal for livestreaming, Greg Longwell, the districts director of business operations/CFO, told The Sentinel Wednesday. Our district has explored livestreaming in an effort to reach a wider audience, which will allow greater access to view meetings of the school board for the benefit of our families and community.

The district originally livestreamed board meetings early in the pandemic, but resumed in-person meetings later that year as COVID-19 case numbers initially declined and vaccines became available.

District officials began experimenting with technology options for livestreaming meetings earlier this year and initiated a practice session when school directors met Tuesday. Although Tuesdays meeting wasnt actually posted live or made available to the public, the recording was distributed for school board members consideration.

The school board is expected to vote Nov. 8 on the proposed revisions allowing meeting livestreams, with possible implementation in December.

Substitutes

Also Tuesday, district administrators updated school directors on staffing that focused on substitute teachers.

We are continuing to work to increase the number of available substitute teachers, Longwell said this week. We recognize that this is an issue for many school districts. We have analyzed the daily rate being paid to substitute teachers and feel we need to make additional adjustments to our compensation model.

The district proposes to raise its pay rate for regular substitutes up to $150 per day. Currently, substitutes working in the district could earn up $121 per date, a rate first set in place prior to the pandemic.

The school board is expected to vote on that proposal within the next several weeks.

Pandemic grants

In other news, the school board received an update Tuesday from Jason Baker, the districts director of organizational development secondary, about pandemic-related federal and state grants the district is receiving on a short-term basis for the 2022-23 school year.

So far this year, the district has been awarded $3,492,740 from American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, a provision the district also was granted for the 2021-22 school year.

For the current school year, the district is continuing to work with staff and administration to earmark these funds for supplies, services and staff directed toward supporting students needs as determined by evidence collected throughout these next few years, Baker said.

Also for COVID-19, the district will receive an Act 24 Learning Loss grant this year for $191,963 for students social and emotional learning, mental health support, reading support and other programs supporting student achievement. The district received a similar amount in 2021-22, when it was considered a one-time distribution.

The district also will receive this year $38,781 in Act 24 funds earmarked for staffing and supplies for after-school programs. Another Act 24 allotment this year for $50,497 will be directed toward salaries of the districts professional and paraprofessional staff. The district also received Act 24 grants for these purposes in 2021-22.

The district is slated to receive an ARPHomeless grant for $18,474 this year for transporting homeless students to and from programs that assist with their growth and achievement. The grant also is intended to help provide those students with internet access throughout the school year. The district first received this grant from the federal government in 2021-22.

Finally, the district was awarded a first-time PCCDMental Health grant this year for $167,321 to fund contracted services for student needs. A first-time PCCDPhysical Security grant also was awarded to the district this year to provide safety improvements as identified on PCCDs list of possible items in coordination with our building needs, Baker said.

PCCD grants are funded through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The organization said the grants are intended to initiate, validate and make financial investments in programs that demonstrates promise in improving outcomes related to the agencys mission and strategic priorities.
In what has become an annual ritual, Pittsburghs Jewish community Thursday honored the memory of the 11 Jews who were murdered on that date in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.

For many community leaders, their grief is mixed with dismay over the continued and growing incidents of antisemitism in the United States and beyond.

That included the widely publicized comments of Ye, the rap superstar formerly known as Kanye West, who voiced antisemitic stereotypes in interviews and social media, including a tweet that he would soon go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.

It is horribly sad that this week as our community tries to remember and heal, we are retraumatized with antisemitism once again making the headlines, said a statement from Laura Cherner, director of the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

It is horrifying to see someone with such large platform casually espouse antisemitic conspiracy theories with such conviction and little regard for the violent impact his words may have, she said.

Thursdays ceremony, held outdoors in Pittsburghs Schenley Park on a balmy autumn afternoon, was marked by music, prayers in Hebrew and English, and candle-lighting.

Despite concerns over rising antisemitism, participants said afterward they were focused on remembering the victims and what they stood for in being martyred during worship.

Were not defined by the people who would do us harm, said Lauren Bairnsfather, director of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh and one of the events speakers. Were defined by our culture and tradition and the way we treat people. Remembrance is a strong part of it. I feel rising in me the strong commitment to live a Jewish life.

Audrey Glickman, a survivor of the attack, agreed. As troubling as comments like Yes are, at least now its out in front, she said. People can see it, and people are saying, That isnt good, instead of it being underground.

The Anti-Defamation League recorded 2,717 incidents of harassment, vandalism or violence targeting Jews in 2021  the highest annual total since it began tracking these incidents in 1979.

We dont see any meaningful decrease in 2022, said Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADLs CEO.

Words often lead to action, he said. Theres a reason thats so worrying to a community that was worrying before.

The concern also has risen after former President Donald Trump stated on his social media platform that U.S. Jews need to get their act together and show appreciation for Israel before its too late. Trump said American Jewish voters, most of whom voted for his opponents, failed to appreciate what he has done for Israel.

Jewish advocates say that builds on antisemitic tropes that Jewish loyalties belong more to Israel than the U.S., with Greenblatt saying Trumps too late phrase sounds like a threat in an environment where Jews already feel threatened.

Antisemitism is also on the mind of top political leaders, including President Joe Biden.

In a statement, he mourned the attack: We stand with the community of Squirrel Hill  and Jewish communities across America and around the world  in resolving to combat antisemitism and hate in all of its forms. This is especially true as we witness an ugly increase in antisemitism in America.

The Tree of Life shootings claimed the lives of 11 worshippers from the host congregation and two other congregations worshipping in its building, Dor Hadash and New Light.

It was followed by deadly attacks at a synagogue in California, a kosher market in New Jersey and a Hanukkah house party in New York, and by a hostage standoff at a Texas synagogue  each committed by assailants who targeted Jews, authorities said.

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said Yes words come amid a rise in antisemitism from the right and the left and pretty much across the spectrum.

The increase is in not only rhetoric, but in physical attacks on Jews and the Jewish community, he said.

A federal judge has set an April trial date for Robert Bowers, who faces more than 60 federal charges related to the Tree of Life massacre, including alleged hate crimes. He has pleaded not guilty. He could face the death penalty.

The three targeted congregations are now meeting in neighboring synagogues. A new Tree of Life nonprofit organization is raising funds toward renovating the now-shuttered synagogue as a complex that would house a sanctuary, museum, memorial and center for fighting antisemitism.

Jacobs applauded the move by apparel company Adidas to cut its sponsorship ties with Ye, though he said that is just a start

To have someone like Kanye West spewing out the hate, the vitriol and the really pure form of anti-Semitism is extraordinarily impactful and painful and needs to have strong responses, Jacobs said.

Cherner, of the Pittsburgh Jewish federation, said vigilance against antisemitism must be constant.

The Jewish community fears that after a handful of non-Jewish celebrities speak out with a generic statement about condemning antisemitism, we will never hear from them on the topic again, she said. The community is tired of saying Never again when antisemitism continues to be on the rise and Jews continue to be targets of conspiracy theories and violence.

Holly Huffnagle, U.S. director for combating antisemitism at the American Jewish Committee, said it was Yes death con tweet where everyone woke up.

But Ye had gotten by with much less controversy after making numerous other troubling comments, she said, such as associating Jews with greed and secret power.

Ye also seems to draw on claims that have circulated in some Black nationalist circles, that Black people rather than modern Ashkenazi Jews are the true descendants of Israel, Huffnagle said. The attackers of the New Jersey kosher market shared that ideology, she said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) will campaign alongside New York Republican gubernatorial hopeful, Rep. Lee Zeldin, over the weekend, marking his latest political foray outside his home state amid speculation of a 2024 presidential bid.

DeSantis, whos facing reelection himself in less than two weeks, will join Zeldin at a get-out-the-vote rally on Long Island on Saturday, Zeldins campaign announced.

The visit from the high-profile Florida governor and conservative superstar comes amid signs of momentum for Zeldin, a four-term congressman and staunch ally of former President Trump who has hammered Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul over the economy and crime.

With less than two weeks to go before Election Day, Democrats have mounted an eleventh-hour effort to boost Hochul, pouring millions of dollars into advertising in the state.

But Republicans are also racing to provide air cover to Zeldin. DeSantis is among the most popular Republicans in the country and his planned appearance with Zeldin could help energize conservatives in the final days of campaigning.

DeSantis is also seen as a potential contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and has sought to boost his own profile by campaigning for GOP candidates across the country. He stumped for Nevada Senate candidate Adam Laxalt earlier this year, and launched a late-summer tour that brought him to key battleground states like Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Zeldin is set to appear with another prominent Republican, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, on Monday for another get-out-the-vote rally in Westchester, N.Y.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Chuck Schumer was caught on a hot mic dishing about Democrats' chances of holding the Senate.

Schumer was overheard telling Biden that Georgia looks increasingly bad for the party.

The New Yorker did say that Democrats may have reason to hope in Nevada.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was caught on a hot mic on Thursday telling President Joe Biden that things were "going downhill" in the Georgia Senate race with less than two weeks to go before the midterm elections.

"The state where we're going downhill is Georgia," Schumer said of Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock's highly charged reelection bid. "It's hard to believe that they will go for Herschel Walker."

Schumer's candid evaluation was caught while he and Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York were huddling with the president in Syracuse, New York, where the president was touting his party's economic plan. Warnock, who remains pastor of the legendary Ebenezer Baptist Church, has struggled to sew up his reelection against former Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker, a Trump-backed challenger. According to FiveThirtyEight's weighted polling average, Walker is improving as Warnock clings to a narrow lead.

The top Senate Democrat was also overheard telling Biden that Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman's shaky debate performance "didn't hurt us too much." Fetterman is trying to flip a seat against former TV doctor Mehmet Oz, but the race has grown tighter as Oz's campaign assails Fetterman's health in the wake of his stroke in May. Fetterman was open during the debate about how he might struggle due to his ongoing recovery, which is exactly what occurred.

Schumer also said the party is "picking up steam" in Nevada where Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto has looked increasingly vulnerable to former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt's challenge.

Story continues

Pundits view the Senate majority as too close to call even as they have increased the projected number of Republican House seats well past the number needed to flip that chamber. It is possible that the longest evenly split Senate in history could stretch into a new Congress in January.

Asked about the comments a spokesperson for Schumer emphasized the party's optimism.

"Schumer believes the Democratic candidates will win," Justin Goodmnan, a Schumer spokesperson, said in a statement.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A Florida father is suing his sons school district after two LGBTQ pride flags were hung in one of his seventh-grade childs classrooms, alleging that the school district violated the states Parents Bill of Rights, a new Florida education law banning classroom discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The father, Francisco Deliu of West Palm Beach, Fla., claimed in a complaint filed earlier this month that his 12-year-old sons computer science teacher, Rachel Raos, tried to indoctrinate her students at Emerald Cove Middle School by displaying LGBTQ pride flags and promoting homosexual lifestyles.

The Oct. 12 complaint named Raos, Emerald Cove Principal Dr. Eugina Smith-Freeman and the Palm Beach County school board as defendants.

According to the complaint, Delius son on Sept. 16 told his parents that Raos had hung two rainbow pride flags in her classroom and attempted to impose her own belief system on her students by using a search engine to find websites about LGBTQ identities and issues.

Deliu in the lawsuit condemned Raoss actions, which he said do not align with his familys Christian-Orthodox faith, which considers homosexuality to be a sin.

I felt that was improper because I dont send my child to that school to be taught homosexuality and taught gay pride, Deliu told NBC-affiliate WPTV in West Palm Beach this week. I thought we sent children to school to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic.

The Hill has reached out to the Palm Beach County school district for comment. In a statement to Fox News, the district said it does not typically comment on pending litigation, however, we look forward to the facts in this case unfolding during the process.

Delius argument echoes those made by dozens of state GOP political leaders this year while a controversial education bill  known to its critics as the Dont Say Gay bill  moved through the Florida legislature.

Story continues

The bill, which was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in March and officially took effect in July, prohibits kindergarten through third grade teachers from engaging in classroom instruction related to sexual orientation or gender identity.

The law bars public school educators through high school from addressing either topic in a manner that is not age appropriate for their students, and parents under the new law have the authority to sue school districts they believe to be in violation.

Deliu in his lawsuit accused Raos and Emerald Cove of attempting to mold his childs mind without his consent. His son has been removed from Raoss computer science class, according to the complaint, and placed in an art class, which Deliu claims is hindering his sons education and professional aspirations.

Deliu told WPTV that he intends to amend his lawsuit to include another of his sons teachers who hung a pride flag in their classroom. His son has also been removed from that class, according to WPTV.

According to the complaint, Deliu wishes to teach his child about homosexual lifestyle choices not in the public school system but instead at home.

Deliu argues that he is guaranteed that right under Floridas Parents Bill of Rights, established under a law passed last year that gives parents the right to direct the education of their minor children, as well as their moral or religious training.

Deliu is seeking a jury trial and is asking the court to declare Raoss attempt to proselytize students at Emerald Cove illegal. He is also seeking a written apology from Raos and Smith-Freeman to be published on the school districts website.

A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 1.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The University of Florida Faculty Senate approved a no-confidence resolution Thursday on the selection process to appoint US Sen. Ben Sasse as the next president, officials said.

The 67 to 15 vote comes after Sasse, a Republican senator from Nebraska, became the only person considered for the high-ranking position at one of Floridas largest universities. His candidacy sparked controversy on campus partially due to his 2015 comments on LGBTQ+ rights after the US Supreme Court ruled to guarantee same-sex marriage at the federal level.

When pressed about the comments during an on-campus forum earlier this month, Sasse said the decision was the law of the land, adding that it wasnt going to change in the near future, The Independent Florida Alligator reported.

When asked about promoting diversity at the university, Sasse said, I want us to figure it out by listening to our community and our conversation, who is not feeling included and how do we tackle those problems and reduce those barriers, according to the Alligator.

Following the high courts landmark decision on same-sex marriage, Sasse took the stance that only a man and a woman should get married and create a family.

The Supreme Court once again overstepped its Constitutional role by acting as a super-legislature and imposing its own definition of marriage on the American people rather than allowing voters to decide in the states, Sasse said in a June 2015 statement that remains on his official government website.

The emergency meeting Thursday included an extensive discussion on the selection process for president, including requests for more clarity on the process. Ultimately, the faculty senate voted to approve the no-confidence resolution.

The vote is symbolic and will not impact the UF Board of Trustees final vote scheduled for November 1. The university has said it will enforce its rule to not allow protests inside the buildings on campus.

CNN reached out to Sasses office for comment.

Story continues

Selection process scrutinized

Members of the faculty senate also heard from three faculty members who served on the Board of Trustees selection committee that unanimously supported Sasses appointment.

Dr. Lisa Lundy, a professor with the School of Agricultural Education and Communication, served on the search committee and explained how Sasse became the sole candidate when other candidates decided they didnt want to be named publicly unless they were the sole finalist.

I think the situation was that all of the candidates were in positions that they felt could be compromised if people found that they were in the running for another job, Lundy said.

At least one attendee asked if the LGBTQ+ community came up in the interview discussions with Sasse.

Dr. David Bloom, another member of the selection committee, said that was the first question that he asked Sasse.

According to Bloom, Sasse said he was supporting his constituency in Nebraska, but he would be supporting the constituency of the faculty, staff, the students at UF if he were to become president. Bloom added that he felt the responses were genuine.

After the discussion, many expressed a desire for more transparency in the selection process, acknowledging that a new state law creates a challenge in disclosing the identities of the applicants throughout the selection process.

Before his election to the US Senate in 2014, Sasse was president of Midland University, a Lutheran liberal arts school in Nebraska with an enrollment of about 1,600.

Earlier this month, a source told CNN that Sasse would resign by the end of the year to take on the role at the Florida university.

CNNs Amanda Musa, Jennifer Henderson and David Williams contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The Downtown Park Hills Association (DPHA) will hold its 17th annual Trunk N Treat on the evening of Halloween on West Main Street.

The family-oriented event is a free and safe way to celebrate Halloween in Downtown Park Hills and typically draws about a thousand trick-or-treaters every year.

This Halloween, the DPHA's Trunk N Treat is set to be the largest yet, with 32 treat sponsors and three additional bonus sites downtown.

From 5 to 6:30 p.m., Trunk N Treaters will line up in Municipal Parking A between RaeCole's Coffee Bar and the All Occasions Reception Hall.The line begins at the municipal parking lot, moving down one side of Main Street's 300 block between Community Drive and Coffman Street, then back up the other side.

The bonus sites will be at the Park Hills Fire Station across from City Hall, inside The Magic Shop at 323 W. Main St., and inside Main Street Grow Supply at 101 W. Main St.

Sections of the streets around the Trunk N Treat, including Municipal Drive and Main Street, will be closed to vehicle traffic during the event, allowing the participating businesses and organizations to space out in the parking spots along the block as they hand out candy.

DPHA Secretary Tammi Coleman said this year had surpassed all others in size as a total of 35 sponsors are registered to participate this year. There were about 28 treat sponsors at the event last year.

"[Trunk N Treat] is growing tremendously, by leaps and bounds," said Coleman. "It's wonderful. Just like everything else the Downtown Park Hills Association has been doing, it's just growing and growing! People are really wanting to get involved, and I love it."

Coleman said the Best Dressed Vehicle Contest is happening again among the treat sponsors this year. The decoration competition gives the sponsors a chance to win a $50 cash prize by decorating their vehicles, with the best dressed taking home the prize.

Trunk N' Treat treat sponsors this year include the Park Hills-Leadington Chamber of Commerce; the City of Park Hills; Culligan Water; Hulsey Properties; Ridge Events LLC; Not Just Comix; RaeCole's Coffee Bar; The Slauterhouse Craft Parlour; First Baptist Church in Park Hills; Poppy's Playhouse 2; Scoops on Main; Pharmax Pharmacy; First State Community Bank; Sideshow Tattoo and Piercings; Unico Bank; Hart of the Wash LLC; Check Into Cash; Prairie Farms; Proffer Produce; Cheyenne Spurgin Photography; First United Methodist Church; Patricia's Bouncing Bunnies, LLC; StayFit Personal Training; Connections Church; Leadbelt Pump and Supply; Flooring Systems Inc.; Gary G. Matheny Attorney at Law; Southeast Missouri Credit Union; CHS National Honor Society; Candy Horton; and LifeNet 2-4 Farmington.

For more information, visit the event's Facebook page: "Trunk N Treat Park Hills."
The City of Desloge recently selected a new alderman to fill the vacant spot on the Desloge Board of Aldermen following the resignation of Ward 3 Alderman Terry Cole. Travis Crews has been named as the new alderman for the ward after a 4-1 vote.

Desloge Mayor David Shaw said Crews came highly recommended, and has civic expertise as he has been on the Desloge Planning and Zoning Committee for the last several years. Crews with Pete Pasternak are the aldermen for Ward 3.

Cole had been serving Ward 3 since April 2021, but was charged early October with felony invasion of privacy and felony stealing. He resigned from the board ahead of the October meeting.

Crews has lived in the city for a good portion of his life. His parents moved to the area when Crews was about 7 or 8 years old. While he had briefly lived outside of the city, the majority of it has been spent living in Desloge. Crews father taught at UniTec, while his mother taught at the high school as a business teacher.

Both of Crews daughters graduated from the North County school district.

Currently, Crews is working at the Farmington Correctional Center as the deputy warden of Offender Management. Previously, he has worked at Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Potosi Correctional Center, and Missouri Eastern Correctional Center in Pacific. Overall, Crews has worked 25 and a half years in the correctional field.

This kind of happened quick, so as far as plans for the ward I dont really know yet, said Crews. Ill get in there and see what the pressing issues are. Im going to be in communication with the mayor and the board.

Having been on Planning and Zoning though, Crews knows some of what the citys plans are regarding commercial issues.

Along with being on Planning and Zoning, Crews is also on the Southeast Missouri Family Violence Council, which has the shelter north of Bonne Terre.

Being involved in civic government is not new to Crews. Crews father and grandfather had been involved. His father had been an alderman for the city of Desloge, and his grandfather had been an alderman for Esther before the consolidation, and then an alderman for Park Hills after.

The next Desloge Board of Aldermen meeting is set for Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at Desloge City Hall and meetings are open to the public. City hall will be closed on Nov. 11 for Veterans Day, as well as Nov. 24-25 for the Thanksgiving holiday.
An Arizona nonprofit representing a group of Albemarle County parents has filed an appeal of a county court ruling that dismissed a lawsuit challenging the county school divisions anti-racism program.

The Alliance Defending Freedom on Thursday filed with the Virginia Court of Appeals in the Ibanez v. Albemarle County School Board.

The alliance last year filed the lawsuit on behalf of five families who claim the school division violated their civil rights, including freedom of speech and freedom from religious and viewpoint discrimination, when it implemented the anti-racism policy it adopted in 2019. The families children attend schools in the county districts western feeder pattern.

The lawsuit alleged that the school divisions anti-racism policy discriminated against students and created a culture of hostility in schools.

Circuit Judge Claude Worrell dismissed the case with prejudice in April, meaning that the complaints cant be refiled in the circuit court. Worrell said his order was in line with how he would rule during the case.

In the appeal, the attorneys for the families ask the Court of Appeals to grant a preliminary injunctions pressing pause on in-classroom practices implemented under the policy. They also claim that the policy overtly discriminates based on race and religion, compels speech from one viewpoint and violates parents fundamental right to direct their childrens education and upbringing.

Parents have the fundamental right to know what their kids are being taught in public schools and to protect them from policies and curriculum that compel them to accept harmful ideologies, said ADF senior counsel Kate Anderson, in a prepared statement.

Public schools cant demean or divide students based on their race, religion, or ethnicity, but that is exactly what the Albemarle County School Board is doing. We urge the court to take a hard look at the school boards discriminatory policy and consider these families challenge to it, Anderson said.

School officials had not seen the filing on Friday.

The school board in April argued the lawsuit should be dismissed because the plaintiffs lack standing to sue and failed to show how they were discriminated against or harmed. Additionally, the provisions of the Constitution of Virginia that the plaintiffs allege the School Board violated cannot be enforced without an underlying statute, according to the School Boards attorneys.

At the April hearing, Worrell agreed. He said that although the policy in question is not perfect, the case laid out in the lawsuit was not strong enough to continue.

The law doesnt support you, he told the attorneys representing the plaintiffs.

Worrell ruled that the plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit lacked standing to bring their claims to court and didnt state a cause of action under Virginia law that allowed them to bring the case to court. The plaintiffs objected to the order, according to the filing.

The complaint was largely based on anti-racism lessons piloted at Henley Middle School that focused on bias, race, identity, culture and empathy through readings, activities and question prompts.
Insignia Capital Group will sell its majority interest in Woolen Mills-headquartered app creator WillowTree to TELUS International for $1.225 billion, officials announced Thursday.

The deal is anticipated to close in January and is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

New owner TELUS International designs, builds and delivers generation digital solutions to enhance customer experience, including artificial intelligence applications.

WillowTree was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Albemarle County. The company provides beginning-to-end marketing services from strategy, design and development. Its roster of clients includes Fortune 500 companies in telecommunications and media, healthcare and life sciences, financial services, and technology and software.

Insignia Capital Group invested in WillowTree in 2018. Since then, the company has quadrupled revenue and grown from locations in Virginia and North Carolina to 13 offices and studios across three continents.

WillowTree and Insignia made significant investments in their own organization and bought several companies that allowed them to increase their scope and reach.

The moves accelerated the companys growth and strengthened its market positioning.

In 2019 WillowTree and Insignia acquired Dynamit Technologies, of Ohio, a move that combined the local companys expertise in mobile, voice and user experience software with Dynamits similar expertise in business applications.

The acquisition gave WillowTree an estimated 500 employees with offices in Columbus, Ohio; Durham, North Carolina; and Brooklyn, New York.

The combined company continued designing front-end applications for companies and expanded applications in financial services, media, utilities, hospitality and employee-facing mobile and web applications.

WillowTree is a leader in media delivery, loyalty programs, payments and connected devices and works with clients that have included Synchrony Financial, 21st Century Fox, PepsiCo, American Express, Regal Cinemas and National Geographic.

Dynamits focus was on serving clients in hospitality, restaurants, technology and public utilities.

It has been an honor to partner with the world-class team at WillowTree during a period of transformative growth over the last four years. Managements execution of the strategic plan we envisioned at the outset of our partnership has been truly exceptional, said Tony Broglio, Partner at Insignia Capital Group.

The team at Insignia were outstanding partners during a critical period of explosive growth, and we are grateful for their insight, support, and commitment to our vision, said Tobias Dengel, CEO of WillowTree. We believe the best is yet to come for WillowTree, and were excited to execute on the major opportunities ahead with TELUS International.

Canaccord Genuity served as exclusive financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Davis & Gilbert LLP served as legal counsel to Insignia Capital and WillowTree.
Oregon voters will decide in Measure 113 whether lawmakers should be barred from seeking reelection if they have 10 or more unexcused absences during a session.

The proposed constitutional amendment has no opposing statements filed in the state voters pamphlet.

The measure is intended to deter walkouts like those by Republicans in the past three years. But it could come back to hurt Democrats the next time their party is in the minority in the Oregon House or Senate.

Unlike in many state legislative chambers or the U.S. Congress, where only simple majorities are required to conduct any business, the Oregon Constitution sets the presence of a two-thirds majority  40 of 60 in the House and 20 of 30 in the Senate  for either chamber to reach a quorum.

The two-thirds requirement holds even though simple majorities of both chambers can call themselves into a special session, which is usually done by the governor. Its been invoked only twice since voters approved that authority in 1976.

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A coalition led by public employee unions, which normally side with Democrats, settled on this measure and qualified it by petition for the Nov. 8 ballot. One of the alternatives would have set the quorum at a simple majority in each chamber.

Supporters say this measure is easier to explain to voters than proposing a change in the quorum.

If I didnt show up to work, or if I made it impossible for other people to do their jobs, I would lose my job, Andrea Kennedy-Smith, a welfare worker from McMinnville, said last year when she as a chief petitioner launched the petition drive.

The measure applies to floor sessions, when the full House and Senate meet to consider bills and other actions. It does not apply to committee hearings or meetings. House and Senate rules can define what is an unexcused absence, which now is determined by the House speaker or Senate president after a member files paperwork with the chamber staff.

The ban on seeking reelection applies only to the next available election held every two years. (Senators serve four-year terms.)

Recent GOP walkouts

While there were notable walkouts by Senate Democrats in 1971 and House Democrats in 2001, the political impetus for Measure 113 resulted from walkouts by Republicans in 2019, 2020, and briefly, 2021.

Senate Republicans walked out in 2019 to stall a vote on a proposed corporate activity tax, proceeds from which are earmarked for targeted school improvements. The vote went ahead after majority Democrats shelved some of their other legislative priorities for the session  among them were requirements for gun storage and a tightening of exemptions from vaccinations  and the Student Success Act passed despite Republican opposition.

Senate Republicans walked out in 2019, and Senate and House Republicans did so in 2020, to stall votes on proposed climate-change legislation. Senate Republicans returned in 2019 after Democrats announced they did not have to votes to pass it. But in 2020, the walkouts in both chambers prompted Democrats to shut down that session a few days before the deadline  and blocked action on a host of bills, not just climate change, plus end-of-session changes to the state budget.

Democratic Gov. Kate Brown then issued an executive order for the Environmental Quality Commission to come up with a plan to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. The commission did so in December 2021, though opponents have sued in the Oregon Court of Appeals on grounds that the plan requires legislation.

Senate Republicans walked out again in 2021, but only for a single day  and it was in protest of some of Browns executive orders during the coronavirus pandemic. House Republicans did not, because House rules adopted by the majority Democrats at the start of the session imposed daily fines of $500 for unexcused absences by members.

Democrats in the past

Democratic legislators have used the walkout to thwart proposed actions they opposed, but not as recently or as often as Republicans.

House Democrats walked out for five days in 2001, when the Republican majority attempted to pass redistricting plans via resolution, which is not subject to a veto by the governor. Democrats returned after Senate leaders from both parties said they would have nothing to do with the Houses proposed action.

Both chambers, then controlled by Republicans, passed redistricting plans in regular bills that were vetoed by Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber.

The Supreme Court ruled later in the year, when it largely upheld a legislative redistricting plan drawn up by Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, that legislators could not enact a redistricting plan via resolution, only through the normal process of legislation.

Lawmakers had done so back in 1981, when they approved a congressional redistricting that resulted in Oregons fifth seat in the U.S. House and a legislative redistricting that resulted in one Senate district going without a senator for two years. (The Supreme Court ordered the secretary of state to correct that omission, and voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1986 to prevent it from happening again.)

In 1971, during a fight over whether 18-year-olds should be allowed to vote in state elections, Senate Democrats walked out to block an attempt to undo the legislation. They hid at the home of a senator from Salem.

Advocates seized their chance to pass the bill when the Senate president became acting governor in the absence of Tom McCall, who was out of state, and could not preside over the Senate. (The line of succession changed in 1972  the secretary of state is now next in line  and the governor remains governor during out-of-state travels.)

The Senate president was one of two Democrats who joined 14 Republicans in what became the most recent coalition to run the Senate. The coalition lasted from 1957 through 1972.

The legislation eventually passed the Republican controlled House, just before ratification of the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which set the national voting age at 18 and settled the issue.
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Less than a week after the merger of Thai operators True Corp and Total Access Communication (DTAC) got the go-ahead, Norway's Telenor, which owns DTAC, has asked for clarification from regulator the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) on the conditions it has imposed.

The deal between DTAC and rival True Corporation, which is said to be worth some $8.6 billion, had been held up over competition concerns since it was announced in November 2021.

That's not too surprising. True and DTAC have 34% and 21% of mobile subscribers, which means that the new company would have well over 50% of mobile subscribers, overtaking AIS which controls 44% of the Thai market.

Conditions imposed last week by NBTC include a price ceiling and price controls. As we reported at the time, other conditions include independent verification of operator cost structure and service fees for a minimum of five years. The NBTC also added that voice, data and message rates have to be shown separately and based on average cost pricing.

Telenor will need to comply with the NBTC demands if it chooses to complete the merger. Hence, presumably, the company's request for more detail. As Reuters reports, Telenors chief executive Sigve Brekke says: "We need now to understand what these conditions really mean.
Venezuelas telecoms sector has not been flush with positive developments of late  the countrys economy has been in a downward spiral for well over five years now, and this has caused a staggering decline in a sector that had seen average to strong growth up until around 2015.

As observed by BuddeComm analyst Henry Lancaster, Venezuelas fixed-line teledensity was relatively high for the region up until this point, but has fallen dramatically to a low of around 17.3% in 2021. The countrys broader economic woes have left millions unable to afford even basics such as food, water and gasoline. In this context, even communications become a luxury, leading many customers to cancel fixed line and mobile services. Lancaster notes that mobile subscriptions fell by an estimated 2.4% year-on-year in 2020, and growth is not expected to return until 2023.

As reported by CFR.org, Venezuelas economic woes have been ongoing since around 2014. At that time, a barrel of oil was priced at around US$100  but by early 2016, this had dropped to US$30. Oil sales account for 99% of Venezuelas export earnings and approximately a quarter of the countrys gross domestic product, but investment in oil production has been flagging for years  and the pandemic saw output sink to its lowest level since 1945. Although it has recovered slightly since, predictions vary on whether Venezuelas economy will continue its downward trajectory in 2022.

Obtaining accurate information about Venezuelas telecoms sector over the past two years has been extremely challenging, as noted by Omdias Sonia Agnese. The Latin America-focused analyst told us: it is difficult even to understandthe real status of the market, since the regulator Conatel has not published telecommunication statistics since 2020. However, many of the factors that are hindering the sectors development have been present since long before the pandemic.

The most obvious of these is the price cap on operator services, which have impacted operator revenue  and therefore investment. In an interview with BNAmericas earlier this year, Pedro Marin, president of local operators association Casetel, said that tariffs were 25 to 30 times lower than in other markets in the region  and had been for several years. While some increases have been authorised, he said that these were not enough to operators to even cover costs, let alone plan for further investment.

Marin noted that Venezuelas government  headed by President Nicolas Maduro  has relaxed price caps in the broadband sector and there are hopes that the mobile sector could be next. He claimed that change was afoot, with signs that the government was abandoning political dogma in favour of pragmatism as it realised the need for growth. However, Marin cautioned that demand for internet still vastly outstrips supply; while Conatel has not released official statistics for two years, unofficial figures indicate that over 40% of Venezuelans have no internet access.

Lancasters analysis loosely corroborates this; he notes that state incumbent DSL provider CANTV has very low revenue and virtually no competition, giving it very little incentive to invest. Meanwhile, private companies have nowhere near the funds required to boost their internet coverage. Infrastructure issues are a major factor here; Lancaster describes the Venezuelas fixed networks as being in a decrepit state, with international sanctions making it difficult for providers to import any new equipment from foreign vendors. Indeed, Marin stated that there had been no significant investment in 11-15 years.

The mood of desperation in Venezuela is such that despite the decrepitude of its fixed infrastructure, theft of equipment is so widespread that it is often economically unviable for companies to address the issue. Operators largely do not have the funds to replace stolen batteries and cables, so affected sites are typically left out of commission, no longer able to service their coverage area. This impacts revenue from the sector and makes it virtually impossible for operators to form investment strategies to improve their networks.

Such strategies will be contingent on stability, and it is evident that Venezuela is still a long way from this, says Agnese. Investing in fixed and wireless networks involves large sunk costs and long payback periods; therefore, prospective investors seek certainty and clarity over the legal and regulatory landscapeThe Venezuela political and economic situation is still very delicate, and it would take a long time to have the market conditions required for private investment to return to the country. Venezuela is in the 188th position in the World Banks Doing Business Ranking out of 190, which shows the magnitude of changes required to attract international investments again.

If there is a glimmer of hope, it is from a highly improbable source  Russias invasion of Ukraine, which has seen Europe scramble to find alternative sources of crude oil as it seeks to reduce its dependence on Russian imports. While the US imposed oil sanctions on Venezuela in 2019, news agency Reuters reported in May 2022 that the US State Department had authorised Italys Eni and Spains Repsol to resume imports from Venezuela, in a move that will help the Latin American country take steps towards relieving its vast debt burden.

However, there is a long way to go to rectify the damage  and the countrys economy will need to stabilise before further investment can take place. Agnese concludes: It is true that Venezuela has been showing more positive economic signs in the last months, mainly due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict that indirectly impacted positively in Venezuelas economy [However] these recent changes are not enough to plan a telecommunication investment.
The Digital Poland Association (Cyfrowa Polska) has called on the countrys government to license 3.5GHz C-band spectrum for 5G use as soon as possible.

TeleGeography reports that Polands planned licensing process for 3.5GHz spectrum was derailed by the pandemic, and has failed to regain momentum while the government amends the Act on the National Cybersecurity System (KSC).

Poland and the Netherlands are the only EU countries that have not yet licensed the 3.5GHz band, with operators providing 5G services over 2100MHz and 2600MHz spectrum previously used for 3G and 4G networks.

Cyfrowa Polska president Michal Kanownik said it was necessary and urgent to license 5G spectrum given that Polands mobile networks are handling additional traffic as the country is hosting refugees from Ukraine.

In the long term, the new generation network will be a factor supporting further GDP growth and increasing the competitiveness of the Polish economy against the background of the European Union countries, said Kanownik.
Bharti Airtel, one of the big three operators in the Indian market, has contracted Aviat Networks for wireless multiband radio solutions.

Aviat Networks describes itself as a global innovator in microwave business and a leading expert in wireless transport solutions . Airtel will deploy Aviat's all outdoor WTM 4800 E-Band and Multi-Band solutions to significantly expand the capacity of its microwave backhaul network.

Aviat's Multi-Band vendor-agnostic feature enables traffic aggregation from multiple links which in turn eases network congestion and gives better speeds to customers. Aviat Networks will also undertake maintenance and deployment as part of the roll-out.

Airtel will deploy unique dual channel E-Band radio to augment its existing installed microwave network as well as new greenfield links in support of accelerated 5G network build out  although it could be argued that Airtels 5G rollout has been quite accelerated already.

We reported in August that it had signed up Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung as vendor partners for its 5G deployment, following the completion of Indias recent spectrum auction at which it spent just under US$5.5 billion.

Bharti Airtel announced its commercial 5G launch at the India Mobile Congress event in October. Its 5G services have gone live in eight cities and the operators chairman, Sunil Mittal, has pledged to extend coverage to most Indian cities by March 2023. Nationwide coverage is promised by March 2024.
Telkom SA has launched a high-speed 5G network using technology from Huawei.

The operator, which is partly state-owned, is not the first in the market to launch 5G  both larger private rivals MTN and Vodacom as well as smaller player Rain have already begun offering 5G services as broadband demand escalates in the market.

"At launch Telkom will primarily focus on providing super fast 5G fixed wireless access solutions, as the demand for mobile 5G increases, we will supplement this with suitable mobile propositions," said Lunga Siyo, chief executive officer of Telkom Consumer and Business.

Fortune Wang, Carrier Business Director for Huawei South Africa, noted that the pandemic had forced lifestyle changes across South Africa, with demands for working or education from home driving an always-on culture.

Wang noted that the ultra-high-speed and low-latency of 5G would support new consumer services such as online augmented reality and virtual reality gaming and ultra high definition streaming, as well as business services such as cloud and AI technologies.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and Russia have discussed the modernization of the infrastructure at the checkpoints, Azernews reports.

The discussion took place during a meeting between the representatives of the two countries headed by Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, and Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed the economic relations between the two countries. Moreover, the members of the delegation also visited several customs-border checkpoints on the Azerbaijani-Russian border.

"Together with members of the delegation, headed by Deputy PM Shahin Mustafayev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Government Alexei Overchuk, Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Maxim Reshetnikov, and other colleagues, we have visited several #customs-#border checkpoints on the Azerbaijani-Russian border, held meetings. We have discussed the modernization of the infrastructure at the checkpoints, as well as the #economic relations between the two countries," Mikayil Jabbarov tweeted.

Azerbaijan and Russia cooperate in different sectors, such as the economy, agriculture, customs, communications, high technology, and others. Over 230 intergovernmental and intercompany documents have been signed between the two countries and six "road maps" are being implemented.

Azerbaijan's investments in the Russian economy have exceeded $1.2 billion, with the majority of the investments being in the non-oil sector. In addition, Russian investments in Azerbaijan's economy totaled $6.3 billion with $5 billion in the oil sector and $1.3 billion in non-oil sectors.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia amounted to $2.9 billion in 2021, making Russia Azerbaijans third-largest partner.
Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres speaks the 45th Anniversary of Viet Nam's Membership in the United Nations in Hanoi on October 21, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Vu Anh

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Friday that he highly values Vietnams role in tackling global issues as also its partnership with the world body.

"Xin chao," Guterres said, using the popular Vietnamese greeting to open his remarks at a ceremony organized to commemorate the 45th Anniversary of Vietnam's Membership in the United Nations.

"Today, we recognize more than a strong partnership  we celebrate a remarkable journey. A story of transformation and hope written by the Vietnamese people," Guterres said.

From a country ravaged by war and on the brink of famine, receiving food aid from UN just decades ago, Vietnam has come a country sending peacekeepers to aid people in some of the most desperate parts of the world, he said.

Vietnam was not only an important contributor to UN peacekeeping but also provided double the global average of women peacekeepers to the effort, Guterres noted.

The country has been elected to the Security Council twice and adopted the first-ever Presidential Statement on upholding the UN Charter. Last week, it was elected to the Human Rights Council.

"Vietnam has come a long way. And the journey continues. You once again have the opportunity to be a powerhouse for change," he said, adding that UN was proud to be the nations partner every step of the way.

"Onward, we advance together  as we just heard in the Vietnamese national anthem."

45 years since joining the @UN, Viet Nam has undergone a remarkable journey: from conflict to peace, from aid to self-sufficiency, from poverty to development.



A powerful testament to the hard work of the Vietnamese people & policies that place people at the heart of progress. pic.twitter.com/w0hvEpAkUf  Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 21, 2022

President Phuc said in his remarks that being part of UN for the last 45 years marked a new chapter in Vietnams history.

He said the journey has seen Vietnam revive from war, adopt renovations and advance international integration "to become a dynamic middle income economy with high human development indicators."

Vietnam is now a member of many international organizations, including the World Trade Organization. It is part of 17 free trade agreements and is a major part of the global supply chain, the President said.

"Vietnam is always a friend, a trusted and responsible partner of the international community," he stressed.

Guterres arrived in Hanoi Friday on a two-day (Oct. 21-22) visit to Vietnam as the country successfully completed its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term and has just been elected as member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term.

Vietnam became the 149th member of the U.N. on Sep. 20, 1977 and has always been a reliable, active partner since, making many important contributions to the organization's missions, the President said.

Cooperation between Vietnam and the U.N. is constantly being consolidated and strengthened, with Vietnam participating more actively and responsibly in all key areas of the U.N., contributing to enhancing the country's position and prestige in the international arena, he added.

Vietnam is one of 14 countries elected by the General Assembly to be a member of the U.N. Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term in a vote held Oct. 11. It had earlier been elected to the council in 2013 for the 2014-2016 term.
Da Nang receives first international flight from Taiwan after pandemic

High-rise buildings in Da Nang City are seen from above. Photo by Kim Lien

A flight from Taipei arrived in Da Nang in central Vietnam on Friday morning, marking the resumption of the air route after over two years of Covid disruption.

The flight operated by Taiwanese airline Starlux carrying over 170 passengers landed at Da Nang Airport at 9:25 a.m.

There would be three weekly flights on the route.

Miko, a tourist from Taipei said that this was her first visit to Da Nang and she will stay in the city for five days to visit all tourist attractions and enjoy local cuisine, Vietnam News Agency reported.

Taiwanese authorities relaxed Covid entry restrictions and resumed visa services for Vietnamese travelers from mid-October.

Since tourism reopening in March this year, the number of international visitors to Da Nang has so far reached over 200,000, exceeding this year's target of 180,000.

Da Nang is the busiest tourist city in central Vietnam, and is used as a springboard to access three worldwide famous heritage sites  Hue Imperial Capital, My Son Sanctuary and Hoi An Town.

Vietnam reopened its borders and resumed pre-pandemic visa policies on March 15.
ELKO  Spooky season has arrived in the Elko area with several events centered on Halloween.

The Haunted Commercial Hotel, Elkos newest haunted house, will be open all weekend 5-11 p.m. including Monday, Oct. 31. Features include the Locked In escape room, scavenger hunt maze, trick-or-treat spook alley, tours of the historic casino, Halloween movies, food and beverages, and more. Tickets range from $10 to $50 per person.

In Spring Creek, Trunk or Treat is scheduled for Oct. 31 at the Spring Creek Marina. Candy and treats are handed out between 4 and 7:30 p.m. with music, food and more. Cost is free and all residents throughout Elko County are invited.

The Purple Light is also returning to the area. Spring Creek residents who sign up are put on a map of houses for trick-or-treating children to visit on Halloween. Residents can sign up to obtain a purple light bulb or be listed as one of the homes to visit by filling out an online form at https://springcreeknv.org.

The second annual Lamoille Spook Walk slated a kid-friendly walk from 4-9 p.m. Oct. 28 and a not-for-the-faint-of-heart walk from 6 to 10 p.m. Oct. 29. Cost is $5-10.

The California Trail Interpretive Center presents The History and Mystery of Nevadas Ghost Towns from 1-3 p.m. Oct. 29 as part of a celebration of Halloween and Nevada Day. A spooky craft starts at 2 p.m. Costumes are encouraged.

On Sunday, the Trail Center hosts a traditional family Halloween Craft from 1 to 2 p.m. exploring ways to carve potatoes and turnips modeled after the Irish emigrants of the 1800s that transitioned into the jack-o-lanterns of today. Cost for both is free.
Nevada Copper announced that it closed a restart financing package with its key financial partners on Oct. 28. The financing package will support the restart and ramp-up of the Pumpkin Hollow underground copper mine east of Yerington. The restart is currently underway.

The financing package is expected to provide up to $123 million of liquidity to Nevada Coper to support the restart.

On April 4 of this year Nevada Copper announced that it had achieved a record monthly production of 1,300 dry metric tons of copper concentrates during the previous 30 days. But on June 6 the company announced that the underground mine had encountered operational and geotechnical challenges in the latter part of May. In July the company announced that mining had been suspended and that it had a proposed financing package.

An Oct. 6 update from Nevada Copper said the company had achieved a major milestone by substantially completing a second, critical dike crossing to access the larger stopes in the higher-grade East North Zone.

The company also said a number of highly qualified contractors had expressed interest in becoming the new mining contractor for underground mine development at Pumpkin Hollow.

Nevada Copper also said on Oct. 6 that a potential investor might provide funding which would result in a change of control of the company, but later said that this change of control proposal is not expected to proceed.

Updates from Nevada Copper outline details of the financing package, which includes $40 million in equity investments from Pala, Nevada Coppers largest shareholder, and Mercuria, a significant shareholder of the company; and $30 million in stream and royalty financing from Triple Flag Precious Metals Corp. Also, Nevada Coppers senior credit facility with KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH is expected to be amended to provide for a new tranche of up to $25 million, of which Pala, Triple Flag and Mercuria would commit the first $15 million as a backstop.

Nevada Copper said it intends to use the available new cash proceeds of about $87.5 million from the restart financing package to fund ramp-up costs  including about $15.9 million in capital expenditures and $35.9 million in operating costs  along with about $24.5 million in vendor payments and $4 million for general corporate purposes, such as overhead.

The company expects the total costs of the restart and ramp-up process to be between $70 million and $75 million. In addition, the company needs to satisfy or defer outstanding vendor payables. Together these costs and payables are expected to exceed the amount of the new cash proceeds of the financing package, so Nevada Copper is continuing to evaluate other additional financing options, including a public offering.

Nevada Copper also announced on Oct. 28 that Randy Buffington, who has been the companys president and chief executive officer since October 2021, has been appointed to the Nevada Copper board of directors effective Nov. 1, 2022.

In addition, the board expects to embark on a board renewal process to ensure the optimal balance of skills, experience and attributes are represented at the board level as required in the context of the companys business priorities, the announcement said.

Nevada Coppers stock price was at 18 cents following the Oct. 28 announcement of the closure of the financing package. Since late June the companys stock price has been between 15 cents and 30 cents. The companys stock price reached as high as $6.52 in 2018.
Daniel J. Holmes, 36, of Carlin was arrested Oct. 23, 2022, at 1221 Bush St. for failure to appear after bail on a felony crime. Bail: $5,000

Angela M. Johnson, 43, of Carlin was arrested Oct. 23, 2022, at Sagecrest and Connolly drives for felony possession of a controlled substance, failure to appear after bail on a felony crime, three counts of failure to appear after bail on a misdemeanor crime, no proof of insurance, and drug paraphernalia. Bail: $20,160

Jake T. Oneida, 39, of Elko was arrested Oct. 21, 2022, at 226 Walnut St. for owning or possessing a gun by a prohibited person, conspiracy to own or possess a gun by a prohibited person, and destroying or concealing evidence. Bail: $25,000

Aspen M. Castellanos, 25, of Battle Mountain was arrested Oct. 24, 2022, at Hayland Drive and Spring Valley Parkway for driving under the influence, failure to maintain lane, speeding 11-15 mph above limit, and child endangerment. Bail: $26,960

Kyla N. Lee, 35, of Elko was arrested Oct. 24, 2022, on Lamoille Highway for felony possession of a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia, and open alcohol container in vehicle. Bail: $5,835

Brianne M. Ramser, 35, of Shoshone, Idaho was arrested Oct. 24, 2022, on U.S. Highway 93 for fugitive from another state, three felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, two counts of possessing a dangerous drug without a prescription, possession of a controlled substance by a prisoner, and false statement to obstruct a public officer.

Alex S. Sharp, 37, of Sturgis, Michigan was arrested Oct. 24, 2022, on Lamoille Highway for possession of a stolen vehicle; felony possession of a controlled substance; two counts of operating an unregistered vehicle, trailer or semi; nonresident driving when privilege is suspended, canceled or revoked; tail lamp violation. Bail: $25,700

James T. Thompson, 43, of Elko was arrested Oct. 24, 2022, at 1272 Stitzel Road for two counts of assaulting a first responder with a deadly weapon, and resisting a public officer. Bail: $21,140

Breann L. Williams, 26, of Elko was arrested Oct. 25, 2022, at Sunrise Apartments for violation of probation or condition of suspended sentence.

Alexander J. Cantu, 33, of Burley, Idaho was arrested Oct. 25, 2022, at 1426 Gah-Nee Road for fugitive felon from another state.

Alan F. Raining Bird, 48, of Owyhee was arrested Oct. 25, 2022, at Fifth and Wilson streets for violation of probation or condition of suspended sentence.

Tyree T. Adams, 23, of Spring Creek was arrested Oct. 26, 2022, at 272 S. Second St. for felony possession of a controlled substance and violation of probation or condition of suspended sentence.

James M. Huskey, 55, of Boise was arrested Oct. 26, 2022, at First and Silver streets for two counts of burglary of a motor vehicle; buying or possessing stolen property; and intoxicated pedestrian or animal rider on road. Bail: $11,780

Betsy A. Smith, 51, of Woods Cross, Utah was arrested Oct. 26, 2022, at Salt Lake County Metro Jail for failure to appear after bail on a felony crime.

Micah N. Wegner, 39, was arrested Oct. 26, 2022, at the Comfort Inn for fugitive felon from another state.

The charges listed do not imply guilt. Under the law, everyone is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
A week or so ago, Tulsi Gabbard, a former member of the House from Hawaii and a one-time presidential hopeful for the Democrats, announced she was leaving the Party.

She tweeted, I can no longer remain in todays Democratic Party that is now under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness  She continued, [they] believe in open borders, weaponize the national security state to go after political opponents, and above all, dragging us ever closer to nuclear war.

This is obviously a political statement, but before we automatically throw it out, it would be nice if the Biden administration would answer a basic question: What in the world are we trying to do in Ukraine?

If Bidens goal is to end the war, he could have it done by now. If his goal is to extend the war forever, then his administration is actually accomplishing something. On the other hand, if his goal is regime change in Russia, then it would make sense not to talk about it openly, but if that is his goal and Putin is as crazy and evil as he is portrayed, then Biden is casually playing a hand that puts all of our lives on the table.

This is not to justify Putin, but lets put this into perspective. Suppose China formed a military alliance with the goal of militarily containing the US within its own borders. Mexico gets a new leader who announces he wants to join Chinas alliance with China military assistance and troops. These troops are aligned close to our border complete with a standoff nuclear umbrella.

On top of that, the CIA discovers that China seriously wants to use Mexico as a partner to overthrow the current American government with regime change.

Biden sends troops to Mexico, but they get beat up and look incompetent. He then threatens Mexico with tactical nukes.

In the real world, a place our leaders apparently left years ago, all of this is crazy on a level that is literally existential.

We are altogether too blase about this, so lets take a lesson from the past. There are two basic types of nuclear weapons: tactical and strategic. A tactical nuke is one designed primarily for battlefield advantage. A strategic weapon is larger. Basically, its purpose is to keep other nations from nuking you. Russia is said to have about 1,600 strategic weapons ready to be launched in case some crazed person or groups actually started a full-scale nuclear war.

Suppose half of these weapons are destroyed or malfunction. New York, Washington, and LA would still be destroyed. In fact, every city larger than Boise, Idaho could be wiped out. But that is being mathematically naive. Each city could be hit not once, and not just twice. Even assuming that half of Russias immediate strategic force doesnt work, the assault would have enough weapons to hit every city in America larger than Boise EIGHT times. That was once called bouncing the rubble.

A study published earlier this year predicted a nuclear war between the US and Russia would kill 360 million people directly, and the nuclear winter that would follow would likely kill five billion more from starvation.

Only the senile and the crazy would be playing this game.
With only a couple of weeks left before the election, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Beth Savedra and I am seeking a seat on the Wells City Council.

I first came here in the mid 70s and since then I have called Wells my home. My husband and I have been together for 33 years. We have four children between us that are all out on their own now, which gives me time to concentrate on other things.

In November of 2019, I was appointed to a seat on the City Council due to someone resigning. A couple of months later the pandemic hit and I found myself in a whole new position of doing online school with my grandson who was in fourth grade at the time. We continued his education for the following year, also online. At the same time, I was new to the Zoom meeting that was conducted as part of my job as councilwoman. It was difficult but necessary.

I was a founding member of the Wells Main Street for three years. My husband, Ricardo and I drove to Seattle, Washington in March of 2019 to attend the Main Street Conference which is dedicated to renewing and revitalizing small towns across America.

I have continued to attend the council meetings, which I feel is necessary, and to voice my opinion on matters that concern my community. Im now asking the citizens of Wells to vote for me and allow me to have a voice at the table. Wells is my home and I pledge to devote my time and energy to this small community.
By Trend

UTrader trading platform launched by Azerbaijans Unicapital investment company in 2022 provides investors with access to more than 15,000 local and 17,000 foreign financial tools, the Director of Digital Business and Projects at Unicapital Vugar Namazov told Trend on October 28.

According to Namazov, an important indicator of investment business in Azerbaijan is access to the client base, resources of financial capital, corporate resources, including the human resources base, application of technology and brand awareness.

"Today, Unicapital provides all kinds of investment services, available in Azerbaijan, including brokerage, underwriting, portfolio management, and margin trading. As in all types of services, the user occupies an important place in the investment business. It's important to determine who the user is and what expectations and needs this group of users has. It's interesting that these expectations can be hidden or sublimated in other manifestations and actions," he said.

In addition to traditional activity, the emphasis is also placed on the creation of well-structured products such as UTrader, UForex, UTrust, and others. Clients have been trusting our expertise in the financial markets, attracting funds and investment for long years, the companys representative noted. In this context, I want to highlight the main trends in the development of the global capital market: access to capital, execution of transactions, post-trading services, data, analytical and information services, operations and technology.

Namazov also informed that digital transformation became an important element in the evolution of business.

"I believe that Azerbaijan's capital market is currently undergoing a period of transition when it has the opportunity to adapt to digital trends and technologies, as well as to introduce new business models and innovative products and services, he further said. The implementation of innovations and the opportunities they create depend first of all on the company's sound digital strategy.

The opportunities created by innovations at this level for the sector include online customer recognition, remote customer account opening, mobile commerce, electronic payments, and other contactless services, providing customers with a limitless market and a set of tools," he pointed out.

The technological solutions of Unicapital, according to Namazov, allow clients to trade and follow the market on global exchanges at the lowest available rates compared to companies in their group.

"UTrader is the first multi-instrumental trade platform developed in the Azerbaijani language. It is available to the bank's clients both on web platforms and in a mobile application," the companys representative stated.

He emphasized that the features of trading on the platform are the actual ownership of real shares (without CFDs or other synthetic assets), which gives investors real ownership in addition to receiving dividends.

Namazov noted that the Azerbaijani people's interest in investments is growing rapidly.
Foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) continue to play an important role in terms of the countrys trade value, with the import and export turnover of both FIEs and domestic businesses increasing by 14.9% and 13.4%, respectively.

The countrys total export value edged up 16.7% on-year, with a number of commodity groups enjoying strong growth, including machinery, equipment, tools, and other spare parts up 29%, textiles and garments, up 22.8%, computers, electronic products and components, up 14.1%, and footwear of all kinds, up 39.3%.

Meanwhile, FIEs total export value increased by 17.5%, thereby accounting for 73.8% of the entire nations total export revenue.

By the end of October 15, the countrys total import value had inched up by 12.7% on-year, with some commodity groups experiencing a sharp rise, including computers, electronic products and components up 7.8%, petrol and oil of all kinds up 130.3%, and coal of all kinds up 82.2%.

FIEs import value of goods throughout the reviewed period expanded by 12% compared to last years corresponding period, accounting for 65.2% of the nations total import turnover.

Labour confederation to spend 500 billion VND to help labourers celebrate Tet

Labour federations across the country will spend about 500 billion VND (over 20.1 million USD) on organising activities and presenting gifts to labourers on the occasion of the upcoming lunar New Year (Tet), reported Vietnam News Agency according to the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL).

Illustrative image (Photo: laodong.vn)

Under a plan set by the VGCL, 1 million labourers in difficult circumstances, including those who lost their jobs or were affected by natural disasters, will receive financial support worth at least 500,000 VND (20.1 USD).

Trade unions at all levels will implement programmes to help poor workers to return to their home villages for Tet, and hold Tet celebrations for those who cannot return.

Tet markets offering essential Tet goods at discount prices will be organised by the VGCL from the 15th  25th day of Lunar December nationwide, especially in mountainous and remote areas.

Besides mobilising resources to support labourers, the VGCL has asked trade unions at all levels to increase dialogues with labourers and take care of material and spiritual life of trade union members and labourers during Tet, which is the most important traditional festival in a year.

Air routes considered to connect Quang Ninh with East Asian destinations

Officials participating in the 17th General Assembly of the East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum (EATOF 17) have agreed to step up the opening of direct air routes linking Vietnams northern province of Quang Ninh with some foreign member localities of this forum, reported Vietnam News Agency.

Planes park at Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh province (Photo: laodong.vn)

The agreements were reached during bilateral meetings between Quang Ninh and foreign officials within the EATOF 17 framework, which is taking place in Ha Long city of the Vietnamese province from October 25 to 27.

Talking to local officials, Governor of the Republic of Koreas Gangwon province Kim Jin-tae expressed his hope for stronger cooperation on the basis of the two sides potential and similarities.

He suggested opening an air route connecting Van Don International Airport of Quang Ninh with Yangyang International Airport of Gangwon, and enhancing ties in developing tourism products, promoting tourism, and training human resources for the sector.

The meeting between Chairman of the Quang Ninh Peoples Committee Nguyen Tuong Van and Governor of the Republic of Koreas Gangwon province Kim Jin-tae (Photo: laodong.vn)

Welcoming the recommendations, Chairman of the Quang Ninh Peoples Committee Nguyen Tuong Van said his province will provide the best possible conditions for the two sides to study and open the Van Don - Yangyang air route, create tourism products based on the provinces advantages, and further attract Quang Ninh and Gangwon visitors to each others destinations.

At another meeting, Van and Governor of Mongolias Tuv province Munkhbaatar Demberel agreed to bolster partnerships in tourism promotion, product development, and opening of an air route between Quang Ninh and Tuv.

The Mongolian province also hoped to exchange experience in agricultural development with the Vietnamese side.

At other bilateral sessions, Quang Ninh and other foreign member localities of the EATOF also concurred in boosting relations in several areas, including opening direct air routes linking the province with Luang Prabang (Laos), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Sarawak (Malaysia), and Cebu (the Philippines); increasing cultural exchanges and the connection of heritage sites in the region; designing tours of their places of interest; and attracting visitors to each others destinations.

Chinese media gives 10 reasons to invest in Vietnam

Several Chinese websites such as Sina and Sohu recently published an article detailing 10 reasons why firms should invest in Vietnam, reported the Voice of Vietnam.

The 10 reasons given by Chinese online media sites include favourable geographical location, stable politics, open-door policy for foreign businesses, and a constantly improving business environment coupled with gradually-improving infrastructure. This is in addition to a highly-skilled young workforce, relatively low costs, a developed economy, unexploited rich natural resources, improved legal environment, and increasingly deeper international integration.

Titled "10 reasons to invest in Vietnam", the article says that Vietnam is a developing countries which boasts an annual growth rate of over 7%.

With rich resources, potential talent, and preferential mechanisms, the nation has brought many opportunities to foreign investors, with the article encouraging immediate investment into Vietnam if businesses do not want to miss the extremely valuable profitable opportunities.

The article highlights Vietnam as a country with a preeminent location, a mild climate, easy investment, and development, with this being a wise choice for foreign businessmen.

With its unique location, the nation can serve as a launching pad and base for one of the most densely populated regions in the world, the total population of ASEAN plus China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, an area which exceeds two billion people.

According to the article, political stability represents one of the main factors attracting investors to the country. Indeed, the more stable the political situation is, the faster the economic growth trend.

This represents an advantage that not all countries in the world have, it stresses

While other countries around the world are still struggling with COVID-19, Vietnam has now fully resumed normal business activities and has become one of the first places to diversify its supply chain. Therefore, foreign investors are in the process of considering the nation as a potential post-pandemic investment destination.

The piece emphasises that Vietnam always moves to change its investment regulations and continues to carry out preferential policies, such as corporate income tax exemption and reduction, import tax exemption for some industries, and land rental exemption in order to attract more foreign financiers.

Furthermore, recent years has seen the local business investment environment continuously improve in the direction of openness, transparency, and compliance with international standards.

Indeed, the country has actively participated in a series of multilateral and bilateral free trade agreements, thereby providing added impetus for foreign investors from developed countries.

According to the article, along with the improvement of economic development policies, the nation has increasingly improved its technical infrastructure facilities to ensure guaranteed quality, not only in major cities, but also in different regions throughout the country.

Regarding human resources, the piece states that the local labour force is currently assessed as a young labour force, with the labour price being very competitive compared to the wider region.

Most Vietnamese workers have good job skills and are highly adaptability to the working environment.

Vietnamese workers are typically young, highly skilled, and have a good working ethic. They are well educated and are willing to work in high-skill industries, such as information technology, pharmaceuticals, and financial services at low costs that are more competitive than other regional nations.

The article praises the countrys remarkable development over the past three decades, stating that from 2002 to 2018, the nations GDP per capita grew by 2.7 times.

Moreover, the Vietnamese economy recovered in 2021 thanks to its strong foundation and relative capacity to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Along with rich natural resources, especially the large number of untapped rare earth mines in the northern provinces such as Cao Bang, Lao Cai, Dien Bien, and Yen Bai, the article also notes the marked improvement of the Vietnamese legal and institutional framework.

Accordingly, the countrys management institutions are highly appreciated for their open business environment, as well as their transparent investment policies and incentives to help businesses make profits.

Finally, according to the article, the policy of "multilateralisation and diversification" of international relations has helped the nation to integrate more deeply into the global and regional economy, a move which has helped to ramp up trade and investment co-operation with countries around the world.

More importantly, the nation has improved the local business environment, turning integration into development opportunities./.
At the reception (Photo: hcmcpv.org.vn)

He made the statement during a reception for new Swiss Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City Werner Bardill, on October 25.

Noting the cooperation between Switzerland and Ho Chi Minh City in the first 6 months of 2022, he said that the two-way trade turnover reached USD57 million. In terms of investment, as of October 2022, Switzerland had 105 investment projects in Ho Chi Minh City with an investment capital of USD206 million, ranking 20th among 115 countries and territories investing in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Secretary Nguyen Van Nen, the potential for cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Switzerland is still great. Switzerland has many strengths in banking, finance, transportation and urban planning. Ho Chi Minh City needs the support and sharing of Switzerland's experience in these fields to serve the city's development in the future, he said, expressing his hope that Consul General Werner Bardill would pay attention to promote cooperation in these fields between Switzerland and Ho Chi Minh City in particular and Vietnam in general.

Swiss Consul General Werner Bardill shared about the plan of the Consulate General of Switzerland in Ho Chi Minh City in the near future, and confirmed that Switzerland wants to promote cooperation with Vietnam not only in economy and trade, but also in culture and science.

Appreciating the results of the cooperation relationship between Switzerland and Vietnam, Mr. Werner Bardill affirmed that Vietnam is a long-term partner of Switzerland, including economic development cooperation. Currently, Swiss businesses are very interested in investing and developing production and business activities in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring localities of Ho Chi Minh City. He added he hoped the city's leaders will continue to pay attention to creating favorable conditions for Swiss businesses in the coming time.

He went on to say that he will make efforts to call for Swiss businesses to invest in Ho Chi Minh City in particular and Vietnam in general. In addition, as the Consul General of Switzerland in Ho Chi Minh City, he will make every effort to perform his duties well.

During the reception, the two sides also exchanged about development in the fields of finance  banking and science  technology./.
The executive board of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, in a statement issued on Monday, condemned Azerbaijan for its attack on Armenias sovereign territory last month. It also warned of a significant genocide risk against the population of Artsakh.

The group called on other international academic and rights groups to join the widening of chorus of condemnation of Bakus continued aggression. It also called on Azerbaijan to withdraw its troops from Armenia.

The IAGS also urged the international community to  hold the authoritarian regime of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accountable for the crime of aggression (crimes against peace), war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated against Armenia and Armenians since September 2020.

Below is the complete text of the IAGS statement.

The International Association of Genocide Scholars Executive Board strongly condemns Azerbaijans invasion of the Republic of Armenia and the ongoing aggression against the Armenian people in the Republic and in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) and expresses concern about the risk of genocide against the Armenian population of that entity.

On 13 September 2022, Azerbaijan launched an attack on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. Using heavy artillery as well as multiple rocket launchers and attack drones, the Azerbaijani forces shelled the cities and towns of Vardenis, Goris, Ishkanasar, Kapan, Sotk, Artanish, and Jermuk and the surrounding villages in the Republic of Armenia. This attack resulted in over 210 confirmed deaths of Armenian soldiers and numerous civilian deaths and injuries. While a tenuous ceasefire still holds, Azerbaijans violence continues, including allegations of executions of Armenian prisoners of war. Over 7,000 civilians have been displaced, and civilian homes and local infrastructure destroyed in an attempt to ethnically cleanse Armenians from a large portion of the Republic of Armenia.

Significant genocide risk factors exist in the Nagorno-Karabakh situation concerning the Armenian population. Noting in particular that this violence occurs in the context of a prior genocide against ethnic Armenians in 1915  1923 by the Ottoman Empire (which became Turkey), and the continued relationship between Turkey and Azerbaijan. In 1920, Turkey sought to disarm the Armenians and arm the Azerbaijanis, resulting in conflict, Armenian exodus, and atrocities against Armenians in an Azerbaijani offensive. Turkey continues to support Azerbaijan in the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict (including through the provision of drones and mercenaries). Turkish President Erdogan has referred to the Armenians as occupiers, despite centuries of history of Urartians and their descendants, the Armenians, in the region.

The current violence is part of a lengthy, related process of violence by the Azerbaijani regime against the indigenous Armenian population of the South Caucasus. There have been several armed conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno- Karabakh territory, in the 1980s-1990s, with the most recent beginning in September 2020 and continuing into 2022, despite supposed ceasefires. The current conflict has included the use of indiscriminate weapons, and civilian deaths and displacement.

Azerbaijani authorities have been openly delivering hate speech against Armenians. Acts of incitement or hate propaganda have targeted Armenians. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has specifically noted that the following acts are risk factors for genocide:





Systematic and widespread use and acceptance of speech or propaganda promoting hatred and/or inciting violence against minority groups, particularly in the media;

and Grave statements by political leaders/prominent people that express support for affirmation of superiority of a race or an ethnic group, dehumanize and demonize minorities, or condone or justify violence against a minority.

Azerbaijans state policy includes anti-Armenian discourse and propaganda, including through government speeches and the media. For example, Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has made statements such as: Armenia as a country is of no value. It is actually a colony, an outpost run from abroad, a territory artificially created on ancient Azerbaijani lands. Aliyev does not recognize the internationally recognized territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia: We have perhaps a hundred times more grounds not to recognize the territorial integrity of Armenia than they have not to recognize our territorial integrity. Because everyone already knows this, and so does the world community, that in November 1920 our historical lands of Zangazur [Syunik], as well as Goycha [Sevan], were severed from us and annexed to Armenia. The city of Yerevan was ceded to Armenia on 29 May 1918. So, there are many factors for us, as they say, not to recognize the territorial integrity of Armenia. Aliyev also uses dehumanizing language, such as: We chased them out of our lands like dogs. I said that we would chase them, that we would chase them like dogs, and we chased them, we chased them like dogs. Such statements indicate a systematic campaign to end the presence of Armenians in their historic and present-day homeland. These and other statements demonstrate the existence of a risk of genocide, and may amount to incitement to genocide and possibly other international crimes.

There is also a history of cultural destruction in the conflict, leading to a significant fear from Armenians that after the peace deal, which saw the return of Armenian-held land to Azerbaijan, Armenian sites will be neglected, desecrated or destroyed. Some Armenian monuments and churches are hundreds of years old, such as the Saint Nishan church, Dadivank monastery complex and khatchkars in cemeteries, dating as far back as the 9th Century and earlier. It is common for Azerbaijan to present alternative histories for Armenian churches, claiming they are Caucasian Albanian and were Armenianised only in the 19th Century. Such claims have all been debunked outside of Azerbaijan. Rewriting of history and cultural destruction are key hallmarks of genocide. The goal of genocidaires is to destroy, in whole or in part, the targeted group, and one way the perpetrators carry out this destruction is through cultural destruction: eliminating the very essence of the groups identity, and any trace that they existed in that location.

The Executive Board notes that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has recognized the seriousness of the hate speech and cultural destruction by Azerbaijan towards Armenians and Armenian culture. In its Provisional Measures order of 7 December 2021, the ICJ considered Armenias claims of violations of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) plausible, and expressed concern that such violations may have serious damaging effects on the protected group. In the interim before deciding on the merits of the case, the ICJ has ordered Azerbaijan, inter alia, to:

take all necessary measures to prevent the incitement and promotion of racial hatred and discrimination, including by its officials and public institutions, targeted at persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin; and take all necessary measures to prevent and punish acts of vandalism and discretion affecting Armenian cultural heritage, including but not limited to churches and other places of worship, monuments, landmarks, cemeteries and artifacts.

Attacks on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia also likely amount to a violation of the United Nations Charter, and breach the Helsinki Final Act and the ceasefire agreement signed by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on 9 November 2020, ending the 44-Day Second Karabakh War (27 September 2020  10 November 2020).

In order to remove the risk of genocide, the International Association of Genocide Scholars Executive Board calls upon:

 The international community and academic and cultural organizations to condemn violence and hate speech by Azerbaijan against Armenia and take all necessary measures to compel Azerbaijan to cease hostilities and hate speech against the Republic of Armenia and the indigenous Armenians of Artsakh.

 Azerbaijan to comply with the International Court of Justice Provisional Measures order of 7 December 2021.

 Azerbaijan to remove its soldiers from the territory of the Armenian Republic and to respect the right of self-determination of the Armenians of Artsakh as guaranteed under the United Nations Charter (Chapter I, Article 2).

 The international community to hold the authoritarian regime of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accountable for the crime of aggression (crimes against peace), war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated against Armenia and Armenians since September 2020.


Photo taken on Jan. 21, 2022 shows trucks arriving at the construction site of Peljesac Bridge for its load strains test in Komarna, Croatia. (Ivo Cagalj/PIXSELL via Xinhua)

ZAGREB, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, is very progressive, important and visionary, said former Croatian President Ivo Josipovic.

"Definitely it is a very progressive idea, an idea that starts from the ideal of global peace" and is "very important," especially in today's world, Josipovic said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Even a small country like Croatia can contribute significantly to this concept, he noted.

"I think that Croatian policies have always been in favor of global peace and global cooperation, so I am completely sure that Croatian leaders will follow this idea. I am sure that our society will be very happy with this project and will contribute to it," he said.

Regarding the concept as a long-term project, the 65-year-old former president said: "It is a visionary project for many years. Definitely, world leaders can contribute to it by having good policies and good cooperation with each other."

Josipovic also appreciates the pursuit and practice of multilateralism by the Chinese government.

Multilateralism is a safeguard for most countries in the world, especially for small ones like Croatia, he said, adding that multilateralism has been a guiding principle for Croatia's foreign policy.

Josipovic, who served as Croatian president from 2010-2015 and has visited China many times, has been advocating friendly relations between Croatia and China and promoting the in-depth development of bilateral ties.

Speaking of the economic and trade cooperation between Croatia and China, he cited the Peljesac Bridge, the largest infrastructure project in Croatia undertaken by a Chinese consortium, as "a very good example of the successful cooperation with Croatia and China."

"I hope there will be more opportunities to cooperate with China," he said.

The 2.4-km cable-stayed bridge over the Mali Ston Bay of the Adriatic Sea connects Croatian mainland and the Peljesac Peninsula. The bridge was opened to traffic in July and has greatly facilitated Croatia's traffic.

"The Peljesac Bridge is a very important project for Croatia because it connects the two parts of Croatia divided by sea," Josipovic said, adding that it is very important economically and politically.

Recalling his multiple visits to China, he called China's economic development a miracle.

"China is very successful not only in economy but also in culture, science and sports, etc. I am completely sure that China will continue this incredible development and I wish all the best to China and Chinese friends," he said.

Editor: WXY
BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Sunday expressed China's commitment to further promoting the building of a human community with a shared future.

"We will work with peoples of all other countries to champion humanity's shared values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom to safeguard global peace and promote global development, and keep promoting the building of a human community with a shared future," Xi said when meeting the press at the Great Hall of the People.

Stressing that the world is grappling with unprecedented challenges, Xi said the CPC has consistently called on the people of the world to grasp and shape the future and destiny of humanity.

"When all countries pursue the cause of common good, we can live in harmony, engage in cooperation for mutual benefit and join hands to create a brighter future for the world," he added.

Editor: WXY
Xi Jinping visits the site of the Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Oct. 27, 2022. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, led members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on Thursday to visit Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was accompanied by Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

YAN'AN, Shaanxi, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Thursday stressed promoting the great founding spirit of the Party and the spirit of Yan'an, and striving in unity to fulfill the goals and tasks set by the 20th CPC National Congress.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, led Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi, members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, in a trip to Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

The first stop for Xi and the other leaders on Thursday was the site of the Seventh National Congress of the CPC.

The congress held in 1945 is of milestone significance in the history of the CPC, marking the Party's becoming more mature politically, ideologically and in terms of its organization, Xi said.

Politically, the entire Party was united under the banner of Mao Zedong, and ideologically, the guiding role of Mao Zedong Thought for the whole Party was established and Mao Zedong Thought was incorporated into the Party Constitution, Xi said.

Their next stop was former residences of Mao Zedong and other revolutionaries of the older generation.

Comparing the revolutionary sites in Yan'an to a book worth reading forever, Xi said that they served as witnesses to the glorious journey of the Party in leading the Chinese revolution and exploring ways to adapt Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times during the Yan'an period.

A guide gave an introduction about how the well-known revolutionary song "The East is Red" was written and became popular.

Such songs extolling the Party and Chairman Mao were all created by the people spontaneously, which showed clearly that the people chose Mao Zedong and he enjoyed their support, Xi said.

Thereafter, Xi and the other leaders arrived by vehicle at the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall to visit an exhibition on the 13 years of the CPC Central Committee in Yan'an.

From 1935 to 1948, the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, of which Yan'an was the center, was the seat of the CPC Central Committee. It served as the center of political guidance in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and the general rear area of the Chinese people's struggle for liberation.

In an important speech delivered after visiting the exhibition, Xi hailed Yan'an as a holy site of the Chinese revolution and the cradle of New China. He noted that it was in Yan'an that the Party's Central Committee and veteran revolutionaries, including Mao Zedong, led China's revolutionary cause from a low point into an upsurge, reached a historical turning point, and transformed the prospects of the country.

Xi said he lived and worked in Yan'an for seven years, and his father also had worked in Yan'an.

The spirit of Yan'an highlights the firm belief in the correct political orientation, the guiding principles of freeing the mind and seeking truth from facts, the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly and the enterprising spirit of self-reliance and hard work, Xi said.

The spirit, and the glorious traditions and fine conduct developed and promoted during the Yan'an period, are all precious assets of the Party, and should be passed down from generation to generation, Xi stressed.

He called on all members of the Party to promote the fighting spirit, strengthen the fighting capacity, resolutely overcome various difficulties and challenges ahead, and harness the indomitable fighting spirit to open up new horizons for the cause of the Party and the country.

Xi Jinping delivers an important speech after visiting an exhibition on the 13 years of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in Yan'an at the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Oct. 27, 2022. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, led members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on Thursday to visit Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was accompanied by Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Xi Jinping visits an exhibition on the 13 years of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in Yan'an at the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Oct. 27, 2022. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, led members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on Thursday to visit Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was accompanied by Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

Xi Jinping visits a former residence of Mao Zedong in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Oct. 27, 2022. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on Thursday to visit Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was accompanied by Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Xi Jinping visits a former residence of Zhu De in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Oct. 27, 2022. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on Thursday to visit Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was accompanied by Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Xi Jinping visits an exhibition on the 13 years of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in Yan'an at the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Oct. 27, 2022. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, led members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on Thursday to visit Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was accompanied by Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Xi Jinping visits an exhibition on the 13 years of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in Yan'an at the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Oct. 27, 2022. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, led members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on Thursday to visit Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was accompanied by Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Editor: WJH
BEIJING, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Central Military Commission (CMC) on Thursday held an executive meeting on studying and implementing the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

It was noted at the meeting that all levels of the armed forces must align their thinking and actions with the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and CMC Chairman Xi Jinping.

The meeting also stressed strengthening the theoretical and political awareness of upholding the leadership core and obeying commands, adding that being able to fight and win should be the most pragmatic test of the learning and implementation.

Zhang Youxia, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice chairman of the CMC, presided over the meeting.

It was also attended by He Weidong, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice chairman of the CMC. Other attendees were Li Shangfu, Liu Zhenli, Miao Hua and Zhang Shengmin, who are all CMC members.

Editor: Zhang Zhou
NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy is actively engaged in the resumption of production in the de-occupied territories and expects to receive an additional 500,000 million cubic meters from the restored wells of gas per day, Chair of the company's board Yuriy Vitrenko has said.

"Now Naftogaz is resuming gas production in the de-occupied territories. We expect that as a result of the return to operation of wells and other gas infrastructure facilities, Ukraine will receive an additional 500,000 cubic meters of gas daily," he said on his Facebook on Thursday.

At the same time, he said some of the objects returned to Ukraine have already reached the indicators that they had before February 2022, while others are still in the process of preparing for full-fledged operation.

Vitrenko said that many wells, infrastructure facilities and equipment that were under the control of the Russians or in the zone of active hostilities were damaged, destroyed, or their activities had to be limited or completely stopped.

"Ukraine is returning its own. And we are grateful to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who heroically liberated a significant part of Kharkiv region from the invaders, as well as to the employees of Ukrgazvydobuvannia, who, after clearing the territories, begin repair work and put the facilities into operation," the chair of the Naftogaz board said.

He also said the company, realizing the special importance of its own gas for Ukraine in this heating season, is also working to stabilize and increase production in other regions of Ukraine.
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Raffael Grossi said its inspectors will verify two nuclear facilities in Ukraine this week, according to the organization's website.

"The IAEA inspectors will conduct independent verification at these locations in accordance with Ukraine's safeguards agreement to detect any diversion of nuclear material under safeguards, any undeclared production or processing of nuclear material at the two locations and assure that there are no undeclared nuclear material and activities," Grossi said.

It is noted that this check will be carried out after a request from the government of Ukraine in response to the accusations of Russia about the alleged production of "dirty bombs" on Ukrainian territory.

As soon as our verifications are completed, he said, they assess the findings and report the conclusions in line with our standard safeguards practice.

"However, knowing the interest and urgency of this matter, the Agency will also provide our conclusions to the IAEA Board of Governors and immediately after to the public," according to the statement.

Grossi will also provide an update to the UN Security Council on this matter in a private session.
The World Bank has established a new trust fund for the purposes of the priority recovery of Ukraine - Ukraine Recovery Trust Fund (URTF)  and has begun structuring the first three projects for financing through this fund, Roman Kachur, World Bank Alternate Executive Director for Ukraine, told Interfax-Ukraine.

"URTF is basically a platform where donors can contribute funds. The World Bank is structuring the projects from the priority recovery package. Now the first three projects that are being prepared are on housing, infrastructure and health facilities," he said on the sidelines pf the International Expert Conference on the Recovery, Reconstruction and Modernization of Ukraine, held recently in Berlin.

"They will be prepared, structured sometime in early December, and their financing will immediately begin to the extent that donor funds are available. Now the Netherlands, Norway, Spain have already announced that they will contribute grant funds to these donor funds, and the World Bank will also contribute its funds and will finance these projects," Kachur added.

He noted that these structured projects are larger than the funds currently available and will be open to other donors as those donors emerge and join funding.

The banker recalled that until now the World Bank has been working with Ukraine on the PEACE (Public Expenditures for Administrative Capacity Endurance) project to finance current expenses, mainly for wages, and now a similar infrastructure is being created for recovery projects.

Kachur pointed out that in fact PEACE has been the main project for financing salaries since June of this year: all salaries in the public sector - doctors, teachers, civil servants - are 100% funded through PEACE.

"And so it is planned until the end of the year, and I hope that this project will be continued and will work next year. It performed well this year: there were no delays in paying wages for a single month, they are fully funded by those commitments that donors have already taken on," he said.

Speaking about restoration projects, Kachur recalled the World Bank's assessment of Ukraine's losses from the war - Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment - $349 billion only for the period from the end of February to June 1.
By Trend

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) seeks to support technologies startup in Azerbaijan's regions, Country Director of the Asian Development Bank for Azerbaijan Candice McDeigan said during the presentation on the ecosystem of technological startups in Azerbaijan, Trend reports on October 28.

"Supporting any business is a key factor in supporting the economic development of a country. In order to become a viable business, startups need to be given access to funding, infrastructure and other important elements," she said.

According to McDeigan, Azerbaijan has great potential for the development of technology startups not only in the capital but also in the regions.

"ADB also sees a huge interest among the youth in Azerbaijan in launching their own startups. This is really important because this area is developing rapidly and the initiatives of the younger generation will guarantee the success of startups in the country," she added.
Ukrainian agrarians have applied to the authorities of the Republic of Poland with a request to lay a broad-gauge railway track (with a gauge of 1,520 mm) across its territory, which will connect the port of Polish-based Gdansk with the Ukrainian and Lithuanian railway networks to export agricultural products and ensure strategically important imports through western borders of Ukraine.

The corresponding appeal to President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda and its Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was sent by the leading Ukrainian agrarian associations, including the Ukrainian Agrarian Council, the Agrarian Union of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club, the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities, the Union of Poultry Breeders of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation.

According to the appeal, one of the largest and closest European ports to Ukraine is the port of Klaipeda (Lithuania), which has significant free transshipment capacities. However, due to differences in the gauge between Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic countries, there is a need to reload the contents of wagons at border crossings between the countries or rearrange wagon bogies, which does not allow to fully realize the export-import potential of the port of Klaipeda.

In turn, the use of vehicles or containers as an alternative to railway transportation is poorly suited for transporting bulk cargo (coal, ore, grain, metal) over long distances and increases their cost to an uncompetitive level. In addition, in the case of using container terminals, the capacity of the railway line will be limited by their capacity, which will also prevent full use of the potential.

"In our opinion, the laying of a railway line with a gauge of 1,520 mm across the territory of Poland, which will connect the Ukrainian and Lithuanian railway networks, as well as connect the port of Gdansk to them for the transportation of goods and passengers, will solve the above-mentioned problems," the appeal reads.
Ukrenergo has canceled emergency blackouts in Kyiv region, which were introduced on October 27 due to serious damage to the energy infrastructure by Russian attacks, DTEK Kyiv Regional Electric Grids said.

"From 00.45 on October 28, all houses of residents of Kyiv region with light," the company said on its website on Friday.

At the same time, DTEK Kyiv Electric Grids said emergency blackouts continue in Kyiv on the morning of October 28 by order of Ukrenergo.

"Due to significant damage and imbalances in the power system, longer power outages are possible. Stabilization outage schedules drawn up the day before are not yet up to date," the company said on its Facebook.

Power engineers said the situation in the energy system is tense, and note the need for moderate use of electricity  it is necessary to turn on energy-intensive devices one by one, to minimize electricity consumption in the morning from 06:00 to 11:00 and in the evening from 17:00 to 23:00.

"Business clients are asked to limit the use of outdoor lighting for the facades of offices, restaurants, shopping centers," DTEK said.
The amount of funding actually provided to Ukraine by international partners since the beginning of the war to cover the state budget deficit as of October 26 amounted to $23.123 billion, and another $1 billion for restoration, or a total of 65% of the assistance they declared valued at $36.959 billion, the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine has reported.

According to the data published by the ministry on its website, less than half of the funds received were grants  $10.485 billion, or 43.5%.

As the Ministry of Finance said, the United States and the European Union announced the greatest support to Ukraine  $12.99 billion and $11.5 billion, respectively. However, if the United States has already provided $8.49 billion, or 65% of this amount, and all are grants, then the EU gave $4.845 billion, or 42%, of which only $626 million are grants.

According to a table, the IMF, the EIB and the World Bank close the top five in terms of promised assistance with $2.693 billion, $2.32 billion and $1.765 billion, respectively. These all are loans. The EIB is so far the only one that has provided financing for the restoration  $1 billion.

Canada, Germany and the UK are next with $1.521 billion, $1.373 billion and $1.076 billion, respectively, of which Germany and the UK have provided $1.049 billion and $128 million respectively as grants. All these declared funds have already been provided.

Since the beginning of the war, Japan has also been a donor to the budget of Ukraine in the amount of $581 million: these funds have already been received and all are loans.

France, Italy and the Netherlands have announced about the same financial support for the Ukrainian budget. However, if France and Italy have already provided all the announced $332 million and $330 million respectively (including Italy $125 million as a grant), the Netherlands has so far provided one third  $106 million, and another $204 million is expected.

The Ministry of Finance also said that since the beginning of the war, the financing of the budget deficit by UAH 330 billion, or $10.562 billion in equivalent, has been covered by the National Bank of Ukraine through the direct purchase of war bonds.

The monthly need to finance the state budget deficit this year due to the war, according to the Ministry of Finance and the government, is about $5 billion. Next year, the government plans to reduce the state budget deficit by $3-4 billion per month (total $38 billion per year), counting on United States, IMF and EU funding, and raise $17 billion for emergency recovery.

Emission financing through the purchase of government bonds by the National Bank has not yet been included in the draft state budget 2023 approved by the government, although such an option, as Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said, remains. The NBU also admitted that emission financing might still be needed next year, but insisted that its volume should not exceed UAH 200 billion a year.
The Government of Canada will issue five-year bonds  Ukraine Sovereignty Bonds  to financially support Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at the XXVII Triennial Congress of Ukrainian Canadians in Winnipeg on Friday.

"Canada remains unwavering in our commitment to support the people of Ukraine in their fight against Putin's illegal and barbaric invasion, and we will continue to do everything we can to ensure Ukraine has the resources it needs to win. Now, through a bond designated for Ukraine, Canadians can contribute to this critical effort through a new federally backed investment," Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement on the Prime Minister's website.

Trudeau announced that the Government of Canada will issue Ukraine Sovereignty Bonds, which will help the government continue operations, including providing essential services to Ukrainians, like pensions, and purchasing fuel before winter.

The equivalent proceeds from this five-year bond will be channelled directly to Ukraine through the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Administered Account. This builds on the Government of Canada's CAD 2 billion in financial assistance to Ukraine this year, the report said.
American astronaut Scott Kelly has become an ambassador of the UNITED 24 fundraising platform, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said.

U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly has been supporting Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion. Now he has become the ambassador of the UNITED24 @u24_gov_ua fundraising platform and will develop the "Medical aid" direction. His first project will be fundraising for Type C ambulance vehicles, Zelensky said on Telegram.

The Head of State thanked for the powerful assistance to Ukraine with real deeds
Invaders lose about 480 military, eight artillery systems in Ukraine in past 24 hours, a plane, two helicopters, three drones shot down  AFU General Staff

Combat losses of the Russian occupation army over the past day amounted to about 480 people of military personnel, and since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, as of Friday morning, October 28, amounted to about 69,700 people, according to the Facebook page of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In addition, over the past day, the Russian Federation has lost nine tanks and 14 armored combat vehicles in Ukraine, and since the beginning of the fullscale invasion, 2,640 and 5,378 units, respectively.

During the past 24 hours, eight artillery systems of the occupiers, 10 units of automotive equipment (including tanks with fuel and lubricants) and one unit of special equipment were destroyed in Ukraine. One plane, two helicopters, as well as three unmanned aerial vehicles of the operational and tactical level of the enemy were shot down.

In total, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russian Federation has lost 1,698 artillery systems, 379 multiple rocket launchers, 192 air defense systems, 4,088 vehicles and tankers, 151 units of special equipment and 16 vessels in Ukraine. Some 272 aircraft and 251 helicopters were destroyed, 1,401 drones and 351 cruise missiles were shot down.

The General Staff stressed that the data is being clarified.
Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak discussed with U.S. President's National Security Adviser Jacob Sullivan the needs of the Ukrainian army in ammunition and shells.

"I have had a telephone conversation with U.S. President's National Security Adviser Jacob Sullivan. As part of the ongoing dialogue with partners and allies, I informed the interlocutor about the situation at the front and the measures taken by the defense forces to de-occupy Ukrainian territories. Separately, attention was paid to the needs of the Ukrainian army in ammunition and shells," he wrote on the Telegram channel on Friday.

"I thanked President Joseph Biden, Congress and the American people for their leadership in defending democratic values in Europe and strong support for Ukraine," he also wrote.
Putin continues to reject idea of Ukrainian sovereignty that is fundamentally incompatible with serious negotiations  ISW

Putin continued to reject Ukrainian sovereignty during a speech at the Valdai Discussion Club on October 27, thereby rejecting the legal fact that Ukraine is a fully sovereign state, that the Russian Federation recognized the sovereignty of Ukraine and that the Ukrainian people exist as a separate nation, according to a report by analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) for October 27.

Putins perpetuation of the narrative that Ukraine and Russia are a single people separated into different states by arbitrary historical circumstance indicates his continued objective to destroy the Ukrainian state and erase the notion of a Ukrainian people  The many conditionals in this comment underscore Putins rejection of the idea that there is currently any independent Ukrainian national identity, the report says.

The ISW stress that these statements, along with many Russian actions, must cause serious reflection on the question of whether Russias war against Ukraine is a genocidal action since genocide is legally defined as acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.

The report also says that Konstantin Vorontsov, Deputy Director of the Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control of the Russian Foreign Ministry, threatened that the Russian Federation could attack Western commercial satellites supporting Ukraine. U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the United States would respond to any attack on U.S. infrastructure.

Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian troops on Thursday conducted counter-offensive operations in the northeast of Kharkiv region and on Kreminna-Lysychansk line and conducted limited ground operations in Kherson region. Russian troops, in turn, continued to strike Donetsk region, continue to prepare for defense on the eastern bank of Dnipro in Kherson region.

The Russian military also sent mobilization notices to foreign citizens working in Russia.

Yevgeny Prigozhins Wagner Group may be further developing its air warfare capabilities and fielding more complex equipment on par with the conventional Russian military, the report reads.

According to ISW, Russian and occupation officials began seizing mobile phones of residents in the territories occupied by the Russian Federation to support law enforcement agencies and operational security measures.
More than 300 Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drones launched by Russia to attack Ukraine were downed since September 13, Spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force Command Yuriy Ihnat has said.

"Since September 13, when the first Shahed-136 kamikaze drone was downed in Kupiansk in Kharkiv region, more than 300 Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drones were shot down," he told a press briefing at the Ukraine Media Center in Kyiv on Friday.

In commenting why the Russian forces have started to use kamikaze drones less and less frequently, Ihnat said that the enemy might be running out of them.

"The leadership of the state said that Russia has ordered 2,400 [kamikaze drones], but we do not know whether they have such quantity and we do not know whether they are able to produce the number [of drones] Russian wants. Probably, this is why they slightly reduced the frequency of attacks with Iranian-made drones," he said, adding that the enemy is also facing a serious shortage of Iskander missiles.

He also said that Russia still has enough Kh-22 missiles and thousands of S-300 missiles.
About a hundred of more than 6,000 employees of the Zaporizhzhia NPP occupied by the Russian troops signed contracts to work in JSC Zaporozhye NPP Operating Organization created by Rosatom, Energoatom has reported.

"Of the 6,700 workers who remained to work at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP, only about one hundred signed contracts with Rosatom. Moreover, the predominant majority of those, who did this, "agreed" under the pressure of the invaders," Energoatom said in its Telegram channel on Friday.

Another 4,300 pro-Ukrainian employees of the Zaporizhzhia NPP had left for the territory controlled by Ukraine.

"Even despite all the pressure and threats from the Russian invaders, the overwhelming majority of the plant's employees have a pro-Ukrainian position, continue to resist the occupiers and delay the process of signing treacherous contracts with the fake Zaporozhye NPP Operating Organization, which is run by Rosatom, as much as possible," Energoatom said in the statement.

At the same time, the company acknowledged that among the staff there are those who voluntarily agreed to cooperate with the occupiers, in particular, among the management staff.

"Their names are known, and all of them will be accountable for their actions after the plant is liberated and returned under the full control of Ukraine," the company said.

At the same time, according to Energoatom, an unsuccessful campaign with the signing of contracts with Rosatom by ZNPP employees brought the so-called head of Crimea, Sergei Aksenov, and the first head of the presidential administration, Sergei Kiriyenko, to the plant.

"They must demonstrate at least some success and convince the plant personnel to sign contracts," Energoatom said.
By Trend

The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) is working on the digitalization of compulsory real estate insurance processes, Executive Director of CBA Ziya Aliyev said during a press conference, Trend reports via CBA.

According to him, this will allow CBA to regulate the market and processes of real estate insurance.

"Digitalization will allow Azerbaijani citizens to issue electronic insurance, which is a trend today. Work is underway to create an appropriate database and integrate electronic insurance with the systems of insurance bureaus. Relevant instructions have been given in the regions of the country. ?entral Bank also considers it obligatory to stimulate and inform the population about compulsory insurance," Aliyev said.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko hopes that the city has become more protected from air attacks.

"There was a meeting with the military, where I emphasized that we need to protect our energy supply facilities. This was given special attention. The military assured me that now the new air defense equipment had arrived in the Ukrainian capital and the sky would be more protected. We hope that there will be no more attacks and provocations with kamikaze drones and missiles," he said on Friday on the Kyiv TV channel.
Invaders report on their channels that they to regard Enerhodar residents as Russian citizens from Oct 30

The Russian occupiers are reporting on their propaganda channels that from October 30 they will consider the residents of Enerhodar as citizens of Russia, Mayor Dmytro Orlov said.

"The absence in the temporarily occupied regions, including Enerhodar, of mass demand for Russian passports, no matter how intensely the occupiers advertised them, led to the fact that they decided to impose Russian citizenship on the inhabitants of these territories automatically... Moreover, this dubious pleasure will take place without the active participation of the people themselves," he wrote on the Telegram channel.

The mayor also noted that in order to refuse, "a person will need to write an application to the Russian migration service personally."

"At least, such strange fantasies are now being relayed by the invaders. We are sure that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will significantly correct these ambitious plans, as happened in Kharkiv region and is now happening in Kherson region, and very soon not a single rushist will remain in Ukrainian Enerhodar," he said.
Egypts presidency of COP27 submitted on Saturday three draft documents to the countries participating in the conference in order to accelerate the pace of negotiation and reach a unanimous agreement in the final statement of the conference.
The chief of Russian forces in Syria has met with a Kurdish commander over threats by Turkey to launch a new incursion into northern Syria, a Kurdish spokesman and an Arab TV station said Monday.
The Egyptian economy is expected to achieve an overall growth of around five percent by the end of the current fiscal year (FY) 2022/2023, surpassing earlier international expectations, Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala El-Said has noted.
The House of Representatives Legislative and Constitutional Affairs committee approved on Monday a draft law submitted by the Cabinet allowing Egyptians aged 15 to obtain national IDs , lowering the age requirement from 16 to 15.

The draft law, approved by the Cabinet last July, amends some provisions of the Code on Civil Affairs No. 143/1994. As per the amendments, children are required to obtain national IDs within six months of reaching the age of 15.

In its explanatory notes, the Cabinet proposed lowering the age requirement for obtaining national IDs to grant children more rights.

Local media cited the undersecretary of the House's committee MP Ehab El-Tamawy as saying that the amendments come in line with the Egyptian Constitution and with family laws that granted citizens aged 15 the right to sue over matters related to guardianship.

The amendments are also consistent with Child Law No. 12/1996, which prohibits the employment of children under the age of 15, El-Tamawy added.

In November last year, Egypts House of Representatives also gave its final approval for the amendments to the traffic regulations law no. 66 of 1973, which lower the age requirement to acquire a drivers license for motorcycles from 18 to 16.

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Six Palestinians were killed in sweeping Israeli raids Tuesday in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, in what the occupation army described as an assault targeting the emerging "Lion's Den" armed group.

Six Palestinians were killed in sweeping Israeli raids Tuesday in the occupied West Bank as the army targeted an emerging armed group, and thousands later massed for the funerals of the alleged gunmen.

The Palestinian health ministry said five people were killed in Nablus in the northern West Bank, where Israel confirmed an overnight operation targeted the "Lion's Den", a new group it blames for multiple recent attacks.

Another Palestinian died from a gunshot wound to the chest during overnight clashes with Israeli forces in Nabi Saleh, north of Ramallah, the health ministry said.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement that Wadi al-Houh, whom he described as "the head of the Lion's Den", was among those killed in Nablus.

The army said it had carried out a major operation with police and intelligence officers targeting a site "used by the main operatives of the 'Lion's Den'", describing it as a "headquarters and a workshop for making weapons".

"The forces detonated the explosive manufacturing site," added the army statement which did not provide a death toll.

"During the activity, multiple armed suspects were hit."

Ready for 'escalation'

An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that "after trying to let the Palestinian Authority contain the group and them failing to do so, and with the rise in attacks... we embarked on an intelligence-based operation to halt the Lions' Den terror attacks".

"The region has been thoroughly reinforced, we're prepared for an escalation," the official added.

At the death reported at Nabi Saleh, the army confirmed it had "spotted a suspect throwing an explosive device" at soldiers, who opened fire.

In a statement posted to Telegram, the nascent militant group was defiant. "Surrender is the path of humiliation," it said. "It's time for the lions to come out of their den."

A sea of mourners carried bodies through the streets of Nablus ahead of the burials as gunman fired into the air.

Violence has surged in recent months in the north of the West Bank, the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 by Israel, especially in the areas of Nablus and Jenin.

More than 100 Palestinian fighters and civilians have been killed since the start of the year, the heaviest toll in the West Bank for nearly seven years, according to the United Nations.

Lapid, speaking on Israeli public broadcaster Kan radio, warned Palestinian militants that "they need to know that we will reach them wherever they are".

"Israel will never stop acting for its security and we will do what needs to be done," added Lapid, who is campaigning ahead of November 1 elections.

Gaza general strike

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is making "urgent contacts in order to stop this aggression against our people" in Nablus, his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeinah said in a statement.

The chief of Islamist armed group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, warned in a statement that the violence would "plunge Palestine into escalation".

Palestinian factions in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza strip announced a general strike.

Khaled al-Batsh, a leader in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, urged "confrontation" with Israel on all "fronts".

Islamic Jihad reported its fighters were involved in "violent clashes" with Israeli forces in Nablus, and threatened Israel with reprisals "for its crimes".

In recent weeks, a group of young Palestinian fighters -- some affiliated with groups such as Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad -- have launched militant attacks from Nablus.

The new group, called "Areen al-Ossoud" or "The Lions' Den" in English, claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on an Israeli soldier two weeks ago in the West Bank.

Late leader Ibrahim al-Nabulsi, nicknamed "The Lion of Nablus", was known for galvanising the youth before he was shot dead by Israeli forces in August. He has since become a folk hero to Palestinians on social media.

In the aftermath, the Israeli army tightened its grip on Nablus, setting up controls to identify people leaving the city and constantly scanning the area with observation drones.

On Saturday night, a Lions' Den fighter, Tamer al-Kilani, was killed in Nablus by an "explosion" attributed by the group and the Israeli press to a bomb remotely activated by the Israeli army.

The army did not comment on these claims.

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Lebanon signed and delivered its copy of a U.S.-mediated sea border deal with Israel on Thursday to a U.S. mediator, hoping to soon start exploring gas in its southern maritime blocs to bring economic stability to the crisis-ridden country.

The agreement to demarcate the maritime border comes after months of indirect talks mediated by Amos Hochstein, the U.S. envoy for energy affairs, and would mark a major breakthrough in relations between both sides, which have formally been at war since Israel's creation in 1948.

Lebanon and Israel both claim around 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea that are home to offshore gas fields. Lebanon hopes that demarcating maritime borders will pave the way for gas exploration to help lift it out of its crippling economic crisis, which has plunged three-quarters of its population into poverty. Israel hopes that the deal will reduce the risk of war with Lebanon's Iran-backed Islamist group Hezbollah.

"This agreement was written with the idea in mind that it was between two countries that don't have diplomatic relations,'' Hochstein told reporters at the Baabda Presidential Palace. "I think the good will and good faith efforts by all parties is what's going to make this move forward.''

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and top security officials also were expected to sign the deal Thursday. Lapid praised the deal as one that fortifies the country's economy and security from Lebanon's Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. He said drilling began on Wednesday.

"There is a rare consensus in all security systems on the importance of the agreement," Lapid said. The Israeli Cabinet approved the deal in a special session.

It was not immediately clear when drilling will begin, but cash-strapped Lebanon is hoping French oil giant Total will start soon after the agreement is signed and delivered by both parties.

Under the agreement, the disputed waters would be divided along a line straddling the "Qana'' natural gas field. Gas production would be based on the Lebanese side, but Israel would be compensated for gas extracted from its side of the line.

Hochstein spoke after meeting with President Michel Aoun and senior officials and receiving Lebanon's signed agreement. He is scheduled to meet with Speaker Nabih Berri before heading to the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon headquarters in Naqoura by the southern border.

Israel and Lebanon will then deliver their finalized coordinates to the U.N. before Hochstein meets with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.

President Aoun earlier this month in a televised address announced Lebanon's approval of the sea border deal. The Israeli Supreme Court rejected four legal challenges against the deal, after its government also approved the plan.

In 2017, Lebanon approved licenses for an international consortium including France's Total, Italy's ENI and Russia's Novatek to move forward with offshore oil and gas development for two of 10 blocks in the Mediterranean Sea. Novatek recently withdrew and officials, including Energy Minister Walid Fayad, have said that Qatar is interested in filling that gap.

"I truly believe and hope this can be an economic turning point in Lebanon for a new era of investment and continued support to lift up the economy,'' Hochstein said.

Lebanon has since reached out to Syria and Cyprus to start direct negotiations over their northern and western maritime borders as well.

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The AIIBs eighth annual meeting, the first to be held in Africa, aims to discuss the available opportunities for financing infrastructure in a way that contributes to achieving local, regional, and global sustainable development in several critical sectors such as energy and water.

The meeting also aims to explore enhancing collaboration with the private sector and international development partners.

During a virtual meeting with the AIIB board, Maait said that Egypt is seeing developments that are making it more attractive for international development partners.

Maait said that Egypt has succeeded in creating a stimulating environment for local and foreign investors, thanks to the robust infrastructure it has built worth $400 billion over the past seven years.

The reason behind establishing this infrastructure is to be able to absorb a huge volume of investments. Remarkable efforts are being exerted by the government to stimulate investment, enable the private sector to be a locomotive for job-rich economic growth, and achieve inclusive sustainable development goals (SDGs) in accordance with Egypt's Vision 2030, the finance minister said.

Maait said that Egypt looks forward to being a more substantial presence for the AIIB on the African continent and a connection point between Africa and Asia.

Egypt also looks forward to greater support from the AIIB in Egypts transition to smart and green infrastructure.

This support would enable the Egyptian state to achieve its goals in the green transition and would be consistent with the continuous cooperation between the two parties, Maait said, adding that the development cooperation portfolio between the Bank and Egypt has exceeded $1 billion.
Vietnam-RoK trade to hit 100 billion USD by 2023: committee

The trade turnover between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) reached 66.8 billion USD in the first nine months of this year, up 18.2% year-on-year, and the set target of 100 billion USD will be fulfilled by 2023 if the pace is maintained, heard a meeting in Hanoi on October 28.









As of September 2022, the RoK had run some 9,438 valid projects worth 80.5 billion USD, ranking first in terms of registered capital and project number in Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)



The 19th meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for EconomicCommercial and ScientificTechnological Cooperation was co-chaired by the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.



It reviewed cooperation between the two countries since the previous meeting, and outline cooperation orientations in the time ahead. Specifically, participants compared notes on solutions to forge collaboration in trade, investment, labour and social affairs and development cooperation.



The MPI reported that the Vietnam-RoK relationship has made progress across spheres over the past years. Since the establishment of the bilateral diplomatic ties 30 years ago, cooperation between the two countries has seen outstanding developments in all fields, bringing interests to both sides and helping promote mutual trust and understanding.



As of September 2022, the RoK had run some 9,438 valid projects worth 80.5 billion USD, ranking first in terms of registered capital and project number in Vietnam, according to Do Van Su, head of the MPIs Foreign Investment Agency (FIA).



He noted that Korean firms continue playing an important role in the Vietnamese economy, making up about 30% of the countrys combined export value.



Last year, the RoK was Vietnams third biggest trade partner, after China and the US, with two-way trade hitting 78 billion USD, a year-on-year rise of 18.2%. The RoK was also Vietnams fourth biggest buyer and second biggest supplier, said Nguyen Duy Kien from the MPIs Asia-Africa Market Department.



MPI Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Phuong stressed the significance of both new and existing projects to Vietnam in the context of the global economy and trade recovering after the COVID-19 pandemic.



Therefore, Vietnam will create the best possible conditions for Korean firms to invest and expand operations in the country, he pledged.



Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Yun Eeong Deok briefed the participants on obstacles to Korean investors in Vietnam, and suggested the Southeast Asian nation work to remove them.



The Vietnamese side proposed the Korean Government encourage big groups of the RoK to pour investments into Vietnams priority areas like high tech, electronics, renewable energy, infrastructure development, the construction of intensive technology clusters, and high-quality agriculture.



Regarding official development assistance (ODA), Director of the MPIs External Economic Pham Hoang Mai noted that Vietnam has received about 20% of the RoKs total ODA.



The East Asian nations total assistance to Vietnam has been valued at more than 500 million USD recently, with 90% ODA and 10% non-refundable aid, the official added.



In terms of development cooperation, priorities have been given to transport and urban infrastructure, health care, education-training, environment, clean energy and IT.



Apart from ODA, the RoK has been ready to provide Vietnam with preferential credit loans through a financial cooperation framework to support the Southeast Asian nation in implementing large-scale infrastructure projects.



The meeting also sought ways to boost collaboration in industry, energy, transport infrastructure, construction and finance-banking.



The two sides agreed to step up exchanges and the sharing of information in the time ahead.



Vietnam will call for more the ODA and preferential loans from the RoK, and suggest the country facilitate Vietnams export of some agricultural products and food, and joint efforts to raise the two-way trade to 100 billion USD by 2030 and 150 billion USD by 2050./
By Azernews

By Orkhan Amashov

The idea of tying the Lachin Corridor up with the overland passage connecting Azerbaijans main part with its Nakhchivan exclave predates the Second Karabakh War. Back then, the proposition was that the territorial status of the former Nagorno-Karabakh and the route linking that with Armenia and what was later became to be known as the Zangazur Corridor form a web of interdependence, which Baku and Yerevan could utilise as a quid-pro-quo arrangement in order to achieve long-term peace.



Some elements of this finely balanced knife-edge arrangement are still present in todays Azerbaijani-Armenian discourse, with one massive exception being that the discussions over the territorial status of Karabakhs Armenian-populated section have already been shelved. Now, it is about the comparison of the legal regimes of the two corridors and Azerbaijans insistence that they should be connected. Armenia naturally begs to differ, claiming that the 10 November 2020 trilateral declaration contains a mention of one corridor, and that the Lachin routes regime is unique and cannot be replicated anywhere in the southern portion of its territory.



Beyond the exact details pertaining to the legal regime of the Lachin Corridor, both Baku and Yerevan also differ regarding its long-term function. In Azerbaijan, it is viewed as an interim design which, once the relations between the two countries are normalised, may even lose its presently exclusive status. In fact, through maintaining carefully calculated steps and a watchful eye on the future, Baku has already managed to incrementally reduce any dormant extraterritoriality that might have been engrained in its nature.



Article 6 of the trilateral declaration states that the Russian peacekeeping contingent shall remain in the control of the 5km-wide corridor, with Azerbaijan guaranteeing the safety of citizens, goods and vehicles travelling in both directions. Given that Yerevan's original design was to utilise the whole Lachin district as a corridor, its width subsequently being considerably reduced with the Armenian side being deprived of controlling the route, it was an ideal arrangement for Azerbaijan back in 2020.



The 10 November deal also envisaged the construction of a new route, which is now operational, along the Lachin Corridor. Unlike the old route, this is not commensurate with the power lines connecting Karabakh with Armenia. This also played an integral role in dismantling the corridors old logic, which was based on severing the ties between the mountainous part of Karabakh and the rest of Azerbaijan, ensuring that all of its basic needs were met by Yerevan. It is not a coincidence that, in the official parlance of Azerbaijan, upon the resumption of control over the city of Lachin on 26 August, the term new Lachin road has predominantly superseded utilisation of "the Lachin Corridor".



The fundamental point is that the link connecting Karabakh with Armenia should no longer be viewed as that which Yerevan consistently portrayed to be a so-called escape route in the case of an emergency and a safety guarantee, but as a simple communication passage facilitating movement. In view of Bakus policy of integrating Karabakh Armenians into a wider rainbow of Azerbaijani society with fully-fledged citizenship rights, the routes exclusivity is being incrementally emaciated.



In an interesting twist, Baku, despite the presence of the Russian peacekeeping contingent along the Lachin Corridor, has never complained of extraterritoriality and maintained that its sovereignty is not encumbered and, in fact, claimed to also maintain control over that passage. Armenia has stubbornly refused to accept what it called the corridor logic of the Zangazur passage, in view of Article 9, which mandates that the Border Guard Service of the Russian Federal Security Service should provide security along its length.



Moscows role is of some delicacy. Over the Zangazur Corridor, it superficially appears to be supportive of Baku to a measured extent. But, since Russia is interested in maintaining its peacekeeping contingent in Karabakh beyond 2025, Bakus drive for the full integration of the regions Armenians into the remainder of Azerbaijan is something that the Kremlin may consider too precipitous and undesirable.

Azerbaijan and Armenia expressed their mutual commitment to recognise each others territorial integrity and sovereignty in Prague on 6 October, simultaneously, yet indirectly, expressing their willingness that the vision of extraterritoriality enjoyed by one state at the expense of the factual limitation of another will not be pursued by either. This, of course, necessitates a slight overstretching of what could be meant by the recognition of another states territorial integrity. The Brussels track in the negotiations has achieved some progress over the regime applicable to the Zangazur Corridor, on the basis that each state must control its borders and exercise due jurisdiction over the section of the route traversing its territory. The critical remaining aspect remains that the connection must be as unobstructed and unimpeded as possible.



Azerbaijan, by linking the regime of the Zangazur Corridor with that of the Lachin Corridor, gradually depriving the latter of its original privileged status, has significantly entrenched its own territorial integrity over the past few years. Any change to the post-2020 regime of the corridor connecting Armenia with Karabakh will require some Russian cooperation in the form of acquiescence, at the very least. If Azerbaijan and Armenia agree over the Zangazur project, with its concomitant consequences for the Lachin route, Russia may find itself compelled to retrench.
Egypts foreign ministry signed on Thursday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hassan Allam Group making the Egyptian construction giant a supporting sponsor of the 27th session of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP27), set to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh on 6-18 November.

Egypts Assistant Foreign Minister and General Coordinator for COP27 Organisational and Financial Affairs Ashraf Abbas signed the MoU with the Chief Commercial Officer o9f the Hassan Allam Group Mirette El-Sayed in Cairo.

Abbas said the COP27 presidency believes in the important role that the private sector can play in various aspects of international climate action.

For her part, El-Sayed said the company is proud to be partnering with the Egyptian government at the upcoming climate conference and that it recognises that achieving progress and prosperity requires continuous and coordinated efforts to create the necessary economic and environmental conditions.

El-Sayed added that the conference represents an important opportunity for discussion between the various stakeholders about how to reach a balance between achieving economic growth while preserving the environment and using available resources in more sustainable ways.

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Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will travel to Algiers on Friday to take part in meetings of the Arab League Council ahead of the upcoming Arab summit, the Egyptian foreign ministry announced.

Shoukry is scheduled to take part in the Arab foreign ministers meetings to be held on 29-30 October as part of preparations for holding the 31st Arab League summit on 1-2 November in Algeria, foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said Thursday.

The meetings are expected to review the summit agenda and decisions to be introduced during the summit activities.

This is the first Arab League summit after a two-year hiatus, which makes the event important for helping Arab countries face the grave challenges facing them due to the current critical international and regional conditions, Abu Zeid said.

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A delegation of travel agents and writers from major newspapers in Ireland has started a tour of various tourist and archaeological sites in Sharm El-Sheikh, the tourism ministry announced on Thursday.

The Egyptian Tourism Promotion Board (ETPB) organised a cruise that will take the 17-member delegation to Ras Mohamed Protectorate, White Island, and Sharm El-Sheikh Museum.

ETPB CEO Amr El-Kady said that the tour is part of the ministrys efforts to promote Egypt as a tourist destination in various international markets.

Islam Nabil, the ETPB Sharm El-Sheikh office director, said the members of the delegation described Sharm El-Sheikh as "a wonderful place that has an irrestibale charm."

Some of them plan to return to Egypt]to spend their vacations with their families, Nabil said.

He added that they also praised the efforts currently taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh to prepare for hosting the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in November.

The second leg of the delegation's tour will involve visits to tourist sites in Cairo.

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The United States said Friday it was evacuating families out of Nigeria's capital due to a security threat but not diplomats, clarifying an earlier statement.

A State Department statement Thursday said the United States had ordered the departure of families as well as non-emergency personnel from Abuja, stepping up precautions after an earlier warning to US citizens.

The State Department clarified Friday that the order to leave applied only to family members and that non-essential workers were being given the choice but were not required to depart.

"The Department of State made the decision to recommend ordered departure for (family members) in Abuja out of an abundance of caution related to an elevated risk of terror attacks in Nigeria," a department spokesperson said.

Details of the threat have not been released but Nigeria has been on high alert since Sunday after the United States and several other Western nations raised their travel alerts.

Nigerian security forces are battling jihadist fighters mostly in the northeast of the country, but Islamic State-allied militants have claimed several recent attacks near the capital.

The United States has also warned of the risk of a terror attack in South Africa, leading authorities there to insist that a series of weekend events were properly protected.

The United States as a general policy asks embassies to send out security alerts at the same time that it warns its embassy personnel, saying it is unfair not to provide the same information to private US citizens.

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Russia mobilised 300,000 reservists in just over a month to join Moscow's offensive in Ukraine, a top official said Friday, after a call-up that triggered an exodus of men unwilling to fight.

President Vladimir Putin announced last month a partial mobilisation to prop up his troops in Ukraine, where Russia has recently suffered defeats on the ground.

"The task of recruiting 300,000 people has been completed," Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a televised meeting with Putin.

Shoigu added that "no additional (mobilisation) tasks are planned", but said Russia was still recruiting volunteers and soldiers under contract.

Shoigu said 82,000 of the mobilised people were in Ukraine, with 41,000 of them deployed to military units.

A remaining 218,000 are undergoing training in Russia, Shoigu said.

Putin asked Shoigu to thank the mobilised troops for their "patriotism".

"I want to say thank you to them for their dedication to duty, for their patriotism," Putin said, and for "the fact that they will defend their country, and therefore their homes".

Reports of elderly, sick people and students mobilised sparked some outrage in Russia.

Putin acknowledged "inevitable" problems at the beginning of the call-up.

Shoigu assured him that all issues had been "fixed".

The mobilisation announcement in late September triggered an exodus of men abroad and small protests in Russia.

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New Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will meet EU chiefs in Brussels next week, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, both sides said Friday.

It will be their first face-to-face meeting since Meloni was sworn in following the historic victory of her far-right, Eurosceptic Brothers of Italy party in general elections last month.

Meloni will meet with "heads of European institutions" next Thursday, her office said, without specifying who.

In Brussels, EU spokesmen confirmed she would hold talks with von der Leyen and with European Council chief Charles Michel.

Meloni's government, which includes Matteo Salvini's anti-immigration League party and former premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia, is the most right-wing to take office in Rome since World War II.

The 45-year-old has said she will stand up more for Italy's interests in the EU, which she sees more as a confederation of sovereign nations than a political union.

However, in her first speech to parliament on Tuesday, Meloni took pains to emphasise she saw Italy as "fully part of Europe".

She said her objective "is not to slow down or sabotage European integration", but to make it more effective in dealing with crises.

After Meloni was sworn in last Saturday, von der Leyen said she looked forward to "constructive cooperation" with the new government.

The week after Brussels, Meloni will attend a meeting of heads of state at the COP UN climate change conference in Egypt on November 7 and 8.

She will also attend the G20 leaders' summit in Bali on November 15 and 16, according to the schedule published by her office.

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The spat erupted in December, when Japan claimed that a South Korean Navy destroyer had turned its fire-control radar on a Japanese spy plane flying overhead while the destroyer was on a mission to rescue a North Korean fishing boat.

Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun daily reported Monday that the South Korean Defense Ministry sent the warning to its Japanese counterpart in January, when the spat flared up.

South Korea warned Japan that it will turn on firing radars should Japanese maritime patrol planes ever again approach within 5.5 km of South Korean warships after a series of unexplained fly-bys near the Dokdo islets in the East Sea.

Seoul at the time said the spy plane had come dangerously close to the South Korean ship and had buzzed it in a threatening manner. Japan claimed the flight was "routine" and denied any deliberate coat-trailing.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff here on Monday admitted that they "summoned the Japanese military attache in January... and informed him that we will issue a warning before switching on the fire-control radar to protect ships and crew in the event of Japanese surveillance planes coming within three nautical miles South Korean vessels in a threatening manner."

A Defense Ministry official said, "The Japanese Defense Ministry asked to reconsider, but we explained to them that the matter was not up for negotiation."

Japan sought talks with South Korea through various unofficial channels, and U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris intervened to calm the spat between Washington's two key allies in the region.

Seoul initially denied the newspaper report. In a press briefing on Monday morning, a Defense Ministry spokesman said the report was "not true" and a JCS spokesman also said it issued no such warning. But later in the day they changed their tune.

The ministry spokesman said, "We will complain about the unilateral release of matters that were discussed in closed-door meetings between officials." The Japanese government did not comment.

Seoul-Tokyo relations have soured since last October, when the Korean Supreme Court sided with victims of forced labor during World War II and later authorized the seizure of assets held by Japanese companies in Korea after they refused to pay compensation.

The government here also effectively voided a murky agreement struck by the previous administration to compensate victims of wartime sex slavery, which Tokyo insists must be honored.

All these frictions could weaken a united regional front among U.S. allies against North Korea and China. The U.S. has repeatedly stressed the importance of the three-way alliance, and Seoul may find itself in an awkward position as Tokyo tries to increase its clout in the region.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe travels to Washington on Friday to meet U.S. President Donald Trump and is dispatching a destroyer to a naval fleet review in China on Tuesday brandishing the rising sun flag, which is widely regarded here as a symbol of Japan's imperial past.
Japan has officially announced it is not inviting South Korea to a fleet review next month, though it is inviting China.

Adm. Hiroshi Yamamura, the chief of staff of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, told reporters on Tuesday the South Korean Navy will not be invited to the fleet review in Sagami Bay near Tokyo on Oct. 14.

"Both the Defense Ministry and Self-Defense Forces of Japan have decided that no proper environment has been created to invite" South Korea, Yamamura said.

The snub follows a refusal last October by South Korea to let the Japanese Navy fly its imperial rising-sun flag at an international fleet review here.

Even more contentiously, in December a Japanese spy plane flew some coat-trailing loops over a South Korean Navy ship that was rescuing a North Korean fishing boat, and Japan claims the destroyer intentionally directed its fire-control radar at the plane.

Japan invited other allies including Australia, India and the U.S., as well as China.

At the last fleet review in Japan in 2015, South Korea sent a Daejoyoung destroyer.


A UN report warns the window for preventing a climate catastrophe is fast closing. The UN Environment Program's latest Emissions Gap Report urges unprecedented cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and a rapid transformation of societies to head off the worst.

The UN report finds the world is falling far short of the Paris climate goals agreement, with no credible pathway for limiting a temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said progress since last year's climate change conference, COP 26 in Glasgow, Scotland, has been woefully inadequate. She said nations have failed to deliver on their pledges for greater emissions cuts.

She noted greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by 45 percent by 2030 to stop climate change. However, instead of stabilizing global temperatures at 1.5 degrees above the pre-industrial level, she said temperatures will likely rise 2.4 to 2.6 degrees by 2100.

"We are sliding from climate crisis to climate disaster. This report is sending us a very, very clear message. If we are serious about climate change, we need to kickstart a system-wide transformation now. We need a root and branch redesign of the electricity sector, of the transport sector, of the building sector, and food systems."
German laws must comply with European legislation, and under the proposal, the government would regulate cannabis production, sale, and distribution as part of a controlled, legalized market, said Lauterbach, describing the reform as a possible "model" for other European countries.

Germany's federal Cabinet reportedly approved the plan, kicking off a lengthy process to legalize growth, cultivation and distribution of the plant.

Presenting his plans to the cabinet of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said the proposal aims to achieve "the most liberal cannabis liberalization in Europe, and, on the other hand... the most tightly regulated market."

Germany on Wednesday unveiled plans to legalize cannabis, potentially making it one of the first countries in Europe to make marijuana legal.

Although many European countries have decriminalized small amounts of cannabis for recreational purposes, only one, Malta, has fully legalized it.

The proposed plan would also legalize the acquisition and possession of 20 to 30 grams of cannabis for personal consumption, cultivation of up to two or three plants per person, and sales through specialized stores. Use of cannabis would remain prohibited for anyone under 18.

According to the plan, the government would also introduce a special consumption tax and develop education and abuse prevention programs, while ongoing investigations and criminal proceedings connected to cannabis would be terminated.

Legalizing cannabis would push out Germany's cannabis black market and could increase annual tax revenues, create 27,000 new jobs, and generate cost savings of about $4.7 billion, according to a report by Reuters.

Wednesday's announcement was met with mixed reactions throughout the country. A national pharmacists association warned of potential health risks of legalizing cannabis, while some regional officials expressed concerns that Germany would become a drug-tourism destination, similar to the Netherlands, where some coffee shops are allowed to sell cannabis under strict conditions.

According to The Guardian, Germany's health minister said the Dutch system "combined two disadvantages: liberal use but not a controlled market. What we have learned from the Dutch experience is that we don't want to do it that way. We want to control the entire market."
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Armenia must be held accountable for its anti-Azerbaijan war crimes, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

In a tweet posted on the second anniversary of the Armenian missile strike on Barda city, the ministry provided the number of victims of the heinous attack.

Two years ago, on the night of October 27-28, Armenia, violating the ceasefire, bombed Barda with cluster munition rockets. It was the deadliest attack on civilians during the Second Karabakh War in 2020 that killed 27 people, including a 2-year-old girl, injuring more than 70 people. Armenias impunity against committed war crimes must be ended," the ministry stressed.

Azerbaijans Barda city was attacked after the U.S-mediated humanitarian truce became effective at 0800 (GMT +4) on October 26.

As a result of the missile attack from the Smerch multiple rocket launcher on Barda, five civilians, including a child, were killed and 13 civilians, including children and women, were seriously wounded.

The Armenian armed forces launched missile attacks on Barda on October 5, 8, 27, and 28.

As a result of Armenia's military aggression, 100 Azerbaijani civilians were killed, including 12 children and 27 women. As many as 454 people were injured, including 35 children. Some 181 children lost one parent, five children lost both parents, and one family lost all members. In total, 12,292 residential and non-residential buildings and 288 vehicles were damaged.
The government will bring in more foreign workers to Korea next year in a bid to help alleviate labor shortages in the manufacturing and agriculture industries.

The government said Thursday that it will increase the foreign worker quota from 70,000 this year to 110,000 next year.

Small and mid-sized manufacturers and agriculture and livestock farms have suffered a shortage of laborers since the entry of foreign workers was curbed sharply during the last two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The government will receive applications for new work permits from businesses next month and issue them by the end of the year so that foreign workers can enter the country from as early as January.
South Korea will join Japan's international fleet review next month for the first time in seven years, the government here said Thursday.

The decision came amid controversy over the imperial rising-sun flag that the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force uses.

A government official said that it made the decision because it thinks "the best weapon to respond to nuclear threats from North Korea is security cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan."
KYODO NEWS - Oct 28, 2022 - 16:26 | World, All

North Korea launched Friday two short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan, with the projectiles falling outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone, according to the South Korean military and the Japanese government.

There were no reports of damage, a Japanese government source said. The South Korean military's Joint Chiefs of Staff said they were launched from the Tongchon area in Kangwon Province in the eastern part of the country between 11:59 a.m. and 12:18 p.m.

The JCS added the missiles flew some 230 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 24 km with their top speed reaching Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound.

The launches marked the North's 28th round of missile tests this year, including those of cruise missiles, and came as Seoul and Washington are set to conduct major joint air force drills from next Monday for the first time in five years.

The North last fired a ballistic missile on Oct. 14. There were no launches during the Chinese Communist Party's weeklong, twice-a-decade congress through Oct. 22, at which leader Xi Jinping secured an unprecedented third five-year term as general secretary.

Tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula, with North and South Korea exchanging warning shots along a disputed western maritime boundary in the Yellow Sea earlier this week.

Speculation has been growing that the North could conduct a seventh nuclear test, its first since September 2017, in the near future.

Related coverage:

North Korea fires shots as "serious warning" to South Korea

North Korea launches another ballistic missile toward Sea of Japan

North Korean leader oversaw test-firing of long-range cruise missiles
KYODO NEWS - Oct 28, 2022 - 14:14 | All, World, Japan

Japan is considering buying U.S.-developed Tomahawk cruise missiles as part of efforts to more quickly bolster its deterrence capacity, government officials said Friday, with Tokyo seeking the ability to disable an enemy country's missiles in its territory.

The plan to purchase sea-launched Tomahawks, which have a range of up to 2,500 kilometers and can travel relatively low to the ground, emerged as the government aims to declare the possession of "counterstrike capability" in its key long-term security policy guideline to be updated by the end of this year.

However, while the move comes amid increasing security challenges from North Korea and China, acquiring such a capability is controversial in Japan, which has long held an exclusively self-defense-oriented stance under its war-renouncing Constitution.

A senior Defense Ministry official admitted that Japan is thinking about the purchase, but added it all "depends on whether the United States will sell them."

Japan has been trying to develop its own standoff missiles, capable of attacking enemy vessels from outside their firing range and of being fired not only from land but also from ships and aircraft.

To achieve the goal, it is planning to extend the range of the Ground Self-Defense Force's Type-12 surface-to-ship guided missiles.

But the home-developed missiles are not expected to come into service until fiscal 2026. The government has been exploring ways to expedite the process of strengthening deterrence in what it sees as an increasingly severe security environment by turning to Tomahawks.

If the purchase is realized, Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers are likely to be equipped with the U.S. missiles after undertaking modifications to the vessels, according to the officials.

The first combat use of the cruise missiles by the United States was 1991 in the Gulf War. The U.S. military also used them against Syria in 2017 and 2018 in response to its alleged use of chemical weapons on citizens.

Through actual warfare, the cruise missiles have proved that they can hit targets with high accuracy. The missiles have a range that puts the whole of North Korea within striking distance and they are hard to be detected by radar as they fly at low altitudes.

In 2017, the Japanese government had seriously considered a plan to introduce Tomahawks, following North Korea's flurry of ballistic missile tests.

Related coverage:

Kishida, Biden to boost Japan-U.S. deterrence over North Korea launch

Japan to seek record 5.5 tril. yen defense budget to beef up tech

Japan has only 60% of needed interceptor missile stockpiles: estimate
KYODO NEWS - Oct 27, 2022 - 23:30 | World, All

China warned Japan on Thursday not to refer to Taiwan in its long-term security policy guideline slated to be updated by the end of the year, saying Tokyo should "refrain from interfering in China's internal affairs."

Tokyo is planning to mention in the revised National Security Strategy that "no unilateral change of the status quo by force will be tolerated" over Taiwan, according to a Japanese government source, with China recently stepping up military provocation against the self-ruled democratic island.

Tan Kefei, spokesman of China's Defense Ministry, told a press conference Thursday that Japan has "played up the so-called military threat" of Beijing, which is based on "an ulterior motive and irresponsible." He urged Tokyo to be "cautious in its words and deeds" in the security field.

The spokesman also expressed China's "firm opposition" to a bill deliberated at U.S. Congress aimed at significantly enhancing American support to Taiwan, including through billions of dollars in security assistance, amid Beijing's increasing pressure on the island.

"We urge the U.S. side to stop playing with fire on the Taiwan issue," Tan said.

China-U.S. relations have sharply deteriorated since House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August, with Beijing conducting large-scale military drills near the island following her trip.

Asked about U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's remarks that Washington is trying to reopen the military communication channel with Beijing, the spokesman said the United States should "earnestly respect China's interests and major concerns, and dispel the negative factors hindering the relations between the two militaries."

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a message sent Wednesday to the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations that Beijing "stands ready to work with the United States to find the right way to get along with each other in the new era on the basis of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation."

The message to the U.S. nonprofit organization, reported by the official Xinhua News Agency, could be a gesture to seek an improvement in bilateral ties.

Xi also said "closer communication and cooperation between China and the United States will help bring greater stability and certainty to the world, and promote world peace and development."

U.S. President Joe Biden has expressed eagerness to meet Xi on the sidelines of the summit of the Group of 20 major economies scheduled for November in Indonesia.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 28, 2022 - 09:27 | All, World

Canada will seek membership to the U.S-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, its foreign minister said Thursday, referring to a regional economic engagement initiative Washington is pitching to counter China's growing clout.

The framework, commonly known as IPEF, was launched in May by U.S. President Joe Biden. It has been joined by 13 other countries: Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly made the announcement following talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Ottawa, saying that joining IPEF is intended to "further economic cooperation" in the Indo-Pacific region.

Blinken expressed support for Canada's bid to join the framework, calling it a "fellow Pacific nation."

"In the coming months, we will consult closely with other IPEF members on the development of a process for considering new members, because it's not a decision the United States can make unilaterally, but we would welcome Canada's participation," he added.

The Biden administration has been clear that IPEF will not be a traditional free trade agreement involving tariff-cutting commitments.

IPEF is aimed to serve as an economic arrangement focused on further integration of Indo-Pacific economies, setting of standards and rules, such as in new areas like the digital economy, and ensuring secure and resilient supply chains.

In September, the 14 members agreed to start formal negotiations under the framework.
Photo taken on July 7, 2018 shows a view of Moai stone statues at sunset in Easter island of Chile. (Xinhua/Wang Pei)

Fire spread over approximately 240 hectares, damaging vegetation and archaeological structures, including 177 moai, according to an initial report from Chile's National Forestry Corporation.

SANTIAGO, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- A forest fire on Chile's Easter Island in early October damaged at least 177 moai statues -- ancient monoliths that have made the Polynesian island world renowned, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said Tuesday.

The report followed an exploratory mission to the island on Oct. 17-21 led by the director of UNESCO's regional office in Chile, Claudia Uribe, the office said in a statement.

The mission evaluated the need for emergency UNESCO funds to help assess the scale of the damage to the World Heritage Site, and strengthen its comprehensive management and protection plan.

"The idea is to focus this aid on diagnostic tasks to evaluate the extent of the damage caused by the fire and determine the necessary actions to recover the park and its future protection," said Uribe.

Fire spread over approximately 240 hectares, damaging vegetation and archaeological structures, including 177 moai, according to an initial report from Chile's National Forestry Corporation.

Moai are "stone witnesses of a society of Polynesian origin that from the 10th to the 16th century built sanctuaries and statues that make up an incomparable cultural legacy that fascinates the entire world," said UNESCO.

Easter Island covers 163.6 square km and is home to some 7,750 inhabitants concentrated mainly in Hanga Roa, the capital and only town.

The Pacific island is situated more than 3,700 km off the coast of Chile. 
CANBERRA, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Australian researchers have developed a new method to scan the deep interior of planets.

The method, detailed in a report published by Australian National University (ANU), requires only one seismometer on the surface of a planet to work.

It uses technology similar to an ultrasound scan that uses sound waves to generate images of a patient's body to confirm whether or not a planet has a core.

It works by measuring specific seismic waves generated by the shaking of the planet's surface.

As the waves reverberate throughout the interior of the planet they bounce off the core, allowing researchers to measure its size.

"Our research presents an innovative method using a single instrument to scan the interior of any planet in a way that's never been done before," Hrvoje Tkalcic, co-author of the study from the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences, said in a media release.

The research team trialed the new method on Mars, determining the Red Planet has a core approximately 3,620 km in diameter.

Co-author Sheng Wang said confirming the existence of a core can help scientists understand a planet's past and future evolution, including at what point its magnetic field formed and ceased to exist.

"Modelling suggests that the Martian core is liquid and while it is made up of mostly iron and nickel, it could also contain traces of lighter elements such as hydrogen and sulphur. These elements can alter the ability of the core to transport heat," he said.

"A magnetic field is important because it shields us from cosmic radiation, which is why life on Earth is possible."

Researchers are hopeful the method can help improve the understanding of other celestial bodies including the moon. 
WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- The New York Post blamed an employee for "the vile and reprehensible content" from its website and social media accounts on Thursday.

The Post said in a statement that its "investigation indicates that the unauthorized conduct was committed by an employee, and the employee has been terminated."

"This morning, we immediately removed the vile and reprehensible content from our website and social media accounts," the newspaper added.

The rogue employee fabricated tweets and headlines relating to several notable U.S. politicians.

Published in New York City, the Post is a conservative daily tabloid. 
BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- At a logistics center belonging to a healthcare group in China, autonomous mobile robots carry shelves and containers out of the warehouse, a task that previously required human workers to take about 30,000 steps each day.

The artificial intelligence (AI) robots, developed by Chinese AI company Megvii, helped this logistics center reduce labor difficulties and costs, improve working efficiency, and promote its transformation from automation to intelligence.

Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, has been a trial ground for several categories of smart vehicles, including self-driving buses running on China's first open-road smart-bus demonstration line, according to a spokesperson with Xiangjiang Smart Tech Innovation Center.

The smart-bus demonstration line, built by Xiangjiang New Area, is 7.8 km long and features 22 stops in both directions. However, the driver's seats are not empty, but are occupied by "safety personnel."

The throttle, brakes, steering wheel and gear lever in these autonomous vehicles are all managed by computers, allowing the "driver" to keep a better eye on events during test drives, according to He Jiancheng, one of the safety personnel.

"My main task is to deal with any unpredictable situations that the vehicle may encounter," he said.

Seeking to accelerate the development of AI applications and boost economic growth, China's Ministry of Science and Technology recently announced the first batch of 10 AI demonstration application scenarios, including smart farms, smart factories and autonomous driving.

"AI technology must be combined with application scenarios if it is to play its greatest role," said Ren Aiguang, an official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. "China's advantage in AI development lies in its rich application scenarios created during the intelligent upgrading of the real economy."

At the World Robot Conference 2022, more than 500 sets of intelligent robots were deployed in simulation application scenarios for various industries, including cutting-edge biomimetic robots, medical robots and agricultural robots.

Robots such as intelligent refueling robots and bionic finless porpoises based on aviation technology have attracted much attention. The intelligent refueling robots, for example, can be deployed at unmanned gas stations.

"Accelerating the scenario innovation is the key driving force to boost the AI technology and industrial development. The scenario innovation of AI in key industries will promote the deep integration of AI and the real economy, and lay a solid foundation for China's high-quality development," said Fu Yingbo, president of Megvii. 
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijan's Prime Minister Ali Asadov has arrived in Astana, Kazakhstan, to attend a meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Council of Heads of State, Azernews reports, per the Cabinet of Ministers.

The working visit was organized at the invitation of the Kazakh prime minister, the report adds.

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was founded in 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Meetings are held periodically on a rotating basis at the CIS countries capitals. Forums include the council of heads of state, the council of prime ministers, and the council of foreign ministers.

The CIS performs its activities on the basis of the charter, adopted by the council of heads of states on 22 January 1993, which stipulates the goals and principles of the commonwealth, and the rights and obligations of the countries.
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are on their way to visit two facilities in Ukraine after Russia's "dirty bombs" allegations, chief of the UN nuclear watchdog said here Thursday.

"Allegations have been made, inspections are on the way," IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi told reporters at the UN headquarters after attending a closed-door Security Council meeting.

Inspectors are expected to go to the two locations "in a couple of days" and could reach a conclusion in days, Grossi said.

A separate press release from the IAEA said its inspectors this week would carry out verification activities at two locations in Ukraine, following a written request from the Ukraine government to send teams of inspectors there.

Ukraine's request was issued after Russia made allegations about activities related to the possible production of "dirty bombs" at the two locations, which are under IAEA safeguards and have been visited regularly by IAEA inspectors, the agency said.

The purpose of this week's safeguards visits is to detect any possible undeclared nuclear activities and materials related to the development of "dirty bombs," the IAEA said, adding that it inspected one of the two locations a month ago and no undeclared nuclear activities or materials were found there. 
BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Seven years into its operations, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has upheld multilateralism, achieved rapid development and actively responded to various global challenges.

"The unique advantage of AIIB, which is taking developing countries as the mainstay but also including a large number of developed countries, makes AIIB a bridge for South-South cooperation and North-South cooperation," AIIB President Jin Liqun told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

Jin made the remarks as AIIB's seventh annual meeting was held in Beijing in a virtual format from Wednesday to Thursday. Themed "Sustainable Infrastructure Toward a Connected World," the meeting focused on promoting connectivity and regional cooperation.

Seven years ago, the bank started with 57 founding members and has since grown to 105 economies from six continents.

To date, it has approved 191 projects, mobilizing more than 85 billion U.S. dollars in capital, including from the private sector, and playing a positive role in fostering infrastructure development in areas such as transport, energy, water resources and public health.

On addressing climate change, AIIB has committed to ensuring that at least 50 percent of its lending is directed at climate finance by 2025. "In 2021, AIIB's climate finance amounted to 2.9 billion U.S. dollars or 48 percent of total approved financing," Jin noted.

The bank has also provided 26 members with more than 12.2 billion U.S. dollars' worth of funds to support their work on containing the pandemic and promoting economic recovery.

In response to a complex set of challenges worldwide, Jin said that multilateralism is the key to solving global problems.

Seven years on, AIIB has established partnerships with 13 multilateral organizations and regional financial institutions and jointly promoted the resolution of global development issues.

"AIIB will continue to support major international initiatives, including the Global Development Initiative, and will propel cooperation with all parties in areas such as poverty reduction, COVID-19 control, climate change and green development, interconnectivity and the digital economy," Jin said.

Efforts will be made to jointly explore multilateral solutions that meet current needs, and make contributions to promoting the world's common development and achieving the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, he added. 
Screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Sept. 17, 2022 shows Shenzhou-14 astronaut Chen Dong returning to space station lab module Wentian after finishing extravehicular activities (EVAs). (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)

Applications for payload specialists, a type of astronauts who are mainly responsible for conducting aerospace experiments and research, closed Thursday in the HKSAR, following the prior application deadline in the Macao SAR.

HONG KONG, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Scientists and engineers in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as well as the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) have responded with great enthusiasm to the first-ever opportunity to join the country's manned space missions.

Applications for payload specialists, a type of astronauts who are mainly responsible for conducting aerospace experiments and research, closed Thursday in the HKSAR, following the prior application deadline in the Macao SAR.

The recruitment drive was launched earlier this month, marking the first time that the country recruits candidates for payload specialists from the two SARs.

The Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau of the HKSAR government, which is in charge of the screening process in Hong Kong, said that it had received nearly 50 applications by Wednesday, many of which came from universities, research institutes and local companies.

The number was considered desirable regarding the strict requirements for payload specialists.

According to official announcements, the candidates must be Chinese nationals aged between 30 and 45, with a doctoral degree in a relevant field and at least three years of professional working experience in a relevant discipline. They also need to meet certain physical attributes.

Benny Zee, director of the office of research and knowledge transfer services of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), told Xinhua that both the number of applicants from the CUHK and the variety of their backgrounds were beyond his expectation.

Screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Sept. 30, 2022 shows the Wentian lab module separating from the space station's core module Tianhe and conducting transposition. (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)

"Everyone was so excited. Hong Kong has a competitive edge in basic research, and the recruitment for payload specialists is very inspiring for the scientists as it gives them an opportunity to take part in national research projects," he said.

For young scientists in Hong Kong and Macao, the sky is no longer the limit.

Hao Xiaotian, a 31-year-old PhD graduate from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said he decided to sign up the moment he was notified of the opportunity.

"I never thought my childhood dream of being an astronaut could come true one day," he said.

As a co-founder of a startup on artificial intelligence (AI) farming technology, Hao uses AI to raise crabs. He wondered what would a "space crab" be like, and more importantly, how can humans breed crabs and other kinds of food in space in case humans could settle on other planets.

Vivien Ya Fan Wang, an associate professor specializing in biochemistry at the University of Macao, also expects to conduct research in space.

If she was fortunate enough to go into space, she said, she would be interested to learn how the microgravity environment affects gene expression, protein structure and function, as well as the cell cycle.

"Through the basic research, I hope to lay a solid foundation for future astrobiology explorations," she said.

Home to several world-renowned universities, Hong Kong and Macao enjoy a competitive edge in basic research. However, how to commercialize the research findings and turn knowledge into lucrative industries has been a bottleneck constraining local technological advancement. The payload specialist recruitment drive would be an opportunity to speed up innovation development in Hong Kong and Macao, analysts said.

"It's a catalyst for change in the new space economy in Hong Kong," said Quentin Parker, director of the Laboratory for Space Research of the University of Hong Kong.

Sun Dong, secretary for innovation, technology and industry of the HKSAR government, said that aerospace is an important industry for Hong Kong in terms of industrial development, and aerospace technology will support Hong Kong's technological and economic development in the future.

The payload specialist recruitment drive has also inspired many young people in Hong Kong and Macao to pursue their dreams of space and Aidan Wong, a primary school student from Hong Kong, is one of them.

Every two weeks, Wong will go to the Hong Kong Space Museum to learn about astronomy and he dreams of becoming a scientist.

Learning that he would one day have the opportunity to become an astronaut, he made his goal clearer.

"I will go into space and become an astronaut studying black holes," he said.
BRUSSELS, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union (EU) reached a provisional agreement late on Thursday on a European Commission proposal to end the sale of new CO2-emitting cars and vans by 2035.

EU co-legislators also agreed to a 55 percent CO2 emission reduction target for new cars and 50 percent for new vans compared to 2021 levels by 2030. By 2035, the targets will go up to 100 percent for both categories.

This is the first agreement reached in the framework of the 'Fit for 55' package, the EU's plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

"Closing a first deal on a proposal from the 'Fit for 55' package is a strong signal that the EU is determined to make progress towards climate neutrality and the green transition," Anna Hubackova, the Czech Republic's minister of environment, said.

Cars and vans are responsible for 15 percent of CO2 emissions in the EU. Expected results from this measure include better air quality and better health for citizens.

The agreement also gives a boost to the design and manufacturing of such vehicles.

"This agreement will pave the way for the modern and competitive automotive industry in the EU," Czech Minister for Trade and Industry Jozef Sikela said. "The world is changing, and we must remain at the forefront of innovation. I believe we can take advantage of this technological transition."

The agreed timeline should enable Europe's carmakers to adjust, he said.

The EU's automotive industry is the world's second-largest after China and accounts for 7 percent of the bloc's gross domestic product (GDP), according to the European Commission.

The measure was first proposed by the Commission in July 2021. 
GUANGZHOU, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- During a livestreaming session, the anchor of a textile company was introducing printed knitwear featuring Southeast Asian styles in front of a smartphone screen, while numerous online viewers from countries of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) were watching closely.

Zhang Jing, deputy general manager of Guangzhou Textiles Holdings, said that ahead of the Canton Fair that kicked off on Oct. 15, 2022, the company had analyzed regional distribution and product preferences of targeted customers, and decided to use livestreaming as a tool to promote cooperation with RCEP countries.

From January to September this year, the company's exports to RCEP countries increased by 23.8 percent compared with the same period last year.

"RCEP countries are not only important Canton Fair participants, but are also major markets served by the fair," said Wen Zhongliang, deputy secretary-general of the Canton Fair.

The Canton Fair Global Partnership Program has covered all RCEP countries and the Canton Fair will continue to provide round-the-clock convenient services for global enterprises, including those from RCEP countries, Wen added.

Gacia Electrical Appliance is one of the enterprises that benefit greatly from the fair.

"Our company has always attached great importance to the ASEAN market, and our exports to ASEAN grew nearly 150 percent last year," said Ying Zhengbei, manager of the company.

"After RCEP came into effect, our company specially set up a business group targeting RCEP countries. We have made preliminary studies at the Canton Fair, hoping to tap more business opportunities," Ying said.

Founded in 1989, Guangzhou Sunny Industrial Co., Ltd. has participated in the Canton Fair 16 times, and its thermal insulation containers sell well in Europe, America, Japan, the Republic of Korea and ASEAN countries.

Ke Bo'er, overseas business development director of the company, said the Canton Fair is not only an important platform to showcase new products, but also a powerful channel to strengthen exchanges with foreign markets and obtain new orders.

"Our company is expected to enjoy more than 400,000 U.S. dollars of RCEP tariff reductions this year, and these policy dividends will help us win more orders from RCEP countries," Ke added.

In the past two years, Chinese home appliance manufacturer Galanz Group has seen the sales of air fryers double in Southeast Asia, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Its microwave ovens also proved popular in RCEP countries. The company unveiled multiple products at the Canton Fair, and has already won the favor of participants from RCEP countries.

RCEP dividends have been released continuously since it came into effect, including tariff reductions for some products exported to countries in the region, which have greatly improved the competitiveness of products, according to an overseas marketing executive of Galanz. 
NANJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- East China's Jiangsu Province, one of the country's major foreign trade hubs, saw robust foreign trade growth in the first three quarters of 2022, local customs authorities said.

Jiangsu's import and export volume rose by 9.8 percent year on year to 4.11 trillion yuan (about 573 billion U.S. dollars) from January to September, according to Nanjing customs.

Exports soared to 2.61 trillion yuan, marking a 12.9-percent increase from the same period last year, while imports reached 1.5 trillion yuan, up 4.9 percent year on year.

In the nine months, the province's trade volume with the European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United States, and the countries and regions along the Belt and Road increased 13.5 percent, 13.8 percent, 6.5 percent, and 14.9 percent, respectively.

The foreign trade of Jiangsu's private enterprises saw a strong performance in the period, with the total volume up by 15 percent year on year to 1.62 trillion yuan, customs noted. 
VIENTIANE, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- An online singing training program and Chinese song singing contest have worked to boost cultural exchanges between China and Laos.

The online singing training program is one of the cooperation projects between the China Cultural Center in Laos and the Culture and Tourism Department of China's northeastern Liaoning Province, which opened for registration on Oct. 11.

More than 80 Lao people applied for the training and 50 were selected by the China Cultural Center in Laos and received training from Oct. 17.

During the online training, the participants learned singing techniques including pronunciation, rhythm and others, which was taught by Li Donghai, a member of the Chinese Musicians Association.

The Chinese song singing contest was held in Lao capital Vientiane on Wednesday. The jury selected 10 contestants from the 50 trainees for the finals based on their singing and performance. 
BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of political parties and governments as well as heads of state worldwide have sent congratulations to Xi Jinping on his election as general secretary of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Under Xi's strong leadership, the CPC Central Committee has united and led the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups in successfully coping with various challenges, said Mia Mottley, leader of the Barbados Labour Party and also Barbadian prime minister, adding that she firmly believes that the CPC will bring a brighter future for China and the world.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 50 years ago, Malta and China have achieved fruitful results in cooperation in various fields, said Robert Abela, leader of Malta Labour Party and also Maltese prime minister, looking forward to further strengthening bilateral ties for the benefit of the two peoples.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed his belief that under Xi's leadership, the CPC will play an even greater role in maintaining national stability and development and improving people's well-being, adding that Armenia and China will write a new chapter in their traditional friendship.

China is one of major countries in the world with foremost influence and plays an important role on the world stage, said Bakir Izetbegovic, chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Party of Democratic Action and vice chairman of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly.

He said he looks forward to working with Xi to further deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two parties and enhance friendly relations between the two countries.

Moses Wetangula, leader of the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Kenya party and speaker of Kenya's National Assembly, said he looks forward to working with Xi to deepen relations between Kenya and China and jointly embrace a brighter future.

Sultan al-Barakani, assistant secretary-general of General People's Congress party of Yemen and speaker of the Yemeni parliament, said he firmly believes the CPC will surely achieve new great victories under its new leadership, expressing the willingness to join hands with China and the CPC on the journey of reform and development.

Under Xi's leadership, China has become the world's economic powerhouse, resolutely defended its interests on the international stage, upheld international fairness and justice, and greatly enhanced the international status of Asian countries, said Sadiq Sanjrani, chairman of Pakistan's Senate.

KP Sharma Oli, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and former Nepali prime minister, extended sincere congratulations on Xi's election as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, saying that it has a significant impact on the region and the world at large.

Oli said he hopes China will lead the international community, especially developing countries, to achieve sustainable development goals, and to promote the building of a human community with a shared future.

Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of the Komeito party of Japan, said his party stands ready to work together with the CPC to forge a constructive and stable Japan-China relationship so as to make contributions to international peace and stability.

The 20th CPC National Congress has achieved important outcomes, and Xi's election has shown the trust and support of the Chinese people extended to him, said Sergey Mironov, chairman of A Just Russia-Patriots-For Truth party.

Mironov said he believes that Xi will continue to lead the Chinese people in accomplishing all tasks and goals.

Irakli Kobakhidze, chairman of the Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party, expressed the expectation that the relations between his party and the CPC as well as the ties between the two countries will be deepened, so as to bring more opportunities to bilateral cooperation in various areas.

He voiced confidence that under Xi's leadership, the Chinese people will, for sure, continue achieving development and prosperity.

Xi's election as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee will push forward the goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, said Abou el-Fadhl Baadji, general secretary of Algeria's National Liberation Front party, noting that his party is ready to enhance friendly relations with the CPC to serve the interests of both countries.

Asadollah Badamchian, secretary-general of Iran's Islamic Coalition Party, said Xi's election demonstrates the high-level trust of the Chinese people in him.

Badamchian said he hopes that under Xi's guidance, Iran-China friendly cooperation will be continuously strengthened, bringing more benefits to other developing countries.

Sophia Shaningwa, secretary general of the SWAPO Party of Namibia, said that the SWAPO Party looks forward to mutual support and mutual learning with the sisterly CPC and strengthening their cooperation. 
BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of political parties and governments as well as heads of state worldwide have sent congratulations to Xi Jinping on his election as general secretary of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Under Xi's leadership, China has made transformative achievements across the board in the past decade, said Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, chairman of the Federal Party of the Philippines and president of the country, expressing his willingness to work with the CPC's new central leadership to deepen bilateral relations and contribute to the development of both countries, as well as regional peace, prosperity and stability.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended sincere greetings and congratulations to Xi, saying that he looks forward to working with Xi to give new impetus to the development of India-China relations.

Faced with grave challenges, the world should take on the mission of promoting peace and development and work tirelessly to achieve it, said Italian President Sergio Mattarella, extending his warmest congratulations to Xi.

Xi's election fully reflects the CPC and the Chinese people's confidence in him, said Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who expressed appreciation for the glorious achievements of the Party and its productive contributions to raising the Chinese people's living standards.

President of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement and Cameroonian President Paul Biya expressed confidence that under Xi's leadership, the friendly and cooperative relationship between the two parties and between the two countries will be strengthened.

Xi's election reflects the whole party's trust and confidence in him, said Paul Kagame, leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, also president of the country. He wished Xi continued success in leading China forward, and said that he looks forward to working with Xi to strengthen friendly relations between his party and the CPC, as well as between the two countries.

Noting that Zambia and China boast a long history of all-weather friendship and fruitful cooperation in various fields, Hakainde Hichilema, president of Zambia's United Party for National Development and president of the country, said that he looks forward to working with Xi to deepen bilateral relations for the benefit of their people.

The CPC's great achievements in building a modern socialist country in all respects are impressive, said Chairman of Suriname's Progressive Reform Party and Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi. He expressed his sincere hope that China will continue to play an active role in shaping a peaceful and friendly international environment, adding that he stands ready to work with Xi to promote the sound development of the Suriname-China strategic partnership of cooperation.

Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh expressed confidence that under Xi's leadership, China will successfully achieve the Second Centenary Goal of building a great modern socialist country in all respects to continue to benefit the Chinese people.

Noting that China always upholds the principle and justice, safeguards peace and is committed to promoting the common development of humanity, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that people across the world have new expectations for China.

Polish President Andrzej Duda congratulated Xi on his election and expressed hope that the two countries will deepen dialogue and exchanges in various fields.

Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China has made remarkable achievements in many important fields, said Taur Matan Ruak, president of the People's Liberation Party of Timor-Leste and prime minister of the country. Timor-Leste is willing to learn from China's development achievements and modernization path as it strives to build its own country, he added. 
MACAO, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) has adopted a raft of initiatives to stimulate the local economy amid a battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting Friday, each local resident is entitled to an allowance of 8,000 patacas (about 989 U.S. dollars) for making electronic payments in Macao under a government-sponsored plan designed to ease the pressure of living costs stemming from the impact of the pandemic.

During the latest wave of outbreak, a total of nearly 2,000 people were infected with the virus. Businesses other than those deemed essential for the society or providing daily necessities to residents were asked to suspend operation for about 10 days.

Figures released by local financial authorities showed that about 140,000 Macao residents claimed the allowances on Friday.

A local resident surnamed Cheong said she had been anticipating the allowance. "Living expenses are high nowadays. The allowance really helps us," she told Xinhua.

On June 1, thanks to government-sponsored plans, Macao residents were entitled to a start-up fund of 5,000 patacas (618 U.S. dollars) and a preferential grant of 3,000 patacas (371 U.S. dollars) in their electronic payment with an aim to boost consumption.

In addition, the Macao SAR government remained committed to an annual wealth partaking scheme, under which Macao's permanent residents could receive 10,000 patacas (1,236 U.S. dollars) per person while non-permanent residents could get 6,000 patacas (742 U.S. dollars).

This month, the Macao SAR government also rolled out a four-month "carnival" to encourage consumption, offering lottery drawing to consumers at a budget of 100 million patacas (12.4 million U.S. dollars) in total.

Chan Tze Wai, deputy director of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau of the Macao SAR government, said the government had been gradually implementing its economic relief measures in multiple forms to reduce the adverse impacts of the epidemic.

Chan hoped the consumption "carnival" could continuously encourage residents to shop, expand domestic demand, and boost the confidence of various industries.

Lao Chi Ngai, chairman of the Macao Economic Association, said the moves were expected to effectively mitigate public hardship, stabilize the economy, and increase the sense of gaining among residents.

"With support from the central government, Macao is expected to receive more visitors from the mainland," Lao said. "The external environment for Macao's economic development is recovering and economic prosperity is expected to gradually improve."

Besides boosting consumption, the local government had also been working to expand employment by offering paid vocational training and job matching sessions.

Figures released by the Labor Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR government showed it had organized over 100 sessions of job matching in the first 10 months of this year and assisted over 5,000 local residents being employed.

In the long term, Lao said Macao should seize opportunities brought about by overall national development, strive to restore the vitality of the tourism industry, and insist on appropriately diversifying the economy. 
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Members of the United Kingdom (UK) parliament have backed Azerbaijan's reasonable stance in its ties with Armenia, Azernews reports, referring to the UK Parliament.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia, and the UN at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and a number of members of the UK House of Lords have voiced support for Azerbaijan's position, the report adds.

In reaction to an anti-Azerbaijani comment made by a member of the UK Parliament's House of Lords, Baroness Caroline Cox, Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Armenia, other members of the House of Lords expressed both neutral and favorable views of Azerbaijan.

Lord Hussain stated that recent border confrontations between Armenia and Azerbaijan show the urgent need to speed the EU-led peace and normalization process between the two countries, as well as the need for a comprehensive peace accord.

Furthermore, Lord David Evans called attention to the issue of landmines on Azerbaijan's liberated territories and thanked the UK government for financial help for the country's demining activities. He went on to say that 260 Azerbaijani civilians were killed as a result of mine explosions, and there are 3,890 missing Azerbaijanis of whose fates are unknown to Azerbaijan and Armenia refuses to provide information to this effect.

Moreover, Baroness Uddin endorsed the recent meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders in Prague on October 6. She further emphasized that Armenia has not provided any information on the 3,890 missing Azerbaijanis during the first Karabakh war (1988-1994).
BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- For Muhammad Hasan Makhdomzada, perhaps the best way to comprehend China is by experiencing its villages, after the Afghan student visited a photovoltaic power station in the countryside, explored fruit and vegetable plantations, and tasted wine produced on a farm in his quest to understand China better.

Makhdomzada who came to China seven years ago is a business administration student at the Hefei University of Technology. He has traveled to many rural areas of east China's Anhui Province in an attempt to understand how technology and industries are transforming the lives of farmers.

"In every village that we visited, local residents praised the achievements of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in leading the people out of poverty and towards prosperity," he said, adding that his own country can learn from China's successful experience in poverty eradication.

Makhdomzada has been amazed by China's success in fighting poverty, which saw close to 100 million rural residents shake off destitution in the past decade. China declared victory against absolute poverty and the completion of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects in 2021.

During the past decade, China's GDP more than doubled to 114 trillion yuan (about 15.9 trillion U.S. dollars), and its population of 1.4 billion has enjoyed the fruits of economic growth. The world's second-largest economy has pursued a more proactive strategy of opening up, becoming a major destination for global investment and a leading country in outbound investment.

At the 20th CPC National Congress held from Oct. 16 to 22, the Party mapped out a course for Chinese modernization over the next five years and beyond, which would attract more foreigners to the country.

PEOPLE-CENTERED DEVELOPMENT

Ray Woodard, who hails from the United States and works as an English language teacher in the northern Chinese city of Taiyuan, said he is impressed by China's long-term planning.

In its two-step strategic plan, the CPC aims to basically realize socialist modernization from 2020 through 2035, and build 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.

"I think the people-centered strategy is what is lacking in some nations at this time so I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments and plan that the CPC has laid out," Woodard said.

China's targeted epidemic control measures are indicative of the idea that protecting life is the priority, and they are the realistic practice of the principle of putting the people first, he said.

MD Tanbir Hassan, a Bangladeshi doctorate student at the Hefei University of Technology, said he was inspired by China's people-centered development philosophy.

"The CPC has always put the people first. They are not only helping improve people's living standards but also creating a harmonious living environment for them," Tanbir Hassan said.

Hansen Nico Rene, a retiree from Luxembourg who now lives in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, once had a direct experience of the people-centered philosophy when he volunteered in a poverty alleviation campaign in Zhadong Village in Hechi City between 2018 and 2021.

Rene recalled that during the poverty alleviation drive, local CPC cadres always kept in mind the residents' demands, assisting many locals in relocating and beginning a new life with new occupations.

Nik Gu, a Russian student from Tsinghua University in Beijing, said he is particularly interested in China's whole-process people's democracy. In August, Nik Gu visited a residential community in downtown Beijing and witnessed the process of this unique governance mechanism and its results.

The elders living in the neighborhood had problems with the public toilets as the facilities were far away. After a meeting with residents, the community built a new public toilet soon so that the elders and other locals won't experience any discomfort during cold seasons, he told a story of the community's democratic practice.

He added that China's whole-process people's democracy will help the country's modernization drive.

MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL OPENING-UP

"I expect China to continue to adhere to the policy of opening up, accelerate the building of a new development paradigm and promote high-quality development and high-level opening up. The Chinese dream is also my dream," said Simon Lichtenberg, founder and CEO of Trayton Group, a furniture manufacturer based in Shanghai.

The Danish businessman, who first came to Shanghai in 1987, has witnessed rapid economic development and improvement in the business environment over the past decades.

China is committed to its fundamental national policy of opening to the outside world and pursues a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up. It strives to create new opportunities for the world with its own development and to contribute its share to building an open global economy that delivers greater benefits to all peoples, according to the Report to the 20th CPC National Congress.

Esteban Zottele, an Argentine who teaches Spanish at Changzhou University in east China's Jiangsu Province, pays attention to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

China adheres to the right direction of economic globalization, jointly cultivates new drivers of global development and upholds true multilateralism, according to Zottele.

Last year, China continued to be the second-largest trading partner of Latin America, with the bilateral trade volume reaching a new high. Earlier this year, China and Argentina signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative.

As a collaborative endeavor, the BRI has been welcomed by the international community both as a public good and a cooperation platform. China has signed BRI cooperation documents with 149 countries and 32 international organizations.

"The Belt and Road Initiative is a massive project. I believe it will be successful," said David Ferguson, the honorary chief English editor of Foreign Languages Press in Beijing.

The initiative will continue to provide massive opportunities for development stretching along the whole area of the Belt and Road. And that fits in very well with China's commitment to promoting a global community of shared future, Ferguson added. 
BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday sent a congratulatory message to Ana Brnabic on her re-election as Serbia's prime minister.

China and Serbia enjoy a profound traditional friendship, and in recent years, the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries has been developing vigorously and their practical cooperation in various fields has been continuously expanded and deepened, Li said in his message.

Upholding the principle of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, the two sides have jointly scored a number of landmark cooperation achievements, such as the China-Serbia Friendship Bridge across the Danube, and the Hungary-Serbia Railway, bringing tangible benefits to the people of the two countries, Li noted.

He also said that China attaches great importance to the development of China-Serbia relations, and is willing to consolidate its traditional friendship with Serbia and continue to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, so as to push for greater development of bilateral ties and better benefit the two countries and their people. 
BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers are reviewing a report that assesses the implementation of a law to promote rural vitalization.

Submitted Friday to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for deliberation, the report says that the law has been fully carried out by the central and local governments since it came into force in June 2021.

The implementation of the law has helped nurture rural industries, promote rural affluence, and better conserve the rural ecological environment, according to the report.

To date, 15 provincial-level regions nationwide have created local rules in coordination with the law.

Regarding the challenges to rural vitalization, the report calls for efforts to guarantee adequate food supply, increase farmers' incomes, and promote green agriculture.

In 2017, China proposed a rural vitalization strategy to accelerate the modernization of agriculture and rural areas. It has since adopted a host of policies to chart the roadmap for rural vitalization.

This year, "promoting comprehensive rural vitalization" was incorporated into the country's government work report and the "No. 1 Central Document" as a primary task. 
This photo taken on Oct. 16, 2022 shows the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li Ming)

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of political parties and governments as well as heads of state worldwide have sent congratulations to Xi Jinping on his election as general secretary of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Under Xi's leadership, China has made transformative achievements across the board in the past decade, said Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, chairman of the Federal Party of the Philippines and president of the country, expressing his willingness to work with the CPC's new central leadership to deepen bilateral relations and contribute to the development of both countries, as well as regional peace, prosperity and stability.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended sincere greetings and congratulations to Xi, saying that he looks forward to working with Xi to give new impetus to the development of India-China relations.

Faced with grave challenges, the world should take on the mission of promoting peace and development and work tirelessly to achieve it, said Italian President Sergio Mattarella, extending his warmest congratulations to Xi.

Xi's election fully reflects the CPC and the Chinese people's confidence in him, said Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who expressed appreciation for the glorious achievements of the Party and its productive contributions to raising the Chinese people's living standards.

President of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement and Cameroonian President Paul Biya expressed confidence that under Xi's leadership, the friendly and cooperative relationship between the two parties and between the two countries will be strengthened.

Xi's election reflects the whole party's trust and confidence in him, said Paul Kagame, leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, also president of the country. He wished Xi continued success in leading China forward, and said that he looks forward to working with Xi to strengthen friendly relations between his party and the CPC, as well as between the two countries.

Noting that Zambia and China boast a long history of all-weather friendship and fruitful cooperation in various fields, Hakainde Hichilema, president of Zambia's United Party for National Development and president of the country, said that he looks forward to working with Xi to deepen bilateral relations for the benefit of their people.

The CPC's great achievements in building a modern socialist country in all respects are impressive, said Chairman of Suriname's Progressive Reform Party and Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi. He expressed his sincere hope that China will continue to play an active role in shaping a peaceful and friendly international environment, adding that he stands ready to work with Xi to promote the sound development of the Suriname-China strategic partnership of cooperation.

Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh expressed confidence that under Xi's leadership, China will successfully achieve the Second Centenary Goal of building a great modern socialist country in all respects to continue to benefit the Chinese people.

Noting that China always upholds the principle and justice, safeguards peace and is committed to promoting the common development of humanity, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that people across the world have new expectations for China.

Polish President Andrzej Duda congratulated Xi on his election and expressed hope that the two countries will deepen dialogue and exchanges in various fields.

Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China has made remarkable achievements in many important fields, said Taur Matan Ruak, president of the People's Liberation Party of Timor-Leste and prime minister of the country. Timor-Leste is willing to learn from China's development achievements and modernization path as it strives to build its own country, he added. 
TIRANA, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) will provide 80 million euros (79.7 million U.S. dollars) in grants to Albania to tackle energy crisis, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said here on Thursday.

According to Von der Leyen, the energy support package will be part of the support package of 500 million euros that the EU will provide the Western Balkan countries to help overcome the energy crisis and also as investments in energy connections, energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The EU Commission chief, during a joint press conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, underlined that the immediate batch of the package will support Albanian families and small businesses in this difficult time and also help the country to address the impact of high energy prices.

Earlier on Thursday, together with Rama, Von der Leyen visited the working sites for the construction of a railway line that will connect the capital city Tirana with the port city of Durres and the International Airport of Tirana, a project that is financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and that is expected to finish by 2024.

Albania is the second stop for Von der Leyen on her Western Balkans tour following her visit to North Macedonia on Wednesday. She is also scheduled to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro. (1 euro = 0.99 U.S. dollars) 
A Chinese doctor performs acupuncture treatment for a Tunisian student in Tunis, Tunisia on Oct. 27, 2022.

The 26th batch of Chinese medical team to Tunisia on Thursday put on a free clinic here at the University of Carthage. (Photo by Adel Ezzine/Xinhua)

TUNIS, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- The 26th batch of Chinese medical team to Tunisia on Thursday put on a free clinic here at the University of Carthage.

Acupuncturists from the medical team offered the clinic service, which was warmly welcomed by teachers and students. Many of them said that it was their first time trying acupuncture and they felt amazing.

Fati Hosny, vice director of university's higher institute of language of Tunis, said that many Tunisians have received Chinese medical treatments during the event, including acupuncture and moxibustion, which greatly relieved their aches and pains.

Xu Chuyang, head of the Chinese medical team, said that in a mere ten months, his team has treated tens of thousands of patients in Tunisia, voicing hope that Tunisian students will like Chinese culture and serve as a bridge of friendship between the two countries.

The free clinic was jointly organized by the medical team and the Confucius Institute at the university.

China has been sending medical teams to Tunisia since 1973, including doctors in obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, orthopedics, ophthalmology, and acupuncture. 

A Chinese doctor performs acupuncture treatment for a Tunisian student in Tunis, Tunisia on Oct. 27, 2022.

The 26th batch of Chinese medical team to Tunisia on Thursday put on a free clinic here at the University of Carthage. (Photo by Adel Ezzine/Xinhua)
PORT LOUIS, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Mauritian President Prithvirajsing Roopun commended here on Thursday the Chinese technology firm Huawei for enhancing knowledge transfer in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry and encouraging regional digitalization.

At an awarding ceremony of the Huawei ICT Competition and the graduation ceremony of the "Seeds for the Future" Program, the Mauritian president said this program shall contribute to building an ICT talent pool, enhancing knowledge transfer, promoting students' interest in the ICT and telecommunication industry, and encouraging regional digitalization and community development.

Citing the 2022 Global Innovation Index, Roopun recalled that Mauritius secured the 45th position globally for its performance and retained its first position within the Sub-Saharan Africa Region, underlining that the country was "proactive" in promoting high-quality research in emerging technologies.

"I am glad to see global players like Huawei supporting the national initiative of creating talent by training our workforce and increasing their employability," he noted, wishing to "encourage such collaborative work between the private-public sector and civil society to empower the next generation of talent."

This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Mauritius and China. While thanking the "unflinching" support of China in the sustainable socio-economic development of Mauritius, he wished to "explore innovative ways of expanding and solidifying our cooperation and deepen our friendship and mutual trust."

On the same occasion, Yang Chen, vice president of Huawei Southern Africa, said the firm's goal is to provide at least 1,000 opportunities to Mauritian digital talents every year through the program called "DigiTalent", adding that Huawei also intended to meet local needs of digital skills in Mauritius, through "government digital capacity building, ICT practitioners' upskilling, young ICT talent developing and general digital literacy promoting."

Due to Huawei's commitment to ICT talent cultivation, and significant presence on campus through multiple upskilling programs, a record number of students have registered for the training program. Among the 180 engineering students in Mauritius who have participated in the program, half have secured a job at Huawei. 
Mourners carry bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers during their funeral in the West Bank city of Nablus, on Oct. 28, 2022. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

NABLUS, West Bank, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of angry and grieved mourners buried on Friday afternoon two Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers in the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

The two victims, identified as Imad Abu Rashid, 47, and Ramzi Za'abra, 35, were both from Askar refugee camp in the east of Nablus and officers in the Civil Defense of the Palestinian Authority, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

On Thursday night, Abu Rashid and Za'abra, along with a third Palestinian who was critically injured, were driving past an Israeli army roadblock when the Israeli soldiers opened fire at their car, said eyewitnesses and security sources.

A woman mourns during a funeral of Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank city of Nablus, on Oct. 28, 2022. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

An Israeli army spokesman said in a press statement that an Israeli army force at the roadblock near the village of Huwara, south of Nablus, spotted two suspicious vehicles in the area and shot them, adding some bullet casings were later found in search operations.

During the funeral, dozens of Palestinian gunmen fired into the air as an expression of anger, while social networking platforms were filled with pictures of Abu Rashid and Za'abra.

Muhammad Eassa, a neighbor of Abu Rashid and Za'abra, told Xinhua that the killing of the two represents a "shock and catastrophe for the camp's residents."

"The escalation of Israeli army practices and the difficult economic conditions increase the frustration of the Palestinians and push them to carry out reactive operations," he said.

Mourners carry bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers during their funeral in the West Bank city of Nablus, on Oct. 28, 2022. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman of the Palestinian presidency, said in a statement that Israel is blowing up the situation by continuing its policy of killing Palestinians, demanding Israel "immediately stop using Palestinian blood in its internal political polemics."

He called on the international community, especially the United States, to immediately intervene and pressure Israel to stop its dangerous escalation against the Palestinians, "which will plunge the region into a cycle of violence and tension."

Rajab Abu Sariya, a Palestinian writer and political analyst, said the Israeli army has not achieved the "desired calm" in the West Bank, and its operations since March have not succeeded in breaking the "will to resist the occupation."

A boy mourns during a funeral of Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank city of Nablus, on Oct. 28, 2022. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

"Continuing to show the bloody scene in the West Bank cities is an attempt to satisfy the Israeli electorate, and efforts to prevent the outcome of the November elections in favor of Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing camp are still going on," he told Xinhua. 
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) for a year, till Oct. 31, 2023.

The extension, authorized by Resolution 2656, is the first substantive renewal of UNSMIL's mandate since September 2021. In the past year or so, the Security Council had to approve five technical rollovers to keep the mandate going as council members struggled to agree on the leadership structure of the mission.

Resolution 2656, unanimously supported by the 15-member council, welcomes the appointment of Abdoulaye Bathily as the UN secretary-general's special representative for Libya and head of UNSMIL, and urges all Libyan parties and key stakeholders to engage constructively and fully with the special representative in fulfillment of his mandate.

The resolution recognizes the desire of the Libyan people for elections and urges the Libyan political institutions and key stakeholders to agree on a roadmap to deliver these elections as soon as possible, aiming at forming a unified Libyan government able to govern across the country and represent the whole people of Libya.

The resolution emphasizes that there can be no military solution in Libya, and calls on all parties to refrain from violence or any other actions that could escalate tensions, exacerbate conflicts, and undermine the political process or the Oct. 23, 2020 cease-fire in Libya.

It calls on all parties to implement the cease-fire agreement in full and urges UN member states to respect and support its full implementation, including through the withdrawal of all foreign forces, foreign fighters, and mercenaries from Libya without further delay. 
TEHRAN, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The governor of Iran's Shiraz city announced on Friday that a bombing attempt in one of the busiest areas in the southern city was foiled, official IRNA news agency reported.

On Thursday night, a person tried to detonate a bomb in Maali Abad street, but he failed with the vigilance of security and law enforcement forces, Lotfollah Sheibani told IRNA.

The police will release the arrested bomber's identity and more details about the bombing attempt after investigations, Sheibani said.

On Wednesday evening, an armed man attacked worshippers in the shrine of Shahcheragh in Shiraz city, killing 15 people and injuring dozens. 
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 32-nd day of the second Karabakh war:

- President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has made post on his official Twitter account.

- President Ilham Aliyev has made a post on his official Twitter account that the Azerbaijani Army liberated several villages in Zangilan, Jabrayil and Gubadli districts from the occupiers.

- President Ilham Aliyev gave an interview to Russia's Interfax news agency.

- First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva shared a post on her Instagram account about Armenia's attack on civilians in Barda.

- The territory of Azerbaijan's Tartar district came under artillery fire.

- The list of destroyed military equipment of Armenia has been announced.

- Armenian troops shelled Azerbaijan's Tovuz, Gadabay, Dashkasan and Gubadli districts.

- Video footage of the destruction of Armenian military equipment and personnel has been released.

- Death toll in Barda reached 21 and 70 people were injured.

- Azerbaijans units destroyed the enemy, who opened fire on Azerbaijani cities and districts. The enemy's manpower was destroyed by accurate fire.

- Enemy forces fleeing the battlefield were destroyed.

- A video of the moment of Barda's shooting has been spread.
Tanzanian Minister for Trade and Industrial Development Omar Shaaban (C, Front), Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian (2nd L, Front) and other delegates pose for a group photo during a conference on China-Africa cooperation through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Oct. 27, 2022. Delegates to a one-day conference on China-Africa cooperation through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) agreed that the forum has helped in bolstering friendship and cooperation between China and Africa. (Photo by Herman Emmanuel/Xinhua)

DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Delegates to a one-day conference on China-Africa cooperation through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) agreed that the forum has helped in bolstering friendship and cooperation between China and Africa.

Opening the conference on Thursday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Tanzania's Minister for Trade and Industrial Development Omar Shabaan said FOCAC, established in 2000, is helping Africa to realize industrialization.

The FOCAC was an effective platform and multilateral mechanism for China and African countries to conduct collective consultations and carry out pragmatic cooperation.

"FOCAC is raising African countries' status in the global industry and supply chains," Shabaan told the conference jointly hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania and the Center for International Policy - Africa (CIP), a regional think-tank that analyses pressing global challenges and contributes to actionable steps that leaders and citizens can adapt to address them.

Shabaan said Africa's trust in Sino-African cooperation is a result of China's favorable and deliverable policy toward the continent, which is based on sincerity, equality, mutual benefit and common development aimed at building a community with a shared future for mankind.

The Chinese ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian said the FOCAC is a successful example of mutual assistance and common development among developing countries.

Chen said since the establishment of the FOCAC, Chinese enterprises have built more than 10,000 kilometers of railways, nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads, nearly 1,000 bridges, nearly 100 ports, and a large number of hospitals and schools in Africa, which have made outstanding contributions to improving infrastructure and enhancing independent development capacity in Africa.

"The FOCAC is an important pillar for building a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era," said the Chinese envoy.

She said in 2021, China-Africa trade volume was 254.2 billion U.S. dollars, and China's stock of direct investment in Africa exceeded 56 billion U.S. dollars, 25 times and 100 times that of 2000, when the forum was established, respectively.

Wu Peng, the Secretary General of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of FOCAC and Director-General of the Department of African Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, said over the past 22 years, with the continuously enabling mechanism and enriching content, FOCAC has become a flag of China-Africa relations and South-South cooperation.

Speaking in a video message, Wu said China firmly believed that developing countries should be more confident to blaze a new pace suited to their national conditions toward modernization.

Wang Huiyao, President of the Centre for China and Globalization, said in his video presentation that China-Africa relationship is heading for a direction of prosperity and richness.

"China-Africa has achieved fruitful cooperation in terms of trade, investment, infrastructure, construction and many more," said Wang.

The African Union (AU) Permanent Representative to China, Rahamtalla Osman Elnor, said in a video presentation that the 8th FOCAC ministerial conference held in Dakar, Senegal, announced initiatives and commitments for new important development for the African continent.

Elnor said it was important for African governments, businesses to digest the initiatives and commitments and ensure implementation of what has been agreed.

President and CEO of the CIP Omar Mjenga said China-Africa friendship has not been an overnight achievement, nor has it been gifted from on high.

"The friendship has been fostered throughout the years when China and Africa supported and stood alongside each other in trying times," said Mjenga.

He added that "it is during these trying and difficult times, when none was ready to support the continent, when China came to the heed of many African countries despite of its poor economic situation at that time."

Indeed, China and Africa have stood together in success and adversity, setting an example for building a global community of a shared future, said Mjenga.

Delegates to the conference included former Tanzanian ambassadors to China, ambassadors and high commissioners representing their countries from the African continent and representatives from international organizations, especially the United Nations. 
JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Agri SA, the biggest agricultural organisation in South Africa, has expressed concerns over the locust outbreak in parts of the country, which threatens to affect yields in the summer seasons of 2022 and 2023.

There are locust outbreaks in parts of the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces, said Andrea Campher, risk and disaster manager at Agri SA, noting that it would be difficult to control large locust's outbreak which requires immediate action.

In 2021 and 2022, more than 23 million hectares of land were affected by locust outbreaks, the worst outbreak in 25 years, and as much as 90 percent of the affected land is agricultural land, according to Campher, who warns that unless urgent action is taken, 2023 could see even greater losses.

He said the South African Weather Service has predicted above normal rainfall which would result in locust eggs on the infiltrated land hatching, calling on the government to urgently renew contracts of locust officers in the affected provinces.

"Among the issues under discussion will be the urgent issuing of locust officers' contracts which have not been finalized, securing pesticide supplies and spraying equipment, the distribution of protective equipment for officers and the training of new officers," Campher said. 
ISLAMABAD, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The number of dengue fever cases has continued to rise in Pakistan amid an outbreak due to floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains.

In the last 24 hours, 340 more people were diagnosed with the mosquito-borne disease in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the provincial health department reported on Thursday night. The number of active cases in the province currently stands at 1,544 and the total number of cases so far this year has reached 17,883.

The southern Sindh province reported 219 new infections, said the provincial health department on Thursday evening. The worst-hit area was Karachi, the provincial capital, which reported 140 new cases. With the new cases, the October figure to date for the province has risen to 8,036, bringing the local total to 18,190 this year.

The eastern Punjab province reported 202 new cases in the last 24 hours, the provincial health authorities said on Thursday. Punjab's capital Lahore reported 74 new cases, followed by Gujranwala city with 47 cases. The total number of dengue cases in Punjab so far this year has gone up to 13,935.

The national capital Islamabad reported 88 new dengue cases in the last 24 hours, the health authorities said on Thursday night. The city's total tally has risen to 4,640 so far this year. 
CANBERRA, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- A majority of Australians cannot identify the country's most endangered species, a study has found.

In a research published on Friday, a team from the University of South Australia (UniSA) in collaboration with Edith Cowan University (ECU) and Zoos Victoria asked zoo visitors to identify seven native species at risk of extinction.

The seven species were the Tasmanian devil, southern corroboree frog, Lord Howe Island (LHI) stick insect, orange-bellied parrot, helmeted honeyeater, eastern barred bandicoot and Leadbeater's possum.

More than 90 percent of participants failed to identify six of the seven, with the Tasmanian devil, an iconic carnivorous marsupial, the exception.

Researchers said people were more willing to support conservation efforts for animals they recognize, making the ignorance of some of Australia's most threatened species a major factor in their chances of survival.

"There are huge gaps in community knowledge regarding native Australian wildlife, with less than 8 percent of people able to correctly name six of seven endangered species when shown photographs," the report said.

"Apart from the Tasmanian devil, which 86 percent of people recognized, the level of familiarity and knowledge of our vulnerable species is limited. Misidentification is also common, particularly the eastern barred bandicoot which is often mistaken for a bilby."

According to lead researcher Elissa Pearson, a UniSA conservation psychologist, people are more likely to support conservation efforts for animals most like humans such as mammals.

The survey found the helmeted honeyeater, southern corroboree frog and LHI stick insect were the least liked among included species.

"The LHI stick insect has some exceptional qualities, such as their resilience and survival against all odds, their ability to reproduce without males, their tendency to form large social groups during the day, or even the fact that their foot pads are heart shaped. If people knew these facts the likeability factor would likely shoot up," Pearson said. 
MANILA, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The death toll has risen to 31 and more were missing after a strong overnight downpour flooded a number of towns in Maguindanao province in southern Philippines, a local official said Friday.

Naguib Sinarimbo, interior and local government minister of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said 16 people were killed in Datu Odin Sinsuat, 10 in Datu Blah Sinsuat, and five in Upi.

The causalities may rise further as the rescue operation was ongoing, Sinarimbo added.

Nasrullah Imam, head of the Maguindanao provincial disaster risk reduction and management office, said troops and police were deployed in place to help rescue and evacuate local residents.

Local media reported that the heavy rain was related to the tropical storm Nalgae which is expected to make a landfall on Sunday on the main Luzon island.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration, Nalgae is expected to strengthen into a severe tropical storm on Friday and into a typhoon by Saturday.

The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries globally, mainly due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire and Pacific typhoon belt. On average, the archipelagic country experiences 20 typhoons yearly, some of which are intense and destructive.

In April, the tropical storm Megi dumped rains in central and southern parts of the Philippines, inundating many areas and causing landslides, resulting in over 220 deaths. 
SYDNEY, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has taken its first action over corporate greenwashing, fining a listed energy company with four infringement notices.

In a statement released on Thursday, the ASIC said that Tlou Energy Limited has paid 53,280 Australian dollars (about 34,100 U.S. dollars) after being slapped with notices over concerns about alleged false or misleading sustainability-related statements.

The regulator said greenwashing is a practice which refers to misleading statement misrepresenting the extent to which a financial product or investment strategy is environmentally friendly, sustainable or ethical.

Last year, Tlou Energy Limited made statements to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), saying that its electricity would be carbon-neutral, and it had both environmental approval and the capability to generate certain quantities of electricity from solar power, and its gas-to-power project would have "low emissions."

The company also claimed that it was equally concerned with producing "clean energy" through the use of renewable sources as it was with developing its gas-to-power project.

However, the regulator was concerned that the company did not have a reasonable basis to make the representations, or that the representations were factually incorrect.

ASIC Deputy Chair Sarah Court warned that companies who promote sustainability and green practices must ensure they can support those statements and have a reasonable basis for doing so.

"Companies are on notice that ASIC is actively monitoring the market for potential greenwashing and will take enforcement action, including Court action, for serious breaches," Court said. 
PHNOM PENH, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian government on Friday approved the next three-year public investment program (2023-2025), which would require a total capital of 9.22 billion U.S. dollars to implement 663 projects, government spokesperson Phay Siphan said.

The approval was made during a weekly cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, he said.

The projects include 189 ongoing projects with a budget of about 5.11 billion dollars and 474 new projects with a budget of about 4.11 billion dollars, he added.

Siphan said the public investment program was essential to supporting Cambodia's socio-economic recovery in the post-COVID-19 era.

"Some 13.4 percent of the program's total investment will be allocated to social projects, 43.6 percent to economy-driven projects, 37.4 percent to infrastructure projects, and 5.6 percent to service and inter-sectoral projects," he said. 
Cambodian fresh longan is on display at an event marking the first direct export of Cambodian longan to China in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Oct. 27, 2022. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua)



The practical cooperation in agriculture has promoted the development of Cambodia-China friendly relations which have also provided good development space for their agricultural cooperation, a Cambodian minister said.

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Thursday launched longan exportation to China, marking another fruitful cooperation in the agricultural sector between the two countries.

Cambodian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dith Tina and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian attended the launching ceremony here.

Speaking at the event, Tina said practical cooperation in agriculture has promoted the development of Cambodia-China friendly relations, and friendly relations between the two countries have also provided good development space for their agricultural cooperation.

"From 2019 to the end of June 2022, Cambodia exported a total of 2.4 million tons of agricultural products to China, with a total export value of 1.942 billion U.S. dollars," he said.

The minister said China has been the largest export market for Cambodian rice for several years, and since 2019, Cambodia has been approved to export bananas, mangoes, Basa fish, corn and longan to China one after another.

"At present, the two sides are speeding up the export of Cambodian pepper, wild aquatic products, edible aquatic animals, bird's nest, coconuts, etc. to China," he said.

It is believed that more Cambodian agricultural products will be allowed to be exported to China in the future for the benefit of the two peoples, Tina said.

Cambodian fresh longan is on display at an event marking the first direct export of Cambodian longan to China in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Oct. 27, 2022. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua)



Meanwhile, Wang said that in recent years, under the care of the leaders of the two countries, agricultural cooperation between China and Cambodia has shown great vigor.

In April, the agricultural ministries of the two countries held the second meeting of the China-Cambodia Steering Committee on Agricultural Cooperation, which clarified the key direction of agricultural cooperation between the two sides in the future, he said.

The agricultural development planning project aided by China in Cambodia also started to be implemented, he said.

The ambassador said cooperation between the two countries in the field of animal husbandry has also been fruitful. The two sides have reached an agreement on a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in veterinary drugs, veterinary biological products and feed additives.

He added that with the efforts of both sides, Cambodian Basa fish, corn and longan have been successfully approved for export to China this year.

"Today, we witnessed the successful export of Cambodian longan to China. This is another substantive achievement of China-Cambodia agricultural cooperation under the pandemic. It will bring tangible benefits to the two peoples and greatly promote the further development of China-Cambodia friendly relations," Wang said.

Tina and Wang jointly issued licences to eight Cambodian packaging plants for exporting longan to China.
COLOMBO, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence on Friday declared a general amnesty for absentees from the armed forces.

This would enable deserters to receive a legal discharge from their respective services, the ministry said in a statement.

The period of general amnesty will be in force from Nov. 15 until Dec. 31, the ministry said.

Security forces personnel who have been absent without leave on or before Oct. 25 will be able to receive their discharge from military service during this period.

Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne urged all deserters to visit the nearest security forces camp and take advantage of the amnesty. 
STOCKHOLM, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Sweden will conduct additional crime scene investigations into the suspected sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines, the Swedish Prosecution Authority said here on Friday.

"I have decided together with the security police to carry out a number of additional investigations at the scene of the crime," lead prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said in a press release.

"Upon our request, the Armed Forces have decided to assist in the investigations. The Armed Forces have the resources and the expertise needed to investigate the crime scene in the way we want," he said.

The pipelines were built to transport gas from Russia to Germany and were damaged by suspected explosions in late September, after which four leaks were discovered in the Swedish and the Danish exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the Baltic Sea.

At the beginning of October, an area surrounding one of the leak sites in the Swedish EEZ was cordoned off before the Swedish Navy deployed a vessel to assist in a crime scene investigation and Swedish authorities have said that the findings strengthened the suspicion the blasts were an act of gross sabotage.

"We cooperate with the authorities in other countries," Ljungqvist said without providing further details.

Sweden has rejected Russia's demand to share the findings of the crime scene investigation with Moscow, citing pre-trial confidentiality. 
By Trend

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has been interviewed by Russian Interfax agency.

Trend presents the interview.

- Thank you, Mr. President, for finding the time for an interview with our agency despite your busy schedule. It was exactly one month yesterday since the counter- offensive of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces began in Nagorno- Karabakh. How would you assess this month from the point of view of the military- political settlement of the conflict?

- The Azerbaijani army has demonstrated its advantage on the battlefield. Significant parts of the occupied territories have been liberated in one month. Given that the Armenian side had been building fortifications in the occupied lands for almost 30 years, there were several lines of defense. Also, the terrain itself is more favorable for the Armenian side. It is mountainous and our servicemen had to overcome both engineering fortifications and mountainous terrain when carrying out the counterattack. Despite all these factors, significant territories in the occupied lands of our country have been liberated in one month, and this shows that the Azerbaijani army is considered one of the most combat- effective armies in the world for a reason. According to the rankings periodically published by organizations that assess the military potential of countries, the Azerbaijani army is among top 50 armies in the world. The professionalism, training, combat effectiveness and, most importantly, fighting morale have certainly contributed to our success in many respects. And, of course, the equipment available to the Azerbaijani army. We have liberated the cities of Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Zangilan, Gubadli, a part of Khojavand district. The successful mission, the successful advance of the Azerbaijani army continues. I have said several times during this month that we want the settlement of the conflict to move from a military to a political phase. But, unfortunately, the Armenian side has grossly violated the ceasefire regime for the third time, attempted to re- occupy the territories we have liberated, and is pushing for a continuation of the confrontation. Therefore, I am answering your question again: the military- political settlement is the only possible way. We would like the military phase to end and issues of further de- occupation of Azerbaijani territories to be resolved at the negotiating table.

- Mr. President, you noted that Baku is interested in completing the military phase as quickly as possible. How long do you think it can last at the present time and is Baku ready to be content with seven districts around Nagorno- Karabakh?

- I have repeatedly said in my appeals to the Azerbaijani people and in numerous interviews this month that we are ready to stop at any moment, even today. But for this to happen, the Armenian side must commit to withdrawing its troops from the rest of the occupied territories. Therefore, I cannot predict how long the military confrontation will last. It depends on the Armenian side. As I said, their constant attempts to recapture our lands have failed. I think this should already be enough for them to understand that they will not achieve anything by military means. Unfortunately, on the political plane they are demonstrating a non- constructive approach, as I said, and have grossly violated the ceasefire three times. Based on this, of course, we will continue to plan on further action. As for the occupied territories, of course, the Azerbaijanis must return to all the occupied territories where they used to live, and this has always been my approach. Not only to the seven occupied districts outside Nagorno- Karabakh, outside the former Nagorno- Karabakh autonomous region, but also to the territories, to the lands they had lived on for centuries. First of all, these are Shusha, Khankandi and other lands that have been inhabited by Azerbaijanis for centuries. I also said that our vision for a settlement lies in the co- existence of the Armenian and Azerbaijani population of Nagorno- Karabakh. It so happened historically that the Armenian population has been living on these lands for 200 years. We all know the history of the resettlement of Armenians from Eastern Anatolia and Iran. But it so happened. They have lived there for 200 years. And we have no objection to the continued presence of the Armenian population. On the contrary, I have always said that thousands of citizens of Armenian nationality live in Azerbaijan, that Armenians and Azerbaijanis live together in neighboring countries and get along quite well. Why can't this be achieved in Nagorno- Karabakh? Our vision is this: Azerbaijanis should return to all the territories they lived in. The Armenian population should also live on this land. And in the conditions of good neighborliness, we will strive to heal the wounds of war.

- So it means that Baku will not stop until Armenian servicemen withdraw from all the occupied territories.

- We need the Armenian side in the person of its leadership to undertake a commitment to withdraw troops from the occupied territories. We haven't heard that yet. As soon as this commitment is made by the Armenian leadership and as soon as it is confirmed and approved by OSCE Minsk Group co- chairs, we are ready to stop military action immediately. And provided that the Armenian side also stops it because all three violations of the ceasefire were committed by the Armenian side. Four civilians, including a seven- year- old girl, were killed as a result of a cluster missile attack on Barda yesterday. This is not a conflict zone. So this is a flagrant violation of the ceasefire, which was agreed in Washington. Prior to that, the ceasefire agreed in Moscow was violated by the Armenian side the next day when they launched a ballistic missile from the territory of Armenia to Ganja. And as a result of this, 10 people died. As a result of the second ballistic missile attack on Ganja, even more people died. There are about 30 victims in a peaceful city. Therefore, it is not our fault that the ceasefire is not observed. Therefore, the Armenian side must undertake that they will withdraw from the occupied territories they are still holding under occupation: these include a part of Aghdam district, the entire Lachin district and most of Kalbajar district. And then we will be ready, of course, to move on to a political settlement. It will cover many aspects. In principle, we have accepted the fundamental principles, while the Armenian side has rejected them. But the Armenian prime ministers aggressive statement yesterday suggests that they say one thing to the mediators and do something completely different.

- Mr. President, you have said that Baku is mainly committed to the fundamental principles. The first point of these principles was the liberation of five districts around Nagorno- Karabakh. But at present, four out of five districts have already been liberated by the Azerbaijani army. It turns out that, at a minimum, the fundamental principles are either not relevant or need some adjustment.

- This will depend on the behavior of the Armenian side again. As you know, negotiations between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia are to be held in Geneva tomorrow. There we will see how committed the Armenian side is to the fundamental principles. After that, we will give our assessment of how relevant they are now not, although I have repeatedly stated during this month that Azerbaijan accepts them in general, there are certain aspects that do not suit us, of course, but we accept them in general. As for the return of five districts at the first stage, of course, this is no longer relevant because the fundamental principles determined the sequence of territories to be returned  five districts at the first stage, and Kalbajar and Lachin districts at the second. Then comes the return of Azerbaijanis to the territory of Nagorno- Karabakh, in principle, the return of all refugees to the places of their original residence. We have almost completed the first stage. Therefore, if the Armenian side expresses its adherence to the fundamental principles, we will talk about an immediate transfer of Lachin, Kalbajar and a part of Aghdam district that are still under occupation to Azerbaijan. Thus, we will somewhat facilitate the work of mediators because one of the important issues will already be implemented and we will not have to wait for a second stage. It must come right away. If we agree on a political settlement, then Armenian troops should withdraw from Kalbajar and Lachin districts and a part of Aghdam district immediately.

- You have already touched upon tomorrow's meeting of foreign ministers and outlined the overall expectations of Baku. I would like to clarify if Baku still expects the Armenian side to show constructivism and the negotiations to be more substantive, not abstract and broad?

- I think we are still hopeful. Although the aggressive conduct of the Armenian side and the fact that they are flagrantly violating international law, the Geneva Conventions, and committing war crimes does not suggest that they are going to discuss the substance of the settlement issue, of course. Attacking peaceful cities with cluster munitions is a war crime. We have 69 civilians killed and more than 300 injured as a result of Armenian shelling. This is the face of Armenian fascism. At the same time, I think that the defeat we have inflicted on Armenia on the battlefield should nevertheless be a serious signal for them that they can no longer imitate things, deceive us, deceive the co- chairs of the Minsk Group and essentially evade substantive discussions. As for the process of negotiations, there was practically none for the past year, even more than a year. This was the first time this has happened since the 1994 truce. Because since then, the negotiations have been going on with varying degree of intensity and the parties have agreed on provisions of the fundamental principles. They did not fall from the sky. These were the principles proposed by the Minsk Group, its co- chairs, and agreed by the parties. Therefore, there was a process, albeit slow, and some progress was being made. But after the new government came to power in Armenia, they gave us and, as far as I know, the mediators, promises in the first year. But in the second year, they openly demonstrated their true intention that they would not give up a single centimeter of the land. Moreover, they threatened us with a new war for new territories. In fact, these were the words of their Minister of Defense who has been completely discredited as Minister of Defense both in the eyes of his own people and in the eyes of the world community. And after such a humiliating defeat, I am surprised he hasn't resigned yet.

- What is your assessment of remarks by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who on the one hand uses belligerent rhetoric but on the other hand says that Armenia should prepare for painful compromises, then changes his tone again? What is behind this?

- It is hard for me to comment on this. I would probably abstain from an assessment of what is happening to the Armenian prime minister. Probably, this military defeat influenced his state, otherwise how one can explain the series of inconsistent statements and actions that are absolutely irrational and harmful, primarily for himself as the country's leader and dangerous and harmful for his country?

Many people ask why the clashes happened now and not before. Even those who have a biased approach to Azerbaijan and openly support Armenia would ask this question. Twenty- six years have passed since the 1994 truce. There were clashes, there were victims over those years, but not on such a scale. So what has happened? Nothing has changed in Azerbaijan.

I have been engaged in settlement of negotiations for 17 years, and I have gone a long way towards agreeing on the fundamental principles together with the two previous Armenian presidents. That is why it is clear to impartial observers that it is not our fault. This is the fault of the inappropriate, irrational, and dangerous conduct of the Armenian prime minister.

No former Armenian leader ever allowed insulting innuendos regarding the Azerbaijani people. None of them allowed the Nagorno- Karabakh head to be inaugurated in Shusha. None of them prided themselves on the demonstrative violation of the Geneva Convention showing the resettlement of the Lebanese Armenians to Nagorno- Karabakh, including Shusha. And so on and so forth.

So these are the results of the ill- conceived and dangerous activity of Prime Minister Pashinyan. I wouldn't comment on his statements inside the country. But what he does concerning the settlement is very dangerous for Armenia itself. Today, Armenia can clearly see this. That is why I think that the Minsk Group co- chairs should clearly raise this issue before the Armenian foreign minister, who, as I understand, is in a very difficult situation. He has to answer for the inappropriate conduct of his leader, and in fact he deserves sympathy. He will have to get himself out of this and somehow explain his series of inconsistent actions.

On the one hand, he speaks about painful concessions, on the other hand, he says that there is no diplomatic solution. First, he says that he is ready for a compromise but then he says that he will defend Karabakh until the very end. On the one hand, he says that Karabakh is Armenia, but then he says that we should negotiate with Nagorno- Karabakh. This is an absolutely mutually exclusive palette of inadequacy. So I think that many issues of these will be clarified tomorrow.

- In your latest address to the Azerbaijani people, you quite severely criticized the mediators for essentially being inactive. Does this mean that Baku will insist on changing the Minsk Group format?

- ?I have spoken many times about the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group over the past month. And what I said in the address to the Azerbaijani people is the absolute truth. Any format, no matter what it is called and who it involves, should acknowledge its ineffectiveness if it doesn't fulfill the set task. And the set task has not been fulfilled. Although I cannot deny that the Minsk Group made attempts to reach a settlement, because fundamental principles were elaborated with its assistance. They worked and they proposed options. There were some things we didn't agree with, there were some things that the Armenian side didn't agree with. So that was a process that had lasted until Pashinyan came to power in Armenia.

But from the point of view of effectiveness and efficiency, the Minsk Group, of course, didn't justify itself, I mean the activity of the co- chairs. Should the co- chairs be other countries, this could have been explained by their insufficient international weight, by their lack of authority to implement even the UN Security Council resolutions that they had adopted themselves. But when the Minsk Group co- chairs are three members of the UN Security Council, when three nuclear powers cannot exert pressure on Armenia, this, of course, raises a lot of questions.

As for the composition, I have already said that the Minsk Group was set up in 1992. I don't know how it was set up and what principles underlie the choice of its members. But as I said, if we formed a contact group today, its composition would, of course, have been completely different. It would include countries that have their positions in the region and that have potential and authority in the world. Of course, I think the countries that are current co- chairs could probably remain there. But this is not a question for me, because the mechanism and the procedure of forming the Minsk Group and its co- chairs is the prerogative of the OSCE.

I think that we should not cling to formalities in order to settle the conflict. The Minsk Group as such can continue working, but we should think about new cooperation mechanisms between the countries of the region in order to practically reach a political settlement. I think that Russian President Vladimir Putin probably meant the same when he spoke about this.

- In this regard, some experts propose the 2+2 formula. How acceptable is it to Baku?

- Two is Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the other two?

- ?Turkey and Russia.

- ?This would be acceptable to us, because Turkey and Russia are our neighbors and countries with which we have close mutual relations and countries with good potential for cooperation among themselves. It is enough to look at the history of the past few years. Turkey and Russia have reached a high level of mutual understanding on many issues, including the bilateral agenda and the international security agenda. We see that in Syria and in Libya, and in tackling issues of countering international terrorism, to say nothing of energy projects, economic, investment projects.

Even before this escalation, I said that we have always welcomed the rapprochement of Turkey and Russia. I believe that this is an important factor of regional security. Considering that Armenian separatism is the main threat for us, and not only for us but for the entire region, I believe that combining the efforts of Turkey and Russia would benefit the region and could accelerate the political settlement of the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict.

- Mr. President, you have repeatedly said that the mediators should apply sanctions against Armenia in order to secure a breakthrough in the settlement process. What might be at issue?

- ?I have been talking about it for a long time, but regrettably my calls remain unanswered. What sanctions could be applied? Sanctions that would make Armenia fulfill the UN Security Council resolutions and withdraw its troops from the occupied territories. For example, we could have a look at the sanctions that were imposed on Iraq after its occupation of Kuwait. Similar things took place from the point of view of international law. The internationally recognized territory of Kuwait was occupied by Iraq, war crimes were committed, ethnic cleansing occurred, and only the timely reaction of the international community helped stop this occupation. And that happened within a short period of time. Next, economic sanctions, an arms embargo were imposed on Iraq. Iraq became a no- fly zone. War criminals, who committed crimes against humanity, were brought to justice and sentenced.

All these sanctions should be applied to Armenia. Even if one of these sanctions had been applied, I am sure the conflict would have been resolved long ago. There has simply been no political will and desire to apply these sanctions. And more likely the position that prevailed was that as long as there is no escalation, let's leave everything as it is.

-Is it frozen?

- Frozen, of course. Although everyone understood that this cannot last forever. Everyone understood this 10 years ago. The presidents of Russia, the US and France made statements, and said clearly many times that the status quo was unacceptable.

Well, fine. We welcomed this, and I remember this was praised in our country, I commented on this. But what happened next? Then they began to depart from this thesis gradually, stopped voicing it and invented a new thesis that the status quo is unstable. And we can clearly understand that these are completely different things. So the co- chairing countries moved away even from a political attempt to exert pressure on Armenia. And it was common knowledge that the status quo was unstable. And recent events proved this.

This is why, let me repeat that again, it is not too late to apply sanctions in order to end the conflict as soon as possible. I think that co- chairing countries should seriously think about what sanctions could be applied against the aggressor in order to make them leave the occupied lands.

- ?Do you think that the co- chairs managed to remain entirely neutral over the month of the military phase?

- ?Every country, including Azerbaijan, can have its own foreign political priorities. We have closer relations with some countries and less close with others. Our relations with some countries are based on historical factors and with others on pragmatic factors. That is why we have always treated with understanding the fact that there are very well structured and active Armenian communities in the co- chairing countries, in the US, in France, and in Russia. Even when we analyzed this situation, it is very hard to tell where they have greater influence on decision- making. That is why we have always taken and are taking this factor into account.

If there were some deviations at the first stage of hostilities that made us doubt their neutrality, I think now everything is fine- tuned. My contacts with the leaders of the co- chairing countries, as well as, I am sure, international support that Azerbaijan got, resulted in the fact that we can see this neutrality now. Once again, what some people have on their mind is not our business, but, of course, the mediators must adhere to international law and neutrality, otherwise they will just forfeit the right to be mediators. A mediator must be impartial, it must leave emotions at home or leave them for the bilateral format, and as part of the settlement it must take into account the mandate that the OSCE gave it and the desire to settle the conflict in line with international law rather than in line with the wishes of Azerbaijan or Armenia.

- ?You have said recently said that there will be no referendum in Nagorno- Karabakh. This is the new reality. Does this mean that Azerbaijan has changed its position, made it tougher?

- ?I have been talking about this for 17 years, and the OSCE Minsk Group co- chairs know my position. I dont remember how many co- chairs have changed over these years, how many diplomats have been co- chairmen, but all of them can confirm that I have always said that there will never be a referendum on the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan. Moreover, if we look at the fundamental principles, there is no such word as 'referendum' there. There is a certain wording related to the expression of will, to self- determination there.

We have always said that self- determination is an important principle of international law, but it cannot violate the territorial integrity of a country. Secondly, a country's territorial integrity cannot be changed without the consent of this country. And I naturally adhere to this position today: we will not let a second Armenian state be set up on Azerbaijan's territories. If someone is willing to create a second Armenian state, let them give a part of their territory and let them create it there.

- ?Armenia says that it can recognize the independence of Nagorno- Karabakh if hostilities continue. At the same time, there are calls for countries and international organizations to recognize Karabakh. How likely is this? And what could it lead to?

- ?What you are asking about once again proves the inconsistency and insincerity of the incumbent Armenian authorities, because while failing to recognize Nagorno- Karabakh themselves, they want other countries do that. And their regular blackmailing and threats that they will recognize Nagorno- Karabakh in case of escalation turned out to be yet another bluff. Military confrontation on Karabakh has lasted for more than a month. Why haven't they recognized Nagorno- Karabakh yet?

It is very easy to do, let them just say that they recognize it. This is the essence of their policies, when they have been always trying for many decades, but regrettably they have sometimes succeeded under the cover of other states to have other states solve their problems. This is the essence of the ideology of the present- day Armenian state. It is based on very deep historical roots, it has been this way for the whole history. If we look at the past 200 years of the history of the Caucasus, we can see how many wars started because of them, how many provocations they caused for other countries, and then going to the backstage, hiding behind someone's backs reaped the fruits of confrontation and the fruits of shedding the blood of other peoples.

We know the history of their appearance in the Caucasus well. Historically, there was no Armenian ethnicity in the region. How did they get here? This was their way, trickery, cunning attempts to use a cat's paw to take roasting chestnuts from a fire. They are doing the same now. Hence my call for them in response  recognize Nagorno- Karabakh, recognize its right today. By the way, I have spoken about it quite recently. Let them recognize Nagorno- Karabakh today, but asking other countries to do this once again proves the inappropriateness of the Armenian leadership and very low political literacy. That is why if the Armenian leadership knew at least the basics of international politics a little, it would understand that the whole world recognizes Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. It is common knowledge that we joined the UN and other international organizations as a single state encompassing Nagorno- Karabakh. The Non- Aligned Movement  120 countries  voices unambiguous support for Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. The European Union  27 countries  our document with the EU states the support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of Azerbaijan's borders. Altogether there are almost 150 countries. Should we add the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which, however, includes some NAM members but there are other countries that are not represented in the NAM, we get the whole international community.

Because of Armenia, its whim and caprice to recognize Nagorno- Karabakh, to spoil relations with Azerbaijan, and not just to spoil, as I said this will immediately lead to the rupture of diplomatic relations with any country that will do so, no- one will just do that. Moreover, they don't recognize it themselves. Moreover, they are aggressors in line with the reality on the Earth and in line with UN resolutions. This is why this is a very indecent attempt to pull somebodys chestnuts out of the fire.

- Russia has proposed deploying military observers in the conflict zone. Prime Minister Pashinyan in general agreed to deploying peacekeepers to the conflict zone and didn't rule out that these could be Russian peacekeepers. So is it observers or peacekeepers? What is the position of Baku?

- This issue is reflected in the fundamental principles, but we have never seriously discussed it because we simply didn't get to it. It was planned to dispatch peacekeepers to the region at the final stage of the settlement, when the aftermath of the occupation is mitigated, when refugees return to Nagorno- Karabakh, then, yes, in order to ensure that Azerbaijani and Armenian population can live side by side, disengagement forces will be needed at the first stage. But the fundamental principles don't state for how long they should be deployed and what countries they should consist of. Simply because we didn't reach it. First of all, all main provisions of the agreement must be agreed on.

As for the desire of the Armenian prime minister to see peacekeepers in the conflict zone, then firstly, this is none of his business, because when we speak about the conflict zone, we should understand that this is Azerbaijan's territory. If we speak about peacekeepers at the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan, this is another issue. But as far as I understand, it is the Azerbaijani territory that is in question now, that is why we should have the final say.

And since this topic wasn't broadly discussed, I think it is premature to speak about it. But for my part I would like to note that when we speak about it, we should firstly understand what mandate possible observers would have and where they would be deployed. One should understand that there is no contact line, so where will their posts be? Armenia breaches international law and ceasefire, shelling our cities. Just recently, Euronews aired footage that clearly shows a flying missile flying. And it was flying to our cities rather than military positions. So where they will be, what mandate, composition, numbers, arms, and functions will they have, and who will ensure their security? These questions require very thorough examination, and only afterwards will we be able to say whether we agree to it or not. That is why it is so far premature.

- In general, do military officials of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia discuss any mechanisms of ceasefire monitoring?

-?No, there are no such discussions now.

- Are you ready to go to Moscow for negotiations on Karabakh with the Armenian prime minister? And on what conditions?

-?I haven't received such an invitation. I have repeatedly taken part in trilateral meetings between the presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia, but there have been no such meetings since Pashinyan came to power in Armenia. These meetings were with the previous presidents of Armenia, and I have never avoided such meetings. I considered them to be very positive, because Russia as a co- chair of the Minsk Group plays a special role in the settlement, and historically Russia has always maintained close ties with both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Russia is very actively cooperating politically and economically with Azerbaijan and Armenia these days, it is our neighbor. Therefore, it is natural that most of these meetings have been held in Russian territory, but there have been no such meetings with Pashinyan. I don't know how efficient they are going to be now with regard to the Armenian leadership. But if such a proposal is made, we have always viewed them positively and will continue to do so.

- ?Does this mean that you are ready to go if there is such an invitation?

-?Yes, and without any preconditions as you have said. This is evident from the fact that our foreign ministers will be meeting in Geneva tomorrow also without any preconditions. Moreover, I would like to say that, when the conflict only just began, our foreign minister had plans to visit Geneva to meet with the co-chairs, and he did go there. And the Armenian foreign minister, who had planned to travel there a week before, in early October, refused to go. And when a proposal from Moscow came on a meeting between the foreign ministers to coordinate a humanitarian ceasefire, our foreign minister flew there from Geneva. In other words, we are not setting any terms, but again, I really doubt that the current Armenian authorities are capable of constructively working toward a settlement.

- Prime Minister Pashinyan has repeatedly said that Turkish troops are directly involved in hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. It was also said that Pakistani special units are also involved. Your comment?

-?These are yet more of Pashinyans lies. I must say that there were no such things in my contacts with previous Armenian presidents. Yes, we are adversaries, we cannot have positive attitudes towards each other, but there have never been such open lies and such allegations at the negotiating table. This is all lies. There are no Turkish special units there. I have repeatedly said that, and there is no such need. He has now said that some kind of Pakistani special units are present here, and by the way I think he got a note of protest in return. This is nonsense, there is no such thing.

These are all attempts to firstly engage other countries into the conflict, make it international in order to conceal his shameful defeat, saying that allegedly it is not Azerbaijan that beats us up on the battlefield, but Turkish and Pakistani special units. He has recently made a ridiculous statement  as I was told  that the terrorists Azerbaijan had allegedly brought from Syria to Azerbaijan sneaked into Russia and staged a terrorist attack in Grozny. Just understand that this is absolute nonsense. Russian special services know for sure who staged the terrorist attack. Previously, he said that Turkey's F- 16 brought down Armenia's Su- 25. Everyone knows this is a lie. Such things are monitored by Russia and other co-chairing countries. We live in the era of technologies and nothing can be hidden.

This was simply idiocy when he said that it wasn't Armenia that had launched ballistic missiles against Ganja, because any launch of a ballistic missile is monitored. Russia, America and France are well aware that this missile was launched and what combat mission it had. The combat mission was to hit a residential neighborhood, and another residential neighborhood for the second time. We have no military bases, no military towns in Ganja. He is simply lying.

And he says it was not us, when hundreds of journalists take horrible footage of these destructions, when foreign diplomats give interviews right from the destruction site, Pashinyan says that it was not Armenia. Then who? Did we strike at Ganja ourselves? Just imagine the level of deceit and, what is more, idiocy. Any reasonable person should understand that this is impossible to hide. It is yet another lie when he speaks about Pakistani and Turkish special units. He will say tomorrow that Martians were brought there in order to liberate territories. Anything can be expected from him.

- I would still like to specify Turkey's future role in the conflict settlement...

-?We see Turkey's role in the settlement as effective. Turkey is a fraternal state to us. Turkey is the only country of the world that borders on three South Caucasian countries. Turkey today has a decisive say in many discussions not only on a regional but also on a global scale. Turkey pursues an absolutely independent foreign policy, thus evoking, as far as I know, much irritation among those who have got used to ordering everyone about. That is why I think Turkey, as a secure partner and friend of Azerbaijan, which has also have very close relations with Russia, will definitely play an important role.

It is already playing this role, and the fact that the presidents of Russia and Turkey, the foreign ministers, and the defense ministers are in constant contact with each other discussing these questions proves that Turkey is already engaged, whether Armenia likes it or not. But I am certain that Armenia is forced to recognize and accept this.

- Is there a risk that the Azerbaijani- Armenian conflict will escalate into a regional confrontation involving big states?

-?Frankly speaking, I cannot fully rule this out, but I must say that for our part we will take no actions that could lead to this, there will be no provocations that would make this conflict international. We dont need this, and I have said many times over the past month that we are against this, and I called on countries to show restraint and not to interfere. I am glad this is happening this way.

Although Armenia's constant attempts to make this conflict international and constant requests of the Armenian leadership for Russia to almost send its troops to fight on Armenia's side are exactly what I was talking about - to pull somebodys chestnuts out of the fire. That is why I am sure that regional countries, and these are the countries that Azerbaijan enjoys close historical, cultural, political and trustworthy relations with  Russia, Turkey, Iran, Georgia  will naturally abstain from any actions that would play into the aggressor's hands.

- Not long ago President Putin said that the death toll of the current escalation on both side is about 5,000 people. Do you have the same data?

-?I said that we would publish the number of killed servicemen after the war is over. As for civilians, we are making data public. I told you about 69 people killed and more than 300 wounded.

As for the losses, I can say what losses Armenia could have according to our estimates. Just look, simple arithmetic, 256 tanks were destroyed as of yesterday, the figure is growing day to day, just multiply it by  how many crewmembers there are, three or four  this is almost 1,000. Next, over 50 infantry fighting vehicles were destroyed, it is roughly clear how many people are there. Hundreds of artillery guns, and each of them has several people, six S-300 systems, about 40 OSA air defense systems, the TOR, KUB, KRUG systems, more than 400 trucks  and the majority of them carried personnel and ammunition when they were destroyed. If we just calculate these figures... And how many people were killed in trenches? We were in those trenches, the contact lines  the footage is on the Internet. So according to our information, 5,000 Armenian troops may have been killed, and the number of wounded during war, as a rule, is two to three times higher.

As for our losses, I have said we will make them public after the fighting is over. But I have to say that they are a lot less, and bearing in mind the nature of the combat clashes, the difficult terrain, and the fortifications that the Armenians have built for 30 years, I believe that every human life is priceless, but our losses are minimal, bearing in mind all these factors.

- Military experts believe that Azerbaijan managed to minimize its losses during the active stage of hostilities thanks to the active use of drones. What is the reason for using drones?

-?Of course, the arsenal of the Azerbaijani army consists not only of drones. We have modern air defense systems made in Russia, in Israel, in Belarus; several air defense systems are crisscross, which shoot down the bulk of missiles being sent from Armenian territory. Unfortunately, we can't shoot down all of them.

Our armor is the most modern: upgraded T-72 tanks, the most modern T-90 tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, modern artillery that has a very long range. This includes Polonez rockets, LORA, Extra, Kasirga, etc. Our approach to the arming of our army was not one-sided.

But modern methods of warfare, of course, are different from those we had back in 1990s, and so unmanned aviation is an important factor of our combat capabilities, especially considering such fortified areas. That is why even the footage that we show on the Internet, just believe me that it is almost nothing compared to what is happening. This is what we can show.

They dug everything they could there. They have many kilometers of interconnected tunnels, rat holes where they get to as soon as they hear noise. There is a rat hole near every gun. That is why it would have been very hard to destroy this without modern hardware, this would result in a large number of casualties. We destroyed many Grad systems, and in this case unmanned aviation, Turkish and Israeli drones, helped us very much.

By using UAVs, we destroyed at least six S-300 air defense systems. In addition, modern UAVs conduct reconnaissance themselves, apart from independently carrying out strikes. They also coordinate artillery, which strikes afterwards. This is why it is an important factor of our success. But as I said, Azerbaijani soldiers and officers are liberating the lands, raising the flag. Because this is our heritage, and it is not by accident that the Azerbaijani army is considered as one of the most effective. I already know that this experience has been studied. In general, this experience will be useful for many countries in order to plan father military build-up.

And even for us. I recently held a meeting with the military and said that we should analyze both successes and shortcomings. And in the future, when we buy military hardware, we should be guided by experience in terms of what we need and what lies idle in storage depots.

- You spoke about Azerbaijan's civilian losses. What is the reaction of the international community to this? Does it condemn it or does everything end with calls to Baku and Yerevan to stop shelling each other?

-?Yes, this is so. And this is not news for us. What kind of condemnation of Armenia has there been over these years of occupation? Has it been condemned? There has been none. Has anyone condemned Armenia for occupation? Yes, UN Security Council resolutions were adopted in 1993, yes, we then attained the adoption of UN General Assembly, the Non-Aligned Movement and even the European Parliament resolutions. Of course, they created a judicial framework, a legal framework for the settlement. But we have heard no condemnation. Even when it was clear that Armenia breached the ceasefire, not a single day elapsed after the ceasefire was agreed on in Moscow when they attacked Ganja.

And now, a day after the ceasefire was agreed on in Washington  and they begged for one, they begged for a ceasefire in Moscow and now, and what was reached thanks to the efforts of the French side  not a single day passed before they shelled Barda. And before that they fired at a funeral procession in Tartar. Four people were killed there. These are inhumane actions. This proves who we have to war against. This means there are no moral norms, no honor, dignity, and no understanding of how wars are fought.

You know, everyone, even an adversary, even an enemy, should be respected to a certain extent, because there are rules, in particular for fighting wars. There is nothing of the kind for the Armenian side. That is why we didn't pin much hope on condemnation. Fraternal Turkey backs us, Pakistan openly supports us. The Turkish president, the Pakistani prime minister have repeatedly voiced their support for us. Many countries support us. And when we say international community, almost every time the Western world is meant. But we haven't expected any sympathy from there.

- Could attacks on Azerbaijan's energy infrastructure, in particular Mingachevir and oil and gas pipelines, create certain risks for supplies of Azerbaijan's oil and gas to the global market?

-?If they do what they promised, that is, the bombardment of the Sangachal terminal, or our oil and gas pipelines, this will certainly pose some risks. I think that they will be condemned in this case. As it is European consumers who need this oil and gas most of all. It is no secret that the gas pipeline from Azerbaijan to a certain extent, certainly not to a large extent, but somehow contributes and will contribute to energy security of some European countries.

As for the oil supplies, some European Union countries get 40 to 50 percent of their oil from Azerbaijan today. If something happens to these oil and gas pipelines, Armenia will face already serious international pressure. However, this does not stop them. They attempted to bomb the Baku-Novorossiysk oil pipeline. This is a pipeline that connects Azerbaijan and Russia, a country Armenia constantly demands special relations from without giving anything in return. Absolutely nothing in both the political sense and international support. It is hard to expect anything different from the Soros team.

That is why the bombardment of the electric power plant in Mingachevir is aimed at destroying Azerbaijans energy system. This, of course, will have an effect to a certain extent, but we have already set up a branched power supply network, and new electric power plants.

This proves the predatory nature of the Armenian side. It is another thing that we have destroyed the majority of these missiles in mid-air, intercepted them, and some of them did not explode. This also speaks about their military potential. But such a threat certainly does exist, and we should respond to it adequately.

I have always said and continue saying that despite the barbaric bombardment of Barda, where a seven-year-old girl was killed and several more children were injured, I say that we are not them. We will respond on the battlefield, we will respond by liberating new lands, by raising the flag in new cities. We will bomb neither cities nor civilians.

Let me give you an absolutely recent example. It is an exchange of dead bodies and prisoners in question. Basically, this subject was first mentioned for humanitarian reasons in Moscow on 10 October. We contacted the Red Cross to say, 'Let's organize a swap.' Moreover, I will give you further detail. I have ordered to maximally preserve the bodies of Armenian servicemen  in refrigerators or cold places. We all understand what happens to human bodies...

- ?They are decaying...

-?Yes, absolutely right. And the Armenian side refuses to take them every time. It says every time, let's do it where battles are under way. So, you understand, to put the lives of civilians in jeopardy. We say no. We have a state border. Let's do it in Tovuz district, in Gazakh district. Let's do it there. So yesterday, I decided to unilaterally hand over the bulk of the bodies of the killed Armenian servicemen. Plus, we have two civilians. These are elderly people who we are also handing over. And so we tried to do it yesterday. We sent cars with the bodies toward the border. We involved the office of the OSCE and the Red Cross. But the Armenian side doesn't accept them. You see, it doesn't take the dead! What are we talking about? How can this even be commented on? What norms of human moral does this fit into? That is why we will transfer the bodies in any case. Currently, we are looking at transferring their civilians and killed people via Georgia.

But if they refuse to accept them, I just don't know what to do. This is who we are fighting with, you see. Everyone should understand this. These are all their false and whining assurances. Their cries, their moans, these are just crocodile tears. We know this well. That is why the Russian public shouldn't be deceived by these lies and slander. Yes, it is clear that they got incorporated deep into Russias agencies. But that is not all. They are also there in France and America. They are in the media, they sometimes create a public background. But people should understand who we are fighting against and understand that we are right. We are fighting on our own land, and they are dying on our land.

- You have repeatedly said that the military phase of the conflict will end sooner or later. If Karabakh and seven districts are returned, how could this affect the pace of Azerbaijan's economic development?

-?It is hard to say. You know, there are different assessments. Of course, the return of large territories under our control is a big potential for growth and development, primarily in agriculture and tourism spheres. Because the Karabakh region is one of the most beautiful and bountiful regions of our country. It is rich in natural resources  gold, zinc, lead. By the way, Armenia illegally produces gold in Kalbajar together with some foreign companies. But we, of course, will hold all of them to account through relevant legal procedures.
MOSCOW, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that various countries around the world are choosing not to succumb to Washington's demands despite pressure.

"Previously, only a few countries could afford to argue with America, and this seemed almost like a sensation," Putin said at the plenary session of the 19th annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow.

"Now it has already become commonplace when various states refuse to comply with Washington's unfounded demands, despite the fact that it is still trying to put pressure on everyone," he said.

This year's meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, which took place in Moscow from Monday to Thursday under the theme of "A Post-Hegemonic World: Justice and Security for Everyone," was attended by over 100 experts, politicians, diplomats and economists from 41 countries, according to the Kremlin.

The Valdai Discussion Club was established in 2004 and has become an international platform that attracts experts, politicians and public figures from all over the world to discuss urgent global matters in a wide array of fields. 
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband was "violently assaulted" by an individual who broke into his home in San Francisco, California, early Friday, according to a spokesperson.

"The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation," Drew Hammill, an aide to Nancy Pelosi, said in a statement.

The speaker's husband, Paul Pelosi, was taken to the hospital, where the 82-year-old is receiving medical care and is expected to "make a full recovery," Hammill added.

Nancy Pelosi was not in San Francisco when the incident happened. 
HAVANA, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Cuban legislators on Thursday condemned the intensification of the U.S. trade embargo against the Caribbean nation during a parliamentary hearing.

Addressing the audience, Cuba's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said the U.S. economic sanctions are aimed at creating social discontent among the Cuban people.

"The U.S. blockade is intended to avoid the success of a project committed to the Cuban people's interests," he said, adding that equity and social justice are guiding principles of the Cuban socialist revolution.

The remarks came ahead of the Cuban government's presentation of its annual draft resolution against the embargo before the UN General Assembly scheduled for November.

Cuba's First Deputy Minister of Public Health Tania Cruz said the U.S. government restricted the island's access to medical supplies, medicines and reagents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Neither can we access valves and pacemakers made in the United States, which are used for the treatment of patients with cardiovascular diseases," she said.

According to Cuban official data, the U.S. sanctions in the past six decades has cost the Cuban economy a total of 154.2 billion U.S. dollars.

First imposed in 1962, the embargo was tightened by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who put in place 243 more sanctions, including banning all flights from the United States to Cuban destinations except for Havana and capping remittances Cuban Americans can send to their families back home.

The current U.S. administration allowed airlines to resume flights to other Cuban cities and lifted the cap on remittances, but the web of sanctions against Cuba remains largely in place. 
NEW YORK, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Today's children in the United States grow up knowing that every day at school their lives could be at risk, reported 59News on Thursday.

"You see it happen at schools, like in Florida, and at Walmarts, in Texas. You just always have to be ready, like whenever and wherever, for that stuff to happen," Joshua Helton, a junior at Woodrow Wilson High School, told the CBS and FOX-affiliated Nexstar Media Group station for southern West Virginia.

Do kids even feel safe in schools? "For the most part, yes. But you always have a little bit of a doubt," said Davon Allard, also a junior at the school. "Especially when, at the beginning of the year, they have you going over ALICE drills."

ALICE is an acronym that stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate. "These are the five steps schools take in the event of an active shooter situation," said the report.

Despite growing up in a time when the threat of gun violence is ever-present, these students all agreed that people should still be allowed to own guns, it noted. 
Amritsar: Another conspiracy by Pakistan to terrorise Punjab has been foiled by the Border Security Force (BSF). In fact, the BSF has seized a large cache of weapons on the Indo-Pak border in Ferozepur. All these weapons were filled in a large bag and it is suspected that they have been sent through drones. Six empty magazines with three AK-47 rifles, five empty magazines with three mini AK-47 rifles and three pistols with six empty magazines were recovered.

Along with this, 200 bullets have also been recovered from the spot. A case under the Arms Act has been registered against unidentified persons at the State Special Operations Cell in Fazilka on the complaint of BSF officials. According to the report, a search operation was conducted on the basis of inputs from the 136 battalions of BSF in the Ferozepur sector. During this time, BSF jawans saw a big bag near the zero line. When he was examined, a large number of weapons were found in it. The jawans informed the higher authorities about it. A search operation is being conducted in the entire area by taking possession of the weapons.

Pakistan's purpose in sending a large number of arms consignments to Punjab on the border is to spoil the atmosphere. Terrorists sitting in Pakistan are looking for new routes to send weapons and drugs to Punjab. Drones and infiltration attempts have been made several times from across the border from Tarn Taran, Khemkaran, Amritsar, and Ajnala sectors. Now the Ferozepur border was used, but the promptness of the BSF jawans foiled the plans of Pakistan and its supported terrorists.

Shocking: 10-year-old girls head found missing from her grave in Tamil Nadu

Harayana: A woman Jailed for making prank calls and abusing cops

"Entrepreneurs must be opportunists," says the flourishing businessman Sahil Suri
NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Insight Partners published latest research study on " Arbitrary Waveform Generator Market Size, Share, Revenue, Growth Strategy, Industry Trends and Forecast to 2028  COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis  by Channel, Technology, Bandwidth, Application, and Geography," the global arbitrary waveform generator market size is expected to grow from US$ 355.3 million in 2021 to US$ 624.4 million by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.4% from 2022 to 2028.

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Report Coverage Details Market Size Value in US$ 355.3 Million in 2021 Market Size Value by US$ 624.4 Million by 2028 Growth rate CAGR of 8.4% from 2022 to 2028 Forecast Period 2022-2028 Base Year 2021 No. of Pages 200 No. of Tables 138 No. of Charts & Figures 99 Historical data available Yes Segments covered Channel, Technology, Bandwidth, and Application Regional scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; MEA Country scope US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Argentina Report coverage Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends

Browse key market insights spread across 200 pages with 138 list of tables & 99 list of figures from the report, "Arbitrary Waveform Generator Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Channel (Single-Channel, Dual Channel, and Multi-Channel), Technology (Direct Digital Synthesis AWG, Variable-Clock AWG, and Combined AWG), Bandwidth (Below 1GHz, 15 GHz, 510 GHz, 1025 GHz, 2532 GHz, 3250 GHz, and Above 50 GHz), and Application (Telecommunications, Education, Healthcare, Electronics, and Others)" in detail along with the table of contents: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/reports/arbitrary-waveform-generator-market

Global Arbitrary Waveform Generator Market: Competitive Landscape and Key Developments

B&K Precision Corporation; Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation; Keysight Technologies; Pico Technology; Rohde & Schwarz; SHF Communication Technologies AG; Tabor Electronics Ltd.; TEKTRONIX, INC.; Teledyne LeCroy; and Texas Instruments Incorporated are a few of the key arbitrary waveform generator market players that are profiled during the study. Several other arbitrary waveform generator market players were studied and analyzed to get a holistic view of the market and its ecosystem.

In 2020, Eurofins Digital Testing, a global leader in end-to-end quality assurance and testing services, and Rohde & Schwarz, a leading test and measurement expert, announced that they are collaborating to provide customers with the latest High-Speed Signal Analysis and Compliance Testing tools using the R&S RTP164 high-performance oscilloscope.

In 2021, Tabor Electronics announced a new addition to the Proteus series product line  RF Arbitrary Waveform Generator / Transceiver. The series offers the highest Performance Direct Digital RF Generation and Acquisition and a complete control system with digitizer and feedback loop with the lowest latency available in the industry.

In 2021, Tektronix announced the release of their AWG70000B series of arbitrary waveform generators. Featuring two different models, the new series provides rapid-change capabilities to signal sequences with the goal of allowing engineers to quickly test a wide range of signals

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The arbitrary waveform generators are widely used as a type of test equipment across various industries. Since the wave shapes produced by the generator can be programmed independently by the user, it performs a wide variety of signal applications such as channel summing, synchronization, and noise generation. The demand for arbitrary waveform generators is rising with the increasing need for testing, measuring, and monitoring devices requiring high electronic precision. Since the volume and density of semiconductor components are on the rise in electronic devices, these generators are commonly used to test the functioning of every aspect of these components. In the aerospace & defense industry, the arbitrary waveform generator is ideal for sensor simulation in military and avionics communication and system test applications with multiple DC/AC signal sources. Therefore, the high adoption of electronic devices, increased demand for the generator from the aerospace & defense industry, and ongoing advancements in communication technologies are bolstering the arbitrary waveform generator market growth.

Containment measures imposed by governments of various countries to control the spread of COVID-19 have led to the lesser production of commodities, goods, and services. The manufacturing sector has witnessed a decline in its operations due to the temporary shutdown of activities. The electronics industry was severely affected as the demand for electronic components significantly decreased, consequently affecting the arbitrary waveform generator market analysis. The revenue model for electronics has also declined because mass production was shut down during the lockdown period. After the upliftment of lockdown, the industry regained the arbitrary waveform generator market share as production facilities restarted operations by adhering to the social distancing norms.

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Accelerating Growth in Telecommunication Industry to Boost Global Arbitrary Waveform Generator Market Size in Coming Years:

The tremendous growth in telecommunication technology is expected to positively impact the telecom manufacturing service industries. With the advent of wireless technologies such as 5G networks, IoT, and AI, there is an increased need for precise and efficient arbitrary waveform generators to implement specific critical equipment testing. Due to the rising number of RF-related applications of an AWG, such as measuring the frequency response of bandpass filter, measuring intermodulation distortion of RF components, and measuring pulsed noise-testing, it is widely used in the telecommunication industry. Thus, the ongoing advancement in the global telecommunication industry is creating ample opportunities for the arbitrary waveform generator market growth.

Global Arbitrary Waveform Generator Market: Bandwidth Overview

Based on bandwidth, the global arbitrary waveform generator market size is segmented into below 1GHz, 15 GHz, 510 GHz, 1025 GHz, 2532 GHz, 3250 GHz, and above 50 GHz. The below 1GHz segment held the arbitrary waveform generator market share in 2020. Arbitrary waveform generator below 1 GHz is the lowest bandwidth range offered by premium market players. The major manufacturers provide several advantages, such as clean, low-distortion, stable, and reliable signals with better signal integrity; lower harmonic distortion; reduced jitter; variable bandwidth noise; and waveform summing and combining capability. For instance, Keysight Technologies offers an arbitrary waveform generator using Trueform technology with a maximum bandwidth of 120 MHz, a maximum sample rate of 1 GSa/s, and an edge jitter below 1ps. Similarly, the dual-channel 600 MHz, 2.5GSa/s high-performance arbitrary waveform generator, offered by Berkley Nucleonics Corporation, finds application in automotive, research, aerospace & defense, IoT, and semiconductors test industries.

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Data Collection and Labeling Market - The global data collection and labeling market size is expected to grow from US$ 1.82 billion in 2021 to US$ 9.07 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 27.2% between 2022 and 2028.

Customer Data Platform Market - The global customer data platform market size is expected to grow from US$ 2,672.5 Mn in 2021 to US$ 14,847.1 Mn by 2028 at a CAGR of 28.2% between 2022 and 2028.

Vehicle Tracking Systems Market - The global vehicle tracking systems market size is expected to grow from US$ 13.67 billion in 2021 to US$ 23.70 billion by 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2022 to 2028.

Autonomous Last Mile Delivery Market - The global autonomous last mile delivery market size is expected to grow from US$ 57.67 billion in 2021 to US$ 68.95 billion by 2028; it is expected to register a CAGR of 3.0% from 2022 to 2028.

ISDN Modem Market - The global ISDN modem market size was valued US$ 982.97 thousand in 2022, it is estimated to register a CAGR of -80.6% from 2022 to 2024.

Semiconductor Bonding Market - The global semiconductor bonding market size was valued US$ 669.48 million in 2022, it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.2% from 2022 to 2028.

Recycled Ocean Plastics Market - The global recycled ocean plastics market size was valued at US$ 14,432.91 million in 2022, it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% from 2022 to 2028.

EDM Wire Market - The global EDM wire market size is expected to grow from US$ 1,497.50 million in 2022, it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.6% from 2022 to 2028.

Seam Welding Machine Market - The global seam welding machine market size was valued US$ 1,142.87 million in 2022, it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.0% from 2022 to 2028.

Electric Coolant Pump Market - The global electric coolant pump market size was valued US$ 467.46 million in 2022, it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 16.8% from 2022 to 2028.

Smart Manufacturing Market - The global smart manufacturing market size was valued US$ 258.72 billion in 2022, it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.0% from 2022 to 2028.

Respiratory Care Devices Market - The global respiratory care devices market size is expected to grow from US$ 18,114.31 million in 2021 to US$ 32,761.82 million by 2028; it is estimated to register a CAGR of 8.9% from 2021 to 2028.

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SOURCE The Insight Partners
CHELSEA, Mich., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting, LLC (BBCetc) has been awarded a FAST (Federal and State Technology Partnership Program) grant from the Small Business Administration. The program will create an initiative to support underserved groupswomen entrepreneurs, socially and economically disadvantaged small business owners, businesses in rural locations, and more.

BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting, LLC (BBCetc) (PRNewsfoto/BBCetc)

BBCetc awarded SBA FAST grant (MI-CAN) focused on increasing SBIR/STTR success to underserved populations in Michigan

The initiative, MI-CAN (Michigan Catalyst Advantage Network) offers coaching, mentoring, and training specifically geared toward underrepresented entrepreneurs building successful STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) companies. Contributing consultants are MI-SBDC Tech Team, TechTown Detroit, Forward Cities Detroit and the Michigan SBIR/STTR (Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer) Assistance Program.

The program runs for eight-weeks and provides one-on-one assistance with Michigan innovators to coach, track progress, and provide additional referrals to state resources as needed to prepare the company and its technology for SBIR/STTR funding. It culminates in a Pitch Competition where participants present their technology and business models to judges from the Michigan business and investment communities. The winner receives a $5,000 cash prize.

Interested, qualified entrepreneurs can apply at https://bbcetc.com/special-programs/bbcetc-michigan-can/.

BBCetc has helped small businesses over the past 30+ years with high-value information, expert training, and experienced guidance to successfully navigate the SBIR/STTR application and post-award process. BBCetc has managed the MI-SBIR/STTR Assistance Program, funded by a grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) and administered through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation since 2002.

Contact: Amy Davis, amy@bbcetc.com

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SOURCE BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting, LLC
Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd. is listed for trading in United States dollars on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "CUP.U".

GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS, Oct. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd. (TSX: CUP.U) ("CUC" or "the Company") announced today its unaudited results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 (all dollar amounts are stated in United States dollars).

Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd Interim Results for Q3 2022 (CNW Group/Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd.)

The results for the Company for the three months ended September 30, 2022 ("Third Quarter 2022" or "Q3 2022") show growing customer numbers and energy sales, but with lower average consumption by residential customers in the face of high fuel prices. The Company successfully facilitated a Cayman Islands Government Fuel Cost Relief programme to assist residential customers. Depreciation charges increased for the quarter related to the Seven Mile Beach and Prospect Substations and other growth-related capital projects coming into service. Reliability and safety results were as planned and the Company endured Tropical Storm Ian with minimal physical damage. Earnings increased marginally for the quarter over the same period last year.

A highlight of the Third Quarter 2022 was the signing of an agreement with the technology group Wartsila. Wartsila will supply two 10-megawatt /10 megawatt-hour energy storage systems to CUC. This project is primarily designed to reduce the online or spinning reserve requirement presently provided by diesel engines and will improved fuel efficiency by approximately 6%, with a corresponding reduction in CO 2 emissions. This is CUC's first energy storage facility and it will also enable the Company to increase the amount of intermittent renewable energy connected to the grid on Grand Cayman while improving grid stability, reliability and power quality.

During Third Quarter 2022, as part of the Company's ongoing restructuring programme, CUC announced the promotion of four Caymanians to its management team. CUC also released its first Sustainability report which discusses programmes that demonstrate CUC's commitment to the high standards in Environmental, Social and Governance initiatives.

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Global fuel prices continued to rise in the third quarter impacting CUC's fuel costs. Power generation expenses for Q3 2022 totalled $52.4 million, an increase of 70% compared to power generation expenses of $30.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2021 ("Third Quarter 2021" or "Q3 2021"). This is primarily due to the 75% increase in the average fuel price per imperial gallon during Q3 2022 in comparison to Q3 2021). The average Fuel Cost Charge rate billed to consumers for Q3 2022 was $0.29 per kilowatt-hours ("kWh"), compared to the average Fuel Cost Charge rate of $0.17 per kWh for Q3 2021. CUC passes through all fuel costs and renewable costs to consumers on a two-month lag basis with no mark-up. The Company continues to provide information to customers on ways to manage their energy consumption.

Net earnings for Q3 2022 totalled $10.4 million, an increase of $0.3 million or 3% in comparison to $10.1 million Q3 2021. This was due to the increase in kWh sales by 2% and the customer growth of 3%. The net earnings during Q3 2022 were positively impacted by the decrease of transmission and distribution costs and higher foreign exchange gains and negatively impacted by increase in depreciation expense, general and administration cost and higher finance charges.

After the adjustment for dividends on the preference shares of the Company, earnings on Class A Ordinary Shares for Q3 2022 totalled $10.3 million, or $0.28 per Class A Ordinary Share, in comparison to earnings of $10.0 million, or $0.26 per Class A Ordinary Share for Q3 2021.

Net earnings for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 totalled $24.2 million, an increase of $2.2 million or 10% when compared to net earnings of $22.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2021.

After the adjustment for dividends on the preference shares of the Company, earnings on Class A Ordinary Shares for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 totalled $23.9 million, or $0.64 per Class A Ordinary Share, in comparison to earnings on Class A Ordinary Shares of $21.7 million, or $0.58 per Class A Ordinary Share, for the nine months ended September 30, 2021.

Sales for Q3 2022 totalled 184.0 million kWh, an increase of 4.1 million kWh or 2% in comparison to 179.9 million kWh for Q3 2021. The increase in sales was driven by the higher commercial customer sales in Q3 2022 compared to Q3 2021 and the 3% increase in customer numbers between Q3 2022 and Q3 2021.

Sales in kWh for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 totalled 504.6 million kWh, an increase of 10.1 million kWh or 2% in comparison to 494.5 million kWh for the nine months ended September 30, 2021. The increase in sales is primarily due to a 3% growth in overall customer numbers for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2021. The number of customers at the end of September 30, 2022 was 32,865, an increase of 901 customers, or 3%, compared to 31,964 customers as at September 30, 2021.

During Q3 2022, the Company recorded a new system peak load of 113.573 megawatts.

President and CEO, Mr. Richard Hew, stated, "The state of the current global fuel markets emphasizes the need and our desire to advance activities under the Integrated Resource Plan as quickly as possible, particularly utility scale solar projects, to transition to more sustainable energy solutions that bring price stability and reduce carbon emissions. Tropical Storm Ian also reminds us of the importance of building resilient systems such as our indoor substations to adapt to more frequent storms brought by climate change."

CUC's Third Quarter 2022 results and related Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for the period ended September 30, 2022 are incorporated by reference.

The MD&A section of this report contains a discussion of CUC's unaudited 2022 Third Quarter results, the Cayman Islands economy, liquidity and capital resources, capital expenditures and the business risks facing the Company. The release and Third Quarter 2022 MD&A can be accessed at www.cuc-cayman.com (Investor Relations/Press Releases) and at www.sedar.com.

CUC provides electricity to Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, under an Electricity Generation Licence expiring in 2039 and an exclusive Electricity Transmission and Distribution Licence expiring in 2028. Further information is available at www.cuc-cayman.com.

Certain statements in the MD&A, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements concerning anticipated future events, results, circumstances, performance or expectations with respect to the Company and its operations, including its strategy and financial performance and condition.

Forward looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon future events or conditions, or include words such as "expects", "anticipates", "plan", "believes", "estimates", "intends", "targets", "projects", "forecasts", "schedule", or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "may", "will", "should", "would" and "could". Forward looking statements are based on underlying assumptions and management's beliefs, estimates and opinions, and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations generally that may cause actual results to vary from plans, targets and estimates. Some of the important risks and uncertainties that could affect forward looking statements are described in the MD&A in the section labeled "Business Risks" and include but are not limited to operational, general economic, market and business conditions, regulatory developments and weather. CUC cautions readers that actual results may vary significantly from those expected should certain risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.

SOURCE Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd.

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Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, based Kohls members, employees and affiliates including Kohls Department Stores, have given $18,355 in political donations so far this year for the 2022 elections cycle, according to Open Secrets.

Find Out: Does Walmart Give Political Donations?

Read More: If Your Credit Score Is Under 740, Make These 4 Moves Now

As a corporation, Kohls Corp. cannot make political donations directly to a candidate as per federal law. In order to make donations, the company would need to set up a political action committee (PAC), which they do not currently have.

This places Kohls affiliates at the 7,084th spot out of 26,914 spots in terms of largest donors, Open Secrets data shows.

Just a few weeks before the November mid-term elections, lets take a look at where and to whom Kohls members, employees and affiliates have donated to. Here are some of the recipients and the amount they received:

DNC Services Corp  $2,239

Wisconsin Democratic candidate Mandela Barnes  $1,230

Pennsylvania Democratic candidate John Fetterman  $1,142

Arizona Democratic candidate Mark Kelly  $1,048

Connecticut Democratic candidate Jim Himes  $1,000

New Jersey Democratic candidate Rob Menendez  $1,000

Wisconsin Republican candidate Ron Johnson  $900

National Republican Senatorial Committee  $885

Florida Democratic candidate Val Demings  $675

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee  $635

The bulk of the contributions to congressional and federal candidates went to Democrats, with 86.7% and 88% of the total amount of dollars, respectively, Open Secrets data shows

Additional retailer affiliates who gave mostly to Democrats this election cycle include those connected to Macys, who donated a total of $89,940. Of this total, 74.6% went to Democratic federal candidates.

Social Security: Women Get $354 Per Month Less Than Men  Heres Why

Find Out: Can I Draw Social Security at 62 and Still Work Full Time?

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Other corporate affiliates who largely donated to Democrats this election cycle include those connected with Pfizer, who gave a total of $1.7 million, with 57.4 % of the total amount of dollars going to Democratic federal candidates.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Does Kohls Give Political Donations?
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Baku has returned the bodies of 10 Armenian servicemen to Yerevan, Azernews reports, citing the Armenian media.

Armenian Defense Ministry Spokesperson Aram Torosyan told Armenpress on October 27 that the bodies should be thoroughly examined.

Earlier, Azerbaijani Prosecutor-Generals Senior Assistant on Special Assignments Ilgar Safarov said that Azerbaijan released 17 Armenian detainees captured during the suppression of military provocations of Armenia and handed over 133 bodies to Armenia in September.

To recap, units of the Armenian armed forces carried out large-scale provocations along the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border in the Dashkasan, Kalbajar, and Lachin directions on the night of September 12 leading to 13. The Armenian sabotage groups mined land and supply roads linking the positions of the Azerbaijani army units in different directions, taking advantage of the area's steep topography and existing ravine gaps.

The clashes between the sides ensued as a result of the urgent efforts made by the Azerbaijani armed forces to quell these activities. As a result, 79 armed forces personnel were killed, the ministry detailed.

So far, the Armenian government reported 207 losses among its own military personnel. Moreover, 293 soldiers and three civilians were wounded, and 20 soldiers were taken prisoner.
After months of legal drama, Elon Musk has begun his takeover of Twitter, according to The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. His first move was to fire CEO Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and other top execs.

Musk is taking the reins just ahead of a Friday deadline to complete the deal. He spent time in Twitter's San Francisco headquarters this week, where he met with employees. He also reportedly brought in some Tesla engineers to help "assess" Twitter's code, Bloomberg reported.

The deal's closing will bring to an end the months-long legal battle that has engulfed Twitter since Musk first offered to buy the company for $44 billion in April, before announcing a couple weeks later that the acquisition was on hold. Musk, who declined to do due diligence before his offer, cited concerns about the number of bots and fake accounts on the platform. Twitters lawyers later argued that the bot issue was merely a pretext for him to renege on the deal.

But finalizing the acquisition will be far from the end of turmoil within Twitter. Musk, who has criticized Twitter's leadership and clashed with Agrawal, has already fired at least four executives, including Vijaya Gadde, Twitter's top policy official, and Sean Edgett, the company's general counsel. The New York Times reported that "at least one" executive was escorted from the company's office on Thursday. Twitter didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Entering Twitter HQ  let that sink in! pic.twitter.com/D68z4K2wq7  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 26, 2022

Musk, who changed his Twitter bio to Chief Twit, has made it clear he intends to bring other big changes to the social media company. He has said both in public appearances and in private messages that he wants to relax Twitters moderation rules and that he dislikes permanent bans. Hes also likely to let more staff go, though he has told employees the cuts won't be as high as 75 percent.

Twitters core service could also dramatically change under Musks leadership. In addition to loosening moderation rules on the platform, Musk has said wants to open source Twitters algorithm so users could better understand its recommendations. At the same time, hes tried to reassure advertisers that he doesnt want the site to be a free-for-all hellscape, and that Twitter should be the most respected advertising platform in the world. Twitter's COO Sarah Personette, tweeted that she had a great discussion with Musk.

Musk, who has often talked about his desire for Twitter to be an accelerant to creating X, the everything app akin to WeChat in China, is also likely to look for ways to increase non-advertising revenue. Hes proposed changes to Twitter Blue, and floated the idea of charging companies for tweet embeds.
SINGAPORE, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Moomoo's parent company Futu Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: FUTU) (Futu), a leading tech-driven digital brokerage and wealth management platform, made a donation of US$200,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to mark Futu's 10th anniversary and give back to the community.

Futu Senior Vice President, Robin Xu and Make-A-Wish International Regional Director, APAC and Middle East, Apple Lee attend the signing ceremony.

The donation will go towards fulfilling the wishes of children in Singapore, Hong Kong, America and Australia who have been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses.

"As we reflect on a remarkable 10 years of Futu, it is important that we find a way to include and give back to our communities," said Mr Robin Xu, Futu's Senior Vice President. "Inclusion is a key priority for us at Futu, and we are committed to supporting the organisations that work tirelessly to help people in need."

As part of Futu's efforts to promote inclusivity, local subsidiary Moomoo Financial Singapore Pte. Ltd. ("moomoo SG") is holding a series of events to champion financial literacy in Singapore so that more investors can benefit from smart and responsible investing.

Moomoo SG is holding a virtual paper-trading competition throughout October to equip investors with the knowledge and confidence needed to make sound investment decisions and take control of their financial future. Moomoo SG donated S$1 for every sign-up to the competition as part of the group's contribution to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Moomoo SG employees will also host a day out on Saturday, 29 October, to SuperPark Singapore for 40 Make-A-Wish children and their families. The families will receive merchandise and vouchers from moomoo SG.

"Whether it be through competitions, educational events or our in-app "moo community", we strive for a sense of inclusivity in all that we offer," said Mr Gavin Chia, Managing Director of moomoo SG.

"In doing this, we have been overwhelmed with support and enthusiasm from our investment community. We are grateful to be able to give back and share this Saturday with Make-A-Wish, and we hope that we can pass on the same sense of support and enthusiasm we feel from our community." he said.

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About Moomoo Financial Singapore Pte. Ltd.

Moomoo Financial Singapore Pte. Ltd. (moomoo SG) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Futu Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: FUTU), which is an advanced financial technology company transforming the investing experience by offering a digitised brokerage and wealth management platform  moomoo. moomoo enhances the user experience with market data, news, and powerful analytical tools. moomoo also embeds social media tools to provide connectivity to all users, investors, companies, analysts, media and key opinion leaders.

In Singapore, Moomoo Financial Singapore Pte. Ltd. (www.moomoo.com/sg) offers investment products for trading via the moomoo platform, and it is a capital markets services licence holder regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (Licence No. CMS101000). In June 2022, moomoo SG became the first digital to receive all five memberships from the SGX Group for the securities and derivatives markets.

(PRNewsfoto/Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd.)

SOURCE Moomoo Financial Singapore Pte Ltd.
A hybrid event unifying the public, private and civil sectors from health and technology to foster better healthcare for all and ensure continuity of care.

Speakers include Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Indonesia's Minister of Health; Kai-Fu Lee, Sinovation Ventures's chairman and chief executive; Cheong Wei Yang, deputy secretary (technology) of Singapore's Ministry of Health.

SINGAPORE, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ministries of health across Asia, doctors, investors, scientists and senior representatives from industry, patient associations, academics and charities will convene in Singapore and online at Economist Impact's third annual Future of Healthcare Week this November 15th to 17th 2022.

Grab the opportunity to meet more than 4000 policymakers, healthcare providers, academics and scientists at Future of Healthcare Week Asia.

This is a critical time for the healthcare industry. As it emerges from a severe global pandemic, vulnerabilities in the healthcare landscape are highlighted, with implications for the future of medicine. Now is the right time for healthcare leaders to maintain momentum on the silver-linings and adaptations of the crisis: the loosening of regulatory hurdles that have driven innovation, the enhanced collaborations across sectors, and the visibility of the significant impact of vaccines on people's health. Future of Healthcare Week will examine the vulnerabilities and opportunities that the recent crisis catalysed, giving a 360-degree view of the future of healthcare in Asia and beyond, and will explore how silos can be broken down to further the efficiency and sustainability of healthcare for all.

Discussions will address the biggest industry issues including healthcare-system weaknesses, labour shortages, healthy ageing, data application and ownership during the rise of Web 3.0 and much more through insight-driven discussions including Removing siloscollaborating for success; Supply chains: future-proofing for resilience in healthcare systems; Headhunting for health: alleviating the labour shortage; Healthspan over lifespan: mitigating the diseases of ageing; Data and interoperability in healthcare: ethics, opportunities and the way forward. View the latest agenda .

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Chaired by The Economist Group's editors, Future of Healthcare Week features over 80 senior expert speakers from hospitals, government authorities, patient groups, medtech, pharma, finance sectors, academics and think-tanks, including:

Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Minister of Health, Indonesia

Cheong Wei Yang, deputy secretary (technology), Ministry of Health , Singapore

Clair Deevy, global director of social impact , WhatsApp

Deborah Seifert, country manager, Thailand and Indochina, Pfizer Inc, and chairperson, Pfizer Emerging Markets Asia Regional Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Kai-Fu Lee, chairman and chief executive, Sinovation Ventures, and president, Sinovation Ventures Artificial Intelligence Institute

Jeremy Lim, director, Leadership Institute for Global Health Transformation, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore

Jiadi Yu, chief investment officer, International Finance Corporation

Lee Chien Earn, deputy group chief executive (Regional Health System), Singapore Health Services (SingHealth)

Martin Taylor, director, health systems and services, World Health Organisation, Western Pacific Region

Mary Wong-Hemrajani, chairman, Global Chinese Breast Cancer Organisations Alliance

Nurul Izzah Anwar, member of parliament, Permatang Pauh, Malaysia

Peter Hotez, dean, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine

Roberta Sarno, director of digital health, Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association (APACMed)

Sania Nishtar, cardiologist and member of the Senate , Pakistan

and many more

Future of Healthcare Week will take place in One Farrer Hotel, Singapore on November 15th and 16th with a third day of conversations online on November 17th. Join Economist Impact to explore what the future of healthcare will be like.

Future of Healthcare Week is supported by Pfizer and Whatsapp. Insight hours are supported by Abbott, Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Philips.

PR Newswire is the communication partner of Future of Healthcare Week.

Free places to attend Future of Healthcare Week are available now. Tickets for the event at One Farrer Hotel, Singapore are free but limited. Contact naomili@economist.com to secure your attendance on November 15th and 16th. For online registration and event details, please visit the website: Futureofhealthcare.economist.com .

To engage with Future of Healthcare Week on social media, use #EconFutureofHealthcare in your conversations and follow @EconomistEvents .

SOURCE Economist Impact
DUBLIN, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Metaverse Market for Automotive by Products (Software, Hardware), Technology (Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), Non-fungible Token (NFT), Blockchain), Function, Application & Region - Forecast to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Research and Markets Logo

The global metaverse market for automotive is projected to grow from USD 1.9 Billion in 2022 to USD 16.5 Billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 31.4%. The concept of digital twin factories and virtual showrooms in the virtual space is in trend among automotive OEMs and dealers at present and has triggered the growth of the automotive metaverse industry.

Many software companies and startups have developed AR/VR technologies and are still doing research and development towards the incorporation of metaverse applications in the automotive sector. Users and customers are showing their interest in the NFTs and crypto to be used in the asset marketplace in the virtual space.

Metaverse technologies have made things much more convenient in the field of simulation and testing the vehicle. The metaverse market for automotive is dominated by established players such as NVIDIA (US), Roblox Corporation (US), Unity Technologies (US), Meta Platforms Inc. (US), and WayRay (Switzerland). They develop products and provide service offerings for the automotive metaverse ecosystem.

Advertisement applications to be leveraged at a higher level by automotive manufacturers and dealers during the forecast period.

Many automotive manufacturers and dealers have leveraged metaverse technologies to showcase their products in virtual space. OEMs have leveraged NFT releases, new product launches (of automobiles), virtual marketing events, and other resources. Meta, for instance, has been selling virtual billboards as part of its metaverse. The company has allowed dealerships to sell cars directly through its online platform and allowed digital purchase rights of virtual estates for showrooms. Many local dealerships across regions have leveraged this platform. With the rising usage of metaverse, the market for advertising in the metaverse will grow exponentially, with companies finding new ways to advertise on these platforms. The concept of virtual showrooms has grown rapidly across the automotive industry, where companies can advertise their products virtually without leveraging actual cars. The company plans to reduce costs by launching its cars only in the virtual space.

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North America is likely to be the largest market during the forecast period.

North America has the largest metaverse market for the automotive industry. Software is expected to be the largest segment in this region, with top software and metaverse platform providers like Roblox, Unity Technologies, Epic Games, Upland, and Sandbox, among others, present in this region. The presence of top metaverse hardware providers like Microsoft, Meta, NVIDIA, and Qualcomm, among others, and a large part of the population using metaverse will make this the largest metaverse market for automotive. The US is expected to lead the market in this region due to the presence of most metaverse ecosystem providers in the country. Metaverse software and platform providers like Roblox (US), Unity Technologies (US), Upland (US), Sandbox (US), and Epic Games (US) have been key players in this region. These companies have been working with OEMs to provide software for the metaverse market for automotive. Roblox and Unity Technologies have worked with Hyundai for metaverse solutions. Similarly, Ferrari has worked with Epic Games for its metaverse offering for digital assets.

Premium Insights

OEM Shift to Metaverse-based Advertisements to Drive Market

Software to be Largest Segment

MR to Grow at Faster Rate

Virtual Platforms/Spaces to Occupy Largest Share

Advertising to Lead Market During Forecast Period

North America Projected to be the Largest Market

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Brand Promotions for Automotive OEMs Using Gamification

Growing Demand for Automobile Simulators in Related Industries

Availability of Affordable Hardware

Use of Metaverse in Automotive Design

Wider Adoption of AR/VR Across Industries

Restraints

Installation and Maintenance Cost of High-End Components

Health and Mental Issues from Extended Use

Opportunities

Incorporation of Metaverse in Automotive Infotainment

Continuous Developments in 5G and Higher Band Technologies

Virtual Experience as a Trial Before Buying Automobiles

Challenges

Cybersecurity and Privacy Challenges

Local Government Restrictions with Environmental Impact

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights

5 Market Overview

6 Metaverse Market for Automotive, by Offering

7 Metaverse Market for Automotive, by Product

8 Metaverse Market for Automotive, by Technology

9 Metaverse Market for Automotive, by Application

10 Metaverse Market for Automotive, by Region

11 Competitive Landscape

12 Company Profiles

13 Analyst's Recommendations

14 Appendix

Companies Mentioned

Aston Martin

Automotive OEMs

BMW Group

Carcivic

Carzso

Decentraland

Epic Games

General Motors

Holo-Light

Holoride

Honda Motor Company

Hyperlink Infosystem

Hyundai Motor Company

Infiniteworld

Jidu Auto

Mercedes-Benz AG

Meta Platforms Inc.

Metavrse

Mg Motors

Microsoft

Nissan Motors

Nvidia

Oxbotica

Qualcomm

Roblox Corporation

Sandbox

Somnium Space

Sony Corporation

Tata Motors

Tech Mahindra

Terranet Ab

Toyota Motor Corporation

Unity Technologies

Upland

Varjo

Volkswagen AG

Volvo

Wayray

Xr Labs

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8x1sjz

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Company Logo

Global Travel Accommodation Market

Global Travel Accommodation Market

Dublin, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Travel Accommodation Market By Type, By Application, By Price Point, By Mode of Booking: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global travel accommodation market was valued at $632.80 billion in 2021, and is projected to reach $1,974.30 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 11.3% from 2022 to 2031.

Travel accommodation refers to lodging service rented by travelers for the purpose of stay. Travelers can choose from among various types of travel accommodations available, including hotels, hostels, resorts, vacation rentals, and others. The ideal choice of stay can be determined depending upon multiple factors such as purpose & budget of travel accommodation, availability of the property, and mode of booking. Accommodation can be booked through various sources, which include online travel agencies, hotel websites, booking through agents, and direct bookings.



The liberalization of visa regulations in many countries such as Africa, India, and China, have eased travel for visitors, which is a key factor expected to positively impact the growth of the travel & tourism industry. This has influenced the travel accommodation market by tourists, since it has made travel convenient. In addition, increase in consumer spending across countries such as India, Australia, and New Zealand significantly contributes toward the growth of the global travel accommodation market. This is majorly attributed to currency rate fluctuations.



The decrease in a host country's currency value is expected to attract inbound tourism, which is expected to create a positive effect on the travel accommodation sector. However, scams and rampant fraud attacks in the online travel accommodation booking sector are anticipated to restrain the growth of the global market. On the contrary, the trend of solo travelling has gained significant importance in the recent past, which is expected to boost the demand for budget-friendly travel accommodations such as hostels, capsule hotels, paying guests, and others, thereby offering remunerative opportunities for market expansion.



The global travel accommodation market is segmented into type, application, price point, mode of booking and region. The type segment comprises hotel, hostel, resort, vacation rental, and others. The applications covered in the study include leisure, professional, and others. On the basis of price point, the market is categorized into economy, mid-range, and luxury. Depending on mode of booking, it is segregated into online travel agency, hotel website, and others. Region wise, it is studied across North America (U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, Spain, UK, Italy, France, Switzerland, and rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (India, China, Japan, Australia, and rest of Asia-Pacific), and LAMEA (Latin America, Middle East, and Africa).



The major players in the global travel accommodation industry that have been analyzed in this report include Marriott International, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Wyndham Destinations, Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc., Accor Hotels Group, Radisson Hotel Group, Airbnb Inc., A&O Hotels and Hostels GmbH, Red Lion Hotels Corporation, and Oyo Rooms.

Key Topics Covered:



CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION



CHAPTER 2: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



CHAPTER 3: MARKET OVERVIEW

3.1.Market definition and scope

3.2.Key findings

3.2.1.Top investment pockets

3.3.Porter's five forces analysis

3.4.Top player positioning

3.5.Market dynamics

3.5.1.Drivers

3.5.2.Restraints

3.5.3.Opportunities

3.6.COVID-19 Impact Analysis on the market

3.7.Market Share Analysis



CHAPTER 4: TRAVEL ACCOMMODATION MARKET, BY TYPE

4.1 Overview

4.1.1 Market size and forecast

4.2 Hotels

4.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.2.3 Market analysis by country

4.3 Hostels

4.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.3.3 Market analysis by country

4.4 Resorts

4.4.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.4.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.4.3 Market analysis by country

4.5 Vacation Rentals

4.5.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.5.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.5.3 Market analysis by country

4.6 Others

4.6.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

4.6.2 Market size and forecast, by region

4.6.3 Market analysis by country



CHAPTER 5: TRAVEL ACCOMMODATION MARKET, BY APPLICATION

5.1 Overview

5.1.1 Market size and forecast

5.2 Leisure

5.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

5.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

5.2.3 Market analysis by country

5.3 Professional

5.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

5.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

5.3.3 Market analysis by country

5.4 Others

5.4.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

5.4.2 Market size and forecast, by region

5.4.3 Market analysis by country



CHAPTER 6: TRAVEL ACCOMMODATION MARKET, BY PRICE POINT

6.1 Overview

6.1.1 Market size and forecast

6.2 Economy

6.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

6.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

6.2.3 Market analysis by country

6.3 Mid-Range

6.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

6.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

6.3.3 Market analysis by country

6.4 Luxury

6.4.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

6.4.2 Market size and forecast, by region

6.4.3 Market analysis by country



CHAPTER 7: TRAVEL ACCOMMODATION MARKET, BY MODE OF BOOKING

7.1 Overview

7.1.1 Market size and forecast

7.2 Online Travel Agency

7.2.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

7.2.2 Market size and forecast, by region

7.2.3 Market analysis by country

7.3 Direct Booking

7.3.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

7.3.2 Market size and forecast, by region

7.3.3 Market analysis by country

7.4 Others

7.4.1 Key market trends, growth factors and opportunities

7.4.2 Market size and forecast, by region

7.4.3 Market analysis by country



CHAPTER 8: TRAVEL ACCOMMODATION MARKET, BY REGION



CHAPTER 9: COMPANY LANDSCAPE

9.1. Introduction

9.2. Top winning strategies

9.3. Product Mapping of Top 10 Player

9.4. Competitive Dashboard

9.5. Competitive Heatmap

9.6. Key developments



CHAPTER 10: COMPANY PROFILES

10.1 Marriott International

10.1.1 Company overview

10.1.2 Company snapshot

10.1.3 Operating business segments

10.1.4 Product portfolio

10.1.5 Business performance

10.1.6 Key strategic moves and developments

10.2 Hyatt Hotels Corporation

10.2.1 Company overview

10.2.2 Company snapshot

10.2.3 Operating business segments

10.2.4 Product portfolio

10.2.5 Business performance

10.2.6 Key strategic moves and developments

10.3 Wyndham Destinations

10.3.1 Company overview

10.3.2 Company snapshot

10.3.3 Operating business segments

10.3.4 Product portfolio

10.3.5 Business performance

10.3.6 Key strategic moves and developments

10.4 Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.

10.4.1 Company overview

10.4.2 Company snapshot

10.4.3 Operating business segments

10.4.4 Product portfolio

10.4.5 Business performance

10.4.6 Key strategic moves and developments

10.5 Accor Hotels Group

10.5.1 Company overview

10.5.2 Company snapshot

10.5.3 Operating business segments

10.5.4 Product portfolio

10.5.5 Business performance

10.5.6 Key strategic moves and developments

10.6 Radisson Hotel Group

10.6.1 Company overview

10.6.2 Company snapshot

10.6.3 Operating business segments

10.6.4 Product portfolio

10.6.5 Business performance

10.6.6 Key strategic moves and developments

10.7 Airbnb Inc.

10.7.1 Company overview

10.7.2 Company snapshot

10.7.3 Operating business segments

10.7.4 Product portfolio

10.7.5 Business performance

10.7.6 Key strategic moves and developments

10.8 A&O Hotels and Hostels GmbH

10.8.1 Company overview

10.8.2 Company snapshot

10.8.3 Operating business segments

10.8.4 Product portfolio

10.8.5 Business performance

10.8.6 Key strategic moves and developments

10.9 Red Lion Hotels Corporation

10.9.1 Company overview

10.9.2 Company snapshot

10.9.3 Operating business segments

10.9.4 Product portfolio

10.9.5 Business performance

10.9.6 Key strategic moves and developments

10.10 Oyo Rooms

10.10.1 Company overview

10.10.2 Company snapshot

10.10.3 Operating business segments

10.10.4 Product portfolio

10.10.5 Business performance

10.10.6 Key strategic moves and developments

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1pah75

Attachment

CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900




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Dublin, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Japan B2B Database: B2B Contacts and Company Data; 4,537,988 Companies and 22.5 Million Contacts" database has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



This database monitors 4,537,988 companies Japan, using an artificial-intelligence-powered data crawling system combined with reliable governmental sources. It upgrades the way researchers and salespeople currently operate by reducing the steps needed to reach to necessary information / prospects.



This database, Japan's largest B2B contacts and company data portal, covers more than 22.5 million key employee contacts across more than 1,000 industries.

It works like a search engine for companies and B2B contacts in Japan, allowing the user to search real-time company data - background data, business descriptions, shareholder/manager names, financial data and employee data, along with e-mail addresses, Linkedin profiles, Facebook, company websites and much more.



It is made it simple and easy for researchers, salespeople and marketers to search and access company data and direct contact information of key employees across the economically booming Japan.



Because the publisher monitors government sources - including tax departments - there are no inactive companies in the database.

For more information about this database visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/tzorym

CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900




TOKYO, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Japan's 10-year government bond yields fell to their lowest in nearly four weeks after the Bank of Japan kept its ultra-low interest late policy unchanged in a widely expected conclusion to its policy-setting meeting.

The 10-year JGB yield fell 1.5 basis points to 0.235%, its lowest since Oct. 4, after hovering at the top of the central bank's policy band for a week.

The BOJ kept ultra-low interest rates and maintained its dovish guidance, cementing its status as an outlier among global central banks tightening monetary policy, as recession fears dampen prospects for a solid recovery.

"The outcome (of the BOJ's policy meeting) was in line with expectations. Investors were buying bonds to cover their short positions ahead of the meeting so that was sign that the market also had expected this," said Takafumi Yamawaki, head of Japan rates research at J.P. Morgan Securities.

"Yields may have not peaked yet, but global trend of rising yields seems to be pausing now, which has made it easier for the Bank of Japan to keep its yield curve control policy."

The 20-year JGB yield fell 5 basis points to 1.060%, lowest since Oct. 14.

The two-year JGB yield fell 0.5 basis point to -0.050%.

Benchmark 10-year JGB futures rose 0.14 point to 148.8, with a trading volume of 9,750 lots. (Reporting by Junko Fujita; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
Adroit Market Research

The scope of the liquid makeup market defines the key terms and provides the business participants like manufacturers, business managers, producers, suppliers, retailers, business enthusiasts among others a holistic idea and its tendency.

Dallas,Texas, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The demand for liquid makeup is rising along with consumer disposable income. The foundation category leads the liquid makeup market, especially among young adults (1834), a demographic that is highly conscious of environmental and social issues. The foundation is extremely well-liked by customers because of its benefits and ease of integration with serums and toners. Due to the growth of e-commerce channels, customers may now buy liquid makeup from anywhere in the world. The global liquid makeup industry wad accounted for 7.6 USD billion and it is anticipated that the market will grow to 10.9 USD billion in 2029, at a CAGR of 5.4%.

Probiotics and makeup that take into account the microbiome are just two examples of how companies all around the world are using new technologies in their products to increase both their utility and value. The global liquid makeup market's competitors place a high priority on providing goods in visually appealing packaging that is also easy to use and handle. These are raising consumer demand for the products. Due to its small size, ease of storage, and ability to be maintained in a kit or backpack, compact packaging is growing more and more in popularity. Additionally, increasing R&D spending is predicted to support market expansion.

Request for a sample report here: https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/3603

Leading industry players are fast building e-commerce websites in a range of alluring locations because of increased internet usage and consumer need for shopping apps. Along with discounts and other special offers, online businesses provide benefits to their online community members. Along with women, males all across the world are showing interest in beauty and cosmetics. They are making their debut on the liquid makeup market for products for men's grooming. The main factor behind the increase in demand for these products is their versatility, which includes their ability to cover a number of imperfections like acne, scars, dark circles, and discoloration on the face or neck.

Story continues

Liquid Makeup Market Product Type Overview

Foundation

Concealer

Powder

Primer

Liquid Makeup Market Distribution channel Overview

Offline

Online

Liquid Makeup Market Application area Overview

Eyes

Lips

Face

Others

The foundation segment was dominated by the highest revenue share of the global liquid makeup market in 2021. The increase in the adoption of organic raw materials along with the rising number of manufacturers providing a high range of liquid-based products is driving demand for the liquid foundation segment. The use of liquid foundation offers the consumer full coverage over the powder formulation. Likewise, the base of the liquid foundation majorly usually contains a mixture of silicone and water enabling the consumer to get an even tone to the face.

Ask our Expert if You Have a Query at: https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/3603

The Asia Pacific region is dominated by the highest market share in 2021. This is owing to the maximum number of makeup products consumed across the United States region. Likewise, the consumption of chemical-free products is highly demanding in the US as compared to other nations owing to the rising user awareness of organic products. Furthermore, it is expected that the regions demand for liquid makeup will grow owing to the raised significance of adopting a trendy makeup appearance.

In September 2020, Maybelline New York introduced Falsies Lash Lift Mascara replacing lash treatments. Falsies Lash Lift Mascara is one of the inventive mascaras which quickly add impressive volume and length to the lashes.

Liquid Makeup Market Regional Overview

North America

 US

 Canada

Europe

 Germany

 France

 UK

 Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

 China

 India

 Japan

 Rest of Asia Pacific

South America

 Mexico

 Brazil

 Rest of South America

Middle East and South Africa

Direct Purchase Report @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/researchreport/purchase/3603

About Us:

Adroit Market Research is a global business analytics and consulting company incorporated in 2018. Our target audience is a wide range of corporations, manufacturing companies, product/technology development institutions and industry associations that require understanding of a markets size, key trends, participants and future outlook of an industry. We intend to become our clients knowledge partner and provide them with valuable market insights to help create opportunities that increase their revenues. We follow a code Explore, Learn and Transform. At our core, we are curious people who love to identify and understand industry patterns, create an insightful study around our findings and churn out money-making roadmaps.

Contact Us:

Ryan Johnson

Account Manager - Global

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Email ID: sales@adroitmarketresearch.com

Phone No.: +1-9726644514, +91-9665341414

Connect with us: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn




MCH





Change at the helm of Art Basel: Noah Horowitz appointed CEO

Noah Horowitz has been appointed CEO of Art Basel, succeeding Marc Spiegler, Global Director Art Basel, who has taken the decision to leave MCH Group and explore the next phase of his artworld career.

The Board of Directors and Group Management Team would like to thank Marc Spiegler for his longstanding commitment as head of the leading global platform for contemporary and modern art with shows in Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong and now also Paris. At the same time, the MCH Group Board of Directors and Group CEO Florian Faber are pleased to announce the appointment of Noah Horowitz, who held the post of Director Americas from 2015 to 2021.

Noah Horowitz is returning to Art Basel as CEO on November 7, 2022. He joins from Sothebys where he served as Worldwide Head of Gallery & Private Dealer Services since September 2021. As the outgoing Global Director, Marc Spiegler will hand over the running of the business to Noah Horowitz at this juncture, supporting Noah through year-end, including on the 20th anniversary edition of Art Basel Miami Beach (Dec 1-3). Following this, he will continue in an advisory capacity to Art Basel for the next 6 months.

"Under the leadership of Marc Spiegler, Art Basel has developed into what it is today  one of the most prestigious and valuable brands in the international art market, states Andrea Zappia, President of the Board of Directors of MCH Group. "Our thanks go to Marc for his great personal commitment, his networking in the global world of art and his notable successes in the development of Art Basel."

Andrea Zappia adds: On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I am delighted to be welcoming Noah Horowitz back into the team  We are convinced that Noahs business acumen, digital experience and extensive relationships within the international gallery and collecting community will be instrumental in further developing Art Basel and delivering on the companys ambitious growth plans at its home base as well as internationally.



"We are especially pleased that Noah is returning to Art Basel as the new CEO, further strengthening the MCH Group Management Team as a colleague in future, says Florian Faber, Group CEO. "I already had the opportunity to work with Noah in the past and am confident that with his outstanding expertise in the global world of art, he will successfully lead Art Basel into its next phase. Noah is held in high esteem in the industry, uniting an in-depth understanding of the art market and its players with a lifelong passion for the visual arts, business knowledge and digital transformation. Together with Noah, we will consolidate the position of Art Basel as a globally leading platform for modern and contemporary art and forge ahead with our innovative initiatives."

Story continues

Florian Faber continues: "Marc Spiegler has done an outstanding job in developing Art Basel over the past fifteen years. The recent premiere of Paris+ by Art Basel and the upcoming 20th anniversary edition of Art Basel Miami Beach are two more highlights in a long and illustrious career. We cannot thank Mark enough and wish him all the best for his future."



Marc Spiegler joined MCH Group in 2007 as Co-Director Art Basel and, since 2012, has been Global Director Art Basel. Following the successful premiere of Paris+ and with the imminent 20th anniversary of Art Basel Miami Beach, I am leaving Art Basel on a high note." he says. "Leading the next stage of Art Basel's evolution will take many years and a different set of skills. Having launched new shows in Hong Kong and Paris, staged 43 fairs, and led Art Basel through a global pandemic, it has come time to pass the baton. Fortunately, my friend Noah Horowitz - the perfect person to carry Art Basel forward - will be leading that development. Finally, I would like to thank my incredible team and my colleagues throughout the world for their passion, their commitment, and their dedication in driving patronage to our galleries and their artists."



"I am honored and delighted to be returning to Art Basel in my new role. I would like to thank MCH Group and Florian for their confidence in me as well as Marc for his stewardship over the years", says Noah Horowitz. "The Art Basel team is incredibly committed, and I look forward to working with my colleagues and all the stakeholders of the Art Basel community to lead and evolve the fair as we collectively embark upon a new chapter."

With the departure of Marc Spiegler, the MCH Group Executive Board is to be reduced in size and will comprise two members in future  Florian Faber, Group CEO and Michael Husler, Group CFO. The Executive Board is supported by the Group Management Team as the operational management body, with a membership of ten.





About Noah Horowitz

Noah Horowitz is returning to Art Basel as CEO on November 7, 2022, having held the post of Director Americas from 2015 to 2021. Noah joins the organization from Sothebys where he served as Worldwide Head of Gallery & Private Dealer Services since September 2021. In this capacity, he steered Sothebys business strategy and relationships with the international dealer community. Previously, he held a four-year tenure as Executive Director of The Armory Show in New York, after directing the first ever online-only fair, VIP Art Fair, from 2010-11. He has a Ph.D. in art history from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, and is the author of Art of the Deal: Contemporary Art in a Global Financial Market (Princeton University Press, 2011). His writings and commentary on art and economics have appeared in publications including The New York Times, Financial Times, Texte zur Kunst and The Art Newspaper, amongst others. Noah is a member of the Manhattan Chapter of Young Presidents Organization, and lives in New York City with his wife, Louise, and children, Sif and Leo.

About Art Basel

Founded in 1970 by gallerists from Basel, Art Basel today stages the world's premier art shows for Modern and contemporary art, sited in Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and Paris. Defined by its host city and region, each show is unique, which is reflected in its participating galleries, artworks presented, and the content of parallel programming produced in collaboration with local institutions for each edition. Art Basels engagement has expanded beyond art fairs through new digital platforms and a number of new initiatives such as the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report, Intersections: The Art Basel Podcast, and the BMW Art Journey. Art Basel's Global Media Partner is The Financial Times.

www.artbasel.com



About MCH Group

MCH Group headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is an internationally operating experience marketing company with a comprehensive services network. It organizes some 30 community platforms in Switzerland and abroad, including Art Basel, Swissbau and Giardina. The Live Marketing Solutions division with the MCH Global, MC2 and Expomobilia brands offers comprehensive experience marketing solutions. MCH Group also runs Messe Basel and the Congress Center Basel and Messe Zurich. The company has more than 800 permanent employees, approximately half of whom are located in Switzerland and the USA.

www.mch-group.com







Ad hoc announcements: https://www.mch-group.com/en/investors/ad-hoc-announcements/





Media contact:

MCH Group AG

Corporate Communications

Emanuel Kuhn

+41 58 206 22 43

emanuel.kuhn@mch-group.com

www.mch-group.com






COLUMBIA, Md., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mexico Fund, Inc. (NYSE: MXF) announced today that the Board of Directors of the Fund (the "Board" of the "Fund") and Impulsora del Fondo Mexico, S.C. ("Impulsora"), the Fund's investment adviser, have renewed the Funds Expense Limitation Agreement ("ELA") between the Fund and Impulsora. The ELA was initially announced on March 12, 2019, with the objective to support the long-term performance of the Fund and to further the interests of Fund stockholders by continuing to deliver a competitive investment vehicle providing exposure to Mexican equities.

Under the ELA, the Fund and Impulsora have committed to a 1.40% ordinary expense ratio (excluding amounts payable via the performance adjustment factor under the Fund's Investment Advisory Agreement, taxes, interest, brokerage fees and any non-recurring expenses), for fiscal year 2023, beginning on November 1, 2022, through October 31, 2023, so long as Fund net assets remain greater than $260 million. Impulsora will waive fees and/or reimburse expenses (excluding amounts payable via the performance adjustment factor under the Fund's Investment Advisory Agreement, taxes, interest, brokerage fees and any non-recurring expenses) to the extent necessary so that the Funds ordinary annual expense ratio does not exceed 1.40% in the period. When Fund net assets are below the threshold of $260 million, Impulsora will still waive fees in an amount necessary to maintain the expense ratio of the Fund's variable ordinary expenses at 1.20%, in addition to the amount of $520,000. These figures represent the expense ratio of the Fund's variable ordinary expenses and the maximum amount of the Fund's fixed ordinary expenses necessary to maintain a total ordinary operating expense ratio of 1.40% when Fund net asset are $260 million.

About The Mexico Fund, Inc.

The Mexico Fund, Inc. is a non-diversified closed-end management investment company with the investment objective of long-term capital appreciation through investments in securities, primarily equity, listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange. The Fund provides a vehicle to investors who wish to invest in Mexican companies through a managed non-diversified portfolio as part of their overall investment program.

This release may contain certain forward-looking statements regarding future circumstances. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Fund's current expectations and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements including, in particular, the risks and uncertainties described in the Fund's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results, events, and performance may differ. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Fund undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to these forward looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. The inclusion of any statement in this release does not constitute an admission by The Mexico Fund or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material.

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SOURCE The Mexico Fund, Inc.
By Azernews

By Fatima Hasanova

Thierry Valle, chairman of the French Coordinating Center for Freedom of Conscience, has severely condemned French President Emmanuel Macron for his latest anti-Azerbaijani statement, Azernews reports with reference to Causeur magazine.

Valle pointed out that Macron's remark endangered the fragile peace in the South Caucasus in an open letter that was published in the Causeur magazine under the heading "Trust cannot be gained without truth". According to the author, Macron is also skeptical of the EU's contribution to the rehabilitation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The appeal points out that Macron's assertion that "Karabakh is the heart of Armenia" violates international law and is detrimental to this accord in the light of the parties' recognition of each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty at their most recent meeting in Prague.

Macron "pushed the South Caucasus towards Russia" by risking Europe's involvement in the delicate peace process, Valle said, describing the famous comment as "France's most failed diplomatic act in the post-Soviet period".

The human rights activist also accused Macron of hypocrisy.

"I don't think that the tragedy in Khojaly, which is the darkest page of the Karabakh conflict, can fit, as you say, into the context of the `fight for tolerance, which Armenia spearheaded' without knowing this is insulting to France's foundational ideas of 'equality'," he said.

At the end of his speech, Valle urged Macron to stay faithful to France's fundamental moral ideals and to urge his Armenian allies to acknowledge the atrocity in Khojaly.

"This may be a real contribution of France to peace in the South Caucasus, which it desperately needs," Valle concluded.
Allied Market Research

Extensive use of parabens in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food & beverages to boost the global paraben market. However, the reduction in the purchase and sale of personal care & cosmetic products during the COVID-19 period adversely impacted the size of the global market. In terms of type, the methylparaben segment contributed the largest market share in 2021. Based on region, North America contributed the largest market share in 2021.

Portland, OR, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global Paraben market accrued revenue worth $91.1 million in 2021, and will reach $164.8 million by 2031, registering a CAGR of 6.2% from 2022 to 2031. The market research report offers a comprehensive analysis of oscillating industry trends, top segments, value chains, major investment business scenarios, regional landscape, and competitive space. The study is a major source of information for giant players, entrepreneurs, owners, and managers in creating new business plans for the future and taking steps to improve their market position. The report demonstrates an in-depth quantitative analysis of the market from 2022 to 2031 and guides investors in allocating funds to the rapidly evolving market.

Download Sample PDF (200 Pages PDF with Insights): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/17834

Report Coverage & Details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2022-2031 Base Year 2021 Market Size in 2021 $91.1 Million Market Size in 2031 $164.8 Million CAGR 6.2% No. of Pages in Report 200 Segments Covered Type, application, and region. Drivers Extensive use of parabens in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food & beverages, and others. Parabens arrest the proliferation of germs & fungi in food products and increase their shelf life. Opportunities Surge in product penetration in food processing activities. Escalating demand for convenience foods. Restrains Adverse effects of parabens on the skin such as skin irritation and reproductive health of women.



Covid-19 Scenario

The COVID-19 outbreak moderately impacted the global Paraben market growth due to increase in demand for parabens as food preservatives during the pandemic period.

However, the reduction in purchase and sale of personal care & cosmetic products during the COVID-19 period adversely impacted the size of the global market.

The report offers an in-depth division of the global Paraben market based on Type, Application, and Region. It provides an in-depth investigation of every segment and sub-segment in tables and figures through which consumers can get insights into market trends. The market report analysis aids organizations, investors, and entrepreneurs in knowing which sub-segments are to be explored for achieving massive growth in the ensuing years.

Based on the type, the methylparaben segment contributed the largest market share in 2021, accounting for nearly one-third of the overall share of the global paraben market. However, the butylparaben segment is predicted to retain its dominant status during the forecast timeline. Moreover, this segment is slated to register the highest CAGR of nearly 7.2% from 2022 to 2031.

Enquire for Customization with Detailed Analysis of COVID-19 Impact in Report @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/17834

In terms of application, the cosmetics and personal care segment is anticipated to register the fastest growth with a CAGR of nearly 7.3% during the forecast timeframe. The report also includes other segments such as pharmaceutical, food and beverages, and others.

Based on region, North America contributed the largest market share in 2021, accounting for nearly one-third of the global paraben market share. The region is predicted to continue its market dominance by 2031. However, the Asia-Pacific paraben market is set to register the fastest CAGR of 7.0% during the assessment period.

Major players of the global paraben market profiled in the research report include Central Drug House (P) Ltd., ChemPoint.com Inc., Croda International Plc, DuPont de Nemours, Inc., Hexon Laboratories Private Limited, Jiangsu Huanxin High-Tech Materials Co. Ltd, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., Nu Skin International, Inc., Shandong Ailitong New Material Co., Ltd, Sharon Laboratories Ltd., Shreeji Pharma International, Toronto Research Chemicals Inc, The Estee Lauder Companies Inc., Ueno Fine Chemicals Industry Ltd., and Zhejiang Shengxiao Chemicals Co Ltd.

The report evaluates these key participants in the global paraben market. These participants have executed a slew of major business plans such as the extension of the consumer base, technology innovation, strategic partnerships, and collaborations for enhancing penetration of new technologies in the global markets and establishing strong market growth globally. The market study report helps in monitoring the performance of each segment along with examining the effect of new technology launches on the overall market earnings.

Want to Access the Statistical Data and Graphs, Key Players' Strategies: https://bit.ly/3NjgFf9

About Us

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

CONTACT: Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com Allied Market Research Blog: https://blog.alliedmarketresearch.com




Adroit Market Research

The worldwide Pet Moving Service market is a thorough and reliable analysis of various elements, including significant economies, significant areas, competition, limitations, opportunities, and challenges.

Dallas, Texas, Oct. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pet moving services are a competitive option for the long-distance relocation of pets, these offerings frequently include door-to-door pickup and delivery, including required paperwork, and pet travel insurance. They might provide additional services including pre-trip physicals, cage rentals, and reservations for pet hotels. There are many factors that could make moving with pets necessary for some people. It can be for privacy concerns, like moving to a new city or country, or it might be for business needs, like delivering animals to and from kennels, breeders, or other facilities.

Whatever the reason, there is a demand for pet moving services that can make the process of transporting pets safe and stress-free. Pet transportation must also take into account the mode of transportation because different animals have different needs. For example, whereas more sensitive animals, such as reptiles or amphibians, may require to be transported by both land and water, cats and dogs are frequently only able to be transported by air, land, or water.

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The market for pet moving services is home to some of the top businesses. These businesses provide a variety of services to meet the requirements of pet owners who want to relocate their animals. These businesses provide a variety of services, including pet care, insurance, and transportation. These businesses are well-known for providing high-quality services and have a significant market presence.

Top Manufacturers of Global Pet Moving Service Market:

- Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services

- Atlas Pet Company, Inc

- Pets On The Go Travel LLC

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- Crown Relocations, Inc

- Four Paws International Limited

- Royal Paws Pet Transport, LLC

- Wooftrax, Inc.

- National Van Lines, Inc.

The market for pet relocation services is expected to grow between 2019 and 2029 at a CAGR of 6.8%, reaching an estimated value of 3,032.6 million in that year. The market growth may be attributed to the increasing demand for pet relocation services globally from both personal and commercial applications as well as the rising pet ownership rate globally. The spread of pet relocation is also accelerating the development of this sector.

Type Analysis of Pet Moving Service Market

Dog

Cat

Applications Analysis of Pet Moving Service Market

Commercial

Personal

Destination Analysis of Pet Moving Service Market

International

Domestic

Transport Analysis of Pet Moving Service Market

Water

Land

Air

The CAGR growth rate for dogs is predicted to be the greatest of any of these during the projection period. This can be attributed to the increasing number of people who own pets around the world, the expanding demand for dog transportation services from both personal and business applications, and the growing population of dog owners worldwide. The personal application category will grow considerably in the future years. This is a result of both the rise in the number of people moving abroad with their pets for either business or pleasure and the rise in demand for professional services to ensure the safety of their pets.

Ask our Expert if You Have a Query at: https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/3602

Considering the rising number of pet owners, home moves, and adoption organizations, it is expected that the domestic market would expand at the highest rate of all of them. The sector in this segment is also expected to expand as online pet shipping services expand. The aviation segment is anticipated to grow quickly due to the controlled environment and quick transit times that spare pets the stress of a lengthy journey. Due to the surge in pet ownership, shifting pet ownership trends, and an increase in nuclear homes, the Asia-Pacific will grow at a quicker rate.

The launch of its new Pet Travel Forum was scheduled for September 2019 on GoPetFriendly.com, a website that promotes pet-friendly lodgings and activities. With the help of this community, you may meet other animal enthusiasts and share tips on destinations, accommodations, and leisure pursuits that allow pets.

To expand its animal transport service, United Airlines announced in August 2019 that it would collaborate with the national nonprofit for animal welfare American Humane. Through this partnership, United Airlines will become the first airline to offer in-cabin pet transportation on all domestic flights.

In an effort to educate pet owners about the risks of travelling with their animals, the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA) launched a new campaign in May 2019 called "Leave Them Home." The campaign is made up of a website, social media outreach, and educational materials that will be distributed to pet owners and travel agencies all around the world.

Direct Purchase Report @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/researchreport/purchase/3602

About Us:



Adroit Market Research is a global business analytics and consulting company incorporated in 2018. Our target audience is a wide range of corporations, manufacturing companies, product/technology development institutions and industry associations that require understanding of a markets size, key trends, participants and future outlook of an industry. We intend to become our clients knowledge partner and provide them with valuable market insights to help create opportunities that increase their revenues. We follow a code Explore, Learn and Transform. At our core, we are curious people who love to identify and understand industry patterns, create an insightful study around our findings and churn out money-making roadmaps.

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The fifth annual awards celebrate the Relativity user community through a revamped program and in-person ceremony

CHICAGO, Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Relativity, a global legal and compliance technology company, today announced the winners of this year's Innovation Awards at the 13th annual Relativity Fest. The Innovation Awards program celebrates trailblazing individuals and teams who are building custom solutions, empowering their colleagues or clients, and shaping new paths to benefit the industry and its communities.

Relativity

"The winners for the Innovation Awards become more impressive each year as they demonstrate how they are uniquely influencing the industry to do better, whether it relates to integrating new AI and technology, or creating stronger inclusion programming," said James Zinn, Director of Commercial Partnerships at Relativity. "All of us at Relativity are excited to see how they will continue to transform the industry in their own ways."

This year, AI, security, customer experience, and education and mentorship are at the forefront of Relativity's awards program. Additionally, the awards are shaped differently than previous years with six individual awards and two team awards for Best Innovation. The winners hail from or work directly with organizations large and small, private and public, like Meta, the United Nations and FTI Consulting, just to name a few. Judges selected Best Innovation Enterprise and Service Provider winners based on their use of various APIs and extensibility points to streamline processes, automate repetitive tasks and create solutions to Relativity's customers' most strategic challenges.

"We're ecstatic that, this year, 50% of award nominees and 5-out-of-6 winners are women. This demonstrates the strides that the industry has made over the last few years to not only be more inclusive of women, but more vocal in celebrating their incredible contributions," said Blair Cohen, host of the 2022 Innovation Awards and leader of Relativity's Stellar Women podcast. "Each of the 2022 winners is a shining example of how the industry is changing for the better and we look forward to their continued success in their respective roles and fields."

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The 2022 winners are:

Judges selected Innovation Awards winners based on their ability to answer challenging problems with impactful solutions. Each of the individual award winners above exemplifies what it means to be a changemaker at the individual, organizational and industry levels. While the individual category awards are determined by a Community vote, the Best Innovation Enterprise and Service Provider awards are determined by Relativity committees.

Relativity congratulates all submissions for the innovative work delivered this past year.

About Relativity

Relativity makes software to help users organize data, discover the truth and act on it. Its SaaS product RelativityOne manages large volumes of data and quickly identifies key issues during litigation and internal investigations. The AI-powered communication surveillance product, Relativity Trace proactively detects regulatory misconduct like insider trading, collusion and other non-compliant behavior. Relativity has more than 300,000 users in approximately 40 countries serving thousands of organizations globally primarily in legal, financial services and government sectors, including the U.S. Department of Justice and 198 of the Am Law 200. Relativity has been named one of Chicago's Top Workplaces by the Chicago Tribune for 10 consecutive years. Please contact Relativity at sales@relativity.com or visit http://www.relativity.com for more information.

Cision

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SOURCE Relativity
LONDON, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Co-founded by Jonathan Kendrick and John Paul DeJoria, the ROKiT Group of Companies has long supported military veterans in the US and UK and, as part of that, has been supporting UK veterans' charity Care after Combat this year to help some of the most vulnerable British Armed Forces' veterans, and their families, through their ROKiT Foundation.

JAKE HILL WITH THE ROKiT BTCC CAR BEARING CARE AFTER COMBAT LOGOS (PRNewsfoto/ROKiT)

That support will continue through 2023, ROKiT have announced.

Care after Combat provides support for the wellbeing of former British Armed Forces personnel in the Criminal Justice System, through a programme of one-to-one mentorship inside and outside prison, with the mentors being veterans themselves. Care after Combat works with individuals to get them to where they deserve to be in the wider society and to reduce reoffending rates.

In addition to its direct financial support, ROKiT also placed the Care after Combat logo on the ROKiT MB Motorsport BMW 330e 'ROKiTship', driven by Jake Hill to third place overall in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) this year, to further raise public awareness of the work undertaken by the charity.

Commenting, Jonathan Kendrick said, "We've seen the incredibly effective work that Care after Combat have done this year in mentoring many hundreds of military veterans who find themselves in the Criminal Justice System and we've been enormously impressed with the results achieved. This type of giving back is exactly why we set up the ROKiT Foundation and we're delighted and proud to continue our support for Care after Combat next year in the very important work they do."

Adrian Kirk, Chief Executive of Care after Combat, said, "I am absolutely delighted that Jonathan has agreed to continue to support Care after Combat for another year. In 2022, with ROKiT's generous help, the charity increased its reach significantly, and the numbers of Veterans being supported by Care after Combat has risen sharply from around 300 at the start of the year to over 500 now. Without altruistic support such as ROKiT's we, as a charity, could not provide the essential care and guidance that our most vulnerable Armed Forces Veterans need and deserve. ROKiT's contribution is having a direct and positive impact on the lives and life-chances of those we support. I, and the whole team at Care after Combat, are immensely grateful to Jonathan, and are extremely proud to have ROKiT by our side for another year."

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In addition to Care after Combat, the ROKiT Foundation has also helped others including the safe and successful evacuation from Afghanistan - and the accommodation in Pakistan - of the 135 players and their immediate families of the Afghan junior women's football team last year, before their re-homing, as well as the recent deployment of out-of-home wi-fi for the people of Barbuda.

More information at https://www.careaftercombat.org/ and https://therokitgroup.com/

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1931676/ROKiT_Motorsport.jpg

Cision

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National survey of Canada's employees and employers suggests hybrid work is here to stay, yet only 35% of employers have communicated clear guidelines for remote/hybrid work beyond 2022

RICHMOND HILL, ON, Oct. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Are you ready for the future of work in Canada? The pandemic has completely upended the way Canadians approach and think about work  where it takes place, how we meet, when we log on, and off  and much more. Staples Canada has partnered with North America's foremost name in research, the Angus Reid Group, to unveil the Future of Work Trend Report: a summary of critical insights from Canadian employees and employers on the current and future landscape of work, equipping organizations as they navigate the new world of remote, hybrid and in-office working.

Staples Canada unveils the Future of Work Trend Report in partnership with the Angus Reid Group (CNW Group/Staples Canada ULC)

"The pandemic has accelerated a shift in Canada's workforce and until now, few have delved into how Canadians are thinking about where, when and how they will work. Developed in collaboration with Angus Reid Group, The Future of Work Trend Report allows us to deeply examine what employees and employers across different industries are truly thinking and feeling about the future," said David Boone, CEO, Staples Canada. "With nearly seven-in-ten respondents stating the importance of flexibility with work, it's clear we're at a pivotal moment and that hybrid work is here to stay. With employees counting on that flexibility and support from their employers, we're here to equip them with the insights and the tools they need to thrive."

Key findings from the Future of Work Trend Report include:

Flexibility is key: It's not just about the number of days spent in-office or at home: half of employees report they'd be much less likely to consider an employer if they didn't offer flex hours. Furthermore, the study found that employees and employers alike were far less likely to accept a new role with no option for hybrid work.

Productivity is a top concern returning to the office: 50% of remote/hybrid employees report concerns about being distracted and losing productivity going into the office, something which the study shows employers are underestimating.

Home office set-ups are lacking: One quarter of remote/hybrid employees report their workspace as simply adequate or poor, with many making do without employer supports.

Incentives are being overlooked: Special perks, flexible in-office days and having a dedicated space free of distraction are the top three drivers bringing employees into the office, with only about half of employers offering incentives to encourage the return.

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"It's clear that the current state of work has moved beyond being a function of the pandemic. Lockdowns ended up generating a variety of modes of work," said Demetre Eliopoulos, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Research, Angus Reid Group. "Now that we've moved beyond the threshold of a temporary setup, companies and employees alike need to decide what an optimal and productive configuration will look like."

About the Study

In partnership with Staples Canada, the Angus Reid Group conducted an online survey among a representative sample of 1,010 employees and 505 employers within Canada. Respondents are members of Angus Reid Forum. The survey was conducted in English and French. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points for employees and +/- 4.4 percentage points for employers, 19 times out of 20. Remote workers were defined as working from home five days in an average week, hybrid as one to three days in the office on average and in-office workers as four to five days in the office on average. More information on The Future of Work Trend Report can be accessed on Angus Reid Group's Intelligence page.

About Staples Canada

Staples Canada is The Working and Learning Company. With a focus on community, inspiration and services, the privately-owned company is committed to being a dynamic, inspiring partner to customers who visit its 300+ locations and staples.ca. The company has two brands that support business customers, Staples Preferred for small businesses and Staples Professional for medium to large-sized enterprises, as well as seven co-working facilities in Toronto, Kelowna, Oakville, Ottawa and Calgary under the banner Staples Studio. Staples Canada is a proud partner of MAP through its Even the Odds campaign, which aims to tackle inequities in communities across Canada and helps make a future that's fair for everyone. Visit staples.ca for more information or get social with @StaplesCanada on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About Angus Reid Group

Angus Reid is Canada's most well-known and respected name in opinion and market research data. Offering a variety of research solutions to businesses, brands, governments, not-for-profit organizations and more, the Angus Reid team connects technologies and people to derive powerful insights that inform your decisions. Data is collected through a suite of tools utilizing the latest technologies. Prime among that is the Angus Reid Forum, an opinion community consisting of engaged residents across the country who answer surveys on topical issues that matter to all Canadians.

SOURCE Staples Canada ULC

Cision

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STOCKHOLM, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Swedish Match AB recommends that the shareholders of Swedish Match accept the increased offer.

Background

This statement is made by the Board of Directors (the "Board") of Swedish Match AB (publ) ("Swedish Match" or the "Company") pursuant to Section II.19 of Nasdaq Stockholm's Takeover Rules (the "Takeover Rules").

On May 11, 2022, Philip Morris Holland Holdings B.V. ("PMHH"), an affiliate of Philip Morris International Inc. ("PMI"), announced a recommended public offer to the shareholders of Swedish Match to tender all shares in Swedish Match to PMHH (the "Offer"). On October 4, 2022, PMHH announced that the acceptance period was further extended until November 4, 2022. On October 20, 2022, PMHH announced an increase of the price in the Offer to SEK 116 per share (the "Revised Offer") and that it would not further increase the price in the Revised Offer. The total value of the Revised Offer, based on all outstanding 1,520,714,190 shares in Swedish Match1), amounts to approximately SEK 176.4 billion.

1) Excluding any treasury shares held by Swedish Match (currently 4,285,810 shares).

The Revised Offer represents a premium of:

52.5 percent compared to the closing share price of SEK 76.06 on May 9, 2022 (the last day of trading prior to market speculation regarding a potential public offer for the Company);

52.9 percent compared to the volume-weighted average trading price of SEK 75.86 for the shares during the last 30 trading days ended on May 9, 2022 (the last day of trading prior to market speculation regarding a potential public offer for the Company);

60.4 percent compared to the volume-weighted average trading price of SEK 72.33 for the shares during the last 90 trading days ended on May 9, 2022 (the last day of trading prior to market speculation regarding a potential public offer for the Company).

On October 25, 2022, PMHH announced that it had received necessary approvals from authorities for the Offer, subject to PMHH's divestiture of Swedish Match's subsidiary SMD Logistics AB following completion of the Offer.

Story continues

Except as set out above, the terms and conditions of the Offer are unchanged.

Swedish Match has retained Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE ("Goldman Sachs") as financial adviser and Mannheimer Swartling Advokatbyra as legal adviser in relation to the Offer. KANTER Advokatbyra has also assisted Swedish Match with certain legal advice related to the Offer.

The Board's evaluation of the Revised Offer

The Board has previously recommended the Swedish Match shareholders to accept the Offer in accordance with its statement announced on May 11, 2022. The recommendation was supported by an opinion from Goldman Sachs that the Offer was fair from a financial point of view to the shareholders of Swedish Match (subject to the factors, limitations and assumptions set forth in the opinion). It was also supported by an opinion from SEB Corporate Finance, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) that the Offer was fair to Swedish Match's shareholders from a financial point of view (subject to the assumptions and considerations set out in the opinion). For more information about the Board's assessment of the Offer and the reasons for its recommendation, including its opinion on the effects the implementation of the Offer may have on Swedish Match, specifically employment, and its views on PMI's strategic plans for Swedish Match and the effect these may be expected to have on employment and the places where Swedish Match conducts its business, please refer to the Board's statement of May 11, 2022, which is available at https://www.swedishmatch.com.

Based on the above and consistent with its recommendation of May 11, 2022, the Board recommends that Swedish Match's shareholders accept the Revised Offer.

The resolution to make the above statement has been supported by all board members except for Par-Ola Olausson (appointed by the union IF Metall).

Par-Ola Olausson is of the view that Swedish Match has the competence and the experience to remain independent in the long-term and that the terms of the Revised Offer do not reflect the long-term fundamental value of the Company.

This statement shall in all respects be governed by and construed in accordance with substantive Swedish law. Disputes arising from this statement shall be settled exclusively by Swedish courts.

Stockholm, October 27, 2022

For more information please contact:

Johan Wredberg, Director Communications and Media Relations

Telephone: +46 730 27 93 43

E-mail: johan.wredberg@swedishmatch.com

This information is information that Swedish Match AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 8.40 p.m. CET on October 27, 2022.

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/2004/3657078/1645106.pdf Statement by the Board of Directors of Swedish Match AB in relation to the increased public cash offer by PMI_27 October 2022

Cision

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SOURCE Swedish Match
Tallinna Vesi

Today, on 28 October 2022, AS Tallinna Vesi held an investor conference webinar where Management Board Members Chief Executive Officer Aleksandr Timofejev and Chief Financial Officer Taavi Groon introduced the performance of the 3rd quarter and 9 months of 2022.



We thank all the participants. Webinar recording is available here and the presentation is available here.

AS Tallinna Vesis financial and operational results for the 3rd quarter and 9 months of 2022 are available here.





Maria Tiidus

Head of Communications

AS Tallinna Vesi

(+372) 626 2271

maria.tiidus@tvesi.ee




Thanks for visiting !

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Whatever one may think of the issue of abortion, few would argue that federal and state governments are asserting more control over womens bodies in the United States, a development that might seem foreign to an older generation.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, RSouth Carolina, wants a nationwide ban on abortion after 15 weeks, a move that will not be enough for those who want a permanent ban on abortion with no exceptions. And the U.S. Supreme Court has signaled that it wants to reconsider the right to contraception.

Here in Virginia, it remains to be seen how the General Assembly will move, but there is mounting pressure to at least restrict abortion after 15 weeks in the commonwealth. The contraception debate has yet to gain traction here.

As these battles play out in our local legislature, and on Nov. 8 at the polls, we should all give due consideration to what is happening in Iran.

For more than 40 days now, women and men have been engaged in ongoing protests against an oppressive regime that is especially aggressive in its desire to control women.

The uprisings began following the arrest on Sept. 16, and subsequent death on Sept. 19, of Mahsa Amini. Her crime? Supposedly wearing her hijab  the head covering worn by many Muslim women  improperly. For that offense, she was taken off the street by Irans morality police, and then most likely beaten in the head.

The ensuing uprising was spontaneous and has been growing, with people rallying around the slogan, Women, Life, Freedom.

A seminar delivered Wednesday at the University of Mary Washington discussed the uprising and where it may ultimately grow.

Leila Asadi, an activist associated with the National Democratic Institute, finds this moment in Iran particularly important because unlike previous uprisings, it is attracting women and men from across all socioeconomic backgrounds. Its also playing out in rural and urban communities.

Protestors are removing their hijabs, cutting their hair, and facing terrifying force as a result. Though total numbers are hard to come by, estimates say at least 200 people have been killed, with well over a thousand more put in prison. The terror is likely to get worse, with news from Voice of America that Russia may now be advising Iran on how to handle the uprising.

Mehdi Aminrazavi, a professor of religion at UMW who also spoke on Wednesday, understands the passion on the street. He was involved in the uprisings in the mid-1970s against the shah. That movement to bring freedom to Iran was taken over, however, by religious fundamentalists who created the current theocratic state, and led to a mass exodus of Iranians that is ongoing. Today, some estimates place the number of Iranians living in the U.S. at 1.5 million, with about 10% of them living in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.

Fascism is bad, he told those in attendance, but religious fascism is the worst of the worst.

Why should we in Virginia care?

First, because we value freedom above all else, and have long stood as a beacon of that ideal. Its no accident that the greatest proportion of those people after the Iranian Revolution in 1979 who fled the country in what we now call the Iranian Diaspora, came here.

Second, we should recognize that the struggle of women for freedom in Iran is part of the ongoing push for womens rights here and around the world. And very often, religion plays a central role in that struggle.

A questioner at Wednesdays event, for example, noted that Muslim women in India are also protesting, but not to remove their hijabs. Rather, theyre fighting for the right to wear it. As a minority population, Muslim women in India see the hijab as an important part of their identity, which the ruling Indian powers wish to suppress.

In both cases, women are fighting for the same thing: The right to be free of patriarchal interpretations of how they should live their lives, and the right to define themselves how they choose, whether that be through wearing the hijab, or taking it off.

The separation of church and state, and the protection of minority religious voices, are central to Americas founding documents. And Virginia played a leading role in both.

As we wrestle with our own issues around women and freedom in America, let us think carefully about what women elsewhere are fighting for, and remind ourselves of the principles that made America the place oppressed people look to, and come to, when their own countries turn against them.
By Azernews

By Sama Imanova

Armenia has reportedly banned two pro-Kremlin propagandists from entering the country, Azernews reports, citing foreign media.

They are the first deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee, MP Konstantin Zatulin, and the editor-in-chief of state broadcaster Russia Today, Margarita Simonyan, the media reports.

In a remark on the issue in question, MP Konstantin Zatulin said he had received a letter from Tigran Seyranyan, the head of the Foreign Relations Department under the National Assembly, to this end.

It was unexpected for us, we received a letter from the head of the Department for Foreign Relations under the Armenian National Assembly. I was told that my visit is undesirable and that my recent public statements damaged the development of friendly and allied relations with the Republic of Armenia, Zatulin said, calling it an "insulting move".

Asked on what ground, Zatulin was banned from entering Armenia, the Armenian National Security Service (NSS) didn't provide any information, claiming that it violates the privacy of that persons personal life.

We can provide that information only to the person you mentioned or to the person authorized by the latter, the NSS said.

In the meantime, asked if Armenia is going to quit the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Alen Simonyan, Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, said that the Armenian government was not discussing the issue.
Christian Womens Noon Connection will be having a noon luncheon on Monday, Nov. 14, at the Midland University Dining Hall, Ninth and Pebble streets, in Fremont.

The luncheon will feature a sweet auction fundraiser silent auction. Baked goods in decorated boxes will be included in the auction. Proceeds will go to Stonecroft Ministries and the club.

Music will be provided by Myra Pruss.

Cynthia Shepperd of Egan, South Dakota, will speak on Thanks Living. She is a former teacher, former newspaper editor, and writer of a newspaper column My Side of the Fence. She is a farm wife with three adult children and 11 grandchildren.

Cost of the noon luncheon is $15. Call Pat at 402-720-3847 by Nov. 9 to make a reservation. Honoring your reservation is necessary.
If anybodys a proponent for voting, its Barb Busche.

The Fremont woman estimates shes been a poll worker for about 35 years.

From hauling ballots to the polling place at Deerfield Clubhouse to returning supplies to the courthouse at the end of election night, Busche strives to keep the voting process for Precinct 4C running smoothly.

Busche said her daughters were still in grade school when she decided to become a poll worker.

I thought it was something that needed to be done, because voting is important, Busche said.

After three-and-a-half decades, Busche pauses to think how she actually got started.

Busche believes she talked about being a poll worker to Fremonter Sharon Martens, whos now been one for almost 50 years, and then contacted Dodge County Clerk and Election Commissioner Fred Mytty.

Today, Busches considered a messenger.

The messenger takes all the ballots to the voting site and posts the Vote Here signs. Busche sets up a special machine that helps voters who have visual or hearing impairments.

She posts colored sample ballots which voters can read before casting a ballot.

Busche handles provisional ballots, but is training others to do so as well.

She explains provisional ballots.

Sometimes, Busche said, a person will come in to vote, but their name isnt in the poll workers registration book.

If the persons address shows they live in the precinct and they say theyve registered, they may be able to fill out a provisional ballot.

They fill out a form and that will newly register them in that precinct, Busche said. They fill out their ballot. They put the ballot in a special envelope and seal it and it goes into the ballot box.

Busche notes something else:

You can be fined up to $10,000 if you give false information, she said.

Mytty said a canvassing board has up to seven days to resolve the provisional ballots.

Busche also takes turns with poll workers, who sit at a table, handling different jobs.

One worker looks up a voters name in a registration book and the voter signs a line with a number near it.

The next worker records the voters name in a second book, which indicates that voters political affiliation. A voter number in that book must coincide with one in the first book.

A third worker hands the voter a ballot with a pen and a brown, plastic sleeve.

The voter completes the ballot, puts it into the plastic sleeve and then puts that into the ballot box.

Busche said poll workers tell new voters if they make a mistake on their ballot to bring it back to the workers. A worker will write the word, spoiled, on the ballot and hand a new one to the voter.

A voter gets a sticker that reads: I voted, before leaving.

Poll workers may have other duties.

Once or twice during the day, two poll workers pull marked ballots out of the brown sleeves, count them and put them into a box which is sealed.

Workers write on the box, telling how many people voted  provisional and regular ballots  and sign their names.

The box then is picked up by a third party.

At the end of the night, Busche brings everything back to the courthouse. She writes her name, precinct and the time in a book.

There are a lot of checks and balances, Busche said.

While Busches job as messenger is more involved, most poll workers jobs dont have as many duties.

Poll workers are paid. Next week, a class is planned to refresh experienced poll workers on policy and teach new ones what they need to do.

Busche said one woman was still helping as a poll worker when she was 90.

She notes that poll workers arent allowed to discuss politics with voters. The voters arent supposed to wear anything promoting one candidate or another to a voting site.

Busche remembers nicely asking one voter to remove his cap, which promoted a candidate. The voter willingly complied.

A lot of times people dont realize what they have on, she said.

Busche enjoys the job.

Im a people person, Busche said. I enjoy being with the people and I enjoy the process of all the checks and balances to make sure the election is honest.

Busche and other poll workers enjoy seeing people they know year after year.

They become friends, she said.

To Busche, some sad times have occurred when senior citizens, who are voters, have died.

She appreciates people who make an extra effort to vote.

Ive seen people come in in wheelchairs and on crutches and with canes and they can hardly walk, but they feel its important to vote, Busche said. It makes me proud and I appreciate them, because they make the effort.

Busche believes its important for people to vote.

I think voting is a privilege to American citizens and your voting decides how our government runs, she said. So if you dont vote, dont complain.

Busche said she plans to continue as a poll worker as long as shes capable.

She encourages others to become poll workers.

We can always use more and I think it makes people more aware of just how the system works, Busche said. To me, its an obligation that I owe to my country.

Mytty appreciates Busche adding:

I appreciate her and all the other workers, because its a long day from 7:30 in the morning until 8:30 at night for everyone and especially those in Webster township and other far reaching precincts since they work until 8:30 and drive the ballot to our office so theyre not home until 10:30 p.m., he said.

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Polls are open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Update (10 a.m. Friday): The two adults found dead in a Broken Arrow home Thursday are considered suspects in a homicide investigation, according to police.

"Preliminary details into this investigation have determined this incident is likely a murder-suicide," police said in a news release.

About 4:05 p.m. Thursday, neighbors reported a house fire in the 400 block of Hickory Avenue, northwest of Houston (81st) Street and Elm Place (161st East Avenue).

Six juvenile victims ranged from age 1 to 13, police said. They were found in one room of the house where the fire was contained, but none of the victims are believed to have died due to the fire, according to authorities.

None of the individuals have been identified, though next of kin have been notified, the release states. Medical examiners will determine cause of death.

Investigators recovered firearms from inside the home.

When asked about any previous police response at the residence, BA Police Chief Brandon Berryhill said it had been "numerous years" since the last call, which he characterized as a "very innocuous" situation.

Authorities expect to continue the investigation "for some time," according to BA Fire Chief Jeremy Moore.

The owner of the home told Tulsa World that the family has been renting there eight years, with third-party payments made through a subsidy program.

Understandably, this is a shock to Broken Arrow. Its a safe city. Broken Arrow doesnt have this kind of situation every day, said BAPD spokesman Ethan Hutchins.

The home is southwest of Broken Arrows Rose District and about 15 miles southeast of downtown Tulsa.

Were asking the community to please pray and come together because this is something that we dont experience as a city very often, Hutchins said.

BAPD says anyone experiencing distress related to the investigation is encouraged to call Mental Health Association Oklahoma's hotline: 918-585-1213.

The story below published in Friday's Tulsa World:

BROKEN ARROW  Eight people were found dead following a house fire, leading to what police described as a homicide investigation Thursday night.

Late Thursday night, police said a family of eight, two adults and six children, lived at the house. Police didn't confirm if the victims included anyone from that family.

About 4:05 p.m. Thursday, neighbors reported a house fire in the 400 block of Hickory Avenue, northwest of Houston (81st) Street and Elm Place (161st East Avenue). The eight were found inside, police said.

We do not currently believe there is an immediate threat to the public, Broken Arrow police said in a social media post Thursday night.

Understandably, this is a shock to Broken Arrow. Its a safe city. Broken Arrow doesnt have this kind of situation every day, said BAPD spokesman Ethan Hutchins.

Authorities, he said, continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding what happened here with this incident."

Its a complex scene with a lot of moving parts in the state of the house, given the fire damage, so this remains under investigation, he said.

The home is southwest of Broken Arrows Rose District and about 15 miles southeast of downtown Tulsa.

Hutchins said federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were at the scene to investigate the fire, as well as Broken Arrow police and firefighters.

And so, were asking the community to please pray and come together because this is something that we dont experience as a city very often, Hutchins said.
The state of Oklahoma made use of the death penalty for the first time in nearly seven years on Oct. 28, 2021, with the execution of John Mari
Colorado Springs police arrested a pair of "prolific offenders" who face a litany of felony charges, according to a news release issued Friday.

Police say Beth Reichenberg, 39, and Brian Lude, 25, are responsible for numerous vehicle break-ins over the past several months and cases of identity theft in the Colorado Springs area.

The duo would break into cars, steal items, claim the stolen items were theirs and sell them to pawn shops in the area, according to the release.

Reichenberg was caught when officers were dispatched to a car accident north of downtown on Sept. 1 and the responding officer located items with Reichenberg's car that were linked to a recent burglary, the release said.

Reichenberg and Lude each face a long list of charges.

Among other charges, Reichenberg faces 30 counts of identity theft, a felony; 11 counts of first degree criminal trespass, a misdemeanor; and possession of a weapon by a previous offender, a felony. Lude's charges include six counts of identity theft; one count of second degree burglary (felony); and unlawful possession of a controlled substance (misdemeanor), among several others.

A third person was arrested with Reichenberg and Lude, but was not named in the press release because they only face misdemeanor charges.

Police said additional burglaries of motor vehicles happened at Red Rock Canyon Open Space, Villa Sport, the UCHealth Memorial Central hospital parking garage, Cinemark movie theaters and Colorado Colleges parking garage. Detectives also located evidence linking Reichenberg and her associates to additional burglaries and criminal incidents in neighboring jurisdictions.

Court records show that Reichenberg has 13 criminal and misdemeanor cases currently open in Colorado's 4th Judicial District Court. Court records also show that she also served previous sentences in the Department of Corrections.

In 2019, Reichenberg served nine months in DOC after pleading guilty to controlled substance possession. In 2017, she was sentenced to two years in DOC after pleading guilty to attempted robbery. In 2016, Reichenberg was sentenced to one year in DOC for controlled substance possession.

Additionally, Lude has five open criminal and misdemeanor cases in Colorado's 4th Judicial District Court.

Reichenberg currently is in El Paso County jail on a $61,000 bond split between four different cases. A warrant currently remains active for Lude's most recent case and he isn't currently listed as an inmate in El Paso County jail.

Reichenberg is scheduled to be in court for a review hearing on all 13 of her active cases, as well as five active traffic cases, on Nov. 9.
A judge on Thursday ruled that a man accused of killing and raping a homeless woman will undergo an evaluation to determine if he is competent to stand trial.

Gregory Alan Whittemore's defense attorney, Shimon Kohn, requested for the evaluation to take place at the state hospital rather than at jail because he argued it would be a better environment to determine competency.

Kohn also noted that Whittemore, 39, had been found incompetent to stand trial in previous court cases, but did not elaborate on which ones.

The Gazette previously reported that Whittemore has a history of violent sexual assault and criminal activity in numerous states.

He told police he is a convicted sex offender and was on parole for a case involving the attempted murder of a female in 2012 in Colorado Springs. According to online court records, Whittemore was charged with a slew of violent assault and sexual assault counts in connection with that case and was convicted of fourth-degree felony sexual assault.

Sometime during court proceedings in that case, Whittemore escaped to Mount Pleasant, S.C., in 2016 as a wanted sex offender and was found living out of his car with a 16-year-old runaway girl, according to reporting by the Post and Courier in Charleston.

The newspaper reported that Whittemore had brought the girl, who at the time was listed in the National Crime Information Center as a missing person from Colorado, across the country and encouraged her to "break into several motor vehicles at multiple locations and steal items" as well as use stolen credit cards around Mount Pleasant.

On Oct. 10, police responded to a call from Whittemore's roommate that there was a body in the garage of their residence in the 500 block of Erie Road near Memorial Park in Colorado Springs.

The body, which was found in a storage container in the back of the garage, was identified as 27-year-old Allison Scarfone. According to an affidavit, Whittemore told his roommate he met Scarfone and offered her clothes because she was homeless, but the interaction turned hostile when she began to accuse him of being a "rapist."

Whittemore then reportedly choked the woman, who called him a rapist again after she recovered, the affidavit said. This "triggered" him and sent him "into a rage" that led him to hit Scarfone, cut her clothes off, then rape and suffocate her, arrest records state.

Court records show Whittemore is facing 10 charges in Scarfone's death, including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault and sexual assault. If convicted of the first-degree murder charge, Whittemore would be sentenced to life in prison.

Following Judge Monica Gomez's ruling for the competency evaluation, a review hearing was scheduled for Jan. 19 to discuss the status of the evaluation.

If Whittemore is found incompetent to stand trial, he will be treated at the state hospital until his competency is restored, Gomez said.

Whittemore is being held in the El Paso County jail without bond.
The El Paso County Board of Health this week joined county commissioners and the Colorado Springs City Council in formally opposing two questions on the city's November ballot that would legalize recreational marijuana sales in town and impose a special 5% sales tax on those sales.

"I do know that in my heart it would be disastrous for our community," Board of Health Vice President Doris Ralston said.

The board of health voted unanimously to pass the symbolic resolution that also proclaimed October as National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, with members Ted Collas and Jack Briggs absent.

No one spoke in favor during the board's regular meeting Wednesday of either Question 300, which if passed would allow the existing 114 medical marijuana shops in Colorado Springs to sell recreational pot, nor Question 301, which would impose a special sales tax on recreational marijuana to fund public safety, veterans services and mental health programs.

Board of Health members said if recreational marijuana sales are permitted in Colorado Springs it would increase crime and the chances for underage use. They also said it could affect Colorado Springs' and El Paso County's military installations and defense contract opportunities.

"The correlation is there," said Board Member Longinos Gonzalez, who is also a member of the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners, echoing comments he made earlier this week when county commissioners passed a similar resolution. He worked for more than 10 years as a counter-drug official with the Air Force and as a civilian at Northern Command, he said.

"We see how criminal organizations will use legal avenues for their gray market and also black market for other entities if there. If theres a market for something legal, theyll utilize that same venue for their illicit (activities)," he said.

Proponents of the initiatives in Colorado Springs have said recreational marijuana is already available in nearby Manitou Springs, Pueblo and Denver, and legalizing recreational sales locally would allow Colorado Springs to benefit from taxing recreational sales.

"Let's not sacrifice our children for the tax dollars," said Board of Health member Ron Stephens, also a member of the Monument Board of Trustees.

The general election is Nov. 8.
By Azernews

By Fatima Hasanova

On October 27, the United Nations and Azerbaijan celebrated the 30th anniversary of the partnership with a UN Day ceremony in Baku, Azernews reports.

UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva stressed at the UN Day event that the organization will support Azerbaijan in its post-pandemic recovery in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the World Bank.

"This UN Day is particularly important as this year Azerbaijan and the UN are celebrating the 30the anniversary of establishing relations. Over these years, cooperation between Azerbaijan and the UN has grown and developed," Andreeva said.

She also emphasized that the UN, the EBRD, and the WB will continue studying opportunities to support restoration works in the liberated lands of Azerbaijan.

In March 2022, a meeting was held in Shusha to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Azerbaijani-UN cooperation, as well as a conference on demining with the support of ANAMA and a number of other events.

On November 18, 2021, within the framework of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, the UN member states adopted a resolution "Ensuring equal, affordable, timely and universal access to vaccines against COVID-19", put forward on behalf of the NAM members under the Azerbaijani president's initiative, as the NAM chairman. The document put emphasis on the importance of multilateralism, as well as international solidarity and cooperation in the fight against COVID-19.
A man and a woman from Pueblo were identified as the two people killed in a late Tuesday-night shootout with Douglas County sheriff's deputies at RTDs light rail station in Lone Tree.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office announced the deaths of David Strain, 31, and Clarissa Daws, 29, in a Facebook post Thursday after positive identifications were made by the coroner's office.

Strain and Daws had warrants for their arrests related to auto theft and one was wanted for questioning in another Denver metro-area shooting, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said Wednesday at a press conference.

On Thursday, the sheriffs office released an edited video of the shooting that resulted in the pair's deaths.

Officials reported deputies were patrolling the rail station's parking lot, 10203 Station Way, late Tuesday when they noticed a suspicious Black Kia with no license plates and the locks punched out. The vehicle was tucked in a hidden spot in the garage and its front window was covered by a shade visor, Spurlock said.

A deputy called for backup and six officers responded. Deputies announced themselves and knocked on both side windows, but did not get a response, Spurlock said.

The suspects opened fire on the deputies through both side windows. All six deputies fired back. Spurlock said the deputies exchanged three separate volleys of gunfire about 7-9 minutes apart and said each volley was initiated by the suspects.

One deputy was hit in the face with car window glass and went to the hospital with minor injuries. All the involved deputies are on leave, which is standard operating procedure for any officer-involved shootings.

The Kia was confirmed stolen from Pueblo. Officials found two weapons in the car, but did not say what type of weapons they were. Spurlock said the garage is a popular area for auto thieves to hide out, which is why officers were patrolling.

After, hearing a lot of gunshots, Gorsline and Tejada heard sirens and watched the emergency vehicles arrive.

The Douglas County Sheriffs Office released an edited video of a shooting that resulted in the deaths of two suspects from Pueblo.

https://www.facebook.com/DouglasCountySheriff
67 Vietnamese received from Cambodia

Border guards in the southern province of Kien Giang have received 67 Vietnamese who had been tricked into illegally working in Cambodia.



According to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huu Viet from Ha Tien International Border Gates Border Post, the people are from different localities, including Bac Giang, Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho, Hai Duong, Lao Cai, Lang Son and Dien Bien. Up to 65 were found working at the K99 Group in Preah Sihanouk Province.





The Vietnamese people have returned the country through Ha Tien International Border Gate
By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

Azerbaijan has always supported Pakistan on the Jammu and Kashmir issues, Pakistani Ambassador to Azerbaijan Bilal Hayee said.

He made the remarks at an event on the occasion of the Day of Mourning for Kashmir on October 27.

The ambassador thanked the Azerbaijani people for their support and emphasized that this issue is important not only for Pakistan, but for everyone, who supports international law, human dignity, and global security.

Further, Hayee added that October 27 marks 75 years since the occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, and despite the UN resolutions and clear provisions of international law, this problem still remains unresolved.

On June 9, Pakistan and Azerbaijan marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Over the 30-year-long period of diplomatic relations, the two countries have been able to build strong ties based on partnership in the economic, cultural, and educational spheres.

Pakistan has always supported Azerbaijan in the Karabakh conflict and Azerbaijan backed Islamabad on the Kashmir issue. Azerbaijan had been a consistent advocate for the rights of the Kashmiri people as a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir.
Andy Love retired from the Air Force, as a major general, after 37 years of service. He resides in Colorado.
By Azernews

By Fatima Hasanova

Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with the heads of European Union (EU) diplomatic representations in Azerbaijan on October 27, Azernews reports, referring to the Foreign Ministry.

The meeting exchanged views on the current agenda of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EU in political, economic, energy, investment, educational, and other spheres, as well as the current regional situation.

Jeyhun Bayramov stressed Azerbaijan's role in ensuring Europe's energy security and the diversification of energy supplies. In this regard, the importance of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on July 18, 2022, providing for the doubling of gas supplies to the EU was emphasized.

He underscored the importance of Azerbaijan in the East-West corridor project. The minister added that steps taken by Azerbaijan for the opening of the regional communication means, including the possible launch of the Zangezur corridor, are facing Armenia's unconstructive position.

Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Ambassador Peter Michalko expressed his gratitude for the conditions created for the discussion of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EU and the regional situation. Michalko noted that high-level contacts play an important role in the development of cooperation. In particular, he expressed confidence that the speedy completion of the draft agreement between Azerbaijan and the EU would make an important contribution to the further development of relations.
As the Nov. 8 midterm election nears, theft and vandalism of signs promoting certain candidates or positions on ballot questions are plaguing both political camps, according to campaign representatives.

But Republican signage appears to be hit the hardest in the Pikes Peak region, where the numbers of registered Republican voters outweigh Democrats.

In Teller County, half of the six 4-foot-by-8-foot road signs endorsing Erik Aadland, a Republican running for Colorados 7th Congressional House District, have been stolen or damaged, said Tim LeBlanc, a campaign volunteer for Aadland from Florissant.

These vandals want free speech but they wont let us have ours, he said. Thats not how we act in America.

The signs were placed legally, LeBlanc said, with permission from property owners along highways running through Woodland Park and Divide.

In one instance, heavy-duty plastic ties affixing the wooden frame to a sign erected near the Republican Partys headquarters were cut, which led to the frame breaking, LeBlanc said.

Then I used wire, he said.

Another sign was cut off the wall of a building.

He points the finger at people who back the Democratic candidate, Brittany Pettersen, in the tense battle for the redrawn congressional seat.

We dont mess with their signs, he said of Aadlands opponent.

Mark Hatton, campaign manager for Pettersen, said they, too, have had signs vandalized, in Teller and Park counties. One was "ripped to shreds," he said.

"Our campaign condemns anyone defacing signs from any party," he said. "We denounce any vandalism of campaign signs."

Large road signs cost about $75 apiece, said Kel Koop, campaign engineer for Aadland in Jefferson County.

About 40 signs have been stolen or damaged off highways near Evergreen, Golden and Arvada, he said.

In one case, an Aadland sign was taken out of the holding posts and replaced with a Democratic sign, Koop said.

However, Koop said We have no evidence, in many cases nothing left behind and no witnesses to the vandalism.

Weve got to have civility in the way we run these elections, not How can we destroy the other side, which seems like thats the approach.

Authorities received a report on sign destruction in Woodland Park, said Police Chief Chris Deisler.

If a suspect is identified and the victim is willing to prosecute, the offense likely would be criminal mischief, he said, with the criminal degree depending on the amount of damage.

A 4-foot-by-8-foot sign promoting Michael Bennet, a Democrat running to retain his seat U.S. Senate seat, was stolen in Teller County, said Laurie Glauth, the countys Democratic Party chair.

They had to go on the other side of a barbed-wire fence onto private property to snag it, she said.

Teller County has more than three times the number of Republican registered voters than Democrat.

Glauth said the action should not be tolerated in any instance.

Anybody damaging signs is not right  it doesnt matter what side of the coin theyre on, she said.

In neighboring El Paso County, the Democratic Party has received reports of yard signs being stolen but none have been defaced, said a lead office volunteer who would not give her name.

Tracking devices placed on signs led to a Dumpster where some of the missing signs were retrieved, she said.

Its not unusual, she said of the situation. We had at least 10 people come back and pick up more.

Candidates purchase the signs and provide them for distribution through the partys headquarters, she said.

In the Tri-Lakes area in northern El Paso County, signs opposing a mill levy override initiative from Lewis-Palmer School District 38 in Monument also have been struck by vandals.

Theyre writing obscenities, theyre spray-painting our banners and cutting them down, said resident Derek Araje, whos on a district financial committee and is campaigning against the $5.6 million annual tax increase to raise salaries for teachers and non-administrative staff.

This is a pattern, and it happens every election here in Monument, he said. When they put up pro-MLO signs, they laid anti-MLO signs on the ground.

Nearly half of anti-MLO yard signs  70 of 150 placed around the community  also have been stolen, Araje said, calling the action dirty politics.

A poster on a Facebook group wrote, "Taking down these 'No MLO' signs is a public service. Ya welcome.'"

Kyle Blakely, manager for the "Yes" on the MLO campaign, said three of their group's signs have been vandalized and yard signs have gone missing as well.

"For the opponents to act like its only their signs damaged or missing is pretty dishonest," he said. "Weve had several large 'Yes on 4A' signs vandalized and yard signs stolen."

Editor's note: This article has been updated from its original version to reflect that the Teller County Democratic Party has had at least one sign stolen and the group that supports the mill levy override proposal in Monument also is experiencing sign crime. Also, a response from the campaign of Democratic candidate Brittany Pettersen to alleged sign tampering by supporters was added.
Infighting in the El Paso County GOP bled into preparations for the upcoming November election, when the party chairwoman called for a handful of people to be removed from their posts as Republican election judges.

Chairwoman Vickie Tonkins told El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Chuck Broerman that several election judges "no longer represent the El Paso County Republican Party and my Administration" and asked for them to be removed in late September. The judges had no opportunity to plead their case or ask for reconsideration under the current rules, prompting a call for reform to create an appeals process.

Under the current system, Broerman said he had no choice but to remove the election judges and party volunteers that had always "served with distinction." Election judges work in bipartisan teams for the Clerk and Recorder's Office in election seasons to verify signatures, take ballots out of envelops, determine a voters intent if it is not clear and other administrative roles.

Tonkins didn't offer Broerman a clear reason for the judges' removal, he said.

"It just seems very mean-spirited, capricious and punitive," Broerman said.

One of the election judges, Candi Boyer, said Tonkins told her she would not be needed in order to give new volunteers an opportunity to serve. But Boyer said she was probably let go, in part, because of her volunteer work with Peak Republicans, a group set up to help Republicans get elected in the general election. The group was set up to fill a campaign void left by the party.

When asked for proof that Boyer was not loyal to the party, Tonkins sent a photo of Boyer volunteering with Peak Republicans. Boyer was one of five people Tonkins asked Broerman to remove. She had the authority to remove three of those people because they were on a list of election judges submitted to the Clerk and Recorder's Office by the party.

Tonkins provided a blanket statement in response to multiple questions about why she thought it was necessary to remove judges and whether she thought an appeals system would be a good addition to the system.

Republican and Democrat Election Judges and Poll watchers are representatives of their respective parties. These people are approved by the Republican and Democrat county offices.

However, the county parties generally cannot recruit enough judges, so the Clerk and Recorder's Office has to fill remaining positions, Broerman said. At the moment, the office is fully staffed, with more than 500 election judges, and is placing names of others on a waitlist in case of openings, Broerman said.

Boyer and the two other election judges were hired back to help with elections through this process.

"I just feel so strongly about the voting process and being involved in it is critical," Boyer said.

Broerman said he has never had a party chairperson ask for election judges to be removed without a valid reason before. He said he supports the judges' call for an appeals process because under the current rules, a chairperson could ask for a handful of people working at a voter service center to be removed and effectively shut it down. Members of each party work together throughout the elections process to ensure fairness.

An appeals process could be set up through the bylaws of a political party or through state law. Boyer said she would like to see a panel review that could include the leaders of both county parties, the clerk and recorder and two citizens.

The Secretary of State's Office did not respond to a request for comment about introducing an appeals process.
Many students of color in Colorado Springs and El Paso County are missing out on the chance to further their education because they arent aware of the financial aid opportunities available to them, according to officials from local nonprofits.

Youth are leaving money on the table, said Regina Walter, executive director of Educating Children of Color. There are scholarship and financial aid opportunities that they are unaware of that could be used to level the playing field. They just have to know about it, and how to access it.

A lot of local and national organizations offer grants and scholarships to students of color and other young people in underserved communities, Walter said. But many of them have trouble even getting people to apply for them, which is a source of frustration for Walter. College can be more than just a pipe dream for these students, and many of them dont know it, she said.

Last year, (Educating Children of Color) gave away $125,000 in STEAM scholarships, and we only had 38 qualified applicants, Walter said. So many students think school is not an option for them, or that its fruitless, or that they will graduate with massive amounts of debt.

Its a legitimate concern, according to the Sachs Foundation, a Colorado Springs-based nonprofit that has awarded grants and scholarships to more than 3,000 Black Coloradans since its 1931 inception.

Black students face a rougher educational road than their white counterparts, foundation President Ben Ralston said. They are more likely than white students to leave school for financial reasons, and Black college graduates, on average, leave school with greater debt.

We are looking at data in Colorado and across the country, and the gap is still a large one, Ralston said.

Underprivileged students are often uninformed because they don't have a parent who attended college and can help them navigate the financial aid and scholarship application process, Walter said.

The money is there, for a lot of students who dont think college is a reality, Walter said. You just have to know where to look.

For example, the College Opportunity Fund, created by the Colorado legislature in 2004, will provide a stipend to help eligible students pay in-state tuition. El Cinco de Mayo, an El Paso County-based nonprofit, offers scholarships to underserved students who either live or attend college within the county. The Daniels Fund, a Denver-based organization, also offers educational funding for eligible students.

Educating Children of Color, Peak Education, the Sachs Foundations Elevated program and the African American Youth Leadership Conference recently hosted a scholarship, financial aid and college application workshop in Colorado Springs. The session offered information on little-known financial aid opportunities, college application and essay instruction, and speakers from the United Negro College Fund. Attendance at the event was sparse, officials said.

Sessions like this are critical because they inform students of where to look for financial aid opportunities, and how to write a good scholarship essay that will set them apart from their peers, Walter said. It would have been nice to have a (bigger) turnout.

Shantelle Bridges, executive director of the African American Youth Leadership Conference, echoed Walters sentiments.

Its frustrating when we know that money is available to students and they dont know how to find the information, Bridges said.

The leadership conference offers a stipend of $500 per semester to help offset secondary expenses like books, supplies and transportation costs. All that students have to do is prove they are enrolled in college. But the organization sometimes has trouble giving the money away, Bridges said.

We try to give away about 10 of those a year, and sometimes we have only a handful of students applying, she said. When we see the number of students who apply for these opportunities, its disappointing.

The group plans to hold another workshop during the spring semester, and Walter, Bridges and other nonprofit leaders have their fingers crossed for a better turnout.

All we can do is keep trying, Walter said. We wont give up on these kids.
Kids Club at Clear Lake United Methodist Church is back to deliver free after-school activities for children in kindergarten through third grade starting Nov. 2.

Kids Club will meet every Wednesday, provided the children have school that day, from 2-5 p.m. A bus will pick the children up after school and take them to the church. Each day, the children will have time for play, snacks, arts and crafts, music and singing and worship with the pastor.

Carla Cooley, Clear Lake UMC Education Committee co-chair, hopes to create a safe, enjoyable environment where children can develop and nurture friendships. The volunteers have passed background checks and have completed Safe Sanctuary training.

Parents can register their children at clearlakeumc.org or in students virtual backpacks.

In a blog post, the church staff noted, As we struggle to provide meaningful Christian activities and learning for our youth, we start with this modest effort and hope eventually that we can include our older grades - but it can only happen with your prayers and involvement.
By Trend

The Nizami Ganjavi International Center has become one of the most influential organizations globally, Petar Stoyanov, ex-president of Bulgaria, told Trend.

I've been a member of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center since the very beginning of its work. I am very much involved in its activity. And over these 10 years, the Nizami Ganjavi Center became one of the most powerful organizations in the world. This is very important to underline. There are many international organizations, thinks tanks and so one, but there are few places, where so many interesting people, such as former politicians and many other, come up together in order to discuss the most crucial issues, he said.

Regarding the future prospects and possible topics for the next Global Baku Forum, which is held annually by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, and will be held in March next year, the ex-president noted that energy, supply and other crises are the main issues to be discussed.

We will talk about the current world order, and how we can prevent such crises in the future, he said.
Individuals who heavily use social media tend to score more poorly on tests administered by psychologists to measure happiness than those who do not. It has been found that experiencing "status envy," a state afflicting those who see themselves as being worse off than othersespecially common among those who make use of social mediadepletes the brain of chemicals responsible for feelings of joy and contentment. Obviously, there is a causal relationship: Extensive use of social media must be making people unhappy.Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the force of the evidence given as support for the hypothesis that social media promotes unhappiness?A. Individuals who spend significant amounts of time engaging with social media are no more likely to describe themselves as unhappy than others.B.Although feeling unhappy is unpleasant, the levels of unhappiness present in heavy users of social media do occasionally result from the brain's natural processes.C. There are many individuals who engage with social media without doing so heavily.D. Individuals often become heavy users of social media as a response to feelings of "status anxiety" and unhappiness.E. "Status anxiety" is responsible for feelings of unhappiness among many people involved in competitive professions.source - ready4gmat_________________
Nearly 100 Broadwater County residents have asked Gov. Greg Gianforte to intervene in the proposed Horse Creek Hills subdivision, saying his administration wrongly approved permits for the project.

The group says their way of life, water rights and wildlife are threatened by this subdivision. The Upper Missouri Waterkeeper and several of its members filed a complaint in August against Broadwater County and the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC).

They want the DNRC to revoke the permit.

The failure of Broadwater County and the DNRC to take responsibility and reasonably study the potential impacts of a new trophy home sited amidst a rural, agricultural community is reprehensible, they wrote.

The Horse Creek Hills subdivision proposed by Martinsdale-based 71 Ranch is a 435- acre development with 39 residential lots and 2 commercial lots on the eastern shore and directly upstream from Canyon Ferry Reservoir and Confederate Creek.

It was approved by the Broadwater County Planning Board in late July after the DNRC signed off on the use of several exempt wells for water supplies.

A Gianforte spokeswoman said Wednesday the governor's office is reviewing the letter and the governor continues to have the utmost confidence in DNRC as it follows the law.

The plaintiffs say the DNRCs approval contradicts Montana Supreme Court litigation that found the DNRC cannot authorize new subdivisions that rely on several exempt wells. They said it undermines the Montana Water Use Act and leads to violations of senior water rights and negative water supply impacts.

The governor has complete authority to direct the DNRC to take corrective action, follow the law, and reverse the unlawful approval of exempt wells for Horse Creek Hills, Guy Alsentzer, executive director of Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, said in a news release.

He said one of the biggest problems with the subdivision could be resolved immediately if "the state makes the right decision and simply follows the law.
Since the June 13 flood, Carbon County is dealing with a different world and its residents and officials need a different set of rules to mitigate future damage.

That was the message from County Commissioner Bill Bullock at a Thursday night flood update meeting attended by about 70 people at the Joliet Community Center. Other county officials and residents expressed frustration that without immediate work in Rock Creek and the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River to remove debris and dredge old channels, next springs runoff will cause even more damage.

Were going to flood again next year, Ill bet you money on it, said Fromberg Mayor Tim Nottingham.

Page Dringman, Carbon County Floodplain administrator, said landowners are upset work hasnt been done, in part because the permitting process involves several state and federal agencies.

There needs to be not just a joint application but a one stop shop, she said, so all six of the agencies can easily share information. This process is not user friendly, and it needs to be for people working on their property.

Traci Sears, local floodplain administrator for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, said her agency usually gets about five permits to process in an entire year. Now it has 150 for Carbon County alone. Dringman said of the 150 applications, shes only seen 40 and just received 80 more.

Clarks Fork Valley landowner Shane DeRudder, who lives between Bridger and Fromberg, said inaction now, when the river is low, is indefensible.

As a farmer in the Carbon County community, the land we farm has been in our family over 100 years and were losing it, he said. Were not going to lose any more. If we have to do something to our land, its up to us to fix that problem on our land. It aint up to nobody else.

You do it yourself, and you get it done. That is whats going to happen on the Clarks Fork River, he added. Theres going to be a piece of equipment put in the river, and its going to get done.

DeRudder said he wasnt asking for any money or help with the work, he just wants to know county officials will have our back.

Sharon Flemetis, of the Carbon Conservation District, said if DeRudder feels the work is an emergency, such as removing a log jam or other debris in the river thats not natural, there may be grant money available. As to permitting, she said the district wants to make it as easy as possible, but that doesnt mean allowing a mile-long riprap project.

So do what you need to do, and then just come in and we can do the paperwork, she said. Take some pictures. Thats all we ask.

Commissioner Bullock echoed her statement, adding, I can say without exception that this board of commissioners will be in support of whatever you do, as long as you are doing it to salvage your property and maintain your livestock.

Bullock said attempts by the commissioners to contact state and federal politicians and agency officials to speed up the permitting process or the ability to do work have been met with silence. He singled out Sen. Steve Daines as the countys lone advocate.

This event was all-encompassing to our county, Bullock said. There was virtually not a spot that hasnt been impacted. And those impacts may not have been water related but it might be the fact your road wasnt graded for two or three months because we were doing flood work.

So it doesnt just impact folks along the creek, he added. It impacts the entire county.
DECATUR  If you feel like talking about your latest speeding ticket or other moving violation, the Macon County State's Attorney's Office is willing to lend you an ear.

Beginning Monday, Oct. 31, and continuing every Monday and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., the office is resuming its traffic walk-in sessions.

We have assistants who will talk to drivers and make them an offer based on their ticket. If it's appropriate to give them, say, supervision, we would do that, said Macon County States Attorney Scott Rueter.

Court supervision is the minimum sentence under Illinois law, allowing charges to eventually be dismissed after a certain period of time and compliance with certain conditions.

The range of offenses the office is willing to chat about extend all the way up to non-felony driving under the influence charges, but felonies of all types are usually beyond the scope of a quick deal.

Rueter said drivers facing serious offenses, or drivers with particularly bad records, are going to have to go through the court process and will need the help of defense attorneys.

For everybody else, the traffic walk-ins allow a way to ease the prosecutors workload and give the public a more streamlined process for dealing with their brush with the law.

And obviously, if someone knows they want to fight the traffic ticket, there is no point in them coming to talk to us, said Rueter. But if they want to see what their options are and talk to us specifically about how the ticket could be resolved, wed be happy to talk to anybody.

His office used to offer these sessions but suspended them in 2020 with the onset of COVID-19. He said assistant states attorneys had been offering informal chats with defendants before the start of traffic court sessions, but the volume of cases is making that difficult.

Resuming walk-ins should make everything go smoother, Rueter added.

He said traffic walk-ins are handled on a first come, first served basis with no appointment necessary. But drivers who definitely want to be seen on a particular day should arrive by 2:45 p.m. at the state attorneys offices on the fourth floor of the Macon County Courthouse.

Drivers also have the option of making contact by email to discuss their tickets. Send a note to traffic@sa-macon-il.us with your full name and the date of the ticket.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Overcast with rain showers at times. Thunder possible. Low 61F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Overcast with rain showers at times. Thunder possible. Low 61F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
HICKORY  Seniors Morning Out participants will enjoy a variety of activities in November including the opportunity to participate in drum circles with the Hickory Music Factory at all five of the sites. These performances are supported by the United Arts Council of Catawba County through the North Carolina Arts Council, with funding from the state of North Carolina.

Any resident of Catawba County who is 60 or older is invited to join Seniors Morning Out, which is held Monday through Thursday mornings at five locations. A hot, balanced lunch is served each day. Programs are free to participants, who may pick and choose which days to attend. Bus transportation to and from the sites is available in some locations.

Program highlights include:

At the Newton site, located at First Presbyterian Church, 701 N Main Ave., Newton: Nov. 2, drum circle with Hickory Music Factory; Nov. 3, butter bean auction; Nov. 7, mat making using plastic bags with Leslie Porter from V.O.I.C.E.; Nov. 8, music with Keith Williams; Nov. 9, Med Instead of Meds with Tina McGillvary, Catawba County Extension; Nov. 15, blood pressure checks and liver awareness with Carolyn Thompson, Catawba Valley Health System; Nov. 22, Thanksgiving craft with Lynn; Nov. 23, A Rainbow of Mental Health with Vaya Health; Nov. 28, music with Charles Ballard; Nov. 29, crafts with Amanda Bentley. If you would like to participate in any of these activities, call Lynn Furr at 828-455-4133 at least two days in advance.

At the West Hickory site, located at the West Hickory Senior Center, 400 17th St. SW, Hickory: Nov. 7, drum circle with Hickory Music Factory; Nov. 8, tin can pumpkin craft; Nov. 9, winter weather preparedness with the Red Cross; Nov. 10, music with Bob Hollar; Nov. 14, cooking demo: three-ingredient pumpkin cookies; Nov. 16, A Rainbow of Mental Health with Vaya Health; Nov. 17, senior putting challenge with Kevin Dickey; Nov. 22, blood pressure checks and liver awareness with Carolyn Thompson, Catawba Valley Health System; Nov. 23, music with Papa Gray Beard; Nov. 29, Top Hits of the 1970s with Jennifer Williams, Hickory Public Library; Nov. 30, Med Instead of Meds with Tina McGillvary, Catawba County Extension. If you would like to participate in any of these activities, contact Suzi Caesar at 828-323-8746 at least two days in advance.

At the East Hickory site, located at First United Methodist Church, 311 Third Ave. NE, Hickory: Nov. 1, Santa paint brush craft; Nov. 7, music with Charles Ballard; Nov. 8, A Rainbow of Mental Health with Vaya Health; Nov. 9, drum circle with Hickory Music Factory; Nov. 10, music with Seniors on the Move; Nov. 14, bingo; Nov. 15, ribbon Christmas tree craft with LaDonna and Cynthia; Nov. 17, butter bean auction; Nov. 22, cooking class: apple cinnamon sugar crescent rolls for National Cinnamon Day; Nov. 28, "Top Hits of the 1960s with Jennifer Williams, Hickory Public Library; Nov. 29, blood pressure checks and holiday safety with Carolyn Thompson, Catawba Valley Health System. If you would like to participate in any of these activities, contact LaDonna Ledford at least two days in advance by calling 828-320-5963.

At the Catawba site, located at Center United Methodist Church, 4945 Sherrills Ford Road, Catawba: Nov. 1, blood pressure checks and liver awareness with Carolyn Thompson, Catawba Valley Health System; Nov. 3, crafts with Tonya Jarnac; Nov. 9, cooking class: apple snickerdoodle dump cake; Nov. 10, craft: toilet paper pumpkins; Nov. 14, drum circle with Hickory Music Factory; Nov. 15, Emergency Medical Services information session with Melanie Sigmon, Catawba County EMS; Nov. 16, Med Instead of Meds with Tina McGillvary, Catawba County Extension; Nov. 17, music with Seniors on the Move; Nov. 22, music with Charles Ballard; Nov. 23, leaf collage craft; Nov. 29, A Rainbow of Mental Health with Vaya Health; Nov. 30, activity with Sherrills Ford-Terrell branch library. If you would like to attend any of these programs, call Kayla Smith at 828-320-0434 at least two days in advance.

At the Maiden site, located at the Maiden Community Center, 207 E Klutz St., Maiden: Nov. 1, A Rainbow of Mental Health with Vaya Health; Nov. 2, Med Instead of Meds with Tina McGillvary, Catawba County Extension; Nov. 3, celebrate Origami Day with Thu Ngo; Nov 8., blood pressure checks and liver awareness with Carolyn Thompson, Catawba Valley Health System; Nov. 10, corn hole; Nov. 14, Whats Cooking with Teresa Slaughter: Deep Dish Mini Pizzas; Nov. 16, drum circle with Hickory Music Factory; Nov. 17, music with Sentimental Journey; Nov. 22, making a turkey craft with Lisa; Nov. 28, bingo. If you would like to attend any of these programs, call Lisa Adams at 828-320-5966 at least two days in advance.

Seniors Morning Out is operated by Senior Nutrition Services of Catawba County Social Services and is in need of volunteers to assist with the program between 8:30 a.m. and noon, Monday  Thursday. Call 828-695-5610 if interested. In addition to SMO, Senior Nutrition Services operates Meals on Wheels and related programs in the county. Additional volunteers are urgently needed to deliver Meals on Wheels. You can volunteer as little as 1.5 hours a month. To find out more, contact Senior Nutrition Services at 828-695-5610 during regular business hours, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for holidays. For the latest updates, like their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MealsonWheelsofCatawbaCounty, or visit their website at http://www.MealsonWheelsofCatawbaCounty.org.

Catawba County Senior Nutrition Services is a United Way funded partner.
By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried discussed the Azerbaijani-Armenian normalization process via a phone conversation, Azernews reports.

On his Twitter page, Bayramov noted that during the conversation, he once again reaffirmed Azerbaijan's commitment to achieving peace and stability in the region.

"Had a phone conversation w/US Assistant Secretary @KDonfried @StateEUR on #Azerbaijan-#Armenia normalisation process and perspectives of peace efforts. Once again reiterated my countrys commitment and full readiness to achieve peace and stability in our region," the minister tweeted.

During the conversation, the minister noted that Azerbaijan still awaits Armenia's response concerning the peace treaty elements presented at the end of the Geneva meeting.

In turn, Donfried emphasized US support to achieve peace and stability in the region, as well as the importance of peace negotiations following the agreements between leaders and ministers.

The conversation comes ahead of a meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian deputy prime ministers in Brussels in the first week of November. So far, two meetings of the border delimitation commissions led by the two deputy ministers were held prior to the border clashes that erupted as a result of the Armenian provocation on September 12-14.

Despite the latest Armenian provocations, Baku reaffirmed its readiness for the urgent negotiations between the leaders towards ensuring lasting peace in line with the trilateral statements and the results of the meeting in Brussels.
What does it mean to maintain a social license? Whether the phrase is explicitly described or instead implied, this is a concept more and more consumers are demanding from their food suppliers. If dairy wants to retain its current customers and gain new ones, it will be necessary to continue having the social license we have held for centuries.

Simply put, a social license is the acceptance of a business or industrys practices by the public and relevant stakeholders, said Chris Wolf on the October 12 Hoards Dairyman DairyLivestream. This is important for many reasons, but Wolf picked out one as the most fundamental to those that operate a dairy farm and every business that supports dairies.

Without social license, industries end up regulated and monitored, said the Cornell University agricultural economist. They end up with extra laws and regulations they have to deal with, which increases cost and makes things less efficient. While there are certainly already many standards dairy industry businesses must comply with to ensure animal and food safety, no two farms operate exactly the same as each chooses the strategies that work best for them.



The good news is that this approach is largely retaining trust in farming. An extremely reassuring example is the fact that per capita dairy consumption reached its highest level since 1959 last year. In 2021, each American ate and drank, on average, 667 pounds of dairy products, as reported last month by USDA.

On a broader scale, Wolf pointed to a survey that Gallup conducted in 2020. When more than 1,000 citizens were asked whether they had a positive, negative, or neutral image of various consumer industries, farming and agriculture garnered the most positive reception, with 69% of respondents answering favorably. The sector had already been among the top-rated industries in years prior, and the pandemic gave it a boost to the top spot.

Additionally encouraging are the facts that are on that same list, the grocery industry had the second-most positive response and the restaurant industry ranked third. All three achieved a more than 60% positive perception. So, the entire U.S. food industry is very trusted by and admired by consumers and citizens, Wolf said.



Of course, we know there is still work to do. In that survey, 11% of respondents had a negative view of agriculture, and while not all of those people would even be receptive to a change of opinion, the survey also reported that 19% of people were neutral about the industry. More than 98% of Americans dont farm, and a growing number of those dont even know someone who farms or have ever been to a farm, so they dont have any context about agricultural production. Remaining proactive in explaining dairys story and making good decisions will be critical in leading the discussion about what dairy provides for its communities and the world.

Fortunately, we have a strong foundation to stand on, built up from decades of good work. The trust thats built up already suggest that theres a lot of social capital built up for the dairy industry that could be leveraged, Wolf said.

To watch the recording of the October 12 DairyLivestream, go to the link above. The program recording is also available as an audio-only podcast on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and downloadable from the Hoards Dairyman website.

Register to continue receiving updates

The next broadcast of DairyLivestream will be on Wednesday, November 16 at 11 a.m. CT. As of January 2022, we moved to a new system. If you have not yet, you will need to re-register to continue receiving email updates and links to the webcasts. You can sign up here now. Registering once will sign you up for all future events.

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2022

October 24, 2022
" " Nearly 14 percent of homes in the U.S. were built before 1940, which means they are closing in on the century mark. Knowing what to watch for can be key to owning an old house. Paul Brennan /Needpix

From a 1920s bungalow or stately three-story Victorian to a rustic stone farmhouse, a lot of us love old houses for their sturdiness, quirky charm and connection to history. And fortunately, there are a lot of venerable old homes still standing all over the world. Nearly 14 percent of the roughly 137 million homes in the U.S. were built before 1940, according to the U.S. Census American Housing Survey. In places such as Somerville, Massachusetts, and Buffalo, New York, more than 60 percent of the housing stock dates back to Franklin D. Roosevelt's second term or earlier.

But old houses also have a potentially significant downside, especially for unwary first-time homeowners, in that expensive problems are often tucked away inside the walls or under the floors. We don't mean just the predictable maintenance issues, such as replacing the roof shingles every 20 years or the electric or gas water heater once a decade. (Here's a still-useful 2007 report on the average life expectancy of various home components, from the National Association of Home Builders.)

Advertisement

What we're talking about are those time bombs  such as an ancient drainage pipe, crumbling chimney, or obsolete wiring that isn't up to the demands of today's uses  that can catch old house owners off guard and sometimes severely stress their household finances with four or even five-figure repair bills. While you can't always avoid these problems, it's wise to learn as much as you can about the risks  and possibly even budget for renovations and upgrades to head off trouble before it turns into an emergency.
Friday, October 28

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Heavenly Hot Dogs at Mount Olivet United Methodist Church, 301 Mount Olivet Road, will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free delivery for orders of more than $15, and takeout is available. Homemade desserts and chicken noodle soup are available. For more information, visit www.mtochurch.com or call 704-782-8846.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Trunk 'R' Treat at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. with costumes, candy, games and more.

Saturday, October 29

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot Dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union Street S, are offered on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call in orders are welcomed. 704-782-1785.

Rowan and Cabarrus County residents will join the fight to end Alzheimers disease at the Alzheimers Association Walk to End Alzheimers  the worlds largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimers care, support and research. The Western Cabarrus Chapter will be hosting Walk to End Alzheimers - Rowan-Cabarrus at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis. Check-in opens at 9 a.m. with an opening ceremony at 10 a.m. and a walk start at 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, October 30

The Piedmont Choral Society will present a "Service of Remembrance" at 4 p.m. at Calvary Lutheran Church, 950 Bradley Street, Concord for our community. This is the first formal concert the group has prepared since December 2019 due to COVID.

Forest Hill United Methodist Church is hosting an evening of spooky organ music at 5:30 p.m. The concert will feature world-renowned organist, Christopher Brayne, who joined the Forest Hill UMC staff this year. Brayne will match the energy of the Odell house with a variety of truly creepy organ music including Bachs Toccata and Fugue in D minor and Boellmanns Suite Gothique. The concert is free, open to the public

Monday, October 31

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Sweet Street Trunk-or-treat & Festival will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. The event will be at 150 N. Research Campus Drive in Kannapolis. For more information, call704-960-6158 or go to www.OutsideTheLinesMinistries.com.

Tuesday, November 1

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St. Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

A GriefShare support group will be held for anyone needing help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend. GriefShare Support Group will be held at Pitts Baptist Church, 140 Pitts School Road, NW, Concord, NC 28027, weekly on Tuesdays, through Nov. 15 from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. For more information, contact Linda Bounds at 704-793-8155.

Wednesday, November 2

The Cabarrus Senior Center Photo Club is alive and clicking away. If you like taking photos, come join the members on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Cabarrus Senior Center, 331 Corban Ave. SE, Concord, and share your photographic creativity. Whether you are a seasoned photographer or strictly amateur, all are welcome.

Thursday, November 3

Epworth UMCs famous hot dogs and taco soup, 9:30 a.m. -2 p.m. 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord. For free delivery call 704-786-5500.

The Concord Friends of the Library host the annual Deana Irvin Symposium, at the Cabarrus Country Club, featuring North Carolina native, Jason Mott, National Book Award Winner for fiction 2021. Mott will be discussing his novel, Hell Of A Book, which was released in June 2021. Doors open at 11:30, lunch served at 12:15, $30.00 per person. Reservations can be mailed with checks payable to the Concord Friends of the Library, PO Box 795, Concord, NC 28026. Deadline for reservations is Oct. 17.

Friday, November 4

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Heavenly Hot Dogs at Mount Olivet United Methodist Church, 301 Mount Olivet Road, will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free delivery for orders of more than $15, and takeout is available. Homemade desserts and chicken noodle soup are available. For more information, visit www.mtochurch.com or call 704-782-8846.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, November 5

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot Dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union Street S, are offered on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call in orders are welcomed. 704-782-1785.

Cabarrus DAV and Auxiliary will be placing flags on veteran graves at West Concord Cemetery on Union Cemetery Road starting at 10 a.m. Anyone who wishes to join in honoring our veterans is welcome to participate.

Monday, November 7

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

A Basketry Class is planned for beginner or advanced basket makers from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at 715 Cabarrus Avenue West, Concord, NC. ECA member and talented basket maker Brenda Long will be teaching this large Catchall Basket Class. Cost is $23 and checks may be made payable to : Cabarrus County, and dropped off, or mailed to NC Cooperative Extension, 715 Cabarrus Avenue West, Concord, NC . You may also register on line at : go.ncsu.edu/registercabarrus . When the Cabarrus Active Living site opens scroll down to Cooperative Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences , and click to find the Basketry Class. For additional information contact NC Cooperative Extension weekdays at :704-920-3310.

The Kannapolis History Associates meeting will be at 7 p.m. at the social room at A.L. Brown High School. Parking is in lot east of Trinity Methodist Church and use the sidewalk east of Kannapolis Performing Arts Center (auditorium) and follow the signs to KHA. Keith Seramur will present findings from the ground penetrating radar of the Historic Phifer Graveyard.

Tuesday, November 8

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St. Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

A GriefShare support group will be held for anyone needing help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend. GriefShare Support Group will be held at Pitts Baptist Church, 140 Pitts School Road, NW, Concord, NC 28027, weekly on Tuesdays, through Nov. 15 from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. For more information, contact Linda Bounds at 704-793-8155.

Thursday, November 10

Epworth UMCs famous hot dogs and taco soup, 9:30 a.m. -2 p.m. 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord. For free delivery call 704-786-5500.

Friday, November 11

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Heavenly Hot Dogs at Mount Olivet United Methodist Church, 301 Mount Olivet Road, will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free delivery for orders of more than $15, and takeout is available. Homemade desserts and chicken noodle soup are available. For more information, visit www.mtochurch.com or call 704-782-8846.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, November 12

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot Dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union Street S, are offered on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call in orders are welcomed. 704-782-1785.

Looking for holiday gifts or your next favorite book? The Friends of the Midland Library is hosting a book sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The book sale will be held at the Midland Library, 4297-C Highway 24/27 East. Everyone who attends will receive a free tote bag, and Bayou Sno will be selling sno cones, hot chocolate and coffee.

Monday, November 14

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Tuesday, November 15

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St. Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

A GriefShare support group will be held for anyone needing help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend. GriefShare Support Group will be held at Pitts Baptist Church, 140 Pitts School Road, NW, Concord, NC 28027, weekly on Tuesdays, through Nov. 15 from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. For more information, contact Linda Bounds at 704-793-8155.

Thursday, November 17

Epworth UMCs famous hot dogs and taco soup, 9:30 a.m. -2 p.m. 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord. For free delivery call 704-786-5500.

Friday, November 18

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Heavenly Hot Dogs at Mount Olivet United Methodist Church, 301 Mount Olivet Road, will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free delivery for orders of more than $15, and takeout is available. Homemade desserts and chicken noodle soup are available. For more information, visit www.mtochurch.com or call 704-782-8846.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, November 19

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot Dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union Street S, are offered on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call in orders are welcomed. 704-782-1785.

Got news or events?

Does your community group or nonprofit agency have an upcoming event that would be of interest to the public? Email it to mplemmons@independenttribune.com.
The department reported that officers will be at the Walgreens pharmacy, 212 S. Logan Ave., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, to collect unwanted or unused prescription medications as part of the DEAs National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

For those who cannot make it to Walgreens on that the date, the Mattoon Police Department has a drop box in the lobby of its station at 1710 Wabash Ave. Community members may drop off their medications at any time there. To locate other collection sites in the area, visit https://www.dea.gov/takebackday.
A woman who was reported missing in Indonesia was found in a pythons stomach, according to officials.

The 54-year-old left to work on a rubber plantation near Jambi, on the northeast coast of Sumatra, early Sunday, Oct. 23, according to local police, KalingaTV reported. She never returned home.

By Sunday evening, the womans husband went looking for her, police said, according to CNN Indonesia. As he searched the plantation, he located her sandals, a knife, a headscarf and a jacket.

After an unsuccessful search on Sunday, villagers continued searching on Monday. Thats when they stumbled upon a 22-foot python with a bloated stomach, according to KalingaTV.

The victim was found in the snakes stomach, Betara Jambi police chief AKP S Harefa told local media outlets, according to BBC. The womans body was intact when it was retrieved.

Pythons are constrictors, so they suffocate their prey before eating them, according to the San Diego Zoo. The snake grabs its prey with its teeth before coiling around it and squeezing until the prey can no longer breathe. The python then swallows its prey whole, usually head first.

Depending on their size, pythons typically eat small animals such as rodents, birds, lizards or small mammals like such as monkeys and pigs.

A villager told KalingaTV that he estimates it took the python about two hours to suffocate and swallow the woman.
CHARLESTON  Carl Sandburg Elementary School held its inaugural Halloween costume parade Thursday afternoon as a procession of approximately 560 students marched through the adjacent neighborhood.

Assistant Principal Beth Anne Morgan said the Charleston school district's Jefferson and Mark Twain elementary schools have held Halloween costume parades in recent years, but Carl Sandburg had not. She said the idea for this new event originated with the school's teacher action teams for program planning.

"One of our action teams brought this up as a suggestion and we ran with it," Morgan said, adding that she was pleased to see so many family members lining the parade route ahead of time. "We are excited."

The students were led by teachers and staff from the first grade wearing "Creepy Carrots!" children's book costumes, from the second grade carrying decorated jellyfish umbrellas, and from the third grade dressed as characters from Harry Potter, Dr. Seuss and other books. The students walked behind a Charleston Police Department squad car along Warren Street, Meadowlake Drive, Grant Avenue and Reynolds Drive on their way back to the school while the roads were closed to traffic.
PNC Financial Services Group Inc. has announced plans to close 26 branches, including one in Manteo, in its latest closings report to its federal regulator, the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

The reports typically are posted on Fridays.

In the same weekly update, Bank of America Corp. announced it was closing five branches and Wells Fargo & Co. closing two branches. None of those branches were in North Carolina.
NORFOLK, Va.  Thirteen months ago, Petty Officer 2nd Class Myesha Harris said goodbye to her little French bulldog as she prepared to deploy on the USS Harry S. Truman.

When she returned to pick him up last Saturday from a foster home, the stocky pup with blond-colored fur ran to Harris, stood on his back legs and snuggled against her neck as she bent down to greet him.

Nipsey, I missed you so much, said Harris, 29. Look at you; youre so big.

The 2-year-old pup gained a few pounds since she last saw him in person, but he was in good hands while she was away. Harris found the foster home for Nipsey through a nonprofit organization named Guardian Angels for Soldiers Pets that connects active-duty service members, wounded warriors and veterans with temporary homes for their pets.

Harris, a California native, doesnt have family in Hampton Roads to rely on, so she inquired about options for boarding her dog while deployed through the Navys Fleet and Family Support Center.

Guardian Angels, based in Texas, encourages service members and veterans not to give their animals away when deployed by providing an affordable long-term care option, said Marge Janiak, spokeswoman for the foster program.

Its a blessing for people like me that love their pets but also want someone to take care of them like they would, said Harris, who works in the carriers helicopter squadron.

The foster organization has about 10 to 15 pets being cared for across the country at any given time. Another dog is currently in a foster home in Williamsburg, Janiak said.

A team of coordinators screen pet owners and potential fosters before matching them up. Harris brought Nipsey to meet Deb Coon, a Virginia Beach resident and one of the organizations approved pet foster parents, before deciding to leave him with her last September.

She liked him, so I liked her, too, Harris said.

The pet owner is usually responsible for all pet care-related expenses including food and vet visits. The foster contract is for the length of deployment, which can fluctuate.

The USS Harry S. Truman deployed in December and was scheduled to return in May. Its time at sea was extended due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Harris and around 5,000 other sailors finally returned to Norfolk on Sept. 12 after nine months.

Nipsey stayed with Coon, a former dog handler in the Navy, while Harris prepared for the ships departure, during her deployment and until she was settled back into her apartment in Chesapeake, a month after returning.

They work with you if you need to be out longer, Harris said. I appreciated that.

Coon, 58, has a soft spot for dogs. She learned at an early age the importance of caring for them. Her mother worked as a veterinarian technician and then owned a pet-sitting business in her hometown in Ohio.

Coon served in the Navy for 24 years and is now working for a contractor. She owns a standard poodle named Clancy and has fostered more than a handful of pups through various volunteer programs.

Her experience with Nipsey was a success, she said. He made fast friends with Coons dog and had an easygoing demeanor.

Sitting in her backyard with Harris and Nipsey last Saturday afternoon, Coon started to tear up talking about her last days with the pooch.

Youre such a good boy, she said. Im going to miss you.
Q: I miss the carved pumpkins at Halloween in Old Salem. My children and I would go every year to see them. Why is the event no longer held?

C.J.C.

Answer: In a word, finances.

It wasnt financially viable for Old Salem to continue providing the program, said Terry Taylor, the president and CEO of Old Salem.

The free pumpkin carving event was well attended and fun. After the pumpkins were carved on Saturday, they were displayed on the fence around Salem Square through Sunday nights Old Salem trick or treating.

The last year it was done, in 2017, it cost the organization $7,525.00, Taylor said. That year, we asked the participating parents to donate something for their children and we made it easy with a donation box for cash and with a QR code for credit cards. We suggested $10 but they could give any amount.

Sadly, we only got a single donation of $10.00 and that came from one of our own staff members, Taylor said.

In 2018, Old Salem tried to find a corporate sponsor for the pumpkin carving.

They were unable to and the pumpkin carving ended.

As a nonprofit, we were no longer able to absorb the cost of putting it on, Taylor said. Given the current cost of pumpkins and supplies, the same event today might now run $10k or more.

We might consider doing it again if someone would like to set-up to pay for it.

Q: With all the new industry moving into the Triad, what are the chances nonstop flights to Boston will resume at Piedmont Triad International Airport?

J.M.

Answer: Officials with Piedmont Triad International Airport certainly hope the odds are high.

Stephanie Freeman, the marketing and customer relations manager for the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority, said Boston is the number one market that is not directly served from our airport.

Although it has been a number of years since we have had direct service to Boston, we continuously push the service, along with other markets, to our existing and potential new carriers. The growth that is occurring in the community will certainly bring additional demand that may lead carriers to serve Boston and other new routes.

Q: I received a sweepstakes offer with the title Sweepstakes Audit Bureau which offered $12,000,000. The entry data claim form requested that I send a $5 fee for processing. Is this a scam?

C.R.

Answer: Yes, anytime you are asked to send money to receive a prize, its a scam, according to the Better Business Bureau of Central and Northwest North Carolina.

The BBB also had some information about the Sweepstakes Audit Bureau.

We are reporting that the company is part of a larger business, Emerson Publishing. Emerson has earned an F rating with BBB, in part for not modifying all their advertising to meet the BBB Code of Advertising. Based on the ad review, theyve been using the same advertising you received for 12 years.

Drug disposal event

Inmar Intelligence in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Winston-Salem Police Department and the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office will have a drug take-back from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Bolton Elementary School, 1250 Bolton St., Winston-Salem.

You can drive through the school parking lot and drop off unused and expired medications for safe and secure disposal.
By Trend

The economy of the CIS countries is gradually recovering despite the crisis times, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during a meeting with members of the Council of Heads of Governments of the CIS, Trend reports on October 28 via the presidents press service.

Drawing attention to the growing geopolitical contradictions, and turbulence in the global economy, Tokayev called for a number of effective measures.

Trade and economic cooperation takes a special place here. As you know, during the year, within the framework of Kazakhstan's chairmanship, the active implementation of the tasks of the CIS Economic Development Strategy until 2030 continued. Despite the crisis in international markets, the economies of our countries are gradually recovering, he noted.

The president of Kazakhstan called for the removal of barriers, the prevention of protectionism, the creation of favorable tariff conditions, and the simplification of administrative procedures in the CIS.
Forsyth County commissioners are hoping that financial incentives can help create hundreds of jobs here at a motor manufacturing concern, but have two additional industrial prospects to consider over the coming weeks.

German motor manufacturer Ziehl-Abegg Inc. stands to collect up to $430,000 in economic development incentives from Forsyth County, and is also in line for some $630,000 in incentives from the city of Winston-Salem.

The company wants a new location for its North American headquarters and manufacturing, and if it comes to Winston-Salem, could eventually provide up to 800 jobs over 10 years at a site in the Union Cross area.

The incentives package for Ziehl-Abegg won unanimous backing on Thursday from the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners.

Mark Owens, the president and chief executive of Greater Winston-Salem Inc. told commissioners that the presence at the meeting of company representatives  even coming in from Germany  showed that this is an area that they are super interested in.

County Manager Dudley Watts said after Thursdays meeting that the county is seeing greater attention from companies seeking to relocate here.

Officials said that during its briefing session on Nov. 3 and again during its Nov. 10 meeting, the county board would hear details about another company looking to bring 79 new jobs here, along with $20.3 million in capital investment.

Kyle Haney, the countys economic development director, said the company makes medical packaging, and wants economic development incentives totaling about $196,000. The jobs would have an average wage of $49,000.

Haney said more details will be forthcoming about the proposal.

Meanwhile, commissioners went behind closed doors on Thursday to discuss a third prospect for business recruitment. No details were made available, but more board discussion is expected.

The Ziehl-Abegg proposal includes moving some 200 existing jobs from the companys Greensboro plant, and the creation of an additional 303 jobs over five years, with an average wage of $60,000.

If the company picks Winston-Salem, it also plans to have its North American operations headquartered here. Ziehl-Abegg is a worldwide concern that has 4,700 employees, 108 sales offices and 16 manufacturing plants around the globe.

The company makes fans, motors and other ventilation system components used in a wide variety of applications, including food storage, aerospace, health care, data centers and others.

The company has had a plant in Greensboro for more than 10 years. It is headquartered in Kunzelsau, Germany.

On Thursday, county officials said other sites in competition for the company include one in Guilford County, another in Columbia, S.C. and a third in Chattanooga, Tenn.

If the plant comes here, it would occupy a 500,000 square foot building built for it in the Union Cross Industrial Center in southeastern Winston-Salem.

A more detailed breakdown of the 303 additional jobs was provided to commissioners on Thursday.

The company would hire 150 laborers, 17 engineers, 15 people in finance, personnel and information technology, 28 machinists, 16 logistics workers, 14 in purchasing and 63 other positions.

The countys incentives offer is based on paying Ziehl-Abegg 50% of the net new property taxes the company brings in over five years.

County officials said Thursday that their projections show that over 10 years, Ziehl-Abegg would pay $1.8 million in county taxes. Substracting the incentives from that amount, the county would net some $1.4 million in new tax revenue.

In addition to new jobs, Ziehl-Abegg would have a capital investment here of $50.5 million over five years, including $4.5 million in building improvements and $46 million in machinery and equipment.
The second- and third-floor exterior walkways of the north Lincoln apartment building had been on the citys radar for years.

Housing inspectors ordered the owner of 4501 Tranquility Drive to replace the stair towers nearly a decade ago. And during their annual inspections, they monitored the rot and deterioration of the wooden beams supporting the concrete platforms.

In the last year, its been getting progressively worse and were starting to get real concerned, said chief housing inspector Sean Stewart. We gave notice to the owner at the time that we need to address this and get them shored up.

The owner hired an engineer, who determined repair was no longer an option. Theyd have to be replaced.

Which led to 13 families on the second and third floors getting alarming news from the property manager at the beginning of October.

Thanks for renting with Century, the letter began. We are writing to inform you of the need to move from your apartment for the demolition of balconies and stairwells.

The deadline: 5 p.m. Nov. 4.

Failure to move out could result in legal action, including an eviction, the letter concluded.

Both the letter and Chad Blahak, director of Building and Safety, said the property manager and the city tried to find a way to keep the upper apartments accessible during the $90,000 project, but there was no safe way to do that. The work wont displace first-floor renters, Blahak said.

In the two-bedroom apartment she shares with her daughter on the second floor, Stacey Messman did the math in her head.

Moving to a new apartment isnt cheap: First and last months rent, plus the security deposit and application fees can easily require an initial cash layout of $2,500 or more.

Many of her neighbors live paycheck to paycheck and dont have that kind of money available, she said. Many dont know what to do.

Some of us are on a fixed income, some of us are disabled. Its a vicious circle; a month ago, we didnt think wed have to come up with all this money and find a place to go in days.

There are other barriers. Some of the residents, like Messman, rely on federal Section 8 housing subsidies to help pay their rent, but not all landlords accept them, further narrowing their options.

Some dont have the qualifying credit score required by landlords.

And even those who can afford it are having trouble finding a comparable apartment on short notice.

Kenny Harris lives in a three-bedroom, third-floor apartment with his wife, Lisa Marie, two teen daughters and a disabled sister-in-law.

Most of their belongings are boxed up, waiting to move. But they still havent found anywhere to go.

We can pay for a place. We have no problem paying the bills. We just need someone to let us in, he said.

He estimated theyve spent hundreds of dollars on nonrefundable application fees; most landlords require one for every adult, and they have three under their roof. Even Century Sales and Management, who they already pay rent to, charged them application fees for possible units in its other properties, Harris said.

The Century Sales and Management official handling 4501 Tranquility could not be reached for comment.

Messman doesnt blame anybody for the failing structures. The building is nearly 45 years old. The stairs wobble. The walkway leans.

But she questions the timing. If the problem was apparent for years, why give such short notice?

Youre going to wait to tell us just before the holidays? Im frustrated.

Messman took inventory this week, knocking on her neighbors doors. Of the 13 displaced apartment tenants, three had found new housing  including one family moving to an empty unit on the first floor.

That left 10 families with just about a week to find and sign a new lease, she said.

Messman called the mayors office. She called the city ombudsman. And she might have found a source of hope she hadnt known existed.

She was pointed toward the Displaced Tenant Assistance Program, administered by Community Action Partnership and funded by Building and Safety and the Health Department.

The nonprofits Jessie Hedrick declined to describe the help the program provides, or whether anyone from Tranquility Drive had already applied. But she urged those living at the apartment building to call Community Actions Sarah Fentress at 402-875-9392 if they need help.

With the deadline to move out approaching, Messman was hoping the program would help her. If not, she and her daughter still didnt know where theyd be in a week.

Century did offer them use of an empty garage to temporarily store their belongings, she said.

We dont know what were going to do anymore. Are we going to end up living in my car?
A Lincoln man who barricaded himself in his apartment and started it on fire last year when police came to arrest him on child sex assault allegations was sentenced Thursday to 42 to 54 years in prison.

Veonta Hopper, 40, pleaded no contest to first-degree sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault and second-degree arson.

Lancaster County District Judge Jodi Nelson sentenced him to the prison term.

With credit for the time he's already served awaiting sentencing, he'll have to serve at least 20 more years before he's eligible for parole. When he's released, he'll have to register as a sex offender and be subject to community supervision for the rest of his life.

On June 18, 2021, one of his victims, a 9-year-old, came forward alleging Hopper had raped her several times when she was younger.

In 2008, a second, unrelated girl, then 6, told a child care worker Hopper had sexually abused her. Hopper denied it in a police interview. Investigators re-interviewed her in 2021, in light of the new allegation, and she said he raped her when she was 15.

When police went to arrest him Aug. 23, 2021, at his apartment near 14th and Superior streets, he barricaded himself in the bathroom and eventually lit a fire.

Investigators noticed the smoke, forced their way into the bathroom and used a Taser on Hopper to take him into custody.

Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews extinguished the fire quickly.

Smoke inhalation from the fire left Hopper in critical condition. Three law enforcement officers also had to be treated after inhaling smoke as a result of Hopper's actions.
Drought conditions worsened significantly across Nebraska last week, especially in areas that are experiencing extreme drought, according to the latest Drought Monitor released by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

All but a tiny sliver of the state along the Kansas border is in at least a moderate drought, and more than 83% is now in severe drought or worse.

But the biggest jump in drought conditions came in the extreme category, which now covers more than 51% of the state, up from about 42% the previous week.

Extreme drought now covers large swaths of the Panhandle, southwest Nebraska and north-central and northeast Nebraska.

The only good news was that areas in exceptional drought, the worst category, stayed steady at 11.5% of the state. Those areas remain predominantly in southwest and northeast Nebraska.

Lancaster County's situation remained pretty much the same as last week, with all but the northeastern corner in severe drought.

Lincoln has received only about 2.2 inches of rain since the beginning of August, which is more than 6 inches below normal for the period. Currently, it's the second-driest August-October period ever recorded in Lincoln.

The extremely dry conditions have wreaked havoc in a number of ways, including causing wildfires that have burned hundreds of thousands of acres across the state.

The latest were two fires in southern Lancaster County on Sunday that burned an estimated 9,000 acres, injured two firefighters and damaged numerous homes and other structures.

The drought also has been hard on agriculture in the state.

As of last week, 84% of both topsoil and subsoil were rated as short or very short of moisture, while 82% of pastureland was rated as poor or very poor.

A report released Thursday from the Nebraska Farm Bureau showed that drought is the second-biggest concern for the state's farmers and ranchers going into next year, behind only crop input costs.

Jay Rempe, the Farm Bureau's senior economist, estimated the state's farmers could lose as much as $2 billion in revenue this year just on the corn, soybean and wheat crops.

"But its likely to be worse because these estimates do not account for other crops like sorghum, sugar beets, sunflowers and dry beans, Rempe said.
The University of Florida faculty senate took a vote of no confidence Thursday in the national search for the schools next president, overwhelmingly rejecting a process that resulted in one finalist for the job.

The move came less than a week before the universitys board of trustees will interview the finalist, U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, setting up a vote that day that could make him Floridas 13th president.

Senate members meeting in Gainesville emphasized that Thursdays vote was not about Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska, but about a selection process that they said lacked transparency and faculty input. During debate over the measure, however, some faculty members expressed concerns over Sasses candidacy and suggested a resolution to reopen the search. That measure failed to gain enough support.

Much of the opposition to Sasse has centered around his stance against same-sex marriage, which has been criticized by LGBTQ advocates.

In the resolution that passed, the preamble states the process has undermined the trust and confidence of the senate.

The document, approved by a 72-16 vote, took aim at the fact that the three faculty members who served on Floridas presidential search committee were not able to confer with other faculty during the process. Committee members were required to sign a document promising to keep the panels deliberations confidential.

Faculty leaders told the senate they were confident Sasse was someone who could put aside his beliefs for the greater good of the university. But some members turned the question back on faculty senate chairperson Amanda Phalin, who has a vote on Nov. 1, when the universitys trustees will question Sasse.

Can you set aside your personal opinion to reflect those who you serve? biology professor Hannah Vander Zanden asked.

Phalin said the process is ongoing and she has reached out to LGBTQ groups on campus to ask further questions next week, but that she will act as a fiduciary of the university and vote in the way she believes is best for the university.

Sasse has said he intends to resign his Senate seat to assume the presidency at Florida, setting the stage for Gov. Pete Ricketts  or his successor  to name Sasse's replacement.
Friday is the deadline to register to vote in Nebraska for the Nov. 8 general election.

Voters must register in-person at a local election office by 6 p.m. Friday. In Lancaster County, the Election Commissioners office is at 601 N. 46th St. Call 402-441-7311 with questions. Find your local election official's office.

New voters had until Oct. 21 to submit their voter registration forms online or by mail in time for the upcoming general election.

Oct. 28 is the deadline for voters to change their address, party affiliation or name. Mail-in registrations had to be postmarked by Oct. 21 in order to be accepted.

Other important election-related dates for voters:

* Oct. 28: Deadline for voters to request absentee or vote-by-mail ballots in-person or by mail.

* Nov. 8: Absentee/mail-in ballots must be returned, either in person or must arrive in the election commissioner's office by mail.

* Nov. 8, Election Day: Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
OMAHA  In the Instagram photo, the couple  social media personalities in the world of bow hunting, nutrition and fitness  are the picture of confidence.

Josh and Sarah Bowmar, both in their 30s, stand knee deep in a broad body of water, the horizon stretching behind them.

Shirtless and muscular, he rests his bow on his shoulder. Clad in a bikini top and cutoff jeans, she props her bow on the top of her thigh.

Among the more than 330,000 Instagram followers of Bowmar Bowhunting, some 10,000-plus clicked on like.

That scene from June is a far cry from last weeks Zoom appearance before a federal judge in Nebraska, at which the couple pleaded guilty to conspiracy to attempt to illegally obtain wildlife. The plea was related to the largest known case of poaching in Nebraska.

More than 30 people have been convicted and more than $625,000 in fines has been collected in the years-long case involving Hidden Hills Outfitters of Broken Bow, a big game guide and outfitting service.

Over the years, as those who owned Hidden Hills and others involved pleaded guilty, the Bowmars were insistent that they wouldnt  that they would fight their case in federal court.

That changed last week.

The Bowmars pleaded guilty Oct. 19 in the U.S. District Court of Nebraska to a misdemeanor conspiracy charge. In exchange, four other more serious charges, mostly involving allegations of illegally baited hunting sites, were dropped.

The conspiracy charge, as defined in court documents, includes the idea that a person in the exercise of due care  should have known they were engaged in attempting to unlawfully take wildlife.

The Bowmars say the plea gets the facts right, so it made sense to agree to it.

We agree 100% that we should have known better, and for the record, we take responsibility for that, Josh Bowmar said Wednesday. At the end of the day, we were fighting to make sure (that it is clear) that we never poached or baited deer illegally.

Since the case began six years ago, the couple have moved forward with their lives, Sarah Bowmar said, having two children, building their businesses and creating a new life in Iowa.

We had to take into account the mental stress and anxiety and everything that goes into going to trial, Sarah Bowmar said. We were fine with taking responsibility for what (federal prosecutors) brought. What they dropped is what we were fighting.

Prosecutors declined to comment on the Bowmars case, which awaits a January sentencing.

Hidden Hills recruited at least 118 clients from states such as New York, Wisconsin, Virginia and Utah to hunt in Nebraska, charging them $2,500 to $7,000.

The Bowmars were likely Hidden Hills highest-profile clients. Sarah Bowmars Instagram account has more than 1 million followers, and their companys YouTube channel lists more than 287,000 subscribers.

According to court documents, the Bowmars came to Nebraska three to five times a year to hunt with Hidden Hills from September 2015 to November 2017.

During that period, court documents say, the couple formed Bowmar Bowhunting LLC with the intent of using video and images obtained in Nebraska for their businesses on Instagram, YouTube and their website. At the time, they resided in Ohio; they have since moved to the Des Moines area.

In addition to Bowmar Bowhunting, they also operate Bowmar Nutrition, which includes an extensive line of health food products and some pet foods. The couple say Bowmar Nutrition is one of the top five direct-to-consumer supplement companies in the U.S. Their products, not available in stores, are sold online.

As part of the plea agreement, they and their video production company will pay $119,000, combined, in fines and forfeitures. They also agreed not to hunt in Nebraska for the duration of their sentence, once it is set.

In the plea agreements, the federal government is returning a mounted mule deer head, two sets of mule deer antlers and a bow. The government is keeping three sets of deer antlers.

Hidden Hills and some of its clients used such illegal tactics as setting bait, hunting at night with lights (which can immobilize animals) or from the road or out of season. Some put silencers on their rifles to keep other hunters from hearing the gunshots. Others fudged hunting permits.

At least one other celebrity hunter was a client at Hidden Hills. Big game archery hunter and television personality Rod Owen brought his commercial video equipment to hunts in Nebraska from 2015 to 2017. He has since pleaded guilty.

Hidden Hills Outfitters had access to 200,000 acres over eight Nebraska counties, according to court documents and one of the convicted participants.

Hidden Hills is not related to Hidden Valley Outfitters in nearby Arnold.
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Local faith leaders, activists, law enforcement officers and politicians gathered in Kenosha Thursday to decry hate speech, antisemitism and racism.

Attendees gathered at Grace Lutheran Church, 2006 60th St., for a rally organized by Leaders of Kenosha in response to recent incidents involving flyers and pamphlets.

Attacks on any individual or group in our community due to their race, religion, sexual orientation or gender will not be tolerated in our community, said LOK Executive Director Tanya McLean. This type of hate, darkness, divisiveness and racist activity only unifies us across all of our differences and strengthens our resolve of hope, courage, tolerance and love.

On Saturday, Anthony Davis, president of Kenosha and Racines branch of the NAACP, said his wife found a dead bird on top of a U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson campaign pamphlet on their Pleasant Prairie property.

In a Facebook, Davis said his wife found the bird and flyer, which featured an attack on Johnsons opponent Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is Black, on their front porch when checking on a delivery, and questioned if the bird had been purposefully placed when the door hanger-type pamphlet was delivered.

I was upset, I was in disbelief in how it upset my wife, Davis said. You can campaign however you want to. You can put signs up, I dont have any problem with that. But when you come to my home  the way that looked (was terrible). Ive seen birds that have died but never on a campaign flyer on a porch. I called the police department in Pleasant Prairie and they came out. We had a conversation. We talked to my neighbors. Thats where we are right now.

There should be respect in everybodys campaign, whether its Democratic, Republican or Independent. Were in a volatile season right now, and I understand that, but be respectful. Thats the only thing I ask, Davis said.

Under investigation

Pleasant Prairie Police are investigating the incident but so far have few leads. Davis said he has installed a camera system, both for his familys safety and to potentially catch any potential future incidents.

Pleasant Prairie Police Chief David Smetana attended Thursdays event.

It was an unfortunate incident that occurred on Saturday, it was a rare incident for the Village of Pleasant Prairie, Smetana said. We know that around these election times theres a lot of emotion and passion involved; theres supposed to be. But we need to remain civil, as Mr. Davis mentioned before, and respect each others political views.

I would imagine theres a difference of political opinion with the people up here standing behind me. We can all find that and set that aside and have a common discussion about respect for each others property and respect for each others opinions, Smetana said.

Antisemitic flyers

Those attending Thursdays event pointed to antisemitic flyers that have been placed throughout Kenosha neighborhoods for months. In August, Kenosha Police issued $4,301 in citations to a 56-year-old Kenosha man accused of spreading hundreds of anti-Semitic flyers across the city.

Throughout the year, such flyers that spread falsehoods about Jews were placed in bags of rice.

Rabbi Dena Feingold, who leads the Beth Hillel Temple in Downtown Kenosha and is co-president of Congregations United to Serve Humanity, said the racist incidents must be called out.

CUSH stands with its partners this morning in unity and strength as we decry all forms of bias, discrimination and hate, Feingold said. We emphatically state that this community will not be cowered by hate-filled messages, whether anti-Black or antisemitic.

Kenosha Police Chief Eric Larsen, also in attendance, said city libraries have also been receiving mailings from white nationalist organizations.

Most recently, firehouses and libraries have been receiving mailings from white pride organizations. While this isnt illegal, it isnt necessarily wanted. You can save your postage. Were going to continue investigating that which we can investigate and enforcing that which we can enforce, Larsen said. In the last couple of years weve been working hard on building community relations. Instability does nothing to advance this.

Also in attendance Thursday were Ald. Anthony Kennedy; state Reps. Tod Ohnstad, D-Kenosha, and Tip McGuire, D-Kenosha; Adelene Greene, a founding member of the Kenosha Coalition for Dismantling Racism; the Rev. Jonathan Barker, pastor of Grace Lutheran; and members of Congregations United to Serve Humanity.
By Trend

Today marks two years from the day of the missile attack on Barda city by Armenian Armed Forces, Trend's Karabakh bureau reports on October 28.

As a result of the attack using prohibited missiles and heavy artillery installations on Barda city, 20 civilians were killed, and up to 70 people were injured.

Representatives of the district's public, heads of the law enforcement agencies, heads of non-governmental organizations of Azerbaijan, servicemen of the Azerbaijani army, relatives of martyrs, and citizens of the district took part in the commemoration ceremony in honor of the victims of Armenian terror in Barda city.

Strongly condemning the terror, the mother of 29-year-old Vasif Ismayilli, Arzu, who died during the bombing of the city, said that his father also became a martyr at the age of 29 during the First Karabakh War, in the battles in the direction of Aghdam city in July 1993.

The wife of Maharram Mustafayev, who during those events was in a car and died as a result of an explosion of a prohibited Smerch missile, also participated in the commemoration ceremony. She, like the mother of killed Vasif Ismayilli, noted that, despite the fact that two years have passed since the terrorist attack, the pain of loss doesn't subside.

During the Second Karabakh War as a result of war crimes committed by Armenia 93 civilians died, including 12 children and 27 women, and 454 civilians were injured. A total of 12,292 residential and non-residential premises, and 288 vehicles were damaged, and 1,018 facts of damage to farms were revealed.
Responses to the Wisconsin State Journals candidate questionnaire. The election is Nov. 8. Republican candidate Mark Trofimchuck did not respond.

Mark Spreitzer

Party: Democratic

Age: 35

Address: Beloit

Family: Husband, Philip Gorman

Job: State representative

Prior elected office: State Assembly, District 45, 2015-present (first elected November 2014); Democratic Caucus Chair, 2016-2022; Beloit City Council, April 2011-April 2015, council vice president, 2012-2014 and council president, 2014-2015

Other public service: City of Beloit Appointment Review Committee, 2006-2009; Board of Community Action of Rock and Walworth Counties, 2012-2015; Board of Welty Environmental Center, 2015-present (board president, 2017-present); Deacons Outreach Board at United Church of Beloit, 2014-2020; Finance and Facilities Board at United Church of Beloit, 2020-present

Education: Bachelors degree in political science from Beloit College, 2009

Campaign website and email: www.MarkForWI.com and Mark@MarkForWI.com

Q&A

Why are you the best candidate for this office?

I have a record of serving our district on volunteer committees, nonprofit and church boards, and during my eight years as a state representative and four years on the Beloit City Council. I have helped constituents with state licensure issues, unemployment benefits, small business assistance and other services while championing legislation that reflects the values and priorities of our district.

What is the most important issue in this election and how would you address it?

The state budget. We have a $5 billion surplus, but families are struggling to afford child care, health care, housing and other basic needs. Businesses and family farms are facing higher costs and fewer job applicants. Communities are finding it hard to pay for road repair and fire and EMS service. Schools need to recruit and retain great teachers. Our budget represents our values and must address these issues.

What changes, if any, would you make to the states election system?

Our elections are well-run, safe and secure, but improvements can always be made. I support automatic voter registration through the DMV to easily and securely update addresses when people move, and offer an easy way for new voters to register. I would restore the ability to return absentee ballots using secure drop boxes, expand the time period for in-person early voting, and end gerrymandering.

What are your priorities for the states $5 billion surplus?

Families, small businesses, and local governments are facing increasing costs and struggling to afford the same necessities they did last year. We should leave part of our surplus in the rainy-day fund, return part to the people of Wisconsin as a middle-class tax cut, and invest the rest in basic services such as childcare, public education, roads, first responders, and healthcare access.

Should abortion be legal in all cases, illegal in all cases or something in between? Explain.

Abortion is health care, and it should be safe and legal. Wisconsins archaic 1849 criminal abortion ban must be repealed. The decision of whether or not to have an abortion, sometimes in very painful circumstances, is an incredibly personal one, best made between a pregnant person and their doctor, without government interference.

How should the state improve educational outcomes, especially in the wake of how the pandemic affected student achievement?

The state must invest in public education and put more dollars into classrooms without raising property taxes. We need to address the teacher shortage and support students who are dealing with challenges outside of school. We should help schools meet the needs of students through breakfast and lunch programs, after-school programs, support for students with special needs, and more mental health resources.

How should the state address its workforce challenges, both in the public and private sectors?

We must remove barriers to work and connect Wisconsinites with careers by investing in child care, eldercare, housing, apprenticeships, and higher education. We need to attract workers by raising wages, increasing benefits, and building great communities. The state must ensure positions in essential fields like education, healthcare, and public safety are competitive with other states and the private sector.

Was the Michael Gableman investigation of the 2020 election a good use of taxpayer resources? What follow-up should there be?

No. Wisconsins elections are safe and secure. Gableman and Speaker Vos wasted over $1 million on a sham investigation that disparaged our election officials and gave a platform to conspiracy theories. As the top Democrat on the elections committee, I held Gableman publicly accountable for his actions, and I support an audit to ensure taxpayers have a full accounting of what he did with their money.
Democratic Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and his Republican challenger, Eric Toney, lobbed repeated attacks at each other over public safety, abortion and elections Thursday night during the last of this election cycles debates for statewide races.

Kaul tried to downplay Toneys attacks on his record as either falsehoods or a reflection of the Fond du Lac County district attorneys misunderstanding of the state Department of Justice.

Kaul contrasted his detailed plans for boosting public safety spending in Wisconsin with Toney, whose policy rollouts have been largely limited to boosting pay for prosecutors and giving the Department of Justice original jurisdiction over violent crime in Milwaukee.

What you heard from my opponent is mostly attacks and a few vague platitudes, no plans, Kaul said.

But with crime at the forefront of many voters minds this election cycle, Toney played up his deep bench of law enforcement support from dozens of sheriffs, police unions and other officials.

Ive been in the trenches with our cops, with our prosecutors, Toney said. Thats why theyve lined up behind me because of your public safety failures.

With the complexities involved with running the Department of Justice, the debate between the two at the State Bar of Wisconsins offices in Madison cut through to many nuances in public policy and criminal justice in a way other debates have not.

But unlike the contests for governor and U.S. Senate, a lack of polling in the attorney generals race has made it harder to know how voters feel toward either candidate. When elected in 2018, Kaul won by less than 1%.

DOJ staffing

During the debate, Toney repeatedly brought up purported staffing shortages at the Department of Justice, particularly in the Division of Criminal Investigation. He attributed a figure of a roughly 25% vacancy of DCI agents to Tina Virgil, the head of the division.

DOJ has released data showing a 9% shortage of agents. Under Kaul, DCI had generally better staffing than under the previous attorney general, Republican Brad Schimel.

He knows the facts and what hes saying is false, Kaul said. As attorney general, you have to tell the truth.

But Toney insists thats not the full picture, saying the DOJs figures dont include DCI supervisors. He repeated a call for DOJ to release its organizational chart for the division.

The Department of Justice is still processing a records request for DCIs organizational chart made by the Wisconsin State Journal earlier this month.

Crime lab performance

Toney further attacked Kaul on the performance of the State Crime Lab, one of his long-standing criticisms of the attorney general.

Under Kaul, the lab is taking longer to test items despite taking in far fewer samples of DNA and other evidence. Processing the states backlog of sexual assault kits was a key plank of Kauls 2018 campaign.

Anybody knows, when you fail at the number one thing you say youll do at work youre going to get fired, Toney said.

Kaul has defended the crime labs performance. The backlog of DNA analysis cases has fallen despite advanced technology that allows for more cases to be solved, Kaul said.

Abortion

Toney used the debate to deny multiple times that he supports having district attorneys prosecute abortion cases in neighboring counties, a rare practice that would require a change in state law to do so for abortion-related cases.

A PBS interview with Toney aired earlier this month shows him saying: I think another approach would be allowing for adjoining counties to be able to investigate and enforce that abortion ban in Wisconsin.

At Thursdays debate, Toney said he never expressly advocated for that position and would enforce abortion law no matter what it is.

In response, Kaul warned of Toney doing just that under a Republican-controlled state government that could pass laws on abortion and contraception even more restrictive than the states current 1849 ban.

They may very well put in place restrictions for people who try to leave the state, Kaul said. They may very well narrow the exceptions to save the life of the mother.

Kaul added that DOJs finite resources would be better used on violent crime and drug trafficking cases.

Elections

Kaul tried multiple times to tie Toney to Michael Gableman, the former state Supreme Court Justice who Republicans tapped to investigate the 2020 election and have since fired. Toney has long said there was no widespread voter fraud in 2020 and that decertification of the results is impossible.

On Thursday, Toney didnt answer a question on what the DOJs role should be in elections. He then played up his own prosecutions of election fraud in Fond du Lac, attacked Kauls record on public safety and his role working on behalf of Hillary Clinton in a 2016 primary recount.

Kaul then criticized a lawsuit Toney filed earlier this year accusing Wisconsin Elections Commission officials of breaking the law for not sending special voting deputies into nursing homes during the 2020 election.

While our elections are under attack from people who are trying to overturn the result of the election, we need an AG we can count on to stand up for democracy, Kaul said.

Consumer protection

Toney declined to say whether he would withdraw Wisconsin from a lawsuit Kaul filed earlier this year suing companies that played a role in PFAS contamination. Instead, Toney said he would review the case if elected and talked up his record on environmental protection in Fond du Lac.

Im not going to prejudge some cases that I havent had the chance to look at all of the information, Toney said. But I will protect our environment. I will work with our business leaders, our communities, our DNR to make sure were doing that.

Kaul stressed the grave impact PFAS contamination has had on the states water supply and pointed to Toneys lack of overt criticism of pharmaceutical companies role in the opioid crisis.

They want Mr. Toney to win, Kaul said of big business. They dont want somebody whos going to stand up for all Wisconsinites. They want somebody whos going to do their bidding in the AGs office.
Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette has taken many walks around the state Capitol over his 10 consecutive terms in office, but it was a little over a year ago that he was struck by the fact that there is no plaque accompanying the bust of his famous distant relative, Robert M. La Follette, in the rotunda.

La Follette, who finds himself in a tight race for his 11th consecutive term against a Republican who wants to have the office oversee elections, on Thursday unveiled a plaque that could soon adorn the bust of Fighting Bob La Follette, describing him as a founder of the progressive movement and champion of the Wisconsin Idea.

I noticed that here was Robert M. La Follette, probably the most famous politician ever to be in Wisconsin, and there was nothing explaining who he was, La Follette said standing next to the bust in the first-floor rotunda. The average person would have no idea.

Doug La Follette Secretary of State Doug La Follette holds the plaque to be added to the state Capitol's bust of his distant relative Robert "Fighting Bob" La 

La Follette, who said he is a first cousin, twice removed, to Robert La Follette, said the State Capitol Executive Residence Board earlier this month signed off on the plaque, but on the condition that the $2,742 price tag be covered through fundraising. If the goal is reached, La Follette said the plaque will be installed in the next three or four weeks.

Robert La Follette was a progressive governor and 1924 presidential candidate who also spent just over 19 years in the U.S. Senate. La Follette was one of five individuals to be memorialized as the famous five, a collection of the five most outstanding former senators, by a U.S. Senate committee led by John F. Kennedy.

The committee described La Follette as a ceaseless battler for the underprivileged and a courageous independent who never wavered from his progressive reform goals, according to a profile on the U.S. Senate website.

Ive always thought Fighting Bob was a great person, a hero of mine, for what he stood for, La Follette said. I think the fact that he fought for the little person, that was his philosophy.

La Follette, a 35-year incumbent Democrat, is running for another term against state Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton, Neil Harmon, a Libertarian, and Sharyl R. McFarland, of the Wisconsin Green Party, in the Nov. 8 election.

La Follette has said he is running to stave off a GOP push to claim the largely powerless office and transfer to it power over state elections, as Loudenbeck has proposed. A recent CNN poll found 49% of respondents supported La Follette, and 49% backing Loudenbeck.

La Follette raised almost $109,000 in the first eight months of the year, compared with about $176,000 raised by Loudenbeck, according to campaign finance reports.

Wisconsins secretary of state hasnt been in charge of elections since 1974, and the offices powers have been whittled down over the years by the Legislature. Former Republican Gov. Scott Walker removed the offices power to publish bills after La Follette delayed publishing the former governors Act 10 collective bargaining law in 2011.

The offices budget and staffing have also been reduced over time, and the office currently has just a few duties, including processing annual requests to authenticate documents for trade, travel, adoptions and education.

Eliminating the office  an idea teased by Republicans in the past  would require voter approval to amend the state Constitution. Giving the office more duties related to elections would need to be approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature and governor.
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
Copperas Cove, TX (76522)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 57F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 57F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.
Jeddah Airports Company participated in the International Airport Summit 2022, held in London from October19 to 20, with the participation of major international companies specialized in the air transport industry.



CEO of Jeddah Airports Company, Ayman bin Abdulaziz Abo Abah, said that participation in this conference aims to learn about the latest operational practices for managing global airports, reported Saudi Press Agency (SPA).



The company aims to exchange knowledge and experiences with specialized international companies, and present Jeddah Airports plans related to building, developing and improving services at King Abdulaziz International Airport, he added.



He pointed out that the conference is an opportunity to meet with the chief executives of airports and air transport companies, and to discuss ways of cooperation.



The CEO indicated that the company is currently seeking to raise the capacity of King Abdulaziz International Airport by completing the terminals to be established after adopting the general plan to complete Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.



He noted that Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, who make up 30% of transit passengers, noting that transit passengers also represent from 25% to 30%, while regular travellers represent 40% of the 114 million passengers targeted through King Abdulaziz Airport in 2030.



The International Airport Summit 2022, is held annually and will discuss in its current session, how to manage airports in light of the current challenges, with the participation of experts from around the world, benefiting from the latest innovations and advancing operational excellence, in which international speakers participate to develop their future strategy, in addition to the sharing the lessons learned from past experiences.
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 57F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 57F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.
The Fitout, one of the leading providers of complete interior solutions in the UAE, has announced that it has completed the work on the Panorama Restaurant as part of its refurbishment of the 489 rooms at the Residence Inn by Marriott in Dubai.

Revealing its ongoing work for Residence Inn by Marriott, Fitout said it has successfully delivered half of the project to the client while the hotel is fully operational with customers enjoying all the amenities, despite the renovations being carried out - from floor to ceiling.

The detailed drawings executed by the firm are in accordance with the Marriott specifications and uphold the unique branding of the hotel, it stated.

Sherif Nagy, General Manager at The Fitout, said: "We have worked diligently to deliver impressive interiors at the Residence Inn, especially during the planning phases which requires more focus. We constantly made sure that we adopt sustainability measures in all the phases of construction, while developing this novel, Italian-styled interior that offers the warmth and comfort of a home to its customers."

"Our team has tried relentlessly to meet the evolving trends in the hospitality sector where every space strives to provide customers with contemporary interiors, unique concepts, and themes. Despite all the challenges, we have managed to deliver distinct and innovative designs at the Panorama restaurant and are looking forward to the same for the rooms of the hotel, once we complete the work," he noted.

By setting high standards, Fitout said it is developing unique designs for the interiors of the hotel, which meets the evolving demand for innovative and state-of-the-art interiors in the hospitality industry.

"The hotels guest rooms will feature unique wall coverings imported exclusively from Italy and made with the finest materials and cutting-edge technologies. Moreover, we are placing high priority on sustainability, at every stage of construction of the rooms," observed Nagy.

"Likewise, the company also utilised quality materials from Italy and cutting-edge technologies for the construction of 700-sq-m Panorama Restaurant's interiors which is now fully completed," he said.

Designed in harmony with the overall theme of the hotel, the interior of the restaurant has a distinctive design that blends modern architecture with previously employed sinuous curves and arches, stated the top official.

The designs for the rooms and the restaurant have been created to suit the prime location at which it is located, offering its guests and diners a magnificent view of the seaside and DIFC, he added.

Fitout, he said, had effectively co-ordinated with the hotels Italian designers to promptly alter shop drawings in accordance with the client's specifications and make every effort to deliver the project on schedule.

"We have implemented several sustainability measures both in the hotel and the restaurant, such as proper waste management and reuse of several materials without compromising on quality and standards, in order to ensure environmental safety" he added. -TradeArabia News Service
KEARNEY  There are six shows remaining in the Kearney Concert Associations 75th year of bringing exceptional and affordable concerts to central Nebraska, said Angela Wright, Concert Association president.

Its going to be a smooth and very enjoyable evening at our next Kearney Concerts show, she said.

Empire Wild will appear at the Merryman Performing Arts Center on Nov. 3. Cellist and band spokesman, Mitch Lyon, introduced the group, saying the crossover trio met at Julliard as classical artists.

We started with Ken Kubota and me on cellos and Brandon Ilaw on percussion and vocals, Lyon said. After we graduated, we started having a great time playing and making music together. Then we decided to start making our own music, writing original songs and other explorations across many genres.

Its always been a challenge to describe Empire Wilds style beyond crossover, he said, as we do enjoy playing classical, jazz, folk and pop. I think of our style in musical terms, but its very warm and string centered so that it has an almost orchestral feel regardless of what were playing, because of the cellos and roots in classical tradition.

Empire Wild is based in New York City, performs regularly in Manhattan and has toured all across the U.S. Earlier this year, Ilaw got his dream job of playing percussion on Broadway touring shows. Now, Holly Bean has stepped in and brings a new angle to his role and as a pianist and vocalist.

Holly has this deep jazz sensibility that broadens and pushes us as classically trained folks. Holly has a lovely voice, and as a cello group were covered on the low end, and that allows her voice to float above it. It puts a new color on our original songs and the other pieces we do as well, Ilaw said.

Were bringing some new arrangements of songs we love on our tour: a Stevie Wonder plus some new jazz and tunes weve put our own spin on, he said. We love to keep tinkering as we go.

The group had a concert during a Florida stop that did have them in a serious panic. As Lyon explained, We were touring with Brandon. He left his cajon, his main percussion instrument, at our previous venue. We discovered it missing just an hour before our next show. Luckily Ilaw had a friend in the New World Symphony there in Miami, and Empire Wild gave him tickets to their show for allowing the group to use his cajon that evening.

Kearney Concerts is proud that once again, Wright said, well have these professional artists performing and educating students while theyre here and at no cost to the schools.

Lyon interjected, We love doing workshops with students. On our voyage in the coming weeks, well be stopping at a few schools to play for students and show them a little bit of what they dont teach you at school. No one tried to teach it to us, so we had to find it ourselves. We love having that be part of what we do.

Wright added, We really push to have the parents bring their kids to hear great music. Adult season tickets are a bargain at just $50, but a family membership to all six shows (2 adults and x number of full-time students) is only $110. Thats only $10 extra for the kids.
LINCOLN  The Nebraska Department of Economic Development will host a series of town halls across the state to discuss LB1024, also known as the Economic Recovery Act.

Kearney will host one of the town hall gatherings. The event will be 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Buffalo County Extension Center, 1400 E. 34th St.

Hastings will host a town hall 4-5 p.m. Wednesday at the Central Community College student union, 550 S. Technical Blvd.

Additional town halls are planned at Lincoln, Beatrice, Fairbury, Omaha, Fremont, Thurston County, Winnebago, South Sioux City, Norfolk and Scottsbluff. DED leaders and others will give remarks and take questions. The town halls are open to the public.

More information is available from Economic Recovery Division Administrator Javier Saldana Jr. at javier.saldana@nebraska.gov or 531-283-1589.
KEARNEY  The Arc of Buffalo County has planned pop-up Honey Sunday locations for its 58th annual fundraiser. The event is held every year on the first Sunday in November.

The Arc is excited to again be providing Chandlers Sandhill Honey  a local Nebraska honey  to supporters. On Nov. 6, volunteers plan to set up locations to purchase honey at Kitts Kitchen and Coffee from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and inside both the Kearney Hy-Vee and the Hilltop Mall from 1-4 p.m.

The Arc has been partnering with Chandlers Sandhill Honey for a few years and vouch for the quality of their local honey.

We hope Kearney will continue to support us as they have for 57 years now, said Brad Driml, The Arc of Buffalo County board president.

People who wish to volunteer on Honey Sunday or want to order honey in advance can call The Arc office at 308-237-4343.

Presale orders come with free delivery in Buffalo County. One 6-ounce jar is $6 and one case of 24 6-ounce jars is $125.

The Arc of Buffalo County advocates for the rights and full participation of all children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Donations can be made at arcofbuffalocounty.org/ or by calling the office at 308-237-4343.
A woman sitting in the back of the room at the state superintendents conference on Tuesday raised her hand and announced to the crowd that she had quit teaching a year ago.

Its because of this, the woman said, gesturing to the audience.

With just a couple months left on his term, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder gathered a crowd of like-minded people on Tuesday to host a conference on the sexualization of children in schools.

We are living in unprecedented times, like nothing weve ever faced in our nations history, Schroeder said. The issue we seek to address here today is both unsettling and disturbing. Or at least it should be.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Star-Tribune after the conference that theres a severe lack of trust for teachers. Tears filled her eyes.

Nobody would argue that we need to sexualize children, she said. All this is doing is demonizing teachers.

Other educators responding to Schroeders conference shared similar sentiments about the event.

Michael Stedillie, a retired teacher and school board candidate in Natrona County, said that he wishes critics would come to school and actually see whats going on.

I find it interesting that some of the critics to whom I have spoken with, by their own admission, have not set foot in a classroom for years, he said.

Stedillie was a teacher for 41 years before retiring and becoming a substitute teacher in Natrona County. He said hes spent the past few weeks subbing for an eighth grade language arts class, teaching reading comprehension and critical thinking.

It kind of annoys me when people say that we have to get back to the basics, he said. Weve never left the basics.

Getting back to the basics is a common rallying cry around education these days for parents concerned that their kids are being indoctrinated and taught political and gender ideology at school.

Schroeder has also repeatedly raised concern that Wyoming schools are becoming a place where educators are imposing their personal ideologies on students.

In response to Schroeders conference, Natrona County Education Association President and former teacher Dirk Andrews said in a Facebook post that its against Professional Teaching Standards Board code of conduct for teachers to push their personal ideologies on students.

I would encourage anyone who feels schools are pushing our personal ideologies on students to reach out to our educators and to visit our schools, he wrote.

I believe the statements made by the current state superintendent were made to divide us, when in all (honesty) we want to work together.

Stedillie also said he sees a different picture than what was portrayed during the conference.

You can walk up and down the hallways, and youre going to see math being taught, youre going to see reading being taught, he said.

The teachers that he knows are doing their absolute level best to give kids the education they deserve.

I think it would be really nice if society in general were to recognize that and give them a pat on the back once in a while.

John Trohkimoinen, a retired teacher who taught history at Natrona County High School, said he hadnt personally felt that narratives impacted his work as a teacher.

But hes talked to other teachers, particularly those who are mid-career, who feel like theyre at crossroads, questioning what to do with their career, if its time to get out, if they should stick with it.

I think with a lot of things that are going on, people are starting to wrestle with that a little bit, he said.

A handful of educators from across Wyoming doesnt necessarily represent where all Wyoming educators stand in regards to Schroeders continued battle against the sexualization of children in schools.

But theres data that sheds light on what a larger group of Wyoming teachers feels about their profession in general right now.

Trohkimoinen pointed to the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Education Association study released in June, which showed that 65% of surveyed teachers would quit their jobs now if they could. (Trohkimoinen himself answered the survey questions.)

I think its important for school boards and superintendents and people who are involved in teacher retention to be looking at (the survey results) and scratching their head saying, OK, what can we do to make things better? he said.

More than three-quarters of respondents to another recent survey of school districts by the Wyoming School Board Association said they consider a lack of respect and trust shown toward educators as a top factor hurting hiring and retention.

Trohkimoinen said it seems that recognition of the good work thats done everyday in schools has taken the backseat.

In his more than three-decade career as a teacher, he had never experienced the level and kind of attention thats surrounding schools and educators in Wyoming right now. There have always been issues out there, but they have mostly been singular, he said.

But this time, things have gotten lumped together: fears about child sexualization, Moms for Liberty wanting to ban books, people talking about critical race theory and how evil that is.

This is the first time Ive seen it lumped together like that, he said. It seems like its just a general attack on public education, and Ive never seen a thing with this intensity.

And its not always easy for people on different sides of these various concerns to have conversations and come to some sort of agreement.

Christy Gerrits, a retired seventh grade science teacher and LGBTQ ally, said it has been challenging for her to talk with people with differing views concerning the controversial topics highlighted during Schroeders conference.

One woman, she said, called her amoral when Gerrits tried to talk with her. She feels disappointment. She feels anger. Shes saddened. At this point, Gerrits said that electing the right people to the school board, to the commission, to the Legislature is the only viable way she sees of moving forward.

Its just horrendous what theyre doing to the LGBT community, she said.

I feel like this is an issue being brought to Wyoming by outside groups, the radical-right agenda.

But other educators who spoke with the Star-Tribune were more optimistic.

There is always room for people to sit down and have a productive conversation, Stedillie said.

The question, Trohkimoinen said, is when to have those conversations. He thinks right now, with the general elections coming up, isnt the best time.

This is just my take on it, but sometime after the election, once things have cooled off a bit, I think somehow, maybe gently, people need to start the conversation about what we need to do, he said.

I think theres always time to be able to visit. The question is how do you start the dialogue? And if I had that answer, Id go to the bank right now.
Donations to the Nebraska GOP appear to have nose-dived following the contentious state party convention that saw an almost complete exodus of the party establishment.

Since the convention on July 9, the state GOP has collected around $163,000 in contributions, according to the latest filings with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission and the Federal Election Commission, averaging about $55,000 per month. In the 12 months before the convention, the party gathered more than $1.6 million, averaging over $135,000 per month.

The Nebraska Democratic Party has outraised the state GOP in recent months based solely on its latest federal election filings, which show the party has received about $548,000 since July 9. The partys latest state filing was not available.

The Nebraska GOP convention was filled with tension from the start. It culminated in a group of delegates ousting the chairman at the time, Dan Welch, which prompted a wave of resignations among other party leadership. Delegates then elected now-Chairman Eric Underwood in Welchs place.

Underwood did not respond to multiple requests for comment regarding the fundraising totals.

University of Nebraska at Omaha political science professor Randall Adkins said he wasnt surprised by the drop in contributions. He said it is likely linked to the change in party leadership, which may have damaged the trust previous donors had in the organization. Adkins said the party will most likely mend that damage.

The question is, how long will it take, he said.

Some speculated that the outcome of the convention was an act of resistance against Gov. Pete Ricketts influence on the state party. Ricketts and his family have been among the biggest financial backers of the state GOP for years.

Of the $1.6 million donated before the convention, the Ricketts family contributed more than $555,000. But since the convention, the family hasnt donated any money to the state party, according to records.

Nebraska Democratic Party Chairwoman Jane Kleeb said Ricketts has used his financial influence to control the party. But after the new leadership got rid of all his people, Kleeb said it degraded Ricketts trust in the party.

A Ricketts spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

The lack of Ricketts money isnt the only reason for the lagging numbers. Though Ricketts would often contribute large lump sums to the party, other contributions before the convention also ranged in the thousands. Since then, most contributions have been below $1,000. One notable exception came from the partys candidate for governor, Jim Pillen, who gave $6,500 on July 28.

Both state parties have been buoyed by sizable outside contributions from national political committees seeking to elect members of their party to Congress.

The Nebraska GOP received a $100,000 contribution from the National Republican Congressional Committee in September, according to federal election records.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee contributed more than $266,000 to the Nebraska Democratic Party between August and September.

The flood of outside money comes as incumbent Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican, attempts to fend off a challenge from state Sen. Tony Vargas, a Democrat, to represent Nebraskas 2nd Congressional District  one of the few House races nationally that political observers view as competitive.

Kleeb said much of the Democratic campaign committee money went to support Vargas campaign.

Kleeb has previously criticized the national Democrat establishment for not contributing enough to local Democratic candidates running in red states. However, she said the Nebraska Democrats relationship with the national party is better than ever, and will serve as building blocks for 2024.

In the latest state campaign finance report, which covers contributions and expenditures up to Oct. 4, the Nebraska GOP did not document any contributions beyond Aug. 1, even as the party logged expenditures up to Sept. 16.

This could be explained by the party operating with a smaller staff since the convention, leading to a backlog of contributions that have yet to be documented. In the federal reports, the state GOP continued to receive a steady flow of contributions up to the end of its latest filing period on Sept. 30.

Since the convention, the state GOP has been without an executive director, who typically handles most of the partys day-to-day operations. Underwood previously said that he doesnt expect to fill the role until early next year, but he didnt anticipate the vacancy would have much of an impact.

Among the recent recorded contributions in the state campaign finance report were more than 40 anonymous contributions of exactly $250  the maximum an individual can donate without being named  which were all logged on Aug. 1.

Adkins said that detail could reflect a potential backlog, but acknowledged it was strange.

Its an oddity that raises more questions than answers, Adkins said.

Welch said that the flow of contributions while he was chairman varied, but they were typically higher during election years. He said there was a good amount of money in savings when the new leadership took over, so the party should be able to continue operating even with fewer contributions.

If contributions dont bounce back in the long term, however, Welch said that could hurt Republican candidates running in down-ballot races, particularly candidates who are unable to fund their own campaigns.

Adkins said that over time, fewer contributions could prevent the party from sharing important information and resources with candidates, and in general the party would not be able to function as normal.

Eventually, that lack of support will starve the party, Adkins said.

Neither expect that to happen, however, and both men said they anticipate the party will build back its contributions.

Adkins also pointed out that although less money might be going straight to the party, that doesnt mean money isnt going to Republican candidates.

Signs of this can already be found through Ricketts recent contributions. Though he hasnt donated to the state GOP since the convention, hes made over a dozen contributions directly to Republican campaigns, and paid $314,000 to a new PAC called the Nebraska Future Action Fund, which has made attack ads against state Sen. Matt Williams campaign for the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, and against Greg Gonzalezs campaign for Douglas County sheriff.

The money hasnt gone anywhere, Adkins said. Its probably just going in a different direction.
The American Red Cross urges blood donors of all types and those who have never given before to book a time to give blood now and help keep the blood supply from dropping ahead of the holidays.

People of all blood types are needed, especially platelets and those with type O blood  blood products that are critical to keeping hospitals ready to help patients depending on transfusions in the weeks ahead.

Book now by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). As a thank-you for taking the time to give this fall, all who come to give Nov. 1-22 will receive a $10 e-gift card by email to a merchant of choice. Details are available at rcblood.org/perks

Upcoming blood donation opportunities in Vernon County include the following:

De Soto: 11/18/2022, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., De Soto High School, 615 Main St.;

Readstown: 11/4/2022: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Peace Lutheran Church, 112 East Center St.;

Stoddard: 11/21/2022: 12 to 6 p.m., St. Matthews Evangelical Lutheran Church, 303 N. Main St.;

Westby: 11/14/2022: 12 to 5:30 p.m., Westby Coon Prairie Church, 500 S. Main St.

Amplify your impact  volunteer!Another way to support the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross is to become a volunteer blood donor ambassador at Red Cross blood drives. Blood donor ambassadors help greet, check-in and thank blood donors to ensure they have a positive donation experience.

Volunteers can also serve as transportation specialists, playing a vital role in ensuring lifesaving blood products are delivered to nearby hospitals. For more information and to apply for a either position, contact VolunteerWisconsin@redcross.org or visit https://www.redcross.org/volunteertoday.
UW-Extension Madison has announced registrations are open for a Southwest Wisconsin Farmer Leadership & Soil Health Summit. The summit will take place on Thursday, Nov. 17, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Dodger Bowl Lanes, 318 King St., in Dodgeville.

Members of the Tainter Creek, Bad Axe River, Rush Creek Conservation and Coon Creek Community, Biological Farming Friends, Farmers for the Upper Sugar River, Iowa County Uplands Water-shed Group, Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance, Lake Wisconsin Farmer, Pecatonica Pride, Sauk Soil & Water Improvement Group, and Yahara Pride Farms watershed councils are encouraged to attend. Registration is free, but required. To sign up, go to go.wisc.edu/d102d.

The agenda includes:

9:30 a.m. registration;

10 a.m. groundwater report;

10:30 a.m. Evaluate Soil Health with Dr. Chris Baxter;

11:15 a.m. farmer-led lightning talks;

12 p.m. lunch;

1 p.m. small table discussions;

2:15 p.m. farmer leader-ship panel;

3 p.m. adjourn.

Any questions can be addressed to joe.bonnell@wisc.edu, or 608-930-9850.
The Vernon County Health Department is now certified by the Department of Natural Resources to test private and public drinking water for nitrates at its in-house lab.

Water testing kits can be picked up at the departments office, located at 318 Fairlane Drive, Viroqua, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The cost is $30. Return samples are accepted Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Results will be available in one to two weeks. If your results are over 10 mg/L, Health Department staff are available to assist with next steps.

High levels of nitrate in drinking water can affect everyone

Women who are or may become pregnant and babies are especially sensitive to nitrate.

Nitrate may cause birth defects and can cause blue baby syndrome in infants less than 6 months old.

Nitrate may cause thyroid disease or certain types of cancers.

Nitrate in private wells

Nitrate is the most common groundwater contaminant in Wisconsin.

Some studies have estimated that at least 10% of private wells in Wisconsin have high nitrates.

Nitrate levels over 10 mg/L can be harmful.

To learn more about nitrate in water, visit the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) website: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/water/nitrate.htm.

Testing well water annually for contaminates helps to protect your overall health.

Questions? Contact the Health Department at health@vernoncounty.org or 608-637-5251

The Vernon County Health Department and Vernon County Land and Water Department are honored to partner with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WDHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish healthy water education and promotion in Vernon County. Establishment of nitrate services is funded in part by support of WDHS and CDC. This educational flyers content is solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the WDHS.
The Vernon County Health Department will continue offering free COVID-19 Testing Tuesdays to the community during the month of November.

Free COVID-19 Testing Tuesdays will be held in the Erlandson Building parking lot, 318 Fairlane Drive, Viroqua, on the following dates from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29.

Rapid antigen tests will be utilized, with most results available in 15 minutes or less. If negative and symptomatic, an additional PCR test may be advised and offered.

Pre-register at https://covidconnect2wi.gov/#login. Once your account has been created at covidconnect2, you will not need to pre-register again.

Follow signs to the testing trailer. Please remain in your vehicle; staff will come to assist you. Be prepared to wait for the rapid results.
A Viroqua man has died as the result of a single-vehicle rollover accident on State Hwy. 56 near Elm Drive in the town of Liberty, Oct. 25. It's the county's fourth traffic fatality this year.

According to a press release from the Vernon County Sheriff's Office, at 11:08 p.m. the Vernon County Dispatch Center received a call about the accident.

The driver, Eiliv E. Ellefson, 42, was alone and traveling west on State Hwy. 56. The vehicle left the roadway, traveling on the side of the road about 160 yards before overturning and coming to a stop against an embankment. Ellefson was ejected from the vehicle during the crash. Life-saving measures were performed on scene before he was transported to Vernon Memorial Healthcare where he was pronounced deceased.

The Viroqua First Responders, Viola EMS, Viola Fire Department, Wisconsin State Patrol and the Vernon County Coroners Office assisted at the scene.

This accident remains under investigation by the Vernon County Sheriff's Office and the Vernon County Coroners Office.
Kevin Gundlach, president of the South Central Federation of Labor in Madison, said his office phone has been ringing constantly from workers seeking advice on unionization. He estimates employees from some 20 private sector workplaces in his 11-county region around Madison have sought to organize this year.

This is the first time weve seen this level of interest, he said. There is no doubt. Weve never seen this before.

A wave of Republican laws over the past decade cratered union membership in Wisconsin, but recent private and public sector worker mobilization has demonstrated the staying power of organized labor.

Labor membership in Wisconsin fell dramatically after the passage of Act 10, the anti-public sector collective bargaining bill in 2011, with the sharpest decrease in the nation over the next decade. As of 2021, Wisconsin reached a new low just shy of 8% of the total workforce unionized. Over the past decade, Wisconsin unions lost 124,000 members, or about a third of their ranks, driven largely by the death of public sector unions.

I dont think any other state lost almost half their membership in one fell swoop the way that Wisconsin did, said University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor Emeritus David Nack, who specializes in labor issues.

Hundreds of union members and workers at a Labor Day event march from Zeidler Union Square to Henry Maier Festival Park to listen to President Joe Biden speak on Sept. 5, 2022. (Ricardo Torres / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Hundreds of union members and workers at a Labor Day event march from Zeidler Union Square to Henry Maier Festival Park to listen to President Joe Biden speak on Sept. 5, 2022. (Ricardo Torres / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

But amidst a labor shortage, private and public sector workers are notching wins across the state as they organize against outsourcing, budget cuts and what they consider threats to academic freedom in local schools.

Gundlach said private sector workers are complaining of worsening conditions with the proceeds of their labor padding executive salaries and enriching corporate stock investors.

Theyre making record profits, he said. And theyre not helping out the workers and the families within our communities.

Gundlach was once a unionized Dane County employee. But Act 10 changed all that, stripping his union of many of its core powers and limiting its ability to bargain for raises, benefits and safe working conditions. The law requires a majority of all employees to vote to re-certify their union each year, a frustrating hurdle that caused many public sector unions to disband.

In Madison, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) lost more than half of its membership in the past five years going from 11,062 in 2016 to just 4,848 this spring.

But rather than fade away, some unions switched to become nontraditional employee associations. While they cant collectively bargain over a contract, they can speak with one voice over working conditions.

Many county employees are now members of Dane County Employee Group 720  a move endorsed by the Dane County Board, which codified the right for county workers to self-organize in an ordinance.

There continues to be friction: the Wisconsin State Journal reported this summer that Shawn Tessman resigned abruptly from the countys Department of Human Services and criticized elected officials for siding with organized employees who called into question the judgment of management.

Privatization efforts thwarted

How far Act 10 goes to limit the power of organized labor in higher education is still playing out more than a decade later. In Oshkosh, about 100 university custodians and groundskeepers faced the threat of layoffs after the UW-Oshkosh signaled it intended to outsource the work to a Tennessee-based company.

Recruitment and retention of dedicated custodial and groundskeeping employees remains difficult in this economy, Chancellor Andy Leavitt wrote in an open letter to students and workers, explaining why the university had been exploring the move to a private vendor.

But after students and faculty picketed and delivered multiple petitions, with at least 1,000 total signatures, the university administration abandoned the idea.

One of the forces behind the effort was a local chapter of the American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin that doesnt have legal standing to collectively bargain for contracts for faculty members due to Act 10.

We have broad First Amendment rights to organize and advocate for our working conditions, said AFT-Wisconsin Vice President Jon Shelton, an associate professor at UW-Green Bay. And so weve been able to do some pretty interesting things to build power on our campuses in the past few years.

Jon Shelton, professor of democracy and justice studies at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and vice president of higher education for the American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin, joins a protest at UW-Oshkosh on Sept. 6, 2022. The protest aimed to halt the outsourcing of custodians, grounds and maintenance crews. Faculty, staff and others joined the march on campus. (Charlie Bruecker / The Advance-Titan) Jon Shelton, professor of democracy and justice studies at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and vice president of higher education for the American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin, joins a protest at UW-Oshkosh on Sept. 6, 2022. The protest aimed to halt the outsourcing of custodians, grounds and maintenance crews. Faculty, staff and others joined the march on campus. (Charlie Bruecker / The Advance-Titan)

The custodians and groundskeepers had once been unionized but lost certification several years back, said David Siemers, a UW-Oshkosh professor and co-president of an AFT-Wisconsin affiliated union on campus. A major fear was that the workers would lose their state benefits, including health care coverage, if their jobs were privatized.

If we hadnt spoken up and if others hadnt spoken up, I think theyd have liked to simply wash their hands of a management problem, Siemers said.

He attributed the lack of retention to the wider problem of stagnant wages for state employees despite a multibillion dollar budget surplus.

The state needs to understand that it needs to pay more money in order to hire successfully, Siemers said.

Another union-led effort helped scuttle a similar outsourcing plan at UW-River Falls.

Our locals are being creative about how to build power, said Shelton of UW-Green Bay. Its not like, Oh, we cant collectively bargain in a meaningful way. So lets just not do anything and wait for collective bargaining to come back. What a union does is it builds power in the workplace. And thats what our locals are doing.

Threatened strike brings breakthrough

In perhaps the most high-profile recent example, more than half of Madison-based UW Healths 2,600 nurses threatened to strike after their quasi-public employer refused to recognize their union.

UW Health  whose governing board is a mix of appointees of the Legislature and governor  argued that Act 10 precludes it from recognizing the union after its last contract expired in 2014.

UW Health registered nurse Tami Burns said one motive for unionizing was to have more say in daily operations inside the hospital.

Registered nurse Tami Burns speaks during a May 2021 press conference calling on UW Health to recognize a nurses union. Around 2,500 nurses lost certification of their union in 2014 when their contract expired. Since then, UW Health has argued that Act 10 precludes the quasi-state health authority from signing a collective bargaining agreement with its workforce. (Courtesy of SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin) Registered nurse Tami Burns speaks during a May 2021 press conference calling on UW Health to recognize a nurses union. Around 2,500 nurses lost certification of their union in 2014 when their contract expired. Since then, UW Health has argued that Act 10 precludes the quasi-state health authority from signing a collective bargaining agreement with its workforce. (Courtesy of SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin)

I mean, the policies that are made are made by people who dont do the job every day, she said.

She has worked in the vascular surgery section of University Hospital in Madison since 2017. She said managers have complete control over their section with nurses unable to speak up if they have concerns.

She said employees have no right to have an advocate in the room if theyre being disciplined by a manager. And if they are sanctioned and want to challenge it, its the same person who disciplines you, that reviews it. So Im sure you can see where that goes: nowhere.

The end result, she said, is that nurses have few protections and find it difficult to have a voice in the hospital wards and to advocate on behalf of their patients.

Thats a huge part of a nurses job, Burns said. Its in our code of ethics that we have to advocate for patients, and it makes it really hard to do that.

After employees threatened a three-day strike  and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers intervened to broker a resolution  UW Health administrators softened their stance, asking the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission to rule on whether the nurses can organize under Act 10.

Private sector unionization underway

Unionization has increased across the nation, but its unclear whether Wisconsins private sector is following that trend. The National Labor Relations Board announced a 58% increase in petitions nationwide this summer over a nine-month period.

But an analysis of petitions filed in Wisconsin over the same period show the increase was modest  21 petitions filed compared with 17 during the same period a year earlier. Eight of those recent petitions were by Starbucks coffee shop employees in places including Madison, Milwaukee and Appleton.

Indeed, since 2011, the rate of petitions has mostly decreased. It spiked with 44 workplace petitions in 2014 but since then it has been less than 30 a year.

Gundlach, with the South Central Federation of Labor, said these figures arent keeping pace with the activity hes seeing in his region.

A pro-union sign is seen on the lawn of the United Auto Workers Union building in Oshkosh, Wis., on July 15, 2022. While public sector unions have been decimated by the passage in 2011 of Act 10, efforts are underway around the state to create new private sector unions. (Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Watch)

It took one group of workers six to eight months with me meeting with them, for them to be willing to approach a union, he said. The actual vote that will occur could take a year or longer, because theres a lot of organizing that gets done within the workplace before they even go public.

Coming out of the pandemics lockdowns has caused many workers to reassess their value as front-line essential workers in services, trades and manufacturing.

Workers have a sense of the leverage and the value they have, said labor economist Laura Dresser, an associate director for the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS) at UW-Madison. You can see that in the high rate of churn.

In its State of Working Wisconsin report for 2022, COWS sought to dispel the notion that Wisconsinites are staying out of the workforce. Participation in the labor market is actually higher now than pre-2020, with more than two-thirds of working age Wisconsinites in the workforce.

Thats several points higher than the 62% national average.

Organizing in schools

In public education, Wisconsin teachers unions are galvanizing members who say their academic freedom is under threat by conservative critics who want to censor their lesson plans.

In the Superior School District parents filed a complaint over fifth graders being taught about gender identity.

Shelton credited AFT-Wisconsins local in Superior with organizing parents and community members to speak in defense of a 30-minute presentation used to teach fifth graders about gender identity.

Minutes from an August 2022 school board meeting show that 30 people defended the curriculum against the six who criticized it. Ultimately, the school board voted 5-2 to keep the curriculum in place.

Without support, oftentimes a lot of people will be afraid to teach things, Shelton said. We think weve really been able to impact things over the past few years, in spite of the very significant legal limitations we have against us.

Future remains unclear

Labor experts and leaders say theres a renewed energy across public and private labor sectors as employees increasingly push back against a long period of stagnant wages, rising costs of living and shrunken benefits such as health insurance and paid time off.

It remains unclear whether Wisconsin worker leverage is here to stay. A recession could lead to higher unemployment and dilute the relatively strong position of employees.

But some labor experts predict the momentum will continue as more workers experience the real gains from organizing for better conditions.

Workers are always going to advocate for equity and voice in their workplace, said Professor Michael Childers, co-chair of UW-Madisons School for Workers, regardless of whatever legal constructs exist to assist or thwart them.

Jacob Resneck is a Report for America corps member. Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009.
RACINE  It has been a month since Hurricane Ian swept across Florida, but the historic damage and recovery efforts have largely been overshadowed by other news.

For the people of Florida, the aftermath goes on largely out of the spotlight.

Jeff Berard, director of the Journey Disaster Team, serving Racine, Kenosha, and Walworth counties, has been in continual contact with national partners about what they may need to help the people of Florida recover.

The team was able to send a semi-truck loaded with supplies to an area near Fort Myers last week, thanks to their many partners  including Amazon and Burlingtons Boss Services LLC, who donated the semi that transported 23 pallets of necessities.

We loaded up that truck full of critical supplies that were needed in the area, Berard said.

Supplies included non-perishable food, diapers, baby wipes, Gatorade, energy drinks and gloves for the cleanup.

Members of Journey Church raised the $4,000 for fuel.

This is the second natural disaster the Journey Disaster Team has responded to this year. In January and February, members of the team traveled to Kentucky following deadly tornadoes.

In Florida

Pastor Wendell Smith provided a written update from Hardee County, Florida, a rural area that was hit with a Category 2 hurricane and winds up to 105 mph.

He said the hurricane hit at about 8 p.m. Wednesday night and the effects lasted until the morning hours. He described the wind damage and flooding as significant. They were without power for seven days.

Cutting Edge Ministries Food Bank, an effort by Faith Temple Church of God, was ready Saturday morning to begin passing out food and drink.

Smith said 3,600 people were served from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., with the help of volunteers and local authorities.

Even with our church damaged and flooded, we moved and activated assistance to families, Smith said, adding they distributed supplies to over 9,000 people with the first two weeks.

He sent his thanks and appreciation to the Journey Disaster Response Team for that semi of supplies.

Thanks to God for his protection and our preparation to be ready to help people, Smith wrote. We received food and products even after to continue to help families with the truckload of supplies from Journey Church and their partner network with the heart to drive from Wisconsin to (the Florida city of) Wauchula.

Infrastructure

The Journey Disaster Team works with national partners to aid in the disaster response to other regions. The partners include Christ in Action and Convoy of Hope.

These are well-established, highly-regarded disaster relief teams, Berard said. Theyre very good at what they do.

Christ in Action volunteers are already on the ground in Florida distributing supplies and helping with the cleanup.

Berard said there is a lot of debris removal and demolition that still needs to be done. Homeowners need help removing the drywall from the interior of their homes, so the structure can dry out.

Volunteering with homeowners is a rewarding experience, Berard said. The service is free of charge to the homeowner to help them recover from the disaster.

This saves homeowners a tremendous amount of money, time and effort, he said. Thats what these organizations do ... Volunteers are there to make sure they can bless that family who is already experiencing a huge amount of devastation and are really fighting to figure out how theyre going to recover.

Many hands

In order to assist their national partners, the Journey Response Team is conducting outreach to recruit more volunteers.

Berard explained not every job is removing drywall or removing fallen trees. There are a number of volunteer opportunities that do not require heavy lifting. As one example, volunteers are also needed to prepare meals and sort the donations coming in.

This is a massive operation with historic damage, which will take many months or longer before these people recover, Berard said of those impacted by Hurricane Ian. Theres a large amount of help thats going to be needed to cover the amount of work there is to do.

Volunteers can serve in Florida as long as theyre able  whether that be for a few days, weeks or months. Additionally, clubs, organizations, corporations and church groups may also participate and send volunteers.

Plenty of people in this area just have huge hearts and they just want to help, Berard said. We want people to know we are the contact for those with questions about serving. We can connect them to the right people.

As a regional team and the point of contact for this area, wed like to see whos interested, and who has the ability to go down there and help, he added. We can provide information and get them to Florida to serve, if thats what they want to do.

Campaign

In addition to recruiting volunteers, the Journey Disaster Team has launched a campaign to raise funds for the response.

Getting people and supplies to Florida  and taking care of the volunteers while they are there  is expensive.

Berard said the team will be working to get the support of individuals, businesses and corporate sponsors to help fund the effort.

All the money raised, he continued, will be restricted to funding the response to Florida.

The people of Florida do need help from southeast Wisconsin communities, individuals, businesses and corporations, he said. We really need to come together, so we can help these folks.
MOUNT PLEASANT  Sanders Park Hardwoods State Natural Area in Mount Pleasant is to be inducted into the Old-Growth Forest Network, Racine County announced in a news release Wednesday.

Sanders Park Hardwoods State Natural Area will be the fifth Wisconsin forest to join the Old-Growth Forest Network, and the third this year.

It will join Cathedral Pines in Oconto County, Muskego County Park in Waukesha County, Plum Lake Hemlock Forest State Natural Area in Vilas County and Holmboe Conifer Forest State Natural Area in Oneida County.

The mission of the Old-Growth Forest Network is to connect people with nature by creating a national network of protected, mature, publicly accessible forests. The organizations goal is to ensure the preservation of at least one forest in every county in the United States that can sustain a forest, estimated to be 2,370 out of a total of 3,140 counties.

OGFNs program works to identify forests for the network, ensure their protection from logging and connect people to these properties to experience mature and old-growth forests. OGFN also educates about the extraordinary ecological and human wellness benefits of old-growth forests, and speaks out regarding immediate threats to specific ancient forests.

Founded in 2012 by Joan Maloof, OGFN is based in Easton, Maryland, and has dedicated over 170 forests in 32 states.

Sanders Park Hardwoods is a 33-acre designated State Natural Area within Sanders Park and Campground, owned and managed by Racine County Parks. It is located off Wood Road, southeast of the intersection of Taylor Avenue and Wood Road.

Originally purchased by Racine County in 1930, the area was later dedicated to Edwin Sanders, a local biology teacher. Sanders Park Hardwoods was designated a State Natural Area in 1967.

Sanders Park Hardwoods induction into the Old-Growth Forest Network underlines the importance of the work that Racine County, its park staff and various environmental groups around the state and country are engaging in to protect invaluable forest land and other rare habitats, Racine County Director of Public Works and Development Services Julie Anderson said in a statement. This unique and valuable natural area lies within a rapidly urbanizing geographic area, yet residents of Racine County have the unique opportunity to experience old-growth forest right in their backyard. Protecting this rare space ensures generations will be able to experience the unique landscape forever.

Sanders Park, added Nick Sanchez, network manager for OGFN, is a refuge for biodiversity and were honored to help showcase and celebrate this location.

Natural characteristics

The state natural area consists of two slightly elevated swells, or domed areas, separated by a shallow swale on an ancient terrace of Lake Michigan. A swale is a shady spot or a sunken or marshy place.

Its protected status will allow it to continue to develop complex old-growth characteristics.

Southern dry-mesic forests occupy the two swells with basswood, white oak, black walnut, red oak and white ash. An elm-ash forest dominates the swale. The sapling layer is composed of ash, basswood, ironwood and black cherry. While the forest was historically logged, dominant trees are now over 100 years old.

A wildflower guide lists 89 species of flowers and ferns including showy orchids, yellow ladys-slipper, false mermaid, false Solomons seal, Trillium, sharp-lobed hepatica, spring-beauty, wild geranium, blue cohosh and the introduced helleborine orchid.

Ferns of interest are ostrich, rattlesnake, rusty woodsia and ebony spleenwort. Breeding birds include great-crested flycatcher, eastern wood pewee, red-eyed vireo, mourning warbler and indigo bunting.
The Evers-Barnes administration made a pledge four years ago during their campaign to cut in half the prison population. They released over 1,000 convicted felons. They have about 10,000 more to go if you do the simple math on 21,000 people being incarcerated in Wisconsin. And of those, about 300 are convicted murderers/attempted murderers. Forty-four are child rapists.

Tony Evers & Mandela Barnes have released 270 murderers and attempted murderers from prison.

Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and the Republican candidate for governor, Tim Michels, have made a point of criticizing their respective Democratic opponents, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and Gov. Tony Evers, for allegedly releasing violent felons on parole.

Their source is a series of articles called Freed: Evers killers & rapists, by the right-wing news website Wisconsin Right Now, which reports that it used public records requests and publicly available information to compile a list of 883 felons released on parole from 2019 through 2021 before their mandatory release dates, including more than 270 murderers and attempted murderers, and more than 44 child rapists.

Lets deal with Barnes first.

Barnes has voiced support for cutting the state prison population in half, such as in a September 2018 interview when he agreed when an interviewer asked if that could happen over a period of years.

Its not something that happens overnight, Barnes said. If you stop sending more people back to prison, if we reduce our recidivism rate, if we address the way that we sentence nonviolent offenders, over time the prison population will be half of what it is now.

Less clear is why any Wisconsin lieutenant governors views on the prison population or parole are relevant when under state law and the state Constitution, the lieutenant governor has only two substantive duties: to act in the governors stead when the governor cannot perform his or her job, and to serve on various boards as the governors representative.

Johnson spokesperson Alec Zimmerman didnt point to any specific instance in which Barnes has been involved in parole policy.

But he said the medias standard has been to attribute the actions of (a lieutenant governor) to the governor they served with and pointed to a Nov. 2, 2021, PolitiFact article that rates as true an assertion by Democratic state Sen. Kelda Roys that former Republican Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch worked with (former Republican Gov.) Scott Walker to sign five abortion restrictions into law that took away services and threatened doctors with prison time for providing safe and legal abortions.

Barnes campaign said he has not been involved in parole decisions, and Evers campaign declined an opportunity to weigh in on the matter.

Evers has also endorsed the idea of halving the prison population. In a 2018 primary debate, he called it a goal thats worth accomplishing, albeit with the caveat: We have to stop ... incarcerating people for nonviolent crimes.

But Evers ability to affect parole is technically limited to appointing the chair of the Wisconsin Parole Commission, which technically makes parole decisions independently.

Evers named Racine City Council member John Tate II as Parole Commission chair in May 2019, after the position was vacant for two years under Walker. Like other Evers appointees, Tate was never confirmed to the position by the Republican-controlled state Senate.

Tate resigned at Evers request in June, after the family of a murder victim objected to the commissions decision to grant the victims killer, Douglas Balsewicz, parole. Balsewiczs parole was subsequently rescinded.

Some background

Three things are worth keeping in mind when it comes to the melding of politics and parole.

First is that only a small fraction of Wisconsins prison population is eligible for parole because of a change in state law that took effect at the end of the last century

. People sentenced to prison for crimes committed before Dec. 31, 1999, can be paroled after serving 25% of their sentence, and must be paroled after serving two-thirds of their sentence.

But people who committed crimes after that date must serve all of their sentence, with some exceptions for completing certain rehabilitative programs. The Parole Commission has no say over their fates.

Only 8.8%, or 1,784, of those in prison in Wisconsin were eligible for parole as of Sept. 30, according to the Department of Corrections, although DOC spokesperson John Beard said that number could include some who are also serving sentences under the current sentencing system and thus would not be eligible for parole for those post-1999 crimes.

Second is that parole is common under governors of both major parties. During Walkers two terms from 2011-19, the Parole Commission released nearly 1,400 people on or before their mandatory parole dates.

And third is that while Wisconsins prison population increased by about 1,800 inmates during Walkers tenure, the prison population in the United States as a whole

even before the COVID-19 pandemic,

. The federal prison population, for example,

and

, a 28% reduction over nearly nine years.

Since Evers and Barnes took office, Wisconsins prison population has dropped from 23,562 to 20,388 as of Oct. 21, a decline of 13% over nearly four years.

To recap

So whats the rest of the story?

Evers and Barnes have expressed support for halving the states prison population, but not all at once or necessarily by releasing violent offenders.

Evers has no direct control over who is paroled, and Barnes has no say in parole matters.

The vast majority of people in Wisconsin prisons are not eligible for parole.

Prison populations have been declining for years, even before the pandemic.


A resident of Jharkhand, Manzar Imam was arrested in 2013 under UAPA. Of the total 369 witnesses in the case, not even one of them have so far been examined in the matter.

TCN Staff Correspondent

Support TwoCircles



NEW DELHI  Manzar Imam, a resident of Bariatu Basti in Jharkhands Ranchi district, was arrested in 2013 under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA for allegedly conspiring and preparing to carry out terror attacks  targetting important places across the country. Nine years have passed by, but not even charges have been framed against the suspected operative of the Indian Mujahideen (IM)  a proscribed terrorist organisation.

Framing of charges under section 211-224 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.P.C.) is a prerequisite for a trial to begin.

Of the total 369 witnesses, not even one of them have so far been examined in the matter. He has been lodged in prison for the past nine years without a trial. The accused has not been granted bail either.

After Imam approached the Delhi High Court, stating that he has been incarcerated since October 1, 2013, a single-judge bench, comprising Justice Jasmeet Singh, ordered the NIA Special Court to hear and dispose of the bail application within 75 days from the date of this order (which is October 19, 2022).

When his lawyer Advocate Kartik Murukutla apprised the court about the case and pleaded for a grant of bail, the counsel for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) argued that the accused had not exhausted the remedy to approach the special judge.

The applicant  in response  sought to withdraw the application, with the liberty to approach the Sessions Court on similar grounds. However, he urged that a time frame be fixed for disposing of the bail application  considering the prolonged incarceration.

Finding the request to be justified, the court directed the trial court to hear and dispose of the case within 75 days.

These days, two designated special courts for the NIA (the Additional Sessions Judge and the Principal District and Sessions Judge) in the Patiala House Court complex are hearing such cases.

After filing of the charge sheets in the case, according to the NIA, arguments on the charges were held eight times between August 2014 and March 2020, but unfortunately the presiding officers of the Trial Court were transferred from their office before completion of arguments on charge and therefore, the charge argument starts afresh before every new incumbent judge.

An alleged member of the IMs sleeper cell based in the country, Imam has been booked under sections 121A and 123 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 17, 18, 18B and 20 of the UAPA.

The charges include conspiracy to wage or attempt or abet to wage war against the Government of India, concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war, raising funds for a terrorist act, conspiracy and recruiting people for a terrorist act.

He along with 27 others was acquitted on February 8 this year in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case by a special court, following a prolonged trial of 13 years. He was first arrested on March 3, 2013, from Ranchis Kanke in Jharkhand in connection with the Ahmedabad blasts case.

At least 35 FIRs were filed in Ahmedabad, where the blasts had taken place, and in Surat, where the police had recovered bombs from different locations after the serial explosions. The trial began after as many as 35 cases were merged and consolidated into one case.

But he could not walk out of jail as he was named in connection with another FIR (No. RC 6/2012/NIA/DLI, PS NIA, New Delhi) that was registered in Delhi.

Raising the issue of long incarceration of accused in NIA cases and violation of the right to a speedy trial, Imam had moved a plea in the same court last year  seeking a day-to-day hearing in his case before the trial court.

He had appealed that special courts should only deal with offences probed by the NIA and that trials must be expeditiously held by such courts. A division bench of the High Court in the case has been monitoring the pendency of such cases before special courts in the national capital.

The latest status report submitted by the Registrar on September 19 stated that a total of 44 NIA cases were pending before the two designated special courts as on July 31.

A student of Urdu, Imam was a gold medallist at Ranchi University.

His mother Zahida Khatoon, 75, Imam has been framed. He came out clean in the Ahmedabad case, and the same will happen in Delhi as well, she said, but added that justice delayed is justice denied.
This article appears in the October 28, 2022 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

[Print version of this article]

Resistance Grows in Europe to

NATOs War and Sanctions

This interview with Schiller Institute founder Helga Zepp-LaRouche was conducted on Oct. 22.

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CC/Jurgen Mangelsdorf

EIR: Today is Saturday, October 22, 2022 and this is the 60th anniversary of the day that President John F. Kennedy of the United States made a speech which told the world that it was in a nuclear warfare crisis, a countdown to nuclear war which could conceivably destroy civilization. Kennedy announced that the United States had determined evidence of Soviet provision of nuclear missiles to Cuba, and said that the United States would not tolerate this, absolutely, under any circumstances, and a crisis was on, which gripped the attention of the world and held people in fear of it for more than two weeks.

This is Paul Gallagher of EIR. Im speaking with Helga Zepp-LaRouche, founder of the Schiller Institute and a frequent lead candidate of the BuSo political party in Germany, about the extraordinary situation which is developing there, and internationally.

So Helga, good afternoon to you.

Helga Zepp-LaRouche: Hello.

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CGTN

EIR: Let me start by saying, just in terms of setting our situation here: The Nord Stream natural gas pipeline is a submarine pipeline project of Russia and Germany under the Baltic Sea, that they worked on jointly for more than 15 years. It was suspended in 2022 under U.S. pressure, and on Sept. 26, it was sabotaged, by powerful explosions which were aimed to destroy it completely. It appears that this has had an impact on German political life, despite the fact that its being covered up.

Helga, can you analyze for EIR what has happened here, and what does it mean for Germany and the threat of war between NATO and Russia?

Zepp-LaRouche: Well, the first thing to say is that the official media and channels are obviously trying to say as little as possible about it, which is already extremely ominous, given the fact that this worsens the energy situation of Germany for some time to come. Military experts have stated that the sabotage was of such a kind that it could only have been done by a state; it could not have been done by private divers, and that naturally limits the number of states which had access. Now the questions to ask [are] the cui bono; who had the capacity; who had the opportunity; and who had the motive? And then, as some military experts are saying: Well, if it would have been Russia, it would have meant that Russia would have to go with submarines and other devices for 300 km through the Baltic Sea under the total surveillance and control of NATO. And therefore, if it would have been Russia, it would prove that they had a huge superiority in undersea warfare, in order to do that, practically under the nose of total surveillance of NATO. If that would be the case, it would have completely other implications about military balances.

People more and more have the feeling, this present German government is not defending the interests of the German people, and that, despite the fact that the German economy is going to crash against the wall this Fall and Winter, in a dramatic way, to which the sabotage of these pipelines will have played a crucial part.

But there are also now many people saying: If there would be any proof that it was Russia, you would have seen a barrage of press conferences by NATO, by the EU, by the governments; all the tabloids would have been full of it. But since nothing of this sort has happened, it doesnt look like it was Russia.

Instead, in an answer to a question from a parliamentarian, the German government put out an official answer, which is also extremely odd: They said that they know it was sabotagenow how did they know that if there was no official investigation? Sweden, by the way, pulled out, and so there was some strange investigation involving only Germany and Denmark, but the German divers didnt have the diving equipment to go to the depth of 70 and 80 meters, so the whole thing is very ominous. And the statement by the German government says that, for the sake of the wellbeing of the state, they will not reveal any other information.

Now, that is extremely strange: For a sabotage of such enormous economic, and therefore social and political implications, to leave it at that, naturally raises the suspicion which is being said by many people, that this was done by another state, which is not friendly to the German government. Now, given the fact that the only states which could have done it would have been the U.S., the British, Poland, maybe Lithuaniabut everybody says, and also knows, that nothing in this highly surveilled area of the Baltic Sea could have been done without the control and OK of the United States.

So why is the German government not saying anything? People more and more have the feeling, this present German government is not defending the interests of the German people, and that, despite the fact that the German economy is going to crash against the wall this Fall and Winter, in a dramatic way, to which the sabotage of these pipelines will have played a crucial part.

Demonstrations Spreading

EIR: Is anyone in Germany, given the tremendous escalation of prices and the sabotage of the German economy as the result of the loss of natural gas supplies, and oil suppliesbut particularly natural gasis anyone arguing there that Russia and Germany should fix this pipeline? Or are there actions at all against this NATO policy of full warfare against Russia?

Zepp-LaRouche: I would say so! Just today, there are many demonstrations, and there have been many demonstrations in the last days and weeks, not only in East Germanybut especially therebut also, today, in many West German cities. And what people were saying in these demonstrations, is that it is exactly like it was in 1989: The demonstrations in which the Berlin Wall came down as a result. And the demands are: Stop the sanctions against Russia, stop the weapons sales to Ukraine; this is not our war, we demand a diplomatic solution.

And most interesting is, the action of the city of Stralsund, where the parliamentary groups of the Christian Democrats (CDU), the Free Democrats (FDP), and the Linke (the Left Party) and the Social Democrats (SPD), and a citizens alliance called Citizens for Stralsund, all signed up for an initiative offering the city of Stralsund to be the site for Ukraine peace talks. And they say that theres nothing more important than peace on our Earth, and they refer to the great history of creating the Peace of Stralsund, which is a reference to the conflict resolution in 1370, when a war between Denmark and the Hanseatic League (including Stralsund) ended in the so-called Peace of Stralsund. So, more than 650 years later, they want to have a new Stralsund Peace, and that is just a most spectacular intervention. And I think the spirit of 1989 is clearly revived in these demonstrations. And theyre also demanding the resignation of the present German government.

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BuSo

EIR: Ah, so there is the spirit of 1989 for sure! Theres one well-known blogger and strategic expert, Alexander Mercouris, who argued in a video that this coverup of the situation with the pipelines, despite some very clear indications of what happened, that it means that the German government is under the control of a foreign power, which is unfriendly to Germanythat was the way that he put it. Whats your view of this argument? Does it bear on these demonstrations that are coming up and the behavior of the government?

Zepp-LaRouche: Yes. There are many calls for this government to resign, which many people think is the worst government Germany has had in the entire post-war period. That applies for sure, for the Green Partythis is a so-called streetlight coalition involving the Greens, the Liberals [FDP], and the Social Democrats, of which the Greens are really the war party, the NATO party, with the most hawkish, belligerent policy, and you cannot differentiate what they say from [NATO Secretary General] Stoltenberg or [U.S. Secretary of State] Blinken. And the so-called Economics Minister Robert Habeck, who used to be very popular in the polls, has now plunged and has become an object of public contempt, because he is clearly pushing a policy which means the deindustrialization of Germany. And we are therefore facing a huge social explosionnot facing, we are in the middle of a huge social explosion in Germany.

I think the spirit of 1989 is clearly revived in these demonstrations. And theyre also demanding the resignation of the present German government.

EIR: Interesting. Weve seen this recently in the United Kingdom, where Liz Truss, who was ready to push the nuclear button and a real warrior, she came in like hell on wheels into the prime ministership, and then very quickly her wheels fell off, and now shes resigned. And theyre in a government crisis as well as a financial crisis. So, we see these things across Europe.

China Looks at Europe

Let me ask you: Youre frequently featured and interviewed in the media in China, again yesterday, on CGTNs Dialogue broadcast. In one interview, they focussed on your assessment of the situation in France and Germany. What can you convey to the Chinese people about the situation in Europe? What do you think is most important that they understand?

I think the spirit of 1989 is clearly revived in these demonstrations. And theyre also demanding the resignation of the present German government.

Zepp-LaRouche: Well, they are looking at Germany, in particular, with complete disbelief: A once-proud people of poets and thinkers, and admired for its scientific and technological excellence in the whole world, is committing economic suicide in front of the worlds eyes. And its very difficult for people in Asia in general to understand why Europe is on such a self-destructive course.

What they are doing as a consequence, is to speed up the construction of a new economic system, which consists of the countries of the BRICS, the SCO, the CICA [Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia], and other organizations of the Global South, where they are building an economic system which is focused on the alleviation of poverty in the entire developing sector, and cooperation in mutual benefit. And it has to be said, to the grace of China  that they continuously offer to the United States and the European countries that they should cooperate rather than try to fight. But right now, it doesnt look like people in the West have the wisdom to respond to this offer.

EIR: Well, if German business and households access to natural gas coming from Russia has been destroyed, as a result of this economic warfare on Russia, are the Biden Administrations economic measures against China reaching that same scale of the all-out economic war on Russia? And what do you think Chinas reaction will be?

Zepp-LaRouche: You know, if you look at the policy of the Biden Administration and such people as German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who have said many times that they want to ruin Russia, or prevent Russia from diversifying from oil and gasthis was said already on Jan. 25 by some unnamed White House officialit did not work out so well.

The effect of this was that Russia turned to Asia and did relatively better than Germany, where you now have a complete blowback, and the country is under the immediate danger of deindustrialization; and given the size of the German economy, this will have a devastating effect for all of Europe.

Now, therefore, the threat to now do the same with China, what was done with Russia, I think it would only occur at the complete price of deindustrialization of the West, at least the European part of it. And China is working with about 150 countries in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), [and] the Global Development Initiative; and just at the present ongoing party conference, the 20th Party Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the report that was delivered there proudly states that Chinese economic policy is focussed on continuous innovation, scientific and technological progress, and furthering the creativity of their citizens. And the result has been a continuously prosperous economy. So, if the West wants to decouple from China, they will do so at their cost, leading to their own self-destruction: So, hopefully, they will wake up before it is too late.

Need for New System Arrives Suddenly

EIR: Well, that was the last thing I wanted to ask you about: That the Schiller Institute is obviously mobilizing a large number of leading people around the world, and also young people around the world, to stop this nuclear war threat. And youre the one that has launched these mobilizations: What do you think can make it possible to reach a situation of peace, and perhaps even development, before we are in an unsurvivable nuclear war?

Zepp-LaRouche: Well, if you look around the world and ask normal people, like normal parliamentarians, elected officials, trade unionists, industrialists, farmers, fishermen, and so forth, nobody wants World War III! Its a very small apparatus which is pushing this geopolitical confrontation which threatens the annihilation of the human species. So, this initiative youre referring to comes out of meeting with Latin American parliamentarians and ex-parliamentarians, and we recognized that a similar desire for world peace and against this confrontation is prevalent all over the world.

So the fact that what is at stake is the possible destruction of mankindthat makes, automatically, every citizen on the planet to be a world citizen, who has the right to speak out for the interest of humanity as a whole. And given the fact that the Schiller Institute is named after the poet Friedrich Schiller, who argued that there is no contradiction between a patriot and a world citizenor that there doesnt have to bebasically, we are now appealing to world citizens from all over the world to stand up against this war, and make sure that people understand that we have to make a jump in the thinking, to think in terms of a new paradigm, where everybody learns to think as a world citizen. Which doesnt mean youre not a patriot, it just means you have to make one more step; you have to take the interest of humanity as a whole into account, and make sure that your understanding of your national interest is not in contradiction with that larger interest of humanity as a whole.

Because only if we all start thinking about the fact that we are sitting in one boat; and that if there is a nuclear war, nobody will live; and that we have to find a new model of international relations as the precondition to get out of this crisis; that we will actually make it. And the response so far has been tremendous, because I think everybody who is concerned about world peace and the danger of war, is responding very well about this initiative, once they know about it. So help to spread the knowledge about it.

EIR: OK, so five days from now, on Oct. 27, there is a second conference of those present and former elected officials whose deliberations youve been describingwith more added inand of course, at the same time, there are other meetings and discussions of potentially a new money system, a new credit system internationally, which are going on within the BRICS and elsewhere. Do you think that this can lead to an actual formation of development, an actual economic architecture, which can make development possible in the developing sector?

Zepp-LaRouche: I think the need to implement that could arrive very suddenly: Because if you look at the panicky reactions in Great Britainthe desperate action to go for quantitative easing, jump to quantitative tightening, go back to quantitative easingtheres a rapidity like that of Liz Truss going into 10 Downing Street, out of 10 Downing Street, and now theyre talking about Boris JohnsonBoJoto come back, which is the farce of the century. I think the system of the City of London, and by implication the entire trans-Atlantic financial system, is teetering on the verge of dissolution. So the need to put a New Bretton Woods system, a new credit system on the international agenda may erupt more quickly than people think.
This article appears in the October 28, 2022 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

IT WAS NO CONSPIRACY!

MacArthur & Eisenhower

[Print version of this article]

Editors Note: This article first appeared in EIR Vol. 37, No. 37, Sept. 24, 2010, pp 4-13.

Today, I am among the mere handful of those few still living veterans of a certain past military service, who were part of what some people today would call, mistakenly, a conspiracy. Today, we few represent that handful of those veterans who, today, had lived through that awful morning when the news had come, that our greatly beloved President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had died. Ours is simply the patriotism of those, among us at that time, who had reacted with a certain, special devotion to that sense of patriotic mission to which we had been called during what was, still then, the ongoing great, long war.

That was, at first, no more than the silent oath to which I committed myself when the news of President Roosevelts death reached the few of us who would be gathered that evening in a military encampment at Kanchrapara in Bengal, India. When we met quietly in the dusk of that evening, there, I replied to that group of fellow-soldiers who came to me to ask their question. My words from that past are carved in memory still today: We have been led, until now, by a great President, who has now died. The new President is a little man, and, I am afraid for our country, now. One remembers things like that.

The words I spoke in the quiet of that evening, were to return to become my modest, continuing, silent, personal commitment for the ensuing three decades of my life. Then, later, one day, another veteran touched my memories. After that, there was no need to ask Why; the silenced trumpet had called again. I was to experience, now, a renewed old, and prolonged warfare, like ghosts from the same, old, opposing sides.

Today, I, for one, am still standing. Let my thought tonight seem to touch your shoulder, patriot, as someone, long ago, had seemed to touch my own. There was no conspiracy beyond doing ones duty, even still today, when a silent trumpet calls those few, old, soldiers who never really die.

That Tap on My Shoulder

Sometimes, they had been referred to by one another, as Donovans boys. At the close of the war, what had been the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was divided into two categories working from opposite sides of the post-war fence, the patriots of our republic, on the one side, and the Wall Street types on the other. Those types were the White Shoe group and their allies, and, opposite, those who stood beside Major-General Wild Bill Donovan. I was not part of that, then; but, the silent oath I swore when the news of President Franklin D. Roosevelts death had reached me at the Kanchrapara military camp in Bengal, and, later, the memory of my experience with the British in Calcutta during the Spring of 1946, had guided my outlook, still later, back home, still today.

It was this commitment which shaped my sense of my identity as a citizen during the decades before the virtual tap had come on my shoulder. There was no formality about it; it was an awakening that had happened. It was sufficient that I had felt that tap, for me to know my mission. Things just seemed to happen, accordingly, but only, apparently, as it should be with any of our patriots who had heard a message such as that.

In the discussions of the decades which had followed that, there were only momentary formalities; it was simply a matter of knowing where ones mission-orientation stood. I sometimes think of the man who spied for General George Washington, as the James Fenimore Cooper who, as a leader of the deployments of the Cincinnatus Society, described such a situation in his book, The Spy.

Naturally, with leading Generals such as Douglas MacArthur and Dwight Eisenhower, things moved differently, but I know now that the issue was the same. Naturally, as a practical matter, when measures had to be taken, that might have appeared to some onlookers as being a kind of conspiracy. That would be a mistaken assessment. If one meant a conspiracy in the dictionarys sense of a common devotion, the word applies; but, if what is intended by that term, were to convey a sense of commitment to some secret associations plot, the imputation were worse than false.

Study the case of the post-war role of such high-ranking veteran officers as MacArthur, Eisenhower, and Donovan of OSS, in their dealing with the subject of post-war U.S. relations with the Soviet Union. In that case, the intention popularly associated with conspiracy would be wildly misleading. What was operative, was not the idea of some special relationship with the leaders of the Soviet Union as such. What was operative, was a clear sense of the threat to the U.S.A. embodied in the British empires efforts to pit the United States against both the Soviet Union and China, and also, both against us, in return.

Take the recent case, in which a high-rankingor, should I not say, highly-ranklingrepresentative of the British diplomatic establishment, demanded that an attempted legislation of President Franklin Roosevelts Glass-Steagall law would be treated as a U.S. assault on the vital interests of the British empires Inter-Alpha group of imperial banking swindles. How does a true U.S. patriot react to such an existential strategic threat delivered against the U.S.A. from a high-rankling British imperial diplomat? The smell of something tantamount to treason rises from the perceived presence of any high-ranking U.S. official who does not act to shove Glass-Steagall down the adversarys throat.

There was no U.S. conspiracy in this situation; there was a conflict of life-or-death implications between two different, opposing species.

We acknowledge the fact that Josef Stalin is long since deceased. There are relevant, undeniable, but unanswered questions about that death, particularly when you know what I know about figures such as not only Khrushchov, Yuri Andropov, and Mikhail Gorbachov. There is also the matter of the British foreign office intelligence services Laxenberg, Austria-based International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), combined with IIASAs ties to the Club of Rome, and to Nikita Khrushchovs connection to Bertrand Russells 1950s organization of World Parliamentarians for World Government, as to the Club of Rome, and to the World Wildlife Fund organizations organized as a plot between Britainss Duke of Edinburgh and the late Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. There is also the related matter of the kindred connections of former Soviet figures Yuri Andropov and Mikhail Gorbachov, who still views me as the personal adversary of himself and his friends in the British empire, since 1986, to the present day.

Then, think back to the joint efforts by U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower and Frances President Charles de Gaulle, to deal with the Soviet Union under Khrushchov. Think of General Douglas MacArthurs role in President John F. Kennedys definitive opposition to a prolonged land-war in Asia. Recall how President Kennedys opposition to that war was overcome, fatally. Think about the coalition of converging forces from a number of nations who joined with me in crafting and presenting the SDI proposal which President Ronald Reagan then delivered to the Soviet Union in 1983, and also to Gorbachov, later.

The subject of our concerns in each of these instances, was not U.S. relations to the Soviet Union then, or Russia today. Rather, it was an existential, still continuing interest of the U.S.A. in the needed breaking up of the British Empire, before the British Empire carries out its former and present intention to destroy our United States, a destruction aided by a complicit President Barack Obamas help for the British imperial cause today.

Which conspiracy!? Sometimes, as for me, what some call conspiracy, is merely knowing that one is human, that in a sense which is consistent with the scientific discoveries of V.I. Vernadsky.

I. The First Question: The U.S.A. & Russia

To account for certain roles adopted by such as Generals MacArthur and Eisenhower in their time, needs no more detail than that one has relied upon nothing less than the witting instinct needed of an American patriot. In the case of our fully witting patriots, it is the recognition that the British empireand the Britain of the Inter-Alpha (financial) group, is an empire currently representing an estimated 70% of the worlds financial power, in the strict meaning of the term. This fact has been the reflection of the fact of what has been our republics continuing mortal enemy since the February 1763 Peace of Paris, when the British maritime system of global monetary-financial power first became the empire of Lord Shelburnes British East India Company.

To grasp the reality of the issue presently confronting us today, the following series of sets of historical facts are required.

The vast era of religious warfare in Europe, from the Habsburg expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, until the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, had taken its dark turn with the affair of a failed personality, Englands King Henry VIII. That Henry, much like the classical such cases of the Emperor Nero and Adolf Hitler, was plied by the secret monetarist power of a Venice represented by such as the Venetian spy turned marriage-counsellor, Francesco Zorzi, Cardinal Pole, and Thomas Cromwell, among others, in employing the divorces of Henry VIII from his parade of successive, frequently butchered wives (and of Sir Thomas More), in bestirring a state of religious warfare among three powers, England, Spain, France, and, also, among the German people.

The Venetian partys most hated target, was the policies of that Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa whose influence had been crucial in fostering both the concept of the modern sovereign form of nation-state (Concordantia Catholica) and a systematic design of modern science (De Docta Ignorantia). It had been the same Cusa who had introduced a new conception of religious peace (De Pace Fidei), and had also introduced the policy of crossing the great oceans to establish the base for defeating the moral degeneration spreading in Europe by the Venice-centered forces behind the orchestration of the fall of Constantinople. It was Cusas policy which directly and explicitly brought about the trans-Atlantic crossing by Christopher Columbus. These voyages by Columbus, set into motion effects which continue to dominate the worlds political and related affairs to the present day.

Two so-called world wars, the long Cold War, and the creation of the so-called Euro policy launched by Margaret Thatcher, Francois Mitterrand, and George H.W. Bush, are all developments rooted in the horrors which dominated Europe and the trans-Atlantic region during the interval 1492-1648. Without a comprehension of that 1492-1648 process, no competent understanding of the principal developments in subsequent world-history were possible.

The case of Columbus adoption of the policies of trans-oceanic connections by Nicholas of Cusa has been proven to be crucial. The outstanding malefactor in the history of Europe from about A.D. 1000-1066, until the present time, has been the developments centered in the role of Venetian maritime monetarism and its role in the orchestration of religious warfare, to the present day.

Under Venetian manipulations, the financing of the chronic warfare of medieval Europe, had used the Italian Florentine banking system of the Fourteenth Century, such as the houses of Bardi and Peruzzi, for the financial orchestration of that warfare, but had used Venices own switch in monetary policy to bring about the triggering of the Fourteenth-century New Dark Age of mass-depopulation of Europe internally. Then, the impact of the realization of Cusas policy for trans-oceanic exploration, prompted a shift of Venetian policy, from a Mediterranean, to a trans-Atlantic orientation.

The second phase of the waves of religious warfare of 1492-1648 had prompted Venice to shift its strategic outlook to one of operating behind the mask of the Anglo-Dutch maritime interests, a shift of Venetian operations, from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. Thus, Venetian monetarist power has shifted from its earlier, apparent emphasis on the Mediterranean, to that of a global, oceanic base centered in the rising power of the Atlantic-oriented maritime powers of the Netherlands and Britain, the same, continuing shift in power echoed by the concept of geopolitical warfare launched under that Prince of Wales Albert Edward who created that presently continuing period of geopolitical warfare launched, initially in alliance with Japan, against Russia and China, since 1894, and against U.S.A.-inspired, trans-continental railway development in Eurasia, since the 1890 ouster of Germanys Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.

The ouster of Germanys Bismarck, was the most crucial single event in the uncorking of a geopolitical form of strategies against continental Europe for the British empires intention of the entire span of generalized warfare throughout the planet since that turn in 1890. That British imperial policy, was set into motion by, first, the preparations for splitting Germany and Russia through Britains orchestration of the Austrian Empires new round of Balkan warfare, in preparation for what has become all of the pattern of warfare from around the planet as a whole since the British alliance with Japan against China and Russia, up to the present day this report is being written; contrary opinions are more or less childish substitutes for actually thinking.

War Since Bismarcks Leadership

Our own United States had, earlier, defeated the British Empire by means of the defeat of the British puppet known as the Confederacy. The British struck back with the replacement of the assassinated President William McKinley, under U.S. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, the Ku Klux Klans Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover. We won our republic back under President Franklin Roosevelt, but lost our intended post-war continuation of the Franklin Roosevelt mission with the accession of Wall Street asset Harry S Truman. We lost our independence during the ten years of war in Indo-China which an assassinated President John F. Kennedy had prevented for as long as he remained alive.

From even long before the founding of the Massachusetts Bay colony as a chartered independent society, Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa, the founder of a truly comprehensive basis for European modern science, had already launched the principles of the modern European nation-state and also those of the founding of a truly modern science. It had been Cusa who had called for the trans-oceanic outreach needed to rescue Europe from the threatened degradation which the Venetian monetarist role in the fall of Constantinople had successfully unleashed.

In brief, failures of the effort to develop a viable form of society in the Habsburg colonies of Spain and Portugal, turned out to have transferred the implementation of Nicholas of Cusas intended mission, from South and Central America, to what was to become our United States of America, as accomplished through the succession of the Mayflower arrival and the founding of the chartered as independent Massachusetts Bay society and that societys system of credit associated with the Pine Tree shilling.

It had become the mission of our United States to bring together not only the sovereign nation-states of the Americas, but also the regions of continental Eurasia and Africa, as a united force to rid the planet of that monstrous evil of British imperial power which has been the leading threat to civilization world-wide since the Habsburg alliance with the British Empire during the 1812-1815 proceedings in Vienna.

Our mission on this account, has not been conquest, but the realization of the policy of the alliance of the U.S.A., France, Spain, and that Russia-backed League of Armed Neutrality, an alliance in fact whose intention had been to defeat the sordid ambitions of the then recently crafted shift of the traditional Roman empires and their Venetian outgrowth, by action of those nations which had brought about the temporary defeat of Lord Shelburnes British empire in 1782.

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Those among us who are actually qualified to be considered our leading U.S. citizens, operate on the model of our military victory over imperial British oppression in the events leading into the 1782 defeat of Cornwallis. The watch-word of our republic, and of others, too, has been, that we must not allow the tyranny of the British (e.g., Atlantic-based) form of a new Venetian empire to serve as the new guise for the continued efforts of the old Venetian empire of the Mediterranean to develop the Netherlands and London as the maritime bases of imperial, global monetarist forms of imperial power based in the Atlantic.

So, when President Franklin Roosevelt and such as Generals MacArthur, Eisenhower, and the OSSs Donovan opposed the British empire in the course of, and following the so-called World War II, they were not buying into Soviet Communism, as some misguided souls have proposed, but were defending forces in continental Europe which we must understand, still today, must never come again under the heel of British monetarist imperialism. We must always break up any effort to re-establish the kind of intellectually empyreal overreach which is typified by post-1763 Anglo-Dutch forms of Venetian-style monetarist imperialism.

Thus, when President Franklin Roosevelts death had put the Presidency of the U.S.A. in the hands of Winston Churchills puppet, Harry S Truman, the Truman administration, which was controlled by the same British Wall Street branch of the empire, that Truman legacy has been used in cases such as the puppet-President Barack Obama for the deploying of its American variety of Britains American political puppets. These puppets include such cases, as the exemplary Representative Barney Frank, Mistress Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and the failed personality of this puppet-President, Barack Obama, in what has been, in effect, an attempted final destruction of our United States on behalf of the British empire currently typified by the role the Inter-Alpha Group.

My statement of policy should be understood as being clear. That policy is, simply stated: no empire shall exist on this planet. That means: no more shall an imperial form of monetary-oligarchical power be tolerated on this planet. Only sovereign forms of nation-state republics, republics based on a credit system, not a monetary system, are to be encouraged. Any monetary system among nations is, axiomatically, an imperialist system.

The point of principle which I have just stated, must be explained in the clearest terms. That is: All monetarist systems should be discouraged; monetarist systems by nations with overreaching power, must be uprooted, to be replaced by a system of fixed-exchange-rate, sovereign credit mechanism, as had been intended by President Franklin Roosevelt at Bretton Woods.

That just-stated objective has a clearly definable, scientific basis in fact, a fact which needs to be understood in this part of the report.

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Tambov State Technical University

Vernadskys Principle

It is perhaps well-known that my previously employed, Riemannian method of economic processes, had come, over recent decades, to depend crucially on additional conclusions which had been reached on the basis of relevant features of the work of Russian-Ukrainian scientist Vladimir I. Vernadsky. This has been crucial for my having defined the crucial role of platforms, rather than the habituated use of a poorly defined term, infrastructure.

Since the later work of Vernadsky had shifted to emphasis upon the foundations of science specific to the work and influence of Bernhard Riemann, this shift has been a crucially significant advance, but an advance which has been fully consistent with the approach to a science of physical economy which I developed over the course of the middle to late 1950s.

Among the most notable effects among what the work of Vernadsky has contributed to economic science, has been the crucial and systematic refutation of the hoax associated with the term second law of thermodynamics. Once we had weighed the effect of Vernadskys treatment of the interactive, principled categories of lithosphere, biosphere, and noosphere, we are able to represent far more clearly the evidence, that all known phase-spaces of the universe, exhibit a primary functional quality of anti-entropy. That is to say, that the universe is dominated, as is the history of the role of the action of life as such upon our Earth, by a process of qualitative advances, in all three domains, in the anti-entropy of the system of the known universe as a whole.

That is to say, that each of the three general phase-spaces, the lithosphere, biosphere, and noosphere, are each inherently anti-entropic domains, which proceed from relatively lower, to higher orders of the equivalent of energy-flux density, and to higher orders of organization of each domain. There are particular exceptions, of course, but the long-ranging effects are expressions of anti-entropic development in the direction of higher orders of what we term energy-flux density. Any effort to curb the promotion of anti-entropy which applied advances into such expressions as nuclear and thermonuclear development represent, tends to those actually fascist policies which are traced, formally, as so-called creative destruction, from Friedrich Nietzsches Thus Spake Zarathustra, to Werner Sombart, to Joseph Schumpeter, and to such characters as Barack Obamas policy-shaper Larry Summers.

The promotion of windmills and solar panels as replacements for nuclear fission and thermonuclear fusion, is an implicitly fascist expression of the Nietzschean legacy of creative destruction of Nietzsche, Sombart, Schumpeter, Larry Summers, and British Prime Ministers such as Harold Wilson and Tony Blair.

Yes, there are expressions of what is referred to as entropy in these processes, as typified, for example, by the increase of the expressed human life-span under conditions of embodied scientific-technological progress in general human practice. The case of the wonderful role of chlorophyll should be examined for its role in demonstrating such a principle of anti-entropy, in our urgent need for combating such mass-murderous evils as solar panels and windmills as allegedly alternative sources of power.

Thus, it is necessary today, to think of the entire complex of the culture of some specific quality of development of the expressed anti-entropy of a societys typical progress, as being equivalent to a characteristic level of functionally defined energy-flux density of the behavior of a society-culture considered in the large.

The result of such an approach to the relevant evidence, is the comparative classification of stages of overall physical-economic development of a national economy as being relative planks in level of characteristic potential as economies and in respect to their characteristic life-expectancies as, also, their relative productivities per-capita and per-square kilometer of area. I have used the comparison of the succession of developments from maritime culture, to riparian systems of the interior areas of continents and cultures, to the addition of generalized railway systems superseding much of the role which had been performed by navigable river-ways and canals, to magnetic-levitation systems, to nuclear-powered systems of rising energy-flux density.

At the same time, we must recognize the depletion of the quality of ores and other raw materials, a depletion which requires increases in applied energy-flux-density, if society is merely to do a bit better than break even, in terms of relative productivity for use of a relevant ore of comparable natural resources.

The implications of the design for NAWAPA, as superseding the specific accomplishments of a similar endeavor, the TVA, are a stunning demonstration of the principled character of upward leaps in quality of the planks which a national economy, or a relevant entire region of the planet represents, as the plank upon which a higher order of quality of human existence depends.

It is notable, that the integration of the effects of projects such as NAWAPA, in sundry entire regions of our planet, with the functional place of each type in the Earths habitable systems, defines these systems such as NAWAPA within the control of the upward evolving Earths biosphere. That is to emphasize, that once we consider the Earths own environment in terms of the protective systems which are integral to the preconditions for human life on Earth, we are already engaged in the challenge and practice of managing life on Earth as from the standpoint of the Solar system, rather than simply looking upward to the protective screens which make life on Earth feasible.

Language Cultures Role

Continuing now with another aspect of our First Question, we come to the role of art, especially the modalities of Classical culture of language and its role in visual arts, music, poetry, and the shaping of the use of prose according to the precepts of Classical music and poetry. This touches upon the relationship of the functional role of architecture in construction and design of products, as coherent with graphic art, as the case of Filippo Brunelleschis use of the discovered principle of the funicular as being a physical principle (the catenary) employed by him as a solution for the otherwise practically impossible construction of the cupola of Florences Santa Maria del Fiore. The example of the relevance of William Empsons Seven Types of Ambiguity, especially in the function of the form of irony classed as metaphor for adducing the principles of physical-scientific discoveries, illustrates the bridging of the gap between Classical artistic creativity as such and principles of practiced physical science as such.

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National Park Service

That compels us to examine an additional feature of that ironical relationship of Classical art to physical science, to which we shall return later in this report, after we have focussed on the strategic implications of the effects of the British empires orchestration of a confrontation with the post-war Soviet Union which the truly patriotic leaders of our United States, such as President Franklin Roosevelt, Douglas MacArthur, and Dwight Eisenhower had fought to avoid, as in Presidents Eisenhower and Frances Charles de Gaulle in the attempted meeting with British asset and most troublesome Soviet official Khrushchov, and Douglas MacArthurs role in President John F. Kennedys opposition to the launching of a U.S. protracted land war in Asias Indo-China. Khrushchovs conduct in menacing President Kennedy in Vienna, in the so-called missiles crisis which followed that, and in Khrushchovs partnership with British intelligences Bertrand Russell then, as earlier, were also highly relevant.

II. Morals & Economy in Diplomacy

When it comes to matters of the class which I have presented thus far in this report, most of the worlds leading political or comparable figures today, but for a dwindling number of figures from the World War II or immediately following time, have been virtually children in respect to the crucial strategic issues of the period since President Franklin Roosevelt died. Their agendas tend to be as ignorant as virtual amateurs when it comes to the kind of matters I have posed since the outset of this present report.

To understand the essential notion of the self-interest of the United States presently, that interest is no different, essentially, than that of the time of the U.S. war of independence under the leadership of such as Benjamin Franklin and President George Washington. I mean that sense of the principled issue expressed by a certain continuity of development of a certain species of thinking since the Mayflower Compact and the original charter of Massachusetts under the leadership of the Winthrops and Mathers. That self-interest is fairly summarized as expressed in the common concern of both our own cause and that of the powers, such as France and Spain, or the League of Armed Neutrality, a combination which expressed the view of a reality which persists still, today, that the policy of the prudent nation-state must be that no single large imperial power shall ever be permitted to dominate the world in the form of an empire such as the present British empire.

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That view is of crucial importance in understanding the continuing policy of the United States, under President Franklin Roosevelt, and under such heirs of his policy outlook as Generals Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, and Major-General Wild Bill Donovan. Under that view, there is no way in which the United States would ever tolerate a view of a special relationship with the British Empire in the form that empire exists according to the policies of a Winston Churchill, or the existence of an Inter-Alpha Group presently. The issue was not the policies of the Soviet Union, or China under the leadership of Mao Tse Tung; it was the issue of sustaining a powerful bloc of nations as opponents of the British Empire as that empire is expressed, since 1971, by what has become the Inter-Alpha Group still today.

The mere fact that the British empire exists in that form, is sufficient reason for curbing its expression of imperialist influence over such regions of the world as the de facto status of virtually the entire continent of Africa as a British colony-in-fact.

The question was never, really, whether or not we were going to have a cooperative relationship with Stalins Soviet Union or a Communist China. As long as the Soviet Union intended to be a cooperating partner of our U.S.A. against Churchills British empire, the United States would find it to be in our existential interest that the British empire be kept as a relatively weak power within the planet as a whole. As long as the United Kingdom remained merely a sovereign nation-state, we could wish them the best; as an imperial monetarist system, their influence was noxious, and must be effectively contained as President Eisenhower had done in the case of Anthony Edens Britain.

The same must be applied to any nation which pursues an effective imperialist policy of practice, such as that of the British monarchy still today: its influence must be contained. The brutal abuse of the nations and peoples of the continent of Africa, requires a vigorous U.S.A. policy of efficiently countering such aspects of British policy operating beyond the limits of the United Kingdom.

President Franklin Roosevelts strategic policy for the post-World War II planet, as for such cases as the Soviet Union and China, was just that. The policies of President Eisenhower and General Douglas MacArthur, were not conspiracies, but any fully fitting U.S. patriots understanding of the characteristics of a tolerable order among the respectively sovereign nations of the world.

The test which is to be applied on behalf of such a Franklin Roosevelt policy of restraining British imperialism, as distinct from the consideration of the proper rights of the United Kingdom, is the extent of the power which the empire-in-fact implicitly claims.

We must take into account the ugly truth that Harry S Truman was a political skunk of the pro-British imperialist quality in our national chicken-coop. He had been elevated to Vice-President because Wall Street had reacted to the successful Normandy landing by returning to the policies of the time when Wall Street had been the accomplice of the Adolf Hitler who had come to power as a protege of both Wall Street and the Bank of England.

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National Park Service

Until the Wehrmacht launch against France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, the British backed the support of Hitlers ambition for the east of the French, Belgian, and Dutch borders, and Hitler had continued to be, essentially, a British puppet. But, when a fascist French government conspired with the Nazi regime to arrange the victory of relatively weaker German capabilities over what had been, on the books, the relatively superior quantities of Anglo-French forces, Churchills British empire screamed for President Franklin Roosevelts succor from the very same Hitler whom Britain and Wall Street had brought to power. That British alliance with the U.S.A. had persisted until shortly after the success of the Allied breakthrough into Normandy. Then Churchills government stabbed its U.S. ally in the back, with the assassinations of the German generals ready to surrender, the launching of the wretched Montgomery, and the Republicans who went over to Churchill against Roosevelt in the way which brought in Wall Streets choice, Harry S Truman, as Roosevelts lurking Vice-President.

Thus, with the Allied breakthrough into France, the alliance of Wall Street with Britain and against the United States had kicked in. Truman suddenly become President with Franklin Roosevelts death, the Truman who had been forced on Franklin Roosevelt by the former fascists among Wall Street financiers, kicked in. With the death of F.D.R., U.S. policy switched from anti-imperialist, to a most energetically pro-imperialist renaissance of the British empire and Wall Street.

In reaction to this treacherous turn in policy, U.S. Generals such as MacArthur, Eisenhower, and Donovan, did nothing as much as respond to a well-informed, actually patriotic strategic response to the threat to the United States, among others, represented by the Wall Street-led impulse for virtually treasonous, pro-imperialist anglophilia. It was not a concoction, but a response embedded in the very bones of our constitutional republic. Men and women such as MacArthur, Eisenhower, and Donovan, as also President John F. Kennedy in his time, acted as patriots; those like Harry S Truman, did not.

To imagine that figures such as MacArthur and Eisenhower had conspired by way of supposedly secret arrangements, must be brushed aside as presumptions worse than irrelevant. The Generals were only being well-bred patriots who were reacting against actions contrary to the existential interests of our republic. No one who understands my U.S.A., should suspect any sort of actually secret influence. Do hungry (and sane) people eat their meals only when a secret conspiracy permits?
This article appears in the October 28, 2022 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

THE DENIAL OF THE RIGHT TO VOTE

U.S. Senate Candidate Diane Sare Fraudulently Excluded From Debate

[Print version of this article]

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EIRNS/Sylvia Spaniolo

Oct. 23Many people who are old enough, remember the seemingly unwinnable fight waged by the American Civil Rights Movement to pass the 1965 Voting Rights Act into law, which removed the unlawful barriers preventing black enfranchisement in the South. The civil rights victories included the banning of poll taxes, so-called literacy tests, and other measures which were used to prevent African Americans from exercising their right to vote. The Smithsonians National Museum of American History reports one such literacy test: In Mississippi, applicants were required to transcribe and interpret a section of the state constitution and write an essay on the responsibilities of citizenship. Registration officials selected the questions and interpreted the answers, effectively choosing which applicants to pass and which to fail.

Today, a similar fight is being waged in New York by Diane Sare, the LaRouche independent candidate for U.S. Senate running against Sen. Chuck Schumer.

As a result of filing over 66,000 signatures of registered voters in New York, which were gathered over a period of six weeks as mandated by changes in election law passed by the New York State Legislature in 2020-2021, Sare became a certified candidate for the position of U.S. Senator in New York. As a result of the changes made to election law, the hurdle of achieving ballot status had been increased from 15,000 signatures to 45,000 signatures for all independent or non-major party candidates, while Democratic or Republican candidates running for statewide office only had to obtain the previous 15,000 required. For comparison, some states in the U.S., like New Jersey, only require 800 signatures from registered voters to file as an independent candidate in the state.

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EIRNS/Sylvia Spaniolo

Despite meeting this absurd and onerous threshold, Diane Sare is now being excluded from any participation in the debate between Sen. Chuck Schumer and Republican candidate Joe Pinion. On October 11th, Spectrum News, the major local news network in New York State, announced that it would be holding a debate between Sares opponents, but Diane Sare would not be invited to participate. Sares campaign organizers contacted Spectrums New York State Political Director Bob Hardt regarding this, who explained to them that Sare would not be invited because she had failed to receive enough support from voters in the state. According to Hardt, Sare failed to receive at least 15% support from two polls in the area. The problem with this rationale, however, is that the three polls of Marist College, Siena College, and Emerson College, which are used by Spectrum News as criteria for who to invite, did not even bother including Diane Sares name as an option! Her campaign issued a fact sheet on the exclusion process which has been widely circulated.

Sare uncovered this fact from calls she received by her supporters, who noted to her that they had received calls from pollsters asking who they were voting for. When they told the pollsters that they were voting for Diane Sare, the pollsters replied that she was not an option for the U.S. Senate.

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EIRNS/Kynan Thistlethwaite

With Sares exclusion from the debate between Sen. Schumer and Pinion, American voters are being denied the chance to reject the plunge by the Anglosphere into a thermonuclear conflict with Russia and China. Sen. Schumer has been the leading ally of the Biden Administration in providing arms and weapons to the Zelensky regime and his fascist Banderite fighters, who are holding the Ukrainian population hostage and threatening to plunge the world into a third world war. Candidate Sare has spoken against this policy to religious and civic groups throughout New York State, making clear to voters that the United States must support a negotiated settlement between Russia and Ukraine, recognizing the red lines which President Vladimir Putin identified in written treaty proposals as late as December of 2021.

Her campaign organizers have reported the resonance of this truth-telling with voters across the political spectrum. The New York State Board of Elections demanded that she not be listed as an independent on the ballot, and so she chose to be listed as the LaRouche party. Sare in all her speaking engagements has presented the urgent need for a new, inclusive world security and development architecture in order to avoid war and serve the interests of all nations and people around the globe. She has joined Helga Zepp-LaRouche in several international conferences, offering hope to people outside the United States by demonstrating a quality of leadership many people remember from the presidential campaigns of Lyndon LaRouche.

It should also be noted that both Diane Sare and Helga Zepp-LaRouche were included in the infamous kill-list by the Center for Countering Disinformation in Ukraine. According to the CCD, the crime of Sare is that she stated that sending more and more weapons to Ukraine was insane and could lead to nuclear war.

Scott Ritter, an outspoken former U.S. Marine Intelligence Officer and UN Weapons Inspector, has spoken of the need to have Sare present on the debate stage, in an interview conducted with him and Sare by Cynthia Pooler:

The single issue that she [Sare] raised to get on this list [the ballot], the single issue that motivated 66,000 New Yorkers to sign their names to a petition, was the danger of nuclear war, Ritter insisted. And here we are today, on the brink of a nuclear conflict.... Right now, theres a NATO nuclear exercise taking place that is literally practicing to drop bombs on Russia. Now, Russia responded with their own nuclear weapons exercise that is literally practicing to drop bombs on NATO. The difference here is that Russia does not have a doctrine of preemption; the United States does.... Its imperative that we get people like Diane put in positions of authority where they can bring this issue to the forefront.

Ritter told the listening audience, addressing Diane:

Im not a political person, and I cant sit here and say, I endorsed Diane Sare for Senate. I cant do that. I wouldnt endorse anybody for Senate. But Ill tell you what, I endorse your presence on the stage. I endorse your message. I endorse the fact that you alone seem to understand whats important to this world, and that is having a future for our children, for our grandchildren, and their children and generations to follow, in the future thatll be denied to everybody if we have a nuclear conflict. I want you on that stage, Diane. I want you speaking out on behalf of the people of New York, and its just a darn shame that theyre silencing you in this matter.

This is the importance of Diane Sares campaign not just for Americans, but for the world as a whole. The exclusion of Sare from a major televised debate is in fact a human rights violation, a denial of the democratic right to vote.
This editorial appears in the October 28, 2022 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

EDITORIAL

The Brits Are Dragging the

U.S. and Europe into a Suicidal

Nuclear Confrontation with Russia

[Print version of this editorial]

Oct. 23The full Russian National Security Council met October 19 for the first time since May. Almost no details of their discussion have been made public at this time.

At the same time, today, NATOs Steadfast Noon military exercises continued, as did Russias parallel military maneuversboth are conducting nuclear warfare drill against the other.

More ominous still, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace arrived in Washington, D.C. October 18 on a hastily arranged visit to meet with Biden Administration officials, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, under the public cover of discussing Russias use of drones (allegedly supplied by Iran) in the Ukraine theater.

One has to assume that drones are not the principal topic under discussion; nuclear war is.

Britains Armed Forces Minister James Heappey would only tell Sky News that Wallaces discussions in Washington were particularly grave, and that its beyond belief really, the fact that we are in a time when these sorts of conversations are necessary. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly stressed the urgency of the situation and said the high-level conversations could not be carried out over the phone. Asked by the press whether the unscheduled visit was to discuss the nuclear threat, Cleverly deflected: What we do is discuss a full range of how we help the Ukrainians to defend themselves.

How does Russia read all of this? Top diplomat Konstantin Vorontsov told the UN General Assemblys First Committee October 18 that Kiev had publicly stated they would attempt to acquire nuclear weapons, and had also made statements about the need for preventive nuclear strikes by NATO countries on Russia. This, Vorontsov stated, is doubly unacceptable and categorically impermissible.

Recall that it was Britains then Prime Minister Boris Johnson who travelled to Kiev last April to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and ordered him to pull the plug on any possible negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, which at the time was close at hand.

Recall that it was the same Boris Johnson who traveled to Sweden and Finland in May, before NATO took up the issue of their joining the alliance, to sign bilateral mutual military defense pacts with both countries, de facto putting them under NATOs Article 5 umbrella.

Recall that it has been British think tanks like RUSI (Royal United Services Institute), which argued that a Crimean Missile Crisis is the best way to get Russia to capitulate, and media outlets like The Economist that have insisted on playing a nuclear chicken game with President Vladimir Putin, to get the Russian problem out of the way before turning their attention to the bigger threat of China.

Recall that it was King Charles IIIgood Malthusian that he iswho demanded, when he was still a mere Prince, that warlike measures had to be adopted to deindustrialize and depopulate the entire planet, emphatically including the United States.

And above all, never forget that it is the City of Londoncentered financial system, bursting with $2 quadrillion in unpayable derivatives and other speculative assets, that is demanding the full economic decoupling of the West from China, Russia and India. This policy is already leading to the intentional, physical-economic levelling of continental Europe, with the U.S. following close behind.

Scott Ritter, the outspoken former UN weapons inspector and military expert, hit the nail on the head in an Oct. 18 interview Cynthia Pooler conducted with him and LaRouche New York Senatorial candidate Diane Sare, who so far has been kept out of the Oct. 30 scheduled debate between the two other candidates for Senate from New York. Insisted Ritter:

The single issue that she [Sare] raised to get on this list [the ballot], the single issue that motivated 66,000 New Yorkers to sign their names to a petition, was the danger of nuclear war. And here we are today, on the brink of a nuclear conflict. Right now, theres a NATO nuclear exercise taking place that is literally practicing how to drop bombs on Russia. Now, Russia responded with their own nuclear weapons exercise that is literally practicing how to drop bombs on NATO. The difference here is that Russia does not have a doctrine of preemption; the United States does. Its imperative that we get people like Diane put in positions of authority where they can bring this issue to the forefront.

Turning to Sare, Ritter addressed her directly:

Ill tell you what. I endorse your presence on the [debate] stage. I endorse your message. I endorse the fact that you alone seem to understand whats important to this world, and that is having a future for our children, for our grandchildren, and their children and generations to follow, in the future thatll be denied to everybody, if we have a nuclear conflict.
Band made up of foreign students introduces China to world through music

People's Daily Online) 14:53, October 27, 2022

"The things that you previously knew about China were the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Yangtze River, but innovation, high-speed railways, 5G and the Tiangong space station represent todays China."

These are the lyrics of a song performed by a band of foreign students from Nanchang Hangkong University in east China's Jiangxi Province.

Members of the "Belt and Road" band from Nanchang Hangkong University rehearse on the campus of the university. (Photo/Li Yunhan)

Established in 2013, the Belt and Road band currently has four main members, all are foreign students from countries and regions along the Belt and Road. They are Mnyaga Daniel Rukiko on the keyboard from Tanzania, Abel Jacob Chulu on the bass from Zambia, Isaiah Nyasha Chikomo on drums and Audrey Tanaka Murungweni on vocals from Zimbabwe.

"Music brings us together and most of us come from countries along the Belt and Road. Our band is also named after the Belt and Road," said Rukiko, explaining that they like to incorporate musical styles from their respective countries with Chinese culture during their creative process, and express their love for China through their songs.

"Before I came to China, I had heard of Peking Opera. I like it very much and I'm interested in Chinese music," said Rukiko, who joined the band in 2015.

Mnyaga Daniel Rukiko, a member of the band from Nanchang Hangkong University, studies in his dormitory. (Photo/Li Yunhan)

The band has performed in Jingdezhen and Fuzhou in Jiangxi Province. When we performed in these places, we also learned more about Chinese culture," Rukiko said.

"I hope that more people will hear us and get to know about Chinese culture and the life that we are living here in China," Rukiko said. Videos of their performance have gained widespread attention on social media platforms, including YouTube and Facebook.

"Some members have left the band for various reasons, such as graduating from university, while other people later joined it. We hope that this band will last a long time and become a brand," said Xie Hua, director of foreign affairs at Nanchang Hangkong University.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming)
If the coronavirus pandemic had never happened, Feng-Feng Yeh might not have learned the full history of Chinese Americans in her hometown of Tucson, Arizona.

Yeh was a top chef, or cook, in New York City when pandemic-linked business closings ended her job and career plans. She decided to move back to her hometown. She also decided to revisit her passion for public art.

Looking for ideas, Yeh researched the history of Chinese immigrants in the Tucson area. On the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center website, she learned that Chinese family-owned food stores were a successful industry in the city beginning in the 1900s.

These food or grocery stores were more than just businesses. They were also lifelines for the areas Mexican American communities. The food stores - also called grocery stores- even started preparing Mexican chorizo. Chorizo is a ground and spiced sausage, or meat from a pig. It earned the nickname Chinese chorizo."

Yeh said she was very moved by the alliance formed between Mexican and Chinese Americans. She described immigration policies set during the same period as quite racist.

I thought that was something that you dont learn in school, especially in Arizona. I thought it was something that should be recognized and shared, Yeh said.

Chinese immigrants settling in Arizona were doing so under the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, the U.S. government's first race-based immigration policy. Both Chinese and Mexican immigrants faced racism even though they were critical members of the workforce.

Older Chinese Americans in Tucson say they have spent years trying to spread knowledge about this history.

Yeh proposed building a 3.4-meter-tall statue of two chorizo sausage links. She recently won financial support through the Tucson Museum of Contemporary Art and the Andy Warhol Foundation. In support for the project, she organized a celebration called Tucson Chinese Chorizo Festival. For the month of October, several local restaurants and food trucks have been serving specials with meat and vegan chorizo.

Even many locals do not know about Tucson's major Chinese presence.

The Tucson Chinese Cultural Center is a large space, at almost 1,400 square meters. It serves as a community center and museum. Established in 2005, it has a multipurpose room, large kitchen, classrooms, and a room with tables for playing the Chinese game called mahjong. The walls are covered with pictures and histories of long-gone Chinese grocery stores. The center also has a YouTube channel that includes a video on Chinese chorizo.

A lot of people dont know we exist after 17 years. So, weve been trying to get the word out, said Susan Chan, the centers chief leader.

Starting in 1900, Chinese-owned grocery stores succeeded and became an economic force in Tucson. By the 1940s, there were 130 families running more than 100 grocery stores in the city. The number of stores dropped in the 1970s and 1980s as larger food stores moved in and young Chinese Americans sought other careers.

Allen Lews father, Joe Wee Lew, opened his first of three stores in 1955. The stores were called Joes Super Market. Allan Lew began working at the market around the age of 10. He remained in the business until the last store closed after 30 years in operation. He is now 74 years old and a longtime member of the centers board.

Lew and his four siblings grew up serving Mexican and Native American customers. Everyone felt like they were all a big neighborhood family.

In fact, many Chinese grocers would let poor customers pay when they could. A lot of them get paid like once a month, every two weeks, and they ran out of money, Lew said.

For the festival, Chinese-made chorizo is being celebrated with inventive dishes that combine Chinese and Mexican cultures.

A local meat store provided the more than 225 kilograms of meat and plant-based chorizo to restaurants for the festival. Yeh created the vegan recipe. She invited Jackie Tran, a Tucson food writer and owner of Trans Fats food truck, to work on the real meat recipe.

Trans family is Chinese and Vietnamese. He added spices to the meat including Sichuan pepper, coriander seed and Chinese five-spice powder.

For the statue, Yeh is partnering with Carlos Valenzuela, a Tucson-born artist of Mexican and Native American ancestry. Valenzuelas grandfather had had a credit account with a local Chinese grocery store.

If the idea of a chorizo statue brings a laugh, that is the way Yeh wants it.

I think its eye-catching for tourists to come and recognize that this town is a town that was heavily influenced by Chinese culture, which I dont think a lot of people know, said Yeh, who still needs more money to pay for the project.

What does Lew, the son of a Chinese grocer, think about the chorizo statue?

Thats great, Lew said. I was surprised because I think when you grow up and youve done something all your life here, you dont think its a big thing."

But someone outside thinks, This is different. This is neat.

Im Caty Weaver.

And I'm Andrew Smith.

The Associated Press reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

vegan  adj. free of all animal product

museum  n. a building in which interesting and valuable things (as works of art or historical or scientific objects) are collected and shown to the public

sibling  n. a brother or sister

customer  n. one that buys a product or service

recipe  n. a set of directions for making something, especially food

tourist  n. a person who travels for pleasure

neat  adj. very pleasant, fun, enjoyable or interesting

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A large European beekeeper group held its yearly meeting this week in France. The group said it is concerned about the effects of climate change, parasites and pesticides on both bees and the world food supply.

The beekeepers said bees are dying in large amounts. They also noted that bees are not producing as much honey as in the past.

The beekeepers said Europe only produces about 60 percent of the honey it consumes. Production in France, the group said, has fallen by more than 50 percent since the 1990s.

The beekeeping group said its announcement about the bee situation in Europe gives beekeepers and scientists a chance to react to climate concerns.

The spokesperson for the National Union of French Beekeepers is Henri Clement. He is a beekeeper from southeastern France. He said he has been working as a beekeeper and trying to keep bees healthy for 30 years. However, if he had to consider a career for himself today, he said, he might not want to raise bees.

He is close to retirement and wonders if young people will take up the work.

The people at the event were all talking about chemicals known as pesticides, which hurt bees. They also discussed climate change and invasive insects and parasites that kill bees and harm beehives.

Climate danger

Jeff Pettis is an insect expert based in the United States. He is also president of Apimondia, a group that represents beekeepers in 110 countries. He said bees are at risk because of climate change. When some parts of the world are hotter and drier than in the past, the plants that bees depend on cannot grow. Sometimes, he said, there are no flowers. Without flowers, bees cannot collect pollen, which means they can die of hunger.

Pettis also said wildfires hurt bees. He called the fires a big issue.

Pettis wrote a report in the past about the plant called goldenrod, which produces a large amount of pollen. He wrote that, as the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere grows, the amount of protein in pollen decreases.

Many of the bees in North America depend on goldenrod pollen to get through winter.

He said the pollen problem could affect other plants, too.

In both France and the United States, between 30 and 40 percent of beehives are dying each winter.

Man-made dangers

French researcher Jean-Marc Bonmatin said some pesticides hurt bees more than others. A kind of pesticide called a neonicotinoid is absorbed, or taken in, by the entire plant. Other pesticides only affect the part of the plant upon which they are applied. The neonicotinoids can affect the pollen and nectar that is taken in by the bees. The pesticides then poison the bees.

Beginning in 2013, the European Union restricted the use of some of these pesticides. The EU banned them fully in 2018. However, some countries are permitting farmers to use them again under emergency authorizations.

Bonmatin said there is one thing that might help farmers make better choices. A newly developed computer program will permit them to find out if the pesticide they want to use is harmful to bees. The farmers will not have to pay for the computer program.

Pettis noted that there are ways people can help bees. He said farmers should start planting a wide range of crops, and not depend as much on crops that need pesticides. He called that kind of farming sustainable and organic.

In addition, he said, bees can sometimes survive on their own without special help from humans. He talked about a black bee found in the northwestern part of France. The bee is still living even though it has been attacked by parasites and not given extra food by humans.

He said the bees survive pretty well even without us.

Im Dan Friedell.

Dan Friedell adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on a report by AFP.

________________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

parasite n. an animal or plant that lives in or on another animal or plant and gets food or protection from it

pesticide n. a chemical used to kill animals or insects that damage plants or crops

consume v. to eat or drink something

invasive adj. something that is not local that spreads in a new area

beehive n. the place built by bees for them to live and store honey

pollen n. the fine dust produced by a plant that is carried to other plants by wind or insects

apply v. to put or spread something on a surface

authorization n. the act of giving permission

sustainable adj. able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed

organic adj. food grown without the use of chemicals

____________________________________________________________________

We want to hear from you. What are people doing to help bees where you live?

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Elon Musk has taken ownership of Twitter. Musk immediately removed the companys top leaders. But no one knows exactly what the billionaire businessman will do with the social media service.

"The bird is freed," Musk wrote on Twitter after he completed his $44 billion takeover of the company on Thursday. He was making note of Twitters logo, which is a small blue bird.

The closing of the deal ended months of uncertainty surrounding the influential service.

In April, Musk offered to buy Twitter for $44 billion. Musk said at the time that his goal was to shape the service into a place for free speech. Three months later, he withdrew his offer saying Twitter did not provide him with enough information about the number of false, or fake, accounts.

Twitter then opened a legal action, or lawsuit, to force Musk to complete the deal. A judge in the state of Delaware ordered Musk and Twitter to complete the deal by Friday.

Whats next for Twitter?

Musk has left Twitter employees, investors and the public wondering what he will do with the service. On Thursday night, Musk wrote an extended comment about the deal.

Musk wrote: The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence.

Musk, the worlds richest man, said he did not buy Twitter to make more money. He said that Twitter cannot become a free-for-all hellscape. He also said it would become the most respected advertising platform in the world.

Yet Musk has not offered details on how he will reach his goals for the company. He also has not said who will run the company.

Pinar Yildirim teaches marketing at the University of Pennsylvanias business school. She said Musks latest comment is a change from his earlier position that Twitter unfairly restricted free speech. She noted that it is an understanding that having no content moderation is bad for business. It also puts Twitter at risk of losing advertisers and users.

Yildirim told the Associated Press, You do not want a place where consumers just simply are bombarded with things they do not want to hear about, and the platform takes no responsibility.

In May, Musk said he would end Twitters ban on the account of former president Donald Trump. The account was removed after the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump said at the time that he would not return to the service and has since launched his own social media service, Truth Social.

As concerns rise about the direction of Twitters content moderation, European Union Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton tweeted to Musk on Friday that In Europe, the bird will fly by our rules.

Under EU rules, technology companies like Twitter could face severe financial penalties if they do not control illegal or harmful content, including hate speech and disinformation.

Twitter is struggling to reach users as compared to other social media services. Major Twitter users make up 10 percent of the service, but they create 90 percent of all tweets.

I'm Dorothy Gundy.

Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English with reporting from Reuters and The Associated Press.

_______________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

logo - n. a symbol that is used to identify a company

uncertainty - n. something that is doubtful or unknown

acquire - v. to come to own something

civilization - n. a relatively high level of cultural and technological development

digital - adj. characterized by electronic and computerized technology

range - n. a series of things in a line

manner - n. a way of acting or proceeding

moderation - n. process to limit extreme behaviors or expression

resort - v. to do something because no other choices are possible

platform - n. a place to tell large number of people about an idea or product

consumer - n. people who buy goods or services

bombard - v. to constantly or repeatedly send something

penalty - n. punishment for a crime or offense
Today's story is called "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It is about something strange that happened long ago in a valley called "Sleepy Hollow". It was written by Washington Irving. The story is told by Doug Johnson.

The valley known as Sleepy Hollow hides from the world in the high hills of New York state. There are many stories told about the quiet valley. But the story that people believe most is about a man who rides a horse at night. The story says the man died many years ago during the American Revolutionary War. His head was shot off. Every night he rises from his burial place, jumps on his horse and rides through the valley looking for his lost head.

Near Sleepy Hollow is a village called Tarry Town. It was settled many years ago by people from Holland. The village had a small school. And one teacher, named Ichabod Crane. Ichabod Crane was a good name for him, because he looked like a tall bird, a crane. He was tall and thin like a crane. His shoulders were small, joined two long arms. His head was small, too, and flat on top. He had big ears, large glassy green eyes and a long nose.



Ichabod did not make much money as a teacher. And although he was tall and thin, he ate like a fat man. To help him pay for his food he earned extra money teaching young people to sing. Every Sunday after church Ichabod taught singing.

Among the ladies Ichabod taught was one Katrina Van Tassel. She was the only daughter of a rich Dutch farmer. She was a girl in bloommuch like a round red, rosy apple. Ichabod had a soft and foolish heart for the ladies, and soon found himself interested in Miss Van Tassel.

Ichabod's eyes opened wide when he saw the riches of Katrina's farm: the miles of apple trees and wheat fields, and hundreds of fat farm animals. He saw himself as master of the Van Tassel farm with Katrina as his wife.

But there were many problems blocking the road to Katrina's heart. One was a strong young man named Brom Van Brunt. Brom was a hero to all the young ladies. His shoulders were big. His back was wide. And his hair was short and curly. He always won the horse races in Tarry Town and earned many prizes. Brom was never seen without a horse.

Sometimes late at night Brom and his friends would rush through town shouting loudly from the backs of their horses. Tired old ladies would awaken from their sleep and say: "Why, there goes Brom Van Brunt leading his wild group again!"

Such was the enemy Ichabod had to defeat for Katrina's heart.

Stronger and wiser men would not have tried. But Ichabod had a plan. He could not fight his enemy in the open. So he did it silently and secretly. He made many visits to Katrina's farm and made her think he was helping her to sing better.

Time passed, and the town people thought Ichabod was winning. Brom's horse was never seen at Katrina's house on Sunday nights anymore.

One day in autumn Ichabod was asked to come to a big party at the Van Tassel home. He dressed in his best clothes. A farmer loaned him an old horse for the long trip to the party.

The house was filled with farmers and their wives, red-faced daughters and clean, washed sons. The tables were filled with different things to eat. Wine filled many glasses.

Brom Van Brunt rode to the party on his fastest horse called Daredevil. All the young ladies smiled happily when they saw him. Soon music filled the rooms and everyone began to dance and sing.

Ichabod was happy dancing with Katrina as Brom looked at them with a jealous heart. The night passed. The music stopped, and the young people sat together to tell stories about the revolutionary war.

Soon stories about Sleepy Hollow were told. The most feared story was about the rider looking for his lost head. One farmer told how he raced the headless man on a horse. The farmer ran his horse faster and faster. The horseman followed over bush and stone until they came to the end of the valley. There the headless horseman suddenly stopped. Gone were his clothes and his skin. All that was left was a man with white bones shining in the moonlight.

The stories ended and time came to leave the party. Ichabod seemed very happy until he said goodnight to Katrina. Was she ending their romance? He left feeling very sad. Had Katrina been seeing Ichabod just to make Brom Van Brunt jealous so he would marry her?

Well, Ichabod began his long ride home on the hills that surround Tarry Town. He had never felt so lonely in his life. He began to whistle as he came close to the tree where a man had been killed years ago by rebels.

He thought he saw something white move in the tree. But no, it was only the moonlight shining and moving on the tree. Then he heard a noise. His body shook. He kicked his horse faster. The old horse tried to run, but almost fell in the river, instead. Ichabod hit the horse again. The horse ran fast and then suddenly stopped, almost throwing Ichabod forward to the ground.

There, in the dark woods on the side of the river where the bushes grow low, stood an ugly thing. Big and black. It did not move, but seemed ready to jump like a giant monster.

Ichabod's hair stood straight up. It was too late to run, and in his fear, he did the only thing he could. His shaking voice broke the silent valley.

"Who are you?" The thing did not answer. Ichabod asked again. Still no answer. Ichabod's old horse began to move forward. The black thing began to move along the side of Ichabod's horse in the dark. Ichabod made his horse run faster. The black thing moved with them. Side by side they moved, slowly at first. And not a word was said.

Ichabod felt his heart sink. Up a hill they moved above the shadow of the trees. For a moment the moon shown down and to Ichabod's horror he saw it was a horse. And it had a rider. But the rider's head was not on his body. It was in front of the rider, resting on the horse.

Ichabod kicked and hit his old horse with all his power. Away they rushed through bushes and trees across the valley of Sleepy Hollow. Up ahead was the old church bridge where the headless horseman stops and returns to his burial place.

"If only I can get there first, I am safe," thought Ichabod. He kicked his horse again. The horse jumped on to the bridge and raced over it like the sound of thunder. Ichabod looked back to see if the headless man had stopped. He saw the man pick up his head and throw it with a powerful force. The head hit Ichabod in the face and knocked him off his horse to the dirt below.

They found Ichabod's horse the next day peacefully eating grass. They could not find Ichabod.

They walked all across the valley. They saw the foot marks of Ichabod's horse as it had raced through the valley. They even found Ichabod's old hat in the dust near the bridge. But they did not find Ichabod. The only other thing they found was lying near Ichabod's hat.

It was the broken pieces of a round orange pumpkin.

The town people talked about Ichabod for many weeks. They remembered the frightening stories of the valley. And finally they came to believe that the headless horseman had carried Ichabod away.

Much later an old farmer returned from a visit to New York City. He said he was sure he saw Ichabod there. He thought Ichabod silently left Sleepy Hollow because he had lost Katrina.

As for Katrina, her mother and father gave her a big wedding when she married Brom Van Brunt. Many people who went to the wedding saw that Brom smiled whenever Ichabod's name was spoken. And they wondered why he laughed out loud when anyone talked about the broken orange pumpkin found lying near Ichabod's old dusty hat.



Now its your turn. What are some of the most famous ghost stories in your country? Write to us in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

Quiz

How well do you understand this story?

Quiz on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz



For Teachers

This lesson plan for teachers has activities to teach the strategy Predicting with the story.

______________________________________________________________

Words in this Story

burial  n. the act or ceremony of burying a dead person in a grave

crane - n. a type of tall bird that has a long neck and long legs and lives near water

rebel  n. a person who opposes or fights against a government

Revolutionary War  n. the war for American independence from Britain

shake  v. of your voice: to produce sound in an unsteady way because you are nervous, angry, sad, etc
LEXINGTON  The case of an Elwood woman who allegedly wanted her ex-husbands girlfriend and four children killed has been bound over to district court.

Valerie Miller, 39, is charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder, both are Class 2 felonies.

Miller appeared in Dawson County Court where she waived her right to a preliminary hearing and Judge Jeffrey Wightman bound the case over to the Dawson County District Court.

Millers attorney filed a motion for a psychological evaluation to be performed. Arraignment in district court has been set for Monday, Nov. 14 at 9:30 a.m.

Millers bail remains set at 10 percent of $500,000 with the condition she have no contact with her ex-husband or his girlfriend.

An investigation began the last week of September when the Gosper County Sheriffs Office received a report from a concerned citizen regarding suspicious comments made by an Elwood woman. The Gosper County Sheriffs Office notified the Nebraska State Patrol.

According to court documents, on Monday, Oct. 3, an undercover investigator with the Nebraska State Patrol had been in contact with Miller through a social media app. The investigator made arrangements to meet Miller in the Lexington Walmart parking lot.

The investigator made contact with Miller, where she allegedly asked if he could get her a revolver. When asked why she wanted the weapon, Miller said she wanted several individuals, not living, according to court documents.

The investigator said he could do it for $1,000 per person and asked who she wanted dead. Her ex-husbands girlfriend, she said, according to the affidavit, and the girlfriends three young children and adult son.

She gave the investigator more details. The girlfriends address in Elwood, to use the side door, the ages of the three children  6 months, 2 years and 10 years old.

The (investigator) explained that murdering the children was probably not in her best interest, as they posed no threat to her, according to the affidavit.

Miller agreed, and they settled on the two adults for $2,000.

Following the conclusion of the meeting, Miller drove for approximately two miles, where troopers performed a felony traffic stop. Miller was taken into custody without incident. She has been lodged in Dawson County Jail.
ELWOOD  The boards of the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District and the Dawson Public Power District voted to consolidate during a joint board meeting in Elwood on Monday, Oct. 24.

In front of a large crowd at the Elwood Civic Center, members of the CNPPID and DPPD boards voted to proceed with the merger. The vote was the fourth and final one between the two boards.

The merger will be advanced to the Nebraska Power Review Board for final approval and it is anticipated the merger will be completed in 2023. The consolidated entity will be called Platte River Public Power and Irrigation District (PRPPID).

The newly formed entity will result in a 14-member board of directors by 2029.

The new combined board will include all 23 members consisting of each entitys entire board of directors. Nine seats would be phased out during election years as terms in office expire

The newly formed public power and irrigation district would have seven subdivisions; each subdivision would be represented by two board members.

Subdivision One includes territory in Buffalo and Sherman counties, Subdivision two includes Kearney County, Subdivision Three includes Custer and Dawson counties, Subdivision Four includes Phelps County, Subdivision Five include Lincoln County, Subdivision Six includes Frontier and Gosper counties and Subdivision Seven includes Keith County.

Representatives for the subdivisions will be elected to six year terms.

Dave Rowe, president of Centrals board of directors, said, The unique operational portfolio that results from the consolidation ensures that we are involved in initiatives that enhance economic development built on the foundation of two of Nebraskas most vital resources: water and power. This will strengthen our area and offer advantages that will increase in the future, just as those who built these districts envisioned.

Gwen Kautz, DPPDs general manager, said, Two years of detailed research have gone into this endeavor. The data, the synergies and the commitment to making central Nebraska stronger are all there.

The directors should be applauded for their vision and ability to work in the best interests of all stakeholders, said Pat Hecox, DPPDs board president.

Devin Brundage, CNPPIDs general manager, said, How these resources and assets are leveraged to benefit us, and future generations, will be decided here in south-central Nebraska by those who have a real stake in them. Through providing benefits of irrigation deliveries in conjunction with low-cost, reliable electrical power and groundwater recharge, the Platte River Public Power and Irrigation District will positively influence virtually every part of daily life in this part of the state.

"There will be no more thinking of water vs. power," Michelle High of Bertrand said in support of the merger during the public comment portion of the meeting. "We have to grow a new culture."

Opposition

Not everyone felt the merger was the right way forward and some questioned the timing of the vote.

Prior to Mondays vote, some CNPPID water users expressed opposition to the merger, concerned that CNPPID would sacrifice its voting power on a combined board and that delivering water to irrigations might become secondary to electrical issues.

Several irrigators complained that the two years of studying and considering the merger was hasty and that the final vote came at the height of harvest season, a busy time for farmers and hard to get away from their operations.

In the plan of consolidation, it was noted discussions about a possible merger began in December 2020, between that time 23 meetings were held by both the CNPPID and DPPD boards allowing for public comment, per CNPPID and DPPD.

The chronology of outreach also details the groups own outreach and times and dates when local media ran articles discussing the merger.

In their letter to the editor, Dave Dahlgren of Holdrege and the six other farmers and ranchers urged Centrals current board members to oppose the merger in todays fourth and final vote on the matter.

Two separate motions from members of CNPPID and DPPDs boards to delay the vote for 90 days didnt receive enough votes to be passed.

Water user and former state Sen. Ed Schrock of Holdrege spoke in opposition to the merger.

"For you on the Dawson side, there's no downside to this. But irrigators are going to be a minority vote," he said before adding, "We're going to move the courthouse in the middle of the night."

Schrock said, We are here today to consummate the marriage of two different animals (water and electricity), I dont see how it works.

Schrock said there are nine slots on the 12-member Central board for representatives of the three major irrigation counties  Phelps, Gosper and Kearney, which are all on the south side of the Platte River.

But under the proposed merger, only six of 14 board members on the merged board would be from those counties, thus lessening the influence of irrigators, said Schrock, who is a director on the board of the Nebraska Public Power District Board.

We have asked for more time, that has been rejected, we have asked for minority protection, that has been rejected, Schrock said, If this is a good deal, it will be a good deal down the road.

Both Dahlgren and Schrock said irrigators probably should have been more engaged earlier in the consideration of the merger. However, like many others, they complained that recent open houses and Mondays meeting came during harvest season when farmers are busy.

"I was asleep at the wheel," Schrock said. "But I want to know how you could do this without (the) support of the water users?"

Concluding his comments, Schrock said, This may be the greatest water giveaway of the century gentleman, to applause from many in the audience.

Tanner Nelson, an irrigator from Bertrand, called himself a young farmer and "the future of agriculture." He said he was "disturbed" and very disappointed the meeting was called at the height of harvest season.

"It's a slap in the face to me. I have to make a living. In central Nebraska we don't schedule things during harvest," he said. "We need time to digest this.

Nelson said not being aware of the farming schedule may happen in Lincoln or Omaha, but that shouldnt happen in central Nebraska. He said for something that is so important to be held during harvest, I couldnt believe it.

Merger History

The consolidation is the culmination of more than two years of analysis and consideration by board members, management, and staff from the two districts that started with a phased study by Power System Engineering (PSE), a Wisconsin-based consulting firm that provides industry-leading engineering, economic, and planning solutions to utilities of all types, per CNPPID and DPPD.

Phase one of the process consisted of meetings, inspections of facilities, data requests and an initial examination of both districts financial models.

With approval from both boards to move forward with the study, PSE examined a framework for potential governance of the new organization, and began an in-depth study of a financial model, workforce assets, and how Centrals hydroelectric generation would fit into Dawsons retail distribution system. Phase Two also included joint board discussions guided by independent facilitators and forums with customers and stakeholders, per a CNPPID press release.

Background

CNPPID services 107,000 acres that receive irrigation delivery service, hydroelectric generation at four power plants, groundwater recharge, recreational opportunities at its many lakes and reservoirs, and wildlife habitat associated with project waters. It owns and operates Kingsley Dam and Lake McConaughy, the storage reservoir that is the linchpin of the project that began operation in 1941.

Centrals administrative headquarters are in Holdrege, the Control Center that manages operation of the project is in Gothenburg and irrigation offices are located in Holdrege and Bertrand. The public in six counties elect representatives to Centrals 12-member board of directors.

Dawson PPD serves more than 23,000 electric meters and maintains more than 5,800 miles of power lines in south central Nebraska, along the Platte River Valley. It was organized in 1937.

The DPPD district is a member of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Nebraska Generation & Transmission Cooperative and the Nebraska Rural Electric Association.

The District is guided by an 11-person board of directors elected by voters in the area it serves, including all of the rural areas in Dawson and Buffalo Counties, approximately two-thirds of Gosper County, a third of Lincoln County and parts of Custer, Sherman and Frontier Counties. The District also serves several villages: Hershey, Maxwell, Brady, Farnam, Eustis, Elwood, Eddyville, Smithfield, Overton, Sumner, Miller, Riverdale, Amherst, Odessa and Pleasanton. Dawson PPD does not serve customers within the cities of North Platte, Gothenburg, Cozad, Lexington, Elm Creek, Kearney, Gibbon, Shelton or Ravenna.

DPPDs headquarters is located in Lexington and service centers are located in North Platte, Gothenburg, Sumner, Ravenna and Kearney.

DPPD purchases electricity from Nebraska Public Power District and distributes it to customers in the area. During the summer months, as our energy sales peak, it purchases supplemental power from the Western Area Power Associations federally-owned hydroelectric generators.
LEXINGTON  The Lexington Ministerial Association is hosting their annual Clerical Soup and Chili Challenge the day of Give BIG Lexington on Nov. 10.

The event will be hosted in the First United Methodist Church fellowship hall from 11 a.m.  1 p.m. Visitors will be able to vote for their favorite clergy or laity prepared chili or soup by donating toward their favorite.

A Best Soup and Best Chili trophy will be awarded to the meal that gets the most donations. Costume creativity is applauded and encouraged.

All proceeds will go to support the Lexington Ministerial Association Benevolent fund which is used to help with assistance to those in need in the community of Lexington.

Checks can be made out to the Lexington Community Foundation with a note that it is for the Lexington Ministerial Association.

Give BIG Lexington: Lexington Ministerial Association

The Lexington Ministerial Association is a nonprofit organization comprised of pastors and their congregations from the Lexington community.

The purpose of the Lexington Ministerial Association is to promote Christian fellowship, share mutual concerns, enhance a spirit of togetherness and cooperation, and provide programs of interest and value to the clergy and the community.

One of the primary forms of outreach is by serving the community by providing emergency assistance to those in need from the community. This includes:

Transportation - help with small amounts so people can attend job interviews or medical appointments. The Association also provides bus fares for people who are stranded or need to go somewhere for an emergency;

Housing - helping newcomers get housing, prevent evictions, and assist in crises;

Utilities - usually, this help is to prevent the cut-off of utility services;

Food - offered when food stamps arrive late are lost or stolen; help people whose funds have run out and persons who are traveling and have an emergency.

Personal Necessities - help secure prescriptions, diapers, work documents, eyeglasses, hearing aids, and medical treatment.

The Lexington Ministerial Association works in cooperation with Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska, Dawson County Sheriff, Lexington Police Department, Lexington Public Schools, the Parent-Child Center, Salvation Army, Lexington Regional Health Center, Health & Human Services, the Red Cross, and other organizations within the community when needed.

The Association has also worked with the Mooberry family and local churches to sponsor the Dale and Elaine Mooberry Memorial Thanksgiving Dinner for those in need in the community on Thanksgiving Day. The Ministerial Association hopes to bring back the dinner now that things have returned to normal. They sponsor Lenten Lunches, a Thanksgiving Service, and other special community worship opportunities.

Lexington Ministerial Association has partnered with others in the community to respond to the needs that have arisen amid the pandemic and its ongoing challenge, especially those most vulnerable economically, emotionally, and spiritually. Due to our community's generous support to the Ministerial Association, we seek to aid those who most need it, such as those called by Jesus Christ, to love others, per the Give BIG page.
To the Board of Directors and Executive Staff of CNPPID

I want to thank you again, for past and present service to south central Nebraska. I understand these roles are filled with an endless dedication to improving the area and countless hours of thankless work. However, as a young aspiring producer, and an apprentice in learning about community leadership and change, let me share my observations of the Central-Dawson merger process.

First and foremost, I observed a blatant disrespect for the thoughts and opinions of the most important stakeholders, the water users in the district you were elected to serve. Up until this point in my life, I had not experienced that in such a strong and profound way in a rural area. During my time in urban settings, I saw and experienced this often- it was a different style of leadership- one in which results mattered more than anything else. A dizzying amount of disconnect and relationship between elected leader and constituent. On Monday, Oct. 24, the Central Public Power Board disregarded the request to postpone the vote. This signaled to the community that tradition is a bygone, results matter above all else.

A group of elected leaders who had information and knowledge made a decision without the support of their neighbors. A decision was made to go against the old saying a mentor once shared with me, If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. There were mere weeks between the final phase of the merger and the consolidation vote. This left little time for constituents to review the entirety of the plan and to consider its merits and downfalls. A message that seemed to communicate - we know better and were not interested in your opinions.

Last but not least, I observed an important vote happen during the most critical time of year for the producers this merger will impact. A decision I wont say much about, but that signals the level of respect given.

The results you were clearly seeking have been determined, and as a result, long-term damage to trust has occurred. This has influenced the way I view community leadership in our local communities and will forever alter my future decision making.

What is done is done, but the rushed public process and a generation changing vote during harvest, will forever stain the legacy of this new public power district.

Tanner Nelson

Bertrand
This advertorial is sponsored content provided by the advertiser and printed as is. Any claims, recommendations or errors are the advertisers own and the reader is responsible for evaluating all information contained herein.

Consumers take up CBD vaping for many reasons. Some switch from nicotine products over to vaping CBD products and dont look back. Some enjoy inhaling delicious flavors and exhaling undulating clouds of vapor. Some say they enjoy the sense of relief that only CBD provides for them. A CBD vape pen, aside from perhaps helping with smoking cessation and being a fun, recreational tool, may deliver other benefits. For example, some people who vape CBD say it helps to calm their anxiety. A CBD vape pen is discreet and provides access to that relief at any time.

Consumers have different options when it comes to vaping CBD. You can pick up a disposable CBD vape pen that is good for single use and then toss it out (responsibly) when youre done. You can also pick up a refillable CBD vape pen that you pair with a CBD vape juice of your choice.

In this article, the reviewer focused on disposable vape pens that come ready to use out of the packaging, as well as CBD cartridges that you can pair with a CBD vape pen battery. Essentially, whats covered are the best CBD vape pens available on the market today, breaking down the information you need, like the companys history, the type of CBD vapes they offer, and sharing some real customer feedback.

Top 6 CBD Vape Pen Options

1. CBDfx - Reviewers Choice: Best CBD Vape Pens

2. CBD American Shaman - Reviewing Staff Pick

3. Koi CBD - Runner Up

4. Just CBD - Customer Favorite

5. Diamond CBD - Informational

6. Extract Labs - Great Alternative

Best CBD Vape Pen Options Reviewed

1. CBDfx - Reviewers Choice: Best CBD Vape Pens

Pros

USA grown hemp

CBD-only and CBD + THC vapes

Multiple mouth-watering flavors

Rechargeable/disposable CBD vape pens

Cons

None

Company History

With a goal to make CBD accessible to people from all over the world, Ali Esmaili and Jameson Rodgers launched CBDfx in 2014. This company started in San Fernando Valley, California, and over the last several years has made it to the #2 spot in the list of privately held CBD companies throughout the world with more than 100 employees.

They offer the full gamut including full-spectrum CBD, broad-spectrum CBD, and CBD isolate options. They keep all of their products organic from seed to sale and continue with an innovative attitude, adjusting to customer feedback and new trends to keep their customer base up to date with products that reflect the latest research.

To make sure they truly are selling only the highest quality CBD products, CBDfx has collaborated with experts in multiple relevant fields of study to create their Medical Advisory Board. They have a veterinarian as part of the board, a dermatologist, a pharmacist, and a doctor of internal medicine, all of whom take the time to sample different CBDfx products and provide a thorough medical review.

To benefit their loyal customers, they have also put together a rewards program that helps you earn points every time you shop. Create an account to receive 100 points. Youll then earn points every time you shop, and you can redeem points for exclusive discounts. For every hundred points, youll receive $5 worth of rewards. You can also refer your friends and enjoy more exclusive bonuses.

CBD Vape Pen Products

CBDfx offers disposable CBD vape pens in two primary categories: CBD vapes and CBD + THC vapes. If youre interested in a CBD vape, you can select from four delicious flavors. Pick up blue strawberry, strawberry lemonade, tropic breeze, or fresh mint. Each of these CBD vapes contains 500 mg of broad-spectrum CBD.

This disposable broad-spectrum CBD vape pen has approximately 800 puffs per pen. Its rechargeable and disposable. Theyre crafted expertly to deliver an unmistakable and unforgettable flavor experience with a smooth hit every time. Each of these CBD vape pens is available for $34.99, at the time of this writing.

If you are more into a buzzy experience, youll want to check out the best CBD vape pens that include delta-9 THC. There are five options: Purple Punch, Maui Wowie, Pineapple Express, Wedding Cake, and OG Kush.

Some of these are indica strains, one is sativa, and some are hybrids. Each of these CBD vape pens contains 500 mg of full-spectrum CBD along with 5 mg of delta-9 THC. Depending on the formula, you may also get an extra cannabinoid like CBN, which is perfect for nighttime use because it helps to promote better sleep. Each of these CBD + THC vape pens is available for $34.99, at the time of this writing.

Customer Feedback

CBDfx vape pens frequently earn five stars from verified buyers. The overall sentiment from those who have tried these CBD pens is that the taste is the best out there. The pricing is affordable, delivery is always fast, and the new and improved design is making their experience that much better.

2. CBD American Shaman  Reviewing-Staff Pick

Pros

Gluten-free and eco-friendly CBD

100% customer satisfaction guaranteed

Slim design for CBD vape pens

10-second preheat

Cons

Shipment of CBD vape pens could experience a delay of up to three weeks

Company History

CBD American Shaman focuses on ultra-concentrated, terpene-rich CBD. They derive this specialized CBD from premium industrial hemp. To make sure that theyre always following through with the highest quality, they batch test using a unique process called ultra-performance convergence chromatography.

Theyve also developed proprietary nanotechnology, which is, ultimately, what sets them apart from other CBD companies. This nanotechnology is what makes their products nine times more bioavailable than any other CBD product you can find on the market today. What this means for you is that the CBD in their products absorb more quickly into the body, which may bring you faster relief.

They put together an informative blog that has answers to all of your CBD questions. You can explore CBD routines for dogs, learn what cannabinoids are, figure out the different benefits of smoking CBD and learn all about the latest research. Theyve also put together a Compassionate Care program that makes their products accessible to certain populations that need the extra support.

CBD Vape Pen Options

Although youre not going to be able to pick up a disposable CBD vape pen the way that you can with the first pick on this list, you can pick up a great battery called the Exxus Twistr, which is the slimmest design available for a CBD vape pen. If you want something small, compact, and easy to carry, this battery is a great option.

It has an adjustable temperature setting that takes it from 1.0 V up to 4.0 V. That same button can also activate two different settings for a 10-second preheat. To activate the preheat feature, click the button twice to preheat and then one time to stop. Its available for $19.99, at the time of this writing.

Customer Feedback

One customer says that he absolutely loves his new battery; he has had it for six months, and its still going strong. Another verified reviewer is new to vaping, but she says this battery is perfect as part of her CBD vape kit.

3. Koi CBD - Runner Up

Pros

Subscribe to save 20% off

Full-spectrum CBD

Disposable CBD vape

Hawaiian Driver strain terpene profile

Cons

Only one CBD strain is currently available

Company History

Koi CBD was launched in 2015 and has since been setting the quality standard for CBD products. To make sure they follow through with their primary mission, theyve put together a stringent vendor validation process. Only after vendors have completed this process will Koi CBD begin to source their hemp through them. All of the hemp that Koi CBD uses for its products is grown within the United States to create consistency across the board.

Since its formation, Koi CBD has become a part of the US Hemp Round Table Board of Directors, the Hemp Industry Association, and the California Hemp Council. You can count on transparency when it comes to the CBD that Koi CBD produces. Every batch has full traceability from plant to production.

Koi CBD has also developed a discount program for their community. Medical professionals, first responders, military members and the financially disadvantaged are all eligible to activate a 25% off discount code whenever they shop with Koi CBD. Additionally, Koi CBD has put together a rewards program that helps you earn points for every purchase on their website. Once youve collected enough points, you can redeem them for exclusive discounts.

CBD Vape Pen Options

Koi CBD offers a disposable CBD vape pen that comes filled with 2 grams of Hawaiian Driver, a hybrid CBD strain. This formula includes a blend of several cannabinoids, including CBD and THC. This CBD vape is rechargeable and features a high-grade ceramic coil. You can also use the preheat function to make your vaping CBD experience a lot smoother.

The Hawaiian Driver strain terpene profile helps you regain your balance after a long day. There are no additives, fillers, or any cutting agents included in this formula, and its been thoroughly lab tested by a third party for potency and purity. The total cost is $39.99 but you can always choose to subscribe to take 20% off the total.

Customer Feedback

On average, this Koi CBD vape has earned 4.5 out of five stars. Customers are saying this delivers an excellent CBD experience. Its incredibly calming but it doesnt create any kind of euphoria or high. It recharges quickly, helps customers feel better, and the taste is described as potent and layered.

4. Just CBD - Customer Favorite

Pros

Multiple CBD vape battery colors

Simple and discreet CBD vape pen design

Full charge in less than three hours

Ready with five clicks

Cons

510 standard CBD vape pen is for cartridges only

Company History

Just CBD has been focusing on delivering premium CBD products since 2017. They believe that CBD is Mother Natures secret miracle. When they launched this company, they noticed that there was a lot of misrepresentation in the CBD community. They wanted to cut through the falsities to create a company that offers its consumer base transparency.

You have a right to know what is in the products youre using, and Just CBD promises transparency in what they include in their formulas. They use world-class labs as part of their process to ensure that theyre always delivering pure, potent, and safe CBD products. Theyre led by values that include honesty and genuine love for their community.

CBD Vape Pen Options

If youre looking for disposable CBD vape pens, this is not the brand for you. However, if you are looking for a great battery in a color that represents your personality, then its worth checking out Just CBDs batteries, are available in four colors: gold, rose gold, blue, and black. Theyre designed to be smart, simple and always discreet.

Just CBDs best-selling vape pen is the perfect accessory to help you enjoy your CBD more efficiently when youre on the go. CBD flower tends to have a harsher aroma than CBD vape juice, allowing greater discretion. Each CBD vape pen costs $9.99, at the time of this writing, and comes with a USB charger.

Customer Feedback

Unfortunately, there are no customer reviews for the different colored batteries, but there is a section on the Just CBD website where reviews for all different products are available. Generally, verified buyers rate Just CBD products with five stars. They have come to trust the quality that Just CBD delivers, and they keep coming back for the consistency and amazing customer service.

5. Diamond CBD - Informational

Pros

Marketplace website

Unlock exclusive coupons when you sign up

Wide selection of CBD vape pens

Filter by brand, type, or mood

Cons

They only accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover

Company History

Diamond CBD is a research-intensive company. They were pioneers in CBD and theyre going even further to help you explore other cannabinoids like delta-8 THC. They work with a team of scientists that helps them with producing the purest formulas extracted from hemp. Currently, they have the top 10 leading CBD and delta-8 products available on the market.

Theyve also developed an award-winning CBD thats used by thousands of customers daily. This company focuses on sustainability as well. The hemp they use is grown organically, and they never use GMOs or synthetics. Their socially conscious goal is to maintain hemp sustainability and to leave every space they touch better than they found it.

Diamond CBD has a whole section on their website that is all about cannabinoids. Here, you can learn about different hemp alternatives to fit your needs. Whether youre looking to ease stress, improve anxiety, or just enjoy some euphoric experiences, they will help you find the right products that can complement your lifestyle. You can also check out their blog to explore how-to guides, discover what the marijuana lifestyle is all about, and compare the different cannabinoids.

CBD Vape Pen Options

Diamond CBD is set up like a marketplace website, so youll find a couple of different brands available all on one page. You can filter by mood, brand, type, active ingredient, strength, featured, and even by the price range.

There are too many CBD vape pens and vape oils for the reviewer to list here, but here are some of their popular flavors: Green Crack, Pineapple Express, Skywalker OG, Guava, Grape Ape, Granddaddy Purple, and Gorilla Glue. Some of these are disposable CBD vape pens while others are CBD cartridges that youll need to pair with a battery. If you dont already have a battery, check out the two types listed above. On average, you can pick up these products for $35.99 to $44.99, at the time of this writing.

Customer Feedback

Customers say they love the buzz they get when they explore CBD vapes that include additional cannabinoids like delta-8 THC. They describe their experience with Diamond CBD as always pleasant with great customer service. Several customers comment that theyve made this place their go-to for ordering all of their CBD products.

6. Extract Labs - Great Alternative

Pros

Full-spectrum CBD vape pens

Cartridges and vape pens available

Certified organic ingredients

Veteran-owned company

Cons

Terpene-rich extract tanks have a more herbaceous, earthy flavor than other options

Company History

Extract Labs has been featured in various publications. A combat veteran, Craig Henderson, founded the company, leading it to be named to the Vet100 list. His dream began in a dusty corner of his garage and his business has since exploded. He created this company when he realized the many benefits of CBD, and he wanted to make plant-based wellness more accessible, especially to his community of veterans.

Extract Labs focuses on research first and then the development and manufacturing of premium cannabinoid products. They dont just focus their efforts on the formulas they create, but they also make sure that theyre making their CBD vape pens available at an affordable price.

They collaborated with California State University to help fund their CBD research and its effects on canine glioma cells (brain tumors in dogs). Their efforts havent stopped there because they also offer discount programs to populations who need the support, and they remain steadfast with their original vision  to make the health benefits of CBD accessible to all.

CBD Vape Pen Options

Extract Labs offers a couple of different private reserve extract tanks. These full-spectrum CBD cartridges dont come with a battery, but you can use a battery you already have (one of the ones highlighted above) or you can purchase a battery from their website. Cartridge options include Martian Candy, Blue Dream, Garlic Jam, Clementine, Apple Fritter, El Jefe, and Gods Gift.

Some of these CBD vape pens incorporate delta-8 THC while others include CBD with other cannabinoids like CBG or CBT. You can select from extract tanks that contain 500 mg of CBD all the way up to 1000 mg of CBD. Make sure you are looking at the formula to ensure that you are purchasing a product that delivers the effects you most enjoy. Each cartridge ranges from $39 to $44, at the time of this writing, or you can subscribe and save 15% off your order.

Customer Feedback

Customers have different responses depending on the CBD vape pen formula they purchased. For example, one Extract Labs verified buyer was looking for a CBD vape to help with symptoms related to anxiety. He said that Blue Dream is a great full-spectrum CBD vape pen that helps him focus during the day and keeps his mind clear. He loves the flavor and can tell right away that its a high-quality extract. He rated it five stars.

Picking the Best CBD Vape Pens

Whether youre looking for disposable CBD vape pens or you have a refillable CBD vape pen that you use along with CBD vape juice, you know that with each inhale, youre bringing the contents into your lungs. The quality of the CBD vape pen you choose should never be compromised, and you should always be offered transparency so you can vape CBD confidently, knowing its high quality.

Independent Lab Tests

To hold themselves accountable, responsible CBD companies conduct independent testing, though there is no law that requires this. The FDA does not regulate the CBD industry. So CBD businesses that conduct independent testing show they are dedicated to integrity. They want to ensure all of their products live up to their claims.

Be wary of any brands that don't make their lab results and certificates of analysis easily accessible. CBD brands can mislead with eye-catching packaging and marketing since there aren't adequate rules and controls in place. Every business selected for this best CBD vape pen list has provided evidence of their due diligence on their website. This transparency makes for more confident shopping.

Customer Feedback

You are already aware that you should read reviews before making any purchases, and it's probably the second place you gravitate toward after checking out an enticing product. Since almost every product has a star rating system, honest consumers aren't scared to tell the whole truth and nothing but! Specifics not included in regular product descriptions can be found in the feedback section.

The reviews may be humorous, incredibly revealing, and at times able to convince you to add that item you were eyeing to your cart. This reviewer only listed CBD vape pens with a resoundingly high percentage of contented users, who expressed their sincere gratitude for the advantages these CBD vape pens contributed to their lifestyle.

Company History

A product can only be as good as the supplier that sells it. Wherever you go, youre constantly judging the source. For example, if a restaurant doesnt care about the customer experience, as good as their specials sound, you likely wont want to dine there. A CBD company should operate with consistency from their hemp growing practices through to the customer service staff they hire to care for their customers.

Although the CBD market created a lot of space for companies looking to make a quick profit from the craze, there are companies with founders who have a heart for the wellness industry and are genuinely dedicated to their mission. The six top CBD vape pen brands highlighted above have demonstrated their commitment to quality products through their actions, and thereby, the reputations theyve built.

Clean Ingredients

This reviewer appreciates CBD companies that use hemp grown organically and keep their ingredient lists short. There is no need for a long list of obscure ingredients. The businesses featured here include only essential ingredients in their CBD vape pens. Some fillers may not serve a purpose other than enhancing revenues by taking shortcuts.

What Are CBD Vape Pens?

When you read the words CBD vape pen, this usually refers to a pen-shaped device used for vaping CBD. Sometimes when a supplier refers to a vape pen, theyre referring to just the battery. A vape pen has two parts: 1) the cartridge that holds the CBD vape juice and 2) the battery. Sometimes, youll see a CBD vape pen that has these two components already attached and ready to use. Other times, in order to use the vape pen, youll need to screw the cartridge onto the battery.

Vape Pen Types: Refillable vs. a Disposable CBD Vape Pen

There are two primary types of vape pen. The first is the disposable vape pen, which is equipped with a battery and has the CBD vape juice incorporated. Disposable vape pens are easy to use. If youre new to vaping CBD, this is a great starter option. Youll get the lay of the land, get a taste for the flavor experience, and become acquainted with the benefits of CBD.

The second type of vape pen is a refillable. With a refillable vape pen, you own the components and you purchase CBD vape juice separately. With refillable CBD vape pens, theres a higher upfront cost and you take on the responsibility of maintaining it. But if you are regularly vaping, refillable CBD vape pens are a more economical option for the long term.

When buying vape juice, though, be sure to purchase CBD vape juice and not CBD oil. If you try to vape CBD oil, it wont vaporize properly and when it burns, the additives can actually be harmful. Additionally, do not orally consume (swallow) CBD meant for vaping.

Benefits of Vaping CBD

Studies suggest CBD can help relieve anxiety, reduce inflammation, and provide pain relief. Clinical trials show some people find relief for more serious conditions, such as seizure disorders. For most users, its a method to balance out their mood and soothe discomfort.

Although CBD can be taken in a variety of ways, many people prefer a CBD vape pen because its discreet and the action of inhaling and exhaling can be soothing. This could be because they were previously tobacco smokers and have decided to try something different, or it could just be that they enjoy the act of vaping.

How to Use a CBD Vape Pen?

CBD pens are super simple to use, especially if theyre disposable. Usually, youll see a button on the vape pen that you press just before you begin to take a puff. Some disposable CBD vape pens dont have a button, so you just activate it by taking a little puff. If this is your first time trying CBD, go slow until you figure out how the vape pen works and how much you intend to vape to achieve the desired benefits.

Are CBD Vape Pens Legal?

So long as the vape pen doesnt contain more than 0.3% THC, it is not illegal. However, some states have restrictions on CBD products, so make sure you check your states law to confirm that the CBD vape pen youre using is legal.

FAQ

What is the right amount of CBD to vape?

This is a question answered by personal preference and your bodys chemistry. For new users, its best to start with just a couple of puffs. Wait to see how you feel, and then adjust your dose depending on the results. Also, make sure youre considering the milligrams of the vape you choose; 500-milligram CBD vape pens will have milder effects than 1000-milligram CBD pens. Allow time for some experimentation and exploration and youll eventually find which potency option suits you best.

Do CBD vapes get you high?

CBD will not get you high, but products infused with delta-9 or delta-8 THC could cause psychotropic effects. If youre not interested in even a slight buzz, then stick with products that are 100% CBD. Products that do give a slight high should be labeled as such and the product description should note some of the effects you may experience. However, CBD alone is not psychotropic and does not cause any type of high or altered state. Its more of a calming, soothing effect, more akin to drinking a cup of chamomile tea.

Conclusion

The versatility of CBD is what attracts users to it, and there are many methods to get your daily dose. Disposable or refillable CBD vape pens are a great way to get CBD into your system quickly and discreetly. There are many flavor profiles for you to explore along with different formulas -- some broad or full-spectrum CBD with extra cannabinoids and some without. No matter which product you choose, make sure youre taking advantage of special promotions, signing up to receive exclusive discount codes, and subscribing when youve found the right CBD vape pen for you.

This content is provided for informational purposes only by the advertiser and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Please consult your healthcare provider for medical advice. Products with cannabis THC are still considered a schedule 1 controlled substance and is illegal under federal law. Adults who consume cannabis must keep THC products away from animals and out of reach of children. Note that the intoxicating effects of THC can sometimes be delayed, so do not operate a vehicle or machinery after consumption. Use of THC during pregnancy or while breastfeeding may be harmful. By purchasing products with THC, you are assuming the risk of any damage or loss that occurs during its use. The reader is responsible for complying with local laws on the use of information gathered. Any views, thoughts or opinions in this paid post belong solely to the advertiser and do not represent the views of Brand Ave. Studios or its parent company.

This content was produced by Brand Ave. Studios. The news and editorial departments had no role in its creation or display. Brand Ave. Studios connects advertisers with a targeted audience through compelling content programs, from concept to production and distribution. For more information contact sales@brandavestudios.com.
The Dane County medical examiner has confirmed the name of the man who was shot and killed by a sheriffs deputy in the village of Oregon on Sunday as 21-year-old Jose C. Jimenez.

Earlier this week, people who knew Jimenez told the State Journal that little in his conduct suggested he might have been in trouble with the law.

Authorities havent released the name of the deputy who fatally shot Jimenez.

It was the second time this month a Dane County sheriffs deputy has shot and killed someone. On Oct. 13, Deputy Cody Woods fatally shot 46-year-old Quantaze D. Campbell during an investigation of a stolen vehicle outside a Super 8 hotel in Windsor.

Both deputies have been placed on paid leave pending investigations by the state Department of Justice.

In a statement Sunday about Jimenezs death, Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said his office got a 911 call about 11 a.m. about a weapons violation on Jefferson Street, and deputies and assisting agencies began searching for a person in the area.

Jimenez, who was alleged to have committed several weapons violations in recent days, was believed to be in the 5200 block of Highway CC, according to the DOJ.

Officials set up a perimeter in the area, and Jimenez ran, the DOJ said. A deputy made contact with him at about 3:15 p.m. and shot him. Jimenez died at the scene.
Police were called to a fight involving seven students outside Madison West High School over lunch Thursday, Madison School District officials said.

Principal Dan Kigeya said staff responded to the incident quickly, and due to the large number of students involved, requested support from the City of Madison Police Department.

Students reported afterward that a weapon might have been involved, but a search of the area with a police dog didnt turn up one.

Madison School District spokesperson Tim LeMonds said two police squad cars responded to the altercation but no citations were issued. Kigeya, who is in his first year at West, said in his email that we are working with the students involved and have been in contact with their families and will determine consequences following the districts Behavior Education Plan and identify any restorative options.

Madison police had not responded to an email seeking information about the incident.

Large fights and other incidents requiring police at some of the districts four main high schools marred the first fully in-person school year in 2021-22 after the COVID-19 pandemic mostly closed schools to in-person learning for about a year before that. While the district is not quick to share information with the larger community about behavior issues in the schools, there appear to have been fewer of those problems this school year.

The School Board in June 2020 voted to remove police officers, known as school resource officers, from the high schools in response to the nationwide uproar and racial-justice activism following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes has proposed as part of his departments budget next year to assign a police officer to the neighborhoods around each of the four main high schools.
Responses to the Wisconsin State Journals candidate questionnaire. The election is Nov. 8. Incumbent William Penterman, R-Columbus, did not respond.

Maureen McCarville

Party: Democrat

Age: 64

Address: DeForest

Family: Single

Job: Manager, cash management, Madison Gas and Electric

Prior elected office: DeForest village trustee, two terms; Dane County Board of Supervisors, currently serving in my fifth term

Other public service: DeForest Police Commissioner, 11 years; Wisconsin Army National Guard, nine years; past Chamber of Commerce July 4 parade organizer, village of DeForest, various years. 2010 Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the year. Organizer of five Yahara Volunteer River cleanup projects (1999-2003) while serving as village trustee. Served as chair for MG&E team in our United Way efforts and as the March of Dimes event coordinator for many years.

Education: Bachelors degree in business management from Upper Iowa University

Q&A

Why are you the best candidate for this office?

I have lived in the 37th district for 42 years, have a long history serving in elected and appointed local offices and am experienced in finding common-sense solutions to tough problems. I served nine years in the National Guard. I understand the struggles that working folks and families face and I will work tirelessly to find solutions to the problems big and small facing our state.

What is the most important issue in this election and how would you address it?

Gun violence is a growing threat to our way of life. As a gun owner, I recognize the need for common-sense reform to place reasonable safeguards against senseless violence. We must keep guns out of the hands of the inexperienced, immature and those suffering from mental health issues. We need to ensure that people with records of abuse and violence dont have access to guns designed for warfare.

What changes, if any, would you make to the states election system?

I strongly support redistricting by an independent body. District lines must be drawn without consideration of party politics. I believe our elections are handled in an exceptionally fair manner and municipal clerks deserve credit. I would support measures to revise the process in any way that assures all eligible voters are able to cast their ballots.

What are your priorities for the states $5 billion surplus?

Investments should be made in Education, nutrition for kids, health care with limits on copays for prescription medications, programs that help seniors and veterans. We also need to address our crumbling infrastructure- bridges and roads. Providing broadband access to all citizens should be a top priority. We witnessed first hand the need for internet access for education during the pandemic.

Should abortion be legal in all cases, illegal in all cases or something in between? Explain.

Abortion should always be legal when deemed medically necessary to protect the life or health of the mother. Abortions before viability should be decisions made between a woman and her doctor. Abortion is a health care decision, and government should not be dictating medical decisions. It should not enforce laws affecting only women that were enacted 120 years before women could legally vote.

How should the state improve educational outcomes, especially in the wake of how the pandemic affected student achievement?

The state should invest in teachers and resources. We need to provide access to broadband which will allow all students to be educated remotely when needed. Provide hot lunch to all children who dont have enough to eat at home. Fund resource officers in schools to provide a safer environment. Provide teachers with incentives that will attract the best and brightest to the teaching field.

How should the state address its workforce challenges, both in the public and private sectors?

We should look at partnering more with businesses, find creative ways to help students pay for college. State policies should encourage study in the trades and recognize their value. We should look toward assisting employers with the cost of providing employee child care to better tap into the talented workforce we already have.

Was the Michael Gableman investigation of the 2020 election a good use of taxpayer resources? What follow-up should there be?

No, it was wasted taxpayer money. We should reexamine the process that allows individual politicians to spend taxpayer money to pursue an already discredited theory for purely political purposes.
Responses to the Wisconsin State Journals candidate questionnaire. The election is Nov. 8. Republican candidate Marisa Voelkel did not respond.

Jenna Jacobson

Party: Democratic

Age: 40

Address: Oregon

Family: Husband, three kids

Job: Stay-at-home mom

Prior elected office: Oregon village trustee, 2017-2021, 2022-present

Other public service: Vice chair, Oregon Housing Coalition, two years; Governors Council on Financial Literacy Education, one year

Education: Bachelors degree in consumer financial planning, Purdue University

Q&A

Why are you the best candidate for this office?

I am the only candidate running that currently serves as an elected community leader. I listen first, then work with people to build solutions for todays challenges. I will continue to take action to secure the fundamental freedoms for all of us to thrive: accessible, affordable health care; personal choice in health decisions; high-quality public education; and quality affordable housing.

What is the most important issue in this election and how would you address it?

I believe the most important issue this election season is fair representation. Gerrymandering, voting restrictions and criminalized abortions do not reflect Wisconsinites values of fairness, freedom and forward progress. I support creating a nonpartisan redistricting commission, implementing fair voting practices that allow all voters to cast their vote with ease, and legalizing abortion.

What changes, if any, would you make to the states election system?

The disinformation spread about the 2020 election is intentional and dangerous. Questioning the integrity of Wisconsin and national elections, without evidence, undermines confidence in election results and in democracy. I support nonpartisan oversight of our elections, like the former Government Accountability Board, to help maintain integrity and bolster confidence in our elections.

What are your priorities for the states $5 billion surplus?

I believe that some of the surplus should be used to fill the funding gaps in education, specifically special education. Governor Evers has now released two reasonable plans for the surplus, which include education funding. I think it is paramount that the legislature gets back to work for the people of Wisconsin and decide the best way to return this money to Wisconsinites

Should abortion be legal in all cases, illegal in all cases or something in between? Explain.

Everyone should have the freedom to choose if and when they have a family and the size of that family. The government should not be making those choices for individuals. I believe in keeping government out of private health care decisions between a patient and their doctor; whether that be about abortion, vasectomies or any other medical procedures.

How should the state improve educational outcomes, especially in the wake of how the pandemic affected student achievement?

The state should start by fulfilling its commitment to Wisconsinites and fully funding education. The best way to improve educational outcomes is to fund the programs designed to improve educational outcomes. Paying teachers a fair wage, reducing class sizes, making sure students have access to food and school supplies will help students gain ground in their education.

How should the state address its workforce challenges, both in the public and private sectors?

We need to work with businesses and job training programs, through the Department of Workforce Development and other State departments, to have a multi-pronged approach to workforce challenges. Programs that provide adequate child care, training, and transportation assistance will help workers to prepare themselves to participate in the workforce and to expand their current participation.

Was the Michael Gableman investigation of the 2020 election a good use of taxpayer resources? What follow-up should there be?

No. Robin Vos used taxpayers money to launch an investigation that only benefited his personal, political campaign. There should be an investigation into this use of funds and recommendations for accountability put in place based on the findings.
Four Madison City Council members are proposing to more than double council pay from $14,904 to $37,658 in April 2023 in order to pay a living wage, open opportunities for more people, and make the council more equitable.

Council President Keith Furman and Alds. Juliana Bennett, Nikki Conklin and Grant Foster are offering an amendment to Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway's proposed $381.9 million budget for 2023. It would boost pay from $13.77 to $34.80 an hour for the part-time position that's expected to require about 20 hours a week. The proposal would cost $363,600 next year and $511,000 annually.

"It's a challenging job, really labor intensive, and emotionally draining," said Foster, 15th District. "It's not good to have such a difficult job not be compensated. I don't think it's a good setup at all."

The proposal, which would increase council member pay to the mean hourly rate of all permanent city employees, and other amendments to be made public on Friday will be considered by the city's Finance Committee on Monday.

The proposal follows a report by the city's special Task Force on Government Structure, introduced to the council in early 2020, which says the city's governance structure is "fundamentally unfair" to many residents and recommends changes to the council, more efficient city committees and better community engagement.

It also follows advisory referendums in April 2021 in which voters overwhelmingly supported term limits for council members and keeping the 20-person legislative body the same size, while rejecting proposals to move to a higher-paid, full-time council whose members would serve longer terms.

The proposed budget amendment would provide a salary smaller than recommended in the task force report, which broke down to $38.70 an hour for a salary of $80,500 for a 40-hour work week.

Pay for council members is budgeted at $14,904 each for 2022, with the vice president making $16,078 and the president $18,135. The mayor's budgeted salary for 2022 is $157,548.

"It's incredibly difficult to get the voices we so desperately need if we aren't properly compensating people," said Conklin, 9th District. "Unless you're wealthy or incredibly privileged, it's difficult to do this demanding job and support and take care of your family."

The sponsors rejected any assertion that they're pushing an unjustified pay raise for themselves. In interviews Thursday, Foster and Furman declined to say if they're running for reelection in the spring and that the question is a distraction and irrelevant to whether the job is properly compensated.

"It skirts the real important policy question," Foster said.

The sponsors said they are open to adjusting the exact amount and perhaps phasing in the increases. "We're certainly open to that," Furman said. "We want there to be more discussion on this."

Rhodes-Conway said she only recently learned of the proposal and hasn't had time to fully consider its implications.

"It's a significant amount of money," she said, adding that she's not sure if the city can support a large increase in compensation without considering the size of the council itself. Also, "I'm not sure you can have that full conversation through a budget amendment," she said.

If the amendment passes, council members don't have to take the extra money, sponsors said. Under state law, the mayor or any council member may refuse to accept, in whole or in part, the salary that he or she is otherwise entitled to receive.

If it fails at the Finance Committee, the sponsors intend to offer an amendment to the full council when final budget decisions are made on the week of Nov. 14.

Task force recommendations

The city has been looking in depth at its type of government in recent years.

The Task Force on Government Structure (TFOGS), which had 90 meetings over 20 months, recommended moving to a full-time, 10-member council with members paid $67,950 annually and elected to four-year terms with two-year leadership terms.

The task force report panned the current system as an "impediment to full participation and representation" and "fundamentally unfair to a larger portion of the city's population, including, most notably, the city's residents of color and low income." It said the current system works best for people with the time, resources and knowledge to participate.

"You can't live in Madison on $15 an hour even if you're just taking care of yourself," Foster said.

The workload can be especially jarring for new members.

"The demands of this job is never-ending," said Conklin, who is serving her first term. "You are always on call. Phone ringing anytime day and night. Emails all day long" plus meetings, grand openings, networking and more. "There is always something to do. I can see why there has not been any single parents on the council until now."

Bennett, 8th District, could not be reached.

During the current term, four of 20 council members have already resigned for various reasons, and Ald. Syed Abbas, 12th District, recently announced he will not be seeking another term.

Without changes, "I think you're going to continue to see turnover on the council," Furman said.

In April 2021, the advisory referendum asked whether the council should stay part time with council members then paid about $13,700 or move to full time with pay between $45,000 and $71,000; stick with 20 members or be increased or decreased in size; change from two-year to four-year terms; and have term limits of 12 consecutive years.

More than 70% of voters favored implementing term limits and keeping the council the same size. But the questions on full-time, higher-paid positions and longer term lengths were rejected by voters, both by double-digit margins.

Furman and Foster stressed that the pay element of the referendum was tied to the question of a full-time council, which found opposition because voters didn't want a council of political professionals.

After the vote, the council has continued work on implementing task force recommendations, including changes to the process of council meetings, council staffing, a recent proposal for a referendum in the spring elections to modify council terms from two to three years and stagger the terms, and improvements to the committee system.

"This is not about us," Furman said. "This is about the TFOGS work."

Supermajority needed

Although every council member handles the job a bit differently, the city has determined that members are assumed to work 1,082 hours annually, or about 20.8 hours a week.

The last pay increase of $4,400 annually came in 2015.

"Just because something has been a certain way, I don't put a lot of confidence in that," Foster said. The hourly compensation for council members is far lower than the lowest hourly compensation for permanent city employees, which is $19.04 an hour, he said, adding, "To me, that's ridiculous. I don't think that's a good thing for the city."

If approved, the proposed budget amendment would raise council member pay from $13.77 per hour, or $14,904 annually, to the $34.80 per hour, or $37,658 a year. The amendment would also provide an increase for council leadership, bumping premiums for those jobs to $37.54 an hour, or $40,624 annually, for the vice president and $42.34 an hour, or $45,822 annually, for the president.

State statutes say that council salaries for the next term must be established by the first date for circulating nominating papers, which is Dec. 1, so a companion ordinance related to the pay increases will be introduced on Nov. 1, Furman said. Statutes also say that council salaries must be passed by three-fourths vote of the council, so the ordinance will require a 15-vote supermajority.
Madison City Council members are proposing a host of changes to Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conways proposed $381.9 million operating budget for 2023, including funds for parks, police, nonunion employees and doubling pay for council members.

By far, the most expensive of 23 separate amendments would be $3.1 million in annual costs starting in 2024 to provide a staggered, 3% wage hike for roughly 1,400 permanent employees not in the police, fire or bus driver unions; and $511,000 in 2024 to more than double pay for council members from $14,904 to $37,658, starting after the spring election next April.

Those initiatives would bring partial costs in 2023, with the full expense kicking in the following year.

Earlier this month, Rhodes-Conway proposed a record operating budget for next year focusing on public safety, neighborhoods, youth opportunities and employees, but with a sobering warning about future deficits.

The list of amendments shows that alders have far more ideas than we have money, and the council will have to make some hard choices about what to prioritize, Rhodes-Conway said.

Overall, the mayors budget increases spending by 6%  the most since 2009  to the $381.9 million, and raises tax collections by 5.5% to $273.2 million. City property taxes on the average home, now valued at $376,900, would increase to $2,899.30. That 4% hike, or $110.97, is triple the current years dollar amount increase.

The council can still increase tax collections by a net $436,000, or an additional $4.61 on the average home, before hitting state-mandated levy limits. The net cost of the proposed budget amendments would be $794,103 next year.

I do have some concerns over big ticket amendments that would increase the size of the citys structural deficit in future years, the mayor said. I hope the council will consider those longer-term impacts in their decision making.

The citys Finance Committee will consider amendments on Monday, with the full council making decisions on the mayors already amended $365.6 million capital budget and operating budget the week of Nov. 14.

Raising pay

The biggest single ongoing cost among the amendments is for employee wage parity.

Alds. Tag Evers and Mike Verveer want to update the citys wage parity catch up schedule for municipal employees who lost bargaining rights when state laws were changed in 2011. Municipal employees are now 6% behind protective service employees in percentage wage increases over the last several years.

Their amendment would delay a 1% pay increase now scheduled for Jan. 1 until July 9, but raise the amount to 2% and then deliver another 1% on Oct. 29. To offset the cost next year, the city would delay hiring several new positions, require agencies to find salary savings or apply reserves of funds from other sources.

The proposal, however, would cost an extra $3.1 million compared to the mayors budget in 2024, increasing a projected budget gap for that year from $7.2 million to $10.3 million. As one-time federal COVID-19 funds wane, the budget gap is projected to be $23.2 million in 2025 and $26 million in 2026.

On Thursday, council President Keith Furman unveiled the amendment to more than double council pay from $14,904 to $37,658 in April 2023, to pay a living wage, open opportunities for more people and make the council more equitable.

Currently, pay for council members is budgeted at $14,904 each for 2022, with the vice president making $16,078 and the president $18,135. The mayors budgeted salary for 2022 is $157,548.

The amendment, sponsored by Furman, Vice President Jael Currie, and Alds. Juliana Bennett, Nikki Conklin and Grant Foster, would raise council member pay from $13.77 per hour, or $14,904 annually, to $34.80 per hour, or $37,658 a year. It would also provide an increase for council leadership, bumping premiums for those jobs to $37.54 an hour, or $40,624 annually, for the vice president and $42.34 an hour, or $45,822 annually, for the president.

The increases would cost $363,600 next year and $511,000 annually.

Police, parks

Alds. Yannette Figueroa Cole and Sheri Carter and three co-sponsors proposed using a $175,000 federal Community Policing Development Microgrant for a two-year initiative to develop Community Policing Advisory Boards in each of six police districts, in partnership with the Madison Community Policing Foundation.

Under the program, residents would work with other community members and district officers to discuss public safety and create community activities to build neighborhood cohesion.

Also, Figueroa Cole and Carter and five co-sponsors proposed using $175,000 in federal funds for a two-year initiative to expand peer support, training, family resources, suicide prevention and other wellness programs in the Police Department.

For the Parks Division, Carter and a co-sponsor proposed spending $148,430 to create two more full-time parks ranger positions. The positions also will require spending $65,000 for a patrol truck in the capital budget.

Figueroa Cole and a co-sponsor also proposed spending $72,000 for a full-time parks volunteer coordinator. With the position, volunteer hours are expected to increase to 15,000 hours a year and add 4,000 hours a year annually. In 2019, the last date available, volunteers provided 4,732 hours of work.

More tasks

Other major amendments include:

$20,000 for a blight study of the Allied Drive area. If the area is found to be blighted, the city can conduct programmed building inspections there that were severely restricted by the state Legislature in 2017.

$50,000 funded by salary savings in the Police Department budget for a one-time pilot of third-party transports to and from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute. Now, such trips require two officers to be unavailable for five to six hours with a cost for 231 trips in 2021 estimated up to $169,800.

$104,332 for the citys share of adding two patient navigator positions for prenatal care coordination in the Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Program at Public Health Madison and Dane County. The funding is contingent on the county providing its $133,268 share.

$122,729 in annual costs for a full-time assistant city traffic engineer to address increased workload.
Monona-based WPS Health Insurance is ending its Medicare Part D drug coverage next year, requiring about 11,000 enrollees in Wisconsin to find other plans.

WPS is dropping the prescription drug plan, which it has offered since the government added drug coverage as a Medicare option in 2006, so it can concentrate on its Medicare Supplement Insurance plans, spokesperson DeAnne Boegli said.

WPS is focused on retaining our status as Wisconsins leading Medicare Supplement provider, Boegli said in a statement. We aim to keep that lead and are bringing this coverage to even more states with the goal of being a leading national Medicare Supplement provider in the years ahead.

Medicare Supplement plans, often called Medigap, fill in gaps in the coverage of traditional Medicare insurance. WPS has about 70,000 Medicare Supplement members in Wisconsin, Boegli said. About 7,000 of them, and 4,000 others, have its Medicare Part D plan that is ending, she said.

Twenty-three other Medicare Part D plans, which cover medications, will be offered in Wisconsin next year by nine out-of-state companies, including Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, Humana and United Healthcare.

People in the WPS Part D plan that is ending can choose one of the other plans. They can also switch to Medicare Advantage, private plans that often include drug coverage.

Fred Wade, 80, of Shorewood Hills, has had WPS Medicare Supplement and Medicare Part D coverage for many years. He takes expensive chemotherapy drugs for multiple myeloma and was upset to learn Thursday that the drug coverage was ending.

It was a big shock, said Wade, a retired attorney, noting the hassle of trying to find other coverage.

His wife, Marilyn Townsend, an attorney who has state benefits through her job on the state Labor and Industry Review Commission, said she previously also had WPS health insurance.

We trusted a local company more, Townsend said. I always felt wed have a little more local accountability.

Editors note: This story has been changed to correct Fred Wades name.
People come from all over Madison and beyond to see the Halloween house at 143 Glenway St. on the Near West Side.

We get a lot of drive-bys, people coming over, even from the East Side, said Peg Rooney, the houses chief decorator. Ive noticed because theyll roll down their windows and want to talk to us and thank us for doing this. I do feel like we stepped up the decorating in the last several years.

Rooneys corner lot is decked out with usual and unusual Halloween decor: enormous spiders and smaller ones that pop up at each end of her walkway, gravestones, a hanging mummy, a ghoulish bride and groom, a bloody pig head wearing an apron, a giant fish tank with skeleton fish and a skeleton mermaid, and a gondola helmed by Charon, who in Greek mythology ferried dead souls across the River Styx to the underworld.

New this year is a big, motion-activated wolf with tattered clothes, scary fangs, eyes that light up, and a mouth that opens and growls.

A BEWARE sign is affixed to a pole thats topped with a friendly pumpkin head. Nearby, a homemade wooden coffin says DANGER on top and DO NOT OPEN on the side.

Children, they love it.

Cary Richardson, 3, barely flinched Thursday night when a bloody hand burst out of a box and slowly drew back in.

We come from Austin, Texas, said Carys grandfather, Terry Richardson, 72, and I dont think anywhere in town we have anything this elaborate, so we stopped to check it out.

Giulia Cattaneo, 36, was taking video of the bedazzled yard to show friends and family back home in Milan, Italy. Ive never experienced anything like this before. This is amazing. Its totally uncommon. Bellissimo.

Rooney, 52, a microbiologist who works in regulatory affairs for Stratatech, a biotech company, and her husband, Jon Woods, 62, a medical microbiology professor at UW-Madison, started with more modest Halloween decorations 20 years ago, shortly after they moved into the house and before they had children  Maggie, 17, and Riley, 14, who go to Edgewood High School.

Its been part of their whole life, she said. I think that they find it unique and fun, maybe for a little while. They might not have been quite as excited, but theyre both at a stage where theyre coming back around to it.

She said that when everyone was in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she put the decorations out earlier and left them out longer. I just want to bring as much joy as possible, and people love it.

Rooney said the number of trick-or-treaters has gone down in the past two years because of the pandemic, but she said they usually get from 100 to 200.

They give out the usual candy, nothing extravagant, Rooney told a woman who visited the display Thursday evening.

She said that parents out for walks with their children will use her house as their target. And then, coming up to Halloween, theyll look every day for whats new. And so you get some pretty good feedback from the neighborhood kids and their families.

Rooney said they have some of the animatronic items on only during the weekends to make them more special and also because its a little more work to go out and turn them on.

And we try to have some deference to our neighbors because some of the things make sounds, she said. On the weekends weve kind of gotten the blessing of everyone around us to make a ruckus.

Sky watchers

Woods said they have to be careful when rain is in the forecast because the fuses will blow, so there are days when they need to put some of the animatronics in the garage.

He said the display uses about 50 connectors that are rated for outdoors, but shouldnt get wet. The days leading up to Halloween look dry.

Woods said when it rains, theyve repeatedly put a tarp over what he calls their Lord Raven blackbird figure, but it keeps blowing off. It takes a lot of attention.

The electrical features are on a timer that shuts them down at 10 p.m.

They dont have a count of how many items are out, Rooney said. They have a few more that arent displayed because the yards at capacity.

Home bodies

All of it is stored at their home because they dont have a storage locker. The biggest items are put in the garage, and some of it goes in the attic.

Ive always been a fan of Halloween, Rooney said. I was the kid who would make my own costume and kept on doing that past when friends stopped trick-or-treating.

She said everyone does big decorating for Christmas, and she felt Halloween was underrepresented.

Im just happy that my husband was on board with it, and actually encouraging me to even go further with these giant decorations as theyve become available, like the 12-foot skeletons.

Accurate bones

Rooney said she doesnt exactly know how many skeletons they have, but its become a phenomenon. Some were donated by a man who was associated with UW-Madison and retired to Florida. He left a note on their door.

He gave us a number of skeletons that are extremely accurate. I mean, they have cartilage there, she said. He also gave them a fiberglass blue serpent that he made. Rooney and Woods light it up, and it casts a shadow on their house.

He did decorating like this long ago and gifted it to us to keep the tradition going, Rooney said.
Elon Musks proposed US$44 billion deal to acquire Twitter and take it private is reportedly coming together as a courts Oct. 28, 2022, deadline nears.

While most people are likely familiar with the idea of taking a private company public  the process that allows individuals to buy and sell a companys shares in the stock market  the reverse process is not as well understood and happens far less often.

As a business and law professor, I have been analyzing mergers, privatizations and other corporate deals for over two decades. The most common question I have been getting from students and faculty colleagues is why would Musk want to take Twitter private? Or more simply, what does it mean to go private?

The answers to these question help address a more interesting one: Will he succeed?

Public vs. private

Lets start with the basic differences between a public and private company.

For starters, a public company is widely held, meaning it has a lot of shareholders. Anyone can buy shares of most public companies, their shares trade on stock exchanges, and their market price is widely available on websites and apps.

Federal securities law requires public companies to disclose a lot of information about their operations and financial condition in reports that are posted on the Security and Exchange Commission website. Basically, anything that happens to a public company thats of consequence to investors must be disclosed publicly.

A private company, on the other hand, is closely held. It has few shareholders  sometimes just one. It usually is impossible to buy shares of a private company. When it is possible, it is difficult because shares dont trade on exchanges. You have to find someone who is willing and able under restrictive securities laws to sell you their shares.

In addition, a private company is not required to file disclosures or anything else with the SEC.

Another key difference is the power the chief executive has. While public company CEOs have a lot of power, that power is constrained by things like a board of directors and rules on compensation.

Private companies have no meddlesome boards or rules governing compensation or other issues. And with few or no pesky outside shareholders, leaders of private companies dont have to worry about the effect their decisions might have on the share price.

Going private

Many, if not most, companies begin their lives as a private company  perhaps in a family garage, as seems to be the case in so many startup origin stories.

As a young company grows, it needs more funding, a problem often solved by doing an initial public offering that pulls in a lot of cash and opens up ownership to anyone.

Taking a company private, as Musk intends to do, reverses the IPO. If it goes through, the Tesla billionaire will pay Twitter shareholders $54.20 a share, which is a 64% premium over the price Twitter stock was trading at a few weeks before Musks offer was disclosed on April 14, 2022.

A success story

So why would Musk or anyone want to take a company private? One key reason is control, which allows a buyer to impose his or her vision and singular strategy.

Thats why Michael Dell decided to take the computer company that bears his name private in 2013.

At the time, the company was struggling as personal computer sales slumped amid the rise of the smartphone. As he explained in a securities filing, Dell believed it was essential to quickly transform the company from primarily a PC maker to one focused on providing large organizations with entire information technology systems and managing them.

He said he couldnt make the transformation as a public company because it would hurt short-term profits, which would likely cause the share price to fall. That in turn could harm consumers perception of Dell and lead to employee turnover.

In other words, Dells plan was perhaps too bold for a public company. But the strategy paid off  for him, his fellow investors and his company.

Dell himself chipped in $750 million in cash and over $3 billion in the form of his 16% stake in the company, with about $3.4 billion coming from other investors and $16 billion in debt.

By 2018, when the company went public for the second time, Dells stake was worth $32 billion, with similar large payouts for his co-investors. The company thrived as well, with sales and profits soaring after a period of low growth, as Dell predicted. Workforces often fall when a company goes private, but Dells was up about 50% in 2020 compared with 2013.

A classic fail

But it doesnt always end well.

In 2005, two buyout firms and a real estate trust won the bidding to take Toys R Us private for $6.6 billion, using $5 billion in debt. Unlike Dell, who knew his business cold, Bain Capital, KKR & Co. and Vornado Realty Trust didnt have much experience in the toy industry. And they followed a classic private equity strategy of consolidation, closing marginal stores and cutting costs.

Also unlike Dell, Toys R Us never recovered. The significant debt incurred in the buyout saddled the company with large interest payments that left little money to invest in remodeling stores or building a competitive online business. Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy in 2017, 12 years after going private.

As I see it, Dell had a plan that fit his companys environment  a key concept in the study of business strategy. Toys R Us buyers did not.

Does Musk have a vision?

So what does this all mean for Musks potential success at Twitter?

We still dont know a lot about what he plans to do.

In his letter to Twitter shareholders, he said, I invested in Twitter as I believe in its potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe, and I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy. One could ask whether that is a business model or a statement of sociopolitical philosophy.

In any case, he said Twitter cant thrive nor serve this societal imperative as a public company. Hes also tweeted that he would fight bots on the social network, let Trump and others rejoin and potentially let users pay bills via tweet  part of his Project X super app idea.

More recently, The Washington Post reported that Musk plans to cut Twitters 7,500 employees by about 75%  though on Oct. 26 he told Twitter employees in San Francisco that he wouldnt get rid of that many.

Musk understood the physics of launching rockets and the engineering behind building an electric car, but he doesnt have deep experience running a social media platform or in building super apps. I believe he doesnt have a thoroughly thought-out strategy that fits Twitters difficult environment.

What he will have is a huge amount of debt. Last year, Twitter owed about $51 million in interest on its debt. After going private, the estimates are that Twitter will owe at least a billion dollars annually on about $13 billion in new debt.

In 2021, the company generated just $630 million in cash from operations. That means Musk wont have much cash to fund a super app or any other big ideas, unless he is able to attract additional investment in the company.

With the company in his hands, Musk can, of course, do what he likes. He can implement any free speech policy that suits his fancy. He can let Trump and Ye tweet. He can ban Tesla short sellers and anyone who questions his foreign policy initiatives. He can fire 75% of his staff in a heartbeat  something a public CEO would have a very hard time doing.

Its too soon to tell if taking Twitter private will be a Dell-like success or a Toys R Us disaster. But given Musk has said he doesnt care about the economics, it may not matter.

___

Erik Gordon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

___
BUHL  Injured firefighter Jared Nebeker is coming home.

Buhl Fire Capt. Gabriel Hammett said Nebeker, who was seriously injured Aug. 16 in a motorcycle crash, is expected to be released from University of Utah Hospital on Friday.

No public celebration of the milestone is planned yet  the family would prefer to keep the celebration low key for the still-recovering Nebeker  but a parade might take place in the future, Hammett said.

Nebeker and his wife, Kari, will return to a revamped house, thanks to countless community members.

People have been fixing things inside and out, Hammett said of the effort, coordinated by the Buhl Calvary Chapel. Everything has a fresh look.

The bathroom has been redone to allow easier access. A dead tree has been removed from the front of the home. A deck is being completed.

Nebeker had to have his left leg amputated below the knee, Hammett said. He hasnt been fitted for a prosthetic yet, but is able to get around with the help of crutches.

He will be doing regular therapy at home as he continues his recovery.

Kari Nebeker hinted two weeks ago that they might be back in Idaho soon.

He is eager to get home, she wrote in an Oct. 14 post on social media, adding that Jared is understanding the frustration of normal daily activities being more challenging than before.

She said her husband, who suffered a serious brain injury, was spending nearly six hours a day on speech, occupational and physical therapy.

His strong spirit and personality beams through even in times of discouragement, she wrote.
Today is Friday, October 28, the 301st day of 2022. There are 64 days left in the year.

In the Henry Bulletin in 1922: The meeting of the third annual convention of the Womens Auxiliary of the Episcopal church in the diocese of Southwestern Virginia, which was in session here Wednesday and Thursday, proved to be an occasion of much interest especially among church people and the ladies of Martinsville generally.

1947: With the tobacco sales holiday slated to extend for an indefinite period after it becomes effective next Wednesday, Martinsville warehousemen said today that the local market will be filled to capacity with the leaf Monday and Tuesday. Much of the crop in this section is stripped and ready for the market, and farmers will be anxious to dispose of their holdings during the remaining two-day sales period.  One veteran tobacco man declared that despite the British ban on imported leaf, he had anticipated that a holiday might be ordered because heavy government purchases of the Stabilization Corporation had resulted in redrying plants being taxed beyond capacity.

1972: Mrs. Malcolm G. Fillmore of Hunting Ridge Road sews quite well, but she admits she sews of necessity and not of pleasure. Because of this, when someone took her daughters Candystriper hospital uniform from Bus No. 15, Mrs. Fillmore was distressed. This means she will have to whip up another uniform which doesnt exactly please her. The package also contained shoes and a blouse, but she says those can be easily replaced.

1997: Residents wanting to have the daylights scared out of them this Halloween will have to drive to Bassett where the Bassett Moose Lodge is holding its fourth annual haunted house. Little Richardson [is the] chairman of the Bassett Moose Lodge Haunted House project.

Today in Martinsville-Henry County history: Thursday, Oct. 27 1922, County-wide teachers meeting; 1947, Boaz Ice Cream Co. opens in Collinsville; 1972, sorry, wives not invited; 1997, Old Dominion Cloggers impress in Oklahoma.

Today in Martinsville-Henry County history: Wednesday, Oct. 26 1922, Man killed by train on way home from the fair; 1947, 14-year-old Alfred Stegall dies of diphtheria; 1972, peace in Vietnam close; 1997, Bassett Furniture Industries Inc. awarded.
The Court of Auditors of Sao Tome rejected the request of the Public Ministry (MP), which it considered an attempt at an inopportune action to annul the visa for the concession of national ports to the Ghanaian-Angolan Safebond consortium, formalized by the outgoing government.

The judges advisors of the Court of Auditors () decided to reject the request contained in this application from the Public Ministry, regarding the annulment of the visa granted to the concession contract of the ports of Ana Chaves, Fernao Dias and Principe island, reads the deliberation, written by the president of the institution, Artur Vera Cruz, and approved in plenary by three other judges advisors.

There is no doubt that the formal and material conditions for the effect are not met, since the application of the Public Ministry now under consideration does not bring to the coalition causes likely to nullify sentences, he adds.

The ruling also states that a visa annulment process implies bringing to light new facts related to acts performed by the entity that entered into the contract, which may highlight, among others, the existence of collusion, bribery, influence peddling, prevarication, etc.

On Tuesday, a judicial source told media that the application for annulment of visa is based on defect of form and defect in decision making and that there is a criminal case underway on the file.
Millionaire Sam Matekane became Prime Minister of Lesotho in a ceremony on Friday, October 28 in the capital Maseru. His party, the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP), formed in March, won the October 7 legislative elections by a wide margin. The businessman, new to politics, has already made his mark on the small constitutional monarchy and has formed a coalition with two other parties to win an absolute majority to govern.

Before becoming Prime Minister, Sam Matekane was the richest man in Lesotho, so rich that he plans not to pay himself a salary: Hes not there for that, he doesnt need it, his spokesman told us. Voters voted for him in the hope that he would not steal from the public coffers.

But the coffers are empty, says Sam Matekanes entourage: that is why he is financing his own inauguration ceremony. Thanks to his contacts, he also found luxury cars for the 150 guests of honor. He donated his helicopter to the police, who will have to monitor an event where at least six heads of state and representatives of the sub-region are expected, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

After the party, Sam Matekane will have to get to work: he is promising an austerity cure to replenish the governments coffers. To do this, he will have to surround himself with 15 ministers, compared with some 30 in the last term. As his partys name suggests, Sam Matekane is promising a Revolution for Prosperity.
The Angolan government yesterday devalued the nationalization of the share held by the Chinese LL International Holding BV (LLI) in the Catoca mine, the largest in Angola, stressing that these are isolated cases and are being monitored by the competent bodies.

The Angolan Secretary of State for Media, Nuno Caldas, was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a meeting with media professionals organized by the Chinese Embassy in Luanda, where he highlighted the role of the Asian country in the crucial moments that followed after the African country achieved peace in 2002.

Asked about the transfer of the share of LLI  linked to China Sonangol, which was chaired by former Angolan vice-president and strongman of Sonangol, Manuel Vicente, currently in the sights of the Angolan justice system  to the Angolan government, Nuno Caldas said that relations between the two countries were not at stake.

Nuno Caldas recalled that China extended its hand so that Angola could get back on its feet, rebuild, towards the development process, and noted that the two countries will celebrate, in 2023, the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

The Chinese ambassador, Gong Tao, also played down the issue, stressing that China and Angola are partners in several economic, trade and investment areas, and also said that it is not a Chinese company that is in question, so the embassy would not address the issue.
The government of Kenyas new President William Ruto was sworn in Thursday, two months after a close but peaceful presidential election.

The 22-member government team will be tasked with tackling the rising cost of living in the East African country, one of Rutos main campaign themes.

You will have my support because you have no option but to succeed. Failure is not an option, we have a country to take care of, the head of state told his new ministers in Nairobi. We have nothing to hide. We want to serve Kenyans, he said.

But the head of state has not kept his campaign promise to establish parity in his cabinet: only seven women are in it.

Musalia Mudavadi, a former vice president who broke with Raila Odinga, the opposition figure defeated by Mr. Ruto in the presidential election, will assume the newly created position of first secretary to the cabinet. Mr. Mudavadi, 62, will be the most senior minister and will report directly to the head of state and the vice-president.

Kithure Kindicki, a lawyer who was part of the legal team that defended Mr. Rutos victory, which was challenged by Mr. Odinga, in the Supreme Court, is taking over the Home Affairs Ministry.

Kindicki, a law professor, also represented Ruto before the International Criminal Court in The Hague when he was prosecuted for his alleged role in the 2007-08 post-election clashes that killed at least 1,100 people and displaced more than 600,000.

Former Central Bank of Kenya governor Njuguna Ndungu has been appointed the new finance minister.

The ministers were approved Wednesday by parliament, which is dominated by Rutos supporters.

In September, Mr. Ruto, a chicken seller who rose from nothing to become one of the countrys richest men, promised to reform the tax system to make it more progressive and to tackle the countrys $70 billion debt.

The head of state said he had inherited an economy in poor condition after two terms in office  more than nine years  of his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta, of whom he was vice-president.

Kenya, with a population of 50 million, is the economic powerhouse of East Africa, but one-third of its population lives below the poverty line.
Morocco welcomed the adoption by the UN Security Council of resolution 2654 extending the UN mission in the Sahara (MINURSO) for another year and urging the real parties to the conflict including Algeria to act in good faith towards a realistic solution based on compromise.

The position was expressed by the Moroccan foreign ministry in a statement following the adoption Thursday of the resolution by all the Security Council members, save the abstention of Russia and Kenya.

The resolution falls at a context wherein Morocco has gathered momentum and growing international support for its territorial integrity with 30 countries already operating consulates in the Sahara and over 84% UN member countries that do not recognize the Algeria-backed separatist entity.

The new resolution, while enshrining the previous achievements of Morocco, is a resolution of confirmation and evolution, says the ministry, adding that it is a confirmation resolution that reaffirms the framework of the political process, its stakeholders and its purpose, the statement said.

Actually, the resolution stresses the need to continue the round table format for talks to reach a peaceful solution based on compromise with the participation of Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario.

A realistic solution based on compromise can only be materialized within the framework of Moroccos autonomy plan, the foreign ministry said, voicing satisfaction at the continuous appreciation of the UN Security Council of the autonomy plan since its release in 2007.

The resolution is a confirmation of the finality of the political process, since the resolution reiterated that the political solution should be realistic, pragmatic, sustainable and based on compromise, which can only be the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative, whose pre-eminence was again reaffirmed by the Security Council, explains the statement.

The Council also urged Algeria to uphold its responsibility and allow a census of the population held by the Polisario in the Tindouf camps in South Western Algeria, the statement said, noting that the resolution systematically cites Algeria whenever there is a reference to Morocco.

The new resolution also lambasts the Polisario for hindering MINURSO work and urges the separatist front to enable the UN mission to conduct safe and regular resupply of its teams, while welcoming Moroccos full cooperation with the MINURSO.

The Council has also implicitly voiced concerns over Algerias embezzlement of humanitarian aid targeting Tindouf camps population and urged Algiers and its Polisario proxies to implement best practices in aid distribution while ensuring registration of the camps dwellers.
Purnashree (left) and Pradipta Chowdhury have created an app to bring telehealth to eye doctors, while offering training and tracking features for eye care. Credit: University of Toronto

A brother-sister duo's startup has partnered with one of the largest eye hospitals in Bangladesh in an effort to make trips to the eye doctor completely virtual.

Pradipta and Purnashree Chowdhury, who come from a family of eye doctors, created the EyeBuddy app to deliver the vision screenings and eye tests used in most check-ups.

"We're trying to make a whole ecosystem where a patient just sitting in their house can call up an ophthalmologist," says Pradipta, who graduated from the University of Toronto Scarborough last year and was recently accepted into medical school. "Anyone can have a doctor 24-7 for immediate and certain eye issues."

The app will also bring telehealth to eye doctors in the coming months, connecting patients across Bangladesh with ophthalmologists at a major eye-care hospital.

"In developing countries, transportation is a massive deal. The top hospitals cannot provide services to remote areas," says Pradipta, who aspires to be an ophthalmologist like his father. "But we can have a doctor in the palm of our hands."

The siblings are working to make sure Bangladesh is only the first of many partnerships with hospitals around the world as their start-up continues growing out of The Hub, U of T Scarborough's entrepreneurial incubator.

"EyeBuddy is moving quite rapidly with the full support of the community, the government and several top doctors in Bangladesh," says Gray Graffam, former director of The Hub. "They're tied into something that can go beyond Bangladesh and their current connections."

For now, the rest of the world can access EyeBuddy's other features, which aim to make eye care fun. Daily eye tests notify users of potential early vision loss and eye conditions while tracking the progress of each eye. The app also has more than 50 exercises that train all 12 eye muscles, and users can customize their training around conditions such as dry eye, lazy eye and macular degeneration. They can also earn points, unlock milestones and connect with others on the platform.

"It can be a very depressing thing to know you're dealing with an eye condition or vision loss," Pradipta says. "We are trying to build a huge community around people with similar eye conditions that can support each other."

That community is quickly growing. The app has more than 17,000 subscribers and nearly 2,000 daily visitors from almost every continent. Though they designed EyeBuddy to appeal to all ages, the siblings also created a custom version for kids with more colors and games and fewer medical terms. They hope to eventually roll it out to schools across Canada.

Purnashree says childhood is a crucial time for eye development; it's also when children may begin adapting to eye conditions instead of seeking help.

"Early detection would relieve a lot of financial burden on families. If a condition is chronic, treatment is long-term," says Purnashree, who is a doctor in Bangladesh and is pursuing her license to practice in Canada. "With lots of conditions, we can be saved from spending unnecessarilyif we can just pick it up early."

The Chowdhurys had heartening results after testing EyeBuddy in elementary schools. A teacher reported students were playing with the app, unprompted, in the middle of class. One student discovered he was colorblind through EyeBuddy and later followed the app's recommendation of going to an eye doctor.

"Health care is complicated. We wanted to make a friendly but scientific app so people can be aware of their eye health and protect their eyes in a way that's not boring," says Pradipta,

Pradipta and Purnashree's father is the director of a major eye hospital in Bangladesh. As Pradipta prepares to attend medical school in the U.K., he and his sister say they are glad the app will keep them connected with each other and their father, who has been at the back of the business in an advisory role.

"Through this app, we have a purpose tying us together," Purnashree says.
Illustration of bacteria in the human gut. Credit: Darryl Leja, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health

Through the ESPRESSO cohort, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, University of Newcastle, Australia, University of Washington, Seattle, and Karolinska Institutet examined the risk of cancer among 75,000 patients with a diagnosis of diverticular disease and colorectal histopathology. The paper is now published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The ESPRESSO cohort covers all histopathology reports from Sweden's 28 pathology departments. Through linkage with the Swedish national patient register, researchers identified patients with diverticular disease.

Diverticular disease can present through gastrointestinal bleeding, but also through diverticulitis when patients may have fever, nausea and abdominal pain. Previous research has focused on colorectal cancer development in diverticular disease but less has been know about cancer development elsewhere. The researchers found a 33% increased risk of overall cancer in Swedish patients with diverticular disease.

"This is the first nationwide cohort study to demonstrate that diverticular disease is associated with an increased, long-term risk of overall cancer," says first-author Wenjie Ma from Massachusetts General Hospital. "Diverticular disease is associated with an increased risk of specific cancers, including liver cancer and lung cancer."

She also adds that "given the high prevalence of diverticular disease, our results highlight the need for awareness for cancer, not only for colorectal cancer, in patients with diverticular disease."

Patients with diverticular disease had significantly increased overall cancer incidence (24.5 vs. 18.1 cancer cases per 1,000 person-years). After adjusting for covariates, these rates corresponded to 1 extra cancer case in 16 individuals with diverticular disease followed for ten years.

"There has been a lot of research on extraintestinal cancer in other bowel disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and celiac disease, but less is known about diverticular disease," says senior author Jonas F Ludvigsson, pediatrician at Orebro University Hospital and professor at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet.

"These data suggest that patients with diverticular disease are at increased risk of other cancers than colorectal cancer, but it should also be emphasized that the absolute risk for cancer was moderate," adds Ludvigsson. "I hope other researchers are inspired by our findings and explore the biological mechanisms underlying the association between diverticular disease and cancer," he concludes.

More information: Wenjie Ma et al, Cancer risk in patients with diverticular disease: a nationwide cohort study. Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2022). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36200887/ Journal information: Journal of the National Cancer Institute Wenjie Ma et al, Cancer risk in patients with diverticular disease: a nationwide cohort study.(2022). DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djac190
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A team of researchers working at Nanjing Medical University in China, has developed a new antidepressant drug that elicits an antidepressant effect in mice in just two hours. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their novel approach to treating depression.

Chronic depression is one of the most common forms of mental illness, and medical scientists have been hard at work searching for a cure. Most drugs used to treat the condition are serotonin reuptake inhibitors that reduce depression by targeting serotonin transportersthey are generically known as SERT drugs. They work by upping the levels of serotonin in the brain. Unfortunately, such drugs can take many weeks to have an impact, and they can also have serious side-effects, such as increasing the risk of suicide. In this new effort, the researchers took a new approachdisassociating SERT and an enzyme called neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS.)

The researchers wondered what might happen if serotonin were disassociated from nNos in the mouse brain. They thought it might lead to reductions in the amount of serotonin in one part of the brain (the dorsal raphe nucleus) and increased amounts in another (the medial prefrontal cortex.) The result, they theorized, should be a rapid improvement in symptoms of depression.

To find out, they developed a compound called ZZL-7. When injected into mice, it modified the firing of neurons that produce serotonin in the dorsal raphe nucleus, and in so doing, disrupted interactions between serotonin transporters and nNos. That led to increased amounts of serotonin in the medial prefrontal cortex, which, they suggest, would likely be felt in humans as a reduction in symptoms of depression. They also note that because the brain begins increasing the amount of serotonin in the medial prefrontal cortex almost right away, the effects of the compound should be felt within a couple of hours.

The researchers also suggest that disassociating SERT and nNos as a means of combating depression should also avoid the side effects so common in other therapies.

More information: Nan Sun et al, Design of fast-onset antidepressant by dissociating SERT from nNOS in the DRN, Science (2022). Journal information: Science Nan Sun et al, Design of fast-onset antidepressant by dissociating SERT from nNOS in the DRN,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.abo3566

 2022 Science X Network
Credit: La Trobe University

The mission was to test the effects of zero gravity on Trichoplax, the tiny animals traveling to more than 250 km above the Earth, whose ancient mechanisms could be used to develop therapeutic or preventative measures for human cancer.

Lead researcher from Australia, Professor Patrick Humbert from the La Trobe Institute of Molecular Sciences (LIMS) at La Trobe University, was at the Esrange Space Center in Sweden for the launch of MAPHEUS-12.

Professor Humbert said experiments with Trichoplax in zero gravity are expected to give the team insight into detecting and repairing tissue damage, as part of a broader goal to prevent cancer.

"Trichoplax is ideal for this sort of experiment. Because it is one of the first multicellular animals, it is one of the first to have needed to find a way to stop cancer and stop one cell 'cheating' on another and growing faster and taking over the whole animal," Professor Humbert said.

"Trichoplax is also one of the fastest healing animals on the planet, with a simple cut being able to heal in a few minutes. As astronauts cannot heal wounds properly in space, we also think that these experiments will teach us about human wound healing."

"Overall in this project, we are using Trichoplax to understand the very first steps of cancer, which is how and why tissues become disorganized as the very first pre-requisite event before a tumor starts growingand how loss of gravity impacts on regeneration and cancer in space," Professor Humbert said.

Professor Humbert said the launch was hailed a success by the international research team.

"We were able to successfully launch the rocket with experiments that we have been working on for more than 18 months and retrieve the animal samples," Professor Humbert said.

"The initial technical profile for the experiment looks great so we are now eagerly waiting to see what the data analysis tells us back in the lab."

The launch occurred at the Esrange Space Center and was coordinated by the German Aerospace Center mobile rocket base (MORABA) and the Swedish Space Corporation.

The Trichoplax were loaded onto a sounding rocket and reached an altitude of 260 km above the Earth before falling back to Earth.

During the 30-minute flight, the team took regular samples to measure the effects of loss of gravity, or "microgravity" on the genetic program of Trichoplaxthat is any genes switched on or off after take-off and during microgravity.

The rocket experimental payload returned to Earth and was collected by helicopter in the tundra and samples were removed to be analyzed back in the lab.

This is part of a series of experiments where the international team will be testing responses to regeneration and cancer in Trichoplax with short and long-term exposure to microgravity.
SARS-CoV-2 transmission map. One symptomatic employee was able to expose seven colleagues, two of whom went on to test positive and lead to two more cases and an additional nine employees exposed to COVID-19. Credit: The Lancet Digital Health (2022). DOI: 10.1016/S2589-7500(22)00171-6

At the onset of COVID-19 in March 2020, New York City was the epicenter of the pandemic, with more than 6,000 cases daily and over 1,000 deaths per day. New York City health systems and hospitals faced increasing demands on staffing and resources, amid a rising number of employee COVID-19 cases.

To address the need for contact tracing and agile exposure investigations to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among hospital staff, Mount Sinai researchers created the Employee Health COVID-19 REDCap Registrya cloud-based digital framework using the Research Electronic Data Capture web applicationto track and reduce the spread of the virus across the Mount Sinai Health System including 8 hospitals and more than 400 outpatient practices.

The database was built with an "event-based" model, where every exposure or "event" was recorded uniquely without deliberately linking it to previous events for the same person or department. This ability allowed Mount Sinai to associate certain events where cluster investigations were necessary to identify the pattern of disease spread. This specific design choice for the digital framework also adjusted and responded to significant changes in the COVID-19 disease with the spread of the Delta and Omicron variants.

The Employee Health COVID-19 REDCap Registry provided: employee health data collection using secure and user-friendly online forms; contact-tracing information for employees monitoring workflow; qualitative analysis of employee interviews; analysis and genomic sequencing integration; and the potential for machine learning in future research on exposures.

To date, there have been over 50,000 employee interviews and more than 500 revisions to the framework. The evolving design of the platform has created dynamic flexibility to incorporate the evolution of information and expertise around the virus transmission, and helped facilitate changes in clinical recommendations regarding COVID-19.

How:

The Employee Health COVID-19 REDCap Registry was available via internet-capable devices, such as mobile devices and desktop computers, with remote access that allowed integration at all Mount Sinai Health System hospitals and clinics.

The web forms made prompt follow-up from employee health services possible because it could be completed on personal devices and submitted instantaneously. The employee health service contact-tracing interface captured information regarding employee demographics, quarantine length, personal protective equipment used, and recent COVID-19 testing.

Employee health services created an exposure matrix to assess the risk of reported exposure (low, medium, or high). The matrix outlines risk scores based on the type of exposure; the staff coded the exposure according to the scale. This scoring method may eventually serve as a classification model for supervised machine learning to predict exposure outcomes, the researchers said.

Results:

With the Employee Health COVID-19 REDCap Registry, Mount Sinai's employee health services was able to reduce case follow-up times from days to hours. For example, after an employee reported COVID-19 symptoms to their supervisor, employee health services was able to: follow-up with the employee's manager, conduct the initial contact tracing interview, and send the employee home for isolation within three hours.

Follow-up contact tracing of this case led to the detection of an emerging cluster within the department and directionality of transmission was determined by incorporating genomic sequencing data provided by Mount Sinai's genomics laboratory.

The development of this tool has provided a robust infrastructure for COVID-19 research. It assisted in the enrollment of employees during the earlier stages of the pandemic for immunogenic plasma donation, and allowed Mount Sinai to determine occupational and non-occupational risk factors for COVID-19 spread.

The Employee Health COVID-19 REDCap Registry provides an easily deployable framework for institutions around the world to successfully control a deadly disease during a pandemic, building upon a platform ubiquitously available across the world.

Mount Sinai's Kristine B. Rabii says that their "goal was to highlight the creativity of teams at the Mount Sinai Health System, and demonstrate that these tools can be utilized by any organization. We were able leverage the information collected to keep up with COVID-19, using platforms that are not proprietary or housed within electronic health records. The tools we had available at the outset of the pandemic didn't meet our needs, so our various teams collaborated to created new tools."

Dr. Waleed Javaid says that "this paper outlines Mount Sinai's leadership in rapidly developing cloud-based database that helped in limiting the spread of COVID among our staff and patients. We want to share our knowledge and methodology with everyone, so other health care institutions can implement similar sharable databases to keep our communities safe from dangerous pandemics."

Dr. Ismail Nabeel comments that the team has "iteratively and meticulously built an agile and responsive system which held its own as the evolving variants of COVID-19 virus played havoc across the communities. Our efforts have led us to develop a dependable, customizable and evolving tool against COVID-19 that can be shared around the world to protect our very special health care heroes on the frontlines and beyond."

The research was published in The Lancet Digital Health.

More information: Kristine Bahareh Rabii et al, Development and implementation of centralised, cloud-based, employee health contact tracing database and predictive modelling framework in the COVID-19 pandemic, The Lancet Digital Health (2022). Kristine Bahareh Rabii et al, Development and implementation of centralised, cloud-based, employee health contact tracing database and predictive modelling framework in the COVID-19 pandemic,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/S2589-7500(22)00171-6
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Early trials of the targeted drug repotrectinib suggest that it could help treat patients with a certain type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The results of the TRIDENT-1 trial, which will be presented on Friday at the 34th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Barcelona, Spain, suggest that repotrectinib could be effective for treating ROS1 positive NSCLC, both in patients who have received other targeted treatments and in those who have not.

Repotrectinib has been designed to help patients with NSCLC that have a genetic rearrangement in their tumor cells called ROS1positive that can fuel cancer's growth.

This type of NSCLC accounts for around one or two percent of lung cancer cases. It is more often found in younger people, women and people who never smoked.

The results of the trial are presented by Professor Byoung Chul Cho from Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea. He said, "Repotrectinib is a new type of tyrosine kinase inhibitor drug, or TKI, that works by blocking the signals that tell cancer cells to grow and divide. Other TKIs are already in use for treating NSCLC, however, cancers can become resistant to these treatments. In particular, the cancer can spread to the brain where it is especially difficult to treat."

TRIDENT-1 is a phase I/II clinical trial, meaning it was primarily run to test the safety and efficacy of the new treatment. All patients in the trial were given repotrectinib as a daily pill and could continue on the drug as long as they could tolerate it or until their condition deteriorated.

So far, the trial includes more than 400 people with ROS1 positive NSCLC who were treated at one of 150 hospitals around the world. Some had never been treated with a ROS TKI, some had already been treated with one ROS TKI, some had been treated with a ROS TKI and platinum-based chemotherapy and some had been treated with two different ROS TKIs.

Researchers have been able to assess the safety of the treatment in 444 patients. They have been able to assess the efficacy of the treatment in 171 patients. Among those who had not previously been treated with a ROS TKI, researchers found an "objective response rate" or ORR of 79%. This is a measure of whether patient's tumors have disappeared or shrunk by at least 30% following treatment. In patients already treated with a ROS TKI, in patients treated with a ROS TKI and chemotherapy, and in patients treated with two different ROS TKIs, the ORRs were 38%, 42% and 28% respectively.

Among the small number of patients who had measurable tumors in the brain, the objective response rate on those tumors (intracranial ORR or iORR) was 88% in patients not previously treated with a ROS TKI, 42% in those treated with one prior ROS TKI, 50% in those treated with one prior ROS TKI and chemotherapy, and 0% in those treated with two prior ROS TKIs.

Side effects of the treatment included dizziness, changes to the sense of taste, constipation and anemia.

Professor Cho said, "These results suggest that repotrectinib is having an effect on tumors in patients with this type of lung cancer, including on tumors that have spread to the brain. There are signs that the drug could help both patients who have not been treated with a ROS TKI and those who have received previous treatment, suggesting that repotrectinib could have effects even when cancers become resistant to other treatments. I believe that further testing and development of this drug could help more patients with ROS1positive NSCLC."

Professor Ruth Plummer from Newcastle University, UK, is chair of the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium and was not involved in the research. She said, "Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide and we urgently need new treatments, especially for patients whose cancer has spread to other part of the body, such as the brain. The results of this phase I/II clinical trial suggest that repotrectinib may bring benefits to patients with a particular type of lung cancer."

More information: Abstract no: 2LBA "Pivotal topline data from the phase 1/2 TRIDENT-1 trial of repotrectinib in patients with ROS1+ advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)", by Byoung Chul Cho, presented in the Plenary Session 7: Late Breaking Proffered Paper, 15:00-16:30 CEST, Friday 28 October, Room 111 + 112

Provided by European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The World Health Organization reported Friday a sharp increase in malaria cases in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, where government and rebel forces have been fighting for nearly two years.

Cases have increased by 80 percent compared to one year ago, said Ilham Abdelhai Nour, the WHO's head of emergency operations for Ethiopia.

"We need to implement and undertake activities to prevent and treat malaria," she told a press briefing in Geneva, but the WHO has had no air or road access to Tigray for the last six weeks.

The WHO had been able to transport in some material from March to August during the humanitarian truce, but the lack of fuel has severely limited the resupply of health centres in the region.

For the first time since the 1960s, people in Tigray do not have access to preventive interventions against malaria, such as prophylactic drugs, according to the UN health agency.

The WHO does have access to the neighbouring regions of Afar and Amhara. In the latter region, malaria cases have increased by 40 percent in a year.

No cholera or measles cases have been observed so far in Tigray, said Abdelhai Nour, but the WHO remains concerned, especially since only nine percent of the health centres in the region are fully functional.

The conflict in the region began on November 4, 2020, when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray after accusing the region's ruling Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) of attacking federal army camps.

A truce between pro-government forces and rebels this year lasted five months before it collapsed in August.

International concern is now growing for those caught in the crossfire.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is himself from Tigray, said last week there was only a "very narrow window now to prevent genocide" in the region.

Tedros said the six million people of Tigray had been "kept under siege for almost two years".

Altaf Musani, the WHO's director of health emergencies interventions, called for sustained access to all parts of Ethiopia.

"When you look at the range of health risks, it's large, it's immediate, it's real," he said Friday.

He reported on an ongoing cholera outbreak in three sub-districts of Ethiopia's Oromia region and a neighbouring sub-district of Somali region.

A total of 273 confirmed cases have been declared.

"In addition to cholera, we're deeply concerned about the measles situation," he said, with more than 6,000 confirmed cases reported nationwide so far this year.

The WHO is also deeply concerned about malnutrition across Ethiopia.

According to the UN's World Food Programme, the rate of global acute malnutrition among children under five in Tigray is 29 percent.

 2022 AFP
Blair Peters, M.D., an assistant professor of surgery in the OHSU School of Medicine and a plastic surgeon who specializes in gender-affirming care as part of the OHSU Transgender Health Program, obtained clitoral nerve tissue from seven adult transmasculine volunteers who underwent gender-affirming genital surgery for clitoral nerve research. Credit: OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks

More than 10,000 nerve fibers enable the pleasurable sensations created by the human clitoris, according to new Oregon Health & Science University-led research presented at a joint scientific meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America and the International Society for Sexual Medicine.

This finding is the result of the first known count of human clitoral nerve tissue. It's also about 20% more than the often-quoted estimate of 8,000 nerve fibers, which is believed to be derived from livestock studies.

Blair Peters, M.D., an assistant professor of surgery in the OHSU School of Medicine and a plastic surgeon who specializes in gender-affirming care as part of the OHSU Transgender Health Program, led the research and presented the findings. Peters obtained clitoral nerve tissue from seven adult transmasculine volunteers who underwent gender-affirming genital surgery. Tissues were dyed and magnified 1,000 times under a microscope so individual nerve fibers could be counted with the help of image analysis software.

Nerves are made of bundles of thin nerve fibers, also known as axons. Nerveswhich carry electrical impulses between the brain and the rest of the bodyenable people to feel and respond to stimulus such as touch.

The clitoris is the only known human organ that has the singular purpose of providing pleasure. While the tip of its small shaftthe highly sensitive part of the clitoris, also known as the clitoral glansis found outside the body, much of the clitoris is located internally. Below the surface is the dorsal nerve, the main nerve responsible for clitoral sensation. The dorsal nerves are symmetrical, tube-like structures that travel on top of the clitoral shaft and then run downward on either side, like a wishbone.

Peters collected samples from one side of dorsal nerve tissue, a small amount of which is typically trimmed during gender-affirming phalloplasty procedures. An average of about 5,140 dorsal clitoral nerve fibers were counted among the samples. Knowing the dorsal nerve is symmetrical, the average was multiplied by two to arrive at an estimate of 10,281 nerve fibers for the human clitoral dorsal nerve. Because the clitoris also has other, smaller nerves beyond the dorsal nerve, Peters noted the human clitoris actually has more nerve fibers in total.

"It's startling to think about more than 10,000 nerve fibers being concentrated in something as small as clitoris," Peters said. "It's particularly surprising when you compare the clitoris to other, larger structures of the human body. The median nerve, which runs through the wrist and hand and is involved in carpal tunnel syndrome, is known for having high nerve fiber density. Even though the hand is many, many times larger than the clitoris, the median nerve only contains about 18,000 nerve fibers, or fewer than two times the nerve fibers that are packed into the much-smaller clitoris."

While the penis has been widely studied, the vulvawhich includes the clitoris, labia majora and labia minorais poorly understood. Medical science hasn't historically paid much attention to the sexual function of people with vulvas, which has led to a significant knowledge gap in the field of sexual health.

Peters studies clitoral nerves to improve outcomes for phalloplasty surgery, which creates a new penis for transmasculine patients. He aims to use the findings to improve sensation for surgical patients by better selecting nerves to connect during phalloplasty procedures, as well as to develop new surgical techniques to repair injured nerves.

The findings could also help reduce accidental nerve damage for patients who undergo an aesthetic procedure known as labiaplasty, which reduces the size of inner flaps of skin on either side of the vaginal opening.

"Better understanding the clitoris can help everyone, regardless of their gender identity, but it's important to acknowledge this research is only possible because of gender-affirming surgeries and transgender patients," Peters said. "There's something profound about the fact that gender-affirming care becoming more commonplace also benefits other areas of health care. A rising tide lifts all boats. Oppressing or limiting transgender health care will harm everyone."

Moving forward, Peters is also interested in studying and counting nerve fibers in a pleasure-inducing part of the penis: the tip, which is also known as the glans penis. That knowledge could improve clitoral construction in gender-affirming genital surgeries for transfeminine patients, and also help clinicians better understand comparable nerve structures between the clitoris and the penis.

In addition to an abstract that was presented at the meeting today, a more detailed paper explaining Peters' research is undergoing peer review with a scientific journal.

The study's authors are Peters, Maria Uloko, M.D., of University of California San Diego, and E. Paige Isabey, M.D., of University of Manitoba. Matthew D. Wood, Ph.D., and Daniel A. Hunter, both of Washington University School of Medicine, assisted with the study's nerve analysis.

More information: Maria Uloko, Paige Isabey, Blair Peters. How many nerve fibers innervate the human clitoris? A histomorphometric evaluation of the dorsal nerve of the clitoris, abstract presentation by Blair Peters, 2 p.m. ET Oct. 27, 2022, 23rd annual joint scientific meeting of Sexual Medicine Society of North America and International Society for Sexual Medicine, Maria Uloko, Paige Isabey, Blair Peters. How many nerve fibers innervate the human clitoris? A histomorphometric evaluation of the dorsal nerve of the clitoris, abstract presentation by Blair Peters, 2 p.m. ET Oct. 27, 2022, 23annual joint scientific meeting of Sexual Medicine Society of North America and International Society for Sexual Medicine, https://issmsmsna2022.org/program/program/?persons=4928&q=
A commuter wearing a face mask rides a scooter along a street in the central business district in Beijing, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

China's largest city of Shanghai is ordering mass testing Friday of all 1.3 million residents of its downtown Yangpu district and confining them to their homes at least until results are known.

The demand is an echo of measures ordered over the summer that led to a two-month lockdown of the entire city of 25 million that devastated its economy, prompting food shortages and rare confrontations between residents and the authorities.

At the start of the lockdown, authorities said it would last just days but then kept extending the deadline.

China has shown no sign of backing away from its hardline "zero-COVID" policy since a major congress of the ruling Communist Party concluded this week by awarding authoritarian leader Xi Jinping a third five-year term in power and packed top bodies with his loyalists.

Strict measures have been imposed across the country, from Shanghai in the east to Tibet far to the west, where anti-lockdown protests have also been reported.

Cellphone video said to have been smuggled out of the region showed crowds of both native Tibetans and Han Chinese migrants milling in the streets of Lhasa to protest a lockdown that has lasted as long as 74 days. The video was reportedly shot on Wednesday. There was no sign of violence.

Commuters wearing face masks ride scooters along a street in the central business district in Beijing, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

Lhasa has been under tight surveillance since bloody anti-government protests broke out in the city in 2008 before spreading across Tibetan areas.

Despite public anger, the former chairman of Shanghai's Communist Party Committee, the city's top official who was ultimately responsible for the lockdown measures, was given the No. 2 spot in the party's all-powerful Politburo Standing Committeean indication of Xi's elevation of political loyalists above those capable of gaining public support through competent administration.

Li Qiang, who had been Xi's virtual chief of staff when he headed the eastern province of Zhejiang, has been replaced by Beijing Mayor Chen Jining, a former president of Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University and minister of environmental protection.

Chen, 58, was educated at Brunel University London and worked at Imperial College London, where he earned a doctorate in civil and environmental engineering in 1993.

Many Chinese had hoped for a relaxation of the strict anti-COVID-19 protocols, which remain in place even while much of the rest of the world has opened up. China's borders remain largely closed and arrivals must undergo a 10-day quarantine at a designated place.

A commuter wearing a face mask walks out of a subway station in the central business district in Beijing, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

Despite its costs, and the World Health Organization calling it unsustainable, China credits the strategy with keeping case numbers and deaths at a fraction of those in other countries, although Beijing's figures have frequently been questioned.

China on Friday reported a 1,337 new casesmost of them asymptomaticand no new deaths. Shanghai reported 11 asymptomatic cases and Tibet had one confirmed case with symptoms and five asymptomatic cases. China says it has recorded a total of 258,660 cases and 5,226 deaths since the disease was first detected in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019.

In a sign China's tough measures will be maintained in the long term, Shanghai plans to build a permanent quarantine center on an island in the Huangpu River that divides the financial hub, according to the business magazine Caixin.

The 1.6 billion yuan ($221 million) project on Fuxing Island will expand existing facilities to create 3,009 isolation rooms and 3,250 beds, with construction expected to be completed in six months, Caixin said.

China's domestically developed vaccines are considered relatively ineffective and it has refused to approve foreign brands such as Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and J&J.

Street vendors wearing face masks make takeaway food for commuters at a cart in the central business district in Beijing, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

Still, China wants more people to get booster shots before it relaxes its restrictions. As of mid-October, 90% of Chinese were fully vaccinated and 57% had received a booster shot.

China has relied on domestically developed vaccines, primarily two inactivated vaccines that have proven effective in preventing death and serious disease but less so than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at stopping the spread of the disease.

Chinese authorities also have not mandated vaccinationentering an office building or other public places requires a negative COVID-19 test, not proof of vaccination. And the country's "zero-COVID" approach means that only a small proportion of the population has been infected and built immunity that way, compared to other places.

As a result, it's unclear how widely COVID-19 would spread if travel warnings and quarantine mandates were lifted. Until then, a hodgepodge of regulations and restrictions will remain in place across the country of 1.4 billion.

In Tibet's second-largest city of Shigatse, authorities announced that "normal living and production order" would resume on Friday.

A commuter wearing a face mask pushes a bicycle across a pedestrian bridge in the central business district in Beijing, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

Meanwhile, authorities on Wednesday ordered the lockdown of 900,000 people in Wuhan for at least five days. In remote Qinghai province, the urban districts of Xining city have been locked down since last Friday.

In Beijing, Universal Studios has closed its hotels and attractions "to comply with pandemic prevention and control."

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Despite four provinces being affected, most confirmedcases occurred in Seville (78.7%). Credit: Eurosurveillance

Listeria bacteria are ubiquitous in the environment and consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes is one of the main routes for food-borne outbreaks. Healthy adults might not even develop any symptoms after eating contaminated food. Listeriosis can, however, cause serious health issues in pregnant women, newborns and people with a weakened immune system. The incidence of listeriosis has been steadily increasing in Europe since 2008 with an observed upward trend in Spain since 1997.

Between July and end of October 2019, contaminated food was causing a large outbreak in the southern Spanish region Andalusia with 207 confirmed cases. In their outbreak report Fernandez-Martinez et al. describe the investigations to identify the cause of the infections and reasons for the rapid spread of infections (the median incubation period was 1 day)with a peak of 43 symptomatic patients notified on one day in mid-August 2019. During these investigations, prospective and retrospective active case finding was conducted.

Food source and molecular typing identified the source within 10 days

Following the detection of the outbreak in early August, epidemiological interviews and whole genome sequencing clarified the food source and the respective listeria strain within 10 days. The investigation included sampling of food and from the environment of potentially exposed surfaces in food establishments, including factories, markets and grocery stores, bars and restaurants. Some patients also provided food sample from their homes.

The regional health authorities issued a public health alert on 15 August after an initial three cases of food poisoning had been reported beginning of August. During the interviews with patients, most of them mentioned that they had bought stuffed pork at a variety of food establishmentsprimarily supermarkets and bars. Based on those responses, trace-back investigation in a mentioned grocery store pointed to a specific facility where the stuffed pork was produced.

The grocery store sold pork from two different brands, each produced by a different company. One sample from those products tested positive for L. monocytogenes. Food production in the facility with a listeria-positive food sample was stopped and a recall order was extended to any meat or meat derivative produced there. The alert was successively amended to include any food item produced in this establishment.

While the facility distributed almost exclusively in Andalusia, the food recall affected an estimated 8 tons of meat products. After the product recall, listeriosis notifications dropped, suggesting that food products from other facilities did not play a significant role as potential source in this outbreak.

Specific post-exposure protocol for pregnant women: 30,000 women were interviewed

In total, 3,582 suspected cases were investigated, 207 confirmed and 3,059 considered as probable cases. In almost all patients (94%) with confirmed listeriosis, an invasive clinical form of the disease was observed and two in three (68%) had to be hospitalized. The authors also report three related deaths to this outbreak and among 34 pregnant patients, five suffered from miscarriages.

Fernandez-Martinez et al. describe the protocol for antibiotic post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in pregnant women with a history of stuffed pork consumption (after antimicrobial susceptibility testing excluded ampicillin-resistance in the outbreak strain). This included a follow-up evaluation whether the women developed symptoms of listeriosis.

Within several weeks of the outbreak, more than 30,000 pregnant women across Andalusia were interviewed by the authorities. Based on individual assessment, around 5% of those women were recommended to undergo PEP. According to the authors, the protocol was developed for this specific outbreak to limit the potential impact on pregnant women.

By the end of the outbreak in October 2019, more than 1,800 food establishments had been inspected, with L. monocytogenes contamination in 87 non-human samples. Most positive samples came from food products involving stuffed pork (n=76) and other pork derivatives (n=6).

As Fernandez-Martinez et al. note, ready-to-eat (RTE) products "can be eaten without previous heating and their consumption is on the rise, they are quickly becoming a relevant vehicle for listeriosis outbreaks. In Andalusia, stuffed pork is very popular locally, as it is a low-cost, traditional RTE food. It consists of a cold cut of roasted pork with garlic, spices and salt."

"Often consumed in summer and on special occasions, it constitutes one of the most popular 'tapas' and is a common ingredient in aperitives and sandwiches." According to their research, an outbreak with 200 or more confirmed cases in Europe dates back to 1992, when 279 confirmed cases of listeriosis related to jellied pork tongue consumption were recorded in France.

The authors advocate for "efforts to incorporate whole genome sequencing" in outbreak investigations and coordinate different sectors at regional and national levels are essential for the prevention and control of listeriosis.

The findings were published in Eurosurveillance.

More information: Nicolas Francisco Fernandez-Martinez et al, Listeriosis outbreak caused by contaminated stuffed pork, Andalusia, Spain, July to October 2019, Eurosurveillance (2022). Nicolas Francisco Fernandez-Martinez et al, Listeriosis outbreak caused by contaminated stuffed pork, Andalusia, Spain, July to October 2019,(2022). DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.43.2200279

Provided by European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Temporary isolation wards utilized to house COVID-19 patients at a large Singapore hospital during the global pandemic allowed for safe management of COVID-19 cases over an 18-month period, without health care-associated SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The study finding, published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), suggests that these wards can provide a safe option for managing patients during future pandemics caused by a novel respiratory pathogen.

"This study provides important information that supports the safety of temporary isolation unitswhich became a critical option for many health care facilities worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemicand can inform practice during subsequent pandemics," said Wee Liang En Ian, Associate Consultant in the Department of Infectious Diseases at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), one of the paper's lead authors. "Despite environmental SARS-CoV-2 contamination observed in the temporary isolation wards at our institution, we found no evidence of transmission to health care workers over a prolonged period."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for airborne infection isolation rooms to safely manage patients with the disease often outstripped availability. Many health care facilities created temporary isolation wards at the peak of the pandemic to provide surge-capacity. However, there has been very little research evaluating the effectiveness of these wards in managing COVID-19 cases.

During the 18-month period from July 2020 to December 2021, Dr. Wee and colleagues conducted environmental sampling for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in temporary isolation wards constructed from prefabricated containers (N=20) or converted from normal-pressure general wards (N=47) at SGH. The researchers completed sampling at the point of patient discharge/transfer out and prior to terminal cleaning. During this period, the hospital also conducted contact tracing, active surveillance, and whole genome sequencing (WGS) for all COVID-19 cases among hospital health care workers (HCWs).

Researchers collected and evaluated a total of 355 environmental swabs and determined that 22.4% (15/67) of patients had at least one positive sample. As compared to patients in the converted isolation wards, patients housed in isolation rooms constructed from prefabricated containers had greater odds of detectable environmental contamination (adjusted-odds-ratio, aOR=10.46, 95%CI=3.89-58.91, p=0.008), with the majority of positive environmental samples obtained from the toilet area (60.0%, 12/20) and another substantial portion from patient equipment, including electronic devices used for patient communication (8/20, 40.0%). Among patients in the converted temporary isolation wards, environmental contamination was also detected most frequently in the toilet area (17.0%, 8/47), while only 4.3% (2/47) of these patients had positive samples from patient equipment (call-bell).

During the study period, SGH reported 441 cases of COVID-19 infection among HCWs, 5.7% (25/441) of which were among HCWs working in any of the hospital's COVID-19 isolation areas. While seven of these cases occurred among HCWs working in the temporary isolation wards, WGS and epidemiological investigations provided no evidence of patient-to-HCW or HCW-HCW transmission.

"This study suggests that with the right combination of infection prevention practices, including well-designed isolation units, appropriate cleaning processes, compliance with prevention protocols and appropriate use of personal-protective-equipment, temporary isolation units are a viable option to help safely manage patients during respiratory disease outbreaks," said Linda Dickey, RN, MPH, CIC, FAPIC, 2022 APIC president.

More information: Environmental contamination and evaluation of healthcare-associated SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk in temporary isolation wards during the COVID-19 pandemic, American Journal of Infection Control (2022). Journal information: American Journal of Infection Control Environmental contamination and evaluation of healthcare-associated SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk in temporary isolation wards during the COVID-19 pandemic,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2022.09.004

Provided by Association for Professionals in Infection Control
Protesters angered by strict anti-virus measures have called for Chinas powerful leader to resign. That's an unprecedented rebuke. It came as authorities in at least eight cities struggled to suppress demonstrations Sunday that represent a rare direct challenge to the ruling Communist Party. Police using pepper spray drove away demonstrators in Shanghai who called for Xi Jinping to step down and an end to one-party rule. Hours later, people rallied again in the same spot. Police again broke up the demonstration, and a reporter saw protesters under arrest being driven away in a bus. The protests began Friday and have spread to cities including the capital, Beijing, and dozens of university campuses. They are the most widespread show of opposition to the ruling party in decades.
Mineral County is on notice after a judge ordered the county to audit all cases and defendants affected by the county attorneys office not disclosing relevant information to defendants in criminal cases.

The hearing Wednesday in Superior followed months of litigation by 125 plaintiffs alleging misconduct in the Mineral County Attorneys Office and Mineral County Sheriffs Office. The plaintiffs contend the county violated the rights of multiple Mineral County residents through the criminal justice process, specifically through not disclosing information relevant to defendants cases, known as Brady information.

Locals packed a Mineral County courtroom and dozens tuned in via Zoom Wednesday morning to hear arguments from the plaintiffs attorneys, Lance Jasper and Jordan Kilby, and the countys representation, Walter Congdon.

This situation we have now here in Mineral County is so severe that the public has lost confidence in the sheriffs department and the county attorneys office, Jasper said.

The court case follows a letter sent to the Mineral County Attorney in June, which said prosecutors in the Mineral County Attorneys Office mishandled cases by omitting required disclosures during the legal process, prompting defendants to enter guilty pleas when all relevant evidence hadnt been considered. It points to the involvement of three Mineral County Sheriffs deputies: David Kunzelman, former deputy Shawn Visintin and former deputy Patrick Nobles. The suit asks that all Mineral County cases involving the deputies be reevaluated.

In an order delivered Oct. 11, Mineral County District Court Judge Shane Vannatta called on the county attorneys office to audit its practices and disclose information not previously shared by the county attorney in both open and closed cases. Vannattas order grants a legal request made on Sept. 20 by Jaspers firm.

You won your writ, there is a writ of mandamus in place, Vannatta said to Jasper. Now its up to the county to fix whats broken.

Wednesdays hearing was to determine whether the county will contest or comply with the writ. Vannatta said hes heard the county intends to comply, but added its an ongoing proceeding and the court will give the county an opportunity to correct the issues at hand and meet the mark.

This is a process, he said.

Congdon said both the county attorneys office and sheriffs office are working to rectify the issues and comply with the judges order, adding that they want to accomplish the tasks that need to be done.

Its a personal thing that we not only do it, but we damn well need to do it right, Congdon said. He explained the county is modifying its policy manual on hiring practices for any personnel related to law and justice, not just deputies.

Regarding audits for closed cases, Congdon said the audits are completed.

We were required to investigate any evidence favorable to defendants, which we are doing and have done, he said.

I think there has been at least a good-faith attempt at looking at both closed cases and open cases in Justice Court and District Court and identifying when Deputy Nobles, Deputy Kunzelman and Deputy Visintin were involved, Vannatta said.

Jasper contended the problems the county is trying to fix wouldnt have been addressed without the writ being filed.

Sheriff Mike Toth is not up for reelection this year, and Debra Jackson is running unopposed for county attorney. The sheriffs race is between Ryan Funke, a Republican, and Gretchen Webb, an independent.

The Mineral County Attorneys salary is estimated to be $113,000 annually, according to the Montana Association of Counties.

The bulk of the plaintiffs allegations center on the three Mineral County deputies: Kunzelman, Nobles and Visintin. Kunzelman is still working in the Mineral County Sheriffs Department, Toth told the Missoulian. Visintin and Nobles are not. The Mineral County Sheriffs office has six deputies, an undersheriff and a sheriff, Toth said.

Jaspers firm alleges Visintin was unfit to serve as a deputy because he pleaded guilty to felony burglary in 2009 in Bonner County, Idaho  that case was later dismissed. In 2015, he was charged with sexual intercourse without consent in Gallatin County, but a jury acquitted him of the accusations in 2017, court filings show.

Jaspers firm argues the county hired Visintin despite Public Safety Officer Standards (POST) not certifying him. POST certifications are given to every law enforcement officer in Montana after required trainings and education. POST Executive Director Perry Johnson didnt recommend Visintin for certification after Visintin applied to be an officer in the Lewistown Police Department in 2020.

I would conclude that Mr. Visintin is not eligible for appointment in Montana as a peace officer based on his conviction for a felony, Johnsons email to a Lewistown police assistant chief on May 21, 2020 reads.

After Visintin applied in Mineral County, POST notified Mineral County officials of their position not certifying Visintin, but the county challenged their decision, the filing alleges.

Visintin acted as an officer for two years, making arrests, charging people with crimes, changing the lives of many, without ever being qualified to be a peace officer, the Sept. 20 writ stated.

In a phone call with the Missoulian on Thursday, Visintin said the contention he was never a qualified deputy is a flat-out lie. He said POST denied his certification in September 2021, and hes in the process of appealing that denial because the criminal charges he faced in Idaho were dismissed, and he was acquitted in the Gallatin County case.

Nobles was accused of having an ongoing sexual relationship with a woman he was investigating. Mineral County investigated the relationship, but the sheriffs office interviews that would have implicated Nobles werent included during prosecution of the womans case, the writ stated. Nobles was terminated on March 11.

Toth said Nobles never faced any criminal charges from the alleged relationship. Nobles declined to comment on the matter in a phone call with the Missoulian on Thursday.

Allegations against Kunzelman stem from a 2021 arrest. A June 8 order from a Missoula judge said prosecutors erred in a criminal case by not noting Kunzelmans termination from the Missoula County Sheriffs Office in 2013.

The Mineral County Attorneys Office didnt disclose information about Kunzelmans termination to the man the deputy arrested or the mans attorney. The defense team learned about it on June 1 through a third party, and emailed the state asking for a disclosure in court, the order stated.

Vannatta ordered the county on Wednesday to disclose all cases and defendants affected by the deputies identified at the hearing, including Kunzelman, Nobles and Visintin, before the next court hearing, which is scheduled for Dec. 7.

Jasper said Wednesdays hearing is just the tip of the iceberg in the case, adding he hopes the Montana Department of Justice takes notice.

It appears theyre willing to address the problems, Jasper said of the Mineral County Attorneys Office. They appear to understand there are additional problems to address as well.
BOX ELDER  Just outside Havre, the political signs stop at the Rocky Boy Reservation border.

Billboards of candidates faces line U.S. Highway 2, which cuts through town, and U.S. Highway 87, which leads from Havre to the reservation. A few homes on each block post glossy signs in their yards. The signs advertise candidates running for Montanas Supreme Court, state legislative seats and the eastern congressional seat.

On the reservation, though, there are no signs for candidates running in the upcoming general election. Instead, homemade tribal council signs  painted on plywood  line the winding, rural roads. The Chippewa Cree Council election is set for Nov. 8, the same day as the midterm.

The differences dont stop there.

Havre sits on Montanas Hi-Line in the plains. About 9,300 people live there, 81% of whom are white. The median household income is $50,635.

About 25 miles to the south in the Bears Paw Mountains, the Rocky Boy Reservation spans 171 square miles of hilly terrain. The reservation is home to 3,770 people, 95% of whom are Native American. The median household income there is $30,139.

Where Havre has hotels, restaurants, boutiques and a Walmart, the Rocky Boy Reservation has a handful of convenience stores, most of which are located dozens of miles from where people live.

Its not just the political signs that are missing on the reservation  the candidates arent there either.

Austin Valencia, a 26-year-old computer science student at Stone Child College on the reservation, said he hasnt heard too much about the upcoming federal election.

Usually, around this time, theres a bunch of signs or (the candidates) come in to the college and have a big billboard and have everyone talk, he said, adding that the event would typically be broadcast on the radio. I dont know whos running at the moment. Usually, they have buttons or signs, but I havent seen any. Its kind of difficult because if Im going to go vote, I want to make sure I know who Im voting for. Its kind of crazy that I dont know who Im voting for.

Signs alone dont necessarily get people to the polls. They dont accurately predict turnout or engagement. But for people living on the Rocky Boy Reservation, the lack of political signage coupled with the silence from political candidates is symbolic of a larger message  that their votes, their voices and their community dont matter.

Some voters on the Rocky Boy Reservation say they feel ignored. Others feel resentful.

Experts say Native voters could lose a lot if they dont turn out this election, as their representation  and their power  in the Legislature are at stake.

Whos running?

The Rocky Boy Reservation is the smallest of seven Native American sovereign homelands in Montana. Most of the reservation overlaps with Hill County, and a smaller fraction overlaps with Chouteau County. In the 2020 general election, 7,302 Hill County residents, or 79% of registered voters, and 3,022 Chouteau County voters, or 81% or those registered, turned out.

Depending on which county they live in, reservation residents will vote for different candidates when it comes to county commissioners, clerk and recorder, sheriff, attorney, superintendent and treasurer. Regardless of where they live, all voters in Montana will vote on one of two congressional seats, state Supreme Court candidates and several statewide ballot measures.

In Hill County, most local races include candidates who are running unopposed, with the exception of a county commissioner race, where candidates Sheri Williams, a Democrat, Diane McLean, the Republican incumbent, and Les Odegard, an independent, face off.

While tribes are sovereign, issues that concern Indigenous communities often come up in local politics.

McLean, the current vice-chair of the commission, for example, has criticized the Hill County Health Departments handling of COVID-19 for being too strict. According to the Havre Daily News, she has supported conspiracy theories promoting the treatment of COVID-19 with Ivermectin, and she has incorrectly said that the COVID-19 vaccines are killing people.

McLeans challengers, Williams and Odegard, both supported the health department in its handling of the pandemic. COVID-19 disproportionately infected and killed Indigenous people in Montana. The virus was the No. 1 cause of death among Native Americans in the state in 2020, and the Rocky Boy Health Center offered incentives for young people to get vaccinated.

Additionally, two of the three current commissioners, including McLean and Chair Mark Peterson, opposed President Joe Bidens nomination of Deb Haaland for Interior Secretary. Haaland later became the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary. None of the current commissioners responded to a request for comment regarding tribal issues in local politics.

We matter, too

Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, is running unopposed for state House District 32. He is particularly passionate about issues concerning bison, education, tribal languages and missing and murdered Indigenous people. He said the lack of political engagement for matters outside the reservation isnt new.

People have become apprehensive as far as our involvement in the state, Windy Boy said. For a school board election, for example, a person who gets about 65 votes would be the winner. For the tribal council, youd have to hit 500 votes to get in the top.

Windy Boy has been involved in state politics for 20 years. If Native voters dont get to the polls, he said, Well lose our seats. Thats the bottom line.

We need a voice that prioritizes us and makes sure our interests are heard, he said. It takes a Native to understand Native issues and obstacles. I dont have confidence in any non-Native representing me.

Arielle Sutherland, a community organizer for Western Native Voice, said in years past, candidates would send or drop signs off at the tribal office or college. Candidates also used to visit the reservation and host community events. But not this year.

Voter turnout on the reservation, according to Sutherland, was especially low in 2020, as the reservation was shut down to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Sutherland thinks candidates might overlook the tribal community now because the turnout was poor.

It sends the message that were not important, that our vote is not as important, she said. Theyre not committed to getting the Native vote.

Representatives for Rep. Matt Rosendale, who is running for reelection, did not respond to questions of whether he had campaigned on the Rocky Boy Reservation.

Penny Ronning, who is running against Rosendale for Montanas eastern congressional district, said she visited earlier this month for a Leadership Montana conference on the Rocky Boy Reservation, where she met with business owners and tribal elders.

But Ronnings visit wasnt necessarily felt throughout the tribal community. Staff and students at Stone Child College werent aware of her visit, and Sutherland wasnt notified either.

Jaylynn Mitchell, 22, lives on the reservation and is a student at Stone Child College. She said her friends arent politically engaged.

What it all comes down to is (candidates) dont come out here and campaign, Mitchell said. So (students) dont know whos running. Theyre not going to vote for somebody they dont know.

Mitchell wishes the candidates would come talk to people on the reservation. She wants to hear their story. She wants to know what they can do for her community.

I feel like (the candidates) always prioritize the bigger Native communities, she said. I always see them going out to the Crow Nation, theyre huge. But they dont come here, to the smaller communities. We matter, too.

Sutherland said she would like to see candidates visit the reservation and meet with the tribal council. Shed also appreciate a community forum, where candidates could visit with residents and answer questions.

Instead of just telling us what theyre going to do for us, (they should) ask what we want from them, she said. I understand that theyre busy, but in Indian Country, our votes do have power.

Past candidate visits have resonated with people on the reservation.

Valencia remembered when Sen. Steve Daines visited campus. And Shana Henry, a recruiter at the tribal college, remembers Kathleen Williams visiting during her campaign. The last time Henry remembers students being fired up about an election was in 2008 when former President Barack Obama first ran.

Obama was younger, she said. This is going to sound bad, but (candidates today), they dont look, sound or talk like us.

They dont understand us

While some people on the reservation feel ignored or disengaged when it comes to the federal election, others feel something different  resentment.

Like in many towns that border reservations, there are tensions between residents of Havre and the Rocky Boy Reservation. Native Americans, who must travel to Havre for groceries and other errands, say they often experience racism there.

Marquieta Jilot, dean of student services at the college, said an Uber driver once told her, Oh, youre Native American? So my taxes go to you.

They dont understand us, and I dont feel like they want to, Jilot said. Im not saying everyones racist. There are good people in Havre. But there are ones that arent. They stare at you when you go in a store.  It almost feels like theres this brick wall all the way around Havre. And then you have Rocky Boy and Fort Belknap (Indian Reservation, 25 miles to the east) on the outside.

Sutherland said she recently bought a new car, and while she was at a gas station in Havre, she saw a highway patrol car. She waited 15 minutes for the policeman to leave, but he didnt. When Sutherland finally pulled out of the gas station, he pulled her over.

He said, You have new plates. I just wanted to see, she recalled.

While these tensions persist year-round  not just in election season  Sutherland said conflict between the reservation and Havre combined with a perceived lack of interest from candidates, can brew resentment in the tribal community.

Because the upcoming election concerns the state, Sutherland said, people on the reservation may incorrectly assume the election is only for people in Havre.

And when you have that racism going on, a lot of people are not going to want to do what they think Havre wants us to do, she said. I feel like theyre retaliating in a way.

Why it matters

Sutherland said she fears that with a low turnout, Indigenous people in Montana could also lose representation in the Legislature. Twelve Native American lawmakers currently serve in the state Legislature. Without those people at the table, the tribe could lose financial support for education, housing and infrastructure.

Theres a power in numbers, she said. If we have more people (in the Legislature), it shows were serious. Were a powerful people, so we want our culture and our traditions and our livelihood here on the reservation to be protected.

Aside from representation, Sutherland said tribal sovereignty is always on the ballot.

Some elders tell me they just dont believe in voting because we are sovereign, Sutherland said. But I tell them we need to vote to protect our sovereignty. We need to elect people that believe in our sovereignty and that wont break these treaties.

Last legislative session, members of Montanas American Indian Caucus condemned a number of bills they said threatened tribal sovereignty, including some that concerned voting access, bison, protests and tax exemptions.

And the Supreme Court in June ruled in favor of allowing state law enforcement to prosecute non-Native people who commit crimes against Native people on reservation land  a decision that experts and tribal leaders criticized, saying it undermined sovereignty.

But these messages dont always resonate with people on the reservation.

State politics affect us, but the understanding here is, we just know here, Jilot said. We dont know who makes it to state office or how they represent us. When it comes to Congress and funding, people here just dont understand how those dots connect.

Windy Boy said he expects issues of bison, womens rights and gun control to come up this legislative session, as they do every year. But this time, hes also preparing for Montanas constitution to come under attack.

A subsection of the constitution says the state recognizes the distinct and unique cultural heritage of the American Indians. In 1999, that subsection paved the way for Montanas Indian Education for All Act, which requires a commitment in the states educational goals to preserve Indigenous culture.

Voting matters because when issues come to the table that concern us, it wont be a primary focus for some (lawmakers), even if they represent a majority Native district, Windy Boy said. I just want to tell Indian Country, Get off your keister and vote!

This project was produced with financial support from the American Press Institute. Lee Montana reporter Nora Mabie is reporting from all seven Montana tribal reservations on how voter outreach and registration efforts resonate in Indian Country.
Salish Kootenai College, Montana Technological Institute and University of Montana received a total of $4.5 million in collaborative grants to better serve Native and rural Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) students.

Specifically, Salish Kootenai College was awarded $900,000 to fund scholarships for eligible STEM students.

Over the course of six years, the funds will support scholarships of up to $10,000 for students at the tribal college, according to a news release. Because students can receive more than one scholarship, the tribal college estimates that the project will fund 260 scholarships for 105 students, meaning some students could receive a scholarship every year. The grant specifically aims to support low-income, academically talented students.

Antony Berthelote, vice president of enrollment management and student affairs at Salish Kootenai College, said the tribal college serves predominantly low socio-economic populations who are often required to simultaneously seek employment while attending classes to afford their education and support their families.

Opportunities like this help students succeed without compromising their potential, he said in a statement. 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."

STEM students who are enrolled at least half-time at Salish Kootenai College, Montana Technological Institute or University of Montana and who demonstrate financial need are eligible to apply.

For more information, visit umt.edu/stars. Applications must be received by Nov. 20 at midnight.
The State of the Visual Arts in Burke County survey also points out similar results in the area of arts education. While a national study showed 91% of respondents saying arts are a vital part of a well-rounded education, only 17% said they or a family member had taken an art class in the past year.

In the local schools, it shows 10 visual arts programs in BCPS middle and high schools. It also shows several grant-based programs in some elementary schools, but only one certified art teacher at the elementary level.

Cheryl Shuffler, public relations officer for BCPS, said the district is committed to continuing to provide arts education, particularly at the middle and high school levels.

"We have wonderful art and music programs at the high school and middle school levels," she said.

Shuffler cited research showing art education has across-the-board benefits for students.

"Studies show that art helps stimulate the brain and expand the mind which can all help to improve language, reading and math skills," she said. "Finding a place to create, thrive and feel accepted goes a long way in helping a student stay in school."
Two Butte men with nine previous DUI convictions have been charged with a 10th and now face harsher consequences because of enhanced penalties enacted by the Montana Legislature last year.

The maximum they would have faced in the past is five years in prison or custody of the Montana Department of Corrections, but now that is the minimum and 25 years is the maximum.

Wallace Arney, 62, and Scott Anthony Lamb, 63, were each arraigned Thursday and pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs as a fourth or subsequent offense. Lamb also pleaded not guilty to criminal endangerment.

District Judge Kurt Krueger accepted the pleas and set their next hearings for Dec. 15. Lamb had previously posted bond but Arney remained jailed with bail set at $100,000.

The Legislature passed a bill enhancing penalties for fifth and subsequent DUI convictions during the 2021 legislative session and Gov. Greg Gianforte signed it into law.

A fifth now carries a maximum 10-year prison term, a sixth is punishable by up to 25 years and a seventh or more carries a mandatory five-year term that cannot be suspended, with up to 20 more years possible. Five or more convictions also carry mandatory fines of $5,000 to $10,000.

Ann Shea, state prosecutor in Butte-Silver Bow County, said Thursday she was pleased the Legislature enhanced the potential penalties, calling it a matter of public safety.

She noted that the previous maximum of five years didnt mean those offenders would serve that amount of time. Those decisions are up to the Montana Department of Corrections and many offenders dont serve anything close to that.

The law took effect on Jan. 1, meaning DUIs after that date and going forward are subject to the harsher penalties.

Lamb was arrested most recently on Sept. 22 and Arney was booked on Oct. 4.

According to prosecutors, Arney had been going inside a Town Pump in Butte asking for someone to jump his truck and was reportedly intoxicated and getting angry. A state trooper arrived at the parking lot and Arney got out of his truck.

The trooper said he could see a vodka bottle in the truck and after checking with dispatch, told Arney he had nine previous DUIs. Arney admitted he had been drinking and when asked how much, said way too much.

He was arrested and his blood-alcohol content registered .212. The level considered drunken driving is .08.

Lamb was arrested after an A-1 ambulance driver called police, saying he was following a driver in a Ford Ranger who had almost hit two cars head-on while driving southbound on Rowe Road the night of Sept. 22.

An officer spotted the pickup with its lights on in a driveway on Gaylord Street and Lamb was behind the wheel, according to charging documents. A check on his driving record showed nine prior DUI convictions from several different states.

He was booked for another alleged DUI and prosecutors also charged him with felony criminal endangerment for almost hitting two other motorists. That is punishable by up to 10 years and a fine up to $50,000.
Accelerating creep.

In late August, Montana Resources detected instability in the east highwall of the mines Continental Pit. Since then, the highwall has continued to move.

Its accelerating, said Mark Thompson, the mines vice president of environmental affairs, during a Thursday interview.

Every day it creeps about one-half an inch, said Mike McGivern, vice president of human resources and safety for Montana Resources.

The east highwall of the sprawling open pit copper and molybdenum mine in Butte is not far from Interstate 15. But when a portion of the highwall crumbles or collapses it will tumble in the opposite direction.

Thompson said Montana Resources wanted to alert Butte residents that the east highwall was unstable in case they witnessed its failure from afar and jumped to conclusions about safety risks to mine employees.

We are using very sophisticated equipment to monitor the situation and we are managing it in a safe and responsible manner, he said.

The monitoring equipment includes radar and slideminder detection technology whose data about movement of the highwall are tracked by Montana Resources employees and consultants.

Thompson said consultants recommended creation of a runout zone that would be more than 300 feet from the base of the highwall to keep employees and equipment at a safe distance. He said Montana Resources decided to increase the safety factor by building a berm 500 feet from the foot of the rockface.

A deep, serpentine and ominous crack is visible at the top of the highwall. Thompson said the highwalls instability is definitely the result of active mining. There is high value copper ore toward the base of the highwall, he said.

The mine would like to return to mining this ore.

Wed love the highwall to fail on its own, Thompson said. It could be a significant failure. It could be a partial fail.

Regardless, Montana Resources will eventually need to address the highwalls potential for instability by creating a new headwall with a flatter slope. In preparation for that work, the mine is beginning work adjacent to I-15 that will yield a ramp for heavy equipment.
Butte police reports

Arrest warrant

Early Friday morning, officers arrived in the 1700 block of Adams Street to investigate a disturbance.

In the area was Kiel James Bicha, 22, of Butte, who had a warrant out for his arrest for misdemeanor partner or family member assault out of Flathead County. He was taken to jail.

False bomb scare

On Thursday night, Dennis Matthew Schadler, 39, of Butte told some people at the Butte Rescue Mission, 610 E. Platinum St., that he had a bomb.

A call was quickly made to the police, who arrived to find Schadler without any kind of incendiary device. He was arrested for misdemeanor disorderly conduct

Theft of paintings

Joshua Isaac Drewes, 39, of Butte was arrested early Thursday evening for felony theft from a building, misdemeanor warrant out of Madison County and misdemeanor resisting arrest.

Drewes, who was reportedly intoxicated, was said to be causing a disturbance in the 100 block of Hamilton Street. He also allegedly stole some paintings, with all but one recovered, which was valued at $5,000.

When an officer attempted to handcuff him, he reportedly resisted their attempts, until they were successful.

Successful arrest

Butte officers assisted Adult Probation & Parole, along with members of the Southwest Montana Drug Task Force, in the arrest late Wednesday morning of James Robert Blodgett, 39, of Butte.

He was jailed for felony possession with intent to sell and felony probation violation.

Smokin car

On Wednesday morning, an officer noticed significant smoke coming from a car parked near the intersection of Warren and First, and stopped to check on it.

The car was not on fire, but inside was Brad Samuel Newbreast, 44, of Butte who at first, attempted to give a fictitious name because he had a warrant out for his arrest.

He was brought in and in the pocket of his sweatshirt was suspected meth. He was arrested for felony possession of dangerous drugs, felony probation violation, felony violation of release condition and misdemeanor criminal contempt.

Suspected fentanyl

Early Thursday morning, an officer out on patrol noted a car in the 900 block of East Front Street with expired plates, a broken windshield, and a busted drivers side mirror.

The driver was Teresa Nichol Salcido, 35, of Butte, who had felony and miscellaneous criminal warrants out for her arrest. She also had in her possession suspected fentanyl and was also jailed for felony possession of dangerous drugs.

Booked into jail

Matthew Scott Burgess, 46, of Butte was booked into the jail Wednesday afternoon on two felony counts of possession of dangerous drugs and misdemeanor driving under the influence

Pistol in his pocket

Steven Philip Green, 43, of Butte was booked into the jail just after midnight Friday for the misdemeanor offenses of carrying a concealed weapon while under the influence, driving under the influence (refusal), making an improper turn, and driving without taillights.

Green was driving a black Jeep when he was stopped in the 1900 block of Dewey Boulevard. He reportedly appeared to be intoxicated and had a pistol in his pocket.

Minor injuries

On Wednesday afternoon, a 30-year-old man reportedly struck the side of a Butte city bus with his bicycle near the Bus Terminal. His injuries were reportedly minor.
Three Kalispell men have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a Sept. 1 robbery at Wells Fargo Bank, 3650 Harrison Ave., in Butte.

Nineteen-year-old Caleb Bernhardt was charged with felony robbery, and John Robert Austin and Logan Christopher Nadasi, both 18, were charged with robbery by accountability recently in Judge Ben Pezdarks Butte Justice Court.

Bernhardt has been booked into the Flathead County Jail on a $50,000 bond, while Austin and Nadasi are in the Missoula County Jail, also on $50,000 bonds.

According to Butte-Silver Bow County Sheriff Ed Lester, Butte police investigators have been working with authorities in both Missoula County and Flathead County. On Oct. 21, Butte police detectives were able to obtain arrest warrants on the three men.

Charging documents for Bernhardt state the 19-year-old allegedly threatened bodily injury to a bank employee if she didnt hand over $15,000.

He was booked into the Flathead County Jail on Wednesday.

If convicted, he could face a sentence of not less than two years or more than 40 years and fined an amount not more than $50,000.

The robbery by accountability complaint filed on Austin and Nadasi stated that the men reportedly solicited, aided, abetted, agreed to, or attempted to aid Caleb Bernhardt in the planning or commission of that offense.

The two men were booked into the Missoula County Jail on Tuesday.

Austin and Nadasi, if convicted, each face a sentence of not less than two years or more than 40 years and a fine in the amount not more than $50,000.
In the 1970s, Congress designated thousands of acres of public land in Montana  which were managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the BLM  as Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs). These areas were to be extensively and scientifically studied to determine whether they were suitable as Wilderness designation. Both the U.S. Forest Service and the BLM determined decades ago that some of these WSAs are non-suitable as wilderness areas, and made the recommendation to Congress to not designate them as wilderness areas. The three WSAs that were not suitable for Wilderness designation are: Middle Fork Judith WSA, Hoodoo Mountain WSA, and Wales Creek WSA.

For over 40 years these lands have been treated as if they were Wilderness areas, because they had not been released from their WSA status, due to congressional inaction. This meant recreation was thwarted on these lands and active forest management has not been occurring. In a sense, sportsmen have been locked out, and in many instances the management of these lands has been poor at best. Less than two years ago, again through a science-driven, collaborative plan revision process these lands were yet again determined to be unsuitable for Wilderness designation, yet today they still remain classified as WSAs.

Heres the good news! Montana Senator Steve Daines has a bill in Congress known as The Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act. This bill, if passed, will open thousands of public acres to Montana sportsmen and the recreating public. Releasing these lands will increase access for sportsmen of Montana and allow management agencies to create a healthy landscape by removing dead, beetle-killed timber. This would also provide for a reduced fuel load, making the lands much less a tinderbox awaiting a tremendous fire event. Under Senator Daines' bill, the land will remain public and would be managed and protected by the same laws, analysis, public input and justification prior to any action taken, and in accordance with recent land management plans.

Currently, Montana citizens and sportsmen along with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks are working on developing a new elk management plan and a large part of this effort has contained better management of public lands, increases the redistribution of our public elk herds onto public lands, and reduces the impact of elk depredation on privately owned lands. Opening these lands to better land management will help accomplish redistribution of elk from private lands to public lands, a win-win for landowners and sportsmen.

This is a common sense bill and it is way past time to release the chokehold that these WSA lands have been in for decades. Access to public lands by sportsmen and recreationists is something that we all enjoy and fight for, so let's stand behind the science and the land managing agencies and support the Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act. A link to the text of Senator Daines bill S. 4470 Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act can be found at congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/4470?s=1&r=26.
Over the past several years, as the presence of technology has grown within American schools, so has the threat of cyberattacks and hackings.

In some cases, these attacks can even shut down a school districts ability to teach using certain tools or programs such as Infinite Campus or Google Classroom, or access the schools email or gradebooks.

While there hasnt been any threat suspected in Muscatine, the team at the Muscatine Community School District has assured that it is always preparing for such threats and, in the case of one actually happening, also has assured that classes would remain in session.

On Wednesday, it was reported that an unauthorized user had gained access to personal information relating to current and/or former employees of the Davenport Community School District. This attack shut down access to the districts email, with this being the second occurrence of this since the start of the 2022-2023 school year.

In the past few years, school districts across the country have seen similar hacking attempts and cyberattacks, further putting the importance on other districts to assure that their digital security measures as well as their IT departments are properly prepared.

Scott Comstock, director of technology for the Muscatine Community School District (MCSD), emphasized that this is true for Muscatine as well, stating that the MCSD staff take cyber security and data protection very seriously.

Comstock went on to explain that in order to prevent such attacks, MCSD has ongoing training, including phishing training and simulated cyberattacks, for all of its employees in order for the staff to learn what to look for regarding suspicious emails or links that could prompt a cyberattack.

Another way that MCSD tries to prevent these attacks, Comstock explained, is its use of a third party to conduct routine security audits of the district alongside enforcing multi-factor authentication for all district accounts.

Cyberattacks have become more sophisticated and have happened with greater frequency over the last few years, Comstock said. In addition to that, cyber security is always changing, and our district is constantly having to evaluate and plan on the best ways to keep our systems protected. This is something our technology team takes very seriously and spends time working on it on a weekly basis.

In light of Davenports struggles with losing access to not only its systems but the internet as a whole, it has been pointed out how much the loss of these tools can ultimately impact the classroom simply based on how much technology is being used by teachers and students alike.

Comstock, however, pointed out how losing access to the internet is something that MCSD has dealt with before and thus already has an understanding of how to effectively hold and continue classes without it.

The district has lost access to the internet due to things that are beyond our control like weather-related issues, water main breaks, construction, etc. The loss of access to the internet would not impede the ability of our staff to provide in-person learning to students, he said.
It appears possible that a recent cyber attack on the Davenport School District resulted in the theft of a large collection of student and other district data.

A data-extortion group is claiming to have stolen information from the Davenport district and is threatening to publicly release it, writing in a recent online post, "In this release we will show you 845 GB of their data, which include a giant, massive array of student's (sic) personal information ..."

The post by "Karakurt" indicates a deadline of Oct. 31 for the district to meet its demands, though the post does not reveal the terms of a possible ransom demand.

The district's email system this week has been experiencing disruptions, suggesting internal communications about the possible threat could not reach staff.

District officials previously acknowledged a hacker had gained access to the district's system in early September. By the end of the month, however, they said they had "thwarted" the cyber attack, no ransom demand had been made and no evidence existed that data was compromised.

In a statement Wednesday, district officials said they later learned the hacker may have been successful.

"Davenport Community Schools learned that the incident potentially impacted personal information belonging to certain current/former employees," according to the statement. "Since then, Davenport Community Schools has been working diligently to identify contact information necessary to provide notification of the incident to potentially impacted individuals and to provide resources, including credit and dark-web monitoring services to assist them.

"Davenport takes this incident very seriously and is continuing to work with cybersecurity experts to take steps to help prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future."

The district's statement did not include information on student data, which the online post specifically claims was stolen.

Brett Callow, a threat analyst for global cybersecurity software firm Emsisoft, said groups like Karakurt target their victims differently, including partnering with or taking from other hackers.

Theyll have had access to the network, possibly for some time, and then will have stolen data," Callow said. "The data they may have stolen could include insurance policies, so they possibly know how much coverage the district has and how much it could potentially pay [for ransom]."

But it's also possible, he said, that Karakurt is either bluffing entirely or made off with less information than the group claims.

Some school districts, including Davenport, have been reluctant to publicly disclose that they have been hacked. In some cases, their insurance carriers advise them to decline comment and/or an investigation is ongoing.

Callow said his industry is increasingly advising victims of cyber attacks to be forthright.

Unless something like (insurance or law enforcement advice) is preventing districts from being transparent, they should be transparent," he said. "If you know about this information, you can better prevent yourself from being the victim of a crime.
Police say eight people have been found dead in suspected homicides after a fire was extinguished at a Tulsa-area house.

The fire was reported about 4 p.m. Thursday in a quiet residential area of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, 13 miles southeast of Tulsa.

The two adults found dead in a Broken Arrow home Thursday are considered suspects in a homicide investigation, according to police.

"Preliminary details into this investigation have determined this incident is likely a murder-suicide," police said in a news release, adding the decedents were one family believed to have lived in the home.

Broken Arrow is Tulsas biggest suburb, with almost 115,000 residents.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was assisting in the investigation, he said.
WATERLOO  Immigration officials deported a Waterloo teen before he could be tried for charges that he killed an elderly man in an alleged drunk driving crash.

Now officials are trying to return him to the United States.

Robert Kenneth Chambers, 67, who was legally blind and residing at Bridges Senior Living, was returning from the store with the help of his guide dog, Dayton, around 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9, 2020, when he was struck by a vehicle at West Fourth and South streets.

The driver didnt stop and Dayton went on to Bridges, alerting staff that something had happened to Chambers.

Paramedics found Chambers in the street unconscious and with a broken leg. He remained hospitalized and died Oct. 3, 2020, from injuries suffered in the crash, according to court records.

About half an hour after the collision, officers were called to an Allen Street home, about six blocks away. There they found then-17-year-old Juan Rubio Alejo, who admitted he had been drinking and said he hit a dog on Fourth Street, according to court records. A test determined his blood-alcohol level was over the legal limit to drive, records state.

His vehicle, a Cadillac ATS, was found parked behind a Linwood Avenue home with damage consistant with evidence found at the crash scene, court records state.

An arrest warrant was issued in October 2021 with a charge of homicide by vehicle/intoxication. Alejo apparently remained at large until the spring of 2022 when he was detained in Minnesota.

He posted $100,000 bond in the case while still in Minnesota, and sometime after that the government removed him to Mexico, according to court records. Authorities said he is in the process of returning to the United States.
Upvalley volunteers are working with Pacific Union College to bring Ukrainian college students to the U.S. as their home country reels from a Russian invasion.

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.

Mission: Ukraine is sponsoring two Ukrainian students who are already studying at PUC, a liberal arts college in Angwin. Eight more students are arriving in December and January in time for PUCs winter quarter.

Katya is studying graphic design and Danii is studying data science. (The Star agreed to withhold their last names for the sake of their privacy and safety.)

Both are natives of Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February upended their lives once again. They arrived in the U.S. via Mexico and are attending PUC on student visas.

Listening to their stories moved us to tears, said Jennifer Klingbeil of Angwin, who helped launch Mission: Ukraine.

They were smiling and laughing while they told us how wonderful everybody in Mexico was, and how everybody was hugging them once they crossed the border, Klingbeil said.

She added that both students are too upbeat and grateful to dwell on the depth of what theyve been through.

Like many Americans, Klingbeil sent money to Ukraine in the early days of Russias invasion, but she wanted to do something more tangible for the Ukrainian people. With help from PUC administrator Kellie Lind and others, Klingbeil laid the groundwork for Mission: Ukraine.

Ukraine refugees find home in Napa, welcome baby This Ukraine family is putting down roots in Napa Valley. Meet the newest Romanchenko.

Her first idea was to bring Ukrainian families to live in vacant dormitory rooms at PUC, but changes in immigration policy made that untenable. So Klingbeils team decided to focus on students.

PUC, which has a large population of international students, agreed to handle the paperwork for student visas permitting stays of 12 to 18 months. The college is giving the incoming Ukrainian students 50% off tuition, room and board, with Mission: Ukraine picking up the rest of the tab.

Klingbeil, whose mother is Ukrainian, got in touch with some contacts in Ukraine to sound them out on the idea. Would students be interested in studying in the U.S., she asked, or would they prefer packages of food and water?

Her contacts said Ukrainian students would jump at the chance to come to the U.S. Sure enough, 71 applications poured in initially.

Education is so important in Ukraine, Klingbeil said.

St. Helena couple takes in Ukrainian refugee family A Napa Valley couple has taken in a Ukrainian refugee family. Meet the Romanchenkos.

Attending college online in Ukraine is extremely challenging right now, with spotty internet access, nighttime classes to accommodate foreign instructors, and some students living in bomb shelters.

Mission: Ukraines organizers say theyve been moved by the resilience of Katya and Danii, who display a stoicism and toughness that have come to be associated with the Ukrainian national character  and that have been credited for helping the country withstand Russias onslaught.

Ukrainians havent forgotten the devastating famine unleashed by Joseph Stalins regime, which killed millions of Ukrainians in the early 1930s, volunteer Maria Haug said.

Theyve experienced centuries of atrocities, and they just keep surviving, said Klingbeil, the child of a Ukrainian mother and a Russian father.

Mission: Ukraine has committed to raise enough money for 10 students. Organizers say they are a quarter of the way toward their roughly $400,000 goal for the current school year.

"Not everyone has the potential for a large donation, but everyone can contribute a little bit," Haug said.

"Those little bits add up," Klingbeil added.

Donate at puc.edu/mission-ukraine.
Blanca Gonzalez volunteers with Napa Emergency Womens Services and spends weeknights being available to comfort and help victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Her night's sleep might be interrupted at 1 a.m. or some other small hour by a phone call. Then she's off to help somebody suffering from emotional trauma.

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.

I give them my hand, Gonzalez said. I give them my shoulder to cry on.

She sees people and tries to help them at their lowest moments. Its rewarding work, but draining, she said.

Its very important to take care of your mental health, she said. I like to go on hikes. I like to work out.

Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley on Thursday morning hosted the Collaboration and Courage breakfast honoring crime survivors and the people who help them. The event was held at Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center.

Gonzalez was one of 13 heroes and survivors honored. California Highway Patrol Officer Anna Paulson was another.

Paulson responded to a head-on crash in March 2021 on Highway 29 southeast of Calistoga. A driver later accused of driving under the influence hit another car, with the two people inside ultimately dying.

I was by the second victims side as she was extricated from the vehicle, Paulson said. And I was by her in the ambulance.

Paulson checked in daily to see how the 62-year-old woman was doing before the woman died at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital four days later.

The other person in the car, a 64-year-old man, died at the scene. Paulson said the victim had once given up an infant daughter for adoption and was about a week away from meeting her years later.

Christine McMillan of the District Attorneys Office said Paulson showed support and interest in the case that went beyond her job.

Paulson planted a flower in her backyard for the two victims. "Just a reminder of how precious life is," she said.

Two survivors of violence were honored. They requested that their names not be revealed in the Napa Valley Register, but they too were a focus of the breakfast and stepped forward to applause.

It is to tell survivors of crime that we see you and believe you and we honor the courage it takes to overcome what you have been through, Haley said.

Others honored were:

Linda Hamlin, who volunteers at the District Attorneys Office to help crime victims receive restitution. I cant overemphasize the need for survivors to get their money back, Haley said. Its an often forgotten part of the criminal justice system.

Mona Leonardi and Amanda Krueger, who are working to create awareness about the dangers of fentanyl. Leonardis son Michael died at age 20 from fentanyl poisoning after taking what he thought was a Percocet pill. Kruegers son died from an accidental drug overdose.

Roxana Plancarte, who is a social worker for the St. Helena Unified School District. She previously ran a Spanish-speaking support group for Napa Emergency Womens Services.

Napa Police Capt. Fabio Rodriguez, who has spearheaded the processing of child abuse cases. Haley said he has gone above and beyond to ensure the rights of the most vulnerable.

Napa Police Detective Bill Hernandez, who works on domestic violence cases and championed the creation of the Monarch Justice Center that provides services to survivors of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, child abuse, human trafficking and elder abuse.

Napa Police Detective Dustin Dodd, who worked on an elder abuse case involving identity theft, forgery and theft. McMillan said the case was an uphill battle, but resulted in a conviction.

Napa County Sheriffs Deputy Christian Winegar, who worked on an American Canyon case of domestic violence. It didnt become a legal case, but the victim credited Winegar with helping her receive help.

St. Helena Police Department School Resource Officer Melissa Brown, who works with young people to prevent violence and make certain they feel supported. Haley said Brown has a special way of making crime survivors feel safe and cared for during interviews.
Stop killer robots! Lobbyists fight to save Europe from bad AI

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YEREVAN.  Hraparak daily of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: While they are trying to convince Armenia that the Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] authorities are not opposed to their policy and are informed about the [peace] negotiations [with Azerbaijan] in advance, first, with the special session of the NA [(National Assembly)], then with a rally to be held in Artsakh on Sunday, the people of Artsakh will try to refute this mindset and make an appeal to the RA authorities.

According to our information, the planned events were decided by consensus and with the consent by all players of the political field. In the special session of the parliament, the five factions plan to adopt a joint statement, calling on the RA authorities not to accept any version of the peace treaty in which case the issue of Artsakh will be left out; that is to say, they will call to reject the Western proposal and agree to the Russian version [of a peace treaty with Azerbaijan].

We were told that before the meeting at the parliament, a statement of AR [(Artsakh Republic)] president Arayik Harutyunyan is also planned, which will be milder than the parliament's, and the president will present his vision for the resolution of the Artsakh issue, emphasizing the [respective] role of the RF [(Russian Federation)]. And then at Renaissance Square [of the capital Stepanakert], the people [of Artsakh] will give their consent to those statements.

It is noteworthy that a trilateral meeting between [Russian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani leaders] Putin-Pashinyan-Aliyev is scheduled for the next day, October 31, in [Russias] Sochi [city].
The U.S. should strengthen its defense against growing threats from both China and Russia by focusing on Beijing as its main global competitor, according to the Joe Biden administration's national defense strategy.

Although Russia remains a acute threat to the United States under the strategy, it is completely deterred from attacking NATO, a senior defense official said.

China is a primary challenge to the United States because it is the only competitor with both the intent and increasing ability to systematically challenge the United States on all fronts, militarily, economically, technologically and diplomatically, a second senior Pentagon official said.

Senior Defense Department officials acknowledged heightened global tensions since the last national defense strategy was released in 2018, noting that the international security environment has deteriorated since then.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. is definitely concerned about the escalation in Ukraine.

He said Russia's use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine would lead to a very serious response from the international community.

China is the most comprehensive and serious threat to U.S. national security because of its coercive and increasingly aggressive efforts to reshape the Indo-Pacific region and international system to suit its interests and authoritarian preferences, the national defense strategy said.

China's rapid modernization of its armed forces and nuclear weapons is of serious concern to the United States. China probably intends to have at least 1,000 deliverable warheads by the end of the decade, the Nuclear Posture Review said.

The U.S. has seen the PRC become both more capable and more irresponsible in its behavior in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in recent years, I would only point, as one example, to the deep modernization and diversification of the PRC's nuclear capabilities in recent years, the official added.

While China is a major challenge to the U.S., Russia remains a acute threat to the U.S., the documents said.

Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine underscores that the nuclear threat persists and could increase in an increasingly competitive and unstable geopolitical environment, the nuclear policy review said.

Russia continues to emphasize nuclear weapons in its strategy, modernize and expand its nuclear forces, and swing nuclear weapons in support of its revisionist security policy.

Russia plans to continue building up its nuclear arsenal, which currently includes up to 1,550 accountable deployable warheads on strategic carriers that are limited by the New START treaty, as well as nuclear forces that are not limited by any arms control treaty, the review said.
The meeting of the prime ministers of the CIS member countries started Friday in the Kazakh capital Astana where they will discuss more than ten matters, TASS reported.

The meeting will take place in narrow and expanded compositions, with the results of which the signing of documents is planned.

The PMs are expected exchange views on urgent matters of economic cooperation within the CIS.

The premiers of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan, and Deputy Prime Minister of Turkmenistan Khojamurad Geldimuradov are participating in the meeting.
Armenia has agreed to work on the basis of the main principles and parameters proposed by Russia with respect to the establishment of interstate relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and is ready to confirm this in Sochi, Russia, the Armenian Prime Minister has noted on Twitter Friday morning.

"We hope that Russia will support its proposals," Nikol Pashinyan added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday that a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan is needed, and Russia supports a peaceful settlement.

He added that the Armenian people and the leadership should choose which option they need, but any option that leads to peace will be acceptable to them.
Not a single meeting of the Lazarevsky Club has been held without the discussion of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Bako Sahakyan, former President of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), noted this in his address at the Lazarevsky Club meeting being held in the format of a Yerevan-Moscow videoconference.

According to Sahakyan, the Lazarevsky Club has always discussed the past, present and future of Nagorno-Karabakh, and this is a completely objective approach.

"Karabakh has always played, is playing, and will continue to play one of the key roles in the history and geopolitics of Transcaucasia, the Armenian people and statehood. It is difficult to overestimate the role of Karabakh in ensuring the military and strategic balance in the region, forming a safe and predictable geopolitical configurationincluding for the Russian Federation.

Dear friends, today we are experiencing a turning point in history. Our countries and peoples are facing deep security threats. We are facing a serious choice: either to take into account the rapidly changing world order, to introduce significant corrections in our activities, or to ignore the ongoing changes; this will have dangerous consequences," said Sahakyan.

Among other things, he pointed to the danger of "courtship" policy, calling for the elimination of mistakes and miscalculations which will have irreversible consequences.

According to Bako Sahakyan, forces have arisen in the region that intend to change the political landscape of the Caucasus, push Russia, out and destroy the Armenian statehood. And the main component of success for them is the destruction of Nagorno-Karabakh.

"This cannot be allowed. And as long as there is a chance, it is necessary to take appropriate steps with joint efforts. It is necessary to rule out mistakes and miscalculations which will have irreversible consequences," Sahakyan noted.

He believes that in order to prevent such consequences and to neutralize the existing threats, a principled and maximally active policy needs to be conducted.
Speaker Alen Simonyan of the National Assembly of Armenia on Friday delivered an address at the plenary session of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS member countries. Simonyan noted as follows, in particular:

Today, our meeting goes on in the period of the geopolitical most difficult processes. For the first time I am giving a speech at the CIS IPA Plenary Session and I would prefer to speak about peace and cooperation, but todays realities are so that the efforts of Armenia and the international community fail by the bellicose rhetoric and military actions of Baku in the establishment of long-lasting peace in the South Caucasus region. As you all already know, on September 13, 2022, the armed forces of Azerbaijan, grossly violating the international law the ceasefire regime, have launched large-scale armed aggression against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. As a result of Azerbaijans assault, the Armenian side has hundreds of victims, wounded, missing and prisoners of war, as well as several thousands of displaced persons. We have victims among the civilians, considerable damage was caused to the civilian infrastructure. Some parts of the sovereign territory of Armenia are occupied by the armed forces of Azerbaijan. These attacks preceded the actions of aggression in May, June and November 2021.

Terrible cases of shooting, violence of Armenian prisoners of war, the dismemberment of the Armenian military servant captives. In the Azerbaijani social networks photos and video materials of tortures and dishonor towards the Armenian female military servants bodies have been spread. Unfortunately, those crimes condemned by the international community have been widely approved in the Azerbaijani society. In this context it is necessary to carry out decent international investigation, and the persons should be accountable for those committed crimes. Unfortunately, the absence of the unequivocal and targeted response by the international and regional structures, in response to not fulfilling its obligations, allowed Azerbaijan continuing its aggressive policy.

Armenia is faithful for the establishment of the long-term and fair peace on the CIS whole territory: the policy of threats and coercion is unacceptable for us. Concrete actions are necessary for the effective negotiation process, that is, the withdrawal of the Azerbaijani troops from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, the unreserved maintenance of a ceasefire and the immediate free release of all Armenian prisoners of war and other held persons. We addressed the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) with the request of providing necessary assistance, including the military one to Armenia pursuant to the provisions of Article 4 of the CSTO. In response to our application, extraordinary session of the Collective Security Council, as a result of which, mission has been sent to Armenia for monitoring and study of the situation. The mission has finished its work and presented conclusions and proposals.

We give special importance to the introduction of the monitoring and control international mechanisms of the border situation for preventing the new aggressions. On October 6 of this year, as a result of the agreements reached in Prague, the Technical Group of the EU Civil Monitoring Mission has arrived in Armenia.

A decision was made on the basis of the relevant documents of the OSCE Ministerial Council and at the request of Armenia to send the OSCE observers (the Needs Assessment OSCE Mission of the Republic of Armenia) to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

I would like also to note our position of principle on the border delimitation with Azerbaijan and unblocking the transport communications. We have repeatedly stated that we aspire to establish relations on the basis of the partnership in the region. And we believe that the work of delimitation and further demarcation should be based on the CIS fundamental documents, according to which, the former administrative borders of the Soviet republics have become state borders between the already independent countries, including Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia is ready to open what we had and to build new communications, in accordance with the national legislation of the countries through which they pass.

Azerbaijan always speaks about a corridor, about which there is not a word in November 9 trilateral statement. The word corridor is mentioned exclusively in the statement on Lachin corridor, in the context of ensuring the Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)] security and has no relation to the theme of unblocking of transport means, and we consider all the parallels of those agreements manipulation.

Moreover, the trilateral working group chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers of Armenia and the Vice President of the Government of the Russian Federation have decided that the facilities of the reconstructed and building transport infrastructure should function under the full sovereignty of the countries, through the territories they pass. Unfortunately, the manipulation of the trilateral statement text of November 9, 2020 has turned onto the policy of Azerbaijan, and it is reflected in the fact that on the contrary to it, in the statement signed by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the President of the Russian Federation the existence of Nagorno-Karabakh is distinctly fixed, Azerbaijan announces that Nagorno-Karabakh does not exist.

In the post-war period Azerbaijan was connecting the release of the captives with providing maps of minefields in case, when the obligation stemming from the trilateral statement was the exchange of all captives. Armenia has fulfilled its obligations of handing prisoners of war by the principle all for all and as a humanitarian gesture has given all the maps of minefields to Azerbaijan. And now, after the last aggression the Azerbaijani side, despite the availability of the relevant agreement, impedes the withdrawal of the bodies of the victims being in the inter-position zones on the sovereign territory of Armenia.

The issue of preservation of the Armenian historical, cultural and spiritual heritage on the territories passed under the control of Azerbaijan.

The lessons of history are such that the conflicts dont have positive consequences for the world. The regulation of the relations with the neighboring states is the prior problem of the Republic of Armenia. And we have shown will and constructive approach for finding mutually acceptable solutions of the disputable issues. We expect from Azerbaijan practical steps in strengthening peace and stability in the region through peaceful negotiations.
The prime ministers of the CIS member countries have signed a number of agreements based on the results of their meeting held Friday in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, RIA Novosti reported.

It was reported earlier that it is planned to sign a package of international agreements and documents on the margins of this meeting.

In addition, the participants of the meeting were to make decisions regarding the financial and budgetary activities of the CIS.

The premiers of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan, and Deputy Prime Minister of Turkmenistan Khojamurad Geldimuradov have attended the aforesaid meeting.
Bulgaria's interim government must speed up negotiations with European Union institutions to ensure that the country does not miss its target date of joining the eurozone in January 2024. This is stated in a resolution of the Bulgarian parliament, Reuters reported.

Central bank officials and economists said Bulgaria, gripped by political turmoil that has led to four elections in the past two years, has lost momentum in preparing for the transition to the euro.

As parties are again mired in difficult negotiations to form a government after an inconclusive early election on Oct. 2, lawmakers have urged the interim administration to step up preparations for the euro transition.

Two major political parties, the center-right GERB and the reformist PP, backed the resolution, stressing the benefits of deeper integration of Bulgaria's economy into the EU. The lev currency has long been pegged to the euro.

The Renaissance faction voted against it, while the Socialists and the Bulgarian Revolt party abstained.

A total of 157 deputies in the 240-member parliament voted in favor of the resolution to accelerate preparations for the transition to the eurozone, 28 voted against and 23 abstained.

Central Bank Governor Dimitar Radev told lawmakers that political instability posed a serious problem for Bulgaria's accession to the eurozone and urgent political decisions were needed to avoid breaking the deadline.

He said that delaying entry into the eurozone could trigger a downgrade in credit ratings, which would raise Bulgaria's financial costs, which are already rising amid the political stalemate.
Benjamin Netanyahu expects to return to power after Israel's fifth election in four years, and his chances are potentially boosted by the rise of the far right, AFP reported.

Netanyahu, 73, is campaigning from the opposition for the first time in years.

He is running against centrist interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who last year turned a motley alliance of eight parties into a coalition that succeeded in removing Netanyahu from power.

Lapid goes to the polls on November 1, just days after a diplomatic breakthrough: the signing of a landmark agreement on the maritime border with enemy Lebanon, which opens access to offshore gas wealth for both sides.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu hopes that his record 15 years in power can convince the electorate that he alone has the necessary experience to lead the country, despite his ongoing corruption trial.

Polls show that Netanyahu's Likud is becoming the largest party in parliament, the Knesset, but in a political system dominated by coalitions, his path to the premiership is far from certain.

While the votes are being counted, both leaders are likely to enter into intensive negotiations with smaller parties, seeking the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority.

For Netanyahu, this means reviving his longstanding ties with the ultra-Orthodox, while at the same time he is also grooming the far-right alliance of Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

The duo's alliance, Religious Zionism, is gaining momentum in the polls and could take third place, more than doubling its current six seats.

Support from the extreme right could serve as a ticket back to high office for Netanyahu, which would probably be done in exchange for the transfer of considerable powers to Ben-Gvir.

According to Israel's electoral system, parties must win at least four seats to get into parliament.

Several parties are balancing on the four-seat threshold, especially all three Arab-led groups that previously opposed Netanyahu.

Mansour Abbas, leader of the Ra'am party, which last year became the first Arab party to join the ruling coalition, told AFP that there is a "crisis of Arab public confidence."

Arab-Israelis constitute about 20 percent of the population, and if their turnout drops, Netanyahu's bloc could gain more seats.

Coalition negotiations could take weeks, and if they fail, there is a chance that the electorate will soon go to the polls again.

The outcome of this latest vote could have broader implications for Netanyahu, who is struggling with allegations of corruption. Securing the position of prime minister could pave the way for Netanyahu to gain immunity from prosecution with support.
The price of gas in Europe will remain high in the coming years after the reduction of supplies from Russia, the head of Norway's company Equinor Anders Opedal said, RIA Novosti reported.

The company, which this year overtook Russia's Gazprom as Europe's largest gas supplier, reported record profits for the third quarter thanks to a jump in energy prices.

"The fundamental problem in Europe is a shortage of gas, and that will continue, and if Europe wants to attract this gas, it will have to pay a high price in the coming years," CEO Anders Opedal said at a news conference. "Our contribution will be to produce as much as we can, and our gas will remain valuable in the years to come," he said.
The war in Ukraine has caused an "epochal break" in Germany's relations with Russia and shattered former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev's dream of a common European home, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said, according to Reuters.

"When we look at the Russia of today, there is no room for old dreams," Steinmeier said in the prepared text of a national address. "Our countries are standing against each other today."

"It has also plunged us in Germany into another time, into an insecurity we thought we had overcome: a time marked by war, violence and flight, by concerns about the expansion of war into a wildfire in Europe," he said.

Steinmeier paid a surprise visit to Kyiv on Tuesday, promising further support for Ukraine, especially in the area of air defense.
Russia is still doing its best to achieve a complex and comprehensive normalization of relations between Baku and Yerevan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at an extraordinary meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council, where the issue of aid to Armenia was discussed.

"Traditionally, so to speak, if we look at the historical component, Russia has always paid attention to stability in this direction and has supported our Armenian friends in ensuring the security of the Armenian people - since long ago.

As far as the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement is concerned, even today we do everything possible to achieve a comprehensive and complete normalization of relations between Baku and Yerevan. I would like to note right away, it's clear to everyone, it's obvious to everyone: both Azerbaijan and Armenia in the recent past, just like Russia - we were all part of a single state. We have a huge number of ties with both Yerevan and Baku, and it is simply impossible not to take that into account. Undoubtedly, we are all in a rather difficult position. But of course, we cannot stay aside from problems and contradictions between the states which are close to Russia and we are always ready to contribute to their peaceful resolution. And in general we are certainly interested in Transcaucasia to be a calm and steadily developing region.

Undoubtedly, the only possible and realistic way to peace is through the strict observance of all the provisions of the well-known joint statements of the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan - I will not list them all now.

It is through the consistent implementation of these agreements on the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the unblocking of transport communications, and the resolution of humanitarian issues that we can achieve sustainable normalization of Armenia's relations with Azerbaijan. We have talked to the Armenian Prime Minister about this many times, and I understand that our colleague fully agrees with that. The question is how to find these solutions, it's not easy, but it is possible to find them only on that way. In the future it will also make it possible to reach a peace treaty," he said.
Iranian special services prevented a bomb explosion in a crowded street in Shiraz. According to Mehr, law enforcers managed to arrest the man who was planning the bombing.

Fars News reports that the remote-controlled bomb was planned to explode on Maali Street in Shiraz, but it was neutralized before it exploded.

The source said the arrestee was dressed as a garbage man. Meanwhile, the governor of Shiraz stated that the attack was planned several days ago.

Note that two days ago there was a terrorist attack in Shiraz, which killed 15 people.

On Wednesday evening, armed terrorists stormed the holy Shah Cherag temple in Shiraz, killing 15 pilgrims, including women and children, and wounding at least 30 people.

The terrorist group ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

The perpetrator of the attack, who was wounded in a shootout with security forces, died Thursday.
At the plenary session of the Interparliamentary Assembly (IPA) of the CIS member countries, speaker Alen Simonyan of the National Assembly of Armenia reflected on the remarks made by his Azerbaijani counterpart Sahiba Gafarova after his speech which, according to Gafarova, refer to the actions allegedly carried out by the armed forces of Armenia against the Azerbaijani servicemen.

Simonyan, from the point of view of understanding and imagining the cynicism and working style of any nationality or state, recalled the brutality of Azerbaijani soldier Ramil Safarov, who had axed Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan to death in Budapest, Hungary, in February 2004, and who is now a national hero of Azerbaijan.

Addressing Valentina Matviyenko, Chairperson of the Russian Federation Council and of the IPA CIS Council, Alen Simonyan proposed to organize under the auspices of the CIS the return of Armenians detained in Azerbaijan.

These are the people who had gotten lost and ended up in the territories now under Azerbaijani control after the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020.
The West is seeing to push Russia out of the negotiation process at all costs. Konstantin Zatulin, a member of the Russian State Duma and Director of the Institute of CIS Countries, noted this in his address at the Lazarevsky Club meeting being held in the format of a Yerevan-Moscow videoconference.

According to the Russian MP, the West is working on the Camp David model. Thus, the negotiations on the Middle East continued for many years, the USSR and the US were the main mediators, but at a certain phaseand sensing the predisposition of the Egyptian president at the timeWashington decided to break this scheme by signing a deal between Egypt and Israel, and forgetting about the interests of Syria and Palestine.

"Absolutely the same situation is today. I would advise everyone who signs such deals not to forget how it all ended for the leaders of the above-mentioned countries," warned the Russian lawmaker.
The topic of the infamous "Zangezur corridor" is shrouded in myths which are believed by many people, both in Russia and in Armenia itself. Konstantin Zatulin, a member of the Russian State Duma and Director of the Institute of CIS Countries, noted this in his address at the Lazarevsky Club meeting being held in the format of a Yerevan-Moscow videoconference.

The Russian lawmaker is sure that a lot depends on the position of Armenia on this matter.

Also, Zatulin stated that he does not believe in a peaceful life of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Armenians within Azerbaijan. In this regard, he recalled a number of incidents that took place after the last clashes, as well as the story of the murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan, who was axed to death by Azerbaijani soldier Ramil Safarov, in Budapest, Hungary, in February 2004.

The Russian parliamentarian is convinced that first of all fundamental issues, such as the safety of Karabakh Armenians, should be resolved.

"What confidence can we talk about if we cannot be at ease for the lives of people living in Nagorno-Karabakh? After all, the countries that seek to take over Karabakhthat is, Azerbaijan and Turkeyhave not even recognized the Armenian Genocide," said Zatulin.

He emphasized that the decision on the status of Karabakh is, in fact, the guarantee of the safety of its Armenians.
Xi stresses striving in unity to fulfill goals set by Party congress

Xinhua) 08:09, October 28, 2022

Xi Jinping visits the site of the Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Oct. 27, 2022. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, led members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on Thursday to visit Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was accompanied by Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

YAN'AN, Shaanxi, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Thursday stressed promoting the great founding spirit of the Party and the spirit of Yan'an, and striving in unity to fulfill the goals and tasks set by the 20th CPC National Congress.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, led Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi, members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, in a trip to Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

The first stop for Xi and the other leaders on Thursday was the site of the Seventh National Congress of the CPC.

The congress held in 1945 is of milestone significance in the history of the CPC, marking the Party's becoming more mature politically, ideologically and in terms of its organization, Xi said.

Politically, the entire Party was united under the banner of Mao Zedong, and ideologically, the guiding role of Mao Zedong Thought for the whole Party was established and Mao Zedong Thought was incorporated into the Party Constitution, Xi said.

Their next stop was former residences of Mao Zedong and other revolutionaries of the older generation.

Comparing the revolutionary sites in Yan'an to a book worth reading forever, Xi said that they served as witnesses to the glorious journey of the Party in leading the Chinese revolution and exploring ways to adapt Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times during the Yan'an period.

A guide gave an introduction about how the well-known revolutionary song "The East is Red" was written and became popular.

Such songs extolling the Party and Chairman Mao were all created by the people spontaneously, which showed clearly that the people chose Mao Zedong and he enjoyed their support, Xi said.

Thereafter, Xi and the other leaders arrived by vehicle at the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall to visit an exhibition on the 13 years of the CPC Central Committee in Yan'an.

From 1935 to 1948, the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, of which Yan'an was the center, was the seat of the CPC Central Committee. It served as the center of political guidance in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and the general rear area of the Chinese people's struggle for liberation.

In an important speech delivered after visiting the exhibition, Xi hailed Yan'an as a holy site of the Chinese revolution and the cradle of New China. He noted that it was in Yan'an that the Party's Central Committee and veteran revolutionaries, including Mao Zedong, led China's revolutionary cause from a low point into an upsurge, reached a historical turning point, and transformed the prospects of the country.

Xi said he lived and worked in Yan'an for seven years, and his father also had worked in Yan'an.

The spirit of Yan'an highlights the firm belief in the correct political orientation, the guiding principles of freeing the mind and seeking truth from facts, the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly and the enterprising spirit of self-reliance and hard work, Xi said.

The spirit, and the glorious traditions and fine conduct developed and promoted during the Yan'an period, are all precious assets of the Party, and should be passed down from generation to generation, Xi stressed.

He called on all members of the Party to promote the fighting spirit, strengthen the fighting capacity, resolutely overcome various difficulties and challenges ahead, and harness the indomitable fighting spirit to open up new horizons for the cause of the Party and the country.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold separate meetings with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Nikol Pashinyan and Ilham Aliyev, the Kremlin press service reports.

It is noted that on the initiative of the Russian side, trilateral talks will take place in Sochi, Russia, on October 31, with the participation of Putin, Pashinyan, and Aliyev.

"A discussion is planned on the implementation of the trilateral agreements signed between the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia on November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021, as well as the further steps to strengthen stability and security in Transcaucasia. Matters of restoration and development of trade, economic, and transport links will also be discussed," the Kremlin statement adds.
There are no other corridors in the trilateral statement except for Lachin, Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said at a meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of Government in Kazakhstan.

"Against the background of Armenia's constructive efforts to normalize relations with Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan's provocative actions and bellicose statements, where threats to use force alternate with unconcealed aggressive aspirations against the sovereign, internationally recognized territory of the Republic of Armenia, do not stop," Grigoryan said.

He noted that "Yerevan believes that the main role in the normalization of relations is assigned, among others, to the constructive joint work of the commissions on delimitation and border security established within the framework of the implementation of the relevant agreement reached during the trilateral meeting of the Armenian Prime Minister, Russian President and Azerbaijani President in Sochi on November 26 last year. It is especially important to note the agreement that in the process of delimitation Yerevan and Baku, according to Grigoryan, must rely on the fundamental documents of the CIS, according to which the former administrative borders of the Soviet republics have become the state borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan."

Deputy Prime Minister reminded that since September 13 this year, Azerbaijan had been intensively bombarding the internationally recognized, sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, including houses, civil objects and civil infrastructure with the use of drones, small arms and artillery weapons.

As a result of the Azerbaijani aggression, according to the Prime Minister, the number of victims and missing persons, including civilians, has now exceeded 210. It is known about three dead and two missing civilians. Hundreds of people have been injured of varying degrees of severity. The number of military servicemen missing has reached 28.

More than 7.5 thousand people were evacuated from Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor and Syunik provinces of the Republic of Armenia - most of them women, children and elderly people.

"The videos of torture, brutal murders and mutilation of captives as well as abuse of bodies of fallen Armenian soldiers committed by Azerbaijani servicemen, circulated by the Azerbaijani side, have shocked the consciousness of the entire civilized world," Grigoryan said.

He called it extremely alarming that media reports on war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Azerbaijani servicemen are not only widely spread among Azerbaijani users of social networks but are also positively assessed.

"The militaristic rhetoric of official Baku shows that Azerbaijan intends to occupy other Armenian territories as well, this must be prevented. Azerbaijan's attempts to attribute regular ceasefire violations to the Armenian side, thus preparing the ground for a new round of aggression against Armenia, also testify to this. The risk of new aggression by Azerbaijan remains very high," Grigoryan said.

According to him, targeted and clear-cut reactions of international partners to Baku's provocative statements play a special role in prevention of new attacks by Azerbaijan.

Grigoryan stressed that the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through political diplomacy is an inseparable part of the establishment of peace and security in the South Caucasus region and in order to ensure stability and security it is necessary to unconditionally and immediately withdraw Azerbaijani armed forces from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.

According to him, Azerbaijan's continuous discussion of the "corridor topic" in the context of unblocking all regional communications only hinders the implementation of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020: "I want to stress that the ninth paragraph of this statement does not mention the term "corridor" anywhere. In the statement of November 9, 2020 the term "corridor" is used only in relation to Lachin, which ensures security of the population and vital activity of Nagorno Karabakh and has no connection with the issue of unblocking transport communications in the region, all the far-fetched parallels to these agreements are counterproductive", noted Grigoryan.

He added that there are no unilateral obligations of Armenia in the statement to build a new road linking the western regions of Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan autonomy.

"We have always offered and propose to unblock all transport and economic ties in the region on the basis of respect for the sovereignty and legislation of the parties, by conducting a constructive dialogue and finding effective mutually beneficial solutions," Grigoryan said.

The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that Azerbaijan's obvious desire to route unblocked transport communications and limit human contacts as much as possible indicates that the Azerbaijani side is not pursuing the ultimate goal of establishing a lasting peace in the region.
The CIS needs a new scientific and technical agreement, as well as strengthening of cooperation in research and industry, Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan said at a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Government in Astana.

He thanked the Chairman of the CIS Council of Heads of Government, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Alihan Smaiylov for the traditionally warm welcome and wished fruitful work to Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov who is preparing to chair the council.

In the current macroeconomic conditions it is especially important to combine efforts to neutralize risks and jointly take targeted measures against possible economic and social consequences of these risks, he added.

Grigoryan stressed the importance of the work on drafting an agreement "on free trade in services, establishment, activities and investments." This agreement will be an important factor of growth of the national economies of the Commonwealth and Armenia is ready for productive dialogue for effective implementation of the agreement.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister one of the most important components of the cooperation should be the projects of technological development, creation and absorption of high technologies productions. The rapprochement of scientific institutions should be continued for that purpose, the traditional ties between them should be deepened. Their developments will be taken by industry, he added.

Meanwhile within the frames of the CIS there is only one basic document - the agreement "About creating common scientific and technological space of the Commonwealth member states" as of November 3rd, 1995. Grigoryan suggested considering a new agreement that would take into account new tasks as well as advanced achievements of the world science and technology. He supported the adoption of the Concept of scientific-technical and technological cooperation of the CIS countries and the action plan for its implementation.
The CSTO Collective Security Council will again discuss the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in late November, said Deputy FM of Belarus Yuri Ambrazevich, commenting on the results of today's extraordinary session of the CSTO Collective Security Council online.

"The parties have come to an understanding that the issue will be additionally considered at the regular session of the CSTO Collective Security Council, scheduled for late November," said Ambrazevich, reports "BelTA.

According to the diplomat, there is a certain vision for the next few weeks, how the issue will be further considered. He also reminded that within the next few days there will be trilateral negotiations of the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan chaired an extraordinary session of the CSTO Collective Security Council in videoconference format.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zass took part in the meeting, the press service of the Armenian government informed NEWS.am.

During the meeting the report of CSTO Secretary General on the results of the mission sent to Armenia by protocol decision, adopted at the session of the Collective Security Council on September 13 this year, was discussed.

During the meeting the Armenian Prime Minister noted that the report of the Secretary General mainly reflects the existing realities, particularly the fact of the Azerbaijani units' intrusion into Armenia's sovereign territory and the danger of such a phenomenon repeating, as well as the need for the Azerbaijani forces to return to their initial positions.

Pashinyan touched upon Armenia's expectations in terms of the response by the CSTO. He reiterated the need for a clear political assessment by CSTO on the Azerbaijani aggression unleashed against the sovereign territory of Armenia on May 12, 2021 and afterwards, including September 13-14, 2022, and the formation of a clear road map to restore the territorial integrity of Armenia.

As a result of the meeting, the CSTO foreign ministers were instructed to coordinate a draft decision.
Head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who is visiting Serbia, has announced an aid allocation of 165 million euros to Belgrade, as well as 500 million euros of investments.

According to her, it is very important that the Serbian authorities, as in other countries, can help the most vulnerable families and households, small and medium enterprises.

It is equally important to allocate 500 million euros for investments in infrastructure, von der Leyen said at a press conference broadcast on the European Commission's website.

She added that Serbia had made considerable progress on its EU accession path.
European Union countries and the European Parliament have decided to ban the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines after 2035, reports Reuters.

The ban on this type of car is part of a plan to create a neutral economy in Europe by 2050. The decision should accelerate the transition of European countries to electric cars, which will help reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

French MEP Pascal Canfin called the decision historic. According to the politician, the car sector currently accounts for 16 percent of emissions in Europe, but by 2050 it will be possible to make the sphere carbon-neutral.

At the same time, Greenpeace representatives did not appreciate the decision of the European authorities. "Europe is embracing the shift to zero-emission mobility," the organization said in a conversation with the Belgian publication The Brussels Times. According to experts, new fossil-fuel cars should be banned by 2028 at the latest.
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan received Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar on Friday, the Foreign Ministry's press service informed NEWS.am.

The sides touched upon regional security and stability issues, exchanged views on developing a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and issues related to settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Ararat Mirzoyan and Toivo Klaar attached importance to the deployment of the EU civilian mission in Armenia, as well as touched upon its activity.

The sides also exchanged views on the work of commissions on the unblocking of regional transport infrastructure, as well as border security and delimitation.

Mirzoyan reiterated the need to eliminate the consequences of Azerbaijan's latest aggression against the sovereign territory of Armenia, particularly the withdrawal of Azerbaijani armed forces from the sovereign territories of the republic.
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said there are two questions in front of them. First is the "assessment of events and the position of the CSTO."

"You asked us to define our position. Don't you know our position? We want the conflict between the neighbouring states to be resolved peacefully," Lukashenko said during the extraordinary session of the CSTO Collective Security Council when asked by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan about the issues related to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan posed several questions to his colleagues: about the assessment of events and the CSTO position, as well as about the CSTO roadmap for "restoring Armenia's territorial integrity."

"The second question: 'Give a roadmap for restoring Armenia's territorial integrity.' What road map? I answer you right away: sit down with Ilham Aliyev, if necessary, ask the President of Russia and make a decision. If you don't make it today, it will be worse, you know that yourself. We do not need this conflict," said Alexander Lukashenko.

"Here you have put two questions. They are more than strange, Nikol Vovayevich," added the head of the Belarusian state.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko suggested a consistent mechanism of approach to the issues raised at the extraordinary session of the CSTO Collective Security Council. First, the troika would hold in-depth and substantive negotiations, and then the CSTO parties would return to discussing in person at the next summit of the organization, which should take place literally in a month in Yerevan. And then a decision will be made.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan posed several questions to his colleagues: about the assessment of events and CSTO position, as well as about the CSTO roadmap to "restore Armenia's territorial integrity.

"In November of this year, that is literally in a month, we will meet not on television, as now, but in Yerevan within the CSTO. Why can't we hear the reports and reports on how events will develop, first of all with regard to the Armenia-Azerbaijan-Russia meeting? There will be a meeting of the troika, the main center of power for the normalization of relations. Where are we chasing horses, where are we rushing to? Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia should in this period once again, if necessary (and I emphasize that they agreed to sit down at the negotiating table), analyze the situation. And report to us in person at the CSTO meeting. And then we will make a decision," said Alexander Lukashenko.
Armenia and Azerbaijan were not only part of the same state themselves, but are friendly to all others in the CIS space, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said during the extraordinary session of the CSTO Collective Security Council in response to questions raised by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan about the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Moreover, he stressed that the conflict issue between Armenia and Azerbaijan must be resolved now - with Ilham Aliyev, a leader with whom it is possible to negotiate.

"The issue is very sensitive and scrupulous. It's not that, here, on the one hand - the CSTO and we, the members of the CSTO, and on the other hand - Azerbaijan. These are our friendly two countries. Yes, indeed, they were in one state. But more than that, we are members of the CIS together with Azerbaijan and Armenia. We have very close relations with Orthodox Armenia, which is close to us. And the Muslim state of Azerbaijan, which is very close to us. It is especially sensitive for other members of the CSTO, including the Russian Federation with its 30 million Muslims. That is, all nuances, all factors must be taken into account. And then, is Azerbaijan an enemy or an adversary for the heads of states and countries present here? No. I confirm what President Putin said, that both Armenia and Azerbaijan are brother countries to us. And this is the peculiarity of the situation. We can't ignore it," said the Belarusian leader.

The President considers that one should not ask questions about the CSTO and "are you with us or not?" on the one hand and Azerbaijan on the other hand. "This is wrong. Azerbaijan is headed today absolutely by our man - Ilham Aliyev. What will happen tomorrow (he is not eternal), no one knows. Therefore, these acute issues, which Nikol Vovayevich talks about, really need to be solved now. Under the current leadership of Azerbaijan," said Alexander Lukashenko. "No matter who's behind Azerbaijan's back. They say Turkey is there and so on. So what? It's politics. Turks support Azerbaijan because they are near and dear to them."

The President drew an analogy with the Belarusian-Russian relations in this regard: "So you can reproach Russia for supporting Belarus, and Belarus supports Russia. Well, because we are close, we are relatives, we support each other".

"Therefore, the issue between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be solved now," said Alexander Lukashenko.
Ravi I. Thadhani will join Emory in January as executive vice president for health affairs, executive director of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center and vice chair of the Emory Healthcare Board of Directors. He comes with a distinguished career as a physician, a researcher and an academic and health care leader. Heres a look at the person behind the CV.

Q: Lets start at the beginning. Where and how did you grow up?

I was born in India and moved to Nigeria when I was a year old. After two years, my parents, younger sister and I moved to Hawaii. A year later, we moved to Guam, which is where I spent my middle-school and high-school years. My first time living in the mainland United States was when I attended college at Notre Dame.

Q: What was the impetus for so many moves, and how did that influence you?

Neither my mother nor father finished high school. My fathers path led him to different places around the world where he started small businesses with his brother. Their first attempts in Africa and Hawaii didnt work out, which eventually led us to Guam. He and his brother, along with a few others, started importing electronics from Japan and distributing them all over the Pacific, which turned out to be successful. This was at a time when Walkmans and video cassette recorders were in their heyday.

So, my childhood was a bit of a nomadic experience. As a result, Im comfortable in many different environments because I grew up in very different communities, in different settings, and experienced different cultures.

Q: Since neither of your parents finished high school, did they push you to do so and to go to college?

My parents wanted me to go to school so I would have options. For context, I grew up on an island that is 30 miles long by eight miles wide. There were basically two options for those who wanted to leave and explore opportunities off the island  one was to go to college and the other was to join the military. More than half of my class went into the military, and a few of us went to college. I was able to attend college because I received a scholarship from the island itself to go to Notre Dame.

Q: What made you decide to become a physician?

Like many people who go into medicine, I was influenced by having an ill family member. In my case, it was both my parents. While I was growing up, my mother was hospitalized almost every other month due to severe asthma. My father had kidney disease and ended up on dialysis. As a result, I was in medical environments quite often.

While in college, I worked as an operating room scrub nurse back home in Guam for two summers to see if that is what I wanted to do.

Then I had the opportunity to go to the Philippines with a group of physicians and spend a few months with them serving an impoverished community that had no cars and no power. I realized this is what I love doing. And the rest is history.

As far as my specialty, it was obviously influenced by my fathers illness. I wanted to conduct research and treat people with kidney disease so they could survive longer and have a better quality of life.

Q: Yet much of your research focuses on preeclampsia in pregnant women. Why is that?

My passion has always been in pregnancy and adverse outcomes of pregnancy, largely because this is an area that has been ignored in research. Preeclampsia, or hypertension during pregnancy, also affects the kidneys, so its not really far afield for me. And it can have an enormous impact on a womans life. Women who have hypertension in pregnancy and complications thereof are more likely to get kidney disease in future years and more likely to go on dialysis as well.

Q: What do you consider to be your most significant study?

My hope is that its the next study coming out. But up to this point, Id say Im most proud of the whole series of work weve done on pregnancy and preeclampsia. Weve been able to No. 1, demonstrate that we can actually predict who will develop preeclampsia; No. 2, identify a marker to do so; No. 3, get those tests approved and used in Europe and in current evaluation in the U.S.; and No. 4, develop a therapy, which is still being tested, to prevent women from developing preeclampsia.

Q: Youve had a distinguished career in practice, research and leadership, for which youve received many awards. Which award has been the most meaningful to you?

I would have to say the award that Im most proud of is the Harold Amos Faculty Diversity Award from Harvard Medical School. The award highlighted my strong efforts and desire to improve equity and inclusion in the workplace. This involved not just mentoring individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, but creating an environment where they are welcome  where they thrive and get promoted.

Q: What drew you to Emory?

A combination of things. First, Atlanta is a very diverse community, and I see this as an opportunity to make a large impact in health care in a diverse community. Second, I heard from the university's top leadership and board members there is a real desire, a hunger, to take an already storied academic medical center and graduate education institution to the next level, going from a regional powerhouse to a national powerhouse. Third, I was drawn by Emorys world-class areas of excellence, including immunology, brain health and community care.

Q: What are you looking forward to when you come to Atlanta, and who will be coming with you?

Im not familiar with Atlanta, so everything will be new  the people, the culture, the food. Im excited to get to know this community, including its health care needs and opportunities. Ill be moving here with my wife of 27 years, Valerie. We have three children, two girls and a boy. They are out of college, in college and starting college in the fall respectively, so they wont be moving here with us, but we hope theyll visit.

Another thing my wife and I are looking forward to in Atlanta is buying a house. Weve always lived in a condo or apartment, and I play the guitar. Valerie has always wanted a house where she could relegate me and my guitar to a room with sound-proofed walls. I promised her we would get that in Atlanta.

Q: How did you meet your wife, Valerie?

Valerie and I met while we were both working at Massachusetts General Hospital  she is a primary care physician. It was quite serendipitous. Two individuals, from different parts of the world with different backgrounds, meeting because of their mission in life. She is from Belgium, her family moved to Minnesota for the Mayo Clinic and she went to Yale. I am Indian, grew up on Guam, went to University of Pennsylvania for medical school and then we met at Mass General.

Five years ago, however, Valerie completely pivoted and decided to teach young children with learning disabilities, and now she works in a lower school.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of work besides playing the guitar?

I love to go hiking and walking. As a family, we have always traveled quite a bit. The yin and the yang of our family is that Valerie, being Belgian, likes to travel in Europe, and I like to travel in Asia. So, we have gone all over the world, from Australia to Austria and from the Mauritius Islands to Vietnam. Valerie and I were both passionate about exposing our children to different cultures, peoples and experiences.

Q: What should your Emory colleagues know about you as they prepare for your arrival in January?

I am a very in-person type of person. I like to be face-to-face with people and understand where they are coming from. I oversee research at Mass General Brigham, and we have about 2.5 million square feet of research space. I can say with confidence that I have visited every square foot. The reason  it allows me to understand what is going on at the ground level, what the researchers are experiencing, the environment they work in, the challenges they are facing.

Im going to do the same when I get to Emory. Im going to put on my walking shoes, put some granola bars in my backpack and Im going to meet people  physicians, nurses, clinicians, care team members, researchers, faculty and staff  and discover the special sauce that makes Emory what it is.
Story Highlights Worry, stress have risen steadily among Thais

Thais' confidence in government, courts and police has fallen since 2018

Younger Thais especially likely to lack confidence in institutions

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Thailand suffered a shocking national tragedy in early October when a former police officer killed more than 30 people -- most of them children -- in a day care center in the country's rural northeast. The massacre has raised questions about gun ownership and access to mental health services in the country and has brought another source of distress to a population in which anxiety levels have risen substantially over the past decade.

The percentage of Thai people who said they had experienced worry for much of the previous day doubled between 2012 (18%) and 2019 (36%) -- and then surged again after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, to 50% in 2020 and 46% in 2021. Similarly, the percentage who reported a lot of stress the previous day rose from 17% in 2012 to 44% in 2021.

###Embeddable###

Notably, Thailand's rise in negative emotions such as worry and stress is part of a broader global trend discussed in Gallup's new book, Blind Spot. Across all countries surveyed for the Gallup World Poll each year, the percentage of people who experienced worry for much of the previous day rose from 32% in 2012 to 42% in 2021. However, the 28-percentage-point rise in Thailand makes it one of the five countries worldwide in which this figure rose the most during that period, after Afghanistan, Mali, Bangladesh and Venezuela.

In recent years, economic inequality has increased in Thailand, with household incomes declining among those at the bottom of the country's income distribution. Gallup's trends show that worry levels rose much more between 2012 and 2021 among Thais in the country's poorest income group (17% to 55%) than those in the richest income group (23% to 38%).

Thais Losing Faith in Government and Criminal Justice System

Thailand has also seen a growing crisis of confidence in national institutions over the past few years. Thais' confidence in their country's national government, judicial system and local police all hit near-record lows in 2021, after having declined since 2018. Together, these trends suggest a crisis of confidence in the country's democratic processes and rule of law -- a crisis that may make a crime like the mass killing all the more unnerving.

###Embeddable###

Though confidence in the country's governing institutions has fallen sharply among all Thai adults over the past decade, Gallup's 2021 data show that it is particularly low among younger people. Among Thais aged 15 to 49, 39% say they have confidence in the military, versus 50% among those aged 50 and older. Similarly, 19% of people aged 15 to 49 have confidence in the national government, versus 34% of those aged 50 and older.

Implications

The massacre in Thailand has added concerns about public safety to the list of worries facing Thais who were already uneasy about the country's economic and political conditions. Though the pandemic likely heightened levels of worry and stress among much of the Thai population, Gallup trends show that increases began well before the pandemic struck. Declining confidence in the government, police and judiciary suggest Thais may continue to express their frustration in political unrest, particularly ahead of the national elections planned for early 2023.

To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on Twitter.

For complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details.

Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works.
OSU psychology professor advances novel theory about moral judgment

Media Contact: Elizabeth Gosney | CAS Marketing and Communications Manager | 405-744-7497 | egosney@okstate.edu

Dr. Daniel Sznycer, an assistant professor in Oklahoma State Universitys Department of Psychology, recently published research on moral judgment in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

This paper shows the first proof that dilemmas trigger a well-designed cognitive system for making tradeoffs between conflicting moral values, Sznycer said.

The study aimed to understand how people solve sacrificial dilemmas, such as whether it is okay to sacrifice the life of one person to save the life of five people. In these dilemmas, one cannot satisfy one moral value without violating another moral value, at least to some extent, Sznycer explained.

Dr. Daniel Sznycer

Major theories in moral psychology claim that sacrificial dilemmas trigger a tug-of-war between emotions and reasoning, Sznycer said. These dual-process theories can only produce extreme judgment. Critically, these theories claim that the mind cannot produce compromise judgments: ones that strike a balance between competing moral values by partially satisfying each, but our new paper suggests this is not true.

We show evidence supporting the idea that the mind is equipped with a specialized system that we term a Moral Tradeoff System (MTS). The MTS has no trouble producing intuitive judgments that include compromises, and it does so rationally.

Sznycer collaborated on this research with lead author Ricardo Guzman from the Center for Research on Social Complexity at the Universidad del Desarrollo in Chile, Maria Teresa Barbato from the Universidad del Desarrollo and Leda Cosmides from UC Santa Barbara.

Sznycer said their research combines evolutionary psychology, rational choice theory and a revealed preference method from microeconomics to validate a new model of how people solve moral dilemmas.

In my lab we combine different theories and methods to understand how the mind works, Sznycer said. For example, in recent work, weve used criminal laws from ancient Mesopotamia and China  that is, archaeological artifacts  to understand how people think about wrongdoing and justice. I think this combination of theories and methods is a powerful tool to understand human nature.

Along with being a researcher and OSU faculty member, Sznycer is also part of OSUs Oklahoma Center for Evolutionary ANalysis. OCEAN integrates approaches from the natural and social sciences and the humanities to understand psychological human nature.

OCEAN is just a fantastic collaborative space and the Department of Psychology at OSU is a terrific place to conduct psychological research, Sznycer said. I am lucky and grateful because here we have the right infrastructure, lots of support from fellow faculty and staff members and input from bright students.

Access Sznycers paper through the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science website here.

Story By: Kelli Leech, CAS graduate assistant | kelli.leech@okstate.edu
The National Financial Reporting Authority had issued a circular to all companies and their audit committees to follow Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) and advised them not to discontinue recognition of the principal or interest merely because of the borrowings being declared a non-performing asset (NPA) or the management's expectation of a likely settlement with or without concessions from the banks. Also, company secretaries have been advised to draw the attention of the board of directors of their companies to the contents of the circular. NFRA said it had come to its attention that during a disciplinary action under section 132(4) of the Act for professional misconduct of a statutory auditor, namely chartered accountant Som Prakash Aggarwal, of a listed company -- Vikas WSP Ltd, that the company in the financial statements of 2019-20 had discontinued accrual/recognition of interest expense on its bank borrowings, which had been reportedly classified as NPA by the lender banks and for which the company was negotiating one-time settlement with the banks. The authority said that this accounting treatment was in contravention of the provisions of applicable accounting standard, as these borrowings as well the interest payable thereon continued to be the financial liabilities of the company and were required to be accounted for as amortised cost in accordance with the requirements of Ind AS 109, Financial Instruments. The authority said similar violations have been observed in respect of several other companies, too. Mere classification of the company's borrowings as NPAs by the lender banks does not relieve the borrowing company from its liability towards payment of interest and / or the principal, the authority said. RBI guidelines also require the banks to maintain a memorandum record of accrued interest on the loans classified as NPAs clearly reflecting the fact that the bank has not yet legally released the borrowers from their contractual liability to pay interest on their borrowings from the bank. In the above context, discontinuation of interest expense recognition on bank borrowings solely based on the borrowing company's expectations of likely waiver/concession by the lender banks in the payment of interest/ principal without evidence of the legally enforceable contractual documents results in incorrect/erroneous presentation of financial performance and financial position of the borrowing company to its shareholders, investors, creditors and lenders. To ensure that such violations do not occur and to ensure the presentation of true and fair view of the financial statements of the companies, NFRA issued the circular on October 20, 2022, on this subject to draw attention of all companies, audit committees, and statutory auditors. (ANI)
Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari on Friday appealed to Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman to reject fresh loan applications from the state government. Referring to a fresh application for Rs 10,000 crore of market borrowing made by the West Bengal government to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), he said that since the state government has reached its borrowing limit under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, all fresh borrowing applications should be rejected. Adhikari has also claimed that the state government is currently reeling under an accumulated debt burden to the tune of around Rs 6,00,000 crore. In his message, the BJP leader has also alleged that although the state government has made the fresh borrowing application for the purpose of infrastructure development in the state, in reality it would spend the amount for payment of salaries and wages as well as payments under dole scheme like Lakshmir Bhandar, the monthly dole scheme for women of the state ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000. "Needless to say, there are many fake workers in Local Bodies & most of the Laxmi Bhandar beneficiaries are not eligible to receive any doles. If this loan is allowed then valuable funds of the Govt of India will go astray by sheer misuse of the Public Funds," he said. He ended his message with a piece of advice for the state government that it should try to increase its own revenue generation by modifying land policy and creating a congenial environment for setting up industries and drawing investments to revive the economy, create employment, and reduce debt burden. Reacting to the message, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member, Santanu Sen said such notes are natural for a politician like Adhikari "who is anti-Bengal and anti-Bengali". "This is not the first time that he is appealing to the Union government to stop payments to the West Bengal government. Previously too he had objected to payment of central dues under various heads to the state government," he said. --IANS src/vd A A AA A A ( 358 Words) 2022-10-28-19:32:05 (IANS)
On Thursday, a former freelance television producer testified that Paul Haggis assaulted and attempted to rape her at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. According to Variety, Jurors in a lower Manhattan courtroom watched a video deposition of the woman from 2019, who recalled feeling physically and emotionally threatened at the time of their encounter. Variety further reported that the woman claimed that Haggis, the Oscar-winning writer and director of 'Crash,' sexually pursued her before she fled into her apartment building following the TIFF event. Variety quoted her testimony - "It made me feel like he was somebody not only to be emotionally feared, he was somebody to be physically feared," she said. She added, "my personal well-being was in jeopardy. It was a terrifying feeling." Paul Haggis was under police detention in a hotel in southern Italy since June after an unnamed British woman told police that the director twice had non-consensual sex with her while he was in Italy to participate in an arts festival in the tourist town of Ostuni. Haggis originally came to Italy to attend the Allora Fest film festival, which he was involved in organizing and where he was due to hold a number of masterclasses when the anonymous complainant flew in to join him. After her police complaint and Haggis's subsequent arrest came to light the festival went ahead without the director earlier this month, as per Variety.Haggis is also facing a court case in the United States, where he is being sued by film publicist Haleigh Breest, who alleges Haggis raped her in January 2013. Breest originally filed the lawsuit in December 2017, although proceedings were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, four more women, all of whom prefer anonymity, have accused Haggis of assault. Attorneys for Breest are attempting to prove that Haggis' alleged rape of Breest is part of a pattern of behaviour. (ANI)
British rock band Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin tweeted a tiny snippet of 'The Astronaut', a day after BTS' oldest member Jin shared the teaser of his solo single. Chris Martin shared a picture and a video of his computer at his studio on Twitter. A close-up of the system playing the song was shown at the beginning of the clip. Later in the video, Chris could be seen giggling while lip-syncing to the song. He posted the video and wrote a caption, "The Astronaut // 28 October // (purple heart, boy's face, and rocket emojis)." Reacting to the post, a fan wrote, "I'm speechless, and that doesn't happen very often!! This is heavenly!! Congrats to Jin & Coldplay!!! I can't wait to hear the full song!!" A fan went on saying, "This is going to be everything! This is going to be the air to my lungs! The sun to my days! The comfort I seek! I will not even need food, this will be on repeat! It will be my photosynthesis!!!! This is going to become every fiber of my body!!! This will be breaking records." "I wasn't intending to be emotionally destroyed until the song premiere but I'm already in tears. Jokes aside #JinXColdplay is so beautiful," read a comment. "Chris, thank you for Namjoon level spoiler!!! We are so SO excited!!!!! I won't be able to sleep now!!!" a Twitter user. Jin danced to Coldplay's music in various videos shared on Twitter. He joined the band in singing the band's collaboration with BTS, "My Universe." Jin wore a white T-shirt, a black jacket, and black slacks. The teaser for The Astronaut's music video was tweeted by BTS' Jin on Wednesday night. Jin is seen sitting on a large rock and gazing into the distance for 38 seconds while wearing a suit. Jin was shown looking out over a sizable area where a spaceship had crashed and caught fire. On October 28, during Coldplay's Music of the Spheres World Tour concert in Argentina, Jin is slated to perform his brand-new solo. (ANI)
The 'Red Light On Gaadi Off' campaign, slated to start in the national capital from Friday, has been indefinitely shelved after the LG's inordinate delay in clearing the file, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Thursday. "Dust, biomass burning, and vehicle pollution are the main contributors to pollution in Delhi. The 'Red Light On, Gaadi Off' campaign plays an important role in reducing vehicular pollution in Delhi. "The campaign was supposed to start from Friday but surprisingly, the LG is sitting on the fence over this brilliant effort of the Delhi government. The file sent to him in this regard is still pending for approval. In such a situation, the silence of LG is increasing the concern of Delhiites as well as environmentalists," he told the media here. Rai said that with the objective of reducing pollution in Delhi during winter season, the Delhi government has prepared a 15-point winter action plan, on which work is being done on a war footing. "To prevent vehicular pollution, our government had successfully run the campaign of 'Red Light On, Gadi Off" in 2020 and after that, this campaign was run successfully in 2021 as well. This year also, tomorrow i.e. from October 28, this campaign was to be implemented in the whole of Delhi, but very unfortunately we have to tell you that on the 21st, the Chief Minister sent the file related to it to the Lt Governor, but he didn't approve the file," he said. He further said that it is beyond their comprehension that for all other work, there is time for LG there is time to write daily letters to the Chief Minister, but he does not have time for this important work. "We all know that when a person leaves with his vehicle in Delhi, he passes through at least 10 to 12 red lights. According to a survey by the Indian Petroleum Consumer Association, each person burns fuel at idle for about 25 to 30 minutes per day due to keeping the vehicle started even when there is a red light. Therefore, on red light, if every person turns off his vehicle, then about 15 to 20 per cent of vehicle pollution can be reduced. This year also, through the 'Red Light On, Gadi Off' campaign, about 2,500 civil defence volunteers were to be trained and deployed at 100 busiest intersections of Delhi", he said. "It is very unfortunate that due to the non-signing of the file by the Lt Governor, we have to postpone this important campaign," he added. --IANS avr/vd ( 446 Words) 2022-10-27-22:30:05 (IANS)
A senior Customs official said that the woman arrived at the IGI Airport from Kyrgyzstan on Thursday.

"She attempted to smuggle in four gold bars by hiding them in ingeniously made pockets in the body shaper worn by her. She failed to produce relevant documents for the seized gold," the official said.

He added that the accused did not declare the said gold bars collectively weighing 7.5 kg at the Red Channel before the officers with deliberate intention to clear the impugned goods clandestinely.

"Therefore, the said recovered goods were seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act. We have booked a case of smuggling of gold in this respect," said the official.

The woman was produced before a local court, which remanded her to 14-day judicial custody.

--IANS atk/arm

( 177 Words)

2022-10-27-22:50:02 (IANS)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai held a virtual meeting on Thursday to oversee the arrangements for the various programmes to be held in Bengaluru which will attended by the Prime Minister.

During his visit, Modi will also inaugurate the second terminal of the Kempegowda International Airport built at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore to handle an additional 2.5 crore air passengers.

A 108-foot tall statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda will also be unveiled by the Prime Minister on the occasion, which will be followed by a public meeting.

The meeting was attended by the top officials from the bureaucracy, police, railways and civil aviation sectors.

--IANS mka/arm

( 162 Words)

2022-10-27-23:02:01 (IANS)
Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Thursday said that people will get a Goan flavour in the Sunburn festival this year with the performance of prominent Goan artiste and cuisine of the coastal state. "We want to give stage for our people which never happened in the past. Prominent artistes of Goa will perform in the Sunburn festival. We have already told this to the organisers and they have agreed to it," Khaunte told reporters here. Started in 2007 in Goa, the Sunburn festival attracts thousands of music lovers in the coastal state. Music lovers from India and from other countries throng to the event. "In this festival, there will be a 'Goan village' (cultural zone) along with Goan Cuisine and people will feel Goan flavour there. This is happening first time. We had asked for stage for Goans, inclusion of Goan flavour, Goan village and Goan theme. This is what we have asked from the organisers," he said. Speaking about attracting tourists in the coastal state, Khaunte said he wants good festivals to come which can attract tourist in right manner. Earlier in July, the Goa government had given in-principle approval to the popular Sunburn Electronic Dance Music festival on the condition that it also gives a platform for Goan musical bands, DJs and individual performers. --IANS sbk/pgh ( 231 Words) 2022-10-27-23:04:03 (IANS)
According to police, information was received from Safdarjung hospital regarding Sachin, a resident of Bilaspur Camp, Molarband, who was admitted by his friend Aakash after a stab injury.

"Sachin succumbed to his injuries during the treatment. A police team reached the hospital where Akash told police that they visited the house of their childhood friend Mukul, also a resident of Molarband, to celebrate his birthday," a senior police official said.

"At around 8 p.m., Sachin left the house and within a half an hour, a child from the neighbourhood informed them that he was lying near the house. Thereafter, Sachin was taken to nearby Bajarang Hospital by Aakash and Mukul. Later on, the injured was shifted to Safdarjung hospital, where he succumbed to injuries," the official added.

A case under Sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intension) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at Badarpur police station and investigation was taken up.

"During investigation, four accused, identified as Badal, Jatin, Mahipal and a 17-year-old were apprehended from their hideouts within hours," said police, adding that further investigation is in progress.

--IANS ssh/vd

( 213 Words)

2022-10-27-23:04:05 (IANS)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT cell head Amit Malviya said on Thursday that he will file a case against news and opinion website 'The Wire', claiming that the media outlet tried to tarnish his image and reputation. Malviya, who is also BJP's West Bengal co-in-charge, said in a statement: "After consultation with my lawyers and seeking their advise, I have decided to file criminal and civil proceedings against 'The Wire'. "Not only will I be setting the criminal process in motion, but I will also sue them in a civil court seeking damages as they forged documents with a view to malign and tarnish my reputation." The Wire had in a series of reports alleged that Malviya had certain privileges to take down posts from Meta-owned Instagram, a claim which was later denied by Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook. "The posts in question were surfaced for review by automated systems, not humans. And the underlying documentation appears to be fabricated," Meta's director for policy communications, Andy Stone, had said in a tweet. --IANS stp/pgh/arm ( 194 Words) 2022-10-27-23:14:02 (IANS)
Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson Sangeeta Beniwal on Thursday condemned the Bhilwara incident and said that suo-moto cognizance was taken immediately. "We condemn the Bhilwara incident, and immediately took suo-moto cognizance. Notice was issued to Bhilwara DM and SP to submit a detailed report in 3 days," she said. Earlier, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) served notice to the Government of Rajasthan on the reported auctioning of girls on stamp papers and the refusal thereof resulting in the rape of their mothers to settle disputes on the diktats of Caste Panchayats in the State. NHRC, India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report, said a press release. Reportedly, whenever there is a dispute between the two parties particularly involving financial transactions and loans etc, the girls aged between 8-18 are auctioned to recover money, added the press release. These girls are being sent to UP, MP, Mumbai, Delhi, and even foreign countries and subjected to physical abuse, torture, and sexual assault in slavery. The media reports have documented the ordeal of many victims of such horrendous crimes, as per the statement. The Commission observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to human rights violations of the victims of the such abominable practice. Accordingly, it has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of Rajasthan calling for a detailed report on the matter, along with an action taken report, qua measures already taken and if not, proposed to be taken to prevent such gory incidents. The Report must also contain how the State Government is ensuring the functions of the Gram Panchayat, as per the constitutional provisions or Panchayati Raj Law to eradicate the caste-based system impinging the human rights and the right to dignity of girls and women in the State. A notice has also been issued to the Director General of Police, Rajasthan to submit a detailed report mentioning the initiation of criminal prosecution against the perpetrators of such crime and their abettors/sympathizers. It must also contain the status of cases, including the registration of FIRs, charge-sheet, arrest, if any, in such incidents, and the mechanism initiated to apprehend the people involved in such systematic crimes of flesh trade in the State. The report must also mention steps being taken or proposed to be taken against the public servant(s), who purported to have neglected perpetually prevention of such incidents. The response from both the Chief Secretary and DGP is excepted within four weeks. The Commission, in the meanwhile, has also asked its Special Rapporteur, Umesh Kumar Sharma to visit and inspect the affected areas, within the State of Rajasthan, and submit a comprehensive report on the incidents noted and the prevailing practice in the area, at the earliest, preferably, not later than three months. According to the media report, carried out on October 26, 2022, the Caste Panchayats in Rajasthan are committing this crime like in Syria and Iraq where the girls are enslaved. Reportedly, in Bhilwada, whenever there is any dispute between the two parties, they instead of going to the police, approach the Caste Panchayats for its settlement. It becomes the starting point of making the girls slave, if they are not sold, their mothers are ordered to be raped. The news report further reveals that in order to pay off Rs. 15 lakh dept a Caste Panchayat force a man to sell his sister first and even after this when the debt was not cleared, he was forced to sell his 12-year-old daughter. The buyer purchased the girl for Rs. 8 lakh. After that, all five sisters became slaves but still their father could not pay off his debt. In another incident a man was forced to sell his house and further take a loan of Rs. 6 lakh for the treatment of his wife, who later died, he took Rs. 6 lakh more for the treatment of his mother. In order to settle the loan, he sold his small daughter for Rs. 6 lakh to some people, who took her to Agra. She was sold three times and became pregnant four times. (ANI)
"This double engine is another important achievement of the government. The much-awaited demand of Uttarakhand has been fulfilled. This matter was pending for a long time. Now the land has been transferred to the state government. It will be used in the interest of the state and for the development of the state," he said.

Significantly, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this. Along with this, in a meeting with Union Heavy Industries Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey in the month of August, raising this matter, a request was made to transfer the said land of HMT to the Government of Uttarakhand.

An order in this regard has also been issued by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India.

According to the order, 45.33 acres of HMT land at Ranibagh and Haldwani has been transferred to Uttarakhand Government at a reserve price of Rs. 72 crores 2 lakh 10,000. (ANI)
Ahead of the Nahai Khai of the Chhath, Delhi BJP President Aadesh Gupta visited the oldest Yamuna Chhath Ghat of Delhi called the ITO Yamuna Ghat for assessment of the arrangement on Thursday. "This is the oldest Chhath Ghat of Delhi and there is no arrangement so far. It is the total accountability of the Delhi Government. Due to Covid pandemic, there were no Chhath celebrations on the bank of the Yamuna rive in the last two years and this year too, no arrangement has been made so far. So, due to mismangement, no Chhath celebrations be made this year too, "said Aadesh Gupta during the inspection. He further accused the Aam Aadmi Party of lying and said that their leaders are expert at spreading propaganda. During elections, their leaders become Hindu and before that, they make fun of the Hindu Gods and goddess." Meanwhile, Delhi Chhath Puja Samiti President Shiva Ram Pandey said that they have been working for Chhath Ghat for more than a month but are still unaware of the location. "We have been working for Chhath Ghat for the last month, and we still don't know if this year's Chhath will take place on the bank of Yamuna or not. Kejriwal says Chhath will take place on the bank of Yamuna Ghat. But LG (Vinay Saxena) didn't allow it. We got permission on Wednesday but the picture is not clear. Amid the politics of two parties, Chhath Puja and the people of UP and Bihar are stuck," he said. The Delhi Chhath Puja Samiti President further added that they have been celebrating Chhath at the ITO Yamuna Ghat since 1984. "We started Chhath on this Ghat in 1984. For a few years, we celebrated Chhath by our own arrangement. Later, we urged former CM Shila Dikshit. Then she built Ghat, all arrangements were taking place on the time in her regime, which is not happening now," he added. (ANI)
According to CNN, the German Government has agreed to legalize a certain amount of recreational cannabis for adults though many details remain to be worked out and must be reconciled with European Union law before legislation is introduced.

If this goes through, Germany will be one of the first European Governments to do so.

Following approval by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's cabinet, Germany's Health Minister Karl Lauterbach announced plans to allow for controlled distribution and recreational use of cannabis among adults.

According to CNN, adults would be allowed to possess up to 30 grams of marijuana under the proposed legislation.

The proposed legislation would also allow limited amounts of cannabis to be grown and sold to adults in "licensed specialist shops" and possibly pharmacies.

CNN further reports that the health minister warned that many obstacles remained in the complex legislative process, adding that Germany's three coalition parties will now assess whether the plan is "internationally acceptable" and "in accordance with international law."

The Health minister added, "I could well imagine, if everything goes well, that legalization will be achieved in 2024."

In the European Union, so far only Malta has legalised the possession and consumption of recreational cannabis.

The Netherlands also allows the sale of small quantities of cannabis in coffee shops. (ANI)
Barbers on Thursday staged a protest due to harassment by the vigilance staff at Kalyankattas in Tirumala, said the officials. TTD Vigilance Wing officials have been conducting surprise raids in all the Kalyanakattas in Tirumala for the past few days after receiving complaints from devotees that some barbers are demanding money from the devotees in violation of the TTD ban. When devotees reach Tirumala for the darshan of Srivari, many of the devotees offer talaneelalu (hair) to the Lord as a part of paying their prayers. In this way, most of the devotees who offer their hair generally give a lot of money to the barbers after offering their hair. More than 300 barbers working in the main Kalyanakatta and 10 mini Kalyanakatta boycotted their duties. The barbers alleged that the vigilance staff in the name of Tanikhis have been misbehaving and abusing them. The temple officials said that there has been a shortage of barbers in Kalyanakattas. Due to the protest, the devotees have to wait for hours. At present, only permanent barbers are performing duties in Kalyana Katta. As the barbers got agitated at the Kalyana Katta hall, the police, along with the TTD vigilance, reached the Kalayankatta hall and tried to pacify them. The barbers told the security officials that they would attend the parties only if the vigilance attacks stops. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address Chintan Shivir of home ministers of states later today via video conferencing. The two-day Chintan Shivir is being held at Surajkund, Haryana. Home Secretaries and Director Generals of Police (DGPs) of the States and Director Generals of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Central Police Organisations (CPOs) will attend the Chintan Shivir. According to Prime Minister's Office (PMO) statement, the Chintan Shivir of Home Ministers is an endeavour to provide a national perspective to policy formulation on internal security-related matters. The Shivir, in the spirit of cooperative federalism, will bring more synergy in planning and coordination between various stakeholders at the centre and state levels. The Shivir will deliberate on issues like modernization of police forces, cybercrime management, increased use of IT in the criminal justice system, land border management, coastal security, women safety, drug trafficking, among others, added the statement. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday addressed the 'Chintan Shivir' at Surajkund in Haryana. "Taking inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this Chintan Shivir is being organized which will provide a common platform to face challenges before the Nation such as cyber-crime, the spread of narcotics and cross-border terrorism in unison," Amit Shah said. The chief ministers of eight states and home ministers and deputy chief ministers of 16 states gathered at the event, which is being chaired by Amit Shah. Amit Shah underlined that, now, J-K and the Northeast are becoming the hotspots of development. "Today the nature of crimes is changing and they are becoming borderless, that is why all States will have to battle these by having a common strategy. To formulate and implement this common strategy, the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under the spirit of 'Cooperative Federalism', 'Whole of Government' and 'Team India' approach is promoting the 3C's, that is Cooperation, Coordination, Collaboration between the Centre and the States," the Union Home Minister said. The event was attended by Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Kerala, Assam, Goa, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Manipur and Tripura-- all having charges of Home Ministry in their respective states. Besides, Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Nagaland; Governor of Rajasthan; Home Ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Odisha, Telangana; Finance Minister of Jharkhand among others took part in the event which is organized with the objective to prepare an action plan for the implementation of 'vision 2047' and 'Panch Pran' announced in the Independence Day speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (ANI)
Telangana's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court has rejected the request of Cyberabad Police to remand to judicial custody the three accused who were arrested for allegedly trying to poach four MLAs of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). All three accused in the TRS MLAs poaching case were released by police on Thursday following orders of the Anti-Corruption Bureau court. The three accused left from the Judge's residence on their own. The ACB Court while rejecting the request asked police to issue under Section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to the accused and investigate the matter. ACB judge also asked the police to follow the Supreme Court guidelines. Police produced Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Nanda Kumar, and Simhayaji Swamy before the judge at his residence late on Thursday night. The Cyberabad Police had arrested the three persons at the farmhouse in Ranga Reddy on Wednesday evening, after being informed by the TRS MLAs about the poaching bid, which the leaders alleged was done by the BJP. Following a complaint of TRS MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy on Wednesday, an FIR was registered at the Moinabad Police Station under Sections 120-B, 171-B r/w 171-E 506 r/w 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 8 of Prevention of Corruption Act-1988. In the FIR, Reddy alleged that Ramachandra Bharati who came to Hyderbad from Delhi and Nanda Kumar of Hyderabad, both belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party had met him and offered him Rs 100 crore to join the BJP. According to the FIR, MLA Rohith Reddy also alleged that they were threatened that criminal cases will be foisted against him and raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if they did not join the BJP. Meanwhile, Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party approached the High Court seeking the transfer of a case pertaining to the TRS MLAs' poaching allegations against the party, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to carry out a fair probe into the matter. In a writ petition filed by BJP State General Secretary Gujjula Premendar Reddy, he claimed that the "bias and unfair investigation" being carried out is with a "sole intention to frame the leaders" of his party. This comes a day after the TRS alleged that the BJP is attempting to poach the MLAs luring them with money and contracts. The BJP has moved to the Telangana High Court seeking a CBI probe into the allegations.Moreover, Union Minister and BJP leader G Kishan Reddy refuted the TRS MLAs' poaching allegations and said it shows the fear the TRS party is looming under and demanded the probe be conducted under sitting high court judges. Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao also urged the TRS party workers to refrain from issuing any kind of statement to the media in regard to the MLA poaching allegations against the BJP as the investigation is in the "preliminary stage". Taking to Twitter to appeal to the party leaders, KTR said, "Because the MLAs trading case is in the preliminary investigation stage, I request TRS party leaders shouldn't give any kind of statements to the media." (ANI)
The incident took place on the highway near Handia on Thursday.

The car was heading towards Vindhyachal. Police arrived at the spot following the accident.

"The injured were sent to the hospital. The post-mortem of the dead is being conducted. Police and administration are extending all kinds of help to affected families," Additional Superintendent of Police, Gangapar A Agrawal said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences over the loss of lives.

Chief Minister Yogi directed the Prayagraj district administration to give proper treatment to the injured.

According to Chief Minister's Office (CMO), District Magistrate and senior police officers were instructed to reach the spot and get the relief work done on a war footing.

Meanwhile, on October 25, As many as three people were killed while two others were critically injured after their car rammed into a road divider in Chitradurga, in Karnataka said traffic police officials.

in another road mishap 15 people were injured last Sunday in Madhya Pradesh's Guna. As per police a bus was going from Surat to Kanpur, when it met with an accident. (ANI)
Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, who has been sentenced to three years in prison in a 2019 hate speech case by Rampur District court, might lose his MLA seat if his eventual imprisonment term is longer than two years. Joint Director Prosecution Incharge of Rampur, SP Pandey, confirmed on Thursday that Azam Khan may lose his MLA status because his imprisonment term is longer than two years. [{d6db9b73-da90-41ee-80b2-c3b2c4e933be:intradmin/ANI-20221028030245.jfif}] "If Azam Khan applies for bail, he can get it. If the imprisonment is longer than two years, there is a danger to the MLA post. He is sentenced to 3 years in prison," said Pandey. The SP leader can lose his MLA post because as per the 2013 Supreme Court judgment if an MLA, MLC or MP is convicted in a criminal case and gets jailed for a minimum of two years then he/she loses membership of the house with immediate effect. The Uttar Pradesh assembly can also disqualify Khan on the basis of a three-year jail sentence. Azam Khan won the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Rampur (UP) but he vacated this seat after being elected to the UP state assembly in March 2022. The SP leader had won the 2022 assembly election from Rampur while being lodged in Sitapur jail. Earlier on Thursday Samajwadi Party leader and two other accused were sentenced to three years in prison along with a fine of Rs 2,000 in a hate speech case filed against him over his speech against state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. However, he has been granted bail and given a week's time to appeal against the sentence. A case was registered against Khan in Rampur in April 2019 for allegedly making provocative remarks against the Uttar Pradesh CM and the then District Magistrate of Rampur, Aunjaneya Kumar Singh. During the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign, Khan had used provocative remarks against the then Rampur district magistrate Aunjaneya Kumar Singh, chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress candidate Sanjay Kapoor. Earlier this year, Azam Khan was released from Sitapur district jail, a day after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in an alleged case of cheating. The SP leader was also granted bail in a cheating case lodged at the police station in Rampur. Khan has been lodged in Sitapur jail since February 2020 as many cases are registered against him. Earlier, in a big relief to the SP leader, the Allahabad High Court on October 1, 2022, had put his arrest on hold. The matter pertains to the disappearance of machines used for construction in 2017 for which a case was registered on September 19, this year. A person named Baqur Khan brought the case to the fore. The missing machinery including bulldozers, carriers and other materials was later found on the premises of Muhammad Ali Jauhar University. The Allahabad HC also sought a reply from the Uttar Pradesh government on this matter. On May 10, 2022, the Allahabad HC granted interim bail to Khan in a case related to wrongful possession of Waqf Board property. Azam Khan began his political career by winning the 1980 assembly election on Janata Party (Secular) ticket from Rampur. He has served as a minister in both Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav governments. (ANI)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said he has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to put pictures of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes stating that "it is a desire of 130 crore Indians." "I have written a letter to the Prime Minister, and have requested him on behalf of 130 crore Indians that the Indian currency notes should have photos of Lakshmi and Ganesha apart from that of Mahatma Gandhi," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi along with the letter. "It is the desire of the 130 crore people of the country that there should be a picture of Mahatma Gandhi on one side and of Ganesh and Lakshmi on the other side of the Indian currency. Today the economy of the country is passing through a very bad phase. Even after 75 years of independence, India is counted among the developing and poor countries. There are so many people still poor in our country. Why?" Kejriwal said in his letter to PM Modi. Emphasizing that there is a need of blessings of God to make our efforts fruitful, the Delhi Chief Minister said, "On one hand, we all countrymen need to work hard and on the other hand, we also need the blessings of God so that our efforts are fruitful. Only with the confluence of the right policy, hard work and God's blessings the country will be on the path of progress." Kejriwal further said that since he had demanded to put Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi on banknotes there has been tremendous support from the general public. "I publicly demanded this in a press conference. Since then there has been tremendous support from the general public on this issue. People are very excited about it. Everyone wants this to be implemented immediately," he added. Earlier on Wednesday, Kejriwal has appealed to Prime Minister Modi to consider including the images of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh on currency notes in India to "improve the economic situation of the country". "Today I appeal to the central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On Indian currency there is a photo of Gandhi ji, let that be, on the other side of currency, a photo of Shri Ganesh Ji and Lakshmi ji should be put. "As I said we have to make a lot of effort to improve the economic situation of our country. But also with that, we need blessings from Gods and Goddesses. The whole country will get blessings if on currency notes, there is a photo of Ganesh Ji and Lakshmi ji on one side and Gandhi ji on other side," Kejriwal said in his address. "If Indonesia can do it; choose Ganesh Ji, so can we... I will write to the Centre tomorrow or the day after tomorrow to appeal for it... we need the Almighty's blessings apart from the efforts to settle the economic condition of the country," Kejriwal said. Lord Ganesha is inscribed on the 20,000 rupiah note of Indonesia. However, the Delhi Chief Minister faced backlash for his remark from several Opposition parties including the BJP. Both BJP and Congress slammed the Delhi Chief Minister and termed his statement "vote bank politics" ahead of Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. Notably, 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. 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. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually attend the bhoomi poojan ceremony of the expansion of ArcelorMittal Nippon steel (AM/NS) integrated facility at Hazira area in the Surat district of Gujarat on Friday. At around 3:30 pm, PM Modi will also address the gathering. With an investment of Rs 60,000 crores, the expansion project will create diverse employment opportunities in the state of Gujarat and across the country. In yet another step towards the realisation of PM's vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the project will help in the production of value-added steel types that will help in strengthening India's position as a global manufacturing hub of steel. On October 30, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force will be manufactured by Tata-Airbus at Vadodara in Gujarat. Earlier on October 20, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of various development projects at Vyara in Gujarat's Tapi district. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of multiple development initiatives worth over Rs 1,970 crore in Vyara. He laid the foundation stone for the improvement of the road from Saputara to the Statue of Unity along with the construction of missing links. PM Modi and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also launched the Mission LiFE movement in Ekta Nagar. Speaking at the occasion, Prime Minister said, "The issue of Climate change is being witnessed everywhere, our glaciers are melting, and rivers are drying up... Mission LIFE will help in fighting the climate crisis. The most significant factor in life for fighting against climate change is nothing but unity. The mantra of Mission Life is Lifetime and environment." PM Modi said Mission LiFE will strengthen the concept of P3 (Pro-Planet People). "Mission LiFE connects the people of the earth with 'Pro-Planet People' and unites them by integrating them with their thoughts. It runs on the basic principle of Lifestyle of the planet, for the planet and by the planet," Prime Minister said. PM urged people to adopt lifestyle changes to help the environment. Envisaged by PM Modi, Mission LIFE is expected to be an India-led global mass movement that will nudge individual and collective action to protect and preserve the environment, said Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Mission LiFE will be India's signature initiative at the United Nations and other international platforms for showcasing climate action and early achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement. (ANI)
In three separate operations at three locations, Nagaon Police recovered 50 cattle -- 4, 23, and 23 -- respectively.

On Thursday morning at about 4.45 am, police raided cattle smugglers at Borpeta NLG Brickfield, intercepted one container truck, and recovered 23 cattle.

"Acting on source information on 27.10.2022 at around 2 am, SI Pawan Kalita, O/C, Samaguri PS, and staff detained one 12 wheeler truck bearing Reg. No. AS 01 FC 7912 along with a Tata DI vehicle bearing Reg. No. AS 02 E 7302 at Baziagaon," Nagaon Police tweeted.

However, the cattle smugglers managed to flee on both occasions.

In the latest incident, the district detained one Saiful Islam for smuggling 4 cattle heads, a separate tweet by Nagaon Police said.

Illegal cattle trade is rampant in the state and Assam Police has been going hard against cattle smugglers and it heightened its vigilance mechanism. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami requested the Central Government for the assistance of rupees 750 crores for the construction of new police stations, police outposts, and residences of police personnel in the state at the Union Home Ministers' Chintan Shivir in Surajkund, Haryana on Friday. He also requested for relaxation in inner line restrictions for the internal security of Uttarakhand, with an aim to promote tourism activities in the border area. "The state government is working on the Him Prahari scheme in the marginal districts. Under the Him Prahari Yojana, 10 thousand retired soldiers, paramilitary and youth in the border areas of the state would be trained and posted in the border districts of the state. For this, an assistance of Rs 5 crore per month is expected from the Center," said CM Dhami. The Chief Minister also requested the Central Government to provide a helicopter to SDRF for disaster relief at the Chintan Shivir, which he said would be of great help during disasters and incidents of forest fires. The two-day Chintan Shivir is being held at Surajkund, Haryana. Home Secretaries and Director Generals of Police (DGPs) of the States and Director Generals of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Central Police Organisations (CPOs) are attending the Chintan Shivir. According to Prime Minister's Office (PMO) statement, the Chintan Shivir of Home Ministers is an endeavour to provide a national perspective to policy formulation on internal security-related matters. The Shivir, in the spirit of cooperative federalism, will bring more synergy in planning and coordination between various stakeholders at the centre and state levels. The Shivir will deliberate on issues such as modernization of police forces, cybercrime management, increased use of IT in the criminal justice system, land border management, coastal security, women's safety and drug trafficking, among others, added the statement.Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the 'Chintan Shivir' at Surajkund, Haryana on Thursday. "Taking inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this Chintan Shivir is being organized which will provide a common platform to face challenges before the Nation such as cyber-crime, the spread of narcotics and cross-border terrorism in unison," Amit Shah said. (ANI)
Emphasising on the need to create awareness against fake news, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that social media cannot be underestimated and that a small piece of fake news generated by it can create chaos. The Prime Minister appealed for people to check facts before sharing messages on social media. Addressing a 'Chintan Shivir' in Haryana of home ministers of states via video conferencing, PM Modi said, "For the safety and rights of law-abiding citizens, stringent action against negative forces is our responsibility. A small piece of fake news can kick up a storm across the nation...We will have to educate people to think before forwarding anything, verify before believing it..." He said people must be made aware of the various mechanisms that are now available on all social media platforms to verify messages before forwarding them. "Fact check of fake news is a must. Technology plays a big role in this. People must be made aware of mechanisms to verify messages before forwarding them," the prime minister said. Prime Minister said that one should not limit social media to being the source of information. He said that a piece of single fake news has the capability to snowball into a matter of national concern. The Prime Minister said during the reservation issue, the country had to face losses due to fake news. He said people should think 10 times before forwarding any messages on social media. He stressed on the need to educate people about analysing and verifying information before forwarding it on social media platforms. Emphasizing on the internal security of the country, Prime Minister said India needs to defeat the threats that are arising from Naxalism be it "gun-toting or pen-wielding". "In past few years, all governments have acted responsibly to demolish ground network of terror...We need to handle it by combining our forces. We will have to defeat all forms of Naxalism - be it gun-totting or pen-wielding, we will have to find a solution for all of them," PM said. Highlighting the importance of having a smart law and order system as par with advanced technologies, PM Modi said the agencies have to be 10 steps ahead of the crime world. He said, "Today the nature of crimes is changing. We need to understand the new age technologies. We entered the 5G era. Hence we need to be more vigilant," Prime Minister said. With 5G technology, PM said there will be manifold improvement in facial recognition technology, automatic number plate recognition technology, drone and CCTV technology. "With the advancement in 5G technology, awareness is equally important. It is to be ensured that India's law and order system becomes smart. Technology not only helps in the prevention of crimes but also in crime investigation. We will have to be 10 steps ahead of the crime world," he said. PM said there is a need to have a positive perspective. He called for improved synergy among the police stations with cooperation, rapport and a streamlined mechanism. In order to improve the efficiency of the police and strengthen law and order, Prime Minister said the interconnectedness between the police of different states is an important aspect. He said, "Law and order is not restricted to one state now. Crime is turning interstate and international. With technology, criminals now have increased their power to commit crimes. Criminals beyond the border are misusing technology. Be it cybercrime or the usage of drone technology for the smuggling of weapons or drugs, we will have to keep working on new technology for them." The coordination between agencies of all states and between central and state agencies is essential, PM said. This Chintan Shivir of home ministers in Surajkund Prime Minister said is an excellent example of cooperative federalism. He said States can learn from each other, take inspiration from each other and work together for the betterment of the country. He said the next 25 years will be for the creation of an 'amrit peedhi'. This 'amrit peedhi' will be created by imbibing the resolutions of 'Panch Pran' - creation of a developed India, freedom from all colonial mindset, pride in heritage, unity and most importantly, citizen duty. The two-day Chintan Shivir is being held at Surajkund, Haryana. Home Secretaries and Director Generals of Police (DGPs) of the States and Director Generals of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Central Police Organisations (CPOs) attended the Chintan Shivir. According to Prime Minister's Office (PMO) statement, the Chintan Shivir of Home Ministers is an endeavour to provide a national perspective to policy formulation on internal security-related matters. The Shivir, in the spirit of cooperative federalism, will bring more synergy in planning and coordination between various stakeholders at the centre and state levels. The Shivir will deliberate on issues like modernization of police forces, cybercrime management, increased use of IT in the criminal justice system, land border management, coastal security, women safety, drug trafficking, among others, added the statement. (ANI)
Chairperson of National Commission for Women Rekha Sharma on Friday said a team of NCW is being sent to the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan to investigate the auctioning of girls on stamp papers to settle disputes over loan repayments in the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan. NCW Chairperson further said that similar incidents have been reported for the last few years but the State government has not taken action so far. Sharma will also meet the Rajasthan Chief Secretary of Rajasthan and the Bhilwara Superintendent of Police (SP) on November 1 in connection with the case. "A team of NCW is being sent to Bhilwara district, Rajasthan. On Nov 1, I will meet the Rajasthan Chief Secretary of Rajasthan and the Bhilwara Superintendent of Police (SP). Similar incidents reported from the state for the last few years but no action taken so far," said Sharma. Notably, the Commission has constituted a two-member fact-finding team to investigate the matter. The NCW has taken cognizance of the reported crime which is extremely appalling and traumatizing. The Commission said that it has been reported that in many settlements of the village, girls are sold for prostitution on stamp paper. NCW Chairperson has also written to Chief Secretary, the Government of Rajasthan to take urgent action in the matter and apprise the Commission of the action taken. The Commission has also written to the Director General of Police, Rajasthan to immediately invoke relevant provisions in the FIR and to arrest all the accused at the earliest. Meanwhile, Rajasthan State Commission for Women also took cognizance of media reports that minor girls in some districts of Rajasthan are sold on Stamp Paper and issued notice to the Director General of Police and Bhilwara Collector. The State Commission also demanded immediate action and a factual report in seven days. Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson Sangeeta Beniwal on Thursday condemned the Bhilwara incident and said that suo-moto cognizance was taken immediately. National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also served notice to the Government of Rajasthan on the reported auctioning of girls on stamp papers and the refusal thereof resulting in the rape of their mothers to settle disputes on the diktats of Caste Panchayats in the State. However, Rajasthan minister Pratap Khachariyawas refuted the reports of the selling of girls in the State. "It is a matter of investigation. When such information comes out, we can't know the truth until there is a probe. NHRC should have spoken to the Rajasthan police first about this. Selling of girls doesn't happen in the state," said Khachariyawas. According to reports carried in media on October 26 this year, caste panchayats in Rajasthan were committing this crime like in Syria and Iraq where girls are enslaved. Reportedly, in Bhilwada, whenever there is any dispute between the two parties, instead of going to the police, the caste panchayats are approached for a settlement. It becomes the starting point of making the girls slaves. It they fail to honour their commitments, there are orders for the mothers of the girls to be raped. (ANI)
The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Friday constituted a two-member fact-finding team to investigate reports of alleged "auctioning" of girls on stamp papers to settle disputes over loan repayments in the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan. The NCW has taken cognizance of the reported crime which it said was "extremely appalling and traumatizing." The Commission said that it has been reported that in many settlements of the village, girls are sold for prostitution on stamp paper. "The National Commission for Women has come across several media posts wherein it has been reported that girls were auctioned off to settle disputes over loan repayments Bhilwara, Rajasthan. It has been further reported that in many settlements of the village, girls are sold for prostitution on stamp paper. In some cases, their mothers are subjected to rape on the diktats of caste panchayats for the settlement of disputes," the NCW said in a statement. NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma has also written to Chief Secretary of Rajasthan to take urgent action in the matter and apprise the Commission of the action taken. "The Commission has taken cognizance of the reported crime which is extremely appalling and traumatizing. The Commission has constituted a two-member Fact Finding Team to look into the matter. Chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan to take urgent action in the matter and apprise the Commission of the action taken," the commission said. The Commission has also written to the Director General of Police, Rajasthan to immediately invoke relevant provisions in the FIR and to arrest all the accused at the earliest. Meanwhile, Rajasthan State Commission for Women also took cognizance of media reports that minor girls in some districts of Rajasthan are sold on Stamp Paper and issued notice to the Director General of Police and Bhilwara Collector. The State Commission also demanded immediate action and a factual report in seven days. Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson Sangeeta Beniwal on Thursday condemned the Bhilwara incident and said that suo-moto cognizance was taken immediately. National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also served notice to the Government of Rajasthan on the reported auctioning of girls on stamp papers and the refusal thereof resulting in the rape of their mothers to settle disputes on the diktats of Caste Panchayats in the State. However, Rajasthan minister Pratap Khachariyawas refuted the reports of selling of girls in the State. "It is a matter of investigation. When such information comes out, we can't know the truth until there is a probe. NHRC should have spoken to the Rajasthan police first about this. Selling of girls doesn't happen in the state," said Khachariyawas. According to reports carried in media on October 26 this year, caste panchayats in Rajasthan were committing this crime like in Syria and Iraq where girls are enslaved. Reportedly, in Bhilwada, whenever there is any dispute between the two parties, instead of going to the police, the caste panchayats are approached for a settlement. It becomes the starting point of making the girls slaves. It they fail to honour their commitments, there are orders for the mothers of the girls to be raped. (ANI)
The Delhi High court on Friday adjourned the hearing on the bail plea of Sharjeel Imam for six weeks at the request of his counsel. He is an accused in the larger conspiracy of the February 2020 Delhi riots. In this case, the High Court dismissed Umar Khalid's appeal against a lower court order denying him bail. Special Bench comprising justices Sidharth Mridul and Rajanish Bhatnagar adjourned the hearing on bail of Sharjeel Imam for December 16, 2022 at the request of Advocate Ahmad Ibrahim. Ahmed Ibrahim sought an adjournment for six weeks for the preparation of the case. All other matters related to bail applications of other accused for November 18, 2022. Special public prosecutor Amit Prasad argued on the plea against bail granted to Ishrat Jahan in the matter. Amit Prasad submitted that the bail order is illegal. The trial court had admitted that there is a bar of UAPA and 437 Cr.P.C. but still granted bail as the accused is a woman. The bench said that for cancellation of bail you will have to show that there is a violation of bail conditions and whether this appeal is maintainable or not. A Delhi Court on April 11, 2022 dismissed the bail plea of Sharjeel Imam in a larger conspiracy case connected with the Northeast Delhi Violence of February 2020. He was booked under sections of UAPA and IPC for rioting, sedition, giving provocative speeches, and conspiracy with other offences. It is alleged that Sharjeel Imam was the first person to act after passing of the resolution by the Cabinet Committee to present the Citizen Amendment Bill (CAB) in both houses of Parliament on 4 December 2019 and Muslim Students of JNU (MSJ) was formed over the following days and propagated the idea of disruptive chakka jam. JNU scholar Sharjeel was arrested on January 28, 2020. Additional Session Judge at Karkardooma Court had dismissed the bail plea of Sharjeel Imam observing, "On the perusal of the charge sheet and accompanying documents, I am of the opinion that the allegation against the accused Sharjeel Imam is prima facie true." The Court also noted in the order that since there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accusation against the accused are prima facie true, hence, the embargo created by Section 43D of UAPA applied for a grant of bail and also, the embargo contained in Section 437 Cr.P.C. Advocate Tanvir Ahmed Mir argued that no case of conspiracy is made out as there has to be a meeting of minds, which is not the case here. The prosecution has taken bits and pieces like one Whatsapp group MSJ or one photograph of 8 December 2019. The said meeting does not show that any discussion or riots took place. Even the statement of witness BOND at best, states that the accused along with Umar Khalid urged the students to do chakka jam. He had no connectivity with any of the co-accused persons. Counsel for the accused also argued that the speeches of the accused shows that he only called for peaceful protest or chakka jaam which has been in India for years. The speeches must be read in totality. The accused is wrongly labeled as religious extremist. Advocate Mir further argued that the accused is not named in the FIR. Neither is UAPA made out nor is Section 124-A (Sedition) IPC. He was arrested on 28 January 2020 and he cannot be held accountable for any meeting or event subsequent to that leading upto riots. There is no chain of events required in any conspiracy and the entire allegation cannot amount to terrorist act under UAPA. On the other hand, opposing the bail plea Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad referred to the statement of Romeo (protected witness) that on 15 December 2019 the protest against CAA/NRC was started at Shaheen Bagh by Sharjeel Imam, Sarjil Usmani, Amanatullah and others. The said protest was organized from Al - Habibi Masjid. They used to give provocative speeches. They provoked people to come out of their houses and to do chakka jam at different places to pressurise the government. Sharjeel Imam said that numerous Shaheen Bagh have to be created in the country. SPP Amit Prasad had submitted that Sharjeel Imam was a member of the Whatsapp group of MSJ. Sharjeel participated in the protest call/agitation by UAH at Jantar Mantar on 7 December which was attended by accused Umar Khalid (MSJ, UAH and DPSG), Yogender Yadav, accused Khalid Saifi (UAH and DPSG) Amit Prasad argued that Sharjeel Imam went to the Khureji protest site on 15 January 2020 and gave a speech for mobilisation. The accused was arrested on 28 January, however, in a case of conspiracy, it is not necessary that all accused persons should play all the roles in the entire sequence and it is enough that one accused takes part in the conspiracy and does acts in pursuance of it. There are statements of witnesses Bond, Romeo, James, Tahira Daud, which talk about the role of accused Sharjeel Imam. According to Delhi Police, 53 people died and hundreds were injured during the northeast Delhi Violence in February 2020. (ANI)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a visit to Ladakh, on Friday said the Centre's aim is to ensure the progress of far-flung areas to fulfil the security needs of the country. Singh inaugurated 75 infrastructure projects spread across six States and two Union Territories, during his visit to Ladakh. These projects have been built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). Singh also inaugurated the Shyok Setu at Leh. Director General, BRO Lt Gen Rajeev Choudhary was also present at the occasion. After inaugurating the projects, Singh interacted with the locals. "The people living in border areas are our strategic assets. Infrastructure is being rapidly developed in border areas. We cannot say enough in praise for BRO for the work they have done here," Defence Minister told ANI. These 75 projects: 45 bridges, 27 roads, two Helipads and a Carbon Neutral Habitat- are spread across six States and two UTs. Twenty of these projects are in Jammu and Kashmir; 18 each in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh; 5 in Uttarakhand and 14 in other border states of Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. Speaking on the occasion, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensure the progress of far-flung areas to fulfil the security needs of the country, stressing that infrastructure development, along with the valour of the Armed Forces, was the main reason that helped India to effectively deal with the recent situation in the northern sector. He termed the new 75 projects as a testament to that resolve and said that these bridges, roads and helipads will facilitate military and civil transport in far-flung areas of the western, northern and northeastern parts of the country, forming a part of the development chain. He described connectivity with border areas as one of the focus areas of the government for the holistic development of the nation. Singh said, "Lack of infrastructure development in J-K for decades post-independence was one of the reasons behind the rise of terrorism in the UT. These internal disturbances resulted in a significant decline in tourist footfall that impacted Ladakh also, as well as the entire nation. Now, due to the government's efforts, the region is witnessing a new dawn of peace and progress." Our aim is to continue with the development of all states/UTs of the country. Soon, all the remote areas will be connected with the rest of the country and together we will take the nation to newer heights of progress. BRO has a crucial role in achieving this objective," added the Minister. On the occasion, Singh also laid the foundation stones of Himank Air Despatch Complex being constructed in Chandigarh and a BRO Museum at Leh. According to the Defence Ministry statement, these strategically important projects have been constructed at a total cost of Rs 2,180 crore by the BRO in record time, many of which have been completed in a single working season using state-of-the-art technology. Appreciating the grit and determination of BRO for achieving the feat despite challenging weather conditions, Rajnath Singh pointed out that the projects will bolster the country's defence preparedness and ensure the economic development of border areas. The highlight of the event was the onsite inauguration of 120-metre long Class 70 Shyok Setu on D-S-DBO Road at an altitude 14,000 feet. The bridge will be of strategic importance as it will facilitate the logistics movement of the Armed Forces. Other projects inaugurated virtually by Singh include two helipads, one each in Hanle and Thakung, in Eastern Ladakh. These helipads will enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force in the region. The BRO's first Carbon Neutral Habitat at a height of 19,000 feet for its personnel was also inaugurated at Hanle. It is BRO's effort towards contributing to Ladakh's resolve of becoming the country's first Carbon Neutral Union Territory. The key features of this complex include the accommodation of 57 personnel and thermal comfort during extreme weather. It will enable BRO to operate efficiently during large part of winters, said the Defence Ministry statement. With the onset of winter, once the passes close due to heavy snowfall, BRO extensively utilises air effort for the movement of men, machinery and material to far-flung areas. The existing Air Despatch subunit located at Chandigarh is being upgraded for providing comfort to transiting troops and to ensure efficient and uninterrupted delivery of essential stores and equipment for the execution of works on the ground. The BRO will be undertaking the construction of the new Complex at Chandigarh by incorporating the latest 3D printing technology and once completed, the building will boast of being the world's largest 3D Printed Complex. To honour the sacrifices of its personnel and institutionalise and put on record the achievements of BRO, a Museum at Leh is being set up, which will be a source of information and inspiration. This museum building will also be constructed using 3D Printing Technology and on completion, will become the world's highest 3D Printed Building. (ANI)
An aura of peace and harmony was emanating through the mantras and sermons as Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik joined hundreds of monks from Japan, America, Ukraine and Kazakhstan to celebrate the golden jubilee of the peace pagoda on Friday. Speaking on the occasion, as chief guest the Chief Minister, giving a clarion call for world peace, said that peace has no alternative. It has significance for all ages. Peace is the only option to achieve the goals of a better and more beautiful world."Let us work together to spread the message of peace and create a safer world for our future generation," he called upon all. Delving into the glorious history of Odisha, he said that the pages of Odisha's history start with Dhauli and the Kalinga war. Although the war ended with massive bloodshed, Dhauli continues to sing about the moral victory of the entire humanity. "It is this place where Ashoka realized the futility of war and bloodshed and embraced Buddhism. In fact, Dhauli changed the course of world history by spreading the message of global peace and harmony," he added. He further said that the 50th-year commemoration of the establishment of Dhauli Shanti Stupa is a matter of great pride, glory, and joy. Offering tributes to Fuji Guruji, he said, "On the eve of this momentous occasion, I offer my sincere tributes to most revered Nichidatsu Fuji Guruji of Japan, Founder and Preceptor of Nipponzan Myohoji, for his invaluable contribution in building this "Biswa Shanti Stupa" at Dhauli. Further, the steps taken by Kalinga-Nippon Buddha Sangha to make it happen is also appreciated." "The Government of Odisha has taken steps for the beautification and holistic development of Dhauli Shanti Stupa to make it an international tourist destination," he noted. On the occasion, the Chief Minister announced the construction of instream storage on the Daya River at Basantpur. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 95 Crore. The tender process for the project has already been started. The Chief Minister extended his warm greetings and good wishes to all the revered Bhikshus, saints, and the august gathering present here from across the globe. At the outset, the monks received the Chief Minister with the traditional beating of drums. Among others, State Minister Ashok Panda and Minister Aswini Patra, Chief Secretary Suresh Mohapatra, Secretary to CM VK Pandian and senior officers attended the event. (ANI)
Taking cognizance of the alleged "auctioning" of girls in Rajasthan's Bhilwara, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairman P Kanoongo on Friday said that the matter would be investigated and the child rights body would ensure that the nexus gets banned and accused are punished. The NCPCR is scheduled to visit Bhilwara on November 7 and meet the families affected by trafficking. "We will investigate. On November 7, I'll visit the village affected by trafficking, and meet affected families and try to know who all are involved in this nexus. We will see that nexus gets banned and accused is punished," NCPCR chairman P Kanoongo. According to reports carried out in media on October 26 this year, caste panchayats in Rajasthan were committing this crime like that in Syria and Iraq where girls are enslaved. Reportedly, in Bhilwada, whenever there is any dispute between the two parties particularly involving financial transactions and loans etc, instead of going to the police, the caste panchayats are approached for a settlement. It becomes the starting point of making the girls slaves. In case they fail to honour their commitments, the girls are auctioned to recover money. The media reports have documented the ordeal of many victims of such horrendous crimes, read a statement from NHRC. Meanwhile, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women Rekha Sharma on Friday said a team of NCW is being sent to the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan to investigate the auctioning of girls on stamp papers to settle disputes over loan repayments in the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan. NCW Chairperson further said that similar incidents have been reported for the last few years but the State government has not taken action so far. Sharma will also meet the Rajasthan Chief Secretary of Rajasthan and the Bhilwara Superintendent of Police (SP) on November 1 in connection with the case. "A team of NCW is being sent to Bhilwara district, Rajasthan. On November 1, I will meet the Rajasthan Chief Secretary of Rajasthan and the Bhilwara Superintendent of Police (SP). Similar incidents reported from the state for the last few years but no action taken so far," said Sharma. The Commission has constituted a two-member fact-finding team to investigate the matter. The NCW has taken cognizance of the reported crime which is extremely appalling and traumatizing. The Commission said that it has been reported that in many settlements of the village, girls are sold for prostitution on stamp paper. Meanwhile, Rajasthan State Commission for Women also took cognizance of media reports that minor girls in some districts of Rajasthan are sold on Stamp Paper and issued notice to the Director General of Police and Bhilwara Collector. The State Commission also demanded immediate action and a factual report in seven days. Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson Sangeeta Beniwal on Thursday condemned the Bhilwara incident and said that suo-moto cognizance was taken immediately. National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also served notice to the Government of Rajasthan on the reported auctioning of girls on stamp papers and the refusal thereof resulting in the rape of their mothers to settle disputes on the diktats of Caste Panchayats in the State. However, Rajasthan minister Pratap Khachariyawas refuted the reports of the selling of girls in the State. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India has set a target of doubling the production of crude steel and the aim is to achieve 300 MT production capacity in the next nine-ten years. The Prime Minister, who addressed the gathering on the occasion of the expansion of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) Hazira plant via video message, said that not only investment is taking place through the steel plant, the doors of many new possibilities are also opening. The Prime Minister said along with the expansion, a totally new technology is coming to India which will be a huge help in the electric vehicle, automobile and other manufacturing sectors. "I am sure that this project of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India will prove to be a milestone in the vision of Make in India. This will give new strength to our efforts for a developed India and self-reliant India in the steel sector," the Prime Minister said. He said an investment of more than Rs 60,000 crores will create many employment opportunities for the youth of Gujarat and the country. "After this expansion, the crude steel production capacity at Hazira steel plant will increase from 9 million tonnes to 15 million tonnes." Noting that India is rapidly moving towards becoming the world's largest manufacturing hub, he said the development of the steel industry will strengthen the country's growth. Citing the example of INS Vikrant, the Prime Minister said the country has gained expertise in high-grade steel whose use is increasing in critical strategic applications. The Prime Minister said that the scientists of DRDO developed the special steel used in the aircraft carrier and Indian companies produced thousands of metric tons of steel. He said to promote such capability, the country has now set a target of doubling the production capacity of crude steel. "We currently produce 154 MT of crude steel. Our target is to achieve 300 MT production capacity in the next 9-10 years." "The country is moving towards becoming self-reliant. PLI scheme is helping in the expansion of the steel industry. This is giving a boost to Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan," he added. ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AMNS) is a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel, two of the world's leading steelmakers. The Prime Minister underlined the growing role of the steel industry in the goal of moving towards a developed India by 2047 and said that a strong steel sector leads to a robust infrastructure sector. Similarly, the steel sector has a massive contribution in roads, railways, airport, ports, construction, automotive, capital goods, and engineering products. He said that India is rapidly moving towards becoming the world's largest manufacturing hub and the government is actively engaged in creating the necessary policy environment for the development of this sector. "Due to everyone's efforts in the last eight years, the Indian steel industry has become the second largest steel-producing industry in the world. There is immense potential for development in this industry," he said. The Prime Minister said India is emphasising the development of such production technologies which not only reduce carbon emissions but also capture and reuse carbon. He said the circular economy was also being promoted in the country and the government and the private sector are working together in this direction. "I am glad that the Hazira project of AMNS India group is also giving a lot of emphasis on the use of green technology," he said. The Prime Minister said when everyone starts making efforts towards a goal with full force, then it is not difficult to realise it. He emphasised that the government is committed to take the steel industry to new heights. "I am sure that this project will give impetus to the development of the entire region and the steel sector", the Prime Minister said. (ANI)
The Delhi BJP on Friday wrote to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asking him to declare a 'dry day' on 'Chhath Puja'. "Today we have written to the Chief Minister of Delhi to declare a dry day on 'Chhath Puja' to maintain the sanctity of Delhi and the festival," said Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta. This comes amid politics between the Delhi-ruled AAP and BJP on Chhath Puja. Ahead of the Nahai Khai of the Chhath, Delhi BJP President Aadesh Gupta on Thursday visited the oldest Chhath Ghat of Delhi, the ITO Yamuna Ghat for reviewing the arrangement. "This is the oldest Chhath Ghat of Delhi and there is no arrangement so far. It is the total accountability of the Delhi Government. Due to the Covid pandemic, there have been no Chhath celebrations on the bank of the Yamuna river in the last two years and this year too, no arrangement has been made so far. So, due to mismanagement, no Chhath celebrations took place this year too," said Aadesh Gupta during the inspection. He further accused the Aam Aadmi Party of lying and said that their leaders are experts at spreading propaganda. During elections, their leaders become Hindu and before that, "they make fun of the Hindu Gods and goddesses." Chhath Puja is an ancient Hindu Vedic festival that is mainly celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh in India and Nepal. Also referred to as Surya Shashti, Chhath, Mahaparv, Chhath Parv, Dala Puja, Pratihar and Dala Chhath, the four-day-long festival is dedicated to the deity Surya and Shashthi Devi. As part of the ritual, women fast for the well-being of their sons and the happiness of their families. They also offer Arghya to Lord Surya and Chhathi Maiya. The four-day festival starts on October 28, which is a Friday, with the main day and the last day of the puja, being celebrated on October 31, which is falling on Monday. On each day, people observe the Chhath and follow rigorous rituals. As per Drik Panchang, sunrise on Chhath Puja will be at 6:43 am, and sunset will happen at 6:03 pm. The Shashthi tithi begins at 05:49 am on October 30 and ends at 03:27 am on October 31. Chhath is performed to seek blessings from the Sun God for a healthy, happy, and prosperous life. (ANI)
SP leader and Rampur MLA Azam Khan was on Friday disqualified from the membership of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, as per the Office of UP Assembly Speaker, a day after he was sentenced to 3 years in prison along with a fine of Rs 2,000 in a hate speech case of 2019. Khan has been sentenced to three years in prison in a 2019 hate speech case by Rampur District court, and he lost his Assembly membership as his eventual imprisonment term is longer than two years. The SP leader lost his MLA post because as per the 2013 Supreme Court judgment if an MLA, MLC or MP is convicted in a criminal case and gets jailed for a minimum of two years then he/she loses membership of the house with immediate effect. Azam Khan won the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Rampur (UP) but he vacated this seat after being elected to the UP state assembly in March 2022. The SP leader had won the 2022 assembly election from Rampur while being lodged in Sitapur jail. Earlier on Thursday, the Samajwadi Party leader and two other accused were sentenced to three years in prison along with a fine of Rs 2,000 in a hate speech case filed against him over his speech against UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. However, he has been granted bail and given a week's time to appeal against the sentence. A case was registered against Khan in Rampur in April 2019 for allegedly making provocative remarks against the Uttar Pradesh CM and the then District Magistrate of Rampur, Aunjaneya Kumar Singh. During the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign, Khan had used provocative remarks against the then Rampur district magistrate Aunjaneya Kumar Singh, chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress candidate Sanjay Kapoor. Earlier this year, Azam Khan was released from Sitapur district jail, a day after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in an alleged case of cheating. The SP leader was also granted bail in a cheating case lodged at the police station in Rampur.Khan has been lodged in Sitapur jail since February 2020 as many cases are registered against him. Earlier, in a big relief to the SP leader, the Allahabad High Court on October 1, 2022, had put his arrest on hold. The matter pertains to the disappearance of machines used for construction in 2017 for which a case was registered on September 19, this year. A person named Baqur Khan brought the case to the fore. The missing machinery including bulldozers, carriers and other materials was later found on the premises of Muhammad Ali Jauhar University. The Allahabad HC also sought a reply from the Uttar Pradesh government on this matter. On May 10, 2022, the Allahabad HC granted interim bail to Khan in a case related to wrongful possession of Waqf Board property. Azam Khan began his political career by winning the 1980 assembly election on Janata Party (Secular) ticket from Rampur. He has served as a minister in both Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav governments. (ANI)
At the anti-terrorism meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde lauded PM Narendra Modi's fight against terrorism and said that the country is with him in it. "The fight against terrorism needs to be fought together. No one in this country can forget what happened on 26/11. Our PM is capable of everything, and we are all with him," Shinde said at the UNSC meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee at Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai. The UN CTC meeting, under India's chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), is taking place in Mumbai and New Delhi on October 28 and October 29, respectively. The first segment of the Special Meeting of the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee is at Hotel Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai today. A wreath-laying ceremony also took place at one of the main sites that saw the terror attacks of November 26, 2008. Speaking at the UNSC meeting at the Taj hotel, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, "18 members of the Indian Police Forces, 12 members of the Taj hotel staff and security were martyred in the line of duty. As we pay tribute to them at the 26/11 memorial site, we salute their valour and their resolve." In his speech, Jaishankar pointed out that it was not just "an attack on Mumbai, it was an attack on the international community. Nationals of specific countries were identified before being murdered. As a result, the commitment of each and every member state of the UN to combat terrorism stood publicly challenged," he said. On November 26, 2008, 10 terrorists trained by the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) carried out a series of coordinated attacks against multiple targets in Mumbai including the Taj Mahal hotel, the Oberoi hotel, the Leopold Cafe, the Nariman (Chabad) House, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station, killing 166 people. (ANI)
SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) held a wreath-laying ceremony on Tuesday at the Friendship Tower in Pyongyang to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of China's sending the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) to the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea.

Sun Hongliang, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Chinese embassy in DPRK, and staff members of the Chinese embassy attended the ceremony.

Kang Yun Sok, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), was among senior DPRK officials who attended the ceremony.

After solemnly performing national anthems of China and DPRK, the wreaths, in the name of the Chinese embassy and in the joint name of the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee, the SPA Standing Committee of the DPRK and the cabinet of the DPRK were placed at the friendship tower, in tandem with echoing wreath-laying music.

The Friendship Tower was built in 1959 in Pyongyang to commemorate the martyrs of the CPV.
The Supreme Court recently imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) official over wasting the court's time, following a Special Leave Petition filed by the official against the Allahabad High Court's order. The Supreme Court's order dated October 20, slammed the Enforcement Directorate for filing a special leave petition (SLP) against an order of the Allahabad High Court granting bail to a cancer patient and imposed a cost of Rs one lakh on the concerned officer who gave permission to file the plea. A bench of Justices MR Shah and MM Sundresh dismissed the case filed by ED and said that the agency ought not to have filed such a Special Leave Petition wasting the stationery, the legal fees and Court's time. The apex court said that the cost imposed on the officer is to be recovered from his salary and to be deposited by the ED with the Supreme Court Registry within four weeks. It directed that the cost to be divided and transferred equally to the National Legal Services Authority and the Supreme Court's Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee. "In the peculiar facts and circumstance of the case and taking into consideration the fact that the respondent is suffering from Malignancy and Cancer and thereafter when he has been released on bail, the same is not required to be interfered by this court... The Department ought not to have filed such a Special Leave Petition wasting the stationery, the legal fees and Court's time," the bench stated in its order. The ED had challenged in the top court the bail granted by the Allahabad High Court in November 2021 to Kamal Ahsan, a relationship manager at Axis Bank in Prayagraj, in connection with a 2013 complaint. The High Court had granted bail to Ahsan while noting that he cannot be put behind the bars for unlimited period. It also took into note that he was cooperating with the probe. (ANI)
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday pressed for strengthening trade and cultural ties between Odisha and the Association of South East Asian Nations. In the run-up to Make in Odisha-2022 from November 30 to December 4, the Chief Minister interacting with the ASEAN Heads of Missions, said, "Odisha has the boon of geography and has been blessed with natural resources and major ports on the Bay of Bengal. We are the gateway to the ASEAN region." "As we move to a modern world, connected more and more through technology, I hope that we can renew the strong ties between our two regions. I hope that in the coming years we can further strengthen our trade ties and not just that, I also hope that we can increase our cultural ties and come up with more cultural exchange programs," he added. The meeting was held at the Convention Centre, Lok Seva Bhavan. The Chief Minister also invited the Ambassadors to attend the Make in Odisha Conclave'22 along with their trade delegations. He further said that the MIO Conclave'22 is a great platform to further strengthen the business ties between the two regions and the Government of Odisha will facilitate Government to Business and Business to Business meetings with local companies and the trade delegations of ASEAN Nations. Patnaik also requested them to set up country desks in the International Pavilion at the MIO Conclave. Pattarat Hongtong, Ambassador to Royal Thai Embassy, who led the team, expressed her sincere gratitude to the Chief Minister and Odisha Government for the hospitality. Speaking about the historical trade and cultural ties between Odisha and ASEAN nations spanning over 2500 years, she said that there is a huge potential for trade and cultural relations with Odisha. She spoke highly about the beautiful settings of various sites in Odisha. She said that they have a firm belief in Odisha's economic potential and they will highlight this in their respective countries. She said that there is huge scope for exchanges in food processing, services, hospitality and medical tourism. A senior delegation of ASEAN Heads of Missions in India led by Pattarat Hongtong, Ambassador to the Royal Thai Embassy, India concluded their 3-day visit to Odisha today with a fruitful meeting with Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha. The delegation came to Odisha on October 26. (ANI)
A portion of Kamla Residency at L T Road, Vajira Naka, near Anand School, Borivali West collapsed and several vehicles are trapped under the debris of the building.

"The building was already in a dilapidated condition, and the people were evacuated earlier," officials said.

"The building was in a dilapidated condition and residents were already evacuated," Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said.

No casualties were reported.

Earlier in June, 19 people died after a four-storey building collapsed in Mumbai's Kurla.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the Kurla building collapse incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the deceased and Rs 50,000 to each injured, from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of those who lost their lives.

Maharashtra former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakhs each to the families of those who died in the incident.

Earlier, rebel Shiv Sena MLA Mangesh Kudalkar expressed his grief over the loss of lives in the incident and announced that the family of the deceased will be given Rs 5 lakh each while the injured will get one lakh.

Earlier, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Additional Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said the collapsed building was dilapidated, since 2013, notices had been first given for its repair, and then for its demolition.

Minister Aaditya Thackeray also visited Kurla where the building collapsed and said that such property should be vacated on the notice of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

"Whenever BMC issues notices, (buildings) should be vacated themselves...otherwise, such incidents happen, which is unfortunate...It's now important to take action on this," Thackeray said. (ANI)
Congress leader Rajeev Shukla has alleged that the BJP faces "huge discontent" in Himachal Pradesh due to "rebel candidates" and the ruling party in the state is also facing "factionalism and dissatisfaction". Shukla, who is Congress incharge of Himachal Pradesh, told ANI that the party has taken a lead in the campaign and every nomination by party candidates was "a rally in itself". He said the Congress does not face any major problem of rebels for the November 12 assembly polls. "This is an old formula of BJP that they will do (rally) bombardment together and this has failed. They are starting their rallies now. Our rallies started long back. At so many places, Pratibha Singh, Mukesh Agnihotri, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and other leaders have been doing rallies. Now they (the BJP) are starting their rallies and that too by bringing leaders from outside," Shukla said. "Our every nomination was a rally in itself. Hundreds of people were coming for the nomination of BJP candidates and thousands of people were coming for our candidate's nomination. From here you can witness the difference," he added. Shukla, MP, said that the people of the state are unhappy with the BJP government. "BJP has money power and authority. They have immense money. But when people are angry and there is anger amongst people, neither money nor power works," he said. Shukla said that the Congress is widely talking about its "10 guarantees" among people. "Congress is ready for elections. We are taking forward our 10 guarantees among people including a promise on old pension scheme, Rs 1,500 rupees to be given to women, the opening of four English medium schools in every constituency, buying of dung and relief to the farmers. There are several schema es which we are going to launch," he said. "There are very few candidates in Congress who are rebels. In our party, there are hardly two to five candidates that are rebels, but BJP has more rebel candidates. There is huge discontent in BJP. Most of our rebel candidates will withdraw so we don't have to worry. There is factionalism, dissatisfaction and quarrel in BJP. There is no such thing in Congress," he said. (ANI)
Accordingly, Shamim Ahmad and the other two accused namely Shagufta and Asmat both residents of Dulipora Parthan were arrested. An FIR under relevant sections of law was registered at Budgam police station, informed the Jammu and Kashmir police on Friday.

During preliminary investigation, it was found that the three arrested accused persons are involved in human trafficking by means of procuring the girls from different places and exploiting them in Budgam and other parts of the valley.

Further investigation into the case is going on and more arrests are expected.

Meanwhile, the rescued human trafficking victims have been shifted to Nari Niketan Rehabilitation Centre Chadoora and the process for their rehabilitation has been initiated. (ANI)
The accused was identified as Maulvi Abdul Samad of Emanual Madrasa in the district located in Zakaria Masjid of Khanshawali, Khandwa.

According to the police, the matter came to light when the 5-year-old complained of chest pain to her parents, following which they registered a complaint at the Moghat police station.

The police arrested the accused and produced him before the court.

"A case has been registered upon the complaint of the victim's mother. The accused Maulvi Abdul Samad was arrested and produced before the court," the police said.

The court sent the accused to jail.

There is tremendous anger among the Muslim people regarding this matter that they have demanded strict punishment by sending such clerics to jail. People have also demanded the closure of such mosques. (ANI)
Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Friday asked the leaders of the Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) to "control" its members after the outfit's rally turned violent in Shillong. The outfit carried out a rally against unemployment, which later turned violent with some people seen assaulting passers-by and also two journalists who were recording the incidents. The miscreants were seen chasing people and assaulting them with flags made of bamboo poles. An official with the district administration said the violence was unexpected. The FKJGP leaders said miscreants in the rally must have taken advantage. The rally started at Malki around 11.20 am and culminated at Fire Brigade ground, Laitumkhrah at 1.30 pm. Leaders from various pressure groups, HNYF, RBYF, FKJGP, JSU and KSU were present. Speaking to the reporters, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the government has instructed the police authority to make sure that there is no law and order problem. When asked if a reply would be sought from FKJGP about the violence during the rally which included an attack on the journalists, he said, "As far as the law and order is concerned, we authorize the police authority to take necessary steps whatever is required to be done." "We will get all the inputs from the police and accordingly the police or the government will take its own course of action," he added. Giving a message to the outfit and NGOs, Tynsong said that they can conduct a peaceful rally, without creating any law and order situation. "The message is very clear that you can have a peaceful rally or meeting, but please do not create a law and order situation. I request all the leaders of FKJGP and other NGO leaders, you can have your meeting, but at the same time, please control your members. We don't want any law and order situation in the state," he said. "The district administration assessed the situation along with the police. I'm sure the situation should be under control," the Deputy Chief Minister added. Further investigation into the matter is underway. (ANI)
The two-day 'Chintan Shivir' or brainstorming session of state Home Ministers and top police officers from all states, concluded on Friday with a commitment to move towards a "thematic approach". The first-ever such meeting organised on Thursday under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah also emphasised focusing on "cybercrime, improving conviction rates, narcotics and border security". As the meeting concluded on Friday evening, top sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs said, the Home Minister suggested " we (all states and the Centre) should move towards thematic approach". To achieve a 90 per cent conviction rate target, the states were also advised to focus on forensic sciences which play a big role. Noting that "internal security is shared responsibility of both Centre and states", it was decided jointly to work with the spirit of "Team India". All states were also advised to "constantly and annually" review goals and have a plan where their internal security will be in 2047. The states were also advised to hold regular meetings of Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD). In the meeting it was also mentiined that "Bihar and Jharkhand have became free from naxalism", and that 9,200 North East militants surrendered arms in last eight years. Besides, it was also pointed out that development taking place in North East and areas under Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) have been reduced. It was also mentiined that North East, Jammu and Kashmir and Left Wing Extremism (LWE) or naxalism are areas where Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Central government has achieved unprecedented success. The 'Chintan Shivir' was attended by Governor of Punjab; 10 Chief Ministers from Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Haryana, Kerala, Manipur, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand; Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Nagaland; Lieutenant Governors of Ladakh as well as Jammu and Kashmir. Home Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Puducherry and Rajasthan as well as Finance Minister of Jharkhand also atttended the event. Development of eco-system for cyber crime management, modernization of police forces, increase in usage of IT in criminal justice system, land border management and coastal security and other internal security issues were also key focus areas of the event which has the objective to prepare an action plan for the implementation of 'vision 2047' and 'Panch Pran' announced in the Independence Day speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking at the inaugural session of the event, the Home Minister on Thursday had said that the initiative of the 'Chintan Shivir' was taken by current Prime Minister and former Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi. Shah said both Centre and States can fight against cross-border crime when all states will jointly plan and take steps accordingly. The Minister said that the 'Chintan Shivir' will help formulate a joint plan to deal with crimes and other issues. The aim of the conference was also to facilitate national policy-making and better planning and coordination. Various topics were also discussed in the six sessions of the 'Chintan Shivir'. Many important issues such as Home Guards, Civil Defense, Fire Protection and Enemy Property was also discussed with focus on cyber security, drug trafficking, women's safety and border management. (ANI)
Telangana government Friday distributed free medicines to all patients at the Golconda Area Hospital. The K Chandrashekhar Rao-led Telangana government provided free medicines as a part of a welfare scheme to benefit the poor. "We get good free medicine at the government hospital. My child was diagnosed with Typhoid. They did tests and also gave medicine. I thank MLA Kausar Moinuddin and the Telangana Government," Mohammad Afsar from Narsingi said. a Pharmacist expressed his gratitude towards the Chief Minister KCR and Health Minister Harish Rao for the initiative. "I have been working here for the past 5 years. We are able to provide good and free medicines to all patients. We get around 1200 to 1300 patients every day. We have all the medicines for children and adults including antibiotics and syrups. We receive regular supplies from the depot. We thank the Telangana Government, Chief Minister KCR and Health Minister Harish Rao for this," he said. Pooja a beneficiary of free medicines said that We get good treatment and all medicines for free here at Golconda hospital. I thank Chief Minister KCR. Another beneficiary Sana begum recited, "I have been taking diabetes medicine from Golconda hospital for a year. They provide good quality medicines. I thank Chief Minister KCR." Earlier this month, Telangana Minister for Finance, Health, Medical and Family Welfare T Harish Rao, participated in the distribution of Aasara Pension Cards to dialysis patients at Indian Institute of Health and Family Welfare, Vengalarao Nagar, Hyderabad. Harish Rao said that Aasara pensions are being given to five thousand dialysis patients across the state and Identity cards were being given to them on October 10. Harish said "I am very happy that Chief Minister KCR is providing an Aasara pension to dialysis patients, I am thankful to him. Telangana State is the only state in the country that provides pensions to dialysis patients. This was possible only under the leadership of the Chief Minister. The government has allocated 100 crores in the budget for kidney patients. Telangana is the only first state to introduce a single use filter for dialysis patients." Harish also stated that the government is providing a single use dialysis system, free bus passes for dialysis patients and now Aasara pensions. The government is giving free kidney transplants under Arogya Shri by giving 10 lakhs. Kidney transplant recipients are given free medicines for life. These services are provided in Gandhi, Osmania, Nims. Harish further stated that the government is spending thousands of crores every month for Aasara pensions. In Maharastra, a pension of 1000 rupees is given, while in Karnataka it is only 600, Telangana state is giving 2016 rupees. (ANI)
The reason for avoiding the meeting could be sour political relations between Nitish Kumar and BJP.

Nitish Kumar, who was injured recently during the inspection of Chhath Ghats on the banks of Ganga river in Patna, is avoiding any such meetings or events.

The internal security meeting was held for two days on Thursday and Friday in New Delhi where Chief Ministers and Home Ministers of all the states were invited. Besides Nitish Kumar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Benerjee, Odhisa's Naveen Patnaik, Tamil Nadu's M.K. Stalin and Jharkhand's Hemant Soren maintained distance from it.

Instead of Chief Ministers and Home Ministers, these states sent the chief secretary, DGP or other ministers to attend the meeting.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah discussed the issues of terrorism, communal extremism, cyber crimes, narcotics and other issues in the meeting and appealed to every state representative for the coordination.

--IANS ajk/uk

( 179 Words)

2022-10-28-19:06:02 (IANS)
Haodex Limited (NSX:HAO) is an Australian company focused on forward thinking online platforms and global projects.

Haodex owns 78% of and operates 2 omnichannel marketplaces, being MonkeyKing Australia (www.monkeykingaustralia.com) and BulkBuy (www.bulkbuyworld.com), and owns 100% of a short term Chinese accommodation hosting business, Franks Haus (www.frankshaus.com).

MonkeyKing is an online e-commerce platform which sources Australian products from Australian suppliers to distribute to consumers in Asia, mainly China.

BulkBuy is a wholesale e-commerce marketplace which allows users to participate in group buying deals. BulkBuy enables merchants to set up an online store and sell products directly to customers at wholesale prices by allowing several customers to participate in group buying deals (crowd-ordering).

Franks Haus is an online platform for leasing private properties, mainly for short term accommodation, in China. The platform will attract tourists
Mining trader Mehal Singh (70) was shot dead outside his house on October 13.

The operation was jointly carried out by the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), Counter Intelligence (CI) Punjab, the District Police of Udham Singh Nagar Uttarakhand, the Special Cell Delhi and the District Police of Mohali.

The arrested persons are Sadhu Singh, Jagdish Singh, alias Disha, Manpreet Singh, alias Mani, Jaspreet Singh, all resident of Mansa district.

The police have also recovered one .30 caliber pistol along with two magazines and seven cartridges; one 9 mm pistol along with one magazine; and one Turkey-made 9 mm machine-pistol along with three magazines, including one magazine of 31 cartridges capacity and 19 cartridges and one Apache motorcycle from their possession.

DGP Yadav said during investigations it has come to light that accused Sadhu Singh and Manpreet Singh along with their associates killed trader Mehal Singh on the directions of gangsters-turned-terrorists Arshdeep Singh, a.k.a. Arsh Dalla, and Sukhdool Singh, a.k.a. Sukha Duneke.

The two arrested persons have provided them weapons, logistics support and conducted recce of deceased's house.

He said the arrested persons were further hatching conspiracy to commit crimes in Punjab and neighbouring states.

--IANS vg/pgh

( 240 Words)

2022-10-28-20:20:04 (IANS)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Sukanya Mondal, daughter of Trinamool Congress strongman and the party's Birbhum district president, Anubrata Mondal, directing her to be present at the agency's headquarters in Delhi on November 2 for questioning in connection with the agency's ongoing probe into the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal. Anubrata Mondal's chartered accountant, Manish Kothari has also been asked to be present at ED's Delhi office on the day along with relevant documents pertaining to the assets of the Mondal family. To recall, Sukanya Mondal was supposed to appear at ED's Delhi office on October 27. However, she did not turn up citing some personal reasons. Meanwhile, a lower court in Delhi on Friday remanded Sehgal Hossain, bodyguard of Anubrata Mondal to eight more days in ED custody. On Friday the ED counsel had also sought the permission of the court to summon Hossain's mother and wife to Delhi for questioning, putting them face-to- face with Hossian. ED sources said Sukanya Mondal was supposed to be questioned on the companies wherein she is named the director as well as the rice mills in which she is the "partner". The two companies -- ANM Agrochem Private Limited and Neer Developer Private Limited -- are already under the scanner of both ED and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is also conducting a parallel probe into the cattle smuggling scam. In both firms, Sukanya Mondal is one of the two directors and the central agency sleuths believe that these two corporate entities are basically shell companies meant for channelising the crime proceeds. Recently, the CBI had submitted a charge sheet where it said that Sukanya Mondal's annual income increased from Rs 3.10 lakhs in the 2013-14 financial year to Rs 1.45 crore in 2020-21. Apart from that she also has a fixed deposit worth Rs 3 crore. Sources further said that their officers also want to question Sukanya Mondal on certain properties which were registered under her name, and were purchased at prices much lower than the prevailing market rates only to be sold off later at much higher prices. --IANS src/pgh ( 369 Words) 2022-10-28-21:14:04 (IANS)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai lauded veteran journalist P Ramaiah at the book release event of 'Naanu Hindu Ramaiah' and said that the latter was a "Tapasvi" in the field of journalism. "Truth has been his ideal and ideology, and he is a 'Tapasvi' in the field of journalism. He has been a witness to many incidents that had taken place in the state and has seen the second generation of politicians and third generation of journalists. He could have sensationalized it to bag an award but what he has written is only the reality. He is a true journalist," said CM Bommai. "Thinking and personality of some people will change but the personality of Ramaiah has remained the same. He's close to several Chief Ministers. Earlier, we were calling the scribes poor journalists but now that word is not used as time has changed". CM Bommai recalled that his father and the veteran journalist shared a good friendship and said," My father, Ramakrishna Hegde and MP Prakash had a good friendship with Ramaiah, and I have grown listening to them. It is very important for journalists to understand the limits and effects of their writing. Ramaiah was closely associated with the Hindu newspaper for a long time. That newspaper is known for its values and has played a lead role in pre and post-independence eras. The articles written by Ramaiah on irrigation and energy are still preserved for their treasure of information." He also called Ramaih an asset to the state and highlighted that the book will inspire the students. The state chief's remarks came after releasing 'Nanu Hindu Ramaiah', a work on the experience of Ramaiah published by Abhimani Prakashana at Gandhi Bhavan here on Thursday. Gandhi Memorial President Wooday P Krishna, journalist P Ramaiah, Abhimani Prakashana Chief T Venkatesh, Senior journalist Hunasawadi Rajan, Madhyama Academy Chairman Sadashiv Shenoy, KUWJ President Shivanand Tagadur, Bangalore Press Club President Sridhar and retired Joint Director of Department of Information HB Dinesh and others were present during the event. (ANI)
Three Bihar Police personnel, who were part of a raid team, were injured after villagers attacked them in the state's Gaya district on Friday. A joint team of Atri and SC/ST police stations went to Kujur village under Atri police station to arrest former Mukhiya Mukesh Singh, who, along with four of his associates, had allegedly physically assaulted MNREGA employee Devendra Kumar a few days ago. The victim had registered an FIR against Singh in SC-ST police station. When the team, headed by SC/ST police station sub-inspector Vikram Ram, raided Singh's house, his wife informed them that he was not present. Police officials, on the other hands, suspected that Singh was inside the house, and tried to break the lock of one of the rooms. Singh's wife informed him about the incident. Singh, at that time, was participating in a cultural programme held in the village. When he heard about the incident, he. along with a large number of villagers present in the programme, came back home 1and attacked the police team. Three police personnel sustained injuries in the attack - and the condition of two is said to be critical. The villagers also snatched a rifle from the police team as well. Atri SHO Diwakar Kumar said that senior officials of the district were informed about the incident. "The process of identifying the accused is currently underway. Raids are on to nab Singh and other accused," he said. --IANS ajk/vd ( 252 Words) 2022-10-28-22:06:03 (IANS)
Researchers have developed a new approach to balancing the risks and scientific value of sending planetary rovers into dangerous situations. Researchers in the School of Computer Science's Robotics Institute (RI) have developed a new approach to balancing the risks and scientific value of sending planetary rovers into dangerous situations. David Wettergreen, a research professor in the RI, and Alberto Candela, who earned his Ph.D. in robotics and is now a data scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will present their work, "An Approach to Science and Risk-Aware Planetary Rover Exploration," at the IEEE and RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems later this month in Kyoto, Japan. "We looked at how to balance the risk associated with going to challenging places against the value of what you might discover there," said Wettergreen, who has worked on autonomous planetary exploration for decades at Carnegie Mellon University. "This is the next step in autonomous navigation and to producing more and better data to aid scientists." For their approach, Wettergreen and Candela combined a model used to estimate science value with a model that estimates risk. Science value is estimated using the robot's confidence in its interpretation of the mineral composition of rocks. If the robot believes it has identified rocks correctly without needing additional measurements, it may choose to explore somewhere new. If the robot's confidence is low, however, it may decide to continue to study the current area and improve its mineralogical model. Zoe, a rover that for decades has tested technologies for autonomy, used a previous version of this model during experiments in 2019 in the Nevada desert. The researchers determined risk through a model that uses the topography of the terrain and the terrain's makeup material types to estimate how difficult it will be for the rover to reach a specific location. A steep hill with loose sand could doom a rover's mission -- a real concern on Mars. In 2004, NASA landed twin rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, on Mars. Spirit's mission ended in 2009 when it became stuck in a sand dune and its wheels slipped when it tried to move. Opportunity carried on and worked until 2018. Wettergreen and Candela tested their framework using real Mars surface data. The pair sent a simulated rover scurrying about Mars using this data, charting different paths based on varying risk, and then evaluated the science gained from these missions. "The rover did very well on its own," Candela said, describing the simulated Mars missions. "Even under high-risk simulations, there were still plenty of areas for the rover to explore, and we found that we still made interesting discoveries." This research builds on decades of RI work investigating autonomous planetary exploration. Papers stretching back into the 1980s propose and demonstrate methods that would allow rovers to move autonomously across the surface of other planets, and technology developed through this research has been used on recent Mars rovers. Pioneering autonomous technology researchers at CMU proposed Ambler, a self-reliant, six-legged robot that could prioritize its goals and chart its own path on places like Mars. The team tested the six-meter-tall robot in the early 1990s. More rovers followed, including Ratler, Nomad and Hyperion -- a rover designed to follow the sun as it travels to charge its batteries. Zoe began its work in harsh environments in 2004 and has traveled hundreds of miles in Chile's Atacama Desert, an environment in many ways similar to Mars. By 2012, Zoe's missions in the desert shifted to focus on autonomous exploration and the decisions behind where to go and what samples to collect. A year later, the rover autonomously decided to drill into the desert soil, and it discovered what turned out to be unusual, highly specialized microbes, demonstrating that automated science can result in valuable discoveries. Candela and Wettergreen hope to test their recent work on Zoe during an upcoming trip to the Utah desert. The pair also see their research making valuable contributions to future lunar exploration. Their approach could be used by scientists as a tool to investigate potential routes in advance and balance the risk of those routes with the science that could be gained. The approach could also assist a generation of autonomous rovers sent to the surface of planets to conduct science experiments without the need for continuous human involvement. The rover could assess the risk and reward before charting its own course. "Our goal is not to eliminate scientists, not to eliminate the person from the inquiry," Wettergreen said. "Really, the point is to enable a robotic system to be more productive for scientists. Our goal is to collect more and better data for scientists to use in their investigations." (ANI)
Several farmers and landowners have warned of protests in Pakistan as agricultural land and standing crops in Balochistan and Sindh have been destroyed due to devastating floods in the country which have added to the economic miseries of the people. According to Dawn, Kissan Ittehad Pakistan Chairman, Khalid Hussain has warned of a massive protest sit-in by growers and landowners in front of the Chief Minister's house and D-Chowk in Islamabad if the government failed to implement the relief package within 10 days. "If the demands are not met, a sit-in would be staged in front of the CM House here on Nov 4 and at D-Chowk on the 5th as 70 per cent of agricultural land and standing crops in Balochistan and Sindh had been destroyed due to the heavy floods over the last couple of months," Hussain said. "The federal and provincial governments should immediately implement the package for the flood- and rain-affected landowners," he added. The Kissan Ittehad Pakistan earlier protested in Islamabad for eight days for their demands, Dawn reported. Disastrous floods washed away the fruit orchards and standing crops in the flood-hit regions of Pakistan as a result of which farmers are on the brink of starvation and are suffering heavily economy-wise. Numerous farmers and land-owners as well are not able to pay heavy electricity bills. Moreover, they have demanded the government immediately provide wheat, oilseeds, and fertilisers at subsidised rates to them to deal with the shortage of wheat in the country in the coming days, according to Dawn. As floodwaters in Pakistan recede, the story of those in the worst affected regions comes to the surface with many farmers sharing their woes of being stuck in a vicious cycle of sinking into debt and not being able to pay back the landlords. Sindh is among those provinces that have sustained the most flood damage. As Pakistan's flood fury wreaks havoc in different provinces, farmers are finding themselves in another trouble as they are already buried under the debt they owe to landlords. Many already owe hundreds or thousands of dollars to the landlords whose fields they cultivate each year, as part of a system that has long governed much of rural Pakistan. The landlords each planting season offer farmers loans so that they can buy fertilizers and seeds. With the purchased items they cultivate their fields which earns them a meagre amount. The farmers are making desperate attempts to sail through the troubled waters. And now, their summer harvests are in ruins. Unless the water recedes, they will not be able to plant the wheat they harvest each spring. (ANI)
Despite doubting his intentions multiple times to follow through with the USD 44 billion Twitter acquisition deal, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is now in charge of Twitter, CNBC reported. As per sources, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and finance chief Ned Segal have left the company's San Francisco headquarters and will not be returning as Musk began the purge of executives after closing the expected deal. Vijaya Gadde, the head of legal policy, trust, and safety was also fired, as per media reports. In April, Twitter accepted Musk's proposal to buy and take the social media service private. However, Musk soon began sowing doubt about his intentions to follow through with the agreement, alleging that the company failed to adequately disclose the number of spam and fake accounts on the service. Earlier when Musk said he was terminating the deal, Twitter sued the billionaire, alleging he "refuses to honour his obligations to Twitter and its stockholders because the deal he signed no longer serves his personal interests," however, he later decided to pursue his acquisition of Twitter at the original price of USD 54.20 a share, reported CNBC. Following Musk's decision, a Delaware Chancery Court judge eventually ruled that Musk had until October 28 to cement the Twitter deal or head to trial. Musk arrived at the Twitter headquarters earlier this week carrying a sink, and documented the event on Twitter, saying "Entering Twitter HQ - let that sink in!" and also updated his Twitter description to "Chief Twit." He tweeted a video of him and described his visit as an experience that he was trying to "sink in" as the Tesla CEO has until the end of the week to either close the Twitter deal or face a trial. In July, in a surprising turn of events, Elon Musk who had long been showing his interest to buy Twitter terminated the deal. The Tesla CEO did so by alleging that Twitter violated their mutual purchase agreement by misrepresenting the number of spam and fake bot accounts on its platform. After Musk put out the deal termination announcement, the market saw a sharp decline. Later, Twitter sued Musk accusing him of using bots as a pretext to exit a deal. Again, last week, Musk confirmed that he will move forward with the Twitter buyout at the originally agreed price of USD 54.20 per share. However, the Twitter deal legal proceedings had been put on hold by a judge overseeing the dispute until October 28. (ANI)
India is set to host the two-day anti-terrorism meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) starting Friday. The meeting, under New Delhi''s chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), will be held in Mumbai and New Delhi on October 28 and October 29, respectively. Addressing a special press briefing on the UNSC CTC, Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday said, "There is no better place to open the series of important discussions than Mumbai, a city, which reflects the best of India in terms of its economic development in recent years. The fact that the CTC has agreed to begin its deliberations in Mumbai is a message in itself." Verma further added, "Overarching theme would be ''Countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes.'' It will begin with a tribute to victims of terrorism," said Verma. The meeting will reportedly focus on the use of the internet, payment mechanism, and drones by terrorists. Secretary (West) Verma said the larger purpose of this unprecedented meeting in India of the Counter-Terrorism Committee in Mumbai would resonate with the rest of the world. "...Because in 2008, what happened was an attack on what would be the identity of India in the financial and commercial space city," he said. Speaking about Pakistan coming out of the Financial Action Task Force''s (FATF) ''grey list'', he said, "Because of FATF, Pakistan had to admit and begin some sort of legal process against two individuals directly responsible for 26/11." "We will not venture to suggest that the general discussions and the consensus building, which we aim to achieve through the deliberations in Mumbai and Delhi will double down on any specific event," he added. Speaking at the same press conference, India''s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj said that there is a great need to speak with a united voice and with a common voice, as we counter the scourge and menace, which we all agree is one of the most dangerous threats that face humanity today. "And the second thing I would like to highlight is the issue of double standards, where we have said that there are no good or no bad terrorists. And we have said before, both the External Affairs Minister and later on the Indian Mission in New York, that those who propagate this distinction, have an agenda and those who cover up for them are just as culpable," she added. (ANI)
Tensions are escalating in the Korean peninsula as Kim-led North Korea launched several missile tests, including one that flew over neighbouring Japan this month. The United States and its allies responded with bombing drills.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced the latest launch but it did not provide further details immediately, Yonhap news agency reported. This latest missile test comes ahead of the US-South Korea air drills called "Vigilant Storm," starting next week.

South Korea has repeatedly warned that Pyongyang is preparing for a nuclear test, a move that would trigger a security crisis in the region.

On Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said the world is holding its breath over the possibility of North Korea carrying out a nuclear bomb test.

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said it is following the situation "very, very closely." "We hope it doesn't happen, but indications, unfortunately, go in another direction," Grossi was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.

"Further tests, of course, mean that they are refining the preparations and the construction of their arsenal," he told reporters. (ANI)
Terming money the lifeblood of terrorism, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday highlighted how terrorists continue to get financial resources to maintain their organizational functions and said the reality that terrorism continues to exist and expand points to an underlying truth. Ahead of the 14th anniversary of the 2008 Mumbai attacks in November, India is hosting the two-day anti-terrorism meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) starting Friday. The key UNSC meeting, under New Delhi's chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), is taking place at one of the main sites that saw the dastardly terror attacks - the Taj Hotel in Mumbai. Speaking before the Informal Briefing of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, Jaishankar said, "We all know that money is the lifeblood of terrorism. Terrorist organizations require funds and resources to maintain their organizational functions and undertake activities. The reality that terrorism continues to exist and expand points to an underlying truth: that terrorism continues to get the necessary financial resources to thrive." "A key aspect of combating terrorism is to effectively curb terror financing. Today, the Counter-Terrorism Committee will also be hearing from experts on countering the financing of terrorism in the local & regional context," he said. On November 26, 2008, 10 terrorists trained by the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) carried out a series of coordinated attacks against multiple targets in Mumbai, killing 166 people. Jaishnkar said one of the terrorists was captured alive, prosecuted and convicted by India but key conspirators and planners of the 26/11 attacks continue to remain protected. The minister said that when it comes to proscribing some of these terrorists, the UN Security Council has regrettably been unable to act in some cases because of political considerations. "This undermines our collective credibility and our collective interests." Asking the international community to remember the trauma faced by victims of the Mumbai terror attacks, EAM said "Your presence here demonstrates the commitment that each one of you and your countries and all other stakeholders from various organisations have shown towards combating the common threat of terrorism." Jaishanakar said terrorism is a serious threat to international peace and security, indeed, to the entire humanity. "We have heard the voices of its victims today. Their loss is immeasurable," he added while referring to the victim's accounts that were heard prior to his speech. The external affairs minister stressed the need to remember the trauma of victims of the Mumbai attacks to bring the perpetrators of terrorism to justice. "However, it's incumbent on us, as responsible members of the international community to remember that trauma and to persevere in our efforts to bring the perpetrators of terrorism to justice. We owe this to every victim of terrorism across the world," he added. (ANI)
The incident reportedly took place on Tuesday in the Clifton area, in a car in an upscale locality of Karachi.

At least two persons forced the girl into a waiting car, gang-raped her and then left her near the shrine of Hazrat Adbullah Shah Ghazi.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday took notice of the gang rape of a flood-hit minor girl in Karachi's Clifton area and summoned Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South to appear in person on October 27, Pakistan Observer reported.

The girl, along with her mother and five siblings, were staying as refugees on a footpath in Shah Rasool Colony.

The victim's mother, a widow, in the First Information Report (FIR) stated her daughter was begging for alms near Dolman Mall in Clifton when she was abducted using a car.

Dr. Samia, the police surgeon who inspected the victim said that her condition was so bad that she had to be inspected in the operation theatre.

A case has been registered in the Boat Basin PS under relevant sections of the PPC and the case is being handled by Additional IG, Karachi, Javed Odho. (ANI)
In an apparent message to China, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said all relevant parties should support the designation of terrorists and no nation should stand in the way. He delivered this message via virtual statement during an informal briefing of the Counter-Terrorism Committee at one of the main sites that saw the Mumbai terror attacks - the Taj Hotel in Mumbai. China, in recent months, has blocked several bids to designate several terrorists based in Pakistan. Beijing this month put on hold a proposal to list Talha Saeed, son of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed. This bid was moved by India and co-supported by the US, under the 1267 sanction regime. Addressing the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee members, Blinken said many members of the security council, including the United States, have adopted their own sanctions against the terrorists behind these attacks. "But our efforts are more effective when we act together, which is why we worked with India to put the nomination to designate several terrorists through the UN 1267 committee. All relevant parties should support this designation and no nation should stand in the way," he said. In his message to the UN committee members, the top US diplomat said Washington is joining New Delhi and people around the world to mourn lives lost, including 141 Indians, 6 Americans and victims from 15 other countries from every region in the world. Blinken said India, the United States, and all nations around the world have a responsibility to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and to bring to justice the perpetrators of terrorist attacks. "We have a responsibility to the victims and the people everywhere to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks including their masterminds. That's what the US is working to do, together with India and other partners for the last 14 years," he added. "Because if we allow the attacks of these attacks go unpunished, we send messages to terrorists everywhere that their heinous crimes will be tolerated," he added. Ahead of the 14th anniversary of the Mumbai attacks in November, India is hosting the two-day anti-terrorism meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) starting Friday. The key UNSC meeting, under New Delhi's chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), is taking place at one of the main sites that saw the dastardly terror attacks. Speaking at the counter-terrorism briefing, Jaishankar said the world knows that money is the lifeblood of terrorism. "Terrorist organizations require funds and resources to maintain their organizational functions and undertake activities. The reality that terrorism continues to exist and expand points to an underlying truth: that terrorism continues to get the necessary financial resources to thrive," he added. (ANI)
India and the European Union co-chaired the 6th High-Level Dialogue on Migration and Mobility (HLDMM ) in Brussels on October 27 and held talks on issues related to the promotion of safe, orderly and regular migration. "Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, Secretary (Consular, Passport & Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs) and Ms. Monique Pariat, Director General (Migration and Home Affairs), European Commission co-Chaired the 6th High-Level Dialogue on Migration and Mobility (HLDMM)between India and the European Union in Brussels on 27 October 2022," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. The 5th edition of the Dialogue was held in New Delhi in July 2019. Besides the two delegations led by the co-Chairs, the 6th HLDMM was attended by representatives of the Diplomatic Missions of EU Member States in Brussels who were invited as Observers. According to the MEA, the representatives of other line Ministries of the Government of India i.e. Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Ministry of Labour and Employment were represented in the Indian delegation. "The discussions at the 6th India-EU HLDMM covered a wide range of issues related to the promotion of safe, orderly and regular migration including the prevention of irregular migration. Both sides also discussed potential areas of cooperation to facilitate mobility and migration of talented professionals, students and skilled workforce for the mutual benefit of both partners," the statement added. Both sides expressed satisfaction at the successful implementation of the India-EU Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility (India-EU CAMM). As India and EU celebrate 60 years of diplomatic ties, the Dialogue is an important dimension of the strategic partnership between India and EU, the MEA said. (ANI)
In an unprecedented public expose at the Mumbai UN counter-terror meet, India on Friday revealed in detail Pakistan's role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack by playing Pakistan-based terrorist Sajid Mir's audiotape. In the audio clip, he is heard directing the attack on Chabad House during Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks. Playing the audio clip, India presented undeniable evidence against Pakistan. The clip was played by a senior Intelligence Bureau officer, Pankaj Thakur at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) meeting at Taj Mahal Palace. It exposed Sajid Mir directing terrorists from Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir where he is giving instructions to terrorists who were at Chabad House during Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks. Thakur made this revelation in the presence of several foreign ministers and diplomats from over 15 countries. Notably, Sajid Mir, one of India's most wanted terrorists, is wanted for his involvement in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. "Beginning on November 26, 2008, and continuing through November 29, 2008, ten attackers trained by the Pakistan-based foreign terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) carried out a series of coordinated attacks against multiple targets in Mumbai, including hotels, cafes, and a train station, killing approximately 170 people. Six Americans were killed during the three-day attacks," the FBI website reads. Mir served as the chief planner of the attacks, directing preparations and reconnaissance, and was one of the Pakistan-based controllers during the attacks. Shortly after the harrowing attack, CIA Station Chief met ISI Analysis Directorate Major General Akhtar and presented him with charts and communication intercepts that proved conclusively that the attack was carried out from Pakistan and had clear support from ISI. Meanwhile, China, in recent months, has blocked several bids to designate several terrorists based in Pakistan. Beijing this month put on hold a proposal to list Talha Saeed, son of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed. This bid was moved by India and co-supported by the US, under the 1267 sanction regime. It was the fifth time that China has blocked an India-US proposal in recent months, Lashkar-e-Taiba member Shahid Mahmood in October, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Sajid Mir in September, LeT and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) leader Abdul Rehman Makki in June, as well as Abdul Rauf Azhar in August, the brother of Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM) chief Masood Azhar, were protected by Beijing. Further, many Indian officials raised the issue of delisting Pakistan from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list and said that Pakistan delisting from FATF can increase terror attacks. Pakistan has been taken out from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) 'grey list' with the global watchdog stating that Islamabad would continue to work with the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering to further improve its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) system. (ANI)
India saw a surge of 18 per cent in tuberculosis (TB) cases compared to 2020, after it registered 21.4 lakh tuberculosis cases in 2021. According to the WHO Global TB Report 2022 released on October 27, 2022, 21.4 lakh TB cases were notified in India in 2021, 18 per cent higher than in 2020. Over 22 crore people were screened for TB in 2021 across the country for early detection and treatment of TB, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in a press release. It stated that India, in fact, performed far better on major metrics as compared to other countries over time. Under the new initiative Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, more than 40,000 Nikshay Mitra are supporting over 10.45 lakh TB patients all over the country. The WHO Global TB Report 2022 noted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis, treatment and burden of disease for TB all over the world. India's TB incidence for the year 2021 is 210 per 100,000 population - compared to the baseline year of 2015 (incidence was 256 per lakh of population in India); there has been an 18 per cent decline which is 7 percentage points better than the global average of 11 per cent. These figures also place India at the 36th position in terms of incidence rates (from largest to smallest incidence numbers), added the MoHFW release. While the COVID-19 pandemic impacted TB Programmes across the world, India was able to successfully offset the disruptions caused, through the introduction of critical interventions in 2020 and 2021 - this led to the National TB Elimination Programme notifying over 21.4 lakh TB cases - 18 pc higher than 2020. This success can be attributed to an array of forward-looking measures implemented by the Programme through the years, such as the mandatory notification policy to ensure all cases are reported to the government, added the release. Further, intensified door-to-door Active Case Finding drives to screen patients and ensure no household is missed has been a pillar of the Programme. In 2021, over 22 crore people were screened for TB. The aim has been to find and detect more cases to arrest onward transmission of the disease in the community which has contributed to the decline in incidence. For this purpose, India has also scaled up its diagnostic capability to strengthen detection efforts. Indigenously-developed molecular diagnostics have helped expand the reach of diagnosis to every part of the country today. India has over 4,760 molecular diagnostic machines across the country, reaching every district, added the release. Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had communicated to WHO that the Ministry has already initiated domestic studies to arrive at a more accurate estimate of incidence and mortality rates in a systematic manner and India's data will be provided after the conclusion of studies in the early part of 2023. The WHO has also acknowledged the Health Ministry's position on this and noted in the Report that "estimates of TB incidence and mortality in India for 2000-2021 are interim and subject to finalization, in consultation with India's Ministry of Health & Family Welfare". The results of the Health Ministry's study, initiated by the Central TB Division (CTD), will be available in approximately six months' time and shared further with WHO. These steps are in line with India conducting its own National Prevalence Survey to assess the actual TB burden in the country - the world's largest such survey ever conducted. The WHO Report notes that India is the only country to have completed such a survey in 2021, a year which saw "considerable recovery in India," reported the release. The WHO Report also noted the crucial role of nutrition and undernutrition as contributory factors to the development of active TB disease. In this respect, the TB Programme's nutrition support scheme - Nikshay Poshan Yojana - has proved critical for the vulnerable. During 2020 and 2021, India made cash transfers of 89 million dollars (Rs 670 crores) to TB patients through a Direct Benefit Transfer programme, added the release. Moreover, in September 2022, the President of India launched a first-of-its-kind initiative, Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan to provide additional nutritional support to those on TB treatment, through contributions from the community including individuals and organizations. To date, 40,492 donors have come forward to support over 10,45,269 patients across the country, added the release. (ANI)
Ghana Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkar Botchwey on Friday reiterated that every country has a right to act against any country from where the terrorism is being emanated. "If a country is aware of where attacks (terrorism) are coming from and has evidence too, I think that the country has every right to deal with it. We know the attacks are coming from West Africa so we are dealing with it accordingly," said Botchwey at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) meeting at Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai. She further elaborated, "If a country knows where the terrorism is coming from in their land, that country has all rights to take action against them... We are facing similar situations in Africa Also and we are taking action." Meanwhile, Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State addressing the UN counter-terror meeting in Mumbai mentioned Houthi attacks in her country and said, "terror knows no border and shatters lives." Recently, a suspected drone attack in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), caused multiple explosions in which two Indians were also killed. The Shia Houthi rebels of Yemen, who have been controlling the northern parts of the country, including the capital Sana'a, for almost seven years, have claimed responsibility for the attack. One of the Arab world's poorest countries, Yemen has been devastated by a nearly seven-year civil war, which started after Houthis captured the capital Sana'a, following which Saudi-led forces intervened and fought the rebels with the aim of ending Iranian influence in the region and restoring the former government. The UAE joined the Saudi campaign in 2015 and has been deeply involved in the conflict ever since, despite announcing the formal withdrawal of its forces in 2019 and 2020. Further, UNSC President for October and Gabon Foreign Minister Michael Moussa Adamo raised the issue of terror funding at the UNSC CTC meeting in Mumbai. Adamo said, "Terrorists must be deprived of resources." It is pertinent to note that many Indian officials raised the issue of delisting Pakistan from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list and said that Pakistan delisting from FATF can increase terror attacks. Pakistan has been taken out from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) 'grey list' with the global watchdog stating that Islamabad would continue to work with the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering to improve further its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) system. Due to FATF's Greylisting of Pakistan, cross-border terrorist bases reduced by 75 per cent but now gone up back by 50 per cent and we expect scale up in terror attacks, says Indian official- Safi Rizvi, Addition Secy in Home Ministry at UN counter-terror meet in Mumbai "The gentleman marked out is not a gentleman, he is the UN-designated head of Lashkar e Toiba", Indian official- Safi Rizvi, Addition Secy in Home Ministry on Hafiz Saeed as he lists Pakistan's role in the terror attack at Mumbai UN counter-terror meet. "Conspirators and planners of the 26/11 attacks continue to remain protected and unpunished. When it comes to proscribing some of these terrorists, the Security Council has regrettably been unable to act", said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at Mumbai Taj Hotel. Meanwhile, the US too sent messages to Pakistan and China who are in nexus to block all moves on UNSC listings of global terrorists. It called for actions against perpetrators of 26/11 and asked "relevant parties" to support the designation of terrorists. "We have the responsibility to victims" to bring "justice to perpetrators of Mumbai attacks including the mastermind," said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Pointing to the UNSC listing, he explained that the US has worked with India to put forward nominations to designate terrorists and "all relevant parties should support designation." Recently, China has blocked several bids to designate several terrorists based in Pakistan. Beijing this month put on hold a proposal to list Talha Saeed, son of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed. This bid was moved by India and co-supported by the US, under the 1267 sanction regime. It was the fifth time that China has blocked an India-US proposal in recent months, Lashkar-e-Taiba member Shahid Mahmood in October, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Sajid Mir in September, LeT and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) leader Abdul Rehman Makki in June, as well as Abdul Rauf Azhar in August, the brother of Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM) chief Masood Azhar, were protected by Beijing. UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also paid tribute to India's leadership in the fight against terrorism and said, "We must do to prevent attacks, like the one that happened in Mumbai." Terming money the lifeblood of terrorism, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday highlighted how terrorists continue to get financial resources to maintain their organizational functions and said the reality that terrorism continues to exist and expands points to an underlying truth. "We have endeavoured to bring the mastermind and the perpetrators of the terrorist attack to justice. This task remains unfinished. Therefore, the coming together of UNSC's counter-terror committee to this venue is both special and significant", said EAM Jaishankar. "14 years ago city of Mumbai was witnessed to most shocking terror attack of our times.... city was held hostage due to terrorist from across the border", Jaishankar added at the soft opening of UN Counter terror meet in Mumbai. Ahead of the 14th anniversary of the 2008 Mumbai attacks in November, India is hosting the two-day anti-terrorism meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) starting Friday. The key UNSC meeting, under New Delhi's chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), is taking place at one of the main sites that saw the dastardly terror attacks - the Taj Hotel in Mumbai. (ANI)
US on Friday sanctioned an Iranian entity that was behind issuing a bounty to target British-American author Salman Rushdie. "The United States rejects the efforts of Iran's leaders to stifle the fundamental freedom of expression and threaten members of the press. Today, we sanctioned the Iranian entity that issued a bounty on the life of author Salman Rushdie," US State Secretary Antony Blinken said in a tweet. Rushdie, 75, was stabbed on stage at the Chautauqua Institution in New York on August 12 during an event. The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action Friday against the 15 Khordad Foundation, an Iran-based foundation that has issued a multi-million-dollar bounty for the killing of prominent Indian-born, British-American author Salman Rushdie, the Department said in a press release. As a result of this action, "All property and interests in property of the entity named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by it, individually, or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, must be blocked and reported to OFAC." "Since Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's order pronouncing a death sentence on Rushdie in February 1989, 15 Khordad Foundation has committed millions of dollars to anyone willing to carry out this heinous act. Since putting its bounty on Rushdie, the 15 Khordad Foundation, which is affiliated with the Supreme Leader, has raised the reward for targeting the author," the press release added. Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson said the US will not waiver in its determination to stand up to threats posed by Iranian authorities against the universal rights of freedom of expression, freedom of religion or belief, and freedom of the press. "This act of violence, which has been praised by the Iranian regime, is appalling. We all hope for Salman Rushdie's speedy recovery following the attack on his life," Nelson added. OFAC is designating 15 Khordad Foundation pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, an act of terrorism, the press release said. According to US Treasury Department, the 15 Khordad Foundation is a so-called charitable foundation subordinate to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. It noted that since 1989, the 15 Khordad Foundation, inspired by Ayatollah Khomeini's order calling for Rushdie's execution, has proudly placed a bounty on the author's life. "The call for Rushdie's assassination, issued by Ayatollah Khomeini and financially backed by the 15 Khordad Foundation and other Iranian entities, has led to the death and injury of several people associated with Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses, including other writers, translators, and publishers," it said. It gave other instances such as -- "In 1991, the translator of The Satanic Verses into Japanese was assassinated in his office. Even people with no connection to the novel have been maimed or killed." "In 1993, at least 37 people were killed when a mob burned down a hotel in Turkey that was hosting a writer who had translated Rushdie's work." The 15 Khordad Foundation maintains a multi-million-dollar bounty on Rushdie. As recently as 2012, the 15 Khordad Foundation increased its bounty on the author, bringing the total sum from $2.7 million to $3.3 million. The 15 Khordad Foundation's leadership has publicly advertised their offer, claiming the entire sum would be given immediately to anyone who assassinated Rushdie. (ANI)
The US on Thursday (local time) described "Russia as an acute threat" and China as "the only competitor" at the Department of Defence National Defence Strategy. At a conference at the Pentagon detailing the DoD National Defence Strategy, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said, "And we remain vigilant against the ongoing threat from global terrorist networks--as well as from climate change, pandemics, and other dangers that don't respect borders. At the same time, the NDS bluntly describes Russia as an acute threat. And we chose the word 'acute' carefully,". "As the President's National Security Strategy notes, the PRC is the only competitor out there with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the power to do so," added Austin. The Defence Department for the first time released the public versions of three strategic documents -- the National Defence Strategy, the Nuclear Posture Review and the Missile Defence Review -- together after having developed both the classified and unclassified versions of all three in conjunction with one another. "I am pleased to announce that the Department is publicly releasing our unclassified National Defence Strategy. And this strategy nests beneath President Biden's National Security Strategy, which was released earlier this month," said Austin. Producing the documents together, Austin ensured tight linkages between DOD strategy and resources. "By weaving these documents together, we help ensure that the entire department is moving forward together, matching our resources to our goals," Austin said. "The strength and combat credibility of the joint force remains central to integrated deterrence." The 2022 National Defence Strategy, or NDS, places a primary focus on the need to sustain and strengthen US deterrence against China. It also advances a focus on collaboration with a growing network of US allies and partners on shared objectives. In addition to addressing both China and an increase in the importance of partnerships, the NDS also takes into account the challenges posed by Russia -- especially considering its invasion of Ukraine -- along with threats posed by North Korea, Iran and violent extremist organizations. The NDS also includes a focus on challenges to security, such as pandemics and climate change, read the US DoD press release. "And above all, the NDS demands even deeper investments in our people. They will always be this department's most valuable resource, and the bedrock of American security," said Austin. The US Defence Secretary also laid out four top-level defence priorities the department must pursue. They include: Defending the homeland, paced to the growing multi-domain threat posed by China; Deterring strategic attacks against the United States, allies, and partners; Deterring aggression while being prepared to prevail in conflict, when necessary; prioritizing the challenge posed by China in the Indo-Pacific region the Russia challenge in Europe and Building a resilient joint force and defence ecosystem. He also provided three ways to advance those priorities. These include integrated deterrence, campaigning, and the building of an enduring advantage. "First, we're seamlessly integrating our deterrence efforts to make a basic truth crystal-clear to any potential foe. And the truth is: The costs of aggression against the United States or our allies and partners far outweigh any conceivable gains. Second, the NDS emphasizes the day-to-day work of campaigning. That means conducting and sequencing military activities that, over time, shift the security environment in our favour. And third, we're building enduring advantages to further strengthen the foundations of our defence enterprise," said Austin. With the US nuclear capability remaining the "ultimate backstop" for strategic deterrence, the secretary said the department plans to continue modernization efforts on the nuclear triad. The fiscal 2023 budget request, for instance, includes some USD34 billion to sustain and modernize nuclear forces, he said. The budget request also includes more than USD 56 billion for air-power platforms and systems, more than USD 40 billion to maintain US dominance at sea, and nearly USD 13 billion to support and modernize land forces, added the press release. "Integrated deterrence isn't just about steps that we take on our own," he said. "It also means working even more closely with our unparalleled network of allies and partners to deter aggression in the region after region," he said. In the Indo-Pacific region, he said, that's evident with Australia, UK, US, or AUKUS agreement, and in the trilateral cooperation agreement with Japan and Korea. Across the Atlantic, he said, partnerships that support integrated deterrence efforts include NATO and the recently created Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which helps support Ukraine's self-defence goals. Campaigning, Austin said, means conducting and sequencing the military activities which over time shift the security environment in favour of the United States, said the release. "It means working to limit and disrupt malign activities by our competitors," he said. "We're building and exercising the forces we'll need in a crisis or a conflict, including requesting USD 135 billion in last year's budget to further invest in our readiness." To build an enduring advantage for the United States, Austin said, the department is working to further strengthen the foundations of the defence enterprise, added the release. "Innovation is central here," he said. "Last year, for instance, we established the Rapid Defence Experimentation Reserve, which funds different parts of the department to work together to fill critical joint warfighting gaps. And our fiscal year 2023 budget request included more than USD 130 billion for research, development, testing and evaluation -- that's the largest R&D budget number in DOD history." (ANI)
The infighting between the Taliban and Haqqani shows that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is a divided house and it could result in a renewed civil war in Afghanistan. While this intra-Afghanistan conflict is a reality, the other more significant rationale for targeting Sirajuddin Haqqani in the 5 October attack is his pro-Pakistan and anti-education stance. Essentially, what we are witnessing today is a rift within the Taliban, i.e., between those loyal to Mullah Baradar and those with the Haqqani Network, reported Al Arabiya Post. The suicide bomber who carried out the attack on the Al-Fatah Mosque within the compound of the Interior Ministry in Kabul on 5 October 2022 knew very well who his target was; Afghanistan's Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, who had inaugurated (14 August 2022) the Al-Fatah Mosque at the cost of 18 million Afghanis at his personal expense. Some reports suggest that Sirajuddin Haqqani had come to pray at the site but left ten minutes prior to the blast. According to UK-based media, reports indicate that four people were killed in the suicide blast, carried out by a bomber with a prosthetic leg. The Haqqani have differed from the top Taliban leadership in the past and it is likely that this could happen again, only this time violently! The latest attack has come when fissures within the Taliban are growing and its contestation with the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) have only intensified, reported Al Arabiya Post. "The mosque was used by visitors and sometimes by interior ministry employees," said interior ministry spokesman Abdul NafiTakor, who confirmed the casualty toll. Moreover, an explosion at an education centre in West Kabul killed 53 people, most of them young women, according to the United Nations Mission to Afghanistan. While no one has claimed responsibility for the suicide attack, initial reports suggest that the ISKP may have been responsible. The ISKP has been at the forefront in the war against the Taliban and carried out a number of suicide attacks on Taliban leaders in the last few months, reported Al Arabiya Post. The Taliban, made up predominately of Pashtuns, is divided along ethnic, regional, and tribal lines. There are also differences among the militants over policy. Pertinently, the Taliban is divided on the issue of girls and women's education. In the broader sense, one faction believes that restrictive decrees will make international recognition and sanctions removal harder to achieve. The other faction believes that compromises will not lead to better ties with the West and the group should instead focus on bolstering its Islamist credentials and consolidate its control, reported Al Arabiya Post. Earlier in August, a prominent Afghan cleric who supported the Taliban and was in favour of female education was killed. Sheikh Rahimullah Haqqani reportedly died in a suicide bomb blast in Kabul. Sheikh Haqqani was a supporter of Taliban government and a prominent critic of the jihadist militant group ISKP, an ISIS affiliate that operates in Afghanistan and opposes the Taliban's rule. He is one of the highest profile figures to have been killed in the country since the Taliban returned to power, reported Al Arabiya Post. Meanwhile, a bombing (August 18, 2022) at a mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul during evening prayers killed at least ten people, including a prominent cleric. The slain cleric was Mullah Amir Mohammad Kabuli, a prominent Hanafi cleric. In July, a top Salafist cleric who had pledged allegiance to the Taliban was mysteriously killed at his home in Kabul. Sardar Wali Saqib was stabbed to death just days after attending a gathering of pro-Taliban clerics. In November, a little-known ISKP ideologue Abu Mustafa Darveshzadeh was killed. He had written a highly critical book about the Taliban's approach to implementing Islamic Shari'a law. The incidents suggest that the infighting within the Taliban as well as between the Taliban and ISKP could result in renewed civil war in Afghanistan, reported Al Arabiya Post. With the economic and humanitarian situation quite out of control, Afghanistan's political masters must get their act together. Across the border, Pakistan awaits such a return to instability so that they can control the sinews of power. It is well known that the Haqqani Network is a creation of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence and, they will do the bidding of their masters at the appropriate moment, reported Al Arabiya Post. (ANI)
The Pakistani army has been accused of 'targeting' journalist Arshad Sharif and his alleged assassination in Kenya. Unable to reject the charge outright as it generally does, the army is on the back foot, having to endorse a "high-level investigation" into the "accidental" killing of Arshad Sharif by the 'Kenyan Police', reported Africa Daily Digital. The Pakistani state's critics, among them scribes, political workers and human rights activists, have been found dead under mysterious circumstances in France, Sweden and Canada. One known attempt in Britain failed but became the cause of a police probe and court trial. While the main opposition and former prime minister Imran Khan have led the charge, the government has announced a judicial probe, reported Africa Daily Digital. Analysts say this is another instance of eliminating an inconvenient operative abroad. The Kenyan Police's involvement - the army is accused of working through its 'agents' in that force that has been called 'corrupt' and 'notorious' in media reports, complicates the matter. Arshad Sharif, son of a former Pakistan Navy chief, was specialised in investigative journalism and covered many political events in the country for national and international news organisations. He was awarded the Pride of Performance by the President of Pakistan Arif Alvi for his contributions to journalism. President of Pakistan Arif Alvi described Sharif's death as "a great loss to journalism and Pakistan, reported Africa Daily Digital. Afzal Butt, president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), expressed his grief at the news and called for an inquiry into the killing of Sharif. Journalist Kamran Khan questioned the government on Twitter and asked the Prime Minister to take "the nation in confidence". Arshad Sharif's case is different in that for the first time, the charge is direct, and comes amidst political and economic turmoil. The army itself, about to have a new Chief next month, is a key part of the political shenanigans, reported Africa Daily Digital. The analysts at home and outside view the army as part of the problem, not the solution. Even those who grimly foresee a likely military intervention, point to its failure in the past. The army is actually under attack from within, the polity that it has deeply influenced and overridden for close to seven decades. Worse -- it is an attack from the very people it has nurtured and played one against another, reported Africa Daily Digital. The most glaring example is Shireen Mazari, a scribe turned security analyst who was close to the military, even when she joined politics and was till April this year, the Minister for Human Rights in the Imran Khan Government. In her social media post, she claimed to have met Arshad Sharif. She has stopped short of directly naming the army for Arshad's alleged murder, but has left little to the imagination by accusing "those who cannot win a war." The oblique reference is to four wars that the Pakistan Army initiated against India but failed to achieve its stated tactical and strategic objectives, the most obvious being the seizure of Jammu and Kashmir from India. In Pakistan, this charge is fatal, reported Africa Daily Digital. Complicating the army's woes is the direct attack from Imran Khan who said that he had known the scribe, calling him a 'martyr'. He had urged him to 'desist', and flee the country, but did not explain what 'desist' from doing. Khan is confronting the army that propped up Khan through the years, to win the 2018 elections, against political 'dynasties', the Bhutto-Zardaris of the PPP and the Sharifs who head the PML-N. Khan accuses the army of helping both families to share power after he was voted out in a parliamentary coup in April, reported Africa Daily Digital. Khan now wants a snap poll, but the military under Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, is backing the incumbent regime's agenda of setting the economy right before holding an uncertain election. (ANI)
With renewed attention after the horrific Karachi university incident which took the lives of several Chinese nationals, the Pakistani government has decided to bear the security costs of non-CPEC projects as well, media reports said citing sources. This is a key development as the Pakistan government has already included the security cost of all CPEC projects in the total cost, sources revealed to media outlet Business Recorder. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting to seek updated progress on investigations into these incidents which killed many Chinese construction workers and common Chinese nationals. With the increased attacks on Chinese nations involved in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and non-CPEC projects, Sharif has ratcheted up the security imperatives. This decision was taken at a recent meeting presided over by Shehbaz Sharif to review the security of Chinese working on CPEC and non-CPEC projects and to seek updated progress on investigations/ criminal proceedings related to Dasu and Karachi University incidents. Sources also revealed that Shehbaz Sharif has given a high alert for Chinese citizens' security in view of the upcoming events in the context of China, well-informed sources told Business Recorder. Moreover, it was decided that a meeting will be held with the Chinese Ambassador to brief him on the updated progress on investigations/ criminal proceedings related to Dasu and Karachi incidents, reported Business Recorder. The Chinese envoy will be urged to instruct the Chinese nationals to adhere to SOPs issued by the Pakistan Interior Ministry to ensure their security. The sources said Interior Ministry will be the only point of contact in the Pakistani Government for any law and order-related information to the Chinese embassy. The meeting decided that the governments of Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir shall ensure the restructuring and strengthening of their Counter Terrorism Departments. Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives shall ensure that the meeting of the Pakistan-Chinese Joint Working Group on the security of Chinese is held on a monthly basis. Provincial Governments shall review the security audit reports to take necessary measures to bridge the gaps. In July, nine Chinese workers were killed when a vehicle laden with explosives and driven by a suicide attacker rammed the bus in which they were travelling towards the Dasu Hydropower project in the Upper Kohistan area of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Moreover, the recent suicide attack killed 3 Chinese teachers outside the University of Karachi's (KU) Confucius Institute. (ANI)
Pakistan's risk of default, measured by the 5-year credit default swap (CDS), on Tuesday, spiked by 3.07 percentage points in a day and hit a 13-year high at 52.8 pc, suggesting foreign investors had lost their faith in the country, reported The Express Tribune.

The CDS hovered around 5 per cent to 6 per cent before the Covid-19 outbreak in Pakistan in February 2020. It hit the then peak of around 30 per cent in the middle of this year over the uncertainty revolving around the revival of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programme.

Later on, the CDS slightly recovered amid the global lender resuming its USD 6.5 billion programmes in late August 2022 and subsequently releasing a tranche of USD 1.2 billion.

However, these days it is again climbing suddenly, signalling that foreign investors saw that Pakistan would fail to repay the maturing debt, reported The Express Tribune.

The country is due to return USD 1 billion to foreign investors against the maturing of the 5-year Sukuk on December 5, 2022.

Foreign investors have panicked amid the country's foreign exchange reserves depleting by around USD 9 billion in the past 10 months, reported The Express Tribune.

They have dropped to a critically low level at around 1.10-month import cover at USD 7.6 billion at present compared with USD 20 billion (three-month import cover) in August 2021.

Foreign investors have panicked following the global rating agencies Moody's and Fitch downgrading Pakistan's credit rating in recent weeks.

The two agencies have revised the credit rating on the assessment that the domestic economy had suffered losses worth around USD 30-40 billion in the recent floods, reported The Express Tribune.

The situation is signalling to foreign investors that the country would default. (ANI)
As of today, Chinese companies have supplied AI surveillance technologies to thirty-six countries with BRI projects progressing in their native lands that are prone to espionage threats. The Chinese authoritarian state in its current form has been enhancing its bid to increase surveillance upon its own people domestically and internationally, reported Tibet Press. China's bid to expedite monitoring capabilities and technology is not specifically intended for domestic purposes. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been constantly engaging with domestic tech firms for exporting these technologies to developing countries that seem to be favouring the Belt and Road Initiative. Most of these firms are either subsidiaries of the Chinese state apparatus or are third-party firms employed by Chinese companies. This however is a significant threat to the sovereign nations of the developing world who seem to be the target for such proposals, reported Tibet Press. Notorious Chinese behaviour with surveillance technology does not require any extensive detailing, yet it is important to recognize the intention in which such technologies are being supplied at low costs. The African Union's building in Addis Ababa Ethiopia was found to have a rigged cluster of servers that was stealing videos across the AU's campus, reported Tibet Press. China had paid and built the computer network in the African Union building, and was reported to have inserted a backdoor channel that enabled it to transfer sensitive data. Thus, it would be wise to state that integrating a nation's technology with that of the Chinese firms would endanger local confidential information that is sensitive in nature. China's Orwellian nature is not only worrying. Still, it is a significant threat to the other nations that seem to be willing to import Chinese technology on the pretext of security development, reported Tibet Press. These nations not only are jeopardizing their sovereign powers to an external nation but will also end up being subjected to Chinese dictates. Hence it is important that a comprehensive cost-based analysis be done by nations that see Chinese technology as an opportunity instead of a threat; for widespread leaks and investigative reports have suggested that Chinese AI surveillance technology is a moderated mechanism that is prone to espionage threats. The banning of Huawei across different countries for 5G technology is quite telling of the concern nations face in light of Chinese advancements in the sector, reported Tibet Press. This concern however is not only endangering the West but is an even bigger concern for the developing world which in many prospects is seen by China as an opportunity to bring under its sphere of influence. Hence, a comprehensive understanding must be initiated before nations accept Chinese offers for advanced technologies as China has had a precarious past in terms of its global outreach which should not be neglected. (ANI)
The killing of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya reveals the unholy nexus of Pakistan army and Kenyan Death Squads. Arshad Sharif's murder is a lot more than what is being revealed by both the Pakistani and the Kenyan government, analysts are divided over whether the incident is an accident or another victim of Pakistan's deep state operations? reported The Geneva Daily. Pakistan army's links with the organized criminals of the Muslim world are also no secret. Given the deep penetration that a lot of these gang lords who find refuge in Pakistan have in a lot of these African countries, including Kenya, could it be possible that Arshad Sharif's murder is a lot more than what is being revealed by both the Pakistani and the Kenyan government? Arshad Sharif (49), a senior Pakistani journalist was killed in cold blood on 24 October in Kenya when he was driving from Magadi to Nairobi, accompanied by his brother Khurram Ahmed at around 10:00 pm. Initial reports suggested that he was shot dead in his forehead by a Kenyan sniper from the Kenyan police. Soon these reports were denounced as being fake when the Kenyan police itself came out with a statement asserting the correct sequence of events, reported The Geneva Daily. Released on their official Twitter handle, the statement claimed that the killing was a case of 'mistaken identity' by the General Service Unit (GSU) officers. In the official statement, it was mentioned that the incident followed a circulation from the Pangani Police of a stolen motor vehicle. As per claims, the officers who were trailing the motor vehicle towards Magadi had alerted the Magadi police who had subsequently erected a road barrier. Arshad Sharif's motor vehicle had tried to drive through this makeshift barrier and was at that time shot at by the police, leading to his death, reported The Geneva Daily. A Kenyan journalist pointed out the many loopholes that exist in the police's official statement. First of all, how is driving through a makeshift barrier reason enough to shoot at a vehicle where the presence of civilians is confirmed. Moreover, as evidence later showed, the car was shot at from all directions, with 9 bullet marks being found on the car. It seemed quite obvious that the shooting was not intended at stopping the vehicle but was more of an ambush, intended at killing whoever was in the car. Lastly, it has been observed that a majority of the bullets were targeted at that side of the car where Sharif was sitting, thus, making a case for a planned assassination rather than an accident, reported The Geneva Daily. If there is even a semblance of truth in the analysis, it begs the next big question, that is, why would anyone want to kill a Pakistani journalist in Kenya? And, perhaps, even before that, why was he in Kenya at all? This entire scenario is muddier than is being allowed to be revealed. A day after Sharif was killed, former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko made a statement insisting that the Kenyan police should not be blamed for the death of the journalist. According to his claims, while the shootings indeed were carried out by the Kenyan police, they were 'tricked' into believing that Sharif was involved in a motor vehicle theft. The governor claims that the journalist for the past few days was being followed by a 'Pakistani killer squad' because of an investigation that he was doing to expose certain people in the current Pakistan establishment and the deep state involvement in a money-laundering syndicate. This syndicate allegedly also operates some car showrooms in Nairobi and Mombasa, reported The Geneva Daily. Arshad Sharif had left Pakistan in August this year, soon after news of his harassment by the Pakistani police surfaced, including reports of an FIR that was filed against him and ARY news, where he worked, blaming him for making anti-state statements. After Sharif fled Pakistan, he was soon fired from the news agency ARY Network on flimsy grounds. It is speculated that this decision was made by the agency at the behest of the Pakistani government. This is not the first time that the Kenyan police have been under the radar for extra-judicial killings. Al Jazeera's investigative documentary called 'Inside Kenya's Death Squads', we have people from within the Kenyan Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) confirming that cold-blooded assassinations are often carried out on government orders and sometimes, even for money, reported The Geneva Daily. (ANI)
The landmark maritime border demarcation deal, achieved with US mediation, signed last Thursday between Israel and Lebanon, could have important ramifications in the relations between the two countries that have technically been at war for decades and could at the same time allow the two countries exploit and export natural gas from their respective gas fields to Europe. US Special Presidential Coordinator Amos Hochstein has clinched the deal between Lebanon and Israel - the relevant indirect negotiations have been going on intermittently for more than 10 years- drawing a border between the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the two countries on the basis of a boundary line known as Line 23. Under the agreement, Lebanon is awarded 840 square kilometres of the previously disputed area but promises to pay royalties to Israel for a section of its Qana field that extends to Israel's EEZ, and Beirut recognizes Israel's claims to the Karish gas field. In this way, Israel retains full rights to develop the Karish field while Lebanon retains full rights in nearby Qana. It is remarkable that the agreement was signed at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in the border Lebanese town of Naqoura, without the two negotiating teams coming into contact. It was previously signed in Beirut by Lebanese President Michel Aoun and later by Israeli Minister Yair Lapid. Amos Hochstein oversaw the signing by the heads of delegations in Naqoura. Another remarkable point is that the mandate of both Aoun and Lapid expires at the end of this month. Israel on November 1st is having elections and it is extremely difficult to predict who will emerge as the winner and who can garner enough support in the Israeli Parliament to form a government. In Lebanon, the Parliament on October 24 failed for the fourth time to elect a candidate to replace Aoun. Amos Hochstein said: "What matters today is what will happen after the agreement, and I believe that it will be an economic turning point for Lebanon. Signing such an agreement will bring stability to the region and will allow TotalEnergies to begin its work, which nothing will hinder, and no one will take the oil and gas revenues from the Lebanese. The most important thing in the agreement is that it serves both sides and it is not in their interests to violate it." Lebanese President Michel Aoun, after signing the maritime demarcation deal at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, stressed that the agreement was just a technical issue with no political meaning. "Lebanon is still in a state of war with Israel," he said and added: "The completion of the demarcation of the southern maritime borders is a technical work that does not have any political dimensions or effects that contradict Lebanon's foreign policy in its relations with other countries." Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid described the deal as a "political achievement" for his country. "The maritime deal is a political achievement for Israel as we don't see an enemy state like Lebanon recognizing Israel in a written agreement every day," he said. Earlier, Lapid said the maritime agreement "staves off" war with Hezbollah. It should be noted that last September Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the powerful pro-Iranian Hezbollah Group, upon learning that there would be a test run at the Israeli-operated Karish gas field, called the extraction of gas from that field a "red line". He ominously added: We are following up on the negotiations (aimed at finding a deal between Lebanon and Israel) and all our eyes are on Karish and our missiles are locked on Karish." After the announcement that a deal was reached between the two countries, Nasrallah said: "We consider what happened a great victory for Lebanon. The resistance's exceptional mobilization against Israel is now over. Mission accomplished." Undoubtedly, the Israeli Prime Minister scored a big success with the deal, as he has averted a possible clash with Hezbollah over Karish and as well troubles with Lebanon, but on the home front he had to deal with the opposition of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who claimed that the deal could benefit Hezbollah and accused Lapid of evading the scrutiny of the Israeli Parliament. US President Joseph Biden described the deal as "historic," as it resolves Israeli and Lebanese claims to natural gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and "sets the stage for a more stable and prosperous region." Mathios Rigas, the Chief Executive Officer of the London-based Energean hydrocarbon company, said that the first gas from Karish has been delivered after receiving the green light from the Israeli government. Karish is estimated to contain 2.4 trillion cubic feet (68 billion cubic metres) of natural gas. "We have delivered a landmark project that brings competition to the Israeli gas market, enhances the security of energy supply in the East Med region and brings affordable and clean energy that will displace coal-fired power generation, making a material impact on the environment," Rigas said. Experts say that the deal reached between Israel and Lebanon does not specify what royalties Israel will receive in the future from the Lebanese Qana field, after several years when production starts. This could create a serious problem, as it happened in the case of Cyprus and Israel, where negotiations on profit distribution of the Aphrodite-Yishair joint reservoir, have been stalled for years. Whatever the few detractors of the agreement say, the deal between Israel and Lebanon can be described as 'historic" as it settled an apparently irresolvable dispute that could easily escalate into hostilities. Moreover, it brings a ray of hope for Lebanon can dream of some economic relief from hydrocarbon revenues and could help Europe alleviate its energy shortages in part. After all, the US Geological Survey has identified the Eastern Mediterranean seabed as holding some of the vastest fossil fuel deposits in the world. (ANI)
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked with a hammer on Friday morning in their home in San Francisco. The attacker was a male assailant who also tried to tie up Pelosi's husband during the attack as the attacker was waiting for Nancy to arrive home, CNN reported citing sources. The assailant was saying he was "waiting for Nancy," stated the police. CNN reported quoting a well-briefed source who further said that the perpetrator confronted the speaker's husband in their San Francisco home shouting, "Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?" According to a statement released by the Democratic speaker's office Paul Pelosi, 82, is currently hospitalized and is expected to make recovery. Speaker Pelosi is flying back to San Francisco with her family to be with her husband, according to a source familiar told CNN on Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in an official statement condemned the attack against Paul Pelosi and said that the prayers are with Speaker Pelosi's whole family. She further stated that US President Biden is also praying for Paul Pelosi and also had a morning call with House Speaker Pelosi to express his support after this horrible attack. "The President is praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi's whole family. This morning he called Speaker Pelosi to express his support after this horrible attack. He is also very glad that a full recovery is expected. The President continues to condemn all violence and asks that the family's desire for privacy be respected," the official statement read. The US speaker is second in line to become the US President after the Vice President in case the President is incapacitated. Analysts are saying that given the fact that Pelosi is second in the order of succession it is strange that her house had no security and an intruder could enter her San Francisco house without any trouble. (ANI)
A group of A-10C Thunderbolt II attack planes are deployed to Guam for training amid tensions between the U.S. and its regional rivals, China and North Korea, the Air Force said Wednesday.

The A-10s, also known as Warthogs, belong to the 23rd Air Expeditionary Wing at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The jets arrived at the U.S. territory on Oct. 23.

The service said their trip to Guams Andersen Air Force Base is part of a routine dynamic force employment operation  the practice of rotating units through overseas installations for training opportunities and to deter potential attacks in the region.

B-1 bombers again deploy to Guam amid Pacific tensions

The United States is committed to being ready to execute missions quickly in unpredictable ways, the service said, adding that the Air Force can rapidly respond to adversaries moves from afar or in theater.

A-10s were a combat staple for attacking enemy tanks and ground positions in the Middle East for decades. Withdrawing U.S. forces from Afghanistan last year has allowed Warthog crews to focus instead on honing their tactics in the Pentagons other two top-priority regions, Europe and the Pacific.

At the same time, the Air Force is reimagining the role of its counterterrorism mainstay for a new kind of fight.

The Pentagon maintains a regular A-10 force in the Indo-Pacific at South Koreas Osan Air Base, flown by the 25th Fighter Squadron. The regions sole Warthog unit doesnt boast the speed or stealth of fighter jets, but flies maritime security patrols and helps with search-and-rescue efforts in addition to its more conventional airstrike roles.

The loud jet equipped with a rapid-fire cannon can also send a message that the U.S. intends to protect its partner nations and keep international airspace and waterways open to all.

Meet Lt. Col. John Marks, the airman with the most time in the A-10C 'Warthog'

But almost 2,000 miles south of Osan  about as far apart as Colorado and Maine  Guam offers a more remote, realistic proving ground than whats available in South Korea.

Story continues

The 25th Fighter Squadron periodically visits Andersen to practice wartime skills, but appearances by the U.S.-based A-10 units are rare.

Moodys 23rd Wing was designated as one of several new lead wings, a main unit in charge of a team of aircraft from different bases that train together in preparation for future deployments. The wing was on track to be certified as the Air Forces first such organization over the summer.

The Air Force indicated the A-10 unit will lead in Operation Iron Thunder, a Pacific Air Forces exercise that will cobble together disparate aircraft and teach them to work together while separated by distance and electronically jammed communications.

This A-10C 'Warthog' unit wants to bring more 'brrrrrt' to Europe

That will likely include other Air Force assets like the B-1B Lancer bombers that arrived in Guam on Oct. 18, and international partners like the Royal Australian Air Force.

Air National Guard Warthogs made a similarly atypical trip to Europe in May to participate in two U.S. military exercises, held against the backdrop of Russias war in Ukraine. Those deployments can help in more ways than one.

This is an A-10, but the procedures for calling in fires from an F-35, or an F-22, or a bomber or something else, will have quite a bit of overlap, Daniel Norton, a military systems analyst with the federally funded think tank Rand Corp., previously told Air Force Times. The training is valuable.
A 12-year-old boy died after his older brother shot him in the head, news outlets reported, citing a South Carolina sheriff.

Now, the childs brother is facing an involuntary manslaughter charge, according to WMBF and the Florence County Sheriffs Office.

First responders were called at about 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27. Deputies responded to Hector Road in the Effingham community, where a 12-year-old had been shot, officials wrote in a news release.

The child was taken to a hospital and later died, the sheriffs office wrote.

Sheriff TJ Joye said the 17-year-old reported that he accidentally shot his younger brother. The bullet hit the boy in the head, according to WPDE and WBTW.

The 17-year-old is accused of acting with reckless disregard for the safety of others when he shot the victim.

The teen is charged with involuntary manslaughter, pointing and presenting a firearm and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, deputies wrote. He was arrested and taken to the Florence County jail, roughly 65 miles northwest of Myrtle Beach.

The Florence County Coroners Office didnt immediately share additional information with McClatchy News on Oct. 28.

3-year-old accidentally kills mom after finding unsecured gun, SC deputies say

21-year-old killed in 15th round of quick draw gun game, SC cops say. Friend charged